Tumgik
#and for following me for a very long time <3
compact-turtle · 24 hours
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I'll listen to you next time. Okay? ~
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Concept: Yandere Space Explorer x Gn Reader: Spicy Edition
Summary: Orion ignores your pleas to stay home and decides to follow you into the jungle.
TW: NS//FW, finger/ing, dub-con?, biting, general yandere stuff, riding, just being horny yk
Word count: 1.4k
Note: I'm like a thousand followers late but here's the first part of the thousand (now 2 thousand?!?!) follower celebration I promised!! I plan on breaking it up into 3 different posts for each character. First will be Orion, then Ivar and Atticus last!
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Entry Date XX-XX-XXX Y/n has begun hoarding large amounts of food lately. No preference for food in the pile with the exception of Aishi flowers. Behavior lately has been erratic. Body language suggests uneasiness and anxiety. They’ve instructed me to stay in the hut for a few days while they leave on a journey. They brought all the Aishi flowers with them along with half the food pile. In order to understand their behavior, I am choosing to ignore their request and will follow them. I have- 
"Oh fuck” Orion whispered as he finally noticed how lifeless the jungle had suddenly become. 
He was utterly absorbed in finishing his journal entry, neglecting to watch his surroundings despite your repeated warnings. Orion couldn't determine how long the forest had been silent. 
He quietly packed up his items, his heart pounding and his breath quickening.
It's fine. You were pretty close. You were just a few hundred feet inside a nearby cave that he'd tracked you down to. 
 Keep calm. Orion reminded himself multiple times as his feet picked up the pace. His eyes caught a glimpse of something purple stalking him. 
No more calm. 
Orion booked it. He clutched his satchel tightly while weaving through the jungle. Roots nearly tripped him. The jungle began to blur into a confusing tapestry of blue, green, and every other color. 
Suddenly, he was pinned to the ground. Its sharp teeth flashed, and a disgusting smell wafted into his nose. 
"GET OFF ME" Orion yelled as he attempted to kick the beast off him. 
The kick did very little to harm it. At most, he probably annoyed the creature. The beast growled and opened its mouth wider. 
Something pushed the giant beast off him just as it was about to take a bite. The beast staggered back in shock. A large howl escaped the beast.
You jumped on top of it with a blade in your head. You quickly shoved your blade into the side of the beast. Cries of pain echoed from it as he watched you take the knife out of its neck. It shook you off its back, and you fell onto the ground. Quickly, it ran into the jungle. 
"WHY YOU HERE? SUPPOSED TO STAY HOME!" You screamed at him. Your body was sluggish as it dragged itself off the ground.
"I wanted to make sure you were doing okay! You've been acting so weird lately and-." 
"Go home. Now." 
Without looking back, you slowly walked into a nearby cave. Orion tip-toed behind you into the cave, trying not to upset you any further. A makeshift leaf curtain door covered the entrance. The cave was small and had a dead end. A pile of aishi flowers was littered around with a musk smell.
You immediately collapsed onto the flower when you walked in. Your body giving up as it pushed itself past the limit. Orion rushed over to you. At first, he assumed you were injured in the fight with the predator.
His eyes darted in surprise when he realized you were bare. He pulled you into his arms with your back facing him. Sweat dripped down your forehead as you buried yourself in his arms. It took Orion a few seconds to understand what was wrong with you. A small smile snaked itself way onto his lips. 
"I'm so sorry, Y/n. I didn't know it was your heat and mating season! You should've said something to me. I would've helped you. "Orion said sweetly as he traced his finger down your back. You gave a soft mew and shuddered underneath his touch. 
"Nooo. Give me flowers. I eat." You cried, trying to fight him. "I need it!"
Orion reached over and gently fed you a flower. Your body began to cool down, and your mews died down. The sensitivity is fading away. A look of soberness slowly leaked into your eyes. 
Hm. No wonder you were collecting these so much. They were meant to suppress your heat. Still, you didn't need the flowers now that he was here to assist you. He snatched the flower from your hand. You whined as he took it away. 
Orion resumed teasing your body. His finger stopped at the base of your tail. He wrapped his fingers around it, following its length until the tip. He marveled at the flexibility of your tail as it wrapped around his arm in pleasure. The fur underneath his skin was soft like the blankets in your room. 
 When his fingers reached the end, he circled them around it and toyed with it. Tiny trembles reverberated through your body. You began to pant more. Drool slipped over the side of your mouth, and a flushed color began to paint your skin.
"Does it feel good? Am I a good boy helping you?" 
"Nooooo. Stop. No touch," You babble incoherently. 
"Hm? It doesn't feel good here. I'm so sorry. Let me try somewhere else." Orion apologized teasingly while he nibbled on your ear.  
His finger began to trail down lower from your tail. Gently, he pried your legs apart. He slowly slipped his finger inside you. You writhed when Orion pushed it in. Your tail curled up, and your eyes glazed over in pleasure. 
Your hole was wet as it ached for him. It wrapped around his finger as he pushed in and out of it. Wet slick coating the entire finger. The sensation of your hole was exhilarating with the pressure around it as he added another finger. As his fingers curved inside you, the feeling intensified around him. He shivered in bliss as your back arched, trying to make the fingers go in deeper. 
Your voice echoed through the cave. He listened as you mewed out small chirps and cries. He adjusted your head and began to suck on your tongue. Greedily, he relished the taste of your mouth. The taste of your mouth was so sweet, like honey. It brought him pure bliss, and he was almost ready to explode. 
His cock ached and was sore inside his pants. He began to grind on your back, desperate for release. He lapped at your tounge and it felt like he'd drank ambrosia from the gods. Every drop dripped from his mouth straight into his very essence. He couldn't take it anymore as he rubbed himself into your back.
Suddenly, you ripped your lips off of him. A throbbed headache resounded as you pushed him on the floor. His fingers leave your tight hole. 
He watched you get on top of him. You sat on top of him, and your tail pinned his hands to the ground. You tore off his pants. His cock managed to spring free. He moaned as you tried to sit down on him. Your body desperately tries to take his entire length. You shifted and shuffled in various directions, trying to make it fit. 
Finally, your walls managed to take him in. You slicked up his dick with your nectar and pushed it inside yourself deeper. He groaned at how tight you were inside. It almost felt suffocating. Still, he adored the way you devoured him, and was still ravenous for more.
"Can I finish inside you? Please, please, please, let me," Orion begged as you moved your hips, "You feel too good. I'll do whatever you want. Just let me finish in you." 
"No. Ri, not listen to me. Bad boy today." You said through gasps.
You leaned down and bit his neck as punishment for even asking that. Something in him broke. He knew it was too soon. You just put it inside, and he wanted to fill you up. 
He tried to listen and hold back. However, the image of you full of him pushed him over the edge. Your belly filled with him to the brim. Your sweet slick mixed with his salty seed. Your delicate skin is stained with his dirty white liquid. Afterward, you'd lift yourself up and spill the extra fluid your hole couldn't contain. 
A slight whine escaped your lips as Orion made his fantasy a reality. He painted your walls white and moaned as you took it all in. He couldn't help it. Listening to you call him a bad boy while riding him was too much. 
"I'm sorry for not listening to you today. Let's do it again, and I'll listen to you this time. Okay?" 
220 notes · View notes
latanyalove · 3 days
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Stay the Night with Me
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Pairing: Eustass Kid x Y/N
Dialogue: “Stay the night with me. Please…” 🧲😡
A/n: It's very long so get ready for this 9,413 long story which is also going to have a Part 2 :) .I hope you enjoy this as much as I did writing this! <3
Taglist: @stuckinthewrongworld for the idea!
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"Stay the night with me. Please…" The plea hung in the air, charged with emotion. The magnetism of desire clashed with a hint of frustration.
The request was simple yet layered with unspoken words, begging for a response. The intensity of the moment lingered, waiting for a decision to be made.
The silence that followed seemed to stretch endlessly, filled with anticipation and uncertainty.
Each heartbeat echoed loudly in the room, underscoring the weight of the request and the gravity of the unspoken emotions that hung in the air. . . .
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Eustass Kid, also known as the "Captain" of the Kid Pirates, is a notorious and feared pirate in the One Piece world. With his magnetic powers and fiery temper, he is not someone to be messed with.
Eustass Kid strikes fear into the hearts of both his allies and enemies alike, as his magnetic powers allow him to manipulate and control metal with deadly precision.
Combined with his explosive temper, he is a truly terrifying force to reckon with on the high seas. 
You, being the newest member of the Straw Hat Pirates, had heard of the infamous Eustass Kid and his crew. They were known for their brutal methods and lack of mercy towards their enemies.
So when your crew unexpectedly crossed paths with the Kid Pirates, you were on high alert.
Luffy and the rest of the crew seemed more relaxed with the Kid Pirates, maybe it was because they had defeated many enemies side by side or maybe Luffy was too gullible into trusting him so easily.
But not you. You weren't going to fall for his tricks.
You sat far from the group, who looked like they were having the time of their lives, while you glared straight at the red-haired pirate with cautious eyes. You couldn't shake off the feeling that there was more to Eustass Kid than meets the eye, and you vowed to keep a close watch on him, ready to defend yourself and your crew if necessary.
"Hey, why aren't you with the group celebrating?" Nami said curiously behind you.
Startled by Nami's sudden voice, you turned around quickly, trying to hide your unease. "Oh, I just needed some fresh air," you replied, forcing a smile.
"So why are you staring at Kidd like that?" Nami teased, sitting beside you.
You hesitated for a moment, then leaned in closer to whisper, "I can't quite put my finger on it, but something about him just doesn't sit right with me. I think there's more to him than meets the eye, and I don't trust him."
"Or maybe," Nami started, leaning closer, "You just like him,"
"No way!" you jumped back, feeling your face heat up. "That's not it at all! I just have a gut feeling about him, that's all."
Nami smirked mischievously and nudged your shoulder. "Sure, sure. Keep telling yourself that."
Nami then stood up, said goodbye, and walked over to the group, leaving you alone with your thoughts. As you continued to observe Eustass Kid from afar, you couldn't help but wonder what secrets he was hiding beneath that intimidating exterior. . . .
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The atmosphere suddenly shifted as Sanji and some of Kid's crew finished preparing the feast. The cheers and laughter grew louder, and even Luffy couldn't contain his excitement.
"Y/N, the food is ready," You opened your eyes to see Killer standing over you, his mask covering his face as usual.
Killer, the stoic and enigmatic member of the Kid Pirates, rarely showed any emotion. His mask concealed his face, adding to the air of mystery surrounding him. It was hard to read his intentions or gauge his reactions, making him an even more intriguing figure to watch closely.
As he extended a hand to help you up, you couldn't help but wonder what lies behind that enigmatic facade.
With a yawn, you took his hand and stood up, ready to join the festivities.
Unfortunately, you had to sit beside Kid to eat as all the other seats were taken. As you took your place beside him, you couldn't shake off the feeling of unease and curiosity, wondering what secrets he was hiding and if they would ever come to light.
As you ate, you noticed that Kid was always tense even when he laughed, his body language betraying a constant state of alertness. It was as if he carried a weight on his shoulders, constantly on guard.
It only fueled your suspicion that there was indeed something more to him than meets the eye.
Suddenly, Kid stopped eating, his eyes darting around the room with a heightened sense of vigilance. His grip on his utensils tightened, and a frown creased his forehead as if he had sensed something amiss.
"I have to go," he said, suddenly standing up and walking over to where the ships were anchored.
Everyone was confused for a while but then they went back to talking to each other except Killer.
Killer's gaze remained fixed on the spot where Kid had disappeared to, his eyes filled with a mix of concern and curiosity. It was clear that he knew more than he let on, and you couldn't help but wonder what he had seen or sensed that made him so focused on Kid's departure.
Despite Killer's intense gaze and the mysterious departure of Kid, you chose to dismiss any concerns and immerse yourself in the joyous celebration.
It was a time to revel in the camaraderie and enjoy the feast, leaving any thoughts of hidden secrets and enigmatic figures for another day.
As the night wore on and the merriment continued, you found yourself in a friendly competition with Zoro to see who could hold their liquor better.
Shots were poured and downed, laughter and cheers filled the air, and for a fleeting moment, all thoughts of Kid and his mysterious aura faded away as you focused on the exhilarating challenge at hand.
"Okay, I give up," you declared, placing the bowl back onto the table. The drinking competition had taken its toll, and you were finally admitting defeat.
As you leaned back in your chair, feeling the effects of the alcohol, your mind couldn't help but wander back to the enigmatic figure of Kid and the unanswered questions that still lingered in the air.
As you stumbled away from the festivities, a nagging thought tugged at the back of your mind, reminding you that there was still much to uncover about Kid and the secrets he held.
As you stumbled towards the ships, the sound of a muffled voice reached your ears, growing louder with each step.
It sounded like a scream, piercing through the night air with an intensity that sent chills down your spine. Your heart raced as you followed the sound, the darkness shrouding the source of the scream adding to the sense of unease and mystery that surrounded Kid's sudden departure.
You quickened your pace towards the ships, your footsteps echoing through the quiet night. Suddenly, a loud bang reverberated through the air, causing the Kid Pirates' ship to tremble slightly.
Your heart skipped a beat as you realised that there was more to Kid's disappearance than meets the eye.
It was when you saw something red out of the corner of your eye, but it disappeared as soon as you turned to get a better look. The fleeting glimpse left you with a sense of unease and a nagging feeling that there was a deeper mystery surrounding Kid's disappearance.
"I can help you!" you yelled, your voice slurred because of the alcohol. But your words seemed to get lost in the night, swallowed by the darkness and the unsettling silence that followed.
Your vision then went black, and you went unconscious, collapsing onto the ground. The last thing you heard before succumbing to darkness was the distant sound of footsteps approaching, leaving you with an unsettling sense of dread and the lingering question of what had truly transpired that night. . . .
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You woke up with a massive headache, the events of the previous night still hazy in your mind. As you tried to piece together the fragments of your memory, you couldn't shake off the feeling that something sinister had unfolded while you were unconscious.
You didn't remember how you had ended up in bed yesterday, yet here you were, tucked in your bed with no recollection of how you got there.
The missing hours only added to the mysterious puzzle surrounding Kid's disappearance, leaving you desperate for answers and determined to uncover the truth.
You swung your legs over the side of the bed, wincing as the throbbing pain intensified. The room spun as you stood up, and you had to steady yourself against the dresser.
As you stumbled towards the bathroom, you couldn't help but wonder if the events of the night before were somehow connected to your own sudden blackout.
You splashed cold water on your face, hoping to clear your mind and shake off the remnants of the alcohol-induced haze.
As you looked at your reflection in the mirror, you couldn't help but notice a faint red mark on your neck, as if someone had grabbed you forcefully.
The realisation sent a shiver down your spine, as you began to suspect that there might have been more to your blackout than just excessive drinking. The red mark on your neck hinted at a possible altercation or even an encounter with someone who had a vested interest in Kid's disappearance.
Feeling a renewed sense of urgency, you quickly changed your clothes and headed out, determined to retrace your steps from the night before and gather any clues that could shed light on what had happened during your blackout.
As you walked onto the deck of the Thousand Sunny, the talking became louder, and you realised that the voices were coming from your crewmates and Kid's crew who were gathered around, deep in conversation.
"Who could have made such a big hole?"
"Maybe there's a wild animal around. Hehehe!"
"Ahhh! I think I have a wild-monster phobia!"
Curious about their discussion, you jumped off the ship and landed close by. Nami, who seemed relieved to see you, looked over at you and gestured you over.
"Apparently someone or something made a hole in Kid's ship, which means that they can't sail for a while," Nami explained, her voice filled with concern.
As you joined the group, you couldn't help but feel a sinking feeling in your gut. The timing of this incident and your blackout seemed too coincidental, making you wonder if there was a connection between the two.
"We're trying to figure out who or what could have done it. Any ideas? You were the second to leave after Kid left."
You looked around but he wasn't there. "Where is Kid?" you asked anxiously, scanning the faces of your crewmates for any sign of him.
"He's still asleep," Nami replied, her brow furrowed with worry. "Killer mentioned that Kid was knocked out cold when he checked on him earlier. So, it couldn't have been him who made the hole in the ship."
So who did you see then? Maybe it was your mind tricking you but then why do you have a mark in your neck?
As you went over to look at the damage, you noticed a familiar scent lingering in the air - the same scent that had filled your nostrils during your blackout.
This realisation made your heart race, as you began to suspect that the person responsible for the hole in Kid's ship was none other than the one who had grabbed you forcefully.
"What's that mark on your neck?" a voice said behind you, causing you to turn around in surprise.
It was Killer, Kid's loyal right-hand man, who had a concerned look on his face as he pointed at the mark.
He was looking at you with a mix of concern and suspicion, as if he already knew the answer to his own question.
"I don't know," you stated, fully facing him, "but it looks like you do." The intensity of the situation heightened as you locked eyes with Killer, realising that he might hold the key to uncovering the truth behind both the hole in the ship and your mysterious mark.
Killer sighed before gesturing over to the bench nearby, indicating that you should sit down and have a serious conversation. It seemed that he was ready to reveal the truth behind the incident and the mark on your neck, finally shedding light on the unsettling events that had taken place.
Reluctantly, you took a seat next to Killer, your heart pounding with anticipation. As he reached out to examine the mark on your neck, you flinched, still wary of his intentions.
"Trust me," Killer said softly, his eyes filled with sincerity. "I had nothing to do with this. But there's something you need to know, something that might explain everything."
The mark on your neck was unlike anything you had ever seen before. It was a metalic, etched into your skin with roughness and harshness. As Killer carefully inspected the mark, you couldn't help but notice his focused expression.
After a few moments, he retrieved a small bottle from his pouch and showing it to you.
"What is it?"
"It's a medicine for when we get hurt by...." Killer paused, dropping a few drops of the medicine into his hands and rubbing them together.
"By what?"
"By Kid," Killer replied, his voice filled with a mixture of sadness and concern. "There is a time every year around now when Kid is not himself. At first, it wasn't bad but now, it's unbearable to even hear his anguishing yells."
"So it was him that was yelling yesterday," you muttered to yourself, finally connecting the dots.
"Why are you telling me this?" you turned to him, your voice filled with curiosity and a hint of suspicion. Killer met your gaze, his eyes filled with determination.
"Because you're the only one who can help us stop him," he said, his voice steady.
"I've heard about your devil fruit," Killer said, his voice hopeful. "You can remove pain away from a person, right? We believe that your ability is the key to stopping Kid and preventing further harm."
You kept quiet, thinking about the weight of the responsibility that had just been placed upon you. It was a daunting task, but deep down, you knew that if there was a chance to stop Kid and protect others from his uncontrollable rage, you had to take it.
"I don't know if it will work," you explained, your voice tinged with uncertainty. "Usually, my ability works to alleviate pain that is inflicted by a person or object. I've never tried to remove pain that is generated by the body itself. But I'm willing to give it a try if it means stopping Kid and protecting others from harm."
Killer nodded, understanding the complexity of the situation. "We understand the risks," he replied, his voice filled with determination. "But we believe in your power and know that you're our best chance to bring an end to Kid's torment."
"Okay, I can try, but there is no guarantee that something will happen," you cautiously agreed. "I'll do my best to use my ability and see if I can alleviate Kid's pain. But we need to be prepared for the possibility that it might not work."
"That's all I ask for," Killer said, gratitude evident in his voice.
As soon as you touched your neck, you felt like nothing was there. It was as if there was nothing there in the first place.
Though before you could compliment the medicine and its effectiveness, a voice caught your attention from far away.
"Jaggy! You're finally awake! Your ship has a hole. Shishishi!" Luffy's voice yelled, interrupting the serious conversation.
"Stupid monkey! You probably broke it!" Kid's voice yelled, frustration evident in his tone.
You quickly stood up and ran over to where the voice came from, eager to see what was happening and hoping that Luffy hadn't caused too much trouble.
As soon as you came into view, Kid caught you immediately and had eye contact. His expression turned from frustration to surprise, and for a moment, you could see a flicker of vulnerability in his eyes.
