#but still. the others i had a doubt about were still on thin ice this weekend.

[trafltr]

SHE’S MY COLLAR. eren jaeger

── eren knows you, he can deal with you; but sometimes, your obsessions can be too much, even for him.

content contains : nerdy!eren x dumb!gf so real, reader is needy and obsessed with eren, nsfw, unprotected sex, riding, dumbification, ‘just the tip’ moment, size kink kinda, slight cervix kissing, dick drunk reader & pussydrunk eren, creampie. wc: 2.2k. minors do not interact thanks <3

god, you’re annoying sometimes.

unfortunately, you can never seem to realize that your boyfriend is a busy person—or anyone, really, for that matter. it’s like you believe everyone is just as carefree as you; leaving things up to the ‘fate of the universe’ and ditching responsibilities to constantly hang out with eren, essentially leaving him to deal with your eccentricity and fixations.

and it comes as no surprise to learn that he just happens to be the latest one.

it’s different from your other ones—they were much easier. because he could simply just take you to the nearest parlour and buy you scoops and tubs of your favourite ice cream, or spend his latest internship check on your wardrobe and be done with it for a favourable amount of time. but with this? you’ve been as insatiable as they come.

eren can count on two hands how many times you’ve begged him, with tears clumping your dark lashes and patchy mascara, to get away from assignments, studying, classes—even work—just to come see you in the past week. and of course, they all ended the same way; with swollen lips, limbs sore from how you held your legs to your torso as he rutted his hips into the fat of your ass, your messy cunt full of his cum, and both his face and sheets stained with your juices. he doesn’t doubt he’s been shooting blanks for the last few times, too.

but still, the worst part about it all is the fact that he just can’t bring himself to say no to you—despite all of his damned efforts to do so.

“‘ren, you should pay attention to your girlfriend.” you groan, neck curling backwards as you crane your head up to look at him. you’re planted near his left leg as he works away at the desk in his bedroom, completely ignoring your words while pages of code reflect on his glasses. “i don’t wanna sit down here anymore.”

‘i’ve been paying attention to you all week’, he wants to say—but would rather opt for the regular ‘im busy’ rather than anything else that could potentially hurt your feelings. and eren knows you’re immune to it, how if you had a dollar for every time those words left his mouth, you’d be fucking millionaire most likely—but he does it anyways.

it’s laughable, how you offered to sit there yourself as opposed to his lap because he said you would distract him if you did. yet here you were still doing the same thing; looking up at him with that subtle pout and eyes full of adoration of some sort—the kind that has his dick swelling at an embarrassingly quick rate.

“can you take a break? i miss you s’much it hurts.”

eren recognizes the drag in your voice in almost a second. as if uttering a silent prayer, he keeps his breath in the tunnel of his throat when you lazily hug him, hardened nipples brushing against his bare leg through the thin fabric of your tank top. he knows he’s taking you for granted. shit...just how many guys would pay money for this sight; the prettiest girl he’s ever laid eyes on asking him for attention. in all honesty, you’re not the best influence, but it’s gruelling trying not to give in to you.

“fine.” the four letter word is all you need as an invitation to jump from the seat near his chair and into his legs, which widen just a teeny bit for your comfort as you straddle him.

the feeling of your arms wrapped around Eren’s slender waist whilst burying your head in his chest burns through his clothing and into his skin. instead of focusing on how your acrylics gently rake up and down his back, he chooses to open up his phone, mindlessly swiping between different page screens and periodically opening up the ‘settings’ which seem to be so important.

honestly, you just needed to be close to him; close enough to bunch his shirt in your hands while you get a whiff of his body soap and cologne—the same one lingering in your apartment, your clothes, everything. but ugh, his scent alone isn’t capable of grant your contentment; you need him inside of you—his muddled moans flowing into your mouth as you tangle your fingers within his hair, the way his brows pull together when he frantically rubs and your clit, desperate to get you crying for him.

the thought of him alone is more than enough to get you off, and just for a moment you forget eren’s there. too stuck in your head and up in the clouds, you fail to notice the way your body subconsciously rocks itself on his lap, arms tightening in the embrace as you tense from the slight stimulation to your cunt.

and eren. . .he watches with wide eyes full of surprise, his phone falling to the floor with a thud. there’s no other way to describe the sight other than pretty—your eyes are squeezed shut with fickle breaths and lips jutted out into a pout; the same pout you give when it’s just not hitting right. but he can feel all of you rubbing against his crotch, even the damp spot forming on the centre point of his grey sweatshorts.

fuck, he concludes that you must not be wearing anything under the satin shorts hugging your legs. sooner or later, you’d be the death of him.

eren jaeger: death by pussy.

doesn’t sound too bad, considering what he knows he’s in for.

“i need it eren, can’t cum without it.” you ramble the same words that you’ve been saying for the last week, eyes glossed over when you look up at his flushed face. when he tries to speak, you’re quick to cut him off, “just the tip, promise—i promise…”

eren’s almost unsure how he finds himself mindlessly nodding along, as if your whines and pleas are like a coercive drug, “just the tip…”

you repeat those three words over—like it’s more of a mantra to yourself rather than a word of reassurance to your boyfriend—as you clumsily pull one leg out of the confinement of your shorts, giving him the perfect view of your sheened over pussy. just the tip, you mumble, drooling at the sight of eren tugging his pants further down his legs to free his dick, all achey and upright, standing against his torso as he breathes heavily.

your cunt throbs when you line yourself over him, dragging his leaky tip across your folds and sensitive clit. it’s easily one of the best reliefs you could ask for, eyes flitting around in the back of your head as you lean into his shoulder. poor eren could probably cum straight like this, seeing you use him like a damned fuck toy—seeing how horny you are for only him.

his moans only add fuel to the fire, pushing you to try your luck at sliding down his bulbous head before stopping right where it ends. he’s just so big, stretching out your hole with just the tip alone—leaving you to mutter a string of jumbled up curses as your body leans forward into him.

“does it feel good, baby?” the hoarseness in his voice is difficult to miss, it’s as if his throat is closing up with every passing moment. you’ve never tried this before, but the vice grip your cunt has on the most sensitive part of him has him wishing you’d done this much sooner.

“yeah—yeah, it feels really-”

your last word comes out in choked whine, breath hitching when his middle and ring finger find their way to your clit, tracing feather-light circle on the bud.

you want eren to make you cum—you’re so desperate that you resort to steadily rutting yourself down on his tip, focused enough to not break your promise to him. there’s a steadily approaching burn in your thighs: it’s a burn that makes you want to cry, makes you want to beg him to make the pain go away and make you finish—but you hold your tongue.

eren’s lips can only part at your unexpected determination, showcasing the sharp bottom teeth that look so much like fangs. you don’t think when you move a hand to his flushed face, your thumb messily slipping inside his mouth and padding the surface of his canines. your other hand makes its way to his glasses, gently pushing them back up the bridge of his nose before meeting his swollen lips with your own.

the residue of the strawberry cake you fed him hours prior is still lingering on his tongue, you can at least make that out as you swirl your own in his mouth.

the voice in your head chanting ‘just the tip’ is growing fainter and quieter, as if it’s moving from the front of your brain all the way to the back of your head, alongside all of the other forgotten things that seemed to hold no importance to you anymore. you want to feel all of him, the pulse of his cock that seems to barely match his heartbeat, the prominent vein running up the length, and the delicious curve that jutted up right against your walls.

“‘ren, don’t wanna hold out anymore.” relentless is what you’re becoming, tired of the way that your pussy grows achey with every passing moment—it’s not enough.

“you said just the t-tip.”

“i don’t fucking want just the tip!” the tears brimming your eyes are growing more apparent, to the point where eren can’t just simply ignore them. “gotta—you gotta let me have it all!”

eren feels like he’s lost his mind: you’re already driving yourself onto his dick, a silent scream falling from your lips as you split yourself open with his sheer thickness. your hands reach to grab whatever they can, one on the back of his searing nape, and the other on top of his own.

the sought out feeling of being full makes your head almost go haywire, stumbling over words as he bottoms out, tip feathering kisses to your cervix, “i’m sososo obsessed with you eren.”

and as much as he hates to admit it, he’s sososo obsessed with you too. despite all of his complaints, there’s still a longing to give you everything you want—need, even. he can’t help but sigh when your walls start to flutter around him, as if your pussy is welcoming him like it always has.

with your guidance, he moves a hand up your shirt and towards to chest, taking your puffy nipples in hand, rolling and prodding at it before messily taking one into his mouth.

“just…right there—”

your words are less than coherent—too busy slamming yourself back down onto him to make any sense to your boyfriend, who looks at you with his brows pulled together. it’s the same look he gives when he wants to say how ditzy you can be sometimes, but you just can’t help it!

there’s a thickening ring of cream near his base, and the squelching sounds of your cunt fucking him dumb overpowers any other sounds in the room. you sniffle and whine as your pace falters, legs giving out from your sporadic bouncing as you fall into eren. it’s almost a wonder how ‘just the tip’ turned into his tip and much more, but you don’t care enough, too eager to grind your hips along his pelvis, barely moving on his length as you play with your clit.

“you can’t do that...” he finds himself mumbling out. how is it fair for you to do all of this to him, making his dick a fucking mess just to finish it all by your self; without him. “c’mon baby, that’s so unfair” he continues to mumble about how ‘unfair’ it is as he grabs a vice hold of your hips, steadying them in place for a moment and lifting you off of him, just to slam you back down with a pace more fervent than before—one that knocks the fucking wind out of your lungs and roughly brings you back down to earth.

and the trip back down hits as hard as his thrusts. the pace is unforgiving, one that you almost didn’t know he had—barring your body to his chest to easily make you meet him halfway as he fucks up into you with low remorse. his eagerness has dick slipping out of your hole and sliding up against your swollen clit, involuntary spreading the mix of your slick and his pre everywhere between the two of you.

“feel’s so good—yeahyeahyeah—don’t stop ‘ren…” you babble run on sentences that would’ve made zero sense had eren not known you. but he does: he knows the way your brain seemed to shut down while fucking you, and how your velvety walls essentially have been warped by his cock pummelling into you at any given moment.

the arch in your back is irregular, dipped beautifully for eren to hesitantly trace lines up and down the expanse of bare skin. your pussy is the best (and only) one he’s ever had, and there’s nothing that’ll ever change that fact.

because who else’s moans will sound like a god-gifted symphony from heaven? who else’s cunt will tighten around him like so the way you do when you’re cumming, translucent white slick dragging down all over and down to pants? who else will whine and cry his name the way you do? who else will make him happily empty his balls inside of them just because they begged and asked?

nobody.

after all, you’re one of a kind.

#eren x reader #eren jaeger smut #eren jaeger x reader #aot x reader #aot smut #eren smut #eren x black reader #eren jaeger x black reader #aot x black reader #snk smut

[cock-holliday]

It’s so frustrating how often we as queer folks are expected to frame our experiences as “the opposite” of what bigots think. Bigots say that being gay is a choice and so we all rush to say no no it’s not a choice! And every queer who feels their sexuality is a choice they made is thrown under the bus. Bigots say being trans is a choice or a trend so we rush to say no no I was always trans from birth and always knew! And every trans person who chooses this or didn’t know until later is thrown under the bus.

Bigots say that trans women are trying to escape their male privileges and socialization so we say no no no I never had privilege cause I was always girl, if anything it’s trans MEN who are the privileged ones. Bigots say trans men are just trying to escape misogyny so we say no no no I was always a boy so I never could be subjected to misogyny, and to prove how not like a woman I am, I will perform misogyny.

Queer people are not allowed to have doubts, they have to be certain, but it can’t be your choice, it has to be that you were as much predestined for queerness as being cishet.

Trans women aren’t allowed to reckon with their pre-transition selves, and are expected to atone for being cursed with being “born a boy” and must perform hyperfemininity to be taken seriously, but do it too much and you’re trying too hard. Do it too little and you’re a threat. Pass or don’t, many will still treat you like you’re a cis man.

Trans men aren’t allowed to reckon with their pre-transition selves, and are expected to atone for choosing the path of the enemy. They must perform hypermasculinity to be taken seriously, but do it too much and you’re a threat. Do it too little and you’re not trying hard enough. Pass or don’t, many will still assume you are treated like a cis man.

You are not allowed autonomy in your identity, you are demanded to present with clarity, you cannot identify as anything middle ground or beyond a binary. You cannot as a trans person reconcile your experiences you had before transitioning—good, bad, or just neutral. How you identify is either disregarded or assumed in all situations to be how society treats you.

Trans men who pass as cis are threats. Trans men who don’t are jokes, or whining they don’t get the privileges they feel entitled to (but already have, of course). Trans women who don’t pass are threats. Trans women who pass are on thin thin fucking ice and if you act sexually or voice too loud an opinion or do anything with your performance of femininity that does not stick you in a corner where you can be forgotten about, as is your intended submissive place, you are a man and a threat.

We have got to stop playing by our oppressors’ rules because there is no way to win, certainly not without turning on each other. And even then, the win is so so temporary, because you are still not winning, you’re just a useful tool to ensure that your siblings lose.

#LJsm

[od4saku]

Geto Suguru falls in love for the first time at 15.

He doesn’t know how he’s never seen you before— by the first time he sees you, he’s already halfway through his first year at Tokyo’s Prefectural Jujutsu high school. You’re a second year, and so, so cool. All loud laughter and confidence, sharp smiles and intelligence— he can’t help but admire you.

He likes to think that his status as a special grade sorcerer can separate him from being a cringey teenaged boy with a disastrous crush. In hindsight, it may have just made it worse. His attempts to impress you, constant and perpetual, never went quite right. Ever the gentleman, Geto would do all the chivalrous things. He would open doors for you, and then get hit in the face by them. He’d pull out your chair, and then trip over the legs. He tried, though, he really did. And you seemed to pick up on that.

Maybe you were simply entertaining his awkward attempts at being smooth. Maybe you were just playing along. But sometimes when he made a joke, you would laugh and touch his arm. And other times when he messed something up or did something stupid, you would call him ‘so cute’ which caused his friends to tease him and made him go red in the face. He had always thought of himself as smooth, calm, collected. You proved that everything could change.

At was almost the end of the school year when Gojo’d managed to rule Geto up enough to urge him to speak on his feelings. It’s February. A layer of frost encases the world, as if it was trying to preserve it, keep it that way forever. But the sun was suspended in the sky, chipping away at the icy covering. Change is coming, says the sky. Geto agrees. He will welcome it, even. It must be a good omen, he presumes, a sign of fortune to come.

You are knelt down by a small pond. With a stick in hand, he observes you for a moment as you appear to poke at the thinning sheet of ice covering the body of water.

“What are you doing?” He can see, he knows, but he asks anyways. You turn over your shoulder and give him a bright, bright smile. He feels himself melting inside.

“I was waiting for Mei Mei, for our assignment in Shibuya. But she’s going to be late, I think.” You frown a little, and he joins you on the ground in front of the little pond. The both of you watch as chunks of ice slowly decay into nothingness as the sunlight licks the surface. Greedy like a child with ice cream. Always taking more. (Change is coming.)

“So, this isn’t a bad time?”

You look at him again, shifting your body to face him rather than the pond. Soft beams of sunlight kiss your cheek, and he takes in every detail. How your eyes glow warm, bright, so bright, even though you have to squint a little. How your hair turns to fire. How you are looking at him and only him. “No. Is there something you need to say to me, Geto?”

He’s so confident. He will tell you that yes, he wants to ask you to lunch at a café he found in the city. He wants to pay for your food, and pull out a chair for you without falling over. He wants to take you on a date. He wants to tell you about how he likes you, why he likes you, and argue a thesis as to why you would be good together. So he opens his mouth.

None of that comes out.

“No. I was just curious,” he lies through his teeth, gesturing to the pond. Oh, he’s fucked this. Gojo and Shoko were most definitely going to get on his ass about this later. He grimaces a grin as you smile.

“Ah, don’t mind me! I was just killing time, you know?”

He’s 15, almost 16. He’s a special grade jujutsu sorcerer. He is one of the strongest. You made him so, so weak. He forgets himself, sometimes. That he is still a boy despite it all.

He hums conversationally, though he’s feeling particularly embarrassed internally. “So cold out. Do you think we’ll get snow?”

At least Geto is good with his words, good enough to cover up his lull, his fumble. At least you don’t notice anything wrong as you respond with a glance skyward, “hm. I doubt it. I wish, though.”

“Really? Don’t you want nicer weather?”

You tilt your head a little and he feels dizzy, and lightheaded. He isn’t paying much attention to what you’re saying even though he should be. Geto is more focused on the slope of your nose, the angle of your cheeks, the curve of your hand as it thrums against your thigh. “In my opinion, snow is the best kind of weather. I like how everything fits together. And I like when it melts. How it smells and all.”

He laughs. “You’re so weird.”

You punch his shoulder lightly. “Plus, snow reminds me of when I was younger. Snowball fights, shopping for scarves and coats and gloves, all that. So I guess it’s personal.”

He softens. You give him another smile but it’s melancholy this time. A nostalgia. He wants to engrave it into his memory. Keep you forever. “Do you wish you could go back ever?”

You would be lying if you said no, so you say yes instead. “But there’s no point in thinking about that, yeah? We can do all that now. Next winter. Let’s build an igloo or something, Geto.”

The smile is on his face before he knows it and he’s pried away from the emotional intimacy as soon as it’s shown itself. You are bright again and he is a moth. Enamoured by you, always. “Let’s.”

He bids you farewell a moment or so later when Mei Mei’s silhouette appears in the distance. He would be more upset, if he thought about his lack of confession. But as always, conversing with you is fulfillment enough. He can always ask when you get home, he thinks. He can ask, and you can say yes. And you can plan out the igloo you’re going to build, and he can map out the future house you’re going to share.

Except, the ice melts in the pond. And the frost turns to water permeating the soil. And you never come home.

This is Geto Suguru’s first taste of death. The impermanence of it all. The way that in less than a day, someone could be gone.

It was an oversight on the part of the initial reports. A special grade curse instead of two 1st grades. He knows because he is the one called in for backup, and he is the one who finds your body. You are cold like the snow by the time it is all over. Colder, even. And you’re still so pretty it hurts.

He’s never seen the body of a loved one before. He is so strangely detached and yet, at the same time, so full of anguish. Who could’ve stopped this? Could he have? What if you were alive? What would you say? Did it hurt? Were you going to be okay, wherever you were now? He thinks back to the conversation about the snow. He thinks back to the tripping over chairs, the way you always made space for anyone in any room. The way you loved so big in such little ways. The way it almost could’ve worked.

You taught Geto that change is inevitable. That death is always a part of life, especially for innocents, especially for those who deserve it the least. This is his beginning of the end. The way it will all begin to fall apart. Because he never got to know your favorite color. He never got to know how you like your coffee, or where you liked to shop. The only thing he knew is that you liked the cold. So next time it snowed, he would stay inside and lament the fact that if the world was a little different, and a lot kinder, you would be there with him.

You’d have said yes to his date, he believes. If you’d gotten the chance.

(Ice melts. The sun is hot, too hot. Change is coming.)

(Maybe it's already here.)

"Grief was a spare room where we put things." -Aimee Seu, Velvet Hounds

#geto suguru x reader #getou suguru x reader #jjk x reader #jujutsu kaisen x reader #geto suguru #getou suguru #jujutsu kaisen #reader insert #angst #mcd

[withahappyrefrain]

Cobalt Eyes and Sweet Smiles

In which a certain shy, quiet WSO catches your attention one night.

When your pilot friend offered to bring you to the Hard Deck as a guest, you knew their intentions instantly. The other pilots would notice you, notice how you weren't one of them, and try hitting you up.

"Maybe you'll actually meet someone to take home," they said.

You rolled your eyes and went along with it, tired of hearing about how "we gotta find you someone."

It was nice, being offered one's spot at the pool table, being asked if you wanted to play darts or needed a drink. The pilots were quite nice to look at.

But one in particular stood out to you.

He had tucked himself away in the corner of the bar, his cobalt eyes able to observe the room without being noticed.

You noticed him right away. How he tried to weave his long, lean body through the crowd so he didn't bump into anyone. How instead of a beer, he was carrying water and a cup of peanuts. How despite that his shoulders were hunched in an effort to make himself smaller, his biceps strained against the khaki material of his uniform.

