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ceapa-mica · 2 years

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GEHAT’IK BE ALIIT | Chapter 13

{cross-posted on ao3} {masterlist}

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pairing: Din Djarin x Original Female Character

warnings: injury and blood

words: 7358

summary: Their job on Naboo throws Din and Elora into an event where they clearly don't fit in.

a/n: Welcome back!

Here it is! The final chapter of the Naboo arc.

In this chapter Naboo gets a trans queen. It's what a beautful planet like Naboo deserves. ❤️ Oh and what's GBA without the action and drama? There's plenty!

I hope you enjoy!

Elora woke up to an empty bed. The side Din had slept on was already cold. When she turned around, she flinched at the sight of Arfour by her bedside. "Good morning to you, too. Yes, you come along on our mission, of course." She patted the flat top of his dome and got up. She sensed Seshén coming up the stairs. Seconds later there was a knock on the door.

"Elora? Wake up, time to get ready!" Seshén came in, looking a little disappointed when she noticed the now wrinkled dress Elora was still wearing. "We'll have to hurry. It's already past 0900!"

"That's early… The ball's supposed to be in the evening, yes?"

"Sure, but it will take several hours alone to turn you into a lady who fits into high society. I'll take care of your looks while my husband takes care of your false identity." With her gray hair tied back in a messy bun and her usual working clothes consisting of a simple blouse, long skirt and an apron, Seshén didn’t exactly look like someone you would expect to know about modern Naboo fashion.

Walking down the stairs in those shoes without losing her balance was harder than she expected. Din waited downstairs, his armor polished, looking shinier than ever. Under the helmet he gaped at her beauty. The light blue gown was a beautiful contrast to her auburn hair. The fabric hugged her waist perfectly, and the crystals really looked just as shiny as his armor, if not even more so. He held out his arm for her to take. As she did, they walked outside together where a luxurious landspeeder waited for them.

Elora knew she never wanted to do a job like that ever again. As expected, the following hours made her very uncomfortable. She couldn't relax, no matter how warm the bath water, no matter how soothing the skin lotion and oils. This was not her. Seshén turned her auburn hair into a very elegant braid and helped her with the zipper of her light blue velvet gown which looked stunning on Elora. From her chest down to her abdomen the fabric was covered in shiny crystals, letting her sparkle like a star cluster, and the sleeves were puffy - typical for Naboo fashion. Elora knew it would catch many eyes, just like Din’s armor would. The pearl white high heels she had to wear with her gown were painful to walk in since her feet were only used to her flat sandproof shoes. Seshén placed a delicate looking silver necklace around Elora’s neck, the pendant was a silver silhouette of a bird she wasn’t familiar with. Silver bracelets with shining jewels graced her wrists shortly after. Bright red lipstick, eyeliner, decent eyeshadow - she was not used to the feeling of makeup on her skin, it even felt a little itchy at some point. Not to forget the powder to cover the galaxy of freckles on her face and the tops of her slender shoulders and defined collarbone that peaked above her dress. She indeed looked just like the women in the holodramas. When she looked into the mirror she sighed, the woman staring back at her did not look Elora Jihiiga anymore, but a stranger. Arfour looked her over with his sensor, making confused bleeping sounds when he noticed her sad expression.

Ghizma wore a black body glove, her curly fuchsia hair tied neatly into a ponytail. She leaned against a speeder bike, cleaning her sniper rifle with care.

"You'll be taking the landspeeder. Ghizma will be making her way on the speeder bike to get to the other side of the palace where her sniper nest will be. Here are your faux chain codes. Good luck!" Zaev announced. The three exchanged looks. Ghizma eyed Elora, biting her lip, as there was nothing to ridicule her for. She lost her bet - Seshén managed to make the filthy desert girl look like actual royalty.

"I'm Princess Edie Jotraas from a small planet named Ristea, and currently on Naboo for a diplomatic visit." Elora looked over the sheets of flimsi Zaev had given her. She had to get used to the role before the mission began. "And you're Jes Favars… my bodyguard and confidante. Looks like you don't have to adapt at all." She rolled her eyes and stuffed the flimsi in Mando's messenger bag. "Edie Jotraas… I have to get used to that name.."

"You better get used to it quickly. We can't afford to fail this mission." Ghizma reminded her and got on her speeder bike with her disassembled rifle on her back.

"How are they supposed to address me? Your highness? Your majesty? Shit…"

"They will know how to call you. Relax. You gotta pretend you're supposed to be there." Zaev explained.

"And what about you?" she pointed at Ghizma.

"Me? I'll keep watch from a distance and shoot to distract everybody. They will be after me. That will give you a chance to get to Masuk's quarters."

Elora nodded. It was all settled. The landspeeder looked every bit luxurious, expensive enough to be a noble’s vehicle. A spark lit up in Elora's eyes at the idea of scrapping it for parts. Her fingers itched to take the vehicle apart, but she had to resist the temptation and get in the backseat.

This is already harder than I thought. Man, this speeder is so valuable. Maker help me…

Nervously bouncing her leg, she watched the historic buildings of Theed pass. She and Din remembered how they spent the day before exploring this beautiful city. At that moment they wished they weren’t here for a mission but for pleasure. He had learned so much about her just spending the entire previous day with her. With every new planet she visited, her curiosity grew. As Arfour steered the speeder through the streets she wished she could explore the entire city, visit all the little shops, talk to the friendly people, and ask them and Din thousands of questions about life, about the Galaxy. After a life in the desert all she wanted was to explore. Getting acquainted with new types of droids or speeders and learning how to take them apart and fix them. There were so many impressions on their drive to the palace, she couldn’t decide where to look. Her eyes eventually landed on an antique golden gate at which Arfour halted the landspeeder. Din and Elora exchanged looks. "You ready?" he asked and got out to help her out of the speeder like the gentleman he was. One minute they admired the city, the next the situation became uncomfortable to the both of them. They knew they didn't belong in a place like this. Too many people, too many protocols on how to behave - it was a nightmare, and nothing what Elora expected it to be. She recalled the holopic of Eron Masuk from her memory while they walked up the stairs to the palace. Focusing on the job at hand mattered, not what some dumb nobles thought of her. Elora may fit right in with her dress and overall appearance, but Din stuck out like a sore thumb. He didn’t look regal in any way. His armor, no matter how polished, couldn’t hide all his weapons and the regular clothing he wore underneath.

There was a rustle at the other end of the comm. “Ok, remember the etiquette. Do not speak to the queen unless she speaks to you and don’t act confused or shocked when she does. Remember, it’s a matter of respect!” Ghizma told them on their comm channel.

“Don’t worry, my cousin Erwa is trans. There’s no reason to treat someone differently because of their gender.” Elora said.

The guards stopped him at the gate. Din just looked way too intimidating, no matter how shiny his armor. "Sir, we must ask you to leave your weapons. And are you sure about… taking that droid with you?" Arfour didn’t look exactly like a droid a royal would own.

"Weapons are part of my religion."

"This man is my trusted bodyguard. I won't go anywhere without him, same goes for the astromech. You don't want to keep me from joining the festivities, do you?" Elora chimed in, showing them her faux chain code. Arfour’s flaking paint job was something she had to tend to once she was back on the Razor Crest with enough time on her hands. The guardsman apologized profusely and let them pass, obviously afraid to lose his job.

The Royal Palace exceeded Elora’s expectations. The large throne room was an enormous room with historic paintings on the walls, dark red curtains, shiny beige marble flooring and a buffet with more food on one table than she had ever seen. Most of the many guests were human. No matter their wealth, Din's beskar armor drew many eyes regardless. Several guests started whispering. Whether it was about the armor, her dress or Arfour’s paint job, Elora’s reply to all those voices around her was a forced smile on her lips. It took a lot for her to adapt to the way they moved. When she heard them speak, she noticed they used words in Basic she wasn't familiar with. Scanning the crowd, a middle aged man with brown locks and in a stylish suit surrounded by people - mostly by women who admired him - caught Din’s eye. This was most definitely the man they were looking for.

He's one of those guys. This couldn't be easier.

While looking at him, he scanned him with his helmet's sensors and noticed a small object in the pocket of his suit. "El- I mean, your highness… Do you see him? Masuk is right over there. He has the object in his pocket."

"Wait, it's supposed to be in his room." Ghizma told them through the comlink.

"Why would he leave something so valuable in a place where it was almost stolen before?" Elora voiced her thoughts.

"She's right. It makes sense he keeps the stick close. Those women could very well make a potential thief think he's easy to approach. This is most likely a trap."

Elora cocked her head. "The plan was to steal the datastick from his room. Now we need to improvise and-"

"My lady, may I ask for a dance?" A young man in a noble burgundy red suit and black slicked back hair had approached her from behind, interrupting her.

"I- I don't dance."

"Most princesses wouldn't turn down such a great opportunity." He flashed her the whitest smile Elora had ever seen.

Who does he think he is? Who the hell is this guy?

"You know who I am?" she asked, balling her hands to fists behind her back, trying not to make her tension obvious.

"Your royal highness Edie Jotraas of Risteria of course. You were announced when you joined the festivities." With a flirtatious wink the guy held out his arm for her to take. "Lord Charr from the noble house of Teral from Alderaan, my lady. I’m the last of my line." He took her hand and kissed the back of it. She wanted to vomit and Din made a grimace under his helmet at the gesture. He watched her following the guy's lead on the dancefloor. He knew Elora was clever, but nobody could learn how to dance in a matter of minutes. Despite an enthusiastic young lady asking him for a dance, he remained at his spot by one of the tall white columns with Arfour and watched Elora’s attempt at dancing from afar. The noble from Aldreaan suffered - at least his feet did. She had looked over his shoulder several times to look out for Din and Eron Masuk. The latter was still surrounded by several women and even a few men. She knew she had to catch him alone in a less crowded environment to steal from him. This entire situation sucked. The initial plan had been for nothing. When Elora returned to Din's side, the queen's lackey approached them, looking way too honest to ask her for a dance.

"Your royal highness, Queen Dialé demands to speak with you." he told her in a formal accent.

"With me? May I ask why?”

“You will have to ask her yourself.” He led her and Din towards the throne where a tall beautiful woman was watching the festivities. Her makeup showed off her status as the elected monarch of Naboo, just like the dark royal robes and headdress she was wearing. She looked every bit majestic. Elora noticed this was nothing like the hierarchy of a Jawa tribe. A sudden feeling of nausea overcame her.

“Princess Edie Jotraas, we meet at last.”

At last? Does that mean my false identity is not some made up persona…?!

Elora curtsied, just like she had practiced the previous day.

“After declining each of my prior invitations I’m astounded you followed this one. I take it you’re enjoying yourself?”

