#darklina fluff

[ticklishraspberries]

Sparks Fly (Aleksander/Alina)

Summary: Alina goes to the Darkling when she feels unsure of her abilities. He reassures her, and along the way, proves that everyone has weaknesses, even him. (This fic is based in SHOW canon, because I have only read a bit of Shadow and Bone. I know that in the books, the Darkling does not go by his real first name, but in the show, he does, so I went with that approach. Also, I know this ship is ~controversial~ but please do not come at me angrily for writing this. I think exploring the dynamic of a toxic yet canon ship is fun, and they are simply both sexy so it is fun to write them. Anyway, enough disclaimers. Enjoy!)

A day of training had left Alina exhausted, and feeling slightly defeated. How was she to live up to the standards of being the Sun Summoner, when she could barely control her powers? She was shit at hand-to-hand combat as well, always having been a tiny scrap of a girl, back in the orphanage and into her teenage years. With the other kids, she had learned to fight dirty. Letter-openers, rocks, or words usually did the trick against petty children, but she was a woman now, and she was joining a war she felt she had no business fighting in.

Alina felt like a lost cause. She could tell that some of the other Grisha agreed. They looked at her with amusement or disdain. It actually felt worse when some looked at her with hope. It was scarier to let someone down than to never be liked at all, in her opinion.

She had retired to her room for the evening, but found herself restless and unable to sleep, despite the soreness and fatigue settling into her bones. So, she pulled on her robe and began to pace the halls of the Palace, pretending to wander despite knowing exactly where she was heading.

She came to his door, and only allowed herself to consider turning back for a second before she knocked.

“Come in,” a deep voice responded, and Alina pushed open the door and found Aleksander sitting in his study, head buried in a book. When he looked up, his expression softened.

“Are you alright?” he asked immediately.

“Yes,” she replied. “Well, other than the fact that I can’t sleep, nor can I summon light or throw a punch.”

Aleksander placed his book down with a chuckle. “You have only been training for a short while. Most of the Grisha you are surrounded by have been taught to use their powers from a young age. It may take you some time to catch up, but once you do, you will be more powerful than all of them combined.”

Alina shrugged. “If you say so,” she said. “I’m sorry to bother you so late, over something so silly.”

“I was awake anyway, and it is not silly to feel discouraged. If I can help in any way, I’d like to. Please, come sit with me.”

Alina did as he said, robe gliding across the floor as she strode towards him, sitting in a chair beside his desk. “I just feel like everyone here is so strong. Baghra, Genya, Zoya, you…It’s like you have no weakness, just power and confidence.”

“Everyone has weaknesses,” Aleksander replied. “Some are just better at hiding it.”

Alina scoffed. “Please. I have watched you slice a man into pieces with a flick of your wrist. What possible weakness could you have?”

“Well, perhaps my optimism could be seen as one,” he said. “Or my fierce protectiveness over my fellow Grisha. Some would argue that caring so much for a group of people, or even just one person, can be a weakness.” When he said ‘one person’, his eyes fixed on her face.

Flushing under his gaze, Alina sighed. “Well, those are better than a complete incapability of controlling your own power.”

“You do have control, you just need to practice.”

“And what if I practice, and practice, and nothing ever comes of it? What if everyone is wrong about me?” she asked, her voice rising with a touch of panic.

Aleksander stood and made his way towards her, one hand reaching to take her chin and tilt it up, forcing her to look at him. “I am not wrong about you. The moment you lit up that tent, I knew who you were. You are the Sun Summoner, my opposite and my equal. I have had years to master my craft. After a bit of time, you will do the same, and you will help me destroy the Fold and reunite Ravka. I have never been more sure of anything.”

His dark eyes stared into hers, and for the first time since she had arrived at the Little Palace, Alina felt a surge of confidence flow through her, warming her skin. His touch had always helped her abilities blossom, and she could practically feel the light pulsing in her veins.

“Thank you,” she said, voice soft. “There is no need to thank me,” he replied.

It had been a week since he had last pressed his lips to hers, and since, they had kept their relationship distant. There was something magnetic between them, though, and Alina found it hard to stay away. No wonder her feet had brought her right to his door that evening, desperate to see him, to touch him like she had been dreaming of.

His fingers still rested beneath her chin, and he coaxed her closer, pulling her onto her feet and leaning down to kiss her. The expression of sparks flying had always seemed silly to her, but with Aleksander, it was literal. Little flecks of golden light leapt off of her as they kissed, and she smiled against his lips.

Moments later, she found herself sat on the edge of his desk, him standing between her legs as they kissed fervently, ignoring the sound of crinkling papers and pens clattering to the floor.

One of his hands caressed her jaw while the other held her lower back, but Alina’s hands seemed to wander. Without his normal attire of the thick kefta, she could feel the heat of his skin, the muscles flexing in his arms, the heartbeat racing in his chest.

She ran her fingers through his black hair and down the side of his neck, and paused the touch curiously when he seemed to shiver, leaning away from the sensation rather than keening into it as she did with each of his movements. Alina repeated the action, and Aleksander huffed something like a stifled laugh into her mouth, making her pull back with a grin.

“Have I discovered another weakness of yours, General?” she asked, flirtatious and teasing.

His eyes narrowed, although she felt no fear when he stared at her with such intensity. “Don’t you dare,” was all he responded with.

She didn’t listen. Her fingers darted down to his sides and gave them a squeeze, and she felt the violent twitch his body gave, and heard the soft grunt he made instead of giving into laughter.

“Who would have thought you were ticklish?” Alina teased.

Aleksander gritted his teeth and grasped for her wrists. She only managed to evade him for a short while, poking erratically at his torso. A small laugh slipped out before he successfully grabbed her, pushing her back against the desk with a predatory grin on his face.

“Curiosity and persistence can be a strength, but you have just begun a dangerous game,” he practically whispered, voice low and rough. “Now, I’m much more interested in finding your physical weak spots than any other.”

With wide eyes and a smile of anticipation already curling on her lips, Alina didn’t have a response to that. She knew she was quite ticklish, from a childhood full of rough-housing with Mal, but she had spent most of her life winning those playful fights. Now, she feels helpless, but not in a bad way. Aleksander has a way of making vulnerability feel safe.