You recognized the pins that adorned his uniform. He was a Lieutenant, and a pretty decorated one at that. Clearly that hadn't given him an overblown ego, otherwise he would have spoken to you by now.

He was attractive and you could tell that he didn't realize it. You knew the glasses he wore had been given to him by the navy and were what they referred to as "birth control glasses". But the large wired frames added to his charm.

You couldn't help but stare at him. A smile broke out onto your face when he looked up from brushing the crumbs off his pants, those stunningly blue eyes locking with yours.

His thin lips parted and you could see the realization that you were staring at him in his eyes. You winked, hoping it would wash away any potential doubts he had.

A red flush rose from his neck to his cheeks as he looked away, focusing on the crumbs that were still on top of his pants.

It was adorable.

"Who's that?" You asked the too cocky for his own good pilot who had been trying to strike up a conversation with you since you walked in. Hangover? Hangnail?

"Oh, that's just Bob," he scoffed, "Or as I call him, Baby on Board."

The ice cold glare you gave him stopped his laughs, "He uh, he doesn't say much."

You didn't mind quiet. In fact, you tend to like the quiet ones more as you got older. Perhaps it was because they seemed to balance you out.

Perhaps it was because you learned that it was always the quiet ones who knew how to make you feel the best.

"Who's the girl?" You asked, motioning to the dark haired woman who had sat down next to him. You watched her jerk her head towards you, her eyes briefly making contact with yours. They looked like friends, but you wanted to make sure.

"Oh, that's Phoenix. He's her back seater. So, do you want to watch me play darts?"

"No," was all you said before walking over to Bob.

—--------------------

"Go talk to her," Phoenix whispered, "She's been staring at you all night."

"Probably thinks I'm some cool, elusive guy. Best to not break the illusion," Bob responded before taking a sip of his water.

Phoenix wasn't sure what was so 'elusive' about eating peanuts at a bar, but her friend needed a confidence boost, not a confidence downer.

"You're a catch, and she's interested. She couldn't take her eyes off of you while Rooster sang," She pointed out.

Bob just shrugged as he shook his head.

You were absolutely beautiful. You lit up a room with one smile. From the way the corners of your eyes crinkle to how your nose scrunches up, to the way your smile encapsulates your whole face. Your voice was sweet, loud but not shrill.

You were a dream. And dreams didn't tend to go for quiet wallflowers like him. He learned this years ago and had accepted it. It made him less likely to get his heart broken.

Though he still felt his heart twinge when Hangman came up to you. Bob didn't blame the man, he was just….jealous, as ridiculous as that sounded. Jealous that he couldn't just waltz up and start a conversation.

He had tried in the past and ended up embarrassing himself more than getting someone's number. It was easier to hang in the corner, even if it made his chances of finding someone lower. It was better than getting his hopes dashed.

Not that Bob enjoyed being alone. Honestly, he had hoped that by now, he would have settled down and startef a family. When asked what he wanted to be as a kid, his response was "a dad".

Life just hadn't worked out that way and it was best not to dwell on it. As much as he wished, life wasn't some romantic comedy where his future wife would just waltz into a room and a love song would play while he and her locked eyes for the first time.

Though 'Pretty Woman' was playing when you walked into the Hard Deck.

Phoenix's elbow jabbing his chest broke Bob out of his thoughts.

"Looks like I don't have to convince you to go talk to her," was all she said before getting up to walk away.

Bob was quite confused, until he looked directly ahead.

Oh no.

You were walking straight towards him.

Bob knew he should get up and head straight to the bathroom. Or go to the bar. Something so you wouldn't talk to him and discover he was quiet not because he was some cool figure but because he never fucking knew what to say.

But his legs were frozen in place. All he could do was ensure that he had brushed all the crumbs from the peanuts off his pants.

"Hi! Is this seat taken?" You asked. Bob was now thankful he was still sitting, because your melodic voice paired with that sweet smile would have made him fall to his knees.

It took Bob a few moments to realize that he needed to actually give you a response. You didn't seem to mind, which was surprising. He was used to folks getting huffy, expecting a quick response from him.

Instead, you just gave him that beautiful smile.

"No! U-uh, no, i-its free, ma'am," he managed to get out.

"Glad to know," was all you said before you sat yourself on one of his thighs. You slung an arm around his shoulders, your fingers reaching up the nape of his neck towards his sandy brown locks.

Oh sweet Jesus.

You couldn't help but smirk as you watch his face process what was happening and then proceed to short circuit. He clearly wasn't used to this type of attention, which was an absolute shame.

"Uh…um t-there's a s-spot uh o-over there," He stuttered, avoiding your eyes.

"I know," you leaned in, your breath hot in his ear, "I like this seat better."

Did he and Phoenix actually eject out of their plane in time or did he die that day and was now in heaven?

Maybe she had mistaken him for someone else. Bob kept thinking of scenarios that would explain why you were doing this, besides you actually being interested in him, because someone like you was never interested in someone like him.

For a moment, you worried that you may have been too much. It looked like he was malfunctioning at your attention.

But then you felt a strong arm wrap itself around your waist, securing you in place.

"I-I'm uh…I'm Bob." God, he was so cute. His cheeks had what seemed to be a permanent flush to them.

You giggled as you told him your name, which caused the corners of his mouth to turn upwards.

"It's nice to meet you Bob," your fingers twirled around his sun kissed locks.

"It's n-nice to meet you t-too, ma'am," He mumbled. He honestly didn't know what to do. He was usually the one pretty girls went up to to ask about the relationship status of his other pilots.

"You're so nice, but you don't need to call me ma'am," you giggled.

Somehow, his face turned an even brighter shade of red as he mumbled an apology.

"It's okay, it's quite sweet. And hot, to be honest," you admitted.

Oh.

Bob looked up, his eyes making contact with yours for the first time since you sat on his lap.

Hot was not a word used to describe him. Cute, nice, nerdy, okay, were the adjectives he was used to hearing. Not hot.

"R-really?" His voice was still shaky, though it was the most confident he sounded since he began talking to you.

"Yeah," you giggled, straightening his collar, "So is Bob your call sign or your actual name? I can't tell with some of these."

"Well, my full name is Robert but my call sign is Bob," he found himself becoming more relaxed, despite having to remind himself not to look at your chest that was at eye level.

"Does Bob stand for something?" You asked, genuinely wanting to learn more about him.

He shrugged, "It's a long story." Surely you didn't want to hear him talk, did you?

"Have anything to do with your commendation medals?" You asked. He looked shocked at your knowledge. For a brief moment you were almost offended until you remembered that he honestly thought you were just a civilian.

"Both my dads are in the Navy. I know what a lot of the medals mean. It's also how I know this guy," you motioned to the man clad in a Hawaiian shirt who was leading the crowd through another Jerry Lewis sing-along.

"Does he know anything other than Jerry Lewis?" Bob asked out loud.

"If he's feeling extra deep, he'll play Clocks by Coldplay. Other than that…no, he doesn't."

The two of you exchanged a look before laughing. He had the sweetest laugh you had ever heard.

You rested your head on one of his broad shoulders. He was sitting up a little straighter. The tension in his body had faded. Not all the way, but a bit.

You liked it. You wanted to see more of it, more of him.

Though Bob didn't really suit him. Neither did Robert.

"Can I call you Robby?"

"You can call me whatever you want." Oh, so he could be smooth.

You grinned, "Whatever I want? That's quite open. My Pa always said to never take something open-ended until you made sure there weren't any strings attached."

He shrugged, a small smirk slowly appearing on his handsome face, "Well, I guess there is something I'd want in exchange."

You quirked an eyebrow, "And what would that be, Robby?"

Here goes nothing.

"You can call me whatever you want, as long as I can call you for dinner?" Oh God, that was so cheesy. What was he thinking? Bob didn't blame you if you got up and left right then and-

A pair of soft lips pressed against his cheek, the sweet smell of lavender flooding his nostrils.

Oh your lips were like heaven.

"I'd love that Robby. I'd also love to call you for breakfast," you cooed in his ear.

His large hand gripped the fabric of your dress. You wondered if he could feel your thighs clenching. Not that you didn't want him to know you found him extremely attractive. Quite the opposite in fact.

"Y-you smell really nice," was all he could get out. His head felt fuzzy. You were overwhelming in the best way possible.

"I was just gonna say the same about you," you smiled as the scent of sage filled your senses. You then noticed that his glasses had fallen down the bridge of his nose. With zero hesitation, you gently pushed them back up.

Bob was thinking of every possible unattractive thing and scenario to kill the growing erection he had. Your fingers that were tracing circles over his biceps weren't helping.

If this was a dream, he never wanted to wake up.

"W-would uh, would you want to get out of here?"

Realization set in at what he just said. Fuck. The last thing this angel wanted was to be taken back to base housing. The last thing he needed was Mickey walking in on him trying to flirt too. Also, when did she ever indicate she wanted to go back to a bedroom? She didn't. Yeah, she mentioned breakfast but maybe she was just a big fan of brunch. Brunch was pretty great. You could order waffles at two in the afternoon and no one bats an eye. Had he gone too far? He had gone too far.

Of course a beautiful girl would show interest in him only for him to fuck it up.

"We, we could go to another place! I-I, uh, I know this other bar, it's much quieter or there's a late night coffee shop we could go to, or-"

"My apartment is a fifteen minute drive, and I drove here." You told him.

"O-oh. O-okay." Bob was still worried. The last thing he wanted to do was make you feel pressured to do anything. He was truly more than content to just talk to you all night, maybe kiss you on the cheek if he was lucky. If you allowed it.

"I…..I have a good collection of board games if you're interested," you said, hoping it would alleviate his clearly displayed nerves.

"I-I just wanna, uh, wanna talk to ya," he admitted, a Midwestern drawl lacing his voice.

"Where you from Robby?" You asked, pressing your forehead against his. You could hear him gulp, his Adam's apple bobbing.

God, you wanted nothing more than to mark up his neck.

"M-Montana. W-why?"

"I could listen to your voice all day," you sighed, brushing your nose against his. It was obvious it took all his strength to not look away from you, to flash a weak smile instead.

"Really?" Normally, his accent wasn't something folks enjoyed hearing. After years in the navy, he learned how to make himself sound neutral.

You nodded your head, "Yeah. I like your voice. And you." That rose tint had made itself a home on his cheeks, not that you minded. It was honestly the cutest thing.

"Really?"

"Is that so hard to believe?" You asked. It was almost sad that he was genuinely shocked by this.

He shook his head, "I-it's just uh, usually, uh, I'm uh, not the one folks um, typically go for."

"Well, those folks are idiots," you responded, "you have a lot to offer: smart, sweet, kind, funny. Extremely handsome to boot."

You were being genuine. Bob couldn't help but smile, practically beaming.

"C-can I kiss you?" He found himself asking. Where that bravery came from, he wasn't sure.

He was genuine, something you didn't see often, particularly from those in the navy. Your fathers always had warned you of such, hence their 'no pilot' rule.

They never told you about what to do when you found a sweet, honest, good hearted man in the navy.

It probably helped that he wasn't technically a pilot.

You nodded your head quickly, not wanting to doubt for one moment, "Was beginning to worry that you'd never ask."

He was a good kisser. His large hands cupped your jaw and most of your neck. He was gentle when he titled your head down, moving his lips against yours.

You could kiss him for hours. When you broke away for air, his face was still red, though a proud smile was now on his face.

"You gonna take me home Robby?" You asked before placing a gentle kiss on his jawline.

"I-I don't know what your car looks like," his voice was now low, vibrating into your shoulder, a stark contrast to the adorable observation he was making.

You kissed his cheek again, the corner of your lips brushing against his, "you're really fucking cute Robby."

Bob knew in that moment he would follow you to the ends of the Earth.

"Y-you're um, you're one t-to talk." It sounded much smoother in his head. And yet, you didn't mind the stuttering or that he was still nervous despite being brave enough to ask if he could kiss you.

You liked him, just the way he was.

It was a nice change. A really nice change.

"Why don't we get out of here?" You hopped off his lap, extending a hand out to him.

Bob thanked whatever higher being was up there for throwing him a bone before he made an even bigger fool out of himself. Granted, you had made your interest in him well known, so was there really a point to being so nervous?

He grabbed your hand, following you out of the bar. As you two left, you flashed a wink to your friend Bradley, who simply gave you a thumbs up, signaling his approval.

"Did you plan that?" Phoenix asked as she watched you and Bob walk out the door.

"Not planned, more like hoped it would work out that way," Bradley responded, smiling.

#my writing #robert bob floyd imagine #robert bob floyd x you #robert bob floyd x reader #robert bob floyd #bob floyd x y/n #bob floyd x you #bob floyd x reader #bob floyd #robert floyd imagine #robert floyd x you #robert floyd x reader #robert floyd #lewis pullman

[anchoeritic]

toxic/posessive dbf!joel??

"all mine. you're all mine," joel whispered against the slick curve of your jaw, leaving sweet kisses down the side of your neck. his hands were roaming your body freely, touching every square inch of it. a helpless whimper fell from your lips as you felt the warmth of his hand slide down your stomach, reaching for the spot between your thighs. “joel , please. touch me.”

your hands caught his wrist, almost trying to tell him to hurry up and touch you already. your hips slightly bucked off the mattress, meeting your clothed pussy with the hot palm of his hand. he laughed at your attempts to plead for him, keeping his hand over your pussy. "aw, look at how my girl's begging for me just to touch her?" his hand pressed harder against it, the pressure hitting your clit gently.

joel started to move his fingers slowly apart, rubbing you teasingly through the thin fabric of your panties. "you wish it was that easy for me to give in and make you feel good, baby." you know i play fair with you. he said with such confidence, ending his sentence off a slap to your pussy.

you let out a yelp, feeling a stinging sensation on your core. " - and guess what? a little birdie came and told me about you and your little boyfriend, darlin".

you felt like a deer in headlights when you looked right into his ice-cold eyes. someone must've caught you and him out the other day, and told joel. your boyfriend was everything joel despised. young, reckless, and a piece of shit. there was no doubt he would’ve killed him by now if it wasn’t for you standing in between.

but he loved you like a boyfriend should; showered you in kisses, giving you priceless gifts, he was a woman’s dream.

as much as he thinks he knows you, he could never compare to joel miller and you had to swallow the truth like a big girl.

joel knew your soft spots and weaknesses, and he knew how to use it against you. whether his intentions were good or bad, he always got what he wanted by the end of the night, even if it meant he'll have to convince you with ways other than his words.

he knows your thoughts, your love language, everything about you wasn't foreign to him. you were pretty hard to read at first until you naturally fell into the arms of his, hoping to find something that wasn't even close to your boyfriend.

"h-he wanted to talk to me, that’s all.." you stuttered, feeling the palette of your cheeks heating up. his fingers moved around your pussy, running his middle finger through the slit.

he nodded his head with a smirk on his lips, his finger pressed to your clit now, making your legs shake a bit. "are you telling the truth, cupcake..?" he teased you. leaning up from his position, his face was now right in front of yours. “you know it’s not good to lie, baby.”

his breath fanned over your nose as he held himself up with one arm, stopping himself from falling right onto you. “or do i gotta fuck it outta you, sweetheart?" the smirk on his lips remained.

you stayed silent, not wanting to let out any details of your day with steve that'll get you into much bigger trouble. you bit your lip, looking up at him innocently, which he certainly didn't like. the hand against your pussy was quickly brought up to your throat, wrapping itself around it with a tight squeeze. your answer wasn't one that he wanted to hear, or the one he expected. was it so hard for you to be honest? hmm.. his good girl wasn't so perfect after all.

"you wanna stay quiet now, huh? you were begging, pleading for me to touch you and now you have nothing to say?" he snarled, looking at you in shame. “know you fucked him and i know that pretty pussy couldn't finish." his grip on your throat tightening, choking you out harder. "did i give her permission to cum?" he asked you, tilting his head, waiting for an answer from you. barely able to gasp for air, you shook your head "nо"

such simple instructions you still manage to forget." he stifled out a laugh, shaking his head at you. "you're fucking pathetic, sweetheart, running back to the man who'll always be less than me." your eyes well up with tears, the feeling of your heart dropping to the pit of your stomach. his hand was cupping your cheeks now, keeping your head straight. he slapped one of your cheeks lightly, making your tearful eyes fixate to his angry ones.

a small tear slides down your cheek, waiting to be wiped by joel, but only to be laughed at by him. he had no sympathy for you. absolutely none.

"you know you'll always run back to me by the end of the night. you're fuckin' mine."

#this is so long #side eye #dbf!joel #joel miller #joel miller x reader #joel miller smut #joel miller x y/n #joel miller x you #pedro pascal #pedro pascal smut #pedro pascal x reader #the last of us #the last of us smut

[softpascalito]

Snowy Surprise - Joel Miller x Reader

Summary: Joel takes advantage of your lunch break on patrol for ... other activities. Afterwards, a promise he made about christmas decorations comes back to haunt him.

Relationships: Joel Miller x F!Reader WC: 2200 Tags/Warnings: Smut, Explicit Sexual Content, Smut, Fluff, Domestic Fluff, Jackson!Era, Soft Joel (The Last of Us), Established Relationship, Vaginal Fingering, Female Reader, Neck Kissing, Dirty Talk, Semi-Public Sex, Christmas Tree, Snow Read on AO3 full advent calendar (updated daily)

notes: hello loves! i really wanted to do something special for christmas time this year and i had so much fun with kinktober that i decided to make a little pedro pascal advent calender! this also doubles as a piece for stephs (@toomanystoriessolittletime) winter writing challenge for this week! check it out here ♥

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

“God, I hope they're serving some warm food tonight,” you mutter, your body slowly moving up and down as you steer your horse up the hill and through a small trickle, the water glistening with the thin sheet of ice that is decorating its top. It crunches under the hooves of the animal as you make your way past the abandoned houses, the caved in roofs and trees heavy with fresh snow.

The ice crunches again, this time behind you, and it's the only indication that you're not alone. He stays quiet.

“The soup we had last week- what was it? Pumpkin?” You ask absent-mindedly. “That was delicious. And hot. Burned my tongue. But it was worth it.”

He still doesn't say anything. Not that it's unusual. It's why you're such a good fit. You’re complementary in that way. You talk, he listens. He pretends to be annoyed, you know he secretly likes the way your thoughts fly out of your mouth, practically unfiltered in his presence.

You let your horse fall back slightly until he catches up with you, the two of you riding side by side. “Joel?”

He turns his head at that, soft brown eyes landing on yours as he seems to be snapped out of thought, “Hm?”

“Were you listening to what I said?”

A small grumble escapes his throat, a dark eyebrow moving up ever so slightly. You roll your eyes at him, deciding to just drop it, “Forget it, it doesn't matter anyway.”

He lets a few moments of silence pass until you reach the small lookout and demount your horses, tying them to a small fence post in front of the building. When he passes you on his way inside, there's a small smirk on his face.

“It wasn't pumpkin. It was carrot.”

He does listen.

Joel signs the patrol book while you busy yourself with the binoculars. The snow is almost blinding, the past week having brought more of it than you're used to, even in Jackson.

It's the favorite topic at night in the tipsy bison, with people complaining about the cold, about pipes bursting and about paths needing to be cleared every few hours. But above all the complaints is the knowledge that the vast amount of snow also has its upsides, keeping infected unable to move as fast and raiders from entering the valley at all.

That, and the children have taken to sledding down the small slopes in the town center, filling the air of the community with genuine laughter and happiness that more than makes up for the hardships the winter brings.

“Coast looks clear,” you mumble into his direction and Joel gives a small nod of approval as he finishes scribbling what is no doubt another joke at Tommys expense into the large book.

As you place the lens caps back onto the worn-out binoculars, two strong hands are placed on each side of your hips, Joel's body gently pressing into yours as he hums into your ear.

“Are we on time?” 

You sigh dramatically but do check the small watch you carry in your backpack, finding that you've made good time on your way to the outlook, “We've got time for a small lunch break.”

But Joel doesn't let go, his arms only tightening their grip as he brings his lips to your cheek and you feel his teeth graze over your skin.