“Yes, your majesty. Your palace is impressive, I must say.” She nervously kneaded her fingers, wishing for the moment to be over. Talking with the Queen turned her into the very center of attention in the throne room. She felt attention in the form of many eyes on her at the very moment.

“Curious, I’ve heard your palace lies on a mountain top over a sea of clouds, yet you think of mine as impressive? I’m truly flattered.” Queen Dialé’s eyes went to Din who stood behind Elora showing a relaxed posture Elora knew to be a facade. “Hm, Mandalorians have become a rare sight to behold nowadays. May I ask where you found this one?”

“He… he just crossed my path one day during my travels.”

“Oh? Well, he probably does an excellent job. I hope you enjoy your stay and let me know if you need anything.”

“I will. Thank you for your kind words, your majesty.” Elora curtsied again. Her initial tension fell off once she was out of the Queen’s sight. It confused her to say the least. Queen Dialé was not like a tribe’s chief like she imagined she would be. Instead of mingling with her guests she just sat on that throne and watched the festivity unfold. It didn’t look like she had any task to do apart from sitting there and looking stunning in her royal robes. It had taken a lot of restraint to refrain from asking the Queen if she would like to play a game of sabacc to brighten her mood. Elora had to focus on the task at hand, and that was to separate Eron Masuk from the crowd of admirers which had gathered around him. As if on cue the target stood up from the fancy sofa he sat on an appeasing smile across his face as he addressed his followers and excused himself. Din used his helmet’s sensors to determine exactly what he was saying.

“He’s going to the ‘freshers.” Din spoke to Ghizma over the comm. She recalled the palace’s layout and groaned in frustration.

“No chance. The ‘freshers are hidden from my point of view.”

“Don’t worry, that’s my chance to steal the datastick.” Elora followed the target subtly enough so nobody would become suspicious. The walls in the hallways were covered in art and more wine red curtains, while the marble floor was covered by a carpet in the same shade of red. Everything was so clean and looked more like a museum than an actual home to someone - ruler or not.

“Are you sure this is the right moment?” Din asked.

“I have to try.”

Ghizma rolled her eyes and lowered her rifle. “In case things go south I shoot up the buffet or scare some high ranking dipshit with a few shots.”

“Stay here.” Elora whispered when they reached the corner of the hallway where the ‘freshers were located.

“What’s your plan exactly? Do you wanna seduce him?” Ghizma asked.

Din tensed at the thought. Elora shook her head before realizing that Ghizma couldn’t see her. “I don’t know how to seduce someone. I’ll just act spontaneously.”

“We’re doomed.” Ghizma sighed.

When Eron Masuk left the ‘fresher, he stumbled over a foot in an expensive looking high heel. The moment it took for him to regain his balance was enough for Elora to snatch the datastick from his pocket. She hid it under her breast band, pretending to scratch an itch on her collarbone.

“My apologies, are you alright?” she asked in the best fake concern she could muster.

“I am, thank you.” When he turned around he pulled a blaster from his jacket in the blink of an eye, holding Elora at gunpoint. “Y’know, it’s a shame a sweet thing like you wants to steal from me.”

“The true shame is guys like you exist.” she answered nonchalantly.

“You know nothing about me. Do you wanna risk your life? Your freedom? Is this worth it?”

Elora remained calm in the face of danger. “I know enough. And I’ve never been one to half-ass shenanigans.” Her facial expression was blank, it made him uneasy.

“Neither have I.” He attempted to shoot Elora with a stun ray, but she dodged it just as he pulled the trigger.

Alarmed by the shot, Din stepped around the corner, pointing his blaster at Eron Masuk. His gaze suddenly locked onto something behind them a silver protocol droid was approaching them.

“Looks like you’re not the only one with reinforcements.”

“It’s a common protocol droid.” With her words Masuk’s blaster flew out of his hands and she caught it with ease.

“Fascinating.” He snorted. “I thought the Jedi were extinct. Certain people would consider your skillset as very valuable. And your Mandalorian companion - his armor is worth a fortune. I gotta say, I’d prefer you as my allies, but now that it seems impossible I’ll have no choice.” His words served as a distraction. He had pressed a button on his bracelet without Elora or Din noticing. The droid moved towards them, and suddenly it was getting taller and taller until it almost reached the ceiling.

“Give me back my datastick and I shall leave you and your companion unscathed. If you don’t comply you will join all the others of your kind. Don’t be stupid. The Jedi were peacekeepers, and is it really in your interest to die for such an insignificant cause, Mandalorian?”

“Killing someone who’s massively profiting from all the misery he brings over this Galaxy doesn’t seem insignificant to me. This is the way.”

“You think you know who we are, but you don’t.” Elora retorted. Din walked up behind her, intimidating as ever.

“This droid is programmed to eliminate anyone who dares to threaten me. A completely modified protocol droid. It’s your choice. Should you open fire, you won’t survive the counterattack.”

The strange technology allowed the droid to not just become three times its size but it showed off several weapons systems, including three powerful blaster cannons.

“Those could blow up the palace! Are you out of your mind?!”

“What’s going on in there?” Ghizma asked via comm.

“Just a giant ass droid with enough firepower to destroy this place. And for what? What’s on that stick you would blow up an entire palace for?!”

“You would like to know that, wouldn’t you? It contains a map with coordinates to worlds that have piqued my interest.”

“To help those slave traffickers you’re so friendly with?!” Din spat.

The smug look vanished from Masuk’s face, turning downright furious.

“This is your last chance. Give back the datastick and I will refrain from blowing this palace to bits. Naboo is useless to my efforts and has nothing profitable to offer anyway."

Elora knew stopping a droid this big was tricky, but it was a fucking droid. And if anyone had experience with droids, it was her. Masuk wasn’t the one who had built it - machines in a factory did. She had been fixing and building droids from scrap all her life. This one was just another one to be scrapped, she decided. When she reached out to destroy it with her powers… it hardly budged. Din swallowed under his helmet and released a swarm of whistling birds from his vambrace - to no avail. They didn't cause any damage at all. It dawned on Din what this droid was made out of. Eventually it shot at Elora, barely missing her. The noise must have caught the attention of everyone else inside the palace.

“The people must be evacuated! Ghizma, shoot!” Din called.

The Theelin grinned and shot up the buffet from her spot. Food and drinks splattered throughout the throne room paired with the hysterical screams of the guests and orders barked at the palace guards. She had to leave her position immediately if she wanted to remain anonymous.

A huge clanker? Haven’t shot one in ages… I should go check that out.

The bolts from the droids' laser cannons left holes in the marble floor.

"It's made out of beskar!" Din had recognized the Mandalorian metal the second the whistling birds had hit it with the signature sound of beskar colliding with beskar.

This makes the situation a lot more difficult.

Explosives and blaster bolts couldn't destroy pure beskar. Din knew he had to find a weak spot not covered in the valuable metal to shut off the droid. Finding shelter behind a column, he used the sensors in his helmet to figure out the droid's vulnerabilities. He discovered a patch of unprotected wiring on its neck and a plan formed in his head.

"I know what to do!"

Elora took that as a cue to stun Eron Masuk with his own blaster, while dodging another bolt from the droid's blaster cannon. Her ears were ringing at the loud noise as she joined Mando behind the column at the corner.

"Ghizma, we need you here. You must distract the droid for us. Elora, you got the stick?" he asked.

"Hidden in the safest place on my body."

"The droid must be destroyed, otherwise it will wreak havoc and destroy the entire palace. There's a weak spot at its neck - a patch not covered by beskar and, unfortunately, out of our reach, so the droid must fall -" As the heavy steps of the droid neared, a blaster bolt hit the marble floor next to Elora. They escaped to the end of the hallway behind one of the heavy curtains.

"The droid doesn't seem to be fast, we can use that to our advantage. Ghizma, do you copy?"

"Almost there!" she responded, sounding a little out of breath.

"Ok, Elora, in order to make it fall I'm gonna use my whipcord. That won't do much unless you use the Force to keep the droid's legs in place. It will fall. When it does, I'll jump on its back and tear through the wiring."

Elora sensed Ghizma before she arrived. The Theelin was out of breath, her black boots stained with unspeakable stains of food and liquids.

"The throne room looks like a fucking battle zone. So where's your- AH!" A blaster bolt almost hit her in the chest had Elora not force pulled her away from the spot in the matter of a second.

"I- I see… What do you need me to do?"

"Distract it! We need to get closer to it without getting shot."

"Stay here, I'll take care of it." With a determined spark in her deep brown eyes she started shooting while leaving her cover.

"Over here you piece of junk!" she yelled, luring the droid the other way, causing it to tear several paintings off the wall in the process. It aimed its weapons in her direction, turning its back to Din and Elora.

"Are you sure you can do this?" Din asked.

"I will do my best." Elora assured him, looking at Arfour who was trembling behind her. "Arfour? Not so much…"

Din nodded and walked up to the distracted droid, shooting his whipcord at its two legs.

"Now!"

She took a deep breath and reached out through the Force. Gritting her teeth, she kept the droid in place with the whipcord which Din had separated from his vambrace. The droid couldn’t move from the spot, yet it was programmed to move. First it swayed, then it crashed down with a deafening noise, tearing down several curtains and more paintings along with it. Din jumped on its back and tried to get to the exposed wiring.

“Watch out!” Elora yelled, trying with all her power to stop the droid’s beskar arm from hitting him, but she was only able to slow the blow a little. The impact was inevitable. With a sound only beskar colliding with beskar could make, Din was thrown off the droid’s back. Elora’s heart stopped for a moment at the sight.

“ARGH!” Ghizma screamed, focusing her fire at the droid’s face. Simultaneously Elora let go of her force grip the second Din had fallen off the droid. His armor hitting the ground had left cracks in the marble tiles beneath him - he didn’t move when she crouched next to him.

“Mando… D-Din! No no no! Get back up! We must-”

Instead of the Mandalorian it was the droid which was getting back up as it had managed to rip the whipcord apart. Desperately Elora pulled Din’s limp body out of harm's way around the corner.

“Hey redhead! You can stay with your cyare, I know what your plan was. Mando said it’s on its neck? How about you-” Ghizma dodged several deafening shots from the blaster cannons. “How about you throw me on top of that thing?”

Elora looked up while feeling for a pulse or signs of breath. She took a deep breath and swallowed her panic and anxiety.

“Arfour, watch over him, I’ll be back in a sec.” Elora sprinted around the corner. The second Ghizma saw her, she got into position.

“Do it!”

She felt the Force flow through her and reached out until it wrapped around Ghizma, catapulting her onto the droid’s shoulders. There she pulled a vibroblade out of her boot. With a furious scream she rammed it right through the exposed wiring. The droid stumbled several steps before falling. Ghizma jumped off before it hit the ground, approaching a still stunned Eron Masuk, clutching the vibroblade in her hand tighter than before.

