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sttoru · 6 months

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♯ 𝐔𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐘 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐒𝐈𝐂𝐊.

⟣ sypnosis. kento has been extremely busy lately, going on business trips and so forth. he decides to surprise you by coming back earlier than expected. that’s how you end up finding your lover on top of you, showering you in his affection at 3 in the morning.

⟣ tags. nanami kento x female reader. fluff, bit of angst, suggestive towards the end. reader gets called 'sweetheart, angel, dear' wc: 1.8k

⟣ note. okayokay finally an adition to my event heheh ive almost forgotten about it but then i saw this prompt & was like . ok nanami , i must write this rnnn no delaying anymore so here i am :3 its also very bad. i hate it sm LOL i hope u at least like it t_t

kento often asks himself why he had returned to the world he despised — the jujutsu society; his old high school. the sprawling curses everywhere are the main cause of his current misery.

he had been sent out on missions left and right, not catching a break in hopes of reducing any more civilian causalities than necessary. kento had even thought that maybe his previous 9-5 job wasn’t as bad as he had considered it.

overtime was every day for the sorcerer now. that wasn’t the worst thing - no - the fact that he was pratically living a long distant relationship with his beloved irritated him most.

a thought he had in his high school days reoccured in a moment of distress: ‘why not leave all those missions to gojo?’

you were still pretty understanding of his situation. kento appreciated that, though the guilt still ate away at him whenever he tried to sleep. an empty bed welcomed him each time he re-entered his hotel room — you saw the exact same scenery when returning home to your shared apartment.

both of you were adults; both knowing that life was unfair. the two of you being unable to see each other from time to time was a part of your life. kento and you still maintained a healthy relationship. that was all that really mattered in the end.

11:49PM. . . tonight wasn’t unlike any other night; you were preparing yourself to go to bed—changing into your pyjamas after showering, snuggling to a pillow under the covers and texting your lover one last message.

‘good luck on your mission as always! stay safe, i love you.’

you stare at your phone screen for a minute longer than intended. even if you tried to be mature about it — you longed for kento’s warmth and undivided attention. you want him with you, his strong arms holding you to his chest as you rest, his deep voice sending shivers down your spine in the best way possible.

you sigh defeatedly and put your phone down on your nightstand. just two days until you could see your partner again. you can hold onto that hope to keep you calm.

despite you trying to stay positive, you tossed and turned in your bed as you thought about kento’s safety. there was always a chance of him not coming home to you — always the possibility of that bed to be empty for the rest of your life.

all you could do was pray for his safety in your head whilst your eyes eventually closed from fatigue, your mind drifting off to a deep slumber.

03:14AM. . . kento opens the door he had wished to have opened way earlier. the door that lead to the place where his heart lays; the person who claimed his heart and soul for eternity. you.

he didn’t think he’d actually do it. kento had originally planned to finish his last job as soon as possible and then get home afterwards, but there seemed to be a change in routine.

the special grade sorcerer simply assigned the mission to ino — the person whom he could trust most to finish the job in one piece. as much as kento dislikes to put his juniors in possible risky situations, there are also situations where it’s fine to depend on them. besides, the mission could easily be done by a grade one sorcerer.

kento sighs. the familiar scent of your home was one he could recognise from miles away. one that could calm his nerves instantly. it was that same distinctive scent you carry; thus why your lover sometimes calls you his home.

‘i can’t wait to be home’ ‘i want to be home’ ‘i’m going home’ — all these sentences, which kento has uttered before in earlier conversations, weren’t referring to a place. rather to a person he held dear.

“oh, my sweetheart.” the blonde man whispers under his breath as his eyes catch the shape of your figure under the blankets. he quietly enters the master bedroom and closes the door behind him, not making a sound as to not interrupt your well-deserved sleep.

kento slowly undoes his dotted tie, along with the upper buttons of his blouse. he probably needs to go take a good shower before he could settle down with you — but that’d risk waking you up.

you look extremely angelic in his eyes. especially with your left cheek squished by the soft pillow your head rests on. you never once fail to convince him that you are indeed the woman of his dreams; the woman kento ever had and will have eyes for. it’s like you get more attractive to him as the days go on.

“mh,” your sudden and soft groan makes him realise just how disturbing his behaviour could be interpreted as. kento’s body was hovering over your sleeping one and he was just. . . staring at you with a soft smile. a smile which he didn’t even notice had permanently found its place on his weary face.

kento sits down on the edge of the mattress, callused hand gently tucking you in properly, putting the blanket over your shoulders to make sure you didn’t get cold. he can’t rest if you’re not comfortable— even if he himself was exhausted to the point his eyes were starting to feel heavy.

yet that exhaustion doesn’t last long. it never does when kento’s able to see you again after a tiring week of countless missions and other jobs. your presence alone grants him the energy to stay awake and take care of you. and himself. you’re the reason he keeps it going.

“i love you so much, my beautiful girl — my angel.”

kento sure was a romantic. even when you’re unaware and asleep.

he couldn’t help it; the feeling stirring inside of him. the feeling of adoration and love for you. you are simply resting, yet kento felt an urge to kiss you all over, show you the unending love he has for you. but. . that’d probably be disturbing your peace. you are sleeping after all. he

not that that would stop kento.

your eyes flutter open due to a sudden presence hovering over you. your entire face and neck area was feeling ticklish, like someone was placing tens of kisses all over the skin.

strands of blonde hair is the first thing showing up in your blurry vision. kento’s face follows afterwards as his head tilts back up, the warmth against your jawline disappearing along with it —

“ah, i’m sorry.” a low and almost guilty chuckle tumbles out of his sore throat. the visible confusion on your face makes him let out another, “shh, shh, it’s just me, sweetheart.”

your arms flew around kento’s torso the second the realisation dawns upon you. your heart went from a slow pace to one that caused your entire body to warm up immediately; the adorable reaction and increase in heart rate not going unnoticed by your lover.

you wordlessly hug him — almost still in shock by the sudden appearance. kento doesn’t fight off your tight embrace, instead, welcomes it with open arms. the delicate kisses on your skin continue, each being placed with precision whilst one of his hands keeps your head tilted a little — rough fingers being a contrast of the gentle grip they had on your jaw.

“i missed you lots,” kento murmurs, eyes closed as he basks in the warmth of your body, his lips refusing to let go of your neck, “i couldn’t wait anymore. i couldn’t be separated from you any longer or i’d lose it.”

his gruff voice sounded even deeper than it usually would. maybe due to the overuse of it during his missions. the lone thought makes you pout — the thought of kento working super hard just to provide for you both.

“i missed you more, love.” you mumble, bottom lip trembling a little as kento’s hug triggers a whole lot of emotions in you. his hugs were special, his muscular arms giving you a sense of comfort you couldn’t find anywhere. no one could hug you like he did, “you did well. you did so well.”

those were all the words kento needed. his lips come to halt right above your collarbone, his breath a bit heavy from how much he's holding himself back from doing more. one hand moves from your cheek to your waist, fingers toying with the fabric of your shirt.

“thank you, dear.” kento says. his words carrying a load of unending affection. your simple words of appreciation and encouragement makes him shiver in delight. this is what he longed for; this is what he did it all for.

it was clear. the answer to his question - of why he had returned to the jujutsu world, to become a teacher at his former high school - it was all for you. to be able to be with you, see you and hold you like this. to have someone like you appreciate all of his efforts.

“may i?” kento asks through a quiet whisper as he gently removes the blanket covering your figure, his eyes darting down towards your cleavage. he's asking for permission to cross that barrier — to cover you in the love you deserve.

you just stare at the blonde man above you for a second. you watch as he climbs onto the bed with you; the bed which was once empty and dull, now suddenly becoming your favourite place to be at. your fingertips graze against kento's sharp cheekbones. a habit you always did when you were appreciating his looks.

“go right ahead.” you answer with a confirming nod.

both of you were touch starved and had been deprived from each other's embrace for way too long. now was the perfect time to make up for all the time lost.

kento wasn’t going to let the opportunity slip past him. he smiles at you, a gentle and handsome smile, whilst a few of his blonde locks fall over his left eye — his hands already prying away the blanket covering your shape. it was time to show you just how much he has longed for you.

“hold on to me, sweetheart. i’m not stopping until you realise just how much i’ve missed all of you.”

#sttoru writes.#jjk x reader #jjk fluff #nanami x reader #jjk x y/n #jjk x you #nanami kento x reader #nanami x y/n #nanami x you #jjk fic #jjk fanfic

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runningthroughthegarden · 11 months

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you were never are mine pt3

summary: fake relationships with your enemy are never a good idea. but this one was.

word count: 1.3k last part!!

as soon as jack left, you broke down into tears once more. sure you hated him before, but somewhere along the way the line between real and fake began to blur. you found yourself falling for him. and now, it had been ripped away.

jack found tears spilling out of his eyes on the way home. as soon as the words left his mouth he wished he could take them back. he didnt know why he blew up on you but he knew you didnt deserve it. he never truly hated you, just frustrated you could never be his. but now that frustration had become reality.

the next few days were awfully silent. a few months ago you wouldve been overjoyed by this fact, but now you felt like a piece of you was missing. the very first premiere was in just two days so you knew you had to pull yourself together.

the day leading up to the premiere you did anything and everything you could to keep jack out of your mind. on the other hand, you were the only thing going through jacks mind.

sitting in the makeup chair, you felt all your nerves catching up to you. this will be the first time you see jack since that night. not only would it be the first interaction since then, but all eyes would be on you. this event was the day where you and jack officially announce your ‘relationship’ to the world. sure there had been many sightings of you two, but this would make everything official. his hurtful words replay in your head. you had thought that maybe he was falling for you too, but you had never been so wrong.

stepping out of the car, you are met with screaming and flashing lights. immediately forgetting about any worry, you feel a sense of pride wash over you. all your hard work had payed off. you giggle walking over to fans, signing and chatting. you were so distracted you didnt see jack coming up beside you.

he was distracted for a moment, taking in your appearance. he thought you looked absolutely stunning. seeing you smile and laugh with your fans, a true genuine smile. he continued on, beginning to chat with fans and sign posters.

finally noticing his presence, you turn to look at jack. you hate to admit that he looks amazing. you couldnt help but stare, the moment was interrupted by your assistant letting you know it was almost time to walk the carpet. you collect your thoughts for a moment as your makeup artist touches you up. smoothing down your dress you smile walking onto the carpet. you pose for photos, feeling the most confident you have in weeks. that is until jack enters the carpet. you lock eyes for what feels like an eternity, feeling every emotion come over you. he walks over to you, sliding his arm around your waist. you look up at him while he begins smiling at the camera. shaking off your nerves you do the same. the photographers go absolutely insane.

“jack are you guys a couple?!”

“y/n over here! what made you fall for him?”

“jack!!! y/n!!!”

“you guys are stunning together”

laughing off your nerves, you are quickly escorted off the carpet and to your very first interview.

“y/n, listen i wanted to-” jack begins but is quickly cut off by the interviewer.

“jack! y/n! how lovely it is to see you! so when did this happen?!” the interviewer asks, very excited to see you two together.

“well we obviously met during the filming of this movie but we really connected towards the end. we started hanging out and it just felt natural to be together” you link your hands together, leaning into his side.

“so jack, what attracted you to y/n?” the interviewer asks.

“everything really i mean” he begins, looking down at you.

“she just has these gorgeous eyes that you could stare at forever. she’s one of the most positive people ive ever met. theres never a moment with her where im not smiling or laughing. she just brings this energy that you cant help but feel comforted by. y/n is one of the most hard-working people i have ever met, she has such a burning passion. i could talk about her for forever.” he finishes, beginning to rub circles on your hand with his thumb.

“wow, i mean to have a love like yours. i’ll let you guys go but i hope you have an amazing evening” the interviewer ends.

you suddenly feel overwhelmed and anxious. from jacks words to his comforting hand, knowing he didnt mean any of it. tearing away from his side you rush into the building trying to collect yourself. tears threatening to spill, you take a few deep breaths. jack quickly finds you, rushing after you. you see him and sigh trying to make a quick escape. he reaches for your arm pulling you in.

“y/n please just talk to me. i didnt mean any of what i said that night-” jack begins.

“i don't need your apology jack. please don't make me feel more stupid than i already do.” you look up at him, tears blurring your vision.

“what do you-”

“im in love with you jack. i think i have been since the beginning, of everything. these last few weeks i just, ive never felt happier. you make me happy. since that moment in your car, i was head over heels and there was nothing i could do to stop it. somewhere along the way it wasnt an act for me anymore.” you explain, tears rolling down your cheeks.

silence falls over you as jack only stares. feeling enough embarrassment you begin to walk away.

quickly pulling your arm, jack smashes his lips against yours. you immediately melt into the kiss reaching your arms around his neck as he pulls you in incredibly closer. every emotion you have ever felt in the past few months is poured into the kiss. pulling apart with red cheeks and pink lips.

“im in love with you y/n” jack confesses.

“and im so sorry for that night. i wish i could take it all back, i didnt mean any of it. but i meant every word i said to that interviewer. i am so utterly and hopelessly in love with you.”

“so much for being enemies huh” you smile up at him.

pulling him in for a kiss, smiling against his lips. the whole enemy act was overrated anyway.

a/n: too good :) tag list!!

@iloveneilperry @lian2793 @t8lzw @foxymask001 @ourloveisgod23 @valenftcrush @multi-fandom205 @neteyamsz @xh-josii @juleszzz @athenalive

#jack champion #jack champion x reader #jack champion x y/n #scream vi #ethan landry #ethan landry x reader #ethan landry x y/n

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thefrontofmymind · 8 months

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nothing's changed (teacher!ross x teacher!reader)

a/n: here she is! this was like the longest oneshot i think ive ever written. i would like to thank @hypersonic04 and @abiiors for letting me talk at them about this, i needed the encouragement.

WC: 7.1k

masterlist

The music in the crowded club was overbearing. You were never one for parties in your teenage years, and the same could be said for your two years so far at university. You could hardly think straight.

Shuffling between the hoards of people–as drunk as you wish you were, just so you could loosen up just a little–balancing the drinks for yourself, your flatmate, and her newest boyfriend. You quickly placed them on the table your group had set up shop at, the three glasses were moments away from slipping between your fingers.

“Last drink here, is that alright?” You flatmate, Ellie, yelled into your ear.

You nodded.

“Okay.” She took a sip of her vodka, lime and soda. “Some of Jack’s friends are at a bar like two minutes away, we were gonna link up with them for a while.”

You just nodded again. You were always going along with her, and her boyfriends’, plans. Ellie was always so much more social than you. You met the first week of your first semester at a Fresher’s party and you’d just clung on since then.

For you, university was a means to an end, not for fun–because it was always more stressful than fun for you. The end in question; a fulfilled life. Living in a comfortable life with a job that you didn’t have to love, just not hate, in a flat that didn’t have to be the fanciest, just not the dingiest, in a historical city with good enough public transport.

You downed your drink as fast as you could, just itching to get back to your flat to have a nice shower and to lay in your fresh sheets.

