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ronwestbreeze · 1 year

Text

TO YOU , WORLDS AWAY | PART ONE : CHAPTER ONE

pairing: jake sully x human!fem!reader

summary: in which the story starts and finds you in a place of malevolence. a reluctant return to hell's gate leads you to meeting jake sully

warnings: none!

word count: 3.6k

author's note: finally posting this! there's no schedule for how i'm going to release these but i hope to be at least consistent! just no demanding me to post the next chapter or to finish, that doesn't help much with writing. anyways, hope you guys enjoy!

italics is speaking in na'vi

AO3 | masterlist | next

Powder covered your hands by the time the radio next to you came to life. Last time that radio came on, Dr. Grace Augustine had, very heatedly, called on you to fix one of the link units. Some genius had thought it was a good idea to kick at it in anger, knocking a few wires loose. Didn’t do any real damage but that guy never slipped into another link unit again. He’d have Grace to thank for that. And his temper.

That had been months ago. You hadn’t been back in Hell’s Gate since then.

Surprisingly enough, it was Trudy. “Hey, Doc. Mind comin’ to look at one of the computers in the lab? I think one of those science geeks broke a monitor or somethin’.”

Without looking up from your work, you reply, “Then buy a new one. My job is to fix shit, not consult about some stupid monitor.”

There were muffled voices further away as the radio cut in and out a few times. Seconds later, Trudy finally spoke again, “Uh, my bad, it’s not a monitor. It’s some….uh…power box, I guess. Glitched out on the geeks, now they don’t have power in a few of the computers.”

It took a moment for you to respond. Both because of the weak radio signal in the middle of the forest and because you had to take a few moments to program your newly robotic arm helper to finish off your new invention, which you had been working on for nearly half a year now. Project Pandora is what you called it.

“Trudy,” you finally say, picking up the radio and pushing the chair away from the desk and toward the small window on the other side of the little space, “why are you, a pilot no less, asking me about computers in a lab?”

There is a hesitant silence on the other end. But after listening closely, you realized there was another muffled conversation going on further away, one that the radio couldn’t really pick up.

Eventually, Trudy’s voice reached the radio again. “I told you she’d see right through it.” It sounded as if she was talking to someone and that someone was muttering something further away from the radio. Trudy sighed before continuing, “Look, Doc. I’m gonna be blunt with you. Parker’s too much of a pussy to do it himself so he got me in here to reach you.”

You clicked your tongue, “Why am I not surprised.”

“He’s scared of you.”

“More than Grace?”

There were louder muffles, almost audible if not for the static from the radio. “Parker wants you back at the gate…and to tell you that he’s not scared of you.”

After a while, the radio finally cut off and you sat there. Outside the little window was the forest of Pandora, your view for the past few months. And really, you would like to keep it that way from now on. Being away from Hell’s Gate has brought you a sense of peace and a sense of forgetting. Although, the forgetting was harder said than done.

No matter what you did, there was nothing that could make you forget what these humans were doing to Pandora, what they planned to do, what they already had done. It was a bunch of bullshit really. The RDA complained that they weren’t making any progress with the Na’vi, the people of Pandora, while at the same time attacking them and threatening to take over the land by wiping out the indigenous.

You had come here to learn about this species and quite possibly one day live among them, not take over. Which is why you separate yourself from Hell’s Gate after the incident. But it seemed no matter what you did to keep away from them, somehow you were always brought back in.

It had to be him behind it. That man was stubborn enough to keep you in his control just as you were stubborn enough to find any way to stay far away from that place.

“Doc?” Trudy’s voice came in through the radio. With a frown, you looked back at your robotic arm and the invention, deep in thought. “You there?”

With a sigh, you replied, “There’s no other engineers up there? Mechanics?”

“Most of them are workin’ on those AMPs. Parker wants you. The best of the best, you know?”

You frown, “Doesn’t sound as great as it did years ago.”

“Don’t think too much about it. You’ll be in and out. Then you’ll get to go back to your little lab in the woods and stay secluded like the hermit that you are.” Trudy teased in an attempt to lighten your mood. And you did try to smile at the joke, just a little bit, but the thought about going back, about stepping your foot back into that place, somehow he’d win.

“I could say no.” You try, even though you were getting up and sliding your boots on. “Tell him to find some other unfortunate engineer to do his shit.”

“You could.” Trudy agreed. “That would definitely make Parker pop a vein. But if we sent in someone else that isn’t you, it sure as hell wouldn’t get done quickly or right. So there’s that.”

“Hmm, I’d say let them rot.” You grumble as you grab your mask and place it on your face.

Trudy laughed on the other end as you stepped out of the lab. The air was fresh on your skin but poisonous to your lungs. Still, it did feel somewhat nice stepping out of your stuffy lab for once. Being surrounded by beautiful forest. The beauty of Pandora still never failed to amaze you despite your grim attitude as of lately. There was something so special about this planet, something you never felt on your home planet, Earth.

You just wished the circumstances were different.

“You’re a genius, Doc.” Parker praised as you closed the power box.

“Is that all?” You asked dryly, rolling your sleeve back down as you began leaving the dark room.

The administrator followed after you as you sauntered through the halls, ready to go back to the forest and your private lab. “Yeah, well, I believe that should be all. I knew you could do it the best too, my guys are useless when it comes to this stuff.”

“Stop kissing ass, Selfridge.” Both you and Parker turned to find Grace waltzing down the hall toward the two of you. A smirk was on her lips when her eyes landed on you. “Tinkers! Never thought I’d see you come out of your little hole. How long has it been? Three? Four months?”

Despite where you were, you gave a small smile, “Hi Grace.”

Parker excused himself immediately much to your relief, going back to his usual spot, which was overseeing all the link units of the Avatar Program. You raised your brows at how quickly he left but you figured it was mostly because he didn’t want to hear Grace go on and on about the beauties of Pandora. Parker was the type of guy who only cared about what profited him the most. And the last thing he wanted to hear was how innocent everything was. Would make him lose track of the most important goal.

And for that, you despised that man. Parker must’ve sensed your dislike for him and found it intimidating, especially when it came to calling on you for favors such as fixing an electric power box.

Behind her were three other men. One of which you knew by Dr. Patel, the other two you guessed were new.

Grace crossed her arms, not bothering to introduce the two other males behind her as she spoke in a lowered voice, “Coming back this time around?”

You shook your head, “No. Just here for a small fixer upper. I should be heading back soon actually.”

“You sure?” Grace then gestured to the two behind her, giving you an exasperated look, “Could really use someone familiar out there. To the land and the people.” You didn’t respond right away which the scientist noticed. “Forget about Quaritch, you know you want to get back out there. Your avatar’s waiting—”

“Who's the newbies?” You addressed Dr. Patel, earning a glare from Grace at your efforts of quickly changing the conversation. It was something you definitely weren’t going to discuss here and especially in front of the new people who were watching the two of you a little too closely for your liking.

Dr. Patel smiled at you in greeting before gesturing to the two other men. “This is Norm Spellman, our new biologist for the team. Fellas, this is Dr. Y/N L/N, our best engineer at RDA.”

The tall lanky one stepped forward and offered his hand, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Doctor, I’ve actually heard a lot about your work here. Well, your mother’s work, I should say.” Grace rolled her eyes as you tried not to wince at the mention of your mother. But of course, Norm didn’t notice and kept going, “Also, very sorry for your loss. Your mother was a brilliant mind, the best of our kind—”

“Alright, Spellman.” Grace gave him a pointed look before nodding over to the man in the wheelchair, “You remember Tom Sully? Well, this is his worse half, Jake Sully. He’s unfortunately replacing Tom in the program.”

“Thank you for that, Gracie.” Jake retorted just as quickly.

“Fuck off.” Grace glared and nudged your side. “Ignore him, I do.”

Yes, you did hear about this. Tom’s unfortunate death led them to scramble for a quick replacement. You never met Tom yourself so you never had much of an attachment to him. Neither did Grace but you could tell that wasn’t the only thing annoying her. If you had to guess, Jake was probably drastically different from his late brother and Grace didn’t have much patience for that.

Still, you offered him a kind smile. “Ma’am.” He nodded to you, offering his own hand which you shook.

“Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Sully.” You glanced from a pensive Grace to Jake. “I imagine you know a lot about the program similar to your brother.”

Jake tilted his head, “I watched a Netflix special once.”

Grace scowled, Dr. Patel coughed to cover a smile, and Norm shifted on his feet awkwardly, watching the two of them.

You found yourself grinning for the first time in a while., “I don’t know, Augustine. I kind of like him. “

Grace rolled her eyes, “Whatever. We’re heading over to the link units. It’s about time the two of you get acquainted with your avatar form.” She then addressed you but in Na’vi surprisingly. “And when will you bring out yours? Don’t try to change the subject this time, Tinkers.”

Feeling Jake’s curious and confused gaze on the two of you, you answer in a quick hiss, “Drop it.” Then you turned to Jake and smiled, “S’ nice to meet you, Mr. Sully—”

“Jake.” He nodded toward you with a little smile of his own. “You can call me Jake.”

Your smile grew, “Alright, Jake. Welcome to Pandora.” She pointed at Grace with her thumb, “Don’t let her ruin the experience, yeah? She can be a little twitchy sometimes.”

“Go back to your hole, Tinkers!” Grace called over her shoulder as she continued down the hall with Norm and Dr. Patel following after her.

“Right up your ass, Augustine!” You shot back with a smirk before sending Jake a wink.

Jake, despite his previous stoic expression, found himself grinning at you. “Nice to meet you, L/N.”

“Y/N.” You corrected, moving around him to head the opposite direction. “Or Doc, either way, don’t be so formal. Especially with me.”

He nodded, “I’ll make sure to remember that.”

With that, you watched as he rolled away in the direction the others went. Once the company was gone, your shoulders sagged a bit, slightly exhausted from the small interaction and because of the busy environment of Hell’s Gate as you made your way out of it.

Just as you were about to reach outside and grab your mask, one of the soldiers, Wainfleet, blocked your exit while sitting in one of those AMPs.

“Doc! Leaving so soon?” He grinned down at you.

“Move, dipshit.” You say bluntly, gripping the mask in your hands while glaring up at him.

He shrugged, grinning cockily down at her. “Can’t do that, Doc. Colonel heard you crawled out of your little hole you’ve been hiding in the past few months. He wants to see you.”

“Tell him to eat shit, ya know, like in all the messages I replied to.”

When you tried going around him, he stepped in your way, aggravating you more.

“Look, cupcake. We could either do this the easy way or the hard way. Easy way, you go and see Colonel yourself or hard way I drag your tiny ass over there.”

At this point, the more you gripped at the mask, the more it was possible it could break in your grasp. So you hooked your mask back onto your belt, seething eyes never leaving Wainfleet. It was possible to shut down the AMPs in your current height. You’d done it before but it was with someone who lacked experience controlling those things.

Wainfleet on the other hand was often training himself in them, which would lead to a more difficult and quite possible deadly attempt at escape.

Which meant, unfortunately, you didn’t have much of a choice.

With your dignity burying itself into the ground, you followed Wainfleet further into the Armor Bay where multiple more AMPs were lined up along with the ships and planes the pilots controlled.

When you arrived at the small gym room where Quaritch was currently benching, Wainfleet left you alone but you didn’t move to further enter the room. All you did was scowl and stand in the doorway with crossed arms, waiting for him to acknowledge you.

And you knew he knew you were there.

“I was wondering when we’d get the chance to talk again.” Quaritch finally said, putting down the weights as he sat up. He grabbed a towel next to him and began wiping the sweat off his sweat. “Are you finally done with your tantrum?”

He wanted you to snap, rise to the provoking. But you remained silent, your jaw clenching just a bit as your eyes narrowed in on him. Quaritch was watching you closely as well, probably waiting for you to react.

“Ah, the silent treatment. Guess I should’ve expected that too.” He threw the towel to the side before looking up at you with a smirk. “Thought you made a vow never to set foot in here again. Made a whole dramatic scene about it too—”

“What do you want?” You ask simply.

Quaritch now scowled at your indifference or rather rebellion, you couldn’t really tell. “I want you to get your act together. I don’t have time for you throwing fits like a child because you don’t get your way. This is a mission, Doc, and your job is to—”

“My job was to help the people.” You hissed, stepping only a few feet into the room. “To build a connection with them. That was your orders. That’s what you asked me to do. And what does the RDA do? Fuck it all up by shooting a bunch of Na’vi, leaving them for dead!”

Quaritch rolled his eyes, “You’re still on that?”

You seethed, “You don’t even understand what you did! You would think thinking smartly would crossed your thick fucking skull—”

“That’s enough from you!” He barked in his Colonel voice. “Disrespect me like that again and I will boot you right off of this planet as fast as I got you on it, you hear me?”

“Do it then.” You challenged, hands shaking from anger. “You’ve had plenty of times to get rid of me. If you find me so much of a problem, why am I still here?”

You half expected him to keep shouting at you, yell at you into submission like he does his subordinates. But instead, Quaritch chuckled as he stood up. “Moments like this, you remind me of your father. Good man, acted just like you. Which was what made him the best soldier. Which made him a good captain.”

He was changing the conversation, he was trying to have power over you without being forthright about it. He had done this before whenever you tried arguing, it was his way of shutting you down without getting into a fight.

“You’re a smart cookie, Doc. And I know you’re smart enough to realize your value to this team. To the program.” He flashed his white teeth at you. “You and I both know I can’t get rid of you that easily. And I won’t. I made a vow after all.”

You narrowed your eyes at him, wondering just where this conversation was going. Every time he brought up that damned vow it usually was followed by something for her to do. A favor. Something to keep her distracted.

“So let’s put the whole past to rest—”

“I rather not—” Quaritch cut you off just as fast as you did.

“And focus on the current future. Have you met Corporal Sully?”

You frown, suddenly remembering Jake’s charming smile. “What, he’s your new little puppet now?”

Quaritch wasn’t phased by the comment as he sat back down on the bench, “He’s got promise that kid. I tasked him to get to know the Na’vi people and learn their ways, to gain information for me.” You scoffed in disbelief as he continued. “Since you’re so well versed in their culture, I want you to give him some pointers. A tutor if you will.”

“Like hell I will—”

“And yes, you can decline.” Quaritch began lifting the weights again, “And then the RDA can take your little secluded lab away, destroying everything you’ve worked on. I’m sure that would be smart.”

This was where you had to control yourself. Your reaction. Your anger. You remembered a certain project that you were just nearly done with. Something you had been working on dedicatedly ever since the incident. If Quaritch or any of the RDA were to discover it, you were sure you would be exiled back to Earth.

Or quite possibly killed.

“What do you say, kid?” Quaritch noticed your silence.

With a scowl, you gritted out, “Fine.”

From the bench, the Colonel grinned, “Good girl! Now we can really get to work!” He placed the weight back down and stood, “Let’s go tell Sully the good news.”

When arriving in the link room, you lingered behind while Quaritch approached one of the link beds that was just opening. Jake happened to be in that one as he sat up, immediately spotting the Colonel walking toward him.

“Sir.” Jake greeted, briefly glancing your way for a moment longer before turning back to the Colonel.

Quaritch nodded in greeting and gestured to you, “I assume you’ve already met, Dr. L/N, the best of the best in the Avatar Program.”

“What do you want, Quaritch?” Grace cut in as she pushed open her own link bed. She noticed the angered look on your face and raised her brows, silently questioning you.

“She’s going to be showing the ins and outs of the Na’vi, she’ll give you some pointers to better prepare yourself for the program.” Quaritch winked as he clapped his hand on your shoulder. “You do best following her lead, might keep you alive, Corporal.”

Jake nodded, eyes alight, “Will do, sir.”

Quaritch’s grip on your shoulder tightened, “Take care of our boy, will you, Doc.”

Carefully, you reply, “He’s in good hands…sir.”

Grace narrowed her eyes at you while Jake frowned, finally noticing your change in behavior compared to your earlier brighter demeanor.

Satisfied, Quaritch gave you another rough pat on your back before leaving you with Grace, Jake, and as soon as he came out of his link bed, Norm.

“Tinkers.” Grace brought your attention back to her. She gave you a meaningful look before speaking in Na’vi, “What happened?”

Instead of responding to her, you nodded toward the three with an impassive expression, “I’ll see you all tomorrow.”

You needed some time away, to calm down, to reevaluate some things. If only you had left as quickly as you had planned to, none of this would have occurred. You wouldn’t be feeling so helpless right now as you stalked through the halls, practically glaring at everything around you. At this rate, you wished that bastard dropped you back on Earth. At least you would be far away from this shit.

“Hey, Doc!”

A part of you wanted to just keep going and ignore Jake Sully when he called for you. But you stopped anyway despite yourself and turned to find him rolling toward you. He stopped a few feet away from you, frowning at your guarded behavior. “I know I’m not well informed about all of this the way you’d like but I’m sure I can catch on fast—”

“Let’s get one thing very clear, Sully. I know you’re working with Quaritch. I know you’re planning on lying to them, gaining information for him to use or whatever the hell he’s planning. I don’t want any part of it.” You shoved your hands into your pants pockets glaring at the surprised man. “You’ve aligned yourself with a dangerous man, Sully. I hope you understand what you’re doing here.”

Just as you turned to walk away, Jake called out to you again, “So is that your advice then? As my tutor?”

“No. Not all of it.” You glanced over your shoulder at him and shrugged, “Try not to die, Jake.”

taglist: @luvvfromme @sully-stick-together @dazedshoon

#to you worlds away #avatar jake sully x reader #avatar jake sully #jake sully #avatar jake #jake sully x reader #avatar fanfiction #avatar way of water #avatar 2 #avatar jake x reader #jake x reader

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perfectpaperbluebirds · 1 year

Note

would you be willing to write for ryan from the office again? :)

Ryan Howard is super sick. A new coworker takes care of him and helps him with his congestion. CW: Induced sneezing (non-kink).

So I know canonically Ryan is a selfish, egotistical ass who never learns from his mistakes, but I can just imagine him being a little more subdued and boyish and eager to please when he first starts his fancy corporate job, and even more so if he finds himself miserably sick. For that reason, this story is set within the first few weeks of him leaving the Scranton branch and starting his new role. Mess warning, definitely more than I usually write. It was egg week when I wrote most of this, so no apologies. This also refers to sn*t and other less “pretty” snz words often, because that’s how I imagine Ryan would think about them.

To the anon who requested, sorry as always for the long wait. Winter sucks the writing juice out of me without fail. At least it’s extra long anyway. Hope this is somewhat what you were looking for.

Based on this post by @nobodybetterlookatme

Prompts used (from this old prompt list):

🦠 sniffles

🤧 sick for the holidays

What A Lovely Way to Burn

Ryan Howard scrubbed his hands over his face for the third or fourth time that hour, noting yet again how cold his hands felt against his cheeks. He sniffled, coughed, hating the grating sound it made and how much it hurt his head and throat. He had hardly put his hands down when a demanding itch flared up in his sinuses and he scrambled to grab a tissue.

"KZZT'choo! KHGGZT'choo!!" The thick, stifled sneezes had unpleasantly shifted all the congestion in his head, and he blew what felt like a gallon of slime out of his nose.

"You've been in New York for two weeks in the middle of summer, and you're already sick?" came a laughing voice from nearby. Ryan jumped, shoving the nasty tissue out of sight hurriedly. A hot girl, in fact that hottest girl here, the one that had caught his attention from the first day, was standing in front of his desk. Actually, leaning on it would be more accurate. She smirked at him flirtatiously, taking in his barely-unpacked desk and sickly, disheveled appearance. "Happy fourth of July, by the way."

"Yep. Happy fourth of July. Sick for the most random holiday. Call me lucky, I guess," he said, wishing he could pronounce the consonants properly.

"New York has that effect on people. Sorry about your luck, Lucky. My name's Tiffani. With an I.

"Nice to meet you, Tiffani with an I. And my name isn't actually Lucky. It's Ryan."

"I noticed." She nodded to the shiny nameplate on the front of his desk that had just arrived that morning. "Well Ryan Howard, VP of Northeast Sales, you are clearly a walking health hazard. What the hell are you doing here if you're sick?"

"I mean you said it yourself," he croaked. "I haven't even been here two weeks yet. It would look so bad if I called in already."

"Hmm." Before he realized what she was doing, her cool hand was pressed against his forehead. She made a soft sound in her throat, then suddenly both her hands were gently cupping his cheeks.

"You have a fever. Poor thing," she cooed, gently running her thumbs over his cheek bones.

He sniffled wetly, then coughed. "That's no big deal. I just hate that I can't stop coughing and sneezing."

"Aww, honey. You should be in bed," she said sternly.

"Trust me, I wish I was. But I just… I can't. Now's not the right time."

"Hmm," she said again, scrutinizing him. "If you say so. Have you eaten?"

He shrugged. "Not really. I'm not hungry. I can't taste anything, so–"

"Well that doesn't matter. You still need to eat. Wait here."

He watched her go, feeling a little breathless from everything that had transpired in the past five minutes, snotty cold notwithstanding.

Tiffani was gone longer than he expected (though he really had no idea what to expect), so he was attempting to work once more when a box of tissues hit him in the arm, nearly making him leap out of his seat. He glanced up to find Tiffani smirking at him yet again, holding a styrofoam takeout container.

"I said your name twice and you didn't even look up. Are you always this easy to scare?"

"No," he said sullenly. "My ears are all plugged up with everything else. And I was trying to concentrate."

"My apologies. I didn't realize you were so busy and important. Guess I'll take back the stuff I got you if you don't want it…."

He quickly pulled the desperately-needed box of tissues out of her reach. These weren't the crappy industrial office ones he'd been using either–they were the premium lotion ones.

"No, I want it," he said quickly. "Thank you. For bringing them."

"That's only half of it." She set down the styrofoam container and pushed it toward him. "You need to eat. You'll feel better if you do."

He reached for this offering almost in spite of himself, feeling a sudden, low rumble of hunger. The container was very warm; whatever it was would feel so good on his sore throat. "Where did you get all this?"

"I had it delivered of course."

"But… why?"

"Sucking up to the new VP, why else?"

Suddenly her hand was pressed to his forehead again, so fast he hardly saw her move. He found himself leaning into the touch almost reflexively, heavy and aching as his head was.

She clucked her tongue. "If you're going to stay, you need to take some medicine for that fever." She produced a bottle of Tylenol and pushed it toward him with the rest.