“I love you, Din.” His mother kissed him one last time. The heavy steps and blaster shots from the seperatist droids filled the air, but all he could focus on was his mother’s loving face. “Come back to me.” Another voice spoke. It was familiar, so familiar. His parents put him into the hideout, shutting the doors. The explosion which took their lives rang in his ears like it did so many times before in his dreams. When the doors opened, and he expected the droid to aim its weapons at his helpless self, he was back.

The first thing he saw was the bright light of a chandelier, the second thing were strands of auburn hair. At first all he could hear was his rapid heartbeat, but when he saw her face, as she sat next to him, focused and with her eyes closed, it slowed down. Warmth flooded every fiber of his being. It was none other than the kind of warmth which signified safety. He knew it was her doing and watched her as he slowly came to. A pounding headache and pain in his chest, most likely a few broken ribs, made it hard for him to move like he wanted to.

“What happened?” he groaned, trying to sit up. The pain in his chest worsened tenfold as he did so. Elora sighed in relief when she heard his raspy voice.

“Welcome back! For a second I thought… Nevermind. You, sir, need a bacta tank.”

“Did you remove my-”

“No! Din I would never do that, you hear me? Unless you were actually dying. But your life force was still there. So I wasn’t that worried.”

If he knew how scared I was… No, he’ll be fine. I hope those bacta tanks can be used with a helmet on.

Elora had never heard Din whimper before. That’s when she knew he was in a great deal of pain - pain she wished she could take away from him.

“Just let me take a breath.” He sat down, holding the rips on his right side.

“Let me know when you’re ready to walk back to the speeder.”

Arfour nudged Din gently, making a concerned noise. He patted the astromech's flat dome while focusing on his breathing. Meanwhile Elora dug through the heap of expensive scrap, looking for valuable parts that fit into her bags just like she did all her life. When she reached the droid’s center she found something she didn’t expect to find on this quest. This droid had been powered by none other than a shiny diatium power cell, and in the correct size to fit into her unfinished lightsaber, too. She bit her lip to suppress a scream of joy as she didn’t want to alert Din.

“Oh this is great! Finally!”

Ghizma cleared her throat behind her. When Elora turned around, she flinched. Ghizma was covered head to toe in blood.

“Don’t worry, it’s not mine. Let’s help the old tin can back to your ship in one piece, shall we?” she said with a smirk on her face. Elora noticed Eron Masuk’s life force was gone. That explained the blood, especially the blood dripping out of Ghizma’s bag. When she noticed the uncomfortable look in Elora’s eyes she just shrugged. “You guys don’t take trophies?”

“None I would know of.”

They helped Din get up and walked slowly through the palace towards the exit, that was until the remaining palace guards spotted them - opening fire.

“Ugh great, just what we needed! Go! I’ll have your back!” Ghizma turned and shot at the guards while Elora and Arfour supported Din while fleeing through the entrance hall. Elora kicked her high heels off in the process, since she was not really able to run in them, especially not the stairs. Din was coughing, his breath went heavy. Yet he reached for his blaster. Their way out was blocked by an entire squad of palace guards.

“Freeze! You’re under arrest!” the captain of the guard yelled.

“The man responsible is dead, there is no one for you to arrest!” The guards didn’t back down, not leaving Elora much of a choice. “Sorry about this.”

A wave of the Force yeeted them several meters back. All of them survived, but it took a moment for them to get back to their feet - a moment Elora, Din, Ghizma and Arfour used to escape to the lot where their landspeeder was parked. It was way past midnight, so getting back to the inn in the dark wouldn’t be easy, and losing the guards who were hunting them down while driving though the brightly lit city would be quite a challenge.

“Get in!” Elora jumped into the driver’s seat. Arfour bleeped in protest. “No offense, but I’ve been driving through rough desert terrain for years. The city streets are like… like canyons, yes!” Arfour got into the astromech socket, audibly sulking. They heard the guards’ footsteps when Elora started the engine.

“Ghizma, you think you can stun them?”

“Sure thing!”

As Elora drove off the parking lot and joined the nightly traffic of Theed, the guards got into their military speeders.

“Take my ion blaster!” Elora threw the weapon at Ghizma. “I modified it several years ago.”

The modification made the blaster much stronger than the usual ion blaster. Strong enough to disable the electrical systems of the military vehicles. Elora hit the gas, zooming through the streets of Theed. People screamed, jumping aside, market stalls got knocked over, it was total chaos. The vehicle was faster than an average landspeeder. Eventually police droids were on their heels, coming from almost every direction.

“Dank farrik! You better hold on tight back there! Mando, how are you feeling?”

“I-I’m fine, just- just get us out of here!” He tried not to sound like he was in a great deal of pain, but Elora sensed it all too well. The way he sat on the backseat pressing a hand over the right side of his chest indicated just how much pain he was in. She steered the speeder through a few dark shortcuts, meanwhile Ghizma was constantly shooting those annoying droids off their funny little vehicles which was almost too easy for a markswoman of her skill. Elora could feel even the smallest obstacles approaching and every blastershot before they could hit the speeder. Apart from a few scratches the speeder still looked as good as new, despite being chased down.

“They just won’t give up!” Ghizma complained.

When they finally reached the city’s outskirts, and with them streets with less lighting, they had to think of a plan to return to Zaev’s inn without leading the law enforcement there.

“They’re after our speeder, we need to jump off and make our way to Zaev’s undetected!” Elora emphasized.

“There are several lakes three klicks north from here.” Ghizma suggested.

Lakes meant water. Elora bit her lip and gripped the steering wheel a little tighter. “There must be another way! The water- I don’t think Mando is capable of swimming at the moment.” She had to think of a quick plan. All she could think of was a thought she did not like at all - using the Force on Din who was already injured. There was no time.

“Ok, get ready. Remember to turn off your lights. We’ll have to jump. Mando, I’ll break your fall with my powers. I can’t promise it won’t hurt or will worsen your injuries-”

“Do it!” he spoke through gritted teeth.

Hills covered in soft grass would have to do. When the police droids were out of eyeshot, Elora set the speeder on autodrive. They prepared to jump. “3…2…1…NOW!”

During the fall, Elora reached out in the matter of a second, breaking Din’s fall at just the right moment, letting him down as gently as possible. Ghizma spat out bits of dirt which had found their way into her mouth at impact. Arfour landed next to Elora beeping questioningly if they were alright.

“We’re fine. Now let’s go hide behind those trees until the droids are gone.”

“I have dirt in my mouth! That’s what you call fine?!” Ghizma complained.

As expected the police droids continued chasing the silver luxury speeder. They were safe, for now. Arfour used his sensors and led them back to Zaev’s inn. It was a 45 minute walk, and Din’s condition did everything but improve.

“We have a medcenter in our village.”

“I won’t remove my helmet.”

Ghizma shrugged. “We have some good med droids.”

“No droids.”

She rolled her eyes. “Is he always that stubborn when he’s injured?”

Elora huffed. “He’s always stubborn.”

“And people are surprised that Mandalorians are almost extinct. Let me tell ya, they’re all stubborn as fuck.”

“You know I can hear you, right?” Mando remarked, then looked at Arfour who was rolling next to him. Initially there had been no trust in this astromech, but now that he had gotten used to the droid being around he didn’t mind him that much.

Perhaps I should trust Elora’s judgment. She knows more about droids than I ever will. I need help. Droids… are no living things. For Grogu. Do it for Grogu.

They saw the lights from Zaev’s inn two klicks away. There were no police droids in sight, just the Razor Crest was waiting for them at the very spot where Din had left her. With the mission accomplished, they packed what was left of their stuff in their rooms and said their goodbyes to Zaev and Seshén.

Back on board, Din was sitting down on his cot, out of breath, while Arfour and Ghizma went into the cockpit. The Crest was already lifting off when Elora knelt down in front of him to look up at his T visor.

“How are you feeling? It will take several hours until we’re on Mandalore. How can I help you?”

“I’m ok, just- I don’t exactly trust Ghizma with my ship.”

Elora sighed. “Stop your attempts to distract me from your misery. It’s your ribs, right? Care to let me take a look at it?” She went to get the medpack, only to find a cauterizer and several bacta patches in there. “You gotta be shitting me! You’re a kriffing bounty hunter and all you got is that?!”

“It was always sufficient. The beskar keeps me safe, most of the time.”

“Today’s not most of the time. Will you show me your injury or not? Look, I’m just trying to help.”

Din gave in when he saw the piercing look in Elora’s eyes. Arguing with her in his current state would only take more of a toll on him. He removed the armor from the upper half of his body, followed by his clothing. It was the first time Elora saw his bare chest. His skin was golden. She didn’t know what she imagined, but certainly not this. He was just as broad as he looked in the armor.

Now is not the time to fantasize. Save it for later! He’s injured! Elora scolded herself in her mind and applied gentle pressure to the bruises forming on his chest. Din hissed at the pain her touch caused, at the same time he shuddered, as he was not used to someone else’s touch on his bare skin. If it wouldn’t hurt him so much, he would consider the feeling of her skin on his as pleasant. He tried to focus on those pleasant aspects and the focused look in her eyes.

“Ooo that doesn’t feel like it’s supposed to. Several ribs seem to be broken. You don’t have a mediscanner on board, do you?”

He shook his head as she ran her fingers over the bruises again, this time without adding pressure. Din’s breathing was heavy. She didn’t like the sound of it. “Does it hurt when you’re breathing?”

“S-stinging pain, it’s- I’m fine, don’t worry about me, cyare .”

“Sounds like a broken rib might have punctured your lung. This is a dangerous injury and you tell me not to worry? I swear, Din, if you weren't already injured, I would throw a punch at you!”

“I’d like to see you try.”

In so much pain and still smug… I hate Mandalorians and their recklessness.

A sudden jolt notified them that the Crest had entered hyperspace.

Observant as ever, Din nodded towards the full bags inside her cloak. “What did you take?” Elora suddenly remembered the diatium power cell she had taken from the remains of the bodyguard droid. She showed the small rectangle object to him.

“I can finish my lightsaber now.”

Din put his shirt and armor back on. He gritted his teeth more than once at the pain dressing himself caused, but refused Elora’s offer to help him.

“I would like to watch you complete it.”

Elora took the unfinished lightsaber from his weapon storage and began crafting. She looked like she was in her element when she was able to use tools and create things. The way she used the tools, as if her hands were made to hold them, the way she remained fixated on finishing her weapon, Din was intrigued.

Ten minutes later she was done. The weapon looked like it was made from scrap, because it was, yet the material seemed stable and reliable.

“This is it. Let’s hope this works… Are you ready to see it?”

