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rubysunnday · 2 years

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just keep breathing, darling

requested by anon: Hi bestie! I’m obsessed with your work. I was wondering if you could do a bridgerton sister!reader where it’s the readers debut and she’s at her first ball. Maybe the reader becomes overwhelmed with everything and begins to panic but her brothers are there to help her through and protect her. (I’m wary of saying she has a panic attack just in case you aren’t comfortable writing that which is totally fine!) Thank you for your amazing work! Xx

requested by @freyathehuntress: Heyyy so I just read your newest story about Colin and I loveeeee. The part about the queen being concern really caught my attention though I'm not sure why. Can you write a story maybe like similar to Edwina and the queen's relationship. Like I want to see a nice Queen Charlotte bonding scene.

requested by anon: can you please do another bridgerton sister with her brothers being protective because she feels ill at a ball or someone is making her uncomfortable at a ball?

summary: panic attacks are a bitch but are ever so slightly easier with two older brothers around

Y/N was terrified.

Ok, that might have been a slight exaggeration, but there was a knot of anxiety in her stomach and she felt as if she desperately needed to pee - despite having gone before she left her room.

Having her first ball be at Aubery Hall was perhaps the only thing keeping her anxiety from boiling over. She knew where she was and she knew where to go if she needed to run away.

A first ball is usually an exciting time for a young lady. But Y/N had seen how the men of the ton were eyeing her and she knew, that the moment she was left unchaperoned, she would become overwhelmed by them.

Even the candles were overwhelming her - their heat and the constant flickering irritating her beyond belief.

"Just breathe, dearest," Violet said, squeezing her daughter's hand reassuringly. "It will all be fine."

Y/N nodded, taking a deep breath in. "I'm fine - a little nervous."

"Which is understandable, Y/N," Violet told her. "This is your first time at a ball - it would be overwhelming for anyone. All you need to do is remember what we practised and keep calm."

Y/N bit her lip and looked up at the ballroom, taking in the sights. Of course, she was excited - how could she not be? But this first ball would dictate how the rest of her season went - how the rest of her life went.

"Mr Clarke, it is a pleasure to see you," Violet said, nudging Y/N gently.

Y/N snapped to attention and curtsied to Mr Clarke, remembering what Daphne had told her. "Mr Clarke."

"Lady Bridgerton, Miss Bridgerton," Mr Clarke bowed to them both , "it is a delight to see you again."

"How is your mother?" Violet asked.

"She is doing better - wishes she could be here tonight, of course." Mr Clarke chuckled.

Violet smiled, nodding. "Of course. My daughter, Y/N, here would love a dance, Mr Clarke, if you are available, that is?"

Y/N's head turned sharply to face her mother, trying to disguise the horror on her face.

"I would be honoured," Mr Clarke said, nodding. He looked at Y/N. "Miss Bridgerton."

Y/N held out her dance card and let Mr Clarke scribble his name down next to the first dance. He then held out his hand to her and she gingerly took it, holding his fingers.

Mr Clarke guided her onto the dance floor, settling them in the middle of the room, amongst the rest of the dancers.

"Just relax, Miss Bridgerton," Mr Clarke said, chuckling. "It is one step back, two steps forward."

"I apologise if I step on your toes," Y/N muttered, placing her hands on his arms.

"Believe me, I am more than used to it, do not worry."

Mr Clarke was the perfect first dance partner. He didn't flinch whenever Y/N missed a step, stepped on his toes, or got tangled in her dress. He simply smiled and helped her adjust herself.

The first dance ended and Y/N curtsied to Mr Clarke, thanking him for being such a lovely partner. Y/N turned around, bidding him farewell, and took a surprised step back at the sight of a large group of men standing in her way, waiting for her.

Y/N swallowed, feeling her throat tightening as her anxiety returned. She looked around for her mother - for any sign of a friendly face - but saw none. The gentlemen began to approach her, all calling out her name, gathering around her in an unorganised - yet, strangely organised - way.

"Miss Bridgerton, may I have a dance?"

"Miss Bridgerton, would you like a drink?"

Miss Bridgerton -"

She could barely keep track of who was calling her name. Y/N turned her head frantically left to right, trying to work out how to deal with the mass of eager gentlemen in front of her.

"I apologise, gentlemen, please excuse me," Y/N said quickly, curtseying to them and then dashing away.

She practically ran out into the corridor, walking until she was far away from the ballroom. It wasn't until she was in the foyer did she feel safe. Y/N leant back against the wall, breathing hard. She put a hand on her chest, feeling her heart racing. Everything overwhelmed her, even the distant sound of the music from the ballroom.

Y/N took a gasping breath in through her mouth, trying to calm her heart and brain down. She felt as if she had run a mile and she could not catch her breath. Y/N closed her eyes, tilting her head back until it hit the wall.

"Sister?"

Her eyes flew open and she lifted her head up, looking down the corridor. Anthony and Benedict stood near the entrance to the ballroom, both looking at her with matched expressions of concern.

Y/N almost sobbed at the familiar sight of her brothers. Her shoulders began to shake as the tears took over and she slowly slid down the wall, falling to the floor, her knees bent against her chest.

Footsteps rushed towards her and Y/N could feel her brothers surround her, their trouser legs and suit jackets brushing against her. She blindly reached out, gripping onto someone's arm as her chest tightened. She bounced her leg up and down, trying to stop this awful feeling.

"Sister, I need you to breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth, ok?" Anthony said gently, putting a hand on her knee. "I know it feels impossible, but just try."

Y/N nodded. She took a deep breath in through her nose and then let it out in a gust through her mouth, unable to hold it in. Benedict squeezed her hand and Y/N realised it had been him she'd blindly reached out for.

"That's it, in and out," Anthony repeated, his tone calming.

It wasn't the first time Y/N had had a panic attack. It was something she had seemingly inherited from her eldest brother and it was often Anthony who would talk her down and sit with her until it passed.

The first time she remembered having one, she'd been sixteen and at the queen's garden party. Nothing, in particular, set her off - she had been absent-mindedly watching the fountain - when she found that everything was becoming too much and that her heart was racing.

Anthony, bless him, had turned around at a tap on his shoulder and come face to face with his sixteen-year-old sister who looked as if she was going to pass out. He'd guided her away from the crowds and caught her as her knees gave way and the panic truly began to set in.

He'd sat beside her until she'd calmed down and had explained to her how he too often experienced panic attacks and how he coped with them.

"That's it," Anthony said gently, reaching up and brushing the strands of hair back. "Come on, lie down for a moment."

He gently pushed Y/N down onto Benedict's lap, carefully tucking her legs together and untangling her dress. Anthony was used to this - he had found himself in this position many times too, listening to Benedict and Colin ramble on about something as he waited for his heart to calm down.

Benedict began threading this fingers through Y/N's hair, careful to not upset the pinned up pieces. Y/N snuggled into him, tucking one hand under her cheek.

"I'm sorry," Y/N mumbled, "this is ridiculous."

"It isn't," Anthony reassured, rubbing his thumb along her arm. "These things happen. Lady Danbury has calmed me down more times than I can remember. It's a natural reaction - it isn't a nice one - but it is normal."

"There were just so many people, all calling my name -"

"And there always will be, at least for the first few years," Anthony sat down next to her, straightening his legs out. "It's like putting a diamond in a room and setting a bunch of magpies on it - they all want the diamond."

"I am hardly a diamond," Y/N scoffed.

Benedict snorted. "More of an emerald, I dare say."

Anthony smiled. "But you can always say no, Y/N. If everything becomes too much, apologise and say no and walk away. Give yourself five minutes and then return - no one will know anything happened."

"Daphne never had to excuse herself."

"Oh, she did - many times. She just never let anyone see," Anthony said. "You have to be a bit like a swan if you want an analogy. Calm on the surface but frantic and chaotic underneath."

"That is just any water bird, Anthony," Y/N replied.

"My point still stands."

Y/N laughed, shaking her head slightly at her elder brother. She'd always been grateful for her siblings, especially growing up. But it was now, as they all grew older and moved apart, that she realised how grateful she truly was.

"I heard my emerald has made a great escape!"

The three Bridgerton's turned sharply to look down the corridor at whoever had stumbled upon them. The queen walked towards them, alone, smiling. Y/N almost rolled off Benedict's lap as she struggled to stand up.

"No, please, do not worry," the queen said, coming to a stop in front of them. "I merely wanted to make sure my emerald was alright. I too have experience panic attacks - the horrible things."

Y/N sat up, leaning back against the wall. "I do hate them."

"I am not surprised. They catch you by surprise at the most inconvenient times," the queen replied, smiling down at her. "I had one in the middle of my coronation, you know. But, alas, we must carry on. The world will not stop turning, unfortunately."

"No, unfortunately, it does not," Y/N repeated, nodding.

The Queen clasped her hands together. "Now, do you feel up to returning? I have someone I would like you to meet."

Y/N nodded eagerly. "Of course, your majesty."

Anthony and Benedict both helped her up. Benedict silently fixed her hair, straightening her tiara for her.

"Come along, my dear." The queen held out her gloved hand to Y/N who, after a moment's hesitation, took it. "He is a truly lovely person. His name is Henry and he is a duke from somewhere in Norfolk - I forget where."

Anthony chuckled to himself as he watched the queen walk Y/N back to the ballroom, holding her hand the entire time. The two had formed a weird bond ever since her debut a few days ago - much to their mother's delight.

But, if it meant one more person looking out for his sister, then he wasn't going to complain. Well, not too much, anyway.

#anthony bridgerton #benedict bridgerton #bridgerton #bridgerton imagine #bridgerton x reader #bridgerton imagines #anthony x reader #benedict x reader #bridgerton sister #bridgerton!sis #bridgerton!sister #platonic imagine #platonic #bridgerton platonic

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queen-of-the-avengers · 10 days

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Everything Falls Into Place

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Female!Reader

Word Count: ~2.4k

Warnings: fluff, worrying about not being able to adopt a child, anxiety

Request by anon: Aww if steve and vixen settle down imagine them fostering or adopting a child. In their words "adoption helps a kid"

Summary: You and Steve start the process of adopting a child. There are a lot of steps that you have to go through, including a background check. You're worried about your past as Vixen is finally going to bite you in the ass. This is it. This is the other shoe you've been waiting for to drop.

Cat and Mouse Masterlist

Squares Filled: social worker au (2021) for @star-spangled-bingo

Author’s Note: any and all comments are appreciated <3

Tick. Tock.

“What is taking her so long?” you sigh impatiently.

“She’s only been gone five minutes. Calm down,” Steve chuckles from beside you. Steve looks over at you to see you bouncing your leg from how nervous you are. You’re wringing your fingers together to keep yourself from biting your nails. “Y/N, you’re acting like a criminal who just got caught. Take a deep breath.”

“Steve, this woman is the decider on whether or not we have a child. Forgive me if I’m a little anxious.”

Your social worker, Amy, takes another ten minutes before she’s back in the office, and you let out a relieved sigh that she hasn’t kicked you out… yet.

“I am so sorry. We’re extremely backed up,” she says and takes a seat across from you.

“It’s no problem,” Steve smiles politely.

“So, you’re looking to adopt a child? It’s a big responsibility.”

“Yes, ma’am. We’ve actually been wanting this for a while now.”

“Why now? Why not then?”

You and Steve look at each other in thought. Maybe it’s because you two were out fighting in wars you had no business being in. Maybe it’s because you finally came face to face with Zemo again after so many years of being away from him, and you almost killed him. Maybe it’s because even though you think you’re ready to be parents… you’re actually not.

“We felt like the timing wasn’t right,” Steve finally answers and peels his eyes away from you.

“Have you always wanted to have children?”

“Yes, I have,” Steve answers honestly. “For as long as I could remember.”

“And you?” Amy asks.

“In the beginning, yes. I mean, when I was a lot younger. Some shit happened to me and I didn’t allow myself to feel that way until recently. Maybe in the last couple of years? I can’t have children biologically, but I do want one.”

“I never know how to ask this question despite how many years I’ve been doing this, but what kind of parents would you two be?”