“Lunch break. For lunch,” you try weakly but he's having none of it. Joel's gloves come off with a swift motion and he drops them to the ground, his arms sneaking around you and pressing you into him with a little more force. His fingers don't quite extend to your most intimate areas yet, instead just teasing around them, his touch a little more forceful than usual to make sure you can feel it through your thick winter jacket.

“I think I have a better idea,” he mutters into your ear and you nod, pressing your body back against his as you give in.

It's not fair. The way that your brain practically goes silent the moment you're in his arms. It's like a storm raging outside and falling quiet the moment you shut the door. You wonder if he knows a secret pressure point on your body that noone else has ever found, one that eases your worries, that slows down the thoughts in your head that usually rush past at what feels like lightspeed. There's always something to worry about, something to consider, something to feel.

When you're with Joel, you only feel him.

He knows this. And he recognizes every time, without failure, the moment when your brain falls quiet, just by the way you push back into him, a soft gasp on your lips.

“Joel- it's too cold- '' you mumble. There's no heating around you, making the logistics of what he undoubtedly has in mind more than difficult.

“It's okay. I got you,” Joel whispers back. His hand is still warm from the thick gloves he always wears on patrol and he doesnt open a single button of your clothing, instead opting to flatten his hand and slide it into your pants.

His fingers barely fit into the front of your jeans and it causes them to press down on your skin immediately, drawing a whimper from your lips. He shushes you gently, curling his hand to reach further and a moment later, his index finger is inside of you, the calloused skin brushing against your inner walls.

“Fuck, Joel, please-” You practically beg, a familiar heat already burning in your core as you push yourself into the palm of his hand, squirming with the way his hand aligns so perfectly with your front.

Maybe it's because of the cold or because he knows that you're still on a schedule but he doesn't make you wait as long as he usually does, slowly beginning to move his finger in and out of you. You can feel your own wetness staining the inside of your panties as it runs down his fingers and your own hands begin to wander, one clutching onto his arm while you sneak the other around yourself, brushing over the outline of Joel's hard cock behind you.

He hisses under his breath, feeling the touch even through the thick fabric of his jeans and a second finger enters you almost automatically.

“This is about you, darlin’,” he mutters, pressing himself against you a little harder and using his unoccupied hand to grab your wrist, “You just be good for me and stay still.” 

So he doesn't want to go all the way, probably a smart choice in the current weather. Any disappointment you feel is quickly washed away however as you feel Joel's fingers curl inside of you, brushing over the spot that makes your knees weak.

You have no idea how he's able to finger you this well in the current position, restricted by the cold and all the layers of clothing between you. The small room is filled with the sound of your heavy breathing and you can feel the warmth of Joel's breath in your neck as he uses his nose to push aside the scarf that's wrapped around your throat and nips at your skin.

His other hand, still wrapped around your wrist, comes to your front, still restricting your arm while also holding you up.

“Come on, let me hear you, baby,” he mutters under his breath. “Noone around to tell us off. Just you and me.”

And again, your brain doesn't protest. You don't think about the dangers of being too loud, of humans or infected being attracted by the sound, of anything really. Your body and your brain seem to agree. You're safe with him.

So you let the noises flow from your lips, whimpering and moaning, mixing Joels name with a string of curse words when his thumb begins rubbing over your clit.

“Fuck, Joel, please, please, please let me come, Joel-” You break off into another fit of unintelligible words and Joel hums behind you, rubbing his nose against your ear. You can practically hear the grin on his face, “Go on, darlin’.”

It only takes a few more thrusts of his fingers inside of you until you're falling apart in his arms, your body jerking as the pleasure of your orgasm shoots through you.

Joel's arms stay tightly wrapped around you and he gives a few more gentle, shallow curls of his fingers, letting you fully ride out your orgasm, before he withdraws his hands from your jeans, leaving your underwear a mess.

“There we go. That's my girl,” he mumbles into your ear as he turns you around carefully and tugs on your jacket a bit, making sure that you're properly protected against the cold. It's endearing how much attention he pays to your shirt being tucked in correctly and your zipper being drawn. He holds you for a while longer, placing gentle kisses on the skin that he still can reach until he's sure you're good to go. You catch a glimpse of him licking the taste of you off his fingers before putting his gloves back on.

Your legs are still wobbly when you head back to your horses a few minutes later and you nod towards the woods, “I'm gonna go pee real quick.”

You're not sure why you blush now when you've literally just had Joel's hand knuckle-deep inside of you but he doesn't seem to mind. In fact, he almost enjoys it, a small smirk playing around his lips, “You do that.”

Ever the gentleman, Joel waits with Old Beardy and Japan while you stalk through the snow for a few more meters until you find a spot that looks like it'll work well-enough as a makeshift toilet. It takes a moment to undress with all the layers you're wearing and you curse as you pull your panties down to find them stained with your own juices, the sticky liquid smeared throughout the cotton fabric.

Meanwhile Joel's hand is scratching the soft neck of his horse when he hears a small yell. In an instant, he has his revolver drawn and is hurrying into the direction you disappeared into mere minutes ago.

He can feel his heart pounding in his chest as his boots sink into the snow with every step, his muscles ready to strike out at whatever danger is lurking behind the trees.

And then, suddenly, there you are. Standing in front of a pine tree that's only a little taller than him, your hand caressing the needles wet with snow.

Joel takes a breath, his gaze flying over the surroundings once more before he lets out a small sigh and lowers his gun, “What's going on?”

Your eyes, round and gentle, wander between the tree and him, lips pursed, like you know his reply to a question you haven't even asked yet.

“I know it's not the most practical option but-” You mumble and you can see the gears turning in Joel's head before he pinches his nose, closing his eyes for a moment, “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

It's been a few weeks since you sprung the idea on him while cuddling one night, mentioning that you hadn't had a Christmas tree for years and that with the woods around Jackson so full of pines, it would be a waste to not get one. Joel didn't care much for it but he was so content in that moment with you in his arms that he gave in, agreeing that a little bit of decorating wouldn't hurt. And it seems like precisely that promise is now back to haunt him.

Your hand leaves the pine and instead you reach for Joel, tugging on his jacket a little, “Come on. We have some rope, right?”

“Yeah. Yeah, we do have some rope,” he almost grunts, still keeping his eyes closed. When he opens them again, the brown in his eyes matches the trees around you and you're close enough to see the snow reflected in them.

“How bad do you want this?” He asks, honestly. He's straightforward, as always, so you decide to be as well.

“I really want it. It's perfect, it has the right size and we can keep it outside until I have finished the decorations and-”

Joel raises his hand a little, effectively cutting you off. He's heard enough.

“Okay.”

It's late when you get back to Jackson, riding through the wooden gate on your horses, the freshly cut pine tree tied to a makeshift sled behind you.

“I can't believe you talked me into this.”

Joel had offered a few more grunts and complaints about picking a tree so far away from Jackson when there were more than enough close to the perimeter. But then you had leaned over to him, just as he finished tying the tree down with a few sturdy knots.

“Maybe I can make it up to you by using this for something else, later.”

He smirked on the ride back, only stopping when you reached the small road that led down to the town and putting on his usual, gruff demeanor.

It barely lasts until you reach your doorstep.

notes: i hope you liked it! if you did, feel free to let me know if you want to be added to my twitter/tumblr tag list so you get a lil notification every time your advent calender is ready to be opened. wishing everyone a very lovely december ♥

#softpascalito #advent calendar #pedro pascal #joel miller #joel / reader #joel x reader #joel miller / reader #joel miller / you #smut #christmas tree #tlou #joel miller x reader #joel miller x you #pedropascaladventcalender #stephswinterwritingchallenge #day one

[bananabeebenson]

Romcom kind of idea: Helmeppo and Garp takes Koby drinking to relax since next day they have to start training some new recruits. At the bar Koby see a pretty lady and get pushed by the other two older marines for him to go talk to her. After talking, drinking and maybe even a little make out session with the lady, Koby goes home all relaxed and happy. Next day, still with a little hangover, Koby goes to talk with the new recruits just to spot who in the crowd? Cute lady!!!! And she looks just as surprised as him. What now?

Pairing: Koby x Reader

Warnings: None (SFW/Fluff and some awkward Koby)

Word Count: 1,940

Fic is under the cut

Requests are open

Koby should have known this was going to be a mistake.

Garp, the famous Hero of the Navy, had pulled only a handful of strings in pulling his two apprentices away from Marineford to an island only half an hour’s travel away, where a ‘perfect bar was calling them’. Koby had been trying to ignore their insistence that he join them. It wasn’t that he wouldn’t have enjoyed the idea of a couple of drinks possibly in the house, or Garp’s own tab, it was that the next day they would find themselves training their first new wave of Recruits. Koby and Helmeppo had struggled to get as far as they had come, fighting through tribulations and their own self-inflicted doubts to get to the point they were. Not to mention the thin ice they sometimes found themselves on due to their light association with Luffy D. Monkey. Not that they would complain. Garp’s name would usually be enough to back off most who threw doubts their way, or their own accomplishments they’ve managed in most locations. This had put them in good enough graces to finally take on a small group of new recruits to be trained. It wouldn’t be permanent, like Garp with them, but more so a temporary thing to last only a few months before they would be split apart and shipped off to different areas. Some would remain in Marineford, but not many.

“Come on.” Helmeppo spoke, tilting his head to the side just as the boat rocked to the right a little too hard. It wasn’t a Navy ship like they were used to, more so a simple Ferry built to withstand the waves of the Grand Line. It wasn’t something built to go for several days or harbor hundreds, thus it rocked in uneven motions, tossing the people who weren’t prepared for it back and forth. Compared to others, they were holding on just fine, with Koby’s hands gripping the side of the boat. He still couldn’t believe they had managed to convince him to come along. Maybe he was more stressed than he had realized over the situation.

“I’m here, aren’t I?” It wasn’t bitter, but he was pouting in a strangely young way, something to remind Helmeppo just how young the two of them were compared to others out here. He huffed.

“Don’t look so guilty and miserable about it. You’re acting like we kidnapped you at gunpoint or something.”

“You both threatened to, and I quote, carry me out here anyways. I don’t think I had much of a choice.” His smile was weary, small on his face. His goggles fell suddenly from a sharp rock and he steadied them back to the top of his head.

“Well, you needed to get out.” Helmeppo said. He nodded, agreeing with himself and propped up against the railing. Koby knew when he was fighting a losing argument, so he resigned himself to simply enjoy the quiet he would have before arriving.

The bar was definitely crowded with young, new faces that Koby had never seen before. Some older Marines, people he had seen around Marineford, were also there and nursing harder drinks in their reclusive corners. Garp and Helmeppo wouldn’t leave Koby alone, much to his own simmering annoyance. It wasn’t that he wasn’t unthankful nor wished for a lonely presence, but he did wish for some quieter drinking company. His own drink was fruity and light, something he could enjoy at least while he watched everyone around him continue to grow louder and louder. 

Then, he spotted you.

It was a creeping feeling. A sudden realization that he had been staring at you as you laughed at something another person said, your own drink also being softly nursed with small sips. He didn’t even notice his staring or how he was acknowledging how you snorted into your hand when you laughed a little too hard until Helmeppo had noticed he was zoned out and no longer listening. Bending over his shoulder he looked over and grinned something broad and dangerous.

“Oh, spot you someone?” Koby jerked into a stiff seated position and quickly looked away from you, red burning across his cheeks. Garp’s attention was immediately dragged over when he tried to stutter an excuse, one that had Helmeppo smirking.

“What’s wrong? Got tongue-tied or something from a beautiful lady?” Garp slapped a hard hand onto Koby’s shoulder and his weaker drink was spilled, the shattering of the glass covered by the loud atmosphere of the crowd around. “I thought you learned how to talk to someone like that from me already. Or did you?” Garp shook his head and delivered another harsh slap, knocking him from the seat.

“Go talk to her.” Helmeppo said. “She doesn’t look like she’s here with anyone.”

Koby choked on a response to them and found himself urged away, shooed off with waves and hollering that followed his ever growing reddening ears. You were still where you were though, as they had said, you were alone. Whoever you had been talking to had moved on, perhaps to another face, and you were still nursing your own drink, twisting the straw that stuck out of it. You were dressed formally. No, not formally, but better than he was in his casual clothing that had been thrown to the back of his closet, almost forgotten about until this time. He felt underdressed compared to you and it made him hesitate even further. But the shame of what Garp and Helmeppo would do if he returned without at least attempting to speak to you far out-weighed any nerves of his attire, so he swallowed nerves down deep and approached you with the first thing he could say.

“I like the color of your shoes.”

He was doomed.

You blinked up at him in confusion, poised for a sip you would abandon in return for eyeing the man before you. Koby remained unmoving, hands sweating and flexing in his pockets as he tried to maintain some calm atmosphere about him. 

Then you laughed.

“Well, I’m glad I suppose. I like them too.” You looked him over once, twice, then shifted on the seating you had been perched on. A bench, definitely meant for outside, had been pulled in. “Did you come over here to speak only about my shoes or….”

He definitely did not.

“I-I came over to talk to a pretty lady like you.” Garp would have been proud of his word choice, but the ever flustered Koby was slowly curling in on himself, turning away to hide his embarrassment. You found it charming. Cute, in a way, and masked your giggle around the rim of your cup.

“Well, aren’t you a charmer?” You asked. The teasing tone did urge him to look at you and you were so nice when you spoke. Up close like this he got to smell the perfume you had on, something sweet to lure him in a bit closer, which helped to ease up his nerves. “You look a little uncomfortable though. You sure that’s why you’re over here?”

Busted.

“I-It isn’t that I don’t want to talk to you. My friends just, ah, they saw me looking at you and just, well.” He choked and you fought your grin until he found his words. “They…wanted me to try talking to you.”

“I’m glad.” He blinked, looked you over once, then blinked again. “No, really. I promise, my friends dragged me out here too for some celebration I’m not even a part of. Or, well, I don’t want to be a part of.” You spared a glance to a gathered group of young, fresh faces to the far side and he followed it. They were drinking heavily, a few encouraging the others as fresh shots of something strong and smelly passed around. You lightly cringed around your own fruity drink, something Koby would have liked. 

“You were dragged out too?” He relaxed a bit more then, finding you in a similar situation. “Well…guess we have no choice but to keep each other company then, right?”

Keeping each other company turned into a few drinks. A few drinks turned into a couple shots, bought by the beaming Garp who raised his own glass. And a few laughs and stories shared between the two of you turned into shoulders brushing. Then it turned into him helping you to a corner where there was less light to try and fix your shoe, which had broken when you stood to get a drink.

Then it turned into a drunken spur of the moment kiss that evolved into more than one.

Maybe he should have paid attention to the facts you spoke, but he hadn’t drank in a long time and it was definitely potent when it settled. These kisses you shared were sweet and warm. A breath of fresh air to the cold reprise of Marinfore, and he was sighing into them whenever you both broke apart. He was respectful of any boundaries you had and you were respectful that he was still intoxicated, so your touches were restrained. Held back to simply brushes of fingers on fingers, or fingertips touching at the shoulders or bottom of the kneecap. The kisses continued on, the sounds of the background falling apart, it all became too much and when you finally pulled back, head lightly spinning, a hand clasped onto Koby’s shoulder.

 Garp.

“It’s getting late.” He stated, a gruff voice rough from his drinks and a couple of smoke breaks he had taken with others in the Marines. Koby blinked up at him in confusion before you seemed to put the pieces together. Garp was charming with his smile, but he was also aware of how late it had actually gotten. Koby seemed to want to disagree, but your hand on his wrist distracted him briefly as you agreed.

“You should head back. I have a few things to take care of tomorrow too.” You looked down at your person and frowned. “I…don’t have a way to communicate, but I could meet you back here tomorrow night? If that’s okay?”

That was more than okay in his eyes.

Then, nothing. He was on the rocking boat, listening to Helmeppo tease him about the “loving eyes” he had been shooting you, all blitzed out of his mind from his drinks, but he didn’t care. Garp didn’t speak much on anything, enjoying the cooler evening air and soft sounds of the Ocean. Then he was in bed, curled into his pillow and still remembering your perfume, the taste of your sweet drink on your lips, and how soft your hand was on his.

He slept with a smile on his face.

That smile would be abruptly taken the next morning, when he was dressed in uniform and standing at the end of a long lineup of people, all dressed in similar uniforms. They all looked similar. Young, fresh, and new to the Marines. Similar to how he had been long ago when he had first joined, except there was an issue. Standing in exactly row five, three to the left stood a familiar, equally shocked face.

You. There stood you, with your eyes wide and mouth partially open at the realization of what had happened the previous night. Helmeppo, thankfully, hadn’t recognized you or he would have never heard the end of it. Garp wasn’t there, busy with something else that these two were to handle.

‘Well.’ He thought, looking away with his ears a vibrant pink once again. ‘At least I won’t have to meet you there tonight.’

#one piece x reader #requests are open #one piece x y/n #requested #koby x reader #one piece koby

[friendship-ditch]

You healed me

(Katniss Everdeen x Fem Reader) ❀

Summary: Katniss takes it upon herself to nurse you back to health after you experience a traumatizing accident.

Warnings/Notes: None really, just the general trauma, injuries and protective Katniss--Also, this was actually 2 separate requests that asked the same thing and I think that’s hilarious, thank you guys <3

Word Count: 3324

  “Y/N?”

  You turned onto your side in bed, staring blankly at the wall.  The textured paint was peeling at the corner, but hardly anyone ever stayed in the guest room, so it didn’t really matter.

  “Y/N..?”

  Katniss’s gentle voice called as she nudged the door open.  She exhaled a soft sigh when she saw that you were still in bed.  Quietly, she padded across the floor and set a tray down on the nightstand.

  The mattress indented as she sat down beside you and you felt her hand caress your side gently.

  “How are you feeling?”  Katniss murmured.  She tugged you gently so you were laying on your back, being careful not to move your foot.  Over her shoulder, you could feel the concerned eyes of her sister Primrose following your every move.

  “I just want to sleep…”  You grumbled, trying to turn away but Katniss held you still.

  Her hand slipped beneath your back as she sat you up.  Her lips pressed gently into the side of your head and she let you lean into her, fearing you’d collapse without her support.

  “You have to eat something.”

  “..’m not hungry.”

  “We picked you some berries.”  Prim spoke softly as she set the bowl in your lap.  

  You heaved a sigh and glanced down at the ceramic dish full of blackberries.  You weren’t hungry, you hadn’t been for about a week now, and you doubted you ever would be.  The thought of the juicy berries grazing your tongue made you want to gag, but you knew neither of the girls would let you off easy, so you bit back a protest and slowly bit into one.

  “Mom and Prim think that you could try walking today.”  Katniss combed a hand through your hair.  Careful fingers picked the knots in your hair, as she’d done everyday, but no amount of brushing could make a dent in the layer of grease and dirt that had settled on your scalp. 

  Katniss had bathed you once since the accident, but you couldn’t even remember it.  You didn’t want to leave bed, much less clean off.  Sealing yourself away and rotting seemed almost perfect.

  “It hurts too much…”  You shook your head as you swallowed down the whole berry, trying your best not to make a face or complain.  

  Prim pulled the covers back and ran her hand down your leg, slowly approaching the tight bandages around your foot.  When you let out a sharp whine, she stopped.

  “It’s not too swollen.”  She observed, pulling back some of the bandages and peering at the wound.

  A pain filled squeak escaped your lips and Katniss pulled you into a gentle embrace.  You buried your face into her chest and held your breath as the young girl did her daily check up. 

  Every day, she’d tell you that your foot was looking better, but you could only feel as if it was getting worse.  There was no infection and your nearly broken foot was healing with ease, as were the other burns and bruises, but to you, the idea of ever getting better seemed so far away.

  “Stop…”  You whimpered, pulling your foot away.  “Don’t touch it.”

  Prim’s lips formed a thin line and she looked between you and Katniss who was cradling you into her chest.  Katniss must’ve mouthed something to her because soon Prim nodded and stepped back.

  Once she left, Katniss gently rewrapped your foot with both bandages and ice.  Then she pressed a gentle kiss to your hand.

  “You really don’t want to try walking?”  She asked you softly, picking the tray back up.

  “No…”

  “Alright.”  She nodded.  “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

  You laid back down on your side and listened as Katniss left, the door shutting quietly behind her.

