#Thena gets a week off

[softquietsteadylove]

Would you continue the president au one? Something sweet maybe?

"The President's day is bifurcated between the office and time for herself in privacy," Gilgamesh told the reporters eagerly trying to worm their way inside. "There is no security surveillance, no wire tapping. The home of Madam President must remain unpolitical so as to separate the person from the job and her obligation to the people. This is all public record."

"But sir, the people have questions!" the reporter wailed at him as security started pushing the crowd back. "The last president had an unprecedented amount of 'private time' and it turned out he was-"

"A mistake," Gil cut in harshly, effectively stopping that train of thought. "And one we won't make again. Now, I am going to briefing, Chief of Communications Sersi is going to be here to address the day's business shortly--excuse me."

Gil pressed his back to the doors as soon as he was inside. They always 'tipped off' the press when he was going to be entering the household, so no one could become too suspicious of it. It was true that the actual residence in the house and office was completely off limits to foreign clearance, press, they didn't have security cameras in it, nothing.

But damn, he was just trying to see his own girlfriend.

Gil unbuttoned his coat and walked into the home part of the house. He was well familiar with it, even with how careful they were not to betray the nature of their relationship. "Thena?"

She was in the kitchen.

"Hey," she greeted him with a smile, putting together a sandwich for herself. She was rid of her pantsuit and even had her hair down.

"Hey," he whispered, kissing her with a hand in her silken blonde hair. He pressed his nose to her cheek, "gonna cut that in half for me, or what?"

"I could say no, but you cooked everything else in that fridge," she snorted. There was another fridge for the food prepared for her by the house chef, of course, but this one was her personal one, for her personal use, in her personal kitchen.

Effectively Gil's kitchen, since she couldn't be trusted to make a grilled cheese without security thinking there was a threat in the residence.

"How was it out there?" she asked as she held up half the sandwich for him, trading kisses between bites.

"Media's a little worked up because of your week off, which we knew they would be," he shrugged, undoing his tie as well. Thena took the liberty of undoing his first few shirt buttons. "Sersi and Kingo will handle it."

"Okay," Thena murmured, unable to do much else in the moment. She leaned against him.

"Hey," he chuckled, rubbing her back while she was wearing his Secret Service hoodie from his time in security. "You have a week off. It's for your mental health--to not be worried, okay?"

"Do I seem capable of relaxing?"

Gil kissed her forehead, then her cheek, then tilted her chin so he could get her lips, "I think I know how to relax you."

"Oh you do, do you?" she smiled into the kiss, happily letting him lead her into the small frenzy of affection. She sighed, "I miss you."

"I'm right here," he whispered.

"You know what I mean."

"I do," he nodded before taking another bite of sandwich, "and I'm still here anyway."

Thena accepted another bite too.

"We're here, we're okay," he assured her as best he could while they stole their time together.

It was only recently they were able to start bringing him into the residence without suspicion from the inside forces, let alone the media and public. Even as her assistant, there was only so much time he could spend in her home before it became questionable.

"Some anniversary," she whispered, tucking her head under his chin. "I'm sorry, Gil."

"None of that," he rubbed her arm, resting his cheek against her hair, "You know I'm happy so long as I'm with you. And we knew this would come--that it wouldn't be easy."

"Still," she sighed a little more impatiently. "I'm supposedly the most powerful person in the country and I can't even get you a damn present without half the world knowing?"

"What would you get me?" he raised an eyebrow, finishing off the last tiny bite of the sandwich and licking his fingers. "I have everything I need right here."

Thena rolled her eyes as he kissed her cheek, "I'm serious, Gil."

"So am I."

She patted his chest, "well, it seems negligent to not get you anything at all."

"Well," he shrugged, "what if I didn't get you anything either?"

Thena shook her head though, giving his side a pinch before seating herself at the table. "I know for a fact that you did. And even if you hadn't, you got me this week off. That's...more than I can fathom."

Gil smiled at her though, also sitting at the table across from her, like they could be a normal couple in a normal house. "Sweetheart, I don't need anything from you because the fact that I can still be with you even after everything that happened last year?--that's my gift. And I don't want to take that for granted."

She gave him that soft, glassy eyed look that meant that she was wallowing in her guilt.

He reached over for her hands, "do you remember what we were doing this time last year?"

She rolled her eyes ever so fondly at him as she let him give each and every one of her fingers an affectionate little squeeze. "I was still vice at the time, you were my dedicated SS. I could still go home at the end of the day and you could sneak in dressed as a delivery guy."

He grinned at her, "and I did deliver every time, didn't I?"

She rolled her eyes at him for real this time, "Gilgamesh."

"And?" he prompted her.

She sighed, looking down at their hands, "and you told me that the dates in my living room with pizza and wings and cheap wine were dates--real dates."

"Because?"

She pursed her lips at him, not thrilled at being led like a fawn. She huffed, "because it was a date and it was with me and that was all you wanted."

Gil beamed at her with a laugh. "God, I'm such a good boyfriend."

"Stop it," she groaned, trying to lean away and pull her hands back to her.

He held on though, determined to keep her with him in the moment. He tilted his head to look at her, "that's still true, Thena. I don't care if I'm sneaking a burger and fries into your room between press briefings or we're at a diplomatic dinner. I wanna be with you. That's all."

Thena sighed, blinking in such a way that he knew she was trying not to cry. She shook her head, "you are a good boyfriend, much to my dismay."

He grinned; that was her way of saying that she loved him. He chuckled, "I love you, too, sweetie."

She let him stand and kiss her hair on the way to the fridge.

"So," he said more loudly and upbeat, "what to have for a real anniversary meal?"

Thena turned in her seat to look at him. On the one hand, he wanted to make their meals for the two of them. And on the other hand, she also couldn't ask the resident chef to make two servings of a gorgeous meal for her alone.

Well, she could, and no official questions would be asked. Risky, though.

"What do you feel like?" he asked as he rolled up his sleeves. He could change into something more comfortable after he was done with their dinner.

Thena smiled at him, hair over her shoulder, curled up in her chair in a ball. She looked sweet. "Pasta?"

He had onions, carrots, celery, herbs, leeks, tomatoes... "I think I can pull that off."

She stood from the chair and came over to him, sliding her lithe little arms around him from behind and pressing her face to his shoulder, "thank you, Gil."

He looked down and craned his neck to try and kiss her hands on his chest.

She laughed into his shirt before rising on her toes to kiss the back of his neck. "I'll pour some wine, you focus on the food."

Gil let her slide away from him, although the ache that could resonate in his chest when they were at work didn't follow. In here, they could be themselves, and he could be as perfect a boyfriend as he wanted.

#Thenamesh President AU #did someone say domestic fluff? #no?--well yes you did #it's so funny to write them like a normal couple #fuzzy and affectionate and cute and gross #it's a nice juxtaposition to the the gravity of this AU #Gil just likes being a boyfriend #this man dreams of being a house husband #malewife extraordinaire #Thena gets a week off #and Gil's like I'm gonna boyfriend so hard #I'm gonna make you breakfast in bed #rub your shoulders #draw you a bath every night #he did get her a gift btw #he got flowers ordered 'for the dining room arrangements' #he asked the chef to have a cake made with a certain recipe 'for testing' #he even ordered a bracelet on his personal computer with his personal card to his personal address #and then just kept it in his pocket all day #Thena did get him a gift too #she asked Druig to order and receive it for her #a little tie clip with a pearl on it to match her favourite earrings #when you and your boyfriend wanna match #but it's a threat to national security and public transparency and political integrity #so you just wear accessories that match right

[torukmaktoskxawng]

tsamsiyu ta'em - three stars in orion's belt

Masterlist - part sixteen

Summary: Kayla and Spider return to Awa'atlu, and some things shift into place, right where they need to be.

Pairing: Ronal/Tonowari/Original Female Character

Tag: #tsamsiyu ta'em fic

posted on ao3

Word Count: 15k+

Overall warnings: implied sexual themes, trauma/ptsd, canon-compliant, mature language, slow burn, polyamory, found family, cool aunt agenda, rushed, time skips, fluff, angst, mentioned mcd, child endangerment, proofread by me, etc.

Taglist (bold indicates "could not tag"): @motheroffae @undeniableadrenaline @mooniequeen @shit-i-say-shit-i-think @heart-an0n @amiets2 @slutforsmut4ever @yeosxxx​ @im-in-a-pansexual-panik @sucker4angstt @inolaphoenix @ilovechickenwings @tojisleftarm @andyfromku @ivysully @lightandshadow31 @jamie-poopoo @brittney69 @avatar-lover

A/N: Please ignore all the time skips 🙏 I didn't want to write another 20k+ chapter

A beautiful, quiet afternoon in Awa'atlu is evident all around Jake as he finds himself alone in the marui while the rest of his family is out enjoying the warm, sunny day on the reef. He was crouched and trying to remake his tomahawk that he had lost during the battle, but it was proven difficult since he didn't have the proper materials here on the island as he did back in the forest. 

His time alone is interrupted by the sound of his youngest child calling out to him from outside, "Dad! Dad!"

"Tuk?" Jake's ears perked up, immediately alarmed as he got to his feet and stepped out of the pod, "Are you alright? What's wrong, sweetheart?"

His little girl was waving him down the pathway, barely stopping to wait for him as she was eager to run away, a bright, wide smile on her face as she pointed up at the sky, "Auntie's back! Look! Auntie and Spider are back!"

With that, she races off toward the beach, no longer patient enough to wait for her father. Jake's alarmed expression takes a moment, but slowly melts as he tilts his head back to look up at the sky, the unmistakable shadow of an ikran flying overhead.

The rest of the village appears to stir with curiosity as everyone becomes aware of the new entry, heads all occasionally looking up to see if they could spot the mountain banshee for themselves. As Tuk runs down to the beach, she's yelling for the rest of her family, announcing her aunt's arrival as she goes.

Kayla circled the village a few times to ensure the Metkayina was aware of her presence so that they would make some space on the beach for her to land, only feeling comfortable once the horn to announce her arrival was blown. She couldn't see him, but Spider's face was smiling widely as he peered down at the reef village below, anxious to get down there after three, long weeks.

The uproar of the horn and the talk around the village bring Ronal and Tonowari out of their kelku to see what all the fuss is about. They catch sight of Kayla's ikran and visibly appear relieved, shoulders sagging as they share a knowing look. They turn back to their home when both of their children step outside, and Tonowari's hand heavily weighs Ao'nung's shoulder as both father and son stare at one another.

"Remember what I told you," the olo'eyktan says with a skeptical look in his eye, "Respect the boy."

Tsireya smiles brightly and dutifully nods, while Ao'nung reluctantly follows suit. His sister tugs on his arm until he's following her down toward the beach, where handfuls of the village had begun to gather to form a large circle that would act as Kayla's landing zone. 

Thena swings low, flying just above the water at Kayla's command. Tuk is jumping up and down in the sand, waving her arms at her aunt and laughing as she flags the ikran down. The ikran dips low, flying right past the Na'vi girl with the tip of its wing grazing the water surface, playfully spraying Tuk in the face. The girl squeals with delight and laughs, all the while Jake watches this cute display from a distance, his alarm melting in exchange for amusement, chuckling and fondly shaking his head at his sister's playful antics.

"Show off." He mutters to himself.

Tuk continues to giggle and anxiously waits until the banshee finally lands, both water and sand flying everywhere as the ikran comes in for a ferocious landing. Thena barely meets the sand with her talons before Tuk sprints up to her, arms out wide as Kayla is quick to jump off and break tsaheylu.

"Auntie!" 

"Tuk!" Kayla exclaims as she quickly falls to her knees to catch her niece's embrace, laughing with the child as Tuk tackles her in a tight hug, wrapping her small arms around Kayla's neck, nearly sending her into the sand.

Kiri pushes her way through the growing crowd to get to the center, Lo'ak dutifully right behind her. She looked between her sister and Kayla, and then the human boy who had just stepped around the large ikran, making her smile widen with relief, "Monkey Boy!"

Lo'ak beams, quickly following his sister and they race to their friend, "Welcome back, Spider!"

Spider straightens and smiles gently at the sight of his friends running to him, "Hey, guys-- oh, shit!" 

Only for his face to drop into shock when two large, teenage Na'vi tackles his smaller body into the water behind him. The three teens laugh as they grapple and embrace each other in the shallow water, and for added measure, Lo'ak ruffles a handful of wet sand into Spider's dreads.

"Bro!" The human boy squawks. 

"That's what you get for staying away for so long," Lo'ak laughs, "What was up with that? Three weeks, cuz?"

"Hey! Did you save any of that enthusiasm for me?" Kayla calls over playfully as she stands back up, completely forgotten by Tuk who was anxious to join the Spider-hugging pile.

Kiri shoves Lo'ak down and quickly gets up before he can enact his revenge, the teenage girl bounding up and hugging her aunt's waist. Spider doesn't let Lo'ak greet Kayla and holds the Na'vi boy down so Tuk can shove wet sand into his own braided hair, leaving Lo'ak yelping and snarling at the devious pair.

Kayla laughs at the heartwarming sight, looking around and openly smiling at the growing crowd of Metkayina, most of their faces appear welcoming as they meet her gaze. She catches sight of Jake and Neytiri gently pushing through the crowd and meeting one another before walking over to join their family, which reminds Kayla to unpack a bit of her luggage from Thena's back before she can forget.

"Tuk," the girl in question looks up and skips over to her aunt when Kayla calls for her, the woman digging out a small parcel of leaves wrapped around something from one of Thena's saddle bags, "Some of your favorite sundried berries. You have my permission not to share with your dad. And... ah ha!" She fished out something that had gotten caught at the bottom of the bag. Another wrapped gift, which she carefully hands down to her youngest niece, "This is from Popiti. She said she made it just for you."

Tuk beams at the gifts, especially at the mention of her friend, before glancing up at Kayla, "Thank you, Auntie!"

Kayla smiles and moves on to the next child as the rest of the teens have now moved to stand around her, "Lo'ak, I got a new throat mic for you. Uh..." She digs around further before finding what she was looking for and handing it to her nephew, "There you are-- here's the earpiece."

"Thanks, Auntie." Lo'ak grins while taking the new communication device.

"I actually got enough for the whole family this time so we'll pass those around later," Kayla unrolls a cloth that she had tightly tied down to Thena's saddle before handing it to her older niece, "Kiri, this is your new jacket."

Kiri's eyebrows furrow before unwrapping the cloth, holding out a large, avatar-sized safari jacket, once tan but now a little worn from age and sun exposure. Kiri gently squints at the human-made item before her eyes widen with realization, glancing over at her aunt, "Was this my Ma's?"

Kayla nods with soft encouragement, "According to Norm, it was. He thought you should have it. Try it on."

Kiri did so, fitting her arms into the sleeves before wrapping the oversized jacket around her small frame like a safety blanket, taking a deep breath as she pressed her nose into the collar. Kayla smiles sweetly at the sight, "Yeah, it definitely suits you. It's warm and stylish, just like you."

Spider smiles a little and motions Kiri over, asking his friend to help him bring all of his belongings to Kayla's marui. Kiri happily accepts after she's given a moment to appreciate her gift, and with Lo'ak and Tuk's help, they get all of Kayla and Spider's supplies off of Thena's back, and the ikran huffs with appreciation.

Kayla takes a backpack from Tuk before the kids can take off to her kelku, rummaging it before she looks up at Neytiri. Both women paused as they stood in front of one another, their last known conversation playing in the back of their minds, making one another hesitant. Eventually, Kayla clears her throat and provides a gift to the Na'vi woman, holding out the shawl Mo'at made with a look of hesitance.

"Neytiri... from your sa'nok."

Neytiri's tail flicks with interest as she takes the folded-up shawl, holding it out and unraveling it. Her ears pinned back against her skull as she recognizes the fine craftsmanship as if it were her own, eyes faintly growing wet as she sucks in a sharp bit of air. She knows the meaning behind the gift, and a single tear falls down her face. Much like Kiri, Neytiri wraps the cloth around her body and takes in the item's familiar scent, feeling protected under her mother's handiwork.

Kayla averts her gaze, feeling as though she was watching Neytiri in a vulnerable moment before holding out a weapon to her brother, "Jake. I told Tarsem that you lost your tomahawk and so he made you this."

Jake's eyebrows rise in surprise, taking the new tomahawk in hand and testing the weight and craftsmanship as Kayla continues to explain, "As a sign of good faith. He wants you to know that he's leading the People by your example. You haven't been forgotten."

He tightens his jaw, internally touched by the gesture of the Omatikaya's new olo'eyktan. Lowering the tomahawk, he nods solemnly at his sister, ears sinking slightly as he hesitates, "Thanks, Kay. How... how are you?"

She fixes him a small look, apprehensive before she shrugs and looks away, "Never better."

"Everything alright back at base? What took you two so long to get back?"

Kayla's left ear flicked once before she easily answered, "We didn't want to risk the RDA following us again so we kept low until we thought it was safe enough to come back. I was going to radio you... but then I thought Spider and I could turn it into a surprise."

Jake appears satisfied with the answer, one corner of his mouth threatening to rise out of amusement. As he opens his mouth to make a no-doubt smartass remark, Kayla swiftly turns away, "I should help the kids unpack our stuff."

As she turns her back on her brother, she is suddenly tackled by another teenager, and the initial shock melts when she's met with none other than sweet Tsireya with her arms wrapped around the older woman's waist, beaming up at the avatar, "Oel ngati kameie, Makayla te Suli!"

Kayla exhaled a quiet laugh as she smiled down at the reef girl and gently squeezed her back, "Oel ngati kameie, Tsireya," briefly peering up, she noticed the boy standing behind his sister and she nodded once in greeting, "Ao'nung."

The reef boy nods back at the sound of his name, his expression impassive and reminding Kayla just how much he looks like his mother. Tsireya looks around, ignoring her brother's stare-off with Makayla as her little ears begin to fall, "Did Spider not come back with you?"

Kayla's expression melts before looking back down at the reef girl with a small smile, "He's already unpacking back at our kelku. Lo'ak and the others should be with him if you want to follow me with the rest of our things?"

"I would be happy to!" Tsireya explains while following Kayla to her ikran, the girl's sharp elbow nonchalantly meeting her brother's ribs as she passed by him.

Ao'nung coughs, "Yeah, alright."

Together, Kayla and the chief's children manage to bring the rest of hers and Spider's things to her marui, stepping inside and being met with Sully children everywhere, helping Spider unpack. Already, this pod was starting to look more like a home. Someone had actually managed to hang Kayla's "bookshelf" up, dangling it from the ceiling above and letting it hang against the wall, a few of Spider's things already nestled on it. Tsireya and Ao'nung move to help, greeting Spider and asking him questions about his travels and what he had been up to these past few weeks. If Spider was shocked by their sudden interest, he didn't show it, answering expressively, likely comfortable with their presence so long as Kayla and the Sullys were surrounding him.

Both he and Kayla were unpacked and settled back into their home in no time with the help of the children, and even though they all had to part ways to finish their chores, they promised to come back and visit before dinner to catch up and learn what has been happening in High Camp. Kayla and Spider are left in the home, tidying up before the communal dinner. Kayla takes a moment to look at the bookshelf, inspecting all the objects now placed on top to make it full and more... homey, as she had initially wanted it to look. 

Spider had placed a spare mask there, with a small photo leaning against it. Kayla didn't need to ask to know who the picture was of, observing the woman with brown hair holding a blond baby in her arms. Next to the photo were two sets of dog tags, Kayla's and Jake's that she finally decided to leave off of her person and keep on the shelf as a form of memorium, along with the pictures she once had pinned up in the shack back at High Camp, specifically the one with herself and her brothers.

Satisfied with how her new home looks, she smiles and turns to address Spider, only for her words to fall short. The teen hadn't looked up from covering an ammunition container with a woven blanket, unaware of Kayla eyeing his blond locs as they had been pulled back and held up by a hair band, in a fashion very similar to Lo'ak's and other Metkayina warriors. The band itself was brown and decorated with scattered pieces of iridescent shell. 

"That's new."

Spider looked up and met her eyes before he realized what she was talking about, smiling a little cautiously as he explained, "Tsireya made it for me."

A small twinkle forms in her eye, lips twitching with fondness, "Really?"

"Yeah, although I'm not sure Ao'nung helped her as she claims."

A small pause falls between them as Kayla's eyebrows furrow. Before Spider could even ask what was wrong, the expression melted into something more sincere, a smile replacing her once-shrouded emotion, 

 "Hm. He might've. Kinda looks like his armband. It looks good."

The mask nearly hides it, but she manages to catch a small beam of pride flash over Spider's face before it vanishes at the same time he bows his head, pretending to adjust his exo-pack. Kayla let him shy away as she was currently bombarded with her own thoughts, her smile falling once she knew Spider's back was turned. The thought of Ao'nung and Tsireya providing a gift for Spider could mean many things and Kayla didn't want to jump to any conclusions. However, the timing felt odd, especially after Norm practically had to force her to realize that Ronal and Tonowari very likely care for her more than just an ally or a member of their clan. She couldn't bring herself to say what they likely outright felt for her, but she, deep down, knew it to be true. 

It couldn't have been a coincidence that the children of the Metkayina clan leaders seemed interested in Spider and his adventures, and while Kayla was delighted that the boy was making friends, she couldn't help but feel partially responsible for it. What would happen if she didn't reciprocate any of the clan leaders' advances? Would Spider's new friends suddenly pull back from him? 

She didn't want to believe that the Na'vi could be so sinister, but that was the human in her... suspicious of everything.

~~~~~~~~~

Dinner rolls around and the Sullys are eager to hear about what Kayla and Spider have heard from the rest of their friends and family back in High Camp. While they try not to show it, Jake and Neytiri eye Kayla with a careful expression, as if wanting to ask her about the war but not wanting to break this moment of peace between family members, no matter how strained. Kayla uses this to her advantage, avoiding her brother and his wife for the moment so she can feel more at ease and at home after being away for longer than she intended. The children help her chest feel lighter as they eagerly share everything they had done while she was away, rambling to the point she didn't have to think about anything else other than trying to catch up with her nieces and nephew. 

That is until she felt that familiar gaze practically bleeding into her skin, that gaze she could only feel when there were two sets of eyes closely watching her every move. Looking up from where she sat, Kayla easily spotted Ronal and Tonowari down near the end of the long line of Metkayina enjoying their meals. Both the tsahik and the olo'eyktan meet her eyes without shame, blue and green meeting her yellow gaze, always outnumbering her, always successful in stealing her breath away.

She knows that she was being rude by not getting up to greet them, or for never even seeking them out the moment she returned to the village. After all, they were her hosts and her clan leaders, but there was a small bit of nerves eating away at her courage to approach them. Kayla was feeling intimidated by them, now more than ever, but for an entirely different reason compared to when she first met them. It couldn't be helped after everything Norm pointed out about their past behavior towards her, his words still itching at the back of her mind, making her irritated with her best friend despite him being oceans away. 

While she was taking Norm's words into consideration, she was also, unfortunately, still a Sully. Stubbornly shutting down any doubts or insecurities, she swiftly stood up and told her family that she would be right back before turning and walking through the crowd of Metkayina. Ronal and Tonowari's eyes never left hers as she walked toward them, but hers would occasionally dart away to avoid someone's tail, or to find a path around bodies as they knelt or crouched over their food. It was a good excuse for her to look away, unable to hold such an intense gaze. 

When she finally drew close to the leaders in question, she touched her hand to her forehead in greeting, "Ma olo'eyktan. Ma tsahik."

Ronal pointedly looks Kayla up and down before nodding back and motioning for the dreamwalker to sit down. When Kayla crouched to her level, the tsahik opened her mouth, simply stating, "We have a gift for you." 

The Metkayina woman twists to grab something settled between her and her mate, bringing it up to display in the air with both hands for Kayla, presenting a beaded top. 

Kayla's eyes widened, a small, chill of dread making the hairs on the back of her neck stand up at the thought of wearing something so exposed. That is until she got a proper look at the top in question. It was... well, more conservative than Kayla had expected upon being given a Na'vi-styled top. The pieces meant to hang around the chest area are tightly woven together without a hole in sight, covering as much as possible. The beads were of a variety of blues and greens, and the pattern swirled fittingly like water. Kayla tilted her head as she eyed the pattern, a faint memory forming in the back of her head as it reminded her of that one Starry Night painting she once saw in a museum as a child. Woven grass was braided through the beads and up into a large hoop at the top of the piece, meant to wrap around her neck, with soft, feather-like straps dangling from the sides of the top, meant to hang off her shoulders. 

Tonowari nods to the item in his wife's hands, "I had gathered the material and Ronal had woven them all together."

He then starts to form a closed-mouth smile, his expression soft and genuine, "Consider it a welcome home gift."

Kayla sits back on her heels, gaping at the clothing piece in awe and admiration. Slowly, her hands reach up to take the item, feeling the beads between her finger and thumb as she settles it in her lap. She swallows thickly as she raises her head up to the man and woman sitting in front of her, watching her expectedly. She blinks out of her daze, anxious as her stomach swirled uncomfortably, her conversation with Norm now practically trying to beat its way out of her skull with how loud the words pounded in her head, an awful reminder of what the gift was clearly meant to represent. She remembers the fears she expressed to Norm if she accepted Ronal and Tonowari, recalling her insecurities about her appearance, stature, and infertility. Despite wanting to spare the couple from that, she also didn't want to turn down their thoughtful gift.

She tries to express her gratitude in her small nod toward Ronal, "Thank you."

Ronal simply huffs, ears twitching once at Kayla's response as her large hand reaches forward and pinches the worn hem of the avatar's crop top, "Your clothes have seen better days. And as someone who wishes to be part of the People, You could use clothes made for the People."

~~~~~~~~~

Even though she now had a new top in her possession, Kayla didn't wear it, sticking to her old crop top. She knew wearing it would mean accepting it. It would mean something else, something she wasn't entirely ready to admit to herself or anyone.

If either Ronal or Tonowari was disappointed that she wasn't wearing their gift the next day, they didn't show it, and Kayla honestly wasn't sure if she was relieved by that or not. She tries to ignore it as Jake visits her marui to talk about certain events that unfolded with the Omatikaya while he had been away. She catches him up to speed as much as possible, her brain wracking with all the information she had been dumped with as the messenger between her brother and his old clan.

Their discussion is eventually interrupted by the sound of anxious feet kicking up sand outside, followed by shouting, "Makayla! Makayla! Look! Something's happening to Spider!"

It was like a ball of lead dropped down her stomach as panic ambushed all her senses. Before Kayla could even run out of the pod, however, three teenagers come hurtling inside, some more panicked than others. Kayla first spotted Tsireya, the reef girl's concern as clear as day on her young, sweet face. Her larger hands tugged Spider along with her, the human teenaged boy looking a bit flushed and closed-off, shoulders hunching as if he was trying to look small, or at least smaller than he already was compared to the Na'vi standing all around him.

Ao'nung was the third teenager, and he was standing directly behind his sister and Spider, towering over the pair. Despite the hard expression, his ears were flicking wildly around, almost as fast as his eyes as he looked between Spider and up at Kayla, just as concerned as Tsireya, who was now frantically turning Spider around in her grasp as he tried to yelp and swat at her. Spider clearly wasn't trying to harm her, however, as she then displayed his back to the two adults in the room, "See!"

All worry drains from Kayla as she fights to keep her expression neutral, despite the growing amusement in her chest when she notices Spider's pink and peeling skin. Not wanting to appear as though she was mocking Tsireya's panicked state with laughter, the older woman bites the inside of her cheek to keep back a smile that threatened to appear as she peers down at the child she was responsible for.

"Spider, I told you to put on sunscreen."

"I did!" He exclaimed defiantly, his face flushed with pink underneath his mask, likely out of shame and embarrassment then a small sunburn. 

"And did you reapply any as needed? That stuff only lasts a few hours, you know."

He pointedly avoided Kayla's gaze, still indignant and refusing to reply, keeping his back to her as Kayla hummed, now letting a smirk grace her face, "That's what I thought. You might be fine now, but if you don't start properly treating your skin at a young age, you'll just run into problems when you're older, like skin cancer."

Jake was just as easily entertained by the concerned reef children and Spider's embarrassment, standing off to the side as his tail flicked behind him with interest. He glances between Kayla and Spider, one corner of his lips twitching as his eyes stare fondly and, dare I say, proudly at his sister. 

Kayla didn't appear to notice Jake as she reached for the tube of sunscreen that now made its home on her kelku's shelf, "Come on. You promised Max."

Spider kept his head lowered, ashamed even as he grumbled a small form of agreement and took the sunscreen from her. This teenager was actually full-blown pouting at Kayla, and it made Jake chuckle in amusement, finally speaking up to reassure the boy, "Don't worry about it, Spider. As humans, Sullys tend to burn way worse than that, so we didn't get much sun as kids. We were pretty pale. One look at Kayla and people used to ask if she was a vampire."

Kayla's brows furrowed as she glanced back at her brother, "Shut up, Jake."

"What's a vampire?" Spider asked curiously, trying to mask his shock toward Jake as he tried to wrap his head around the fact that the older man had just categorized Spider under the Sully family. 

