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queandrue · 4 years

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Interlude, Ea and Emin: Months

AN: Que and I did another fic together! This one is a companion to Interlude, Ea and Talnah: Months . Hope you like it! It took us a while, but it was fun to do! ~Rue

Word Count: 4505

Emin was absolutely ecstatic, giddy even.

He’d been on the earring nonstop with Jacar and Claire ever since Talnah gave him the okay to break the news.

Pregnant.

Through some miracle the Raven Queen had allowed him to take a bit of time off for the occasion—unless an emergency came up. His coworkers even got him some balloons and a terribly cheesy card as congratulations.

“I’m so happy for you Emin,” Jacar’s voice buzzed through the line, tired and worn from all the performing that he and Ea had been doing. “Tell Talnah I say congrats.”

“You can tell her yourself when you get up here J-Dog,” Emin said, “besides, it’s been a while since I’ve seen you and Claire. Gods when did we all get so busy not looking for our next meal?”

“Too long.”

I can’t wait to see you— Oh!” Emin interrupted himself, “No telling Ea alright? Tal wants to tell her herself when she gets here.”

“Of course Emin,” Jacar sounded like he didn’t know whether to chuckle or grimace. “She had to travel back home for… something anyway.”

“Really? What for?”

Emin had heard that Ea had come from somewhere and that was about the only information he’d gotten on the subject. That and a very nasty look from Ea when he asked. He was partially convinced at this point she had come from space.

“Yeah, she didn’t say what for, but I couldn't tell her if I wanted to.”

There was a long silence then, and Emin felt a little guilty for bringing it up. He and Talnah both knew that they’d have to cross this bridge eventually—he’d certainly suggested they just never mention it. Like one would from a very conservative grandmother, but Ea was his wife’s sister and he supposed that technically made them inlaws.

Why couldn’t he have fucking normal inlaws?

“Just be careful when you break the news to her…”

“Come on Jacar, don’t worry. The worst she could do is kill me.”

*******

There was a flash of red and Emin’ back hit the mansion wall, bricks digging uncomfortably through his cloak, as a surprisingly strong arm held him in place by the throat. He blinked. Once. Twice. A third time—just for good measure. When his vision cleared, the stunned expression plastered on his face slowly melted into a cocky grin.

"Well hello to you too Ea."

She just snarled in response, dark lips curling back to reveal impossibly sharp teeth. The horns that curled around her head cast threatening shadows across her face. He’d forgotten just how dangerous Ea could be when she wanted to.

Emin knew Talnah had been worried about this—watched her pace around the home all day, tail twitching as she practiced what she was going to say to Ea.

All the oddly strained expressions fit so poorly on her face that it would have been cute had it been literally any other situation. Pale fingers fidgeted with her wedding ring, glancing to him for reassurance before repeating the cycle no matter how he consoled her.

Of course he knew Ea would react terribly; he knew this, he just didn't care.

She hadn't exactly been fond of him when he started getting cozy with Talnah in the beginning. And while they had gotten a bit closer over the years, all that progress seemed to have evaporated just a few seconds ago.

He was foolish to believe that it would have changed anything.

"Ea please…"

Emin could hear the anxiety in Talnah's voice. The quick glance he caught of her face confirmed it. Robin looked more exasperated than anything.

He couldn't blame her.

"I knew I shouldn't have trusted you alone with her," Ea's voice was a growl.

His chest tightened up a bit despite himself. There was nothing to be afraid of; she wouldn’t dare maul him in front of Talnah….probably.

“Now Ea—”

“Stuff it you cocky piece of shit.”

The arm against his throat pressed closer.

Honestly, Emin thought this level of anger was a bit of an overkill. He had expected her to slap him, maybe twice— a good punch to the jaw even. Some amount of yelling about his inability to properly support any living creature other than himself (and even that was questionable at times, he’d admit).

But this even caught him a little off guard.

However, that didn't mean he wasn’t going to add fuel to the fire.

"I guess you shouldn't have been slacking on guard duty three months ago," he sneered, as he gripped her wrist in his and alleviated some of the pressure with little effort.

He took a little pride in being able to sneak around Ea in the Well House, and he was most certainly going to use that to get a rise out of her. He watched her lips curl back even farther as she actually gnashed her teeth at his neck.

His smirk only widened, "But hey we got hitched so everything is just peachy now, right?"

Emin was honestly surprised no one really questioned them with how fast they put things together. Then again they had some “divine help,” Talnah's wealthy family— and it was Talnah. If there was one thing he knew about his wife, it was that she was a hopeless romantic and would definitely have wanted to say her vows ASAP regardless of their current situation.

It only made Ea's glare harden, “Does this seem peachy to you?”

Her eyes had actually begun to glow disconcertingly and Emin was fully prepared to have his life source snatched from him at that moment.

But there was one thing standing between Ea and ripping his throat out.

"Ea please," Talnah's voice was pleading this time as her hand laid on Ea's shoulder, "Why don't you come inside?”

Ea grunted again and made no move to release him.

“I can make you some tea? Maybe some snacks too, you must be hungry."

"Even if you're not I am." Robin huffed and grabbed Ea by the braids, dragging her across the lawn. "She won't let us touch anything until you come inside, so you can save Emin's murder for another day."

