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#because for so long she and the rest of the missing children hurt those guards because they mistook them for afton
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(A/N : Reader is an arrogant woman because of her looks and skills, she isn’t little miss perfect, she will seduce and use Dion to her twisted wishes )
A bit Limey so 13+
Her heart pounded against her chest, her breaths were heavy. She was thrown onto her knees by a guard and forced to not look up. She could only see leather shoes, these shoes were different, they were not akin to those of the men that had captured her, they seemed grander. Black leader shoes carved in gold with the Agriche symbol on it, Agriche symbol…
That could only mean that the man that is standing by her is an Agriche resident. She felt sick knowing that she was in the presence of one of these monsters. 
Her head was brought up only for E/c eyes to meet Crimson ones. He was an average looking boy, it was quite unusual considering that all kids of the Agriche Ancestry are bent with bewitching looks. With a face like that, she was sure he was unloved by his mother, all women in this heritage are quite demanding when it comes to looks. He looked like a half-heartedly carved out doll, there was a glimpse of something in his eyes, something that you couldn’t quite wrap your head around, however the rest of his expression was simply bored and unfazed. 
She heard the sound of footsteps, was her luck so awful that she would encounter more of these freaks?
He was seemingly much older than the boy that was standing beside her genuflect figure. Unlike the younger boy she could make out his expression, his eyes held a certain amount of insanity within them. Watching as the man smirked down at her, she knew she was doomed.
“This is the woman you wish to marry, Dion? A wonderful choice, she is heavenly as expected of you son,” That man spoke, Ah so the boy’s name was Dion.
The older man tugged at the ropes that were binding her onto the floor and handed them to Dion, she were being treated like a dog, that was simply no way to treat a woman like herself.
As she were forced up she noticed that Dion wasn’t the only Agriche in the room, as if her life wasn’t already hanging by a silk thread she would now have more of these inhuman creatures to deal with.
How many hell spawns did that old man have anyway?
Noticing special brooches on each of them, it didn’t take long for her to recognize that each of these children present were upper ranked children. The most terrifying of the bunch, she felt her bottom lip quiver at the sight of them but remembered that Agriches feed off fear so she must remain calm at all times. Taking a deep breath in, she observed her surroundings more precisely.
Everyone seemed to have their own contradictory reactions to her unexpected presence. However, they all had one thing in common, Y/n was quick to notice, vague interest. 
It was time she kissed her freedom goodbye, having four Agriches show interest in her wasn’t something that could be simply brushed off.
“You are coming with me,” Dion said, his voice was a deep tone, it felt bone chilling yet so pleasant. 
Y/n couldn’t help but glare, how could that man simply order her around? She was no object!
That was a wrong move, like one were playing a game of chess absentmindedly and realized that they would lose no matter what. She wanted to cry, to scream but her throat refused to heed to her call. She couldn’t voice her thoughts as her mind got louder and louder. Insults were being thrown at her, flashbacks of memories with her family, hurt, pain and guilt. She was caught in a storm of memories, however she needed to avoid crying at all costs. She knew that in this household people that showed any weakness were devoured whole. Taking deep breaths, she calmed her mind down and looked up at Dion who had not started walking. He was staring at her, undressing her with his eyes. 
To think, someone so hideous would fancy her, she deserved much better but perhaps if he liked her she could find a way to escape this hellhole and destroy it once and for all. It's settled then, she would slowly seduce Dion and use him to destroy his family with the payment of her own body.
As Dion was about to walk off, another man with a scarred face started to argue about Dion keeping the ‘beauty’ that she assumed was her for himself. One sharp glare from Dion was enough to shut this man up, was this man truly that terrifying? In those eyes of his she saw vulnerability, she may have been the sheep to a wolf but the roles would reverse themselves soon. She was sure of it.
She realized that her feet were shambled, walking had become difficult, each step she took felt sharp and painful. It seemed that she had sprained her ankle and the metal chains were not going easy on her injury. Each step only strengthened the fury of her pain, Dion took notice of her limping and smirked. For once, he showed some emotion.
Her walking became slow and soon after her feet gave up on her, tumbling towards the floor. Oh, how humiliating this was for her. As she prepared herself for the harsh impact of the floor she felt muscular arms wrapped around her waist. Dion had caught her, her heart sped up as she looked him in his eyes, she had never been this close to him. Everything about him terrified her, his arms could break every single bone in her body one by one. He could destroy her mind and body easily but knowing so simply excited her. For once a man wouldn’t be easy, she would have to work hard to get Dion Agriche on her side and then she would use him. Unlike the others he would not just fall in a trance for her beauty, she would have to take time and seduce him.
She felt excitement gleaming in her eyes, oh this would surely be fun, she was afraid but fear should always be used as fuel for power and Y/n would settle for no less.
Scanning the hallways, Y/n manages to memorize each and every door. The mansion was surely a maze but Y/n wasn’t all beauty. She was an intelligent woman who excelled in her academics. 
The Agriches had quite the taste when it came to the interior of their mansion, Y/n wondered if they made their hallways so perplexed so that prisoners, like her, wouldn’t escape…
Their floor and walls were lavishly decorated with a darker color palette, perhaps this was to hide blood stains, after all blood stains are much easier to clean up on darker surfaces.
Y/n didn’t know if she was overthinking this or the Agriche knew from the very start that they would want to be cold hearted murderers. That's why their interior supports their dirty work.
Her train of thoughts came to an abrupt stop as the man carrying her stopped at a door, despite the fact that the Agriche estate was dark, this room door was even darker, it was a pitch black decorated in mesmerizing gold. 
As he took her inside and placed her on a couch, removing the shackles she noticed that this room was quite plain. Much to her distaste, it was a well maintained room but it lacked the feeling of a room, it seemed more like a lavish prison than a room. There were knives displayed on the wall, and simple furniture in its righteous place.
Y/n tenses up as the lock of the door clicks behind her and Dion comes closer, part of her wished she could run, which would have been futile and another part thought that she should use this situation to her advantage.
His blood eyes landed on her face, such a delicate face, dazzling features, he rubbed his thumb against her lips. His intentions were clear, he seemed to have taken an interest in Y/n and wanted to make her his wife. Her breath hitches as his hand is brought to her jawline, he carcasses her face but to Y/n it seemed that he could snap her skull anytime he pleased. It was like her life was in his hands and this displeased her greatly.
She attempted to control her breathing as she remembered that she was in the hands of a monster who fed off her pain only for her unfaithful body to give in and shiver at his cold touch. His touch is gentle, far too human to come from the likes of him.
Y/n may not have known Dion Agriche too well but she knew he was not one to talk. It seemed as if she would have to start the conversation, this man couldn’t even bother to offer her a drink! Her throat was incredibly dry and scorching she needed water right away
“May I have drinking water?” Y/n asks, her voice seductive, oh how she hoped he would just fall for it and give her a glass.
Dion seemingly ignored her and moved his hands to her hair, twirling it in his fingers.
It was quite frustrating that Dion’s persona didn’t falter in the least, she couldn’t tell what he was thinking at all.
“Why?” He asked, like a woman couldn’t simply feel dehydrated.
Plastering the fakest smile she could manage and speaking through gritted teeth she finally managed to utter
“Because my throat is dry and I would like some water”
She was pinned down to the sofa, crimson eyes gazing into hers, he gripped her bruised arm only to earn a pained hiss and sharp glare.
He rather liked seeing her so vulnerable, he pushed onto her bruised arm once again only to see a pain filled expression. That's when she noticed Dion seemed interested, perhaps this is her chance.
“Is that any way to treat a woman?” Y/n asked doe eyes filled with hatred
Dion seems to take notice in the sudden change of expressions and grips onto her waist examining her clothed body closely. Before his eyes she felt naked. Her body felt hotter by the minute, her breath was slow and both of them felt aroused. He leaned down for a kiss, sucking on her tongue while twirling a strand of hair within his fingers.
As he brought his body closer to her Y/n felt a sharp pain on her right thigh, the blade in Dion’s pocket slipped out and cut her thigh slightly. Dion watched as Y/n winced in pain, her expressions were so breathtaking, he had never seen such anger before. He broke from the kiss and licked the blood off Y/n’s thigh. He picked up the dagger and deepened the bruise, cutting deeper this time. 
Y/n had enough, this man was far too much trouble, of course she would need him to simply use as a toy but he was going too far. She pulled on his hair tightly, only to be met with no response.
Did he really feel no pain?
This action of hers amused Dion, she attempted to hurt an Agriche what a bold woman she truly was.
He switched places with Y/n, pulling the woman from underneath him and placing her in a w-sitting position on top of his as he lay down. He pulled the woman that was now on top of him to kiss him once more, smashing plump lips on thin chapped ones, leaning down Y/n lost her balance and slipped a knee between Dion’s legs only for his body to heat up. His pants felt tighter by the second…
Tonight, she would seduce him
She would use him to her pleasure
She would make him destroy himself and his family
Breaking his mind and then his body, she may be weaker physically but she was no saint
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justme--emily · 5 months
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AI-Less Whumptober Day 23: Forced to Watch
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Today is the sequel to yesterday's prompt.  The third and final part will be up tomorrow! (Also, we've reached the point of Whumptober where it's all writing and zero editing so...sorry about that.)
Tony Stark didn't really consider himself as someone that was good with children. After becoming Iron Man, he'd spent plenty of time around children, oddly enough. Mostly because, as it turned out, children loved superheroes. So he'd signed lots of children's drawings of himself in the armor, and he'd flown over a few birthday parties, waving to children eating cake or jumping in those inflatable house things that kids jumped in for fun. He'd done countless Make-A-Wish visits, feeling the weight of guilt the entire time that these children were using their wish on meeting him before they died…that they didn't want to go to Disney World or something instead. (Often times, he did give the parents enough money to take them to Disney World too, but that was beside the point.)
He'd done plenty of children's hospital visits and he'd talked to school groups touring his Tower and he'd even visited schools to talk to teengers a few times. But he didn't spend very much time with kids in general, so he wasn't sure what instinct had made him sit on the floor of the teenage girl's cell when she'd crawled up the wall the moment she'd spotted him, eyes wide with fear and what looked like dread. But she'd seemed to calm some when he'd talked to her outside the suit, and when she'd crawled down with an arm that had obviously been broken, she'd let him scan her with his watch, barely saying a word the whole time.
The moment the drugs had put her under, he'd joined the others upstairs in the Avengers common floor where some of them lived or just stayed for stretches of time when they were in New York. "Any information on her?"
"Nope. The records were destroyed if there ever were any," Natasha had told him, taking a long drink from a cup of coffee, dark circles under her eyes. They'd all been running on a couple of hours a night since they'd been tasked with finding and taking down the top level Hydra scientist who, according to Nick Fury, was suspected of kidnapping and experimenting on children. But when they'd finally found the building and had broken in, they'd found only three soldiers guarding the front doors, and the rest of the place had been abandoned.
Except for Penny.
To no one's surprise, more than one 'Penny' had gone missing in the last 13 or so years, so it was almost impossible to narrow it down, but that seemed to be all the information she had on herself…at least, from what she'd been willing to tell them.
"We can get a room ready for her off the Medbay," Steve had told them, sounding as though his mind was made up. "Natasha can interrogate her…see what she knows."
"No way," Tony had broken in, shaking his head.
"Tony, she's obviously a spy," Steve had told him, incredulous. "You think Hydra left one superpowered teenager behind to be found by us on accident? They want her to get intel on us. Hell, maybe she's supposed to kill us."
"She's a child."
"I'm not saying we should hurt her," Steve had snapped, obviously offended. "We can work on deprogramming…find her a home. We'll make sure she's comfortable."
"She can stay on my floor. I'll get her a room. Have Friday keep an eye on her." He'd turned to Natasha. "What do you think?"
"I think she's a spy. But I also think she's a reluctant one. I don't think she wants to do whatever it is she's supposed to." She'd shrugged. "Watch her. Closely. Maybe she's young enough that she can be turned. We have no idea how long she's been there. According to Friday, her arm was healing quickly…it might have only been broken a few days ago."
So, with Natasha's blessing (and who better to know about turning a spy) Tony had decided to treat the girl like just another child staying in his home. Not that he'd ever had a child stay in his home…still, he showed her around and made sure she had food. He gave her free reign of his library of books and instructed Friday to let her watch anything she wanted that was age appropriate. And when she woke from nightmares, he tried to comfort her.
And when she sobbed on the floor of his lab, telling him over and over that she didn't want to do something, his mind was made up. She might have been a spy…hell, he was pretty sure she was. But she sure as hell didn't want to be, and he wouldn't hold it against her. She was a child who'd obviously had horrible things done to her. So now, he would protect her. And he would prove to the others that she truly did not want to be a spy for Hydra.
So he left her alone in his lab.
Friday was watching at all times, of course. And there were layers upon layers of security on every single device in his lab. Pulling out his phone once he reached the Avengers floor, he brought up the live feed of his lab. He watched the still-crying girl stand and move over to his computer, fingers hovering over the keyboard for a long time. Heart aching for the child who'd been made into something she so obviously didn't want to be, he watched as she fought herself. And then, after what the timer on the corner of the screen told him was two full minutes, she pulled her hands back and took a jerky step backwards, then another, shaking her head and clenching her hands into fists.
And he felt something like pride as she sat on the sofa once more, dropping her head into her hands. She was scared…scared of the man that had done this to her and scared of the consequences…of the punishment she seemed to expect any moment now. But he wouldn't allow whoever that man was to hurt her. He would find out who this asshole was and he'd put a stop to him.
Tony poured her a glass of ice water and sent the footage he'd just captured to Natasha. The spy wanted to question Penny some more, but he'd held her off for the last week or so. Penny was still so hesitant around all of them. So quiet. She had spent the majority of her time in her room, alone, and he hadn't wanted to overwhelm her. But something had been done to her…something to make her forget her past. She'd seemed baffled by the fact that she knew what a cellphone was, and she'd dropped to the floor clutching her head after telling him that he used to make weapons, not knowing how she'd known that. Something had been given to her to make her forget, and he wanted to know exactly what that man had done to her so they could start the process of undoing it. What if this kid had a family somewhere waiting for her? What if someone was waiting on news of their little girl? Or what if they'd already had a funeral for her?
He sat beside her on the sofa, handing her the glass of water and resting a hand on her back. "Hey…how's your head?"
"It hurts," she whispered, taking the cup with a shaking hand and taking a long drink. They had pain medicine that worked on her, but only insofar as it would put her to sleep, and he doubted she wanted that. "I don't know how I knew that," she told him, voice still so soft, so he lowered his own to match.
"I think that someone gave you something or…or did something to you to make you forget who you were before Hydra took you."
She cocked her eyes, eyes narrowed in confusion. "Hydra are bad guys," she recited, blinking fast and then staring down at the floor. "I don't know who they are…I just…"
"That's okay. We're going to figure out what they did, okay? We'll try to fix it."
"I don't remember anything before Father," she admitted, the words taking him aback. Father?
"Your father?" he asked, but she shook her head.
"No. Not my father. Just…Father. That's what he was called."
"Okay…creepy," he muttered, but didn't ask her any more questions…not just yet. The kid already looked overwhelmed. Instead, he gave her a tour of the lab, then, not sure what else to do, led her over to the car he'd been working on for years. "I'm rebuilding the engine," he told her, tapping on the half-finished engine he'd been half-heartedly playing around with. "Want to help?"
She did. As they worked, him explaining everything he was doing and her listening with rapt attention, she started to relax. The crease in her forehead disappeared, and he had a feeling that her headache was gone too, which told him it only happened when she tried to remember things from her past. But more than that…Penny knew how to build an engine. Well…maybe not in practice. But the second he started to describe the overall process, she nodded. Then, as if reciting from a bulleted list in a textbook, she started to list the steps. And he couldn't help his grin.
"Kid, now you're speaking my language."
They were both covered in grease three hours later, but Penny was smiling, engrossed in her work, and he chuckled to himself at the state of their clothes. "Alright, kiddo, how about we get cleaned up and get some lunch?"
From then on, the two of them spent hours in the lab, her consistently impressing him with how much she seemed to know without knowing that she knew it, and him apparently impressing her with his own knowledge. She seemed to come out of her shell over the next few days, even talking a little with the others about the work they were doing in the lab and the car they were fixing. Pepper liked her, and although it seemed harder for her to relax around his girlfriend, he knew she was making an effort.
But then she got sick.
It started slow. He got the alert from Friday that Natasha had taken her to the Medbay and left a meeting to hurry down, stopping when he spotted Natasha standing by the door, arms crossed, face pinched in worry.
"What happened?"
"I was talking to her in the kitchen…I had been looking at missing persons cases, and was wondering if she recognized any of the last names. She got a headache. She fell…hit her head."
"That happened in my lab once too…what could be causing that?"
"Really intense conditioning? Some kind of implant? A slow release drug? Hell, I don't know. Magic? Maybe she had a deadline."
"Magic?"
"I keep hearing things about a sanctum. A neurosurgeon…" She waved a hand. "Doesn't matter. The point is, if she has a deadline and doesn't meet it…"
"Okay, how do we rule out an implant?"
"Can Friday scan that deep?"
"I'll work on it."
He did, and at first, she seemed okay. He told her to try not to think about her past…that they would take care of all that. That she should just focus on working in the lab and healing from the minor concussion she'd gotten when she'd hit her head. But then, one day in the lab a couple of days later, she jumped back from the car, hand cupped under her nose, and when he looked over, her palm was covered in bright red splotches.
"Woah…hey," he murmured, grabbing a towel and handing it to her. "You okay?"
"Yeah…I…I just…"
He gripped her shoulders when she swayed. "You're okay," he told her, as if just saying it could make it so, then led her over to the couch. "Sit for a second. I'll get you some water."
When he got back with the water, the towel was soaked in her blood and she was struggling to keep her eyes open. So he took her to the Medbay where the doctors struggled to figure out what was causing this. He had Friday scan her head and then the rest of her and he had the doctors test her blood, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
"Magic it is…" he muttered the next day when the results all came back normal. He hated the idea…didn't even really believe in it. But if you eliminated the impossible…of course, it could still be a drug they couldn't detect or an implant they couldn't find. That was the worst part. He had no idea how to fix this.
They let her out of the Medbay that afternoon, and she seemed fine. Back to normal. But that night she woke up screaming, and when he dropped to his knees at the side of her bed, he realized it wasn't from nightmares. She was clutching her head, sobbing and rocking back and forth, her pillow stained a bright, horrible red, her nose streaming blood.
"You're okay…Penny…look at me. I know…I know it hurts. It's okay. Let's get you to the Medbay, okay?" With some difficulty, he managed to pull her into his arms, carrying her as quickly as he could to the elevator while Pepper watched in horror from the doorway of their bedroom.
She stopped screaming once they were in the elevator, taking gasping breaths instead as she hid her face in his shoulder. "He's punishing me," she sobbed. "He…he knows…he's punishing me!"
That didn't seem possible! But he couldn't assure her that she was wrong…he had no idea if this man she called 'Father' somehow had the ability to hurt her like this from afar. "Do you have any idea where he is?"
"No. I'm sorry," she whispered into his neck, and he rubbed a hand up and down her back as they stepped into the Medbay.
"It's okay. Has he ever done anything like this before?"
"He punished me all the time."
"Like this? Without touching you? He made you sick?"
"I…I don't think so. I don't remember. I was so sick at first. That's the first thing I remember. I was so sick…"
He eased her down onto the same bed she'd been in when she'd first arrived, pulling the blankets over her and grabbing a washcloth that he ran under water before trying to clean up her face. The bleeding was slowing, but she still trembled from pain, eyes slamming shut as footsteps approached.
It was then, as he was forced to watch her suffer, that he started to come up with the plan. And he knew it wasn't a great plan, but it was a plan…and he knew he would need to ask for forgiveness instead of permission when it came to this one. But, he told himself, not just yet. He would wait. Maybe she would get better. Maybe it would wear off. Maybe she would be okay.
Except he knew better. He knew that his hopes were unrealistic…that this man wouldn't just let his spy go without consequences. A full week passed with Penny in the Medbay, her nosebleeds more and more frequent, her face losing its color as she seemed to wither away. He stayed with her every day for hours, telling her stories and then, when stories of his past seemed to trigger memories and worse nosebleeds, he switched to telling her about the Iron Man armor, and about the car they'd worked on together.
When the doctors started giving each other uneasy looks, their lips pursed, their eyes pitying when they met his, he knew that it was time. He wasn't going to watch this girl die. Not when he could do something about it. So, almost a month after Penny came to the Tower, he sat down at her bedside, heart breaking a little when she opened her eyes and tried to smile at him. She always smiled when she saw him. And after she'd started to relax, she'd seemed so happy…so starved of affection but so desperate to get it. Every time he patted her shoulder or wrapped an arm around her, she seemed to glow.
He wasn't going to let some Hydra asshole take that away.
"Hey, kiddo. I need to ask you something."
"Okay."
"Did you have a deadline?"
"What?"
He smiled sadly, reaching out and resting a hand on hers. "To give him information on us." She stiffened and he hurried to go on, hating the terror in her eyes. "Hey, it's okay. We aren't mad. We knew from the start, honey. It's okay."
"I didn't…"
"I know." He nodded, squeezing her hand and wondering when it had started to feel so easy to comfort her. When she had stopped feeling like 'a kid' and started feeling like 'his kid.' "It's not your fault, Pen. I was just wondering if he told you how long you had."
She dropped her eyes, jaw clenching tight. Then, "He didn't say, but I'm taking too long."
"Okay…any idea how long you were supposed to take?"
She shook her head but less than a month was the obvious answer.
"Do you know how he's making you sick?"
She shook her head again, tears running down her cheeks.
"What exactly were you supposed to do?"
Penny hesitated for a long time, refusing to look at him. "It's okay," he tried again to assure her. "I promise. Whatever he told you to do, it wasn't your fault."
"I was supposed to send him everything I could about the Avengers. And…" she refused to meet his eyes, tears still falling as she spoke in a voice barely loud enough to hear. "And…kill you."
"All of us? By yourself?" he asked, trying to make his voice light.
"No. Just you."
He sighed, smiling a little. "I'm honored. I must be important." She didn't take the bait and he wiped her tears away with his thumbs, then brushed her hair back. "It's going to be okay. We'll find him, and we'll stop him."
"He'll kill me," she told him softly, stating it like an undeniable fact. "He won't care if I die. He's angry."
"So we'll work fast. He was being forced to watch her suffer and if there was something he could do to stop it, he would. Even if it meant going rogue. So he grabbed the tablet and put it in her hands, then pulled out the flash drive from his pocket. She stared at both, a horrible comprehension dawning on her. "It's okay. I compiled everything…it's thousands of folders. Most of them are nothing…stuff Hydra has to already know. There are a few things about me in there, but I double checked everything…it's not going to give them much of an advantage, but it'll give him plenty to look through. There are plans of the Tower too…he'll probably like that."
"No…"
"I promise you, it's okay. Nothing in here is going to hurt us. I'm just trying to buy you some time so we can find him."
She stared at him, wide-eyed and so afraid, and he hated it.
"Here," he murmured, placing the tablet in her hands, and plugging the flash drive into the side. "Go ahead and send it. I'll do everything I can to find him as fast as I can."
He would need to explain what he'd done to the team. Maybe apologize. Maybe just try to explain himself. Surely they had to understand that they couldn't just let her die like this! They would work together and they would find this man and then, he thought as she hesitantly started to type, they would end this.
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cannibalcoyote · 1 year
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Johnny Depp: Bodyguard Bestfriend
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Imagine being a long time bodyguard for the Depp family, and having to be a witness during the trial:
*Includes blood, violence and domestic violence, based off of real events but not completely accurate*
Well, this is not where I expected to be. The year is 2022, and I'm currently sitting in court, waiting to be called to the stand.
_______
I can still remember the day I got fresh out of the army, I had a music major under my belt as well as 5 years active duty as a Calvary Scout.
I was so lost, I had no idea what I was doing, so I just started applying for security jobs - figuring my military time would come in handy, it did.
I got hired by a company that ran a security-for-hire gig, renting us out to anyone that needed us. I got a lot of shit at first due to my height, being only 5'6 isn't exactly scary, not to mention that women also aren't very intimidating usually. I did prove my worth in the end, I had a lot of training when it came to hand-to-hand combat, and I was also very adept at creating plans and schedules.
That's actually how I met Mr.Depp, or Johnny as he prefers... He had hired us for a gig out in LA; he had his family with him at one of the red carpet events, and wanted complete security for his wife and children. We hadn't talked at all, I was the head of my crew, making sure everyone was in position and ready in case some fan - or fanatic as I prefer - came jumping at them.
There were two people that had me on edge though, Johnny has two young children, and children tend to be unpredictable. This only became apparent after the night had already begun, Jack stayed close to his parents, but Lily seemed intrigued by me. Maybe it was because I was the only female security guard there, I really don't know.
It wasn't really annoying or anything, all that happened was she walked with me, wanting to hold my hand as we walked past the screaming fans. She got kind of scared of them, clinging onto my hand and sleeve, I knelt down and offered her my sunglasses, which she skeptically put on.
"Now those flashes won't hurt your eyes." I state with a smile that she immediately returns, flinging her arms around me in a hug. The screaming increases in intensity at this, making her friendly hug turn into a slightly scared embrace. I sigh quietly as I look to see the family quite a ways away, 'no way she'll do that alone' I think to myself.
I release another exasperated sigh before wrapping my arms around her delicately, picking her up.
"Don't drop my glasses kid." I say sarcastically, hearing her lightly giggle as I start walking back to Mr.Depp and his family.
Entering the awards was a breeze, there were fences, security guards were everywhere, everyone stuck together; it's the leaving that causes issues. Mr.Depp has a habit of wanting to leave early, meaning that it's just us against an ocean of people.
I already assumed he would want to leave early, so I had my crew create a tunnel through the crowd for the family that led them straight to the car. Everything had gone just as planned, although one issue did arise, Lily-Rose had disappeared. They were in the limo and Johnny was thunderous, exclaiming that they couldn't find Lily as he hurriedly attempted to exit the car.
My men looked to me, I took over, ordering some to stay with the car and for the rest to get searching. I looked over at Mr.Depp, who had one foot out of the car, with a sigh I walked over and gently shoved him back inside the car. He was obviously unhappy, even more so since I stopped him from exiting the vehicle.
"What are you doing! I have to find my daughter!" He yelled as he tried again, but I blocked his attempt.
"Mr.Depp, I have my men out looking for her, we won't leave without her." I reply calmly.
"That's not good enough!" He huffed angrily, glaring at me.
I was getting nowhere with him being polite, time to switch tactics.
"Take a look around sir! If you get out now, not only will your daughter be missing, but you will be too!" I exclaimed, glaring back at him as I waved my hand towards the frenzied crowd. He took a few seconds just looking around, I noticed his anger slowly slip off of his face, instead replaced by worry and fear.
"Sir please, if I know you'll stay in the car with your family, I can send more people to search for her." I explain, resting a reassuring hand on his stiff shoulder. He looks down to me, his face holding a calmer tone as he nods in understanding, sitting back in the car with a defeated sigh.
"Just find my daughter please." I nod my head, stationing 4 men on the car before sending the rest to search for Lily. I start searching as well, although I walk along the outskirts of the crowd to observe them.
The place is full of hustle and bustle, some of the fans seem to be looking for her as well, my crew are sweating bullets in fear of the repercussions for losing one of their clients. I simply shake my head, now is not the time to think of the repercussions, I need to keep my head in the game.
Turning around to glance back at the car, I notice something in the distance and take off running, two large figures are dragging away what looks to be a resistant juvenile. I call over my shoulder for some help, continuing my sprint when I hear some of my guys following me. When we get closer we can hear muffled cries and screams, it triggers an aggressiveness in myself that I'm surprised by.
We tackle the guys, quickly subduing them. I hand mine off to the other guy, worried I might do something rash. I quickly pull Lily away, not wanting her anywhere near those guys.
"Lily, what happened?" Her voice is uneven as she stutters out an answer. Explaining how she went looking for me before she was grabbed by them. I have to hold in my tears, she was looking for me? This is my fault, I should've kept a closer eye on her, especially after what happened earlier today!
I hug her tightly, making sure that knows she is safe now, that her daddy and mommy are waiting in the car. I kiss the top of her head, feeling her curl up against me in a comforting embrace. I heave a sigh before calling over two other guards, asking them to escort Lily back to the car.
She is reluctant, refusing to let go of me at first, but I made a promise to check in with her when I reach their hotel. That did the trick because she slowly released her hold.
I sternly instruct the guards to keep a firm hold of both her hands as they walk her to the car, not wanting her to slip away to look for me again.
I tiredly turn around to the two men on the ground, rolling my eyes as I call the police to have them taken in. This was an attempted kidnapping after all, can't let them roam the streets.
The cops arrive a few minutes after the limos leave, the situation takes about an hour overall, meaning the time is now around 11pm. I send the two remaining guards home before I begin driving over to the hotel. My stomach feels sick, I'm unsure of what will happen when I arrive.
Walking into the lobby, I'm immediately met by some of my men. They explain that Mr.Depp has demanded to see me as soon as I arrived, now I feel sick as a dog. The elevator ride was eerie, I've never felt so nervous, but then again, my client's daughter has never been kidnapped before either.
I still try to hurry, not allowing my worry to slow my actions. Although, my timid knocks may have given away your uneasiness.
A few seconds pass as the door unlocks and swings open, being met with the neutral look of Mr.Depp
"Mr. Depp I—" I got interrupted by a light tackle to your legs. Looking down, I notice it's Lily latched onto me, a contagious smile spreading across my face. My nervousness completely disappears as I kneel down to her level
"Shouldn't you be asleep right now?" I ask lightly as she pulls back from the hug. As she's about to respond, Johnny interrupts, saying it's past her bedtime, and that he had some business to discuss.
He had the whole penthouse floor to himself, so he simply walked to the outside patio on the opposite side for us to talk. I started getting nervous, he probably brought me over here so his family won't hear him yelling at me. He takes a breath, and I brace myself
"Thank you... for today." His voice is quiet but firm as he speaks.
To say I'm shocked is an understatement, his daughter nearly gets kidnapped, and he's thanking me? He turns around, being met with my astonished expression
"But sir, your daughter was kidnapped because I-" I attempt to say, but he halts my sentence.
"STOP... Stop it, I know you're blaming yourself." His tone is stern, almost fatherly, he is old enough to be my father.
"But sir, it was my negligence that led to thi-" I attempted to continue, but was cut off once again as he grabbed both my shoulders, forcing me to face him. His face is calm and serious as he speaks to me.
"No, no it wasn't, Lily told me what happened." He explained.
I stayed silent, wondering what she said, we looked at each other for a few solemn seconds before he let out a silent huff. His hand slips from my shoulders as he turns around and rests them on the railing, gazing at the city lights.
"She told me how she purposely went off looking for you even though she knew she wasn't allowed to do that." He continued.
"I'm also sorry... about yelling at you earlier, I was scared for my daughter, but that's not an excuse for my actions." He apologized, shoulders slumping as he spoke.
"It's alright-" I try to reply, I'm starting to understand where Lily gets her interrupting habit from.
"No it's not, stop trying to let me off the hook just like that, let me finish my piece." He stated in that stern fatherly tone again as he turned to face me. I sheepishly avoid eye contact, nodding my head for him to continue. A few seconds pass before he speaks again.
"Come to breakfast with my family tomorrow, we all would like to thank you, not to mention, I may have some business to discuss with you." With that he turns and walks off, leaving me standing there dumbfounded.
__
The next day we had a friendly breakfast, it made me think of when I was still close with my family.
Lily clung to my side the whole time, asking about my job, if it was fun, what I used to do, where I'm from. So many questions were asked within the span of 1 hour. Johnny had me stay behind, walking us over to a nearby cafe to discuss "business," whatever that means
"I want to hire you." He abruptly stated, stopping me from sipping my drink.
"You already hired me?" I reply with a confused tone, scrunching my eyebrows slightly.
"No, I mean, I want you to be part of the permanent security team. That means you'll travel with me and will always be near." It took me a few moments to realize the sincerity in his tone, he was being serious. He wanted to hire me after what happened yesterday?!
"What? why?" I exclaimed in confusion and shock, stuttering when I realized how rude that must've sounded.
My stuttering is cut off by his laughter, obviously finding my reaction amusing. He calms down quickly, but an endearing smile remains on his face
"I like you, you're surprisingly easy to talk to even though you are so quiet. My family seems to enjoy your company even though we've only known you for a day, my daughter has also taken to you surprisingly well."
"Okay, but don't you want my CV and everything?" I respond, still a little confused. He rubs the back of his neck, his grin turning into a sheepish smile
"I may have called your boss last night and requested your folder..." he trails off, looking at his drink.
"What... Are they even allowed to give you that?" I responded.
"Sorry about that, and no, I don't think they were allowed to do that." He replies, glancing back at me. I'm still shocked, my mouth hanging open slightly
"I know that's a bit intruding and inappropriate of me, but we're leaving soon and I-" He rambles, but now it's my turn to interrupt him.
"I accept." He's about to continue his explanation before an astonished look washed over him
"You do?" He asks, tone showing how surprised he is, perhaps he thought I would turn his offer down.
"Yes, now if you don't mind, I'd like to drink my coffee now."
For the rest of the day he had a big as smile on his face, which only grew as he told his family the news.
_______
From that day on, I lived and traveled with them, scheduling the details and shifts, making sure everything was ready for his arrival, I even sometimes functioned as a tutor.
At first he had me as just a guard for the entire family, but as the kids got older he assigned me specifically as Lily's bodyguard. I didn't mind this, it just meant that we could go out shopping together more often. As she grew, we developed a very close bond. When she was younger she acted like I was a second mother, but when she became a teen I became her big sister.
Over the years, Mr. Depp became Johnny whenever it was just us or the family. He always scolded me for calling him Mr.Depp, saying it made him sound old. He really became a father figure for me, especially after he finally learned why I never mention or talk to my family. Mrs.Paradis, or Vanessa as she preferred, became friends with me, though we weren't as close as Lily and I. Jack also became closer with me, though I could tell he felt a little awkward around me, I think he has a slight crush, though I can't be certain.
They became my family, I loved them so much, I hoped it would never end. Of course, all good things eventually die.
I was on set with Johnny for the Rum Diaries, it wasn't unusual for him to bring me along, it felt more like bringing his daughter with him instead of a bodyguard.
It was all fun, the movie was going great, he seemed to be having fun. But something was different after he returned home, he seemed off, like something was eating away at him. I tried getting him to talk, he just brushed it off, saying it was nothing; but I could tell by his smile that he was trying to reassure himself as well.
That was the beginning of the end for my happy family, the separation was not something anyone was happy about. I knew it stung when Vanessa learned how much younger Amber Heard was, she confided in me that this was something she always feared deep down. His kids were okay, they weren't ecstatic, but they weren't angry either; I could tell they just wanted their father to be happy.