"You really don't need to do all this. It's just a cold." Yet he reached for the pills too, knowing her logic was sound. The next four hours would go much smoother if he was medicated. A thick, rumbling cough escaped before he could swallow the pills, making his chest and throat sear.

"Since you've apparently caught a cold from hell, I really think I do need to do all this."

"Why, though?" he croaked again, helplessly. "We hardly know each other."

She leaned in, giving him a clear view of the cleavage he'd been trying to avoid staring at until now. When she spoke, her voice was soft and silky. "Because someone needs to take care of the new boss, and that someone might as well be me." She straightened up again, brushing her hair over her shoulder with an air of someone who knew exactly what she was doing. "I'll be keeping an eye on you today. We'll make sure you start feeling better, for all our sakes. No one is getting any work done with you coughing and sneezing in here like you have been."

Ryan felt himself flush. "Thanks," he muttered, sniffling uncomfortably.

She was true to her word and checked on him regularly throughout the day. He wasn't entirely sure yet what her role was in the company, but apparently it had a lot of flexibility, judging by how much she was away from her desk. And every time she came, she brought him something else–cough drops, tea, more medicine. He had to admit, she was incredibly good at predicting his needs. He survived the intervening hours in far more comfort than he would have without her help.

Still, when the end of the day rolled around, he was the sort of utterly exhausted that only working while miserably sick can cause. Half dead on his feet, he slowly packed up to leave, and in the process he nearly crashed into Tiffani, who had snuck up on him once again and was standing beside his desk. In his foggy state he staggered and almost fell, but she caught him by the arm to steady him.

"You really are a mess, aren't you?" she asked, worry coloring her tone.

" 'm just sick," he mumbled, coughing wetly to prove his point. "And I didn't expect you to be standing there. What are you doing anyway?" he asked, noting that she was also dressed to leave and carrying her purse.

"Coming to take you home."

"I'm an adult. I don't need help getting back to my apartment."

"We're not going to your apartment. We're going to mine."

She laughed at the expression on his face at this development.

"You just moved here, and you're a guy, so I'm sure at best you're sleeping on a mattress on the floor. You also probably have no food or medicine at your place yet, which is why you're as sick as you are to begin with. It makes way more sense for you to come home with me. You'll be much more comfortable."

He frowned half-heartedly, but had no argument. She had him pegged perfectly. Nothing sounded better than a real bed and a furnished apartment right now.

Seeing she had won, she smirked. She proved her powers of observation once more when she prodded the toe of her shoe into the corner of the duffle bag peeking out from under his desk. "What's this? Gym bag?"

"Yeah. Was planning to use the gym here but…" he gestured vaguely at his red, dripping nose.

"Bring that with you, then, and let's go." She grabbed his elbow possessively. "You'll love my place. It's very cozy."

A subway ride and a short walk later, they were arriving at a section of lower-income but still decent housing hidden in the heart of the city. Ryan hardly knew the city yet, and he was too sick and tired to pay attention to where they were going, but let her lead him with gentle pushes and pulls on his arm, trying to look less contagious than he felt. He could tell his fever was creeping up by how hot his ears felt, and all he wanted to do was fall into something resembling a bed and not get up for a long time. He let her lead him into an apartment building, up a few flights of stairs, and through one of the doors off a hallway landing.

It was a quaint little studio apartment, painted in soft, muted tones with cheerful feminine accents here and there, bright and open. The bed was immediately to the right of the door, separated from the rest of the room by cleverly placed shelving units, giving the feel of it being more than one room while a cozy sitting area dominated the rest of the space. One wall was made up almost entirely of windows, and the sunset leant a lovely, natural glow to the atmosphere.

"You have a beautiful apartment," he rasped, getting less intelligible by the hour.

"Thank you. I've lived here for three years now. I love it."

Ryan would never be bold enough to take a stranger's bed without being asked, so he made for the large couch, kicking off his shoes and shedding his jacket as he went with another husky cough. His original plan was to sit on the couch and just breathe for a bit, and make an attempt to be good company, but the plush cushions were so comfortable that he sank sideways, almost against his will, until his face met the soft throw pillow on his right. His eyes fell closed of their own accord and he tucked his legs up as well, but he did his best to stay awake for the time being. In his current state, the wide couch felt more comfortable than any bed he'd ever slept in. Yet Tiffani didn't let him get too comfortable, and plied him with medications for the fever immediately.

"It's been hours since your last dose and you're looking really sick again," she explained, watching as he drank a glass of water with the pills.

"I can't say I don't feel it," he sniffled, lying back down.

"Poor thing," she cooed. "I'm glad you can finally rest for a while.

He listened as Tiffani puttered around putting her things away. Soft music began to play, and then he heard a sharp clicking sound. His eyes fluttered open to see her lighting a candle. At ease immediately, his lids slipped shut again.

It seemed only a moment passed before he felt her shaking his arm, but when he opened his eyes again, she had changed clothes and showered, and her hair was in a towel.

"You should get a shower and get out of your work clothes," she said. "You'll feel better when you're more comfortable."

He grunted his assent, his throat too sore to want to talk. He sluggishly levered himself into a sitting position, sniffling as he tried to avoid dripping on himself, then stood, grabbing his gym bag. The urge to sneeze overwhelmed him suddenly:

“Heh’KIHHPT’shoo! Hddd'TSHHHooo! Dihh'IHSHHooo!!

He almost doubled over with the force of the messy trio. He hardly had time to cover, let alone find a tissue, so his hands were covered in slime by the end. He made a disgusted sound in his throat as he surveyed the mess.

"Bless you. Now you definitely need a shower," Tiffani laughed, unperturbed. "Go get cleaned up. Maybe it'll clear your head a bit too."

He tried to do as he was told, but just as he reached his destination another pair of sneezes snuck up on him, further soiling his hands:

“KIIHHPT-ttsscch! KHHGGT'nxxt!"

“Bless you again,” Tiffani said dutifully.

"Why is this cold getting worse instead of better?" he griped, swiping a tissue from the bathroom counter to scrub at his hands and nose as he continued to sniffle fruitlessly.

"That's how colds work, silly," she said, rolling her eyes fondly.

"Will this one seems to suck more than most," he mumbled, shutting the bathroom door behind him at last.

The hot water did indeed help in many ways, from the aches to the congestion to the tiredness, and he emerged feeling marginally better, especially now that he was wearing soft workout clothes instead of a starchy shirt and pants. He managed to smile at Tiffani from the door of the bathroom, but the first breath he took of non-steamy air brought the sinus irritation roaring back, and he was forced to bury his face into the bundle of clothes in his arms as he exploded into the messiest sneezing fit yet:

Huhh’REHHSHHHoo! ESSHHHyoo! Kuh-hh-HUSSHHHoo! Huh’ISSHHoo! Hh-h… huh’KIISHHoo! Heh-hh… Hiihg’KSSHHoo!”

“BLESS you,” Tiffany said, looking startled now. “That was… intense. Do you feel better at least?”

Ryan could only shake his head as his breath started to hitch once more, eyes red and streaming already: “Hehh'dzz-IHHH'shoo! Heh'KIHHT'shoo! Kihhh'IHHTchoo! Hihh'GEHH-CHOOF!”

Tiffani frowned. “Something is setting you off. You shouldn’t be sneezing so much.”

“Mbaybe idt’s the ca’dle,” Ryan croaked, nodding to the counter where the scented flame was still flickering. “Budt those dond’t usually bother mbe….”

Tiffani didn’t wait for him to finish and quickly snuffed out the offending flame. Meanwhile Ryan crushed a handful of tissues to his weeping nose, trying to quell the persistent tickle as he staggered his way back to the couch, feeling much worse now than he had before the shower. His head throbbed, his eyes ached, his throat seared. The brief sense of relief the shower had provided was already a faint memory. He felt distinctly foggy as Tiffani plied him with food and fussed around, trying to make him comfortable. He managed a few bites, trying to make her happy. The itching in his nose never fully subsided, though, nor did the dripping, and now his head was also stopped tight with suffocating congestion from the forceful stifling, making him feel even more puffy and achy. He found himself unable to breathe any way but through his mouth, which made him cough more, and of course he had to keep a tissue perpetually pressed to his upper lip. In short, he felt all around disgusting. Wrapped up in his own misery, he didn’t realize Tiffani was talking to him until she nudged his shoulder a while later.

“Why are you breathing like a dying fish? You really don’t sound good.”

"Kinda feel like I'mb drowni’g," he slurred. “Cand’t breathe. Too congested.”

“I can see that,” she agreed. “Hm…” she glanced over her shoulder. “Do you want to try to get unplugged? I think sneezing might be better than whatever is happening to you right now.”

He was in no state to make decisions, but she was right, anything had to be better than this, so he nodded sluggishly, wondering what she had in mind. He didn’t have to wonder long, for in a moment she was holding a familiar candle under his nose, the same one that had just been burning. The wax still hadn’t hardened completely.

“Take a deep breath and don’t stifle anymore. Just let it happen.”

He gave her a skeptical look, but took the warm glass jar from her. “You bedder step bagck, then. I dond’t wandt to sndeeze on you.”

She obediently crossed to the other side of the room. When she was out of range, he took a hesitant whiff, nose only inches from the wax.

The results were instantaneous. His nostrils flared, his chest expanded and his breath gasped as he launched into the messiest, wettest sneezing fit he’d ever experienced. The congestion he’d created from stifling was apparently eager to be released, and everything came flying out at an alarming rate at the slightest provocation. He soaked through tissue after tissue as he sneezed and sneezed and sneezed, needing only a few breaths of the candle to keep himself going.

Several minutes later he felt significantly emptier, and at last he allowed the sneezing to taper to a stop with a final, tremendous nose blow. Completely exhausted, he let his throbbing head fall back. His nose was much better, but everything else was worse. He couldn't keep from groaning, both from relief and self-pity.

He felt the couch shift as Tiffani sat down beside him. Her cool hand on his burning face made him moan again as she brushed the damp hair from his forehead.

"Feeling better now?" she murmured.

He made a non-committal noise.

"Poor thing. You are so, so sick honey," she cooed. "You're absolutely burning up. You just rest now. I've got you."

Too tired to resist, when she gently pulled him to lay against her chest, he allowed it. Sitting mostly upright kept him from coughing too much, anyway. He found he was very comfortable this way, especially when he realized she was playing with his hair. In no time, lulled by her soothing touch and soothing breathing and soothing heartbeat, he was fast asleep.

#my writing #the of/fice #sick ry/an how/ard #oc insert #answered asks #prompt fill #thanks for the request. Sorry for the wait. You know the drill #this is kinda gross but I kinda love it #Makes me want to write someone with the kink and inducing in a sexy way #but we'll see if that ever happens #everyone is hotter with a fever #ask box story

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snailor-bee · 9 months

Text

Stay with Me, Sway with Me

Finally posting this on Tumblr for @cebwrites! <3 We did a trade ages ago and he was kind enough to wait a while for my school semester to end and for me to get some other stuff done. ;o; His art was AMAZING and I super loved it. I hope this was worth the wait!

Law x M!OC / SFW / 2.8k Summary: Law's not having a great time. Kirin makes it better. (Maybe? Kind of.) Notes: He/they for Law.

Law watched the gathered mass of not only his own crew but Kirin’s as well. Somehow they’d just ‘happened’ to meet up, again .

Randomly. With no previous agreement.

In the middle of the ocean.

After their so-called ‘guests’ left he’d go through his crew and try to figure out the traitors among them but Law knew already—a headache building behind their temples—that it was a fool’s errand. The two crews had become, he shuddered to think about it, friendly and none of their glares would break anyone, he’d come to find out. Not even Bepo.

Annoying. Everything about it was just so annoying .

Gold eyes scanned the crowd, the music thumping uncomfortably in his ears. The lounge on the Tang wasn’t really built for this but people were making it work as best they could, bodies squeezed in too closely together. At least it was slightly less packed than it had been at the start, as people split off together to squirrel away in more private areas of the sub, or perhaps back to the ship that was tethered to the Polar Tang, both bobbling harmlessly on calm seas.

A sitting duck for any passing enemies.

Law hutched into themselves closer, scowling at anything that came into his peripheries.

The scowl didn’t scare off the one person he really, really didn’t want to see.

“Law!” Kirin’s voice yelled over the music, throwing a thick arm around their shoulders as he collapsed into Law’s side. “How you doin’?”

“Denki-ya,” he greeted, gritting his teeth. “Waiting for your crew to leave. Hasn’t it been long enough already?”

Frustratingly, that seemed only to make the silver-haired man laugh.

Law didn’t think about the fact that it might be a nice sounding laugh, especially not when he threw his head back, offering an attractive view of the curve of his throat, allowing their eyes to follow the line of it down into a well-defined chest that was struggling within the confines of a tight low-cut shirt.

No, no, definitely not.

“Oh, come on! We’re having fun!” The smirk Kirin shot him simply made them scowl even harder. “It’s team building or whatever.”

“We’re not a team ,” Law hissed. “We’re not on the same crew or even allies.”

Kirin just smiled back passively. He was still plastered against Law’s side, the heat settling uncomfortably against their skin, adding to the overall heat of the room. He felt sweat begin to form at his temples.

“Aw, come on captain!” Ikkaku’s voice interjected, sounding gleeful. “Play nice! We’re just here to have a good time, make some friends.”

“Here for a good time, not a long time!” Penguin agreed with relish and the two thumped their drinks together, causing ale to cascade down the edges and land with a splatter on the ground between them.

Law was exceedingly thankful he was captain and therefore exempt from swabbing. They didn’t think his blood pressure could survive the incurring wrath from cleaning after his drunken crew and their friends .

“I’m not interested,” he said, finally shoving off Kirin’s arm. The man just leaned back a bit, hands held up. Law’s eyebrow twitched when they realized that Kirin’s leg was still plastered against the side of his.

“By the way, Kirin,” Ikkaku and light gold eyes slide away from his own to look at her, one white eyebrow raising in silence question. “Is it true that you pranked Penguin and Shachi?”

Immediately, Penguin started sputtering as Kirin laughed again. “Sure did!”

“Spill!” Ikkaku demanded, a hand in Penguin’s face, holding him back as he tried to protest.

Law was definitely not sulking between them, as they talked back and forth over his head.

They crossed his arms, wishing he had Kikoku to have something to do with their hands, but his sword had been swiped from him almost immediately as soon as the party started.

Feeling like he’d been left out of the conversation long enough, idly listening to the prank that Kirin had managed to pull off with a few of his crewmembers, Law straightened out of their slouch, a smirk playing on their face.

“I can't imagine what poor woman would end up subjected to your shenanigans whenever you get a girlfriend, Denki-ya,” he said, once the story had been finished and Ikkaku had been left laughing clutching at her gut while Penguin moaned with embarrassment.

There was a lengthy pause, and Ikkaku’s laughter abruptly cut off. Uneasy, Law shifted in his spot. What was the awkward silence for?

Kirin’s face pulled up into a lazy smirk, a challenge glimmering in his eyes. “You’re probably not wrong. I do prefer men though, captain.” He shot Law a wink before standing and sauntering away, his heeled boots putting a sway in his step as he went off to bother someone else.

Ikkaku and Penguin were both looking at them with twin stares of disbelief.

“What?” they asked with annoyance, not quite understanding why he felt mildly embarrassed.

“That was real smooth, captain,” Ikkaku said with a snort.

Penguin nodded in agreement. “You gotta step up your flirting game.”

“My what ,” they hissed before looking around anxiously, suddenly concerned someone might be listening in. “I’m not flirting what gave you that impression?”

Ikkaku’s eyebrows rose with mock disbelief. “Uh, he literally had his arm around you the entire time you guys were sitting here?”

“I shoved it off.”

She snorted. “After an extraordinarily long time for you.”

“And you didn’t move away! You guys were like, plastered together,” Penguin added.

“It’s a small couch.”

By this point, Penguin started snickering and Law leaned forward with a pained groan, burying their face into their hands.

He could sense the two of them gearing up to tease even more so he muttered just loud enough to be heard, “One more word and I’m throwing you both overboard.”

“Come on,” Ikkaku said with glee, “let’s leave the captain I think they need to work some stuff out.”

Law almost protested that he did not but the butterflies in their stomach said otherwise, as well as the heat that was expanding down the back of his neck, which only happened when they were embarrassed.

Oh, they were fucked, oh so fucked. He’d written Kirin off as unavailable in his mind and now? Now they weren’t sure what to do with the information that not only was Kirin available but also faced with that knowledge, he was seemingly extremely interested.

Fuck.

They tracked Kirin’s movement as the other man flittered about the room, joining in various groups to talk and at some points getting pulled into a dance either with a partner or a group of wiggling bodies in a semi-circle.

A plan was starting to form in his head.

It was stupid, they really shouldn’t but even if on the inside, Law was an awkward, anxious mess and his crew made fun of him for it, on the outside with others people saw him as a sarcastic, hard-edged captain.

The Surgeon of Death didn’t mean much to him, other people assigned them that name, but Law bristled at being made fun of. He wanted to have the last word whenever possible.

So. The plan.

Briefly, they spoke with the so-called DJ of the group before making his way through the gathered crowd. There was a sort of make-shift dancefloor in the middle, but Law paid it no mind. His eyes were lasered focused on one individual.

Heart beating so loud in his ears, they could hardly hear the thumping of the music, he swallowed, their throat a desert.

“Denki-ya,” he greeted coolly, coming up to his side. The other man was taller than him by a few inches and with his heeled boots that difference was even greater as Kirin turned and raised an interested eyebrow.

“Captain,” he greeted back with a small smirk. “Fancy meeting you here.”

Law bit back a growl. He straightened instead and held out one hand, their yellow nails flashing briefly in the light. They were vaguely sweaty and hoped Kirin wouldn’t notice. Instantly, all their previous planning went out the window, and mind blank they blurted a tense, “Dance with me.”

Fuck. He’d meant it more as a question.

Lucky, Kirin’s expression dropped into a brief look of surprise before it cleared out into what could only be described as hungry .

“Oh, I’d love to,” he purred, grabbing Law’s outstretched hand.

He’d planned it perfectly, (thank god , some small part of himself exclaimed with relief) the last notes of the previous song fading away as they pulled Kirina into the middle of the dancefloor, shipmates clearing out a space for them.

When the instruments start, Law is rewarded with a wide smile from Kirin. Not a grin, not a smirk, an honest-to-goodness smile . It makes their heartbeat quicken even more, which considering the fact that they can feel his heartbeat in his ears is saying something.

Rusty old lessons come to the forefront and Law arranges his hand on Kirin’s waist. It should be silly, them taking the lead like this but Kirin doesn’t comment just grabs onto Law’s other hand, while the other comes up to rest on Law’s shoulder.

When marimba rhythms start to playDance with me, make me sway

Once the singing began, Law pushed out with one foot. Kirin easily popped back his own, making Law realize that the other man had experience dancing, as he followed Law’s lead effortlessly, his eyes never leaving Law’s, gold on gold sparking between them. That was fine, made it easier on Law, to be honest. But the rush of competition started to echo, and everything faded away. Leaving Law with eyes only for Kirin and surprising him for once.

Like a lazy ocean hugs the shoreHold me close, sway me more

Pushing out with the hand on Kirin’s waist, he went easily, and they dance around the room as Kirin made faces to the crowd, clearly having a good time. With a chuckle, Law reached out for him and Kirin grabbed his other hand.

Using them he spun Kirin until he was facing away from Law, raising both their arms in the process. Their hands swapped before Law guided them back down, before he started walking to the side, Kirin following their lead. The other man popped his hips and made a show of it.

Like a flower bending in the breezeBend with me, sway with ease

Distantly, Law registered that there was cheering but nothing else existed in this moment but them, Kirin and himself. The feeling of Kirin’s body dancing around his, bending so perfectly around each other.

When we dance, you have a way with meStay with me, sway with me

They fumbled a few times, Law unused to dancing after so many years. Still, he was grateful to his parents for insisting in this moment. He remembered years of protests at the lessons, thinking they were useless. Even watching his parents dance around the living room, so in love, their bodies swaying together close until they broke apart, creating music with their bodies dancing alone but still somehow together, the beat and their steps in sync even if they weren't touching. They always seemed to know where the other was, finding each other again effortlessly, swaying together once more.

Even that hadn't changed their mind.

Now, they can see the point. How electrifying it was to dance with someone. How all of your attention got absorbed into your partner until they were the only thing you could see, the only thing you could feel.

Other dancers may be on the floorDear, but my eyes will see only you

One of Kirin’s hands buried itself into the back of their hair, their hand doing the same for him. They were close, gaze locked on each other, circling each other. Everything seemed to be going too fast and yet somehow not fast enough. The intensity between them was a heady, weighted thing.

Only you have that magic techniqueWhen we sway, I go weak

“I didn’t know you could dance,” Kirin said with a smile. Each press of his hands on Law’s body felt like a brand, burning long after the other man moved away.

“There’s a lot of things you don’t know about me.”

Kirin laughed, panting a bit by now, though Law wasn’t fairing any better. “Ooooh, cryptic.”

Law didn’t bother with a reply as they spun him out. When Kirin came back, he cocked his head in a way that looked tantalizing, and Law was positive he knew that, the bastard.

“I’d like to,” Kirin said. “You’re just full of surprises, captain.”

The music swelled and Kirin’s hands grabbed the back of his neck and theirs automatically went for his waist. Kirin popped his upper body back, one knee coming up to make a great arch of his body and Law took on his weight, oopf ing quietly under his breath as the last note faded and they pulled Kirin back up straight.

They were allowed enough time for their eyes to meet and exchange smiles before they were rushed by their respective crews.

Immediately, Law’s shoulders went up as a crowd formed around them, voices overlapping as they demanded to know where that came from.

Something like an itch they couldn’t scratch lit up in his mind and over their body. Hastily, Law backed up from the crowd and made his escape. This time no one stopped them as he made their way through the sub, far, far away from the party.

Once they found a silent corridor, he leaned against the bulkhead, squatting enough to hang his head in between their knees and breathe out slowly.

He sometimes got like this. Law hated crowds and large gatherings. After a certain point everything just started… rubbing him the wrong way. He itched, his anxiety started spiking and he just wanted to leave .

Disappointing that it hit right after the dance though… he’d been hoping to see more of Kirin’s reaction.

Oh well. They sighed.

Hearing the sound of clicking echoing through the otherwise quiet hall made their hackles rise. They peeked around the corner to see long legs covered in black and white, cutouts going attractively down the sides, showing off peeks of skin. Oh. He knew who those belonged to. And looking up, they weren’t disappointed to see Kirin looking down at them, hands on his hips.

