#you knew what I needed but everything was more important

[rispwr]

cruel secrets - J.JK - one shot (M)

pairings : J.JK x fem! reader

sypnosis : "Marrying one of the twins, especially if they're identical, can be fun. but what if one starts pretending to be the other? especially murder involved, but what you don't know won't hurt you.. right?"

contents/warnings : murder, identity fraud/theft?, doctor! jk, twin! jk, cheating, blackmailing, murder during surgery?, heart problem, fake death, pregnancy, pls tell me if i missed some. nsfw: (big c! jk, clit spanking, choking, unprotected (wrap them hotdogs up) missionary, riding, oral, good girl like one time, )

genre : idk really know if it's yandere or not but this is more of like possessive, crazy, murder blah blah. smut and slight fluff... if you squint

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈

You had been engaged for only a month, the happiest you had ever been. Two years with Jun-ho had been nothing but love, laughter, and promises of forever until the diagnosis shattered your world.

A heart tumor.

Jungkook, your everloving  brother-in-law, had been the first to offer help. A skilled cardiologist, he had sworn to do everything in his power.

"He'll need a donor, Y/N-ie," Jungkook murmured, his gaze heavy with something unreadable.

"W-We’ll find someone… right?" you asked, clinging to hope.

Jungkook gave your hand a reassuring squeeze, his voice smooth and confident. "Hopefully we will... I’ll do everything I can for you."

And he did.

The day of the surgery arrived faster than you had expected. A donor had miraculously been found, and relief had flooded your heart. You held onto that hope, unaware of the horrors unfolding behind the operating room doors.

No one knew.

No one outside the sterile walls of the OR knew that Jungkook was the lead surgeon.

No one knew that his hands, steady, practiced, merciless. weren't just saving a life.

They were stealing one.

His scalpel carved deep, removing what he needed with methodical precision. Jun-ho's body, once warm and alive, was now nothing more than a collection of organs. some to be sold, some to be discarded. But the most important piece, the heart, was his to take.

Jungkook had lied about everything.

The world would believe the story he orchestrated. The hospital was in his palm. paid silence, bribed hands. And when he stitched up his own chest, a fabricated scar in place, he emerged not as Jungkook, but as Jeon Jun-ho.

Your Jun-ho.

"Ms. L/N?"

The nurse’s voice snapped you out of your daze. You jumped to your feet, heart pounding.

"The surgery was successful."

Tears welled in your eyes, a sob of relief escaping your lips. "W-Where's Jungkook? I need to thank him-"

The nurse hesitated. A flicker of guilt flashed across her face before she forced herself to speak.

"The twin of Mr. Jeon... donated his heart to your fiancé."

Silence.

Your breath hitched. Your mind reeled, unable to process the words.

Jungkook… had given his heart to Jun-ho?

Your knees buckled as you collapsed onto a chair, pressing your hands to your face. Tears streamed down your cheeks. grief, gratitude, disbelief all crashing over you at once.

"Thank you, Jungkook…" you whispered into your palms, mourning the man you thought had sacrificed himself.

Meanwhile, the man you truly loved lay in a cold morgue drawer. And the monster wearing his name lay waiting in his place.

Waiting for you.

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈

You sat on the stool beside the hospital bed, your fingers entwined with his, waiting for your fiancé to wake up. His chest rose and fell steadily, the only sign of life after the grueling surgery.

You leaned your head against his chest, feeling the warmth beneath your cheek, the place where his body had been cut open and stitched back together. Your breathing slowed, syncing with his.

Your exhaustion weighed you down, your eyes fluttering closed as you drifted into sleep.

But Jungkook was already awake.

His dark eyes watched you in the dim light, the corners of his lips curving into a satisfied smile.

He had won.

His fingers brushed through your hair, gentle, possessive.

He had taken everything.

And now, you were his.

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈

Flashback

Jungkook sat in his office, fingers drumming idly against his desk, the dim glow of his phone screen illuminating his face.

A number flashed on the screen. He pressed dial.

"Hey, Dr. Kim… it’s been a while. Wanna meet up?"

The voice on the other end hesitated. "Jungkook… I don’t want to be involved again—"

*"Later. 2 PM. Café **. You better be there… unless you want your dear wife to know about the family you’ve been hiding overseas. Hm?"

Silence.

Jungkook smirked, twirling a pen between his fingers. "See you there, pal." He ended the call before Namjoon could protest.

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈

Namjoon sat stiffly across from Jungkook, his fingers wrapped around a steaming cup of black coffee. Jungkook, ever composed, sipped his iced Americano, his eyes glinting with amusement.

"It’s been a while," Jungkook said, the casual tone in his voice a stark contrast to the heavy tension between them. "when's your wife due?"

Namjoon’s jaw clenched. "Just spill what you want, Jungkook."

Jungkook chuckled, setting his cup down. "I want you to diagnose someone."

Namjoon frowned. "You know I can’t do that. I’ll lose my license-"

Jungkook cut him off smoothly, pulling an envelope from his jacket and sliding it across the table. "Not if you have connections. I’ll help you. Maybe even get you a higher pay?"

Namjoon hesitated before opening the envelope.

His blood ran cold.

Inside were photos, documents, evidence. Proof of the secret family he had in the States while he was working abroad 3 years ago.

Jungkook tilted his head, watching Namjoon’s expression shift from shock to despair.

"Jungkook… I can’t do this to your brother. He’s my best friend-"

"Easy, isn’t it?" Jungkook leaned in, voice a whisper of venom. "I want his diagnosis by next month… or else."

He tapped the envelope lightly, smirking.

"Your poor, pregnant wife will know exactly what you did."

Namjoon swallowed hard, his hands trembling around the cup.

Jungkook leaned back, satisfied. He had already won.

And now, all that was left was to take what was rightfully his.

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈

Jungkook wasn’t the only one hiding something.

You had your own sins buried deep.

The night of your engagement. the night after jun-ho proposed to you should have been the happiest moment of your life. But instead, you had spent it elsewhere. In another man’s bed.

In his twins bed.

Drunk. Breathless. Completely fucked out... and getting fucked

"A-Ah, Jungkook- shit-" you whimpered, your nails digging into his arms as he pounded into you, his grip on your waist tight enough to bruise.

"Hm? You like this, don’t you?" Jungkook scoffed, his voice laced with dark amusement. "Getting fucked by your boyfriend’s twin?"

A sharp slap landed on your cheek, the sting only making your moans sharper, your body shivering beneath him.

"Answer me, baby."

You should have said no. You should have resisted.

But it was easier to say the opposite.

"Y-Yes," you admitted weakly.

Jungkook smirked, his thrusts turning brutal. "Louder. Jungkook can’t hear you."

"Y-Yes!!" you screamed, the pleasure clouding any remnants of guilt as your climax built up.

"Gonna- gonna cum-" you choked out, only for his hand to wrap around your throat, squeezing just enough to make your breath hitch.

"Wait for me. Don’t cum yet. hold it baby," His free hand came down between your legs, slapping your clit, forcing a sharp cry of his name from your lips.

"Go on, baby, cum now while I fill you up." His voice was low, guttural, possessive. "Cum for me. Cum for your Jungkookie."

And you did.

You shouldn’t have. But you did.

It wasn’t an accident. You wanted it. And so did he.

It wasn’t your fault Jun-ho could never satisfy you the way his twin did.

And it didn’t stop that night.

It went on for a month. lust filled nights tangled in sheets that didn’t belong to you, stolen moments, whispered lies. until you finally broke things off.

Until you found out something that changed everything.

You were pregnant.

At first, you thought it was Jun-ho’s. You had been so sure. you had been taking your birth control, after all.

But when you rechecked the pills…

They weren’t real.

Your doctor confirmed it. placebos.

A horrifying realization struck you. Jun-ho hadn’t been the one who tampered with them. Only one man had been inside you for weeks.

Jungkook.

It had been him all along.

You had thought about taking a paternity test, but what was the point? They were identical twins. No one would ever suspect. The baby would look like them anyway.

So you decided.

You would never tell Jun-ho the truth.

The rhythmic sound of his heartbeat beneath your ear was steady, comforting.

You had fallen asleep against his chest, exhaustion taking over.

You stirred awake at the soft sensation of fingers running through your hair.

Your eyes fluttered open.

"Jun-ho? Baby, are you awake?" you gasped, quickly sitting up. Happiness flooded through you at the thought of seeing him again, alive and well.

Jungkook- no, Jun-ho smiled at you, his dark eyes unreadable.

"Jung- Jun-ho..." You hesitated, his name foreign on your tongue.

The thought of Jungkook. dead, gone forever. flashed in your mind.

A part of you mourned him.

A part of you secretly wished it wasn’t him who had died.

But you couldn’t betray your fiancé any more than you already had.

You swallowed hard, forcing yourself to smile as you reached for his hand.

"I... I’m pregnant."

Hope filled your voice, unaware of the true horror behind your words.

Jungkook’s expression didn’t falter. His grip tightened around your fingers as he pulled you into his arms.

"I’m going to be a father?" he asked, his voice laced with excitement, his hands cradling your waist protectively.

You nodded against his chest, oblivious.

Oblivious to the fact that he already knew.

Jungkook had always known.

He had been watching you. Controlling you. Manipulating every step.

Even your doctor hadn’t been yours.

He had chosen the best OB-GYN, paid to ensure he was the one overseeing your pregnancy.

And you had no idea.

Because from the very beginning, long before Jun-ho was ever taken from this world

Jungkook had already made sure you belonged to him. 

-----

It had been three weeks since your fiancé was discharged from the hospital.

And today was the funeral of the man you had secretly loved behind his back.

The weight of grief sat heavy on your chest as you stood in front of the urn, your fingers trembling. But you had no idea. no clue at all that the ashes inside that urn belonged to your real fiancé.

And that the man sitting beside you, holding your hand, smirking ever so subtly, was the one who had orchestrated it all.

Jungkook gave your hand a gentle squeeze. "I'm sure he'll miss you as much as you miss him, sweetpie."

Sweetpie.

Your breath hitched.

That was his nickname for you. Jungkook’s.

Your lips parted, but no words came out.

So you said nothing. Because this was a secret you would have to keep.

Forever.

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈

The bedroom was silent.

You lay beside your fiancé, staring at the ceiling, lost in thought.

"Are you still upset?" his voice was soft, cautious.

You swallowed thickly. "I… Jungkook was really nice. I can't thank him enough..."

I can't love him enough.

Silence stretched between you both, thick with tension.

Jungkook- no, Jun-ho turned to look at you. "Can I take care of you this time?"

You nodded wordlessly, letting him pull you beneath him, his lips trailing down your body.

But the moment his tongue met your heat.

something felt wrong.

Too familiar.

His movements, his technique, it was too good. Too practiced. It felt just like him.

Your breath hitched.

"W-Wanna ride you…" you muttered, desperate for control, for a distraction.

He flipped you over with ease, his hands gripping your waist as you lowered yourself onto him.

"Oh- hmpf- " you whimpered, trying to suppress the moans threatening to spill from your lips.

But you couldn't hold it in anymore.

"Ah! Jungkookie!!"

The name ripped from your throat before you could stop it.

His hands found your breasts, squeezing possessively. "Good girl."

Your head spun.

This wasn’t Jun-ho. It never had been.

"G-Gonna cum, baby…" he groaned, his grip tightening.

"C-Cum in me… please!" you cried, desperate, needy, ruined.

One last moan of his name left your lips as pleasure tore through you both.

And as you collapsed against his chest, the truth settled like a stone in your stomach.

You sobbed into his skin, his hands running soothingly along your back, his softened length still inside you.

"I'm sorry…" you breathed out.

Jungkook smiled. "I forgive you."

And in that moment, you knew.

You knew it wasn’t your fiancé holding you.

But you would wait.

You would wait until he was ready to tell you himself.

but you were impatient.

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈

The church was full. Everyone sat, watching you both with smiles on their faces.

If only they knew.

Namjoon sat in the audience, his pregnant wife beside him, hands clenched into fists. He was ready to bury this secret forever, to let it rot in the ground where it belonged.

The officiant’s voice echoed through the room.

"Do you, Jeon Jun-ho, take Y/N L/N to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do."

Your heart pounded as they turned to you.

"Do you, Y/N L/N, take Jeon Jun-ho to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

You were two words away from binding yourself to a dead man.

A part of you secretly wished it was his name being spoken instead.

"I do…" you whispered, your lips curving into a smile.

Your eyes locked onto his. The man who thought you didn’t know.

"You may kiss the bride."

He pulled you in, his lips brushing against yours, his smile warm and sweet.

"I love you, Y/N."

Your heart ached, your fingers trembling as you caressed his cheek.

"I love you too, Jungkook." 

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈

note : it's my first time making smth like this lmaoo. do we hate jk nd oc? i do 🤭

[oscinhaslandito]

could you do some taking care of you on period stories!!

alright so kinda sorta inspired by max and lando's latest stream there wasn't a specific driver request so i chose lando cause the stream was on my mind hope that's okay so yeah anyways enjoy!!!!

(p.s.: he's so adorable in this clip😭)

It had been quite a bit since Lando and Max had streamed from the same room. Finally after weeks of back and forth they stumbled on one date. So, here they both are streaming from Lando's apartment in Monaco, the chat going absolutely feral, seeing them together.

Y/N had been looking forward to a cozy evening while Lando and Max entertained the internet with their usual chaotic stream. She had taken a warm shower, ready to curl up in bed and scroll aimlessly on her phone. But just as she was drying off, she felt the unmistakable cramp and the dreaded realization hit her.

"Oh, for fuck's sake," she muttered, sighing as she reached for her supply of pads.

Now, wrapped in one of Lando’s oversized hoodies, she lay in bed with a heating pad pressed against her stomach. She scrolled through her phone, trying to distract herself from the cramps. She could hear the distant sounds of Lando and Max laughing from the streaming room, their voices slightly muffled by the walls.

Meanwhile, in the other room, Lando and Max were in the middle of a heated debate about who was better at Tarkov.

"Mate, you are so bad at this," Max laughed. "I swear, you run in circles half the time."

"Nah, you're just jealous of my skills," Lando shot back, grinning.

A notification popped up on Lando’s second screen, signaling they had been streaming for a while. “I’m gonna grab a drink. You want anything?” he asked Max, standing up.

Max waved a hand. “Yeah, just get me whatever you’re having.”

Lando nodded, stretching his arms before heading out of the streaming room. As always, before making his way to the kitchen, he took a detour to check on Y/N. It was a habit now—every time he had a moment, he’d sneak in to give her a quick kiss or hug, just because he could.

When he walked in, he immediately noticed her curled up in bed, heating pad pressed against her stomach. His playful smile softened. He knew what that meant.

"Babe, you on your period?" he asked softly, sitting beside her.

Y/N let out a dramatic sigh. "Unfortunately. It’s a nightmare."

Lando leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. "I’ll be right back, okay?", he said exiting the room, leaving the girl confused.

He made his way to the kitchen but instead of grabbing just drinks, he started rummaging through the pantry. He knew Y/N's go-to period snacks: chocolate, some chips, and—oh, he had bought her favorite cookies last week! Score!

When he returned to the streaming room, Max looked up. "Took you long enough—wait, what’s all that?"

Lando placed the drinks on the desk but held onto the snacks. "Y/N’s on her period. We’re ending the stream."

Max blinked before nodding. "Oh. Yeah, fair enough. She needs the comfort package."

Without hesitation, Max turned to their viewers. "Alright, lads, that’s it for tonight. Emergency calls."

The chat flooded with confusion and questions, but they ignored it, quickly shutting everything down. Once everything was offline, Max followed Lando to the bedroom, where Y/N was still curled up.

"Brought you some goodies, love," Lando said, placing the snacks beside her. "And we ended the stream, so now you have our full attention."

Max flopped onto the bed dramatically. "I’m here for moral support."

Y/N laughed softly, shaking her head. "You guys really didn’t have to end your stream."

"Nah, you’re more important," Lando said without hesitation, climbing into bed beside her.

Max smirked. "He’s so whipped."

"Shut up," Lando muttered, wrapping his arms around Y/N. "Let me cuddle my girlfriend in peace."

Max, shaking his head, let out a small chuckle at his best friend. "Alright, alright, I'll leave you two to it. Take care."

Y/N smiled softly. "Thanks, Max. And sorry you had to end your stream because of me."

Max scoffed, waving a hand dismissively. "Nah, I was getting tired of your whiny boyfriend anyway."

Lando gave Max an unimpressed look while Y/N burst into laughter, making Lando pout. "Wow, the betrayal."

Max grinned, backing away towards the door. "Get used to it, mate. See you in the morning—if you survive the clinginess."

With that, he slipped out, leaving Lando and Y/N wrapped up in each other, completely content.

As soon as the door shut, Lando tightened his arms around Y/N, burying his face into her neck. "Finally, alone time."

Y/N giggled, turning slightly to nuzzle against his curls. "You’re so dramatic."

"Shhh," he mumbled. "Let me be clingy."

She smiled, running her fingers through his hair, massaging his scalp lightly. He let out a hum of approval, his whole body relaxing against hers. "You're literally the best boyfriend ever, you know that?"

Lando lifted his head, grinning sleepily. "Say it again."

Y/N rolled her eyes playfully but complied. "Best boyfriend ever."

He kissed her cheek, then her nose, then her forehead. "I love you."

She melted into his embrace. "I love you too. Even when you’re extra."

"Especially when I’m extra," he corrected smugly, pulling the blanket over them. "Now let’s get comfy. Movie? Nap? Or just more cuddles?"

"Mmm, all of the above."

Lando beamed, pulling her even closer. "Perfect."

And just like that, he stayed wrapped around her for the rest of the night, whispering sweet nothings and making sure she was as comfortable as possible. If there was one thing he was sure of, it was that he’d always be there to take care of her—no matter what.

[kpop-reactions-povs]

Stray kids- Apologizing after an argument they had with their S/O

Bang Chan

You told him you felt neglected because of his busy schedule, but he lashed out in frustration. "You knew what you were getting into when you started dating me!" Later that night, Chan walks into the room quietly. He finds you sitting on the bed, eyes downcast, and his heart clenches at the sight. "Hey… I’ve been thinking about what I said, and I hate myself for hurting you like that." His voice wavers slightly as he takes your hands in his. "You’re the most important person in my life. I was stupid and tired, but that’s no excuse. I love you more than anything, and I’ll do whatever it takes to make this right." He pulls you into his arms, holding you tightly. "Please don’t doubt how much you mean to me. I’ll prove it every single day."

Lee Know

He had been acting distant, and when you brought it up, he snapped. "Maybe you should stop expecting so much from me!" After some time alone, Lee Know comes back to find you sitting by the window, wiping away silent tears. His chest tightens with guilt. "Y/N…" he says softly, kneeling beside you. "I was a complete jerk. You were just trying to talk to me, and I pushed you away." His eyes glisten as he cups your face gently. "I never want to hurt you like that again. You’re everything to me. Please forgive me." His lips brush softly against your forehead. "Let me take care of you tonight, okay? Just you and me."

Changbin

He kept brushing off your feelings, and when you insisted on talking, he got defensive. "Why can’t you just drop it already?" Changbin finds you curled up in bed, your back turned to him. He hesitates before crawling in beside you, wrapping his arms around you from behind. "I was so wrong, baby," he whispers, his voice thick with emotion. "You were just trying to be honest with me, and I made you feel like your feelings didn’t matter. But they do. You matter more than anything." He buries his face in your shoulder. "I’ll listen better. I’ll be better. I just… can’t lose you." His grip tightens around you. "I love you so much."

Hyunjin

You felt like he wasn’t prioritizing your relationship, and he lashed out in frustration. "Maybe we’re just better off taking a break!" Hours later, Hyunjin shows up at your door, his eyes red-rimmed from crying. "Please… let me explain," he pleads. "I didn’t mean any of it. I was scared and overwhelmed, but losing you would be the worst thing that could ever happen to me." His voice breaks, and tears roll down his cheeks as he takes your hands. "I love you more than words can ever say. Please give me another chance to prove it to you." He hugs you tightly, refusing to let go until he feels you melt into his embrace. "You’re my everything."

Han

You confronted him about being emotionally distant, and he lashed out in frustration. "Why do you always need so much from me?" Han sits across from you, his hands trembling slightly as he speaks. "I messed up. I was scared because you’re the one person who makes me feel vulnerable, and I didn’t know how to handle it." His eyes brim with unshed tears. "But pushing you away was the worst thing I could’ve done. You deserve all the love I have to give. Please… let me show you that you’ll never have to ask for it again." He cups your face gently, pressing a lingering kiss to your forehead.

Felix

He kept canceling your plans together, and you told him it made you feel unimportant. "I’m trying my best, okay? You’re being too sensitive!" Felix knocks on your door softly, his face filled with guilt when you finally open it. "I hurt you, and I hate that I made you feel like you didn’t matter to me," he says, his voice cracking. "You’re everything to me. I should’ve listened instead of pushing you away." He steps closer, his hands resting on your shoulders. "I’ll do better. I promise. Just… stay with me, okay? I love you so much." His voice is barely a whisper as he pulls you into the warmest, most comforting hug.

Seungmin

He had been sarcastic during a serious conversation, and you felt dismissed. "Not everything has to be so dramatic, you know?" Seungmin finds you sitting on the edge of the bed, his heart breaking at the sight of your teary eyes. "I messed up big time," he admits, his voice barely audible. "I made you feel like your feelings weren’t valid, and I hate myself for that." He kneels in front of you, his hands trembling slightly as they reach for yours. "You’re the best thing in my life. Please let me fix this." His lips brush against your knuckles. "I’ll never take you for granted again."

I.N

He forgot an important anniversary, and you were hurt that he didn’t seem to care. "It’s not like it’s a big deal!" I.N stands nervously in front of you, holding a bouquet of your favorite flowers and a small handwritten note. "I was so wrong," he says, his voice trembling. "It is a big deal because it’s important to you—and anything important to you is important to me." His eyes glisten with unshed tears. "Please forgive me for being so thoughtless. I’ll never forget again. Let’s celebrate twice as hard to make up for it."

[holycowboytiger]

Cw: PTSD, Homophobia, trauma

Gaz centric Drabble because none of you appreciate my loverboy

Imagine being Kyle’s best friend, you guys grew up together, were inseparable for the entirety of your teenage and early adult years, you knew everything about eachother, hell, Kyle even called you after his first time panicked that he did everything wrong and you laughed down the phone at him,,, but then tried to comfort him because he was actually really upset (he’s a sensitive guy what can I say)

He calls you when he gets kicked out.

You call him when your mother had started yet another argument over nothing.

You had been there for eachother through thick and thin, joined at the hip, never apart, until-

Kyle joins the military as soon as you applied for a college, and while you want to be upset, you saw it coming, he’d been talking about enlisting for years and nothing was going to deter him from it.

So you let him go, hoping he’d find his way back to you, he was literally all you had, which is embarrassing, and very sad but whatever.

You guys drift, obviously, you’re busy with college, he’s busy with… whatever he does, and soon enough daily talking goes to weekly, then monthly….

Truth is, Kyle has plenty of distractions, in the form of his 3 teammates who are…. A bit too into him….

Not that he’s complaining.

But he is neglecting you, the person he grew up with, his teammates, if you can even call them that, barely even know anything about you, other than you grew up together.

Kyle didn’t even remember what you were studying- ah… shit…

He’s drifting even more now, distracted with his big important job and his dumb boyfriends, forgetting about his best friend, who guided him through life, who sheltered Kyle in their own house after he got kicked out for telling his dad he wasn’t just into girls..

Forget about that friend! They’re grown now, they don’t need him! This is what happens when people get older, they mature and there’s less need for friends to be so… close

He doesn’t need you anymore… even when he argues with one of his teammates, even when a mission goes south, and he finds the stress seeping into him, the paranoia clogging his throat, even when he can’t sleep at night, kept up by the sounds of gunshots, even when he can’t breathe, and can’t think straight- and the only person he can think of calling is you.