Ea yanked her hair out of Robins hand and stared hard into her sister’s dark eyes. Talnah placed a small hand on her shoulder and Emin watched as their silent conversation unfolded. It always creeped him out when they did that.

It was sudden, the shift in Ea’s stance, her shoulders slumped and with one last look thrown Emin's way, she turned and walked towards the mansion.

Talnah let out a sigh of relief, gesturing for Robin to go ahead of her, then she turned to Emin.

“Please try to stay out of trouble with Ea,” she asked softly.

Gods he wished he could promise her he would.

*******

Emin had decided to go out with Jacar and Claire to do some celebrating and to catch up. He invited Talnah to come with them, but she declined saying she had some paperwork her parents needed her to look over. They were preparing her to take over Moonbright soon.

Whatever soon meant.

Talnah told them all to have fun and to call her if they needed anything. She also assured Emin that Ea would be keeping her company while she worked, so she wouldn’t get lonely.

The nice thing about living in a fancy town was the fancy pubs, and that's where having inlaws with money was also helpful. Of course he didn’t use a lot, just enough to have some fun.

“So, did Ea give you hell or did she let this one slide?” Claire asked, her mug clanging against the counter.

Emin finished off what little was left in his own cup. He felt fantastic. The ale made his insides all warm and fuzzy, plus the added perk of having friends around to keep pouring him more was always a welcomed feeling.

“Eh, you know how it goes— shetriedtokillme-- the usual,” he shrugged leaning against the counter. “You’re lucky she has a soft spot for you J-Dog. No one’s gonna fuck with you ever again.”

“Do people usually?” Jacar asked, nearly toppling off the stool-- which he totally didn’t have to climb onto—as he rose to get another round.

“You do have a tendency to make innkeepers irrationally angry with your presence alone,” Emin replied cheekily.

“I think you’re talking about yourself again.”

Claire chuckled, “When is he ever not?”

“Good point,” Jacar quipped as he passed around the newly full mugs, “but you’re right, I’d be lost without her. Did I tell you about this new piece she’s working on? It’s an epic in song form about all of our adventures but written as a fairytale, I’ve said she should have it published—”

The alcohol was clouding his brain and made it hard to pay attention, so he let his mind wander for a bit as Jacar prattled on.

He’d never tell her this, but Emin was glad Jacar had Ea. It helped him rest a bit easier at night knowing there was something willing to rip out any number of throats to protect him, and the fact that she always made Jacar a very happy man was a bonus as well.

They stayed in the pub for a few hours longer. Emin listened as Claire talked about Sembia and Jacar continued to gush about his travels with Ea and their songs. All the while, he thought about how he couldn’t wait for his kid to experience it all.

They’d go to Jacar’s performances, get to watch as his best friend and Ea danced around on the stage, tiny flames dancing all over them their nimble fingers played fantastical duets. Who would have guessed a lute and a bagpipe could harmonize so well together.

And then they’d visit Claire in Sembia for snowball fights, complete with forts and special enchantments to keep them warm so the game could last as long as possible.

His kid was going to have the best life.

They already had the best dad, and then who didn’t want a wide array of questionably related aunts and uncles on the side!

Jacar, Emin, and Claire— all at varying degrees of intoxication—helped each other wander back to the Vellaam estate. Technically his estate now, Emin supposed.

Well, he wasn’t getting used to that any time soon.

It seemed that just yesterday he was working as a waiter in big manors like that, trying to scrounge together enough tips to maybe get a room for the night. And now—now he was some noble’s husband.

Well, not just any noble.

After saying his ‘good nights' and ‘I love yous,’ Emin slipped into his room.

“Hey Princess! You gotta hear this joke Jacar just told me. It—”

Emin stopped abruptly as Talnah turned to face him. She had tears in her eyes, leaving soft tracks down her cheeks. He made his way over to her and wiped some of them away.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

Talnah’s gaze drifted to the side, “Just something Ea said earlier…” she trailed off, obviously trying to hide her turmoil and failing miserably. “I didn’t think she would be happy for me, but I never expected this …” she said.

Then those big yellow eyes looked up at him like twin harvest moons and he felt a pang deep in his chest.

“I feel like there’s this rift between us now and I don’t know how to fix it,” she wrung her hands nervously. “I just wanted us all to be together again, but we’re now it’s like stepping on eggshells any time we talk.”

“Tal, I’m—”he began but stopped when she looked back down at the floor.

“What do I do?” she whispered softly.Emin wrapped his arms around Talnah and held her tightly. She nuzzled into his shoulder and sniffled.

“Hey, everything’s gonna be okay.” She grumbled, evidently unconvinced so he continued, “Ea loves you, like really loves you. I mean to the extent that it kinda weirds me out sometimes—” he was cut off by horn gently poking him in the face and the best glare Talnah could manage.

“Okay, okay, but really, the stuff you went through together? There’s no coming out of that without a serious kind of bond.”

“Yeah, I guess so,” She mumbled into his shirt.

“And our kid is gonna be so kick ass that even Ea won’t be able to deny it,” that earned him a laugh and he smiled at the sound, “It’s all gonna work out, alright?”