Amber was... something else. Johnny seemed happy, it was like a year long honeymoon phase, although she wasn't exactly the nicest person if you ask me. Jack and Lily quickly began to dislike her, as did I, we would actively avoid her at all costs.
I especially tried to avoid her, she would always glare at me if I was anywhere near Johnny, demanding that I call him Mr.Depp even when we were just at home. She set me on edge, and the wedding only made it worse.
Lily was vehemently against attending the wedding, meaning I wouldn't be going either since she wanted to go out instead. I pulled Johnny aside and explained the situation. He was unhappy, but accepted his daughter's decision.
Before we left for our trip I pulled Johnny aside, taking both his hands warmly in mine as I said my congratulations and wished him well.
I spot Amber in the distance, beginning to walk towards us, so I hurry myself. I un-clip the chain around my neck, taking Johnny's hand, allowing it to coil in his palm before closing it. I look at him, smiling at the shock on his face, clearly surprised by my actions.
"B-but, that's your fathers ring!" He stutters, conflicted by what I've done.
"And now it's yours." I reply
"Y/N, I can't take this!" He exclaims, trying to give it back, but I shove his hand into his chest.
"Johnny, you've been more of a father than he ever was... I want you to have it." I responded quietly, feeling embarrassed by what I said.
He smiles as he pulls me in for a warm hug, immediately making me feel at ease. As we part, he kisses my check gently before separating completely. He removes the ring from the necklace, sliding it onto his middle finger before re-clipping the chain around my neck.
I thank him, and he's about to speak when Amber steps into our conversation. I can tell by the hostile glare in her eyes that she isn't very happy with me, but Johnny doesn't seem to notice. She drags him away before he could speak, but I simply smile and wave as he sheepishly does the same.
I pivot on my heel and head off to find Lily.
_______
If I thought she was bad before the wedding, I had no idea what was coming after the honeymoon.
Something was off with Johnny, he was a lot quieter, and that's saying something since he is already a reserved person. They also seemed to argue, I already knew about their arguments from before, but now they seemed to be happening in the open a lot more. Lily hated Amber, refusing to interact with her, always dragging me away to her room whenever Amber was near.
I don't object, Amber had taken to yelling at me too, so I enjoyed the moments Lily and I would scramble away and avoid talking to her. We survived like that for a few weeks, but then Johnny called us into the living room. Lily and I glanced at each other in confusion, wondering if either of us did something wrong.
"Y/N, Lily, I've called you here because there is going to be a slight change in Y/N's job." Lily and I both relaxed, assuming that it was going to be small and insignificant.
"From now on Y/N, you will be Amber's personal bodyguard." My eyes widened, I glanced over at Lily to see what I'm sure is the same reaction as me. Lily opens her mouth to argue, but Johnny holds up his hand to silence her.
"My decision is final." I looked away from Johnny to see Lily's eyes watering subtly. She looked between them both before running off back to her room; I went to run after her, but a firm grasp yanked me back.
Looking back to them, I noticed it was Amber who had pulled me back, a stern scowl on her face.
"Where do you think you're going?" She asks, her voice is definitely going to get on my nerves.
"To talk to Lily?" I state in confusion, wondering why she stopped me.
"She'll be fine, but I need you, I'm heading out with my sister to go shopping. Be ready in 10." She left no room for me to talk, simply turning and walking off. To say I was stunned is an understatement, so much is happening, it's hard to wrap my head around it.
I must've looked as lost as I felt because Johnny reached over and placed his hand delicately on my shoulder. I nervously look at him, being brought back to Earth by the warm, gentle look in his eyes.
"Are you alright, doll?" I smile slightly at the pet name, he's been calling me that since about a year after hiring me(I told him about how the guys in my unit jokingly called me"Doll").
"Yah, I'm just... Shocked. It never ran through my head that you might assign me to someone else, I guess it was unexpected for Lily too." I reply, looking down in thought.
"I never did plan on assigning you to someone else." Johnny stated, his voice holding a hint of annoyance, but it was well hidden.
"What do you mean?" I asked, now completely confused.
"Humph, I didn't want to reassign you, but Amber practically demanded that you be assigned as her personal bodyguard." He responds, looking away as he explains, it sounds like he wants to complain, but he is holding back.
I open my mouth to respond, but my voice is taken away as I gasp in surprise. Johnny looks at me, startled by my unexpected reaction. Now that he's looking at me, my eyes widen in worry.
"What? What is it?" He asks quickly, wanting to know what's made me like this.
I slowly reach my hand out towards his face, he lets me, it's not uncommon for me to poke him or fix his hair, but this is different. My hand gently caresses the skin under his left eye, how did I not notice the swelling?
When he realizes what I'm doing, he almost reels back within the blink of an eye, turning around so I'm facing his back.
"Johnny. What's going on?" It was meant to be a question, but it came out as a demand. His body deflates slightly, realizing I'm not letting him off the hook. He turns to speak, but is interrupted by Amber bustling down the stairs, speaking loudly on the phone.
"Y/N, hurry up and pull the car around already, we have to pick up my sister and you're making us late." Amber states in a grating tone.
"Alright alright, but give me a second, wanna take a selfie with Johnn-err Mr.Depp." I state, quickly correcting myself after noticing the look in Amber's eyes.
"Why do you want a picture with him, you see him everyday." She stated flatly.
"My family demands proof that I work for him." I reply effortlessly, she luckily has no idea that my family and I have had no communication for over 10 years. Johnny, however, immediately noticed my lie, thankfully only side-eying me.
I take out my phone, standing next to him, taking a few, telling Johnny to angle his head more to the right in a few. I smile after our 10 second photo-shoot, hugging him quickly before speed-walking out the door to grab the car.
He's probably flabbergasted right now, wondering why I lied about my family, and why I wanted to take some pictures with him. To be honest, I don't think that swelling got there due to something innocent, so I took a shit ton of pictures with him so that I can look at them.
I drive the car around to the front and wait for Amber. In my spare time, I open my phone and look at some of the photos. Not gonna lie, he's always prepared for a picture, even when he's caught completely off guard.
Analyzing the pictures, I note the swelling under his eye, as well as his cheek and a little bit on his nose. It's subtle, I'm surprised I caught it. He's also got a very light bruise that looks like it's in the last stage of healing. I go to look closer, but quickly shut my phone off as Amber enters the back of the car.
_______
That wasn't the only time I had an impromptu photo-shoot with Johnny, there were quite a few to come, all of them capturing worse injuries than before. Halfway into their marriage I knew for sure what was happening, before that I had only heard the fights and been left to assume, but getting caught in their fight was wild.
Amber had been up in his face, pushing him, saying vulgar and cruel things as he tried to leave. The other security were looking at me, wondering what they should do. This wasn't the first time we removed Johnny for his safety, so I quickly sent a text for someone to pack him a bag, motioning one of the guards to grab the car and bring it around.
I was Amber's guard, I'm supposed to protect her, but I know deep down that my default is to always protect my true family, and that certainly isn't her. So when I walk over and see her pull her arm back to slap him, I don't hesitate to stop her.
I grab her arm, shoving her back so that I'm between them. I don't want to fight her, that would definitely get me fired, the only thing I can do right now is protect Johnny, and possibly myself. The anger in her expression magnifies as she looks back to me, Walking up and getting in my space, clearly wanting a reaction. I stand firm, not allowing her to get to Johnny, but not wanting to hurt her either.
"Get out of here Johnny." I say, not removing my eyes from the threat.
"And leave you here? No way." He states firmly.
"I'll be fine alright, I'll catch up with you okay? G/N(guards name)! Take Mr. Depp to the car and get him out of here!" I shout to the guard across the room. I can see him coming closer in my peripheral, leading Johnny away, though I can tell Johnny felt extremely conflicted.
All the while, I'm blocking Amber as they escape, not letting my guard down until I hear the elevators beep from down the hall. When she realizes they are gone, it's like she somehow got even angrier. She looks down the hallways, then fixes her glare on me. Before I have time to react, I find myself across the floor, my mind dazed, a stinging on the left side of my face.
I shake myself as I stand, taking a few seconds to realize I just got punched in the face. I touched my lip, it got caught on my tooth and is bleeding something terrible. I wiped the blood off with my sleeve, but know it's useless right now.
"Oh, don't tell me you've never bled before? What with your military time?" Her voice is so patronizing as she leers, she taunts me anytime she can and it's reaching a boiling point.
"ENOUGH!" I yell, but she simply smirks, enjoying my reaction.
"Too scared to fight me? Afraid you'll lose?" She continues her taunting, looking down at me with her annoying height.
"More like I'm afraid I'll kill you." I state grimly, my instincts telling me she's going to strike out and that I should attack her first, but I know if I hurt her, it'll get turned on me. I wait a second, taking in a deep breath before shaking my head and turning around.
"Stop running! You people can't keep RUNNING!" She screams as she shoves me back around, screaming in my face.
"You make us run! You're so fucking awful that the only thing we can do is leave!" I shout back, shoving her off of me.
"If you walk out that door, consider yourself fired." She states arrogantly as I walk to the front door. My hand hovers for a second as I think everything over.
"I consider that a blessing, but you're not my boss." I growl before turning the handle and walking down the hall, taking the stairs instead of the elevator. I call G/N, asking them to send me the address as I start up my car.
Johnny was not happy when I got there, in fact, he looked ready to tear into me, but immediately stopped when he saw my face. About halfway through the drive I started crying, wondering how long she's been hurting him, how long she's been treating him like shit. He only takes a second to study me before rushing forward, pulling me into a comforting embrace as I cried into his shoulder
It's kind of funny looking back now, he was so focused on comforting me even though he was the one experiencing that mistreatment for years. He was always a gentle and caring man, but that moment made me realize just how selfless he is.
From that moment on, he allowed me to photograph his injuries without making me act as if I simply wanted selfies with him. He only agreed to it as long as I wouldn't let myself get hit for him, he hated seeing me get injured, and he didn't want his spouse to be the cause of it. I was scared when I agreed, scared that I could do nothing, but I quickly realized that getting him out of there would keep us both safe.
I kept all the photos on my computer, making sure to have duplicates, as well as keeping a hidden copy of prints. Johnny would also send me photos from when I got hurt, he wanted me to save them as well. She's only hurt me a few times, mainly when I try to get between her and Johnny, I usually would've broken her arm already, but I could never do anything to hurt Johnny.
_______
I was brought forward as one of Johnny's witnesses, I didn't want to go up there, to explain what I had to witness and allowed to happen. I felt disgusted with myself that I let Johnny get treated that way for so long, but I know that he had to leave her by his own decision.
In all the recordings brought forward, I was usually in them, you could hear me in the background, or I might've been right in the middle of it. I knew that the defense was going to lay into me, try and tear me a new one, but I hope that I can take the publicity and stress of it all.
I somehow managed to stay basically anonymous throughout all my years of watching over the Depp's, only pictures and videos of my covered face being seen, but now I'd be in front of the world. My name out in the open, my face on every news channel, my family will know where I am - that's possibly the scariest thing about this.
I've been holding my breath during every video, every picture, and every statement. It's always hard when I hear something that includes me, I always feel like I was an enabler in his abuse because I didn't do more; but I know Johnny would get angry with himself if I told him. When he explains moments in a recording where I got between them, or where I would force him to leave, I always found myself tearing up.
I hear my name being called, I look around, seeing the nod of encouragement from his legal team. They've been so supportive and careful with me, they know about my military time yet still treat me like a delicate flower, it's nice. They've become friends to Johnny and me, I'm glad he found them.
I smile back as I step forward, feeling Johnny gently drape his hand against my arm as I walk by, a soft reassurance that he's there with me.
I swear in, keeping my voice steady as I look at the judge, allowing my eyes to glance around the room for a quick read, avoiding looking in Miss Heard's direction. Johnny and I promised that we wouldn't allow her even a second of our attention, we wouldn't look at her, we wouldn't talk to her, and outside this courtroom we wouldn't speak of her.
I seat myself carefully, eyeing the screen in front of me, glancing to the jury, Johnny's attorney, then finally landing on Johnny. I told him all of my worries, he knew of my fear of the limelight, as well as my worry that my family will recognize me and try to contact me.
Throughout all of this, he's somehow stayed strong, even though he suffered far more than I, he refused to let me feel alone, so I refuse to not play my part in this case; if anyone deserves something good in their life, it's Johnny Depp.
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artnrandomness · 2 years
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FNAF in Far Cry 6
It took me some thinking and research, but I was able to think about who would be the right villans to play as in those DLCs and their names, since the recent DLCs we got are named around a character’s personal aspect within their own mind, like Vaas being “Insanity” and Pagan being “Control”, along with Jospeh Seed being “Collapse”. It was very hard on those terms to decide who would be what, since a few of them are so similar, and I don’t want to give a name that, although is connected to who they are, is lame and doesn’t make sense. But with all this outta the way, it’s time to see the FNAF antagonists and what would happen if they were to shine in Far Cry 6. Keep in mind though that I’m not gonna explain everything. Just a few parts.
#1 Bloodlust
“Ever since the death of the very children who possessed Freddy and the gang, all that was left of them is the desire of blood, shed from any night guard they have killed, innocent or not. Play as Gabriel, the soul who possesses the iconic Freddy Fazbear, now given back his own rational thoughts, as he tries to escape his own mind from the uncontained thirst for blood he once had, now taking the form of many clones of his friends: Bonnie, Chica and Foxy. Experience how his mind was set back in place after he and friends were free from their animatronic bodies, discover unknown secrets about the past of him and his friends and relive the game that started it all through Gabriel’s perspective, while having to fight against his inner demons.”
Freddy Fazbear is the protagonist of this DLC because of the fact that he represents something he and the rest of his friends once shared: thirst for blood, no matter who they take it from. And the name “Bloodlust” is perfect because of the fact that in FNAF 1, they stuff nightguards in animatronic suits.
#2 Control
“Her death at the hands of child murderer, William Afton, had affected her to the point where she neglected the needs and sanity of the children she had sworn to protect intentionally. Play as Charlotte Emily, the soul who possesses the creepy Puppet, as she travels within her own tainted mind rediscovering her suffering, it’s cause and why she neglected the missing children, even when she KNEW what they were going through; all that taking the form of who she failed to protect. Uncover her story, restore her innocence and discover how it was shattered by this simple traumatizing moment, while reliving the story of the franchise through her own eyes.“
Puppet’s the protagonist of this DLC because she represents a sadistic side of selfishness within her, something that occurs with any sadistic person that wants full control. Speaking of control, the name “Control” is perfect for this DLC because thanks to her suffering at the hands of both the masked children who threw her outside on that rainy night and Afton, along with her curse of only being able to move when the music box is out of wind, she doesn’t care about the nightguards being attacked by animatronics possessed by the missing kids. She didn’t even care if she joined Scraptrap, of all people, and the others in FNAF 6, or about the missing kids SHE revived.
#3 Agony
“From dying at the hands of his victims and being burned alive to being trapped in his own personal hell, his own agony, paired with his malicious personality, ensured the cycle of suffering to continue as long as he would “always come back”. Play as William Afton, aka the unstoppable Springtrap, as he relives his own story, from the earliest days of the franchise where his killing spree began to the modern day, where he reawakens again in virtual reality, while defending himself from his own pain, taking the form of those he had hurt. Experience the many important days of his life, now fully revealed, discover how he always comes back and obtain the power needed to escape.”
Springtrap is the perfect protagonist for a DLC like Far Cry 6’s, due to him being the main villan of the franchise, all thanks to the murders he caused, not to mention that the name “Agony” is perfect for this DLC due to the pain he has been through ever since he died within the springlock suit that has now become his new body.
#4 Collapse
“Circus Baby’s quest to find a certain individual began with malicious acts a few years after her resturaunt shut down, due to an accident she got involved with, which turned her more and more into a monster the more she went through the path she chose to follow. Play as Elizabeth Afton, deceased daughter of her idol, the evil William Afton, as she explores her own mind for the first time and tries to escape it, while fighting against the physical form of her own delusions. Learn what made her the way she is, before AND after she became Baby, how it affected her and why she chose to follow her father’s footsteps.”
Circus Baby is the protagonist of this DLC thanks to her own motives, fueled by her delusional and rebellious thoughts, as seen when she became a part of Ennard thanks to tricking Micheal Afton into helping her out back in FNAF: Sister Location. “Collapse” is the name that makes sense for her, due to the fact that sanity began to collapse ever since she wanted to see Baby and kept pestering her father about it and disobeying him on the day she died. Not to mention that she collapsed with her dreams and delusional motives during the FNAF 6 fire, due to her being tricked by Henry into thinking that she was being called by William when coming to the fake pizzeria, which was meant to be a trap for what remained of the rouge animatronics.
#5 Vengance
“Ever since reawakening as a powerful animatronic, she could never let go of her anger and grudges towards the one who killed her, William Afton, going as far as creating a personal hell for him and ignoring the advice of Old Man Consequences to leave him to his own demons. Play as Cassidy, the vengeful spirit within Golden Freddy, as she travels what seems to be a combined limbo of William’s personal hell and her own broken mind, as she searches for a way to escape while fighting against her own wrath, now transcended physical being.”
Both Golden Freddy and the name “Vengance” are fitting for this DLC due to the fact that Cassidy is too vengefull to let go of her anger towards Afton and ignores the advice of Old Man Consequences as a result of this, not to mention that there’s been a theory going around that Golden Freddy is the reason why Springtrap “always comes back”, due to her wanting to keep him alive just to suffer instead of leaving him to truly die, which is the cause of his immortality and how he was able to come back as Burntrap.
#6 Insanity
“Her encounter with a powerful and digitally resurrected being known as Glitchtrap split her mind in two: her own mind and the mind of his servant, one who’s life is dedicated to him and comes to life in a stitched-up white bunny costume. Play as Vanessa, freed from Glitchtrap’s control shortly after the Pizzaplex burned down, as what’s left of her Glitchtrap-made persona, the white bunny named Vanny, once again haunts her in her own mind, which she turned into a prison that Vannesa can only escape if she were to find the tools needed. Relive Vanessa’s past, unravel what happened in her encounter with Glitchtrap and defeat Vanny’s glitch-infested minions while trapped within this nightmarish arcade-like limbo.”
Vanessa is the protagonist of this DLC because of her mind being split in two: her own mind and that of Vanny, Glitchtrap’s servant throughout Security Breach, even if her appearance was little. This is known as split personality, a trait shared by people who are deemed insane, hence why she goes to therapy as heard in the CDs that can only be heard in a CD player in a secret room. This all is the reason why the name “Insanity” is fitting for this DLC, due to Vanessa having a split personality thanks to Glitchtrap in the form of Vanny.
And that’s it. It took me a few weeks, but I was able to make this random idea come to life. Decided to release all the parts at once.
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A Failed Betrothal /Betrothal AU: Take Two
So here is the second part of the betrothal AU that I decided to name "A Failed Betrothal. This takes place before Part 1 which in hindsight should have been done first. Part 2 got too long so I cut it and started Part 3. I have no idea and nothing planned on how long this will go. Hope you enjoy ❤.
[Masterlist]
(Part 1)
PART 2
Marinette also wasn't having a good day or a good week.
Lila Rossi had been up to her usual tricks. You know, spewing lies from her mouth. How she met these awesome celebrities during this trip and they worship the ground she walks on for her amazing and humbling help. There were stories of these charities, trips and galas that she had been to or was invited to. She has problems with her wrists and can't do simple stuff like carry her own bag or do her homework. She has tinnitus in her ears so she needs to sit in the front where the only seat available would be next to Adrien.
And for the finale.
The desert after feeding the class a banquet of lies.
"Mari...nette..has been bullying me, she...told..me not to tell anyone..*sobs*..that she would kill me if I did.."
Lila dramatically gasped and slapped her hands over her mouth. Turning on the waterworks for a more dramatic effect. They all ate it up, jumping on the ‘let’s hate Marinette, a bad person’ train.
"She is going to kill me now and I am so scared." That snake managed to snuck an evil smirk past her glaring, oblivious classmates.
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Marinette, at this point of her life, had frankly given up caring for them due to the class's lack of brain cells and Agreste's spineless 'High Road' Approach.
For Kwami's sake, she went through a brutal torture that was training in some jungle temple in Asia before Sabine Cheng, former mercenary/assassin, kidnapped her (Little Marinette took a risk. She ran away and followed her around until Sabine begrudgingly accepted that she was now the 6- year-old girl's mother because screw it, Tom said he wanted children.) to raise/train as her own while she settled down with a baker whose mother may or may not have ties with the Mafia and other illegal activities.
(Mother-daughter bonding days became much more fun once she had Guardianship of the Miraculous. Sabine was ,at first, furious at Master Fu for dumping everything on the girl and losing his memories before swearing to help protect the jewels. Adopted or not, Marinette is her daughter and no one should let a child, even one with training, fight a war. A good thing to come out of her reveal was that her mother was a great tiger to have as back-up. But now, her training regime had become harder and challenging.)
The point was that Lila Rossi would be dead and body missing since that first time she threatened Marinette in the bathroom. The Italian was in perfect health despite what she claims otherwise, because Marinette didn’t want to be the person she was raised to be and also she didn’t want to disappoint Tikki, she was fond of the little red kwami. But sometimes, she just wanted to give into the urge to kill.
She had met and dealt with unsavory characters of all types and she can safely say that Lila Rossi was a manipulator that thrives on attention and like a parasite, latches herself onto the fame of others. None of the unsavory people she had met get under her skin like Rossi had.
Marinette had enough self-preservation to drop the nice girl act and sometimes let the dragon underneath to surface. She stopped doing last-minute favors and giving away free stuff which Lila uses to her full advantage to further destroy her relationships with her ‘friends’. It was better than sticking her neck out for classmates that were no longer worth her time. Attempts to expose Lila had backfired due to the denial they are in, believing the liar to be a sweet, nice girl living the high life.
Adrien with his rose-tinted glasses firmly stuck to his eyes was not happy at all with her decision. That may also have to do where she suggested he shove his advice after he tried to reason her to take the high road for defending herself for the umpteenth time. She felt like the biggest idiot to ever have a crush on him. Every time, Rossi blames Marinette for a problem, he would shoot disappointed looks in her direction.
Alya being Lila's biggest guard dog tore into Marinette for her newfound 'bad' behaviour. The rest of Lila's supporters backed her up with "How could you do that to Lila","I can't believe you changed." Nearly all her so-call friends had turned their backs and lost all common sense to the Italian's manipulations.
(Alya was supposed to be her best friend, aren’t you supposed to listen to your ‘bestie’ over a complete stranger)
The designer took it all with a bored expression on her face, used to the lecturing which was a waste of time because her behavior isn't going to change, no matter what, Lie-la will keep up the act of being the bully's (*cough*Marinette*cough*) victim.
Her heart that cracks the tiniest bit at the accusations. A small part of her, she admits, is hurt that they think so low of her.Was she really that worthless to them? All those times and efforts helping them out on last-minute favors and giving them free treats. Were they not enough to earn their friendship? Their trust or at the very least, a benefit of doubt?
The only ones who didn’t join the berating to 'correct' the raven-haired girl’s attitude were Chloe (who had proven herself to have changed after the miracle queen incident and Lila stole the spotlight and Sabrina. There were a lot of apologizes, gifts and ‘making up to do’) Alix (she came to her senses when the supposed bullying started) and Nathaniel (Lila blatantly claimed to be the artist for the Ladybug comic to his face).
“Girl, Marinette, are you even listening to me?”Alya demanded.
“Maybe. Did you say anything that doesn’t have to do with Lila or how I did her wrong or how I am no longer the person you knew?”
Marinette knew that being sarcastic would backfire but nothing she does or says will change what they think of her. One word from Lila and they will turn back on her. As much as she hates to admit it, Lila’s threat has fallen through and she was alone. Mostly.
She still had Chloe, Nathaniel, Alix, Luka and Kagami as friends. The trust-worthy and loyal kind.
“Girl,” Alya says in a disappointed tone, shaking her head,“when I look at you, I don’t see that girl who stood up to Chloe the bully-”, Chloe snorted, she had changed but they were too blind and prejudiced against her to notice her efforts, “-Picking on Lila, threatening and harassing her. This isn’t you and you know it. Just get over your jealousy on Lila being close to Adrien and apologize to her.”
If Alya had talked to her in the past 12 months other than demanding things that took away her time or anything relating to Lila, she would know that her infatuation had turned into annoyance.
Marinette sighed, too tired of this routine, tired of trying to knock heads so the brain cells can work again. Apologizing would mean that Lila had won. She was petty and stubborn enough to allow that to happen. Lila said she will take the class and Adrien. Fine, she can have them but Marinette Dupain-Cheng will not admit defeat. Bigger men had fallen to the ravenette for lesser offences. A year has passed since the expulsion and the class still hasn't regained common senses, so they can deal with the consequences after the inevitable downfall of Lila and Marinette will be there to see them lay in the grave they dug.
Steeling herself for the pain that will come with the execution of her plan,
“What if I don’t. I won’t apologize to her because I have not done anything to her or even interacted with her. If I apologize, it would be insincere and a lie. And I hate liars.” The former assassin said evenly.
“Lila is not a liar. I don’t know why you are like this.” Alya said, frustrated.
Marinette knew there would be a small chance of an akuma with Gabriel Agreste having an important meeting to attend on this day that would last for the next hour. This was the small window of opportunity to start the plan and also further confirm the identity of Hawkmoth. Killing two birds with one stone.
“Alya, this has always been me, you just never took the time to get to really know the real me.”, she replied, the last part with an icy tone.
“Well-... I- ..You-, fine, then if you can’t say those simple three words, we can’t be friends. I clearly don’t know what a selfish bitch you are. God, I can’t believe I wanted to be best friends with you. You are now replaced by Lila because unlike you, she is genuinely nice and selfless.” Alya declared. The rest of Lila’s supporters murmured in agreement.
Phase 1, complete. Lure the Lie-la into a false sense of security by making her think she won.
Marinette tried not to show how hurt she was, to be replaced by the scheming bitch. But at the same time she felt relieved, she no longer had to walk on eggshells in fear of losing the friendships of people she used to care about. It felt final as she maintained her stoic expression, hoping they didn't notice the glassy sheen her eyes had.
“Then, it is official. We are no longer friends.”
They haven’t been friends for a long time.
Mme. Bustier finally walked into the classroom to start the afternoon classes, signalling the end of the conversation. After class, Marinette resolves to inform them that she was resigning as class president which she was sure the class will be glad for. She was right.
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Ladybug was, as the Americans say, pissed at Hawkmoth which was nothing new. He had sent out another akuma just as Marinette was back home and trying to relax after the stressful day. The akuma was not any of her ex-friends which she wasn’t sure to be thankful for or not.
Louise Martin was a boy about Luka’s age and mad at his friends who had blamed their fifth loss-in-a-row on him despite the fact that it was his skills that were getting them any progress. They were playing one of those recently released 5V5 skills and strategy battle games. (League of Legends or Mobile Legends. Take your pick, I am going with the latter)
He was akumatized into Hayakuma as proof of Hawkmoth’s lack of creativity. Hayakuma was a bleached out version of Louise’s chosen hero avatar, Hayabusa whose outfit was basically what the media portrays ninjas to look like with some samurai aspects.
Unfortunately, he also had the hero’s ultimate special powers which were making four shadow copies of himself and being able to switch positions with them. Thanks to Rattlesnake’s Second Chance, they know that he can only make a switch once every two minute. Hayakuma also wields a sword, showing off his skills.
Just lovely.
Hydra and Ladybug were the only ones able to counter his attacks with Hydra’s sword and Ladybug’s summoned one. (Let’s go with that headcanon(?)/trope that she can summon weapons for plot convenience and the others can too but just don’t have enough practise yet.)
The others managed to dodge and shield themselves from Hayakuma’s really sharp sword.
The shadows themselves were annoying as they would distract or hinder the miraculous users by grabbing them by their shadows and making them unable to move. Until Bunnix had the brilliant idea of shadow boxing which gave the heroes gain more even ground.
With how strong and handful the akuma was, it was code ‘all hands on deck’. Ladybug, Stinger, Rattlesnake, Hydra, Bunnix, Trickster. Well, nearly every hand. Lady Mǔ lǎohǔ was busy with the bakery. Chat Noir was nowhere to be seen or very late which had been the norm for the last year ever since Ladybug wanted to form a new miraculous team consisting of permanent heroes.
(He didn’t show up for the first few months because the first permanent member was Ladybug’s mother who did not like his attitude towards her daughter. He ran away with his tail between his legs once he found out how she was related to Ladybug. His face when he realized it, was something Marinette will cherish forever)
At least when Lady Mǔ lǎohǔ was around, he would not dare act out of line. When she is gone however, he is back to his old ways.
After saving one of Louise’s teammates from Hayakuma’s sword, they gathered the rest of the team and hid them someplace safe. Using Trickster’s illusions to trick all the shadows and the original to one place, the heroes were going to surround and ambush them and get the akumatized item. The plan would have been a success if it weren’t for Chat Noir hugging Ladybug from behind, making her miss her cue.
“Hey~ Bugaboo~ Did you miss me~? Your Chaton~?”
Thwack! Smack!
Chat Noir was on the rooftop, groaning pitifully in pain. Especially his crotch area. Ladybug glared at him and looked to the ambush point to see the illusions had disappeared and everyone else gone from their hiding place.
She sighed and turned on the comms, (Thank you, kwamis)
“Sting, did you venomed the akuma?”
“No, he escaped before I could. What happened, LB?”
“A certain cat got me delayed. What’s the status update?”
“Hydra is holding him off and Bunnix found that an umbrella is a good substitute for a sword. The rest of us are keeping track of the shadows. They split up but none of them are getting near where we hid the targets.”
“Where are you? I will meet you later with back-up.”
“Near Notre Dame and tell Mama Tigress I said hi.”
“Tell her yourself.”
She looked down at Chat No-, no he is not worthy of being a hero anymore with the amount of times he had derailed and hijacked the plans to defeat the akumas just so he can ‘earn’ Ladybug’s heart.
She looked down at Adrien Agreste, who was sitting and sulking like a child that was unfairly punished. (Once she got over her crush and started looking at the right things that she managed to piece together her ‘partner’s’ identity by accident. Tikki’s confirmation sealed the deal.)
“Chat Noir, this partnership of ours,” she said, gesturing to the two of them, “ is going to change tonight. Meet me at the ‘spot’ at 11 sharp. Now, go home.”
He left with a small glimmer of hope in his eyes at her words. She felt a little bad about the subtle manipulation but with the way things were now, it can’t go on. He was hindering more than helping and the people of Paris that weren’t shipping ‘Ladynoir’ saw that.
As she jumped towards Notre Dame, she called the bakery with her yoyo.
“Mama, are you free now? I need a little help with the akuma and can you bring the horse miraculous.”
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Chat Noir waited excitedly at what they both dubbed at their ‘spot’, in the good old days when it was just the two of them. Maybe Ladybug was finally open to the idea of dating. Or maybe she must have seen what a great hero he is and was going to get rid of the team. Or realized that having her mother on her team was a bad idea. Parents are the worst and they both can be two rebellious teenagers in love. Like Romeo and Juliet. So romantic~.
He was so deep in his daydream that he didn’t hear his lady land.
“Chat Noir.” Startled, he nearly fell off the roof. No, don’t make a fool of yourself in front of Ladybug.
“Yes, Bugaboo.” Hoping she didn’t know that he was very distracted. His attention will always be hers 100%.
“Don’t call me Bugaboo. Tikki wants to talk to Plagg about Kwami stuff. So you go over and hide behind that chimney. Then, we can talk about why I told you to be here.” Adrien frowned and then smiled. His lady must be very embarrassed about her mistake that must be why she is taking her time. He tried listening to what they were saying but the kwamis were talking in their special Guardian Language. Was it him or did Tikki’s voice sound more like his lady’s voice?
Whizz!
Adrien was tied up with Ladybug’s yoyo. “M’Lady? Bugaboo!? LADYBUG! WHAT IS GOING ON?!! PLAGG-”
Ladybug cut in, “Adrien Agreste, you have been slack in your hero duty and choosing your own feelings over supporting your partner, me, the holder of the Ladybug Miraculous and current Grand Guardian, in the efforts to defeat the enemy of Paris, Hawkmoth. Due to those reasons, you are no longer worthy to be the Holder of the Black Cat Miraculous” in one swift motion, she took the ring off his finger, “As such you are hereby revoked of Plagg’s Ring.”
“NO, YOU CAN’T. YOU CAN’T DO THIS TO ME! I LOVE YOU AND I KNOW YOU LOVE ME BACK. WE ARE SOULMATES, WE ARE MEANT TO BE-”
Adrien went slack at Lady Tigress’s pinch on his pressure point.
“I don’t what you ever saw in the boy.”
“I don’t know either. I think I dodged a bullet here. Can you carry him back to his home? I think I have dealt with enough of him tonight.” Ladybug muttered, as she erased Adrien’s memories of being Chat Noir.
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Tag list: @alysrose-starchild, @buginetye, @lookatthestars1, @blackroserelina, @macncheesemonster, @mochinek0, @myazael, @tonicxworld, @thewitchwhowaited, @t1dwarrior-of-earth, @kissa-chan, @iwantasecretidentity, @theymakeupfairies, @user00000003, @woe-is-me0, @kashlyn, @mochegato,@moonlightstar64 , @greatcatblaze, @moongoddesskiana, @tazanna-blythe.
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(Part 3)
640 notes · View notes
talesofstyles · 3 years
Text
Reconcile
happy christmas eve, you lot! i’ve got a little present for you. enjoy this 10,5k of nearly divorced harry trying to win his wife and bitter nine year old daughter back. oh and i threw in a little baby goat in the mix too since it’s set in the peak district and i just couldn’t resist 🥳
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“Penny for your thoughts.”
He turned to look at her, who was giggling as she leaned closer to him. She was most definitely not a giggler sober, but he found out that a copious amount of alcohol could turn her into one. He felt slightly guilty knowing that she was going to be hungover as hell in the morning, but she was having a great time.
And so was he.
“I was just thinking about how great you are, how lucky I am to be sitting next to you right now and that you need to drink more water because otherwise, you’d be miserable tomorrow,” he says with a smile as he twisted the cap and handed her the bottle of water.
That goofy smile of hers turned into a gooey smile of affection. “That’s so sweet,” she murmured, taking a gulp of water and handed the bottle back to him so he could take some too. She then tilted her head, giving him a doe-eyed look and asked, “what else do you like about me?”
“Let’s see,” he put a finger to his chin and tapped. “Well, I love how kind and inclusive you are, how you always care about people and that you always see the good in everyone.” 
Her smile grew sappier.
“Oh,” he gave her a sly grin. “I also love that thing you do with your tongue on the underside of my cock.”
She burst out laughing. But then she leaned even closer to him and whispered huskily in his ear, “I’ll do that very thing when we get back to the hotel.”