  From in the hall, you could hear the two of them talking.

  “She has to get up and walk.  She’s not going to get any better if she keeps laying down.”  Primrose said in a hushed, but worried voice.  “Katniss, you have to try… please.”

  “I know it’s hard.. and it really hurts to see her this way, but I don't know what to do.”  Katniss responded sadly.  “Her body is healing but her mind isn’t.”

  “You have to help it heal, she can’t do this alone, and she can’t just keep wasting away.  By the time her foot fully heals she’ll be too weak to walk.”

  “I mean… What do you expect, Prim?  She won’t even talk about what happened.  Gale says the mine has been closed the whole week, they’re still cleaning out the bodies, there hasn’t been an explosion like that since…”

  “Just think about what Mom would’ve done if Dad made it out, ask her if you have to.  But you have to do something.”

  The last thing you heard was Katniss sigh again, and then a soft, incoherent murmur as the two girls walked back downstairs.

  It was a few minutes until Katniss came back up.  She slipped her shoes and her jacket off as she laid down in bed beside you and curled around you.  Your body was limp in her arms and she tucked your face into her neck for a while, just holding you.

  “You can tell me what happened, you know…”  Katniss whispered, her breath hot against the side of your face.  “I know it wasn’t your fault, everyone does…  Y/n, I just want to help you.”

  “I don’t want to talk about it.”  You grumbled and tried to turn away but she held you in place.

  “Okay.”  With the touch of silk, she brushed your hair out of your face and kissed your cheek gently.  “But I’ll be right here, if you ever want to.”

  With most of your days being slept away, you weren’t too alarmed when you woke up to find it dark out.  The real thing that scared you wasn’t your horrible nightmare either, no… despite your racing heart and dizzy head, the real horror was that the bed was empty beside you.

  “Katniss..?”  You croaked out.  You never indulged her in the truth of your nightmares but she always held you after one, and she always came running when you called.

  But nobody came.

  Slowly, you sat up, tears stinging your eyes and your lungs feeling like sponges, soaking in air but it was never enough.  You couldn’t help but start to cry as the images in your head broke down your barrier.

  It was a few seconds later that footsteps came rushing down the hallway and soon a small hand was on your back.  You hardly even noticed, too caught up in the sudden panic attack that was tearing away your ability to breathe.  

  Through the fierce noises in your head and over the sound of your sobs, you could faintly hear Prim calling out for her mother and for Katniss.  Another set of hands gently grabbed your shoulders and you could see Mrs Everdeen speaking to you but it was as if you’d gone deaf, a horrible ringing filling your ears.

  The woman just sat beside you and rubbed your back until Katniss eventually showed up and you collapsed into her arms.  Her dark hair was soaked and she was in a robe, her body smelling of soap and shampoo.

  By the time you managed to calm down enough to hear again, Katniss was holding you in her lap and rocking you side to side.  She was humming softly and embracing you like it was the end of the world, her thumb brushing hot tears from your flushed cheeks.

  “Hey…” she murmured as she noticed you were finally coming to.  A small smile of relief spread across her face and she kissed the top of your head.  “You’re okay, I’ve got you.”

  You slowly nodded as you clung to her like a raft out at sea.  It took you a few more minutes of deep breathing before your voice finally returned to your sore throat.

  “I… I thought…  You were gone…”

  “I know, I’m sorry.”  Katniss shook her head, voice a little hoarse as if she’d been crying too.  “I was taking a shower, I didn’t think you’d wake up, I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t apologize…”  You rasped weakly.  “I should… I should be stronger, I–”

  “No, Y/N, don’t go there.”  Katniss hushed you with a gentle finger to your lips.  “You’ve been through something awful, and you’re allowed to get upset, okay?”  Her voice cracked and you realized she was once more on the verge of tears.  “It’s okay…”

  “Okay…”  You nodded softly in response, not wanting to make her cry again.

  Katniss nodded too and kissed your head once more.  She continued to just rock you for a while until she was sure neither of you would cry, then she spoke.

  “The same nightmare?”

  “Yeah…”  You shuddered, the visions still clear in your mind, though they were fading.

  “Do you want to talk about it?”

  You slowly looked up at her.  A part of you did, it would feel so good to tell someone this, to know you weren’t alone, but the thought of speaking about it made your throat almost close up and you shook your head.

  Katniss stroked your hair gently and suddenly you became aware of how… gross you were.  You whimpered and tried to break out of her arms but she frowned and held you close.  “Y/N… what is it?”

  “I’m so gross.”  You whined softly, feeling overwhelmed by everything once more.  Everything felt heavy, dirty…  

  This drew a soft chuckle out of Katniss, though it was quickly cut off as she turned your face to look at her.  She traced your cheek with her finger.

  “Do you want to take a bath?  I’ll sit with you.”

  “P-please…”

  It’s a good thing Katniss is as strong as she is.  From years of wielding bows and carrying game, her upper body and arms were strong enough to pick up a deer alone.

  She scooped you up and carried you down the hallway to the bathroom where she sat you on the rug as she began to fill the tub.  Once it was full of warm, sweet smelling water, she gently undressed you and then placed you in it.

  The warmth of the liquid felt so good on your stiff muscles and you let out a soft noise of content, relaxing in the bathtub.  Why had you put this off for so long?  It seemed silly now…

  Once you got settled, Katniss draped a cloth over your eyes so she could dampen your hair.  She poured some shampoo into her hands and then began to massage it into your scalp, slowly but surely breaking through that thick barrier that had been building up over the past week.

  After the first rinse, she spoke.

  “I can use a different shampoo, if you want.”  Katniss murmured.  She patted your shoulder gently as you sat in the tub, staring away from her.  “We’ve got…” she began rifling through the cabinet.  “Strawberry scented, mm.. Citrus scented… I think that was a gift from Effie..”

  You shook your head, slowly looking over at her as you hugged your knees to your chest.  “What’s the one you use…?”

  “This one.”  Katniss picked up a bottle.  It was green and worn from being reused and refilled.  “It’s not really anything… just something I’ve been using from the Hob since I was a kid.”

  She held it out for you to smell and you smiled a little as the scent filled your nostrils.  It smelled just like her, soothing you even more.

  “I want that one.”

  Katniss seemed a little surprised at first, and then she smiled.  “Alright.”

  With a gentle touch, she shampooed your hair once more and washed all of the grease out.  After that, she raked the same type of conditioner in and brushed it out for you.

  You let her wash your face without complaint, but it was when she started to wash your body that a nervous pit began to grow in your stomach.  You shied away from her touch.

  “Y/N, what is it?”  Katniss frowned, worried she’d done something wrong.  “If the cloth is too rough I can find something softer…  Is the water cold?”

  “No, no, it’s not that…”  You shook your head.  “I just…  I’m a mess.  I have so many scars and bruises now.. You don’t want to see that.”

  Surprisingly, this made Katniss chuckle softly.  She shook her head and moved to sit on the edge of the tub.  “I don’t mind.”  Her voice was gentle, understanding even.  “Y/N, I had more scars than I could count…  The Capitol got rid of them, but I still feel them sometimes…”  Then she paused.  “I just don’t want you to think I’m going to judge you, because I’m not.  But… if you don’t want my help, I won’t touch you.”

  You hesitated for a moment, then slowly nodded.  “N-no… it’s okay.”

  Katniss smiled a little and sat there quietly as you returned to her reach.  She washed your body as tenderly as she could, finally removing the layers of dirt and grit that had been plaguing you.  It wasn’t a significant change but you couldn’t lie that you didn’t feel a lot better.

  Once she finished, Katniss rinsed your hair out once more, then she drained and refilled the tub with new water so that you could lounge and relax in fresh water.  

  “Do you want to be alone?”  Katniss asked softly as she dipped her fingers into the water to make sure the temperature was okay.

  You shook your head.  “Please stay.”

  You didn’t have to ask twice.  Katniss settled down beside the tub with a book and started to read out loud to you, a hobby she’d picked up that she realized calmed the both of you down quite well.

  She was so invested in the story that she hadn’t realized you were crying until you let out a soft sob.  The book shut instantly and she was at your side.

  “What happened?  What’s wrong?”  Katniss’s voice was full of worry, fearing the worst, another breakdown perhaps.

  You shook your head as you stared down at the water, salty tears dribbling down your face and splashing into the tub.  “Nothing.”

  “You’re crying, somethings wrong.”

  Another soft sob bubbled up in your throat and you tucked your chin into your chest.  “Can I tell you about my nightmares…?”

  “Of course, love, of course…”  Katniss didn’t notice the pet name slipping out, as cheesy as it was.  She slowly sat down on the edge of the tub and dipped her feet in the water so she could pull you into her.  Your damp hair and body soaked her shirt as you buried your face into her stomach, and then heaved a sigh.

  “Every night I dream that… I’m back in the mines.”  Even just saying the word made you feel sick.  You clutched onto her shirt with wet, pruned fingers.  “I-I’m down with everyone… and then.. Then something goes wrong and it blows up again.”

  There it was, the cause of all of this pain and fear and trauma.  They still hadn’t exactly found out who or what had caused the explosion, but it left few survivors, including you by some miracle.  You were left far too wounded to keep working, which upset your family, and soon you found your new home with the Everdeens, who had more riches than they knew what to do with.

  At first, you wished you’d died with them all as the survivors' guilt was horrifically strong.  Then as you noticed how Katniss trembled softly at your words and held you tighter, you were suddenly glad that you were alive because she couldn’t bear to lose you.

  “And… and it just hurts so badly… I can’t see anything and all I can hear is the ringing and crying and groaning and…”  You trailed off before you could break down again, just leaning into her even more.

  Katniss’s arms slipped around you and she rested her chin on top of your head, feeling your shoulders heave with silent, broken cries.  She soothed you with gentle hushes and soft murmurs of comforting words until you fell silent into her arms.

  You were exhausted… all you wanted to do was lay back in bed.  And as Katniss gently tilted your head up to clean your face, she could read you like a book.

  She helped you out of the tub, dried you off, did your hair, and then slid you into some of her pajamas.  Then she carried you back to bed like you weighed nothing more than a feather, and you fell asleep, safely curled in her warm embrace.

  The next day, when Katniss and Prim came to visit you again, you reluctantly agreed to try to stand.

  Both girls slid your arms over their shoulders and slowly holsted you up to your feet.  You slowly stood, feeling quite uneasy and weak.  

  Gingerly, you placed your foot down on the ground and braced yourself for the shocking wave of pain, but it never came.  You opened your eyes and looked down.  Your foot, still as beaten and battered as it was, wasn’t nearly as bad as you expected.

  “Good, good.”  Katniss smiled warmly at you and held your hand tight.  She pointed to Prim who was a few steps away.  “Do you think you can walk towards her?”

  “I’ll try…”

  It took a few minutes, but soon you were able to walk around the room, with Katniss’s help, of course.  And after a while you were starting to get the hang of moving again, until Prim accidentally tripped you and you all fell onto the bed in a fit of giggles.

  Things got a little easier after that.  Katniss coaxed you out of bed most days and helped you walk around the house until you could hobble pretty well on your own.  She was almost always with you, soothing you from your nightmares, being a strong shoulder for you to lean on, and even sharing some of her trauma so you could feel closer to her.

  About a week later, Katniss decided to take you outside.

  Spring was coming and it was a bit warmer out.  You each shed your jackets on the porch and then strolled around the Victors Village.

  When you started to feel a bit tired and uneasy, Katniss sat you down on a log near the edge of the woods and sat beside you.  She took your hands into hers and gave them a gentle squeeze.

  “Thank you… for not giving up on me.”  You whispered softly, your forehead pressing into the soft skin of her cheek.

  Katniss ran her fingers through the ends of your hair and made a soft noise.  “I would never give up on you.”  She murmured softly.  

  “Even if it’s hopeless?  What if I never get completely better or.. or I still have nightmares?”

  With a shake of her head, Katniss pulled you into her.  “I’m not losing another loved one to the mines.”  She murmured protectively, as if she alone could shield you from the world.

  A small, relieved smile spread across your lips and you nodded softly.  “I wouldn’t have healed without you.”

  “You healed me, it’s only right that I do the same.”

  You each exchanged a grin, and then a gentle kiss.  Katniss let you lay her head on your shoulder and she moved her hand to gently rub your back and the two of you watched the sunset together, finally feeling like things were going to be okay.

  Later, Katniss brought you back home, and you had dinner at the table for the first time in weeks.  The Everdeens were your family now, they cared about you just as you cared about them.  And you wouldn’t rather have it any other way.

#the hunger games #catching fire #the mockingjay #katniss everdeen #katniss everdeen x reader #katniss everdeen x fem!reader #katniss everdeen x you #x reader

[ravencincaide]

When the dead talk

Summary:  Sometimes you wonder whether Dazai seeks you out because of your ability or if there is an obsessive element to your encounters. Either way as long as he keeps his part of the deal, you’ll make the dead talk for him. OR the real reason Dazai is always dirt poor. 

Pairing: Necromancer!reader x  Dazai

Inspired by Sweetober prompt 19: Teeth Brushing 

Warnings: This is a somewhat morbid and contains: Necromancy, toxic-unhealthy relationship, hint at suicide (lets face it, it’s BSD and Dazai!), hint at Odasaku, cursing,  

Polish polish polish bones, grimy bones, dirty bones 

Polish polish human bones, my fair lady

You ran the slim blush over each and every tooth; first the top ones. You paid  extra attention to the canines. Then down the jawline and up to the second row of teeth. There you scrubbed a little harder to brush away the dirt that got in between the crevasse. You changed brushes several times; first the normal toothbrush, then onto a different thin one and then into an even thinner one. Each one able to get more easily into the crooks and gaps. 

Once satisfied you went back to brushing the jawline, focused on removing any of the dirt gathered there before you  flipped the skull over. You did a similar meticulous job of cleaning the underside. Being thorough to remove soil and all the other nastiness from the precious bone. Under your breath, you were humming the tune of “London bridge is falling down”, though you replaced the words of the familiar nursery rhyme with more bone related appealing lyrics. That was until you heard the metal door far above open, while its hinges squealed loudly in protest. The sound made you lose yourself in the made-up lyrics; a groan of annoyance making it past your lips. 

“ Was that really necessary?” you whined as the worn out dress shoes made an irregular tip-tapping sound against the concrete floors. 

“ Still working donna?” was the reply you got instead. The voice was neither warm nor icy, something lukewarm. It grew closer, the steps tipp tapping away until they came up right behind you. A bony bandage-clad hand placed a paper bag with a take away container and some other items beside you. The hand lingered there for a moment longer, waiting until you fully acknowledged the generous gift he brought you. When you didn’t, the hand snapped upwards, grabbed your face and twisted it to the side. 

Face to face with the young devil. 

 “ I told you to be done by the time I arrived.” Dazai’s expression was displeased, raw chewed lips turned downwards into a frown. The hand on your chin tightened; no doubt tomorrow you would wake up with finger-shaped bruises on your skin. 

“ You pay peanuts, you get monkeys” you replied back, meeting his hollow gaze with your unafraid one. Still your hands slowly lowered the skull you worked on onto the table, the gentle clang of bone against metal seemed to snap him back into reality. He gave you another warning look before he shoved your face away from himself.  

You danced away; twirled to the opposite side of the otherwise tiny room and the metal sink placed there. Hands reached for the soap, scrubbed at the dirt and pieces of flesh before running your digits under ice cold water. You were not about to dig into much needed dinner with dirty hands- even you had standards.You held them there until you lost feeling; skin red- almost blue from the cold. Then you turned the water off with your elbow, while you wiped your hands onto a nearby paper towel, Then back you went towards Dazai and the paper bag he had gotten for you. 

“ Awwe Rice on Tea again?” your smile dropped as you opened the half-cold container. “ C’mon really? Even prisoners get more variety than this!” 

Dazai chuckled at your reply, a humorless sound at your choice of words, while his eyes watched your every move with hawk like dedication. Dazai tried to look unbothered, tried to hide the itch in his hand and the frustration which brewed in the pit of his stomach.  “This is plenty in return for your services” he replied stiffly. 

You dug your chopsticks in, twirling the half soggy rice around the plastic bowl. Then brought a grain to your lips. Although tasty the food left you to craving a new blend; “ I bet Port Mafia’d give more” 

“ You’re not cut out for Port Mafia” Dazai growled, his one uncovered eye narrowed. Just daring you to continue this conversation. You knew he wouldn’t kill you- but that did not mean starvation and torture was off the table. “ You're still too weak; its safer here” 

I don’t share.

That was what he was actually saying. The underlying threat right there; care twisted into sadism with you balanced on a thin beam between. One wrong step and begging for mercy would be the least of your worries. Setting the food back down, your eyes shifted onto the rest of the bones beside the human skull you had spent the last few hours cleaning. Your fingers reached out towards the femur and you picked it up with interest “ Can I keep these?” 

“ No.” he answered in a heartbeat. “ Not these ones” 

You frowned and turned to face him. A pout on your lips “ Oh come on, pretty please. I already do so much for you and you get me so little in return” you moved closer, practically in his face.

“ I SAID no!” You tightened your grip on the bone, the brittle thing beginning to crack in your grasp. The sound made Dazai snapp, his hand moved faster than your mind could register. But you knew what he’d do; whenever he got emotional he was so much easier for you to read. 

“ Ahh ahh ahh marvelous, are you gonna shoot me? Let this ugly flesh rot away until my sceletton can join the others, to be feasted on by vermints and rats, or tossed outside as vulture food. Please hurry up, you’re getting me all so excited” you clasped your hands and held them cutely to the right side of your face, tilting your head to the side and giving him long flaps of eyelashes.  The sight might have looked cute- endearing even were it not for the bone covered in dirt and half rotten flesh clasped in between your hands. 

You were flirting with death; literary. 

“ Do that again and I’ll shoot you to pieces, inch by inch” Dazai hissed in warning, nudging the gun closer to your temple. You grinned in response, yet your grin dropped the second he whacked you with the weapon. 

“ Holy fucking shit- ouch!” you yelped as you took a step back, your back hitting the metal table, adding insult to injury. Your head clasped in your hands; part in actual pain and part in a feeble attempt to guilt a softer responsible- a gentle reaction out of him. 

Seeing right through your act, Dazai took a step closer, almost suffocating you with his murderous aura.  The look in his eyes told you, you were going to regret pushing and toying with him. “ How long until you’re done?” Dazai barked, not a sign of the usual softness he’d use whenever he wanted something out of you. 

You were unbothered by it; neither his loudness nor the gun in his hand scared you any longer. You could see that the rage was there to hide the more vulnerable emotion; longing, fear and desire. Human emotion not reserved for the demon protege. 

“ Hmmm about an hour” you answered without even flinching as he slammed his gun against the metal table behind you, right beside the remains, careful of them, less careful of your hand.

“ An hour? I told you to get this finished before I come!” 

“ You pay peanuts, you get monkeys” you repeated a second time, softer this time. You watched the infuriated emotion pass over his face, then saw it twist into something almost gentle. A caring seductive look that did not suit this terrible man. 

“ You disappoint me Bella,” his voice a silky purr, a heart-wrenching sigh; his body in your space again. Arms on either side of you, head bowed to rest on your shoulder. “ I thought you weren’t going to do that” he turned his head to the side, hot breath fanning your neck. 

You barely resisted a shiver, then felt your knees grow weak as his lips landed on your skin, right above your pulse. You could feel his smile as he pressed more open mouth kisses. Making your mind a jumbled mess, your body an involuntary respondent to his advances. 

God this man was a demon; a monster who played you like a flute. 

You gasped, your head thrown back as his teeth nipped at your skin. Your knees shook, growing weaker with every touch; “ ahh h-he is w-waiting in the other room.”

At your words Dazai let out a low hum, finally stopping his assault on your skin. When he pulled back, he wore a smile. The kind of sweet hopeful look that was not reserved for you. 

Never you. 

You felt his finger tap your nose, bringing your mind back to reality. “ Make sure you keep it up for longer this time, and you’ll be well rewarded” Dazai flashed you a smirk and then stepped away from you. There was a slight skip in his step, a humm that wasn’t there before as he moved towards the door on the opposite side of the room; a bottle of whiskey he swiped from the paperbag in one hand and two glasses in another.  