“Yes.” Din felt happy for Elora. She had wanted to use her kyber crystal for so long and now she was able to. There was a happy sparkle in her eyes when the purple plasma blade bathed the room in a purple light. The weapon hummed when she swished it through the air. It looked elegant and the longer he watched Elora wield it, he noticed the weapon and her body became in tune with each other. He had never seen anything like it. The lightsaber became an extension of herself. It was a connection he and his blaster could never have, and Din was more than familiar with his favorite blaster.

Elora felt the Force flow through her body, it connected her with her weapon, physically and emotionally. She knew this weapon would lead her in whatever battle life had in store for her. It was more than a weapon, it was a part of herself, her very soul.

“What do you think?” she asked.

“It looks like you were born to wield it.” Din’s mouth had gone dry. He liked women who knew how to wield a weapon, but Elora made him weak in the knees.

“It’s perfect, Din.” She switched it off and attached it to her belt with a proud smile gracing her lips..

“This is most likely what your mother wanted for you.”

A tear ran down her cheek at his words. She sat down next to him and cupped the cheek of his helmet in her palm. He leaned into her touch despite not being able to feel it through the beskar.

“It feels like we’ve done something right. Like we were supposed to be there at the exact moment, for this exact mission, so I could find the missing piece for my lightsaber.”

“I don’t believe in destiny, but yes.”

“What do you think Mandalore will be like?” she inquired.

“I’ve been told it's a wasteland. Whoever goes there dies. Now our new acquaintances say there’s a village named Kyrimorut. Never heard of it. I don’t know what to think anymore. I just hope Grogu is alright.”

“I can’t wait to meditate with him again.” She leaned her head against his pauldron.

“It’s been three days and I miss the little womp rat more than anything.” he admitted.

Din was not a man who voiced his feelings often, but Elora’s presence caused him to open up. He was just a man under his armor and she was the first person who touched his heart in a way he couldn’t explain. It was different when he was his Grogu. Sure, he was affectionate towards him and the child had a special place in his heart, but the connection he had to him was entirely different than what he felt for Elora. He had shut people out since losing his parent’s on that fateful day to avoid getting hurt again. Somehow Grogu und Elora had managed to worm their way into his heart. The hardened bounty hunter he had been before now was only a facade he pulled up towards outsiders.

Elora felt at peace in Din’s presence. She didn’t mind the cool beskar of his pauldron against her cheek, but sometimes she wished she could be closer. To feel him against her, just like she did during the nights at Zaev’s inn. She had never felt like this before. This wasn’t the same affection she felt towards her family. Being with Din was different and she died to explore those feelings further. He had to heal first, but she planned on bringing this topic up soon enough. Together with him she wanted to figure out how far those feelings went and if they could potentially turn into something more. A part of her yearned for his touch, even fantasized about things she wanted to do with him. She wondered if he felt the same, and in case he did, if he was ready to let go of his restraints and let this feeling take over his actions. Could her wishful thinking become reality soon? Together they sat on the edge of Din’s cot, waiting. He in his shiny armor, she with her now messy hair and slightly torn gown, looking like the polar opposites they were.

← previous chapter next chapter →

I wrote the battle scene in this chapter before the BOBF finale aired... Hey, should Lucasfilm look for a new writer for their shows, I would gladly accept the job!

Get well soon, Din!!! 🥺

Yep, I plan on writing smut soon. Idk if it will be in the next chapter or the chapter after that. But soon, I promise!

So, Mandalore it is... For all you Legends and Clone Wars lovers, I think the next chapter will be to your liking. 😉

Mando'a translations:

cyare = beloved

#gehat'ik be aliit #din djarin #the mandalorian #din djarin x oc #the mandalorian x oc #the mandalorian fanfiction #the mandalorian fanfic #sw #star wars #star wars fanfiction #din djarin x reader #the mandalorian x reader

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ukulelecal · 3 years

Text

Sniffles

In which you suffer from season allergies and have a sleepless night.

Pairing: Michael Clifford x Reader

Warnings: none

Word Count: 1.2k

A/N: my allergies have me feeling awful and looking literally grotesque so i wrote this. just a short lil thing for all my sexy bitches with hay fever

You were convinced that Michael’s sighs were starting to turn from sympathetic to annoyed.

You couldn’t blame him. Hay fever wasn’t only a pain in the ass for you; your constant sneezing and sniffling wasn’t exactly pleasant for the people around you, either. Michael, however, was always patient. He made sure the house was plenty stocked with tissues and always reminded you to take your medicine and use your eye drops. He understood that you weren’t feeling well and did his best to take care of you.

Although he would never say it out loud, you knew deep down it could get a little frustrating when you often felt too congested to do anything fun and when he had to share a bed with you when your allergies kept you up at night.

This night was a particularly rough one. No matter how many times you blew your nose, it always seemed to clog up again soon after, sneeze after sneeze racking your body. No amount of eye drops could fend off the itchiness and the skin around your eyes was sore and raw from rubbing them so much.

As much as you tried to be quiet, you could feel Michael flinch awake beside you every time, just about to fall asleep when you let out a sneeze, reached for a tissue, or rolled over to be able to breathe better. He would always let out a sympathetic sigh and press a kiss to whatever his lips could reach first before starting to drift off again.

The most recent sigh due to the most recent sneeze seemed a little more aggressive, a little more forceful and less sympathetic. Maybe you were overreacting, as Michael always said it didn’t bother him, but you felt bad. It wasn’t fair that he had to stay up just because you couldn’t bring yourself to sleep.

“I’m sorry, babe,” you whispered with guilt. You crawled out of Michael’s grasp and stood, grabbing a couple pillows and the box of tissues that you kept on your nightstand. “I’ll sleep on the couch.”

“Hm? What?” It took him a moment to register what you said in his half asleep state, but he realized it as soon as his eyes adjusted in the dark to see you out of bed with pillows in your arms. “Why?”

“I’m keeping you up.”

“No, you’re not keeping me up,” he fibbed groggily, reaching across the bed to grab at your arm. You were keeping him up, if he was being honest, but he was never going to complain about it. He never lied when he said he didn’t mind. He knew you couldn’t help it and he preferred to have you near to comfort and help you, whether or not he got a good night’s sleep.

“Yes, I am. I’ll be fine, don’t worry. You have to get up early for the studio tomorrow, you need to sleep.”

“I won’t get any sleep without you.”

“You won’t get any sleep if I’m in here, either.”

Michael huffed and you could just make out the pout on his lips in the darkness.

“I’d rather not get any sleep listening to you sneeze all night than not get any sleep knowing you’re downstairs not feeling well by yourself. Just stay, angel, please. I promise you’re not bothering me.”

It was your turn to huff. You still felt bad, but if neither of you were going to get any sleep, you might as well be together. Michael’s pout transformed into a sleepy grin when you set the pillows and tissues down. He lifted his arm as an invitation for you to lie underneath it, and you gladly accepted. You pressed your back to his chest, always wanting to face away from him at night so you wouldn’t accidentally sneeze on him.

“How about we put on a movie?” He mumbled, fingertips trailing up and down your arm. “It’ll help you fall asleep.”

“You won’t sleep, though.”

“I’ll turn it off once you’re asleep. It’s fine.”

Michael was the type that needed complete silence and complete darkness to fall asleep. The only sounds he could fall asleep to was the sound of a fan, and after years of touring, the sound of a bus. And once he met you, the sound of your soft breathing always made him feel at ease. Everything else was too distracting. Even white noise such as nature sounds kept him up. Movies were completely out of the question with their dialogue and music, and the light from the television. You, on the other hand, were always able to fall asleep during movies. You could turn the sound into background noise and let it lull you to sleep. You still felt bad about keeping him up but you agreed to let him put something on. He got to pick, knowing you wouldn’t be awake too long to care.

Soon enough, your sneezes stopped and your breathing evened out, albeit a bit raspy from your congestion. He clicked off the television and pulled you closer. He let your breaths and the knowledge that your allergies couldn’t bother you while you were asleep soothe him to sleep as well.

…

You managed to stay asleep most of the night, although you did wake up feeling absolutely awful a few times. Michael’s soft snores and warm chest always quickly coaxed you back to sleep before you completely woke up. You didn’t fully wake up until you felt Michael’s weight leave the bed. Time for him to go to the studio.

You stayed in bed until you heard him grab his phone off his nightstand and walk around to your side. He paused, as if debating on waking you up or not. You peeled your crusty eyes open, not wanting to let him leave without a goodbye.

“Hey, you,” he whispered with a grin. “How are you feeling today?”

“Not great. It’ll be better once I take my medicine, though.”

He hummed and sat on the edge of the bed next to you. He took in your puffy eyes and nasal voice, thankful that he wasn’t cursed with seasonal allergies but knowing he would take them on if it meant you didn’t have them.

“Did you sleep well?” He asked, grabbing your hand that stuck out from under the sheets. You nodded softly.

“‘Cause I stayed with you,” you mumbled lovingly. Michael chuckled, bending down to press a kiss to your forehead.

“Knew it. You should go back to sleep for a while, we were up late.”

“I’ll try,” you sigh and sniffle. “Wish you could, too.”

Feigning an illness and staying home to cuddle suddenly seemed tempting, but Michael knew he was needed for vocals at the studio.

“Not today, angel.” He bent down again and kissed your lips this time. “Shouldn’t be too long. I’ll see you soon, okay? Don’t forget your medicine.”

“I won’t,” you giggle. “Love you, babe. Have a good day.”

“Love you, angel.”

You managed to get another hour or so of sleep before daily duties forced you out of bed, regardless of how awful you felt. Michael texted you a few times throughout the day to check on you and make sure you remembered your meds. You got plenty of cuddles from him once he got home, finally getting a decent night’s sleep knowing that you had a partner who loved and cared for you deeply.

#michael clifford #5sos #5 seconds of summer #genny writes #michael clifford blurb #michael clifford imagine #michael clifford au #5sos blurb #5sos imagine #5sos au #5 seconds of summer blurb #5 seconds of summer imagine #5 seconds of summer au #5sos x reader #michael clifford x reader #5 seconds of summer x reader #calum hood #ashton irwin #luke hemmings

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shewhoworshipscarlin · 3 years

Text

Well I’m back lol. I had an interesting and insane weekend.

It started Thursday. We had a monsoon type rain storm that took out two of our trees in the backyard so my mother and I went to push them into the woods. I was not dressed for the occasion and I got my punishment for that. Everything was fine until I got smacked in the face with leaves.

When we were in the kitchen a few hours later mom noticed a brown spot on my face. Thinking it was dirt, I wiped at it, and it did end up coming off, or so I thought. Went to my bf’s house and noticed the morning of our trip that it was bigger. We stupidly scraped at it and it didn’t go away this time. Kind of ignored it. It was itchy but that was all. We rode to Erie, PA for Formula Drift, a high powered car event that I really enjoy. Just about the only sport I really get into.