Emin pulled away and wiggled his ears, causing the large collection of earrings to jingle like bells on Candles Night. Talnah let out another giggle and finally smiled up at him once again.

He reached for her necklace, twisting the beads between his fingers, “Just call me the next time you need me, alright Tally?”

If this was the game Ea wanted to play, then he’d give her hell right back.

*******

“You should be keeping a closer eye on your wife,” Ea said, as she passed Emin.

He stopped and turned to look at her.

What was she talking about? Was something wrong?

“Is she alright?” Emin crossed the short distance between them and grabbed Ea’s shoulders,“Did something bad happen?”

Anything could happen at any moment.

It didn’t help that he started noticing little things: fatigue, lack of energy and appetite—all normal, he was assured, but it was hard to see Talnah so drained and pale.

Ea shook her head and leaned against the wall, “I caught her in the nursery again, casting spells all over the place, moving furniture...”

He gave her a confused look and she huffed, clearly annoyed, “Listen I get you’re not a midwife, but pregnant women can’t do that shit.”

Emin glared, “Talnah’s been worn out recently but it’s not like I’m going to lock her in her room or something—”

“No, you dumbass!” Ea yanked hard on one of his ears and yelled into it, “Strenuous work can hurt the baby!”

He pulled out of her grasp, “What?!”

“Yeah, so I’d go in there and explain it to her cause she’s too anxious to listen to me or Robin.”

Ea shoved him in the direction of the baby’s room and he relented, turning his head over his shoulder, “How the hell do you know all this?”

“This isn’t my first rodeo, cowboy…” she mumbled and gave one last harsh shove before rushing down the opposite end of the hall.

“Ea! What does that even mean?!”

She stopped, peaked around the corner of the next hall. He golden eyes glowed eerily in the dim light making her look even fucking creepier.

“I’ve done this before, how could I be more clear?”

“When??” The elf cocked his head and his brow furrowed in confusion. What the fuck was she talking about? He regretted asking when she pulled her head back behind the wall, “Ea!”

She peered at him again,“We have ... traditions back where I’m from that could help.”

“Where are you from again?” He didn’t trust the expression on her face, mischievous and degrading at the same time.

“None of your business,” she spat, then a grin crossed her face, “Gods I can’t imagine you being a dad.”

There was something about her words that rubbed him the wrong way. His mouth twitched a bit, “What do you mean by that?”

“Do you seriously think you’ve got what it takes? Maybe you should have thought about the implications of your work and general emotional state before getting into this mess.”

“It’s not a mess.”

“Oh really? You don’t know anything about childbirth, I can only assume you know nothing about children, never mind the responsibilities that go into being a noble,” Ea was slowly approaching from the end of the hall, sharp, white teeth bared, “and what happens when those earrings start going off day and night again? Is Talnah going to raise the little shit on her own, ‘cause you were barely here before—”

“I might be new to this but that doesn’t give you the right to—” He advanced on her too, actual rage coursing through him now, but she interrupted, unphased.

“If anything happens to her it’s your fault Emin, and you know that.”

“Well nothing is gonna happen!” He shouted, toe to toe with her now, “Then we’ll have an awesome kid and you’re just going to have to deal with it! Maybe you’re just jealous Ea! Jealous that we’re happy—that I make her happy!”

Ea stared up at him, face blank. He opened his mouth again, but a small hand gripped his shoulder. Emin whipped around, still fueled by the heated conversation only to find a frightened looking maid. behind him.

“Sir, please, lower your voice,” she said softly. “You’re disturbing Lady Vellaam.”

Ea shook her head and nudged him towards the nursery again before stalking back down the hall.

Emin couldn’t help but feel guilt start to eat away at his stomach. He nodded towards the maid and started walking away.

“I’m going to be the best dad,” he whispered to himself before pushing open the door.

*******

To say Emin was pissed would have been an understatement.

To say he was only mildly surprised would not have been.

Apparently those traditions Ea had spoken of were, for the most part, strange, violent, dangerous, or some combination of the three (although some of the calming tea’s Robin had helped her make were quite effective).

Honestly, Emin also couldn’t help but feel hurt. Even if Ea wasn’t happy about the kid, he didn’t think she’d put it all on Tal.

He’d talked to Robin about it. Emin didn’t talk to Robin often, but he figured this could be an opportunity for him to talk to his wife’s other sister.

Especially since she seemed to also be a little miffed about the situation. He didn’t want to drink. All he could do was rub his temples and growl about his frustrations.

"I mean, it is Ea. She's never exactly been nurturing," Robin shrugged. Even though she was giving reasons in Ea's favor—somewhat—she seemed tired.

"But to go this far?" Emin grumbled, lifting his head from his hands, "Come on Robin, I know she doesn't give a rat's ass about me, but Talnah? It's Talnah's kid too, and she's over the moon! Why can't Ea just let this be?"

"To be honest, I think she’s reacting as well as anyone could have expected, but I don't disagree with you…" Robin said softly. Her eyes darted towards the floor, "It isn't fair to Talnah, not to mention annoying for everyone else."

Emin nodded and rubbed his eyes. He was just upset and tired and, frankly, done with Ea's shit. His wife had the patience of a saint. He didn't know how Talnah did it without constantly wanting to throw her from the roof.