It was colder outside than what you remembered it being like only an hour ago, the wind had picked up and went right through the denim jacket that was wrapped tightly around you.

The three of you walked to the next bar. Jack had an arm around Ellie, pulling her into his side to keep her warm. You walked alone.

“So what are these friends like, then?” You asked on the way.

“They’re so nice! You’ll love them!” Ellie said excitedly. Obviously the four drinks she had at the last club had caught up to her.

“They’re good blokes,” Jack answered. “You’ll like ‘em, I think, a lot of them are into music stuff so you’ll get on with them.”

Pretty much the only thing Jack seemed to know about you was that you were studying music teaching, so if some of his friends–who you assumed would be just as…’lad-ish’ as him–had the same interests as you, perhaps this wouldn’t be a total drag of a night. Who knows, maybe you could even get one interesting conversation out of it.

You got through quite quickly, being a group of mostly women, the security guards ushered you three right in. This bar was a bit calmer; not as packed and they were playing music that was more than just electronic beeps over and over again.

Jack pointed out a group huddled in the corner. Probably around 10 people, all laughing with each other.

After multiple introductions of “I’m Ellie’s flatmate” you could finally get to the bar and get another drink. As you were waiting, a figure walked to stand beside you. One of the guys you’d just met, but for the life of you, you couldn’t remember his name in the blur of everyone you’d just met. …Ron? No that’s not right…Chris?

He smiled at you politely. It was only then that you realised you’d just been staring at his face with your eyebrows furrowed in thought. You quickly snapped out of it, focussing your gaze on the bartender who was slowly making her way through the hoard around you.

“So I didn’t catch it…what are you studying?” He asked.

“Music teaching, focusing on secondary school,” you answered.

“That’s cool,” he said. “I’m studying teaching too, history.”

“Are you a second year?”

“No, third. You?”

“Second.”

“Right…that’s why you asked me if I was second…” He said, seemingly mostly to himself. “I’m in a band though.”

“Oh! Really?” You asked with a smile.

Your drink was finally handed to you, but you stood at the bar and waited for…Ryan? To order.

“Yeah, with Matty and Adam over there…” He pointed to the group, though you had no way of knowing which of them was Matty and which was Adam. “I’m the bassist.”

“Always the coolest instrument!” You commented.

Once he’d gotten his pint, you both walked back over to the booth the group was currently occupying. You were glad it was more of a ‘sit down and drink and talk’ kind of bar and not a ‘dance with sweaty strangers in the dark’ kind of one. The man slid onto the end of the booth, before shoving the person next to him to shuffle over, then patting the newly made spot next to him. You sat down. It wasn’t a lot of room, but when he noticed, he kept an arm around your waist to keep you from slipping. The only thing you could think was just how comfortable it all felt.

“So this is Matty, the-uh-singer,” he said pointing to the guy next to him with square-framed glasses and a mop of dark hair on top of his head. A stark contrast from the buzzcut of the man with the arm around you.

“Oh c’mon I’m more than just the singer, Ross!” Ross! It was right on the tip of your tongue!

You barely even thought of Ellie, your safety, the rest of the night. You drank and chatted with Ross and you didn’t think you’d ever enjoyed someone’s company as much as his. Somehow, you both just understood each other, you agreed on everything.

The clock ticked on and the group began to get thinner and thinner. Ellie crouched next to you at your spot in the booth around 3.

“We were thinking of going home,” she said. You didn’t want to leave. You didn’t want to go back to being lonely and be forced to listen to Ellie and Jack have sex through the wall for the thousandth time. She saw your face. “Please! My feet are killing me and I just want to go home!”

“I’ll be happy to take you home if you don’t want to leave yet?” Ross piped in, looking at you.

You nodded without even thinking.

“Okay!” Ellie said. “See you later!”

Her and Jack were out the door in seconds flat, leaving you now with a group of only four strangers. Well, three strangers and Ross.

You joined in the conversation between the group for a while, but it was getting late and you were starting to get tired. You leant more into Ross, resting your head on his shoulder.

“Want me to take you home?” He whispered to you–now possible with just the last stragglers left in the bar.

You groaned. “Those two are probably fucking, I really don’t want to walk into that.”

He let out a small chuckle. “Well, do you want to come back to mine then?”

You knew what he meant with the question. And it was something you didn’t have to ponder on much at all.

“Yeah, let’s go.”

After saying your ‘goodbye’s and ‘it was great to meet you’s to the group, you and Ross left, his hands never leaving your waist as you let him out onto the street.

“It’s just down this way,” he said, nodding his head to further up the now pretty deserted street. “Couple minutes.”

On any other night, you would’ve been scared to walk around the city at night, but with Ross you just felt so safe. With a constant grip on your hand as you both walked, you never felt unsupported.

His flat was small–expected with him being a student like yourself. You noted the bass sitting on a stand in his living room, and the teetering stack of textbooks next to it.

“Do you want some tea or something?” He asked, moving to his kitchen to click the kettle on and get a bottle of milk out of the fridge. “I also have coffee if you want, but-y’know-it’s a bit late.”

“Tea sounds good,” you answered. “With two sugars, please?”

“Of course,” he said.

As he made the tea, you got comfortable on his sofa–taking off your trainers and settling into the corner of it. You began to daze out, your eyelids were getting heavier and heavier. You didn’t even notice them shut completely until you heard a light clank of Ross placing the two mugs on the coffee table. You jumped awake.

“Sorry! Didn’t mean to wake you!” He said.

You moved your legs from taking up the whole sofa so he could sit. Without words he pulled your feet onto his lap, like it was the most natural position in the world.

“I wasn’t asleep!”

“No, you’re right,” he answered. “Snoring with your eyes shut is always the make of someone wide awake.”

“Oh God, was I snoring?” You suddenly felt so insecure. Sure, you felt so comfortable with Ross but you still only met him a few hours prior, it wasn’t time for you to be so…honest.

“A little,” Ross said. “More like little snorts, it was cute.”

You couldn’t help but blush a little. “You’ll need to play me a song one time.” You motioned to the teal bass on the other side of the room.

“Oh, I don’t know…Bass lines are so boring, they're like nothing.”

“Hello? You’re talking to a music student here!” You laughed. “If anyone would appreciate bass, it’s me.”

“One day then…” He grinned.

Conversation was just so easy. Even in your exhausted half-asleep state, you were never bored and it all just flowed so easily. Somehow talking to Ross–now alone–woke you up.

You weren’t sure when it happened, but somehow, you’d scooched down the whole length of the sofa, and were perched in Ross’ lap, wrapped in his arms.

Your faces were so close together, it would’ve been weird if you didn’t kiss him. And boy, were you glad you did. You've watched so many movies throughout your life where they talk about fireworks with the perfect kiss, and you thought it was just a movie cliche, until now. His kiss was warm, but somehow at the same time, like a breeze of fresh air. There was no awkward shuffling around, you both just fit together so well.

You felt his tongue swipe across your lips, you opened them. As the kiss got deeper and deeper, you both got more and more handsy–roaming around each others’ bodies, discovering every curve and outline of each other.

Eventually you had to part for a proper breath, though you didn’t stray far, keeping your forehead resting against his.

“Hi,” you said once you’d both opened your eyes again.

“Hi,” he chuckled.

You wanted to go further, you really did, but fatigue was hitting all your muscles at once, you couldn’t go on.

“I’m sorry…I’m really tired,” you said.

“Don’t apologise, it’s okay,” Ross answered. “Do you want to just go to bed here?”

You nodded. “Do you have like a shirt or something I could change into?”

“Yeah, of course.”

It felt like when you were a kid after a long summer day, so exhausted and yearning for the comfort of rest. Ross’ bed welcomed you well, so cosy and soft you practically sank into it.

You’d never gotten to sleep easier than that night, in the arms of a stranger who you felt like you’d known forever.

~~~

You thought after you were out of school, the end of summer wouldn’t affect you as much. Though you didn’t take into account that the end of summer would mean the start of your working year.

For some reason you were nervous–a new school with new students and new coworkers to meet, but that wasn’t something foreign to you. It was your sixth school, your second as a full time teacher. This time you were replacing a retiree, big shoes to fill.

You walked through the hall that would take you to your class, a route you took a couple times during the summer to prep the room and make sure you knew the layout just a little–though the ladies in the reception office were kind enough to give you a printout of a map of the school, you never were all that great with anything visual.

You got there early, there was a staff meeting before the start of the day and you wouldn’t miss it for the world. After setting up the room for your first class, Year 9’s, you headed off. You weren’t alone in the route, a woman about your age came out of the room next to yours.

“You must be the new music teacher!” She said. “I’m Lou, drama teacher.”

After introducing yourself, you both walked together. You couldn’t quite hide your nerves, you’d never been able to hide any emotion well.

“Don’t be nervous, alright?” She placed a reassuring hand on your forearm. “After the old bag Higgins before you, the bar could not be any lower.”

“So I won’t be hazed or anything?” You joked.

“God, no! Some of us threw a party the day he announced his retirement!”

You smiled. At least now some of your fears were alleviated.

But just as some fear left you, your blood ran cold with shock as you walked into the staff room. Standing at the coffee machine, was the man you hadn’t seen since you were in university, the man that still had the power to shatter your heart into a million pieces now over a decade after you last spoke. Ross.

He was bigger–burlier–than before. And his hair was long, tied up neatly in a small bun on the crown of his head. You were surprised at how he pretty much looked the exact same, just different. You could tell his skin had seen a good handful of sunny days, and as he squinted to look at the screen of the fancy coffee machine, you could see the lines on the corners of his eyes that showed a decade full of smiles and laughter.

Lou stared at you, as you stared at him. You were frozen in place, silent as a church mouse. Once the new figure had caught his eye, he saw you.

“Hi…” He said. And seemingly without thinking, his feet brought him to stand in front of you and his arms independently wrapped you in a hug–a hug you hadn’t had in years.

“It’s been forever!” You squeezed him as tight as you could.

In the elation you felt, you realised that a coworker who you’d only known for about five minutes was still standing next to you two.

“So you know each other then?” She asked.

“We went to uni together!” Ross grinned. How you missed his smile.

The headmistress, Janine–your boss–entered the staff room.

“I see you’re getting to know the rest of the team,” she said, sternly.

“Old friends catching up, Janine,” Ross answered.

The whole staff sat down at the tables around the room as Janine called to attention. You panicked for a second–suddenly you were back to worrying about who to sit with–until Ross pulled a chair next to the one he’d settled in.

~~~

You woke up to glaring sunlight, and an unfamiliar bed. You quickly put the pieces together from the night before; the bar, and Ross, and his flat.

You could hear his TV on through the closed bedroom door. You didn’t know why you were trying to be quiet, maybe somehow Ross forgot about your existence and you didn’t want to frighten him. Opening the door, you were met with the sight of Ross on the sofa, watching an old episode of Gavin And Stacey.

“Good morning,” you said, all gravelly.

“Morning.”

He didn’t look at all ill at ease, unlike you. He was ever so relaxed lounging on the sofa with his legs taking up the whole length of it.

“Can I sit?” You asked.

He patted his lap. It was a bold move, but one that you wouldn’t say no to. You laid on top of him on the sofa, shuffling a little to get comfortable. You instantly felt warmer as he held you.

“I’m sorry about last night?” You said.

“What d’you mean?”

“Like you bringing me here and then us not…you know.”

“Oh, don’t apologise,” he scoffed. “I didn’t…ask for it.”

“Well you kind of did…”

“I was doing a favour for a friend,” he answered. “You needed a place to stay, and I had a place.”

“So we’re friends then…” You said–more to yourself than to Ross.

“If you want to be.” You felt his hand on the small of your back grip like the tiniest bit tighter.

“I don’t know if I could be just a friend,” You said. “But I’m not…ready to be more than a friend.”

“I’m sure we could figure out an arrangement.”

And you kissed him. Even with the morning breath and the awkward angle, it had as much heat and fire as you kiss from the night before. This was definitely something you couldn’t give up.

~~~

Ross was kind enough to walk you back to your class. ‘In case you get lost’ was his reasoning–not that you complained. You two got right back into the rhythm of the past, talking like you hadn’t spent years desperately not trying to look each other up to see what you both were up to.

It was kind of strange. It was like you’d been transported back to being your nineteen year old self again, anxiety and all. Though like then, simply Ross’ presence was enough to calm you. It was muscle memory, walking close enough to him to feel the warmth off his skin and keeping the pace to keep up with him.

Saying goodbye to him at your door, it was hard to not ask him to stay–like old times, though now he really couldn’t stay, and no badgering and begging would be able to convince him.

You just couldn’t fathom your luck. Out of thousands of schools you could’ve worked at, the one that hired you was the one he worked at. You thought you would never see him again after…everything. You didn’t realise that you were very well close to losing that vivid memory of his face, his smile, the joy he brought to a room.

Your morning lessons were spent trying not to think of him. You were working, you had to focus. Your students weren’t nearly as intimidating as you thought they would be, it seems they all had the same sentiment for your predecessor as your coworkers had.

And by lunchtime, you already had a few favourites. A group of Year 10s who sat at the very front of the room and constantly asked you questions about yourself instead of the material you were teaching–Hayley, Daniel and Lily. You told them a little; where you grew up, the music you liked as a teenager, and you may have let it slip that you knew a teacher, though you managed to catch yourself before letting them in on who. You didn’t quite know how to approach all this, you didn’t know quite what you could say. You should talk to Ross first, it won’t be an easy conversation but it has to be talked out.

You didn’t have to wait long, because as you sat at the desk in your classroom, fiddling with the salad you brought from home while going over your lesson plans, you heard a knock on the door.

“Yes?” You said, trying to put on your best ‘teacher voice’.

“It’s me.” A voice you recognised very well.

Ross stepped into your classroom–oh so gently, as if his steps had the capability to break the floorboards. He took a seat at the desk closest to you.

“So how’s everything so far?” He asked. “No one giving you trouble?”

“Couldn’t ask for better pupils,” you answered with a smile.

“Good…I’d have to tell them off otherwise.”

You laughed. “I wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of that!”

“Oh c’mon you know I’m not scary…” He leant in to whisper to you. “Just don’t tell all them.”

You were surprised at just how natural it all came back to the two of you, falling back into that groove. You had a great sense of relief, gaining more and more with each playful quip.

Though soon enough you heard the bell that meant the end of lunchtime, and Ross had to go back to his classroom.

“So I’ll see you, then,” you said to him.

“Yeah, coworker,” he smiled.

~~~

You got into a routine with Ross. You acted like friends most of the time, but with enough liquor or loneliness running through you, you couldn’t keep your hands off each other. You loved the exhilaration of sneaking away on nights out with your amalgamation of friends to get up to filthy things at whoever’s flat was closer–or a public bathroom or two if it was just too far of a trek.

All your friends pretended not to notice your looks at each other, not because they disapproved, it just wasn’t something you two either spoke about–even when Ross would spend the night at your flat and Ellie would get a fright in the morning seeing him making two cups of tea in the kitchen. It was more like an open secret, something people only knew about if they really paid attention.