His eyes widened and he wanted nothing more than just to drag her back to their hotel suite and take up on her offer. But he’d promised her that he’d show her around Vegas since she’d never been before, and he wanted to keep that promise.
“Wanna know what I like about you?” She turned to him, still with a gooey smile on her face.
“Do I ever,” he smirked.
“I like that you’re hands down the kindest human I’ve ever met,” she began. “You’re genuine, and grounded. Funny too. I truly hit the jackpot with you. I’m the luckiest girl on earth.”
“Oh,” she added as an afterthought. “And you’re really good with your tongue.”
He wanted to laugh, because she always made him laugh. But he was still stuck on the fact that she thought she was lucky to be with him. He felt exactly the same way about her, like this was always meant to be. 
“I wasn’t looking for this,” he admitted honestly. “I know it’s only been six weeks, but I really can’t imagine never having met you.”
“Me too,” her eyes were bright, shining with excitement. “It’s weird, right? Because I swear I’ve never felt such a deep connection with someone this quick.”
“Do you believe in soulmates?” He murmured. “That there’s a perfect person for everyone out there?”
She tilted her head. “Do you think that’s us?”
There was no hesitation in his answer. “I do think that might be us.”
“I think so too,” she said with a tender smile.
This was real.
He was overwhelmed with the understanding that she was his, and he never wanted to let her go. 
So he suggested what any sane, semi-drunk man would at that moment. “We’re in Vegas. We should get married.”
***
Harry
Pulling into the drive of what used to be our holiday cottage, but is now where my wife and children live full-time without me, feels strange to me. There’s that moment of what feels like a homecoming—that sense of belonging somewhere where I feel safe, and I know my happiness is inside.
But now, for the first time in ten years, there’s a sense of detachment that I know I’ve got to put in place. It is why I need to take a moment or two in the car before I walk inside to sort myself out and put on a shield. A shield which lets me walk inside, and be okay with the fact that I don’t live there anymore even just for the holidays. 
This charming little cottage, which can’t exactly be called little since it is quite spacious and has three bedrooms, has always been more of a second home rather than a holiday home for us. We used to come here often, sometimes even only for the weekends. I’ve always loved this place. Now, looking back, I realised that many of the happiest times during our marriage were spent in this home. 
It was where we spent the first few weeks soaking in newlywed bliss after that whirlwind of a trip to Las Vegas when we decided out of nowhere to tie the knot. Then there were the sleepless nights with a wailing newborn, because even though both of our babies were born in London, we always whisked them off here to Bakewell shortly after so we were close enough that both sets of their grandparents could dote on them during the first few weeks of their lives.
After I exit the car, I walk up to the front door and ring the doorbell. I don’t feel comfortable walking in as I respect that this is YN’s sanctuary now. The wait isn’t long, because in just a few seconds, the door is opened and there’s my wife, looking like a breath of fresh air.
It had been eight long months since the last time I saw her. Last time was the night when she asked me to leave our marital home, and I fled to LA first thing the next morning. I talked daily with the kids on the phone, but I didn’t really recall ever getting the chance to talk to her aside from the quick polite greetings before she handed her phone to the kids.
“Hey,” she says, her expression a bit guarded. I’ve missed her so much that it takes everything in me to keep myself from pulling her into my arms and kiss the fuck out of her. “Come in.”
“You alright?” I ask her as I follow her into the house. This may sound like I’m just making a small talk, but I’m not. I’m genuinely curious and I want to know how she’s doing. 
But she doesn’t even respond to my question. All I get is a head-tilt motioning towards the kitchen. “They’re in the kitchen.”
My gaze immediately lands on the accent table that holds a lot of photos and a key bowl. I silently let out a sigh of relief seeing YN hasn’t removed all of the family photos with me in it. It’s a good sign, but I don’t have much hope behind that. Maybe that’s just her trying to keep everything as normal as possible at home for the kids. 
My wife and I never had a big fight when we separated. It had been somewhat rational, but still emotional, discussion. She wasn’t angry, she was just done. And I didn’t fight for her. Instead, yours truly here walked away the next morning and didn’t look back.
I’ve done a lot of dumb things in my life. But nothing ever compares to that. That was pretty fucking stupid on my part, and I know I’ll regret it for the rest of my life.
I’ve accepted that maybe this is my punishment for being a shit husband to a wonderful woman who doesn’t deserve to be treated like a second best. She did the right thing by kicking me to the curb, and I’d never resent her for it. If I could turn back time and change everything, I would in a heartbeat. I’d try harder to be a better husband, a better father, put my family first. But I can’t. Now all I can do is just try not to be a dickhead and make things harder for her than it already is. It’s too late for me to try to be a better husband, but it isn’t for me to try to be the best father that my children deserve. 
I follow my wife through the living room and into the kitchen, and I’d be dead not to check out her arse in those leggings. It’s something I quickly avert my eyes from, though, as I realise both of my children are sitting at the kitchen island, eating scones with their tea. 
George, my six-year-old, is the first to turn his head and hop off from the island stool to jump into my arms. “Daddeeeeee!”
“My Booger Butt,” I greet my little lad with a smile as I squat down to be on his level before scooping him up into my arms. Booger Butt is one of the countless nicknames I have for him, and one that never fails to make him double over in laughter whenever he hears it. He’s also Mr Tadpole Climbing a Beanpole sometimes, and he used to be Sir Screams-a-Lot when he was a baby. He thinks they’re hilarious, and he’d always respond by calling me Baddy Daddy. 
“I‘ve missed you so much, Baddy Daddy,” he says sweetly as he nuzzles his head into the crook of my neck and I swear if I don’t pull myself together right this second, I’m going to cry. 
“I’ve missed you more, mate,” I say as I ruffle his hair and kiss his cheek. “I love you.” 
My daughter doesn’t seem fazed by the father and son reunion behind her and continues munching on her scone without even giving me a glance. With my left arm full of my son, I walk up to her and ruffle her hair just like I did with her little brother. “Hey Silly Putty Pudding Pie,” I greet her with one of her nicknames, hoping to get her to laugh. But she ignores me, taking a sip of her brew instead. 
I don’t want to give up, so I lean to the side and bend to put my face close to hers. I try again, “hello to you too, poppet.”
“Whatever,” she mumbles around a mouthful of scone. 
“Minnie,” YN growls, her tone filled with warning.
This is why I respect YN so much. I hurt her badly, broke her heart, and it would’ve been so easy for her to use Minnie as a pawn and turn my child against me. But every time, even on the phone, whenever she is present, she never let Minnie be disrespectful to me in any way.
My gaze moves to my wife—yes I’m still going to refer to her as my wife since she still is, albeit only on paper—and she gives me an apologetic look. I give a slight shake of my head, telling her silently to let it go. 
She takes the last bite of her scone and puts the dish in the sink, before walking to the staircase without giving me a second glance. I can see YN trying to hold her tongue from further rebuking our daughter, and I give her a small smile, my silent way of telling her ‘it’s okay.’
“Sorry about that,” she mutters, referring to Minnie’s attitude. She grabs a mug from the cupboard, then holds it up in silent invitation. I nod, and she turns to the pot. “I can’t keep up with her mood shifts anymore.”
“It’s alright,” I tell her, willing to take my share of the blame. “I’m sure the shift has everything to do with me.”
“Not true,” she replies as she pours the coffee into our mugs, adding a splash of milk to hers but keeping mine just like that because she knows I take my coffee black. “She’s been like that with me as well and I’m not sure why. She’s only nine but she acts as if she’s thirteen already.”
I can’t help but laugh and turn to my little lad. “Can you be six forever?”
“No,” he says immediately without even taking a second to think.
“Just no?”
“No,” he gives me a toothy grin. “I want a lego city set but mummy said it’s for eight-year-olds. So I cannot wait to be eight.”
I set him on the counter and give him a conspiratorial smirk before I whisper to him. It’s a little too loud to be considered a whisper, but I want my wife to hear it. “Tell you what, we’ll get one of those sets tomorrow on our day out.”
His eyes light up instantly and my wife rolls her eyes jokingly, “I hear that.” Jokingly, because I know for sure she doesn’t mind me spoiling our children. She does it too. 
“Where are you taking them tomorrow?”
“To your mum’s pudding shop for breakfast, then probably fishing, and the toys shop now apparently,” I tell her our itinerary. I have the kids for the whole day tomorrow since it’s Saturday. It’s bittersweet because I’ve missed my children and I can’t wait to spend time with them, but I’m also sad because what I wouldn’t give to turn tomorrow into a family day out instead. I know she would most likely decline, but I can’t help offer her, “would you like to come with us?”
She gives me a subtle shake of her head. “No thanks. Enjoy it, it’s your time with them.”
***
I’m renting a room above The Old Nags Head during my stay here. I plan to stay for a week before I have to go back to London, and even though the thought of having to leave my children again is killing me, I’m trying to cheer myself up by reminding myself that it’ll be Christmas soon enough and I’ll get to visit again.
But then I’ll have to leave again. 
And visit again, but knowing in just a week or two, I would have to say goodbye to them again.
Fuck, this is killing me. I’m a family man through and through, and not being with them physically hurts. I shouldn’t be in this room sulking alone. I should be there in that home with my wife and children, probably helping Minnie and George with their homework or making dinner for all of us.
I was prepared to sulk some more, but then I heard a knock on the door. I was not expecting company so I’ve got no idea who it is, and I’m quite surprised when I see Jamie, YN’s brother as I open the door. 
We were quite close, but now that I broke his little sister’s heart, I can’t tell if this is a pleasant visit or if he’s just here to knock me square on my arse. 
“Got time for tea downstairs?” He asks
Honestly, I haven’t got any appetite. But I could use a few pints so I nod and lock the door behind me, following him downstairs to the pub. 
The Old Nags Head is the oldest and most famous pub in Bakewell. The pub itself is a former smithy dating back to the 16th century, and certainly looks the part; thick stone walls, low ceilings, welcoming log fires and dark timber beams. The pub remains at the centre of the community, as it has been for hundreds of years. It offers the best classic pub grubs, and even has its own ale called the Nags 1577. 
It’s the perfect place to drown my sorrows. 
Except, the current owner of that very pub happens to be none other than my wife’s granddad whom everyone here calls Pop. Out of all members of her family, she is the closest to Pop, so I know for sure that I’m the last person he wants to see. 
We sit at the bar table facing the window, which is good because Pop is behind the main bar, and this way I don’t have to actually talk to him. 
“Ya want owt?” Jamie asks as he does a quick perusal of the menu. I’m not even sure why he bothers, because even I know what he’s going to order. It’s Pop’s signature steak and ale pie. Ten years of being his brother in law, not once I ever saw him order something else. 
“Just a pint,” I tell him. 
It doesn’t take long after Jamie orders his food and our drinks before two pints are placed before us, and we each take a savouring sip.
And then Jamie point-blank asks me, “so what did you do?”
I really can’t tell anything from his expression, because he keeps his face blank. But I give him a bark of mirthless laughter. “It’s what I didn’t do, mate. She didn’t say anything?”
“Not a word,” he shakes his head, “what didn’t you do?”
“I stopped paying attention to my wife. Got caught up in my career. The travelling for tours she understood, but it was when I was home and hanging out more with my bandmates than with my family that she couldn’t forgive. And what little time I had left, I gave to Minnie and George. I think I just stupidly assumed she would always be there for me, no matter what.”
“Was there any infidelity?” He asks.
“God, no,” I shake my head hard. “You know I’d never do that to your sister. I love her, and she’s more than enough for me.”
Obviously, I’m not going to tell him this, but ironically, our sex life didn’t diminish. We were combustible in bed, and my mistake was in thinking that was enough for her. 
I look at the pudding shop right across the street as I take another sip, and I nearly choke on my beer when I see a familiar face walking out of the shop. 
“What in the ever-loving fuck?” I growl. 
That’s my wife, walking out of her mum’s pudding shop. She is not alone. There’s a guy with his hand pressed to her lower back while her head is tipped back, laughing at something he’s saying. I suddenly feel sick to my stomach when the bastard’s palm drops from my wife’s back to take her hand, lacing his fingers with hers. She smiles, all doe-eyed, as they walk to God knows where. 
“What?” Jamie looks at me confused for a second, but then he follows my gaze and he finally sees what’s causing me distress. “Oh, that.”
“You knew about that?”
He nods. “She’s been seeing him for about three weeks now.”
“Fuck,” I mutter and pinch the bridge of my nose.
“She didn’t tell you?” Jamie asks and I shake my head. 
“Three weeks you said?”
Jamie nods again. “He makes her happy.”
“I’m her husband,” I can’t help but say bitterly. “I should be the one making her happy.”
“Look, I’m sorry mate,” he offers, I know he’s trying his best to keep his tone neutral. “Maybe you need to get back in the dating game too. It’ll distract you.”
“I don’t want to fucking date anyone else,” I growl.
“I know it’s hard to get back in the saddle,” he adds sympathetically.
“I don’t want to get out of my current saddle,” I grumble. “I want to keep my current saddle with my wife in it.”
Jamie blinks in surprise, hell I’m even surprised at what I’ve just said out loud because I’ve never admitted this since we split. When YN asked me to leave, I assumed right away that my marriage was over. I didn’t want it to, but I thought there was nothing I could do. 
But now, seeing her laughing at another man’s joke and his hand holding hers, I just know that I can’t let her go without a fight. 
“Have you told her this?” He asks curiously.
I shake my head again. “We haven’t got the chance to have a civil conversation these days.”
“Then I suggest you stop being such a bloody whinge bucket and have a civil conversation with your wife.”
My shoulders immediately sag in defeat. “I know. I need to sit down with her and tell her how I feel.”
“Which is?” He presses.
“That I want her back,” I mutter.
“You’ve got to have a better plan than that,” he points out. “I mean… I’m not a marriage therapist, but I’m pretty sure that you’ve got to be prepared to fix the shit first.”
I can’t help but tilt my head towards the pudding shop where my wife had just walked out the door. “She’s moved on. You said it yourself that he makes her happy. Tell me how to compete with that.”
“Make her happier,” he says simply. I can only let out a heavy sigh, but I know that's solid advice. “Listen, if you really want to save your marriage, you need to make it work. Romance her again. Lots of flowers, nice romantic dinners out. Compliments, chocolates. All that sort of thing.”
“You think that’ll work?”
“I don’t know,” he answers truthfully. “But I do know that you’ll regret it for the rest of your life if you don’t do anything about it.”
***
My emotions are a mixed bag this morning. Don’t get me wrong, I’m excited to spend the whole day with my kids, but the fact that I have just learnt last night that my wife is currently seeing another man doesn’t sit right with me.
I know Jamie was right. If I want to save my marriage, I need to get my head out of my arse and do something to win my wife back. Sure, I don’t even know where to start since she doesn’t give me the time of day. But I do know that starting today, I’m a man on a mission. It’s Operation Conquer YN: day 1. 
It’s currently 8:40am, which means I’m twenty minutes early. I hope the kids won’t be ready yet, so I’ll get a chance to talk for a little bit to my wife.
When I ring the doorbell, I can hear George pounding down the stairs, yelling, “I got it!”
The door flies open and he jumps into my arms right away. My little lad truly misses me, and it really does warm my heart. Now, I love my children equally, but before I got here yesterday, I thought Minnie would be the one to jump all over me since she’s a daddy’s girl through and through, while George has always been a mummy’s boy since the day he was born. 
But again, I should’ve known. Since YN and I split, Minnie sort of puts herself in her mum’s corner. Every time I actually got the chance to talk to her on the phone when I was still in LA, it was always extremely short before she quickly handed her mum’s phone to her little brother. I try not to take her behaviour to heart, because I guess it’s what nine-year-olds do when they don’t quite understand why their parents aren’t together. They just need someone to blame, and my daughter is way more mature than her age. She’s bloody smart too, which she definitely takes after her mum, and I know that she knows it’s my fault that her mum and I separated.
Now that I think of it, it’s not just my wife that I desperately need to win back. But also my daughter.
“Daddy!” George chirps. He’s got a milk moustache and the sight never fails to get me to chuckle. “You’re early.”
“I know,” I reply with a tender smile. “I just can’t wait to spend the day with you lot.” 
“I’m going to get ready!” He announces excitedly as he squirms in my arms wanting to be put down, and he runs up the stairs before I can even reply.
I look around, and my gaze lands on the sofa, a hazel leather sofa that YN picked out. It’s so comfy and I could nap there forever.
Then there’s the coffee table, where YN, Minnie, George and I sat around and played board games. Catan is our family’s favourite, followed closely by Monopoly. 
The corner where we always put the Christmas tree, right next to the fireplace. And every year it didn’t matter how hard I tried, I could never get the bloody thing to stay straight. 
I miss this little cottage. Sure, the house in South Kensington is our marital house, but this cosy little cottage in the middle of nowhere feels more like home to me. And now I truly get why YN was so adamant to move here permanently after we separated, didn't matter how hard I tried to persuade her to stay in London.
“You’re early,” my wife blinks in surprise, but quickly masks it. “Minnie darling, go and get ready.”
“Do I really have to go?” My nine-year-old whines and I feel a pang. She really doesn’t want to spend time with me.
“Minnie, that’s not nice,” YN reprimands her before I can stop her.
“I’ve missed you, poppet,” I say, wanting to look at her in the eyes but she refuses to meet my gaze. Which hurts, but it’s fine. I know it’ll take some time for her to warm up to me. “I want to spend the day with you and your brother. I promise I’ll try to make it fun for you both.”
“Fine,” she replies, before marching up the stairs to her room. There’s still a hint of sulkiness in her tone, but at least I didn’t get a heavy sigh. I know it’s a small win but honestly, it’s better than none.
“Coffee’s in the pot,” she tells me politely from where she’s sitting at the island. She has her laptop open before her, and I can see her writing an email. I bet she’s working today, even if it’s Saturday, because my wife is such a hard-worker. She works remotely for a consulting firm and I’m beyond proud of her.
I nod and pour the coffee, and I let the silence carry on for a bit before saying, “saw you getting cosy with your new boyfriend last night.”
She instantly looks up from her laptop, giving me a death glare. Her tone is defensive when she says, “that’s none of your business.”
“You could’ve at least told me that you were seeing someone,” I tell her, making elaborate gestures with my coffee mug.
“Why would I do that?” She retorts defensively. “Last time I checked, you didn’t give a shit about me when we were married. Why on earth would I assume you do now?”
Hearing that, it feels like Chuck Norris himself just kicked me in the nuts. I can only mutter, “we’re still married.”
“Not for long,” she replies faintly.
“Don’t say that,” I say, my breath a little jagged. “We can still fix this, darling. I know we can.”
“Are you mad?” She snaps, but then she takes a deep breath, and her tone is a lot calmer when she adds, “Harry, it’s too late.”
“No, it’s not. It’s never too late to get our marriage back on track,” I plead desperately. “Would you at least give me a shot?”
“What do you mean?” She frowns. 
“You can continue to see Mr Wife-stealer-”
“He’s not a wife-stealer,” she snaps, cutting me off. “He’s got a name.”
“Well, he’s stealing my wife,” I grumble like a stroppy child.
“You’re being such a child,” she retorts. “His name is Luke, he’s a decent guy, and he makes me happy.”
“I’m not afraid to go head to head with him,” I say defiantly. 
“Fuck’s sake, Harry, we’re not on a bloody Love Island,” she says in exasperation. “Two children are involved here, this isn’t a game.”
“I know it isn’t,” I reply with a sigh. “Just please give me another shot, darling. Let me remind you how great we were together.”
“You mean the sex?” She demands, one side of her upper lip curls in a sneer.  
I bend my head and murmur, “we were dynamite in the sack, weren’t we?”
I see the flash in her eyes as she remembers, and it makes me want to beat my chest in victory. But the euphoric feeling is short-lived when she says, “a relationship is so much more than just sex. If you don’t understand it then-”
“I do, fuck, I do know that,” I cut her off in a strangled, desperate voice. “At least let me try, darling. Fuck if I’m letting you go without a fight.”
We lapse into silence as she gives me a sceptical look, and I know in this moment that my biggest challenge is to regain her trust, as well as accepting the fact that she has someone else fighting for her attention. 
I know this will be tough, because I let her down over and over again. And worse, I let my children down too, because I was never quite able to make my family my highest priority. It was all my fault, I knew it then, still do now. That’s why when she asked me to leave, I couldn’t even argue. I was a shit husband and father, and I deserved that.
Trying to win Minnie is probably going to be the easiest because beneath this ‘tweenage’ attitude going on, I know she is a sweet girl who loves her daddy. I need to devote more attention to her, maybe take her on some daddy-daughter dates. I know it’ll work because I’ve never given her enough on a consistent basis. 
YN is going to be the most difficult, because I really broke her heart. I’ve been married to her for ten years, so I can say with confidence that I know for sure she would never fall for things like flowers or gifts. I have to show her that I genuinely want to fix our marriage, and that my interest in her is real. It’ll be like starting all over again. 
And on top of that, she’s seeing someone else and she said it herself that he does make her happy. I know she’s not lying about it, as Jamie also told me the same thing last night and I saw with my own eyes how she laughed with him last night. Seeing that killed me, because I don’t have the ability to make her laugh like that anymore, but I couldn’t deny that there was a small part of me that was happy for her.
She may have sneered when I insinuated I’d be glad to remind her of the good times, but I saw it in her eyes. There was still a slight burn, and that might just have to be my angle. 
But then I remember our last time together. It was only two days before she asked me to leave and I remember coming home mid-morning after a meeting with my manager and publicist to find her lying in our bed, clad in sexy lingerie. I had my mouth on every inch of her, a good deal of time between her legs, and after she reciprocated by taking me into her mouth.
The kids were in school, and apparently, she took a sick day because I had told her the night before that I only had one meeting in the morning that day. After, she cuddled in close, and we talked for a while. She seemed happy, but then there was a hint of hesitation in her voice when she suggested, “fancy just spending all day in bed until school pick-ups?”
I mean, what man in his right mind would say no to that? The kids were gone for at least another five hours, I had a gorgeous wife naked and wanting more of what we just did… 
Yet, I’d said no. “Sorry, doll. I’m meeting the lads at the studio in about an hour.”
I didn’t see it then, but I do now and it’s clear as day. The look on her face had been blank, and there wasn’t even disappointment like she would usually show me. She hadn’t tried to get me to change my mind. There hadn’t been a guilt-laden frown to give me pause.
I realise now what it was.
It was the moment my wife finally gave up on me.
My chest constricts as it finally dawns on me the pain she must have been feeling. I’m not just talking about that day. That had been our life for several years.
No wonder she asked me to leave.
No wonder she’s moving on with Mr Wife-stealer.
No wonder that, at this moment, I realise I’ve got tons of work to do because sex isn’t going to be the answer in winning my wife back.
***
“Will the baby just eat when you give it the bottle?” Minnie asks her uncle Jamie as the four of us gaze at the baby goat in front of us. For the first time since yesterday, I actually see the slight curve up of lips that form a fond smile. Seeing that smile on my daughter’s face, I’m glad we didn’t go fishing and end up going to the barn instead. We were actually already on our way, but Jamie texted me that the mother goat had given birth this morning, and he wanted me to tell Minnie and George. The goats are a new addition to the farm, so they have been so excited to see baby goats. I knew from the look in their eyes that they would have a much better time seeing baby goats rather than fishing. 
It turns out that there’s only one baby goat, because the other one sadly didn’t make it. And the dam isn’t producing milk, so the kid needs to be bottle-fed until the mother is producing again. I can’t help but smile fondly at the baby goat too because it’s adorable. It’s a soft little white goat with a pink nose and ears. The dam is a Pygmy but since it has blue eyes, Jamie thinks she must have Nigerian Dwarf genes somewhere in her.
“It’s a female… a doeling,” Jamie tells her. “And she will if she’s hungry. You want to try to feed her? Look, she’s hungry again.”
We watch for a moment as the baby goat walks on wobbly legs, bleating in hunger. Jamie mixes the powdered formula and makes a bottle for her, then he hands the bottle to Minnie.
But Minnie shakes her head. “Maybe next time. I want to see you do it first.”
“Alright then,” Jamie nods, then turns towards my little lad. “How about you, mate? Wanna feed her?”
“No thank you,” says George as he shakes his head, and then he giggles, “she smells funny.”
“Can I do it?” I ask and Jamie nods as he hands me the bottle. 
I sit down against the wall with my children sitting on either side of me. And as if the goat can sense that I hold the key to filling her empty belly, the doeling starts to prance in excitement and falls over a few times due to what I assume is clumsiness. I love that she can walk normally but still choose chaos—honestly, she could’ve been my third child. There’s no stopping the surge of fondness that swells within me as I watch her little antics. 
“Come here little crumpet,” I coo at the goat.
The little goat scrambles right onto my lap, bleating hungrily. I wrap my arm around her and tip the bottle. She latches on instantly, and Minnie and George are aww-ing and ooh-ing over the way the baby goat’s little tail swishes back and forth so fast in ecstatic happiness as she drinks her milk. 
“You’re a hungry little thing, aren’t you?” Minnie murmurs and the little tail swishes faster as she pushes at the bottle to suck the milk down faster. “What’s her name, uncle Jamie?”
“I haven’t named her yet,” Jamie says. “What do you lot think we should call her?”
“Blue,” George suggests instantly, without looking away from the baby goat on my lap. 
“Ooh, I like it,” Minnie adds. “Like her eyes.”
“Blue it is, then,” Jamie grins. “Now, even though the dam is still not producing milk, we still need to train her to at least try to nurse, so she’ll do it right away when the dam is finally producing milk. Let’s see if we can get her to try to eat from the dam.”
He plucks the baby from my arms, and a series of yearning bleats come from the kid as he carries her to her mother. He places her near the dam’s udders and gives the baby a gentle push.
Much to our surprise, Blue spins away from Jamie and her mother and runs back to me. Although in all fairness, I am holding the bottle she was just drinking from. Jamie attempts three more times to get the baby to try to nurse from her mother, but she’s having none of it. 
Finally, he takes the bottle from me and walks across to the opposite wall. He sits down, holds the bottle out, and calls to the doeling. “Come here, baby. Come eat.”
Blue’s tail gives a few nervous twitches, but she doesn’t move towards Jamie. In fact, she takes a few hesitant steps backwards until she bumps into my legs. I’m amazed as I watch her stare hungrily at the bottle, bleating hungrily, but refusing to go to Jamie.
“Daddy, she thinks you’re her mummy,” says George and both my children burst in laughter.
“What?” I say in astonishment.
“I don’t think that doeling is going to feed from anyone but you,” Jamie adds with a chuckle as he stands up. He walks over and hands me the bottle. Blue jumps directly into my lap.
On autopilot, I offer the goat the nipple but look up to Jamie in panic. “What should we do?”
“Dunno, I’ll just try and do it when she’s hungry again in a few hours,” he shrugs. “But if she still doesn’t wanna eat, I’ll bring her to you.”
Any last vestiges of humour, happiness and downright giddiness over the cuteness of a baby goat fades as I realise I might or might not have just added another task to my list. Heavens help me.
***
“Let’s have a daddy and daughter date tomorrow.”
It’s a solid suggestion, and I really hope she’d say yes. Her little brother has his classmate’s birthday party to go to, so I know it’d be perfect for a little one-on-one time. 
We’re on our way back home after spending a whole day together. It was great, and even though I didn’t have happy-go-lucky Minnie, George had a great time, and it was enough for me. And at least she didn’t ask to go home early, so I’d call that a win.
“No, thanks,” she replies. There’s still not a hint of sulkiness in her tone, but it doesn’t sound technically warm either. 
I glance over through the rear-view mirror as she stares out the window with her arms folded. Her brother is sleeping next to her, and I figured this might be a good time to talk since she’s trapped in the car with me.
Everyone always says that Minnie is a mini-me, while George is a carbon-copy of his mum. Minnie has my nose, eyebrows, chin, even my smile; which is slightly lopsided and has a dimple on one side. I know I’m biased, but she truly is the most beautiful little girl I’ve ever seen.
Where Minnie shines, though, is her personality, which is a combination of her mum and me. She has her mum’s sunny disposition—aside from the days where she’s got a bag on—and always sees the good in everyone. She’s our little ray of sunshine, tender and caring and always trying to make others feel good.
From me, she gets her stubbornness, which even though I know is a good trait to have when she’s older, it made things so much harder when she was a toddler. She also has my terrible sense of humour, but the thing I’m most proud of is her work ethic. I can’t take full credit for that though, because her mother is a hard worker as well.
Ever since she started distancing herself from me, I know which subjects are safe, and which are not. School always falls in the safe category, because she enjoys it and excels. So I figure now that’s where I should start. “How’s school going?”
“Alright,” she replies, still looking out the window. 
Now, this really doesn’t sound at all like my daughter.
“Come on, Min,” I say desperately. “Tell daddy what’s been eating you. I can’t help if I don’t know what it is.”
“It’s nothing, I’m fine,” she says absently.
“Do you want to go and get some ice cream with me tomorrow?” That was our thing at least once every two weeks and she loved it.
“No, thank you.”
“Ice skating?”
“No, thank you.”
“Oh I know,” I say excitedly. “I’ve got a show in London in a couple of weeks, Jingle Ball. Do you want to come with me?”
Minnie has always been my biggest fan, clapping the hardest and yelling the loudest for her daddy. So it really takes me by surprise when she mutters, “shows, shows, shows… that’s all you care about, dad.”
I twist to peer out my window so she doesn’t see the wince that comes unbidden to my face if she looks through the mirror. That was a direct slam against me. 
That really does hurt, and I rub at the throb of pain behind my breastbone.
“That’s not true,” I reply faintly. 
“Did you care about my last ballet recital?”
Early this year, Minnie had a ballet recital. She was so excited about it because I had just finished my tour in December last year, and I’d already told my management that I would like a couple of months off. There was no reason for me not to attend, so I promised her I’d be there.
Except at the last moment, I realised I had forgot to switch an important meeting I had with the team from the new Manchester Arena. Since I invested in it, we had a meeting every few months because I said right from the beginning that I would take more than just a capital interest. I wanted to be involved in the development, because that was a huge project and I was really proud of it. 
YN was in charge of our schedule and when she reminded me about the recital, which conflicted directly with my meeting, we ended up getting in the worst row we’ve ever had throughout our marriage.
“You’re going to let our daughter down in a way she won’t forgive,” she stated.
I refused to believe that, brushing off her comment with “I’ll take her out for something special later.” But my wife turned and stalked away from me. 
That day, the meeting went great and the construction was almost done a few weeks earlier than intended, so there was an option if we wanted to open sooner. YN sent me a text with a video of Minnie’s performance, and it was beautiful. I was such a proud dad that I showed the video to everyone in that room. 
When I got home, my wife and children cuddled on the sofa, watching a film. George was snoozing with his head on his mum’s lap on the far end, so I plopped myself down beside Minnie. I tugged on her hair playfully, and asked if she wanted to go out to a special daddy-daughter dinner to celebrate her recital.
“No, thank you,” she replied quietly, not taking her eyes off the telly. 
“Come on, poppet,” I coaxed, trying to tickle her in the ribs a little. She only squirmed closer to her mum, not laughing from the tickle but grimacing like she didn’t want to be touched.
YN stared over Minnie with sorrow in her eyes. She gave a tiny shake of her head, but I wasn’t ready to give up. 
“The Ivy?” I tried to tempt her because my kid loves chips, and she’s obsessed with their truffle and parmesan chips.
“No, thank you,” she muttered again, her head resting on her mum’s shoulder and her arm crossed over her middle. YN cuddled her with an arm around her shoulder. It had been clear that they were a unit, and I hadn’t been included.
“Minnie decided she wants to stop ballet lessons, so that was her last recital.”
“Oh,” I’d replied dumbly.
I couldn’t think of another damn thing to say because to do so would be disingenuous. There’s no doubt I killed my daughter’s potential love of ballet by not coming to her recital. I knew that because of YN’s expression of disappointment and Minnie’s dull dismissal. 
Later that night, I walked by Minnie’s room and glanced in as the door was slightly open. I had bought her a bouquet of flowers that I gave her before I left for my meeting, and I saw that they’d been stuffed into the bin beside her desk.
I blink out of that memory, feeling the heavy weight of guilt. “Of course I did, my love. If I knew-”
“But not enough to come,” she replies dully. “And what about my debate competition? George’s piano recital? You showed up to none of them.”
I sigh heavily. “Minnie, a lot of parents have demanding jobs where they’re required to work or travel more than others. Sometimes A&E doctors have to work on Christmas and cannot see their children open the presents. Sometimes, a firefighter has to leave their house at night and can’t tuck their kids in bed.”
“I understand that,” she whirls and looks at me through the rear-view mirror. “Except you’re not saving lives or fighting fires, are you? You just get up on a stage and sing.”
“I’m a terrible dad, aren’t I?” I concede. “I know I’ve done things wrong in the past, but I’m trying to make it up to you, poppet. But I can’t do it if you won’t let me.”
She doesn’t say anything and it’s killing me. “You know I love you, right?”
“I know,” she rushes to assure me and I feel a little lighter. My daughter may act like a tween and have some bitter feelings towards me, but she loves me. 
“I don’t like seeing you like this,” I continue. “Tell me how to make it up to you and I’ll do it. I want things to be good between us again.”
Her eyes flare with shock, and then they dart away as if she’s considering something. I wait expectantly. Maybe she’s going to finally open up and pour out her feelings for me. I’m ready for it.
I’m ready to listen, and validate, and reassure her that she, along with her mum and brother, are the loves of my life. 
Her gaze comes back to me, her expression serious, and I brace.
“Can we get a puppy?”
What? 
There’s no stopping the unlocking of my jaw and the dropping of my mouth because this was the last thing I expected her to say. 
I’m so caught off guard that I can’t even think to immediately tell her ‘no’, which gives her time to launch into all the reasons why we should have a dog.
“Minnie, puppies are a lot of work. You’ve got to potty train them, teach them manners, and they get up for hours at night.” 
“I promise I’ll do all that,” she exclaims.
“Like how you were supposed to take care of Fishy?” I can’t help but remind her. Fishy was her goldfish that we had to throw a funeral for a few years ago because she forgot to feed him. That poor sod died of hunger.
Minnie rolls her eyes. “I was six.”
She’s got a point.
Still, it’s obvious part of her request is manipulation because she threw it at me when I opened myself up to vulnerability. She knows I’m trying, and she’s throwing me a clear bone.
Get her a puppy, and all will be forgiven.
“Tell you what,” I look over my shoulder after I parked the car since we’ve reached home. “I promise to think about it, and I’ll talk to mummy.” 
“Really?” She bounces in her seat in excitement.
“We’ll talk about it,” I reiterate in a calm, even voice. But there’s no stopping her excitement. The fact that I’m willing to consider is a huge victory for her because she knows that when I make my mind up about something, I never change it. 
I open the door for her, and she is quick to unbuckle herself and throws herself at me. 