I slept for most of the ride down, we got there around 10am. When I woke up I was a lot itchier and the whole left side of my face was inflamed and red around that brown spot. I called my mom and asked what I should do since we were gonna be at the races all day. She said put hand sanitizer on it to cut the itching and to keep it clean and dry it out. (We learned that was a very bad idea the next day.) So we thought it was contained and enjoyed the first day of FD.

The next day I woke up and there was swelling near my eye, and the whole far left side of my face was swollen out. When something similar happened to my mom with poison oak she had to take steroids which ended up giving her Diabetes. I was terrified. So I went to the urgent care at 8am, was told all our home remedies were a terrible idea and was given a prescription for steroid pills and antibiotics and benadryl. The brown spot was a cut and I was told I had cellulitis, a bacterial infection. So I took it as soon as I had eaten at 10:15am. We then proceeded to go to the track for the second day of FD, not getting back to the hotel until 1am. I had packed my pills for the day, thankfully.

I got home last night at 10pm after spending Sunday in Jamestown, NY at the comedy museums there. I sobbed quietly to myself at the George Carlin exhibit, and I assume you all know I would. I’ll be using the pictures I took there as my “carlin quote” for a little while.

This morning I woke up and the poison oak/sumac/ivy that had been on my arm was incredibly itchy and white and puffy and I was in hysterics so my mother had to call in to my work for me. I thought I would have to go back to the Urgent Care. I took my meds, rubbed hydrocortisone cream on my arm and passed out. When I woke up at 1150am it was still puffy but not white anymore.

So now I sit here, itchy and sad. The weekend ended up being a shit show, but this is why there hasn’t been anything that’s been posted lol. I now have the time to sit and queue posts.

#morgan gets personal #medical emergency #this is my life

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greatcheesiness · 4 years

Text

Heartbreak

Pairing: Ex-Husband!Atsumu x reader

Genre: Angst, sad

Words: 1.3k (pretty short)

Warnings: NSF- nah i’m just kidding xd, mentions of death

Completed: 20/10/2020 01:56

A/n: Umm, this is my first story on tumblr. So bear with me if it’s bad. I’ll try my best to improve in the future. Needed to vent so I wrote this for my favorite character Atsumu (that many seem to dislike 0.0) I hope you enjoy the story tho! It’s a bit short and it’s like almost two in the morning. I wish I could go into more detail on Miya’s perspective *smiles cheerfully*

~_~

Your eyes fluttered opened and the constant beep of the heart monitor continued. You lifted your trembling arms to your face. The crustiness from excess mucus, dried tears and exfoliated skin were irritating your vision. You blinked a couple of times to feel the comfort of opening your eyes again.

Suddenly, a light knock was heard before someone gained entry into your bleached scent room. It was a young nurse who took care of you for the past couple of months. Such a delightful lady taking her job as if it came natural to her. “Good morning Mrs Miya. How are you feeling today?” she asked as she pushed a tray filled with medications and medical equipment. We’re doing this again aren’t we?

“I woke up just now so I don’t know how I’m feeling right now…”.The nurse’s eyes softened at your response. Silence set between the both of you verbally and only the sound of the nurse handling little boxes of pills was heard. Your orbs lingered at the lady. She faced you and ambled towards you with a cup of water in hand as well two pills.

“It’s time to take your medication Mrs Miya” she smiled caringly. You sighed as you received them. You popped the pills into your mouth and drank the cup of water. She waited patiently. After you finished, both of ye did a few things after. It was the same old thing scheduled almost every day. A typical day of an old woman with a heart disease.

Now you were left alone in your box-shaped room. There was no presence besides yourself. You felt so isolated and no doubt, an emotion of loneliness lingered in the chambers of your heart. That didn’t help your heart condition you admit. You exhaled. You could still taste the remaining of the med. Tasted bitter as the bitter life you had. You could endure it. No problem.

People say, if you go to the hospital, you’ll get better and better as days pass by. If only it could apply the same to you. You weren’t getting better. You just felt constant. Even worse, you felt as if your chances of living were decreasing as each day passed. You smirked. The wrinkles formed around your eyes and lips. After all, you’re just a test subject. You only realized that what the nurse gave was a placebo.

Suddenly, you started to cough. Your weak bony arms stabilized your upper body as you kept expelling sudden air from your weak lungs. Your eyes were closed shut and little tears threatened to spill out. “It hurts. It hurts a lot…” you managed to mutter. You clenched your hands and lightly tapped the left side of your chest. It seemed like you were trying to reassure his heart. His heart…

You gripped onto your cyan hospital shirt, scrunching the material. You tried your best to live the healthiest life and you did, to some extent. You took care of your heart as if it was your most prized possession. Of course. Without it, you wouldn’t be living… But this heart you have belongs to him. Atsumu’s…

You could feel a striking pain at your source of life. Was he also hurting just as much as you? Salty essence dropped onto the knitted blanket. You quickly grabbed a bottle of water from the night stand and dowsed your dry itchy throat to moisture. Your red swollen eyes stared at your left.

I’m so sorry

Atsumu

You cried as your twenty five year old self sat on the hospital bed. You didn’t want to die. You were too scared of death. You didn’t want to die this early. You have so much to experience in life. You just got married…

Someone held your hand for support as you sobbed for ages. His hands felt warm and that provided a small bit of comfort. He tightened his grip. He gently wiped the tears off of your puffy under eye. You sniffed due to congestion from endless crying.

Finally, you calmed down. You couldn’t create anymore. Atsumu brushed the hairs away to get a clear look at your face. He stared into your eyes. You did the same to him, not realizing you made a pout with your lips. His hazel eyes were bottomless and soulful. His eyes tells a lot of stories and just by gazing into them, you know what he’s thinking.

He’s telling you that it’s alright. You will live. Promise.

After a minute of not saying anything, he leaned and gave you a deep kiss. As cliche as it sounds, you melted into his. You almost forgot about your mental breakdown you had just a minute ago. He needed you to let go of that sadness. Don’t be like that when he’s here. He wants to make you happy. Cheer you up.

His lips left yours and he rested his forehead onto yours. Both of ye didn’t care of the sweat that formed. Your throbbing heart subsided. All thanks to him.

Every day after practicing with division 1 team, he would visit you. The two of ye would have talks about whatever that sparks your attention. He was the epitome of delectation and happiness for you. You guessed happiness was the only medication that worked wonders for you. All thanks to Atsumu…

Until one day.

He came in to your room as usual. You closed the book in your hand as all your focus was on him. A smile etched on your face. But then, your smile faded. “Atsumu… Is something wrong??” you asked. You were worried. Why was he wearing that kind of face? Did came in contact with the doctor? If he did, what did the doctor say?

At last, his eyes landed on you. You continued to look at him for an answer. He smiled softly at you and said “Someone’s willing to give you a heart”

Your eyes widened. You were happy for at least sixteen seconds until the seventeen second began. Atsumu handed you a letter. You were to read it after the surgery. Your brows scrunched.

Why did you feel like you were going to regret this?

Little did you know, the regret burned you slowly like flowing lava once you woke up with stitches on the left side of your chest and no Atsumu by your side anymore.

Time really went by. Thirty years had passed until this present moment. You felt cold and shivers ran up your protruding spine. It was night time already. You gently laid your back on the hard pillow provided by the nurse. A white celestial being imprinted on the night sky.

“The moon looks beautiful, Atsumu” You said huskily. It was meant to be said indirectly. There was no response. Of course there wouldn’t. He’s dead.

You let the tranquility calm you down as you shut your eyes. You were no longer scared of death. You had everything ticked off your bucket list. But you haven’t fulfilled some. Especially when they included your deceased husband.

While your eyes were closed, you could imagine him waiting for you in the afterlife. You began to feel numb and your heart rate was decreasing. You grinned as you see him in his MSBY jersey and shorts with a volleyball in his hands. Finally, you could see him clearly.

“I can’t wait to be with you again…”

You felt yourself being reversed in time for youth. You were young again. Your legs dragged you towards him in a rush. Your soul left your body.

This time you died. You took care of his heart for thirty years. He was always with you without you even noticing. He gave you his heart because he couldn’t live without you. But now that didn’t matter. Both of you are together again.

This time in a different world where there’s no heartbreaks...

#atsumu x you #atsumu scenarios #atsumu x reader #haikyuu angst #haikyuu!!#haikyū!!#miya atsumu #y/n #haikyuu imagines #hq atsumu #atsumu imagines #atsumu angst

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suxian · 3 years

Text

it’s the teddy bear! Nix and Dick’s quite unusual life in Pennsylvania.

I know this chapter was wrote quite awful, so if you don't like it, please just ignore it

1 2 3

Nix hid his face in Dick's chest. He remained silent for a long time, during which Dick did not speak. He only gently stroked the back of Nix's hairy head, listening to Nix's breathing. As if a heavy rain after the bleak grass, the breeze slowly blowing, stirring up the refreshing aroma of grass.

After a long time, Nix finally spoke up.

"I've never wanted to be human again as much as I do now." His voice was muffled, mixed with a rare embarrassment and a touch of gnashed irritation, "At least I can take my clothes off and have sex with you and fuck my fucking brains out instead of being so embarrassed that I have no words to talk to."

Hearing Nix's angry speech, Dick couldn't help but raised the corner of his mouth. But at the same time he felt a secret bitterness and heaviness in his heart. He and Nix have been tacitly aware of Nix's behavior and have avoided talking about it. Whenever Nix wants to escape some topics from Dick, or abandon himself and hide his fragmented emotions, he will make love with Dick. He will madly try to drag Dick into the confusion and joy of his body, and will cover up his true feelings with deep kisses, dirty strokes, colorful seductions and licentious behaviors.

Dick didn't notice it until Blanche committed suicide because of depression. After the funeral dust is settled, Dick and Nix return to the apartment where Nix and Blanche used to live together. Dick is reluctant to let Nix stay alone in the apartment full of memories. No matter how good the memory is, it will only be like a nightmare at this time. Nix, however, locks himself into the room as soon as he gets home, leaving Dick no chance to make any other suggestions.

After pacing back and forth in the living room, eventually, Dick made a quick decision. He first told the housekeeper to prepare the meal and not to indulge Nix in drinking too much wine. He went back to the apartment to clean up his clothes and would come back immediately.

By the time Dick got back to Nix's apartment, it was past noon. Nix didn’t have lunch, and he also skipped over dinner. Dick did not try to disturb him. He waited until nearly midnight, and the housekeeper prepared supper just in case, but Nix's door was never opened again. He didn't even ask the housekeeper to deliver the wine. Eventually, Dick returned to the apartment's guest room, with no clue how long it will take Nix to recover from another death. He closed the door, took off and folded his coat, and sat for a long time with his eyes looked at the front horizontally, his legs together, his hands on his knees, and his back straight in silence. And then, he turned off the light.