You both still went on dates with other people, that was part of the appeal. You only wanted flings, and it seemed that no one else was on the same page as you–apart from Ross. And it worked the other way too, you knew Ross would go on just as many first dates as you, though he never really divulged to you like you did to him. You worried he didn’t want to hurt your feelings–like you could have your feelings hurt…

You were never as happy when you weren’t with him, sweaty and basking in the afterglow. You told each other everything, all your secrets, all your stories from your childhoods, everything you hoped for in the future. Something with the two of you just fit, call it fate or whatever else you believe in, but somehow you met at just the right time for it all to come together perfectly. Well, almost perfectly.

“Did you have any boyfriends when you were in school?” He asked one morning when you both had nowhere to be and made yourselves very comfortable in his bed.

“Jealous?” You laughed.

“Just making conversation…” He explained with a smile.

“There was one, Will, he was nice…” You answered. “And no one else of much importance.”

“Well what made him so important?” Ross asked.

“He was my first boyfriend, my first love, you know?”

Ross sighed. “Not really, not been in love before.”

“Really? Not ever?” You asked in disbelief.

“I guess I’ve just been too busy for it,” he answered.

You felt bad. As much as love had hurt you, it was a good kind of hurt, the kind you need in your life.

“It’s not that bad,” he continued. “I don’t lead a totally sad life.”

“I know…”

~~~

Your spine felt like jelly as you cleaned up your classroom after the end of the school day on your first Friday. A couple of the teachers you’d gotten close with had planned a little night out to welcome you–Ross included–and as much as you appreciated the gesture, nights out were never really your thing. You wondered if Ross told them, you wondered if they knew at all about your history. Though he was never much one for confrontation, that must’ve been it.

You were going to get a ride with Lou. You realised you both lived just a street away from each other and you really didn’t feel like forking out your entire life savings for one Uber ride. She’d become a sort of guardian angel for you–showing you the ropes in your first week. You had Ross as well, and he helped when he could, but you pretty much resided on opposite sides of the school and you couldn’t exactly go all the way to him every time you had a question or query. You’d gotten comfortable with your coworkers at school but not out of that very controlled environment, a night out would show the real you.

You’d chewed the ends of your fingers raw once you’d gotten home to shower and get properly ready. You were very quickly going into a spiral. What if I say something wrong? What if I get too drunk? What if I don’t get drunk enough and don’t enjoy myself? What if Ross has told them everything?

You checked your phone as you were waiting for your post-shower skincare to sink in. There was a text from Lou just to confirm your address and then another text from a contact you haven’t seen for years.

looking forward to tonight! see you there! -Ross

It took you by surprise. Not the message, itself, but the notion that he would have to sign off on a text, otherwise you wouldn’t know who it was. You smiled at the thought of him worrying that after all these years you’d deleted his number from your phone, and then when you realised he had kept your number just as long. You typed a reply.

you know me! buzzing for it! (no really, you know me…i’m giving it a go)

A bubble popped up immediately, showing he was typing. Like touching a hot pan, you instinctively threw your phone onto your bed the second you saw it. After a minute or so you looked at your phone again. No notifications. Must’ve been a mistake, you thought.

You got ready for the night. You hadn’t worn this much makeup in ages, but you thought for a special night, you should make the effort.

Lou was at your doorstep with an Uber in tow at 7 o’clock on the dot. You’d been so frantic with getting ready for the night and feeding your cat, Benny, and giving him enough attention to last him until you’d get home, you hadn’t checked your phone after that dreaded but brief conversation with Ross. You saw a text from him sent an hour after your last message.

good to know nothings changed!

With a yell of “bye, Benny!” you left with Lou.

“So now that we’re not working…” She started. “Can you tell me how you and Ross…know each other?”

You let out an awkward laugh. You did tell her that you couldn’t talk about it at school, you had the fear of God in you that a student could walk by at any moment and hear it all. But still, you hadn’t spoken to Ross about it, you didn’t want to overstep and embarrass him.

“We knew each other during uni,” you answered.

“Well I already knew that!” She said–a little too loud.

You laughed with her. “What has he told you?”

“That you two were friends…But I’m not stupid, I saw the way you two looked at each other.”

“It’s not my place to tell you everything.”

“So there is a story there!” She yelled.

You couldn’t help but laugh again, though not without a tinge of fear that that was enough for her to know everything in some psychic link between the two of you that you were unaware of.

The pub wasn’t far, you arrived at the curb in about fifteen minutes. Lou checked her phone as you both climbed out of the modern sedan.

“I got messages from Tracy and Nathan, they’re already here, and…Leanne isn’t far away.” She said. Upper English, Social Studies, and Phys Ed, respectively. You hadn’t met a single teacher so far who you didn’t like, everyone was so welcoming to you. Janine, the headmistress and your boss, on the other hand…It wasn’t that she didn’t like you, you figured she just liked things done a certain way and you didn’t exactly fit the mould there.

It was pretty busy inside–not a surprise for 7 o’clock on a Friday night–but it didn’t take you long to see the group who all excitedly yelled their ‘hello’s to you. You quickly got settled with a drink in the booth that Tracy was lucky enough to snag in the lively pub. Soon the group got bigger and bigger. Still, you had yet to see the man who could not stop invading your mind.

By 9:30, you were yearning to see him–in all his newly grown-up glory.

At ten, you had become resigned to the fact that he was just not going to show up. All your worry and effort was for nothing. You didn’t think he would be like this, he was never like this. After his texts, and then his resounding absence, you truly didn’t know what he was getting at. You just wanted to hole up in your bed and try to forget this whole embarrassing ordeal.

“I think I’m gonna head home,” you said to Lou–admittedly slurring a little, time seemed to pass quicker, the more drinks you had.

“Would you mind going alone? I don’t-I’m not ready to leave just yet,” she answered, just as intelligible as you.

“No worries.” You pulled up the Uber app on your phone as you stepped out of the pub. You pulled your jacket closer to your body as a shiver ran up your spine, it was just beginning to get colder, though you could only really tell during the later hours.

The street was busy, people walking–or stumbling–by you, trying to find the next bar in their nightly crawl. Somehow, you got caught between two people at the most perfect–or imperfect–time. You tripped on one passerby’s foot and saw the pavement get shakily closer.

Until two firm hands caught you by your shoulders.

“You alright, darling?” You could recognise that voice anywhere.

“Hi,” you said, finally looking up at Ross. There was a panicked look in his eye. “Yeah, you?”

“Yeah, I’m good,” he answered. You steadied yourself on your feet and you both floated closer to the front of the pub you were just in to avoid the foot traffic. “Sorry I’m late, Matty–you remember Matty?–his girlfriend broke up with him the other week and he’s been having a hard time, there was a crisis.”

You breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to come, he couldn’t.

“It’s all good,” you grinned. “I was actually just about to head off though…Tired.”

He let out a knowing chuckle. “Well could I come home with you?” He saw your eyes widen for just a second. “I mean, I was only coming to catch up with you…Pretty hard to do if you’re not there…”

“I’ve just ordered an Uber,” you said without even thinking. Not like you had to think, the answer would always be a ‘yes’.

You couldn’t stop looking at him while you waited for the car. He looked more confident than when you’d seen him last, like he was easily carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders–and was happy to do so. You barely even noticed that your hand was in his until he squeezed it to get your attention.

“You alright?” He asked. “With all this?”

You didn’t quite know what he meant. With the job, this night out, or him. But the answer was the same for all of the above. You nodded. He smiled, and in an act that felt as natural as breathing, he brought your hands up to his lips to place a kiss on the back of your much-too-cold hand. It was the kind of kiss you’d see with a couple married for decades, nothing too passionate but with just enough love–that frightened you just a little, if you were completely honest.

The ride was silent. You daren’t utter a word for fear that Ross would know how you felt about his warm palm planted firmly on your thigh.

At your flat, you made tea for the two of you. You couldn’t help but reminisce on the first night you knew him, when he brought you back to his tiny flat in the middle of Manchester and was kind enough to be your friend. It was strange how your life seemed so cyclical.

It was quite cold in your flat, you always worried if you turned on the heating when you were out that Benny would get too hot. Speaking of the dark grey feline, you noticed him jump when you came home not alone, he quickly retreated to his cat tree in the corner of your living space. You just laughed and told Ross that he did that with everyone he didn’t know.

You handed Ross his cup of tea–no sugar with just a splash of milk and eye-wateringly strong–and sat down on the sofa next to him.

You were transported to that night in your second year of uni, the night you started your friendship with Ross. A night when you could’ve been swallowed whole by your loneliness, but were instead embraced by a stranger who you very much grew to…like. A lot…

“So…” You sighed once you were comfortable. “How’s Matty doing?”

“He’s alright…Just…you remember what he’s like…” He answered.

You laughed. “Always…”

“He’s alright though…Just has his moments…” He chuckled. “And then I told him I was going to see you and he got excited.”

“What? And you weren’t excited to see me?” There was a sudden streak of courage running through you.

“I’m always happy to see you, love.” He was laughing, but you both knew there was truth in his statement.

“Good,” you smiled. “Got a bit upset when I thought you wouldn’t show.”

It suddenly dawned on you the glaringly obvious fact that instantly snapped you out of whatever trance you were in. You were coworkers. You had to be professional, even if it was him.

Now his smile–one you could just about read as giddy–made your heart drop into your stomach. His eyes were so soft, a glaze over them–not from tears, just admiration for who he was looking at. Your smile faltered. Ross noticed.

“What’s wrong?” He asked, sounding very serious.

“I…” You didn’t quite know how to phrase it. “We can’t…It’s not…professional.”

He sighed, then stayed silent for a moment.

“It’s not that I wouldn’t want to,” you continued. “But if anyone found out…it would be hell.”

“Well then how about we just don’t tell anyone?” He asked quickly.

The question was enough for your body–independently from your mind–to launch across the sofa and into Ross’ lap. You placed a gentle hand on his cheek. You weren’t used to his now-thicker beard, it was much smoother and softer than his old stubble.

Kissing him was like returning back to your childhood home after years of not visiting. You still knew him so well–his taste and the softness of his lips, it was so familiar to you.

As you deepened the kiss, your tongues now well into exploring the familiar landscapes of each other’s lips, your hand that was so firmly planted on his cheek travelled further back. On some kind of instinct your fingers laced through the hair at the back of his neck, tugging just a little on the roots. Ross let out a deep moan into your mouth, you couldn’t help but grin a little into the kiss. Duly noted.

~~~

It was the first day of spring when you finally had the realisation that sent a shock down your spine. As the flower buds began to grow it became apparent that you only had a couple short months before Ross would graduate. You’d had conversations back when the only way to get warm was to be in his embrace, his plan was London. A city with more job opportunities than you knew what to do with.

It was like all of a sudden you were dreading seeing him, like you were putting off the last time. You couldn’t admit it to yourself then, but you knew that his impending departure would be heartbreaking.

After three days of radio silence, you found him sitting on the curb in front of your building. You were frozen in your spot.

“Sorry, I know this is kinda weird of me,” he said, standing up from his place on the concrete. “You haven’t answered my texts, I got worried.”

Your heart both warmed, and shattered even more at the same time. It was getting dark, and it wasn’t quite the time of year for warmer nights yet.

“Sorry, I’ve been…” You couldn’t quite think of an end to that sentence. You let him into the flat with you.

Ellie was out for the night, so you planned for a night alone–a feast for one in the reusable bag you placed on the kitchen counter. Ross slid off his shoes at the door–something he always did–and got comfortable on your sofa. As you put away the groceries you heard your TV turn on the flicking of switching channels. There was something so domestic about it. You let yourself daydream for a moment that this could be your life if you so pleased, putting away groceries while Ross watched TV. You snapped out of the fantasy when he spoke.

“GoldenEye is on!” He called out to you. You’d had many conversations about your favourite movies as kids, and all the James Bond movies were his–as well as the video game.

You floated to the sofa after everything was safely in its place. You’d watched the latter half of the film all the way to the end credits without even realising. Somewhere along the way, you’d gotten comfortable in Ross’ embrace–a common home for you as of late. Your cheek was beginning to hurt from laying on his chest watching the small TV on the other side of the room.

Ross wriggled a little, so you sat up, realising just how tired you were. With a stretch and a yawn, you let him sit up properly. The film was a nice distraction for a little while.

“I’m sorry,” you said after a much-too-long silence between the two of you.

“For what?” He asked.

“You know what,” you answered. “I’m just…not dealing well.”

“I got that,” he chuckled. “I am too. But what do we do?”

“I don’t know…” You said, your final word cracking as your eyes welled with tears.

Ross was immediately engulfing you in one of his almost-bone-crushing hugs, and you let the tears fall.

“I didn’t mean to get like this,” you said through sobs.

“I know.”

“And I’m gonna miss you so much.”

“I know,” he repeated. “We were good while it lasted, eh?”

“So that’s it?”

He’d finally pulled away again, giving you the chance to wipe your tears and snotty nose on your sleeves. You looked at him, he was just as teary with such an…apologetic look on his face.

“I’m so sorry, darling,” he said.

“Can you at least stay for the night?”