He doesn’t need you though… he doesn’t.

But if his name ever lights up on your phone, even after months of no contact.. please.. pickup the phone… he’s lost and he needs his friend…

[norrisluv]

FERRARI TEAMMATES - CARLOS SAINZ

warnings: smut, p in v, unprotected sex

carlos sainz x teammate!reader

english is not my first language, so I apologise if any words are spelt wrong!

┈┈┈┈┈┈┈୨♡୧┈┈┈┈┈┈┈

The air was thick with tension as you paced back and forth in the hotel room, your heart racing not just from the adrenaline of the day’s race but from the argument that had erupted between you and Carlos. He leaned against the wall, arms crossed, his brow furrowed in frustration.

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me about the strategy change!” you exclaimed, throwing your hands up in exasperation. “You know how important communication is in this sport!”

Carlos pushed himself off the wall, his brown eyes flashing with irritation. “I didn’t think it was a big deal! I was focused on the race, not on babysitting you!”

“Babysitting? Is that what you think this is?” You stepped closer, your voices rising. “I’m not some rookie, Carlos! I’m your teammate!”

He ran a hand through his tousled hair, the tension in the room palpable. “Then act like it! You’re not the only one under pressure here!”

You could feel the heat radiating off him, a mix of anger and something else—something that made your heart race for a different reason. The argument hung in the air, thick and charged, and for a moment, you both stood there, breathing heavily, the silence almost deafening.

Then, without thinking, you took a step forward, closing the distance between you. “You’re infuriating,” you said, your voice low, but the fire in your eyes betrayed the truth of your feelings.

Carlos’ gaze softened, the anger melting away as he looked at you. “And you’re impossible,” he replied, his voice barely above a whisper.

In that moment, the world outside faded away. The argument, the pressure, the expectations—they all vanished as you found yourself drawn to him. You reached up, your fingers brushing against his jaw, and before you knew it, your lips were crashing together in a heated kiss.

It was electric. The frustration that had built up between you ignited into something far more passionate. Carlos’ hands found your waist, pulling you closer as he deepened the kiss, his tongue teasing against yours. You melted against him, the argument forgotten as desire took over.

He backed you up against the wall, his body pressing against yours, and you could feel the heat radiating off him. “God, I’ve wanted to do this for so long,” he murmured against your lips, his breath hot and heavy.

“Me too,” you admitted, your heart racing as he captured your mouth again, the kiss growing more urgent. You could feel the tension between you shifting, transforming into a desperate need.

Carlos’ hands roamed your body, exploring every curve as he pulled you even closer. You could feel the heat pooling in your stomach, the desire overwhelming. “Let’s forget about everything else,” he said, his voice husky. “Just us.”

You nodded, breathless, as he lifted you effortlessly, your legs wrapping around his waist. He carried you to the bed, laying you down gently before climbing over you, his eyes dark with desire.

“Are you sure?” he asked, his voice low and serious, searching your gaze for any hesitation.

“More than ever,” you replied, pulling him down for another kiss, your fingers tangling in his hair.

Carlos’ hands explored your body, igniting every nerve as he kissed down your neck, his lips trailing fire across your skin.

You gasped as he found the sweet spot just below your ear, your body arching into his touch. “You’re so beautiful,” he murmured, his voice thick with desire. “I can’t get enough of you.”

As Carlos’ lips traveled down your body, you felt every kiss ignite a spark of desire. He took his time, savoring each moment, his hands exploring the curves of your waist and hips. You could feel the heat radiating from him, and it only fueled your own need.

“Carlos,” you breathed, your voice a mix of urgency and longing. He looked up at you, his brown eyes dark with desire, and you could see the hunger reflected in his gaze.

“Tell me what you want,” he murmured, his breath hot against your skin.

You bit your lip, feeling bold. “I want you, Carlos. I want all of you.”

With a low growl, he captured your lips again, his hands sliding under your shirt, fingers brushing against your skin. You shivered at his touch, arching your back as he pulled the fabric over your head, tossing it aside. His hands roamed freely, exploring every inch of you, igniting a fire that spread through your entire body.

“God, eres tan perfecta” he whispered, his lips trailing down your neck and across your collarbone. You could feel his warm breath against your skin, sending shivers down your spine.

As he continued his exploration, you felt a rush of confidence. You reached for the hem of his shirt, pulling it over his head and tossing it aside. Your fingers traced the defined muscles of his chest, feeling the heat radiating from him.

“Your turn,” you teased, a playful smile on your lips.

Carlos chuckled, a low, throaty sound that sent a thrill through you. “You’re going to regret that,” he said, his voice dripping with desire. In an instant, he had you pinned beneath him, his body pressing you into the mattress.

You gasped, the thrill of his dominance sending a rush of excitement through you. He captured your lips again, his kiss deepening as he ground his hips against yours, the friction sending waves of pleasure coursing through you.

“Carlos,” you moaned, your hands gripping his shoulders as you felt the heat building between you. He pulled back slightly, his eyes dark and intense.

“Are you sure?” he asked, his voice low and serious, searching your gaze for any hesitation.

You nodded, breathless. “I want you. Please.”

With a growl of approval, he kissed you again, his hands moving to your jeans, deftly unbuttoning and unzipping them. You lifted your hips, helping him slide them off, leaving you in nothing but your underwear. He paused for a moment, taking in the sight of you, his eyes filled with admiration and desire.

“You’re stunning,” he breathed, and you felt a rush of warmth at his words.

He leaned down, his lips trailing down your body, kissing along your thighs, teasingly close to where you wanted him most. You squirmed beneath him, desperate for his touch. “Carlos, please,” you begged, your voice barely above a whisper.

He looked up at you, a wicked grin on his face. “You’re going to have to be patient,” he teased, before finally pressing his lips against the fabric of your underwear, sending a jolt of pleasure through you.

You gasped, your back arching as he continued to tease you, his tongue flicking against the fabric. The sensation was almost unbearable, and you could feel the heat pooling in your core.

“Carlos, I can’t take it anymore,” you pleaded, your voice thick with need.

With a smirk, he finally pulled your underwear down, tossing it aside before diving in. His mouth was warm and inviting, and you cried out as he began to work his magic, his tongue swirling and teasing in all the right ways.

You felt yourself unraveling beneath him, the pleasure building to an almost unbearable peak. “I’m so close,” you gasped, your fingers tangling in his hair as you pulled him closer.

“Let go for me,” he murmured against you, his voice sending shivers down your spine. “I want to feel you.”

With a final flick of his tongue, you shattered, waves of pleasure crashing over you as you cried out his name. He continued to work you through your orgasm, his mouth never leaving you until you were trembling and breathless.

As you came down from your high, Carlos crawled back up your body, capturing your lips in a heated kiss. You could taste yourself on him, and it only fueled your desire further.

“You where so good,” he said, his voice low and filled with promise. He reached for his jeans, quickly shedding them before positioning himself between your legs.

You could feel the heat radiating from him, and your heart raced in anticipation. “Please, Carlos,” you begged again, your body aching for him.

With a smirk, Carlos positioned himself at your entrance, his eyes locking onto yours as he slowly pushed inside. You gasped at the sensation, feeling him fill you completely. The stretch was delicious, and you could see the pleasure etched on his face as he sank deeper.

“God, you feel incredible,” he groaned, his voice thick with desire. He paused for a moment, letting you adjust to his size, his hands gripping your hips tightly.

“Move, Carlos,” you urged, your voice breathless. The need for him was overwhelming, and you could feel the heat pooling in your core again.

With a low growl, he began to thrust, slowly at first, but quickly building a rhythm that had you gasping for more. Each thrust sent waves of pleasure coursing through you, and you could feel the tension building again.

“Just like that,” you encouraged, your nails digging into his back as he picked up the pace. The sound of skin slapping against skin filled the room, mingling with your moans and his grunts of pleasure.

Carlos’ eyes were locked onto yours, his expression a mix of concentration and pure ecstasy. “You’re so beautiful when you’re like this,” he murmured, his voice low and husky. “I can’t get enough of you.”

You felt a rush of heat at his words, the intimacy of the moment sending you spiraling further into pleasure. “More, Carlos. I want more,” you begged, your body arching to meet his thrusts.

He responded with a deep, primal growl, driving into you harder, the intensity building with each movement. You could feel the pressure coiling tighter and tighter within you, and you knew you were close again.

“Carlos, I’m so close,” you gasped, your breath coming in quick bursts. “Don’t stop!”

“I would never stop,” he promised, his thrusts becoming more frantic as he chased his own release. The room was filled with the sounds of your pleasure, the heat between you palpable.

With each thrust, he hit that sweet spot inside you, sending shockwaves of pleasure coursing through your body. You could feel the tension building, ready to snap at any moment.

“Let go for me, babe,” he urged, his voice thick with need. “I want to feel you cum around me.”

With a final thrust, the pressure inside you broke, and you cried out his name as pleasure washed over you in waves. Your body tightened around him, and you could feel him shudder as he followed you over the edge, his own release spilling into you.

“Fuck,” he groaned, collapsing against you, his breath hot against your neck. You held him close, your heart racing as you both came down from the high, the world outside forgotten.

After a moment, he pulled back slightly, looking into your eyes with a soft smile. “That was… incredible,” he said, his voice still breathless.

You couldn’t help but smile back, feeling a warmth spread through your chest. “It really was,” you agreed, running your fingers through his hair.

Carlos leaned down, capturing your lips in a gentle kiss, the passion still lingering but now softened by the intimacy of the moment. You could feel the connection between you, stronger than ever, and you knew that this night would be one you’d never forget.

As you lay together, wrapped in each other’s arms, the earlier argument felt like a distant memory. In its place was a bond forged in passion and understanding, a promise of more moments like this to come.

┈┈┈┈┈┈┈୨♡୧┈┈┈┈┈┈┈

A/N: please let me know if you like it! requests are open!

[sturniqlo]

「 ✦ BOYFRIEND OF YOURS? ✦ 」

summary: chris keeps his promise to your dad and visits the office, and chris notices the little nerd who is utterly in love with you.

cw: name calling(?), jealousy

word count: 2.7k

masterlist | WFYL masterlist | more WFYL | join my taglist

PART TWO

it was 10:29am and you stood in front of the high ceiling windows of your office and just watched the city and everyone going about their day. you saw a mom and her two kids enter the indoor play place that wasn't too far from the office building, a few random teenagers skipping school, something you wish you would've done, many people walking their dogs. it was funny just how many dogs ran into each other and stared at one another, or just barked.

you were having a bit of trouble trying to understand the plot to the a new movie that was in the talks. you had many jobs here, you went to meetings to discuss new movie and show ideas, you helped with editing, you even went to a few shootings to supervise, and the most important of them all was having the final say in approving a movie or show.

the guy, peter ray, who pitched the idea sure that the movie would be a number one hit in theaters and across the nation, but you just didn't understand it. he wanted the movie to end on a cliffhanger and not have an actual ending. but you didn't like the idea of that.

not at all.

why make a movie and leave it on a cliffhanger with no part two to it? you knew that it would get bad reviews and not do well due to the word that will be surfacing around social media. it's a no. either he comes up with a good ending, or it's a no.

you turned around from the window and made your way to your desk. picking up the phone you rang your assistant. “hello ms. y/n. everything okay?” you hated when people called you ms.celestine, you preferred your name. “hi, franny. everything is fine. is there anyway you can contact mr.ray and have him come down here? a meeting is needed.”

you heard some shuffling in the background and the sound of a printer beeping. “yeah, of course. i'll get to it right away.” she chirped, franny was always in a good mood even if it was a shit day and you had lost your patience and accidentally lashed at her. but you always apologized right away.

“thank you.” you said before cutting the call. you sighed, leaning against the backrest of your office chair. your phone that was set faced down on your desk buzzed

franny

mr.ray has agreed to come to the office. your meeting is at 11:30. anyone else's rather than mr.ray and his team i should contact ghat should attend the meeting?

you

no, no one else. thank you franny!

your father was tucked away in his office on the top floor, the very top floor. the last you heard from him was that he was doing some last minute deals and arrangements to set you up in the near future when you become ceo. even with the many, many times you told him you could handle it when the time came, he wouldn't budge.

deep into thought, there was a soft knock on your door. who could it be? you thought. “come in.” you mumbled, straightening your posture. as the door opened, you were met with oliver, an intern who was only two years younger than you, he had a shy smile on his face and gently closed the door behind him, pushing his glasses up his nose.

“sorry if i interrupted anything.” he blushed, he always did when he talked to you, or even looked at you. there was this one incident where you were trying to pass by and placed your hand on his bicep, the poor boy nearly creamed his pants. “you didn't, glad you took me out of my thoughts, though.” you chuckled, clearing your throat right after.

“what is it that y’need?” you asked, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear before signing a form. “i was wondering if you'd-” a knock interrupted his sentence. “sorry, just a minute.” you told him. “come in!” you said out loud to the person who knocked.

franny walked in. “hey, i just came to drop these off. i-” she put a stack of papers on the corner of your desk, she then saw oliver and cut her sentence short. “oliver, is it okay if you step out for a minute? i have to talk to ms.y/n alone.” she gave him a lip tight smile.

oliver frowned and blushed. “oh- yeah, sure. i'll just talk to you l- later.” he scurried out.

“may i?” franny pointed to the chair in front of your desk. “go ahead.” you nodded. “so, mr.ray just called me back and he was kinda… mad. he really wants you to approve his idea, but i'm with you. a movie ending on a cliffhanger with no second part is kind of pointless—to me, that is.”

you sighed, you knew he'd have a hard time accepting the fact that you were on the verge on rejecting his idea. “i knew he'd be pissed. and yeah, a movie with no ending is fucking pointless. it's either he comes up with an actual ending to the movie or i'm going to have to say no. and he's grateful that i'm still giving him a chance. if it were my father, he'd shut the idea right down the minute he knew the idea for the end.”

franny nodded as you spoke. you and her had a great relationship. on days she wasn't needed in the office or random weekends, you two would go out for brunch or a coffee run and talk like friends. just like you and your dad, you separated your outside friendship and work relationship. in all honesty, she was like the sister you never had.

“i'm ready for this week to be over. want to hang out at my place saturday night? i could really use a gossip night.” you cracked a smile. “im there. i'll bring our favorite.” there was this one pizza place near your condo and if you could, you would eat it everyday for the rest of your life. “deal, i'll get the wine.”

you two chatted for a while more until franny had to go and take care of something. “good luck with peter, y/n.” she said before she left your office.

it had been a few weeks since he had last seen you. him and your father have exchanged a couple of emails here and there and eventually set up a date to where chris would visit the office.

and that was today.

he stood in his bedroom, fixing the collar that stool out from beneath his prada sweater. chris was excited to see you again even if he tried to avoid the thought of you for several reasons.

the night after the party, he thought about you in that dress all night. a little too much. you were definitely something.

he got into his car and began to drive to the office.

when chris arrived at the parking garage entrance, the garage door opened automatically and was met with a parking garage he had never seen before. the wall were a bright white, the floor wasn't the usual concrete floor, it was a sleek black one that the light reflected off of.

there was a booth up the makeshift hill with a man in a black suit. chris stopped the car and rolled his window down, lowing the music. “good morning, sir. you must be—” he took a look at a paper that was stuck to his laptop. “- chris sturniolo.” chris nodded. “that would be me, yes.”

“good, there's been a parking spot reserved for you. number three. it's just straight ahead near the elevators, and two cars that are hard to miss.” his arm directed into the direction of the spot. “thank you.” chris responded, slowly driving away.

it was true, the two cars parked in spots one and two were hard to miss. parked in spot one was an all black rolls royce, and parked next to chris, in spot two, was a white range rover. he turned into spot one, the only spot left. chris’ guess was that spot one and two were reserved specifically for you and your dad, but that was just a guess.

locking his car, he headed to the all glass elevator and pressed the up arrow. waiting a couple of seconds, the elevator dinged and the doors opened. inside, the small space was filled with classical music and shiny numbered buttons.

he pressed one.

as the doors opened back up again, he was met with a beautiful lobby. it was filled with natural light and beautiful structures. “good morning.” the lady at the front desk said. “hello, i'm here to meet with mr.celestine. i'm chris sturniolo.” he rested an elbow on the counter. “ahh, yes. i'll be right with you, mr.sturniolo.” she smiled, picking up the phone near her desk.

as she waited for her call to be answered, chris looked around the lobby and noticed that the tvs were playing their newest movie, violet, a thriller movie. he had watched it and thought it was an incredible movie. the actors, some of which also worked with his company for pr, were incredible.

“hey, it's pam from the front desk. mr.sturniolo has just arrived at the lobby. could you please take him to mr.celestines office?... thank you.” she returned the phone to its original spot. “alright, i have someone coming down to take you up to mr.celestines office. feel free to take a seat or have something from the snack bar.” she pointed over to a small room across the desk.

“thank you.” chris nodded, making a beeline towards the room. the room was quite big, almost like a mini kitchen. there were various vending machines—free vending machines, a see through fridge with various foods and snacks, and a table with even more snacks.

chris grabbed a bottle of water and scoped out the table of snack, he picked up a pack of skittles and put them in his back pocket. walking out of the room, he smiled at the lady sitting at the desk and made his way to one of the couches.

he waited a couple of minutes, finishing his water and candy. someone finally came to get him. “mr.sturniolo?” chris hears someone call out for him and he turns around.

“that's me.” he gets up. “great, i'm oliver. i’ll be taking you to mr.celestines office. follow me.” chris nods and follows behind him. in the elevator, chris speaks up. “so, how long have you been working here?” he looks over at the boy pushing his glasses up his nose.

“oh, i'm an intern. i've been here for almost a month.” the elevator door opens back up. “right this way.” oliver steps out first and points his arm to the right down the hall.

as they walk through the hallway, chris notices the many movie posters along the walls and various news headlines about celestine studios. movie of the year, #1 high grossing movie, celestine studios makes history winning all 6 nominations in one night, highest ranked movie, celestine studios has the most perfect scores on rotten tomatoes, and there were many more.

“impressive.” chris mumbles to himself, continuing to follow oliver. “here we are.” oliver announces as they stop in front of. door at the end of the hall. plastered on the wall is a golden sign that says ‘MR. CELESTINE: CEO’.

oliver picks his fist up and knocks on the door. they wait a few seconds before a voice is heard from behind the door. “come on in.” oliver opens the door and lets chris walk in first. “mr. celestine, mr. sturniolo is here.” your dad looks up from his laptop and claps his hands. “wonderful! thanks you, oliver. you're dismissed. chris- have a seat.”

oliver closes the door behind him and leaves. chris walks up to your dads desk and shakes his hand. “mr.celestine, it's nice to see you again.” he sits. “nice to see you too. so, what do you think of my building so far?”

“it's wonderful, really.” chris nods.

the two talk for a while, asking each other questions. “let's go visit my daughter, shall we.” you dad say, starting to get up from his chair. “sure.” chris hides his excitement at the mention of you. the two make their way down to the floor you're on.

“good afternoon, mr.celestine.” franny spots your dad and chris. “good afternoon, franny. this is mr. chris sturniolo.” your dad points to chris standing next to him. the two greet each other with a smile. “where is my daughter, we'd like to talk with her.”

“oh, she's in the fifth conference room. but, she's currently in a meeting with mr.ra-” he cuts her off. “thank you, franny.” they two walk away. as they approached conference room five, mr.celestine doesn't bother to knock and barges right in.

“—i'm sorry peter, i've given you options but you're not cooperating with me.” you look up and spot both your dad and chris. chris had never seen this side of you, obviously, in a business setting. “dad? excuse me for one second.” you excuse yourself, standing up to walk up towards the both of them.

chris looks over at the man sitting at the other end of the table who looks frustrated. “what's up… im kind of in a meeting.” chris could tell that you were frustrated as well. “hon, chris is here. remember at the party the other night? ‘said he was going to stop by.” you didn't remember. “oh- yeah. how could i forget.”

“just finish this up and meet us for lunch.” your dad patted your shoulder before turning around. “c’mon chris, let me show you some set mock ups.”

you went back to your meeting. “so, are you going to consider my options?”

finishing up the meeting that went well for you and not so well for peter ray, you were making your way to your office to wind down for a bit after that meeting. as you stepped out of the conference room, oliver spotted you. making his way over to you, chris got to you first .

“hey, doll.” he smirked. “hi, chris. nice to see you again.” oliver stopped a few feet behind the two of you, and chris spotted him, looking back into your eyes. “meeting went well?” he crossed his arms. “so-so.” you nodded, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear.

“how's lunch sound- just me ‘nd you? your dad had a last minute meeting. told me to hang with you, said you fun to be around.” oliver, just a few feet away from you two, was red in the face with fists by his side and storms off. “boyfriend of yours?” he nods at oliver who stomps to his mini office. “who?”

“glasses over there. looked like he wanted to kill me for talking t’you.” he chuckles. “oliver? no, not my boyfriend. he's a sweet kid though.” you had noticed here and there the lingering looks he gave you as you walked by him, or the fact that he did anything you told him to. you could ask him to step on a million thumbtacks and he'd do it.

“mm.” he nods, rolling his lips inside. “so, lunch?” he asked again. “uh- yeah. sure, let me just put this in my office.” you refer to your laptop and notebook in your arms. “of course. i'll come with.” he followed behind you. as the two of you walked by oliver, he sent him a petty wink.

“so, this is your office?” he says as you two enter the room. “yup, like it?” you ask smiling as you place down the items on your desk. you round the corner to grab your phone from the drawer. “yeah, s’nice.” he nods looking around before putting his eyes back on you and noticing that you're reaching for your wallet. “ah- ah. lunch is on me. leave that here.”

“you sure?” you look at him, opening the drawer to put your wallet in there. “i'm sure.” he confirms. “c’mon, i made reservations ahead of time. you like sushi?” chris asks, his hand hovering over the small of your back as you two walked out of your office. “love it.” you giggle.

chris turned his head and saw oliver glaring at him once more. chris only shrugged at him and waved to him.

he's going to be seeing chris a lot from now on.

☁️ . . . ⇢ ˗ˏˋ authors note ࿐ྂ

boring chapter :/ i promise we're getting closer to the juiciness😛

[yandere-sins]

Hi there long time lurker here for you blog and all your works! I'm not kidding its been a long time and I love your writings. May I request a Jiaoqiu x vidyadhara reader who is a sassy noble person with a sweet and kind heart but she somehow got severely injured?

Thanks for requesting, I'm so glad that you enjoy my blog enough to ascend from the lurking stage! :D Hope to hear more from you in the future!!

»»———————— ♡ ————————««

♡ It's unlikely that Jiaoqiu is the first person to hear about your injury; however, he's the first one you see by your side once you open your eyes again. He sits there, stern-faced, ears twitching. His hand is holding yours almost a bit too tight, with some of his fingers resting on top of your pulse as if he's afraid you'll slip from his grasp. But you don't get the time to ask him why he looks so sullen because he jumps up and calls out to you the second he notices you waking up. Although he hovers over you when it becomes clear that you have regained your conscience, there is a certain distance between you two, and you can't really understand why. Even if you ask if something is the matter, he won't tell you, brushing you off and leaving if you insist on speaking about it. Not for long, just to cool off. After all, he still has to make sure you're fed and taken care of. Jiaoqiu won't allow anyone else to make your food, and he has to be in the room to review any medicine you receive.