"Don't listen to him," Kayla immediately replied as Jake was opening his mouth. One more lighthearted glare from her and the older brother immediately closed his mouth once more, still grinning even as Kayla nodded to Spider and his two shadows, "Now you kids get outta here."

"But," Ao'nung's ears lower, "What about Spider--"

"It's called a sunburn, Ao'nung," Kayla smiles reassuringly, "Humans get them when they're out in the sun too long. It's normal, don't worry."

"I wasn't."

"Mm hm," she smirks, unconvinced as she nods to the open doorway, "Go on. 'Git."

Jake snorts fondly at Kayla's choice of human words as the three teens leave the marui once more. Both older Sully siblings fall into silence as they watch the children leave, Jake's amusement falling into something more thoughtful as he struggles to find the right words, "The kid looks good. You did good."

"I didn't do anything." Kayla brushes his comment off, moving back to the mat she had been previously kneeling on.

"No, I mean... you did right by him. You fought for him when no one else did. He's a good kid," Jake tried expressing how proud he was of his sister without using those exact words, knowing she wouldn't accept them, least of all from him. They sit across from each other, a small lit fire between them as Jake's voice lowers, "He's lucky to have you as his mom."

Her eyes quickly glance up at him and immediately narrow, "I'm not--"

"Kayla, come on. He relies on you. He looks up to you. I know that look better than most. He's trying very hard to live up to you... and part of me thinks he got that from watching Neteyam and Lo'ak."

Slowly, her defensive stance melts as her words soften, "Jake. Hey, stop. Don't do that."

He wasn't sure what she was implying until he realized his vision was blurry, obstructing her face from what was only a few feet from him. Jake immediately blinked and cleared his throat, his voice still tight, "We talked. Me and Lo'ak."

"That's good."

"Yeah... I just wish I had done it sooner. If I did, maybe Neteyam--"

"Don't," She could do nothing else but shake her head at him, "We all carry some form of regret. Just focus on now."

~~~~~~~~~

That night, she found herself adding yet another bead to her songcord, only this time, she successfully weaves it into the growing waytelem all by herself. It was a bead she had seen Spider wear in his hair before but had recently replaced with yet another shell both Tsireya and Tuk had been finding for him. Kayla wouldn't think Spider would notice if he was missing a bead, but she still kept her newfound piece for her songcord a secret, immediately tucking it away once she was finished applying it just as Spider was returning home for the night. He looked exhausted, spending most of the day with Tsireya and Kiri as the two girls appeared adamant about teaching him the ways of the Metkayina. Rotxo had eventually joined them and then what was once a lesson had quickly grown into a game. 

Kiri and Spider decided to try to teach the two reef children a human game they had learned from Jake when they were little, and so Spider quickly found himself on Rotxo's shoulders while Tsireya was on Kiri's. They must have played 'Chicken Fight' for hours, both Tsireya and Rotxo enticed by the simple game of trying to wrestle their competitor into the water, despite being confused about what exactly a chicken was. Neither Kiri nor Spider could answer. They didn't know either. 

Since Spider was smaller, he couldn't imagine lifting either of the Metkayina teenagers, but he'd already had practice with Kiri, so he had managed to hold her up on his shoulders for a round or two, but it still had his back feeling sore by the time he walked home. His hand was crossing over his chest and rubbing the opposite shoulder as he walked into the kelku, met with Kayla working on something in her hands before she tucked it away in her pocket, her hands now focused on cooking some fish over the hearth's fire.

"Hey," she smiled when she looked up to greet him, "How was your day?"

"Good. Tired," he responds shortly, sitting down across from her as he looks into the smoldering fire. A sheepish expression flashes over his face for a moment as he lets his thoughts get the better of him, speaking quietly in case he shouldn't be asking, "So... what am I supposed to call you?"

Her brows furrow in confusion, shadows from the fire dancing over her face, "Huh?"

"It's just that..." he ducks his head, "You don't want me calling you Kayla forever, right?"

Realization dawns on her face when she finally deduces what he is trying to say, her surprise melting into contempt as she replies, "You're not supposed to call me anything other than what you're comfortable with."

He peers up at her with a soft frown, "Again, you're being too understanding. You're not helping my case in believing I could kill in front of you and you wouldn't bat an eye."

"Smartass," she laughed, eliciting a smile to form on Spider's face at the sound. Kayla's nose scrunched up as she smiled back, "You can just call me Kayla if you want. It'll be all up to you for once."

It might not have been the answer he was expecting, but it was one he greatly appreciated and thought long and hard on. 

~~~~~~~~~

Spider thought about Kayla's response as he and the Sully children were listening in on Jake, Neytiri, and Kayla as they argued one afternoon in hushed voices in the security of the Sully marui. Apparently, Kayla had done Neytiri wrong by bringing Spider back to Awa'atlu, and while she had kept her mouth closed about her distaste, it all came to a head when Spider had taken Tuk for a small swim without her consent. 

It was his fault, and while Spider had initially tried to take the blame, Kayla had shot him down and told the kids to go look for Tsireya for the evening and let the adults talk alone. Obviously, the children weren't about to do that and snuck around behind the marui to snoop on their parents' conversation, ducking their heads to peer underneath the wall so they could see the three adults.

"What if she got hurt? What could he possibly do to help her?" Neytiri had hissed to both her husband and his sister, Spider's guardian, "I do not want my baby to be by herself, let alone left with him."

"Spider's responsible," Kayla defended her charge with her arms crossed and glare pinpointed at her sister-in-law, "And yes, he should've asked, but that doesn't mean he's a bad kid, Neytiri. Kids forget things. It happens."

"And when children die, does it just 'happen?'" Neytiri snipes back, clear grief and anger mixing her pools of yellow eyes. 

"It does when someone holds a knife to their throat," Kayla hisses, quick as lightning with her reply as her tail flicks sporadically behind her, "As you likely knew when you did so to Spider."

Kiri's hand snakes up and grips tightly onto Spider's shoulder, both of them doing their best to keep their breathing slow and quiet so the adults they were eavesdropping on wouldn't hear them. Lo'ak makes a point to keep a hand over Tuk's mouth from off to the side of them. Spider swallows thickly as Kayla's retort bounces around in his head, the memory of Neytiri putting him in harm's way still always lingering whenever he looks at her, his hand unconsciously rising to trace the scar on his chest. The way Kiri was gripping his shoulder, he knew she was thinking the same thing. 

"Enough," Jake alleviates as gently as possible, a permanent dent in his forehead from his eyebrows wrinkling with concern and desperation about the well-being of his family members. He glances between his wife and his sister before settling on Neytiri, "Spider isn't a danger to anyone, baby. You know this. He grew up with our children."

"You have never, not once, disagreed with me about the boy until now," Neytiri sneered back, betrayal evident in her eyes as she glanced between Jake and Kayla, "Until she decided to keep him like some pet and bring him around our children."

"Spider is not a pet," Jake retorts softly, his eyes unable to meet hers as her words only made his guilt stronger in his gut, regretting all those years he should've fought for an innocent child.

"And he's not her son," Neytiri growled lowly, "She's not his mother."

Spider watches Kayla's expression fall along with her ears and tail, the sight alone causing an unexpecting wave of rage to wash through him. He barely even thinks, a split-second decision made as he pulls out of Kiri's grip and stomps out of hiding, reentering the marui and pointing an accusing finger right up at Neytiri, venom in his voice as he was quick to defend Kayla, "Then by your logic, Kiri isn't your daughter."

The room falls into intense silence as all three adults zone in on Spider, all of them surprised by his reappearance, their ears falling with shame as all of the children come out of hiding, revealing they had heard everything just by looks alone. Neytiri felt as though she was between a rock and a hard place as she stared into each of her children's disappointed eyes before landing back on Spider, who didn't appear to be done with her,

"If Kiri was born a human, would you have loved her?" The question stuns Neytiri into silence, though she subtly glances at her eldest daughter as Spider continues, "Because that was always your excuse to avoid me. Because I was human. The thing is, I don't think you wouldn't love Kiri any less if she was human. She was born of Dr. Augustine, someone you loved very much."

The name makes Jake wince and Kiri's ears lower, her eyes wet and internally pleading with Neytiri as she stares up at her adoptive mother. Kayla felt as though she couldn't breathe, staring down at the boy she took in with disbelief, unable to blink in case he suddenly disappeared. She was surprised by his quick words in defense of her, unable to stop this small wave of pride desperately wanting to display on her face.

Spider shakes his head as he continues, defeat in his voice after finally accepting the truth for the first time ever in his life, "But if she were human? It wouldn't have mattered. Because you don't actually hate all humans. You just hate me... because of the man who helped create me."

Neytiri's expression settles back into someone filled with anger and takes one step toward him, but only gets one step before Kayla suddenly stands in front of Spider, blocking her path. Both women stare one another dead in the eyes with a deep snarl escaping both of their lips, ready for blood if need be and visibly making Jake and the children uneasy. Spider felt his body move before his mind could catch up, and without a thought, he stepped forward and stood close to Kayla's side, half covered by her body as if hiding from Neytiri.

Kayla's eyes didn't even blink as she glared at her sister-in-law, her voice deep and grinding like gravel, "If you know what's best for you, you'll leave him alone. You will never hurt Spider again."

Jake would've been impressed by the deep, protective growl his sister lets out if it wasn't for the fact that it was directed at his mate. In other words, the sound intimidated him and he genuinely worried for Neytiri if she didn't back down. He noticed his own kids flinch as well, and a faint memory of them reacting poorly to Neytiri's ferociousness against Quaritch only made him want to defuse the situation even more. He understands that Kayla was just protecting Spider, much like how he knew Neytiri would protect her own children, but he didn't want this ending with the two women he valued most in life to continue being at each other's throats. 

Spider looked up at Jake, and whatever expression he saw on the older man's face made him understand what he was thinking. Wordlessly, Spider reached his hand up and gently settled it on Kayla's arm. Jake felt the tension in his own shoulders melt as Kayla's posture began to relax, her tail still flicking irritably, but she had stopped baring her fangs and now only looked at Neytiri with disappointment instead of pure hatred.

"What you went through-- what the Sky People put you through, I understand," she starts out, "I understand why you're hostile to humans. But loss and pain don't excuse the neglect and pure hatred directed toward an innocent child. Spider didn't kill your sister or your father. He didn't destroy your home. Your hostility is directed at the wrong person and he doesn't deserve it."

Neytiri scoffed with sharp fangs, her words not as heated but also still hurting Spider like the knife that was once cut along his chest, "He spared the life of the man who destroyed my home, who killed my father and was behind the death of my son--"

"You were the one who told me Eywa only protects the balance of life," Kayla raised her chin, "You said it yourself. A son for a son. Quaritch already paid for Neteyam's death, even if he didn't die in return. Quaritch will get what's coming to him, in time, but it won't be by harming Spider."

Neytiri stares at Kayla for a good long while, her hatred slowly sinking back down beneath her skin as defeat and grief replace it once more. She takes one look back down at Spider and scoffs, but more quietly than before. Eventually, she turns and looks away, ending the conversation with her back toward them as her mind runs rampant with conflicting thoughts.

~~~~~~~~~

Tsireya noticed the obvious tension among the Sully family immediately. It wasn't hard, really, but one morning, they seemed happy and content, but then the next, they were clearly avoiding one another, or at least the adults were. The chief's daughter noticed the distaste that appeared to stick permanently on Neytiri's face as she followed Ronal out into the water astride a pair of ilu. Tsireya didn't dare try and calm whatever storm was brewing in Neytiri's mind that day, knowing that her mother would quickly straighten it out.

So, Tsireya decides to calm whatever storm was in Kayla's head, since the other Sully female appeared to be just as irritated with something that likely involved Neytiri since they were both being kept far away from each other, by Jake and the children. Tsireya finds Kayla and politely asks if she could accompany her to the crafting pods today. Kayla followed the young reef girl without question and together they walked toward the huts where Kayla had first officially met Tsireya. 

Tsireya didn't waste any time once they arrived. Taking Kayla's hand, she lures the older woman around the large circle of Metkayina who were crafting various different items and stops her in front of one particular Na'vi she had been dying to introduce Kayla to, "Makayla, this is Rutxa. They are our very best weaver, in both crafting and story-telling."

Ruxta looked up at the mention of their name and sharp blue eyes immediately landed on Kayla. Standing to full height, they stood over Kayla by about an inch, clearly more built around the shoulders and legs. Their crafting which Tsireya swears by is obviously shown in their clothes, wearing a beautiful, sharp lapis blue top that wraps around their neck, chest, and back, woven through a cummerbund similar to any Metkayina warrior. The cummerbund was strapped over only one shoulder and decorated with both shells and akula teeth. Rutxa's loincloth was a lighter, aqua color, made of dried seaweed, and decorated with a very long and impressive songcord. Tattoos peek out of Ruxta's clothing and wrap around their shoulders and back, a smaller one inked around their left eye, accentuating their lagoon blue skin. 

"Ah, so I finally get to meet the famous dreamwalker everyone is talking about." Ruxta's smile is wide and cat-like, which automatically sets off something in the back of Kayla's mind.

"Everyone?" Kayla asked, slightly suspicious.

"Don't listen to them, Makayla," Tsireya tugged Kayla's hand so the older woman would look down at her, the reef girl's smile was playful, "Rutxa tends to fabricate a lot of stories."

Ruxta flashes a knowing look down at Tsireya, a look only an adult could possess when talking to someone younger, "Child, if I recall, you used to eat up my stories when you had yet to learn how to speak."

Kayla had never seen Tsireya this giddy before, giggling to herself with a small, amused roll of her eyes in Rutxa's direction before the reef girl tugged Kayla's hand until she was kneeling down between herself and the Metkayina weaver. The three of them crouching together in a small circle, they get to work as Rutxa shows Kayla the best weaving techniques, a feat that the avatar woman had yet to master. Tsireya smiles and watches as Kayla is suddenly dragged into a discussion about the best ways to weave a story as her hands move to bead together a lovely top without having to think about it much, Ruxta easily gets the proper responses from the dreamwalker and even a few stories of her own from her homeworld that intrigued the weaver.

Tsireya took a look outside to determine the time of day before she had to regrettably part ways to find Lo'ak and Spider for their lessons. The reef girl stands and respectfully bows her hand to both Kayla and Ruxta with a sweet smile before exchanging pleasantries and leaving the pod, waving over her shoulder at the pair before disappearing.

Kayla smiled while watching her go before lowering her gaze to continue her work, only to realize a separate gaze was now carefully watching her. She glanced up and noticed Rutxa had not returned to their work and was comfortable just staring at Kayla with a knowing expression. Once they realized Kayla had noticed them, Rutxa flicks their eyes over to the entrance of the pod that Tsireya had just exited through,

"She adores you."

Kayla looks back down at her work, smiling to herself, "I adore her. She's a very sweet and kind person."

"She speaks very highly of you, as does her sa'sem."

The mention of Ronal and Tonowari forces Kayla's hands to pause around the top she had successfully made. It was too small for her, but Rutxa insisted on starting small, so perhaps it could be gifted to a child of the village... if they would want something made by Kayla. The brief distraction doesn't last long as the thought of the clan leaders drives Kayla's ears to flick with interest, even as her eyes downcast, "Their respect is misplaced."

"Is it?" Rutxa hummed while leaning back on the balls of their feet, watching Kayla's expression carefully, "They are grateful to you. We all are. After all, you did save our tsahik's life."

Both her ears and her tail perk up in attention, her eyes slowly following as her brows furrow in confusion, "What?"

"She claimed that you saved her against the Sky People at Three Brothers Rock. You took down another demon and their ikran without even thinking before you flew away."

Kayla's tail leisurely sways as she ponders this, thinking back to that battle, to all the times she had killed a Sky Person or a Recom. She remembered Thena had feasted on one's head when they crashed in the sky, and then there was one shooting into the water... was that the moment Rutxa spoke of? Did Kayla save Ronal's life? She couldn't recall if she saw the tsahik at that moment, everything going so fast and Kayla barely had time to react or else she might've found herself getting hurt or worse. It was difficult to remember any particular point she might have seen either Ronal or Tonowari during the battle, that is before they saved her from drowning and then brought her to Neteyam...

She stops that thought process before it could even begin, sucking in a quiet, sharp breath when another takes over. Was it possible that Ronal and Tonowari were only treating her differently like Rutxa claims? Because she saved Ronal's life? Because they were grateful? Most of the things the clan leaders said or did that made Kayla question their motives only happened after the battle. It couldn't have been a coincidence... could it? Maybe they didn't care for her like Norm and even Spider claimed... so then why didn't she feel relieved? Why did the bottom of her stomach feel like lead?

She swallowed thickly, her jaw visibly clenching as she stared down at the newly woven top, "The praise should go to my brother as Toruk Makto."

Ruxta snorts through their nose, the sound bouncing through Kayla's ears, "Believe me, the whole village is aware of the demanded respect between Toruk Makto and his sister."

"I doubt it," Kayla muttered, "When I hear the village whisper about us, they call us Vrrtep Mesmuk."

"Ah, yes," they hum thoughtfully, "I can understand how that would be seen as an insult. And perhaps it was at the start, but not for some time. After we fought the Sky People with you and your brother by our side, many Metkayina now use your title as a sign of respect. We are honored to have fought beside Vrrtep Mesmuk, and we hope to spread stories of you and your brother to other clans as well. Your brother is Toruk Makto after all, and the story of Toruk Makto is meant to bring all Na'vi together in times of war or sorrow."

Kayla wasn't entirely convinced by this change in behavior, but it was a comforting thought to think, if only for a moment, that the Metkayina were starting to grow and respect her family for who they were and not just what they represented. At the very least... Rutxa didn't seem like the type of person who cared whether or not she was some sort of demon possessing a deformed body, 

"I'm almost afraid to ask what kind of stories you plan on sharing."

Ruxta puffs out their chest, voice playful, "I will have you know I am an excellent storyteller. I was already weaving the tale of a dreamwalker who flew back to our village after a large, victorious battle with a demon child in her arms."

The smile that once threatened to make an appearance falls as Kayla is quick to defend the demon child in question, "That child's name is Spider."

Rutxa catches the tone of her voice and eyes her carefully, "That is an odd name for a child."

She wasn't expecting that response, and it surprised a small laugh out of her, "It's not a conventional name among my kind either, but it's the one he chose and the only name I need to know."

A small wave of understanding flows between the pair, a recognition of respect shining in Rutxa's eyes as they smirk gently, "From what I hear about the Sky People, they are not very understanding of culture outside of their own. I am pleased to see that not all Sky People are like that."

"No," she agreed with a warm smile, "Not all."

~~~~~~~~~

Despite coming to many revelations, only to be riddled with just as many questions, Kayla still found time to be with Ronal and Tonowari, just the three of them. Even though every bone in her body told her to refuse and avoid their presence, she found that her feet were still walking in the direction that Tonowari had instructed her to meet them after their evening meal.

She tried to come up with excuses in her head as to why they wanted her to join them at night. Perhaps it was under the guise that all three of them had been extremely busy ever since Kayla and Spider returned, but that still didn't make her feel better, knowing that to want to spend time with her meant that they cared for her in some way shape, or form. And even though she logically didn't want that... she couldn't ignore certain other parts of her that were seemingly devoid of logic. Parts of her wanted to believe that they wanted her around for something besides gratitude, besides wanting to keep an eye on her or wanting her to do her part and not be useless to their village.

She finds them standing along the beach where they told her to meet them, their toes dipped into the bioluminescent sand, creating a rippling galaxy beneath their very feet. Kayla can't help but think of the Milky Way, a long line of clustered stars lining the island where the sand meets the ocean. Ronal and Tonowari stood at the center of the cluster of stars, immovable planets that demand others to revolve around them, and in a way, Kayla found herself doing just that, moving toward them like an unforeseen gravity pulling her in. 

Tonowari was watching her approach while Ronal was looking up at the sky, watching that familiar, beautiful gas giant with the large crater glaring down at them. Kayla was now standing close enough where she could count the tattoos on both of their faces, so she stopped, deciding that this would have to be close enough, a few feet away, just out of arm's reach. It was for the better.

Tonowari watched as Kayla peered up into the sky, watching the same gas giant as Ronal before the chief spoke up, "It is Naranawm. 'Great Eye.'"

Kayla hummed in understanding, "My people call it Polyphemus, named after a cyclops."

Both pairs of Metkayina eyes are now trained on her, Kayla's ears tucking close to her head out of embarrassment while she shyly explains herself, "It's uh... it's a mythological creature from my homeworld. The Cyclops is a man-eating giant with only one eye at the center of its face." 

"That is barbaric." Ronal simply states with a scrunched nose.

A breath of a laugh escapes Kayla, "And yet, you guys have man-eating creatures here that are considered the stuff of nightmares where I'm from. Polyphemus was one of the pretty popular in one or two stories. His father was the god of the sea-- or something like that."

"God of the sea?" Tonowari tilts his head with interest.

Kayla nods, deciding that it would be inappropriate to share how she imagined Poseidon to look like Tonowari if such a benevolent god existed, "Yeah. Um... depending on what part of Earth you lived on, your faith in certain deities varies. Polyphemus stems from Greek mythology and the Greeks believed in multiple gods, Poseidon being one of them. He was the god of the sea."

"What deity did your part of the world believe in?"

"One god, like Eywa..." Kayla shivered at distant memories of religious trauma, "Only the Great Mother tends to sound kinder."

~~~~~~~~~

Another night, another moment of silent contempt between them. Kayla walked away from that night feeling both lighter and full of anxiety. She almost wanted to demand exactly what Ronal and Tonowari wanted from her, but at the same, they appeared content with the way things are right now, and maybe that was enough for her, too. Then again, she was confusing and frustrating herself with trying to figure out the clan leaders' motives. Wanting to try and distract herself from her rampaging thoughts, she decides to keep herself busy.

By the end of the week, Kayla finds herself barely resting apart from at night. She found time with Ronal by helping her gather any healing or cooking ingredients from high up in the trees where the tsahik would have normally struggled to grab herself. Other times, she was helping Ao'nung and Tonowari hunt and fish. When she wasn't doing that, she was helping both the tsahik and the olo'eyktan with weaving fishing nets, descaling their catches, or carving out a new canoe. Tasks like this usually left a healthy sheen of sweat on her skin, and whether she realized it or not, Ronal and Tonowari's eyes lingered on her even longer during these moments. Kayla would've thought her body was heating up under their gaze if it wasn't for the fact her body was already warm from a hard day's work.

While it's not much of a chore, Kayla still finds herself busy in Tsireya's presence, the reef girl always constantly dragging her around for certain things, like deep diving with Lo'ak or hunting for the most perfect shells with Tuk and Kiri. Sometimes, it was to even help her teach Spider the way of water. While he couldn't learn very much without the use of a kuru, Tsireya still thought it would be important for him to learn how to hold his breath as long as a Metkayina, in case of emergencies where he might lose his mask and didn't have a spare. Kayla strongly agreed with this sentiment and was honestly touched by Tsireya's thoughtfulness. 

Spider was a little amused and even bravely teased Tsireya, asking her if she was worried about him, to which she smiled and lightheartedly smacked him upside the head, driving Kayla into small, fond fits of laughter.

When she wasn't busy with all of those things, she found herself in the presence of at least half a dozen children, children who were eager to learn common English.

She wasn't sure how she got pulled into being a teacher, but once Jake caught wind of it, he was also supportive of the idea. Both he and Kayla silently agree that, after what the children had all been through as of late, it might be important for them to know certain Earth customs, writing, and language. While the Sully children are already bilingual -multilingual now that they have the Metkayina's sign language and tulkun speak under their belt- they do not know how to write the language of the Sky People and the reef children who befriended them even less so. The Sully children, Spider, Ao'nung, Tsireya, and Rotxo had all come to a silent agreement that they wanted Kayla to teach them, and while she wasn't sure why, she didn't want to disappoint them.

Spider found himself being her assistant since he already knew how to read and write, giving helpful advice and even translating some of the things Kayla said as some of the information was hard to initially grasp in fluent Na'vi. The Sully children were able to understand, but when it came to the reef children, let's just say they were grateful Spider was better at speaking Na'vi than Kayla.

While she suspected who taught Spider how to read and write, she didn't want to ask, knowing it was likely a touchy subject to him. She discovers fairly quickly that there's still one too many things the teenager refuses to talk about, and while she was fine with that and respected his boundaries, there were times when her curiosity nearly got the best of her. Nearly.

There are times when she remembers how much this kid has gone through in his short sixteen years of life, it makes her head spin. Other times, she remembers that he's still just a kid, like one particular afternoon as Kayla and Spider were outside of their marui and making their first fishnet together. 

"Spider."

He looks up at his name, surprised when he realizes who it was that called to him. Ronal was staring expectedly at him, and behind her was Tonowari, a tall and strong pillar of strength, holding a familiar weapon in his hand that looked far too small for the olo'eyktan. However, it was the perfect size for Spider.

The teenager finds himself standing to his full height and hesitantly stepping toward the clan leaders, his eyes widening at the sight of a beautifully made bow, already strung and adorning lovely feathers and leather grip, "Is that...?"

Tonowari smiles solemnly, bending down to Spider's height and passing the bow along to him, "For you. We hope it is to your liking."

Kayla felt the soft hint of a smile beginning to form on her lips as she watched Spider take the long bow from Tonowari as if it were a precious child or an injured animal. Spider's hands immediately moved to test the strength of the weapon, fingers gliding across the fine craftsmanship before his eyes peered up at the Metkayina clan leaders, unable to stop the doubt and suspicion in his gaze, 

"You made this for me?"

Ronal's expression remains neutral, calculating, ever the one to point out the obvious, "You needed one."

And Tonowari is always the one to soften her bold statements, "We wanted to make it right and to your size."

"So we had Neytiri help us," Ronal finished.

Both Kayla and Spider visibly stiffen at this bit of information, both adult and teenager frowning with even more suspicion than before, much to the clan leaders' internal distress since that was not their intent. Ronal, despite her audaciousness, wasn't trying to upset either of them and hoped that she didn't say anything wrong. The tsahik was constantly at war in her mind, reminding herself to stay open-minded about other sawtute if she wanted Kayla and Spider to be a part of her family's lives, but it was difficult to keep her mind open when the dead image of Ro'a and her baby was stitched permanently in her memory. 

Despite her conflicted emotions, she didn't want Spider or even Kayla to believe she was disgusted by them. Quite the opposite. In fact, whenever she looked at them, she would sometimes forget they were both human. It was easier to forget when Kayla possessed the body of a Na'vi, but with Spider, he held himself like one, despite being cursed in the body he was born in. Ronal couldn't fault a child for that, least of all Spider. Nevertheless, Ronal was tsahik, and her expertise lies with Eywa. Even if Ronal had some doubt about Kayla and the child she was responsible for, which she no longer possessed, Eywa clearly saw something in them that she didn't yet. 

Spider's next words were more of a statement than a question, "She helped you."

"Yes," Ronal nodded, trying to calm whatever doubt was clearly evident in the child's eyes, "She is an expert at archery. A skilled warrior. We thought she could help us make this for you."

"Yeah..."  He stares down at his new bow, though his mind is far away, back over the ocean and somewhere in the forest. He was thinking about all the times he was a kid, practicing his archery skills, away from prying eyes, wanting to be the best... wanting to be like Neytiri. Back then, he really thought she would accept him if he strived to be like her. After some time, as he grew up, he started to realize that she would never accept him, but that didn't stop him from being very skilled with a bow. He was easily the most skilled with it out of every human currently living on Pandora, and while he no longer strived to impress Neytiri, he had taken the bow as his own, not wanting his true talent to go to waste. 

He thought he had lost that talent when he lost his bow, and he even voiced how much he missed it when Kayla had brought him to speak to the clan leaders all those weeks ago. As he inspected the one now secured in his hands, he couldn't help but feel touched that Ronal and Tonowari remembered something he said once in passing. 

Instead of voicing his thoughts, Spider looked up at Ronal and Tonowari, gratitude evident in his smile, "Irayo. This... this is amazing. I appreciate it." 

Regardless of how she felt toward Neytiri, Kayla also felt herself smiling in gratitude, making sure to look directly at both Ronal and Tonowari so they knew it, too. 

~~~~~~~~~

One must enjoy the little things in life.

Kayla remembers that phrase from somewhere back on Earth, and it sticks to the front of her mind as she's teaching her nieces, nephews, and their friends how to spell their names in the English alphabet. A task she once found tedious when she was a child was now a bright and shining moment she could witness in other children. 

Although if she were to voice how much she regretted not enjoying how to spell her own name as a kid, Jake would've reminded her that her teacher was awful and the bastard forced her to use her right hand to spell her name even when she was more comfortable using her left. Her learning experiences were vastly different from what Lo'ak, Kiri, Tuk, and their friends were used to, and Kayla wanted to keep it that way.

She tries to enjoy the little things in life, like the way Ronal looks while watching her teach. The tsahik was standing just outside the entryway of Kayla's pod, silent to not interrupt, only to observe. Kayla didn't want to believe Ronal was chaperoning her but was just curious as to what all the fuss was about.