I’m so surprised at the spontaneous act of affection that I almost don’t hug her back. It’s been so long since she’s shown this to me, and it’s the best feeling in the world.
I squeeze her tight, and I can only hope that my darling girl will always love her daddy the way she does right now. 
George doesn’t even stir as I pick him up, and I tuck him in his bed straight away since I don’t want to wake him up. He must be tired, and good thing I’ve fed them both dinner.
Minnie even gives me another hug before she gets ready for bed, and that results in me having a permanent smile on my face even as I walk down the stairs and into the kitchen to see my wife. 
“She’s chirpy,” YN comments when she sees me walking into the kitchen. “What did you do?”
“Got her to talk to me,” I smirk. 
She looks surprised, and well, I can’t blame her. “Did she?”
“She did,” I nod. “Pointed out all my flaws, and when I asked her how I could make it up to her, she asked for a puppy.”
“What?”
“Exactly my reaction,” I chuckle. 
“Boy, if she’s this good at emotional blackmailing at nine, we’d probably be in deep shit in a couple of years,” she jokes and I can’t help but laugh. 
I’ve missed this.
“Will you go out to dinner with me tomorrow night?” I blurt out before I can stop myself. 
“I can’t.”
“What? Got a hot date already?” I ask teasingly, but her silence tells me what I don’t want to know. “Oh, you’re going out with him.”
“Mr Wife- I mean Luke asked me out first and I already said yes.”
I shouldn’t be laughing because the fact that my wife going on a date with another man is not funny at all, but it’s hard to hide my smirk when she almost calls him by the nickname I’ve given him, Mr Wife-stealer. 
“Well, fair enough. He asked you first,” I say nonchalantly. “What does he do?”
“He’s an A&E doctor at the Northern General,” she says, her tone lightens a little.
“Smart then isn’t he,” I mutter. 
“Yes. He’s smart, attentive, caring and generous with his time.” 
I keep my expression and tone bland, but she landed a direct blow there and it fucking hurts. “All the things I’m not,” I state, voicing the conclusion she was aiming at.
“Well,” she drawls with a tiny bit of sympathy. “I do think you’re smart.”
I give her a side eye-roll before I decide to be downright nosy and ask, “you can’t have been on many dates then?”
“True,” she chirps, a gleam in her eye as she sticks the knife in. “He is busy and his schedules are unpredictable. But when he’s gone, he makes sure I know I’m always on his mind. He sends me flowers for absolutely no reason other than because he wants to, calls me every day and we text all the time.”
Well, sodding fucking bollocking shit wank. I didn’t think YN would fall for that crap. And I realise… I never thought to do that stuff for her. I was the self-absorbed type of person who figured that my wife knew I thought about her all the time when I was away. I mean we were married, so I just assumed she knew.
I’m a shit head. 
“What else does he do for you?” I ask and she blinks in surprise.
“Why?” She asks suspiciously.
“I told you I want our marriage to work.”
Her eyes narrow slightly, trying to read my tone and see whether I’m being genuine or it’s just bollocks. Finally, she replies primly, “I’m not giving away his secrets.”
What the fuck does that mean? Have they shagged? I would bet a million pounds they had not though, because I know YN and she wouldn’t enter into that deep of a relationship lightly.
Without even thinking twice, I make a sudden step into her. My arm goes around her waist and I pull her body into me. Not a single inch of space between us. Her mouth opens in a gasp of surprise, and I use the opportunity to kiss her.
I kiss the fuck out of my wife.
Her hands slap against my upper arms, and her fingers dig into my sleeves. Even as she’s pushing me away, her mouth opens, and her tongue touches mine briefly. 
When I pull back, I ask, “did he kiss you like this?”
She shakes her head, breathlessly admitting, “we haven’t-”
My jaw drops. “Are you joking?”
“I’m not,” she murmurs.
“How long exactly have you been seeing him?” 
“About four weeks.”
“Honey, he’s rooting for the other team,” I tell her and she slaps my arm. 
“Sod off, he’s not,” she counters.
“Four weeks with the hottest, most gorgeous, shaggable woman and he hasn’t tried to kiss you? I mean not that I’m not grateful because, fuck, I am. But wow.”
“Of course he did try,” she rolls her eyes. “But I’m not ready for that, and he’s okay with us taking it slow.” 
For a second I don’t say anything in response. Instead, I loosen my hold, bringing my hand to her lower back, and cupping her intimately from behind. Moaning, she leans into me. “I’m guessing he hasn’t touched you like this then.”
She doesn’t answer. Instead, she lets her eyelids flutter closed as her teeth bite into her lower lip.
Fuck. I could drag her to the floor right now, and we could go at it.
But then she comes to her senses, blinking rapidly, and I release her immediately when she gives me a tiny shove backwards. 
“You’re not playing fair,” she accuses. 
Damn right I’m not. I grab her upper arms, pull her back into me for one last kiss before I let her go just as quickly. “I’m playing to win.”
She takes a step back, brushes a wisp of hair from her temple, and puts on a cool expression. “That’s not going to make me take you back.”
I smirk.
She waves a dismissive hand. “Don’t get me wrong. You’re great with your hands and your mouth, but a lot of men know how to please a woman.”
She’s got a bonus point for trying to make me jealous, but I’m not falling for it. Instead, I give her a devilish smile and dip my head towards her. 
“That’s true, but no one will ever please you the way I can.”
I’m enjoying our banter, and I expect her to come up with a snappy retort that might make me kiss her again.
Instead, her expression is sad when she says, “I wish I could be happy with that.”
My heart squeezes, and I lift a hand to palm the side of her neck. I wait until she meets my gaze. “We’re more than just sex, darling. I know you need and deserve more. I’m ready to prove that to you.”
I lean in, pressing my lips to her forehead. 
She doesn’t respond as I pivot and head through the living room, letting myself out the door. 
All in all, I think that went very well.
***
I’m back at my wife’s cottage, waiting for my kids as they get ready upstairs. Minnie has finally agreed to go on a daddy-daughter date and George is going to an overnight sleepover birthday party, and I’ll drop him off at his classmate’s house before I take his sister out to dinner. I’ll make sure to make it up to him by taking him on a special one on one date too next week. 
There’s a light rap on the door, and my head swings that way. I have no doubt that it’s Mr Wife-stealer who’s going to take my wife out on a date.
I glance towards the master suite, but the door is closed. YN is probably putting on the finishing touches of her makeup. And the kids are still upstairs.
Nothing left to do but let him in.
Forcing a smile, I open the front door. He blinks in surprise to see me standing there, and I know I’ve got two options here; I could either easily dispel the awkwardness by being cool, welcoming and explaining our schedules happened to overlap.
Or… I could use whatever amount of alone time I have with him to instill some doubt inside his head.
That would be a dirty play, but as I have told my wife, I play to win.
Broadening my smile, I stick my hand out. “You must be Luke. I’ve heard a lot about you. I’m Harry.”
He seems momentarily frozen, but then basic manners take over. When he shakes my hand, it’s a bit limp, perhaps denoting a lack of confidence. After I release him, I bid him entrance with a sweep of my hand. “YN is in the bedroom. She’s still getting ready.”
Luke frowns over the fact that I know YN is in the bedroom. Probably over me even being here to talk to him. But I don’t dispel any innuendo he might glean from that.
I loop an arm around his shoulders, clamp down, and start guiding him to the kitchen. “Come on in and sit for a bit while she’s finishing up. Want a beer?”
Luke moves to one of the island stools, looking completely frazzled. “Uh… no, thank you.”
I shrug, moving to the fridge and opening it. Grabbing a bottle, I say with a sly grin as I close it. “So glad YN still stocks my favourite beer.”
I am so going to hell.
But that’s the truth. It’s my wife’s favourite beer, too, but I don't tell him that. Instead, I let the implication that I come over and have beers often. Luke’s frown deepens.
“YN tells me you work at the Northern General?” I take a sip of my beer, then lean my forearms on the island directly across from him so we’re eye level.
“Yeah… uh, that’s right.” Poor Luke. He seems incapable of carrying on a polite conversation with the husband of the woman he’s dating. 
But I’m going to give him a pass. Setting my beer down, I straighten. “Let me go tell YN you’re here.”
“Um… you don’t have-” he starts to say, but I move past him without a backward glance. Through the living room, down the small hall, and a hard left takes me to the master suite. The door’s closed. I don’t bother knocking because I know YN is dressed.
I find her in the ensuite, her makeup drawer open and she’s huddled over it, touching something inside. 
“Your date’s here,” I announce.
She lets out a yip of fright, shoving whatever it was in her hand to the back and slamming the drawer closed. 
“Damn it, Harry,” she snaps, her palm pressed against her heart. “You scared the hell out of me. And what are you doing in my room?”
“Just running an errand for you. Wanted to let you know your date is here,” I say casually and I give her a mischievous grin. “Don’t worry, I welcomed him in, offered him a drink, and made small talk.”
She rolls her eyes, rising from her vanity chair and moves past me without another word. I start to follow, but then I hesitate and turn back to the drawer of her vanity. Quietly, I pull it open as far as it will go, spotting a picture of YN and me stuffed in the back.
I recognise it. It’s from a trip we took to Anguilla a few years back, just the two of us, and fuck if we didn’t look happy and deeply in love.
Was that what she was looking at when I walked in?
That could be good or bad, but either way, no way to know the answer. I shut the drawer, then catch up to her as she’s moving through the living room. Luke sees her, sliding off the stool. When she holds out her hands, he takes them and leans in to kiss her on the cheek.
Lame.
I sit on the armrest of the sofa, watching. Luke glances over YN’s shoulder at me as he pulls back, smiling victoriously. 
I just smirk back. Because he’d probably lose it if he knew the type of kiss I gave my wife just last night. But I’ll keep that information to myself, though.
YN grabs her handbag off the accent table near the staircase before addressing me. “Make sure Minnie locks up when you leave, and remind George I’ll pick him up at ten tomorrow morning.” 
I give her a jaunty salute. “Aye-aye, Captain.”
In return, I get another eye roll. 
Luke puts his hand on my wife’s back, shooting me a look that says, ‘she’s mine tonight’, and I want to punch his teeth down the back of his throat. I just smile blandly, because, in just a few minutes of talking to him and watching how they interact, I can tell he’s getting nothing more than a friendly kiss when he brings her home.
YN might want to keep pushing at that relationship, but I am willing to bet that it’s not going to go anywhere. I know this, because I’m sure that my wife is still in love with me. 
-
Read part II here!
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akaashisupremacy · 3 years
Text
A Little in Love
Summary: Having broken off your engagement for an arranged marriage with him, your relationship is in shreds. As you and Gojo begin as friends again, he wonders if he ever fell out of love for you. Has he?
Notes: Gojo Satoru is good-looking, all powerful and beyond good at his job. I’ve always wanted to explore something he struggles with
Gojo Satoru  x reader
Multi-fandom Masterlist || HQ Masterlist || Ao3 version
Genre: ANGST AND PINING, exes to friends to ??, commitment issues lol (wc: 1.3k) tw: mention of blood, infedelity-ish
“Are you sure you’re not in love with them?”
That question wipes the smile off Gojo Satorou’s face.
Tonight’s dinner was unexpected. You ran into Shoko Ieri, Jujutsu Kaisen’s resident doctor and Gojo Satoru just as your work day ended. One thing led to another and the three of you ended up in a soba place not too far from Jujutsu Tech. When you excused yourself to use the washroom Ieri-san grabs the chance to ask the burning question on her mind.
“So what’s the answer? You’re awfully quiet.”
“We’re not engaged anymore. That ship has sailed.” he waves his hand dismissively.
Ieri rolls her eyes. All throughout dinner, Gojo was teasing you, offering you food, playing light pranks at you just like he was when you were teenagers. The way he looked at you was enough to tick any off about how he feels.
She retorts, “You can try again now that you’re adults. You’re allowed to make a go at a love match.”
Gojo’s relationship with you is…complicated. You two were arranged to be married when you were children, but had broken up as teenagers.
Gojo looks contemplative, his hands clasped together.
“I’ve thought about it.” he sighs, “And I think about it every time we meet, but—I don’t think I’m the type to commit and they need a commitment type. It’s not a match.” Ieri scowls on your behalf. 
During your time at Jujutsu Tech, he simultaneously wanted to give your relationship a shot but hated the restrictions set on him. In the end, it was all too much. Both of you begged your families to break off the engagement.
Your teenage years with him were confusing. Were you really in love or those feelings fabricated by the arranged marriage? If the marriage wasn’t a love match anyway, why did it hurt to see Gojo flirt with someone else?
Gojo remembered one of your early confrontations when you were 16 and he was 17. 
“It’s difficult to be engaged to you.” you expressed, exasperated. 
When you started school at Jujutsu Tech however, something changed. Gojo didn’t want to be seen around you. He was always flirting with others behind your back. You can’t even have a proper conversation with him alone. 
During your second year, you finally stood up to him. 
“No, it’s not.” he rolled his eyes, “You don’t even have to pretend that you like me.”
It worried you that he definitely couldn’t be faithful and it hurt you that he couldn’t even spare time to properly talk with you. 
You sighed and looked left and right. It’s had been ten minutes. You were still standing outside his dorm room and he has not intention of letting you in. 
“It’s not about that!” you exclaimed, annoyed, “I know you don’t like being engaged to me, which is fine—“
“It doesn’t sound fine,” he snorts, crossing his arms. He tries to drown the sound of your voice from the surrounding cicadas. 
“—if you weren’t such an asshole,” you continued, “But can you at least treat me with more respect. Everybody knows we’re engaged. Neither of us want to be in arranged marriage so all I’m begging you to do is to —“ 
He shrugs, “No promises.” 
He could see anger light beneath your eyes. Out of the darkness of the night, a silver flicker brushes by his side. You were seething, despite being barely illuminated by the light of the corridor bulbs. 
You had drawn out a dagger at him. You! His kind, patient fiancee. It happened so fast he almost didn’t dodge. 
“I missed on purpose. Don’t you get complacent.” you muttered, turning away. 
Gojo was surprised to see tears running down your face. You’ve never looked so upset. It catches him off guard. 
“I’m sorry,” was all he had to utter. He wasn’t even sure you heard him because you had already begun walking away. You had drawn the blade, but in reality it was you that was hurting and he the trespasser. 
He shakes his head at Ieri and continues, “I don’t want to hurt them again. It was bad enough when our engagement fell apart.”
He didn’t mean to hurt you then of course. It was harsh to expect commitment out of a teenager who wasn’t ready, but you were still in pain.
Ieri sizes him up in the dim lighting of the diner. Gojo likes to be in control. He likes to be the one to set traps. It’s interesting to see him be the captive for once.
“You haven’t answered my question.” she presses.
Gojo’s fingers tense up.he gives in just a bit, “I’ll always be a little in love with them. Maybe because I was obligated to for so long.”
“And that’s not enough though, because they deserve more” he quickly adds.
“Can’t you change? Sounds like you’re afraid to try.” she sighs.
Gojo is quiet once again.
“Don’t wait for them to be in love with someone else before you realize that you want to be with them. I’d hate for you to be too late.” she warns, glancing towards you as you walk back to the table.
He looks away from Ieri. You sit back down in front of him.
He feels his heart swell and hurt at the same time. You’ve always represented a jumble of contradictions for him: someone to love and someone who represents traditions he hates.
“Did I miss something?” you ask, sensing the tension.
“No, nothing.” he denies, his voice purposely lightening to cover his mood.
“Well, why does everyone look so serious?” you perkily ask.
Gojo briefly glances at you. His shoulders relax and he sits back into his seat. After all these years, it’s still so easy to be swayed by your bright eyes.
“I was just about to call for another drink.” Ieri clears her throat.
“Me, too.” he adds.
You look at him carefully, a tinge of worry in your eyes. You don’t say anything though. Not now. This is between you and him. It’s a matter outside of your friendship with Ieri.  
“You can have my drink.” you offer to him, eyes locked onto his. 
Sensing your stare, he turns back at you, glad that his bandages cover his vulnerability. He’s not sure he can take it if you saw how deeply conflicted he was about his feelings. As he continues to look, recognition dawns on him.
In another universe, you could be married right now. You’d be having dinner, just the two of you, sitting across each other like this. In another world, maybe you wouldn’t have known each other at all. This moment feels like purgatory. He’s somewhat in love, just a little and you’re not his in a way that feels real.
You push your drink into his hands. Ieri looks away to give you a semblance of privacy. Gojo finally takes the drink. 
It feels strange for the man who has everything, to know he only has a little bit of you.
------------------------------------------------------------
General taglist: @itstheee-ha-chan@kaizumi@holaaaf@glxar@francxsca
Series Taglist: @kageyamakock​ @gucci-froggy @cherryonigiri
I wrote this as a follow up for another Gojo x reader fic who used to be engaged. Check it here. This is 2/4 so let me know if you’d like to be tagged in the rest of the releases! 😊
Part 1 || Part 2 || Part 3 || Part 4 || Part 5 || Part 6 || Part 7 || Part 8
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andieperrie18 · 3 years
Text
Your Endgame
So this is requested by@raginghellfire. I haven’t written in a while due Uni and busy classes but I hope I did a good job on this. UwU Dami might be a bit OOC but I really think he is a passionate lover when he falls in love.
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Bruce Wayne was one tough cookie. Unlike Tony, he held shackled himself with the responsibility of protecting Gotham city from its baddies that he barely let himself enjoy his life. He too cares for children very much but he wasn't as hands-on being there for them. He wasn't always there in those best events in their life to congratulate them that greatly hurt them. It would seem that he just adopted these children as soldiers for his endless war with crime, that they were nothing but expendable assets. But he does love them and had just recently been trying to reconnect with all of them.
Tony Stark had always let his child have free reign over their life but he never leaves the passenger seat. He will always be by their side no matter what choice they make. He was never strict as he was a free soul but he grows and understands responsibility everyday after returning from Afghanistan after being held captive. He wasn't a perfect father but he did try for Y/n, good thing for him is that she understands responsibility earlier made it easy for him to be there for him.
Bruce Wayne was notorious for being a play boy, same goes to Tony Stark. Both men has had another of flings that the paparazzi didn't miss to see. It took quite a while before two of them finally found out the true meaning of true love. The one decided to settle down while the other chose his job over attaining a lifelong happiness and peace.
Some of the Wayne kids also had their own flings through out their lives. Some had more the two and some, just one. Just one cause when the second came, they were their endgame.
---
The bright city lights of Paris slightly seeped in the glass panes of the balcony doors of the room. Across it was a king sized bed with undone sheets and two people underneath the high quality comforter. Damian and Y/n sat with backs against the head board, the latter former resting his against the latter's figure. His head slightly buried on her neck as her fingers combed through his bed hair her other hand around his bare chest.
"I'm pretty sure that photo reached them already," her voice echoed around the slightly dim room.
Damian hummed, "It did, which earned me quite a number of miss calls from my family,"
Y/n giggled that he found contagious making him do the same.
"I'm going back to Gotham in two days but I don't think I'm ready to leave your side yet," he snuggled his face on her neck, placing butterflies kisses on them. Her eyes close, a flutter vibrates within her chest as she pulled his head closer. Placing her lips on his head. Damian pulled her seated figure closer to his own, his face snuggling closer to her skin.
"Can I just postpone the flight for another month?" he mumbled, sending tickles on her skin making her giggle.
"Dami, you said that 2 months ago and you already bought a ticket home,"
Damian never whines but after almost two years of being in a relationship, there are certain childishness he had suddenly unlock being with her. Y/n laughed at his childish wiles as it send tingles in his stomach, he loves it when she laughs because of him.
"Besides, I already scheduled mine and my seat is next to yours, you can't expect me to have an empty seat beside me?"
Damian's head shot up from her neck, his eyes staring at her. Y/n bit her lip containing a fit of giggles after seeing his eyes sparkle like a child getting a new toy. He slumped his faced between breast.
"I really love you."
"And I really love you too, Dami,"
---
And probably the biggest public figures is youngest Wayne child and the eldest Stark Child. The most controversial couple that reached ears all over the world. No one knew of their relationship as until the paparazzi caught a picture of them kissing at Champ de Mars near the Eiffel tower. The news made use of the quote, "Pictures speaks a thousand words" rather well. Some are heartbroken by the news but the biggest people taken surprise by the news were the Wayne's.
Clicks and flashes surrounded the long trail of red carpet that lead to entrance of the Wayne manor that held another gala. This time it was a celebratory occasion for the youngest Wayne's return from a long vacation that he took a almost 2 years ago. A break he took after a rather peaceful yet melancholic break up with titan's member. Damian suddenly decided to toss the towel and told his Father that he doesn't want to be like Bruce, alone and brooding. He needs to breath for a while to which his father did not hesitate to agree. Bruce loves his children, he may not show it but he does.
A Grey matte Porsche 911 parked its way at the end of the carpet making some of the photographers to  it, awaiting the celebrities that will emerge.
"Do you think they'll like me? I mean Dad isn't really in good terms with Bruce Wayne you know," Y/n  eyed the silhouette of the Wayne manor and the crowding paps at the cat walk. This wasn't the first time she came to a Wayne gala, its just that this time she was going to be introduced as Damian Wayne's girlfriend.
The emerald eyed Wayne gently took her chin to meet his eyes. A gentle smiles grew from his lips.
"They will, beloved. I know they will because I love you," his voice said laced a such a tender tone that no one ever thought he could have.
A love sick grin emerged from her once doubting expression before she pressed leaned for a quick peck to which he returned in an instant. They pulled away with both of them sharing the same cheek tinted grins.
Damian emerged from the driver's seat followed by the loud camera clicks and calling reporters. He simply gave his signature Wayne smile before turning to the other side of the car to where Y/n emerges with the same celebrity like smile that she inherited from her father. From the moment they set foot on the carpet, the paparazzi just got louder and rather pushy that made the guards push them out a little harder.
"Mr. Wayne how'd you meet Ms. Stark?!"
"Miss Stark, how long have you two been together?!"
"Miss Stark look here!!"
"Mister Wayne! Look here!!"
To say that the paparazzi were going crazy would be an understatement, as they were going mad-crazy as the couple walking the catwalk is the biggest confirmation to the news that a union between the Wayne and the Stark has occurred. If they could only get to the couple to ask some, more like a bunch of questions would be the cherry on top of the new news for next day.
Upon entry within the Manor, their arrival turn heads and silenced chatters.
Y/n M/n Stark, the matriarch of the Stark Industries inheriting the nickname, 'Merchant of Death' in Manhattan. She was a much smarter tinker as she assured no such case like her father's long captivity ever happened again and all Stark weapons are heavily protected and can only be handled by the military hands.
Damian Wayne was no CEO but is a COO of the Wayne Enterprises. Helping his brother Tim in managing the affairs in the company. It's bad enough that the male is overdosing himself with caffeine while handling their nightly hero affairs, he was still his brother no matter how much they quarrel. Damian was willing to shoulder long painstaking meetings for him just to let him have a day off.
To see the two of them together would expresses a union.
Their matching outfit theme elevated the curiosity of all the attendants of the gala. Damian's slick three piece burgundy check suit made Damian look sophisticated but neat. Every young lady around the room were welcome to gawk at his figure as he glides with his partner. Y/n's own green gown greatly complimented his with its shade of green, its shape hugging her figure naturally that she loved. Every young man had their eyes on an emerald.
It didn't take long before the couple reached the group of people they are meant to meet. They didn't miss their wide eyes and dropped jaws. Y/n may be a stranger but they could agree that she is a beautiful stranger.It was only when Damian spoke that they have gained awareness of their surroundings.
"Good evening father, everyone. It's nice to see you all again," Damian began with Y/n holding on to his shoulder.
"I gotta say demon spawn you grew quite a lot for just two years," Jason earned a slightly hard nudge from Dick. Damian may have grown but he still has a tick with Jason's nicknames for him.
"Don't mind him Damian, why don't you introduce your company," the eldest said as he slightly push the white streaked hair male behind him that earned a look from his father.
Damian didn't say anything on the nickname thing and proceeded to introduce her which earned quite an awkward atmosphere on his family's side while the couple remained at ease in their presence.
"Stark its nice to finally see you again," Tim entered as he brought his hand out to which the woman took generously.
"Good to see you too Drake, and good evening to you too Mister Wayne,"
Bruce went forward to shake her hand, "How is your father by the way?" he asked.
"He is doing well, he's living by the countryside with my sister and mom," she replied with a smile.
"So he's settling down?" Bruce asked, quite surprised.
"Yes, he said life is short and he intends to spend it living it with us," She continued to which earned a bit of awkwardness with Damian's siblings. It was a rather sensitive topic but they didn't speak of it any further.
---
Damian had to separate himself from Y/n to help Tim a bit on the company. Seated by the bar, with his two brothers and his father, it was quite a company.
"How long have you two been going out?" Dick opened as you turned to him.
"We've been together for almost 1 year and half years, but we didn't started dating until six months later after we met,"
"We're you aware he just got out of a break up?" Jason raised.
Y/n took a sip of her drink, "I did, that's why I didn't let him to be with me until I totally confirmed that I was not a rebound,"
"And how do you know you aren't just a rebound for Rachel Roth?" Dick asked this time.
Bruce didn't say anything as he wasn't very much in touch with his son's relationship, but he did know that he loved her, Damian wouldn't risk his life for anyone if he did. As much as he wanted to stop Dick from pulling a rather sensitive topic on a person he just met especially when that person is someone close to his brother, he wants to know if the girl was just a fling. Y/n was known to have a number of flings before Damian came in to the picture.
"Damian is not mine to claim, whether I am a rebound or not, I still love him, you can try to make me say what we are having is just a fling but I know one thing," her tone was authoritative but calm.
They were doubting Damian's judgement with her relationship with her. Its not like she wasn't aware that he dated a co-worker of his. He was his first love and Y/n knew she might not be his last but she sure prays to whatever ethereal being that they last.
"I love him. Whether you believe me or not, I will always do even if he chooses her over me,"
Damian was her everything.
---
By midnight, Damian said his good byes with his family. He didn’t miss the slight look of sadness in her eyes so he took her away from his brothers' company. Damian was sure that they said something but she chose to protect them by not telling him anything.
When they got to the parking lot as they got to their car, Damian stopped and had Y/n face him. Before she could ask, he had already latched his lips on her. Giving her an ever so passionate kiss they always share. One that he always felt like he was having his first kiss the first time.
Y/n circled her arms around his neck before they broke off, forehead resting against each other.
"I may not know what went on between you and my family by the bar, but I want you to know that I love you. You may not be my first but I am deathly sure that you are my last…" he whispered to her.
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tokoyamisstuff · 3 years
Text
Meant To Be - Loki x Fem! Reader
Summary: Much to your displeasure, your parents have promised you away to the God of Mischief of all people.
Tags: Arranged Marriage AU, Light Elf! Reader
Warnings: Aside from Loki hating himself, nothing.
Words: 2878
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I Masterlist I
A/N: Some good old-fashioned, ‘redeemed after The Avengers and the other movies didn’t happen’ Loki. Like, really cheesy, self-indulgent 2012 stuff. I just want to ignore all misery that happens in the series okay?
“Ew! Stop it!”
You were eight at the time when you and Loki first met, by means of negotiation between both your parents.
If only you knew that this encounter should be the first impression of what should be your husband in the near future...
Frigga and Odin could only plead for their son to be on his best behavior - but well, it’s the God of Mischief we’re talking about. Must be hard to inherit such a title from your very birth.
Just when you put the little bonquet of flowers he had picked up for you towards your face to admire it, several little spiders emerged from the blossoms.
“You’re no fun.” The raven-haired boy stood a safe distance away from you, arms crossed as his gleeful laughter turned into a broad sulk. "And your ears are weird.”
“I hate you!” you screeched in your childish rage, throwing the flowers to the ground and trampling onto them. “Where’s your brother? Thor is way nicer than you!”
“Well, why don’t you marry him then?!” he mocked to cover up his hurt pride, picking up a handful of dirt and throwing it in your direction. 
“I don’t need any friends anyway...” the little boy whispered to himself, running away from the scene with tears filling the corner of his eyes. 
“I don’t need anyone. I’m way better than all of them!”
Not even Frigga was fast enough to catch up with him, while Odin uttered some fake apologies to your parents, promising them that everything will go as planned.
You on the other hand were running towards your mother, tightly grabbing onto her dress. “He’s mean! I wanna go home!”
As Queen of the Light Elves, your mother was a being full of grace and composure - and you were hoping to one day become such a formidable person as well.
She bowed down to your height, petting your hair as you rubbed the mixture of tears and dirt from your cheeks. Just her bright smile alone would sometimes be enough to make you forget about your worries - but not today.
“My sweet child” she cooed, cradling you in her arms. “One day you’ll understand.”
However, this would be the last time you paid Asgard a visit - at least until now. Because no matter how deeply you wished to never meet him again, the words your mother spoke on that day haunted you all those years:
“For this is your duty as a princess.”
[Present Day - Asgard]
It felt so unreal when you stuck your head outside of the wooden carriage, the wind playing with your hair as your glare wandered over the rainbow bridge you were crossing.
Silence strained the air, your parents unable to do even so much as look into your eyes. Hel, how you wished this was only a dream.
Behind you was a whole company of Light Elves, transporting all of your belongings to what should be your homecountry from now on.
Now there was no way back, that much was sure.
You were supposed to meet your soon-to-be husband on that very same day, one day before your wedding to be precize.
One could only guess why you weren’t allowed to visit Asgard again for all those years, even though you were practically born just for this reason - for this person.
To become Loki’s bride was your involuntary purpose, and you couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to be truly free.
Maybe your parents thought the God of Mischief to have a bad influence on their growing daughter, pulling you into his harmless yet dishonorable schemes. Or they simply feared you to refuse marrying said man if you got to know him better, finding out just what kind of person you were promised to.
Not that your parents were pleased either...everyone in the Nine Realms knew the stories.
To Odin, there was no point in hiding the disgrace his adoptive son had brought over Asgard. Not only was he responsible for an attack on Midgard, sacrificing thousands of lives for his own sake, drunken by greed for power.
But all of you were shocked to hear that Loki Odinson - or rather Laufeyson - was never Asgardian to begin with.
A Frost Giant.
Among your kind, they were known to be one of the most terrible abominations in the nine realms, and murderer of countless of your kind - and this should be the father to your future children?
Only thinking about this cruel twist of fate made you want to vomit...
So why did you agree to proceed with the preparations as if nothing had happened? How in Alfheim’s name could you reject their offer to wed you to Thor instead of that lunatic?
Was it that through your upbringing and royal duties, you had lost your own free will? Or simply fear of stepping aside the path that everyone had prepared for you?
It was probably the fact that you didn’t want to get into true love’s way...you and Thor stayed in brief contact through Heimdall, and you just knew how much that human girl meant to him.
You were kinda jealous, though...the concept of being in love was foreign to you, having a vague idea of it from novels only. But real life just wasn’t meant to be that was, was it?
You couldn’t escape your fate, that was what it was - for this treaty would unite both kingdoms, bringing peace and wealth for all of their inhabitants.
No way you could be so selfish as to decline...even if it meant you had to suffer for the rest of your life.
“My Ladyship, we have arrived!” a guard spoke as he knocked on the carriage door, with your parents hinting that you needed to step out first.
The very same guard now yelled from the pit of his lungs, making you feel the whole Kingdom of Asgard could hear. “Now arriving: Lady Y/N Y/L/N, eldest Princess of Alfheim and heir to the throne.”
You heared the people whispering as you took your first, insecure steps, blinded by the bright daylight.
“She’s so pale, like ice” or “Why are her ears like that?” were rather nice comments compared to others plainly calling you ugly, scary or a ‘disgrace’.
Of course your Kingdoms had been in a war for several decades, but this was long in the past - before your very birth, even. So what’s the reason you should bear with such hostility in the place everyone expected you to call ‘home’ from now on?
One thing was clear from the very beginning: You would never belong here.
“May I?” a dark, husky voice interrupted your self-pitying. You blinked heavily, still trying to adjust to all those golden surroundings, until your blurry vision finally cleared up.
“C’mon.” The voice belonged to the man in front of you, looking gravely nervous with sweat dripping from his forehead. He was reaching out a hand for you to take, and you gladly accepted since you didn’t want to embarass yourself further by falling out of the carriage.
And still, you managed to somehow miss a step and fall right into his arms. “Oh my, so clumsy” the man snickered as he catched you, clearing his throat as you grabbed onto his chest to regain balance. "Not very graceful for someone of your status.”
“And you are-” The words got stuck in your throat when you stared back into those eyes, their emerald green awaking memories you’d rather forgotten entirely. “L-Loki!”
“Exactly, my dear. The one and only.” Smooth and calm, he  pecked a kiss on the back of your hand, andyou couldn’t help but admire just how well he had aged: His wild locks were combed back, sharp features complimenting his face as he tried his best to give you his most innocent smile.
Yet you kept your guard up, always expecting him to somehow embarass you just for the fun of it. “When it comes to him, always expect the unexpected” Thor once warned you, and you won’t forget about it that easily.
“It’s a pleasure finally meeting you” was your firm declaration, only to be rewarded with a scoff. “You are speaking to the God of Lies, Lady Y/N - there is no use in trying to deceive me” he whispered into your ear, making you shiver in unpleasant anticipation.
“Carry her belongings to my rooms” he dismissed the servants with a simple gesture of his hand, offering his other arm for you to cling on as he escorted you through the palace.
The giant halls were almost empty, nothing like back on Alfheim where you and your brethren would enjoy each other’s company in midst of nature. A sole tear escaped your eye when you thought back to those carefree days, which are now over.
“Are you alright, m’lady?” Much to your surprise, your fiancé sounded honestly concerned about your well-being. “If you are tired, we can postpone our tour of the palace until you’ve rested.”
 “May I speak from the heart?” You gulped after finishing that sentence, scaring yourself with all the stories you’ve heared about this mad troublemaker.
Somehow you had the feeling that if you were to overstep your boundaries with that brute, it would have consequences beyond your imagination. He might seem generous and polite right this moment, but what would someone like him do if you enrage him? Countless images were circling in your head, one worse than the other.
Loki furrowed his brows, exhalinge deeply. For him, your expression was an open book to what you were thinking right now.
“Y/N, my dear Lady, if you want it or not: Starting tomorrow, we share a bond. I am deeply sorry that a veritable flower as you are had to end up with someone like me, but I promise to treat you as well as possible.”
Turning around so you’d not detect how it hurt him to speak from the heart, he added with a shaky voice “Yet there is no reason for you to hold back your hatred for me. No harm will come your way, I swear upon the little honor I have left.”
Even though his words made you feel a deep sympathy with the god, you weren’t quite sure if you could decipher truth or deceit in them. Maybe he just wanted to lure you into saying what you truly thought of him?
He’s right - you will have to spend the rest of your life with him, so don’t mess this up from the very start!
“I-I don’t hate you!” was the first thing you blurted out, grabbing onto his cloak. Loki turned around, rising his eyebrow as he scanned your face for any hint of a lie.