His hands were large, with calloused fingers and a strong grip, and one stayed wrapped around her wrist while the other descended to tease her stomach through her nightdress, and giggles bubbled in her throat and spilled from her lips before he had truly begun.

Her nighttime worries had vanished entirely, and she suspected she would sleep well after he had tired her out, whether from laughter or something else, although she wouldn’t be complaining either way. All she knew was that he had managed to make her feel better, and she was actually looking forward to training with Baghra in the morning.

Alina figured that not all weaknesses were inherently bad, especially when they were exploited by someone you cared for so deeply.

#darklina #darklina fic #darklina fluff #darklina fanfic #alina starkov #aleksander morozova #shadow and bone tv #shadow and bone #grishaverse #tickle fic #ticklefic #tickling #raspberry writes

[marvelmusing]

Darklina Winter Fete AU

(featuring my own photo edits)

What if, instead of going to the War Room during the Winter Fete, Alina and Aleksander went to the library, before spending the night together. Meaning that, Alina woke up in Aleksander’s bedroom instead of going on the run.

#darklina #darklina au #darklina fanart #darklina edit #darklina fluff #the darkling x alina #alina x the darkling #aleksander morozova x alina starkov #alina starkov x aleksander morozova #alina starkov #the darkling #aleksander morozova #general kirigan #ben barnes #jessie mei li

[bettycooper]

Darklina Server Secret Sankta 2022 gift for @lucife56

Darklina + Dress by Taylor Swift

#darklina #darklinaedit #sabedit #shadow and bone #shadowandboneedit #shadowandbonecentral #the darkling #alina starkov #aleksander morozova #jemmablossom #otpsource #usersource #shadowandbonesource #alinastarkovedit #aleksandermorozovaedit #darklinadaily #[ hiii giftee! this is a bonus!gift ] #[ in the vein of canon divergence & fluff ] #[ because it's all Good Times the night of the Fete instead of sadness ]

[croissntsblog]

But somehow, they found peace

(A doodle from my sketchbook that i decided to color in digital. Messy and all but fun with the colors! Im in the first part of the third book, anticipating the end and already making fanart to cope what’s coming)

#shadow and bone #alina starkov #drawing #fanart #darklina #grishaverse #grisha #sankta alina #sun summoner #shadow summoner #the darkling #aleksander morovoza #general kirigan #s&b #s&b trilogy #fluff #happy comeback #just pls they can be so much #alarkling

[steponmeinejghafa]

Little Disturbance

Summary: Alina and Aleksander are in a meeting, when you decide to disrupt it very, very, very politely. Which later leads to a nice, fluff-filled evening.

Darklina x Fem!Child!Reader

Warnings: None. Unless you count tooth-rotting fluff!

Age: 5

Note: For the sake of the story, Baghra is alive, and both the Darkling and Alina rule Ravka.

———

To be honest, sometimes your grandmother was a bit…dull. As much as you loved hanging out in her house, eating food every waking moment, it did get a bit boring. She had no interesting books, apart from Grisha hand manuals, and some books on lore so ancient it hadn’t been translated.

Granted, she told you stories of your father when he was younger, but even stories could keep a five year old entertained so much.

“Nana,” you said, looking up from your game with a few dolls Aleksander had made for you, “When can I meet Mama and Papa?”

Baghra, who was reading by the fireplace, replied, “They’re in a meeting, child. You are not to see them till the Palace’s dinner bell goes.”

“But I wanna check if they’re okay!” You whined, leaning forward to catch at her skirt with your small hands.

“If they weren’t okay, then we’d have known by know,” sighed the woman before nudging at your hands with her own. “Stop that fiddling, child.”

You did want to meet your parents, so you made a very logical decision when your grandmother wasn’t looking.

You stood up from the floor where you’d been playing and made a run for it.

You dashed down shortcuts and pathways, laughing at Baghra’s exclamations for you to stop.

You avoided Zoya, swerved around Genya, even tripped up poor Feydor, who was trying his best not to dirty his new boots, all to get to that meeting room.

You found the massive double doors which you’d been asked to never step inside of when they were closed, and pushed them open with all your might anyway, ignoring the guards who exclaimed at you to stop.

You went unnoticed as you closed the well-oiled door carefully, and you noticed your mother’s familiar kefta as well as the bun she wore whenever she had an official meeting.

You heard your father talking authoritatively and resisted the urge to run to him, and instead walked over to your mother.

Alina gasped softly upon feeling someone tug at her kefta sleeve, and laughed softly when she saw you grinning up at her. She quickly lifted you up and placed you on her lap such that you were facing her, asking in a low voice, “Did you sneak from Nana’s house all the way here?”

“Yes,” you grinned and nodded. “I escaped.”

“Oh, yes, my little escape artist,” she chuckled, kissing your nose. “Why? We’re you bored?”

“A little,” you nodded. “But I wanted to make sure you and Papa were okay!”

“Darling, if something happened to Mama and Papa, then you’d know immediately,” she said, turning you on her lap so that you faced the rest of the council members.

“I was missing you, Mama!” You whined, leaning into her.

“Alright, little one,” smiled Alina, squeezing you a little. “Be very quiet while this meeting goes on, okay?”

You nodded and listened to your father talking, catching his eye and smiling as he shot you a wink. He looked at Alina, who shook her head, then nodded at the board which had the map of Ravka on it.

One of the councilmen, Igor Romanov, raised his hand and inquired, “Er, sir, why is there a child in the room? I believe she is too young to be listening to this conversation and,” he glanced at Alina, who was coping at you as she let you play with her fingers, “Seems to be a bit of a distraction.”

“Councilman Romanov,” said your father, his face set like stone, “I appreciate your…concern, but as long as I am not distracted by the child, I don’t think any of you should pay her any mind.”

Feydor then burst into the room, panting as he apologised profusely, “I am so sorry, sir. I will escort her to her rooms if need be—“

“There will be no need, Feydor,” said Alina turning in her chair a little to face him. “Thank you.”

“Of course, my queen,” he bowed and excused himself.

“Now, as I was saying…” Aleksander’s voice continued what he’d been discussing earlier, and you slowly began to nod off in Alina’s arms, your father’s smooth baritone voice calming to your ears.

