#◟༺✦༻◞ Aria of the Cursed ┊Past and future.┊ | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

spooky-z · 4 years

Text

Mom? Dad? Chaos.

First, I would like to thank you all! Really. And I'm not talking about the followers (which reached the 500), no. I'm talking about your reception for my stories. You guys are awesome!

Second, Marinette is a little... dark in this story. Maybe because she fought Hawkmoth for a long time or Batfam influence, I don't know. She defends herself and defends her friends against Lila. So, don't be surprised, please.

(finally managing to edit the post f- u tumblr) 6K of salt, sailors.

Lightly based on Wayne Travelers by @multishipper1needshalp Maribat by @ozmav

The day had started normal.

Marinette getting up late for class and getting ready in a hurry while Tikki helped the girl as best she could, her parents setting the table for breakfast together and Damian sitting, waiting for his girlfriend to go to school together. Adrien still asleep after staying up all night with Jonathan on the phone.

That had become Marinette's morning routine for the past two years, with Damian going to Paris to study economics with the best education that money could afford and her finishing high school in Dupont with Adrien.

And as said before, the day had started normal.

They ate breakfast with her parents, Marinette kicking Adrien out of bed and walked together to Dupont's entrance, where their paths parted.

She had kissed Damian good-bye and he whispered a “see you later” before getting in the car parked on the sidewalk. The driver politely waving to Marinette.

Adrien grimacing in the background, like a child watching his parents kiss.

It had been normal the way the class wrinkled their noses as she passed them; how everyone was in their proper place when Lila began to tell the latest nonsense lie; when Adrien came right behind her and was forced to sit next to the Italian (face completely twisted in pained expression); Chloe walking to the back of the room and placing a tender kiss on Marinette's cheek before sitting next to her; the two whispering the news to each other while Adrien sent a wistful look to his friends; their kwamis together in the boy's bag (since it was the largest of the three there).

Ms. Bustier leaving and leaving them with free time to do whatever they want.

This was normal. This was the routine after Hawkmoth had given up on terrorizing Paris and returned the butterfly and peacock Miraculous. After Gabriel Agreste had been arrested.

What was not normal now was that portal opening beside Ms. Bustier's desk and five people passing by.

The whole class frozen in shock.

The first out was obviously the oldest. In his 19 years, probably.

Black hair - in the sunlight there was a bluish illumination - trapped in a bun at the top of his head, the eyes were a cold and sharp gray, his skin was a beautiful olive tone, a strong jaw and the body showed that he was very more than just physically active.

The second person to go through the portal was a girl, who was about 15/16 years old.

They couldn't see the color of her hair, as she wore a hijab, but the eyes were a vivid and bright green, her skin was paler, small face, pink lips in a cupid bow and she also seemed to exercise a lot too.

The first two seemed to be siblings and that at least one of the parents was Asian.

The third was a blonde girl. She was the same age as the first girl, not much older than 16. While she didn't seem to have a more defined body, just the fact that she wasn't touching the floor when she left the portal said a lot about her.

The blond hair - exactly the color of Chloe and Adrien's hair - was long and loose, the curls unruly. The eyes were blue, a radiant blue and not very common, the triangular face, the doll's lips.

The fourth person was actually a little boy, who must have been at most 3 years old and was in the blonde girl's arms.

His hair was black and unruly, eyes were the same bright blue as the girl, round face with rosy cheeks, pale skin and he was sucking his thumb.

The last person to pass through the portal had been a girl with a much stronger Asian heritage than the first two.

Her cherry-red dyed hair reaching her shoulders, body far more defined than the girl with the hijab - her biceps pronounced by the shirt – the eyes were amber and dangerous, thin lips, her skin was tanned from spending too much time in the sun, oval face.

They stared silently at the class as the portal closed behind them.

"Okay... Who's going to tell this to our parents?" The blonde girl asks, breaking the silence and the red-haired girl looks at her, a murderous expression on her face.

“That was your fault! You're the one to tell!” Growls.

The blonde girl looks sincerely sorry.

"How would I know this was a time machine?!"

The redhead approaches her, her fists clenched ready to pounce, but the oldest of the five holds her in place.

"Rie, Emilie, please. Now is not the time to fight." His voice comes up like a blade. Sharp. "Especially with Clark among you."

They move away from each other. Rie walks closer to the classroom door, Emilie floats toward the window. Both with serious faces.

"It's not wanting to cut your drama, but we're not alone." The hijab girl says, drawing their attention to her. “We have audience, (哥哥) gēge.” She points to the still very frozen class.

He turns, his eyes scanning the students, before locking in the back of the room. In Marinette and Chloe. His eyes close in a pained expression.

“Fuck.” Curses without shame. "Dad will kill us."

"Absolutely." She replies, not looking any little upset at the situation.

In fact, her eyes were shining. She seemed very excited about everything.

The bell rings and it seems to wake everyone up from the shock, the students frenzied.

Everyone talking at the same time, they approach; Alya with the phone in hand; Marinette talking quickly on the phone, looking worried; Chloe was looking critically at the newcomers, the familiar feeling poking at her head; Adrien looked downright in love with the little boy in Emilie's arms.

Lila was... Wanting to take advantage of the situation to do something.

Rie begins to fuss over and over with the noise of the class, the pitch of the sound seemed to be hurting Clark's sensitive ears. The situation gets worse until she screams, anger clear in her tone.

“どけ! (Doke!)” Everyone shuts up but doesn't understand what she says. "I said get away, NOW!"

They are frightened by the girl's ferocity and move away.

“Okay, now one at a time.” When everyone moves to talk together again, she raises her hand in a stop signal. "Raise your hands and I'll choose who speaks."

They quickly raise their hands, waving violently. Max was jumping in his seat.

"You." Rie points to Rose and the girl stands up happily.

"What is the name of you all?" Questions.

Rie raises an eyebrow, disbelieving that this was the most important question the girl had to ask, but said nothing. Who answers is Emilie.

"I'm Emilie, this little one is Clark, the scary one is (理恵) Rie, the handsome guy over there is (健) Jiàn and the hijab girl is Aria-" She turns sideways to point at the girl, just to find the empty spot. “Where's Aria?” She asks the two beside her and Rie just points to the back of the room.

And they all turned just in time to see Marinette being hugged her life away by the girl.

“妈妈 (māmā) you are so cute!” Both Adrien and Chloe gasp, eyes wide. Marinette gets paler and paler.

That moment makes both Rie and Clark notice the blondes in the room and Clark begins to cry, writhing in Emilie's arms and trying to reach Adrien.

“Papa! Papa!” The little boy sniffles until Emilie releases him and lets him fly to Adrien.

The class shouts at the demonstration of power.

The blonde catches him reflexively, hugging the small body in his arms and the boy sinks, melting in the warmth. He looks shocked at Emilie, wanting an explanation and the girl just shrugs, a bland smile on her face.

"Hi Dad."

Adrien chokes, his eyes filling with water, thrilled. He smiles back in disbelief.

"Hi?"

Chloe rises from her seat indignantly.

"Ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!” Shouts. “Why do you two get visits from your future kids, but not me?!” She stomps her foot in a tantrum.

It seemed just another bout of Chloe's futility, but Marinette - who was still being held by Aria - felt her heart ache at the hurt look on her best friend's face.

“Chlo-”

"What am I? Invisible?” Rie responds rudely. “You should recognize your children, 母 (haha).” Her cheeks were rosy despite her serious face.

Chloe is speechless before going downstairs and throwing herself into Rie's arms. She could scarcely believe that she had built a family in the future, that apparently her best friends continued together years and years into the future.

“And you must be my son!” Lila's voice cuts the happy mood. "Handsome like that, you're just like my Damian."

Chloe turns away from Rie, Marinette comes down the stairs with Aria and Adrien stays in his seat, with Clark in his lap and Emilie sitting at his desk, stroking the blond boy's hair.

The seven looks at Lila standing in front of Jiàn, who seemed disgusted with the thought of being her son.

"Yes, many say I look a lot like my father," He replies. And although the expression is not the best, his voice contains no emotion. "But I have my grandmother's eyes."

Lila seems especially excited about the boy's response.

Alya still recording everything and the class in an eternal pause.

“Oh! Now I see! You really look like my mother. She's very beautiful, looks like a model.” Lila says, glancing quickly at Alya, probably making sure the girl was recording everything.

Jiàn wrinkles his nose in disgust and turns away from the greedy hands of the Italian.

“You're not my mother.” Lila is surprised by the hatred in the boy's tone. "My mother has decency and honor, something you obviously lack."

The class seems to stop breathing.

"Oh, that hurt." Emilie muttered, chin resting on Adrien's head.

She had left Adrien's desk and was sitting at Alya's desk, which was behind the boy, so that she could hug him like a koala. Clark was dozing in his arms.

Alya snorted offended.

"Hey, this is no way to talk to her!" She moved, the phone still clenched in her fist.

"I speak the way I want." Jiàn answers. "Criminals and liars don't deserve my respect."

The class starts talking on top of each other, confused.

“What do you mean?” Alix's voice sticks out.

Jiàn tilts his head, but straightens again. An expression on his face as if he had just unraveled the mystery of the century.

"Oh, you haven't found out yet..."

"Or rather, they haven't opened their eyes yet." Aria comments.

Kim gets up, his face rock hard.

"Explain."

The newcomers exchange glances with each other. Aria raises her eyebrow, Emilie shrugs, Jiàn sighs and Rie looks at everyone.

"I think aunt Mari already told you about the sausage being a liar." She pats Chloe's arm affectionately. “Lila Rossi, in 2046, is under arrest for terrorism, extortion, sexual harassment, blackmail and best of all: murder.” Rie smiles darkly as she watches the students' pale faces.

Alya's phone recording every second of everything. Live. On Ladyblog.

Lila feels panic bubbling in her chest, her hands shaking and a sudden weakness in her legs. This could not be happening!

She glances at everyone in the class, noting the expressions between disbelief and fear, only Alya still holding the angry expression on her face.

Adrien, Chloe, and Marinette did not seem surprised by what the boy said, nor angry. She would use that to her advantage.

Lila's eyes widen in the most pitiful expression possible. The fake tears already running down her cheeks. She didn't forget to sniff before she spoke.

“Why are you guys doing this to me?” That catches everyone's attention, Kim being the first to come to the rescue. She uses the boy for support. “Is it some kind of horrible plan Marinette came up with? I know she hates me, but I didn't think she would do something so wicked to bring me down.”

Alya, Alix and Mylene are quick to reach both of them to comfort Lila. Which left Ivan, Nathaniel, Max, Rose, Juleka and Nino to defend the honor of the Italian.

“Look what you did!” The DJ pointed out. "Lila is crying because of you!"

"It had to be Chloe's daughter." Max says, adjusting his prescription glasses to his face. "Only a snake would give birth to another snake."

Emilie sighs offended, as does Aria and Jiàn.

Max barely has time to blink before feeling the sharp edge of Rie's katana in his throat. He swallows, the eyes wide.

She had left Chloe in the same spot before jumping over the tables and reaching Max. The katana that had been her belt, taking shape in her hands just in time to reach the target.

"Call my mother snake again and I'll cut your head off." She says coldly.

Nathaniel runs away, Rose and Juleka accompany him. Even Lila swallows the fake cry feeling the fear run down her spine.

"You wouldn't have the guts-" Ivan begins, but quickly shuts up when he sees Max leaning as far away from the sword as the red thread of blood trickles down his throat.

"Do you doubt...?" Rie says quietly. "Are you sure?"

Marinette reacts with that, ready to separate the girl from her classmate.

“Wait-

“Rie Tsurugi Bourgeois!” Aria calls, voice like steel. "Let him go."

Rie doesn't move, doesn't even blink.

“Now.” Aria raises her voice. Adrien and Marinette are able to see her eyes turn a radioactive shade of green (which resembles Chat Noir's eyes very much) and her round pupils narrow like those of a reptile.

Rie grits her teeth, smoke escaping between them. She squeezes the katana a little deeper into the boy's throat before moving back toward Chloe.

The blade becomes malleable in her hands and she fastens around her waist again, sparing no glance at the rest of the class. Not at all sorry.

Marinette breathes a sigh of relief, but soon becomes serious. She needed to fix that mess.

"Okay." Says it out of nowhere and catches everyone's attention. Aria once again hung around her neck. “This day was too weird in just a few minutes, so I need everyone to collaborate.”

Her gaze points mainly to Rie and Alya, who turn their head into a tantrum.

“First, I want an explanation for that.” Hands shake in the air. “What are you doing here in 2022 and who are you?”

Jiàn smiles quietly before getting serious again.

“Our names have already been said, so I'll tell you where we came from.” He takes the liberty to sit on Ms. Bustier's desk, as if he owns the place. “First, we are from the future, as you have already understood. Secondly, we are children of three students in this class.”

The young man turns to Rie, beckoning her to proceed.

"I'm Rie Tsurugi Bourgeois, I have a twin sister named Alice." She turns to Chloe. “We are your daughters with Kagami Tsurugi. I think you two became something last year, 2021, right?” And the blonde nods emphatically. "Three years from now you get married and after five years Alice and I are born."

Chloe hugs the girl, wild feelings in her chest.

“My turn!” Emilie shook herself on the table, Clark, still sleeping, shifted uncomfortably. "My name is Emilie Lois Agreste-Kent and this cute sleeping is my brother, Clark Auguste Agreste-Kent." She notices Marinette's horrified look and sighs in agreement. "I know I know. Our names are one thing... horrible, but they wanted to honor our grandparents...”

The class makes a confused sound and Nathaniel is the fastest to speak up.

“I don't understand.” The voice loud enough just for a quiet room to hear. "Adrien's mother's name is Emilie, Lois may be his mother-in-law's name and Clark the father-in-law's name..." He pauses thoughtfully. “Why Auguste? Shouldn't it be Gabriel?”

At the sound of the name, newcomers, Chloe, Marinette and even Adrien himself react negatively, leaving no doubt of the dislike of the designer.

"Because Gabriel never was and never will be a father to uncle Adrien." Aria replies.

Nino nods in agreement with the girl.

“… Ok, I understand where you come from. But who is Auguste?” He asks. “I don't remember anyone with that name Adrien commented on.”

The blonde gives a bland laugh before looking at the DJ.

"It's because I never speak his name, but you know him... the gorilla."

Nino widens his eyes at the news, but soon understanding dawns on his face. It made sense. The man cared more for Adrien than his own father, who could only look at his belly button.

"Wait!" Alya calls. “Gorilla's name is Auguste?” Adrien nods and she presses her palm over her face. “Oh my god, this is cursed! He doesn't look like an Auguste!”

Emilie releases Adrien to fly over his head.

"I know! I once told him that and he laughed at me!” Her hand movements were wild.

It makes Alya pale.

"He laughed. Adrien's bodyguard laughed. Oh my God."

Lila gets fed up with the situation and decides to return the conversation to where it mattered. She needed to know who Adrien's future wife was, just so she could make sure they never met. With Gabriel's help, of course.

He might have been arrested, but he still had... powers over Adrien.

“We already understood that part, but you never told us who your mother was.”

Emilie freezes in the air, the cheerful, happy air slipping into an empty shell. She sits back behind Adrien, her gaze hard on the Italian.

“Because I don't have a mother.” She responds and Lila had to control the happy smile that wanted to escape. “I have two dads. Adrien Agreste and Jonathan Samuel Kent.”

The air in the room becomes cold after she finishes speaking. Lila never felt as much hatred as she did then.

Adrien was hers. Just hers. Knowing he was married to a man in the future was too much for the girl.

“B-but how? I thought Adrien was straight. We all know he dated Kagami.” Mylene asks.

Adrien frowns at the girl. Not a bit happy.

"I never said I was straight or that Kagami and I were dating." His voice was dry. “Kagami and Chloe have been together since last year, Jon and I have been dating since I was fifteen. Four years ago."

Alya gives Marinette unhappy glances, as if pitying the girl for the news. But in the end, she notices that the brunette was not at all surprised or shaken.

"And about you? Who is your father?” She points to Aria, who raises an eyebrow at her. The mockery in all body expression. "We know you're Marinette's daughter because we heard you call her mother, but you didn't say who your father was."

Aria rolls her eyes and sighs, completely tired of having to deal with these people. They were very ignorant.

"Aria Dupain-Cheng Wayne-" Surprised sighs are heard.

“And Jiàn Dupain-Cheng Wayne. We are children of Marinette Dupain-Cheng and Damian Al-Ghul Wayne. There is Thomas too, but he was with Alfred and the Couffaine siblings when we... traveled back in time.” Jiàn cuts his sister, making a sardonic bow toward Alya.