"Jaggy! Where are you going?"
"Away from here."
You quickly walked closer to them, realising what Kid was trying to do. He was trying to distance himself from the vulnerability he had shown in that moment, pushing you away to protect himself from further emotional exposure.
"Y/N, where did you come from?" Luffy commented.
"I came to talk to Kid," you answered, your voice calm and determined.
Kid halted and turned around to face you, his eyes locked with yours. There was a mixture of surprise and curiosity in his gaze as he carefully studied your expression.
He then walked over and towered over you, his imposing figure casting a shadow. The intensity of his gaze did not waver as he leaned in closer, as if trying to unravel the mystery behind your calm and determined demeanor.
"What do you want to talk about?" he asked, his voice laced with a hint of skepticism.
"I know what you're facing. Let me help you," you muttered, your voice filled with empathy and understanding. Kid's skepticism softened slightly, and he took a step back, allowing a brief moment of vulnerability to flicker across his face once again.
His gaze shifted from Killer, who stood in the distance, to you, and then back again. It was clear that Kid was torn between trusting you and protecting himself.
"You can't help me, no one can," Kid muttered in frustration, turning around to walk away from you.
As you watched him walk away, you crossed your arms, a determined look in your eyes.
"I knew he was going to do this," Killer said, now standing beside you, "you don't have to try anymore," he reassured you, his voice filled with concern. But you couldn't give up that easily. You knew that behind Kid's tough exterior, there was someone who needed to be understood and supported.
"But I can't just give up on him," you replied, your voice filled with determination. "He may push me away now, but I believe that deep down, he still needs someone to understand and support him."
Despite his resistance, you knew that you wouldn't give up on him that easily. You were determined to break down the walls he had built around himself and show him that he didn't have to face his struggles alone.
Plus, the quicker you can help him, the quicker his ship will be fixed and the both of your crew can separate and probably never see each other again.
You were doing it solely for the sake of fixing his ship and ensuring the smooth separation of your crew, with no ulterior motives or personal gain involved. . . .
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The ship was going to take a while to repair by Franky's calculations so you had a lot of time to study Kid and the pain he was having.
Fortunately Robin was interested in basically anything to do with pain so it was easy enough to find a collection of books about the pain that Kid was feeling.
As you got to know Eustass Kid better through Killer's stories, you learned about his arm and the constant phantom pain he experienced. Despite his tough exterior, you could see the pain in his eyes whenever he clenched his fist or winced in discomfort.
You would spend nights upon nights reading about the phantom pain and how to release the pain but there was nothing like that. The thing you discovered in your research was that phantom pain is a complex phenomenon that is not fully understood, and there is no definitive method to release or eliminate the pain.
One thing you were determined to find out was whether your devil fruit powers could somehow alleviate Kid's phantom pain. You knew that even if there was no specific information on it, you wouldn't give up without trying every possible solution.
Even though Kid had started to avoid you after you confronted him, you were determined to find a way to help him. You believed that your devil fruit powers had the potential to alleviate his phantom pain, and you were willing to try every possible solution, regardless of his avoidance.
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.
One night, both of the crew members were sitting by the fire after a long day of repairing Kid's ship and you made sure you were sitting beside Kid.
As the night went on, you watched Kid carefully for any signs of pain, hoping for an opportunity to test your theory. You then noticed a slight grimace on his face as he shifted in his seat. It was a subtle but telling indication that the phantom pain was still present.
You could see the pain etched on his face and without thinking, you reached out and gently placed your hand on his amputated arm.
To your surprise, Eustass Kid's tense muscles began to relax and the pain seemed to subside.
So your devil fruit does work on the pain that is generated by the body.
He looked at you with shock in his eyes, unable to believe that the pain he had been carrying for so long had finally eased. Kid's expression softened, and a mix of gratitude and disbelief crossed his face as he whispered, "How... how did you do that?"
"I told you that I could help you," you muttered, letting go of his arm. "Now don't you feel better?"
He nodded, still speechless, his eyes filled with a mixture of relief and gratitude.
It was a moment of validation for both of you, confirming that your determination and belief in your devil fruit powers had paid off in helping alleviate Kid's phantom pain.
"Good, now I'll be going to sleep early," you muttered, standing up and walking back to the ship.
Usually when you used your devil fruit on people who are injured, you would only get the smallest headache and that was hardly the case but when you used it on Kid, you felt like all of your energy was drained out of you.
As you made your way back to the ship, you could feel Kid's gaze burning into your back. His eyes followed your figure, filled with a mix of shock and disbelief. It was clear that the impact of your ability to alleviate his phantom pain had left him speechless, unable to comprehend what had just happened.
"What happened?" Killer asked, nudging Kid's arm, breaking the silence that had settled over the two of them.
Kid looked at him, his expression still filled with shock and disbelief, before finally finding his voice. "I don't know," he replied, his voice barely above a whisper. "But whatever it was, it worked."
"What worked?"
Kid stated, his voice filled with awe, "She stopped my phantom pain, just like she said she would."
"Really! Hehehe, that's great!" Killer replied, "I knew she could do it."
"I want her to be in my crew," Kid muttered to him, his voice filled with a newfound determination.
"What did you say-"
"Hey Luffy! Let Y/N join my crew!" Kid yelled to Luffy, who was sitting at the other side of the table.
The rest of the crew turned their heads in surprise, but Luffy simply grinned and nodded. "Sure, why not? But Y/N has to agree to it first."
"Huh!" the crew members said in unison, their eyes widening in shock and disbelief. They had never expected Kid to make such a sudden request, especially considering how fiercely independent he had always been.
Kid grinned to himself as he drank the alcohol, his mind filled with excitement and anticipation. . . .
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You didn't know why, but you noticed that Kid was staring at you more often, his eyes lingering on you with a mix of curiosity and admiration.
It seemed that your ability to reduce his phantom pain had sparked a newfound interest in you, and he couldn't help but wonder what other hidden talents you possessed.
You didn't pay any mind to it. It was normal to be interested in someone if they helped you get over a pain that affected you.
The feeling would fade eventually and when that happens, the both of you will be separated into your crews and we will be enemies again.
However, despite his initial interest in you, Kid hardly came to you anymore for his phantom pain. It seemed that your ability had truly worked, providing him with the relief he needed.
As a result, the connection between the two of you began to fade, and the reality of being enemies once again became evident.
For some reason, you couldn't help but feel a sense of loneliness as the connection between you and Kid began to fade.
Even though you knew it was inevitable, a part of you had grown accustomed to his presence and the brief moments of camaraderie. As the reality of being enemies once again became evident, you couldn't shake off the feeling of longing for that connection.
So much for doing it solely for the sake of fixing his ship and ensuring the smooth separation of your crew, with no ulterior motives or personal gain involved.
"Ahhh! Y/N! Y/N!" Usopp's voice came to play, waking you from your thoughts as you remembered that you were doing a job before you started to contemplate.
You turn around to see the long-nosed Usopp running towards you, holding his back in pain. It seems like he's injured himself again during the job, and you can't help but sigh, realising that there's always something happening when you're part of this crew.
"What happened, Usopp?" you ask, concerned.
"Luffy hit me with a big plank and now I think I'm going to die," Usopp cried out, rubbing his back.
You sighed again, "You're not going to die Usopp,"
"You're just being dramatic as usual," you said with a smile, as you activated your healing ability and placed your hand on Usopp's back, extracting his pain with a gentle touch.
The familiar warmth flowed through your fingertips, relieving his discomfort and reminding you once again of the unique gift you possessed.
"Thank you! Thank you!" Usopp said gratefully, giving you a hug before running back to where he came from.
As you watched him go, a bittersweet feeling washed over you. While you were glad to have the ability to help your crewmates, it also served as a constant reminder of the inevitable separation of Kid and returning to being enemies.
When you turned around to walk away, your eyes were met with red/orange ones in the shadows of the trees, which belonged to Kid. The intensity of his gaze sent a shiver down your spine, making it clear that the connection between the two of you was far from faded, and the lines between friend and foe were blurred once again.
"Kid, is something the matter?"
"N-no, there's nothing," he answered, his voice barely above a whisper, as he turned around to walk away.
But the lingering tension in the air and the unspoken words between you both made it clear that there was definitely something bothering him.
You ran over to him and stood in front, blocking his way, as another sigh escaped your lips.
You could feel the tension in the air as Kid's face turned red. It was clear that something was bothering him, but he seemed hesitant to share it with you.
You stood in front of him, blocking his way, and asked again, "Kid, is something wrong? You can tell me."
"It hurts again," Kid muttered, gesturing to his amputated arm. His face was twisted in pain and his body contorted as if he was suffering greatly.
You smiled warmly before placing your hand gently on his arm, feeling the tension in his muscles. With a firm grip, you slowly began to massage the area, applying just the right amount of pressure to extract the pain and ease his discomfort.
As you worked your magic, you could feel his muscles relaxing and his breathing becoming more steady. Finally, after a few minutes, you removed your hand and looked up at him with a reassuring smile, knowing that you had helped alleviate his pain.
Kid, slightly gasping for breath, looked down at you and managed to utter a sincere "Thank you".
You graciously responded, "You're welcome. You know you can always ask me to do that for you, I am at your service."
Kid, feeling embarrassed, averted his gaze and turned away. As he did so, he lifted his hand to scratch the back of his head, perhaps hoping to distract himself from the awkward situation.
"I wanted to apologise," he started, his tone contrite and apologetic. He looked directly into your eyes, hoping to convey the sincerity of his words.
His heart felt heavy with regret as he continued to speak, "I remember that I held you wrongly and caused a mark to be on your neck."
"Ah, that thing is what you are referring to!" you exclaimed, your mind drawing a blank for a moment before you realised what it was that was being discussed.
"I am truly sorry for my actions and the hurt they caused. Please forgive me."
"It's completely understandable that you reacted the way you did. Given the pain you were experiencing at that time, it's natural to respond in a way that reflects your emotions."
"I'm sorry," he said softly, looking down at his feet.
You expressed doubt with the question, "I'm still alive, aren't I?"
His eyes widened with astonishment as he gazed upward, caught off guard by your words.
"Yeah you are still alive," he replied, his voice slightly hesitant and reserved.
"Good, if not, who would be able to stop you from making another hole on your ship," You joked.
Eustass Kid's flushed and red face perfectly complemented his lipstick as he was overcome with a mix of emotions, causing his blood to rush to his cheeks.
The vibrant hue of his makeup reflected the intensity of his feelings, creating a striking and powerful appearance that captured the attention of everyone around him.
"I made something for you," he muttered, avoiding eye contact.
Curiosity piqued, you gently probed, "What is it?"
Sheepishly, he handed you a small, beautifully crafted necklace. The intricate design and attention to detail spoke volumes about the effort he had put into making it, leaving you touched and speechless.
Taking a closer look at the small, beautifully crafted necklace, you couldn't help but feel a sense of awe. "Kid, it's beautiful," you said breathless at the sight of it.
"You really went all out, didn't you?" you chuckled, teasingly.
Kid's face turned an even deeper shade of red, and he stammered, "I-I wanted to make something special for you...to show you how sorry I am."
"Thank you so much, Kid. This means the world to me."
Kid nodded before walking away nervously, a mixture of relief and anxiety evident in his movements. The weight of his apology and the vulnerability he had shown hung in the air, leaving you with a newfound understanding of his sincerity and the depth of his remorse.
You smiled, touched by Kid's gesture, before delicately tying the necklace around your neck. As the pendant rested against your chest, the cool metal against your skin, you couldn't help but feel a sense of forgiveness.
It's not like being friends with him is against your own rules right?
As you felt your heart pounding in your chest, you couldn't help but wonder if your feelings for Kid went beyond friendship. The intensity of your emotions raised questions about the nature of your relationship and whether it was possible to cross that line without breaking your own rules.
There was no point in even thinking about it. After all, you were just a mere crew member and he was part of The Worst Generation.
The boundaries between friendship and something more were blurry, but you knew that navigating the complexities of a romantic relationship with Kid would be a challenge you weren't sure you were ready to take on.
But deep down, you couldn't shake the feeling that Kid's gesture meant more than just pity. The sincerity in his eyes and the effort he had put into making the necklace hinted at something deeper, something that made you question the boundaries of your relationship.
"This is too much," you muttered to yourself before you walked to where you were supposed to be 20 minutes ago. As you hurriedly made your way to your destination, you couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions swirling within you - gratitude, confusion, and a lingering curiosity about what could lie beyond the boundaries of friendship with Kid. . . .
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.
Nami laughed teasingly, "I told you that you loved him!"
"Come on, Nami, don't start with that again," you replied, rolling your eyes playfully.
"So it took you three weeks to figure out your feelings," Nami stated as she peeled a tangerine. "That's a slow burn if I've ever seen one."
"Why don't you stop judging and give me advice?" you muttered, stealing a slice of the tangerine and dropping it into your mouth.
"Advice? Gurl, you need to take your butt out there and tell him how you feel," Nami answered, eating the rest of the tangerine.
"Did you not hear a word of what I just said?" you asked, lying back on the chair.
"Yeah, you don't want to disrupt the relationship between the two pirate crews right?" Nami said with a sly grin. "But hey, sometimes you have to take a risk for love. Who knows, maybe you and Kid could be the ultimate power couple of the seas!"
"That's not real advice, Nami," you groaned into your hands, feeling overwhelmed by the situation. "I can't just jeopardise everything for a potential romance. I need to think this through and consider the consequences."
"You think too much," Nami commented, rolling her eyes. "Sometimes, you just have to follow your heart and take a leap of faith. Life's too short to overthink everything."
As you were going to respond, the door opened and revealed Killer, Kid's first mate and closest confidant. The sight of him caught you off guard, and you couldn't help but wonder if he had overheard your conversation with Nami.
"Y/N, can I talk to you for a minute?"
You nodded before saying goodbye to Nami, who had a grin on her face. As you walked towards Killer, you couldn't shake off the feeling that he had indeed heard your conversation. Your heart raced, unsure of what he might say or how he might react.
As you closed the door behind you, you faced Killer and asked, "Is something wrong?" His expression seemed serious, and you couldn't help but feel a sense of unease wash over you.
"During this day every year, I've recorded that Kid's phantom pain increases threefold," Killer said, his voice filled with concern. "I know you care about him, and I wanted to warn you that he might not be in the best state of mind right now."
"I thought you should know, since you're the only one who seems to have a calming effect on him. It's important that you understand the impact you have on him."
You nodded in understanding, grateful that Killer had shared this information with you. As he started to walk away, you couldn't help but feel a renewed sense of responsibility towards Kid and his well-being, knowing that your presence had such a profound effect on him.
"Umm, Killer, can I ask you for a favor?" you said hesitantly, hoping he would agree.
He turned around with a curious look, his gaze fixed on you. "Of course, what do you need?" Killer responded, his tone indicating his willingness to help.
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.
"I appreciate you providing this room for me", you said, sitting on the new bed.
"It's no problem," Killer said, leaning against the door frame on the other side of the room. "I'm glad I could help. If there's anything else you need, don't hesitate to ask."
You nodded, grateful for Killer's support, and he closed the door behind him, leaving you alone to gather your thoughts.
Feeling a mix of emotions, you then laid on the bed, trying to process the weight of Killer's words and the newfound responsibility you held in Kid's life.
The room felt heavy with the realization that your presence could make a difference in someone's well-being, and you couldn't help but wonder how you could best support Kid during his struggle with his phantom pain.
"Umm, Killer, can I ask you for a favor?" you said hesitantly, hoping he would agree.
He turned around with a curious look, his gaze fixed on you. "Of course, what do you need?"
"Since Kid may need my help during the night, can I stay over at his ship for tonight?" you asked, hoping that Killer would understand the urgency of the situation.
Killer's expression softened, and he nodded in agreement. "Absolutely, I think that would be a good idea. Kid will appreciate having you there for support."
Why did you ask him that? Why were you on Kid's ship? This was definitely going to cause some problems for both of the crews if they saw where you were.
"You think too much," Nami commented, rolling her eyes. "Sometimes, you just have to follow your heart and take a leap of faith. Life's too short to overthink everything."
You sighed, remembering Nami's words. Sometimes, you just have to trust your instincts and do what feels right in the moment.
You couldn't help but feel a sense of unease as you lay on the bed, knowing that your proximity to Kid's room could potentially complicate things.
There is only one purpose for your presence here, and that is to help Kid.
Laying down on the bed, you tried to get some sleep, hoping that a good night's rest would help clear your mind and prepare you for the challenges ahead. However, thoughts of the potential complications lingered, making it difficult to find peace in the midst of your newfound responsibility.
You held the necklace that Kid made for you tightly, feeling its familiar weight against your chest. It brought you a sense of comfort and reminded you of the connection you shared with Kid.
As you drifted off to sleep, you hoped that your presence on Kid's ship would ultimately bring more good than harm. . . .
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In the eerie darkness, Kid found himself paralysed with fear as he witnessed Victoria, his beloved, trapped in a nightmarish scenario, fading away before his very eyes.
Her anguished cries echoed in the void, sending shivers down his spine. Despite his desperate attempts to reach out and save her, he was rendered powerless, a mere spectator to her tragic demise.
As the nightmare unfolded, a sinister force seemed to take hold of the dream, twisting and distorting reality.
Suddenly, you appeared in the scene, just as you had that fateful night a week ago, drunk and stumbling. Kid's heart raced as he desperately tried to make sense of your presence in this haunting nightmare, unsure of the role you played in the twisted reality unfolding before him.
Kid's body started to move without his command, running towards Y/N. Panic and confusion filled his mind as he tried to regain control, but his limbs seemed to have a will of their own.
The closer he got to Y/N, the more intense the feeling of dread became, as if his own instincts were warning him to stay away.
In a surge of terror and desperation, Kid's hands clenched around Y/N's neck, his grip tightening as he lifted them off the ground. The place filled with the sound of Y/N's gasps for air, mingled with Kid's anguished cries, as the nightmare took a horrifying turn.
"K-Kid, I can help you," you muttered, gasping for air, desperately trying to convey that you were not the enemy in this twisted nightmare. Your words hung in the tense air, a glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, Kid would snap out of it and release his grip on your neck.
Kid also hoped so too, that his body would listen to him and leave you alone.
But of course, since it was a nightmare, Kid's body remained under the control of the sinister force, tightening his grip even further. The glimmer of hope quickly faded as Y/N's vision started to blur, their consciousness slipping away as the nightmare reached its horrifying climax.
Your hand then touched his arm and suddenly Kid felt refreshed, as if a surge of energy had coursed through his veins. The effect of your devil fruit powers seemed to break through the grip of the sinister force, loosening Kid's hold on your neck.
As his senses returned, Kid's eyes widened with horror at what he had almost done, his trembling hands releasing their grip as he fell to his knees, overcome with guilt and relief.
Y/N lay motionless on the ground, gasping for air and clutching your throat, the remnants of Kid's grip still visible on your skin. The weight of guilt and relief washed over Kid, leaving him paralysed with the realisation of what he had almost done.
"Please, not you too," he muttered, his voice filled with a mixture of anguish and desperation, as he stared at your motionless body on the ground. . . .
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.
Kid woke up in a jolt, sweating profusely. He looked around, relieved to find himself in his own bed, safe and sound.
It took a moment for him to realise that it was all just a nightmare, but the guilt and fear still lingered in his mind.
As the night went on, Eustass Kid's arm continued to bother him. Kid lay awake in the darkness of his quarters aboard the Kid Pirates ship.
The memory of losing his arm in a fierce battle replayed in his mind, causing him to grimace in pain as he felt the phantom ache that still haunted him. The room was suffocatingly silent, except for the occasional creaks and groans of the ship as it managed against the dark waters.
Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through his missing arm, causing Kid to sit upright with a gasp. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as he clenched his teeth, trying to push away the pain that felt all too real.
He longed for a distraction, something to take his mind off the agony that had consumed him.