Kayla wasn't far off. Ronal has been subjected to Tsireya's ramblings every evening, gushing over how fun it is to learn a new language. Ao'nung isn't as expressive, and yet, he still keeps disappearing to Kayla's kelku with the rest of the children when it's time to learn. Even Tonowari has gone to see what's so interesting about Kayla's lessons, and when he came back the night before, he expressed how intriguing it was and urged Ronal to see for herself.

She had failed to see what her mate found intriguing about these lessons. All Kayla did was have the children repeat everything she said and then ask them to write her lessons down to prove that they had been paying attention. However, the mood shifts when Kayla goes to each child and helps them spell out each of their own, personal names, using a tawtute device she calls a datapad. Everyone appeared excited to use what they learned to see their own name on a screen, and while Ronal didn't understand why, she didn't verbally complain. Regardless of how she felt, it clearly made Makayla happy, her lips almost permanently smiling as she watched every child's reaction when they spelled their name right. 

Once Kayla dismissed the kids for the day to do their afternoon chores, it left her and Ronal alone in her marui, and before Kayla could ask what the other woman was thinking, she already had a question in mind, "Why teach them?"

Kayla tilts her head, curious, "What do you mean?"

"Why do they need to write stories and history when we already express our stories and history through our songcords?"

"It's... it's a little different," she found herself sputtering for the best way to explain, ears darkening a shade as she tried to find her words, "I mean-- well, I guess for Sky People, writing our names is like having a songcord. Every person's handwriting is unique. It's personal. It's their identity."

While Ronal stands there, unconvinced, Kayla is still smiling and hellbent on showing the other woman what she means, "Here, just-- Let me show you." 

She presents the datapad, and Ronal frowns at the sight of the alien device. Kayla writes something on the screen and beams when showing it to her, "This is what my name looks like written in English."

Not that Ronal could read exactly what was written on the screen, but the thought of Makayla's name scrawled in soft swirls and sharp edges intrigued her. Ronal stared at the screen, tilting her head with interest. The image was long, the shapes toward the end growing smaller as if Kayla realized she was running out of space. 

Kayla smiled when she recognized the interest floating in Ronal's eyes, "Can I write your name?"

The tsahik nods once and Kayla turns the datapad back on herself as her finger presses down and erases her name, scrawling down another image -another name- and flipping it back over to show to Ronal. Again, the Na'vi woman couldn't read it, but since she knew it was meant to be her name, she understood why it felt so meaningful to Kayla that she wanted to teach the children how to do the same. Ronal could finally see the appeal, especially since it was Kayla's hand that wrote out Ronal's name. It gave the name a whole new meaning to the tsahik to have it be written by the other woman's finger. 

"Just yesterday, Lo'ak asked me to show him how to spell and write Neteyam's name so he could carve it into a bracelet he intends to make," the mood shifts to something dire and sad, Kayla's smile less bright than before as she quietly explained, "That's why I wanted the other kids to learn. It's just nice to have your own identity written out like this. Where I'm from, people often get tattoos of their loved ones' names when they die."

That image wasn't as impossible to imagine as others. Perhaps it was because she had tattoos of her own, but Ronal could understand why the Sky People would ink their skin with the names of their lost loved ones. It was different compared to why the Metkayina bore tattoos, but it was just as important nevertheless. 

She studied Kayla's face carefully, wondering what she would look like if she bore Metkayina tattoos-- or wore her hair the way Metkayina women would. The thought brings the tsahik to study Kayla's hair, her mouth, once again, saying the first thing that comes to mind without really even thinking about it, 

"Your braids need to be redone."

"Yeah?" Kayla's sad spell is broken as she reaches up to feel the top of her head, feeling the roots that have grown out, unbraided compared to the rest of her locks. A sheepish smile falls across her lips, "I guess it's been a while."

A split-second decision was made as Ronal moved away to kneel down near the entrance of the marui, waving her hand at the space in front of her, "Come. Sit."

Kayla exhales a quiet huff, lips quirked out of amusement as she sets her datapad down and moves to join Ronal, sitting cross-legged in front of the Na'vi woman and dutifully staying still as she feels larger fingers begin unraveling all of her old, unkempt braids. Ronal's hands were rough and straightforward, making Kayla bite her tongue to refrain from yelping out of pain. Ronal only tsked at her when she noticed Kayla's hands gripping onto her own knees to restrain herself, berating the avatar woman for not keeping up with treating her hair properly. Had she done so, this wouldn't be an issue. Kayla had to scoff at the irony of that, and had she been able to see behind her head, she would've caught Ronal smiling. 

Ronal undoes the braids and removes all the beads hidden within. Without a proper comb or a way to soften Kayla's hair, Ronal used her tsahik knife, whittled to a pointed tip and protected by the shell adornment she often kept around her neck. She uses the pointed tip as a comb pick, unknotting the roughest spots in Kayla's long hair, being careful around her ears and kuru. 

The sight of the tswin braid entices Ronal, hands pausing around the base of Kayla's skull, fingers still threaded in the other woman's hair. Ronal eyes the large, singular braid for a long moment before continuing her work, but any time her fingers gently graze the sensitive appendage, she revels the sight of Kayla's skin rising in small, soft bumps. 

Kayla did her best to stay still, keeping her back ramrod straight in an attempt to restrain the shiver she felt going up her spine each time Ronal's fingers passed over her kuru. Kayla wasn't an idiot. She knows how sensitive that spot is for all Na'vi and how important it is for their way of life. Still, she hadn't initially thought about it when Ronal instructed her to sit down as she did her hair. Had she thought it through, Kayla might not have agreed, knowing how... serene and intimate it would feel to have the other woman redo her hair, to trust her to be careful around a very sensitive spot. 

It appears Eywa intends to torture Kayla to no end today as a shadow looms over the entry of her kelku. Tonowari peers inside, stopping by in search of his mate once he had noticed all the children have left their lessons, and evidently found something better. He found Kayla as she sat perfectly still, cross-legged, with his mate kneeling behind her, Ronal hovering over the back of her head as the tsahik focused on braiding groups of her hair, one small lock at a time.

As the olo'eyktan stepped into the pod, Kayla realized just how much space he took up in her small home. To Spider, this place was like a studio apartment. For Tonowari, it was more like a walk-in closet. 

"Perhaps I can be of help?" Tonowari offered brazenly.

Ronal huffs out through her nose, amused, "It would certainly get the job done faster."

Kayla hummed a tiny laugh, caught in the middle of the pair's playful banter, quite literally as Tonowari took a knee in front of her, leaning down awfully close to her as his hands reached for one side of Kayla's head. She sucks in a sharp, silent breath as she stays still for the clan leaders, Tonowari's hands easily the same size as her whole skull. As if knowing the intimidating size difference, Tonowari was careful with his large hands as he gently pulled and weaved the locks of her hair into small and tight braids. Using the beads Ronal initially took out of Kayla's hair, they return the small adornments to their rightful place, settling more comfortably in the woven locks that put Kayla's human hair to shame.

When Kayla was alone with Ronal, it was easy to hide how flustered she felt since she was facing away from the other woman, able to hide her face. Now, she was forced to notice the heat of both Ronal's and Tonowari's bodies, radiating on her back and her front, essentially trapping her as they silently worked on her hair as a team. She envied their teamwork but was enraptured by it at the same time, something warm in her belly making itself known as the thought of them working together to help her came to mind.

"Thank you." 

Her voice felt so small in such a quiet, peaceful moment, unsure of where that gentle tone came from. She cleared her throat out of embarrassment while Tonowari pinned her down with a sweet, gentle smile,

"It is our pleasure."

She doesn't miss the heaviness of those words, whilst simultaneously feeling both of their breaths and bodies so close to hers as they braid her hair. Kayla could feel Ronal's knees pressed against her lower back while one of Tonowari's knees was pressed up against the outside of her thigh. Kayla has to purposely keep her tail wrapped around her own arm in fear that the appendage will betray her and reach out to them. To try and break the silence that lingered far past comfort, she opens her mouth and says the first thing that comes to mind,

"The last time my hair was braided was by Kiri and Tuk. They were trying to teach me how to properly do it myself while also sharing... a very detailed story of how their parents first mated." She snorts sharply.

Ronal hummed quietly to acknowledge her small story, the tsahik's breath gently ghosting small wisps of Kayla's hair as she spoke, "You sound as though the topic made you uncomfortable."

Kayla's nose scrunches up, "I don't know anyone who would want to hear about their brother's nocturnal activities."

"But the topic itself?"

"Uh..." 

'Ah, Hell,' was the first thought that came to mind when she realized the type of topic she roped herself into, a topic she would rather share with almost anyone except the two large Na'vi practically trapping her between their bodies, "Sky People don't really talk so casually about that sort of thing."

Tonowari's eyes briefly glance down at her before returning to her hair, "Really?"

"I mean, the ones I hang out with are not as private. Soldiers are often crude that way, but back home it's considered too... gaudy? It's mostly talked about behind closed doors or with people you can trust, but not flat-out strangers. Unless that excites them, I guess. I don't know, everyone's different. But society as a whole back on Earth doesn't like talking about it in public."

Ronal's eyes meet her husband's for a long while, both of their hands simultaneously pausing in Kayla's hair, making her ears straighten in alertness. She was starting to wonder if she had said something wrong before Ronal's hands began to move once more, in sync with her own response, "The Na'vi believe that it is our sworn duty to share and teach just like everything else. We do not shy away from such discussions because we want our children to learn how to be careful and well-informed early on. To give them such responsibility at a young age tends to make them blossom into more mature, respectful adults."

"Huh," Kayla exclaims, mostly to herself, "That explains why Tuk didn't seem shy at all when she talked about it. Any child her age back on Earth would've been mortified."

Tonowari chuckled, finishing one braid before moving on to another clump of her hair, "The more you speak, the more you make sense to us, Makayla te Suli."

"... That sounds like it had two different meanings."

The olo'eyktan makes a deep noise in the back of his throat, eyes meeting Ronal's over the top of Kayla's head, "When you speak about how children are brought up among the Sky People, the more I understand why you do not react the way normal Na'vi do when presented with songcord beads, clothes, and other gifts."

She tries to smile hopefully, but her eyebrows scrunch together with uncertainty, "Is that... a bad thing?"

"No," he shakes his head with a fond, reassuring smile, "It just means we need to be more blunt."

Her stomach flips as though she is freediving from her ikran, her tail briefly twitching in her lap to show off her anxiety before she manages to pull it back under control. She swallowed thickly when her throat suddenly felt dry, her eyes darting away from Tonowari's before they could express something they shouldn't.

Ronal's voice was closer than before, the hairs on the back of Kayla's neck standing up when she felt the other woman breathe directly into her ear, "Do you wish to muntxa si, Makayla?"

She wanted to shy away from Ronal, to raise her shoulder up and pull her head down when the tsahik's close proximity proved to be too much for her nerves to handle. Both clan leaders have completely stopped braiding and have pulled their hands out of her hair, but didn't return their touch to themselves. Instead, their fingers lingered on Kayla, either brushing lightly over her shoulders and knees, places that they deemed respectful enough not to scare her away. When Kayla tries to take a deep breath in, she is suddenly aware of their scents, mixed together as one, invading her nose. She decided that she needed to breathe less, or else she'd go dizzy.

"I'm sorry, I don't remember what that means." Yes, she does, but she thought it almost sounded like a dream. She needed to outright hear it.

Ronal's amusement was evident in her voice even though Kayla couldn't see her, "Do you wish to mate?"

Her tongue felt heavy in her mouth even as she managed to pull through a proper response without giving too much of her inner thoughts away, "I don't think that's on the table for me anytime soon. Or ever."

"Why?"

"Why would it?"

"It could be. If you feel the same for us as we do for you."

"... What?" Kayla now looks directly over her shoulder, regretting it when her nose gently brushed against Ronal's, not realizing just how close the other woman sat behind her. Ronal's hairless brow rises expectedly, eyes shining with mirth and a certain youth Kayla has never seen in her before. For a moment, it reminded her of a giddy Tsireya.

Tonowari was not so easily forgotten either, one of his hands absently brushing some of the new braids over Kayla's shoulder, lingering at the juncture of her neck, causing more goosebumps to rise in his wake as she did her best not to shiver. 

It felt as though her mind was running through a hundred thoughts per minute, that fatal organ in her chest betraying any sort of logical thinking trying to make its way into her brain. While Kayla may have looked composed -and a little surprised- on the outside, the inside was riddled with inner turmoil, parts of her body trying to fight for dominance in a nauseating dance. Parts of her blew up like fireworks, overjoyed and celebratory, while the rest of her was filled with anxiety, doubt, and the most unimaginable fear. She wanted to dispute Ronal's words; wanting to refuse and say she did not feel the same, no matter how painful it would be to lie. In her head, Kayla knew it would be for the best. She couldn't be involved with them-- involved in their beautiful lives and slice of paradise, no matter how badly she wanted to.

She wished she could bolt, but realized that these clan leaders were smart, purposely keeping her hostage under their undivided attention to her hair braids and beads, trapping her here underneath their eyes and their words.

"You must have noticed our attempt to court you," Tonowari stated with a knowing expression.

She thinly smiled before it quickly faded, as well as her eagerness to refuse them, "I have, but... I didn't want to assume. You told me to not come off as useless when we first met, so I just... I've just been trying my best to help you both out any way I can so that I'm doing my part for the village. I guess I assumed that you've had me helping you so you could keep an eye on me. "

Tonowari winced, regretting the words he spoke when they first met, knowing that it likely played into why Kayla wasn't as open to his and Ronal's courting, "You are vital to our village now, Makayla. You help this clan flourish and thrive through your kindness and determination. These are traits we admire about you, and it's why we always seek out your company. Not because we think you are useless and need a helping hand." 

"But... I am not Metkayina. I am not even Omatikaya. You can deny it all you want, but I'm still one of the Sky People, a dreamwalker," she scoffs with a small look of disdain as she stares off to the side, "No one in their right mind would want to start a family with a demon."

Tonowari tilts his head, "Are you saying Neytiri te Tskaha Mo'at'ite is not of sound mind?"

"That's different," Kayla waves him off, "Jake is different. Jake fully completed his Iknimaya. He passed through the Eye of Eywa and returned, born again in his Na'vi body. He... He can't even be considered a dreamwalker anymore. He buried his demon body a long time ago. I'm not like Jake. I'm still tied to my demon form and my old way of life, a life I don't plan on trying to forget as easily as my brother. My people hate your people."

She then looks back over her shoulder at Ronal, "Up until recently, you hated my people."

"I still do," Ronal corrects, immediately softening her words when she notices shame flash over Kayla's eyes, "But I don't look at you and see the Sky People. I look at you and see Makayla te Suli tsmuke te Toruk Makto. You fought beside us to protect our children. You saved my life. You learned our ways. Your nephew lies with our ancestors. In the Eye of Eywa, you are now Her daughter, even if you still walk Her breast in a demon body."

Kayla's denial was stubborn and eager as she vehemently shook her head with defiance, "My demon body is why you shouldn't choose me as your mate, among so many other things. Unless you're ready to understand my way of life, I don't want to burden you with it. Try to remember that I can't always be here. I'll have to leave sometimes, and it could be weeks on end. It would be difficult being with me." 

Her head movement stops the moment a hand the size of her skull gently rises and slips into place, resting on the side of her head. Kayla's eyes widened as Tonowari softly moved her head so that her gaze landed on his, silencing all of her rambling thoughts as she got lost in the blue oceans of his eyes. While he wasn't smiling, he was being genuine, showing his sincerity by speaking as clearly as he possibly could, his booming voice rattling in her head, "The best things in life are usually difficult, but that's why they are so rewarding."

Both of Ronal's hands move to rest on both of Kayla's shoulders now that the avatar's breath is taken away, unable to respond, "If you do not wish for us to pursue you, just say the word, and we'll stop."

That was surprising to Kayla and it got her voice to return, ears moving in all directions out of shock, "Really?"

"Yes," Tonowari assured with a stiff nod, "We would never force you to mate with us, knowing that once you do, it would be for life. But do not try to stop us if you're worried that we would only See a part of you, not all of you. We want to know you better, to understand the world you come from and how you came to be the woman you are today. We have discussed this in detail, and we agree that you are worth many obstacles that will no doubt be in our way."

At the mention of obstacles, a thought crossed her mind, "And that includes Spider, right?"

"Of course it does." He says this confidently, without hesitation.

"Does it?" Her own doubt is replaced with a small barrier of protection, eager to shield the child in her care as she finds herself sternly looking between the two clan leaders, "Because I don't want you to pretend and treat him normally if all you're going to see is a demon child. If you only pretend to See him just to be with me, then I can't accept this. He's my responsibility, and I intend on always putting the kid first from now on."

"We know..." Kayla's spine stiffened, not because of Ronal's words, but because of the tsahik's hand slowly running a soft, barely-there line down her back with the very tips of her fingers, "And we admire you for that. We want Spider in our lives as well."

Tonowari nods in agreement, "The boy is loyal to those who choose to love him and not to those who are simply related to him. He earns his respect and his place here in our village. He is also a child who deserves a family to properly care for him. The Na'vi don't believe in letting children fend for themselves. Even when they have no one left to care for them, the village as a whole makes sure that the child grows up loved. Spider should have been properly adopted by members of the Omatikaya clan ages ago."

"No kidding," Kayla muttered under her breath, a pang of anger beating in her chest, directed at everyone who wronged such a spirited, kind child. 

But just like that, those thoughts went away, expunged from her mind at the faint touch of Ronal's hand moving down Kayla's arm. Kayla's fingers twitched with anticipation, but she didn't dare move even as Ronal's fingers slowly entwined with hers. Ronal's fingers move with precision and determination, hooking her smallest finger with Kayla's pinky, the strange extra finger that once disgusted her. Kayla tried to stay perfectly still while the tsahik's voice was still rough in her ear, "If you feel the same for us as we do for you, then say you will perform tsaheylu with us instead of trying to spare us from something you think is not worth fighting for. If you want to say no, then do so for the right reasons."

Kayla sucks in a sharp breath of air before shakily exhaling it out, trying to calm her racing heart. While their reassurances were nice to hear, there was still a sliver of doubt wedged in the back of her mind, smaller than before but still loud, not wanting to be ignored. It reminded her of all her insecurities and hardships that she still needed to work through, and despite Ronal and Tonowari's words, her doubt tried to beat her down and say that they would never be with her every step of the way. Deep down, she will never be one of them, so even if they stayed by her side... it won't be for long because, in the end, everyone always leaves her. 

At the same time, her heart was screaming at her to say yes; to agree to everything they were saying because it's obviously all that she wants and more. A family. She never thought she'd gain such a thing by agreeing to learn the ways of the Na'vi. Then again... she didn't think she'd gain anything when she started learning the ways of the Na'vi, and yet here she was, owing it all to her new way of life for what the Metkayina clan leaders were offering her. 

In the end, the Na'vi are precisely why she gave her answer as she took a deep breath, "I feel the same. I do. I feel the same for both of you... but I'm not ready. I want to do this right. I want to take this slow. I know I'm asking a lot... with the war coming and your baby on the way. But I want to officially become true Na'vi before anything else. I still haven't completed my Iknimaya. Every person is born twice, right? I have yet to be born a second time; to earn my place among the People forever. Tradition states that only then will I be able to choose a mate, right? You want to learn my ways, but I also want to learn yours. I want to do this right. Let me do this right." 

They sat and listened to her, and in the end, wide smiles graced both of their faces. Neither of them appeared disappointed by Kayla's answer. In fact, they almost looked proud of her decision, the expressions on both of their faces would've easily made her knees weak had she been standing.

Ronal's hand squeezes hers, "We accept your terms, Makayla."

"Nothing would make us happier," Tonowari's hand moves, Kayla's ear flicking in the direction of the hand in question but otherwise doesn't acknowledge it. His hand slides off the side of her face, and while her skin now feels cool from where he once was, his fingers trail down the side of her neck and down her shoulder before gently grasping her arm, where his palm immediately warms up her skin once more. Kayla watched his face carefully, noting the way his eyes seemed to scan over her figure, causing a pleasant shiver to run up her spine, her heart giving no indication of slowing down. Finally, Tonowari's deep ocean eyes find her honey-colored ones, and she felt as though she was being sucked into the void as those same eyes started to inch closer and closer.

"May I?"

The breath he lets out with his question brushes over Kayla's chin, her mouth parting slightly as she tries to gain more air to slow her heart rate down. She didn't mean for her eyelashes to flutter, but she definitely caught Tonowari shamelessly watching the act and decided she wasn't ashamed either. She nods once, unable to form a word as he leans closer until she knows that the air she's breathing is his as well. Instinctively, she closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable.

Her left ear twitched when Tonowari leaned into the side of her face with his, gently rubbing them together as he loudly inhaled a slow, long strain of air through his nose. Kayla opened her eyes, frowning out of curiosity. At first, she thought he was leaning in to kiss her, but it wasn't until Ronal had moved her newly braided hair off her shoulder and started to do the same to the right side of her face that something in her brain finally clicked. 

Her nose was bombarded with a mixture of smells now beginning to seep into her skin-- their scents, blended together and with hers, as the way it should be. Kayla felt dizzy, as though their scenting had some sort of drugging effect, but in a desirable way that made her feel high, proud to be branded by these two beautiful Na'vi.

She almost lost her resolve then and there, wanting to forget what she said about waiting, but she managed to push through. Always resilient, but no longer when it came to her future mated pair.

A/N:

Jake: Don't judge my parenting until you become a parent yourself.

Kayla, about to adopt Spider, Ao'nung, Tsireya, and their unborn sibling: 'Aight. Bet.

#tsamsiyu ta'em fic #atwow fics #atwow fic #atwow fanfic #atwow fanfiction #tonowari x oc x ronal #tonowari #tonowari x ronal x oc #tonowari x ronal #ronal x tonowari #ronal #ronal x tonowari x oc #ronal x oc x tonowari #tonowari x oc #ronal x oc #adopted spider #adopted spider socorro #spider socorro

[mvltisstuff]

hello!! i hope you’re doing well, how have finals been going/gone??

i saw your post asking for requests, and i know the last thing i sent you you said it was fine to send more but i didn’t wanna overwhelm you with finals and everything going on, but since you’re asking, ofc i have more 😂 i was thinking something with reader being athena’s apprentice again and this time the reader gets hurt on a case and buck as to be called and goes full blown protective and everyone’s like “where did this come from considering how reckless you are” and that’s when everyone realizes how real things are with them and that reader is end game for buck. ofc if you don’t get to it, don’t worry. if you do, thank you a thousand. i hope you have a lovely day and things go well, just in general ❤️

-🚒

must be love - e.b

summary: request from above :)

evan buckley x reader

a/n: finals are going well!! i just finished my state testing 😿 but luckily it wasn’t too bad. i have like a week left of school and then i’ll be writing a ton, and i love love love seeing people leave requests <33 hope you enjoy love

y/n roamed through the halls of the dark house, with her gun up, flashlight on, and her eyes focused on her surroundings. she had gone in without backup, but athena was on her way to the scene as well as a few more units. the call had been sent into dispatch for an armed robbery, so clearly y/n had to be armed too. she had turned her radio off, not to make the intruder more threatened by the police presence.

she had been searching the bedrooms, the kitchen, and other rooms that had been marked off with valuables this person might be interested in. the homeowner had already made his escape out, so now it was just a matter of time for them to find the person who caused this. the last room y/n had entered, she was hoping to find someone, but alas, there hadn’t been any traces.

in the hallway, the man tracing her steps had been following her throughout the house, strategically hiding behind her in ways that she would never have noticed. she had been pointing her gun and light at the walls and under the furniture when she felt a massive blow to the head.

her vision was faded and blurred as she whipped around with her gun. disoriented, he was able to swing it out of her grip and across the floor. the robber landed clean punches to her abdomen and scratches to her face. she heard a crack to her shoulder, but she knew it hadn’t been broken. it still hurt like a bitch, for sure.

y/n’s strong, but vulnerable body had been thrown against the wall and slid down. the criminal wasn’t done, but the shiny pocketknife on his side did not pass by y/n’s smart eyes. she grabbed his side and opened it swiftly, jamming it into his thigh. he screamed out in pain, and y/n twisted the knife before pulling it out.

out of the corner of her blurry eyes, y/n had spotted a figure making her way toward the two of them. her eyes were squinted from the pounding headache she had been facing. the faint, familiar voice came in as the woman bent down with a jangling pair of cuffs. “dispatch, this is 727-L30, suspect in custody, we’re going to need an additional ambulance at 1873 Garden Street,” says athena into her radio.

“thena…” y/n whispers.

“hey, y/l/n,” she responds. “you got this guy good.” another officer comes in and hauls the man away and it is just athena and y/n in the room. “are you alright, y/n?” athena says sternly.

“i’m fine, i just-“ y/n starts to stand up, and athena grabs onto her. her legs wobbly a bit and she words get mushed together.

“ok well, i don’t think so. we have an ambulance on the way.”

y/n sits back down and nods, looking at her with tired eyes, still fighting to stay away. successfully, she is able to make it until the two paramedics come into the house. she sees hen and chimney walk in with their medical bags.

“what do we got he- y/n?” chimney asks, bending down and observing his friend. hen shines a light to her eyes.

“probable concussion,” she touches her shoulder, making her hiss and cry out a bit. “and maybe a shoulder dislocation, posterior.”

“let’s get her en route to hollywood presbyterian,” chimney says, getting ready for transport.

after y/n was dropped off the at hospital, she was placed in her own, quiet room. hen and chim and arrived back at the station, prepared to face bucks wrath. they walked upstairs to the kitchen, meeting bobby who had already been informed on the incident by athena.

buck had been sitting at the table with eddie and ravi, hanging out and snacking at a bowl of popcorn. they had been bickering over some silly thing when bucks eyes landed on the partners. he immediately knew something was wrong, and his brain landed to y/n. their upset faces gave it away.

“what happened?” buck asks, hesitantly, not wanting a bad answer. “is y/n ok?”

“she… she was hurt, buck,” hen begins to state. “one of her calls took a bad turn-“

buck shoots out of his chair, stepping closer to her. “what do you mean went wrong?” he raises his voice. “where is she?”

“she’s at the hospital buck, but she is alright,” chimney says. “you don’t have to panic-“

“what hospital?”

“buck, slow down…”

“i asked what hospital?!”

the two exchange a sad glance, and tell him, “hollywood presbyterian.”

buck immediately is ready to leave, preparing to speed to the hospital. he always gets scared when he gets a call or text from her. because buck doesn’t know what he would do if she got hurt, or worse. she was his lifeline. every day she was there for him with a smile, forcing him to paint his own. she was brighter than the sun to him, and without her, the clouds had rolled in. even thinking about losing her sent him into a spiral of negative thoughts.

he had met her at a dinner with athena and bobby, and he was smitten for her ever since. the months and months of them seeing each other and blossomed into a stronger love than they could’ve imagined. buck can’t see himself with anyone but her.

“hey, kid,” bobby says. “i’m going too, i’ll drive you over.”

the ride to the hospital was eerily silent. bucks thoughts were flooding his mind about how hurt she could be. he had been prepared to finally leave and end his shift at work, but instead was bombarded with fear. if there was a phobia of losing her, buck definitely has it.

he sprinted into the entrance of the hospital, bobby was trailing behind. he stormed up to the front desk and spat out her name rapidly. the nurse said, “i’m sorry sir, but only family can see loved ones at this time.”

buck shook his head, and looked at bobby. he didn’t want to have to lie, but it’s nothing he hasn’t done before. “fiancé, i’m her fiancé.” the nurse looks at bobby.

“uh, uncle?” he says unsure, but the nurse still accepts it and gives them a room number.

buck pounds on the elevator buttons, stepping into it his with his heart pounding. his shaking hands are pressed together to stop his anxiety, but it ultimately fails. bobby watches buck quietly, observing his frazzled state.

the doors slide open, and buck runs through the hallways passing by the nurses and other people. he looks at all the room numbers that mean nothing to him until he finds the next. the one with the love of his life inside.

his features soften as he looks at y/n’s sleeping body. her arm was wrapped up with a few bandages on her face. she looked oddly peaceful, which scared buck. however, the calm beeping of the machine helped him slow down. he walked further in to see athena sitting across from the bed. he walked up to y/n and saw her eyes lightly fluttering in her sleep. he sat down on the bed next to her, grabbing her hand and kissing it lightly.

“the doctor said she’s going to be perfectly fine,” athena reassures him. “she’s just sleeping now. she’ll be going home tomorrow.”

buck let out a breath that had been weighing his shoulders down. he looks at his girlfriends fragile form and observes the injuries to her face. he runs his fingers over a few of the cuts and bruises, but he finds comfort in knowing that they’ll heal. when athena mentions that she’ll be home, he smiles a bit. he knows that she’ll come home to her, and he swears there is no better feeling. “i’m just… i’m really happy she’s ok,” he looks over to athena. “thank you.”

she nods lightly before saying, “she’s a real fighter, wasn’t going to let that guy take her down with him.”

