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swordsandholly · 18 days

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Steel Magnolia

Part 1

Simon “Ghost” Riley x fem!plus size!reader

No use of y/n

Rating: Mature/MDNI

Word Count: 2.1k

Author’s Note: I just recently got back into fandom spaces and reading fanfic again and looooove the uptick in fat Y/N characters. Ofc as a big girl myself I wanted to try my hand at writing one too.

Hopefully I’ll post this on AO3 soon. Whenever I get my invite so I can make an acc.

“Oh! Darlin’, did ya see those boys next door?” Mrs. Duprey gasps as you swipe the last of her Bubble Bath OPI polish across her fingers.

“Next door?” You cock an eyebrow. “No one’s been next door since Adam and Eve.”

“I saw them on the way in!” She grins, the corners of her eyes wrinkling pleasantly. “Strappin’ young men - y’should talk t’ ‘em.”

You roll your eyes. “I’m sure I will sooner or later, ma’am.”

“You’ve been single too long.” The nosey old bat contributes. As much as you love her she truly cannot leave well enough alone.

“And I’m perfectly content as such.” You give her your warmest smile.

The trailer home across from you has remained empty for as long as you can remember. It’s well kept - sometimes you see random gardeners mowing or going in an out with tool bags - but no one lives there permanently. You’d think in a beach town it would at least belong to some snowbirds. A timeshare, maybe. It’s none of those things, though. Just a well-maintained, perfectly empty husk.

There’s a metaphor in there somewhere, probably.

Sure enough, as you walk Mrs. Duprey out of your little single wide trailer, you spot a black SUV parked out front of the neighboring double wide. One that is definitely *not* a repair man or worker’s vehicle. She coos at you to make sure to talk to them before waddling off to her own car. She really shouldn’t be driving at her age. You wonder briefly - futilly- if she’d sell you her car in exchange for rides.

You suppose she’s right - even if it is for the wrong reasons. You’re not particularly interested in flirting with the new neighbors. After all, don’t fuck where you eat is a saying for a reason, but it wouldn’t exactly be neighborly to not introduce yourself. Especially with all the people coming and going from your home for your nail tech services. The old Yankee’s catty-cornered from you still believe that you're a drug dealer. At least they only come down for a couple months of the year.

Despite your staunch decision not to flirt, you still find yourself adjusting your clothes. Maybe the sports bra as a top is a bit much…

Fuck it. If they live here now they’ll see you in worse.

You fix your lipstick and throw on your platform sandals. The ones that clip-clop as you walk. Maybe it will help announce your presence.

The screen door wraps quietly as you knock. You take two steps back on the front, wooden porch so as not to come off too aggressively. As the seconds tick by you debate on knocking again. Maybe they’re out. Or busy. They did just move in today, most likely. Maybe you should-

The door creaks slightly as it opens. A very, painfully handsome man pushes the screen door until it clicks in place. “Afternoon, lassie.”

You blink stupidly as he crosses his strong arms and leans on the doorframe. His eyes are a striking shade of blue - somehow both sharp and soft. His dark hair is shaped into a slightly grown-out, un-styled mohawk. It fits him oddly enough.

“I, uh,” you take a deep breath. Christ you need to get laid if just *looking* at a hot guy has you this off kilter. “I live across the way. Just wanted t’ say welcome t’ tha neighborhood.”

That lopsided smile on his face grows into a grin. You don’t miss the way his eyes catch on your chest. “Aye? Nice tae meet ye. Names John MacTavish. M’friends call me Johnny.”

He gives your hand an extra little squeeze after shaking it. That accent might as well have you on the floor. You continue to blink dumbly, watching the at the scar on his chin stretches as he speaks.

Christ almighty, you’re pathetic.

“Nice to meet’ya.” You give him a warm smile, tilting your head to the side slightly. “Ya’ll here for vacation? We don’t get many Europeans ‘round here.”

He chuckles. It’s low and rumbling and would probably feel wonderful with your ear pressed to his chest. “Little bit o’ business, little bit o’ pleasure. This an’ tha’.”

“Hello, there.” Another man pops up from behind Johnny suddenly. Fucking hell, he’s gorgeous too. Older, for sure, with a uniquely cut beard that would probably look rather silly on anyone less handsome. At it stands, he manages to make it appear dignified.

“Ah, jus’ about tae call fer ye, Cap. This is our neighbor.” Johnny gestures toward you.

“John Price.” The man steps forward to shake your hand. It’s firm and professional and thank god your grandad made you practice a good handshake as a kid or you’d be painfully embarrassed.

“Are all UK men named John or is this just some sorta cult?” You blurt, unable to stop yourself from snickering at them.

Older John chuckles at you fondly, his facial hair giving him a pleasant U-shaped smile. “Be easier to remember that way, wouldn’t it? No, we’re with two others. Kyle and Simon. They’re out at the moment.”

“Kyle and Simon.” You repeat, nodding. Johnny, John, Kyle, Simon. “Are y’all in town long?”

“Indefinitely.” Is all Price gives you. It’s a tone that even someone as dense as you can recognize as ‘don’t ask more.’

You clap your hands together and smile a little wider, ready to make your exit. “Well, I’m not here t’be a bother, just wanted t’ welcome ya and, uh, let y’know that I have a lot of people over throughout the day - I’m a nail tech. They shouldn’t bother ya but y’know.”

“Ye can come bother us anytime, bonnie.” The Scot hits you with that grin again and your face suddenly feels far too hot.

A loud, whining screech sounds off from down the road. You check your watch. Holy shit, three-thirty already. You begin to back off the porch. “Ah, nice t’ meet ya again! See ya ’round!”

As you jog down the little dirt road of the trailer park another black car passes you. It’s smaller, a sedan. You make very brief eye contact with a blonde wearing a surgical mask and another man with the sharpest golden eyes you’ve ever seen - even through the tint of the window.

*Kyle and Simon,* you think.

You make a mental note to greet them at some point and continue down the street. The school bus slowly stops at the entrance and you take up your spot in the small crowd of parents. IT’s a shabby old bus - chipping paint and break pads that sounds like they’re about ready to snap. It’s all they’re willing to send out to your little section of the city, though.

Shelby meanders over in your direction, her usual Camel Crush lit up in one hand and the other teasing her already well-lifted hair. “Afternoon. Saw there was some new folks across from ya.”

“Hm?” You keep your eyes on the bus. “Ah, yeah. Just vacationers, I think.”

“Lookers, though.” She chuckles.

“They’re from the UK.” You offer.

“No shit!” Shelby stamps out her cigarette as the bus doors open. “Accent and all?”

“Yep.” You grin.

Shelby tsks and fiddles with her hair again. “I best go over an’ make myself known, then.”

“There’s an older fella with a neat beard. Think you’d like ‘em.” You snicker.

She hums. “I’ll bring a pie.”

The children practically burst out of the bus doors, as always. Ready to be home and shuck off their backpacks to their respective adult. Shelby’s son almost knocks her over, offering a little “Good afternoon, ma’am!” to you before heading off with his mother.

You nod to him, shoving a hand in your pocket as you wait for yours. She’s always the last. Always caught up in a book or something and doesn’t realize it’s time to get off of the bus. Sure enough, the driver has to call back to her before the little girl comes dashing out. She jumps off of the bus steps, despite being told time and time again not to, and kicks a rock on her way toward you.

You bow low for her. “Welcome home, Lady Sophie.”

She giggles, dark curls bouncing as she skips over. “Ni-ni!”

You take her bag from her. The thing really does dwarf the poor six year old. Her hand slips into yours easily. Soft and round and somehow always so much warmer than yours.

“My nail color chipped!” She announces, holding up her ring finger on the opposite hand.

“Oh! Now we can’t have that. I’ll fix it tonight.” You smile, waving at old Mr.Chester as the two of you pass.

“Well now!” He calls. “How blessed am I to see two such lovely ladies!”

You both giggle, continuing on your way. He’s a good landlord - spotted you more than a few times when Sophie was a baby and you couldn’t work consistently. Honestly, as you look around, the little community that he’s managed to build in this shitty corner of the world should be praised. Housing just enough snowbirds to cover his property costs while keeping rent low for the full time locals. Maybe you could convince Natalie at the paper to run a little story on it or something.

As you pull up to your own home, the blonde man is outside leaning on the front of their double wide. Seeing him standing at full height makes your blood run cold. The man is built like a damn barn - tall and wide. Beyond solid. *Brick shithouse*. It’s a bit weird that he’s covered in clothing head to toe but whatever. Weirder things have happened before. The mask still covers his face, you wonder if he had taken it off before you came up or just flipped it up to smoke.

“Sophie, head on in. I’ll catch up.” You push her toward the door. She scampers in, the screen door slamming behind her as you march up to the brick shithouse of a man in front of you.

“Which are ya? Kyle or Simon?” You smile, holding out your hand to shake.

Dark eyes rake over you, stopping briefly on your hand, before moving back to meet yours. He stomps out the half smoked cigarette. “Simon.”

You let your hand drop. Bit rude, this one. “Nice t meetcha.”

The other man pops his head out of the trailer. Kyle, you assume. “Oh. Hello.”

“Hi.” You smile as warmly as you can, giving your name. “I’m assumin’ yer Kyle.”

“Yeah.” He chuckles. “I’m guessing you’re the neighbor Price mentioned.”

You nod, about to speak again but Simon shoves past you, marching his way up the steps. “Let’s go.” He grunts, pushing the other man back into the trailer despite his protests.

You wrinkle your nose at him. What an asshole.

“Who’s tha’?” Sophie asks over the back of the old, worn couch as you let the trailer door slam behind you.

“New neighbors.” You say simply, glancing out the window. “Don’t go over there without me, yeah?”

“Okay!” She agrees, sitting back on the couch and bouncing, beginning her usual post school chant. “Bluey! Bluey! Bluey!”

You drop her backpack down beside the small coffee table. “After yer homework.”

“Nooo!” She pouts.

“Then no Bluey.”

Sophie pouts harder but crawls down in front of the coffee table and pulls out her little work sheets. At least the school doesn’t over run them too terribly with homework toward the end of the year. You glance at the calendar. Wednesday, May 22nd. Damn, she really only has about a week left. Though, you’d be lying if you said you weren’t looking forward to this summer break with her. She’s old enough now that you can take her places like the arcade without having to wait on her so much. You’ll actually be able to play some of the two-player games.

Plus, this year, you actually have a little more pocket change to make it fun.

You turn to look out the window once more at the new neighbors. Their curtains remain closed, cars neatly parked out front. The door opens slowly, the hot Scot and rude blonde wander to the Sedan. Simon’s shoulders shake at something Johnny said - you think he’s laughing but its hard to tell with that mask. Johnny’s head turns, blue eyes meeting yours through the shitty glass windows of your trailer. You squeak and duck to sit next to Sophie, praying that he didn’t catch you staring.

#simon x reader #fanfiction #simon ghost riley #simon riley x reader #simon riley x you #fanfic #call of duty #plus size reader #fat reader #ghost cod #cod x reader #cod mw2 #holly writes

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genshinluvr · 1 year

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At Arm's Length

Pairings: Various Genshin Men x Isekai'd!Reader

Summary: After being forced into a marriage with the twenty-five men— technically, you agreed to it, so you weren't really forced into it, you couldn't help but yearn for a genuine connection with the men. You end up expressing your feelings about your marriage with your twenty-five husbands to Lumine, who is also your sister in law.

Note: Short-ish fic for this week since it's been a hectic week for me ;v; Not really sure how I feel about this fic since I do feel burned out from not only school but from writing fanfics as well 😵‍💫 It's a new quarter for me, and I'm just trying to keep up with school, my readings, and writings. I don't think this would count as angst, but just to be safe, I won't be tagging people that don't want to be tagged in angst or hurt/comfort. Next week's fic might be either Tagic Outcomes or Caught in the Crossfire since it's been a while since I've typed something for those two fics. I don't post anywhere else but on Tumblr (Genshinluvr) and on AO3 (Aaliah_exo).

Warnings: Would marriage count as a warning?

Word Count: 7k

This strange relationship you have with twenty-five men— it’s fake. There are no feelings attached, no physical touch or intimacy. No strings attached, as your world would call it. Usually, relationships that have no strings attached to them would be friends with benefits. You hate the friends-with-benefits title. It sounds depressing to you because it’s a “friendship” between two people where they do everything a typical relationship would have, only there are no romantic feelings involved.

You have been in that situation before, but it ended fast because you wanted to be more than that, and the person left because you broke the number one rule. Not to catch any feelings, and that is what you did. Oh, what a fool you are. How could you, a hopeless romantic, be in that kind of situation? You didn’t expect to be in an arranged marriage situation with twenty-five men from an open-world game you’ve been obsessed with for quite some time.

A stack of paper is slammed on the table in front of you, pulling you out of your thoughts. You look up at the older woman, who looks like she does not want to show up to work today.

“Please sign your first and last name here, and your… husbands will sign their names after,” the lady instructs, sliding a large stack of paper toward you.

You look at the stack of papers with wide eyes. These are marriage certificates, and you have to sign twenty-five pieces of paper. You turn to look at the twenty-five men standing two feet behind you. Pierro nods as if he’s signaling for you to go ahead and sign the papers. The majority of the men look uninterested, almost bored.

You swallow the lump in your throat and turn to look at the papers laid out in front of you. Marriage certificate, huh? You will be legally binded to the twenty-five men for who knows how long— perhaps until they all get bored of you and leave you one day without any notice. Just the thought of being abandoned so suddenly makes your heart clench. How did you end up in a situation like this?

The woman sitting at the front desk clears her throat, raising her eyebrows at you. “Are you going to sign the papers or not?” She asks with an attitude.

Your face heats up with embarrassment while you mutter an apology before grabbing the pen lying beside the stack of papers. You begin to sign your name on the marriage certificates. A marriage certificate is a contract, and contracts can’t be broken unless necessary. Well, at least that’s what you assume. You don’t have much knowledge when it comes to contracts, but a certain former Archon may know a thing or two about contracts.

After signing all twenty-five marriage certificates, you step to the side and let each man sign their name on the paper. Each paper is a marriage certificate between you and one man. While you’re technically married to twenty-five men at once, the marriage certificate and the government of the men’s respective regions (if they have one) state that you’re married to one man. Though, you have no idea how that’s going to work out since most of these men live in the same region as the other.

“There. It’s been done,” Xiao says, grabbing your attention.

You watch each man hand their pens over to the lady behind the desk. She takes the pen and begins to put the marriage certificates in a white envelope with gold borders. You walk to the woman, who begins to hand you each envelope.

You’re not sure how this works or how it’ll work. You weren’t prepared for marriage, nor did you plan on getting married so soon. The stack of envelopes in your arms starts becoming heavy the more the woman stacks one envelope over the other. While the envelope is thick and glossy, holding the stacks in your arms feels like lead. The woman puts one last envelope on the stack and nods.

“You’re all dismissed,” she says.

You and the men walk out of the building without saying a word to each other. I mean, what’s there to say after something like this? These men found you unconscious outside of Dragonspine. When you came to consciousness, you were met with various weapons pointing at your face. It took you a while to reassure them that you’re not a threat— how can you be a threat when you don’t have a vision or any weapons on your person?

Tensions are high, and silence hangs in the air. The tension is so thick you can suffocate in it. The sun is high in the sky, the birds are chirping, and the civilians are going on with their day, unaware of the situation.

You break the silence. “You guys are acting like I’m forcing all of you to marry me when I never brought up that idea. We can go back to the clerk and destroy the certificates if that makes you all happy,” you said.

“There’s no need to go back to the clerk to have the marriage certificates destroyed. What’s done is done, and you cannot break a contract once it's signed by the party involved,” Diluc says.

Archons, you hate this so much. You weren’t the one that brought the idea up to the men. It was them that suggested it for your “protection.” Ever since you revealed to them that you weren’t from their universe, they suggested that you should get married to them so that they can protect you from the Abyss and other potential harms that could come your way.

Because you know too much about what happened in their world that they’re unaware of, it was best for them to be betrothed to you to protect you and your identity. At least that’s what you were told. Quite frankly, there could be a better alternative. Still, the twenty-five men were adamant about the marriage option, and you weren’t sure why. You didn’t want to start any more issues with them, so you went along with their choice, and now here you are— married to twenty-five men.

A few months go by, and it’s been a few months since you have been “married” to the twenty-five men, and while you’re their significant other, they keep you at arm's length. Everything feels awkward between you and the men. They weren’t cold or rude to you. They didn’t mistreat you or make you feel alienated from the rest. You’re unsure if it’s because of your lack of relationship experience or if it was something else because everything felt awkward.

Since you are legally their partner for however long, the twenty-six of you need to put on a show to prove that your marriage is legitimate and not illegitimate. No matter where you all are, you have to get used to calling each other partners. They’re your husbands, and you are their spouse.

You’re going to be really honest here. It feels like you’re putting more effort into this role than these men are. It almost feels like you’re the only person that is trying to make it work despite how awkward it is. After all, it feels like an arranged marriage because these men don’t have feelings toward you— at least, that’s what you’re assuming. Since you’re not a citizen in Teyvat, you spend your time at the abode, cleaning, cooking, and watering the plants in the backyard because there’s nothing for you to do, really.

Instead of Thoma cooking food for everyone, you’re the one that does it. Of course, Thoma was opposed to it at first, but you insisted on cooking because they have jobs and duties to tend to, whereas you’re at the estate doing house duties.

You wake up around close to six in the morning to start your day. While you hated waking up early in the morning, you thought getting up before everyone else would make the men feel relieved in a way. After all, you don’t work or go to school. You could apply to Sumeru Akademiya and be a student there, but it would raise some suspicions, according to Al Haitham and Kaveh.

You’re not a fan of waking up at an early time, but ever since you and the twenty-five men have signed the marriage contract, you have been making it a habit to get up early in the morning to start your day ahead of everyone’s schedule. You’re standing in the kitchen in your pajamas, packing twenty-five lunches for each man. You made sure to cook their favorite dishes and include some snacks from the regions they’re from. It’s a lot to do, but you’re getting the hang of it.

“And we’re done!” You mutter to yourself, sighing in relief when you wrap the last lunch bag for the last man.

You yawn and stretch your arms in the air. You lined the lunch bags next to each other, labeling each bag with the men’s names on it so they wouldn’t mix up their lunch bags with someone else’s bags. That would’ve been a disaster if it did happen. You rub your eyes and walk to the stove, cracking eggs into the pan and begin to cook yourself some breakfast.

The kitchen door creaks open. You turn your head to see Thoma walking into the kitchen dressed for the day but with a bedhead. You crack a smile and look away before Thoma can see it. Thoma hums softly, walking over to where you’re standing.

“Morning, Thoma. I hope you slept well last night,” you said softly, cooking the eggs before you while Thoma dug through the refrigerator for water.

“I slept well. I hope you slept well, too, because it’s almost seven in the morning, and I don’t understand how you’re able to pack everyone's lunch before we all wake up,” Thoma murmurs, leaning against the counter beside you after grabbing a cup of water to drink.

You shrug. “It’s not as easy as I hoped it would be. That’s all I can say. Everyone has their likes and dislikes, and I have to make sure to prepare the ingredients the day prior,” you reply.

You look at the clock hanging on the wall and reach for the spatula. It’s almost time for everyone to get up for work, and Thoma is the only person that is awake. You’re not sure whether it’s because Thoma is used to getting up early ahead of every other man in the estate or if he’s used to waking up early because of his duties at the Kamisato Estate. But either way, you’re happy to have some kind of company, even if it’s short-lived.

“Thoma, it seems like you have yet to fix your bedhead,” the voice of the Kamisato heir breaks the short silence between you and the housekeeper of the Kamisato Estate.

Thoma laughs and rubs the back of his neck. “I tried to fix it, but there’s no use in getting it down when it’s stubborn,” Thoma sighs in defeat.

You continue to cook your breakfast while Thoma and Ayato hang out in the kitchen, chatting quietly near the island of the kitchen. You grab a plate and scoop the eggs, putting them on the plate while debating whether you should cook some bacon to go with your eggs for breakfast or not. The kitchen door opens once again, and more men walk into the kitchen, rubbing the sleep out of their eyes while muttering under their breaths.