Marinette was choking as she tried to hold back a scream.

Those were her children! There were three! She and Damian had been together for many, many years! Her heart was beating so fast that she feared everyone in the room would be able to hear.

“… Damian Wayne. Isn't that the name of your boyfriend, Lila?” Juleka says suddenly and everyone looks at the Italian trying to sneak out of the classroom.

She stops, knowing everyone was keeping an eye on her and turning around, her eyes full of tears.

It was time to put on a show.

"M-Marinette!" She sniffs. “How can you go so low stealing my Damiboo from me?! I thought you were better!” The hands cover her face and shoulders begin to shake, as if she’s crying.

"WHA-"

“My God, girl!” Alya shouts angrily as she approaches Lila once more. Alix, Mylene, and Kim did not move from the scene. “Stealing Lila's boyfriend? As if it wasn't enough to be an envious slut-

Jiàn turns the face so fast that Rie can hear the young man's bones crack. The face contorted into a murderous expression.

“I suggest you not finish this sentence, otherwise I will be forced to do something my parents wouldn't approve of.”

Lila pulls her hands away from her face looking at the boy in defiance.

"What? But it's true! First Adrien, now my Damiboo. Your mother is a bitc-” Before Lila could finish the sentence, Jiàn was in front of her. Alya pushed aside, along with the phone that fell to the floor.

His right hand goes straight to Lila's face, squeezing her chin as he forces her to face him. He didn't need to look at the look of horror on her face to know that anger and disgust were clear in his eyes.

“You're an unpleasant person, Lila Rossi.” He says. “Even though you know you have nowhere to run, that you only have those futile idiots to control, you still try to play the wronged good girl.”

Adrien gets up from the chair, Marinette approaches and Chloe too.

“Jiàn, I think-”

Aria puts her hand on Marinette's shoulder, drawing the girl's attention back to her. "No. He won't hurt her... physically.”

“But-” Adrien protests.

“Dad, please. In the future you regret not stopping her before. Let Jiàn do it.” Emilie says seriously. The most serious she had been until that moment.

When Marinette and Adrien steps back, the class sees this as allowing newcomers to do whatever they want, so they run to Lila's rescue. Alya quickly rising from the floor, the phone forgotten.

"Let her go now!" Kim shouts. He tries to hit Jiàn with a punch, but Rie is quick to stop him.

"And why would i do that? Ms. Volpina here, did much worse things helping Hawkmoth.” Lila widens her eyes, the panic clear in her face.

"I-I"

“What was that little fox? No more lies to tell us? Are you afraid because you can no longer use akumas to get rid of difficult situations?” The sarcasm in Jiàn's voice was clear, as was the acidity.

Everyone saw the way Lila stopped trying to defend herself and her gaze became sharp. Malicious. Jiàn took this to get away from the girl. She took the time to straighten her hair and caress her jaw before a blatant smile took over her expression.

Alya felt the ice run down her spine, discomfort rolling in her stomach. She stepped back, trying to create distance.

The class reacting precisely the same.

“Oh? Do you really think I need some old man and cursed butterflies to get what I want?” Rose choked on the way Lila spoke. “Look at what we have here. Come on, look!” She shakes her hands, signaling around them.

“I managed to fool these people for years. YEARS! No one doubting a word of what I was saying. Even with the most trusted person in the class trying to warn of my tricks, they just ignored it. They treated her like trash, they threw her into a corner... They humiliated her.” Mylene cried and Ivan tried to comfort her.

“And I didn't even have to do anything much, just say what they wanted to hear.” There was a victorious smile on the Italian's face. “Hawkmoth was just a tool. I never needed him to get where I got.” She nodded dismissively.

“So, you lied to us all this time?” Alix growls, Kim having to hold her so she doesn't hit Lila.

The Italian raised an eyebrow, smiling as if nothing was wrong.

"Alix, Alix ... You guys were so naive." Lila sighs theatrically. “I mean, dumb. Ignorant. Easy. Fools. I think you were by far the easiest people to manipulate.” She shrugs.

“You… are the worst! I don't believe-” Nathaniel stops and shakes his head violently, trying to deal with the situation.

“Ow, poor thing.” Lila sneers. “Okay, I was a little harsh with my words. It was not entirely your fault. Caline Bustier played a huge part in all this, since without her passivity, I would probably have been discovered much earlier.”

Marinette cringes at the teacher's name.

Caline had gone from being Marinette's favorite teacher to the less pleasant one. The woman's pacifism gave the brunette knots in her stomach. Each time she heard the phrase “be an example to others,” the discomfort washed over her body and all Marinette could think about was running home and sleeping for an entire week.

She knew that Lila's era of terror in her life would not have stretched so long had it not been for Caline Bustier's incompetence. Just with the teacher checking Lila's medical notes to know that everything the girl said she suffered was true would suffice. Then all the other lies would be uncovered, like a crumbling house of cards.

But she never did. Not even when Marinette explicitly expressed her concerns. When Adrien took the courage to confess that he felt bad about Lila being overly sticky. Or when Sabrina wept on the teacher's shoulder that Lila had made mean comments about her mother. And also, when Chloe denounced the Italian for homophobia.

Caline Bustier had been complacent. Never moving a finger to help students. Thus, Lila Rossi's greatest facilitator in Dupont.

“Ms. Bustier has nothing to do with it!” Juleka shouts in distress.

It was the first time they had seen her like that.

Lila rolls her eyes.

"Of course she have! Or do you really think that an adult woman with a master's degree, teacher, who deals with children and teens daily for years, would believe everything you say?” Her voice was annoying. “Please, you deify totally wrong people. Where's the critical sense? No one here can see the world without the pink lenses?!”

As soon as Lila finishes speaking, the room was silent. Rose and Juleka had twin expressions of disbelief, Alya cried silently, Nino tried to find support in Nathaniel who was unsure what to do, Kim along with Alix and Max had angry expressions on their faces, Mylene and Ivan hugged tightly to each other.

Aria with her arms around Marinette, both with expressions of pure boredom. Chloe and Rie had sat at Adrien's desk throughout the confrontation, tired of Lila's villain speech. Jian, already away from the Italian, was arms crossed and raised eyebrow. Adrien was the only one in the second group who was minimally disturbed by Lila's words. Clark slept despite all the confusion and Emilie had stolen the model's phone to play while flying around the room.

Lila had a victorious expression on her face as if the speech had solved all her problems.

Oh man. If only she knew.

"Did you get everything?" Marinette says in the silence of the class and everyone looks at her.

“What-” Lila begins.

"I'm not talking to you." The girl cuts her off, her expression disinterested and voice like steel. “I'm talking to him.” Marinette picks up the phone (which has never left her hands since newcomers showed up in the classroom) and shakes it, showing a video call in progress.

“Of course, حبيبتي (habibat).” The person in the video call answers. A youngster. "We are on our way. Don't let her run away.” The call is cut off and Marinette puts the phone in her hoodie pocket.

She stares at Lila. The cold, deadly eyes. Like a predator about to pounce.

“Of course I won't let it. Not anymore.” There was a dangerous smile on her lips. “It's my time to go after you, Li-la! Change our dynamics. Threatening me in the dark corners of the school is getting outdated, so it's time for prey to become a predator, don't you think?”

Lila senses the danger in the girl's words and steps back without thinking. She keeps a brave expression.

“And what do you think you are going to do? Tell your little friend?” She forces a mocking laugh. “Please, Dupain-Cheng. You know you can't against me. Never could.”

Aria lets go of Marinette and the girl slowly makes her way to the Italian, without breaking eye contact for a second. She was waiting for an opening to be able to make her move.

“Are you sure about that, Lila Agnola Rossi?” Lila doesn't hold her breath at the full name. “Because I have a lot of material against you. Your mother helped us a lot. A nice woman, despite working so hard. She needs to rest, don't you think?”

Marinette stops, less than a foot from the Italian, before leaning further. Warm breath hitting Lila's face with how close they were.

“And she said everything, you know? About how you lied about school being closed by akuma attacks, about being bullied and how your boyfriend Adrien Agreste-“ The boy and Emilie make sounds of disgust. "Are considering asking you to marry at graduation!"

Chloe sneers in the background. Aria, Jiàn and Rie laughing at what she said.

“When you-” Lila's lips were pale and her eyes wide.

Marinette leaps away. A smile bordering the maniac on her face.

“You don't know how surprised she was when we said the school was never closed!” She spins, arms raised to the ceiling. "Or that Adrien Agreste has a boyfriend."

“YOU DID WHAT?!” Lila shouted, advancing on Marinette, only to be held back by the hard look the girl sent toward her.

“Imagine the other surprise she had to learn that her little girl was a compulsive and abusive liar? That the only child she gave birth was lying as she breathed? Lila, Lila. Lying about Jagged was your first mistake, Prince Ali the second. The third was about Ladybug.” Marinette lifts a finger at Alya who reacted to the heroine's name. The girl stops. "Ladybug was not at all happy to hear her name was being dragged through the mud by someone as dirty as you."

Lila swallows hard.

“And sweetie? She wants you to pay. Pay for all the times you helped Hawkmoth and endangered innocent people or badmouthed her kitten.” Chloe laughs at Adrien's red face. “She's a very protective bug, you know? Revengeful too.”

"Is this a threat? Is that it? Ladybug sent you to threaten me?” Lila questions.

Marinette crosses her arms, a dark shadow taking over her blueberry eyes.

"Lila, I don't need Ladybug to take you down." She sighs bored. “Who do you think ended Gabriel Agreste?” The students are surprised. The newcomers sat watching like it was a very good movie. Adrien with the biggest smile ever.

“… You're lying!” Lila shouts. “Gabriel was caught by a… anonymous… report… you?!” The voice trailed off until all that was left was a whisper.

"Me." Marinette smiles.

There was a fire burning in Lila's eyes, her teeth showing, a growl deep in her throat.

"How could you?!" She bites. “You destroyed Adrien's life! How could you do this for the boy you love?!”

"Hey! She didn't destroy my life!” Adrien protests in the background, but no one listens to him.

“Ah, please! You're only annoyed because you learned that it was me who destroyed the collar Adrien was kept on and forced to wear. Or do you really believe we didn't know you and Gabriel had a deal about controlling Adrien?” Lila shivers as if she's been shocked. “We know everything. Everything."

“And you went there and put the only family he had in prison. Congratulations Marinette. You have reached a new low level.”

No one blinks for the next scene.

Marinette stretches her left hand straight to Lila's neck, pulling the girl closer to her.

"You don't open that dirty mouth to talk about family." She growls. “That man was nothing more than a piece of shit. Trash to be thrown away. He was never a father or a decent man. Being arrested was the easiest way out for him, because if I could have the opportunity to get my hands on him, you can be sure that today Adrien would have both parents buried.”

Her voice was piercing. Ice spread through the room. Everyone felt the honesty in the girl's words, no hesitation. Lila clamped her hands on Marinette's wrist, trying in vain to pull away.

She was beginning to be terrified of Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

"Let me go." She gasped as she felt the tightness in her neck tighten.

“Adrien hasn't lost a family.” Marinette ignores the girl. Adrien puts Clark in Aria's arms before getting up. He needed to stop that.

“Just now he got one. My parents are keen to make clear what family love really means; Auguste continues to work with him even though he no longer needs it; I taught him what a toxic and abusive relationship was like, how to have siblings and people to support him; Chloe accompanied him for weekly therapy; Kagami and Luka distracted him from panic attacks; Sabrina helped him understand what sexual harassment was. We were all there when he spent weeks locked in his room crying thinking he had no one else. We introduce him to what a family is. And surprise, he's much happier now.” Marinette lets go of Lila's throat and the girl swallowed huge amounts of air.

"He's much better off living in a bakery than in a ghost-filled mansion and empty rooms with people who only knew how to exploit him."

As soon as Marinette finishes talking, Adrien hugs the girl and then the door opens.

“We're here, Minette!” Sabrina's cheerful voice tears the oppressive silence of the room. "And I brought company."

Everyone turned to look at Sabrina and found a lot more people at the door than they thought.

“Dad, Damian, Jon and Kagami have come! Lu and Bruce are there at the office talking to the Director and Ms. Rossi.”

As soon as the five enter the room, Aria rushes into Damian's arms. “بابا! (baba!) You're cuter than 妈妈 (māmā) at this age!”

“… You two are grounded.” It's the only thing Damian says, pointing to Jiàn who was approaching.

“Dad!” Emilie squeals at Jonathan, who just smiles in confusion. “Oh my god, he's so cute! Did you see, papa ?!” She yells at Adrien who hides the red face on Marinette's shoulder.

The girl laughs at him patting his back.

"ママ (mama)." Rie says respectfully as Kagami looks at her and Chloe sitting at the table.

"... I'm feeling a headache coming." Roger mutters before putting Agent Raincomprix's face and looking at Lila. “Ms. Rossi, I need you to come with me. We have some questions to ask.”

Lila shakes her head in refusal.

"No. I have nothing to talk to you about. Nothing."

Roger sighs. “If you do not come for good, you will come for bad. I really don't want to use force with you.”

"I do not care! I won't go with you!” Lila’s voice rose two octaves. She was starting to get hysterical.

“Ms. Rossi.”

"No! I'm not—” Lila rolls her eyes closed before falling hard to the floor. Marinette stood behind her, the hand with fingers pressed together and the thumb bent. Like a knife.

She relaxes her posture and smiles innocently.

“To avoid more drama.”

Damian sighs. “حبيبتي (habibat).”

She continues to smile innocently.

First Hawkmoth, then Gabriel and now Lila. That was a great way to close a chapter in Marinette's life.

[tag list]

@poshplumcot @naclychilli @theatreandcomicfreak @mewwitch @zerotosiki @krispydefendorpolice @unmaskedagain @virgil-is-a-cutie @vixen-uchiha @dawnwave16 @kat-thatoneweirdo @thedarkwhiteangel @paradoxal-occurance @heldtogetherbysafetypins @celestialtitania @bluerosette23

#maribat #daminette #damian x marinette #jondrien #chlogami #miraculous ladybug #ml salt #one shots

2K notes · View notes

utterlyinevitable · 4 years

Note

the amazon one! thank you!

request: “was it really love if you can leave me for” lyric from thick and thin by lany

Was It

Word Count: 1.5k Warning: angst and a few curse words Summary: This takes place somewhere after OH2 where Ethan and MC started dating.

A/N: I love this song and hope I did it justice! The first part of Do We Have a Future was loosely influenced by this song so if you haven’t read it and love some angst I definitely recommend it 😬

not the best thing i’ve written but thankful to be coming out of my writers block.

________________________________________

It took them so long to finally get to a place of mutual understanding. Far too long for them to finally submit to their feelings for one another.

One notable spring evening, Ethan and Becca were heading to the Boston Opera House. Ethan had given them both an early shift so they can enjoy a relaxing evening together accompanied by soothing arias. They hadn’t been back in this box together since intern year. Since he kissed her back and immediately brushed it off as nothing.

They had a lovely time - holding hands in silence, letting the melodies of the orchestra lift their spirits. Becca rested her head on his shoulder when she wasn’t on the edge of her seat in anticipation. Ethan watching her reactions intently - he had seen this opera on multiple occasions and could recite it verbatim. A smile graced his features as he watched her, his mind absentmindedly strolling down memory lane.

The subtle glances. The hand holds. Miami. The kiss. The hearing. Saving Naveen. The first time. Their last time. The Amazon…

Look how far we’ve come, he thought.

On the drive back to his apartment Ethan was still so deep in nostalgia. Although this time he voiced his sentimentality out loud.

***

Late night three days later Becca was in Ethan’s apartment, hovering at the threshold. She kept her jacket on, making the conscious decision to not make herself at home. This wasn’t the night she would let herself push all of her concerns aside and unapologetically fall back into Ethan Ramsey’s addictive embrace once again.

Ethan watched with a trained eye as his girlfriend paced back and forth. Becca tried to think of what to say. She knew the words, she’d been replaying and reciting them for days now but for some reason none of them felt right on her tongue.

The other day in the car Ethan brought up his trip to the Amazon - the ultimate betrayal in Becca’s eyes. She could have handled a casual affair between them, hell she’s had plenty of those, but what hurt the most were the promises he made long before he disappeared. He told her they were going to work it out. They were going to figure this out. Together. They were straight lies off of Ethan’s lips. Becca forgave him once in blind infatuation. She was so caught up in her attraction for him that she forgot how continuously he shattered her heart in those early months. Now that she had him freely, she could see past her rose tinted glasses for the pain that came with this man.