“Emin,” Robin snapped her fingers in front of his face.

“Sorry, I was fuming.”

She nodded and leveled him with a look, “She might be going about this the wrong way, but Ea does have a point.”

He gaped at her, “What?”

“Obviously neither you nor Talnah actually thought this through,” Robin tugged at the intricate braids in her hair, “Ea’s right, it was kind of irresponsible and you should make sure you’re actually prepared to give up the life you had before.”

Emin sighed, “It’s easy to forget, but I’ve been around for longer than you can comprehend.” He stood, leaving Robin on the garden bench and walked back towards the manor, “I know what I’m doing.”

******

He knew it was taking a long time to decide on a name, but when Talnah told him she’d already found one, Emin couldn’t help but be a little hurt.

Especially after he’d found out who chose it.

“So you named him.”

Ea seemed a little surprised by the elf’s presence. It was late, and they were probably the only two up right now. Slowly, the tiefling nodded, “Talnah asked me if I knew any names. I just gave her the first one that came to mind… didn’t think she’d actually want to use it.”

“Cascius…” Talnah said it was the name her parents had given their biological son.

Ea nodded and he stared at her blank expression before speaking again, “What does it mean?”

There was silence for a while. Despite Ea’s cool exterior, Emin could tell she was quickly trying to decide on what to tell him.

The only question was if he’d get the truth.

She shrugged after a moment, “No idea, it’s just a name.”

Liar.

But then again, Emin had never really been fully honest with Ea either. He wondered idly, who had more to hide.

“Well if you ever find out, let me know.”

Emin turned his back on her and contemplated the name again. It did roll off the tongue nicely and Talnah seems attached to it. Maybe it was because it was her brother’s old name, or maybe she was just happy Ea had willingly participated in their child’s life in some way.

Names were powerful. And with the little he knew about Ea, she did seem like the sort to have a knack for naming.

*******

Ea was muttering something about a goat.

Strangely enough, that was what stuck with him through all the chaos.

Gods would she never shut up?

Robin was currently doing her very best to keep him and Ea as far apart as possible, whipping her ankles with thorny brambles anytime she said something instigatory.

He made a mental note to thank her profusely after this was all over. There was little doubt that either he or Ea would start something if they got too close.

He was worried.

He was stressed.

He was afraid.

Completely frozen, all he could do was sit uselessly and hold Talnah’s hand while she shrieked into his ear.

Then, before he knew it, a cleric was placing a small squirming ball in his arms. The ball made tiny grunts and coos and the softest whimpers.

Everything he did was so... tiny.

“Mister Vellaam, can you hold him while I check over a few things?”

Emind nodded. It was all he could do as the cleric started their work.

Big yellow eyes looked up at him.

“Hey little guy,” he chuckled, finally finding his voice, “Woooooah look at your ears! They’re huge! And you have your Mama’s eyes… Just… I…. Look at you.”

He was even better than Emin could have ever imagined him being. In all of his years and millenia of being alive, Emin had never felt anything quite like this.

When the cleric stepped back and wiped their hands, he approached Talnah, placing the infant in her open arms.

He wondered if Ea was holding her breath too…

“He’s perfect, oh he’s more than perfect,” Talnah sniffled. “Hello my little Cascius, hello.”

“I guess I should say ‘welcome to being a dad’ Emin,” Robin said punching his shoulder.

His chest swelled as he leaned closer. He was a dad. He could feel the tears pricking at his own eyes as he reached for Cascius’ tiny hand. Everyone else parading over just seemed to disappear, even Jacar’s voice seemed like a distant sound. As far as he was concerned, it was just the three of them.

He didn’t notice that Ea had slipped from the room.

*******

The night air seemed sweeter than usual.

Emin decided it was probably the euphoria running through his veins. He’d been told to leave Talnah alone for a bit by some of the midwives, figuring that both she and Cas were exhausted and needed rest.

So here he was on the balcony drink in hand and the bottle close by. There wasn’t anything wrong with a little private celebration.

He had just taken another sip when he heard the balcony door open.

“I wondered where you ran off to,” Ea’s gruff voice cut the night air like a knife, “You weren’t with them.”

“You went to check?”

Nothing.

There was something unspoken in the air, it felt dangerous. Emin had been around long enough that he knew it was better not to ask, he did anyway,“Was she still awake? Did she talk to you?”

“Yes…to both.”

“Aaaaaand?”

Silence.

“You’re drunk.”

“Not yet.”

More silence.

Emin took another sip, “But if you want to believe I won’t remember what you say next, be my guest.”

He couldn’t help but grin as he saw Ea stand next to him and snatch the bottle. He could always get more.

She took a long drink before speaking.

“I can be his aunt, but I won’t be a good one,” she mumbled, and smacked him on the back of the head when she saw his smug smile.

Emin thought about her words for a moment, he hadn’t really expected anything less of Ea, so he shouldn’t be surprised.

“Did you see his feet?” he asked.

“Why would I care about his creepy little feet?”

He shrugged, “Tal said you mentioned something weird about having normal feet. Is it one of your things from home or—”

“Yeah,” Ea responded abruptly, her gaze transfixed on something far beyond anything he could see, “I noticed.”