♡ The reason why it feels that he's distant is because he is so angry. Angry at you, angry at the circumstances that put you in danger, and the most angry at anyone who hurt or allowed you to get hurt. Jiaoqiu is trying to keep his feelings in check in front of you, but he always knew things would play out like this. Countless times, he told you how reckless you were. That, no matter how good your heart was, you never thought twice before putting your life on the line. You find him flexing his fingers at the murderous thoughts in his mind or have him touch you just a tad too harshly when the feelings interfere with your treatment. He wants to throw all these accusations and emotions at you but refrains. You are a patient, and your recovery is more important to him than anything else.

♡ Especially when your recovery forms you into an adorable little mess for him to figure out. Vidyadhara are tricky organisms, and Jiaoqiu does everything he has to learn from Bailu how to treat you properly and then use the knowledge to the best of his abilities. He spends almost more time on research than actually treating you, but he won't allow a single mistake. Nobody is allowed to treat you except him, so you are also counting on him, only adding more pressure. It's all worth it, though, when he can observe you slowly regain your strength and liveliness, the bruises turning back into your skin color and your wounds closing up. No matter how much sleep he loses over it, he wouldn't miss the nights he spends with you for anything; protecting your sleep, slipping into your bed and cuddling with you when the nightmares act up, and getting to be with you when you wake up in the morning, feeling a little better every day.

♡ For a while, your conditions are a blessing as he gets to take care of you properly. Even just the mundane things, like brushing your hair or helping you wash up and dress yourself, thrill Jiaoqiu. It's almost a little sad that it has to end. He wants you to be healthy again, he really does! But won't you get yourself in trouble again once you don't need to be on bed rest? Won't you fight again, argue again? Are you going to keep coming back more beat-up than the last time for him to fix? Of course, someone as observant as he is notices your growing restlessness and desire to be up and of help. But this is not just about your self-preservation anymore, it is also about him. What will Jiaoqiu do if, one day, you just don't return at all?

♡ He can push these thoughts aside for a while since it takes time for you to be up and running again. But you begin slipping out of his grasp too quickly for his liking. And when you refuse to even be fed any more, telling him you are ready to go back to "normal" food, Jiaoqiu has to make a decision. "One last meal together," he tells you. One more, and he won't complain about you taking control of your own life again. He insists you take another spoon and another—enough so that the sleeping pill can really take effect.

♡ A patient who's still barely able to wake up can't be released from his care, right? You'll probably not feel so great the next few days, and he can't have you collapse in the street. Jiaoqiu has to at least find out the cause! He tells himself it's only for a few more days. Just one more week. He is merely prolonging the bedrest until you are fully healed—many would beg for a chance to get some good rest, and surely you will appreciate it, too. It's all in your best interest, but he certainly doesn't mind spending some extra cuddle time with you, doting on his favorite person.

♡ And while you are asleep, and he knows you are in a stable condition, he can finally take care of the actual problems that caused you so much harm. Because he still can't and refuses to forgive anyone who put their marks on you and made you suffer. They don't deserve his mercy, and he has feelings that he still needs to flush out of his system so he can give you the love and affection you deserve. Jiaoqiu will make things right, so they won't come to bite you in the butt once you are keeping yourself busy again. Even if it'll take a while longer for you to be back on your feet—that gives him enough time to prolong these wretched people's torture as long as they deserve.

[dellamortethelesser]

The Wigmaker Job

Notes and Thoughts - Part 2

pt1 | pt2 | pt 3

Picking back up in the next scene, Lucanis and Illario are exiting the tavern on their way to the contract. Here, they are described as "lean with dark hair and umber eyes". ← THIS MEANS THEY PURPOSELY GAVE MY POOKIE BLUE EYES TO MAKE HIM LOOK MORE EVIL.

(I also forgot to mention in the previous scene they discuss that Illario fastidiously grooms his 5 o'clock shadow so they also took THAT from us. But! Veilguard did give him a huge ass… no, I need his brown eyes back).

"Illario was all smiles. His was a calculated handsomeness. From his smooth skin to his perfect, white teeth, everything was contrived to be enticing". ← insane thing to say i think what did caterina do to influence that so strongly. like yes, lucanis is a mage-killer and that's certainly a Niche, but let's not pretend that Illario isn't filling a different sort of niche. both of them have been trained to be more valuable Alive than Dead.

"As they walked through the crowd, he basked in the appreciative glances he received," ← unsure whether this is omniscient on part of the author or intended to be directly lucanis's pov. this specific passage i've never been able to figure it out. if it's lucanis's pov though, i would wonder if that 'basking' isn't just… a front.

I have to assume this passage is somewhat omniscient because it goes on to say that "… while Lucanis stared ahead, focused and intense. He was the kind of man you couldn't look away from—until he looked at you." ← i have to assume this is all referring to Lucanis? if so? because if it is lucanis's pov why would he… idk. 'the kind of man you couldn't look away from' could still refer to illario? idk. it's a really hard passage for me to parse i feel stupid. debate in the reblogs

This whole next part of the story makes me insane because it's just further emphasizing my point that Lucanis gives absolutely no thought to Illario as an equal working with him on this contract—THAT HE ASKED ILLARIO TO BE HERE FOR. i'll try to break this down but i recommend just reading along in your own copy alsfjk

"So what's the plan? Now that Ambrose knows we're coming" / "We were never going through the front door." ← Illario is asking here, now that there's proof the Venatori know the Crows are after them, what the new plan is. he is only JUST NOW finding out that Lucanis never HAD a plan that didn't account for this? again i'm not sure how lucanis "knew" unless it's supposed to make him out to be the better assassin, but it reads as though he was purposefully keeping Illario in the dark.

hang on let me just directly quote this next part

"I bought THIS—" Illario gestured towards his tunic. "Because YOU said we were dispatching Tevinter's 'premiere' wigmaker at an exclusive party. Emphasis on exclusive." "Uh-huh." "It was a rush order. We were with the tailor for hours." "I recall." "Why let me go through the motions of purchasing formal wear for an event we're not actually attending?" "I know how much you enjoy dressing up," Lucanis goaded and ducked under a pointed archway.

But. You are attending this event. Crucially you are in fact both attending this event and do need Illario to dress the part to get YOU where YOU need to be. Why are you goading him on like this?!

You're both on the way to this contract—and Lucanis is leading him through a back entrance, btw, AND THE FACT THAT ILLARIO DOESN'T ALREADY KNOW THAT TELLS ME THAT LUCANIS DIDN'T TELL HIM THAT PART OF THE PLAN EITHER—so why are you doing this?!

Lucanis why are you fucking with him like this on purpose? THERE'S NO REAL REASON GIVEN IN HIS NARRATIVE SO I HAVE TO EXTRAPOLATE THAT THIS IS JUST NORMAL FOR THEM. WHICH ISN'T NORMAL

quick interlude to add that Lucanis's 'bleeding heart' sympathies are here from the jump; he is aware of the cultural importance of the vhenedahl, and remarks that the magisters trying to make a statue to keep their slaves in line had the opposite effect.

Again Lucanis reveals some way into the passageways they're using—that Illario didn't know about on both accounts—and is SMUG ABOUT IT. HE TOSSES ILLARIO A SMUG LOOK OVER HIS SHOULDERS.

"I wouldn't complain if you filled me in," he grumbled. "Yes, you would." "As much," Illario conceded. "I wouldn't complain as much."

WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN BY THIS LUCANIS. The dynamic between them is just consistently reinforcing the idea that wherever Lucanis goes, Illario is expected to follow, unwaveringly, unquestioningly, and to be quite honest i would be driven fucking insane.

We're only so many pages in and there is a very clear way that Lucanis treats Illario just in the context of working CONTRACTS together, and that way is… not very good! YOU INVITED HIM HERE. WHY ARE YOU KEEPING HIM IN THE DARK?

I say this like I don't understand but a lot of people have rightly pointed out that this is their 'normal'. This is learned behavior, a learned dynamic, and I do believe Caterina is partly responsible for fostering it by showing such clear favoritism to Lucanis and likely giving him behavior to model.

Which goes back to my previous question of… why? If you're not going to name an heir and want this to be a winner takes it all relationship, why show such clear favoritism?! THESE ARE YOUR LAST TWO LIVING RELATIVES, CATERINA.

Back to the book. Lucanis's elf contact greets him with "Master Dellamorte". Cool! When she looks for an introduction, though, it is Illario that butts in with "Master Dellamorte the Lesser". ← hi my love. why did you do this? well because it reinforces the same shit we've been seeing the whole time. and calls back to how he already referred to lucanis as 'the great' in their first scene together.

"My cousin," Lucanis clarified. ← no defense or correction? fine maybe not the time or place. one of the more neutral statements that Lucanis has said to him but he's damned by faint praise and the fact there is no INNER NARRATIVE QUESTIONING ILLARIO'S ANSWER MEANS THIS IS ALSO ASSUMED TO BE NORMAL.

Heading up the passage. It's magic. the room spins

"Lucanis bit back a laugh as Illario held out an arm to steady himself." ← WHY. why is this funny to you. okay now im sounding like i'm seething at lucanis which i kind of am BUT TRUST I STILL LOVE HIM

THIS DYNAMIC IS JUST INSANE TO ME. okay anyways next bit. i'm covering one more scene and then will do another post for part 3. together we can work through this story a few pages every day. I'm gonna break up this last bit in some chunks

"You've made friends." / "You would too, if you ever left Treviso." / "I'm here now, aren't I?" ← Illario was trying to be nice. Lucanis immediately takes a shot at the fact that Illario stays in Treviso (are we implying here that Illario doesn't take jobs? Doesn't work?) and Illario reminds him that HE CAME TO VYRANTIUM FOR LUCANIS. He's here for you!

"Seriously, though, what is this place?" "A perk. Given by our mysterious benefactor." Lucanis quickened his pace, hoping to leave the answer at that. Illario did not take the hint. "Speaking of, I have some questions about him… her… them?"

1) diversity win

2) AGAIN. Illario is being kept in the dark about things and Lucanis is intentionally not sharing them. WHY? We are never given a reason WHY from Lucanis. Just that he doesn't want to share anything with Illario—ostensibly about their client but ABOUT THE WHOLE CONTRACT IS WHAT THE NARRATIVE SHOWS.

"Oh, come on," Illario urged, matching Lucanis's pace. "When have we ever taken on an anonymous client?" "Since someone could put tangible stock in the phrase 'Silence is golden'." "You're not the least bit curious?" Lucanis exhaled through his nose. "If someone wants to pay me top coin to kill a bunch of racist blood mages—who have it coming—I'm not going to complain."

again we see Lucanis's sympathies coming to light. these are not bad feelings to have obviously we should hate racists. but they are assassins paid to kill and not get emotionally entangled in the job which Lucanis consistently does in this short story.

additionally. again. the way he talks to illario. i just. can it be stated enough at any point.

Quotes are either paraphrased or taken directly from The Wigmaker Job, written by Courtney Woods.

[linawritesficsies]

s.h. | we need to warm up (one shot)

a/n: it's been a while since i posted a steve fic, so here it issssss. this is a combination of a friends episode and a scene from an old tv show i used to watch when i was a teenager.

warnings: being locked up in closed spaces, language, mentions of sex and injuries (freezing), english is not my first language. some stuff may not be accurate. MINORS DNI. credits to the gif owner!

summary: steve and you worked at scoops ahoy together and one day while you two were bickering about something silly, you got stuck in a walk-in refrigerator.

steve harrington x afab!oc!reader.

🚫do NOT copy, translate or put my work thru an AI.

Robin, your best friend, helped you get this job at Scoops Ahoy a couple of months ago. The work itself wasn’t ideal because you had to put up with a lot of annoying people (and cleaning toilets wasn’t very appealing either), but the pay was pretty good and it allowed you to combine it with your study schedule. The best parts were obviously the free ice cream and sharing shifts with your bestie.

You also had to share several shifts with Steve Harrington. You didn’t like him at first if you were being completely honest. You knew him from before because you had shared a few classes at Hawkins High, but you never actively talked to him. He was very handsome and charming, but his reputation of being a womanizer and a douchebag preceded him so for you that was enough to keep your distance.

However, everything changed when you took on this job. On the bright side, has had some personal growth over the last few months so this made spending time with him a lot easier. Of course, the King Steve persona sometimes came into the light and he could get insufferable, but you still enjoyed his company. You could say you had more of a ‘frenemies’ relationship. Definitely, one of the things that amused you the most was bickering with Steve, so when the work day was quiet, you’d pick a silly argument just for the sake of it. 

Thus, that’s what led the two of you to discuss the topic of sex in the middle of one casual Saturday afternoon in mid-September at Scoops Ahoy. The weather was chiller than the one from previous weeks, but there were some people that weren’t going to let the climate get in the way of getting ice cream. You couldn’t blame them though. Robin was at the register machine, getting the customers’ orders and Steve and you were organizing the stock at the back of the shop.

“Harrington, are you really saying that kissing and foreplay are not as important as the sex part!?”, you exclaimed a bit too loudly while you glared at your coworker with a questioning look. He just quirked his eyebrows and shrugged his shoulders meaning ‘Yes, I said what I said. Deal with it.’

You didn’t feel any shame talking about these topics. In fact, you were pretty bold. Especially with Steve. He had that vibe that made everyone around him feel comfortable with discussing or doing anything. Of course. King Steve, ladies and gentlemen. 

“Why would I prefer the opening act when I know I’ll be seeing, I dunno, The Police soon?”

You let out a chuckle.

“You have been spending more time with Eddie, haven’t you?”, he gave you a mocking look. It was no secret that Steve wasn’t a fan of Eddie, especially because recently he had been stealing Dustin’s attention and that made Steve more jealous than he cared to admit. You couldn’t help but smile at the cuteness of Steve and Dustin’s relationship and his jealousy.

You grabbed one of the boxes with new ice cream flavours that were recently delivered to the shop because you had to carry them to the walk-in refrigerator, but since the two boxes were really heavy you asked Steve for help. At first he pretended to ignore you, but then he smiled teasingly and grabbed the other one to give you a hand. You had trouble deciding whether you hated that smile or you loved it… It was probably the latter. 

As soon as you entered the refrigerator, the chilly air hit your skin. You carefully placed the box you were carrying on the floor and put the door wedge so it wouldn’t close while you were in there. The door was pretty heavy because it needed to stay shut in order to keep the temperature low, but also, the door handle wasn’t working pretty well.

“Anyways, for us girls they’re really equally important”, you resumed your little argument while you two arranged the ice creams on the various shelves, categorizing them by their flavor. “We can get all the information we need about the other person from the first kiss. I can’t believe you don’t like it.”

You looked at him from the corner of your eye and noticed that he rolled his.

“No, honey”, he paused and sighed. You screamed internally at the pet name. He usually called you by your name or ‘Smarty Pants’ whenever you gave him witty comebacks. “It’s not that I don’t like it. I do, but I’d rather get down to the real business quicker.”

“Well, hun, friendly advice, if you keep thinking like that, you’ll have to settle with solo concerts.”

Steve wanted to give you the middle finger so badly but couldn’t do it because he had his hands full so he had to contempt himself by sticking out his tongue in a mocking tone. You gave him a playful nudge on the shoulder and then he gave you another one back but Steve was stronger than you so you tripped backwards and accidentally kicked the door wedge and the refrigerator door closed. 

“Fuck”, the two of you blurted out in unison; your heartbeats picking up rapidly. You exchanged looks and frowned your eyebrows at the same time. Under different circumstances, you would have laughed at the synchronicity.

“This is your fault.”

“How is this my fault, Harrington? You pushed me!”, you replied back while you got up from the floor and adjusted your uniform.

“You made me come in here!”

“I simply asked for your help!”

You decided it was useless to continue with this bickering so you kneeled down before the door handle to try to make it work. However, it was useless. The door refused to budge. You had repeatedly asked Keith, your boss, to call the repair guy to fix said handle but of course he never did. You cursed him under your breath while you got back up and started screaming and banging on the door.

“ROBIN! HELP! SOMEBODY”, Steve joined you but nobody seemed to hear. “HELLO, WE’RE INSIDE THE REFRIGERATOR!”, you both screamed over and over again.

“I hope Robin notices quickly we’re nowhere to be seen. If not, we’re going to freeze to death”, you lifted your hands to massage your scalp, trying to prevent yourself from spiraling. Extremely difficult task given the not so encouraging situation. You didn’t consider yourself a claustrophobic person but you weren’t a fan.

“Don’t exaggerate, Y/N. It’s just a little bit of cold”, he shrugged his shoulders and waved his hand dismissively, as if brushing off your very real concern. 

If looks could kill, he would be reduced to ashes right now. 

“Unlike you, I don’t have teenage-like hormones, Steve. I get cold easily.”

He was about to reply with another witty comment, but he noticed how anxious you were getting. He saw your right leg start bouncing rapidly and how you bit your fingernails—subtle things you did when you were nervous or distressed. He had noticed them before. He let out a defeated sigh.

“OK, I’m being serious right now: we’re going to get out of here in a heartbeat, don’t worry.” 

You went back to the screaming and banging, hoping that someone outside would hear you at that very moment and get you out of there. Unfortunately, you were alone with the echoes of your voice and movements. Meanwhile, Steve was pacing the small place, thinking of any other possible escape. 

After some minutes that felt like hours, the cold and the confinement were starting to take a toll on you. You sat on the floor with your back against the door to keep hitting it, more occasionally now. The Scoops Ahoy uniform was not enough to keep you warm; your body started trembling so you hugged yourself, keeping your knees close to your chest. Steve heard your shivering breaths. He scanned the ‘room’ one more time and saw the empty cardboard boxes stacked where you had been organizing the ice cream.

“We can use the empty ice cream boxes to keep us warm”, you gave him a questioning look. encouraging him to clarify. “We can break them down to sit on them and then put the other parts over our bodies”.

“God bless that big head of yours, Harrington.”, you smiled and tried to stand up but it wasn’t as easy as before. Your body was getting stiffer. Steve gave you a hand.

The two of you started tearing up the boxes and placing the flattened pieces on the floor next to the door and then cutting up bigger sections to use as makeshift blankets. 

“Well, it’s better than nothing”, Steve commented once you were all set and you agreed, keeping the cardboard boxes as close to your body as possible. 

It was far from being the perfect solution, but it worked… for a couple of minutes. Then, you started shivering again. You got up to the point where you could no longer feel your legs. You wanted to keep screaming and banging on the door but the little energy you had was starting to wear off. You decided to save it for later.

“Fuck, it’s so cold in here. I can’t stand it anymore”, you blurted out, more to yourself than anything and tried to rub your hands violently against your legs to get some warmth.

“Come here”, Steve whispered while opening his arms, motioning you to huddle closer to him so you could share whatever body heat you had left. It was true, Steve had a higher body temperature than any other person either of you knew but he wasn’t sure of how much that was going to last. He was feeling colder too.

You were hesitant to accept his embrace at first because you weren’t used to sharing physical contact with him but you quickly decided that it was worth trying it. Once you were beside him, he put his arms around your shaking frame and put two cardboard boxes over both your bodies. He rested his head on top of yours and you hugged him, wrapping your arms around his waist. Despite everything, this felt strangely nice and comfortable.

“We’re gonna get out of here, I promise”, he said after some silence and you could see the wisps of vapor that looked like smoke coming out of his mouth. 

You were too tired and weak to say or do anything. It seemed the temperature kept dropping every second. There was some frost on your hair and your eyelashes. Steve had it on his perfect hair too. At this moment, you actually believed you were going to die there. You snuggled closer into Steve’s embrace; not that it was really possible because you were practically glued to him.

You slowly started to drift off; your eyelids felt like two bricks of concrete. Steve went into alert mode when he felt you relax under his touch. “Hey, Y/N. Can you hear me?”

You let out a barely audible “Mh” and he started rubbing circles on your arm, close to your elbow.

“Stay awake, OK?”

He knew you couldn’t fall asleep if you had hypothermia. He didn’t know why but he remembered one of his biology teachers who explained that your body functions would slow down even more, which could be deadly. He didn’t even want to imagine that happening. 

At first, he didn’t want to admit he liked you because you were a pain in the neck, but then, as he spent more and more time with you, he learned you were funny, smart, and although you annoyed him to boredom sometimes, you were kind-hearted. Also, you had one of the most contagious laughs he has ever heard. And on top of that, you were insanely pretty. 

This drastic situation helped him realize he didn’t want to lose you, in any way. He couldn’t.

“I can’t.”, you whispered once again.

“Yes, you can”, his hands moved upwards to cup both your cheeks now; his desperate eyes fixed on your face. “Open your eyes, please, darling”. You wanted to laugh at the nickname but you didn’t even have the strength to do so. His voice was trembling now too. He didn’t know if out of the cold he was feeling or of the fear of something happening to you. He placed a kiss on your forehead. “Come on, I wanna see those pretty eyes.”

“I’m cold, Stevie. I’m sorry.”

You only used that nickname to tease him because he hated it. Now, it scratched his brain just right. He didn’t fail to notice you looked so small, so fragile. He didn’t know how, but he could feel you slip away from him.

“No, no, no, no”, he blurted out quickly. “Y/N, listen to me. Focus on my voice and my hands”, he rubbed circles on both of your cheeks. “Don’t fall asleep. Talk to me.”

His serious but also desperate tone made you realize the gravity of your state.

“About what?”, you whispered as you tried to get your whole attention to his gentle touches and his breathing. 

“About anything. Tell me a secret, a memory, an embarrassing story. Whatever comes to your mind, just talk to me.”

You gathered strength out of nowhere and opened your eyes. You saw Steve sigh with a little bit of relief. He also looked exhausted and cold, but there was something in his eyes that told you he was not giving up easily. You couldn’t say so for yourself, sadly.

“Your pretty eyes are the last pair I’m going to see”, you spoke slowly. Steve’s heart broke a little at your statement.

“No, don’t say things like that.. I need you to stay here with me. Please. I need you to stay alive so I can take you on a date when we’re out of here”, his voice and the movements on your skin were starting to slow down too. “I don’t want to leave this planet before kissing your beautiful lips.”

You gave him a weak smile.

“Do it now, Stevie.”

He lifted his eyebrows, thinking he heard you incorrectly. But then, you directed your eyes to his own lips, so he took it as an invitation and wasted no time. The kiss was slow and short but sweet nonetheless. None of you had much energy to keep going for longer, much to your dismay.

“That’s the way to warm up, right?”, he joked and you let out a choked laugh.

You went back to your tight embrace. You weren’t sure how much time you had left. You stopped trembling a couple of minutes ago and you knew that wasn’t a good sign. You thought about your family and your friends. One single tear fell from your left eye.

Just about when Steve was going to wipe it, you heard some noises on the other side of the door. You two looked at each other and Steve used the adrenaline rush to get back on his feet and helped you do the same.

“HELP, WE’RE STUCK IN THE REFRIGERATOR. PLEASE HELP”, Steve was the one yelling and you attempted to bang the door as loud as you could.

And then, the door finally opened. You squinted your eyes due to the sudden change of lightning and tried to make out the silhouette that was standing in front of you, but before you could see who it was or do anything else, your legs gave in and your vision went black, which resulted in you passing out on the ground.

Your eyelids fluttered open as the characteristic antiseptic hospital smell hit your nose. The sterile white walls were the first thing you saw. Your body still felt cold, even though you had several blankets wrapped around your frame. You turned your head to the side and saw Steve sitting on a chair, wrapped on a blanket as well. His eyes were closed and his head was slightly tilted to the side. He looked worn off but really adorable.

“Steve?”, you called his name but you didn’t recognize your own voice. It was really sore. The boy opened his eyes and gave you a sweet smile. There was a mixture of relief and concern in his look.

“Hey… You gave us quite the scare.” You apologized and he shrugged it off. “Your parents are already here. They’re filling out the paperwork.” He grabbed the chair and moved it forward to be closer to your bed. Then he grabbed your hand that was hidden under the blankets. “I should call the doctor to let her know you had woken up.”

You nodded but refused to let his hand go so he could stand up. His heart melted.