The meeting ended shortly, and Alina smiled and cooed at your sleeping figure, as your held her hand tightly as you did. Once the councilmen emptied out, Aleksander walked over and kissed his wife’s head, then yours, which startled you awake.

“Papa!” You squealed, reaching out to hug him.

“Hello, moya malenk’ya printessa (my little princess),” he smiled and lifted you off Alina’s lap, swinging you up and placing you back down again, earning a laugh from you. “How was your time with Nana?” He placed you on his hip, your mother walking beside him.

“A bit boring,” you admitted.

“And why did you come to the meeting room after Mama told you not to?” He asked, eyebrow raised, but a smile on his face.

“I wanted to make sure you were okay!” You said, leaning your head on his shoulder.

“I-“ he faltered for a moment, caught Alina’s eye, and proceeded to burst out laughing.

“Papa! It’s not funny!” You frowned. “Mama, tell him!”

“Aleksander,” said Alina, pausing her laughter and putting on a mock-serious glare. “Y/n is right. We could have been seriously injured. She can protect us, you know.”

Aleksander wiped a tear of laughter from his eye and said, “Ah, yes, of course my love. Indeed, indeed.”

The three of you went to the main palace, where you greeted the doormen happily, who simply bowed and stepped aside for you all to enter.

“Mama,” you asked, eyes on the doormen with their stony faces and blank eyes. “Why don’t they say hello back?”

“Oh, they’re not supposed to, little one,” Alina replied, gesturing for Aleksander to place you down. “There are rules for everything and everyone here.”

“That sounds boring,” you said, running around them. “I don’t like boring things.”

“Then you must bear with your Nana, because she loves you very much,” said your father, ruffling your hair. Alina gasped and hit him on his shoulder, earning an ‘ow’ from his end.

“That is your mother, Aleksander,” she scowled.

“Yes, yes, sorry, my love,” he nodded, rubbing the place where she’d hit him.

Alina scooped you up from where you were running around and said, “Someone needs to take a bath,” she placed you on her hip and smiled at you, “My little one smells like smoke and cloves. Did Nana decide to have you help her cooking lunch?”

You nodded, “Yes!” And giggled as you pulled out the pin which kept your mother’s hair up, earning a gasp from her when she took the pin from you.

“And I though I’d be the one to do that tonight,” Aleksander whispered in his wife’s ear, making a blush spread over her cheeks.

“Aleksander, please, there is a child present,” she chided.

She took you to their room, placing you on the bed and picking out a nightdress of your choice as Aleksander tickled and laughed with you.

“Thank god, no more meetings for another two days,” laughed Alina as she took you to the bathroom, Aleksander sitting on the bed, reading a book.

“Mama,” you said, reaching for the laces of your dress. “I heard from Genya that there’s going to be a travelling circus and carnival coming to the town tomorrow ! Can we go?”

Alina helped you with the laces and smiled, “Well, if you do your lessons properly tomorrow without trying to escape, then maybe we can go.”

“Yes!” You squealed, sitting in the tub and letting her bathe you quickly, singing a soft Ravkan song to keep you occupied.

“There,” she said, tying your hair in a braid. “Now my little one’s much fresher.”

You nodded and smiled, running into your parents’ bedroom, leaping on your father with a bright grin, making him laugh and place his book away.

“Mama said we can go to the circus tomorrow!” You squealed. “You’ll come with us, right?”

“Of course, little one,” he nodded, kissing your forehead. “Family day.”

“I’m gonna win a crow figurine this time for sure!” You said, turning your stag figurine in your hands, which Alina kept on the bedside table before you’d bathed.

“What all have you won so far?” He asked, picking you up and taking you to your room, Alina close behind as she talked in a hushed voice to a servant who’d handed her a letter.

You pointed at the shelf on your bookcase which was full of animal figurines from a long time of your father and mother helping you win them at every carnival which came to town.

“I’ve got a stag, a lion, a lynx…” you rambled on, naming every single animal on your shelf, placing the stag on its place carefully.

“What do you say to a puzzle before bed?” Your father asked after having listened to your long talk about different animals.

“Puzzle!” You grinned. Aleksander knew you loved puzzles. The picture ones or the brain teasers which one of his Durasts would make almost every day, you and him always sat and solved them together. If he couldn’t do it because of work, he’d solve two with you the next day.

He pulled out two paper packages from his kefta pockets, placing them in front of you. “Which one?” He asked with a smile.

You thought for a moment and pointed at the one on the left, which he handed to you, and took the right one for himself.

You opened it to find a simple cube of interlocking pieces, one of which you took out to disassemble the whole cube.

Alina sat next to you, pulling you into her lap as you started to figure out how to solve your puzzle.

Aleksander had a wooden six-point star, which he took apart and began to try and reassemble, while Alina and you both ganged up on him, her helping you with your puzzle, while Aleksander struggled with his.

“That is not fair, you cannot use your intellectual strength to defeat me!” Complained your father.

Someone knocked at the door, and Alina placed you off her lap to open it.

“Aleksander,” she said, seeing Feydor, “It’s for you.”

Aleksander placed down his puzzle and sighed, ruffling your hair as you continued to try solving your puzzle.

Alina sat back with you, listening to you talk about random things as you took apart the puzzle for what felt like the tenth time, grumbling in frustration.

“Papa,” you whined, “I can’t solve it!”

“Just a minute, moya malen’kya printessa,” he said, before glaring back at Feydor.

Alina noticed their interaction becoming more and more heated in whispers, and decided to step in.

“Is everything alright?” Asked the Sun Summoner, frowning slightly, standing next to Aleksander.

“I have to go to Novyi Zem,” he muttered. “Tonight. The governor needs me at a meeting for their economical security matters.”

“At this hour?” Asked Alina, her brow furrowing further. “Can’t it wait? You promised Y/n about the circus and carnival.”

“I’m afraid this matter is a bit too grave, and can’t be avoided,” sighed Aleksander. “And I think the two of us will have to go.”

“Sadly yes,” said Feydor. “The governor has requested both of you to be there.”

“Oh for Saints’ sake—“ scoffed Alina. “We have a child to take care of, doesn’t anyone understand that?”

“Nannies are something I can sugges—“ Feydor began, but was cut off by a glare from both your parents.