Then she went silent again. Emin didn’t push the matter, there was a lot he didn’t understand about Ea or her past. He wondered if he’d said something he shouldn’t have, but continued to sip at his drink. She never said much to him anyway, but when she did it was usually shocking.

“Do you want to remember us?”

Emin sputtered on his drink, “Excuse me?”

“Do you want to remember us?” Ea’s voice was cool and even, eyes boring into Emin’s soul, “All of us will die before you, so will you want to remember us after we’re all gone, or will choose to forget?.”

Silence prevailed once more. Emin swirled his drink slowly, staring into the liquid as if looking for answers in the cup.

“Well maybe you,” Emin’s voice came out playful, a smirk gracing his lips, “But all of this? Yeah. I think it’d be worth remembering for the rest of my life. My son, Talnah, Jacar, Claire, Robin, Phryn and K’Thriss, Sildar, Korv, hell—even you are the closest thing I’ve ever had to a family ever. No one would want to forget how that feels.”

Turning his head, Emin searched Ea’s expression for any little clue to her thoughts. She was steadfastly expressionless, but she couldn’t quite hide the twitch of her lips into a small smile

Emin grinned back at her and raised his glass.

“To new adventures?”

“Eh, it’s a reason to drink.”

The silence prevailed as they toasted the future and stared up at the night sky. It was soon broken by Robin and Jacar pounding out on the balcony, angrily declaring that he always left the humans out when drinking.

So the four of them drank, and laughed, and loved, and everything was finally okay.

#dnd #Ea #Robin #Claire #Talnah #Jacar #Ea/Jacar #Talnah/Emin #Cascius #5e #homebrew #QnR #Que #Rue #OC #OCs

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winterphantom · 6 years

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Muse: Chapter 2

Chapter 1

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

You move into the tower, and get a little more familiar with some of its residents.

Read HERE on Ao3!

A/N: I’m actually going on vacation for the next 2 weeks, so this will be the last update for a while, but once I get back this should continue with (hopefully) weekly updates. Feel free to send me some requests to work on when I get back. Also, I have no idea why it took me this long to write Sam Wilson.

Warnings: Awkwardness?

You glide your pencil across the page absentmindedly, thinking about meeting the Avengers. Today was the day you were moving into the tower.

Despite everything going well when you were all introduced, you were nervous about living with the team, since you’d never actually worked with them before. You’d only been on a few covert missions supervised by Steve or Tony when your particular skillset was required. You felt a bit out of place; after all, you weren’t a badass spy, a super soldier, a demigod, or any sort of genius. Sure, you were intellectually sufficient and well-trained in combat from your time with SHEILD, but your main power was just… disappearing. Turning invisible didn’t seem quite on par with the rest of the team’s skills.

Your power was interesting. In theory, it was easy to control. Basically, if you wanted to turn invisible, you would. However, in reality that feeling occurred far too frequently. Just being nervous was enough to do it sometimes. That’s what the drawing helped with; keeping you grounded and making sure you didn’t vanish. If you got overly distracted, it was easy for your mind to drift away, and your physical form along with it. Holding something, feeling something real was key to keeping you visible. Funnily enough, it was easier for you to disappear than not to most of the time.

For far from the first time since your first meeting, your mind wanders back to Bucky. You couldn’t seem to get his gaze out of your head. He was so striking, and yet so good at being unassuming. You’d never seen someone vanish that easily who didn’t have the benefit of invisibility. Although, come to think of it, stealth must have been vital for an assassin. No. You push the thought from your mind. Clearly Bucky wanted to put his past behind him, so you shouldn’t be thinking about it.

Sighing, you glance down at your page. While you had been thinking, your hands had continued drawing of their own accord. Staring back at you were a pair of eyes, sketched roughly but clearly recognizable as those of none other than Bucky Barnes. Of course. You stare at the picture for a while, then rip the page out and throw it away. You’d have to be more careful. If you were going to live under the same roof as the team, you surely couldn’t be caught drawing pictures of your colleague. You get up from where you’re sitting to finish packing your bags.

“This all you got?” Tony asks, pointing to the few bags you drag out of the elevator.

You nod.

“Geez, remind me to give you a bigger paycheck so that you can splurge a little.”

You chuckle at him, and he grins back.

You turn to bring your bags to your room, and spot Steve sitting on the couch. Next to him, of course, is Bucky. Those captivating eyes meet yours once more. You tear your eyes away to glance at Steve, who is now standing up and strolling towards you. He greets you, and to your surprise, Bucky moves to follow him to where you’re standing. However, he stays a step behind him.

“Welcome home,” Steve declares, smiling warmly at you. “Need some help with those?”

He gestures to your bags.

“Uh, yeah, if you wouldn’t mind…” you reply sheepishly.

“I’m sure our two hulking super soldiers won’t mind helping you out with that,” Tony assures you. “I’ll see you all later.”

With a wave, he’s gone.

Steve chuckles, shaking his head at Tony.

“He givin’ you a hard time?”

“No more than usual,” you respond, smirking.

He grins back, before picking up a bag like it weighs nothing at all. You swear you see a flicker of a smile cross Bucky’s face before he does the same, and the three of you head towards your room.

“I guess we’ll leave you to unpack, then?”

