#also i heard running up that hill today and it just reminded me of where i was last summer and where i am now and how much i’ve grown

[wayward-sherlock]

thinking, once again, about this fic of mine.

#i think that this one bad idea! girl crush and my most recent are my favorite fics ive written #because they’re so personal to me. and im reading abim and getting emotional about will’s scars again and my own and how #such a defining part of my life will forever be etched into my skin. whether i like it or not. #also i heard running up that hill today and it just reminded me of where i was last summer and where i am now and how much i’ve grown #one day i promise i will stop thinking about this fic but #maybe that day will also be the day i will finally be truly healed <3 #anyway. sorry #🫧🪴 #💛💙 #wayli writes #could i need you this much? #tw scar mention #<- just in case

[nonnieapple]

⛈ ☂️ Peach Pit, 4- An Apple Core's Cyanide Seed☂️ ⛈

• (Akura-ou x g/n reader x Tomoe)  • r a t i n g: m a t u r e • 1 6 8 4 w o r d s  •  p o s t e d 14.01.2024    🌧  navigation 🍑 previous chapter 🍑 next chapter • s u m m a r y: you're a peaceful farmer in the mountains during the sengoku period. someone starts stealing your peaches, and the thief turns out to be a chaotic oni, and the events that ensue flip your life upside down. • c h a p t e r s u m m a r y: where you go, akura-ou goes, and where he goes, trouble goes. TW: fires.

  The peaches were still aplenty. It was curious. It seemed that he took your words to heart, only taking a few a night. It was fascinating. He didn't seem like someone with much restraint. Did he... tolerate you? No, no, that was a preposterous thought. Probably just planning and plotting to kill you and desecrate your corpse. 

  Enough idiocy. Today you had decided to venture down to a festival in the second nearest town. 

  The journey there was annoying but wasn't the worst thing you've had to endure. 

  You dawned a white kosode, right side over left. From up in the hills the town seemed to be bustling, but now it was a ghost town, and you were the ghost, floating and floating all alone in foggy air. At this rate, you could've stayed in your house and gotten the same experience with fewer leg cramps. 

  A wind blew by. You tensed. Peaches. Iron. Petrichor. And a hint of charred wood. It reminded you of...

  "Humaaaan!" Long, toned arms were thrown around you roughly. You gasped, reaching up to stop him from choking you. He didn't. You frowned. What the hell was that? That was the scariest hug ever. Felt like a chokehold for a moment. Actually, several. 

  "What the hell are you doing here?!" You seethed as you pulled at his arms. 

  Akura-ou let go of you lazily. 

  "I'm here to see if there are any pretty girls in town," He said, placing his hands on his hips. You scowled. You liked him better from afar, like a fireplace. Nice to look at, painful to touch. Well, not that good to look at. It also hurt. He hurt all around, his garish nature blinding. 

  You heard shuffling throughout town as though it had suddenly woken up. Much like bugs under a rock. 

  You reached a hand behind him, snapping your fingers on the other hand which he gingerly followed with his eyes. You wished you had your dagger. 

  "Did you follow me?" You whispered as people gathered around you. 

  "Maybe you followed me, human." Akura smiled, looking at your displeased, sharp eyes. 

  You retracted your hand. 

  The villagers came up to you, old and young, the young anxiously jittery, the old bowing their tired backs. You gazed at them, unimpressed.

  "Thank you for banishing the oni, oh great priest," They said, bowing, none coming too close. They didn't register Akura-ou's presence. His face twisted in a mix of confusion and agitation. 

  "You're welcome. Now let me pass, you're hoggin' the air," You remarked, turning to them briefly as a lock of your updo fell over your eye. 

  They bowed, scattering towards their business, the small stalls filling up. The scent of food and incense filled the air. It was becoming louder, but it was still rather quiet. A festival, close to Obon. 

  "The first time the last of the priests comes here in ages," You heard briefly. Something about human gods and sorcerers, magic, exorcism. Boring. You hummed in displeasure. You strayed from the main path in town, choosing to wade through empty alleys. 

  "Eh? Why didn't they run off when they saw me?" Akura grumbled lowly. 

  "Because they didn't see you. I placed an ofuda on your back to make you invisible." You pointed to his back. He twisted around, reading the ofuda. It read "air". 

  "You are too flashy and inhuman to blend in. The girls will run when they see you." You ran your hand along the wooden houses. 

  "Run to me," He corrected smugly.

  "From you. You're plain awful. Any human would run if they were in their right mind." 

  "You didn't." He leaned down. 

  You laughed hollowly, eyes closing as you flashed your teeth. Your laugh came to a halt, voice low and with a tired rasp. 

  "I said if they were in their right mind."

  You side-eyed him. He didn't wear his coat this time. Only the mesh shirt you had stabbed through and a layer of shiny gold necklaces, and dangly earrings. They swung with each one of his broad steps. 

  You stopped at the corner, leaning on the house. You pointed to a girl with glossy hair and a face like a doll. She was well dressed in a kosode with a chrysanthemum print. 

  "She's pretty. Maybe you should unlatch yourself from me and follow her around," You suggested. 

  Akura shrugged, flicking his hair and tilting his head to the side.

  "No, not my type." His ears lowered. 

  You hummed in deep, deep disappointment. You clicked your tongue.

  "What a pity." 

  You bought food from a stall, giving more coins than needed, and packing the food. 

  "Are you going to eat that?" Akura-ou nagged. 

  "I don't like eating in public." You averted your eyes. 

  "Just turn yourself invisible too. Big deal." He waved a hand. You raised a brow. The smell of the food was savory and tempting. 

  "I doubt I can hide myself from you." 

  "Why hide from me? I'm great!" He tugged on your shoulder. Thankfully if he touched you, no one saw you, so you didn't look like you were pulled by an unseen force. 

  "Where are you- dragging me! You fiend!" You spat, slapping away his claw. He stared straight ahead. You followed his line of sight. A stall full of alcohol. Something dark twisted at your stomach. Not hunger, not fear. Dread and craving were more of a fit.

  "I'm not drinking with a weird guy in a mesh shirt. A weird yokai in a mesh shirt? That idea's dead in the water." You hugged your waist, your shoulders raised tensely. He smiled unnaturally. 

   "Your loss." 

  You had never seen someone drink so quickly. It was like there was no bottom to his stomach. Because there wasn't. It was a void, a vacuum of alcohol. You blanched at the sight. You silently crept away, coming up to a stall with jewelry. They had a multitude of necklaces, earrings, and bracelets. You eyed the necklaces. One was of a knife much like your dagger. Maybe you'd commission a necklace with a mini replica of your dagger. So even if an insufferable jerk stole the real thing, you'd have something to remember it by besides your unreliable memories. 

  You picked out a rather pretty set with flowers. Sakura. It was criminally underpriced and you had to reverse haggle with the seller, a nice old woman with brown hair and eyes.

  You left, creeping away.

  "Trying to ditch me?" 

  You jumped, covering your mouth. 

  Akura-ou again. 

  "You must have something better to do." You avoided looking at him. 

  "How 'bout checking in on your kitsune friend for a change?" 

  The wind blew by. It was surprisingly cold, raising goosebumps on your skin. Akura looked fine. Even after so much alcohol, he was fine. 

  "You know Tomoe?" 

  Tomoe? That was his name? 

  Curious. The surprise was evident on your face as you slowed your steps. 

  "I saw him a few times." Correction- you saw him each morning, yet you felt like if you told Akura, he would freak out. You'd freak out. You were freaking out. Always. 

  "A few times?! He can never mind his business!" Akura barked, rolling his golden eyes. 

  "Neither can you," You muttered.

  "There's a brothel over there. Go there, maybe it'll help you... to leave me alone..." You whispered the last part as quietly as you could. 

  Akura looked to the brothel. His black lips were downturned. 

  "I'm bored here." He sounded like a bratty child. You blinked. Why were you even entertaining him? Sure he could kill you any second, but you might as well ignore him until he tries to. 

  You turned away and kept walking. You would be heading home after a few more stops. The reverence the villagers held for you sickened you and brought back unpleasant memories. 

  "Oi! Human! You hear me?" He rushed after you. 

  You kept walking, breathing in the fresh air yet untainted by his dark energy. 

  "This isn't funny." 

  You studied the architecture silently. 

  "What if I set something on fire?" 

  You shooed a butterfly away from your kosode. 

  "I'm going to kill someone. Who should it be? That old man? Or the little girl?" He said, forcing a villainous tone. 

  You stepped over a pebble.

  He huffed loudly. 

  You wondered if Maeda still sold baskets. His house was nearby. You could get some, splurge a little. Which was a depressing thought. A pitiful sign that you were getting old. 

  A glint caught your eye. A bright red one. 

  A fire broke out in a few stalls around you, the flames growing and flickering like blossoms in the wind. Your eyes widened. 

  You grabbed his wrist. He avoided your gaze now.

  "Stop this buffoonery! You're going to get someone killed-" Your heart thumped, fear setting in deep within you, an all too familiar fear of watching everything burn down to the ground. 

  You hadn't realized it until the first tear dropped. You were crying. Akura ou's expression betrayed his surprise. More powerful than any magic were human, stupid human emotions. 

  The fire faded. 

  You wiped your tears. They felt like blood on your hands as you stared into nowhere with static in your head. 

  "Human?" His voice rumbled from behind red locks. 

  You blinked away tears, searching for his eyes. Your vision was blurry.

  "What's your name?" He whispered.

  You said your name as quietly as you could. The wind blew, and it was surely whisked away. 

  You blinked away the last of your tears, shaking your head. 

  In front of you stood nothing but empty space, and your "air" ofuda was attached to your chest. 

  You didn't look at the charred stalls. You marched straight home, invisible and absent, your mind in the clouds and feelings in the doldrums. 

  That night no one showed. 

  You didn't know what to feel or think. 

  You cried in your sleep, and there was no one but your bed to wipe them away. 

  Little did you know, that there was someone who watched, all night, without touching a thing, besides a single peach. 

#akura-ou x reader #tomoe x reader #akura ou/reader #akura-ou x reader x tomoe #kamisama hajimemashita #w r i t i n g #☂️ #k a m i s a m a k i s s

[motownfiction]

beech grove

When Rosemary gets her first iTunes gift card in the fall of ‘06, Sadie sits with her at the computer. She has fifteen dollars for fifteen songs, and Sadie wants to see what she’ll do. She’s eleven, twelve in February, and she’s just beginning to develop a taste in music. Sadie’s happy for her. Excited. There’s something special about the first music you choose on your own. More special than buying your first movie ticket or reading your first book outside of school. Music’s different. She’s always known that.

Right now, Rose’s taste in music seems almost entirely dictated by what she’s heard on television. The radio just doesn’t work the same way for kids today as it did for kids then (And has Sadie ever really stopped being a kid?). When the family goes on long road trips, Sadie mandates at least one hour of radio surfing (“And you must pay attention,” she always says, and the kids abide. They know why they’re doing it.). Sometimes, they catch a few gems across the airwaves. Rose just seems to prefer the cable. Sadie knows she should be glad her daughter listens to any music at all (so many of her friends’ parents drive in wretched silence, like they prefer the sound of tires rolling across the road and hockey sticks knocking into each other in their trunks). Still, when Rosemary hits the purchase button on Hannah Montana’s “Best of Both Worlds,” Sadie can’t help but cringe a little inside.

Come on, now, she hears from a voice inside herself (that does not belong to herself, except for all the ways that it does). You remember. Pop stars are always TV stars. You used to love The Monkees. Mutual symbiosis, baby!

Sadie laughs to herself. Thankfully, Rosemary doesn’t notice.

“Are you sure you want to spend that money on Hannah Montana, babe?” she asks. “I mean … a dollar’s not cheap.”

“I like Hannah Montana, Mom,” Rosemary insists. “Ooh, I have to get ‘Suddenly I See.’”

“What’s that?”

“The song they played when the girls got voted off on So You Think You Can Dance.”

Sadie sighs. At least that’s a real song.

A real song? the voice returns to ask. Oh, Sadie Lou, I thought you were better than that. All songs are real songs. Next you’re gonna say that the only real music is Mozart.

Sadie chuckles again, a little louder this time. Rosemary still doesn’t notice. She’s just playing around on the computer, buying up TV soundtracks.

“Oh, and I wanna get ‘Boston,’” she says.

“You want to buy an entire city?” Sadie asks. “I didn’t know iTunes could do that.”

“Very funny, Mom. No, it’s a song by Augustana.”

“You say that like anyone knows who Augustana is.”

“It’s just a song. It’s good. They played it on the season finale of One Tree Hill this past year. When Brooke and Lucas dance at the wedding.”

“They played Led Zeppelin in that episode – the first time I think I’ve ever heard Led Zeppelin on a TV show, by the way – and you want some other song?”

“It’s a good song, Mom. Hear, listen to the clip.”

Rosemary types in the name and hits the little play button. Sadie sits back and tries to hear what an eleven-year-old might hear.

She said I think I’ll go to Boston / I think I’ll start a new life / I think I’ll start it over / Where no one knows my name …

Sadie sighs again. Only this time, she’s not disappointed. She also doesn’t hear what an eleven-year-old might hear. She hears what she would have heard when she was about fifteen.

“Mom?” Rosemary asks. “Are you OK?”

“What?” Sadie asks. “Oh, yeah. Yeah, I’m great. This just … this reminds me of how I felt about Beech Grove.”

“What’s Beech Grove?”

“Not what we thought it was going to be. So, when Lucy and I were a little older than you … all our lives, really, but especially around freshman year … we wanted to run away in the wintertime. We’d always lived in cold places, but we could just never get used to it. And I was looking for places with sunshine or warmth or just the word beach in them … and I found Beech Grove. I thought it sounded marvelous.”

“So, what was wrong with it?”

“It turned out to be a small town in Indiana. Hot summers, cold winters. Same as the place we dreamt we’d be escaping.”

Rosemary laughs. Goodness, her laugh. Sadie wonders if she knows who she sounds like … who she looks like when she smiles.

“I think it was about more than the weather, though,” Sadie says. “Lucy and I … we felt like we were different. Like St. Catherine’s wasn’t the right place for us. For any of us, really. That’s why Daddy and I didn’t send you and your brothers there. I think we wanted to go some place that felt magical … because we felt magical.”

Rosemary grins, and her eyes are just like glitter. Beautiful.

“So, do you like the song?” she asks.

Sadie laughs for real this time. Rosemary notices. She laughs, too.

“Yeah,” Sadie says. “Yeah, I like the song.”

Good choice.

(part of @nosebleedclub november challenge -- day xxi!)

#drabble #writeblr #ch: sadie doyle #ch: rosemary deluca #year: 2006 #i know this one is too long BUT #i like this one

[nataliesnews]

Subject: Efrat, Barkan.. two settlements which enjoy their sovereignty over a captive population, an arab village and a wadi where injustice reigns  7.7.2022

From: [email protected] Sent: Thursday, July 7, 2022 9:02 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Efrat, Barkan.. two settlements which enjoy their sovereignty over a captive population, an arab village and a wadi where injustice reigns

 Yesterday I went on a trip with Machsomwatch to areas where I have previously been before. But it is sad to say that I ended the day feeling that I really am no longer part of this country and not of the people. There are too few of us who care about what is happening in this country and to many of those who say that they care but find excuses for the army and the settlers. Sometimes it is not enough to go on demonstrations….you have to dig deeper. Maybe it  was also  an overdose of  the occupation as I had been out with Anat to an area of Jerusalem which is due to be demolished and and then with Shlomit to the DCO  where we met a man who is enslaved by his Israeli empoyer….dafke an Arab

 We started off at Ariel which I  have often got past but  never wanted to go into. I had never realized that like Efrat the city is being built up all along the hills which overlook the Palestinian cities and will effectively stop any chance of their expanding. Where as here , all along the industrial area is being built up and also the housing for settlers. This, just to remind  you, while we are busy each day demolishing the houses of Palestinians in every which way we can. I looked at what we were being shown and looked at the middle aged and old women standing around and thought we are truly like David fighting Goliath. I doubt that there is any hope. I said to one of my friends that there is every possibility that Netanyahu and his bitch who collects jewelry if not shoes , come back into power it will not be long before we will have a country run by Ben Gvir and Smokritch with no rights for anyone who is not in  the consensus and maybe concentration camps…….excuse me …re-education camps. I am sorry but today truly I am reminded of Hitler's rise to power.

 By the way this town also has a university of doubtful fame….many |Arabs study there as do Jewish students who cannot get into the true universities of Israel . It amused me then I heard that many Arabs study architecture there. I asked why ….where is Israel going to allow them to build.

    From there we went to Barkan which is famous or infamous for its wines. There is an amazing archeological area around there but I will not send pictures or tell most of my friends who are interested in archeology about it. Most of them live like most of the Israeli public in their own cocoon and if they had to walk around there, they would only oooh and aaa h and not understand or want to understand the injustices which the perpetrator of this settlement. Wine is made there and you see lines and lines of cars which are from the occupied territories and the Palestinians  who work there. But like the slaves and fiefs of old, they are only allowed to remain on the premises and not allowed out into the open country where once they swam in the wine vats which filled with water when they were children. And much this is on private land or on 'state' land….which by international law is trespassing.

 From there to Dir Istia where I have often been for the harvest but not in the village itself. It is one of the most beautiful Palestinian  villages I have ever seen in my life. If they could, they would turn it into a tourist paradise. Narrow roads all leading to even more narrow roads. Suddenly an area where the jackal howls at night…..a little enclave destroyed who knows when. But you could sit there and dream your life away. Another world. Maybe it was also cruel but a different cruelty.

 Here we met Isa who was shot in the back by soldiers and crippled for life. He was a young man with a baby but somehow like the Phoenix he arose from the flames and built himself a new life. The baby he had grew into a boy who insisted that he wanted siblings and he now has four children. He and his sister both belong to the Combatants for Peace in spite of all that has happened to him. He underwent rehab in Jordan and England. By the way our soldiers are expert at shooting in such a way that young people are maimed for life. Did you know that when the journalist was killed three bullet holes were found in the tree where she was trying to shelter?

    olvieser  

  We spoke about an uprising ….but with the dependence of the Palestinians on the permission to work in Israel many of them do not want to endanger their only means of livelihood. And today what is clear to all is the way that the villages have been cut off from one another and the ease with which the soldiers kill and wounded and maim they do not stand a chance. The fact that all it takes for a whole extended family is for one member to throw a stone and they all lose their permits. I  also asked him how he sees Israeli Arabs who take no part in any of the demonstrations and he says that he understands them. It reminds me of my friend, Suha who when I asked her, said to me, "You think we do not have enough problems of our own." It actually reminded me also of the Holocaust and the capos who would forget all human dignity so as to save their own lives and who of us is to thrown the first stone. 

 We went  on to Wadi Kana but that is a long story in itself and I have to make an early start tomorrow so when I come back from Haifa next week I will write about that part of the trip…….which was maybe the hardest to bear   Again we hear of these so-called state lands

 And  above this wadi stood Nofim.  According to ARIJ, Israel confiscated 625 dunams of land from the nearby Palestinian village of Deir Istiya in order to construct Nofim.[3]

The settlement was founded in 1986 on state lands by a group of secular Jewish Israelis. The Kana Stream passes to the north, west and south.

    Subject: Efrat, Barkan.. two settlements which enjoy their sovereignty over a captive population, an arab village and a wadi where injustice reigns  7.7.2022

[lonely-lost-soul]

Under the Floorboards pt. III

(Technoblade x Reader): Pt. I, Pt. II, Pt. III, Pt. IIII

     From that day on Tommy stayed with you and Technoblade in your collective house, Technoblade tried to establish some ground rules but Tommy being Tommy refused to listen to any of them. He was dead set on building a cobblestone tower as well as taking all of Technoblade’s golden apples instead of eating the golden carrots that were graciously given to him. Other than that, things seemed to be going okay for your little found family. Well, that was until Technoblade and Tommy got wind that a man named Dream was sniffing around the area. 

 Dream was an enigma to you, after hearing Tommy’s stories about the man you could only come up with two conclusions about him. One was that you had no idea what his motivations were in the first place and secondly you wanted to beat his ass for what he did to Tommy. As... unique as he could be at times no child deserved to be exiled and manipulated, it was disgusting. He was a sixteen-year-old boy who got caught up in too many wars and too much violence, you needed to protect him. So long as he was with you and Technoblade that’s what you planned on doing. That was what you silently vowed to yourself, even if Technoblade didn’t share the same sentiment. 

 Now, it seemed you were coming increasingly closer to voicing those feelings to the man himself. Tommy was shaking a little besides you he tried to look strong as Technoblade frantically told him to hide and splashed him with invisibility potions. He looked over at you next and grabbed your shoulders, he actually looked scared, which meant he wasn’t messing around. 

          “You need to hide too. God- there’s nowhere that he won’t check.” Technoblade mumbled, his brow creased, and he closed his eyes. “He CAN’T know about you! No one other than Tommy can, they’ll hurt you and-” Hesitantly you put your hands on his cheeks,  

         “Take a deep breath…” You said tenderly as he opened his eyes to lock with your own. “We’ll be okay, splash me with invis and I’ll stay by Edward, hopefully it’ll mask my particle effects.” He gave a worried nod; you pecked his lips tenderly to reassure him as he splashed you with the potion. Just in time too because a knock on the door sounded, for once Tommy was absolutely silent. You watched as a man who rivaled your boyfriend in size came through the door, your eyes widened at the white mask covering his face there was an almost haunting smile painted on it. You pressed your tongue against your teeth and watched him give a wave to your boyfriend. Even without seeing his face you could tell he was smirking coyly at him. Never one to be intimidated Technoblade gave him a casual greeting and their conversation about Tommy’s location began. You had to cover your mouth with your hands at one point to stop yourself from laughing as Techno began talking to ‘chat’ instead of talking to Dream. You watched as the masked man grew more and more angry at Technoblade’s antics, he began speaking about a favor and Techno reminded him that he believes in full reciprocity. At the end of the interaction, it took all of your strength not to punch Dream directly in his stupid masked face. Why the fuck did it sound like he wanted to murder a child? If Dream ever laid a finger on him again, he was personally going to feel your wrath. The potion wore off almost as soon as Dream disappeared over the hills, Techno immediately turned to Tommy anger written all over his face.

         “Where you eating my gapples that ENTIRE time?!” Tommy sputtered out an excuse about absorption and you watched Techno open the window and beckon Dream to come back. You gave Technoblade a look and he scoffed at you, 

          “I won’t let him hurt you again Tommy. I promise.” You swore looking down at him, and his face turned a little pink. Tommy cleared his throat and shook his head,

          “Thanks, Ms. Blade but I’m tough enough to fight him head on! Have no fear!” He pointed to himself with his thumb a proud smile adoring his face. You gave a little laugh and nodded in agreement, 

          “You definitely are. Thank you for reassuring me.” You hummed and his smile only seemed to widen, 

          “I’m more qualified to protect your girlfriend than you are it seems Technoblade.” 

 Technoblade looked unamused, his eyebrow twitching in distaste. “Tommy I literally hate you so much. You’re a nerd.” 

         “Play nice both of you.” You scolded them, “We have to work together and at least pretend to get along or it’s going to be a very long partnership.” They both nodded reluctantly, and Techno sighed tiredly, he ruffled your hair. The rest of the night was spent gathering some more food in hopes it would stop Tommy’s gapple eating tirade, it obviously wouldn’t but it didn’t hurt to try. After that all three of you turned in for the night, as both you and Technoblade were getting ready for bed he decided to speak up about the plan for the next day.

          “Tommy and I need to make a trek into L’manburg to find Phil and try to get my stuff back. I don’t want to leave you here alone considering what just happened today, but you also can’t come to L’manburg.” 

        “Bubs you know I’ll be fine here alone did we not just have this conversation?” You pinched his pointed ears, and he made a sound of protest. “I’ve got fighting skills, after all have you not been training me in the art of war?” You teased with a smirk, “I got this Blade.”

          “Okay, okay, okay.” He leaned forward and kissed you and you kissed him back without hesitation. You felt him squeeze your hand fondly before pulling away from you. “When we get back home, we’ll have a date night okay?” Technoblade whispered softly pressing his forehead to yours. 

          “Gonna be a bit hard with the raccoon boy snooping around.” You teased eyes sparkling in delight, 

         “I’ll send him on a quest for something or other. So, it’ll be just us, I swear.” The soft look on Technoblade’s face made your heart squeeze in your chest. He brushed your hair behind your ear, “I’ll make you dinner, and we can watch a movie.” 

          “Well don’t take too long then.” You sent a teasing wink his way and he smiled fondly back at you. You kissed him again pulling him down into the bed, you both bounced with a laugh. His pink hair hung down and framed his face gorgeously, his glasses slipped down his nose. You pushed them back up with your index finger and he went cross-eyed, “I’ll be looking forward to it.” 

 The next morning rolled around and after breakfast both boys reluctantly packed a bag with important things they needed for the day. Stepping outside with the two of them, Technoblade gave you a farewell kiss and you watched them disappear over the hills. They were most likely going to go cause problems for other people on purpose. Finally alone, you decided to check up on the nearby villages to see if they had any interesting trades that you and Techno could exploit. You slung a bag over your shoulder and placed a good portion of emeralds inside of it, you placed a few potions inside of the bag as well. As a precaution you also grabbed an axe and a sword, you had to be ready for anything after all. Shutting the door behind you, you started your trek through the snow-covered woods you heard the snow crunch under your boots and began to hum softly to yourself. You paused a moment and raised an eyebrow as you caught sight of a blue sheep wandering by, tilting your head to the side you approached it. 

        “Well, hey little guy.” You murmured reaching out and running your hand through the sheep’s soft wool. 

         “Oh, um excuse me!” A voice spoke from behind you, you jumped with a yelp as soon as you spun around you were met with a fully transparent man. He had a yellow sweater with a big gash in his torso, and a beanie resting atop his head. You tilted your head up and locked eyes with him, they were almost completely white.

 He was a ghost.

          “That’s Friend! She doesn’t really like others petting her but it’s okay because you didn’t know.” The ghost smiled; it was contagious as you felt yourself smiling back at him.

         “My bad, my names (Y/n). What’s yours?” 

         “Oh! I’m Ghostbur! It’s nice to meet you miss, I’ve never seen you around here before. Are you new to the SMP?” He tilted his head floating around you, almost as if to get a better look at you. You focused more on his name, Ghostbur, which means this was Wilbur Soot, ex-president of L’manburg, and ‘brother’ of Tommy and Technoblade. 

 You cleared your throat and rubbed the back of your neck. “No, I’ve lived in this area for a while, but I’m a wandering adventurer. I trade with the villages around here for interesting collectables stuff like that. I don’t do much of that now though.” You watched the ghost’s eyes widen a little,

          “That’s so cool!” He praised, “I bet you have a ton of cool stories.” 

          “Yeah, there’s been a few close calls, but I’ve made it back alive and well- oh shit no offense.” You winced a little and he laughed shaking his head, 

          “No worries it’s okay! I’m fine with being dead you know, no one really liked who I was alive, so this is better for everybody.” He puffed out his chest a little and a big smile spread across his face, that only caused you to frown. You reached out to try and touch him and your hand went right through the man, you both seemed to shiver at that, and he looked at you in shock. 

      “I’m sorry to hear that...that must be really hard.” Wilbur’s jaw dropped at your response, he floated around a bit awkwardly. If he wasn’t floating, he would’ve been shuffling on his feet in a nervous manner. 

       “N-No it’s…Wilbur was a horrible, horrible man.” He took a deep breath and began to throw some sort of blue substance on the ground in a rapid manner, you watched as he began to mutter and breath heavily. 

        “Woah, woah, woah I’m sorry don’t freak out!” 

         “I’m not, I'm okay see, see I’m fine and happy. Very happy with everything that’s going on so no worries okay! Here.” He tossed the blue substance at you and you collected it with a weary smile, “Have some blue it’ll make you feel better.” You thanked him quietly and you both stood there a bit uncomfortably that was until thunder rumbled overhead. “Oh no…I melt in the rain.” 

         “Here why don’t you come with me.” You smiled softly, “I know a place where you can wait out the storm.” 

          “Aw thank you.” Ghostbur clapped, “Friend can come too right?” 

          “Of course.” 

          “Good. Then lead the way.” He chirped as Ghostbur followed you back the way you came, now before you get too mad at yourself you should know that Technoblade had informed you that during his ‘execution’ Ghostbur had visited him at his home. If he didn’t share that information with you, you’d be never revealing Technoblade’s base. As the house appeared over the mountains the ghost looked over at you with a bright smile, “Oh! That’s my friend Technoblade’s house, do you live with him?”

         “I do.” You smiled fondly and watched his smile grow excitedly, “He’s helped me out quite a lot.”

         “That’s wonderful! Technoblade usually never helps people unless he likes them or if they can do something for him in return. You must be very special, are you two together?” He only had to glance at you for a moment before laughing excitedly, “You are! That’s wonderful!” Ghostbur chirped, clapping his hands as he phased through Technoblade’s door, officially safe out of the rain, turned snow. You had let Friend inside as well and Ghostbur continued talking “Tell me how you met, please, please, please.” Seeing how excited the ghost was you melted, he won your heart just like Tommy. However, you had to keep in mind his alive self-did blow up an entire nation and that couldn’t be just brushed away like he seemingly was trying to do, you can’t erase the past. You can only accept what happens, learn from it, apologize and grow. However, you didn’t see the harm in sharing how the both of you met so you began to retell the tale to Ghostbur, the entire time he had an almost bittersweet look on his face. 

         “I was married once...her name was Sally. She...left though. But I still had my son, Fundy and we did the best we could together.” Ghostbur said fondly his eyes softening,

         “I’m sorry...that must’ve been really hard for the both of you.” 

         “It’s alright! She was a salmon, so she was going to swim away eventually.” 

         “Like- like an actual salmon?”

          “Yes?” 

The silence that stretched into the room was deafening, you cleared your throat deciding not to dwell on the fact that the ghost in front of you very likely fucked a fish. You hoped to god she was some sort of shapeshifter, in fact that’s what you were going to believe. You managed to break the silence by asking about Fundy, and the way he gushed about him was nothing less than fatherly. It was sweet and you listened intently to him, Fundy seemed like a good kid, a bit quirky but you were dating a blood god so who were you to judge? Eventually the snow outside stopped and the sun began to peek out from behind the clouds. Ghostbur glanced out the window and decided it was time for him to head out with Friend. It was about midday and you were almost sad to see him go. 

 Alone again.

You still had hours to kill before Technoblade and Tommy reappeared, so you figured it was about time to start doing some chores. 

---

         “Ghostbur what’re you doing here?” Fundy murmured softly, looking over at the ghost with an exhausted expression. His ears were pressed back against his head, talking to the man who was once considered his dad always made him exhausted. Wilbur, or Ghostbur now, really was pitiful.

         “Can’t I visit you every once in a while!” Ghostbur hummed a smile plastered on his face as Fundy frowned. 

         “Preferably not. Plus...I’m a little busy right now I’m meeting up with Quackity and the Butcher Squad to talk about Techno again.” 

         “OH! Technoblade! I just spent the loveliest morning with his girlfriend, she was absolutely wonderful! She asked all about you and just adored Friend-”

         “Rewind, Technoblade’s what?” Fundy’s jaw dropped to the floor and he felt a hand on his shoulder, the young fox man stiffened. He looked to the side and saw Quackity besides him, Ranboo was next to him but Tubbo stood a little ways away. 

        “Yeah Ghostbur. Do continue.” Quackity grinned, his missing tooth sticking out from his last encounter with Toothpick. Ghostbur wilted a little bit and his eyebrows creased on his forehead, he fucked up didn’t he? 

        “I-um nothing actually I misspoke.”

        “Did he misspeak Fundy, cause to me it sounds like we have new leverage against Technoblade.” Quackity laughed a crazed look in his eyes, “Once again Ghostbur I have to thank you for the great information.” 

        “You’re welcome…” He murmured weakly, as Quackity stepped besides the ghost. 

