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#i like this arrangement better than the last one but they both made me realize my bias toward left-facing profiles lol. i need more angles
superfallingstars · 2 months
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so many snapes part 2
part 1
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satorusugurugurl · 2 months
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JJK Men: FWB? No, I wanna be your boyfriend!
Summary: Your Friends with Beneifit's partner realizes they want to be more!
Characters: Nanami Kento, Geto Suguru, Toji Fushiguro, FAB!Reader
Word Count: 3,957
Warnings: FWB, smut, oral sex, fluffy feelings, public sex
A/N: Ah, FWB, but more. Delicious smut; the brainworms were good to me! 🤣❤️
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Nanami Kento:
Nanami pouted, his eyes focused on your back as some guy flirted with you. He hated seeing other people looking at his best friend like you were just a snack. It made him sick to his stomach. No one would treat you better than him. But you two agreed: friends with benefits, nothing more than that. All because Nanami thought it would help with not ruining your friendship.
And it did. Things were never awkward. You both had sex, got off, and it was perfect! No more creepy Tinder dates for you; Nanami wasn't stressed out as much. Plus, he got to remain friends with you. The arrangement was without flaw. Expect moments like this.
When he saw other people watching you, how you flirted back with the smile that had him raging, he wanted the source of your smile. Usually, when this sort of thing happened, he turned away, but something about this guy had him on edge. He was looking at you like you were a piece of meat, something to take home and fuck. You didn't deserve that. You deserve the best.
“Ooh, they fuckin.” Nanami flushed deep red as he turned to glare at Gojo, who was whispering to Geto.
“Satoru, please, it's rude to assume that,” Geto whispered back, eyeing Nanami. It was when the dark-haired man saw the flush on Nanami’s face and neck that he gaped. “Oh my god, they are fuckin’.”
“Shut up, we're just friends with benefits.”
“Oooh, Suguru, do you want to tell him?”
“Mmm nah, you go ahead, Satoru.”
Gojo leaned forward, smirking at Nanami. “Friends with Benefits don't glare daggers at strangers their FWB is talking to. Not unless they want more~.” With flushed cheeks, Nanako got up, downing the last of his drink. “Ooh, what are you going to do?!”
“Fuck you.”
“Eeeh, sorry buddy, that's Suguru’s job!”
“Satoru.” Geto purred with a smirk.
Nanami could care less about who was fucking who in their relationship. The only person he was concerned with fuckin was you. But not in the way he usually would, no, not anymore.
He stormed towards you, grabbing your wrist gently. The sudden contact had you jumping as Nanami pulled you up. He didn't say a word as he dragged you away from the asshole hitting on you. You were too stunned to speak as Nanami pulled you into the bathroom, taking you to the back stall.
Standing in the corner, you gawked as he locked the stall door. “Okay, what the actual fuck Nanami?” You were slightly annoyed, tapping your shoe against the dirty tile floor. “I was enjoying my conversation with that guy!”
“The guy that looked at you like you were a piece of ass?”
His straightforward response caught you off guard. “Huh?”
“That guy would take you home, fuck you, and never call you back because that’s the type of guy he looks like!”
“Oh? And since when do you concern yourself with my dating life? We're friends, Nanami! You're not my boyfriend!”
“Oh, I'm much more than just a friend!” Nanami crowded you, slamming both hands on the wall on either side of your head. “I’m your best friend! I'm your colleague! I’m your lover!”
His anger left the two of you stunned; your heart was racing as he inched closer to you. “You set up our arrangement. You said this was for the best; we wouldn't ruin our friendship if we kept it casual. You said that!” Nanami watched your cheeks burn, your eyes avoiding his at all costs.
“You're right. This was my arrangement. And I don't think I can do it anymore.”
That caught your attention, Y/E/C eyes finding his honey-brown ones in a flash. “What?! No, why?!” Nanami’s large hand cupped your face.
“Because I find myself wanting more. I want you, Y/N, I want all of you.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
The confession, the anger, all of that collided together in a heated kiss. You both made quick work; you unbuckled his belt, and he slid your dress up past your hips, moving your panties to the side. When you were in a moment like this, you moved in sync. There were no fumbling or awkward movements. Just perfect flowing movements, much like dancers or ice skaters who had been perfecting their art for decades. That was the perfect way to describe how you and Nanami moved together.
Your back was against the cold stall, legs wrapped around Nanami’s hips as he fucked you. His cock slid in and out of you like it had done hundreds of times before, finding a rhythm he knew the two of you enjoyed. That was one of the many joys of fucking your best friend. Everything was easy and comfortable.
“Nanami, fuck your cock is so big.”
”Yeah? Your pussy is tight; it’s like they were made for each other.”
You couldn’t help but giggle, moaning in surprise as his hips snapped forward. “It’s like a puzzle.” Your words were meant to be a joke, based on what he said. But they meant the world to Nanami.
”Yes, you’re right.” His lips found yours, nipping at your lips. “That’s exactly what you are to me, Y/N.” His hips moved harder, the stall creaking under the force as you yelped out in pained pleasure. The tip of his cock hitting your cervix with each powerful thrust.
”W-What am I to you?” Nanami mewled as your fingers ran through his hair before rubbing against his undercut. “Tell me.” Your voice was caught in a moan as one of his hands reached down, rubbing your clit. “N-Nana, fuck, fuck yes.”
”You’re my other half, my missing piece.” He growled against your skin, his hot tongue licking at your pulse. “You’re my favorite person.” He chuckled, teeth grazing your skin. “And I want to be with you.”
You were hearing the words you had been wanting to hear for years sent you into orgasmic bliss. You screamed, pussy clamping down on Nanami, milking him as he grunted against your skin. His hips slammed against you, his hot cum filling you to the brim until his cock had gone soft. He kept you pinned against the stall, breathing heavily against your flushed skin before he felt your hands lazily play with his hair again.
When he pulled back to meet your gaze, he swore his heart skipped a beat. You were smiling so softly, with an expression he’d never seen. A mixture of satisfaction and happiness. It had butterflies, butterflies of all things swarming around the pit of his stomach. He can’t stop leaning in, kissing you the softest he’s ever kissed.
”So,” you whispered against his lips, “does this mean you’ll finally stay the night with me?”
Nanami shakes his head with a chuckle as the two of you readjust your clothes and straighten your hair. “I’ll do you one better. I’ll stay the night, and then I’ll take you on a proper date tomorrow.” He gently takes your hand, his thumb brushing against your knuckles. “How does that sound, Y/N?” You didn’t even need to respond for Nanami to know your answer. The wide grin and sparkle in the blue lights of the bathroom said it all.
”Sounds like a dream come true!”
Geto Suguru:
You looked at the clock with a groan, digging through your closet. You were going to be late for your date Shoko had set up. Your stupid cardigan had gone missing again. It was the only one you had, seeing as the other was on your desk chair at work. You couldn’t just go out in the early spring evening without a sweater! It was too hot for long sleeves and hoodies.
Lucky for you, Geto Suguru, your roommate's best friend, and your FWB had a sweater. One he was not currently using. You hurried out of your room, searching for the dark-haired man. He was in the living room, looking through the books, when he heard your heels clicking over the floor.
”Hey, do you still have that book I let you borr-“ Suguru choked on his words when he turned to look down at you. You were in a tight black lace bra, a push-up one that made your breasts look plumper than usual. The matching thong barely covered your pussy, leaving little to the imagination. “What the hell are you doing?!” Suguru barked out, head whirling for any peering eyes that might not be his own.
”Relax, Satoru has seen me naked before.” Seeing Suguru’s eyebrows ccock up, you shook your head. “Chill out. I forgot to lock the bathroom door. I haven't slept with him.” Your eyes did a glance over the living room, pouting when you couldn’t find your sweater still. “Could I borrow your sweater? I can’t find mine, and I would rather not freeze tonight.”
Relieved to know Satoru had only seen you naked by accident, Suguru shrugged out of his black sweater, promptly handing it to you. “Where are you going? Book club, drinks with the girls?” You answered with a shake of your head, heading back to the bedroom.
”Nope, I got a date.”
Before you could take another step, Suguru held your wrist. You turned your head, looking at him from over your shoulder. His dark eyes were wide, gaze locked on yours. It was shocking to see him so stunned. He was usually calm and collected.
You turned around, looking him over, trying to pinpoint the source of his shock. While your Y/E/C eyes searched over him, his hands ran up your arms, gently holding you. This was a side of him you never saw, so gentle and unsure.
“Date? What do you mean you have a date?”
“Oh, yeah, Shoko set it up for me.” Suguru clenched his teeth, his eyes now roamed over your body. He was taking in the curves and dips of your skin. Every part he had caressed and kissed. “She said it was time for me to get back on the playing field.”
Shaking his head, Suguru gently ran his hands up to your shoulders. “Why? You have me. Don't I satisfy your needs?” You laughed, cocking an eyebrow up at him. “Why are you looking at me like that, Y/N? I'm being serious!” His frustration only made you giggle more as you shook your head in disbelief.
“Suguru, you told me that you didn't want a relationship. That what we had was just sex. Someone we could turn to when we were horny, no strings attached.”
“I know I said that.”
“Then why are you being so weird about me going out on a date?”
Yeah, why was the thought of you going out with someone else making his stomach do cartwheels? You both agreed to hook up whenever you wanted. But just because you fucked, didn't mean you were his girlfriend. He had specified that part himself.
The no-strings-attached policy was just something he had said in the spur of the moment. He had so many thoughts running through his mind as the two of you made out. Would Satoru be mad at him for sleeping with his roommate? Would it make things awkward for the two of you when he came over? In the heat of the moment, three months ago, that was the most reasonable thing he thought to say.
”Because I want to be the only person you date.” His words were confident and to the point. Not leaving any thoughts of doubt behind.
You were still left staring at him in utter confusion. “But you said no strings attached!?” Your brain was beginning to hurt with the back-and-forth banter.
“Ugh!” He released you, throwing his head back. “I know I said that and trust me, I wish I could take back that singular sentence. I was thinking about all the ifs and ands when I should have been focusing on the cold, hard truth.” He began pacing, his eyes glued to the floor as he continued to rant. “The truth is, I like you. I’ve liked you for the last year, but I didn’t want to make you feel weird or have Satoru pissed off that I slept with you.”
“Suguru.”
“But sleeping with you made me like you even more! I just fuck; I regret saying that because I don’t want to be friends with benefits anymore. I want to be the one taking you out on dates! I want to be the only guy in your bed and vice versa. After we hooked up, I deleted all the dating apps, and I just.” He huffed out a sigh, turning to look at you. “I want you.”
Fuck, he shouldn’t have ranted like that. But what else could he have done? He had to get it off his chest before you went on your date. At least let you know how he felt before you went out with someone else. The ball was in your court now. That might be the most terrifying part of this whole mess he found himself in.
His dark eyes were glued to the floor as he listened to your heels clicking as you stood before him. Bracing himself for rejection or anything else, Suguru looked up, meeting your flushed face and a wide smile. Seeing you like that had him stepping forward, closing the distance between you.
”You deleted all of your dating apps after the first time we hooked up?” He nodded his head. “In the last three months, you haven’t been with anyone but me?’ Another nod. “You want to be with me?”
”Yes! I want that more than anything.”
You threw your arms around him, kissing him deeply as he wrapped his arms around your waist, pulling tight against him. Your kiss held as much truth as his words had. It was feverish, deep, and full of passion. You were conveying the truth of your feelings for him without using words.
By the time you managed to pull yourself away, both of you were panting heavily. “Let me cancel this date, then maybe we could go out.” You breathed out between gasps. “I’m happy to have a boyfriend now, but I was sort of looking forward to getting eaten out tonight.” As your message went through, Suguru had you in his arms, tossing your phone on the couch.
Suguru had your back pinned against the wall, legs over his shoulders, as his hands held your ass. You gripped the wall as best as you could, heart racing from being so high off the ground as Suguru licked and sucked at your clit through your lace panties. He lapped and sucked at you like a man dying of thirst. His feral actions had you grabbing his smooth, dark hair, pulling it as you rocked against his face.
Suguru hummed, glancing at you before prodding your dripping entrance with his tongue. As he did, his heart almost stopped. His tongue had slid through a tiny opening in the center, meeting your dripping cunt. Eyes shot to your face, seeing the smirk tugging at your kiss-swollen lips.
“Never heard of crotchless panties, Sugu?”
There was no snarky remark or comeback. Just his tongue burying itself deep inside of you. You cried out, eyes shutting tight as he brushed his nose over your clit, shaking his head back and forth. You felt dizzy as his tongue swirled inside of you, lapping and rubbing against your inner walls.
Suguru was so skilled at using his mouth. His tongue mapped out every part of your pussy and entrance. The man loved to eat you out and make you feel so good. If his girlfriend wanted to get her pussy eaten, by god, she would. He'd make sure you’d never be left unsatisfied. If it took hours to make you cum on his tongue, then he'd take those hours, not stopping until you came, coating his face with your essence.
He was so worked up, just thinking about eating you out, making you feel good, that he groaned as you tugged hard on his hair. Little moans of ‘Suguru’ and ‘im cumming’ was all he could register before you were squirting all over his face. He shut his eyes as your juices coated his lips, tongue, and chin. His tongue kept moving until you were begging him to stop.
“Was that to your liking?” He asked gently, lowering you to the ground. “Satisfied? Or do you n-nngh!” His words were caught in his throat, eyes darting down to where you had his cock in a vice grip.
“Shut the fuck up and come fuck your girlfriend into the mattress.” Suguru didn't need you to tell him twice, especially when you called yourself his girlfriend.
Toji Fushiguro:
“This is me.” You nervously laughed as your creepy Tinder date eyed the building you didn't live in. “Thanks for the date, it was fun.” Yeah, it was a lot of fun getting felt up and paying for the dinner he told you he would buy, but he just so happened to forget his wallet.
“You don't want to invite me up?” the creepy guy asked as you hit the buzzer three times. “I thought you might want some dessert. I have a great cream filling for you to try.”
“No, I'm good.”
“Don't be a bitch; come on, let me in.”
“I said I’m good!”
“Stupid fuc—”
The door to the apartment complex swung open, and a firm hand grabbed you, pulling you inside. “She said no, go fuck yourself.” without another word, the door slammed shut. “Fuck, you sure know how to pick them.” you pressed your face into your FWB’s chest, his hand rubbing your back soothingly.
“Holy fuck, that was super scary thanks Toji.” Your hands gripped his shirt, holding yourself upright as he sighed.
“Why do you put yourself through this?” Toji asked, leading you to the elevator. “Honestly, you should know better than to go out with creeps like that one.”
You rolled your eyes, stepping onto the elevator with him. “I just want to find my person.” Those words had Toji glaring down at you. “Not all of us can be satisfied with random hookups with friends.” The elevator opened on the third floor, and you stepped out.
“Random hookups?” His tone was dry. “You think that's what this is between us?”
“You're really to look at me and tell me they aren't?” He grabbed your attention arm, glaring down at you. “This is just to blow off steam, right?”
You and Toji had slept together on multiple occasions. After a long week of work, a bad day when you were feeling down. He was always the one you went to when you needed to vent, have a good laugh, or have sex. Toji was your friend, and you loved him, but he didn't love you the same way. He was a single dad, taking care of his son Megumi. He didn't have time to date and all that other stuff. Once in a while, a good fuck with you was enough to fulfill his needs.
So when your best friend dragged you into his apartment and slammed the door behind him, you swallowed the lump forming in your throat. His eyes were dark and narrow with frustration and anger. A look you rarely saw directed towards you. You felt so small under his gaze it had you stepping back., the back of your knees hitting the couch.
“Do you honestly think I would hook up with you to blow off steam? You’re the same woman I have over for dinner, the woman I sleep with, the only other person I trust with Megumi!” His anger was palpable as you crawled onto the couch, your eyes never leaving his as he followed you. “I didn't put a label on this,” his hand motioned between you, “you did!”
“So what are you saying?!”
“I'm saying you're the only one going on stupid dates! I'm not! If you want more, say it! You're a grown-ass adult. You can do what you want, Y/N! And so can I!” He crawled on top of you. “So, for once in your life, can you please be honest?!”
You felt your nose and eyes burning with tears. Was he saying what you thought he was? That he wanted to be more, but you were holding back? Had you been the one keeping the FWB label on your relationship?
The longer you stare into his dark eyes, the more your face softens. Toji was always the one you ran to after a stupid Tinder date. He was the only person you slept with, the only man you wanted to be with, and Megumi, god, you lived that kid like he was your son. You couldn't find your person through random people because you already found him.
Your person was Toji.
Your hands gently reached up, cupping his face. “You want me?” Your voice was shaky and hesitant, scared to hear his answer.
“Of fuckin’ course I want you, Y/N.” he turned towards your hand, kissing your palm. “You idiot, it took you that long to see it?”
“You could have said something.” Your teasing tone was cut off by his hands working on your leggings. “Toji, wait, what are you doing? Megumi’s in the other room.”
Toji didn't respond to you; he just tugged his sweats down, tucking the band of them under his balls. “I’m not good with words. So I’ll show you how much I want you.” He rubbed his cock up and down over your folds before slowly pressing into you.
Soft moans and whines escaped you both as Toji slowly began to fuck you inside the couch. His hand grabbed at your hips, breasts, and thighs. Touching you everywhere he could as his cock pressed in and out of you, fucking you deeper and harder with each thrust of his hips. Toji pressed hot kisses against your lips. Each kiss, touch, and thrust told you everything you needed to know.
“I love you.” You cried out without thinking as he pressed into your g-spot. The sudden outburst had Toji freezing above you, hips pausing mid-thrust. Sweat slowly dripped down his temple as his mind replayed your words.
“What was that?”
“I said I love you.”
Toji’s eyes widened in surprise as he felt something unlock inside him. Whether it was his heart or sick throbbed inside of you, he couldn't tell. “Fuck,” he whispered, eyes drifting down your body. “Fuck.” Toji pulled all the way out before slamming hard into you. “Fuck!!” He growled, slamming into you harder and deeper with each thrust. “Love you too, fuck, I love you.”
Your eyes rolled back as you felt yourself drawing closer and closer to your orgasm. Toji reached over you, grabbing the arm of the couch for support as he drilled into you. Holy fuck, this was intense, so fucking intense. Your moans grew louder before he clamped his other hand over your mouth.
“As much as I love you screaming my name, I would rather not have my kid catching us. So be a good girl and cum.” His raspy command and slamming into your g-spot was all you needed. You screamed into his hand, trembling under him as he gritted his teeth. “Cummin’ take it all, Y/N~!”
As the waves of pleasure died, Toji removed his hand, smiling at you. You returned his grin, kissing him softly. “Fuck, that was so good.” Toji chuckled, shifting so you both were lying on the couch.
“Y/N, everything is good when it comes to you.”
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Hugs vs Pain
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Hi everyone!
I went to the dentist today and i'm hurt as hell, so here is a story about it with Ona 🤣
TW : Dentist.
“Ona, Princesa, I don’t want to go. Please don’t make me go, I’ll do anything I swear!”
“Baby stop” Ona laughs, rolling her eyes.
She gets out of the car and if you really considered the idea of running away from her and the building you’re facing, your girlfriend doesn’t let you the time to do it. She opens the door of her car and wait patiently that you get out too. Which you did while grumbling.
“Ona, please” you beg.
“No Babe. You literally had fever last week because of that, so you will go in this dental office to get those wisdom teeth removed.”
Under her beautiful smile and her brown doe eyes, Ona is really stubborn. She took an appointment for you when you always find an excuse not to do it and came with you today to be sure that you will be here. Both of you know that if she wasn’t with you, you wouldn’t be here.
Ona takes your hand and drag you with her. The receptionist hides a smile of amusement when she sees both of you. You are clinging to Ona’s hand like if life depends of it.
You almost jump when the dentist come to take you to her office and it’s at that time that Ona realizes that you’re not playing with her or exaggerate things. She knows that you are scared of dentist, you never hide this point to her. The look of horror that you throw her makes her feel bad, before remembering how much you were suffering last week when you admit that your teeth were hurting. Your pain lasts some days before you eventually talked about it to your girlfriend.
When she strokes your forehead, she realize that you had fever too.
“Can I come with you?” Ona asks your dentist softly.
After looking at you, the dentist nods and Ona jumps on her feet to follow you. On the chair, you close your eyes, not wanting to see anything that he will do to you. You are concentrated on Ona’s hand in yours, your girlfriend stroking lovingly your fingers.
The appointment last almost one hour and you almost faint a thousand times. You are feeling strange when you get up from the chair, your legs shaking. You let Ona drags you once again, following her to the desk of the receptionist and then to her car.
“Are you alright?” Ona asks before starting her car.
You grumble for any answer, your mouth still asleep and hurting too. You hate that feeling. Ona stops at the pharmacy near her building to buy some painkiller and antibiotic before you can finally find the comfort of her bed. You realize quickly that the lying position is awful for your pain though.
Ona quickly arranges the bed with her multitude of cushions, so that you can be comfortable sitting, before handing you a glass of water and a painkiller.
“Take this mi Amor” she says.
You sigh but take it anyway. The cold water makes you shiver, and not in a great way, but you hope that it will help you to feel better soon. After you swallow it, Ona takes you against her to cuddle and you let yourself go against her. You feel dizzy and close your eyes. You don’t need more than five minutes before falling asleep.
When you wake up after, you frown realizing that your girlfriend isn’t with you anymore. The place where she was is still hot, meaning that she’s not gone for too long, but she’s still not here. You sit on the bed and start to get up from the bed to look for her when Ona comes back in the room.
“Where are you going?” she asks.
“You weren’t here when I woke up” you pout.
Pushing you softly back against the cushion, Ona puts a trail next to you on the bed. You frown while looking at it, seeing a yogurt and a bowl soup. Nothing you really like, but it seems like Ona made the soup herself and you feel your heart fluttered at the idea.
“The dentist said nothing too hot or too cold, so I made a soup but it isn’t really hot. And the yogurt is out of the fridge for several minutes now.”
“Thank you, Oni.” you say with a grateful smile.
“You’re welcome” Ona smiles, sitting next to you again.
You struggle to eat properly to be honest, your mouth is always strange, and you are scared of hurting yourself a little more. Ona proposed to feed you, but you declined, thinking that this situation is already embarrassing enough for you.
When you are finish, Ona takes the trail to put it on her nightstand and takes you again in her arms. She kisses your hair before looking at you.
“Can I kiss you?”
“Very softly” you answer, just unable to refuse her a kiss.
Ona nods and is very careful not to touch your face when she puts her lips against yours.
Your still remember the first time Ona kissed you. It was after taking you home after a game. You already went to two dates before, and she never kissed you at that point. That day, when she walked you to your door, she doesn’t go for the usual kiss on your cheek, but she kissed you right on the lips.
You were so shocked that you didn’t react at first, making Ona believing that she totally misread the situation. She wasn’t, and you had to kiss her yourself to make her stop her repeated apologies in a Catalan way too fast for you.
“I’m sorry that you are in so much pain” Ona mumble against your skin when she kisses your forehead. “If I could, I would take it so you wouldn’t be hurt.”
“I’ll be ok with more cuddle” you mumble, taking one more painkiller with some water.
Like every other time it makes you feel sleepy again and you literally wrap yourself around Ona. You smile when you hear her giggles, hiding your face in the hollow of her neck.
“I love you so much.” you whisper, half asleep.
“I love you even more.”