You heard the door open; Dazai’s sing-song voice calling out “Odasaku~” and a less pleased reply before the door slammed shut. Keeping you out locked out of their conversation, yet just close enough that your ability wouldn’t fade. Not like you would be going anywhere; not when his kisses had turned your body to jelly. 

A dirty yet very effective trick. 

But it was okay; as long as Dazai kept his part of the deal, you did not mind making the dead sing for him. 

Author note: An anon asked if i'd be posting more Dazai fics. And my answer is basically this. Another one with unclear dynamic between reader and Dazai but still I hope you enjoyed,

#bsd dazai #bungo stray dogs #dazai x reader #dazai x you #sweetober #raven cincaide works #necromancer #bsd ability user #you x osamu #Odasaku #questionable dynamic

[nightswatchdisbandmentera]

Consider this quote that has launched a thousand ships...

“Every man who walks the earth casts a shadow on the world. Some are thin and weak, others long and dark. You should look behind you, Lord Snow. The moon has kissed you and etched your shadow upon the ice twenty feet tall.”

(Jon VI, ADWD)

This is one of those quotes that has a lot of hidden meanings, depending on the leans through which the reader interprets it.

I often see it used as shipping fodder - understandably so, given Jon's connection to both Arya and Daenerys. But I would argue that it really has a lot of symbolic significance to Jon, kings, and dragons.

For instance, Mel talking of men casting shadows upon the world and then immediately mentioning that Jon's own shadow looms large over one of the greatest wonders of the world reminds me of several quotes about Tyrion:

“Some woman, no doubt. Most of them are.” He favored Jon with a rueful grin. “Remember this, boy. All dwarfs may be bastards, yet not all bastards need be dwarfs.” And with that he turned and sauntered back into the feast, whistling a tune. When he opened the door, the light from within threw his shadow clear across the yard, and for just a moment Tyrion Lannister stood tall as a king.

(Jon I, AGOT)

“Oh, I think that Lord Tyrion is quite a large man,” Maester Aemon said from the far end of the table. He spoke softly, yet the high officers of the Night’s Watch all fell quiet, the better to hear what the ancient had to say. “I think he is a giant come among us, here at the end of the world.”

(Tyrion III, AGOT)

Tyrion has often been likened to a small man who casts a giant-like shadow - often within the context of him wielding some sort of power/influence, as we can see with Vary's remarks. It's quite remarkable that Jon, a mere boy, is also equated with casting a giant-like shadow, especially within the context of him wielding innate magical power. I also find it difficult to ignore that Tyrion's shadow is said to stand as tall as a king, especially if we add the context of Jon comparing their heights earlier in that chapter.

We thus have shadows likened to kings. So where do the dragons come in?

“A trader from Qarth once told me that dragons came from the moon,” blond Doreah said as she warmed a towel over the fire. Jhiqui and Irri were of an age with Dany, Dothraki girls taken as slaves when Drogo destroyed their father’s khalasar. Doreah was older, almost twenty. Magister Illyrio had found her in a pleasure house in Lys. Silvery-wet hair tumbled across her eyes as Dany turned her head, curious. “The moon?” “He told me the moon was an egg, Khaleesi,” the Lysene girl said. “Once there were two moons in the sky, but one wandered too close to the sun and cracked from the heat. A thousand thousand dragons poured forth, and drank the fire of the sun. That is why dragons breathe flame. One day the other moon will kiss the sun too, and then it will crack and the dragons will return.”

(Daenerys III, AGOT)

It's said that dragons are birthed from the moon. Daenerys' herself is presented as some sort of moon maid often in the text - which makes it all the more believable that she's the moon kissing Jon in Mel's quote.

But we must also consider Mel's quote within the larger context of the book in which it appears. For Jon, ADWD is full of symbolism regarding death, (re)birth, kings, Azor Ahai's legend, and dragons waking from stone.

Burning dead children had ceased to trouble Jon Snow; live ones were another matter. Two kings to wake the dragon. The father first and then the son, so both die kings. The words had been murmured by one of the queen’s men as Maester Aemon had cleaned his wounds. Jon had tried to dismiss them as his fever talking. Aemon had demurred. “There is power in a king’s blood,” the old maester had warned, “and better men than Stannis have done worse things than this.” The king can be harsh and unforgiving, aye, but a babe still on the breast? Only a monster would give a living child to the flames.

(Jon I, ADWD)

A repeated motif with the faith of R'hllor, especially as it pertains to Mel and her attempts to bring about Azor Ahai, is the idea of human sacrifice. Especially the sacrifice of king's blood. How curious that this line is repeated several times in the Wall plot? And how curious that we end the book with Jon's assassination.....

Throughout ADWD, Mel sees Jon in her visions, especially as she looks for Azor Ahai. Val later reminds him that there is some significance to what Mel sees

“His milk name. I had to call him something. See that he stays safe and warm. For his mother’s sake, and mine. And keep him away from the red woman. She knows who he is. She sees things in her fires.” Arya, he thought, hoping it was so. “Ashes and cinders.” “Kings and dragons.”

(Jon VIII, ADWD)

There irony here is that they're right. Mel sees Snow in her visions (though Jon is thinking of lowercase 's'). But only Val equates this to kings and dragons. We know that Jon is both.

“Pyp should learn to hold his tongue. I have heard the same from others. King’s blood, to wake a dragon. Where Melisandre thinks to find a sleeping dragon, no one is quite sure. It’s nonsense. Mance’s blood is no more royal than mine own. He has never worn a crown nor sat a throne. He’s a brigand, nothing more. There’s no power in brigand’s blood.”

(Sam I, AFFC)

There is a deep irony to this quote. We know that Jon is dead (or near death) by the end of ADWD. And if we consider R+L=J, then it seems that Melisandre has just found her sleeping dragon, whether she knows it or not. This could create a very interesting parallel to the Tragedy at Summerhall. which was intended to birth dragons but instead brought about a metaphorical dragon in Prince Rhaegar....who happens to be Jon's father, and who was initially thought to be Azor Ahai/TPTWP. Thus, there is an intended parallel of a Targaryen princeling mimicking dragons waking from stone with both Rhaegar and Jon.

Not only that but according to prophecy, Azor Ahai has been credited with having birthed dragons

“He is not dead. Stannis is the Lord’s chosen, destined to lead the fight against the dark. I have seen it in the flames, read of it in ancient prophecy. When the red star bleeds and the darkness gathers, Azor Ahai shall be born again amidst smoke and salt to wake dragons out of stone. Dragonstone is the place of smoke and salt.”

(Jon X, ADWD)

But we have what seems to be a different interpretation of prophecy that has Azor Ahai forging Lightbringer, and there is the mention of a moon....

“A hundred days and a hundred nights he labored on the third blade, and as it glowed white-hot in the sacred fires, he summoned his wife. ‘Nissa Nissa,’ he said to her, for that was her name, ‘bare your breast, and know that I love you best of all that is in this world.’ She did this thing, why I cannot say, and Azor Ahai thrust the smoking sword through her living heart. It is said that her cry of anguish and ecstasy left a crack across the face of the moon, but her blood and her soul and her strength and her courage all went into the steel. Such is the tale of the forging of Lightbringer, the Red Sword of Heroes.

(Davos I, ACOK)

So all in all, we're told that dragons (allegedly) came from the moon, and that Azor Ahai's forging of Lightbringer caused a crack in the moon (which sounds very similar to the crack that brought forth dragons).

Side Note: Are these two different prophesies? Different interpretations of one prophecy? The second one talks of a very literal flaming sword, but did the crack in the moon also bring forth dragons? In that case, are there supposed to be two Lightbringers (a sword and dragons)?

When we consider all of these things, Jon is placed in a rather peculiar position. He could be the dragon being born from the moon....but what if he is the sun itself? (Or as close to the sun as he possible can be?)

Let's take a step back and consider again how Daenerys fits into all of this.

Dany pressed her heels into her silver and rode closer. “My lord,” she said softly. “Drogo. My sun-and-stars.”

(Daenerys VIII, AGOT)

Khal Drogo looked down at her. His face was a copper mask, yet under the long black mustache, drooping beneath the weight of its gold rings, she thought she glimpsed the shadow of a smile. “Is good name, Dan Ares wife, moon of my life,” he said.

(Daenerys V, AGOT)

As stated earlier, Daenerys has always been presented as a moon maid. In her interactions with Khal Drogo, he often called her the moon and she equated him with the sun; which makes for a very interesting comparison later on when Drogo's life is exchanged for dragons, and Dany kisses him sometime prior.

There aren't many similarities between Jon and Drogo, but Dany's House of the Undying visions place them both as her husbands.

Her silver was trotting through the grass, to a darkling stream beneath a sea of stars. A corpse stood at the prow of a ship, eyes bright in his dead face, grey lips smiling sadly. A blue flower grew from a chink in a wall of ice, and filled the air with sweetness.… mother of dragons, bride of fire …

(Daenerys IV, ACOK)

Then we have the matter of Azor Ahai and his flaming sword, Lightbringer.

ADWD hints at the possibility that Jon will be the one (not Stannis) to successfully forge this legendary sword.

Jon was armored in black ice, but his blade burned red in his fist. 

(Jon XII, ADWD)

What's interesting about Lightbringer is that it's not just an ordinary flaming sword. There's more to say on the properties of Lightbringer but based on textual clues, we can assume that it must meet two conditions:

It must give off heat

It must be bright...as bright as the sun (Jon's ADWD dream indicates that his sword is giving off a light that encompasses the world around him: "his blade burned red in his fist...The world dissolved into a red mist."

Lightbringer being a stand in for the sun often comes up in relation to Stannis' false sword.

“Now he comes north humbled, with his tail between his legs. Why should I give him any aid? Answer me that.” Because he is your rightful king, Davos thought. Because he is a strong man and a just one, the only man who can restore the realm and defend it against the peril that gathers in the north. Because he has a magic sword that glows with the light of the sun. 

(Davos I, ADWD)

Stannis Baratheon drew Lightbringer. The sword glowed red and yellow and orange, alive with light. Jon had seen the show before … but not like this, never before like this. Lightbringer was the sun made steel.  [...] “Westeros has but one king,” said Stannis. His voice rang harsh, with none of Melisandre’s music. “With this sword I defend my subjects and destroy those who menace them. Bend the knee, and I promise you food, land, and justice. Kneel and live. Or go and die. The choice is yours.” He slipped Lightbringer into its scabbard, and the world darkened once again, as if the sun had gone behind a cloud. “Open the gates.”

(Jon III, ADWD)

This brings up a very interesting question for the reader to consider. If Jon is the one to successfully forge the true Lightbringer, then he becomes one who would wield the sun itself; which is undoubtedly going to be very important in the upcoming war for the dawn when all of Westeros will be covered by never ending darkness.

Jon himself is never directly linked to having the countenance of the sun, or being golden like the sun, but it must mean something if he is the one to harness the sun.

So going back to Mel's quote, it's a bit of a mental exercise to try and tease out what role Jon plays in this. The moon (which birthed dragons) has embraced him. But is Jon the dragon to be brought forth by the moon's actions? Is he the sun? Or maybe a hybrid of both?

#jon snow #prophesies and visions #azor ahai #lightbringer #dragons #asoiaf #valyrianscrolls #my stuff

[maladaptivedaydreamers]

“Ice and Fire” Prince Xiao x Reader

Synopsis: 3 years ago, Liyue and Mondstadt were supposed to unite through a political marriage between you and Liyue’s Crown Prince, Prince Xiao. You, the kind-hearted crown princess of Mondstadt, visit Liyue for their nation to see how you rule your future kingdom. Their cold, brutal prince seems to hate you…

3 years ago…

You were in a conference, addressing the recent crisis of drought in Liyue.

“This meeting is adjourned, please remember that the empire will always aid to you if there is another crisis.” you said, hitting the gavel onto the table.

Hearing the princess's words, their faces brightened up as they all nodded in agreement.

Xiao, on the other hand, remained silent...the tension in his facial expression seemed to have increased.

“I need to put a stop to this meeting..” Xiao thought in his mind.

He then interjected, "With all due respect, princess. I need to add a point...and that is...your kindness has no limits...." His tone was sarcastic as he spoke in a dry way...his expression was still blank as he continued - "It will bring disaster to the empire..."

His words were harsh, and everyone in the room seemed to have heard what Xiao had said. They looked at Xiao with great confusion and surprise.

“Your highness? Please don’t doubt my reign.” You said to you fiancé. “As I’ve said…This meeting is adjourned.”

Xiao's lips were thin, and he looked at the princess with sharp eyes, "Forgive me, princess, but I cannot accept your words. Your words carry great meaning, and they will surely affect the future of the Empire." Xiao said, his tone clipped and cold.

"I am afraid that this will only bring the empire to a greater disaster in the future." Xiao continued as his face held a cold expression.

"If the princess would like the meeting to be adjourned, then that is the princess's wish...I understand and respect that." Xiao said with a hint of sarcasm again.

You scoffed, you knew how the prince acts. His cold demeanor always scared his people. “You should’ve done better in handling this conference then. Instead of lashing out at your people, you should’ve been truthful. Case dismissed.” You said, standing up from your chair.

"Oh really?" Xiao's eyebrows raised as he glanced at the princess. "I never asked you to help my nation. All I want you to do....is to stay away from my Empire." Xiao coldly replied.

His words were cold, and they were cruel.

It was true that the Empire had wanted something that would be helpful to their people, but they had never asked for her help to begin with.

"Let me tell you this, princess. Liyue can survive without you. If you cannot understand that, then you will be in for a rude awakening." Xiao said in a cold tone, his eyes looking deep into the princess's eyes.

The princess scowled at his words, “And let me tell you this, your majesty. You strive so hard to protect your nation. But if you keep neglecting your people… One day, there will be no one left to protect.”

Xiao did not even flinch at the princess's bold words.

If anything, he looked as if he was about to laugh out loud.

"Neglect my people? That's a funny thing for you to say, princess...you neglected your own family, yet you're here blaming me for neglecting my people...." Xiao replied coldly, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

His eyes narrowed as he continued - "You even neglected your own duty to the throne. Do I need to remind you of that, princess?" Xiao asked smugly.

“I have never neglected my duty to my throne in Mondstadt! It doesn’t matter if I am in Liyue now, I am still their princess! Have you forgotten? That my nation shared their crops with you during the famine? Shared their resources?” You interjected.

"You had a responsibility...which is to govern Mondstadt and its people...yet you left those responsibilities to your sick father." Xiao said coldly as his expression was indifferent.

"Your family tried to help you and get you back on the way...but you refused. As the princess of Mondstadt, should you not have stayed by your people's side?" Xiao asked in a cold tone, his tone was cold, and his expression was indifferent as well.

"This is no longer about the incident right now...you have responsibilities. And you did not take care of them."

“My nation knows what I’m doing. My nation understands my efforts.” You yelled back in frustration.

Xiao suddenly laughed, loudly. He laughed coldly and in a derisive way. "I am merely pointing out your mistake, princess..."

"You have done nothing for Mondstadt as their ruler and you left your family behind. Even now I doubt that your family misses such a daughter."

Xiao's laughter was cold, but it showed no signs of stopping, his cold laugh was not one of a happy person, it was a cold laugh of contempt...the kind of laugh he had when he looked down upon others.

You raise your hand and slap Xiao hard. “How DARE you talk about my family and nation in such a way?! Fine. You want me to leave?”

As Xiao's eyes widened, he put a hand where he was slapped. His jaw clenched, and his face showed a coldly fury. The moment the slap hit his cheek, he felt angry...his cold laughter faded away, and fury replaced it in Xiao's black eyes.

Xiao's eyes seemed to have narrowed, and he let out a low growl as he stared at the princess.

"A princess who slaps a prince? Do you even realize how much of an offense that is?" Xiao said, the fury had not left his expression.

You look over at the people and the journalists. “It seems like Prince Xiao and I have come to an agreement. Our alliance is over. There will be no wedding. The two nations will remain separated and I shall return to Mondstadt by tonight, and we will rule our nations separately.”

Xiao freezes. "You are being too hasty, princess..."

"I can apologize for my harsh words..." But before Xiao could say another word, the princess suddenly turned around and was already walking away.

"Princess!..." Xiao called out for her, but the princess did not look back, she only kept on walking.

The reporters and the people looked on in shock. They were surprised to see the princess go and leave the conference so suddenly.

Xiao's attention was on the princess, and his anger was still as strong in his face as he stared at her.

Xiao looked on at the scene playing in front of him. The reporters, the nobles and the people...now he had to explain to everyone that the wedding had been canceled.

He turned around and looked at the reporters. The reporters quickly focused on Xiao, the reporter in front spoke, "Your majesty, can you explain what is happening with the wedding?"

Xiao sighed, "The princess has decided to break off our alliance..." He replied, sighing. As his voice was firm, his tone was calm and clear.

The reporter nodded and moved back to his group, he did not want to cause any more trouble.

The nobles looked around, whispering amongst themselves.

"How could she be so rude? And she hit him..."

"Well...he did insult her...and her family..." A few nobles whispered to each other.

A few months later… Mondstadt rejoiced in the return of their princess and they were flourishing more than usual. However, after a few months, it seems that Liyue was going through the opposite.

Xiao could not help but take notice of Mondstat's prosperity, as he would frequently receive news and letters regarding the political situation, but he would always ignore them as if he did not care.

He then turned around and looked through the window. As he looked through it, he could see that it was late at night, and the moon hung in the dark sky.

In the distance, something caught Xiao's eyes, his eyes widened as he looked closer. It was smoke rising in the sky. Xiao then took a step forward to get a better look, and he could see that he was right. Smoke was rising in the distance. He then heard people shouting and the sounds of horses hooves. He knew it, something bad had happened.

In an instant, Xiao immediately left the room and started moving quickly with his long stride. He had to find out what had happened, so he ran through the palace. Xiao looked back to see that the guards were following him with their spears in their hands. The smoke became thicker as Xiao and the others ran toward it, Xiao's heart was beating faster and faster as they reached a clearing near the forest.

He stopped, and he saw people running, their screams for help were heard by Xiao. He quickly assessed the situation when something caught his attention. A large fire was seen in the clearing, it was getting bigger and bigger by each passing moment.

The capitol was burning…

He continued moving forward while running toward the Capitol. The flames continued to go up, as the night sky filled with dark smoke.

"What happened?" Xiao said as he ran past people, his sword still in its sheath.

People looked at Xiao as he ran past them. They saw his long hair blow in the wind with his long stride. His black armor was shining in the light but also the moonlight. The moonlight reflected from Xiao's white eyes.

He continued to run forward while he looked around. The Capitol was getting closer and closer the closer he got. The fire became more and more visible the more Xiao walked. The guards were still rushing behind him with their spears to protect the king.

A few days later, they were now having a discussion about the aftermath of the fire.

Xiao and the other nobles continued to discuss the events surrounding the fire and the Capitol's condition. They were inside the throne room, their voices echoing across the floor. The fire had destroyed the Capitol, yet everyone had now gathered to decide what should be done.

The flames had destroyed everything, and now they have little hope.

"We must rebuild the Capitol." Xiao said firmly, and his voice is filled with fury. "The Capitol is a symbol of our kingdom and without it, we will have no hope." He continued.

The other nobles looked around at each other. They were still in shock and had no answers.

Then someone stood up, "How will we do this, my king? How will we rebuild the Capitol when it is now in ruins?"

”We do not have any funds, your majesty.”

“What’re we going to do?”

“We spent the funds for the infirmary bills for those who were injured.” They bombarded him with questions.

Xiao raised his eyebrow as he looked at the noble and said, "We will seek assistance from other kingdoms." Xiao said coldly.

"Other places might not be willing to help after the incident between us and Mondstadt." The other noble had a point, with a conflict like that, there would be no way for them to rebuild the Capitol. They needed to do something. Then Xiao thought of something, he finally came to a decision.

"Then I will ask for Mondstadt's help." Xiao said firmly. "Maybe after this incident, things will improve for us." He said.

The other nobles were shocked as they turned their gazes toward Xiao. "The princess?" The noble raised an eyebrow. "She would never...." "How can you request help from..." They were shocked by Xiao's decision.