Althrough it was the truth, at least to a certain extend. You’ve seen each other only once, when you were still little. The rest is all tales and rumours, but you personally don’t have a reason to despise him.
There was no way you could promise to accept his past or heritage, let alone forgive him - yet as long as he’d treat you with respect, you’d return the favour.
“T-There’s just a question on my mind this whole time...aren’t you mad? I-I mean someone like- well...like you...” you gestured around awkardly, almost making him crack a smile. “I mean...I thought you wouldn’t let your parents dictate your life.”
Another deep sigh escaping his mouth, this times with his eyes closed. “This isn’t about Asgard or my adoptive parents. I choose my own path.”
Suddenly, Loki wrapped one arm around you, flicking his fingers with the free one.
“Hold onto me” he ordered indifferent as he casted his spell, teleporting both of you away before you could even comprehend, let alone ask him what he was doing.
It happened in the fraction of a second, yet felt like hovering through an empty space for an eternity.
“Now open your eyes.” You hadn’t even realized that you squeezed them shut during the shift, slowly opening them while Loki lifted your chin with his index finger.
The environment was magnificent. Had you ever seen something this beautiful in your whole life?
Obviously you had no clue where you were, but this was the first time seeing so much untouched nature on Asgard. There were flowers blooming in all colours imagineable, clear rivers crossing the lands in between grassy hills, and animals nearby a small forrest.
“It’s not like I didn’t educate myself about the Light Elves and their way of living” Loki stammered, unconsciously intertwining your fingers with yours as he watched you admiring the view. “So I could make you comfortable here, I mean.”
He plummeted down on the grass, still a little wet from the morning dew, and gestured for you to do the same. It was weird, actually, but also somehow adorable - how the infamous ‘Silver Tongue’ had lost his ability with words. “I’ve done very little right in my life full of wrongs. Hurt a lot of people.”
“Mmmhh” you hummed approvingly, not knowing what else to say - yet for some reason, you didn’t let go off of his hand, squeezing it ever so slightly.
“And even though I can’t possibly redeem myself, I wish to change for the better.” he muttered, rubbing the back of his head. “I just never knew how to start.”
Loki Odinson really was full of surprises. He was nothing like the child you’ve met long ago, and the complete opposite of what you imagined the ‘God of Mischief’ to be.
You had expected a power-hungry, selfish and cruel man to wed you - and yet there he was: Insecure and broken, only a shell of the person he once was.
Just what had you missed all those years? What things happened to break someone’s will like this?
And was he truly beyond repair?
“Those past weeks, I have visited Alfheim more times than you could comprehend” he giggled nervously, avoiding your eyes. “Concealed, of course.”
Well, that sounded kind of weird, but you knew better than to talk someone down who was just opening up to you. So your sole answer was “What for?”
“There was no way a criminal like me would still be seemed fit for this ceremony - and yet I was given this chance anyway. My mother told me that it was you who insisted on carrying on the arrangement, so...I just wanted to know what person would be willingly ruin their life.”
Something different was shining through the god’s orbs, and you couldn’t quite decipher it. Was it hope? Hope, that if you had given him a chance, his life could lead into a different direction? To change himself from the burden that was his birth title?
“I-I guess I don’t want to mess this up like I always do” he whimpered barely audible, before staring at you in shock and embarassment. Until now, he hadn’t realized just how vulnerable he made himself.
Just what the hell would you think about him now? You probably had lost any respect, or thought himself to be crazy. How weak...
So he was quick to put on the confident facade again, wearing his smug grin as if that all was just part of a big joke only he’d understand. But even though you barely knew him, he couldn’t fool you.
“Sometimes it’s enough just to try.” Your head turned from the sight of nature to your fiancé and back several times, before you brought up the courage and put a hand on his shoulder, whispering “So you can’t really mess this up.”
“Gladly you don’t seem to know yet just how much misery I cause.” He kept that thought to himself, to not scare you away.
“I am aware that you could never love someone like me, Y/N. But I can provide for you, dedicate myself to making you content with being my wife. My newfound purpose.”
The purpose of a war criminal - that sure put yourself under a lot of pressure. And still, it made you somewhat proud, and grateful as well. Because it was the first time someone valued you as a person, and not the princess of Alfheim.
Unaware of how much time had passed, both of you would get used to each other’s presence in silence, enjoying the nature while you processed this eventful day.
Exhausted from the long travel and all that rollercoaster of emotion, you soon found yourself dazzling into sleep onto Loki’s shoulder. If only you could see him adore you, staring in awe that someone could actually feel so safe in his presence.
Carefully, the god picked you up, gently lifting you on his arms to make your way back to the palace, where everyone was frantically searching for both of you. Well, Loki was used to trouble -  but right now, it was worth it.
May it be right or wrong, and even though you couldn’t explain this sentiment, you had a good feeling when it came to the things that were just about to come.
“You won’t regret your decision, Y/N Y/L/N. On my side, I assure you a bright future.”
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graniairish · 3 years
Text
Walking on Eggshells – Part 3
so here is the 3rd part. maybe some more will follow ...
Part one Part two
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Daryl had woken up before dawn. He had always been an early riser and, like you, always one of the first to greet the new day.
You yourself were only half asleep. Immediately you noticed when he began to move as he slowly left the dream world.
With his right arm still around you, he pulled you tight. At some point during the night you had turned your back to him and now he was spooning you from behind.
In his arms you always felt so safe and secure, as if nothing could happen to you in these moments.
"Mornin'", you heard his deep voice, which was still very rough from sleep.
"Good Morning."
Daryl snuggled up close to you and you had to laugh lightly, because his stubble tickled your neck when he kissed you there - still sleepy.
Only you knew this side of him. For everyone out there he was the fearless redneck who hardly spoke more than two sentences to anyone; the loner who should not be messed with.
Only you knew the gentle and loving man who kept looking for your physical closeness; the passionate lover who never seemed to get enough of you.
"Have any plans for today?"
"I'll take care of the chicken coop with Jake and Josh."
"Jake and Josh," Daryl asked confused.
He raised his head and looked at you questioningly.
"Yes. The two have experience in construction. I already spoke to them yesterday."
"Who are Jake and Josh?"
“They're from Woodbury. You know them."
"Don't know who ya're talkin’ about," Daryl said, still trying to remember them.
“Jake and Josh, the two brothers. Big, black hair, tattoos on the upper arms …"
"The two who look like bouncers?"
“Yes, exactly this two. Together we will try to build a beautiful new home for our chickens."
"If ya want."
With these words, Daryl pressed a longing kiss on your shoulder before he broke away from you and slowly left the bed.
You first stretched yourself with relish before you turned around and watched your boyfriend get dressed. A warm feeling spread in your body at the thought that this man was your man, that this man wanted to be your man. You were so incredibly happy. You would never trade Daryl for anything or anyone in the world.
When he approached you and leaned over - his hands propped up on the left and right of your head - you were still lying in bed dreaming.
He had to go, after all, his shift on the Guard Tower soon began.
"See ya in the fields then", he said with a smirk.
“Unfortunately, you have to do without me today. Rick and I want to look for a location for our chicken coop first thing today."
"Ya're breakin’ my heart," he whispered as he gave you a gentle kiss on the lips, longingly and so full of love.
"I'm sure you will survive," you smirked.
---------------------------------------------
Contrary to your usual practice, you had helped Carol prepare breakfast that morning while you waited for Rick. Typically, you would always start your days in the gardens to get much of the work done before the sun got too stinging and made the job difficult.
But today you were only there for a short time, had brought the chickens there for the time being. You wanted them to take care of the pests that are currently making life difficult for your plants - hopeful that they would not attack the freshly set lettuce plants.
It was unusual for the residents of the prison to be woken up so early in the morning by the screams of their newest roommate. It was not to be underestimated how loud this little feathered guy could be. The young rooster, however, was not deterred by the confused looks and kept crowing while he watched his girls who happily scratched the ground.
People would get used to it sooner or later, you were sure of that. Apart from the fact that the poultry's permanent residence in your community was not up for discussion anyway.
These animals would ensure your survival and were essential to building a secure future. And your hope was anyway that it would not be the only livestock that would populate your little farm in the future.
Even if some ex-Woodbury residents were not exactly happy about their boisterous and loud alarm clock. First and foremost Michelle, who made a rather pinched impression when she showed up in the canteen that morning.
She had avoided you since the incident during your run. You were actually very happy about it, only the look with which she was looking at you gave an idea of how much she displeased you.
But you did not have time to think about it that day, after all, a big construction project was waiting for you, and by the time you and Rick went to inspect the site, you had long since forgotten about the blonde woman.
-------------------------------------------
If there was one thing that was not lacking in the Prisons office complex, it was pens and paper. Whoever took care of the administration here before the apocalypse broke out was a real hamster.
So it was easy for you to organize the necessary material to start drawing the plans right away. After all, organizing such a building project was easier with a blueprint than without one.
The place was chosen, now all that was missing was the plan and the necessary building materials.
The plan was your responsibility, and the men would get the necessary building materials.
Rick, Jake and Josh were already gathering everything necessary to start construction as quickly as possible.
You approached the matter with a lot of patience, trying not to forget anything that could be important, while line by line you put your new chicken coop on the paper. There was a lot to think about.
The stable had to be built on stilts so that the ground did not start to rot at some point if it was constantly standing in the damp earth, and still be stable. Inside there had to be enough space for cleared nests and perches, and the stable had to be easy to clean, after all, it had to be mucked out regularly.
Concentrated you sat over the plans and tried to consider everything, that you had lost all sense of time.
"Ya even know what ya're doin’?"
You were just thinking about a possible extension - should the chicken population grow faster than you thought - and had not noticed that Daryl had approached.
"Believe it or not ..." you began absently, but you did not get very far.
"But yar mother taught ya how to build a chicken coop when ya were a child," said Daryl with a cheeky grin on his face.
“Smart ass!” You said curtly, without even looking up from your work.
But then suddenly you stopped. Thoughtfully, you looked up at your boyfriend and thought for a moment.
"Was that just a déjà vu?"
You looked questioningly at Daryl, who was still standing next to you, grinning. By now he had leaned over your blueprint, resting his left arm on the table while he placed his other arm lovingly between your shoulder blades.
"No seriously. Who taught ya that. Looks really professional."
Silently you looked at the drawing in front of you again. A painful tightness spread in your chest, making it difficult for you to breathe. You had not thought of him in a long time, you hardly had time to longingly mourn the past.
But here and now the grief suddenly and unprepared attacked you.
"Jeff," you whispered with a sad smile.
"Your brother?"
"Yes," you nodded.
Slowly your gaze changed, was no longer thoughtful and dreamy, and Daryl noticed that you were getting sadder from moment to moment. He knew about your brother, after all, you had mentioned him repeatedly before.
Everyone had those times when they thought of loved ones who they probably would never see again.
Back at Hershel's farm one night you had told Daryl about Jeff and how close you had been as children. And with tears in your eyes you had talked about what had probably happened to him when the dead began to walk over this world.
If he had known in which direction this conversation was going, he would never have started it.
“As children we always built tree houses,” you finally began, still smiling sadly, “once we even tried a trapper's hut. After all, it survived a winter. He was great at that; then he even studied architecture. Did I tell you that? Immediately after graduating, he took a job in Denver, where he met his great love. And then the offer came from New York. He and Valerie had only just moved when ... "
You had to take a shivering breath. Since the beginning of this apocalypse, you had not heard from him. And the likelihood that he was still alive was almost zero.
"’m sorry … shouldn't have asked."
It hurt Daryl to watch as you tried to bravely swallow your tears. He had not intended to reopen the wound the loss of your family had left. During your story, he sat down next to you on the bench and was now lovingly stroking your back.
"You do not have to be sorry. It's nice to think of him again. Even when it hurts."
"Don't think he would have loved me that much," Daryl laughed bitterly.
“Oh believe me, Daryl, he would have liked you,” you said with a smile, before you couldn't help but grin, “at least before you tried to get into his little sister's panties. Then he would probably have fed you to the next best walker."
"Would have been worth the risk”, Daryl whispered as he gave you a gentle kiss on your temple.
You looked lovingly at the man next to you. You were so grateful to have him by your side. He was your little island of bliss in this sea of horror. Even the painful memory of your brother only hurt half as much when he was with you.
"How is the planning for the new home of our chickens going?" Asked Carol as he sat down at your table with Judith.
"Quite well. The only question that remains is whether we want to make it winterproof or do we want to take the chickens into our buildings in winter. We currently have enough space."
You instantly found your coolness again; were calm and collected like nothing had happened.
Since so many people joined your community, you tried to keep your feelings to yourself more. And with a few exceptions, there was only one person inside the prison fences who also knew your vulnerable side. Who knew every aspect of your personality, every dark abyss of your soul, and loved every single one of it.
Daryl.
"I don't have a lot of experience with it," admitted Carol, "but I suppose these animals are not very frost-proof."
“Not really,” you smiled, “so we should give them nice winter quarters within the walls. Just to be sure."
"But one with enough space, hopefully we'll soon have a lot of chicks," Daryl said mischievously.
"So I don't need to add scrambled eggs to the menu anytime soon," said Carol with a shrug.
"Not for the time being. Sorry."
------------------------------------------
Daryl was leaning on a shovel at the construction site of the new chicken coop. He had just dug the last hole in the ground, in which one of the wooden posts would soon find its place – to form the basic structure of this building.
With a certain amount of pride, he watched you take on the construction supervision of this project with seemingly effortless ease. You organized the individual construction phases cleverly and nimbly, so that even experienced construction workers like Jake and Josh could be guided by you.
You were ready to listen to every single suggestion and weigh the pros and cons without losing sight of the goal.
Daryl was fascinated by this new facet about you, he had never noticed it before.
Here and now you seemed like a born leader. You could guide and be helpful, but at the same time you could be strict and get your way through when it was necessary. You also knew how to handle hammer and nails, how to perfectly level a construction site - and you were absolutely not afraid to lend a hand yourself.
It was obvious that this was not your first construction project to be implemented. Every single one of your movements was safe and you did not hesitate for a moment if help was needed anywhere.
Little by little, on that day, a chicken coop was actually built on the now leveled lawn, with four walls, a roof and a small access bridge for the little animals, whose coop stood on almost 15-inch-high stilts.
Inside you had perches installed and separate niches in which hopefully the next generation would soon be hatched.
"And now," Rick finally wanted to know as he stood next to you, exhausted.
"Now we need some straw so that the girls can make themselves really comfortable in there. And then they can actually move in."
"I'll get the straw," said Daryl, turning around and going on to tackle the easier part of the move.
He knew only too well how difficult it was to catch these damned beasts, and now he was not going to make a fool of himself in front of everyone.
"Then I'll probably take care of the poultry," sighed Rick.
"Do you need help," you asked with a knowing smile.
"No, I think I can handle that."
"If you think so."
Less than five minutes later, you were hunched over with laughter. It was so funny watching Rick as he tried to catch the chickens. Two Woodbury residents wanted to help him but had even less chance of getting within three feet of the poultry.
It was an incredibly funny spectacle, especially when Rick was lying on his stomach in the dirt at some point, and one of the chickens quickly jumped over his back to finally - with a loud cackling - run away.
"Do you think they need help," said Maggie, who meanwhile had to wipe away her tears from laughing.
"If we want to bring the chickens into the barn today, then we have to," you laughed, "but I haven't had such a good time for a long time."
For two more minutes you and your best friend watched the show in front of you, until you finally felt sorry and stepped in to help.
Still giggling, you shook your head, took the bowl with the grains that you used as chicken feed and walked slowly towards the frightened creatures, while Maggie slowly approached from the other side to get any outliers back on the right track.
You shook the bowl in your hand noisily as you walked through the gardens.
"Tuck tuck tuck," you started calling the chickens while you kept shaking the bowl.
It was not long before the animals began to watch you curiously. When they finally approached you - hoping perhaps to get some food - you made your way back to the chicken coop; without stopping to attract the poultry further.
Maggie followed a few yards away to make sure none of the chickens disappeared.
Finally, you stopped in front of the open stall door and sprinkled feed in the stall and on the step bridge for the chickens.
It took less than five minutes and all the animals, including the rooster, were safely stowed in the hen house, ready for the first night in their new home.
"Couldn't you have done that right from the start," said Rick, a little annoyed, as he brushed the dust off his clothes.
The embarrassed grin on his face betrayed that he was not angry at all, but rather was busy trying to keep himself from laughing at himself.
"If we had," replied Maggie, "that would have been only half as fun."
"Yea, Haha, it was so funny." Rick said sarcastically.
“Oh yes, believe me Rick, it was. It definitely was."
“For the future, Rick; ya should never mess with farmer-girls”, grinned Daryl, who of course did not miss the whole spectacle.
------------------------------------------
It was late, just after sunset. You had made yourself comfortable on your bed and were absorbed in that old western novel that you had found in the library of the prison. You had been a veritable bookworm even before the Apocalypse, and now that there was another opportunity to indulge in this hobby, nothing and no one could stop you.
In the soft glow of the kerosene lamp your eyes wandered over the lines on the already slightly yellowed pages, while blissful silence enveloped you. Your day had been busy, and your muscles felt sore after the unfamiliar work.
You would spend the first half of the night alone today. Daryl had taken Rick's shift at the Guard Tower after Judith was weep today and just did not want to let her father go. Apart from the fact that Rick had been more than exhausted after today's chicken adventure.
But Daryl was happy to take over his shift immediately. He just had a weakness for this lil asskicker - as he affectionately called her. One day this stubborn redneck would become a wonderful father. You had known that for a long time, even if he still doubted it.
> KNOCK KNOCK <
"Yes," you looked up from your book, confused.
Actually, you didn't expect any more visitors. The door opened slowly, and Maggie stuck her head through the gap with a smile.
"Hey Y/N/N, am I bothering you?"
“No, not really. Why?"
"Where's Daryl?"
"Guard Tower. He's taken on Rick's shift."
"How long will he be gone?"
“His shift has just started. Why are you asking Maggie?"
"So we have time for a girls-night!"
"Think so?"
"Perfect, I also brought gifts."
Hardly a moment later the young woman was on your bed with you, her legs crossed, while she grinned mischievously at you. It took a few moments before you noticed the cloth sack in her hand.
"Please tell me that you don't plan to take out your nail polish and make-up now. I don't think I'm in the mood for it."
“No, don't get silly. No nail polish, no make-up, and we're not going to do each other's hair. This is going to be more of a grown-up version of a girls-night. "
"Okay Maggie, just for the record, you scare me."
Jokingly, she gave you a clap on the shoulder before opening the sack in her lap and looking inside happily.
"Well, first of all, something that every woman can use nowadays."
And with that she got a cardboard box about 4x2 inches out of the sack.
"May the days be less of a problem during the days," said Maggie, handing you the box.
Confused, you looked at the thing in your hand. It looked almost new and the writing was easy to read.
When you finally understood what you were holding in your hand, you looked in amazement at the woman in front of you.
“This is a lady cup. Where did you find that?"
You could hardly hide your astonishment. You had not seen anything like this in years, and not only once did you wish you had not left yours at home.
“This Amazon warehouse was a real treasure trove. Not just in terms of the preserving jars. "
“So that,” you held up the little box, “will make all this menstrual shit a lot easier during an apocalypse. Slowly the tampons became really scarce. And I was so afraid that sooner or later I would have to do the thing with free bleeding too. However, I don't think I would be able to do that with my daily routine."
"You can say that again. Mine is already safely tucked away in my cell."
“It's interesting how the priorities change when the world suddenly ends,” you philosophized while looking at the little box in your hand from all sides.
"You're right."
"I think if the world weren't so close to the edge, I wouldn't be where I am now," you said thoughtfully.
"Are you talking about Daryl and you?"
"No … yes … somehow ... yes. Daryl and I would probably never have met. We would never have gotten together. And to be honest, I don't like this idea."
“Even if that sounds pathetic now, but you and Daryl, you two are meant for each other. I think you would have run into each other either way. I can well imagine that you two would have happened one way or another."
“You have to say something like that, Maggie, you are my best friend. But thanks anyway. And as for you and Glenn ..."
"Oh that was just sex," laughed Maggie.
“And sex became love,” you smiled conspiratorially, “and don't even try to deny it. Any blind person can see how much you love your Korean boy."
“I don't mean to deny anything. But at least it wasn't as much of a drama with Glenn and me as it was with the two of you."
"What are you talking about?”
With mock insult, you cross your arms in front of your body.
“Oh come on, Y/N/N, that was really like a soap opera. You have no idea how desperate we all were because the two of you couldn't handle it."
“Yeah, thank you, don't remind me. With the amount of tears I've shed because of him, this whole prison could be flooded. I'm just glad that Michelle leaves me alone now."
"And I thought you'd be glad you and Daryl are a couple now," Maggie replied mischievously.
"You are so stupid sometimes," you laughed and playfully pelted your friend with your pillow, "of course I am. Very much."
"I know what you mean. She was so after you. That was really no longer normal. She felt like a high school bully to me."
"Yes, thank you. Please don't remind me. I'm just glad she stopped chasing after Daryl."
"That doesn't surprise me at all," said Maggie with a shrug.
"Why?"
"Wait a minute, you don't know?"
"What shall I know?"
"Daryl gave this woman hell."
You stared at Maggie in disbelief, eyes wide and mouth wide in shock.
"He has what? When? Where? Why? How?"
“You were still in the infirmary. Daryl was more or less busy moving. He partly overheard a conversation, "began Maggie meekly, and you noticed how uncomfortable the whole thing was for her, "that was really not intended, honestly. But he heard Carol and I ... well, we talked about how we actually blame Michelle for it - that you almost died. Especially after she scolded you for so long. Though I would have liked to have punched her earlier because of that, just like Carol."
"And how did Daryl react to that," you asked nervously.
"Well, first he confronted us, and then he snapped into protection mode."
"Oh shit."
"Yes. He then went to Michelle and confronted her ... although he didn't even really let her have a say. The woman got the lecture of her life. I'm actually surprised that you didn't hear Daryl in the infirmary, the way he screamed."
“Wow, I know what it is like when Daryl freaks out. I'm almost sorry for the woman."
"Seriously? That woman messed you up for weeks and now you feel sorry for her? I think she deserves what she got."
“I said: I'm ALMOST sorry for her, not that I feel sorry for her. That's a difference Maggs."
“Well, whatever. In any case, that was the last day that Michelle got close to Daryl."
You tried to hold back a grin as you looked at Maggie through your eyelashes.
"Does that sound bad when I tell you that I even enjoy the fact that she has disappeared from our periphery."
“No, it doesn't. I understand that. And I am so glad that you two are finally happy together."
Your friend hugged you lovingly.
"Thanks."
“Where we are on that subject right now. I still have something for you. Or rather for both of you. So that you can have fun without a guilty conscience."
And with that she reached into her cloth sack again and took out another box. Larger than the previous one, and two more that looked like toothpaste wrappers.
You looked at your best friend questioningly.
"Read", she just said and held out the larger box to you, "read."
Confused, you took it from her and began to read. After the first few words your eyes widened, and you stared at Maggie in shock; your mouth opened wide. Hardly a moment later you grabbed one of the other packages and read the label.
"Oh my God. How? Where?"
"As I said, this Amazon warehouse was a real treasure trove."
"Amazon sold something like that?"
"Seems so."
"Oh my fucking god", you shouted a little louder and still couldn't believe what you were holding in your hand.
"Yes, I think you will soon call that more often in these four walls."
Instantly you froze and looked at Maggie in silence and wide-eyed. Hardly three seconds later you both started to laugh loudly, as if on command. You just could not believe what this woman had brought you from that run.
A bloody condom was nowhere to be found within a radius of no idea how many miles. But Maggie had somehow managed to find a diaphragm with the corresponding spermicide gel in this huge hall complex of a former mail order company.
"Do you think the stuff still works," you said thoughtfully after a while.
“According to the expiration date, it should work for at least another year. I don't think it'll take you more than a year to use it up, though,” Maggie said mischievously.
"I don't even know what to say."
"Thanks would be a good start."
"Thanks. I mean that honestly."
"No problem."
"Please don't get me wrong, it's not that Daryl and I aren't having fun, but ..."
"But sex brings a certain closeness that you can hardly achieve in any other way," Maggie completed your train of thought.
"Yes."
"To be honest, I have to show you both my respect."
"Why?"
"Well, living so close together, being together without ever really having sex ... I don't think Glenn and I would manage that. No matter how good he is at the thing down there."
“Well on that point I can't really complain. But thank you for this gift. I really appreciate it."
"You're wellcome."
“Normally I would say I'll think of you when I use it. But in this case …."
"Oh my god please don't."
And with that, both of you laughing, continued to dedicate yourselves to your girls-night.
Maggie and you were just having a great time about how Rick had tried his hand at catching chickens today. It had been a divine spectacle. The two of you had not been able to laugh at something like that for a long time - as you did today at Rick - who at some point lay face down on the floor while the chicken ran nimbly over him.
“Am I botherin’ ya?” You heard Daryl's deep voice at some point.
You and Maggie were surprised to see the redneck standing in the doorway.
"You're back," you asked in amazement, your cheeks still reddened from laughing.
"Yes? Why shouldn't I?"
"Oh god, what time is it," Maggie wanted to know.
"A little after midnight," Daryl replied in surprise.
Neither of you expected that. The time had passed by, and neither of you had noticed how late it was.
“Oh my god, I have to go back. It's a miracle that Glenn hasn't sent a search party yet."
Still laughing, Maggie gathered up her things and quickly made her way back to the cell block, but not without yelling "see you tomorrow".
"Did you have fun?"
"Obviously."
"Was this a kind of girls-night or somethin’?" Daryl asked while he took off his crossbow and put it in its place.
"Yes, something like that."
"Like > painting each other's nails < and so?"
You could hear the sarcasm in his voice and punished the man across from you with a slightly annoyed look.
"Seriously?"
"Yea."
"No. No nail polish, no makeup. And before you ask, we didn't do each other's hair either."
"No, just laughed at Rick tryin’ to catch the chickens today."
A smile tugged on Daryl's lips as he thought of that afternoon's show.
"Oh come on, that was really funny. And you laughed yourself. Don't think I didn't see that."
"The poor man was pretty exhausted after the whole story."
"Yes, but he didn't want my help ... at least initially. I just hope Judith lets him sleep tonight."
"Well, otherwise we have to expect a grumpy Rick tomorrow."
"Unthinkable!"
Theatrically you held your head and fell back on the bed, on which you were still sitting.
"Actually, I didn't expect to find ya awake," Daryl finally said as he took off his jeans.
“Wasn't planned that way either. But Maggs and I kind of lost track of time."
"Typical girls."
"Newsflash smart ass: I'm a girl."
"Already noticed."
Slowly you realized how tired and exhausted you actually were. You stretched yourself with relish, and some of your joints cracked before you relaxed and snuggled into your pillow.
"Tired?"
"Yes, very."
"That's what happens when ya're up all night instead of sleepin’."
"Oh shut up and come here," you said, just slightly annoyed.
"Yes ma'am."
Hardly a moment later you felt the mattress next to you dipping in due to its weight. He put his left arm to the side to make room for you. As if on cue, you snuggled up close to him and nestled your head in the little hollow between his neck and his shoulder.
Daryl put his arm around you. He lovingly began to draw patterns on your back with his fingertips. A feeling of absolute happiness flooded you as you just enjoyed being close to him. The tender caresses on your back relaxed you more and more, and you already noticed how you were slowly falling asleep.
"I'm proud of ya," you heard Daryl whisper.
His rough voice made his chest vibrate under you.
"Why?" You asked, already slightly sleeping.
“Ya did a great job today with the chicken coop. I'm really proud of ya," Daryl muttered before giving you a long kiss on the top of the head, "and Jeff would be too."
219 notes · View notes
phykios · 3 years
Text
this one is dedicated to mi amor mari @perseannabeth, who is a beautiful bird and a wonderful friend and i am v v vvvvv grateful to have crossed the airwaves with her :”)
Today Was A Fairytale [read on ao3] T, modern royalty, fun at disneyland!
She stares at him. 
He stares back. “What?”
“Really?”
“What?”
“You really think this is going to be enough?” Annabeth points at her head, the blue Yankees cap squishing her curls. 
“Of course! It’s the Clark Kent effect.” As if to underline his point, Percy slips on his fake hipster glasses, except that stupid grin of his is too bright not to draw attention. 
“That’s not a real thing.”
“Sure it is. Studies show that glasses are actually good enough to alter your appearance if someone doesn’t know you well.”
“Then why didn’t you bring a pair of glasses for me?”
“Because your hair is definitely the prettiest thing about you,” he says, automatically tugging an unruly curl which peeks out from under the brim, a gesture so practiced she almost doesn’t register it--until he blinks, dropping his hand, blushing lightly. “I mean--the most noticeable thing. You know. A hat should be fine.”
He looks away. Heat rises to her face, too. Because it’s so hot out, obviously. 
“Anyway,” he mumbles, “um. No--no one’s going to give you a second look if your hair is hidden.”
Chewing her lip, Annabeth can’t help but worry. Percy’s face is extremely well-known, possibly more than hers, and they’ve both spent the better part of three weeks with their faces plastered all over the media on their diplomatic trip. This is probably a really, really bad idea. Then, a thought occurs to her. “How about,” she says, perking up, “you give me your glasses, and I’ll give you mine.” From her backpack, she fishes out a pair of sunglasses, big and nondescript. He’ll practically be wearing a superhero mask with these.
Percy smiles again, and Annabeth thinks she might fly. “Perfect.”
Which is how Her Royal Highness Anna Elisabeth Ingrid Irene of Sweden and His Serene Highness Perseus Alexandros Ioannis of Thera play hooky from their day of boring meetings, insufferable dignitaries, and stuffy security guards, to go see the eighth wonder of the world: Disneyland Resort in California.
And how Annabeth eats her words as they make it past the security gate unchecked. “Eh?” He beams, nudging her with his elbow. “Eh?”
Rolling her eyes, she shoves him back. “Shut up.”
***
[description: a tiktok video which depicts a line at Disneyland. the op, a black girl with braids, covers her mouth and looking into the camera, turning the camera to focus on the two people behind her. one is a tall boy with black hair and sunglasses, and the other is a blonde girl with a yankees hat and glasses. both are white. video text reads: “p sure the people behind me are prince percy and princess annabeth??? um?????”. background audio is a dubstep remix of the fight theme from undertale. end ID]
***
Maybe it’s a little weird, on account of her being actual royalty and all, but Annabeth has always been interested in princesses, both as a matter of historical record (history is awesome) and in the general sense. Like millions of other people, she, too, was raised on Disney movies and tales of princesses and true love, and she was just as captivated as the rest of them. She and Percy used to watch the Disney catalogue whenever their families held state visits for each other, staying up into the small hours of the morning, sharing some popcorn and singing along. 
Luckily for Annabeth, her favorite princess is holding a meet and greet at the Royal Hall.
“Excuse me,” Percy says, approaching Princess Ariel. Well, her cast member, anyway. “Could I get a photo for my friend?”
“Of course!” she trills, her blue eyes sparkling. “It would be my pleasure.” Holding her hand out, perfectly poised and graceful in a way that would impress even Annabeth’s stodgy etiquette instructor, she smiles, warm and welcoming, pivoting to bring Annabeth in for one of those weird, semi-awkward half-hugs. “What’s your name?”
“Anna,” says Annabeth. Hey, it’s not untrue. She’s a little leery of using any of her names, but Anna is common enough. Annabeth? Not so much. Even with her glasses and hat disguise, a little paranoia is justified, she thinks.
“It’s so wonderful to meet you, Anna,” she says, cheerful, with all the grace and charm of someone who doesn’t spend hours saying the same thing over and over again to excitable, temperamental children. What a trooper, she thinks.
“Don’t you recognize a fellow princess when you see one, your highness?” Percy says, grinning that stupid, smarmy grin of his. 
Annabeth glares. Oh, he thinks he’s so damn clever. 
“Oh, of course,” says Ariel, smoothly. “How could I have thought otherwise? Your highness.” And she curtsies to Annabeth, a short dip, her hand placed delicately against her chest. “Perhaps I can introduce you to my friend Anna, princess of Arendelle?”
Still smirking, Percy takes some more pictures, trapping Annabeth into smiling for the camera. She can’t be glaring daggers in her pictures, nor can there be video evidence of her kicking him--no matter how much she wants to.
And she definitely doesn’t miss the way Ariel not-so-subtly checks Percy out, eyeing him up and down.
“You fucking asshole,” she hisses as they leave the photo area, swatting him lightly, and he giggles. 
“Sorry, sorry, I couldn’t resist.”
“Ugh, I hate you so much.”
It’s hard to stay mad at him, though she definitely tries as they enter back out into the park proper, giving him just the barest hint of a cold shoulder. 
“Aw, come on,” Percy says. “I was just teasing.”
“You shouldn’t go around tempting fate like that,” Annabeth says. “Do you want to cause another international incident?”
Percy winces, no doubt remembering the Gateway Arch incident of 2008. 
“If someone recognizes us, we don’t have Zoe or any of her team to protect us,” Annabeth goes on. “Not that I think anyone here would try to hurt us, but…” But it’s a little nerve-wracking, being on her own like this. She hasn’t been alone like this for a really long time.
Wincing, Percy rubs the back of his head. “I guess I forgot you’re a little higher profile than me. Sorry.”
She doesn’t like to think about it, but it’s true. Percy, by his nature as the younger son of a largely defunct royal house, doesn’t have quite the same number of… issues… that someone like Annabeth might have.
Deflating, she uncrosses her arms. “It’s okay.”
“I should have asked you first.”
“It’s really okay,” she says. “No harm no foul.”
“Do you want to get out of here?” he asks, entirely serious. “I can call someone up.”
She knows just how long they’ve planned this, how many favors he’s called in and policies he’s sidestepped. Backing out now would just be a waste of a day. She shakes her head. “It’s fine,” she says. “I’m just… feeling a little exposed, I guess. But, I don’t want to ruin all our plans. Let’s keep going.” She grabs his hand, squeezing a little.
“...Okay,” Percy says. “But say the word, and we’ll call it a day. Okay?”
“Okay.”
“Good.” Like he doesn’t have any other expression today, he smiles at her again.
It hits her, suddenly. He’s so much taller than she remembers. Once upon a time she used to be taller than him; now, he’s basically a whole head above her. 
It’s annoying. But also… not.
Spying something over her shoulder, his eyes light up, and he practically gasps. “Cinderella!” he points with his free hand, like a five-year old. “Come on!” And he takes off to one of the park corners, dragging Annabeth along with him. 
He has to wait in line behind a pair of twin girls, six or seven years old by the looks of it, in identical Cinderella dresses for a photo, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet, and when it’s finally his turn, he nearly trips over himself to go up and ask for a photo. 