“Of course.”

~~~

You went back to work on Monday with a spring in your step. You spent the whole weekend in your flat, just the two of you. It was like before, only better. The sex was better, the conversations were so easy, you were right back where you were, and you couldn’t be happier about it.

Ross left your flat late on Sunday night, and you hadn’t spoken to him since then. Granted, it had only been around twelve hours, you were still itching to see him again. Not the time, though, you had a job to do, so you tried not to think of him.

At the start of morning break, you were stuck in your classroom helping out a student, Daniel, on some of his homework. Though you were happy to help him out, he and his small group had been so nice to you and you’d already found yourself getting carried away with conversations with the three of them during most of your Year 10 lessons in the past week.

You heard a knock on the doorframe, three firm knocks, to be exact.

“Yes?” You asked. You hoped you knew who it would be, and you were right. You watch Ross walk in, dressed in a crisp light blue button-up and the hair that you’d been pulling on all weekend was neatly tied up into a small bun. “Ah, Mr MacDonald!”

You saw the look of panic in his eyes as he noticed the 14 year-old boy that was standing at your desk with you. He straightened up a little and pulled a smile you could go wobbly-kneed over.

“Hi Mr MacDonald…” Daniel said.

“Hello, Daniel,” he answered. “Not causing any trouble?”

You saw a cheeky grin shared between the two of them. It warmed your heart at thinking of Ross having in-jokes with students, you knew he was a good teacher.

“I promise,” Daniel laughed.

“Good, or else I’ll have something to do about it.” Ross slyly winked to you, making you have to stifle the giggle that almost erupted from your lips.

“Won’t be a minute,” you said to him.

“No worries,” Ross answered, taking a seat at his usual desk for your break-meetings, the one closest to your desk in the front corner of the room. Taking out the packet of crisps from his bag and trying to eat them with as minimal crunches as possible–as to not disturb you.

You didn’t fail to notice the wide eyes of the student in front of you. You had to keep from laughing until he’d left the room.

“Well that rumour’ll be all over school by lunch,” Ross laughed.

“You think?”

“Oh yeah, I know that kid, he’ll be flipping his shit about it!”

“Does it worry you?” You asked, but Ross looked confused. “Rumours…that we’re together and all that.”

“Well they’re true aren’t they?”

“That’s not the point, I just don’t want to jeopardise our jobs or anything.”

“If someone asks, we can just say it’s a rumour,” he answered. He caught your brief look of worry for just a split-second. “Hey? That doesn’t mean I don’t…love you any less.”

You couldn’t fight the Cheshire cat smile that spread across your face. “Really?”

“Of course. We can just tell them when we’re ready.”

#ross macdonald x reader #ross macdonald imagine #ross macdonald fluff

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mopeyy · 4 months

Text

Forgotten Love (Last Part)

Nor x Fem Na'vi Reader

angst/fluff

Summary: Reader is in love with Nor, but he's still in love with her dead sister.

Inspired by this post!!

You and Nor use to speak everyday, but now you've went a full week without talking. After your confession there was just no point in speaking to him. You knew he was going to reject you and you didn't need to hear him say it. It would hurt too much. Of course you missed talking to him, he's your best friend. But you couldn't look at him knowing that he didn't feel the same.

He hadn't made any attempt to speak to you. Mostly just looking at you from the corner of his eye. Or sharing a forced smile when you passed one another. It was exhausting really, but neither of you tried to fix it.

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

You had recently took down a big RDA drilling facility, reducing the pollution percentage by a significant amount. So tonight the resistance was celebrating. The headquarters were filled with colorful party decorations and dancing music. You knew the humans were having a good time, but it didn't really feel like you needed to be there. You turnt to leave before hearing someone calling your name. "Y/n! y/n!" it was Teylan. He came running over to you, Cleary excited about the party. "Where do you think your going? this party is all about you." He smiled, nervously adjusting the cap on his head. "Im just going out to get some air Teylan. Ill be back in soon." You promised. He exaggerated a long sigh and told you to come back soon as he walked away. You softly shook your head and laughed at teylans antics.

You walked outside and found yourself sitting at a little pond that leads towards the waterfall. it was a nice kind of quiet, the only noise being the muffled music from the party. It was dark, allowing you to see all the stars in the sky. When you were in the RDA they didn't let you and the others outside much. they were scared that if you saw what was out there it would tempt you all to run away. After escaping the RDA you were never anywhere but outside. You stared at the pond in front of you, watching how the water would ripple when a little fish swam by. You smiled, dipping your legs into the pond for the cool relief the water gave you. You couldn't believe the RDA had kept this world from you for 15 years.

After a while of sitting there you heard foot steps behind you. You didn't turn around, you already knew who it was. "Done with the party?" Nor took a seat beside you and raised his brows in question. You only took a quick glance at him before turning your attention back to the water. "Yea, it's kinda hard to dance with all the tiny people around." you smiled, turning to look at him. He was already looking at you. He laughed and shook his head, "I guess it wasn't the best idea to put Na'vi and people into one room." He joked. Silence overtook you as neither of you knew what to say. You played with your hands trying to distract yourself from the awkward atmosphere. Nor cleared his throat to get your attention, "Listen y/n I...about what happened that night-" you cut him off, "Nor I already know what your gonna say and its just going to hurt more if I hear it so please don't." He shook his head and placed a gentle hand on your arm. "You don't know what im going to say, so please just...listen." he pleaded.

You nodded and he slid his hand off your arm. "I was thinking about everything and I wanted to apologize. Ive always admired Aha'ri and her bravery, and I may have had a small crush on her when we were kids. But that's all it was, a childish crush. That night when you found me, I was scared. Scared of how new everything is. I think I was talking about her because I wish I had some of that bravery too. Ive been thinking about what you said and you're right. You have always been there for me and I was too blind to see it." He saw how your attention was focused on the sky. He put his hand on your chin, turning you to face him. His green eyes piercing, as if they could see right through you. "If you'll let me, id like to be there for you too."

Your ears twitched, revealing the emotion you were trying so hard to hide. You had thought that he came out here to reject you, but it was the complete opposite. You wanted him to feel the same way about you, but you had to make sure it was for the right reasons. You tilted your head up at him and opened your mouth to speak, "Nor, I don't just want to be a reminder of my sister. I want you to want me, not just be with me because you can't have her."

He shook his head, his eyes saddening at your worries. "y/n believe me, that is not it at all. I want you. I want your smile, your laughter, your humor, your kindness, your beauty. You. Not anybody else." He reassured you.

You smiled at him, letting out a soft laugh. "Well then you can have me." He smiled at this and leaned in as your lips met. You had never thought things would end this way but you didn't mind as the kiss deepened and your hands combed through his hair. You knew now that everything would be alright.

Tagslist!

@avatar-of-envy-levi

#avatar frontiers of pandora #avatar frontiers of pandora x reader #nor avatar frontier of pandora #nor x reader #nor #nor frontiers of pandora

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awingedinsect · 23 days

Text

-Flood me like Atlantic-

Chapter 9

Word count: 2k

Warnings: slight past trauma, cursing, the briefest of allusions to SH again, III is mean but he’s getting softer. I swear.

“Are you really okay?”

His eyes peeled off the keyboard, growing instantly unfocused as she opened the door and stared at him. He sat crossed-legged on the bed, the slats of the window shades casting him in stripes.

“What?” His fingers fidgeted with the loops of a big, prominent white bow stuck on the corner of the instrument. His sleeves fell to his wrists. “Of course I am.”

She stood silently for too long, brows knit. His heart struck up a quicker beat.

“You know, you don’t have to lie to me.” She said. “I want you to talk to me. I’m your mom, for god's sake.”

“I’m fine, I swear.” He said, trying to look assuring. “Just tuning this thing, right now.”

His eyes met the carpet at her feet. She was thinking about it too, he knows. He’d memorized the crimson trail on it, now faded a dark meaningless brown that even his sisters eyes follow sometimes.

Even his sisters.

He swallowed, lashes fluttering. “…I’m gonna take her to the beach.”

“Sure you don’t wanna come?” II’s eyes wander back to him one last time as he stands in the doorway, IV holding it open with a set of keys in his hand. He waits patiently as Vessel shoves his hands in the front of his hoodie, swaying casually on his bare feet. “It’s gonna be a good time, and I know Matt would love to meet ya!” He grins, a laugh in his eyes. “Pretty sure he thinks we’re making you up.”

II has brought his friend Matthew up a couple times now. An old friend from school, now playing drums in his own garage band. The three of them were gonna go bowling today, and of course both II and IV had asked him to come along. But he politely refused. Today is the day he’s gonna take the bandage off of his forehead, and maybe talk to III about the upcoming gig, since he’s still not positive he’s even involved. Though by the end of the conversation he might need a couple new bandaids.

“I guess he’ll have to keep wondering.” Vessel says, a soft smile on his lips. He truly does love the drummer, and he hopes he’s not too disappointed. “I’m not really feeling it today, man. But next time for sure.”

“Well, try and have a nice day around here.” II says, taking a step further out the door and nodding over Vessels shoulder into the house. “You got mister grumpy pants all to yourself, bruv.”

Vessels not sure whether the look II and IV share is sympathetic, amused, or just generally deeper than he understands. But they both have stupid smiles that make him wish he was in the know.

But instead of questions they finally step outside, crunching down the gravel path as he waves them off.

He locks the door behind them.

It’s not what he was expecting.

He holds his bangs up off of his forehead, dropping the cloth into the sink and turning his face slowly in the overhead light.

To be fair, this isn’t the first time he’s taken it off. He’s been showering and waking up to it on the floor beside the sofa, making him wonder just how much he tosses and turns these days. But he always puts it back on before the mirror can beckon him.

There’s something that terrifies him about the whole thing. About the gap in his memories of that night, in which the damn thing must have been carved into him in the first place. The voice in his head feels like it hums from behind the simple scrap of cloth. And the idea of his reflection also being part of the same nightmare in his head would truly prove that, whatever this is, it’s something that won’t leave him.

His shaking fingers graze the raised flesh, following a perfect line that crosses and knits with a few others. He’d say it was a burn, if he didn’t so clearly remember the blood dripping into his eyes. He doesn’t know what it means or what it says, but the meaning is clear;

Mine.

It means that he is owned.

Swiping the hair back into his face, he gives himself a final inspection. You can barely tell it’s there now, and there’s a definite relief at the sight of an otherwise regular bloke in the mirror. With the last few weeks, the dodging his reflection and the ever growing estrangement from his own body, he’d almost forgotten he’s not a monster.

He looks nice.

He almost looks good.

“Alright then,” he says, brushing some lint of his hoodie and picking a dead flake off his lips. “Alright then.”

He treads quietly toward the door at the end of the hallway. There’s not a sound in the house, apart from the faint shuffle of his jeans and a distant flicker that he can’t place. He’s almost scared to breathe wrong, so he really doesn’t at all.

His knuckles rap three quick taps on the door.

His tongue presses the roof of his mouth, mindlessly preparing a “thhh” after he’s met with nothing but silence for a few seconds. But when his weight shifts on the floorboards in what must be the most obnoxious noises known to bassist he hears a quiet “bloody hell” on the other side, followed by a “come in.”

He turns the knob, almost embarrassed by his timidity. Why the fuck is he so nervous? He’s been carried completely naked and unconscious by this guy, he’s been poked and prodded and felt his hot breath on his tear-stained cheeks. he’s been punched in the eye hard enough to floor him and he’s made stupid fucking sounds while quite literally being bathed. So why in god’s name is standing like an 6’4” shadow in the same man’s doorway about the most awkward thing he’s ever been through?

“Um… hello.”

III’s bedroom is about exactly what he expected. On the smaller side, eclectic piles of knickknacks, clothes and colorful decorations all around, not to mention enough incense to knock a person out. There’s a record player spinning lazily by the window, the needle scratching the middle of the vinyl like it’s been forgotten for hours. And on the floor- crossed-legged with his back to the door -is III, hair sprawled all over his head like it hasn’t seen a brush in days.

“What are you doing?” Vessel asks, shoulders getting less tense as he stands curiosity drinking up the sight. He stares at III’s closed eyes in the floor-length mirror.

“Shhh.”

“Meditating?”

“Shhhh.”

“Why would you tell me to come in if it’s a bad time?”

A distressed groan comes out of III and he turns his head, spindly body twisting around to lock him in a glare. “You need something, blud?”

Vessel looks at his feet for a minute, gathering his thoughts. III’s face is bathed in the colors of the several stained glass ornaments in the window, sifting through his long lashes and glowing in his stern eyes. There’s a few candles flickering around the room.

Instead of answering, Vessel decides to just walk in and sit down on the bed. Not something III was expecting, proven as he twists around and straightens fully to eye him. Vessel pulls his feet up onto the bedspread, sitting like an obnoxious cat while still retaining a bit of uncertainty. And it gets just the right reaction out of III.

“I wanted to ask about the gig. II told me one’s coming up and I… was curious about my role.”

III’s eyes are boring into him relentlessly. But again, it feels like a challenge over anything else. Vessel stays put, meeting the stare. A hard swallow tugs on his throat.

“You hoping we’ll let ya sing?”

Vessel’s face flushes, and he can’t help but break the eye contact for a second. He dismisses it by picking at a loose thread in his jeans. “Well I’ve got an extremely flexible schedule. And I’ve been singing with you all, now, for a bit.” He says, offering an awkward sort of smile. “I thought maybe… I was official.”

“Official.” III rolls the word around his mouth, tasting it for a second out of courtesy. But it’s obviously a bit sour. “You think you’re number one all the sudden, blud?”

That’s definitely not what he said. That’s definitely not what he insinuated. God, having a conversation with this man is insufferable. And here he was trying to be polite.

“Well I have been pouring my heart and ass into performing for you guys these last few weeks, crazy to think it wasn’t just for shits and gigs, right?”

III stands up to his full height at that, casting a long shadow down the bed that makes Vessel question his choice of words. “You’ve been fuckin crashing here, you twat.” He bites. “Hiding from the cops on my fuckin sofa and havin fun with a borrowed mic in the meanwhile. You’re welcome, by the fuckin way.” He rests his fist on a sharp hip, throwing a gesture of Vessel’s head. “Looks like you're good as new, now. Ready to go home.”

Oh, hell no. None of that. Vessel’s mouth twists in a scowl, since he’s not sure how else to react to that slew of shit. His throat tightens.

Home.

“First of all, the fun I’ve been having with you guys could of got me enough money by now to call that goddam motel home for another fucking month, if I wasn’t up here singing for the damn squirrels. Second I didn’t ask for any of this shit, I didn’t ask for the fire or these new scars, or any of the things you’ve blamed me for. I’m just fucking tired, man.” The knot in his throat is no idle threat anymore, and he goes quiet, staring up at those deep, frozen eyes. “…Why do you hate me?”