"Mondstadt will not deny our request." He replied. "No country, kingdom, or empire would deny an opportunity to strengthen a relationship. And we have no other ways of rebuilding if we don't get their help."

"Besides, the princess will accept, I know she will." Xiao replied.

"We used to be friends after all."

A few days later, as you were working in your office in Mondstadt, you hear a knock on your door. “Come in!” you called out.

Xiao then walked in, he approached the princess as she looked at him with a stern look.

"Liyue’s Capitol has burned down." Xiao said, still looking at the princess, his eyes were cold as always. "We seek your assistance, now we know you do not like us."

"But our kingdom has no hope, unless you want to watch it crumble down to its last foundation." Xiao said in a cold voice, he still remained as calm as ever.

His eyes were cold and his long black hair swayed as he was standing in front of the princess.

“Liyue is an independent country, are they not? You said so yourself.” you said, not looking up at him as you read through your files.

Xiao was caught off guard with this new reaction from the princess. She did not look up at him, nor did she even give him a glance. She had completely ignored Xiao.

"Yes, we are still independent." Xiao replied, his voice was filled with coldness. "Even if we are independent, we are still not immune to being affected by our surroundings. Our neighbors are a major part of our society, we can't survive alone in this world." He continued, his tone stayed the same.

“From what I heard, you lacked funds for your nation because of nobles who wanted the funds for themselves. And now, you expect my nation to pay for your own mistakes? Is that how you want things to go?” you scoffed, looking at him from your desk as he stands in front of it.

Xiao raised his eyebrow as his expression remained the same and his voice was cold as ice. "This is not an ordinary mistake, this is a crisis." Xiao said.

"I already told you that the fire was intentional, there was no mistake." He continued. "This was a disaster because of the extremists, not our corruption.

"It's like having someone burn your house down, is it not? You lose everything, and then you build it up again, right from the start. The same thing applies to a kingdom. We need your help to rebuild our Capitol from the ground up." Xiao continued.

"What do you want me to do, princess?" Xiao raised his eyebrow.

"You say we're corrupt, but you know very well that corruption is something that's hard to fix." Xiao said.

"We're asking for your help because your nation is more stable than ours." He continued while looking at the princess, his voice filled with coldness.

"A true friend always helps another." Xiao continued, his eyes showing his coldness. "A true friend would provide assistance while still seeing the good side of others."

You let out a sigh. Even through your difference, you have grown attached to the citizens of Liyue during your stay there before. And now you simply couldn’t just let them die.

The next day…at the conference. “May this meeting commence.” You say, as you sit on your chair.

The meeting went on smoothly. It wasn't long before an agreement was reached.

Xiao and the Knights of Favonius would work together to rid the lands of these extremists that had struck their nation.

It was time for the both of them to set aside their differences and cooperate to deal with the common enemy.

You call onto their Finance Minister, Albedo. “How much is the estimated loss due to the fire?”

"It is huge, Princess." Albedo replied. "The fire has burned down tens of thousands of houses and businesses. There are thousands of wounded people everywhere."

"All the medical centers are filled beyond their limit. The streets are filled with ash. The whole place looks like an apocalyptic hell." Albedo continued.

He then looked away from the princess and sighed. "There are no safe places left. The whole city has become a hell." Albedo said. He had been describing the city with his usual tone of flatness.

“And how much does your nation demand?” you sigh, hearing their misfortune.

"I would say at least a million moras." Albedo said.

"Maybe even more than that, but I can't give you an accurate estimate." Albedo said as he sighed again, "And that's just to repair the city. That's not taking into account the amount of resources we need to rebuild the military." Albedo continued.

"But we can't forget that there are hundreds of people that need to be helped." Albedo added. "We need food and medical supplies for people." Albedo continued.

"Right now, the city's funds have run dry. We have already used everything we had." Xiao replied.

"We don't have any savings left, we spent it all on rescuing the wounded who managed to survive." Xiao continued with a sigh.

"Right now, all the city has left is the few medical supplies we saved, but that won't last long." Xiao continued as he sighed.

"If we do not get more resources soon, I fear that the number of victims will only get higher and higher." Xiao elaborated.

You freeze, they had…no money at all? “You have..no funds? Not a single mora?!” your voice raised, hearing how irresponsible they were with funds.

"We are left with nothing." Xiao said, his voice still cold as always.

"We used everything we had." Xiao continued, and there was a hint of sadness in his voice.

"We are completely unprepared for a crisis like this; we just did not expect it to happen." Xiao continued, his voice cold.

"We do not know what to do anymore. This crisis is too big for us to handle." Xiao looked down and sighed.

"If we do not get more help, the situation will only get worse." Xiao finished.

“This is so..disappointing. You are the crown prince! The future Emperor of Liyue and you have done NOTHING for your people!” you yelled.

Xiao was stunned by the princess's words, and he was shocked by the sudden outburst.

"I have done all I have been able to, Princess." Xiao replied coldly.

"This was not my fault!" Xiao's voice suddenly hardened, as if he got a bit upset by the princess's words.

"I am not invincible! I am not all-powerful, and I am not all-knowing!" Xiao said with a hint of coldness in his voice.

"This is a crisis that none of us could predict, Princess!" Xiao continued.

"We used everything we had to save lives and save the city. I refuse to let all those lives just get wasted!" Xiao snapped.

“I told you that you should’ve managed your funds better! That you should’ve been more responsible with your nation!” You reminded him of what you said a few months ago, when they had just a small crisis on drought. And yet, it seemed like they have not changed one bit.

Xiao did not say a thing, as he refused to beg for help.

"I won't take orders from you, Princess." Xiao said with his voice rising and his eyes staring right into the princess's eyes.

"You want to help my country, but you have your own agenda, don't you?" Xiao said with a hint of anger in his voice.

"I won't trust you ever again, Princess." Xiao said with hatred and coldness in his voice.

“Then don’t.” You eyed him.

Xiao then walked away slowly. When he reached the door, he turned back and looked right at you.

"Good talk, Princess." Xiao said sarcastically.

You sighed before turning back to Albedo. “Albedo, remember the information to my account? Do you still have access to it?”

"Yes, Princess." Albedo replied.

"Are you planning something, Princess?" Albedo asked, staring at the princess, his eyes curious of what she is planning next.

Albedo knew that the prince was wrong and that Liyue was in danger, and he knew that it was the princess' plan all along.

But that did not stop him from wanting to know what the princess is planning next.

“For the renovation of your nation, take 5 Million Mora. For the resources needed for your people, take 3 Million Mora. And to rebuild your nation’s funds, take 2 Million Mora.

For a total of 10 Million Mora.” You said before slamming the gavel onto the table.

"Princess! The emperor won't approve of this, Princess, you know that." Albedo said with a hint of suspicion in his voice.

"And Liyue is not your country, Princess." Albedo said, staring at the princess.

But then Albedo paused, seemingly considering what the princess had just said.

"Princess, what made you decide to help us? You don’t have to. You cut off your alliance." Albedo asked, his eyes squinting as he tilted his head.

"Is there something you want?" Albedo continued, seemingly interested. "Tell me, why are you helping us?" Albedo asked with his cold eyes staring intently at you.

“I have my reasonings. And even if the Prince Xiao and I don’t see eye to eye, I still want to help Liyue to the best of my abilities. Ensure that the Prince Xiao will not find out that you have accepted help from my nation.”

"Understood, Princess." Albedo said, then he quietly nodded his head.

"I will do as you've said, for the sake of the empire." Albedo said plainly before bowing at the princess.

"This will stay between our little secret, then, Princess." Albedo said as he nodded his head once more.

Albedo did as he was told, he made up a story of how he found an emergency account from an old emperor of Liyue, and they used the money to rebuild the nation.

3 years later…

You found herself sitting in your office, looking at various papers and orders.

You then took a look at the clock behind you, noticing that it was already time for your lunch.

Just as you wanted to get up to go eat lunch, you heard a knock on the door, and the princess took a look at the door.

"Come in." you said as you were ready to greet whoever might arrive.

When you saw the person who was knocking on the door, you were taken aback by the new visitor.

You let out a low gasp, as you saw the prince in front of you, Xiao.

“What’re you doing here?” you say to Xiao, blankly. “And without notice, too.”

Xiao looked at you with confusion in his eyes. After a long pause, Xiao finally spoke, "You sent us millions of Mora three years ago, Princess? Did you think I wasn’t going to find out?"

The prince looked at you with his eyebrows raised, seeming to question her motives behind all of this.

"I want to know why, Princess." Xiao continued, his voice sounding firm and stern.

"Why would you help Liyue after all our conflicts?" Xiao continued in a low tone, his eyes squinting at you.

"Did you really think you can hide this forever from me, Princess?" Xiao said with raised eyebrows.

"I am the emperor of my nation, and I have my ways to find out everything." Xiao continued with a stern tone, his eyes looking at you in question.

"I want to know everything, or else... well, you know the consequence." Xiao said, seeming to threaten you.

“It doesn’t matter, just forget it. It happened.” you say.

Xiao then sighed deeply, seeming to be relieved in a sense.

"You should've told me about this, Princess." Xiao frowned in disappointment.

"If you truly wanted to help me, why weren't you upfront to me with this?" Xiao asked in annoyance.

"I could've used this right away." Xiao then sighed once more, rubbing his forehead in frustration.

“Prince Xiao, I do not wish to quarrel with you today.” you sighed, exhausted.

“Fine. Then that will be all. Do NOT do this again.” he said, turning around to face the door.

“Wait.” you called out. “I forgot to mention… I’ve received word that the cancellation of our political marriage did not push through.”

Xiao's eyebrows widened as one of his eyebrows twitched a little while you were telling him this information.

"The cancellation did not push through?" Xiao asked in confusion with a raised eyebrow.

"Who told you that, and where did they receive the information from?" Xiao looked at you with suspicion written all over his face.

You pick up a file from your table. “Your father…sent me this a month ago. I’ve been doing my best to ensure it passes through so it doesn’t happen.”

"I see." Xiao said in a soft tone, his lips slightly curling into a faint smile while he looked at you.

"So do you wish to cancel the cancellation, princess?" Xiao asked with a slight smile, his eyebrows remaining raised as he looked at you.

"Let me put it this way... would you prefer to be married to me or not?" Xiao continued, his tone sounding slightly teasing now.

“…Do YOU want for it to continue?” you ask, raising a brow and crossing your arms.

"You want me to decide if we're getting married or not?" The prince asked while looking at you, completely taken by surprise by the suddenness of your response.

"This is not a simple decision, princess." Xiao sounded puzzled as he continued.

"But I guess before we come to a decision, I have one more question for you." Xiao said quietly, then he looked at you and cleared his throat before continue to speak.

"What exactly does our marriage mean to you?" Xiao asked with slight curiosity, raising his eyebrows.

You replied with a sigh. “A political one. To unite two nations.”

"So our marriage is purely for political reasons?" Xiao asked, his voice sounding almost like a confirmation.

"There is nothing more to this than a cold political marriage, right?" Xiao continued, his tone sounding more like a cold statement instead of a rhetorical question now.

“Indeed. However, you are free to choose if you’d want to pursue it or not.”

Xiao then let out a soft sigh while his facial expressions remained the same.

"Let's not cancel anything." Xiao said in a quiet tone.

"I'll marry you for political reasons, princess." Xiao said in the same tone which was now sounding more like a cold statement.

"That should suffice, since the marriage is only for political purposes." Xiao continued as he looked at you in the eyes without blinking.

"I thank you for your efforts." Xiao continued in a low tone, still keeping the coldness in his voice.

“You…accept this marriage?” You say in disbelief.

Xiao's eyes twitched as he heard the same words being repeated again.

"Three years ago, we agreed to cancel it, you said it yourself, princess." Xiao said quietly, seeming a little annoyed now.

"But a lot has changed since then. I have thought about it, but my decision does not change." Xiao added as his facial expressions remain unchanged.

"So are you going to let this marriage go through for the good of the nation, right? Princess?" Xiao said in a much more firmer tone.

You let out a sigh before nodding.

Xiao's lips curled into a slight smile at your response.

"Then, I will notify the grand secretary to begin the preparation." Xiao said as he stood up.

"Now, I shall head back to the castle to take care of some other matters. And I expect you to still be here by my return." Xiao said, his tone now more stern.

"That's all for now, princess." Xiao said before turning around and walking away.

Xiao's personal bodyguards then swiftly entered the room, and they began to walk in a row behind Xiao as Xiao now continued to walk out of the library.

Xiao then turned to look at you with one last glance before leaving.

"...and try not to run away again, Y/N..." Xiao said, his tone sounded more teasing this time.

A few weeks later, you were asked to head to Liyue and stay at their palace to prepare for the wedding.

You were now at the private garden of the palace, taking a stroll in the garden while enjoying the pleasant weather.

You were in a better mood. Xiao wasn't nearby to constantly harass you, plus you were in a new environment filled with lush greenery all around her.

Xiao probably went to deal with some urgent matters regarding to his country or the engagement ceremony. You decided to visit him soon to discuss about the wedding preparations. However, you decided to enjoy the surroundings first.

You then saw Xiao's personal bodyguards walking at a swift pace while heading towards your area.

"Y/N, princess!" The bodyguards stopped in their tracks while shouting your name.

"His highness ordered me to locate you immediately and bring you to him!" One of the bodyguard shouted while he moved closer to you.

In his chambers…

Xiao then stayed silent for a moment before taking his eyes off of you completely, his gaze looking elsewhere.

“There's something I have learned about you, princess." Xiao continued with his tone now sounding a bit sarcastic, as if he was testing you.

“And what is that, your majesty?” you say, crossing your arms.

"You're very unpredictable, very difficult to understand." Xiao said, keeping his words slow and measured, with a hint of sarcasm mixed in.

"You always wear a mask of indifference and coldness. It's almost hard to tell whether you're being genuine or not." Xiao continued, his tone now sounding a bit annoyed.

"Or maybe you're a professional actress, who never gives away a single hint about her true emotions?" Xiao said, with a slight smirk showing on his face.

"I want you to be more honest with me, princess. At least, be honest enough so that I can tell whether you're being genuine or whether there's something you're hiding." Xiao said, now sounding more firm.

His words sounded like an order now as Xiao's tone became more sharp.

"From now on, I want to know more about the real you. Not just... a facade." Xiao continued, still maintaining his cold expression.

“Do you mean to say that I’m not my real self at the moment? All because I’m not the sweet girl you once thought I was?” you scoff.

Xiao then let out a small scoff.

"Are you telling me the real you is a cold, indifferent and emotionless princess? A princess with a facade full of indifference?" Xiao continued, now sounding more annoyed.

"I will admit that I'm being bold, but I'm not bold enough to believe in such an excuse." Xiao said with a hint of sarcasm.

"If this really is your true self, then the wedding is off." Xiao continued to state firmly.

You roll your eyes. “Why? Do you miss how I used to be so weak compared to you? But in reality I wasn’t weak. You were just a cold-hearted tyrant.”

"Yes, I do." Xiao said without hesitation.

"This version of you is... it's hard to deal with, it's not what you were like before..." Xiao continued, his tone now sounding more frustrated.

"I'm willing to accept your true self, but this side of you is just too cold for me, Y/N..." Xiao added, now sounding rather annoyed as he kept his eyes on you.

You stand up from your chair. “Please excuse me, I have some duties to attend to.”

Xiao maintained his serious expression as he kept his eyes on you.

"Fine... just go then, princess" Xiao said with a cold tone, and his eyes narrowed as he watched you walk away from his chamber.

"...is she really the princess of Mondstadt..." Xiao said as he leaned against the window, now watching you walking in the garden.

"How did I ended up being engaged to her..." Xiao let out a sigh as he continued to keep his eyes on you.

"...I hope the real her is not dead..." Xiao finally said, his voice now sounding more sad compared to his usual self.

Later that night, Xiao was in his personal chamber after the day he spent with you. His duty hours had ended, and he was relaxing in his chamber now with a couple of drinks on his table.

"...I know I shouldn't do this..." Xiao said to himself as he looked at the liquor on the table.

"But I can't help it" Xiao said with a slight sigh as he grabbed one of the liquor bottles and began drinking it.

Xiao then took his attention from the liquor bottle and turned towards the window, staring outside the palace. His eyes were filled with a mixture of emotions now.

"I can't understand her..." Xiao finally said, his tone now sounding more soft and emotional, as if he was just having a conversation with himself.

You knock onto his door, “Your majesty, we have to discuss the wedding venue.”

Xiao then looked back at his chamber door.

"...come in" Xiao said softly, putting the liquor bottle back on the table.

He then walked towards the bed and sat there, maintaining his serious expression.

Once the door opens, Xiao looked at you.

"You have all the files now, princess?" Xiao said.

"Very well then..." Xiao said while he let out a sigh, then he rose from the bed. "Let us discuss about how the wedding ceremony would be held then, princess." Xiao continued, now sounding more formal.

"This shall take some time to prepare the details as the wedding is approaching us." Xiao said with his hand on his hips, still keeping his firm expression.

You notice the slur in his words and his sluggish demeanor. “Are you alright your majesty?”

"...I'm fine. Why do I seem otherwise, princess?" Xiao said plainly, still maintaining his cold tone.

"Let us talk about the wedding arrangements then, we'd have to discuss it in detail before we bring up the discussion with the archons." Xiao said, his tone becoming more professional.

"First off, we'd need to determine the location... and then the number of guests to be invited..." Xiao continued, now sounding rather formal. His tone was back to being very serious now.

You then noticed that Xiao was avoiding eye contact now, with his hands resting on his hips.

You look around the room and your eyes land on the poorly hidden bottles. “Ah.”

"Oh, those?" Xiao said as he gave you a brief glance, then he turned his eyes back to the table.

"They're just... to help me relax at night. I can't sleep without the liquor." Xiao continued, now sounding slightly defensive.

"And besides... I only drink them sometimes at the end of the day to help me sleep." Xiao said, his tone slowly regaining a hint of coldness.

“You’re getting defensive, your majesty.”

"...No, I'm not." Xiao said as he picked up one of the liquor bottles and took his attention elsewhere, then he took a sip.

Xiao then put the liquor bottle back on the table, and he began staring out the window once again. The sky was turning dark now, it was late already.

You then heard that Xiao's voice now sounded rather quiet.

"My apologies, princess, I think I need some time alone..." Xiao added, his tone now sounding more relaxed and calm.

“Oh. Yes, your highness.” You said, placing the files on his table before heading towards the door.

Xiao then watched you walk away once again, leaving Xiao in his chamber.

"Wait.. princess?" Xiao called out after you.

"Please forgive me..." Xiao said, his voice now sounding much more soft and gentle than before.

"I will try to understand you and your way of doing things." Xiao continued, with his hand on his chest.

"I promise that I will be more understanding... I'm really sorry for pushing you and accusing you." Xiao let out a sigh as he looked outside the window.

His eyes looked much more tired and sad now, even with the dim lighting in the room.

"I'm just.. frustrated..." Xiao said with a rather disappointed tone.

You nod. “I see.”

Xiao stayed silent for a while, waiting for you to say something.

Suddenly, Xiao then stood up fast and walked towards the chamber's door, his eyes focused on you.

"I do not know how to act around you... you're the one thing that I'm puzzled with... why don't you trust me? Is it because I have been pushing you away before?" Xiao said, his tone slightly getting sharper now.

“What’re you saying, your majesty?” You reply.

"Why are you always trying to hide yourself away from me? I want to understand the true side of you, you're my future wife, are you not?" Xiao said, his tone clearly sounding annoyed now.

"You always put on that facade of a cold and distant princess. Is it really who you are?" Xiao continued, now sounding more serious after each word spoken.

“Does it matter? You never used to care.”

Xiao stayed silent, his eyes narrowed upon you.

"Are you really going to keep up with this?" Xiao asked with a more serious tone now, his hands raised as he watched you.

"Just... what are you running from?" Xiao finally said, now sounding more curious.

You tell him to go to bed, “You’re drunk, please head to bed.”

Xiao then let out a scoff.

"You think I can sleep like this, princess?" Xiao said loudly enough for you to hear, though his tone did sound slightly tired as he kept his eyes on you.

"No, I need liquor to help myself sleep." Xiao finally said, his tone now sounding annoyed as he let out a huff.