Just then, a soft knock sounded at his door, followed by the creak of the hinges as it opened slowly. Kid's first instinct was to lash out, but he stopped himself when he saw who stood before him - you, your concerned gaze locked on his troubled face.
"I... I heard you groaning in pain. Is everything alright?" you asked, your voice filled with genuine worry.
Kid's initial reaction was to brush you off, to insist that he was fine, that you should leave him be or even question how you were on his ship. But as he saw the genuine concern in your eyes, he hesitated.
For a brief moment, he let his guard down, allowing the vulnerability that he usually kept hidden to surface.
"My arm... it still hurts sometimes but it's worse now. The pain never really goes away at this time," Kid murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Do... you want me to help you?"
At first, Eustass Kid was taken aback by your offer even though you've been helping him for weeks now.
"Yes... please," Kid replied, his voice filled with a mix of gratitude and vulnerability.
You could see the hesitation in his eyes, but you also saw the genuine need for companionship. Without a second thought, you agreed to stay.
It's not like anything would happen right?
As you adjusted to the darkness, you realised that Kid was shirtless, revealing the scars that covered his muscular chest and arms. The sight took you by surprise, but you quickly averted your gaze, focusing instead on the pain that was etched across his face.
You slowly walked up to him, his eyes never leaving you. His eyes held a mixture of pain, longing, and vulnerability, as if they were windows to a soul that had experienced more than its fair share of hardships.
In that moment, you could see the depth of his emotions, the weight he carried on his shoulders, and a glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, you could provide him with the solace he desperately needed.
You sat down on the edge of his bed, reaching over to his amputated hand when he grabbed you with his other hand. His grip was surprisingly gentle, as if he was afraid of breaking you.
"Kid?" you questioned, your voice filled with concern as you met his gaze. "Are you okay? You can talk to me, you know."
Despite the fact that he was generally regarded as an independent person, he could not deny that he had a strong desire for someone to stay with him tonight.
He wanted you. He needed you.
"Stay the night with me. Please..." he finally spoke, his voice laced with vulnerability.
Your eyes widened at his statement, surprised by the depth of his vulnerability and the sincerity in his plea. The weight of his words hung in the air, and you found yourself unable to resist his request.
"I'll stay," you said, your voice gentle and reassuring. "What do you want me to do?"
Kid's reply was a soft whisper, barely audible in the darkness. "Just... stay with me," he pleaded, his voice filled with a mix of longing and vulnerability.
Gently, he pulled you closer by your hand, his touch both tender and desperate, closing the physical distance between you.
The warmth of his touch and the vulnerability in his eyes made it clear that all he needed in that moment was your presence.
Placing your hand close to Kid's head, you felt the softness of Kid's hair against your fingertips, which made your heart skip a beat.
As Kid's hands wrapped around your waist, pulling you closer, a wave of goosebumps cascaded over your body, electrifying every inch of your skin that his touch grazed. The intensity of the moment heightened, revealing the depth of his longing and the raw vulnerability he entrusted to you.
"What do you want?" you repeated, your voice a gentle whisper.
"I want you, even if it's only for tonight," he confessed, his voice filled with a mixture of desire and desperation that sent shivers down your spine.
"What about the others?" you muttered, your mind racing with thoughts of the potential consequences.
"I just want you here with me," Kid replied, his voice filled with a mixture of longing and determination. "I don't care about the others. All I need is you."
"Okay, for tonight," you agreed, your voice filled with understanding.
In that moment, Kid took it as a sign to cup your cheek and lean closer, his lips gently brushing against yours, igniting a fire within both of you.
His lips were soft and warm, molding perfectly against yours as they moved in sync. The gentle pressure and the taste of his kiss sent a rush of heat through your body, making you forget about everything else except the intense connection you shared in that moment.
As the kiss deepened, Kid's tongue gently traced the outline of your lips, seeking permission to explore further. Your heart raced with anticipation as you granted access, allowing the kiss to become even more passionate and intoxicating.
His tongue danced with yours, exploring the depths of your mouth with a hunger that mirrored the intensity of his longing. Every stroke and caress of his tongue sent waves of pleasure coursing through your body, erasing any doubts or hesitations that lingered in your mind. In that moment, all that mattered was the intoxicating taste of him and the electrifying connection you shared.
You reluctantly pulled away from the kiss, your chests rising and falling rapidly as you both tried to catch your breath. The intensity of the moment had left you dizzy, and you needed a moment to collect your thoughts and reassess the situation.
Kid's lipstick was definitely smuggled all over your lips, but you couldn't bring yourself to care. The taste of him lingered on your tongue, a reminder of the passionate connection you had just experienced.
"I like the taste of your lips on mine," he muttered, his voice still filled with longing. The words sent a thrill down your spine, igniting a desire within you that mirrored his own.
"Well, if you like the taste of my lips, maybe you should try them again," you replied with a playful smirk, unable to resist the magnetic pull between the two of you.
"If you're offering, I wouldn't want to deny you another taste," Kid responded with a mischievous grin, his eyes sparkling with anticipation.
"Only if you promise to make it even more unforgettable than the last time," you said, your voice dripping with seduction.
Unable to resist the magnetic pull between the two of you, he captured your lips once again, his kiss even more passionate and intoxicating than before.
As you kissed, Kid's hands gently slid down your back, pulling you closer and causing you to straddle him. As the kiss deepened and his hands explored your body, one of Kid's hands slipped under your shirt, sending shivers of anticipation down your spine.
The touch of his warm skin against yours heightened the intensity of the moment, fuelling the desire that burned between you. . . .
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.
You woke up to the smells heavily of metal and copper, the remnants of the passionate encounter with Kid still fresh in your mind. As you took in the scent, a mix of desire and satisfaction washed over you.
You opened your eyes to see Kid's peaceful face beside you, his breathing steady and his lips slightly parted. The sight filled you with a sense of contentment and a desire to continue exploring the depths of your connection with him.
The sunlight streaming through the curtains caught your attention, and you realised that it was morning. The soft glow illuminated the room, casting a warm, golden hue over the tangled sheets and the two of you intertwined within them
As you watched Kid sleep, a sense of gratitude washed over you, knowing that this was just the beginning of a beautiful journey together.
"Okay, for tonight," you agreed, your voice filled with understanding.
The things you said last night haven't escaped your memory.
However, deep down, you couldn't help but feel a tinge of sadness that this passionate encounter with Kid was only meant to be a single night. The bittersweet feeling lingered as you admired Kid's peaceful face, wishing for more moments like these to come.
You slowly got out of his bed, gently releasing Kid's grip and tiptoeing towards the door.
As you looked back at his sleeping form one last time, you couldn't help but wonder if fate had other plans in store for the two of you, and if this unforgettable night was just the beginning of something more. . . .
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Why can't you stop the pain in your heart?As you thought, gripping your shirt, you realised that the pain in your heart cannot be stopped because it is an emotional pain that stems from deep within.
"Stay the night with me. Please..." he finally spoke, his voice laced with vulnerability.
─────────────────────────────────────────
"I'll stay," you said, your voice gentle and reassuring. "What do you want me to do?"
Kid's reply was a soft whisper, barely audible in the darkness. "Just... stay with me," he pleaded, his voice filled with a mix of longing and vulnerability.
─────────────────────────────────────────
The warmth of his touch and the vulnerability in his eyes made it clear that all he needed in that moment was your presence.
Placing your hand close to Kid's head, you felt the softness of Kid's hair against your fingertips, which made your heart skip a beat.
─────────────────────────────────────────
As you ran your fingers over the necklace Kid had made for you, the memories of last night stayed in your mind, reminding you of the deep connection you shared.
You weren't going to deny that you had fallen in love with Kid.
Eustass Kid's vibrant red hair was wild and unkempt, adding to his rugged and unpredictable appearance. The fiery colour of his hair reflected his fiery personality and his willingness to take on any challenge.
He possessed a towering and imposing physique, adorned with a labyrinth of battle scars and metallic implants seamlessly integrated into his arms and shoulders.
You couldn't help but find Kid's rugged appearance and fiery personality incredibly attractive.
"Okay, for tonight," you agreed, your voice filled with understanding.
You remembered the promise you made to him - this was only for one day and at the time, you thought it was enough for you but now you regret it.
You longed for the feeling of his hands on your skin, the way they would trace delicate patterns and send shivers down your spine.
You were torn between your desire for more and your initial agreement to only stay for one night. The memories of his touch haunted you, and you couldn't help but yearn for more than just one night together.
Yet, you knew that breaking your promise would only lead to more complications and heartache.
Suddenly, you heard a knock at the door, interrupting the bittersweet longing in the air.
"Come in," you said, your voice slightly shaky as you tried to compose yourself. As the door opened, you put on a brave face, hoping that no one would see the traces of tears that lingered in your eyes.
The door revealed Nami with a worried look, her eyes scanning the room for any signs of distress. You quickly wiped away the traces of tears and put on a smile, masking the pain that still lingered in your heart.
"Hey, Nami," you greeted, trying to sound cheerful. "What brings you here?"
"Kid just left with his crew, and you were the only one who wasn't there to see him off," Nami explained, her voice tinged with concern. "I wanted to make sure you're okay. Is everything alright?"
"I'm okay," you replied, forcing a smile. "Thanks for checking in, Nami."
She sat on your bed and sighed, her eyes filled with understanding. "I can see that something is bothering you. You don't have to pretend with me, you know," Nami said gently.
"I know," you said, touching the necklace again, "But there was no way anything would happen even if I sent him off."
"So he didn't ask you?"
"Ask me what?" you asked curiously.
"That dinner when you left early, Kid asked Luffy if he could have you join his crew and surprisingly Luffy agreed but if you agreed to it too,"
You were speechless at Nami's words. Kid asked Luffy to join his crew? Why didn't he ask you? Did he think you were going to reject his offer?
Did he not see how much you longed for him? Did he not feel the same connection as you did? The questions swirled in your mind, filling you with a mixture of regret and confusion.
"Why didn't he ask me?" you muttered out loud, the words escaping your lips before you could stop them.
Nami assured you, "You can ask him next time we bump into each other. Maybe he just didn't find the right moment to bring it up. Don't worry, I'm sure there's a reason behind it."
"I guess," you muttered, feeling a wave of disappointment wash over you.
Eustass Kid, does he not realise how smitten you have become with him that he's using you as a toy for his own entertainment without even knowing?
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Part 2?
200 notes · View notes
milksnake-tea · 2 days
Note
Hi hi hii!
May I have 2, 4, and 7 with Aventurine for the ask game? Have a nice day!
This man has a strong chokehold on me-
- 🪽
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nah bro i totally get you that damn blonde im telling you .... him and his little >:3 are permanently etched into my brain .... THANKS FOR THE ASK !!! <3
2. What do you think their love language is?
My first thought was initially words of affirmation or acts of service, but now that I'm thinking about it, I think Aventurine would be a sucker for physical touch. The thing is, I personally believe that Aventurine is heavily touched starved, and a huge part of it is self-inflicted. There have been many times where he wanted to hold your hand, or lean onto your shoulder, or just have his hair played with, but he holds himself back because 1.) it's unprofessional and 2.) does he really want to deal with the implications of his actions? Even with friends (or the closest things he has to friends), he wants to be physically close to them, but he doesn't let himself be. The first time you held his hand, he stiffened like a block of wood. When you hugged him, and held him in his arms, he didn't know how to react - but it wasn't long until he closed his eyes and let himself slump against you.
4. What's an unpopular opinion you have?
i cant believe i have to say this BUT HE IS NOT A WHORE !!!!! Can he be clingy? Yes !! Can he be intentionally irritating and annoying? Yes !!! Can he come across as flirty? ABSOLUTELY. But what he isn't is someone who gives himself away at the drop of a hat. Intimacy and companionship, whether platonic or romantic, is something he desires, absolutely. But that doesn't mean he'll give it to just anyone. He has to respect you, he has to like you, he has to know you inside and out to ensure that you won't take advantage of his vulnerability.
I acknowledge that Aventurine often invites people to stab him in the back, but he does it with the prior knowledge that they'd likely do it, so he isn't surprised about it. But when it comes to true companions, not the "friends" he collects like chips, he needs to be able to trust you in all of your entirety. Yes, he has a very low view of himself, but it's not to the degree where he'd willingly use his body in that way to get what he wants.
7. What kind of person do you think Aventurine wants in a relationship?
The real question is whether or not he'll allow himself the liberty of getting into a relationship in the first place. But if I'm going to be honest, I see Aventurine as someone who values honesty and self-reliance, and admires those who are true to themselves and their ideals despite it all (example: Topaz and Dr. Ratio, both of whom he respects and admires as colleagues). So when it comes to being in a relationship, he doesn't want to stress himself out with the mind games; banter, sure, but he doesn't need another person to tip toe around.
Aventurine would want someone who isn't afraid to ask for what they want, or tell him off when he needs to be, yet is genuine, kind and earnest. He also would want someone who could at least take care of themself - as harsh as it sounds, he can't always be there to protect you, and he needs to know that you'll be okay even if he isn't there (also because he finds strength, both intellectual and physical, to be pretty attractive).
It's kind of sad, though. The kind of people Aventurine finds himself attracted to are often the type who end up disliking him.
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2k follower event if you want to participate !!!
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merakiui · 1 day
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If I- if I may be so bold and share An Aventurine Thought™ that includes a breeding kink (or at least baby trapping)… 👀 (spoiler-free!)
Aventurine is a high-stakes, high-return gambling guy, yet at the same time he doesn’t make deals that don’t pay off. (info taken directly from his official description) He’s willing to risk it all, but the price you’ll have to pay is just as high.
So he offers you a deal: let him do it raw just for one night and if you don’t fall pregnant after that, he’ll disappear out of your life. But in the case that you do become pregnant, you’ll marry him and will be forever his.
Sounds straightforward, and the chances are obviously in your favor (20% risk of pregnancy), so you agree to it.
What you did not consider is that “one night” does not mean one single time, so now you’re getting railed and creampied nonstop all night long. 😈 Ooorrrr maybe he whisks you away onto a planet where night is permanent so that “one night” literally lasts forever. OR he pretends to play fair on that particular night, but unbeknownst to you, he’s been noncon’ing you in your sleep for weeks now, and he absolutely will continue to do so on all following nights. Gotta make sure his seeds take, right?
Either way, there’s no doubt your pregnancy test will come out positive. Aventurine knows that, but you don’t. And aww, aren’t you the cutest when your initial confidence slowly dwindles to uncertainty and nervous “what if?”s over the coming weeks? 🥰
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THIS IS SO DELICIOUS OH MY GOODNESS GOSH WOWOWOWOWOWOWOOOOOOOOO. OTL OTL I NEED HIM SO BADLY.
uuuwuwaaaa it pains me that I cannot articulate my thoughts in full without risking being ooc. </3 but omg this is everything and more!!!!! Aventurine watches you go from being so very confident to so very scared as the weeks pass and your period has yet to show and you start feeling more and more sick. Time to start looking into rings, dearest. Time to start looking for venues. Do you have any preferences? Just let him know and it shall be yours. <3 no need to look so disheartened. You agreed to this, after all. It's completely fair, and seeing as he's won this little gamble it's time for you to come to terms with your loss. Complain all you want; a deal is a deal, darling.
He's excited to plan the wedding with you, even more so when it comes time for you to pick a wedding dress. Of course you'll have to take into account the fact that, by the time it's finally the day of the big ceremony, you'll likely be so heavily pregnant. The dress may seem spacious now, but you'll grow into it. :)
And by then he's sure all of your vitriol towards him will have withered away into something soft and sweet.
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myocsfanfictions · 3 days
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THE WRATH OF FIRE
House of the Dragon Fanfiction
MASTERLIST
Princess Ysilla Targaryen is the only daughter of Prince Daemon Targaryen and lady Rhea Royce. The affection that she felt for her mother was strong, while her father had never been there, acting as if Ysilla was not even his. But she was. The dragon egg that had been put in her cradle hatched. An outcast of a dragon was born. A dragon with no legs. An outcast of a dragon for and outcast of a dragon rider. Ysilla’s hair were dark, but streaked with white. She was a Targaryen and her wrath was not different from the one that burn inside the members of the House of the Dragon.
《 Previous - Next 》
CHAPTER 3
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Ysilla had loved her time in King's Landing. Her uncle was a sweet man, and he liked Ysilla's company. It had been strange for the little princess because no man had ever treated her like family. She had only her lady mother in Runestone. But King Viserys had been very kind to her, allowing one of the Maesters of the Dragonpit to follow her back to the Vale so that he could attend to her dragon.
"Your grace," she had asked timidly one morning as they were breaking their fast. Queen Alicent was with them as well.
"Tell me, dear niece," Viserys answered with a smile.
"I would like to learn High Valyrian," she noticed how the King shared a look at his Queen. A hint of sorrow was in his eyes, and Ysilla wondered if she had asked too much.
"That would be a lovely idea," the King said, smiling gently at her. Ysilla blushed, happy that her uncle appreciated her wish. "From your mother's words, I know you like to learn."
"It is true, your grace," Ysilla answered, nodding her head. The Queen chuckled softly.
"Let's hope our Aegon will have the same endeavor for knowledge," Vyseris said.
Ysilla had met the little Prince Aegon, who was almost two years old. The girl did not know what to think of him; he could not even talk properly yet.
"Is my father happy to hear it as well?" Ysilla asked curiously. But then again, she noticed how the King shared a look with his wife.
"I... I'm sure he is, dear." Those words should have made her happy, but they didn't because she was not sure how true they were. Was her father not happy with her? Was she disappointing him?
"Did I do something wrong?" She asked, confused.
"Of course not," her uncle was quick to say, "Your father is at war; it's been long since I last saw him."
Ysilla looked down. She was truly so silly. She was only two when the war on the Stepstones started. But she wanted to meet her father and talk to him.
She had been trying to talk about him sometimes, but no one would talk about Daemon Targaryen. She was not sure why, but it seemed to her that the Hand of the King didn't like her father, while the king seemed pained to talk about his brother. But no one explained anything to her; she was too young, they said.
She had hoped to get to know her father better in King's Landing, but he was far even in a place that he had loved. Or so her mother would say.
Ysilla missed Runestone, but she could understand why her father loved King's Landing so much. Her favorite place was the Dragonpit; she even loved the smell of dragons. And it seemed that her own dragon liked to be there, too. At first, she was afraid he would not have recognized her, but he did, happily and clumsily crawling in her direction.
"Is Vhagar in the Dragonpit as well?" She had asked curiously at Rhaenyra one morning under the Heart Tree.
"She is too big," Rhaenyra answered. "Why? Do you want to see her?"
Ysilla smiled, "Visenya was Vhaghar's rider," she explained, "I like stories about Visenya."
"I like them too," her cousin answered, sitting closer to Ysilla, "I would have liked to have a sister like you."
Ysilla felt like blushing, but then she got curious, "You've got Aegon, though," but Rhaenyra's eyes lowered silently.
Did she not love Aegon?
Ysilla wondered why. But she dared not to ask, not wanting her cousin to get sad.
"I hope my dragon will be as big as Vhaghar," Ysilla confessed, "And that I'll become as strong as Visenya." And that her father would be proud of her.
"I'm sure you will," Rhaenyra promised.
Ysilla was enjoying her time in King's Landing. She enjoyed spending time with Rhaenyra and the Queen, but never together. The two of them didn't seem eager to stay in each other's presence, Especially Rhaenyra.
"You truly look beautiful," said Alicent the morning of Aegon's second name. The Queen was wearing a beautiful red gown, and her auburn hair was held together by a net of jewels. Ysilla blushed at the compliment. No one ever complimented her appearance. Her mother didn't want her to focus only on her physics. She was a woman of the Vale, stronger than most. But Ysilla wished to be pretty. She sometimes wished that her hair was silver like the rest of her family and not strange like hers. Dark and streaked with silver. It always looked messy; it didn't matter how many times she'd brushed it.
"I wish I was as pretty as you," she said, biting her lips.
"You are just five of age," the Queen told her gently. "You've got time to think about those things." Then she put her hands on her shoulders and said, "Shall we go?"