You let out a silent gasp and smack yourself in the forehead, mentally cursing yourself for being forgetful. How could you make lunch for your husbands to take to work when you forget to brew them coffee and tea?! Dammit, dammit, dammit!

“Don’t hit yourself!” Scaramouche grumbles, smacking your hand away from your face with a small scowl on his face.

“Yeah! There’s nothing to beat yourself over. You made us lunch like you promised,” Gorou says, grabbing the small lunch sack from the kitchen island.

You sigh and rub your throbbing temples. “Of course, I would make you all lunch to bring to work with you all, but I forgot to brew coffee and tea for you guys,” you murmur. “Archons, how could I be so stupid and forget that?”

“You’re not stupid for forgetting to brew tea and coffee for us, [Y/N]. You were occupied with cooking lunch for twenty-five of us. There’s nothing worth beating yourself over,” Dainsleif says, walking over to the coffee pot.

“I’ll do better next time, I promise. My forgetfulness has caused everyone to be late for work,” you mutter, chewing on your bottom lip.

Childe throws his arms over your shoulders and pats your head. “Late for work? The clock just struck seven! If anything, we’re up pretty early, and we should leave the house not too long from now. Plus, some of us don’t thrive on coffee and tea,” Childe says.

“You do not need to worry about anything. You’re doing fine, and none of us are upset with you just because you forgot about coffee and tea. Plus, you cooked lunch for the twenty-five of us to bring to work. The least we can do is make our coffee and tea,” Al Haitham says, entering the kitchen with a peeved Kaveh following behind.

Kaveh stands beside you, crossing his arms over his chest with his chest puffing out. You look at Kaveh worriedly and lightly tap his arm. Kaveh continues to glare at Al Haitham before looking at you. You freeze for a moment when he looks at you with the same expression on his face. Kaveh notices your change in demeanor before relaxing.

Kaveh pats your head. “Sorry, [Y/N]! That glare wasn’t for you. It’s for that idiot over there with his stupid noise-canceling headphones,” Kaveh says, shooting a glare over at the Acting Grand Sage.

You weren’t sure if Al Haitham didn’t hear what Kaveh said because of his noise-canceling headphones or if he was intentionally ignoring Kaveh’s comment. You smile at Kaveh and pat his arm lightly before continuing what you were doing before the other men entered the kitchen. Once everyone is awake and ready for work, you pass everyone their lunch bags with their names on them.

You stand by the door of the estate and bid them goodbyes as they walk out the door. Some men pat your head on their way out, and others either give you a hug or squeeze your shoulders. Despite being married to them for a few months, this is the only kind of affection you were getting from the twenty-five men.

Just when Baizhu is about to close the estate’s door, you quickly stop him by grabbing his wrist. Baizhu stops in his tracks and turns to look at you, surprised and confused. You release Baizhu’s wrist and give him a strained smile.

“Remember to take your medication, alright? I know you work at Bubu Pharmacy, and your job is to take care of others and give your patients their medication, but please take care of yourself as well,” you whisper.

Baizhu looks at you with surprise before giving you a warm smile. Baizhu chuckles softly and pats your head, almost ruffling your hair. You laugh quietly and grab Baizhu’s hand, gently squeezing them.

Baizhu nods. “Of course, I’ll take care of myself. I promise,” Baizhu says, making a crossing motion over his chest.

Baizhu leans over you and presses a kiss on your forehead before walking out the door, leaving you at the entrance of the estate, speechless. You touch your forehead, feeling heat rush to your cheeks. You press your lips into a thin line to prevent yourself from smiling widely. You close the estate’s door and lock it.

Before you and the men got married for your safety and to keep Teyvat at peace, they promised to each other and to themselves that they would keep you at arm's length. You’re sweet and down to earth, but because some of them have dangerous professions and you’re not from their world, they wanted to keep this distance between you and them. Your husbands do not hate you, and they’ve made it very clear on multiple occasions.

“If we seem cold toward you, we do not hate you. We don’t hold any disdain toward you, nor do we hold any grudges toward you.” Cyno would say as he is sitting across from you.

You nod and dig your nail into the wrinkly skin of your right ring finger— a bad habit of yours when you were a child that dragged on to your adulthood. You usually dig your nails into the wrinkly skin of your right ring finger when you’re stressed, nervous, or bored. It doesn’t hurt at all, nor could you feel it.

Tighnari clears his throat. “Do you have any other questions?” Tighnari asks, gazing at you curiously.

You hum to yourself and tap your fingers on your thighs. “I want to know why some of you will be acting cold toward me,” you mutter, puckering your lips.

“To be fair, some of us do it unintentionally,” Albedo interjects.

You couldn’t help but agree with Albedo on that. Some men do come off as standoffish and cold even though they’re not. It’s how they are to people in general, not just you. For example, Xiao is standoffish, but that doesn’t mean he hates you or holds any grudges toward you. If anything, Xiao wanted to distance himself from you because of his karmic debt, and because you’re mortal and don’t have a vision, he doesn’t want to harm you in any way or put you in harm's way.

“Just don’t do anything reckless that could put you in danger,” Pierro comments, leaning against the wall.

You bite the inside of your cheek. You don’t think you can guarantee that— staying away from danger, you mean. It’s not like you intentionally dive headfirst into danger without warning! You’re getting married to Archons, Harbingers, an Adeptus, a Knight, and many notable figures of Teyvat. There’s bound to be danger in almost every corner now that you’re associated with these men.

The men stare at you intently while you stare off into space, gnawing on the inside of your cheek. That’s another habit of yours the men noticed almost right off the bat. When you’re deep in thought, you tend to zone out and are not aware of your surroundings. It’s almost like your head is always in the clouds. It’s almost endearing in a way, but your head being in the clouds could also be the reason for your downfall.

“What’s on your mind?” Heizou asks, leaning back in his seat while watching you closely.

You sigh and chuckle to yourself. “I don’t have much going on in my mind, to be really honest. But I do have other questions, but I don’t think any of you are going to give me a clear answer,” you said.

Kazuha sits beside you and gazes at you curiously. You clear your throat and look away, feeling heat slowly creep up your neck. He’s even prettier in person. You wonder if Kazuha knows how pretty he is because he’s breathtaking. Then again, the twenty-four other men are just as stunning as Kazuha.

“If you want, you can ask us now, and if we know the answer, we’ll tell you. If not, we’ll try to answer it when we have the answers,” Kazuha suggests, giving you a small smile.

You pursed your lips and debated whether you should ask the question. If you were to ask them the question, you worry you might receive the answer you didn’t want to hear. But if you don’t ask the question, you’ll never know what will happen or what to expect. Itto lets out a loud grunt and stands up, stretching his arms out in front of him.

Itto props his hands on his hips and gives you an encouraging smile. “Whatever question you have for us, I think some of us have the answer for it, depending on what it is!” Itto says, tilting his head to the side while gazing at you curiously.

How long will this marriage last? Is what you wanted to ask the men. How long will it last? A few weeks? A few months? A few years, maybe? How long? The time in Teyvat is vastly different from your world, you’re assuming. The days in Teyvat are much faster than the days in your world. You and the men never went out on a date to get to know one another or to form a bond with one another. Would the marriage be convincing because of the lack of bond between the twenty-six of you? Or, well, between you and each man?

“I don’t know if I want to ask the question,” you mutter shyly.

Venti giggles and trots over to you, throwing his arms around your shoulders and giving you a pat on the head. “It’s okay if you don’t want to ask the question! We won’t pry!” Venti says, releasing you from his hug before walking over to where he was standing previously.

Zhongli clears his throat. “I would like to remind you all that what we’re all getting into involves a contract. Everyone has to agree to sign this contract mutually. If one person does not agree, then the contract will be invalid,” Zhongli says, crossing his arms over his chest.

Right, you nearly forgot that marriage is a contract with the party involved. It’s not a relationship where people can break up and go their separate ways after. Marriage is a contract, and to get out of marriage is breaking a contract. It’s a long process, and people can’t walk away from it so easily.

You didn’t remember who proposed the idea of every one of them marrying you to keep you away from danger and to keep your real origins hidden from the rest of Teyvat. It’s strange to you that you have to marry notable figures to keep your identity hidden, even though that’s putting more spotlight and target on you. You don’t mind getting married to twenty-five handsome men but getting married to them so suddenly is something you didn’t expect.

“Are you listening?” Capitano asks gruffly.

You nod mindlessly. “I’m not opposed to continuing this process. I mean, it’s not like I have a choice, really,” you mutter.

“It’s for your safety. If word gets out that you’re not from our universe and you possess the knowledge of Teyvat, you will be hunted down by the Abyss,” Dottore interjects from the corner of the room.

You didn’t realize he was in the same room until now. Now that you think about it, these Harbingers are scattered around the large office inside Dawn Winery. You puckered your lips and leaned back in your seat, crossing your leg over the other.

You sigh and tilt your head back. “Is the Abyss really a threat to me right now? In case you all have forgotten, you’re all notable figures. Some of you are Harbingers and Knights—”

Diluc makes a disgusted noise.

“Some of you are Adeptis and Archons—”

Scaramouche rolls his eyes and pretends to gag. You stare at Diluc and Scaramouche blankly while the two avoid your eyes. You huff and stand up, propping your hands on your hips. You look at the other men in the room, who gazes at you cluelessly.

Kaeya smiles at you and waves. “Ignore Diluc. He was once a Knight as well, but now he holds a grudge against us,” Kaeya says nonchalantly.

Diluc rolls his eyes in response and glares at Kaeya from the corner of his eyes. You scratch your head, wondering how in the world this marriage is going to work out of some of these men hold grudges against certain groups of people, especially when the others are part of that group.

“So, what do you say? Do you agree to marry all twenty-five of us for your protection? This is also no strings attached, so you can do whatever you want without us controlling you. That applies to us as well.” Pantalone says, holding his hand out toward you.

You sigh for the trillionth time, staring at Pantalone’s hand. No strings attached? How would a marriage work if it’s no strings attached? There are many strings attached to marriages! That only applies if it’s a friends-with-benefits situation, but marriage? Does that even apply to marriages? This got you scratching your head because what?

“I’m not sure what you mean by no strings attached,” you mutter, furrowing your eyebrows. “But yes, I will marry you. All of you. Although I did not think this is how the marriage proposal is going to turn out….” you trailed off, grabbing Pantalone’s hand and shaking his hand.

Childe smirks, cocking an eyebrow at you. “Oh? Did you perhaps want us to dress fancy and make it special?” Childe asks.

“Yes.” you deadpan. “Honestly, if I was dating all of you and this is how you all propose to me, it would’ve been an automatic no,” you add.

“Huh!? Then what should we do to get you to say yes other than making it special?” Itto asks, giving you a look of disbelief.

You hum thoughtfully, tapping on your chin after releasing Pantalone’s hand. “Well, last time I checked, an engagement ring is involved. If we’re going to make this ‘real,’ there needs to be a ring, or else people won’t believe it,” you explain.

“Oh? Do you want us to get you an engagement ring?” Pierro asks, looking at you with an amused look on his face.

You feel your face heat up, and you look away with a “hmph!” The marriage is real, but at the same time, it’s not. Yes, a marriage certificate and license will be signed and given to the twenty-six of you, but this marriage is a loveless marriage. At least, that’s what you assume it’ll be. If you have to marry the twenty-five of them for your safety, you might as well make it convincing, right? Then again, you don’t want them to spend a lot of Mora over a ring.

“Yes, I do. I mean, unless people in Teyvat do it differently,” you mutter, stroking your chin. You shake your head and wave your hand. “You know what? Forget it. It’s not even a real marriage, so why should I want a ring to be involved?” You sigh.

Aether looks at you quizzically. “What do you mean? It is a real marriage,” Aether says.

“Not when the marriage is rushed, and none of you have feelings for me,” you mutter under your breath.

“Either way, the wedding is real because a contract is involved. If it were fake, the marriage license and certificate wouldn’t be signed, and it would’ve been more of a role play,” Tighnari interjects, shrugging his shoulders.

Well, Tighnari’s not wrong about that. Still, the marriage isn’t genuine between you and the twenty-five men. You shouldn’t be complaining when they’re doing it for your safety, but what Pantalone said really bothers you. A marriage that has no strings attached. How would that even work? You get attached easily!

“[Y/N].”

How would the men react if you told them you wanted the marriage to be real? By that, you mean you wanted them to love you as much as you love them. Is it too early to tell them you love them despite knowing them for only a short amount of time during your stay in Teyvat? I mean, you technically knew them longer than they know you because—

“[Y/N]!”

You feel something smack you in the face. You blink and rub the tip of your nose, looking at the item that fell onto your lap. A bread roll. You clear your throat and grab the bread, glancing up at Lumine, who sighs and props her head up on the table with her arm.

You put the bread roll on the plate, giving Lumine an apologetic smile. “Sorry, Lumine. I didn’t mean to get lost in my thoughts,” you said. “What were you saying?”

Lumine lets out a long sigh and leans back in her seat, staring at you closely while tapping her fingers on her biceps. “I was wondering how your marriage is going with those twenty-five men. Specifically, my twin brother,” Lumine says.

“Oh!” You look at her surprised, reminding Lumine of a startled fox she came across many times while on her and her brother’s exploration around Teyvat. “It’s… uh… it’s going!” You say, giving her a strained smile.

Lumine deadpans. “Listen, [Y/N]... I invited you to lunch at a lovely restaurant in Mondstadt so we can chat and catch up!” She leans on the table and looks at you worriedly. “You stared off into space for a while, and you look very upset, maybe almost annoyed as well,” Lumine says.

You gulp and reach for your teacup, sipping your now cold tea. Have you been spacing out for that long? You didn’t even realize it until Lumine snapped you out of your thoughts. You’re not sure if you should tell Lumine what’s been bothering you. Surely she knows the state of your and the twenty-five men’s marriage, right? Plus, it’s not like Aether would be hiding the truth of his marriage with you.

Lumine chuckles, shaking her head. “You know, when Aether told me he was getting married, I was genuinely shocked. My brother? Getting married? That’s something I never thought would happen.”

“It’s a loveless marriage, though,” you whisper in defeat, slumping forward and resting your chin on the table. “My marriage with these men is loveless. There are no strings attached, which I find odd because there’s no marriage like that! I mean… unless it’s an arranged marriage that is strictly business,” you mutter, pressing your lips into a thin line.

Lumine gives you a sympathetic look, reaching for your hand across the table, and gently squeezes your hand. “Have you expressed your desire of wanting the marriage to be real instead of it being an excuse to protect you and keep you within close range?” Lumine asks, chewing on the inside of her cheek.

You shake your head glumly.

Lumine looks at you with confusion and tilts her head to the side. “Why not? I mean, marriage involves a lot of communication, right? How would the marriage work out if none of you are communicating about your wants, worries, and desires?” Lumine asks.

“Lumine, these men barely show me affection as my husbands. They talk to me, yes, but it's always awkward between us when we speak,” you say, pulling your hand away from hers before reaching for the bread roll and breaking it apart.

“Sounds like you all need a marriage counselor,” Lumine says nonchalantly, leaning back in her seat with a sigh. “I’m no love expert, but trust me, communicating your wants, needs, desires, and worries will make marriage much easier!” Lumine says.

“The last time I did that, my ex laughed in my face and left me for my ex-best friend,” you deadpan.

Lumine blinks at you and laughs nervously, grabbing her cup of water and taking a sip of it. You lightly slam your head on the wooden table, causing the cutlery to clatter from the impact. You close your eyes and turn your head to the side, staring off into space.

Even if you were to express your wants, needs, desires, and worries to your husbands, you worry that it’ll drive them away from you. Not only that, but you worry that it’ll make them snap you back into reality— the reality that your marriage with them is loveless. The purpose of the marriage is to protect you and your identity from the people of Teyvat, from the Abyss Order.

While Aether and Lumine aren’t the Abyss Prince and Princess, the Abyss Order is still as active as ever. Heck, they might be out looking for you and either kill you for knowing too much information or, worst case scenario: make you the new ruler of the Abyss. You sit up and prop your head up with your elbow on the table, sighing wistfully.

“I didn’t think I would be thrown into marriage a few weeks after my arrival to Teyvat. Now here I am, a few months later, in a loveless marriage with twenty-five men who are unobtainable due to their status,” you ramble, rubbing your face with a frustrated sigh and tugging at the roots of your hair.

Lumine smacks your hand away from your head with a scolding look. You release your hair and let your hands fall on your lap, poking the inside of your cheek with your tongue. You don’t care that you’re married to the handsome twenty-five men. You care that it’s a loveless marriage that is “no strings attached.”

You close your eyes and tilt your head back, resting it on the top rail. “A hopeless romantic like myself shouldn’t be in a loveless marriage. I try to find hope in the littlest things, only to be disappointed in the end because I have a hard time accepting that none of these men will ever love me,” you let out a shaky sigh. “There are times when I question if I’m worthy of love because of how many people left me heartbroken. Look at me. I’m in a loveless marriage with twenty-five men who keep me at arm's length. They refuse to get close to me or show me affection. I don’t know how much longer I can handle it,” you murmur.

Lumine glances over your shoulders and then back at you, reaching for her fork. It’s supposed to be a day where you and Lumine hang out with each other. You did tell your husbands that you’ll be meeting up with Lumine, and they’re okay with it. Of course, why wouldn’t they? Lumine stares at you intently, biting on the inside of her lips. Your eyebrows are furrowed, Lumine can see the dark circles under your eyes, and the frown on your face has only gotten deeper. Dear Archons, how unhappy are you? You look like you’re barely hanging on. You look defeated and exhausted.

Lumine clears her throat. “I’m sure they show they care about you somehow, correct? You’re married, and while it’s not like any other marriages, I’m sure they show a tiny bit of affection,” Lumine murmurs.

You crack your eyes open and rest your chin on the table. “Even if they did, it’s not enough that is convincing. They have tried to reassure me they don’t intend on being cold toward me, but it’s hard to tell sometimes.”

Lumine raises her eyebrows at you and taps her fingers on the table. “Do you want the marriage to be convincing, or do you want it to be genuine? No offense, but I’m confused about what you want from my brother and your other husbands,” Lumine comments.

You let out a sharp exhale and bury your face in the table. “I want it to be real. The marriage certificate and license are real, yes, but I want….” You trail off, turning your head to the side so your cheek is resting on the wooden table.

“You want….?” Lumine furrows her eyebrows.

You sit up straight and scratch your cheek. “I want them to love and care about me as much as I do for them. Since this marriage is, according to Pantalone, no strings attached, it makes me feel like I’m not meant to be loved even if I do love someone or something. If that makes sense.” You run your fingers through your hair and puff your cheeks out. “That’s all I want. But knowing them, they will never feel the same way, and I need to accept it.”

You stare at Lumine, who looks like she just saw a ghost for the first time. You look at her quizzically while she slowly lifts her hand and points behind you. You freeze and close your eyes, mentally cursing to yourself. You slowly turn in your seat and open your eyes, only to see your beloved husbands standing there with their arms over their chests, looking at you with unreadable expressions on their faces.

“We need to talk,” Diluc says.

Your shoulders slump, and you nod. You get up from your seat and bid Lumine goodbye before walking outside of Mondstadt. Lumine gives Aether a look when he walks past her alongside the other men. The way back to the estate was silent, other than muttering from other men here and there. You couldn’t help but feel embarrassed and ashamed for admitting it out loud. Even if you said it to Lumine, you didn’t expect your husbands to walk up to your table while you were rambling.

Now, you’re sitting on the couch while the men are standing in front of you. You feel like a child getting ready to be scolded by their parents for misbehaving. You feel so small, almost inferior.

“Can you explain to us what you and Lumine were talking about?” Xiao asks, raising his eyebrows at you.

You purse your lips. “Lumine and I were talking about our,” you gesture to yourself and the twenty-five men in front of you, “marriage, and I was expressing my feelings about the marriage.”

“Care to tell us more about it?” Kaeya asks, sitting across from you.

“Do I need to explain it to you all again? I have a feeling that all of you heard what I said to Lumine before I realized you all heard what I was saying,” you commented.

Gorou nods. “That is true, yes, but we want you to say it to us. We are your husbands, after all.”

Archons, this is embarrassing.

“I…” You sigh, staring off into space.