“We need to talk about our date”, you casually mentioned between giggles.

“You don’t waste a minute, don’t you?”, he chuckled, shaking his head. “I assure you, it’s going to be a date to die for.” Now it was your turn to laugh. 

aaaand the end... i hope you enjoyed it! and as always, i'd love to read some comments with your opinions :) and i'm also taking request, so there's your chance to leave a nice ask 💗

[28harryssunflower]

Royal scandal - a mini series: Part 3/4

Royal scandal: Part 3

The weeks seemed to slip by faster than either of you had expected. What felt like distant conversations about your future as King and Queen was becoming a reality. The meetings, the briefings, the preparations for the inevitable transition - everything seemed to be happening in a whirlwind.

You and Harry spent more time in royal meetings than you had ever anticipated, discussing matters of the crown, foreign policy, and how the monarchy would evolve with the two of you at the helm. You had thought that marrying Harry would mean more time spent together - more moments of joy and peace in the midst of the chaos of royal life. But, in truth, the opposite had happened. Every day felt more like a race to prepare for the overwhelming responsibility that was waiting just around the corner.

It was one evening in the royal study, papers scattered across the large wooden desk, when Harry finally broke the silence.

“I don’t know how much more I can take, Y/N,” he said, his voice tired. He rubbed his hand over his face, his brow furrowed in exhaustion. “It feels like everything’s moving so fast, and I can’t catch my breath.”

You looked up from the papers you had been scanning. You felt exactly the same way - completely overwhelmed. The weight of the responsibilities coming your way was almost suffocating. You had thought the royal duties would be manageable, but the constant pressure and the endless demands from the press, the public, and the family itself were beginning to take their toll.

“You’re not alone in this, Harry,” you said softly, getting up from your seat and walking over to him. You sat next to him, your hand resting on his. “I feel it too. Every decision feels like it’s the most important thing in the world. And the faster we go, the harder it gets to keep up.”

Harry looked at you, his eyes tired but filled with appreciation. “I know you’re right. It’s just… I don’t think I’m ready to be King. I don’t think I ever will be.”

You gently squeezed his hand, trying to comfort him. You knew his fears; you shared them too. You had talked about this before, the two of you voicing your insecurities about the roles you were about to take on. But hearing him express them aloud still hit you hard.

“I know it’s terrifying,” you said quietly. “But we’re going to get through this together. You don’t have to be ready right now. We just need to take it one step at a time.”

Harry shook his head, a sigh escaping his lips. “But what if it’s not enough? What if I mess up? What if I let everyone down, including you?”

You cupped his face gently, forcing him to look at you. “You’re not going to let anyone down, least of all me. You’re the person I love, Harry. And together, we can face anything. You’re going to be an amazing King, because you’re already a great person. You don’t need to be perfect.”

The words seemed to offer him a small amount of comfort, but you knew the battle raged inside him. Harry had always been someone who cared deeply about doing things right, especially when it came to his family and his country. And now, with the pressure of the monarchy’s future on his shoulders, it was clear that the fear of failure was taking a toll.

“I don’t know if I’m cut out for this,” Harry murmured, his voice low.

You leaned your forehead against his, your heart aching for him. “No one ever is. But you’ll grow into it. And we’ll do it together.”

The words felt true, but even as you spoke them, you couldn’t deny the uncertainty that still gripped you both.

As the days passed, the weight of the situation continued to settle deeper into both your hearts. The date for the official transition of power - the moment Harry would step into the role of King and you by his side as Queen - was approaching with incredible speed.

The palace was a whirlwind of activity. You were handed papers to sign, decisions to make, and events to attend. The world outside the palace walls had no idea of the sheer amount of preparation happening behind closed doors. The moment when the crown would pass from Harry’s parents to him was coming closer and closer, and with each passing day, the reality of the responsibility began to hit harder.

At dinner one evening, the King and Queen spoke more about what was to come. The monarchy was undergoing a transformation, they said, and the country would look to Harry for leadership and direction. They had outlined the plans for how Harry would assume his new role, the formalities, the speeches, the public image they wanted to project.

But amidst all the royal discussions, you noticed that Harry seemed more withdrawn than ever. He was barely speaking, his mind obviously elsewhere. You could feel the anxiety radiating off of him.

“Harry,” you whispered softly, leaning in closer to him during dinner, “are you okay?”

He glanced at you, offering a faint smile, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “Just trying to keep it together.”

You could tell he was trying to hide his stress, but you knew him too well. “I know it’s a lot. But you don’t have to carry it all on your own, you know.”

Harry’s voice dropped to a whisper as he glanced at his parents, who were engaged in their own conversation at the end of the table. “I just feel like everything is spiraling out of control. I’ve never been so overwhelmed in my life. And it feels like no one really understands what this is doing to me. I can’t help but feel like I’m not ready for this.”

You placed your hand on his, squeezing it tightly. “You don’t have to be ready right now, Harry. You just have to do your best. And that’s all anyone will expect of you.”

He shook his head, a wry smile on his face. “But what if that’s not enough? What if they expect more? What if I let you down, too?”

You took a deep breath, knowing you had to be strong for him in this moment. “Harry, I’m not going anywhere. I’m not going to let you face this alone. And if you ever feel like you’re struggling, we’ll face it together. You and me. That’s what matters.”

His hand tightened around yours, and for the first time in what felt like days, you saw a flicker of peace in his eyes.

“Together,” he murmured. “Yeah. I can do this if we’re in it together.”

The moment felt like a small victory in the midst of the storm. But as the days continued to pass, you both knew that the hardest challenges were yet to come. The transition to the throne was fast approaching, and the weight of the monarchy loomed larger than ever.

But you were determined, as was Harry. You would face whatever came your way - together.

The days leading up to Harry’s official ascension to the throne were a blur. The palace was a cacophony of endless meetings, preparations, and ceremonial rehearsals. Every detail was scrutinized, and the pressure on Harry to be both the heir and the future King of England was suffocating.

You could see it in the way he moved - his shoulders slumped, his hands occasionally trembling when he wasn’t consciously gripping them together to keep himself steady. He had been avoiding sleep and barely eating, the exhaustion evident in the bags under his eyes. But you knew Harry well enough to understand that it wasn’t just physical fatigue - it was the weight of expectation bearing down on him. He wasn’t sure if he could live up to the role that had been thrust upon him.

You had tried to reassure him, but you knew he needed more than just comforting words. He needed to find a way to believe in himself, something that was increasingly difficult with each passing day.

One evening, after yet another exhausting royal dinner, you found Harry pacing in the drawing room of your shared private quarters. His mind seemed miles away as he walked back and forth, hands running through his hair in agitation.

“Harry, stop,” you said gently, crossing the room to stand in front of him. “Come here.”

He didn’t stop pacing immediately, but eventually, he turned toward you, his eyes weary and filled with frustration. “I can’t do this, Y/N. I just can’t.”

You took his hands in yours, pulling him toward you. “You don’t have to be perfect, Harry. You just need to be yourself. You’re going to be a wonderful king because you are who you are. That’s all anyone could ever ask for.”

His gaze softened slightly, but the doubt still lingered in his eyes. “You don’t understand. It’s not just about being myself. It’s about leading a country, making decisions that affect millions of people’s lives. I don’t know if I’m ready for all of that.”

You squeezed his hands, your voice unwavering. “You’re not doing this alone. We’re in this together. You have me. You have your family. And most importantly, you have a country that believes in you.”

Harry was silent for a long moment, his eyes locked on yours, searching for reassurance. You could feel his internal struggle, the pressure and the fear, but also the flickering hope that perhaps, just perhaps, he could do this after all.

“I just need time,” he said finally, his voice quiet. “I need time to figure this all out, Y/N.”

You smiled softly, lifting your hand to gently touch his cheek. “We’ll figure it out together, one step at a time.”

The day of the coronation arrived faster than either of you had anticipated. The grand halls of Buckingham Palace were filled with dignitaries, foreign ambassadors, and members of the royal family. Every inch of the palace was adorned in the finest silks, golden tapestries, and regal colors. The ceremony itself was a spectacle - an event that would be etched in the history books, a moment of great transition for both the monarchy and for Harry.

It was still early in the morning, and you were in your private chambers getting ready. Your dress was a custom creation - a delicate gown of ivory and gold that shimmered under the soft light of the palace. A team of stylists had worked tirelessly for days to perfect your hair and makeup, transforming you into the epitome of royal elegance. Your heart was beating quickly in your chest, a mixture of excitement and nerves.

As you stood in front of the mirror, adjusting the tiara that had been passed down through generations of queens, you couldn’t help but think of Harry. This moment wasn’t just about the throne - it was about everything you both had fought for. The love you shared, the life you were building together, and the future you were about to embrace.

Just as you finished adjusting the final touches, the door to your chambers opened. Harry stood there, dressed in the royal regalia - his coronation robes shimmering in the light, the crown already resting on the table behind him. His eyes locked with yours, and for a moment, all the noise and chaos of the world outside melted away.

He looked every bit the future King of England, but the vulnerability in his eyes was impossible to ignore.

“You look incredible,” he said softly, stepping toward you.

You smiled, your heart swelling at the sight of him. “So do you, my King.”

Harry took a deep breath, clearly nervous. “I don’t know if I can do this, Y/N. This whole thing- it’s overwhelming. I’m just trying to keep it together, but…” He trailed off, clearly struggling to put his thoughts into words.

You walked toward him, gently cupping his face in your hands. “You’re going to be amazing, Harry. You already are. And you have the love and support of everyone who cares about you. You don’t have to do it alone.”

He leaned into your touch, closing his eyes for a brief moment. “Thank you. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

The moment was short but meaningful, as Harry’s parents called from the hall, signaling that the ceremony was about to begin. You exchanged a quiet look, silently promising each other that no matter what came next, you would face it together.

The cathedral was breathtaking. The long aisles were lined with flowers, and the golden light that streamed through the stained-glass windows filled the space with a sacred glow. The air was thick with anticipation as dignitaries and guests took their seats, each waiting for the monumental moment to arrive.

You and Harry stood at the front of the cathedral, the weight of the moment finally settling over both of you. The Archbishop of Canterbury stood before you, ready to begin the sacred coronation ceremony that would officially make Harry the King of England - and you, the Queen.

As Harry knelt before the Archbishop, your heart was in your throat. The crown was lowered onto Harry’s head, and the soft murmur of the guests faded into silence. The weight of the crown seemed symbolic, as if it represented everything Harry had feared - his future, his legacy, his duty. But in that moment, as Harry rose to his feet, you could see something change in him. He stood taller, more certain than before, as if the crown - though heavy - was now a part of him.

The Archbishop turned to you, and you felt a tremor in your chest as you knelt beside Harry. The crown was placed on your head, your hands trembling slightly as the weight of the moment finally sank in. You were officially the Queen, standing beside the man you loved, ready to face the future together.

When the ceremony ended, applause filled the cathedral. You turned to look at Harry, and the look on his face made your heart skip a beat. He was no longer the nervous, uncertain man you had married. He was the King. And you were the Queen by his side.

As you and Harry left the cathedral, the weight of the crown - and the reality of what it all meant - pressed heavily on your shoulders. The applause from the guests echoed in your ears, but in the quiet of the palace, it was just the two of you.

“I can’t believe it,” Harry muttered, his voice shaking. “It all just happened so fast.”

You reached for his hand, squeezing it reassuringly. “I know. But we did it. And we’ll continue to do it, together.”

Harry smiled, the weight in his eyes finally easing. “Together,” he repeated, his voice steady.

The crown was now on both of your heads. But the most important thing -!what mattered most - was that you had each other. And with that, no matter how overwhelming the responsibilities of royalty might be, you knew you would face the future side by side. Together.

The months following your coronation were filled with a mixture of new beginnings, long royal meetings, and settling into your roles as the King and Queen of England. You and Harry found yourselves slowly adjusting to the rigorous demands of your new life. The palace became your home in a way it never had before, the once overwhelming responsibilities now starting to feel like a second skin.

Together, you navigated the complexities of being the face of a nation, balancing state visits with private moments, public appearances with stolen moments of quiet. As a couple, you were still learning, still growing into the roles you had taken on, but through it all, there was one thing you both held dear - each other.

But in the quiet of your shared chambers, away from the world’s eyes, there was an underlying weight, one that lingered quietly between the two of you. You and Harry had been trying for months now, hoping, wishing for a child - an heir to carry on the legacy you both were now responsible for. But each time, when you found yourself staring at the stark white of another negative pregnancy test, the hope seemed to drain a little further from your soul.

It wasn’t that you hadn’t tried - oh, you had tried. You and Harry had put everything into it, every last ounce of love and effort, but it was as if something was just out of reach.

You would smile for the cameras, be the perfect Queen in the eyes of the people, but behind closed doors, you felt like you were failing. Failing Harry. Failing the monarchy. Failing yourself. Every month, the disappointment grew more pronounced. Each time you felt your period arrive, it was like a slap in the face.

There had been moments of doubt, moments when you sat in silence and just cried, asking Harry over and over what was wrong with you. What was it about you that wouldn’t let you get pregnant? What had you done wrong? What were you missing?

You sat in front of the large mirror in your chambers one night, staring at your reflection with teary eyes, the silence of the room making everything feel heavier. The weight of the crown seemed insignificant in comparison to the frustration, confusion, and sadness that had begun to take root in your heart.

“Why can’t I give him a child?” you whispered softly, as though your reflection could answer. You ran your hands through your hair, feeling lost. “Am I not enough for him?”

You didn’t hear Harry enter the room until he was standing next to you, his voice filled with quiet concern. “What’s going on, love?”

You forced a smile, but it didn’t quite reach your eyes. “Nothing, just…thinking.”

But Harry knew you better than that. He’d seen the breakdowns. He’d seen the tears that you wiped away before anyone else could notice. He had felt the tension in the air when you tried to hold it together, knowing how much you wanted this. You both wanted this.

“I know you’ve been struggling,” Harry said gently, his hand resting on your shoulder. “But don’t be so hard on yourself. We’ve only been trying for a few months, Y/N. This doesn’t mean anything yet.”

You stood up, pushing his hand away gently as you wiped a stray tear from your face. “It’s been months, Harry. Months of trying, of failing, and I’m just…” Your voice cracked. “What if there’s something wrong with me? What if I can’t have children?”

Harry’s face fell, his heart breaking at your pain. He wanted to take the weight from you, wanted to fix it and make it better, but this was something neither of you could control. He couldn’t change the reality of the situation, and he knew that, but it didn’t stop him from wanting to protect you from the sadness that had become all too familiar in the last few months.

“You’re not failing,” he said firmly, his voice low but filled with love. “You’re not. We’re just starting. We’ve only just begun. You’re going to give me children, I know it. It’s just… it takes time.”

You closed your eyes, the bitterness of uncertainty rising in your chest. “But what if it doesn’t? What if it never happens? What if we can’t have the family we’ve dreamed about?”

Harry took your face in his hands, his eyes locking with yours, his grip firm but tender. “Y/N, you are enough. And if we don’t have a child right now, it doesn’t change anything. It doesn’t change how much I love you. It doesn’t change how I see you. You are everything to me. You’re the woman I love, the woman I chose to be my Queen, and I will never, ever stop loving you, no matter what happens.”

His words, though comforting, couldn’t erase the doubt that lingered in your heart. But his hands on your face, his tender touch, reminded you that at least you weren’t in this alone. You had Harry - and together, you would face whatever came next.

The weeks passed, and while the world saw the King and Queen leading their country, you both continued to face the heartbreaking reality of your inability to conceive. The doctor visits became more frequent. You sat in sterile offices, surrounded by pamphlets, medical charts, and explanations you barely understood, each visit leaving you with more questions than answers.

Harry did everything he could to support you. He was patient when you had days of frustration and silent tears. He was understanding when you pushed him away, when you withdrew into yourself. But each time you saw him try to comfort you, try to assure you that it would all work out, the feeling of guilt seemed to grow.

“I just want to give you the family we talked about,” you whispered one evening, curled up on the sofa with Harry, the two of you sharing a quiet moment before bed.

Harry kissed the top of your head, his hand stroking your back in slow, rhythmic motions. “You have given me everything, Y/N. A life I never could have dreamed of. A life I’m so proud of. We don’t need to rush into anything. If it happens, it happens. And if it doesn’t, we’ll find another way. Together.”

But it wasn’t just about Harry’s words anymore. It was about you. You were terrified that you couldn’t be the mother you so desperately wanted to be, terrified that your inability to carry a child would disappoint him or make him feel less fulfilled. And no matter how much he reassured you, you couldn’t shake the guilt.

As the pressure of royal expectations continued to build around you, so too did the pressure of your own heart. It wasn’t just the throne you had to bear - it was the weight of being the Queen, and the expectations that came with it. Your failure to conceive seemed to only intensify the scrutiny.

And all you could do was hold onto Harry - just as he held onto you -!and keep going, no matter how hard it became. Together, you would face the unknown. Together, you would find a way.

But for now, it seemed like that future - one with children, with a growing family - was still a distant dream.

It had been a long day already, filled with meetings, royal engagements, and the ever-present weight of expectations that came with being Queen. But today, you had made time for something far more important - helping Anne with one of her charity projects.

The two of you had spent the morning overseeing a women’s shelter, speaking with staff and listening to the stories of the women who had found solace there. It was the kind of work that reminded you why you had wanted to be Queen in the first place - not for the politics or the power, but for the chance to make a difference.

Now, back at Buckingham Palace, you were sitting in Anne’s private drawing room, sipping tea as she sorted through a pile of paperwork regarding upcoming charity events. The warm, golden light of the late afternoon streamed through the tall windows, casting a soft glow over the elegant space.

Anne had always been kind to you, had always made you feel welcome in the family. But today, sitting here with her, you felt something shift. You felt like you weren’t just her daughter-in-law - you were her daughter. And daughters needed their mothers.

You hesitated, staring into your cup, the tea swirling in slow, aimless patterns. Your heart felt heavy, the words stuck in your throat like an unbearable weight. But you couldn’t hold it in anymore.

“Anne,” you finally said, your voice barely above a whisper.

She looked up from her papers immediately, her sharp eyes full of quiet concern. “Yes, dear?”

You swallowed hard, fingers tightening around the porcelain cup. “I- I need to tell you something. Something I haven’t told Harry yet.”

That got her full attention. She set the papers aside, leaning forward slightly, her hands folding in her lap as she gave you her undivided focus. “Go on,” she urged gently.

You took a deep breath, trying to steady yourself. But the moment you opened your mouth, the emotions you had been bottling up for months came crashing down.

“I- I can’t get pregnant,” you choked out, your voice breaking. “Or, well, I can, but barely. I went to the gynecologist, and they told me I only have a two percent chance. Two percent, Anne.” Your hands trembled as you set the cup down on the saucer with a soft clink. “I feel like a failure. Like I’m failing Harry. Failing the monarchy. Failing myself.”

Anne’s face softened, her usual composed expression shifting into something far more vulnerable - motherly.

“Oh, my dear,” she murmured, reaching across the small table to take your hands in hers.

You let out a shaky breath, the tears you had been trying so desperately to keep at bay finally breaking free.

“I haven’t even told Harry,” you confessed, shaking your head. “I don’t know how. How do I tell him that the one thing we both wanted more than anything -!a family - might never happen? How do I look him in the eye and say that I can’t give him children?”

Anne squeezed your hands tightly, her grip warm and reassuring. “Listen to me,” she said firmly, her voice filled with a rare intensity. “You are not a failure. Do you hear me?”

You let out a soft sob, nodding, even though you didn’t quite believe it.

Anne sighed, shifting to sit beside you on the small sofa. Without hesitation, she pulled you into her arms, cradling you the way a mother would a heartbroken daughter. The moment her warmth surrounded you, you collapsed into her, sobbing into her shoulder as the weight of your grief finally consumed you.

“I hate myself for this,” you whispered, your voice muffled against the fabric of her dress. “I hate that I can’t give Harry what he deserves. I hate that my body won’t do what it’s supposed to.”

Anne’s grip tightened, her hand stroking your back in slow, soothing motions. “No,” she said firmly, her voice unwavering. “You don’t get to hate yourself for this, Y/N. You are not defined by your ability to have children. And Harry - Harry loves you. Not just the idea of a family, not just the dream of children. You.”

You sniffled, clinging to her as more tears spilled down your cheeks. “But what if he’s disappointed? What if he resents me?”

Anne pulled back just enough to look you in the eye, her own filled with unwavering certainty. “He won’t. And if he does, then I will personally knock some sense into him.”

That earned a wet, broken laugh from you, though it quickly turned into another sob.

Anne cupped your face, her thumbs wiping away the tears that continued to fall. “Sweetheart, you are already enough. More than enough. And if there’s one thing I know about my son, it’s that he would never see you as anything less because of this. But you need to tell him. Don’t carry this burden alone.”

You nodded weakly, though the thought of telling Harry still terrified you.

Anne gave you a small smile, pressing a kiss to your forehead. “No matter what happens, you are family. My family. And I will always be here for you, just like a mother should be.”

That was all it took for you to break down again, but this time, the weight on your chest didn’t feel quite as unbearable.

For the first time in a long time, you didn’t feel alone.

The night was quiet, save for the occasional crackling of the fireplace in your shared chambers. The golden glow of the flames danced against the walls, casting soft shadows across the room. Harry was sitting on the sofa, flipping through a few documents he needed to review for an upcoming event, but his attention wasn’t really on them.

He could tell something was wrong.

You had been unusually quiet all evening, barely touching your dinner, barely speaking. And when he had tried to pull you into conversation, you had only offered small, forced smiles that never reached your eyes.

Harry knew you well enough to know when you were holding something in. And whatever it was, it was eating you alive.

You stood near the window, your arms wrapped around yourself as you stared outside at the darkened palace gardens. Your heart was racing, palms sweaty, stomach twisted in knots. You had spent the entire day trying to find the right moment, the right words, the right way to tell him.

But there was no right way to say this.

“Love?” Harry’s voice was soft, careful, as he set the documents aside and turned his attention fully to you. “What’s wrong?”

You swallowed hard, blinking rapidly to keep the tears at bay. “I-“ Your voice broke immediately, and you clenched your jaw, trying to steady yourself. “I need to tell you something.”

Harry was already on his feet before you could say another word. He crossed the room quickly, his hands immediately finding your arms, rubbing slow, comforting circles.

“You can tell me anything,” he said gently. “You know that, right?”

You nodded, but it didn’t make it any easier. The words felt trapped in your throat, suffocating you.

Harry’s brows furrowed in concern. “You’re shaking,” he murmured, his hands running up and down your arms. “Talk to me, darling.”

You exhaled sharply, closing your eyes for a brief moment. And then, finally, you forced yourself to say it.

“I went to the gynecologist,” you whispered. “I- I haven’t been able to get pregnant, and I needed to know why.”

Harry’s grip on you tightened ever so slightly. His body tensed, but he didn’t say a word - he just let you speak.

“They did some tests,” you continued, your voice barely above a whisper. “And they found out that I can get pregnant… but the chances are-” You choked, pressing a hand to your mouth as the pain of saying it out loud became unbearable. “Two percent, Harry. I have a two percent chance.”

His face fell, his eyes darkening with something unreadable. “What?”

You let out a shaky breath, your shoulders trembling under the weight of your emotions. “I- I might never be able to have kids with you. And I didn’t know how to tell you because-“ Your voice cracked. “Because I feel like I failed you.”

Harry’s entire body stiffened at those words. His hands immediately cupped your face, tilting it up so you were forced to look at him.

“Stop,” he said firmly, his green eyes burning with intensity. “You have never failed me. Do you understand me?”

You bit your lip, trying to hold back the tears, but it was no use. The floodgates had opened.