“this was so dangerous. give me five minutes with this guy.”

“buck, you know you’re the most reckless person i know. you two will be a good match, protecting each other.”

the night rolls into the hospital, breaking the day and releasing the moon. outside had become darker, and athena and bobby had been watching buck gently handle y/n. she had woken up for a bit, and had been talking to buck and had a bright smile on her face. bucks was almost identical out of relief and happiness.

the couple had been watching buck all night. they’d never seen him so in love with someone. they knew they were perfect together and that she was the center of his universe. buck needed her, and she saved him and pulled him out of some of his lowest times. it reminded them of themselves. athena saved bobby, and y/n was doing the same to buck.

“you got the guy, right?”

“of course we did, thanks to you and that little knife,” athena says.

“how did they let you all in? it’s not visiting hours, is it?”

“oh you know,” buck starts. “just told them a white lie.”

they all know that they aren’t engaged, but there’s no use in pretending that it won’t be a reality in time. at the end of the day, buck knows he told the truth to that nurse.

“i told them i was an uncle, but i think i could’ve gotten away with brother, no?”

“oh, bobby, bless your soul,” athena laughs, placing a loving hand on bobby’s shoulder. “you should get some more rest, you’ll be back in no time, sweetie.” the pair leaves, and y/n and buck remain in the room.

“go back to sleep, baby,” buck says, planting a kiss on her cheek. “i’m not going anywhere, i don’t know what i’d do without you. you bring out the best in me.”

“i love you, too, buck. so much,” she says and he places his hands on the sides of her face. holding her hand throughout the night, she dozes back off. a safe sleep, because buck is always there next to her.

#911 #911onfox #bobby nash #eddie diaz #evan buckley #evan buckley fanfic #athena grant #evan buck buckley x reader #evan buckley x reader #henrietta wilson #911 chimney #howie han #maddie buckley

[pasukiyo]

YOU'RE ALWAYS GONNA BE MINE

| PROLOGUE

a royalty au. remus lupin x princess!reader. multi-part series. series masterlist.

word count; 2,635 words summary; the princess is to be betrothed soon. but she's still so, so young, she has yet to even see the world! how can she marry a man she doesn't love, much less a man she has never even met? meanwhile, the full moon is in two weeks and remus is in the most pain he's ever felt. how much longer does he have to suffer, how much longer until the pain fades away?

so even in a different life, you still would've been mine, we would've been timeless...

‘Dear Lily,

 Things have been less than exemplary here, I’m afraid. Peter has been practically breathing down my neck as of late… (I’ve just been told off for even writing that) …and I overheard mother and father talking yesterday. They’re going to force me into marriage. 

 I know I should be happy. This is my sole purpose as princess anyway, I should feel honored to have found a suitable prince to marry. Yet… I cannot help but to feel anything but. It feels like I am wasting my life away… why can I not find a man for myself? Why must I marry without falling in love? 

 I apologise for how short this letter has been. But it is becoming rather difficult to keep Peter from reading over my shoulder and quite frankly, I do not wish to succumb to another one of mother and father’s rants. Peter is such a sneak.

 With all my love,

                                 The Princess’

 The princess sighed as she signed off her letter, narrowing her eyes up at Peter where he stood, an incredulous look upon his face as she rolled the parchment, tying it with a red, silky ribbon. “You don’t have to give me that look, Peter,” she said, fixing up the bow she had tied. “The letter is between me and Princess Lily, you don’t need to be such a snoop.”

 Peter hissed, watching the princess as she rose from the desk, dusting off the skirt of her gown. “You understand that it is my job to keep you in line?” He scoffed, following close behind her heels as she walked up the steps of the Owlery, catching sight of her beloved owl, Athena. “Your mother will be very displeased if she were to know the contents of that letter.”

 Her eyes rolled in their sockets as she soothed her fingers on Athena’s mottled brown and white head, a satisfied hoot slipping from her beak. “Which is why I trust that mother won’t hear of this,” she said, her lips curved in a cheeky grin as she tied the parchment to Athena’s claw. “Deliver this to Lily, would you, Thena?” She cooed at the owl, the creature giving her knuckle a tender nip before she outstretched her wings, pushing her body off of her perch, soaring out the window and into the night. The princess sighed as she watched the owl take flight, an envious burn in her heart. 

 “You’re lucky I am feeling extra generous today,” Peter replied and she huffed, turning back around to face him. “‘Extra generous?’” She chuckled as she pushed past him, holding onto her skirt as she made her way back down the steps of the Owlery. “Since when were you capable of being generous?” 

 With a smile, she turned her head around to peer over at Peter just in time to watch his eyes roll in their sockets. “You jest, my princess. Perhaps I’d laugh if it weren’t damn near midnight. You should be in bed, may I remind you.” She sighed as she pushed her way out of the Owlery, Peter following close behind like a shadow. “Don’t get your knickers in a twist, Peter, I’m going,” she giggled as they made their way through the garden and back into the castle, stepping inside one of its many hallways.

 “My knickers are not in a tw–”

 “Goodnight Peter! I cannot wait until the morning where you will chastise me again,” she smiled and waved at the Royal Advisor behind her, lifting her gown as she made her way up the staircase. She could hear Peter scoff behind her, her lips still curled into a soft smile as she made her way through the corridor towards her quarters, yawning and rolling her neck as she smiled at the guard outside her room. With an indifferent expression, he pushed open the door for her, stepping aside to allow her to enter the bedroom.

 The room was warm with the marmalade glow coming from the candle she had left lit earlier and she hummed at the sight of her handmaiden, Marlene, in the corner of the room, silent as she focused on the parchment in her lap. At the sound, Marlene snapped her head towards where the princess stood, pushing the parchment off to the side as she scrambled to her feet. “My princess! Let me grab your nightgown for you…” Marlene hurriedly stammered out, rushing to the closet to grab one of the princess’ many nightgowns, pulling a long, white lace one from the sea of many fabrics.

 The princess’ lips twitched in an amused smile as Marlene practically sprinted back towards her, presenting the gown for her to take. “Marlene, what have I told you?” The princess chuckled, graciously taking the nightgown from her handmaiden’s hands. “You can relax when you are with me. You make me seem like one of those stuck-up, snobby princesses that care very little for others’ wellbeing. It is almost insulting.”

 Marlene’s rosy cheeks flushed and she bowed her head, locking her shaking fingers before her. “M-my apologies, your highness,” she hardly managed to stutter out, earning yet another roll of the eyes from the princess. “Marlene,” the princess called her name again, reaching out with her hand towards the handmaiden’s chin, tilting it up until their eyes met once again. “Relax.”

 Marlene’s chest heaved when she inhaled a deep breath, her muscles visibly relaxing at the sound of the princess’ soft, gentle voice. She exhaled as the princess’ lips grew in yet another warm grin, making her way around the dressing screen and making quick work of her dress. “Do you need help with your corset?” Marlene’s voice called over the screen just as she unlaced her own corset, her muscles aching in gratitude, her waist finally free of its confinement. “I’ve got it,” she sighed, tossing the corset until it hung over the top of the screen as she began to shimmy herself out of her dress.

 “Princess,” Marlene’s voice called again and she hummed in reply as she tossed the dress over the screen as well, rolling up her nightgown until the head was visible. “The King and Queen requested you for brunch tomorrow. Apparently, Lord Sirius will be spending the day in the castle.”

 Her lips twitched at the mention of Lord Sirius and she stepped out from behind the dressing screen as she soothed the nightgown down her body. “Thank you, Marlene,” she nodded her head. “May I request that I wear that midnight blue dress, you know, the one I wore the last time Lord Regulus came around?” Marlene’s face lit up in an almost knowing grin, although she tried to suppress it. “Trying to impress Lord Sirius?’ The handmaiden couldn’t help but giggle and the princess chuckled as well, shaking her head as she made her way towards her bed. “No, of course not,” she replied. “Lord Sirius is only a dear friend. And I like that dress. It is very comfortable– you did well on it.”

 Marlene flushed and bowed her head, “thank you, princess,” she murmured shyly. The princess smiled as she tucked herself beneath the covers, gazing up at the dusty pink ceiling of her bedroom. “Is there anything else you’d like before you sleep?” Marlene inquired and the princess shook her head in response. “No thank you, Marlene,” she murmured softly. “Have a good night.”

 “Sweet dreams, princess.”

 The princess blinked up at the ceiling as the marmalade glow faded when Marlene blew the candles out, the room slowly shrouding itself in darkness until she was gazing into a void of black. She listened to Marlene’s footsteps as she sauntered out of the bedroom and out of her quarters, leaving her alone in the room much too big for one woman.

 Everything was still, the sky outside her window was black and frankly, she should have been asleep. Alas, her mind was reeling, a dark, swirling tempest of much-unappreciated thoughts. What was she to do about her impending marriage?

 Call her a sap, call her a hopeless romantic— she wanted love. She didn’t want a prince of some far away kingdom, she didn’t want to be his shadow— she wanted to properly fall in love with someone, to marry someone on her own accord. She was still so young and still had so many years ahead of her, how could she be forced into wedlock!

 The thought put a sour look on her face and she turned to her side, wedging an arm beneath her pillow to support her head. She gazed out her window at the night’s black sky, eyeing the twinkling stars illuminating it. This couldn’t happen, it just couldn’t— she’d find a way to be sure of it.

 Remus howled in pain as he stumbled through the back door of Lord Sirius Black’s manor, his muscles aching and the contents of his stomach bubbling at the pit, threatening to spill from his chapped lips. He could hear footsteps somewhere on the other side of the mansion and he hoped to whomever it was watching down on them that it was his dear friend. 

 “Remus?” 

 Remus growled as sweat beaded down the side of his face, crashing into the bookcase against the wall as he tried to regain his balance, chest heaving as a thread of saliva fell down in a string from his lips. He groaned as he blinked up at the figure approaching him, hardly able to make out the face in the darkness of the manor. 

 “Sirius,” Remus managed out, yelping at another particularly rough jab of pain in his abdomen, practically slamming his forehead down on the nearest shelf of the bookcase. 

 “Merlin, let’s get you upstairs,” Sirius muttered, grabbing a hold of one of Remus’ arms, tossing it over his shoulders as he used his other arm to hoist his friend off of the wall. Remus hissed through his teeth at the pain and squeezed his eyelids shut, throwing his head back as he tried to move his feet to aide Sirius. 

 Sirius grunted as they approached the stairs, practically dragging his friend up the steps, much to Remus’ displeasure. His belly lurched at a particular rough landing on one of the steps and he pursed his lips together, hoping the acid bubbling in his throat could be willed to stay down. Sirius grabbed a hold of Remus again and hoisted him forth, finally arriving on the second floor of the manor. 

 He rushed Remus into one of the empty spare bedrooms, practically tossing his dear friend on the mattress as he rushed for the waste bin he kept in here for this sole purpose, handing it to the man. Remus wasted no time in spilling the contents of his stomach, a sour, rotten odor Sirius had grown far too accustomed to to care about imbuing the bedroom. 

 Sirius found a washcloth and poured some cold water over it, sighing as he plopped down in the chair beside the bed, handing the cloth over to Remus once he was done vomiting. He fell back against the pillows on the bed, chapped lips agape as he tried to catch his breath, slapping the cold rag down on his entire face. He squeezed his eyelids together hard enough to see stars, feeling his heart drum against his chest. 

 “Sorry,” he managed out, his voice low and husky. Sirius rolled his eyes and scoffed from his bedside, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest. “I think we’re well beyond an apology, my friend,” he chuckled. “Besides, you know I don’t mind.”

 Remus huffed and coughed against the rag, furrowing his brow as he folded it to only lay on his forehead, pressing it down hard enough to let some of the water trickle down his skin. He sighed at the feeling of the cold water reaching his chapped lips, his tongue swiping between them just as Sirius pressed the rim of a bottle to his lips. Remus’ lids shot open and he peered over at Sirius before back down at the glass of water, practically ripping it from his friend’s grip as he chugged the entire thing down, hiccuping and wiping the little bit that had dribbled onto his chin before handing it back. 

 “Sorry if I woke you up,” Remus apologized, letting his head fall to the side to get a better look at Sirius in his night clothes. Sirius shook his head, setting the glass of water down against the nightstand, once again leaning back in his seat. “No matter, I was awake anyway,” he replied. “Was just figuring out what to wear for brunch at the castle tomorrow.”

 Remus rolled his eyes at this— somehow, it always seemed to slip his mind that his best friend was rich, and a lord for that matter. “Right,” Remus muttered. “While I’m doing my best not to die, you’re rubbing elbows with royalty. Almost forgot.”

 Sirius, too, rolled his eyes and snickered at this, “it’d do you well to remember that I’m the one making sure you’re not dying in this very moment. Wouldn’t want to jeopardize your position right now, would you?”

 Remus scoffed, rolling his head to gaze back up at the ceiling. “Right,” he murmured. “Well, thanks for helping me out, mate. And don’t worry, I’ll be out of your hair come morning.”

 “Now, wait a minute here, you’re not going to get rid of me that easily,” Sirius chuckled, leaning forward in his chair. Remus peeled a single eyelid open, glancing over to his friend. “The full moon’s not for another few weeks now, is it? And you’ve already got it this bad.”

“Two weeks, actually,” Remus sighed. “My symptoms seem to have gotten worse lately. Not even one of your million galleon beds takes away the pain.” Sirius pursed his lips, “not a million galleons, for one thing. Second, I thought you didn’t get this bad until the day before a transformation. Are you alright?”

 Remus opened both his eyelids again, cocking an eyebrow towards his friend. “Really?” He scoffed. “Oh, I’m doing just fine and dandy here, thanks so much for asking.” Sirius’ chest puffed when he huffed, “I can throw you back out onto the street if you fancy.” 

 Remus huffed, easing himself further down into the mattress. “I’m better now,” he sighed. “Just… tired.” Sirius eyed his friend, Remus’ skin still slick with a layer of sweat but at the very least, he didn’t seem prone to hurl his dinner out at any given moment anymore. Sirius soothed his palms over his thighs before pushing off of his seat, fingernails scratching at his scalp. “Get some sleep,” Sirius said as he made his way towards the door. “Leave whenever you need to tomorrow. I’ll probably already be gone.”

 Remus’ lips tugged into a smirk, “off rubbing elbows with the royal family?”

 Sirius hissed and rolled his eyes in their sockets, “piss off.”

 With that, Sirius closed the door behind him, leaving Remus all alone in one of the manor’s many bedrooms, blinking up into the black above where the ceiling would be. His muscles were sore and aching, the upcoming full moon lingering in the corner of his mind. How much longer would he have to bear this? How much must he suffer before he finally went numb? Before he felt nothing at all?

 Remus sighed, letting his eyelids flutter closed, hoping sleep would overtake him soon. He was grateful for Sirius, for having at least a comfortable bed to sleep in, unlike his own bed at home that was no better than sleeping on pins and needles. Remus let himself fall deeper into mattress, slowly but surely feeling himself slip into the arms of a deep slumber…

a/n; so uh... surprise? so sorry for my long hiatus! between college and work, i have just hardly had any time for anything, especially writing but i'm back! and with a series of all things lol but i'm so excited to finally be posting this and i hope you all enjoy this as much as i do! please either comment or fill out my taglist form in my pinned post if you'd like to join my taglist for this series!

#remus lupin #remus lupin x reader #remus lupin x you #remus lupin imagine #remus lupin au #remus lupin fluff #remus lupin smut #remus lupin royalty au #pasukiyo #harry potter #harry potter fandom #harry potter imagine #marauders #marauders era #sirius black #james potter #lily evans #marlene mckinnon

[gareleia]

THE KNITTING SAGA CONTINUES

a continuation of this post, because I have no impulse control and am in dire need of more Aeolus content

first of all, let's establish one thing - and I think we can all agree on that - Aeolus loves to fuck with people. they are a benevolent(-ish?) trickster deity, and they revel in harmless pranks

as a consequence, they are on pretty good terms with Hermes. while Hermes doesn't care much for the 'small fry' and doesn't pay that much attention to the wind god most of the time, Aeolus has their winions follow the messenger god religiously (pun intended), because? where Hermes goes, shenanigans always follow.

so when they get the tea that he's apparently hanging out on that one random Greek island, playing nanny? oh, they know it's gotta be good. so naturally, they go to check it out.

well, turns out that Athena is also there, and both of them are sooo bad with babies, it's hilarious

Athena, holding baby!Telemachus: Ehhh, shouldn't it be eating more meat? it's body is so weak, it can't even hold a spear! Hermes, exasperated: oh my me, 'thena, that's not how humans work!! babies eat liquids first!! how can you not know that!! here you go, champ, drink some wine!! Aeolus, hiding in the leaves: holy shit these guys are dumb

so now they can't just leave Telemachus alone with Athena and Hermes! they might not be an expert on child rearing, but surely they can do better than those two dorks! and the baby is adorable.

so they decide to stick around. just for a little bit. a week tops.

fast forward a few years, and they have been raising the prince of Ithaca

Aeolus: *shocked pikachu face*

and Aeolus is the much needed chaotic good influence to Hermes' chaotic neutral and Athena's lawful neutral.

the thing is, Aeolus is really good at hiding. so good, in fact, that no one but Telemachus had even realized they are here. everyone else just thinks that the prince has an invisible friend which, well… they're not wrong?.. and it's not like other kids are exactly lining up to be his friends anyway, cause everyone thinks he's weird (or their parents don't want to catch the attention of the suitors)

and the gods think that it's because they hang around too much and Telemachus can't make friends because of them. so maybe they try to spend less time in Ithaca, for his own good. which only makes things worse, because now the boy is upset, and Aeolus and winions have to try extra hard to cheer him up, which pisses them off.

Athena & Hermes: oh, goodness us, we shall try not to interfere too much with the mortal affairs, so that the young prince grows up healthy and happy ¯_(ツ)_/¯ Telemachus: (T⌓T) Aeolus: ヾ( ･`⌓´･)ﾉﾞ

and then they have to subtle bully the two dumb fucks to come back.

on a less serious note, Aeolus also has a sweet tooth, especially for marshmallows (idgaf there weren't any marshmallows in Mycenaean Greece, they're a god. they can make all the damn marshmallows they want)

and of course, since they are sooo generous, they always share with Telemachus.

what they don't know(?) is that winions, who all get their own treats, also collectively share them with the baby, because they are secretly evil adorable little freaks.

which results in a very hyper prince sugar rushing seemingly out of nowhere.

Telemachus, running all around the palace and crackling madly: I AM SPEED- Penelope, unimpressed: and who, pray tell, had given my son sweets right before dinner? Athena, equally unimpressed: yes, I would also like to know. Hermes, sweating nervously: heyyyy, why are you all looking at me like that???? ( ಠ‿ಠ ) Aeolus, from behind a tree, unseen by anyone: (｡•̀U-)┘

Hermes always gets blamed.

It's the only time he doesn't do the thing

and he's seething, because nobody believes him.

#epic #epic the musical #epic the musical au #the knitting saga au #telemachus #hermes #athena #aeolus #penelope #alternate universe #found family #fluff #especially winions #they are extremely fluffy #they/them aeolus supremacy is real #in the words of a very wise witch: ye saga continues #aka i'm back on my bullshit #but you gotta agree it's hilarious that hermes of all people is falsely accused #because when something happens in relation to the prince - it's usually always hermes #it's always hermes #gotta start that tag for you #no need to thank me #but fr telemachus is baby #don't worry odysseus #you have fun going to the moon #we've got him

[callsigndragon]

The Christmas Date | Chapter 4: Santa Tell Me

Pairing: Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw x Fem!Kerner!Reader

(Ron Kerner is Slider, Iceman’s backseater)

Wordcount: 2.8k

Summary: Y/n “Athena” Kerner and Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw hate each other. Everybody knows. What happens when they have to fake date for a whole week to avoid Iceman and Slider’s matchmaking plans?

(there won't be smut in this series)

Warnings: OKAY SO. If there is any transphobic person reading this, i’m sorry but it’s time to LEAVE. Iceman’s grandSON is trans, Rooster/Thena being supportive godparents, Rooster’s ex-gf still being a bitch, body dismorphia, mentions of alcohol, CAR ACCIDENT (everyone's okay don't worry), driving under the influence, mentions of death, mentions of Carole's death... you know the deal.

A/N: Yeah, I know. I should be taking some time to rest. I got bad news today, my heart is getting worse again and I have to go through surgery BUT writing is my coping mechanism so expect more works soon.

Tag list:@ducks118 @milestellerwife @craftymoonchaos @littlebadariell @xoxabs88xox @alexxavicry @tayrae515 @shrimping-for-all @mak-32 @my-soulmate-is-mycroft @harper1666 @purplevortexx @abaker74 @ssprayberrythings @melllinaa @loveless-simp @k-k0129

(If you want to be tagged comment or sent an ask <3)

Previous | Next | Masterlist

The room is amazing. If you hadn’t seen it before, you could never tell that it had been filled to the core with princess things. You can’t wait to see your nephew and Rebecca, talk to both, and learn more about this new part of your lives that has just begun. 

“You went all extra with the Christmas tree.” says Nick looking at the 7 ft tree that Rooster bought. 

“Christmas this year is special. Let’s make it a one to remember” Bradley admits, looking at you. “Can I talk to you?” 

“Oh, am, sure!” 

You two move to the kitchen, Rooster seems to be a bit agitated. “What’s wrong?” 

“I don’t think we should lie to Jes- well, to him” 

You sigh, knowing that he’s right. How can you lie to that poor kid? You clearly haven’t thought about all the aspects of this ruse. 

“Rooster, I know what you mean but… If we tell him, everyone will know. And my father will bring that girl over for you to meet her” 

“Yeah, I know. I don’t think we have a choice” 

Then, as if that little kid knew you were talking about him, you hear a car park “That’s not Iceman’s car” you adduce, going to open the front door. They shouldn’t be here yet.  

Parked in front of the garage is Rebecca’s car. She is opening the door to your five-year-old nephew. Rebecca has a worried expression, and the kid climbs out of the vehicle, a black beanie on his head, and pulls the hoodie up to hide his face from the world. 

Rooster, who is beside you, gets closer to the kid, opening his arms to give the younger one a hug. “Hey, buddy! Long time no see” 

However, the kid enters the house, ignoring both of you, and runs upstairs. 

“He’s been like this all the way back home. I’m sorry, guys. He was excited about his new name but well… He wants it all and he wants it now. I'm happy to see you” Rebecca says, giving each a quick hug. 

“Is he okay?” 

“He’s been begging me to cut off his hair” Rebecca confesses, making the two of you nod. “I told him to wait to get home, so we could look up for some haircuts and see which one he likes best but…” 

“He’s still a five-year-old, Becca. It’s not gonna be easy” you tell her. 

Nick joins you outside to hug his sister. “Your son has gone straight to the bathroom. He didn’t even say hi” 

You look at Rooster before running all the way to the bathroom with him behind you. Everyone knows that Sarah’s special scissors for cutting Iceman’s hair are in the second drawer. And he knows too. You try to open the door, but it is closed. “Hey buddy, it’s Uncle Roos. Can you open for me?” 

“No!” yells a muffled, hurt voice from the other side of the door. 

“Y/n, he can hurt himself” Rooster mutters, as if you haven’t thought about it. 

“I know, shut up” you knock on the door softly. “Hey bud, can you tell me your name? Mom says you got a new one.”

There’s a silence that prolongs itself for a few seconds. You hold your breath trying to hear what is happening on the other side of the door but all you can hear is the quick, pounding sound of your own heart. 

“...Jesse” 

“Jesse, huh? That’s such a cool name” you sit on the floor, legs crossed, waiting for this to be a long conversation. 

“Thank you. I chose it myself” 

“You did? Woah, Jesse. That’s amazing. Much cooler than mine” 

“I’m not going to open the door” Jesse’s voice is calmer now, but still full of sadness. It breaks your heart. 

“It’s okay, pal. I just wanna talk. It’s been so long since we saw each other, I think you are a lot different now” 

“I’m different. But mom doesn’t want me to be different” 

You look at Becca over your shoulder. She’s biting her nails off. You need Jesse to open the door. And fast.

“You sure? 'Cause your mom called us this morning and told us to change your room. She wants you to be yourself, sweetheart.” 

“It’s that true?” you can hear him pout and it’s so painful to see him like that. 

“We got rid of all the princesses and now your room has a lot of Paw Patrol things. And we even found Marshall’s fire truck!” 

“Mom, did you do that?” the door is still closed, but he seems to be closer to it now. It's working. 

“Uncle Roos and Aunt Thena helped me, but yes. I told them to do it” 

“Hey, Jesse” Rooster speaks for the first time in a while. “I know what it is to hate what you see in the mirror. If you open this door, Aunt Thena and I will take you to the hairdresser, so they can get you a good haircut” 

“Promise?” Jesse asks, opening the door for you to see him. 

“I promise, buddy” 

Jesse hugs you and Rooster and then goes to his mom. “I’m sorry, mom… I just wanted to be like the rest” 

“I know, baby, I know. But you have to understand that you can’t get everything at the moment. Mom’s not a hairdresser. How was I supposed to cut your hair?” 

“I’m sorry… Can I see my room?” 

You all laugh at the sudden change in his tone. From being sorrowful to excited. Jesse can be a lot different now, but he’s still a kid, and he will do what a five-year-old does. Be loud, happy, get angry when he doesn’t get what he wants… Normal things for a kid. 

“Let’s go see it!” 

Nick, Rebecca, and Jesse go to see the room, and you stay sitting on the floor with Roos. It’s been a tiring day. And it’s not even noon. 

“I’ll go get the car ready” you say, getting up from the floor and leaving Rooster alone. 

I know what it is to hate what you see in the mirror

His words echo in your head, and several questions on the tip of your tongue are trying to make you turn around and find out the meaning behind his words. 

You have to remind yourself for a second that you hate him, that he took everything away from you, and that if he has a problem, he has a lot of people he can talk to. He doesn’t need you.

Rooster and Jesse stay at the beauty saloon, and you decide to go to a tactical gear shop nearby, hoping to find the perfect Christmas gift for your nephew. You, luckily, haven’t bought anything yet. And you hope to find a leather flight jacket for Jesse and maybe even get him his own name tag. You thought ‘Marshall’ would be cute as a call sign. 

You’re going out of the shop, gift secured in your bag, when your phone begins to ring. You pull it out of your jacket, smiling at the name appearing on the screen. 

“Natasha Trace, I love when you call me” 

“Are you dating Rooster and you didn’t tell me?! I’M YOUR BEST FRIEND” she yells angrily in your ear. You move the phone away from your ear, but even like that you can hear her. 

“Hello to you too, Nat” you roll your eyes. 

“Don’t roll your eyes, you little bitch” she says, as if she could see you. 

"We're not dating" 

"What? Hold on, let me FaceTime you" 

She hangs up and calls you again, this time you can see her face frown in a confused expression. "Spill" 

"Iceman and my dad were playing matchmakers, and we didn’t want random people at our table on Christmas Eve so… we lied,” you confess, sitting on a bench outside the beauty saloon. Rooster and Jesse are still waiting. 

“And here I thought you were finally getting laid” 

“Natasha!” you whine, covering your face with your free hand. 

“What? Facts only” 

“Oh wait, you know who we met this morning?” you say, trying to change the subject.  “Mandy” 

“Mandy as in Mandy the whore?” she questions. 

“That one. She was with Solo. They’re dating” you reveal to your friend. Her eyes are widening more by the second. 

“WHAT?! Oh my God do you think that’s why-” 

“Y/N? We see each other again!” 

You raise your head from the phone and see Mandy in the flesh. Gosh, you hate that stupid face she has. 

“Mandy! Nat, wait a second, don’t hang up” you say while getting up “Two times in the same day, what a coincidence!” 

She gives you the fakest smile ever, one that seems to be the result of years of practicing. “Yeah, it is a coincidence. Hey, Solo said that the four of us should go out one day, talk about the old times and all” 

“Oh, I’d love to, but we have only this week to be with the family, and then we have to go back to the base for months and-” 

“What about tomorrow?” she interrupts you, not being interested in anything you have to say. “There’s this pub in the center-” 

“O’Malley’s, yeah. I know where it is. Owner’s a friend” 

“See you tomorrow at 6, okay?” she insists, and you don’t have any other choice than accepting. 

Jesse comes running out of the establishment and grabs your hand. “C’mon auntie, it's my turn!”

“Oh, what a beautiful baby girl! What’s your name, princess?”  Mandy says, kneeling down to Jesse’s height. 

“I’m not a girl, you old bat” he says, pushing her and running away. You see how Mandy falls and slap your hand against your mouth to not laugh. From any other person, it would seem like you're embarrassed by your nephew’s actions. Those who know you well enough, however… They know you're enjoying every second of this. 

“I’m sorry, Mandy. My nephew Jesse is a bit… hot-headed. I’m gonna go with him and give him an earful. We’ll see you tomorrow, okay? Bye!” you move from her quickly, almost running, and when you’re far away, Natasha laughs hysterically. 

“Jesus, I love your niece” she says. 