You can’t say what you said to Lumine earlier today. It’s not like you didn’t want to. It’s because you have a hard time expressing your emotions and saying what’s on your mind.

You shake your head, burying your face into the palm of your hands. “Sorry, I’m having a hard time.” You whisper.

Aether gives you a sympathetic look. “It’s okay! Take your time!” Aether reassures you, sitting beside you and rubbing your arm.

“We want to let you know that we’re not mad at you for telling Lumine how you feel about the marriage,” Heizou says, sitting on the other side of you, sandwiching you between him and Aether.

You give Aether and Heizou a strained smile before looking down at your hands on your lap.

“I don’t know how you all feel about this marriage, but lately, I feel like you all have been avoiding me. The better way for me to put it is you’re all keeping me at arm’s length, and I feel like I can’t get through the walls you’re all putting up.”

“Like Pantalone said, the marriage is no string attached,” Dottore says passively.

You stand up. “That only works for friends-with-benefits situations. We’re married. Marriage isn’t supposed to be like this unless it’s a business transaction like those arranged marriages, but this isn’t arranged. It’s sudden, and I’m an idiot for thinking I’m strong enough to be in this situation.”

“What are you trying to say exactly?” Capitano asks.

“Am I really that hard to love to the point where you all keep me at arm’s length? If I am, we could just end the marriage and go our separate ways,” you suggest.

Al Haitham shakes his head. “That’s not why we keep you at arm’s length. You’re not hard to love. We do care about you, [Y/N].”

“Then why put a wall between us? I’m doing everything I can to have you all open up to me, but it's futile.”

Kaveh kneels in front of you and grabs your hand. “We put you at arm’s length because we worry that if we end up developing feelings for you, you will return to your world suddenly. We do care about you, and it’s hard for us to act like we don’t love you. We do, and it’s not easy for either of us to keep this distance.”

“I see where you’re all coming from, but we don’t know when I’ll return to my world. I’ve been in Teyvat for, what, a few months now?” You look at the men quizzically.

“That’s the unfortunate thing. We don’t know how or when you’ll return to your world. It’s a constant guessing game, and falling in love with someone and them disappearing out of thin air without warning is terrifying.” Albedo interjects, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“And so is marrying someone and keeping them at a far distance until they disappear! It’s almost a cruel and unusual punishment.” You retort.

“Would you be okay with us starting all over again?” Kazuha asks.

You press your lips into a thin line and squint at Kazuha. What does he mean by that exactly?

“We want to form a connection with you. While we treated you with respect (and will continue to do so), we want to treat you like our spouse instead of a stranger/roommate.” Scaramouche replies.

You nod, feeling your face gradually become warm. You continue to keep your lips pressed into a thin line to prevent a big smile from forming on your face. They wanted a fresh start. A start where they treat you like a lover rather than a stranger. You’re okay with that! In fact, you like that idea more than whatever’s been happening for the past few months.

“I like that idea.” You say softly.

Cyno smiles and pats your head. “Good.”

A fresh start with your twenty-five husbands. That’s something you didn’t expect would happen, but you’re not complaining. It’s better than having them keep their distance from you.

Note: I'm thinking about giving Zhongli his own collection of one-shots, but I'm not 100% sure if I should do it. I have a lot of ideas for this man, and I want to make it happen, but I'll have to wait a bit and see how it goes before I make it happen. I might make it happen once my spring quarter is over, but who knows. I was distracted by the new Obey Me game, and I was also farming for Baizhu. That's why the update is a bit late-ish other than me tagging people in this post. To my new and/or returning readers, please keep in mind that I ONLY post on my Tumblr (Genshinluvr) and my AO3 (Aaliah_exo)! Nowhere else except Tumblr and AO3!

Taglist for my Isekai'd!Reader one-shot series and my overall taglist: @yoru-trash, @kaoyamamegami, @kwelibeeery, @deartoru, @luminarymoonlight, @ins4nebish, @bokuto-kinnie, @exhaustedcommunist, @jadedist, @chalksdreams, @thelost-in-time, @ventisweetheart, @hispasian-otaku, @samarill, @kazuhaprnt, @lunarapple, @heyimkay, @milkpeanuts476, @eliciana, @jjvr4yxc, @sovermike-21-blog, @nightlysunn, @thelovebuggs, @urlocalheizousimp, @sunlightstarr (Accounts that I was unable to tag have been removed. Those who don't want to be tagged in certain stories are not tagged in this particular post. Remember to check your settings if you're allowing people to mention you/tag you in posts or not)

Read more of my works on my Masterlist | Maybe support me by tipping me on Ko-Fi or by reblogging my fanfics! ^^ I will also be posting exclusive fanfics on Ko-Fi as well very soon! I might post all of my stories on there too, but who knows. You can also tip me on Tumblr if you'd like as a way to show support! ^^

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coltermorning · 8 months

Text

Of Love and Loss Ch. 1 (RDR2 Fanfic, Arthur Morgan x F!Reader, 18+)

Summary: You lose your parents while traveling to see your extended family. Through grief and regret, you have to find a way to put the pieces of yourself back together. A stranger comes along and helps you to live again.

Author’s Notes: This piece is written straight from the heart. That entails two things: it is going to be long, and it is going to be dark. With all the death and grief reader is managing, I want to be upfront that this may be a hard one for those going through the same thing to read. Just know it does turn happy eventually, and Arthur helps reader get to that place. As always, don’t read it if it starts to make you uncomfortable.

As an aside, reader does have a relative age—somewhere in her twenties—but I left everything else ambiguous. I had to do that to make the story work. Beyond that I hope you enjoy this one, as it truly is a reflection of the inner workings of my mind. May the healing power of Arthur Morgan save us all :,)

Tags: Arthur Morgan x reader, high honor Arthur Morgan, minor character death, loss of parents, blood and injury, grief/mourning, survivor guilt, strangers to lovers, slow burn, eventual smut, graphic depictions of violence

AO3 Link

Of Love and Loss

One: The Weight of New Burden

Word Count: 5565

The night was dark, and your parents were dead. You sat before them, knelt as if in prayer. There was no praying now.

Flashes of earlier memory bit at you like the chilling air, but you didn’t allow them in. You didn’t allow their pain or their reality. There was a bridge, a cliff, the turn of your stomach as you fell. Then this. Then nothing.

Some animal made its sharp call in the night, but you couldn’t turn to listen. Your eyes were stuck staring. You couldn’t think of what kind of beast made that noise, no matter how many times your father had told you. Your father, nothing but a shell on the ground. Broken in the defeat of death, still warm from blood that had run so thick through his veins mere moments ago. Your blood.

You turned to your mother. She was a hard woman, made harder by the life the three of you had lived so far away and so deep in snow. Her hardness was no match for the rocky ground. For the weight of a wagon bearing all of your belongings crashing down on her. Part of her leg was still trapped beneath it, stuck out at a morbid angle.

You turned back to your father, laid their much more peacefully. He could be sleeping if you didn’t look too closely. He could be climbing into his shared bed in the early evening hours, claiming the morning was more worth his while. You could be climbing in beside him, too old to be doing it but clinging to him anyway, glad for his warmth in the house that somehow always let the cold in.

You moved and laid beside him now. Sleeping. All you wanted was to be sleeping beside him. To drift away with both of them, never to be without them again.

You tangled your gloved fingers in his already too stiff ones. You blamed it on the thick fabric and closed your eyes, imagining the rock sticking into your back to be one of the books in the bed your mother was always reading. Imagining the cold to be seeping in under the walls instead of all around you. Imagining you would all wake up in the morning before the sun rose, happy to live another day together.

The shock of things released like a breath, and you allowed yourself a few silent tears before drifting into darkness, letting the night overtake you too.

“Christ.”

The echoing word woke you, but you didn’t open your eyes. Everything was wrong. You remembered the trip to Nebraska you were supposed to be taking, the unfamiliarity of where you were. You remembered the pain curling up your side and why you were sleeping on the ground instead of inside the wagon, all covered in blankets and curled between the wall and your mother.

You opened your eyes. It was morning. Far above you hung the bridge that forced a sob from your chest. On the bridge sat a man atop his horse, looking down at you. You shut your eyes again. Maybe he would think you dead too. Maybe he would kill you and this nightmare would finally end.

You could hardly find the will to listen to your surroundings, but you forced yourself to. It was easier than the thoughts that plagued you. You eventually picked up the tracking of a horse’s hooves against stone, riding not above you but from behind. Likely the man who had seen you all the way down here, no more than a smudge of the earth.

“Easy,” you heard, then the clinging sound of the horse’s bit as it obeyed its rider. Boots hit the earth so close by your eyes flinched, but you kept them closed.

The man approached, rocks crushing against each other beneath his boots, spurs clicking with every step. He spoke, low this time. “Jesus.”

He stopped a moment, likely taking in the view of the wreckage you didn’t want to think about. Then he approached again, heading for the wagon a few feet away. He could take it all, you didn’t care. All the provisions and the blankets, all your belongings and what little money your father brought along. The man could take the whole damn wagon and you wouldn’t so much as open an eye. Your parents were all you needed anyway. To die beside them.

The sound of pilfering hands echoed against the rocky walls of the cliff face. The man’s horse snorted behind you. It made you think of your horses. The horses you loved so much, pulling you through two states. You didn’t have to look last night to know they were dead. The older mare your father favored, the young stallion you had raised yourself. They were both gone. All of them, gone. All but you.

A dragging noise met your ears, something scraping against the ground. Then splitting wood, a grunt made in effort of breaking something. You couldn’t help your curiosity and opened your eyes to watch. You studied the man’s back as he broke the wagon apart to get inside of it. It had landed upside down, its back end crashed so flatly against the earth that there was no way to get to its hidden treasures below. Unless you broke it apart, more so than it already had been. Just as he was.

You watched and watched, let the man take a few select provisions without protest. He even lifted your father’s satchel, the one your mother had insisted he keep in the back of the wagon to avoid wanting eyes. And still, you laid there quietly, letting him do it. Where you were going, you wouldn’t need anything of the sort anyway.

You could hardly stand it, but when the man turned and faced your parents, you shut your eyes and stayed still. You let him pick over your mother’s body like a vulture, let him take everything he wanted. Your father was next, and he lifted him slightly so that his fingers were ripped from yours. You laid there limp. Ignored the dull thud of the body beside you when it met the ground again. Ignored the hands that met you, patted you down. Lifted you to search beneath your coat. Only, something must have been different about you. As soon as he moved you, the man froze. Then, slowly, he sat you up.

“You alive?”

How had he known? He shook you, and you let your limbs flail around like a doll. You did pray this time, that he would realize he had made a mistake, that he would think you already gone.

His gloved hand met your face and tapped against your cheek. “Hey,” he said. “You alive in there?” You weren’t. Hadn’t been for a while now.

You heard the sound of fabric against skin, then felt his bare fingers touching your neck. Looking for a pulse. It would give you away. You held your breath, but it would give you away. That damned little lifeline, ruining this good thing you had.

“Shit,” he muttered as his hand fell away. He knew. “You’re either gonna have to wake up, or I’m taking you with me.”

That should have done it, should have made you look at him at least. But he could be talking to a corpse for all he knew. You remained limp in his arms, refusing to do as he said. That is, until he tried to lift you.

You groaned in pain, the wound against your side pulling. He stopped.

“There you are. Wake up for me.”

You wouldn’t let him take you. Wouldn’t let him leave your parents behind.

He patted against your face again. “Come on. I know it hurts.” You knew what he was likely thinking, that falling from that height and surviving was damn near impossible. So you had to be hurt. You just hoped he didn’t notice whatever pain was burning against your rib cage. You didn’t want to be mended.

“Can you open your eyes for me?” Knowing he would try to take you if you didn’t, you let them open a fraction, seeing a blurred face and a bright white sky overtake your vision.

“There,” he said. “Stay with me.” You couldn’t keep them open. Couldn’t watch this. You just wanted to lay down again.

He took your arm and raised it to get a better hold on you. You knew what came next and pulled back. The movement swallowed your body in pain, making you groan again.

“Let me get you up, then you can rest, okay?”

He pulled on you again to lift you, and you finally managed a word. “No.” It was low and pitiful, and you immediately regretted it. You wanted your last words to be spoken to your parents, not this stranger.

“Come on,” he coaxed. “We got to get you up or you’ll die out here.” You shook your head almost imperceptibly, but he caught it. “Yeah we do. Let’s get you up.” He pulled you again, and you didn’t have the strength to fight him. All you could do was reach out, reach for your father’s hand. Grasp for his help one last time. You met those gloved, stiff fingers before the man could pull you up far enough and immediately knew how he had determined you were alive. Unlike you, your father was as stiff as a board. Cold and dead. Gone. That didn’t stop you from grabbing his hand, holding on tight with what little strength you had left.

The stranger tugged on you and met resistance, stopping and turning.

“I know,” he said lowly. “I know you don’t want to leave him.” You didn’t let go, letting tears fill your eyes at those words.

Caught by your gripping fingers, the man gave up trying to lift you and laid you back down. “Tell you what. I got some folk coming through here soon I was out scouting ahead for. How ‘bout we wait for their wagons so we can take the…take your family too?”

You couldn’t answer. You didn’t want to leave here and didn’t want them to either. You wanted to die here beside them.

When the man waited long enough to know you wouldn’t answer, he took it as compliance enough. “Okay then. You just rest. They’ll be here soon.”

A sob racked your frame. They would be—your parents. They had to be. They would come reach out their hands and lead you to eternity themselves. You couldn’t stand the thought of anything else.

You slowly rolled onto your good side and into your father, burrowing into his warm coat sleeve. It smelled like him. Woodsmoke and snow and horses. You wanted to be between him and your mother, but she was too far. Broken and bent wrong, too far gone for your delusional mind to believe you were laid in bed beside her. So you cradled your father, sobs shaking through you, warm tears spilling across your nose and hitting the ground.

After long enough that you hoped the man had gone away, you cracked your eyes open again. He was still there, watching the bridge above. Waiting. You wanted to tell him to leave. But like earlier, you couldn’t get the words out and didn’t want to. Each word not said to your parents felt wrong.

He turned and saw you looking at him. “Any minute,” he said. Like you were hoping for rescue. You shook your head and turned back to your father, the pain in your side beginning to throb.

You soon heard voices, a few shouted words. You caught one of them echoing down from above: bridge. Be careful, they were likely saying. Narrow bridge ahead. Too narrow for your own father to navigate, to keep a wheel from catching over the side.

The man beside you shouted, his voice so loud you startled. “Hey! Down here!”

“Arthur?” another man shouted back. “You okay down there?”

“I need some help,” he answered. “Send a wagon.”

You reached out and grabbed the man’s arm. He turned to you. You shook your head at him, trying to make him understand. You wouldn’t leave this place. Wouldn’t take your parents away.

“I can’t take all three of you,” he said. You shook your head with more urgency, but he only turned away, looking back up. “I ain’t leaving you here.”

You wanted to tell him, please do. But you couldn’t get the words out.

You tugged on his heavy coat, curling closer to your father when he looked at you again.

“No,” he said, enough of a demand in his voice for you to know he had made up his mind. “You’re coming with us. We’ll bury them proper.”

You felt a tear escape at that. Burying them…here was as proper as anywhere. More so. You didn’t want to take another step of this journey without them. You tugged on his sleeve again.

“Quit it,” he said, shaking your hand off. “I’m not leaving you.”

You gave up, turning back to your father, closing your eyes once more. You tried to let the life leak out of you. But even you knew you were too far from death, too rooted in living to get there. You imagined it instead, imagined what eternity with them would look like.

After a while, the creaking of wagon wheels met your ears. This was no place for a wagon. Not for one standing or one crashed aground.

“You okay, son?” came that same voice from before.

“Fine,” the man beside you answered, standing. “Girl here’s alive.”

Girl. Not woman, despite your age. You always got onto your mother for calling you that. But now it felt proper. Now it felt like daughter, like you belonged to the two laying beside you.

“Alive?” said a voice you hadn’t yet heard.

The man walked toward the others. “She’ll be all right, but her folks…” He walked farther away, dropping his voice. But you could still hear every damning word. “Folks are dead. She won’t leave them.”

“Won’t leave them?” one of them replied.

You wouldn’t look at them. Couldn’t. Their wagon and their passengers so whole, yours so broken.

“I told her we could take them, bury them proper. Ground’s too hard here.”

You knew just how hard the ground was. First hand. How it hadn’t killed you, you couldn’t figure.

One of the newcomers spoke. “We’d have to bring another wagon down, lighten the load a little.”

The load. Like your parents had become nothing but weight. You couldn’t stand it. You lifted your head, eyeing them. The wagon was closer than you thought, your vision still slightly blurry. Maybe you’d hit your head.

“Hello there,” said the one on the right, an older man. “No need to be afraid, we’re here to help you.”

No they weren’t. They were here to take you away.

You gathered your strength and moved, ignoring the pain in your side. It was so much harder to do now than it had been last night. Like the shock of the fall had worn off. You sat up on your knees, looking at the three men. Then, to prove a point, you made them watch as you crawled over your father and laid down right on top of him, never taking your eyes off of them. Speaking would be easier, but you couldn’t bring yourself to do it.

“What’s that about?” the man on the left asked.

The one who had come down alone earlier, younger than the other two now that you could see them all, spoke. “She keeps doing that. Doesn’t want to leave.”

“She’ll die,” the other said. You nodded at him. Let him see, let them all see how desperately you wanted that.

“You have any other family?” the older man asked.

You thought of your father’s siblings in Nebraska, of their growing families. Of the reason you had been taking this trip in the first place. You couldn’t face them now, not without your parents.

You shook your head. Maybe it would get them to leave you alone. The older man turned to the others, and they all stared at each other in silent conversation. Finally, the younger man sighed, turning toward the wagon. “You two go back up then. I’ll get this done and let her do what she wants.” He pried a shovel off the wagon, turning and making for you.

“Ground’s too hard here,” the older man assured him.

“I’ll figure it out,” he answered. “Y’all go on, I’ll catch up.”

A small part of you was grateful to him. For helping you and doing as you asked, no matter how senseless.

When the others took the wagon away, leaving only you and the younger man, you looked up at him. He was staring at you, studying you like a wild animal. Maybe you weren’t so different from one.

His face softened some. “Where you want ‘em?”

Your chest caught. You hadn’t thought of it. You hadn’t thought this would be done so quickly, without any sort of ceremony, without all the recognition they deserved. Just you. Just a stranger that had robbed them less than an hour ago.

You would find the strength to do it for them. You wouldn’t leave them laying here like this. As much as you wanted to join them, it was becoming glaringly obvious you wouldn’t die alongside them. It was your duty to do this right, to be there for them when no one else would be.

Ignoring your pain, you backed off of your father and raised up onto your knees, looking to the trees leading up to the cliffside. The nearest was a lumbering pine, its roots reaching through the rocky shale effortlessly. Like it had been here longer than you’d been alive.

You pointed to the tree’s base, drawing the man’s attention. He dropped his head then sighed, picking up the shovel. Heading for it. You watched all the while. Watched him pick a spot and lift his shovel, bringing it down on ground so tough he hardly made a dent. He cursed. He lifted it higher and tried again. The ground didn’t budge any more the second time. He took to running his boot over the ground, checking for places the rock gave way to softer dirt. When he was satisfied, he lifted the shovel. This time, the ground gave.

He raised the shovel and moved to a spot a few feet away, trying again. The ground gave there too. He raised his head, looking over at you. “This’ll do. It’s gonna take me some time, breaking up all these roots.”

“Don’t kill the tree.”

You were as surprised to hear your voice as he was. You just couldn’t stand the tree dying too.

“She speaks,” he said, going back to his shoveling.

You watched him then, watched him a long time. So long that he began to sweat with the work, stopping to shed his huge fur-lined coat. He kept going. He got to the second grave. You debated who should go in which. As much as it pained you to think it, your mother needed to go on the left, your father on the right. Because that was how they had slept around you for over two decades.

You didn’t realize you were crying until a gust of wind shifted the air, making the wetness on your face turn cold. It was too much. You couldn’t do this.

Would the stranger bury you alive if you asked him to?

As soon as you had the thought, he turned to you. “Come look, see if I got this how you want it.”