“I wanted to give you a family,” you sobbed, your hands gripping his shirt as if he were the only thing keeping you upright. “I wanted us to have kids, to grow old together surrounded by them. And now… now I don’t know if that will ever happen.”

Harry’s heart shattered at the sheer pain in your voice. Without hesitation, he pulled you into his arms, holding you tightly against his chest as you cried.

His hand cradled the back of your head, his lips pressing soft, reassuring kisses to your hair. “Oh, love,” he murmured. “You don’t have to carry this alone. Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

You buried your face into his chest, your sobs muffled against his shirt. “I was scared,” you admitted. “Scared you’d be disappointed. Scared you’d regret choosing me.”

Harry immediately pulled back, his hands cupping your cheeks as he looked deep into your eyes. His expression was one of pure disbelief, almost offended at the idea.

“Y/N, I could never regret choosing you.” His voice was rough, filled with emotion. “You are my wife. My Queen. The love of my life. Do you really think the ability to have children could change that?”

“I just… I know how much you wanted kids,” you whispered.

“I want you,” he corrected, his thumbs wiping away your tears. “I want a family with you. And if that means we try and try and try until it happens, then that’s what we’ll do. And if it doesn’t happen, we’ll find another way. Adoption, surrogacy, whatever it takes. But you are my family. You are enough.”

His words shattered the last bit of control you had. You clung to him, sobbing openly now, allowing yourself to be completely vulnerable in his arms. And Harry just held you - held you like he was afraid you might slip away, held you like you were the most precious thing in the world.

“I love you,” he whispered into your hair. “No matter what. I love you, I love you, I love you.”

And in that moment, despite the fear, despite the heartbreak, you felt safe.

Because you had Harry. And as long as you had him, you would never face this alone.

The hallways of the Buckingham Palace felt colder than usual. Each step echoed against the marble floors as you made your way toward King Edward’s office, your stomach twisting in knots.

This was, without a doubt, the most terrifying conversation you had ever faced.

Telling Harry had been one thing - he was your husband, your partner, the man who had chosen to love you unconditionally. But telling his father? The King of England? The man who had spent his entire life ensuring the future of the monarchy? That was an entirely different battle.

Edward had always been firm about the importance of an heir. Even before you and Harry had married, he had spoken of continuing the bloodline, of ensuring the next generation would be raised to take the throne one day.

And now, you had to tell him that there was a strong possibility that wouldn’t happen.

You swallowed hard, standing outside his office door, your palms damp with nerves. The guards stationed nearby gave you a brief nod before opening the large double doors, signaling your arrival.

King Edward was seated at his desk, scanning through documents with his usual air of authority. He barely glanced up as he gestured for you to step inside.

“Y/N,” he acknowledged, his voice even. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

You hesitated for a moment before closing the door behind you, taking a few cautious steps forward. Your heart was pounding, and for a brief second, you wondered if you should just turn around and walk away.

But no. You had to do this.

“Your Majesty,” you began, keeping your voice steady despite the lump in your throat. “There’s something I need to tell you. Something… important.”

That made him look up. His piercing gaze settled on you, sharp and calculating, as if already trying to decipher what you were about to say. He set his papers aside, folding his hands neatly on the desk. “Go on.”

You took a shaky breath. “It’s about the future of the family. About an heir.”

His expression remained unreadable, but you knew he was listening intently.

“I went to the doctor,” you continued, your voice softer now. “And they told me that my chances of getting pregnant are… almost nonexistent.” You swallowed hard. “Two percent, to be exact.”

A long, heavy silence filled the room.

Edward didn’t speak. He didn’t move. His face remained neutral, but you could see the way his fingers tensed slightly on the desk, the only sign that your words had truly registered.

“I know how much you wanted a grandchild,” you continued, forcing the words out before you lost your courage. “I know how important it is to secure the next generation of the monarchy. And I-” Your voice broke, and you quickly pressed your lips together, trying to contain the overwhelming emotions threatening to spill over.

For a long moment, he just stared at you, his blue eyes locked onto yours. And then, finally, he exhaled.

“Come here,” he said.

You blinked, confused. “What?”

Edward pushed his chair back slightly and gestured for you to step closer. “Come here, Y/N.”

Your legs felt stiff, almost reluctant to move, but somehow, you found yourself stepping toward him.

As soon as you were close enough, Edward did something you never expected.

He reached out and pulled you into his arms.

You froze.

You had never hugged Edward before. In fact, you had never seen him as anything other than a king - a ruler, a strategist, a man who commanded respect in every room he entered. But right now, in this moment, he wasn’t King Edward.

He was simply a father.

Your father-in-law.

Your breath hitched as his arms tightened around you, firm yet careful, as if shielding you from the weight of your own pain.

“You must have been terrified to tell me this,” he murmured, his voice softer than you had ever heard it.

That was all it took for the dam to break.

A broken sob escaped your lips as you clutched onto him, burying your face into his shoulder. All the fear, all the guilt, all the self-loathing you had carried for months poured out of you in an uncontrollable wave.

“I’m sorry,” you choked out, your body trembling against him. “I’m so sorry.”

Edward sighed, his large hand smoothing over your hair in an uncharacteristically gentle gesture. “You have nothing to be sorry for.”

You shook your head, fresh tears spilling down your cheeks. “I feel like I failed you. Like I failed Harry. I wanted to give this family an heir. I tried. But I-” Your voice cracked, and another sob escaped before you could stop it.

Edward pulled back slightly, just enough to look down at you, his hands firm on your shoulders.

“Listen to me,” he said, his voice filled with quiet strength. “The ability to have children does not determine your worth. Not as a woman. Not as a Queen. And certainly not as my daughter-in-law.”

You sniffled, blinking up at him in disbelief.

“I won’t lie to you,” he admitted. “Yes, I have always wanted an heir. But not at the expense of my son’s happiness. And not at the expense of yours.” He squeezed your shoulders. “You are my family now, Y/N. And you will always have a place here. No matter what.”

A fresh wave of tears threatened to spill, but this time, they weren’t just from sadness.

For the first time since hearing the news, you felt a weight lift from your chest.

Edward - the King - wasn’t angry. He wasn’t disappointed.

He was just there. Holding you, reassuring you, giving you the fatherly support you had never truly expected from him.

And for the first time, you didn’t feel like you had to carry this burden alone.

With a shaky breath, you tightened your grip around him, resting your forehead against his shoulder as more silent tears fell.

And Edward?

For the first time, he simply held you - not as his son’s wife, not as the Queen of England.

But as his daughter-in-law.

Life at Buckingham Palace didn’t slow down, no matter what personal struggles lay beneath the surface. The world kept turning, the public kept watching, and you and Harry had responsibilities to uphold as the Queen and King of England.

After your emotional conversation with King Edward, a weight had been lifted from your shoulders. For the first time in months, you felt like you could breathe again. You weren’t alone in this - not with Harry, not with his parents, and not with the people who truly cared about you.

But even with that relief, the reality of royal life came crashing back down almost immediately.

The next morning, you were seated at the long oak table in the private royal meeting room, staring at an overwhelming stack of documents, schedules, and briefing notes. Across from you, Harry had his own pile, rubbing a hand over his face as he tried to focus.

A royal advisor stood at the head of the table, reading out the upcoming engagements.

“…and following the charity gala next Saturday, Your Majesties will attend a diplomatic dinner with foreign delegates from Spain, Germany, and Japan,” the advisor continued. “It will be your first official state dinner as the future monarchs, so expectations will be high.”

You sighed quietly, already feeling exhausted just listening to the schedule.

“And before that,” another advisor chimed in, flipping through her notes, “the two of you will make a public appearance at the children’s hospital in London. It’s part of the royal family’s ongoing efforts to support pediatric healthcare.”

Your ears perked up slightly at that. You had always enjoyed your visits with the children - it was one of the rare duties that truly made you feel connected to the people, rather than just a figurehead in a crown.

Harry, sensing your shift in mood, glanced over at you with a small smile.

The meeting continued for another hour, outlining everything from upcoming speeches to wardrobe expectations for each event.

By the time it was over, you felt drained.

As the advisors filed out of the room, you leaned back in your chair, rubbing your temples. “How do they expect us to keep up with all of this?”

Harry let out a deep sigh, standing up and stretching. “Honestly? I don’t think they care, as long as we do it.”

You rolled your eyes but couldn’t help but smile.

He stepped around the table, coming to stand behind you. His hands found your shoulders, massaging gently. “You’re doing incredible, you know that?”

You let your head tilt back slightly, enjoying his touch. “I feel like I’m drowning in expectations.”

“You are.” He smirked. “But at least we’re drowning together.”

You huffed out a laugh, reaching up to squeeze his hand.

Just then, the door opened again, and Queen Anne stepped in. “I hope I’m not interrupting,” she said, her voice warm.

“Not at all,” you said, sitting up properly as she approached.

Anne smiled, her eyes filled with the usual grace and wisdom she carried. “I just wanted to check on you both. I know these past few weeks have been… heavy.”

You swallowed, exchanging a quick glance with Harry.

“I’m okay,” you assured her, though you weren’t sure how convincing it was.

Anne tilted her head slightly, studying you in the way only a mother could. Then, instead of pressing further, she simply said, “I know it’s been overwhelming, stepping into this role so quickly. But I want you to remember - you’re not just here to serve the people. You’re here to live, too.”

You blinked, taken aback by her words.

She smiled knowingly. “Don’t let the crown steal the joy from your life, my dear. It’s a privilege, yes, but it’s also a burden. And if you don’t take time for yourselves, it will consume you.”

Harry nodded. “We’ll try, Mum.”

Anne arched a brow. “No, you will.” She placed a gentle hand on your arm. “And if you ever need a reminder, I’ll be here to give it.”

You felt an overwhelming warmth at her words.

Maybe the crown didn’t have to weigh you down completely.

And as you looked at Harry - your partner in all of this - you knew that no matter what came next, you would face it together.

You stared down at the six pregnancy tests lined up in front of you, each one displaying the same undeniable result.

Positive.

Your hands trembled as you gripped the edge of the bathroom counter, your breath shallow.

This couldn’t be real.

After months of heartbreak, of failed attempts, of hearing the doctor’s grim diagnosis - you had convinced yourself that it would never happen. That the dream of carrying Harry’s child would always remain just that - a dream.

So when the first test showed two pink lines, you had scoffed.

Faulty. It had to be faulty.

Then the second one.

The third.

By the fourth, your hands had started shaking.

By the fifth, tears had blurred your vision.

And now, staring at the sixth positive test, your mind finally allowed itself to believe the impossible.

You were pregnant.

A choked sob escaped your lips as the overwhelming reality of it all crashed into you. Your body trembled as you sank onto the bathroom floor, hugging your knees to your chest, silent tears trailing down your cheeks.

You had prepared yourself for disappointment so many times that the sheer possibility of this being real left you utterly paralyzed.

That was how Harry found you.

The door creaked open, his voice carrying through the quiet space. “Love? I’m home.”

He paused when he stepped into the bedroom, immediately noticing the empty bed. His brows furrowed.

Then, his eyes landed on the open bathroom door.

“Y/N?” His voice softened with concern.

He stepped inside - and froze at the sight of you sitting on the floor, your shoulders shaking.

“Hey, hey, what’s wrong?” He was by your side in an instant, kneeling beside you, his hands cupping your face as he searched your tear-streaked expression. “Are you hurt? What happened?”

You opened your mouth, but nothing came out. The words stuck in your throat, the sheer weight of this moment making it impossible to speak.

His panic only grew. His eyes darted around the room, looking for any sign of what had caused your distress - until they landed on the sink counter.

On the six pregnancy tests lined up in a perfect row.

Harry’s entire body went still.

You watched as his emerald eyes widened, his breath catching in his throat. His gaze flickered between you and the tests, as if trying to make sense of what he was seeing.

Finally, his lips parted. “Are these…?”

You managed a shaky nod, fresh tears spilling down your cheeks. “I took six.” Your voice was barely above a whisper. “Because I didn’t believe the first one. Or the second. Or the third.” You let out a breathless laugh, one that was half-sob, half-disbelief. “But after six… I think I finally believe it.”

Harry’s eyes welled with emotion as he let out a shaky exhale, his hands trembling as they cradled your face.

“You’re pregnant?” His voice was hoarse, filled with something so raw, so utterly vulnerable.

Another nod. “I’m pregnant.”

And then, before you could react, he was wrapping you up in his arms, holding you so tightly it felt like he was afraid you’d disappear.

A broken laugh rumbled through his chest, his face buried in your neck. “Holy shit.” His breath was warm against your skin. “Holy fuck.”

You let out a watery laugh, clinging onto him just as tightly.

He pulled back just enough to look at you, his hands shaking as he brushed your hair away from your face. His eyes were shining with disbelief, awe, pure love.

“I thought-” He swallowed thickly, shaking his head as if he couldn’t even form the words. “I thought we couldn’t-“

“I know.” Your voice cracked. “I thought so too.”

Harry let out a sharp breath, his forehead pressing against yours. “This is a miracle.”

You nodded. “It is.”

Then, suddenly, his lips were on yours, kissing you with so much love and relief that it made your head spin. It was deep and tender, filled with all the emotions neither of you could fully express in words.

When he finally pulled away, he let out another breathless laugh, his hands resting on your still-flat stomach.

“There’s a baby in there,” he murmured in amazement.

You sniffled, covering his hands with your own. “Yeah. Our baby.”

His throat bobbed as he fought back tears. “I love you so much,” he whispered.

“I love you too.”

Harry exhaled, pressing a lingering kiss to your forehead before letting out another disbelieving laugh.

“You took six?”

You rolled your eyes, letting out a teary chuckle. “Shut up.”

He grinned, and for the first time in months, everything felt perfect.

The next morning, you and Harry sat in your private lounge, both buzzing with nervous energy. The six pregnancy tests still sat on the nightstand as if they were too precious to throw away just yet, a constant reminder that this was real.

“We should tell them today,” Harry said, pacing the length of the room, rubbing a hand over his jaw.

“Yeah.” You nodded, twisting your fingers together. “But… what if they don’t react the way we hope?”

Harry stopped, his brows knitting together. “What do you mean?”

You sighed. “I mean, your father has always wanted an heir, right? What if the pressure starts immediately? What if-“

Harry knelt in front of you, taking your hands in his. “No. Stop that.” His voice was gentle but firm. “We’re not going to let anyone ruin this moment. This is our baby, our family. And I don’t care if we’re King and Queen someday - our happiness comes first.”

Your heart swelled at his words.

You exhaled deeply and nodded. “Okay. Let’s do it.”

Harry grinned and kissed your knuckles before standing up. “Let’s go shock the hell out of them.”

A short while later, you both stood outside the grand sitting room where King Edward and Queen Anne spent most of their mornings.

Harry glanced at you one last time, squeezing your hand. “Ready?”

“As I’ll ever be.”

He pushed open the doors, and you both stepped inside.

King Edward sat in his usual chair, reading over some documents, while Queen Anne was sipping her tea by the window. They both looked up at your entrance.

“Harry, Y/N,” Anne greeted with a soft smile. “This is a pleasant surprise.”

Edward peered at you both over his glasses. “To what do we owe the honor?”

Harry cleared his throat and exchanged a quick glance with you before stepping forward. “We, uh… we have some news.”

Anne immediately straightened, setting her teacup down. “Good news?”

Harry hesitated for only a second before his face broke into a wide grin. “The best.”

He reached into his pocket, pulled out one of the pregnancy tests (because, of course, he had insisted on bringing proof), and placed it on the coffee table in front of them.

Both parents leaned forward.

Anne gasped first. “Is this…?”

Edward’s eyebrows shot up. “Are you saying?-“

You nodded, unable to stop the smile that broke across your face. “We’re having a baby.”

For a moment, there was only silence.

Then, suddenly, Anne let out a soft cry of joy, covering her mouth with her hands. Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears as she stood up and rushed toward you.

“My dear…” she whispered before pulling you into a tight embrace. “Oh, my dear.”

You melted into her hug, letting yourself be held as relief washed over you.

Anne pulled back, placing her hands on your cheeks, beaming through her tears. “This is wonderful news.”

Then, without hesitation, she turned and pulled Harry into a hug as well. “Oh, my sweet boy.”

Harry chuckled, hugging her back. “Took you long enough to say congrats, Mum.”

Edward, who had been silent up until now, finally stood from his chair, still staring at the test in his hand as if it were an artifact of unspeakable value.

Then, his gaze flickered to you, to Harry, before softening in a way you rarely ever saw.

“A child,” he murmured.

Harry nodded. “Our child.”

Edward stepped forward, his expression unreadable. For a brief second, you braced yourself for something stern or demanding - but instead, he simply placed a hand on Harry’s shoulder, the other on yours.

His lips twitched slightly. “Congratulations.”

It was a single word, but it carried so much weight.

And then, much to your absolute shock, Edward did something he had never done before.

He pulled you into a hug.

Your breath hitched, completely caught off guard, but within seconds, you relaxed into the warmth of it.

When he pulled back, he cleared his throat, his usual composed self returning. “This is… a significant moment for the monarchy. But more importantly, it is a significant moment for our family.”

He turned to Anne, who was still wiping at her eyes. “We’re going to be grandparents.”

Anne sniffled, nodding fervently. “Yes, we are.”

Harry exhaled, grinning as he wrapped an arm around you. “Well, I’d say that went better than expected.”

Edward shot him a dry look. “Don’t get ahead of yourself, son. There will be many discussions about the child’s future.”

Harry groaned. “Of course there will be.”

Anne swatted her husband’s arm. “Not now, Edward.” She turned back to you, her eyes soft. “Right now, we celebrate.”

And as she hugged you once more, you let out a breath you hadn’t realized you’d been holding.

For the first time in a long time, the future didn’t feel scary.

It felt right.

Pregnancy had a way of turning life upside down, especially when you were the Queen of England.

From the moment the news broke publicly, the world was obsessed. The media called it the biggest royal announcement in decades. Journalists speculated on names, gender, and how the pregnancy would affect the monarchy. Public celebrations erupted across the UK - parades, fireworks, even special merchandise with your face on it.

It was surreal.

But behind closed doors, pregnancy was a rollercoaster of emotions, challenges, and unexpected changes.

Morning sickness hit hard.

Whoever named it “morning” sickness was a liar - because it lasted all day.

You had to excuse yourself from meetings to throw up, sometimes barely making it out of the room before dashing to the nearest bathroom. The first few times, you tried to play it off as nothing, but after the third time in one week, Harry put his foot down.

“We’re telling them,” he insisted one evening as you lay curled up on the sofa, utterly exhausted.

You groaned. “No. They’ll just fuss.”

“They should fuss!” Harry ran a hand through his curls, exasperated. “You’re pregnant and still trying to do everything like normal. It’s not normal.”

You sighed, knowing he was right. So the next day, the royal advisors were informed - and just like that, your schedule changed.

Meetings were shortened. Public appearances were reduced. The palace chef was given strict orders to prepare meals that wouldn’t make you nauseous.

Harry, meanwhile, went into full protective mode.

He hovered constantly. If you so much as breathed wrong, he was by your side, fussing over you like a mother hen.

“Drink more water.”

“Did you eat enough today?”

“Put your feet up, love.”

At first, it was sweet. Then, it got slightly annoying.

One night, after he practically carried you upstairs because you “looked tired,” you finally snapped.

“Harry, I love you, but if you don’t let me walk on my own two feet, I swear I will-“

“Okay, okay!” He held up his hands in surrender, grinning. “But just so you know, I will catch you if you so much as stumble.”

You rolled your eyes - but deep down, you loved how much he cared.

The sickness eased, but new challenges emerged.

Your growing belly made royal duties a bit harder. Dresses had to be altered constantly. Walking in heels for long ceremonies? Impossible. The royal tailors ended up crafting special, elegant flats just for you.

Then came the kicks.

The first time you felt the baby move, you gasped so loudly that Harry nearly fell out of bed.

“What? What’s wrong?” He scrambled to sit up, eyes wide.

You grabbed his hand, pressing it against your stomach. “Feel that?”

For a moment, nothing - then, a tiny thump beneath his palm.

Harry’s eyes went huge. “Oh my God.”

You both froze, and then he laughed - a soft, awed sound. “That’s our baby.”

Tears pricked your eyes. “Yeah.”

From then on, Harry was obsessed. Every night, he talked to your belly, pressing kisses against it, telling stories, singing softly.

“Hey, little one. It’s Dad. Hope you’re comfy in there.”

The sight of him doing that made you fall in love with him all over again.

Everything was hard.

Sleeping? Impossible.

Standing for long periods? Torture.

Breathing? Sometimes a challenge.

And the baby kicked nonstop.

“I think they’re training for the Olympics,” you groaned one night as you shifted uncomfortably in bed.

Harry chuckled, rubbing soothing circles on your belly. “Or trying to prepare us to never get a full night’s sleep.”

The palace had adjusted everything for your comfort - your chair in meetings had extra cushions, a footstool was placed under every table, and a personal physician was on standby constantly.

But the hardest part was the public scrutiny.

The press obsessed over every tiny detail. If you looked tired in a photo? Headlines speculated on complications. If you skipped an event? Scandal.

One day, a tabloid even claimed you were carrying twins based on the size of your belly.

“Twins? Really?” you scoffed, tossing the magazine aside.

Harry smirked. “Well, at this point, I wouldn’t be surprised. You are massive.”

You glared. “Say that again and you’re carrying the next baby. I don’t know how, but I’ll make it work.”

He held up his hands in surrender, laughing.

Despite everything, though, there were beautiful moments.

Like the time the entire royal family gathered to feel the baby kick. Anne teared up, pressing a gentle hand to your belly.

Edward, surprisingly, softened. “A future ruler,” he murmured.

“No,” Harry corrected, wrapping an arm around you. “Our child. First and foremost.”

Edward looked at him for a long moment - then nodded. “Yes. You’re right.”

It was the closest thing to a heartfelt moment you’d ever had with the King.

The palace was on high alert.

Every doctor, nurse, and staff member was on standby. Your hospital bag was packed. The route to the private royal hospital was finalized.

You were ready.

Or so you thought.

Because one evening, as you sat in bed, rubbing your belly, you felt a sharp pain.

Your breath hitched.

Harry, who was reading beside you, immediately noticed. “What’s wrong?”

You hesitated, then whispered, “I think… I think it’s starting.”

For a second, there was silence.

Then…

Harry panicked.

“Oh my god. Okay, OKAY- We- we practiced this!- Breathe! Wait, SHOULD I BREATHE?!”

You groaned. “Harry, call the damn doctor.”

He scrambled for his phone, fumbling with it in his panic. “Right! Doctor! I can do that! I’m calm!”

He was not calm.

And as the reality of what was happening sank in, you realized.

Your baby was finally coming.

The moment you arrived at the private royal hospital, chaos unfolded.

Doctors and nurses swarmed around you, checking your vitals, preparing for the delivery. Everything was happening so fast.

Harry never left your side.

Not even for a second.

He held your hand the entire way through the halls, whispering reassurances, pressing kisses to your knuckles, promising you that everything would be okay.

“You’ve got this, love,” he murmured as they settled you into the delivery room. “I’m right here.”

And he was.

It was hell.

Contractions hit like waves of agony, rolling through your body with no mercy. Time blurred. At one point, you swore you were dying.

“I hate you,” you growled through clenched teeth, gripping Harry’s hand so tightly his fingers turned white.

He swallowed hard. “Okay, fair-“

“This is your fault.”

“I know, baby, I know-“

“If you ever touch me again-“

Harry winced as you squeezed harder. “Right. Noted.”

But despite the pain, despite the exhaustion, you had never loved him more.

Because he stayed.

He wiped the sweat from your forehead, whispered encouragement, ignored his own pain as you nearly broke his hand. He never let go.

“You’re doing so well,” he breathed against your temple, voice thick with emotion. “So close now.”