        “Get your weapons boys, it’s time to pay the Technoblade household another visit.”

~~~

Hey guys! Pt. III is officially up! Technoblade’s livestreams huh? :) 

Also friendship with Tommy ended Ranboo’s my new favorite child.

As always I love your feedback thanks for reading! 

#dream smp #dreamsmp x reader #technoblade #technoblade x reader #ghostbur #mcyt x reader #mcyt x you #mcyt #minecraft fanfiction #blood for the blood god #rp #fanfiction #fanfic #wilbur soot

[technowoah]

thinking about angst prompt 'you're right. you're useless' with c!jschlatt where all reader does is try to help him and they eventually get to a breaking point because all they do it give and give and give and get nothing in return so schlatt just turns around and scares the fuck out of them :D

Have a Heart

You end up helping Schlatt after hating his guts. And even though you give every thing to your new president he dosent seem to fucking care

- c!schlatt x reader

- gender neutral reader!

- prompt: 25) "You're right. You are useless" (angst list)

⚠︎: swearing, drinking, smoking, angst, mentions of vomit, c!dream makes an appearance 🤭 not proofread

An// I LOVE THIS SCENARIO UGHH! THANKS FOR REQUESTING AS WELL BUB! I HOPE YOU ENJOY!

"Where's my fucking decree at?!"

"It's in my room Schlatt, please stop yelling." You tried to calm the ram-man down by talking calmer than him, but it only seemed to rile him up more.

"In your room?! Sounds like another fucking excuse that you didn't even finish them." Schlatt waved around his hands which one of them contained a lit cigarette in them. "Look at Tubbo he re-wrote one of my decrees before the festival, which is tomorrow may I add, and gave it to me. You havent even done anything I asked you." He scoffed.

You closed your eyes and held back a huge eye roll. You had done everything that Schlatt asked you to do, the decree was actually sitting on your desk in your room. This has been happening ever since Schlatt became president. He was more nicer, well as nice as Schlatt can get, but now he's been drinking like a moster and it never fails that he shows up to an important meeting drunk and makes you and Tubbo do all the work while Quackity and George are running free doing God knows what.

You had been loyal to Schlatt even when you didn't want to be, you had swallowed your pride along time ago. Every. Single. Task you do. And Every. Single. Time you get more put down that you already do.

Your head was hung low while he still spoke. "Hey! Were you listening to me shithead?! I need those papers by tonight!" Schlatt dug his finger into your chest pushing you back a little.

"Also get me my beer and bring it to the meeting room because apparently that's all you're good for." He finally left the long hallway, stumbling a bit as he walked.

You let out a sigh you didn't know you were holding until you saw him walk away. You walked away to find Schlatg that beer and try to put on a smile for the meeting you are currently dreading. Quickly you stopped by your room to grab the stack of paper Schlatt was yelling about earlier and grabbed a beer from a random room. Schlatt always has alcohol and cigarettes in every room just in case he needs one.

Dragging your feet along the marble floored hallways you mad your way to the meeting room. You didn't want to get there first or even last so your mind switched up from speed walking to continuing your slow pace. You started to walk faster when you heard footsteps behind you.

"Hey!"

You turned around to see Tubbo waving behind you. You stopped in your pursuit to greet your friend.

"Hey Tubbo!"

"Going to the meeting I see." He smiled.

"Sadly yes." You sighed. "I already got yelled at twice today so-"

"Hey! It's better than three!"

"Tubbo!"

"Im sorry! But am I wrong?" Tubbo laughed a little.

"Well I wish it was zero. I give everything to that bastard and I get nothing." You breathed out.

"Really?! I get a lot of-" Tubbo stopped talking after the shock on your face was prominent. "You know what nevermind!" He waved off.

"Of course he would favor you." You walked off keeping a brisk pace with Tubbo apologizing for Schlatt's favoritism right behind you.

Once you reached the door to the meeting room you slowly opened the door to be greeted with, once again, a drunken president and his right hand man looking smug as ever when he had no right to be.

Schlatt's cabinet was a mess. Quackity was only the vice president because he partnered with Schlatt and George became, well, the vice president to the vice president. George was barely around anyways. Then Tubbo and you came from L'Manburg, hating Schlatt's guts at firsy you two learned to be okay with the treatment. And while apparently, Tubbo had better treatment than you, you still gave that president everything you had.

Everything you worked for was for that drunken man sitting at the head of the table. You basically devoted your life to him, writing decrees that represents Schlatts policies because "you dare not write something Wilbur would". You had pulled him from sleeping at his desk at nights, cleaned up his spilled wine and beer, picked up cigarettes from the clean marble floors. He pushed you around and you let it happen too, some people woukd say you've become weak and they were sadly right.

"Aye! Look who it is!" Schlatt slurred his words together. "There's my beer!"

"And your decrees!" You plopped the papers down on the desk as he snatched the beer bottle out of your hand.

"You have an attitude with me?" Schlatt asked quickly.

"No! No why?"

"'Cause you just threw my decrees on the table like they are some sort of scrap." Schlatt tried to find the right words. "Some sort of shit like its not important! Fuckin' have some nerve huh?"

You didn't respond and went to go sit by Tubbo across from Quackity. Schlatt apparently noticed and took it upon himself to say something.

"Asshole! You gonna respond to me?! I am your president!"

You fought the urge to snap back at him so you bit your lip as he continues to yell and make everyone in the room uncomfortable, even Quackity.

"Dammit!" Schlatt slammed the table. "Fuck you! I could kill you! I have so much power over you! I can control everyone in this damned kingdom that I'm second best to! This kingdom was owned by a tyrant! I saved all of you! And all you have to do is respond!"

He stood up during half of his breakdown, but you didn't know when. You could hear every single word he said, but your eyes were threatening to spill tears and you could feel Tubbo's hand grab yours underneath the table.

Schlatt huffed smoothed put his suit and sat back down in his chair.

"So! We're here for the festival."

------------------------

You softly closed your bedroom door not wanting to make more drama by slamming it. This whole week you held in your emotions and tears, but today was the breaking point for you. Your back slid down the door and you started crying, and crying. There was no need to try and deafen your sobs, because you couldn't even if you tried.

Your mind kept reminding you of every single event if today.

First. Tubbo didnt tell you he was still in contact with the former citizens of L'Manburg, and the only way you found out was that today at the festival you saw them and you asked Tubbo. He finally told you with his head hung low as you two stood on the podium. You felt betrayed.

Second. Schlatt gave you an extremely hard time making sure everything was intact for today's festivities. You were stressed out of your mind.

Third. The festival went down hill hard and fast. So fast everything seemed like a blur. Tubbo gave his speech, really fidgety may you add, and then Schlatt and Quackity began trapping him in cement, you tried stopping him, but you were pushed away multiple times. You knew who Technoblade was, so when you heard Schlatt call him up to the podium you started to freak out. Your heart started to pound out of your chest when he brought out an explosive crossbow and pointed it right at Tubbo's chest.

The next thing you know a huge, bright, colorful explosion went off and with you on the podium with Tubbo's murderer sparks flew and hit you, Schlatt and Quackity making all of you have some sort of burn marks. Tubbo was gone, soon to be revived again for his last life on this earth, but seeing him die like that was the breaking point for you.

You stayed on the ground with your knees to your chest sobbing loudly. It was too much for you. Your lungs felt like they had no air inside of them, and your heart felt like a million weights were hung on it. You kept crying until you heard a harsh knock on the door, that felt like they were trying to break down the door than get someone's attention.

"Stop sobbing so damn loud!" Of course it was Schlatt you rolled your eyes and stayed on the floor.

"Leave me alone!" You cried out.

"Damn you sound like you're in pain huh?" You heard him from the other side of the door.

It was silent until the door was forced open and you were pushed with the door on your side. You sat up again to see Schlatt, who was out of breath, above you and had another beer bottle in hand.

"Why did you open ny door?" You asked softly.

"Why didn't you let me in?"

"Cause you didnt ask."

"Excuse me!?" Schlatt grew angry.

"You heard me." You stood up facing the taller man with horns. He was scary, but somehow you got the confidence today.

"I dont think you know who you're talking to shithead!" Schlatt got closer, but this time you stood your ground.

"Im talking to a drunken, egotistical, ram-man who let someone kill the only person I had left!" You yelled in his face while tears fell on your cheeks.

"You do got some nerve! I saved you!" He turned around, his back facing you.

"You made my life hell!" You yelled at him. "You- you made my life worse! You made me feel like I have no purpose, but to serve you and your ragtag cabinet! You made me feel like a useless sack of shit, you-!"

"YOU'RE RIGHT! YOU ARE USELESS!" Schlatt quickly turned around his faced filled with pure anger and his eyes bloodshot. He was breathing heavily and all the confidence left your body as soon as he stumbled towards you.

"You're fucking useless! You're even worse than Tubbo and he was working against me!" Schlatt then let out a strained stream and smashed his bottle on the floor letting the left over alcohol spill onto the floor.

"Do me a favor and leave, go. I dont need you! I dont need this damned place given to me by chance! By a fucking vice president that dosent even do his damn job! I dont need you! You! You and those bastards ruined everything!" Schlatt yelled and then rushed out of the room while holding his mouth.

You followed him quickly into the hallway and watched as he stumbled into the nearest bathroom to throw up the alcohol consumption of today. The tears kept coming as you ran down the hallway hoping that you can get as far away from these ivory buildings as your feet can take you.

----------------------

Your feet hung off the edge of the prime path and underneath there was a small river. You had stared at the water running for about ten minutes since you got there. You noticed immediately when you set foot on the prime path that you had no where else to go except for pogtopia you learned about.

You sighed tilting your head up towards the night sky.

"Lonely?" A voice asked next to you.

You turned your head and saw the well known man dressed in green. Dream had his mask on, as usual, but hood was down letting his blonde hair show.

"Yeah actually." You responded not looking at him.

"I know what happened at the festival."

"Everyone does." You scoffed.

"What happened with Schlatt?" He asked and you turned your head with a confused look on your face. "Dont think I don't know anything that goes on around here."

"I don't know how you found out, but long story short I'm not allowed back there. I dont wanna go back there." You said while standing up facing the man.

"I have someone that can give you a place to stay. If you want to take the offer. Also I wanted to check up on you. You were so close to Tubbo and its hard to lose a friend." Dream spoke softly, but you could still hear him loud and clear even through the mask.

"Thank you. I would want to take the offer for a place to stay." You airly laughed. "I dont want to see Schlatt or Quackity again."

Dream chuckled while giving you a paper with an adress on it before getting ready to leave.

"Don't worry. He'll be dead soon." Dream said before turning around and walking down the prime path.

You should've stayed.

Taglist(s)

MCYT Imagines: @annshit @bobaducky @malfoysslutt @egorldevi

#mcyt blurb #mcyt x reader #mcyt fluff #mcyt angst #mcyt headcanons #dream smp x reader #dream x reader #dream blurb #schlatt imagine #schlatt x reader #c!schlatt x reader #c!schlatt imagine #schlatt angst #jschlatt x reader #jschlatt x y/n #c!jschlatt #c!jschlatt x reader #mcyt platonic #platonic mcyt x reader #mcyt x you #mcyt x platonic reader #mcyt x y/n #dream smp x y/n #dream smp x you #mcyt reader insert #mcyt requests #dream smp imagines #dsmp fanfic #dsmp x reader #mcyt fanfiction

[bxckybarness]

The End of the Universe

part of “in love, out of time: TVA drabbles”

summary: you and the team travel to haven hills, alabama, where some unexpected twists and turns await you

word count: 1700+

a/n: i'm also working on some stories based on today’s episode, so keep an eye out for them :)

Unbelievable.

It was all just unbelievable.

Pompeii had gone so perfectly, that you were now getting ready to visit some Class 10 Apocalypse in Alabama. It sounded thrilling, at least until you got there. Immediately upon arriving in Haven Hills, you were struck with how massive the hurricane really was. You had never felt such tension in the air before, had never seen lightning so intense, had never felt rain so painful upon hitting your skin. Even worse, the faces of those running towards the superstore – terrified, hopeless, like they’d already seen death. And perhaps they had seen death, as it seemed to be looming in the sky above you. The TVA really wasn’t messing around when they named this a Class 10. It was unnerving, but you did your best to brush it off. You were here for a reason, you couldn’t get sidetracked now.

And right on cue, you’re brought out of your state of disbelief by the commanding voice of B-15, urging your small team to move. Sirens blare as the TVA hunters, accompanied by you, Loki and Mobius, quickly make their way across the parking lot. A streak of lightning brightens the sky as you reach the front doors and you notice a slight flinch from Loki, who is no doubt reminded of his brother. He meets your eyes and you give him a soft smile in an effort to comfort him as you both step through the automatic doors.

Creepy is the best word to describe it. The store is oddly quiet. Occasionally soft cries can be heard from somewhere else in the building. You shudder, a product of both your soaked clothes and the sudden unwell feeling you get from the walls around you. You notice someone moving closer to you and can immediately tell it’s Loki. He must’ve sensed your discomfort. You turn to look at him and he gives you that infamous dashing smile before shifting on his feet, a wave of green crawling over him. You roll your eyes, but can’t hold back your smile, when you notice he’s dry.

“Oh, don’t look so annoyed,” he says with a smirk, before waving his hand in front of you.

You vaguely hear a protest from B-15 and Loki’s snarky response, but you can’t pay attention to anything other than the fact that your cold chills have completely disappeared. You smile and hold out your arms, completely baffled by the realization that you were dry, too. Perhaps you would ask him to show you what else he could do when all this chaos was over.

The joy that being warm brings you is cut short when thunder shakes the building once again, causing the electric to go out. It takes a few seconds before the emergency lights turn on and you sigh to yourself - that certainly didn’t help the creepy factor.

“Take both teams and sweep the storm shelter,” B-15 orders some of her fellow hunters.

Mobius nods and begins to walk away from the group, you and Loki following behind him, “The variants and I will check out the greenhouse. We’ll meet back at the-“

“No,” the hunter says, cutting off Mobius mid-sentence.

“No?” Mobius responds, spinning around wildly to meet her gaze.

“You go with D-90 and her,” she says nodding towards you. “He stays with me.”

“He’s under my supervision, too.”

“This is my field-op, Mobius. If he’s not a threat, then-“

“Of course, he’s a threat. She is too. Don’t you remember the Time Theater?”

“You are more than welcome to go back and take this up with Renslayer-“

“We are not going back now, the Variant is here. This is our chance.”

You and Loki share a quick, confused gaze before Loki quickly cuts into the argument, “Mobius. It’s fine. Really, it’s fine.”

You look at the people standing around you and sigh. If this was any indication of how this mission was to go – well, you weren’t incredibly enthused about it.

“You can trust me,” Loki says calmly to Mobius before shifting his attention to the other hunters in the room. “I know that’s something that needs to be earned, and I will.”

You let out a small laugh at Loki’s words, not unnoticed by the others in the group. You ignore the pointed, yet amused, gaze from Loki and instead focus on Mobius, who’s now wearing a smile that’s a little too big for Loki’s liking.

“It’s always the people you can’t trust telling you to trust them,” he says with a laugh before moving to join you across the circle. “Shall we?”

“We shall,” you say, all too amused at the situation at hand. You turn to give Loki a wink and a wave before disappearing from the conversation with Mobius, D-90 and the other hunters in tow.

When you reach the makeshift shelter in the storage room, you’re again met by haunted, hollowed faces. As you walk around the room searching for the missing reset charges, you wonder what this timeline’s version of you is doing now. Are you still living in New York City? Are you safe? Interrupting your thoughts, one of the hunters comes out of the nearby office, speaking loudly about “finding her.” You and Mobius exchange a quick glance and he asks you to stay in the shelter area, just in case. You nod and watch as Mobius and the hunters disappear into the next room, leaving you as the only TVA agent amongst the sheltering citizens of Haven Hills. You sigh and continue your walk.

As you move to pass the door leading back to the store aisles, you hear what sounds like a scuffle. Your fists tense instinctively and you pause. You glance over your shoulder, ensuring Mobius was still in the office, before peaking your head out into the opening. You see nothing in your immediate vision and against your best interest, you slowly follow the grunts and sounds of falling shelves.

When you find the fight, you realize it’s Loki and, a large, burly man? But where’s B-15? You watch for a moment, Loki’s back to you. You’re hidden here, the pair can’t see you and it’s the perfect opportunity to eavesdrop on the conversation. Or at least it was perfect, until the man sends Loki flying into the display in front of you.

“Shit,” you say, bending over to lay a hand on Loki’s shoulder as he sits up, “You okay?”

Upon hearing you behind him, Loki whips around, eyes wide.

“Darling, as happy as I am to see you, you need to leave,” he says, a hint of worry in his tone, “Now.”

“Why?” you ask incredulously. “Clearly, you need some backup here.”

You reach to your belt to grab your knife but when you look up to spot the aggressive man, he’s gone. You look back to Loki, who’s staring over your shoulder, poison in his gaze.

“Don’t you dare,” he says, with a growl. You look at him, confused; surely he wasn’t talking to you.

“And miss the fun?” a man’s voice says from so close behind you, you can feel it on the back of your neck.

Well, shit. You grip your weapon a little harder and prepare to turn, but that’s when you feel the hand on your wrist. Immediately, you see green behind your eyes and feel a squeezing in your head, like somebody is physically playing with your brain. You try to focus on fighting it, but it’s turning into pain. You’re about to give in when the sensation suddenly vanishes and you drop to the floor, exhausted.

It takes you a few minutes before you’re able to retrieve your senses. The first thing you notice is Loki next to you, a gentle hand on your forehead and worried look on his face. The next, the unknown man, lying unconscious a few feet away.

“Are you alright?” Loki asks you.

You don’t have time to answer, except for a nod.

What do you want from me?

What do you want from me?

You and Loki exchange glances and he helps you to your feet quickly. He moves to stand in front of you, protectively, as a hooded figure steps from between the aisles. The hood comes down, revealing a blonde woman. You can feel Loki tense in front of you, this was certainly not what he had expected himself to look like. Not what you had expected either.

What is this about?

“This isn’t about you…” she retorts.

Loki takes a step towards her, “Right..”

Everything happens quickly then – so quickly it feels like you’re moving in fast forward. The backup electric goes out, plunging you and the rest of the store into complete darkness. Reset charges light up throughout the entire store, glowing purple, and disappearing to places unknown. You breath hitches in your throat and you find yourself leaning back against the shelving behind you – this was not good. She had known you’d come – this was a part of her plan. Had you even figured out what her plan was?

You vaguely hear footsteps approaching you and the sound of Mobius calling out your names from somewhere in the distance. You watch in front of you as the store is suddenly filled with a red glow and the Variant types something on the TemPad in her hand. The atmosphere feels tense as she opens a portal and steps through it with a small, beckoning wave toward Loki.

You notice the change in Loki’s demeanor as he moves toward the time portal – he means to follow her. You sigh when he looks back at you, indecisiveness written all over his face.

“Loki,” you mumble, moving from your leaning position to stand next to him. You reach a hand up to his cheek, silently asking him what to do next. He looks down at you, searching your eyes for a sign of agreement. You nod subtly. You would follow this man to the end of the universe, and it seems that’s exactly what you’re about to do.

Mobius is growing closer, he’s pleading for Loki to stop, for you to turn back. You both glance back at him, who’s full on sprinting at this point, and then at each other. Loki takes a deep breath and grabs your hand. You give it a squeeze before you both take off for the time portal.

The last thing you hear is Mobius’ cries before the portal envelopes you both, transporting you to a location unknown.

#loki imagine #loki one shot #loki x reader #loki laufeyson imagine #loki laufeyson oneshot #loki laufeyson x reader #marvel imagine #marvel oneshot #loki x you #loki x y/n #loki laufeyson x you #loki laufeyson x y/n #loki reader insert #loki #loki series #loki wednesdays

[minniepetals]

love poem

— summary: for years you’ve suffered for the longest time and for years they’ve hurt without understanding the true meaning behind it all. soulmates connected through the hearts, soulmates connected through the slightest touches, and when they finally meet their last soulmate, the seven gods vowed to themselves that they will love and protect you for the rest of their immortal lives

— pairing: bts x reader

— genre: fluff, angst, soulmates!au, poly!au, gods!au, god of knowledge!namjoon, god of stars!seokjin, god of music!yoongi, god of sun!hoseok, god of spring!jimin, god of ocean!taehyung, god of hearth!jungkook

— word count: 29.0K

— warnings: mentions of death, mentions of war, minor character deaths

— prompt: "It won't be easy you know...trying to love me"

— a/n: i hope you guys haven’t forgotten the dear; sweet bubbies project. sorry i’ve been so slow on these requests but here is the second installment! for you bubs @hope122598​

Soft crispy crunches follow your footsteps as you walk among the snowy path, the wind seeming more restless than ever this morning. Little bits of snowflakes descend from the sky, falling and falling in an endless cycle for the snowy mountains will never come to understand what Spring looks like.

For days upon days and years upon years, you have always prayed to see what it will be like to live with warmth, in a home of hearth, in a shelter that can provide comfort and heat to your body and mind. But you know that as you walk up the path of the mountain, stairway long ruined since over many years ago, with the hood of your cloak constantly hoping to leave your head and the wind howling all around, wishing alone will only get you so far.

The morning sun brings no heat for you, icy particles kissing your cheeks from time to time and leaving you bright red from how cold it is.

But you're used to this.

It's okay. 

Fog escapes your lips as you huff to catch your breath once you make it up, basket of firewood covered with a blanket safely secured in one hand, and you are met with a wooden archway that is so close to toppling over. But it remains firm as ever, as if its fragile looks is only just a façade and that it should look this way.

You walk under it, paying no mind with no fear of it collapsing, and follow the path that flows into your village. White blankets cover the wooden roofs of the abandoned homes and you hear something falling off and hitting the ground with a thud.

Another wooden platform destroyed.

Everything is silent saved for the song of the wind and the crunches of the snow under your footsteps. But you hear the distant sound of the children's voices echoing in your memories. They laugh and shout at one another, giggling about as they jump into piles of snow or slide down a hill on a wooden sled that their fathers have made them. You hear the distant chiding of their mothers who is angry they aren't bundled up for warmth, missing a hat, missing a glove or scarf. You hear the aunties and uncles speaking to one another in cheery voices as you pass along each house, empty and left alone.

They ask each other upon how their days are, whether they have wood to spare, whether their homes are warm enough for their families, whether they have any heated water to share. The young adults complain about the howling wind, grunting and grumbling as they open their doors only to quickly shut it as they tighten the strings around their hood to keep it firm upon their heads. They huff as they stuff their hands into their pockets, frowning and pouting with baskets hanging upon their arms because they had been asked to gather woods from down the mountain.

You don't see the elderlies in your memories but you know they're here, in their homes, tucked in safe and warm and telling old tales of stories upon stories whether real or folktales. The little ones will gather at their feet near the fireplace, excited and anxious about what stories they will hear today.

You see the smoke from chimneys, you see the homes in good shape, and as you stand in the middle of the village's center where festivals, celebrations, and gatherings are often met at, you turn around to take a good look at the village that used to be so lively and filled of energy.

Now gone.

Replaced with broken houses, torn roofs, shattered windows, doors left ajar and broken. The shadows of the villagers, the ghost of the children who runs around in front of you, shouting at one another, the adults laughing and conversing, the teens rebelling and pranking, and the elderlies telling stories where the big bonfire should be...dissolves away from your memories.

Left only with the distant sounds of their laughter. Echoing and echoing in your ears.

As if it is still there, their precious lives, only for you to be reminded all over again that no, you are alone. No one else survived the horrid attack that came unexpected and terrifying.

The memories are still so clear in your head, the shouting, the screams and cries for mercy, the parents begging for the lives of their children to be spared, the howling dogs that would bark nonstop, and the blood that spilled so much that fateful day. Your mother kept you safe in your own home, ran out there pretending she has no daughter while you remained under the basement, muffling your cries as you watched from the window of the slaughtering of your tribe.

You heard loud footsteps then, the crashing and trashing of things, and had shattered a window in order to pick up its shard to stab yourself near your stomach, at a place you know will not bleed out too much and will not kill you.

You laid on the floor, hiding the shard away when the man kicked the door out of its hinges with a wild dog running in. He found you there, laid as if someone had already came to stab you to your death, with you only in your harsh breathing to pretend as if you have indeed just died. But the dog came over to you, sniffing, and you knew that he knew that you were still alive. That you were only pretending.

The quickening of your rapid heartbeat tells him so and it only grows worse so he barks at the owner and you prayed so hard that the man could not understand him.

And he didn't, so he left you, believing someone had already taken care of you and demanded for the dog to follow him out. You held your breath even as they both left the scene.

And even then you remained where you were, knowing there was no other place to run to and just letting fate decide what to do with you. If someone else barges in and finds that you have only faked your death then you would accept his sword at your neck, your heart, wherever he desires.

So here you stand in the middle of a village, a tribe that was once so alive and filled of beautiful people and the warmth of a lovely fire.

Now all locked in the memories of the wind. Gone for you to never see again.

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.

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The God of Spring stands a few feet away from the wisteria that lays in the center of the celestial palace, watching as its colors of lilac, blush, and the skies, are only growing a bit weaker as the years pass by and by. It hasn't been in its full bloom and glow since the moment Jimin had grown it hundreds of years ago. Throughout the many years upon finding his fated ones, he's seen the tree grow taller and bigger, so very close to reaching its maximum goal if only he could find one more thing it needs.

It's gotten so magnificent one would think this is its full bloom but the God of Spring knows that there is something missing.

Many leaves have fallen, scattering about like little petals all around the tree but the wisteria remains tall and firm. Yet time is running out and he knows that it will only last a few more years before the bloom will disperse and he himself will weaken.

"Jimin." The Spring God turns at the gentle call of his name and finds the God of Ocean by his side. He watches the tree with awe and wonder, a sight he has gotten used to throughout the years of his immortality. Although Taehyung finds the tree that represent their love so very beautiful, he also understands that something is not quite right. Not yet at least. "What is on your mind, my love?"

He can easily read the God's mind without needing to voice out the question but he feels the need to listen to his soulmate's sweet voice that always calms his waters down.

Jimin shifts slightly, brows creased as he catches a small petal falling from the vines and fluttering down to the marble floor, meeting its fate with the other petals that have already fallen. A breeze passes by from the opening circle that gives sunlight and rain for the tree to grow and he breathes in the fresh air, closing his eyes for a moment. "We must hurry, Taehyung," he tells his lover.

When Jimin takes his hand into his hold, Taehyung understands exactly what his soulmate is feeling at the touch. Jimin has allowed him to read his mind with the touch alone and he knows, he knows that Jimin is beginning to feel restless. The wisteria is only now beginning to wither in a slow passing of time but it will fall to its roots if nothing is done about it.

Taehyung understands that Jimin is afraid, worried, because he knows that there is still a missing piece of their puzzle that has yet to be discovered; their missing soulmate. A soulmate whom they have no idea of, a soulmate they know they must not have met yet because otherwise the wisteria wouldn't look so weak in Jimin's eyes. They must not be an immortal, a god or a goddess, they must not live up here where they are in the realm of the Gods.

But they have searched and searched and searched for years yet no village, town, nor kingdom holds the answer they are seeking for.

"Why must they be so hidden?" The Spring God questions with a deep sigh that makes him so tired. "It was so easy finding you all."

"Fate is not always the easiest," his soulmate reminds him and he nods, sighing again as he turns from the wisteria. "Seokjin has not found a solution yet," Taehyung answers his question before it is spoken aloud while they walk away from the celestial tree. "Jungkook has been feeling very cold recently."

"It must relate to Jungkook." The God of Hearth should not be shivering and feeling the cold get to him in such strong waves. He is meant to be a fireplace, warming up all that is around him, giving fire to the mortals down below.

"But we have searched the land of the mortals," Taehyung says, knowing how long both Seokjin and Namjoon, the Stars and Knowledge Gods, have worked to try and piece everything together.

"Perhaps we are overlooking something."

"And what do you suppose that is?"

Jimin doesn't know. All he understands is that they must find their last soulmate and they must find them soon. So he continues walking on past the door that leads out the center of the palace, brows still creased. "We must return to Earth again, Taehyung. They have to be there."

"How are you sure?"

He shakes his head, not truly understand the logic behind his thoughts. "I just have this feeling." Jimin stops walking and turns to look at the Ocean God with a conflicted gaze resting in his eyes. He takes his lover's hands and press them to his heart to let him feel his heartbeat. "Will you trust me, my love?"

Taehyung smiles. "With all that I have."

.

.

.

It is freezing when you walk into a home that had once been so lovely. Everything is dark now, windows no long a thing because they had all been shattered and thrown out when the raid happened several years ago. You have no money for yourself, knowing how wrong it'd feel for you if you took your mother's money or any of the villagers.

Sure they're gone but for you they are still living inside your heart, their souls roaming around in the village, watching over you, spending their wonderful lives all around the tribe.

You miss them all, you miss everything that had once belonged to the tribe, a small little village where no one should have been able to find. Yet fate is cruel and left you alone to live in a village that is ghosted and no longer in blossom. Sometimes you wonder how you are still alive, and why. Why you? Why not your mother? Or another adult? Or another teen? Maybe a child.

No.

A child would have not been able to survive and neither an elderly.

You heave out a deep sigh that fogs up, relieved for at least the walls of your house keeping the howling wind from freezing you further. You stare down at your fingers and take off the wet gloves.

You have to sew up a new one again. After all, wet clothes in the snowy mountains can never dry warm again, not with the situation you are living in.

You wonder whether given the ability to hunt would have made things easier for you. You'd be able to get your own food, wouldn't you? Instead of living off on herbs and vegetables that are so very hard to grow and find in the endless winter you have been placed in? You don't remember the last time you've had a proper meal, you don't remember the last time you've ever bathed in warm water, or was wrapped up in soft fury blankets, or seen the fire from a lamp.

There are no animals that roams around your village, not even the falcons or eagles fly up here. You are alone. Truly, truly alone.

A tribe that is kept hidden from the other humans, isolated, kept for no one to know it exists because that is how you all live. Everything was going well, a tribe built upon your ancestors for years upon years, only to be washed down by a raid no one was prepared for. Hence you cannot leave this place to try and find your own happiness, to try and find your own Spring. You are the only one left to keep its memories and traditions alive.

Though it is hard, it has been years. You aren't sure how many years you have left. You haven't spoken to anyone in years, haven't felt the touch of anyone since the last time being from the cruel wild dog.

You want to hold someone's hand, wrap your arms around them, have their arms wrapped around you. You want to be loved and you want to love. You want warmth from another man, you want to be touched, just...touched. Whether a small sensation from the tip of a finger or have it held around you. You miss having the advantage to just wake up and greet your mother, jumping her from the back and having her scold you for surprising her every time even though you know more than anyone that she doesn't truly mind it.

You miss her so much. You miss her smile, her gentle fingers brushing your hair away, her kind gaze as she'd look upon you, the crease in her brows as she'd worry for your health when you'd catch even the slightest cold. Your mother was only growing older by the day. You can still remember her falling ill, a turn of events on you to take care of her instead.

So you did.

You bathed her, brushed her soft hair, woke up early to cook her breakfast in the morning before she woke up, sewing both yours and her coats up, went out to collect firewood and herbs, made remedies to keep her health steady, did everything that you could to be a good obedient daughter.

She always worried you wouldn't have time to yourself, urging you to go to festivals or leave the house in general, telling you to go spend some time with your friends, maybe even find someone that has interest in you because she apparently knew there were a few boys in line waiting. You'd always laugh it off and shake your head, not caring about it because you were still so young. But your mother would insist, telling you she'd want you to be with someone that will take care of you well as you were taking care of her.

But you told her that all you needed was her and no one else.

She always frowned at your stubbornness but you weren't going to care for someone who just wanted you because of your face. You want someone to love you for you, past your flaws, to understand everything about you but still loving every part of it.

Mother called you a romantic, you told her that was how father was too and she'd laugh, saying "like mother like daughter."

Indeed.

Because when the raid came in, you asked her to go hide in the basement but she told you otherwise, screaming at your stubborn self, telling you that this is her dying wish. She doesn't care whether you will wed or not, whether you can be a good wife or not, doesn't care about anything except for your safety and protection. You told her you just wanted to spend her last moments with you.

So she held you in her arms, tears endlessly falling, kissing you on the head and whispered "I am here. Always."

And then, she pushed you into the basement and locked the doors.

After hours passed since you last heard the wild dogs fading away, you finally stood up on your feet to bravely leave your basement doors, clutching onto your abdomen with hissing pain.

You found your mother's dead body lying at the entrance, door left ajar, and sobbed and sobbed endlessly because she was no longer breathing and just laid lifeless. You took her into your arms, tears rolling, begging for someone to just make it all better even though you knew more than anyone that that will never happen. You rocked her in your arms for the longest times, forgetting about your own health with blood that still slowly oozes from your body.

Her precious bracelet that your father made for her lied on the floor beside her body, snapped into one single string with beads spread out. You went on to collect it and put it in your pocket, carrying your mother up away from the entrance door and laid her on the couch.

You left her to grab the herbs and remedies to treat your wound and took your cloak half an hour later, leaving the door of your house, and is met by the sight of blood and dead bodies laid on the floor of your village. You ran around, calling, shouting, for anyone to hear you. You barged into homes, rooms, basements, one after the other, calling uselessly for anyone. You walked a few miles away, calling and calling, screaming from the top of your lunges, wondering whether anyone had been dragged away and left there alone.

But there was no one.

No lives were spared.

The children, the poor children, laid alone and in the arms of their loving parents who tried to protect them. Couples held onto each other's hands in their last moments, the grandparents laid by the fireside that no longer runs with fire.

No one was spared. All, everyone, laid on the floor of your village. All of them left dead.

The traumatizing experience spares you no mercy because in the end, it is you that has to carry the bodies of your tribe, digging holes after holes in order to bury every single one of them. You had no wink of sleep, fingers cold and numb yet still forced to work hard and carry their heavy bodies. Your mother was the last of them all, body left spent after all that work, crying and crying endlessly because you could do nothing to protect them, not even one of them, and now they all lie dead under the ground.

All except you who was only seventeen years of age.

.

.

.

"Jungkook?" The God of Music is quick to hold the youngest God whose legs can't keep him steady on his foot. He shivers in Yoongi's arms, shaking, and tears are escaping his eyes before he can try to stop it.

"H-hyung.." Jungkook shudders, breath leaving fogs although the room itself is nowhere near cold. Yoongi can understand him without needing to hear words, a touch alone letting him read his thoughts in an instant. Jungkook tells him what today is, the same day that repeats every year and makes him extra cold though he has no reason why. His heart aches, fingers going numb, and head begins to pound.

The God of Hearth should never feel this way, he has always been powerful just as his soulmates, but this day, this particular day always comes around every year and as he comes close, he feels the shivers until the morning sun appears again and January 24 is here, making him the weakest at this day.

He believes that it relates to their last soulmate, a soulmate hidden from the world and no where to be found with no information except that they are still alive. Alive yet hurt.

"It hurts," Jungkook cries. It is not his pain that he is feeling, it is not his tears that are crying. These do not belong to the God of Hearth but to someone else. "It hurts so much, hyung." Yoongi holds him safe and steady in his arms but this time Jungkook cries his real tears as he leans into the touch of his soulmate, crying because he hurts knowing their last soulmate cannot feel this comfort and warmth for themselves. He begins to beat himself up, angry and frustrated that he can understand these feelings but cannot do anything to make his soulmate feel better.

"We'll find them," the God of Music promises as he presses a kiss to the youngest's head. "We'll find them."

He lets Jungkook know that Jimin believes they must be on Earth and Jungkook begins to think so too. He lets him know that Jimin and Taehyung are preparing to leave when Hoseok raises the morning sun in the mortal realm, that Seokjin and Namjoon will follow. And Jungkook lets him know that he wishes to go to.

He has to know, he has to finally find them, wherever they are.

.

.

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When the morning sun awakes you, you sit up heavily from the cold, cold bed, shivering and letting out a deep sigh. Yesterday may be over but the memories still lies so vividly in your mind. You drag yourself out of bed, brushing your teeth, washing your face that makes you shiver again because everything is so cold. The kitchen greets you with an empty refrigerator that makes your brows furrow because your stomach growls and you are so hungry.

You sigh again as you head back into your bedroom to grab your cloak and wrap it around yourself, taking a straw basket that you weaved years ago with the help of a loving mother's hand, and put the hood on your head as you step out of your home.

The little children greets you in your memories, the ghost of the adults waving you good morning as you walk down through the memories of their lovely smiles, a few asking you to fetch them certain herbs and chicken eggs as well. You nod at their souls, smiling faintly and saying "Of course, I will be back with them."

A small little boy tugs at the sleeve of your dress and you stop to look down at the ghost of little Mingyu. He wishes to travel down with you but you shake your head, telling him you will be back soon to play with him. He pouts but upon your words, Mingyu doesn't go against you because he loves you like his own older sister.

When you pick up your feet again after bidding him goodbye to continue walking, your face falls as you walk past the wooden archway, chest tightening for a moment and nose thickening because you miss them all. You miss little Mingyu.

But you blink away the tears before it can freeze upon the cold wind, greeting the bright sun that shines above with a tight smile and walk down the little broken stairway made of leveled down snow that leads to the foot of the mountain.

"Maybe if I pray unto the God of Sun, he'll warm the mountain up," you sigh, "or the God of Hearth."

You look down at the empty basket that hasn't been filled for over an hour while your feet numbs from walking so long. No firewood, herbs, or food. You're starving and tired and it hasn't it gotten to noon yet. The slow passing of time makes you sigh at the growling of your stomach. You just want to eat and fall into a warm bed made of soft comfortable mattress and never have to know what the cold means.

But this is your life and although years passed, you still wonder how you're living on. Will you ever find another human to talk with for the rest of your life? The town almost a mile away has a few friendly smiles but it isn't the same as your village. After all, everyone knows everyone there, and you lived by taking care of one another.

You're just so, so tired.

.

.

.

"This..."

They stare at the wooden archway that leads into a village of homes that look as if no one has been here in ages. An abandoned ghost village. Yet they follow Hoseok in as he walks forward, eyes grazing over the broken windows and roofs, a few doors left open and off its hinges, and nothing but the sound of the howling wind and their footsteps are heard.

It's strange but no matter how empty this village is, they can still feel how beautiful life had once been to these mortals. It is a village that has been abandoned for years, no signs of life whatsoever.

"Why are we here, Hoseok?" Namjoon asks as he steps over some broken wood, his brows furrowing at the eerie echoing of the dead souls who had once lived here. It is never easy passing by a place that lets them know something horrible had occurred. They can easily hold the ground and watch the memories of what had happened with their powers but it feels too much to invade such intimate memories.

"I don't know," the God of Sun admits as he continues walking carefully with slow steps, his gaze soft and sad as he looks over everything. "The Sun told me there is still life here and we've visited many places already but we've never come here."

"It's abandoned."

"But you can still feel the life," he tells Taehyung. He knows they believe that perhaps he had only sensed life because a life did used to be here but Hoseok thinks otherwise. "There is a living soul here," he speaks, looking up at the sun for a moment, "she's seen it."

There is something so strange about this village, this tribe. Hoseok cannot understand it and he knows that he can easily retrace the past lives of this village but it feels wrong for some reason. He may be a God who has the ability to know and understand everything but this...this doesn't feel right at all. Not yet at least, and he cannot pinpoint what is it that draws him to this place, a feeling he's never felt with the places they've visited before.

When Jungkook looks around, the coldness lies in his heart, a feeling he has gotten used to since years prior ever since the first January 24th had hurt him. He takes slow steps with his hyungs behind him, carefully watching him and the village and wondering what thoughts are going on in his head. "It's strange but..." his eyes fall to the snow below him, footsteps hidden under the endless snow that continues falling and falling. He feels as if there are fresh footsteps just under the snow but even then he cannot erase the blanket to see it. "There is a life here," he says in a soft whisper.