You stood silently. Your side burned, but it wasn’t unbearable. Remarkably, almost unbelievably, you didn’t think you were hurt anywhere else. You just ached. Though that may not have been from pain.

You eyed your father at your feet then moved, walking toward the trees. Like a child learning to walk, a woman learning to navigate the world, all on her own.

You stepped up to the graves and looked down at them with the man. Roughly cut holes in the ground. A few of the roots from the tree had been preserved, sticking out of the sides. It made you want to smile, but smiling made you want to cry. Instead, you turned and went back for your father. If you didn’t do this now, you never would.

You thought of the pair of them living under this tree forever, the roots twining around them both until they were one. Part of the land and nothing more than memory. It was better than you could have done for them out here, all alone.

You reached your father and smoothed his coat out. Avoiding the pallid look of his skin, you noted his hat was gone. You searched the nearby ground for it.

“What is it?” the man asked, coming up behind you.

You motioned to your head and continued looking, rounding the wagon’s back end. You soon heard a board shift and looked over—he was pulling the hat out from under the wagon.

“This it?”

You nodded, going over to take it from him. He spoke before you could.

“We need to get your momma out from under there.”

Something about him using that word, calling her what you always called her…it crushed you. He didn’t even have to be told these were your parents. Because it was obvious. You had her hair. You had his nose. Your shoulders began to shake, and you were crying again, turning away so the man couldn’t see.

You felt his hand on your shoulder. “I’ll do it. You’re in no state to lift the wagon anyway. Just hold her for me, would you?”

You could hold her. Had wanted to, had been too afraid to touch her in such a fragile state. You nodded and let him lead the way.

Your mother was face down, the only part of her trapped under the wagon her leg. If you ignored that, she looked peaceful too. You were afraid to turn her over, just as you were afraid to move your father. You had a feeling whatever damage had been done was worse on their undersides.

The man set your father’s hat down and stepped up to the wagon side, preparing to lift it. You stepped up to your mother. You crouched and touched her back, the same cold lifelessness meeting your gloved hand as it had when you touched your father. You swallowed your sorrow and steeled yourself. You owed this to her.

With a grunt, the man lifted the wagon and attempted to push her leg out from under it. You couldn’t watch, knowing how wrong it would look, but you could help. You could hold her one last time. You wrapped your arms around your mother as you had so lovingly before and pulled.

“There,” the man said, letting the wagon back down with a crash of more broken wood. You couldn’t stand the sound—you were sobbing again.

“You take whatever time you need. I’ll carry ‘em over when you’re ready.”

You wordlessly thanked him for it. You had been dreading that, wanting to remember them as whole and nothing more. So this would be the last time you looked upon them. You would recall them sleeping, resting. Waiting for you.

You heard the man walk away as you let your mother go. Looking between her and her husband she loved so dearly. The only man to ever soften her.

His hat was resting beside him now, another small kindness from the stranger. You waited until he was far enough away not to overhear you before saying a word. Then you spoke, swearing it would be the last time you ever did so.

“I know why you wanted to take this trip.” You whispered it through a sob and were surprised to hear the words. Their reasons didn’t matter now. But it had mattered enough to you before to act coldly toward them. Now all you wanted was to tell them you understood. They had just been trying to show you love any way they knew how. You wanted to take back all that resentment, show them the love you felt in return. So you said it aloud. No matter that it would fall on unhearing ears.

“And I understand it now, and I forgive you for it…” You broke down, words impossible. How to sum up how deeply you cared for them in so little time? Your father always said it was actions that mattered, not words. Maybe that was all you could stomach anyway.

You bent down and kissed your mother on the side of her face, what little bit of it was showing. You moved and kissed your father on the forehead. You put his hat back on his head. They were too far apart for you to grab both of their hands. So you laid between them, facing the sky.

“Another morning,” you whispered, the cold air stinging your face. The words your father always woke with, repeating like a prayer. And your mother’s constant reply. “May it be as kind as you are.”

Your eyes welled with sadness, so you shut them. Back in the drafty room you had grown up in. Between your sleeping parents.

“I love you both.” You half heartedly wished death had been close by all along, waiting for you to say this to take you. But the pain in your side was too real. And the darkness behind your eyes wasn’t full enough. And your parents were on the wrong sides of the bed.

You laid there and cried for a long time. You weren’t sure how long, only that it didn’t feel right to get up and leave them now. To keep on living. It was unfair.

You heard the same animal from the night before make its loud call, the only thing to stir you. It was an elk. Strong and proud and always afraid. The three of you combined. But if you were the fearful one, when would you ever be allowed to rest?

You sat up, turning toward the sound. It was too far for the animal to be in view. But in that direction was the man from before, the one you had completely forgotten about. He was turned away, watching the sky. Waiting. You thought of his offer to go away from this place and felt that fear clutch you tightly. But what else would you do? Stubbornly stay here, neglect the very thing your parents had wanted for you? It was your refusal to take this trip all over again. You wished with such harsh regret that you had stood firm, made them stay home with you. Then they wouldn’t be lying broken on the ground, and you wouldn’t have to force yourself to do something you could never find the will to do in the first place. But your parents had wanted you to start your own life, one out of the snow and the hardship. Maybe this was the world’s cruel way of forcing you.

You sighed, shaking off your crippling sorrow and rising to your feet. You gave one last look at your parents. As much as you hated it, you would do it for them. Of course you would.

Within the hour, the man had brought them both to their final resting places and married the dirt with the ground it belonged to. He had asked if you wanted to do the honors, to speak over them, anything. You couldn’t even find the will to shake your head at him. You just watched from a distance, knowing you didn’t want to see them like this anyway.

When the deed was done and the man stepped away, wiping his brow with the effort, you turned and walked back to the wagon without a word. It was over. And you were still alive.

The man spoke. “Look, I know it ain’t my place but…you don’t need to be staying out here. There’s bears and wolves and all manner of animal that’ll eat you for the hell of it.”

He didn’t understand it and likely never would—what wanting to die looked like. But as much as you hated it, he was right. You wouldn’t meet your death here because of the same stubbornness your parents had tried so hard to correct.

You refused to respond and got to the wagon, prying through its broken boards and trying your best to ignore the sound. You wanted the keepsake you had been too weak to consider taking until now. You hadn’t truly thought you would find the strength to leave them, to need something like this. But the stranger of a man had come along like your parents’ very own dying wish, and you wouldn’t wrong them again.

You crawled on your belly underneath the wagon, the inside of it nearly unrecognizable—a tangle of ripped canvas and splintered wood. You dug through what the man had left behind after his search for anything valuable, knowing this wasn’t something he would have taken. You lifted a blanket and heard a familiar ruffle of pages as something small fell to the ground. Underneath the blanket lay the leather-clad book your father couldn’t bring himself to get rid of—a ledger. Though it hadn’t started out that way. You recalled growing up and learning your letters from your mother, sitting beside your father as she forced him to do the same. You picked up the ledger and looked through the first few pages, his terrible attempts at words. You knew without having to look further their spelling got better over time, though his handwriting never did. Then how his words turned to numbers, to how much hay and meat and skins he had sold or traded, how much the three of you needed to survive. It was obvious on the pages you had pored over time and again that words were not his specialty. The concern and care he showed his family was, written in determined number after number.

You closed the ledger and clutched it tightly to your chest. It was your father’s essence, your mother’s determination to teach him. You would hold onto it like your life depended on it.

You heard a knock on the wagon side and startled. The man was staring in at you. Maybe he was beginning to understand you better—he didn’t say a word. Didn’t try to convince you to come out. That alone had you feeling a little less uneasy. You were taught not to trust strangers, but this man had done more than most people you knew well would. The least you could do was show some semblance of thankfulness and let him take you somewhere safe enough to please him before you parted ways.

He moved out of the way as you shimmied out from under the wagon, outright ignoring your pain. It was a fickle thing to you now. It came and went, and you couldn’t give much care to it one way or the other. It just was. Just as the state of the wagon was. Just as the newly dug graves were, forever marring the ground now.

You clambered to your feet with ledger in hand and faced the man, unspeaking.

“You coming then?”

You hesitated, knowing how this would shape your life. To live or to die. To do as your parents wanted or to live the way they had—not long enough.

You met the stranger’s eye and nodded at him.

“All right then. Come on,” he said, as simply as if you had just agreed to a warm meal or night’s rest. Not your life. He motioned you to follow and made for his horse. “Name’s Arthur.”

You couldn’t bring yourself to answer. Your name circled through your head, one of the last things your parents had given you that was still yours to hold. He didn’t need to know it anyway.

He soon mounted his horse and helped you up. You settled onto the back of the beast, making it shift with the new weight. Unnecessary weight. An added burden. That’s all you were now. The only purpose you stood lay hundreds of miles away in either direction. So where to go and what to do if not lay underneath the dirt beside your parents? They would have been able to tell you. But that was the very thinking that had warranted this trip.

You gave one last look at the rough-cut graves now covered with earth, noting the tree, the rock face, the bridge you would not forget. You would be back someday. You would not let them lie here forever, unknown and uncared for.

When the newly named stranger spurred his horse forward, you were filled with every ounce of hurt, pain, regret. Determination. You would not let the two people that mattered most to you die thoughtlessly, in vain. You would meet them again with a story to tell. For them, you would live. Crushed beneath the weight of death, you would live.

_________

Chapter two is here.

#arthur morgan #arthur morgan x reader #arthur morgan x female reader #high honor arthur morgan #rdr2 arthur morgan #rdr2 fanfic #rdr2 #fanfic #writing

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foreverjustaplace · 3 months

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The Bear in the Room

AHHHHHHH!! I'm not at all normal about Syd and Carmy. Like not at all. I have been reading and writing fanfiction since elementary LOL, but it's been years and years since I wrote anything. I've devoured just about every single fanfic with the Syd/Carmy tag I could find and then some. I've had this tumblr for over a decade and posted ZERO things. Now I've retweeted every other sydcarmy post and debated sharing my own theories and fics. But it's time. Feedback is welcomed! But be gentle, my darlings, I'm not exaggerating when I say I haven’t written fanfiction in over a decade. I'm nervous. Here's an excerpt from the first chapter, which will hopefully be up soon on AO3. It's called The Bear in The Room and will be a 5+1 Time fic.

5 Times Syd called Carmy "Bear" and 1 Times he calls her "Bear"

Syd is irritated. “Look, Carm. Effective teamwork begins and ends with communication.” She doesn’t tell him she stole that line from Coach K. “How can we build this up to be as successful as we want it to be if you’re not even telling me you’re going to be late? Or, I don’t know, text me if you’re not going to come in at all during our scheduled time.”

“Syd, that was one time. And I didn’t realize my phone wasn’t plugged in properly which is why it died and I couldn’t text you until much later. That’s my fault. I was tired–”

Sydney cuts him off. “Carmy, dude, I’ve literally gotten less than five hours of sleep each night for the last couple of weeks. We’re all tired. We’ve been tired. This shit isn’t new for us. We need you on your A-game. I need you at your best!”

Carmy runs both of his hands through his hair, and his voice is strained but louder than it’s been all morning. “Syd, you are the one person who gets me at my best. If I’m fucking up out there,” he gestures to the windows behind them as he continues, “I’m doing everything in my power to not bring that shit near you. I give you whatever my best is, okay? You have to know that I want this restaurant to succeed, and I want to get you those fucking stars.” His face redding as his electric blue eyes look into her expansive brown ones.

Syd’s annoyance is fizzling out. She knows she shouldn’t let it. She wants to keep it at the forefront of her mind. She tries to force herself to keep thinking about how he’s been absent, hanging out with his girlfriend–a friend who’s a girl–Claire–whoever she is to him–but he’s still Carm and she’s still Syd. And though she hasn’t worked on the menu with him in his apartment in weeks, and though the moments of them talking about nothing and everything outside during a smoke break, where he somehow is always just finishing the cigarette he came outside to smoke as she opens the back door and comes to sit right next to him, haven’t been as frequent, she still feels deeply connected to him.

So all she can do at that moment is bite her bottom lip and swipe her tongue on that same spot so quickly, you’d miss it if you blinked, before hesitantly responding. “You have my best, too, and I—” But she doesn’t get to finish because Fak chooses that moment to push the restaurant’s new door open and boisterously yell out to no one in particular, “Look who I found! It’s Claire Bear and she is going to help us with our GET-THE-BEAR-FUCKING-READY-FOR-OPENING-DAY day!” Syd can’t help but stare at Claire, a beat too long, with her full face of makeup and fancy-looking shirt. At least she put on some closed-toed shoes for today. Before Claire can get out of Fak’s embrace, Syd turns back to Carmen and says, “I need your best to be better,” as she walks off to find Nat.

Soo what do you think? Is it worth posting?

#sydcarmy #sydney x carmy #the bear fanfiction #sydney adamu #carmen berzatto #the bear

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cloudofbutterflies92 · 4 months

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Days in Verdansk (Part II)

Before I let you read I wanted to thank both @alypink and @onehornedbeast for giving me permission to use their OCs. I hope I can portray your characters well <3. The fanfic is also in AO3

Tag: @chloekistune @graveyard-party666 @alypink @kaitaiga @corvosattano @onehornedbeast @themotherofhorses @alexxmason @carlosoliveiraa @cassietrn @socially-awkward-skeleton @thewanderer-000 @thedeadthree @priceseyes @sinclxirx @simonxriley @efingart @marivenah @alicedarkmair @strangefable @captmactavish @aceghosts @kikiharinezumi @katsigian

(Dividers by @saradika-graphics )

[Part I]

Words count: 5433

"Are you sure he will talk?" Gaz turned to Eden; it had all in all been a fairly easy escape. Baranov's men had not noticed their leader's sudden disappearance, no car chase. The mission had been perfect.

"He knows he has to, right?" The brunette looked at the man handcuffed in the chair in front of the group, literally afraid of the three in front of him, Eden, Soap and Gaz. Simon was in the corner, he would be used in case the oligarch did not want to talk and heavy artillery would be used.

"You just have to tell us if it is true what they say and the date of the famous attack" Price laid his hands on the shoulders of the man, who began to whimper like a desperate child.

"I don't know anything, I already told you. I would have no reason to lie" Baranov began to tremble, a classic sign of someone who was lying big time. Soap, with Price and Eden's consent pulled some photos out of his pocket.

They had been taken by an MI6 contact days earlier, Helen had delivered them in Baranov's sketch file. The contents were a meeting that had taken place between the man and Makarov, amiably sitting with the financier's family talking about "business."

"We know you and the asshole have business, you just need to tell us where it is mh?" The Scotsman leaned forward toward the Russian, who looked at those present with cold sweats.

"I...I only talked about money, I don't even know what this Makarov guy does. It is the truth I swear."

"You're lying, we're not stupid," Gaz turned to Eden, who with a tape recorder in hand started a conversation just between Baranov and the Russian terrorist.

"9 миллионов рублей, я могу дать вам это, а вы взамен нападете на стадион"(" 9 million rubles, I can give you this, in return you will attack the stadium"

"9 миллионов рублей - это мало, мой дорогой Баранов, 15 миллионов мне кажется более разумным"("9 million rubles is a few my dear Baranov, 15 million seems more reasonable to me.")

That was overwhelming evidence, Baranov was trapped.He did not even try to reply, he just remained silent, looking down.

"Then we can do this, you will tell us the truth and we will help you in return. You don't want your wife and child to come to a bad end right?" Eden decided to make a deal; she knew that Makarov scum had threatened the tycoon. Baranov could rot for him, but it was not the same for his wife and son. They were innocents entangled in a business that was not their business.

"What do you say captain? Can we give a guarantee?" The woman looked at Price who nodded, Eden could sense Simon's look of pride behind her.

"We can, if he speaks of course" Price, arms folded waited for Baranov to speak.

"Okay, that conversation is true. We talked business but I didn't think he was serious."

"You fucking liar!" Soap grabbed the man by the shirt, with veins literally invading his forehead from nervousness and stopped by Gaz and Price.

"Boy we're not going anywhere like this" then Price looked toward their target "you better tell the truth or I'll be forced to call my most trusted man. And believe me you're not going to like it" John turned to Simon, who uttered a murmur of assent, pulling out one of his many knives.

"Ehy ehy, what do you want to do? Please don't kill me. It's a lie, I financed Makarov for the attack so that I can then win the election" trembling like a chick Baranov finally revealed his disgusting plan. The five exchanged a complicit glance, before Eden, tape recorder in hand grabbed a chair and sat down in front of him.

"Now you're going to tell me exactly the same things, detail by detail so that then this will finish whoever it is 'kay?”

"Good work Spectra, I congratulate you. Your grandmother Helen was right about you being reliable" Price shared a cigarette with the young MI6 agent, apparently that night the captain decided to opt for something light. Soap, Gaz, and Ghost were deciding on who would guard Baranov first. They would then turn him over to the Verdansk police the next day, evidence in hand.

"My grandmother is always exaggerated" Eden softened a smile "in the end I was the only one left for her."

"Family is always something to count on"

"Nostalgic?" Eden had noticed the wistful tone in which the leader of 141 had pronounced that sentence, he knew someone was waiting for him.

"Maybe."

"Maybe? If you talk to me about family like that I think you really miss the person you are talking about. Alyssa right?"

The captain sighed, eventually with all the information MI6 had it was a given that Eden knew everything.

"I think she is the right woman for you, John, and she is also very talented. She could be a good addition to the team."

"Yes, definitely. I saw how you and Simon got along" the captain seemed to knead his words.

"Don't worry John, I won't distract Simon."

"He's the best of my men."

Eden must have sensed that the captain feared a woman like her might distract the lieutenant. After all, Eden's fame had gotten around in the military/espionage camp.

"But I know you are reliable, maybe you could help him."

"Just this John?" Extinguishing her cigarette, Eden raised her arms and did some stretching before patting the man's shoulder.

"If I wanted to get Simon in trouble, I would have done it a long time ago. Say hello to Alyssa for me" the woman turned and walked away, much to the annoyance of John, who shook his head from a distance.

"We've decided to swap me and Gaz" Johnny clicked his tongue, immediately Eden turned to Simon, who did not seem to understand why Gaz and Soap were insisting either. Eden had an answer: they wanted the two of them to spend time together. Which she appreciated, but at the same time she didn't want to cause any trouble for Simon with John, after all they were still on a mission.

"I'm going to bed, these heels are starting to bother me" she took a deep breath and kicked off her heels. With a quick good night to the two young sergeants, Eden reentered the room, Simon and his strong arms holding her in that possessive way. They needed some privacy, and the lieutenant was in contact-hungry mode.

"Those two are diabolical" he blurted into her ear, his lips quivering with that hoarse laugh. But Eden only loosened the embrace, leaving him puzzled.

"We need to talk" her tone grew somber; did he want to be with her? He should have known what she had been holding inside for so long, how it had been one of the many causes of the end of her relationship with David, her ex-boyfriend. Talking to Price however had made her realize that maybe Simon, with all the baggage she carried, deserved better. A complete woman, not a doll whose shards could barely stay upright.

"Come on, Eden, you can say it" the young woman told herself, summoning all her strength.

"I cannot have children, or rather, I have a malformation in my uterus that prevents me from carrying pregnancies."

Simon remained silent, a little shaken. I mean, this was a pretty big revelation, not something like stealing candy from the supermarket. Maybe that was what Eden would have wanted.

"Yeah right?You didn't expect that. But I understand, I'm not the perfect woman."

Did she feel relieved? Yes, a weight had been lifted. And she was also ready to be told that their story had to end there, that she would eventually understand if he had already mentally prepared himself for a family with many children.

"I...Jesus."

"I'm sorry" was the 'only thing she managed to get out of her lips as she sat on the edge of the bed. The mood of warmth and joy was replaced by an almost bone-penetrating silence. Funereal in some ways.

"Whatever you decide I only want your happiness Simon" turning around the raven-haired woman looked at him wistfully. He would be neither the first nor the last to be frightened by the prospect of that future, as always.

April 5th, 11:00 a.m.

The last piece of the battle suit had been put on, the announcement of the bombing had come like a bolt from the blue. That asshole Baranov had been true to his word, the Inner Circle had attacked the National Acropolis Arena, taking advantage of the local team's weekly game, and the group was preparing at that moment.