“I can’t say for sure. How can anyone know for sure? We’ve never taken care of a child before. There will be obstacles that we might not know how to get over but I can tell you one thing. We will do our very best to make sure this child is loved, safe, and raised to be the best person they can be.”

“That’s a good answer,” Amy smiles and writes in her notebook. Steve rubs his thumb on the back of your hand comfortingly. “This is going to be a long process but I have confidence that it will go by quicker than you think.” She hands over a piece of paper to Steve. “Here is a list of everything I will be needing by the end of this week. Legal papers. You know how it goes. Next will be an extensive background screening for everyone living in the adoptive household. After that will be the in-home interview and inspection of the home.”

You don’t hear anything past background screening. What if they find out about Vixen? They won’t want to give you a child when they figure out how many people you’ve killed. What if they come for the home inspection and find your room of weapons? You’re not getting a kid.

“Okay,” you squeak out.

Steve notices your panic but decides not to say anything about it until you two leave the office building.

“What’s going on?”

“What if they find out about Vixen? The Winter Soldier? My time in Hydra?”

“They won’t--”

“What if they do?” you cut him off. “What if they don’t see me fit to be a mother? What about the guns and shit we have at the house? They’re not going to allow us to be parents with all that there.”

“Baby, you need to calm down. We’re going to do fine.”

His words go in through one ear and out the other. You hear him talk but you’re not listening to a word he’s saying. When you get home, you immediately head to the room with all your weapons and begin taking them off the wall. If you’re going to make this house suitable for a child, you have to make sure it’s safe for one.

“Y/N, it’s going to be fine.”

“No, it’s not. We live in a state where it’s illegal to carry outside your home. We aren’t even allowed to have this many weapons in the house.”

Steve knows you have to do this in order to make yourself feel better. He leaves you to box the weapons while he gets his phone out of his pocket. He calls Bucky, Sam, and Nat to come over because he thinks having them here is going to help you. He has always been the more level-headed one in the relationship which is why he’s being so calm about this. He has faith that everything is going to work out just fine.

“How long has she been like this?” Nat asks when she gets there.

“Since we left the social worker.” They know you and Steve have wanted a child for a while now. “Nothing I say matters.”

“Hey, Y/N,” Natasha says and walks into the room. “You doing okay?”

“No, I’m not. I have to get these weapons out of here. Can you keep them for a while?”

“Sure. You’re going to do just fine. If anyone deserves a kid, it’s you two.”

“No, it’s not okay. Amy is going to come in here and see all these weapons and she is not going to give us a child. This isn’t safe for one. Or she will know I’m Vixen and think wow, a mass murderer assassin doesn’t deserve a kid. Or she’ll know about Bucky, Thanos, and everything else we have done in our lives.”

“Would it help if we helped you?”

“Yeah,” you smile.

Bucky, Sam, Nat, and Steve help clear out the room until it’s bare. This is the room you’re going to use for the nursery. You don’t have any supplies since you’re not sure when you’re going to be getting a kid, so you’ll keep it bare for now. Bucky and Nat take the weapons to hold onto until this whole thing blows over. Your house has a basement that you can put them into only until after the inspections are done.

On the day of the interview and home inspection, you have cookies baking in the oven to give the home a sweet smell. You have been cleaning all day to ease your worries. Steve is nervous as hell but less than you are.

“I think this is the tenth time you fluffed that pillow.”

“It has to be perfect.”

“It is. You are. It’s going to be fine.”

“I know. It’s going to be great,” you smile. Amy shows up on the dot, and you let her in eagerly. “Welcome to our home. It’s good to see you again.”

“Thank you. Wow, smells good in here.”

“I have cookies that just left the oven. Would you like one?”

“No, thank you. I have two more visits to do. Not to sound rude but I’d like to get started right away.”

“Of course.”

You two lead her to the living room and sit across from her. Steve reaches for your hand and pulls it into his lap.

“To start with, why don’t you two tell me what you two do for a living?”

“We are employed with Stark Industries,” Steve says. Happy sends money to every Avenger on behalf of Tony. You don’t need a job when your job is saving people who need it. Does she not know you two are Avengers? “We make about two hundred thousand each every year.”

“Do you enjoy your work?”

“We love it. I can’t see myself doing anything else.”

“What are some of your hobbies?” Amy asks you.

“I love to sew. I love making my own clothes. I actually made my own wedding dress. It brings me peace whenever it’s just me, a needle, and some fabric.”

“And you?” Amy asks Steve while writing in her notebook.

“I like to draw, sometimes. I’ve been practicing more these days. I like to fish. We have a cabin up north that we like to go to when the weather is nice.”

“Tell me about your marriage, and how your relationship is with your significant other.”

You look at Steve and smile lovingly at him.

“There is nothing I wouldn’t do for this man. He has saved me in ways you can’t possibly imagine. He’s my best friend. Sure, we have our ups and downs, but there is nothing we can’t accomplish together.”

“She said it right,” Steve chuckles. “I love her with all of my being. Our marriage has been nothing but great for these past few years. I wouldn’t change it for the world.”

“That’s sweet,” Amy smiles and writes. “Tell me about your relationship with your parents.”

“Both our parents are dead. We don’t have any living relatives,” you answer.

“To get with the technical questions, why do you want to adopt?”

“I’ve mentioned this before but I’m sterile. I can’t have children on my own. I know Steve wants a family. This is the only way I know how to give it to him. We don’t want to do fostering or a surrogate. We feel like it’s more our style to adopt.”

“What she said,” Steve chuckles.

“If granted the opportunity to adopt, what are your hopes for your child?”

“That they’re a good person,” Steve answers. “That they’ll see someone who needs help and will want to do that for them. Who will love unconditionally.”

“Alright,” Amy writes. “This is everybody’s least favorite section. I’ve done your background checks.” Your heart drops. This is it. This is where she tells you that you can’t adopt. “Now my main concern is your work with Hydra. You are the Vixen.”

“Were,” you correct. “I’m not that person anymore. Yes, I have done a lot of bad things in my life. Things you can’t possibly imagine. That isn’t who I am now. I have healed from that part of me. I got help. I made amends. I got Hydra out of my head. I don’t associate myself with those people anymore.”

“What about Bucky?”

“Bucky is healed, as well,” Steve takes over. “He went to Wakanda and underwent the same thing she did. They’re both trying to move on from their past.”

“That’s all it is, Amy. It’s my past. It’s not my present and it sure as hell isn’t going to be my future.”

Amy goes through more routine questions before she gets ready for the house inspection. You tell her the plans you have for the empty room which will be the nursery. She doesn't say much but she does write a lot of stuff down.

“Thank you for coming,” you say when she is done.

“I’ll be touch.”

As soon as the front door is closed, your smile is lost.

“God, we’re not going to get a kid. Did you see the look on her face when she mentioned Vixen? She knows I’ve killed before. What person would want me to be a mother?”

Steve pulls you close and lets you vent. “We won’t know more for a while. Let’s just try and keep a calm head. Even if she says no, we can try other avenues. We will be parents. You’d be a loving mother.”

And wait you did. For two long weeks. You thought that was their way of telling you that you weren't going to have a kid. Until your phone rang and changed your entire life.

“Hello?” you answer frantically.

“Hi, Y/N? I have some news regarding your adoption application.” You and Steve wait with held breaths. “I am very happy to say you’ve been approved. I can’t wait to work with you.”

“We can get a kid?” you ask tearfully.

“That’s the first part of the process. We have sent in your application to mothers who are looking to put their children up for adoption. If and when they pick you, I will call with the next steps.”

“Thank you so much.” You cry when she hangs up. “We’re getting a kid.”

Steve pulls you in and kisses the top of your head emotionally. You have to wait for a birth mother to pick you so until then, you just have to wait. Most couples wait months or even years to get called, but you get a call from Amy only a couple of days later with a date set to meet a birth mother who chose your application among a few others. You’re nervous as hell because what if she doesn’t pick you? What if she hates you as soon as she meets you?

You get to the office where the meetings are held and wait for Amy and the birth mother to come. Her name is Jessica and she is too young to be having a kid. She is only twenty-three and she doesn't want kids at this age. Maybe when she is older but definitely not now.

Jessica walks in and seems to be about six months pregnant. She just came back from meeting a potential couple, so you straighten up and smooth down your skirt to make yourself look more presentable.

“Hi, it’s nice to meet you two. My name is Jessica.”

“Y/N and this is my husband, Steve. Thank you for seeing us.”

“Yeah, I was intrigued when I read about your hobbies and your work with Stark Industries. Did you know Tony?”

“Uh, yeah.” You look at Steve and have a silent conversation through your eyes. If she is going to pick you, she should know exactly who you are. “I hope this doesn’t affect us negatively but he’s Captain America and I’m… Vixen.”

It takes Jessica all of five seconds before she starts crying. This is it. This is where she runs for the hills and gets you blacklisted from ever adopting a child.

“Captain America saved my life,” she sniffles. “I was visiting a friend in Sokovia when Ultron happened. You saved me.” She turns to Amy and wipes her eyes. “I don’t want to see anyone else.” She looks at you with a teary smile. “I can’t think of anyone better to care for my child than you two.”

“I’ll get the paperwork started,” Amy smiles and leaves the room.

You can’t believe what you’re hearing. You’re getting a kid. You’re getting a kid. You’re finally able to start your own family.

Follow my library blog @aqueenslibrary where I reblog all my stories, so you can put notifications on there without the extra stuff :)

#steve rogers #steve rogers x reader #steve rogers fic #steve rogers fanfiction #steve rogers fanfic #steve rogers fluff #steve rogers fiction #steve rogers fan fiction #steve rogers fan fic #marvel fan fiction #marvel fanfic #marvel fic #marvel fan fic #mcu #marvel fluff #marvel fanfiction #marvel #mcu fanfiction #marvel fiction

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theblueflower05 · 1 year

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Part Two. Eclipse

Summary: After a heated argument with Lo’ak, Y/N and Kiri embark on a life threatening adventure. Neteyam races against time to save them.

Word count: 6k+

Warning: Violence. A little blood & gore but just a lil bit. Descriptions of parental pressure that may be triggering.

When my heart just burst like a glass balloon,

I let it fly too high and it shattered to soon.

I was the wrong damn girl in the wrong damn room.

I broke my glass balloon. I let go of my glass balloon

- Hermit the frog, Marina.

The forests of Pandora are never still.

They're always bustling with life, in constant movement. Dancing. Breathing. A fan lizard makes its way across the overgrown flora, slow and steady. Unassuming-

“You snooze you lose”

A loud screech followed by a chorus of giggles echos through the trees.

The poor fan lizard never had a chance, is knocked clear off its path as four pre-teens , a tornado of movement and sound, fly by. Swinging from branch to branch without a care in the world, the poor creature erupts into a spinning rainbow right before colliding with the moss covered floor.

No matter, nothing matters as the four of you make your escape from the village as you so often do.

Kiri hot on your tail, Lo’ak at the helm. Spider swinging from vine to vine, holding his own despite his much smaller frame. The vivid cobalt stripes that you’d painted on him days prior still stained his skin.

The trees lessen and then thin out as Hell’s Gate comes into view.

The fortress is big, and ugly. All concrete and overgrown plants. The last remnant of the sky peoples bases, it had definitely seen better days. Since it had been abandoned over a decade ago and left to the few trusted humans it had kind of gone to shit. Scientists are great at discovering, exploring. Maintenance? Not so much.

“Wanna play some ball?” Lo’ak asks as he makes a beeline for the basketball courts. You love humans strange games, they’re useless- but their fun. Just your cup of tea.

“No, I’m gonna go check on mom” Kiri’s already leagues forward, headed towards the entrance. Barely paying any attention to her brother.

“Awe come on- it’s not like she’s not gonna still be there later. Plus we know that Norm’s keeping her plenty company” Lo’ak and Spider giggle at his jab and Kiri throws a glare over her shoulder.

Your teeth dig into your tongue as you fight to keep the smile off of your face shrugging before heading in after her.

“Not you too Y/N. Man, you guys suck. Who’s gonna play with me?”

“I'm right here, cuz” Spider exclaimed, huffing up in exasperation.