III is silent for a long moment. His lips form a thin line, hair shadowing his features as he bows his head and contemplates something. Most likely, just how he’ll murder him.

He steps closer. And then he fucking shoves him in the chest, knocking the air out of his lungs. He thuds back on the springy mattress, arms falling at his sides and gripping the quilt awkwardly as III towers over him like a goddam predator.

“You’re a bloody good singer.” He says, watching Vessel’s mouth fall open with some short breathes. “The boys like you.”

Each word seems carefully chosen; a gift he only has half a mind to give. The bassist sighs long and hard out his nose.

“You can get up there with us on one fucking condition.” He says. “Cover your fucking face. You might say your innocent, but until I get a whole story and some proof out of your ass, none of us fucking know you. Understand?”

Vessel nods against the bed, something serious in his face now. He doesn’t want to be seen.

“I need a keyboard.” He says, moving on impressively fast from the demand. There’s simply something atrociously fitting about the idea of a mask.

“And there’ll probably be one, too.” III says. “Just make a half decent sound either way.” He moves towards the door now, lifting a weight off of Vessel, who props up on his elbows and watches as he leaves.

“Don’t fuck up.” III says, locking him in one last stare. “Anything.”

He doesn’t have to mention II or IV to make his point. It’s clear as day, and so is Vessel’s resolve to prove that yes, he can be trusted. He can be liked. It doesn’t matter if he’s wearing a mask or not; he wants to be authentic and knowable. Something he’s not sure he’s ever been before.

Besides, the mask will cover up the scar.

It’ll keep the voice inside.

He’s suddenly left alone in the bedroom, unsure of what to do. The record player keeps scratching and the candles keep flickering, and slowly he gets up, wandering to the window. He picks the needle up gingerly, setting it on the rim of the vinyl.

The static is such a familiar sound.

“Clock strikes, upon the hour, and the sun begins to fade…”

#vessel #vessel sleep token #sleep token art #sleep token fanfiction #sleep token iii #art #sleep token #vessel art #sleep token ii #sleep token fanart

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matcha-kisses · 26 days

Text

wordcount: 2.1k+

≿━━━━༺❀༻━━━━≾

"Bai, your grandfather is looking for you. I can take you to him." Leang offered , interrupting Zuko and Bai from their conversation.

Bai looked up and noticed how the sky was turning orange and pink. Zuko and Bai spent most of the afternoon in the royal courtyard. Bai told Zuko how she thought the courtyard looked so pretty the night of Azula's party. So, he decided to give her a closer look. Yes, he may have been trying to impress her, but what was he suppose to do? Their afternoon with filled with such fun activities like playing games, asking questions about each other, and feeding the turtle ducks. That was actually Bai's favorite part; they're so cute! So, it made her disappointed knowing her day with Zuko had come to an end. She knows she spent all day with Zuko, but it still didn't feel enough. She wishes she could've spent a little bit more time. But there's always tomorrow, right?

"Oh, okay." Bai pouted.

Zuko couldn't help but to have the same pout Bai did. He wishes she didn't have to leave. He loved having her around.

Bai rose to her feet and walked to Leang. But before she made it, she felt a certain young prince grab her sleeve.

"Bai!"

"Yes, prince Zuko?"

"Um... I will see you tomorrow. And... I had fun today."

Bai felt her heart swell and her tummy do a round of flips. It made her happy knowing that the feeling was mutual.

"As did I, prince Zuko." Bai said, bowing.

Bai felt Leang's hand softly grabbing her own. She knew it was time for her to leave. Besides, Papa was waiting for her. Bai waved one more goodbye to the prince before she was completely out of Zuko's sight.

As Leang and Bai walked to the front of the palace, Bai couldn't help but to smile. She had a wonderful time with Zuko. She thought about how sweet and understanding he was to her. Even if she would say something boring, he'd act like it was the most interesting thing he's ever listened to; He was totally focused in on everything she was saying.

≿━━━━༺❀༻━━━━≾

"So, you've never traveled outside of the kingdom before?" Zuko asked.

The truth was Bai's family couldn't because Ming didn't feel safe leaving her home unless it was absolutely necessary. Both Yao and Ming feared that people would gaze upon Ming and know she is of Water Tribe decent. The Fire Nation heard the rumors of a waterbender escaping prison easily, and the couple didn't want to draw any unwanted attention. It would be awful for Ming and Yao if they knew the truth.

But of course, Bai makes up a random excuse. She couldn't tell Zuko this. Although, she believes she could. She knows he'd keep a secret; he says he's very good. But she didn't want to even go down that path.

"Nope! My Papa is very dedicated to work, and it's hard to travel with my Gramma."

"Oh... I'm sorry about that."

"It's okay," Bai cheered. "I like it here!"

"Well, maybe... nevermind."

"What?"

"No, it's stupid." Zuko said. How could he even mention it to Bai!

"No! Tell me."

"Well," Zuko started nervously. "Maybe one day we could go to Ember Island. It's a really fun place! My family used to go all the time!"

Bai couldn't believe what she was hearing. Zuko wanted to go somewhere special with her?"

"Really? You mean that?"

"Of course I do." Zuko said, smiling brightly.

≿━━━━༺❀༻━━━━≾

"There's my happy girl!" Yao bellowed.

Bai snapped out of her thoughts and saw her Papa. She hopes he doesn't ask as to why she was smiling.

"Papa!" Bai cheered- running to her Papa and giving him a tight hug.

"I've missed you today button!"

"And I've missed you too! I can't wait to tell you about my day!"

"Well, it is a walk from here to the palace. I'm sure you'll have plenty of time to tell me." Yao said, grabbing Bai's hand and starting their journey home.

"And I won't miss a single detail!"

≿━━━━༺❀༻━━━━≾

Zuko's POV:

"Oh, Zuzu!"

I rolled my eyes at Azula's voice. Of course, after having the perfect day, Azula has to come in and ruin it somehow.

Let's just get this over with. Fast.

"What do you want, Azula?" I griped.

"Wow, you haven't seen me all day, and this is how you talk to me? I thought you were better than that Zuzu."

"Stop calling me that!"

Azula smiled sinisterly. She loved that she was getting to me.

"Well, I was just seeing how was your day with Bai. I overheard some servants and found out you spent all day with her!" Azula sneered.

"Yeah? And what's the big deal." I wasn't going to listen to Azula talked down on Bai. She hasn't did any wrong.

"Well, the big deal is that you obviously have eyes for her! I've never seen you get like this before- not even around Mai."

I wanted to scream in Azula's face, and tell her how wrong she is. But I couldn't bring myself. I think I do like Bai... a lot. She's just all around perfect, and I didn't want someone like her to slip from my grip that easily.

"Aha! I knew it! You do have eyes for her! Which, it's understandable. She is a pretty like-able girl. Ty Lee and Mai like her. Well, not Mai, but I don't have to explain why-"

"Is this going somewhere? And why do you care?" I snapped. I wanted to get away from my sister as fast as I could.

"I'm just saying be careful."

"What are you talking about?" Why would I need to be careful I'm sure Bai isn't the type to hurt other people.

"Father wouldn't be happy if he finds out you like some servant girl. It wouldn't be a good look for the Fire Nation. Oh, I know! Maybe she could be the royal concubine! Father may have an easier time seeing you with a nasty girl than a poor one."

I felt my blood boiling and felt my hands heating up. But I won't snap. I won't give Azula that satisfaction.

"She isn't just some servant girl, and she's not some future concubine. Her name is Bai, and she happens to be one of the best people I've ever met! You're just jealous because you wish you were at least half the girl she is!" I screamed.

"I understand that, Zuzu! All I'm saying is father may not. I'm just looking out for you- no reason to get snippy, brother."

Azula whipped her head and walked in the opposite direction. I let out a sigh of relief. Finally, she was gone.

But I thought of what she was saying. It kept ringing in my mind- over and over again. As much as I hate to admit it, my father would probably have something to say about Bai. It's not that I care of her status because I don't! She's more than just a "servant." She's intelligent, kindhearted, funny, and not to mention beautiful. Which, I guess she was beautiful enough to be a concubine, but I don't want her to do that! I don't want her getting caught up in tag life! Don't even think like that Zuko. The point is that it shouldn't have to matter what Bai does.

But I know that all my father would think about the image of the Fire Nation.

I shook my those wretched thoughts from my head. I won't worry about that- not now at least. I'm just going to back in the joy I feel right now.

≿━━━━༺❀༻━━━━≾

"Ming? Sweetheart?"

"Gramma?"

Bai and Yao has just made it home from work. Usually, Ming would stand at the door, and wait for Yao to come. So, it was a little strange not to see her.

"I wonder where she could be at, Papa."

Yao suddenly noticed a note on the table. He figured it was for Ming. It was probably a note saying she went out to the market or either she took a nighttime walk.

"Bai? Why don't you get a bath and change from those clothes? I'll look around the house to see where Gramma is." Yao offered.

"But, she's here, right?"

"Yes, I'm sure of it my sweet. And she might've just taken a walk. But she's here. She couldn't have gone that far."

Bai nodded her head in agreement and then ran to the bathroom, leaving Yao alone. He walked over to the table where the note sat. He noticed the note was too long for Ming to say she went out for a walk. His hands began to grow cold and sweaty.

It's fine. I'm sure everything is fine.

But everything wasn't fine. Nothing could've prepared Yao for what he saw on that note.

≿━━━━༺❀༻━━━━≾

Bai slipped on her nightgown and took a deep breath of satisfaction. She always love the feeling of getting out of the bath and putting on her soft nightgown.

She walked back to the kitchen- expecting to see Gramma. Surely, she should be back by now, she thought to herself. But when she entered the kitchen, she didn't see Gramma. She only saw saw her Papa- who looked completely heartbroken.

"Papa?" Bai asked nervously.

Yao looked up at his granddaughter. He tried swallowing the lump he felt in his throat and hold back the tears that were begging to slip from his eyes. He wanted to stay strong for Bai. He didn't want her to see that he was breaking. But he couldn't do it; He wasn't strong enough.

Bai started to panic. She's never ever seen her papa get upset like this before. He was the family's rock... but he seems to be breaking.

"What's wrong, papa?"

While Bai was in the shower, Yao tried thinking of ways to break the news without crushing her. However, he couldn't come up with any. He knew that would hurt her no matter what he said. This isn't easy news to tell anyone- especially a child.

"Well... it looks like... it's just going to be us for a while." Yao croaked.

What is he talking about? There's 3 of us! Me, Gramma, and Papa! There can't be just two of us.

"I don't understand. Where's Gramma?"

Yao couldn't say anything. He could only hand Bai the note Ming had left. The note that crushed his soul:

Dear Yao,

I'm so sorry, but I can't do this anymore. It's nothing to do with you or Bai. You are my world and I love you both very much. But I can't live in a here anymore.

I've always felt a longing to be reunited with my people, but I loved you too much. I put our family first and tried thinking what was best for Bai. However, these last few years of war has truly wore me down. I hear the stories you tell me of how Fire Nation soldiers come in and wipe out towns that are full of innocent people. And the worst part is that they have no good reason.

I've been very good and suppressing my feelings and have tried my best at doing so. But I couldn't stand any longer when I found out Bai was getting involved. That's not a path I want to see her go down, but I wasn't going to stop her.

But I couldn't just sit by any longer. So, I have returned back to the South Pole where I hope I can find the internal peace I'm searching for. Please understand I love you and Bai so much. And please tell her to never stop waterbending; it's how I feel connected with her, and how I hope she would feel connected with me.

Your loving wife,

Ming

Bai couldn't say anything. She didn't even feel nothing. The only thing she felt was the tears welling up in her small eyes. She wrapped her small arms around Yao's neck. He pulled his sweet close and held her in his large arms. Bai started sobbing into his neck and couldn't stop the tears from rolling.

"I know. I know." Yao softly spoke.

They didn't say anything for a long time; Yao and Bai just sat in silence, feeling a great amount of lost and sorrow.

And the worst part was, it could never be fixed.

≿━━━━༺❀༻━━━━≾

A/N: I know this chapter was shorter than normal. It’ll go back to being longer, but given how this one was written, it had to be cut a bit shorter.

I really hope you guys are enjoying this story so far! If you’d like to read more of it, it is also available on my Wattpad: matcha_kisses

I am also planning on making an ao3 account, and putting this there as well!

#atla #atla zuko #atla sokka #avatar aang #avatar the last airbender #prince zuko #zuko x oc #fanfic #katara #sokka #avatar katara #avatar zuko #netflix avatar

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istumpysk · 1 year

Text

Operation Stumpy Re-Read

ADWD: The Queen's Hand (Barristan IV) [Chapter 70]

Long ass chapter for no good reason.

The Dornish prince was three days dying.

He took his last shuddering breath in the bleak black dawn, as cold rain hissed from a dark sky to turn the brick streets of the old city into rivers. The rain had drowned the worst of the fires, but wisps of smoke still rose from the smoldering ruin that had been the pyramid of Hazkar, and the great black pyramid of Yherizan where Rhaegal had made his lair hulked in the gloom like a fat woman bedecked with glowing orange jewels.

Perhaps the gods are not deaf after all, Ser Barristan Selmy reflected as he watched those distant embers. If not for the rain, the fires might have consumed all of Meereen by now.

+.+.+

He saw no sign of dragons, but he had not expected to. The dragons did not like the rain.

We already know they hate the cold, and don't do well in the north, but not liking rain seems to be a new development. At least for me.

"I knew it would rain," he said in a gloomy tone. "My bones were aching last night. They always ache before it rains. The dragons won't like this. Fire and water don't mix, and that's a fact. You get a good cookfire lit, blazing away nice, then it starts to piss down rain and next thing your wood is sodden and your flames are dead."

Gerris chuckled. "Dragons are not made of wood, Arch."

"Some are. That old King Aegon, the randy one, he built wooden dragons to conquer us. That ended bad, though." - The Dragontamer, ADWD

+.+.+

Missandei sat at the bedside. She had been with the prince night and day, tending to such needs as he could express, giving him water and milk of the poppy when he was strong enough to drink, listening to the few tortured words he gasped out from time to time, reading to him when he fell quiet, sleeping in her chair beside him. Ser Barristan had asked some of the queen's cupbearers to help, but the sight of the burned man was too much for even the boldest of them. And the Blue Graces had never come, though he'd sent for them four times. Perhaps the last of them had been carried off by the pale mare by now.

It seems little Missandei can stomach some pretty gruesome things. Reminds me of another little girl in this story.

I'm going to pretend the Blue Graces aren't helping because they hate him.

+.+.+

The tiny Naathi scribe looked up at his approach. "Honored ser. The prince is beyond pain now. His Dornish gods have taken him home. See? He smiles."

Dornish gods?

+.+.+

How can you tell? He has no lips. It would have been kinder if the dragons had devoured him. That at least would have been quick. This … Fire is a hideous way to die. Small wonder half the hells are made of flame. "Cover him."

Says the Targaryen loyalist.

+.+.+

"I'll see that he's returned to Dorne." But how? As ashes? That would require more fire, and Ser Barristan could not stomach that. We'll need to strip the flesh from his bones. Beetles, not boiling.

Something tells me House Martell won't be enjoying this skull as much as the last one.

+.+.+

"You should go sleep now, child. In your own bed."

"If this one may be so bold, ser, you should do the same. You do not sleep the whole night through."

How does she know that?

+.+.+

Grand Maester Pycelle had once told him that old men do not need as much sleep as the young, but it was more than that. He had reached that age when he was loath to close his eyes, for fear that he might never open them again. Other men might wish to die in bed asleep, but that was no death for a knight of the Kingsguard.