Dick's keenness cultivated in the front line for many years made him turn over and roll out of bed on guard, putting on a defensive posture even before he woke up when he felt that someone was approaching him. The next second, however, Dick was completely awakened because of the extremely familiar voice and the other person's fuzzy figure in the dark. He was surprised and asked, "Nix?"

"I don't want to disturb the rest of the house at this time, so" Nix shook his hand in the darkness, and Dick saw by the dim moonlight that it was a key. "Sorry." Nix said unapologetically and threw the key down beside Dick's pillow.

"It doesn't matter," said Dick subconsciously. He was only concerned about Nix now. "What happened?"

"Good question, guessing what? The truth is I decided not to get fucking drunk and wake up the next day, or the next morning, on the vomit-covered floor to escape from --" Nix paused, tilted his head and didn’t go on. He then walked two steps closer to Dick and suddenly asked, "Do you need me to turn on the light to make sure I'm not drunk at this time?"

Dick didn't understand what Nix was trying to do, but he shook his head, "No." He said, "I know you're sober."

"Good," Nix said, "I'm going to do one thing. If you feel any discomfort during this period, say stop, I'll stop right away and leave."

"What? "Dick frowned, and his heart became alert. He had never seen Nix so wearily, even the heavy night couldn’t conceal his pallor. "What are you going to --"

"I like-- hell, I love you. "

Nix saw Dick's lips suddenly closed and his face strangely turned. It was as if this amused him, as if he had expected Dick to show this particular reaction. "I'm tired of pretending that I don't have feelings other than you are just my best friend." He then regained his expressionless face and said calmly, "I also don't want to be carefully suppress, cover up these feelings."

With that, Nix shrugged.

Dick was shocked by these sudden words, feeling dizzy, accompanying by an unadulterated joy. His heart rate soared, blood all poured into the face, and ears were crazy with the huge flow of blood vessels.

Dick opened his mouth. His spirit and limbs, which had been solid as a rock in the midst of the fire and the danger of the battlefield, trembled. He was eager to say something --

The next second, Nix kissed him.

It started as a gentle kiss, Nix brushing Dick's teeth with the tip of her tongue, feathery soft. But to his surprise, Dick opened his teeth and took Nix's cheek in his hand. His breath stung Nix's lips, jaw, and nose like a burning fire and boiling water. Nix was stunned for a few seconds, feeling Dick's tongue itch across the palate, and then suddenly, his senses came back. He desperately sucked on the tip of Dick's tongue until it was tingling, itchy, and painful, saliva spilling from the corners of both their mouths with this intense movement.

There was a long struggle, until Nix laughed and put his hand between them and felt between Dick's legs. "You got me, Major." He said in a low, obscene voice, bending his knees and deliberately grinding the delicate spot. Dick, without surprise, let out a groan and gasped uncontrollably. It had been less than a day after Blanche's funeral, he thought with great difficulty, they were in Nix's apartment, a door away from the housekeeper, the cook, and the maid. Any reason should calm him down and refuse to continue his folly. He bit his lip, trying to catch Nix's hand.

Nix dodged deftly, then fell to his knees and jerked off Dick's shorts. The half-hard penis jumped out. Nix looked at Dick, who frozen in place by his audacity, blushing and bewildered. "So, I guess I'm the first one to say hello to this soldier?" He smiled, bent his head, and put Dick's cock in his mouth without any hesitation.

Dick closed his eyes in despair. Nix was not familiar with the movements at first, but he was apparently incredibly clever. After a few attempts, he had figured out how to swallow Dick's penis as deep as possible, and had learned to squeeze the glans with his throat while fondling the frenulum. Watching Nix skillfully swallow his penis, lick it, kiss the tip of his cock does nothing to extinguish lust. And even though Dick closed his eyes, Nix's puffy cheeks, swollen lips and tearful corners of his eyes, and in between the puffs he muttered vaguely, "Dick, you're hard enough to hurt me."

Dick almost lost his reason. He just wanted to abandon all his faith. He wanted to hold Nix's neck and slammed into his mouth and throat so that he could not say a teasing or outrageous word any more.

In the meanwhile, Nix watched Dick bit his lip with stiff self-discipline, clench his hand into a fist with all his might of restraint and hold it against his thigh, wrinkling his eyebrows, veins on his neck, throbbing forbearing and erotically. He couldn't help but smirked, knowing that the only reason Dick didn't stop him was because he knew that Nix wouldn't stop, and that any extra noise they made would attract and alarm outsiders. Dick tried to stop Nix silently with his eyes, but it was obvious that this oral job could not be stopped.

Nix, of course, selfishly ignored this signal. He put his hand on Dick's hip, involuntarily kneaded Dick's firm tight butt, and then opened his mouth harder, forcing Dick to feel the pleasure squeezed out every time his cock hit Nix's throat.

The sensation builds up so quickly that it seems like a wall of waves is falling over one's head. After another deep throat from Nix, Dick suddenly let out a thick, muffled grunt, and the muscles in his thighs and lower abdomen tightened -- he was submerged in a sea of desire, caught in the whirlpool of orgasm, and shot out violently.

Before Nix could step back, Dick's semen filled his throat, more on his red lips that seemed to be bleeding, his jaw, and trickled down into the small indentations made by his collarbone. He coughed uncontrollably, and his tears made his face more salacious.

When Dick recovered from the orgasm, satisfaction and possessive desire finally disappeared from his body like a tidal wave. Dick saw Nix, who had already returned to normal at this moment, staring at him with amusement. His penis was still standing upright and his pants were stained with a dark mark.

"Nix, I --" Dick suddenly resenting himself for being so absorbed in the pleasure that he had forgotten Nix’s feeling.

"Stop, just don't apologize," Nix stopped him, shaking his head. "In fact, you can make it up to me. The night is still long."

Dick held his tongue, and waited.

"Fuck me, hard." Said Nix, raising his eyebrows. Dick's semen hung from his pretty, flawless cheek. Dick stared at the liquid that had made Nix unclean, and for a moment, uncontrollably, he wished it were hanging from Nix's eyelashes.

-- this shouldn't be right, they shouldn't have done it, Nix should have had a sweet wife, Dick should have got a girlfriend, they could have been close, and their kids could have been close, but they shouldn't have been as close as they are now, having sex, having fun, two men together.

But Nix was looking at him, recklessly, looking at Dick with a kind of contempt, and at the same time with an incomparable charm and dashing grace.

Fuck it, Dick thought, he had made a choice at this moment. He chose to go against the public order and good custom and abandon the so-called moral standards. He thought that if the world and Jesus only allowed a man and a woman to love and make love, then he would like to be Nix’s woman, and he believed that Nix would also like to be his woman.

"Tell me what I need to do." Dick heard himself say.

Nix laughed.

When they awoke in the early morning, Dick found Nix's head buried in his neck, trying to hide from the annoying sun. His black hair looked golden in the sun.

"Fuck you". Nix then woke up, groaned hoarsely.

"Good morning." Dick laughed uncontrollably, turned his head and kissed Nix's earlobe reassuringly, as if he had done it a hundred and a thousand times before.

"You're an animal." Nix complained.

"Feeling better?" Dick didn't care about Nix's offensive language. He just asked the question. He knew why Nix had come to him yesterday.

"For now, good." Nix replied scoundrelly, "for good? Have no clue. "

After a moment's silence, said Dick, "You looked awful yesterday."

"Well, when you don't know how something is going to turn out, it's like in Bastogne, you don't know where the German bombs are going to come from and go off," Nix said disagreingly. "But the worst thing that could happen is that you turn me down, you resign, and we don't interact. How could things be worse?"

Dick's heart shrank sharply. "I won't leave you."

"That sounds like a relief." Nix said in his usual joking tone, but Dick knew it was just a mask.

"I don't --" Dick tried to say that again, but Nix flipped over quickly and covered Dick's body with his own. He then put his fingers into Dick's red hair, which was just like the hot and burning and never extinguished sun.

Nix licked his lips and said, "Proved it."

Dick surrendered.

He admits, willingly, he is Nix's captive.

#winnix #dick winters #lewis nixon #band of brothers

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mikeydoodledandy · 4 years

Photo

“Barclay? What are you doing all the way out here? It’s late.” Barclay sighed softly, looking up to his partner as Joseph approached. The agent was dressed in what he’d worn to bed, a light blanket wrapped around him and his sneakers hastily pulled on without socks. He looked worried, but Barclay supposed he shouldn’t be surprised. Waking up in the middle of the night to find your lover missing from your bed was no doubt kind of jarring.

“I... woke up and couldn’t get back to sleep, so I decided to go for a walk rather than bother you with my tossing and turning. Sorry.” He was seated at the edge of the clearing overlooking the archway, on a wooden bench that had been put there after the events of the Quell. The moon was full, shining brightly overhead and casting a pale glow on the forest below.

Joseph nodded quietly. “May I join you, or would you prefer to be alone?”

“...Go ahead.”

Stern sat, adjusting his blanket around his shoulders before carefully offering his hand to Barclay. They sylph considered it a moment before gently entwining their fingers between them, not saying anything else. They shared the silence together, the cool mountain breeze rustling their clothes and hair as shadows crept from the woods as the moon rose higher.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Joseph asked after a time, rubbing his thumb against his partner’s.

“What is there to talk about?”

“I don’t know. Any of it. The new connection back to Sylvain. They sylphs leaving the lodge. Why you’re out here of all places.”

“Ah. Those things. Right.” Barclay sighed again, looking down at their hands. His chest was tight and all the feelings he’d been having lately threatened to bubble up in his throat. The sylph swallowed thickly, considering his words.

He and Joseph had been together going on almost half a year now, settling into their new reality as best they could. Much of it had been wonderful. Joseph was an amazing partner and it felt so good to finally reciprocate their feelings after almost an entire year of pining, and make up for lost time together. Whether it was dinner dates, or curling up by the fire, or falling into bed together, it had been bliss.

But, as all things tended to be, not everything was perfect. Life went on and the people of Kepler rebuilt, but the scars had been left on the town and its people. Perhaps those in the Pine Guard most of all.

Dani and Aubrey were still on their travels in Sylvain, healing in their own way together. They’d promised to return for a big reunion in the fall that Amnesty and the townfolk were planning, but the lodge was quiet without them in the meantime. Thacker too was missed, away on his own travels into the wilds of the planet Barclay had once called home. Barclay hoped they were all doing alright, he missed them a lot and while they were able to get in touch, their conversations were few and far between.

Duck had left too. He and Minerva and Juno had all left for Brazil in the noble effort of replanting the forests there. Barclay suspected though that Duck needed to get away from it all as well and do some healing of his own.