Their height difference is laughable.

The Avatar designed basketball to big to fit in Spiders hands, the last time the four of you had played he’d taken it straight to the face, his nose so broken that it never really healed right. The entire court looked like a crime scene and Max had scolded all of you.

You had to remember Spider’s human body, and it’s limits, even if he didnt want you too.

The smaller human steals the culprit of a ball from Lo’ak’s grasp and begins to dribble circles around him and Lo’ak as always, defies any kind of predestined rules.

The labs are a familiar alien. All beeping neon buttons and sterile white surfaces. Monitors filled with images you don't quite understand, no matter how many times they’re explained to you. Since the first time Kiri had brought you here, you’d been perplexed. An obsessed fascination. You liked learning new things, you liked chatting with the friendly humans.

And you liked visiting Grace.

Kiri’s mom is in one of the back corners. Submerged, a bio-tank holding her. Cradling her something like a womb. She looks peaceful, you assure your friend. Whatever dreams she’s stuck in must be good ones.

“Hi mom” Kiri whispers, her five fingered hand pressing gently against the glass. You watch her, let her run through the process of her carefully cultivated routine. She likes to talk to Grace, fill her in on everything that’s happened since the last visit.

You think she’d have a better chance of making connection a connection at the tree of souls but you keep that fact to yourself.

“Hi Grace” You place the bracelet that you’d made for her on the tank. “Kiri ate shit at the watering hole the other day. You would’ve thought it was hilarious”

And you never knew Grace, never would, but who wouldn't think Kiri faceplanting during wash day wasn't funny? If you were stuck in slumber, you’d want people to tell you jokes.

The scientists are cool, and you make your rounds. Handing out the little bracelets you’d made them. You’d just about gotten human measurements down, but they still did hang a little awkwardly off of their gangly wrists.

No matter. Doctor Kelsey is a Zoologist who had been good friends with Kiri’s mom, and had taken the initiative to teach you how to read.

Sky people letters were simple in composition, but confusing in structure. That doesn't stop you from keeping your nose buried in the books she offers. You like the vividly colored picture books better than the black and white chapter ones but to each their own.

“Hi Y/N” Doctor Kelsey greets, laughing as you reach into the cloth knapsack that you’d toted along, giving her back ‘The Lorax’, in exchange for another old semi tattered book from her library.

“How’d you like this one?” She chats as she digs through her collection

“It was very sad. They had no trees, no animals” You explain, a deep frown maring your features as you recount and retell the story you’d read. “This is how your planet is, no?”

You remember Jake telling a story about Earth. A dying star.

“Pretty much, the book was definitely supposed to be an analogy for Global Warming and mass consumption issues. Good job for picking up on that Y/N, you really have been excelling. I’m gonna give you something a little harder. If you have any issues with it, Kiri will help until you can come visit again”

She hands you a thicker book and you sound out the golden rod letters of the title.

“Pet-her pahn?”

“Peter Pan” She corrects good naturedly “I think you’ll like this one, it's about a boy that never wants to grow up”

“Are you sure you don’t want to give this to Lo’ak instead?” You deadpan and Doctor Kelsey lets out a peel of laughter.

She reads the first couple chapters out loud to you and Kiri before having to return to her work. You both listen, ears twitching with interest. You pack the fragile book safely into your knapsack before you leave.

----------

It’s nearing eclipse and you know you really should be getting home- instead you sit crossed legged on a step, your face twisted into a deep scowl.

You spend more time at Hell’s Gate than you should, your parents remind you of the fact often, but you love it here. You can make the trek home in your sleep.

Which is why you’re less worried about the waning sunlight. More concerned with the words that had just come out of Lo’ak’s mouth.

“You guys could never do it, and not even because you're girls. Ma’s a girl, lots of hunters are. You’re just wusses” He taunts, chest all puffed out.

He’d been like this, ego inflated to the nines since he’d come back from the mountains a few days ago, actually in flight this time. A wriggling yelping Ikran below him and air of self importance that he just couldn't seem to shake.

Scratch the fact that you and Kiri had just handed him his own ass at H.O.R.S.E.

“Didn't it take you like three times and a concussion to tame your ikran?” You sneer and Spider lets out a huff of a chuckle, coughing when Lo’ak side eyes him.

“It was only two-” He starts and Kiri shakes her head, cutting him off quick.

“It can't be hard if you were able to do it. I mean, think about the Tayrangi, in their clan even the children ride. It wouldn’t be that hard to go up to the mountains and claim one”

Somehow it ended up like this most days. Kiri and Lo’ak on opposing views. Bickering until your ears hurt. You and Spider innocent on lookers, casualties of war as you alternated whos allegiance to pledge. Well Spider did, even if Lo’ak was right on the money and Kiri was dead wrong you’d stand beside her.

“Yeah so? We aren't coast people. I bet you couldn't even make it up the mountain. You’d shit your pants before you even tried. What would you do Kiri? Try to hug your ikran into submission” His words are laced with condescending laughter.

You shouldn't take it so personally, Lo’ak can be a dick. He doesn't even mean to be most of the time.

But it hits a sensitive raw nerve in your chest, the same one that had been hammered endlessly for years. To be a hunter, you have to ride. To be a hunter, you have to train. To be a hunter, you have to want to be one, right? You can't run away from it at every turn…

“We’re gonna have to do it eventually” You grit out.

“Yeah, sure” he drawls out the ‘e’ “I think you should probably just stick to your beadworking. You know, things you’re actually good at”

In the blink of an eye Lo’ak is drenched in what remained of your banana fruit juice, you’d emptied the canteen right in his stupid face. He blinks in surprise, his mouth falling open, tail going ramrod straight

“You’re such a douchebag” You hiss. You don't completely know what that word means, but you’d heard the sky people throw it around a handful of times and knew that it was nothing good.

“You head straight for the forest without another word. Face hot and eyes stinging.

“Why would you say that?” Kiri glares at her younger brother who looks completely shocked, ears flat and mouth open.

“What? Tell her that she’s good at something? That’s the last time I try to be nice, shit. Grandmother just re-braided my hair” Lo’ak moans as he he rakes his hands down his face, over his chest and through his hair. He’s already sticky.

“Dont be so dense. That wasn't cool and you know it” She sighs, before following you.

“Girls are psychotic” Lo’ak laments, and Spider just shakes his head.

“Yeah, totally”

---------

The forest has already started to glow, the path home bioluminescent which just makes your furious steps even faster. You didn't want to get in trouble with your parents too. They already weren’t going too be thrilled about you ditching babysitting duty to go hang out at the ‘cursed place’

“Wait up!”

You huff and clear the jump between branches in a clean swoop of a jump.

“Come on! Dont be mad at me I didn't do anything!” Kiri exclaimes jumping after you and nearly running into your back as you stop dead, waiting.

“I'm not mad, okay. I'm just-” You shake your head with a sigh. Not wanting to speak the words in your head. “Come on, we need to get home”

“Its okay to be mad at Lo’ak. My dad is, like, all the time” Kiri tries to soothe as the two of you continue your route.

“I can't be mad at someone who was only telling the truth”

“That wasn't the truth. That was him trying to pacify himself over the fact that he didn't get it first try like Neteyam”

Your stomach flutters when Kiri mentions her eldest brother, as it always does. You ignore it like you always do.

Pushing on further, faster, until the twinkling warm lights of the village come into view. They’ve already started preparing for the night and you need to start preparing for the earful you’re about to get.

Your heartbeat goes tense and anxiety creeps up your spine, your tail flicking in rapid jerky motions.

Kiri doesn't pry, she never needs to. She lets you huff and puff and stomp all the way back home, knowing that you’ll spill.

You lean against the bark of the trunk, your arms crossing over your chest as you look at your friend. She stands in front of you, expectant but not forceful. Already knowing whats bothering you, you’d vented about this particular issue so many times in the past.

“At least he got it, eventually. Didn't get himself killed like so many have before him- Kiri I don't know how I'm ever supposed to do that. My parents-” you choke on the word parents, have to swallow up the word vomit “My mom wants me to start really focusing on training and I just-”

“Don't want to?” Kiri offers.

“Completely suck at it. Everyone keeps telling me that it’s gonna get easier, it's in my blood, but I’m not a warrior. I don’t feel it, you know. I just want to read my new book, and make a necklace with those stones we found at the river. And gossip with the girls'' You sigh because why can't it be so easy?

“I think you’d be a great village gossip, we should ask my father if he can make that your official title”

You laugh in spite of yourself and your soured mood “It’s not funny. I'm never going to be what they want me to be. There's no way I’m ever going to be able to tame an ikran. He’s right”

“You don't really think that”

“No I really do. Im pretty sure I’d break my neck trying. I fall of direhorses all the time”

“You can also hit a moving target with your eyes closed. You don't have to be good at all things, all the time Y/N. It’s impossible” She reaches out to pat your shoulder.

“Try telling my mom that '' You sigh, and bring your hands to face, covering your eyes as you talk “I just don't want to disappoint everybody when I’m not able to do it. When I’m not able to complete my Inknamaya and become this great warrior they keep talking about. They’ll all come up to watch me get eaten by my own ikran”

“Would it be easier if they weren't watching?” Kiri offers solutions.

Probably so, but she knows how your family is. You remind her of the fact.

“What if we tried without them…if you didn't feel like you needed to perform, maybe you wouldn't be so in your head the whole time?” Kiri always has the worst plans. Seriously. But this one tops the cake.

You pull your hands from your face to glare at her incredulously. “You’re not serious”

“Why not? Tayrangi kids do it while they’re still in diapers, they don't have any training for it- they know what to do in their hearts. The great mother guides them through it”

“Kiri. Absolutely not”

“Think about it, cause I have. Even before tonight with my stupid brother. Tsaheylu is sacred, we know how to make it from the moment we’re birthed. It doesnt need to be browbeaten into us, we don't have to do it everyone else's way. My mother made the bond with a palulukan! And my father with Taruk? Who taught them how to do that?”

You shake your head because she’s far too good at convincing herself that her asinine ideas aren't exactly that.

You’ve seen the way the forest interacts with her, you know how special she is…but this would certainly get you both killed. Thirteen is young to make the bond with an Ikran anyway. Even the highly skilled, trained and ready warriors have trouble with it.

You're shaking your head, arms back tightly crossed over your chest, about to go full older sister mode when there's a rustling in the nearest tree.

Two sets of ears twitch, focused on what's coming-

“Lo’ak? Kiri?- There you are!”

Neteyam swings in from above, lands gracefully on his feet in front of you.

His amber orbs scan quickly over you both, apprising and slightly annoyed and your stomach does its tell tale flutter. Having him so close, tall and looming never does good things to your weak, wanting heart.

“You do realize that you were supposed to be home hours ago- it's almost eclipse. Mom and dad are pissed, he would have come out himself if Norm hadn’t radioed in that you all we’re using Hell’s Gate as a playground again”

Neteyam sounds every bit his role. Future clan leader, semi disgruntled older brother.

“It's not even eclipse yet, there's still light” Kiri is reaching, it's all but dark out. “Right Y/N?”

“Right? We definitely had a quarter hour left at least, if anything we’re right on time” You nod, catching her line of bullshit and rolling with it.

Neteyam pinches the bridge of his nose. “Your parents are upset too Y/N. I wouldn't use that line with them if I was you”

The anxious flick of your tail comes back full force “Like really upset? Or just- a little bit?”

His deadpan face tells it all. “Where is Lo’ak?

Another shuffle in the trees, leaves and smaller branches swaying. Lo’ak appears, obviously behind. He doesn't land nearly as gracefully as Neteyam.

“I’m right here bro, chill out” Lo’ak’s eyes meet yours briefly and you huff, still upset clearly.

Your nose is high in the air as you turn away. If you had to get scolded, you’d do it with some kind of dignity- and he could fuck right off.

“What is all over you?” Neteyam questions his brother from behind you, plucking at his one of his younger brothers sticky braids.

----------

Its an accumulation of things, your mother tells you. She doesn't scream, but the tongue lashing is no less intense. No, if anything it's worse. You can't look her in the face.