Cinderella agrees, and now Annabeth is relegated to the job of cameraperson. Percy slides in next to the princess, his hand on her waist, but, ever the respectful gentleman, loosely held, so the cast member can slide out of his grasp without any difficulty at all.
Taking a few shots, it does look kind of strange to have Cinderella’s beautiful, shining face, and Percy’s enormous sunglasses blocking his. “Take off your glasses?” she says, lowering her phone for a second. 
Dutifully, Percy slips them off, smiling again for the camera. 
Cinderella’s smile doesn’t falter, a credit to her professionalism, but Annabeth can see her eyes widen, just a touch.
Annabeth snaps off a few more photos, “Got ‘em!” and Percy once again gushes over the princess, thanking her for her time. Grabbing Annabeth’s hand again, he practically skips off, leading them in the direction of a nearby candy shop. 
***
me: IM SHAKING GUESS WHO I JUST TOOK A PICTURE WITH????
sis: prince percy?
me: HOW TF DID YOU KNOW
sis: its on twitter already
***
They’re walking along, Annabeth slurping up a Dole whip, when she suddenly stops in her tracks, outside of one of the many, many gift shops. “Wait up a second.”
“Hm?” Percy says, around the giant lollipop in his mouth. 
“I want to get some Mickey ears.” 
Very quickly they get lost in the sea of Disney merchandise, walking the labyrinth of Star Wars and Marvel and Pixar goods. There’s a surprising amount of black for the so-called happiest place on Earth, but things do brighten up when Annabeth finally turns a corner and finds the enormous selection of Mickey ears. It’s a wash of sparkles, flowers, bows, and occasionally characters, for children and adults alike. Annabeth eyes a pair designed like Baby Yoda, eyes wide and ears adorably huge, before she fingers a pair of white Mickey ears that have a bridal veil attached to them, contemplating its counterpart, the black ears for the groom, each ear emblazoned with a sparkling silver “Happily Ever After.”
She looks around. Where did Percy wander off to, anyway? 
Well, wherever he is, hopefully he hasn’t gotten mobbed by a horde of excitable fangirls. Given that she can’t hear any screaming--well, any unusual, non-Disneyland-relevant screaming--that’s probably a good sign. 
Running her fingers over the ear selections, she finally picks out a pair of silver sequined earrings with a shiny gold bow, a tiny, rhinestone Cinderella’s castle placed delicately in the middle. 
Yeah. This one. 
Percy finds her as she is paying for her ears, a pair of his own already on his head, red balloons inside of plastic circles. The sunglasses, she notes with a tinge of nervousness, are tucked in his shirt, and not on his face, protecting his identity. “Oh, check mine out--they light up!” he says, giddy, pressing the button on the side, not that she can tell in the brightly lit shop.
“That’s not why I was looking.”
Walking out of the store, ears firmly in her possession, she looks around again. Percy’s face is out there for the world to see, and no one is giving them a hard time. 
And her hat is really sweaty. 
Ah, fuck it.
She removes the Yankees cap, shaking out her sweaty curls, sliding the ears on in its place.
And the glasses, for good measure.
“Cinderella?” Percy asks.
“I thought you’d approve.”
Outside the shop, next to a corn dog cart, Percy pulls her aside, out of the way of a whole classroom’s worth of children, holding up a plastic plag. “So, confession.”
“Percy…” He didn’t. “We said no gifts!” They had agreed to it that morning!
“Well, see,” he says, fumbling around in the bag, pulling out a black t-shirt. “I saw this, and I thought--I thought you might like it.”
He unfolds it, and Annabeth frowns at the shirt design. 
It’s… a drawing of a man in a purple mask against a solid black background, glaring at the viewer. Circling him, in distressed, white-grey military font, are the words “BARON ZEMO,” and the logo for the show he must star in, Marvel’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. She doesn’t really watch superhero shows, though, and she’s pretty sure Percy doesn’t, either. Maybe he’s started this one and he really likes it? “Thanks,” she says, confusion coloring her voice despite her best efforts. 
But he doesn’t look too disappointed. “I was looking through their pride merch, and they didn’t have any stuff with the ace flag, which totally sucks, but then I thought that maybe you might like something a little more subtle? So, yeah.” He shakes it. “Ace pride!”
Oh. Oh, this boy. 
She remembers, so vividly, visiting his father’s summer home on Kalymnos, a few years ago, the summer she turned nineteen, waking up to a banging in the kitchen, noisy pots and pans making a real racket. Granted, it had been one in the afternoon, and Annabeth probably should have been awake sooner, but she had stumbled out of the guest room into the kitchen, rubbing sleep out of her eyes, to the sight of Percy wrestling with the standmixer, making bright, neon purple frosting. The night before, sometime around three or four AM, that weird, liminal hour where the shadow of night just starts to recede, the sky a sweet, soft, dusky blue, she had come out as demisexual to her best friend, saying the words aloud for the first time ever. Loopy from lack of sleep, the moment had passed without much fanfare.
But Percy, dark-circled and still yawning, had woken up early to make her a chocolate cake. By the time she had woken up, he had baked the cake, chilled it, and made two out of the three frosting colors, a beautiful, moist, dark chocolate cake which ended up being frosted with a marbled mix of purple, black, and white, all folding into each other into a kind of colorless, grey sugar. 
Here, now, in Disneyland, she throws herself at him, wrapping his arms around his neck. His arms automatically come up to circle her, hugging her tight. 
She had been worried it had been some kind of defense mechanism. A young girl with an alarmingly high profile, Annabeth had been the subject of intense scrutiny with regards to any romantic entanglements, with critics, tabloid reporters, and fans alike attempting to invent gossip-worthy relationships with every boy she ever talked to--most usually Percy. They did grow up in the public eye together, attending all kinds of events and functions together over the last fifteen or so years. And they did tweet at each other. Like, a lot. They even had their own portmanteau hashtag. But no relationship ever materialized.
She thought maybe she was just being stubborn, unwilling to play the media game. But it hadn’t been stubbornness. It wasn’t about shyness or inexperience. It was real, and it was her.
And Percy hadn’t even blinked.
“I love it,” she murmurs. “Thank you.”
“Of course,” he says, swaying her from side to side, just a little. “It was my pleasure.”
***
What’s happening: #percabeth (Entertainment • trending)
@kndrck__ STREAM CHROMATICA: um @TheraUS @SwedenRoyals i think i found your sick royals? #percabeth #disneyland
@wasabiviking: omg werent they supposed to be at some hospital opening today #percabeth
@ChampionSno brando he/him: LMAOOO NOT #PERCABETH PLAYING HOOKY LIKE IT’S ROMAN HOLIDAY
***
“Holy shit,” Percy moans, his mouth full of food. “Oh my God. Dear God in Heaven.”
Annabeth kicks his ankle under the table. “Don’t be rude.”
He swallows, eyes fluttering. “Oh my God, Annabeth. Holy shit. This is the best damn sandwich I’ve ever had in my entire life.”
“A monte cristo?”
“A deep-fried monte cristo! In sweet batter!” Taking another bite, he moans again, just this side of indecent. “Oh my God I love Americans. They are absolute culinary geniuses.”
“Better than Bistrot Chez Rémy?” They had both been to Disneyland Paris, separately, sadly, and Percy had recommended the restaurant to her with great enthusiasm for her upcoming trip. As usual, he was spot on with his food recs. 
He nods, eyes closed in rapture. “By a mile.”
“You’ll have to learn to make your own when we get back home, then.”
He jolts, straightening up, cheeks full of food. Roughly, he swallows. “You’re right! I need to take notes.” And he takes out his phone, hurriedly typing down whatever scent and flavor notes he must be able to discern. “This is definitely challah…”
Plucking another piece of chicken with her fork out of her jambalaya, Annabeth lets her attention wander a little, content to watch the passengers on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride as they float on beside them, down in the artificially constructed bayou river. 
Truth be told, she’s kind of tired. They’ve been walking around all day, and even with the brief reprieve of rides, her shoes really aren’t the kind that deal well with huge amounts of walking. She can already tell that she’s going to crash, and crash hard, whenever they get back to their hotel. You know, if their security detail doesn’t eviscerate them first. 
When Percy had first presented his idea to her, she had agreed without hesitation. They had had a long, dense schedule of public appearances planned for their excursions to the states, and the days had begun to seriously wear them out. Together, they had worked out the kinks, coming up with contingencies, negotiating things to do, all over Discord so no one else would get wind of what they were doing. Prior to this trip, she hadn’t seen him in… probably almost a year. She knows his father had been keeping him close to home for whatever reason, and Annabeth had had a handful of official functions to deal with. Their paths just never managed to cross, up until now. 
She hadn’t realized how much she had missed him. 
It’s lonely, growing up in the public eye. It’s cliche, but it’s true. And while Annabeth is afforded a metric ton of various intersecting privileges, she thinks she’d probably give it up in a heartbeat. It kind of sucks being a living, breathing tourist attraction. 
Growing up, she had her cousin Magnus, and a handful of other assorted children to play with, but she would never say that she had a best friend, or even a good friend, until she’d met Percy. Her mother and his father, famous for their mutual dislike, had put aside their differences to host some kind of charitable dinner for the disgustingly wealthy, and had trotted out their respective children in all their finery. Annabeth, being all of twelve years old, hadn’t really grasped the gravity of the event, and had gotten into an itty bitty little food fight with the then-unknown Prince Perseus, the result of an extramarital affair whom his father had so graciously decided to acknowledge and adopt. 
After that night, they became fast friends, and she decided that, if she ever left the royal life, she’d make sure to take Percy with her. He’s one of the few things that makes her life bearable. 
She thinks about it, sometimes. Renouncing her title. It wouldn’t exactly be hard. There was Magnus, just in line behind her. And it’s not like her family held any executive power anyway. They’re just fancy, historically interesting celebrities. 
Would Percy give up his, she wonders?
“Hey.”
“Hm?”
He looks at her oddly over their dessert, two vanilla-bourbon creme brulees. “You okay?”
“Yeah,” she says. “Just tired. Long day.”
“You want to call it a night?”
She frowns. “What’s left?”
“Well, we did Space Mountain, Rise of the Resistance, Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, a few others,” he counts off his fingers, “saw the princesses, got Mickey ears, ate at Blue Bayou… I guess all that’s left is walking around the pier, if you want.”
“Sounds like you two had a full day.”
As one, they almost leap out of their seats, Annabeth choking on her spit. “Jesus, Zoe,” Percy pants, his hand over his chest. “You nearly gave me a heart attack.”
“Oh?” says Zoe Nightshade, the head of their security detail, who had just apparently materialized out of thin air. “Funny. I could say the same about you, sir.”
Coughing, Annabeth eventually manages to get her air back. “Hey, Zoe,” she wheezes. “How was your day?”
“Eventful. Let me tell you about it in the car.”
Annabeth glances at Percy, who’s looking a little bit like a deer in headlights. Honestly, she’s surprised they even made it this far without one of their own tracking them down. Still, it looks like their game is up. 
...Or is it?
Out of the corner of her eye, she sees a large tour group, approaching on the horizon.
“Sure,” Annabeth says, getting up. Luckily, they’ve already paid, so they can just head out; they don’t need to wait for another big group of people to cross their paths. “Will you let us go to the bathroom, first?”
Zoe squints. She’s always been able to see through Annabeth’s bullshit. But Annabeth has her best, Percy-patented baby seal eyes on, perfectly innocent. Surely, Zoe wouldn’t deny them a physical need such as relieving themselves?
After a moment, she nods. “Make it quick, if you please.”
“Of course,” Annabeth says, looking over at Percy, hoping he gets the message. He stands up, slow and stiff, eyes darting between the two of them. “We’ll be right back.”
They wander through tables and chairs towards the bathroom, her eyes always on the tour group as it just starts to pass by. Reaching out, Annabeth grabs Percy’s hand, and with a turn that would make her track coach proud, sprints out of the restaurant, using the throng of people as cover. 
She thinks she hears Zoe yelling behind them, but maybe it’s just her own laughter. “Come on!” she shrieks, breathless, as Percy’s long legs keep pace with her. “To California Adventure!”
***
darthbingus said: the monarchy are fucking parasites but percabeth is pretty cute i guess :/
ladyofsandwiches reblogged and said: it’s obviously a publicity thing lmao, also prince Percy is gay???
eowynning reblogged and said: he’s dating rachel dare, right? he can’t be gay 
ladyofsandwiches reblogged and said: That was a publicity thing too obvs, and Annabeth hasn’t ever been linked to a guy. The king of thera is hardline greek orthodox, there’s no way he’d let his son come out publicly. They’re both gay and pretending to date because homophobia
lardoftheprks reblogged and said: people can be bi and ace and pan and all sorts of things you know
batgirlcock reblogged and said: can you animals leave them alone fr
***
Zoe only spots them after the ferris wheel starts moving. Sprinting over to them, they’re still a full forty feet off the ground by the time she reaches the operator. “Sorry!” she yells down to her, hands cupping her mouth. “We’ll be down in ten minutes!”
“Ananbeth!” he chokes, giggles still escaping him. 
“What?” she laughs. 
“We’re in enough trouble as it is!”
“Exactly,” she says, settling back on the ride. “You’ll probably be grounded for life.”
“Me?” he squawks, playfully offended. “What about you?”
She scoffs. “Please. I’ll just pin it all on you.”
Leaning back, he pouts, arms crossed. “Wow. I plan this amazing day, violate a few embassorial rules, and probably put both of our countries on a massive red alert, and this is the thanks I get?”
“I helped plan it, too.” But he does have a point. “Thank you,” she says. “I had a lot of fun today.”
He turns his head to her, a grin stretching across his face. “Me too.” 
His voice is so soft, so fond. They share a look, a moment, no words between them, only the silence of a true, deep companionship. They don’t need to say anything else, because they already know what the other would say. 
As one, they break away, looking back out into the California evening. 
They don’t talk much as the ferris wheel climbs higher and higher. Honestly, Annabeth is kind of impressed with how well he’s handling himself--she knows heights are a bit of a weakness of his. He grabs the edges of their gondola every once in a while as it drops a few feet, knuckles white and face a little green, but he manages to keep his dinner down, even as the ferris wheel grinds to a halt, Percy and Annabeth at the top of the world. The swing back and forth a little, hot faces against the cool evening breeze. 
And they stay there. 
And stay there. 
And… stay there. 
Annabeth checks her watch. How long have they been up here?
Percy taps his feet, a little too frantic just to be ADHD. 
Finally, there’s a burst of noise from below them, garbled and static. “Uh, yes, excuse me--” the voice says, amplified through a megaphone. “Yeah, um, it appears we are having some… uh, technical difficulties with the Pixar Pal-A-Round. Please remain calm, as we have our best technicians on it, and we are working on evacuating the ride in a calm and efficient manner.” Then the voice cuts out. 
Annabeth glances towards Percy. He has his hands in his lap, fists clenching and unclenching, over and over again. “Uh… you okay?”
“Hm? Oh, sure,” Percy says, “just fine. Peachy keen.” He squeezes his eyes shut, slowly blowing out his breath through his mouth. 
“Hey.” She reaches over, and takes one of his hands in hers, lacing their fingers together. After a long day of holding hands, somehow it still manages to surprise her, how well they fit together, how her skin tingles as she rubs her thumb against his finger. “It’s gonna be fine. We’re gonna be just fine. They’re going to get us off this ride, and then we’ll fly home and be grounded for life.”
“I thought,” he wheezes, “you’d blame it all on me?”
“As if you could come up with a plan as genius as hiding from our guard in It's A Small World.”
He nods, shakily. “Right. All you. Definitely not my idea. Everyone knows I’d have looped back to Pirates of the Caribbean.”
“Definitely.” She squeezes his hand, scooting a little closer. “Just breathe with me a little, okay?”
They breathe together, slowly and evenly. At some point, Percy takes her hand in both of his, running his thumbs over her palm, tracing her lifelines like a map. His hands are big, and warm, and it seems to calm him down a little, so she doesn’t mind all that much. 
Twilight darkens, stars twinkling against the grey, dusky sky, and still they are holding hands. Eventually, Percy relaxes, slumping against his seat.
“You good?” 
He nods. He still doesn’t let go. “Yeah. Just…” he sighs, stretching his arms up, taking Annabeth’s hand with him. “Not super looking forward to the dressing down I’m going to get.”
She winces. Annabeth’s dad is a little more flexible than Percy’s when it comes to breaches of protocol. The king of Thera is somewhat famous for his paranoia. “I hope it was worth it.”
He whips his head to her, eyes wide. “Of course it was worth it!” he says, as though the opposite were even fathomable. “You kidding? This was the best day of my life.”
“Better than your sixteenth?” His father had officially acknowledged him that day. Annabeth had spotted him in a deserted hallway with his mother, the two of them fighting off a few happy tears. She knows just how special that day was for him. 
“Not even close.” Squeezing her hand, he smiles again, that smile she knows almost better than her own by now. That smile she grew up with, a quiet oasis in a whirlwind of ancient tradition and modern media coverage. That smile is safety, familiarity. That smile was there to greet her when her mother chose to leave her family, when her uncle died without heirs, thrusting the position of heiress on her, whenever she had a rotten day or a bad grade or a lonely night, just on the other end of a phone, or down the hall, or in the kitchen. 
Whatever happens, she knows, Percy will be her best friend. Her anchor. 
Her…
She swallows. “Thank you,” she says again. “I needed this.” A day without an agenda. A day just for them. 
His eyes are dark, and soft, like the water beneath them. One hundred and fifty feet in the air in a broken ferris wheel, there’s nowhere safer she can be. “Me too.”
So she’s not really surprised at herself when she says, “I’d really like to kiss you now.”
Eyes widening, just a hair, he opens his mouth, momentarily speechless. “You--are you sure?”
She nods, maybe a little too enthusiastically.
“Cool. Uh, me too.”
“Cool.”
Neither of them move. 
“So, do--do you want to--”
Annabeth leans in, her other hand cupping his cheek, and kisses him. 
His lips are soft. His mouth tastes like vanilla and bourbon. They are trapped in a metal box, one hundred and fifty feet off the ground, about to get the punishment of their lives when they get down, and it is absolutely, utterly perfect. 
And when Annabeth pulls back, there are fireworks. 
Quite literally.
Percy’s face glows with pink and green and purple, and a little fire in his eyes that’s all him. The pops of the fireworks, loud and brassy, and muted, completely overshadowed by the pounding of her heart in her chest. 
They rest their heads against each other, breathing each other’s air, quiet and intimate, the calm before the storm that is surely coming. But that’s fine. Let it come, she thinks. She’ll be safe with Percy.
When the park technicians eventually get the ferris wheel moving again, Percy and Annabeth disembark from the gondola like nothing’s even gone wrong, waving to the crowd of people, fans, and reporters alike, who have swarmed the pier, phones and cameras held aloft in a constellation of light, before being quickly hurried away by Zoe and her crew, ushered to the end of the pier where Annabeth’s embassy’s car is waiting. 
Percy doesn’t let go of her hand once. 
***
KALYMNOS, GREECE--Prince Percy has arrived on the island for his family’s annual summer retreat, bringing his girlfriend, Princess Annabeth of Sweden, with him for the fifth year in a row, and the third as his official partner. Lifelong friends, the couple were most recently seen at Disneyland Tokyo, continuing something of a tradition for the two royals where they visit Disneyland parks across the globe. Our sources inside the castle are hinting that the family is planning something big this year. Could we see a proposal by the end of summer? Be sure to subscribe for more updates!
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tiramisiyu · 3 years
Text
【未定事件簿】 Tears of Themis: Main Story 7-35 Translation
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Translation Masterlist | Video
Chapter 7 – Rains of Monte Cristo: 7-1 / 7-3 / 7-5 / 7-7 / 7-9 / 7-11 / 7-13 / 7-15 / 7-17 / 7-19  ♦️ ♦️  7-20 / 7-22 / 7-24 / 7-26 / 7-28 / 7-30 / 7-32 / 7-34 / 7-35
Content Warning: This section contains topics that may be uncomfortable to some readers (mentions of abuse). Please proceed with discretion.
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Court Hallway
After the trial ended, I did not leave immediately. Rather, I waited in the hallway for Hang Jiahe. 
Soon, she walked over, guarded by two bailiffs.
MC: Miss Hang.
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Hang Jiahe: What are you doing here? Are you going to laugh at me?
Hang Jiahe: Are you happy to have beat me?
MC: You’ve misunderstood. I came to tell you something.
Hang Jiahe: What?
MC: Actually… this examination report…
I took out that last examination report again.
MC: Due to time and technical limits, we currently do not have the identification results.
MC: When I showed it in court, I just wanted to add psychological pressure onto you.
Hang Jiahe: …
Hang Jiahe froze for a few seconds, but she then responded quickly.
Hang Jiahe: You tricked me… you tricked me… hahahahahahaha!
She suddenly burst into sharp laughter.
Hang Jiahe: I didn’t lose… I didn’t lose…
Hang Jiahe: I still got my revenge!
MC: …
MC: Miss Hang, can I ask you something?
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Hang Jiahe: What do you want to say?
MC: You said in court that Qi Yu tried to hold Hang Fei back “that night”.
MC: But you still murdered her out of hate for her bystander position, correct?
Hang Jiahe: Yes, I hated her for being a coward, hated her for being too scared to resist Hang Fei, hated her for looking on for so many years without lifting a finger!
Hang Jiahe: She knew during those years what Hang Fei was doing to me, so why didn’t she save me?
MC: …
Hang Jiahe: Then… did you know that Hang Fei had also been abusing Qi Yu during those years?
Hang Jiahe: I did. How could she not have been beaten, with how cowardly she was?
MC: Then do you know why she was beaten?
Hang Jiahe: Why?
MC: …
I took out my phone and opened a video featuring Qi Yu’s abuse. That small woman was lying weakly on the floor, passively enduring the man’s punches and kicks. But she kept mumbling something –
“Don’t hurt Jiahe… and those children… stop it…”
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Hang Jiahe: What…
MC: Miss Hang, did Qi Yu never do anything during all those times you were abused?
MC: Are you sure that every time, she chose to be a bystander, rather than being forced into her position?
MC: Did you know that Qi Yu said those words in each of the videos she was beaten in?
Hang Jiahe: I…
Hang Jiahe froze for a second, but then she immediately reacted.
Hang Jiahe: So what, then? What do you want to say?
Hang Jiahe: That I misunderstood her? That I shouldn’t have killed her? Then does all the pain I suffered for so many years even matter?
Hang Jiahe: You want me to absolve her? To forgive her?
MC: You’ve misunderstood. That’s not what I mean.
MC: I am not you. I have not endured your suffering, so I cannot request for you to forgive anyone.
MC: I haven’t seen what happened during those years, so I cannot judge whether Qi Yu was actively or passively making her decisions.
MC: And I definitely can’t carelessly determine whether she sinned or not.
I stopped for a moment and looked at Hang Jiahe’s gloves. 
In her mind, she probably was the Count of Monte Cristo, Edmond Dantès – someone who had been wronged and could only get revenge for herself. She believed herself as intelligent and as lucky as Edmond, that she would ultimately be the winner. But…
MC: But even Edmond would figure out the situation before his revenge and repay his benefactors.
MC: I’m telling you this, only because I hope you’ll understand what sorts of people you sent away.
MC: I hope you understand that there have been people who intended to treat you kindly.
Hang Jiahe: …
MC: Also, Miss Hang, I can guess why you were not willing to ask for help from the police.
MC: In that sort of situation, you may have thought that you couldn’t rely on the outside world to go against them.
MC: But even so, me, Captain Morgan, and many, many people still have to do something.
I flipped further into the examination report.
MC: Even if Hang Fei is gone, the things he’s done will not disappear with him.
MC: This is the report we’ve created. Captain Morgan’s already sent it to upper management and applied for international cooperation.
MC: Miss Hang, we will bring you the justice you deserve for the pain you’ve experienced.
MC: As for the last few people, I promise that they will receive the punishment they deserve.
MC: So, for the rest of your life, please don’t live in hate.
MC: You’ve already stayed in the darkness for long enough. Please try to take a step forward.
MC: Doesn’t it say that in your beloved “The Count of Monte Cristo”?
MC: “He who has felt the deepest grief is best able to experience supreme happiness.”
MC: Miss Hang, if possible, please try it.
MC: Perhaps the light you’ve always been searching for isn’t too far away.
Hang Jiahe: …
Hang Jiahe: Ha… ha… hahahahaha!
Hang Jiahe broke into sudden, sharp laughter. It sounded like a heartrending sob was woven in it, as it resounded in the empty hallway, melting into the rain.
Amid the grey deluge of rain, specks of light leaked through. Maybe the downpour would finally end this time.
Not long after, Simon’s homicide case opened trial, and Wang Chunchong was deemed the murderer. Xingrui Estates declared that they would be depriving Xu Yin of her position and removing her from the family. Only Tyson received the weakest blow, as the evidence for instigation of murder was insufficient. However, lots of people online were saying that they hoped he would “succumb to the demon of illness as soon as possible”.  
Thus, the homicide case of the couple in Yaofu Community came to an end.
✼ ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ ✼
NXX Base
After the Hang Jiahe case concluded, the NXX investigation team met up at the base again for discussion.
MC: That’s how the Hang Jiahe case went.
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Marius: Thanks for your hard work!
Artem: Thanks for your hard work. You did excellently.
Luke and Vyn nodded at me.
MC: Thanks, everyone.
MC: Enough about me – how’s everyone else’s investigation?
Artem: I’ve already updated Tyson’s case file. I haven’t found any new clues for now.
Marius: I followed what Wang Chunchong said and investigated that guy named Xiao Ren, but…
Marius: I haven’t found anything for now.
Luke: You also found out about Xiao Ren?
Marius: Huh?
Vyn: What a coincidence. I, too, found out about him.
MC: !!!
Luke: Marius, what information do you have on Xiao Ren right now?
Marius: Mainly what Wang Chunchong told me before.
Marius sighed.
Marius: According to Wang Chunchong, Xiao Ren is linked to Heirson’s raw materials purchases.
Marius: Tyson held Xiao Ren to very high regard, and keeps his occupational information on severe confidential status.
Marius: All in all, this person seems pretty mysterious.
Marius: What about you, Luke? What did you find?
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Luke: The aunties in the group told me that Zhao Fei kept looking for someone called “Xiao Ren”.
Luke: I suspect that Tyson brought up this person in the recording that he sent him.
Marius: That’s possible. Wang Chunchong also heard Tyson bring up Xiao Ren, so there should be some sort of link between them.
Artem: Luke, that’s not all the information that the assistive team provided you, is it?
Luke: Yep, that’s not all.
Luke: First, the workers in Heirson where the abnormalities appeared were mostly on the production front lines, so what they touch the most are the products.
Vyn: They probably mixed in their developed illegal drugs into the products, resulting in infection.
Luke: That’s right.
Luke: Secondly, about Zhao Fei…
Luke ripped out a page from his notebook and placed it on the table.
Artem: These names are…
Luke: When I was questioning these ten people about Zhao Fei, their reactions were a bit abnormal. I suspect that…
Luke: They’re the ones hiding Zhao Fei.
MC: What about you, then, Dr. Richter? You just said that you also found out about Xiao Ren.
Vyn: I spoke with half of the 20 special respondents and noticed that it was the same doctor in charge of their examinations.
Vyn: And that person is named “Xiao Ren”.
Vyn: So I suspect that this person knows many secrets regarding Heirson’s experimental data.
MC: If so, this Xiao Ren person knows about where raw materials come from and can deal with the experimental data…
MC: If we can find him, we might be able to patch up the missing part in our evidence chain against Heirson.
Marius: So this Xiao Ren is going to be our investigative focal point from now on?
Luke: Leave it to me, then. I’m the best when it comes to finding people.
Artem: Then leave Zhao Fei to me. I just happen to have something I want to confirm with him.
Vyn: I have only met with the special patients. I will continue to meet with the remaining bunch.
Vyn: Marius, what are your plans?
Marius: Me? I plan to go see Hang Jiahe.
Marius: She wanted to find reporters in the past to drop major news about Heirson, and she’s now in jail…
Marius: We should find out what this news is.
MC: Oh yeah, I’d forgotten about that!
Marius: So, jiejie, want to come with me to see Hang Jiahe? After all, only the two of us know her the best.
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MC: Uh…
I suddenly had a bad feeling.
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Luke: Marius, do you really need someone to accompany you just to go see someone?
Marius: I’m not going to see a typical person, am I? I’m going to see someone who might give us an important clue.
Marius: It makes sense to be a little more cautious and bring someone else.
Luke: Then just bring your assistant. If anything else, then bring some recording equipment.
Luke: Convenient, and it can record in real time.
MC: …
Right after, Artem spoke.
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Artem: Zhao Fei’s case was ours to begin with, and now that we have clues…
Artem: MC, let’s finish it off, alright?
MC: Lawyer Wing…
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Vyn: I may be overstepping, but…
Vyn stepped in just before Artem could speak again.
Vyn: May I trouble you to go with me next?
Vyn: There’s a special patient that I need your assistance with.
Faced with their “eager” eyes, I was very sure that –
The investigation team seriously needs to recruit a new member!
✼ ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ ✼ CHAPTER 7 END  ✼ ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ ✼
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Open Me Carefully
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summary: spencer reid and reader are best friends, but don’t realize that they both love each other. 
author’s note: crappy summary, but this one is loosely based on gold rush 
warnings: none
Open Me Carefully 
Maybe it’s the fact that I have a propensity to keep rereading historical romances, or maybe it’s the fact that I just listen to “Lover” way too much for a single person. Or maybe, I’m actually in love with him, my best friend and the only person in this world who I think truly knows me. 
I mean, how could I not be completely in love with him. Spencer Reid is the closest thing to perfection. He is kind, brilliant, and unbelievably handsome. It almost hurts me how wonderful he is. But daydreaming about Spencer’s hair falling in his eyes, or his hands grazing across the map spread out on the table, or even his wide smile that slips out when he lets his guard down is not productive to solving crimes. 
Unsubs, Y/N. Unsubs. Stop thinking about his hands. And start focusing. 
“Y/N/L!” Calls Hotch from across the room. He’s assigned me to locate the birth mother of the potential unsub. He was given up for adoption as an infant, but bounced around from foster home to foster home, never finding a home, and now obsessed with finding his roots. 
“Yes, sir, here’s the name from Garcia. Susan Lee gave up her baby for adoption in 1981, she was a just 16 years old, so that would make her-”
“44 years old” Spencer injected. 
Hotch gave me a short nod of approval and I cocked my head towards Spencer’s direction, who tried to pull off an innocent look. 
“It’s math, Y/N. I can’t help myself,” he explains. 
“It’s fine, Spence. Math is like your religion,” I tell him, but what I’m really thinking is it’s you, Spence, and you can get away with anything with me. 
“Math, in its purest form, is a beauty known nowhere else” he remarks. 
“Who’s that Nietzsche?” I ask him as he beams down at me, twirling a blue permanent mark between his very distracting fingers. 
“No, Spencer Reid.” he says as he turns back to the map on the table before us.
Just as I give myself the smallest bit of a second to enjoy the playful banter that falls between us, JJ and Emily come walking in, leading a gruff looking detective with them. 
“We think we know where Jacob is hiding out,” JJ starts with a grim look on her face. Emily and the detective walk past her to where Hotch and Derek explain the profile to the SWAT team waiting by. 
“His old orphanage, right?” Spencer asks looking up from the map.
“Yeah, and we think he’s going to hold some of the other children hostage,” JJ tells us. 
“We need to get there, JJ. But isn't it his mother he wants, not the other children. You’d think that with the profile we came up with, it would make more sense for him to want to save the children, not hold them hostage?” I reason.
“You’re right, Y/N,” Spencer says, coming to a dark realization “he thinks that he’s saving them. He’s Angel of Death” he finishes grimly. 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sitting quietly in the jet after the chaos of de-escalating a hostage situation is a calm like no other. We all have routines for the ride home. A quiet ritual that we take the time to be thankful that we’re all here, in one piece, having made the world slightly more safe. 
JJ, ever diligent, will work on paper with Hotch. Rossi will usually keep Hotch from overworking with a small, light conversation. 
Emily spreads out on the couch, and the rest of us pretend to not see JJ glance over at her as she looks at Emily with eyes that crave her attention.  
Derek will listen to music and I’ll close my eyes and strain my ears to make out the muffled tunes that escape his ears. I sit across from Derek and will share snacks that we grabbed from a dingy convenience store on the way to the tarmac. 
Spencer, who always sits next to me, will usually write his mother a letter. He writes her a letter on every plane ride after a case. I think back to the time that I asked him why he prefers letters to phone calls. He told me that he finds letters a forever way to say ‘I love you’. Taking your love and turning it into pen and paper makes it tangible, is what he told me. Until that day, I never really pegged Spencer to be a poet, but he continues to amaze me everyday. 
I think that he can feel me staring at him, because he suddenly stops writing and his eyes look up to meet mine. 
“She’s not doing so well, Y/N” Spencer says, his voice but a whisper above the hum of the jet and music spilling from Morgan’s headset. 
“Your mom?” I ask, my voice matching his. 
Spencer, for perhaps the first time I’ve known him, is quietly defeated.
“All I ever wanted to do was to save her, Y/N. Sometimes I feel like I’m not doing everything I should be. I thought that by the time I was 30 I would have cured schizophrenia. It’s just that sometimes I feel like maybe I settled” 
“Well, you know we really don’t hear about child genius when they are adults. And you have the same job and me, and I’m not where near as smart as you. So you feel like you’re letting the world down or even worse— yourself”
“You might not have the IQ points on a piece of paper, but you are nothing short of brilliant” Spencer says looking at me directly in my eyes. I hold his gaze for maybe a second and look down towards my lap in disbelief. 
“Spence,” I say. “You have to say that, otherwise I’d stop making you chocolate donuts.”
“I don’t need your donuts to convince me that you are an amazing agent. I mean,” He pauses and holds my stare again. 
“You’re so kind it hurts me sometimes. And watching you those kids today, you’d be a great mom, Y/N. You make everyone feel so comfortable just being around you, and I’d give up all the chocolate donuts and IQ points and bottomless coffee if it meant you’d stay in my life,” Spencer says looking at me. I rest my hand over his and we sit there in the silence and comfort of the other. 
Spencer Reid is a man of many hats. But I think his way with words just may be my favorite. I don’t dare to respond to him. I don’t trust myself not to kiss his pink lips as he looks at me like he loves me. I don’t trust myself to not tell him all the wonderful and sinful things I think about him. I don’t trust myself to not tell him how I was watching him play with those orphans back at the police station.
“What’s a best friend for, Spence?” I say to him. 
“Besides, ’d want nothing more than to be a mom one day,” I tell him.  We never really talked about our futures. Maybe it was the nature of our jobs. Having a lethal job means that the future is more of an arbitrary idea than a definite possibility.
“But,” I start. “I'm twenty-seven years old, I've no money and no prospects. I'm already a burden to my parents and I'm frightened” I quote with a smirk on my face that covers my trepidation at talking about love and children and the future with Spencer. 