"If our soulmate is really here," Jimin's eyes fall sad as it wanders all around at the snowy mountain of an abandoned village, his chest tightening with a heart that begins to ache, "they must have been oh so alone."

"Whatever happened here," the God of Music steps up to the center of the village that seems to hold the most memories of them all, sounds of music falling so distant to his ears, something he knows only lies in the past, "there are souls that have yet to be released."

A gasp leaves someone's lips and they are quick to turn around at the foreign voice, a sight that comes with a girl dressed in a dark blue cloak that they know must not be keeping her warm. Her eyes shake with fear, a basket that had fallen to the foot of her dress, hands pressed against her chest as she trembles at the sight of them. Her face pales, mouth drying, and they can hear the mortal's heart beating oh so rapidly.

"Forgive us," Seokjin announces as soon as he can before you can go into a panic. "We did not mean to intrude, is this your home?"

Your heart relaxes for a moment at his voice but you are still filled with fear. You haven't seen anyone in your village for such a long time, not since the raid, and you fear that they must be one of them. "I..I-If you wish to kill me, please do it quickly."

Oh.

Oh no.

Tears fall from your precious eyes and it hurts Jungkook as he shudders at the same time as you. Your eyes fall to him, a little intrigued, but still so, so fearful and he knows, he knows that you must have gone through so much with a heart that beats so rapidly at just the sight of men.

But he isn't a man, he is a God, a high and powerful God that can bend the Earth to its core if he simply wishes to do so. Those eyes of yours look so painful it hurts his own heart. The God of Hearth may have felt coldness before, just as the day before always being the worst of it all, but this...this feeling is a little more strange...foreign yet familiar at the same time.

"We are not here to kill you," he says. "We are Gods."

"...Gods.."

He isn't supposed to say so to hide their identity but it just feels right.

He steps up and the others follow a few feet behind. "I am the God of Hearth and we are looking for our last soulmate. We believe it to be a mortal."

You can tell they aren't normal humans. You can tell they aren't humans at all with the glowing aura all around them and how he calms your heart to a steadier beat at his voice alone. A celestial being. A God. Seven Gods right in front of you.

"No one else lives here," you tell the God of Hearth while his eyes never seem to leave yours as he continues walking forward. You don't step back for some reason, probably because you are too afraid to just leave and run away from a God. "I am the only one who lives here."

He hums. "I see that."

"There is a village about a mile away if you wish to check there."

"Have you not considered another option, dear one?" He asks you, snow crunching under his steps as he continues forward.

You shake your head slowly. "I highly doubt someone like me can even be worthy to be considered a soulmate to the Gods."

Jungkook steps up to you but he doesn't go any further to make sure you feel safe at a good distance. He holds his hands out for you and you watch, confusion displayed in your eyes before you look up at him again with a questioning gaze. "May I?" He simply asks.

You hesitate but this is a God asking you for something so you know you will offend him if you do not do as he asks. So you hold your hand out slowly with him so patient, just watching until you are ready to touch him. He hears the beat of your heart beating rapidly again but remains patient. When you finally allow him to hold your hand, the instant your skin meets him in a delicate touch, a vision falls into his mind.

He sees everything.

He sees the life of a little girl that had been born into a beautiful village and your sweet parents naming you Y/N. The village celebrates the birth of a child just as its always done, a tradition that will never fall away for as long as they are alive. He sees the cute pigtails on your head when you had enough hair for your mother to decorate it. He sees your loving parents that will do everything just to have their little daughter grow into someone precious and kind for the world to meet.

He sees you when you cried with your mother after your father's death, a little girl just twelve years of mortal age who should have never felt such responsibilities hanging off her shoulders at such a young age. But with time and your mother beginning to grow old, you have to step up to be the good daughter and tend to her, missing your own childhood despite how many times your mother tells you to go play while she sleeps. Sometimes she will pretend to have fallen into a dream just to see whether you have listened to her.

But you never leave your mother's side, only worrying for her in case you do leave and do not hear when she coughs and needs your help.

He sees you grow older and maturing to seventeen years old. You'll roll your eyes when your mother tells you to go out and find someone for yourself, telling her that you are too young to even think of marriage and laughing it all off though he can understand that deep inside, you do wish that in the future, not now, someone will come by to love and cherish you as you will love and cherish them.

The days are spent well with you occasionally leaving your home only for errands upon finding herbs, food, and fresh new firewood for your home. Jungkook sees a little boy named Mingyu who will try to sneak away behind your back, following you close behind when you'd walk down the mountain but you'll always catch him in the act. Some days you will allow him to accompany you, some days you will ask him to return home because it is too cold for him to be out.

Your village is lively and lovely, so different from how things look now. They will greet you when you come out and bid you goodbye when you return home. Everyone knows everyone, a tribe built up on a loving family. You rarely attend festivals and celebrations, however, always too busy tending to your sick mother.

But then he sees the one memory that you hate most of all.

He hears the loud barking of wild dogs in the distant, sees how you're begging your mother to hide in the basement and crying because she's telling you otherwise. She wants you to go in instead, knowing her life isn't worth fighting for anymore but that fighting this one last time will be her last mission in life. You cried in her arms when she held you, kissing you on the head, whispering soft words before pushing you into the basement and slamming the doors shut.

He sees your memories then, watching from the small window as your heart aches and numbs at the sight of the slaughtering. He sees you breaking a window, grabbing a shard and stabbing yourself for a pretend death when one of the men barges in with a dog beside him. He feels your fear, scared for your life, afraid of the dog. But you are left alone when the owner doesn't understand the barking of the wild dog.

He sees you as you're running around, screaming and shouting, calling for any survivors but no one, not even a soul, along with your mother and little Mingyu dead on the floors of your village. You're traumatized yet you still dig up holes after holes to bury your tribe in order for them to rest peacefully and not in vain. Your fingers go numb from the hard work and the freezing cold yet you never stop, going past days with no rest in between, tears endlessly falling and freezing under the cold snowy weather.

You haven't eaten a good meal in years, just seventeen years old having to carry the last remaining memories of your tribe, having to survive all on your own with no one by your side. Just seventeen years old having to become dependent on yourself. You learned to make your own clothes instead of just sewing to patch things up. Though it doesn't go well in the beginning, you learn the skills eventually as time passes. The water is always the coldest for you to wash and bathe in, your bed on a hard wood, no pillows, no warmth to keep you safe and secure.

Yet when Jungkook opens his eyes again, you have no hatred and vengeance in your heart, no sign of wanting revenge. The only thing he feels is your fear of your future and how you will continue surviving, questions swarming in your head as to why and how you are still alive after ten years of isolation. He has never met a human so selfless and kind with just the slight light of hope still left in her despite everything. You are afraid but you try not to show it and his heart hurts.

Jungkook turns to his soulmates behind him and they step up, surrounding you. They stand in a circle, fluttering their eyes closed and telling you silently that you must do so as well. Hands are placed upon your arms, soft, delicate and warm touches, and something strange and unfamiliar occurs.

You feel warmth surging through your body, a heat so warm you aren't sure whether this is real or not anymore. But it isn't just the warmth you are feeling, it's the feeling of walking on clouds, euphoria, head spinning with fairy lights and soft, soft ecstasy. It's so much more than the festivities of your tribe that celebrates many traditions, so much more than when you'd play around with little Mingyu who loves you to no end. It is sweet and delicate, fragile yet so strong and firm, not like the promise of your village that will one day be buried under the snow.

You see so many things, a beautiful celestial palace made of heaven lights. You see stars in one room, a whole room filled of the planets and galaxies of universes all around. You see a room filled with books upon books, a room of music, the soft blue tide of the vast ocean that stretches so wide and falls into the horizon, a sun that glows so bright in the sky, a home of warmth and hearth, and Spring. You see Spring for the first time in the life of a wisteria tree. It's petals flutters to the ground though the vines still holds firm and powerful, swaying gently and dancing to the soft whisper of the wind.

You see the life of the Gods before you. Meeting one another as if destiny has placed them in each other's paths. Soft smiles, soft hellos and goodnights, soft touches and soft kisses pressed against one another. A soft, soft love that whispers in their ears each passing day. When one is away they will feel empty, already missing one's presence the second they leave the palace grounds. Together they make each other stronger than any other Gods. Everyone around them looks up to them, bowing their ways, worshipping their presence for seven soulmates is much stronger than two souls.

Yet no matter how happy they are, there is still something missing. The wisteria may look divine but it is not in its full bloom, it is not as strong as it should be. The petals that falls off the vines hangs in vain and sadness, fluttering to the floor, still wishing and needing one last puzzle that is missing.

A missing soulmate.

You feel the aching in the God of Hearth's heart, how he will shiver on some occasions, the way he hurts the most on January 24th. And you think you understand what the means. January 24th is not a day that is happy for you, a day that is filled with grief and pain, a day that is the coldest out of any other day. You think you understand because the flame of the Hearth is a light that gives warmth to the mortals. But you have not been the warmest in the years that passed by since the raid. You think...perhaps...you understand.

"Do you understand?" You open your eyes to find them staring into your soul, and they can feel that you understand but have some doubts. "You are the one, my sweet precious mortal," the God of Knowledge holds your face in his hand and you find yourself consciously leaning into the touch. The warmth is nice. You love it so much you wish to cry. "You are our last soulmate."

"Will you accept us?" The God of Ocean asks. "Will you come home to us? Allow us to give you an endless warmth that shall never disappear?"

"To live an immortal life? Become an immortal yourself?"

"To never have to know what pain and hurting feels like ever again. To never feel afraid anymore."

"Will you let us protect you from now on? Give you a home, a safe, warm home."

"And let you meet the one thing you have always been waiting for. To let you see Spring."

Spring.

They can feel the way your heart skips a beat at the sound and Jimin smiles softly. You have always wished to see what Spring looks like, when the Winter will melt away and the birds will chirp and flowers will grow, blooming to their fullest and giving off such sweet scents. You want to smell the flowers, to feel the rain kissing your body, to see a rainbow, to go barefoot and feel the grass poking through the gaps of your toes. You want to lie on the ground, run around freely without heavy coats on you, to feel a breeze that will not make you shiver and have your nose growing red.

You want to be kissed by Spring, greeted with a beautiful welcome and never have to leave its warmth. You want it, you want to meet Spring.

But they can also feel the hesitation in your heart. You do not wish to leave your village like this, you're the only one left to hold its memories after all, the only one left of your tribe. They feel hatred and anger for the ones that have made you suffer for so long, to live alone in isolation and miss the feeling of someone touching you for a whole ten years. They want to hunt those humans down, their selfishness and greed for blood making them boil to serve them justice.

"I.." you speak up timidly, a little fearful that it won't be right to do so but Yoongi places a gentle hand on your head, soothing it gently.

"It's alright, little one. You will never offend us if you ever wish to speak."

You pick up your courage to look at the village before you. "I don't want to leave my home like this."

"There are souls of your tribe that is still roaming around, little one," Namjoon informs you and your head snaps to him, eyes brimming with tears and making him sad to see them.

"You can see them?" You ask, breath shaky.

He shakes his head lightly. "We can feel them. They are here, sweet one." He takes your hand into his hold as he gently brings you to the middle of the village before turning you so that you can face the grounds. "Their souls have been left broken and shattered but they've never given up hope because of you."

"Because of me?"

The God of Knowledge hums. "You've survived for so long trying to keep this place alive." He's seen the way you pretend everyone was still here, watching their ghosts through your memories and speaking to them as if they were still alive.

"They haven't been able to rest in peace," you realize with sad eyes.

"Don't worry," Seokjin steps up as he places a hand on your shoulder and watches the memories with you, "I can send them off now for you."

"You can do that?"

He nods, humming. "All they've ever wanted was for you to live as if you are living again. And now they see hope." Through him. "They can go on now because their little Y/N can find something worth living for."

A tear falls from your eye and Namjoon squeezes your hand in a gentle manner.

"It will be alright," he tells you softly. "You can bid your goodbyes now."

All your ten years of living alone you thought that your tribe would wish for you to keep the tradition in your memories, to never let it die. You never knew that what they truly wanted, what they all wanted, was for you to live again. So a few more tears escape your eyes as your chest tightens and a hand reaches out into the open. You pretend that someone has taken your hand, your mother, with little Mingyu just beside you and the rest of the village behind them. You pretend that they are smiling down at you, softly bidding their goodbyes.

You can hear your mother whispering for you to be happy now and you can hear little Mingyu telling you to smile again.

You nod at them, closing your hand into a small fist. "Goodbye," you say and when Seokjin, the God that holds the galaxies, close his eyes, you can feel the souls leaving one by one, drifting off to the skies with little waves made at you.

They can finally rest in peace at last.

"Come here," the Sun God holds a hand out for you a few seconds later and you go to him with no hesitation, letting him take your hand. "You are hurt, my dear. Can you close your eyes?" You do as he asks and feel soft lips pressing against your forehead seconds later.

Hoseok releases his magic to transfer into your body, letting you feel a warmth rising, a warmth that makes you feel so light on your feet. It runs through your veins, healing the numbness of your fingers and toes, collecting the water from where your body stays cold, lifting the freezing feeling from you and replacing it with the warmth of the sun. Wherever there had been scars on your body, he heals as well. The scar that rests near your stomach is lifted as if it had never been there before and when he leans away, you still feel so light on your feet.

"Thank you," you say with a slight blush forming on your soft cheeks when you lift your eyes to find him so close.

Hoseok smiles, understanding through the touch that you find him attractive, an information he finds convenient because you yourself is so beautiful he can hardly believe his eyes. You have the beauty not meant for a human, a beauty that glows so delicately he doesn't believe anyone can be worthy to look upon you. "Of course, dear one," he tells you and presses another kiss to your forehead, this one being actually meant to be a kiss.

Your cheeks warm a little more at the gesture and he chuckles, loving your reactions to every little thing.

"Are you ready, my love?"

My love.

You red at the soft name from the God of Music and think that perhaps you will have to get used to such things. So you nod at him and Yoongi takes your hand. "Close your eyes," he tells you and you do so with no question.

Something shifts under your feet and you can feel your surrounding changing despite not actually seeing. When Yoongi tells you you can open your eyes again, you are met with a bright world just in front of you. The memories that belongs to them rushes back to you and you realize this is their home, their palace. It is so divine you can hardly believe your eyes. The castle stands so tall with a magnificent garden that surrounds its grounds.

You breathe in the wonderful scent and almost sway on your feet.

Spring. It smells like Spring.

You rush forward to walk up the steps of the castle and look back as you skip in, sounds of giggles escaping your lips and making their own hearts so warm. The sight of you so happy at the little things alone makes them smile as they walk in, following the curious little mortal who wishes to see everything. But they know that you will have time to see everything later. Right now you're tired and need to rest.

"My love." You turn at the call of Taehyung's voice and skip back to him, ears attentive. The God of Ocean gaze fondly at you as he lifts his hand to tuck your hair behind your ears. "You are tired, my sweet angel." He hears your thoughts, the embarrassment of how you must look with your damp clothes and messy hair from the strong wind of the Winter mountain and pets you on your head. "You can wash first," he says and your eyes widen a little with a little moment of confusion before he feels you understand that you are soulmates now and they can read your thoughts through just simple touches.

"Okay," you say with your sweet voice. He doesn't think he will ever get over such music to his ears.

"Come now." He takes your hand and leads you down the grand hall of the castle where you will be spending the rest of your life in.

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.

.

The water is so different from the freezing cold back on the mountain. It is so warm and gentle you almost feel like falling asleep in the bath. It's grand, a bathtub so large and you think that perhaps the Gods share their bath times together. You blush at the thought of possibly needing to do that as well, not yet ready at the moment but knowing that in the near future you will one day bathe with them.

You giggle to yourself thinking of it and submerge your head into the water as if you should not have thought of such things. But you know that it's fine, you are soulmates after all, connecting in ways simple relationships of the mortals will never come to feel and understand. It's a nice thing you know you will love to get used to as you swoop up a few rose petals in your hand, breathing in the rose scent bath and laying your head back.

What a lovely life you know you will never get tired of.

Just hours prior you were freezing cold as you wandered the grounds of the mountain, trying to collect herbs and firewood, trying to find food. Nothing comes easy living in the mountain especially while living in isolation so some days you would have to go to sleep shivering so hard, some days you would have to suffer through fevers and other health risks, and some days you would have to starve for a few days until you can find food to eat.

Looking back on the memory not far back yet, you feel a rushing fear crawling down your spine as you think that perhaps this can all be a dream, just a wishful thinking, a daydream, and you'd wake up to the coldness of your lonely home all over again.

You've had dreams before, of living with warmth, living in Spring, and woke up only to fall sad all over again as you realize it had all been a dream. But right now this feels too real to be a dream yet at the same time, too true to be true, and you hate how you're so frightened of having to go back to your old life. Will that ever go away as time passes? Or will you wake up thinking time did passed when this had indeed all been a dream?

You let out a soft sigh as you think about the possibilities, brows furrowing with a sadness that hurts your heart.

But then you hear soft music playing, the sound of a beautiful harp as if the God of Music had just heard your thoughts and wishes to ease you from it. Your heart flutters as you look around, face brightening all over again wondering if Yoongi is thinking of you right now. He must be, right? A few butterflies untangle themselves in your tummy and begin to flutter freely.

Oh how you hope this is all a reality and not just a wishful dream.

The harp continues on and on, softly wanting to lure you to sleep but you know that you must get out first and not fall asleep in the bath.

When you open the doors to the bedroom timidly, head poking out shyly because you know they're in there, they smile at the sight of you and silently welcome you in. You have on a sheepish smile as you walk in dressed in a white bathrobe with wet hair and looking so pretty and clean.

Your skin glows with a fresh flowery scent and they almost fall breathless at the sight of your beauty right before them. They knew you were beautiful the moment they laid eyes on you but now that you're fresh and out of the bath, they can't believe you can look even more beautiful.

Jimin walks up to you and runs a towel along your head to dry your wet hair, fearing that you may catch a cold if it isn't dried right away. Sure you may be used to the cold but they still feel overprotective of you and wish for nothing to happen to you. You're their precious girl now, after all, and they will never let anything bad happen to you again. You've suffered for far too long living all alone and just trying to survive through the cruel reality of life.

When he sees the soft pink on your cheeks, Jimin smiles as he realizes you must have read his thoughts. "You are so beautiful, my love." Your heart flutters under his gaze and words and Jimin can't believe they have gotten such a precious soul to be their last piece of the puzzle. "We have to get you your own clothes but for now will you fit mine?"

You nod at his offer and suddenly feel a flutter of the wind before you lightly gasp down at yourself, a sight of the God of Spring's royal robe wrapped around your body to replace the white bathrobe. "Wow," you say in awe and they chuckle at how easily you are astonished. It's a little big on you, the robe falling to the floor and hiding your feet, sleeves a little too long and sliding off just slightly from your shoulders. But it is a sight that makes Jimin excited seeing you in his clothes.

He takes your chin in his hand for you to look up at him and presses a kiss right on the tip of your nose. "You must be hungry." Right on time your stomach growls and you lick your lips, causing him to grin.

They feed you a meal that is laid out on a tray, not allowing you to use your hands for one second and insisting to do the job instead. They spoil you with so many things that in the end, you become so full and have to push their hands away before they can feed you some more. But you let Namjoon hand you a fruit before you fall back into Jungkook's chest.

"Sleepy?" He senses your energy, watching as your eyes flutter drowsily and runs a finger down to the tip of your nose. "Sleep, my dear, you've had such a long day."

You take ahold of his hand, small fist wrapping around his forefinger after grabbing the courage to snuggle in close and the God of Hearth chuckles as they all coo. "But what if I wake up back on the mountain?" You worry and he understands that you have been thinking of it back in your alone moment in the bathtub. Jungkook knows then that it is not a good idea to leave you alone for long, not when you'll begin to question whether it is right for you to truly be happy because he knows that you deserve all of this.

A happy life, to be loved and cherished.

"I'm scared," you whimper though your eyes are drowsy and you let out a yawn soon after.

"Trust me, my love, we will be right here when you wake up."

"Promise?" You ask in a small voice.

He hums. "I promise."

"Kiss me goodnight?" They chuckle and does as you ask, placing soft kisses upon your face and head, missing the one spot that leaves your lips. But you're fine with it. Not yet, it will come with time when you are a little more comfortable.

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.

.

You hear the morning birds chirping for the first time and that is what excites you awake.

It comes out so soft to your ears at first, you lying on your side with someone holding you from behind and Yoongi right in front of you. The bed is large enough to hold many people and you blush under their closeness before you fall distracted by the song of the birds. A light gasp leaves you when you continue to hear it, its chirping falling so gentle and sweet so you sit up and take Seokjin's arm off you to crawl off the bed.

Your light footsteps leaves you past the curtains and onto the large balcony that greets you with the kisses of the gentle breeze. You grin brilliantly as you lean onto the railing, back arching forward as you breath in the sweet smell of the warm air. Before you lies the crystal ocean that goes on and on past the horizon where the sun lies up above. It shimmers under the light of the morning sun, sparkling like gemstones and you realize that no, you haven't woken up to a freezing cold and damp blanket with the howling wind of the mountain greeting you awake.

You have no need to prepare yourself to head out into the cold, trying to find herbs and firewood, trying to find food. You have no need to worry about that anymore because this is your life now. Greeted by the lovely breeze, greeted by Spring, greeted by love.

Someone comes up behind you and you jump for a moment before feeling his arms wrap around you from behind, his familiar hands welcoming you in with a head nuzzling into your neck before simply resting right on your shoulder. "Good morning, sweet love," he greets in a low husky voice to tell you that he had just woken up. A smile curls along his lips as he reads your thoughts of how much you love his deep voice.

"You kept your promise."

"Of course," Jungkook chuckles. "This feels nice, does it not?"

You hum, leaning back closer to his hold. "It's so different. So warm."

"I feel better too," he admits and reminds you through his thoughts of how the God of Hearth also had to suffer a bit because his heart connects to you in a way more special compared to the rest. The Hearth's flame is meant for the mortals after all.

"I'm sorry," you tell him and Jungkook frowns.

"No, my love, you have no need to apologize. This was never your doing."

"But it must have been difficult hurting and not knowing why."

He turns you in his hold so that you can face him, face leaning in close with a pout. "You suffered so much more than I," he reminds you as he brushes your hair away to the side. "I knew you were suffering, we all did, but it took so long to finally find you."

"That isn't your fault. I lived in isolation in a village that should have never been found."

"I only wish we had found you sooner."

You shake your head lightly. "Nothing can be done to turn back time now."

Oh how Jungkook loves you already. You have such a kind soul, a selfless soul, with no darkness in sight despite all that had happened to you. He wonders how you were able to do this, held onto hope for so long, to spend ten years all alone in a place that kept you so cold and freezing, lacking the ability to touch another being, visited by no one but the knocking of the restless wind outside your home.

He wants to make it all better, to help you heal and grow, and to only hold onto precious happy memories from now on.

When you look back at him with a sweet gaze, he knows that you can understand him despite no words said. You can read him too and Jungkook smiles as he rest his forehead against yours, just holding you there as the two of you revel in the soft breeze that passes by. You can feel cold no longer, nothing but a soft warmth that the God of Hearth holds with him.

When the afternoon comes, you're wandering around the castle, watching through the memories of your Gods to remember what room lies where. You've ran through the magnificent garden barefoot, smelling the scent of all the flowers that were grown, touching the petals and feeling how soft it is under your touch. The grass tickles your feet, the stone paths rubbing you gently. A fountain sits at the center of the garden, hedges displayed all around sort of like a maze.

Everything is green and colorful with the robe of Jimin's dragging behind you as you become the curious little fella who runs around everywhere because everything fascinates you. You travel down to the ocean next, feeling the white sand under your bare feet and giggling as you touch and run from the water that comes and goes. Seashells are found all around the beach, little crabs running around and crawling into your palm when you let it. It does you no harm though you have heard stories of all crabs being able to pinch anyone that touches them.

Perhaps the humans really do not know much. But then again, maybe you should not have trust a tribe that only knows what Winter looks like. You laugh to yourself thinking about it and then become a little more curious as you recall the library you saw in your memories. It must belong to Namjoon, the God of Knowledge.

You stand up from the beach, letting the little crabs crawl back down onto the sand and wave them goodbye before you leave for the castle again. You run through a path with trees at two sides, reminding you that you should check out the wisteria as well after the library. You retrace your steps as you look into your memories to understand where the books are, skipping around the halls of the castle care freely with shoes now on, staring at the tall ceiling up above, the beautiful crystal glass windows in designs of each God or of plants and simple objects.

When you open the familiar looking doors from your memories, you gasp at the sight of the thousands of books placed on shelves upon shelves, leading into the room and looking like an endless hall. It looks so much more enchanting than what you had seen in the memories just as the garden and the ocean. You cannot believe there are so many books, almost every one of them you know you have never read.

"Well hello there my dear." You jump at the voice before understanding that it belongs to the God of Knowledge as he emerges from a shelf that had hidden him. He holds an open book in hand with a sweet smile resting on his face, charming dimples displayed upon his cheeks and making your heart skip a beat.

"Namjoon," you sigh as you skip up to him. "The gardens are so beautiful! Jimin created it, didn't he? And the ocean, it's so vast and magnificent I cannot believe such beauty exists in this universe. I know there are so many other places to visit but I don't know how I can look at them all before growing exhausted by running all over."

He laughs as he holds your face, fingers tracing down your temple and down your jaw. "My love you have all the time in the world to explore. You must remember to not exhaust yourself so fast."

"There's just so much to see," you beam before letting out a gasp as if you had just recalled something. "I want to read!"

He chuckles fondly. "Do you now?"

"Mn!"

"Come here." He takes your hand, not needing to voice out what books you would like to read because he can already read your mind. So he leads you down to the center of the library where lays a circle of shelves. He walks you to the middle, holding onto your waist steady as you bite against your lower lip with anticipation, already understanding even before the floor lifts into the air upwards because you have seen it in the memories.

The lift brings the two of you up to where a flooring hovers in the air, supported by fluffy white clouds that falls past your hands but will support your weight when you step onto it. You giggle as you feel the clouds on your feet before letting Namjoon sit you upon a comfortable chair shaped in a ball and made of clouds. He hands you a book taken out of thin air.

"If there is anything else you need, just call me."

You nod eagerly before leaning your back into the chair and open up to the first page of the book.

You're addicted in no time and spend hours upon hours forgetting about everything else as you dive into the world of imaginations created on pieces of paper.

"My love?" You hear him when you are on your fifth book, humming softly to indicate that you hear him but your eyes remain on the little words displayed on the pages of the book. Namjoon sighs. "Come now." You pout. "It is time for dinner, sweetheart."

"Just...one more chapter."

He knows what that sounds like and shakes his head as he walks up to you, taking the book away and having you whining after it. The God of Knowledge chuckles at how adorable you are and mark the page you are on before closing it shut. You pout again but he presses a kiss to your head and makes you blush. Namjoon loves your little reactions to simple romantic gestures. "Come now," he repeats and holds his hand out.

This time you do not protest.

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.

.

"Go on, try them on."

You collect the dresses in hand and they watch as you head for the bathroom only to pause in your steps and turn back with a sheepish smile.

"What is it?" Hoseok asks.

"Will you dress me instead?" Heat blooms upon your face when their eyes widen and you realize what they think you mean by that and is quick to stutter through. "N-not like that! I meant will you..uh...u-use your powers? You know, like how Jimin dressed me in his robe?"

You are so adorable when you're flustered and a blushing mess because you aren't used to relationships like this. The only thing you've been exposed to in this life is a beautiful love of a village and the parents that had raised you. You've known nothing about loving a man, was never able to be given that privilege because your tribe had gone before anything could truly happen, before you could even think about trying to find another who could protect and love you. So of course you are shy when you're around them but they know more than anyone that this is alright, you're okay, and they will love and cherish you in place of the loneliness that had bloomed over the past ten years.

So when Taehyung stands before you and you shy away, he does not mind it, knowing one day you will come around to it. He caresses your face for a moment, reading your thoughts filled of embarrassment and letting you read him to let you know that this is fine, this is alright and he does not mind anything. You are soulmates after all, meant for one another and written under the stars. You have no need to shy away under their gaze, free to speak your mind, and that even if you did mean what they had initially thought, they would dress you still.

But he tells you that he understands you are not ready just yet and lets you know that this is fine, this is alright. You can take as much time as you need, as much as you want, and none of them will ever mind.

His feelings allow you to calm, blush slowly falling away and Taehyung smiles at the sight of your shoulders falling back down to your sides. He snaps his fingers and you feel the flutter of the familiar wind just as the first time it was done to you and they watch as the dress falls onto your skin. It hugs you perfectly, soft golden shimmers falling all the way to the floor with beautiful yellow petals decorated almost all around.

You are a sight they have been blessed with, a beauty too perfect for the eyes to even dare see. They find themselves so lucky to have someone like you as their last soulmate, a lovely pretty lady with such a gentle heart too pure for the world.

"You are truly beautiful, my love." You blush again at Seokjin's words who holds a fond gaze upon your face.

"Mmn," Hoseok hums, "but as much as we'd like to stay and just stare at you all day, we must leave."

Your brows crease slightly as you look up at him. "You're all leaving?"

"Hoseok and I," Seokjin tells you as he strokes your cheek to ease your little worries, "the rest will be here."

"Where are you going?" You ask.

He looks at the Gods for a brief moment before gifting you a small smile. "To give justice to the ones that were the cause to your pain and suffering."

"Oh." You shiver and he can feel your fear and the slight aching that reaches your heart.

"Do not worry, my love," Hoseok says as he walks up to your other side to take your hand and kiss the back of it. "We will take care of everything from now on, alright?"

They let you know that they do not love violence, that they would much rather deal with things with words but when time comes, some things are meant to play out with violence if needed. They tell you that they will deal with this logically and not of blind anger and you nod at their unspoken words, head leaning against Seokjin's touch and squeezing Hoseok's hand lightly to let them know that you trust them to make the right decisions.

"We will be right back," the eldest tells you and you nod.

When they disappear to transport themselves away, you're still slightly conflicted as the memories begin returning. "Come here," Yoongi encourages with soft words as he holds out a hand to you. "When was the last time you've heard music?"

Besides that time in the bathtub it has truly been far too long. So you let him whisk you away from the bedroom and into a room that you had once seen in the memories.

Yoongi's grand music room is divine. Instruments are displayed in perfect order, harps and pianos and the violins and all sorts of musical instruments, even some you have never seen before in your life. You are from the mountain after all, and your tribe hasn't really come to understand and seen much but you've seen a few common instruments in the picture books the elderlies would tell stories upon.

He takes you up a flight of stairs made of glass, spiraling up towards what looks like the ceiling but you know that he is bringing you to some place a little more special as you have seen in the memories. The stairs lead up to the roof where you walk onto the platform of the tower made of pillars that circles the floor and lets you see down the grounds of the palace and past it, a sight much more than the balcony in the bedroom.

You are so high up you feel like you might fall but with Yoongi behind you as you hold onto a pillar and look down, you know that you are safe. You can see almost everything. The ocean, the outline of the gorgeous garden surrounding the castle, how enormous the castle is, and an enchanting forest that surrounds the palace grounds.

"The more I visit these memories in real life, the more speechless I become because everything is just so...breathless!"

The God of Music chuckles as you spin around to feel the wind rush around you, flaring your dress out and making you look like a fairy. He sits on a little stool, fingers beginning to pluck the strings on the harp and you fall silent as you sit down to watch Yoongi, eyes fluttering close after a moment just to hear the sound of the beautiful music playing as the wind carries it from room to room and over the ocean and forest that surrounds the palace grounds.

It's magical, every note perfectly played and echoing out into the world for all to hear.

This is the music of the Gods.

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.

.

Yoongi has to go somewhere after a while so you are left alone to yourself, happily skipping down the halls again in trying to see where your feet will lead you first; the wisteria or the galaxy room that belongs to Seokjin. Both rooms you truly want to see and knowing you have plenty of time yet too excited to wait.

You walk into a grand open space before blindly taking a right without looking back into the memories to know where you are going. Sometimes being lost is the best way to discover new things, your curiosity only getting the best of you as you giggle about in the halls. But then you feel a presence and stop walking, brows furrowed slightly with confusion and curiosity, wondering whether it is one of the Gods.

Until you hear a bark and fear crawls down your back as you turn and see a sight that fears you most of all.

When they hear the scream, they are quick to transport themselves to you in an instant with Jimin wrapping his arms around you and holding your face against his chest. You shake in fear, crying into his protective hold as Jungkook steps up to the guard dog whom they have simply forgotten was still around. You're afraid of dogs after those wild ones had been the ones to track your village down and almost kill you along the rest of your tribe. So he signals for it to leave as quickly as possible, the dog a little confused he had scared someone but disappearing at his master's order.

He turns back to you when it's finally gone for you to finally relax but as they watch you shaking in Jimin's arms and refusing to look up, their heart breaks at the sight. Jimin can understand your thoughts, mind retracing back to the memories on the day it all crashed down for you. He sees you reminded of when you were down in your basement, bleeding out, faking your death as the dog walked over and sniffed at you.

You can hear the continuous barking as it tries to tell its owner that you are still alive, that you're just faking your death. It growls your way when its owner shouts at it to follow him and you can still feel its eyes on you even as it leaves.

Jimin runs his hand up and down along your back, whispering soft soothing words to help you calm, to remind you that you are alright now, that they are here and nothing can harm you ever again. You know, he understands that you know, but you're still afraid of everything being just a dream and that one day you will indeed wake up from this beautiful world. Jimin holds you tightly in his arms, brows furrowed, meeting the gaze of Taehyung, Jungkook, and Namjoon who shares the same conflicted thoughts and anger for what you had to go through.

Their precious girl, their precious soulmate who suffered so much because of human greed and the inability to feel as they do not hesitate one tiny bit upon killing a whole tribe made of small warriors, children, women, and elderlies who never hoped to ever fight in wars.

They can only pray for Seokjin and Hoseok to hear their anger and do well upon punishing the people that had done this to you.

.

.

.

You asked them to leave you be so that you can remain alone for a while. Of course the Gods weren't going to allow you without complaint, trying to convince you otherwise as they worry for you and although you felt touched, you shook your head then, too tired to argue and just wanting to be left alone because you are so used to dealing with everything by yourself. So you walk around the castle again, footsteps now heavy and slow, just letting your feet carry you to wherever. It's isolating and lonely, a feeling you hadn't felt for a few days, returning with melancholy and fear.

You don't know what to do, how this will all work out, why you have even become a soulmate of seven powerful and loving Gods too sweet for their own goods. You don't deserve this, you deserve to remain where you were, back on the mountain, trying to survive on your own.

You can still feel the numbness of your fingers, your aching feet as it walks and walks, trying to find just simple things in order to live on each day. You can still hear the howling of the wind as it passes by and by, the snowflakes that falls endlessly from the ongoing Winter skies, the ghost of a village that had once been so lovely and full of life. Everything was so wrong then, to grow old as a seventeen years old mortal, crying and crying yet having the need to pick yourself up because you knew crying wasn't going to bring anyone back. You had to stand up, to pick up the shovels, to dig and bury, to wipe your tears away and suck it all up because of the humans that knew no difference between love and hate.

Still you never felt any vengeance towards them, just fear and pain because they could not understand to care or have a heart. The world is a scary placed filled with scary people and frightening things that will visit your sleep and taint your lovely dreams.

You know this is wrong, to run away and try to face your problems alone when you have soulmates, Gods who just wants to make it all better. You know it is wrong to take that away from them, to shut them out, and to put up a wall. But you are afraid to feel happy, knowing it will never last forever and that one day, even if this is all true, perhaps this will all end. You are afraid to give into the love, to let them take care of you. What if they find something within you that they do not particularly like? Would you have to change? Do you have to be perfect? They are Gods after all and you are just a lone human walking in the heavens.

Why are you here? Why have you tried to be happy when you know you cannot?

Something falls onto the foot of your dress, a flutter, a fluttering petal, then another. You look up, eyes trailing the path of the little petals that the wind has carried to your feet and there, right in front of you lies the one beautiful thing that had struck hard in the memories the Gods had given onto you.

A wisteria.

You remember how the Gods will visit this room of the celestial tree lying in the center of the palace, a circle opening roof lying on the top to give it its sunlight and rain when it needs it. Its leaves and petals fall around the foot of it, the wind carrying it to flutter a few feet away. When the Gods come, they will reach out and give it the power it needs in order to grow strong, the God of Spring being the most frequent guest since he had been the one to grow it in the first place. But you know how their love have made the tree stronger with just one simple touch. As each new soulmate is found, they will visit the tree and touch its vine, releasing their energy to the tree and helping it to grow to its max.

And you are the last one, the remaining soulmate that will make it grow into its full blossom.

A hand reaches out hesitantly, head tilted slightly to the side with wonder, and you see the way a vine begins to reach out as well. But just as you're about to let it wrap around your hand, you take your hand back to fall behind you.

Afraid.

"Why do you falter?" You hear the God of Spring from behind you, knowing it is him without needing to look back. His footsteps walk towards you but stops halfway. "I know you asked us to leave you alone but I cannot, my love. I know you are still frightened."

You do not say a thing for a while, just staring at the tree before you with thoughts running all over. He wishes he can read your mind but he will need to touch you for that and right now he isn't sure if he is welcomed to do so or not. So Jimin remains where he is, giving you a safe distance in case you absolutely do not want him around. Perhaps he should leave, let you be, but Jimin worries that the horrible thing your mind may lead you to think will only hurt you more and he does not wish to see you in any more pain.

"It won't be easy you know..." you say in a soft, soft whisper.

His brows furrow, wondering what you mean.

"...trying to love me."