As for Eden and Simon, they had not spoken, or rather, they were at a stage where, after what had been revealed, they had very little interaction. But the looks were there; Eden would have liked to take her own head and bang it against the wall rather than admit that yes, she had been hurt by Simon's reaction. She would have preferred an "I have to think about it" to an "I...Jesus" in that dramatic way, but she was asking too much. In her condition, she certainly could not expect to be understood.

"I don't think anything is missing" the woman announced to Soap and Price, checking her equipment, she would go with them and Corporal Burns by jeep to the Red Zone, Simon was with Sheperd by air, they would watch from above and give cover from there. Gaz had to return to London urgently, the current situation was a risk for Britain as well, since Baranov had revealed that the Inner Circle was targeting London as well.

"I hope the damage is minimized" Price got into the jeep with the three of them, it was ironic how everyone in the cockpit knew that the situation would surely be dire, but still the captain tried to be positive.

"I don't like you being so tight-lipped, Spectra" Mactavish had noticed how cold and sometimes distant Eden had been the last few days.

"If you want, I'll dance a reel to make you happy" the brunette looked out the window at the situation, from a distance she could see some kind of smoke surrounding the stadium. The situation was worse than they had described.

"Golden Eagle to Bravo-6. Security confirms gunfire and at least one explosion in the stadium with multiple casualties, over" Shepherd announced to the quartet over the radio. The medical bulletin was devastating, multiple fatalities, and Makarov would not stop there. At that moment, he would strike the VIP section of the stadium.

"He's not that smart to decide to hit the VIP area" Eden said as she got out of the jeep and loaded her assault rifle, her mind preoccupied with the mission at that moment. Simon did not need to get inside her head; there were lives to save. At least the ones that could be saved.

Screams, people running in fear of being killed, an apocalypse of ammo and despair. The area that had once been a source of joy and fun was now a distant memory.

"Burns cover me!" Eden called for covering fire, firing to the right while the corporal took the left. The two gave friendly assistance to Soap and Price, who were trying to get Makarov. According to the updates, the leader of the Inner Circle was hiding; the police seemed to have a considerable advantage, though the number of wounded and dead suggested otherwise.

"John!" the brunette threw a mag at the captain and continued firing, it was almost impossible to try with so many innocents standing between them and the enemy.

"Spectra in the store!" Soap suggested, entering and continuing to clear the area with speed and skill. Everything seemed to be going according to plan, the terrorist group retreating, until the MI6 spy's eyes stopped on something she had not expected, or rather, had never wanted to see. Crawling on the ground, Alfred, the old man she and Simon had met on the plane the day they left London for Verdansk, was reaching for the lifeless body of his wife, Irina.

Why? Why did this have to happen?

"Сукин сын"("son of a bitch") one of the terrorists put a bullet in the head of the poor old man, who died with his head resting on his wife's chest. Eden unloaded all her mag at the terrorist, arrived too late but had killed the bastard. It was not justice from an external point of view but for her it was. She had arrived too late to save them, the pulse of both of them had stopped beating.

No one deserved such a death; Makarov would pay dearly for it.

"Eden" Price called her, realizing the situation had shaken her quite a bit, the brunette stood up, overtaking the captain and Soap. Catching Makarov was her only goal now and she would stop at nothing.

"Watch out, he might be in the area," John signaled to the three as soon as they arrived at the parking lot, in stealth mode the trio of Eden, Soap and Price looked around until an ambulance tried to run them over: it was Soap who opened up after they managed to dodge and found none other than Vladimir Makarov.

"Bleeding Jesus, it's him" the Scottish sergeant after telling Makarov to keep his hands up noted his presence. The first thing Eden thought was to punch him, she wanted to see him suffer in a slow and painful way.

"Get up" she reached for him and ordered, making the man smile with all his nastiness.

"No less than the famous Spectra, I must be very special for this treatment."

"Shut up before I won't let you see the light of day" Soap reached out to his teammate, he too had realized that Eden was at a moment when she could very well kill him in cold blood.

"Afraid captain?" Makarov was brought out of the ambulance by the Scotsman "you should"

"Shut up"

"Get on your fucking knees "Soap handcuffed him, for Eden he was supposed to die there. Die a slow, cold death but apparently he had other plans Price.

"It all sounds like so much fun to me, usually I know you're very talkative" Makarov, pushed by Soap toward the exit of the parking lot turned to Eden, Christ what an urge she had to put a bullet in his mouth.

"I have more useful things to do Vova" the brunette then looked at herself with Price.

"Keep an eye on him, Soap" Price called to Johnny, raising the parking garage door together.

"Spectra go ahead with him, we'll give you cover. The chopper will be here any minute "As they exited, the three members of the group plus the terrorist began walking down the street littered with various vehicles. Several members of the Inner Circle tried to stop them but eventually arrived at their destination. Eden did not even deign to look at Shepherd, and especially Simon, treating him almost as an outsider. Did he really expect her after that reaction to look the other way?

"Simon Riley" they all climbed into the helicopter Makarov of all people pointed his attention to the famous lieutenant, the legend about his exploits was also spun in Russian terrorist circles

"I expected you to stay in that airport and die."

"If you want to live I do not advise you to threaten my men, Vladimir " Shepherd took the floor, with Eden putting her gun to his temple.

"Go ahead and speak, I assure you it's a miracle you're here already.”

Frowning and amused Vladimir looked toward Shepherd "Are we on first name basis Herschel?" below both Soap and Ghost asked about the plan the Russian terrorist had in mind.Who gave his attention to the MI6 agent next to him.

"This."

"What do you mean by this?" Price until then silent took the floor, Eden did not have a good feeling but the more the asshole talked the more they would solve the problem.

"This is amazing, you're dumber than you look"

"I asked you a question" Ghost approached menacingly, he was beginning to lose patience too but it was all a tactic, the man was using his psychological tricks.

"You should be careful on the inside too, right Spectra?" The terrorist was aiming now to make Eden lose her patience, he knew something was tormenting her and using this tactic was bearing fruit.

"I'm not that stupid, give us those names. You're already with one foot in the grave" at what the woman said the man burst out laughing "What time is it? "the Russian then used another of his enigmatic tricks

"What does that have to do with what time it is?" Shepherd spoke for everyone, who was wondering the same thing.

"Time is all general, we will remember this moment."

An explosion, that was the surprise Makarov had in store for the group. He had calculated it all, that's why he had said those words, Soap at what had happened could see no more. He grabbed him and pointed the gun at him, slamming him to the floor. Price and Eden tried hard to stop him.

"Mactavish calm down."

"I'll blow your brains out, Makarov, you heard me. I swear to God I'll do it" the Scotsman didn't give up, it was ironic how Eden also wanted him dead but that now it was she who was calming the waters when before it was Soap himself who was doing it for her.And Makarov was also inciting him to do it, threatening him.As if he knew that Price's words that he could do nothing now were useless

"I thought you were the good guys "after the situation calmed down Makarov was put away from Soap, Eden sought Ghost's gaze. Makarov would rot in prison but at what price?

"You did a great job, I'm proud of you" Ghost whispered lightly in the raven-haired woman's 'ear before sitting down next to the prisoner waiting to return to the mother base.

Mother base 04:00 pm

Tensions were high, in short, after the extensive damage and deaths caused by Makarov, the situation had escalated. It was for this reason that Eden, by unanimous decision, would interrogate the Russian together with Alyssa Martinez, CIA agent and partner of John Price, through a program created by Special Officer Martinez that functioned as a lie detector.

"The arm" the brown-haired woman invited Vladimir to cooperate, who had his full attention on Eden, who took a few puffs on a cigarette as she waited. The rest of the group was behind the glass wall that separated the interrogation room in case anything happened and to record it.

"He'll talk and if he doesn't we'll take turns" Price looked at Ghost and Soap. Simon was very worried, of course he didn't show it, but he wanted to talk to Eden. He needed to clear things up after everything that had happened in the last few days.

"Shall we begin? "Eden, after Aly set up the equipment, sat down in front of Makarov, whose face showed amused frown lines.

"I like being interrogated by you, how is your brother Agent Martinez?"

Aly looked up, completely ignoring the terrorist's question; it was all his own psychological trick.

"You know it doesn't work that way Vladimir" Eden interrupted, there was a moment of silence, the only sound present was the computer recording the heartbeats. Cold and emotionless, Eden had to forget what had happened in the stadium. She had to forget the faces of Alfred and Irina, embracing each other in death.

"So? We know Baranov funded you, but we have information about other attacks, you know you'd better talk to me," Eden drew on her cigarette, threatening him, the polygraph began to register an increase in beats to 50.

"He's tense, the epidermal activity is registering an increase in tension."

"We've got him, keep going" Price followed Alyssa's words; it only took a few more seconds for Eden to have him in front of them. If he didn't talk, they would get tough, otherwise known as Simon, and he would get tough.

"You should be wary of the enemies within MI6, Spectra" Makarov seemed cooperative; he was neither the first nor the last to say that.

"That's nothing new, but if you want to help, you have to give me the names."

"Names? I don't have any names, why should I?"

Eden unscrupulously went to touch the back of Vladimir's right hand with her cigarette, who seemed unafraid despite the odds against him.

"You know your ass is now going to end up in a sewer for the rest of your days" Eden stood up and whispered in his ear "Speak up because I swear if you don't I will wipe that fucking smile off your face and you know very well I am capable of that"

"Oh yes I know, I know about the torture you endured in South America. You learned your lesson well."

It was anger that made her pick him up and bang his head on the table, startling even Aly who was concentrating at that moment. Simon had a bad feeling that Eden was taking it too personally.

"Captain we need to stop, Eden."

"We're about to get the answer we need Lieutenant" Price tried to reassure him.

"I would have done worse myself" Soap also gave his idea, to join the group however came Shepherd in the company of Laswell. Seeing that scene was not pleasant for the general.Shepherd was not very friendly with Eden, for him she was not the best choice to use in an interrogation. Too young and inexperienced for his taste.

"You want names? Why don't you ask your superiors, didn't your grandmother teach you? "Makarov was grabbed by the neck of his shirt by a completely senseless Eden.

"Listen carefully Vova, I won't tell you again. The names, you made innocent people I cared about die, give me the fucking names before I kill you with my own hands!"she blurted out, releasing him and pacing back and forth. She needed her damn tension ball. She was crossing the line.

"Stop everything, it's not in her. She looks like a high school girl," Shepherd ordered Price; he and Laswell were not on board at all. Makarov was not going to talk unless it was the hard way.

"General, I don't think so," Kate also tried to reason with him.

"I said get her out, Ghost take her place" the General ordered the Lieutenant, "Spectra you can go, Lieutenant Riley will take care of this. Agent Martinez you may stay" Herschel then relayed the decision to Eden through the microphone.

The brunette literally had him in her hands, with her intervention Shepherd had ruined what she was working on.

"General, this is not a good idea, Eden and I work well together" Alyssa stood up for the MI6 agent, who just shook her head in amusement before looking at Shepherd.

"Whatever you want, General, do what the hell you want" her expression changed quickly, showing no emotion before she walked out. She literally saw Simon in front of her, his eyes, though hidden by his red glasses showing all the concern he had for her.

"Eden."

"Good luck, Lieutenant Riley.”

She had heard Makarov's screams from afar; Simon had gone pretty hard with the interrogation. She had not moved, however, she had preferred to sip that tea that tasted like piss rather than go back in; she was angry, disappointed in herself.

In the condition she was in, she had not even known how to interrogate an enemy, something she had always done very well. She didn't know what the heck had gotten into her, but it had been enough to shut her down.

She also wanted to call her best friend Chloe, explain the situation, but probably as it was she would have gotten on the first plane to Verdansk, and in a place devastated like that she didn't want her to arrive, and most of all she didn't want to bother her.

"I brought you something to eat" a quiet, soothing voice turned Eden around "it's not the best but you should eat."

Smiling Aly handed her a plate of stew, how they cooked at the base sucked but right now food was a bit of a comfort.

"Thank you" she gladly took the plate, making room for the girl, who stood with her to watch the sunset. She almost found comfort in watching it.

"Did you go out for Shepherd? Do you also feel disgust toward him?"

"Yes, he did not behave well toward you. I wanted to punch him in the face" Aly's reaction made the woman smile-how could John still have doubts about her?

"These Americans think they are gods come down to earth, I really should have punched him like I did Makarov"

"I think Simon did the rest, he's not in great shape."

Simon...how she missed him, if only she wasn't so stubborn that she wasn't the first to apologize she wouldn't have thought about it.

"Do you miss him?" Aly's words placed one of her hands over her shoulder, which she did not utter, however, hinting affirmatively at her answer.

"You know it's a bit of a strange time for John and me too, he's very immersed in work and it almost seems to be the most important one. But I'm in love, like a silly little girl."

"Oh please Aly, you're not a stupid little girl" Eden in a very understanding gesture hugged her, she sensed how much she cared for the captain, for John.

"I'll give you a piece of advice, I guess they're done but I can tell you to play it cool. You will see how he will crawl back to you."

She liked to give people advice, even a little crazy advice but seeing the satisfaction in knowing that they had then followed what she advised and then it paid off made her proud.

"I should be less paranoid" Aly sighed, watching Eden then light a cigarette. Nervousness led to the raven-haired woman smoking more than usual, not the best for her health.

"I should not smoke" the attention however of the two immediately switched to heavy footsteps on the asphalt. In front of them, breathing heavily, gloves slightly smeared with blood, Simon appeared. He looked as if he had walked miles and miles.

"We need to talk."

"I'll leave you two alone" Aly stood up, Eden gestured for her to sit back down.

"No stay"

"Please Eden, if only for five minutes" the Mancunian's desperate look brought a kind of resignation to Eden. She looked at Aly, who nodded and encouraged her before leaving them alone. Sincerant that no one was there Simon took off his balaclava, tactical makeup was haphazardly spread around his eyes, even reaching his cheeks from sweat. But his look was one of sincere repentance.

"I'm a jerk, I should have understood "he took her hand, starting to kiss it. Eden would have liked to slap him, a perfect option.

"You are an asshole and also a shithead honestly said" she certainly did not send him a message.

"I know, but I love you no matter what. With or without the fact that you may have children" with his thumb Simon brushed Eden's left cheek, then letting his hand serve as a sort of pillow on which she rested it. Eden closed her eyes, Christ she hate to have feelings. The lieutenant's words, however, seemed sincere, for the first time Eden realized that they were not words thrown to the wind.

"You are the best thing that has happened to me probably since I was born, and I'm not kidding."

"How sentimental we are" Eden lowered her gaze, with a certain satisfaction and joy on her face. Before meeting his hazel eyes again.

"Am I forgiven?"

"Maybe" she joked, before biting her lip lightly and drawing closer, letting their lips meet. She had missed kissing him like that, letting her velvety fingers run through his golden hair. And she had missed him. Definitely.

"I love you."

The blond man's gaze lit up, as if he had seen the Aurora Borealis with his own eyes.

"I love you too."

"And I want to see that idiot explain to me what he finds so good about that fatty meat. He's because probably Scottish" Eden stood up holding his hand, who put his balaclava back on and walked along with her, clutching her hip to reach the canteen where far away the arrival of the soldiers could already be heard.

5 days later

"The bar should be in this area, I won't be long there" Eden got out of the car driven by Gaz, followed by Simon. Through Makarov they had managed to get some names, people anyway who mattered in the CIA/MI6 milieu. There was only one person she could trust besides her grandmother.

"I'll go with you, I don't trust that guy."

"No, wait with Gaz. I'll be fine" the woman looked toward their friend, cigarette to his mouth.

"I'll keep the watchdog at bay."

A short laugh hung from Eden's lips before she left a kiss on Simon's cheek. True, in a job like hers they had to seem aloof but no one was watching so they could be a little themselves.

The scent of hot mid-morning coffee caught the brunette's attention as soon as she entered the elegant café, some lounge and elegant music set the scene.

"Spectra I haven't seen you so smiling since time immemorial" Eden reached one of the many tables, seated there was a man of Japanese descent, long hair in a mix of black and gray and a charming look. Kentaro Hawkins, code name "Icarus" in the field of espionage was known for his charm, but also for his wisdom. He was one of the few people Eden could trust; they had collaborated only once but it had been enough to establish a mutual respect.

"You're getting old Hawkins, but you look good."

"You mean these?" The man pointed to his hair "you know they stand for wisdom. It's good to see you anyway, you haven't changed a bit, always the girl with the ready answer"

"It's a miracle you're alive" the brunette crossed her legs then sipped her coffee in the meantime the Japanese male handed over a file.

"It's a list of suspects, but I'm trying to investigate thoroughly. Those names are from people who matter."

Willard George, Sigmund Hewitt, Karen Vaughn, David Wong

"I'm not surprised there is that bastard's name, with all the contacts he has he can easily have clean hands and have others do the dirty work" unsurprised Eden tucked the document inside her suede jacket. Kentaro looked worried.

"Shepherd, too."

"He is the first one I am investigating, that idiot smells rotten to me" the raven-haired female reassured him.

"You still have to be careful Spectra, I suggest you also investigate within the team in which your boyfriend is also. It is male intuition if you are asking how I knew."

"Male intuition" she teased him.

"He's a good man, he seems like the kind of guy who can stand up to you" Hawkins picked up his jacket, it was to be a short meeting after all. More business than pleasant talk, that perhaps would be more appropriate when the dust settled.

"Say hello to your grandmother for me, maybe I'll stop by as well. If I'm still alive" Kentaro trailed off, for a moment he and Simon crossed paths. The look was one of defiance but also of mutual respect.

"You espionage people are always so elegant, sophisticated" after the agent go moved away Gaz sat down at the table.

"I don't trust him, do you have the list?" Simon turned to the woman next to him, brushing her fingers.

"Better to see it away from here, but the names are big. People within NATO too" Eden's words were certainly not comforting indeed, it meant that the enemy had taken root even within that organization that served to protect such threats.

"But we will stop them, this I assure you."

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cinderella-ish · 1 month

Text

My evolving thoughts on who Yuki should've ended up with, and fanfic's role in changing my mind

So, I want to talk about Yuki Sohma.

Yuki is the member of the main trio in Fruits Basket with whom I most identify. I have little in common with both Tohru and Kyo, and it took me several watches and read-throughs to start to understand their characters/arcs. (I love them, don't get me wrong! I just didn't fully appreciate the depth of their characters/arcs until maybe my third time through the series.)

Yuki, on the other hand, not only had many external qualities in common with me, but the way he grew mirrored some of the ways I changed in early adulthood. His arc felt true to my life, and so he was my favorite character from my first exposure to Fruits Basket.

When I started reading fanfic, I initially limited myself to canon compliant or limited canon-divergence fics, but eventually, I dipped my toes into some alternate pairings. Interestingly, while I truly can't see Tohru with anyone but Kyo, and I can only see Kyo with someone other than Tohru in very specific circumstances, Yuki seems to work with almost everyone he gets paired with. I mean, Yuki and Machi are my OTP, yet I have probably read (and bookmarked) every Yuki/Kakeru fic on Ao3, and some of the most beautiful fanfic I've ever read is Yuki/Kyo.

This confused me at first. Deeply. If Yuchi is my OTP, why do I devour every Yukeru and Yukyo fic?

Well, I think that's because Yuki's arc is, among other things, one where he rejects compulsory romance. This is made explicit in the Cinderella-ish story (why yes this is my favorite part of Fruits Basket, why do you ask?), where he quite literally rejects the role of the prince - the role that's been put onto him by others through the series. I think his arc would have been complete without him ending up with Machi, but there are things about their relationship that make his ending so much more satisfying. In stories where he ends up with Kakeru or Kyo, Machi almost always appears as an important friend for him. I think, for him, having strong bonds outside the Sohmas that he forged on his own was the point, rather than ending up in a relationship.

Anyway, with that out of the way, here are my thoughts on the five most common Yuki pairings on Ao3!

Yuki/Machi

Yes. I love them. 1000/10.