Its an accumulation of things, she tells you. It’s your disregard of your duties, who would have watched your little sisters had an Aunt not volunteered to do what you should’ve. You are to watch over them while she’s partoling and you know that.

It’s your training, or lack thereof. You can't get better if you don't put in the effort. If you don't focus.

“It’s this streak of immaturity , Y/N. You are not a childling anymore. By the time I was your age I was helping feed our community, I had found myself within the people. I want that for you- and you disappoint me at every chance”

Your ears are plastered to the side of your head the entire time, your tail wrapped around your calf. You take it wordlessly, blinking furiously at the tears because you can. Not. Cry.

“Are we done?” You croak and your mother looks like she might cry herself. Instead she nods and you sprint as quickly as you can away. Only when she can't see your face do you let the tears roll fast and hot.

It's later in the night, laying with your family on your cot. Staring at the star filled sky that you recount your mothers words.

Disappoint me.

You disappoint me.

Somewhere, somehow, Kiri’s get mixed in.

What if we tried without them?

-----------

To tame an Ikran, you have to go where the Ikrans are.

This was known by all. You’d heard stories of how tedious the journey was, but as you make it yourself, you realize that all before you had minimized its nature.

You and Kiri had taken direhorses out in the early morning under the guise of foraging for berries that you had spotted a week before when visiting the lab. They hadn't been ready to pick then, somehow your Grandfather buys it. Sends you out with a kiss on the forehead.

You're glad your mother is out hunting, she wouldn't have been such an easy sell.

It was early, when you’d left. The sun just rising. Now it is high in the sky, shining brightly as the two of you ride as far down the path as you can go on horseback. The path is narrow and carved into the face of a steep cliff. Rocks crumble away, you soothe the gentle beast beneath you.

Kiri seems to be doing the same for you. Turning back to look at you every few minutes.

“How do you know where we’re going?” You’d questioned her when she’d offered to lead the way.

“I just know. Eywa will show us”

To anyone else that might have not been enough. You follow her eagerly.

The direhorses can only take you so far- before its time to climb.

And climb you do.

The two of you scale the floating mountains none too fast. Its treacherous unstable ground, the wind shifting the terrain with every breeze and you never quite feel like you have your sure footing.

You’d grown up in hometree. They say it isn't as large as the one that your parents grew up in, that the sky people destroyed, but it still towers high. You’d ridden on the back of your mothers ikran, you'd climbed to the top of lovers Peak to watch the great colors in the sky.

You were no stranger to heights, but as Kiri jumps, and latches on to a weak looking vine in mid air you hesitate. You stop for a moment, and look below you.

All you can see are clouds, misty and white. So high up that you can't even see the ground.

“Come on, Y/N!” she calls for you and you gulp. Breath through your nose and take the leap.

The journey is laborious, and feels like it lasts forever. By the time the two of you make it to the entrance of the mouth of the cave you are both covered in sweat, panting profusely. Your arm muscles scream at the intense treatment. You reach a hand out, sweeping through one of the waterfalls that seem to fall into nothing.

Rub the cool liquid on the back of your neck.

It was hell to get to, but the mountain of the Ikran is beautiful.

They fly in the hundreds here, screeching and circling each other in the sky, sweeping from mountain to mountain. Their breeding grounds lush with waterfalls and fungi.

Looking down, down through the gaps of clouds you can see the forest below. It looks so small and and far away. Your stomach lurches, you feel like you’re flying already.

“We made it. I can't believe we made it. Thank you great mother” Kiri whispers, her hands clutching her chest.

“Don't thank her quite yet, we still haven't gotten through the hard part” You remind her- because its there. Looming just out of sight.

There is only a moment to catch your bearings, before you settle in on what you came for.

“We can still go back” Kiri offers. She has to. You don't have to do this.

You shake your head. “No, we can't. We came all this way and I’m never climbing this mountain again”

It’s through one of the waterfalls, the sound of rushing water filling your ever twitching ears as you pay close attention to your footing on the narrow, slippery ledge. It’s white noise, the first peace you’d had since the start of your climb.

“How will we know if an Ikran chooses us?” one of your peers had asked during training and Jake had smiled. All to canine.

“It’ll try to kill you”

You fist the bolo rope you’d brough until the leather digs deep into your palm as they come into view. All of them, dozens. Ikrans of all colors and sizes are seated at what looks like a basking site. They slowly become aware of the outside intrusion, and then its eyes. So many of them. All focused on you and Kiri.

“How are we gonna do this?” You whisper to her, heart pounding in your throat. Adrenaline rushing protectively through your veins.

“I’m not sure yet” She replies very unhelpfully.. Of course It goes the way all things go with Kiri.

Strange.

She doesn't seem as scared as you are, she steps lightly around the winged creatures, whispering all the while. You’re glued to your spot, still not far from where you’d entered. You’d seen your friend do a number of weird things, unexplainable things. But this…was something else. She approaches an Ikran. And it doesn't try to kill her.

No, the mostly chartreuse creature cocks its head at her. Skittish and unsure. You’re too far away to hear what she's saying but Kiri keeps whispering. Talk to it, as one does a child. A smile on her face, her arm outstretched and welcoming.

“Kiri don’t!”

You’re trying to figure out how exactly you’re going to explain a missing arm to her family when she takes a hold of her que, and simple as anything, connect it to her ikrans.

The gasp you let out leaves your throat sore.

You’re confused. Cant believe your eyes. You’re still in disbelief when she takes flight, the green and silver of the wings sparking in the high alkaline sunshine. Kiri soars through the air- making a wide turn, and coming back to where you’re still rooted.

“How did you do that?!” Your voice breaks and your eyes are wide as saucers.

“I asked her if she wanted to be my friend!” Kiri hollers back. Completely serious. “You can do it Y/N! You’ve gotta, this is amazing! She yells “You’ve got this!”

And you want it, so badly.

You want to be in the air with her, you don't want to go back to the village riding her coat tails and reeking of defeat. You have to do this, you square your shoulders,

“I’ve got this!” You reply, even though you keep thinking about Lo’ak’s unconscious body on the back of Neytiri’s ikran the first time he’d tried this. He’d been knocked unconscious, head bloody and his mom had had to carry him home.

It is glaringly apparent as you take the steps that your friend had just made, that this is not going to go the same way for you.

Where the banshee’s seemed to be at peace with her being here on their territory they reacted completely differently as you approach. Wailing loudly, scattering. Hostile and ready to strike.

They didn't want to be your friend.

Everytime you get close, they take off, jumping ship. Taking to the skies.

Until one doesn't.

Perched on a rock, the creature looks at you with a sharp turquoise eye. Only one, the other is scared, disfigured from past battle. She’s huge and dark purple. So dark she looks shiny with it, the orange, green and magenta splotches on her skin give the appearance of an oil slick.

She’s nothing like the pretty, feminine ikrans you’d so admired growing up. She’s fierce and terrifying and for a moment you think that there's no way she’s choosing you.

“Oh shit” you hear Kiri, distantly.

The ikran opens her massive jaws and lets out a roar that shakes you to your core.

“It’ll try to kill you” Jake had answered the question. Training young hunters to the best of his ability “And you’ve gotta call their bluff”

You muster a fierce hiss, even though you feel anything but, and then its on.

Lightening quick, chaos ensues. A tangle of limbs and wings. You can't wrap your mind around what's happening, there’s no room for any other thoughts then make tsaheylu. You have to follow your body, trust it. But it's so hard when something three times your size is struggling against you, trying to take any chance it has to kill you.

“Make the bond!”

You get the bolo wrapped around its gnashing jaws and chalk it up to pure luck. In the next moment one of it’s wings expands violently, throwing you back. Luckily not straight over the edge, but against the rough rocky wall opposite.

Your head connects with a sickening thud.

Your world goes dark, the pain on the right side of your face excruciating and your ears ringing from the impact. Or is that Kiri screaming? You force yourself to collect your bearings, forcing up onto your knees. You can taste metallic in your mouth and your head feels too heavy for your neck to hold.

A flash of purple brings your eyes back to focus.

NO.

The ikran is going to take flight, her wings outstretched. She’s going to leave and you’re never going to have another chance. You’re going to have to ride back home bloody and defeated. A loser who never should’ve tried. You’re going to disappoint your family, again. You won't be able to bring this glory to them-

You didnt come this far to go back empty handed. You weren't going to get in trouble for nothing.

The ikran takes off disappearing over the edge.

And you jump off the cliff behind her.

-----------

Jake is making his rounds, there’s so many of them now a days. He checks in with Mo’at, runs perimeter. Takes account of his people, and wonders if the imposter syndrome will ever fade. Tuk is still just young enough that she sticks to his side like glue.

“Daddy, look at this!” “Daddy, what’s that!”

A part of him wishes all of his children were still 5 years old. Still thought he hung the stars just for them. Instead he barely knew where they were anymore. Teenagers are still teeangers no matter what planet they’re on.

He does mental intake- Neteyam would no doubt be leading training. Kiri off somewhere with Y/N, and Lo’ak was hunting with Neytiri so for once Jake didn't need to worry about him.

Everything was fine. Everything was great…so why did he have this gnawing feeling in his gut that it wasn't?

It’s okay, this is why he’d given his family coms, so that he could check in whenever he wanted to.

He touches base with Neytiri first, her and Lo’ak are fine and he better not mess up her shot again.

Then Neteyam, he’ll be on stand-bye if needed.

“Kiri, I need your six. Over” He’s met with dead silence. He tries again, and again only for the same result. And that’s not normal. Kiri, at this age, will usually reply with some sarcastic smart ass quip. Captain dad, she calls him.

She’s never gone radio silent. And Jake’s gut has never lead him astray. Something’s wrong.

Tuk is pulling on his hand, taking his ear off but he’s sinking into a place he knows all too well- he can't panic. His brains not hardwired for that, too many battlefields, too much experience.

“Neteyam? When was the last time you saw Kiri, over?”

The first place he looks for his daughter is with Y/N, the two are practically conjoined at this point. You aren't to be found at your hut, but your grandfather tells him that the two of you had gone gathering. Bubble berries, its their season but the timing doesn't match- if his daughter had left this morning, she’d be back by now.

Jake’s in full military mode, furiously barking out orders.

A search party needed to be dispersed. Now. He’s gathering his men when Vitany, your mother touches ground. She’s confused, and then she’s fearful. He can see his own emotions mirrored in her eyes. She’s a great warrior, one of his best. She’d fought beside him for the last decade. No fear, heart of a lion. That all tends to go out of the window the moment your child is involved.

“Ma’ Jake!”

As Neytiri and Lo’ak land, having raced home from hunting at the news- his wife looks much the same. Terrified, confused. Shooting off question after question, where can they be? Where do they start?.

He’s about to take flight- to follow the search party.

“Dad!” Its Neteyam, and along with him he’s toting Spider. A gentle but firm grip on the younger, smaller boy's shoulder.

“What’s going on? What is it?”

“You need to tell them what you told me” his eldest son urges the human boy “Right now”

Jake’s always felt for Spider. A kid misplaced forever on a planet not his own. With people who could never and would never see him as anything but an alien.

All eyes are on him.

“It was uh, it was like a week ago. When they came to visit Hell’s Gate. We all got into it about ikran riding and how Kiri and Y/N weren't cut out for it. Kiri said that she could do it a different way like the Tayrangi Clan did, and Y/N just got really pissed at Lo’ak and left-”

“Is this true?” Neytiri looks to Lo’ak who hangs his head. But nods in agreement.

“What are you saying?” Jake presses, because he needs a solid answer.

“I think that they might have gone into the mountains. To try and tame ikrans” Spider finishes and Neteyam lets go of his shoulder, his hand slightly shaking.

“No” Vitany gasps horrified. Her daughter isn't trained enough. What the human boy just spoke of is certain death, she's on the back of her own ikran within seconds, taking off as fast as she can.

Racing towards the breeding grounds. Neytiri is hot on her trail.

“Neteyam, I need you with me, let's go!” Jake calls for Bob, high pitched bird sounds, and the beast lands at his feet, ever loyal. Looking at him, Jake remembers just what it took to tame him-

“Not you” He bellows, already mid flight. Catches his youngest son gripping his reins. Lo’ak protests, his eyes watery as the weight of his actions weigh down heavily on him.