“I refuse to be some absent parent in my child’s life for the sake of convenience, Feydor,” said your father. “Inform the governor that Alina and I will be able to make it day after tomorrow, due to personal matters.”

“Mama…” you whined trudging over to Alina and tugging at her kefta, “I need help with my puzzle!”

“If you both could take this conversation outside, I’d appreciate it,” your mother said authoritatively. She took your hand and sat on the bed, helping you with your puzzle.

“Do you and Papa have to go again?” You asked, pouting as you looked at your mother with big, watery, e/c eyes.

“No, no,” she shook her head, pulling you into her lap for a cuddle. “We are not going anywhere, my love.”

You sniffled and buried your face in her now-open hair, your small hands fisting in her kefta’s soft fabric, relaxing a bit when she rubbed your back soothingly.

Aleksander rushed over after having told Feydor what to do, and immediately asked frantically, “What’s wrong, Y/n, my love?”

You mumbled and hid your face in Alina’s neck, and she explained that you were upset because she and him might have to go away for a trip again.

Your father took you in his lap and said, “I postponed the meeting to day after, so we can go to the carnival and get you your crow figure. We are going to have the best day in history, I promise you that.”

You nodded and yawned, nuzzling into him as he patted your back gently to lull you to sleep.

“She’s a Papa’s girl for sure,” laughed Alina, caressing your hair.

“Absolutely,” nodded Aleksander as he gently placed you down to lay on the bed.

Before they could leave, you caught Alina’s hand and opened your eyes with a pout.

“Mama,” you said tiredly, “Sing, please.”

Laughing softly, Alina lay beside you, propping herself up on her elbow as you curled up into her relaxing as she began to stroke your hair. On your other side sat your father, who’s hand you held firmly.

Alina began singing Ravkan lullabies, and Aleksander accompanied the ones he knew. You slowly fell asleep, and Aleksander soon realised he was the only one singing, as Alina, too, had fallen asleep, with you curled into her an her arm draped protectively across you.

He smiled and placed a blanket over the two of you, before pausing upon feeling your hand tighten over his. He lay down too, feeling warmth bloom in his chest as you snuggled closer to him.

And so, your evening concluded, with you asleep in your parents arms, a true image of tranquility.

———

Hi! It’s me, Anne! I hope you like this one, please feel free to request!

#alina x darkling #the darkling x child!reader #Alina starkov x child!reader #darklina x child!reader #fluff #shadow and bone

[jomiddlemarch]

Alina and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day 

Alina was fairly certain that kindergarten pickup was actually a level of Hell. One of the deeper ones, though she had to admit that waiting for the divorce to be finalized and the week in February that Mal had been away at a conference in Hawaii when Eli got the stomach bug and she’d run out of orange Pedialyte, Clorox, and episodes of Elmo’s World just as she’d succumbed were both worse. She’d gotten a tee-shirt out of the conference and not herpes, so it was slightly ahead, which was the kind of thing she’d say that would make Gen tell her she really had to stay in the here and now and focus on herself and Eli; the fact that focusing in herself to Gen always meant some form of hot/stone/the feminine Divine yoga plus or minus a green smoothie was something Alina figured she just had to suck up as part of the best friend code. Especially if she wanted (needed) Gen to remain on Eli’s emergency contact list and deal with kindergarten pickup if Alina had a deadline or her car decided to call her bluff on her perpetually overdue oil changes.

She’d actually finished the article on affordable housing while sitting at the oil change place, wondering from time to time how oil change places still existed and why they still had a TV mounted on the wall when everyone was on their phone, earbuds in, podcasts and memes washing over them as digital sedatives. When she’d said anything like that at home, Mal would accuse her of being a Luddite, while continuing to shoot some monster on his gaming PC, and she’d launch into an explanation of why the Luddites got a bad rap and remembering it, she once again rejoiced in the finalization of the divorce, despite everything else it had cost her, starting with her rosy ideals about happily-ever-afters. In the timeless, nameless oil change place, happily-ever-after seemed like something that wouldn’t even appear on the TV as an infomercial. On the flip side, she wasn’t worried her car would die in kindergarten pickup.

Instead, she wished for death. Or something that would free her from her misery, besides the over-priced pistachio latte that she promptly spilled as soon as she got out of her car, half of it landing on her already dingy sneakers. She was surrounded by totally put-together, mani-pedi-ed moms in Lululemon or power suits or hand-knit sweaters and $300 jeans, with younger siblings in the latest paisley slings, Labradoodles with monogrammed collars off-leash and milling about, the same women who’d post their freshly washed and fashionably dressed kid holding a “First Day of X Grade” chalked on adorable chalkboard pics on social media. She’d waffled for a good ten minutes over the latte, since it really wasn’t in her budget and almost certainly was contributing to climate change and her chances of developing Type II diabetes, and all for what? Turning her greyish sneakers a bilious shade she associated with Dickensian misers with gout and getting her hands sticky.

“One of those days,” she heard, a man’s voice drifting down from behind her left shoulder. Before Alina could twist around or even cant her neck upward to see who was talking to her, he’d offered her an unopened pack of travel wet-wipes.

“Uh, thanks,” she said, peeling back the sticker closing the wipes and dabbing at her cuff of her cardigan. 

“Sorry about your coffee,” the man said. He’d moved into view, tall and dark-haired with a neatly trimmed beard, a sporty fleece vest layered over what he had to have worn to work, suit pants and a dress shirt still wrinkle-free. “I could easily spare a juice-box—apple-carrot ended up being a bust.”

“I can’t say I’m surprised,” Alina remarked. “Plus, juice isn’t supposed to be good for kids.”

“No?”

Alina shrugged. “I mean, it’s not like you’re giving them absinthe. Or liquid plutonium. But yeah, whole fruit is better. And they can just drink water.”

“You’re the first mom to talk to me at pickup,” he said. “I’m Alex, by the way. Cosima’s dad.”

“Probably because you’re like the only dad to show up,” Alina replied. She didn’t say “and you look like you’re on the cover of Vogue except for the navy fleece” but she thought it. Loudly.

“Their loss. Cosima always has so much to say as soon as she leaves the building, I get a play-by-play,” he said. “I’m out of town enough I don’t like to ask her nanny to get her if I can do it.”