That would have been her last week at the Capital, and she was very sad about it. She enjoyed that visit as much as her dragon. He was little, but he was not afraid of other dragons, and he was growing healthier by the day.
The feast for Aegon's name-day was like nothing Ysilla had ever seen. So many people were dressed in rich, embroidered clothes and the finest jewels. All the ladies fussed about Aegon, and they were all happy and made a lot of compliments. They seemed to love him very much, the first son of the King.
"May I introduce you to my niece Ysilla Targaryen, Lady Redwine?" The King said, lightly pushing Ysilla towards an old lady. The woman looked at her. Her eyes lingered on her hair, but then she smiled. It was a tight smile; it didn't fully reach her eyes. "The daughter of Prince Daemon," Ysilla nodded her head proudly at the woman's words. "It is a pleasure to meet you, princess."
Ysilla bowed clumsily, "The pleasure is mine."
"What about Lady Rhea?" Lady Redwine asked the King. "Is she not present?" Ysilla didn't like her tone. She seemed to be judging and mocking. But she had no right to speak in such a way about her noble mother.
"Lady Rhea is a very busy lady," her uncle answered, "But Ysilla is here in her place."
The woman nodded, "To not let people forget." Ysilla frowned, looking up at her uncle, who was glaring at her for some reason.
What should people remember? Ysilla asked herself. She did not understand that woman.
"How about Prince Daemon, your grace?" Lady Redwine asked Viserys, "What words are from the Stepstones?"
Viserys smiled with tension. Ysilla could tell he did not like the question. "A war of little concern for the realm." Ysilla frowned again.
Her father was fighting. His brother. Why was that a little concern?
"Ysilla," Alicent called her, gesturing to get closer to her. The little princess looked at her uncle once more before doing as she was asked. "What about you sit here with Aegon?" she asked, gesturing to the wet nurse to put Aegon on a soft carpet. You could play together."
Ysilla was not sure what she should have done, but she nodded nonetheless. Then, she sat quietly next to the little prince, but her eyes remained on her uncle.
I wish I was older, she thought. I could understand better.
Ysilla started to play with Aegon a little, but her eyes kept looking at the people around. And she noticed it. They would whisper as their eyes lay on her.
Is it for my hair? She asked herself. But even if she hated her hair, she was not quite sure that was the reason behind their gaze and whispers.
Then suddenly, she felt something pulling at her dark lock, not enough to hurt her. When her eyes moved, she noticed Aegon looking at her hair curiously before his lips turned up into a smile. He seemed to like it.
It is not for my hair. She thought, looking back at a man with golden hair and a roaring lion embroidered on his chest, whispering to his twin brother.
Did they know something she didn't? Did something happen to her father at the Stepstones, and no one would tell her?
She wanted to know.
Ysilla managed to get away from Aegon's grip before telling the wet nurse that her tummy was empty and that she would have to go to eat something and then come back. Ysilla walked to the table, observing the food as if she were truly hungry, hoping to catch someone talking about the Stepstones and her father. But she didn't catch anything. Women were talking rumors, and men were looking forward to the hunt that would have closed the Prince's celebration.
Nothing of her interest, then she heard it.
"The King does not want to help," she heard the Hand say to a man with the sigil of House Hightower on his chest. "Daemon and Corlys Velaryon acted without His Grace's word," Ysilla was as quiet as a shadow as she walked closer to hear them better.
"He has always been a disgrace," the other man said, "And the folly about Dragonstone."
Otto Hightower nodded. "His Grace wanted him to go back to Runestone, but he never wanted to."
"We all know how he disrespects Lady Rhea and his daughter." Ysilla felt her hands shaking. What did it mean? She did not understand.
Otto took a breath, "The goat and the goat's daughter. He truly is vile."
Ysilla felt her eyes fill with tears, but she was quick to walk away. Wanting to forget about that conversation. But she couldn't. Her father couldn't have talked about her and her mother in such a way. Why?
That could not be possible. They must have been lying. The Hand didn't like her father; she knew that. But could that really be a rumor? What was his end?
Those words had been repeating themselves in her ear for all the rest of her visit to King's Landing. And they never went away. They've kept coming louder and more painful.
_____________________________________________________________
Taglist: @watercolorskyy @darylandbethfanforever9
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vssail · 2 days
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aventurine x fem! reader
warnings: boss x secretary, VERY out of character, reader is tired of avens gambling addiction
this is my first post here and also my first time trying to write something in english that isn't for school, so sorry if there are mistakes. hope someone likes it!
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Many times you regretted picking up this job.
It was the 10th missing call you left to Aventurine. As always, he didn't picked the phone.
Sighing, you got up from your confy bed. You didn't even bother to change to proper clothes, judging by the time, almost 3 am, everyone at the casino would be too drunk to notice some girl walking in there in sleeping clothes. Your priority right now was to take Aventurine out of there and go back to your confy bed.
After a short ride in your car, you got in that demonic place. The bright lights were blinding you. You really hated casinos.
You didn't have to search too much to find the man you were looking for. A fight in the poker table was the only necessary hint you needed to find your boss. When you reached the scene, it was the same as always: some looser that doesn't accept his bad luck.
"There's no way you won five rounds in a row!" a guy shouted while holding the little peacock of your boss by the shirt collar.
This always happened, and you always appeared to save him from a beating. But this night you were tired, tired of all the paperwork he gave you last minute, tires of staying up because he didn't want to pick his fucking phone, tired for having to take the car at 3 am and tired of seeing the same scene every freaking night.
He saw you behind the guy, and a proud smile appeared on his face, thinking that you were going to save him like always. You could see his face change when he saw the guy holding him and you not moving to stop him. In your mind, this would be a good lesson for him to stop his bad habits.
Then, the first punch came, making his glasses to fly away of his face. That was the fact that changed your decision of not doing anything. With his eyes exposed to the angry looser, what you expected that was going to be some punches was going to turn into another thing beyond a game.
"A damn Avgin, I knew you were a liar!" he said. You could see your boss looking for you while trying to recover from the punch.
"I'm gonna beat you so hard that you-" he stopped talking to scream in pain from your sudden grip on his arm.
"He what, little fucker?" You encouradged him to continue. Aventurine was suddenly at your side, with that horrible proud smile again in his face.
After giving the guy a little warning to never mess up with your boss, you let him go.
"For a moment I though you were going to let me on my own" he joked.
"I was" you simply said, getting out of that damn place. You knew he would follow you.
"What?!" he shouted, stopping you in the hall of the casino "Why would you let that man beat me up? You know that if I'm dead, you won't be paid, right?"
Before speaking, you took a long, long breath, so you wouldn't scream at him.
"In my contract there's nothing about saving my boss at 3 am in casinos" you breathed again ", there's nothing about risking my own life to save him from fights." you didn't breathe this time "Do you know how much I sleep beetwin finishing the work that you give me in the last minute and searching for you?! For the love of the Aeons, I'm a secretary! I shouldn't be beating people up for you!"
You didn't notice, but you started crying in the first sentence. And you wouldn't notice if he didn't wipe the tears at your cheeks. You were too angry to let him touch you, and tried to push him away, but he got close again and hugged you. This time, you just accepted the hug, but didn't hug him back.
"I didn't know I was causing you so much stress and trouble," he whispered in your ear "I'm sorry for everything"
"Being sorry isn't enough"
"I know, just as you know that I can't promise you to stop gambling" he separated from you to see your face, and took off his jacket to put it over you (you didn't realise you were trembling) "but I can promise you that I'll try to control myself"
You didn't reply, just buried your face on his neck and hug him.
"When I started working with you and saw you risking your life like it is nothing, I wonder if you knew what self-love is" you asked, holding him tighter
"Why would I care about risking my life when no one cares?"
"I'm gonna kill you" you broke the hug and prepared to beat him.
"Wait wait wait, it's not the same as what I mean" he got away from you "you only care because I'm your boss"
"You little..." you breathed to calm yourself down "If i only cared about you professionaly, I wouldn't go to casinos in the middle of the night in sleeping clothes only to look for you and make sure that you're okay. You don't pay me enough to do all that shit"
He seemed to think about what you said.
"Do you mean that you do that because you care about me?"
He looked at you like he just had discovered a whole new galaxy.
"Yes"
"In a loving way?"
"Maybe, can we go now?" you started to get embarassed of all this sudden confession.
"Wait" he holded you, one hand in your arm and other on your cheek "That means that I can kiss you?"
You easily got away from his hold.
"Yes, but not tonight" you started to go to your car, taking your keys to open it "You won't get a kiss until you return every missing call that I left you this week"
"Oh, common!" he run after you, unable to hold back the genuine smile that appeared in his face.
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I really went out of character but hope that someone likes this.
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New Life Shall Prosper, ch. 3
Pairing: Halsin x Reader (as gender neutral as possible, given the context)
Rating: T? (not really smut, but there are some little spicy moments later on)
Warnings: Little spicy moments, but nothing extreme. Pregnancy complications, birthing process that isn't graphic, so much dialogue
Summary: Months after the fall of the Absolute, you and Halsin have carved a happy life for yourselves within Thaniel's Realm, making a safe haven for all. A life full of hope and prosperity, only enhanced once you discover the very real possibility that you are with child.
Word Count: 10.9K
an: Finally had time to finish this chapter up after a very long work week. I've got one more chapter planned for this fic and it'll be complete! Thank you so much to everyone that had interacted with this series and enjoyed it!!
Follow up to this post.
Read on AO3 here if you prefer!
Chapter 1, Chapter 2
Masterlist
Supper by the campfire always brought back fond memories of your days on the road and you admittedly missed the nights of fun and story telling that would follow a long day of battle. Although the tadpoles were certainly a looming threat, the laughter that would erupt from the camp always made things a bit lighter. That’s not to say you didn’t enjoy the suppers you shared now under Thaniel’s Realm. Even though your small army of children listen to stories more than they shared their own, you adored the excitement that would show when a long tale was about to begin. They certainly preferred Halsin’s stories, but were quickly adapting to yours.
They’d had plenty of time to grow accustomed to your stories. What was meant to be a journey lasting only a ten-day had quickly surpassed the mark. A ten-day turned to a fortnight. A fortnight stretched into a full month. And the full month stretched into the beginning of a second. And now time was about to eclipse the end of the second month and Halsin still had not returned home with the scouting party. Because they had yet to return and you hadn’t received so much as a bird with a notice, you were unsure of how everything was. They could be lost, dead, fighting more, or possibly worse, but you had no way of knowing. You tried not to let this bother you in front of the children, not wanting them to worry either, so you always made it a point to tell the most exciting stories and perform with the enthusiasm of a bard reciting an epic tale. But deep down, you were worried. You wanted them all to return home safely, but you were mostly worried about your lover.
The children were huddled at your feet, seated on the ground before you after filling their bellies with the nightly supper. You had gathered them around the fire for their nightly tale, struggling to come up with one for the evening; your mind more focused on the lack of a druid than an engaging tale. You seated yourself on a log stump, sighing at the relief that came with no longer having to stand. By this point, you were in the last stages of your pregnancy and were mere days away from giving birth. Your belly had grown to as large as it would, making most movement difficult and uncomfortable. Not to mention the swelling and aches that accompanied the later stages. 
“Will you tell us another story? Please, please! About an adventure!” Begged a child from the middle of the group, bouncing with excitement in their seat.
“No, no a battle!” Shouted another. The questions from the children broke your mind of its thoughts, pulling you back to the present quickly.
“Let me think,” you said while lightly tapping your chin with a finger with a playful grin, “have you been told the story of the frog of the bog?” You were greeted by a series of giggles and whispers. You couldn’t help but smile at the enjoyment in the children’s faces as they eagerly awaited your story; after seeing so many displaced children around the city that were scared and alone, it brought a great joy to your heart to see them enjoying the smaller things life could offer.
“I thought you said this was going to be a story about a battle?” Asked a child in the front of the group.
“Oh, but it is!” You said enthusiastically, “One of my greatest and most difficult.” As serious as you were, you couldn’t help but giggle at the look on the children’s faces. It was obvious that they didn’t believe that someone who had saved them from tentacle-faced monsters struggled to fight a tiny little frog.
“Frogs aren’t tough. They’re small and don’t even have teeth!” Shouted a younger tiefling, “Do they?”
“This one was fierce, my doves! Small and unassuming, but quite the challenge. Let me explain, little ones.” The children huddled tighter around at your feet, their excitement almost humming in the atmosphere as they eagerly awaited your tale. 
You told the children the story of the addled frog you and your companions had stumbled across in the swamps near Ethel’s lair; the poor creature having been driven to the brink of madness from the hag. With kindness being in your nature, you had wanted to help the frog in any way you could, knowing what monsters lurked deep in the swamps only fueling the desire. But, given the confusion of the poor creature and your inability to speak with animals, what had initially started out as something close to a rescue mission, resulted in one of the genuinely tougher battles you had faced while playing host to a tadpole.
The ferocity and strength of the frog had caught you off guard, giving you a disadvantage when the small creature suddenly turned hostile against you and your party. You remember the stings of the poison released from the creature, the faintest of scars still on your body from the encounter. You expressed to the children the intensity of the battle and how one unsuspecting amphibian had downed three of your companions and had almost taken yourself in the process. The children gasped and squealed with excitement as you told your story, trying your best to move around and almost animate the fight for them, given the weight of your pregnancy.
As the children murmured amongst themselves about what you had shared of your story so far, your breath hitched. A sharp, unfamiliar sensation shot across your lower abdomen; not exactly painful but surprising enough to catch you off guard. It wasn’t a movement from the child or a rumble from something you had eaten, but something else you couldn’t quite place. You lightly pressed your fingers against the source of the discomfort and adjusted yourself in your seat, hoping the change in position would take away the feeling. The pressure and seating changed helped for a few moments, allowing you to recompose yourself, but when another wave made its way across again, you realized what you were experiencing; a contraction.
“Please, little one,” you whispered, “just wait a little longer. Just a few more days, please, my little love.” Your hand rested along the tender spot of your belly as you pleaded with your child, begging them to wait until Halsin’s return. Another mild contraction rippled across, seemingly lighter this time. You prayed to the Oak Father that this was simply false labor and could still be allotted a few more days to wait for Halsin. He had been gone much longer than the promised ten-day and your faith in him returning in time for the birth was dwindling rapidly. 
You also offered a quick, silent prayer to Silvanus that Halsin would return and soon. He needed to be here; he deserved it. Halsin had expressed his excitement about the child to you in the months prior, the smile on his face had never been so big as he spoke of wanting to hold the baby in his arms with you by his side. He had also confided that he never realized just how badly he wanted a child of his own until he had figured out that you were pregnant. Centuries of duty and responsibility had barred him from starting his own little family, and given that he was the only surviving member of his family, he had come to terms with being the last of his line. But now that you were expecting, he was overjoyed with the idea of his very own little one running around.
And this excitement was present in everything he had done in the months since. Halsin put in a labor of love to hand craft a crib from the finest wood of the area, carving and engraving as if it would be his lasting masterpiece to this world. He had whittled toys for the child from similar wood and you always found him carving away when there was downtime and had started nesting almost immediately. There was a newfound youth and spring in his step that had only increased the closer you came to your delivery date. He no longer treated every day as if he was an old man pining for missed opportunities. Now, he was a young man bursting at the seams with anticipation. 
Along with this, he made sure that you wanted for nothing, until now at least. Right now, you wanted him home. Halsin deserved the chance to witness the birth of the child and be the first one to hold them in a loving embrace. You knew that was what he wanted as well. You both had been adamant that when the time came for your labor to begin, he would be there by your side to help in any capacity, but also be the one to deliver the child into the world. He was an accomplished healer so anything that could threaten either of your lives could be remedied by him, but also for the simple fact that he wanted to be there for every step. 
To see nature in action in welcoming the first bit of new life into this once barren wasteland would be euphoric to him; added satisfaction because it was his child that would break the curse of death in the lands. But, more selfishly, you wanted him home because you were terrified to give birth alone. However, given the circumstances and the new pain shooting across your abdomen, it was becoming more and more likely that your greatest fear would become a reality. 
**********************************************************************************************************
With a huff and more effort than you’d like to admit, you seated yourself on one of the old stumps by the market, your basket of collected produce dropping to the ground. Your fingers rubbed against the side of your belly, trying to coax whatever limb was sitting in your ribcage to move to a more comfortable position, your eyes closing at the momentary reprieve. Much to your relief and praise, the pains you had felt the night prior were merely symptoms of false labor and not the actual act, although the discomfort you’d felt since was never ceasing. By this point, your belly had dropped and you had a much harder time moving around, signaling that you were rapidly nearing the end of your pregnancy. And as much as you wanted Halsin home for the birth, you were also ready for the experience to be over. Movement was difficult and mostly unpleasant and you had become reliant on others for usually simple tasks; something you were not overly fond of.
What was supposed to be a quick trip to the market for food ended up taking much longer than expected. Frequent breaks and rests were needed just to get through the sizable market and by the time you had finished, you were exhausted. With the evening sun now low in the sky, you were ready for a warm bath and the comfort of your bed. Reluctantly, you’d decided to skip the communal dinner and story time with the children to simply retire early. Nesting had taken root in the past weeks, urging you to have everything ready and perfect for the arrival of your little one. Now that you were there and satisfied with the state of everything in your home, the only thing you wanted now was to rest and wait. However, the peacefulness of the late afternoon was quickly interrupted by stirring sounds in the distance.
Your eyes shot open and head turned as you heard the increasingly encroaching sounds of commotion coming from the edge of town. You felt fear grip your heart, unsure if the sounds were of the people you now considered your family or an another onslaught of Absolutists assaulting your home. Your eyes darted around, scanning anything and anyone that moved in an attempt to get a feel for the situation. You saw people, children included, rushing towards the entrance to your home, but fear was not an emotion present. The sense of urgency in the crowd wasn’t from the need to escape, but the need to embrace. It wasn’t until you saw familiar faces filtering in past the people of the realm that you realized why there was such a fuss at the gates.
The scouting party had returned.
You felt your heartbeat quicken as you tried to lift yourself from the tree stump, cursing yourself for the amount of time it took recently for you to come to your feet after sitting for too long. You groaned softly when you finally managed to get up, leaving your basket of procured produce at the base of the stump as you made your way towards the gates as quickly as you body would allow. Due to the size of your belly, your speed was anything but swift and your walk was more of a waddle, but nevertheless you hastened your steps the closer you came to the gate. You held your breath, pausing to both rest and scan the crowd for Halsin. Given his height, he would be easy to see standing a head and shoulders taller than anyone else nearby.
Your held breath released when your eyes finally landed on Halsin, who had already been swarmed by every child that now dwelled in these lands. You laughed as he was surrounded by dozens upon dozens of excited children, some going to far as to latch onto his limbs in an attempt to pull him to the ground. Nothing was malicious, of course. You had frequently seen the children swarm Halsin while in bear form and after almost two months of being gone, they had certainly missed their favorite shapeshifting druid. You watched as the elf tried his best to greet each child or give them a pat to their head, but also noticed he kept looking around him, searching for someone particular in the crowd of people beginning to form around the returned scouting party. 
“You’re quite popular for someone who came to supper so late.” You teased as you waddled your way to him, weaving through half the children of the realm in the process. Your voice instantly grabbed his attention, his head whipping around to where you stood, the biggest smile you’d seen from him quickly gracing his features as he drank your from in. Halsin attempted to make his way through the onslaught of children, but had to yield until he’d said hello to each and every one. You didn’t mind waiting; just seeing him in front of you after so long was enough to sate your worries. When the final child had departed and scampered off with the rest, Halsin held out his hand to you and pulled you to him, the feeling of your hand in his taking his breath away.
“Look at you,” Halsin said breathily as he cupped your cheeks with his hands, “By Silvanus, you’re more beautiful each time I set my eyes upon you. Are you certain you’re not a deity disguised as a mortal? Sent from the heavens themselves? Kiss me, my heart, and let me know that you are real.” His lips were on yours in an instant and the feel of them sent your mind spinning. Your heart threatened to beat out of your chest, excitement, relief, and a dozen other sensations were swirling in your mind as you finally felt the kiss of your lover on you after so long. 