You hum, not able to answer something else as the sleep takes you away. Ona holds you tenderly against her, gently stroking your back under your t-shirt with her fingertips. She holds you the time you are asleep and is still holding you protectively against her when you wake up.
“Here she is” Ona smiles when you stir, putting her phone on the mattress.
“Hola” you mumble, stroking her neck with your nose.
She shivers slightly and you smile when you realize it.
“Did you sleep well?”
“I always sleep well when I’m in your arms.”
“Painkiller make you all soft?” Ona laughs.
“Don’t make fun of me. I’m hurt” you pout.
Ona laughs again and you can’t do anything but smile. While doing it, you realize that the pain is less strong than before and that’s something to emphasize. Maybe tonight you will be able to eat something other than soup.
You stay like this for several minutes, enjoying Ona’s tender caresses on your body. You kiss her jaw several times, tracing her freckles with your lips.
“Thank you for taking so good care of me” you whisper.
“Always, mi Amor.”
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sykostyles · 3 months
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let you love me 1.1
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wc: 4.5k
summary: in which y/n is a 26 year old bakery owner and she can't quite get this whole "love" thing right; settling on finding solace in being alone. One day, Jackson Cole: an egotistical, but oh so charismatic professional quarterback comes along and swears he can change her mind.. and for a while he does. nearly two years of breaking down her walls.. but they seem to argue about one thing a lot. y/n's "negativity". she swears she's not trying ro be a pessimist.. it just works out better for her if she keeps her expectations low. But what happens when she meets a handsome stranger, who wants nothing more than to see her smile? Will she push everything away again or will she finally accept the love she deserves? or ; tldr sunshine! harry x grumpy! afab reader part one, three
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a/n: welcome to part 2! I thought I would be done with this in two parts but the words just keep coming out of my brain. so there will be one more part to this! (and its already been started!)
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR THE LOVE ON PART ONE!! I can't believe this many people are interested in my brain child. I hope you all enjoy this part as well!
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cw: this story contains suggestive and explicit language, minor descriptions of violence, and verbal abuse. please do not continue if these topics upset you!
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Not much has changed in the apartment above the bakery, a good bit of your belongings remained here after you moved in with Jackson. You were thrilled when the gentleman who sold you the business told you it included the unit upstairs. “How perfect?” you thought. Slowly but surely you’d ended your lease on your previous place and made the arrangements to live above the bakery. You spent all of your time there anyways.
The last time you were here flashed through your brain and made you grimace. Images of wet lips, clashing teeth.. hands exploring curves.. All flashing in your mind. You’d been out with Jackson for your anniversary and neither of you could wait until you got back to your shared apartment, so a bit of a pit stop was made. But having those thoughts of Jackson at this moment only make you want to throw up the sweets you’d tested earlier.
Peeling your clothes from your body, you make your way into the shower and the spiraling thoughts ensue. Why am I like this? Why can’t I be loved the way I am? Is it actually me? Am I really the problem? Why? Why? WHY?? Sliding down the tile wall, your knees come to your chest and you just sob.
Twenty minutes turn into an hour, into an hour and a half and then nearly two hours. You’d been in there so long you didn't even realize the water had turned ice cold. You were numb to everything. 
A knock on your door startles you out of your stupor. Quickly, you shut the shower off and grabbed a towel. “Nobody even knows I'm here,” you think to yourself, making your way to the door. Glancing through the peephole you see your best friend, Carly, looking rather distressed.
“Y/N I know you’re in there.” No, you don’t.. “Your car is outside.” No, it’s not.. “I can see the shadows of your feet at the bottom of the door.” No, you can’t.. “Y/N, open the door. Jackson said you took off when I came looking for you.” No, I don't want anyone to see me like this. “I know you can hear me, don’t make me call in a wellness check. You know I will.” Memories of officers knocking down your door at 3 am when you wouldn’t answer Carly's “are you alive?” messages flashed in your brain.
Your hands shoot up and unlock the deadbolt, swiftly opening the door for your friend to step inside, closing the door with a click behind her.
She turns to look at you, taking in all of your features, Severely swollen eyes, tear stained cheeks, and the frown weighing on your lips.
“I’ll kill him.” She says, turning towards the door. “No!” you object, reaching out to grab her arm. “Please, d-don’t leave.” You say, demeanor crumbling. Your legs begin to shake as you start to cave. Carly reaches out with both hands, stabilizing your arms. “Woah, okay. It’s okay. You’re okay.” she says as she guides you both to the floor, pulling you to rest on her front. “Everything will be okay.” she says. Will it? You think to yourself.
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Carly was someone you met in your first year in college. Now she's a 27 year old journalist. Originally she was your freshman year dorm mate. It was instant friendship. I mean instant. You would have thought your first interaction was two friends meeting up again after not seeing each other for a while. Accompanying each other to frat parties, skipping classes together, what have you. Where one was, the other wasn’t too far behind. She helped you get over some of the darkest times of your life. 
Losing both of your parents at the age of 20 isn’t something anyone should ever have to deal with, but having Carly by your side made it a little easier. She also didn’t judge, or object when you decided to drop out of college your junior year after their passing. And when the opportunity came up for you to buy the bakery, she knew owning it was your all time dream so.. she handed you a check for 5k.. saying it was her way of investing in your passions. Granted, the bakery wasn’t located on the Amalfi coast in Italy, but your shop where you’re at would have to do for now. You were grateful for her to say the least.
Jackson? Hated her. She tried to make you see your worth. Carly? Also not a big fan of Jackson. “Ugh a J name? Have I taught you nothing?” She’d joked with you when you told her about him. Even after you’d told her about his constant attention and nice gestures, she still wasn’t convinced. “They all just have that type.” she’d started, making you roll your eyes. “AND he’s a professional football player? Y/N!”
“I finally want to give a guy a chance again, and this is your reaction?” 
“I’m not saying you shouldn’t go for it, I'm saying to be careful. These guys all have a reputation.”
“Carls, I swear it feels like he’s different. You don’t see the way he looks at me.”
“Babe, just promise me you’ll be careful, okay? I just don’t want to see you get hurt.” 
Famous last words.
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After half an hour of Carly consoling you on the floor against your apartment door, she peers down at you, noticing your sniffles had quieted. You’re staring off into space while your thoughts just race.
“Hey, I love you and all but my legs are seriously starting to cramp.” She says, breaking the silence. You chuckle softly, being broken out of your haze. “Sorry,” you mumble, pulling yourself to your feet slowly.
“You go get dressed, I’m going to make you a cup of coffee.”
“You don-” “Ah ah ah, go.” She says, turning your shoulders in the direction of your bedroom. “No objections.” You make your way down the short hallway. Silently thanking yourself for not taking every single article of clothing with you when you moved in with Jackson.
Settling on a pair of leggings and an oversized sweatshirt, you make your way back to Carly.
“Now, we don’t have to talk about anything you don’t want to,” she says, holding a mug out to you across the island, “but you know I'm here to listen whenever you’re ready.”
You grab the mug from her grasp, and look down into it. “Am I too rough?” You asked timidly, not looking up.
“I'm sorry, what? Too rough? What makes you think that?” She questions, head tilted to the side, You give her a look that can only be summarized as “what do YOU think?”
“Did he seriously say that?”
“Mm, amongst other things.” You say, taking a sip of your coffee. “Apparently I need to be more obedient.”
“I swear I’ll kill him.” Her fist slammed down on the countertop, making you jump.
“He’s not worth it.” She reaches out, placing her hands over yours. “No, but you are.” You offer a smile at that. Though it doesn’t quite reach your eyes. “Well, do you want to talk about it?” 
You nod. “Yeah. I just.. need to mull over it in my head first.”
“How about I order us some of your favorite take out, pick up a bottle of our favorite wine, and we can have a night on the couch like we used to? Watch some terrible rom coms?”
“That sounds.. Wonderful, Carls. Thank you.”
“Course. What are best friends for? Now, you go get us a sweet treat from downstairs and pick us our first awful movie. I’ll be back in 20.” She says, placing a friendly kiss atop your head and ruffling your hair on the way out.
After Carly’s return, you both promptly made home on the couch you’d spent most of your college nights together. She listened to your recount of what happened.. More threats to Jackson’s life were made.. Of course you quickly reeled her back in with the wine bottle. Promises to be there for whatever you needed were made, not that it needed to be said. She made a wonderful distraction for you for the rest of the night.
But night turns into day and unfortunately, life moves on. Whether we’re ready to or not. 
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Carly makes sure you have your morning coffee before she has to make her way to her “big girl job” as she puts it. But I guess anyone with the privilege of working for the biggest sports magazine would make anyone feel a little intimidated by their job.
You begrudgingly make your way downstairs a little before your opening time and started setting all of your tools you’d need for the day. Going about your daily morning routine, trying not to let the gnawing feelings in the back of your head bother you as you help your few regular morning customers. Your favorite was probably Henry; a little old widow who always buys a peanut butter cookie to share with his very friendly pitbull, Rocco. He says peanut butter cookies used to be his wife's favorite, so he eats one every day to feel close to her. That story nearly ruined your day when he told you, but he immediately scolded you for crying. “Now, none of that. Life happens, dear. Pain is only temporary if you let it be.” His words didn’t seem to help you much right now, but you know he’d be scolding you for letting this affect you this way.
“Good morning, Mr. Henry. Rocco. How are we today?” You ask, reaching down to scratch behind Rocco’s ears.
“Oh, just peachy dear. Rocco had his yearly visit this morning and is in need of his reward.”
“Well, it’s not much of a reward when he gets one every day, Mr. Henry now is it?” Raising your eyebrow at the gentleman as you wash your hands.
“Ah, there she is. Good morning to you too.” He chuckles. How are you doing today, dear?”
“I gotta be honest with you, Mr. Henry.. It’s a rough day. Probably going to be a few rough days. But I know I’ll manage just fine. Especially if seeing you and Rocco is something I have to look forward to.” 
“But won’t you be closed tomorrow? For the championship game?” He questions, handing you the cash for his payment.
Your heart sinks at the thought.
Crap. 
"People will wonder why I'm not there and it’s going to start spreading. Everyone is going to know what happened. Or at least Jackson’s version of what happened. Maybe I should make a post letting people know. No. They won’t care. Who am I kidding of course they will. They all act like high schoolers. Am I going to be posted all over social media?  How is he going to spin this?  Or will it go quietly? Knowing Jackson, he’ll demand a press relea-"
“Y/N? You alright?” Henry’s worried voice snaps you out of your steady spiral.
“Yeah, sorry.” You sniffle. The back of your hand coming up to wipe the tears that had escaped. “Um, no. I’ll be open tomorrow. I won’t be at the game. Or any games for that matter. Jackson and I aren’t together anymore.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, honey.” He reaches out and tucks a strand of your hair behind your ear.
“It’s okay, Mr. Henry. You don’t have to lie, I know you hated him too.” You push out a strained laugh.
“Well, yeah. He inhibited my ability to buy cookies on some sundays. And he was no good for you. But I'll spare you that lecture for now. I can see you’re upset.”
“I probably need to hear it, to be honest.” You say.
“One day, maybe. But you do your best to get through the day.” Picking his cookie box up from the counter he continues, “Fix your face though. No more tears. You have cookies to sell.”
You chuckle. “You got it, Mr. Henry. See you tomorrow?”
“Of course, dear. Have a great rest of your day. See you tomorrow, let’s go Rocco.” He says before he’s out the door, pitbull in tow.
You take the opportunity to duck into the bathroom to splash some cold water on your face and bring yourself back down. Looking at yourself in the mirror, you force yourself to smile and wipe the excess water off. “Pain is only temporary if you let it be.” You say to yourself, making your way out of the bathroom.
Spinning the cake on the lazy susan once it was done being decorated was always your favorite part. Seeing all of your work just perfectly pieced together, every flower laid perfectly, every swirl placed intentionally. Cake decorating was your main passion, but you picked up everything else along the way. Baking and decorating ran in the family after all. Your grandmother bought you your first cake kit, your first big kitchen aid mixer, got you your first cake decorating job at 15, etc. She really helped you form the love that you have for the craft now. Before she passed away when you were 18, she would bring you to this very bakery nearly every weekend to see the different cakes in the case. You owed your love for the craft to her, and you try to show your appreciation to her every day in your work. Always learning new techniques and trying new ideas. Your current obsession was learning this new palette knife technique where you quite literally paint the flowers on the cake with a palette knife. It’s turning out to be quite tricky, but Nana didn't raise no quitter!
You’re boxing up your last order of the day, back facing the door. The little bell sounds, “Hello! Welcome. I’ll be with you in just one moment!” You say, closing the last bit of the box down.
“Oh, don’t worry about me, Love.”
Wait. That voice. That nickname.
Placing the box in the order cooler, you finally turned to the counter, taking in the man before you. You being shocked is an understatement, The man you face planted into yesterday was standing in your bakery.. Waiting for you to speak. 
Speak, Y/N, Speak.
“H-hello. Can I help you? You manage to get out.
“Well, what’s good?” He asks. 
Weird. 
He’s not going to bring up yesterday?
You scoff. “I’m the owner. So it’s all good. But I might be a little biased.” You say, wiping your hands on your apron. “But my cupcakes are my best sellers.”
“I see that, your case looks well picked over.” He says, walking over to the display on his right. “Do you have a favorite?”
“Mm, probably the red velvet. They’re my number one. Chocolate peanut butter is my close second.”
“Everything is homemade?” He inquires with a raised brow, and a smirk of course.
“What do you think?” You challenge. Seriously, what is your problem, y/n?
“I’ll take one of each then.” He says with a smile, walking back to the counter.
“Coming right up.” Boxing them up carefully, you set them on the counter. You tap a few buttons on your register and give him his total. He hands you his sleek black credit card, making you internally scoff and roll your eyes.
“Thank you for stopping in. Have a great rest of your day,” You say, turning away from the counter.
“You don’t remember me?” You hear from behind you. You can almost hear the smirk on his face.
“Oh I do, but if I'm being honest, I just don’t really care that much. Have a great day, Harry.” You say, rounding the corner into the back room.
You hear the little bell sound again, signaling he left.
“Why are you like this?” you say to yourself. 
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The following few weeks were a blur. Nothing major came of you not making an appearance at the championship game. A few comments made on social media, but nothing you couldn’t handle. Just block and delete.
Henry and Rocco made sure they made their daily stop to see you of a morning. Henry even brought you a coffee from that shop down the street a few times. 
Carly stopped by every day during her lunch break to check on you.
“You know you don’t have to babysit me, right?
“I know, but how else will I get my daily cupcake?” She laughs, peeling the paper off the bottom of said cupcake.
Someone else was also making a daily stop, much to your dismay.
You and Carly were sitting at the little table with two chairs you have by the big shop window, just chatting about each other's day when the doorbell chimes, pulling your attention from the conversation.
Looking towards the door, you immediately roll your eyes. “Just, give me a minute.” You grumble to Carly before taking your spot behind the counter.
“Hi, how can I help you?” Emerald eyes bore into yours as you spoke.
“Good afternoon, Love.” He smiles warmly at you, “I’ll take the same as yesterday. Seems those were a hit for my friend Ryan out there.” Glancing over his shoulder you see Ryan standing outside the door.
“He can come in too, ya know.” you say, boxing up his order. “And I thought I told you to stop calling me that.” you huff, smirking as you set the box in front of him.
“Mm, well, until you tell me your actual name, i’ve got nothing else to call you.” He says, handing you that same sleek black card. “Plus, if he comes in I can't have all your attention on me.”
“I’m wearing a name-tag, Harry.” You roll your eyes. “Bring Ryan in next time. I could use a break from you.” You smirk, handing him his card back.
“Reading your name-tag is different than you telling me your name, love.” He chuckles at you rolling your eyes again. “Ryan stays outside until I hear it come from you.”
“You drive a hard bargain, Harry.” “Must be why I’m so successful. I always get what I want.” He states matter of factly.
“Mm, and is that all you want?” You muse, raising a brow at him.
“On the contrary. There’s a plethora of things I want, but we can start with your name.” He smiles warmly at you.
Your breath hitches at his words. “It's Y/N.” You breathe out, his grin grows ten times in size.
“It’s lovely to officially meet you. See you tomorrow, Y/N.” He states, picking up his box and making his way out to Ryan.
“What. The hell. Was that?” Carly muses from her spot at the table. You almost forgot she was here.
“That was Harry. He stops in every day. A right pain in my ass.” You say, plopping down in your chair.
“That didn’t seem like he’s a pain in your ass.” She starts, “Could cut that sexual tension with a knife!” she squeals. “Who is he?!”
“I have no idea. I quite literally ran into him a few weeks ago, and he’s been coming in here every day ever since. He’s a massive flirt as well. But I’m not interested.”
“It didn’t quite seem like you weren’t interested. You were hanging on every word he was saying.” “I was wishing he would leave.”
“Whatever you say, Y/N. He’s into you. I can tell.” “Maybe so, but I'm seriously not interested. I’m good with being by myself for now. It’s barely been three months, Carls.” “I know. You’ll make that jump when you’re ready.” I’ll never be ready. “Where did you say you met him? He looks so familiar.”
“Uh, I actually met him for the first time at the stadium. After all that happened with Jackson.”
“Does he work there?” 
“No idea, babe. I ran into him right near the parking lot. I don’t even know if he was coming or going.”
“And then he just showed up here the next day? Kinda weird.”
“I agree. It could just be a coincidence. My business does have a pretty good reputation.. If I do say so myself. but it makes my brain hurt trying to think about it.”
“Agreed. But be careful. I still don’t like that you’re here alone all day.”
“Ah, but Jesse is returning from school in a few days so I will have my help back.”
“Oh good! I liked him.” She stated, standing from her seat. “Well babe, I have got to get back to the office. I have a few articles to finish and send off before the end of the day. Same time tomorrow?”
“Of course. See you tomorrow. Love you long time!”
“Love you more!” She says, making her way to the exit.
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About another week had passed, and it’d been the same old same old. Jesse, your seasonal help, returned from school for summer break a few days ago so you haven’t been as lonely throughout the day. He was thrilled when he found out that you and Jackson were no longer a couple. 
“Good, there are so many other better players out there that you could shack up with.”
“Jesse! Stop it right now.” You exclaimed, unable to contain your laughter. “Don’t make me mess up this cake.”
“I’m serious, Y/N! There are so many quarterbacks out there that don’t get sacked 12 times in a game. Or we could branch out to other positions on the team. What about a tight end? Or a linebacker if you like them bigger.”
“Oh my god, Jesse!” You cackle. “I don’t need you to play football match maker for me. I’m done with all of that.” You chuckle, setting your bag of icing down on the counter.
The doorbell chimes, breaking both of you out of your fits of giggles, and Jesse made his way up front.
“Good morning, how can I help you?” You hear Jesse ask.
“Oh, good morning. Is Y/N here?” That voice only belongs to one person. He’s early.
“Yeah, she’s actually finishing up an order. I’ll let her know you’re here. What’s your name?”
“Harry.’
“Got it man, be right back.” He says before disappearing around the corner where you stood. “Hey, there’s a guy named Harry out here for you?”
“Oh. Yeah, give me just a minute. Or you know what, can you finish this? Just needs a leaf here and here, and then it goes in its box in the cooler.”
“You trust me to finish a cake?” His eyes widened.
“It’s a few leaves, Jesse, not a rose. Just don’t fuck it up, and you won’t die. Simple as that, really.”
“Oh yeah, simple.”
“I have faith in you.” You say, rounding the corner. “And how can I help you today, Harry? You’re quite early.”
“Good morning to you too, Love.” “Harry, I’ve told you to stop calling me that. You know my name now,”
“I know, but I enjoy watching the lightning spark in your eyes when I call you Love.” He smirks at you.
Your cheeks flash a light pink. “What can I do for you today, Harry?” You mutter out.
“I’ll take one dozen of the red velvet.”
“Ooh, big spender. You’re gonna clear me out of my red velvet for the day. Do you and Ryan have a big sweet tooth today?” You joke, placing the cupcakes into their respective box.
“Not quite, I have a meeting and I promised a treat from this bakery I discovered a few weeks ago. Haven’t shut up about it. I never shut up about the owner either. She’s awfully pretty.”
“You’ve gotten quite bold, Harry.” You muse, sliding his order across the counter. 
The doorbell dings again, pulling your attention from the man in front of you.
“Good morning, Mr. Henry, Rocco. I’ll be with you in just a minute.” As the words were leaving your mouth, Jesse emerged from the back room.
“I can take you over here, Mr. Henry.” Jesse claims, leading him to the other side of the case. Before following him, Mr. Henry sets a coffee cup down on your counter,
“Here you are, dear. Thought you could use that today.” Mr. Henry smiles at you.
“Thank you, Mr. Henry. You don’t have to keep doing that.” You scold.
“I can do whatever I want, thank you.” He smiles, taking his stand down with Jesse
Turning your attention back to Harry, you give him his total.
“That doesn't sound right. Shouldn’t it be more?” He questions.
“Mm, nope. I give a discount when you buy twelve at a time.” You say, handing him his card back. “Is there anything else I can do for you today, Harry?”
“I can think of a few things, but we have an audience. Naughty girl.” His words make you go red in the face, nevermind the pink tinge from before.
“You are insufferable. Have a great meeting.” You say, stepping away from the counter.
“See you tomorrow, Love.” He says before promptly heading outside.
You don't even realize you're smiling.
“Well now I have got just about a million questions.” Jesse’s voice startles you on your left.
“I second that,” Mr. Henry says. “Now what is it you kids say these days? Oh right. Spill.”
“Yeah, what he said. Spill, Y/N.” Jesse said, backing up the elderly man.
“Both of you are terrible. There’s nothing to spill.” You say, turning to wipe off the counter.
“You’re a terrible liar.” Jesse says.
“I know you might not be able to tell, but I was not born yesterday, dear. I know something when I see it. Now just who was he?” Mr. Henry quips out.
You chuckle. “I promise, he’s nobody. He’s been coming in here every day. He’s got a little crush on me, I will admit that, but I’m not looking for anything right now. Jackson still has me all messed up in the head.”
“Okay, but they say the fastest way to get over a guy is to get under a new one!” Jesse exclaims, “You never know what you’re miss- OKAY OW.” He says when you snap him with a towel.
“Now, I wouldn't listen to Mr. Horn dog over here, but maybe someone new is what you need, dear.”
“I hear you, Mr. Henry, I’m just not ready for that just yet. I appreciate both of your concerns though. Have a great day, Mr. Henry. Rocco.” You say with a smile that doesn't quite reach your eyes. “Jesse, I’m going to step out for a minute. I’ll be right back.” You disappear up the staircase to your apartment.
“Maybe we overstepped.” Jesse says to Mr. Henry.
“Perhaps, but maybe she needs someone to push her to that step.”
“I think I’ll take a step back from that. I don’t want to lose my job. She’ll get back out there when she’s ready.”
“I suppose you’re right. Have a good day, Jesse. We’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Have a good one, Mr. Henry.”
Mr. Henry and Rocco make their way outside, settling on a bench right down the street from your shop.
“Mr. Henry, was it?”
“Who’s asking?” He responds, looking up at the person in question.
“Names Harry. Harry Styles. I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions.” Harry asks, extending his hand.
“Mm, is this about the owner of that bakery down there?” Mr. Henry inquires.
“Would it be a problem if it was?”
Mr. Henry laughs, and takes Harry’s hand in his, giving him a firm shake. “What can I do for you, son?
