#*whispers* so ready | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

softquietsteadylove · 2 months

Note

Could we get a little something something from My Kingdom for a Heart fic that’s on ao3? Idc if it’s fluff or angst I’ll literally take anything you give out bc it’s just that good!!

Sersi was spinning around the floor with Ikaris, her veil whirling around her, sparkling silver against her emerald green gown. She always had a certain joy to her, of course. But even Thena had not seen her beaming so fully in all their lives together. It was exactly the kind of free, unburdened smile she had always wished for her sister.

To marry without obligation was the best gift Thena could pass on to her sister, and that included abdicating the throne as the eldest and making Sersi the acting queen. Thena had some reservations about the marriage in question being to Ikaris, but she had to admit, he was not so villainous. Annoying, perhaps, but that was a lesser of evils.

He was her brother now, and while she felt she was truly understanding the petulance a brother could bring to her life, their families - and kingdoms - were becoming one. Unfortunately, he still liked to argue with some of the advice she had to offer (as the royal advisor). But Sersi was always quick to hear out her sister, and that usually managed to pull her new husband along with her.

"It is a beautiful ball, your Grace."

Much to her disappointment, it was not the one she was expecting, but rather some lord or another. She did not know why he was saying so to her. She had not planned it alone, nor was she truly participating in it, past being the one who had walked Sersi down the aisle to her groom. "It is."

"Congratulations, to you and to the happy couple."

"Indeed," she muttered. She was no longer the princess and regent, she was merely Sersi's second in line, and that came after her job as advisor, as far as Thena was concerned.

"You look splendid as well, of course."

He was wearing on her patience, of course.

"I should almost think it possible for you to steal the attention away from the bride herself."

"My Lord," Thena drawled, keeping her eyes on her sister, "I should think that you would rather not insult my dearest sister in the process of attempting to compliment me."

"I-I-" he stammered, "I would never-"

Thena moved away from him. She no longer held the power to send people away with the flick of her wrist--truly the only part of her position she truly mourned. The crowd cheered for the guests of honour, concluding another of many dances this evening. Thena smiled.

"Your Grace!"

Was tonight destined to be a gauntlet through which she was to battle?

"Congratulations on your sister's happy marriage, your Grace," another lord bowed to her formally at least. "The kingdom could not be happier for the Prince and his bride."

Sersi would make a wonderful queen. "I shall tell them."

"It does free you, does it not?" he continued, perhaps not catching onto her locked tight posture and cold eyes. "Without expectation to marry the Prince, you are more able to select a husband of your choosing. Perhaps even a love match?"

Thena looked at the brazen lord speaking to her without end. He was younger than she had expected, his hair sitting atop his head with as much arrogance as he exuded in his smile. "Do you have a matter that concerns you, my Lord?"

"Perhaps," he grinned at her, and it made her want to take a long step back from him. He held out his hand to her, "if you would do me the honour-"

"Forgive me, my Lord, but her Grace has other obligations."

Thena's eyes rose, and she failed to contain her pleasure at the sight of her rescuer. "Captain, if you would be so kind as to escort me."

"Of course, your Grace," he smiled back at her as a gentleman would. He even removed his leather glove before offering his hand to her. He stood between her and the man asking to dance with her, turning his back - unthinkably rude! - on him in the process.

"Thank you," Thena murmured as they made their escape, descending the steps closer to the thrones and skirting around the crowd. "I can no longer decline such invitations without good reason."

"I would think that not wanting to listen to him preen himself is reason enough."

Thena attempted to keep her laughter contained, but a faint puff of air escaped her. She held the skirt of her dress in the hand that was not perched in Gil's. "You have rescued me yet again, Captain."

"It is part of my job," he stated, although the royal advisor was not technically part of his obligations as royal guard. He winked at her, "Thena."

She smiled down at the lush carpet beneath their feet. If her hands were free they would be wringing around themselves again and again. The Captain continued to have such effect on her, and her poor, suffering heart. "I keep telling you, it is not."

"And I keep telling you: you will always be Princess, to me."

How was she to think clearly when she had such poetry over her shoulder, no less whispering in her ear?

"Would you like to?"

"To what?" she looked up at him.

He nodded his head towards where Ikaris was claiming another dance with his bride, even wrapping his arms around her and lifting her off the ground in their shared glee. "Dance?"