You finally pulled from Halsin’s lips when the last bit of remaining air had been sucked from your lungs, leaving them burning, but you gaze never faltered. You felt hot tears begin to prickle the corners of your eyes as your lip quivered, your words sticking in your throat as you voice threatened to crack. Happy tears, of course, but with the amount of hormones swirling through your bloodstream, you soon found yourself sobbing with a wide smile spread across your face. 
You forcefully pulled the druid into a hug before he had time to soothe your tears. Your arms firmly wrapped around his neck as you stood on you the tips of your toes to embrace him. His size being one factor that made hugging difficult, but the swell of your pregnant belly almost keeping you at arms length. You felt Halsin’s hand snake along your back as the other wormed its way into your hair; holding the back of your head as he pressed your frame to his as best as possible. His lips made contact with the top of your head and you melted into his embrace. 
“Are you all right, my heart?” He asked with a slight chuckle, finding your surge of emotions amusing. You felt his nose nuzzle against the crown of your head, taking in your distinct scent that he had so greatly missed.
“Gods yes,” you said through a few remaining sniffles, “now that you’re back. I was so afraid you wouldn’t come home.”
“I’m here,” he said against your hair as his hand slowly ran along your backside, “I’m here.” 
You stood together in each others embrace for a long while, simply enjoying the feel of each other after months apart. Your head settled to his chest, your ear pressed against him so you could hear the steady thumping of his heart beneath you. It was something tangible and real to keep you grounded and reminded you that this was real and not simply a luxurious daydream you were having while napping in the summer sun. Despite the seemingly slim odds and your own reservations, Halsin had proven you wrong and returned home before the birth of your child. And with this, you had never been so happy to be wrong in your life.
“How lucky I am,” Halsin said proudly, “to have the most beautiful creation of nature in my arms again. I’ve longed to set my eyes on you again, my heart.” He took a step back, still clutching your hand in his, and took his time in observing you. You felt a slight flush begin to rush to your cheeks, but quickly pool in your abdomen at his lingering stare. The slightest of smirks settled along his lips as his gaze washed over your heavily extended belly and you felt chill bumps form along your arms and the back of your neck as his fingers grazed over the swell. It wasn’t long before he pulled you to him again, his eyes ever so slightly darker as his eyes settled on the plushness of your lips.
“You must be starving.” You said after you’d heard a rumble from deep within his chest. Although you weren’t entirely sure if he was ravished for a bite to eat or something a bit more pleasurable. 
“Famished,” Halsin panted as his lips caught your cheek, “although the only thing I have an appetite for is standing here in front of me.” Halsin’s voice was low as he spoke against your ear, his lips quickly descending upon your neck, leaving wet kisses in his wake. Your skin prickled again at his words, filling you with excitement. 
“There are others watching.” You whispered as you glanced around the crowd. You didn’t catch the first glance your way, but you would have preferred more intimate touches to be in the comfort of your home or even in a secluded section of nature.
“I don’t think it’s much of a secret as to what we’ve been up to.” He chuckled as he ran his palm along the expanse of your abdomen and settle along your hips.
“Behave.” You whispered playfully before Halsin’s lips were on yours once again, heated and hungry. Soft growls escaped his lips as he deepened the kiss, lovingly assaulting your lips with tongue and teeth, the intensity behind it mirroring the passion displayed the first night you spent together while on the road to Baldur’s Gate. Your kiss was short lived and broken when the dull ache that had been present in your lower back for the better part of a week flared up again, causing you to grimace and groan as you attempted to stretch out the cramp. 
“Are you truly all right?” He asked after you had parted, “Anything I can do, please, tell me.”
“I am,” you said as you stretched your back a final time to alleviate the ache, “just a bit sore is all.”
“Then let’s head for home, my heart.” He said as the grip on your hips tightened ever so slightly, “I do believe I have a remedy for such matters.”
“Are you sure?” you asked as you felt Halsin gently begin to walk to you backwards in the direction of your home, “I’m sure there are others who would wish to welcome you back and there is still supper over the fire. I can’t hog you all to myself, as nice as that sounds.” 
“Festivities and greetings can wait.” He said before stealing another kiss from your lips, “There will be plenty of time to enjoy the company of everyone later. But right now the center of my world needs attending to.” 
**********************************************************************************************************
“More?” Halsin’s voice was low in your ear and you could feel the smirk on his lips as he kissed along your jawline. 
“In a moment, my love,” you said between heavy breaths, “certain activities are a bit more labor intensive for someone with my condition.” Your head rested on his broad chest as you slowly came down from your peak, your body trembling slightly at the exertion you weren’t used to.
You both sat together in your bed, clothes having been discarded the moment you entered the room, with your limbs and bodies tangled together to feel as much of the other against yourselves as you could. Given the size of your belly, you sat beside Halsin, but faced him as best you could. Your legs were draped over his lap, legs intertwined with each other as he held you close to him. His arms were wrapped around you securely, both occupied with separate motions. One of his large arms focused solely on holding you close to him. His hand pressed lightly on your upper back while his fingers toyed with the hair along the nape of your neck, causing chills at the softest of touches.
  The other, which had previously been focused on your pleasure, had begun to run along the swell of your hip and down your leg until reaching the knee and returning again. He applied pressure as his fingers slowly traced along your skin, relieving some of the tension your muscles held from carrying the weight of your child. His lips remained at your neck, kissing ever so slowly along the column of your throat and down to your shoulder before returning. His touch was soft and intimate, a contrast to the fast and almost feral movements from earlier, but both were filled with nothing but love and admiration for the moment you could finally share after his long absence. 
You bit your lower lip softly to suppress a moan as his fingers found a particularly tight muscle on the underside of your thigh, your sounds causing his fingers to stay and work out the knot. Halsin pulled his lips away from the earlobe he’d been nibbling on and worked his way along your jaw until his lips met yours, kissing them tenderly before coaxing you to part your lips.
“Let me hear you, my heart,” Halsin whispered to you, “I’ve gone far too long without hearing the sound of your voice. I want to hear every melodious whimper and cry that comes from your lips.”
“You’ll hear it in due time, don’t worry about that.” You said as you relaxed more into his embrace, your head resting by his shoulder, “Gods, how I’ve missed you.” Your fingers lightly traced along the muscles of his abdomen, noting that they had become slightly leaner in his time away.
“You won’t have to worry about us parting for long again, my heart. That I can assure you.” His hand made its way to the lower half of your legs, repeating the same motions as before in the expanse that rested between your knee and ankle.
“Mmm good. Tell me everything,” you said as you lightly pecked at his chest with your lips, your fingers still ghosting across his abdomen, “the children aren’t the only ones who have missed your stories.” 
In the excitement of his return and the time taken to make up for lost kisses and sensual embraces, you hadn’t had the chance to ask what had taken the trip much longer than expected. And as much as you’d rather sit and continue becoming reacquainted with each other, the survivor in you wanted to ensure that everything was indeed safe. You knew Halsin wouldn’t have returned if a threat still remained, but you wanted to hear it from his lips; you wanted the confirmation. Curiosity was also getting the better of you when trying to determine how Halsin felt about the trip. As you knew, Halsin was partial to roaming instead of staying in one area for too long. Of course he’d stayed in the Grove for well over a century, but it was out of duty and he admitted himself that he left as often as he could to explore the expanse of nature.
Since the fall of the Absolute and the settlement of the realm you now called home, neither of you had been away for a single day; the one exception being the small reunion with your companions that had been organized by Withers not too long ago. So, now that Halsin had the chance to be on the road again and step away from the duties of your home, you were wondering if he maybe would like to indulge in more travels once your little one was born. You weren’t opposed to the idea of traveling again, but admittedly you had grown rather fond of your little settlement and traveling with a newborn was less than ideal.
“We found the camp of goblins the scouts had discovered before we left,” Halsin’s voice snapped you from your thoughts, “it was small, not well defended, easily taken care of. If that had been the only problem I could have turned to you in less than a week.” With your head still resting on his chest, you turned to catch his glance, the story piquing your interest.
“I take it you found more.” You said softly, your question being answered simply by the look of exhaustion hiding behind his eyes.
“Dozens of other encampments spanning far across the area,” he pulled his hand from your leg to wave it in the air as he spoke, “they varied in size, but none were too large. Never had any serious injuries, Oak Father be praised. Well, no serious injuries for us; I can’t say the same about any cultists we found.” He chuckled softly with his statement, his hand returning to caress your legs still seated in his lap.
“I wanted to return,” he continued, “more than anything, but it was too large a threat. Of course they didn’t pose the threat that the Absolute did, but they still held the viciousness that the infected once had. There was always the possibility that more would return to us, like the ones that made the foolhardy attempt and lost their lives because of it. Or these fanatics could threaten other people, other communities even. They may have been small in number, but left unchecked it could have easily grown.”
“You did the right thing, love.” You murmured before reaching up to place a soft kiss to his cheek. You could sense the guilt weighing on him, the look on his face giving it away. As much as you selfishly would have wanted him to stay home with you, you knew in your gut that by sacrificing a few months apart would be worth the cost if it meant protecting your home and those around it. 
“I know, and I don’t regret it, but that doesn’t mean I don’t feel some sense of guilt in leaving you.” You felt him you pull you closer as if you could slip away if he didn’t keep a firm grip to your frame.
“I’ll have you know that I defeated an entire Netherbrain not that long ago. I think I’m capable of taking care of myself.” You teased as you wrapped your arms around Halsin’s neck, your hands finding purchase in his hair.
“Oh I know you are, my heart, but you also weren’t close to delivering a child when you did so.” You felt his touch softly travel along your stomach, almost tickling with the faintness of his touch, “I kept track of the days as best I could. A few days got lost with travel, but I was able to keep track of them well. I grew more anxious the longer we stayed. I had practically convinced myself that by the time I returned you would have already given birth. I’ve never been more thankful to Silvanus than I was when I saw that you hadn’t.” 
“Admittedly, there were a few close calls.” Your voice was quiet, “I was sure that just last night would be the time.” Halsin caught your gaze, the idea of him missing the birth by a few hours had briefly shaken him, but quickly dissipated as he spoke again.
“Although the cultists aren’t the only reason you don’t have to fret about me departing.” Your brows came together when you realized what he meant, the idea novel to your perception of him.
“You didn’t enjoy your journey otherwise? I would have thought you would enjoy seeing nature outside of our little realm.” You said with a slight tilt to your head.
“Oh I did, and I always will, of course, but the journey was abysmal. I found myself longing for this place we call home the moment I stepped foot out of the realm. My heart ached to return here; to return to you. You were my first waking thought every morning and the last image my mind would settle on before resting for the evening. I may have been away from you, but in my dreams we were here together, with our little one, truly living.” Halsin’s forehead quickly came into contact with yours and you quickly felt him nuzzle into your touch. You both closed your eyes, simply enjoying the touch of the other. 
“I thought roaming was…in your nature?” You said with a wave of your hands, struggling to remember just how he had phrased it to you long ago.
“It is,” he said with a chuckle at your attempts to use his own words against him, “but lately I’ve craved it less and less. Roam our lands, yes, but to venture much farther out of it, not so much. It’s still there, buried deep, but I would much rather stay here. Stay with the life we’ve built, with the people we’ve bonded with and the children of course, but I want to be here by your side.”
“Why the change?” You were surprised by his answer. For as long as you’d known the druid, you knew he was always partial to roaming. Staying in one place for very long was out of the ordinary for him. You’d always considered him to be restless, but now you were beginning to think there was more to the behavior.
“Straying showed me just how deep my roots have settled. I’ve never really had them take hold like this, but it’s a welcomed thought. Emerald Grove was my place of dwelling for a long while, but it never truly felt like home. There was always the looming weight of responsibility and leadership. I’d never truly felt wanted or like I belonged. I don’t feel that here, however. Here, I feel like I am where I’m meant to be.” 
With a gentle tug, Halsin urged you to change your seating. You untangled your legs from his and let him move you to where he wanted you. You found yourself now fully seated in his lap, legs straddling the expanse of his hips as your belly pressed against the muscles of his abdomen. He gently tucked a stray strand of hair behind your ear, allowing himself a clear view of your face. You knew him well enough by now to know when he was on the verge of something deeply sentimental and even vulnerable; always wanting to look you intimately in the eyes as he laid his heart bare for you. He gripped your chin lightly with his thumb and forefinger, bringing his lips to yours in a gentle kiss before speaking.
“I was lost before you came bounding into my life.” Halsin said softly, “Lost, miserable, lonely. The burdens of the everything had gotten to me, started eating away at my spirit. I had resigned myself to my fate while in the goblin camp. I was certain I would die there, although it wouldn’t be without a fight. I knew no one was coming for me. No one from the grove would dare step foot in that encampment. But then here you come. Without a sliver of doubt in your voice you defended a lone, blood thirsty bear in a cage. You cut down the goblins and their leaders and granted me my freedom.”
“You defended the grove I called home, despite the politics festering in its heart having nothing to do with you. You didn’t have to protect the tieflings or show the corruption of Kagha, but you did. From the goodness of your heart you did what was right.” Halsin pressed a finger to the center of your chest, tapping your skin lightly as he continued.  
“Not only that, but by letting me journey with you from that moment on you saved me from a fruitless leadership what was eating away at my soul. I’ve said this before, but I was losing myself. Forgetting who I was or why I fought for the things I did. But you lifted the veil from my eyes and showed me compassion. Kindness. Understanding. You never questioned my beliefs or personal politics. And you never have. You’ve been nothing but accepting and open minded. Especially after the mishap with the beast.” The ghost of embarrassment quickly crossed his features and you soothed the feelings away with the touch of your hand.
You smiled at the thought, your mind instantly going back to the first night you shared together. In the heat of the moment, Halsin had lost control of the bear inside him, wild shaping at an inopportune time. You recalled the moment that immediately followed once he had shifted back, your mind focusing on the embarrassment and shame that had come over him for losing control. He had apologized profusely and had fully expected you to turn him away or even be angry with him. But you understood that he meant no harm in the act; it was purely accidental. If anything, you felt more flattered that he had gotten worked up enough simply by looking at your naked form that he temporarily lost control of himself. You had reassured him that everything was all right in that moment. Your mind then shifted to the look of happiness and relief that had come across him when you did so; a look very similar to the one he was giving you now.
“You were willing to sacrifice yourself countless times to save Thaniel and lift the curse that once plagued these lands. You went out of your way to help me do something I was unable to do in a century. You saved these lands, my heart. You brought the light back to this place we now come home. Then at the end of it all, you turned down a life of fame and glory and chose me. Of all the people who are in your life, you chose me. That is still baffling, but I bask in your choice every day. There’s not a day that goes by where I don’t thank the Oak Father for sending you to me. You are a gift. You are a blessing.” Halsin kissed you again, still lovingly running his hands along your body. 
Gods, how you loved this man. And his love for you was ever present and seemed to grow with each passing day. You were rendered speechless, unsure how to respond at such a confession. Your lips continued to meet, slow and deep, as you whispered your feelings of love between each touch of the lips. Eventually, you came to a stop and Halsin spoke again.
“I was terrified that we wouldn’t return in time,” Halsin said after a period of silence, his voice soft and gentle, “That I wouldn’t return to you in time when you needed me most. After everything you have done for me since I’ve know you, I was so afraid that I would fail you when you needed me.”
“So was I,” you admitted as you took his hand in yours and placed it atop your belly, “but don’t dwell on it anymore, my love. You’re home and safe. And any day now we can welcome this darling little one into this world we’ve created. Together.”
“I’m sorry, my heart.” Halsin pressed his lips to the crown of your belly as if seeking forgiveness. 
“Don’t apologize,” you said as you pulled his head from your abdomen and softly stroked his cheek with the back of your hand, “You did what was necessary. You kept our home safe; I should be thanking you instead of you apologizing to me. But we can discuss niceties later. After all, we have plenty of other things we could be doing now that we’re together again.”
“Tell me.” He said simply. You felt his hand knead along the soft expanse of your hips, increasing in intensity the more you lingered with your response.
“For starters, we have a chance to steal a few more moments like this for ourselves,” you said softly while slowly dragging the tip of your finger along his ear, “we have a lot to catch up on.” You felt Halsin’s skin prickle along his neck at your ministrations, the sensitivity of his ears always being a weak spot, and you heard a low growl come from deep within his chest and caught the faintest glow of gold sparkle in his eyes.
**********************************************************************************************************
“Easy now, love,” Halsin said in an attempt to calm your nerves, “you’ve got this. Focus on me, all right?” You tried to make sense of what he was telling you, but you could only focus on the pain tearing through your body. Your grip on his hands threatened to break his bones, but he held on firmly without wavering. He was knelt in front of you, his hands grasped firmly in yours as you reclined as best you could in your pile of pillows and blankets, gritting through your teeth as you endured another contraction. You had been laboring for hours, enduring steadily increasing contractions and labor pains with no actual progress being made. You were exhausted and weak; walking the fine line between enduring and giving up.
Sweat poured from your brow and ran down your temples and neck, settling on your heaving chest. It burned against the heat of your skin, adding yet another layer of discomfort to your current state of being. The night was unusually warm, the slight breeze occasionally blowing through the open window provided no relief; just another wave of warm air against your body. The faintest dribble of tears fell from your clenched eyes, mingling with the sweat covering your face.
When your current wave of pain subsided, you released your grip on Halsin’s hands and flopped back onto your mound of pillows, an exasperated sigh coming from your lips. Your limbs were shaking from exertion and pain and your mind was foggy. Taking the opportunity to tend to you during a brief period of reprieve, Halsin dipped a cloth in a bowl of cool water, wringing it out before wiping it across your brow gently. Your forehead, upper lip, neck, chest, or anything that was saturated with sweat and tears were cleaned gently, the coolness of cloth providing a few seconds of relief.
“Almost two days of this and nothing to show.” You said between pants, your eyes transfixed on the ceiling as you tried to regain some control of your breathing, “This is more difficult than that damned frog.”
“You’ll have to elaborate, my love.” Halsin said as his head raised to meet you, finding your thoughts to be a bit questionable, given the circumstances. Your mind had suddenly focused to the story you told the children only a few days ago; the one that detailed the perilous battle between yourself and the swamp frog. You focused on how you felt after the battle and how difficult it had been, being unsure if you would see it to the end. You had questioned if you would live to see another day after watching your companions fall one by one to something that seemed so simple.
Instead of being comforted by the knowledge of knowing you had survived a difficult battle, you couldn’t help but focus on the feeling of hopelessness and defeat that came with both the frog and the current status of your labor. Child birth had seemed so simple when you first discovered you were with child; too overwhelmed by the thoughts of being able to hold your little one in your arms and being impatient to do so. But now you felt the weight of your labor settle upon you and the doubts it caused in your mind. Much like your experience with the frog, you truly weren’t sure if you or your child would see things through to the end. After all, the frog ultimately died by your hand. You were tired. So, so tired. Hours had come and gone and nothing had changed. Instead, you were dancing precariously close to the edge of not having the strength to continue.
“I’ll tell you the story later.” You said after a period of silence. “I don’t know if I can…” Your voice tapered off, beginning to crack as tears threatened to fall from your eyes again.
“You can, my heart.” Halsin said firmly, “You’re stronger than you think. The savior of Baldur’s Gate didn’t fall to the might of a netherbrain and will not fall to this.” Despite the firmness in his voice, you could sense his own fears. As experienced as he was in healing, he knew that you were not faring well. Your child should have long been delivered by now and the complications you were facing were greater than either of you had anticipated. You could see the slight tremble to his usually sturdy hands whenever he brought the cool cloth to your head or to brush a sweat slicked lock of hair from your cheeks. There was genuine fear behind his eyes; a fear for you as well as your unborn little one that was refusing to come into the world.