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thank you for reading! please like &/or reblog if you enjoyed <3
taglist: @stylesfever @olipoli21 @hermionelove @st-ev-ie
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eu-nicola · 5 months
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Beyond Friendship - Percy Jackson x Reader
summary: In a journey of years, you and Percy discover that your connection goes beyond friendship.
warnings: without ( maybe clarify that I don't like what I wrote )
thanks to @lady-ashfade for the amazing divider
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You and Percy were in front of the mysterious Oracle of Delphi. With determination in their eyes, they decided to accept this journey so that no one else would have to go through any danger. You didn't imagine that such a mission would ever be given to you, but you were still willing to do your best to emerge victorious.
Not even a week had passed that you and Percy had already set out on the path for this task, you certainly still had a long way to go but with Percy by your side things became easier for you.
“Do you think we're ready for this?” Percy asked you.
“Yes, I believe it, we are children of our Gods and that makes us stronger and more intelligent, that's what my mother always tells me.” You answered him while you settled on a couch in a hotel that your mother had arranged for you to get to.
“Have you always been close to your mother?”
“As far back as I can remember, she claims me from the first minute i arrived at the camp. I felt honored to be her daughter.”
“I'm glad that at least one is close to a God.” While Percy was saying all this you could tell how he really wanted to be close to his father.
“The gods act in strange ways, don't worry, I'm sure your father wants the same thing, it's just difficult.”
"I guess so".
"Percy, you know we should start planning what we're going to do." You asked him.
“Yes, well, I haven't thought about it much. Do you have any idea?".
“Maybe we should go to the temple of Athena, there is a hidden library there.” Said.
“That sounds good but now I want to sleep, rest.” After that you and Percy fell asleep as fast as you could.
As the days went by and you investigated the clues, you and Percy without realizing it became closer and every time you spent time together you got along better. Percy's bravery and cunning complemented perfectly with your beauty and insight.
In every dangerous situation both found themselves in, supported each other, trusting in yours abilities and the special connection they had discovered. Together, they overcame obstacles, faced mythological creatures, and challenged powerful enemies trying to stop them.
With each step they took, the enigma slowly unraveled. You and Percy discovered that the Oracle of Delphi held dark secrets that threatened the fate of the demigods and the balance of the world.
Armed with their bravery and determination, they faced the powerful enemies that protected the Oracle. They no longer seemed like just two children but rather young people willing to do whatever was necessary to protect their loved ones.
This journey had lasted for years where you had made new friends and new people had joined you in the same situation, in that time you and Percy realized how much you had learned from each other. Their connection had grown into something more than friendship.
Together, they continued to face challenges and celebrate each achievement. Their connection grew even stronger, becoming an inseparable team. At the end of your journey, you and Percy had completed everything and solved the riddle, which had taken you down difficult but never impossible paths.
When they finally returned to Camp Half-Blood, their names were already echoing throughout the camp and even Olympus, for now everything was at peace and they hoped it would stay that way.
176 notes · View notes
suashii · 10 months
Text
୨♡୧ MORE — bakugo katsuki x reader. suggestive fluff. allusions to sex. reader's gender isn't mentioned. all characters written 18+. minors do not interact.
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“i don’t mean to be rude, but can i ask why you’re still here?” you stare up at the ceiling, the unfamiliar warmth of a body lingering beside you. it’s a foreign feeling, but one you don't mind. though, you wouldn’t dare get used to it.
“what, you want me to leave?” bakugo speaks up from beside you. his voice rumbles and you can feel it against your skin. you didn’t even realize your arm was pressed against his.
“i never said that,” you clarify, turning to face him. blonde strands of hair stick to his forehead with sweat and crimson eyes stare back at you. it’s hard to tell what was brewing behind them, but whatever it may be is different than the lust you’re accustomed to seeing. “i’m just… surprised that you’re sticking around.”
“why?”
“because you never do.” you hope it doesn’t sound bitter, but you both know that it’s true.
“does that bother you?”
he sure is full of questions tonight. it isn’t usual for him to be so talkative, hell, he would likely be long gone by now if it were any other night. though, you’re far from bothered by his presence; the better word to describe it is… confused.
while you aren’t exactly thrilled that he typically wastes no time getting out of your bed and leaving your dorm, you understand why he’s made a habit of doing so. this thing going on between you both is nothing more than a friends with benefits arrangement. at least,  that’s what the two of you agreed to a couple weeks ago. you didn’t mind it at first, but with each passing hookup, your heart sinks deeper and deeper every time you hear the click of the door signaling his departure. but you can’t allow yourself to be upset about it; after all, you knew what you were getting yourself into.
“no. i know what this arrangement is.” it isn’t healthy to suppress your emotions, you know that, but the last thing you want to do is humiliate yourself by confessing what are surely unrequited feelings. it wouldn’t hurt to be untruthful this once.
“does that bother you?” he repeats his question, though, it asks something else entirely.
“hm? what?”
“that we’re only friends with benefits.”
“why would it?” you shy away from the intensity of his gaze, looking to the wall behind him. did he somehow catch onto your growing feelings? could he feel what were meant to be absent strings beginning to him down? god, you knew something was up. why else would he still be here?
“so you’re still okay with us just hooking up?”
“yeah, of course.” it wasn’t supposed to come out as shaky as it did, but maybe your smile would hide the slip-up.
bakugo groans, pushing the damp hair back and off of his forehead, causing it to stick up haphazardly. you would have laughed if you weren’t so caught off guard by his reaction to your response. if anyone seemed bothered, it was him. “look, i can’t do this anymore.”
the small smile that was tugging at your lips falls upon hearing him. you thought your replies to all of his questions were enough to convince him that this wasn’t turning into something he clearly didn’t want it to. of course you wanted more, a real relationship with him, but you were more than willing to settle for the way things were if that meant you’d still have him around.
“this was a bad idea. i know we said that we’d keep things strictly physical but i’ve been lying to you and myself since the start. i’m fucking tired of trying to act like i don’t have feelings for you. but i understand if you don’t feel the same. and i’ll leave you alone if—”
“you like me?” it wasn’t your intention to cut him off so abruptly, but his hastily spoken words were taking an abnormal amount of time to process in your brain and you had to be sure you heard him correctly.
he frowns. “that’s what i just said, yeah.”
there’s a silence on your end before you speak up again. “really?”
“yes,” he firmly replies once more. his lips turn up but not in a smile—no, it’s closer to a smirk. “god, what’s wrong with you? you in some kind of post-sex haze or something?”
“shut up.” you can feel your cheeks warming in embarrassment at your less-than-called-for reaction. it isn’t that you don’t reciprocate his feelings, that couldn’t be more far off, but his actions in the past led you to believe that you were no more than someone he could blow off some steam with. so, if anything, your flustered state can be attributed to the fact that the man you had spent so long yearning for was just a hair’s breadth away—right within your reach. all that’s left to do is grab him.
“i don’t want you to leave.” you tentatively hold out your hand and it trembles, hovers, over bakugo’s face before making a home on the soft flesh of his cheek. your thumb brushes across his cheekbone and he leans into your touch. “i like you, too.”
“good,” he says, just above a whisper. his hand finds its way to yours, resting easily on top of it. in his years, bakugo had learned that being brazen wasn’t always in his best interest, but now, in this moment, it had worked out for him. it certainly wasn’t romantic and was far from anything he’d seen in those dumb movies about love, but it worked. and all that matters now is that he can call you his.
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thanks for reading! consider commenting or reblogging if you enjoyed ❤︎
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ivnxrori · 2 months
Text
When Sun and Moon meet - S2
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Zuko x Fem!WaterBender!Reader Enemies to Lovers
As one of the Princesses of the Northern Water tribe, you were blessed with a gift by the moon. However you were permitted to be allowed to use the gift at all costs. From many hidden waterbending usages, the aftermath of the avatar visiting the Northern Tribe had led to your beginning journey, hiding yourself as a water bender as a princess from the Northern water tribe
Warnings: none
Masterlist
҉ * ‧͙ ⋆ ⁺ ༓ ☾ Chapter 5 - Trainer Sakari
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I stare at the moon and stars, laying against the grassy land with the Buffalo Yak next to me. We decided to take a break, I didn't want to tire out my only transportation. I didn't feel that tired, I decided maybe looking at the night sky would put me to slumber against my sleeping bag but that clearly didn't do. “I might as well use the time I have” I mutter under my breath and lift myself up. I attempted to try some water bending moves to strengthen my water bending however I haven't succeeded most of the moves. “Ugh this sucks!” I yell at the water causing it to rain. “Just my luck” I said annoyed. “It seems like your waterbending abilities have a high range.” I turned around to see who said that. It was some lady, she looked like she was in her 40s or so. “Who are you?” “Oh just some lonely water bender.” “Did you come from the northern tribes?” “Yes indeed I did, Princess Y/N” She smiled. “Then what was the need to come here? Late at night?” I questioned suspiciously. “Relax princess, I like to look at the night sky here, it's the best view isn't it?” She asked, I slowly let my guard down. “It is,” I sigh. “I have heard that your sister turned into the moon spirit” “You’re correct” The silence lasted longer than I had wanted. “Did you run away because you were tired of the stupid rules?” I broke the silence. “Every woman who is a waterbender who is not in the northern tribes clearly ran away.” We both laugh softly. “I know someone who is a waterbender from the southern tribes,” I said. “Because of her, the Northern water tribe allowed girls to waterbend,” I continued. “That's believable” The woman shrugged. “I believe I never got your name” I asked, turning to her. “Sakari,” She said simply. “I'm married to an earthbender with 2 kids”. I gasped in shock. “What? you're surprised that i'm a married woman” She chuckled as I shook my head “No, I just never heard of anyone getting married without being arranged.” Sakari furrowed her brows “Oh you poor princess” We both chuckle at that statement. “All right, I like you now. Pack up your stuff you're sleeping at my house tonight” Sakari got up. My eyes widened. “Me?” I pointed at myself and she stared at me, giving an ‘are you serious’ look on her face. “Right…” Y/N you couldn't possibly be even more stupider. “How come you want me- wait no. How come you trust me enough to come to your house?” I gathered my stuff from the floor, which wasn't much. “Like you have much experience with waterbending, besides I can't leave a princess in the cold like that” “It's not that cold” “Then stay outside” “No! Sorry im coming” I hurried to catch up to her, tugging on the Buffalo Yak.
  ҉   ☾
Once I saw her house from outside, it looked very homely. “Put your animal in the shed over there”. I complied and moved the Yak under the shed. “I'll see you later buddy”. We walked in and It looked just as cozy from the inside. “The kids are asleep, if they’re snoring it's not my issue” Sakari said which made me laugh. On the walls they have many family portraits, I could tell that the kids look exactly like her. I smile thinking about my own family, slowly realizing I have 2 missing people in it. “Losing someone isn't easy, I know” Sakari spoke up which caught me out of zoning out. “I'm just not used to it…my mind keeps wandering back to the worser days”. I sighed deeply. “You will get better” Sakari reassured me “Let's get you to your room shall I” she pushed me towards my room.
  ҉   ☾
I stare at the ceiling blankly. I wonder how everyone is at the Northern Water Tribe. Probably better because of Katara. I can't do anything right can I? In the end I'm still as selfish as before, using people for my own benefit. I groaned into my pillow, I really need to fall asleep by now, for tomorrow. Then an idea popped up in my head. What if…Sakari helped me with waterbending. I'm not the best at waterbending so using her help would benefit me. I slightly kick my legs in excitement and use that as motivation to fall asleep.
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“I'm sorry Kiddo I'm not sure if I could help you there,” Sakari said uncertainly. My mouth agape “But I need someone to help me waterbend!” I begged. 
“Get a waterbending master”
“I ran away before asking for more help”
“Oh…Right”
I sighed deeply “The only help that I got was from the moon spirit, otherwise now I'm stuck” I attempted to guilt trip Sakari, hoping she would give in. “Fine!” She yelled, “I'll teach you all I know”. My eyes widened in joy “Thank you so much! Thank you, thank you!” I repeated in gratefulness. “But!” Sakari put her hand in front of me. “I won't go easy on you” She warned as I nodded. 
  ҉   ☾
“You’re not doing this right,” Sakari yelled, which made me grow frustrated. “Ugh!” I threw the water aggressively. Just as I hit my limit, rain started to hit. “Why is it raining?” I scream in anger. “Y/N you have trouble controlling your emotions which leads to your waterbending to react just like you do. You have set the clouds to rain again.” Sakari explained. “How come I never heard of this ‘cloud bending’?” I mocked. “You have higher range than other water benders. I have been realizing that this happens to you when the clouds are low enough. This is beneficial but much more difficult to control.” Sakari moves closer and grabs my wrist. “You have to be calm, one with the water.” She motions my wrists to the feeling of water. “How am I supposed to be calm in this kind of situation?” “Deep breaths…”
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, listening to what I was told. I went to move the water smoothly and not aggressively as I thought I should. “You see Y/N, You did it” Sakari said. I opened my eyes to see the water molding in my favor. “I guess I am doing it” I sigh in relief.
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“You can't bring your animal to Ba Sing Se”. I turned my head around confused. “Why not?” “They’re strict” “But im a princess” “There it is, your spoiled mindset” She sighed disappointingly I roll my eyes at her comment. “I could pretend I'm injured, give me some bandages” I said, urging her to get bandages but to no avail. She looked at me deadpanned. “Oh…May I please have some bandages.” I sheepishly said and she nodded. “You really need to grow out of that attitude princess Y/N” Sakari said, giving me the bandages. “Sorry, bad habit” I shrug. “I'll come see you once I have time, which will be a lot” I smiled, getting on my Yak. “Can't wait,” Sakari said sarcastically, which made us both laugh. “Well, this is goodbye for now” I looked down. “Stop with the sappy comments, you're gonna come back” Sakari slapped my back teasingly. “You’re right, well see you!” The buffalo yak started moving as I waved.
“Good luck!” Sakari called out. “Thank you!”
<- Back - Next ->
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a/n: WOOO SEASON 2!! I actually finished this chapter a while ago but I wanted to wait for a little bit! My spring break is almost over so im pretty sure there isnt going to be anymore daily updates however I that could change if im able to finish the series on time. Also Sakari is a fan made character made by me, I needed to make a waterbender to train Y/N. ANWAYS Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Have a nice day!
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Taglist: @luvkvni @katovano @karmaswitch @someonesmember @velvet-spider @sh3sa1dwhat @nerdisthenewcool @meiraloves2dmen @fqnfics101 @iluvme547 @leaderwon @yukihatesreoyo @heart4hees @4l3x1s @kkissaku @corpsebridenightamare @newjellis @fatkish
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flowerui · 3 months
Text
♫ three little words (dedicate them to me), cyj
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fluff, 4.8k words ୨୧ oh my god they were roommates :0 sorry to any academic weapons reading, im projecting a bit as an academic failure lol
wherein it only takes you about twenty-nine years to realize you're in love with your best friend... at least you got there!
꒰ requested. gender neutral reader (no pronouns or gendered terms used), reader is younger, unspecified age difference (but its implied that theyre very close in age), childhood friends to lovers, nonidol au, roommates, idiots in love, time skips, aging up, alcohol/drinking, a bit dialogue heavy, vomit is mentioned a few times, friend group ot4 ꒱
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It’s hard to recall a time without Yeonjun; he appeared one day and stuck to you, almost as if he were a stubborn thorn in your side (said endearingly, of course).
It must’ve been when you were still in kindergarten—right, Yeonjun and his parents had moved in next door, and your moms both became friends and arranged a play date. Yeonjun had brought his PlayStation over and let you play it with him, so, obviously, to five-year-old you, that made the two of you best friends right away.
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“Are you almost done?” Yeonjun bemoans from your bedroom floor, urging you to look up from your piles of textbooks and worksheets finally.
“No, I told you I needed to study and that you should go to your own house, you bum. Just ‘cause you don’t give a shit about your education doesn't mean I don’t.”
“You almost flunked last year. And you’re only studying because your mom saw you got a three out of a hundred on your algebra test,” Yeonjun deadpans, “how do you even score that bad?” Ugh, lucky, naturally academically gifted asshole. You roll your eyes and toss a pencil at his stupid face.
“Whatever,” you grumble, it’s not your fault you can’t be an academic weapon, and that school is whooping your ass instead with academics as a weapon. “I feel like my brain is about to start leaking out of my ears anyway, wanna go to yours?”
Yeonjun grins, sitting up from your floor with a start, finally regaining some of his earlier excitement before he had to wait nearly four hours (all of which were spent pestering you) while you attempted to study. “I ditched school yesterday to get a copy of Resident Evil 4 from GameStop.”
“What the hell—and you didn’t invite me?” you whine, “That’s cold, you better let me try it first.”
It’s hours later into the evening when you’re watching Yeonjun attempt to get through the wretched cabin section that you died approximately… thirteen times trying to get through, that he says, “You remember that guy, Taehyun, right? In my AP History class.”
“Mhm,” you hum, blinking your bleary eyes at Yeonjun’s TV screen from your very comfortable spot on his couch.
“He doesn’t usually talk a whole lot to me, but today, I couldn’t get him to shut up,” Yeonjun huffs a laugh as he maneuvers the character, Leon, up the stairs on screen, seemingly making it farther than you could. “He was complaining though, ‘cause he was partnered with this person who was into me. He couldn’t get any work done, they were just bugging him about me.”
You tear your focus from the TV to look at the side of Yeonjun’s face, you can see part of his furrowed brow and pursed lips. “Oh.”
It doesn’t surprise you that a lot of people seem to be interested in Yeonjun at school. In middle school, people started coming up to you, asking if you’d put in a good word for them with Yeonjun, because they ‘like-liked’ him, and you were his best friend. Then, it was at the end of eighth grade that you started telling those people to grow a pair and talk to him themselves.
You suppose you kind of understand. Yeonjun’s nice when he’s not being a little shit… and he’s not horrible to look at, one might even say he’s good-looking.
“Are you into them?” The question seems to roll off your tongue easily, but you’re not even sure why you asked, you don’t think you want to know. For some reason, thinking about it churns your stomach a bit.
“...No, I mean, they’re pretty, but,” Yeonjun sighs, tossing his controller to the side as he dies a second time. “they seem kinda… much. I dunno, Taehyun said they literally wouldn’t talk to him about anything besides me the entire class. It kinda weirded me out.”
“Hm, yeah.” You hum, a weird feeling of… relief washing over you. Yeonjun’s mom comes in to ask if you’re staying for dinner before you can think about it too hard.
Later that night, when you’re stuck staring blankly at your ceiling, you decide you were just relieved that Yeonjun wasn’t going to end up with some overly possessive weirdo. It’d suck to lose your best friend that way.
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“Please do not throw up, because if you throw up, then I’m gonna throw up.”
“I’m not gonna throw up,” Yeonjun insists, but it doesn’t sound all too credible with the way he slurs his words, maybe you’ve also had too much to drink, but you swear he looks a little green. “I… am perfectly fine, thank you very much.”
“Uhuh.”
“Don’t ‘uhuh’ me,” Yeonjun grumbles with an attempted glare, you find that you can’t take him all too seriously, though; the flush on his cheeks, his inability to keep his eyes open for more than five seconds, and his perpetual pout make it all too difficult. “Oh, I—I think I’m gonna hurl.” He braces himself against the bar, eyes suddenly more awake.
That would be the reason you end up in a grimy bathroom on your twenty-first, making sure your best friend’s hair is out of the way as he empties the contents of his stomach into a toilet bowl.
“Why’d you drink so much, you know you’re a lightweight.” You ask when Yeonjun seems to be done, frowning as you wipe off his mouth with a paper towel.
“Am not,” he protests petulantly. “I was just—I just felt like it ‘cause I thought it’d make me feel better ‘nd I could stop thinking about other shit.”
“Did something happen?”
“...I stopped seeing that person I told you about.”
“Why? I thought it was going well?” ‘Well’ might be a bit of an overstatement. Like most of Yeonjun’s partners, you didn’t hear a whole lot about this new one, met them once for a brief moment, then didn’t hear of them again. It seems to be a common theme in Yeonjun’s relationships—his fleeting interest, you haven’t figured out if you should say anything about it.
“It was just, um. ‘M not over someone…. I didn’t feel right staying in a relationship knowing I’m still not over someone else.”
Oddly enough, that felt rather sobering to hear. You hum, stomach feeling a little off—you hope you aren’t going to throw up next… “You haven’t told me about that, wanna talk about it? It might feel better than drinking too much and throwing up in a disgusting bathroom. Don’t quote me on that, though.”
Yeonjun blinks slowly, then chuckles, “I’ll tell you about it some other time, I just really want to be in bed right now.”
Instead of getting an Uber or something, you trudge down the sidewalk with a clingier-than-usual Yeonjun, who barely manages to walk in a straight line. You internally celebrate when your apartment building comes into view; one of you seriously needs to get a car.
You have to convince Yeonjun to shower before you, almost like a petulant child. 
And apparently, wanting to be in bed means taking up most of your mattress and hogging your blankets for the night, because when you finish showering, you return to your room to find your bed occupied. You could just steal Yeonjun’s bed for the night… but you end up just crawling into bed beside him, listlessly trying to reclaim your covers.
He never ended up telling you about this mystery person he’s not over.
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“I just don’t think it’s going to work out.” You sigh.
“But why? I thought things between us were going great, I—”
“I’m sorry, I just don’t see this relationship progressing any further.”
“But, I—I told my mom about you! You can’t leave me, I love you!”
“Ugh, you asshole,” you cry out as Yeonjun pretends to cry hysterically and shakes you by your shoulders, “You’re supposed to be taking this seriously and helping me!”
Yeonjun cackles as you shove him away, “I mean he could react like that, couldn’t he?” Then, he sighs and places his hands on your shoulders—not shaking you this time. “Okay, seriously, it’s going to be fine, you’ll be in a public space, so worst case scenario, he embarrasses himself.”
“You’re right… ugh, I’m gonna be late.”
“You’re the one who wanted to rehearse the conversation again.”
Before sending you off, Yeonjun smushes your face, cooing, “Okay, go dump your boyfriend, my duckling, I’ll be waiting here with takeout and beer.”
“You are a grown-ass man.” You deadpan before you’re finally off.
It’s been a good few months since you started seeing this new guy—his name’s Mark, you realized you liked him enough to make things more official after several good dates. But, you’ve already been considering breaking things off with him for a while now; you seem to have this recurring issue when it comes to relationships… You just can’t seem to envision a future that includes your partner, even when it’s going well you ultimately lose interest.
Mark seems like a good guy, too, which makes you feel worse, but it’d be even worse to just lead him on, right? That’s what you continue reminding yourself as you trudge into a nice café that will be tainted by the memory of you dumping a nice guy for the rest of your life. You’ll never be able to enjoy the sweet treats of ‘Arcadia’ ever again.
“Hey, there you are,” Mark smiles as you take the seat across from him.
“Yeah, uh, sorry, I had to help my roommate out.” A fib, even though your mother tells you honesty is the best policy. Well, she lied about Santa and the tooth fairy; besides, your fib sounds nicer than ‘I was rehearsing how to break up with you with my best friend’.
“No worries.”
“Um,” it’s better to just get it over with, you remind yourself, just rip the bandaid off, “so, I wanted to talk to you.”
“Uh oh, that doesn’t sound too good,” Mark chuckles, then clears his throat and continues when you don’t laugh, “What’s up?”
With a deep breath, you let it spill out all at once, “I don’t think this is going to work out, I just don’t see us—this relationship going any further. I’m sorry and I hope you can understand.” Okay, that wasn’t too scary, if you’re ignoring your shaky, clammy palms against your knees.