“Dad, please”

“You’ve done enough”

------------

Neteyam spends most his life in flight, since he had passed his rite of taming Atanzaw(lightning) years ago, he never wanted to touch ground.

He felt most himself in the sky. Free, lost to the vastness of the wind. He’d take any hunting, scouting or perimeter control shifts he could get his hands on, as long as he could fly.

It's an unusual feeling, being on ikrab back and having his stomach tied into knots. Being so worried that he can barely breathe.

He has to keep his mind clear to keep Atanzaw flying straight, piercing through the clouds like a bullet. He can't imagine his sister mauled to death or her best friend thrown to her death. It is too much.

He let his guard down, he knew he needed to help keep a closer eye on his siblings when his mother was hunting and he let his fucking guard down.

Kiri and Y/N we’re always running off, but never far. He could always track one’s movement by the other’s. Keeping an eye on Y/N had become a part of his routine, and he’d slacked.

Y/N hadn’t shown up for training and he should’ve known something was wrong- but she’d been off all week. Upset at something that was none of his business to uncover. Overworking herself, walking away from friends that she’d usually spend her time chattering with.

Shit.

He’s better than this. He’s going to be Olo’ekteyan someday, how is he supposed to keep the people safe if he can't even keep his sister safe? He’s wallowing in could’ve, would’ve should’ve’s when he hears a scream.

Neteyam banks against the wind, using all his strength to pull himself and Atanzaw in the other direction. Towards the screams, towards where his sister and her friend we’re undoubtedly in imminent danger.

He doesn't get shocked much, and when he does, he’s always able to hide it. Able to handle it enough that no one even noticed.

His mouth hangs open and his ears point straight at the sight that greets him.

No longer is the sky filled with screams, but with girlish giggles. Yelps and ikran caterwauls.

Kiri and Y/N do barrel rolls around each other, in hysterics as they play in the clouds. Both of them sat atop their respective ikran- not dead. Not dying. But frolicking, like schoolgirls. Like they didn't just give the village a collective fucking stroke.

Neteyam is angry, furious even. But more so, he’s impressed. That combined with the shock is a potent mix in his system and he can help but let out an incredulous laugh. Somehow the two of you were not only alive, but flying, bareback. Had climbed the Hallelujah mountains alone, and tamed ikran.

You were both in so much fucking trouble.

A|N: Okay I know the story is lacking Neteyam right now, buttttt I just needed to get through with the set up. All of the rest of the chapters will be very Neteyam x Reader heavy.

Also- I read an article that said this is how Kiri bonded with her Ikran in the comics? And thought it was rad. I had to roll with it.

Please comment and tell me what you think! And what you wanna see in future parts! More interaction will always mean quicker updates.

#neteyam #neteyam x reader #neteyam x you #neteyam sully #aged up neteyam #kiri #kiri avatar #kiri sully

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agreyraincloudd · 1 year

Text

Sihtric X Reader

Summary You are Aethelflaed's friend tasked to stand watch while she meets with Lord Uhtred when you see a few familiar faces

Words 1.5k

You were Aethelflaed's blade and closest friend, sworn to protect both her life and her secrets. And yet as you stood in the freezing air, standing watch while she rendezvoued with her lover Uhtred you regretting ever bending the knee to her.

"M'lady? Is that you?" A Wessex guard, one you recognised to be Edward's stumbled over from the ale house across the path.

"Ah fuck" You muttered under your breath as you turned away.

"M'lady?" Please fuck off "Lady Y/N"

"Hello Olsac" You had crossed paths with him many times as you joined Aethelflaed when she visited her brother and despite keeping to yourself, several men attempted often to meet your acquaintence, this cocky blonde being one of them.

"What are you doing here Y/N? I thought you would be with Lady Aethelflaed in Mercia"

"I'm meeting someone here"

Keep it short and simple. Maybe he'll fuck off.

"Do you bring news of battle"

You bounced on the balls of your feet, trying to contain your sighs.

"No"

You were both silent for a short moment as he kicked the ground with his boot.

Please for the love of God, Aethelflaed hurry up.

"So-"

"Are your men not missing you at your table Olsac?"

He was a little thrown off at your interruption but he covered it with a smile.

"I-yes. I should go back"

You hummed. Bored of his conversation and irritated by the chill of the air.

"Would you care to join me-"

"No. I must wait out here"

He wasn't relenting, lingering by your side.

"I shall wait with you then. Keep you company M'lady"

Jesus Christ

"To the ale house" I pointed across the way, walking over as he trailed behind. If you were to last here another couple of hours with this company, you wouldn't do it stone cold sober.

"Ah yes of course" Olsac stumbled behind you gleefully.

The ale house was packed and loud with cheers of drunken men, stomping feet and clanging tankards on tables.

"This way M'lady" He pointed you toward the ale barrels at the bottom of the long tables. You shuffled your way through the hord of men and slammed a coin on the bar, a cold jug of ale replacing it in your hand.

Several hugs later and Olsacs jokes had yet to make you laugh as you spent the last hour cursing Lord Uhtred silently for keeping your Queen so long. You thought you'd finally tuned out the King's guard's miserable attempt at retelling the battle of Beamfleot; a fight you participated in , when you felt his hand under the table. You thought perhaps the brush of his finger on your thigh was a misplacement of himself when a smirk crossed his lips.

"You are so beautiful Y/N" He slurred.

In an instant you unsheathed your blade and stabbed your knife into the wood of the table between you. The twang of metal caused him to flinch as you stood, anger burning up your neck.

"Don't be like that M'lady" He held up his hands with a snear as if a child caught with their hands in a honey pot.

You practically growled as you forced your blade from the table. You would gave gone to jab it into him throat when a familiar voice sounded from behind you.

"Everything alright here?"

Sihtric Kjartanson was at your back, his face tilted toward yours as he stared over at the drunken man before meeting your eyes.

You knew him well, had shared many a campfire with him on the road to battle and tended each others wounds. He lit a spark in you, one you had tried many a time to snuff out and yet everytime you looked his way your stomach would flip and you'd picture his smile as he laughed at you teaching Aethelstan to hold a blade while running from the Mercians or remembered the feeling of his hands on yours as he wrapped your burnt hand or cut hip from battle.

"We're all good here Dane, Y/N was just getting a bit too caught up in her under garnments"

You went to lunge across the table as the man laughed when Sihtric looped his arm around your waist, holding you back.

"He's not worth it" Sihtrics voice was a whisper in your ear, setting you alight.

"I'm okay. I'm okay" You assured him of your clarity, with you hand on top of his on your hip.

"Come one" Sihtric nodded over to where Finan and Osferth drank on the other side of the room, his face gentle as he settled you. You faked compliancy and just as you turned to walk past him, you reached across the table and grabbed a fistful of the guards hair, bringing his forehead down onto the table as he yelped. The room erupted in a row. The splashing of ale on your table pissed of your neighbours and as the man opposite you fell back from his chair he flayed onto another, causing a ripple of drunken fights.

"Time to go" You laughed as you watched the guard get enveloped by brawling Saxons and Danes. You grabbed Sihtric’s wrist and ushered him over to the door noticing Finan and Osferth stood upon a table cheering on groups of men scrapping before them.

The cold night was a familiar shock as you stumbled out the door laughing with Sihtric behind you.

"I often wonder if you are more Dane than Saxon the way you start fights like that" Sihtric laughed. His face was glowing in the amber of the fire torches by the door, turning your stomach as he brushed his his fallen curls back from his forehead.

"You've got to be kidding me?"

You scoffed through a laugh.

"What?" Sihtric looked your way, a smile still on his lips.

"God you're just so-"

"What?" He rook a step toward you, his hands resting on his swords hilts, eyebrows raised.

"You- your whole" You waved your arms in from of him, the ale you guzzled loosening your lips. "Just the way you hold yourself"

"How I hold myself?"

"Mmhumm" You took a step back, turning away with your hands on your hips. Your mind battling against your drunken words.

"You just walk around like you know you're the most attractive man in this land"

"I do do I?" He followed you as you walked down the street, toward yours and Aethelflaed's horses.

"Of course you do"

"And you like me for it?"

"I-" You caught your tounge. "No"

"No?"

He walked up to you as you stopped infront of him. He made the final step and looped his fingers in your belt, pulling you toward him.

"No."

You knew neither of you believed your words.

"Please don't stab me for this" He spoke as his hand caught your face, his lips placing upon your own. You melted against him as he stepped backward, your hands gathering in his hair as he did. Your back met your horse and you pulled away as it neighed.

You laughed "I really should be getting back to Aethelflaed" He kissed down your throat. "I suspect we'll be leaving soon"

"You do?" His lips captured yours once more. He couldn't care less.

"I do"

You spoke through smiling kisses.

"My Lord will keep her company while she waits"

"You would keep a Queen waiting"

He pulled away from you, his thumb rubbing across your cheek.

"I'd do anything for you Y/N"

"Since when?"

"Since the day I hung upside down across from you in that tree when Hesten kidnapped Stiorra and The Queen and I knew I'd die happen there with your face being the last I saw"

You kissed him once more, pulling back to rest your forehead on his.

"We're idiots"

He agreed with a hum as he kissed you once more but you were interrupted with a cough behind you.

Turning, you and Sihtric were met with Lord Uhtred and Lady Aethelflaed smiling at you both, their hands held the same as you and the Dane in your shadow.

"I'll see you again soon" Sihtric kissed the back of your neck as you parted, greeting Uhtred as you joined Aethelflaed's side.

"Good night Lady Y/N" Uhtred spoke as you and The Queen mounted your horse. Sihtric untied your reins and led you to the border as Uhtred did the same for Aethelflaed.

Just before you could say goodbye, Sihtric motioned for you to lean down, kissing you one last time. You sat up straight and went to say farewell when his hand pushed a string into yours, you opened your palm as his Mjölnir necklace sat in the centre.

"Ill see you soon"

Your hand cupped his cheek as you gathered your reins.

"Don't miss me too much Dane"

"An impossible task Saxon"

You laughed as you led your horse onward, smiling to yourself as you attempted to ignore your Queen's smirk pointed your way as she rode beside you.

...

Enjoy your crumbs my rats

Lmk if you want to be tagged in my other imagines, aus, headcanons

@a-beaverhausen

#sihtric imagines #sihtric x reader #Sihtric #sihtric the last kingdom #the last kingdom imagine #The last kingdom #Tlk #Finan #Uhtred #Aethelflaed

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chrisevansonly · 1 year

Text

Momma’s Special Surprise For Arlie (Little Duck au🐣)

pairing: Momma Evans (Female Reader) x Arlie Mae x Chris Evans

summary: Momma has a very special present for Arlie, and she got some help from some very special friends

warnings: none just fluffy goodness

a/n: i’m really excited about this little fic, i’ve been wanting to write it for a while so here it is🫶🏻

You had been planning this surprise for a few months now, Arlie was absolutely gutted when you couldn’t go see Harry Styles in concert when he was in the United States. Despite her best smiles, you knew it gutted her not being able to see her favourite singer, but thankfully you’d been talking to Chris for a while trying to plan something. Harry would start his last leg of Love on Tour in May, and you reached out to him right away asking if there was any chance he could find you tickets to watch his shows in London at Wembley Stadium.

“I really want to do this for her Chris, I know London is far, and it’ll be expensive…I think it would make her really happy”

Chris nodded, his arms around you as you sat out on the back patio

“Why don’t we make a family trip out of it?”

“Really?!”

You were elated, eyes wide as you looked at him, a chuckle escaping his lips

“Yeah why not, we haven’t gone anywhere in a while, Arlie’s well behaved, Wes is still small enough to keep close to us, you and duck can go to the shows and Wes and I can get up to some boy stuff”

Laughing you pressed a kiss to his lips, clapping in excitement because let’s be honest, you were just as excited to be going to see Harry Styles live on tour

“I love you, thank you baby”

“Anything for my girls”

That brought you to today, setting up the living room with snacks for an afternoon tea party at Arlie’s request, Canyon Moon playing softly throughout your home, Wesley down for a nap.