“Hey you,” Kirin greeted and Law immediately scowled. The other man laughed before coming around the corner and leaning against the wall next to Law. He left enough of a space between them that they weren’t touching.

“What do you want,” Law said flatly.

“Ohhh, nothing much. You ran off so suddenly after our dance though! I just wanted to make sure I didn’t scare you off.”

Law hutched his shoulders. “You didn’t.”

Kirin hummed. “That’s good.”

A quiet descended over them.

“Look…” Kirin started slowly, Law trained their eyes at the floor. “I meant what I said before, about wanting to know you better. I know you’re all like—” Law peeked up just in time to see the man do a sort of lofty hand wave “—prickly and stuff about things. But you can be surprisingly cool when you wanna be. And I’d like to have another dance sometime.”

“’Surprisingly cool’?” Law repeated with disbelief, gaping up at the other man. Kirin just giggled.

“Yeah, that’s what I said. Come’re, let’s get you off the floor.” He held out a hand for Law. They stared at it for a moment before reaching out to take it, and Kirin easily pulled them up onto their feet.

Kirin started brushing him off, twisting and pulling at Law into different angles for him. Law was surprised at himself that they allowed it.

Once the other man deemed him suitably cleaned, Kirin patted both shoulders with his hands then left them there. “Say, at the next island we’re both at, how about we dance again?”

Law scrunched up his nose, thinking about their crews bomb-rushing them again after the fact. Kirin laughed at his expression before leaning in close to whisper confidingly, “It can just be us.”

They couldn’t help it, he blushed. Kirin just smiled and didn’t use it as an excuse to tease (for once).

“Sure,” Law found himself agreeing.

“Great!!” Kirin’s hands tightened on their shoulders before he leaned in and pressed a fast kiss to the corner of Law’s lips. “I’m looking forward to it. Make sure you come up with new ways to surprise me, hm?” Then he winked before releasing Law and walking away, the line of his body nothing but graceful as his hips swayed with the motion.

Law swallowed hard, heart suddenly in his throat. They pulled down their hat to cover his eyes as they felt his face flush up even more.

The man was going to be the death of them, they were sure of it.

#bee writes #bee writing #one piece #for cev #law x oc #trafalgar law

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medtech-mara · 1 year

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Waking up in custody of MAX-TAC

Author Note: So, normally, I only release these to my fellow campaign mates. what happened last sunday, after the campaign concluded for the night. A scene that was going to be long winded, had to be continued later. So these are more or less just recaps. So Character key in my pin post might be important to check out if you care to know. Anyway I hope you enjoy a glimpse into my Medtech's life in my Cyberpunk campaign Legends of Night City!

The loud humming of the AV, a sound that was once her everyday, now seemed so foreign as Mara Sterling began to wake from her blacked out state. Her vision, still blurry, and one killer headache.

Instinctively, her hands reached up to cradle the back of her head where she can only assume was struck, but met with resistance. Seemed like her hands were cuffed and locked to the AV, A jolt of voltage coursed through her as she tried to let out a groan of discomfort for her pounding head, which prompted her to whimper in pain, to be shocked again.

The C-SWAT team, all cutting up except for the person next to her, seemed to still be a rookie or had some humanity rehabilitated into him.

“Don’t speak, It’ll only shock you. You’ll be put in a holding cell until you are no longer a threat. Free to go after.” The Officer turned his attention to the rest of the crew and they began to go on about a call from earlier in their shift. Talking about how Lt. Jayce Adams has been missing, and wondering why Flight Crew Charlie 2 was called to the Inclusion zone.

So, MAX-TAC didn’t send Jayce in for me… is it just a cover for him? The thought crossed her mind, but before she could even finish it, they had arrived at NCPD HQ in Watson, High up on the 100th floor there was the MAX-TAC HQ AV entrance, Guns pointed back in her face once more, demands being made of her, booking the nine yards.

Finally, she was brought to a small 5x5 room with just a chair, sitting down in the chair, the Officers then anchored her arms so that she was stationary in the chair, shock collar still on, they left her without a word.

From there Mara sat in this brightly lit, white room, strapped to a chair and a C-Psycho collar on, which only fueled her headache.

It wasn’t long before rage in her only began to boil over in her, these people took Jack from her, and were laughing about it before his body could even be collected, that wasn’t going to be her. Yanking and jerking herself around in the chair, she began to let out loud screams of primal rage, and for the moment she didn’t even care that she was getting burned from the voltage.

The screams didn’t last long before they turned into whimpers of grief and pain. Mara didn’t have much left in her to give, it was an exhausting day physically, mentally…. and now…. Psychologically.. Everything stripped from her in a matter of seconds.

I didn’t even get to tell him… to tell him I love him..

Ocean eyes looked up to the ceiling, the tears began to fall down the sides of her cheeks and down to her earlobes.

She stayed this way for an untold amount of time. If you asked her, it seemed like she had been locked in there for more than 10 hours, but she wasn’t sure.

To busy being locked up in her own hell during her holding period, silently crying and flip flopping flashbacks of all the times she wanted to tell Jack, she loved him,

Bullets eating through what was left of his ‘Ganic body,

His smile,

The dead look in his eyes as he said “I’m already gone, Mars.”,

him at work, and so on.

This went on for 8 hours. At some point tears wouldn’t even come out anymore, and it hurt to keep going, but she couldn’t stop.

There was this giant hole left inside her.. She was just bleeding out, at one point she truly thought she might die from how much pain she felt in her chest, but that was just the panic consuming her.

Mara came to the realization that her and Jack’s dream died with him.. She couldn’t run the clinic alone, not without Joi… She would have to reteach a new AI… It didn’t seem right to just replace what’d always been there.

“Oh you fucked up dis time, do you even know who that is you have locked up?”

J i h z z y’s voice and footsteps started coming down the hallway and towards her room.

“This is the Lt. Adam’s sister! YOUR BOSSES SISTER!” J I H Z Z Y looked into the room and laid eyes on a sight he’d never seen before. His wife but not the strong woman he sees everyday, but this.. Broken shell to resemble Mara Sterling. Something in her swollen bloodshot eyes was missing.

#cyberpunkredcampaign #cyberpunkred #LegendsofNightCity #LoNC #OC: Mara Guererro Sterling #OC: Jayce Adams #OC: J I H Z Z Y #Lazarus #Biotechnica #MAX-TAC #cyberpsychosis #cyberpycho #tabletop roleplaying #IM STILL DUSTING OFF MY RUSTY FINGIES WITH WRITING AGAIN OK

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highwaytothedangerzone502 · 2 years

Text

India Lima Yankee - Chapter 39

Pairing: Rooster x Female OC

Word Count: 3420

Warnings: Anxiety about death, mention of cancer

Summary: Juliette Kazansky discovers Maverick is back in town for a special training detachment, but she's more than a little blindsided when Rooster arrives too. Having not spoken to him for almost ten years after their less than amicable break-up, Juliette can only imagine how the next few weeks are going to play out when she remains head over heels in love with him while he wants nothing to do with Juliette other than to forget her.

Or so she thinks.

Notes: The parts in italics are flashbacks.

Chapter Songs: Hurts Like Hell Hurricane Bad Dream

Chapters: Chp 1 Chp 2 Chp 3 Chp 4 Chp 5 Chp 6 Chp 7 Chp 8 Chp 9 Chp 10 Chp 11 Chp 12 Chp 13 Chp 14 Chp 15 Chp 16 Chp 17 Chp 18 Chp 19 Chp 20 Chp 21 Chp 22 Chp 23 Chp 24 Chp 25Chp 26 Chp 27 Chp 28 Chp 29 Chp 30 Chp 31 Chp 32Chp 33 Chp 34 Chp 35 Chp 36 Chp 37 Chp 38 Chp 39

Juliette

"Send them." Cyclone's words sent a shiver down Juliette's spine, and the darkness of the room, illuminated only by the screens and a few blue lights, helped nothing. Her grasp tightened on her locket with each sound of the catapult as it launched Maverick, then Rooster, then Phoenix, then Payback.

At first, all seemed well. The Dagger squadron stayed close together, no enemies took to the skies, and they were ahead of schedule. Then, Juliette noticed Rooster falling behind and had no doubt he had started to overthink the mission, the precise thing she'd been worried about happening. Followed by the two bandits that appeared out of nowhere, most likely long-range patrols, the entire situation provided a foreboding omen.

And then, things started looking up. Rooster floored it, flying at a breakneck pace that rivaled Maverick's insanity. Juliette watched, joy surging through her veins, as Daggers One and Three successfully performed the first miracle. It was temporarily replaced by panic when Payback and Fanboy's laser wouldn't work, but 'pride' scarcely sufficed for what Juliette felt when Rooster not only dropped his bombs blind but that they successfully hit the target, completing the second miracle. Cheers rose throughout the room.

That's my Bradley. Juliette thought, beyond delighted with their accomplishments. It meant her faith in the people she'd suggested to Maverick had been the right ones, and a weight lifted off her shoulders. I haven't sent them to their deaths! They're going to be okay! They're coming h-

Juliette's enthrallment was short-lived when she realized the Daggers still needed to pull off the third, unspoken miracle: battling the SAMs after Coffin Corner. The panic that ensued over the radio as the anti-aircraft weaponry locked onto the pilots sent such a wave of terror and nervous anticipation over the group in the command room that one could've heard a pin drop. Juliette waited with bated breath, tensing every time she heard Rooster say, "Dagger Two defending."

Then, her worst nightmare came to life when Rooster announced, "Shit, I'm out of flares!"

"Rooster, evade! Evade!" Maverick barked frantically.

"I can't shake 'em! They're on me! They're on me!"

Juliette blinked, and in that split second, Maverick's image disappeared from E-2, followed by Rooster shouting, "Mav! No!"

No, no, no, no, no! Juliette's heart cried out for the man she adored so much, the man who had been a second father to her, the man she had hoped to walk her down the aisle in place of Iceman.

"Dagger One is hit!" Phoenix yelled, horrified. "I repeat, Dagger One is hit! Maverick is down!"

"Dagger One, status. Status!" Rooster demanded, his voice betraying the love he'd tried so hard to bury all these years. "Anyone see him? Does anyone see him? Dagger One, come in!"

"I didn't see a parachute," Payback replied.

"We have to circle back."

"Comanche. Bandits inbound. Single group, hot. Recommend Dagger flow south. One minute to intercept."

Cyclone hesitated, panic in his eyes. "Get 'em back to the carrier. Now."

"All Daggers flow to ECP," the officer ordered. "You have bandits headed for you."

"What about Maverick?!" Rooster argued. Juliette recognized the undercurrent in his tone, the panic, the anger, the defiance.

"Tell him there's nothing he can do for Maverick in a God damn F-18!" Cyclone snapped. Unless Juliette was mistaken, she swore she heard the admiral's voice crack at Maverick's name. She wanted to cry herself. She wanted to scream to release the pain of losing yet another loved one so soon after her dad, but she couldn't. Juliette had to hold it together because Rooster needed her when he returned.

If he returned...

Hangman suddenly came over the radio. "Dagger Spare, request permission to launch and fly air cover."

Cyclone shook his head but said nothing, and the officer relayed the message to Hangman. Although Juliette couldn't see the pilot, she knew he didn't take the news well. As independent as he was, she'd seen him grow a fondness and protectiveness of Maverick.

"Launch search and rescue," Warlock said, bringing a small amount of hope to Juliette's heart. It was Maverick, after all. He couldn't be killed. Surely, he was still alive?

"Negative," Cyclone responded immediately. "Not with bandits in the air."

"But sir, Maverick is still out there!" Hondo jumped from the back of the room, sounding more than frustrated at the decision.

"We are not losing anyone else today!" Turning to the officer, he instructed firmly, "Get 'em home now!"

"Dagger Two, return to carrier. Acknowledge," the officer said. When no response came from Rooster, she repeated, "Acknowledge!"

"Rooster, those bandits are closing," Phoenix warned, grief edging her tone. "We can't go back."

Bob added sadly, "Rooster, he's gone. Maverick's gone."

She could hear her fiancé breathing heavily, distressed and despairing. He'd yet to respond to the order, and a sinking feeling settled in Juliette's stomach. She knew what he wanted to do, and it terrified her, but she also understood. If Juliette was in Rooster's position, she'd be considering the same thing.

"Jules-" Rooster's hesitant voice came over the radio- "if you're listening, I'm sorry. I have to. India Lima Yankee."

Juliette bowed her head to hide the tears falling down her cheeks. I love you too, Bradley.

Without lifting her head, she listened to the chaos that ensued. Juliette already knew what Rooster had been planning on doing. The moment he said her name, she knew. The others, however, didn't. No one went after him, though. For a fleeting second, Juliette thought he might be in the clear. Rooster shot down a helicopter and, for a few seconds, remained in the air. Then a SAM got him, and any hope Jules held onto evaporated. Without a word, she exited the command room, ignoring the attempt by Cyclone, Warlock, and Hondo to get her to stay. In a daze, Juliette shuffled throughout the aircraft carrier, letting her feet go wherever they pleased. She ended up in the Main Hangar, collapsing to her knees behind an F-18 as memories pummeled her like waves crashing onto the shore.

***

"Girls, are you almost ready?" Sarah Kazansky asked, poking her head in the doorway. Juliette and her two best friends, Brianna and Charlotte, whipped their heads around from their positions scattered across the basement bedroom they'd commandeered as their dressing headquarters.

"Yeah, we're just putting on our shoes and jewelry," Jules answered from the bed, struggling to see the holes on her shoe straps to secure them onto her feet. "We'll be down in two minutes."

"I'll let the boys know." Beaming, Sarah shut the door. Juliette stood up, having finally gotten her shoes on. She tried to hide the disappointment on her face at the mention of 'the boys.' It only referred to Barry and Ron, her friends' dates. Bradley hadn't been able to escape from college for a few days to join her at prom. He had a previous engagement he couldn't postpone. Still, Brianna and Charlotte noticed, smiling sympathetically at Jules through the mirror that she twirled in front of, admiring her outfit. The former said, "We're sorry Bradley can't come."

Juliette shrugged. "Downside of dating an older guy, I guess," she replied, glancing down at her dress. It was navy blue with spaghetti straps and a sweetheart neckline. Made of chiffon and lace, it was everything Juliette had dreamed of, including the sparking silver stilettos with bedazzled backs. Her mom loaned her diamond earrings and even offered a diamond necklace to match them, but Jules declined the latter. She wanted to wear Bradley's locket to have a little piece of him with her tonight.

"All right, I'm ready," Charlotte announced. "You two good?"

"Yeah, let's go!" Brianna exclaimed, jumping up from the floor. The trio shouted that they were coming, and Juliette heard some scrambling.

Weird. She thought, but that was all that crossed her mind. Jack was home, so knowing him, he probably had attempted to play some prank on Jules as she came up the stairs, and her parents stopped him in the nick of time.

Ron and Barry's mouths fell open at the sight of their dates, making Juliette wish Bradley stood among them to see him have the same reaction. She discreetly pulled out her phone to see if he'd texted her but saw nothing from him. There was, however, a text from Maverick that said: Have fun!! :D

Juliette smiled to herself at the emoticon usage. Mav had just discovered how to make faces from the punctuation, and he used them relentlessly with Bradley and Jules.

"Girls, let's get a photo of the three of you first," Sarah instructed, motioning for them to follow her outside to the covered patio. There, they took a few photos, some with normal expressions, some with funny faces. Then Sarah instructed the boys to sidle up to their dates. Juliette remained in the middle, plastering on a smile. It's not that she wasn't excited; she was! But she wanted Rooster here. She'd been worried about him halfway across the country, especially now with the second anniversary of Carole Bradshaw's death having passed barely a month ago. He always fell into a depression for a few weeks around it, and although Juliette never feared for his life, she still hated him being alone during this time.

I'll be there for him next year. I'll be at UVA with him. Juliette reminded herself of this to make her feel a little better about the situation, but it didn't do much.

Iceman slipped behind the group and entered the house, saying he had to check something quickly. Juliette thought nothing of it as her mom ordered the group to smile a few moments later. Sarah snapped a few photos and checked the screen. She approached the group and queried, "What do you think? Do you think I need to retake them?"

"I'm sure they're fine," Juliette responded casually, peering at the screen to check the photos. She scanned each person, looking for any blinking eyes, discreetly placed middle fingers (which Ron was notorious for), or blurriness. But Jules saw nothing. Herself, Brianna, Charlotte, Ron, Barry, and Bradley all looked-

Bradley!

Juliette whirled around to find her boyfriend grinning from ear to ear, wearing a tux and holding two boutonnieres. She flung her arms around his neck, nearly too stunned to speak. All she could stammer out was, "What are you- how are- I thought you already had an appointment to go to?"

"I did. I had your prom," Bradley replied, kissing her cheek.

"How-"

"Mav bought me a plane ticket, and Brianna and Charlotte got my prom and after-prom tickets for me. Then your dad picked me up and snuck me into the house. I got ready in Jack's room."

Juliette blinked, unable to fully comprehend his words. "You've been in my house this entire time?!"

"Yeah. You nearly caught him when you came out to greet me earlier," Iceman said from across the patio. "Poor Bradley had to cram himself on the floorboard of my car while I hurried and hopped out to stop you from approaching."

"I wasn't going to let you go to your senior prom without a date," Bradley said, slipping his arm around Juliette's waist. "You look magnificent."

"As do you," Juliette replied, looking him up and down, appreciating the navy blue suit that matched her dress. She pinned his boutonniere to his lapel before kissing him, and with her lips brushing against his, Jules whispered, "India Lima Yankee."

Bradley slipped her boutonniere onto her wrist, kissing her forehead. "India Lima Yankee."

***

Throat cancer.

The words burned themselves into Juliette's brain; they were all she could think of. Her world came crashing down at her father's diagnosis. Although the prognosis had been good since the doctors caught it early, it still terrified Juliette at the idea she could lose her father this early in her life. Her first instinct was to call Bradley because he understood better than anyone what it was like to know you were going to lose a parent, and she had. Despite their horrible breakup a year ago, Juliette caved and called him. As expected, it went to voicemail. Antonio, her boyfriend, had been there for her from the get-go of the diagnosis, but Juliette still ached for Bradley. He'd been her friend long before he'd been her boyfriend, and he undoubtedly would know precisely what to say to make her feel better if he was willing to talk to her. Evidently, Bradley wasn't.

The only other person Juliette wanted to talk to was Maverick, but the last she heard, he was somewhere in the middle of the desert in the Middle East. She thought of calling him, but what if her dad didn't want Maverick to know? The aviator would drop everything to come help her father and their family.

She had become closer to Maverick, which she hadn't thought possible, after her and Bradley's breakup. He'd surprised her a few days after it happened, having called in a favor to end his deployment early to help her through it. That memory always stuck with her, and it's why Juliette became so fiercely loyal to Maverick. She would challenge anyone who tried to harm him in any way, shape, or form. Juliette learned how to do that from the best, too: her dad.

Her finger hovered over the 'Call' button for Maverick. If she called and he didn't pick up, he would call her back regardless of whether or not she left a voicemail because Maverick knew Juliette didn't call him on deployment out of the blue unless something was very wrong. Still, she wanted to be in his presence and knew of just the place to go.

After his falling out with Bradley, the Bradshaw home had been sold. Maverick used his portion of the sale to pay for Bradley's college tuition, unbeknownst to Bradley himself, and moved to a warehouse in the middle of the desert. It allowed him privacy and solitude, the two things Maverick cherished after being on an aircraft carrier most of the year. The only ones who knew of the warehouse's location were the Kazansky's and Bradley, the latter of whom never visited. The Kazansky's rarely went out there themselves, respecting Maverick's wish for privacy and solitude even though they all knew they were welcome. Jules had gone out there a few times, and today would be one of those. It's not like he would be there; Maverick wouldn't return home for a least a couple of weeks, from what she remembered. Still, she swiftly packed a bag, shoving in some leggings and sweatshirts, her phone, laptop, and chargers, her makeup bag in the event she had to hurry back looking presentable, and some toiletries. It took her less than fifteen minutes, and soon, Juliette was cruising down the road in the blazing Californian sun.

It took her a couple of hours to arrive at the warehouse, and by the time she did, the wide open space surrounding her lifted her depressed spirit. Parking her SUV outside, she hopped out and used her key to enter the building. Juliette, expecting no one to be there but herself, opened the door with her key, revealing a figure in the doorway. Her fist instinctively flew out, connecting with the person's face.

"Ow!" Maverick's all too familiar voice exclaimed. He held onto his nose, blinking back tears while Juliette clapped her hands over her mouth.

"Mav! What- oh God, I'm so sorry!" she apologized profusely. "Are you okay?!"

"I can outrun missiles, guns, bandits, and admirals, but I can't outrun your fist," he joked, chuckling.

"What are you doing here? I thought you weren't supposed to be home for another few weeks?"

At this, Maverick sobered up. "Your mom called me."

"Oh..." Juliette bowed her head, knowing what that meant. "I-I was going to call you about that, but I didn't know if Dad wanted you to know yet."

"Whether he did or didn't, your mom thought it best she inform me of it, but I don't think it was purely to support your dad. I think she's aware you need someone too."

Juliette couldn't look Maverick in the eye. She didn't want him seeing her cry even though he had before. "I, uh, I called Bradley first. I caved. With you away on deployment and figuring he was probably home from his, I thought since he understands what I'm going through, he'd be a good person to call. That, and he always could say the right thing to make me feel better whenever I was upset, but he didn't pick up. I wasn't expecting him to, but it still hurts..."

"Ah, so I was second choice?"

"What? No! I was-" Juliette stopped when she noticed the teasing smile on her uncle's face- "I thought you were halfway across the world, and if I called you, voicemail or not, you would've realized something was wrong, and I didn't want you to be worrying the rest of your deployment. So I came here to escape the city's suffocating walls and noises and feel a little closer to you when you weren't here. I don't know why I'm so upset. His prognosis is excellent because we caught it in time, but I-"

"He's your dad, Jules, and you're closer to him than anyone else in your family." Maverick grasped her shoulders. "It's okay to be upset."

The sympathetic, understanding look in his eyes made the dam break. Juliette let loose the fear and stress of the past week in a waterfall of tears she hadn't wanted to burden her parents with.

Maverick pulled Juliette into a fatherly embrace, allowing her to release the emotions she'd kept so close to her chest. She hated showing any form of weakness, even in front of her family, but this was different. Her dad's life was at stake, and if anyone understood what she was going through, it was Maverick.