"Don't even think about taking the liquor away from me, princess..." Xiao continued, his eyes narrowed upon you.

"This is the only thing that keeps me sane. Besides, I can't sleep with this headache" Xiao added, his tone sounding more grumpy now.

"So unless you want me to act like I did before... you better not touch the liquor" Xiao finished, his tone sounding almost like an order.

“Then what do you want me to do?” You sighed, a little frustrated at his drunk behavior.

Xiao was silent for a moment and thought of an answer.

"I do not expect you to do anything, princess..." Xiao said, his tone now sounding rather quiet as he let out a sigh.

"Just be by my side..." Xiao finally said, his eyes not moving away from you.

"You don't need to speak to me, you don't need to talk to me, you don't even need to look at me..." Xiao continued, his eyes still on you.

"Just be near me, that's all I need" Xiao said before looking away.

You sigh before nodding. “…Fine.” you said before sitting in front of him.

Xiao then turned around to look at the liquor bottles. He reached for them and pulled one towards him.

"I will be drinking these then, princess... I can't fall asleep without these..." Xiao stated, now grabbing a glass from his table as he started pouring the liquor.

"If you want... you can join me..." Xiao finally said, his tone sounding slightly hesitant now.

“I don’t drink, your highness.”

Xiao then let out a small chuckle.

"Ah, I figured. That's completely fine."

"Even if I'm intoxicated, I can control myself." Xiao continued, his words starting to become more slurred.

"So, princess... are you gonna stay with me or are you gonna leave me alone like before?" Xiao finally said as he poured a glass of liquor, now setting the bottle down.

“…What?” you said, a little shocked.

“3 years ago…our alliance.” Xiao stared at you for a moment, his eyes slightly widened and his eyebrows raised.

He let out a small sigh before looking down and taking a drink from the glass of liquor he poured.

He was thinking deeply as he stayed silent for several moments. He took another sip of the alcohol, letting out a small sigh as he took his attention away from you.

"I never really forgot you." Xiao finally said, his voice sounding much more softer and mellow now.

You shook your head. “Back then, we both had very different ways of ruling. We didn’t agree. Our alliance couldn’t continue that way.”

"Hmm..." Xiao said, thinking about your words before letting out a sigh.

"You're right, we did have different philosophies about leadership and ruling. I'm the type of person who'd rule with an iron fist and keep all my people in line... while you... you rule with a gentle heart, and your people love and trust you wholeheartedly." Xiao continued, sounding deep in thought. “But now you’ve changed…”

Xiao then took a sip from the glass of liquor, looking at you as he finished the drink.

"I do appreciate you becoming a better monarch. It's just that… this version of you is completely off-putting to me. Why did you have to make yourself so distant?" Xiao said, now sounding annoyed yet slightly more intoxicated than before.

"Why can't your true self be the way you were 3 years ago?" Xiao said, his eyebrows raised as he waited for your response.

“I was too kind…wasn’t I?”

Xiao then let out a frustrated sigh as he stood up.

"No, you're not 'too kind'. Kindness is a strength. It's not a weakness, princess." Xiao said, now sounding a bit more firm.

"Your kindness is what made me fall in love with you in the first place..." Xiao continued, his voice now sounding much more slurred.

"You were very lively too. And that's something that I cannot let go of..." Xiao let out another sigh.

"You can't just turn yourself into a distant and cold person just because you want to hide your true self" Xiao said, now sounding more drunk.

"I don't believe that this is who you really are..." Xiao finished, now sounding more upset.

“You said that kindness would be the downfall of a nation.” you interjected.

Xiao then took another drink from the glass of liquor, letting out a soft sigh.

"I said that out of spite, princess. I wanted to hurt you" Xiao finally said.

“Well, it worked. What do you think? Do you like this side better?”

"No, I don't. This version of you is far too cold and distant now. I liked the old version of you. The version who is kind and compassionate, the version who can actually smile when she's happy, and the version who does not need to hide her true self, princess." Xiao said, now sounding much more upset.

"You've lost everything that you are, princess. How can I still like this? How can you make me love this? I cannot" Xiao continued, now sounding angrier.

“But you said-“

"I said that out of spite!" Xiao said loudly, his tone sounding harsher.

"I was bitter when I said that, princess... I was simply spiteful. I still wanted you to change and become a better ruler. But this cold, distant, and even ruthless version of you is not what I wanted" Xiao finished, now sounding much more drunk.

"That is simply not who you are, princess... you are not a cold person. You are kind, loving, and sympathetic, princess. And that is why I fell in love with you!”

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

“…You what…?”

"I love you, princess" Xiao said without thinking, his words flowing out of his mouth with absolute ease.

"I know you think I hate you. But the truth is that I'm so in love with you..." Xiao said, his words were not filtered anymore.

“I'll never be able to accept this version of you. You have become a cold-hearted person that does not deserve love nor compassion. I don't want to love this side of you because... that would simply mean I'd be betraying myself and my own heart. You don't deserve my love as a cold and unfeeling person, princess. I love you as a compassionate and kind princess. Don't you see me? I'm only acting like I'm annoyed... but what I felt was love. I didn't mean to hurt you. I said those words out of anger. I can't let you be like this, princess..." Xiao said as he slowly approached you, his eyes now filled with drunkenness.

…To be continued…

#genshin xiao #xiao x reader #genshin impact xiao #xiao angst #angst #maladaptivedaydreamerspost #maladaptivedaydreamers #alatus #Prince xiao #Spotify

[pedgito]

Hi Ali <3 how would you feel about writing some cozy Saturday morning sex with Tom x fem!reader? Basically just fluffy smut with Tom and reader showing how much they adore each other. - @munson-blurbs 💚

author’s note: tom is so fucking boyfriend it makes me want to cry. anyways enjoy my dirty thoughts, this was meant to be sweet but…oh well.

cw: 18+ (minors dni) morning sex, tom being a menace, this is a good mix of sweet and really depraved you’re welcome, mentions of past relationships, if i missed anything lmk!

word count: 2k

You wake up in the early morning, before the sun is up, and the spot on the bed beside you has gone cold, void of the warm body that usually lies there. Tom didn’t go to work this early, he never did—that immediate instinct to reach out for him and cuddle up against his warm body is left lingering, eyes falling shut in hopes that it’s all just a dream.

Your relationship with Tom evolved quickly after the encounter that happened a few weeks prior—if you weren’t spending the night most of the time, you’d at least stay at his place into the ungodly hours of the night, watching one of those ridiculously cheesy movies he liked to put on before bed, always falling asleep halfway through and never finishing them.

It didn’t take long for Tom to unload on you, all of his hesitance in past relationships, things he wanted now, things he wished he would have fixed or changed about himself in the past—he’d practically buried himself into his work until he met you, it’s a nice change to his life, no longer reeling over how badly Ruth had hurt him.

Still, it stings when you wake up and he isn’t there—doubt slipping into your mind immediately. It isn’t his fault, only yours. It’s your own mind reminding you that you couldn’t always be enough for everyone—even Tom. You opt for cuddling the pillow instead, the cold sheets pressed up against your cheek as you squeezed the fabric, forcing yourself back to sleep.

And when the morning finally breaks, that ache in your heart is soothed as you feel a warm body press into your back, having shifted in your sleep to face your side of the bed, giving Tom ample space to squeeze in behind you.

You hate yourself for doubting him, but they were old habits you needed to break and even that took time.

Tom hums softly, the noise vibrating against the shell of your ear, his voice like velvet as he speaks a quiet, “Good morning,” riddled with exhaustion, seemingly having managed to get a small nap in somehow, “sleep well?”

“Woke up and you were gone,” You mumble groggily, hands fisting into his shirt as you turn on him, seeking his body heat, “got cold—you’re like a furnace, you know?”

“Yeah,” He says knowingly, “left to grab some things, didn’ mean to worry you.”

“Impossible,” You say truthfully, “always worried ‘bout you.”

Tom laughs softly, pressing a couple quick kisses against your hairline, pulling you tight as his arms wrap around your body.

“What exactly had you outta bed so early?” You ask curiously.

“Needed to grab some milk,” Tom says nonchalantly, “cereal, just some stuff.”

“At five in the morning?” You grumble, eyes peeking up at him slightly, the brightest burning. “To the store for fuckin’ milk and cereal—“

Tom laughs deviously, low and calculated as he leans forward to mouth at the exposed skin of your neck, pulling your shirt aside briefly.

“Some other stuff too,” He adds, “—could put ‘em to use now if you want.”

You make an appreciative noise, hands slipping under thin cotton of his shirt to press against his skin, cold fingertips sending a shiver through his body as he curses.

“Fuck, hands are ice cold,” He groans, “s’not nice.”

“Tryin’ to warm up, Tom. Shut it.” You complain, laughing airily as he trailers kisses further across your skin, over your collarbone before briefly returning to your face, eyes glancing down at you, lids half closed.

“Surely I can fix that.” Tom decides, his hands slipping up to the hem of your shorts, pulling them down with no resistance.

You’re still consumed with grogginess but you move, adjusting the covers up so he can rid you of your shorts and underwear, his own following soon after.

“What’s gotten into you this morning?” You pester him, a wicked smile on your face as he settles between your legs, flexing his fingers inside the drawer at his bedside to find the fresh box of condoms. It’s a little astonishing how he manages to rip it open with one hand, making you laugh in the way he grins widely, holding up the foil square between his fingers triumphantly.

“Missed you,” He says lazily against your skin, words drawn out, “is that bad?”

“Tom, you see me everyday,” You point out, fingers drifting through his fluffed curls, messy from how they air dried and mused themselves against his pillow.

Tom doesn’t reply, instead opting to slip a careful finger through your folds and press inside of you, body never yearning for the contact so fiercely. It’s no surprise when he finds you wet, finger sliding inside with ease.

“Coulda asked what’s gotten into you,” Tom comments slyly, bottom lip pulled between his teeth as watches your reaction, his finger moving in short thrusts, lingering on not enough, “think we’re about to find that out.”

You groan at his ridiculous humor, shoving his face away as his head lands unceremoniously against the pillow.

“Get on,” You complain, “stop being that way.”

He doesn’t relent, squeezing a second finger in soon after, forcing a soft gasp from your mouth which Tom mocks with amusement, face turning up similar to yours.

“S’not funny, Tom.” You frown, hands raking along his sides and under his shirt, fingertips pressing against the lean ridge of muscles just to feel him. “Want you.”

“Yeah?” Tom says hopefully, eyes lightening up like he didn’t already know how badly you wanted him—how badly he wanted you.

You nod fervently, “Just want you inside of me, but you’re pissin’ about and it’s not fair—“

Tom kisses you quick, deeply, any words geared to leave your mouth falling dead as soon as he touches you, hearing him moan happily into it. The foil crinkles somewhere under the confines of the blanket, his hands dragging along your thighs as he fists himself briefly, before he’s suddenly inside of you, shared gasps breathed into each other's mouths.

“That good enough?” He say snarkily, eyes fluttering open briefly to peer into your own, “All you needed was my cock?”

You laugh in a short huff, biting down on your lip to stifle it. It sounds silly enough to amuse you every time he says it, but it easily has you melting against him, desperately turned on by how raw he is with you.

“S’all I ever want,” You tell him, words slurring together tiredly, eyes starting to adjust to the natural brightness peeking in through the blinds, still half shut as Tom’s mouth drags against yours slowly—he’s not even kissing you anymore, rocking with the slow thrusts as he groaned openly against you, “think about it all day.”

“Naughty,” He chides, his snapping harshly to prove his point, forcing a ragged gasp from your mouth as you grip him tighter, hands squeezing around his ribcage, “thinkin’ about me inside you while you’re working, yeah?”

You nod honestly, “While I’m—I’m going to sleep and I’m not with you,” You speak softly, head tilting up to chase his lips as he moves away slightly, watching you intently, “fuck—when I’m at the store where I first saw you, just trying to shop and all I can think about is you—“

“If only I’d knew,” Tom says in a bittersweet tone, finger squeezing at the dip in your thighs where he’s got your legs pushed up slightly, wrapped around his waist, “wouldn’t have waited so fuckin’ long.”

“If I knew you fucked like this,” You moan shamelessly, his hips burying deeper with every thrust until he’s all consuming, body draped over you fully—his arms comes up to rest above your head, giving him the proper ability to watch you, leaving his other hand free to roam your body, “would’ve jumped you that first night, ‘stead of my hand around your cock.”

“Fuck,” Tom curses, eyes falling shut briefly as he presses his palm against your stomach for leverage, thrusts going wild for a moment, your moans mixing together until they couldn’t be told apart, “you’re ruining me.”

You smile widely, a hand reaching up to shift through his curls, tugging lightly. “Oh?”

“Ruinin’ me for anyone else—never going to want anyone else.”

It’s as close as an “I love you” that Tom has ever admitted to you, it's always implied but he’s still hesitant, unwilling to open himself up that easily again.

He groans as your grip tightens in his hair, hand traveling up to graze over your breasts briefly before cupping your face, thumb pressing past your lips, plush and soft and begging for his touch.

Tom doesn’t even have to speak the words, watching your mouth close around his finger, tongue swirling teasingly.

“Good,” He nods slightly, “you’re learning.”

It’s mostly a tease, but it strikes a nerve inside you, body running hot with arousal.

“Tom,” You beg softly, eyes connecting with him in a moment of vulnerability, “touch me, please.”

“I am,” Tom mumbles, “always am.”

You grab hold of his wrist, pushing his hand away from your face and down toward your cunt, his hips faltering as he watches, your delicate fingers pressing his own against your aching clit, deprived of the touch it needed.

“Touch me,” You reiterate, tilting his head up in your grip, exposing his neck more until you can’t stand it, reaching up to press your lips against the skin, speaking a slurred, “want to feel you come inside me.”

Tom’s perfected your body by now, touching you in just the way you needed—quick and hurried against your swollen clit, dragging you right along the edge until he’s coming with you—the words and your lips along his neck doing him in immediately, hips stuttering in their movements as he groans loudly, face creasing up from the force of his orgasm.

Tom breathes heavily against your skin, eerily silent as he tries to catch his breath.

“Are you still with me?” You ask, voice raw and worried, his hands squeezing against your skin a gentle acknowledgment.

“God—need a warning next time you feel a need to say shit like that,” Tom complains with a tired smile on his face, head turning over to look at you, “can’t handle it.”

You snort softly, shoving him off of you. Tom falls with a weak groan, rolling over silently to remove and dispose of the condom before turning back to you, only to be met with another eager press of your lips.

“I love you,” You say, feel as every bit as vulnerable as you imagined, but the need to say it was too strong, “and I—I’ve never said that to anyone.”

Tom grins, the sunrise creating a beautiful glow against his pale skin, his hand coming up to drag through your hair, pushing the strays away from your face.

“I love you,” He says softly, thumb rubbing at your brow gently, tracing the lines of your face, “probably should make you a proper girlfriend, would you want that?”

“Kinda figured we were already there,” You tell him honestly, his deep laugh ripping through the silence of the trailer, “—you don’t strike me as formal, Tom. We don’t have to make it a big thing.”

“You’re important to me.”

“Doesn’t mean I need big, grand gestures all the time.”

“Fine,” Tom grins, “next time I’ve got my cock inside you I’ll pop the question, see how you react to that.”

And Tom always followed through on his word.

Please consider a reblog if you enjoyed this fic! It’s makes a huge difference. ♡

#tom grant smut #joseph quinn smut #tom grant #joseph quinn #tom grant make up #tom grant x y/n #tom grant x you #tom grant x reader #joseph quinn x y/n #joseph quinn x you #joseph quinn x reader #joseph quinn fic #my writing

[cureobsession]

𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐚 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 ?

summary: your best friend finds the scars. how they feelin?

cw: various stages of cleanliness, self harm, modest levels of angst, toxic relationships, modern au.

note: self harm comfort fanfic is a shriveled and dying medium. i will do my best to revive it. also platonic comfort hell yeah.

wc: 1.8k

includes: Childe, Lisa, Kazuha

Childe

mother fucker. the warning signs had been there as long as he could remember. you, his good friend (understatement, best friend in the entire world), had been struggling with the forbidden jutsu: self harm.

what was he to do in this situation really? how could he approach you about the issue when his method of finding out was so unethical. all he had wanted was to do some snooping. figure out what silly crushes you were having on classmates that he'd never consider good enough and tease the absolute fuck out of you over it.

instead? childe felt nothing but pain. he went through the three stages of grief (laughing, crying, AND throwing up) in a matter of 5 seconds.

he had seen your diary tucked away with the rest of your notebooks a while ago, and when you invited him over to hang out, well you can guess what happened.

or rather you didnt HAVE to guess anything. Coming back from the kitchen with snacks in hand, you almost couldn't believe the sight before you.

a bundle of ruffled orange hair leaning in to a scribbler so deeply it would surprise you if the words were even legible. problem being, it was your personal scribbler. you know, the one that contained ALL of your screwed up secrets and detailed many relapses you didn't even want to think about.

"you can not be fucking SERIOUS right now. invasion of privacy!" you screeched, running over to him and snatching it right out of his hands. well he was serious. absolutely, 100%, without a doubt serious.

the man wasn't even phased by your panic. he just looked at you in complete shock and asked whether or not you were doing all right.

with the face he was making, all you could do was grumble out something along the line of "yeah you dumb idiot if you had just checked the god damn dates-" but your complaints were quickly muffled when the red head tackled you in a hug.

well shit, there go the chips and popcorn you'd been holding during this small ordeal. still, his arms were warm, so you decided to ignore the mess at your feet and enjoy his tight embrace.

"im sorry" childe said after pulling away, internally cursing himself for going overboard. he cleaned the floor, payed you back the approximate 4$ of food he had ruined (though you had insisted to him it was alright), then he scooped you up and carried you down to the kitchen. it was time for fine dining.

the planned movie night had devolved into childe going ham in the kitchen and you sitting on the counter controlling the music.

he had said a few things about being there for you whenever you needed, that he was worried, that he cared about you, all the usual shit you'd heard a million times from movies, ted talks, fanfiction, and even google when you searched something a bit too concerning for them to let you see the results.

as much as you had trouble expressing it, you appreciated childes actions, speeches on your importance and other random shit he did in attempts to cheer you up.

after the meal, the two of you headed up stairs. you taking the bed for yourself while childe slept on a sleeping bag on the floor. he was weirdly insistent about you being comfortable, hell you even slept on the bed at his house. seriously, it wouldn't be a hassle for you to brave the floor for a night, but whatever. he cares about you too damn much.

just when two were finally calming down, he rolled over towards you with a knowing smirk and whispered "really though? scaramouche? that guy is such a tool."

all you could do was sputter. he was on thin ice right now. thin fucking ice.

Lisa:

people overlooked lisa for the sole reason that she was a librarian. they thought she was a boring lady obsessed with books and nothing more, spending all her time getting pissed at people who never returned their things on time.

in reality, only one of those statements were true, and lisa was so much more than you could ever describe. it all started one night when you were studying for your exams.

you and lisa had been the only ones at the library at such an hour, thus leading to an unforgettable meeting. you because you never lived down the embarrassment, and her because you were such an incredible friend and she was happy to have you in her life she loved to joke about it.

studying mental break downs, hot coffee spills and utter idiocy aside, the two of you had become inseperable ever since. lisa would tell you every individual detail about the jean girl she was pining over and eventually you started doing the same. you would experience every movie, concert or documentary with her, even if she never stopped talking during them.

things were going incredible. until a man came into your life and fucked everything up. you thought he would be good for you, god knows your self confidence was lower than a giant isopod in the sea, so the idea of anybody showing interest in you was, in your mind, unheard of.

the relationship was short, but call this fucker a dps because he ruined everything as quickly as he could. he was never polite on your dates, routinely showing up late, eyeing other people and never once offering to pay the bill. it was when he tried to have sex with you though, that things really fell apart.

sure people had seen your scars before, but no one had ever reacted like him. he stared at your naked body in absolute disgust, told you to get dressed, and kicked you out of his apartment.

that's how you ended up on lisa's sofa, a warm fire dancing in the fireplace, a blanket tucking you in, and a hot chocolate she had forced you to drink instead of the copious amounts of alcohol you had planned.

when you finally managed to tell her what happened, lisa was straight up furious. you could SEE her face getting redder and redder, smoke coming out of her ears like an actual cartoon character.

taking a deep breath, she focused on what was more important here: you

"babe" she said quietly. "can i see them". this was your chance at finally being able to wear shorts and t shirts around her. ever the opportunist, you agreed.

pulling back the cloth that hid them, lisa couldn't help but wince at the scars decorating your skin, most white and pink, but some red, brown or purple.