“That wasn’t courage. It was cowardice,” he explained once again. They’d had this conversation briefly ages ago but he never finished telling her exactly why he needed to flee. “I realized I fell in love with you and needed to clear my head before we began working closely together.”

Staring out the passenger window her eyes went wide, “What?”

Becca was already irked by the feelings that surfaced at the mention of his abandonment. A ball started to form in her throat as his words sank in.

Ethan never ever said that four letter word to her face before.

Under normal circumstances, with normal couples, that small yet powerful word was meant to warm the insides and elicit an overwhelming sense of euphoria. Instead, Becca’s chest tightened.

“I couldn’t be in love with you,” he replied in a matter-of-fact tone. “We needed a reset.”

“You… loved me?”

“Yes.” Ethan's smile grew bigger as he added, “I love you.”

Becca felt like she was going to vomit.

She looked everywhere but at Ethan as the words began to manifest. It had taken all of her courage to come here and ask the things that were plaguing her mind since last summer.

“You realized you loved me and… left?” It was phrased as an uncertain question but she meant it as a statement. “Not tell me how you felt?”

Ethan’s brows furrowed at her question. It was the first thing she said upon entering his apartment and her noticeable distance was concerning him. “You know I couldn’t feel that way. It was unethical.”

“We’re unethical now, Ethan, and the world hasn’t collapsed,” she retorted.

With a rueful sigh he confessed, “I was wrong.”

“Yeah… you were,” she trailed off. She let her eyes glance upwards towards him. Ethan was staring at her, blue eyes storm ridden and full of worry, the creases in his features were more than evident and showing his age. “Were you ever going to tell me?” she just about whispered.

Ethan took a step towards her, “I didn’t think I needed to.” Instinctively Becca stepped backwards, the door handle mere inches away from her lower back. Earnestly he said, “I thought my actions spoke louder than my words ever could.”

She knew he was referring to all the truths and secrets they’ve shared, all the hand holding and caresses - the way he seems to put her future before all else - the way he loved her. But the only things coming to the foreground were him pushing her away, leaving, letting himself have her just to then cast her aside like a mistake.

She stood up straighter, letting the newfound rage building in her core fuel her. “Was it really love if you could leave me for something so small? We slept together and you bolted, Ethan.”

Ethan took a deep breath in. This was not the evening he had planned for them - they were supposed to have a romantic evening in. But instead they were sparring, and Ethan desperately wanted to wave the white flag in surrender.

“It doesn’t excuse my actions,” his eyes fell to the floor in guilt as he spoke. “All I can say is I’m sorry for wasting all that time. I’m sorry for hurting you.”

Becca crossed her arms over her chest at the line she’s heard countless times and bit, “Have you ever had a one night stand before?”

“Have you?” Ethan retaliated. He regretted the words immediately. He knew he didn’t need to be defensive, he didn’t want to be defensive. He just wanted to have a nice evening with the love of his life, but for some reason she wasn’t happy anymore.

“Don’t you dare slut shame me!” She moved closer and slapped his arm. “If you didn’t want to be anything more you should have just told me from the start.” Ethan saw how her doe brown eyes turned to black within an instant. He fucked up. Becca continued to poke him in the chest, “Instead of leaving me when I needed you most -” another poke, “every fucking time things get hard you leave.”

With her finger digging firmly into his torso, Ethan asked, “Where is this coming from?”

Becca threw her hands up in the air like it was the most obvious conclusion, “I don’t trust you!”

“Huh?”

“I don’t trust you not to leave again. I don’t trust you not to break my heart. I don’t trust myself for falling further into you and the next time I might not be able to pull myself back out of the depths.” Becca was breathing heavily now, the spilling of all those emotional words taking its toll.

“Rookie…” his eyes were a mix of saddened concern and pleas.

Eloquently with the muster of a thousand suns she added, “We’re not going to work long-term.”

And with that Becca turned on her heels to leave.

Ethan caught her elbow mid-spin.

“Do not walk away, Lao.” he used his authoritative voice, knowing full well it would temporarily distract her from her task. “We can fix whatever this is - we’re partners through everything, right?”

She didn’t respond.

“Right?” he practically begged.

Becca kept silent, her eyes fixated on the silver doorknob.

“Dammit, Rebecca!” he exclaimed through gritted teeth and glazed eyes. “Tell me how to make things better.”

She shook her head one single time, “You can’t.”

She pulled her arm forcefully away and walked out the door.

Left in utter bafflement, Ethan’s hand flew to his hair, pulling at the roots.

“What the hell just happened?” he asked the universe.

He wanted to go after her. He needed to go after her and ask her not to hold the sins of his past against him. But he knew Becca better than most and chasing her down would only lead to a bigger argument.

She couldn’t cut things off so easily.

She couldn’t stop loving him because of a past mistake. Right?

They had been through too much the last two years for this to be the end. She was there with him every step of the way - she was his rock. His sanity in dark times. She was his best friend and his savior in every blatant and biblical aspect of the words.

What did he do for her in return?

Ethan went over to his bar cart in desperate need of something strong. That’s when he saw it. The small black box sitting next to the decanter.

Tonight was supposed to be the night.

Was he foolish for misreading their whole relationship? Was he crazy for wanting a future with the young resident?

The irony was not lost on him.

With great force Ethan hurled the small box at the front door. Leaving a small dent in the metal plating.

________________________________________

Taglist: @ohchoices @dulceghernandez @aylamreads @binny1985 @ramseysno1rookie @interobanginyourmom @queencarb @perriewinklenerdie @rookiefromedenbrook @eramsey28 @choicesficwriterscreations @heauxplesslydevoted @schnitzelbutterfingers @purpledragonturtles @ramseyandrys @ermidc @mrsdrakewalkerblog @doilooklikeiknow @overwhelminglyaquarius @drethanramslay @edgiestwinter @rookieoh

#open heart #open heart fanfic #choices open heart #choices fanfic #ethan x mc #ethan ramsey #ethan ramsey x mc #choices oph2 #oph ff #oph #ff #ethan winters #ohsy #requests

94 notes · View notes

embersrevived · 3 years

Text

//So recently I have been able to somewhat slightly add onto my list of OCs and (background NPCs) who are pertinent to Nad or a verse that she is involved in in some way. This is just me making a list of all I have so far so that I can keep track of them:

- Cyrus (Kourosh) Darvish - vampire/monster slayer and the primogenitor of her family’s lineage (the Darvish-Kouroshzadeh clan, in which the second half of the name is literally derived from his own name, Kouroshzadeh literally translating to “descended of Cyrus”), In default verse he lives in the 13th century Persia and is responsible for spearheading the efforts to begin vanquishing Dracula’s night creatures that managed to spill over towards the east/past the Caucasus; whether this was due to some sort of experimental transcontinental campaign on Dracula’s behalf or mere incident is unknown.

- Houshang Darvish-Kouroshzadeh - vampire/monster slayer and descendant of Cyrus (possibly grandson, this has yet to be decided), ancestor of Nadir.

-Lord Zahhāk Ahriman - a duplicitous, conniving, Machiavellian vampire noble (satrap) who also comes from Persia who attempts to utilize his intellect and tact in order to curry favor with those individuals he believes will be of greater use to them (whether they be Dracula, other known vampiric nobles, or even mortals he deems ultimately useful as part of his overall plans). Will utilize charm and act as an informant of various matters if need be in order to acquire a desired individual’s trust and get into their good graces; he is one to also silently observe and take mental note of the overall personality, strengths, and weaknesses in others (especially if they should be evident) and exploit such to his advantage.

- Rostam Gharabaghi, MD, PHD (Nad’s mentor in modern/postmodern verses who is technically supposed to be a reincarnation of Rinaldo Gandolfi of Lament of Innocence; a close friend of Nadir’s family. In this verse, she had studied both medical sciences and magic under him (in a sort of dual curriculum of sorts that he himself had managed to successfully create in the future), he also has a hidden secret of his own (elaborated on from the CV!verse page below)

In modern verse, Nadir is still a sorceress though under the mentor of a man by the name of Rostam Gharabaghi, a somewhat enigmatic individual who is also an old family friend. Rostam is in truth the reincarnation of the character of Rinaldo Gandolfi from Castlevania: Lament of Innocence (albeit a bit younger in appearance), and functions as a rather potent and sage sorcerer, physician, and alchemist in his own right. Given that the majority of Nadir’s modern day interactions have involved characters from the Castlevania Chronicles of Sorrow series (Aria of Sorrow, Dawn of Sorrow), the modern verse has taken place in the setting of these games thus far, though the timeline of her modern verse is also open to flexibility interaction and character(s) depending.

Like his original incarnation, Rostam’s family was also torn apart due to the curse of , his wife being attacked and transformed suddenly one horrible, fateful night. Rostam was left with little choice but to end her life as she lunged for him. It is a memory that haunts and grieves him to this day, though he has told others (namely his close friends which include Nadir’s parents, though there’d been a period of time where they had limited contact) that she had passed away as a result of a terminal ailment. At some point, he eventually tells Nadir what actually happened and asks her to not relay the truth of it to her parents.

An even deeper secret, one that Rostam keeps solely to himself, is that on that very night that is family was so tragically impacted, the very vampire who had attacked his family had also managed to bite him as well in the ensuing skirmish, though for some curious reason the vampire’s venom did not have its full intended impact on Rostam. This isn’t to say that Rostam had been unaffected, as he would find out later that he did indeed gain quite a few abilities associated with vampirism, all while still keeping a hold of his human soul. He would come to find that his state was rather unique and perhaps little heard of (if at all), and incompletely transformed being. Rostam would designate the name of Animus to describe his incomplete transformed ‘limbo’ state, and he endeavors to keep all knowledge of this newly gained abilities and physiological changes to himself.

#out of chants;#other characters;#(poorly explained and vague but I hope they suffice for now dsklfj)

3 notes · View notes

choicessa · 4 years

Text

In Another Life (Edward x MC)

Pairing: Edward x MC

Words: 5700

Summary: After saying goodbye to Edward, MC comes back to the future, to her times. She doesn’t expect the surprise that awaits her back home...

Warnings: Just a bit of angst

She always knew that one day she will have to come back.

Always knew that at some point she will have to say goodbye, goodbye to the crew, goodbye to the sea, goodbye to the pirate life she grew so fond of for the last months, goodbye to her adventure, the one that found her so unexpectedly, goodbye to another life, another time...

Goodbye to him.

When Aria first came here, that's all she wanted. Grab the compass, wrench it from Edward's hands, open it, and hope that it will once again start to glow, that it will once again open the portal and she will come back, to her life, to her city, to her place.

But it never happened.

The compass refused to cooperate, refused to make the solution so simple, when after dozens of tries she finally had to understand that it will take more than just a flick of her wrist to go back home. Days turned into weeks, weeks into months and soon Aria managed to forget why did she even want to go back home so badly in the first place. Because, suddenly, unexpectedly, shockingly she managed to find her home, new home – right here. Among pirates, among thieves, among outcasts.

Among him.

He was the most surprising thing that happened to her, something that she didn't expect at all, when this charming pirate with dark past decided to storm into her life like that, with his smile, with this look of his eyes, whenever he was looking at her. And soon, before she even realized it, she was falling for him.

Hard, fast.

When she buried the compass in the cave, her heart was beating hard in her chest, when Aria was hoping that she will never ever have to hold this cursed thing in her hands. Even though she knew the way to come back home, even though she could do that, any time, she came to peace with the fact that maybe she was meant to stay here, maybe the past was meant to be her future and maybe, just maybe, she could stay with him.

But the odds decided to not be in her favor.

From admiral capturing them, through Edward being tortured they were now refugees, fighting for their lives, hunted by the most stubborn and persistent man on the seas, the sound of cannons the only noise in this peaceful night when their ship was approaching them, faster and faster, only delaying the inevitable for Poseidon's Revenge.

Which for her meant the only thing – she had to go home.

“No!” Aria's voice pitched through the silent night when with all of her force she swatted Edward's hand away, furiously shaking her head. “No!”

“Miss Donovan, please...”

“No way in hell!” Another swat of her hand when she took a step back, only increasing the distance between them.

"Please, be reasonable..."

"Maybe I don't wanna be! Maybe I wanna stay here!" She knew she sounded like a stubborn child, she knew it may sound weak and pathetic, but at this point, she didn't care.

“Miss Donovan...”

“I don't wanna go back! And I won't!”

“You have to! There's nothing for you in this world! Nothing but pain and misery and I... I...” Edward took a deep breath before taking a step closer to her. “I can't stand you being hurt.”

“Well too bad, because the same goes for you.” Aria crossed arms on her chest and raised an eyebrow, shooting him a glance that was nothing else but a challenge.

Edward sighed and took a step closer to her.

“Aria... Please, just listen to me...”

Her head lifted immediately, surprised, and shocked at the sound of her name on his lips. He never used her name. Never. She blinked, once twice, when Edward took a step closer towards her, gently grabbing her hand and placing the compass in one of her palms.

„Aria...”

„No, Edward...”

„Aria...”

„No!” She freed her self from his grip, wrenching her hand away and taking a step back. „No!”

„Aria...” His voice was soft now when he took a step closer to her. „You still have a life, out there, in a different world, at different times."

„My whole life is here, with you. Do you really can't see it?” She reached out to him, placing her hand on his cheek and her lower lip trembled when she tried so hard to resist the tears, which started to threaten of falling.

„Aria...”

„I can't live without you, Edward. I can't. I won't!”

„But I couldn't live with myself knowing that I sent you to death!” He exclaimed, grabbing her face in his hands, with such a force that made her took a step back. „Aria... This ship, my ship... Will sink. There's nothing we can do to stop this. And once we find ourselves in water, admiral's men will fish us out, one by one. They're gonna capture us, throw us into dungeons, torture, or even... even worse..."

„Edward...”

„What you saw before... When we were their prisoners... It was nothing. Nothing compared to things those men are capable of doing. And I can't... I can't lose you like that, Aria." His gaze softened just so slightly when he brushed away hair sticking to her face. „I wanna know that you're safe. I wanna know that you came back to your times, that you have a life you always deserved. I wanna know that you came back to your family, your friends... And when they will hurt me, when they will try to squeeze out the rest of strength, I will survive all of this, because I will know that you are there, somewhere. Safe, alive..." He cocked his head to the side, his lips twitching slightly, almost like Edward was trying to resist a smile. „Maybe even finding a little happiness one day..."

„No, not without you...”

"You have to try." His brows furrowed in pain when he slowly moved his gaze across her face. "You were never meant to be the part of this world, you have to go back. You have to save yourself because I can't keep you safe anymore. No matter how much I want to."

“But...”

“Do this, Aria. Do this for me.” He pressed the compass into her hand once again and gently closed her fingers around it.

The girl took a ragged breath, her mouth opening and then closing when she could feel the first tears streaming down her face, once they started, unable to stop.

„I don't wanna go." She sobbed, choking on her tears, her head shaking furiously.

„I know... I know...” Edward's brows furrowed when he grabbed her face, a pure pain in his eyes when he swept his gaze across her, his thumbs gently brushing away tears from her cheeks. „I don't want you to go either...”

„So let me stay!” She reached out to him, desperately clutching his jacket, holding onto it as a drowning person holds onto dear life. „Please, Edward!"

But he shook his head, again and again, unable to even say that out loud, unable to reject her for another time, not having enough strength to say 'no' when all his heart wanted was to grab her into his arms and say 'yes'.

But was his selfishness enough to risk her life? Was he that egoistic to send her to death, just because he couldn't let her go?

He has made many mistakes in his life, done many things he wished he could change, haunted by regrets every single day of his life. He learned how to live with that, learned how to mute this silent voice in his head, reminding him about his past, about his faults. A long time ago he promised himself that he will be a different man, that he will never make the same mistakes, never be vulnerable again.

Yet he did.

Because he fell for her.

Another weakness he had in his life, someone that could be used to hurt him, just like admiral planned on doing not so long ago. And that's when he understood that she wasn't safe by his side and never would be. So he had to make the hardest decision in his life.

He had to let her go.

No matter how much he wanted to keep her.

“Aria...”

„I can't do this without you...” She shook her head, her fingers clenching around his shoulders with desperation.

„You can and you will. You are a strong one, Miss Donovan. You can survive anything that life throws your way. So you will survive this. I know you will.” He reached out to her, putting her hair behind her ear, his gaze looking for her eyes, making her to finally look at him.

"How?" Her voice was silent when all of the strength she had suddenly vanished, her hands falling, powerlessly, her tormented gaze locked on the man standing in front of her. "How?"