Jimin cannot take it no longer so he steps up in front of you to look you straight in the eyes, his gaze serious and filled with pain. Not because you said he couldn't love you but because you think it will take so much effort just to love you. You, the sweetest most kindest and selfless soul he has ever met, someone who doesn't wish death upon the ones that made you suffer for so long, someone who only wishes the enemy could learn to love rather than getting vengeance on them. You who was only a teen when her tribe was murdered. You who was forced to grow old and pick yourself up when you were hurting the most, seeing the dead bodies of your family, carrying their bodies, burying them into the grounds of the mountain.

Jimin hurts because you do not see worth within yourself, he hurts because you cannot see yourself living a happily ever after, you who is too afraid to love and be happy because you are afraid it will backfire and your story will end with pain and suffering.

He takes your hand, pressing it against his chest to let you understand all the emotions he is feeling. He lets you understand his pain, his frustration and anger towards the ones that have made you see yourself in such darkness, and lets you understand that no, no it will not be difficult. It will be the easiest thing in the world.

"Do you know why?" He asks you. "Do you know why it will be the easiest thing in the world?" He feels that you don't so Jimin continues with tears the prick in his eyes and falls before he can blink them away. Your heart hurts at the sight and begin to cry yourself but Jimin is going to tell you. "Because I have already fallen in love from the moment I laid my eyes on you."

You fall perplexed. "But...you didn't know I was your soulmate then."

"I knew," he tells you. "I knew from the first moment you looked at me with fear. I knew since I stepped foot into your village. I loved you then, Y/N, whether you believe me or not. I loved you and I love you still. It may have only been just a few days but I love you so much."

"I do too."

The two of you look at the voice of the God of Hearth who had lean against the entrance way, picking himself up when you meet his gaze and begins to walk your way.

"I loved you before we even met," he says, "loved you from the first moment I was hurting because of the pain that connects us. My flame comes from Earth and the only way it can truly grow strong is if you are safe and warm. I have never felt stronger in my entire lifetime, I have never felt such flame burning in my heart. But even before I knew who you were, I knew I wanted to protect you, to keep you safe, give you a home, give you my hearth."

"There is no ocean vast enough, no ocean deep enough to compare our love." The God of Ocean walks in from another entrance, voice deep and serious.

"There are so many chapters left for us to unfold," says the God of Knowledge. "There are so many more stories to come, for us to explore, for us to learn and understand one another."

"But as we've said before," Seokjin stands beside Jimin, "we have all the time in the universe to get to know one another."

"You do not have to love us now, you do not have to feel the same," Hoseok tells you.

"But just know," Yoongi says, "just know that we love you."

They see the tears in your eyes, how it descends, the way it escapes and trails down your precious cheeks, hanging along your chin before eventually dripping down. You sob as they hold onto you, soft touches to let you know that they are not lying, that everything is true and that they will make it better, they will make it right. If you'd let them, they will stop at nothing just to see that precious smile on your face, to hear your beautiful giggles echoing into the halls and rooms. They will love you like how a man can never love, like a God's immortal love that has no ending even as they may one day lose their immortality.

For years in your life you always wondered whether you will be blessed with another by your side or not, and wondering how it will ever happen. Even before the raid came in, a daughter who only cared for her mother through her times of sickness, never once spending time to look at another in the light of attraction and love. You've only seen your tribe as a family. It was never easy growing up alone after the raid, never easy to know that there was a possibility of you dying alone and the world will have no idea.

Yet they come in like a soft blanket, the exact thing you needed, giving you warmth and closure, providing you food and endless love. You are unsure of how you can ever be enough but they tell you that you need not to trust your own thoughts but to trust theirs instead.

Because they love you and find no faults in your flaws, no fault in you whatsoever. To them you are more than enough, more than the love of the world itself and they will never stop to help you realize that.

So when Jimin holds your face to gently brush away your remaining tears, you thank them through your thoughts. He leans in to press a kiss to your forehead, whispering, "You have no need to thank us from now on. No Gods nor universe can ever stop us for wanting to love you."

Your cheeks blossom with roses at his soft words and you tell him, "I think I'm ready."

He understands.

So the Gods step back to allow you room for the wisteria who stands tall with patience no matter its slow withering. You reach out a little more confidently than before, watching as it joins you in the middle and feel it wrapping its vine around your hand and wrist. You close your eyes, letting it take your love and energy that flows from your body to heal the wisteria. It holds onto you firmly but does not ever hurt you in any way. It is gentle in his taking and you know that the wisteria will give back for the love you are providing it.

Giving you immortality for you to spend all of your life with the Gods who will never fall out of love with you.

When the wisteria unwraps itself from your hand, you know that it is done and let your hand fall back to your side. The eight of you watch as the tree glows of a thousand starlight, blooming to its max capacity with its shade of colors growing stronger than the years before it. Your eyes sparkle as you stare at the celestial tree who gives back light to not just you but your Gods who stands beside you.

You feel full and anew and smile gently when the glowing begins to fade while it remains tall with its blossoming vines.

When your head spins with dizzy and drowsiness, the Gods are right there to hold you. "You must rest now, my dear," the God of Spring whispers to you as your eyes begin to haze and fall closed.

"I'm tired," you say as darkness begins to consume your world. But they are right here beside you to let you know that you are alright. You know you are, this happens when one gives their love and energy to the wisteria, you've seen it in the memories.

"Mmn," you hear the voice again. So soft, so soothing, and your body falls to rest as you are held up into someone's arms. "Rest now, my sweet love."

.

.

.

The birds chirp again, soft and melodic, sweetly singing you a morning lullaby. When you open your eyes and yawn awake, the God of Stars lays right before you while a hand from someone else holds onto you from behind. You look back to find the God of Knowledge who grips you a little more, nose nuzzling against the nape of your neck and letting you give out a soft giggle.

Seokjin brushes your hair from your face as he watches you with a gentle gaze. "Good morning, dear one."

"Good morning," you sigh.

"Have you slept well?" You nod and he can feel your energy through the touch, relieved at the answer before kissing you on your forehead. "The others have yet to wake, it is quite early after all, and they've had a long night." You tilt your head to the side and he answers you before you can ask the question aloud. "No need to worry, sweetheart, we just had to deal with a few things in order to make this place more safer for you."

"Oh." You frown and he can already feel the guilt rushing in. "I'm so sorry."

"No, my dear," Seokjin is quick to say, "you have no need to apologize."

"I-I didn't mean for the dog to go or anyone else, I-I just-"

"You were frightened, my love, and no fear of yours will ever be taken lightly," he tells you as he take ahold of your hand. "You have no need to be sorry for something that is not yours to control. Those wild ones were at fault, it is not in your hands to choose what will frighten you and what will not."

Going through drastic measures just to make sure you are safe and protected, just to make sure you are comfortable at a place that will be your home for the rest of your life. You are touched by their actions, touched by everything they do for you and your eyes begin to tear up. Seokjin smiles softly at the sight of you, understanding what you mean through the touches and goes on to brush away your small tears.

"Come on," he whispers as he takes Taehyung's hand off him to sit up, "I know you have been curious to see my stars."

Oh.

Right, you are.

You grow excited as you gently untangle Namjoon from you and take Seokjin's hand. The two of you giggle as both Taehyung and Namjoon whine for someone to hold in their arms, finding the both of you gone so they reach for one another instead. "Let's go," the God of Stars whispers in your ears and the two of you run off hand in hand as if you are on a little adventure.

You remember the familiar walls into some place you had never actually gone before. The castle is huge after all, but it all comes to you as you look back on the memories that they had shared with you, watching and growing excited as Seokjin himself cannot wait to show you his own room that is filled with stars. You anticipate this moment most of all, knowing exactly where you will go yet also understanding that seeing it in person will be so much more incredible just as you have seen all the other rooms.

He comes to a grand set of golden doors that is designed with wreaths and vines with a star right in the center. "Ready?" He asks and you nod eagerly.

When Seokjin holds a palm between the two doors, it isn't long before it glows brightly and magically opens all on its own. You are met by a portal just on the other side and squeeze the Star God his hand to tell him that you cannot believe you are finally getting to see this. He chuckles at your enthusiasm and the two of you walk right into the portal that transports you onto a platform with the galaxy all around you.

Your heart beats rapidly at the sight of the stars, constellations amongst constellations, stars connecting one another, milky ways, and everything else you do not know the exact names to. Seokjin allows you to run towards the balcony, your body lurching forward as you hold onto the white railing and look down. The small island you are on hovers in the galaxy where the night surrounds it all as if you are floating in the universe.

The Gods only surprises you more and more no matter how much you have seen in their memories.

"This is so beautiful!" You breathe as you close your eyes for a moment to take it all in. "I cannot believe I am soulmates to not just one but seven Gods who holds so much power and have the privilege to see all of your worlds."

Seokjin smile when he walks up to you with a hand rounding your back protectively so that you do not fall from the small island. "We are the most lucky of them all to be able to share our worlds with you." He listens to the beat of your heart as it flutters and loves the way you lean back to curl up along his side. It is still a wonder how he was able to be fated with seven; six Gods and a beautiful mortal. No matter how the world may see it, the God of Stars understands more than anyone that names that have been written in the stars will never fall out of place.

He loves you so much just as he loves the six Gods and when he feels that you've heard his thoughts and feel the heat of your body rising, Seokjin lets you hide your face against his chest, a chuckle escaping him because he knows you must be blushing red. Oh how sweet their little mortal is with a gentle heart that is the most purest of them all.

.

.

.

He watches you from afar, the sight of you in a new day under the bright sun that has become his whole life. The Sun God does not know how such beauty can exist. He has seen it in through the other Gods, always feeling such blessing falling upon him from the first moments he had first met them and even now as he stands years after, he still falls hard for the beauty that befalls each of his soulmates.

And now it is your turn, once just a mortal who now has immortality given by the wisteria. He watches you with a fond gaze as you look out the balcony that leads down to the garden unlike the one in your shared room. You have no idea he is there, your beauty only stunning him further. It almost looks as if you are glowing under the Sun, whom, he knows, has also become fond of you. He has her to thank, for leading him to your mountain, for letting them finally meet you. She has been through your worst days, watched you time and time again as you grew into the person you have become, hoping to give you as much light as she can.

He has read the Sun's thoughts, how she always felt guilty for not being able to give you warmth, but Hoseok knows not to blame her and he knows you would never as well. That is how kind he knows you are, a heart made of gold, and he knows that from now on, the Sun will always watch over you and protect you from anything that will ever dare to do you harm. He smiles graciously at her before returning his gaze to look upon you again.

"My love?"

You jump slightly at his voice but immediately relax when you know that it is Hoseok. You look away from the view to bless him with a sweet smile and he finds his heart fluttering. Oh how Hoseok loves being in love.

"Hello, Hoseok."

He smiles gently when you walk up to him and lean against his soft touches when he holds your face. You are happy right now, so happy, and it makes him proud of how far you have come. "Do you sometimes miss the cold, sweet Y/N?" He asks you, knowing that your whole life you have been surrounded by the winter cold.

You giggle at his question and allows his heart to burst. "Our tribe has always wanted to meet Spring," you tell him as you let him look back on your memories. Your village always speaks of the beautiful season, how they wish that even if it will last just one day, they would take it in a heartbeat. The young children will dream about it, the young adults complaining about how tired they are of the cold, the elderlies knowing they will see it one day when they lay on their death beds.

"And you?" He asks.

"I am happy things are the way they are," you tell him and he sees how you think of your first meeting with them, how frightened you had been at first, but also how relieved you were to find out you would not die that day but to live on and on. "I am so, so happy. After all, I met Spring the moment we met."

He wants to hide the fact that he wishes to kiss you but how can the Sun God ever hide anything from his soulmate? Not especially when the two of you are touching and you both can hear each other's very thoughts. So he slides his hand away from yours, clearing his throat a little awkwardly as he looks away, not before noticing the little blush that has made it onto your cheeks. He knows you are not ready yet and knows it is not the time just yet, understanding that you need a little more time. He will be ready when you are, when you can give yourself to them, not when he wishes for it to just happen.

Because Hoseok is a gentleman. He will not force something upon you and let you know his little wishes to grow closer to you because he does not want you to think that you must do something if he so wishes. He is still a powerful God, knowing fully well how you see yourself below his level and may sometimes feel self conscious because they are so high and mighty. He doesn't want you to feel as if you are obligated to reciprocate his wishes so he lets out a sigh.

"Forgive me, little one, I did not mean-"

You take his hand again to rest his palm right against your cheek and his eyes widen at the blush on your face and the understanding of what it is you are too shy to speak aloud of, feelings hidden inside, something only he and the rest can read.

You wish to kiss him as well, to feel his soft lips against yours, to understand what it is like to kiss for the first time, to kiss a God.

"My love," he worries, "you do not have to-"

"I understand, Hoseok," you've read his worries but still you are determined to do this, to let him know that it is not because he wishes to kiss you but the fact that you want this all on your own. You wish to kiss him. "Please?" You ask and he does not know how anyone can say no to those precious eyes of yours that looks up at him, reflecting that of a puppy.

He feels a slight shift in you and realizes right, you are not fond of the animal. "Forgive me." You shake your head in response to him, smiling to let him understand that you know he means well.

So the God of Sun beams softly. You are ready for him when he holds you with both hands, heart drumming hard against your chest with rosy cheeks adorning your face to let him know that you are also nervous. Nervous but excited. He leans in to rest his forehead against yours, breaths gently grazing against one another, and you close your eyes. He watches you through a hooded gaze before his eyes flutter shut the instant his lips meet yours in a gentle, gentle kiss.

Your lips are softer than what he has imagined them to be, softer and sweeter than any dreams that have invaded his mind. You sigh against his lips and he holds you a little more firm, the euphoric feeling both bursting within your bodies. Hoseok is used to this feeling as he is reminded of the countless times he has kissed his other soulmates.

But for you this is your first time, your first kiss, and the first time kissing another who was born to be yours from the beginning of time. Your head spins and when he pulls away, you are standing almost limping against his hold, feeling so breathless as you try to catch your breath.

"I should have gone easy on you," he worries but you shake your head, cheeks still caught aflame as you look up at him with glistening lips. You liked it, you tell him from your thoughts as you tiptoe up to press a little peck on his cheek. Hoseok chuckles as he feels his stomach bursting with butterflies.

But as much as he wants to swoop you up and carry you to the bedroom, his eyes catches the Sun behind you and frowns. He hasn't gotten more time to spend with you and when you hear his thoughts, you let him go gently. But he knows you are feeling a little sad knowing he has to leave right now so Hoseok gives you a small smile with a hand stroking your cheek. "I will be back in no time, alright?" He promises. Your cheeks never cools down, making him chuckle when you nod at him shyly. "Wait for me."

"Mmn."

When he disappears to transport himself elsewhere, your thoughts are in shambles as you walk back slowly to the bedroom. It takes a while with how slow you are going as you try not to think back on the kiss but how can you not?

Once you make it into the room again, the door closes behind you as you lean your back into it, eyes still widened, cheeks still red, and a finger comes up to press against your lips. You kissed him, you kissed Hoseok. Well, he kissed you but same thing. He gave you the first kiss you had once dreamt of, never knowing exactly whether you would ever receive such a delicate touch and now here you are in a palace made for your Gods, a life for you to live in forever.

"Love?"

You gasp at the sound, not realizing someone was in the bedroom but when you look up, it isn't just the God of Knowledge. Yoongi has joined him on the bed as well and you blush some more, embarrassed for the fact that they have seen you thinking back on your kiss with Hoseok.

You don't know what to do as they look at you quizzically and knowing how bad it will be if they were to stand up and come your way. Ever since you've met them you never minded being able to share thoughts with just simple touches, but now? Now you really understand how intimate this soulmate thing really is and you aren't sure whether it is a good thing at this moment.

"Are you alright?" The God of Music calls and you are quick to shake your head vehemently to rid of the thoughts.

"Y-yeah." If your face doesn't give it away then it would be the shaking of your voice. Gosh you wish you could easily hide your feelings without someone being able to read it so easily with how it is written on your face. When you look up at them, your eyes instantly falls to their lips and you don't know how you will ever survive this.

Perhaps it would be easier if Hoseok was here to explain things, perhaps then you wouldn't find yourself so pressed to the doors and shrink back timidly as Namjoon and Yoongi leave the bed to walk up to you.

"Do you have a fever?" Namjoon frowns and his hand goes to fall against your forehead before you can stop him.

Oh crap.

"Oh." His eyes dilates when the touch allows him to read your thoughts and Namjoon sees the vision of you and Hoseok kissing just moments ago. Yoongi watches the two of you in confusion, how the corner of Namjoon's lips begin to curl and the way your face refuses to cool. So he touches your face out of curiosity and chuckles when he understands.

"Why are you embarrassed, hm?" The God of Music queries. "We are lovers, after all, kissing is just a sign of declaration."

Oh how you wish someone could just bury you alive. But of course the Gods were never going to allow that, but they understand what you mean. "I-It isn't just that," you say and when your thoughts are given to them, the two of them grins.

"Ah," says the God of Knowledge, "you wish to kiss us as well."

He didn't have to say that out loud.

They chuckle amusingly before Yoongi falls a little more serious as he brush your hair to the side. "My love," he calls, "you have no need to shy away. We are lovers now, soulmates, and if there is anything that you wish to do, it is alright for you to think such thoughts. Sleep with us, bathe with us, kissing us." You wonder how he has such bravery to say such things but is reminded all over again that they've done it all, done everything together. Images of them fill your memories and it makes your heart drum louder against your chest.

"I.." you trail off, eyes falling away from his out of embarrassment, "I-I know."

"Will you look at me?" He asks of you. You hesitate, of course you do, but Yoongi remains patient as he waits for your head to lift up and finally meet his gaze again. When you do just that, he gives you his precious gummy smile. "Look at you," the Music God praises, "I am so proud of you, dear one." He leans down to press a kiss on your cheeks, lifts his head a bit to kiss you on the forehead before his lips trail down, following the line between your brows and down to the tip of your nose.

"It's alright," Namjoon coaxes as he falls at your side, peppering soft kissing upon your shoulder.

You do not mind it so they go further. Namjoon continues his ministrations while Yoongi's lips hover above yours. When you give no refusal, he captures your lips and your heart grows rapidly against your chest. Soft lips nibble upon yours with gently wet sounds as he changes the angle and your mind becomes so hazy. Your fingers cling onto his royal robe, clutching it tightly as a small whimper falls from your lips.

When Yoongi falls away, Namjoon replaces his position. Your heart swoons, tummy filled with dancing butterflies all around, with thoughts filled with just them and them alone. His lips are sweet and gentle against yours, pressing upon them in a manner that has your head spinning all over again.

The moment they both finally release you, you fall against Namjoon's chest who holds you up because you have no strength to do so. One day you will get used to this strong burst of emotions, to the soulmate bond, but right now your eyes droop as you lean against Namjoon's hold who walks to the bed to lay you down gently. "It's okay," he whispers to you when Yoongi falls to your other side. They hold you gently, arms wrapped around your body. "Sleep now, my sweet dove."

You love them and they hear it but you want to say it aloud. Yet your sleepy brain does not let you utter a sound, too tired to even open your lips to mouth it. But they know and that is all you need for now.

You can tell them tomorrow.

.

.

.

"Jin?"

"Yes, love?"

"Do you...know?"

He doesn't have to read your mind to know what you mean by that. All the Star God has to do is look at the blooming pink rose adorning your cheeks to understand it all. He chuckles at the pretty sight and nods. "Of course."

Right, of course, meaning that the other Gods know as well. You avoid his eyes for your head to point towards the floor, fingers playing with one another as you gulp, trying to pick up the courage to ask him something else. Seokjin remains patient from where he stands, watching the stars as he always does, watching over everything. You aren't even sure if it is right to bother him with this but he has told you plenty of times that you are never a bother to him. If you wish to ask him things, he only encourages you to speak up.

"Why does..why does the soulmate bond, um..." you try to find the right words. Perhaps he will understand better if he touches you but you feel you are already bothering him enough. "Why does it feel..um...overwhelming?" Is that the right word? "Is it for the reason that we are made of eight souls and not two?"

The God of Stars hum. "That is part of it, yes," he tells you. "Soulmate bonds are very powerful, my sweet, so it only grows stronger when it is declared through intimacy. When there is more than one partner, the bond is even stronger than that of two souls because this is not common amongst lovers to love more than one, especially being able to share that love equally. The world happens for a reason, many grows jealous for our love, many despise us for how strong this bond makes us. And because of how powerful it makes us, there is a little drawback to how much energy it can give."

"That's why...that's why..-" you clear your throat and he grins at how shy you can be just saying the word, "that's why, kissing..u-um...that's why it makes me so tired?"

He chuckles. "Precisely."

"Oh." You frown slightly. "I can't imagine how it will be when we—" You gasp, catching yourself almost immediately as you fold your hands over your mouth and Seokjin turns his gaze from the stars to look at you with amusement. There is no mockery in his gaze, however, just pure fondness that makes your heart skip a beat because even though he does not say it and even though you are not reading his mind, his gaze alone lets you know that he truly loves you.

You cannot believe you have been so blessed to be given these Gods as your soulmates. Everyone dreams of a love such as this, to have another watching them with pure fondness and amazement, with a pure love. For them to feel safe and protected. For them to know where home lies the second they meet eyes with their fated ones.

Your God walks on over to you with slow steps, eyes never leaving yours as you look up to him when he holds a hand up to stroke your soft cheeks. "You will be alright when that happens," he whispers.

You don't know how he can say that so casually but then again, you aren't his first time and you aren't the only soulmate he has. There are six more, six wonderful Gods who loves you just as much as they love one another.

"Will I?"

Seokjin nods, humming. "We will take care of you, my love. Will you trust us when the time comes?"

To make love. Gosh you cannot think about it without being a blushing mess so you stumble back from his touch, embarrassed to let him read your thoughts because with him being so close to you, it only makes things more dangerous for the good of your heart. It beats rapidly against your chest and you are quick to turn, knowing you cannot look at him straight in the eyes when you are like this. One day you will have to come face this bravely but one day is not here yet and you still cannot even speak right with just the word kiss.

So you awkwardly clear your throat as he watches you nod from the back. "Y-yes," you stutter, "I will trust you then. But..but, um...I-I'm already a bother so you..you should, should get back to your stars. Goodbye."

You can hear him letting out a soft chuckle when you run back into the portal to transport back to the castle.

.

.

.

"Ah, there you are."

You turn at the voice with a hand pressed onto the floor and a head looking over your shoulder to find the God of Ocean and Hearth walking into the room of the wisteria. You gift them a smile as they walk closer, wondering why they have been looking for you.

"There is a banquet tomorrow evening, will you join us to meet the other Gods and Goddesses?" Jungkook asks and your eyes widen a little at the invitation.

"A banquet?" You echo.

He hums. "Everyone knows we have found our last soulmate and are very intrigued on why we have been keeping you hidden in the palace."

"There have been a few banquets prior to your arrival here but we know you hadn't felt too comfortable leaving the grounds just yet," Taehyung says. "And besides, we wanted you to get used to this life first and get used to us. Gods can be quite invading and we were too protective of you to just let you go while you had yet to know of everything."

You giggle softly at the God of Ocean's words. "You were afraid of me wanting to live elsewhere and not here with you?" You interpret and they pout cutely when you caught them. You shake your head lightly as you grin. "That will never happen. You are the ones who saved me after all. Soulmates or nor, I would have stayed with you."

"Well that's relieving," Jungkook chuckles as he scratch the back of his head. "So will you join us? We have no need to go if you are not comfortable, we can just stay here if you'd like."

You shake your head again. "I would love to go."

Their faces brightens with soft smiles before the God of Ocean takes a hand out to offer to you. "Supper is served," he says. You reach out to take his hand but stop in midair as you realize what that means, suddenly retracing sheepishly because right now you cannot afford any of them to hear your thoughts just yet. It is all over the place and you absolutely cannot let Taehyung hear this. His smile falters when he puts his hand back at his side at your rejection and you are quick to jump onto your feet.

"I-I did not mean it in that way, I promise!" You declare. "I just...um..-"

"I understand," he tells you otherwise with a small smile that does not hide his moment of hurt. "It's okay, little one. Come on, the rest are waiting."

As you follow them from behind, your hands tug at your dress uncomfortably, suddenly feeling bad for letting him misunderstand you in this way. Taehyung thinks you've rejected him and when Jungkook shoots you a small smile just the same, you know you've messed up. After all, they know you've kissed three of their hyungs and maybe, perhaps, very likely, they were hoping you were ready to kiss them as well.

But now you've only made things worse because you wouldn't allow them to read your thoughts that is filled with everything about them, just them. You can't just reach for his hand to make him feel better because then he will be able to read your thoughts and right now you cannot let him do so. Not yet.

Oh how you wish you were braver.

Dinner goes smoothly...you think. But it is when you are left alone to your thoughts in the bath do you not feel so great again.

It isn't right for you to be so silent when they have declared their love to you plentifully. You know you've told Namjoon and Yoongi but that was all in your head. You haven't said it aloud and the rest of them haven't heard it said to them yet. So perhaps that is why Taehyung and Jungkook had been a little more hurt by your rejection, believing you love only two of the Gods and not everyone.

But that is so untrue yet you aren't sure how to do it, if you are brave enough to do it. But then again, you ask yourself why aren't you brave enough? They have declared their love for you, showed you how much they care, always looking out for you and doing what is best to keep you safe and warm. What is it that you have to be frightened of? They love you and you love them and you know that soulmates written under the stars shall never break apart even through death.

So why are you not brave enough? Why must you keep silent and hurt them further? Making them believe you love some of them more than the rest?

It is untrue and you have to let them know, you have to let them understand. But as much as you want to hide with the fact that they can easily read your thoughts to understand it all, even though you know that will be so much easier, you also know that it will be best to say it aloud first, to declare it aloud before you let them see into your heart. You have to tell them first before you let your heart tell them the details of it.

When you step out of the bath and wrap yourself in a white robe, your eyes fall at the evening robe that hangs on a hook and the long mirror that lets you see yourself. You watch those eyes looking back at you, fingers falling upon your wet hair, tracing the outline of your face, your brows, your eyes, nose and lips.

And it makes you wonder why they love you.

They are Gods, such powerful Gods, possibly the most powerful Gods to ever exist all due to the soulmate bonds that keeps them connected. Your hand strokes your soft cheeks, lips staying pressed together with brows that creases just a bit. You are loved by seven Gods and here you are, now an immortal yourself, still trying to get the courage to speak your heart aloud.

It should not be this hard, right?

Maybe if you hadn't been forced to grow up so alone then perhaps things could have gone a lot easier. But as Seokjin had said before, the world happens for a reason. Your tribe being attacked, you being left to live alone for ten years, saved by these precious seven souls, and now loved by them all all because you are you. A kind, sweet soul who cares so much about the world.

Perhaps you indeed deserve such a love, perhaps you indeed deserved to live on.

Their love lets you reflect on everything and the longer you look at yourself, you begin to see tears brimming along your waterline as your heart cries for how much they have given you. They've showed you that you deserve anything and everything and now you must pick up the courage to let them know that you appreciate everything and has fallen so hard. You know it must not be easy for them either but they've always been so strong for you, keeping you safe, loving you when you had yet to accept the new life and know that you deserve such wonderful things.

They've done so much for you and you know you cannot let them think that one is more than the other. You have to let them know.

"Y/N?" You turn at the call of Jimin's concerning voice and gasp at the sudden intrusion.

Oh.

They've heard you crying and now here they are again, always trying to make sure that you are alright. Knowing this, more tears well up and falls away before you can stop them, making your heart ache a little more. Their brows knit together, eyes filled with worry at the sight and they try rushing to you but you step back with hands held up to stop them. "W-wait!" You cannot allow them to touch you.

Not yet. Not just yet.

Questions fall upon their faces and you close your eyes, letting a few tears fall freely, taking in a deep breath before releasing it shakily. When you open your eyes again, your lips curl into a soft, soft smile that confuses them even more. They think that perhaps you are trying to let them go, a pain shooting at their hearts, but when you open your mouth to speak, the tightness in their chest releases.

"I love you," you say. "I love you all so much and I just wanted to thank you," you wipe a tear away though more falls and you sniff, "for loving me while I was still at a loss and couldn't understand why." The lump in your throat tries to hinder you from speaking but you swallow it to push through. "I love you for all that you've done, being patient with me, keeping me safe, always thinking of me and doing all that is best for me. I am still so, so shy, and I'm not sure if I will ever find the courage to say these things out aloud again but just know, just know that as you are holding me and reading my thoughts, know that I will always be wishing to say everything out aloud.

"I'm sorry for not being able to say this before. I'm so, so sorry if I ever caused any misinformation to let you to believe I was rejecting you by not allowing you to touch me. Truth is I was just afraid to let my heart speak before I could do it myself. Because I know that the heart understands the inner conflicted feelings before I myself can say anything out loud. And I was scared because I didn't know whether I truly deserve this or not, whether I truly deserve your love. But I understand. I understand that soulmates that have been written in the stars shall never fall, I understand that, that our love is meant to be. I'm so sorry I've just realized it. I'm sorry."

"Oh, love." Jimin wipes his own tears away as they come to surround you. "My sweet one, you have no need to apologize."

"You've just been so patient and, and I..-"

"We know," Yoongi promises. "We know so hush, it's okay. You're alright now."

Jungkook cradles your head as Taehyung brushes your tears away. Seokjin holds your face and you feel a rush of the wind at your sides, drying your hair and replacing your bathrobe with the evening gown.

"We are so proud of you," Namjoon vows. "It is never easy to speak your feelings aloud but it's okay now. We understand, dear one, we know."

"I love you," you declare again, sniffling, and they smile, smile so softly.

"Oh, love. We love you so, so much. We love you more than the universe itself."

.

.

.

When they hear the familiar footsteps of the last soulmate to meet them by the entrance door of the castle, their heads turn your way for the world to slow down and fall away, nothing else falling into their line of vision except you as you walk down gracefully with a sheepish smile their way.

The dress you have on is a soft color in golden champagne, flowing freely down to the floor as it drags when you walk, decorated with shimmering golden vines that curls all around the dress. Soft pink roses connect together at the waist of your dress and falls atop your shoulder where the lace cape drags down your back. You also have on a beautiful crown designed in pink florals and golden butterflies, matching all that you are wearing. They do not know how you can impress them even further and show that your beauty comes different with certain occasions; when you wake up, the moment after you bathe, the night before you head to sleep, your casual dresses when you walk around the castle, and now here for a banquet.

You are ethereal, more beautiful than anyone they have seen before and their hearts beats rapidly just knowing that you are theirs.

Everything about you is beautiful and they already know for sure how some of the Goddesses will grow jealous of this beauty of yours once they set eyes on you, and how the other Gods may try to catch your attention. They shake their heads at the images, mentally scoffing and rolling their eyes because you are theirs, you belong to them just as they belong to you.

"Wow," your eyes dilate at the sight of them and a little soft pink reaches your cheeks before you avert your gaze to the floor shyly. "You are handsome," you tell them and their hearts swoon.

"And you are more beautiful than Spring itself," Jimin says as he holds your chin for you to look up. You smile sheepishly at him and he chuckles, taking your hand into his. "Are you ready?"

When you arrive at the banquet, you stick to their sides, never releasing your hands that holds onto Jimin's arm because everything becomes unfamiliar and it is not the same garden you are used to back at the palace.

This one is large and gorgeous but it can never compare to the one the God of Spring has made on his own. Pretty flowers round the stoned paths in roses, pansies, lilies, and many more. The lampposts that station around the garden are wrapped in green vines that curls all the way to the tip, and pretty fairy lights shine everyone's paths. You look around like a curious little kitten, blinking surprised at all that surrounds you. The realm of the immortals is definitely more beautiful than Earth can ever be.

Ah, but then again, you've only been in one place and that would be your mountain and the snowy grounds that surrounds it. Yet you are sure Earth is still less beautiful.

Beside you, Jimin laughs softly as he's read your thoughts and you are reminded all over again that soulmates are given such ability, making you giggle yourself.

"So this must be your last soulmate." You shrink into Jimin's hold as you are met by a Goddess who smiles so beautifully your way. She is gorgeous and you find yourself shying away at her stare. "Oh she is so cute," the Goddess practically squeal when she coos, making your cheeks catch aflame and allowing your Gods to chuckle.

"She is, isn't she?" Hoseok beams proudly as he pets your head.

"Tell me, how in the world did you all manage to find yourselves another beauty?"

Catching the sight of the familiar seven Gods, more comes on by upon hearing the Goddess going on about you, curiosity filling their minds and you shrink further back at the sudden attention. Many comments upon your pure, gentle soul who looks too cute and beautiful for anything and it makes you even more flustered by everyone. Eventually (and thankfully) the crowd falls away when your Gods ask them to give you space and not horde around you. They do not say it allowed but you can feel their protective selves becoming more visible and you giggle, allowing Taehyung to playfully pinch your nose because he is not particularly fond of you calling them cute when they feel such way.

You are theirs after all, and no one should continue looking at you for much longer than a few minutes. You should be only for their eyes to see especially when you look particularly beautiful tonight. Perhaps you like this side to them, and when they hear your thoughts, it is your turn to huff and shy away all over again, making them laugh aloud.

After moments of walking around to personally meet a few Gods and Goddesses along your soulmates' sides, you are left alone to freely explore on your own. The curious side to you walks around to make little conversations with a few immortals on your own though you are still a little shy when it comes to talking to strangers.

You walk around the maze garden that falls a bit deserted while everyone mingles around the large center. You follow the fireflies that blinks like little flashlights, feet bouncing lightly as it trails away from the brightness of the garden banquet. Your dress trails behind you as you stray away from the center, running from right to left with just the fireflies as your source of light, getting yourself lost in the maze. But you know that you will be alright. After all, if your Gods need you, they can easily find you with no difficulties.

"Hello there."

Your breath hitches, jumping at the sudden sound because you hadn't expected anyone else to stray from the garden and walk in the maze. When you turn to the source of the voice, it is the sight of a God you think you have seen before while reading some of Namjoon's books. It must be the God of the Underworld, Hades. He watches you with a sly smile that falls lopsided against his lips, body leaned against a hedge before standing straight to approach you with light steps.

"I have never seen you before," he says, voice deep as a brow raises before snapping his fingers as if he's just realized something. "You must be their last soulmate then. Y/N."

It is a bit surprising even the God of the Underworld knows of you but you decide to pay it no mind, only nodding as you hope your voice does not come out too cowardly. "Yes, I am."

It doesn't work because Hades chuckles knowingly. "You have no need to fear me," he tells you but it isn't really him you become so frightful of. No, your eyes only dilates as your breath is caught up in your throat when you watch in horror at the sight of the animal that walks up from behind him. Hades' brows furrow as he falls at a loss at your trembling figure and the way your body turns from him, hands clasped around your lips while your eyes shut tight.

Cerberus. Three headed dog.

You are too frightened to scream. One because you do not wish to disturb the peacefulness of the evening banquet and two because you can't. Tears brim along your eyes while you try to hide the whimper that begins to fall from your lips behind your hands. But it doesn't really help. Hades can hear it muffled out of you.

He has no idea what you are frightened of. Surely he isn't that scary, is he? "Is something the matter?"

"P...please get it...g-get it..a..away."

A laugh falls from him as he realizes what is happening. "You're afraid of dogs? I knew mortals were quite weak but I had no idea they were this weak."

Someone wraps their arms around you, pulling you in close to their chest and you don't have to look up to know who it must be just by their scent and the touch alone. "Leave, Hades," the God of Stars command in a grave voice as Jungkook silently tells you that all will be alright, that they are here now and you have nothing to be afraid of anymore. But you can still feel the presence of the dog and it only reminds you of the cruel memories that has terrorized you plenty of times. Jungkook understands, of course he does, because no matter how connected you are with the Gods, the God of Hearth shares something a little deeper as his hearth comes from Earth.

So a hand comes behind your head as the other remains on your back, his touches whispering soft gentle words to soothe your pain and comfort you through the memories.

"This is a banquet, is it not?" You hear Hades saying and through the feeling of Jungkook's protective and caring self, anger burns his body so immensely you are surprised this is him. You're used to your Gods being so kind and gentle, never have you actually ever witnessed their angry sides.

"I will not repeat myself, Hades." You do not have to touch Namjoon to understand his anger as well. They are all angry as you hear growls from the back of their throats all hinted towards Hades who does not fall back even when asked to. The pride within him restricts him from doing as he is told even though the God of the Underworld knows he cannot go up against the seven Gods who are the most powerful especially when together. Your Gods are fuming with wrath, not fond of anyone threatening their soulmate's safety which in this case would be you and you can hear the thoughts of Jungkook as he holds you, knowing he will burn the whole garden down if it means Hades will leave.

But their anger towards the God of the Underworld elicits growling from his loyal dog who does not like anyone trying to go up against his Lord and it makes you whimper, body shrinking more towards Jungkook who hears your thoughts.

You don't care about Hades or anything anymore, you just wish to go home. So he lets out a sigh though he is still riled with anger and turns to the God of Knowledge. "Let's go, Namjoon."

You feel their eyes turning to you at those words before sighs leave their own lips and you are brought back not a moment too soon.

"We're home now, little one. You're alright now."

But you don't leave Jungkook's arms, still so, so afraid because the horrible memories of that Winter day will not go away despite Cerberus now nowhere to be seen. His eyes fall with pain and worry as he holds you, meeting the Gods with an understanding gaze and just letting you cry it all out. Your heart hurts, body still trembling, and when you feel you cannot hold your body up for much longer, Jungkook picks you up to walk on over to the bed and have you sitting right on his lap.

"Shh, it's okay, my love, it's okay." He continues whispering soft words to your ears, rocking your body gently against him while pressing soft kisses upon your head. The others come to surround you, hands holding yours, pressing kisses upon your shoulders while you sob and sob.

"You're okay, you're alright. Everything will be alright. We're right here. We'll always be here."

"..Scary..." You whimper.

"I know, I know. We'll make it all okay again, alright? You have no need to be afraid anymore."

"We'll always be here. We'll protect you from all that threatens to harm you."

"You're our precious mate and we will never let anything happen to you again."

"We'll make it better."

.

.

.

You awake at the feeling of gentle fingertips running along your face, stroking it with soft touches, and small incoherent whispers beside you. They fall into a comfortable silence when they feel your mind drifting out of unconsciousness. Once your eyes finally releases from the haze, you see both the God of Ocean and Spring looking down at you as they prop themselves up against their elbows.

"Good morning," Taehyung greets with a gentle smile.

"We are here, love," Jimin says when your mind is reminded of the nightmare you had before, blurring your vision and feeling so thankful that they are here right now. The God of Spring leans down to press a soft kiss to your head and almost instantly you feel your tense body relaxing once more, mind now clear of anything that would harm you.