Okay, so the one criticism I have of Yuki/Machi is that Yuki is strongly gay-coded throughout the series, and it would've been awesome to see that play out in the way it was set up. I think that's a huge part of why I connected with Yuki - his arc definitely reminded me of my own experience coming to terms with my own queerness. For more on this, see this exceptional post by @yunsoh

But there are so many moments between them that make me swoon. The chalk scene, first and foremost. I used that scene to talk to my partner about how to support me when my OCD or ADHD is bad. Then there's scene where Yuki figures out why Machi destroys things, then asks to make footprints in the snow together (and tells her he's proud of her! and sees how hard she's worked!). The way he bought her Mogeta memorabilia or figured out she likes red or understood her intent when she chased him around the school to give him a flower and just ended up getting angry at him. The way he understood she bought Tohru a bath set because it's what she would want, just because Kakeru made a similar remark. The way he lit up when he saw Machi's trashed apartment - "the sea of despair."

And the way Machi understood and empathized with Yuki. The way he lit up and started laughing when she called him an airhead. The way she said it took someone like him to notice someone like her. The way she opened up to him and always sought him out. The way Kakeru shipped them. The way he knew she would miss him if he were to disappear, and the way being a support to her was something he needed for himself. The way she accepted him as he actually was, and not the way he thought he was supposed to be. The way she broke the door down with a chair when Yuki was trapped in the storage room. The way he teased her!

They've both been put in seemingly desirable positions within their families, yet those positions are responsible for so much of their pain and trauma. They get each other at a deep level. There's a mutuality to their relationship that Yuki desperately needed. I love them so much!

PS: if you also love Yuki/Machi, come find me on Ao3! I'll be posting some Yuchi content later this week!

Yuki/Kakeru

They have a fantastic and fun dynamic, and they are always touching each other. Kakeru is Yuki's confidant and someone who makes Yuki feel safe in being himself, flaws and all. They help each other grow - Yuki helps Kakeru be more empathetic, and Kakeru helps Yuki become more comfortable with himself. I think this pairing would have also been a satisfying end for Yuki, full stop. I love them, and I will read all your Yukeru fics, please and thank you. (Also, lots of Yukeru writers are just really good writers, so there are some gorgeous works for them.)

Yuki/Kyo

So, I didn't get why this ship was so popular at first, but then I was reminded that Yuki's first thought when he met Kyo was "pretty!" They both secretly admired each other, they're written as foils for each other, and there's a reason enemies to lovers is so popular (and it's called sexual tension).

There's a Yuki/Kyo fic that I'd credit with showing me what fanfic can really do - especially in the ways it expanded the universe, found its own way of handling the curse, and developed the relationship between the two boys in a way that also grew their characters. That fic is The Pursuit of Repeating History by @mistergrass

I do think that Yuki ending up with someone outside the Sohmas is more satisfying for his character arc than someone from the Sohma clan, but his relationship with Kyo is such a key part of his arc that this could be satisfying in its own right.

Yuki/Haru

I absolutely love the relationship these two have in canon. I love how Haru looks out for Yuki, and I love how he drives Yuki a bit crazy. I love how Haru tells Yuki the things he needs to hear, like that it's okay for him to focus on himself for a while, and I love how Yuki braves the Sohma estate to check on Haru. I also love the way Haru can read Yuki like a book.

Haru's words to Yuki about finding someone who will appreciate his fragility and kindness are always so touching. Haru is almost a mentor to Yuki, in a way, or a fairy godmother. (Or a long lost sister?) The fact that he was the one who got Yuki out of isolation at the hands of Akito, or that he was the one person who would check on him just speaks to the strength of his loyalty to Yuki.

I take Haru's statement of "Yuki was my first love" seriously, because he tells Yuki he is serious when Yuki warns him people will take him seriously when he says that. I know there's an argument to be made that Haru is just being his weird self, but that gives me and they were roommates vibes.

Unfortunately, most of the Yuki/Haru fics are dubcon with Dark Haru, which is not something I enjoy reading. What I'd really love to read is an AU where they're together in high school or later, or something that explores Haru's early feelings for Yuki, or just something that explores interesting sides of their characters that are brought out when they're together.

I don't think this would be a terribly satisfying end for Yuki, but I do really love their dynamic.

Yuki/Tohru

Okay, so, full disclosure: I was #teamyuki when I first watched Fruits Basket. Yet now, they're the only pairing on this list that I don't like. Why? Well, as I said above, Yuki's arc is much about rejecting this specific compulsory romance.

Compulsory how? Well, from the beginning, the series seems like it's setting up a love triangle, but kind of tells us (more and more explicitly as the series goes on) that things are not what they seem.

I think the series does a phenomenal job of making the reader/viewer complicit in placing this compulsory romance onto Yuki. A brief aside, making the reader/viewer complicit in the thing a story is criticizing is one of the most effective ways to criticize something, IMO, because it doesn't let the reader/viewer off the hook. We don't get to say, "Look at them, they're so foolish!" We're forced to examine our own expectations and acknowledge that we were made a fool of, too.

I totally got tingles at the spa scene (pictured above), even though upon rewatch, it's obvious how much of an act it is on Yuki's part, and how uncomfortable it makes Tohru. In fact, many of their most "romantic" moments, where the shojo bubbles appear and everything, are when Tohru is acting in an explicitly motherly way to Yuki, and he awkwardly tries to flirt because he's either misinterpreting his feelings or in denial about them.

I also thought his line, "that isn't what I want!" when he tells Kakeru about his true feelings for Tohru is one of the most powerful moments in the series. It's the moment he's finally letting go of being the Princely character and choosing to be himself, for himself, because he deserves to be known and accepted - something he'd never fully believed until that moment.

I think part of why I was initially #teamyuki was because I came to Fruits Basket through the anime first, where much of the development of his relationship with Machi was cut. Also, as I said above, I didn't really get the characters of Kyo and Tohru right away, and I think that prevented me from seeing the power of their romance. The True Form arc was a key moment that I truly didn't understand until several viewings/readings later.

So, all of that is why I don't care for this pairing. I get why people do, but I do feel it undermines Yuki's agency and his character arc. It's a pairing that makes me sad when I see it, as if this character I love has taken a step backward.

(Incidentally, I've been wanting to write a fic where the True Form arc plays out differently and Yuki takes longer to realize the nature of his feelings for Tohru. I truly wonder how he would've come to that understanding without witnessing her running after Kyo. Would he have tried dating her? Would it have been a total disaster?)

Other pairings and larger relationship structures

Out of the other pairings I found, the only one I'm genuinely curious about is Yuki with Saki Hanajima. I'll have to go read those fics. They are each the "cold" half of a "hot/cold" duo (the "hot" halves being Kyo and Arisa, who are basically the same person). I'm very curious what led people to pair them in the handful of fics about them!

(Interestingly, I think it's possible to read Saki and Arisa both as having a bit of sexual tension with Kyo, but not with Yuki.)

The others include Akito, Ayame, Hatori, and Shigure - all pairings that would have a noncon/dubcon element due to Yuki's age, and that's before you get into the specific traumas that these characters have inflicted on Yuki, or the inherent power dynamics between them, or the close familial relationship with Ayame, etc...

The trio relationships are all intriguing and full of possibility. Yuki/Tohru/Kyo? Obviously. Yuki/Kakeru/Kimi? Potential for lots of wackiness. Yuki/Kyo/Haru? Could be the next Mabudachi trio.

(No shade to anyone who enjoys fics with the pairings or tropes I don't like! This blogger believes in "don't like, don't read.")

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canonicallyobserving911 · 1 month

Text

Several Sentences Sunday

Fanonwriter2023 on AO3

Where CANON and FANON collide!

Season 7 FANON Speculation: Buddie Multi-Chapter Fanfic - Hiatus Reading: “I’m still in love with you but... I needed to learn how to love myself too!”

Chapter 26 will be posted soon.

This is an EPIC LOVE STORY!

Currently 25 chapters completed: 973.1K Words; Rated: Mature

One chapter will be posted at a time.

{Previous snippet linked here}

___________

I'm excited to finish writing Chapter 26 because at the end of Chapter 25, the Diaz family had just returned to the U.S. and after they made it home, Eddie checked his voice mail and there was a message from his cousin about an attempted delivery of a SpedEx package for Buck. Buck had no idea who it was from and he worried about it all weekend into the New Year.

They attended Maddie's and Chimney's New Year's Eve party which turned out to be an engagement party for them but they told their found family they got married while they were in Italy and that Buck adopted Chris on Christmas morning. Everyone questioned them regarding why the didn't tell anyone about their nuptials but they reassured them they're going to have a vow renewal ceremony in May of 2024 so they can all celebrate with them. But they didn't tell them they put a bid on a house in Italy and they aren't planning to until they believe the time is right.

On January 2nd, Buck accepted the package from the SpedEx delivery driver and after he opened it and viewed the contents, he collapsed and became unresponsive and unconscious right after Eddie entered the room.

___________

Here's another snippet from Chapter 26 and it's more of Eddie's 9-1-1 call with Linda.

___________

‍“Eddie! Listen to me. I know it’s hard but I need you to remain calm. Are you listening?”

He is but right now, he’s focused on Buck’s angelic face and to him it looks like he’s sleeping but he knows he’s not. As his mind starts to spiral, he thinks of all the years they have yet to live along with the plans they have set for their future. They’re supposed to travel the globe together so they can walk on sandy beaches in Hawaii, travel to Alaska in the dead of winter while it’s 40 degrees below zero, take a ship to Antarctica so they can see the penguins and he hasn’t mentioned it yet but he wants them to go to Sydney, Australia. He knows they have spiders so big they’ll make them leave but he believes as long as he’s there with his husband, they’ll be ok.

The panic in his chest tries to escape his lungs for the fourth maybe even the fifth time but he swallows and forces it to go away until he can deal with it sometime later. When he realizes he’s been quiet too long, he replies, “Yes, I—I’m listening.”

“The 141 is still stuck on the interstate but I’ve dispatched another RA unit that’s closer and they’re in the adjoining subdivision. Their hospital transport got cancelled and they just notified dispatch they’re on their way back to their station but I’m sending them to you. You should hear the sirens any second.”

He nods even though she can’t see him, then replies, “Ok, but… please, please tell them to hur—ry.”

“They’re coming as fast as they can. Stay on the line with me, ok?”

“Ok.” He responds as his mind spirals at 100 mph and it’s in a tug of war with his heart because his instincts are telling him it’ll be better for him to wait for the RA unit because the closest hospital is about 10 minutes away and since the I-110 is backed up on both sides, it’ll take him twice as long to drive there and it’ll be even longer if he has to take the streets.

“Eddie?”

“Hmm?”

“I need you to keep talking to me. You said he’s unresponsive?”

“Yes!”

“Does he have history of a heart condition?” She knows the answer but she has to ask him for the recorded line. She was at work the night Buck got struck by lightning and even though she didn’t take the 9-1-1 call, the entire dispatch center was on full alert when Captain Nash explained they had a firefighter who had been struck and they were three minutes out from the nearest hospital.

“Yes, he—he was struck by lightning last year and he—he…” He stops talking because he’s on the verge of hyperventilating and the panic lodged in his throat is attempting to claw its way out but he inhales a big gulp of air and breathes past it, then he continues. “He died for—three minutes and seventeen seconds. That’s how long his heart stop—ped… I know be—because I counted.”

“Don’t worry Eddie, the 128 is enroute and I’m being told by the paramedic on duty they just entered your subdivision.”

Eddie’s crying and he knows it but he doesn’t care. He emphatically admits, “He… can’t—go… he’s my heart, my every—thing!”

Linda can hear the pain in Eddie’s voice and she wants so badly to be there for her friend. So, she looks at Sue, who's listening in and gets the nod she was waiting for then says, “It’s ok Eddie. Just listen to the sound of my voice. Everything is going to be ok. Can you hear me?”

“Yes—yes… I can year you. How much lon—ger before they’ll get here?” He asks through broken sobs.

“They should be there in less than one minute. Do you hear the sirens?”

Can Eddie hear the sirens or is he too distraught? 👀

Will Buck make it to the hospital or will he leave Eddie all alone? 🥹

___________

This is an EPIC LOVE STORY!

Fic Summary: Months after Buck and Eddie were hit by the same lightning strike; they’re still struggling with the aftermath of it. But before they make their love confessions, they’ll spend time getting to know themselves as individuals first. Eddie learns to enjoy the simple things in life as he participates in activities on his own and with new friends while Buck learns the rest of the 31-year-old deep dark family secret about his conception and birth. Their journey to forever is still a work in progress but once they finally admit they’re in love with each other, everything that follows their love confessions will be cataclysmic.

__________

Chapter Summaries

Chapter 1 - Eddie makes a new friend while Buck receives devastating news regarding the sperm donation he made for Connor and Kameron.

Chapter 2 - Buck does a lot of research to learn more about the abnormalities found in his red blood cells and Eddie starts a new therapy journey that’s all about him and not the traumas he’s experienced.

Chapter 3 - After more than a month, Buck and Eddie finally spend time together outside of work but it doesn’t end well and they part with a lot of uncertainty regarding their places in each other’s lives.

Chapter 4 - Eddie has a few realizations about his life which causes him to consider moving back to El Paso, TX while Buck continues to be reminded of his past which causes him to take an impromptu road trip across America.

Chapter 5 - Both Buck and Eddie have difficult conversations with their parents and Buck finally learns the truth behind the reason why his mother despised him while Eddie finally tells his mother about the way she tries to control him.

Chapter 6 - More than two weeks after Buck pushed Eddie away after suggesting they needed a break; Eddie decides to try again. Eddie’s there for Buck when he’s at his worst just like Buck was there for him when he was at his worst and he won’t let Buck give up.

Chapter 7 - After Buck’s mental breakdown, Eddie has his back the same way Buck had his when he had his own breakdown more than a year ago. They share several vulnerable and emotionally intimate moments with one another and they begin to realize their small, sweet and caring gestures matter just as much if not more than any grand gesture ever could because these are the foundations of a long-lasting love relationship.

Chapter 8 - Buck, Eddie and Chris all have their own therapists and during their sessions, they reflect on their pasts while they’re in the present so they can prepare for their future together as a family.

Chapter 9 - Buck and Eddie are there for each other when Buck has to testify as a witness during the trial. But by the end of it, they’ll both realize their individual and shared traumas are going to keep resurfacing until they talk about them, deal with the fact that they’re in love with one another and face the fact that they can’t live without each other.

Chapter 10 - As Buck and Eddie finally begin to confront their past traumas, they realize how much they need each other to fill in the gaps of their memories. Additionally, the universe screams at them for what appears to be the one hundredth time so Buck can realize he doesn’t have to ‘find it’ because he already ‘made it’ and Eddie’s reminded tomorrow isn’t promised and he doesn’t have to die alone if he doesn’t want to.

Chapter 11 - A “virga” or dry thunderstorm is in the forecast but once the rain starts, the thunderstorm happening outside won’t be able to match the storm brewing inside between Buck and Eddie. It’s the universe’s final scream and when the tumultuous winds begin to blow, they’ll have one last chance to hold onto everything they’ve built over the last six years or they’ll lose it all forever.

Chapter 12 - Buck and Eddie have always shared a deep physical attraction and an emotional intimacy that’s unmatched but now that they’re in a relationship, they’re learning how to navigate the romantic intimacy they’ve been waiting for six years to explore. The love they have for each other is a once in a lifetime, soulmate, love of their lives type of love that transcends space and time.

Chapter 13 - While navigating the newness of their romantic relationship, Buck and Eddie take advantage of every moment they spend together. As their individual lives, people from their pasts, time constraints and the possibility of losing each other again make attempts to interrupt and interfere with their journey to forever, they love, care for, support and hold onto each other even tighter to withstand it all.

Chapter 14 - Buck and Eddie can see the lights at the end of the tunnels regarding the results of Buck’s Cancer Screening along with everything else they’re dealing with. But are the lights they see exits to the tunnels or are they headlights on different runaway trains that are speeding towards them in an effort to interrupt their forever?

Chapter 15 - Buck and Eddie have known they were exactly who the other one wanted in a partner since they met six years ago when they agreed to have each other’s backs. They’re in a romantic relationship, they’re both preparing to ask the other one to spend forever with them and by the end of the seventh week into their relationship, together they will plan their most important and greatest adventure for their future.

Chapter 16 - As Buck and Eddie begin to prepare for their marriage ceremony that will take place in Rome, Italy in December 2023, they start planning their first international adventure as a romantic couple. Even though Chris is still the only person they’ve told about their relationship, several people who know them have already witnessed the love they share and as the days continue, others will witness it too.

Chapter 17 - As Buck and Eddie get closer to departing Los Angeles for their international adventure, a moment in time will remind them; life is fragile, tomorrow isn’t promised and every second of everyday should be cherished because everything can change in an instant. The result of that realization will cause them to hold onto each other even more.

Chapter 18 - As Buck, Eddie and Chris prepare for family gatherings before and during the Thanksgiving holiday, the “Santa Ana Winds” start to blow and all sorts of expected and unexpected familial drama ensues.

Chapter 19 - As Buck and Eddie get closer to their wedding day, the universe begins to align everything so that some of their parent and children's relationships are strengthened while others come to an abrupt end.

Chapter 20 - With only 14 days remaining until Buck, Eddie and Chris depart Los Angeles, CA traveling to Rome, Italy, for their first family adventure, an early morning conversation about “tying up loose ends” helps Buck and Eddie realize there are still several things left unfinished on their ‘To Do’ lists. The question is will there be enough time to complete all of them?

Chapter 21 - Buck, Eddie and Chris are finalizing their ‘To Do’ Lists, double checking their itineraries and packing their suitcases in preparation for their trip to Europe so they can board their flight that departs Los Angeles, CA on Friday, December 15, 2023 at 3:25PM.

Chapter 22 - While Buck, Eddie and Chris spend the first 8 days of their European family adventure in Italy, their primary reason for going will be fulfilled as well as several others they hadn’t considered or anticipated.

Chapter 23 - As the Diaz Family continues their Italian family adventure, they’ll say, “Ciao” or hello and goodbye to a lot of things almost immediately after they become an official and legal family.

Chapter 24 - After Buck, Eddie and Chris arrive in London, England on December 24th; the Diazes immediately start preparing to spend their first family Christmas together. During their stay, each of them will hear a few choice words that will be the life raft to get them home to complete their searches to be seen and to be found.

Chapter 25 - After spending more than two weeks in Europe, Eddie, Buck and Chris are back in Los Angeles and they’re getting ready to attend Maddie and Chimney’s New Year’s Eve party. During the event, they have plans to make two surprise announcements but the question is, who’s really going to be surprised, the Diaz family or their found family at the 118?

Chapter 26 - Will be posted soon.

__________

Read chapters 1-25 are available on AO3.

Continue reading on AO3

Chapter 26 will be posted soon.

#buddie #eddie diaz #evan buckley #christopher diaz #the buckley diaz family #buckley diaz family #The Diaz Family #ao3 fanfic #buddie fanfic #911 fanfic #911 abc #911 on abc #Fanonwriter2023 on AO3 #Chapter 26 will be posted soon #Several Sentences Sunday #Seven Sentences Sunday #buddie wip #“I'm still in love with you but... I needed to learn how to love myself too!”

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aziraphales-library · 3 months

Text

Lost Fic #168

1. Hello! I was wondering if u could please find a fic for me. I read it in 2021 and it was about Aziraphale in WWII and I believe he was giving hot chocolate out to the people in London from his bookshop. Thank you so much!! - anon

2. Hello! I'm looking for a specific fic. It has trans masc Crowley, and he specifically arranged for his body to be trans masc. He made an effort (a vulva, I believe) and then got top surgery. I've been looking for it everywhere! - anon

3. I'm looking for a fic where all the versions (book, tv, radio and another version I can't remember) of A&C go to see a play put on by the Them, but the play is the leaked GOmens movie script. Any ideas? - anon

4. Was hoping you could help me find a specific fanfic. Okay so it was something along the lines of Crowley is the doctor but he had his memory erased and was dumped on gallifrey and then one day he wakes up while he thinks he is the doctor and his eyes are back to being his demon eyes and I think he was with Donna at the time and she was scared and they were trying to figure out what was going on. That's all I can remember about the story and I can't remember what site it was on and I don't remember what it was called but you guys seem very good at finding fanfictions so I thought I'd ask you for help. Also I'm pretty sure it was like an au or something like that I'm not sure, and I was maybe on AO3 again not sure. - anon

5. Hi! I read a fic years ago that featured Aziraphale finding the radio/book Azi in the shop, and then Crowley brings over the radio/book Crowley, and as it turns out, radio/book boys just start going at it, having sex and making out. TV!Aziracrow is concerned and has to figure everything out. Can you help me find it again? It was hysterical! - anon

If you know any of these fics please include the number in your reply! Thank you :)

- Mod D

#good omens #lost fic #ineffable husbands #mod d

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lulublack90 · 2 months

Text

About Me

Hi there, Lulu here.