"You're welcome to stay here as long as you'd like," Mav whispered, patting her back.

Juliette pulled away, wiping her tears off her cheeks. "I won't stay long. I know you like the peace and quiet and-"

"That only applies to people outside of our family. You, your parents, your brothers, and Bradley are welcome here any time for as long as you need. Half the time, you're so quiet, I have to make sure you haven't left without me knowing!"

"If I didn't have work on Monday, I'd stay here for a week."

"What do you say I make us some dinner, and we can catch up on everything? How do burgers sound?"

"That sounds amazing. Thank you, Mav."

"Anything for you, Jules, you know that."

Juliette watched him walk off to the kitchen, wondering what she'd done in life to deserve him and what she would do without him. Maverick had defied death so many times, and one day, she feared, it'd catch up to him, but today was not that day, she told herself. Right now, Maverick was here, in person, and Juliette was going to savor the time she had with him because who knew when it would be her last?

***

Her stomach rolled in nauseous waves, and had Juliette eaten anything that morning, it surely would've been thrown up. She couldn't wrap her head around the fact both Rooster and Maverick had been shot down, that they were both in enemy territory, most likely dead. If they weren't dead right now, then they would be soon if the enemy got hold of them. If the bandits didn't disappear in the next few hours, then a search and rescue operation would most likely be picking up the corpses of her fiancé and uncle, if the operation was sent out at all.

"Dad, Carole, Goose, if any of you are listening to me right now-" Juliette croaked quietly out- "please get them back home to me alive. Please watch over Bradley and Maverick until we can get to them. I'm begging you. I can't lose them. I can't-"

The sound of the catapult launching Hangman managed to break through Juliette's hyperfocus on Rooster and Maverick. She looked up like she could see through the metal onto the flight deck. Why were they launching him? Were the bandits closing in on them now? Or was it something else? An impossible thought crossed Juliette's mind. There was no way... it couldn't be... could it?

***

Tags: @lgg5989 @shanimallina87 @polikszena @summ3rlotus @souslesyeuxde @gleasonmalfoy @icemansgirl1999 @supernaturaldawning @thedarkinmansfield @lyannaforpresident @lapilark @getmyprettynameoutofyourmouth @simpofthecentury @shadeops21 @pansexualwitchwhoneedstherapy @double-j @picklejuicesposts @bradshawsandbridgetons @majdoline @jakexfmc @catsandgeekyandnerd

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shintorikhazumi · 2 years

Text

Two Less-Lonely People In The World

Two less-lonely people in the world

A/N: Ey, Genshin fandom debut. Crap.

SaraEula friendship fic. I love Eula. She’s the first character who I fell in love with. Story, design, playstyle (tho I don’t have her. *sobs in pain of just having gotten a decent enough device to run GI*). Then Sara came in and swooped down and into my heart. I love the birb so much too T-T. These 2 always make me so sad when I think about their backgrounds.

I am down bad for Characters with the best angst potential. Thus, I would like to form the Teyvat Sad Girls’ Club- (I already have the Liyue member ready in my mind)

Tell me Eula and Sara won’t become besties when they can possibly relate so much to each other T-T.

Assigned as personal guards/protection/attendants to Jean and Ei for a meeting between nations stuff. Yas.

EuJean and AyaSara being (somewhat) on the rarepair side gives me pain. I NEED FOOD. So, uh… I cooked some- (tho it’s not cooked well, I’m sorry)

Enjoy?

~Shintori Khazumi

It is quiet. Incredibly, unnervingly so. So much so that Eula swears she can hear the continuous ticking of the tiny pocket watch resting by her hip.

She’s certain that if she checks it, the time would reflect some ungodly hour of the night- maybe even tell her that it is already a new day refreshing.

Eula has stood in the same spot for hours she could no longer be bothered to count, definitely bored out of her wits, though her upbringing would allow no such tell in her manners.

Still… there must be something worth doing. Something to keep her entertained until the leaders of Teyvat realize that the greatest ‘peace’ they can hope to achieve at present during these treaty talks is the peace that comes with slumber; realize that sleep is a necessity to continue living. Maybe a luxury to people like them, but despite her reconnaissance duties-demanding as they are at times- Eula likes to think she still holds a healthy sleeping schedule compared to most knights. (She tries not to think about a certain grand master and knight-maid in contrast.)

Eula would very much love to get some peace of mind before she loses said mind and gives those workaholics a piece of her mind.

Her eyes have gotten tired of the plain wooden panels in front of her, and she shifts them about, catching sight of her companion who has been in the same predicament as herself. Huh.

Eula secretly gives the tall figure a once-over, noting the tireless rigid stance it maintains. Eula sighs. She can already guess that they both aren’t ones to strike up idle chatter, if the hours they’d already spent in silence were any more obvious of an indication.

But.

She remains bored.

And Eula Lawrence isn’t too keen on staying bored. She’s already quite exhausted from going straight to guarding this meeting just as they’d stepped foot on the island without a moment’s rest. Getting bored on top of that- Eula would hate to drift off in any way. (Not that her discipline would permit such a thing.) So perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to try.

Perhaps.

Shuffling her feet, she quietly clears her throat. Just loud enough to be heard or not, hoping it doesn’t sound like a rude interruption and casual enough to be dismissed.

Her fellow watch guard bats nary an eyelash.

Eula sighs.

Guess she’ll have to be more direct in her approach if she wants any sort of reaction.

“So?” She begins, as nonchalant as she can. “Why, pray-tell, is the esteemed general and supposed right hand of Inazuma’s Archon out here in a freezing hall, guarding a sturdy enough door with a- not to be boastful, but- perfectly capable knight ensuring safety, as it is my assigned duty?”

Said general blinks, having been previously lost in thought and unable to catch much of what her companion had just asked.

“Pardon?”

Sara looks caught off guard, clearly not expecting this sudden conversation- brows knit together as she turns her focus to Eula.

Eula swallows her amusement, tries to remain professional-looking. Sara had cocked her head to the side, looking very much like a curious bird. Eula will never admit to it looking cute, not in front of the general, at least. She tucks a stray strand of hair behind her ear before resting her gaze upon the impeccable posture of the foreign general.

“Why aren’t you inside with the rest of the representatives in the meeting? From what Gun- Mondstadt’s acting grand master has told me, alongside your ruler, representatives from each country’s administrative hand have been invited to join. That includes all notable and distinguished members of any noble family.” Eula clarifies as she straightens up from her position leaning against the doorpost, feeling somewhat conscious now that she has the ever-serious general’s attention.

Sara’s mouth stays in that same single line, unmoving.

Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. Trying to make small talk with someone possibly more stoic than even Rosaria or Diluc- wait. No.

Eula shakes her head. That would be an insult to the poor general.

She’s not one to abandon any mission she’s set out to do, but maybe Eula should give up on… whatever this is she’s started.

… except Eula Lawrence does not give up on anything.

She soldiers on, keeping any sort of creeping embarrassment shoved to the back of her mind.

“Ah, if you worry about not being able to speak much about these ‘forming connections’ affairs they claim to want to have, I’m sure I heard that this first night is supposedly only an informal dinner so that the representatives may acquaint themselves with one another.” She tries not to bitterly add that they sure are taking their sweet time in ‘getting acquainted’.

“Ah.” Sara blinks slowly, Eula’s words finally registering. She lets out a small cough, features relaxing somewhat. “My apologies, mila-“

“None of that now, General. Captain or Eula should suffice.” Eula cuts Sara off, making it perfectly clear that she wants no ‘madame’s or ‘milady’s reaching her ears. Not tonight. Not in this foreign land that feels much too alike to Mondstadt with Eula in it’s walls. Nothing oppressive, but somewhat alienating.

Actually, she’d like to hear it… not ever. The addresses feel too heavy a reminder of her upbringing and the reality they have wrought her.

“Reconnaissance Captain Lawrence.”

It was almost a lovely sound. Eula regards her title with a nod, pleased by the general’s compliance. Now that is a name she does not mind hearing forever. A testament to her own will and hard work-

Except that she’d have loved it more if her surname had been dropped, her roots forgone and buried in the dust. Still, Sara’s clear respect in how she regarded Eula forgave that thought.

“Yes, General?” Eula cannot help but smile as she feels the previously stiff atmosphere shift into something more cordial in a way that was comfortable instead of stifling as her usual noble-centric encounters have been.

Though without her own smile, the general looks like she shares the sentiment.

“As I was saying. You must be mistaken.” Sara’s eyes flicker toward the decorated carving of the wooden door before facing front once more. “I am not a representative.” She clears her throat. “Or at least, not when it comes to these matters. My eldest brother and I take care of military affairs while my other brother handles such sociopolitical issues.” Would it be fair for Eula to think that the general might be embarrassed?

“Hmmm.”

“I do admit I’ve had my fair share of negotiations with other parties, but…” Sara’s thoughts strive to not linger on her past meetings with one priestess of the resistance. “I believe it is best to leave this to the one more experienced.” She concludes, with another nod that Eula knows is Sara trying to convince herself more than anyone else.

“Like I said, this is only dinner.” Eula repeats pointedly.

Sara’s brows furrow some, a small frown of confusion on her lips as she regards Eula with a rebuttal of her own. “Then why are you out here, Captain Lawrence?”

“Whatever do you mean, General?” Eula replies, tone almost flippant.

“If my memory serves me right from my days of studying Teyvat history, is your presence not also required inside the dining hall?”

Eula’s laugh is boisterous, yet painful-sounding. Sara hides her wince, wondering why it is so.

“General Kujou, your memory may not be wrong, but it seems to have missed a few parts.”

Sara raises a brow, a silent ‘continue’ going unspoken.

Eula huffs, a mirthless smile replacing her equally joyless laughter. Why is she even entertaining the thought of sharing her history with Sara?

Well, whatever. It is a quiet night. Dull, even by her standards. The ‘meeting’ in the room has probably gone on some five to six hours. She might as well entertain herself with the general’s decent company and average listening abilities- or so she assumes.

“I’m simply here to guard the Acting Grand Master, the Heiress of the ‘Great and Noble Gunnhildr Clan’ as an attendant. A bodyguard, if you will. While Master Diluc Ragnvindr may also protect her, he is not of the knights and holds no responsibility nor duty to shield her from harm’s way. He himself is also a representative. And while I know so truly that the Dandelion Knight, Jean Gunnhildr can certainly hold her own…”

“I’ve heard stories, yes.” Sara hums in agreement.

“Yes, let’s just say it’s for formalities’ and image’s sake. That’s all there is to it.” Eula curses herself internally from chickening out, but she would like to think talking about your tragic past is not the best first impression out there.

“I… see.”

“Besides, no one would want a fallen clan’s blood, much less their now-bastard heir to represent their anything.” Eula shrugs, trying to sound as unbothered as she wanted them both to believe she was.

“Fallen... clan.” Sara echoes as the walls of the empty space do.

Silence reigns between them once more and Eula can’t help but think of how she’d love some wine right about now. She should have not stopped Rosaria from smuggling those few bottles into her pack.

“It may seem as though we hold similar reasoning, Captain Lawrence.” Sara regards her once more, breaking the quiet. Eula secretly loathes the flash of sympathy in her eyes.

Or is it empathy?

Only Sara can tell her. “I… my shame does not permit me to remain in the same gracious space as her excellency, nor can I face my loyal peers. Not… not with how my clan has done.” Tell her she does. “In a sense, it might be selfish of me to throw my own brother into the flames of scrutiny, however-“

Eula laughs, unintentionally interrupting Sara who again gives her that bewildered expression.

“You as well, huh?” Eula’s laughter dies down. She leans back against the wall as she heaves a weighted sigh, closing her eyes momentarily. She could almost fall asleep from how light she currently felt. The lightness that came with the knowledge that someone might finally understand you.

“Captain Lawrence-?”

“’Your clan and your past does not define you’“. It is said almost like a whisper, a prayer that Eula’s heart knows is too difficult to answer, for it to actually be true. “–The Acting Grand Master told me that.” She adds.

Sara nods slowly, simply listening, allowing Eula her time for what they both can feel is a much-needed release− a freedom from all the emotions she’s bottled up thus far.

“Yes, I agree. I agree with her words.” Eula speaks wistfully. Bitterly. “They certainly do not. Should not, but… the people around you try to.”

“People will always try to place their own definition on things they have yet to understand objectively.” Sara tells her. “I know I do. I think it is simply one way of getting to know and learn of the world.” She muses, though not without having to ignore the regret that digs into her heart as she tries not to remain in her memories.

“What a way to learn, huh?” Eula spits out.

A beat passes in silence.

Maybe this was the end to Eula’s little social excursion.

Whatever. She’s too tired to keep it up anyway-

“Pardon me if this may sound too personal, but…”

Eula wonders what Sara could possibly want to talk about. Did she want to dig deeper into Eula’s scars? Did she want a more specific description? Did she want something for future use against Eula? If so, she’d have to prepare some suitable venge-

“Are you and Mondstadt’s Grand Master possibly…” General Kujou Sara is surprisingly capable of blushing, Eula notes. “…ehem, uh… How shall I phrase this? Again, forgive me for being so brazen and assuming, but… are you… i-involved? By any chance?”

Oh.

Eula adds Sara to her long list of targets for vengeance.

Sara is still waiting for the response. Eula sighs, Eula smiles bittersweet, no words, but sara knows the answer.

What was the use denying it if even someone rumored as socially clueless as Kujou Sara could pick it up.

“I’ve heard you are similarly linked to the ever lovely Lady Kamisato.”

The esteemed General Kujou Sara of the Almighty Raiden Shogun coughs up a storm, choking red as she struggles to catch the pieces of her composure falling apart.

“I-I–!”

Eula almost laughs. Almost, if not for Sara’s sudden change in demeanor, eyes downcast as she seems to have organized her thoughts and returned to the reason for her initial inquiry.

Eula hadn’t thought it would be anything so heavy, so serious.

Maybe she should have known better when faced with the very embodiment of serious.

She doesn’t know how to respond to the next words that escapes Sara’s mouth in a rush.

“H-How does it feel to be together with one who is loved by all while you are… not so much liked, if not despised by those same masses?” Sara asks, keeping their conversation going, not knowing why she wants it so. Not knowing why she asks such questions. Her eyes widen a fraction when she realizes that maybe she should have not asked it at all.

Eula finds herself briefly flustered, her mouth possibly dropping had she no better self-control.

Sara asks such sensitive questions, and Eula hates that she has an answer to a situation she lives daily in truth anyway.

She adds another sigh to the count as she stirs her gaze away to one the Shogun’s random potted plants. “Wouldn’t you know the answer to that yourself?” She deflects, instead. “I take it we may have similar experiences, even in this regard.”

Sara pauses, thoughtful. “Perhaps.” Sara weighs. “Perhaps not. I, for one, can confidently say I do not particularly seek the affections of the Inazuman people…”

Eula could almost be jealous of that self-confidence.

“Just…”

“Just?”

Sara clears her throat, turning her eyes away momentarily as she cannot seem to admit to this truth facing the Lawrence girl’s gaze head on.

“I do confess to feeling… lonely… sometimes.”

Eula chuckles, a hollow sound, turning away from her possibly less-than-kindred spirit as she’d initially thought. “Is ‘sometimes’ an understatement like I believe it to be? Or do we differ in this regard as well–“

“Yes.”

Eula chances a glance back at Sara, surveying her form before training her eyes back to the front, staring at the empty hall they had been assigned to guard and wait at. “Hmm.” –Is all she responds to that.

Or it’s supposed to. But curse her tired mind, and desperation to be understood, heard, listened to- for her loose lips.

“I would say I sometimes feel jealous.” Eula softly admits. “How does it feel… for your efforts to be regarded, rewarded? How does it feel to get a pat on the back? How does it feel to be praised and accepted? Validated and seen…”

Her memories and emotions flow like a torrent of waves that threaten to wash away what little restraint she has on herself left.

“Captain…”

“When people’s eyes light up at the sight of you, children run up to you, wanting to hold your hand, offering you flowers and smiles, and-and warmth.”

Eula only ever knew the cold: a cold greater than that of the Dragonspine she’s been a constant in.

“How does it feel to be loved?” Eula grimaces at the crack in her voice, the weakness she’s allowed to slip through. But she has no strength to deny the dull aching of her heart, the painful thuds it subjects her to.

Sara remains quiet, and Eula does not dare look up to see whatever expression the general wears.

She suddenly squeaks as she feels an awkward weight- a hand- patting her on the back clumsily.

It’s unfamiliar, but Eula wants to welcome it fully.

General Kujou Sara is such an oddity.

“I’d like to know the answer to that as well.” She whispers, continuing her awkward display of comfort until Eula’s breathing has slowed, and she clears her throat, standing upright once more.

Sara retracts her hand and returns to her post as Eula fixes her appearance, swipes at the infuriating tears at the corners of her eyes.

“Thank you.” Eula mutters, a hint of shyness coloring her tone.

The general grunts in response, picking at her clothes, fixing the non-existent disorder they have.

“…It was the least I could do.” Sara speaks after a time. “I… when I… catch myself dwelling on such things, I’ve found that any sort of comfort is what I seek. Now, I know you may think of it as weak for a general with such a posi-“

“I do not.” Eula cuts in.

Sara blinks. “… thank you, then.” Sara fiddles with the sword strapped to her side for a bit, before speaking once more. “Ayaka-san, she– … ever since we became… l-lov… romantically… we”

“You can just say lovers.” Eula teases, noticing the tell-tale reddening of the Tengu General’s ears.

“Y-yes, that. Since we became l-lovers, or maybe even before that, Ayaka-san… she’s taught me much. About love, comfort, being accepted, being allowed to make a choice and live. Live, not as the shogun’s general, not as the Kujou-clan’s glorified weapon, but as me: Sara.”

Eula can’t help the smile on her face, happiness for her new comrade blossoming in place of her earlier sorrows.

“Amidst the stormy seas of Inazuma, she has become my dependable anchor. She has kept me grounded, sane. She has kept me hopeful, and… well, I’d like to say she’s kept me alive. Willing to be alive.” Sara has such a far-off look in her eye. One of adoration, love, gratefulness, respect… longing.

It's an expression Eula sees on herself, reflected on glass windows when she is out on ‘night patrols’ with Jean, when they know no one else in the world watches them- sees them.

And Sara and Eula both know that just behind their shallow envy is an understanding of the city. For who are they to not know of how much more difficult it is not to fall in love with the women who effortlessly catch all hearts by merely existing.

They’d be a hypocrite to say they could not grasp the notion.

They know it all too well.

Moreso than the rest of the world even.

The world should be envious of them instead. The ones who are loved by the loved.

“I also believe,” Sara continues, and Eula listens. “That though we may long for the same affections of those around us, we are also aware of the pressures they are subjected to? I, at least, see how exhausted Ayaka-san is after a long day of dealing with countless people, all who see hope in you and think you are their only chance of gaining help.”

“Mm.” Eula winces at a memory of a Jean ran ragged, a constant image that has been imprinted in her mind from the many times she’s encountered the disposition. “That is definitely one thing I would never be jealous of.”

“They work so hard, they strive and serve, and put their all in… how could I bring myself to deny Ayaka… how could I not want to assist her and aid her in her burdens?” Sara speaks in a relatable manner, Eula nodding along because it was the truth.

It was only fair that they earned and deserved all the adoration.

And How could Eula actually loathe Jean?

How could Sara not want to be in such the illuminating presence that is Kamisato Ayaka?

They were both as moths to flames so warm, so bright in their cold, dark worlds. Those flames would engulf them, embrace them, and lay to ash their sorrows and pains, even if it was for merely a night.

“I’ve always hated my upbringing. I’ve hated how life just decided that I was the antagonist to everyone’s story. I abhor fate and its law of turning me into an outcast when I had… When I have no part in its past.” Eula murmurs.

“If we were given the chance to start over our lives, in places far from this, in settings vastly differing… do you think we’d take it?” Sara muses. “To start anew? To maybe receive love from the start? To have grown in different circumstances?”

Eula ponders it for no longer than a second.

“As tempting as it sounds, I’d rather not take my chances.” She shares a grin with the general. “What if it means you don’t get to be with your lovely lady, after all?”

Sara smiles amidst her scoff. “I believe in fate. Soulmates.” Eula resisted the urge to tease her for that. “And even if they weren’t true, I know that I would still seek Ayaka. I would still love her as fervently and as loyally as I do now.” Sara’s words are a confession, a proposal so sincere, Eula can almost see the ring. “I would still dedicate all my affections, love, and adoration to her.”

“Consider me in awe, General.” Eula shakes her head in amazement. “Though I concur, wholeheartedly. I do not enjoy the history that torments me, but…” She leaves it to her companion to finish the rest.

“I guess, you could say… at the end of it all that…” Sara smiles a small thing, heartwarming as she wraps her fingers round the charm nestled safely in her pocket.

“That?”

“In my life where everything goes wrong, something finally went right.”

“Now there’s two less lonely people in the world?” Eula chuckles a second time that night, only that the sound is fuller, clearer… happier. “I never imagined you to be one who listened to such worldly tunes, General.”

“And I you, Captain.” Sara laughs quietly, eyes rising to the ceiling. “Some things just come unexpectedly, as I imagine you know.”

And then the door finally opens, and Eula sees two tired faces switch to beaming at the sight of her and the general. It sends a burst of melting joy in her icy heart as her arms fall around a waist that felt just like home, embracing her in her fulness.

She’s glad she took the chance to speak with the taciturn (adorably so) general. Maybe they could do this again next time.

And as Eula lays in bed with a bundle of dandelion-scented sun nestled into her bosom, she finds herself agreeing with Sara one last time for the night.

“I do know.”

A/N: DOONNEEE, OMG. I’ve had this idea living in my head for so long and just- I am nervous, honestly because it’s been so many MONTHS (idk If I’ve hit a year) of no writing. And needless to say, I have no confidence in this whatsoever. BUT. I need food. I need LPVE FOR EULA AND SARA LIKE YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH I FEEL FOR THESE TWO. THEY MAKE ME CRY. Hope you all liked it ;-; and tune in to the next installment of this series. Whenever that is.

Teyvat Sad Girls’ Club Out.