Alina knew she should not say it. It was clear as day, as a bell, as crystal. Hell, she only had to make a leading remark and he’d probably volunteer the info, if his unprompted remarks about being Cosima’s dad and having a nanny were anything to go by. She had, however, been known to make bad decisions. See: Mal, though Eli was the most silvery of silver linings.

“Her mom can’t pick her up?”

Alex, who had every right to freeze up or withdraw or otherwise let her know she had far overstepped in her latte-stained sneakers, shrugged.

“She left me to go find herself. That doesn’t make her terribly available for kindergarten pickup. Or bath-time, beginning ballet, or urgent care visits for ear infections,” he said, not as bitterly as he could have but not as Zen as he’d likely intended. There was a look in his eyes that only another divorced, custodial parent could recognize, a pain made of equal parts anger and humiliation, the need to conceal it from the child who shouldn’t see their other parent as a villain. The fatigue from being the one who was there, who couldn’t think about a weekend away or a night out without worrying about whether there’d be a call from the sitter, a fever, a crying jag over the fear of abandonment and the finite quantity of chicken nuggets allotted to a meal.

“I really thought you were going to end on bake sales,” Alina said. 

“I always get a pass from the class moms on those,” Alex said. “They don’t expect a dad to bake, so if I do, I’m basically a superhero and if I can’t manage to send in homemade banana chocolate chip muffins and send her in with a box of cupcakes from Kaminsky’s, I’m still in their good graces. It’s completely unfair.”

“It is,” Alina said. She couldn’t be that annoyed because he knew it. “I wish I could get away with banana bread muffins. I sent Eli with red velvet cupcakes once and I didn’t use organic red food coloring or organic, locally sourced cream cheese for the frosting and I got the smoky cat-wing stink-eye for the next month. I should have risen above it, but honestly, it sucked.”

Alex laughed. He had a nice laugh, a nice voice, and seemed like a nice man who was a good dad. With her luck, that meant that he was either secretly an immensely powerful, evil mastermind intent on world domination or that she’d never see him again.

“You’re Eli’s mom? Cosima says he’s very smart and good at sharing and he makes the best dinosaur sounds. Somewhere between a growl and a yodel, I gathered after she gave up trying to describe it and demonstrated her impression,” Alex said. “I hope this isn’t too presumptuous, but would you consider a playdate for them? It’s been rough, these past few months, and I’m trying to make sure she still has a normal childhood, whatever that means these days. My mother thinks I spoil her, but she’s very old-fashioned. My mother, not Cosima.”

“My schedule is a little tricky,” Alina said carefully. She would have been more wary if it had been one of the exquisitely put-together mothers asking, more relaxed if one of the nannies had made the proposal. She wasn’t sure what to make of Alex’s offer, except that she’d wanted to say yes right away and that meant she needed to watch herself. The opportunity to even subtly trash-talk her ex was irresistible, however. “Eli’s father is around, but never when I need to organize anything.” 

“We could meet at the park. I can bring enough snacks to last the afternoon, you could come when you’re free,” Alex suggested. He said when and not if, enough hope in his voice and those dark eyes that it sounded like an appeal and not an attempt to control her.

“I wouldn’t want you to go to too much trouble,” she said. She had thought arranging playdates would be easier than actual adult dating, but thus far, she’d been wrong.

“Oh, I won’t. I’ll go to Kaminsky’s and stock up. I’m friends with the owners,” he said. “I should say, I’m friends with Theo and Ivan doesn’t outright loathe me and allows me to eat his pastry. If you are not Theo, that is about as close to friends as you can get with him.”

“Sounds like my friend Gen’s boyfriend David, except substitute updating all my devices so I don’t get hacked or locked out of my bank account for petit fours and apple turnovers,” Alina said.

“That’s what you’d like, apple turnovers?” Alex asked, looking at her with a degree of focus that started out as unnerving and then suddenly felt warmer than appraisal, too thoughtful to be mere flirtation.

“You don’t have to—” Alina began, cut off when the kids were released, much like a swarm of infuriated bees or the Charge of the Light Brigade, Eli running a credible Olympic qualifying sprint with her latte-splattered knees as the finish line, a dark-haired little girl with neatly braided hair arriving slightly more decorously in Alex’s embrace; he’d instantly dropped into an unfairly elegant crouch to receive his daughter, while Alina planted her feet to take on the onslaught of Hurricane Eli. 

“Papa, you have to tell Baba not to eat snails anymore because Ms. Costas got one and it’s got a name and snails are people too,” Cosima announced, small hands planted on her father’s shoulders.

“Its name is Greg,” Eli said, as if the four of them were having a conversation, which Alina now supposed was the actual truth. 

“So, a boy snail,” Alex said.

“No,” Cosima said. “Just Greg.”

“Can we go to the park, Mommy? You said we could. Can we bring meatballs?” Eli asked.

“Not today, buddy,” Alina said, bracing herself for a tantrum or a closing argument worthy of Clarence Darrow or Judge Judy. 

“You said—”

“Your mom said we could have a playdate on Saturday and that is in two days,” Alex interjected. “Cosima and I are going to bring a blanket and some treats. We could include meatballs too.”

“Don’t,” Alina said. Alex’s expression went blank but Cosima and Eli’s both looked mutinous and on the verge of tears. It was amazing Ms. Costas could stand firm regarding quiet time in the face of such unified disapproval. “I just meant, don’t worry about meatballs. Meatballs is Mr. Lanstov’s cat. He’s our neighbor, we help out a little—”

“Yeah, because Mr. Lantsov is a million years old,” Eli said. “He said to call him Niko, but Mommy says that’s not polite because he’s so old.”

“We could bring apple turnovers then,” Alex said. “And maybe some catnip for Meatballs. It would be nice to make everyone happy.”

For @vesperass-anuna and @aloveforjaneausten who were wanting a modern AU for Darklina where our two unhappy characters meet at school picking up their kiddos.

#darklina #modern au #alina x aleksander #dilf!aleksander #fluff #humor #kidfic #mal bashing #prompt fill #fivan #ivan x fedyor

[iamstartraveller776]

Sleepy prompts: Darklina + 40

“I’m gonna carry you to bed if you keep arguing with me about not needing sleep.”