Which meant only Barclay and Mama remained of the Pine Guard. Not that it really mattered anymore. The abominations were long gone, no longer being grown by the DOM and sent to Earth to incite conflict between their worlds. For the first time in so long, they could rest easy knowing that the full moon would come and go time and time again and no beasts would slink from the shadows to threaten their way of life.

Barclay always thought he’d be relieved for it all to come to an end, and for the most part he was, but he’d found he didn’t quite know what to do with himself anymore. Now that they’d managed to reconnect Earth and Sylvain with the help of Dr. Sarah Drake and Minerva’s strange magicks, many of the sylphs at the lodge had made the choice to go home, their exile having ended in the wake of the prevented apocalypse.

For the first time in years, Amnesty Lodge was.. just another inn.

They’d gotten more business as tourists flocked to the town to see the mountain that had moved. The FBI had covered up most of it and the official statement was that it had been a massive collapse of underground caverns that had caused the mountain to crumble into the river, but there were rumors of what really happened. There would always be rumors.

But Barclay found that, even in his happiness of a new relationship, he missed the home that they’d all once made for themselves. It felt... empty. Jake and a few others had stayed and he was grateful for that, but he still found himself wistful for what they’d once had.

He finally let out a long breath, leaning over and resting his head on Joseph’s shoulder. “I miss them, Jo. I understand why they left, they needed to do what was right for them, but I just.. miss them so much it kinda hurts. The Lodge took me in and gave me a purpose all those years ago. We were all scared and tired and recovering from what was taken from us, but we were a family, y’know? We had each other. And now everyone’s... somewhere else.”

“Not everyone, but I know that’s a small consolation,” Joseph replied, gently squeezing Barclay’s fingers. “I’m sure Dani and Aubrey will return eventually, as will Thacker. But I know that’s not now and it’s okay to miss them.”

“Yeah.. And it’s not like.. I’m not moving on either, just in kind of a different way.” He raised Joseph’s hand to his lips, pressing a careful kiss to the back of it. “I never would have thought I’d find someone like you, Jo. Not like this. I don’t regret for a second that everything changed, because if we’d just kept on fighting the abominations for the rest of our lives and never stopped the Quell or the DOM, you and I.. probably wouldn’t have ever been able to get together. I just wish so many people hadn’t left me behind in the process.”

“I’d like to think you might have told me one day regardless, but I suppose that’s rather wishful thinking, isn’t it.”

“I dunno, I might’ve. I’d been considering it before the shapeshifter came and messed everything up. We had that moment and I know I chickened out, but if I’d had just a little more time, I think I might’ve come clean anyway.”

“Yes, that was all quite the mess, wasn’t it? Still, regardless of if you had told me your identity or not, if you’d continued to fight the abominations, well.. Tell me, how many of the Pine Guard actually survived the ordeal? You would have always been at risk.”

“I mean... hm.. Guess you have a point. I don’t think there’s really any answer to this though. I’m just... sad. My heart hurts with missing them.”

“No, I know. I’m not trying to rationalize away your pain, Barclay. I just wish there was more I could do,” Joseph sighed, Barclay nodding quietly.

“I appreciate it, Jo. And honestly, you’re doing plenty by just being here with me. How lucky am I that my boyfriend is willing to hike out into the middle of the woods in the dead of night just to make sure I’m okay?”

“I would hope anyone in a loving relationship would do the same. You came looking for me last winter when I got stuck out in that snowstorm, and that was even before we were together.”

“Well, yeah I wasn’t just gonna let you freeze out here.”

“Still. We look out for each other. I want to be here for you just as much as you’ve been here for me.”

Barclay smiled a little, but he still felt like he had a knot in his chest. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes.

“...It’s all the little things I miss about them the most. Like making everyone’s favorite order. I had everyone’s preferences and tastes down to a science. There was familiarity in that; a sense that I was a part of a bigger picture. And stuff like Dani, Aubrey and Jake all piling on the sofa and giggling together over some dumb meme or joke or what they were planning for a new prank. And how Duck always had the funniest ranger stories, that he could just deliver so completely deadpan that you couldn’t help but laugh. And when Ned-” Barclay stopped himself, throat too tight to continue without choking up anyway. His eyes were wet and itchy, the sylph rubbing them with the heel of his hand. “Fuck, Jo I just..”

Before he could try to say anything else, Joseph pulled him into a strong hug. It was firm and loving and surprised Barclay for a moment, but after he relaxed in the other man’s hold it reminded him that he wasn’t so alone.

With an anchor to ground him, Barclay found he couldn’t hold back the swell of emotions that had been building within him. Pressing his face into Joseph’s shoulder, he hugged his partner back and let himself cry.

He missed his friends, he missed his community. Change was a part of life, but rarely was it an easy one. He just wanted them all to come back and be a big happy family again. He wanted the lodge to feel like home again. Everyone had gone on their way and left him to pick up the pieces and it hurt. It hurt to be left behind.

His partner rocked him gently as he finally released all the exhaustion and sorrow he’d been carrying the last few months. Barclay might be the bigger of the two of them, but Joseph held him with a strength that made him feel safe to be vulnerable like this. The agent stroked his long hair, wrapping the blanket he had around both of them as Barclay clenched his fingers in the man’s shirt while he cried.

Eventually, his grief slipped into exhaustion, leaving him shaky and spent. He was grateful to have the man he loved there to steady him through it, resting heavily in Joseph’s arms.

“Sorry...” The sylph mumbled hoarsely, his eyes raw. Joseph shook his head, threading his fingers in his boyfriend’s hair.

“Don’t be. It’s okay.”

“I got snot on your shirt.”

“That’s also okay.”

Barclay managed a chuckle at that, pulling away and wiping his nose on his sleeve. Joseph smiled at him softly, reaching up and wiping the tears from his cheeks. Barclay’s eyes were puffy and he was kind of starting to get a headache, but he felt a little better than he had before.

“Thanks, Jo.”

“Of course, love.”

They both sat quietly once more under Joseph’s blanket, this time wrapped in each other’s embrace as the night grew longer. The agent was calmly observing the archway, fingers idly stroking the hairs on Barclay’s arm. He bit his lip as he often did when there was something he wasn’t sure he should say, the sylph nudging him when he noticed.

“What’s up?”

“Well, I...” Joseph let out a soft breath, his fingers stopping their ministrations. “You could always go back, you know. I was always a little surprised you never brought it up or suggested it, actually. I thought maybe you’d want to return with everyone else and you clearly miss your friends.”

“Ah.” Barclay’s shoulders sagged, the man scuffing his shoe in the dirt as he mulled on his words. “I’m not gonna say I haven’t considered it. I’ve actually thought about it a lot, but I just.. don’t think there’s room for me to heal and grow in Sylvain. It’s not home to me anymore. I was born here on earth and while Sylvain gave me my mind and my form, my love for this planet has always been stronger. I was exiled when I was young and stupid, so all my growth and experience come from learning from humans. As much as I miss my friends, I think at the end of the day, my place is still here.”

“It’s been a long time though, hasn’t it? Out of all the other sylphs, you’re the only one who hasn’t even gone back to visit. Even I’ve been back to Sylvain at this point.”

“Yeah, well... Hm. It’s kinda complicated. I guess I just.. never really fit in Sylvain to begin with. Something about earth always called me in a way that being there didn’t. These mountains feel more like I belong here than I ever felt there. There’s something about Earth, about Kepler especially that just.. makes me feel at peace. It’s this swell that I feel right in my chest whenever the sun sets and spreads a warm glow through the trees or how the earth smells after a fresh rain. Things like that that just feel right that I never felt on Sylvain.

“Those are good reasons.” Joseph nodded, looking back up at the arch. “I was worried it might just be me keeping you here, which if that was the case, well...”

“You do play a part in it too, Joseph, but don’t take that the wrong way.” Barclay leaned over and kissed Joseph’s forehead, enjoying the warmth of his skin against his lips. “That warmth I feel when I think about how much I love earth, I feel the most when I’m with you. You remind me of everything I love about humanity, Jo and I don’t ever want you to think that you’re holding me back.”

“Alright. I don’t know if I exactly embody everything great about the human race, but I appreciate the sentiment.”

“Naw, I don’t mean it like that. I just mean.. I love you for you. Your kindness and warmth and habits and flaws, they make me happy. You make me happy, Jo.”

“You make me very happy too, Barclay.”

Joseph gently cupped Barclay’s face, leaning in to kiss him. It was soft and careful, Barclay wishing he was a little less rough from crying, but grateful for the comfort. He leaned his cheek against his Joseph’s palm, closing his eyes. It was a mild night and he found he wanted to linger in the gentleness of his partner’s affection. The man had been so good to him in their time together and had given him so much. The sylph opened his eyes, meeting Stern’s fond and understanding expression. One last sorrow bubbled up in his chest, one he found he was finally ready to share.

“I’ve.. never told you how I was exiled, have I.”

“You haven’t, no. It didn’t seem like my place to ask.”

“You can always ask me stuff, babe. That said, I dunno how great of an answer I would have given if you had.” Barclay smiled sadly, settling back beside his boyfriend and gazing up at the full moon.

“Well.. I was exiled because I loved humanity a bit too much. I came to Sylvain as all animal sylphs do, stumbling through a gate without a mind of my own yet, scared and confused. I don’t remember that part, but no one ever does. Slowly, I grew though. I started forming memories I still have, was taken in by a loving family, grew up in a society that’s both progressive and stunted compared to a human one. The usual story.”

Barclay took a deep breath, taking in the soft scent of pine on the breeze, his knee pressed to Joseph. “I had a best friend growing up. We got into all sorts of trouble together. Nothing ever malicious, but we certainly weren’t perfect angels by any means. We’d get into places we shouldn’t, played pranks, that sort of stuff. We were best friends to the end back in those days.”

“Anyone I would know?”

“He’s not one of the sylphs who came over here if that’s what you’re asking. But you might actually.. well, lemme just continue before I start dropping names.”

“Sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt.”

“It’s fine, Jo. Anyway, we were still friends into our young adulthood, and still kinda mischief makers. He was being groomed for a really important position in the sylvan government, however, while I was kinda.. I dunno, doing my own thing. But we still had fun and he could get us access to places no one else in the kingdom could enter, which.. included the gate.”

Barclay gazed up at the archway with a soft sigh. “It was in New York back then and at first we’d just do really stupid shit like put a hand through it or quickly jump in and out of it when we got bold enough. Eventually though, we got ourselves disguises and would sneak through to earth in the middle of the night. It was peak risk-taking, but in the process we both kinda fell in love with humans. Not like.. literally, not yet anyway.”

He nudged Joseph with a small chuckle, who returned it with a smile, a faint blush to his cheeks, but this time he stayed quiet as Barclay continued.