I do have a real name but I prefer to go by Lulu on here and Ao3 so please use that.

I go by she/he/they. Call me what you want I don't mind. It changes day by day for me in the real world, but my friends and family don't know that.

I'm pansexual but again only a few people know that.

I'm in my 30's but have the maturity of a teenager unless I'm in parent mode when I have to pretend to be a grown-up (It does not last long!).

I am a huge huge huge Harry Potter fan (Fuck JK, she's a dick!) My house is full of so many HP-related items. In fact, I think every room has something in it, thank the gods my husband is also a massive nerd.

In case you can't tell I am Neurospicy. I am in the middle of getting diagnosed with ADHD and by that I mean I am procrastinating actually starting the process.

Now where was I?

Oh, yeah I like so much stuff I can't think what else to put here but yeah Harry Potter, mainly Marauders era but I love anything really.

My fav ships are Wolfstar (I've loved them since I was a young thing and didn't even know it was a thing." Jegulus (My new love.) Dramione (Lord have mercy) Drary (Lord I need more mercy) Pandalily (Meep!) Dorlene (Squeek!) I like Marylily as well but not as much, but I love them when I read them.

My asks are open and you can send me whatever you want, no hate please no one needs that in their life and Tumblr is my happy place don't spoil it.

Things that make me happy

You guys. Honesty it's Tumblr, I've only just really found this and all you amazing people who like my silly stories that I've only been writing regularly since December 23 when I found you all. My husband and son make me happy and so do my dogs and cats. I love watching storms and autumn. I read a lot, I crochet, I knit, I write. I am a huge fan of chocolate. If you give me chocolate I will be your friend.

Music

Bowie. Nuff said.

But yeah I like a lot of different stuff, it depends on my mood as to what I listen to. I drive my husband mad because I like songs by lots of people but I can't remember what they're called or who they're by.

Books

My all-time favourite book will always be Prisoner of Azkaban. It is my happy place.

My house is full and I mean full of books. I don't actually know how many I have but last time I estimated I had 300 in my bedroom alone. (There are piles of books in every room 😬)

Shows/movies

Harry Potter, The Martain, The Princess Bride, Labyrinth, Hunger games, Twilight (Don't judge me they got me through a dark time.), How to train your Dragon, Disney anything, plus others there are so many and I'm bored of listing.

Good Omens, Schitts Creek, Parks and Rec, Bake off, Handmaids tale, It's always sunny, community, Harbin hotel, archer, vampire diaries. Plus more but yeah typing.

Okay I think I'm done but who knows I might add more if I remeber.

Love you all

Lulu

xxx

My Ao3 List

These are my fanfics on my ao3

Bitten M- Remus, Sirius and James head to the forest for a fun full moon. Everything is going great until one of them has an accident. (This was the very first fanfic I wrote. It's okay.) Wolfstar. Complete.

The Prisoner T- Sirius Black has been wrongly imprisoned for 12 years. He's bided his time but now its time to escape and right the wrongs of the past.

The Prisoner of Azkaban as told by Sirius Black, filling in the gaps starting with his escape from Azkaban. Wolfstar. Complete.

The Cupboard E- Hiding from Filch and awaiting rescue things get a bit close in the cupboard between Remus and Sirius. Wolfstar smut one shot. Complete.

Birthday E(I think, I'm not good at telling) Sirius finds Remus alone in their dorm room instead of enjoying the party downstairs. Wolfstar. Complete.

The One That Got Away E- James agrees to throw a party at his house. Sirius asks to bring his little brother, how could that possibly affect James at all? Based on the micro fic series I wrote in January. Jegulus. Backcould Wolfstar. Incomplete.

Jegulus Prompt Series All the prompts I've written on here in one place.

Wolfstar Prompt Series All the prompts I've written on here in one place.

#lulublack90 writes #about me

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roseshower · 19 days

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Who Would've Thought A Crack Pairing

—would have me in a chokehold like this??? Seriously, in what world (this one) would I have ever come across a Damian Wayne x Marinette Dupain-Cheng fanfic and loved it to the point where I'M writing about them??? Dear God.

Alright so. Hey. Shameless call out for a ficlet I'm writing about (okay so I KNOW I haven't been updating my other ones...). Wait before I continue—look. My favorite of all the Batfam is Damian Wayne. He's like. My kid. My child. Sure he stabs the shit out of his family at first but he ain't do nothing wrong bruh he's just misunderstood fr. And then there's Marinette. My favorite character from back when I was in middle school. I thought it would be silly to look up some MLB x Batman Fics and. Jesus Christ. I found MANY. (Not enough.) And then I saw "Damian Wayne/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug" and I thought??? No fucking way??? IS THIS REAL

I read the fic. Which fic? I won't gatekeep. "No, Mr. Wayne, You Can't Adopt Me!" by ggomoz (ggomo_springtime) on Ao3 is a FUCKING BANGER I read it for shits and giggles because I was like "hah???? NO WAY" and my god. My GODDDD it was AMAZING. I know I sound like I'm glazing rn but my god y'all have to read it if you guys like Damian x Marinette shit. And also Marinette having great interactions with the BatFam. Primarily Bruce Wayne, as you can see by the title.

But yeah. Holyyyy hell. That was one of the fics that inspired mine. The other was "the reports associated with my existence have been significantly misconstrued" by davidstennant on Ao3 and ANOTHER was "for us to collide" by LadyLiterature on Ao3.

ANYWAY. Enough rambling. The whole reason for this post was to present to you the fic I've been working on...

Help! My Boss Is In Love With Me!

Synopsis:

Rumors say that the youngest son of Bruce Wayne is in love with his assistant. Marinette immediately debunks these rumors—her grouchy boss has no love in his body for anyone, let alone for her. So then, if it's just a rumor, why does she keep catching him staring at her like she's just hung the moon?

Or, Damian Wayne accidentally acquires feelings for his lovely assistant Marinette, much to his frustrations and everyone else's delight.

Now... I know what you're thinking... "Ana what the fuck is this" and to tell you the truth I DONT KNOW??? DAMIAN X MARINETTE IS BEATING THE SHIT OUT OF ME

but yeah if you guys want a lil taste for what you may be reading, I'll throw a crumb rn

Internally, he wilts at the sight of her perfection.

The feelings have grown more over the years he's had the luck of having her working for him, and they came to a head months ago in the middle of a cumbersome night of dealings he wonders how his father dealt with all on his own.

And it's because he saw her run into the damn glass door of his office.

#ao3 fanfic #ao3 writer #fanfic #fanfiction #batman #batfamily #damian wayne #marinette dupain cheng #miraculous ladybug #crossover #crackship #Damian Wayne x Marinette Dupain-Cheng #imagine MY fuckin surprise #when i write about an ex-assassin and a ladybug #good GOD

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gymjunkie412 · 2 months

Note

What exactly is the chaos dragon slayer au and how can I start following the story? Where does this begin?

Ooff, okay. I'm not good at explaining stuff, but I'll try to make it understandable 🫡 here we go! I think it started from a fanfic writer from wattpad who wrote the story. (I don't remember who the original author/idea was, though)

Warning : There will be a lot of OOC and confusing content in this AU. It has too many variations

The very first version (the one I read for the first time) is "Tamer Of Chaos. (New Version)" by Primsgirl89 on wattpad. This story is discontinued sadly, but it is the gateway of this AU (probably).

These fanfics are mostly on wattpad, but you can also find it on AO3 and FanFiction.Net

I'll summarize some bits in the story you should know, depending on the multiple variations of this au I have read so far.

Natsu was raised by Acnologia instead of Igneel, therefore his magic is called "chaos" from Acnologia's title (Black Dragon of the Apocalypse). His personality is very much the opposite. Rude, vicious, doesn't give a **** about anything, etc. Happy is still his exceed but really just hangs out with him most of the time.

Lucy (oh boy) has like a lot of version of personalities based on what background she comes from. There's one where she is a fire dragon slayer raised by Igneel instead, or some kind of celestial dragon slayer, or a very timid person, or a hot-headed, or the overly optimistic, or even as her OG self, etc.

Gray, Erza and the whole FT Guild either is the same in the OG or openly hates Natsu, or be an acquaintance at least, or even frenemies, etc.

Markarov and Wendy (So far) is still the same in the OG but slightly different is all.

Some versions portrayed Lisanna as a *****, but not many. (tbh I don't like this part at all)

Most of this AU follows the OG story flow, with a twist of course and sometimes a different one entirely. There will be OC characters and villains included as well as rare friendly pairs. It's quite interesting tbh.

Natsu for some reason is okay with Lucy, either because she is not afraid of him or she treats him differently then others. (he has his own personal reasons as well, though I never understand most of it)

I don't know what else to explain. Sorry if the explanation is kind of messy. If you still have more questions, feel free to let me know. I don't mind answering them.

I'll give you links of the fanfics that I follow for my chaos AU and my personal favourites. (there is no specific order)

Tamer Of Chaos. (New Version) *Discontinued

Chaos and Salamander *Complete

Fairy Tail : Chaos and Fire *Discontinued

Chaos' Treasure *On going

Calming the Chaos *last update on 2020

I probably read most of the fanfics for this AU

#fairy tail #nalu #lucy heartfilia #natsu dragneel #hiro mashima #gray fullbuster #erza scarlet #wendy marvell #chaos natsu #chaos au #acnologia #fanfiction #nalu fanficiton #nalu fanfic #I never realized how invested I was in this AU until now #I don't know if this is very unhealthy for me to read so many of these au hahaha....

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pennyserenade · 10 months

Text

there is a plethora of good x-files fanfics out there and i've just started to develop the problem of reading a very good one and not being able to find it again. because of this - and because all of these are genuinely novel worthy and the writers are INSANELY talented - i've decided to compile a list of some of my absolute favorites. some of these are from ao3 & some of them i found on other websites, such as x-libris and the gossamer project. i hope you enjoy these as much as i did and do. they mean the world to my romantic heart.

incrementum by lepusarcticus (explicit) - this was the first x-files fanfic i ever remember reading. i was trying desperately not to spoil the show for myself and i found out that this fic followed along the narrative, which was a godsend. i got the best of both worlds: a delectable, angsty passionate mulder/scully fic (in which they fucked from day 1) and no spoilers. it was so so so so fun reading this alongside watching the show. this writer is brilliant

omens by lepusarcticus (explicit) - i was not lying when i said this writer is brilliant. this entire thing reads like a novel and i could not for the life of me put it down when i stumbled upon it. its angsty and interesting, and could very well be another episode of the x-files because the case mulder and scully are one is so compelling. it is not easy feat to write something this good. chris carter, eat your heart out

triptych by iconicscullyoutfits (not rated but i'd say mature) - THIS WAS SO FUCKING GOOD. i can't speak highly enough about this one. its an au where mulder is married to diana fowley when he meets scully. its so so so so amazing. like i'd very well call this literature because it expanded my mind (i learned a great deal from this, especially from the chapter ice). i think diana was a very interesting character and i feel as though this fic treats her with the interest she deserves. the writing in this one is simply insane too - i'm envious of it and so so so in love with it.

love in all the wrong places by sisterspooky1013 (explicit) - mulder and scully accidentally have cybersex with each other while trying out online dating group chats. what more can i say? (also i applaud this author for making mulder's online handle allshookup61. that's so fucking mulder)

universal invariants (set from 1 to early season 2) and its sequel, laws of motion (set season 5) (both explicit) by syntax6 - these both hold such a special place in my heart. it is an au that takes on the idea that scully's bf (who was cut from the pilot, never to see the light of day) stays in the picture and there when dana starts working with fox. universal invariants makes me want to weep to because dana and fox are both so young and earnest and stupid! and laws of motion is great because they're still stupid but they're wiser about it. this is very dana and fox. i love, love, love the parts of universal invariants that cover dana's abduction arc. god these are GOOD.

arizona highways by fialka (explicit) - if you're one of those girlies who really likes an x-files episode that has a lot of case-file and scully going on, this one is FOR you. it is angsty in the worst of ways, covering more of what we see in the episodes christmas carol and emily. this is another one that i would call a novel, both in length and content. it is great and it is a very good dive into the character of scully and how she handles problems in her life

heart's desire by malibusunset (explicit) - this another really great scully-focused fic, where mulder is being a bit of an ass - as he is prone to - but she makes him come to his senses accidentally. i love a good jealous mulder and i love it even more when scully isn't exactly aware she's making him that way. this is so good that i stayed up an entire night reading it. you should too!

the guts / the incision / cauterize by wtfmulder (not all of the chapters are explicit but i would call this explicit in general) - this one is so fucking angsty it made me ache incredibly. it is a sucker punch to the gut that only the lovers (or rather, dedicated haters) of the diana/fox/dana situationship can truly appreciate. also, if you like your mulder a bit of an ass (i do! i think he really can be! i think its good to talk about!) this author is for you!!!

doorway to gods by wtfmulder (explicit) - a fic where mulder & scully go investigate a supposed portal to other dimensions shortly after scully recovers from cancer, and they both find themselves in separate hellish alternative universes where other mulder & scullys aren't doing so well. this is angsty, TOP TIER angsty. some of the scenes from this i think about often still and i read this a month ago. also this is hot. i can't not mention that small fact

the tiger complex by longgunguy (i'd say r for graphic violence but no sex or anything) - i'll be real, there isn't a whole lot of mulder/scully romance in this thing, aside from the a hand hold and a lot of quiet affection but this IS the x-files. in another world, this fic is an episode and it is brutal. you'll be biting your nails as you make your way through this one. its got a great cast of original characters and an incredible case-file, up there with an episode like ice.

#fic rec.#x-files #x-files fic rec #x files #i love this fandom. there is so much fic and talented people #like how COOL is it that they've got their own organized fic sites???#also this is probably not the last one of these i do. this is just what i can remember/what i found from the stuff i've been enjoying latel #i know i've certainly forgotten some

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copperbadge · 8 months

Note

(not serious, just kinda wanted to talk to someone, you can delete it if you want)

The Facts, in eight bullets:

So it was 3.30am here and I was scrolling AO3, as one does when struck by the monster known as insomnia.

My bedroom is right next to my parents', with thin insulation between the walls, and although my dad works nights, my stepmom is a day-shifter. She also has insomnia, so I do try to be quiet on long nights.

My stepmom plays shows on low volume (a horror movie tonight, judging by the screams) in order to sleep. The insulation is thin, so I can hear it. It's not always horror movies (I hated her Big Bang Theory kick), and it doesn't usually keep me awake because once I manage to fall asleep, I stay asleep, so it's fine.

I'm autistic, and when I read funny things, I get really excited and tend to vocal-stim by repeating what I'm reading. It's not usually too loud, just a closed-mouth back-of-the-throat murmur, and sometimes I giggle a little bit. Still, though, I usually leave my headphones off so I can semi-control the noise level, because I get self-conscious.

Also, my stepmom and I both consider sleep precious, so I don't like interrupting her sleep unless it's really important.

I was reading a really funny slow-burn crossover fic where the two MCs have a Miraculous Ladybug-esque love square and are currently agonizing over their seemingly-unrequited crushes.

I had my headphones on and was playing white noise, in order to drown out the sweet, dulcet, televised tones of axe murder in the next room.

I got so loud, my stepmother came to see who the hell I was talking to.

I'm not in trouble. She was awake, thankfully (unthankfully?). But I think I'll play my puzzle game for now. And maybe get a glass of water, my throat is hoarse.

So that's how my night is going, Sam. How's yours?

LOL well you sent this a while ago (sorry for the delay) but last night was my first night of three weeks without A/C -- they're doing construction on the roof where our evaps are, and had to switch them off for a few weeks -- and it wasn't awful but it certainly wasn't spectacular :P Mind you, the cats love it; I usually keep the condo around 73F in summer and now it's a toasty, mostly consistent 77F, plus it's dry because in order to keep it from getting any warmer I'm running the HVAC fan 24/7. They're very pleased by their new desert biome.

That sounds like at once both a super fun stim and also something that might be inconvenient for you at times, but I love the idea of you just reciting fanfic loud enough that your mother watching a HORROR FILM got up to see what the deal was :D

Talking of evening routines, there are a number of games/apps that I mess around with that aren't US-based or have weird evening-engagement metrics to hit, so a number of them "reset" after 7pm -- my merge-three game gives me new bonuses, Duolingo has an evening changeover where you can get extra achievements, one of my Wordle forks (Waffle) resets, etc. And I usually go to bed around 8pm. So I've taken to setting an alarm and calling 7pm the "Power Hour". But it's particularly amusing because I'll announce "POWER HOURRRRR" in an arcade-fighter/pro-wrestler voice, then immediately sit on the sofa with two cats and spend an hour playing phone games. Power Hour indeed.

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pengweng-quack · 2 months

Text

Being a Witch with Vampires

Carlisle Cullen x Witch!OC

Summary: Stella (A witch) and Carlisle (A vampire), and how they blossomed from roommates to friends(?) to partners

Chapter 2/7

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7

Notes:

This was inspired by this fanfic on tumblr by lis-likes-fics titled "In My Defense, I Was Left Unsupervised"

This is also on Ao3 under the same title and same username too if you'd like to read it there (https://archiveofourown.org/works/53448940)

Posting is random lol, hope you guys enjoy this story

Word Count: 4609 words

TW for this chapter: SA mentions, blood mentions

Timeline: First Twilight to Start of New Moon

Masterlist

~2005~

“So, you’re telling me that Edward saved this girl, showing his vampiric speed to her? And his first thought into not revealing the Cullens was to gaslight her into thinking that it’s not true?” Stella asked Carlisle as he reads more about what happened in the report

“According to Alice, that’s what happened.” Carlisle calmly answered as the confident witch with him started thinking of ways to back Edward up on that one

“You think Edward did that due to other reasons?” Stella asked as she rested her head on Carlisle’s chair, reading the report behind her vegetarian vampire

“What are you thinking?” Carlisle asked her

“I don’t know, the possibility that the girl is Edward’s mate maybe.” Stella suggested, earning an understanding nod from Carlisle “It’s not the first time that a human was deemed to be a vampire mate. What’s your term for that, blood singer?”

“Edward will deny that, we have to ask Alice for a vision.” Carlisle agreed with her “And yes, you’re called blood singers.”

“Me included?” Stella asked, resting her hand on the chair to play with his hair

“Anyone that has a beating heart can be a vampire’s blood singer. That includes you.” Carlisle answered plainly, getting a whiff of Stella’s blood despite holding his breath

‘She’s so close.’

‘Very intoxicating.’

‘So, so, perfect.’

His thoughts were yelling at him, no amount of holding his breath could help when his blood singer was just behind him. She was addictive, and Carlisle had to do everything in him to stop his desires from taking her and offering her to be his mate then and there.

“So, like, if a vampire found their blood singer, does that make the blood singer the vampire’s mate?” Stella asked curiously

“Always.” Carlisle answered “Though it doesn’t work like that for witches though.”

“How’d you know?” Stella teased “Considered me to be your blood singer?”

Stella knew that her question was dangerous. Of course, she was Carlisle’s blood singer, there was a reason why he was so devoted to her despite thousands of humans and vampires alike that were throwing themselves to him. How he managed to have lived with her for so long despite being his blood singer still baffles her.

Would she have to change to a vampire for him?

Would he have to change into a witch for her?

She didn’t know.

“Well, for starters.” Carlisle pondered before answering her question “Your blood only leads to three scenarios; first, it could drive the vampire mad. The second one is that you will calm them, and you’ve seen how your blood calms us. The third one is rare, no one has lived to tell the tale, or so I’ve heard.”

“What is it?” Stella asked

“The vampire offers the witch to be their mate.” Carlisle answered “No one has ever told a story where the witch accepts the vampire’s offering. They always end in the vampire’s demise.”