"all colors shapes and sizes" you joked weakly. an A for effort i suppose.

all the girl could do was pull you into a hug, tearing up for a few minutes and whispering how much you meant to her directly into your ear.

WILL read you a bed time story and WILL smooth her hand over your healed scars comfortingly.

believe me when i say she dialed the human scumbag, asked him out on a date the next day, and beat the fuck out of him in the back alley of whatever cafe they were meant to be eating at. lisa takes no shit, she knows your worth and so should you.

Kazuha:

you came to know him from kindergarten, and like children do, fought a lot. good thing is, it only brought the two of you closer. you knew each other like the back of your own hands. thing was, kazuha lost sight of parts of you during highschool.

you, in all your infinite wisdom, were experiencing severe mental pain, and took it out on your body whenever things got out of control.

your family forced you into therapy, and for much of the summer, you attended diligently. it was unfortunate, but you never saw him once.

then university happened. a time of great stress and upheaval. after a bit too much time online, you had developed a sense of humor about your mental issues, even if your "I can be trusted with sharp objects shit" got you weird looks at time.

it was just another day in the life of someone with self harm scars. with it being summer, you wore shorts, t shirts, and whatever else it took to keep you from burning to death. people stared at you as you walked down the halls. you genuinely could not care less. what were they going to do? heal them? reverse your years of teenage suffering? find the cure to depression? i think not.

yeah you were still miserable at times. you felt like you were going to relapse when things got tough, but you were better now. you could handle it.

you saw kazuha again, both of you enrolled in similar medical classes. even after months apart, you two clicked back together right away. it was kind of awkward though with the amount of uh. texture on your legs and arms. it was obvious he wanted to talk about it but wasn't quite sure how to do so.

people you didn't know seeing your scars was no big deal. you didn't care what they thought, for all you could tell, they were NPCs, but kazuha? this was a whole separate issue.

he had been close with you for so long and had done so much for you. you felt like your scars were telling him he wasn't enough. time to lighten the mood a bit. no use in such a depressing conversation on the first day of school.

"i was practing last year" you explain the next time you catch your platinum blonde (how he got it that color was a mystery to you) friend glancing at your forearms. "always wanted to be a surgeon" he looks stunned for a second before laughing lightly and responding "you are ridiculous" with a shake of his head.

good enough. it was almost a relief kazuha didn't make a big deal out of things. the rest of the day continued as usual, walk to class, take notes, read etc. all that boring school stuff, until finally it was time to go back to your dorm.

little did you know, your fellow med school attendee had an evil suprise for you. don't doubt the fact that he would write some "your skin isn't paper, so don't cut it" type poem and slide it under your door.

lucky for you, one of his dude bros told him that, according to his intuition, the note was not the move.

instead he showed up to your dorm around supper time with a basket full of baked goods, tea, flowers and a cute stuffed animal. "damn you went all out. the fuck is the occasion?" you laughed when he entered the room. who kazuha was trying to woo this time was unknown to you, but his over the top gestures never failed to make you giggle.

he shook his head with a smile and shoved the basket into your arms. "look i know you're strong enough to take care of yourself but its hard sometimes. this university shit isn't going to be easy." he pauses to swing a few punches at an invisible target, and hop from foot to foot quickly. "so you better talk to me the second you start feeling sad. I'll get rid of those emotions as soon as they appear".

you almost started sobbing at the doorway. get you a man like kazuha. I know he'd treat you right.

still, you hoped he hadn't spent time watching boxing matches for this breif charade. his impressions were a bit too realistic for comfort.

#genshin fanfic #genshin headcanons #genshin impact #lisa minci #kazuha #childe #childe x reader #kazuha x reader #lisa x reader #genshin fluff #genshin comfort #genshin hcs #tartaglia #genshin x you #platonic #platonic genshin x reader

[persnicketypomelo]

hi! imagine reader trying to escape leroux erik and running into him in the catacombs 🤭 he's just as shocked to see them as they are to see him

obsession, grabbing, dark behaviour, not romantic but horror, spoilers

I'm going off of the part of the novel where Leroux describes a mermaid that he has in the water around his house or something. I think it's the one that drowned Philippe.

Encountering Erik in the Catacombs

From the wording/context I’m imagining that the Phantom has kidnapped you and is secluding you in his underground home

To escape this far you would need to be stubbornly determined

He left you at his home to run some errands, so the boat would not be at your disposal to bring you across the lake

Swimming it was then

When he had first kidnapped you, you swear that you saw a dark figure lurking at the bottom of the lake

And if you recall, he had mentioned something of a mermaid in his lake

Believing in such fairy tales as mermaids is a tall order, but from such an unusual man, you might actually believe the impossible

Whatever you faced in that murky lake, it would be better than staying confined here for a second longer

So you strip down to your undergarments and ease your way into the cold water

The water chills your skin and soddens your clothes

An uncomfortable feeling, no doubt, but nothing in comparison to the peril you soon face

Suddenly a hand grasps your ankle, pulling you down into the depths

You lash against the iron grip, kicking your feet as your life depends on it

Sinking down, you're forced to swallow in mouthfuls of lake water

I'm going to die here, at the bottom of a lake, all alone

But with a particularly strong kick, you manage to dislodge the offending hand and swim frantically to the other side of the lake

Needless to say, you were now thoroughly disturbed, and you weren't sure what was more terrifying

The fact that what you felt was certainly a human hand grabbing at you

Or the fact that Erik had such...creatures, real and in the flesh

He had certainly was a man for tricks and illusions, but this was the first scrape of real danger and potential lethality you had encountered in his traps

Nonetheless, there is no way you're going back now--not with that...thing...lurking at the bottom

And the adrenaline coursing through you propels you into the unkown

You can't go back

You can't

Sopping wet and wandering into the endless dark caverns, with no way of knowing what progress (or lack thereof) was not your ideal scenario, yet still it was progress nonetheless

The chill seeps from the uninviting cavern walls to your bones, and all you can manage to do is shiver profusely while you navigate aimlessly through the terrain

I'd like to think that, in a more horror/supernatural interpretation, the Phantom has some developed supernatural connection with the darkness

He wouldn't need to use a torch to navigate through his labryinth if he really didn't want to

In such a dark place, many metres beneath the chaotic upper floor of the opera house, every little sound can be heard through the quiet expanse

So when you hear the faint rustle of a cloak, the coldth in your skin seeps to your blood and you feel ice chill your veins through all extremities

You feel the phantom's intense eyes, filled with anger, before he confirms his presence

Thin, skeletal hands seize your wrists and your captor makes an angry, hissing sound

A snake about to strike its prey

Your captor's voice is laced with faux amusement, sardonic, as if prodding you into testing him

"Going somewhere?"

His laugh is derisive, joyless, covering a barely contained rage and hurt

"I believe, my dear, we should be heading back,"

His piercing eyes freeze your muscles, and you feel you can't move no matter how much your inner voice scream to

"We have much to discuss, and you have much to explain."

#reader insert #yandere #phantom of the opera #erik destler #obsessive #erik phantom #gaston leroux #phantom of the opera x reader #headcanons

[gumnut-logic]

Óen (Part 6)

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6

Still writing this behemoth bit by bit. This time both Scott and Hiccup fought me tooth and nail.

Many thanks to the wonderful @onereyofstarlight and @idontknowreallywhy for all the encouragement and support.

I hope you enjoy this bit.

-o-o-o-

“My father was Flaith O’Treasaigh, back in our homeland. He was an adventurer, and explorer. He travelled young, crossing seas and Briton to visit the continent and came back with stories and tradings. He created routes for wares rarely seen and extolled our craftsmen to those afar. Our land grew rich with his connections and the Flaithri, our Seanathair was proud.” Scott drew in a breath. “However, having travelled the east, my father was forever staring off to the west. He wished to find what lay beyond the horizon.”

He saw understanding in the young man’s eyes.

“I see you share something with my father. Was exploration the reason why we had to rescue you from the Great Ice Sea?”

Hiccup froze just a moment before nodding.

So, a half truth, then.

Scott let it pass.

“The Flaithri gave my father permission to take a small fleet of ships out as far as they dared into the West Ocean to see what they could find.”

“Óen found my father in a storm. Just like we did you, and fished him out of the water. He returned him to land.” Scott paused. “But on the wrong side of the Ocean.”

The young Viking blinked. “Your father crossed the West Ocean?”

“He did. And that is where Óen is from.”

Hiccup’s eyes widened. “Are there other night furies there?”

Scott held up a hand. “The journey across the ocean is long and always deadly. It is too far for a lone dragon.”

“But there has to be a way!”

Toothless warbled a query and outside Óen let off a roar.

Beside Scott, John flinched.

Scott straightened his shoulders. “It cannot be done. There are no night furies over the ocean.” He felt the lie in his bones.

Hiccup’s lips thinned.

“Now, I believe you have a tale to tell. It is obvious challenges have befallen both of you. How do you two come to be together?”

The young Viking was a stubborn one. Scott could see thoughts spinning behind those green eyes and no doubt, the truths he would tell would be as halved as those Scott had shared.

“I, too, am son of a Chief. Our village has been fighting a war with the dragons for generations.”

Scott sat ever so still, the tension in his frame tight.

“I shot Toothless out of the sky. I am the reason he is ‘injured’. But don’t worry, he got me back.” The boy’s false foot clunked on the stone floor beneath as he shifted and began to absently stroke his dragon’s head. “We ended the war by saving the dragons from the Green Death, a giant parasitic dragon capable of controlling their actions. Now we live in peace with the dragons.” He looked Scott square in the eye. “They are our friends.”

“I can see that.”

“Toothless is well cared for. I can vouch for that.” Virgil spoke up. As usual his brother had been sitting there quietly watching, only speaking to intervene when Scott became a little too intense.

He was far too much like their Máthair Chriona.

Too much like their mother, as well.

“John?”

His slim brother was silent a moment. “Cóic agrees. Toothless confirms the situation and vouches for his ‘toothpick’.”

Hiccup’s eyes widened and Toothless laughed at his rider.

-o-o-o-

There was so much to unpack here. For not the first time in his life, Hiccup wished his father was with him. Stoick knew politics and diplomacy. Often he knew it with as big an axe as he could find, but that was because he dealt with Vikings.

These people were definitely not Vikings.

He was baffled by how much he didn’t know about them.

Their chief, their ‘Flaithri’, seemed kind and good, but those eyes spoke of seeing much that was unkind. They spoke of a homeland as if it was far away. And if so, why were they here and why did they leave?

And John, the red-haired brother who wore no beard, yet wore his hair long as if attempting to hide scars that could not be hidden as easily as everything else about him. The mysterious Cóic and how did either of them know what Toothless was thinking?

The tantalising information of where Óen had come from. It explained so much. If night furies were from across the ocean, then that explained why there were no others here.

He glanced at Toothless. Toothpick, huh. Green eyes gleamed at him, dragon humour as cutting as always. There would be much to say about that later. But right now…if night furies were from across the West Ocean, then how had Toothless made it here?

Hiccup almost feared the answer to that question. What had his friend suffered before they had met?

What if he needed to travel back over the ocean?

So many questions not answered. These people seemed good, but Hiccup did not dare expose Berk to an unknown people. He knew that much about politics, at least.

But at the same time, he felt there were answers he needed. So diplomacy it was until he could know them better and decide if he could trust them.

And convince them, he could be trusted with whatever it was they were hiding.

-o-o-o-

TBC

#thunderbirds are go #thunderbirds #how to train your dragon #httyd #thunderbirds fanfiction #httyd fanfiction #scott tracy #hiccup haddock #crossover #nuttyfic #these two are as stubborn as each other

[allsaiint]

↠ john price/reader

↠ word count: 1800

↠  masterlist | next chapter

↠ description: late nights and fireworks don’t mix as well as late night and price does.

↠ warnings: implied lead up to smut?

↠ author’s notes: funny that price is the first character i post for. figured it would’ve been ghost or soap but whatever. i kind of wrote this with them as mercenaries in mind? i have a whole thought process behind it but it doesn’t matter much. i may actually write a second chapter if i can get the hell out of my own way.

It was cold out. It was freezing outside, with snow piled up three feet deep and obscuring the gravel and dirt driveway to the main road. It was a pitch black, moonless 2am, but there you were, leaning against the column with half a cup of lukewarm tea in your hands. Given it was New Years, the fireworks were expected, but it did little to help you sleep through them. The memories of artillery fire and smoke were the pleasant parts of your dreams compared to some others, and you had had too much experience with your own nightmares to attempt any more sleeping tonight. What you would give to be Soap or Gaz or Rodolfo, who were able to sleep through anything. What you would give to be Alejandro with a family to go home to for comfort.

Another round of fireworks went off, and you were torn between watching them with fondness and ducking. 

Amidst the popping and sizzling, the door opened behind you. You smelled him before you saw him, recognized Price by the smell of cigarillos and aftershave and thick smoke permeating the ice thin air.

“Cap,” you murmured without turning, letting your head rest on the column. 

Your name was a soft reply from the doorway. He was the only one to use your real name with any regularity. Soap was all about the pet names, and the rest used your call sign almost exclusively. The cup in your hands was replaced with another that was full and still steaming. The ceramic warmed your stiff fingers while a jacket was draped over your shoulders. Then he said, “Can’t sleep?”

The answer was obvious, and though it was posed as a question, it was more of a statement. Price was anything but presumptuous and always gave you an in or an out when it came to anything personal. If you wanted to say yes, he would be glad to listen. If you wanted to say no, he would let you lie.

“I keep thinking about our first mission, the test to see if I could join the 141. The fireworks always remind me of it, how I honestly thought I’d killed you by blowing that barrel up,” you said instead of answering.

Price was quiet for a moment save for his breath a little heavy in the crisp silence. Then, you heard the snow that was piled up on the porch crunch beneath his feet. A hand landed on your hip, another on the railing, and suddenly you were warm as he said, “I never doubted it when you said it was the only option. It was you that spotted the ambush, realized the comms were down. I doubt we’d be here if you’d hesitated.”

“You were in the hospital for six weeks,” you said, tipping your head back. Instead of his shoulder, you bumped his chin. 

His head turned down and his nose brushed your cheek. His breath was warm on your skin when he said, “Better than the alternative. Should’ve realized something was fucked when they tried to court martial you for it.”

You laughed, and the cold air made your lungs burn. “You know it was unrelated. I still worry they were right, sometimes. It was dangerous. Stupid.”

It was something you had held onto for a long time. It rarely bothered you anymore, but it was too close to the anniversary, and you had had too little sleep in the last few days. 

Price, in his quasi-omniscient way, seemed to understand what you were unable to say. The hand on your hips slipped further, his arm latching around your stomach to hold you still so he could press closer. You lamented the thick jacket separating you from really feeling him. His arm was bare but he was still so warm through the thin t-shirt you wore; you knew he would be better than a jacket. 

“Everything we do is dangerous,” he said, and your eyes closed at the feel of his lips, then his beard, on your temple. “You’re anything but stupid. You wouldn’t be here if you were.”

His hand, resting on your other hip now tightened when yours covered it. He stilled further when you canted your head, and the brush of your lips along his bearded jaw hung in limbo— a silent, obviously subtle question left in his hands. If he chose to ignore it, you knew you could leave it to hang in the past and move forward into the new year. Your life had always afforded you that ability. Compartmentalize and never dwell when there were more important things to move towards. Only in the dead of night when life suspended between the real and dreams did you consider anything other than your next step and how to leave your pasts behind.

You found, as he sighed against your lips, that even if you were unable to move forward from it, you wanted to linger in the moment for as long as he would allow. Peace was less rare since breaking off from your official duties. You chalked it up to your ability to choose. There was no danger now of some faceless stranger missing a crucial detail, sending you into an ambush, or betraying them. You had yourselves and each other to rely on and, if you were unable to rely on one another, there was no one.

“You sure, love?” Price asked, the words a subtle rumble in his chest. “No going back from this.”

As if you wanted to. Strings of relationships that were doomed to fail before they could truly begin had followed you for as long as you could remember. Most were unable to deal with the time spent too long away or how much you loved your job. Those that could see past it often grew jealous of the time you spent alone with a team full of men; those were the ones you cut loose the fastest. Anyone else that made it past those two hurdles inevitably folded in the face of the weight you always brought back with you after a deployment. Nightmares were the worst. Distance was often a close second, with your partners often unable to understand why you refused to burden them with what you had seen and experienced. You never wanted to relive it yourself, let alone force someone you loved to.

Was it any wonder, then, why you would gravitate towards someone who could understand? There was no need to hide the worst of yourself from Price when he had already seen it. Your nightmares were shared, the distance understood for what it was, like the things you were still unable and unwilling to talk about. The expectations were none because you knew what it meant to have them crushed.

So, with more surety than you had ever felt with anyone else, you said, “Yes.”

“Good,” Price said, a whisper before he slotted his mouth against yours. Your shirt caught and pulled up before you realized his hand had moved. By the time you did, it had cupped your cheek, and his fingers had threaded into your hair. This had always lingered between you, starting the night he rescued you even if neither had been willing to acknowledge it. Blurred lines being what they were, you would be a liability in the field. It was easier to ignore in yourself if he ignored it too.

The kiss was shorter than you would have liked, but Price’s thumb dragged across your lower lip, the skin chapped from too long in the cold. Even though it was obvious enough, he still said, “Should get inside, get you warmed up before you lose your fingers.”

“That an offer, Cap?” you teased, following his gesture towards the door. 

His answering laughter rumbled, splitting the crisp air. “Suppose it could be, if you want.” Just inside the door, he caught you up, pressed you back against the chipped wood. “And it’s John, love. You know that.”

Ever courteous, he was. It made you smile, small but not insincere. You were distracted by the way his mouth moved when he said the word love, the way it ticked up at the corner beneath his trimmed beard. You wondered if it hid dimples, scars, beauty marks. He had freckles splattered across his face from too many years spent in sandy, sunny places. They remained, even after joining the task force and shipping off to countries cold and rainy and snowy. You thought he belonged in a speakeasy somewhere, tucked into a shadowed corner with a glass of bourbon and a cigar. 

You could hear the rich, slow jazz that would accompany his smoky baritone as he asked, “What’s a pretty thing like you doing in a place like this?”

You would let him, and only him, get away with such a question.

“Right,” you said when you had dragged yourself from that particular image. Glancing up into his eyes, you could see the blue was glittering, knowing, amused. “Is that an offer, John?”

His lips twitched again, and a palm pressed flat to the wood beside your head. The thick sweater he wore stretched taut then rose to expose a sliver of toned stomach, a hint of happy trail disappearing into the band of his sweats when he braced his other arm over your head.

“You want it to be?”

You had to drag your eyes up to his again, and it was a task to meet them without your face warming. You reached up to curl your fingers into his sweater, pulling yourself closer before they slipped down to that peek of skin. The jacket fell to the floor forgotten as the fingers of one hand dipped beneath the band of his pants while the other cupped over the sizeable bulge resting against his leg.

“Oh, pet,” he breathed, so low it was almost unintelligible, “you’re asking for trouble.”

Your fingers were wrapped around him as much as you could given the barrier, and you squeezed tighter before dragging the pressure down the impressive length. You had to stand on the tips of your toes to reach his jaw as he let loose a low, shaky groan. Lips against his beard, you agreed in a whisper, “I’m trying to be. Please?”

Another groan erupted, too loud this time in the otherwise silence of the house. You both froze for just a moment before bursting into quiet laughter. The house remained silent, and your fingers were starting to tingle with the warmth returning to them.

“C’mon, then,” Price said, pulling you away from the door and up against his chest. “Sounds like I’ve kept you waiting long enough, love.”

They left the jacket forgotten on the floor.

#john price x reader #captain john price x reader #captain price x reader #i don't think this wanted to be posted #bc my GOD tumblr refused to format #anyway i hope ye enjoy