“Arlie my girl, everything’s all set up, and Momma’s got a surprise for you”

She came in the room helping Chris carry over the tea which was really organic apple juice

“S’upise for me momma?!”

“Yeah for you baby”

Arlie smiled and Chris set the drinks down on the table before she sat cross legged beside you, her eyes bright and full of excitement

“So momma and daddy have been planning something for us as a family, we were thinking of going away on a trip”

“Wike we did the beach?”

You nodded

“Exactly baby, but we aren’t going to the beach this time”

“Where we go momma?”

Chris had pulled out his phone to start filming secretly

“Well we are going to a city called London baby, it’s in a country called the United Kingdom”

Arlie blinked raising her eyebrows

“That the one with the big clock momma?”

“Yep, Big Ben baby, you remembered”

Arlie smiled, they’d been learning about landmarks at school, and she’d made a mental note about Big Ben, asking Chris to go through photos of it every afternoon after school

“Momma has a surprise for you though and why we are going”

“What momma!”

You swiped a loose strand of hair behind her ear leaning forward to press a kiss to her forehead

“Well, who’s your favourite singer?”

“Harry Styles!”

She’d finally managed to get the R’s in Harry down after a long time of talking about him

“Mhm, well Harry and Momma have been talking, and we’re going to go see him in concert”

“MOMMA REALLY?! REALLY MOMMA!!”

You laughed as she squealed jumping up and starting to clap

“Yes my love! He wants to have you out, and he wants to say hello to you too!”

“We gonna see Harry daddy!!”

She ran over jumping in his lap to hug him, his arms holding her to his chest

“Yes we are duck! You excited? Was this a good surprise?”

“So good! I’m so happy daddy!!”

He pressed a few kisses to her cheeks before she bounded over to you and jumped into your arms

“Fank you momma”

“You’re so welcome my baby”

She remained in your arms beginning to talk about all the idea she had and everything she wanted to see, what she wanted to say to Harry. This was priceless to see, her pure excitement and happiness at the fact that she would be seeing Harry after thinking she’d need to wait for a while. You’d do anything for your Arlie girl, and felt more than grateful to be able to experience these beautiful moments with your family.

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murphyoclock · 1 year

Text

Angst (2/2)

Thank you for all the love so far! My requests are open for some ideas and I have this spicy Cillian fic in my mind that I'll start writing this weekend!

Summary: Your and Tommy's argument gets out of hand when you provocatively try to make him jealous at his charity party.

This is part 2; click here to read part 1

Pairing: Tommy Shelby x Reader

Warnings: language, fluff and some steaminess

AN: Sorry for the slow start! If you like my writing, please reblog, comment or follow. Thank you xx

.............................

A soft tingle travels across your body as you slowly open your heavy eyes. The sun is shining through the large bedroom windows, leaving warm spots on your exposed legs. You notice the familiar smell and comfort of your and Tommy’s bed.

“Tommy?” You mumble, turning around to notice that his side of the bed is empty.

“She’s awake, Ada,” Polly’s voice calls out. She places a cup of your favorite tea on the bedside table and lights a cigarette. “How are you feeling, love?”

“Where’s Tommy?” You ask and try to sit up, but an excruciating pain buzzes through your head, forcing you to lay back down.

“Trying to clear his head... Although I’m not sure that’s even possible at this point,” Ada smiles sarcastically.

You are clearly perplexed and don’t remember much from yesterday. You recall watching Tommy get ready in the bedroom and joining the party to have some drinks with Ada. Other than that, your memory is gone. But guessing from Ada’s and Polly’s facial expressions, something bigger must’ve happened. Did you get blackout drunk or is there more to it? It can’t be just it. Every time you had too much to drink in the past, Tommy would be by your side the next day, offering you tea and France’s freshly baked croissants. Today’s different.

Polly notices your confusion. “He should be here soon. I’ll leave it to him to explain.”

****

One hour passes until Tommy finally gets back to Arrow House. His messy hair, the dark shadows under his eyes, and yesterday’s suit clearly signal that he didn’t sleep last night. Despite his tired appearance, you can’t stop noticing his natural beauty that has astonished you ever since you met him in the streets of London 2 years ago. It still baffles you that someone as powerful and attractive as him chooses you.

Tommy steps closer and sits down on the bed, he’s observing you but not saying anything. The way he looks at you with those eyes never fails to make you nervous. It’s not a negative kind of nervousness, but more a sign of how intrigued you feel by everything he does. Never in your life before, has a man’s body language been able to hold so much power over you.

You finally manage to sit up and lean your head against his broad shoulder.

“What happened last night?” you ask carefully, trying to sound as innocent as possible.

“Remember that bastard Harry from yesterday, eh?” he clears his throat, his gaze studying your reaction, “That scum bag put something in your fucking drink, (Y/),” he states, his pulsing neck vein exposing the anger he’s been trying to hide.

Tommy gets up and lights a cigarette. He rubs his jaw and starts walking around the room nervously.

“(Y/N), you scared me to death. I thought it was something I did to you.”

Looking up at Tommy, you notice his immense feelings of regret and pain. Seeing him like this breaks your heart and feels wrong in every way. You decide to let him explain what exactly happened yesterday, not interrupting him once. As Tommy keeps explaining, the memories from yesterday become clearer, and with it the feeling of shame and guilt. You have every right to be mad at him for not making your relationship official, but it wasn’t really your normal behavior to get drunk and then grind on other men on purpose. At least not the grinding part. However, Tommy was as much a part of the catastrophic evening as you were, and thankfully he took responsibility for it.

“I’m so sorry, Tommy. It didn’t want the evening to end like that,” is all you manage to say at first.

Tommy takes a last drag from his cigarette, puts the butt into the ashtray, and sits down on the bed with you. He grabs your hand carefully and kisses the back softly, making you blush at the immediate touch. Before you can say anything else, he touches your chest and pushes you down gently so you can lay on your back. Seconds after, his large frame hovers over you, his mouth wandering from your jaw to your neck. Stopping at your neck, he starts biting and sucking softly, obviously intending to leave a mark behind.

“I’ll never make you feel like this again. And I’ll make sure, nobody will harm you ever again,” he states.

“Tommy...” you whimper as his warm breath provokes the familiar excitement between your legs. He pulls away from your neck to press his forehead against yours, staring deeply into your eyes. A sudden wave of shyness rushes over you, causing you to let out a little giggle which then causes Tommy to smile at you. Witnessing your sudden change of character when he touches you, even looks at you, excites him. He knows that no man has made you feel like this ever before. Around Tommy, letting your guard down and becoming a little bit needy is an easy task. It’s in his nature to care for you and protect you.

It's when his large hand meets your jaw that you’re forced to look at him again. “One thing I’ve learned from yesterday...” he pauses, “is that I don’t want men to ever look at you without being afraid for their life. And you know why?”

“Why?” you stutter at the seriousness of his tone, knowing damn well that the answer will make you burst into a thousand pieces.

“You tell me,” he answers, now sounding more demanding than before.

Clearly enjoying himself, Tommy lets out a little laugh at your innocence. His hand, that’s still placed on your jaw, now moves down to your throat, making you whimper in pleasure again. Giving you one last amused smirk, Tommy positions his mouth right next to your ear, his aroused voice whispering, “You are all fucking mine... (Y/N) belongs to Thomas Shelby and no one else.”

The way he says it with such casualty and confidence makes your eyes widen in ecstasy. With that slow deep voice, that man could make you do absolutely anything for him. It’s almost pathetic.

Your thoughts are suddenly interrupted as you feel a soft squeeze on your throat, Tommy looking at you with pure lust. “Say it,” he demands seriously.

Taking a few breaths, you softly grab his wrist that’s been putting slight pressure on your throat and move it towards your mouth. As if he could read your mind, Tommy’s thumb traces over your bottom lip, asking for entrance to your mouth. At this point, you can’t stop arching back your hips against his hardened crotch. The desire you feel becomes almost unbearable as you allow his finger entry to your mouth, sucking on it lightly.

“I’m not gonna repeat myself again, love,” he hisses, getting more impatient.

You’re desperately trying to compose yourself but are also wondering, what would happen next if you didn’t say what he wanted to hear. Not wanting to cause drama again, you finally manage to answer, “I’m all yours. I belong to Thomas Shelby and no one else.”

“Good girl,” he smiles, clearly happy with the answer you’ve given him. Without any warning, Tommy forces his lips onto yours. The kiss that was meant to be gentle quickly ends up in devout passion. Still on top of you, Tommy then intertwines his fingers with yours, positioning your hands above your head. The heat in your body becomes unbearable as he kisses the tip of your nose.

“(Y/N) ...You’re everything to me. You’re my fucking other half,” he speaks, slightly out of breath. Tommy pushes his forehead against yours again while his hand cups your red face. He takes a deep breath before asking what you’ve been waiting for: “(Y/N), nothing in life gives me as much joy as making you happy and protecting you. I love you so fucking much,” his voice almost cracks, not used to the emotion it takes him to speak his words, “I want you to marry me... Marry me, so that everyone in this bleak country can know who you belong to.”

Your chemically unbalanced brain doesn’t even manage to properly process what just happened. Euphoria takes over your body as you enthusiastically answer yes. Like two teenagers in love, both of you start chuckling and exchanging small kisses.

“You know,” Tommy pauses for a moment and laughs cheekily, “I would fuck the shit out of you right now if I could, but Dr. Wilson has ordered bed rest for the next few days.”

“Oh, shut up, Thomas Shelby,” the stupid grin on your face almost hurting your cheeks. It wouldn’t be Tommy if he didn’t make an inappropriate joke whenever he could. After all, that is one of the many reasons you love him so much.

____________________________________

Tags: @juey20000 @elenavampire21 @mgs30 @vesta-ro

#tommy shelby #tommy shelby x y/n #tommy shelby x reader #thomas shelby #thomas shelby angst #thomas shelby x y/n #Thomas Shelby x reader #thomas shelby fanfic #Tommy Shelby smutt #peaky blinders x y/n #peaky blinders fanfic #cillian murphy

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lykaonimagines · 2 years

Text

Inked Hearts- Stephen Strange x Reader

Paring: Stephen Strange x Sorcerer F!Reader

Word Count: 3,282

Description: After five years apart, Stephen and Y/N are finally reunited and realize how deep their love for one another runs.

“I’m always coming back, you can bet on that. You’re the only place I call home.” - Only Place I Call Home by Every Avenue.

“These words you should always remember, to you, my heart I surrender.” - My Heart I Surrender by I Prevail.

Other Things: Established relationship. Post-End Game (Like immediately after). Slightly angsty but mostly loving and fluff.

Warnings: Some swearing. Suggestive in parts, but not smut. Tattoos? (Not sure if that needs to be a warning haha)

Masterlist

Stumbling from the battlefield wreckage of the Avenger compound through a portal into their bedroom, the two sorcerers stare at one another silently, the weight of the last five years finally crashing down on them.

His lover’s eyes look exhausted and dull, lacking the usual brightness in them from before The Snap. Her face littered with scars, new and old. Many he had never seen. The stress of his time gone more than evident on her features. Worn, tired, and broken she manages to smile at him as his chest aches. He caused this. His absence. His plan.

“I can’t really believe this is real,” she comments, shifting in her stance to lift a leg up and tug off her boot, swapping to the other to do the same. “It feels like you’re a dream, or figment of my mind that will disappear when I turn around. Five fucking years Stephen…”

Sending his cloak away from him, Stephen tentatively takes a step forward while offering his arms to her, “Well, I’m home now.”

Y/N rushes into his arms immediately, face buried against his neck as she lets out a choked sob. Holding her tightly to his body, he presses kisses to her hair and whispers soft assurances.

“I thought you were really gone,” she whispers a few minutes after her sobs subside, still snuggling into his embrace. “I felt like I lost part of myself.”

Stephen’s heart breaks at her words, his hand gently rubbing her back, “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry for what exactly?”

“Not being able to tell you. Being selfish and allowing myself those last minutes in your arms. Being gone for five years. Not being here for you. You having to step up and take my place. Everything.”