He wanted to answer her, he truly wanted to have a ready solution, to tell her how to move on, ensure her that with time the pain will pass, that every day will be easier and easier until at some point she will wake up and forget. Yet those would be lies. Empty words, meant for comfort, yet bringing none.

„Promise me that you will move on.” He stepped closer to her, his own palms now holding onto her hands with such force that made her breathless. „Promise me, Aria.”

She shook her head, her mouth opening, wanting to protest again, wanting to shout yet another 'no' right into his face. But when he saw his face, the way he was looking at her, the intensity of his gaze almost piercing through her, she knew, that she could never say 'no' to him. Never could, never would be.

Because how could she? How could she take away the last remnants of hope from the man who was looking at her like that? How could she rip out his heart by fighting him, when his eyes were filled with such longing, such adoration? How could she part with him with such anger, when it was meant to be their final goodbye?

„I promise.” She whispered finally.

Edward smiled weakly, those two words suddenly giving him new strength, the assurance that no matter what happens today, no matter what happens to him – at least she will be safe and sound.

The ship creaked suddenly, the deck trembling under their feet when another cannonball reached them, blowing yet another hole in already broken Revenge.

„We must part here.”

Aria shook her head, but it was just the last weak protest she managed to show, knowing that there was no coming back, that this was the final moment.

„I will never forget you, Edward." She whispered, raising her teary eyes to look at him.

„And I will never forget you." He confessed, gently caressing the skin on her cheek. „Not once in my life have I met such an amazing person as you, Miss Donovan. I could never forget you, no matter how much I'd try."

She smiled, it was rather a weak imitation of a smile, when corners of her lips barely raised, in something that didn't even reach her eyes at all. But it was enough for him.

They were standing like that, still holding hands, fingers laced together, when both of them knew they have to end this, they have to part, yet none of them wanting to be the first one to say goodbye, none of them wanting to be the first person to take a step back when all they wanted was to hold onto each other as long as possible.

„Aria...” Edward's voice was quieter than a whisper, when he spoke her name, almost like a prayer.

The girl looked up at him once again and as soon as she met Edward's eyes she took a ragged breath, suddenly forgetting how to breathe. Because his eyes were a deep well full of emotions, those he never showed to anyone and yet those he couldn't contain anymore. Sadness mixing with adoration, regret finding a place alongside longing and this softness, this unspoken emotion when from just his one gaze Aria could feel her chest filling with something warm, something that suddenly almost froze the world around them.

„Aria..." He repeated, placing his hand on her cheek for the hundredth time, almost like he couldn't have enough of touching her, his fingers tracing the outline of her jaw, slowly, gently, learning her shape when he wanted to memorize every single detail of her face. „Aria..." And again, his thumb now moving across her nose, tracing the shape of her eyes, when Edward followed the movement of his hand, the intensity of his gaze making girl breathless, his eyes almost piercing through her when he refused to look away, even if for just a second. „Aria...” He found her lips, his thumb gently, oh, so gently moving across her lower lip and she shivered, from this single touch, goosebumps appearing on her skin when with anticipation she was waiting for more. „My Aria...” He whispered before leaning down and capturing her lips in a kiss.

He took his time, refusing to rush, his mouth slowly moving against Aria's lips when she immediately answered his kiss. It was a lazy one, kind of a kiss two lovers share in the morning, laying together in bed, limbs wrapped around each other, foreheads touching and exchanging kiss after kiss, knowing that they have all the time in the world for that. Slow, gentle, sweet when he gently captured her face in his hands, almost like she was a porcelain doll that could shatter under his touch, a treasure too fragile to hold onto it for too long. He could feel her hands moving across his shoulders, to wrap around his neck and soon her fingers were in his hair, scraping the base of his neck, making him sigh into her mouth with delight.

And then his kiss changed.

It grew more urgent, more hungry, more desperate when it finally hit him that it was the last time that he was kissing her, the last time he was holding her in his arms, the last time he could breathe in her scent, feel her body right next to his, last time when he could claim her his... He let go of her face, his hand tangling into her long hair, the other finding her waist, when he pulled her closer to his body, his lips crashing against hers in a hard kiss. Aria gasped and then moaned under the force of his kiss, her hands tangling into his head when she pulled, not strong enough to hurt him, yet with enough force to make him groan with content into her mouth. Their lips met again and again and again, each kiss growing more urgent, more hungry, more desperate, almost like they were trying to make up for all of those wasted times they wanted to kiss and never could. If it's possible, Edward pulled her even closer towards his body, arms closing around her tighter, almost like he was afraid that if he will release the grip, she will disappear. They were a mess, a mess of hungry kisses, hands caressing each other's body, learning, trying, tasting, a mess of bodies pressed together, limbs tangled with each other, a mess of heavy breaths and silent moans escaping their mouths between the kisses. It was madness, they both knew that. It was crazy that they were here, in the middle of the sinking ship, wrapped into each other's embraces like lovers; it was madness that instead of stopping this, they were still going on, unable to stop, still unsatisfied, still hungry for more, yet still unable to satisfy that craving.

And then they parted, breathing heavily, lips swollen from their kisses, faces wet from tears and hands, too willing to hold onto each other, their bodies too close to resist yet another embrace, two hearts shattering into pieces at the thought what was about to come.

„I love you, Aria.” Edward smiled to her, his longing gaze moving across her face.

She smiled, her fingers gently moving through his hair, every movement filled with tenderness, when her fingers tangled between his strands, refusing to let go.

“And I love you, Edward.” She confessed, her voice barely louder than a whisper.

And then it was time.

One last kiss pressed to her forehead, one last longing look of his eyes, one last glance to memorize her face, one last brush of fingers against each other when he finally, reluctantly, let go of her, the lack of his warmth around her almost painful when Aria reached out to him, one last time, in one last weak effort from sealing her fate.

She could already feel the warmth of the compass in her hand, she could already hear its silent humming, audible only for her ears, she could already see the light starting to grow stronger and stronger, the magical object just waiting for her to open it, welcoming her, asking her to make this one gesture and go back home, fixing the one mistake that was made when she appeared here for the first time.

But was it really a mistake?

Without looking down, she covered the compass with her other hand and looked into Edward's eyes, his figure standing motionless a few steps away from her.

It stopped being a mistake a long time ago.

Edward met her gaze and nodded. Aria took a deep breath and in one swift motion opened the compass. The ball of blinding light burst out of it and quickly formed in front of their eyes in the big portal, it's edges moving softly, almost welcoming, just asking Aria to come closer and step inside. She gulped, turning around and took a step closer and then another and another. Her hands were trembling, more tears falling from her eyes when she finally stepped inside it, the portal humming, almost with content at her presence, its edges suddenly starting to swirl, faster and faster and faster.

Aria turned around and looked up, Edward's silhouette already fading away, when she was being pulled into the time vortex, her times calling her.

And at that moment she suddenly remembered, the first time she ever saw Edward's face, the first time their worlds infiltrated each other, the first time she heard his voice, calling out to her, asking her to find him. She swallowed hard, before raising her head once again, her watery eyes finding his blurred face for one more time.

„Come and find me.” She asked.

Aria closed her eyes, the light around her brighter and brighter, until the portal swallowed her whole, the blinding light disappearing.

And just like that.

She was gone.

~ ~ ~

“Miss Donovan, can you tell me what happened?”

Aria looked down, at the cup of tea held in her hands, the dark liquid perfectly reflecting her tired face, when she kept on looking at it, barely resisting the urge to snort, wondering what kind of answer could she give.

Because yes, she could tell him what happened.

She could tell about the movie set, about the compass, about the portal and time vortex. She could tell how she was transferred into the past, thrown into a completely different time and world. She could tell how she became a pirate, how she found friends and family in the most unexpected place, she could confess how she had found love, a man, so different from all the men she had ever known, a man who stole her heart, just like he was stealing treasures. She could tell the whole story, sharing every single detail, giving dates, places, people, trying so hard to make them believe that she was telling the truth. They would probably think that she was lunatic, or that she was through something so traumatic that made her brain came up with a crazy story like that. Best case? They would send her to a hospital for a few more tests to run. Worst case? Months spent on long pointless sessions with a therapist, trying to convince her that what had happened wasn't true.

So lie then?

Tell them that she had to run away, that when life became overwhelming, she needed to disappear and find a little time and space for herself? Lie about having the urge so hard to pretend nothing and no one existed, she decided to ignore everyone in her life? Would they even buy it?

„Miss Donovan?”

She blinked, coming back to reality and looked up at the police officer sitting in front of her, his worried gaze moving across her face when he was patiently, yet nervously waiting for her answer.

“I... I don't... I don't remember.” She whispered finally.

“You don't remember?” He repeated.

Aria shook her head furiously before sighing and looking down into her cup of tea, yet again.

“I was at the movie set, we were shooting a fight scene...” She started, deciding that saying something, anything, was still better than complete silence. “And then...” She shrugged.

“Then nothing?”

“Nothing. I remember waking up at the same movie set and that's pretty much it?”

"That's when the crew has found you, Miss." The policeman sighed, moving a hand across his hair. "Do you suspect anyone? Anything? Someone taking you? Drugging you? Any people, places?"

Aria frowned, flinching just so slightly when her brain once again remembered a familiar face of a handsome pirate. A memory she could never share with anyone. She shook her head, yet again, her fingers clenching around the cup she was still holding.

"The doctors said that the memory may come back, with time." She confessed. "But for now..." Another shrug, when she still refused to look into man's eyes, wanting to just leave this place, wanting to come back home and once again drown in her sorrows, in her despair, the one that was part of her life since she had come back.

“Listen to me, Miss.” The policeman leaned down towards her, looking at her with his intense, yet warm and friendly eyes. “If something happened, someone... Someone hurt you... We can help you.”

“No, no one hurt me.” Aria shook her head.

"How can you be so sure? You don't remember. They could drug you..."

"I just..." Aria shook her head again, before sighing. "I just know that? I mean, the doctors didn't find any signs of violence, just a few scratches, and bruises, nothing out of ordinary."

“Fair enough.” He sighed. “So I think we're done here. We just need all of this on paper. Your statement, what you remember, what you can't remember... Once we finish you'll be free to go home. Can you do this for me?”

Aria nodded and the officer clearly relaxed.

“Perfect. I will ask my friend to take care of you. He will take all your statements and you'll be able to go back home.”

Aria just nodded, too numb to do anything else, but apparently, it was enough, because, with a content huff, police officer nodded and straightened.

„Everything will be fine." He ensured once again, before leaving the room and shutting the door behind his back.

“I doubt that...” Aria murmured under her breath, sighing heavily and hiding her face into her hands.

Nothing was fine and nothing will be.

The last few days were a nightmare, a pure torment when she was taken from one doctor to another, all of them checking her vitals, taking blood, again and again, shooting her skeptical glances, when she kept on telling them the same story of not remembering anything. Thousands of questions about her whereabouts, ones she couldn't give any answers to. And finally her home, the familiar bedroom, the same bed as thousands of nights before, the same four walls in soothing lilac color, the same nightstand with a small alarm clock, the same photos with happy faces looking at her from the walls and her, so different, so new, so numb, laying with her eyes wide opened, not having enough strength to cry anymore, her sorrow just filling her heart silently, ripping it into pieces, night by night.

How could she just come back to normal life?

How could she pretend nothing had happened, when it did, so much? How could she just smile, when she wanted to cry; how could she say that she was fine when she wasn't? How could she convince everyone around her that she was and will be okay when she couldn't even convince herself?

She raised her head and cleared her throat when she heard the door opening behind her back. She just needed to stand the questions for a few more moments, sign the statement and she'll be able to go back home, to her shelter, where she didn't have to pretend anymore.

„Miss Donovan?” A voice behind her back asked.

And at that moment, she could swear that the world had stopped spinning, when the blood in her veins froze, just from those two innocent words.

Because she would recognize this voice everywhere.

Too many times she had heard the same voice spoke her name, in just the same manner, too many times she had listened to it, telling stories, cracking jokes, too many conversations late at night, when the same voice was wishing her goodnight dozens of times before.

The same voice who whispered sweet nothings into her ear, the same voice that confessed his love, the same voice that still haunted her in her dreams sometimes.

The voice...

His voice.

She gulped, her heart beating like crazy in her chest, suddenly threatening of breaking free.

It couldn't be...

It just couldn't...

Her limbs refused to cooperate, each of them suddenly weighing too much to move; her whole body freezing, her head not capable of turning, too afraid to look, too afraid that the sight won't be what she expected, too afraid that it will be nothing, but disappointment again.

After all, how could it be him?

She left him, in the 18th century, at the deck of the sinking ship, well aware that she will never see him again. How could she even think, for one moment, that he was here, with her, in the 21st century? Aria almost snorted, scolding herself in her mind. Stupid. She was stupid for even thinking that something that impossible could have happened. It was just craving of a longing heart, the feverish dream of a tormented brain, and wishful thinking, nothing more.

She could hear soft steps behind her back, approaching her, until they stopped, waiting, patiently waiting for her to do something, anything.

She swallowed hard and blinked, suddenly remembering how to breathe, remembering how to move, and soon she was turning around, slowly, stiffly, almost like she was afraid to see the person standing behind her back. Her gaze moved, starting from the hips of the man standing in front of her, across his chest and higher, through his broad shoulders, until it finally landed on his face and Aria's vision started to spin.

It couldn't be...

She blinked, once, twice, for a moment thinking that maybe her senses were betraying her or maybe that she truly was going crazy, too deep in her sorrow to distinguish reality from cravings of her sick mind. Yet the pair of bright eyes, sparkling with joy, a soft smile appearing on man's lips, the mess of soft curls on his head, it all looked real.

She slowly raised to her feet, standing up from her chair, her mouth opening and then closing when she took a step closer towards him, her hands reaching out towards him, her palms trembling when her fingers finally touched his arm, his skin warm under her touch, being there, firm, soft, real.

„Edward?” She finally whispered, her heart fluttering like crazy in her chest, her face raising almost shyly, meeting his eyes, her voice full of disbelief.

Part of her was sure that the man standing in front of her will just take a step back, telling her how wrong she was; the same part of her was expecting him to call her crazy, mistaking him for a man that was already dead for at least 250 years. Yet... It was still this tiniest flame of hope inside her broken heart, too small to burst out with its whole force, yet now giving her the craziest idea, that maybe, just maybe, it could have been him?

„You asked me to come.” The man spoke again, taking a step towards her, the smile never leaving his face. “So I did.” Another step and another, when he finally stopped right in front of her, his chest almost colliding with hers, when he looked down at her. „I found you, Aria." His voice was a whisper, when he reached out to her, placing his hand on her cheek, his thumb gently brushing her skin, just like it did so many times before.

Not so long ago, if someone would ask her to define impossible, she would have a few examples ready. Reading minds, predicting future, time travel, standing in front of a man who shouldn't be existing. Yet, after all, she's been through, impossible wasn't quite what it used to be before, was it?

Edward's smile was soft, tender, welcoming, almost like he was inviting her to believe in him, to believe that it was truly him standing in front of her. Her hands gently cupped his face, her trembling palms placing on his cheeks, when she looked up into his eyes, looking at her in the same way as she remembered.

"It's you..." She whispered, brushing the skin on his face with her thumbs. "It is truly you..." With a sob she threw her hands around his neck, pulling him closer, almost impossibly close, unable to stand a single inch of distance between them.

“It is me...” He murmured into her hair, his strong arms wrapping around her body, when he hugged her, tightly, strongly, his warmth so familiar, so comforting.

She buried her face in his shoulders, feeling hot tears streaming down her face when she desperately clutched onto him, refusing to let go, afraid that once she does, he will disappear, yet again, leaving her alone, but this time forever.

She couldn't say for how long they were standing there, her, sobbing into his arms and him, whispering soothing words into her ear, the words of comfort, of assurance, when he had her wrapped safely in the grip of his arms.

“I thought I will never see you again, I... I thought I lost you.” Her voice cracked, her hands curling into fists around the fabric of his shirt with desperation.

“But you didn't. I am here now. And I don't plan on going anywhere.” Edward pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

„But... But how?”

She could feel him smiling against his hair, his hands drawing soothing circles on her back, when he hugged her even closer.

„It's a long story. Really, long story.” He sighed.

„Do you plan on telling me?” Aria took a step back, freeing herself from his embrace to look at him, her eyebrow raised.

„Soon. First, we need to get you out of here and find a place to talk." He grabbed her face into his hands, smiling down at her. „I promise you, Aria. I will tell you everything. Every little detail, but..."

“But?”

“But first...” He hung his voice for a moment, gently brushing away tears from her cheeks. “I plan on showing you just how much I missed you, Miss Donovan.”