Ciao~

~Shintori Khazumi

#genshin impact #fanfic #eula lawrence #kujou sara #ayasara #eujean #I WILL MAKE EULA AND SARA FRIENDS AND THIS IS MY NEW AGENDA #MY GRAND MASTER PLAN #JOIN ME #Teyvat Sad Girls' Club

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trialsofadivorcingdad · 2 years

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Balancing Work and Parenting

My wife had a career when we met, but shortly after we started dating she just kind of stopped working and hasn't had a job in over fifteen years. I have long grown accustomed to the fact that I have to support me and my kids and until the divorce is finished I don't really have any choice but to support her as well.

I am Chief Compliance Officer for a tech security company, so the demands of my job are very great. Even with a supportive spouse who was helping in a meaningful way with the needs of parenting and managing household and lives, it would still be a challenging, time consuming, and stressful job. Or if I were a truly single dad, I wouldn't have to deal with someone who was actively attempting to undermine my success.

But I am yoked to this toxic person who is combatting me on the basics of living our lives. On my phone I assigned her a unique ring tone because I came to realize that every time my phone rang my stress levels would rise dramatically. By associating a different sound with her, I am hoping to eventually deprogram myself from stressing out at every ordinary phone call.

We are supposed to be sharing parenting responsibilities but in reality I have them almost all of the time. She will take them for her week and last a day or two before there is some reason why I should take them back. The excuses are as varied as you can imagine. Her shoulder hurts. Her back hurts. Her knees hurt. She has been vomiting. She has diarrhea. She has lots to do (weird, as she has no job and doesn't get anything else of note accomplished) and needs the house to herself. The best of them all was when she had an old friend visiting her from out of town, Luna. The excuse was that Luna would be flying on a plane in a few days and, you know, kids sometimes get sick at day care, and we couldn't get Luna sick before she gets on the plane. That was good for about four days of them staying with me.

I do know from some of the things she says in passing that she may be out late drinking in bars on days she has given her custody time to me. So I guess she feels well enough to do that. Or wants it more than she wants time with her children.

I always say yes to this because I want as much time with my boys as I can have. If she wants to give her time to me, that's up to her. I will happily have them and relish every moment of it. So in this sense it's a good thing.

It is, at the same time, difficult. I spend every day spinning too many plates on sticks and running to keep them all going. My four-year-old at present isn't in any kind of day care, so I get to deal with his needs and boo boos and sudden interruptions while I'm in the middle of a video conference. Every coworker I have recognizes his face and knows his name.

I love them, and if I didn't need to have a career I would happily spend all day with them. But I do, and it can be hard to get through the workload and stay in the zone. I struggle to keep my head above water. Then, when I do give them to their mother, my house always feels empty and lonely and I'm sad.

I try to take advantage of it. I go out to eat or go to the movies or I have a few local board gaming meetups I sometimes can make it to. And of course I try to take a big bite out of the backlog. I fill my time and fill my mind. But I still miss them.

I'm pretty confident this is how it will be. As they get older our means of communication and interaction will change and perhaps the physical distance will be less important. But not for quite a while, and in the meantime this is my situation.

I struggle to get it all done. I feel like an impostor at work. I feel like I'm not giving my kids all the opportunity and help they deserve. I am stressed and exhausted. And I am resentful of their mother for all the bullshit she has heaped on the people she once claimed to love or still claims to love.

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lokisprettygirl · 2 years

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Mystery of Laufey Manor (Loki x Female Reader) (Horror Au)

Read chapter 13 here // Series Masterlist

Chapter 14

Summary : Your first day at Laufey manor isn't how you expected.

Note : This is the longest chapter so far but ironically also more of a filler chapter

As soon as you reached the manor, an old man came forward to grab your luggage, he was white and in his sixties.

"Thomas, how are you?" Loki smiled at him and you gave him a smile too.

"Very good my lord, I took care of your prized possession in your absence" he smiled widely as he pointed towards the manor and Loki looked at you

"By the way this is my wife Lady Y/n Laufeyson"

"Oh Yes, My lady, how was your trip to America, I hope it was better than the last time" he picked up the bags and took them inside. Last time?

"What did he mean lo?" You looked at Loki in a confused manner

"I have got no clue my darling, poor Thomas have dementia, he often gets delirious..come with me"

"Oh" you smiled as he grabbed your hand and took you inside from the front door, your eyes widened as you got in. There was a huge living entrance and had two staircases going upwards from both sides. Everything looked antique and old. The ground floor had the kitchen as well as the dining area, the kitchen was the size of your apartment, the walls reminded you of those old king's castles you have seen in pictures.

"That's a big dining table" he chuckled as he heard you. The table was long and in a rectangular shape. You counted the chairs and you could sit 26 people at the same time.

"Great for dinner party" he smiled as you both stepped inside the kitchen. You opened a cupboard, and it had Victorian style crockeries inside.

After that he took you to the first floor. The ground floor had three bedrooms while the first floor had 6 bedrooms, the second floor had 6 bedrooms as well as an attic.

As you both walked upstairs you noticed he was having a tough time, stairs are difficult for him to climb and it's where he struggles the most so his pace was very slow.

"Darling if you want you can run upstairs and check it out" he smiled but you held his hand and interlinked your fingers with his

"I'll walk with you if you don't mind" his eyes softened as you said that and he leaned forward to peck your lips.

"How come it looks so tall from outside but is only two floors?" You asked him curiously

"Most houses have less floor to ceiling height, my great grandmother was extremely claustrophobic, so my grandfather especially demanded for the height to be at least 15 feet which is neither the norm nor sustainable. One would have to hire a professional just to get the ceilings cleaned, you see those spiderwebs my love?"

You looked at the webs and gave him a nod. They scared you, you don't like spiders.

"Unfortunately that's the downside of living in such a house" he told you so you squeezed his hand in a comforting manner, it must be a struggle to maintain this house

"Do you have a staff working for you? How do you manage this house?"

"Well I have Thomas, he and his son, they take care of the garden and the pool, as well as the pond. We have cooks and a maid as well, they both come by the morning and leave after their job is done, when I was alone I'd ask them to make my meal in advance for the night, but you won't have to move a muscle my sweet, I'll hire a cook for the night ..if you need anything, just ask me love" He said all that in such an exciting tone, his voice sounded like a child's who was showing around his new toy to his best friend.

"Actually I would prefer to make dinner at night. Have you come home to a warm meal" he looked at you and smiled. He didn't make a mistake this time it seems.

As you reached the first floor, you walked through the corridor, the rooms were locked. There was one door that seemed all pitch black, as opposed to others that were brown. When you reached closer is when you realized that it wasn't from paint, it was burnt instead

"That's the room that was caught on fire" you looked at him sympathetically as he said that

"I would advise you to not go in there, it's all burnt and ashes still falls from the walls of it"

He grabbed your hand and you both walked towards his bedroom. As soon as you opened the door, it was pitch black, since the windows were drawn. He turned on the lights and your eyes widened again. It was so big, you could fit your bedroom, living room and kitchen inside it. There was a chandelier hanging from the ceiling in the center of the room. The bed was in the right, against the side wall. There was a dresser next to it and an almirah on the adjacent wall. There were two window panels in the room, one right next to the bed, while the other one was next to the fireplace. There was also a sofa and ottoman set in the center of the room and a table as well. Everything looked old but regal.

However you did notice that walls were eroded possibly because of water damage. You felt awful for him, it must be a hassle to maintain such a big house.

"Do you like it wifey?" He smiled as he looked at you

"Liked it? It's more beautiful than I could have imagined, it's beautiful lo" you looked around and noticed a door which you assumed was for the bathroom.

"Apology for the water damage my darling..once the mill starts profiting I'll get the renovation started" you walked over to him and hugged him as he said that.

"Don't worry about that okay? It's not a big deal, I.. I don't know how you managed all this alone so far but I'm here now and I'll help okay?" His eyes teared up as he realized he hadn't heard you complaining even once today. Not about the cold, not about the damage, not about the lack of staff members.

"Let me prepare a warm bath for you, the journey was tiresome, then I have to run to the mill for a bit, but don't worry I'll come back soon my sweetheart" he walked towards the bathroom and you took your coat off, you had another sweater underneath it, it was so freaking cold here and snowing.

As soon as you took the sweater off the chill hit you like a rock. You had a black full sleeve top on with a pair of flared jeans, you opened your luggage and took out a bathrobe then you walked towards the bathroom, it was the size of your bedroom. There was a huge bathtub in the front corner, a shower stall right next to it. On the left side, there was a toilet and on the right side two separate sinks with a mirror in front that also had small cabinets behind it. Again the interior was as old as you could have imagined, antique and Victorian style.

"I'll start the fire and prepare a tea for you love, take a bath" he pecked on your cheeks and walked out, he closed the door behind him. You took your clothes off and got inside the bathtub. You closed your eyes as the warm water relaxed your skin, and thought about what he said to you on the ship. He told you that he'd have sex with you for the first time in his bedroom, the thought excited you. You couldn't wait for the night. When you came out, he was in front of the fireplace, he had turned the bedroom lights off. When he looked at you, he gave you a smile.

"Gorgeous love, come here, let me warm you up" Oh he definitely should warm you up. You walked towards him and sat down next to him on the floor. He quickly wrapped one of his arms around your waist and the other one went around your shoulder. He rubbed his warm hands over them over and over.

"Mmm you're so warm" you placed your head between the crook of his neck. He ran his fingers through your scalp and kissed on your forehead. You stayed there in his arms before he decided to get up and make tea for you.

You shriveled up as you heard a sound coming from the vents, the howling crying felt as if it was coming from a person.

"Just the wind, don't be afraid, you'll get used to it I promise you that" he put out his hand in front of you so you placed your hand in his and he made you sit down on the Ottoman and served you a cup of tea.

"There's a small kitchen on the first floor darling, if you need something you can just use that one and you won't have to go downstairs"

"This is such a big house, I feel like I'll get lost in here" you giggled and he leaned forward to kiss your forehead then he sat down next to you with his cup of tea

"I know, it's a big and very lonely house, always has been, but you're here now, when I come back from the mill, I'll take you to the second floor, show you my office upstairs, and my book collection. You enjoy reading fiction, right? I have plenty in my collection, you can just read and be close to me if I'm working on a design or doing some paperwork there"

You smiled and put your head down on his shoulder

"That sounds awesome, you said design, what do you mean by that? Can I ask more about the mill ?" You asked him and he nodded

"It's a cotton mill my grandfather started, we were one of the first in the UK to bring the industrial revolution up here. My father continued the legacy and now it's in my hands, I was just a kid when I realized I actually enjoyed designing clothes"

"That's so creative lo, you have never told me that" Well there are alot of things you still don't know about him.

"I know, it was frowned upon by my family, we are royals and they thought designing clothes is a job for lower class which is bullocks if you ask me"

"It totally is, I'm glad you don't share their views, I would love to see the clothes you have designed so far"

"Sure darling, I sell my designs under a pseudonym, when I came back here after meeting you, I actually made some dresses for you, I'll get them from the mill today"

"Wow you're really creative aren't you" you placed a soft kiss on his shoulder and he smiled

"I hope you still think of me as the charming mysterious businessman type"

"What's wrong with being an artist lo? Nothing is wrong, okay? I don't want you to be ashamed of your talent" his eyes teared up and he kissed you softly

"Thank you love, you're so compassionate always"

"Of Course I love you, no?" You crawled onto his lap and he wrapped his arms around your waist as he kissed you. You moaned into his mouth as the kiss heated up, you love kissing him, you truly absolutely love being kissed by him, in the past few days he didn't fuck you but he made sure to kiss you and kept you on the edge.

"Mmm my darling love, unfortunately I have to leave now" he mumbled and you groaned in response

"I know I know..I just need you back, I can't wait to christen that bed" he chuckled as he heard you.

"Yeah? Eager thing aren't you? Can I ask you something?" He asked you and you nodded

"Are you on birth control pills or any other device that would prevent an unwanted pregnancy?" You looked at him as he asked you, then you shook your head and he sighed. His thumb rubbed against your lips and you closed your eyes

"As much as I want to fill you up darling, I need to make sure you won't get pregnant, don't get me wrong, I want a family but now is not the right time don't you think? You're so young still, and I need to make us financially stable before we bring another life, a child is a huge responsibility"

"I get that, what about umm.. condoms?" He kissed you as you said that and his teeth nibbed against your lower lip, drawing a loud moan from you

"If you want that darling, we can do that, I just wanted to take you raw on our first time, don't you want to feel every inch of my cock ? My skin touching yours in every possible way..don't tell me you don't want to feel my warm cock inside your quim, my flesh rubbing against that sweet spot that would make you crumble underneath me" he whispered and you could only whimper in response as you thought about his hot naked body pumping in and out of you. .

"Fuck lo I want that..you know I want that so bad, I want every inch of you bare for me"

"Yeah I know you do and I crave it too love, need to feel the warmth of your womb without a barrier, you want to give me that right, you want me to take you in such an unrestricted way and I'll give that to you..just hold on for me please..one more night, tomorrow I can take you to the local hospital in the city"

You nodded as he finished speaking. You decided to get an IUD.

"Okay one more day, I can do that..fuck I can't wait to sleep with you like that, you make me so hot, I feel like I'll burn and crash if I won't get to satiate my thirst for you" he let out a dark chuckling noise and pulled you in for a kiss

"You're such a good darling girl for me, so obedient, so considerate of my feelings" he whispered before he sucked on your neck one last time.

He got dressed up as it was getting really cold outside.

"The cook would be here for lunch soon, if you want to get in touch with me, the contact information for the mill is in the dresser next to our bed okay?" He walked over to you and gave you a kiss

"Layer up my darling, it will probably snow today, I'll see you tonight ? I love you"

"I love you too..be careful out there please..I'll miss you" your eyes teared up so he kissed your forehead

"I apologize my lady, I shouldn't leave my wife in a new house but if I won't make it to the mill, the new machinery won't get installed today and I'll find no laborers during the weekend"

"I understand that, don't apologize, come back soon" he nodded and then he left, as soon as he was gone you realized how quiet your surroundings were. You put on a coat and went downstairs, you heard the noises coming from the kitchen so you made your way. There were two women laughing about something as they prepared for lunch. They got quiet as one of them saw you..

"Hii ummm are you guys the cook?"

You asked them and they nodded.

"You must be lady y/n, Lord loki told us to prepare the meal according to your preferences, we will have everything prepared soon my lady" The way they addressed you as if you were superior to them made you feel awkward

"Please just call me Y/n, no need to be so formal, may I know your names?"

The older one was named Diana, she was a white woman in her early 30s, the younger one was her sister Laura. She wasn't much older than you.

"How long have you two been working here?"

"Not long, Sir appointed us just two months ago when he returned from his USA trip"

"Ohh" you left them to finish their business after that, you walked to the living room and towards the main door, then you walked outside. It was snowing very lightly, as you made a turn to the right, you noticed the huge garden. Thomas was working along with a man who you assumed to be his son. He glared at you and then went back to shoveling.

After you had lunch, you wondered if he ate or not so you decided to go upstairs and call him. You used the elevator instead of the stairs this time. You found the contact information and dialed the number for the mill. Some man picked up the phone and you could hear the sounds of machines whirring in the background

"Can you get Loki on the phone please?" You asked him politely

"Lady Naina, is that you?" The sound of machines muffled his voice and made it harder to hear. You did hear the term lady, just a second later you heard Loki's voice.

"My love, we are testing the machine just now, can I give you a call back in some time? Is there anything urgent you want to tell me?" He asked you so you told him to not worry and let him get back to his thing. He was busy and you didn't want to disturb him. You decided to take a nap instead.

When you woke up it was completely dark in your room, the fire had died down and the lights were turned off. You heard the sound of wind howling again and it made you scream, and almost shit your pants.

"Relax y/n just relax..it's a big house.. nothing else..you're a lady now.. behave like one" you mumbled to yourself in order to distract yourself from the fear of being in the dark. Somehow you managed to find the light switch but when you flicked it , it didn't turn on. You opened the bedroom door and it was pitch black outside. Fuck.

You retraced your steps back to the bed and opened the dresser to look for a candle, breathing a sigh of relief when you found one along with matches. You thought the candle would bring you comfort but it only made the atmosphere more eerie.

You jumped on your spot as you heard the phone ring and quickly picked it up

"Y/n my love, I'm leaving just now, will reach in half an hour max, the weather has gotten really crappy, are you alright?" you took a deep breath as you heard his voice

"I uhh it's so dark lo..I think power is out"

"Oh blimey, there's a candle in the dresser" he responded quickly

"I know I found it, I'm still scared lo" your voice trembled and he sighed

"Just stay in the bedroom my darling, I'll be there soon, the generator must be off and hence it's dark in there" you were on the verge of tears, you just wanted him to come back as soon as possible,

"Okay baby.. come back soon please"

After he hung up you placed the candle on a holder that you found in the dresser and sat down on the bed. The wind kept howling and every little noise you heard made you jump. Your eyes glanced over the clock, it was 8:30 at night. Your eyes stayed glued to the clock and when it striked 9:30. You started to get worried about him, your own fear took a backseat as you realized that he wasn't back yet. There was a snowstorm out there and it worried you.

Ten minutes later You heard a noise coming from downstairs and you felt familiar with it. So you got off the bed, grabbed the candle holder and walked out of the bedroom. You thought you saw a shadow lurking in the corridor and it scared you even more but you ignored it. You quickly hopped down the stairs, and you found him on the lower staircase, he was trying to climb as fast as he could, the sight of him hurrying up even though it was physically impossible for him just because you were alone here made you so sad.

"Loki" he looked up as he heard your voice and you quickly made your way towards him..

"Darling .I'm so sorry, it's all my fault..I shouldn't have left you alone here" you jumped into his arms for a hug, being as careful about the candle as you could be

"Are you okay I was worried about you baby" you mumbled to him and he pulled away to look at you

"Worried about me?" he looked at you shocked

"Yes the weather is so bad I thought you were stuck somewhere or worse..I just.. don't leave me alone again please" you clutched onto him and the sound of his heartbeat managed to relax you

"I won't, I promise love, I won't leave you alone..are you cross with me?" He asked you so you shook your head

"No baby, I was just scared, you know I hate being in the dark"

He wiped your tears with his thumbs, he had snow flakes all over his clothes, he was going to say something but the power came back. He told you that he sent his chauffeur to turn on the power generator. You blew on the candle, and kept it down on the stairs. When you looked at him, his eyes were teary.

"Hey what's wrong?"

"Nothing sweetheart, I just.. I love you" he pulled you in for a hug, the hug felt so tight, so warm.

"I love you too lo..so much"

That night he slept with you on the same bed, it was hard to have his warm body wrapped around you as he slept cuddling you in his arms but you managed to control your desires. Just one more day.

His fingers rubbed circles on your back until you fell asleep. He thought about the day. You should have been mad at him for leaving you here, he didn't expect you to lash out like they did, you're not that person, he knows that now, but he expected you to be upset with him or be slightly mad at least. But you were worried about him instead.

He couldn't help but think about his second wife Victoria, She was from Paris, he had his eyes on her since he saw her singing in a bar while on his trip to France. She was impressed by his style, often curious to see him without the mask. When he offered to marry her and take her away from a life where she was struggling to make ends meet, she accepted to marry him almost instantly. He should have known she was after his money, but he couldn't help it, when she looked at him with her pretty gray eyes he was at a loss for words. He was besotted by her, so they got married, he brought her here.

She couldn't stop talking about the manor and how lavish it was, that's all she talked about for good few days, then she started to complain about the damage and erosion, complaining about how creepy it was, she advised him to sell it and take her somewhere else but he denied. The relationship turned sour pretty soon, one night he was stuck in a bad snowstorm and she was alone here. When he came back, she was so angry that she pushed him off the stairs.

That's how his left leg was crushed. That's how he lost his completely functional leg.

He needed her to love him, he was so in love with her, he wanted to give her everything. But she was in love with his money and lifestyle, that's all she ever loved about him.

His eyes fell upon the woman hanging from his ceiling, her tears dripped down on his face.

"She's the one Maira..she's the one who will give me what I need, pure, she's so pure, you sense that right? We will both get free, you don't want that? You really want to spend eternity like this sweetheart?"

She started weeping and then disappeared as he mocked her.

She won't let him do this. She'll make you see his truth.

💀💀💀💀💀💚💚💚💚💀💀💀💀

Taglist :

@soumya-13 @nonsensicalobsessions @michelleleewise @ladymischief11 @keegansakura @perhaps-just-june @daddylokisqueen @chaotics17 @colifower @crystalmoon-13

@wheredafandomat @snigdha-14

@vbecker10 @rat-p1ss @howdidurhammergrowchris @xorpsbane @xpixiedevilx @thatsolarflare @apine7 @sweatyroadcowboyjudge @jadep2003 @hayden429 @asgardianprincess1050

@elenaysusneuras @christineblood @cruel-kitten @evansstanacklescavillthotforever @buckybarnesandmarvel @huntress-artemiss

#loki #loki x female reader #loki x reader fluff #loki x reader #loki x reader insert #loki x reader smut #loki x reader fic #loki x you #loki horror au #loki au #horror romance #dark loki

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outivv · 3 years

Note

I was just watching Demon Slayer while eating my lunch, and I got an idea. So what if The Boys' s/o is a demon, but they're like Nezuko; they can shrink and enlarge at will, but they aren't immune to sunlight so they may rely on The Boys to carry them in a makeshift backpack. They can also absolutely kick ass if necessary, and they're insanely stronk. But most of the time, they're smothering The Boys with kisses, headpats, etc. because they really like The Boys and want them to know it.

Synopsis: demon slayer au, where y/n is like nezuko

Warnings: mentions of fighting, and minor cursing.

Game/ anime: genshin impact and a slight bit of demon slayer.

Characters: zhongli, Diluc, childe, kaeya, and dainsleif

Pronouns for reader: gender neutral/ not mentioned

A/n: yes! Demon slayer has been on my mind recently, so yes! I really want to see the movie but haven’t gotten around to it for some reason? I don’t know, but this was honestly really exciting to write because demon slayer is probably one of my favorite animes. So I really hope you enjoy, and have an amazing day/afternoon/night! (Now I’m imagining the boys as demon slayers :’))

— zhongli —

To say the least zhongli is hiding you from xiao. So he took you in, and now he’s stuck with you.

In the first few months of your relationship(?) he found out that you can shrink and enlarge at will. Which to say the least was surprising. Literally gave him a heart attack when you suddenly enlarged to get something on top of the cupboards.

Later that same day he found out you hate sunlight. Like... hate it. He’d do anything in his power to make you comfortable, and when you both need to go somewhere in the day he’d try to shield you from the sunlight as best as possible. Then you suggested that he’d carry you in a little backpack, and it’d be easier because you could shrink... so he did that.