Steve lays the last of your bags next to the bed.

“Thanks Cap… Bucky,” you stammer, nodding in their direction. Bucky nods back at you.

“Don’t be a stranger,” Steve answers back. “Once you’re settled in, we’ll be around if you need anything. The rest of the team too.”

The friendly smile remains on his face. You appreciate how nice he’s being to you, but honestly, the last thing you need is to be surrounded by everyone on your first day there. So you simply nod again, and Steve leaves you be with Bucky sauntering out behind him. You can’t help but watch him as he leaves.

When the door closes, you let out a breath and let your posture relax. There was something so captivating about Bucky; the way he moved, the way he looked, and that quiet intensity that seemed to follow him wherever he went. For only meeting him a few times, he’d made quite the impact on you. But he made you nervous, and probably not for the reasons people might expect. You weren’t totally sure how to interact with him. Not yet.

You rummage through you bags and pull out your sketchbook and some pencils. To keep your anxiety down, you start sketching while sitting at the desk tucked in the corner of your room. You had to admit, Tony Stark had style. The accommodations were far more luxurious than you were used to. There was a giant bed in the middle of the room, a closet that you couldn’t even fill up halfway, and a wall of windows with a great view of the city. And, of course, each room had its own bathroom, which was much nicer than even the fanciest of hotels. Again, you wonder if you really fit in here.

You turn your attention to the page in front of you and try to focus on what you’re drawing lest you have a repeat of what happened earlier. You forcefully push Bucky’s face out of your brain.

A knock on your door breaks your concentration. You’re not sure how long you’ve been sketching, but the pages in front of you are almost totally covered.

“Hey, it’s Steve. Can I come in?”

You shoot back a “sure” as loudly as you can, and Steve opens the door.

“Hey,” he says, leaning against the doorframe.

“Hey Cap,” you respond, shutting the sketchbook and turning to face him.

“You can just call me Steve, you know,” he tells you, laughing.

You can feel yourself getting flustered again.

“Right, uh, Steve, what’s up?” you say, attempting to sound as nonchalant as possible.

“Just checking up on you. I figured you might want something to eat at some point today.” He smiles that perfect smile again.

You check your phone. You had been cooped up in your room longer than you’d realized.

“Um, yeah, I guess I probably should…” you reply timidly.

“Me, Sam and Bucky are ordering pizza, if you’re interested. Otherwise, I think Tony and some of the others are going out for dinner…”

Your face must have given away how you feel about that option, because Steve chuckles at you again.

“Okay, what do you like on your pizza?”

Steve had texted you to inform you that the pizza had arrived, so you’re currently making your way down the hallway towards the kitchen. You overhear some voices, which you assume belong to Steve, Sam and Bucky.

“She’s cute, huh?” You think that’s Sam.

You hear someone scoff, and assume it’s Steve.

“Seriously. What do you think, Mecha Man?” Sam again.

You hear someone grunt but you don’t hear an answer. You wonder what they’re talking about.

As you turn the corner into the room, the three men all turn to look at you. Bucky’s eyes seem to widen slightly when he sees you, but his mask of stoicism falls back into place in an instant. Steve sits at the head of the table, Bucky sitting to one side and Sam on the other. Man, that’s a lot of pizza, you think to yourself. Boxes are strewn haphazardly across the table, some empty and others looking like a pack of wild animals had mauled the contents. You stifle a giggle. You guess it shouldn’t surprise you, given all three were huge guys, two being freaking super soldiers. They probably went through a lot of food.

“Hey! She finally decides to show herself!” Sam shouts at you, smirking. Steve offers you a wave while Bucky nods at you, just as you did to him earlier.

“Hi guys,” you greet, approaching the table tentatively.

“Take your pick,” Steve says gesturing to the mess around them. “Sorry, we might’ve gotten a bit carried away.”

You giggle as Sam continues to smirk at you. The corner of Bucky’s mouth twitches upwards. You scan the table and make your choice, picking a plate up from the end of the table and throwing a few slices onto it.

“You want a drink?” Sam asks, raising an eyebrow at you.

“Sam, please don’t try to get the new recruit drunk before her first training session tomorrow,” Steve sighs, shaking his head.

Sam raises his hands defensively.

“Hey man, I was just gonna offer her some water.”

“Sure you were.” Steve laughs, standing up. He walks to the fridge, grabs a bottle of water and tosses it to you.

You grab it midair, and Sam responds with an appreciative whistle.

“Good reflexes. That’s a plus.”

Bucky looks rather unamused while Steve just shakes his head, smile never faltering.

“So,” Sam continues, “besides the quick reflexes, what’s your thing?”

You freeze up for a second. You weren’t really fond of discussing your powers. Your fingers twitch, anxious for a pencil or anything to occupy themselves with. You try to think of how to answer while also trying to focus on not immediately giving him a demonstration. Bucky’s piercing eyes land on yours for a moment, as if he can sense your discomfort.

Steve, however, being more familiar with how your brain works, swoops in to save you again.

“Quit being impatient, Sam. You’ll find out tomorrow,” he chastises him.

You shift uncomfortably, not knowing whether to sit with them or take the food back to your room.