“And if I can’t? What then?” You asked as your eyes left their spot on the ceiling and looked to the druid. His answer was cut short as another shooting pain coursed through you, causing a pained yell to escape your lips as your tears finally fell from your eyes. Halsin’s hands found yours once again as you writhed through your pain. He clung to you tightly, desperate to anchor you back to reality. The overwhelming urge to push surged through you once again and you complied, mustering all of your strength in an effort to finally make the child begin to crest. Your eyes clenched shut as a ragged cry spilled from your throat, your nails digging into Halsin’s hands hard enough to break skin.
“We can focus on that when the times comes, if it does, my heart. But for now, do not let your mind linger on the darkness. You can do this. I will be here with you for every second, love. Let that ease your mind.” Halsin said softly after you had relaxed again, hands still shaking within his own. As Halsin released your grip and returned to his previous seat in front of you, his hands lightly squeezing along your calves and up your thighs, coaxing your body to relax when it could.
“Relax yourself when things are calm,” he continued as he kept massaging your taught muscles, “it’ll help save your strength.” You nodded in response, inhaling deeply before slowly releasing the breath along with the grip you had on the lower half of your body.
“Stubborn little cub, aren’t they?” You huffed with a quick laugh, running your fingers through your sweat soaked hair. 
“Already taking after you, I see.” Halsin teased as he dipped a cloth in the cool water again and you knocked him playfully with your knee at the comment. He left his place between your parted legs and joined you by your side, lightly dabbing the cloth across your flushed skin again. You leaned into his touch, taking a moment to breathe deeply and exhale slowly again as you relished the moment of reprieve from the labor pains.
“You’ve assisted births before, haven’t you?” You asked after a moment, your breath still shaky and uneven.
“Plenty,” he said calmly as he continued to wipe your skin of sweat, “I witnessed the birth of nearly half the children of Emerald Grove. Why do you ask?”
“I’m just curious,” you said as you felt the beginning twinges of another wave of contractions begin to cluster on one side, “as to how I’m doing in comparison to those you’ve seen. 
“Don’t compare yourself to others, my heart. All birthing stories will be different and there’s no point in comparing. You’re doing well for now. There have been smoother births, I will admit, but I’ve also seen much worse. Focus on the now and don’t bother with the past.” Halsin pressed his lips to your temple, lingering momentarily until he felt you tense once again. 
The contractions were stronger and more frequent now, seemingly coming every minute. Each minute that passed and each pain-filled wave that coursed through your body made you weaker. You were exhausted. With Halsin still by your side, you desperately gripped his arm for something to brace with. Your fingers dug into his skin, surely to bruise by the following morning, but you would take time to apologize later. Right now, your head was pounding and your vision blurred from agony as your body writhed in its place. You felt the air almost sucked out of your lungs at a new sensation. Not necessarily pain, although it wasn’t the most comfortable of feelings, but an unmoving weight you now felt in your groin.
“Please tell me something happened,” you groaned as a new and intense pressure sat on the lowest part of your abdomen, “this feels different.” Your voice shook as did your hands, your breath coming in quick, short pants. Halsin left your side after prying your fingers from his arm, gently placing your own appendage beside you as he once again came to the foot of the bed. He settled between your legs, parting your trembling legs slightly so he could get a better look at the state of your birth. You watched him intensely, hoping to see any sign of change on his features. You were rewarded with a look of surprise as his eyes widened ever so slightly and a smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
“Focus, my heart,” he said quickly, “you’re almost there.” Halsin blindly fumbled his hand along the bed, his fingers desperate to grab a clean towel or blanket, his eyes never leaving your body in the process. The sudden lack of dexterity from him betrayed his feelings. His exterior was his usual calm self, soothing voice and all, but the frantic movements and the slight tremble to his hands indicated either excitement or fear for what was happening. Although you couldn’t be sure as to which.
“A good change, then?” You asked cautiously, almost afraid to hear his answer.
“Oh yes, very good indeed. For now, just focus on what your body tells you. A few more pushes and you’ll be done.” He offered you one hand to hold onto, the other needed for assistance below your waist. You gripped the offered hand as firmly as your weakened body would allow, holding on until you felt another wave of pain wash through you. With gritted teeth and clenched eyes, you felt your body contract and restrict, desperately trying to push your child from your body. You felt another shift in the new pressure, still present, but not as heavy. In your pain driven haze, you weren’t quite sure what you were feeling, but it felt like the progress you’d been hoping to see for nearly a day.
You loosened your hand around his as your body slumped back into the pillows behind you, your breath even more ragged and exhausted. Sweat poured down your face and body, mixing with a fresh set of tears as you skin flushed from exertion. You needed to rest. To gather your strength for the last leg of your labor, but your body wouldn’t allow it. Almost immediately you felt the rising waters of pain sweeping across your stomach, your head shaking as you begged and pleaded with Halsin for relief. Unfortunately, any sort of assisted magic or pain relief would have to wait until after the birth, the impacts of such treatments on a baby being detrimental, so you had been forced to endure two days of pain in waiting for the arrival of your child. 
“Look at me, love.” His grip on your hand tightening to grab your attention, “You need just one more. One big push and I can get you something to ease the pain. Can you do that for me?” Your tired eyes met his, your lids half closed and filled with tears. Reluctantly, you nodded. 
With a deep breath and adjusting your hand within Halsin’s, you pushed once again, giving every bit of remain strength into the movement. Your other hand reached up to claw into Halsin’s forearm, your body almost lifting from the bed at the force behind your movements. As your legs and body began to tremble, you felt another change. A welcomed relief from the hours of agony you’d faced recently. The pressure was gone, the cramping had subsided, and you were utterly spent. You released yourself from his arm as you once again fell back into your pillows, your legs going slack from their bent position.
“No more,” you sobbed, “I can’t do anymore.” Your chest heaved with your cries, tears now streaming freely from your eyes as you continued to beg your lover. You were met with silence, something that made your nerves tighten.
“Halsin.” His name softly fell from your lips as you searched for reassurance, “Halsin, I can’t-” Your statements was cut short, but not with the response you expected. Instead of the deep, booming voice of your lover, you were instead met with a tiny, unfamiliar cry. Your head craned upwards to find the source of the cry, only to fall back as Halsin’s frame suddenly came over you. You watched in disbelief as he quickly opened the laces to your tunic, pulling them back to expose your chest to the warm air. Before you could utter another word, the druid placed a small, crying baby against your chest. Your baby.
“Well done, my heart.” He beamed as he covered the still wet and connected child with a warm blanket, “You’ve done so well, but let me take over for now.” He took your hand in his and placed it along the back of your child, sensing the slight shock you were still in before quickly leaving you with your baby to attend to your wounds.
“By the gods.” You whispered as your senses finally returned to you. Parental nature quickly snapping into place as you bundled the child in the blanket even more, covering their exposed head and tucking their arms under the warmth. You soothed them softly as they continued to cry, happiness coursing through you as they continued to take deep lungfuls of air. With the edge of the blanket, you gently cleaned their face of afterbirth, gently shushing with each stroke. Tears streamed down your face, but the meaning behind them had changed. What were tears of agony and bargaining had turned to tears of unconfined happiness. 
Despite the pain and agony you’d endured for days, you felt almost none of it as you cradled your child in your arms. The feeling of holding this small, tiny newborn against you had made the labor worth it. You were overjoyed, if not still in shock, as you softly pressed your lips to the forehead of your still crying baby. A feeling of unimaginable love washed over you, soothing your aches and pains and replaced those feelings with bliss.
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When the excitement from the birth had calmed and you had gotten settled in your bed, you finally felt the exhaustion from the previous days settle in your bones. Despite the immediate healing potions you’d consumed and spells that had been conjured offered you temporary relief and mending, your body would still need time to heal and adjust; magic could only do so much. Although that was admittedly a thought you’d pushed to the back of your mind for now as your mind was consumed by nothing but the small bundle nestled closely to your chest. 
You yawned deeply, trying your best to stay awake to take in every sweet moment you could with your newly delivered little one. They were pressed against you, taking their first feeding from you since the delivery, as you observed every little detail they offered. Admittedly, you were surprised with just how small they were, considering the sheer looming size Halsin presented and just how hard you had labored, you’d anticipated a rather large baby. Instead, your child was remarkably tiny, but perfectly healthy. The labor had been agonizing and painful, but you found that the reward that came from your efforts was far greater than any amount of discomfort or pain you had tolerated. In this moment, everything was perfect and you wanted nothing more than to spend eternity cradling your child.
“Hello there, little one.” You whispered as their eyes opened briefly, placing a soft kiss to the forehead. A beautiful mixture of green and gold swirled in their eyes, a coloring that was distinctly Halsin’s, and were framed by unusually long lashes. For a moment, you felt as if you were gazing into his own, a pleasant warmth spreading across your chest. You gently ran your finger along the short distance from their forehead to the tip of their nose, marveling at just how soft their skin was, before brushing a few strands of hair to the side. Tiny ears came to the most perfect of points and twitched slightly at the warm breeze lazily coming through the window. 
Once they had their fill, you gently wiped their mouth with the edge of the blanket before settling them back high on your chest and surrounding them in warmth. Tears prickled the corners of your eyes as you heard the tiny grunts and mewls coming from your newborn, already finding it to be your favorite sound in the world. You felt their small hand grasp at your skin and you quickly offered a finger to the baby, smiling when you saw the tiny fingers barely wrap around your slender digit. You adored the tiny fingers in your grasp, softly placing another kiss to them before returning them under the blanket. Euphoria and bliss were the only words you could use to describe how you felt, but they paled in comparison to the true feelings swirling in your chest.
Halsin’s fingers gently lifting your chin broke you from your trance-like staring, bringing you back to the present. You offered him a tired smile as you met his gaze, longing for him to join the two of you for a long rest. Moments after you had given birth and had a crying newborn pressed against your chest, Halsin made healing you a priority. The anguish that had firmly gripped his heart as he could do nothing but watch as you struggled with the birth set the healer in him ablaze. He couldn’t help you in the moment, but he would go to the ends of Faerún to help you now. 
Healing incantations and prayers spilled from his lips as soon as possible, desperately trying to alleviate your pain and close your wounds. His hands were steady once again as he hovered them over your spent body, swirling tendrils of blue and gold washing over you and filling you with a soothing warmth. He wasted no time in pressing the mouth of a healing potion bottle to your lips, slowly tipping the contents into your mouth as you started to shake the cloudiness from your mind. He praised you with every sentence that left his lips, not only telling you how well you had done and how strong you were, but also thanking you for everything you had done for him and your newly born baby. 
Once the color had returned to your face and the dark circles from around your eyes had finally subsided, you heard him breath a sigh of relief before continuing on. He quickly turned to cleaning both you and the baby as best as he could for the time being, delicately running a cloth of warm water across the child’s skin and hair until they were clean before wrapping them in a blanket that had been warmed by a fire. Before you could preotest to his doting, he did the same to you. Gently cleaning the sweat from your face and chest as well as any birthing mess from the rest of you, still praising your efforts with each swipe of the cloth. 
When he had expended as many spells as he could and was certain you were leagues away from danger and comfortable in your bed, he had offered you a slow kiss to your forehead as he left briefly to brew a tea for you; something to ease any aches as well as provide some nourishment to your tired body until he could put a soup over the fire. And now he had returned, a steaming cup of a sweet smelling tea in his grasp and a contented smile on his lips. 
“Join me,” you said softly as he placed the cup on the bedside table, “come say hello.” Without needing further encouragement, the druid climbed in on your opposite side, trying to be as gentle as possible to avoid waking the baby as well as avoid jostling your still sore body more than what was necessary. 
“You should rest, my heart.” Halsin murmured in your ear, his arm wrapping around your shoulders as his fingers lazily scratched at your scalp, offering the lightest of kisses to your temple, “And the tea should help. I hope it does.” You nodded in agreement, the idea of a long rest sounded heavenly.
“I do believe it’s your turn for a cuddle, my love,” you said after Halsin had finally settled, “a little bit of bonding while things are still calm.” You adjusted your position, sitting up slowly to avoid agitating your freshly made wounds. 
“I’m almost afraid to,” he confessed, “I wasn’t expecting such a tiny little cub.” You chuckled at the comment, taking note that Halsin’s hands were almost large enough to engulf the child, but knew that his hands were the safest place they could be. 
“Neither was I,” you admitted as you gently supported the baby’s head with your hand, “but you know I trust you.” You slowly pulled the child from your chest, leaning forward a bit to help with the process, so you could easily pass the baby to your lover.
With a delicate touch, Halsin took the sleeping child from your grasp as if he was holding the most fragile of flowers, and gently eased them towards him. He stopped briefly before placing the child on his chest, taking a moment to admire their features and softly kiss their plump cheek. Halsin had been the first one to touch the infant at delivery and had helped you with cleaning them, but this was the first moment where he could take his time and cradle the baby to his frame, bare skin to bare skin. Your child gave the tiniest of whimpers at the movement, but quickly quieted down again once Halsin pressed their chest to his. 
“You look content, my love.” You said as you took your tea from the table, sipping slowly to avoid burning your mouth before returning it to the table. You couldn’t help but be mesmerized by the look of absolute joy and bliss spread across Halsin’s face, your own heart melting at the sight. His eyes had grown soft and ever so slightly wet, the lightest traces of tears forming on his waterline. Once the child had adjusted to the new position, Halsin rested his back along the headboard and allowed his body to relax. With one hand still on the child, he wrapped his other arm around you again, pulling you close to this warm frame and coaxed your heavy head to rest on his chest. You gently touched the tip of your finger to the tiny nose in front of you before pulling a blanket snugly around your shoulders. 
“Words cannot describe how I feel,” he said softly, “but, nevertheless, I will try.” You felt his nose nuzzle against the crown of your head, delivering a series of soft kisses into your hair as he pulled you closer to him.
“In the grand scheme of things, I’ve only know you but for a flicker of time, but in that time you have gifted me so many new and wonderful things. You alone have turned my life so much towards the better I couldn’t have ever imagined being here not all that long ago.” His voice was soft as he spoke, his lips still resting along your head.
“On top of everything you’ve done to get us to this moment and the life we live now, you have given us both the gift of this beautiful child here with us now. You brought the first new life into these lands in over a century. And knowing that you chose to bring that life to this world with me by your side? That’s a feeling I can’t describe. Selflessly, you have given me everything and yet I feel as if I haven’t even begun to return the favor. I am eternally indebted to you, my heart.”
“You don’t owe me anything, Halsin. I did everything because I wanted to and out of love. You have given me the gift of happiness and a life worth living. You have no debt, my love.” You said softly as you looked to him, he gaze soft and full of emotion.
“Oh, but I do. You have given me the world and I can only hope I can do the same for you tenfold. You truly do not understand how much of a gift you are, my heart. I don’t know what I’ve done in my life to warrant Silvanus blessing me with you.” His lips were against yours in an instance, but instead of being fueled by lust and longing, they were driven purely by love, adorations, and genuine thankfulness. From his kiss alone, you could feel the love he had for you roaring deep in his chest and it was mirrored by your own.
“You praise me too much, my love.” You said when you parted from his lips, your heart fluttering and your cheeks burning at his words of praise.
“Far from it.” He whispered against your mouth before giving you another gentle kiss.
Halsin pressed his forehead to yours as he lightly tugged you closer, nuzzling against you with a contented sigh. Your eyes closed at his touch, finally allowing yourself a moment of rest while buried in the embrace of your lover. In that moment, you wanted for nothing. Halsin was not only home and safe, but any threat posed by rogue cultists had been eradicated and the place you called home truly was safe. Your prayers had been answered and Halsin had returned in one piece, but returned in time to witness and deliver the child you shared. And here you both sat, wrapped in each other embrace and cradling the small infant you both had so eagerly been waiting to meet. Your heart and mind were practically floating on clouds and nothing you’d ever experienced in life could surpass this moment as you rested your head against Halsin’s chest once again. With a final kiss to your temple and another mewl from the baby, you allowed yourself to drift off to a peaceful sleep, listening to the strong, steady heartbeat of your beloved druid. 
Tag List: @incrediblethirst @reignydeys @thoughts-of-bear @im-eating-rn @beardedladyqueen @simplysaying @emorylovescats @distelsterncat @cryingoverpixelsetc @knightofmight01 @seawingqueenconch
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mysteryshoptls · 2 days
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SR Riddle Rosehearts - Apprentice Chef Voice Lines
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Summon Line: As the Housewarden for Heartslabyul, I should always be a proper example for my fellow dormmates to follow. Of course, cooking is no exception.
Groooovy!!: I never knew how wonderful it could be to hear that someone finds my cooking delicious...
Home: An immaculately clean uniform is required while working in a kitchen.
Home Idle 1: It seems different cuts of meat require different cooking methods. Very much so like a puzzle.
Home Idle 2: I'm certain that as royalty, Malleus-senpai will have a very discerning palate. Crafting a dish that would satisfy him may be a monumental task...
Home Idle 3: I remember the first time I ever watched a cake being baked. The way the sponge rose was just like magic.
Home Idle - Login: I don't have experience cooking, but so long as I follow the given directions, I should face no issues. ...At least, in theory.
Home Idle - Groovy: Alright, I did it! ...Ahem. What are you grinning about? Do you think it odd for me to be pleased with my success?
Home Tap 1: If I successfully complete the Master Chef course, I wonder if I would one day be capable of baking a perfect strawberry tart.
Home Tap 2: I visited a fast food establishment for the first time recently. Discounting the flavor, I think there is much to learn from their service speed and pricing structure.
Home Tap 3: How much is a "suitable amount" supposed to be? Shouldn't all measurements be explicitly stated, no matter how small?
Home Tap 4: Silver is surprisingly skilled with the knife. I should try to imitate his technique when chopping the vegetables.
Home Tap 5: Ack, the cabbage ripped again! I don't think something as fragile as this should be used as a wrap for anything.
Home Tap - Groovy: Looks like you rather enjoyed that. If you truly wish for more, I could make it again for you.
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Requested by Anonymous.
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simsontherope · 13 hours
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Sims 4 - Refuge de l'Aube
Sorry for the absence, I have to admit that given the state of the game at the end of the previous year and the beginning of this year, with updates taking a long time to come, I was not very motivated to continue building. Also, I can't promise that I'm really back, I just felt like continuing with my renovations a little these past few days!
As I recently (well, at least three months ago!) posted two new constructions for Mt Komorebi town center, I decided to continue renovating my old lots in this area. But when I started working on this house, I realized it would be better to start over from scratch (...it was a very old lot that I had barely modified to integrate it into the new world upon the release of Snowy Escape). The decoration is less colorful than in the original, but it's intentional. It fits much better with the tastes of the family who lives here (the Vaillet family, whom you can download here).
By the way, I also renovated another house recently, Murs d'Albâtre, but nothing as drastic as with this construction, that's why I didn't make a new post to talk about it!
Location: Mt. Komorebi (Senbamachi), Izakaya Ippai.  
Info : Residential, 20x30, 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms.
Playtested as usual, without CC, use bb.moveobjects on before placing the lot.
Download the tray files: SimFileShare.
Or use my EA ID simsontherope to find it in the gallery!
My Terms of Use are on this page. If you like this and my other creations, you can also follow me on Twitter!
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maychorian · 19 hours
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Found Family Anime Recs
I recently reblogged a list of found family anime recs and was a bit surprised by how many reblogs and likes it got. I had really reblogged it just so I can find it later to watch the shows I hadn't already seen on the list, but apparently I have a lot of followers who are interested in this topic! Well, I've watched a lot of anime, so here are ten found family anime shows that I absolutely love. These are in no particular order.
Buddy Daddies
This show is similar enough to Spy X Family that you might be tempted to call it a rip-off. It's really quite different though. There's a lot less comedy (though there's still SOME comedy) and a lot more healing from past trauma. The animation is gorgeous, and the relationships really tug at my heart. It's more realistic than Spy X Family, in some ways, though it's still pretty ridiculous. The melodrama in the last couple of episodes did annoy me a bit, but it's still a very satisfying show. It's like a fanfiction I would write, which is really the highest recommendation I can give, haha, because that means it's exactly the kind of story I would like. 