You probably got caught by some treasure hoarders, thinking that the makeshift backpack you were in had something valuable. When you jumped out and throat punched one of them though, they found out just how wrong they were. Zhongli watched in awe at your strength before realizing that it would be smart of him to step in and help.

He finds it oddly adorable how you can go from absolutely destroying a ruin guard in one punch, to smothering him in kisses and love. He doesn’t mind it no, but he finds it kinda hilarious. I mean you went berserk and now you’re nuzzling up to him saying how much you live him. Kinda makes him just... sit there. Like ‘wow... ok... I mean... I want the affection but... wow...’ he’s absolutely smitten honestly.

— childe —

Now in childe’s scenario I’m going to say either you were a failed experiment gone right by dottore. Or he found you in the forests of snezhnaya. (I’m gonna leave it up to you to decide) either way, childe said you could be valuable to the fatui, and now here you are... in a relationship with this bastard amazing guy.

I feel like he’d know about your strength, and growing/shrinking abilities. Mostly because I think because one of the reasons that they kept you was so you’d be of some sort of use to the fatui (at first! Childe grew to care and love you. Lowkey a sucker for these kinda fics so... I’m adding it into my headcanons.) they’d have to see what you could do exactly. For their safety, and the safety of others, they’d need to know.

I think he’d be kinda iffy on the whole ‘carrying you in a backpack’ thing. Mainly because it’s always snowing in snezhnaya so it’s always cloudy. But when you travel he’s going to have to suck it up and carry you.

I think you’d often go with childe on missions, because 1. He’s your boyfriend. And 2. He’s the one that decided you should join the fatui, so in the harbingers eyes he’s the one that has to take responsibility. (I feel that that made y/n sound like a dog I’m so sorry :’)) so he’s seen you in action before, and every time he does it never fails to take his breath away.

And you fighting countless foes on the battlefield, and then showering him in your love makes him feel proud, and kinda cocky. Like you, a future harbinger candidate, just took down a bunch of foes... and now your going to give him all of your affection. He just feels extra special when you do that, not going to lie.

— kaeya —

He probably found you doing some commissions, he was just taking a stroll around mondstadt and stubbled upon one of the people the knights wish they could recruit. Complete coincidence.

When he goes to walk over to you fighting a bunch of hilichurls, and sees that you’re taking them down in one hit, he’s slightly impressed. I mean they’re just hilichurls after all. At first he challenged you, and said you should fight the ruin guard at the thousand winds temple, and when you rose to the challenge and completed it with ease he could see why the knights wanted you so badly.

Of course he’d “stumble” upon you more and more, and then you know... you start dating (I’m not in the mood to write a while backstory for how you got into a relationship but just imagine it as a “he kept challenging you and then fell in love with you” kinda thing? I’m not sure but yeah :D)

Whenever you fight, whether it be sparring with someone, or a commission, and kaeya has the honor of seeing you he’ll announce to everyone that “hey that’s my s/o!” And he expects attention and kisses afterwards from you.

He knows the routine by now, you fight, or do a commission, just something that involves fighting, and then he gets a bunch of attention. Kaeya is no fool. He knows.

When he found out that you hate sunlight, and that’s why you do most of your work at night, he was kinda surprised. He honestly just assumed you were like rosaria, and were busy during the day so you did your... “community work” at night.

When he finds out you can shrink and grow he’s just kinda like “oh... well that’s new. Cool. But new.” And then asks you what else you can do that he didn’t know about.

I don’t think he’d need to take you anywhere in a makeshift backpack. And if he needed to he probably couldn’t due to knight work you know?

— Diluc —

He’s seen you a few times at angels share, only late at night of course but he’s still seen you around. He’s been kinda crushing on you from afar so he didn’t know much about you. Only that you’re a high ranked adventure from somewhere other than mondstadt. Eventually though he did ask you out, and now you’re dating. Congrats!

When he saw you fight for the first time I can guarantee that his first thought was ‘where the hell are they from!? What were they feeding them holy-“ he’s in absolute awe at your strength. Diluc isn’t much of a guy for sparring, but now he’s inclined to try to spar with you. He’d probably break something but it’d be worth it in his mind.

After you fight like three ruin hunters, and you run over to him smothering him in love and affection, he’s taken back. Like he had to make sure you were the same person that absolutely destroyed those ruin hunters. I mean he’s not complaining... he probably found it attractive honestly. (You thought childe would be the one to find you destroying some enemy and then giving him all your attention, attractive??? I mean he does... but no! It was Diluc all along!)

He’ll take note that you don’t like sunlight and then will be very adamant on getting you a backpack that you can fit in. Like it’s one of the first things he does after finding out.

When he finds out you can shrink/ grow though? He’s confused. He’ll act like it was normal but will then suddenly say “what was that.” Very sternly. Like he demands and answer.

— dainsleif —

You’ve been with dainsleif for a while, both as he travel companion, and his s/o. So I think he’s knows for a while that you’re insanely strong, don’t like sunlight, and and grow and shrink.

When he found out you were really strong he was kinda taken aback but went with it and didn’t really ask you about it, more passively asked you how you got so strong.

Whenever you come up to him and kiss him, and just generally shower him with love and attention, he’ll gladly take it. Like full smile on his face, because just like Diluc he thinks that you beating a ruin hunters ass and then giving him all your love is attractive.

When he saw you shrink and grow he did the same as Diluc, except didn’t demand an answer. He was just like, “so... care to explain what that was?” He’ll understand if you don’t want to but that doesn’t make him any less curious.

You both travel a lot, so he’d have to carry you in a makeshift backpack everywhere. He doesn’t mind it, he wishes you could be walking right beside him but he understands that you physically can’t. Cause sunlight will turn you to dust, and he loves you too much to be selfish and let that happen.

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delimeful · 3 years

Text

Helpless (3)

warnings: misunderstandings, spiders/arachnophobia, mild violence

Halfway through the woods, Patton heard the distinct sound of someone mumbling.

He paused mid-step, tilting his head to listen with a fair bit of curiosity. The mumbling was quiet enough that he couldn’t make out any individual words, but he could more or less tell which direction it was coming from.

Whatever the source was, they sounded a little frustrated.

He hesitated. Virgil was always emphasizing how careful Patton needed to be in the woods, though how much of that was due to actual danger and how much was the drider being a worrywart over Patton’s ‘chronic inability to defend himself’, he wasn’t sure.

Either way, this didn’t sound like a dangerous wild animal, so it would probably be okay to take a little detour and see what the matter was!

He followed the noise off the trail into a thick copse of trees, eventually coming upon intricate silvery threadwork that wound between them. He was proud to say he only barely shuddered as he ducked past them, his fear of spiders mostly overcome by his affection for his friend.

The webbing got thicker the further he went, and eventually he came upon the source of the mumbling, which appeared to be a whole person, stuck against the outer edge of one of Virgil’s larger webs.

They looked up upon spotting him, eyes bright for a moment before taking him in and visibly dulling with disappointment, which, aside from sorta hurting Patton’s feelings, seemed an odd response for someone in need of help.

“Hello there,” he greeted, waving. “My name’s Patton, I live over at the nearby town. You seem to be in a bit of a prestickament!”

“No, I did this myself,” the stranger corrected, already looking past Patton with disinterest. “It is an attempt to meet with someone I would like to speak with, and they seem the skittish sort, so I would appreciate it if you moved on.”

Patton hummed, more than a little confused. Something about this seemed familiar. “What are you going to do if this person doesn’t show up, though?”

“My arms are free,” they responded, frowning at Patton’s persistence as they wiggled the fingers of their free hand demonstrably. The other hand was occupied with a worn-looking journal. “I will be able to eat and drink, and thus am in no danger.”

“My friend says these woods can get mighty cold at night,” Patton countered, undeterred. “Can’t you meet your friend in town, instead? Why does it have to be a drider’s web?”

And, oh, that was it! Virgil had just been telling him the other day about someone who’d gotten stuck in one of his webs just like this, a mage who had been all-too-delighted to see him. Patton had hardly registered how they’d met, since he’d mostly been very upset to learn that some people would try to use his friend’s body parts as potions ingredients.

“That’s because the drider is the one I’m hoping to speak with,” the stranger replied, as though it should be obvious. “I sincerely doubt they would appreciate an invitation to town.”

Patton stared at the little notebook for a moment, and abruptly put the pieces together. This must have been the stranger that freaked Virgil out so badly!

And he was lying in wait in one of Virgil’s webs… In that case, there was no way he could leave things like this.

“I don’t think the drider is around,” he offered cheerily. “Sometimes they migrate to different areas for different seasons! You won’t meet anyone while hanging around, so I’ll help you down!”

He circled around the tree where most of the webs were rooted, approaching the stranger’s edge of webbing, and found to his surprise that they really were stuck. How they planned to ambush Virgil while stuck in a web, he wasn’t sure, especially since the gambit hadn’t worked on the first attempt either. Magic, maybe?

“How do you know that?” the stranger asked, craning to look at him with sudden interest. “About drider migration cycles.”

Patton shrugged as he plucked at the threads of the web, testing each one to see where they led. “I’m a good listener, so I pick things up here and there. What do you do?”

It seemed to be the right question to ask, since the stranger perked up, distracted from his inquiry.

“I am a researcher,” they informed Patton. “I’m seeking out information on the more reclusive creatures that live in these lands, like driders! This is the first one that I’ve met in person, so if they’re leaving, I need to catch up right away.”

Patton slid the sheath off of the little paring knife he’d taken to carrying and started sawing at one of the threads. “Are you going to try to capture him?” he asked, keeping his voice as even as he could. “You know, for your research.”

“I’m not a bounty hunter,” they replied indignantly. “The behavior of any being would be unnatural and stilted while imprisoned, especially a sapient one. My research is meant to increase humanity's understanding of driders, not to put them on display for entertainment.”

Patton blinked at them, slicing through another strand. “You… aren’t looking to hurt them?”

“No!” They honestly sounded offended by the idea. “I don’t think I ever could, anyhow, the one I met was very large, and they would likely be able to incapacitate me without any trouble.”

“Weren’t you scared?” Patton asked, remembering the terror that had swept through him during that first encounter, when he’d thought the drider was a giant creepy crawly death dealer. Even after he realized, when Virgil yoinked him with his two front legs, Patton had been a little nervous.

“People are only scared of what they don’t understand,” they informed him, chin lifted stubbornly, “and I know more about driders than any other human. I don’t see any reason to be afraid.”

“Wow… You’re really passionate about this, huh?” Patton grinned as he sliced through the last of the support webbing, and with a few snaps, the researcher fell to the ground, only a few strands of silk clinging to them.

“Of course!” they replied, pausing to pull some of the softer webbing bits off of himself and folding them into a pocket of his bag. “The information compiled on them is often vague or outright misleading, and due to their reclusiveness and occasional aggression, nobody else has been able to correct these false accounts.”

They paused, studying the woods around them. “I am… uncertain on how I’m going to discern which area the drider has chosen to migrate to. I don’t suppose you have any idea?”

Patton patted their shoulder. “Don’t worry about that. I think there’s a friend of mine you should meet properly.”

—

“Virgil!” Patton called brightly. “I’m here!”

He had been leading the way through increasingly dense and shadowy foliage for a fair while, now. Logan glanced up from their connected hands to see exactly where he was being pulled to, his heartbeat picking up in speed despite the possibility that this was a cruel prank or even a mugging.

Sure, Patton had described the drider that he’d met a couple of days ago quite accurately, but that was no assurance that he was actually familiar with the being. Most of the townsfolk seemed peripherally aware of ‘Virgil’’s presence, after all, so Patton could have glimpsed him before. It seemed more likely than them being friends. Driders were notoriously solitary, and ‘Virgil’ had seemed quite averse during Logan’s encounter with him, after all.

There was a crack from above, like a branch snapping.

In the next moment, a heavy weight had dropped down from above, knocking Logan to the ground and forcing all the air from his lungs. As he gasped futilely, he realized there were two hands pinning his arms to the ground, and some very familiar fangs put on full display, mere inches from his face.

“Leave him alone,” a very angry drider demanded, his regular voice layered with harsh, gravely rattling.

Logan wheezed in response, absently noting that there were multiple small black eyes visible against the dark marks under the more human set of eyes and wondering just how the two different ocular sensory organs overlapped.

“Virgil, stop!” Patton’s hands appeared at the edge of Logan’s vision, pushing back against Virgil’s shoulders until he eased up, lifting his crouched spider half up only slightly, as though prepared to lunge at Logan again at any moment. “He’s fine! He won’t hurt you!”

Virgil’s glare finally flicked away, though it turned more bewildered-angry than murderous-angry once landing on Patton. Logan wasn’t sure, but he thought the smaller eyes remained locked on him. “This is the mage I told you about! It’s not safe, you need to get out of here--,”

“Mage?” Logan asked, his voice still coming out a little winded. “What are you talking about?”

“He’s not,” Patton said at nearly the same time, “I promise, he just wants to know more about you! Right, Logan?”

“I’m certainly not a mage,” he agreed, rubbing at his arm. The full force of a drider grabbing him… that was going to bruise. He wondered if there was a way to measure that power. “I’m not sure how you got that impression, I don’t have any of the tools mages often carry.”

Virgil looked back and forth between the two humans with clear consternation, and Patton was the one who answered. “Well, most people are afraid at just the sight of him. And… you weren’t.”

“Of course not,” Logan said, still trying to grasp the connection between his lack of fear and his alleged magehood. “I was enthralled. He’s very beautiful.”

Above him, Virgil made a choked-off noise and shuffled back, giving Logan space to sit up and regain full faculty of his senses. Virgil had turned his face away, and Patton was muffling a smile behind his hand.

“Was that… invasive?” Logan asked hesitantly, glancing between the two of them. “I apologize, this is my first research voyage, so I may have become... over-enthusiastic.”

Virgil flapped a hand at him, as though trying to physically dispel his words. “What exactly does a ‘research voyage’ entail?”

Logan straightened up, trying to look as professional as possible while still sitting on the forest floor. He suspected there might be detritus in his hair. “It’s a journey undertaken by apprentice-level researchers to expand their knowledge in their specific field. Often, once they have thorough evidence and a compelling thesis, they will return to their teacher and present this in order to advance as a journeyman.”

Of course, Logan had no intention of doing that. He was going to spend as long as he could traveling and learning and compiling his knowledge, until nobody could argue that he wasn’t suited to the world of scholars.

“And your field is… spiders? Monsters?” Virgil asked, eyebrows raised dubiously.

“I am attempting to correct the misconceptions that are so rampant in bestiaries,” Logan corrected. “So many depend on them, but I’ve found very few actually capture the intricacies of the cultures and habits of nonhuman magical beings. They read more like old wives’ tales, passed down and warped with time, and both the scientific community and the beings in question suffer for it.”

“Huh.” Virgil tilted his head slightly, and Logan realized that at some point his smaller eyes had closed, the dark creases vanishing amidst the pockets of shade under his eyes.

“That sounds like the bestiary way to help people!” Patton added, and Logan watched in disbelief as Virgil’s expression relaxed further, the drider snorting softly.

“So all I’d have to do is… be a drider in front of you?” he asked, one of his back legs tapping against the ground in a remarkable imitation of the way a nervous human might tap their foot. Logan nodded. “I guess… it could work. And it’d be nice to have someone else around who won’t scream at the sight of me.”

“New friend!” Patton cheered, looking perhaps more delighted at the idea than Logan’s presence really warranted. “Only the spidaring are cool enough to be friends with Virgil.”

“Is the wordplay going to be a regular thing with him?” Logan asked, his face pinching sourly.

“Better get used to it. He’s punstoppable,” Virgil replied, grinning toothily when Logan shot him a betrayed look. Logan thought he seemed pleased, going by the subtle twitching of his pointy ears.

Logan hid a small smile of his own. Perhaps following Patton wasn't the unwisest decision he'd ever made, after all.

#sanders sides #sanders sides fic #arachnaphobia tw #ts patton #ts logan #ts virgil #drider #drider au #my writing #helpless #writing #am i missing tags?

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i-need-air · 3 years

Text

Hybrid!AU Wolf!Bakugou Katsuki HCs Part 2.

Summary: Part 2 is here! While in part 1 it was mostly adoption and how he'd behave with you as a roommate, part two is him ✨ realizing things ✨ followed by how he'd be in a romantic relationship.

Word Count: 2k words [ oops, I did it again ]

Notes: So I said it'll be out in a few days but three [3] people asked me for part 2 and I'm a sucker soooooooo!! I could've just written a long ass fic but whatever, I thought I'd make it shorter in headcanons... hah lol right. Enjoy!

Part 1 here!

× he's a wild wolf so he's very active; like you need to understand he needs to go outside if not he'd get impatient, more aggressive, snappy, so once you took him on an easy hiking trail near your house and he loved it so once or twice a month you both go together to different places [ he demands it ]

× it's hard to keep up with him bc he's literally genetically engineered to be better than any very fit human being but he slows down for you

× morning runs at 5 a.m. bc he's insane

× is also a grandpa

× watched all documentaries on any streaming platform you could provide to him, also loves reading

× as months pass and you start to have your routine in order, word comes to you that an acquaintance is looking for a security guard at his mechanical shop two streets away from your house

× you casually mentioned it to Bakugou because he was starting to act anxious whenever you'd leave the house, so you assumed he was extra bored

× seriously, the house was spotlessly cleaned, he cooked amazingly and was occupied with your old laptop and going around the city to explore, but you guessed he wanted more independence?

× little did you know you were right but so wrong lol

× so Bakugou stared at you intensely and asked "Where?"

× it was as easy as telling him the location, him nodding and you thought he'd consider it; you didn't put any pressure on him because he already did so much to help around anyway

× well guess what bitch, next day he comes up to you saying you gotta co-sign his contract [cuz fuck society] meaning he got the job

× he was perfect for it because tall, intimidating, muscular wolf guy? who'd even mess with him? do they have a death wish?

× well, even before this he started to be... soft

× but once you really did show him you support whatever he wants to do, you give him his freedom and liberty of choice, he just reaaally changes, man

× he gets touchy, like his hands stay one second longer on your skin, he uses any excuse to have them on you, even his eyes follow you everywhere

× like c'mon, it's obvious but you didn't wanna put too much thought into it because we're respectful here

× not like you had a big fat crush on him and slowly started to realize it too

× sike bitch he knows

× you think his super-hearing didn't catch the way your heartbeat spikes up every single time he touches you? *please*

× i think he knows before you know

× meanwhile he is working to discover his feelings too

× so your relationship slowly turns into a couple's like relationship but without anything official and of course no kissing or such [ sadly ]

× would get jealous easily

× basically because nothing is talked between you two and deep down is insecure

× why the hell do you smell like other people? was it just a hug or something else? hell, why would you even hug people when he's right there??? just ask and don't touch some extras????

× another thing he does is getting very close to you while you talk to somebody else; scoffs and glares at them too

× ok so!! gifts! he really appreciates any gift you give him but scolds you if you do because you genuinely don't need to do that

× of course he just scolds you and calls you an idiot so I do hope you already learned his language

× it basically means that you shouldn't have done it, he's really grateful but seriously you shouldn't have

× like that one time you saved up money to get him a good computer and he forgot how to speak for like an hour

× the softest thank you ever afterwards

× still sounded rough but he was shocked as fuck

× one thing that remained in your brain were his friends, as sometimes he'd mention them

× so you took it upon yourself to find them, of course with his permission

× gets genuinely overwhelmed and plays it off saying he wouldn't mind knowing where those idiots ended but you didn't miss the way his voice trembled

× for you to find them you needed names and any information he could provide so that's when he, after a long silence and a mesmerized look on his face, started really talking about his life

× which was fucked; won't get much into detail but he was indeed in a fighting ring, people came and bet on whoever was stronger, he even had to fight his friends, everything was filled with abuse and their conditions were subhuman...

× just overall awful

× you couldn't help but hug him tight, feeling him shake in your arms

× with a hesitant voice he asked if you really did think there was a chance to find them

× just couldn't believe how amazing he felt in your arms

× or how your determination that night made his heart clench and took a big weight off his shoulders

× anywho;;;; after his first paycheck he takes you out on cute dates

× never calls them that, just demands you dress up [helps you out cuz boy got style] and takes you to a nice coffee shop or something

× AND on your fifth not date cuz you're not official but there's this weird tension between you date he finally kinda s n a p s

× you honestly didn't expect the waiter to flirt with you, he came out as very pushy and even if you were a lil uncomfortable you smiled and brushed it off

× when the waiter suggested giving you his number the sandy blond hybrid growled

× which i shit you not made the whole coffee shop freeze

× and you froze too

× but neither of you could say anything because the oblivious fuck kept talking

× basically joking about how you should keep your pet in a leash, to which you got up, threw some money on the table, grabbed Bakugou by the hand and leave before he'd rip someone's head off

× it only took you to touch Bakugou's arm to calm him down as he followed behind you wordlessly

× so you stood outside, angry, deep red eyes on your figure

× and silence

× his hand still in yours

× it was warm and amazing and you felt angry but your heart was beating loudly; angry at the waiter that you wanted to go full Karen on and get fired but excited because that growl shook you to the core, as if you could tell it was territorial and it was because of that pig flirting with you and did Bakugou Katsuki just lace his fingers with you?!

× "Oi." he interrupted your thoughts

× he turned your frame towards him and pulled you [kinda harshly] into him

× you'd make a comment about it but brain empty, just Bakugou Katsuki blushing

× "You're mine, you get it?"