“I can’t be angry with you,” she replies softly. “How can I? You did what you had to do to save the universe. My own issues kind of pale in comparison to half the population of the universe disappearing.”

“What you suffered is important to me. It was the only way we could be like this again… but I still caused you pain.”

“As I said, I knew the risks of being with you. Sacrifice for the greater good in the grand scheme of things and all that.”

“I’m going to spend every day making it up to you,” he mumbles into her hair.

“Don’t make promises we both know you can’t keep.”

Pulling back, he looks down at her tear-stained face, words caught in his throat.

“Stephen I don’t love you despite you being the one trying to keep everyone safe and making sacrifices to do that. I love you because that’s part of you. You could have stood by if you wanted, but you didn’t. You did everything you could to save as many people as you could, even if it meant losing years of your own life. I said I’d be your partner, knowing exactly who you are and what you do. And I continued being your partner, watching the Sanctum and handling threats. Because that’s who we are.”

He looks down at her mystified, her words seemingly tumbling around in his head. She had all right to be angry. To hate him. To hate their life together. Yet there she stood, holding every piece together when he couldn’t. Staring back at him with that still loving gaze.

“Close your eyes,” he whispers, leaning forward to press feather-light kisses to each of her eyelids after they flutter shut. His lips kiss a path down her nose and across her cheek. Then the lightest of brushes on the edge of her mouth as her breathing gets heavier.

“I love you, every part, every minute, every day, and every year,” he continues as he backs them toward the bed. Her legs hit the edge and he carefully hoists her up on to the mattress. “My heart belongs to you, and only you for eternity.”

Groaning at his words and touches, she squirms under him, “This sounds like a spell Stephen.”

He chuckles and his fingertips brush against her jaw, “More like a promise.”

He proceeds to trail his kisses sloppily down her neck and collarbone, just slow enough to pull his favorite sounds from her lips. His hands reaching for the hem of her shirt, his lips leaving her skin just long enough for it to pass between them.

It had been too long.

Continuing his progress down, he pauses as he notices unfamiliar ink under his nose. Leaning back to take a better look, his heart clenches.

SVS. His initials in a simple heart frame. Inked permanently in her skin, right above her own heart. Another line of text sits above it stating simply, “You’re the only place I call home.”

Reaching out, he runs his fingertips across the letters slowly before his gaze flickers to her eyes that had opened and were now studying him. “When did you get this?” he asks, coughing abruptly to hide the way his voice nearly cracked on the words.

“Three years ago,” she admits, watching his fingertips trace the ink. “After two years… I realized I needed to accept that you might not come back. There was still a part of me that wanted to believe you had some kind of plan, that you didn’t think losing half the population was a win. But I also knew it meant other things had to happen. I don’t know. It hit me on the two year anniversary of The Snap that you really weren’t going to just walk in the door suddenly. I wanted you with me somehow.”

Stephen nods slowly, still not quite believing the letters in front of him.

“When I got back from Titan, I had your… ashes on me,” she says looking past him at the wall. “Since well, you know. I couldn’t just wash them down the drain. Sort of shook them all off into a container until I got you an urn. When I decided to get the tattoo, commemorative tattoos were really big as you’d imagine. So I took some of the ashes to go in the ink.”

His fingers freeze on her skin, and his eyes drift up to meet hers, “Wait… this ink… has my ashes in it?”

Y/N nods sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck in embarrassment, “I mean… it was a big thing and I wanted you with me and it seemed like a positive way to think about it instead of returning here covered in them and-”

His lips suddenly press to hers, cutting off the stream of words. His eyes drifting shut as he desperately moves them in rhythm with hers.

Swiping his tongue over her lip and sliding his hands down to grab her hips, he smiles into the kiss as a breathy sound leaves her body.

“Stephen…” her glossy eyes stare back up at him with want as he leans back.

“We should shower first darling,” he mumbles before pressing a kiss to the center of her throat, pulling a sharp hiss from her.

“You couldn’t have started with that,” she groans and reaches up to card her fingers through his hair. “You had to wait until I’m worked up Stephen?”

“It just occurred to me I’ve spent the last five years as ash, and we both just came off a bloody dirty battlefield,” he answers, pulling her hands from his hair and pulling her up with him as he slides off the bed.

“I suppose I can agree… but Strange,” she grips his arm to pull him closer and growl in his ear. “I’ve waited years, we’re making use of that big shower.”

Turning his head to nip at her earlobe, he sends a shiver down her spine, “I was expecting nothing less.”

In the weeks following his return, Strange spent most of his time around the sanctum. Most of that time he spent attached to Y/N in some form, the two of them hating to be separated for long. But the world continued on, and they had tasks to take care of.

The most recent being a request, or maybe order, from Wong to clean the sanctum that had been partially neglected in his absence and her grief. And that’s how Stephen found himself in his office sorting through five years of un-filed paperwork.

Even with half the universe gone, Y/N had seemed to have her work cut out for her. Flicking papers this way and that toward their correct filing cabinets, Stephen pauses as he uncovers an envelope with his name on the front. Just ‘Stephen’, no postage or address of any kind.

Opening the envelope he pulls out folded paper and flips it open, stopping for a moment when he recognizes the handwriting and the date at the top of the page. A letter to him from Y/N seemingly just months before he returned. Smoothing out the folds in the paper, he starts to read.

“Stephen,

I know this is dumb. Writing you a letter again. Knowing you’ll never read it. But it’s been five years today since that bastard tore you away from me. I still spend hours thinking about what I could have done different, how it could have been different. But I know you wouldn’t have allowed it.

I dream of you every night. And for a moment it’s pure bliss. Wrapped in your arms, drunk on your lips. Your brilliant blue-green eyes full of life and love staring back into my own. And for that moment I’m lost in the ecstasy of you. Then as quickly as it came, you fade into dust in my arms and I scream for you. Chanting your name like a damn incantation until I wake up alone in our bed, heart racing, desperately searching the sheets for you. All to be smacked with reality once again. That you’re gone.

They say year after year the hurt will lessen, that the memories will fade. Then tell me why I still hear your voice as I walk the halls. Still feel your grip on my hips like your hands never left. And see your face in every crowd I pass on these busy streets. Then I look for you, and you’re not there.

I don’t think I can ever truly let go of you Stephen. I don’t want the memories to fade. Most nights I want to lose myself in my dreams, delaying the inevitable end and waking to a reality without you.

Wong says the spirit can prevail after death sometimes. At times even appearing to you when in astral form. I search for you each day and find nothing, but it gives me comfort that maybe you’re there. He says he thinks you would hang around to protect me, that it’s just your nature. And maybe you have. Maybe you can see me sitting at your desk, in your big important sorcerer chair of the ancients as I write this to you.

If you do see me, I hope I make you proud. One of the only things that keeps me going is knowing I can’t disappoint you. I can’t let you down. And that maybe one day, somehow I’ll stumble onto an answer. There’s been whispers of ideas from the Avengers. Though they all scattered to the wind after the death of Thanos. Maybe they’ll finally have found the answer. And if they have, I’ll throw my all into it. This is where I’m supposed to say it’s for the greater good, that I’ll try my hardest to save half the universe, because it’s the noble and right thing to do.

But fuck that. I do it for you. I’d scour this universe and face any danger just to hold you one more time. Maybe that makes me a bad sorcerer, maybe it makes me a bad super hero. Maybe it makes me a terrible person. Though I can’t bring myself to care anymore. Though you know me. I say I don’t care, but if there’s a scream from outside in the next five minutes, I’ll be out there in seconds.

Maybe I’ll never see you again, and I’ll grow old here in this sanctum. Until time or enemy catches up to me. Then I can only hope to be reunited with you again. The only one I ever have or ever will love. Because you’re the only place I call home, Stephen Vincent Strange.

Your Love, Y/N.”

Finishing reading the letter, Stephen wipes quickly as the tears gathering in the corners of his eyes. Twisting it in between his fingers, he quickly comes up with a plan.

Pulling over a ceramic pot, he drops the letter in and snaps to set it on fire. Within seconds its ash, and he pours it into a small counter before quickly portaling out of the house on a mission.

Maybe he hadn’t completely thought this through, he cringes after the second time of Y/N putting her hand on his sore chest. Trying to smile through the pain, he knows he does a poor job.

And an even poorer job of hiding it in general. He never slept with a shirt. He always wanted to shower with her. She was getting suspicious of the number of times he’d magic-ed his clothing change and rushed off to Kamar-Taj the last few days.

“Ok that’s it,” Y/N finally snaps, pulling Stephen closer to her by his shirt. “You’re hurt and hiding it, I know it. Off with the shirt.”

“It’s nothing darling,” he tries to lie, flashing her his most charming smile.

“Charm doesn’t work when I’m worried about your health Strange. Shirt. Off.”

Sighing in defeat, he finally pulls his shirt from his body, smiling at the small gasp from Y/N.

“Is that… a tattoo?” she asks as she leans in for a closer look, her mouth snapping shut as she reads it. “You got this for me?”

“I was hoping to give it a few more days to heal before you saw it,” he admits sheepishly, looking down at the ink.

A matching heart to her own ink, but with her own initials in it. And a line of text above it proclaiming, “To you, my heart I surrender.”

“I-I don’t know what to say,” Y/N mumbles in awe, fighting back the tears that start to drip down her cheeks.

“Hey, hey, it’s meant to be a happy thing, not sad,” he coos, pulling her into his embrace. “My love for you.”

“I love it,” she says with a sniffle, fingers running along the open skin near the tattoo. “What prompted this surprise?”

“I found your letter.”

“Letter?”

“The one you wrote to me a few months ago.”

“Oh… that was probably a depressing read.”

“Hard to read yes, but also the single most heartfelt and lovely thing I’ve ever read as well. And that’s why I burned it and put it in the ink.”

“You put ashes from that letter in your tattoo ink?”

“If yours has some of me in it, mine needed something of you. Besides, it sounds more mystic and magical when you say it that way.”

“I’d commend your flair for the dramatics, but I’m the one that started this trend so I can’t,” she smiles, leaning up to press a kiss to his lips.

“Oh wait, there is more. Something I found in a tome at Kamar-Taj,” he says motioning for her to remove her shirt as well.

“You learned something at Kamar-Taj that involves me removing my shirt? Should I be jealous?” she teases as she removes the fabric.

“Previously I would have said a little jealousy is good,” he mutters as he steps in closer to her, running his hand down her bare arm. “But I don’t think devotion is something we’re struggling with, darling. So it’s just wasted time. I’ve also just branded myself with the initials of a Master of the Mystic Arts, I don’t think my charm or wit is enough for someone to risk your wrath.”

“Fair point Strange. Besides, I trust you, I’m just teasing,” she smiles up at him. “Now show me this trick of yours.”

“It’s simple really,” he comments as he quickly moves his hands and she feels a warmth on her chest. As he lowers his hands, he looks at her with a satisfied smirk. “Perfect.”

“I spoke too soon,” she laughs as she looks down at the orange glow coming from her tattoo. “You’ve brought the dramatics afterall.”

“Well if you don’t like it…” he begins as he raises his hands.

Quickly grabbing his hands in her own, she pulls him closer instead, “I never said that. Though I think yours should match.”

“It will,” he nods, rubbing his thumb along her knuckles. “Once it’s healed and not aching every time it’s touched.”

“Have you been keeping it clean Doctor?” she asks leaning in to take a better look. “Because it looks like you aren’t doing the proper after care there.”

Stephen blinks at her slowly, mouth agape, “I can keep a tattoo clean, I have a Ph.D in medicine Y/N.”

“Has it started peeling at all yet?”

“Yes.”

“Are you still using the ointment, just washing, or what?”

“Just washing it.”

“When it peels you switch to a gentle lotion, I’ll let you borrow some, it’ll help,” she nods as she pats the center of his chest.

“Since when did you become an expert on tattoos hm?” he asks with a raised brow.

“Since I didn’t want to have to tell anyone you gave me an infection. Being it’s your ashes and all,” she grins, taking a step back and toward their bathroom.

“You would,” he mutters, sliding up behind her to wrap his arms around her waist.