Then, finally - after hours of agony -!the doctor’s voice rang clear.

“One last push, Your Majesty.”

You clenched your teeth, dug your nails into Harry’s hand, and gave it everything you had.

Then, a cry.

A sharp, piercing cry filled the room.

Your chest heaved, your vision blurred with exhaustion, but nothing - nothing - could have prepared you for the overwhelming rush of emotion as they placed your baby on your chest.

A tiny, wriggling, perfect little girl.

Tears spilled down your cheeks as you stared at her, barely able to breathe.

“Hi, my love,” you choked out, voice breaking. “Hi, my sweet girl.”

Harry made a strangled noise beside you.

You turned to look at him - and your heart nearly shattered at the sight.

Tears streamed down his face as he stared at your daughter like she was the most precious thing in the world. His hands trembled as he reached out, brushing a single finger over her impossibly soft cheek.

“She’s…” He exhaled shakily. “She’s beautiful.”

You nodded, unable to speak.

Harry let out a choked laugh, his free hand covering his mouth as he blinked rapidly. “We have a daughter.”

The doctor smiled. “Would you like to cut the cord, Your Majesty?”

Harry’s breath hitched.

Slowly, he nodded, taking the scissors with trembling hands. You watched as he carefully, almost reverently, did as instructed - then immediately pressed a kiss to your forehead.

“I love you,” he whispered. “I love you so much.”

You let out a watery laugh. “I love you too.”

And then, the nurse swaddled your daughter in the softest white blanket, placing her back in your arms.

She was tiny.

Her delicate features scrunched up in sleep, her tiny fingers curling slightly. A full head of dark curls peeked out from the blanket.

You traced a fingertip down her cheek, completely in awe.

You turned your head, pressing a kiss to his damp cheek. “What should we name her?”

Harry exhaled, looking down at his daughter with pure, unfiltered love.

Then, as if it had been meant to be all along, he whispered.

“Amelia.”

Your heart clenched.

Princess Amelia of England.

It was perfect.

Tears welled in your eyes again as you nodded. “Amelia.”

Harry kissed your forehead again, voice thick with emotion. “Welcome to the world, my darling girl.”

And in that moment - exhausted, overwhelmed, but utterly complete - you knew.

Your life had changed forever.

And you wouldn’t trade it for anything.

[lilyofporcelain]

DWC - 09 Feb - Day 1 - Hypnotic / Star

In the quiet of the Grim and Tonic apothecary, she carefully peered around the various potions, elixirs, tinctures, and other concoctions that Saith so masterfully made. He labelled everything, of course, which didn’t surprise her in the least. How many of these things had been made for others, and how many had he made for personal projects? Rows and rows of bottles and vials sat before her, each in its own perfect little setting. One wrong idle move from her or Toasty having a sudden case of the zoomies, and she could just envision the domino effect of shattered glass and hissing liquids on wooden floor.

A smile hooked its way into half of her mouth as sher head tipped, hair not quite violet curling over her collar. And she’d worried about taking too much of his time away from his work. Or that he would grow bored and listless with her companionship. It was good to see that he kept himself busy. Saith’s background as an informant had controlled so much of him. Belidrae still worried that suddenly trying to acclimate to a life where he no longer had to do that would too much for him. She’d tried to be supportive of him and ultimately, the story was always the same. She only wanted him to be happy. To feel like he was significant. To know that he mattered and that he was important. For things other than his body or dust or thistle.

Are you happy, Saith, with the way things are? This relationship with me. Is it what you really want? Our engagement? I’d be all right if you changed your mind.

Would she, though? Belidrae didn’t think so in entirety. But if things went topsy turvy, which was entirely possible, she knew she’d find a way through it. She always had. In the end, all that really mattered to her was that he found what he was looking for. What he felt like he needed. She knew very well it just wasn’t healthy if he was using her as a form of escapism. She hoped it wasn’t that. If it was, the conversation would be a difficult one to have.

She could hear the soft, raspy ‘miaow’ that came from the siamese kitten who nonchalantly wandered in. Straightening herself up, Belidrae turned her attention onto… Well. She still didn’t know if Toasty was a boy or a girl. Trix had not told her when he gave the kitten to Belidrae on a chilly Winterveil day. Sweeping the kitten up carefully into her arms, she lifted a hand and gently prodded the curious kitten on the nose. “Aren’t you a curious thing,” she greeted her feline friend, a wide smile pulling at her face. “Wanted to come see what Mom was up to, hm? I don’t think your dad would want you in here, but we’ll keep it our little secret.”

Turning her attention back to the rows and rows and rows of Saith’s creations, Belidrae slowly moved down along the shelf and then she paused. There was one he’d been working on specifically for her. More than one, actually. She didn’t know where he’d even gotten the idea for it, but suspected it had something to do with the shade of her skin, something he’d always described as dusky. When he’d first told her about it, he’d described it as a concoction that when ingested would make it look as though constellations spread across her skin.

Belidrae had always liked a starry night sky. Plenty of them she’d spent her time under, even. Did he know she liked them? Had it just been a guess on his part? Leaning closer in to the bottle on display, its label in Saith’s rather picturesque handwriting, she smiled.

“You know, Toasty, you didn’t get to see this, but he made one for me before.”

Her expression was fond. On the night they’d met when he was certain she was divining tea leaves in her coffee, he’d taken her to a beautiful overgrown area with a waterfall and crumbling stone. And there, they’d spoken the entire night. And he’d been convinced that she was an agent of SI:7, something that continued to regularly amuse her. She’d not known it at the time, but his reasoning had been sound. She really was like an informant in her own way. Connections with people, believing those connections were important. Except she’d never been in it for the information. Sure, she’d heard things that otherwise loose lips wouldn’t have freed, but…

Shaking her head, Belidrae freed a sigh, gently squeezing Toasty to her. Saith had taken her back up there. Or rather, she’d taken him.

“It’s where I go when I need a moment’s peace.” She’d told him. “It’s where I go when I need time to think.” And it was as much one of her favourite places to be as the lamppost outside of the city or the river where they had washed Woogle’s clothes together beneath a moonlit sky.

The night she took him up there again, he’d finally completed his constellation potion. Or, rather, what was likely the first version of it. Warned her it tasted horrible. Said it wouldn’t be immediate. She’d grimaced like a child taking medicine that would surely do more good than the taste it left on the tongue. They whittled the time and got lost in conversation. A home in Suramar. His home in Hillsbrad. Futuristic talks of where they saw one another. A seductive dance of words. And she had finished something she started long before then in the Wetlands.

And then she’d glowed just like a night sky glittered with diamonds. Belidrae remembered it all so clearly. In the same way all of her memories of Saith were vivid. Moments in time that were suspended for her occasional perusal. Lightly scratching behind Toasty’s ear, she found herself taken back to those moments that she revisited with frequency. She’d asked him if he could make her something permanent that did the same thing. That she might already have constellations etched into her skin. He’d said it was possible, but as with all of his alchemical things, it was a process.

“How far have you gotten, thas’dorah?”

Looking down to Toasty, she offered a sly smile. “We should probably stop poking around his things, hm?” Although he’d known she was going to. In the city’s tavern, she’d asked him if she could. Her newest garment collection would incorporate all of the different things he’d made. She’d wanted to bring as much attention to his works as she could bring a similar attention to her own.

Making way back for the doorway, she closed it after herself and only after she’d set a rather befuddled Toasty on the ground, Belidrae rested her back to the door. How was she going to emulate the constellations? Imbued cloth, maybe. She’d been able to do it with the fabric that shuddered in light during her testing. But a constellation replica was going to be so much more difficult. Saith wouldn’t have an answer either. He’d admitted rather easily that he knew nothing about her tailoring work or what really went into it.

Rubbing her hands together, her gaze turned sharp and keen. “Well, Toasty, we don’t know until we try, right? Maybe I should make you something to wear. I bet you’d just love that.” Although she doubted the kitten could understand a single thing she said, the fact that she was met by her kitten’s back as they wandered off entirely disinterested in Belidrae’s conversation aloud, she couldn’t help laughing. “Yeah, I didn’t think you’d be into it. Back to the drawing board, eh?”

She’d figure it out. She always did.

— @daily-writing-challenge

[retiredteabag]

sorry for informality but i was stalking reading your pinned post and you’re in grad school at twenty!??!!!

unless i’m tripping or misunderstanding something, academic weapon tips please because holy shit that’s insane! what’s ur field of study if you want to talk about it/don’t mind me asking? any application tips/things you wished you knew before getting there/habits you wished you’d formed sooner? independent research has always been difficult for me because of how much i depend on structure (adhd imposter syndrome anxiety lets go) so if you’re working on a thesis/something similar, how has the process been in your experience?

i’m in undergrad atm and heavily debating going further, so i’d love to hear from someone my age who’s actually doing it! also unrelated, but i’m a certified notion/goodnotes girlie if you vibe with those as study resources!

🎸 tagging with an emoji in case i pop back around, yk?

I'm sorry to say, but my tips might come off as sort of typical... but I hope they're at least a little helpful!

I am currently in a masters program within the analytics field. Research/independent studies vary widely depending on the area of specialization, however, my program has an intensive practicum that is similar in nature. I have not started it yet, but what I can say for sure when it comes to research: make sure you are picking a topic that you could speak about for hours/answer argumentative questions about.

For applications, I would say to narrow your options down as much as possible and look into each program before applying. Know the curriculum and standard outline and what stands out to you as you decide.

^ on this same note, you will likely need at least one interview in the application process. Speak slowly and enunciate. Taking a moment to think of the proper words will always be better than speaking quickly without much thought. Most people say to use "down-speak" in these interviews, but in my experience, matching the examiners tone and energy makes the whole thing much more comfortable.

For study tips, I have a large notebook that I keep on my desk where I write down every assignment and the date that it is due. This is just for organization purposes, I find a physical copy helpful for a few reasons but also because crossing them off feels rewarding :]

Time managment is incredibly important. Everyone says this because it is true. Prep everything, organizing your day into chunks. Since you also like structure, this probably wont be an issue. I would also get comfortable with being self-aware of your priorities. There will come a time when you will need to choose between academics/work and other areas of your life.

Keep your spaces clean. Dedicate a day or so to just organizing/doing a deep clean. It will help you stay focused and minimize external anxiety. It’s also much easier to keep a place clean if you have put in such an effort.

Participate in class. I cannot make this clear enough. I promise it is not embarrassing to ask questions or "try". You will learn far easier if you put effort into the classroom/lecture setting.

It is a pretty typical "tip" is to just ask questions. Even if you feel like you might understand, just ask to make sure. And in this same vein, go to office hours if you need to.

Prioritize sleep lol, that and mental rest. You can't always be studying. For me, it is a real challenge to work and be full time in school so it's important to carve out those sections of "you time".

Try not to be on your phone tooooooooo much, I know it’s hard but I make an effort to not be on my phone while eating. Don’t use entertainment as a distraction, I find that it just delays anxiety :(

Lastly, apply for scholarships and know that you absolutely can appeal for more money.

I hope this was useful. Do know that it REALLY depends on your area of study and 5-year-plan. I would recommend not going to grad school unless you're absolutely sure it is worth it.

Good luck!

[lunaandco]

her boy

pairing: gavi x ofc

summary: gavi lost a bet with someone he despises

warnings: suggestive content, implied retraining, sub!gavi, olympique de lyon player!ofc

taglist: @htpssgavi ; @joaosnovia

masterlist // I do not take requests

Gavi hated lots of things: shrimps, pickles, Real Madrid, parking the bus... but there was one person he hated even more: Noa Paredes.

If someone told his fifteen year old self that he would have such feelings for her, he would have laughed in their face. Noa and him had been friends since they started sharing clsses in La Masia, when they were twelve year olds.

It had been a match made in heaven. Noa required competiton to keep herself entertained, Gavi, as shy as he was, needed someone to force him out of his shell. Which meant that the two midfielders would spend most of their joint training trying to outshine each other.

Their competition was not as tough as it was with the other kids of their own gender. They knew, deep down, that they could not take each other's spots in their respective teams, which meant that their arguments would always end amicably.

But the issue was, they were both too emotional to handle certain aspects of their relationship. Like for exmaple, the fact that everyone thought they were a couple. Or the fact that they actually weren't.

Moving up to the first team meant Gavi won, he had made it first.

But it also meant he lost.

Noa had completely different schedules, and little by little, they started seeing each other less and less. Until they were almost strangers.

The thing about Barça Femení was, their midfield was stacked, and Noa would not find a spot so easily. Which meant that when the offer came through, she had no real reason to stay. As much as she loved the club, her caeer was more important, and she would have more minutes in Lyon. So she packed her bags.

Maybe if Gavi had had the guts to talk about his feelings, none of it would have happened.

But he chickened out, and she started to play for the one and only Olympique de Lyon.

It wasn't a decison that sat well with the club. Many board directors were pissed, that such talent had slipped through the cracks of their farmhouse. Others criticised how easily Noa shrugged the blaugrana jersey.

But Gavi? Gavi hated that she was now, in a way, truly his enemy.

He texted, months after she left. It was a challenge.

"I bet I can score more goals than you this season."

And jsut like that, their banter started again.

💙❤️

Having that secret dynamic, was fun. Gavi felt like he was having a secret affair, something none of the stupid journalists could even imagine, but based in hate and not love.

But sometimes, their competitiveness meant their bets got out of hand.

Gavi had inisited in making a a very risky bet: if Noa lost her next wucl match, she would have to do everything she said for a day. But if she won... then it would be him doing everything she said.

Noa had smirked at that, and he was now scared of what she could ask of him. Because of course, Lyon beat Real Madrid with ease.

The bet had been set weeks earlier, and Noa still hadn't claimed her reward. Until she suddenly attended his game without warning him.

Gavi spotted her by chance, when he was trying to find where the injured players had been seated. She was next to Jana Fernández, a girl he remebered her having a decent realtionship back in the day, which he imagined had gone cold after her move.

Gavi blushed, his knees going weak. He was more nervous that he had ever been in years.

Suprisingly, the match went well for him. He assissted Lamine's winning goal in the 73rd minute and won all of his aerial duels against a dude a head taller than him.

His teammates wanted to celebrate, but Gavi scurried away as soon as he could. Once he was safe at home, he texted Noa.

"What do you want?"

"You know what." She replied. "It's time to pay."

"Come home."

💙❤️

Noa was wearing the same outfit as in the match. Gray sweatpants, a white tank top and an oversized bomber jacket. She also didn't take long, as if she had been waiting for him to give her permission to come.

Gavi didn't say anyhting and neither did Noa. it was as if the weight of the situation had frozen thier rivalry. It was the first time they saw each other in the flesh since she had left La Masia, two years earlier.

"You know we don't have to do anything, right?" Noa's words took him by surprise. Gavi had not expected her to pull back in a situation she clearly had the upper hand.

"Are you scared?" he questioned, a smirk pulling at his lips.

"You should be," was her retort. Gavi hummed.

"You keep saying that. What could be so bad?"

"I could ask you to post a selfie to your official account wearing Vinicius' jersey." Noa replied without missing a beat.

"Nah. That would be boring."

He was right and he knew it. Noa took a step forward.

"What if I told you to take your clothes off. Would you do it?" She arched an eyebrow, as if daring him. Gavi's breath caught on his throat. Suddenly his clothes felt itchy, like he actually needed to take them off.

"Maybe." His voice was strained.

"Then go on." Noa's suggestion was barely a whipser, but Gavi obeyed anyway. Her lips parted, as her gaze fell on his chest. "You know you can back out any time, right?"

"You've said that before," he muttered, hands falling to the waist of his pants. "Starting to believe you want to back out."

Noa's hands joined his by the zipper.

"Just making sure."

Gavi kissed her. It was an impulsive act, grabbing her jaw and pushing her into a fiery kiss. She seemed taken by surprise, but it took her an instant to react. Her hand shot up to his neck, and it squeezed, warning. Gavi gasped, and as their lips parted, she pushed him to the bed.

"Do I need to restrain you?"

He did not know how to answer that question. His mouth opened and closed without uttering a sound.

"Maybe?"

Noa smirked, coming to sit on his lap, hands on his shoulders.

"Don't make me do it." She advised, biting his ear. "You won't like the outcome."

Gavi gasped, profoundly doubting that statement, but he nodded.

[legacygirlingreen]

"Spitfire" (A flashback) || Captain Rex x OFC Mae || Clone x OC Week 2025 Event

Pairing: Captain Rex x OFC Mae Killough (Bio HERE)

Word Count: 4.9k

Rating: SFW

Warnings: Medical related touching over armor (seriously nothing kinky about it but clone men's mind may have wandered); slightly suggestive comment; mentions of clone rights (or the lack there of); mentions of deaths on Ryloth

Author's Note: Hi there! I am really excited to participate in the first day of @clonexocweek with a little flashback for my OC Mae! Thank you so much for organizing this event and making all the banners! This was a silly idea that came to me, wondering what if Rex and Mae had crossed paths previously without realizing it. So this is a technical 'first meeting' to provide a bit more weight to the actual first time they interact, found HERE. I also thought it would be fun to write from Cody’s POV because… well we need more of the Commander as far as I’m concerned. I hope you all enjoy, and as a reminder, this ship exists within a larger AU by @leenathegreengirl. If you haven't seen her work, seriously go check it out. It's got Clone x OCs all over it with so many original characters! ~ M

Mae & Rex Masterlist || Chronological Next Work || Masterlist

Fire and brimstone is what Cody would have described it as. He couldn’t recall ever having encountered a civilian so furious—at least, not one who wasn’t a military officer. The Jedi didn’t get angry. His brothers, too, typically kept their emotions in check, controlled by discipline and experience. It was only the occasional politician or separatist who displayed their anger so openly, and even then, it was often driven by pride or ideology.

But the small woman in front of him? Her fury was unlike anything he had ever witnessed. She hobbled forward, her movements sharp and determined, though it was clear that every step caused her pain. Despite his recommendation to let him carry her bag—one she clutched tightly, almost desperately—she insisted on managing it herself. And that’s when it hit him. He realized, for the first time, that he had never truly known what real, raw anger looked like—at least not from someone like her. Anger that burned hot and fierce, yet controlled and purposeful. 

When Cody had been sent to the transport ship in the hangar upon its arrival with the fleet, he hadn’t expected to be tasked with retrieving a civilian. He’d assumed it would be another officer, or perhaps someone of higher importance. But General Kenobi had given him clear instructions: find the civilian and bring her to the bridge.

The moment his eyes fell upon her, however, all thoughts of formalities disappeared. The unmistakable markings of the RAR uniform were marred with the signs of a long, grueling journey. The weariness in her eyes, the sheer exhaustion etched into her face, told him everything he needed to know. This woman had likely faced horrors beyond comprehension, and yet here she was—alive. A miracle, really.

Her chest was tightly wrapped in surgical dressing, and her arm was bound to her torso by a makeshift sling, but despite the injury, she moved with a sense of urgency, as if time was slipping away from her. There was no hesitation in her step, only resolve.

She hardly spared him more than a glance and brief exchange of plesantries, rushing to push past him and make her way toward the leaders, the need to speak with them evident in her every movement. When he reached for her bag to assist her, she slapped his hand away with a sharp motion. The action was swift and unyielding, and a small part of Cody understood why. She didn’t want to appear weak or helpless. She wanted to prove she could handle herself, even in her condition.

It wasn’t a battle worth having, so Cody backed off. He wasn’t about to argue with someone clearly determined to maintain control over what little she had left. Besides, if her resolve was anything like the fury in her eyes, he knew better than to push her.

As he walked alongside her, occasionally calling out directions as they navigated the twisting corridors, Cody couldn’t help but notice how her hair unraveled from the bun that had struggled to contain its chaos. Strands of bright red tumbled free, a striking contrast to the sharp anger burning in her eyes. The color, vivid and bold, mirrored the fiery intensity of her emotions—a fury that seemed to consume her from the inside out.

Cody had heard word that the 501st would soon be joining their fleet. It was all part of some reckless scheme cooked up by Master Skywalker and his padawan, an ill-conceived plan to push their main ship through the blockade by sheer force. Cody could already feel the tension in the air, the impending chaos that would follow.

A part of him longed to be down in the hangar with his brothers-in-arms, to be facing that challenge alongside them. But instead, here he was, walking beside a woman who seemed ready to tear his head off at any moment. Her anger was palpable, radiating from her like a storm waiting to break. Maybe, just maybe, he'd catch up with Rex later—after Skywalker had barreled through the blockade, of course, and before his own men would be sent to the surface to deal with the aftermath.

Cody could already sense how intense the invasion was going to be. The Twi’lek had endured horrors that were almost beyond comprehension. The stories of Master Di’s fate, along with the remnants of the Republic's forces, painted a grim picture. Yet, somehow, this woman—this survivor—was still standing. It was a miracle in itself. If anyone could withstand such brutality and emerge on the other side, it was someone like her.

“We can slow down. There's no need to rush—”

“I’m fine,” she snapped, her voice cold and resolute. Her eyes remained fixed ahead, her breath labored, but she pushed forward without faltering. Cody didn’t press the issue. If she was stubborn enough to ignore the pain of her injury, who was he to challenge it?

They continued down the hallway, and soon they arrived at the door to the bridge. Cody braced himself for what he anticipated would be a tense confrontation—an explosive exchange with the sole survivor of the last deployment to Ryloth. He understood her anger. Waking up to find yourself discarded, abandoned off-world—it wasn’t a feeling he would wish on anyone. Still, part of him was curious: what made a natural-born, someone with a choice, willing to join this cause? He and his brothers had been bred for war, for duty. She, however, had chosen it.

The door slid open, and Cody spoke just as they entered, his voice steady.

“Generals—”

The woman remained silent at his side as they approached the holotable, where the strategy for the upcoming invasion was already unfolding.

“Cody, right on schedule.” General Kenobi acknowledged him, turning back to his data with a nod. “We’ll need to start preparing the men for deployment soon. Skywalker’s forces managed to breach the blockade, and they’re routing here now. Once they arrive, they’ll establish a protective command perimeter around the planet for the invasion.” Kenobi paused, his expression shifting as he turned toward the woman. With a brief gesture toward another officer, he resumed his transmission with the leadership on Coruscant.

Cody watched as several Jedi joined the conversation via hologram. Master Yoda’s image appeared, and the wise, ancient figure’s gaze landed on the woman standing beside him.

“Arrived, to provide intel on locating the Twi’lek survivors on Ryloth, I see.” Yoda’s voice, raspy but commanding, filled the room.

Cody saw the woman’s nostrils flare, the faintest sign of irritation. Yet, with a controlled breath, she nodded her acknowledgment.

“I can only provide information from before my...unwanted departure from the planet,” she began, but was swiftly cut off by Master Windu’s firm voice.

“The intel you offer will be sufficient, citizen. Any information you can provide might aid our forces in locating Cham’s fighters, especially since the final stand of the 303 was unsuccessful. Tragic, but unfortunately, that sentiment is becoming all too common in this conflict,” Windu continued, his tone flat and dismissive.

At that moment, Cody could feel the woman’s restraint snap, and he knew an eruption was imminent.

“Tragic? That’s all you have to say about it?” Her voice was sharp, laced with a fury that Cody could feel emanating from her. “I thought the Jedi were supposed to be compassionate?” She hissed, the words like a venomous strike. With a swift motion, she dropped her bag onto the durasteel floor of the bridge, the loud thud reverberating through the room, even reaching the transmission coms.

“We are,” Windu replied, seemingly unbothered. “As I was saying—”

“Your definition of compassion and mine are very different,” she cut him off, standing taller, her posture rigid. “What happened to those men—those brave men whom you left to die, I might add—was more than tragic. It was unimaginable.” The words were sharp, every syllable laced with grief and anger. Cody could see the tension in her shoulders, her jaw clenched as if she were holding back more than she could afford.