Mark nods, then looks down at his lap, then back at you, “I guess I should’ve seen it coming, I mean, I’ve seen the way you and your roommate look at each other.”
“Uh… you what?”
“You don’t have to play dumb about it, it’s obvious the both of you are in love. Guess I just liked you so much I hoped I could change your mind.” Mark sighs, “I think I’m gonna… go, sorry.” He says, then leaves you to spiral.
‘Obvious the both of you are in love’? You and Yeonjun? That’s ridiculous, right?
Leaving what was once your favorite café in a daze, you’re suddenly glad that you’d decided to walk instead of drive; you barely register entering your apartment complex, and unlocking your door.
“Hey,” Yeonjun is on the couch, takeout and a pack of beer spread on the coffee table as promised, “how’d it go?”
“It went fine,” you say with a smile that doesn’t quite make its way to your eyes, “he took it as well as he could have.” It’s weird, that you don’t just word vomit out every small detail, like you tend to with Yeonjun. But somehow, something about divulging everything feels weirder, so in a rare twist of events, you keep quiet.
Seemingly taking the hint that that’s going to be all you say for the time being, Yeonjun changes the topic, “Go change so we can eat, the new episode of The Vampire Diaries is literally about to start in like two seconds.”
“What the hell! I didn’t think I was gone for that long!” You shriek and make a run for it to your room to change out of your outside clothes.
Yeonjun snorts when you return, plopping onto the couch while trying to catch your breath. “I lied, there’s still like half an hour.”
“You’re such an asshole,” you hiss, and pummel him with the nearest throw pillow.
“I’m starting to think I’m gonna end up alone,” with a grunt, you tug your blanket up higher, “why’re we both so bad at relationships?”
“Rude,” Yeonjun flicks your forehead, and if you weren’t so cozy, full of food, and three cans of beer drunker, you might’ve sat up to take your revenge. But alas, moving even a mere inch feels like a herculean effort.
“You’re rude,” you stick your tongue out at him childishly. “Y’know I didn’t mean it like that, though, right?”
“I know.”
“Mm. Maybe…” You focus your bleary eyes on Yeonjun’s face above you. Even from this unfortunate angle, from where your head rests on his lap, he looks so… “If we’re not… If we’re still single by the time we’re thirty-four, I think we should just marry each other.”
Yeonjun laughs, “Okay, I think it’s bedtime, don’t you have work in the morning?”
If you hadn’t fallen asleep right then, you might’ve clapped back with a witty response, or you might’ve sat up, and looked at Yeonjun dead in the eyes and told him that you were serious.
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“No, Mom, I am still not in a relationship,” you pause, then sigh, “Yes, I know I’m not getting any younger. And, no, I’m not gonna—wait, what?”
“You heard me, I asked when you’re going to give in and just marry Yeonjun. I like him, he’d be a nice son-in-law, he practically already is at this point!”
Only mothers would have the audacity. You have to pull your phone away from your ear to stare at the outgoing call screen in astonishment. “What… are you talking about?” You ask when you bring your phone back to your ear.
“Oh, c’mon. You’ve been living together since you were what, nineteen? Neither of you dates anymore, you spend all your free time together…You may as well get hitched at this point, instead of denying your poor mother the opportunity of watching her child get married any longer.”
You perk up at the call of your name, seeing two of your coworkers rush over, “Hey—random question—how early do you think is too early to get engaged? Lia’s only been with her partner for like three months, and they’re already engaged! You’ve been with your boyfriend for years, right? And neither of you has proposed?”
“Uh? My… boyfriend?”
“Yeah? Your boyfriend, his name’s Yeonjun, right?”
“Oh, he’s not my… He’s just my best friend.” You’re not sure what’s more embarrassing, the fact that all this time, it seemed like you and Yeonjun were dating, or having to tell two of your coworkers that you are actually painfully single. It doesn’t make it any better that the majority of your coworkers, while nice, are known for gossiping—all mostly harmless.
You expect your mother to make you feel bad about your relationship status (out of love), but not your coworkers.
“It’s weird, lately, I’ve realized that people think me and Yeonjun are together…? My mom even told me to just go and marry him, like?”
“Oh, you poor sweet summer child…”
“Have you still seriously not realized?” Taehyun pipes up beside Kai who regards you with a pitiful look. What’s up with everyone lately? You’re starting to feel like you’re the only one missing something.
“Realized what?”
“Oh, you’re hopeless.” Taehyun laments, looking as if he’s about ready to tear his hair out or reach across the dining table to knock some sense into you.
Ideally, you’d like to think you’re not at all oblivious. But, after many strange occurrences, you can’t help but consider: that you’ve never properly thought of Yeonjun that way—in a romantic sense. He’s always just been Yeonjun; the only person who you know for a fact you can trust with anything, and the only person who will stick with you despite all of your bullshit, like a stubborn thorn you can’t seem to be rid of (not that that’s an issue). He’s your everything, really.
When you imagine your future, you always see him fit in there somehow—but it occurs to you that as someone who’s never had a complete interest in marriage, or any romantic relationships for a long time for that matter, you could imagine walking down the aisle with Yeonjun, and more. Not only that, but you like imagining it.
Oh.
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How dense can one be to fail to realize they’ve been in love with their best friend all this time? After nearly three decades of friendship, it’s seriously taken you this long to get to this conclusion? All those failed relationships you tried so hard to make work, it was all for nothing, because you couldn’t realize what you felt for what you already had! So much time wasted…
“Are you feeling okay?” Yeonjun apparates beside you, a palm carefully tracing circles over your upper back.
You feel bad for how you jolt away from him, seeing the surprise and mild hurt pass over his features in a split second. If you didn’t know Yeonjun like the back of your hand, you might’ve missed it. “...Sorry, I dunno—I’ve been kind of out of it lately, I think I just need to relax.”
“You haven’t been overworking yourself again, have you?”
“No…”
Yeonjun gives you a look as though he doesn’t quite believe you, but drops it. This time, you don’t jump away like frightened prey when he touches you—wraps around your side. “Let’s watch something tonight? I’ve been hearing about this new Kdrama called ‘My Demon’.”
“That sounds straight out of Wattpad… I’ll order the food.”
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“Happy birthday,” Yeonjun sings as he saunters into your bedroom at… way too early in the morning. But all’s forgiven with the realization he comes bearing gifts—food. “What’s that, thirty-four punches I’m gonna have to give you, now? Fuck, you’re old,” he says as he sets down a delectable-looking plate of your favorite breakfast on your nightstand.
“Shut up, you’re older than me.” You narrow your eyes, sitting up to reach for your birthday breakfast.
“And if you punch me thirty-four times, you will not live to see another day, Choi.”
Getting older has meant that your birthdays have become a lot less eventful, but you haven’t quite minded it. They’re spent with your favorite person, anyway, so no complaints on your end.
Yet, somehow, you end up on a beach on the night of your birthday, sitting on a beach towel Yeonjun had neatly spread out and admiring the night sky. You’d had a simple plan to laze around at home all day, eat something good for dinner, drink a little more than you should, and then sleep like the dead. However, Yeonjun had other plans when he’d announced the night before that he was taking you on a day trip the next morning. ‘It’s only a six-hour drive’, he’d said, because he’s insane.
You suppose you had a little more to your original plan… you guess you also intended to profess your newly realized love for your best friend, and potentially ruin about twenty-nine years of friendship if things happened to go wayward. Well, you still intend on getting that over with.
“Happy birthday,” Yeonjun says once more, as he returns from the car with an unopened bottle of wine and two wine glasses. Huh, you guess that’s why he took so long to grab something to drink from the ‘cooler’, actually... do either of you even own a cooler? “Better appreciate this wine, it was pricey.”
“I distinctly recall telling you not to spend much on me this year,” you sigh, but you’re staring down the bottle, “and you already arranged this impromptu trip.”
“Well, I wanted to, it’s not every day you turn thirty-four.” Yeonjun doesn’t add anything else, as he hands you the bottle of wine; you decide not to call out how he can’t meet your eyes properly.
Cabernet Sauvignon 1999, the bottle reads. You don’t know much about wine—you’re not that old yet—just that it usually tastes good. “Is it good? I don’t think I’ve tried Cabernet Sauvignon, have I?”
“You haven’t, I think you’ll like it. It would’ve gone well with dinner.”
You hum, taking a corkscrew handed to you, as Yeonjun takes a seat beside you.
A couple of glasses later, you blurt, “Thanks. For this—the trip, dinner. And the wine. I like it a lot.” It’s not quite what you’d meant to say, in such a stilted manner. You guess you need a little more liquid courage, as you pour yourself another glass.
“I can tell, that’s like your third glass.”
“Shut up,” you grumble, as Yeonjun snorts into his glass. Cheeks warming, you start internally motivating yourself—if being alive for thirty-four years has taught you anything, it’s that everything’s worth a shot. You miss a hundred of the shots you don’t take… or whatever the saying is. “Do you remember that time I said we should just marry each other if we’re still single by thirty-four?”
After a pause, Yeonjun raises a brow, “Yes?”
“I’m surprised you remember that, considering you passed out right after… Are you saying we should get married, then?” Something passes over his features before he turns to you, and laughs something that isn’t exactly humorous, “I think that might be enough wine for you.”
“I’ve only had two glasses.”
“Two-and-a-half,” you correct after glancing down at your half-full glass. “I’m not drunk, maybe a teensy bit tipsy, but—fuck, that’s not the point.”
“What is the point you’re trying to make then? Yeonjun laughs, it almost looks like that familiar glint has returned to his eyes. You’d appreciate it if you weren’t about to implode.
“I, uh,” you clear your throat. Yeonjun continues to regard you with amusement; you vaguely wonder if he’ll still be amused once you manage to get the words—your confession out, or if you’ll go and ruin everything because of some stupid feelings. “Fuck, this is kinda difficult.”
“Okay, um,” maintaining eye contact is a test of your mental strength, which is why you avert your gaze even though you’ve turned to face Yeonjun, as you utter your next sentence, “So, it’s taken me an embarrassingly long time to realize that I’ve, uh, sort of, kind of been in love with you for probably forever. No, I—”
“I’m in love with you,” you rephrase more confidently, yet you end up shrinking in on yourself when the only response you receive is Yeonjun blinking blankly at you. “So, um, you could say something… right about now. Like, you hate me and are kicking me out? Well, ideally, you could say that you feel the same and—”
“Breathe,” Yeonjun reaches over to squeeze your clammy hand. Taking a breath as instructed, you realize you have not been breathing properly since you began speaking. “I was just—you’re being serious? You aren’t just drunk, and you aren’t fucking with me?”
“Two-and-a-half glasses, I’m tipsy at worst,” you reiterate, “and I’m not fucking with you either.”
“Oh.” Yeonjun breathes, which does nothing to assuage the anxiety that feels like it might have colored your face pallid, as it incessantly knocks against your ribcage.
“Oh? C’mon man, I just confessed my love to you, give me a little more than ‘Oh’, I’m nervous as shit right now.”
“Sorry, I was just…” Yeonjun laughs, the asshole laughs. “We really are best friends, huh? I spent all week trying to figure out how to make your birthday special, and confess my love to you at the end of the night. And here you are, beating me to it.”
“You… oh.”
“C’mon man, give me a little more than ‘Oh’, I just told you your love is reciprocated,” Yeonjun laughs as he repeats your previous words, teasing, “I’m nervous as shit, too.”
So, you down the rest of your glass before setting it aside and scooting too close for comfort, and ask, “Can I kiss you?” Because if thirty-four years of life has taught you anything, it’s to not waste any more time.
“Uh… yes.” Yeonjun’s widened eyes dart from both of your eyes, to your lips, and back.
And, so, you close the distance to kiss him. 
Maybe it’s not magical, maybe you don’t feel any supposed sparks or fireworks. But it feels right, like it’s meant to be as you cup Yeonjun’s cheek and shift to curl your hand around his nape. It feels like caressing the petals of a burgundy rose.
(“Have you just always known you loved me? Even when I threw up on you the first time we got drunk?” You ask, a few hours, and a couple more glasses of wine later.
“Ew, but yes, I knew I loved you even then.”
“...Huh. Would you still love me if a witch cursed me and I turned into a worm tomorrow?”
Yeonjun snorts, “A worm?” then he hums in thought, “I would buy the biggest terrarium, and the nicest dirt I can find, and take care of you. I’d find the witch and make her turn you back into a lovely human, too.”
“Good answer,” you smile, leaning over to kiss Yeonjun again, he tastes a little like remnants of Cabernet Sauvignon, deep and red, urging you to kiss him a little deeper. “I love you,” you whisper against his lips when you part.)
Upon thinking about it, not much changes between you and Yeonjun; apart from the kissing, consistently sharing a bed, sober I love you’s, and the other ‘unnecessary PDA’, as Taehyun so kindly put it, while Soobin had fixed the two of you with a disgusted look (you know that deep down somewhere, he’s happy for you both), and Beomgyu shot a thumbs up before going back to hogging the cookies Soobin baked—Kai was more focused on trying to steal some cookies, which he managed.
Your mother had practically wept out of joy when you told her the news, ‘I’m going to see my baby get married! I thought the day would never come!’ she’d cried out, and rushed to tell anyone that would listen to her. Overdramatic, and a little hurtful, by the way… You didn’t even say anything about marriage, either!
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“Hm?” You reluctantly blink your eyes open at the call of your name, to see Yeonjun looking at you with a suspicious grin on his face.
“I love you.”
“...What did you do? I love you too, though, even if I have to become an accomplice.”
“I didn’t do anything bad, I just love you.”
“Mm, you loser. I love you more.”
“Hm, are you sure about that?” Yeonjun hums, your eyes follow him as he sits up and reaches for something from his nightstand, “‘Cause I think I love you more? So much that I’m asking if you’d do me the honor of marrying me.” He says so casually, contrasting how he carefully opens a small, velvety box. It gives a quiet creak as it pops open, revealing a simple silver band. A ring. An engagement ring.
After blinking the fatigue out of your eyes, and confirming that you’re not seeing or hearing things, you sit up with a start, “You—
“You dick, why would you propose to me while I’m half-asleep?!”
“Well, if you said no, I could’ve just written it off as you being tired and mishearing me… I’ll get you a nicer wedding ring, too, if you say yes, that is. Well, I already have one—”
Yeonjun grunts as you throw yourself onto him, “You’re such an idiot, I love you. Yes, I’ll marry you, there’s no question about it.”
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You can’t recall the moment you started loving Yeonjun; maybe it was the day you met and he let you play his PlayStation. Maybe it was in middle school when more people started to see him, or maybe it was in high school…
Maybe you can’t pinpoint the exact moment, maybe you’ve just always loved Yeonjun. It’d be hard not to love him; he’s as beautiful as a white rose—inside and out—one that you’d pluck from the dirt with your bare hands, thorns and all, just to keep to yourself, even if for a little while. Maybe that’s selfish, but you think that doesn’t have to be a bad thing.
You part from Yeonjun as your friends and family cheering fills your ears. Feeling like words can’t do your feelings in that moment justice, you kiss him once more, in hopes to convey them a little better.
“I know. I love you,” he says, because he knows you best.
Grinning so happily that your cheeks begin to ache, you properly part from Yeonjun this time, and walk hand-in-hand down the aisle.
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acourtofthought · 11 months
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Problematic Arguments
The one where Lucien isn't relevant or should be forced to deal with a broken bond and a mate who doesn't choose him in the end even though every other male mated to a resistant Archeron eventually got their HEA. Where another jealous male deems him "not good enough" so that must be the truth 🤦
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Lucien was based off Sam Heughan's version of Jamie Fraser in Outlander.
Lucien similarities to Jamie Fraser:
Both Jamie and Lucien were whipped.
Both Jamie and Lucien were S/A
In Outlander, Dougal (Jamie's uncle and one of six children) considers Jamie a threat because Jamie could have been competition for Dougal, as an able-bodied male of MacKenzie blood, for the bid of laird. Lucien was one of seven but was also considered a threat for the title of High Lord (to his brothers in this series).
They both have red hair and Jamie's is long in many seasons.
Though Lucien empathized with what Feyre was going through, he was also torn by what was necessary for the Spring Court as a whole. Similarly, Jamie did not truly want to punish Claire for her mistake in season 1 however he knew that in order for the clan to still protect her, he had to do it as it was the way of his people and what was expected of him.
Jamie stood up to Jack Randall on many occasions while Lucien stood up to Amarantha on many occasions.
Both Jamie and Lucien are open with their emotions and feelings and intelligent.
Both make mistakes but quickly apologize and learn from them.
Both Jamie and Lucien are fighters when necessary however they are also well educated.
Lucien was willing to die on Feyre's behalf rather than tell Amarantha her name while Jamie took Laoghaire's punishment for her.
Both Jamie and Lucien were injured when falling from their horses.
Jamie was willing to let Claire return to the future after marrying her, if that's what she decided she wanted and Lucien walked away so Elain could go back to Graysen since he knew that's what she wanted as she was still in love with him.
Jamie is a natural born leader able to navigate social situations with ease and that is also fitting of Lucien, why Tamlin made him his right hand and why Feyre says he sounds more High Lord like than an unwanted son.
This is said about Jamie: True to his sign, Jamie is extremely stubborn, much like the Frasers who came before him. He is also fiercely loyal. This is what is said about Lucien: “You know them better than I do. But I will say that Lucien is loyal—fiercely so.”
(Claire, written to be the love of Jamie's life, and Elain also share similarities -
Curly, light brown hair, brown eyes, pale skin.
Was in love (and married to) another male when she met Jamie just as Elain was in love with and engaged to Graysen (interesting SJM gave Elain that storyline in the same book she realized Elucien would be mates).
Claire did not choose to marry Jamie but was forced into the arrangement just as Elain did not choose to have a mating bond.
A nurse turned healer when she traveled back in time (💡), Claire is able to take charge and stay calm in stressful situations. Elain hasn't fully grown into herself but there are hints of this - “I’ll do it,” Elain said, taking a deep breath and squaring her shoulders. She didn’t wait for either of us before she strode out, graceful as a doe. / But Elain’s cry—a warning. A warning to— To my right, now exposed, Tamlin ran for me. To grab me at last./ But Elain said, “Nesta.” Slowly, my eldest sister looked at her. “Nesta,” Elain said again / She put a hand on Nesta’s knee, the purple of my sister’s gown nearly swallowing up the ivory hand. “Feyre gave and gave—for years. Let us now help her. Help … others.”/ And then walked to me and Nesta, who pulled back long enough to survey Elain’s clean face, her clear eyes.
Claire is nurturing, yet matter of fact and well spoken most of the time however when pushed she's a bit feisty and will swear which shocks the men of that time. Likewise Elain often says things that surprise her sisters and hoped the queens "burned in hell"
Further proof of SJMs Outlander love:
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Below is proof of her love for LUCIEN:
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Sarah J Maas also said this of Helion in a May 12, 2017 interview, 10 days after the release of ACOWAR ( the book where she announced that Lucien's real father was Helion):
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So it is difficult for me to imagine that SJM would base Lucien off a character she loves, a character who finds his soul mate in Claire after a rocky start and an arranged marriage, change Lucien's father to a character she's obsessed with (the High Lord of Day giving Lucien the power of the sun which Elain craves) only to have his Cauldron given mate (who he has longed for over the course of 3 books) reject him.
That would be like Claire returning to the future and choosing never to go back to Jamie which would have ended the series very early on.
Their love is epic because even though it wasn't their choice to come together at first, it ended up being EVERYTHING.
Sometimes the best things in life are the things you never expected and never knew you wanted.
If SJM considered Lucien her love, than why would she want him to have less than an epic love with his soul bonded mate? She has told us it doesn't get better than that so why would he be given less than the best when as the author she has the power to give that to him?
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kuzure-collapse · 1 year
Text
childhood rivals to lovers prompts
because it took me until high school to realize that the annoying boy i knew in 7th grade might've liked me
—-
being the top of their classes but only having eyes to compete with each other
being nerds and doing homework together after school but only to compare answers and smugly correct each other
X finds out Y's favorite color and starts wearing more of it, Y secretly likes it
having insulting nicknames that only THEY can use on the other
neither of them know how the beef started, could be that X already liked Y and didn't know what to do with feelings + Y being friends with kids that liked to argue with X
they end up hanging together bc of mutual friends and Y ends up enjoying this group more than their old friends
or X is friends with Y's sibling so they end up encountering at Y's house unexpectedly
maybe teachers note the rivalry and seat them together/pair them for projects. the class likes to watch their back-and-forth
"you look dumb with your hair up like that" "fix your chapped lips" "short" "weak" other immature digs at each other
losing contact as they end up at different high schools and eventually go to different colleges, maybe out of town
both were too stubborn to get each other's contacts, or didn't have ways to personally contact each other after middle school
neither said anything at middle school graduation, last they'll ever see each other
maybe one cries, or X randomly hugs Y before running away, maybe a small picture together taken by their parents who don't know about the rivalry
cut to college, they return to their hometown during a school break. maybe the breaks happen to line up
see each other in passing on a crowded bus/train, almost don't recognize each other
"was X this attractive?" sort of thoughts. maybe one notices and the other doesn't, or both make awkward eye contact for a split second before looking away
maybe they end up visiting the old bakery/cafe they always went to as kids and see each other on line, or X is working register as a summer job
brush it off bc maybe they've been thinking about their crush for so long that they're hallucinating the scenarios they made up
do they keep feigning ignorance? at this point, haven't there been too many coincidences?
one decides to take a chance and calls out to the other with the old insulting nickname
it works and they respond in kind with a smile
"It's been almost a decade now"
"you look different"
taking a closer look and seeing how the other has developed. the awkward baggy clothes have been replaced with better fitting stylish clothes.
the baby fat is gone but the smile's undoubtedly the same
noticing the changes they made in appearance and remembering the old insults they threw. maybe one did change their hairstyle and looks way too attractive, maybe one got muscular and is much stronger than the other
even better with height differences, especially if the one who used to be shorter grew way taller
or the shorter one stayed short and the other grew substantially
making snarky but lighthearted remarks mentioning inside "jokes" from the past
"still got chapped lips?" "still looking at my lips?" even better if one knows about the other's crush
one has the courage to ask for the other's contact info, finally arrange something close to a date (they never specify)
reminisce about old times, maybe meet up in the old playground/cafe/bakery near the middle school
realize they get along well as adults, talk about high school and college and where they're going in life
sad if one is going abroad, or if their careers are so separated that they probably won't have time to see each other a lot
maybe they secretly kept mementos of each other. if not that graduation picture, then the mean doodle Y drew in X's notebook, or the post-it X left in the book Y lent them, or the hat that Y never gave back, or the pen that X stole from Y's bag, etc.
"are you with anyone?" "no, you?" "me neither"
"i used to like you when we were kids" "used to? what about now?"
or "what am i supposed to do with an expired crush" to be sassier
meeting again is stirring up old feelings
happy end, they get together and have a strong long distance relationship or smth
sad end, they part ways for the final time
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creedslove · 8 months
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🌹Anon here! No headcannon just a thought I wanted to share. Imagine if Carol admitted to her cheating on Dave, and that their daughters aren't actually Daves. He knew about the cheating but not the daughters not being his part. He was already planning on leaving her for Reader but this just finalises it and so he decides that night to have a baby, a baby that is actually his, with the woman he actually loves. Also wouldn't Teressa and Carol make a lovely couple?