“Nephew. It’s Jesse now. I’ll tell you later, okay? Gotta go” 

“Take care, Thena” 

You hang up and go with the two boys. “Jesse, what you did…” 

“Auntie, I know it’s wrong. I just don’t like her” 

“What did you do, young man?” Rooster says, walking with him to one of the chairs. 

“This old woman who was talking to Aunt Thena called me a ‘girl’. So I pushed her” 

“Jess-” 

“It was Mandy” you clarify. 

Rooster looks at you, then at Jesse, and then at you again. He opens his hand and high-fives the five-year-old. “Don’t tell your Mom” 

“What are you going to wear for the party?” Sarah asks you during dinner, hours later, with a happy short-haired Jesse sitting beside you. 

“What party?” you look at Rooster, but he shrugs, not having any idea what she is talking about. 

“The Christmas Party! Didn’t your father tell you about it?” 

You look at your father, who is very interested in the food on his plate. "He didn't tell me anything, as usual." 

"Well, the town is holding a Christmas party on the 25th. A formal party. You have to wear a dress." She points at you with her fork. "You're not wearing your uniform, only a dress. Is that clear?" 

"Yes ma'am. And what about Bradley?" 

"I'll wear a suit, obviously. Have to match with you," he smiles and then leans to whisper something in your ear. "Please, don't choose the dress yourself. You have horrible fashion sense," 

"Says the one that is always wearing Hawaiian shirts" 

"They're cool" Bradley defends himself. 

"No, they're not" you laugh, and he kicks your leg under the table. "Ouch!" 

"Sarah, darling, we need to do the Secret Santa sorting" Tom remembers his wife, helping her clean the table. 

"Oh I have it all prepared!" She goes to the living room and comes back with a red Santa Claus hat. "All the names are in here, just pull one. Y/n, dear, you first!" 

You smile at her, grabbing a paper from inside the bag and reading it. 'Rooster'. 

Is this a joke or what?

You're getting ready to sleep, Rooster refusing for the second night in a row to sleep in the same bed with you, when you remember that you're supposed to meet Mandy tomorrow. 

"Bradley" 

"No, I'm not sleeping on the bed. If you want to be that close to me, you're gonna need to beg a little more" he says. 

"You wish. Anyway, Mandy said to meet tomorrow. She wasn't accepting a no for an answer." 

He sits and looks at you. "Are you kidding me?" 

“I don’t like the idea either, you know.” you let out. 

“Is Solo coming too?” you nod, and he sighs. “You know how to say ‘no’ or do I have to teach you? It’s not that hard, look: ‘something has come up, and I can’t’, ‘We already have plans’. Oh, and this is the simplest one: ‘No.’” 

“I know how to say no, Bradshaw” 

He laughs dryly. “If you knew how, I wouldn't have to be in the same room with my ex and her new boyfriend. Again” 

He turns off the lights and lies down. He tosses around, trying to find the most comfortable position to sleep on the hard floor. 

“I’m sorry” you whisper. But you know he can hear you. 

“Don’t worry, Thena. Go to sleep” 

A few minutes pass, and you can’t sleep. There’s something you need to find out. Something that you can’t stop thinking about, and you know that it will keep you up all night. 

“Rooster” 

“Jesus, Thena, go to sleep” he complains, but after a few seconds, he gives in with a sigh of defeat. “What?” 

“What you said to Jesse… about hating what you see in the mirror… Is that how you feel?” 

“Like you care” 

“I don’t. I’m just curious. You’re usually proud of that stupid face of yours. So… it doesn’t make sense” 

He sits on the floor, his back against the bed, and his head pressed against the mattress. “It’s the scars” 

“Really?” you move closer to him, your hand a few inches away from his hair. 

“Yeah… It’s a constant reminder of how I almost killed us” he admits, his sorrowful voice almost a whisper. 

Your hand moves automatically to your belly, your fingers finding the scarred skin. You had your own scars, too. And you wish you could tell him that it wasn’t his fault but… it doesn’t matter how many times you’ve tried. He still blames himself. 

“If it makes you feel better, lots of girls at base are obsessed with those scars. And even some boys.” 

“Why are you trying to make me feel better?” he questions, and you also want to know why. 

“Because I don’t want to see you broody all day. That wouldn’t make me look like a good girlfriend” you scoff. 

“Aw, it’s little Y/n worried about me?” he mocks, lying down again. 

“Good night, Bradshaw” you say,  pulling the blankets over your head. 

You dream about the accident. You dream about a young Rooster parking at the front of your house, ringing your doorbell repeatedly and yelling for you to open the door. It’s been years but it feels like yesterday. 

Bradley’s coping mechanism when Carole died was alcohol. That same night, he got really drunk and drove to your house. It was late. When you opened the door, the emptiness in his eyes was the only explanation you needed. She was gone. And Bradley didn’t know how to live in a world without her. 

You managed to get Rooster into his car, snatching the keys away from him and driving him to his home. You knew Maverick would be very worried about him. 

But, you never made it to Rooster’s house. A truck driver fell asleep and swatched lanes, forcing you to swerve. The car crashed against a tree. You don’t remember a thing, just waking up with a big stomach wound and a body full of scratches. 

Rooster took the worst part. People thought he wouldn’t make it, that he didn’t want to make it. He was giving up. 

He opened his eyes again three days after the accident. 

It wasn’t your fault. Or his. Well, he shouldn’t have driven to your house under the influence. He knows that and you, too. But nobody could have expected the truck. And he wasn’t driving when you crashed. You were driving. If someone was to take fault here, it should be you. 

But it didn’t matter how much you tried to make Rooster understand that he wasn’t the one to blame. He never listened. And you know he never will.

#top gun #top gun x reader #top gun maverick x reader #bradley bradshaw #bradley bradshaw x reader #bradley bradshaw x female reader #rooster top gun #rooster x reader #rooster fanfic #bradley rooster bradshaw #rooster bradshaw fic #top gun rooster #rooster x female reader #bradley bradshaw fanfiction #the christmas date #bradley 'rooster' bradshaw x reader #bradley rooster bradshaw x reader #rooster bradshaw x reader #bradley 'rooster' bradshaw

[boltupbitches]

Lover - Nick Bosa - Part 2 (spin off of Sliding in the DMs)

18+ content ahead!

Athena chewed nervously on her lip as she waited for Nick’s car to pull up. The ‘not a date’ three weeks ago at the cafe was a success. She enjoyed her time with him and found him to be very charming and humorous. It was interesting how when she looked up an interview with him in it, he spoke very slowly and had a mellow voice. Yet, when they were together and spending time in each other’s company, he spoke more and with a slightly quicker pace to his voice.

They ended up exchanging numbers that day as well.

Athena felt a giddy sensation rush through her at the idea of seeing him again in–person even though they were just facetiming an hour ago.

Just as she was thinking about the trip to Napa they were about to go on together, she saw a sleek, black Tesla pull up in front of her apartment complex. It was Nick’s as he rolled the window down and waved at her.

Putting the car in park, he got out, stretching for a moment before making his way over to her and leaning in for a hug. She leaned up and wrapped her arms around him in return, feeling him give a light squeeze, his hands resting just above the swell of her backside. 

Nick leaned back and placed a gentle kiss to her cheek and then smiled at her. “Someone looks ready to go to Napa.”

Athena blushed and smiled back at him. “I’ve been so excited all week. Do you think this is too much?” She did a light spin around, showing off the light blue sundress she was wearing. She had her hair pulled up with a matching ribbon, a few loose curls complimenting the look. She was wearing a simple pair of white Keds to pull it off. 

Nick scanned over her body, his eyes lingering on the bust of the dress, which had a ruffled hem that dipped just low enough to show a bit of cleavage. He looked back up to Athena’s face and grinned. “You look beautiful, Thena.”

She blushed at the use of the nickname and his compliment. When they met up for their ‘not-a-date’, Nick had taken to calling her Thena, dropping the ‘A’ at the beginning. Normally that would have annoyed her, but she thought it was cute coming from him.

He gestured to her two suitcases and said, “Let’s get this loaded up and head on over to the airport.”

“Did you purchase tickets already?” Athena asked, wanting to know how much to reimburse him. “Let me know the cost and I’ll pay you back for mine.”

Nick chuckled at that and shook his head. “Athena.. You’re not paying me back. I didn’t even buy tickets, so don’t worry about it.” He picked up both her suitcases and carried them to his car’s trunk.

Athena followed him and looked at him in confusion. “Then how are we getting to Napa if you didn’t buy any airline tickets?”

Nick lifted them both in, moving his stuff over to make sure her’s fit in perfectly. “I rented a jet.” He shrugged nonchalantly.

“A jet?!” Athena shouted in disbelief.

—---

The jet itself was nice and roomy. Never in her life had Athena been in something so luxurious. She had flown first class before, but that was the extent of it. 

When they had pulled up and Nick handed over his keys, opening Athena’s door to help her out, she was blown away by the sight of the jet, its pilot, and crew waiting for them with big smiles.

As Nick shook the captain’s hand and introduced Athena to him, the pilot smiled warmly and said, “We are happy to have you aboard Mr. Bosa, and your girlfriend, Ms. Thermopoli.”

Athena blushed brightly at that and didn’t correct it, not wanting to make it awkard as Nick just grinned in response and thanked him.

As the flight attendant was getting them settled, Nick took a seat next to Athena and reclined back, looking at her with hooded eyes and a smile. “You know.. You’re going to have to be my seat buddy for this trip.”

“Oh?” Athena asked as she was adjusting her bow. “Why’s that?”

“I’m not a big fan of flying.” He saw her look of surprise at that. “I know it doesn’t make a lot of sense.. I mean, I do it regularly for my job, but I’m just not the best flier.”

“I understand.” She reached out and placed her hand comfortingly on top of his, giving it a gentle squeeze. “We all have things we fear and I won’t make fun of it, promise.” She smiled at him.

He smiled warmly at her, flipping the hand with hers over to lace his fingers through hers. He gently pulled her closer on the sofa and she obliged him, feeling her cheeks warm as they sat thigh to thigh, their hands still clasp together and resting on his thigh.

Nick twisted his body towards her, reaching with his other hand to tuck a curl behind her ears, his thumb brushing against her cheek lightly, causing a shiver to go down her spine.

He saw that and grinned at her. “Ticklish?”

“A bit.” She shyly admitted.

Just as Nick was about to say something, the flight attendant returned with a chilled bottle of wine Nick had asked for, and two glasses. “It’s going to be just another half hour, sir and then we’ll be heading for take off.”

She smiled over at Athena and said, “Your dress is absolutely gorgeous. It suits you really well too. Where did you get it?”

Athena perked up at that and answered eagerly, “I actually thrifted it from a place in North Miami Beach. And thank you! It was such a pretty blue color and it was only $5, so I had to get it.”

“It was a good purchase, you look lovely in it, miss.”

Athena thanked her again, and sipped the wine that Nick had just poured.

Nick was watching her, having just sipped his own glass. “You know… I didn’t know what I was expecting when I made that follow request months ago.”

“Oh?” Athena stared back. “What were you hoping for?”

“Well,” He scratched his neck nervously. “A chance with you. I hadn’t realized you were engaged right away, I just saw you tagged in a picture on Arty’s account..” He saw her stare in confusion, “It was when her and Joey did their stupid mini break up and she was baiting him to come out of hiding to talk to her. I was trying to help him figure out what club she was at.. And yeah, I saw a picture of you on her Instagram and got curious.”

Athena was mulling over his words when she said, “I was on the phone with Arty when I got your request to follow me. And I accepted it because I was curious too. Curious about you and curious about who your brother was to my sister.” She swallowed nervously before staring up at him, “I.. I liked the attention you showed me. I couldn’t admit it with Teddy..” She saw him frown at his name, a look of irritation flashed on his face before he schooled his expression again, “But I did like it.. And I didn’t discourage it because it felt good that someone was being nice to me and showing me attention… When I wasn’t getting it from the one person who should have shown it to me.” She looked down at her lap, suddenly feeling very vulnerable and uncomfortable with admitting that to herself.

Nick gently grabbed her glass, placing it next to his on the tray near him, and leaned in to kiss her cheek.

Athena turned slightly and pressed her lips against him, surprising Nick as he gasped in shock. She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned into him, pressing deeper into the kiss as he opened his mouth to meet her tongue with his.

She wasn’t sure how long they remained like that, with him reclined back against the seat and her kneeling across him, her chest pressed to his as they made out.

Nick’s hands were pressed into her back and on her backside, the latter squeezing her flesh there firmly as she moaned into his mouth.

“Ehem.”

The two pulled away suddenly, as if they had been caught doing something inappropriate like two teenagers sneaking around.

The flight attendant was trying not to grin at the two of them as she said, “The captain said we are about to take off. Is there anything else I could get either of you beforehand?”

Both shook their heads in response. 

“Ok. I’ll be back soon with the safety demonstration in just a moment.” She smiled at them. Just as she was walking away, she turned back and said, “There is also a bedroom suite in the back if either or both of you need to lay down for a bit.”

Athena blushed at that as Nick just smirked in return and thanked her.

“That’s one way to enjoy a plane ride.” He teased, enjoying the flush of Athena’s cheeks as she was quietly pressing her hands to her cheeks in embarrassment. “Stop…” He groaned dramatically, “You are too cute when you do that.”

She pouted at him. “Now the flight attendant probably thinks I’m some floozy.”

Nick draped his arm around her, pulling her into him and pressing a kiss to her cheek. “Nah, she just thinks you’re my beautiful girlfriend who has a beautiful dress on.”

“I’m not your girlfriend though.” Athena whispered.

“You could be.” He whispered back with a smirk on his face.

Athena hmmed at that and pretended to think. “We’ll see.”

“I’m holding you to that.” Nick said, “Now let’s get this wine drunk so we can sleep through the trip. I got a lot of shit planned for us this weekend.”

—-----------

The plane ride went smoothly as Athena and Nick ended up using the back bedroom to sleep through most of it. 

Athena could add that to her list of things never done before: sleep in a bed with a handsome man on a private jet.

As they pulled up in the car rental to the hotel they were staying at in Napa, Athena felt her breath be taken away at the sight of the place. The winery/hotel was one of the most beautiful places she had ever seen. 

Her eyes scanned over the architecture of the building as Nick pulled up to the valet.

“Well, here is home until Tuesday.” He said as he shut the car off and got out, coming around to let Athena out.

As they made their way in and completed checking in at the front, Nick made sure their luggage would be delivered to their room and guided Athena upstairs to their suite.

In the elevator, she wrapped her arms around Nick’s waist and gave him a squeeze. “Thank you so much for this.. It’s probably the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me.” She pulled away and wiped her eyes slightly, feeling a tad emotional at the gesture of that was this trip.

Nick smiled at her and wrapped his arms around her this time, pulling her into him and pressing a kiss to her cheek. “You’re welcome. Anything for you, Thena.”

She smiled up at him and he leaned down to press a kiss to her lips. They stayed like that for a few moments until they heard the ding of the elevator reaching their floor and stopping.

Pulling up, Nick reached for her hand and led her out of the elevator and down the hall to their room.

Sliding the keycard, the door opened and Nick swooped Athena up suddenly, making her squeal in surprise, as he carried her bridal style through the threshold and gently placed her down on the sofa in the living room area.

He went to shut the door and kick his shoes off before joining her on the sofa and pulling her onto his lap.

She giggled, pressing her face into his neck as he held her against him, shifting them to lay facing each other on the sofa.

“You have pretty eyes.” She whispered at him, her finger rubbing beneath his left eye, touching the very light dusting of freckles that could only be seen close up.

Nick smiled at her and touched her cheek as well, his finger lightly rubbing over the beauty mark she had under her right eye. “Yours are too. Actually, your entire face is gorgeous.” He whispered back.

They laid there, staring at each other dreamily as Athena felt her eyes begin to slightly droop. She tried to blink off the tiredness, something Nick noticed.

“Want to go take another nap? It’s only 11am. We can head out around 1pm to the vineyard.” 

Athena nodded and started to get up. Nick did as well.

They both headed for the bedroom, Athena kicking her shoes off and socks, and undoing her hair as she sat on the bed. Just as she turned to say something to Nick, she was caught off guard at the sight of him.

The moment she turned to look, he was pulling his t-shirt off. Her eyes took in his impressive physique as she bit her lip, her mind going to places she only dreamed of in private. 

Nick caught her looking and grinned at her knowingly, amused by her reaction. He wouldn’t lie - it was an ego booster to know she was attracted to him in such a way.

He got in bed, lifting the comforter and adjusting the pillows. He leaned back, still grinning at her, and said, “You should get in. The bed feels amazing.”

“Oh?” Athena squeaked out. Her face was reddening as she tried to tear her eyes away from his pectorals. “I- yeah.. Ok..”

She crawled in as well, her face still flushed hot. She regretted not wearing makeup today because even with an olive toned complexion, she was sure he could still see the blushing on her face.

Nick was watching her, his eyes slightly darkened as she moved to face him.

She stared shyly back at him. “What?”

“Nothing.. You’re just so beautiful.”

“Thank you.” She smiled back at him.

He turned to lay on his back and held his arm out. “Come here.”

“You’re awful cuddly, Mr. Bosa.” She teased him as she moved over to lay her head on his chest, her hand coming up to rest gently on his chest, her fingers brushing the chest hair he had grown out there.

“With you I am. How could I not be?” He said back to her, enjoying the feeling of her pressed against him so intimately.

Her hand was absent-mindedly drawing circles on his chest, causing him to shiver at the sensation. “Careful,” He warned. “You don’t want to start anything you can’t finish right now.” He said drowsily, his eyes closed.

“Who says I can’t finish it?” She asked him innocently.

Nick opened one eye and grinned at her. “I figured you’d want to be able to walk around and sight-see before we get dessert.”

Athena bit her lip at the images in her head. “Hmm.. I guess you’re right.. Although I do have quite the sweet tooth.”

“Me too.” Nick muttered, closing his eyes again with a smirk. “I especially love Greek desserts. I can’t wait to try this kind I brought with me..”

Athena’s face was flushing red again as she bit her lip and stared at her finger that was still drawing circles on his chest, “I have a feeling we aren’t talking about actual desserts right now..”

“No? Well we’ll have time for those later too.” He grabbed her hand suddenly and pressed a kiss to her palm. “Let’s nap. You’ll need it later.”

He wasn’t joking about that.

—-----------------------

After waking up from their nap, and finding their luggage in the living room area of the suite, Athena showered and changed into a white laced corset top and a silky, light-green skirt to match. She finished the outfit off with tan colored sandals and pinned her hair back into a partial french updo. Pleased with her look, she stepped out to find Nick already showered and dressed in the living room.

When she stepped out, he turned and stared at her for a few moments, taking in her outfit. “Wow.. you look beautiful.” He said to her with a grin.

She walked over to him shyly, her hand toying with a loose curl. “Thank you.. You look very handsome as well.” And he did. Nick had changed into some navy blue chinos and a short-sleeved button up. 

Reaching up to tuck her curl behind her ear, he smiled down at her. “Thanks. I can clean up well when I need to.” He teased her.

“I’m sure you look good in anything.” ‘Or nothing at all.’ Thought Athena to herself as her eyes glazed over his arms and up to his face.

There was tension there in that moment as they locked eyes. Athena could see Nick’s eyes darken and him clench his jaw slightly. She could see in his eyes that he was fighting the same temptation in that moment that she was. The temptation to jump the other, skip their plans for the day, and spend it in bed, just the two of them with no barriers between what they wanted from the other.

Yet, just as Nick was leaning in, his watch went off, the timer he had set to be out the door for their tour had interrupted them.

Nick swallowed thickly and placed his hand on her lower back instead. “Ready to go wine tasting?”

Athena bit her lip for a moment and nodded. “Can’t wait.” ‘Can’t wait to get back here later that is.’

The vineyard was stunning.. Just absolutely a vision that was a feast for one’s eyes. Athena and Nick had just finished a tour of where the wine was prepared and were now preparing to try some wine along with lunch as catered by the winery. 

Athena was a red wine person for sure, sipping away at a sangria made from grapes that were imported from Spain. She savored the taste as she lifted her glass to Nick’s lips, telling him, “Try this. It’s lovely.”

Nick locked eyes with her as he grabbed the glass gently from her and took a sip. Setting the glass back down, he licked his lips and stared at Athena for a moment.

“Well?” She asked him eagerly, feeling a bit exposed under his hungry gaze.

“Tastes wonderful. Subtle sweet and fruity flavor.. Reminds me of your lip gloss.”

“Oh?” She inhaled in surprise, not expecting the comparison. “Did you find a kind you like?” 

They had a few glasses that were in front of them with name cards, listing the information of each bottle it came from. The waiter had stepped away for a few minutes to check on their food, leaving Nick and Athena to begin tasting on their own.

“Yeah..” Nick looked for the card for the sangria and lifted it. “This one.”

They stare at each other for a moment. “Did you want to buy a bottle for later?” She asks him nervously, feeling the heat building in her lower body, her face flushing once more as she couldn’t help but picture the two of them later on with a bottle of wine in the huge bathtub within their suite. Her cheeks were burning from the thoughts as well as the effects of the wine.

“Yeah. We can enjoy it later on when we get back to the hotel.” He turned to look for the waiter who was returning with their food. “We still have the spa to go to and then some swimming before dinner.” He told her absentmindedly as he thought about their plans later in the evening. 

“Hello! Sorry for the wait.” The waiter interrupted Nick’s thoughts as he started to serve the food.

Thanking the waiter, who then cleared the wine glasses they were done tasting from, Nick placed an order for the bottle of Spanish sangria Athena liked.

Athena watched him thoughtfully, not realizing that she was staring outright. Nick dug into his food, looking up and catching her eye.

“What?” He asked through a mouthful of food, an amused glint in his eye.

“Nothing.. Just thinking.” She blushed and looked down at her own food.

They ate their meal with small conversation here and there, the two just enjoying each other’s company, the quietness of the outdoor balcony they were seated at for their meal, and the food.

Athena stared out at the vineyard in front of them. She couldn’t help but wish they could stay like this forever. It was so serene.

But she knew that they’d have to return to their daily lives in four days, regardless of what she fantasized about and wanted.

The thought of that made her sad for some reason. She couldn’t pinpoint why. 

—-----------------------

The rest of their day was wonderful. Athena had never felt so relaxed after swimming with Nick outside for a while and then having a spa treatment for herself as he took part in separate therapeutic sessions (she was not going to take part in anything with cryotherapy) that focused on active recovery as he prepared for the start of training camp in a few weeks.

They both ended up back at the hotel where they spent time getting ready for their dinner reservations at the French Laundry restaurant in Napa. Athena knew this was a higher scale restaurant and was thankful Nick shared the itinerary for their trip beforehand. She was still beyond surprise at how romantic he was underneath his rugged appearance. He very much was a soft teddy bear at his core.. And she felt blessed that she could see that side of him when he appeared to not show it that often to others outside his immediate circle.

She had changed into a black slip dress, pairing it with diamond earrings, a tennis bracelet, and a diamond necklace. Her makeup was subtle, with the only bold color coming from the red lipstick she applied. Wearing her hair down fully, she worked on her hair, trying to tame down her curly hair. 

Growing up, she was picked on for her hair.. Often because it was frizzy and she preferred to wear it up a lot and not have her mom touch it. Athena had inherited s-curls from her dad’s side and from a young age her mom worked diligently to keep it straightened, often fawning over the straight hair that Artemis inherited from her.

Shaking those negative thoughts out of her head, she reached down to fasten her strappy heels before heading out of the bathroom.

Nick had worn a short sleeved black button up and black slacks with dress shoes. He turned around at hearing her enter the room. His eyes widened and he stared at her in stunned silence at seeing her dolled up. 

“Athena.. You look beautiful.” He said, his eyes still transfixed on her as she shyly walked over to him, her arms wrapped around her waist. 

“Thank you.” She smiled up at him, her dimples showing.

Nick leaned down and gently placed a kiss on her lips. Lingering there for a few moments before pulling back. “Fuck… I wish we didn’t have these reservations.. But we need to eat to keep up our energy.” He murmured. 

“Energy?” She asked, giving her best doe eyes at him, knowing fully well what he was referring to.

“You know..” He smirked back at her. He bit his lip for a moment, scanning over her body before cursing to himself and turning towards the door. “Let’s head out. The sooner we do, the sooner we can get back here for dessert.”

Athena couldn’t wait for dessert.. She knew that for certain.

—------------

The doors to the elevator had just closed when Athena had pressed herself against Nick, her lips making contact with his neck as she leaned on her tiptoes in her heels. His hand had made its way down to her backside, gripping her ass in his hands as he leaned back and allowed her to place a series of open mouth kisses across his neck. He groaned as she nipped his skin, likely leaving a hickey as she moved further down, pulling his collar down with her hand as she did so.

Thankfully their elevator dinged at their floor, both of them separating just enough to stumble out of the elevator and down the hall towards their suite. 

Nick got the door open and quickly pushed his way inside, leading Athena by the hand. The door shut behind as he tossed his wallet and the key card onto the counter, bending down and scooping Athena up as he held her against the wall, her legs coming to wrap around him.

Nick pushed his hands up underneath her dress that was bunching up around his waist. His hand yanked at her panties hard enough to rip them off her.

Athena gasped against his mouth, pulling back to look at the now ruined panties on the floor beneath them. They were flimsy, but new.. And she almost mourned at the sight of them because they were one of the few pair that were sexy but comfortable.

“Sorry.” Nic apologized, not sounding really sorry at all. “I’ll buy you a new pair.. Had to get that out of the way.”

Athena stared back at him, still panting from their make out. “Nick..” She said slowly.

“Yes?” He answered, his voice a deeper octave.

“Please.. Fuck me.” She pleaded with him.

Nick didn’t need to be asked twice. It was as if some carnal part of his brain took over.

It was a blur as they ended up in the bedroom, close strewn everywhere as they worked to remove barriers from each other. 

Athena cried out wantonly as Nick had her pinned against the bed, his lips sucking on her right nipple, his right arm keeping him propped up over her as his left hand was occupied down below. He was fingering her roughly, being sure to bury his fingers just deep enough so his palm rubbed up against her clit. His fingers would make a scissoring motion in her walls, taking her breath away at the pure ecstatic sensations blooming from her core.

She could feel tears pricking her eyes as she finally opened them to look at Nick, her breath hitching as she realized his eyes must have been glued to her face the whole time, taking in her expressions and adjusting his ministrations based on how she was reacting.

He released her nipple, leaning over to suckle the other before lifting his head and pressing his lips to Athena’s.

She moaned as his tongue met her’s, his fingers picking up speed, him curling the two inside her in a come hither motion.. Making her cry out as he seemed to hit a bundle of nerves that sent her spiraling in a mess of sensations.

Nick leaned back and started whispering encouragement to her. “Yeah.. look at you.. So hungry for my fingers.. So hungry for me.. You like when I fuck you? Huh, Thena?” He teased her, clearly enjoying her reaction to his ministrations.

She nodded at him, her words escaping her as she felt the tension in her building. 

“You are so pretty, taking my fingers so good. I can’t wait to put my cock in you. I bet you’re so tight.. You’re just squeezing my fingers right now.. I wanna feel your pussy around my cock as I fuck you..” He kept eye contact with her as he said it. “Let me see that pretty pussy cum for me… Can you do that for me, baby? Cum for me?”

Athena whimpered and nodded her head, her legs opening wider as her hips lifted instinctively. “I want it so bad..”

“Go ahead.” He pressed a kiss to her lips. “Let me see that pretty face.”

A few more thrusts of his fingers later and Athena was crying out as she cummed on his fingers, her lower body arching off the bed as Nick thrusted his fingers rough and fast into her, wanting her to feel the peak of pleasure as she climaxed. 

Her lower body slumped back down on the bed as she stared up at him through hooded eyes.

Nick gently pulled his fingers out, keeping eye contact with her as he sucked on his fingers, cleaning her cum from them.

He held his hand out to her, gently pressing the tips of his fingers to her lips.

She opened them and sucked on his fingers, moaning as she stared back at him.

Nick moaned at the doe eyes she was giving him. She was a succubus - he was sure of that. So beautiful with a soft, innocent look to her. Yet, he could see underneath it that she was yearning for sex just like he was. He could feel the connection the first day they met face-to-face a few weeks ago at a cafe in Fort Lauderdale. 

It was weird - and he couldn’t describe it, but it felt so natural. Being here with her, spending time with her, and having sex with her. He had never felt this intimate connection so strongly before.

Sure he had girlfriends he took on dates, fucked, and spent time with.. But it all ended the same and started the same. There was really just a physical, sexual aspect and nothing more. Making it easy at times to break up and move on.

Yet, with Athena he wanted more. He wasn’t sure what it was about her that made him react in such an innate, carnal manner, but all he could think about leading up to this trip was her.

He was certain her and her sister were witches or something. Because he was surely under her spell.. And he wasn’t certain he wanted to be anywhere else ever again.

—----------------

Athena was staring up into Nick’s eyes as he continued to deliver hard and long thrusts into her. Her legs were bent at the knees and pushed back almost to her shoulders with Nick’s grip holding them in place.