"Thank you," you whisper, voice still trying to adjust to the waking world. He nods at you and you feel another kiss placed upon your temple. Taehyung brushes away the tear that fell when you blinked and kiss the fingertip that held onto the salty water droplet.

"Feeling better?" You nod and he smiles, relieved. Your brows knit just slightly when you realize no one else is in bed because you do not feel anymore presence to fill up the empty spaces. Usually when you have woken, all of your Gods would still be around before breakfast is served and they'll run off to their own duties. The God of Ocean hears your thoughts and returns to stroking your soft cheek. "You slept in this morning, my love. It is almost noon," he explains. "We have agreed on two of us staying here until you awake so that you would not have to be greeted by the emptiness of the room."

"Oh," you frown. "I'm sorry."

Jimin shakes his head. "No need, my little flower, you had a rough night after all. Now come," he helps you sit up as Taehyung uses his powers to wheel a tray of food forward, "you must be hungry."

There are plates of fresh toast and sweet biscuits along with two eggs, a cup of milk, and a bowl of sliced fruits set onto the tray that is placed onto your lap. Your two Gods do not allow you to use your energy as they feed you on their own, letting you bite slowly and taking your sweet time. It comes to no surprise that the food is delicious because everything you you've had will always be the best. This is the house of Gods after all, and they will have nothing fall below standard.

When you grow full, they let you run off to the bathroom to get ready for the new day though help you with brushing your hair. You sit in between them on the bed as Taehyung runs a brush through your soft hair and face Jimin who plays with the soft delicate touches of your fingers. You see his subtle smile when the God of Spring stares at them, his thoughts echoing to you with nothing kept a secret. It is odd to him how small you are, hands a tinier size than his despite how small his is compared to the rest of the Gods and especially the one behind you who has the largest of them all.

Everyone's hands engulfs his and yours and he is proud to be able to engulf your own. You giggle as his thoughts passes onto you and Jimin looks up, grinning sweetly. "Little rose, I have heard the mortals spreading myths of how the size of how hands reflects the size of our hearts but I say that is preposterous."

Taehyung laughs. "I say the myth is fair."

"Fair?" Jimin scoffs. "That's only because your hands are ginormous."

"And so is my heart," he hums.

"Maybe so but look at us," the God of Spring clasp your hands together and holds it up for the God of Ocean to see, "our hands may be small but our hearts are much bigger than it."

"Hmm...perhaps you're right."

"Perhaps?" Jimin echoes, scoffing again and this time with huff. "My heart is big and you know it."

Taehyung shakes with a choral of laughter before he releases the brush to sit it on the soft mattress and reaches for Jimin's hands that had fallen out of yours. "Love, you know I was only playing." With you in between, the God of Ocean pulls Jimin forward just slightly so that when he leans in, his lips can meet Jimin's cheek.

"You missed." The God of Spring still feigns to be upset so Taehyung chuckles at his lover, leaning in again to capture Jimin's lips.

Your heart skips a beat and perhaps they hear it, perhaps they feel it because their kiss does not last long and now their heads are turned your way. You grow petals pink after being caught and the two of them looks at one another with a sly grin curling at their lips before they return the attention on you again. You swallow, heart beating hard against your chest as your eyes fall away shakily because you know they can hear your thoughts.

"Hmm..does the little one want a kiss too?"

You shrink at the question, feeling your face heating up even more because they know, they can hear your thoughts yet Jimin asks that.

"I want to hear you, little one," the God explains. "After all, you said it yourself, did you not? Your heart understands what you want before you can try to say anything out loud."

Taehyung hums. "And that whatever is said in your heart, you want to say them all out loud but you are far too shy."

"Can we hear it, love?" He holds your chin and lifts it easily, lips curled upward to a side as he looks down at you and your heart only burns some more. His thumb delicately traces along your lips as Taehyung's fingers gathers your hair to put it a side so that your neck is exposed for him to softly graze against. Jimin leans in at your distracted mind filled of both him and the Ocean God, forehead resting against yours with his nose just centimeters away from yours, breath hitting you as he speaks. "Hm, love? Can you do us this little favor?" He smells like soft petals and peaches perfectly combined. "I want to hear your sweet voice."

You hesitate but you can never take your eyes off him no matter how bold Jimin's gaze is, feeling the need to just give him all that he wants. He grins knowingly at your thoughts, feeling his ego boosted and your eyes fall away shyly again. He pouts and you almost want to giggle at how desperate he is for your attention so you give it to him again, cheeks still flushed. "I..." You gulp, brows furrowed and not knowing whether you are brave enough but their touches encourages you on, telling you to go on, that they'll take care of you. So you let out a soft sigh. "Jimin.."

He's excited. "Hm?"

You look away for a brief moment before meeting his eyes again. "Can you..can you kiss me?"

Jimin's heart flutters as he grins brilliantly. Oh, what a sweet little soul, he thinks. "With pleasure."

When he captures your lips, it is so soft and delicate. Jimin's hand wraps around your waist as he pulls you in towards him closer as if you are not close enough, lips dancing with yours as he effortlessly takes the lead. Taehyung's fingers circles your neck and down your exposed collarbones and you are sent to heaven, an eternal bliss, a mind that is filled of them and just them. Jimin kisses you like you are a precious gem, like you are so fragile and he cannot bear to break you.

When his lips pull away, another hand comes to your face to turn you and your lips are captured by another, barely given any time to take a breather. "Mm...so sweet," Taehyung whispers against your lips and you feel Jimin's hands flicking your hair down back behind your neck again. He peppers kisses to your neck and you make a little sound into Taehyung's lips. It all feels so sweet and blissful but the familiar overwhelming feeling returns and your head spins.

When the God of Ocean leans away, he chuckles at the way your strength had left you and holds you up to have your body resting against his chest instead of falling back onto the mattress. "Dizzy?" Jimin observes after leaving your neck, his fingers coming up to brush your hair behind your ears. You nod weakly. "Don't worry love, the more these moments happen, the dizziness will no longer return and you'll come to embrace this overwhelming feeling."

"That's not fair, you already tired her out before I could get a chance." When another voice comes in, the three of you look up to find the God of Hearth near the doors as he tsks lightly, arms crossed against his chest while he pouts cutely.

Taehyung laughs. "You are to blame for not taking up the chance to remain here with our little love."

Jungkook huffs. "I had business down on Earth."

"You went to Earth?" Your brows raise, mouth forming into a little 'o.'

He nods as he walks forward to reach the bed. "I go there pretty often. The Earth needs my hearth after all, but I am usually disguised as a mortal."

"Where do you usually go?"

He sits in front of you while you're still using Taehyung for support and he takes a hand, smiling as he greets it with a kiss on the back. "The north and southern poles or anyplace near it." He pauses for a second before speaking again. "You know, I have not found any other hidden tribes who resides on mountains."

"We had a sister tribe," you tell him and he sees through your memories of the stories the elders would go on and go about back when you lived on the mountain. "I assume they were possibly raided as well and no one survived. Perhaps the snow buried their homes."

"Mortals can be quite cruel," Jimin sighs.

"But it's okay," Taehyung says as he plays with your hair, "Hoseok and Seokjin has condemned the murderers."

"Right."

"How are you feeling, my love?" Jungkook asks as he looks at you with some concern. He isn't just asking about the aftermath of the soulmate bond but of the night before as well, wanting to know if you really are alright again. They're still so protective of you, hating any pain and affliction to fall upon you and would do anything just to relieve you from them. You are reminded of that moment at the garden and your eyes fall to the hands that holds your own. "What is it?"

"You are all so sweet and kind," you say, squeezing his hand as you turn to look at Jimin and Taehyung before returning your gaze to the one before you, "and after last night, I know I would never want to get on your angry sides. It was scary."

They chuckle, knowing you mean well and Jungkook holds your palm up to press a kiss there. "You will never have to fear of our wrath pointing your way," the God of Hearth vows. "How can we ever get upset with you? You are our lovely little flower."

"The seven of us alone does not fight very often," Jimin says. "After all, we are soulmates, we're all soulmates, so we understand each other more than anything and anyone. There is no reason to hold secrets, no reason for misunderstandings to ignite."

You are reminded of that moment back at the wisteria, refusing to let Taehyung hold you and allowing him to look and feel hurt. The God takes your hands from Jungkook and presses a gentle kiss to your head after hearing your thoughts. "Moments like that can happen, though," he tells you and lets you see the memories of that time he and Yoongi almost went to bed upset and hurt. They of course resolved the problem in the end before anything could get worse. "As long as we communicate, love, there is no need for anyone to lose their temper."

"Okay."

He hum. "Okay?"

You nod as you look up at him with a loving gaze before it falls and you're looking back at Jungkook. The dizziness has gone away and your mind isn't so hazy in blindness anymore. You'll get used to this, you know you will. After all, kissing them is rewarding and quite lovely so you'd be glad to getting used to the strong soulmate bond. The God of Spring and Ocean chuckles knowingly at your thoughts, leaving Jungkook in question when you look down with a blooming blush because he isn't touching you.

The God of Hearth doesn't go on to touch you though, because he feels you will tell him if you want or place your own hands on his skin. The moment lasts a few long seconds more before you're letting out a sigh and deciding to be brave about it. You want to kiss the youngest one of the Gods so you will and you can feel Jimin and Taehyung both waiting with anticipation and excitement.

"Kook...?"

"Hm?"

"May I?" You ask. His brows furrow with confusion and he's about to reach up to touch you but you hold your palm up to stop him, causing him to blink but place his hand back onto his lap, respecting your wishes.

"Go on," he tells you though is unsure of what you mean.

You take a deep breath again, hearing the two Gods beside you silently cheering you on as you step up to your knees and watching Jungkook with an intense gaze. He waits, anticipating what will happen, when you place your hands on his shoulders and lean in to press a quick peck right on his lips.

His eyes widen at the sudden and unexpected kiss that was honestly way too quick to him to truly enjoy. So he chuckles at the way your cheeks roses even more because you are so shy and he's proud of you taking that courage to take the first step on telling him what you want without him needing to touch you. He hears your thoughts now, ones that whispers soft i love you's to him and Jungkook's eyes crinkle as he shows you that boyish smile. He puts his hands on both sides of your waist and pull you onto his lap, lips pecking right upon your own.

You're beet red and he laughs, pressing another quick kiss before he leans in again for it to last longer. His kisses are playful and sweet and it makes you chuckle out sweet giggles that echoes into the large room, sounding like music to their ears as it mixes with the smacking sounds of kisses and your Gods' soft laughs.

Your morning that day is filled with the soft ringing of laughter echoing into the room with the wind carrying it out the open windows that leads to the balcony.

.

.

.

The garden is even more beautiful than the one you had seen at the banquet, walking down a lone path under the starry night skies. You cannot sleep that night but your thoughts are filled with only pleasant thoughts. The purple blossoms that follows the path you walk on is divine, a type of flower you know must not exist on Earth with how ethereal it looks. It glows only at night, light sparkles glittering and falling out into the skies from the center of its petals. You close your eyes, welcoming the night breeze as it passes along your side, thankful for the fact that one of your soulmate is the God of Spring.

The stars above shines brightly, creating a blooming milky way that is entirely different from the view on Earth. How did you fall so lucky to be written under the stars with wonderful Gods whose hearts are made of gold? You are so lucky to be blessed with loving Gods who will not hesitate to do anything for you.

"It isn't fair, you know." You jump a little at the sound and turn to find the God of Stars standing a few feet away as he leans against a pillar with a slight frown.

"Jin," you sigh, greeting him with a smile before pouting at the sight of his furrowed brows. "What isn't fair?"

"I am the oldest," he says, making you even more confused. "Do you not believe that I should have been the first one, or one of the firsts, to claim your lips?"

Oh.

He sulks at the fact that you have kissed all the Gods saved for him, an underlying insecurity falling upon him though he hides it behind a pout and a playful tone. But you can understand your God of Stars without him needing to explain or you needing to touch him. Seokjin is a patient God, one who will never rush anything if you are not ready just as the rest, but you know that it must confuse him to come to know that you have already shared lips with the others.

"I'm sorry," you say sincerely as you come to walk towards him. Seokjin stands straight from the pillar and takes a small step back at your approach. You stop, frowning.

"No, my love," he tells you with a small smile that is all too painful. "You do not have to force yourself if you do not wish for it."

"Oh Seokjin," your heart falls for him. He worries for you, not wanting anything to be forced no matter how much he wants it because he is a gentleman. Seokjin is afraid, you can see it in his sad smile, and if these past months has taught you anything, it'd be that you have come to understand them a little better without having to feel. "I promise you I am not feeling forced to do anything," you say as you start walking again and falling silently relieved when he does not move this time. "I'm sorry, I hadn't meant for this to happen when I kissed them."

"No," he sighs, "I know you did not. You have no need to apologize, I just-"

You take his hand once you come close enough and let your face sweetly nuzzle against his palm. You let him know that you want this, you truly do, and that you aren't afraid of it anymore. Perhaps another step further is still further in the future but right now, as you're taking things step by step, you want this, you want to share kisses with them. With all of them.

"I want this," you say it aloud as you gaze up at him with a sincere gaze.

He falls silent for a moment, just watching you as if he is mesmerized, as if he is entranced, and it only makes your heart flutter because you can hear his thoughts. "Really?" He asks though he can feel you. You respond with a small nod. "Hm," he hums softly, thinking. You want to laugh at how he's deciding to play hard to get with this and roll your eyes.

"Do you want it?"

"Do I?"

"I'll give it to you."

"Will you?"

It is even more hilarious when the two of you can understand the confirmed feelings by the touches so you chuckle and he follows along to the amusement, echoing your gentle laugh. "But just know," you hold up a finger, "I am no expert just because I have kissed the six of you already."

He hums. "I know."

But he makes no move and it leaves you standing flustered. "You..y-you can't," you stutter, "you cannot expect me to make the first move?"

Seokjin shrugs. "You did it with Jungkook."

"But that was just a little-"

"No excuses, my dear." he tells you, pouting. "Do you not believe that you owe me a little something? Hm?"

You mirror his pout and let out a small sigh. "Alright," you decide and take a deep breath. You don't know how you will ever get used to this when just one little peck gets you so flustered but because Seokjin is still a bit upset, you know you cannot refuse his request. You have to do this for him. So you place your hands on his shoulders, mimicking the action you had done with Jungkook and close your eyes shut with feet tip toeing up because he is tall, and press a kiss right on his lips before letting out a little crying sound as your head buries against his chest out of embarrassment.

The God of Stars laughs. "It's not funny," you chide with a pout and can still feel the lingering sensation of his lips.

"My sweet galaxy, do you really believe that I will accept a little peck as a kiss?" You huff and leave his arms with flushed cheeks, your pout deepening. He grins at the way your eyes refuses to meet his, knowing the exact reasons why. But he understands so he lets out a sigh. "Alright, I'll let this one slide since I love you and you're my shy little star."

He backs you up against the pillar, taking your face into a hand and squishing your cheeks. You don't know how he can act in such a way that makes your heart skip a beat but also be so playful about it. So you let out a soft whine, cheeks puffed out with your lips turned into a duck because of the way he holds your face. "Seokjin~"

He laughs that cute laugh that only makes things worse for your heart and you huff again. "Alright, alright," he says, calming down. At least he's feeling better so you know you aren't exactly upset with him. Seokjin smirks at the thought though there is an underlying soft fondness in his gaze as he feels thankful for you, only reminded of how much he loves you. Seokjin pulls your face forward and leans in, pressing a soft kiss but leaving too fast just like you had done.

You're about to say something when he leans in again, this time slower and more sensual. The grip upon your face releases and is replaced by both hands that holds you in a gentle manner as he presses you up further against the pillar. Your heart skips a beat, beating rapidly against your chest at how skillful and sweet he is. Your mind retraces back to those memories that belongs to him, knowing the God of Stars has the most experience in such field. He's had experience even before meeting his soulmates but who can blame him? His face alone will make anyone drop to the floor and it makes you a bit at a loss on how you should feel. He's yours now, so you won't have to worry about anyone else, right?

"Focus on me, sweet one," the God of Stars whispers against your lips to let you take a little breather for just a split second before he's capturing your lips and heart again. "I'm yours, my dear," he vows and nibbles along your lower lip. "I'm yours."

Your thoughts are filled with nothing but him while your heart continues to race on and on into the starry night.

.

.

.

The God of Sun watches you from the doorway while you sit in a comfortable armchair near the center of the room with a piece of clothing on your lap, thread and needle in a hand as you sew through something white and fuzzy onto the golden fabric. He smiles at the sight of peace and serene, knowing how you like to keep yourself busy and use some time to do things you like.

Most days you will read in Namjoon's library, or walk around tending to the garden, or becoming friendly with their elements; the wisteria, the sun, the stars, and the fishes in the ocean. Today you are in your own element, sewing something that looks like something they have gotten for you. You like to redesign a few things if you can, giving your own touches along their spoiled gifts because it makes you feel closer to them. He smiles at the sight, loving all that belongs to you. Your heart and thoughts are the most gentle out of everything.

Thunder rolls outside, causing your head to perk up and look on over towards the opening balcony where the windows instantly falls closed on their own upon the sound of rain beginning to fall from the clouds. It has been cloudy this whole day so it wasn't a surprise to Hoseok that it's beginning to rain but you look a little surprised, eyes probably too focused inside to notice the weather.

But you don't mind the rain because anything aside from the constant winter you had been used to back on the mountain is beautiful. Sunny days are gorgeous, rainy days are pretty.

A gasp that falls from your lips leaves him to quickly revert his attention back on you and he sees the way you whine as you hold up your forefinger, whimpering. Hoseok is by your side in an instant as he surprises you by picking you up and moving you towards the sofa where he sits you on his lap, a hand coming up to hold your pricked finger and hold it to his lips. One kiss alone is enough to heal the pain and take the blood away.

"Hoseok.."

"Did you not tell me once that a seamstress must never fall distracted?" He reminds you as he brings his lips to greet you on the temple.

"It was the thunder's fault," you pout and he erupts with a laugh before another voice walks in.

"You cannot blame mother nature for your moment of recklessness," Taehyung says.

At the sight of the rest of your Gods arriving, your heart flutters with excitement and Hoseok chuckles knowingly. "I have a question," you say clapping your hands together.

Jungkook takes the seat you had sat in before, Taehyung, Seokjin, and Jimin sitting on the sofa directly from you and Hoseok, while Namjoon sits across Jungkook and Yoongi comes on to settle himself beside you and Hoseok. "What is it?" The God of Knowledge prompts.

"Does it ever snow here?"

Jungkook raises a brow. "That sounds like you want for it to happen."

You shrug lightly as your eyes fall back on the work in your lap, returning to pick up your needle to begin threading through again. "I was just thinking," you say with a soft smile, "I don't think the snow will bring back bad memories anymore. After all, I was born on a snowy day and grew up with it my whole life. I just want to be reminded of the good times back on that mountain, be reminded of everyone there."

They watch you with a soft gaze, fondness falling upon them as they smile because of how much you've grown. Yoongi brushes your hair to the side, a hand stroking your cheek in a gentle manner. "We're so proud of you, little one."

You look up, beaming.

"Well, anything can happen," Jimin tells you. "We'll just have to wait for December to come."

"I came here around January," you remember, confused. "Shouldn't it have snowed then?"

Hoseok props his chin up against your shoulder, arms wrapped around your waist as he nuzzles into your neck. "You wanted to meet Spring, remember? So we had to make it happen, because our sweet soulmate could not take the cold anymore and we didn't want you to continue suffering." Your heart blossoms with a thousand heartbeats that escalates, fingers pausing on the needle as you look up at Hoseok. He hears your thought and squeezes your side. "When it comes to you, love, we will do all the impossible just to make you smile."

You fall silent for a moment and can feel the tears beginning to brim as you look through his thoughts. "You were going to make it Spring  all year round?"

"Of course."

You have heard that Summer can grow very overheated, the sun becoming overwhelming from time to time that no mortal likes to leave the house just as Winter can get quite cold. But it's already been months, somewhere around July, and the heat has yet to come. This place is paradise because of them, being able to control the weather in however way they'd like, being able to make it Spring all year round just for you. Because you wanted to meet Spring. Because you liked Spring.

Your lips quiver as you drop your needle and turn to wrap your arms around the God of Sun. "Thank you," you whisper when the rest almost has a heart attack at your tears. It's soft, so much softer than the storm that falls outside. It doesn't scare you so you're fine, knowing the plants need their water from the clouds. And you know that no matter how quiet you may be, they hear you, they always hear you.

"Oh love," Hoseok sighs contently as the Gods come to surround the two of you.

They love you so much and everyday when you think you're already at the end, you end up falling deeper and deeper in love. Perhaps as the years passes on and on, the love will grow even more than it is at this moment. You are so blessed to have them in your life, to be saved by them, your soulmates. No other love will ever come to compare with theirs. "I'm so happy," you sniffle.

Yoongi sends you a gentle smile when you look up again to look at them all. His hands reaches out to cup your face, fingers brushing away the tears that have fallen. "We are too, my sweet muse." Namjoon hums softly in agreement while Jimin takes your little work to set it aside on the coffee table inside the circle of furniture so that the needle doesn't accidentally hurt you again.

"You may look pretty when you cry, my love, but we prefer your beautiful face when you smile instead," Taehyung says.

"Sorry," you giggle.

He beams, sighing. "There it is."

Seokjin takes a hand of yours. "We can make Winter return if you'd like. It will definitely not grow as cold as it was on the mountain, however, because we would never want you to freeze and see you in pain."

"Thank you." You squeeze his hand.

"I have another good news." You look on over at Jungkook with anticipation, head tilted just slightly to the side as you blink, wondering what he wants to say. He takes a second, pulling something out from his pocket then shows you his fist before opening it right in front of you. Your breath hitches at the sight, eyes widening and tearing up all over again when you catch sight of the nostalgic memory hidden on the object he holds out to you alone.

"My mother's bracelet..." you breathe when a tear falls and another comes. You had lost it one day traveling through the snow and because the strings were too frail to even hold together after you tried fixing it, it snapped and slipped right out of your wrist when you weren't paying attention. You tried to look for it when you realized it was no longer there but it had been impossible to do so under all that snow. "How..?"

"I saw it in your memories," the God of Hearth says as he smiles and gently goes to brush your tears, "so I retraced the steps back when I returned to the mountain. I know how much it means to you." The bracelet is in a much better condition, strings now strong and firm along with the colors of the beads looking as bright and new as it had been firstly given to your mother. You have no words, too touched that saying thank you again sounds too worthless to say so. But he hears you. He understands. The God of Hearth takes the bracelet to roll it onto your wrist with a smile.

While the rain continues falling and falling, dropping against the windowsill constantly, your heart is warmed with delight and love that you have no words that can perfectly describe how you feel. But that's okay because as long as your Gods are here, touching you, they can understand all that cannot be described with words. "I love you," you tell them instead, sniffling.

Namjoon chuckles. "No more tears, okay?"

You nod, wiping away the remaining tears on your own before showing them the smile that they love so much.

"That's right," Jimin muses, "you are the most beautiful when you smile."

#btsboulangerie #btsguild #heartsforbts #bts polyamory #bts poly #poly bts #bts ot7 x reader #bts greek god!au #bts soulmate #bts greek gods #greek gods!bts #bts soulmate au #bts soulmate!au #bts poly!au #bts poly au #poly!bts #poly bts au #poly!bts x reader #bts poly relationship #namjoon x reader #seokjin x reader #yoongi x reader #hoseok x reader #jimin x reader #taehyung x reader #jungkook x reader #bts fluff #bts angst #bts fanfic

[fific7]

Ticket to Ride - Part 2

Billy Russo x Reader

A/N: Inspired by The Beatles song of the same name. This takes place in my S1 Punisher AU with Arrogant!Billy in attendance, in which he gets a taste of his own medicine.

Warnings: 18+ NSFW due to sexual content, including oral, between consenting adults* in some chapters. Drinking and swearing.

*Irl, please don’t go wild in the country without protection.

(My photo edit)

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

𝕊𝕙𝕖 𝕤𝕒𝕚𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕝𝕚𝕧𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕞𝕖 𝕚𝕤 𝕓𝕣𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕕𝕠𝕨𝕟, 𝕪𝕖𝕒𝕙

𝕊𝕙𝕖 𝕨𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕕 𝕟𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕣 𝕓𝕖 𝕗𝕣𝕖𝕖 𝕨𝕙𝕖𝕟 𝕀 𝕨𝕒𝕤 𝕒𝕣𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕕

𝕊𝕙𝕖'𝕤 𝕘𝕠𝕥 𝕒 𝕥𝕚𝕔𝕜𝕖𝕥 𝕥𝕠 𝕣𝕚𝕕𝕖

𝕊𝕙𝕖'𝕤 𝕘𝕠𝕥 𝕒 𝕥𝕚𝕔𝕜𝕖𝕥 𝕥𝕠 𝕣𝕚𝕕𝕖

𝕊𝕙𝕖'𝕤 𝕘𝕠𝕥 𝕒 𝕥𝕚𝕔𝕜𝕖𝕥 𝕥𝕠 𝕣𝕚𝕕𝕖 𝕓𝕦𝕥 𝕤𝕙𝕖 𝕕𝕠𝕟'𝕥 𝕔𝕒𝕣𝕖

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

The aircraft door opened and you stepped out gratefully onto the air jetty. You weren’t scared of flying, you just didn’t like being cooped up in a flying tube for several hours on end. Up an escalator and along a short corridor and then you were able to see outside through the floor-to-ceiling windows. The sky was beginning to shade into the colours it would take on for dusk. It looked like it had been a nice day and you hoped the good weather would continue for your stay.

Karen had texted you while you were sitting on the plane at JFK, waiting for it to push back. Frank had told her that Micro had tracked your phone to the airport so boy, were you glad you’d turned off your old phone and switched to the new one when you did. She’d also told you that Billy had asked him to find out where you were headed, and your heart sank. You knew it wouldn’t take long for Micro’s vast and nerdy computer skills to find you but then again, London was a huge city and they’d have no idea whereabouts in it you’d gone to ground, thanks to your new ‘burner phone’.

You were feeling super-excited. This was beginning to feel like an action movie, with you on the run from the bad guys.

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

“London??!!” Billy shouted, making Frank quickly move his phone away from his ear on the other end. “Yeah, London,” he replied.

Billy was back at his usual post by the window. “I mean... obviously I knew she was gonna fly somewhere but I thought it would the West coast, Miami, Seattle, Alaska... somewhere like that. But to go to a whole other continent....!!!!” Frank sighed, “Yeah, Bill, sounds like she’s really not keen to bump into you anytime soon.” “Yeah, thanks for remindin’ me.” “Bill, you brought this on yourself, buddy.” “I know!” yelled Billy, “An’ all I wanna do is get her back and make it up to her for the rest of my life, and all I know is she’s in London! Do you know how big that place is?” “Yeah, I do. And t’be honest... I dunno how you’re gonna even try to find her over there.”

There was a silence on the other end of the phone. “I mean...” Frank continued, “I’m guessin’ you are gonna go over there and try to find her, Bill?”

Billy’s shoulder twitched upwards briefly, and he stared intently out the window at the New York skyline.

“Yeah, Frankie... yeah, I damn well am.”

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

You’d left two of your big suitcases and the backpacks in a luggage storage facility at JFK, travelling with just the one suitcase and a large shoulder bag. You took the overground Heathrow Express to Paddington before negotiating a change onto the Tube to reach Tower Hill DLR station, boarding one of the driverless trains out to Canary Wharf. Settling back into your seat, feeling pretty proud of yourself for managing not to get hopelessly lost.

Your AirBnB apartment was in a part of the city called Docklands, beside the Thames on the Isle of Dogs. It was an area of shiny skyscraper offices and fancy apartment blocks built round the old docks, and your accommodation for the next two weeks was in one of those. You were suitably impressed when you got inside it... open plan, all trendy furniture and gleaming fittings. Big, big windows with views of the river and the tall buildings.

Your phone chimed and you saw a text from Karen on your notifications. Taking your suitcase and bag into the bedroom, you went back out to the main area and sat on the sofa to read it. Oh. Billy now knew you were in London, and had apparently booked a flight over - he’d be arriving tomorrow. Your heart rate sped up; Billy was a sniper, used to finding, stalking, watching his prey. But, you told yourself, he had no idea whereabouts in the city you were and no way of finding you.

Relax.

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

Billy stepped off the Heathrow Express, looking around for signs indicating where the taxi rank was. He’d been looking at the Tube map during the train journey. Nah, fuck that.

He was too wired to even think about getting to London Bridge on the Underground, or ‘Tube’ as he found out Londoners called it. His brain had been working overtime trying to figure out how the hell he was going to find her in a city the size of London. She’d stay central, surely - she wouldn’t head to the suburbs, he felt confident of that.

Getting into the first taxi in the queue, he drawled out, “The Shard, please.” The taxi driver nodded and pulled away from the station without saying anything. Thank fuck, thought Billy, I can’t be dealing with a talker right now. But just as the thought had left his head, the driver’s London accent said, “First time in London, guv?” Billy sighed, “No. No, it isn’t.” In fact it was, but he wasn’t about to tell the driver that. He’d only end up getting taken on the ‘scenic route’, double the time, double the price.

The driver grunted and turned up the radio... really annoying music could now be heard but Billy would take that over inane small talk any day. He looked out of the windows at the city streets and his mind went back to his mission. Mission impossible. Finally he saw the river and the taxi crossed a wide bridge before pulling up outside the lofty skyscraper that was The Shard. According to the blurb he’d read on some travel website it was the tallest in Western Europe, and while there were taller buildings in New York, the shape of this one made it look quite dramatic.

He paid and got out of the taxi with his expensive wheeled duffel bag, heading to the Shangri La entrance of The Shard and going inside. (It’s one of the priciest hotels in London - of course). Checked in at reception on the 35th floor, he was then whisked up to his room on the 52nd by another express lift. The windows were huge and the views spectacular.

Once again, he was gazing out of a window at a cityscape.

Where is she?

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

Your first full day, you occupied yourself with getting to know the surrounding area, doing some grocery shopping and sitting on your large balcony, enjoying the view and relaxing with a glass of wine.

Every time a plane went overhead you wondered if Billy was on it - he was due here today. You shook yourself a little, you’d just have to stop thinking about it. He wouldn’t find you.

Your mind wandered unbidden to his recent behaviour. Knowing Billy was a player from day one, you’d still got involved with him. More fool you. Another old cliché.... you thought you’d be the one to change him. And you thought you had. You’d dated him for a few months, he seemed to have ditched his old hound-dog ways and when he’d asked you to move in with him, you’d agreed without thinking it over too deeply.

Now, looking back, it seems like you’d made a big mistake.

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

Micro had spent quite some time constructing a query table that he could run against accommodation reservations in London for her arrival day. She had no reason to book under another name and he’d just have to run with that assumption.

When Billy had come directly to him instead of going via Frank to ask that he try and track down her reservation, Micro had been too scared to refuse. Billy still really unsettled him - he always reminded him of a circling predator.

This query would take a while to run. He hit the go button and wandered off to work on another project while it tunnelled its way through layer upon layer of data.

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

Billy was pacing his swanky hotel room like a caged panther. He’d given up on the idea of roaming the streets of London trying to spot his target, that was just one dumbass idea. He’d never find her that way, much better to just wait on that geeky twat to come up with the answer with his internet wizardry.

He’d spoken to Frank earlier, who had nothing new to report. Billy wouldn’t allow himself to feel guilty at cutting him out of the loop on his recent ask to Micro. He wasn’t stupid enough to believe that Frank wouldn’t mention it to Karen. Much as he loved him like a brother, Frank was a big sap when it came to Karen and he knew he’d give in and tell her, probably sooner rather than later.

However Frank had told him that Madani had called earlier that day, wanting to know where Billy was and why she couldn’t get in touch with him. Billy had figured out that his girl had got herself a new phone, and he’d followed suit. Which is why Dinah hadn’t been able to reach him. “Whaddya tell her?”he’d asked. “That you were on an overseas operation and were incommunicado.” “Good,” nodded Billy, “....that takes care of that little problem for a while at least,” feeling a sense of relief.

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

Frank cut the call, a grim smile on his face. He hadn’t been completely straight with Billy, but it was for his own good. What he’d told Madani, however, had been the unadulterated gospel truth.

He’d said to her that Billy had hared off to Europe in pursuit of his live-in girlfriend, who’d suspected him of cheating on her and left him. He was absolutely determined to get her back.

He’d taken great satisfaction in the dead silence on the other end of the line, eventually punctuated by an angry snort and the call being abruptly ended.

That ‘little problem’ was hopefully taken care of for good.

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

Micro looked at his phone as it beeped at him, the notification saying that his query was complete. That had taken much longer than he thought it would. Now he could only hope it hadn’t returned too many matches as he’d thought it prudent to run it on surname only.

He pulled up the results table and was pleased to see that there were only a thousand or so, he’d feared there would be many more. He scrolled through the list and quickly pinpointed the one he’d been looking for.

With a deep sigh he picked up his phone, typed “Wood Wharf, Water St, London E14”, a building and apartment number into a new message, then hit send. It would be the early hours of the following morning in London, so he very much doubted that Billy would leap out of bed and head right over there.

He finished eating his supper, drank a beer and settled down to watch TV when his conscience started bothering him. Should he? He shivered when he thought about what Russo might do to him if he found out.

Popping another bottle of beer open, he sat and contemplated what he should do for quite a while. He suddenly picked up his phone, sending a quick text to Frank telling him about the whole situation and including the fact that Russo now had her London address.

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

While you were lounging on your balcony, sipping your wine and watching the world go by, it suddenly occurred to you that this would be a great base to work out of for a while. You messaged the estate agent and extended your stay to one month, with an option to extend if required.

Then, on a whim, you booked a flight to Barcelona early the next morning from City Airport - it was really close to your apartment even if the flights were a bit more expensive. You’d been doing a little research into other destinations to explore, and having a base in London to travel to and from made you feel much more comfortable. The W Barcelona had caught your eye while you’d been browsing for accommodation and as you were only going for a few nights, you’d booked in there.

Feeling extremely pleased with yourself, you got up and went into your bedroom, looking for a folded-up smaller travel bag you knew you’d packed in your luggage. Finding it, you began to choose some outfits for your short trip, thinking what a joy it was that you could now leave your large suitcase here.

But damn, you were going to have to be up early tomorrow. Best to get an early night, you thought, immediately yawning.

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

Billy shot up in bed as his phone chimed with Micro’s text. When he read the information in the text, contrary to Micro’s belief he did leap out of bed and started pulling on his clothes (Micro had forgotten that this was an ex-Marine he was dealing with here).

He sat back down on the bed and googled the location. Oh okay, East London.... Docklands. Too far to walk and he didn’t think the Tube ran at this hour. Then he pulled up the Uber app and booked an immediate pick-up.

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

Walking into the terminal building at City Airport, you were in the middle of a total yawning fit when a text came in. It was from Karen and you stopped, putting down your bag so you could read it.

Karen: Sorry to tell you this hon, but Billy went direct to Micro 🙄 and intimidated him into finding your London accom. Frank’s told him not to do that again no matter how much he’s shitting himself! Please take care of yourself 💋

You: Bastard 👿 thanks for the heads-up, I will do 😘

Picking your bags up again, you hurried over to one of the automated check-in machines to get your luggage tag.

Whoever had said ‘timing is everything’ had definitely got that right.

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

“Oi!!!” yelled an irate male voice. Billy turned his head to see a groggy-looking tousle-haired guy, obviously just having been woken up. “Keep the noise down!”

Billy said nothing, just gave the guy his death stare. His head quickly disappeared back inside his apartment.

After pressing the buttons of a few apartment numbers at the main entrance, someone had buzzed him in and he’d been pounding on her apartment door for the last five minutes. But there was no response, and he knew she wasn’t that heavy a sleeper.

He slid tiredly down onto the floor outside her door. Had she somehow known he was on his way over here? No.... how would she know that?

His head dropped down in momentary defeat and he ran his fingers through his hair, groaning.

She hadn’t moved on already, had she?

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

The plane lifted off the tarmac, and immediately you felt a huge sense of relief. You just weren’t ready to see Billy right now - you’d probably kill him if you did, ex-Marine or not.

Now you were off on your next adventure.

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

London

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

@blackbirddaredevil23 @galaxyjane @omgrachwrites @behindmyeyes-insidemyhead @ourloveisforthelovely @swthxrry @odetostep @supernaturalcat7 @obscurilicious @strawb3rrydr3ss

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

#billy russo #billy russo x reader #billy russo fanfiction #billy russo imagine #billy russo fanfic #ben barnes #the punisher 💀

[writeforfandoms]

Merry Go Round of Life

Find my masterlist

Okay. This is a Howl’s Moving Castle AU. It’s going to be a mix of both the book and the movie because I adore both of them equally and for different reasons. 

Also, no Din yet in this chapter. Sorry not sorry. 

This will end up as Din Djarin x f!reader. At some point down the line.

Warnings: Uh. None? Light swearing maybe?

Chapter one: In which a curse is laid

In the land of Concordia, things such as three-league boots existed. Witches and wizards wandered the land. And, if rumors are to be believed, the moving castle has once again started coming down the hills towards Kalevala. 

But you weren’t worried. Nobody had actually seen the wizard out and about. Nobody even knew his name, or spoke it. He was only ever the wizard of the moving castle. And nobody had a satisfying explanation for that, either. You’d stopped asking about him years ago. 

You didn’t have time to be gossiping about some wizard, anyhow. Your mother-in-law was retired, and both of your sisters had their own lives, leaving the shop to you. Not that you really minded - you’d been raised in this shop, knew it better than anywhere else. You were content with this. Your sisters visited (indeed, Omera still worked in town, having taken over the bakery when the previous owners retired), the shop was busy enough to keep you busy and fed, and things were… calm. Predictable. 

But really, you couldn’t complain. You were the youngest of three. You didn’t boast great beauty to match Omera, or great temper to match Cara. You were just… you. One of the best seamstresses in town, yes, but just you. And that was fine. That was… fine. 

On this particular morning, you were humming a little as you carefully measured fabric for a dress. This was about the time of year when you were flooded with custom requests for parties and celebrations, and you often ended up taking your work home with you. You had some help in the shop, a young lady to man the front desk and chat with customers, but she was still in training. And you didn’t mind taking work home. 

You tutted gently as you set two pieces of fabric together, checking the edges. “Very good,” you muttered to yourself. “You’ll be a handsome one indeed.” Chuckling at your own humor, you began to stitch the edges together. It wasn’t uncommon to find you chattering to yourself (and your sewing) as you worked. You got bored otherwise. The shop girl stayed out front, and you stayed in the back sewing unless you were needed to take measurements or consult. 

It didn’t take long for you to have the skirt portion of the dress done. At least, done enough for now. You gently set it aside and stretched, rolling your shoulders and cracking your neck before you pulled the fabric over again to make the next cuts. 

“At least the fabric is nice,” you murmured, gently running a hand along the rose-pink fabric to smooth it. “You’ll make a fine dress for the May Day dance.” You couldn’t help but smile at the thought. Your own dress (if you had time for it this year) was already squirreled away in your bedroom, and had been ready for a while. You’d made sure Omera was taken care of, too. Cara was on her own - you didn’t even know if she’d be home for the festival this year. 

You heard the bell over the door of the shop ring, but paid it no mind. Someone would yell if they needed you. Humming again, you picked up your sewing scissors, the nice heavy pair, and started cutting fabric. 

“Hey, Vee.” You could hear the customer from where you sat, but you still didn’t move. Did you sometimes listen to gossip while you worked? Sure. Not your fault they were gossiping in your hearing range. “Have you seen the castle?”

A gasp as your assistant, Vee, caught on to the subject. “No! I haven’t been out to the edge of town.”

“The castle is right out there!” the customer told her in an excited murmur. “You can see it clearly, just over the hill outside of town.”

“So close?” Vee asked in a hushed tone. “What’s he doing?”

“Don’t know,” the customer replied. “Mother thinks he’s looking for someone.”

You snorted very quietly to yourself. He was a wizard. You doubted anyone in Kalevala would hold any interest for someone like him. Not that you’d actually met many (or any) wizards but you’d read plenty about them. And this place? Probably didn’t have anybody of interest to an actual wizard.

“Maybe he’ll come to the festivities,” Vee said dreamily.

“Maybe,” the customer hummed, sounding unconvinced. On this, you sided with her - you doubted seriously the wizard would show up to May Day. Ha! That would be a sight. 

“Silly girls, the both of them,” you murmured to the dress. “But they’re young, I suppose they’re allowed to be silly.” 

It wasn’t long after that when the customer left, and Vee went back to her tasks. You shook your head and refocused on your sewing. If you weren’t interrupted, you could have this dress done in another day. 