“Fine, keep your secrets for now,” Sam states, waving a hand dismissively. “But tell me this… you like movies?”

The question knocks you off guard for a moment, but you nod, feeling the smile creep back onto your face. Sam beams back at you.

“Good. I’m trying to catch these senior citizens,” he gestures to Steve and Bucky, “up on all the best ones they missed. Tonight’s Star Wars night. You up for that?”

You hesitate for a moment, but ultimately agree.

“Sure.”

Steve and Bucky were sitting on the couch in the middle of the living room. Sam had opted for the chair next to where Steve was sitting, so you took the one across from him, putting you next to Bucky. You had spent the first few minutes of the movie trying not to stare at him, and you’d caught him turning his attention towards you more than once. After a while, though, you’d gotten wrapped up in the movie playing in front of you. Sam occasionally piped up, providing some clever commentary and making you laugh. By the end of the movie, you were the most relaxed you’d been in a long time.

Just as the credits start rolling, Tony and the rest of the team amble from the elevator out into the common room. You unintentionally let out a squeak, causing Sam and Steve to burst out laughing. You see Bucky try to cover his mouth with his hand as he looks away, but he’s not quick enough to hide the fact he’s laughing too.

The team members greet the four of your and head to their separate rooms. You wave and mumble a few hellos. Soon Tony is the only one left, taking in the sight of the group of you.

“Have fun, kids?” he quips.

“Star Wars is always fun,” Sam retorts, earning a grin from you.

“Well, you managed to get that one,” he points to you, “out of her room, so you must’ve done something right.”

“Maybe we’re just better company, Stark,” Sam states, causing Steve to chuckle.

“Alright, enough of this. It’s getting late and we’ve got training to do tomorrow,” Steve says, using his best Captain America voice.

Tomorrow. You gulp, already getting nervous. Bucky glances at you. Oblivious, Sam rolls his eyes at Steve.

“Why you always gotta ruin our fun?”

“I’m actually with the Captain on this one. Bedtime, children. See you bright and early tomorrow.” With that, Tony leaves the room.

Steve gets up, causing Sam to groan as he follows suit.

“Fine, fine. We’ll have to watch the next one some other time.” He turns to address you. “You’ll watch that with us too, right?”

You nod, evidently satisfying him. You and Bucky stand up at the same time, blocking each other from walking around the couch. You feel your eyes go wide and your face heat up.

“I-uh, sorry,” you manage meekly.

Bucky just takes a step back, gesturing with a hand for you to go first. You walk by as fast as you can without actually running, Bucky just a step behind. He stays that way, as the group of you walk towards your rooms. You notice that he seems to have positioned himself between you and Sam. Unfortunately, he’s just far enough behind you that you can’t discreetly steal a glance at him, so you keep your gaze locked ahead. As you approach your room, Sam and Steve wish you goodnight and turn to their own rooms. Bucky lingers for just a second, and for the first time that night, you hear his voice.

“Night,” he whispers simply, his voice quiet and raspy.

Before you can even turn to respond, he’s already making his way back down the hall.

Forever Tags (open): @thecrazyoneshavetakenover @vaguelyminty @stan-by-me @tbetz0341 @coal000 @banner-and-bucky-are-life @lusts-of-the-flesh @letsgetlostinorbit

Muse Tag List (open): @lilypalmer1987 @patootiepatoopiiiiii @storiesbehindyoureyes @sami-raye @holyrips @mad-hatter-021

(let me know if I put you on the wrong list by accident)

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ramblinganthropologist · 6 years

Text

Inkjournal Day 29 - Hey, thanks

Summary: Princess Fluffytail has a bad habit of stealing bones. She also might be trying to set her master up with a certain Tevene as well. Who knows what an undead mabari can get up to when she puts her mind to it? Word count: 1458

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Ok, in retrospect, maybe summoning an undead mabari hadn't been a bright idea.

“Get back here with that!”

Nope... not at all.

Skyhold's courtyard got an eyefull as the skeletal form of what had once been a dog bolted from the mage tower, carrying another bone in its white jaws. It was running surprisingly fast for a creature with no muscles or skin, though the fact it was running at all was enough to give some guards pause.

They would've aimed some swords at it, but it had a collar around its neck.

“Damn it, come back!” Ian was already in hot pursuit behind it, carrying his staff in one hand. As he passed people, he offered up a simple apology. “Sorry about my dog, she's usually better behaved than this!”

Maybe if he had slowed down a little, people might have suggested he simply cut off his magic from the spectral canine. However, that was far too logical a conclusion to be actually effective, so it might not have worked anyway. Besides, there was a strange sort of charm to watching a man with his face painted like a skull chase after a skeleton.

Or maybe it was ironic; literary devices were Varric's thing.

Ian grunted as he tried to keep up, but he had never been much of a sprinter. “Where the hell is she going so fast?”

Her goal made his eyes widen, though. The dog was making a beeline for the Herald's Rest, still carrying the bone of a juvenile dragon's leg in her mouth. There would be people inside there, plenty of whom that could smash both the leg and his pet just within reach of the door.

If he was lucky, Sera wouldn't shoot his puppy full of arrows.

So, the mage threw himself into sprinting the last handful of yards. The mabari was faster, and soon it had cleared the door. Already, someone was shouting from the inside, and had dropped their drink if the sound of shattered glass was anything to go by.