“I’d never think that you’d be one to settle for a Mr. Collins, Y/N” Spencer tells me, a similar look on his face mirrors my own. “If anything, you’re a Lizzie and you deserve a Mr. Darcy” 
“You really think that Spence, because I’m not too sure.” 
“You never know, Y/N your Mr. Darcy can be anyone. Statistically speaking, you may have already met him or have mutual friends or he may even work in the Bureau. 
Sometimes I think that luck and fate are mocking me. Dangling Spencer in front of me; so real yet so far that I’m jumping to remain close to him. Touching his hand to mine feels like I’m teasing myself, just getting a taste of how his warm, strong hands fit into mine is enough to set my heart on fire. 
I let go of his hand and my palm is cold and lonely without his touching. My heart cools but there’s a yearning for him that’s so strong it’s like a magnetic field pulling me in. 
“I’m going to get a cup of coffee, would you like some?” He asks me as he scoots out of the seat.
“I’ll take a green tea, coffee this late makes me anxious” And sitting here holding your hand talking about children and my Mr Darcy makes me even more anxious. 
“Coming right up,” he says with a sad smile on his face that I try to convince myself is because of his mother’s illness and not because I dropped his hand.
Spencer returns to his spot beside me, sipping his coffee and making small notes in his letter. There’s a chill between us that can’t be quelled by even the hottest cup of tea. Spencer doesn’t talk to me again and even though it’s just a couple more hours, I miss his voice.
I have a routine for when I come home after cases, but that routine has been thrown out the window when I watched Spencer walk out of the bullpen without as much as a wave goodbye. We usually go to my apartment and make dinner together. My trip home is a lot more lonely without Spencer by my side. I try to stop my thoughts from going to him, but it’s impossible when he’s all I can think about. 
My apartment is dark and quiet when I walk in. It was left in shambles, with clothes and books strewn all over the couch, desk and floor. I can’t even bother myself to care about the dirty dishes stacked in the sink. I convince myself that those dishes are a tomorrow problem. 
I take out a small container of leftover fried rice and vegetables and pop into the microwave. Making my way into my bedroom I change out of my work clothes, that I’ve been in for nearly 30 hours. I don’t really think about what I’m putting on, as long as it does not smell it works with me at this point. 
My microwave dings, altering me that my mediocre meal is finished. But, before I can even reach the kitchen a small envelope slips through my door and falls on the floor. A sudden rush of fear courses through me. I flit my eyes to the corner safe where my gun rests. In my mind, I try to calculate the risk of punching the code or if I should just find out who is behind my door. I guess curiosity wins out, because I’m walking towards the door where the mysterious envelope sits. 
I reach down and instantly recognize the handwriting as Spencer’s. I can feel my heart pumping blood through my bodying as I think that some sadistic unsub is trying to toy with me by hurting Spencer.
I was not prepared for what I read. My fingers grazed over the messy penmanship. I don’t even let my mind wander as I pour over the words on the page, still fearing for the worse
Dear Y/N, 
Part of me can’t believe that I’m actually doing this. But something that you mentioned on the plane sparked something in me. You’re not a Charlotte, or a Lizzie or even a Jane, even though you are the kindest and most beautiful person I know. 
You are a Y/N. And I am wishing for anything to be your Mr. Darcy. Thinking about you, Y/N gets me thinking about love. How much I love when you look at me across from the table, or how your soft hands will brush against mine. It reminds me that I’m alive. Your gaze makes me blush and those small brushes make me forget to breathe. In your eyes I can see my future— our future. In your smile I can taste happiness. When I am with you the world moves in slow motion and time seems to move too fast. 
I hope that this does not ruin things, Y/N. I could not bear to lose you. I hope that you won’t hate me but even if you do, I’d rather you hate me and be in your life than not be in your life.
I think of love, and you, and my heart grows full and warm, and my breath stands still
Forever yours, 
Spencer
I read the letter silently. Not sure if I can believe it, but I so desperately want to. I throw all sense to the wind when I fling the door open, my eyes hunting for Spencer. He sits on the steps leading up to the next level, fiddling with his shoe laces. I run over to where he sits, not caring that my neighbors might be looking or caring that I look like I’m about to mug him. 
He makes me, cautious girl, a rebel. 
“Hey, you,” I say approaching him. Spencer moves to stand up and I reach out to hold his hands in mine. Like a puzzle piece they hit perfectly. His hands are not too warm or clammy or too cold and boney. They’re perfect. He hesitates and rubs his thumb against the back of my palm, like he does on the plane. 
“Hi, Y/N.” He starts nervously. “I guess you got the letter, and I just want to tell you-”
“What letter, Spence?” I say. I can’t help but to tease him. His face turns pale and green in the same breath. 
“Uh-um, you didn’t just get something in your mail a couple minutes ago?” He asks me so nervously that I almost feel bad at teasing him. Almost, he’s kind of cute when he’s stumbling over his words and I like to be one that makes him this fluttery. 
“I got your letter, Spencer,” I tell him. I think he half expects me to drop his hand and shatter his heart then and there. Maybe he came here and prepared himself for the worse. I think he’s done that his whole life, believing that he doesn’t deserve a chance at happiness. I’m kind of inclined to give him that happiness when it’s so intricately tied to mine. 
“You did?” 
“Yeah, who knew that you were quite the poet, Spencer.” I tell him as I brush his hair from his eyes. It’s gotten so long, but I like it. I’ve dreamt about threading my fingers threw it many times. It’s so soft and brown and frames his face. 
“You deserve a poet, Y/N. And I could only dream of being that person for you.” He says. Against even his own wishes he leans in closer to my touch. His cheek is warm in my palm and I feel his long eyelashes flutter against the ball of my thumb. 
“Luckily for you, Spence, I like scientists.” I say to him. 
“You--” 
“I love you back, Spencer.” I move to wipe the tears that flood down the bridge of his nose. 
“It was a really beautiful letter that you wrote, Spencer. All the right things in there, Emily Dickinson and Mr. Darcy,” I tell him pressing my cheek into his chest. 
“Well, I had to win you over, Y/N” 
“Ha!, Spencer you’ve had me since I’ve met you” 
He looks at me with a veil of disbelief. 
“Spencer Reid, in his purest form, is a beauty known nowhere else” 
“Is that what you think of me?” He asks me. 
“Why don’t you come inside and let me show you what I think of you Spencer?” I say leading him inside to my apartment, that was no longer so dark and lonely. 
317 notes · View notes
thepaperpanda · 3 years
Text
♥ Dangerously Perfect Match ♥ || Part III
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♥Part I♥ 
♥Part II♥
Summary: Despite Earl Wolf's life is being flipped upside down, she still finds herself capable of bestowing one particular person with reconciliation and forgiveness
Warnings: Ivar 😈
Words: 10284
Authors: Cass & Rouge
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Hvitserk was right - it was getting easier and easier every day. With each sunrise there was less Ivar in your memory and thoughts, he slowly stopped poisoning your mind which made you feel much better.
No more nightmares, no more doubts.
You simply carried on with all the duties of the Earl with Hvitserk by your side. He was really helpful despite your rough beginning. He was always there to help, and be the shoulder you could lean on.
If you only knew how much you would bring back from this whole journey, maybe you would have never decided to go.
Two months after returning home your body started changing, you stopped bleeding which never happened before and your belly started to grow.
After a short talk with your dear friend you decided to visit the healer. There your fears changed into reality.
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You returned to the Great Hall and gave Hvitserk a soft smile, poor man was just as worried as you were.
"And what did healer say?," Hvitserk asked, offering you his arm as he gently wrapped his free hand around your waist to lead you back to your room. "You're pale like you'd have seen a ghost or any other mara," Ragnarsson claimed.
You let him walk you to your room, not speaking a word. There, you sat down on the bed and let out a heavy sigh. You weren't really sure how to admit it. Was it good news, or a curse sent by gods to punish you for getting involved with someone like Ivar.
"Well...," You said quietly with a shaky voice. "I am with a child."
"Congratulations," a smile formed on his lisp and he gasped, relieved. "I was worried you're sick. Child is a reason to celebrate and to be happy for Gods blessed you, dear."
You looked at him in disbelief. He was happy. You carried the child of a man that pretended to love you, played with you, used you for his own plans, and then just threw you away like a used rag when you were no longer needed. That man was hunting you for months, every dream and spilled tears reminded you how stupid you were. "Is there really a reason to be happy, Hvitserk? It's his child! What shall I do now?! Return to him like a wounded dog that I already am and beg him to take me back because of his child? He probably wouldn't even believe me! This child is Ivar's curse."
"Wait. Wait," Hvitserk frowned strongly, tilting head. "I know you and him had sex but he's a cripple. He can't have children, I am more than sure about that," he claimed. "Maybe you slept with someone else. It can't be Ivar's child. It can't."
"One more word and I will break more than your nose, Ragnarsson!," You growled at him, getting up from the bed. "Who do you think I am! I am the Earl, not some common whore. Since we returned from Kattegat I haven't slept with anyone else! There was just Ivar, and no one else ever after!"
"For Odin's sake, it breeds...," Hvitserk mumbled under his breath so you didn't hear him. "If he's the father, he should know anyway."
You laughed and shook your head, rubbing the bridge of your nose. "You think he will care? He is a heartless monster, he already proved it by toying me. You good know what he did, in the best case scenario he won't believe it and in the worst - he will try to kill us both."
"Think of what he will do if he finds out one day. He'll ground the settlement, he'll burn your people alive...," Hvitserk lowered his tone, grunting in the end. "Not that I am not happy, I'll be the uncle though, but I rather thought of Ubbe's child, Bjørn's maybe..."
Suddenly you bursted into tears. It was too much for you to handle at once.
Not so long ago you used to live without Ivar and now this happened. You just wanted to disappear, make everyone forget you have even existed. Hvitserk for a second stood still, he wasn't sure whether he should console you or not. In the end, he decided to approach and wrap his arms around your shaking shoulders. He hugged you tight. "I'll take care of you and of the child you're carrying. Don't be worried or sad, you're strong and you'll survive. And, you won't be able to say you're all alone in this world. You'll be the mother. You need to be strong for the baby."
You immediately nuzzled to him, shaking your head as you tried to catch a proper breath. "I can't, Hvitserk... It's his child. It's his... I don't want it. I can't... I don't know how to be a mother."
"You know. You had it written in your womanhood somehow," he assured, gently rubbing your shoulders. "The child didn’t want to come to this world, you both invited him or her, you need to be responsible now. As I said, I'll help as much as possible."
Hvitser was right in some way. "I... I just don't want him back in my life. I wasted enough time with him. He won't use me or the child."
"He won't. I won't let this happen," Hvitserk replied, kissing top of your head. "We'll survive."
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As much as you hated to admit it; Hvitserk was right once again.
You never thought that your people can be more caring than they already were but they proved that they indeed could. Since the announcement was made, everyone became even more careful and protective of their Earl. All the women made sure you were okay.
This was something wonderful but all the nice words and assures didn't really change what you felt inside.
With every month the child under your heart grew bigger.
It was wonderful but deep inside you remembered Ivar's action. Everything that led you to this moment. You hated the child for being part of him but there also was part of you in there. You were torn apart.
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Everything changed seven months later. After countless hours of bloody and painful labor, the child was welcomed to the world.
It was a boy and as soon as you saw him you knew you would kill anyone who will even try to hurt him.
You didn't care that boy had those piercing blue eyes and dark hair. He was your son and nothing would change that.
This was how little Vali became the part of your life.
In the beginning, you were sure that he was some kind of a curse, something to destroy your life more but after the first two months of motherhood, you were sure he was a blessing.
That one day, Hvitserk came from a little trip on the North; he went to meet with king Olaf who somehow learnt about Earl Wolf becoming a mother. "Y/N?," He asked once he got into the Great Hall. "I brought gifts from the king. He wishes you all the best and he sends his sincere wishes to yours son, too."
You sat on your throne with a Vali proactively wrapped in your arm and furry cloak. "Gifts? From Olaf? That's a great surprise, I'll have to send a messenger to thank him for this all. He didn't have to do this."
Smiling you got up from the throne and walked to Hvitserk. "Look Vali, your dear uncle is back," you hummed and looked at Ragnarsson. "He missed you so much."
"I hope," Hvitserk chuckled in the deep tone of his. He reached under his cloak and pulled out a little bear-shaped toy, made of the finest type of silk. "This one's for you, Vali. Just don't eat it."
You laughed, and took the toy to show it to the little boy.
Vali looked at the toy and giggled loudly. "He loves it. I can already tell we have a new thing that he won't sleep without.”
"That's good," Hvitserk briefly tapped the boy's nose and placed the little kiss on his temple shortly after. "So, maybe now you'll stay with me, so your beautiful mom can have some spare time?"
"Hvitserk, you just got back. Please, go take a bath and rest. I am already done with my duties for the day, so spending time with my handsome, little bundle of happiness is a blessing," you assured him.
"You sure?," He asked but nodded shortly. "Whatever Earl says."
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What he needed would never come and no matter how much he seeked, he wouldn't find it.
Ivar wasn't born for great things, nor to find his place in the sun, he kind of accepted it. He could try every day, work for what he wants and needs, but there were no paths to success, not from here, from the abyss of rage and nothingness.
People talked as if he couldn't hear them.
He knew too well they spoke about him being inept in all facets of the ruling.
Kattegat turned into a very dark place since both Earl Wolf and older Ragnarsson left.
People, who were unfavorable to their new leader, were vanishing in pretty questionable circumstances.
Settlement streets were said to be flowing with the blood of enemies of the self proclaimed king.
People lived in terror, hoping everyday they'll be able to witness another sunrise.
Ivar locked himself completely. Trusting only a few people, he spent all of his days within Great Hall, in his bedroom, dreaming of other scenarios, dreaming of what would happen if he didn't send the Earl away.
There was hope before, when she was by his side. Just a tiny flicker against the wind. But not it vanished completely, leaving a painful wound across his heart.
He heated himself for what he decided back then but he couldn't turn the time back.
But the worst was about to come.
When deputy of king Olaf arrived with the very unexpected news about Earl Wolf, Ivar broke completely. Not only did he destroy the place he was born in, and which he used to call home, he randomly stabbed at least two of his guards in a rage outburst.
He had never felt so much rage before as when he learnt she bore a son.
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Few days had passed since Hvitserk returned and you felt happy; your little family was reunited.
You were sitting on a furry rug with Vali and tried to tell him a story but the boy was too busy with his new toy to listen to your voice.
"You know, Hvitserk, I was scared before he was born that he will be deformed as his father or that he will destroy my life but now I am ready to protect him with my life," you said and raised your head, looking at the man entering your room.
Hvitserk held a mango in his hand. His glance immediately fell on you and a little bundle of joy placed on your lap. "I told you to not be stressed. He is perfectly fine and will grow into a fierce warrior, just like his mother," Hvitserk cut mango in half and offered you piece.
You gave him a smile and took the fruit. "Maybe when he grows up, there will be no need to fight. Maybe finally the world will be at peace, no need to risk life for a bit of glory or spill innocent blood." After saying that you took the bite of mango and hummed at the sweetness. "I am just happy my fears did not eat me alive and thanks Gods you were here the whole time."
Ragnarsson didn't say anything to comment on your words, he simply took a seat on the chair a few steps away and continued observing how you played with the baby.
"Don't sit so far away from us, Hvitserk. Come and play with us, little Vali wants to play with his uncle," you giggled, and took Hvitserk's hand to gently pull him so he joined both of you on the fluffy rug.
He followed your ask and sat on the floor next to you. His arm wrapped carefully around the baby as you passed the boy to him. Shortly after Hvitserk was laying on his back, holding Vali in his straightened arms, up in the air, gently tossing the boy up to catch him in his arms seconds later, earning a loud laughter and giggling from the boy.
You laughed, watching them. This sight was a pleasure to your heart. Your little boy was healthy and happy, not caring about anything else but fun. He was always taken care of, with his belly full, and it was all he ever needed.
Hvitserk was a blessing, too.
Even if you sometimes wished that Ivar was here, the older Ragnarsson easily stepped into the father role for Vali. Right now, you didn't regret anything that ever happened because this all brought you here, and you were happy with this all.
Hvitserk looked at you with the corner of his eye. "Something wrong? You're staring."
You gasped and used your hands to cover your eyes with a quiet laugh. "Prince Hvitserk, I am so sorry for staring. I just found the two of you playing so cute that I couldn't help myself and watch. Please forgive me."
He couldn't stop himself from chuckling. "Everything is forgiven." He kept playing with the baby. The boy started to reach his chubby hands towards Hvitserk, so the man gently laid the baby on the furs and pretended to attack him. He earned a salve of laughter, so loud that it could pierce the ears.
You laughed with your boy and soon joined them to bathe the baby in the deserved attention and love.
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Month passed quickly. With Vali under your care, it passed even quicker than you have ever expected.
The night covered the settlement in the darkness, every place went quiet but not the Great Hall.
When others were getting ready to sleep, you walked around your room with Vali in your arms while humming a lullaby.
The boy was your little treasure but putting him to bed was a nightmare, despite the day full of fun, he didn't want to sleep.
Most nights looked like this, he wasn't in pain or anything like this. He was just fussing.
Suddenly one of your thralls stepped in. "My lady, a deputy from another settlement arrived and claimed he has some news for you."
Hvitserk, who slept in another room already, was woken up by a chatter and rumour in the main chamber so he got up, put tunica on and went to check what was going on.
You frowned and passed the boy to the thrall. "Try to put him to bed or just wait with him here."
Soon. you entered the main chamber. You didn't expect any message from anyone you knew, this was very suspicious. Whatever it was you were ready to fight if needed. Sitting in your throne, you measured the deputy with a cold gaze.
"What new do you bring? What place are you from?"
"I'm coming from Kattegat,. ma'am," the deputy said, bowing his head.
Hvitserk, who entered the chamber and stood next to your throne, frowned.
You froze hearing this, clearing your throat you straighten your back.
"If king Ivar expects more gold from us you can tell him he won't get it. We broke both military and trading bonds between settlements. I won't pay more since we get nothing from the other side."
Deputy lowered his head. "King Ivar was killed by King Aethewulf in England."
You blinked completely shocked by those words. It was hard to believe since you saw his skills, he was simply too skilled to just get killed.
"Who gave you that information? Has anyone seen the body or his death?"
"I, my lady. I and at least one hundred of our warriors who made it back to Norway after unsuccessful raids."
Rubbing your cheek you nodded, still trying to accept the words you just heard. It was hard, you got over him months ago but Vali was this one little string that reminded and connected you to Ivar the Boneless.
"You can go. My people will give you a place to sleep, we can talk in the morning. Now rest, the way here was long and hard."
When the deputy left the Great Hall, you sighed heavily and looked at Hvitserk at your side.
"What do you think? Your brothers are back in Kattegat? Is he really dead or is it some kind of twisted plan to get us?"
Hvitserk looked all sad. "I don't know. But I don't think this man lied to us. He was dead serious. If this is true... If he died... For Odin's sake, I feel sick."
You quickly moved to him to place your palms on his cheeks in an attempt to calm him down. "Hvitserk, my friend. Please, stay calm, take a deep breath"
He did but it resulted in him shivering all over his body. "It can't be true... He was my little brother after all..."
You hushed him and hugged him as tightly as you only could. "I know, I know he was. I also can't believe it. Maybe the man was wrong, maybe he didn't see it right. Maybe your brother is alive... Just lost."
Hvitserk, as much as he hated it, broke fully and started sobbing. "Leave me, Y/N. I just need a walk." He gently pushed you aside and simply went out, don't paying attention to the coldness of the night and to the heavy rain outside.
What else could you do? He needed this, so you let him go, he would come back as he always did.
After a few more minutes of thinking, you simply returned to your room. Vali was somehow already asleep in his wooden crib. "If you only knew how much we lost. All of us," you whispered and placed a gentle kiss on the boy's forehead.
After tucking him in, you sat on your bed and broke into tears. Ivar was gone and it hurt. Despite everything they ever happened, deep down you still loved him.
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Hvitserk returned in the morning. He was soaked wet with rain, and so drunk that he simply had a close encounter with the door leading to his room.
Loud bang on the door woke you up. Soon, you were out of the bed to see what even was that. The sight of poor Hvitserk all wet and drunk was really sad. "Oh, Hvitserk. What have you done to yourself..."
He scoffed. "I'm fine, Y/N. I can't find my room. Did you.... T-take it away?"
You let out a heavy sigh, and shook your head. "Girls! Could you please come here?”
Three thralls that you knew he liked the most walked up to you. "What can we do?"
"Take him to his room, bathe him, feed him if he wants, change his clothes and put him to bed, please," you said, and the girls looked at Hvitserk.
"I can do... By my own... I am not drunk," he placed hands on his hips trying to scoff your words but instead he lost his balance and almost fell to the floor.
You chuckled. "Yes, we can all see this. Go with girls. I know you like them, they will help you."
Hvitserk gasped but his hand wrapped around the waist of one of the girls.
All three of them giggled. "Oh, we will gladly help him and take care of him," one of them hummed happily.
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Two years passed like sand in an hourglass; quickly and unnoticeable. Some time ago Vali was just a little bundle of joy, and now he was a curious two-year-old. Always asking questions and looking at new stuff with those big blue eyes.
Vali took most after his father, those beautiful eyes and dark hair. Happily, his character was more like yours.
"You think we should throw a feast today? After all, it's boy's big day," you asked, and looked at Hvitserk while playing with Vali's hair.
Hvitserk was sitting at the table, playing with a knife in his hands as he was rethinking your idea. "Yes. We need to feast. This is your son's big day. He needs to feel it, even if he's not too old to understand fully. I asked Katherine to prepare it already."
You laughed and kissed the boy's head. "You see how much your uncle loves you? We will let you sit a bit longer today than. My big, beautiful boy," saying this you hugged Vali tightly.
Hvitserk continued his play with the dagger while observing you hugging your baby boy.
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The feast was a tale of how your people loved Vali.
"Above all, this is a feast of our emotions, of our bonds, with the food and mead as the perfect symbol of these everlasting bonds," Hvitserk said happily as he was sitting right by your side, enjoying the party and keeping his eye on the baby boy.
Raising your horn you laughed. "Let's drink, my friends! Let's drink for my son, and my dear friend, Hvitserk! May Gods bless them with love and happiness that they deserved," you said loudly, and the crowd cheered loudly, agreeing with you.
One of thralls refilled Hvitserk's cup and she just stared at him. "Sir, do you need anything else?"
He caught her glance, and a mischievous grin danced in his lips. "What's your name, sweetheart?"
"Astrid, my lord."
You watched then with a smile. It was a common fact that Hvitserk could charm girls with just one smile.
Suddenly a man walked in, you recognized him as one of your warriors. He walked to you to whisper something into your ear. Frowning softly you nodded. "Hvitserk? Someone is asking to see the Earl. Shall we let him in or just send him away?"
Hvitserk narrowed his brows. "Did we invite anyone from outside? I can't recall it. Today is the feast of your lovely son and this is what she should focus on."
"No, we did not but from what he said the person looks for a safe place to stay and heal wounds," you said, bouncing the boy on your knee.
"Maybe we should let him in, see what he really expects?"
"I'll condone your every decision."
You nodded and looked at the warrior. "Bring the person in. I want two guards with whoever it is, just to be safe."
The man nodded and quickly runoff.
"My friends! We will have an unexpected guest! Let's all see why he is here!," you informed people gathered in the Great Hall. "Astrid, please take my boy to my room. He is sleepy."
When the boy was taken to the safety of your room, you got comfortable in your throne and waited to see who the visitor really was.
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Ivar wasn't sure of what he was doing.
He couldn't simply get back to Kattegat, now Bjørn was the king and he would simply cut his head off as soon as he would appear on the horizon.
Those months were hard for him. After miraculously getting back from England on a single boat belonging to traders, he wandered through Norway all by his own, trying to find a safe place.
Unfortunately, due to him being a ruthless ruler before, he had more foes than friends and it wasn't so easy to stay calmly in any place.
He hated the fact he had to show up here, in the settlement ruled by Earl Wolf herself.
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Soon, your warrior entered the room with the company of the mysterious visitor. The whole Great Hall went quiet, carefully observing the newcomer. All men were ready to fight if needed.
You stiffened hearing the familiar sound. Crutch, step, step, and then again crutch, step, step.
No, he was dead. It couldn't be him unless the Gods decided to torment you more than they already did.
Clearing your throat you did your best to calm down your nerves. "Who are you? And what do you want? Explain your purpose here."
Hvitserk also stopped whatever he was doing. The sound of crutch was too familiar but his brother was long gone. It just had to be some cripple, seeking a safe place to spend the night.
Ivar, with hood on his head, slowly walked until the guards stopped him in the middle of the chamber. After taking a long breath, he slowly took the hood off, raising his head. "I'm Ivar the Boneless and I came to see Earl Wolf."
Hvitserk jolted up. "Guards!," He raised his tone.
More men walked closer to Ivar, ready to protect the Earl.
"Is this some kind of a joke? Or a magic trick? Curse?," You asked with a frown. "Are you the real Ivar the Boneless? The whole Norway let out a sigh of relief when they heard about his death in England, and now you came here, claiming to be him?"
As much as you wanted it to be a joke or curse, it wasn't. It was Ivar himself, he was here, and he stood right in front of you in your own settlement, asking for a safe place. There were many emotions boiling in you; happiness because he was alive, and anger for all that he did to you in the past. You wanted to hug him but at the same time you wished to see him bleed out all over your ax.
"As much as I would love to be feasting with Odin and Æsirs in Valhalla now, I'm not dead in the slightest," he replied.
You could see a large cut on his right cheek, going almost from his temple down to reach his jaw. One of his eyes was fully red.
You laughed, and got up from your throne to walk closer. "Look at this! You all leave the food and look at this, people! Great Ivar the Boneless, the man who used me and my trust, came here, looking for a safe place to stay like a wounded dog he is!" Pulling out the dagger you always carried for safety, you looked at him, and then pressed the blade to his neck. "For all you did to me, I should slit your throat open, and let you bleed out. Just to free everyone from you," you growled.
"Mama, uncle!" Little boy ran out of the room and immediately hugged Hvitserk's leg, hiding from the stranger.
Hvitserk leaned down and picked the boy up, wrapping arms tightly around the little trembling figure. His eyes never left Ivar’s features.
Ivar smiled simply at your words and wrapped his palm around the blade of your dagger, so hard that soon the blood started dropping to the floor. "Go on. Free me."
"On the other hand, doing this will be too easy," you growled, and took the dagger away. Shaking your head, you walked back to Hvitserk. "I guess the thrall couldn't keep the boy away. What do we do with Ivar now?," You asked before placing a comforting kiss on the little boy's head.
"I have no idea, I am just as shocked as you are," Hvitserk whispered, his glance still locked on Ivar.
"To say that I am shocked is an understatement, my friend," you said with a little frown, and took Vali into your arms. Poor thing was shaking from the whole situation and nerves. "It's okay, Vali. Mother is here, you are safe," you whispered, wrapping your furry cloak around the boy to calm him down.
Of course Ivar spotted the baby in your arms. Boy could have at least up to 3 springs, not more for sure. A cold needle of envy pierced Ivar's heart. You had a family you craved that much.
"Take him to that one empty hut. Take away that cursed crutch, make sure to tie his hands together. His legs won't be a big problem. Bring healer to him so she can have a look at his wound," you ordered, looking right at Ivar while holding the child close to your chest. "Feed him if he is hungry. I want him to be guarded day and night."
"All this for a cripple?," One of your people asked loudly. "Look at him! Wounded, in despair. He won't be able to hurt anyone, my lady."
"We should leave him to die in the forest," one of the women claimed. "My dearest son was killed by his side!"
"I fought by his side! I know what he is capable of, never underestimate him. Crippled or not he can be dangerous," you claimed, pointing at Ivar. "I was betrayed by him but I won't lower myself to his position by using cruelty. Take him away, and do as I said. This is an order."
Most people groaned unhappily at the order but they followed.
Ivar was escorted to the empty hut, located almost in the woods.
You let the feast continue but returned to your bedroom.
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There was not much sleep that night.
When Vali was asleep right next to you, wrapped in warm furs, you lied there motionless, thinking. You couldn't believe what actually happened that night. The man that was your lover, father of your child, dead man was here. He was alive. Hate toward Ivar was strong, he hurt you so bad but at the same time, he gave you the little treasure you called your son. Not to mention you somehow missed him.
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When the morning came, you left Vali with Astrid and went to visit Ivar.
He was all tied up. Your people took good care to wrap ties around his wrists hard enough that after an hour or two he lost feeling in both of his hands, locked high above his head.
Being completely overwhelmed by pain from all the blows he experienced during the night, he fell in complete oblivion before the dawn, his head rolled down as his chin rested against his chest.
You didn't like what you saw when you entered the hut. This wasn't what you ordered. Of course, you wanted to be sure he won't attack you, your child, or Hvitserk but this was too much. By the look around you could tell the healer was never there as well as the food was never delivered, while the hut was also cold. "Guards!," You yelled and waited at them to join you.
Two of your loyal men approached. "My lady?," One of them asked.
"What happened here? Why is he tied up like this? Beaten up? This place is cold, was healer even here?," You looked at them, crossing arms over your chest. "Did he get anything to eat?"
Men exchanged glances. "No. Healer refused to come here, and people took their retaliation in first and twice as nasty."
"Who do you think you all are to oppose my orders!? I am the Earl!," You snapped at them. "You had to guard him! Not let people use him as an old doll. You can tell anyone who dared to touch him that I will find them and take care of them by myself, you two included." Shaking your head you walked past them before giving them one more look. "I go to the healer to get stuff I need. You two better not touch him until I am back."
As soon as Earl vanished from their sight, guards measured themselves with mean glances.
"You know by yourself what they say, that the boy is his," one of them remained his mate and spat on the floor.
You visited the healer's hut to gather whatever stuff needed to take care of Ivar's injury. Maybe you weren't a real healer but taking the fact you were a warrior, you knew how to take care of the wounds. Soon, you returned to Ivar, making sure guards stayed outside.
The sight of him broke your heart, he hurt you but you never wanted him to suffer like this. "As the Earl I feel ashamed. I am sorry that my people treated you like this," you said, undoing the rope that held his hands. "This was not my order."
As he heard any commotion, he opened his eyes. The last thing he expected was your presence in the same chamber. He was highly aware how broken he had left you before, and to be fair, he was secretly shocked with the fact you even tried to help him, in any way. As you undid the ropes, he fell on the floor with loud hiss escaping his chapped lips. He couldn't support himself due to the fact his hands were curled and cold - it was difficult to obtain sufficient blood flow when his hands were tied too tightly above his head for many long hours.
You sat on the floor, and helped him sit up, resting his back against the wall. "I just hope they didn't damage you more. This wasn't my order, I am furious they did this to you."
Ivar looked directly at you but he remained silent.
You gave him a flat smile, and then cupped his cheek to take a look at the nasty wound on his face. Helping him was wrong, you should let your people do what they wanted for what he did to you but you simply couldn't bring yourself to cruelty. Those stupid feelings didn't let you. You started to gently clean the wound, despite his angry hisses you kept your work on it.
He closed his eyes, struggling with the burning pain on his cheek when you pressed the wet rug soaked with some oils and herbs to the wound. It started bleeding immediately. Ivar clenched his teeth, letting out a loud grunt.
"Did you get anything to eat? Drink?," You asked him, still working on that wound of his. He would live, all that would be left after it would be a scar.
"No," he replied in that particular soft tone of his.
Letting out a deep sigh you shook your head, this was unbelievable. How could your own people not listen to their leader, and simply do what they want with a defenseless man? "Guards!," You yelled and looked over your shoulder as soon as they entered the hut. "Take him, and carry him to the Great Hall."
Men gave you a look. "I'm sorry, my lady, but he is the devil himself. Our people don't want him among us."
You rolled your eyes. "Are you deaf? Earl gave you an order, do it or I will feed you to wolves by myself. I am your leader, I decided about his place. Now shut your mouth, take him, and follow me."
Both men with loud gasps entered the chamber and picked Ivar up, each of them wrapped one of Ivar's arms around their shoulders.
The Great Hall was mostly empty, only Hvitserk and two thralls sat around the fireplace playing with little Vali.
You didn't miss the odd looks they gave you once they noticed you entering the main chamber with two guards that carried Ivar right behind you.
They sat him down on a chair near the big table, after that guards left.
"Astrid? Would you be so kind as to stop trying to get Hvitserk's heart? I need you to prepare something to eat for my guest," you said, giving her a flat smile.
Astrid fazed a little but obeyed your command. "Whatever you say, my lady."
Hvitserk looked above his shoulder, his glance immediately went to Ivar. "We were informed you were dead."
Youngest Ragnarsson scoffed. "You wish."
Hvitserk jolted up, and with few large steps he approached the chair Ivar sat on. "What's wrong with you? Don't expect us to be happy with your sudden resurrection after all you had done to us all."
You took Vali from the other thrall, and ordered her to help Astrid with food.
Boy was more than happy to see his mother, he giggled and nuzzled to your chest.
"Hvitserk is right. You did so much bad that I should simply give you to my people and let them decide what to do with you but I am better than this," you muttered, holding the baby close as you walked closer to older Ragnarsson.
Hvitserk offered you a particular glance of his; his eyebrow cocked high, his lips pressed together so they were just a thin line. He looked at the boy you held in arms and then back at you.
Ivar listened to your words but he remained silent.
Vali watched the stranger with his curious blue eyes. "Ma?," the boy cooed and pointed at Ivar.
You chuckled, looking down at your baby. Of course, curiosity was stronger than fear. "Yes, I know."
Ivar cringed inside. The last thing he needed was to deal with the child. He turned his head around to avoid the piercing glance of those blue eyes. If he felt better, he would simply twist his brother's neck for impregnating you.
You asked one thrall to take the boy away and keep him safe. Vali didn't look happy, looking at you over the woman's shoulder.
When they both were gone, you looked at Ivar. "Ivar, talk to us. What even happened? We got a message from Kattegat that you died in England."
"I partly did," he growled deeply, not bothering himself to look at you or Hvitserk.
His older brother after a moment of silence smashed his fist against the table. "Fuck, Ivar, stop being all offended! And reply to questions! We do not have an entire day, and Y/N has her duties, too!"
"Oh, she for sure has," Ivar mocked. "You have a beautiful son," he claimed out of sudden, his steel blue eyes fixed on your face.
Oh if he only knew.
"I know I do and he needs his mother's attention. I am still the Earl, so your brother is right, I have duties, Ivar," you answered, looking him right in the eyes without any hint of fear.
Ivar let out a sharp breath and rubbed his forehead. He felt highly uncomfortable around you and Hvitserk. "I have nothing more to say. I know that you, my dear brother, would happily dance on my grave, but as you can see, I somehow survived," Ivar snapped, looking directly at Hvitserk.