“Where do you lie then?” Stella asked quietly, so quiet that if Carlisle didn’t have his vampiric senses, he wouldn’t have heard her

“For what it’s worth.” Carlisle answered in the same quiet tone “I would never pressure you into being my mate.”

At that moment, Stella wanted nothing more but for Carlisle to be lying. She wasn’t gonna be his demise.

She was gonna accept it with her whole heart.

She was gonna accept him with her whole heart.

She’s accepted him with her whole heart.

“You’re really smart, have I told you that?” Carlisle asked after a long silence, moving his head to the side and looking at her

He was so close to her face, he acknowledged to himself. One move and his lips would be touching hers…not that he wants that, right? His mind was confused, Carlisle knew that if he had a heart at that time, it would be thumping hard.

“Oh my god.” Stella said, rolling her eyes at him “You always tell me whenever I get any idea.”

“Well, all of your ideas are smart anyways.” Carlisle teased, leaving a small peck on Stella’s temple as a sense of assurance

“Edward’s having Bella over today.” Alice announced. Stella and Carlisle exchanged glances, acknowledging that there was a good chance they were correct with their assumptions about the reasons why Edward had done what he had done for Bella.

“Then we must prepare something.” Carlisle invited to everyone “About time that someone else other than dear Stella over here uses the kitchen.”

“Not my fault that I’m the only one that could cook.” Stella said with a fake frown on her face

“Not our fault that we really don’t need to eat.” Carlisle said back, mocking the fake frown on Stella’s face

“Will they just date already?” Jasper whined quietly; it would be a shock if the two hadn’t heard what he said “We’ve dealt with this for far too long now.”

“Imagine what me and Edward had to deal with?” Rosalie asked him, rolling her eyes at their two coven leaders

“No wonder Edward is desperate for a mate.” Emmett joked

“Come on, enough with the teasing.” Stella lightly scolded to everyone “Anyone willing to go to the store to get some ingredients?”

“For what?” Jasper asked

“Is Bella Italian?” Stella asked, which was answered with shrugs from everyone “She’s Italian now. We’re cooking Carbonara.”

“Sure thing, boss.” Carlisle teased, mocking a salute at her

“You love me.” Stella teased, blowing a kiss at him

Stella was certain that everyone was hearing how hard her heart was beating. Part of her didn’t enjoy it when Carlisle flirted with her, it panics her because she fears that Carlisle has figured out what she feels for him. Though, some part in her enjoys when he’s flirty with her, it gives her some hope that maybe things would be like that for them in the future.

“Rosie, stay here.” Stella ordered to Rosalie, who nodded in agreement as she quickly flees away from the Swan’s house. She had just gotten a call from James, and that he had Bella held hostage already.

With the help of her magic, she quickly made it to where Bella was. She was confident with her skills, but there was a high chance that she was outnumbered. So, she prepared for the worst

“And the witch came.” James taunted, seeing as she gets so defensive, preparing her magic

“Drop your defenses and I’ll let the girl go.” He added, his grip on Bella’s hair was painfully tight. With one gulp, one sign of her nervousness, she lowered her hands. She watched as James threw Bella in a further distance and moved to her with his speed

“I’ve always wondered what a witch would taste like, and now I have the chance to know.” He taunted. And just as he was to attack her, Stella casted a protection spell, throwing him a distance away from both him and Bella

“Bella, run!” Stella ordered, blasting spells at James and keeping him knocked down on the floor

It all happened too fast, James had gotten to Bella, biting her with the intention of drinking all her blood. But before he could even get a full taste, he was tackled down by Edward

“I’ll handle him!” Stella told Edward, using her magic to hold him back “Go get Bella!”

“You know I can’t—

James had used his speed to attack Stella, knocking the both of them down the wooden floor. And before Edward could tackle him away from her, Stella used all her strength to yell at Edward to attend Bella instead of helping her.

If she was bitten by a vampire, she would live, but it would weaken her at the time, maybe even causing her to pass out. She understood the stake of the venom being left in her body, but she also knew that if Bella was left alone, she would change. And the prospect of being transformed without Bella’s permission was bound to haunt Stella. Especially when she made the attempt to save her.

(TW: SA Mentions)

She was using all her physical strength to push James away off her. James did a bite on her neck, and another on her shoulder, and another on her arm, and another on her thighs. She felt the venom in her blood, causing her to yelp out in pain. James kept biting her, feeding on his desire to feast on a witch’s blood. She was trying to push James off her, tears starting to stream down her face as he continued to rip off parts of her clothes just to feed off her.

“So much for being the savior.” James taunted, ripping her top off fully before going and biting her again, this time, doing much deeper bites to where blood was dripping out of Stella’s body every time James pulls away “Now, you’ve just granted me to be the first to taste a witch and live to tell the tale.”

“You get close to her and I will feed off your human, go make your decision.” James quickly yelled, noticing that Edward was gonna rush him

“Edward, stay there!” Stella yelled at him; it was obvious that he was having a conflict in his thoughts “Bella needs you more!”

Stella lost count on how many bites James did on her, her head was spinning from all the venom in her. She was growing weaker, she felt that already. She couldn’t use her magic to help Edward and Bella as she was using it to keep herself awake from passing out

She felt at ease when James’ weight was removed of hers, she could faintly see Carlisle’s figure near her. She could see from her peripheral vision that Jasper and Emmett were dealing with James and Alice was with Bella and Edward, trying to see what she could help with

“Stella.” Carlisle called, shaking her lightly, removing his scarf and covering her bloodied torso

Carlisle’s dead heart broke when he saw Stella so bruised and battered up. He was internally panicking, seeing his confident witch crying in pain from what a monster like him did to her

Her whole torso had some sort of bite marks in it, some deeper than the others. James focused by her chest, where her heart rested. Some of her pants were ripped too, bite marks evident on her legs. James violated her, in more ways than one. He took his time on her, feasting on her as if she was a full-course meal.

And for that, he deserves a place deeper than hell.

(End of SA Mentions)

“Attend Bella.” She muttered, gathering strength to continue talking as Carlisle removed his coat to cover more of Stella’s bloodied body “N-needs its m-more.”

Carlisle wanted to argue, but he could only see one thing in Stella’s pleading eyes: Bella’s human, I’m not.

“Emmett, look out for her.” Carlisle ordered, knowing that if she didn’t listen to Stella’s order that it could lead to Bella’s end as human

Stella couldn’t fully understand the next few events as she too was struggling to keep her yells lowered. She was hearing Bella moan in pain, and Carlisle trying to help Edward find the will to stop from sucking Bella’s blood. She felt Emmett move her body to rest her in his lap. He was playing with her hair, whispers of ‘you’re so strong’ and ‘don’t give up’ was coming out of his mouth.

“Carlisle, you have to attend Stella now!” Emmett yelled, not knowing what to do with Stella’s cries of pain

“Stella, dear, are you hearing me right now?” Carlisle called, shaking her lightly, he rested her hand on her cheek, trying to shake her to get some kind of response from her

She could feel him shake her body, but the pain was too much to let out any way of response.

Carlisle felt Stella’s eyes on him. He looked back, her eyes said nothing other than pleading. She was pleading, no, begging, him to make the pain stop.

“You have to suck the venom out. You’re the most capable of keeping your control among all of us.” Jasper said, sensing the pain in Stella’s feelings “There’s too much venom in her; you have to act now.”

Stella couldn’t formulate words, and tears streamed down her cheeks as she felt the anguish. Carlisle's lips were on her neck in an instant, attempting to suck out all the venom that had flowed through her veins, which frightened her. When Carlisle knew that it became too much for Stella, his hands made their way to hers.

Carlisle backed away after he had a tiny taste of Stella's blood, telling him that all of the venom had been drained out. He felt in peace that he got to stop, only to find his confident witch unconscious. The image made his lifeless heart skip a beat. He quickly rested his head on her chest, seeking to hear some kind of heartbeat, even if it was a feeble one, to hold on and believe that she’s still alive. He started doing chest compressions on her, hoping that it will be enough to at least get her heart to start again

“She survives, Carlisle.” Alice assured him instantly “We have to take them both to the hospital, now.”

They quickly took both Bella and Stella to the hospital, Carlisle not once wanting to be separated from Stella. Emmett has called Rosalie as well and told her what happened, causing an angry Rosalie barging into Stella’s room.

“She’s resting.” Carlisle warned her

“And she’s acting reckless!” Rosalie argued. Rosalie and Stella had formed an unbreakable friendship as a result of her being the lady who helped her with her vengeance years ago.

“You think I haven’t acknowledged that?” Carlisle asked calmly. Rosalie, on the other hand, noticed that he was just as frightened as she was, if not more so.

“What happened?” Rosalie asked, calmer than how she was earlier

“She must have used herself as bait to allow Edward to save Bella.” Carlisle guessed

“Emmett told me—

“She forced me to attend to Bella’s aid first.” Carlisle continued “She begged me to.”

“Why did you listen to her?” Rosalie hissed angrily

“Vampire blood reacts differently with witch's blood. It wouldn't turn her into a vampire since the venom in a witch’s blood is stronger than a vampire’s venom. Vampire venom just makes her weak, but she's our strong witch, and we'll have her back in no time.” Carlisle said. Rosalie could see that he wasn't saying it to console her, but rather to persuade himself

“We’ll have her back.” Rosalie agreed, before sitting in silence with him

“Can I ask a question?” Rosalie asked after few minutes of silence

“I’m listening.” Carlisle answered

“Did she— did she suffer the same way that I did before you turned me?” Rosalie asked quietly

Carlisle kept quiet; he did not know how to respond, Rosalie’s death before being a vampire was a sensitive topic. Carlisle’s silence itself was an answer for Rosalie.

“Why— why did you let her?” Rosalie asked, a betrayed look on her face “I thought James wanted Bella, what changed?”

“James also wanted Bella at first.” Carlisle answered, vividly remembering how violated Stella looked after James has taken his time in feasting her

“Had a change of plans. Stella instructed Edward through mind that whatever happens, to not leave Bella because she was much more fragile than she was.” He continued as Rosalie covered her mouth in shock and disgust from what James did “Thought he would be able to be the first one to taste a witch’s blood and live to tell the tale.”

“Stella’s kind were considered myths among vampires, no one has lived to tell the tale of what a witch tastes like.” Carlisle said, opening another story to Rosalie

“Or the tale of being a witch’s mate, all witches have denied a vampire. Stella said that she’d denied multiple before being with me.” He continued

“What happens when a witch denies a vampire?” Rosalie asked

“It’s like a ritual, fully offering yourself to a witch.” Carlisle explained “When a witch denies a vampire, their magic takes all of the vampire. An exchange, as what she’ll say.”

“Has anyone ever lived to know what happens if a witch does accept the offering?” She asked quietly

“No one knows, all the vampires that we’re courageous enough to pursue a witch were all denied.” He answered

“No one except you.” Rosalie corrected “You’ll live to know because she’s your blood singer. And you know she’ll accept you if you ever ask.”

“How’d you know?” Carlisle asked quietly

“No one needed telepathy to know that you two were mates.” Rosalie answered cooly

“Rosie, you know what a witch’s blood could do to us.” Carlisle said back quietly

“You said that the third one was up to the witch.” Rosalie immediately argued “How sure are you that Stella would not accept your offering?”

“How sure are you that I would be able to offer?” Carlisle asked her “Anyone who knows how to offer could offer to be her mate, especially the Volturi.”

“But she has to accept the offering.” She argued, acting as if she knew everything about what it means to being a witch

“She will accept yours wholeheartedly, Carlisle. You two didn’t spend 300 years for nothing.” Rosalie added

‘She made a great point’ Carlisle thought to himself. Stella could decline anyone’s offer to be their mate and it would be like nothing for her too.

So, what difference did he have from the others for Rosalie to think that Stella will wholeheartedly accept him?

It was Bella’s birthday. Everyone was indulging Alice into throwing a party for her. It made Stella giggle that even Bella wasn’t into the idea of it.

“Do we have to join?” Rosalie asked as she was getting ready

“Oh hush,” Stella scolded lightly “It’s just a day. And I promised to get you that new car that you’ve been eyeing.”

“She doesn’t want this just as much as I do.” Rosalie whined quietly, looking at herself at mirror in Stella and Carlisle’s room.

Why do they have such a wonderful room when only one of them needed to sleep? Rosalie questions

“You ready girls?” Carlisle asked, knocking softly and opening the door

“Yeah, about to go out now.” Rosalie answered “And for the love of god, please get Stella to dress you up.”

“I know, I know.” Carlisle said, throwing his hands up in the air in defeat as Rosalie leaves the room

“She doesn’t want to join the party, does she?” Carlisle asked, getting ready as Stella stays in the room to accompany him

“She’ll warm up.” Stella said with a soft smile “She just needs time.”

“Do I look good?” Carlisle asked, facing Stella

“You always do, don’t listen to the kids.” Stella answered earnestly

‘You’re the most divine being that has graced this world.’ She wanted to say. She knew that Carlisle was scared of even thinking that they were mates in fear that she would deny him if he ever offered.

Not once has she thought of denying his offer.

The party looked wonderful, Rosalie gifted Bella a necklace (though it was actually Alice, she just wanted her sister to look good to Bella), Emmett gifted her a sound system for her truck. While Stella and Carlisle gifted her plane tickets, teasing that she’s turned a bit paler.

All hell broke loose when Bella opened the (unofficial) couple’s gift, having gotten a papercut, which triggered Jasper. Edward pushed Bella to the wall, causing her to get a deeper wound and trigger Jasper some more

Watching all of this, Stella broke one of the vases near her and wounded herself on her palm, causing the room to calm down because of her blood.

“Take Jasper out,” Carlisle ordered to Emmett, soon everyone followed the two

“Stay,” Carlisle asked to Stella who was following behind Edward “Let me just wrap up Bella.”

“I’ll be just fine,” Stella comforted “The kids need me outside.”

Stella didn’t hear what Carlisle said next, having walked outside to where the others were.

“You’ll have to patch that up.” Edward quietly pointed out as Rosalie rips off the edge of her dress as a makeshift bandage, passing the cloth to Edward for him to do the wrapping

“I’ll be fine.” Stella comforted them “Are you alright?”

“I didn’t see this in my vision,” Alice said with a frown, she was beating herself up because she hadn’t look long enough to see that something like that would happen

“Don’t do this Alice,” Rosalie comforted “You’re not to blame here.”

“I-I think I can handle now.” Jasper stuttered out, getting Emmett to slowly remove his hand off Jasper

“Let’s go hunt, I think you need it.” Emmett invited, pulling Jasper with him. Alice followed slowly behind while Stella, Edward, and Rosalie stayed by the house

“What now?” Rosalie asked “I told you—

“No one expected this. Do not even think of blaming Bella.” Edward answered almost immediately, the tension was increasing between the two, with Rosalie’s resentment of Bella and Edward being overly protective of her clashing

“Rosie,” Stella called “Go join the others, I’ll go check on them.”

Rosalie begrudgingly stood up and went to catch up where the others are. Stella went inside the house and to Carlisle’s office.

Bella was clutching Carlisle��s shirt by his waist. The sight itself made Stella’s blood boil in jealousy. She stayed just outside the room, her bandaged hand balled up in a fist as she listens to the two of them

“Carlisle, you couldn’t be damned.” Bella argued to Carlisle “You couldn’t. It’s impossible.”

“Thank you, Bella.” Carlisle answered, Stella hated how such a simple interaction Carlisle had with Bella had such a big effect on her “You’ve always been very…gracious about us.”

‘Of course, she would be, you’re stitching her up right now’ Stella thought to herself. She was tuning Bella and Carlisle out, listening more to her thoughts. She saw how Carlisle softly pinched Bella’s chin.

That was her last straw. She wanted to blast Bella’s head then and there. Stella knew that Bella’s loyalty was with Edward, yet her jealousy was blinding her from thinking straight. She had to leave.

Stella walked out the house, but not before grabbing another vase and throwing it to the floor but this time with frustration. Stella knew Carlisle heard that, anyone near the house would have, but she couldn’t be damned. Her jealousy was blinding her thoughts, she knows that her squeezing her hand was forcing more blood to come out, but she couldn’t care less.

“Stella! How dare you think of that?!” Edward yelled. Stella knew she was fucked, her jealousy was overwhelming his thoughts, and it consisted of her antagonizing Bella too

“How dare you yell at her like that?!” Rosalie yelled, rushing to be in front of Stella in a protective sense. Emmett, Alice, and Jasper were behind, confused with the sudden outburst between the two

“Go on,” Edward taunted, an amused yet demented smile on his face “Tell her what you were filling your thoughts with. Tell them.”

“Rosie,” Stella hushed quietly “Drop it. Edward has every right to get mad at me.”

“Doesn’t mean he could yell at you like that.” Rosalie said back, glaring at Edward “Frankly, it’s his fault for continuing to listen to your thoughts.”

“Drop it.” Stella repeated, Rosalie let out a huff before going to be next to Emmett, not before glaring at Edward

“Just—

“Your jealousy is too overwhelming. What happened?” Jasper asked, hinting what has gotten Edward so riled up. Stella had forgotten that Jasper could feel emotions, now she was deeply fucked

“J-just drop it. Edward has every right to get mad at me.” Stella assured to everyone, sending an apologetic look to Edward

“Stella?” Carlisle called from inside the house, Bella behind him like a lost child “Come, let me check that out. Edward, she’s all patched up, take her home.”

“I’m fine.” Stella answered, not having the confidence to face Carlisle. He knew.

Of course, he knew.

“Please.” Carlisle pleaded, walking out to where she was. Edward grabbed Bella and left without bidding a goodbye to anyone, he was furious.

“Edward and Rosie did good with patching me up. I’ll be fine.” Stella denied again, her heart pounding heavily

“Let me just check, please?” Carlisle asked again, softly holding her bandaged hand with such gentleness that Stella felt worse than how she did earlier

Stella didn’t answer with words. And Carlisle took that as an answer, pulling her to his office with such care that she was getting more guilty with every step.

“What happened?” Carlisle asked, unwrapping the bandage on her hand

“You heard it.” Stella murmured quietly, not having the guts to look at Carlisle in the eyes

“I know.” He answered, softly grabbing Stella’s face for her to face him “I want to hear it from you.”

“Why?” She asked him, watching as he prepares what he needs to patch her up

“I’ve been with you for 300 years; you’ve welcomed them all with open arms. Not once have the kids, especially Edward, been that angry towards you.” Carlisle answered in a matter-of-fact tone “Annoyed? Probably. But never that angry. Add the part that your blood is out in the open as he was mad at you. It meant that he was furious.”

“Never mind that.” Stella answered quietly “Edward has every right to be mad at me.”

“I would like to hear what happened from you.” He said, his tone was gentle yet firm

“I was just infuriated.” She lied. Carlisle grabbed her chin, softly making her face him

“With what?” Carlisle asked “With how close Bella was to me earlier?”

Stella didn’t say a word in response. He had caught her, and she did not want to deal with whatever he will say next.

Carlisle let out a chuckle, shaking his head and finding the situation amusing. Stella was jealous of her son’s mate because of how close Bella had been to him.

“You have nothing to worry about, mi amor.” Carlisle whispered lowly, moving his face closer to hers “Bella is with Edward. Just as I’m yours.”

Carlisle didn’t let her say another word, but instead left a soft kiss on her forehead, before burning the makeshift bandage and cottons.

“You know,” Carlisle said, a teasing smile on his face “You’ll have to pay for the vase that you broke.”

“Fuck off.” Stella said, hiding the smile forming on her face “You don’t get the kids to pay when they break anything.”

“Well, they are our kids.” Carlisle replied, the same teasing smile from earlier.

“But you, my dear wife, still needs to pay for the damages. No matter how tempting it is to give you a pass.” He continued, pinching her chin lightly

Stella figured out what Carlisle was doing. He was trying to calm her down with little jokes. There was a glint of happiness in Carlisle’s eyes, it was working good on her. His efforts made her blush, all anger she had from earlier disappearing into thin air.

“Damn, don’t they say ‘happy wife, happy life’ anymore?” She teased him back, a smile on her face

Carlisle was happy that his little jokes was working on her like a charm. He didn’t understand what had gotten her so riled up with him patching Bella up earlier. But all he cared now was that she was smiling and giggling again

Happy wife, happy life indeed.

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