Dave York x f!reader
A/N: bestie I know this ain't a headcanon request but like, how can I not write a headcanon out of this wonderful idea? I love you and your idea and you are right, Carol and Teresa make a lovely couple to rot in hell 😭
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• Dave had never been a cheating husband, even if his marriage with Carol wasn't something that made his heart race and his hands sweat, butterflies in his stomach in a big anticipation to see his spouse, he just settled, mostly for the kids after she showed up pregnant and it had become a comfortable arrangement for everyone
• so he was just glad in working and providing for his family, in exchange she took care of the house and the girls and Dave had the normal unsuspicious family which came in handy to hide the kind of job he had
• sex with Carol was alright, surely there was something better out there, but he had had worse, so he settled for that too
• when he met you, however, he felt like a stupid teenager, as all those dumb signs of being in love were there: he felt slightly nervous around you, he felt butterflies in his stomach (!) he spent his day thinking of and yearning to see you; you were the last thing on his mind when he fell asleep and the first one when he woke up
• so when you both started dating, he felt guilty, not because of Carol, though, he knew she had slept with men here and there, and each time she went for "girls night out" with her friends and came back home smelling like booze and men, he just felt more indifferent, being sure he didn't love her and perhaps he never did in the first place, he just didn't have a meaningful feeling to compare with, but now he had it with you
• but he did feel bad for you, because you were a beautiful, decent woman and you didn't deserve the mistress status, instead, he wanted to come clean and be with you without having to hide
• so the divorce was already in his mind, he just needed to have a couple of meetings with his attorney and get the paperwork done
• when Carol found out about it and made a huge, terrible scene, Dave and her engaged into a real bad fight, he had to hold himself back not to get physical with all the provocation and horrible things she said
• but the moment she said the girls weren't really his daughters, Dave thought he was going to lose it
• at first he held some hope she was just bluffing in the most cruel way possible, but then, all the information she offered made a lot of sense and he realized she was telling him the bitter truth: he wasn't really the father of his daughters
• it broke Dave, he loved them so much, more than anything in the world, he took care of them since they were tiny little helpless babies, he couldn't believe they weren't his
• Dave's eyes were full of tears, he was brokenhearted as his girls had been the best part of his life, luckily to them, they were having a sleepover at their grandparents' so they didn't have to witness the grotesque scene their mom caused
• when Dave got to your home, he was devastated, he'd been crying and drinking and he gripped your body not wanting to let go, telling everything that happened once he stepped inside
"please, let's have a baby, I wanna start a family with you, you'll be my wife, you're the only one who's worth being Mrs.York, I need to put a baby in you, you will never gonna lie to me, it will be our baby, I need to know I'm the one responsible for something good in this world"
• he begged you
• and Dave York wasn't the kind of man to beg someone anything at all
• so you couldn't say no to him, taking that powerful and strong man who was so broken and small at that moment to bed and made love to him, a couple of times, always making sure he was inside of you and you were both doing the possible to get your baby to grow in your womb
• the next morning, Dave was a little ashamed of his behavior, but at the same time he was excited that maybe he'd got you pregnant
• you both had a heartfelt conversation and you reminded him that no matter what Carol had done, he would always be the girls' dad and they'd always love him as such
• and he was sure he'd made the right choice to have you by his side, even if being lied to was terrible, he was convinced he was going to have his happy ending with a woman he truly loved
____
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daenerystargaryen06 · 2 months
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Times Daenerys has Shown Compassion
A Game of Thrones:
"She brought back a haunch of goat and a basket of fruits and vegetables. Jhiqui roasted the meat with sweetgrass and firepods, basting it with honey as it cooked, and there were melons and pomegranates and plums and some queer eastern fruit Dany did not know. While her handmaids prepared the meal, Dany laid out the clothing she'd had made to her brother's measure: a tunic and leggings of crisp white linen, leather sandals that laced up to the knee, a bronze medallion belt, a leather vest painted with fire-breathing dragons. The Dothraki would respect him more if he looked less a beggar, she hoped, and perhaps he would forgive her for shaming him that day in the grass. He was still her king, after all, and her brother. They were both blood of the dragon. She was arranging the last of his gifts—a sandsilk cloak, green as grass, with a pale grey border that would bring out the silver in his hair—when Viserys arrived, dragging Doreah by the arm. Her eye was red where he'd hit her. "How dare you send this whore to give me commands," he said. He shoved the handmaid roughly to the carpet. The anger took Dany utterly by surprise. "I only wanted … Doreah, what did you say?" [..] "Khaleesi, pardons, forgive me. I went to him, as you bid, and told him you commanded him to join you for supper." [..] "No one commands the dragon," Viserys snarled. "I am your king! I should have sent you back her head!" The Lysene girl quailed, but Dany calmed her with a touch. "Don't be afraid, he won't hurt you. Sweet brother, please, forgive her, the girl misspoke herself, I told her to ask you to sup with me, if it pleases Your Grace." She took him by the hand and drew him across the room. "Look. These are for you." -A Game of Thrones - Daenerys IV
"Across the road, a girl no older than Dany was sobbing in a high thin voice as a rider shoved her over a pile of corpses, facedown, and thrust himself inside her. Other riders dismounted to take their turns. That was the sort of deliverance the Dothraki brought the Lamb Men. I am the blood of the dragon, Daenerys Targaryen reminded herself as she turned her face away. She pressed her lips together and hardened her heart and rode on toward the gate. "Most of Ogo's riders fled," Ser Jorah was saying. "Still, there may be as many as ten thousand captives." Slaves, Dany thought. Khal Drogo would drive them downriver to one of the towns on Slaver's Bay. She wanted to cry, but she told herself that she must be strong. This is war, this is what it looks like, this is the price of the Iron Throne. "I've told the khal he ought to make for Meereen," Ser Jorah said. "They'll pay a better price than he'd get from a slaving caravan. Illyrio writes that they had a plague last year, so the brothels are paying double for healthy young girls, and triple for boys under ten. If enough children survive the journey, the gold will buy us all the ships we need, and hire men to sail them." Behind them, the girl being raped made a heartrending sound, a long sobbing wail that went on and on and on. Dany's hand clenched hard around the reins, and she turned the silver's head. "Make them stop," she commanded Ser Jorah." -A Game of Thrones - Daenerys VII
"The girl was trembling, her eyes wide and vague. Her hair was matted with blood. "Doreah, see to her hurts. You do not have a rider's look, perhaps she will not fear you. The rest, with me." She urged the silver through the broken wooden gate. It was worse inside the town. Many of the houses were afire, and the jaqqa rhan had been about their grisly work. Headless corpses filled the narrow, twisty lanes. They passed other women being raped. Each time Dany reined up, sent her khas to make an end to it, and claimed the victim as slave. One of them, a thick-bodied, flat-nosed woman of forty years, blessed Dany haltingly in the Common Tongue, but from the others she got only flat black stares. They were suspicious of her, she realized with sadness; afraid that she had saved them for some worse fate. "You cannot claim them all, child," Ser Jorah said, the fourth time they stopped, while the warriors of her khas herded her new slaves behind her. "I am khaleesi, heir to the Seven Kingdoms, the blood of the dragon," Dany reminded him. "It is not for you to tell me what I cannot do." Across the city, a building collapsed in a great gout of fire and smoke, and she heard distant screams and the wailing of frightened children." -A Game of Thrones - Daenerys VII
"I will carry you, blood of my blood," Haggo offered. Khal Drogo waved him away. "I need no man's help," he said, in a voice proud and hard. He stood, unaided, towering over them all. A fresh wave of blood ran down his breast, from where Ogo's arakh had cut off his nipple. Dany moved quickly to his side. "I am no man," she whispered, "so you may lean on me." Drogo put a huge hand on her shoulder. She took some of his weight as they walked toward the great mud temple. The three bloodriders followed. Dany commanded Ser Jorah and the warriors of her khas to guard the entrance and make certain no one set the building afire while they were still inside." -A Game of Thrones - Daenerys VII
"Mago seized her, who is Khal Jhaqo's bloodrider now," said Jhogo. "He mounted her high and low and gave her to his khal, and Jhaqo gave her to his other bloodriders. They were six. When they were done with her, they cut her throat." [..] "It was her fate, Khaleesi," said Aggo. If I look back I am lost. "It was a cruel fate," Dany said, "yet not so cruel as Mago's will be. I promise you that, by the old gods and the new, by the lamb god and the horse god and every god that lives. I swear it by the Mother of Mountains and the Womb of the World. Before I am done with them, Mago and Ko Jhaqo will plead for the mercy they showed Eroeh." The Dothraki exchanged uncertain glances. "Khaleesi," the handmaid Irri explained, as if to a child, "Jhaqo is a khal now, with twenty thousand riders at his back." She lifted her head. "And I am Daenerys Stormborn, Daenerys of House Targaryen, of the blood of Aegon the Conqueror and Maegor the Cruel and old Valyria before them. I am the dragon's daughter, and I swear to you, these men will die screaming. Now bring me to Khal Drogo." He was lying on the bare red earth, staring up at the sun." -A Game of Thrones - Daenerys IX
A Clash of Kings:
"We follow the comet," Dany told her khalasar. Once it was said, no word was raised against it. They had been Drogo's people, but they were hers now. The Unburnt, they called her, and Mother of Dragons. Her word was their law. They rode by night, and by day took refuge from the sun beneath their tents. Soon enough Dany learned the truth of Doreah's words. This was no kindly country. They left a trail of dead and dying horses behind them as they went, for Pono, Jhaqo, and the others had seized the best of Drogo's herds, leaving to Dany the old and the scrawny, the sickly and the lame, the broken animals and the ill-tempered. It was the same with the people. They are not strong, she told herself, so I must be their strength. I must show no fear, no weakness, no doubt. However frightened my heart, when they look upon my face they must see only Drogo's queen. She felt older than her fourteen years. If ever she had truly been a girl, that time was done. Three days into the march, the first man died. A toothless oldster with cloudy blue eyes, he fell exhausted from his saddle and could not rise again. An hour later he was done. Blood flies swarmed about his corpse and carried his ill luck to the living. "His time was past," her handmaid Irri declared. "No man should live longer than his teeth." The others agreed. Dany bid them kill the weakest of their dying horses, so the dead man might go mounted into the night lands." -A Clash of Kings - Daenerys I
"Dany hungered and thirsted with the rest of them. The milk in her breasts dried up, her nipples cracked and bled, and the flesh fell away from her day by day until she was lean and hard as a stick, yet it was her dragons she feared for. Her father had been slain before she was born, and her splendid brother Rhaegar as well. Her mother had died bringing her into the world while the storm screamed outside. Gentle Ser Willem Darry, who must have loved her after a fashion, had been taken by a wasting sickness when she was very young. Her brother Viserys, Khal Drogo who was her sun-and-stars, even her unborn son, the gods had claimed them all. They will not have my dragons, Dany vowed. They will not." -A Clash of Kings - Daenerys I
"Yet even as her dragons prospered, her khalasar withered and died. Around them the land turned ever more desolate. Even devilgrass grew scant; horses dropped in their tracks, leaving so few that some of her people must trudge along on foot. Doreah took a fever and grew worse with every league they crossed. Her lips and hands broke with blood blisters, her hair came out in clumps, and one evenfall she lacked the strength to mount her horse. Jhogo said they must leave her or bind her to her saddle, but Dany remembered a night on the Dothraki sea, when the Lysene girl had taught her secrets so that Drogo might love her more. She gave Doreah water from her own skin, cooled her brow with a damp cloth, and held her hand until she died, shivering. Only then would she permit the khalasar to press on." -A Clash of Kings - Daenerys I
"They saw no sign of other travelers. The Dothraki began to mutter fearfully that the comet had led them to some hell. Dany went to Ser Jorah one morning as they made camp amidst a jumble of black wind-scoured stones. "Are we lost?" she asked him. "Does this waste have no end to it?" [..] "It has an end," he answered wearily. "I have seen the maps the traders draw, my queen. Few caravans come this way, that is so, yet there are great kingdoms to the east, and cities full of wonders. Yi Ti, Qarth, Asshai by the Shadow . . ." [..] "Will we live to see them?" [..] "I will not lie to you. The way is harder than I dared think." The knight's face was grey and exhausted. The wound he had taken to his hip the night he fought Khal Drogo's bloodriders had never fully healed; she could see how he grimaced when he mounted his horse, and he seemed to slump in his saddle as they rode. "Perhaps we are doomed if we press on . . . but I know for a certainty that we are doomed if we turn back." Dany kissed him lightly on the cheek. It heartened her to see him smile. I must be strong for him as well, she thought grimly. A knight he may be, but I am the blood of the dragon." -A Clash of Kings - Daenerys I
"Dany smiled. "Perhaps it's the camels you're smelling. The Qartheen themselves seem sweet enough to my nose." [..] "Sweet smells are sometimes used to cover foul ones." My great bear, Dany thought. I am his queen, but I will always be his cub as well, and he will always guard me. It made her feel safe, but sad as well. She wished she could love him better than she did. -A Clash of Kings - Daenerys II
A Storm of Swords:
"No," said Dany. Groleo watched them from the forecastle, and his crew was watching too. Whitebeard, her bloodriders, Jhiqui, every one had stopped what they were doing at the sound of the slap. "I want to sail now, not on the tide, I want to sail far and fast and never look back. But I can't, can I? There are eight thousand brick eunuchs for sale, and I must find some way to buy them." And with that she left him, and went below. Behind the carved wooden door of the captain's cabin, her dragons were restless. Drogon raised his head and screamed, pale smoke venting from his nostrils, and Viserion flapped at her and tried to perch on her shoulder, as he had when he was smaller. "No," Dany said, trying to shrug him off gently. "You're too big for that now, sweetling." But the dragon coiled his white and gold tail around one arm and dug black claws into the fabric of her sleeve, clinging tightly. Helpless, she sank into Groleo's great leather chair, giggling." -A Storm of Swords - Daenerys II
"Dany's mouth surely twisted at that. Did he see, or is he blind as well as cruel? She turned away quickly, trying to keep her face a mask until she heard the translation. Only then did she allow herself to say, "Whose infants do they slay?" [..] "To win his spiked cap, an Unsullied must go to the slave marts with a silver mark, find some wailing newborn, and kill it before its mother's eyes. In this way, we make certain that there is no weakness left in them." She was feeling faint. The heat, she tried to tell herself. "You take a babe from its mother's arms, kill it as she watches, and pay for her pain with a silver coin?" -A Storm of Swords - Daenerys II
"None." Was it Mormont she was angry with, or this city with its sullen heat, its stinks and sweats and crumbling bricks? "They sell eunuchs, not men. Eunuchs made of brick, like the rest of Astapor. Shall I buy eight thousand brick eunuchs with dead eyes that never move, who kill suckling babes for the sake of a spiked hat and strangle their own dogs? They don't even have names. So don't call them men, ser." [..] "Khaleesi," he said, taken aback by her fury, "the Unsullied are chosen as boys, and trained—" [..] "I have heard all I care to of their training." Dany could feel tears welling in her eyes, sudden and unwanted. Her hand flashed up and cracked Ser Jorah hard across the face. It was either that, or cry." -A Storm of Swords - Daenerys II
"When Aegon the Dragon stepped ashore in Westeros, the kings of Vale and Rock and Reach did not rush to hand him their crowns. If you mean to sit his Iron Throne, you must win it as he did, with steel and dragonfire. And that will mean blood on your hands before the thing is done." Blood and fire, thought Dany. The words of House Targaryen. She had known them all her life. "The blood of my enemies I will shed gladly. The blood of innocents is another matter. Eight thousand Unsullied they would offer me. Eight thousand dead babes. Eight thousand strangled dogs." [..] "Your Grace," said Jorah Mormont, "I saw King's Landing after the Sack. Babes were butchered that day as well, and old men, and children at play. More women were raped than you can count. There is a savage beast in every man, and when you hand that man a sword or spear and send him forth to war, the beast stirs. The scent of blood is all it takes to wake him. Yet I have never heard of these Unsullied raping, nor putting a city to the sword, nor even plundering, save at the express command of those who lead them. Brick they may be, as you say, but if you buy them henceforth the only dogs they'll kill are those you want dead. And you do have some dogs you want dead, as I recall." -A Storm of Swords - Daenerys II
"Valar morghulis," said Missandei, in High Valyrian. "All men must die," Dany agreed, "but not for a long while, we may pray." She leaned back on the pillows and took the girl's hand. "Are these Unsullied truly fearless?" [..] "Yes, Your Grace." -A Storm of Swords - Daenerys III
"Within the perimeter the Unsullied had established, the tents were going up in orderly rows, with her own tall golden pavilion at the center. A second encampment lay close beyond her own; five times the size, sprawling and chaotic, this second camp had no ditches, no tents, no sentries, no horselines. Those who had horses or mules slept beside them, for fear they might be stolen. Goats, sheep, and half-starved dogs wandered freely amongst hordes of women, children, and old men. Dany had left Astapor in the hands of a council of former slaves led by a healer, a scholar, and a priest. Wise men all, she thought, and just. Yet even so, tens of thousands preferred to follow her to Yunkai, rather than remain behind in Astapor. I gave them the city, and most of them were too frightened to take it. The raggle-taggle host of freedmen dwarfed her own, but they were more burden than benefit. Perhaps one in a hundred had a donkey, a camel, or an ox; most carried weapons looted from some slaver's armory, but only one in ten was strong enough to fight, and none was trained. They ate the land bare as they passed, like locusts in sandals. Yet Dany could not bring herself to abandon them as Ser Jorah and her bloodriders urged. I told them they were free. I cannot tell them now they are not free to join me. She gazed at the smoke rising from their cookfires and swallowed a sigh. She might have the best footsoldiers in the world, but she also had the worst." -A Storm of Swords - Daenerys IV
"The chant grew, spread, swelled. It swelled so loud that it frightened her horse, and the mare backed and shook her head and lashed her silver-grey tail. It swelled until it seemed to shake the yellow walls of Yunkai. More slaves were streaming from the gates every moment, and as they came they took up the call. They were running toward her now, pushing, stumbling, wanting to touch her hand, to stroke her horse's mane, to kiss her feet. Her poor bloodriders could not keep them all away, and even Strong Belwas grunted and growled in dismay. Ser Jorah urged her to go, but Dany remembered a dream she had dreamed in the House of the Undying. "They will not hurt me," she told him. "They are my children, Jorah." She laughed, put her heels into her horse, and rode to them, the bells in her hair ringing sweet victory. She trotted, then cantered, then broke into a gallop, her braid streaming behind. The freed slaves parted before her. "Mother," they called from a hundred throats, a thousand, ten thousand. "Mother," they sang, their fingers brushing her legs as she flew by. "Mother, Mother, Mother!" -A Storm of Swords - Daenerys IV
"Ser Jorah looked unhappy. "We'll starve long before they do, Your Grace. There's no food here, nor fodder for our mules and horses. I do not like this river water either. Meereen shits into the Skahazadhan but draws its drinking water from deep wells. Already we've had reports of sickness in the camps, fever and brownleg and three cases of the bloody flux. There will be more if we remain. The slaves are weak from the march."[...] "Freedmen," Dany corrected. "They are slaves no longer." [..] "Slave or free, they are hungry and they'll soon be sick. The city is better provisioned than we are, and can be resupplied by water. Your three ships are not enough to deny them access to both the river and the sea." -A Storm of Swords - Daenerys V
"It is known," Jhiqui agreed, as she poured. "Not to me." Dany set great store by Ser Jorah's counsel, but to leave Meereen untouched was more than she could stomach. She could not forget the children on their posts, the birds tearing at their entrails, their skinny arms pointing up the coast road. "Ser Jorah, you say we have no food left. If I march west, how can I feed my freedmen?" [..] "You can't. I am sorry, Khaleesi. They must feed themselves or starve. Many and more will die along the march, yes. That will be hard, but there is no way to save them. We need to put this scorched earth well behind us." Dany had left a trail of corpses behind her when she crossed the red waste. It was a sight she never meant to see again. "No," she said. "I will not march my people off to die." My children. "There must be some way into this city." -A Storm of Swords - Daenerys V
"Children ran behind their horses, skipping and laughing. Instead of salutes, voices called to her on every side in a babble of tongues. Some of the freedmen greeted her as "Mother," while others begged for boons or favors. Some prayed for strange gods to bless her, and some asked her to bless them instead. She smiled at them, turning right and left, touching their hands when they raised them, letting those who knelt reach up to touch her stirrup or her leg. Many of the freedmen believed there was good fortune in her touch. If it helps give them courage, let them touch me, she thought. There are hard trials yet ahead." -A Storm of Swords - Daenerys V
"Do all gods feel so lonely? Some must, surely. Missandei had told her of the Lord of Harmony, worshiped by the Peaceful People of Naath; he was the only true god, her little scribe said, the god who always was and always would be, who made the moon and stars and earth, and all the creatures that dwelt upon them. Poor Lord of Harmony. Dany pitied him. It must be terrible to be alone for all time, attended by hordes of butterfly women you could make or unmake at a word. Westeros had seven gods at least, though Viserys had told her that some septons said the seven were only aspects of a single god, seven facets of a single crystal. That was just confusing. The red priests believed in two gods, she had heard, but two who were eternally at war. Dany liked that even less. She would not want to be eternally at war." -A Storm of Swords - Daenerys VI
"Dany was shocked. "They want to be slaves?" [..] "The ones who come are well spoken and gently born, sweet queen. Such slaves are prized. In the Free Cities they will be tutors, scribes, bed slaves, even healers and priests. They will sleep in soft beds, eat rich foods, and dwell in manses. Here they have lost all, and live in fear and squalor." [..] "I see." Perhaps it was not so shocking, if these tales of Astapor were true. Dany thought a moment. "Any man who wishes to sell himself into slavery may do so. Or woman." She raised a hand. "But they may not sell their children, nor a man his wife." -A Storm of Swords - Daenerys VI
"Your Grace, the slavers brought their doom on themselves," said Daario Naharis. "You have brought freedom as well," Missandei pointed out. "Freedom to starve?" asked Dany sharply. "Freedom to die? Am I a dragon, or a harpy?" Am I mad? Do I have the taint?" -A Storm of Swords - Daenerys VI
"A dragon," Ser Barristan said with certainty. "Meereen is not Westeros, Your Grace." [..] "But how can I rule seven kingdoms if I cannot rule a single city?" He had no answer to that. Dany turned away from them, to gaze out over the city once again. "My children need time to heal and learn. My dragons need time to grow and test their wings. And I need the same. I will not let this city go the way of Astapor. I will not let the harpy of Yunkai chain up those I've freed all over again." She turned back to look at their faces. "I will not march." [..] "What will you do then, Khaleesi?" asked Rakharo." -A Storm of Swords - Daenerys VI
A Dance with Dragons:
"She had not forgotten the slave children the Great Masters had nailed up along the road from Yunkai. They had numbered one hundred sixty-three, a child every mile, nailed to mileposts with one arm outstretched to point her way. After Meereen had fallen, Dany had nailed up a like number of Great Masters. Swarms of flies had attended their slow dying, and the stench had lingered long in the plaza. Yet some days she feared that she had not gone far enough. These Meereenese were a sly and stubborn people who resisted her at every turn. They had freed their slaves, yes … only to hire them back as servants at wages so meagre that most could scarce afford to eat. Those too old or young to be of use had been cast into the streets, along with the infirm and the crippled. And still the Great Masters gathered atop their lofty pyramids to complain of how the dragon queen had filled their noble city with hordes of unwashed beggars, thieves, and whores. To rule Meereen I must win the Meereenese, however much I may despise them. "I am ready," she told Irri." -A Dance with Dragons - Daenerys I