2. Samurai Champloo
This show was made by much of the same team that created Cowboy Bebop, but for some reason it never got the same cult status, which is really too bad. I love Cowboy Bebop, but I love Samurai Champloo more. It's about two ronin and a teenage girl traveling through Edo-era Japan to find someone the girl is looking for. Throughout the series, the three form a very strong bond, despite all of their communication difficulties and past traumas. I've rewatched this show probably more than any other anime. It's brutal at times, but so very satisfying.
3. Natsume Yuujin-cho
Natsume lost his parents as a young child and was passed around from relative to relative, most of whom couldn't deal with him because his ability to see yokai (Japanese folk spirits) made him a freak in their eyes. As the series starts, he's finally taken in by an older couple in a rural village who actually want him, and he's finally able to start forming connections with other people and find a support system with his new caretakers, his peers, and the yokai he tries to help. It's a very sweet, sad series, much more sentimental than the first two entries on this list, but a very soothing and lovely watch when you are in need of some relaxation. Warning, though, the flashbacks to Natsume's past families can be truly gutwrenching. He was not treated well for a very long time, and it's hard to stomach.
4. Barakamon
Handa is a calligrapher who gets essentially exiled to a remote island after causing problems on purpose. He has a hard time connecting with people and is struggling with his art. Over the course of the story, he forms relationships with his neighbors, especially an adorable child with possibly the best child voice-acting I've ever heard, and slowly rediscovers his joy in creation again. It's cute and funny and beautiful, and it makes me want to live on a remote Japanese island.
5. My Roommate Is a Cat
Subaru is a young novelist who recently lost his parents, who were pretty much his only connection to humanity. While trying to recover from this massive loss, he adopts a stray cat who quickly becomes the most important creature in his life. Through the cat, he begins to form relationships with other people, as well. The show is unique in that the first half of each episode is from the human's POV and the second half is from the cat's POV. It's a very lovely and soothing show. Pets are family, too!
6. Haikyuu
Haikyuu was the show that opened my eyes to the aspect of found family in sports anime. I know a lot of tumblr enjoys Haikyuu for the shipping, but to me it's more satisfying to view it through the lens of found family. Each team is essentially their own found family, in their own unique way, and the relationships are particularly realistic and well-depicted by this mangaka. I love Tanaka being a big brother to the first years, Kuroo and Kenma's mutual protectiveness and support, all of it. 
7. Kuroko no Basuke
This is the silly basketball show, and in my opinion it's not as good as Haikyuu, but I love the relationships here as well. Especially between Kuroko and Kagami, of course. Their mutual protectiveness is just chef's kiss. But the whole Seirin team is really great. I love them so much. The teamy goodness is what makes the silliness watchable for me.
8. One Piece
What is there to say about One Piece? This is, like, the ultimate found family show. All of the pirate crews with any kind of goodness at their core are found families, but especially the Strawhats. Luffy is just going around looking at people and declaring, "Okay, you're in my family (on my crew) now." If you've never watched One Piece before, I'm going to make an unorthodox recommendation and suggest you watch the live action Netflix adaption first. It does a really good job of capturing the feel and aesthetic and just pure loveliness of this story in a much more compact and approachable way than the anime. However, if you like it, I do recommend that you watch the anime from the beginning, because there is a lot of expansion on the themes there, and the characterization is slightly different. Usopp in particular kinda got shorted in the live action, so you'll understand him a lot more if you watch his introduction arc in the anime. But honestly both versions are great. I'm on my third rewatch of the live action version already, and I will watch and rewatch the anime until I die, probably. One of my favorite stories of all time.
9. The Weakest Tamer Began a Journey to Pick Up Trash
I found this one slightly annoying in how it was obviously carefully designed to tug at my heartstrings, but it's working, so I don't have much right to complain. It's about a little kid driven out of her home who gradually gathers a found family of both monsters she tames and adult adventurers and guardsmen who take one look at this lonely child and go, "Well, guess I have a baby now." The isekai element is very lowkey, in that she basically just has a voice in her head giving her advice, and I like that it's about fighting local corruption instead of a demon army or what have you. I want more shows like this and less shows like every other generic isekai, haha.
10. Dungeon Meshi
This show is blowing up tumblr right now, so you've probably already seen it a billion times, but I'm going to make one more appeal for you to watch/read this story. It is so, so so good. And in my opinion, it is much MUCH more about family, both born and found, than it is about shipping. I could write a whole essay about Marcille and Falin's relationship that has nothing to do with romance, as I could for any other two (or three or four) characters in the main party, plus those outside. There is a LOT going on. I've been playing RPGs and LARPs for twenty years, and one reason I love the hobby so much is for the joy of creating found families with my best friends in new and different worlds, over and over again. This is the first piece of fiction I've found that really captures that particular aspect of party-based fantasy stories, the relationships that form and grow, the tight-knit bonds that keep everyone moving forward despite the monsters you must face (and consume). 
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ashtheketchum · 3 days
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How they met you Bayverse TMNT
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A/N: I kind of felt like writing something with the turtles again. :3 In my private time I have written a lot about them (especially about Donnie) and I could publish my stuff here :D (Picture from Pinterest!)
Warnings: Mention of weapons and violence
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Leonardo (Strangers to Lovers):
On the night patrol, Leo had decided to split up a bit
On the roofs, he looked closely at the streets and alleys to ensure the safety of the city
At a traffic light, Leo saw you
You were standing next to an older lady and you were chatting with her as you helped her across the street
Your smile was gentle and loving as the older woman laughed with joy
Leo looked at the scenario for a while before you and the older woman walked across the street
When you were on the other side, you waved to the older lady and then continued on your way
Leo briefly looked after the older woman before following you over the rooftops
He followed you until you were at your apartment and put some food out for the street cats
With such a simple action you had Leo's full attention and he was happy that there were still people like you
He made it his own mission to take care of you
Raphael (Cinnamon roll and Guard dog):
Raphael spotted you while he was on patrol
You were backed into a corner and threatened with a gun. The thief wanted your valuables and all your money
Raphael immediately intervened by throwing his sai so that the weapon was knocked away by the thief
Then he grabbed a few bricks and threw them down to knock out the thief
The thief ran away while you still stared up to see your savior
Raph saw a dark corner where you couldn't see him and he jumped into it
"Give me back my weapons."
You had thrown them into the shadows as you silently looked in his direction
You thanked him several times before you stood up and tried to walk towards him, but Raph immediately growled loudly, making you jump back
"Can I meet you again?" you asked him
Raph just huffed before climbing up and leaving you alone
Donatello (Sexy sassy and timid nerd):
Donnie sometimes sneaked into famous universities (without Leo knowing) to see what it was like at a public university
He also saw you quite often during class
Donnie found you very interesting, even though you never really listened, didn't take notes, and never participated in class, you got good grades and got through every class
You were quite popular, with the boys and girls, but you had rejected everyone
One day Donnie had put his number in your bag, hoping he could get to know you better
He knew it was risky, but he wanted to try it. His brothers simply weren't allowed to know
Of course you found his number and called him immediately, but it was a video call
Donnie had always taped up his cameras, but it still scared him. Then he answered
You talked for a while and he had to spend a really long time proving that he didn't go to your university but was homeschooled
You had a good time and even became friends
Donnie found himself admiring you as you still had your camera on and sometimes smiled into it
Michelangelo (Aggressive chihuahua and calm giant):
Mikey had spotted you when it was Halloween and everyone was out celebrating
He snuck out and tried his luck at talking to you. He always got along well with his looks, including you
You had put on the Hogwarts uniform and even had a wand
Mikey complimented you and you had a very long conversation, which you both enjoyed
You told him that his costume looked incredibly realistic, to which he could only giggle nervously
"I've been working on it all year, little one."
His little nicknames for you always made you giggle and his heart fluttered every time he heard it
But when Mikey was whistled back by Leo, he staggered towards you in disappointment before disappearing into the crowd so that no one noticed him anymore
You were disappointed that he had to leave, just like Mikey was disappointed to leave
Since then, you came to the place where you met every day and Mikey saw you there all the time
But Leo had forbidden him to talk to you
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brittle-doughie · 8 hours
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OH GOD THERE'S TWO OF THEM
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hiiii Brittle, its me, Blue Bird Anon! I come bearing gifts of cookie sprites! Crowned Cupcake Cookie (based on Runebrave's lovely design) and her brother of my own creation, Royal Icing Cookie. I had a lot of fun designing and drawing them so I hope you and everyone enjoy as well! (pssst also my art blog is scarabeeart ;3)
I saw an anon guess that Royal Icing was the pure opposite of his sister, and while that wasn't my original concept for him, I thought the contrast between the two would be a very funny idea hjggffg him being a totally normal, genuinely good guy while his sister is. like that.
But the idea I had for him was a classic prince charming, but with the levels cranked to 11. Brave, chivalrous, humble, generous, rides a white horse, he's got it all! All he wants is to sweep Y/N Cookie off their feet like in a romantic fairy tale and ride into the sunset for their perfect happily ever after together <3 May let the prince charming thing go to his head as he has a secret hero complex and will often put Y/N Cookie into danger purely just so he can heroically swoop in and rescue them. And while his sister is more physical with her use of force to chase away those who get too close to Y/N Cookie, Royal Icing is more manipulative and unhanded. Not above willing to plant fake evidence on other suitors and use it as a way to turn Y/N against them and only trust him. "These Cookies are merely trying to marry you only to claim the throne, they want to usurp you, your adviser is scheming and plotting against you" and all the other fairy tale tropes. Will never fess up to sneaking around because his perfect prince image is incredibly important to him. You trust him, right? He's your fiance! Your prince charming, your knight in shining armor. Of course he wouldn't lie to you <3
(hehe sorry for writing so much! I've been thinking about this for too long hjgfhjgf)
First of all.
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That’s some damn incredible work you made here. You are getting a follow from me!
Crowned Cupcake now actually looks like canon compared to my more simple style! She’s even pulling a Cherry Blossom with that triangle mouth there!
Royal Icing too! He looks just as amazing, definitely the charismatic type that no cookie would doubt has a dark side to him! Both of them are just wonderfully done and I really appreciate you taking the time out of your day to do this!
I did think about Icing being exactly like his sister rather than being a kind soul, with him taking the more psychological approach rather then the brute forcing Crowned would do. He’s willing to play any card in his hand to turn it in his favor, even if it meant falsely accusing other cookies if it meant getting them of the picture.
You would trust him more at first. After all, he hadn’t done anything wrong to warrant any kind of suspicion on him! These liars can’t prove anything against your Prince, so you’ll take his side more often then not.
Overall, this is spectacular and I greatly appreciate the work that was done here!
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seyaryminamoto · 2 days
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Fic-to-Art #39: Gladiator's ELEVENTH Anniversary! (+ BONUS: Fic-to-Art #36...)
And here we are! March 26th arrived and I did not forget about it, but I paid for my ambitious madness with my wrist and forearm. Somehow, I finished my intended pieces on time, but I do not advise that you ever try to make 9 artworks in 3 days. No, sir. Bad life decisions, that's what that was... but this fic, as anyone knows, moves me to do things I never thought possible, starting with writing the fic itself!
It's really crazy every time it hits me that I've been doing this for as long as I have. It's been a complicated, chaotic journey, with its many ups and downs, but ultimately, it has been our journey. For some people, this is just one more fic in the pile: for me, it's been the best adventure of my life so far. Everyone who has ever been touched by Gladiator, who has ever cherished this story, who's looking forward to the big conclusion, who wants to see how the chaotic war is going to end... you're all part of this crazy adventure along with me, and I can only thank you for joining me.
This year, I had no time to make as big a project as I usually go for. Thus, I did a sort of free-for-all edition of Fic-to-Art over at Patreon and challenged myself to draw as many scenes as I could, out of their suggestions. I even sprinkled in a few scenes I impulsively wanted to draw because I loved writing them or because I look forward to writing them... and this is the result!
In order, the scenes are as follow:
Sokka combing Azula's hair, a common occurrence throughout the story.
Azula watching over a convalescing Sokka in the Chase of Jeong Jeong arc.
The outcome of Sokka's final battle in the Superior Gladiator League, namely a moment where Sokka and Azula more or less gave away their relationship's true nature to the public by raising their hands towards each other...
And now, spoiler territory! Some were by my choice, some by Patreon requests:
An important moment shortly after Sokka and Azula reunite.
Azula confronting her father, with a LOT of backup.
Xin Long's long-awaited freedom.
The aftermath of the final battle.
The full-blown confirmation of their relationship to the general Fire Nation populace.
Sokka, Azula and Hotaru's first night together
And the big final one is ACTUALLY Fic-to-Art #36 but hahaha woops I didn't post it here on time because it was super hard to finish since I had a LOT of things going on... but here it is now! :'D it's a glimpse VERY far into the future of this fic's timeline!
Alright, that should be enough talking and explaining. Some things are vague, some things aren't, but ultimately I really hope you guys will be looking forward to the scenes you haven't seen yet, and to Gladiator's eventual outcome.
So now... with all this being said and done, I'm gonna go take a trip down memory lane and watch my Tenth Anniversary video once more! Feel free to do the same thing if you'd like to commemorate the fic, I think it's a good way to experience Gladiator all over again, hahaha.
Thank you if you read all this, and if you read all THAT: 5 million word landmark, here we come! Thanks for hanging out with me across ELEVEN years of Gladiator!
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Note
Hello love, I had a thought after the new episode about Crosshair x reader where she’s been with Hunter and wrecker trying to find Omega (and him) and when crosshair steps out of the ship she just runs to him <3 maybe it also includes them talking on the marauder after about what’s happened. I hope this sparks interest for you!! I love your writing :)
Forgiven
Crosshair x Reader
Summary- You reminisce on the first time Crosshair fought against you and his brothers. He thought you'd never forgive him, but he is surprised when you reunite.
A/N- So sorry this one took so long! I'm still sick but was determined to get this out! Thank you for requesting!! I hope you like it, please let me know if there is anything I can do to improve.
Word Count- 2,276
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You remember the first time you realized you lost Crosshair to the Empire. The memory plagued your sleepless nights...
"I know what you're going to do, but please- don't." Omega begged Crosshair. You turned to listen to them, but couldn't figure out what she was talking about. What was he going to do? And how did Omega know about it?
"What do you know?" He remarked.
"I know you can't help it..." She rested a hand to his shoulder. The act warmed your heart, but anxiety rested in the deep pit of your stomach.
You couldn't place exactly why. I mean, you were all imprisoned. But, really, it was nothing the squad hadn't been in before. This was the kind of anxiety that rushed your veins. The kind that appears out of no where and strikes you.
At this feeling, you stood up to move and sit on Crosshairs right. He wasn't very affectionate in public, but you knew the proximity would ease your nerves.
Your hand gently ran down his arm as you sat, he straightened up at your touch. He was on edge as well.
The small gesture of him spreading his right leg slightly wider, to touch you, made you smile. Even in a cell, he could make you feel at home.
He didn't turn to look at you, but took your hand in his, holding it in his lap.
Just seconds later, a masked group of clones arrived.
"CT-9904, you're coming with us."
"Excuse me?" You stood, Hunter was quicker than you though.
"Oh no no, no. We stay together." The clone immediately rammed the butt of his gun into Hunter's stomach. He doubled over in pain.
"Stand down!" The clone yelled. You still advanced, determined to stick together.
A hand grabbed at your wrist. It was Crosshair, still looking down.
"Stop, you'll just get into more trouble." He then looked up at you. He stood, still holding onto you. Your breath hitched, scared for him. What would the Empire do to him?
"Wait!" You called out, he turned around just before stepping out of the cell.
You leaned up and gave him a quick kiss on the lips, somewhat of a 'goodbye.' You could see his face get visibly softer. You pulled him closer for a hug, your face in his neck. "Whatever happens, try to meet us at the Hangar..." You whispered. Only he heard.
He nodded his head at you, then turned to follow the clone. The jail wall went back up.
You watched him walk away, the clones right behind him. "He'll be okay. We'll find a way out." Hunter reassured, a hand on your shoulder.
He was right. You all did find a way out. In an attempt to retrieve everyone's armor, you all rushed to the Hangar. Just before putting your last arm piece on, you stopped. "Where's Crosshair! He should be back by now!" You had hoped he found a way to escape the clones that took him. Looking around again didn't help.
"Tech, power up the ship. The rest of us will go look for Crosshair." Hunter commanded.
No one had a chance to respond, the large doors of the cabin opened to reveal him. He was leading a large squad of troopers.
"Uhh, I don't think we'll have to go far..." Omega spoke.
Your breath hitched, but you weren't scared. Crosshair would never do anything to hurt you. Nor his brothers, right?
"Cross!" You went to meet him, you didn't care about the other clone troopers next to him.
However, Hunter blocked you with his body. You stopped, wary but trusting his extreme senses.
"Best stand down sergeant." Crosshair said, rifle at the ready. "Make it easy on yourself... And your team." He looked you in the eyes, then back to Hunter.
"Have you lost your mind!" Hunter interrogated.
The two of them argued back and forth, though neither side made an official attack.
You were so confused, why would Crosshair turn on everyone. Why would he turn on you? Tears prickled, you placed your helmet on so no one could see.
"Now surrender." Crosshair tried, deep down you didn't think he wanted to injure anyone.
Blast fired everywhere.
Omega covered her head- barred down. You rushed to her, giving her cover. Hunter joined your side, now he was guiding Omega back to the ship.
You, Wrecker, and Echo fought hard, which gave Hunter enough time to usher Omega safely to the ship.
Hunter barely had time to run back out, guns firing, when all the overhead lights went off. The storm outside did nothing to help the lighting.
You crouched down to collect your thoughts, looking through your visor you saw many heat signatures. It was hard to tell who was who, but identified Wrecker by his size and Echo by his arm.
You blasted at the on-coming troopers, distracted by a new wave of them coming in. Someone had called for backup.
A loud scream let you know Wrecker had been shot, you weren't close enough to help him. A glance back showed you Echo and Hunter pulling him to safety.
The second you turned back around the barrel of a gun was pointed at your head. A figure sat inches in front of you, also crouched down.
"Don't say a word." It was Crosshair...
You pushed your helmet off, suddenly desperate for some air. You stared at him with glossy eyes. He wouldn't really shoot you, would he?
"Follow them back to The Marauder. Do not tell a soul I let you." He commanded you, lowering his gun. Was he telling you to escape now?
"Cross, I don't-"
"It's not safe here. You have to run."
"Bu-"
"It is too late for me, but you need to go. Now." When you didn't get up, he raised his rifle at you.
"Go!"
You nodded, shoving your helmet over your head. You wasted no more time as you ran to the ship. Tech closed the ramp and door behind you.
The ship roared off, jumping into hyperspace immediately.
You were left dazed, confused, and heartbroken. How could you lose him so fast?
It had been a long time since you all had to run. Not a day, or night, went by that you didn't think about Crosshair. No matter what he thought about you- he was always going to be your true love.
You could only hope he still felt the same deep down.
While you secretly prayed that you'd run into him again, all your prayers were soon taken up. They shifted to be about Omegas safety, ever since she was physically taken from your arms on Ord Mantell.
They didn't stop until you, Hunter, and Wrecker received a coded message. It contained an abandoned planet's coordinates, sent by 'Lula.' You knew it was Omega, no one else knew about Wreckers (turned Omegas) stuffed doll.
Hunter couldn't fly the ship fast enough, you three soon arrived at the location.
At the sound of another ship landing, Wrecker went to see who it was. Just in case it was some kind of ambush.
Seconds later, you both heard giggles from Omega and laughter from Wrecker.
Hunter looked down at the floor, ashamed.
"Hunter, so see her." You said, resting a friendly hand on his knee.
He was silent for a moment, gaze still down. "What, what if she is ma-"
"Omega loves you, she's not mad at you for anything. Please go see your daughter." You smiled at your own words, and the fact that his face turned red.
He rose and walked out to see her. You followed behind, hugging Omega after she and Hunter had their moment.
"How... how did you escape?" Hunter asked, addressing the elephant in the room.