× skdjflglykshs

× it sounded like he asked but it was a demand so oops you're his now ok bye

× like I said, boy isn't dumb so he lowkey knew you felt something too

× legit from there on he's just soft as fuck

× has a hard time opening up but visibly tries for you

× still continues to be a pain in the ass, Bakugou Style, but with a loving teasing attitude behind it

× his eyes give him away all the time

× they shine whenever you're in his field of view so congrats because, and this is the best part:

× WOLVES MATE FOREVER 💕💓💞💗💝💟

× oh yeah, he's yours, no takebacks

× he isn't one to half-ass the relationship; you're his now and he'll do anything for you

× big time touch starved it hurts

× because he is shy

× so whenever you introduce him to hand holding and cuddles, he can't get enough

× not big on PDA [ and not recommended since human-hybrid relationships are kiiiinda frowned upon but it's getting better ]

× although at home it's another deal

× seriously cuddle him; he's big into the protector vibe so he's a big spoon almost exclusively unless it's to sleep on top of you

× speaking of! accept that even if your relationship isn't that intimate, he'd still hint about sleeping together in the same bed

× so you better catch on when he does because he'll just click his tongue and call you needy

× while dragging you to bed

× sleeps holding you, his nose in your hair or in the crook of your neck

× unless it's summer then stay on your side 💅

× you know those kisses that just scream "I can't get enough of you"? that's his whole kissing vibe in a sentence

× hell, even the gentlest kiss gives that vibe away and it'll 100% leave you breathless

× doesn't have experience but is a very fast learner

× pays very close attention to your body language

× really into biting your skin enough to leave marks

× wear his hoodies

× no, I'm fucking serious, wear them now

× his chest puffs and he turns into a blushing mess when you do it the first times because his scent is on you

× scenting is a big thing for him so of course he's gonna love it

× 10x more territorial because now he has a mate to protect

× jealous but trusts you

× still very jealous though

× let's all pretend he is definitely not scenting you before you go out because it's in his nature and it is embarrassing

× the first time he tells you he loves you it's when he's feeling vulnerable

× the search for his friends is still on-going, he feels less than adequate as a providing mate, is pissed at the world for treating him like an inferior animal when they created him, everything is piled on his shoulders and whenever than happens he closes off

× you notice immediately

× will not tell you at first

× it's only when you go to bed and he turns his back to you when you really know it's bad

× even if you fought before, he'd angrily snuggle you at night-time

× now it's so different

× hug him, whisper sweet nothings in his ear, pull a blanket all over you both and big spoon him, he'd start shaking and talking in no time

× will hide his tears from you but you'd know

× "You're the best fucking thing that happened to me, [Y/N]... I—... Shit... I love you so much."

× neither of you slept that night

× excuse you? drink some water and pray to jesus;;; you talked about feelings, ok? communication is key in a relationship, puh-lease

× [ i have this whole nsfw hcs post already cookin in my brain so maybe I'll make it happen cuz y'all know he has a mating season and all that comes with it 👀 ]

× back to being children of jesus here

× thanks the moon, the heavens and all the gods for putting you in his life; boy didn't believe in destiny but deep down he thinks you were meant to be

× you still better wash the dishes or you'll get your ass kicked.

Extra:

× you did find some of his friends, little by little, and even if he acted nonchalant, like k das cool, it was obvious he was extremely happy

× so they did get adopted too

× you got in contact with them on social media and they were all very excited about meeting

× so it was a chaotic meeting with a dog hybrid called Kirishima and a mouse like vibrat yellow guy called Kaminari

× they all were looking for Bakugou too since they were very worried about where he ended

× Kirishima shed manly tears when seeing Bakugou

× as they instantly welcomed you in their small group, they informed you both that the majority of the squad was adopted and they're in contact, while they're still actively looking for the others

× cue to the softest expression you've seen on Bakugou in public followed by "That's good"

× silence

× shock and silence

× Kaminari turning to you and whispering "You did this" with a hand on his heart, lips trembling as he wiped an imaginary tear

× insert instantly snappy Bakugou

× when everyone laughed and continued to make plans to meet up with the others, he just looked at you conversing with them, soft expression again on his features and his chest warming

× "Oh! Look, he's doing it again! Quick, take a pictur—"

× "SHINE!"

#bakugou katsuki x reader #noirewrites #hybrid!bakugou #hybrid!au #bakugou x reader #bakugou headcanons #bnha x reader

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apparentlyaswarmofbees · 3 years

Note

Hello I hope your doing well! I have a headcanon idea how would the brothers and previously undatebles react to a masseuse/masseur (people who give out professional massages)

Let's try this shall we~

Edit: I was informed by someone who is actually familiar with this field that the term Masseuse and Masseur can be seen as insulting in the profession, thank you for informing me again!

The Boys and a Massage Professional/Therapist MC

Warning: uncensored swearing, a lot of it asfkfkajshfkslajd

Lucifer

Tense shoulders that could cut steel, harder than a fucking nokia phone from centuries to eons of stress, if I was a professional at massages I think I would be itching to grab onto those muscles of his like dough.

He will probably feel chills down his spine whenever you are around.

Won't take much convincing if the time is right to ask him to please let you release the pressure on him because dear fucking lord I wouldn't be able to just stand and watch either.

Good fucking luck in the process, when I say this man is stiff this man is STIFF.

He will be feeling so much better by the end of it there's a chance he will be slightly dazed.

Also it improved his mood which led to less harsh punishments, which now has led to more demands from others than from Lucifer himself for you to massage him.

I think you should start asking for payment at this point-

Mammon

And talking about payment, you will definetelly need to ask it from this one because after the first time you gave it to him for free out of your own good will he started to come back for it all. the. time.

Okay, he's cute and the sounds he makes are so 👌. But damn boy this is not exactly so easy so please give something back??????

Well, you just need to say the word and he will always have something in ready to give you. A date at a place you have been wanting to go for a good while now or something you have had you eyes on for a good time.

It's a very win win kind of deal.

Though at some point when you massaged his legs he felt so light he ran faster than he could control and almost ran into a wall, actually no, he did ran into a wall there's a crack in there ouch-

Leviathan

In which the cause of the second oldest running was probably to scape the demands for his money back from the third oldest, though Levi was definetelly too stunned by the lighting speed to react right away.

He now makes sonic jokes when refering to Mammon.

But going back to massages, this fucking snake has such a bad posture I would be in back pain just from watching him sit.

And don't expect it to be easy to fix that because everytime you touch him he just tenses up further.

I swear it would be easier to just knock him out and acupuncture him.

You will succeed at some point if you don't give up, and BOY he also makes some 👌😩 sounds.

They're a lot more dorkish and high pitched and he will definetelly not be functional by the end of it.

He will start trying to fix his posture from now on to not make your work go to waste.

Satan

A curious cat that would just straight up ask for a session (not for free of course he already has something to give you back in ready) after witnessing the shenanigans above.

Not so stiff as Lucifer but still fucking hard, which is to be expected since he has so much rage bottled up.

Chances are he's turning into his demon form unconsciously.

It's a bit of an intimidating session not gonna lie, he is basically using it to relieve himself from part of his wrath so with every groan it feels like he's going to jump at you and rip you to shreds.

He won't of course, instead he will smile brightly by the end of the session and give you your reward for such a good job.

It's honestly worth it though you will probably be needing a massage yourself after-

Asmodeus

And that's where pretty boy comes in! He doesn't have a professional tittle on him but he has centuries of experience so that's close right?

He will have all things ready, just say the word and he will give you the best payment for all your hard work ever: a chance to relax yourself.

And man he's good.

It's also not very tiring to massage him either, his smooth skin is addicting to touch, the atmosphere he will help set up will be perfect, and he also spills a lot of tea in between so that's a plus for entertainment.

Seriously whenever it becomes too much to be with the rest of the brothers just hit Asmo up and he's gotchu.

Private spa day comming right up.

Beelzebub

He won't ask because it will completelly scape his mind.

He plays a lot of sports and does a lot of exercising so of course he has a lot of sore muscles.

And you can't tell me you wouldn't want to massage his belly, he's a glutton, it's literally asking for you to massage there.

Baby boy is always so gratefull, thanks to your aftercare on his legs, arms and torso, he has never felt lighter!

Which has led him to accidentally break some of the gym weights, win a sports game almost all on his own and make another restaurant suffer because he felt he could eat more than usual.

Although I would like to say you should proceed with the massages with caution, his smile is too precious to ever say no to.

Belphegor

Easiest target ever, will probably sleep for 24 hours in one go right after.

And he won't wake up for shit.

Though once he wakes up after those 24 hours he will basically be wide awake for the next 24 hours, so honestly? This has turned out to be very useful in important ocasions.

Will often give out some whines in the middle of a session, possibly half asleep for the entire time.

I feel like he would feel quite ticklish in some places even though you wouldn't be purposelly trying to tickle him, probably.

And I know many of you love his laugh, so yeah that's a plus.

He will definetelly offer to massage you back, and yes he will be good at it, and no it's not because of experience, yes it's because he's too much of a genious and has basically learned through osmosis just from getting massages from you.

Solomon

Let me tell ya, he's stiffer than you think.

Bad posture, centuries of responsabilities, strain from excessive use of magic and pacts and the weight of existence when you are both immortal and unable to die.

He could easily rival Lucifer and he won't even realize it.

Will definetelly agree to get a massage and will definetelly say "well I do feel a bit under the weather" and his muscles will definetelly feel a little bit more than just under the weather.

It's easier to chew on hard bread than massage Solomon.

He also offers to pay you back.

Do not agree to get a massage from him, I repeat, DO NOT.

Simeon

If you didn't feel like touching that exposed waist of his then you're lying.

If you don't offer first, he will ask you for it at some point.

And man to have a literal angel right under you, letting out a few exhales of satisfaction and bliss with every move of your skilled hands and arms, sometimes a chuckle followed by a comment that could start a small conversation.

Smooth skin, perfectly shaped body, I don't think I would be able to get my hands off him either.

Massage his hands, from his palms to his fingertips, massage his shoulders, from his blades to his neck, thumbs pressing close to his spine.

He will gladly let you indulge yourself for as long as you wish.

Diavolo

Another one who's stiffer than you think.

You could literally jump on his back and it would feel like pavement.

Oh and he's now definetelly addicted to massage.

Of course he will also be paying you back with whatever you wish (don't make a joke and say something like 100,000,000 grimm, he will take it seriously-).

Depending on the day he may actually fall asleep, which is very cute.

On another note tho, have you ever thought about sleeping on his back? Because I have-

Barbatos

Good luck getting him to take off his clothes, even more good luck to catch him not being busy.

This man will gladly give out massages of his own (which could probably knock out a dragon because damn boy those hands are skilled) but will probably not be as easy to convince to get a massage.

It will take an extremelly tiring day to make him agree and it will be so worth it.

Why you ask? Because the look in his face will alway be so soft by the end of it. Pure gratefullness.

Since then he will start to actually seek you out from time to time, the little smile on his face almost looking excited.

#obey me #obey me!#obey me! shall we date?#obey me shall we date #obey me headcanons #obey me scenarios #obey me lucifer #obey me mammon #obey me leviathan #obey me satan #obey me asmodeus #obey me beelzebub #obey me belphegor #obey me solomon #obey me simeon #obey me diavolo #obey me barbatos

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brywrites · 3 years

Text

Gifted

Spencer Reid x Reader. Summary: All his life Spencer Reid has been told he’s gifted. And all his life he’s wondered what the point was of those gifts that felt like curses. Until her.

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Though he holds so many memories in his mind, Spencer Reid isn’t quite sure who the first person to call him “gifted” was. It was probably his mother, he thinks. Certainly not his father, who thought he was strange. Perhaps a teacher, or maybe even his Aunt Ethel. All he’s certain of is that he’s lost track of the number of times people have praised the so-called gifts he possesses. His eidetic memory, his autodidactism, his absurdly high IQ. His mind, they say, is a gift. But it’s felt more like a curse for most of his life.

Those same things that helped him skip grades and earn the praise of adults brought him years of bullying taunts and miserable adolescent trauma. They isolated him from his peers. His companions were library books and stories and mathematic proofs – nothing with a beating heart. They plagued his nightmares, for his mother had been brilliant too and what had that done for her? And those gifts came with a tremendous burden of pressure, they demanded use in a powerful way. Reid was always terrified he’d fail to live up to that impossible potential, proving himself unworthy of such great and terrible gifts.

By the time he’s thirty-six, he wonders why he was ever given such gifts in the first place. Clearly he’s squandered them, spent them on chasing monsters he thought might be human. They turned out to be hydras – for each one they catch, two more take its place. He’s let his mind waste away on drugs, on grief. In shacks and in prison and in grudges he just can’t let go of. He’s saved lives, he knows, but his team do that same thing without the gifts he’s been cursed with. What’s the point of him? Of any of the talents or tricks he possesses?

And it’s that question on his mind as he walks into a Virginia library to interview a witness to the latest in a string of serial arsons. Her name tag says Y/N. She’s clearly nervous, a little shaken, but she manages a smile when a child runs up to interrupt and ask her how to find The Magic Tree House books. And when she turns back to look at Reid, that smile still lingers – her eyes so bright it catches him off guard. She takes him back to the area of the library that was burned to talk about the crime scene, and she off-handedly asks if he has a favorite.

And when he says, “Oh I could never choose just one favorite. I love books too much for that,” that smile returns, unexpectedly bright.

“A man after my own heart,” she says. “Tell me a few then.”

So he rattles off a handful, hoping at least one of them will keep that light in her eyes. They do. “Bradbury is one of my favorites, too. I just love Dandelion Wine. Sorry, I probably should focus on the fire. I try to distract myself when I feel stressed, and well, remembering what happened that night doesn’t exactly help with my anxiety.”

“It’s okay,” he tells her. “I tend to ramble when I’m nervous. Or excited. Really, I think I just talk a lot.” Another smile, one that crinkles the corners of her eyes. Over the course of the investigation, the BAU has to ask her to come to the station twice. By chance, Reid finds himself interviewing her both times, and both times he finds himself rambling a little more than he means to – because he finds himself inexplicably a little nervous and a little excited in her presence. It’s that smile, the one that lingers long in his mind after she leaves each time.

There’s something about her, about the light she seems to carry, that draws him in. That compels him to say yes when he shows up at the library to inform her they’ve caught the unsub and she asks, “Could I buy you a cup of coffee to show my appreciation? If that’s not too much, of course.”

“I think that would be perfect,” he says. And as they sit at the café across the street with lattes in oversized mugs, he’s never been so grateful for his vast knowledge of literature. Each title is a start into a new conversation with her, and they swap stories about stories – the ones they have lived and the ones they have loved. When she disappointedly announces her break is over, she adds, “But maybe we could do this again sometime?”

“Yes,” he says. “Please.”

“How should I get in touch with you if you’re not showing up at the library to interrogate me, Dr. Reid?” she teases.

He hastily withdraws his cell phone from his pocket and offers it to her. She begins to type in her number. “You, um, you can call me Spencer,” he tells her.

She grins at him and something in his chest shifts at the sight. “I’ll definitely call you soon, Spencer.” He’s never liked the sound of his own name more. And he thanks that eidetic memory of his for allowing him to replay it again and again in his mind until he can see her next.

They get coffee again the first chance he gets. And then again. When she asks how he has time to read so much and he tells her about how his mind works – about his memory and speed-reading and quantified intelligence, all the things that have been called gifts – she thinks for a moment before saying, “That must be lonely.”

The relief he feels at her understanding is immense. “It is sometimes,” he admits. “But it’s felt less so lately.” They go to a park together. Then out to dinner. By the time he realizes he’s falling, he’s forgotten what it feels like to be on solid ground. Fortunately, he isn’t the only one at the mercy of gravity. She feels it too. And when she laughs at his joke as he walks her home from dinner, he just can’t help himself. He leans in and cups her cheek to pull her to him, pressing his lips to her still-smiling lips. The taste of wine still on her tongue. And though he doesn’t drink anymore, the sensation of her is enough to make him feel utterly intoxicated.

Slowly, his life fills up with her. His sabbatical arrives with the perfect timing to allow him evenings and weekends with her. He picks her up after work. She meets him for breakfast. He takes her to the planetarium. She falls asleep on his couch. He tells her it won’t always be this way and she assures him that’s okay. But it gives him the chance to build the foundation their relationship needs. It’s in that time that he begins to catalogue her smiles in his memory. The dazzling ones she sends his way when she spots him at a coffee shop. The soft, shaky ones she wears after a long kiss. The coy ones that twist the corner of her mouth when she’s teasing him. The nervous one that slowly grows when she meets his team for the first time – not as a witness, but as his girlfriend. A title she declares like a badge of honor. He holds each smile in his mind, picture perfect thanks to that eidetic memory. When a case has been particularly tough or he’s away for longer than he’d like, he flips through them in his mind, trying to remember the cause of each one, trying to hold on to that light until he can hold her in his arms again.

He surprises her with flowers on her birthday. “You remembered?” she gasps, her eyes wide. “And these – these are my favorite. How did you know?”

“I could never forget,” he laughs, but she stares down at the bouquet and clutches them to her chest.

“I don’t make a big deal about my birthday, so people don’t usually remember,” she says quietly. “And nobody’s ever gotten me flowers before. Thank you, Spencer.” A pause, and then, “I love you.”

He grins from ear to ear. Forget the sound of his name, those three words are the most beautiful thing he’s ever heard. “I love you, too.” It’s a first for both of them. And one week later comes another first – witnessing her panic attacks for the first time. She’s shaking too hard to tell him what she needs, so he tries to do what would help him. He sits down next to her on his living room rug and wraps her in his arms. He rests his head on her shoulder and murmurs the words to her favorite poem. She seems to breathe a little easier and so he recites another one she loves, and another until her breathing finally steadies and she unclenches her fists to wrap her arms around his neck, burying her face in his sweater.

Suddenly it doesn’t feel like such a curse to remember everything he reads when it means he can give her the words she loves when she needs them most.

The first time they sleep together is only the second time he’s been intimate with someone and he feels more awkward than he wishes he was. But he commits himself to studying, to remembering what she likes and what she doesn’t, and the next time he proves to be the quickest of learners when he succeeds at making her come within a matter of minutes. He discovers a new smile of hers, one of dreamy bliss and kiss-swollen lips. He loves it. He loves her, adores every single part of her she’s shared with him and every piece yet to be found. And to his continued surprise and delight, she loves him just as much.

He tries every day to be worthy of that love. He makes time for her. He goes to meet her friends and he shakes their hands even though he hates touching people, even though she insists, “You don’t have to. They won’t mind.” He does it because she’s the only person in the world whose touch he actually craves.

When she swoons over a dress Penelope has shown her on Instagram, he makes a note of it. She’s utterly enamored by it by her smile falls upon checking the price tag. It’s far out of her budget. So the next week when he’s out on a case in Atlantic City, he swings by one of the few casinos that doesn’t have his picture framed on the wall of their security office. He wins more than the cost of the dress in an hour and leaves before anyone can get suspicious. The dress arrives at his apartment the same day he gets home, and he invites her over to surprise her with it. When she opens the box, her eyes go wide.

“Spencer, this is… this can’t be. It’s… do you know how expensive this is?” Y/N asks.

Bashfully, he replies, “Now might be a good time to mention I’m banned from casinos in almost every state for my card counting abilities.” It’s well worth the little effort he expended to see the way her face lights up at the sight of it. And though he’s never been a gambling man, when he sees her wearing it for the first time he considers trying his luck a little more often.

At times he worries he’s doing too much, but how could it ever be when the way she loves him has been so much more than enough? For the first time in his life, he feels like maybe he’s enough. When she says, “I love you,” he believes it. When she says, “I’ll be back,” he trusts her. He’s given another person more of his heart than he ever has before, and for once he’s not afraid of it breaking. She doesn’t mind the strange hours he works or heaviness he sometimes carries with him. When he wakes up from a nightmare, she holds him close and keeps him grounded. He sends postcards from each city he visits and she makes his favorite food when he comes home and home is suddenly a place they share. She moves into his apartment and it feels like it was never complete without her there.

Not long after, there is a case in Boston. Their terrifyingly intelligent unsub taunts Reid as he leaves the interrogation room. “Judge me all you want, Dr. Reid. But I’ve used my mind to change the world. You’ve done nothing with yours.” The words haunt him on the flight home. He sits on the back of the plane lost in thought. What has he done? Sure he’s saved lives, but could he have done more? Could someone else have used those gifts he’s been burdened with in a way that was better? Why does he have any of these talents? Why has he acquired any of these skills?

His phone chimes. A text from her. Brought home a new book from the library I think you’ll love! Can’t wait to see you, dearest. And it hits him.

It’s her. All along it’s been her.

The answer echoes in his head as he races home to her. Everything in his life has led him to her, has let him be the person she needs. He can memorize all her favorite songs and poems to recite for her when her anxiety gets the best of her. He can remember every date that matters to her and everything she adores. He can read her favorite books overnight to talk about them with her in the morning. He can profile from her body language and her microexpressions when she’s having a bad day and needs him to be there for her, even when she’s too afraid to ask for what she needs. When she asks absurd questions out of the blue, he can give her actual answers with the useless encyclopedia of knowledge he’s obtained over the years. When she needs a distraction his rambling finally proves useful. It’s all for her.

She’s the reason his mind doesn’t feel like a curse anymore. How could he ever think of it with disdain when it’s the reason he can picture every smile she’s ever let him see? When he can catalogue every wonderful word from her lips, every inch of her skin, every action that drives her wild.

Reid can’t seem to open the door to their apartment fast enough. When he finally steps inside, she’s sitting on the couch. She turns away from the book in her lap to smile at him. “Welcome back,” she says. Then, tilting her head, “Is everything okay?”

An unshakeable grin spreads across his face and he knows he must look like a madman right now as he crosses the living to sit beside her. “Everything’s perfect. I just… I had this epiphany. All the things I hate about myself, you love. And all the things I can do let me love you better. It just feels like everything – everything has led me to you. Even the bad things, I mean, being in prison forced me to take sabbaticals and if I hadn’t we wouldn’t have had that time together early on and maybe we wouldn’t have worked and I don’t believe in fate,” he says, taking a breath. “But I can’t help but feel like for the first time, I’m right where I’m supposed to be. With you. Like that’s where I was meant to be all along. And I… I just thought you should know.”

His long-winded rambling is rewarded with one of his favorite smiles from her – one that makes her eyes soft and puts sunsets to shame. The kind she wears when she is incandescently happy. Her fingers lace through his and they are a perfect fit in his big hands. “There is nowhere else I’d rather be,” she says, leaning in to kiss him.

All his life, Spencer Reid has been told he is gifted. But this time, he thinks it might actually be true. He holds the greatest gift the universe has ever granted him in his arms and knows that no part of him is a curse if he is loved by her.

#spencer reid x reader #criminal minds fanfiction #spencer reid #fanfiction #gifted #brywrites #spencer reid fanfiction #reid x reader

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skiyoosmi · 3 years

Text

to the stars above | z.

featuring. zhongli (genshin impact)

genre. fluff, angst, smut, ancient-liyue!au

word count. 5.4k

marga's notes. aAAAa look look, it's my first commission!! school has kept me really occupied for like the past month but after pulling a few all-nighters, i've finally finished my responsibilities along with this little baby! once again, from the bottom of my heart, thank you to my bubs @ramannnn for trusting me with this one <33

Nobody knows when the world began, how it came to be and why it continues to be. Even I, whose mind is filled with nothing but wonder for it, have no idea. One thing I am quite sure of... is how mine did.