A/N: Thank you so much for the prompt! Here's a bit of a Modern Business AU. I hope you enjoy! [ao3]

INVOLUNTARY

Alina hadn't meant to fall asleep. No, actually she did. She hadn't meant to sleep through the alarm she set on her phone. Lately there weren't enough hours in the day between doing her job and helping Mal do his.

"This presentation could lead to a big promotion, Alina. That'll change everything for us."

Us. She should be glad that he's finally talking about their future, and she was. They'd been stuck in a holding pattern for years, the corporate climb always taking precedence. Right now, though, she'd be grateful to catch more than an hour or two of sleep at night. In few days, they'd be in the same timezone again—the six hour difference was not helping.

Until then, she'd just have to catch a power nap when she could.

"Miss Starkova."

That familiar baritone pulled her out of a dream where she was lounging on a white sand beach, and she wanted to groan. A furious blush followed in the next second when she remembered where she was: the small study in her boss's hotel suite.

"Mr. Morozov!" she exclaimed as she sat bolt upright. "I'm sorry. I was just—" She shuffled through the papers on the desk, cheeks burning brighter at the bit of drool on the quarterly financial report. Great.

Aleksander Morozov, CEO and president of Ravka Enterprises, leaned against the door jamb, arms crossed. She'd seen him out of his usual three-piece suits before, but somehow the dark grey slacks and black button-down, collar undone, sleeves rolled to his elbows, seemed more intimate. A sight reserved for a date rather than his harried assistant.

His expression was unreadable as he cocked his head. "You were just...what?"

Alina bit back a frustrated sigh. If she'd woken with the alarm, he wouldn't have caught her literally snoozing on the job. She would have been done with the reports, caught up on emails, and updated his schedule before he returned from drinks with—who was it, again? She ran a hand over her face.

She had at least another hour of work ahead of her, two more like, and Mal would be calling any minute. She could laugh, but she'd probably cry instead.

"I can take this to my room." She stood, gathering the files and printouts. "I'll have tomorrow's schedule in your inbox before you wake up, and—" She cut off at the soft press of his hand over hers.

He was behind her, so near she could feel the heat radiating from him. She resisted the urge to inhale the subtle mix of cologne and bourbon. God, she needed sleep.

"What's wrong?" He moved his hand to her shoulder, encouraged her to turn toward him.

She shook her head and tried to smile up at him. "I'm fine. Just tired is all."

He frowned, searching her face with those dark, lancing eyes. "Yes," he said. "I've noticed. You've been tired this entire trip. Why?"

Alina grimaced. Apparently she hadn't been keeping up appearances as well as she thought. "It's nothing." At his flat look, she admitted, "Mal has an important presentation coming up, and I've been helping him at night. It won't happen again." Sleeping at work, she meant. Of course she'd help Mal.

A good girlfriend was available whenever she was needed. A good girlfriend wasn't resentful. And a good girlfriend's stomach didn't flutter when her older, unfairly handsome employer stood close enough that she had to crane her neck to keep her gaze on his.

"Ah, Malyen." Aleksander said his name with what almost sounded like a note of derision. "And he can't manage this presentation without you?"

The question sent a spike of indignation through her. Worse, though, it pricked too close to her own three a.m. thoughts. "Of course he can."

"Good." The corner of Aleksander's mouth curved up a hair. "Then you can get some rest." He nodded toward the paperwork and laptop. "That can wait."

"Really, I'm fine." Her body betrayed her in that moment by yawning.

He raised his brow as if daring her to keep arguing.

She was pretty sure her cheeks were permanently red now. "Right." Her hand unconsciously reached for the pile of work, and she stopped herself. It felt strange leaving all of that undone. "I'll just head downstairs."

Her phone buzzed as she picked it up from the desk, and he plucked it out of her hands with a stern look. His expression soured further when he looked at the screen. She squeaked out an objection when he accepted the call, bringing the phone to his ear.

"Mr. Oretsev." He held up a finger as Alina opened her mouth again. "I'm afraid Miss Starkova is unavailable for the rest of the night. I need her to be at her best for tomorrow's meetings, and that means several hours of uninterrupted sleep."

Alina glared at him as he listened to Mal's reply. She set her jaw against another yawn, determined not to prove Aleksander right.

"Yes, I'm aware," he said coolly. "However, since I am the one paying her salary, I must insist that she is well rested and sharp when she is on the clock."

Mal's voice grew louder on the other end of the line, and though she couldn't make out the words, Alina could guess what was being said. Mal didn't like her boss, thought the man was too arrogant, too entitled—particularly of Alina's time. In her less charitable moments, she felt it was rather like the pot calling the kettle black.

Aleksander seemed unfazed by the tirade he was receiving, only hummed as if in agreement. "Then as her boyfriend, I assume you are even more invested in her well-being than her employer."

Alina rolled her eyes. She was going to get an earful from Mal about this later.

"Oh, and Mr. Oretsev," Aleksander said, " a word of caution. You may not work for me, but you'd do well to remember that Keramzin Capital is one of my subsidiaries." He ended the call without waiting for a response.

And now there was yet another fire for Alina to put out before she could catch any shut-eye. "Thanks for that." She glowered at him, holding out her hand expectantly.

He kept his eyes on hers as he slipped her phone into his pocket.

"You can't just take my phone!"

"Someone has to take care of you," he said. "Since neither you nor your boyfriend"—there was no mistaking the derision in his tone this time—"appear to be willing, the job falls to me."

She opened her mouth to balk, but it turned into another jaw-cracking yawn. She hated the vindication that flashed across his features. "Fine. I'm going." She tried to inch around him, but he wouldn't budge.

He held her gaze for a beat, and her exasperation gave way to a different kind of warmth. Embarrassingly, she swayed on her feet, the combination of acute exhaustion, whatever this odd moment was, and the impending drama with Mal entirely too much.

Aleksander grabbed her wrist and her heart leapt into her throat as he lifted her over his shoulder.

"What are you doing!?" she gasped.

"Putting you to bed."

She was mortified at the idea of being carried through the hotel corridors like a misbehaving child, but her breath caught when, a minute later, he dropped her onto a plush king-sized bed—his bed. She tried to sit up, but he pushed her gently back down into the pillows.