With that he leaned down, pressing a kiss to her lips. This kiss was different. So, so different, full of something more. The way he wrapped her in her arms, his hands holding her gently, yet firmly, almost like he just wanted to make sure that she won’t disappear or run away; the way his fingers were tangling between her hair, pulling her closer, yet tenderly brushing the strands of her hair; the way his lips were meeting with hers, slowly, deeply, wanting to prolong the moment as much as he could. Aria felt like she was melting, the whole world around them disappearing into oblivion when she could only focus on his touch, the feeling of his warm and safe body right against hers, the taste of his tender kisses, when his mouth met with hers again and again and again and him, being her safe place, her harbor, her home.

It was a kiss that was a promise, of yet more to come. A promise of the new life they could start, a promise of a new story, a new adventure. The one they will finally share, being together, forever.

After a moment they parted, slowly, reluctantly, none of them wanting to be the first one to stop. Their foreheads touched, arms still around each other when they didn’t want to let go, at least not yet.

“I'll take that.” Aria smiled and Edward chuckled, shaking his head.

"You're impossible, Aria."

“I've heard that before.” She smirked, slowly moving her hands up and down, across his chest. “Sooo, marshall, huh? You've gone quite far from being a pirate?”

"As I said – that's a long story."

„That's okay.” Aria smiled warmly to him, cocking her head to the side, her eyes never leaving his face. She slipped her hands under his and placed them on his shoulders, smiling to him, before stepping on her tiptoes and pressing a soft kiss to his lips. “We have time.”

Edward smiled, raising her hand to his lips and pressing a kiss to the top of it. For a moment he just kept on looking at her, the intensity of his look making her breathless, when he couldn't avert his eyes, her, standing right in front of him, being the biggest treasure he had ever found in this life. And he kissed her again before opening his mouth and speaking.

„All the time in the world...”

#edward x mc #edward mortemer x mc #edward mortemer #distant shores #choicessawrites #choicessafanfic #playchoices fanfic #choices fanfic #choices fanfiction #playchoices fanfiction #distant shores fanfic #distant shores fic #i did a thingggg

95 notes · View notes

kyogre-blue · 3 years

Text

Various Genshin lore bits I picked up from messing around on the wiki, lol.

Archons:

The CN term for archon is straight up “demon god” (魔神), which is also used to refer to Ars Goetia demons. All gods whose “real” names were revealed (aka everyone except Guizhong) are in some way named after Solomon’s demons, though some are more of a stretch than others.

Archons are gods, but not all gods are Archons. The positions of seven archons existed before and during the Archon War, while there were plenty of other gods around. In fact, part of the war was other gods wanting to claim those specific positions. (ie, Decarabian was the previous Anemo Archon, while Andrius was just a god.) Based on this, I would say that normal gods don’t have gnoses, only archons do. This is just my guess tho.

The Archon War lasted from before Liyue’s founding (3700+ yrs) to about 2000 years ago. Tbh I think it would have been better off called something like “Warring Gods Period” since it wasn’t actually a single continuous conflict.

Heart’s Desire:

This is in-story a fictional novel series, but it has a lot of lore hints. Here are some that sound potentially relevant (though might be just part of the story):

Wine that lets you forget, either only painful things, or everything.

Those who receive Visions will one day “disappear from the world” and what happens to them in the end is very fishy and probably bad. This tracks with Vennessa ascending to Celestia and the adeptus Nuhua also ascending. The young man who received a vision is referred to as one of the chosen, which sounds somewhat like what Dainsleif says in the chapter preview trailer, "Some say a few are chosen and the rest are dregs.”

“True illuminating crystal” “formed from the unfulfilled desire and grief of illuminated beasts of the highest order when they reach the end of their life.” Illuminated beasts comes up elsewhere. Once in Qingce, where some stone beast statues are said to be “illuminated beasts who once fought alongside Rex Lapis in the Archon War.“ And also in reference to Yakshas, “Rex Lapis summoned Yakshas unto him to purge the daemons. Illuminated beasts of dreadful appearance and warlike temperament were they, and no brutality did they spare in their duty to defend.“ So the illuminated beasts are... yakshas?? The crystal heart the shopkeeper has specifically belonged to someone, too.

One specific paragraph goes all in:

“Legends claim that peering into a pure gemstone at a specific time can reveal the past, the future, and even someone's true nature.” We see this in an earlier volume.

“Just as legends claim that somewhere in the world, there is a field of dandelions as vast as the sea.” Interesting, not sure if this is a specific reference.

“Or that once there were three bright moons in the night sky named Aria, Sonnet and Canon, sisters who were parted by death in a great catastrophe.” This thing about the three moons is mentioned in more detail in Moonlit Bamboo Forest. Apparently the three moon women had a “silver carriage” (spaceship!!!) which they traded off controlling. But then they died and the current moon is their corpse. (The moon is fake, a giant spaceship, is what I’m saying.)

“Or that there was once a witch who could see death before it took place, but in the end herself died from the broken heart, as he who had stolen it from her waited in distant lands longing to see her again.” Sounds specific.

Speaking of, the shopkeeper is described as having fox-like golden eyes with thin lines for pupils. The woman in Moonlit Bamboo Forest is also described as having golden eyes, and there is mention at the start of foxes stealing people away. She’s also mentioned as wearing white. From what the crystal heart shows of the shopkeeper, she is extremely old.

Dainsleif:

On the official forum, there is this bit relating to him:

"The original calamity had been overturned, yet the island in the sky set the earth to burn. Chalk pursues gold, in this time inopportune, the eclipse is swallowed by the crimson moon. The future must atone for bygone mistakes, as the bond familiar falters and breaks— of the same blood, elders and the youth..."

Chalk and gold sounds pretty blatantly about Albedo and Gold the alchemist, or the corruption he caused.

Eclipse might have something to do with the Blacksun Dynasty of Khaenri’ah, which was originally called Eclipse Dynasty before a name change. Crimson moon doesn’t seem to have been referenced before in any obvious way, except this image (of the cataclysm?) during the We Will Be Reunited trailer:

Speaking in a more general way about him narrating the Collected Miscellany videos, he projects pretty clearly over several characters, especially in regard to how finding out the truth of the world is a huge burden that robs you of the ability to feel everyday joy. Also, he is at least 500 years old, if not 1000.

Khaenri’ah:

From Albedo’s story: “Khaenri'ah was an underground realm, and its natural fauna were few indeed. As such, its alchemy focused more heavily on the creation of life. This art of creation was known as "The Art of Khemia."

"An eclipsed sun befell its kingdom and a luminous pearl lost its glow." This relating to how the Blacksun Dynasty fell during (causing?) the cataclysm. I wonder if the pearl here is related to the Genesis Pearl from the Gnostic Chorus trailer.

"The alchemist known as Gold was corrupted by his own greed and ambition, and created an army of shadowy monsters with his uncanny powers."

However, the Bloodstained Knight stuff says something slightly different: “At the bottom of the world, he learned the origin of the monsters that destroyed the ancient kingdom. 'The ancient kingdom was wrongfully cursed,' 'Turning its inhabitants into monsters.' 'The code of chivalry tolerates not such injustice.'”

Of unclear relation, the hilichurls appeared 500 years ago, and one their tribes has some connection to eclipse (blacksun).

#genshin impact #genshin lore

18 notes · View notes

pulpwriterx · 4 years

Text

BEN SOLO ALL THESE YEARS

Rey decided to stay on Tattoine.

The desert, after all, was her home.

Poe went back into the spice business, and even branched out to include good booze and cigarillos.

Finn joined him in yo ho, you ho, a pirate's life for me.

And in their business?

They needed a good scavenger.

A year or so went by.

Finn and Poe bought themselves a posh bachelor pad in Anchorhead, but Rey preferred solitude.

She knew that that both of them would have been willing to give her a shoulder to cry on, and the benefit of a man's company.

But after the way Ben died in her arms, Rey wasn’t ready to hold a man, again.

The old Skywalker farm didn’t look like it, but it was a nice place to live.

It had been Ben’s home, after all.

He had left the outside looking run down and desolate, like no one lived there, but past the blighted door in the dusty courtayrd, it was a different story.

Typical Ben.

When you took off his mask, he had another mask on beneath that, and beneath that was a big story, a tall tale, and a pack of ever-evolving half-truths and outright lies.

He had restored the old farm, on the inside, and underneath, where the farming equipment and tanks had been, he kept a smuggler’s treasure trove.

Tunnels filled with all kinds of swag, from booze and cigarillos to old Rebel Alliance and Imperial Uniforms, and less innocent cargo like crates of blasters and pallets of coaxium.

There was also five years of food and supplies, and one of the tanks had even been converted into a vault. It was full of credits, black molded chests of Imperial gold coins, money from all over the Galaxy.

Ben had left the farm, and all it’s contents to Rey Skywalker.

He had also left the Millenium Falcon to Rey, but she hadn’t the heart to fly the ship she loved so much.

With both Ben and Han Solo dead, neither with a final resting place?

The ship was like their tomb.

The Falcon, and Ben’s secret refuge, with it’s hidden treasures; they were all, in some strange way, his legacy.

When Rey wasn’t whizzing around the stars with her friends, she led a peaceful, solitary life as the guardian of the legacy of the family that gave all for the peace that finally broke out in the Galaxy.

Besides, she wasn’t wholly alone.

Poe always let BB8 go with her, to keep tabs on her, and Threepio and Artoo were glad to finally get to go home.

It was a special place for her.

In the two years between when she and Ben killed Snoke, and when they killed the Emperor?

They used to meet at the Skywalker Farm.

Their bonds remained unbroken, even after she had rejected his offer to join him, and they had grown closer, not just through the talks, and the laughing, and the stories, most of which were lies.

Yelling.

Pointing fingers.

Sneering.

Cursing.

Stamping feet.

Breaking things.

Throwing shit about.

Lightsaber duels.

Even the bad times, even the shit times were precious to her, now.

Rey would sit, quietly, watching the twin suns, and think about the past.

Like the time they had a horrible fight through their bond, and called each other vicious names, and threw things at each other, and smashed up their own gear, in a rage.

But then Ben had said.

“I need to see you in person, Rey.”

“Why? What can we do in person that we can’t do through our little talks?”

“We can make love. Don’t you want to? I do.”

“There is nothing like love between us, Kylo Ren!”

Ben had given her the Solo shrug.

“Then we can fuck. I'd rather fuck. I was just trying to be chivalrous.”

And somewhere in their laughter, they had agreed to meet at the Skywalker farm, on Tattoine.

Rey had no idea that Ben had a home, and it became their refuge.

Rey would lie there, in Ben's big, brass bed, and close her eyes and think about when he was there, beside her.

Those stolen days and nights where they would laugh, and fight, and screw, and cuddle under the fur blanket in the cold desert night and plan for a future they both knew would never happen.

Sometimes, she could almost feel his big body, lying there beside her, and she could smell his scent.

Hear his voice.

Feel the way her little body had moved under his big, strong hands.

Of course she would also lie there and think about their lovemaking and take care of her business.

She could have had Finn, or Poe, but Ben was like an animal, like a man in the state of nature; he had been born without shame, and he had unchained a passion in her that Rey had never known she possessed.

Not that she had been a prude, but her interest in men, and her occasional dealings with them had been, well, ordinary.

Now who the hell would she find to satisfy the unchained, shameless desire that Kylo Ren Ben Solo had awakened in her?

Rey often cried, bitter tears.

But that was life.

Love is death, life is pain, and somehow you muddle through.

***

In the second year since Ben died, Rey was walking down a busy street in Anchorhead when she saw Chewie.

They hugged, and Rey was truly happy.

She took him to Poe and Finn's and they tried to get information out of him, but Chewie would only say he was working.

As he left, he asked Rey a very honest question.

“Are you happy?”

“I am content, Chewie. I have friends, work, a place to live, enough money, and I have peace.”

“But are you happy?”

“No. Happiness died with Ben. A lot of things died for me, with Ben. Love. Hope. Any interest I had in men, poor Poe, and poor Finn. But I still have life. And I can still enjoying being content with it.”

***

A few nights later, Rey had a dream about Ben.

It was a wild, sweaty, deeply pornographic wet dream that she woke up from in the throes of the kind of an orgasm women could only have in their dreams.

Or, if they were lucky, with bad men like Ben Solo.

She sat up, throwing the blanket off.

“Rey.”

Rey's heart sang an aria.

“Ben! You found your way back? When will I be able to see you?”

But there was no reply.

Leading her to believe, alas, it had only been a beautiful dream.

***

When he had come to Oneness with the Force, Ben Solo found trouble in Paradise.

Master Yoda thought he was ready for the next step.

Master Obi Wan argued that he was too young, and had resolved none of the conflict that had brought him to ruin.

Master Anakin was more direct.

“Though a man, he is still a child. And his life has been suffering and tragedy. He is young, he has found love, and we should not cheat him of the life he has fought so hard to win. Send him back. Let him be Ben Solo, and live his life. He has many years to find the New Path.”

Ben tried to speak, to say what he wanted, but found he could not.

“Young though he is, yes, but what life for him? Redeemed from Kylo Ren in our eyes. But what of the material world? If return he does, atone he must. But a bullseye on his back there will be!” Yoda insisted.

“That is a problem, Anakin.” Obi –Wan agreed.

“Then we will send my grandson back without healing his body. It will be broken. He will atone with his suffering. We will send him to a distant planet to make his recovery, alone. Dependant on the charity of strangers he once oppressed. Then let him make his way to more familiar planets, back to his identity and his home.” Anakin suggested.

“That sounds reasonable. We will give my namesake a test. But, Kylo Ren is dead. Ben Solo should not have to pay for his crimes. Then we will make it so the memory of his mask is preserved in the minds of all. But not his face. “ Obi-Wan suggested.

The others agreed.

“Speak now you may, young Skywalker. Until you find your way back, Skywalker shall you be called. Well? Back do you wish to go?” Yoda asked.

“Yes, Master Yoda. Back I wish to go.”

“Humor you have. Need it, you will.”

“But will I have to endure doctors? Needles?”

“Fear in your face, I see? Tortured you were, young Skywalker? Then your fear you must overcome. Back you still wish to go?”

“Yes, Master Yoda. I will face my fear.”

“And Ben? No cheating? If your women, strong in the Force as they are, happen to find you? Or your family? We won’t keep them away. But if you call to them? You forfeit this chance.” Anakin told him.

“Wrong that is! In his sleep, will young Skywalker’s soul cry for help! No. Also must we use the Force to interrupt his bond. Until his test is finished. Though he will call? No answer will we allow to come.” Yoda decided.

“I agree. Only by doing the evil that Kylo Ren might have done will you forfeit your chance. Good luck, Ben.” Obi-Wan said

“I have always been with you, my grandson. If you need my strength during your trial? I will answer your call.” Anakin assured Ben

Then, Ben fell into something like sleep.

***

He had a horrible dream, of waking up bloody and bruised on collapsing Exegol, limping or crawling out of the cave he was in, and then escaping in the still flyable remains of a crashed X-Wing

He woke up in a bacta tank, and panic seized him.

He started banging on the glass walls, screaming through the breather in his mouth.

The noise brought a Rodian in a white coat.

“Hey! Hey Dan, the big guy is awake! By the Force, he looks terrified.”

A guy his age with a moustache rushed into the room.

“Then let’s get him out. It’s OK, big fella. You’re safe. You’re in a Resistance hospital. There’s no more First Order. Nobody’s going to hurt you, here. Hurry up, Needo, help me, before he cracks the tank!”

The machine Ben was suspended from pulled him out, and he ripped all the wires off of his body, and crashed to the ground.

“No! No doctors! Get away from me!” he shouted.

Reduced to crawling away.

But there was nowhere to go.

“Its OK. There’s no torture droids here. You don’t have to get any injections. We're not going to bring you to the point of death, then put you in a bacta tank to fix you up, and then do it again.”

“You know about that?”

“The Empire did it to me the first time. I have a scar like the one on your other leg. But mine is only a few inches long. You must have really suffered.” The grey haired man said.

“I did. Where am I? Who are you? How much longer will this plexi-cast be on?”

The Rodian came with a long orange smock with the Resistance symbol on it, folded on a wheelchair.

“I’m Dan Antilles. I’m your doctor. You crash landed here, on Hoth. And you need another three weeks with that cast. Let me help you up. Now you might want to put this smock on, big fella. This is the size we usually use for Wookies.”

The Rodian helped Ben put the smock on.

It had long sleeves and it was fleecy and soft on the inside.

“I know you want crutches, but the break in your femur was bad. So, if you like being in the shape you’re in, and you want that leg to hold you up, later? Wheelchair. Nobody has to push you if you’d rather wheel yourself.”