Vee left at her normal time, and you closed up the shop. Nobody else had interrupted you, and you let out a sigh of relief once things were locked up tight. You worked for another hour or so by candlelight in the shop, and then carried a couple little things upstairs to work on in your apartment. Your apartment wasn’t much - a bedroom, kitchen/living area combo, and simple bathroom situated above the shop. But it was yours, and you didn’t have to share with anyone.

As much as you loved your sisters, you had been more than ready to strangle them by the time they moved out. 

A glance at the calendar on the wall showed that you had exactly one week left until May Day. Plenty of time to finish the last two dresses, and any last-minute adjustments that came in. You stretched briefly and ambled into the kitchen to make some dinner. 

The week passed as expected. You got your last two gowns done. You fixed and rehemmed and tweaked dresses for other customers. You even dealt with the one near-hysterical woman who came in the day before May Day a wreck because her toddler had ripped off some of the fabric roses on her dress. (That one was not an easy fix, and you gently scolded the dress for giving in to some toddler.) 

May Day was always one of the biggest celebrations of the year, full of flowers and bright colors. You donned your dress, the “closed” sign already hung up in the shop window, and ventured out into the streets. 

Things got more crowded the closer you got to the center of town, and soon you were dodging folks out making merry. You didn’t stop to join any of them, intent on your goal: your sister’s bakery. You’d been craving one of the cream cakes for weeks, and you were determined to get one. 

A group of well-dressed young men stumbled out of a tavern in front of you, and one of them made a teasing comment that you only half paid attention to. You simply looked at him and then away, dismissing him and striding on. Honestly. Boys. 

Finally, you made it to the bakery and (more or less) gently pushed your way inside. Omera was at the counter, handling payments and handing over cakes as fast as she could. She paused for a moment when she saw you before she smiled widely and called your name.

“Do you have a minute?” you shouted back at her over the dull roar inside the shop.

“I can spare one,” she replied, ushering you along the counter until she could lift up a flap for you. Grabbing your hand, she pulled you into the back of the bakery, nabbing a cream cake with her free hand. 

“How many proposals have you had today?” you asked, teasing her gently. She was beautiful, and widowed a few years ago. 

“I stopped counting after five,” she replied primly. “Sit and eat that.”

Grinning, you took the cake and sat down. “The dress looks good on you.”

“You knew it would.” She obligingly twirled for you though, showing off the whole thing. You nodded to yourself. Some of your finest work, probably. You’d be disappointed if the day ended without Omera receiving at least a dozen proposals. “Your dress is a little more plain this year, sister.”

“Hmm.” You stuffed a bite of cake in your mouth to buy yourself a little time. Which might have backfired on you, as Omera raised an eyebrow at you. You grimaced, just a little, and she huffed.

“Are you content to run the shop alone, then?”

“Maybe,” you muttered. “I don’t know. I haven’t--it hasn’t come up, recently.” You shuffled a little where you sat, uncomfortable now. 

Omera softened a little. “You could have just as many proposals, if you wanted,” she reminded you, reaching over to tweak your ear gently. “You needn’t stay at the shop by yourself.” Her smile turned teasing. “I’d even take you on as an apprentice.”

“Apprentice!” you shot back, mock-outraged. “I have spent more than enough time in your kitchen to do better than that!”

“I seem to recall someone eating all the cookie batter one day and getting sick,” she shot back. The two of you collapsed into giggles for a few moments, until someone shouted for Omera. Then she sighed. “That would be the end of my break. I’ll come see you at the shop, okay?”

“Sure,” you agreed, standing and pulling her into a hug.

“Just think about it,” she whispered in your ear. “Promise me.”

“I promise.”

You released her and made your way out of the bakery. More revellers filled the streets now, and your feet were trod on more than once as you made your way back home slowly. As night fell, bright blue and green fireworks shot into the air from outside of town, causing a great deal of commotion. Certainly they came from the wizard, but why nobody knew. You didn’t bother yourself overmuch with pondering, either. 

The week after May Day continued quietly. This was to be expected - hardly anyone would need anything except minor alterations and repairs so soon after a holiday. You’d given Vee two weeks off to spend with her family and her intended, and so you were stuck manning the store instead. 

The bell over the door tinkled and you looked up from a pair of socks you were repairing, and then paused. The woman who walked in was… odd. Very, very odd. For one thing, she was carrying a helmet propped against her hip, and she wore armor in blue and gray. Her hair was red and short, pulled back from her face. Her clothing under the armor was dark and nondescript - trousers and a long-sleeved shirt, essentially. 

You blinked at her, nonplussed for a moment, and then stood up straight behind the counter. “Can I help you?” 

“That remains to be seen.” She stepped closer to the counter, giving you a quick once-over. “You are the seamstress who made the dress for the baker? Omera, I believe her name is.”

You blinked again. “Yes.” It wasn’t unheard of for customers to refer to your other work, but it wasn’t exactly common, either.

She hummed acknowledgement of that and looked you over again. You had no idea what she was looking for, but she must not have found it, because she gave you a rather derisive look. “You’ll do.” She murmured something too low for you to hear, although it didn’t sound like Common to your ears, and flung one hand towards you, as if flinging water at you. Something cold dripped down your scalp, and you blinked rapidly at a feeling almost like vertigo. “There. That ought to do it.” She turned away sharply, and paused just before the door. “You won’t be able to tell anyone you’re under a curse, in case you were wondering.” And with that she was gone, out of the shop as quickly as she’d entered it.

#merry go round of life #the mandalorian x reader #din djarin x reader #din djarin x you #howl's moving castle au

[thebadboyfanclub]

The Dream Pt. 2 (Geralt x Reader)

So since a lot of you liked this so much I have decided to listen to the people and give y'all a part two. I hope I did it justice and please leave a note to tell me if you like it. Enjoy!

P.s I suggest you read this while listening "like real people do" by hozier

Part 1

-

It had been years since he last saw her, since he had felt her touch, since he heard her tantalizing laugh and gazed upon her glistering skin as she swam with her sisters. He had spend a week with her, sleeping next to her was the most peaceful slumber he ever had, waking up had never been easier when she was next to him, he would scoop her and cradle her in his arms knowing she was awake but allowing her to play the sleepy part cause it made it even better.

The worst part was when he had to leave her, she had slipped away in the middle of the night, when the sun came up she was hidden away from him with her sisters, he had called her name multiple times but she remained unseen. She had heard him, she could see him standing there waiting patiently for her to come out but chose not to, what good could that do? She would only hurt even more if she got to hug him goodbye, no it was better this way.

Jaskier had written and performed many songs about her as him and geralt travelled, as much as Geralt was hurting to listen and be reminded of those times he was also thankful of them, time has passed but the dreams and memories were still vivid. While Jaskier slept Geralt would hold the crystal she had given him, remembering how happy she was that he liked it, he kept it tucked away in his armor to bring him luck

-

"I think it will be best if we stopped at the next village"

"We have to go at the castle in two days, suck it up"

Geralt responded as Jaskier huffed. He had been extra irritated today, something was not quite right, he woke up heavy hearted which was a rare occasion for Geralt yet he chose to keep it a secret, he didn't need Jaskiers blabbering about Geralt being sensitive or whatever the barb had to say.

"Does this forest look familiar?"

"You're stalling"

"I'm being serious, are we making circles?"

Then he heard it, the laugh, her laugh. Geralt immediately made Roach stop as he froze, his eyes shot wide open. How could he have missed it? It's her forest, her lake, he was so in his head that he didn't realize he had to pass by her river.

"Ohhh this is marvelous! Come on Geralt let's go see your nymph."

Jaskier didn't even turn to look at Geralt who was ready to protest, he was already running towards the river.

(Y/n) was about to hide as she caught a glimpse of the eager visitor. She smiled brightly as she swam in a fast pace to reach him.

"JASKIER! WHAT A SURPRISE!"

she got out of the river and wrapped Jaskier in a tight hug. She squealed as Jaskier lifted of the ground for a split second, as she was let go of his welcoming embrace Jaskier span her around to take a look at her.

"My goodness you look exactly the same dear"

"Perk of being a magical creature, you however look so much better, you look like a man"

She was genuinely happy to see him. Over the span of that week Jaskier and (y/n) had developed a sibling type of love, his childlike outlook on life was so colorful and hopeful that you just wanted to be around him.

"Thank you, I'll take it as a compliment"

"Where is he?"

She asked him. Jaskier smile became a bit more mischievous, of course he understood her but it was so beautiful to observe their love. Jaskier could swear that his brood friend became a different person when she was around.

"Up the hill, you should go find him, he was extra grumpy today"

"Sisters! Jaskier is back!"

Jaskier wasted no time and left his belongings on the ground as he ran towards the water. She was perplexed over the fact of why didn't he follow Jaskier, why was he still over the hill. Still, her legs acted on their own as she walked away from the river and closer to him. As she got closer her heart beat grew stronger and it was almost painful, she could hear Roach step and his armor clicking. Finally there he was, his back facing her as he tied his horse to the tree.

"Geralt"

Her voice was barely audible, but of course he heard it. He had heard the encounter between his friend and (y/n) and her light steps as she came to him. For some unknown reason he was scared to face her, even shameful if you will.

He slowly turned to look at her, her cloth that was barely covering anything stuck to her, her hair was wet and her skin under the sun made the drops of water look like diamonds sliding of her silk like skin. He felt a wave of happiness as his eyes met hers, her surprising enchanting gaze put him under her spell that he never wanted to break out of.

They remained like this for a few moments, Geralt instinctively ran to her and lifted her off the ground as he hugged her, his face went to her neck as he took in a deep breath and her smell took over his senses.

"I missed you so much"

She said as tears of joy ran down her face, she closed her eyes as she enjoyed the feel of his armor against her after all this time. Geralt kept her in his arms for a bit after he lightly let her down, her hands went to his cheeks almost immediately, tears still running down hers as she tried to take in his features. Geralts hands remained on her face as they both tried to find the right words to say.

"You-you… I"

"I know. I'm sorry"

She didn't even have to finish her sentence. He understood exactly why she remained hidden back then, he also knew how much pain his departure had caused her. He took her hand in his as she kissed her palm again and again as she smiled and laughed while still crying.

"Don't cry, I'm here"

He whispered to her in such a soft way that you would think Geralt was possessed. He wiped away her tears as they both laughed together, it was a laugh of relief, their hearts finally felt that weight of being apart being lifted and they could breathe freely once again. She was the one to reach out and kiss him in the lips, the kiss showed intimacy, love, eagerness, true passion as the one craved the other so much. Geralt lifted her once again as she laughed in the kiss, to him she was as light as a feather.

"You look beautiful"

"I missed those eyes"

She replied back. So many nights she had jumped out of slumber because she would dream of his eyes, the dreams felt so real that once she was awake she would start crying over the fact that it wasn't real, that those eyes were only in her memory. Now here he was, Geralt in the flesh as she hugged and kissed her all over the face while her melodic laugh filled his ears. To him her laugh was better than any ballad Jaskier or any other barb had sang.

"My dream"

He said as they both took a breath after their kiss, their foreheads touching while she was still hovering over the earth. They were a sight for sore eyes, as they both got lost in each other's eyes and nothing else mattered to them. It was exactly what the poets and writers tried to put to words, yet no one did it justice.

"I want to come with you"

"I want to stay with you"

They said ok unison. Once again laughter was heard as they understood how much alike yet different they were, yet they wanted to sacrifice their life, to leave behind all they knew for the sake of love, they were ready to surrender themselves into this strong feeling and just live together for as long as this world aloud them.

"I shouldn't have left"

"I shouldn't have allowed you to"

She replied. Geralt gave her a kiss on her forehead and let her down once again, still taking in her presence. She smiled at him while she intertwined her fingers with his, silence took over but their eyes said everything, they had reach euphoria in the arms of the other. Their missing half was finally home.

#geralt imagine #geralt x oc #geralt x reader #geralt of rivia oneshot #geralt of rivia #witcher geralt #geralt x you #geralt x y/n #the witcher imagine #the witcher x y/n #the witcher oneshot #the witcher x reader #the witcher #the witcher x oc #the witcher x you #henry cavill oneshot #henry cavill imagine #henry cavill one shot #henry cavill appreciation #henry cavill x female reader #henry cavill x oc #henry cavill #henry cavill x you #henry cavill x y/n #henry cavill x reader

[asset35-maya]

CALYPSO 🐚 ☕️

Part 1/3

Part 2/3:

“You call this shit an espresso machine?”

“I wouldn’t, but Fowler does. The department’s on a tight budget.”

“Hmmpff.”

Gavin watched Nines tinker with the cheap coffee maker in the break room. The whole thing was so absurd it felt like an out of body experience. He hadn’t had a partner in years and was now suddenly stuck with a military-grade android who bitterly resented every second spent by his side. It was also the first time he’d met someone as temperamental, as foul-mouthed and as coffee-loving as him.

Nines smacked the machine. It produced a pitiful whine and a stream of muddy brown liquid. Gavin cleared his throat.

“We should head to the scene now. Two victims in a warehouse. One human, one android. Battered beyond recognition. I’d go by myself but I need you to scan their identities for me.”

Nines turned around with disgust and something that looked a lot like fear written across his features.

“That sounds awful. Why would I want to come see such a thing?”

“It’s… your job…?”

“No. I’m not a detective. I’m a café owner. Markus and Connor might have forced me to sign a contract with the DPD but they can’t force me to do things I don’t want to.”

“And what am I supposed to do with an uncooperative partner?”

“That is not my problem.”

Gavin was stumped. He wasn’t used to people talking back to him, especially not civilians… not that Nines was really one any more.

“Come on, man. I don’t wanna tell on you. Let’s just make this work. Getting you in trouble is only gonna push you and all your fellow tincans into more hot water. Then you’d have lost your little café for nothing.”

Strangely, he found himself appealing to reason and logic. Nines’ aggressive demeanour was so similar to his own that Gavin had been forced to switch alignment entirely. His colleagues were pleasantly surprised by the change… though now there was a new rabid dog in the station they had to avoid angering.

“Fine. But tell me where exactly to scan. I don’t wanna be looking at those poor bastards any longer than I have to.

And don’t expect me to lick any blood like Connor the great. That’s fucking disgusting.”

“Of course.”

//

\\

“Oh god. Oh RA9. Oh my…”

Nines took a shaky sip of his blue latte and dropped the cup back onto its saucer. Ralph hovered anxiously above him.

“How on earth do you look at things like that everyday? You barely batted an eye. And they call us androids inhuman.”

“Fifteen years on the job will dull your senses.”

“When did you stop getting queasy?”

Gavin lifted his own cup to his lips, not answering until he finally got a taste of the specialty coffee Nines kept raving about. He sipped and sighed in satisfaction. Calypso was everything it was talked up by the press to be.

“Right after a triple homicide by this dude I went to school with. He grew up exactly the same way I did. He had a nice family, nice job. There was nothing wrong with him. He could have been me, I could have been him. But how did the universe decide who’d be the cop and who’d be the killer? No phcking clue. No rhyme or reason for the way things turned out. And that realisation chilled me to the phcking bone, dude. There’s things scarier than blood and guts and that’s the workings of our own minds.”

Nines considered that for a moment and shuddered. Ralph hastily walked away, muttering to himself.

“Ralph does not like these talks. Murders and killings and bloody, bloody things. It reminds Ralph of the old days.”

Gavin watched him retreat behind the store counter with a raised eyebrow.

“Where on earth did you find that specimen?”

“In a haunted house.”

Gavin blinked uncertainly, not sure if he was being serious. Nines barked a laugh.

“Both of us were living rough after the Revolution. He’d been squatting in different buildings since he deviated and I was one of the new units Connor brought onto the streets from Cyberlife Tower. Didn’t have any clothes on. Didn’t have anywhere to go. I just ducked into the first abandoned building I saw. Needless to say I got the scare of my life, just as the poster outside promised.”

Nines’ eyes flicked over fondly to Ralph. The WR600 was now dealing rather enthusiastically with a customer. Gavin followed Nines’ gaze, sipping the heavenly coffee while his perception of the world went through another sea change.

//

\\

“I’m proud of you, son. You didn’t want to join us at first but you went above and beyond for this mission.”

Captain Fowler pinned a medal of honour to the front of Nines’ dress uniform as the audience clapped. Nines inclined his head but remained expressionless. He glanced sideways and Gavin couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face, scarcely noticing the matching medal that joined the other ribbons and distinguished service awards on his chest.

Connor and Markus were waiting for them as they got off the stage. Nines shoved past both of them, ignoring Markus’ outstretched hand and the camera flashes from the media.

Irony of ironies, Gavin felt the need to save face. He stopped to shake hands and pose for pictures with the leader of Jericho and new Mayor of Detroit.

“He’s served well. He’s done his part. When can he go back to his little café?”

Markus smiled wistfully.

“Securing Nines’ public service was not just a bargaining chip in passing the Android Equality bill, Detective. It was a key instrument.”

“What do you mean?”

“We don’t just need to guarantee public safety from advanced androids, we need to recuperate the development costs. Cyberlife received countless government grants for RK R&D activities. I need to show tax payers that their money didn’t go down the drain.”

“What the hell kind of freedom is this?”

Markus dipped his head and Connor swiftly motioned for a journalist to join them.

//

\\

“Turn the car around! Turn the fuck around!”

“Okay okay! Hang on!”

Gavin was used to Nines’ temper but he was now seeing it accompanied by anxiety for the first time. His hands were splayed out across the dashboard and his eyes were as wide as dinner plates. The LED on his temple sparked red in between its rapid cycles of yellow.

Weaving expertly through the traffic, Gavin pulled up outside Calypso Café. Nines leapt out of the police car before it fully stopped.

Gavin saw the source of trouble instantly. Two burly men tossing chairs and kicking tables. A third was berating terrified patrons and a fourth jeered at Ralph, plucking at his apron and smacking his damaged cheek. Gavin knew that anti-android sentiment still simmered beneath the surface of their society, but it had been a while since he’d seen it rear its ugly head… and so violently at that.

Nines barged into his beloved café and bodily flung the men out. They flew through the air and hit the pavement as if they weighed nothing. Gavin watched with muted horror, realising why exactly anyone would want the government to keep an eye on the RK900.

There was a sickening crunch as Nines broke the nose of the man who’d been bullying Ralph. But it didn’t end there. He kicked him down the entrance steps and leapt onto the man’s torso, pummelling his brutish face into the concrete.

Gavin could barely hear himself yelling for Nines to stop above the cacophony of screams from the vicinity. Seconds flew by and spatters of blood turned into veritable rivulets running down the pavement.

Not daring to intervene physically, Gavin pulled out his service revolver.

“Nines, get off him! Nines, it’s not worth it! If you kill him, everything ends! Nines! Stop! I’ll shoot if you don’t let go! Don’t make me do this, man! Please!”

He counted down and cursed when Nines showed no indication of having heard him. He fired a warning shot. Then two more. And then he pointed his weapon directly at Nines.

One bullet to the android’s midsection.

A burst of blue.

A staticky cry of surprise.

And Nines dropped to the side.

The other aggressors scrambled to scrape their unconscious ringleader off the ground and hurried away. Gavin made no effort to stop them. He flipped Nines onto his back and looked into the angry blue eyes.

“Wipe all the security cameras on the street.”

“Already did.”

Ralph helped him carry Nines into the vandalised café. Gavin ripped open the stained shirt and felt up the chassis for the embedded bullet. He took the toolbox from Ralph and began to work, guided by a lifesaving instinct that somehow applied to androids too.

“I should have been there.”

“What?”

“Ralph. I should have been there with you. I’d have never let those bastards into the store. I’d have never let them put their hands on you.”

“Ralph is okay. Completely fine! There is no need to worry about Ralph. Ralph is worried about you. So much thirium…”

“This should have never happened. You were there for me when I didn’t even have a stitch of clothing on my chassis, but I abandoned you to run Calypso on your own. You could have gotten hurt badly today. I’m so sorry, Ralph.”

Gavin plucked the bullet out and began working to stem the flow of blue blood. His hands shook with empathetic rage, and Nines noticed.

//

\\

“I honestly think falling back on your core programming is the right thing to do. It’s the same thing as humans playing to their strengths. It doesn’t mean we’re still trapped by our software instructions. It doesn’t mean we’re not deviant. It just means that we’re choosing to do something we’re indisputably good at.”

Nines’ grip on his thirium beer was so tight that his knuckles had turned white. The synth skin was stretched to breaking point, exposing the plastic chassis beneath. Gavin swallowed uncomfortably. He found himself wishing that he was an android too and could telepathically ask Connor to shut the phck up.

As usual, he was the only one who noticed Nines’ tension. Hank and Fowler and all their other insensitive colleagues were nodding sagely at the bullshit the RK800 was spewing.

“I mean, sure, there’s plenty of androids who choose alternative career paths, but I think that’s just an unnecessary hill to climb. If you’re up for the challenge, go for it by all means, but why? It’s never made sense to me. I can’t imagine being anything other than a detective.”

Gavin’s eyes flitted between both ends of Hank’s backyard as if he were watching a tennis match. Connor continued to babble and Nines grip on his drink became increasingly vice-like.

Then there was a splintering sound.

A spray of blue beer.

A scatter of broken glass.

Time seemed to slow down as Nines pushed himself off the fence he was leaning on and made his way across the yard.

And then Gavin had a fleeting vision of Connor being tackled to the ground and having his jaw ripped off. He’d heard plenty about preconstructions but he’d never expected to have one himself as a human. Or was that just what they called a premonition?

Gavin moved quickly.

He actually ran.

He paid no heed to the irritated murmurs and cries of alarm.

He pushed a hapless colleague out of the way and inserted himself directly in Nines’ path…

deftly avoided the attempt to shove him aside…

wrapped his arms around Nines’ neck…

and kissed him.

//

Part 3/3

#tw: physical violence #reed900 #dbh rk900 #rk900 #gavin900 #gavin reed #dbh gavin #dbh nines #gavin x rk900 #dbh #dbh connor #dbh markus #dbh ralph #dbh fanfic #dbh writing #my writing

[elisela]

do you know how to do take-aways? (read on ao3) derek x stiles, g, 2.2k, au, meet cute, fluff, kid fic

prompt: call me for @tylerhunklin

--

"Hey Scott," Stiles says, jamming the phone receiver between his shoulder and ear so he can go back to typing with both his hands. "Desk duty is killing me, man, do you know how much of a backlog on paperwork there is in this place? Fucking ridiculous—"

"Stiles," Scott cuts in, “I have a call I need you to take."

Stiles sits up straighter and frowns. "We've got people out on patrol—"

Scott's laughter is warm and familiar in his ear. "No, it's not a patrol thing. I'm gonna transfer it over to you, okay? And I’m still coming to bring you dinner tonight."

"Roger," Stiles says, lazily snapping a salute despite Scott not being able to see him. There's a pause and a click, and he slips back into his professional mode—the one his dad definitely wishes he would use more often. "Beacon Hills Sheriff's Department, this is Deputy Stilinski, how can I help you?"

"Hi," a small voice says. "Do you know how to do take-aways?"

He frowns, glancing over at the display on the phone screen. He'd think it was a joke except he doubts Scott would patch that through, and there's a childish tone to the voice that's difficult to fake. "Like subtraction?" he asks.

"Yeah," the voice says. "We learned it today but I don't remember and I gotta do my homework."

He presses his lips together so he doesn't laugh and slouches, relaxing a little in his seat. "Sure do," he says. "What's your name?"

"Talia Marie Hale," she says promptly, and Stiles scribbles it down on a piece of paper. "How do I do five take away five?"

"Can you put up five fingers?" he asks, and she makes a noise of assent. "Okay, now put five of them down." He hears her counting in the background and he copies the number the shows on his display underneath her name, then clicks over to run it through the system. When she stops, he says, "okay, how many fingers do you still have up?"

"I don't have any," she says. "How do you write that?"

"Zero," he says. "Do you know how to make that? It's like a big o." He waits another moment before asking, "is anyone in the house with you, Talia?"

"Yeah, my auntie," she says. "But I can't ask her questions while she's writing unless it's an emergency."

He can't catch himself before he laughs. "What made you decide to call 9-1-1?"

"My teacher said if you ever need help you can call," Talia says. "And I really need help. What's seven take away three?"

--

The second call comes in three days later. He's peeling apart his turkey sandwich and layering Doritos on it, providing much-needed crunch, when his phone rings through from dispatch. "Sup, Scott," he says, because Scott's the only one who ever bothers to call him directly.

"Sorry, Stiles, just me," Kira says. "I have someone on the line for you. Given that she asked for you by name, maybe you could remind her that this line is for emergencies and talk to her guardian?"

He presses the top slice of bread back onto his sandwich and leans back in his chair. "Got it," he says, and waits for the click. "That you, Miss Hale?"

"Hi, Mr. Deputy Stilinski,"  she says, tiny voice chipper in his ear. "I'm really confused about this take away."

"Hit me," he says, and she giggles.

"Ten take away six," she says. "I put up all my fingers but I got confused."

He hums and glances around his desk. "Are you with your auntie again today?" he asks, and when she confirms he adds, "do you have any toys at her house?"

"I'm at my house," she says. "Auntie watches me while Daddy's away for work, but she's busy writing her thesis so I can't go in the office."

"What's your dad's name?" he asks.

"Derek Samuel Hale," she says. "And my auntie's name is Cora Elizabeth Hale, and my other auntie is Laura Margaret Hale, and my dog's name is Ruffio Hale. Like from Hook. Auntie Cora named him because she said Daddy was scared of Hook when he was my age and she likes to make fun of him. Daddy tried to rename him but he only wants to answer to Ruffio now."

He writes it all down with a grin—even the unasked for information—and flicks at his mouse to wake his computer. "Your aunt sounds pretty cool," he says. "Okay, go get ten small toys and we'll get your math done. Blocks, if you have them."

He runs Cora's name through the system as he waits, just to make sure Talia isn't being left with someone irresponsible, and finds nothing of consequence. He keeps the list, though; he'll tell Talia not to call 9-1-1 anymore unless it's an emergency, and if she does, he'll get in touch with her dad then.

--

"Little red h-hen makes s-sop," Talia reads, and pauses. "That doesn't sound right. What's ou?"

"Spell the whole thing for me," he says, and corrects, "soup," when she does, spearing a piece of microwaved chicken and popping it in his mouth. He's quiet while she reads, only interjecting when she needs help, trying to eat silently in the background. She mostly spells the comprehension questions for him and he reads them to her, and when she finally thanks him and hangs up, he looks up to see his dad standing over his shoulder.

"Hey, Pops, I finished the file on—"

"When did your desk turn in to the homework helpline?" Noah asks, frowning, and Stiles rolls his eyes.

"She only calls on my break, it's fine," he says, waving a hand to brush away the question before picking up the file. "Anyway—"

"Are her parents aware?"

"I left her aunt a voicemail on Monday," he says, and when his dad just looks at him, he sighs. "Fine, I left her a message last Monday and I haven't heard back, but she's not alone in the house, nothing bad is going on, she's just—lonely, I think." It's something he understands; after his mom passed away, he'd started calling Edith, who worked the front desk of the station when he was a kid, every night his dad wasn't home.

"Call again,"  Noah says, "and next time, make whoever is home with her aware of it. Once or twice is fine; every day for weeks is a problem."

--

"Here," he says, and Talia gives him the first letter promptly before pausing and spelling out the rest. "Good job. Um, said."

He might be extending their time on the phone, just a little. He likes talking to her; she reminds him of himself, her elementary drama always makes him laugh, and she likes asking him questions about being a deputy. So he’s not really looking forward to asking to speak to her aunt and put a stop to all this.

When she seems like she’s winding down, he sighs. “I know you’re not supposed to interrupt Auntie Cora,” he says, “but I was hoping to talk to her. Can you tell her Deputy Stiles is on the phone?”

“Oh, Auntie’s not here,” Talia says, and Stiles feels the beginning of a heart attack coming on before she adds, “Daddy’s home now. I’ll go get him.” He hears a thunk and then little feet running, her calling out for her Dad before there’s a muffled thump.

“Hello?”

“Uh, hi,” he says, “this is Deputy Stilinski from BHSD—is this Mr. Hale?”

“This is,” he says, and if it’s possible to fall in love with a voice, Stiles does so right then. Soft and gentle, just a bit of concern, and he has to stop himself from running Derek’s name through the system to get a photo. His dad is already irritated with him for encouraging Talia’s calls (and, you know, for the whole stopping a bank robbery in progress thing that led to the injury that landed him on desk duty), he doesn’t need to add misuse of resources to the list. “Is everything okay?”

He takes a breath and explains, starts from the beginning and includes how he gave Talia his desk number so she would stop calling 9-1-1, makes sure to add that he’d tried to get ahold of Cora—and leaves out the fact he hadn’t called Mr. Hale directly even though he could have easily done so—and when he’s finished talking, he adds, “I didn’t mind, honestly, she just told me today that you were back in town and I wanted to let you know.”

There’s a pause where he holds his breath and hopes that Mr. Hale doesn’t think he’s a creep, or doesn’t demand to speak to the Sheriff—but he just lets out a breath and says “I am so sorry, I’ll absolutely talk to her, it won’t happen again.”

“I really didn’t mind,” he says again, because he also doesn’t want to get Talia into trouble. “She must get home from school at the same time my break starts because she always called at the same time, I wasn’t busy. Just making you aware.”

“Thank you,” Mr. Hale says. “Deputy—” and isn’t Stiles going to have dreams where his name is said like that, low and grateful and—

“Sorry?” he asks, flushing when he realizes he’s lost track of the conversation. “I didn’t catch that.”

“I appreciate what you did,” Mr. Hale says. “I’ll talk to her.”

--

Talia doesn’t call the next day.

She shows up instead.

“Mr. Deputy Stiles!” he hears from the front, and his head snaps up to see a little girl with long dark hair looking around the room, envelope clutched in one hand, the holding onto the hottest man Stiles has ever seen and holy shit, he suddenly believes that karma is very real and he has clearly done something good in his life to earn this kind of reward.

He starts to stand, and her eyes catch his and light up as she tugs her dad towards him. “Miss Hale?”

“Hi!” she says, flinging her arms around his waist. He hugs her back and looks over at her dad, who gives him a sheepish look and shrugs. “I got a hundred percent on my sight words test and Daddy said we could go to ice cream to celebrate and then when we were at ice cream he said we should do something nice for you because you helped me so so so much and I really wanted to come here anyway because I want to see a real jail and Daddy said if I was really really nice and asked politely then maybe you could show me some handcuffs—”

If this is what he’s like, he’s starting to understand why it was difficult for him to make friends in school, because she just does not stop, and doesn’t leave an opportunity for him to get a word in. He crouches down so he’s eye-level with her and waits it out, accepting the envelope when she finally runs out of words and beams at him. “Thank you,” he says, and when he opens it up to find a drawing and a handful of gift cards, he looks up to Mr. Hale. “You really didn’t have to, Mr. Hale,” he says, wrapping one arm around Talia’s shoulders when she darts in to hug him again.

“Derek,” he says, and when he smiles, Stiles is pretty sure he’s found God. “We don’t want to take up your time, I just wanted to thank you.”

“But—” Talia starts, and falls quiet when Derek looks at her again. “I can’t even see the people in the jail?”

“It’s not really a jail,” Stiles says, shrugging, “just a holding cell. And there’s no one in it right now.”

“Boo,” Talia says. “Can I meet your Sheriff?”

“Lia,” Derek warns, and she sighs explosively. “Sorry about—all this. I talked to Cora and she knows to give Talia a little more attention during homework time, so she won’t—she shouldn’t—be calling you again. Talia, we need to get home. Say thank you and goodbye.”

“Bye, Mr. Deputy Stiles,” she says, and he knows—he knows—that her sticking out her bottom lip and pouting is nothing more than a manipulation tactic, but it hits him all the same. “Thank you.”

--

“Deputy Stilinski,” he says before he fully has the receiver to his ear, wadding up a piece of scrap paper and tossing it at Jordan’s head to get his attention. He motions to the pizza box laying on his desk—dinner for the station courtesy of Derek, who clearly didn’t know the going rate for tutors given the sheer amount he’d dropped on gift cards—and makes a grabbing motion. They’ll be having station dinners for weeks—so long as they cater to his busted foot and bring him what he wants. Otherwise, he’s spending it all on himself.

“Hi,” someone says, and “sorry, this is Derek Hale, Talia’s dad?”

“Hey,” he says, sitting up straighter. “How can I help you?”

“I—” there’s a pause and a muffled sound, a conversation happening just outside of what Stiles can hear. “Sorry, I—I wanted to ask if you would be interested in getting coffee on Saturday. With me,” he adds, and Stiles can hear it when he cups his hand over the microphone and says, “Talia, stop.”

It’s like a record scratch in his brain. “Coffee?” he repeats. He’d thanked karma for smiling down on him, but he’d figured the encounter with Derek was one and done. “You want—with me?”

“Yes,” Derek says, “although my daughter is also extremely interested and I believe is willing to fight me for you.”

Laughter bursts out of his mouth before he can stop it. “You know, I think Talia did call dibs first,” he says, grinning. “What if we all got coffee and then you and I went for lunch?”

“I can work with that,” Derek says. “It’s a date.”

#sterek #sterek fic #derek hale #stiles stilinski #eli writes #sterek au #deputy stiles #KID FIC #meet cute

[beskarhearts]

The Marshal (Din Djarin x reader)

gif credit @stwrsdaily

Connection series Pt. 12

Pairing: Din Djarin x f!reader (no use of Y/N)

Warnings: cursing, jealous Din and reader, a little ~sexual~ tension/mentions of sex (no smut), canon typical violence, chapter 2 spoilers

Word count: over 15.7 K words (ooof this is a long one)

Summary: Din and you land on Tatooine to find a Mandalorian, instead finding a marshal with a very specific request.

Notes: Did I finish editing this today and I decide I didn’t want to wait until tomorrow to post it? Absolutely. Anyways, I really enjoy this chapter and I hope you all do too. As always, tell me what you think and enjoy!!

Previous Part ____ Next Part

_________________________________________

“Are we just headed straight to Mos Pelgo?” you asked Din as he sat in the drivers seat of the Crest, flying through canyons. You had reached Tatooine and though you had never been there before, it felt very familiar. It reminded you of Jakku in many ways: monotone and mostly desert, with the only distinguishing features being sand dunes or canyons. While this kind of terrain wasn’t your absolute favorite or the most beautiful, it put you at ease. It was something you were familiar with and could hold onto when in unfamiliar territory. And while you had heard rumors of Tatooine being a rough place to live, with many spending their lives fighting to just get water and avoid the scoundrels who were spread throughout the planet, even that aspect of it felt familiar. You were used to rough types and having to work hard to get through the day. 

“No. We have to stop at Mos Eisley first.” Din said, reaching over to press a button on the dash as he began to lower the ship closer to the ground. 

You furrowed your brow, leaning forward in the passengers seat to look out the window where you saw small spots in the sand pop up, probably Banthas. “How come?”

“I looked at a map, can’t find that town anywhere. I know a mechanic who might be able to help out.”

You let your jaw drop slightly, looking over at him incredulously but also playfully, letting one of your eyebrows quirk up. “Are you cheating on me with another mechanic? I thought I was your favorite mechanic.”

Din shook his head at your dramatics, not letting a chuckle out this time as he continued to focus most of his attention on flying over the hills and through the canyons. “You are. She is a friend and I trust her to help.”

You couldn’t help the way your stomach lurched at his explanation. Din didn’t really talk about any friends, only saying he had a few there and there. You had bothered him for more information on these ‘friends’ of his, but he always gave you a classic Din answer: nondescript and vague in every way. You definitely would of remembered if he had mentioned a friend on Mos Eisley. A mechanic friend who was a female. A female he trusted in a galaxy where there were very few people you were able to trust.

You instantly felt ridiculous but couldn’t help the way your eyes furrowed and the gears in your mind went off, thinking of every possible situation in which this woman was anything but ‘just a friend’. Din hadn’t known you for that long in the grand scheme of things. That means there were people before you. Perhaps female companions who had kept him company. You supposed it wasn’t impossible. He was a man after all. It wouldn’t be unreasonable to assume that it was very much a possibility that he had some ‘friends’ spread throughout the galaxy. 

 “A friend.” you tried not to sound so pinched up, like you were talking about something that absolutely disgusted you. But you knew he heard it when he slowly turned to face you for a second, his helmet tilting just the tiniest bit.

A chuckle passed through his modulator as he saw your face, shaking his head in response as he turned back to pay attention to where he was flying. “Are you jealous?”

You stubbornly put your arms over your chest, raising your eyebrows as if what he said what the most lubricious thing in the world and not absolutely true. You shouldn’t even be jealous. You didn’t have a claim on him. For all you knew, you were just two very close friends. Who happened to kiss and spend nights sleeping in the same beds. Who happened to whisper sweet nothings to each other and run your hands through each others hair at night. You know, just that casual friendly stuff everybody does...

“Uh, no. That would be stupid.” You let out a laugh after, trying to show just how not jealous you were. But it was dry and sounded forced and if anything, it expressed just exactly how jealous you were.

“Really?” you heard the tone of his voice, knew he read right through you, even though he wasn’t looking at you. 

You rolled your eyes and turned away from him, hoping your face wasn’t as flushed as it felt. “No way. Can’t wait to meet this friend of yours. Maybe she is a hot babe.” You looked over at him quickly, to see if he would nod in confirmation or say something to give you a hint.

Instead, Din just broke out into complete laughter, a sound like sounded so sweet like honey to your ears usually but now it just made you scowl. “I think you will like her.”

The ship suddenly lurched, starting to land into a hanger of what was obviously a Spaceport. It wasn’t the nicest, but far nicer than the one you had worked at in Jakku. Definitely larger and it looked well taken care of. You couldn’t help the way you narrowed your eyes, trying to find this mysterious female friend but you only saw port droids scurry away as the Crest landed. No sign of any hot babes. Once parked, Din looked over at you. “She is going to insist on working on the ship.”

“You are letting someone else work on the ship?” you said with shock. Not only was there a possibility of a hot babe, but a hot babe who was going to touch the ship you worked on? You knew the pang in your chest wasn’t necessarily because of her touching the ship, but the idea of her touching the other hunk of metal that sat before you.

“I though you hated this ship?”

You pouted slightly, tightening the arms across your body. “I do but it will miss me. I may not be your favorite mechanic, but the Crest loves me.”

Din chuckled, starting to head down the ladder and leave your dramatic antics behind, into the hull where the child was sat in the hammock. You followed him down to find Din grabbing the child and putting him in the bag on his waist. “You ready to see an old friend, kid?”

The kid just looked up, not being the one to respond as you let out a gasp. “The kid knows this mysterious friend? I feel very out of the loop.”

“And not at all jealous.” Din responded and you froze in your tracks as Din began to open the hull of the ship, walking down the ramp without you and leaving you stunned in your spot.

“When the hell did I allow you to get so cocky?” you muttered, shaking your head in wonder.

“Hey, hey, hey! Sorry, gang. Come on! You know he doesn’t like droids!“ you heard the yelling from inside the ship, accompanied by the clatter and beeps of droids. You felt intrigued right away. It was definitely a female, but it didn’t sound like what you had expected (maybe because you were expecting some sultry voice but that didn’t matter). It was higher pitched but sounded older than you would of guessed. Please, Maker or Force or whatever, don’t let this be a hot babe. 

You straightened your shoulders, trying to keep a blank face and let the red of your cheeks calm before strolling down the ramp of the Crest, arms still crossed over your chest. But you didn’t even make it halfway before you froze on the ramp, the woman coming into view. That was not what you were expecting. She was yelling at the droids, her brown curly hair frizzy from the heat of the planet. She wiped her hands on her jacket as she walked over, looking at Din but not seeming to notice you yet. She didn’t smile, just looking already exhausted by his presence and exasperated, as if ready for him to bother her entirely too much.

Shit, Din was right. You were going to like her.

“May as well let them have at it. The Crest needs a good once-over.” You couldn’t help but to let your jaw drop. You didn’t know if she detected the teasing edge of his voice but you heard it clearly, watching as he turned just slightly to look at you with a tilted helmet, as if asking ‘is this what you expected?’ You wanted to storm down the ramp and punch him in the shoulder, but instead you tried to hold back the grin from your face.

The woman continued to ramble on, her attention now focused on the droids as she huffed away at them. “Oh! So he likes droids now. Well, you heard him. Give it a once-over!” She huffed and looked at Din. “I guess a lot has changed since you were last in Mos...”

She finally looked over his shoulder as you resumed your way down the ramp, her eyes widening and the areas where her brows were supposed to be shot up. She looked over at Din and then her head whipped down over at you as you finally stopped next to Mandalorian. “Oh, Maker. It’s a woman!”

“Well, I’m glad that is clear.” You responded with a grin.

The woman looked back and forth between you and Din, the shocked expression not leaving her face even a bit. Her lips were moving, as if she was trying to find something to say to convey the shock she felt. She finally set her sights on Din, raising a brow. “What happened? What did you do?”

You chuckled at the accusatory tone as Din just looked over at you. “This is Peli Motto, my friend.” He placed extra emphasis on the friend and you could feel the grin that was on his face. “Peli, this is my...” Din paused, his helmet still aimed at you.

You just looked back at him, waiting for his response. You suppose he could say friend or maybe coworker of some sort, though that seemed like a mockery to the relationship you now had. But what else would he say? Girlfriend? That sounded silly. Companion? Now that was just ridiculous sounding. You guys hadn’t spoke about it but you couldn’t even imagine Din saying any of those words, nonetheless to another person. 

The silence continued on for an inordinate amount of time, the expression on your face not even breaking Din out of his newfound trance. “I’m a friend.” you slowly said, filling in the rest of the sentence. Din just nodded before turning back to Peli, whose look of shock was now replaced with obvious confusion.

“Well that was weird.” She said, stating the obvious and you may of laughed at it if it weren’t for how uncomfortable the situation was for you.. “Where is the kid?”