“Stop it. I fucking moured you, you fucking idiot," Hvitserk grabbed Ivar by collar of his tunica. "I am not a heartless monster like you."
You grabbed Hvitserk's shoulder in an attempt of calming him down. "Hvitserk, calm down, please. We both mourned you, Ivar. You have no idea in what state he was for months because his youngest brother was gone. This shocked him to the core, it was hard for him to return to everyday life."
"This is why he decided to get into your panties?," Ivar replied viciously, a sadness in his tone. "How long did it last? While we were a thing?," Ivar grunted. "I would never think you and he would have a baby together."
Hvitserk laughed. "Unbelievable."
You blinked looking at Ivar with a clear shock and surprise in your eyes. "E-Excuse me..." Did he think the baby was yours and Hvitserk’s? Apparently he did and it was the most ridiculous thing you had ever heard in your entire life. You tried your best to keep a straight face but a short laugh left your lips. "First of all, you said it yourself that we never were together, and second, Vali isn't Hvitserk's child, I never slept with him. He was a wonderful friend and father figure but nothing beyond that."
Ivar now felt stupid for accusing you of sleeping with his brother. "You two seem close. I just thought..."
"Even if we were a thing with Y/N, it would not be any matter of yours," Hvitserk reminded coldly. "So you know, I didn't sleep with her."
"We are close but like I said. He was a wonderful help since we got here but we even have two different rooms. Hvitserk is too busy charming the female half of the settlement," you said, and laughed some more.
Ivar wanted to complain some more but a bowl with soup was placed in front of him by Astrid.
Woman shivered when he threw her a glance.
"Thank you," he replied and started eating.
"Keep an eye on him. Make sure he eats and drinks. Find him some new clothes. Girls will help with the bath," you said, patting Hvitserk's shoulder. "I need to go on training grounds. I can already tell it will be hard, they aren't too happy with our visitor."
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Ivar spent another three months on healing his wounds, and he happened to have a lot of those.
People got used to his presence among them, yet they still weren't keen on any interactions with him, which resulted in him lurking alone throughout the paths, being talked about and pointed with fingers and piercing glances.
That particular day he went outside, to sit on a huge meadow, he had to gather all the thoughts that were floating within his mind.
How huge was his surprise when he spotted Astrid with Earl's son. They were picking flowers.
"Your mother will love those. They will nicely decorate your shared room," Astrid hummed picking a flower, and showing it to the little boy what earned her a big smile from him.
Vali himself picked a few flowers, and gently put them in the basket set on the ground.
Astrid shivered feeling someone's eyes on them. She loved such little trips but they were stressful. Earl would go mad if anything happened to her only child. Woman raised her head and looked at Ivar before giving him a little nod as a greeting.
Ivar offered her a nod in reply, and continued observing them from a distance. The boy seemed cute and eager to learn about the world. Ivar sighed; he would want to have a child one day but he knew it was impossible.
Astrid returned to picking the flowers.
Soon, the boy was bored with that activity; the stranger was much more interesting.
At some point Astrid was accosted by some other thrall as they started talking. Before she even noticed, Vali walked away to finally get a closer look at the stranger.
Ivar was busy with playing with the tape of his black tunica. He felt uncomfortable as he felt a piercing glance on his features. He raised head up and noticed the boy standing right in front of him.
Boy watched Ivar carefully, and then decided to sit right next to him. He looked up and smiled. "Hi. Flower," Vali said, showing the flower to Ivar proudly.
Ivar cringed at first but his heart melted instantly when the boy handled the freshly picked up flower to him. Ivar took it gently between his fingers and gave the boy a smile. n"Flower. Do you like flowers?"
Boy nodded with a huge smile on his mouth. "You?," Vali asked, pointing at him.
Ivar was completely taken aback by the question boy dropped. "I like them, too," he replied in his usual soft tone. "Where are you mom?"
Boy blinked few times before pointing at the direction of Great Hall. "There," he said, and his attention went to Ivar's braided hair. "Pretty," Vali giggled, and tried to reach them.
Ivar at first tried to move back; he wasn't used to the children being around him, fascinated by the way he looked. After considering the situation, and taking no one could see him being so vulnerable, he leaned forward and turned head aside. It resulted with his braids to fall loose to the side, so the boy could touch them.
Boy gaped excitedly, and gently took the braids into his hubby hands. "Soft! Pretty!,” he giggled, and gently pulled on the to see what would happen.
Ivar laughed. "Gently, like you would pet the dog or kitten," he instructed, and tapped the boy's hand softly.
Boy nodded, and started to gently play with his hair. After he was done Vali pulled away from him to find a new point of interest. Soon he got interested in weird things on Ivar's legs.
Ivar wasn't sure what to do. He hated his lower limbs, but the boy was seemingly interested in leg braces and crutch that was leant next to them. "I'm a cripple," he told the boy though he knew he wouldn’t understand a word. "They don't work," Ivar pointed at his legs.
Boy looked at him confused, and gently touched the braces as if he was again touching his hair. "Hurt? Sad?," Vali asked curiously.
You were scared the first moment you saw that Astrid was busy with gossiping, and Vali was gone but you calmed down as you saw him. Vali was interacting with his father, even if the little boy didn't know that. Instead of stepping in, you decided to observe them.
"Sad, hurt," Ivar replied and made a sad face. "Be happy. Your legs are nice. Chubby and wobbly still but you'll grow into a strong man," Ivar ruffled boy's dark hair.
Boy laughed at his action but didn't like the fact that his new friend wasn't happy. Vali was quiet for a moment before kissing braces on Ivar’s legs, and then got up to hug Ivar. Just like his mom always did when he got hurt. "No hurt."
You smiled, biting your lips. This was something you never expected to see.
Ivar paled. His brain stuttered for a moment and his eyes took in more light than expected, every part of him went on pause while his thoughts catched up. Never before had Ivar noticed how time is so much like water; that it can pass slowly, a drop at a time, even freeze, or rush by in a blink. "Thank you, I feel healed," Ivar replied softly and simply put hands on both sides of the boy to pick him up and sat on his lap. "Comfy?"
Boy nuzzled into him, getting comfortable on his lap and nodded with a short yawn. "Yes. Soft."
Ivar let him rest his side against Ivar's chest. He also yawned. "If you want, nap. I'll keep an eye on you."
Vali nodded, closing his eyes.
You decided to get Astrid's attention pointing out that your son is gone. Poor girl freaked out but you quickly calmed her down, and then sent her back to Great Hall with your shield and ax. After that you approached Ivar. "Comfortable you two?," You whispered.
Ivar looked at you and nodded, putting his fingers to lips. "Shhh. You don't want to wake this little warrior up."
"No I don't. He gets fussy," you nodded and sat next to Ivar. "Ivar the Boneless and child. That's  something new."
"I know, right?," He whispered and wrapped arm around the boy to shield him from rolling off his lap.
You smiled softly looking at this sweet little sight. "Ivar. Can I ask you something?"
He shrugged slightly. "Yes."
"Do you know that a wolf has one mate? One mate for whole life?,” You whispered, looking at him.
"I do, mother taught me and my brothers about that," he replied. "Why? Do you have wolves threatening the settlement?"
You chuckled and shook your head. "Back in York I picked my mate. Man I wanted to spend my life with. Stay by his side no matter what, and it was you,"
"I remember," he replied and started cringing inside. All he needed was you to recall the relationship you two shared.
"You know that since you made me leave Kattegat, I haven't slept with anyone," you said looking down at Vali that was already sleeping in his arms. "You were and still are the only one that slept with me before Vali was born."
"Bishop called it the virgin birth. So, as I assume, you're holy? Or should be considered like one," Ivar blinked, looking at you.
"Ivar I am not a virgin for years. Vali is your son, I found out I am pregnant two months after my return from Kattegat," you announced with a frown. "No virgin birth, no any other man. Just your seed that filled me for months."
Ivar grimaced. "I'm sorry to break it up to you, sweetheart, but I'm a cripple and I can't have children," he whispered loudly.
"Yeah, and you brothers claimed that before England you couldn't fuck a thrall," you raised your eyebrow. "And there you were. Taking me whenever you wanted, however you wanted."
Ivar was about to complain but he went quiet. You were right; his brothers were repeating that he couldn't ever have possessed a woman, yet he did. Which led to the obvious conclusion he could have impregnated you.
You gave him a little smile. "He is your son. This is Vali Ivarsson, son of famous and fierce Ivar the Boneless."
Ivar wanted to pick the boy up and take a closer look but he didn't have a heart to wake this little bundle of happiness. "You mean it?..."
"I swear on my name, reputation and Gods themselves that I mean it," you nodded. "Since our meeting in York till this day, there was no one else in my bed.”
He nodded and went quiet again. It wasn't the news he ever expected to hear. "I'll be visiting him, if you agree but I want Hvitserk to be his father's role. I don't want him to know about me being his father," he said coldly.
"No, Ivar. I won't agree on this, there is nothing he should be ashamed of," shaking your head, you touched his shoulder. "I want you to be here. With me, and with your son."
"No," he replied and shifted slightly in his place, trying to get as far from your touch as possible. "Look at me. I'm a wreck. I always thought that trust must come before love, yet it is not so, for love and trust can arrive at the same moment. When love is given in this way, immediate, no explanations, the trust arrives too. But I broke both your love and trust years ago by sending you out. I shouldn't have done that but I did, and nothing can explain the decision I made back then. Trusts were broken, lies were told. I used you, I did, just to get thing so elusive and unsustainable that I didn't have a chance to rejoice my position as a king for I won it by rage, not by love of the people." He drew a sharp breath and stared at the boy. "I am a cripple. I won't be able to run with him, to show him how to swim, how to sail, how to hunt, how to be a real man. He deserves a good life, better life than I can provide him."
"Ivar," You whispered, moving closer to him. "Things you say are true. You did a lot of evil, and you already paid for it. Gods brought you back to me. Despite everything that happened, for years I hoped you would come back, and you did. We don't know the ways of Gods, maybe you being here is a sign," you looked at Vali and smiled. "Ivar, he won't care about this. He will need his father, the real one, and I know he'll love you the way you are."
He let out a sigh. "I promise to be a good dad to him. I'll do my best but I am scared of failure."
"You won't fail my love. I will be here as well. He is our son and we both will take care of him, and each other," you assured. "I am more worried he will be ashamed of a mother that isn't as beautiful as all the other women... Because of scars on my face."
"And who says it?," Ivar couldn't help but let out a chuckle, pointing on a large scar on his right cheek.
“What is one scare when it comes to my face Ivar," You rolled your eyes, and looked at him, placing your head on his shoulder. "Ivar?"
"So you're not only one that is scared. And you're beautiful. You should know that." When you placed your head on his shoulder, he froze but soon a smile appeared on his lips. "Mmm?"
"I missed you... In every possible way," you wanted to add more but a tiny voice got your attention.
"Mama," Vali said, raising his arms to you. You giggled, and picked the boy up. Boy yawned and looked at you and Ivar with his big blue eyes.
Only then Ivar believed fully; he recognised his own eyes in those of the boy. "I missed you, too... Mommy," Ivar of course had to get on your nerves.
You pointed at Ivar. "This funny man is your father, Vali."
Boy blinked and looked at Ivar. "Papa?"
He offered a slight nod to the boy. "I am, Vali." His son's name spoke loudly, sounded so strangely in his tone but he smiled. "I am."
"Papa!," Boy said happily, and reached for him. You giggled and returned the boy to his father. Vali grabbed his cheek and patted them gently. "Squishy!”
Ivar couldn't stop himself from grinning widely. "Squishy. But you know what's more squishy?" After these words he poked the boy's side. "This. And this," Ivar added while squeezing the boy's cheek.
Boy laughed loudly, and hugged Ivar as tightly as his little arms let him.
You smiled, filling how tears started to fill your eyes. In the end, Ivar rested his forehead against the boy's, they were touching with noses, too. "I love you," Ragnarsson claimed. "I'll never let anything bad happen to you or your mom..."
"Maybe we should get back to the Great Hall? I am sure Hvitserk is worried about us all," you suggested looking at your boys.
"I wish I could give you a piggyback but it would be hard with me using crutch."
"I think he will prefer a chariot rides once he gets a little older," you said, and picked the boy up before helping Ivar get up.
"Hungry!," Vali said loudly.
Sighing, you looked at Ivar. "I think this runs in the family."
Ivar shrugged, and followed you slowly. Today the pain of his legs was almost unbearable, so it took him longer to walk than usual. "Go, go, I'll catch you at the place," he assured.
You frowned and walked closer to him to cup his cheek. "Ivar... Your eyes... I will get you a healer as soon as we get back inside. Maybe she will be able to help you," with the boy in your arms you decided to slow down to not leave Ivar behind.
He had to stop after some time. Ivar gave you a flat smile. "Please. Go back to the house with him, I'll be right back. Don't worry about me. It's nothing, but he's hungry and I don't want to slow you down. Please?"
"Since you are so sure. We will wait at you," you gave him a sad smile and walked away. Vali looked over your shoulder confused of why Ivar stayed behind.
It took him another several minutes to get at the edge of the meadow. The sight was beautiful; your settlement in its full potential. Ivar stood motionless for a longer moment, considering everything that had happened before. He learnt he was a father, that he had a son, the most beautiful and handsome baby boy he had ever seen. He learnt you still had feelings for him; just as he had. He learnt you had given him another chance. A tear streamed down his scared cheek. Then another one and another. "Odin, I don't deserve all the magnificent things you're blessing me with," he whined quietly. "I prayed for death, not for a new life." When he felt his heart rate returned to normal, he continued his way down the hill.
His legs didn't work properly that day, so it resulted in him falling a few times. Thankfully, he didn't break any bone.
While your thralls tried their best to feed the fussy boy, you stood in the big door. Biting your nail nervously you waited at Ivar. Something was wrong, you could remember the stories Hvitserk told you about Ivar and his eyes. You prayed for him to get back safely.
Soon, Ivar reached the Great Hall. He smiled when he spotted you in the door; apparently you've been waiting for him... "Sorry for being late," he excused himself. "Where's Vali?"
"Girls try to feed him. I think he was also waiting for you," you whispered, and looked over your shoulder. "I wanted to be sure that you got here in one piece."
"So here I am," he faked a perfect smile. "May I?," He asked before he stepped inside.
You nodded. "This is your home now, Ivar. Of course you can."
"Papa!," Vali said happily, seeing Ivar. Just then he started to eat like a good boy.
Ivar looked at the thralls who gave him scared glances. "You're doing a good job, girls, don't mind me sitting close." He took a seat at the chair, slowly and carefully to not hurt himself anymore. He observed his son.
You placed a hand on his shoulder. "Are you sure you are okay, Ivar? I can tell something is wrong." You sent thralls away by waving hand at them, and sat down close to him with the boy on your laps so you can continue to feed him.
"I am sure," he assured and touched his son's cheek. "Be a good boy, listen to your mom. You need to eat to become a strong warrior."
Boy nodded, looking at Ivar.
"And you were worried you'll be a bad father. He already loves you," you whispered into Ivar's ear.
He smiled and blushed a little at a comment.
When Vali was done with his meal, he reached hand towards Ivar so you passed the boy to his father.
Ivar placed the boy on his lap. "Missed me, little warrior?," Ivar asked softly, tapping the boy's cheek.
"Yes! Much much!,” Vali nodded eagerly, nuzzling to Ivar.
"He never was that clingy to any other people, he always prefered me. Even when it comes to Hvitserk," you explained happily that Vali accepted Ivar so easily.
"Don't be surprised. He senses who is his dad after all, I bet. And, come on, we have so much in common, don't we, little one? Both brave. Both love you," Ivar pointed at Earl. "And both handsome. It attracts us to one another."
You couldn't help but laugh, and agree with Ivar. Your son had a father and Ivar was back at your side.
After spending more time with his father, Vali became sleepy so you took him to your room. When you returned, Ivar was sitting in front of a fireplace, looking into flames.
You walked to him and gently kissed his temple before sitting down right next to him. "We are alone for tonight. I am sure he will sleep the whole night. How do you feel, Ivar?”
"I hope he'll sleep calmly," Ivar replied softly and gave you a look. "Thank you for the kiss though..."
You laughed softly. "Ivar, no need to thank me,"
"Of course I need to thank you."
Shaking your head you got comfortable in your seat. "Was I really that bad? So bad you had to send me away? After all promises and our plans?"
"No...," He replied. "I was deluded."
Nodding slowly, you looked at him. "So... You didn't mean the words you said back then. Everything we ever did together, wasn't just your way of making sure I stay and fight for you?"
"You know I love you, and loved you back then... I was deluded... I was told I'm a god which was a lie. I thought I am someone that doesn't need anyone to rule... I grieved."
"It was hard for me too, you have no idea how hard it was," You said and took his hand. "I missed you every day, even if I used to live without you."
"I hated myself for what I've done. I raided England because I hoped for death."
"Then I am really happy death didn't come for you," you squeezed his hand. "Because Gods brought you here, back to me, and to your son."
"I would never say I'll have a child. Such a beautiful son... With such a woman..."
"We never know the ways of Gods, love. Maybe this all had to happen."
Ivar thought for a bit. "Can I kiss you?"
You smiled and got up from your seat to place yourself on his laps, of course making sure to not put too much weight on his legs. Cupping his cheek, you kissed him deeply.
He instantly wrapped arms around your waist, pulling you close and kissing you deeply, humming in enjoyment.
You pulled away, breaking the kiss as you ran out of the air. Your forehead rested against his. "Will you be my husband? I don't want to lose you ever again."
He stopped breathing. He didn't even realize he had been holding breath in. "Did you just...?"
You simply nodded. "I want you to be my husband. To stay here with me and our son. I want us to rule together. I want our family to grow bigger."
Instead replying, he kissed you deeply.
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valhallasubstitute · 2 years
Text
In Sickness and In Health
Finan X Eadith
Request: Can I request Finan x Eadith where he's ill/injured and she stays with him for a month or so to look after him. Except that by the time he's better he's coaxed her into moving all her stuff over, sleeping in the same bed because it's comfier and his supposedly platonic cuddling has definitely gone way past friendship. Bonus points if you can work in some cuddly and playful smut at the end because those two deserve it.
WARNINGS: 18+ SMUT, mentions of injury and infection, swearing
Tags: @flowers-in-your-hayr
@geekbookandnerd
@mariaenchanted @solinarimoon
wc:2336
It had been a long journey home.
The battle had been won and the boys had returned home safely but Finan’s wound was already showing signs of infection when they passed through the gates of Coccham.
The cut wasn’t particularly deep, at least from what Eadith could see beneath the puss and gunk that covered it, but it was long. It stretched from his right shoulder blade to lower end of his ribcage on the left, it would scar.
If he survived…
The thought had terrified her.
Plagued her.
His fever had taken days to break. Eadith had taken to spending her nights in the chair by his bed, from there she could make sure the fire didn’t go out and the Irishman didn’t worsen. She would hold his hand in hers and pray to a God who had never been kind to either of them.
She wiped the sweat from his brow and held him down when he thrashed in his sleep. She was exhausted. It took three days for the worst to pass.
When his eyes finally opened Eadith could have cried. She left him with Uhtred, Sihtric and Osferth and returned with a bowl of steaming broth.
The Irishman was propped against the headboard, his eyes heavy but, as always, they followed Eadith’s movements across the room. She sent him a small smile before clambering onto the bed. She sat cross legged in front of him, too relived to care for impropriety and held the spoon to his lips. He took it without complaint, without a smirk or sly remark and Eadith knew it would take time for the life to return to him.
It took another week before he could sit up on his own and by that time Finan had grown sick of watching Eadith run back and forth between his home and hers.
‘Osferth will be here by midday. You are not to move until he gets here.’ Eadith looked at him pointedly and he couldn’t help but smile back. It only seemed to irritate her more. Finan felt a flash of guilt as she glared at him, the dark circles under her eyes and the pain in her back she tried to hide from him suddenly becoming obvious as her guard dropped. He lifted his hands in surrender.
‘I promise… on one condition.’ Finan watched as she brushed a stray red hair from her face, her eyebrows raising as her interest peaked.
‘I hardly think you’re in the right state to be making demands.’
‘Indulge a dying man – ‘
‘You’re not dying anymore.’
‘No, but you’re killing me with all this back and forth. Just take some of your things with you when you come back.’ Eadith’s eyes widened and for a moment Finan wondered if he had overstepped, if she would come back at all. Finan chewed on his lip as Eadith considered, her eyes scanning the room before settling back onto him.
‘Maybe I will.’ He didn’t miss the way her gaze flickered from his face to the bandages wrapped around his torso as she spoke. Nor the tiny curve of her pink lips.
Finan could barely contain his smirk as Eadith returned later that evening, a basket of her belongings in hand. She unpacked them quietly, huffing as her blanket failed to fit onto the chair she had claimed as hers.
‘The bed is big enough for two ya know.’
‘I’m quite aware of how big your bed is Finan, I’ve watched you snore in it for the last week and a half.’ It hurt to laugh but it was progress.
His fever returned the next day.
On the third night Eadith climbed into Finan’s bed and held him until it broke in the early hours. Her clothes were damp with his sweat and her hands were trembling, but Finan was smiling at her.
‘So, this is what it takes for you to get into bed with a man.’
‘Stop talking Finan or I’ll smother you myself.’
‘You’d miss me too much.’
I would, Eadith thought, but she wouldn’t tell him what he already knew.
When Finan awoke, sticky and dehydrated, Eadith was curled up beside him, her hand still clutching the wet cloth that had long since dried. He took it from her as gently as he could and pulled the covers up to her shoulders. He watched her chest rise and fall and let his fingers dance over the delicate features of her face. It was the ghost of a touch, featherlight and fearful. Eadith didn’t stir and Finan felt peace.
He decided that he quite liked having Eadith in his bed. He decided that he slept better with her in it.
‘It’s rude to stare at a lady.’ Her voice was muffled and a little hoarse from sleep.
‘Mmmh, but I can’t help but notice how comfortable you are.’
Eadith groaned, her eyes still closed as she frowned at him.
‘How can a man be so insufferable this early in the morning?’
It was past midday when Eadith finally pulled herself out of bed. Finan’s bed. They had spent all morning talking, teasing each other until Finan had needed his bandages changed. She had left him with the healers, smiling as he flirted with the oldest woman she had ever seen.
That night she teased him about it as they lay opposite each other, the covers resting just above her waist. Finan played with the hem of it, his fingers brushing against her occasionally.
‘I didn’t realise that was your type, the young women of Coccham will be sorely disappointed when they find out you prefer their grandmothers.’
‘I can tell when a woman’s been pretty, it’s all in their eyes and their touch. It’s a gift.’ Finan shrugged, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
‘And what does my touch say hm?’ Eadith took her hands out from under her cheek and began poking the man in front of her, lightly so not to cause pain but enough that she saw the spark of amusement in his dark eyes. She knew Finan would only take so much but she hadn’t expected him to grab her and flip her. She yelped as her back was pulled to his chest, his hands resting over hers as he took deep breaths. He tensed, letting the pain flow through him before relaxing once more.
Eadith tried to sit up, to check on his bandages but Finans hold was tight.
‘Stay.’
‘Finan your wound – ‘
‘Is fine. Stay.’
Eadith didn’t argue. She didn’t argue when he asked her to stay in his arms the next night, or the night after, or the night after that. For comfort or for warmth she didn’t mind, it felt good to see him slowly come back to life and let herself relax.
It had been an entire month before Finan was able to have the bandages removed, the infection was gone, and the scar was a healthy shade of pink. Eadith would run her finger along it, enjoying the way goose bumps would follow in her wake. Or was it just the feeling of his skin?
But this morning it was not Eadith who let herself explore.
Finan had awoken to Eadith’s back pressed to his chest and the sound of birdsong in his ears. His hand rested on her waist and his erection pressed into the curve of her ass lightly. They had never acknowledged it; they weren’t children nor were they virgins. But there were moments Finan would swear blind she embraced it, pushed herself back further just to test him. See how long he could bite his lower lip or hold back the moan that bubbled in his throat.
Her skin was warm through the thin material of her night dress, and as Finan shifted his legs he could tell it had ridden up in the night. They were long and smooth, and he couldn’t help but imagine what it would be like to press his body between them, have her thighs cage his head or her ankles locked behind his back as she pulled him in deeper.
Finan let out a shaky breath, desperately trying to distract himself but the action sent shivers down Eadith's spine. She stirred, taking Finan’s hand from her waist and curling it to her chest, hugging it.
Finan’s morning voice was rough and heavenly to Eadith's ears as he greeted her with a mumbled ‘good morning.’
She let herself adjust to the light slowly, opening her eyes just a crack as Finan became restless. She knew he would want to stretch; she had learned that warriors never liked to lay still for too long, but she couldn’t help but tighten her grip on his hand, curling her body until her chin rested on top of his knuckles.
Eadith's lips brushed against his fingers as she smiled, the digits beginning to move in an attempt at escape.
‘Eadith.’ A warning.
‘Finan…’ Her voice was teasing, and Finan wanted to melt. There was a smile on his lips as he began to tickle her neck, his body acting as a cage as she squirmed. Eadith's laugh was carless, her movements pushing the blanket from the both of them as her hands finally eased their grip.
With his hand free, Finan let it travel south. His palm pressed against her breast gently, feeling its softness, his fingers ghosting over her nipple. Eadith gasped but made no move to stop him.
‘That tickles.’ The breathlessness of her voice made Finan’s cock throb. she shifted a little, pulling her long hair to one side, exposing her neck. Finan took the hint, letting his beard touch her skin before his lips.
She giggled.
Stubborn, independent, fierce Eadith giggled and Finan could die a happy man.
He teased her again, pulling her nightdress off her shoulder with his teeth. He was deliberate with his movements, letting the scratch of his beard distracted her before moving his fingers again.
Eadith's nipples were already hard from the morning chill, but Finan’s skilled fingers sent an aching to her centre. It was the simplest touch, rolling and pinching until Eadith felt so sensitive she couldn’t help but let little moans tumble from her mouth.
Finan responded immediately, letting out a groan from the back of his throat.
It was sinful and Eadith wanted more.
She turned in his arms, humming as his hands trailed to rest on her arse. He kneaded the flesh as she brought her hands to his chest. She could feel his heart beating frantically as they looked at each other, his dark eyes kept darting to her lips. He was smiling at her, smug and delicious. Eadith closed the gap between them, soft and slow.
Finan’s lips were plush and addictive, his tongue gently swiping over her bottom lip as he tried to deepen the kiss.
Eadith didn’t deny him, if his fingers were skilled then his tongue was saint like. She let out another small sound and felt his erection jump against her thigh. With a grin Eadith broke the kiss, her nails leaving little red lines as she ran her hands further and further south.
‘That tickles.’ Finan teased, his own hands growing bolder.
She watched as his muscles tensed as she brushed over them and relished in the way he arched towards her as she undid the ties of his breeches.
The fantasy of Finan paled in comparison to the reality; he was thick and long, his tip already leaking pre-cum. She brushed the pad of her thumb over it. Starting at the top Eadith slowly began pumping him up and down, feeling every vein and twitch.
‘Eadith, Christ please.’ Finan’s voice was desperate. Her heart skipped a beat and her cunt pulsed. ‘I won’t last.’
And Finan wanted to last.
Her hands were smaller and softer than his own, but her grip was perfect. Just enough pressure to inch him closer to the edge but slow enough that he couldn’t quite get there. It was maddening but he knew how she liked to tease.
Finan let his eyes trail away from Eadith's hands around his length to the opening of her legs. With the covers gone Finan could see the way she had parted them slightly, the mound of red inviting him in. without hesitation Finan slipped his fingers between their bodies and brought them to her slit. She was already soaking and Finan couldn’t help but curse at the feeling. He parted her folds languidly, spreading the wetness and enjoying the way she squirmed, how her grip tightened around his cock.
He slipped his finger inside without warning, Eadith's face burrowing into his neck as she called out. Finan matched the pace she set, curling his finger in time with her strokes. She littered his neck with sloppy, open mouthed kisses in between moans but it wasn’t enough for Finan. With a groan he slipped in another finger, stretching her as his thumb found her clit.
As soon as the pad of his thumb found her sweet spot her movements stopped but Finan couldn’t find it in himself to care.
‘Finan please…’ He could feel her tightening around his fingers, her nails carving little half-moons into thighs are her high approached.
‘Please what?’
‘Please, please…Finan!’ He felt her come around him, her walls fluttering as her slick dripped down his hand. Her breathing was ragged and as Finan took in her flushed cheeks and kiss swollen lips he knew this was the best morning of his life.
As Eadith recovered he brushed his hands along her body, imaging all the possibilities. He was painfully hard, the head of his penis red and weeping but the look in Eadith's eye told him that she was going to keep him like that for just a little bit longer.
She kissed her way from his love bitten neck up to his jaw. She planted her hands on his chest and straddled him, pushing him down as he tried to rise to meet her. Her breath was hot in his ear as she spoke, and he could hear the smile in her voice.
‘Now this may tickle…’
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monstas1ut2 · 3 years
Text
Diabolik Lovers x POC! Reader
~Warnings!~
-Slang
-Lil bit of smut
-Cursing
-May have mistakes
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“If He Was Cheating On His Girlfriend With You” (Shu, Reiji, Ayato, Karlheinz)
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-Shu Sakamaki
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"You love me huh..."
Lip stick stains on his upper body as well as the smell of expensive alcohol littered the lazy vampire who was supposed to be home by nine. The chocolate sundae had him quiet and satisfied for the rest of the night.
"Come on... if you didn't we wouldn't be in this shit right now..."
"Why are you so noisy...."
"Because you know I'm right..." Those blue eyes of his glanced over at the melanin skin that cursed him with being unfaithful towards his other lover. Glancing up towards your face with love stirred up with annoyance. Your lips curving into a mischievous smirk.
"I do..." Shu muttered as his eyes averted to the ceiling above, unable to lie to your face. He's unable to stop feeding off your love, and your blood for that matter. Shu still doesn't understand the whole love thing but he was pretty sure that's what he felt at the moment... at least.. with you.
"I love you too..." You spoke, a bit of a pout on your face as you leaned down to him, pressing those plump lips to his ear.
"Not tell her what gotcha all caught up..."
-Reiji Sakamaki
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Infidelity...
It wasn't as if he was bored with her, well... Considering his poor choices, that had to be the truth. Maybe it was as if she became boring and too predictable... too bland... Too ignorant of things. There's no good reason to turn away from said lover but his need for something more turned into an adventure he'd never thought he'd go on.
The rush, the excitement ran through his body when he saw you at such an elegant party... That's where he met you... that's where he took you... Reiji being such a proper form of person, he did not dare propose it to you there... it was at a five star hotel where you got into this issue with the sadistic male.
"Ngh~... Y-Yes sir... p-please make me.... m-make me cum~!"
After that day, it's been non stop with you both, to the point where you both have caught feelings for one another in the mist of it. It certainly wasn't right but at this point it seemed as if Reiji could care less.. his other lover was a burden..
"You'd like such a thing hm...? For me to completely impregnate you and bound you with such a task.."
Those words rang in your ear, and your pussy squeezed tightly around him. Milking him completely as your ass connected with his pelvis once more...feeling weak on the knees, Reiji watched you let go of the sheets that were giving you some type of comfort.
Its just the thought of him loving your skin, your kinky/curly hair... it had you head over heels.. so badly that you were starting to feel your heart hurt in result. Though that did not get you caught off guard with his phone ringing... it seemed like you had strength all so suddenly..
That phone was in your hand... and Reiji wasn't doing a thing about it, not anymore...
"He's with me...."
-Ayato Sakamaki
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The smell of marijuana mixed with a soft smell of sugar plum was something he got used to... It overpowered the vanilla scent he used to have on him every day... from his girlfriend.
That blunt between your fingers, acrylic nails long enough to poke someone's eyes out... He remembered just seconds ago how it was around his dick.. it wasn't as if he was trying to get hard again... well, he didn't have to try.. not with you..
"Oi... don't blow it in my face.."
"Wah wah... why you cry so much..." You hypocritically spoke, considering you were just balling your eyes out as Ayato broke your back in. To be completely honest, you were quite confused as to how your nails stayed in tack the whole time...
"Yours truly does not cry..."
"But yours truly doesn't know how to listen to his wants..." You snapped back quietly before blowing out some more of that addictive scent. Ayato could've sworn he gets a second high from you doing that.. it's not like he doesn't smoke, he just tries not to because hearing his girlfriend whine about it is quite annoying.
"Break up wit her.."
"You said that yesterday..."
"E-fucking xactly...... you was here yesterday..." You spoke sassily before crossing your arms over your exposed chest, your pretty, dark skin was a whole different situation form his girlfriend... he believed himself to like pale females... though when he met you it all turned into sunshines.
"Don't make me say it twice... I ain't arguin with you yato...."
"Alright!..."
"Don't be screamin at me.. I'll throw you out... I love you tho.."
Ayato glared towards you with those green eyes, though.... he did love you in return, unable to not love you... even though you two have sex mostly every day... it's always something more, the way you laugh at all his jokes.. the way you make him laugh.. he never wants to go home to her...
-Karlheinz Sakamaki
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Two complete opposites, a limo coming to a neighborhood that was not as near nice as his mansion... It wasn't a poor neighborhood, just a little neutral. He'd pop up everyday and would never miss a beat unless his purple haired wife dared to invade his personal space.
"He's ridiculous..."
The cold, pink collar on that pretty melanin skin, along with the lacy pink bra that cupped your breasts amazingly, like it was cocoa powder marshmallows. Your pink panties barely covering much, though it matched. Now... you knew for a fact that he wasn't giving the same treatment to any of his wives...
"I'm ridiculous, you say...?"
Feeling your heart jump out of your body, the random thoughts all in your pretty mind before swallowing the nervousness. (E/c) eyes glaring over to the male who was sitting on your bed. Sometimes you hated the male's vampire abilities...
"I look-.."
"Magnificent... gorgeous..."
Sighing, you walked out of your nicely smelling bathroom and closed it behind you. You just hoped that mirror wasn't teasing you, because from your pov in that mirror.. you looked hot.
That evil smirk etching onto Karlheinz's face. You've told him plenty of times that you weren't giving him a baby because of how he treats his own and how manipulative he was. Karlheinz took this as a challenge and in result, he actually fell in love with with you.. something he wasn't expecting.
Karlheinz has fondly tried to be more loving towards his children but that's going to take awhile... unlike you, they love you. Though those wives of his has some things to say about you nonetheless... especially when it was announced that you were pregnant. Only a month.. so not so noticeable whatsoever.
"Whatever..." you mumbled before those thick chocolate thighs straddled Karl, his hands were gloveless, only one ring on his finger...lightly touching at your juicy ass... that ring matched yours... and lord knows he doesn't claim his wives so out in the open...
"I know one thing tho... you better not be touchin her in the same way..."
"I'd never dare do such a thing my love..."
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