If there is any justice in this world, Barristan Selmy falls down a flight of stairs. Make it old man shit.

+.+.+

After the girl was gone, the old knight peeled back the coverlet for one last look at Quentyn Martell's face, or what remained of it. So much of the prince's flesh had sloughed away that he could see the skull beneath. His eyes were pools of pus. He should have stayed in Dorne. He should have stayed a frog. Not all men are meant to dance with dragons.

Misleading. Remember everyone, the dance won't actually involve dragons, Daenerys or any other real Targaryen.

+.+.+

And with the sun arrived the Shavepate. Skahaz was clad in his familiar garb of pleated black skirt, greaves, and muscled breastplate. The brazen mask beneath his arm was new—a wolf's head with lolling tongue.

LMAO.

Two for three! If this guy is in a rat mask at the start of TWOW, I'm going to lose my mind.

Can someone do me a favour and ask a Targ if it's a good thing when the poisoner dresses like a wolf?

+.+.+

"They await the Hand's pleasure below."

I am no Hand, a part of him wanted to cry out. I am only a simple knight, the queen's protector. I never wanted this. But with the queen gone and the king in chains, someone had to rule, and Ser Barristan did not trust the Shavepate.

You realize you didn't have to do anything, you stupid jackass.

+.+.+

There are two hundred highborn gathered in the square, standing in the rain in their tokars and howling for audience. They want Hizdahr free and me dead, and they want you to slay these dragons. Someone told them knights were good at that.

Personally, my money's on cripples, bastards, and broken things. And Samwell.

+.+.+

Men are still pulling corpses from the pyramid of Hazkar. The Great Masters of Yherizan and Uhlez have abandoned their own pyramids to the dragons.

You find any lions under that pyramid?

+.+.+

"Nine-and-twenty?" That was far worse than he could ever have imagined. The Sons of the Harpy had resumed their shadow war two days ago. Three murders the first night, nine the second. But to go from nine to nine-and-twenty in a single night …

Sounds like the perfect time to go to war, Barry.

When she opened her eyes again, Daenerys said, "I cannot fight two enemies, one within and one without. If I am to hold Meereen, I must have the city behind me. The whole city. I need … I need …" - Daenerys V, ADWD

+.+.+

Why do you look so grey, old man? What did you expect? The Harpy wants Hizdahr free, so he has sent his sons back into the streets with knives in hand.

Both of these men thought Hizdahr was the Harpy.

+.+.+

The sign of the Harpy was left beside the bodies, chalked on the pavement or scratched into a wall. There were messages as well. 'Dragons must die,' they wrote, and 'Harghaz the Hero.' 'Death to Daenerys' was seen as well, before the rain washed out the words."

Damn, they forgot my favourite.

+.+.+

"Twenty-nine hundred pieces of gold from each pyramid, aye," Skahaz grumbled. "It will be collected … but the loss of a few coins will never stay the Harpy's hand. Only blood can do that."

"So you say." The hostages again. He would kill them every one if I allowed it. "I heard you the first hundred times. No."

He can deny him all he'd like, the blood is still on Barristan's hands if these kids die. He's the one who committed treason, and empowered this maniac.

+.+.+

Hizdahr's grotesque dragon thrones had been removed at Ser Barristan's command, but he had not brought back the simple pillowed bench the queen had favored. Instead a large round table had been set up in the center of the hall, with tall chairs all around it where men might sit and talk as peers.

The audacity of this man.

+.+.+

They rose when Ser Barristan came down the marble steps, Skahaz Shavepate at his side.

[...]

"Whitebeard." Belwas smiled. "Where is liver and onions? Strong Belwas is not so strong as before, he must eat, get big again. They made Strong Belwas sick. Someone must die."

Someone will. Many someones, like as not.

You can only laugh. I'm sure Skahaz is.

+.+.+

Should Drogon return to Meereen without Daenerys mounted on his back, the city would erupt in blood and flame, of that Ser Barristan had no doubt.

Wanna bet the same thing happens if she is mounted on his back?

+.+.+

Thus far both dragons seemed to have a taste for mutton, returning to Daznak's whenever they grew hungry. If either one was hunting man, inside or outside the city, Ser Barristan had yet to hear of it. The only Meereenese the dragons had slain since Harghaz the Hero had been the slavers foolish enough to object when Rhaegal attempted to make his lair atop the pyramid of Hazkar.

Uh, no actually, that's not accurate at all.

The dragon twisted violently in the air, wounds smoking, the girl clinging to his back. Then he loosed the fire.

It had taken the rest of the day and most of the night for the Brazen Beasts to gather up the corpses. The final count was two hundred fourteen slain, three times as many burned or wounded. Drogon was gone from the city by then, last seen high over the Skahazadhan, flying north. - The Queensguard, ADWD

Convenient to forget something like that. I bet Barristan is going to be forgetting a lot of things in the future.

+.+.+

"We have more pressing matters to discuss. I have sent the Green Grace to the Yunkishmen to make arrangements for the release of our hostages. I expect her back by midday with their answer."

Barristan Selmy sending the Harpy to go negotiate with Yunkai is the most Barristan Selmy thing he could have done.

+.+.+

Skahaz Shavepate slammed his fist upon the table. "The Green Grace will accomplish nothing. She may be conspiring with the Yunkai'i even as we sit here. Arrangements, did you say? Make arrangements? What sort of arrangements?"

"Ransom," said Ser Barristan. "Each man's weight in gold."

Of course the Shavepate would be the one to correctly suspect treachery.

+.+.+

"Their sellswords will want the gold, though. What are the hostages to them? If the Yunkishmen refuse, it will drive a blade between them and their hirelings." Or so I hope. It had been Missandei who suggested the ploy to him. He would never have thought of such a thing himself. In King's Landing, bribes had been Littlefinger's domain, whilst Lord Varys had the task of fostering division amongst the crown's enemies. His own duties had been more straightforward. Eleven years of age, yet Missandei is as clever as half the men at this table and wiser than all of them.

Hm, it's usually Arya. This is the first time Missandei has given off older sister vibes.

+.+.+

"They will refuse, even so," insisted Symon Stripeback. "They will say they want the dragons dead, the king restored."

"I pray that you are wrong." And fear that you are right.

Reasonable demand.

214 people dead.

+.+.+

"Your gods are far away, Ser Grandfather," said the Widower. "I do not think they hear your prayers. And when the Yunkai'i send back the old woman to spit in your eye, what then?"

"Fire and blood," said Barristan Selmy, softly, softly.

✨ foreshadowing ✨

+.+.+

Skahaz Shavepate stared through the eyes of his wolf's head mask and said, "You would break King Hizdahr's peace, old man?"

"I would shatter it." Once, long ago, a prince had named him Barristan the Bold. A part of that boy was in him still. "We have built a beacon atop the pyramid where once the Harpy stood. Dry wood soaked with oil, covered to keep the rain off. Should the hour come, and I pray that it does not, we will light that beacon. The flames will be your signal to pour out of our gates and attack. Every man of you will have a part to play, so every man must be in readiness at all times, day or night. We will destroy our foes or be destroyed ourselves." He raised a hand to signal to his waiting squires. "I have had some maps prepared to show the dispositions of our foes, their camps and siege lines and trebuchets. If we can break the slavers, their sellswords will abandon them. I know you will have concerns and questions. Voice them here. By the time we leave this table, all of us must be of a single mind, with a single purpose."

Horse shit, this is exactly what he's wanted from the beginning.

"You mean to take the field?" The Shavepate's voice was thick with disbelief. "That would be folly. Our walls are taller and thicker than the walls of Astapor, and our defenders are more valiant. The Yunkai'i will not take this city easily."

Ser Barristan disagreed. "I do not think we should allow them to invest us. Theirs is a patchwork host at best. These slavers are no soldiers. If we take them unawares …" - Daenerys V, ADWD

The queen sighed. "What do you counsel, ser?"

"Battle," said Ser Barristan. "Meereen is overcrowded and full of hungry mouths, and you have too many enemies within. We cannot long withstand a siege, I fear. Let me meet the foe as he comes north, on ground of my own choosing." - Daenerys V, ADWD

Ahem.

Ser Barristan is a valiant knight and true; but none, I think, has ever called him cunning."

"Knights know only one way to solve a problem. They couch their lances and charge. A dwarf has a different way of looking at the world. What of you, though? You are a clever man yourself." - Tyrion II, ADWD

I'm dying at the author giving the Daenerys side a beacon. I'm used to Stannis copying her.

+.+.+

And when all that had been discussed, debated, and decided, Symon Stripeback raised one final point. "As a slave in Yunkai I helped my master bargain with the free companies and saw to the payment of their wages. I know sellswords, and I know that the Yunkai'i cannot pay them near enough to face dragonflame. So I ask you … if the peace should fail and this battle should be joined, will the dragons come? Will they join the fight?"

They will come, Ser Barristan might have said. The noise will bring them, the shouts and screams, the scent of blood. That will draw them to the battlefield, just as the roar from Daznak's Pit drew Drogon to the scarlet sands. But when they come, will they know one side from the other? Somehow he did not think so.

A little friendly fire. No biggie.

I wonder which ally is getting smoked.

+.+.+

Ser Barristan took two of his new-made knights with him down into the dungeons.

Ego always wins in the end.

As he watched them at their drills, Ser Barristan pondered raising Tumco and Larraq to knighthood then and there, and mayhaps the Red Lamb too. It required a knight to make a knight, and if something should go awry tonight, dawn might find him dead or in a dungeon. Who would dub his squires then? On the other hand, a young knight's repute derived at least in part from the honor of the man who conferred knighthood on him. It would do his lads no good at all if it was known that they were given their spurs by a traitor, and might well land them in the dungeon next to him. They deserve better, Ser Barristan decided. Better a long life as a squire than a short one as a soiled knight. - The Kingbreaker, ADWD

+.+.+

Ser Gerris punched a wall. "I told him it was folly. I begged him to go home. Your bitch of a queen had no use for him, any man could see that. He crossed the world to offer her his love and fealty, and she laughed in his face."

"She never laughed," said Selmy. "If you knew her, you would know that."

"She spurned him. He offered her his heart, and she threw it back at him and went off to fuck her sellsword."

"You had best guard that tongue, ser." Ser Barristan did not like this Gerris Drinkwater, nor would he allow him to vilify Daenerys. "Prince Quentyn's death was his own doing, and yours."

This will be the man who tells Dorne what happened. I couldn't be happier.

She did laugh, and she did influence him.

+.+.+

Barristan Selmy could not dispute the truth of that. He had spent the best part of his own life obeying the commands of drunkards and madmen.

Sounds like another king I know.

Jon laughed, laughed like a drunk or a madman, and his men laughed with him. - Jon VIII, ASOS

+.+.+

To Ser Barristan the big knight said, "No need to come and talk if you meant to hang us. So it's not that, is it?"

"No." This one may not be as slow-witted as he seems.

You can't be serious.

This POV is unbearable, I can't believe I have one more to get through.

+.+.+

Ser Archibald grimaced. "Why is it always ships? Someone needs to take Quent home, though. What do you ask of us, ser?"

"Your swords."

"You have thousands of swords."

"The queen's freedmen are as yet unblooded. The sellswords I do not trust. Unsullied are brave soldiers … but not warriors. Not knights." He paused. "What happened when you tried to take the dragons? Tell me."

Even 11-year-old Sansa wasn't this deluded about knights.

+.+.+

The chains … there were bits of broken chain everywhere, big chains, links the size of your head mixed in with all these cracked and splintered bones. And Quent, Seven save him, he looked like he was going to shit his smallclothes. Caggo and Meris weren't blind, they saw it too. Then one of the crossbowmen let fly. Maybe they meant to kill the dragons all along and were only using us to get to them. You never know with Tatters.

What a weird thing to write.

+.+.+

"Ah, what did you expect, Drink? A cat will kill a mouse, a pig will wallow in shit, and a sellsword will run off when he's needed most. Can't be blamed. Just the nature of the beast."

Still holding out hope this isn't only about Brown Ben Plumm.

+.+.+

"What did Prince Quentyn promise the Tattered Prince in return for all this help?"

He got no answer. Ser Gerris looked at Ser Archibald. Ser Archibald looked at his hands, the floor, the door.

"Pentos," said Ser Barristan. "He promised him Pentos. Say it. No words of yours can help or harm Prince Quentyn now."

"Aye," said Ser Archibald unhappily. "It was Pentos. They made marks on a paper, the two of them."

There is a chance here.

If you thought Barristan Selmy sending the Harpy to Yunkai was the dumbest thing he would do in this chapter, I've got some news for you.

"Pentos?" Her eyes narrowed. "How can I give him Pentos? It is half a world away."

"He would be willing to wait, the woman Meris suggested. Until we march for Westeros."

And if I never march for Westeros? "Pentos belongs to the Pentoshi. And Magister Illyrio is in Pentos. He who arranged my marriage to Khal Drogo and gave me my dragon eggs. Who sent me you, and Belwas, and Groleo. I owe him much and more. I will not repay that debt by giving his city to some sellsword. No."

Ser Barristan inclined his head. "Your Grace is wise." - Daenerys IX, ADWD

+.+.+

"I mean to send them back to the Tattered Prince. And you with them. You will be two amongst thousands. Your presence in the Yunkish camps should pass unnoticed. I want you to deliver a message to the Tattered Prince. Tell him that I sent you, that I speak with the queen's voice. Tell him that we'll pay his price if he delivers us our hostages, unharmed and whole."

Yup that's right, Barristan Selmy promised to give Pentos to a sellsword. PENTOS.

There are no words.

+.+.+

"Why not? The task is simple enough." Compared to stealing dragons. "I once brought the queen's father out of Duskendale."

Past your prime, peaked in high school energy.

+.+.+

The simple part, at least, thought Barristan Selmy, as he made the long climb back to the summit of the pyramid. The hard part he'd left in Dornish hands. His grandfather would have been aghast. The Dornishmen were knights, at least in name, though only Yronwood impressed him as having the true steel. Drinkwater had a pretty face, a glib tongue, and a fine head of hair.

God, shut up.

He would have a thin blue line bumper sticker, I know it.

Edit: Necessary addition.

+.+.+

By the time the old knight returned to the queen's rooms atop the pyramid, Prince Quentyn's corpse had been removed. Six of the young cupbearers were playing some child's game as he entered, sitting in a circle on the floor as they took turns spinning a dagger.

Uhh, that doesn't feel like a good omen.

+.+.+

Far off to the east, beyond the city walls, he saw pale wings moving above a distant line of hills. Viserion. Hunting, mayhaps, or flying just to fly. He wondered where Rhaegal was. Thus far the green dragon had shown himself to be more dangerous than the white.

He sure is!

+.+.+

The Dornishmen, Hizdahr, Reznak, the attack … was he doing the right things? Was he doing what Daenerys would have wanted? I was not made for this.

NO YOU CLOWN.

I want no war with Yunkai. How many times must I say it? - Daenerys VI, ADWD

+.+.+

Galazza Galare was attended by four Pink Graces. An aura of wisdom and dignity seemed to surround her that Ser Barristan could not help but admire. This is a strong woman, and she has been a faithful friend to Daenerys.

That's all the Harpy confirmation I need.

It's not clear what Pink Graces do. I am reminded of House of Pahl.

+.+.+

"I am pleased to hear that. The Wise Masters of Yunkai asked after him. You will not be surprised to hear that they wish the noble Hizdahr to be restored at once to his rightful place."

"He shall be, if it can be proved that he did not try to kill our queen. Until such time, Meereen will be ruled by a council of the loyal and just. There is a place for you on that council. I know that you have much to teach us all, Your Benevolence. We need your wisdom."

"I fear you flatter me with empty courtesies, Lord Hand," the Green Grace said. "If you truly think me wise, heed me now. Release the noble Hizdahr and restore him to his throne."

"Only the queen can do that."

But you can arrest the king, start a war with Yunkai, and give away Pentos?

+.+.+