Din grabbed the satchel on his side, holding it up so Motto could look straight at the kid. The child seemed to recognize her, staring straight up at woman. A grin broke out on her face instantly and she threw her hands up in joy. “Oh! Thank the Force! This little thing has had me worried sick. Come here, you little womp rat.” 

You chuckled as she called him by the same nickname you often used, her hands reaching out for him and bringing him into her arms, her body starting to sway just slightly. She chuckled as the kid stared up at her. “Looks like it remembers me. How much do you want for it?” She paused just a moment, before continuing. “Just kidding. But not really. You know, if this thing ever divides or buds, I will gladly pay for the offspring.”

“We’ll get working on that. Make it a booming business.” you responded and she looked up at you with a grin.

“She is funny.” She directed the statement towards Din who sighed. “Where did you find a funny woman who was willing to stick around with you?”

“Lots of credits and no contact with the outside world.” You sarcastically responded but her face just dropped in shock, obviously believing the statement.

“She is kidding.” Din responded and you couldn’t help but to laugh at the exasperation in his voice.

“Oh, kriff. Good!” She looked back at you. “Seriously though, why are you with this guy?”

You chuckled at her question, looking over at Din briefly. “Let’s just say he is lucky the kid is cute.” You teased.

She nodded. “That’s the only reason I let his hunk of junk park here.”

“And not because of the credits?” Din asked.

Peli scowled in response, about to answer when her attention was broken by a loud bang. “Oh, geez. Watch what you’re doing up there! He barely trusts your kind! What, you want to give all droids a bad name?” She continued to yell at the droids, one of which got an air tube stuck to his face. 

You leaned into Din a little as she turned away, whispering, “What is with the whole droid thing? You don’t like them?”

“Long story. Don’t mind them now.” he briefly responded and you told yourself to remember to ask him about that later.

Peli suddenly looked back over at you two, eyes narrowing as she saw how close the two of you stood together. You took a small step to the side but her gaze remained steady. “I’ve got to ask. How did you get such a pretty girlfriend? This makes no sense.”

You brought your hand up to your mouth, trying to not choke or laugh at the question. You felt your face flush brightly and you just looked over at Din who stood frozen, just looking at Peli. “I need your help.”

The statement was made to avoid the question but she still scowled at the response. “I assume she is at least.” Her gaze dropped down to you. “Am I right? Because I think I’m right and I have lots of questions if I am. Like why? How? Does he take the helmet off or does that stay on during-”

“You know, we really do need your help actually.” You interrupted, wanting her to stop because you had no clue how to answer any of those questions and fearing what else she would say.

She rolled her eyes, clearly not happy with the lack of answers to her many questions but just nodded. “Fine, then business you shall have. Care for me to watch this wrinkled critter while you seek out adventure?” The question was said hopefully, her arms wrapping around the kid tighter.

“I’ve been quested to bring this one back to its kind.“ Din responded and she chuckled.

“I can’t help you there. I’ve never seen any like it. And trust me, I’ve seen all shapes and sizes in this town.” She looked over at you. “You wouldn’t believe it. Shocking.”

You laughed at her expression, thinking you could probably share a few stories of your own with her. “You’ll have to tell me some time but for now, we need to find a Mandalorian that is supposed to be here.”

“That friend of yours has been the only Mando here for years from what I can tell.” She stated and you sighed. Just like Din had thought.

“Where is Mos Pelgo? I’m told there’s one there.” Din asked.

“Oh. Boy, I haven’t heard that name in a while.“

“It’s not on any map.” You said and she nodded.

“That’s ‘cause it was wiped out by bandits. Once the Empire fell, it was a free-for-all. I didn’t dare leave the city walls. Still don’t.” You couldn’t help but to sigh. Couldn’t Din have to go somewhere that was nice? Just once.

“Can you tell me where it used to be?” Din asked and she shrugged.

“Depends who’s asking. I’ll let you and your friend see it.” She smirked at the way she said friend before shouting to a droid, “R-5! Bring the map of Tatooine.”

You watched as a R5 unit strolled over rather slowly, continuously beeping in response. You noticed a panel on the back of it’s head that looked busted, looking like it was a bad motivator.

“No, take your time.” She looks over at you two, shaking her head. “Seriously. You just can’t get good help anymore. I don’t even know who to complain to! Let’s go, let’s go.” The droid responds back with a melody of beeps, seeming to be yelling at Peli in response. 

The droid finally stopped moving, projecting a map which Peli reached over to touch, moving it around and pointing at it as she began to talk. “This is a map of Tatooine before the war. You got Mos Eisley, Mos Espa, and up around this region, Mos Pelgo.”

You squint your eyes, trying to look into the map at where Mos Pelgo was but finding absolutely nothing. Like you had observed earlier, Tatooine seemed to just be a giant desert with a few sparsely located towns and not much else. “I don’t see anything. Is this the right map?”

“Yep. It’s there. Or at least it used to be. Not much to speak of. It’s an old mining settlement. They’re gonna see that big hunk o’ metal long before you land.” Her head tilted towards the ship and you nodded. She was right. A town small enough to barely appear on the map would definitely be alarmed to the presence of a ship, especially one as large as Dins. 

“You still have that speeder bike?” Din asked and you felt yourself get excited. You had always wanted to get a speeder bike, almost getting all the parts to fix one you had found on Jakku but that had been stolen before you even had the chance to learn how to fix it. 

“Sure do. It’s a little rusty, but I got it. Let me get it ready.” She said, beginning to stroll away. 

You looked over at Din with a grin. “Can I drive the speeder bike?”

He looked over at you. “Do you know how to ride one?”

You twisted your lips and shrugged. “No, but it probably isn’t too hard.”

“It is harder than you’d think. I’ll drive it that way you don’t kill us.”

You huffed at his sarcasm, crossing your arms over your chest as you looked up at him quizzically. “I wouldn’t kill us. I’ve always wanted to ride one.”

“What if I promise one day we’ll get a speeder bike and I’ll teach you how to drive it?”

You bounced on your feet, grinning up at him. “Really?”

“Yes.” Din nodded.

You looked up at him, beginning to step a little closer to him as he aimed his helmet down to look at your face. “It is a shame there are people and droids around.”

“Why is that, sweet one?”

“Because I really want to kiss you right now.” you stated and watched as Din shook his head as if trying to not get flustered. You giggled, still smiling brightly up at him even as he turned away from you, seeming to make sure no one was nearby.

“Didn’t know speeder bikes would make you this happy.” He said, quieter than he had spoken before.

You bit your lip. “What can I say? I’m a sucker for a hunk of metal.” You winked at him as he chuckled at your statement.

“Oh yeah, this looks just like a friendly conversation to me. Nothing more.” You looked up to find Peli staring at you two, shaking her head. You bit your lip, trying to bite back some laughter as she looked at the two of you with discontent, clearly wanting more information. Instead of saying anything, you and Din just looked right back at her and she rolled her eyes, placing her hands on her hips. “Your speeder bike is ready to go.”

__________

“We need to stop for the night.” Din said loudly, speaking over the wind that rushed past your ears. The speeder bike was a little rocky, not in the greatest condition, but it was fast and thrilling. You had now spent hours riding on it, sitting behind Din and holding onto his waist. The child had been sat at his side, his little ears flapping in the wind as he smiled and giggled. Much like you, he absolutely loved the speeder. Had spent most of the time just letting the wind rush past him and occasionally cooing loudly if you hit a bump or moved sporadically, loving the thrill of it.

“Okay.” It was now night time, the double suns of the planet just barely skirting the horizon. Din brought the speeder to a stop and you lifted your head up, looking around. You felt your eyes widen as your saw a group of Tusken Raiders not too far away, beginning to rise from the fire they had set and looking over at the three of you. “Umm... Din, we should probably go somewhere else.”

Instead, you felt your arms fall away from his waist as he rose from the bike, stepping off it on one side and reached a hand out for you to come down. Instead of grasping it, you just looked at him in shock, eyes widened. “Din, there are Tusken Raiders right there.” you whispered, starting to get panicky as they got nearer and nearer.

“I saw them.” He stated, as if a whole bunch of Raiders was just a normal sight and no big deal.

“And...?” you asked, looking at him in complete bewilderment. Din was usually calm, almost unnervingly so at times, but this was shocking to you even.

“And maybe they will let us sit by their fire.”

You couldn’t help but to gulp, your jaw slacking a little bit as you let it hang open. “What?” you whispered, your voice getting a little screechy.

“I’m good with Tusken Raiders.”

“Oh, yeah. Sorry. I just forgot how you were such a people person.” You sarcastically responded and Din chuckled.

 He brought his hand closer to you, wanting you to come down. “Trust me, cyar’ika.”

You groaned but grasped his hand, jumping off the speeder with a frown. “If I become a Tuskens wife tonight or they kill us, I will rise from the grave just to kill you.”

Din shook his head at you, not bothering to respond as he looked over once a couple of the raiders reached where your bike was parked. They were both dressed in the traditional brown fabrics of Tuskens, both holding intimidating sticks in your hands that made you wince as your remembered stories of how they could kill a man with just a stick. They began to speak to you two but instead of words, a string of grunts, loud yelling, and rough sounds tumbled from them. You had no clue what they were saying, but it didn’t sound welcoming and you just stood back as they faced the both of you, waiting for a response. 

You were just about to hiss to Din that you should leave when he began to respond to them in their language, grunting and speaking in a way you couldn’t even begin to understand. His hands moved along with his words (if that’s what you could call them) and you watched closely. Your jaw dropped just the smallest bit, not wanting the Raiders to mistake it for disrespect but shocked by Din. You didn’t know he could speak any language besides basic and hearing such a rough, primal language coming from him was surprising but also made sense in a weird way.

The three of them continued to go back and forth for a while before the two Tuskens walked off, leaving you alone. Your head whipped towards Din as soon as they got further away. “What was that?”

“What?”

“That language you were speaking!” you said, looking at him with wide eyes. What else would you be talking about?

“Tusken.” Din responded like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“You know Tusken?”

“I told you I was good with Tusken Raiders. You need to trust me, sweet one.”

You bit your lip, feeling bashful at not believing him right away. “What did they say?”

“They said we can stay by their fire tonight.”

“Really?” You said, shocked. You had heard rumors of Tuskens and they were never described as the most charming nor welcoming individuals. Tales about them usually consisted of them brutally attacking humans or being barbarians, not welcoming weary travelers to sit by their fire when in the middle of nowhere.

“As long as you treat them with respect, they are good.” You couldn’t help but to smile at his explanation. You hadn’t seen Din interact with many people, but you knew he was respectful to all kinds of creatures and people, not seeming to judge anyone or come to assumptions too harshly. It made sense, since the armor he wore made him susceptible to people making assumptions what kind of person he was based on rumors and stories of Mandalorians. Of course Din would be more likely to give people a chance, not judge them based off common knowledge which was many times wrong or unfairly dramatized for effect. 

“You are a good guy, Din.” you said softly.

Din just looked up at you, tilting his helmet a little. “We should probably head over.” Whenever you told Din that, he always seemed to shrug it off. Like he didn’t believe it himself or he still had something to prove. It always saddened you because you just wanted him to look in the mirror and see the man you saw. The kindness, respect, and care he put into the people around him was so admirable. 

You nodded but once he started to walk towards where the Tuskens sat, you grabbed his arms and stopped him in his tracks. He didn’t look back, just settling the child who seemed to be uncomfortable. “I have to admit something very, very weird.”

“What is it?” he grumbled, not seeming to put much focus on you.

“You speaking Tusken was kind of hot.” Din’s helmet whipped towards you, and even the child on his side looked up at you as if he understood what you said and was judging very harshly. 

“W-what?” He muttered.

You felt yourself flush. “You know, that sounded dumb even while I was saying it so never mind.”

Din finally chuckled, shaking his head and letting his gloved fingers drift down to your hand, his body now facing yours and his back covering what was happening so the Tuskens couldn’t see. “I’ve never been told that before.” you could hear mocking tone in his voice and you tried to pull away from him but he still held onto your hand just barely. 

“Alright, let’s never mention that I said that.” You said, completely embarrassed at this point and now finding yourself very eager to join the Tuskens, so nothing else could be said about the topic. 

“Remind me to speak to you in Tusken next time we sleep in my bed.” 

Your jaw dropped at Din and the meaning behind what he was saying. “I-I didn’t say it turned me on.” you rambled.

Din was the one to freeze this time and you felt your whole face get warm. You realized how foolish you had sounded. You and Din hadn’t done anything more than making out, neither of you pushing it forward more. You didn’t because you were self-conscious, not wanting to make of a fool of yourself. Him because... well, you didn’t know why.

“I didn’t say it turned you on either.” he said to you and you looked up at him, blinking slowly.

“You implied that.” You justified, getting even more flustered as Din began to rub circles into your hand. Your skin already felt warm enough warm enough from all the awkwardness and every time he did that, it made it worse. 

“You said it was hot.” he responded plainly.

“It was joke!” You lamely refuted.

“A joke?”

“I thought I said to never mention it again.” You felt like a child but you wanted the conversation to end and hearing Din tease you and talk about it so easily made you frustrated. 

Instead of letting go of your hand and heading to the Tuskens, Din just stepped the tiniest bit closer to you and straightened himself up, making himself taller and broader. Your chin tilted up to look at his helmet directly, which you didn’t want to do, but you also weren’t going to look down at your feet like a child. You tried to give him a plain expression, though you could feel the redness that flared across your cheeks and the way your eyebrows were furrowed slightly. Din tilted his helmet slowly, the T-visor looking straight down at you. “Do I turn you on?”

You gasped up at him, your jaw dropping. “Din Djarin!” you quietly hissed at him. But he didn’t back down, just staring right down at you. You hated his ability to make you so self-aware of everything. You feel that because of his armor and helmet, you had to hang on to every small movement and the slightest change of tone in order to read him well. And everything he did made your senses go into hyperdrive, especially when he was purposely trying to fluster you. You tried to speak, but just tripped over your words, getting annoyed with yourself. “W-well... you know you’re e-ego is a little...I think we s-should...” You bit your tongue. You were supposed to be the one with the wise mouth and quick tongue. You found yourself cockily thinking he must of learned this from you, because the Mandalorian you first met was certainly not this cocky.

“Sweet one.” He teased and you gaped up at him.

“Fine, yes! There!” You hissed and pulled away from him. Din nodded at your answer, seeming satisfied. He began to pull away but you now wanted to fluster him like he had with you. “Do I?” you blurted out.

He paused and looked back down at you. “Do you what?”

“Oh, you know what I mean, you kriffing ass.” You responded and Din chuckled, watching as you placed a hand on your hip and looked up at him expectantly.

“Yes.” The question was meant to fluster him but he answered so easily, like you asked him if he wanted some water. There was no teasing or any theatrics involved. Just a plain, simply answer. You thought of several things to say in the moment, small jabs to get back at him, but you just flushed even more, your heartbeat quickening at the answer. Say something.

“Well, good. I better.” You said, crossing your arms over your chest. You began to walk away from him, heading towards the Tusken Raiders who were sat in the circle. You could hear Din’s chuckle as he followed closely behind.

__________

You had finally reached Mos Pelgo and now you understood why you couldn’t find it on a map. It was a small town, though small sounded like the understatement of the year. The whole entire place seemed to stretch over the small portion of road Din was now slowly driving along, a few buildings on each side of it the sandy single street that passed through it, just as empty as the rest of it.The buildings were small and aged, not necessarily in bad shape but you could tell this was a town that had gone through something and didn’t have the opportunity to spruce things up. This was the kind of place where it seemed people simply had to fight each day to just live, not much focus being spent on anything. It made sense, considering its history and it being secluded so much, more so than every other town on the planet already was. It was probably afternoon now, the two suns of Tatooine blaring down on the planet and causing your clothes to stick to your skin a little. Most towns at this time would be full of people working, traveling, getting lunch, and making their way to where they had to go, this town showed no sign of the usual hustle and bustle of places during the week. It was barren except for a few curious eyes here and there, either from people stood on their porches or people peering out from their windows, eyes seeming to dig into you. Each face you saw made you feel like a suspect, like you weren’t welcome. You suspected a town like this didn’t get a lot of visitors, perhaps none for that matter. The last time there had been outsiders may have been the time it was wiped out by bandits following the fall of the Empire. And the only other life you had seen nearby had been Tusken Raiders and while Din seemed to not be bothered by them, they were, well... raiders. And very possibly could be the kind to try to swindle and rob their way through a town like this since it seemed like such an easy target, though you couldn’t imagine there was much value here to be found. After thinking about it, you could understand the judgmental and curious looks. People like this had to be this way and you couldn’t blame them.

Din slowly drifted down the street, seeming to look around for something that stood out. A place where he could find a Mandalorian. You looked around as well, straightening your body up and removing your arms from around Dins waist to bring them up to your eyes, shielding them from the piercing rays of the suns. You didn’t see any places of particular interest and with so few people around, you imagined a Mandalorian would be easy to find if there was one here, strolling around. The speeder bike eventually eased into a slow stop and you turned to your head to the left to see where Din was looking at. It appeared to be a small cantina of sorts and you couldn’t see inside its entrance completely, but you knew it was empty. No music, no sounds of voices, nothing. Just complete silence filled the air and you felt your nose scrunch up. You weren’t a fan of the silence but it seemed to swallow a place like this whole. Like there was no reason to make some noise, have some fun, spark some conversation. Din eventually rose from the bike, you joining him and watching as he made his way to the entrance. You turned back to look at the child, who was sat in the pouch on his bike. He looked up at you, seeming to not know why the ride has stopped. “You stay here for a second, kid.” you told him with a small smile.

Your feet followed Dins path in and once you entered the establishment, your assumption that it was empty was confirmed. There were no day drinkers, nor people grabbing a bite to eat or conducting business. All that stood was a lone bartender, who seemed to be mindlessly stirring a drink mix together with not much care. Definitely no Mandalorian here. Din stepped into the building more and it seemed to grab the bartenders attention, making him look up at you and Din. “Can I help you?”

“I’m looking for a Mandalorian.” You were praying for a quick answer. A simple ‘oh yes, our friendly local Mandalorian is right over there.’ Something to make your trip here worthwhile but you felt any hope dissipate as the bartender just looked at you blankly, no sense of recognition crossing his features as his hands continued to work away on the drink mix.

“Well, we don’t get many visitors in these parts. Can you describe him?” The bartender asked and you let out a sigh. If this man didn’t even know what a Mandalorian was when he had one standing right in front of him, you couldn’t imagine there was one here at all. A Mandalorian would stand out like a sore thumb in a town like this.

“Someone who looks like me.” Din explained plainly, not seeming exasperated but you knew he was thinking the same thing you were.

The man nodded slowly, letting out a hum as a flash of something seemed to finally settle in. “You mean the Marshal?”

Your eyebrows scrunched up. “Your Marshal is a Mandalorian?” You had learned quite a bit about Mandalorians since being with Din, and you had never heard him mention once any Mandalorian being a Marshal of any kind. In fact, you had never even heard of Mandalorians being anything other than bounty hunters. Probably not the type to love law enforcement, none the less become a member of it even in a small town like this where there wasn’t much to look after except a few Raiders every now and then.

“See for yourself.” He grunted and gestured his head to the door you and Din had entered. You both turned around to find a Mandalorian stood in front of you, with quite the outfit on. You knew Dins armor wasn’t the norm. He had never bragged about it or wanted to speak about how much he had paid for his beskar, but you and practically everyone else knew. It was immaculate and pristine, the kind of armor that sparks intimidation and power. Dominance and strength. This armor on the other hand... didn’t give you the same feeling at all and it didn’t even seem to match the individual wearing it. The armor it self had been painted a green and red but you had guessed that must of been many years ago due to how aged and worn it looked. The colors looked half cuffed off, the metal of it sprinkled with marks and dents that had shown it had seen much better days. The helmet that the man adorned was a bit unruly, not seeming quite right on his frame. A pair of wrist-cuffs and a chest plate matched the helmet, looking just as off and bizarre to you. You don’t know what you had expected of a Mandalorian other than Din, but this wasn’t it.

“What brings you here, strangers?” The Mandalorian finally spoke and you could hear a bit of an accent peaking through his modulator which must of also been older, not sounding as clear as the one you were used to that Din wore.

“I’ve been searching for you for many parsecs.” Din stated. You looked over at him to find him calmly stood back, looking at the man before him with no care. It was a curious thing to see him seem to be somewhat comfortable with a stranger. He was an inherently weary man, for good reason, and he didn’t warm up to people. But this wasn’t just a person. This was one of his own. Like a brother of sorts. You wondered how it must feel to have an instant connection with someone. To meet someone who swore by the same Creed you swore to, presumably meaning they had the same morals and beliefs as you did. It must be so nice, especially for a Mandalorian. You didn’t have a lot of people you could trust (or could trust you for that matter) and company wasn’t a norm meaning that when they were with other Mandalorians, there must be this two-sided relief and comfort.

“Well, now you found me.” The man teased and you raised an eyebrow. He already gave you an air of boldness, perhaps even cockiness though you gave him a benefit of a doubt because of the metal strapped to his body. He gave you a small nod, seeming to acknowledge your figure standing besides Din before he strolled to the bar, giving the bartender nod “Weequay, three snorts of spotchka.” 

He grabbed three small glasses and a flagon of blue liquid. The Marshal took a seat at a table with three chairs, gesturing to the three cups. “Why don’t you guys join me for a drink?”

You looked over at Din, who remained glued to his spot, and wondering if the same thought was going through his mind. Why was one Mandalorian offering another a drink? Why the three glasses? You curiously walked over to the table, plopping down on the seat besides the Mandalorian and studying him intently. You were about to ask him about the drinks when the answer to your question was answered by a familiar hiss and click. His hands were attached to the helmet, pulling it off his face. Part of you almost looked away, like you would of done if Din had accidentally taken his helmet off. But you already knew deep down this was no Mandalorian so you continued to look at him as the helmet completely uncovered his face and he revealed himself to everyone in the room. He had a big smirk on his face as he looked up at Din’s frozen figure. He had a handsome face with salt and pepper hair that sat on his head and trailed over his chin and jaw. The thing you noticed first though was the cocky smile on his face. A beaming grin filled it as he looked back and forth between the two of you, his eyes landing on you for a little longer as he took in your shocked but also rather annoyed expression. He began to chuckle softly, as if finding amusement in the reactions he had caused. He began pouring the liquid into the cups, each one quickly being filled by the glowing blue liquid. The scent of the alcohol filled your senses as he smoothly slid a glass across the table your way, your hands reaching out to catch it so it didn’t slip off the edge of the metal. He gave you a small nod before looking back at where Mando stood. He was still frozen but you could see how the comfort was gone from just mere seconds earlier. He was standing a little broader than before, his legs widened out into a slightly yet not overtly threatening stance. He was no longer with a Mandalorian but an imposter. An imposter who was smiling at him as if no wronging had occurred and sliding you a drink like you were an old pal and not a potential threat. “I’ve never met a real Mandalorian. Heard stories. I know you’re good at killing. And probably none too happy to see me wearing this hardware.”

You looked over at Din, your eyes catching the sight of the child in the corner, seeming to be studying some container of some sort. You looked back at Din, who hadn’t moved an inch, his helmet still steadily aimed at the Marshal before you. This was not good.

“So...I figure only one of us is walking out of here. But then I see the little guy and the beautiful lady...and I think, maybe I pegged you wrong.” The man continued, the same smirk still on his face. He was handsome but he seemed cocky, arrogant. Two things you didn’t have the energy to deal with. 

“Who are you?” you asked and he sends a glimmering grin in your direction.

“I’m Cobb Vanth, Marshal of Mos Pelgos.” He winked your way. “You can just call me Cobb though, sweetheart.”

You raised an eyebrow, sending a exasperated look in Din’s direction before drinking the cup of liquid still held in your hand. Oh, boy. This was certainly going to be interesting.

“Where did you get the armor?” Din asked.

“Bought it off some Jawas.” Why the hell did Jawas have Mandalorian armor? That must of meant there was a Mandalorian on Tatooine at some point, but it definitely was not the man in front of you.

“Hand it over.”

“Look, pal, I’m sure you call the shots where you come from, but ‘round here, I’m the one tells folks what to do.” He explained, resting his hand on the table calmly. “Why don’t you sit down with me and the pretty lady?”

“Take it off. Or I will.” Din commanded and you couldn’t help but to snort at it. You swore sometimes he said things that sounded so inherently sexual just on purpose.

Both men finally turned to look at you and you widened your eyes, realizing the tension in the room had been interrupted by you chuckling. You looked back and forth between the Marshal and Din. “Are you okay?” The marshal asked slowly, seeming intrigued by your reaction.

You nodded very slowly, pouring yourself another drink as you felt uncomfortable with both men just staring at you. “Oh, yeah. Mando here might just want to buy you a drink before he tries taking your clothes off but...” you trailed off, trying to make a joke but Din just looked back at Vanth.

Vanth on the other hand laughed, his eyes twinkling as he kept looking at you. “So far, you are much more enjoyable to deal with.” He looked over at Din. “Maybe the lady and I can work something out.”

“Take it off.” Din repeated, not in the mood for playing games. His hand itched towards his blaster, a subtle movement but once the Marshal was supposed to notice and he did, sighing.

“We gonna do this in front of the kid?” he asked, causing the child to look up from the object he was studying.

“Oh, don’t worry. He has seen much, much worse, pal.” You said with a small smirk of your own, tipping back the drink you had poured. 

“Right here then?” Cobb asked.

“Right here.” Din confirmed. 

You scooted your chair back as Cobb stood up, sighing. Both him and Din stared at each other, their sight not straying to you or the child rustling around in the corner who seemed to now be watching intently. Both of them reached for their respective blasters, just wrapping their hands around the holsters without pulling the gun itself out. You looked between the two men, exasperated. You loved Din, but if he was going to force the armor off the guy, he should just do it already. You didn’t understand why he was putting on such a show. You let out a loud sigh, crossing your arm over your chest and leaning back in the chair. You once again captured both mens attention, their heads aiming towards you and you shrugged. “Oh, ignore me. This whole ego, macho-man competition is rather thrilling.” You sarcastically muttered. 

Before either man had the chance to respond, a loud rumble tore through the atmosphere. You stood from your spot as you the Marshal raised a finger, beginning to walk outside, Din following closely behind. You swooped down to grab the child into your arms, watching as the bartender ran out the back exit. What the hell had you and Din walked into? 

You rushed out to where the Marshal and Din were, hearing an alarm start to blare. The child folded his ears onto himself slightly, tucking himself into your chest as if he was trying to hide. You stood next to the two men, watching as they both looked in the same direction. You looked over the same way and that was when you saw it. The sand in the center of the road was moving, seeming to shift from something coming below. A huge array of scales role up from the sand, only showing a small portion of the creature below who tore through the town with reckless abandon. “What the kriff?” You muttered under your breath, barely even hearing yourself over the commotion.

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any more bizarre, the creature rose from the sand like a creature breaching out of the water. A gigantic head rose up, the skin scaled and gnarled with what appeared to be almost horn-like structures rising from the head. You watched as it crashed down, swallowing a bantha whole in the process as if it was nothing. “What was that?” You asked as it finally slithered back down into the sand, seeming to disappear just as quickly as it came.

“Greater Krayt Dragon.” Din answered as the Marshal stepped forward, watching the people of his town slowly exit their homes and businesses, fearfully checking to see if the threat was truly gone before beginning to pick up the pieces of the damage.

“Maybe we can work something out.” Vanth said, beginning to walk through his town.

You and Din followed him, the child still held in your arms. “What is it?” you asked.

“That creature’s been terrorizing these parts since long before Mos Pelgo was established. Thanks to this armor, I’ve been able to protect this town from bandits and Sand People. They look to me to protect ‘em. But a Krayt Dragon is too much for me to take on alone.” For the first time, you could sense some genuine emotion in the mans voice. You heard the compassion for his people, the way he wanted to help. It was the first time you felt empathy for the man. “Help me kill it, I’ll give you the armor.”

“Deal. I’ll ride back to the ship, blow it out of the sand from the sky, use the Bantha as bait.” Din explained, seeming satisfied to come to such an easy conclusion. You couldn’t help but to raise an eyebrow. It wasn’t your luck for this to go so smoothly.

Cobb confirmed your suspicions with a tiresome smile. “Not so simple. The ship passes above, it senses the vibrations, stays underground. But I know where it lives.”

“Of course. Cause that would have been too easy.” You said and Cobb laughed.

“Exactly, dear.”

“How far?” Din asked.

“Not far. I can take you two there.” Cobb offered and you huffed. Fighting a creature to get some Mandalorian armor. Okay. Fighting a creature that can sense vibrations and having to walk into its territory? Not so okay.

“Give us a second.” You said and Cobb nodded, tipping his head towards you.

“Anything, my lady.” He said like a proper gentlemen, throwing a wink your way before strolling a few feet away to help a towns person pick something up.

You looked over at Din who just looked back at you. “This sounds dangerous.”

“We need to do it.”

“For what?”

“We get the armor and find who it belongs to.”

“Mando, this sounds like a real pain in the ass.” You whispered back at him. You understood he wanted the armor, not just for this mission but because it was considered disrespectful for someone to wear a Mandalorians armor if they weren’t one. But you also knew you didn’t want to kill yourselves over it.

“Look around, sweet one.”

You furrowed an eyebrow but looked around. You saw the people cleaning up the mess that had been made, looking exhausted but not surprised. This was a common occurrence for them. Just another part of life. But life was hard enough, especially for people in a small town like this on Tatooine. In a place like this, getting water was a chore in and of itself. They shouldn’t have to fight off a creature, one who ate their animals and Maker knows what else. You understood where Din was coming from. It wasn’t just about the armor or honor, it was about being able to help people. It was about doing the right thing.

You looked back at Din who still stared back at you and you nodded slowly. “Fine. Let’s get Vanth to show us where it is.”

Before you could walk away, Din grasped your arm just slightly, the child held within them looking over at Din to coo at him. He took it away quickly but had captured your attention. “I don’t like him.”

“I mean he seems egotistical, but I think he will stick to his word. Sounds like he needs help.” You reasoned but Din nodded his head.

“I don’t like the way he is... with you.”

You couldn’t help the sly smile on your face. “Well, well...”

“What?” Din asked, seeming confused by your response.

“Oh, just look at who is jealous now.” You sent him a wink before turning around and waving your hand, capturing Vanths attention. “Come on, marshal! Let’s kill a dragon!”

__________

Back on the speeders you were, heading towards the location of this Krayt Dragons home as you tore through rocky terrain. You clung onto Din as he slowly rode on the edge of a cliff, following Cobb Vanth who was riding on his own speeder bike.

Suddenly, a terrible and intimidating loud growl filled the air and Vanth raised a hand to alert you, both men stopping their speeders and jumping off them, readying themselves for what was to come. You joined them, jumping off the bike you shared with Din and grabbing your blaster off your hip. The kid remained on the side of bike, looking around in wonder. The animal-like noises continue on, echoing off the walls of the cliffs that surrounded you. You and Cobb both glanced around rather nervously, trying to see the source of the noise that grew closer and closer. Din stood tall, his hand tightly clasped around his blaster as he moved towards you slowly, placing his body in front of yours to shield you.

You heard the sound of what must of been foot steps coming closer, the canyon making the sound echoe and sound much more intimidating than it was. Before you could ask Din what to do, something started to round the corner, revealing a large four legged creature with scales and dark skin. It appeared almost dog like, snarling at you four while more started to appear, a whole pack coming closer.

The marshal brought his blaster up, aiming it at the creature but you raised a hand up as Din stepped forward, staring directly at the creature. If Din wasn’t shooting right away, it either wasn’t that dangerous or he had a plan. You quietly waited to see Din’s course of action so you could follow his lead. You and Vanth both suddenly jumped as the Mandalorian suddenly let out a loud cry in what sounded like the Tusken he spoke last night, the inflection in his tone and growl of his voice sounding similar. The creatures seemed to calm instantly, allowing Din to stroll towards the one who led the pack

“What the hell you doin’?” Cobb asked, his face pulled into complete shock as he stared at the scene before him. Din brought a hand up, indicating for Cobb to drop his weapon which he did slowly, seeming hesitant to do so. You put your own blaster back on your side, listening as Din let out more Tusken calls, the animals seeming to listen to them intently.

Then Din did something that made you literally laugh with joy. He bent down at the creature directly in front of him, bringing his gloved hands to the hide of its skin and began to scratch and pet at it. The animal happily leaned in the joy, almost jumping with joy at the contact. You looked over at Cobb, whose eyes were just widened as he stared curiously at the creature and Din. You just gave him a shrug as you looked back at Din, smiling as he eagerly pet the creature who seemed to be enjoying the contact thoroughly. 

You walked forward slowly, eventually making it to Dins side and he looked up at you, still petting at the sides of the creature. “Give me your hand.”

You reach one out and he grabbed it, giving another grunt to the creature right before Din’s gloved hand pulled yours downwards until it pressed into the hide of the creature’s skin. It was rough and bumpy, but also warm from the sun that bore down. It had a leathery type of feeling, not exactly soft but it was fine with you. Din let go of your hand, letting you run them over it’s side and the creature let out a satisfied little noise that made you giggle.

Your attention tore away from the creature as a group of Tusken Raiders rounded the corner, seeming to be looking for the pack of animals who had ran ahead of them. Din rose in his spot, beginning to speak to them while his hands moved.

“Hey, partners, either of you want to tell me what’s going on?” Cobb called out and you looked back at him, rising from your kneeled position.

“Dont worry. He is good with Tuskens.” You said, repeating the Mandalorians very words from yesterday and watching as he gave you a bewildered look that you guessed was very similar to your own. 

Din continued to speak for a few more moments before turning back to you two. “They want the Krayt Dragon, too. We are going to camp with them for the night and then form a plan.”

__________

Night fell and once again you were spending it surrounded by a fire, sat next to Din as he spoke with Tuskens. You found it funny how he spoke so infrequently to humans but seemed to go on and on with these creatures. Part of you wished you knew the language, if only to know what Din was talking about and what each hand gesture he made meant. Was he talking strictly business? Or was he just having a normal conversation?

Din sat on your right side, the child sat on the ground in between his legs and staring at the creatures before him. On your left was Cobb Vanth, who looked just as confused as he had earlier. He stared incredulously at Din and the Tuskens, eyebrows raised in a state of shock. He leaned into you just a bit and you felt his shoulder brush yours. “Do you have any clue what they are saying?”

“None.” You responded with a grin.

“They could be plotting to kill us for all we know.” He whispered back at you and you couldn’t help but to chuckle.

“Mando wouldn’t let anybody kill me or the kid. But you...” you sarcastically trailed off, teasing the man who looked over at you with widened eyes.

“That was a joke.” He sounded like he was trying to convince himself and you just laughed at the expression on his face. “You think you are real funny, don’t you?”

“I’m kind of hilarious.” you stated and the marshal shook his head in disbelief, a smile forming just the smallest bit.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Sure, marshal. Why not?”

“What is a beautiful woman like you doing with him?” He gestured his head to Din, who appeared to be listening intently to the Tuskens.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were trying to woo me, Vanth.” You said with a joking tone causing him to chuckle.

“Cant blame me for trying.” He responded back just as you had, grinning at the joking.

You shook your head. “I mean you can keep trying if you like to fail. And I do love to hear about how pretty I am.” You sarcastically muttered, making it clear you were just joking.

Vanth was about to respond when a Tusken suddenly shoved what appeared to be a bowl, filled with a black liquid that steamed. You scrunched up your nose as the scent of it hit you and you nearly gagged from it. It smelled absolutely horrid in every way.

“What am I supposed to do with this?” Vanth asked, looking down at it with disgust, clearly smelling the same deplorable scent you had.

“You drink it.” Din explained and you almost laughed at the shock on the marshals face.

“It stinks.” he stated plainly, as if expecting Din to understand.

“Do you want their help?” Din asked.

“Not if I have to drink this.” Vanth stubbornly responded.

As soon as Cobb answered, the Tuskens started to yell at him, throwing their hands up and you couldn’t understand much but you knew they were not pleased. “He says your people steal their water and now you insult them by not drinking it. They know about Mos Pelgo. They know how many Sand People you killed.” Din explained.

“They raided our village. I defended the town.” The Marshal shouted, clearly becoming agitated himself and defensive

You looked over at the man and narrowed your eyes. “Just shut up and drink it.”

He looked at you with a crazed expression, as if shocked that you weren’t defending him. “Do you smell this?”

You did smell it, and it smelled like complete shit. But it certainly seemed better to drink it then being torn apart by Tuskens who were now rising from where they sat, screeching out and positioning themselves, ready to fight. “It smells better than us getting killed.” You hissed and he just rolled his eyes.

“These monsters can’t be reasoned with!” Cobb yelled out, rising from his seat as well and looking absolutely furious at this point.

“Men...” you muttered, resting your face against your hand as you shook it. 

Cobb took no notice of your exasperation with his attitude, continuing to yell at the creatures. “Sit back down before I put a hole through you! I’m not going to say it-”

Suddenly an explosion of fire erupted next to you, causing you to jump up from your seat. Your head snapped to the right to find Din, an arm stretched out as flames erupted from it, causing the the Tusken and Cobb to stumble back in shock and fear. The child sat between his legs looked shocked as well, gazing up into the orange burst of heat with pure curiosity. It only lasted for a few moments, but it worked incredibly well. Both groups fell silent as their gaze fell upon Din. You could feel the frustration radiating off him and moments like this made you realize why he wasn’t a people person. You continued looking over at him as he turned his head just slightly to look at you, as if checking on you. “Well, that worked.” you mumbled with a small chuckle, your lips quirking slightly to show a small smile. Din only nodded in response, turning to look back at the Tusken and continue conversing with them.

Cobb looked down at you, his expression warped into confusion, anger, fear, and disbelief. You were certain he had probably never had a day quite like this before. “What is he saying now?”

“I’m pretty talented but believe it or not, I didn’t learn Tusken in the last few minutes.” You dryly responded, the same quirk of your lips present. That seemed to break him out of his trance, making a small chuckle pass through his lips before his gaze wandered over to Din.

“What are you telling them now?”

Din finally looked over at Cobb and you swore you could feel him roll his eyes. “The same thing I’m telling you. If we fight amongst ourselves, the monster will kill us all.”

You shook your head in agreement. “And I think we can probably all agree that none of us wanna be a light meal for this dragon.”

The Marshal nodded in response, rubbing his hand through his beard as if thinking. “Yes, that’s true.”

“Well then glad we agree.” you said, standing from your seat.

“I don’t have to drink this still, right?” Cobb pointed at the drink he had rested on the log he had been sitting on, the black liquid in it still steaming.

“Oh, fuck it.” You rolled your eyes and grabbed it. It smelled absolutely terrible, like bantha waste and rotten blue milk all wrapped in one. But it wasn’t a lot and if you didn’t think about it, you could get it down. You had been through much worse. You brought the shell that acted as a cup to your lips, throwing it back quickly and letting the liquid pass through your lips and down your throat. To your dismay, it tasted as bad as it smelled and looked, but you just chugged to try to get it over with, your face involuntarily scrunching up as you did so. Once you finished, you let the cup drop for your hands to the ground and rested one of your hands on your stomach, suddenly feeling very full and slightly queasy from the grotesque drink. Your other hand reached up to wipe at your face, where you could feel a few drops of the liquid dribble down your chin.

As you brought your hand down, you looked over to find everyone was completely silent. Cobb looked at you like you had grown a third eye, his jaw slightly dropped. The child looked up at you, making a face like he was disgusted and had taken a sip himself. You couldn’t read the expressions of the Tuskens but they were all looking in your direction, not grunting or making the slightest noise. Even Din stood next to you, a hand on his hip as his helmet tilted down to get a good look at you.

“No offense, but that tasted like complete shit.” You said, breaking the silence that was beginning to become overwhelming in every way. To your complete shock, the Tuskens started yelling and whooping and for a split second you thought you had done something wrong. Until one walked over to you and patted your shoulder, causing you to grin. You guessed they were shocked and amused that somebody had been willing to drink it. You had only wanted to show no disrespect but you found yourself overwhelmed by the response. You looked over at Din with a big grin but he only stared right back at you, making no movement towards you.