Yep, it was not going to be his day.

Ian made it into the Herald's Rest, out of breath and leaning against the door. He looked around in the hopes of spotting the dog, but all he saw were confused patrons who had been stunned by the presence of a moving skeleton. All he could do was raise his hand once he could breathe a little more as if to apologize.

“I'm sorry about Princess, we're working on housebreaking.”

Someone in the corner of the room let out a surprised bark of laughter. It was followed up by the kind of unholy howling that could only come from the undead. His target was in range, and he sprinted over the threshold to follow it.

“Maker, I'm sorry about my-” Ian blinked upon realizing where he was standing. “Oh.”

Krem gave him a rather amused look as he patted Princess on top of her bleached skull. “Should have figured she was yours, Trevelyan. Pavus doesn't put collars on his.”

The mabari was sitting at his feet, wagging her bony tail. If she had still had one, her tongue probably would have been hanging out. Luckily, being dead meant she wasn't going to drool on the floor or lick anyone too much.

Downside, he had set a zombie dog on one of the cutest men in Skyhold. Just his luck.

Near Krem, Bull was put off to say the least as he eyed the dog cautiously. “You said that thing's name is Princess?”

“Princess Fuffytail, yes.” Ian hesitated at first. “She, er, was fluffier when she still had skin.”

At least, she had been. He'd been holding onto her bones since he had won them from an older apprentice back in Ostwick. In fact, she was one of his favorite summons, though her behavior left something to be desired. Maybe it was because she didn't have a brain anymore, or it could have been she had never been a well trained dog to begin with. Muscle memory could only do so much, and if it had never been there, he couldn't expect much.

Oh, well; she was cute.

Krem was still petting Princess like he would a living dog. “Trying to get some practice in?”

“Trying being the keyword.” Ian ducked down to pick up the dragon bone the mabari had pilfered from his study supplies. Luckily, there were no teeth marks that hinted at her biting down hard. “She wanted to play fetch instead.”

Underneath his thick makeup, his cheeks were burning. At times like this, it was best to beat a quick retreat. So, he whistled the two note tune that Princess' former master had taught him when he had been a young man, hoping to put the afternoon behind him.

So much for mabari being loyal to their masters, though. She remained at Krem's feet, soaking up the attention she was getting from both him and some of the more adventurous chargers. Apparently, one of her personality traits was attention hog.

He should've seen that one coming.

Krem saw the look on Ian's face and smiled. “Looks like she wants to stay with us for a bit.”

“Just our luck, a zombie dog.” Bull sounded incredibly enthused as he turned to face the mage. “Hey, you sticking around to drink or what? It's damn awkward just having you stand there.”

For what wasn't the first time in his life, Ian was glad his makeup hid his actual complexion. Right now his cheeks were no doubt scarlet as he tried to find the words to politely bow out. After all, why completely make an ass out of himself?

However, he didn't get the chance. Princess got up from her spot at Krem's feet and padded over to her master. She tugged at the hem of his cloak, trying to pull him closer into the circle. Maybe it might have been a trick of the light, but he could have sworn the emerald lights that made up her eyes were glowing a little brighter as she pulled.

What a bad dog she was being.

Still, Ian sighed as he reached down to pet the mabari he had summoned. “Alright, fine, I'll stay for one drink if it means you'll stop getting into trouble. But after that, we're going right back to practice. No more details, Princess.”

Another howl of the damned, and he was off to get a drink. By now, everyone else in the tavern had stopped looking, so his face didn't burn nearly as much. Still, being a man in full skull makeup chasing after a skeleton dog had garnered him some residual attention that followed him back to his seat.

Lucky him.

Princess was back at it again, though. She had settled by Krem's side once Ian had returned to find a spare chair on the Charger's side of the room. As it turned out, the only one left was the one right next to Bull's second in command.

It was as if someone had planned it, he swore.

“You just have the dog, right? We're not going to wake up to a bear or anything mauling someone in the middle of the night, are we?” Bull was at least trying to be nice as he settled down. Well, as nice as he could be when it came to magic. Ian didn't really hold it against him – he had his reasons. Besides, he was decent enough.

Still, he nudged the qunari with the bit of dragon bone more out of humor than anything. “Well, this is part of the wing bone of a juvenile Ferelden Frostback I'm working on, so I'll answer with a maybe.”

“Oh don't tell him that, he's going to want you to summon a dragon!”

And then there was laughter for the first time since Princess has barged into the tavern. Ian finally relaxed a bit more as he sipped at his drink, leaning back to listen to the conversation. It was definitely better than sitting in the tower stripping bones, that was for sure.

Plus the view wasn't bad either.

So, he didn't mind reaching down to scratch his mabari where her left ear had once been. “Thanks, girl.”

Maybe he might stay for two drinks. After all, he still had a good two hours before the next batch of bones had been cleaned. That was plenty of time to rest and relax his back. And, if he got to chat with a certain Tevene, it was all the better.

So, maybe she was a good girl after all. Just... with some bone stealing habits he needed to work on.

#ramblinganthropologist's writing #Ian Trevelyan #(Eventual) Krem x Trevelyan

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