It all started with him— a man of many titles, different identities yet at the end of the day, all these monikers are the same; it's all him. He adored Liyue more than anything else, knew it like the back of his hand. He went where the winds lead him, stayed where the moon shines upon him, stood where the golden sun kissed his skin. He found serenity in the walks he travels as he goes about his day, the sceneries his eyes take in and the calm sounds the nature resonates for him. And as if it was fate decided upon by the Celestia, it led him to me. Suddenly, my little world that used to be nothing became everything... quickly and all at once.

An exasperated sigh escapes from my lips, frustration and disappointment filling my whole being as I stare at the blank parchment paper I held in my hands. Another day was again wasted with no progress, I thought, mentally beating myself up for not being productive enough. Before I could further drown myself into such pessimistic ideas, I snap out of it and let my eyes cherish the view that lies ahead of me. Though I feel a little guilty for taking Vermeer's place, I can only whisper an apology with little to no sincerity. Because truly, nothing can beat the picturesque landscape of Luhua Pool— the crystal clear waters that would most probably reflect my face like a mirror if I were to ever look at it, the ruins that ignited the spark of curiosity within me, wondering about the pasts it holds and the stillness and feeling of peace it gives me as I sit in this cliff. Feeling somewhat a bit better, I place my things on top of the old bag I bring no matter where I go. There's always a better day for writing, I tell myself as a form of consolation, bringing my slim arms up to begin stretching. I've been sitting on this log for quite a long time now, after all.

"It seems like you are in a bit of a dilemma," a deep voice comments from behind me. Out of surprise, I lightly jump and turn my head towards the stranger. Right at that moment, it felt as if all the air circulating inside my body had been depleted. Captivating was an understatement as to how he appeared before me. With the sunlight striking his face and accenting his unique features further, he stood with his hands behind him, head tilted as he looked at me with interest, all while keeping his dignified posture.

"Oh, hello. I am afraid so, yes," I respond, or rather, mutter under my breath since I was not really used to having sudden encounters with other people, nor am I fond of it. I tend to keep to myself, finding it much more peaceful than having to tend to others' overbearing expectations and demands which is partly the reason why I chose to live in the outskirts, far from the center of Liyue that contrasts my comfortable abode, "I apologize. I failed to realize that somebody other than Vermeer liked to stay here," I told him, arching my eyebrows a little when he let out a breathy chuckle.

"Oh, you have no need for such formal apologies. I do not always go here, at least probably not as often as the man you call Vermeer. I was simply taking a walk and I think I got carried away by Liyue's view and eventually, my feet led me here," he explains, a hint of sheepishness present in his tone, "and I guess I'll have to thank my feet for that."

Because it led me to you, interesting one. For many years, it will remain unspoken, kept by the strange man to himself and unveiled once his heart gives up from the resistance he upholds.

For the following hours of lounging around Luhua Pool, I learned a lot about the stranger— he calls himself "Morax," and like the god of Liyue, he enjoyed history and is extremely knowledgeable about it, aspiring to know and understand everything of the world, he often brews tea, even going as far as inviting me once I am free from any form of work. Just as he shared facts about himself, I did too.

"So, Cheng, you said you have a bit of a dilemma?" he inquires, slightly angling his head towards the direction of the side I'm sitting on. I nod my head up and down, mouth forming into a small pout of disappointment as I remember that today has not been that progressive.

"Yes. I am trying to write a novel, you see. Something that will leave an impact on this world so that even if I may pass, I will still live on the memories of people," I tell him, an ambitious expression present on my face. He hums, eyes going over the terraces that make up the current view we have and the two huge statues standing by the ruins, "Why so?"

I pause for a moment to think of a reply, "I guess I just do not want to let someone alone in this cold world. Wouldn't that be too cruel and sad, to just leave them with nothing?"

If I'm able to write words that will provide comfort to my readers, then maybe... just maybe the world will be less lonely... even for just a little bit. At least, that's what I thought as silence consumed us, the sun setting as if to remind us that finally, another day is nearing its end. Now, what will tomorrow bring?

"Well then, I do hope I will be able to read at least some of your works at least once," he speaks as he stands up, lightly dusting away his clothes, "It certainly has been a pleasure to be your company, Cheng."

As he walks down the slope of the hill, his somewhat broad back facing me, I call out, "Will you be back?"

He stops and turns, a soft smile is plastered on his face as he responds, "Only time will tell."

But time was no friend of mine. At least that's what I have come to realize as many days passed without him returning to this place. Though maybe it's only because it almost felt as if time slowed down and I was only eager to see him again, something I have scolded myself to— what a fragile heart do I have to already seek a stranger's presence? That is what others call love at first sight, a devilish portion of my mind whispered cheekily within me and I gasped in disbelief, "Absolutely not," I lightly slap both of my cheeks, "I'm just too coped up in my own world. I probably need to go see more people."

That thought remains a simple yearning though because once again, I find myself lounging around the same spot in Luhua, a quiet hope ignited within me, fulfilled when I hear the familiar voice he adorns as he speaks, "You're here."

I release a sound that is between a giggle and a breathy chuckle, "And I see your feet had led you here once more?"

"They were curious, or should I say... I was," he explains as he takes a seat beside me, his posture remaining solid despite the uncomfortable position.

"Of what?" I ask.

"Of you," he simply replies, unaware of the sudden yet unsurprising effect it had on my heart that was already beating rapidly with just his mere presence. I try not to be so showy of it though, too embarrassed to even think of how fast I became fond of him.

But it was no wonder. After all, he himself was an interesting one; from the way he carries himself, the way he speaks, and the way he's just him... all and every action hold so much dignity that it just leaves me almost breathless and in awe every single time my eyes finds their way to his figure— and to think that this was just our second meeting? My mother would most probably let out the most shameless giggle as I tell her these thoughts, pushing me and teasing me like a normal person in their teens would. I shake my head to get out of these thoughts, listening to Morax as he tells another wonderful tale, almost making me think that he lived it himself with how he knew it, going over even with the smallest details.

"You know, Morax, you have such a good memory to remember all of those things despite simply hearing about it," I suddenly speak up in the midst of the silence that engulfed us while he tries to think of the next story to tell, "I hope I can stay in them too... in your memories, I mean. I know I am far from being the most interesting person but for some reason, I wish for that."

He pauses, eyes trailing slowly towards me, beyond my knowledge, before he lets out a somber smile. You already are, is another one of him that becomes an afterthought.

I heaved out a sigh before shaking my head again, "Ah! Why do I keep having such lonely thoughts? Forget about that. Please do not mind me, alright? I think I really need to stop being stuck in the mountains."

I pick up my small bag and shuffle inside it, letting out a quiet sound of 'aha!' as a sort of celebration when I successfully got a small book out, "Here."

He blinked his eyes in confusion, wondering what it was I handed to him so I spoke in delight, "You told me you wanted to read at least one of my works so, here. I am warning you though, it is not like the ones that sell best in the bookstores. It might bore you, or weird you out like what others say."

"What others say?"

"They say it's too unrealistic, too impossible... but I believe otherwise. We live in a world where gods and adepti watch over us. What makes my story impossible then?" I ponder, him still being confused.

"What is it about anyway?" He asks, having no idea of what the context my book had.

"It's about an archon who began living as a simple man in Liyue."

Our meetings became more frequent after that and eventually, we got comfortable with even just the presence of each other, having no need for long talks and such, but just peace. Today, like any other day, Morax was just reading the book I gave him, while I was thinking of what my next story would be about. Occasionally, he looks at me with an odd expression that is almost equivalent to astonishment, as if I have done something so great that it made him look at me that way.

"What made you think of this plot?" he asks all of a sudden, not forgetting to put a piece of paper that served as a bookmark on the page where he stopped just in case he accidentally closed it.

I hum, thinking about my answer to his question, "Hmm. Truth to be told, it was just a mere wonder for me. Archons and the adepti, although not entirely immortal, live so much longer than an average human does, watching over us as we go about our daily lives, waiting for sudden wars to break out and then fight the enemies that attack us. Growing up, those were the things that all the people around me told me. So I began to wonder, do they ever get tired? Is it not too taxing to keep on doing that? What if... they just lived with us, among the crowds? Because I think it is too lonely wherever they are. Would it not be better if they were with us, rather than above us, so they could at least have memories to live by?"

Morax does not give a response, or rather, he finds it difficult to find one. Still, it does not stop the affection that spreads within him. He does not say it out loud, but for someone who prefers to be alone, Cheng was full of empathy. And somehow, that did wonders to Morax's heart.

"Now that I think about it, I kind of actually want to address my books to them now," I hum once more, "It would be like a message for them: Do not be too lonely even if we pass. Because of your help, through these stories, we can show you that we lived a good life."

I huff as soon as I finish my sentence, "Although one of those who read it said that was impossible, because according to them, why would archons give up their power to live a life where there is only simplicity?"

Morax let out a sound that made it look as if he got offended himself, "Archons can do that, can they not?"

"I know! That was what I was saying to them. Anyway, I am not forcing them to like what I wrote. It's just a story, after all. It can do no harm," I shrug, beginning to fix my belongings as the sun began to set, "I should go now, Morax. It is still quite a long walk to my home."

"I want to live a good life too," he suddenly tells me, making me halt and turn to him in confusion, "With you. The good life and memories you shall tell in your stories, can I be part of them too?"

The universe does not stop for anyone, nor does time— science will consistently proclaim this fact matter what timeline we shall live in. No matter how much someone begs to the Celestia to grant their wish of controlling, or stopping time, no one will be able to do such things. But somehow, it seems like when it comes to him, everything is possible as I feel my world stop at his words, just like the way it also began when I met him. And as if planets were colliding with each other, I suddenly felt my heart crash upon him and as if out of instinct, I let go of the truth.

"Of course. It would be the greatest thing to have you."

Life was strange in its own way. That is what I have come to realize in this simple life of mine.

Despite the fact that the "me" of the previous year has never even thought about putting my whole being on my sleeve, it is pleasingly odd how right now, I find myself in this kind of situation with the man who swept me right under my feet and claimed my heart as his.

“You're cold," I whisper amidst the silence of the night in my abode, my index tracing the ears of the man who had me sitting right on his lap, the shorter strands of his silky hair tucked behind them. So, so alluring.

He takes hold of my wrist, planting a soft kiss on its side, all while maintaining eye contact as he quietly drawls, "Then I suppose you can keep me warm tonight. Will you?"

As if in a trance, I nod my head, letting him take the lead as he laid me down, back against the soft mattress, him following on top with his arms supporting his build. With arising confidence, I circle my arms around him and pull him down, bringing our lips together, a sigh of relief escaping both of our mouths as if to say, "Finally."

I wonder if he thinks the same way as I do— that this was Celestia in its own way. I felt like I could do anything as long as it was with him. The kiss felt like the power we once suppressed from each other became a supernova that changed our world's course all of a sudden. But despite the tension and heat we both emitted at the moment, there is a warmth that engulfs me the same time he fully wraps his arms around me.

I am here. I will always be here.

No noise disturbs the peace we have created, only the quiet sound of crickets reach our ears but even that fails to distract him from what he's doing. He gently tugs on the sash that keeps my coat tied. Nimble fingers explore the remains of my clothing, loosening all until I am set free from them.

His eyes raked over my body, an expression of awe plastered on his face for so long that it made me somewhat conscious. Because as he unravels his to me, I am enlightened by the fact that my figure is nothing worth comparing to his — not even close. A hint of sweat glints from his skin due to the moonlight, making him look even more ethereal. But who was I to complain?

So instead, I look down, fiddling a little with my fingers as I feel my cheeks heat up. How is it that I only realize now what kind of situation we are currently in? Before I further drown in such shameless thoughts, he lifts my head up by the chin, an amused look on his usually-gentle face, "Are you feeling shy, beloved?"

I meekly nodded, to which he lets out a soft laugh and whispers, "Don't be. You are the epitome of beauty itself. If you don't believe me, allow me to show you nothing but truth tonight, I swear under the moon and all these stars."

He dips down and captures my lips in a kiss once again with more passion, if it was still even possible.

"You are made for me, as I'm made for you," he proclaims as he thrusts inside me after minutes of preparation, soft pants and groans following his statements. I can only whimper in response, pain evident in my tone at first with my hands lightly clawing at his back. I pray to the heavens above that they don't leave awful marks after this.

He halts and utters an apology, thumb caressing the bone of my cheeks while he waits for me to adjust. He scans my face after a few seconds, relief flashing in his eyes when I nod for him to continue.

"I... b..." I try to speak out but the pleasure overwrites any sensical thought that goes through my mind. He slows down a little, looking over my face and smiles, urging me to talk.

"Stay with me, beloved. We still have all night," he tells me, encouraging me to voice what has been on my mind.

"I... I belong to you, always have and always will..." I manage to croak out, voice quite hoarse due to the sounds that I let out previously. Perhaps pleased with what I have proclaimed, he begins going even deeper and at the same moment, I begin falling deeper.

"Yes, yes, you do," he repeats like a mantra, his voice sounding more and more desperate to reach his high. I cry out with him, creating a harmony that even the best bards shall be ashamed.

It was a long night— the longest yet most beautiful night I have ever had in this simple life of mine. And in that moment, as we reach the stars together, I knew right there and then that this man is someone who will be etched in my heart for as long as I live, deep into its roots— for him, it shall beat and it shall love.

You, who are reading this, most probably have had enough of these teeth-rotting praises I kept on writing. But what can I do except to apologize? These words are the only ones that can flow out of my mind and mouth to show how magnificent it was to be loved by him.

Well, nothing significant really changed. He was still the same gentleman I met, if anything, more gentle. Just like in the beginning, he made my heart flutter every chance he gets, no matter how many years have already passed.

We built a dynasty together.

But maybe I should have known that ours were also bound to crumble like the ones that have long existed even way before us.

Days, months and years went on, I realized that he was actually the opposite of me— unlike me who was clearly not parallel with time, he held it right on the palms of his hand. I was not blind, nor was I a fool, I can clearly see how he looks like he has not aged a day, all while I was here, maturing more and more each second that passed by, the amount of signs of me aging increasing significantly.

Morax. Knowledgeable of history as if he lived it himself. Time. All these thoughts eventually congest my mind as realization dawns upon me. He was not merely a man named after the god himself— Morax was him, he was Morax.

"How appalling," I mutter with a hint of sadness and dismay in my tone. I stood in front of the mirror, fingers hovering over my face, wrinkles appearing as I scrunch it. A pair of firm arms snake its way around my lean waist, chin resting on one of my shoulders as he hums his words, "What has got your beautiful mind occupied, my beloved?"

Taking hold of his arms, I turn my body around to face him, a somewhat melancholic smile etched on my face as I look up at his much taller frame, "You are a sight to behold, even to this day." He arches one eyebrow out of amusement and curiosity, wondering why I suddenly started pouring him compliments. After all, my shyness prevents me from consistently doing so. Nonetheless, I continue speaking, "I wish... I could be with you even when everything changes into a whole new world."

I lifted a hand up to cup his cheeks and began rubbing it lovingly, a lone tear finally dropping from my eye as soon as I closed it, "but I cannot, I do not have the ability to do so... I am but a mere mortal, after all."

His eyes widen as he finally discerns my actions and concerns, immediately opening his mouth in hopes of consoling me but I beat him into speaking, "It's alright, Morax. I have been putting the pieces together for a while now. I am in no way angry. I just..." I pause, gulping hard before my lips start to quiver, "... I cannot imagine how lonely it must have been. And now... I think about it and I... I do not want to leave you alone again."

My cries eventually start becoming louder, something that is very new to the both of us, seeing as I have always been composed. Love can change a person into a whole new being. I remember a book I have read once and at the moment, I can only agree. Maybe it was the way my heart clenches at the mere thought of him walking alone, or the way I can imagine us taking our last breaths together yet I know that will never happen— but either way, it was painful.

He whispers sweet nothings to my ears, placing light kisses on my temple as he leads us to the bedroom to rest once my tears have finally ceased and I have calmed down. His hold on me gets tighter every time I let out a small hiccup due to crying, almost as if he was telling me that he was feeling the same pain as I was.

Hours pass by as we lay in silence. My tears have long dried up but we remain coped up in each other's arms.

"Would it not be interesting if you bear the name Zhongli?" I ask him in a somewhat croaky voice.

He peers down and tilts his head, "Now where did that thought come from?"

I shrug, or at least try to, and look up at the ceiling as we shift our positions to lay on our back, hands finding one another and intertwining, "Hmm... nowhere. Just a name I wanted to give you in case that you are needing a new one."

"Oh? How come it would be interesting then?"

I look at him with a comforting yet sad smile.

"Because it means it's time to leave, to go somewhere far away... and unfortunately, I will have to leave soon."

He furrowed his eyebrows together, "Do not say that. Who knows? Maybe you will be able to live a hundred years by my side. Besides, I think it sounds lonely. I do not think I would want to get reminded of the fact that you are not here with me."

I hum, "But if you bear the name I gave you, wouldn't it feel like I never went away? That no matter where your feet take you, no matter how far you go, I am and will always be with you, just as I have vowed."

The wooden door leading to my writing room slowly slides open and Morax's head peers in, an adorable smile plastered on his face, "You have been quite busy these days, beloved. I do not wish to disturb you but I am starting to long for your presence."

I let out a shameless giggle, "Alright, alright. Just let me write down a few more words while I still have ideas to input."

He peeks on the parchment paper out of curiosity, taken aback when he finds his name on it, "You are writing about us?"

I nod proudly, "My last piece."

"... But why?"

I smile and approach him, taking his hand and placing my forehead against his after he lowers his head down to my level, "I told you, did I not? I do not wish to leave the person I love with nothing. So that you will not be lonely, my words will be with you. I will be with you, always..."

"... and to tell the gods... to tell you, that I loved every second of my life with you— that it was, indeed, a good life."

"Who are you, young man? Are you my son?" I speak with a very hoarse voice, squinting my eyes at the figure in front of me, as if my poor vision will allow me to do that.

I hear a melancholic yet gentle sigh come from him before he takes my rough hands and looks afar, "Don't mind me. I'm just someone who vowed to be with you for as long as time lets us."

"Oh.... really? That’s quite endearing," I hum, "Well, may I know your name?"

"This… I think I may just have an idea to whom this book is for," Paimon trails off, looking over at the traveler who was in the same trance as her, "Paimon thinks we should let the strange person we saw a while ago give this directly to Zhongli!"

Lumine nods, turning around and starting to run towards the direction they were at previously, recalling the person named Cheng who gave them the novel they just finished reading. They were unique, dressed in layers of robes and it was almost as if they lived in the old times of Liyue. Even the way they talked and moved screamed ancient.

Just as they turned the corner, a woman near the Liuli Pavilion called them over, "Traveler! Here!" As they approach, Lumine cranes her neck to look around the area but to no avail, the strange person was long gone.

"Are you two alright?" the woman asks, much to their confusion, "I saw you talking to literal air awhile ago and I was worried you have eaten something strange."

The pair looks at each other in surprise before Paimon replies, "You didn't see anyone? Like a person dressed in the strangest attire? They dressed really anciently!"

The door of the Liuli Pavilion opens and there goes Zhongli, a calm expression morphing to an awkward one when he realizes he barged into an ongoing conversation. He apologizes for the disturbance and despite the curiosity he had upon overhearing bits of Paimon's statements, he starts his walk back to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. At least not until he hears Paimon call his name, "Zhongli! Wait! A person named Cheng. Do you know them?"

He abruptly stops and turns to the two, eyes wide for a second before it returns to his usual demeanor, "How... how do you know of them?"

"We met them," Paimon says, as if it was the simplest thing to do, "Well, honestly, we don't know because we were apparently speaking to nothing but air! It's so odd!"

He stays still, honestly having no idea of what response he should give them because he himself found it hard to believe.

"Well anyway, they asked us to give you this nov— wait, where is it? It was just in your hands a while ago, Traveler!"

In the midst of the loud chaos made by the two in the middle of Liyue, he thinks he knows what to do and where to go now.

It was the day of the Rite of Parting, an event where he's supposed to be taking part of, even just a part of the audience. But he finds himself hanging around the Wanwen Bookhouse, eyes scanning the shelves until it stops at a familiar name engraved on the cover of a book.

"Oh! Greetings, Mr. Zhongli! I see you took a liking to a very great and romantic novel," Jifang comments as she sees the book in his hands.

He looks at her, "Is it really great?"

She gasps in delight, "Yes, indeed! Almost all of the Liyue folks have enjoyed this story! You can say it is a classic, especially for readers! Cheng definitely outdid themselves with this one! Such a mysterious person yet equally amazing. Imagine? Being able to make such a beautiful love story with Morax? They don’t mention the present name they gave Morax though, such a shame. Maybe it was due to old age, they wrote it until the last moments of their life after all. Anyway, I have to get back to work but enjoy reading that masterpiece!"

He feels his heart swell in pride upon knowing his lover had his wish come true. His nimble fingers carefully open the pages of the book and hours later, as he sat inside the Funeral Parlor after taking the novel home, he finds himself absorbing each and every word Cheng have written, the loneliness sitting idly inside him subsiding little by little.

I found solace in the countless cups of tea you brew whenever I encounter distress with my works, the endless stories you tell with a smile so beautiful that not even the most heavenly scenery can vanquish, but most of them all, the feeling of your hand intertwining with mine, providing me with serenity no one else has ever done before. Under the moonlit night of Liyue, I remember your wistful amber eyes, staring deep into my soul as you proclaim your love and desire for me. How foolish was it of me to think that I could live this life without even experiencing such warmth and intimacy?

It is a banality, really — how I wish to become a well-known writer with unique tales and yet the story I am telling is something so common to folks that they have most probably heard similar ones before. But I guess this is what it means to love and to be loved. Everything is like a cycle that just keeps on being repeated, yet we never get tired of it, of the feelings it brings. So, thank you, Morax. Words will never be sufficient to show how grateful I am to you for showing me a whole new world but I suppose this is still a way for me to give back to you.

With this little book of mine, I hope my heart reaches yours regardless of how many eras may have passed before and after us. So, my beloved, do not be too lonely without me. Even if you find yourself longing for my presence, just open this and my heart shall be with you.

This belongs to you, it always will.

And I do, as well.

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