"This is where you belong," he said, and she was certain her fatigue-addled imagination was conjuring up an implication that wasn't there. "For the next eight hours, at least."

"But where will you sleep?" she asked around yet another yawn. The bed really was luxuriant. Her eyelids started drooping against her will.

He gave her one of his rare grins as he moved to the foot of the bed. "There's a sofa bed in the other room." He slipped off one of her shoes, then the other, fingers grazing across each ankle, sliding down each foot.

Or was that another figment of her crumbling consciousness?

He helped her get under the feather comforter, and she was glad that she'd chosen business casual as her attire today. Because there was no way she was getting up again.

"Rest as long as you need," he murmured with a tender expression that made her chest tight.

"But the meeting with—"

"I'm perfectly capable of handling things on my own," he said over her. She couldn't help but hear a throwback to his earlier disdainful question about Mal's capabilities. "Now, sleep. That's an order."

Her eyes were more than happy to obey even as she scoffed lightly. "Not on the clock anymore."

He breathed a quiet laugh. "And you won't be until I say so."

She heard him pad toward the doorway, and suddenly, she couldn't let him leave without recognizing his uncharacteristic kindness. "Thank you, Mr. Morozov." Because he was right; she desperately needed this.

He didn't respond, and she looked up, thinking he'd already left. He was still there, though, standing at the threshold, hand hovering over the light switch. He glanced back at her over his shoulder.

"Call me Sasha," he said, barely more than a whisper. He flicked off the light. "Goodnight, Alina."

Blessedly sleep overtook her before she could ruminate on his peculiar behavior.

~FIN~

#darklina #darklina fanfic #alina x aleksander #alina x kirigan #alarkling #my fic #sab #modern au #business au #fluff #anti mal oretsev

[orlissa]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Shadow and Bone (TV), The Grisha Trilogy - Leigh Bardugo, Demon in the Wood (Graphic Novel) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: The Darkling | Aleksander Morozova/Alina Starkov Characters: The Darkling | Aleksander Morozova, Alina Starkov Additional Tags: Unsaid verse, Fluff, Humor, Pregnancy, references to demon in the wood, alina has a temper, and a terrible sense when it comes to choosing names, Family Fluff, Cuddling Series: Part 32 of Terrible, Beautiful, Unsaid Things Summary:

Alina’s eyes twinkled as she bit her lip. “Okay, so if it’s a boy,” she started in such an adorable manner that he would have never thought that the sentence would end in such a devastating way, “I thought we could call him Eryk.” Aleksander winced involuntarily. Yeah, he did not expect her to begin with that, let alone that he would have such a reaction to the damned name. “Yeah, no. Definitely not.” * With the birth of their second child fast approaching, Alina thinks it's time they choose a name for the baby. It's not entirely her fault that she keeps coming up with names Aleksander used as an alias in the past... Addition to the Unsaid verse

@sankta-alina-s this is kinda for you, you wanted this story to be said in the Unsaid verse :)

#darklina #fanfic #fluff #undsaid verse #shadow and bone

[dhampiravidi]

inspired by this gorgeous collaboration post. thanks to @marvelmusing & @stardustandtwilight .

#admin #ao3 #my fic #fanfiction #shadow and bone #fix-it fic #nichevo’ya #pure fluff #darklina sort of #but mostly #aleksander morozova x reader #aleksander morovoza #the darkling #alina starkov #the grishaverse #the grisha trilogy #shadow and bone s2 spoilers

[soulless-angel25]

Fluffy Feburary [2024], Day 19 Prompt- Shadow @fluffyfebruary

Shadows had surrounded Alina her entire life, from as far back as she could remember the shadows had always been there. They represented safety to her, they were a safe haven because when she embraced the shadows no one could find her. Not unless she wished to be found.

So when the Darkling had enveloped her in the darkness in that tent, she didn't feel fear. She felt like she was home, because home was the shadows. Even when he touched her skin and suddenly she was burning like the sun above them the shadows clung still to her.

Part of her very much appreciated the irony, the Sun Summoner clung to the darkness, preferred it to the light. And it seemed the opposite was true for the Darkling, who seemed to enjoy the feel of light upon his skin, but who still felt at home in the shadows.

Maybe that's why it was so very easy for her to be attracted to him, they were two planets, two energies orbiting each other. Neither able to exist without the other.

And so when his shadows grew closer to her she did not flinch, because she was not afraid. Not like so many of the other Grisha seemed to be, true, they respected him, admired him, but the shadows- the darkness frightened them.

In return for him allowing her his shadows she allowed him her light, the one that seemed to rest just beneath her skin at every moment. And whenever she allowed the light to reach him he chased after it, like a deprived man who had not seen sunlight in many years.

Even when she was alone a trail of shadows seemed to follow her, and though she knew he was doing it to keep track of her she reveled in it. The thought that she could just stop and step back into the shadows and they would keep her hidden, he would keep her hidden. It brought a warmth to her cheeks and an extra beat to her heart.

Although her control was limited she was willing to learn, Baghra- for all her eccentrics was a... good teacher. And so, the ability to stretch her light in simple ways became useful. But Alina knew that Baghra would not want her to use her powers the way she was.

She would despise the fact that Alina is using her new skills to send light to follow after the Darkling as he has the shadows follow after her. Good thing that Baghra doesn't have any reason to know.

#shadow and bone #alina starkov #alina starkova #fluff february #fluffy february #fluffyfebruary #the darkling #aleksander morozova #aleksander morovoza #darklina

[keira63fic]

Fairy Lights (1/1)

Alina gets home from a stressful day at work to find a sweet surprise from her husband.

For the Darklina Exchange Fall Equinox Mini Exchange with the prompt 'fairy lights'

#aleksander morozova #the darkling #alina starkov #darklina #darkling x alina #shadow and bone #the grisha trilogy #grisha trilogy fanfic #my fic #modern au #fluff

[marvelmusing]

Neighbours!Darklina AU

Alina Starkov and Aleksander Morozova are complete opposites.

Alina has a white cat, drinks her coffee with more cream than actual coffee, and can never find the jewellery pieces she’s looking for.

Aleksander has a black German Shepard, he drinks his coffee black, and he keeps everything in their perfectly designed spaces.