“Ma’am, you have managed to exceed all my expectations.” Cobb said and you looked over to him, to finally see him smiling freely. It was different from the cocky grin from earlier, seeming more genuine. You could see why some might find him a handsome man, with the scruffy beard and charm and good smile.

“I am very impressive.” You stated confidently.

He nodded in response and brought a hand to pat at your shoulder. “So I see.”

You felt a hand grab the back of your arm just slightly, starting to pull you back. You turned your head to see Din, one arm holding the kid and the other hand holding onto you. You smiled at him but he didn’t make any indication to acknowledge it. You understood why he acted differently in front of other people. It was almost like he had a role to play. A reputation to uphold. It probably wouldn’t be very intimidating if he was treating you like he always did, with people around. You also knew that wasn’t who Din was. He wasn’t comfortable with other people, nor ready to display any comfort he did feel with someone with the world. You don’t think it was shame or disgust he felt towards you, but merely you and Din were almost in your whole own world when you were with each other. And you didn’t need others in it.

“What’s up?” you asked.

“They set up some tents for us. We should go sleep.”

You raised an eyebrow, hearing an edge to his tone you were familiar with, but he had never taken it with you before. It was his rough, stoic Mando voice. The kind he gave people like Cobb. Not you. “I’m not really tired. I should probably wow everybody again and drink some-“

“We need rest before tomorrow.” Din said it quietly, not trying to capture the attention of others. The Tuskens didn’t seem to notice anything different, paying no attention to you two. But Cobb did, stepping forward just slightly.

“I can keep an eye on her if you want, partner. Wouldn’t mind the company.” He said, throwing a wink in your direction.

“She is fine.” Din insisted and you felt so much confusion. Why was he acting this way? It was like there was a wall between you. You wanted to reach out, hold onto him and ask him what was wrong but you knew this wasn’t the time nor the place.

Instead you just looked at Cobb and smiled. “You know, I should actually get the kid to bed. He becomes a monster without good sleep.  Goodnight, marshal.”

“Goodnight to you. And you too, Mando.” He said, tipping his head towards Din. Instead of responding to him, Din simply jerked his body away, your arm still held tightly in his hand as he began to march away from the fire.

You looked back apologetically at Vanth. Sure, Din could come off as cold initially. But he was a good man, and certainly not a rude one. You had seen the respect he had shown to the Tusken Raiders, so what was his problem?

“Din, what is going on?” You finally said once you were further away, the fire of the camp starting to fade away. Two small tents were set up further away from the others, and you assumed it was for privacy for Din.

Din didn’t respond and you huffed, jerking your arm away from him. He finally stopped stomping, freezing in his tracks before turning to you. His helmet aimed right at you, T-visor seeming to stare straight into you. “Why aren’t you talking to me?”

“I figured you were too busy thinking of the marshal.”

You couldn’t help the way your jaw dropped slightly and anger flared in you. “What are you talking about?” You spat out and Din sighed. The child in his arms looked back and forth between the two of you, beginning to whine in discomfort.

“You know what I’m talking about.” Din coldly responded and you scoffed.

“I don’t think I am. Why don’t you enlighten me?”

“Maybe I should of let you stay with Vanth like you wanted to so much.”

“I don’t want to stay with Vanth. I want to know what you are going on about.”

Din stayed silent, not responding to you and treating you like he did with so many others. You stepped towards him but instead of reaching out for him, you grab the child from his arms, who continues to whine softly, his eyes drooping. “I’m putting the kid to bed.”

You turned away from him, waiting for no response as you trudged off to one of the two tents that were set up.

_____

Once the child finally fell asleep, snuggled into a ball of blankets, you considered just going to bed. But it wouldn’t stop nagging at your mind. The way Din treated you and what he had said. Stay with Vanth like you wanted? What the hell did that mean?

You crawled out of the tent, feeling the warm Tatooine air hit you, but with a cool night breeze pulling in that relieved you from the heat of the day. You rose your head up, finding Din standing outside of his tent, arms crossed over his chest and head aimed up, as if looking into the sky. He was still clad in his armor but it seemed like a layer had been taken off him. Like he was finally able to relax and get rid of the Mando persona, become the Din you knew again.

You stepped over, your boots crunching softly in the sand and Din looked over at your approaching figure. You stopped right next to him, looking up at his helmet. It was dark outside, but the moon shone brightly and a lantern sat outside each tent, illuminating the metal of his armor enough so you could see him. “Care to explain what is happening?” you calmly asked.

“Vanth and you seem to get along.”

Oh. Oh. Was this... Din being jealous? You had teased him earlier for it, but you had only been teasing him in an attempt to get him back for the way he had teased you about Peli earlier. You didn’t think he could be jealous in any way because you knew there was no reason for him to be. You were hopelessly devoted to Din, almost stupidly so even though there was nothing tying you two together. No label. No title. Just the shared nights in his bed and the kisses you exchanged in the dark. “What?” You mumbled out and Din sighed.

“He finds you attractive. I see the way he looks at you.”

You couldn’t help but to awkwardly chuckle. “Oh, please. I think that is just his natural expression. Pretty sure he might of been undressing you with his eyes earlier.” You joked but Din shook his head and sighed, causing the smile on your face to drop.

“No. He wants you.” Din insisted, now looking away from you. You couldn’t help but to wonder if he was flushed from jealously or insecurity. If his face was tinted red likes yours was starting to be.

“That is silly, Din.”

“No it isn’t. You are a very attractive person. Strong. Smart. Of course he wants you.”

You wanted to flush from the praise, allow yourself to bask in it but all you felt was a sting of sadness course through you. You could hear the inflection in Dins tone and though it was one you couldn’t place, you knew it wasn’t good. It wasn’t your normal Din.

“Din-”

“Do you want him?”

You gasped quietly, looking up at him with complete shock. “What?” You sputtered out.

“He is handsome. Flirtatious.”

“Gee, are you interested?” You sarcastically responded but Din seemed to find no humor in your joke once again, his helmet finally tilting to look over at you again.

“You kept smiling at him. Talking to him.”

“I was being polite, Din. Treating him like I treated Peli.” You explained but his head tilted.

“Peli isn’t a man. A man who is intrigued by you.”

“Hey, you don’t know. Peli could find me extremely alluring.” Din sighed and you bit your tongue. This was not the time for jokes but that was usually was you reverted to when uncomfortable. “Din-”

“I don’t want you to.”

You raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“I don’t want you to want anyone.” He now turned, his body facing yours and helmet looking down at you directly.

“W-what?”

“I only want you to want me. I didn’t like when you... smiled or joked with him.”

“Din, you have nothing to-”

Din stepped towards you again but you didn’t move back, allowing his frame to be only inches from yours. “I only want you to want me.”

Your breath caught in your throat and now you felt a blush spread through your whole face, your chest feeling like it had been caught on fire. Oh, Maker, all you wanted was Din. Sometimes the want you felt, the need you had for him, was so overwhelming. You didn’t know how you had gone so many years of your life without him and now that he was here, he was like a drug you couldn’t get rid of. One you needed more and more of. One you needed to swallow you whole and intoxicate all your senses until they just become a part of you. Like they were just an extension of your being. And hearing Din say this, say how he wanted you to feel that way, made your legs want to give out. “Din.” You gasped as his hands reached out to your waist, holding onto you tightly.

“What do you want, sweet one?” This is one of the first times you heard an almost dangerous edge to his voice. Not one that was threatening or scary, not directed towards you necessarily. But it was dominant and complex and it made your stomach clench.

“All I want is you.”

Din paused for a moment, pulling your hips against his frame as he looked down at you. His chest remained steady, taking deep breaths in and out, completely calm and in control. You on the other end felt like you were gasping for air, like you couldn’t get enough oxygen in your lungs because Din was just consuming you. “Say it again, sweet one.”

“You, Din. All I wanted was you. All I want and will want is you. No one else.” You repeated, hoping you didn’t sound as needy and eager as you did in your head.

Din leaned down, his helmet brushing down your face, the cool metal of it gliding against your warm skin and sending shivers down your spine. “You are mine, cyar’ika.”

You nearly whined at the huskiness of his voice, how rough it sounded through the modulator. Your chest pressed against his and he clutched onto you even tighter. “No one else can have you. I am yours. Always will be here to take care of my girl. You don’t need anyone else. You understand?”

“Yes, Din. Yes.” You felt like you brain couldn’t process anything, the husk whispers tumbling from his lips making your body feel numb.

His fingers dug into your hips even more and this time you let out a whine, just the smallest noise but you knew Din heard it. “All mine. No one can care for you like I do. Be there for you like I do. Kiss you like I do.” You let out a frantic nod at that one, wanting to kiss Din so badly but knowing you couldn’t. Though you were further away from the camp site and from the other tents, you were still in the open. Exposed. Just one person had to walk up and they’d see you. See the way Din held onto you and the way your arms began to wrap around his neck, pulling him tighter against you. “We haven’t talked about it.”

You raised your eyebrow just slightly, wondering what he was meaning. “Talk about what?”

“What we are.”

Oh. You hadn’t. It wasn’t that you didn’t want to have the conversation. But things were so good and you didn’t want to scare him away with some type of commitment. Before you and the child, Din had only ever been committed to his work, his Creed. No person or personal ties. Of course there was something between the two of you. That was clear. But what was it exactly? “We haven’t I guessed.”

“How come?”

Din’s hands continued to clutch onto you, his thumbs now drawing lazy circles into you. “Well, it’s just been good-”

“Really good.”

“Yeah.” you agreed, smiling. “And I just didn’t mention it cause, y’know, it isn’t really necessary. We can just keep doing what we are doing.”

“Is that what you want?”

Your heart quickened at his question. “I just want you.” you admitted, looking away from him just slightly.

A hand left your waist, grabbing onto your chin gently and lifting it up to look directly at him. “Cyar’ika.”

“Yes?”

“You’re important to me.”

“I know.”

“No.” He interrupted, letting his hand drift up so his fingers brushed your cheek. “I am dedicated to you, okay? I’ll be yours.”

You pulled away just slightly, to look at him more clearly but you wished so desperately it was his face you were looking at. That you could look into soft eyes barely illuminated by the soft glow of the moon and lanterns. See the lips you always craved so much. Feel the chin you had pressed kisses along and held in your hand. See the hair your fingers ran through every night. But instead you just smiled softly into the helmet, looking right into the T-visor and hoping you were making eye contact. “Yeah?”

“Yes. If that’s what you want.”

“That’s what I want.”

“Good.” Din said lowly as he pulled you in, now wrapping his arms around your lower body to pull you in for a hug. It wasn’t the most comfortable due to all the bulky beskar he wore but it was your Din holding onto you, and that made it the best feeling. As he continued to hold you close, his hands started to drift down your lower back, fingers brushing against the bottom of your shirt and jacket, pulling the fabric up just the smallest amount so his gloved fingertips could craze bare skin. You felt goosebumps rise on your skin instantly.

“Din...”

“Yes, sweet one?”

“We should probably go to our tents.”

“I don’t want to.” He continued to rub the skin and you tried to gently pull away but he held you close.

“Someone could see.”

“Let them see.” He murmured roughly.

“Din... we should go to bed.”

“Come to my tent.” Din now whispered, leaning his forehead against yours and you sighed at the contact. Ever since you learned what a kedblade kiss was, it made it so special whenever Din went out of his way to do it because you knew what it mean to him.

“We can’t leave the kid in a tent alone. You’ll have to sleep alone tonight.” You heard the way you even whined, how clear it was that you weren’t happy with it. But the tents were extremely small and you had already put the child to sleep in what was supposed to be your tent.

“I don’t want to sleep.” He said and you sighed.

“Well, you need some rest. We’ve got a Krayt dragon to kill tomorrow.” You told him, listening to him grunt in response.

“I need you.” The way Din grumbled was barely audible but you heard, nodding against his helmet.

“I know I’m just so great to sleep next to but I think you will survive.” You respond sarcastically but Din let out another grunt.

“I don’t want to just sleep next to you, sweet one.”

You froze as his large hands grab onto your hips, letting out a small “Oh” as he squeezed them. Not roughly but just enough for you to feel the pressure of his hands, to make you gasp quietly. “Din, you may have picked the worst time to try to seduce me.”

“Is it working?” He asked and you let out a chuckle at the question, shaking your head in disbelief. Part of you couldn’t believe this was the same man who had barley spoken a word to you for the first few weeks on the Crest. The man who you thought you drove crazy with every word that left your mouth. Now he was holding onto you, saying how he wanted you and making a warmth fill in you that you’ve never felt before. Made your chest heave as your heart slammed in your chest, not out of fear but thrill and excitement. This was the man who now made you feel so many things, things you never even felt before.

“It’s working very well but we can’t.” You knew Din knew you couldn’t. It was too risky when you weren’t within the safety of the Crest. Too many people around and you were in the middle of the desert of Tatooine. Not the prime location.

Din let out a sigh as you slowly pulled away from him, his helmet still aimed right at you as his fingers began to slip away from your skin. His shoulders sagged slightly as you moved out of his reach. You knew if he didn’t stop talking to you like this and touching you like that, you wouldn’t be able to stop and you’d both do something stupid. “Sweet one, you are killing me.”

You’ve never heard Din sound so desperate in his life and you almost wanted to laugh at it. Instead you just smirked and nodded, knowing exactly what he was feeling but not wanting to show it. “Let’s kill this dragon, get the hell off Tatooine, and then we can...” you drifted off, feeling your face flush.

“Kill a Krayt dragon. Should be easy.” Din sarcastically responded and you chuckled.

“Eh, you’ve dealt with me this long. Krayt dragon should be a piece of cake.” You smirked at him and he shook his head.

“Sweet one?”

“Yes, Din?”

“Close your eyes for a second.”

You looked around. No one was near by, the sounds of the Tuskens could no longer be heard and you could just see the flame from the bonfire coming to an end. “Din, what are you-“

“Just close them real quick.”

You stayed where you were, standing a few feet away from him, but you closed your eyes. You listened closely as you heard Din step closer, feeling him lean against you just slightly as he stood in front from you. A small click rang out into the emptiness of the desert but the usually hiss didn’t follow, making you believe he hadn’t taken the helmet off completely. “Is your helmet-“

You were cut off by his lips pressing down against yours and you let out a small, content sigh at the feeling. You hadn’t kissed him in what felt like forever. All day yesterday you had traveled and the Tuskens last night didn’t have tents so you both slept outside, where you didn’t have any privacy. And today you had either spent the whole day with Vanth or Tuskens, leaving not a single moment for just you and Din.

You rested the palms of your hands against the chest plate he wore, letting the slight toughness of his lips take over. One hand reached out to grab at your hip and he pulled away, leaving one last peck before a click rang out again. “You can open your eyes.” You let them slowly flutter open, wishing you could still feel his lips against yours, the way they moved with you and conveyed things that couldn’t be said with words. “I just needed to kiss you.”

His hand drifted away and you smiled at him. “Very understandable.”

Din nodded at your tease and started to step back, towards his tent. You almost felt yourself whine as he started to move away from you. You hadn’t realized how used you had gotten to sleeping next to Din until you were faced with the realization that you had to sleep alone. You could probably squeeze in with Din and the kid in one, but you didn’t know if he could do that. Couldn’t risk somebody finding the Mandalorian tangled up in a tent with you. Probably not the most intimidating thing. But it still didn’t ease the way you felt. It might of been silly. It was only one night, but you had become addicted to him and you had already spent the last two days with minimal contact. But instead of saying anything, you just smiled at him softly as he neared the entrance of his tent, bringing yourself closer to yours. He was only a matter of a few feet away. You’d be fine.

“Goodnight, cyar’ika.”

“Goodnight, Din.”

__________

“Well, you really missed out on some fun after you left last night.” Cobb said with a grin as you approached him. He stood by the remnants of the bonfire from the night before, his legs spread and his arms crossed over his chest with his helmet sat on the ground besides him.

You stood a few feet away from Cobb, looking as his head lolled over towards you. The child in your arms was the first to respond, cooing and squirming. You let him down, watching as he seemed to relax and start to waddle around. He was becoming more dependent, not wanting to be held as much and wanting to explore on his own.

You looked around, seeing where everybody was. It was early in the morning but you had had a hard time falling asleep last night. And you didn’t want to admit it was because of Din not being next to you, but that was definitely the case. The child had woken up early along with you and instead of sitting in the tent, you decided to walk around before everything got started. You presumed that the Tuskens were probably in their tents, still asleep. Din hadn’t heard you earlier and you assumed he was still asleep in his tent, not wanting to wake him up earlier than you had to with the work ahead of him. It appeared you and Vanth were the only ones around. “Oh, really? What happened?”

“Tuskens finally got me to drink that stuff.” The face he pulled as he told you what happened was enough explanation. It twisted up into utter disgust, like he was still tasting it on his tongue and feeling the effects of it.

“Tastes like absolute shit, doesn’t it?” You asked him and he nodded fervently.

“I don’t know how you got it down so easily.”

“Pure willpower. And I used to drink lots of cheap alcohol which is almost as bad.” Cobb let out a laugh, shaking his head.

“Are you always this... spunky?”

“Spunky?” You asked, raising an eyebrow just the smallest bit.

“Can’t think of a word to describe ya.” He chuckled as he dropped down, planting himself onto one of the benches from last night. “I hope that Mandalorian of yours wasn’t too upset last night.”

You now let your eyebrows shoot up, looking down on him from where you stood. “What do you mean?”

“Well, let’s just say I now know why he isn’t too fond of me.”

You chuckle, shaking your head. “He isn’t too fond of anybody to be honest.”

An eyebrow of his quirked up. “I don’t think that’s true. Seems to be fond of you and that kid.” He looked over at the child, who continued to waddle around. “I just didn’t know. That’s all.”

“Know what?” you asked.

“Well, when you walked in with the Mandalorian yesterday, I figured you were a nanny or some bounty he dragged along to work with him. I didn’t know you two were...” he trailed off, shrugging his shoulders slightly.

You felt your face flush and you had no clue what to say. Should you deny it, say you are just a work partner of his or something? Or did you confirm his suspicions? You and Din had never discussed what to tell people about your situation. You figured on his end he probably found it unnecessary to discuss with others because it was none of their business. And what do you even say?Saying he was your boyfriend or something along those lines felt so silly. “Um, well, y’know we are j-just pals.”

Cobb now laughed heartily at that, clutching onto his stomach as his eyes crinkled up. He kept going like that and you rolled your eyes, crossing your arms over your shoulders as he continued to loose it. “Okay, you can shut up now or I’ll kick your ass.”

“What’s going on?” You jumped at the voice behind you, turning around to see Din standing a couple feet away from you. Vanth began to straighten up but his face was still red from the laughter and he kept snorting, trying to hold it in but seemingly unable to do so.

“Your girl here was just telling me about how you two are such great pals.” He said, a giggle following the words as he smiled up at you. 

You didn’t even bother to glare at the marshal, just looking over at Din who tilted his helmet at you, as if asking ‘Pals?’ “The marshal here was just being an idiot.” you uncomfortably said, shifting in the spot where you stood.

“I was just trying to say I was sorry for my... advances.” He stood from where he was sat, looking at Din now and finally looking like he recovered from his laughing fit. “I didn’t realize you two were pals.” He said the word with a knowing grin.

You looked over at Din who stared right back at Vanth, his helmet aimed right at him. “Well, now you know.” 

An uncomfortable silence fell over and you looked down to find the kid joining in on the awkwardness, just standing there and staring between the two men. You cleared your throat, causing all three to look over at you, and clapped your hands together. “Alright, boys, why don’t we go hunt down a dragon?” 

“Sounds like a plan to me.” Cobb said, beginning to walk off towards the Tuskens who finally began to exit their tents and leaving you and Din alone with the child. 

You looked over at him and felt the corner of your lip quirk up. “That went well.”

“Yeah. We should tell everybody we are pals.”

You smiled dropped as your narrowed your eyes at him, not amused by his sarcasm. “You know, he suggested that there was something between us-”

“Because there is.”

You rolled your eyes at his need to clarify, even though your chest squeezed at the confirmation. “-and I didn’t know what to tell him.”

“What do you mean, tell him?”

“Like do I say we are friends? Or work partners? It’s not like I can say something silly and ruin your very serious Mando reputation.” 

“Something silly? Like what?”

“Oh, I don’t know.” You looked down at your feet, becoming flushed from the way he continued to just stare right at you. “Boyfriend or something like that.” You mumbled very quietly, hoping he didn’t hear it all.

Din just nodded. “Say we are partners.”

You looked up at him and tilted your head. “Partners?”

“It’s a good word.”

You thought about it and supposed that it was the perfect word. Partner didn’t necessarily indicate something romantic. Could just mean you worked alongside him. But it could also mean he was your partner, your person. It didn’t require any explanation and a person could just take it either way. You nodded your head and smiled. “Alright, partner.” 

Din chuckled at you and bent down to grab the kid, lifting him up into his arms. “Are you ready?”

You nodded your head, looking out to see the Tuskens preparing to travel to the home of the dragon. “Yeah. I’m ready.”

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[pennylanefics]

Remember Her - Derek Hale

a/n: THIS MADE ME SO SOFT I SWEAR I WANNA CRY

•••

It’s been a long day for both you and Derek. You two were out with Scott the entire day trying to find out who the most recent threat to Beacon Hills is. Stiles had a lead, but he had to help his dad with something. So, you three went.

But while you were waiting in the car, Scott pointed something out. He somehow heard four heartbeats, including his own, worrying Derek that someone was in the backseat with you. They are quick to check everywhere, but Scott figures it out. It’s you.

That’s how you found out you were pregnant. Unfortunately, you and Derek didn’t get to celebrate that much since the person you were stalking came out of the building you were parked in front of, and the plan was put in front of everything.

“Who knew Scott would be the one to tell us that we’d be having a baby,” you murmur, running your hands over your stomach. Derek’s eyes follow your motion and his hand comes to rest on yours.

“I’m confused as to why I didn’t hear the heartbeat before he did, though.”

“I’m sure you did, in some way.” He shakes his head and continues rubbing your stomach, a small smile on his face.

“I can’t believe it, though. I’m really happy,” he tells you, pressing a kiss to your forehead.

“You are?” You gaze up at him, finding a loving look in his eyes and a bigger smile on his face.

“Yeah. I mean, it is a surprise, but I’ve always known I wanted a family. Maybe not as soon as it’s happening, but that’s fine. Why? Are you not happy?” You hesitate for a moment and sit up, all of the negatives beginning to show up in your mind.

“Part of me is, because I love you so much and I’ve thought a lot about having a family with you.” Derek smiles sweetly and brushes your hair out of your face.

“But, this place isn’t a good place to raise a child,” you finish. “There’s no suitable place for a crib, it’s an industrial loft that you somehow moved into to protect yourself. This isn’t what I’d think of as a home. And I know you love it here, but I don’t think I’d be able to. Maybe we can find an apartment or a small farmhouse in the middle of nowhere, away from Beacon Hills.”

You could feel Derek beginning to grow annoyed. He hated this conversation. He loves his loft, he feels safe here, but he knows how you feel about it sometimes.

“I don’t think this conversation is gonna go well right now,” he says, scooting away from you a little. You sigh out of frustration and turn onto your side. What was supposed to be a happy moment together turned into a small fight.

“You always say that. I understand you have stuff with the pack here, but sometimes, I feel like they’re more important to you than I am.”

“Hey,” Derek suddenly sits up and pulls you with him, grabbing your face gently in his hands so you’re staring right at him. “Don’t ever think that. I may have a connection to them with the pack, but you will always be the most important person to me. You’ve been with me through so much, with Paige dying, and my family dying, to supporting me moving to New York, away from you while you went to college here. I love you so much, and I never want you to think the opposite of that.” Tears form in your eyes as he brings you in for a passionate kiss.

“I love you so much, (Y/N). Just know that you will always and forever be the number one person in my life. Right in front of our baby.” You can’t help but tear up even more and fall into his body, silently crying into his chest

“I’m sorry I made you feel that way,” he whispers. “I promise to give you both a comfortable and great life.”

“It’s-“

“If you say it’s okay, it’s not. I understand where you’re coming from, I just hate the idea of moving away from everyone.”

“I know you do. But, maybe think about it. I don’t want to force you to anything, but it may be a good change.” And for the first time surrounding this topic, you hear a positive response.

“I will, babe.”

—

“So it’s a she?” Derek asks the doctor excitedly, your hands engulfed by his.

“You’re having a baby girl,” she confirms with a smile. Derek kisses you sweetly as she begins to wipe the gel off your stomach. “Would you like copies of the sonogram?”

“Yes please,” you respond, sitting up and lowering your shirt. She leaves the room and Derek has yet to stop grinning.

“You got your wish for a daughter,” you chuckle, reaching for his hands once you sit up in the seat. He takes ahold of your hands again, swinging them side to side like a child.

“I know. So you agree on the name then?” You nod fondly and lean into his chest.

“I do. I think it’ll be a nice way to remember her.” He kisses your forehead softly just as the doctor comes back in the room. She hands you the photos in an envelope and sends you on your way.

Later that night, you and Derek are relaxing on the couch. You have your feet up on the small coffee table as Derek, somehow, is laying horizontal, with his head in your lap. His face is right next to your stomach, one of his favorite past times recently.

“I’m so ready to meet her,” he says, running his fingers over your growing bump. Your own hands run through his hair, scratching his scalp soothingly.

“You’re about five months ahead of that,” you chuckle. “We still have a lot to do to get ready for her.”

“Oh, that reminds me, I called the pack over today to tell them.”

Derek sits up and checks his phone for any updates on where everyone is at. Just then, the loft door slams open, Stiles running in with his baseball bat in hand. Sensing danger, Derek is up and in front of you within seconds, flashing his eyes red and showing his teeth to Stiles.

Scared by his appearance, Stiles stumbles back and hides behind Scott, who guides Allison in. Lydia and Isaac follow behind, shutting the door.

“Dude, what’s with the teeth and eyes? You never ward off us like this!” Stiles yells, setting his bat to the floor. Scott smiles, immediately knowing why. He’s the only one who knows.

“I just thought you were someone else.”

“Okay, so why’d you call us here?” Derek brings you to stand and tells them all to sit in your place on the couch. Scott, Allison, Stiles, and Lydia pile onto the couch while Isaac stands behind them.

“So, what’s up?” Allison wonders.

You were nervous to tell them both the good and bad news. Derek’s eyebrows raise in a teasing manner, waiting for you to talk.

“There’s a couple things we want to tell you guys,” you begin.

“You’re pregnant,” Stiles says in a joking tone, laughing after the fact. You stay silent, trying to conceal your smile. “Wait.” He quickly catches on.

“Shut up, you’re pregnant?” Allison excitedly yells.

“Yeah,” you respond with a huge grin on your lips. Her and Lydia jump up to pull you in for a hug, congratulating you.

“I thought I heard another heartbeat,” Isaac says, hugging you tightly. “Congratulations, you’re going to be an amazing mother.”

“Thank you, Isaac. That’s actually how we found out. Scott heard a fourth heartbeat while we were all together.”

“Scott knew and didn’t tell us?” Stiles butts himself into the conversation. Scott shrugs in retaliation.

“Hey, it wasn’t my place to tell. They weren’t ready, and I wasn’t going to blast their business until they were.” You thank him softly, hugging him next.

“So is it a girl or a boy?” Allison questions, Lydia’s eyes wide with wonder as well. Your hands fall to your stomach as you think about the doctor’s visit today.

“It’s a girl. Here!” You run over to your nightstand and grab the sonogram photos, bringing it over so they can see. Everyone passes the photos around as you stand beside your boyfriend, hugging him from the side, watching your closest friends celebrate the amazing news. For now.

“So I’m gonna be an uncle?” Stiles announces. Derek furrows his eyebrows but before he can snarkily respond, you cut him off.

“In a way, yes. But, there’s also something else,” you sadly continue. Everyone’s moods suddenly change at the tone of your voice. Derek’s grip tightens around you comfortingly, nodding in confirmation when you look up at him for support.

“We’re moving,” you tell them. No one moves an inch, their faces contorted in confusion and hurt.

“Moving as in moving out of the loft, or moving to another part of California?” Allison wonders. Your heartbeat quickens and you can feel the tears coming already.

“Actually, moving out of state,” Derek finishes for you. Still, no one moves.

“How far?” Lydida asks.

“Washington.” They all seem to relax just a little knowing that you’re not moving across the country, just one state away.

“Did you buy another house or are you moving into another abandoned loft?” Isaac jokes. Derek laughs and pulls you closer by the waist.

“No. We found a nice farmhouse on a big piece of land. A friend I had from New York was selling it, and he sold it to me at a pretty low price.”

“We’ll really miss you guys,” Scott finally breaks the awkward silence, reaching out to hug both of you together.

“Thank you for being so supportive, Scott,” you whisper.

“Anything for my two closest friends.”

—

Your new house was finally ready for you to move into about a month or so later, so you packed up everything, or lack thereof, in Derek’s loft and left for Washington. Everyone in the pack was there to say goodbye. Lots of tears were shed, promises to visit and call were made, and finally, you were on the road to your new future.

It was a stressful couple of days, Derek doing most of the work since he didn’t want you to overwork yourself. Thankfully, his friend sold the house fully furnished, so you didn’t have to buy any new furniture.

You finish decorating your bedroom by setting a picture frame of you and Derek on your fifth anniversary on your dresser before sitting on the bed and gazing out the large window to the beautiful mountains.

“Nursery is finished,” Derek announces as he walks into your room, flopping down onto the bed beside you. You crawl up to the headboard and wrap his arm around your shoulder to cuddle up against him.

“It’s starting to feel like home,” you say, closing your eyes, enjoying the peace. Derek’s hand comes to rest on your bump, his thumb rubbing over your shirt. He laughs softly when he feels your daughter kick his hand. He plays with her for a few minutes, moving his hand around your stomach to see if she follows. Butterflies fill your stomach from both her kicks and Derek’s warm laughter, your favorite sound.

“She’s going to be such a daddy’s girl,” you tell him. You reach up to kiss him sweetly before settling back down in his arms.

—

“Have you told the pack back home yet?” You ask Derek, quietly closing the door to the nursery of your new home.

It’s been a few days since you’ve given birth to your daughter, and it’s been quite crazy. You’ve barely gotten sleep, haven’t had much time to take a shower, your body is still recovering; basically all the things that come with being a new mother.

“I was just going to. I know Stiles is gonna be mad at me for not telling him the second she was born.” You giggle and curl into his body, eyes falling shut during a rare moment of peace.

“Come on,” he whispers, “let’s head back to our room.” You tiredly follow him down the hall, right into your room.

His phone beeps and buzzes with texts from the group, but he chooses to ignore that for now.

“I love you so much, (Y/N),” he mumbles against your forehead. “I’m so glad you’re the mother of my child, you’re already a perfect mother.”

“You’re already a great dad as well. Who knew the Sourwolf would be such an amazing dad?” He chuckles and slides under the covers.

“You wanna go take a shower before getting into bed?” He asks.

“Ugh, that sounds great. I’ll be quick.”

You do as you promised, taking the quickest yet longest shower you could, and returning back to Derek’s warm embrace as soon as you can. But, you find that he has your daughter resting against his bare chest, a sight that melts your heart.

“How’d everyone react?” You wonder, gently stroking your daughter’s back with your finger.

“They love her name,” he says, adoration dripping from his tone. “Thank you for letting me honor my mom.” You grin up at him and rest your head on his shoulder.

“She didn’t deserve what happened to her. She should have been alive to see her granddaughter.” Derek’s head falls onto yours as Talia stirs in his arms, getting comfortable again.

“Talia Eleanor Hale,” Derek whispers, “I love you so so much. Your grandmother was an incredible woman, and I’ll be sure to tell you every story I remember of her.” A small grin is permanently plastered on your face as he softly tells your daughter stories of his own mother, knowing he’ll never get tired of telling them.

“She’s already so loved,” you say. “By us and by the pack.”

“I know my mother would have loved her too.”

“She’d be really proud of you, Der.” Derek kisses you passionately for a few seconds, then presses his forehead against yours. He sniffles softly, as his emotions slowly take over him.

He’s truly happy in this moment.

“I can’t express how much I love you,” he murmurs.

#derek hale #derek hale imagines #derek hale imagine #derek hale x reader #tyler hoechlin #teen wolf #teen wolf fanfic #imagines #fanfiction #fanfic

[colorseeingchick]

Valentine’s Affections (Kageyama, Oikawa, Kuroo)

I adore Valentine’s day! Love is in the air and chocolate is in my stomach. But for you and these boys? Well... it’s a lil more complicated than that. 

A/N: We are going to completely ignore the fact that valentine’s day was a full 3 months ago. Love is always in the air on this blog !

Warnings: Light swearing? Maybe? Lotsa fluffy stuff beware cavities. 

Kageyama Tobio

Kageyama stares hard at the vending machine in front of him. Now, this was far from a new situation he found himself in- he found himself in front of this very vending machine every single day. But the stakes were much higher this time.

Strawberry, or chocolate? Which would be a better gift? 

Early on he decided against chocolates, cuz it felt too obvious. He opted out of a note, cuz he wasn’t articulate enough for that. And for the same reasons a verbal confession was completely out of the picture. So here he was, in front of the vending machine, hoping you would accept his love, or at the very least, the milk carton as a token of it. 

He decides on the strawberry milk, because the pink carton color reminded him of hearts, so he was hoping his love message would be real clear!! 

As he approaches you in the gym, he feels the nerves stir in his stomach. You’re surrounded by the other first years, excitedly chirping at Tsukki and Yamaguchi while Yachi and Hinata jump up and down around you (for what reasons, who knows) now that clean up is over. The second and third years weren’t that far away either. But he knew he’d have to do this sooner than later. 

Kageyama stands pensively behind you at a slight distance, awkwardly shifting weight back and forth between his feet. Finally, he finds the guts to call out to you. “Y/N...san.” Alright, maybe it was more like a mutter. No one had heard him, but Hinata had noticed his presence. 

“Kageyama! There you are.” 

All eyes shift to him, including yours. The heat rushes to his face as he hides the milk behind his back. “Boke! What do you want!” He only gets redder as his eyes meet yours. 

“Y/N-san!” He yells a bit too harshly. But you don’t flinch, you just smile. “Yes, Tobio-kun?” Gah, your voice is sweet as always, and he doesn’t even know what to say. 

Stepping towards you, he essentially shoves the milk into your hands before turning around and marching out the door. 

You stare at the carton quizzically, while the boys in the gym collectively let out a heavy sigh. 

“Was that… supposed to be a confession?” Daichi’s disbelief was evident.

“He does that every day though,” Hinata comments, clueless. 

“But today’s Valentine’s day, there’s probably more to it, right?” Ennoshita curious.  

“Of course that’s the way that idiot would do it.” Tsukki is snarky as ever. 

But you don’t hesitate to run back into the club room, a determined look glued to your face. 

“Y/N san! Where are you going?” Hinata calls. 

“Let them be, Hinata. They have something to take care of.” Suga has a glint of amusement in his eyes. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kageyama tries to calm down as he aggressively drinks his chocolate milk. But he’s jittery all over when you pop up next him. 

“Tobio-kun, did ya really think you could just throw me a box of milk and then split? On Valentine's day? Tsk Tsk.” You smile as you move to stand in front of him. Words are far from his physical capacity at the moment, so he opts to just stare at you instead.

“But by the way,” you pull the carton from behind your back in your left hand, and shake it in front of him, “Accepted.” He feels his heart melt in relief. You understood what he meant. At least he thinks you do. You always understood him somehow, even though he wasn’t great at communicating. 

“And also…” Your right hand appears now, a small box of cutely wrapped chocolates snuggly fit into your palm, “this is for you. Please, accept it.”

His eyes go wide in shock. For some reason, this was not what he had expected (though everyone else knew it was coming). His heart now swells with an indescribable feeling that he never wants to stop experiencing. 

“And this too... unless you want me to stop...” He doesn’t know how else you could potentially make him fall apart more than he already had- but he got his answer when your hand grabbed onto his collar and tugged him down to your height. You placed a slow and gentle kiss on the corner of his mouth. “Tobio-kun, I like you.” Yeah, his heart wasn’t ready for that one. 

Oikawa Tooru

“Thank you, Suki-chan!” “So sweet, Maki-chan!” “These are delicious, Haru-chan!” First period hadn’t even begun and Oikawa had already been swarmed with gifts. But despite the time he spent basking in the affections of his little fans, his eyes were trained on you, watching as you happily handed Iwaizumi a cute little box of chocolates. Oikawa saw how his best friend smiled, and he saw the way you buried your face into Iwa’s chest when he hugs you. He decides to ask you about it at practice. 

“Y/N-chan!! You know what day it is today!” 

“How could I forget when I see my favorite setter drowning in more chocolates than usual?” He ignores the unidentifiable tone in your voice and presses on. 

 “I saw you give Iwa-chan some~” 

“Yes I did.” 

“Sooooo~”

 “....so what?” 

“Where are mine?” 

“...I…”

 Iwaizumi steps in, his hand protectively grabbing your shoulder. “What’re you harassing Y/N for, Shittykawa. You got enough chocolates already didn’t you? No need to be greedy.” Your eyes are glued to the floor, but Oikawa just sighs and waves it off. 

“Sorry, sorry, Y/N-chan! I just figured your chocolates would be so tasty I was jealous Iwa got some~ but I’ll be waiting for them next time!” If only you knew, I would rather eat a single one of your sweets than all the other sweets combined.

He tries to forget the incident until he hears his doorbell ring at 9 pm. “Tooru! You have a friend who’s come to see you!” He’s surprised to see you waiting at his gate, face flushed, breath ragged, and hair ruffled.

 “Oikawa-san!” You say with determination. “Y/N...chan?” He walks towards you, confusion and concern clear on his face.

“Oikawa-san…” the confidence fading as he comes near. You look away from his face as you outstretched your hands, a cute, small pink box with a tiny bow on it in hand. 

“I’m sorry I didn’t give you chocolates earlier today….I just....” your hands retreat to your body, box still grasped. You look down at your feet once again, so you can’t see his eyes go wide. “I thought about making you some sweets yesterday but, I always knew you had so many fangirls and I didn’t wanna get in their way, or worse, make you see me as one of them… so I didn’t. I’m sorry. I, I didn’t consider you would feel left out. So I made these for you after school! Will you please accept them!” 

You look up at him finally, only to see tears streaming down his face. “Oikawa san? Are you okay? I’m sorry if I said something that-” 

“I’m sorry Y/N-san, I don’t know what’s gotten into me. But are they really for me?”

 “Mhm!” You hand them over, in anticipation of what he would do next. He opens the box, pops a chocolate into his mouth, and then smiles. 

“Just as I expected- it’s perfect.” He steps towards you once again, and wraps his arms around you, tightly. “You’re nothing like the rest of them, yanno. You’re very special to me.” 

Kuroo Tetsurou

“Happy Single’s Awareness day!” You sing-song at the boys standing in front of your gate, the sun peeking out over the horizon. 

“Just jumping over Valentines, then?” Kenma asks you, his face hidden in his switch. 

“Yep! Nope! Not for me~ don’t need a valentine!” You’re carefree as you stroll ahead of the two of them, hands thrown behind your head. “Giving Valentine’s are dumb. Right, Kuroo!”

Kenma takes his time to pull his nose away from his switch to let his cat like gaze fall on his best friend, who’s been awfully quiet this morning. He knows why. 

“Do you agree, Kuroo?” He asks, probing. 

“...Yep. What type of headass buys into Valentines-” He criticizes. 

Kenma knocks Kuroo’s bag with his elbow, his gaze transforming into a glare. You do, Kuroo. No chickening out. 

Kuroo’s grasp on the bag resting on his shoulder tightens, well aware of what he has to do. 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After school was over and practice was done, Kenma got dropped off at home because he wanted to go home early, for some reason. So now it’s just you and Kuroo, laying on the hill by the bridge, bathing in the hues of orange and pink as the sun sets slowly. 

You stretch out on your back, relaxing onto the grass underneath you. “Man, did ya see all those idiots handing out valentine’s? So cheesy.” You close your eyes and pull your hands up to cushion your head, turning your chin up. Kuroo rests on his elbow, angled so that he can watch you as you talk, his hand scratching his head soothingly.

“ Who wants dumb chocolates anyways? You think these chicks would get sick of all the chocolates they get. Hmph.” He watches as your mouth twitches down, eyes squeezed tight. 

To be fair, both of you were acting...different today. Kuroo can read you like a book, and even how he can still pick out the unease you’ve been tryna hide all day. But his own nervousness and jitters keeps him quiet. 

As you both sit in silence, stewing in your feelings, Kuroo lets out a deep sigh. Now or never. You hear him rustle in his bag as he pushes something over to you. You open your eyes to see a small box by your shoulder with a cute lil cat sticky note pressed onto it- reading, “be Mine, Valentine? :3” 

You freeze for a second, processing what he pushed over to you. You look up at Kuroo, who’s now turned his back to you, sleeping on his side. 

You open the box and find a cute cat bracelet inside. “Kuroo?” 

“You’ve been trashing valentine’s chocolates for a while now- so I figured I’d get you something better. It’s cheesy, I know. Don’t “at” me.” He stays, turned away from you. 

You take your time to pull the bracelet out the box, letting heat rise to your face. 

“Did you do this just because…? To make me feel better, or-”

“Still a headass huh.” He finally turns around, and you’re glad to see that his own face is as red as yours feels. 

“Kuroo… do you, like me?”

“Damn, you’re gonna make me say it huh?”

“Yes.”

“Yeah I like you. Now hurry up and reject me so we can go back to being normal and I can get over my damn nerves. I hate not being myself.” He mutters as his lips twitch into a pout as he rests his bedhead into the grass, hands caressing his neck. 

You take a second before crawling over to him, watching him in silence. 

“You’re an idiot, too, ya know.” He peaks one eye open, to give you a questioning look. “Now help me put this bracelet on.”

“You like it?”

“I love it. I’m never taking it off.”

“You serious?!”

“Of course I’m serious.”

His Cheshire grin breaks out onto his face as he sits up, closing the gap between you two.

“Oh? Does someone like me back?”

“Yeah someone does. Now are you gonna help me or not.”

In that moment, you don’t think anything can compare to the sheer joy in Kuroo’s eyes as he carefully clasps the bracelet onto your wrist, wrapping his strong fingers around yours.

Copyright © 2021 Colorseeingchick. All rights reserved. Do not repost or copy.

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