Mace Windu’s voice came again, but his words only fueled the fire. “Well, it’s a good thing we’re now working to bring freedom to Ryloth.”

“So now, this invasion is worth your attention.” she spat, her voice cold and full of contempt. “Not the countless rotations we spent pleading for reinforcements?” She slammed her palm down on the edge of the table, her eyes now locked on Kenobi as if seeking a Jedi with more understanding than Windu or the others on the Council. From Cody’s experience, Kenobi was certainly more empathetic, more willing to listen—but he doubted even his leader could calm the fury that radiated from this woman.

Kenobi’s tone softened, his voice steady and measured. “What happened on Ryloth was unfortunate, and I understand that what you and your forces endured was deeply upsetting. My condolences for the RAR forces you lost. Perhaps, by helping us locate the Twi’lek freedom fighters, their sacrifices may not have been in vain.”

The woman seemed to pause, her gaze lingering on Kenobi, as if weighing his words. For a brief moment, she appeared to consider his compassionate approach—but it wasn’t enough to quell her anger.

“Kenobi, isn’t it?” she asked, her voice tight but curious. Cody watched as Kenobi nodded. “When was the last time you actually spoke to your men?” she continued, her tone sharp. “I’m not talking about battle plans or troop logistics. I mean, when was the last time you took the time to ask how they’re doing? I know you Jedi have...a sense of things, and I don’t pretend to understand it. But I’m a doctor. I know when people are hurting, when they need more than just orders and missions. And I see that the Jedi could be doing more for the men who fight these battles for you. The RAR may be disbanded, and those of us like me cast aside, but the disregard your order has for these men—it’s obvious. And it angers me.”

Her words were like a punch to the gut, and Cody felt the weight of her anger and her pain. The raw emotion she carried in her voice made it clear: this wasn’t just about the battle, or the cause. It was about the men who fought, and the people who had been forgotten. She wasn’t angry at him, Cody realized. She was angry for him.

For a moment, silence settled over the room, as Kenobi and the others absorbed her words. Cody stood in stunned disbelief. He never imagined he would witness Obi-Wan—of all people—being the target of such a verbal barrage, let alone one that left his leader looking uncomfortably guilty. The transmission from Master Windu cut off abruptly, as if something in her words had struck a chord with the Jedi Master.

That’s a first, Cody thought to himself.

Next came the transmission from the Jedi at the temple. Master Yoda’s solemn image appeared, his expression heavy with thought. “Much to discuss, we shall have. Concerns for the clone army—an important notion. Hear them, you will, Obi-Wan,” he said, his voice calm yet grave, before disappearing from the feed as well.

Cody glanced around the bridge. It felt as though time had frozen, everyone holding their breath, waiting for Kenobi’s response. He knew exactly why. His brothers, like him, were curious to hear how their Jedi leader would address the woman’s accusations.

It wasn’t that Cody felt neglected—overall, he knew that most of the Jedi respected their ideas and military strategies. But, in some ways, she wasn’t wrong in her assessment. It was difficult to express these feelings without coming across as ungrateful. The Jedi, for all their wisdom and kindness, weren’t always attentive to the needs of the clones. They were kinder than the Kaminoans, certainly, but that didn’t mean they truly understood or took the time to listen to the men who fought and bled for them.

“Go on,” Obi-Wan said, carefully choosing his words to avoid provoking another outburst.

“Commander Cody, may I see your helmet?” she asked, turning toward him. Without hesitation, he nodded and passed the helmet to her, his fingers brushing the cool surface as her delicate hand circled the rim.

“Have you ever wondered how the armor these men wear truly functions? Or how impractical it can be?” she asked, holding the helmet out toward the Jedi. Cody was taken aback by her understanding. She seemed to grasp the very complaints he often muttered under his breath to the new troopers—that over time, they would adapt to the constricting armor and the limited visibility through the viewport.

All eyes turned to Kenobi as he took the helmet in his hands, turning it over thoughtfully before peering inside. He paused for a moment, then, without a word, slipped it over his head. Cody’s chest tightened. He couldn’t help but watch, his breath catching as Obi-Wan’s shoulders sagged for an instant. The Jedi’s head tilted slightly to the right before he slowly removed the helmet, a solemn expression on his face.

“Excuse me, Sir,” she said, turning toward his Lieutenant. “What’s your name, Trooper?” Her voice, to Cody’s surprise, was calm—soothing even—something he had not expected from her given the way she’d stormed aboard the ship ready to reign hell.

“Uh, Waxer, Ma’am,” came the stammered response, as Cody watched Waxer blush bright red, his helmet tucked awkwardly under his arm. The trooper stood straighter, visibly flustered by her attention.

“Waxer, would you mind if I demonstrated some of the challenges I’ve noticed with the standard armor, from a medical perspective?” Her tone was respectful, almost measured. Cody’s brow furrowed. He’d never experienced anyone openly seeking consent before touching his men. Even the rare doctors who weren’t his brothers in arms simply did what they had to without question. Not that he minded—their intent was always to help—but there was something about the way she asked that felt different, more deliberate, and somehow more considerate.

Waxer nodded, his face still flushed but giving a stiff acknowledgment. All around them, the rest of the troopers on the bridge seemed to lean in, their attention drawn to the unexpected display.

With quiet confidence, she reached forward and gently lifted Waxer’s arm, showing the Jedi where the armor's design created limitations in movement.

“Now, as you can see here,” she continued, her voice unwavering, “the gap between the codpiece and the thigh armor is so minimal that if you try to move your leg too far, you risk cutting off circulation or causing discomfort. It’s a design flaw that’s hard to overlook.”

She then lifted his leg with one hand, her fingers careful around the back of his knee, and Waxer’s eyes widened. Cody, who had been watching intently, had to suppress a laugh. He could see the poor trooper’s discomfort—this close to his manhood, and she, so composed, going about her demonstration like it was nothing.

Cody could barely contain himself, but he knew better than to let the laughter slip. Instead, he focused on her point, silently agreeing with the doctor. She was showing, not just telling, and doing so in a way that drew every eye on the bridge. There was no mistaking that her expertise was being absorbed by every man in the room, even if her demonstration was a little...uncomfortable for the trooper involved. The men had limited experiences with women, especially one this pretty. Cody internally realized this was going to be the talk of their platoon for ages. 

“Waxer, could you explain how physically taxing the armor becomes during extended periods of wear, particularly when sitting down?” she asked, gently lowering his leg. Obi-Wan’s gaze shifted toward his trooper, and Cody couldn’t help but watch in anticipation. It wasn’t quite an interrogation, but he knew the woman’s intentions were for the benefit of the men. Despite understanding that, he was grateful she hadn’t singled him out, instead choosing to address his Lieutenant.

“It’s not unbearable, Ma’am,” Waxer replied, his voice awkward, his hand reaching to the back of his neck as though uncomfortable with the attention.

“But the strain becomes tiresome, doesn’t it? Surely something lighter would improve your functionality,” she pressed, her eyes encouraging him to speak freely, to be honest.

“It does get heavy, especially at the end of a long day. Sitting is painful, yes,” Waxer admitted quietly, the weariness in his voice unmistakable.

Obi-Wan’s expression remained unreadable, though Cody could tell he was considering her words with an intensity he rarely showed. The woman’s pace slowed, the point seemingly made. She turned toward Obi-Wan, her tone becoming more solemn.

“I know the Senate views this army as little more than a tool, a collection of military assets,” she said, her voice steady but laced with a deep sadness. “But they are men. They deserve respect. They deserve someone who will listen to their concerns without the threat of decommissioning. I’ve spent enough time with them to understand that they rarely voice complaints, and certainly not to the Jedi.” Her words trailed off, her thoughts seemingly taking her to a darker place for a moment.

Cody hadn’t met the clones she’d served with, but he’d heard whispers of their final stand. The conditions on Ryloth had been so dire that the Senate had ordered all RAR workers off the field, dissolving their contracts with frightening swiftness. He didn’t want to dwell on the horrors she’d been forced to endure, but a part of him felt a warmth in his chest at the concern she expressed. She might have been removed from the conflict, but something in her wanted to ensure that, in the end, something good was done for the men she had served alongside. He could respect that, perhaps even understand it better than he’d like to admit.

“Doctor,” Obi-Wan said, his voice calm, waiting for her to properly introduce herself as she repositioned herself beside Cody at the table.

“Killough,” she replied, her voice cool. “Though I’ve neglected that surname for so long to avoid unwanted associations… You may call me Mae.” Her words hung in the air, a subtle hint of something deeper beneath the surface. Cody recalled the name she’d given him in the hangar. It wasn’t the same name, he was certain of it. For a moment, he couldn’t place where he’d heard it before, but the look on the General’s face told him it was significant. There was an unspoken conversation that passed between Mae and Obi-Wan, something quiet yet powerful, before the tension seemed to dissipate as quickly as it had come.

“I see,” Obi-Wan said thoughtfully, his gaze unwavering. “The Jedi do not hold attachment to their origins, only to who we become. A sentiment we share.” He paused, stroking his beard for a moment before continuing. “Well, Mae, if you prepare a report, I’d be more than willing to share it with the Council—and perhaps with a contact of mine in the Senate. We’ll see what can be done.”

Mae said nothing at first, her eyes scanning the holographic map displayed before them, detailing the planet’s surface. She seemed deep in thought, her mind focused. Finally, she spoke again, her voice measured. “Cham’s forces were fleeing through the canyons, hoping to reach a set of caves to hide from the Separatists. They were traveling with women and children. I wasn’t told the exact location, but…” She zoomed in on a quadrant, her finger tracing a specific area. “I believe they were near this sector.”

Obi-Wan nodded slowly. “Thank you. Compassion is in rare supply these days. Your concerns will be passed along, Doctor.” He hesitated for a moment, his words softening. “And, I offer my condolences for the loss of your comrades. May this mission we are about to undertake bring honor to their sacrifice.”

Mae—Cody would need to adjust to that name now—bent down, retrieving something from her small bag. She set it gently on the table in front of them. “My personal reports,” she said, her tone matter-of-fact. “If that is all, I’ll be on my way. I believe the transport I arrived on will soon be departing for Coruscant. Seeing as my services are no longer required…” Her voice held a trace of irritation now, the faintest venom creeping into her words at the implication of being dismissed.

“Cody, would you ensure the doctor makes it to the shuttle?” Kenobi asked, his attention quickly drawn to a communication officer who had resumed his work after receiving transmissions from Skywalker's fleet.

Cody nodded, and this time, as he bent down to grab the woman’s bag, she made no move to stop him. They walked in silence toward the lift, the hum of the station echoing around them. As the door slid shut, Cody adjusted the weight of the helmet under his arm.

"Thank you," he said quietly after a moment. It wasn’t much, but the weight of what she’d done lingered in the air between them. She had openly criticized both the Jedi and the Senate on behalf of the clone army. It was the kind of conversation Cody had heard whispered in the barracks or out on the planet's surface with his brothers, but never voiced to those who could actually bring about change. The briefing he’d received before heading to fetch her had made it clear that she was a senior officer in the now disbanded organization. A voice like hers carried weight, and to wield that power in their favor was a debt Cody knew he could never repay.

“No need, Commander,” she replied with a soft shake of her head. “You and your men do more than anyone could ask. A simple conversation from me won’t change that fact, but…” She paused, her gaze dropping to the floor as she drew in a labored breath. “If I can make it any easier, it’s a privilege.”

“Not many Natborns would say that,” he remarked after a moment, his voice thoughtful.

“Well, I think that’s because the Republic has done its best to keep us apart,” she said, her tone tinged with frustration. “It’s easier to dehumanize clones into just military assets when the citizens only see you at a distance.” Her eyes met his, and Cody could tell she didn’t share that perspective herself, though she understood it all too well.

“I suppose,” he said quietly, his voice tinged with the resignation he’d grown so familiar with. “But this is what we were created for. I guess it’s understandable why people might assume that’s all we are.”

“I still believe,” she said softly, her voice steady but firm, “just as your Jedi believes, that we possess an element of choice. Our origins do not define us. That’s true for anyone who lives, breathes, and has a beating heart—like you and me.” Her words lingered between them as the lift doors opened, and they stepped out into the quiet, sterile hallway. Together, they walked in silence, the soft echo of their footsteps the only sound as they made their way toward the hangar.

The hum of activity in the hangar grew louder as they approached. Inside, the air was thick with the rush of preparation: transports lined up in rows, engines warming, the buzz of soldiers and mechanics alike moving in swift, practiced coordination. And then there was the unmistakable presence of blue and white plastoid armor, troopers milling about, readying for the battle ahead. General Skywalker’s forces had arrived, and the wheels of the invasion were beginning to turn.

Cody paused for a moment as they entered the hangar, his eyes scanning the bustling scene. It was clear that the next phase of their mission was about to begin—the invasion of Ryloth was imminent. Yet, amidst the whirlwind of activity, this brief, unexpected reprieve felt like a stolen moment, fragile and fleeting.

There was something about the chaos around him, the tension of the impending battle, that made this silence between him and Mae feel even more significant. For a moment, it was as if time had slowed, and the weight of her words settled in.

As they approached the transport heading back to the capital, Mae reached out a hand for the bag slung over his shoulder. Without a word, Cody passed it to her, the exchange quiet and familiar.

“Well, Commander,” she said, standing at the bottom of the ramp, her gaze meeting his. “I wish you well with your invasion.”

“Thank you,” Cody replied, his voice low. He hesitated, his curiosity getting the better of him. “If you don’t mind me asking, what are your plans now?”

He knew she no longer had a contract with the military, and without steady employment, life in the heart of the Republic would surely be difficult. The expense of it all—well, he couldn’t imagine what it would take to navigate that world. But then again, that kind of resourcefulness was something that still felt like a foreign concept to him.

Mae took a moment to adjust the strap of her bag, her eyes momentarily distant. “I might try to find some backwater planet, somewhere far from the conflict.” She sighed, a soft, almost melancholic sound. “I don’t regret helping in this war, not for a second, but...” She paused, her words trailing off for a moment before continuing, her voice quieter. “It would be nice to return to my original purpose—to heal. I think I’ve seen enough bloodshed to last a lifetime.”

There was an unmistakable heaviness in her tone, a quiet resignation that spoke volumes about the toll the war had taken on her. Cody couldn’t help but sense the depth of her weariness, as though the weight of all she had witnessed had become too much to carry any longer.

“I think that sounds like a good idea, Doctor. Take care of yourself,” Cody said, his gaze following Mae as she nodded and began walking up the ramp. She didn’t speak another word on the matter, and before long, she disappeared into the transport. For a brief moment, Cody let the events of the past few hours linger in his mind, reflecting on her words, her actions, and the unspoken understanding that had passed between them.

Before he could gather his thoughts, a sharp knock on his shoulder armor broke his reverie. He turned to find Rex standing beside him, a grin spreading across his face.

“Who was that?” Rex asked, his voice laced with curiosity, his head catching the light of the hanger in his short blond hair as he nodded his head in her direction. “And what’s all this comm chatter saying Kenobi and Windu got yelled at by a civvie? Was that the woman the boys won’t stop talking about?”

Cody should have known Rex would be nearby, especially with the arrival of his men. The camaraderie between them ran deep, forged in the heat of countless battles, but the closeness they shared was also born from years of working side by side. Rex had a way of sensing when something was up, and today was no different.

“Yes, she was the one,” Cody replied, his voice thoughtful as he watched Rex’s mischievous brown eyes study him closely. He knew his friend would want a full debrief at some point, but right now wasn’t the time. So instead, Cody decided to give him a taste of the story, without diving too deep. “But, it was… well, it was like nothing I’ve ever seen. An absolute spitfire, that woman.”

Rex raised an eyebrow, a teasing glint in his eyes. “Oh? Does the Commander have a little crush?” Before Cody could respond, Rex gave him a playful shove, his laughter echoing around them.

Cody rolled his eyes, feeling the familiar weight of Rex’s teasing. “Not likely. We all know you’re the one with a thing for redheads,” he shot back with a smirk, his tone just as playful.

Rex shrugged nonchalantly, unfazed. “Didn’t get a good enough look at her. Now, spill,” he demanded, nudging Cody with his elbow as they started walking back toward the bridge. “What happened? You’re holding out on me.”

Cody sighed, but there was a faint smile tugging at his lips. He knew better than to resist Rex’s curiosity. “Fine,” he relented, his voice lowering slightly. “She spoke up for us, Rex. For the clones. In front of Kenobi and the other Jedi. She—” He paused, considering how to describe Mae’s presence, the impact she’d had in such a short time. “She didn’t hold back. She said things none of us ever would. Or could.”

Rex’s eyes widened a little, though his grin never faltered. “A civilian? Getting in their faces like that?” He shook his head in disbelief, clearly impressed. “I gotta meet this woman.”

As they walked, the noise of the hangar and the looming preparations for war seemed to fade into the background. The weight of the upcoming battle would soon return, but for now, Cody allowed himself a moment of quiet gratitude.

For all the pain and chaos they’d been through, there had been something almost... refreshing about Mae. She’d spoken on their behalf—spoken truths that were often ignored. In the midst of the war machine, she’d reminded him that there were still those who saw them as something more than just soldiers. He’d never forget that.

“Maybe you will,” Cody said, his voice quieter now as they neared the bridge. “Maybe you will, Vod.”

[solaris-amethyst]

I just loved every second of reading your reaction to this one shot😆💕

Off topic, but I wonder what pokemons would you pair to the other members? I have like, no knowledge about pokemons and their personality, so who do you fits well with the others?

I actually did a post way back when I started this account detailing which Pokémon I’d give each member based on their aniteez right here and the only one I’d change would be Yeosangs so instead of a Zigzagoon I’d probably give him a Lillipup!

Oh, I would set the whole world on fire for Piplup 😭 He's sooooo cute omg

Same!😭 Piplup is actually one of my favorite Pokémons together with Leafeon which is why MC was given them both tbh🙈

The humour you portray in your fic has me rolling on the floor from laughter 😭 I can just imagine the poor squirrel being lauuuunched to the other side by a lil penguin, my poor pachirisu the dude was just happy to see someone else other than his owner 😭 Hongjoong and the MC are so cute too (I have absolutely no idea what the ribbons, gym batches or sinnoh league is, but I'm loving every second of their interactions). AND OH MY GOD I CACKLED LIKE A MANIAC WHEN HONGJOONG STARTED BLUSHING BECAUSE OF THE MC'S FLATTERY 😭

I'm so glad you're enjoying the humor I wrote in this fic! It is very Pokémon anime type of humor but it just fit so well😌 And you're so right Pachirisu was just happy and curious about this new person but ofc Piplup can't let another super cute Pokémon get scratches from his trainer😤

The dynamic between Hongjoong and MC just came so natural and I really enjoy it when Hongjoong gets praised and he turns shy in fics😌

This scene is peak pokemon comedy!!! And while I feel bad for Hongjoong, I would also take off running. Like you don't have to tell me twice 😭

Honestly when I knew I was gonna write this scenario I knew I had to have this scene in it😆 I would also run immediately like sorry Hongjoong I'm not staying a second longer😂 Esther, I can't tell you the last time I laughed at a fanfic this much 😭🥹 It's so funny and harmless at the same time. Pachirisu is definitely my new favorite pokemon from this fic alone, because wdym he nuzzled Hongjoong to purposely give him a crazy hair style 😭 His pranks are genius but so harmless, I need a Pachirisu in my life

Ahhhhhh I'm so glad you've been laughing whilst reading it! Then I feel like I've achieved my goal!! Pachirisu loves doing shit like that to Hongjoong because he knows Hongjoong won't get mad, irritated or annoyed? Yes. But never mad and it's always fun seeing your trainer mildly annoyed🤭

OH THEY MAKE MY HEART GO PITTER-PATTER. I literally can't decide what's better - the humour, the crazy pokemons or the subtle flirting between Hongjoong and MC. I also love how it's the MC who is bold and compliments Hongjoong. There's something so endearing about fics where Hongjoong gets flustered when receiving love or praise from others 🥹

We love a bold MC😌💓 And you're so right about the endearing aspect. I enjoy it a lot when we get to see a more shy and sometimes bashful Hongjoong in fics so this is my contribution to it✨

By the way, the amount of pokemon lore (at least to me lmao) is so nice to read about. Their interests, where they live, what they do, etc. It really feels like I'm reading something created for the official pokemon franchise!

I'm glad you enjoyed all the lore and such! It felt important to write those things in and kinda sprinkle in what everything is about without sounding like a text book or over explaining it all!

And can we just take a moment to appreciate the beautiful and cute pokemon MC has? I mean look at them:

Hehe I gave MC two of my favorite pokémons just because I could🤭

UGH I LOVE THEM SO MUCH, THEY ARE THE CUTEST IM- 💓💕🩷💗✨💞💐💖🌸💓✨

Your reactions to it all brings me such joy cuz that was my reaction when writing the two of them in this one shot😆💕

AND OF COURSE SEONGHWA's POKEMON IS A BUNNY INSPIRED ONE!!!! IT LITERALLY FITS HIM SO WELL WJEGKFWEGJ

I was contemplating if I were gonna mention that he has a shiny Buneary (which means it's a different color than the regular one which is super rare to find) which would be slightly pink but I guess we'll have to wait until Seonghwas one shot to find out🤔 This whole oneshot was right what I needed on a Monday evening! You literally did this perfect, Esther, and I enjoyed every second of it. The choice of pokemons, the cute and funny dialogues, the trouble with the bees, and then the whole cooking scene with everyone whipping out their bowl 😭 It was cute, fluffy and funny! Everything you need in a pokemon AU. If it isn't too much to ask for, I would love to see more of pokemon!teez and what the other guys would be like in this universe?

Thank you so much Mina🥹💕 Your thoughts and reactions to this one shot has meant the world to me truly🥺🫶🏻 I'm honestly now planning out other scenarios for the other members! We will have to see how quickly they will come out but they will be added to my w.i.ps💫

💫Eterna Forest💫

✨Pairing: pokemontrainer!Hongjoong x pokemontrainer!gn!reader ✨Prompt: Hongjoong and his partner pokemon Pachirisu has gotten lost while wandering around Eterna Forest and the two of them bump into you and your partner Piplup, who also, coincidentally, happens to be lost. The two of you decide to team up to try and find your way out of the big forest. ✨Genre: Pokémon au aka set in the Sinnoh region, non idol au, fluff, comedy? ✨Word count: 5.6k ☀️Authors note: As promised Mina! Here it is🥰 @hongjoongspoetry hope you enjoy it! It turned out longer than I had anticipated but it was so much fun to write this💕 I'm contemplating making stories for the rest of the members now as well😅

Hongjoong looked around the vast forest. All he could see were trees and greenery, no matter where he turned he could not for the life of him find the way out. It was as if the forest itself had a personal vendetta against him solely to make sure he couldn't get out. His partner, Pachirisu, was perched onto his shoulder also looking around with his big round eyes.

"Let's face it Pachirisu... We're lost... I got no clue where we are and my map isn't helping me at all." He sighs before wrapping up his map and putting it into his backpack.

His pocketch light up with a notification and it informed him of the time. It was 14:30. It was the time he had promised his friend Seonghwa that he would call him from the tvphones at the pokémon center so they could chat and catch up on how things were going.

Seonghwa would unfortunately have to wait until he found his way out.

"Pachiii." His partner said puffing out his cheeks when he was unhappy with the situation before Hongjoong felt the squirrel lean forward and nibble his ear harshly.

"Ow ow ow! Stop that! I'm not happy either that we are lost but that's just the way it is." He gently pries Pachirisu away from his ear and said pokemon huffs before snuggling up to him as if to apologize for what he just did.