Her hand flinched in his, while the one holding her dress began squeezing it for her life. Her throat dried. "I'm afraid I have not nearly the grace my sister does, Captain."

"Come on," he whispered to her, even coming to a stop at a small gap in the crowd's observation of the bride and groom. "I thought we had a deal."

Thena's eyes darted up to him and then forward again. Her heart flitted and fluttered in her chest as she sighed, "Gil."

He stood straight, his hand behind his back and the other holding hers aloft. "It is a celebration, y'know. No one would think twice about you having a little fun at your own sister's wedding."

She could feel how warm he was next to her, even with his light chest plate over his formal uniform. Her fingers trembled faintly, but he held her steadily. "I suppose your gallantry should not go unrewarded."

She winced at herself, and her need to make the simple act of a dance something obligatory. Why could she not simply say that she did wish to dance with him?

Because that would be far too damning an admission, and far too revealing for one simple dance.

But Gilgamesh just smiled at her as he always did. He moved slowly, grasping her hand as he took the first step out from the edge of the crowd, "I'm honoured."

Thena forced herself to look up at him as he swept her onto the dance floor. It wasn't that moving with him was unfamiliar, or even awkward. It felt like when he had helped her from the wagon by lifting her delicately by the waist.

If anything, it felt too familiar, and perhaps even too...nice. He was warm, and gentle, and if he were not wearing the pauldron of his armour, she had half a mind to slip her hand up to his shoulder. His hand grasped hers out from them, the other on her back in a proper and appropriate position.

"So, have you thought about it?"

"Hm?" she blinked, betrayed by her mind wandering away from her actions and instead meandering along the subject of her dance partner.

"Marriage."

The royal advisor's cheeks took on a lively rouge as he spun them around with ease. This was not the first time they had discussed such a topic, either. And remembering the last time they had never failed to send her heart into a frenzy.

Somewhere behind them, Sersi also spun past amidst her dance with her husband. Her sister's giggling reached her ears, worsening Thena's feeling of fluster. Sersi knew very well that the subject of marriage - when it involved the Captain - always left her feeling stymied.

"I," Thena started and then paused immediately. Her mastery of language was slipping from her mind. Her eyes slid down his chestplate to the crest of the kingdom sitting right in the centre. Her hand twitched in his again, "I have...considered it."

At her own insistence, her marriage simply had to wait. As soon as she had abdicated, there was little time until Sersi's coronation and the wedding happening right on top of each other. And she and Gilgamesh were at their busiest when Sersi and Ikaris were.

There was no time to consider Gilgamesh's proposal of a proposal, as it were. And a man of his word, he had not brought it up amidst all the chaos of things. But he was asking now. As she had told him, he was asking if he could ask her again.

"And?" he prompted her gently--sweetly. He ducked his head closer to hers, moving closer in their dance to a proximity one could consider salacious. "If I were to ask you, would you say yes?"

Thena tried to keep her breathing even. She felt as if she were drowning in him, and she did not fully want to emerge from it. But she forced herself to keep her face from burying itself against his neck. "Your timing could be improved, Captain."

"Oh?" he chuckled, still in good spirits as she dodged his approach to marrying her yet again. "And how is that?"

Thena closed her eyes, trying to concentrate, and unable to do so while she thought people might be observing them acting so improperly. All she needed do was turn her head for her lips to graze his cheek or perhaps even his ear (indecent!). She gulped. "It is my sister's wedding day, Gil. This is no time for you to be asking for my hand."

"I daresay she would approve."

Sersi would be the first to jump for joy. She would also point right at Thena and say that she had said so long beforehand.

"I will not become engaged on the day of my sister's wedding," Thena resolved with a bit of a huff. "Have you no sense of propriety?"

On the contrary, it was mortifyingly she who was breaths away from pressing her forehead under his jaw just to feel the warmth of his skin.

"Forgive me, your Grace." She knew he was smirking--she just knew it. "Shall I ask again tomorrow, then?"

Thena's heart pounded. He hadn't asked in the exact words, but her whole body felt flush with warmth and thrill all the same. The warmth did not drain from her cheeks as she gripped his hand purposefully with her fingers. "I will be at the garden pond at first light. I expect you will not keep me waiting."

As she had done to him.