She glanced down towards where they were connected and moaned out at the sight of his cock pushing in and out from her pussy.

Nick smirked down at her and said, “you’re so fucking tight and wet, baby. You take it so fucking well.” He thrusted particularly harder at the last part.

Athena sobbed at that, her hand reaching out to grab the pillow next to her as she arched her back upwards.

Nick suddenly pulled out of her and gently released her legs. He sat back in his hunches, his cock still hard and glistening from Athena’s juices. “Fuck..” he moaned at the sight of Athena spread out, rosy cheeked and skin glistening in the dimmed lights of the hotel room. “I want you to ride me..” he crawled up beside her, leaning down to press a deep kiss to her lips, his hand cupping her chin and tilting her towards him as he slipped his tongue into her mouth.

He pulled back and said. “Wanna ride this dick, Athena?”

She bit her lip and nodded up to him.

“Tell me.” He commanded.

“I wanna ride your dick, baby.” She whispered to him, her voice hoarse from the screaming she had done earlier.

“Good.” He smirked at her, sitting down and adjusting to get comfortable. He stroked his cock and gestured for her to move over to him. “Come ride it.”

She crawled over to him, gently mounting his lap as he helped her line his cock up at her entrance. She inhaled, tensing slightly at first as she took him inch by inch.

Nick massaged her lower back, telling her, “Relax.. Baby.. just relax.”

Exhaling, she did so, wincing as she felt herself bottom out on his lap. Her ass was resting on his thighs as he reached to grab hold of her waist, careful not to hold too tightly.

Nick moaned out loudly as he felt her tight walls enveloping him again. “Fuck.. holy fuck.. How are you so tight?”

Athena panted as she squeezed tightly around him before shifting to rest on her knees, preparing to move. “I think it’s just your size.” She giggled, her arms coming to rest around his neck as she leaned in and pressed her forehead to his.

Nick smirked and said, “I hope it’s to your liking.”

“Absolutely.” She said back as she started to rock her hips back and forth before pouncing on his cock.

Nick helped her set the speed, the two of the panting. His hand reached behind her and slapped her ass roughly, causing her to squeal and bounce on him again. He laughed and did it again, this time to the other cheek.

Athena moaned at the sensation, her head tilting back as she felt the familiar sensation building again. The wine she drank earlier was making her feel ethereal.. And she knew that even though he had a higher tolerance than her, Nick was feeling it too.

It wasn’t long before she felt the tell-tale sign of her climax building again. She knew it was going to be intense as her legs started to shake with each bounce she made on his cock.

Nick’s hands had moved to cupping her ass, his hands squeezing and palming her cheeks as he panted slightly, feeling his own orgasm building.

Just as she came down once more, Nick had reached in front of her with his right hand and rubbed her clit just right, triggering her orgasm and making her cry out loudly, her head slumping against his chest as she felt the convulsions move through her.

She could see stars in that moment as she squeezed her eyes shut and rode out the sensations coursing through her.

Nick followed shortly after, moaning loudly and swearing “Fuck!” as he pumped into her, enjoying the sensation of her velvety walls milking him.

He leaned his head back as Athena slumped against him, the two of them soaked in sweat from their fucking.

He lifted his arm and rubbed it down Athena’s back, gently massaging her lower back as he felt her panting softly against his neck.

Nick stared at the half-drunk wine bottle on the end table across the room. After he fingered her, they drank half the bottle of the Spanish sangria, the wine furthering their desire for one another. He was for sure going to buy another bottle or two of it.

Nick, although slightly drunk and tired, knew they had forgotten something important.. But he couldn’t remember just what.. 

He shifted with Athena on top of him, careful in laying her down on the bed. She mumbled sleepily and cuddled into the pillow as Nick reached to shut the lights off in the room. Crawling under the blankets with her, and pulling her flushed against his back, he wrapped his arm around her and started to doze off.

Whatever it was, it would have to wait until later.

#nick bosa fanfic #nick bosa fanfiction #nick bosa imagines

[witchthewriter]

𝐁𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐃𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐠'𝐬 𝐬/𝐨 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞

a/n: female reader, requests are open. I haven’t written for Druig, ever, and this was kinda fun. 

𝑴𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒕

✧ Your dynamic is:     Enemies > aquaintances > friends > both secretly pining after each other but trying to hide it > you accidentally confess your feelings while under a spell > he grows distant > you save his life (bitterly) > he confides in Makkari and she tells him to get a grip > he confesses to you > but you rebuff him > then he keeps falling harder and harder; near begging you to forgive him

✧ Knowing that he’s an Eternal, even though you’re mortal yourself

✧ You meet when Thena, Makkari and himself are off to find the other Eternals. 

✧ They enlist your help as your magical knowledge nearly exceeds the Sorcerer Supreme. You come from a long line of witches, one being your Aunt Agatha. You have natural abilities; levitation of objects and yourself, enhanced intuition and divination skills 

✧ Yet you were recruited by Dr Strange himself, and from your studies with the Mystic Arts, your abilities grew

✧ With so much going on, the Eternals needed your help as nearly everyone else was busy making sure the end of the world didn’t happen ... again

✧ So it was decided that you would travel with them on their journey. Since it was unsafe for you to be involved and left in your home town

✧ Makkari became a quick friend (pun intended...) she was so kind to you, and taught you a lot of sign language. Even though she couldn’t communicate using speech, you two had a lot of deep conversations. She was very curious about your studies and your knowledge

✧ Thena was stoic, not speeching much but when she did, you were in awe. It was like gazing upon a goddess; Athena had always been one of your favourite greek gods (thanks to the Percy Jackson books). But you could’ve never thought you would meet the actual figure Athena was based on

✧ And then there was Druig. You had read about him once, in an old reference book about ancient druidry. 

“What’s your power?” You asked, watching him lean against the far wall. 

     “I’m not a magician,” he responded harshly. 

Even Makkari looked at him with shock, however Thena had understood where his anger was coming from. They had been chasing leads for weeks without finding anything. 

 “Prick,” you replied. Clearly in ear shot, you didn’t feel Druig had a leg to stand on really. Here they were, asking you for help. You were risking your neck, and here an immortal being stood, giving you lip. 

I like her, Makkari signed to Thena, throwing a kind smile your way. 

✧ After he asked for your forgiveness, you didn’t have it in you to ignore him any longer. It felt too cruel, not just to him, but to you. Your heart felt so broken, and here he was, near begging. 

✧ He teases you a lot, like a lot.  Holding things out of reach, hiding your supplies, calling you ridiculous nicknames. 

✧ Druig loves being physically close to you; always having a hand, an arm around you, a leg hooked with yours, your head resting on his chest or shoulder. 

✧ You brought as many of your herbs onboard; Druig loves the smell of rosemary, lavender, jasmine and cinammon. 

✧ Druig likes to read all sorts of literature. He loves Shakespeare’s play Hamlet. He feels an afinity to the character - having the power to change lives, or stand by and let them make their mistakes. 

✧ He likes to read to you out loud (although no one else is allowed to hear him). 

✧ What was between him and Makkari was merely platonic. You all hold great respect for each other and know you can count on one another for anything. 

✧ You played the song, the 30th by Billie Eilish and he cried. Druig is the most connected to humanity through his power. He knows the best and worst of humans and constantly needs to see the good in them. 

✧ He doesn’t like to be touched by people, but others wouldn’t know that because you’re near inseparable 

✧ He likes Slipknot 

✧ Knows a lot about history, and yes being there was helpful. He tells you ‘what actually happened,’ and then Thena overhears and yells, “THAT DID NOT HAPPEN DRUIG, HE HIT YOU FAIR AND SQUARE.”

✧ He likes it when you trace random words, shapes, symbols on his skin

✧ Likes to play with your hair, and has picked up a lot of skills over the years. He does a mean braid 

✧ He is GREAT with children and animals 

#druig #druig x reader #druig x you #druig headcanon #dating druig would include #dating would include #druig headcanons #headcanons #druig x y/n #druig imagine #druig drabble #eternals #eternals headcanons #eternals imagine #marvel #marvel heeadcanons #marvel imagine #mcu #mcu imagine #mcu headcanons #marvel x reader

[blue-aconite]

let me drown || chapter I - bradley’s summer part I

Summary: Bradley has many regrets. A whole lifetime of them. His biggest? Losing her. Watching someone else pick of the pieces of what he broke kills him inside and Bradley doesn’t want to let go of the past. No matter how much the past tries to slip through his fingers.

Warnings: Swearing, jealousy

Word Count: 3.8k

Pairings: Bradley Bradshaw x OC

Authors Note: Minors DNI. Each chapter will be labelled with warnings individually. Rating will go up as we get further into this fic. We’re in for a wild ride fam! Enjoy!

Thank you to my amazing betas @writercole and @imjess-themess!

Virginia, Oceana Naval Air Station, Summer 2018

The common room was quiet, which is a nice change of pace. Usually, this place was full of life, the noise was ever-ending and so loud he couldn’t hear his own thoughts. Bradley tipped his head back, dropping his shoulders and letting out a deep breath. It was quiet now, letting his mind run wild. He almost wished it didn’t.

“If you don’t stop moping soon, I’ll lock you in a closet,” Athena mocked as she shoved at his legs, taking their place on the couch. She stretched out her own legs over his, the heel of her foot dangerously close to his crotch. 

“Thena…” He warned. They had played this game long enough for him to know what she was after. But he wasn’t in the mood. She only smirked, tracing the muscle of his thigh with her sock-clad foot, ignoring his warning. 

“C’mon Bradshaw. It would improve the sour mood you’ve been sporting all day. We both know where we’ll end up anyway.” Tangled between the sheets was left unsaid.

Normally, he would be dragging her off the moment she came onto him but today was different. He just wanted to be left alone. “I’m good. Not really in the mood.”

Six weeks after he got stationed at Oceana, the air boss had called Bradley into his office and told him he would be flying a two-seater for the duration of his assignment. He needed the experience, Admiral Tate had told him, leaving no room for arguing. 

And that’s how he ended up with Joanna ‘Athena’ Simons as his backseater. She was quick on her feet, always two steps ahead and a smart mouth to put people in their place. Whoever said that women didn’t belong in the Navy had never met Athena. 

They were good together. Like two peas in a pod. Bradley thought that flying with a backseater would be a hindrance but Athena quickly proved him wrong. They became fast friends and it didn’t take long until Bradley found himself in bed with her. Neither wanted more, both happy with the physical side of things. It was the perfect agreement. 

Her foot moved sideways and interrupted his train of thought. Bradley sat up, shoving her feet from his lap. “Not now. I’m not in the mood,” he snarled, getting to his feet. Athena held up her hands, eyebrows rising.

“Easy. I was just -”

“I know what you were doing, Thena. I’m tired, so just stop.” Bradley stepped around the couch, leaving Athena behind with a bewildered look on her face. He took a deep breath once he got outside, one hand coming up to rub at his temples. A movement to his right caught his attention as he spied Bob Floyd.

Desperate for a distraction that wasn’t Athena, Bradley jogged over to where Bob was heading.

“Floyd, hey! You’re leaving? Hot date?” Bradley joked as he caught up to Bob. He wasn’t wearing his uniform, dressed in a t-shirt and jeans, leading Bradley to believe he had other plans than hanging out in the common room tonight. 

Bob rolled his eyes as they passed the gates, heading towards the parking lot. “I’m meeting my sister. She just moved here. We’re grabbing dinner.” Floyd fished the car keys out of his pocket, stopping at a black truck. Bob doesn’t strike him as a truck guy. Bradley told him as much.

“Looks can be deceiving Bradshaw. Do you want to join us? Thea won’t mind.” A night out does sound good and especially after today. 

Bradley smiles broadly, rounding the truck and pulling the passenger door open. “If neither of you mind. Today’s the last day I want to be stuck on base.”

Bob asks no questions, just pulls out of the parking lot and starts to drive. This is what Bradley likes about Bob Floyd. He’s quiet, calm and doesn’t pry. He’s a good friend. 

Bradley would like to think they’re friends. They get along, they hang out sometimes and Bob is one hell of a WSO. Athena almost had an aneurysm when she found out Robert Floyd was being stationed at Oceana, in their squad. 

Bob hummed along to the radio, never taking his eyes off the road. “If you want to talk about it, feel free.” 

He doesn’t know if he wants to talk about it. He doesn’t know what to say. 

It’s Maverick’s birthday. Bradley keeps the date marked in each calendar he buys. It’s been years since they’ve talked but every time he gets a new calendar, he marks today’s date. 

Anger fills him as he thinks about the man that stepped in after Nick died. Who spent countless hours telling him stories about his dad, what kind of man he was. Who popped in and out of his life, between assignments and missions. Even though Maverick wasn’t always there, he was there when Bradley needed him. Until he wasn’t. 

Bradley has tried to hate Maverick. Most days he succeeded. On most days, he blamed the man for everything that had gone wrong in his life. His father’s death, his mother’s grief, pulling his papers. It was all Maverick’s fault. 

But today, just today, Bradley can’t find it in him to hate. He would never say it out loud, but he misses Maverick today. Just today. Tomorrow he can go back to hating him. 

Bradley realised he never answered Bob, who is still humming. “I don’t even know what to say. Thanks for offering though,” The bespeckled aviator hums in response, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly. “I’ll let you know if I change my mind.” 

Bob turns left without warning and pulls up in front of a small restaurant. He turns to Bradley, shifting in his seat. “Word of advice. My sister likes to pick people apart. She’s good at reading them. It’s in no way mean, she just likes to know. So if I were you, and didn’t want to talk about it, I’d try to tone down the sullen mood. She’ll notice. She always does.”

Maybe tagging along wasn’t a good idea. Bradley doesn’t feel like being picked apart right now. He’s being held together with tape and glue and the last thing he needs is someone to point out his flaws. 

His feet are moving before his brain catches up and suddenly they're inside and Bob is being engulfed in a hug by the most beautiful girl Bradley has ever seen. 

He’s standing frozen near the door, watching as the Floyd siblings part. Bob is smiling widely, brushing the hair from his sister’s face, such a gentle action it makes Bradley’s heart hurt. In one movement he can see the affection, the love between them.

“.. and this is Rooster. I hope you don’t mind that I invited him.” They’re suddenly in front of him and the greeting gets caught in his throat.

She’s stunning. Radiant even. She’s the light at the end of the dark tunnel he can’t escape. She has her brother’s eyes but unlike Bob’s, hers takes his breath away. So blue he could drown in them, over and over. 

She’s taking his hand, shaking it softly. “Nice to meet you. Do you have a real name or am I gonna have to stick to Rooster?” She’s smiling up at him, her hand soft in his and he can’t help but to shudder at her touch.

Remembering that she asked a question, he coughs awkwardly. “Uh, Bradley. But Rooster works too. Whatever you prefer.” 

“Bradley it is. Name’s Thea, I’m Bob’s sister. If he didn’t tell you that. And no, big brother, I don’t mind. The more the merrier.” Thea let go of his hand and he immediately missed the warmth of her touch. 

She’s smiling widely at him and Bradley feels the quick thuds of his heart against his rib cage. Out of the corner of his eye he can see Bob observing them with a critical look. 

He clears his throat, shoving his hands in the pockets of his jeans. “He did tell me he was meeting you but not your name. It’s.. pretty. Suits you.” It isn’t the smoothest he’s ever been but Thea blushes, mouth curling upward in a bashful smile. 

“Should we grab a table? I’m starving.” Bob diffuses the moment, reaching out to grab his sister’s hand, not waiting for Bradley before he starts towards the dining area. 

They sit down and he can feel her observing him, watching him carefully. She’s a lot like her brother except she likes to talk. A lot more. 

“So, what made you ditch your normal nighttime routine to hang out with my big bro here?” Bob is poking her side when she asks, telling her to shut up. “Don’t mind her, she’s just nosy.” 

“Bob! I’m just trying to get to know him. You don’t mind, do you Bradley?” How can he say no to her? 

Weirdly enough, he wants to tell her. He wants to share his thoughts and troubles. Something tells him that she wouldn’t judge him. 

Dinner mainly consists of Bob watching the two of them flirt over steaks. Bradley tries to not come on too strong but every time she smiles at him he wants to reach across the table and kiss her. There’s something so blindingly pure about her. 

At the end of the night, Thea thrusts a small piece of paper in his hand, kisses his cheek and tells him to give her a call. Then she’s gone, climbing into her car and driving off. 

Bob is oddly quiet, more so than usual. They drive in silence back to base. He wants to ask if he’s overstepped, if Bob doesn’t approve but Bradley doesn’t want to answer either. 

There’s a need to know Thea better. To know what makes her smile and laugh, to know what her childhood was like, which side of the bed she preferred and if she liked breakfast for lunch. Bradley wanted to know everything that made Thea the person she was today. 

He opens his mouth but Bob beats him to it. “Listen. My sister is a grown woman. What she does is none of my business. She obviously likes you and you look like you’ve got a full blown crush already. You’re my friend and I trust you with her. But if you hurt her, if you make her anything other than happy, you will have to answer to me. Understood?” 

Bradley can do little other than nod feverishly. He didn’t want to fuck this up before it had even begun. He wanted Thea, and if keeping on Bob’s good side was a point in his favour, he’d do it. 

Floyd clapped  him on the shoulder, shooting  him an uncharacteristic wink and then disappeared behind the corner, leaving Bradley standing in the parking lot. 

Bradley’s steps were light when he headed back to his room, an exciting feeling in his stomach. Behind closed doors he fished  his phone out of his pocket and punched in Thea’s number under a new contact. 

Hi! It’s Bradley. Are you free for dinner on Friday?

Is this your way of asking me on a date?

It can be whatever you want. I just know I want to see you again. 

Pick me up at 7. Wear something pretty ;)

Bradley hasn’t smiled this much in a long time. He tossed the phone onto his bed and pulled his shirt over his head before heading into the bathroom. He looked  lighter, happier and downright giddy when he passed the bathroom mirror. The smile didn’t  leave him, even when he got  shampoo in his eyes and swore so much his mother would have whacked him over the head. 

The smile disappeared as soon as he made it back into the  bedroom and found Athena lounging on his bed. She was clad in nothing but one of his T-shirts and a pair of boy shorts. 

“I was tempted to join you in there, but the pissy mood from before figured I’d do best staying out here. An apology would be nice, by the way.” She doesn’t take her eyes off the phone while she speaks. 

Bradley bristled. “An apology for what? And is that my phone? Give it here!” He snatched the device out of her hands, swatting her away when she reached for his towel. “Fuck, Athena. Just stop. What’s your fucking problem?” 

“My problem? You being a dick, obviously. And who is Thea, hm? Am I invited this Friday?” She left  the confines of his bedding, poking a finger in the middle of his chest. She let it linger for a while but Bradley stepped  away, happy mood washed away by her presence. 

Athena seemed to get the hint and stayed put, a pout in place on her sun kissed face. Her freckles were  quite prominent in this light and just for a moment he remembered  all the times he spent kissing her other freckles. Then Thea’s face showed  up in his mind and it’s like Athena never has existed for him.

“Look, I’m sorry about before but I wasn’t in the mood. That hasn’t changed.” Bradley shouldn’t apologise, he knew  that but it might placate her enough for the conversation about to happen. 

He just hoped  it won’t mess with their job. “Listen. This was just physical,” he pointed  between the two of them, “and now… fuck. Listen, you’re great. And I like you, you know that. But I can’t keep this up.” 

She stared him down, the same way she stares down men trying to put her into place. Athena has never looked at him like that, never once. She swallowed  audibly once, crossing her arms over her chest. 

“Are you breaking up with me, Bradshaw?” She jabs, mock hurt on her face. It’s just a joke to her. Bradley feels a little better knowing this won’t cost her any sleep. 

Snorting, he settles on the chair. “Fuck off. You know what I mean. Is this going to be a problem?” 

She laughs, all traces of annoyance gone from her face. She’s Thena again, his friend, confidant and partner in crime. “Don’t worry your little head Bradshaw. We’re good. This was just a little bit of fun.” 

He can suddenly breathe better, the pit in his stomach has vanished . A smile is all he can muster, hoping it will convey everything he can’t say. 

“Do I at least get to meet her? She must be something special if you’re willing to throw this away.” Thena gestured to her body, a pleased smirk plastered across her face. 

“I haven’t even taken her on a date yet. I don’t know if she wants me like that. I just know she’s worth it, whatever it is.” He’s glad Athena is his friend, that he can share and not be judged. 

“God you’re whipped after meeting her one time. She must be a fucking unicorn. Well, I’m happy for you. See you in the skies, Rooster.” They parted  ways with their usual phrase, pressing a kiss to his head as she walked by. 

Feeling content with how everything has been handled, Bradley heads for bed and turns out the lights. 

He and Athena are good, he’s got a date with Thea and Bob gave his approval and permission. Bradley was feeling a lot better now than he did this morning. 

His phone lit up with a notification and his heart dropped into his stomach. It’s a calendar reminder, a picture of him and Maverick. Bradley was barely ten in the photo, sitting on Pete’s shoulders, both smiling widely at Carole behind the camera. 

Reminder: Maverick’s Birthday

He could easily stop torturing himself and not set a reminder but over the years he’s discovered that he likes the pain. 

Another notification pops up, this time from Athena. It’s a goodnight text and a picture of a shirtless guy with the text ‘you wish you were this hot’. 

Bradley recognises the guy as Hangman, Athena’s cousin and also a naval aviator. He’s currently stationed in Lemoore, if Bradley remembered correctly. They’d met once or twice and Bradley couldn’t stand the guy. Rude, arrogant and a walking red flag, he had begged Athena not to make him like her cousin. 

Bradley sends a fuck you back and almost calls her when Thea’s name appears on the screen. 

Can we reschedule for 8 instead of 7? Something came up! 

No problem! Can’t wait! 

Great! Thank you! Goodnight Bradley.

Goodnight Thea. Sweet dreams. 

He then put the phone on silent, puffing his pillow before getting comfortable. 

He thought of that way Thea smiled at him, how her hand felt in his and her lips on his cheek as he closed his eyes. 

“Stop being so nervous. What’s wrong with you? It’s just a date.” 

“It’s not just a date, Thena, it’s the date. I cannot screw this up. It might be the most important date I’ve ever been on.” 

Athena was once again lounging on his bed, trying to be helpful but failing spectacularly. All she did was stress him out even more. Bradley’s palms were sweaty and he was pretty sure he’s sweating through his T-shirt. His throat was dry and he reached out with shaking hands for the bottle of water on the windowsill. 

Thena laughed at him, rolling her eyes. “You’re acting like you’re taking the freaking President out. It’s just a girl. Now, change your shirt so you don’t stink up the car and get going. Or you’re going to be late.” 

Bradley refrained from sniping back that Thea isn’t just some girl, but he also didn’t have it in him to argue. To be honest, he hadn’t wanted her help from the beginning, but she showed up and he couldn’t say no. 

Even though Athena said it was fine and they were still friends, she acted a bit suspicious around him. She promised she wasn’t mad but her actions said otherwise. They had miscalculated a training session yesterday and she had chewed him out in front of the entire crew, which was very rare. 

Athena ended the session with a hard shove to his chest and muttering ‘figures you’d do this’ under her breath as she left him speechless on the runway. 

He had tried to talk about it with her but she ignored him for the rest of the day. Only when it was almost time for him to leave base to pick up Thea, she showed up at his door with her apologies. He didn’t have time for them. She knew he was leaving and she still tried to stall him. 

“I’m going to be late because of you. You knew I was going out and you still showed up here.” He’s panicking now, tugging the shirt over his head and reaching for a clean one. 

“You could have told me to leave, don’t blame this on me.” Athena bit back, her bad mood from before returning. 

“I’m leaving. Bye Thena.” Bradley was halfway out the door, throwing a sloppy wave her way before jogging to the Bronco. 

Had he looked back, he would have seen the downtrodden look on her face. But he didn’t. All Bradley could think about was Thea and her sweet smile.

He made it to the address Thea had texted him on record time. Pulling the car into park and snatching the flowers from the passenger seat, Bradley almost choked on his own tongue when he spotted Thea. 

She was sitting on the front porch, dressed in a light purple sundress and hair in a messy bun. She was exquisite. Bradley desperately wanted to hold her in his arms and never let go. 

“Hey stranger, are those for me?” Thea reached for the flowers, bringing them up to her face to inhale their sweet fragrance. 

He leaned over to press a kiss to her cheek. “You look stunning. Otherworldly.” The blush on her cheeks amplified his desire and he pinched his own arm to keep his focus. 

“Aren’t you charming? How did you know my favourite flowers?” 

“Lucky guess.” She raised an eyebrow. 

“Fine. I asked Bob.” Thea laughed and returned the favour of a kiss pressed to his cheek. “Let me get these in water and we can leave.”

Bradley had never been the guy feeling awestruck by something so simple as a kiss on the cheek. But he found himself touching the spot where her lips had graced his skin as he watched her walk back inside the house. His skin burned from her touch and a tingling sensation spread throughout his body. 

Thea returned to his side and he made sure to open the door for her. His mother didn’t raise a heathen. He could be a gentleman. 

“So, we’re are we going?” She nervously fiddling with her hands in her lap as he leaves her neighbourhood. 

It’s endearing and he hesitantly reached over to intertwine his fingers with hers, keeping the other hand steady on the wheel.

“It’s a surprise. But you’ll like it, I promise. Do you trust me?” He did ask Bob for her favourite food and activities while planning. He planned the make this the perfect date. 

“I do trust you Bradley. I’m just not fond of surprises.” She’s blushing again and Bradley wants to spend his life making her blush. The colour on her cheeks was intoxicating. 

He pulls up outside a cosy little Mediterranean restaurant, reluctantly letting go of her hand in favour of sprinting around the car to help her outside. 

She links her arm through his, eyes sparkling as she takes in their destination. 

“Let me guess, you asked Bob?” She laughs, reaching up to smooth out a wayward curl on his head. 

“Guilty. But it doesn't matter as long as you like it. Do you?” 

“I love it.” 

Bradley can’t help himself. She’s on his arm, looking up at him with the bluest eyes he’s ever seen. They’re beautiful. She’s beautiful. He needs to know what she tastes like. 

He moves slowly, giving her the chance to pull away. But Thea only leans into him and Bradley closes the distance between them. 

Kissing Thea is like a fresh breath of air. It’s like he’s been drowning his entire life and she’s what it’s like coming up for air. His entire body is on fire, every nerve in his system thrumming with excitement. 

He could spend the rest of his life kissing her. She smiled into the kiss, hand curling around the back of his neck. 

“We should head inside. I got us a reservation.” He whispered against her lips. They hesitated to  part from one another, lips hovering close together but not quite touching. 

“Lead the way.”

Taglist: @wildbornsiren @therebeccaw @imjess-themess @antiquitea @fuckyeahhangman @writercole @hederasgarden @yanna-banana @wkndwlff @bobfloydsbabe @hollandorks @anniesocsandgeneralstore @ereardon @luminousnotmatter @roosterscock @thedroneranger @fandomxpreferences @top-hhun @princessmisery666 @princessphilly @a-reader-and-a-writer @green-socks @angstybluejay @seresinhangmanjake @ayorooster​@notroosterbradshaw​ @indynerdgirl @gigisimsonmars @girl-in-the-chairs-void @bradshawbabes @unhinged-btch @horseshoegirl @sadpetalsstuff @bradshawbaby @ahopelessromanticwritersworld @ummjustfics​ @septemberrie​ @somenamewithepineapple​ @demxters @amortentiadrops

#bradley bradshaw x oc #rooster x oc #bradley rooster bradshaw x oc #fe writes #fic: let me drown #top gun maverick fic #top gun maverick #bradley rooster bradshaw

[lovelyfanatical]

I Get a Sugar Rush Whenever I'm With You - Epilogue: Six Months Later...

Well, the end is finally here, fellow Drukkari stans! If you missed any previous installments and need to catch up, you can find them all on my Table of Contents here or just read the full thing on AO3 if you have an account. It's been quite the journey, so if you're still with me, thank you for being here! Now, without further ado, I present to you the epilogue of Drukkari in the Great British Bake Off!

The bag wasn't that heavy, but Druig had carried the damn thing all the way from home to Makkari's apartment to Ajak's place, and his arm was getting rather tired. If Makkari noticed (and she usually did), she said nothing of it. She just flashed him a smile that made his stomach flip, took his other hand, and pulled him insistently up the hill to Ajak's place.

Ajak's house was a medium-sized country cottage that stood on top of a hill. Neither of them had been there before, but she'd sent plenty of pictures of it at various times of day with the invitations in case anyone got lost trying to find the remote building. Before they even reached the top, he heard a chorus of voices calling their names through the open front door as they approached, welcoming them in.

Their series of Bake Off had been airing for the past nine weeks, so Ajak thought it only right to invite everyone to a reunion so they could watch the finale together. After all, only four of them had been in the tent that week, so it was only fair that the rest of them got to experience it together. They'd decided to make it a potluck, with some of them opting to recreate their best bakes from the tent. At Makkari's request, Druig had made his éclairs. She'd opted to make empanadas, and Druig had been carrying both dishes for most of the journey. Makkari had offered to carry the éclairs, but knowing his girlfriend, Druig had kept them safely stowed to ensure the sweets actually made it to the party. Even as he was setting them out, she'd snuck up behind him and stole one off the tray.