"If he proposes again that I wed King Cleon, I'll throw a slipper at his head, Dany thought, but for once the Astapori envoy made no mention of a royal marriage. Instead he said, "The time has come for Astapor and Meereen to end the savage reign of the Wise Masters of Yunkai, who are sworn foes to all those who live in freedom. Great Cleon bids me tell you that he and his new Unsullied will soon march." His new Unsullied are an obscene jape. "King Cleon would be wise to tend his own gardens and let the Yunkai'i tend theirs." It was not that Dany harbored any love for Yunkai. She was coming to regret leaving the Yellow City untaken after defeating its army in the field. The Wise Masters had returned to slaving as soon as she moved on, and were busy raising levies, hiring sellswords, and making alliances against her." -A Dance with Dragons - Daenerys I
"The noble Grazdan had once owned a slave woman who was a very fine weaver, it seemed; the fruits of her loom were greatly valued, not only in Meereen, but in New Ghis and Astapor and Qarth. When this woman had grown old, Grazdan had purchased half a dozen young girls and commanded the crone to instruct them in the secrets of her craft. The old woman was dead now. The young ones, freed, had opened a shop by the harbor wall to sell their weavings. Grazdan zo Galare asked that he be granted a portion of their earnings. "They owe their skill to me," he insisted. "I plucked them from the auction bloc and gave them to the loom." Dany listened quietly, her face still. When he was done, she said, "What was the name of the old weaver?" [..] "The slave?" Grazdan shifted his weight, frowning. "She was … Elza, it might have been. Or Ella. It was six years ago she died. I have owned so many slaves, Your Grace." [..] "Let us say Elza. Here is our ruling. From the girls, you shall have nothing. It was Elza who taught them weaving, not you. From you, the girls shall have a new loom, the finest coin can buy. That is for forgetting the name of the old woman." -A Dance with Dragons - Daenerys I
"Reznak wrung his hands. "N-nine, Magnificence. Foul work it was, and wicked. A dreadful night, dreadful." Nine. The word was a dagger in her heart. Every night the shadow war was waged anew beneath the stepped pyramids of Meereen. Every morn the sun rose upon fresh corpses, with harpies drawn in blood on the bricks beside them. Any freedman who became too prosperous or too outspoken was marked for death. Nine in one night, though … That frightened her. "Tell me." -A Dance with Dragons - Daenerys II
"Reznak mo Reznak gasped. "Magnificence, where is the coin to come from to pay wages for so many men?" [..] "From the pyramids. Call it a blood tax. I will have a hundred pieces of gold from every pyramid for each freedman that the Harpy's Sons have slain." That brought a smile to the Shavepate's face. "It will be done," he said, "but Your Radiance should know that the Great Masters of Zhak and Merreq are making preparations to quit their pyramids and leave the city." Daenerys was sick unto death of Zhak and Merreq; she was sick of all the Mereenese, great and small alike. "Let them go, but see that they take no more than the clothes upon their backs. Make certain that all their gold remains here with us. Their stores of food as well." -A Dance with Dragons - Daenerys II
"How else, to grow a soldier? Your Radiance enjoyed my dancers. Would it surprise you to know that they are slaves, bred and trained in Yunkai? They have been dancing since they were old enough to walk. How else to achieve such perfection?" He took a swallow of his wine. "They are expert in all the erotic arts as well. I had thought to make Your Grace a gift of them." [..] "By all means." Dany was unsurprised. "I shall free them." That made him wince. "And what would they do with freedom? As well give a fish a suit of mail. They were made to dance." [..] "Made by who? Their masters? Perhaps your dancers would sooner build or bake or farm. Have you asked them?" [..] "Perhaps your elephants would sooner be nightingales. Instead of sweet song, Meereen's nights would be filled with thunderous trumpetings, and your trees would shatter beneath the weight of great grey birds." Xaro sighed. "Daenerys, my delight, beneath that sweet young breast beats a tender heart … but take counsel from an older, wiser head. Things are not always as they seem. Much that may seem evil can be good. Consider rain." [..] "Rain?" Does he take me for a fool, or just a child? "We curse the rain when it falls upon our heads, yet without it we should starve. The world needs rain … and slaves. You make a face, but it is true. Consider Qarth. In art, music, magic, trade, all that makes us more than beasts, Qarth sits above the rest of mankind as you sit at the summit of this pyramid … but below, in place of bricks, the magnificence that is the Queen of Cities rests upon the backs of slaves. Ask yourself, if all men must grub in the dirt for food, how shall any man lift his eyes to contemplate the stars? If each of us must break his back to build a hovel, who shall raise the temples to glorify the gods? For some men to be great, others must be enslaved." He was too eloquent for her. Dany had no answer for him, only the raw feeling in her belly. "Slavery is not the same as rain," she insisted. "I have been rained on and I have been sold. It is not the same. No man wants to be owned." -A Dance with Dragons - Daenerys III
"I know that the Mother of Dragons will not abandon us in our hour of peril. Lend us your Unsullied to defend our walls." And if I do, who will defend my walls? "Many of my freedmen were slaves in Astapor. Perhaps some will wish to help defend your king. That is their choice, as free men. I gave Astapor its freedom. It is up to you to defend it." [..] "We are all dead, then. You gave us death, not freedom." Ghael leapt to his feet and spat into her face. Strong Belwas seized him by the shoulder and slammed him down onto the marble so hard that Dany heard Ghael's teeth crack. The Shavepate would have done worse, but she stopped him. "Enough," she said, dabbing at her cheek with the end of her tokar. "No one has ever died from spittle. Take him away." They dragged him out feet first, leaving several broken teeth and a trail of blood behind. Dany would gladly have sent the rest of the petitioners away … but she was still their queen, so she heard them out and did her best to give them justice." -A Dance with Dragons - Daenerys III
"It was all Dany could do not to laugh. "Not well. Last night three Qartheen galleys sailed up the Skahazadhan under the cover of darkness. The Mother's Men loosed flights of fire arrows at their sails and flung pots of burning pitch onto their decks, but the galleys slipped by quickly and suffered no lasting harm. The Qartheen mean to close the river to us, as they have closed the bay. And they are no longer alone. Three galleys from New Ghis have joined them, and a carrack out of Tolos." The Tolosi had replied to her request for an alliance by proclaiming her a whore and demanding that she return Meereen to its Great Masters. Even that was preferable to the answer of Mantarys, which came by way of caravan in a cedar chest. Inside she had found the heads of her three envoys, pickled. "Perhaps your gods can help us. Ask them to send a gale and sweep the galleys from the bay." [..] "I shall pray and make sacrifice. Mayhaps the gods of Ghis will hear me." Galazza Galare sipped her wine, but her eyes did not leave Dany. "Storms rage within the walls as well as without. More freedmen died last night, or so I have been told." [..] "Three." Saying it left a bitter taste in her mouth. "The cowards broke in on some weavers, freedwomen who had done no harm to anyone. All they did was make beautiful things. I have a tapestry they gave me hanging over my bed. The Sons of the Harpy broke their loom and raped them before slitting their throats." [..] "This we have heard. And yet Your Radiance has found the courage to answer butchery with mercy. You have not harmed any of the noble children you hold as hostage." "Not as yet, no." Dany had grown fond of her young charges. Some were shy and some were bold, some sweet and some sullen, but all were innocent. "If I kill my cupbearers, who will pour my wine and serve my supper?" she said, trying to make light of it." -A Dance with Dragons - Daenerys IV
"The Astapori stumbled after them in a ghastly procession that grew longer with every yard they crossed. Some spoke tongues she did not understand. Others were beyond speaking. Many lifted their hands to Dany, or knelt as her silver went by. "Mother," they called to her, in the dialects of Astapor, Lys, and Old Volantis, in guttural Dothraki and the liquid syllables of Qarth, even in the Common Tongue of Westeros. "Mother, please … mother, help my sister, she is sick … give me food for my little ones … please, my old father … help him … help her … help me …" I have no more help to give, Dany thought, despairing. The Astapori had no place to go. Thousands remained outside Meereen's thick walls—men and women and children, old men and little girls and newborn babes. Many were sick, most were starved, and all were doomed to die. Daenerys dare not open her gates to let them in. She had tried to do what she could for them. She had sent them healers, Blue Graces and spell-singers and barber-surgeons, but some of those had sickened as well, and none of their arts had slowed the galloping progression of the flux that had come on the pale mare. Separating the healthy from the sick had proved impractical as well. Her Stalwart Shields had tried, pulling husbands away from wives and children from their mothers, even as the Astapori wept and kicked and pelted them with stones. A few days later, the sick were dead and the healthy ones were sick. Dividing the one from the other had accomplished nothing. Even feeding them had grown difficult. Every day she sent them what she could, but every day there were more of them and less food to give them. It was growing harder to find drivers willing to deliver the food as well. Too many of the men they had sent into the camp had been stricken by the flux themselves. Others had been attacked on the way back to the city. Yesterday a wagon had been overturned and two of her soldiers killed, so today the queen had determined that she would bring the food herself. Every one of her advisors had argued fervently against it, from Reznak and the Shavepate to Ser Barristan, but Daenerys would not be moved. "I will not turn away from them," she said stubbornly. "A queen must know the sufferings of her people." -A Dance with Dragons - Daenerys VI
"They're past cursing," said Symon Stripeback. Little children with swollen stomachs trailed after them, too weak or scared to beg. Gaunt men with sunken eyes squatted amidst sand and stones, shitting out their lives in stinking streams of brown and red. Many shat where they slept now, too feeble to crawl to the ditches she'd commanded them to dig. Two women fought over a charred bone. Nearby a boy of ten stood eating a rat. He ate one-handed, the other clutching a sharpened stick lest anyone try to wrest away his prize. Unburied dead lay everywhere. Dany saw one man sprawled in the dirt under a black cloak, but as she rode past his cloak dissolved into a thousand flies. Skeletal women sat upon the ground clutching dying infants. Their eyes followed her. Those who had the strength called out. "Mother … please, Mother … bless you, Mother …" Bless me, Dany thought bitterly. Your city is gone to ash and bone, your people are dying all around you. I have no shelter for you, no medicine, no hope. Only stale bread and wormy meat, hard cheese, a little milk. Bless me, bless me. What kind of mother has no milk to feed her children?" -A Dance with Dragons - Daenerys VI
"Daenerys gave him a quizzical look. "Lions?" [..] "Three of them. The dwarfs will not expect them." She frowned. "The dwarfs have wooden swords. Wooden armor. How do you expect them to fight lions?" "Badly," said Hizdahr, "though perhaps they will surprise us. More like they will shriek and run about and try to climb out of the pit. That is what makes this a folly." Dany was not pleased. "I forbid it." [..] "Gentle queen. You do not want to disappoint your people." [..] "You swore to me that the fighters would be grown men who had freely consented to risk their lives for gold and honor. These dwarfs did not consent to battle lions with wooden swords. You will stop it. Now." The king's mouth tightened. For a heartbeat Dany thought she saw a flash of anger in those placid eyes. "As you command." Hizdahr beckoned to his pitmaster. "No lions," he said when the man trotted over, whip in hand." -A Dance with Dragons - Daenerys IX
"Never, said the grass, in the gruff tones of Jorah Mormont. You were warned, Your Grace. Let this city be, I said. Your war is in Westeros, I told you. The voice was no more than a whisper, yet somehow Dany felt that he was walking just behind her. My bear, she thought, my old sweet bear, who loved me and betrayed me. She had missed him so. She wanted to see his ugly face, to wrap her arms around him and press herself against his chest, but she knew that if she turned around Ser Jorah would be gone. "I am dreaming," she said. "A waking dream, a walking dream. I am alone and lost." Lost, because you lingered, in a place that you were never meant to be, murmured Ser Jorah, as softly as the wind.  Alone, because you sent me from your side." -A Dance with Dragons - Daenerys X
Many antis love to say that Dany is evil, a slave master, uncaring, etc. Yet here we see in her passages that she is compassionate, sympathetic, and has a high disdain for unnecessary violence.
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spaceyaceface · 11 months
Text
Anger - Safety Ch 5
Ominis Gaunt x f!Ravenclaw!Reader (Reader is not MC)
Word Count: 3.5k
Warnings: Fighting, angst
Summary: Y/N L/N had always despised Ominis Gaunt. He was everything she hated about her life. As the only daughter to a wealthy pure-blood family, she knew it was inevitable that she would someday find herself in an arranged marriage.
But why did it have to be him?
Or, a classic arranged marriage, enemies to lovers, slow burn.
Also available on AO3
Chapter One | Chapter Four
Ominis tapped his foot as he leaned against the common room wall, lost in thought at what he’d done not long before. 
He’d shown her the Undercroft. It had taken him a good year or two before he’d even shown Anne and Sebastian—and yet, after no more than a few conversations, he’d brought her down there to bask in his safe haven. 
And he hadn’t even stopped there; no, he’d gone on to tell her more secrets, giving them up before he had a chance to reconsider. 
The strangest part of it all was that he couldn’t find it in himself to regret it. 
Because she’d opened as well. In so few words, they came to the realization that they were both a bit broken, a bit bitter about the things that had been done to them. They’d admitted they still lived in fear of what could come next. 
And in the end, she called him Ominis. 
It was curious how impactful hearing his name from her lips was. Before, she’d only referred to him as Gaunt. Her switch, though there was likely no thought behind it, made a strange warmth blossom inside him. Perhaps she was finally seeing he was truly not like his family. 
It was an odd bond they were forming—he knew that. They’d been pushed together by forces they hated, but found something… decent. Something worthwhile. She’d said it herself; if those same forces hadn’t put a wedge between them many years before, maybe they’d have had that bond—that friendship—earlier. 
Friend. Ominis found himself smiling a bit at that as he walked up the stairs to his dorm room, the night having grown very late. He’d found refuge in Sebastian and Anne for so long, not feeling it was worth the risk to go beyond the careful world he’d built. But maybe it was finally time to open the door once more. 
-
She tried to walk in quietly. The hour was late—or perhaps it was better to call it early at that point. She’d stayed in the Undercroft for quite some time, lost in her thoughts. It was soothing, being in a place where she knew no one would disturb her. In all honesty, she’d lost track of how long it had been, and rushed back up the Ravenclaw tower as soon as it hit her. 
Unfortunately, the common room wasn’t as empty as she would have liked. 
Constance sat on the couch, arms folded. Her face was mostly covered in shadow, the room dark, but Y/N could imagine the deep frown on her friend’s face. 
“Are you aware it’s nearly three in the morning?” Constance said. Y/N winced. 
“I am now. Honestly, I lost track of time,” she said honestly. 
“Well I sure didn’t. It’s been nine hours since I saw you last, would you care to explain what on earth happened in that time?” 
She sighed heavily, plopping down on the sofa next to her friend. “I’m sorry.” 
Constance’s frown softened a bit. “I’ve just been worried about you.. You’ve been off for some time now, and then you get called into Black’s office… what’s going on?” 
The truth burned in her throat. She wanted to tell her, confide in her. But… but how do you tell your best friend your life had all but ended, and there was nothing you could do about it?
Her blonde friend would do something stupid, she was sure of it. She’d write a letter to her parents herself, insist on making plans to run away, challenge her father to a duel… she just didn’t understand. Couldn’t understand. 
So she decided to bend the truth. Just enough. 
“My parents came to talk to me,” she said. Constance’s eyes widened. In their years of friendship, she’d never met her parents—she was very careful to avoid that, given they would have been extremely upset about Constance’s blood status. 
“They were here? They came all the way to Hogwarts? What for?”
“They… they wanted to talk about my… future. My father doesn’t really want me to have a career or anything—”
Constance scoffed. “Doesn’t want you to have a career? With your skill? What’s he on about?”
“He just wants me to settle down with… with someone and produce an heir,” she said. “That’s how things are done in some pureblood families, like mine. He came to insist I stop arguing and follow the tradition.” 
“That’s ridiculous,” Constance said. “You told him off, didn’t you?”
She stayed quiet for a moment. “I told him what I needed to.” 
Her friend’s brows furrowed. “What’s that supposed to mean? Are you just going to roll over and play dead just because he tells you to?”
Y/N sighed. This was exactly why she couldn’t tell her everything. “It means it’s a lot more delicate that you realize, Constance. I’m doing what I can. Trust me.” Her voice was firm, but Constance only frowned deeper. 
“And where were you after that?” Constance demanded. 
“Taking some time to clear my head,” she said simply. 
“Alone?”
“Yes.” 
Constance stared her in the eyes, and she stared right back, hoping she couldn’t see any lie that might show itself there. 
“And what does any of this have to do with Gaunt?”
She willed her face to remain straight. “Nothing.”
Constance didn’t believe her. It was obvious in the way she scrunched up her nose, the way her eyes narrowed. But Y/N held firm, making it clear she wasn’t going to give anything else up. 
“Fine,” Constance said softly. “We should get to bed. It’s late.” 
Without another word, Constance stood up and left for their dorm, and Y/N let her careful demeanor collapse. She’d get over this, she told herself. There were just some things she couldn’t understand. Things she didn’t ever want her friend to understand. 
She got up and walked to her bed, collapsing onto it without bothering to change out of her robes. 
It would be fine. 
-
The next morning, though a little tense, passed without much incident. Constance was a bit short in her replies, but they still ate breakfast together and walked to class just as they normally did. Y/N was feeling much better about the two of them getting past this by the time the two separated for classes. She headed off to Ancient Runes, her favorite subject, while Constance went back to the common room for her free period. 
After being given the task of writing a ten inch essay on a particular artifact, Y/N went back to her dorm to see Constance. She opened the door, knowing Constance was on the other side. 
“Blimey, as much as I love Ancient Runes, it keeps me too busy. If I wasn’t going into the department of—”
She froze, taking in the hard expression on Constance’s face. She had a letter clutched tightly in her hand, and Y/N would recognize the wax seal anywhere, even after it had been broken
“Where… where did you get that?” she said softly, straightening. 
“Your owl dropped it on your bed,” Constance answered, taking a step closer to her. “It’s from your parents.”
She ripped the letter from her friend’s hand, opening and unfolding it quickly. A quick scan over the words confirmed her worst fears—it was more threats from her father, reiterating his visit the day before and telling her that she should consider herself lucky a family like the Gaunts would allow her to join them. 
“You stole it and read it?” she asked, looking back up to her friend, voice shaking with barely controlled anger.
“I knew you weren’t telling me everything,” Constance said. 
“What gave you the right to—”
“I’ve been worried about you,” Constance interrupted. “You haven’t been yourself, and I knew it had something to do with Gaunt. Why on earth didn’t you tell me?”
“This is my problem,” she said, voice trembling. “I don’t need you fighting my battles for me.”
“The way that letter sounded, you’re not fighting at all.” 
“You don’t—”
“It’s too bad your parents aren’t still here, I would’ve given them a piece of my mind just like I did Gaunt.”
It was like a bucket of ice water had been poured over her, a chill striking her body. “You… you talked to Ominis?”
Constance frowned. “What was I supposed to do? Let him stake his claim over my best friend with no consequences?”
“What did you say to him?” she demanded.
Constance narrowed her eyes. “Nothing you wouldn’t have said.”
Her heart dropped. The girl Constance knew would have said horrible things. Hurtful things. Things that weren’t true in the slightest. She’d fed her friend years and years worth of complaints and rumors, taking out the anger and resentment of the life she was forced to live on a boy she never even knew. She’d said enough of those things to his face already, but that had been just scratching the surface. If Constance had repeated a fraction of what she’d told her over the years…
She turned toward the door, determined to set things right as soon as possible. But a hard grip on her arm tugged her back, and she whipped back around to face Constance with a glare. 
“Where do you think you’re going?” Constance asked. 
“To apologize to Ominis.”
Her friend’s mouth fell open before contorting to an absolutely furious expression. “You’re apologizing to him? Isn’t it me you’ve been lying to this whole time?”
“You don’t understand!” she spat out, retching her arm free from the blonde’s hold. “Things are different. He’s different, I was wrong—”
“Does he have you under the Imperius Curse?” Constance said sharply. “Because last I checked, you hated him.”
Her jaw dropped at the accusation, but Constance kept going. 
“Last I checked, you hated your parents and the things they stood for. Now here you are, off to marry Ominis Gaunt without a complaint, like the obedient daughter you used to despise.” 
Constance didn’t know, she tried to remind herself. She didn’t know the first thing about playing with fire. Of walking on embers and trying not to be burned. She didn’t know how it felt to be backed into a corner when the world caught fire around her. She didn’t know a life of fear. 
“You don’t know anything,” she hissed. She didn’t even catch a glimpse at the way Constance’s face fell as she turned heel and fled from the room. 
The letter was still gripped in her hand, but she hardly noticed as she left the common room, her soul focus on finding the one soul that knew anything of burning houses and life breathing smoke. 
She had to find him. Had to tell him what Constance said wasn’t true, that God, she was wrong, she was so wrong, please I need someone to burn with—
But finding him was proving to be much harder than she would have liked. It was possible that he was somewhere she couldn’t go—like the Slytherin common room. But she asked a few Slytherin students, who looked at her strangely as they heard the frantic tone of her voice, and confirmed that he hadn’t gone up there after class. 
Just before dinner she realized what an idiot she’d been. The Undercoft, of course. As students rushed toward the Great Hall, she moved against the flow to the Defense Against the Dark Arts tower. 
And finally, she spotted him. 
“Ominis!” she called out, rushing to him. He hadn’t entered the Undercoft—not yet—but he had been heading towards it. He turned around, the wand in his hand glowing with it’s soft red light. 
“Ominis, I’ve been trying to find, you I’m so—”
“Has it occurred to you I didn’t want to be found?” he spat out, his tone bitter. 
She stopped in her tracks. “I… I needed to talk to you.”
“I think you’re friend did quite enough talking,” he seethed, turning toward the Undercroft once more. 
She reached out, trying to grab his wrist, but he shook her off. His face was twisted in anger—in pain. 
God, what had she done?
“What?” he growled out. “What more could you possibly have to add to her words?”
“Nothing,” she breathed out. “Do you think I asked her to say those things?”
“It seems you didn’t have to,” he said quietly. 
Tears began to blur her vision. He was slipping away—there was nothing she could do. “Ominis,” she begged. “Ominis, please.”
“I shouldn’t have let you in,” he said softly, turning to leave once more. “I should never have let you in.”
And then he was gone, leaving her alone with tears streaming down her face. 
-
She skipped dinner for the second night in a row. She felt like a ghost as she floated through the halls, trying to be numb to all that had happened. But it was impossible—it wasn’t long until it hit her full force and she had to stop walking, sitting on a bench in the courtyard she’d wandered into. The cool of the evening air helped her to breathe, but it still didn’t help much. 
That’s when it occurred to her that she was completely and utterly on her own. 
She hadn’t felt like this since she was a child, hiding away in the manor when Diane, the one servant who had ever treated her with kindness, left for a week’s time to help her dying mother. She remembered curling up against a wall, trying to blend in to the marble and telling herself that if she could just survive the week, she’d be alright. 
But there was no end to the loneliness this time around. No one would be coming back. She’d ruined all of it. 
It was amazing, really, how she had destroyed everything in one fell swoop. She should try to fix things with Constance, but she doubted an apology would settle this so easily. She’d made a choice when she chased after Ominis—one that surely let her friend assume where her loyalties lied. She’d chosen him, not her. Not her best friend who had sat by her side for nearly seven years. 
Yet she couldn’t find it in herself to regret that choice. Not entirely. 
The outcome had been her worst nightmare; but how could she have just let Ominis think a word of what was said was what she thought of him? 