Ben sat in the wheelchair, lifting his leg onto the platform for it.

“I can wheel myself.” He said.

“Good. I’ll show you around the place, and back to your bed.”

“Do you have a name, Big Guy?’

“Ben. Ben Skywalker.”

“Are you a Skywalker from Tattoine or a Skywalker from Arkanis?”

“Both. My grandfather was from Arkanis. His father died, and his mother became an indentured servant on Tattoine. We’re free, now, though.”

“Yeah, my family are from Corellia, but most of by father’s war buddies were from the Outer Rim. Tattoine, mostly. OK, Ben. It’s good to have you back. You scared us a little; we thought you might leave.”

“Me too.”

***

Snow.

Watching it snow.

Lying propped up on pillows, leaning against the wall, last cot on the ward.

A cot with a big “W” on it.

For Wookiee.

Techanically, Ben was a Wookiee, when Chewie became his godfather, he was adopted into Chewie’s clan.

Ben was thinking about Kashyyyk, actually, while watching it snow.

Thinking about how he might still be welcome, with Uncle Chewie.

Trying to get his spoon under the cast, to scratch his leg.

Watching it snow.

Blanket up to his chin, one knee up.

“...so, what happened was, there was like, a reason why Ben Solo killed Kylo Ren. More than just, you know, the war. Ben Solo and Kylo Ren, they were at the Jedi Temple together. They were friends. But they had a lightsaber fight over either the Force or a girl. I hear different things. And that's’ why Kylo Ren wore the mask because Ben Solo cut his nose off and scarred up his face...”

“Zak, can you stop talking about men? Why do you think I have my blanket pulled up?”

“You thinking about your nurse?”

“Can you stop talking to me? Forget it.”

“Sorry, Ben.”

“It’s not your fault, Zak. It’s this place.”

He looked out the window again.

Snow.

“I think about your nurse, too. She’s a big girl. She has to be six feet tall. And, like 200. But it’s in all the right places. And she’s a Twi’lek.” Zak said

“I’d like to jump into that girl and drown. Why isn’t she your nurse?” Ben asked

Zak shrugged.

Ben heaved himself off his cot and into his wheelchair.

“Well, I think I’ll go try to take a piss without pissing all over myself.”

“Good luck, man.”

***

The days bled into each other.

Ben finally looked inside the chest, under his bed, on the ward.

In the chest was his lost lightsaber, the blaster Uncle Lando had given him, his blaster belt, his lucky Sabacc dice, a couple of pair of coveralls, his boots, an X-Wing helmet, a money belt for under your clothes that had 500 credits in it, and a mess kit.

The X-Wing helmet had a number on it.

His Uncle’s.

“Humor you have. Need it, you will.” Ben muttered.

The plexi cast on his left leg came all the way up to his balls, and his leg always itched like it was on fire.

Meanwhile, no one asked him if he was related to the Jedi Master Luke Skywalker.

When two weeks, and then two more passed and no celebrated persons came to claim him, people assumed that he was some distant relation.

They didn’t release him until after the cast came off, in another week.

Nobody had come for him, and he didn’t call for anyone, so he just left on his own, on a transport with hundreds of other displaced men and women with nowhere special to go.

***

The tiniest hint of a fly in the Force Ghosts’ ointment came around the time that Ben was leaving the Resistance Hospital.

General Leia-Organa Solo, also Senator Leia Organa-Solo, returned to her office on Coruscant as Senate staffers were packing up her things.

One boy almost dropped a picture of her, and Han, and Ben, and Leia caught it.

“Don’t look so frightened. I’m not a ghost.”

“But you’re dead, Senator?”

“I’m a Skywalker. We don’t just die, like other people. We have many deaths and many births, and live many lives inbetween? Less philosophically? I have too much to do to die just now. Maybe in another forty years, or so.”

The next day, after her first appearance in the Second Republic Senate, to announce that she was running for Prime Minister, Leia had an unscheduled visit in her office from Wedge Antilles.

“This had better be really important, Wedge.”

“I think it is. I don’t want to get your hopes up, but I was talking to my son, last night. He saw your broadcast and it made him think of a patient of his. A man his own age that hasn’t been far from his mind. A big guy, about two meters, nearly six and a half feet tall. Long dark hair. Dark eyes. Had lots of battle scars. This kid landed a burning X-Wing on Hoth, came out of it with his flight suit in shreds, dragging a broken leg, raving about Exegol, killing them all, and finally being a free man. Spent three weeks in a Bacta tank, recovering from a whole slew of injuries, and another three weeks in a cast up to his nuts. The patient said his name was Ben Skywalker, that his father was a Corellian starpilot and his grandfather was a Skywalker from Arkanis who grew up on Tattoine. As soon as the cast came off, Ben Skywalker got on a transport with a bunch of other kids with nowhere to go and no one to see, and left the planet. And it wasn’t until Dan saw your broadcast that he made the connection, and called me about it. Does that sound like anybody you know, Leia?”

“It does. I’ve been sitting here all day, full of blind, stupid hope. Thinking that if I’m alive, then Ben might be, too. Waiting for that call.”

“Who the hell else would it be?”

“I don’t know, Wedge. But it sounds like he’s running.”

“You need help chasing him?”

“All I can get. We need to find this Ben Skywalker. But if he is my Ben? What the hell do we do, then? Poe Dameron and Rey spread it all over the Galaxy that Ben Solo fought and killed Kylo Ren and the Knights of Ren, and then he died and became One With the Force. And the smart little bastard wore a mask, most of the time.”

“Let it go, Leia. Any way you slice the pie? Kylo Ren is dead. If Ben Solo isn’t? Give him a chance. He killed Snoke. And the Knights of Ren. He saved Rey. He saved you. And he helped Rey kill Palpatine. I think he deserves it.”

“Well, Chewie will be happy. I’ll talk to him, first.”

***

As soon as the transport landed, Ben began his wandering.

At first he figured it as a kind of penance, for his many crimes.

He stopped wearing shoes, or cutting his hair and beard, and all he wore was a black hooded robe, closed with a belt from which hung a metal bowl and cup, a holstered knife, and his lightsaber.

At first Ben just begged, and wandered, changing his robes for coveralls and working on freighters for his passage from planet to planet.

But as time went on, he slipped into a lonely madness.

He took to standing on streetcorners and preaching about the evils of the old world.

By this time a small crowd would have gathered around the very tall, very gaunt man, with wild eyes and a booming deep voice inside a nest of black hair and black beard.

“It was not the Force that did this to me! No, it was the order than we tried, for centuries to put on it. Dividing it, and ourselves into Dark and Light. Jedi and Sith. Empire and Republic. First Order and Resistance. It was this blasphemy against the balance and unity of the Force that brought our Galaxy into three generations of interplanetary war! And this Second New Republic is built on the truth! The truth there is no Dark, or Light. Jedi, or Sith. Only the Force, United. As it lives in all of us, and everything! As we find the balance, within ourselves, in accordance with our form and our nature. But I know there are those that preach the old heresies. When you hear them, think upon me!”

That’s when he would unbuckle his belt and take off his robe, showing them all his scarred, gaunt, filthy body.

Ben had even made the scar of the wound that Rey healed in the ruins iof the Death Star appear in his flesh.

“Stop and look at me! I am the mistakes of the past! My mother’s brother tried to murder me, and I murdered my father in turn! With these hands! These hands! This creature you see before you was once a man! Envied by men, desired by Women! Who desires this creature, now? Who envies this wretch, now? Who? Look on me and know it is time for old things to go. You must let the past die! Kill it, if you have to! Look upon me, and remember my words.”

Sometimes they would throw money in his bowl, sometimes throw things at him.

He hoped that a crowd would martyr him, but no one ever took him seriously enough to kill him.

He slept in alleys and doorways, stowed away on ships, and felt less than human.

Ben’s will to live left him as his madness spiralled out of control. He hardly ate and hardly slept, and his starving body devoured fifty pounds of his flesh, leaving him wiry, rawboned and gaunt.

He hardly felt human, or even humanoid, anymore, because he was hairy, and smelly, and filthy, and he scavenged through garbage to eat, like some wild animal.

At the end of a year, he ended up on Tattoine, intending to make a grand end to it.

He would give his sermon, throw off his robes and slit his wrists and his throat with a dirty piece of glass from the street.

But another vagrant warned him that the city fathers of Anchorhead had recently hired a former First Order officer as their chief of police, and although the new Chief understood smugglers were the lifeblood of Anchorhead, he was cracking down on street crime, con men, muggers, preachers, pushers, unregistered whores, and so on.

Ben quietly wished his former comrade well, and gave up the ghost.

But life clung, annoyingly to his skeletal frame.

He lay in the same doorway for three days, and three nights, and on the third night he knew that he was near death.

“Ben.”

He saw a bluish light in the cold, dark desert night, and rolled his eyes upward.

The face he looked into was very much like his own.

If not for the fair hair and light eyes, it might have been his face.

Ben knew his rescuer, immediately.

“Grandfather. Have you come to take me home?”

“No, Ben. I have come to comfort you, in your suffering. I understand suffering. I understand the peace that comes from enduring suffering, and triumphing over it. But I want you to live. You have suffered enough. I release you from the restraints that we have put on your bond with Rey Skywalker. Call for help. I will wait with you, until she comes. Rey will take you home.”

***

“Rey. Rey, I need you.”

Rey sat up in the dark, and knew this was no dream.

She saw and heard Ben; she saw him through their bond.

But what she saw and heard was horrible.

His face was drawn and filthy, and the hand that reached to her looked skeletal.

He was swathed in a filthy robe, lying in a dirty doorway, in a back street of Anchorhead.

“I see you, Ben. I hear you.”

“Help me, Rey. I want to come home.”

Rey jumped out of bed and threw on her clothes.

“I’m coming, Ben. Wait for me. Don’t leave me, again!”

***

Rey stopped her speeder by the dirty doorway and was surprised to see the tall, broad-shouldered hulking Force ghost of Anakin Skywalker.

Gently, he picked up his broken, emaciated grandson, and carried him to the speeder.

“Master Anakin!” Rey gasped.

She watched him wrap Ben in the blanket she had brought, and gently lay him in the back seat of the speeder

“Take my grandson home. And don’t let him out of your sight until he’s well, again.”

“But I don’t know anything about healing! I don’t know who to call! I don’t know what to do! Someone has to help us!”

“There’s an old man living in my friend Ben Kenobi’s old shack. He claims to be a Jedi Healer. I will go there, now, and send him along to the Skywalker Farm. I am sure that he will be able to help you.”

Anakin Skywalker walked off towards the moonlit desert, and dissappeared into a little whirly of wind-driven sand..

***

Rey sped home, in a hurry.

Threepio helped her to carry what was left of Ben Solo into the house.

“Shouldn’t Master Ben have a doctor?”

“No, Threepio! No doctor! No medical droid! No bacta tank! No needle!”

Ben was terrified, but it was the first time he had spoken.

Rey was glad that he was alive enough to speak

“Alright, Master Ben. No doctor. Master Rey, what about the man in the kitchen.”

“He’s not a doctor. Master Ben hates doctors. Don’t talk about doctors! Help me get Master Ben into the bathroom, and tell that man to start doing...whatever it is he’s going to do. Have Artoo heat up some batha broth for Master Ben. Then you and Artoo go back to the shed. It’s too much for you.”

Rey slammed the door on the dithering droid, and went through the bedroom and back into the bathroom.

Ben had managed to get his robe off and get into the bathtub.

He was covered in bruises and scratches, and you could see his ribs and his hipbones.

What was visible of his face out of the rat’s nest of tangled hair and beard was suffused with all the misery the human race had ever endured.

Rey turned the water on.

“Let me die, Rey. Now that I’m home. I don’t want to live.”

“I want you to live, Ben. This is my miracle, not yours.”

“Grandfather wants me to live. Do you? Really?”

“Yes, Ben, I do! I love you!”

“Then maybe I will live a little longer.”

He lay quietly in the warm water as she scrubbed the dirt off of him, and didn’t protest even though she had to wash his hair and comb the tangles and rats out with oil several times, and then wash it, again.

It was either that or shave his head.

One of the Skywalkers had left his straight razor there, and Rey had polished it and sharpened it; why she wasn’t sure, but now she carefully shaved the filthy, matted beard away from Ben's gaunt face.

“Don’t shave it all. Kylo Ren didn’t wear a beard.” Ben told her.

It was the only thing he said, but his sad eyes watched her movements.

She helped him get out of the tub, and dried him.

“Thank you.” Ben said.

Ben leaned heavily on her as they made there way into the bedroom; he was still much larger and heavier than her.

But Rey didn’t complain.

She propped him up with pillows, and fed him sips of milk and sips of broth.

“Glass.” He said.

She handed him the glass of milk, and he gulped it down.

“Don’t, Ben, you'll get sick!”

He reached for the bowl, and sniffed it, like a dog, then put it back down.

“No. Meat.”

“You’ll get sick!”

Ben slammed his fist angrily on the nightstand.

“I’M DYING! MEAT, GODDAMN IT, GIVE ME MEAT!”

Bellowing like an angry Wookiee.

A Wookiee.

Chewbacca was Ben's godfather; he had been adopted into Chewie’s tribe, and had a Wookie name.

Kallaurra.

Angry Wild Warrior.

But she didn’t know where Chewie was and Han and Leia were dead.

“Alright, Ben. Your Uncle Chewie taught me how to make a Wookiee stew. I’ll fix you some meat.”

Rey went out into the kitchen.

She felt helpless and alone.

I don’t know him. I don’t know him, at all.

Rey closed her eyes.

And she called to Master Leia.

As usual, there was no response.

Then she called to Master Luke.

“I’m right here. I told Ben Kenobi, and Master Yoda. Make sure Ben is with Rey. Father agreed with me. They didn’t listen.”

Rey opened her eyes.

Master Luke was sitting at the table.

“No matter where I go? I always seem to end up, right back here. On Tattoine. Now I’m here in the same house.”

“You’re the JedI Healer? When did you come back?”

“Right after I thought I died on Ahch-To. I got the same treatment Ben did. It wasn’t my time. I wasn’t ready. Next thing I knew, I was alive and well, and back on Tattoine. In Ben Kenobi’s hut.”

“I wish I would have known you were so close by.”

“I wish I would have told you.”

“Master Luke, did you ever take care of someone in Ben’s condition?”

“I don’t know what Ben’s condition is.”

Rey explained.

“I have seen men as sick as Ben, and I’ve tried to heal them. Some get better, Rey, and some don’t. They have to want to live. But I’ll do everything I can for Ben. Before I founded the new Jedi Temple, I studied Jedi healing. I wanted to save lives to atone for the hundreds of thousands I had taken. And I have taken care of Ben when he’s sick. And I also know how to get him to take medicine. You make something he likes and put it in his food.”

“But we don’t have any medicine.”

“I brought some.”

Master Luke reached into his pocket and got a white cylinder, which he put in Rey’s hands.

She opened it.

It was full of capsules.

“What are they?”

“No. The green capsules are vitamin pills. The orange ones are bacta. Just pop them open and put them in the stew I’m going to show you how to make. It’s a Wookiee recipe that Ben likes. Chewie showed me how to make it.”

Master Luke made a stew with bantha broth, vegetables, a whole nerf tenderloin, and potatoes.

He showed her also how much of the pills to put in.

“Don’t let him gobble it. Feed him a spoonful or two, and wait a half hour, to see if it makes Ben sick. If not. Let him eat the whole bowl. Don’t give him any more tonight. If he’s not sick, tonight, he can have three of these big serving bowls, tomorrow. It’s not too much. Ben’s almost the size of a Wookie, so he eats like one. If his stomach is still alright, tomorrow, then he had have some bread, too. And don’t give him anything to drink but blue milk. If his stomach gets upset, crack one of these purple capsules into some blue milk, and get him to drink it. Make some more of the stew after this pot runs out. After a week, Ben should be able to eat normally. Don’t expect him to gain weight all at once. And don’t overfeed him. The bacta and vitamins should make him well in about a week. But it might take a couple of months before he gains his weight back.”

“REY! WHERE THE HELL IS MY FOOD! MEAT! DYING!” Ben roared.

“Is that a good sign?” Rey asked.

“I think so. Don’t tell Ben I was here. We’re still not on speaking terms. I’ll come back to check on him, another day. Oh, and one more thing. As soon as he feels better, he’s going to want to make up for the time you two were apart. That’s not going to happen for him, with his body in the state it’s in. Tell him to be patient. When he’s healed and gained some weight? I’m sure everything will straighten right out.”