The pyramid of Hazkar has collapsed into a smoking ruin, and many of that ancient line lie dead beneath its blackened stones.

How about twins? Any set of twins under that pyramid?

+.+.+

"And murder. The Sons of the Harpy slew thirty in the night."

"I grieve to hear this. All the more reason to free the noble Hizdahr zo Loraq, who stopped such killings once."

And how did he accomplish that, unless he is himself the Harpy?

+.+.+

"Her Grace gave her hand to Hizdahr zo Loraq, made him her king and consort, restored the mortal art as he beseeched her. In return he gave her poisoned locusts."

"In return he gave her peace. Do not cast it away, ser, I beg you. Peace is the pearl beyond price. Hizdahr is of Loraq. Never would he soil his hands with poison. He is innocent."

"How can you be certain?" Unless you know the poisoner.

If he would take one fucking second to listen to the words pouring out of his dumb idiotic mouth, he might realize there's no motive here.

+.+.+

"They did. No amount of gold will buy your people back, I was told. Only the blood of dragons may set them free again."

It was the answer Ser Barristan had expected, if not the one that he had hoped for. His mouth tightened.

Should the hour come, and I pray that it does not, we will light that beacon.

+.+.+

"I know these were not the words you wished to hear," said Galazza Galare. "Yet for myself, I understand. These dragons are fell beasts. Yunkai fears them … and with good cause, you cannot deny. Our histories speak of the dragonlords of dread Valyria and the devastation that they wrought upon the peoples of Old Ghis. Even your own young queen, fair Daenerys who called herself the Mother of Dragons … we saw her burning, that day in the pit … even she was not safe from the dragon's wroth."

"Dragons," Aemon whispered. "The grief and glory of my House, they were." - Samwell III, AFFC

+.+.+

Ser Barristan was on his feet at once. "What is it?"

"The trebuchets," the Shavepate growled. "All six."

Galazza Galare rose. "Thus does Yunkai make reply to your offers, ser. I warned you that you would not like their answer."

They choose war, then. So be it. Ser Barristan felt oddly relieved. War he understood. "If they think they will break Meereen by throwing stones—"

"Not stones." The old woman's voice was full of grief, of fear. "Corpses."

Yeah no shit, I would also feel relief if I manipulated the system for a specific outcome, then got exactly what I wanted.

I wish him well. Barristan Selmy is not allowed to die in Meereen with a sword in his hand.

Final thoughts:

Live look at me trying to get through the last three chapters.

-> return to menu <-

#operation stumpy re-read #adwd #the queen's hand #barristan iv

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glame · 2 years

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A/N : i litereally dont know why did i do this but here i am. besides my first ff on Tumblr. wish yall a good day/night. love you. :333

TW : ANGST, cursing, cheating, yelling, mentions of alcohol.

A/N : i made you a supermodel. cause all the girls born model. and the italics are the past. i thinks thats all.

''what, am i seeing right? is this Y/N, the beautiful?'' Druski asked as he saw you. you were in a club. LA's most expensive and most classy one. your friends dragged you here after three weeks of depression. you broke up with your boyfriend. well, internets boyfriend. and you were in Milan Fashion Show for the last week before than that you were in Paris. you even couldnt have a depression. and your friends begged you to come out, you couldnt stand them. so here you are.

you were perfect. your perfect red dress, your perfect make up, your perfect hair and your perfect nails. everything was perfect, so this night has to be too. but of course it cant be perfect cause you wasted all the perfect things on yourself so this night has to be a little bit of spicy.

''your eyes arent liars. how have you been?'' you smiled him. ''ive been good, girl. ask yourself. youre the real star!'' he yelled.

you laughed. ''same old. i was in Milan. i just turned.''

''im sure you killed it girl. oh, Jack didnt tell me youre coming. is this a surprise?'' Druski said with happiness. and you just stared him with empty eyes. your smile froze on your face. ''uhm… no. i dont think he knows im here. he dont have to.''

''what? what happened? you good?'' obviously he doesnt know you broke up. of course he doesnt. you didnt do anything. and all the magazine news were too attached to the fashion shows you walked. so it wasnt hard to hide anything. well, there is nothing to hide. you broke up. now all the rumours would be cleared if anyone heard about you two. yeah, he cheated on. thousands of times.

''yeah. im good-'' as you were trying to speak a voice interrups you. very familiar voice.

''bro ,whats taking so long? we got honey Henness- Y/N..?''

''fuck.'' you mumbled.

''what the hell is going on? what did i miss?'' Druski turned Jack.

''shit.'' Jack mumbled this time.

''why are you keep cursing man? tell me what the fuck happened?'' Druski was impatient.

''let me tell you. for some people, cheating on and left your lover behind your back dont mean anything. you can yell them, you can defend yourself, you can defend your random bitches to your lover. even you can play this fucking game with your friends and co-workers. you can be a piece of shit just because your girlfriend found out what the hell were you doing. you can continue cheat on her when she was defending you. cause youre an alpha male. you can do whatever you want. you can tell them lies and lies. and they fucking believe you cause they are blind shits. then when youre fighting you can yell them, you can brake the stuff even you can leave them. whatever. sorry for bothering. have fun, good night.'' you left the corner.

Druski was surprised as fuck. ''man… what the fuck?''

''i fucked up… i really fucked up.'' Jack said as he sat the couch.

''fucking obvious!'' Druski raised her heas from pouring the whiskey to the glasses.

''i… she caught me. she learned all girls, all lies, everything. everything i was hiding from her. she came to the studio. started screaming and i felt regretful. you know, i really felt that shit. but i got angry. she was leaving and i got so fucking angry. i started to yelling her. throwing the stuff. yelled more and more. she was about round two of her crying. and i wanted to make her feel baad for the thought of leaving me. when she started crying again i felt like i achieve something and left her there. im so fucking regreting what i had done. but she doesnt accept anything…'' Jack seems like he was in deep.

''are they worth it?'' you screamed. all you wanted to do is screaming right now.

''what? of course not.'' Jack said with a low tone.

''then why did you do it?'' you screamed more. and tears showed up on your eyes. ''why the fuck did you do it? why Jack? dont tell me cause youre a dumb as fuck just tell me the real reason? i gave you all i had! fuck.'' you were almost crying and you didnt care cause he didnt care about you, why would you care about him?

''i dont know…'' he mumbled. ''i dont know Y/N. im so fucking sorry. i dont know why did i do this shit. i wish i didnt do that.'' regretful was all he had on his face.

''youre sorry? oh, thank you for being sorry and being regretful. thats what i fucking want. and thank you for your wish. cause it made everything fine! you know what? i cant do this anymore. you are cheating on me for months! different girls, different cities, different hotels. and i just got learned. youre cheating on me like you havent got a relationship, like i dont exist. like you are single. well, congrutulations Jack. you are single now. do whatever the fuck you want.''

you were trying to find your bag. tears were still on your eyes but they are on your cheeks now too. as you were trying to leaving, Jack saw the seriousness in you and tried to make you stay there. the anxiety was all over his body. losing you was something he never expected.

''what? Y/N no. please. please, stay. dont leave. i cant do this without you.'' you can see the anxiety on him. but he was being selfish when he was getting his dick wet with some random bitches, then why wouldnt you be selfish? what will you loose? nothing. you didnt earn anything already. you cant loose shit when you dont have it. time for being selfish.

''no, Jack. you did it without me. my turn for doing things without you. do whatever your dick wants to do. i dont care.'' you finally found your bag. ''well, thanks for preparing me for the week im gonna spend in Milan. i needed that. and thank you for the heartbreak. it seems like i needed that shit too.''

but that just made Jack angry. you learned something you shouldnt learn plus seeing you leaving was the last thing he wanna see. he never had the thought of your leaving. and he wont let it happen.

''why you act like youre the fucking victim Y/N? its clearly you werent enough for me so i cheated on you. i am right in here. you werent funny, you werent lovely, you werent give me what i want. i am fucking right for cheating on you.'' he started yelling. he cant think right now. and all he wants being the one who left you behind.

''what the fuck are you talking about? i gave you all i fucking had!'' you yelled. tears were on your eyes again.

''nah, you didnt. so i cheated on. i slept with three, four, five girls when i was on tour. i cheated on you when you were walking in Paris, Milan, NYC… everywhere. cause this is who i am! you deserved that.'' he yelled. the truth came from his mouth hit you so hard. ''yeah. you know all the truth now. im saying you. you defended me when i was fucking girls in Vegas. you told them 'no, Jack would never.'.'' he smirked. ''nah baby, Jack would. Jack did.''

you were crying, again. the mics were on the floor. he throwed them when he was yelling.

''you know what, i dont and wont regret the things i had done. and after this day i still wont regret on them. i was right. and thank you everyone who plays with me. they hide everything. really i appreciate them. i told you im sorry but no. im not sorry. im fucking great. and im going to fuck some bitches. but its not funny anymore. hiding something was fun. and i wanna thank you. because of you i shot my shot. because of you i am who i am. you cant leave me. but i can leave you. i dont need you. wish you a great week in Milan. i hope you can do it.'' and he left.

''have you ever tried to reach her?''

''millions. Neelam, Metta, Urban, Clay even Nas… she just talked with Nas. and said 'i dont wanna do anything right now. if i do, i can hurt someone and its the last thing i want to do. thank you.' i cant believe her. he is a literal angel. and im a fucking dumb…'' he said and sipped on his whiskey.

''man… weve talked about that. you cant change the things youve done. you can try for better. just show her youre trying for being a better man.'' Druski was speechles actually but he has to encourage his friend.

''should i go?'' Jack asked. he wasnt sure. ''yeah, you dumbass. go.'' Druski cheered him up.

meanwhile you came home. you promised yourself not to cry. but you failed. you started crying. you poured yourself a wine. you got it from Louisville. with Jack. you laughed yourself. you idiot…

you drank one, two, three glasses. you heard the doorbell. you didnt wanna open the damn door. but something made you open it. but you wish you didnt.

you tried to close the door but you were drunk and Jack is clearly stronger than you. so…

''please, Y/N. let me talk to you.'' he was begging.

''you said what you gotta say weeks ago.'' you were looking at him directly.

''no. they were all wrong. i… i dont know what to do. i cant do anything.''

''its not my bussines Jack. i cant do anything either. but you can continue fucking bitches and spend your nights at clubs. its who you are.'' at this point your words like a venom for him.

''no. please. take me in. please lets talk. i love you. i miss you. im waiting for you. please.'' his voice was fragile.

''no, there is nothing to talk. remember you dont need me.'' your face was numb.

''i need you. imma be a better man, i promise. please accept me. i dont wanna loose you. im so fucking regretful Y/N.'' you can see the tears.

''no, you were right cheating on me. leave me. you did it once, you can do it one more time.'' you said when you felt the tears.

''thats it? are we… over?'' he raised his head.

''we are over Jack. wish you a great week in Louisville. i hope you can do it.'' you closed the door. and started crying when you sit under the door on the other hand Jack sit under the door and started crying.

he didnt wanna loose you. but he did.

Jack Harlow officially lost you.

thats a tough one.

#jack harlow #jackman thomas harlow #jack harlow imagines #jack harlow angst #jack harlow one shot #jackman harlow #jack harlow smut #jack harlow x y/n #jack harlow x reader #jack harlow concepts

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oflofticries · 12 days

Text

( martin sensmeier , cis man , he/him ) — one day the sea will sing of KOVA WILDER, the thirty-six year old farmer from the town of cynefin. there will be verses about sarcastic quips made in a low tone, barely noticeable; dodging conversations one does not wish to have in the moment; nights spent gasping awake and mornings revealing your weary, shadowed eyes; missing those you should not be wanting or needing; hands stained and fingernails packed with the dirt of the earth, the same dirt you were raised upon in the hums of their hymn, about a person who is trained in the magic of khemia. the land will know them as someone hard-working and steadfast, but perhaps, you’ll hear the old crones hiss that they are cynical and aloof. only the shadows of the ocean floor will bear witness to the truth. ╱ eliza, 33, she/her, cst.

i. basics FULL NAME: kova kaskae wilder. NICKNAMES: ko. AGE / D.O.B.: thirty-six / august 29th. GENDER / PRONOUNS: cis man / he & him. ORIENTATIONS: bisexual biromantic. MARITAL STATUS: separated. OCCUPATION: farmer. HOMETOWN: cynefin, clwyd-isle. RESIDENCE: the farm that has belonged to his father's side of the family for precisely five generations.

ii. physical EYE COLOR: brown. HAIR COLOR: black. HEIGHT: 6 ft even. DISTINGUISHING FEATURES: cropped hair, occasionally rocks a five o' clock shadow or a fuller beard depending on how he's feeling. strong jawline, sturdily built figure, eyes that cut at you in annoyance if you're being an asshole. you don't want to be on that side of this expression, trust me. FASHION STYLE: farmer chic. a lot of the clothing you would expect to see a working man don. white cotton shirts and simple pairs of slacks paired with boots, and the occasional pair of overalls if he's feeling particularly daring. kova has exactly one (1) nice outfit that he saves for special occasions but there haven't particularly been any as of late.

iii. psychological POSITIVE TRAITS: disciplined, resourceful, observant, decisive, appreciative. NEGATIVE TRAITS: impatient, reserved, quiet, sarcastic, hard-headed. ZODIAC: virgo. MBTI TYPE: istj. TEMPERAMENT: melancholic. EDUCATION: he studied at verum for a time before ultimately returning back to the family and his farm. SKILLS: planting, harvesting, wrangling animals - abilities you would find a farmer with. however, he's adept with his khemia, despite not receiving the full education from verum. besides that, he's good with sewing, enjoys horseback riding and fishing. he plays the violin shockingly well for a farm boy, probably thanks to his mother's attempts at bringing her socialite ways to the town. MAGIC: decomposition khemia.

iv. familial MOTHER: ahnah wilder (deceased.) FATHER: albert wilder (deceased.) SIBLINGS: none. CHILDREN: yura wilder, daughter. SIGNIFICANT OTHER: catherine wilder, wife (separated - he has no idea of her current location.)