#darklina #darklina au #the darkling x alina #alina x the darkling #alina starkov x aleksander morozova #aleksander morozova x alina starkov #darklina fluff #darklina moodboard #the darkling moodboard #alina starkov moodboard #ben barnes #jessie mei li #ben barnes moodboard #jessie mei li moodboard #shadow and bone au #netflix shadow and bone #shadow and bone netflix

[bettycooper]

Darklina Server Valentine's Mixtape

Breathless by The Corrs submitted by caityfrost

#darklina #shadow and bone #shadowandbonedit #shadowandbonesource #shadowandbonecentral #alina starkov #aleksander morozova #the darkling #alinastarkovedit #thedarklingedit #jemmablossom #otpsource #netflexedit #userstream #ddsvalentinesmixtape #chewieblog #dailycolorfulgifs #meowatthemoon #[ i too am surprised i managed to make fluff since this is usually an angst only creation station ]

[satineainsel]

Our favorite Heartrender husbands drink cocoa on a cold winter’s day.

Inspired by True North, set in the same universe between the Chapters 21 & 22 (because I have not watched S2 yet) but not necessary to read that to understand. It's hot chocolate fluff.

#fivan #ivan x fedyor #fedyor kaminsky #Ivan #darklina #shadow and bone #heartrender husbands #our heartrender husbands deserve better #not season 2 compliant #cause I haven’t watched season 2 #but saw people upset about it #and decided I needed fluff #fluff #hot chocolate #marshmallow #marshmallow vs whipped cream #that’s entirely the plot

[thisreputable]

line of scrimmage

g | 1/1 | 861 | fluff

for @thegoodbutter_ whose word prompt was "sunday football"

hope y'all like it 😊

ao3

#shadow and bone #aleksander morozova #alina starkov #darklina #the darkling #fluff

[jomiddlemarch]

Though it to body first repair

“I think you must carry the entire weight of the world on your shoulders,” Alina said, resting her hands lightly on Aleksander’s broad back. He’d finally acquiesced to the bath after a solid hour of her cajoling after the solid hour he’d had to spend with Chief Healer Nevena following his return from the Fold, a journey Alina had tried, unsuccessfully, to keep him from undertaking. This wasn’t the first time he’d gone, bringing his darkness into the darkness, in a ritual that did not make sense to her but which she still somehow understood as a process of restoration and redemption. The volcra had killed fewer travelers since he’d begun and more nights had held only silence, instead of their piercing cries. But it cost him dearly, the passage through and the return, merzost spun and unspooled; he would not say how he got the wounds he carried back, but Nevena shook her head before she began healing him and was spent and trembling when she finished. Even so, he came to their chambers pale, his gait uneasy, and when he spoke, his voice was low and rough, as if he’d worn it out in prayer or trance-song.

Alina had plied him with honey. She stoked the fire in the hearth, lit candles beside their bed. She read aloud to him from the latest volume of The Princess and the Barbarian. And tonight, she had coaxed him into a bath, settling herself behind him, and laid her hands on his shoulder blades, where a volcra’s wings would sprout.

“Not the whole world,” Aleksander said. “Only the Grisha.”

“And their families. And anyone who comes to you seeking your help. Anyone you think you might owe a debt to, however far back you can construe your accountability,” Alina said. She pressed her hands more firmly against his skin, let him feel the light that seethed within her. He sighed, the breath a mixture of exhaustion and relief, the faintest hint of pleasure.

“I have much to answer for,” he said. She stroked her hands up and then down his back, then again, when he let his head drop down.

“I won’t tell you to stop, you know, Sasha,” she said. She might want to, did indeed want to, but she knew better, even without the conversations she’d had with Ivan, who accompanied Aleksander on his journeys, or the ones she had with Fedyor after he’d convinced his husband to go to bed instead of attending training with Master Botkin.

“I would tell you to, if the situation were reversed,” he admitted. She smiled and reached over to the low table that stood beside the bathtub, scooping up a dollop from the dish of creamy, golden unguent she’d left there, then coated both her palms with it. She began where the water crested below his ribs and let her hands move up and over his skin, feeling the terrible tension start to ebb.

“I know. We’d have a Saints-forsaken fight about it. And then I’d go and you’d wear a hole in my favorite carpet from Ketterdam pacing until I got back,” Alina said, her hands steady, the scent of the herbs the apothecary used eddying about in the steamy air. It smelled like a summer garden, so that she expected a bee to land on the lip of the tub, and like the kitchens during a feast, like the forest in the autumn, and somehow, like the moment he’d first cut her with his silver ring and the moment they’d cried out together consummating their marriage.

“I’d replace the carpet,” he said, some humor in his voice and then he made a sound between a sigh and a moan, a most luxurious tone that spoke of the easing of pain and the marvelous anticipating of exquisite pleasure. “What’s in that, what you’re using now? It feels—I’ve never—”

“That’s a secret,” she said, continuing the massage, now using the heel of her palm, then the very tips of her fingers. “A woman does like a bit of mystery.”

“I’ll get the Healer who made it to tell me,” he said, the threat a feint, as sweet as kiss.

“Good luck with that,” she replied. “I am the only Grisha involved in creating this. I went to an otkazat’sya for assistance. And don’t worry, I had Genya Tailor me and I wore a matron’s ordinary cloak over my kefta.”

“I’ll only enjoy it then,” he said. “There, oh, just there, milaya, that’s so good, don’t stop, don’t—”

“I won’t,” she said softly, letting one hand slip to his chest, pressing her thighs a little closer to his, resisting the urge to close the small distance between them, her breasts against his back, her cheek laid upon his nape. “As long as you want, Sasha, whatever you want—”

“The water will get cold,” he said. She shut her eyes, thought of the sun at a midsummer high noon, and around them the water became wonderfully warm and silky.

“As long as you want,” she repeated.

For @vesperass-anuna​ who asked for Darklina + back-rub and any other Darklina fans who need something very tender and fluffy right about now, but still using a gif from Season 2 because WE ARE NOT BOUND BY CANON!

#darklina #shadow and bone #sab #canon au #a very different season 2 #alina x aleksander #fluff #the fold #back-rub #prompt fill #domestic #marriage #no sign of mal #bathing together #romance