“I wish Ben had a Jedi healer to stay with him, tonight.”

“He has one. You are a Jedi. And you have healed him, before. But be careful, Rey. Ben’s life force is at a low ebb, and he’s very sick. You can try to ease his pain, but don’t try to heal him, entirely. It would drain too much life out of you.”

Master Luke got up.

“This is the no fun part, Rey. Ben needs you, now.”

“I don’t mind at all, Master Luke. Ben is alive. I still feel better than I have for a long time. I have hope.”

“That’s good, Rey.”

Luke stood up, as if to go

“Uncle Luke? I know you’re there. I feel your presence.” Ben called out

They both froze.

“I’m sick, Uncle Luke. Are you a Force Ghost, or are you the Jedi Healer that Grandfather was going to get to come here and help me?”

“I’m the old hermit down the road, Ben. Do you want me to come to your room? I know we didn’t part on good terms. But Rey’s nervous about being alone with you, tonight.”

“Would you mind staying with me, Uncle Luke? Everybody else is dead.”

“I don’t mind at all, Ben. I’ll stay here as long as you want me to. I remember where my room is.”

***

As Master Luke had suspected, Ben wanted to gobble the food.

His instinct to live and his hunger had overwhelmed his will to destroy himself.

“No, Ben.” Master Luke said.

More patiently than Rey would have, as he moved the bowl away.

Ben tried to grab at it.

“No means no. Don’t get grabby with me.”

“But I’m hungry!”

“You can’t gobble the food up, Ben. You’ll be sick, and that might kill you!” Rey told Ben.

It was a very long half hour.

Ben kept trying to get the bowl, and Master Luke gave it to her and she had to move away from the bed.

He cried.

“Don’t cry, Ben. If you feel alright, you can have the whole bowl, soon. And another glass of blue milk.” Rey assured him.

“I’m hungry! I’m fucking hungry, and I’m too weak to get out of bed and take it! Where’s my mother, Uncle Luke? Why won’t she talk to me?” he sobbed.

“Your mother is...always with you, Ben. And you’ll get better. Rey and I will make sure.”

The half-hour passed and Luke gave Ben the whole bowl of food, and a glass of blue milk.

“Eat slowly, kid. You start gobbling, and I’ll take the bowl away.”

As he ate, slowly, for once, Ben told them what he had done for the past year.

“Why?” Rey asked.

“Rey! Don’t ask why. Ben is suffering. He doesn’t need a reason.” Luke told her.

“I have one. I was asleep in a bunkhouse, with a bunch of other men on this freighter. And I realized that killing Snoke, and his troopers, and all his toadying fucking followers I killed on my way to slaughter the Emperor didn’t make up for killing my father. Sure, Snoke influenced me. Told me to do it. But I had a choice. And I chose to kill him. I killed my father. Whenever anyone would say that to me, that killed my father? I would just think, no, Snoke made me do it. But I did it. I did. I killed my father. I loved him more than anybody in the world, even though he was kind of a shitty father, and sometimes I hated him for it. And I killed him. In such a way that he doesn’t even have a grave. When I realized all of that? It broke my mind.”

Ben snapped the wooden spoon in half.

“Just like that.”

He handed Rey the bowl and the empty glass.

Luke took the spoon, and put both halves in his hand, and closed his palm.

When he opened it, the spoon wasn’t broken.

“Your mind will heal, Ben. Just like this And before this year is out? You will see Han and Leia again. I don’t know how. But I know you will.”

“I did see Dad. He forgave me. I just can’t forgive me.”

“Ben, you saved me. You saved the Galaxy. Without you I could never have defeated the Emperor. You’re a hero. Han is proud of you. So is Master Leia. Stop torturing yourself.” Rey begged.

“Ben, you said it was time to let old things go.You’re not taking your own advice. This is how the Sith broke you. You don’t have to break yourself. You’re free. You won.” Luke told him.

“I’m tired. I think I need to go to sleep. I had better try to get to the bathroom, first. Rey already has to take care of me like I’m a baby. I don’t want to piss the bed like one.”

Ben managed to totter into the bathroom.

Rey wanted to hover over him, but she knew he was humiliated that she was seeing him like this, at all.

She waited.

He made his way slowly back to the bed and lay down.

“I’m going to go, now Ben.To my old room. I’ll be back when you wake up to see how you are.” Luke told him.

He put his hand on Ben’s forehead.

“Sleep, now. And have good dreams.”

Ben fell asleep.

Rey walked back to the door with her Master.

“Will he die in his sleep, Master Luke?”

“No. Sleep will heal him. We’ll let him sleep as long as he wants to. I think I’ll go say hello to my droids. Let them know that they’ll be coming with me, when I go home. I could use the company. And you have Ben, now.”

“They’re your droids, Master Luke.”

Master Luke opened the door and walked out into the courtyard, and beyond.

She watched him, retreating into the setting suns, heading for the old shed.

He wanted to help Ben, but also?

He was glad to be home, in spite of himself.

Rey understood.

***

She went back to the bedroom.

Rey got undressed and got into bed with Ben.

She pulled up all the covers, so he would be warm.

He woke up, for a moment.

“I haven’t slept in a bed since I left that freighter. And I haven’t slept in my bed, here, for what seems like an age. I think I might sleep for a long time.”

“As long as you need to, Ben. I’ll be here.”

Rey stayed awake until he was asleep, and for a hour afterward, making sure he was just asleep.

But then she fell asleep, too.

***

Ben slept all through the way through another day, until the morning after that day.

Rey kept checking on him, and so did Master Luke, but he moved around in his sleep, and he snored, and once he got up and drank some water, so she knew he was just sleeping.

That morning he walked stiffly into the kitchen, dressed in a baggy cream tunic and brown trousers.

He had a cloth belt wrapped many times around the waist so that the clothes, although they were the right lengths for him, didn’t fall off him.

“Ben, those are my father’s clothes.”

“I know. They were still here, when I came here. I wear them, all the time. The desert preserves things.”

He had bathed, and dressed but he hadn’t shaved.

“I’m growing a goatee. To distinguish Ben Solo from Kylo Ren.”

“Everyone knows that Ben Solo killed Kylo Ren. Nobody’s going to come after you, Ben. You’re a free man. You earned it.” Master Luke told him.

There was a weird sense of calm, and dignity about Ben that she’d never seen in him, before.

He thanked her politely when she gave him the serving bowl of stew with the serving spoon.

Rey had gone out and bought the most fine, expensive loaf of rich, black, seeded bread that she could find, and put it on the table.

Ben snatched up the heel, and turned it over in his hands, and then he put it under his nose and sniffed it.

“I don’t remember the last time I had bread that wasn’t stale. Or mouldy.”

He ate the slice of bread, slowly.

Rey wanted to cry.

There were tears in Master Luke’s eyes.

But she didn’t want Ben to become hysterical.

So she carried on eating her cereal and blue milk.

“Have another piece. With your stew.” She encouraged him.

“Chewie used to make this for me. When I was a kid, and I’d get sick. It’s a Wookie recipe.”

“I know. He taught me how to make it.” Master Luke told Ben.

After he ate, Ben got up and walked out onto the hot sand, barefoot.

Rey supposed he was used to it, by now.

But he came back.

“I have to get used to boots again. I still have mine.”

***

Ben didn’t like to stay inside, too long.

He got restless.

And when he slept at night, it was like he was dead.

After a week, Luke was right, he was much better and he had gained some weight.

Before Master Luke went home, he brought Obi-Wan, to talk to Ben while Luke was giving him a final once-over.

Their Master returned and brought Obi-Wan with him.

He spoke with Ben while Luke was examining him.

“Were you seeking a vision, Ben? Or were you trying to be a vision?” Obi-Wan asked.

“I was trying to be a vision. I wanted to spread the word about the New Path. And the Force United. And to warn people not to go back to the old ways. I wanted to use my body to show them. So I made all the old wounds and scars reappear.”

“You’re on the right path, Ben. But you must not use suffering to make your point. Yours or that of others.” Obi-Wan told him.

Ben nodded.

Master Luke pronounced him much better.

He took Artoo and Threepio and went home.

After that, Rey and Ben were on their own.

Ben quickly started getting his body to do what he wanted, again.

He took long walks in the desert.

After two weeks, he was running, in nothing but a pair of shorts, running over the burning sand, barefoot and mostly naked.

But he stopped being antsy when he was in the house.

***

Rey had to go buy some food, and Ben wanted to drive her speeder to Anchorhead.

When they got to the store where she bought the bread, and the old baker saw Ben, he came out from behind the counter.

“I can’t believe it! Young man, what’s your name”

“Ben Skywalker.”

“Was your grandaddy Anakin Skywalker? Son of Shmi Skywalker and Kylo Skywalker, who died a warrior on Arkanis, and that started all the trouble his family got into?”

“That’s me.”

“I knew your granddaddy, then. We were both slaves, here. The Jedi took him away to become one of them. But he wanted to be a pilot. Me, I got sold to a baker. Now I’m a free man and this is my shop. But Ani used to come here to visit his mother. You look so much like him. Is he still living?”

“No. But he became a pilot. And a Jedi. He died a Jedi, at the end of Clone Wars and became one with the Force.”

“I suppose that’s what he wanted. But it still makes me glad I became a baker. Did you go to that Jedi Temple? Out on Yavin-4?”

“I did. But it wasn’t for me. Too may rules. So I left, and stuck with what I love. The stars.”

“So, you’re a starpilot too? Good for you, son. Ani would have liked that.”

“I’m sure he does.”

***

Time passed them by.

Ben continued to fight his way back from the brink of death.

He fought so hard, and regained his physique and his strength so quickly that Rey began to suspect he was healing himself, using the Force

Ben had always been strong in the Force, but he had become both more accomplished and more powerful than before. There was a new light in Ben's dark, ancient eyes, and a new kind of power animated him.

The Force was with Ben, but in a form Rey had never encountered.

But, neither she nor Ben were thinking on that, or the New Path of the Force United that they were, arguably supposed to be making a way for.

No, the weightiest problem at the Skywalker farm was much less cosmic.

Most people did not know that Rey and Kylo Ren had been star-crossed lovers.

And no one knew that it wasn’t just one last kiss that Ben Solo bestowed upon Rey before he died.

That was the elephant in the bedroom.

“Rey?’

She was asleep.

“What, Ben? Have you been awake all night?”

“I can’t sleep. What if I killed it?”

“Killed what?”

“My cock.”

“I’m sure you’d be fine with another woman.”

Ben hadn’t heard that.

“How could I just let it go, like that? Fuck, I haven’t even jerked off for six months! I don’t even remember the last time I got hard. I killed it. I lost my mind, destroyed my body, and killed my cock. And I’m ugly again, and I disgust you.”

“Ben, you are not ugly. You have never been ugly. That’s all in your mind. Go to sleep.”

“Then why are you so cold, all the sudden?”

“I didn’t want to hurt you. You were like a human skeleton.”

“I’m fine, now.”

“Go to sleep, Ben.”

Ben swore.

He got out of bed.

“Where are you going?”

He jerked the bathroom door open, angrily so that the knob smacked into the hole it had already made in the wall.

“Fuck it! I'm going to go into the bathroom and try to get it up for somebody I know who cares about how upset I am, and wants to try to make me a man, again! Me!”

But then?

He had a better idea.

And he got back into bed with Rey.

“Wait! I know what this is about. You think the last time we fucked, it killed me. That you killed me. Now, you're afraid if you touch me again, I’ll just die. Right?”

“Ben, I…you did die.”

“I was going to die anyway. I figured I might as well die hard.”

Rey couldn’t help laughing.

A little.

“Besides, how many times have you tried to kill me? As many times as I told you I was going to fuck you whether you liked it, or not. Funny how it always seems to turn me on when you try to kill me. And when I act like I’m going to fuck you whether you like it or not? You always like it. The first fight we ever had? I wish I knew that you almost cutting my face off with a lightsaber was foreplay. If I had? Instead of offering to show you the ways of the force, I would have told you that if you came with me, I was going to tie you to a table, again, and slide my tongue up your sweet Rebel cunt.”

In several years of very dirty talk, and horrible arguments and insults, that was both the dirtiest and the most horribly insulting thing Ben ever said to her.

She slapped him in the face, and he laughed.

“Don’t you dare, Ben Solo!”

“What? Don’t try that high and mighty shit on me. I’m the guy who fucks you. I know what you like. And you know, you never asked me what truths I brought back from the other side.”

He pulled the covers off the bed, and grabbed Rey by the ankles and pushed her legs open.

“Never gave a minute's thought to the Force United. Or the new path. But I’m not going to make the same mistake twice. I’m not gonna ask you if you want me to teach it to you. Because I know what you want from me.”

Ben put Rey’s legs around his shoulders.

“I’m just going to slide my tongue up your sweet Rebel cunt. I know you like that.”

If Ben's intent was to inflame them both?

It worked.

He rose to the occasion, and Rey felt anything but cold.

She was still in the throes of the orgasm he gave her as he was sitting up at the bottom of the bed, saying:

“Hard as beaker fucking steel. It worked!”

Yes.

It had.

“Ben, you horrible bastard, I’ve wanted you so much for so long!” she told him.

“Yeah. I know.” he told her.

***

All around the Skywalker farm you could hear the sound of a woman, screaming

And a man’s savage, guttural voice.

“Do you feel it now? Do you feel the raw power of the Dark Side?”

The woman’s screams grew louder and the man uttered a deep, dark, Satanic laugh.

He pinned her to the bed with his big, powerful body, and she locked her arms and legs around him screaming every time he thrust into her.

Faster.

Deeper.

Harder.

“Can you feel my power? The power of the Force United? Is this the way you want to get fucked, little scavenger? Fast and dirty and hard?”

More screams ripped from the woman’s throat.

“Yes! Yes! I feel your power. Your power! More!” the woman sobbed.

“My power? Who’s power? Say it! Fucking say it!” the man ordered, snarling through gritted teeth.

“Ben Solo! Oh, gods, gods, Ben fucking Solo!”

The woman screamed for joy, the man gave voice to another guttural laugh, and it resolved into a roar like the sound an angry Wookie makes before he tears your arms out and beats you to death with them.

Then, it was quiet, again.

***

Rather prudishly, Rey pulled the covers up to her neck.

In contrast, Ben lay on top of them, naked, his arms behind his head, his eyes closed, a happy, untroubled smile on his face.

“That was worth fucking waiting. You are one hot little piece of ass, Little Rebel Girl. You had better come out from under those covers. I’m not done with you.”

“Can’t I go back to sleep, now?”

“Why?’

“Ben, you don’t understand. You were born without shame. I’m embarrassed. People don’t…I…I mean, I enjoy making love as much as, well, any woman, but…you have no idea what I am on about, do you?”

He turned on the light.

“Rey, I understand your ‘Who? Poor little me?’ act is what’s kept you alive through all these years, and it keeps people out of your hair. But don’t play it on me. I know better. I’m also the guy who fights with you. At your side and as your opponent, remember? So you can mince around Tattoine, acting like you are the little scavenger, a little war widow, just getting by, spending her life in elegiac genteel exile. Living with the memory of her lost love. But we both know it’s bantha shit.”

“Oh, really? And how would you know, Ben?”

“Rey, you slapped my face in a room full of smoking corpses and pools of blood and told me to quit fucking talking and kiss you. Then you wanted me to fuck you, on Snoke’s throne. You hardly gave me time to get rid of the mess and drape the curtains over the throne! I mean, there I was, on my knees, with one foot resting on a dead man, and you’re pulling my hair and calling me a Sith bastard and telling me you’re going to come in my mouth, so I had better lick it up. Then, when I got up? You would have thought I poured honey all over my cock the way you went after it. You broke the zipper on my pants, getting it out. I had to hold your nose so you’d open your mouth so I could pull my cock out, because I thought if I came in your mouth before I fucked you, you’d cut me in half. I mean, I could hardly believe my luck. I felt like the luckiest man in the Galaxy. Who knew you were the kind of girl who loved to give head and liked it doggie style on the throne of the Supreme Leader? I thought I might have been in love with you before that day. After? I was done. You had me. For the first time in my life, I was crazy in love.”

Rey bit her lip, to keep in a laugh, a scream of outrage, or both.

“I was carried away in the moment.” she sniffed

“This went on for longer than a moment. Hell, the first time I told you I could take what I wanted, you looked at me like, oh, Daddy, let’s fight first, and I might kill you later, but take me now, I’m all yours.”

“So what if I was immediately attracted to you? A lot of women have been!”