His hand squeezed hers, and he even dared to weave their fingers together (the absolute audacity). He tilted his head, disguising the way he touched his cheek to the top of her head, no longer weighed down by a golden circlet. "I wouldn't dream of it, Thena."

#Thenamesh AU #I loved this fic so thank you so much!!!#listen they're very busy #Thena is royal advisor and has to be attached to Ikaris and Sersi at all times #mostly Sersi but still #she's always advising them #in every meeting and plan #the coronation and proposal happen literally the same week #the wedding happens no more than three weeks later #it's old times shit's gotta happen fast #Ikaris and Sersi do tours of the kingdom in celebration #Thena travels with them and Gil guards them all #some might think it odd how the captain of the royal guard hovers around the advisor rather than his king and queen #some whisper about seeing his hand on the advisor's back to steady her #he stands aside when the king and queen get out of their carriage but he holds his hand out for the advisor to use when it's her turn #it's about the pining!!!!!#anyway Thena has been avoiding it because she doesn't know if she's ready #because there's no question that she's in love with Gil #she doesn't sleep at all that night #and she's so wound up she's pacing by the pond when he finally arrives

9 notes · View notes

corrodedcoughin · 1 year

Note

I was wondering if you saw that ask about Steve's character analysis from @steveharrington and how he's abandoned by the narrative, written very 2 dimensionally and never gets a follow up for his physical/ emotional/ mental trauma while all the other characters do. Lil fic idea where Steve and Eddie don't really know each other yet. It's maybe right before vecna, where the party somehow ends up at Steve's place for Hellfire where the older Hellfire members are still snide and bitter towards him, and something happens where Steve has to take of his shirt or something, and it's the first time everyone (maybe besides Robin) actually sees how physically scarred Steve is, and that maybe he really isn't emotionally okay either. (bc I am Sure that boy has SCARS even before the bats with everything he's been through)

I have seen it! It’s an incredible commentary that is far more coherent than I could ever hope to be, op explains their thoughts so well and really is a wonderful post (thank you op)

I’m firmly of the belief that Steve has capital s Scars. And the thought of the impact on him is heart shattering. Steve sitting at home on his own, getting changed in the dark but can feel the scarred skin under his fingers tips. His thoughts spiral. He’s been commodified his whole life, packaged up to be an ‘ideal’ and now he sees these imperfections and he’s scared. He’s terrified. What value does he hold now? Why would anyone bother with him now that he’s visually damaged and belongs at the back of the shelf. He cries. Cries so hard his head hurts and he can’t make it stop, travels down his head to his neck and shoulders as he sobs. Body wracked with it. After the first night he pushes it down, refuses to acknowledge it again, wants to pretend that things are okay when his thoughts lurk in the dark telling him he’s worthless.

So he puts on a face, and carries on. Avoids showing skin successfully for a good few months. Until there’s a Christmas party for everyone but the adults at Steve’s place and it’s fun and loud until Mike bumps into Erika who knocks into dustin who trips into Steve. Steve who was holding a mug of hot chocolate that is now covering him head to toe. It’s not even that hot but before he knows what’s happening Robin is whipping his jumper off ‘it might scald Steve! We need to check!’

He fights her but his reaction is delayed after the shock of the liquid hitting his skin. And that’s when everyone sees it, sees him. And the silence is deafening but he can’t stop them from seeing. Can’t stop them from knowing that he’s ruined and good for nothing and a disappointment so he tries to walk off, fighting the hot and angry tears threatening to spill. He won’t cry, he can’t, not again. He manages to take a step away but then Robin is hugging him, Dustin too. He drags air into his lungs. Not sure if what to do next but then he hears the party slowly start back up and he’s thankful, thinking he’ll get out of this one alive.

#Eddie comes up to him after and places a hand on his bicep. looks him dead in the eye before pulling him in to a hug so gentle #Steve doesn’t think he can stop the tears this time. eddie fiercely whispering into his ear ‘you are okay man. Bette than okay. okay? fuck’#and Steve tentatively brings his arm around him. thinking one day he might believe him #since that night anyone who was unsure of Steve harrington settles and gets to know him properly #suddenly he has a group of people ready to fight for his safety #idk I’m in a mopey mood I needed this anon thank you #stranger things #steve harrington #it’s not much but it’s honest work #that’s a lie it’s not honest it’s just sad

72 notes · View notes