"It's in moments like this I wish I had caught a flying pokemon then we would have someone who could guide us from the sky." He says looking around, hoping to perhaps find a starly or maybe even a hoothoot but to his luck there were no flying pokémon around. And if they were Hongjoong were certainly not spotting them.

All he could see was just a wurmple climbing up a tree and a kricketot running away once it realized he had spotted said pokemon. The two of them sighs before Hongjoong continues to walk hoping that he will somehow find his way out before the day is over at least.

Not too far away from where Hongjoong were wandering around were you and your partner Piplup walking around trying to figure out how to get out of this darn forest as well.

"Piplup I really don't think we will find our way out today..." You sigh and your partner looks up at you from your hold with concern in his eyes.

"Lup?"

"We're probably gonna miss the contest in Eterna City... I had really hoped for us to get there in time to register and compete." You say feeling down about potentially missing the contest being held there, especially since you and your team had worked so hard practicing the introduction and combinations of attacks to make them stylish and powerful.

"piplup, pip!" Your best friend and partner raises one of his little flippers towards you as if telling you that the two of you will find your way out of here and will get to the contest before it's too late.

"Yeah... you're right! There's no need for me to be so down just yet! We'll find our way out of here!" You say with raised spirits before hugging him. Piplup made happy noises as you hugged him tightly, glad to see your spirits up again.

"Hmm let's see.. I'm sure this is the way! Let's hurry!" You say as you blindly starts running in a random direction, running through the thickness of the leaves and such you did not expect to crash into someone causing you and said person to fall down.

Him on his butt and you on your stomach.

"Ow ow ow." The two of you mutter at the same time and you quickly look up, feeling mortified that you practically tackled someone.

"I'm so sorry!! I didn't mean to run into you!" You quickly bow trying to apologize to the man who was gently caressing the part on his butt where he had landed.

"No it's okay I wasn't looking where I was going either." He admits before looking at you with a chuckle.

"Sorry but you got something in your hair." He motions towards you and your hand quickly shoots up to where he was pointing to find a twig and some leafs stuck.

"Oh thank you!" You thank him as you carefully pick it out of your hair.

"Ummm... you don't happen to know the way out of here and to Eterna City do you?" He asks curiously and you look at him in surprise before shaking your head.

"No sorry... I got no clue where I am currently, I lost my map when a shellos attacked us two with a water gun farther down the river." You tell him with a sigh while pointing to where you had come from.

"So you are as lost as I am then?"

"Seems so."

"Pachi!!!" Suddenly a ball of white fur was in front of you causing you to lean back in surprise causing the man to make a face and quickly reach for his friend.

"Sorry! Hey Pachirisu! Don't do that it's not polite to barge up in strangers faces like that! I'm so sorry for my partner, he just loves to do everything I tell him not to do."

That causes you to chuckle.

"Don't worry, there's no harm done at all. He's a charming little guy, aren't you?" You say going to scratch its chin when your own partner practically shoves the new pokemon off your lap before climbing up with a jealous look.

"Piplup pip lup lup!"

"Piplup! It is not nice shoving people or Pokémon like that! I'm so sorry uhhh... I never got your name?"

"Oh! My name is Hongjoong and this is my partner Pachirisu!" He tells you with a smile and you quickly bring out your Pokédex wanting to know more about his pokémon.

The device speaks up in a robot voice as you scan the pachirisu: "Pachirisu the elesquirrel pokémon. It makes furr balls that crackle with static electricity. It store them with berries in tree holes. It makes electricity with pouches in its cheeks and shoots charges from its tail. It lives atop trees. A pair may be seen rubbing their cheek pouches together in effort to share stored electricity."

"Nice to meet you Hongjoong, Pachirisu! My name is Y/n and this is my partner Piplup!" You say motioning towards the little penguin pokemon who is still glaring daggers at the pachirisu, who uses it's little paw to drag down it's eye lid and stick out its tongue to infuriate your friend, which absolutely works as you can hear piplup getting even more worked up.

"It's nice to meet you two!" Hongjoong says as he brings out his own Pokédex. He had only ever seen a piplup on a poster but never seen one in real life.

"Piplup the penguin Pokémon. Because it’s very proud, it hates accepting food from people. Its thick down guards it from cold. It lives along shores in northern countries. A skilled swimmer, it dives for over 10 minutes to hunt. It’s a poor walker, it often falls down. However, its strong pride makes it puff up its chest without a care."

Piplup puffs up his chest hearing all the positive and impressive things Hongjoongs Pokédex says about its species and you can't help but chuckle finding him very cute every time he does it.

"Well it seems like you got a very reliable pokémon on your side." Hongjoong muses with a smile and you nod.

"Yeah, I can always count on piplup you know!" You pat your partners head gently.

"This might seem weird but were you perhaps heading to Eterna City as well?" He asks a bit slowly, hoping you will say yes and your eyes lit up at the mention of said city.

"We were until I lost my map. You were heading there as well weren't you? Perhaps we can try and find our way there together?" You ask hoping he will say yes because it had been some time since you traveled with another person and it was nice from time to time to spend time with other trainers and see what they've learnt so far on their own journey versus what you had learnt.

"I was just about to ask if you wanted to see if we could find our way together! I still got my map you know." He tells you looking relieved you said yes.

Perhaps it will be easier together he hopes.

The two of you get up off the ground, dusting yourselves off. Pachirisu makes sure to get up on Hongjoongs shoulder as Piplup awaits you to pick him up, making a pleased noise when you do.

"Do you think you could show me your map?" You ask and he nods quickly bringing it out of his backpack and holding it out for you to look over.

"Hmmm it seems we are somewhere around here." You motion to a spot on the map. "I think we should head in this direction." You point and your new friend nods since he has no clue where to go and your confidence makes him think you know where to go.

As you two walk you chat together talking about yourselves to become more acquainted.

"So what do you do? Are you a pokemon gym trainer or a pokemon coordinator?" Hongjoong asks you curiously and you beam at him.

"I'm a pokemon coordinator! I haven't been in many contests yet, I've mostly focused on journeying, finding new friends and practicing so when I do go to contests I do well." You tell him fondly and he nods, his eyes crinkling as he smiles a soft smile.

"Have you earned any ribbons yet?"

"I have!" You fetch out your ribbon case from your backpack and opens it to show him. Inside are two ribbons so far, one is purple while the other is green.

"I only got two so far but we worked hard for these two, they will always be super precious to me." You tell him and he marvels at the ribbons.

"They're so pretty! Much prettier than the gym badges if I'm honest!"

"Do you compete at gyms to later try your hand at the Sinnoh league?" You ask curiously, he didn't really strike you as the gym person type but you could be wrong.

"I started off at the gyms but I only got three badges so far. Then I realized my true passion is exploring Sinnoh and discovering beauty I've never seen before." He admits before continuing "So now I only do gyms if I happens to pass one by and feel like competing."

"That's so cool! I also understand you, it's not easy knowing what you want to do at the start of your journey. Like gyms, contests, performing, just traveling. There is so much growing and learning as you go and I think that's wonderful." You tell him with a smile and Hongjoong can't help but grow a little red in the face.

"You're like one of the first ones to think that way. Many think it's weird I'm not charging ahead with all the gyms. But I don't know. I'd rather travel with Pachirisu and find new friends and see where life takes me." He says as his partner snuggles its face to Hongjoongs cheek.

"How did you two meet?" You wonder out loud.

"Ah." He chuckles "We've known each other since I was four. He obviously didn't become my Pokémon until I was ten but I met him whilst playing outside. We'd play with a ball I had passing it back and forth and then when we got tired I'd share my snacks with him. We became inseparable very quickly and when I turned ten all I asked for was a pokeball so I could go out and ask if he wanted to join me on my journey and I am so incredibly lucky Pachirisu wanted to join me."

"Pachiii!!"

"I see he agrees." You say as the squirrel cutely asks Hongjoong for a snack.

" Mhmmm I'm very glad he does otherwise I'd be very sad." He gives his partner a poffin that he got out from his pocket.

"What about you? How did you and Piplup meet?"

"Oh we met at Professor Rowans lab when I went there to get my first pokémon! I just saw Piplup and knew, knew that that was my partner. It just felt right and I can tell you he felt the same way." "Pip! Lup!" Piplup agrees with that.

The two of you continues to wander around in the dense forest. The deeper you go in the forest you notice that fewer and fewer pokémon seems to appear the further down your path you get. Which is weird because earlier you saw bidoofs, buizels, starlys and burmys.

But now it was as if every single pokemon had disappeared.

"That's weird... Where did all the pokemon go?" You mumble looking around worriedly.

"I'm sure they're all just... sleeping?" Hongjoong says putting a hand on your shoulder to try and calm you down.

In reality he was a bit freaked out as well at the fact that everyone had just suddenly disappeared.

"You don't think we should turn back?" You ask stepping closer to him for safety.

"I think we should be good right? It can't be that bad." He says urging you two to continue to walk.

Oh how wrong he had been.

It only took you three minutes to reach a part of the forest where you could suddenly see more and more weedles. Even your pokémons started to become unnerved at the sight of so many weedles as the two of you come to a stop.

"I'm starting to think we should have turned around when you suggested it." Hongjoong whispers holding your arm to try and stop his trembling at the thought of potentially having wandered into a nest.

As you go to respond a bunch of kakunas starts to hang down in thin threads from the trees surrounding you causing you both to tense.

"This is really bad Hongjoong." You whisper hoping that what you think might happen won't actually happen but of course it's not your lucky day and what you wished not to happen happens.

A beedrill flies up from the bushes in front of you.

The giant bee is flying above it looking at the two of you intensely and the four of you freezes, all breathing stopped as if that would help.

It's just at the moment you think it might buzz away and not bother you that Hongjoongs pokédex decides to pipe up, having scanned the beedrill.

"Beedrill the poison bee pokemon. Its best attack involves flying around at high speed, striking with poison needles, then flying off. It can take down any opponent with its powerful poison stingers. It sometimes attack in swarms."

The noise from the device seems to agitate the beedrill and suddenly more and more pops up buzzing angrily.

"I think we should run Y/n." Hongjoong whispers and when he turns to look at you slowly he realizes you are no longer beside him but running away from the place causing him to start sprinting after you.

"YOU REALLY LEFT ME THERE?!"

"I'M SORRY BEEDRILLS SCARES THE SHIT OUT OF ME!!" You scream back at him as the beedrills buzzes after the four of you hot on your tails.

"AHHHH I REALLY WISH I HAD A FIRE TYPE NOW." Hongjoong yells and you can hear Pachirisu laughing loudly, finding his friends scared face hilarious.

"CAN YOU NOT LAUGH AT ME RIGHT NOW PACHIRISU?!?!?!" That causes his partner to laugh even louder in glee as you continue to run.

"P-PERHAPS AN ELECTRIC ATTACK MIGHT STUN THEM ENOUGH FOR US TO GET AWAY HONGJOONG!!" You yell before looking over your shoulder and screeching loudly when you realize how close the massive bees and their giant stingers are.

"YOU'RE RIGHT! PACHIRISU PLEASE USE DISCHARGE! Hongjoong tells his partner who lights up as he starts to charge up, lighting sparkling from its cheek pouches and Hongjoong hastily adds "NOT ON ME ON THE BEEDRILLS!"

Pachirisu jumps up from Hongjoongs shoulder and lets out its attack, discharging electricity towards the beedrills hitting them all with its powerful move. It momentarily stuns the beedrills who twitches and convulses from the electric shocks they took and you and Hongjoong takes this as the time to get out of there safely without worrying about being followed. Pachirisu runs after the two of you and climb up on Hongjoongs shoulder again once the two of you have stopped finally feeling safe enough.

“That was terrifying… and I was the one who said we should go that way after looking at the map.” You say defeated, your chest heaving from all the running, as you realize this could have been avoided had you looked a bit longer at the map.

“It’s also my fault because I said we should continue when you said we should turn around.” Hongjoong pants trying to catch his breath as his partner nuzzles him, making sure that the leftover electricity makes his hair go static, standing up in all directions.

“Well, we should look at the map once more and make sure we go the right direc-oh ummm Hongjoong.” You stifle your laughter “nice hairdo.” You point at his hair snickering and he glances up to see what you mean and let out the loudest groan which tells you this isn’t the first time this has happened.

His partner is once again laughing at him and you and Piplup can’t help but giggle but at least the two of you have the decency to try and hide it as he fixes his hair back to normal whilst scolding his friend.

“He does this every time if he got leftover electricity after an attack. I’ve even made a habit of always having a hat with me just in case I can’t get it down again.” He admits shaking his head.

“Oh wow I can’t imagine how annoying that could get sometimes but I do think it’s kinda cute, like you look cute with your hair all over the place.”

“You think I look cute?”

“Yeah.”

You smile liking the fact that you can see how the blush creeps up on his face once more. You hadn’t spent that much time with him yet you felt like this was someone you wanted to spend more time with, it was fun traveling together and you two seemed to be on the same wavelength when it came to Pokémon’s and traveling in general.

“T-thank you.” He clears his throat before clumsily bringing out his map again. “Shall we take a look once more?” He says and you nod but this time you bring out a pokéball as well.

“Yes and this time I got an idea to ensure we will be on the right path and not get too lost.” You tell him before throwing the pokéball up in the air.

“Mismagius please come out and help me!”

Your beautifully haunting Mismagius comes out from her pokeball and she floats above the ground looking at you curiously before floating up to you to greet you warmly.

“Oh wow! A Mismagius!” Hongjoong says in awe stepping closer to you, that’s when your Pokémon notices the new person. She immediately hides behind you, still shy when it comes to new people and hiding behind you was a habit she had had since she was a Misdreavus before she had evolved.

“Yes Mismagius these are my new friends Hongjoong and Pachirisu!”

“Piplup, pip, lup pip.” Your Piplup seems to be encouraging her to come forward to say hi and it works because she floats out from behind you and up to Hongjoong. She circles him a few times before she seems to introduce herself to him by holding out one of her ‘arms’ and he takes it shaking it and giving her a kind smile.

“It’s lovely meeting you Mismagius.” Your friend turns shy again quickly hiding behind you as she giggles and you can’t help but laugh.

“Yeah it’s easy falling for that charming smile isn’t it?” You say looking back at her and she nods before giggling again.

“Okay! Now let’s check the map again all five of us and when we figure out where we should go I was wondering if you could use your psychic powers to help lead us as far as possible to Eterna City Mismagius?” You can hear her agree as she floats closer to the two of you who are now huddled around the map. The two of you discuss for a while where you could have possibly ended up after the mad dash to get away from the angry squadron of beedrills.

You both eventually agrees that you’re probably very far from Eterna City and where you originally started when you bumped into each other.

"Mismagius think you can create something that would guide us?" Hongjoong asks your friend and she looks intently at the map before her eyes start glowing blue, a telltale sign that she is using her psychic powers and after a while an arrow pops up in front of you.

"Oh that's amazing!" You hug her happily and she turns shy and bashful at your praise.

"This will make our journey much easier, thank you." Hongjoong also thanks her and she hides behind you once more. It's very clear she likes Hongjoong and it does surprise you a little bit.

She had always been shy and hesitant and mistrusting of people so seeing her actually like someone that wasn't you was a big feat. Perhaps it was Hongjoongs kindness that had won her over or his very kind eyes and that pretty smile?

He ends up laughing a little at her reactions.

"Shall we continue our journey? See how far we get today? I'm not so sure we will reach Eterna City before the day is over." He admits looking up to the sky where the sun sits lower than it had done earlier in the day.

"Don't worry about that, I got a sleeping bag and some food in my bag for situations like this." You tell him motioning towards your backpack trying not to feel disappointed about how you will miss the registration for the contest.

"Great, I got a sleeping bag as well!" He tells you as the two of you start following the arrow with Mismagius floating around you two making sure the arrow will not lead your group astray.

"So where are you from Hongjoong?" You question curiously.

"I'm from Twinleaftown!" He tells you. "It's a really small town near Sandgem town where Professor Rowans lab is."

"Oh! I think I know where it is then! You'd continue down the path through a small forest right? It's close to Lake Verity right?" You ask wanting to know if your memory served you correctly.

"Yes! I can't count all the times us kids would head to Lake Verity in hopes of seeing the mythical being said to live there! None of us had any luck when we were younger. Perhaps it's just a fairytale but it was fun going there with the hopes that you would be lucky enough." He chuckles at the memories and you nod.

"That sounds like something fun! I'm from Floaroma Town and the most exciting that happened there is I guess all the flowers planted there? Or perhaps the Valley Windworks... We didn't have any mythical beings to look for." You pout thinking how it would have been fun to chase that dream of seeing a rare pokemon as a child.

"I've heard Floaroma is beautiful during summer with all the flowers coming to life and blooming at the same time. I hope I get to see it one day."

"I can take you there if you'd like? I know exactly which time of the year is the best one for the flowers to bloom! And if we're lucky we get to see the roselias dance around the flower beds happily!" You tell him, already planning on when the best time to travel back home would be.

"I'd love that! Honestly I think we would make a good team traveling throughout the region together!" He admits shyly and you nod agreeing.

"We could see the world and perhaps you could help me when I practice for my contests as well! I always find it hard to figure things out when it's just me and my Pokémons working on it together." You tell him with a sigh.

The two of you continues to chat learning more and more about each other. You learn that Hongjoong has a friend who happens to also be a coordinator named Seonghwa and that they grew up together in Twinleaftown and left on their respective journeys around the same time. At first they had traveled together until they had decided they wanted to try traveling solo for a while to see how that would work out for them.

He tells you how he was actually scheduled to have a call with Seonghwa at the pokémoncenter but that he will probably have to call tomorrow instead.

"I just hope he won't be too worried that I didn't call him you know." He tells you as his shoulders sag lightly.

"I'm sure he will understand why you couldn't call him today. Things can come up when you're traveling the world alone and as long as we get there tomorrow and you can call him, then he won't be too worried." You assure him, patting his shoulder lightly.

"Yeah you're right about that. Thank you." He says earnestly, happy he could actually tell someone other than his pokémons about his worries.

To distract him a bit from what had him worried you proceed to tell him about the time you had by accident entered a cooking competition where you and your pokémons had to work together to create a dish which would be judged by the chefs in the village. Hongjoong had laughed loudly at that and asked how it went and you told him it was a disaster, your team which consisted of Piplup, who was too proud to realize he could not do everything he wanted and refused to back down, your then Misdreavus who kept on hiding behind you because she was so painfully shy around all these people watching you with curious eyes.

Mismagius had made an embarrassed noise at that, she was probably not overly fond having to remember that day and then of course your third and currently final pokemon on your team, Leafeon.

Leafeon was probably your biggest help as she cut up the veggies using her tail somehow but she was also at first not careful enough and had burned herself when she got too close to the fire. The contest had ended with you finishing last with a burnt meal and two pokemons you needed to nurse back to health after they had hurt themselves.

"Even if it was a disaster I had lots of fun actually. It was a good team bonding experience." You admit snickering at the memory of everyones shocked faces at the burnt dish you had so proudly presented them with.

"So your final Pokémon currently is a Leafeon?" He asks curiously and you nod.

"Yeah, I will let her out once we set camp and get ready for dinner." You mused.

"So is this story your way of telling me to do the cooking?" He jokes and you laugh loudly.

"I've become much better I promise but if it makes you feel better you can totally do the cooking." You say and the two of you joke back and forth for a while.

It is when you realize that the sun has almost set beyond the horizon that you two decide to stop and set up camp. The arrow Mismagius had conjured disappears as she allows herself to float around happily as you work on setting up your portable stove to cook some dinner. Piplup runs around checking the area curiously as Pachirisu follows him, probably to see if he can annoy Piplup some more.

"Is it okay if I let my other Pokémon's out as well?" Hongjoong asks and you let him know that he absolutely should as you let Leafeon out.

As Hongjoong throws up his pokéballs three new Pokémon's appear. A Riolu, a Snorunt and a Cranidos comes out and you marvel at his pokémons all of them looking so well cared for and happy to see their trainer.

All running up to greet him warmly.

"Oh wow you got such a variety! That's so cool and I've never seen a Cranidos before! Isn't that actually a fossil pokémon?" You ask as you stir the pot containing your food.

"Yeah it is, I found a skull fossil when I went to visit the Orburgh Mines and did some digging around there for fun and then at I think it was the museum they offered to revive it for me which I thought why not?" He told you as he petted said pokémons head.

"Oh wow that's amazing!" You marvel.

"Thank you."

"Ri-olu?" You hear next to you and that's when you notice his Riolu checking out the food you were cooking.

"It's almost done so if everyone get their bowls I will be able to serve food soon." You announce and suddenly you have all seven pokémon surrounding you holding their bowls eager to get some of the delicious smelling food.

Hongjoong laughs loudly at everyone's eager displays to get some food and jokingly runs to get his own bowl and get in line. You make sure to serve everyone including Hongjoong before filling up your own bowl and getting up to sit next to Hongjoong who is sitting near the crackling fire he had made earlier when you were setting up your camp.

"This is really cozy, I'm glad I ran into you earlier today." You mumble whilst blowing on your food to make sure it's not too hot before eating it.

"Me too, it's been a wild day today but I've enjoyed it so much and traveling together will be perhaps a little chaotic but fun." He admits before eating some of his food and making a pleased noise at the taste of it.

"This is great! I was a little worried after your story about the burnt food earlier but this is amazing." He tells you and you can feel your cheeks heating up.

"Oh it's nothing." You bashfully say trying to deny his praise but he shakes his head.

"No I'm serious it is great! You did such a good job!" He wouldn’t stop until you've agreed that yes you did a good job with the food.

“Thank you, it’s very sweet of you.”

The night sky is twinkling beautifully with stars and the moon is shining brightly above the two of you. Your Mismagius is floating around happily enjoying the night a lot as your other Pokémon’s start getting drowsy, most of them finding a place to lay down to sleep. You and Hongjoong makes sure to cover them all with blankets so they won’t get cold during the night before you both climb into your sleeping bags. You’ve placed them next to each other so you can easily communicate if needed.

Your friend Piplup wiggles into the sleeping bag so he can snuggle with you during the night, preferring the heat and the coziness of it all. Pachirisu does the same making sure he's on Hongjoongs stomach curled up nicely before promptly falling asleep.

“Goodnight Hongjoong, sweet dreams.” You mumble closing your eyes.

“Goodnight Y/n, sweet dreams.” Hongjoong mumbles back before falling asleep.

-the very next day at the Pokémon center-

“Finally you call! Do you know how worried I was when I called the Eterna city pokémon center five times at different times and you still hadn’t turned up there?!” Seonghwa berated Hongjoong through the screen of the tv and Hongjoong looked everywhere but at his friend who was scolding him harshly.

“Bun! Bun-neary!” Seonghwas partner Buneary was also on screen scolding him and Pachirisu and he let out a sigh before trying to explain.

“I’m sorry Seonghwa but we got lost, I couldn’t find my way out and then I bumped into my new friend here, Y/n!” He drags you into frame so Seonghwa can see you. “And they helped me out of the forest today! We got lost at first but then their Mismagius came and rescued the day.” He says and he can see Seonghwa relaxing a little bit.

“Okay fine but don’t do that again!”

“I won’t I promise I promise!” Hongjoong holds up his hands to show how serious he is and you decide to glance towards the tv to catch a glimpse of Hongjoongs friend and when you see him you gasp dramatically.

“Hongjoong you never told me you were friends with THEE Seonghwa!! He’s super famous in the contest world!!” You say before you turn to shake Hongjoong demanding answers how he could hide this from you.

You hadn’t understood that his Seonghwa was thee Pokémon coordinator Seonghwa that you were looking up to and Hongjoong tried to get in a word but he couldn’t due to how violently you were shaking him.

Seonghwa couldn’t help but laugh at the display he was seeing.

It served Hongjoong right for scaring him so much yesterday.

[myheartxmyman]