“Not when they were strapped to a table, killer. Rey, I was your enemy. I was the bad guy you were fighting against. I gave the orders that almost wiped out the whole Rebel fleet! And even after that, you came here to meet me every chance you got! And we never talked, here. We talked when we were light-years away from each other. When we were together all we did was fuck. I was the Supreme Leader, I could do what I wanted. Go where I wanted. Nobody questioned me. I killed three generals who asked me what my business was with the Rebel girl. Those bloodless Imperial fucks stopped asking me stupid questions about my Little Rebel Girl after that. You were training to be a Jedi. You were the big hero of the Resistance. And you risked all that to come to Tattoine and fuck me out in the desert. When you had two guys, right there, who would have dragged their balls over hot coals just to get a shot at you. How long did the moment last? Two or three years? That’s a long karking moment, isn’t it?”

“It’s because I love you, Ben.”

“I love you too, Rey. But you are not a poor, meek, winsome little scavenger. You are a hot-blooded Force warrior. A two-tone, blood-glutted, cock-hungry hellcat who likes fast ships, bad men, high adventure, a damn good fight, and a real hot fuck. Be who you are, Rebel Girl. Some other guys might get turned off by that, but I’m Kylo Ren, remember? I love it when you’re bad. Hell, I killed myself at Exegol, satisfying our mutual battle lust. But I figured, what a way to go!”

“That’s why I was never going to touch another man, ever again. I killed you, Ben.”

“I came, and then I went.”

Ben laughed.

“It’s not funny! You gave me life and I took it back from you!”

“You didn’t kill me, Rey. Sheev Palpatine killed me. I knew I was going to die in that cave. I knew it before I brought you back. But I thought, hell, if I have to die, I might as well do it after a great victory in battle and a great fuck with the Valkryie I love. My Little Rebel Girl. And it’s not going to happen again, because I am now the most powerful Force sensitive being in the galaxy. Well, next to you. So do me a favor, and drop the act. It turns me off, and you’re insulting yourself.”

“Ben Solo, you are such a bad man!”

“Through and through. Did you think Kylo was the bad guy and Ben was the good guy? The best you can say about me is that I’m the good bad guy. Rey, my father was a ruthless pirate. My grandfather was Darth Vader. I’m bad right down to my bones.”

“You wont tell anyone else about me, will you, Ben?”

“They already know. They’re just too terrified to argue with you. Damn, I have to piss.”

He got up and went to the bathroom.

Rey shifted around a little.

Thinking about what he had said.

Ben came back to bed.

He got under the covers, kissed her, and rolled over on his back and shut out the light.

Rey was a little disappointed, until Ben hauled her on top of him.

“OK, Rebel Girl! Your turn to be on top!”

***

The one thing that people all the way to Anchorhead would tell you about Ben Skywalker was that he had to be related to Ani Skywalker, because he looked just like him.

His hair and beard were black, and hsi etse were dark, but other than that, he was Ani all over again.

He wore the same kind of desert pilot’s clothes; in fact, Ben and his wife were poor; he might have been wearing Anakin’s clothes that he found at the old Skywalker moisture farm.

Young Skywalker and his wife, who was a nameless scavenger from Jakku before he gave her his had come right from the wars.

Ben had lived out on the old place for years, but during the wars, he was always coming and going.

When he came to the cantina in the village without his wife?

Once he had a few pitchers of beer, he'd show you all his scars.

Take his pants down and everything, and the foolish boy didn’t wear underwear.

He had moods, but those scars meant he came by those moods, honestly.

He said he was a pilot, but all he seemed to be doing was getting his old wreck of a ship fixed up.

You might see him, running through the desert, barefoot, bareheaded, and slathered with sun protection, wearing only a pair of regulation Imperial exercise undershorts.

When he got to the village, he’d stop by the cantina for lunch.

“Training. I eat too much, and I drink too much, so I have to train like a goddamn Sith just to keep from turning into a big day tub of guts. That, and the Little Rebel Girl I married? She’s horny as an Askajian whore with a Twi'lek mother. She was a real killer, in the wars. If I ever quit banging her two, three times a day? She’d burn down the planet. But she keeps me in shape. Best exercise there is. Doing push-ups with girls. Before I met Rey? Hell, I had two or three women a week, just to keep me happy. Hell of a woman, my Little Rebel Girl. Better run home before she thinks I’ve got a girl on the side.”

Then he’d drink another pitcher of blue milk, finish his four sandwiches, and run home.

But what Ben was most famous for in the village was fighting a full grown Wookiee, and winning.

He made a lot of money doing it, too.

Ben Skywalker was the local character before the war was over, but taht wa sto be expected.

He was a Skywalker, after all; they were all characters.

In short?

Nobody suspected a damn thing.

***

After having lived by her wits from the time she was 14, and then becoming a Jedi, a warrior and the savior of the Galaxy?

The last thing Rey thought would make her happy was being a wife and keeping a house.

But somehow, just now?

It did.

At first Ben's moods were a problem, but when she discovered there were four of them, it became manageable.

Brooding Mystic, Wild Man, Happy-Go-Lucky Pirate, and Sexual Death Star.

Sometimes all in the same day.

And she had to admit, the fact that Sexual Death Star was a regular daily mood made it easier.

Ben naturally had a lot of stamina, and he was well endowed, but Rey always thought he had made sure to become a good lover to make it up to a woman for his moodiness.

But Ben knew himself, he had stocked his home with all wooden plates, bowls, and cups, and a stoneware pitcher that she he said he had thrown at a stone wall before buying.

So he got mad, sometimes and threw things and yelled?

It didn’t bother her.

Ben was always hungry, so he was always cooking, and there was always enough to eat.

They stayed in bed for days, sometimes, making love, and being goofy and just being together.

And she had not just a room, but a whole farm.

She and Ben had cleaned it up, and fixed everything, and even the old rusting farm machinery looked like art.

Ben worked on the Falcon, his ship now and there was a lot of work to do, because Rey had let it sit for a year.

Ben talked about getting in touch with “Uncle Chewie” he was thinking about getting back to work, with Rey as his scavenger.

He had a scheme in his heart, and that was a good sign.

But neither of them were ready to leave.

They went to the market in the old speeder, and brought fresh bread, and sometimes, when the moon was bright they had lightsaber duels out in the desert, and then they’d make love like lions, under the stars.

The stars that still belonged to them.

It was a beautiful little life, with just the two of them, but one day, the west wind from out behind Tattoine’s twin suns blew Chewbacca in to Mos Eisley, and there was a radio message from him.

He was coming out to the Skywalker Farm, and when he got there, they should be on the Falcon and ready to go.

Rey knew, then that everything was about to change.

#reylo week 2020 #destiny #resurrection #soulmates #post tros #Ben solo lives #ben solo redemption

37 notes · View notes

twoidiotwriters1 · 4 years

Text

Starcrossed Losers 2.III (Josh Wheeler xF!Reader)

A/N: I wish I could say I’ll be updating this constantly but we know is not true lmao -Danny

Words: 2,159

Warnings: None!

Series’ Masterlist

Previous Chapter // Next Chapter

Listen to me!

We're sitting in the cafeteria, I'm holding my phone and letting the podcast play for everyone to hear, when it ends, there's a heavy silence surrounding us.

"So..." I say, pausing the recording. "When are we leaving?"

"What?"

"When are we leaving to go search for these kids?" I repeat. No one looks at me in the eye.

"Oh my god," I gape, "you're not going to look for them!"

"Y/N..." Wesley starts, but I interrupt him.

"These kids have no weapons, no army. They've been surviving out of sheer luck and truces with some minor tribes– And they watched after us!"

"They were watching us, there's a difference," Josh points out.

"So? They never tried to attack us, all they wanted was to keep us all updated on everyone's whereabouts, they kept us connected–"

"Even if we wanted to save those kids, Y/N," Angelica said, "we don't know where they are or who's keeping them captive."

"Well, how many kids in suits do you know? They can't be that hard to find..."

"Yeah? How many kids in suits have you seen so far?" Wesley raised a brow.

I'm about to reply when I realize he's right, I haven't seen anyone wearing a suit in months, I mean we wore suits and dresses during our fake prom, but that was totally different.

"It's too dangerous, Y/N," Alex shakes his head, "we just won a fight against Burr, we can't ask the kids to fight with us against someone we don't even know."

"But they know us!" I exclaim. "Didn't you hear the podcast? They're using the AV club to check our blind spots and keep us all in places where we can be seen– Do you really think there's quicksand dowtown?"

"They haven't tried to attack us anyway," KJ interferes, "for all we know, they may be targetting the jocks, and that's out of our jurisdiction."

"Oh, fuck off KJ," I groan, "you're only saying that because you're a sneaky little shit that will hide in the background to see who's the best side to bet your money on."

"First of all, I don't have any money, I do value my life," KJ glares at me, "and what you're trying to do is a dumbass move, these kids could be pretending, they could be faking their kindnapping or something–"

"This was recorded five days ago!" I say loudly. "No one has heard of them since!"

"I won't do it," KJ stands up and walks away.

I look around, everyone look just as disinterested as her and that drives me up the wall, how can they be so stupid?

"Fine," I walk away as well.

"Y/N, where are you going?" Josh is quick to follow me.

"If you won't help me, that's okay. I'll do it."

"What?"

"I'll go look for those kids. They don't deserve to die."

"Y/N, wait– Hold on!" He grabs my wrist and turns me around. "Stop and think this through. They said they were surrounded. You could die!"

"Then come with me!"

'One more day we'll spend together Lay your eyes, look up upon me for the better Oh, I know I'm worse for weather But my love, I won't give up'

"What?" He blinks in confusion, "Y/N, are you serious? Are you hearing yourself? Alex is right, we just won a war, we can't lose more people."

"No one said that," I put my hands on his shoulders to ease him. "Josh, a few months ago I was running from one place to the other, alone, with no army. That could've been me, imagine if I had gotten kidnap before you could find me, then none of this would be true."

Josh looks at me intently and I see in his eyes that he's trying hard to agree with me, but there's something stopping him.

"That's exactly why I can't let you do this," He replies softly. "I don't want to lose you the way I lost..."

I know he was about to say Sam. I know there's no reason why that should upset me, but it does, it makes me feel like he's only using me as a mock-up Sam, have the relationship that he couldn't have with her.

'Spend my days cursing my soul Wishing I could paint my scars and make me whole Oh, I know I could be better But my love, I won't give up'

"I'm not her," I say, pulling away from him, "if we ever get lost I promise I'll come back to you, but right now... I can't stay beside you and do nothing, Josh. You told me I helped you be better, then please, help me get better too. Months ago I would've turn my back on the AV club, but I don't want to do that anymore."

Josh groans and passes a hand over his face tiredly, he hasn't slept since the morning and I can tell he feels like it's been a long day, I feel that too.

"I'm no hero, Y/N. You know that," He sighs, "I can't promise you anything... I'll help."

I take a deep breath. If I can be honest with you, I wasn't going to run out of the mall this time, I was just being dramatic, but good to know that I was convincing enough that Josh genuinely believed I was going to leave again.

'I ain't no superman, I ain't no holy ghost I'm just the one that keeps you up and that you love the most I'll be your strong man, I'll be your West Coast I'll be the sun, I'll be the waves, I'll be the one you love the most'

"Okay," Josh takes my hand and guides me back to the matress store, "so what now?"

"I guess I could ask Angelica if she can track the signal of the last recording, maybe an IP, I have no clue..."

"Maybe the gamers can help..."

"You think they will?"

"They can try, but we must ask while they're still here, otherwise they won't feel in debt with us."

"So we have a week to find these kids, then?"

"Let's say three days, if we're planning on saving their lives and not just finding their bodies."

"It's late, can we go to bed? it's..." He checks his watch and frowns. "Eleven? Shit, I'm an old man..."

I laugh and kiss the back of his hand.

"You had a long day, it's okay, it happens."

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Next morning we ask Aria to help us out and she–

"No fucking way."

Decided to decline.

"Come on, I know you can do it!" I groan.

"Oh we can, we just don't want to get ourselves involve."

"Your names don't have to come up at all, we can take all the blame, right Josh?"

"We don't even know if these kids are alive–" He stops short when he sees my glare. "I mean, we aren't in real danger... yet."

"Y/N you know I respect you," Aria sighs, "But like you said before, my tribe comes first."

"I know, but I'm not asking you to fight my fight, I'm just asking you to help me out with the address, and then I can go kick some fancy ass."

"We can go kick some fancy ass," Josh corrects me.

'I'd change my ways if you would stay And all your tears that you have cried will go away Oh, just grant me one more day Oh, my love, please don't give up'

Aria huffs and looks away from the computer.

"I'll make my team work on this but for a limited time. I give you two days to find them, if we do we'll tell you and you can go out of your way to find them. If not, you won't ask again, understood?"

"Totally," I smile. "Thank you."

"Whatever," Aria turns her chair so now her back is facing us.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

"I can't believe you're doing this," Alex rolls his eyes, "Are you suffering some kind of trauma? You're incapable to remain at peace so you find more wars to fight or something?"

"It's called doing what's right," I raise a brow. "You know me, I won't abandon anyone else ever again."

"Y/N?" Angelica enters the pharmacy and points over her shoulder. "They sent the jock over, it's for that yearbook-thingy you said Sam was doing."

"Great!" I circle the counter, "Can you tell Josh? He's the leader after all, he needs to be present while... I don't know, while we give this guy a tour?"

"Yeah sure," Angelica turns around and leaves.

"Hey," I yell before she walks around the corner, "where's the jock?"

"Waiting on the main entrance!" She yells back.

I nod and go to where she told me to, my mind wonders while I think of how cool it is to be building a legacy, someone will read that book one day and they'll see what we did, and they'll know we found a way to have a family and be happy, to be at peace and leave our past behind to turn our lives into something better. This is a great idea, I have to admit it.

"Hi," I call to the boy standing a few feet ahead of me, he's wearing armor so I assume that's the jock Sam sent, the jocks that stay with us wear sweatpants and shorts, not armors. "You must be the jock we were waiting for, my name's..."

I stop talking when he turns around to face me.

Holy fucking shit. Not this guy.

"Y/N," His eyes brighten when he calls my name, "You have no idea how much I've missed you..."

"Nathan," I say in a squeaky voice. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here for the yearbook!" He exclaims happily, then he walks closer to me and adds in a whisper. "And to catch up with an old friend– don't think I've forgotten, you owe me a date."

"Oh, Nathan," I cringe at his comment. "Oh... no..."

'See the devil at my door I see the future of the ones that I've ignored I guess I was born to be at war But my love, I won't give up So, my love, please don't give up'

Probably should've told you this before, but to be fair I was running out of time!

You remember Nathan, right? The guy that helped me escape the school that one time I stole half of the jocks' weapons?

Yeah, well... he wasn't just a friend.

Before my kiss with Alex, before everything had blown up in our faces, there was Nathan. And he was a goddamn prince.

"Y/N?"

I turn around and I feel something close to dread when Josh walks up to us with his usual smile, he looks at Nathan and then me, unaware of my inner breakdown.

"You must be one of Sam's?"

"Yeah, you must be just-Josh?" Nathan smiles, shaking his hand. "I'm here to write all you're willing to share about your tribe, I must admit I know nothing about it besides the fact that Y/N and Alex are part of it."

"You knew each other before?"

"Yes!" I practically shout so Nathan doesn't say anything. "We used to hang out at school. He was a friend."

Nathan frows a little, but an amused smile tells me he's just slightly confused.

"Really?" Josh chuckles. "When we met she said she had no friends left here in the city, but turns out most of her former friend group still lives."

"I did leave for a while," Nathan shrugs, "but I came back, I couldn't leave this town, something... something was missing."

His eyes linger on mine and I feel extremely uncomfortable. I should say something before this gets out of control, maybe I should ask him to talk to me in private so I can explain my new situation, but before I can even start, Josh pulls me closer and intertwines our hands.

"Y/N's exactly like that, she doesn't wanna leave at all, but to be honest I don't mind, as long as we're together, right?"

I look up and try to make a genuine smile, it comes out forced but Josh doesn't notice since he inmediately leans down and kisses me shortly. I freeze for half a second and quickly look back at Nathan's reaction. He freezes as well, blinks and gapes at what he just saw, but doesn't comment on it.

"Let's go then, we have a lot to show you!" Josh says excitedly, pulling me along so I turn around and I'm unable to see Nathan.

This is the moment I knew, I fucked up.

Taglist.

@letsbe-queer @slythermyg @loving-u-3000 @one-loud-mind

#twoidiots writing #daybreak fanfic #daybreak #netflix #josh wheeler xreader #josh wheeler #angelica green #wesley fists

14 notes · View notes