"I had help." Your smile dimmed, watching the empire ship door closely. A figure walked down, the second you copped a good look- you were running.
A gasp barely had time to leave your mouth, your feet hit the ground in quick strides. You didn't stop until you were met with his body.
He stumbled back, but caught you. Your arms immediately wrapped tightly around him. Like he was going to fade away.
You let out a single sob when his hand lifted to caress your hair, then back. "Cross..."
He didn't say a word, he just squeezed you tight. It told you all you needed to know.
In that moment you forgot all that he did. Heck, you didn't care about any of it. He was here, alive, safe, and not trying to attack anyone.
"I'm sorry.... I'm so, so sorry." He repeated himself, mumbling apologies over and over.
You pulled away, forcing his forehead down to touch yours. "Shut up." You silenced him with a kiss, your eyes closed.
It was an awkward few hours on The Marauder. Wrecker and Hunter were still wary on Crosshair. Truth be told, they had a right to be. Omega defended him when she could, but everyone needed to accept the change on their own time.
That Crosshair's days with the Empire was now in the past.
Omega soon fell asleep on Hunter, you could tell she needed a good nights sleep. One where she wasn't constantly looking over her shoulder, or scared someone would come in her sleeping quarters.
As Hunter put her to bed, Wrecker found himself on the verge of sleep too. He headed to one of the two cots hidden in the back.
"Hunter, go to bed." You gently suggested.
"You sure you'll be okay?" He eyed Crosshair, still not trusting.
"I'm a big girl Hunter. Plus, I don't think Cross would be dumb enough to go against all of us with no weapons." You tried to joke, but the tension was so thick you could cut it. Both men raised an eyebrow at you.
You sighed, "Go to bed. I'm fine, really." He nodded and headed off. That left you and Crosshair alone in the cockpit.
It was quiet for a minute, both of you were scared to speak first. It was all so... real, so serious all of a sudden.
"How bad was it?" You asked, turned away from him on purpose.
"Worse than you can imagine." He didn't mean to, but he broke your heart at his words.
You turned to face him, quickly taking note of how his hand shook. You looked from his hand to his face, he tried to hide it.
"Uhm, I guess i'll take the first watch if you want to get some rest." You were so uncomfortable. There was an unspoken thought dancing around the room. While you wanted to kiss and hold him, there was a weird air that surrounded you both. It made you question every move, like it was your first date all over again.
"Right..." Was all he could muster. He was terrified of saying the wrong thing.
He bit this fear back with his next words. "I wish, I wish I could go back. Do things... differently."
"I know. Me too." You tried to meet his gaze, but he stared at the wall.
You were tired of this. What happened to the two of you?
"Crosshair."
"Hmm?"
"What's wrong."
He stared.
"Cross, if you don't love me anymore just tell me. Don't beat around the bush."
This made him snap his head at you. "What? You have no idea what you're talking about."
"Really? Because after I kissed you, you haven't touched me! We used to tell each other everything, now we can't hold simple conversation! I Know a lot happened, I am so sorry you went through what you did. It shatters me just thinking about you getting hurt... but please, talk to me." You pleaded.
He grunted and sat up straight. "You deserve someone better! That's why. Because you shouldn't want to be with someone who turned on his brothers. Who abandoned his team. Who tried to kill the person he loved most. Maybe I should stop beating around the bush, you'll realize what I really am. Disposable."
You blinked up at him, heart beating fast. You didn't know what to say.
Crosshair 'humphed' and slouched back in his chair.
You rose to your feet, standing in front of him. You took his shaking hand in yours. "The man I love came back. He saved Omega. I know deep down you are the same Crosshair I fell in love with. The man that, even when controlled by an inhibitor chip, managed to let me run free. You could have killed me, that's what the chip told you to do... but, you didn't. Crosshair, I won't- I can't blame you for doing anything under the control of your chip."
"I did awful things after that chip was taken out..." He still thought he was unworthy, trying to make you agree.
"You can't push me away. You can't push away the people who love you." You still held his shaking hand in yours, raising your other to rest on his cheek.
"I forgive you... I truly do. I know it will be a long time until you forgive yourself, but I will be right here when you do. The guys will come around, just wait. I promise everything will be okay."
He closed his eyes, leaning into your palm. You moved down, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. At his, he rested his hands on your hips and pulled you to his lap.
You curled yourself up, finally feeling that warm comfort you always felt in him.
You kiss him again, slowly this time.
"I'll do better..." He croaked.
"I know you will."
A/N- Thank you so much for reading! I have fr been sick for a whole week, like give me a break! When I am feeling 100% I will come back and fix any grammatical errors. Thank you for your patience and understanding!
Tags- (lmk if you want to be tagged as well!) @thethreeeyed-raven @knight-of-flowerss
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holylulusworld · 13 hours
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A fresh start (4) - Three men and a baker
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Summary: The world is safe. Thanos is gone. What now?
Pairing: Post-Endgame!Steve Rogers x Plussized!Reader
Warnings: angst, language, plus-sized reader, virgin reader, virgin Steve Rogers, fluff, falling in love
A/N: Please consider I don’t care about the timeline of Endgame. 
Written for my 16.666 followers celebration. Requested by @elle14-blog1​
A fresh start (3) - Where to Captain?
A fresh start masterlist
16.666 followers ‘16 days of requests’ celebration
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Time passed so fast.
One night Steve told you about their plan to bring all the people the world lost in the blip back, and the next thing you remember is that he came to you to say goodbye before the final battle.
You spent your days worrying about Steve, his friends, and the fate of the world. What if Thanos did something even more horrible if he found out what Captain America and the remaining Avengers tried to do?
You had faith in Steve and his friends. Still, you were scared of losing Steve forever. Just like you lost your granny.
The world was a different place, and you could only hope that whatever happened after Steve and his friends defeated Thanos would make it a better place for everyone.
You barely slept, and only dragged yourself out of bed to support the support group. It was important for you to help them cope while Steve tried to bring their loved ones back.
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One day, when you opened your granny’s bakery three men stepped inside. Steve Rogers was one of them. He smiled and wrapped his arms around you.
“Steve,” you sniffled. “You’re back.” You held tight onto Steve for dear life. It felt too good having him back with you. “I feared the worst. I thought I lost you forever.”
Steve pecked your forehead, cheek, and lastly your lips.
“Whoa, Cap,” Sam chuckled as you and Steve were all over each other. “Take it slow. We are still here with you.”
“Steve, don’t you want to introduce us to the pretty dame?” Bucky poked his friend’s back. “We are here to get to know her.”
“Oh, sure,” Steve reluctantly let go of you. He looked you all over before introducing you to his friends. “Doll, that’s Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes.”
You gasped. “Your friends are back! You made it.” You wrapped Sam in a hug, sniffling as he was back. “Welcome back Sam.” You turned your attention toward Bucky. He huffed, but let you hug him too. “Bucky! Steve told me so much about you and Sam. His best friends.”
“Uh-it’s nice to meet you,” Bucky said. “Steve, I can’t believe you hid a pretty dame like Y/N from us for so long.”
“To be fair, you weren’t around when I met Y/N—” Steve dropped his gaze, suddenly aware of what he just said. “Sorry. That was…”
“Hey, we were only dust in the wind,” Sam joked while Bucky grumbled under his breath. “You brought us back, though.”
“He never gave up on you,” you hastily said. “Steve missed his friends so much and tried to find a way to defeat Thanos. And he did.” You wrapped Steve in a hug again. “I knew he’d make it. He’s my hero.”
Bucky and Sam shared a knowing look. “So…this is your bakery?” Sam said to break the awkward moment. “It’s very nice.”
“It was my granny’s bakery,” you explained. “She left it to me. Granny passed away shortly before the blip.”
“It smells great,” Bucky craned his neck to glance at the freshly baked pie on the counter. “It smells like plums.”
“Do you want a slice, Bucky?” You grabbed Bucky’s hand. “Sorry, is it okay that I call you Bucky?”
“Sure, doll,” you giggled when Bucky brought your hand to his lips to press a soft kiss on your knuckles. 
“Buck,” Steve stepped closer to you. He possessively wrapped his arm around your shoulders and gave his friend a stern look. “How about we all have a slice of pie to celebrate our reunion.”
“Aw, he doesn’t like sharing,” Sam teased. He watched you lean into Steve’s touch. “I get it, man. She’s special.”
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“Your girl is nice,” Bucky watched his friend check on his phone. “Y/N said you met at the support group meeting. How long is this going on between you two?”
“She’s…I mean…she took my breath away the moment I first laid my eyes on her,” Steve nervously shifted on his feet. “I like…no, I love her. She’s the one, Buck. I just don’t know if I’m the man she wants.”
Sam huffs. “Steve, she’s completely and hopelessly in love with you. Y/N didn’t even spare us a glance. She’s not impolite, that’s a fact. Y/N simply was distracted by your presence.”
“What he said.” Bucky nodded in agreement. “What’s the problem? You love her. She loves you. A perfect match.”
Steve's cheeks turned pink. He huffed and dropped his eyes to the ground, staring at his shoes. 
“She’s perfect and I love her. Y/N is the one but,” he sighed deeply. “How can I tell her that I never was with a woman before?”
“Wait—what?” Sam looked at Bucky, furrowing his brows. “But man, you’re tall and all. Women should be all over you. How can you never…I mean…”
“Stevie waited for the right girl,” Bucky placed his hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Right? You didn’t want your first time to be meaningless.”
“Something like that,” Steve murmured. “After I crashed into the ice and lost the chance to dance with Peggy, I have never met a woman making me feel the way Peggy made me feel. Y/N is different. She’s the one and I don’t want to disappoint her.”
Sam nodded and thought about a way to help his friend. He was honored that Steve felt comfortable enough around him to talk about such a sensitive topic.
“I need your help,” Steve suddenly said. “I want to make Y/N happy in any way. This includes physical love too.”
Bucky grinned. “Stevie, we’ve got this.” He looked at Sam. “Right? We are going to tell Steve how to make his pretty doll happy.”
“Do you think she’s ready to take the next step, Steve?” Sam asked. “You should both be on the same side.”
Steve shook his head. “I don’t want to hurry things with Y/N. All I want is to be ready to give her pleasure if she wants me to. I want her to feel safe and loved when she’s with me. I would never do anything she doesn’t want.”
“Relax, Steve,” Sam patted Steve’s shoulder. “We will help you. Y/N is special and I’m glad you found someone like her in your darkest hour…”
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softboo · 5 hours
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love me, ever so gently
pairing: austin butler x reader
summary: you recently moved to a new apartment, making new some eccentric friends along the way. but what you didn't expect was falling in love with a stranger. a stranger you somehow couldn't stop thinking about
words: 2.1k
warnings: depictions of domestic abuse, dark themes of relationships
author's note: i made this on an extremely impulsive whim and i have never been so terrified of posting this. my anxiety of trying to make this story went from writing this for three days straight to now suddenly having multiple parts. i'm literally almost done with part III so we'll see how far this goes. hopefully you like my very first fic... i haven't written in years... ehh... and thank you in advance for reading this :3
part I
"you're either incredibly talented or horribly lousy."
george stated right before you tore down the stack of books from the pile. you groaned in frustration, ignoring that thing buried right under the surface of your heart. if bookstores and libraries could make something aesthetically pleasing, then so could you. just like you were able to do a year ago.
you huffed once more before starting the process over again.
george took your silence as a precautionary warning, tentatively placing a small cup of coffee next to you, hoping maybe a little space and some caffeine couldn't hurt your pride more than he did.
"as long as you don't make a mess, it makes my job a thousand times easier," he offered you a toothy, yet slightly lopsided grin before leaving you to your uncomplicated complicated endeavors.
george circled around the remaining tables that were also still being set up for the fair at the community center. you were a regular volunteer for these events, moreso because your neighbors invited you to them in the first place. one of your neighbors being george, who hobbled right back to where you were, smiling proudly at his empty tray.
"well, my services are done."
he flashed another innocent grin before leaving you be, "make sure you get that done before cass sees you!"
"george I'm going to throw this empty tray at you."
he let out a belly laugh, even though he was as thick as a twig. he pulled you over to him, wrapping his arm around your shoulder.
"there she is!"
you rolled your eyes at him, but couldn't help a smile. you still remember when you met him for the first time.
~ ~
your first week at the new apartment building was stressful enough, splitting your belongings in each individualized box and suitcase. and somehow through all that stress, someone as joyous as george just so happened to crash right into you with all of his groceries.
and he had this distinct smell, something between a book you haven't opened in years and an old worn out knitted sweater. at the time, he greeted you like you've been friends for years, something you deeply missed when you moved away from your hometown. from everyone.
"welcome to the neighborhood!!" he screamed in your ear, forgetting his hearing aids before he left for the store. you let out a polite, yet awkward, kind of laugh, thanking him for his very enthusiastic greeting. it's funny to look back on it now, a stranger you would've never imagined becoming friends with. including everyone else you met along the way.
~ ~
evelyn and cassandra peered from the hallway behind you, coming from the kitchen. cassandra with her big box of jewelry for her stand, while evelyn followed suit.
"did george call me cass again? i hate when he calls me cass. it sounds like ass."
"because you are an ass."
cassandra shot him a quick glaring look before he started laughing again, placing her boxes down. she pointed a shaky finger at him.
"you know one of these days, i really hope i end up dying before you. i can't stand that laugh of yours." she grumbled, which made you laugh.
"can't keep a happy man down cass. you're stuck with me forever," he bellowed, leaving a messy kiss on her cheek before she swatted him away. george dramatically saluted them before hobbling away again, wanting to mingle and socialize before the fair officially opens.
cassandra gathered her things once more as she eyed your table with a sense of pride.
"you never cease to amazing me sweetie. i always love how you decorate your books."
her words swelled in your heart and that thing that was buried right under the surface dissipated, only just for a moment. and you were completely and utterly okay with that.
"thanks cassie..." your voice drifting ever so softly. like she was going to catch it in the end like she always does.
~ ~
when you met cassandra last year, you heard her voice before you saw her. you were seated at the lobby of your apartment building, waiting for a blind date that never picked you up. it was about two hours before you decided to call it and when you looked up, you saw her.
she was a bright eyed woman, her grey hair tossed behind a small pink scarf, something you've only seen worn a few times or rather only in movies. she looked at you with a look of concern. you weren't crying of course, why waste tears on some stranger right?
but you got your hopes up immensely high and someone as experienced in her years as she was, she could tell a disappointed look when she saw one.
"oh my dear, what's the matter? are you hurt?"
you shook your head no, having no energy to formally respond with a voice.
"come here love, let's bring you back home. do you live here?"
you nodded.
she waddled her way towards you, keeping you close to her. she was a tiny woman, hunched over slightly as she led you to the elevator. once you were both inside, she asked what floor you were on and pressed the appropriate button for you. her floor being the one below yours.
"sorry we have to stop at mine first..." she began and you shook her head to stop her.
"don't be. it's okay... i was heading up anyway." you finally had strength to talk again, "i should be saying sorry for keeping you from getting home."
she scoffed at your response, displaying one of the warmest smiles you've ever seen.
"sweetie, you're doing me a favor."
the elevator dinged and opened to her floor, the woman turning to walk out.
"i am?" you asked her and she nodded, standing outside the elevator doors.
"yes. because no man deserves to make someone as lovely as you this sad."
your face went from feeling defeated to utter confusion as the woman smiled again. this time knowing exactly what you were going to ask.
"i know disappointment when i see it."
and just like that, the elevator door closed.
~ ~
"how are you feeling otherwise?" cassandra asked you, momentarily glancing over at your beautiful table.
"better. only sometimes," you responded, a lump suddenly appearing in your throat. feeling as if you were half lying somewhere.
"that's okay. just remember that someone who's broken you then doesn't deserve to break you now," she gently held your cheek, looking at you as if for the first time again.
"and besides, who knows who you'll might meet today."
~ ~
cassandra's words rung in your ears, weighing heavy on a hopelessly romantic heart. being alone was easy and you weren't lying if you admitted that to anyone because it was true. that was one of the perks of moving here, along with meeting all of your new friends.
but being lonely... that was difficult. especially when the fall season would blend into the holidays. one night after the other. because everyone seemed to find their someone by the times gifts were supposed to be given. which is why you wanted to put everything into the community fair this year.
and because heartbreak anniversaries were apparently a thing on your calendar.
you glanced over at your table, the last few books lingered for awhile. some people glancing over at them, while others would pick it up just to place it back down again. you didn't really know why seeing a book not being chosen hurt a small part of you. but it did.
or maybe you knew but didn't want to face it.
soon enough, you noticed someone hovering near the entrance, like he was contemplating whether or not to let his curiousity get the best of him. it may have been a little more than an hour or so when he actually approached your table.
you quickly stood up in response, as you noticed him eyeing a few of the older books. his hands lingered on each cover, not saying a word. his hair was blonde, wavy and messy, like he'd just woken up. the rest of him was covered by a black mask.
you did notice the way his hands moved though, hesitating to pick something. shaking a bit, a shadow crossed your peripheral and you could've sworn you saw a bruise somewhere on his knuckles.
"do you need help finding anything?" your voice coming out a lot softer than you had hoped. he looked up and you felt this entire weight lift off of you. like something encapsulating you just shattered into a million pieces and suddenly you could breathe again.
his eyes were so blue, like you were swimming in this endless ocean full of life and somehow you couldn't tell the difference between the stillness of the water or the blueness of the sky.
you could see a slight smiling forming on his face before he shook his head no.
"oh well if you want anything... i really recommend any of the classics."
his eyes glimmered a bit, letting his hand linger on one of the few books he was eyeing before.
"how much is it?" his deep tone caught you by surprise as you hesitated to respond. your own voice catching in your throat.
"oh um... everything is free."
"really?"
and just like that, you noticed something switch in him, a sense of curiosity filling those calm waters.
"which ones have you read so far?"
you didn't realize it, but your eyes lit up at the question. and he noticed. a small smile forming on his face.
"oh this one is my favorite... i haven't finished it, but it was really good from where i left off," you pointed at pride and prejudice.
you smiled at him, like your excitement was taking over and he could tell how much you loved talking about books. his gaze never wavering as you spoke about the stories that overwhelmed you and the others that never lasted a few pages before you decided to stop. he listened with such intent, such intrigue, it made you feel like you were someone he had known for years.
his aura was beautiful and a part of you wished that something would lead to something which would lead to something else. you didn't even feel anything in that regard, not yet anyway, but that same part. it was pulling... gently. ever so gently tugging at your heart.
"thank you for all of your recommendations," he began, holding on to ever single book you spoke about. you were about to protest that he didn't have to, but he was adament on keeping every single one.
"are you sure you want to get all of them?" your voice wavering on worry, but all he did was smile at you, letting out a soft laugh.
"i'm sure."
his voice was so reassuring, you almost forgot to offer him a bag. there was a slight pause before you realized, eyes widened in embarrassment.
you quickly apologized to him, running to the back to get a bag. you left the table feeling this overwhelming warmness flow through you as you noticed your heart beating against your chest. you tried to hide the excitement, but your heart was already getting your hopes too high.
but when you came back, your heart instantly dropped right into your stomach. a woman was now standing next to him, but something was different in his eyes. the oceans were no longer waves crashing against the seashore. they were climbing under thunderstorms. drowning in its own current.
her hair was dark red in color, flowing to accentuate the curves of her body. she was unbelievably gorgeous and your heart sank even more. but there was something about her that you couldn't figure out.
"here's your bag, i didn't mean to—"
"why your table is absolutely gorgeous, isn't it austin?"
he didn't glance at you or her or anyone. all he did was nod. you noticed the grip she had on his arm. it was tight. suffocating.
you offered the bag to them, but she shooed your hand away, like you were merely just a bug.
"no need sweetie, we were just on our way out. he was just looking anyway."
you tried your best to keep your composure, but you were fuming on the inside. only cassandra could call you that and at least when she did, it was endearing. not spiteful.
she flashed you the biggest smile that fueled your fire even more as she pulled austin away. you noticed him stiffen when they left the table. he couldn't even look at you.
and he couldn't even say goodbye.
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