v. summary tw: cheating, death a man who never feels as much as home as he does in the fields of the farm where he was born and raised, despite it having an array of difficult memories. he was never close with either one of his parents, more so the animals he took care of and the crops he tended to. they were older, weary, not in a place of having a child. but there he was, anyway. the wilder name became well known in the town for a number of reasons, not all of them good - particularly when his mother was caught with another man. and then another. and then a third. the blowups in the wilder family home weren't as intense as they should have been. instead, it seemed that kova was the only one truly upset about the happenings, while his father remained silent on the matter. his khemia sparked and it offered him a chance to study, get away from the pain of his dysfunctional family. of course, verum wasn't exactly what he pictured and he didn't enjoy it as much as he desperately wanted to. in the end, he went back home after only three years of study despite the potential to leave everything he knew for good. the reason? his mother falling ill, needing a caretaker while his father worked the fields, or vice versa. they shared the duties up until her death. he never did ask his father why he put up with the cheating and the lies. no, kova would learn for himself after he settled down with a lady, got hitched and brought her to the place he was so very proud of, that he fixed up himself over the years when his father became too old to do much. of course, it wouldn't happen until they had another person in the mix, a little girl with big, bright eyes and dark, shiny hair. his heart hurt for her more than his own when catherine became fed up with the life and the struggling, first dumping the truth on him of her affair and then leaving for parts unknown. like father, like son. isn't that the way it goes? vi. headcanons i. he doesn't believe he's a good father or can give his daughter really anything that she needs, mostly because he has no idea how to raise a little girl on his own. ii. he finds it hard to really get close to anyone, mostly because of the rumors that went around town and the whispers that followed thanks to his mother's actions. kova himself wasn't exactly talkative before this, taking after his father mostly, with a fairly large portion of his mother's... sass coming out in his own sarcasm. iii. he's fallen in love exactly once and it was not with his wife, though he hoped their union would bring some sort of deeper love between them instead of just filling the loneliness the both of them had without each other. they cared for each other, trusted each other. but it wasn't the once in a lifetime love that he'd overheard women talk about. funny that she'd end up leaving him, right? iv. he loves his khemia. absolutely adores it. part of him hopes that his daughter's magic will spark up, though he's scared for when it does because it means she'll leave him, though she won't be going very far at least. v. once he makes a decision, it's nearly impossible to change his mind. others have tried and failed. good luck if you wish to change that streak. vii. wanted connections family members of his wife who either hate him or know he's doing his Best - or extended connections of his own family / verum folks who studied when he did that he keeps in loose contact with / people he's known his whole life in cynefin, even if they aren't friends / folks who work on the farm when he needs the extra hands / anything!!!

#verum:intro #tumblr is actually the worst bc til that there's a word limit :))))#i'm v excited though!!!#will tag drop later #cheating cw #death cw

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raccoonfallsharder · 4 months

Text

Window Across the Galaxy ✧*:･ﾟupdated 12/30

18+ only | rocket x f!oc | 23/27 chapters | wip| word count: pending. ♡ check the masterlist for expected updates ♡ ♡ see the "holiday special" ⋆꙳•̩̩͙❅*̩̩͙‧͙ Winter Across the Galaxy * ‧͙*̩̩͙❆ ͙͛ ˚₊⋆ [new 12/5] ♡

girl falls first; racoon falls harder.

Jolie might have been worried about the next night. Rocket has a habit of withdrawing, after all. Especially when he’s just been… Well. Vulnerable. Withdrawing is usually a best case scenario, in fact. Last time he’d gotten half that close to her — bet you taste sweet everywhere — he’d followed it up by nearly nuking everything within his reach, including whatever…whatever they’d had. Have, now. So it shouldn’t be surprising that Jolie’s still anxious. Combine that with her own personal archive of insecurities, and she’s honestly surprised she’s not in the throes of a panic attack. But something else must have changed since Ego, or since the Eclector — something besides just the time she’d spent laying naked with Rocket for hours, showering with him, talking with him. She doesn’t know what it is, but throughout the day, Jolie catches him watching her from the corner of his eye. He looks at turns confused, or calculating, or incredulous. Bewildered. Wonderstruck. Hungry. Smug.

[NEW 12/30] ✧･ﾟ:*Chapter XXIII. We're Gonna Need a Bigger Table. in which the galaxy just keeps spinning. ❤︎

setting us up for a big time-jump. my hope is that we continue to have a few small, lovely little things to help us wrap things together as we head into the end. ~♡

explicit lines or references* abbreviated explicit sequences ❤︎ detailed/prolonged explicit sequences ❤︎❤︎

General summary/notes + links to recently preceding chapters behind the cut.

let me know via comment, message, or ask if you'd like to be added or removed from my fanfic taglist ♡

Rocket is captured by a Ravager crew hoping to get rich off the excessively large bounty on his head. Throwing a wrench in everyone’s plans is the Terran girl they hired to do some freelance assessing on a recent haul of goods they’ve seized from a Xandaran luxury liner. Oops.

slight AU starting pre-GOTG volume 1 (but will hit most of the same major plot points). slow burn + eventual smut with a lot of pining in the middle. kinda enemies-to-lovers? (but only one of these idiots thinks they're enemies).

let me be real with you: this fic is really about wish-fulfillment. not just the eventual smut (but that too). mostly i just want someone to be nice to my best boy raccoon

*･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ:*✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ*

Chapter I. A Delicacy. in which our reluctant heroes meet atop a crate of Sovereign porn in the bowels of a Ravager ship.

Chapter II. Monster For A Pet. in which one hero wrestles with his inner Groot, and the other is quite possibly a moron.

Chapter III. A Kindness. in which Rocket gets in his own damn way: not for the first time, and certainly not for the last.

Chapter IV. Got There First. in which our heroes obtain an arsenal and street food.

Chapter V. Things No-One Has Said Before. in which one hero refuses to babysit and the other refuses to leave.

Chapter VI. Two and a Half Billion Units.in which we lean into the “they were roommates” trope. Jolie has misgivings, while Rocket has fantasies - about getting rich, of course.

Chapter VII. I'm Here. in which we visit Knowhere.

Chapter VIII. The Care & Feeding of Human Pets. in which our heroes practice breathing and we lean into a new trope: “there was (technically) one bed.”

Chapter IX. Scrapmetal and a Dream. in which we redefine homemaking.

Chapter X. Thin Fucking Ice. in which our heroes get fucked. Not in the good way.

Chapter XI. Let It Be. in which Xandar is saved and good lives are lost.

Chapter XII. So Much It Hurts. in which we try not to fuck up the vibes.

Chapter XIII. Don’t Wait. in which a lost sister is found and Drax grapples with the concept of sarcasm.

Chapter XIV. Exactly Like a Flower. in which comfort is shared.

Chapter XV: Galaxy-Breaking Shit. in which more comfort is shared, and life is good. Briefly.

Chapter XVI. Run. in which Rocket falls victim to his superstitions.

Chapter XVII. A Seedling. A Fox. A Little Girl. in which the party is divided.

Chapter XVIII. I Happen to Know a Guy. in which our heroes get fucked. Again. Still not in the good way.

Chapter XIX. He Was Loved. in which a planet is killed, a friend is made and lost, and nobody still has any frickin’ tape.

Chapter XX. Some Nerve. *in which an ultimatum is given.

Chapter XXI. I Very Still. ❤︎❤︎ in which our heroes get fucked. In the good way, this time. Finally.

Chapter XXII. Got There Worse. ❤︎❤︎ in which Rocket does not say "I love you."

Chapter XXIII. We're Gonna Need a Bigger Table. ❤︎ in which the galaxy continues to spin.

Chapter XXIV. Space Would Be Better. ❤︎

Chapter XXV. Little Love Stories. *

Chapter XXVI. Other Side of the Window. ❤︎

Chapter XXV. The Most Beautiful Thing in My House. ❤︎❤︎

⋆꙳•̩̩͙❅*̩̩͙‧͙ Winter Across the Galaxy * ‧͙*̩̩͙❆ ͙͛ ˚₊⋆ A Holiday Special *

Epilogue: Interviewing Rocket & Jo. ten years after Window ends. short/drabbly, silly fluff.

explicit lines or references* abbreviated explicit sequences ❤︎ detailed/prolonged explicit sequences ❤︎❤︎

taglist ♡ @evolvingchaoswitch ♡ @wren-phoenix ♡ @pretty-chips ♡ @suicidalshitstick ♡ @glow-autumz

#window across the galaxy #fanfiction preview #longform fic #rocket raccoon fanfiction #gotg fanfiction #rocket raccoon #guardians of the galaxy #rfh fanfic #rocket raccoon x oc #rocket x jolie #enemies to lovers #enemies to friends to lovers #gotg rocket #rocketraccoon #rocket gotg #guardians of the galaxy fanfiction #gotg fanfic #rocket raccoon fanfic

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rott3nc0re · 2 years

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The Artist & The Freak

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iii. Hideout

warnings: swearing & mentions of sexual thoughts

A/N: he’s so pretty in this gif i can’t stop staring at him

other chapters: i | ii | iii | iv | v | vi | vii | viii | ix | x

\ /\/\ /\/\ /\/\ /\/\ /\/\ /\/\ /\//\/\ /\/\ /\/\ /\/\ /\/\ /\/\

It felt nice for her to finally get proper rest after a long night. She was still cooped up in Eddie’s arms, constantly snuggling into his chest throughout the night. But this morning she woke up without him beside her, slightly panicking. She got up and quickly went downstairs. “Eddie?” she called out but no answer.

Her mind spiraled into many bad thoughts. She checked outside to see if there was another car parked outside the house which there wasn’t. She sighed as a relief but continued about her worrying for Eddie. There was one place she hasn’t checked and she knew he had to be there.

She walked up to the boathouse, praying that he’d be here. She opened the door and popped her head inside, only to find a scared Eddie with a the same broken beer bottle from last night. “It’s just me, Eddie” she put her hands up in defense. “Jesus Christ Sinclair, could’ve killed you” she giggled at that and walked closer to him. “I was looking for you” she said as he placed the makeshift weapon down and leaned against the window. “Couldn’t sleep, but having you in my arms felt super nice” she blushed and looked down at her shoes. “Felt nice to have someone to sleep next to” he grinned at that, looking at her shy state. “Yeah? Is that so?” he said while moving closer to her, their bodies were really close to each other’s. The door opened, revealing her friends and scaring them both. Cleo and Eddie saw them hold up groceries with smiles and Dustin holding in his laughter.

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Eddie’s mind went into many different thoughts while the group explained what’s been happening in Hawkins for the last three years. Demogorgons, The Mind Flyer, a girl with superpowers but she lost them? It was all too much but kinda intriguing to him. But that explains the Starcourt story Cleo mentioned. He was stress eating cereal out of a box and drinking beer as he was trying to understand what exactly is going on. “So, is Vecna from the Upside Down then?” Eddie asked, looking at everyone around the room. “Yeah I believe so” Dustin said, Eddie sighed as he took another swig of his beer. As Robin, Dustin and Max talked and explained what’s happening to Eddie, Steve pulled his friend outside of the boathouse.

“Before you ask, i’m okay Steve” Cleo gave a reassuring smile to him.

“I know you are it’s just-“

“Just what?”

“It’s just that I thought we handled this and everything was good, especially when Billy sacrificed himself”

She looked down and nodded as her arms were crossed. “Yeah, I thought so too but, this is something much bigger than us. God I wish El was here if her powers are back”

“Me too, but we’re gonna have to fight this thing ourselves” she was honestly scared, going against something they’re not really prepared for or don’t even know what it is. She just nodded, not anything physical to say.

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The group left, leaving Cleo and Eddie alone again. They were inside the house, Eddie smoking near a window as Cleo ate some fruits from the groceries they got. She was also sketching, thanks to Robin who got her sketchbook. “So,” her head looked up at the metalhead. “What did Harrington say to you before?” he crushed his cigarette into the ashtray and walked over to where she was. “Just how we thought this was done. After everything that happened last year, we thought it was done” he sat down across from her at the dinner table, snatching a grape from the bowl. “So I guess everything hasn’t been the same since ‘83 huh?” his tone was playful, trying to make light of the situation. “I guess, yeah” she answered back as she went back to sketching. He peered over, smirking. “Whatcha drawing?” she looked up at him, giving him a little smile. “Just finishing this funny sketch of Steve” she made him look funny, with his face being kind of distorted, his head being bigger than his body. He came around the table and peered over her shoulder to get a better look. He chuckled, causing her to giggle.

“You should do one of me”

Her heart sunk, almost forgetting that she made a sketch of him.

“…Unless you already have��

His tone was playful and teasing. He realized she wasn’t saying anything, making him more curious. He went back over to sit across from her and looked directly at her. “I won’t make fun of it, I swear” she felt a little embarrassed, drawing her small crush before they had their “date”.

“You swear on everything?”

“I swear on everything, Cleo”

Her name coming from his mouth felt so nice to hear. She blushed a little as he did and started turning two pages to her sketch of the metalhead. She passed it to him and his eyes went wide. “Holy shit Sinclair, you really did this?” he admired and stared at the drawing. She giggled, “yeah, I just finished it Friday at lunch”. “It’s so realistic, you’re really talented” she nervously laughed, not really knowing how to take that information. “Thanks, I’m really glad you like it” she smiled. “How long did it take you?” he was actually invested in this and that was making her fall harder for him. “Well I needed a good look at you, so when we had math I just sketched a very rough draft of you” she felt a little bit embarrassed by admitting that she was starting at him in class. “Ah, so that’s why you were staring at me?” he teased. She didn’t know what to say, causing him to lightly chuckle. “It’s okay, at least you made me look really good though” she threw a grape at him, causing him to laugh.

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The sun was setting down and Cleo decided to make dinner for the two of them. She wasn’t the most amazing cook but her friends and family loved her food whenever you cooked for them. She was hoping that Eddie would like it. Heavy footsteps were coming down the stairs, signaling that the freak was coming downstairs. “Ah so the artist can also cook?” he teased as he entered the kitchen, getting her to giggle. He came up behind her, looking to see what she was stirring. “The artist has many hidden talents” she turned to look back at him, causing him to smile. He sat on the counter, watching her cook.

“You know how to cook, Munson?”

“Nah, almost burnt my trailer down trying to cook boxed mac and cheese”

She laughed at that and he did too. “Well come here, wanna show you how to make spaghetti” and he listened, coming up behind her. But closer than before, her breath hitched a little. “Just put your hand on my hand that’s stirring” he did and that gave her chills. “We don’t want the noodles to get too soft, it’ll be really soggy” she explained but he wasn’t really paying attention, he just wanted to kiss her. “What if I liked it soggy?” that caused her to snort a laugh. “Who eats soggy spaghetti, Eddie?” she turned to look at him. “I do” he was a little bit serious about it. “Okay, we’ll make it soft but not to where it’s too soft and soggy” he nodded at that and continued stirring the pot with her. He moved closer to her, her breath hitched again as she felt him press against her. “So is it just plain spaghetti we’re eating?” his free hand land on her waist and her heart was beating faster. “N-No, there’s some tomato sauce I found” she started stuttering, he knew what he was doing to her and he liked it. “It’s d-done” she was still stuttering as she moved to the sink to pour out the water. “You mind getting some plates out?” she asked without looking his way. “Of course, sweetheart” he had a toothy grin as he went over by the cabinet to get plates.

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She couldn’t stop thinking about earlier, how close he was behind her. And his hand on her hip, the thought made her shiver. Cleo was nice enough to wash the dishes for the two of them as Eddie went to go smoke. He was outside this time, sitting in the backyard and watching the water. After she dried the dishes, she decided to join him outside. “Hey” she called out, startling him again. “Fuck, Sinclair. You can’t sneak up on people like that” she softly giggled as she sat next to him.

“You’re gonna be the death of me you know that?”

“You’re such a scaredy-cat”

He scoffed at that and took another drag of his cigarette. “I’m just being cautious, i’m still wanted for Chrissy’s murder remember?” she frowned at that, thinking she did or said something wrong. “Right, I’m sorry” she said as was standing up, getting ready to leave. “Hey, wait” he said, standing up. He crushed his cigarette into the sand and walked in front of her.

“Look, I didn’t mean to snap at you like that it’s just…”

“It’s just what?”

“I don’t know just over dinner I was just thinking about if we get caught, especially by Jason and his friends because of what happened to Chrissy”

She took a step closer to him, gliding her hand into his. “They’re too dumb to figure out our hideout” he softly chuckled at that, getting her to smile. “But if they do come, I got your back and telling the others” he smiled down at her.

“Our hideout huh?”

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taglist: @serpenttines @trvlllx @munsonmyloml @ayoitsmickey @playgurlxoxo @rindousworld

#eddie munson x black!reader #eddie munson #stranger things 4 #stranger things

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