As she happily munched away, Druig smirked as he remarked, Leave some for the rest of us, darling.

Makkari gave him a look of mock offense as she replied, I think I've shown great restraint. If anything, I deserve the rest as a reward.

"Oh no you don't! I recognize those," Kingo interjected, snatching one up. He bit into it and sighed heavily. "Whatever demon you sold your soul to for this recipe, can you give them my number?"

"Mine too, if it's as good as Kingo and Makkari say!" Sersi said, looking at Druig pointedly. Somehow, he still hadn't gotten around to sending them the recipe. At the sight of Sersi putting two éclairs on a plate, Kingo let out an affronted huff.

"No fair!" he complained.

"The other one is for Dane!"

"Sure. That plate's gonna be empty when you get back to him."

Sersi's jaw dropped in stunned offense, but before she could respond, Ajak swept in.

"If you're all going to fight over them, why don't we just make these an appetizer?" she said diplomatically. With that, she picked up the tray and began distributing the rest amongst the other bakers.

"Always the mother hen," Sprite remarked as she passed by them.

Good to see you, Sprite! Makkari said, ruffling the teen's hair. A look of annoyance passed briefly over Sprite's face before quickly fading into resignation.

"Good to see you, too, Makkari,” she responded with a slight smile before turning to Druig. "Don't be too gross. There are way too many couples here as it is."

"I have no idea what you mean," he answered, looping an arm around Makkari's shoulders. Right on cue, she planted a kiss on his cheek, causing Sprite to make disgusted noises as she walked away.

"She did the same thing to us earlier," Gilgamesh called from the sitting room, where he and Thena sat by the TV. Makkari was in front of them in a moment, bending down to hug them one at a time.

"Keep an eye on your éclairs," Druig called over to them. Gil laughed heartily while Thena merely raised an eyebrow at him before informing Makkari what he'd said. Makkari just shook her head.

You know I would never! she insisted, but the slightly too innocent look on her face told a different story.

"How are things, Druig?" Gil asked.

"Are you treating our speediest baker right?" Thena added.

"Things have been good for me. What say you, m'darling?" Druig said, turning to his girlfriend.

Very good for me as well, she answered, but Druig wouldn't let me eat all the éclairs and now I'm starving!

"Then go get a plate and eat!" Ajak said, taking Makkari's hand and leading her back to the food. As they left, Thena and Gil both turned to Druig with amused smiles on their faces.

"I was going to surprise her, but maybe I should just tell her I made her a separate batch of éclairs," he confided.

"Good man," Thena replied with an approving nod.

"Wish I'd thought of that," Gil remarked.

They were still chuckling quietly as Druig followed Ajak and Makkari back to the food table. Along the way, he narrowly avoided being run over by Jack, who was giggling and running with an éclair in each hand. Phastos had apparently been chasing him around the kitchen trying to take the éclairs back.

"Save those for after dinner!" he called.

"Everyone else is eating theirs now!" the little boy protested. Even as he said so, Ben had walked over, midway through eating his own pastry. At the sight, Phastos let out a sigh.

"Alright, just this once. And let daddy have the other one."

"Yay!"

Jack trotted over, handing one éclair to Phastos. They raised them as if raising their cups for a toast and bit in at the same time. Jack's face lit up with an enormous smile, and even Phastos gave pause as he considered the pastry.

"That's so good!" Jack exclaimed.

"It is. Say thank you to Druig for making them," Phastos said.

"Thank you, Mr. Druig!" the little boy called over.

"Just Druig. And you're welcome," Druig responded with a small smile.

Before Druig even got to the table holding all of the food, Makkari came over carrying two full plates. She immediately handed one to him, using her now free hand to say, Hurry up! It'll be starting soon.

Thank you, beautiful, he replied, his smile quickly taking over his face. She grinned back as she took his free hand and led him back over to the TV.

-

They gathered around the TV and ate happily as they watched Gil, Phastos, and Makkari work on their signatures. They'd all done pretty well, though Phastos had had a slight mishap and forgotten to turn on his oven.

"Wow, what a rookie mistake!" Kingo said, shaking his head.

"Weren't you there when this happened?" Druig interjected.

"Shut up, Druig."

A crouton sailed across the room, hitting Kingo right between the eyes. Druig and Makkari high-fived while the others erupted into laughter and Ajak chided them, but as to which of them threw it, no one was quite sure.

"So judgmental. I was stressed!" Phastos protested. "And I still got there in the end."

Indeed, Phastos finished the challenge in the nick of time, and his cake wasn't even underbaked, much to Kingo's annoyance. The room lauded his efforts.

The technical came next, and they all observed with a mixture of amusement and sympathy as the three contestants scrambled to make the perfect braided bread loaf. It was a close call, but Makkari took first place. The rest of the bakers, both on TV and in Ajak's crowded sitting room, applauded silently. Makkari's face lit up with a smile as Druig kissed her hand and said, Well done, gorgeous.

While still entertaining, interest began to wane as the show arrived at the showstopper. After all, they'd all witnessed the end in person. People returned to the kitchen for seconds and desserts, though the éclairs were long gone by now, as Makkari sulkily pointed out. Of course, the sulking ended as soon as Druig told her there was another batch waiting at home. With the winner announced and the room erupting into another round of applause for Gil, they quieted as the episode entered its final few minutes. The air practically crackled with anticipation as words appeared on the screen.

This year on The Great British Bake Off, love was in the air…

There was a murmur of confusion from half the bakers, but the other half, including Druig and Makkari, were smilingly knowingly. On the screen appeared three still images, one of Thena and Gilgamesh, another of Sersi and Dane, and a final one of Druig and Makkari. Their fellow bakers gasped and whooped in surprise. Sprite only rolled her eyes.

The show then transitioned into a montage of Gil and Thena giving each other knowing smiles in the tent, talking to each other during breaks, and Thena hugging him at the final. Text revealed that Gil had asked Thena out immediately after she was eliminated and that they had been together ever since. Next came a series of Sersi and Dane's interactions, with the two making each other laugh during challenges and sitting together during breaks. The video confirmed that they had started dating shortly after Dane was sent home.

"We could've told you that," Sprite snarked. Her remark was met with giggles and shushes.

Finally, the show shifted to Druig and Makkari's moments. Druig felt his stomach turn a bit. While he'd agreed to the montage – Darcy had personally reached out to ask their permission before putting it together – he hadn't gotten to review the footage. Makkari hadn't either, and she reached over again to squeeze his hand reassuringly. He squeezed back as they focused on the screen. The video cycled through footage of them signing jokes to each other from across the tent, Druig's interviews that were clearly conducted by Makkari, the two of them holding hands as they waited to hear the weekly elimination results, the hosts asking Makkari about Druig, making her blush. He might've been mistaken, but Druig felt like their section was going on a bit longer than the other two. Finally, the montage ended with a shot of them walking away from the picnic hand-in-hand and a message confirming that they were now together.

"Wait, was that from the afterparty?" Kingo asked. There were a couple gasps as their fellow bakers realized this as well. Ajak's mouth had fallen open, and she seemed caught between being scandalized and delighted.

"Where are you even going? To go make out in the bushes?" Phastos teased.

I didn't realize they caught that, Makkari observed, a slight blush settling on her cheeks.

"Yeah, I thought we were being sneaky," Druig agreed.

"I thought I kept everyone sufficiently distracted, but I guess I forgot the camera people," Sersi added with a sheepish smile.

The show then moved on, detailing Kingo and Karun's well-documented road trip to visit the other bakers, which Kingo hoped to turn into a documentary. There were a few groans from the audience.

"They already got a whole series. Who'd want to watch more of us?" Gil remarked.

"Lots of people! " Kingo retorted.

"Have you even directed anything before, Kingo?" Druig asked.

"Some internet content."

"How many views?"

"I don't do it for the views!"

This caused quite a few of their fellow bakers to chuckle, but the video had moved on. It then showed Phastos baking at home with Ben and Jack as text revealed that he was now working on a book about baking and engineering, to which everyone else offered their congratulations. The screen then transitioned to a clip of Sprite baking and even laughing with Ajak, as the two had started making TikTok videos together not long after the competition ended.

"See? Lots of people would love to watch more of us!" Kingo said, pointing to the screen.

The credits finally began to roll, and the group broke out into a brief applause.

"Wait, did Ikaris appear in the end?" Dane asked. Although they'd spotted him briefly in Kingo and Karun's road trip, there hadn't been any further revelations on what he was currently up to.

"Well, it wasn't in there, but I think the announcement is already online," Ikaris began, pulling out his phone. After a brief glance, he smiled and looked up as he said, "I'm coming back for Holiday Bake Off."

The room erupted with celebratory cheers.

-

A little while later, Druig was standing on the porch of Ajak's house looking out at the stars. As happy as he was to see everyone again, it was getting pretty warm inside. He'd come out to get some air, and it wasn't long before the door opened and shut behind him again. Druig knew who it was without looking. A pair of thin but surprisingly strong arms wrapped around his middle, enveloping him in warmth. After a moment, Makkari's hands came up to sign, You're not cold?

He turned around in her arms and spoke slowly so she could read his lips. "No. Are you cold, beautiful?"

She shook her head a bit before answering, Not yet. She smiled as she added, That was a nice surprise from Darcy.

It was, he agreed. Didn't know you had the hots for me since Bread Week.

Makkari's eyebrows shot up. How do you know what week that was? I didn't remember.

I remember your red headband from that week. She raised an eyebrow at this. You were also kneading dough in that clip, Druig replied, a grin spreading across his face as Makkari rolled her eyes and fought back her own smile.

I still don't know how it took you the whole ten weeks to figure out how I felt. Everyone else knew before that!

Well, when did you figure out how I felt? Druig asked. Makkari raised her hands to speak but stopped short. Druig could almost see the wheels turning in her mind as her eyebrows drew together and her lips pursed in thought. He chuckled as he continued, See? Everyone probably figured it out before you as well.

Fine, we were both oblivious! she conceded with a small laugh.

Oblivious to each other, definitely, he agreed. After a moment, he asked, When did you know you liked me?

Makkari tapped her chin in mock thoughtfulness before she answered. The second day.

Druig felt his eyebrows raise at the revelation. Makkari laughed softly at his expression. That early? he asked.

You were so quick to join my investigation. So, I gave you my number, she pointed out.

You also gave your number to Kingo, he retorted.

Kingo exchanged numbers with me, Ajak, and Karun on the first day. He was too intimidated to ask for yours. Druig rolled his eyes before she continued. What about you? When did you know you liked me?

You really don't know? he asked, though it was more of a statement than a question. She only looked at him expectantly, brown eyes shining up at him. As always, Druig couldn't resist that look. My beautiful, beautiful Makkari, I have loved you from the moment I laid eyes on you.

Makkari's gaze softened as she replied, Is that right?

Damn right it is. She smiled contentedly at his answer. A moment later, Makkari wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down for a kiss. Druig eagerly reciprocated, his arms winding around her waist to pull her closer. It was soft and tender, leaving them both a little breathless. As they leaned their foreheads together, the moment was briefly broken when Druig heard a few voices that sounded like Ajak, Kingo, and possibly Sersi calling their names.

They're calling us back, he told Makkari with a sigh, but she only smiled at him.

They can wait a few more minutes, she responded.

I love the way you think, he replied with a smile.

I love you, my handsome Druig, Makkari said.

I love you, my beautiful Makkari, Druig replied. With that, he kissed her soundly once again. And if a few of their friends happened upon the sight of them and not-so-silently fled the scene, they paid them no heed.

The End

-

Thank you for reading! 🥰

#lovelyfanatical shares #drukkari gbbo au #drukkari #druig x makkari #eternals #eternals fanfiction

[softquietsteadylove]

Hello birdie 🖤✨

I've got something for the Life Interrupted AU.

Thena isn't feeling well lately and is considering to go back into this hellhole where she's getting drugged to unconsciousness. She's packing her stuff when Gil shows up. He's trying to talk it out of her.

(And I definitely didn't had this Idea because I'm stuck in one of those hellholes, lol)

✨🖤Hugs an Love🖤✨

"Going somewhere?"

Thena sighed, setting down one of her shirts and staring down at her bed. "I was thinking about it."

Gil walked further into her room, having just arrived. "Druig texted me. Really surprised me to hear from him, but he said you've been acting weird--wants me to 'talk to some sense into you'."

Thena let out a humourless chuckle. "I'm surprised he decided to entrust you with that task."

"Gotta say, I am too," Gil agreed quietly until he was standing behind her. "I have to agree--you seem a little anxious lately."

She had been nervous, jumpy, and Gil knew it. They hadn't been able to go out on a date in weeks because she felt on the verge of a panic attack at the thought of having to navigate crowds or risk running into someone. "Maybe...maybe I should consider-"

"Don't," he whispered, placing his hand gently over hers. Her bag was already half full. "Don't say you're going back to that place."

Thena squeezed her eyes shut, tears already burning the insides of them. "Where should I go, Gil?"

"Anywhere else," he concluded. He pulled her hand away from packing up as if she were sailing off into the horizon. He moved slowly and gently until he could sit on the chair in the corner of her room and look up at her. "Please, Thena, just talk to me."

When he was seated lower, she had no excuse not to look at him. But she stared down at his hands, holding hers so, so gently. "Druig and Makkari have been looking at places again."

Gil raised his brows. "That...that's good...right?"

It was. It was what she wanted. She wanted their lives to continue on after the ugliness of the last year. She wanted her brother to feel free to settle down and marry the love of his life. And he could do that without worrying about his sister, she was determined.

"He keeps asking me to see them," she admitted quietly, as if Druig had his ear pressed against the door and would be wounded by overhearing her. "He keeps picking rooms that he says can be mine--if I so choose."

"So," Gil prompted, giving her hands a little squeeze, "what's so bad about that?"

Thena shook her head, looking up around the ceiling of her room to keep her tears from falling. "I'm not some child he has to drag around with him. He should be choosing a home to suit him and his wife, not worrying about his burdensome sister."

"Come on," Gil whispered, his eyes drifting downward from the sheer weight of Thena's discouragement. "You know he doesn't think of you like that."

Thena sighed, pulling her hands from Gil's and plopping herself on the corner of her bed. She pressed them to her head, trying to keep them from shaking. "I know he doesn't. That is exactly the problem."

"Okay, so you don't want him worrying about you," Gil shrugged, turning in the chair to face her head on again.

Thena stared down at her knees. She wasn't wearing her work dress and stockings with a tight ponytail. But she couldn't bring herself to wear soft sweatpants anymore, opting for athleisure leggings and a cardigan at even her most comfortable.

"What else?"

She toyed with her fingernails. "I don't want to live here alone."

Gil nodded again, leaning back in the chair.

She hunched over herself more, despite her sore back. "It's not about the cost, it's...I can't be here by myself, thinking all these...things."

"Okay, so we'll find somewhere else for you," Gil leapt at the opportunity to suggest an alternative. He leaned forward again, even scooching toward the edge of the seat. "I'll help you look."

She smiled, although she still wasn't feeling the intent behind the action. "Druig offered the same. Even Makkari--but that's not the point."

Gil seemed to understand what she was getting at. And of course he did, it was Gil. He was sweet, and understanding, and he always seemed to know what she was trying to say, even if she didn't have the words. "You want to find a place for yourself."

She sighed, looking at her hands again. "I don't seem capable of anything these days."

Gil took her hands in his again, rubbing his thumb over her skin. "You know that's not true."

She wasn't as sure as he was. She never was--never had his confidence, or positivity. It was something she both envied and admired about him. She loved it about him. "Maybe-"

"No!"

She blinked, taken aback by his outburst. He was always so soft spoken, especially with her. She had never heard him so much as raise his voice. The only things he did loudly were laughing and sneezing.

"Maybe nothing!" he pressed, standing from the chair. "That place never did you any good. I don't think it does anyone any good! And I will not let you go back to that misery!"

Thena's eyes fluttered, her back straightening. Her heart began to squeeze at the sheer volume of things, but this was Gil--she was safe with him.

"Thena," he finally quieted again, kneeling in front of her. "You never have to go back to that place, okay? I don't care if you have a nervous breakdown--I'll take care of you. I'll take better care of you than they ever would in there. Just--just promise me you won't go back there because you're worried about burdening people."

She blinked, those tears she was trying to hold back finally falling. It was completely dark outside, her small bedside lamp offering minimal lighting. But it caught Gil's features in just such a way that made him seem so beautiful. "I don't want to go back there."

"Good," he nodded, turning her hand so he could press his lips to it.

"But," she gasped, her lip wobbling. She clung to him. "But what if I'm not me, anymore?"

"You're exactly who you need to be," he said without a hint of doubt in his voice. "You're Thena."

So completely unwavering, her Gilgamesh.

"You're my Thena," he repeated, softer this time, kissing the back of her other hand before pulling her up to stand with him. His hands slipped around waist to rest at her back. "That's all you need to be."

She wasn't sure who 'Thena' was, at times. At least, not as she knew herself before all this. Gil kept saying that the past year was a part of her, for better or worse. But she just wanted to leave it behind--to revert to the version of her that had existed before it all.

"Look," he whispered, still holding her so gently. "Maybe that's easy for me to say. I didn't know you before. But the Thena I know is pretty damn amazing."

She let another laugh, still not humoured in the least.

"She is," he chuckled, though, and he did mean it. He leaned closer, touching his forehead to hers. "She's this badass translator, works in a big, fancy office. She's actually pretty funny, if she's in a good mood. Kinda likes messing with me."

"I do not."

"Just a little," he contested, scrunching up his nose faintly. "But I think that side of her is cute. And she's tough--way tougher than she thinks she is. And she's an incredible sister, even when her brother is being a pain in our ass."

"Our?" she interrupted.

"Our," he confirmed, touching the tips of their noses together to silence her. "And I know he's just worried about you. That's why he keeps saying you can stay with them if you want. But I guess he doesn't really know it's stressing you out."

Thena sighed, dragged back into the depths of her problems like plunging into ice cold water. "How do I tell him?"

Gil skipped over that question, still busy holding her, almost swaying as his weight shifted from foot to foot. "So, this Thena--I mean, to me, she's the most incredible woman in the world."

"Gil," she sighed, trying to pull him from his reverent description of her.

But he nudged her head until he could kiss her lips, also gently. As gently as everything else about him. "She's the woman I love, plain and simple."

Oh, did she ever love him. She had gone from being someone who probably didn't really believe in love for herself at all to being head over heels for her sweet, gentle giant.

She sighed as she kissed him again, leaning up on her toes to loop her arms around his neck. Kissing Gil always made her feel more human--more grounded and real. It took away the buzzing in her head and replaced it with with a heavy and pleasant sedative that could spread through her veins.

Gil stayed close, his forehead against hers, lips still faintly puckered. "Better?"

"Hm," she sighed. She didn't need to explain herself--not to him. She ran her fingers gently through the hair at the back of his head. If only she never had to go to work, or take public transport, or go to house viewings where the realtor would look at her oddly. If only she could stay in Gil's arms every second of every day.

"Good," he sufficed to say, tapping his fingers against the back of her sweater. He moved his hand to her hip. "So, about this living situation-"

"Right," she sighed the heaviest she had yet (which was saying something).

"Hey," he nudged her gently, pulling her eyes up to him. "A unit in my building is going on the market for next month. It's the one above mine--sweet old guy is moving out to be closer to his grand kids."

Oh. Living that close to Gil--being neighbours?

"I can always ask him if he'd be open to a lease trade-off," Gil suggested, although he was unable to hide his excitement at the prospect in his smile. "What do you think?"

Being that close to Gil? Being his upstairs neighbour?

His smile wobbled faintly, turning sheepish as he looked away. "It's a little more modest than this place. But it's a one bedroom, and it's not a bad location. And-"

Thena stood on her toes, pressing her lips to his, even with a cliche 'mmwah' sound. He looked dazed after the firmer kiss, which made her smile genuinely for the first time that night. She leaned against him heavier, but he steadied her without a second thought. "I think that sounds perfect."

"Really?" he asked, beaming like a dog about to receive a treat with a wagging tail.

She took his cheeks in her hands, "it sounds wonderful, Gil."

"O-Okay," he laughed, sounding near hysteria. But he pulled her against his chest in his arms, even lifting her off the ground slightly as he spun them. "This'll be amazing, sweetie, I promise!"

He needed no promises. The thought of having him a mere flight of stairs away was already comforting, in a sense. And she had been to his flat plenty of times. He was right, it was in a good location, and it wasn't any further from her office than she was now, all things considered.

Gil set her on her feet once more. "I'll talk to him tonight."

"Don't get too ahead of yourself," she advised gently. It wasn't often she was able to offer a calming voice of reason these days; it felt familiar, even soothing. She toyed with some some stray hairs of his. "I may have to apply, like everyone else."

"Peh," Gil waved in dismissal again (making her laugh, again). "The old guy loves me. And that's before I tell him some sob story about wanting my girlfriend to move in so we can be closer."

Thena blushed softly, toying with the hem of her cardigan. Sometimes she had to remind herself that Gil wasn't just 'someone she was seeing', and actually the man she had known for more than half a year and had been dating for more than half that time, now.

"It'll be great," he whispered, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "We can carpool to work, I'll be right downstairs if you ever wanna talk--or cuddle."

"Gil," she admonished, but it came out as a light and air whisper as he kissed her cheek again, his five o'clock shadow against her skin.

He stopped nuzzling her just to look at her more solemnly. "You should tell Druig."

"It was your idea."

"Exactly," Gil made a face, shrinking somewhat. "He'll kill me."

Thena rolled her eyes, her spirits lifting by the moment. "It's not as if you're offering to shack up with me yourself."

He didn't laugh at her joke. He didn't even seem to realise it was a joke, just shrugged one shoulder. "I mean they're both only one bedroom units. Plus, I imagine you want some space for yourself for a little. Feel like you have some more control?"

Well, he was exactly right about that, as always. Although she hadn't expected his rebuttal to be that they would need a larger space if they were to live together. She just blinked, "precisely."

"So it's decided," he grinned again, and gave her another kiss for good measure. "I'll go talk to Karun, you talk to Druig. He really is worried about you."

"I know," she mumbled, feeling properly chastised. She unlinked her hands from behind his head and squeezed his forearms. "I'm sure he was desperate to call you."

"And I'm suggesting you move into my building instead of in with him?--he's gonna have my head."

Thena laughed genuinely for the first time that night. "Don't worry, I'll protect you from him."

Gil stared at her in a way that made her toes curl. He bent his head down to sneak into the crook of her neck under her jaw. "I know you will."

She shivered as he left a kiss on her pulse point.

But he left it at that, pulling away and standing to his full height again. It left her feeling chilly, needing to pull her cardigan tighter around herself. "Okay."

Thena nodded, letting him take her by the hand. She did have to talk to Druig--about everything. About moving and also about how she would be okay without him hovering over her shoulder. She would be okay without that hell hole and its medication and she would be okay even if she felt like this different version of herself, possibly forever.

Gil grasped the doorknob with his other hand, the door not fully closed and letting in just a sliver of light from the rest of the house. He held her other hand, giving it a squeeze. "Ready?"

She nodded, holding his hand tighter, just in case she needed it. But she smiled, "ready."

#Thenamesh Life Interrupted AU #I love this au! #and we love you Love! #Thena is feeling worse and worse about Druig moving out before proposing #he's all stressed about her staying with them #but stressed because she doesn't want him to stress #it's a lot going on #so Thena gets more withdrawn thinking about all this #and eventually Druig does the unthinkable #he texts his sister's boyfriend and tells him to get his ass down here and talk to her #they come out of her room #They're holding hands and Thena looks oh so besotted #Druig sits up from the couch holding Makkari like I already don't like this #Thena tells Druig listen she appreciates his concern and she'll come and visit all the time #but she's going to move into Gil's place #and Druig loses his everloving mind #he blows up about how it's too soon and they barely know each other and he doesn't trust Gil enough to let them shack up #and Thena lets him get it all out of his system before finishing saying: Gil's apartment........complex #Makkari: lol #Druig totally loses his steam and just goes oh...well I guess that's not so bad #because Thena knows how to break bad news to her little brother #Druig is still a little wary of it and he still tells Gil that if he ever thinks Thena is upset because of him #he's got a whole lot of hell comin' his way #but he's also a good brother and tells her he'll help her move and he's not going anywhere until she's settled #they haven't settled on a house yet anyway and he won't actually leave until Thena is settled #if she called and said I don't like it here Druig is like okay we're living in the townhouse forever #meanwhile Thena actually wants him to leave the nest so she and Gil can be cutesy flirty neighbours and carpool and have sleepovers

[homemadegirlbossbattle]

ROUND 4 / POLL 4

Team Patience & Valerie Wester (@cherry-spot and @toa-arania) vs. Poppy (@stobotnik)

Patience & Valerie Wester info:

Patience and Valerie's Descriptions: What’s better than one girlboss? Two, of course! Red and green, fire and plants, spiteful god and godless heathen, and just so much drama to go around.

Patience, the self-declared leader of the high court of heaven, looks on the surface to be the kind and selfless leader to those she tries to save face for, with the noble goal of wanting Heaven to be a perfect paradise for all. Her family and the other gods know the truth, thanks to her “encouragement” for them to be her version of perfect. From the people she drives away, and to the countless people she actively seeks to harm, her insidious grasp on the divine beings can be felt everywhere throughout the realms.

Valerie Wester, a plant witch staying with her aunt in Springdale, is outgoing, confident, blasé, and consumed with overwhelming hubris and pettiness. She is notorious throughout the town for a variety of things, and when she isn’t enacting meticulous revenge, saying “we learnt something new” to justify her latest bullshit, or completely failing to understand the concept of altruism, she’s casting hexes, pissing off her ‘friends’, and attempting semi-successfully to get the attention of the various gods.

Patience's Crimes:

Pushed away one sister (Thena) to the point that she left the entire universe and convinced the other (Tempy) that her husband cheating was her own fault to encourage "improvement", then convinced her brother to be Heaven's executioner against his explicit wishes Framed Tempy's husband for the murder of someone who wasn't even dead so she could get him and his mistress kicked out of heaven and then put the 'murder victim' in a magic stone because she wasn't good enough at her job, a thing she does a lot and to anyone she just doesn't like very much. Some of them have been in there for centuries now because Patience """forgets""" about them. Intense demon hatred to the point of getting a demon-hating cult leader to be her understudy and nearly getting someone killed because their brother (not even the guy himself) was trying to convince her to let demons into heaven Unintentionally started a war between heaven and hell because she indirectly caused the death of the Queen of Wrath Total unshakable belief that everything she does is for the good of Heaven. She doesn't understand why the higher beings of Heaven have effectively disowned her

Valerie's Crimes:

Kleptomania for use in magic spells that exist almost entirely to fuck with people and extensive breaking and entering Compulsive lying and actively manipulating her friends Fucking with her sort-of-ex (including letting him think he's being haunted because it's funny and not doing anything about a rumour that they hooked up because it wasn't inconvenient for her) Liberal application of poison including to make herself sick to get out of assembly so she could go and steal things Lack of ethical consideration in spellcasting, such as accidentally cursing half the school to see terrifying demonic visions (re-traumatising an ex-infernalist and her ex's new girlfriend in the process) and spying on her friends to read a book about elder gods A frankly inordinate amount of scheming, including deciding "I'm going to destroy the Queen Bee's reputation in one week" because she is incapable of flirting normally (also for revenge) and nearly pulling it off, scrying on an agent of the god of trickery and deciding she wants to outwit him, and accidentally giving a venus fly trap sentience that she then used to get the fae king's attention. Being horny on main and a monsterfucker in a Christian Town™

Other Notes: @cherry-spot's friends are often split on calling Patience either the worst being in existence or desiring her carnally, and @toa-arania's friends are all terrified of Val using the word "fascinating" because it means an impending Val Moment.

Poppy info:

Description: Octoling MILF who traversed the deepsea metro and all she got out of it was this loser robot husband. You can’t spell ‘unethical cephalopod experimentation’ without all the letters of cute!

Crimes: Assisted Cdr. Tartar in omnicide, world domination, brainwashing, and eugenics. Allowed her daughter to destroy a world monument to also take over the world and assists them in their drug ring. Stole a cadaver to revive a rogue AI and allow it to continue living. Scrolls Pinterest on the clock at Grizzco while her co-workers get their shit rocked by flyfish.

Other notes from the submitter: Autism be damned my girl can work industrial machinery

#poll #oc poll #hmgbb

[anon911andbuddie]

Won't Hold It Against You (SEAL/LAPD Buck Part 3, probably final)

Content Warning: violence, protests, riots, minor injuries, injuries of others, blood, gun violence, explosions, bombing, accidentally outed.