“Human society was so different from ours, yet still so familiar. I think a lot of animal sylphs experience that if they go to earth. There’s this connection we have that, even though we can’t remember our lives as animals, we can feel it, y’know? It’s kinda like deja vu. But it wasn’t just that. Humans are creative in a way that sylphs really aren’t. Humans don’t have magic, so they have to come up with new and interesting ways to do things and bring new and creative ideas to their media and books and films and my friend and I, we loved every minute of it.”

There was a wistfulness in Barclay’s eyes, the sylph rubbing his nose again. “He always had a love for films and tv shows. I always loved the books and music. We’d make a challenge for ourselves whenever we would sneak over to try to bring something new back with us each time. It was fun and earth was so bright and interesting, and not just because it was forbidden. I loved it. It felt.. I dunno.. Right.”

“But I’m guessing your adventures to earth didn’t go unnoticed?”

“Yeah... eventually we were caught and going to earth is like... a huge taboo in our society. There’s a reason we get exiled here. They found all our human stuff and brought us before the council and... Both of us were going to be exiled, but I... Vince had a life ahead of him in a way that I didn’t, so I... took all of the blame. He was let off and I left Sylvain.”

Joseph rubbed his shoulder comfortably, his brows furrowed. “Do you know what happened to him?”

“I dunno. I assume life just went on and he got that position he was being prepped for. I adjusted to earth and decided to travel for a while. I made a lot of stupid mistakes, got seen a couple of times. I’m sure a couple of photos of me have crossed your desk at one point or another. But... I grew. I learned love and creativity and kindness not from sylphs, but from humans. I learned to play the guitar and cook. I saw the world. And at some point, the planet I’d left behind, with its harsh laws and broken friendships just.. wasn’t where I belonged anymore. I belong here, on earth, and then in Kepler at the lodge, and now here with you, Joseph.”

He turned to face his partner, taking the man’s hands carefully in his own. Joseph’s fingers were long and slender, an interesting contrast to his rough and calloused palms. He rubbed his thumb against the top of the man’s hand.

“I miss my friends, I do. But.. I’m right where I need to be. For the first time in a while, I finally get to choose my own path without worrying about abominations or someone ruining everything for us by discovering the truth. I get to be with someone who’s made me happier than I’ve been in a very long time and I don’t regret that.”

“Barclay, I...” Joseph pressed his forehead to the sylph’s, squeezing his fingers. “That was beautifully put. I’m glad you’re with me too. I’m glad you love earth. I’m glad I can make all this a little easier and be here to support you. I want us to be able to talk like this and for you to feel comfortable being open with me. You deserve what you need to grow and be okay and I know I’m not perfect, but I want to give you everything I can. Now and in the future.”

“Oh, Jo. You already do.” Barclay wrapped his boyfriend in a warm hug, his heart feeling lighter than it had. “Just being here and listening and caring, that’s enough. It means more to me than you can even know.”

“I suppose no one ever said moving forward was going to be easy but... at the very least, we can do it together.”

#sternclay #taz barclay #joseph stern #agent stern #taz amnesty #what is this?#I dunno #kinda sad and wistful mostly #it's completely unbeta'd #but if I still like it in the morning I'll actually beta it and post it to ao3

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jackjots · 3 years

Text

#22 Silence

Wayward Guide for the Untrained Eye 30 Day Prompt

(This takes place after Episode 10)

Day #22 @30daysofwayward

(I do not own any other characters or place names outside of Shelby St. Ranger, this is just for fun)

TW: Blood, alcohol consumption.

I took a shower and washed my blood and dirt covered clothes in the shower. I watched the dark red water go down the drain and I wondered how much was mine and how much was Trumans. I looked at my veins in my arm. How much was mine, and how much was Trumans?

After I got out of the shower, I wiped off the foggy mirror and looked at my face. I had a nice red scratch on my face, next to the puffy remnants of my broken nose. The scratch on my neck was almost totally gone, but I’d replaced the necklace about my neck, and it was starting to leave a red mark. I lifted it and touched the line. It was hot. I took the necklace off and carefully placed it back in my bag. The sting on my palms after I handled the necklace was probably in my head, I decided. I snuck back to my room in a towel holding my wet and reasonably cleaner clothes. I hung everything to dry and laid back onto the bed in my towel, not even bothering to go under the blanket.

My body was tired, my head buzzed in the silence, and I didn’t even shut the light off before unconsciousness took over.

I was sitting at my computer in my living room. The moon was shining through the window, larger than I was used to seeing it. I started writing, but the letters were turning up all wrong on the screen. I looked down at my hands, which were paws.

I ran to the bathroom to see my face, but instead of mine, the hallway was the one at the Dead Canary. I went into that bathroom, but it was the kitchen. Quinn was yelling at me that I wasn’t allowed to eat meat. But all I wanted was meat. I opened the fridge but it was filled with river rocks. I slammed the fridge door and turned around to Desmond in full wolf form. “One of us.” He said in the low vibrating voice he had as a wolf.

“Am I?” I tried to ask, but my mouth was clumsily filled with hard and sharp objects. I realized with horror that it was teeth.

“One of us!” He yelled and I fell backward through the floor until I was laying on the ground in the woods. I heard something and turned. It was me, standing in the moonlight. I looked peaceful with my eyes closed, no scratches or broken noses in sight. When I opened my eyes and met my own stare, the other me screamed. I tried to scream, too, but a howl ripped through my chest.

I woke up covered in sweat. Although the sun was up, when I checked the clock I’d only slept a few hours. I felt dizzy, itchy, and ravenous. I slipped on damp clothes as I knew the kitchen would open soon. The cold damp actually seemed to help calm down the burning itch that was now crawling it’s way over my body. I only had to wiggle a little bit to shift the cold clothes around and calm the itch for a bit.

I went to the bathroom and remembered my dream as I did so. I caught my reflection in the mirror and gasped. It wasn’t the wolf face I was suddenly afraid I’d seen, but actually the opposite. I looked more like myself than I had in a few days. The swelling had gone way down on my face, and the scratch was merely a mark now. This wouldn’t be easy to explain away, I thought as a knot formed in my stomach.

Why was I so worried about, essentially, coming out as a werewolf? Or possibly one. I wasn’t sure if just the little I was wounded was enough. I wouldn’t know, if I didn’t tell anyone. I considered telling Desmond, but I felt like I missed my window on telling him and now it just felt like admitting I’d lied, which was more intimidating than saying “hey I might be a werewolf”.

My damp-pants-covered bottom slid into my usual booth. The food I ordered came out with less enthusiasm than I was used to. “Those podcast people are leaving today.” Quinn mentioned. I wasn’t sure if he was filling me in or just announcing it to the empty bar. He seemed distracted, and the food was a little less exciting than usual. I’d never had steak and eggs in my life, but it sounded so good. He had tried to fight me a little bit, but quickly let go of the vegetarian idea. “Sounds like they solved it anyway.” He’d said. “No point anymore. You know it was LSD in the water system?” The way he said it told me he didn’t quite believe it.

The excuse was almost laughable. But as I ate the too-cooked meat, I thought through what I knew of Connor Creek, and decided it would be good enough. Probably.

After I ate I went back upstairs and laid in my slowly drying-to-my-body clothing. A nap felt just the ticket, and it did result in dryer clothes as I blearily reasserted my existence after a few blurs of a dream I couldn’t recall.

The sun was higher in the sky and it was almost lunch time now. Eat, sleep, eat, sleep. I realized I hadn’t written down any of the events rom the night before. I grabbed my notebook and looked at my last notes about what they were saying at town hall. Should I keep recording this? I shrugged. If I didn’t, who would?

I wrote down everything else that happened, but I used slight code wording for myself so it wasn’t so obvious. Things like saying “WW” instead of werewolf. I even included getting scratched. I didn’t plan to keep the lie going that much longer. Probably. Yes, probably.

When I went back down, I was surprised to see every werewolf I knew of, and a few people I didn’t know very well, whether they were werewolves are not, sitting at the bar. Helen nodded at me. Olivia was deep in conversation with Rita. Sybilus was talking to...Vern, that was his name, Vern the butcher. I recognized Ags who was standing as if she was about to leave with a hand on her hip talking to Desmond over the bar. I overheard her saying she was really looking forward to experimenting with psychedelics as soon as possible.

I ordered lunch. I knew I had a lot of work to do on my novel to make up for my missed days, and I was starting to stress out about it when Desmond dropped a beer off at my table.

“I didn’t order a beer.” I said as I looked up at him.

He was holding torn pages. “I figured I owed you one. For messing up your book.”

I rubbed my face. “That makes sense.”

“Does it? I am sorry, I didn’t realize it was borrowed.” “The library.” I grumbled. I’d forgotten.

“You can have the pages now, not sure how much good it will do ya.” He slid them over next to the beer. He seemed to be reading my irritation as toward him, when it was really at myself for forgetting about the book entirely. Not that I could have gone to the library anyway, with my car still in the shop. But regardless, I was irritated.

I could smell the exact food I was waiting for; each item gave a certain odor and my mouth filled with saliva. I almost snapped: “Is that my lunch over there?” And immediately followed by. “I’m sorry. I guess I’m just hungry.”

“Seems like it.” But he didn’t seem upset. I was pretty sure I caught a smirk. It made me more irritated, this time at him. He retrieved it for me without another word.

I didn’t touch the beer until I was entirely down with my rare burger. I soaked the meat juice up with my french fries. I didn’t even use any ketchup. My appetite which usually left food to waste had me almost licking my plate clean.

Ags left a little before I finished my lunch. She’d started talking to Sheriff Madison who came in for lunch. After Ags left I heard Sheriff Madison talking to Olivia about how the twins were gone now.

I felt an odd little stab that I hadn’t said goodbye. But I also didn’t know them that well.

And then Olivia said, “You know I heard their tires got slashed.”

“No, that was Shelby’s car.” Desmond interjected.

“Really?” Olivia wondered.

Sheriff Madison agreed. “Yeah. We actually kind of forgot about Paul and Artie’s car. It’s completely wild now.”

“Well that’s odd. I swore I heard Truman,” There was a slight pause at the name, “Swore I could have heard her say something about their tires.” She laughed. “Maybe I misheard her.”

Suddenly things started to make more sense. I hardly drove into town until more recently, and if she’d seen a car she didn’t recognize, Truman could have mistaken me for Artemis and Paul. I didn’t know if she’d caused the accident, but the tires seemed entirely probable. I risked a look out at the bar and realized this conversation was happening through three other conversations on the other side of the bar. And Desmond was looking straight at me. I turned back to my empty plate.

How had I heard that whole conversation?

#oohwhatdoesthismean #30daysofwayward #waywardguidefortheuntrainedeye #tw blood #tw alcohol #shelby st ranger #tin can bros #werewolves

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