She buried her head in her hands as she thought about him, her heart aching. They had just become friends. Just barely started to build that trust, to acknowledge the understanding they had with one another. 
And now it was gone. 
The loss of that possibility made new tears flow as she sat there, regret tainting her every thought. How could she have made so many mistakes to lead to this?
Time passed by, and she still sat there, unsure of where else to go. She couldn’t go back to her common room. If she didn’t start yelling at her, Constance would likely just ignore her, and both of those options sounded like torture. The only other place she knew would grant her solitude was obviously not an option, as it was already occupied by the person who had showed it to her. 
So she sat there, waiting for some prefect or professor to come by and give her detention as curfew came and went. She couldn’t find it in herself to care. 
She thought that was exactly what happened when a figure appeared in the shadows, stopping quickly as it spotted her. It approached, and suddenly there was Sebastian Sallow—someone she knew for certain was not a prefect. 
He frowned at her. She was sure she looked a mess—puffy eyes rimmed with red, hair mussed from running her hands through it. Still, she stared up at him, daring him to question her about it. He was Ominis’s friend. Surely he knew why his friend was off brooding somewhere, and would have a word or two to say about it, just like Constance had. 
But instead, his expression softened and he tilted his head. “Are you alright?” 
The tension in her shoulders released a bit, her preparations for being scolded melting away. “I… I’m fine,” she said softly. Yeah right. “Shouldn’t you be off with… with Ominis?” 
The brunette pressed his lips together before coming to sit on the bench beside her. “That’s where I was heading. I wanted to give him some alone time to cool down after things with Constance… I’m guessing you ran into him in the meantime?” 
She hung her head. “I went to try to apologize. He didn’t—well, he didn’t really let me.” She glanced up at him. “Is he alright?”
Sebastian chuckled. “He’s left you crying like this and you’re asking if he’s ok?” 
“But it’s all my fault,” she pressed. 
“Last I checked it was Constance who was telling him off, not you.”
“She was repeating things I’d told her,” she insisted. “And she wouldn’t have done it if I hadn’t lied to her about—about—”
“The engagement?” Sebastian finished. 
She gaped up at him. “Did she tell you?” God, was she out there telling the whole school, on top of the damage she’d already done?
“No,” Sebastian said. “Ominis told me. I was with him when he got that first letter. I’ve always known.” 
She let out a deep breath. At least there weren’t rumors being spread around—yet. 
Sebastian’s brows furrowed. “You never told her?” 
She shook her head softly. “You saw how she reacted tonight. She’s always insisted in trying to take things into her own hands, even when she’ll do more damage than good.” 
“How did she find out?” 
She sighed, passing him the crumpled letter that she’d still held through it all. Sebastian glanced over it as she spoke. “She stole it off my bed and read it while I was in class. She must have found Ominis in that time, too. We… we fought when I realized what she’d done.” 
“Is that why you’re out here?” 
A small nod was all she could muster as her eyes tears up once again. “I can’t face her right now,” she mumbled. “I can’t. I don’t know where to go.” 
Sebastian sat there for a second, clearly thinking. “Ominis showed you the Undercroft last night, didn’t he?” he said. 
“He told you that?” 
“Yeah. Wanted to give me a heads up in case you showed up there.”
“Doesn’t really matter or not if he showed me,” she muttered. “He’s there right now. I can’t really face him, either.” 
“Look,” Sebastian said. “I’ll talk to him tonight and get him up to our common room. Then you can stay the night in there.” 
Her head shot up as she stared at him. “You’d do that for me?” 
He nodded. “This whole thing is a mess. You’ve been hurt as much as anyone. Least I can do is help you get a good night’s sleep somewhere you can’t get detention.” He seemed to hesitate a moment before speaking. “The fact that Ominis ever showed you the Undercroft… he doesn’t trust easy. When he’s afraid of getting hurt, he throws up his walls. He says things he doesn’t mean. He’s always been that way.” 
She stayed quiet, listening to him. 
“He’ll come around. If he’s stuck by me for this long, after all the idiotic things I’ve done, you’ve got nothing to worry about.” He offered her a small smile. “Give me a few minutes. There’s blankets in the cabinet to the left once you get in there. I’ll go talk to him.”
“I—” She found herself getting choked up at his kindness. Sebastian had always been nice, as far as Syltherins went, but she’d never thought it would extend to her at a time like this. “Thank you, Sebastian. Ominis is lucky to have a friend like you.”
He bumped his shoulder with hers before he stood up. “He’s not the only one. I trust Ominis’s judgment. If he’s taken a shine to you, I’m sure I will, too.”
She gave him a small smile. 
He began to retreat from the courtyard before looking back. “Remember, cabinet—”
“To the left,” she finished. “I’ve got it.” 
The silence seemed louder with him gone, and her stomach churned in anxiety as she waited. Sebastian had been friends with Ominis for years—was he right? Would this all find a way to work out? She hoped so. 
It was a good half an hour before she finally stood, legs stiff from staying in one spot for so long. The Undercroft was empty, just as Sebastian promised it would be. She was grateful all over again as she pulled the blankets from the cupboard, laying them out and curling up in their warmth. 
Sleep was slow in coming as the events of the last two days replayed painfully in her head. She wasn’t sure how she would mend things with Constance. Or if her newly formed friendships with Ominis and Sebastian would survive. She wasn’t sure of anything, and it scared her. 
What scared her most was the small bit of hope trying to ignite itself in her chest. 
-
Chapter Six
A/N: oops :)
TAGLIST:
@skarathewitch @cherryflavoredcoke @phoenix666stuff @wt-fxck @shameless0shenanigans @fitzs-trained-monkey @mxmia @vee-mage
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bridgyrose · 2 months
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Ruby sliced through the last of the grimm, almost out of breath from the mission she and Penny had been on. “I thought this was supposed to be an easy assignment.” 
“This is a lot easier than it could have been,” Penny answered as she made her to the ground. 
Ruby nearly blushed as she watched Penny descend. The way her weapons, Floating Array, were arranged behind her, how her skin glistened in the sunset and the way her eyes started to glow in the shade… it was almost like she had been watching an angel descend from the heavens. “Y-yeah, but there was still a lot of grimm to deal with. When we were told that we’d be helping out to clear a mine, I figured there’d be less here. Its not usual for grimm to hole up into a mine like that.” 
“At least it makes it easy to clear them out when they do. And it gives us more time to rest now that we have finished our assignment.” 
“Speaking of rest, I was hoping that maybe you and I could…” Ruby’s voice started to trail off as she thought about what she was trying to ask as she lost the words. It didnt matter how many times she had practiced with Yang or Weiss, no matter how many times she ran the words through her mind, the words just never seemed to come out right. “...could… maybe… do some weapon maintenance. Together. Alone.” 
Penny paused for a moment. “Alone? Will it not be easier to invite the rest of your team to join us? Yang and you both usually make it a big deal to have your team together before working-” 
“And they’ll be busy!” Ruby interrupted. “Besides, we dont get to do things together alone often. Sure, we take missions together, but when was the last time we really spent any time with just the two of us.” 
“Why does it matter if we’re alone?” 
“Because I-” Once again the words Ruby had wanted to say wouldnt come out no matter how much she wanted to try. I love you. Three simple words that couldnt be any harder to say. A soft sigh left her lips as she folded up her scythe. “I… I want to spend more time with you. We didnt have much of a chance to before the Vytal Festival ended and since I’ve started working in Atlas more, we’ve always been busy. If its not a mission to help clear out dust mines, then its whatever secret mission that Ironwood has for you.” 
“I want to get to know you better too, Ruby.” 
Ruby paused as she felt Penny take her hands and pull her close, the blush across her cheeks deepened as she stared into Penny’s green eyes. Her legs felt like jello as she tried to keep herself standing, almost propped up against Penny as she leaned forward. “Penny…” 
“You were one of my first friends that I met, and while I could not stay around Beacon for long, you still kept in touch.” Penny smiled a bit and let go of Ruby’s hands as she took a step back. Her smile faded for a moment as her scroll rang. “But the general… he needs me to be available whenever I can be. He thinks I can keep Remnant safe.” 
“Just… one night.” Ruby took a deep breath and stepped closer to Penny as she took a hand. “All I ask is for one night. One night for us to be alone, to become closer as friends. And maybe… maybe I can-” 
“Tell me that you love me?” Penny asked. 
Ruby sputtered and took a quick step back as she tried to regain her composure as her blushed turned redder than her cloak. “W-what? N-no. Its nothing like that. I-I just think you’re a really great friend.” 
“Then why do you want to be alone so badly?” 
“Because I want to go on a date with you!” Ruby blurted out. Her heart practically stopped as she realized what she had said, the blush on her face quickly faded as she covered her mouth. Of all the ways to ask, this had to be the worst.
“I would love to.” 
“You… you would?” 
Penny nodded and silenced her scroll. “The general can wait one night if its something this important.” 
Ruby felt her heart start to beat again as it slowed down, a blush crossed her cheeks as she reached for Penny’s hands, her fingers brushing against Penny’s. And once again, Penny almost looked like an angel in the setting sun, the shadows of the mine behind her looked almost like wings. “Then maybe we can go to the hotel I’m staying at and work on our weapons together. O-or we could go over mission plans.” 
“Or we could watch a movie.” 
“A movie. Right. A movie works.” 
Penny kissed Ruby’s cheek. “I’ll meet you there.” 
Ruby could feel her cheeks heat up as she pressed her fingers along where Penny had kissed her. Her heart raced as she watched Penny take off to the air and fly off as a green streak across the night sky. “I’ll be waiting.”
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on-my-vigilante-sht · 10 months
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Between a Wolf and a Hound II
Sandor Clegane x Baratheon!Reader, Robb Stark x Baratheon!Reader
Summary: The new Lady of the North tries to cope with the fact that she is now married and has a responsibility to her husband.
Warnings: Full disclosure I wrote this in sections over the course of like two months so it's a bit jumbled. POV will randomly switch from first to third and back to first with no clear indication (sorry).
Real Warnings: Arranged marriage, cursing, angst, fighting, smut, public consummation, non/dubcon (didn't enter marriage willingly, therefore consummation is not consensual esp with witnesses)
Word Count: 4.4K
Part I | Masterlist
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Rounding a corner that went towards the stables I found the large stature of Sandor walking away from me. “Sandor,” I called softly. I had already been ready to burst but upon seeing his pained expression I burst into tears as I approached. “Sandor,” I cried again as I reached him.
He pulled me into his body as I began to cry. Eventually scooping up my legs as he sat down so I was set in his lap. I buried my face into his beard as I continued to cry. “I-I’m so-sorry.”
“Why are you apologizing, little one? I know you didn’t choose that.”
“I didn’t think you’d be in the room.”
“It’s okay, takes a lot more than that to break me,” Sandor said, hiding the fact that he was on his way to drink himself to sleep. Both because of what he had seen and to cope with the fact that he’d never see her again after tomorrow.
“It hurt,” I cried.
Sandor reached his hand between my legs, just gently grazing me. He pulled his hand back and in the dim lighting of the hall he could see blood coating his fingers. “I know it did,” he said softly, remembering her cries for Robb to stop. “But it’ll get better when you’re not in front of an audience.”
“I don’t want it to get better, I just want you.”
“I know, me too,” Sandor sympathized. As he held her, the princess’s head tucked under his chin, he mustered up the strength to say the next words. “But you’re going to learn to be happy like Cat Stark did. You’re gonna fall in love with him, have his children, and be the highborn you are. Now, I’m gonna take you to your husband and say you got lost because if anyone catches me with you in this state, only my head will make it to King’s Landing.”
“No,” I pleaded, realizing the finality of his words. “Please I can never love him like you.”
“Try to, little one. For my sake, try to,” he said before gently pushing me off his lap. As he stood up, he pulled me up from the floor. Once I was steady on my feet, Sandor leaned down and kissed me. Our last kiss. I savored it, memorizing how he felt and tasted. When he pulled away, he lingered a little. His large fingers gently brushed a strand of hair behind my ear, his hands still gently grasping my face. He stepped away from me with a sigh, heading down the hall.
I walked with him, silently. I kept my gaze focused on the floor, too devastated to act like the Lady of the North I was supposed to now be. When we reached my new chambers, Sandor knocked for me. Robb opened the door, still wearing only his pants. “Your bride got lost,” was all Sandor said.
Robb nodded. “Thank you, for bringing her here,” he said, stepping aside for me to enter.
I held myself tightly as I walked across the threshold into Robb’s room. “Take care of her,” I faintly heard Sandor.
“I will,” came Robb’s reply before the door shut. I observed the room, it was warm looking despite the cold. There was a fire crackling in the hearth, the stone floors covered by rugs, both woven and made from animal skins. Several candles and torches lit the room, giving it a warm glow and the bed was made, several warm furs piled upon it. A maid came out of a room connected to Robb’s immediately exiting into the hall without a word. “I figured you’d enjoy a warm bath, after tonight,” he mumbled the last part, almost as if in shame.
“That is kind, thank you,” I said, heading into the en-suite. My husband followed after me, stopping at the door as I stood by the tub.
“Take as long as you like,” he said before stepping back, shutting the door and leaving me alone.
I quickly disrobed, eager to be warm again as I slipped into the bath. I soaked into the warmth for a long time. I don’t know how long but long enough for Robb to come looking for me. I only snapped to attention when I heard him call my name. Looking over, I found him standing beside the tub. “Are you alright? I called for you several times.”
“Uh- yes,” I answered. “I was just uh thinking, I suppose.”
He nodded solemnly before kneeling beside me. “Look, I am aware you didn’t want this marriage and I’m sorry about the bedding ceremony. But I promise to be a good husband and I won’t force myself on you. I have a sense that you may be in love with someone else?” I just looked down into the water, my hands crossed over my bent knees. Robb’s gaze followed, reaching his hand into the water to grasp mine. “This water is freezing, little doe,” he suddenly gasped.
I once again brought my attention to the world, realizing I was in fact cold. Robb dropped my hands, going over to where the servant had left a towel. He brought it over, wrapping it around me as I stepped out of the tub. Quickly urging me out of the washroom, he sat me down on a fur rug next to the fireplace. He stood beside me, hovering, as if unsure what to do. “Yes,” I spoke, answering his question from earlier. “It is true, I’ve spent the last year loving another man but he’s gone now. And I have every intention of making our marriage a happy one, of hopefully growing to love each other one day. I see how your parents interact, I want the same for us. For my worst nightmare would be ending up like my own parents. I will just need some time.”
Robb grabbed a fur blanket from hi— our bed. He kneeled before me, wrapping it around my shoulders. “Of course,” he agreed.
~
The next morning I woke up alone in Robb’s bed, wrapped in both the towel and several blankets. Surveying the room, my trunk laid beside the door. Leaving the warm bed, I went over, pulling out one of the many warm dresses that had been packed for me. Before leaving the chambers, I went to the window, hoping to see the view I’d have for the rest of my life. It was just like any view in Winterfell, grey skies and miles of pine trees. But this window faced down into the courtyard as well where I could see three figures practicing with their swords. I recognized them as Robb, his brother Jon Snow, and Theon Greyjoy whom had been hanging around Robb at the feasts. Several of my father’s men stood around, watching them spar, a few occasionally joining in. Surrounding them were the bustling movements of servants packing up my family’s belongings as well as Lord Stark’s as he would be the new Hand of the King.
I stepped away from the window with a sigh before heading out, intending to find my mother and some breakfast. In one of the smaller dining halls, I stumbled upon Lady Stark and her daughter Sansa. “My apologies,” I said as I interrupted their conversation.
“No need to apologize, I was hoping to see you,” my new mother-in-law smiled. “Please, eat,” she said, gesturing to an empty seat.
“Well then forgive me for holding you,” I apologized, taking a seat. A servant immediately placed a plate and silverware for me. “I don’t normally wake up so late.”
“Once again, no need to apologize,” she smiled. “Robb and I both told the servants not to disturb you. You had a demanding night.” I smiled shyly as I grabbed a pastry from the center of the table.
“Is King’s Landing as dirty as they say it is?” my sister-in-law suddenly asked.
I smiled at her question. “The city is quite dirty, and loud. But as long as you don’t wander too far out of the Red Keep, you will be perfectly fine. And should you ever venture out into the city, bring a guard or two. If not for your protection but to make your day less overwhelming. The merchants descend like vultures when they see nobles.”
“Do you miss it?”
I pondered for a second. “In some ways, yes,” I miss Sandor, “I’ll miss the warmth. In some ways, no, I like that it’s quiet here.”
Sansa hummed before looking to her mother. “May I be excused? I have to ensure everything has been packed.”
Lady Stark looked at her daughter sadly before agreeing. As Sansa left, I spoke up. “It must be hard, first little Bran and now your husband and daughters are leaving? Not to mention you had already been forced to leave your family when you married Lord Stark.”
She shrugged solemnly. “It is my duty,” was all she said. “I’m sure your mother is pained to leave you here.”
“Between us,” I began, already finding more comfort in Catelyn Stark than I ever had in my mother, “I don’t think so. She’s always favored her fairer haired children. I was looking forward to joining your family, it’s a shame they’re all leaving so soon.”
“Yes, well, it gets easier as you start a family of your own.” I just hummed, unsure if I was ready for that or not. “Ned told me last night was a little rough on you, I’m sorry you had to endure a public bedding ceremony.”
I tried to not let my mortification show. “Yes, well, afterwards Robb was apologetic. I understand he didn’t intend to harm me, I know he is an honorable man. You raised a good son, Lady Stark.”
She smiles graciously. “Thank you, and please, call me Cat. How are you finding the North?”
“You certainly have quite the culture. The people here are all so… overwhelmingly loyal to each other. And I am not of here.”
“Yes, harsh winters do that to a community. I can’t help but feel like an outsider here too. Ned always tells me that I am of the North now, I’m sure Robb will tell you the same.”
Just then, a servant entered. “The Queen requests her highness in her chambers.” I gave Cat one last grateful look before following after the servant. As I approached Cersei’s temporary chambers, I could see the door was already open as servants carried her belongings out. But as I entered, each one left, the last shutting the door behind her.
“Mother?” I called as she stood, staring out the window.
“I heard you bled last night?” was all she said, not bothering to turn to me.
“Yes,” I agreed.
“Good,” she said. She finally turned. “We’ll be off within the hour, I trust you know how to behave like the Lady you now are?” She said Lady with disgust. She had gone from Lady Lannister to Queen Baratheon while her daughter went from Princess Baratheon to Lady Stark, an incredible dishonor in her eyes. She was angry at Robert for doing that to her.
“Yes.”
“Good, try not to cry the next time your husband beds you,” she sniped with a dismissive wave. I felt tears prick my eyes as I turned, leaving her chambers.
I made my way outside, finding the youngest Stark daughter swinging around a small sword in a deserted area. Upon seeing me, she stepped back in fright, dropping the sword. “Please don’t tell anyone,” she immediately begged.
“Don’t worry, I won’t. A woman with a sword is a powerful thing.”
“It is?”
I smiled down at the young girl. I prayed Cersei never got her hands hand on girl. “Women have brains, men have brawn. And men are terrified when women have both.”
“And what about men? Can they have both?”
“I’ve never heard of a man with much of a brain,” I laughed. “If I were you, I’d hide the sword before your mother comes looking for you to say her goodbyes.” Arya nodded, running off eagerly.
I continued on, finding myself amongst the men I had viewed from the window earlier. They parted as they noticed me, allowing me to obtain a view of my husband as he sparred with a guard. Spying Jon Snow I approached. “Your brother is quite the swordsmen,” I announced my presence.
He gave a slight bow, “Your Highness.”
I just waved a dismissive hand. “No need for titles with family. Besides, I’m no longer a princess, just a lady now,” I beamed. While my mother saw this change of title as humiliating, I was relieved to be released from that life.
“Well if you think Robb is impressive, you should see me fight,” Jon laughed.
Neither of us noticed the man approaching us. “Exaggerating your skills to my wife, aren’t we now?” Robb asked rhetorically.
“Well it’s not exaggerating if it’s true,” Jon laughed.
Robb just shook his head dismissively. “Ignore him, little doe. He’s known for his over-embellishments. I apologize for not being there when you woke. I had some things to attend to and some of your father’s men were getting a bit bold. Had to show these Southerners real, Northern toughness.”
“It’s quite all right, I don’t generally wake up that late.”
He looked at me sympathetically. “You had a strenuous night, physically and emotionally. It’s only natural you wake up a bit later.”
“I had breakfast with your mother. A lovely woman, really.”
“Yes, she is very kind. I hope you’re finding Winterfell to your liking so far. It will be much quieter by this evening.”
“Yes, I’m enjoying the quiet so far. King’s Landing is far louder in comparison.”
“Well I’m glad,” he smiled.
“Oi, Stark!” a voice shouted from across the field. “Are you gonna keep flirting with the girl or are you gonna fight like a man?”
“Go,” I said with a laugh. “Prove your worth.” Robb smiled once again, pressing a chaste kiss to my cheek before heading towards the new guard. Glancing around, I found the large stature of Sandor. I felt physically ill at the thought of him seeing my exchange with Robb. Roles reversed, my heart would shatter if I had to watch another woman kiss him or make love to him like last night.
I slipped back into the crowd, trying to covertly maneuver my way to him. Upon reaching him, I gently brushed my fingers against his arm. But he didn’t look at me, keeping his gaze on the sparring match ahead. “Sandor…”
“I trust your husband is treating you well?” he asked, his gaze unwavering.
“Uh-yes, Lord Stark is a very decent man.”
“Good, or else I’d have to cut off his head within his own walls.” I opened my mouth to say something but nothing came out. “I should’ve done it when you were begging him to stop fucking you.”
“Sandor-”
“I hope he treats you well, little one, I really do. But I don’t particularly enjoy seeing him put his hands on what’s mine.”
I sighed. “Well for what it’s worth, I’ll always be yours.” He just grunted in acknowledgement, still never looking at me as I walked away, dejected.
~
“Would you like to go lie down? Eat something?” I asked Cat gingerly. Ever since the maester had mentioned a small fever she had thrown everyone else out of Bran’s room so Robb asked me to go in as a last resort. “I’ll watch Bran, he’ll be in good hands.” She didn’t say anything. “It won’t be for long. Don’t wrack yourself with more anxiety, you should walk it off. I’ve nursed my brothers and plenty of soldiers back to health. I will send someone to fetch you should the slightest thing happen.” Cat stared at her son longingly before bursting into tears.
“I need him to be okay,” she sobbed repeatedly.
“But you are not okay. Worrying yourself sick without a release will do Bran no good. What will he do if he wakes up and his mother is too exhausted to hold him?” She continued to cry but this time she stood up, exiting the room. A guard outside met her, bringing her to her chambers. So I settled in her seat, observing the younger Stark boy.
A few minutes passed and Robb came in. “I was told you had managed to get my mother to rest. I am very impressed,” he praised. He went to the window, opening the shutters. The howling of the wolves, crying for their masters, filtered in the window.
“Don’t be so hard on your mother. First her son falls to what should be his death and then her husband and daughters leave.”
“I know but…” he suddenly became quiet. “Fire! You stay here, I’ll come back,” he shouted before running off.