Asked on my writing page to do a story and it led to finishing this sequel I started a while back. But I haven't been on my comp so this is unedited unbeta read. - Scarlet 📕

Athena has the day off and Buck is stuck manning the cruiser alone. He's been back in action for a few weeks and Athena had told him not to do anything stupid when she wasn't there to save his ass. And he had promised to try but no guarantees. Unfortunately, the city has other plans. An unofficial protest has turned into an unofficial riot. And a call for all units couldn't be ignored. 

Buck isn't unfamiliar with chaotic surroundings. He did several tours of duty even before the SEALs. But he hasn't had to deal with a situation like this in a long time, if at all. 

Shit goes sideways when a few protestors throw bottles at the riot team. At first no one in the line reacts, and Buck isn't sure who started it or who broke first but mace is involved and it's like being at war again. He tries to not make it worse and to do his job of protecting people. And it's almost too easy to get back into managing the chaotic scene for him and he has to be cognizant that he is not at war. These are civilians. He can't forget that. Only when it's over and one of his fellow officers looks at him with absolute shock does he realize the toll the event had on his body.

"What?" Buck asks, because the adrenaline still in his system has him failing to notice anything wrong.

"You're bleeding," he tells him.

"I am?" He checks his reflection in the mirror of a nearby cruiser and not only does he have a split lip but a nasty cut on his temple. "I am. Sarge is going to be pissed." He goes to find a medic. And he gets patched up. The mess and paperwork keeps him busy long into the night. He is just leaving the station when his phone rings. He checks the ID and shakes his head. 

"Hey Sarge," he answers. 

"What's this I hear about you getting injured again?" 

"Just a few scratches to clean up and butterfly strips."

"Tell that to your boy," she says.

"My what?" Buck asks. 

"Nevermind," she says. "But good job today."

"Thanks, Sarge."

He had been at his apartment less than 20 minutes when there was a knock on his door. He wasn't that surprised when he checked the peephole. 

He opens the door. 

"What the hell happened?" 

"Thena call you?"

"Something like that," Eddie says. 

"Right," Buck steps back and lets his friend in. 

"You didn't answer my question," Eddie says as he follows his friend into the apartment. Buck gestures to the TV as he unceremoniously drops down on the sofa. 

"Protest turned into a shit show." 

"I can see that," Eddie says as he looks back from the TV toward Buck. 

"Felt like the old days," Buck states.

"I hear you," Eddie nods, "absolutely FUBAR." And he means it, because he gets it. He's felt it but Eddie isn't the one facing projectiles and riots any more. "You at least get those looked at, didn't just manage on your own, right?" He gestures to Buck's face. 

Buck huffs a laugh. 

"Honestly didn't even feel 'em," Buck says. "But yeah, medic cleaned 'em up, said nothing seemed broken." 

Eddie seemed skeptical. 

Buck chuckled. "See for yourself, Medic."

He was mostly joking but Eddie didn't seem in a joking mood, so Buck didn't say anything when Eddie moved to check him over. And that had something inside Buck shifting. It was nice to have someone that actually cared outside of the job. It was something he hadn't had for a long time. He tries not to lean in every time Eddie's fingers touch his face. The way Eddie carefully turns his face into the light. The way the former medic gently presses to check for breaks. Buck barely winces because he is focused on the other feelings. Wow, Buck hadn't realized how ridiculously touch starved he was. And if Eddie picks up on that, he's good at hiding it. Because Eddie is in medic mode and very focused on that. 

"A bit sloppy but they weren't wrong," Eddie finally states. "Got a first aid kit?"

"Bathroom cupboard," He tells the medic.  "I was far from their first patient of the night, riots tend to keep 'em busy," Buck shrugs. "You're lucky you guys weren't called in."

"Probably," Eddie says when he returns with the kit. He looks through it. "Better stocked than I expected."

"I learned my fair share," Buck insists as Eddie gloves up.

"Before or after you got stabbed?" Eddie asks as he starts to remove the shotty crooked butterfly strips. 

"Depends which time you're talking about?"

"Why am I not surprised you've been stabbed more that once," Eddie shakes his head but keeps his eyes in what he's doing. 

"Ha, you've got a silver star from getting shot down and on your first day with LAFD an ambulance blew up. Don't act like I'm the only trouble chaser here."

"Fair point," Eddie grins. "But everyone lived."

"That's the goal," Buck says. It's quiet as Eddie finishes cleaning Buck up. 

"There," Eddie says as he sets the kit aside and takes off the gloves. "Hopefully, it won't scar."

"I don't know a gnarly scar might make perps think twice about trying to pull one over on me."

"If your biceps don't already, then nothing will," Eddie says. 

"You think so?" Buck flexes. He is focused on his own arm and misses the way Eddie stares at the way Buck's T-shirt stretches over the muscles. 

And Eddie has to remind himself he was asked a question. 

Eddie laughs. Not sure if it is at himself for getting himself into this situation, or at Buck genuinely seeming to not know the vibe he gives off. He's ex-special forces and built like a Greek god. "You don't need scars to seem intimidating, you're what? 6'2" and built like a tank, so yeah, no worries on that front."

"You think I'm intimidating?" Buck asks. And it gives Eddie pause. What was that tone? Buck couldn't be that unsure of himself, right? He's a cocky sailor that always seems to get into it. 

"I mean," and Eddie stops again because what does he mean? He thinks Buck's a gorgeous blue-eyed sculpted piece of perfection. But he isn't about to admit that out loud. They're friends. Good friends, but just friends. "You can be when you want to be, especially in uniform, but that's part of the job. So you can handle what needs to be done, like today. Even as a rookie you still have more experience with a crowd of potential hostiles like that then most of the force."

"Not sure about that, that's your guy's territory. Navy was-"

"But you knew what to do. You still get in the thick of it. You've seen how it goes. A war zone is a war zone. And SEALs are boots on the ground forces. They worked special ops, counter-terrorism, recon, DA and UW. That's Rangers level stuff and you know it. You really going to tell me you didn't-"

"Okay, okay," Buck stops him. "You're right."

"I don't want to be right," Eddie admits as he sits on the other end of the sofa. "Because I know how crappy it feels to be out of it but feel like you never left. It's easy but at the same time, it's not. It's different, but still somehow the same. New city, old games." 

Buck sighs. It was nice to have someone around that did actually get it. 

"At least it isn't every day," Buck admits. 

"True," Eddie agrees. 

Eddie isn't sure how it happened. All he knows is that his parents had just gone back to El Paso after being up for Chris's birthday. And now Chris was at a sleepover. And his frayed last nerve was damn near shot. He felt like he was losing it. And that must have shown through in his texts because before he knows it Buck is at that door. And as on edge as Eddie might be, the concerned look in his blue eyes has the firefighter’s heart racing. 

“Figured it was too quiet with the kid gone,” Buck states. And Eddie lets out a breathless laugh. Because he is right. Almost always is. The stupid special forces jerk was too observant. It made it harder for Eddie to keep his feelings locked down. He didn't want to ruin their friendship. But he just keeps thinking about the easy way Buck has charmed Eddie's parents. They took a shine to the former SEAL almost as much as Christopher had. Hence he had been enlisted to not only attend but help plan the party. And damn it. That had made Eddie feel things. Like really feel. 

A few beers later and Eddie brain was not as controlled as he'd have liked. The ideas floating around in there were dangerous. Hot, but dangerous. 

Somehow Eddie had ended up talking about Shannon and their messed up relationship when Eddie learned something that he had not known. Buck was bi. Buck had brought a short fling with a civilian between tours and Eddie's pretty sure his brain rebooted because he took embarrassingly long to process that fact. The worried look Buck shot him confirmed it. Eddie was an idiot. The last thing he wanted was Buck thinking he was some homophobic jerk. Eddie was literally the opposite. He hadn't had a serious relationship other than Shannon, but he'd had a few flings and one night stands, and not all had been women. And damn, knowing Buck was into guys. Yeah, that was now in Eddie's head and gave him real risky thoughts.

And Eddie would blame it on the booze of anyone asks but it was more the tensed shoulders and sad look on Buck’s face that had Eddie reaching forward as he shifted closer. He grips Buck by the neck and hauls him into a kiss. And Eddie worried for a half second he screwed up because Buck had gone rigid. But then Buck is damn near in his lap and giving as good as he got. They end up making out like teenagers. 

They decide to keep their new relationship a secret for a while. Buck is still a rookie and doesn't need the attention or ire from the more conservative members of the force. And Eddie is okay with that. They both served during ‘Dont ask, don't tell’ and that can really mess with your self perception. Eddie was lucky, the 118 was more like a family than a team. And yeah, Buck had Athena’s support in damn near anything he does, but that was one person on the force and Buck was younger than Eddie. And relatively fresh out of the service. So he would take it at whatever pace Buck was comfortable with. The only person they tell is Christopher and he understands it's a secret for now. He doesn't get why it has to be, but he is happy for his dad so he doesn't want to ruin it. And Christopher was thrilled to have Buck around. And Eddie couldn't believe his luck at how much Buck seemed to love Christopher. Eddie nearly cried the first time he walked in after grabbing drinks for everyone and came back to find Chris snuggled into Buck’s side and the officer was smiling down at the boy like he was his whole damn world. And dammit, Eddie knew there was no coming back from this at that moment. Buck was in his heart and Christopher’s too. 

Eddie's heart was in his throat when they had gotten a call for assistance from the LAPD. They had gotten notified shots were fired and at least one officer down. The team was oddly quiet as they approached. Eddie’s stomach turns as they get closer and he hasn't got a reply to the texts he had sent Buck. Bobby was just as tense. Especially after the recent riot. 

“The scene is still active,” Bobby states. “So be extra cautious.” 

They get out of the truck quickly but they don't go far. They stick back behind the barricade of cruisers. 

“Good, you're here,” a familiar voice says, and Bobby visibly relaxes just a bit. But Athena's tone had dread pooling in Eddie's stomach. If Athena was here that meant Buck was. When her eyes meet the former medic’s eyes she can see the question he hasn't even asked. 

“He's fine,” she tells him, “for now.” The exasperated fondness is oddly sweet in her voice. And Eddie feels the knot in his stomach ease slightly. 

“Then why-” Chim starts to ask but she just looks back at Eddie. 

“Because your boy is going to do something really stupid at this rate.” 

And Eddie doesn't deny or argue. He nods. “Where is he?” 

But before he can do anything, shots ring out and Eddie reacts on instinct. He shields Hen and Chimney as they rush behind the truck for cover. A familiar voice comes over Athena's radio and it's like a vice is gripping Eddie Diaz’s heart. He goes to get a look around the truck at the scene. 

“Fall back! Find cover!” Buck’s voice calls over the device. He calls a code that has everyone on alert. “Suspect-” 

There is an explosion that has everyone's ears ringing and Eddie shakes his head. And then the ringing is mixed with shouting. A call for back up and assistance goes out on both PD and FD radios. Athena is calling out for her officers to check in. But Eddie knows that time is not on their side. Bobby must too because he starts giving orders. And as much as Eddie wants to go find Buck, he has a job to do and needs to prioritize. Buck would be furious if Eddie didn't put his job and the injured first. So Eddie focuses on his job. Focuses on triage. It feels like hours before Eddie can actually look for Buck. And when Eddie sees his overly heroic boyfriend knelt beside a civilian bystander that was with a paramedic. 

And Eddie can't stop himself. “Buck!” he shouts. And Buck head snaps to look at him as he stands up. And Eddie has such an intense mix of emotions he feels dizzy. He picks up the pace as Buck stands up and starts towards him. And Eddie doesn't miss the slight limp in the officer’s step, but Buck is up and walking. The army medic had already helped triage and stabilize a few officers that weren't so lucky. 

Before Buck can say anything Eddie hugs him. 

“I'm okay, Eds,” Buck tells him but he knows Eddie probably has his doubts. Eddie has already had to patch him up too many times. Eddie is always worried. He knew Buck was good at his job. He knew Buck was well trained, even by LAPD standards. He knew Buck knew more first aid than most of the officers out there. But he also knew Buck will always put other people first. Civilians and his team will always be his priorities. And at times like this, that terrifies Eddie. But he wouldn't change that if he could. Would his blood pressure be better off? Absolutely. But it's part of what makes Buck, Buck. And as nerve racking as it is, he wouldn't change Buck for anything. He was mad about that valiant blonde officer. 

“How close were you to it?” Eddie pulls back enough to get a good look at Buck. Buck looks exhausted, he's covered in dirt, sweat and blood. 

“It's not mine,” Buck is quick to say at the wide eyed look on Eddie's face. “Mostly not mine. A few scratches maybe, but nothing major.”

Eddie nods but keeps looking over every inch of Buck he can see. 

“I had cover. I was lucky. I saw the detonator and had just enough time to call for everyone to fall back.”

“And your leg?” Eddie asks.

“Twisted it in the chaos after,” Buck tells him. “Trying to help clear bystanders. You can take a look at home.” And that little slip makes Eddie grin. 

“You might actually be the death of me,” Eddie mutters and Buck laughs.

“Says the guy that runs into burning buildings regularly,” Buck counters.

“At least I do it with my SCBA and turnout gear on,” Eddie states. 

“That's fair,” Buck says with a grin. “But got to meet a hot firefighter.” And Eddie wants to kiss that stupidly perfect face.

“You are ridiculous,” Eddie shakes his head.

“You love me,” Buck says.

And Eddie is absolutely caught up in the moment. He is happy. He feels ridiculously in love. So, he smiles and nods. “I do, yeah, I really do.” 

And that catches Buck off guard. “Wait, really?” 

And Eddie just shrugs because what else can he do? He's not going to backpedal. Life is too damn short and they both have dangerous jobs.

“Eddie…” Buck starts but before Eddie says anything, Buck kisses him. And the wolf whistle and cheers that earns them has them both pulling away. Buck’s cheeks are bright with a blush and Eddie finds the edge of his medical bag very interesting. Buck doesn't jump when a hand claps his shoulder. But he does avoid direct eye contact. 

“Congrats boys,” Athena says. “But maybe save it for home. Still a lot of work to do.”

Eddie grins as he opens the door to let Buck in.

“I love you too,” Buck is quick to say. “Didn't exactly get a chance to say it earlier.”

Eddie laughs because he had a pretty good feeling earlier that he and Buck were on the same page, considering Buck inadvertently outed both of them and their relationship in one single movement. But honestly, Eddie didn't mind, he had started it with the hug. Sure, his team might not let him live it down, but they were happy for him. They were supportive. And he hadn't expected anything else. 

“Didn't get in trouble for that little outburst, did you?” Eddie asks as they head into the kitchen. 

“Got a lecture on professionalism and PDA, especially when in uniform, but that was about it,” Buck says. And Eddie laughs as he hands him a beer. Buck smiles at the sound because he adores that sound. It's like music to his ears. 

#tw: violence #tw: riots #tw: protest #tw: gun violence #tw: guns #tw: explosions #tw: bombing #tw: accidentally outed #tw: blood #tw: minor injury #tw: injury #by scarlet

[romeulusroy]

Imagine Thena babysitting your kids:

"Phone numbers are on the fridge, if you need me you can call-"

"I've got this, y/n." Thena interrupted, putting her hand on yours and squeezing it. This was the first time you were trusting your family to watch your kids. None of them knew they even existed before you saved the world. Again. They took to them quickly, giving them piggyback rides and telling them all kinds of words they could not repeat until they were older. They especially loved Thena, respected her when she spoke, did as they were told. When Thena asked if she could babysit you were initially wary. You knew how capable she was, how much the kids love her, but you couldn't help but see all the horrible things that could go wrong. She saw it in your eyes every time you looked at her, the fear for your children's lives. Thena needed you to know that she would do anything for them.

"And I've got her!" Gil beamed from in front of the tv. What should have been reassuring on his part was just another reminder of what she was capable of. From the living room you heard giggles and squeals, little voices cheering him on. They loved when he showed off his strength. Once he heard that Thena wanted to do this, there was no hesitation on his part to watch her while she watched them. The two had told you time and time again that things were getting better, that she'd go days, even a week, without an episode. She'd been doing fine and would continue to do so around your family. You loved them, but they couldn't understand. These were your kids, your babies, if anything happened you would never forgive yourself.

"Please, please call me if anything goes wrong."

#thena #thena imagine #thena x reader #eternals #eternals imagine #eternals x reader #marvel #marvel imagine #marvel x reader #gilgamesh #gilgamesh imagine #gilgamesh x reader

[taran-chan]

hi, I just wanted to say you're one of my fav people to follow so I hope you're doing okay!!! love the ghostie roommates story btw 💖

hello hello i came back with a snippet for the new chapter of my Housemates AU

By and by, i’ll miss you

It was one of the mornings when rain pattered on the window glasses before the sun came up, bringing mist from the sea and the cool air pressing you deeper into your sheet. The haunted house looked like it was dreaming as well, overgrown floral hanging low on the front gate, so still as if frozen in time if not for raindrops flowing along their stem like a chasing game and then flinging themselves off the edge to ricochet on the muddy ground. Three pairs of shoes decorate the entrance and whispers can be heard when you come close enough, but it was impossible to say whether they were from the living ones in the house, or the dead ones. 

In the beach-view bedroom on the first floor, Gilgamesh grumbled awake. His room is right above the kitchen, a space usually filled with activities, and it was twice as noisy in a deeply haunted house. In the first few days he moved in, the ghosts didn’t stop making strange noises until past midnight. Thena had gotten used to it, and she slept much, much later than him so it didn’t bother her that much. She once said if they found him overly demanding, they would ruin the food, even when it was stored in the fridge; some of the previous tenants couldn’t keep their food fresh for over a meal. So Gil talked to the ghosts in the kitchen whenever he cooks, politely telling them to please quiet down at night, because he knew they were there although he couldn’t see them. It had felt a bit stupid, talking to the air, but after a week the noises were reduced to faint footsteps instead of chairs rattling and cabinets swinging open. 

But now he once again heard rustling coming from beneath. Not again, he thought with some annoyance, turning to his side and putting a pillow over his ear. He almost dozed off again, tethering on the verge of a new dream while still wondering if his alarm was about to go off and how many hours or minutes he got left in his very comfortable bed on this gloomy day. Did his mind create those voices in part of the dream he was about to have, or was it Druig lurking around again? However, the voices sounded real enough and were getting louder by the second. Gil slowly sat up with a sigh, then a loud yawn escaped him.      

Halfway going downstairs, he recognized both discussing voices. One belongs to an ethereal writer, and the other is her flamboyant editor. A few sheets of paper tickled his feet as he reached the small hallway leading to the kitchen. He gathered them on his way like following a bread trail, bringing himself closer to the two creatures who stole his sleep.

Thena sat on the dining table in her nightgown and usual robe, the very center of a white circle formed by drafts and notes and testing samples. The unused sheets were carelessly thrown on the floor or pushed to the edges where they can slide off at any given moment. Kingo leaned backward on one of the chairs, letting it stand on its two back legs - the sight gave Gil the impression of a bored teenager. They surely wore the expression of exhausted students on the due day of their group project. 

“Where are pages 325 and 326?” Thena asked without looking away from the stack of papers in her hand, reading what Gil assumed was the final draft of her new book. Kingo immediately dug into the mess and came up with the required pages. Thena pulled the cap of her red pen with her teeth and started making notes directly on her draft. 

“Again? You’re such a perfectionist,” Kingo sighed, “And we still need to choose an artist who’s going to design the cover! May I remind you today is the last day to decide that?”  

She looked up, probably to tell him to shut up, but her eyes caught Gil’s, who was lingering at the doorway. His lips automatically stretched into a smile, “Good morning.” 

“Good morning,” she said, her frown fading, “Did we wake you?” 

“It’s alright, I usually get up at this hour,” he said, bending down to pick up more papers in order to move further inside.

“Sorry for the mess, Gil,” Kingo got up to help him, stifling a yawn, “We’re kinda in a hurry now.”  

“No problems, pal. Breakfast?” 

“I would kill for some scrambled egg right now.”

“Thena?” 

“Sounds good,” she hopped off the table with her completed draft tucked safely under her arm. She handed it to Kingo and they cleaned up while Gil spread their breakfast ingredients by the sink. After a few minutes, the worn wooden surface reappeared from under the papers and runny eggs began to sizzle in the pan. As Thena laid out the dishes, Kingo fished for her comments on the few chosen artists with newfound energy. 

“How about this guy?” He held up a photo and several artworks. Thena glanced at it, then shook her head wearily, “I’d rather ask a Spirit to do it than him, they would take the hearing of my left ear but at least their work would be decent.”

Kingo heard Gil’s snort but ignored him, “He’s very famous on TikTok!” 

“Gil, what do you think about this artwork?” Thena plugged a sheet from his hand and turned it toward the other man. He neared the table, to get a closer look at it but also to scrape scrambled eggs into two plates.

“At first sight, it looks good. But I can’t feel its spirit, its soul. This looks like the artist just threw a bunch of colours on his canvas and called it a day.”

“See?”

“Yeah, because that Wood Spirit sculpture wasn’t lively enough for you and you need to ask for more.”

“Too soon, man,” Gil shakes his head sadly. He and his employees had settled into their new workshop, and even though his grandfather’s essence resided within his blood - both the purifying power and the sculpting skills - he still mourned his old shop a little, maybe he would save up to restore it someday. Meanwhile, Kingo shrank under Thena’s deathly glare.  

“Forgive me, it’s the sleep deprivation talking. Well, you two are the experts here,” He groans, sagging against his chair, “Fine, I’ll pick someone else. But if I ran out of options, we would have to pull the “debut book” move again and you would have to send me another photo you took that has a similar vibe to this book.”

“Deal.” 

“Why don’t you just…do that in the first place with all your books?” Gil asked, cutting up fruit for a salad. Kiwis, mangoes and summer berries teamed up with bright yellow eggs, brightening up their day. 

“I like looking at illustrations for my books,” Thena shrugs. He couldn’t help but grin at the simplicity of her reason. Thena was adorable.

#thenamesh #gilgamesh x thena #thena x gilgamesh #eternal #thena #gilgamesh #kingo #thenamesh fanfic

[heartofwritiing]

I’ll look after you

Paring: druig x fem!eternal!reader

Summary: During a deviant attack you get hurt protecting druig.

A/n: here’s s another quick fic! Im writing a bunch of little fics to post in between chapters to amtaf just for myself and the people who don’t wanna read that seris :) when the idea came to me I knew I had to write it!! hope you guys like it! :) italics means flashback!

Warning(s): short af only like 1,000 words, angst, violence, fighting, descriptions of blood and wound’s, druig having doubts/insecurities, a little fluff at the end! unedited!

Bared teeth snarled at you as a Deviant was closing in on you. Everything was calm and peaceful for once, not a Deaveint in sight for a least two weeks and then as you were all siting around they attacked. You, Thena, Druig, Gilgamesh, Kingo and Ikaris were fighting off a group of them, Thena and Ikaris already had taken two out. There were three left and one was cornoring you. Its long tail whipping out at you but you stabbed it before it could make contact with your torso.

You kept dodging it’s advances, you slide with your weapon in hand slicing its side open. It’s Blood poured out as it screeched in pain. It snarled at you when you stood up from behind it you hoped it would keep focusing on you long enough for Gilgamesh to come up behind it. He punches it so hard it flies through the air and hits a tree knocking it to the ground. You make your move and stab the Deviant through its heart. It dies with one last final cry and flops.

“Nice move back there, with the sliding.” Gil says proudly, motioning with his hands.

“Thanks, Thena taught me that move, maybe she could teach it to you.” You wink, causing him to laugh in his belly.

“I think ill leave it to you and Thena. Don’t think my back could handle it.”

“Fair enough.” You shrugged.

You both go on a search for the others to see if they need help. When you find them Thena and Ikaris are fighting side by side

It’s it nice sight to see. Gilgamesh runs of to aid them. You hear grunting from not so far away as your eyes scan the woods you see Druig. Who was being tossed aside like a rag doll and your heart dropped as you watched him slide across the dirt and heard him groan in pain. The Deviant began stalking Druig like its prey. Without even a second thought, you ran towards the Deviant at full force and jabbing it with your sword. Its attention now on turned to you. Druig watched on his side as you taunted the Deviant and moved backwards away from him.

“Come on!” You waved your sword at its razor sharp jaws and it lunged for you. You dodged just in time sending a blow right at its head and it didn’t seem to like it very much. Your fighting went on as you maneuvered around the deviant getting as many hits on it as you could. But it wasn't enough to put it down. It’s tail swooped you under your legs causing you to fall on your back, knocking your sword out of your hands. You hit the ground and winced out in pain but that wasn’t the worse. The Devaint was pining you down to the earth and digging its claws into your chest. Its mouth coming down to clamp down on your shoulder. You cried out in agony due to the searing pain flowing through your body as tears slipped down your cheeks. You tried punching, kicking anything to pry it off you but nothing. It wasn’t until a beam of light hit the Deviant in the side as Ikaris few towards it knocking it off you.

You laid there in the dirt as nothing but pain surges through your body. The wounds growing in your shoulder and abdomen. Your ears were ringing when Gilgamesh came to your side and Thena on the other you could barely make out what they were saying.

“Y/n, stay still, Ikaris killed the Devaint and went to get Ajak just hold on.” Gilgamesh's words were a little jumbled together as you looked up at their worried faces gazing down at you. You heard the leaves crunching as someone walked towards you.

“How could you be so reckless?!” Druig’s rough accent echoed in your ears as he leaned over you. When he saw you however his whole face shifted into guilt.

“Druig!” Thenas voice warned. The venomous look she sent him was enough to make him back up a little. Not wanting to face the wrath of the goddess of war. Before you could even reply your vision was going black and the last thing you heard was your name being called before you passed out.

ஓ๑♡๑ஓ

Ajak had healed you and laid you to rest in your room on The Domo. Druig couldn’t stop thinking about you, what you had done for him. Could he have really been that oblivious to your true feelings for him? He was angry at himself for the way he acted towards you. Angry that you took on that Deviant alone to save him. He didn’t understand why you would do that for him.

Druig was at your door contemplating whether or not to go in. He just wanted to check in on you, the concern filling in his chest overwhelming him. Ajak had assured everyone that you were going to be alright but he didn’t want to believe it. He wouldn’t be calm until he saw you, he knew it was his fault you nearly bled to death. If only he would’ve gotten up and helped you or if you didn’t get knocked over. No matter what the reason was, he was putting the weight on himself and it wasn’t good.

Druig inhaled deeply and took a step closer to the door. He pressed his hand to the plate on the wall and the door slide open with a soft hiss. Your room was dimly lit in a warm glow coming from your bedside lamp. He saw you laying on your back in bed as you slept peacefully. He walked closer till he was on the side of your bed and looking down at you.

He admired your features up close. He regretted the way he spoke to you before you passed out.

Druig was torn in his mind between why you would jump in front of a deavint like that for him. it wasn't until he bumped into sersi an hour earlier and he asked about you that she told him.

“how is she?” Druig asks as he and Sersi meet walking in opposite directions.

The hallway of the bedrooms was vacant except for the two raven haired eternals their voices bouncing off the stone walls even though the spoke at a normal level.

“resting. Ajak says she needs to sleep to let her body heal.” Sersi explains. Druig just nods not meeting her eyes.

There was something hanging in the air between them and Sersi almost hesitated with her words, opening and closing her mouth. Not wanting to reveal your feelings. She didn't want to betray your trust. You were one of her closest friends, Of course she knew how you felt. The amount of conversations you both have had late at night when you both couldn’t sleep so you would sit in the room where you all woke up was enough to build a close friendship between you two.

Sersi inhaled as she finally decided that you would never act on your feelings but she would give a little push. There was no harm in that right?

“ She cares about you, you know.'' It was a statement. Druig’s eyes met Sersi’s and she could almost see them say I know. And that's what he was afraid of. You caring or even loving him was a scary thought. He’s never had someone care for him like you have. Always trying to include him in things and always being kind towards him.

All he did was nod and Sersi watched as he turned and walked down the hallway. For the next hour Druig was in his room pacing, thinking. Which led him to finally end up in your room standing over your bed.

He finally decided that it was his turn to look after you. He would be by your side like you were for him from now on. He would be there when you awoke even if he had to wake you with a kiss, like in those stories he knows you love so much. Even if he had to wait years, he would do it for you.

He brushed a pice of hair gently off your cheek and you were stirring in your sleep, frowning your eyebrows and then relaxing your face almost like his touch soothed you. Druig swore he saw you smile for a moment and he couldn’t help the swell in his chest at the thought. He didn’t know how long he was there for, hours maybe but he didn’t care. As long he was by your side it didn’t matter. Maybe when you woke up he would finally tell you something that was on his tongue for the past couple hours.

a/n: i kinda like writing druig with insecure thoughts because i would love to know what’s actually going through his head and i just feel like hes a person with so much turmoil and emotions that he doesn’t get to express.

🏷: @magnificentzombiebasement @redheadspark @drspencerreid921 @a-lumos-in-the-nox

if anyone would like to be added to my druig tag list please let me know!

#druig x reader #fanfiction #barry keoghan x reader #barry keoghan #mcu fanfiction #druig eternals #druig x fem!reader #druig x eternal!reader #x reader #eternals x reader #quick fic #eternals fanfiction #druig