Taken aback, I stood up, heading to the window. Amongst the darkness was a small, glowing blaze alight on a small structure. Turning my gaze away, I found a hooded figure standing behind me, in front of Bran’s bed. “You’re not supposed to be here,” he said. “No one’s supposed to be here.” Utterly confused and unnerved I barely had time to react as he pulled out a knife, stepping towards me. But by the time I had come to my senses he had me pressed against the wall, knife poised to slit my throat. I heard myself yell, my hands reaching up to block the blade. One was immediately sliced open but the other caught where his hand was wrapped around the blade and I managed to push his hand away enough to give me room to move. I shoved him backwards but he took me with him, throwing my body to the ground. But before he could finish anything a blur of brown and grey pounced on top of him, tearing at his throat.
“Thank you,” I whispered to the dire wolf as he settled on the bed, next to his master.
“Lady Stark I heard…” came the breathless voice of a guard as he observed the carnage in the room. Another guard ran in, having a similar reaction to the carnage. “Get Lord Stark,” the first ordered. The second complied, running off. “You’re hurt, my Lady.”
“I am alright,” I dismissed. I couldn’t help but think that Sandor would be proud of me for fighting back and keeping myself alive. He had been the one that taught me how to fight. Standing up, I went over to Bran, checking him. Careful to not smear my blood on him with my injured hand.
Suddenly Robb entered, out of breath. “You’re hurt,” he pointed out in shock upon seeing my blood soaked hand. He was best to me in an instant, taking my wounded hand gently. “What happened?”
“Immediately after you left I went to see the fire from the window. When I turned around that man was in the room. Said that no one was supposed to be in here before he attacked me,” I explained. “He tried to slit my throat but I caught the blade. He was about to kill me when Bran’s wolf saved both our lives.”
“Come, let’s get you to the maester so he can fix your hand and take your statement,” he said gently, leading me out of the room with an arm around me.
~
“Your Grace,” a servant approached the King as he sat eating, “a raven from Winterfell brought this.” Ned perked up at the mention of Winterfell. The boy held up a small roll of parchment.
Robert took it, unrolling it. Ned sat anxiously as the king read. “There was an attack on your younger son’s life,” Robert told his old friend. “He is unharmed but apparently my daughter took the brunt of the attack to protect him.”
“Is she…?” Ned trailed off, not wanting to utter the death of his new daughter-in-law and the King’s daughter into existence.
“It says she is alright, just a little shaken up and a nasty cut on her hand,” he grumbled. “So much for your son’s promise to protect her.” Ned stayed silent at the comment, knowing that Robb was surely kicking himself at the injury of his new wife. “Someone bring me The Hound!” Robert suddenly bellowed. “Tell him he’s going back to Winterfell.”
~
I was simply eating lunch, minding my own business when I suddenly heard shouts coming from outside. Peering out the window I saw a familiar figure riding in the gate. Several guards stood before Sandor, attempting to block his entrance. I knew that this would not end well if this altercation became physical so I rushed down the stairs and outside.
As I approached the bickering men, I found my husband observing them. He was far enough away that he wouldn’t disturb them but close enough to intervene should he need to. I was still decently far away when Sandor suddenly jumped from Stranger’s back, unsheathing his sword. As the guards began to attack, I ran towards them, screeching for them to stop.
I was so fixated on Sandor I didn’t even notice Robb until he had me caught around the waist, blocking me from reaching them. “Sandor! Stop! All of you stop,” I screeched but they ignored me.
Seeing how desperate his wife was, Robb finally spoke up. “That’s enough!” he yelled. “As Lord of Winterfell I order you to cease.” All the guards fell still at their Lord’s command, Sandor also falling still.
I ripped myself from Robb’s grip, going to my guard. “What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be halfway to King’s Landing by now?”
“Your father sent me back. He received word of your attack,” he explained, taking my bandaged hand gently. “He wanted you protected, seeing as your husband failed at that,” he said with a pointed glare towards Robb.
Turning to him, I could see him clench his jaw at Sandor’s comment. “Lady Stark, a word?” I moved to approach him, Sandor following. “No, not the Hound, just you.”
“My orders are to resume my post as the princess’ sworn shield. Wherever she goes, I go.”
“I am Lord of Winterfell and you are on my land, speaking about my wife. I will decide on all matters related to her.”
“I’m here on your king’s orders, regarding the safety of his daughter. A duty you failed.”
“Enough,” I shouted at both men. “We will all go inside where Robb and I can speak in private.” Both begrudgingly agreed, Robb leading us straight to our chambers. He left Sandor outside his door before guiding me into the en-suite washroom.
“The Hound is the man you love, isn’t he?” Robb immediately demanded, fuming. I was completely blindsided, not anticipating that this is what he wanted to talk about. “You nearly ran into a sword fight for him. You could be dead if it weren’t for me.”
“Robb-”
“I tried to let him stay with you, I spoke up for him because I thought it would make this transition easier for you.”
“Robb please…”
“No, he’s not staying here. Your father is welcome to send another guard but I won’t be sharing our bed with a dog. You said yourself you intend to make our marriage happy and to try to fall in love with me. We cannot have a happy marriage with your dog constantly nipping at my heels.”
I stepped closer to my husband, venom coursing through my veins. “Send him away and I will hate you forever.”
“Try me,” he growled. “You will either grow to love me or your disdain will eat you alive. I accept the fact that you loved someone before me, I am giving you time, but I do not need to offer your lover room in my home or a place in my bed.”
“Fine, send him away, but I beg you not to tell anyone. They will have his head if they knew.”
Robb sighed, observing his wife's desperate expression. “I won't. We will speak later tonight,” he said before storming out to send Sandor away. I stayed in Robb’s room until I was sure they were both gone. I could never bear the heartbreak of seeing Sandor as he was sent away. I also couldn’t stand the thought of sharing a bed with Robb tonight so I went to one of the many guest rooms, setting up there.
I managed to stay there all day without being found. It wasn’t until night fell and I was intent to go to bed that the door opened, revealing my husband. I sat up from my comfortable position on the bed. “What are you doing here?”
Robb began stripping off his clothes until he was only in his trousers. “You are my wife, I am your husband, we share a bed,” he declared, sliding into bed next to me.
“My parents don’t share a bed.”
“And you said your greatest fear was ending up like them.”
Defeated, I huffed, laying back down. I turned away from him but his arm wrapped around my waist and he pulled himself closer so his body molded to mine. “I’m sorry I sent him away but I know you understand why I did it. Would you rather we continuously hurt each other by bringing others into our marital bed? I love you, little doe, I won’t let our marriage become merely a bargaining tool.”
I stayed silent, reflecting on his words. I did understand why he sent Sandor away, our marriage could not be happy with a third person in it. Understanding but still angry, my hand found his, the one that he had slipped below the pillow underneath my head. Upon feeling my grasp, Robb nuzzled himself further into me, the arm around my waist squeezing me tighter and his face finding its place in the crook of my neck.
Part I | Masterlist
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Text
Merry Christmas, Javi
Summary: Christmas with the Peña family.
Rating: General, my blog is still 18+ though!
Tags/warnings: mentions of food, mentions of dead relative, Christmas, tooth aching fluff, Chucho Peña is the real star of this
a/n: this has been in my head since before thanksgiving and I have been dying for it to be the appropriate time to post it. It's fluffy and tender and I'm really proud of it, so I hope you all enjoy! shoutout to my beloved Kat for always listening to me ramble in the dms, now across multiple platforms<3
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Trotting down the wooden staircase, you made your way back into the Peña living room, now dressed much more comfortably than you had been for the last few hours at Christmas Eve dinner. Your outfit was a rookie mistake, really- you should’ve known Javier’s aunties would make a feast big enough to feed the neighborhood. Your black corduroy skirt really never stood a chance. You slipped into something considerably more breathable, and apparently beat both men back downstairs, as evidenced by the silence of the room save for a quiet tick of a clock. Thought they’d teased you in the car, you knew they were both getting into their lounge clothes as well, just as stuffed as you.
Leaning against the counter that separated the kitchen and living areas, you sipped a water bottle and took in the surroundings. The house hadn’t changed since you’d last seen it a month ago, not that you’d expected it to. To be a single man of his age living alone, Chucho took remarkably good care of the place, even managing to get up Christmas decor before your visit for Thanksgiving. Javi had chided his father for being so risky and climbing on ladders to get some garland up, which he had waved off. You always had to laugh at the two of them bickering- neither one seemed to realize just how alike they were.
Every time you visited, you liked to take in the photos lining the wall under the stairs. It was your own personal walk down the family’s memory lane, one you didn’t get many verbal trips on from your private partner. There was a photo of Javi as a baby, sitting against a plain backdrop and holding a stuffed bunny while he grinned happily. It was the kind of photo that made you want to travel in time just to pinch his little cheeks- adult Javi probably wouldn’t appreciate it as much.
Next to that hung a photo of Javier with his parents at his high school graduation, that same grin from the baby photo on his face, and to the left of that was a photo of his mother squeezing him tightly as they posed on a beach, both caught mid-laugh. It was your personal favorite- he couldn’t have been older than ten or so, and he just looked so innocent. Blissfully unaware of all the hardships life would throw at him in the coming years.
You were pulled from your thoughts by the sound of two different footsteps on the stairs, one a bit slower than the other. Javi emerged first, donning a pair of plaid pajama pants and a faded t-shirt that had probably been in his bedroom since he was in college. He looked remarkably good like this, enough to make you remind yourself to behave.
“Better?” You asked, gesturing towards his loose pants.
“Much.” He nodded seriously.
The aforementioned feast was one of a larger proportion than you’d ever had at Christmas; two hams and a turkey sat proudly in the center of the table, though they didn’t take away from the lovely centerpiece his aunt Maria had made. To the sides of the meats were an arrangement of side dishes, all of which you sampled at least once. The older women had fussed over how skinny Javi looked, making sure he got at least two full plates and lightly scolding you for not feeding him enough. Javi had gently squeezed your knee under the table in a sort of apology, though you knew better than to take the comment seriously. They were just looking out for the original baby of the family- something you would happily tease him about later. 
When you’d visited for Thanksgiving, it had just been you, Javi, and Chucho. But for Christmas, it had been his entire family; mostly women, all of whom you tried not to let yourself be scared of- though they welcomed you with open arms. 
Getting to see Javi play with the younger members of the family had warmed your heart, and not just because they were slightly less judgmental than the adults. They’d immediately roped the two of you into their game as you arrived, tugging you by the hand into the playroom and declaring that you would be the customers in their restaurant. You’d both squeezed into tiny plastic chairs at a tiny plastic table, pretending to scarf down the food they were serving. You tried your best to hold back your laughter at the image; big, tough, former DEA agent Javier Peña, with his legs folded up to his chest at a pretend restaurant, surrounded by a gaggle of little girls who were bossing him around. Definitely something you wouldn’t be forgetting anytime soon.
“Excuse me miss, my steak is undercooked.” Javi had deadpanned at one point, to which one of his nieces had responded angrily, saying her food would never be wrong. You raised your eyebrows at him, as if to back the six year old up. He raised his hands in surrender, taking another pretend bite and claiming that it actually tasted fine.
“Can’t believe you’d be so disrespectful.” You shook your head, taking a bite of your wooden pizza. 
Thankfully before Javi could offend any more baby chefs, you’d all been called back into the kitchen to serve up your plates, and thus stuff yourself full of some of the best cooking you’d had in years.
“Okay, hot chocolate time.” Chucho announced, clapping his hands together.
You smiled at him excitedly, knowing he made particularly good hot chocolate. It was apparently a long standing Christmas Eve tradition in the Peña household, going all the way back to when it was just Javi’s parents. As the older man set up a pot on the stove, you leaned back against the tile counter, watching Javi fetch three mugs from the cupboard by the fridge. 
When the weather had first started getting cold, you had excitedly told Javi that it meant you could start making hot chocolate, to which he laughed and pressed a kiss to your head in exasperation. Though he had gently teased you, he showed up to your apartment after he got off work the next day with a grocery bag containing hot cocoa mix, whipped cream, and a bag of miniature marshmallows because he wasn’t sure which topping you’d want. The simple act had warmed your heart so thoroughly- you’d tugged him into the apartment and showed him your gratitude with your lips on his. 
You tugged him into the kitchen, instructing him to sit at the counter while you made him a cup. Though when you opened your fridge, you let out an upset groan. 
“What’s wrong?” He inquired.
“I’m out of milk,” You whined, tossing your head back dramatically.
Javi stood from the barstool, coming to mirror you at the fridge. He leaned on one arm and tilted his head a bit, giving you a look that told you he was doing his best not to laugh at the situation. “You can just make it with water, y’know.”
You looked at him with a playfully offended expression. “Javier Peña, we do not make hot chocolate with water in this house. It doesn’t taste right at all.”
He chuckled lightly. “Does it really make that much of a difference?”
You intensified your expression, adding in a gasp for good measure. “Yes it absolutely does!”
“You’re cute, you know that?” He said with a lopsided smirk, stepping closer to you.
Though his face was close enough for you to reach up and kiss, you were too appalled by his revelation. “Don’t try to change the subject, Peña. This changes the very nature of our relationship!”
“Cute and dramatic,” he muttered, closing the fridge moving back across the room. 
“Now you’re running away from me?” You asked sassily, raising your brows at him. 
“I’m going to get you some milk.”
Javi always was good at making you forget why you were upset, even in situations like this one. He returned shortly with a gallon of milk, going on and on about how it’s too much of a fuss, water is easier, and so on. But when you made that first cup for him, you could see it in his eyes. You knew you’d won, even if he didn’t realize it. A small part of you suspected that his avoidance of the milk stemmed from it making his stomach hurt, but it was one of those issues that he would never admit to; he needed glasses, he couldn’t handle dairy, etc. You loved him regardless, of course, and would continue pretending the issues didn’t exist.
Once the three of you had filled your mugs and fixed them up to your liking, you migrated to the large couch that lined the wall of the living room. As you sat, you leaned down and plugged in the Christmas tree, smiling to yourself as the warm lights illuminated and cozied the room. The windows had a thin layer of frost on them, and you’d heard the weatherman predict potential snowfall for the morning. Your heart got that giddy, pre-christmas feeling, the kind you hadn’t felt since you were a kid. 
“Are ya cold, sweetie? Let me get some logs on the fire,” Javier’s father spoke, noticing you looking out the window. 
As he moved towards the hearth, Javi stuck his hand out. “No, Pops, let me. You get comfortable,” He said, setting his mug on the coffee table with a clink. 
As the younger of the two men got a fire going, you couldn’t help but admire him. Not only did he look good physically- the pajama pants were doing everything for his rear- but watching his subtle acts of service, which you’d quickly learned was his love language early into your relationship, only served to remind you how in love with him you were. He was always ready to step in and help so he could make things easier for those he cared about. He always helped you do the dishes after dinner, though he worked faster than you so you had less to do. He did tasks around his father’s home that he knew would be a struggle for Chucho, like tightening the lower hinges on his back door so he wouldn’t have to get all the way down to do it. It was his own special way of showing his love and appreciation.
“Tree looks good this year,” Chucho commented, sipping his mug. He’d endearingly piled the whipped cream high, offering to do the same for you since he knew you liked it that way. Javi, of course, preferred marshmallows.
“You decorated it,” Javier laughed, sipping his own drink. 
“Yes, and I did a good job,” His father replied cheekily. 
You let out a laugh before responding. “Always so humble, Mr. Peña.” 
He shrugged, raising his eyebrows and closing his eyes. You only shook your head in response. 
The tree really did look good. You’d expected it to be rather sparse, not expecting a seventy year old man to go all out for a Christmas tree, but it seemed he’d taken his time placing each ornament with care. As you pondered the subject, you realized this was probably another lasting effect of Javier’s mother; he’d once shared that his mom was always in charge of the tree, recruiting the two men to place her ornaments exactly where she wanted them. The story had been shared after you insisted Javi get a small tree for his apartment, telling him the place as severely lacking in Christmas cheer.
“I don’t really have many ornaments,” He’d explained, bringing out a singular box of mini-baubles from the depths of his closet while you sat on the floor and assembled the fake tree.
“I can bring you some of mine,” You suggested without looking up, struggling to jam one of the tree stems into the proper place. 
He sat next to you, taking the piece from your hands as he spoke. “I don’t wanna steal your ornaments.” He clicked the piece in with ease.
“Thank you,” You huffed out, wiping sweat from your forehead. “Anyways- I really don’t mind. I can’t have you in here with a bare tree,” you looked at him with a frown.
“The fact that I have one at all is an accomplishment,” He shrugged. “Think this is the first one I’ve had since the eighties.”
You nodded, falling into a comfortable silence. You supposed it made sense; only a few years ago he was in Colombia, and you doubted there was much time- or want- for Christmas. He’d once mentioned that for the two years they were in the country together, Steve and Connie would have him over during the holidays, and they’d always had one, but he thought it was too much hassle. Even before Colombia he was always bouncing around from state to state, and before that he was in college. A small part of you felt honored to be sharing this with him.
After about twenty minutes, and way more struggle than was necessary for a fake tree, you stepped back and took in your progress. 
“It looks good,” you mused, plugging in the simple strand of colored lights. 
“I appreciate your help,” He pulled you into his side, pausing a moment before he finally spoke. “First Christmas after my mom, Pops and I tried to decorate and it looked even sadder than this one.” He said with a half-hearted chuckle. 
You considered your words carefully before replying. You knew this was a sensitive subject for him, and one he didn’t open up on much. You settled for a simple response, speaking softly. “Did she always do the tree? I know my mom was always the one doing that when I was a kid.”
You kept your eyes trained on him as you awaited his response. “Oh yeah. That was always her thing. She’d have Pops up on a ladder twisting the star around until it was just how she liked it.” 
The two of you shared a soft chuckle. Though you never met his mother, you’d crafted an image of her in your head based off the pictures and few stories you’d been told. From what you gathered, she was independent, outspoken, and not afraid of telling you how she felt. It was interesting seeing these characteristics woven into her son, even after all this time. 
Javi drew you from your thoughts when he continued speaking, something you absolutely didn’t expect. “She always had these little bird ornaments, they would clip to the branches, and I remember one year my dad knocked one off and it shattered. I expected her to be mad, but she just laughed it off and called him a klutz. That stuck in my mind, for some reason.”
You wrapped your arm tighter around Javier’s back, pulling yourself further into him. He reciprocated the gesture, turning so he could hold you against his chest. You wanted to thank him for sharing, tell him you were proud of him, but you remained silent. By the way he nestled his face into your hair, you knew he understood. 
The gentle crackle of the fire set a nice background noise for the scene. Living in the city you always forgot how peaceful it was out in Laredo, the Peña house being tucked away in the outskirts. The three of you were about as cozy as could be; Chucho sat in his recliner, feet propped up and tucked into his thick socks. You nestled yourself into the corner of the sofa, outstretching your legs onto Javi’s lap, which was covered by a blanket that had been previously draped across the back of the couch. After a lapse of comfortable silence, you decided to fill the air. 
“So, what is everyone hoping Santa brings this year?” You joked, looking towards the stack of presents under the tree.
“A partner with less cold feet,” Javi retorted, squeezing your ankle. 
“Why do you think they’re under the blanket?”
He rolled his eyes and gave you a small smile, plus a playful pinch. “What about you, Pops?”
He made a face like he was thinking, tapping his chin. “A sports car.”
You laughed, throwing your hands in the air. “I’m not sure that’ll fit down the chimney, but I guess he could make it work.”
“Santa physics are different,” Javi posed seriously. 
The three of you continued your quiet conversation for the next hour and a half or so, and before you realized it, only you and Chucho were speaking. 
After letting out a yawn, He clicked the recliner down, collecting your now empty mugs as he slowly shuffled to the kitchen. He stopped though, taking a moment to look at his son. 
“Look at that,” He whispered with a small smile.
Javier was positively knocked out, arms folded and head lolled to the side. His brows were furrowed together even in sleep- something that always made you giggle. Regardless of that, he looked adorable, tugging on your heartstrings even though he wasn’t doing anything.
“Want me to wake him?” He asked, stopping by the couch again on his way to the staircase.
You shook your head. “No, I’ll just let him sleep for a bit.” You spoke softly. “Besides, he’s much nicer when he’s asleep,” you joked.
“Agreed.” He answered with a single nod. “Goodnight, mija. Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas,” you reflected, cheeks warming at the use of the affectionate name. 
You sat and watched Javi for a few minutes more, longing to cup his jaw gently or stroke his hair. Though his face was made of sharp angles, he looked so soft when he slept, only further exaggerated by the firelight flickering and glowing against his skin. You stayed this way for as long as you could, until your legs started to cramp from not moving for so long, so you moved them away from his lap as gently as you could. Just as you were about to be in the clear, he sucked in a sharp breath, sitting up a bit.
“Sorry,” you whispered with a wince. 
He rubbed his eye, shaking his head. “Don’t apologize. How long was I out?”
“Not too long,” You assured him. “You didn’t miss much, he was just dishing to me on the people in town. Didn’t know your pops was such a gossip,” 
Javi gave a laugh, the kind that bounced his whole chest. “Get him going and he’ll tell you everything he knows.”
You glanced over to the oven clock, which read 11:48. “It’s almost Christmas,” you shared, unable to contain your grin.
Javier scooted closer to you on the couch, wrapping his arm around your shoulders and kissing your temple. You happily snuggled into him, watching the fire dance. You didn’t realize you were able to be this happy. 
“I’m glad we came here,” he though aloud. “I’m glad you’re here.”
Turning your head, you met his eyes and saw they were looking at you with nothing but love and adoration. He had the gentlest of smiles tugging at his lips, enticing you to stretch yours out and place a tender kiss to them. He returned it softly, his mustache ticking you like always. After a moment in this bubble, you suddenly remembered a task you’d set out to do before you even left for Laredo. You stood from the couch, the blanket falling from your lap. Javi watched as you walked over to the tree, reaching around the back to pull out a small box. 
“When did you put that there?” He asked, puzzled.
“What can I say, I’m a master of stealth.” 
“Yeah, okay.”
You laughed, plopping back down next to him with an outstretched arm. “Just an early gift. Santa brings the rest tomorrow.” You spoke as if it were obvious.
“Of course,” he replied in the same tone, undoing the bow that wrapped around the gift.  
As you watched him open it, you couldn’t help but feel a bit nervous. He was a hard one to shop for, and you hoped he understood the gift, not to mention your intentions behind it. You hoped he liked it, or at least wasn’t offended by it-
“Baby,” he breathed out. 
“Do you like it?” You asked insecurely, wringing your hands together.
He looked up at you, and the only way to describe the face he made was emotional. His eyes were watery, his lips drawn together in an attempt to keep himself together. Setting the box to the side of his lap, he pulled you in quickly, sealing his lips to yours as if that were the only possible response for him. 
“You… I don’t even know what to say.” He mumbled, admiring the gift once more. 
Sitting in the middle of the box, atop a pile of red tissue paper, was a bird ornament, the type that could clip to tree branches. It was hollow metal, colored gold with purple paint stripes for wings, as well as a few purple feathers sticking out the back.
“I just thought it would be nice for your tree, and I don’t know if it’s anything like the ones you used to have, but maybe it could be your own-“
He interrupted your rambling with another soft kiss. “It’s perfect. Thank you. Really.”
Your chest swelled with both pride and relief. You’d been stressed about the gift since you purchased it a week ago, going back and forth for a few days on whether or not to even buy it.
“Where did you even find this?” He asked, turning it over gently. 
“I saw it in the window of a bookshop, oddly enough. Felt like a sign.” 
He nodded, fascinated with the small object. You could only imagine what was going through his mind in that moment. 
“Thank you.” He repeated. 
“Of course.” You leaned your head on his shoulder. 
“Merry Christmas,” He spoke after a moment. 
“Merry Christmas, Javi.”
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