“How about you go get comfy and I’ll come back with the lotion… and maybe I’ll even rub it in for you,” she says, chuckling as he shudders at her hips pressing back into him.

“Just on the tattoo?” he whispers in her ear, his warm breath sending a shiver down her spine.

“I could be persuaded to do a bit more,” she remarks, bringing her hand up grip the back of his hair as he lets out a hiss. “That is, if you’re a good boy and go wait on the bed for me.”

“Consider me an excellent boy then,” he says as he detangles himself from her and crosses the room to throw himself onto the large bed. “But you’ve got two minutes to grab that and get your ass back in here, or I’m coming in for you.”

Crossing over into their bathroom, Y/N digs out the bottle she was looking for and briefly looks up in the mirror. A smile plastered across her face and her hair a mess, it’s the first time she’s seen herself actually look happy in… who even knows.

Clutching the bottle to her chest, she slips back into their bedroom and leans against the doorframe as she observes her sorcerer.

His frame draped casually across the bed, his hands moving quickly as he forms various shapes with his magic in the air above him. The soft glow of the magic lighting up his handsome features as he goes. After a few moments his head turns toward her, his loving gaze holding her still in the moment as a lazy smile spreads across his face and the magic dissipates, his hand reaching out inviting her onto the bed.

Five years was a long time. But it was worth every second.

Stephen Taglist: @gaitwae @geeky-politics-46 @elicheel

If you’d like to be tagged, please fill out this Google form. Makes sure I don’t miss your comment, and lets you opt out of certain things if you’d like 💙

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#doctor stephen strange #doctor strange #doctor strange x reader #doctor strange imagine #doctor strange x you #stephen strange #stephen strange x reader #stephen strange imagine #stephen strange x you #marvel

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sanjisprincesswifey · 2 years

Note

Ahhh, the prompts for your event are so cute/dramatic ❤️🙌 May I ask for prompt 39. “You could do so much better” with Kid and she/her pronouns? Tysm and hope finals are going well~ ❤️😘🥰

note: thank YOU so much anon for this request, i l o v e writing for my emo boyfriend! italicized sections imply a flashback!

♡: female reader implied. 600+ words. sfw content.

an unfamiliar smell causes kid’s nose to twitch, grunting at the burning sensation. “what the hell is that smell?” he grunts, standing up from his seat.

as if on cue you walk into the room, fluffing your hair out one final time. “has anyone seen my bag?” you ask, pretending to not notice the gawking expression of your captain.

killer clears his throat, unsure if it was to get your attention or kid’s, “why are you so dressed up?” he questions, throwing your bag at you.

the dress that hugged your body complimented every curve you had; the boys didn’t know much about fashion, but they did know that you looked so good. especially kid, who might as well have been standing in a pool of his own drool.

“a man from this village offered to take me out for a drink tonight,” you smiled, rummaging through your purse to make sure you had everything on you.

kid’s jaw snapped closed from its previous gaped position, his brows knitting tightly together. he didn’t know what to say as he watched you wave goodbye to the rest of them and head out on your way.

sure, you had been broken up for at least a month now, but he didn’t think you would move on this fast.

“i’m just asking you to act like a boyfriend sometimes kid, that’s all!” you scream, his eyes rolling with every word you speak. “it’s like you don’t even love me,” you quietly huff, crossing your arms over your chest.

kid’s jaw tightens, gritting his teeth together before he stands up and pushes past you, “well then let’s just break up since you could do so much better than me.”

he grips onto the door frame, pausing before exiting.

he doesn’t know if he was waiting for you to object or maybe beg for him to not go, but only your stunned silence filled the room, and then he was gone.

kid is quiet the rest of the night, mugs of untouched sake remain on the table. he’d usually be so drunk he couldn’t even tell his own crewmates apart, unable to get out a coherent sentence, but he remained sober, waiting for you to return.

you stumble around, a single tear falling down your cheek as you light the cigarette between your lips. you see the victoria punk rocking calmly back and forth and almost feel a sense of relief until you remember that the man you loved didn’t want you anymore.

you attempt to reboard the ship as quietly as possible, but your clumsy footsteps practically give you away.

the kitchen light flicks on as you seek a glass of water, but you jump when the light reveals kid who’s sitting at the dining table. his head is in his hands; he knows it’s you.

“what’re you doing here?” you heave, heading towards the fridge and doing your best to keep your unbothered expression despite the copious amounts of alcohol in your system.

you wait for an answer and to be honest, he’s trying to come up with one himself. “well?” you demand, slamming your cup onto the table. he doesn’t flinch or get upset, but you didn’t expect him to. you almost wanted him to, so he’d say something, anything.

“i…i was waiting for you.” he admits, surprising even himself. “i need you y/n,” he continues, his fists clenched together at the embarrassment of his confession.

you’re staring at his head of red hair, his face still was planted towards the table. but your eyes soften as the tenseness your body felt dissipates into thin air.

“well it took you long enough,” you sigh in relief, your hand running through his brightly colored hair. “why’d you let me go out on a date then, huh?” you joke as he shoots an annoyed glace your way.

likes, reblogs, and comments are always appreciated! (✿◠‿◠)

#eustass kid #eustass x reader #kid x reader #one piece #one piece x reader

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curekibouka-writing · 1 year

Text

Legacy (Twst one-shot fanfic)

**Some mild spoilers for Malleus’s birthday interviews**

Summary: He wished for their guidance now, guidance of parents who were gone before he hatched.

Word count: 1490

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A/N: Happy(?????) birthday Malleus 2023!!! This fic is a combination of inspiration from Malleus’s broomquet, the revelation that Malleus’s parents are no longer with him in his Birthday Boy card, and a very sad conversation with @chernabogs. Now I’ve written this so everyone suffers and screams and cries with us ٩(๑❛ᴗ❛๑)۶

*This fic is also on Ao3

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Lilia kept as quiet as possible while he flew through shelf after shelf in the giant royal library of Briar Valley. The library seemed empty, but that’s exactly how he knew he would find what, or who, he was searching for.

Stopping before the door of a private room deep inside, Lilia stood still to carefully observe the child curled up by the window, so small, small against everything this library is, small against everything that room was. And only after he made sure the child was not shutting out the world at the moment did he decide to knock.

“Come in, Lilia,” Malleus did not turn to face him, but he knew only Lilia would dare to find him here.

Lilia mustered up the softest voice he could manage when he stepped inside, “Which volume are you reading this time, my dear?”

“I finished reading already,” Malleus corrected, small hands holding up a heavy black tome, showing Lilia the cover which was decorated with amethysts and emeralds.

“It’s the one—“

“It’s the one with the painting of mother and father and me,” Malleus interrupted, putting the book back down on the windowsill and flipping to the exact page he wanted, “… before I hatched.”

Lilia walked past the beautifully carved reading table and large cushioned chairs to the window where the child was seated. He looked at the page over Malleus’s shoulder, and took a moment to remember watching as the portrait had been painted all those years ago. He remembered how his heart had warmed at the rare sight of the king’s wide smile. He remembered how he looked at the former queen embracing her egg and how he sneakily remarked that he couldn’t remember the last time she had been so gentle to anyone as the king laughed about how Lilia would take the full brunt of her wrath after the painting had been completed. He remembered that he did take it with a cheeky grin still stuck on his face.

He was feeling a similar warmth in his heart now, seeing the painting, it didn’t seem all that long ago anymore. And he understood painfully well that Malleus refused to leave the library, or leave this room, despite having finished the book time and time again, for the same reason.

Alas, Malleus was a clever child.

“Are the guards looking for me?” He asked after finally realising that Lilia being here meant something, “Do I have to go?”

And Lilia sat down on the windowsill next to him, smoothly making up half a lie, “Oh I tricked them away, they think you are busy enjoying unwrapping your birthday presents at the moment. No one will bother you here.”

“I know.” He turned his attention back to the pages, a finger tracing the paragraphs beneath the painting, “I learnt new words since my last reading, Lilia.”

“Really? Tell me, my dear.”

“This one, I learnt it from my history lessons,” Malleus’s finger fell on the word ‘legacy’, “I learnt that my grandmother keeps the ‘legacy’ of the kings and queens before her alive.” His tiny hand balled into a fist, his tiny voice asked his question without turning to Lilia, “It says here it is hoped that I will carry on my parents’ proud legacy. Am I doing it? Am I keeping the legacy of my father and mother alive too?”

“Of course you—”

“But how will I know?” Interrupting Lilia again, Malleus curled into himself further, his head buried behind his knees, “I never met them. I never talked to them. I never knew what they were like. The pages behind this are so few, and I don’t want to read them. Why did they have to go so soon? Why couldn’t they stay with me a little longer? Why did I take so long to hatch?”

And though Lilia understood no answer will ever be good enough, he still had to try, he still had to reach out and take the child into his arms, he was one of the only two beings in this world who could do it, and it was far too sad to let this child drown in such darkness, “But I knew them, my dear, I knew your father and mother veeeeeery well. I knew how happy they were to have you.”

“But they’ve never met me either.”

“They tried their best to come back, they truly did. I can barely imagine how much happier they would’ve been if only they could.”

“Would they have be proud of me too?”

“Of course! You learnt new words again, didn’t you? You’re growing up so fast and as long as you keep growing, they’ll see it.”

“What would they say to me if they were here?” Malleus slowly allowed himself to loosen up, hesitantly raising his head in anticipation.

“Well,” Lilia chuckled, “if I have to make a guess, your mother would be nagging you to go to bed by now.”

Malleus giggled along softly, “And father?”

“Well, he might sneak you out to watch the stars, despite the snow, it’s your special day after all. And you would both come back soaked and sneezing, and your mother would be livid.”

The child managed a small, amused smile at the imagination, and continued, “Did mother sound like grandmother?”

“Hmm… she had your grandmother’s regalness. She spoke with all the elegance and solemnity of winter in her voice. But when you anger her… well, you’d best not because while your grandmother’s wrath is a fire that spreads, your mother’s was a thunder that cuts you open with precision and power.”

“And what was she like when she sang? You told me before that she sang. Oh please tell me more!”

“On occasions, yes, she did. And your father would accompany her sometimes.”

“Violin?”

“Cello. He said the cello’s timbre suits her better.“

“Will I be big enough to play father’s cello soon?” Malleus pondered, and turned his head to look at the table and chairs in the room, table and chairs that he had always left untouched, “Will I be big enough to sit in father’s seat soon?”

Lilia considered the question for a moment. It was quite obvious that Malleus was not only referring to his height or age. But Lilia’s answer did not change regardless. When Malleus grows, he will be ready, that much was sure as day.

Lilia stroked Malleus’s forehead, gently brushing against his scales, “You will one day, child. You are their legacy. You are tired now, you ought to rest, so you’ll give the best of yourself to your studies tomorrow as well.”

Malleus fell silent for a few moments, and began again quietly, “Can’t I sleep here today?”

The cold windowsill is frankly no place for the prince to slumber, but Lilia could not bring himself to refuse, “I don’t see why not, shall I bring you a blanket?”

“No, thank you. I am warm,” Malleus left Lilia’s embrace and nestled up by the corner, “I like to think that this room smells of father’s fire.”

Lilia nodded in compliance, ready to stand up and leave the child alone. But Malleus was the one to reach out this time, tugging at Lilia’s sleeves.

“Can you stay? Can you tell me more about them? Like bedtime stories.”

There was a certain sorrow in having to do this in their place. But Lilia kept himself from pursing his lips, and put effort into smiling instead, “Of course, my dear. Now, where were we?”

“Mother’s singing. Did she sing for me? When I was still oversleeping inside my egg?”

“Why yes she did!”

“Do you remember it? Can you sing it for me?”

“I’d never forget it.”

He promised himself and promised the former king and queen that he would give their child all that they would’ve given. And though he had broken many a promise in his frivolous life, this one, this time, he will keep.

He recalled how the former queen would sing while tapping the egg slowly and softly, tranquil like the night; and he now began to stroke Malleus’s back rhythmically as he breathed in. Then he recalled how the king would join his queen’s singing, how the king’s voice had been kind yet strong like greenery, like trees, like thorns; and he now hummed the song that belonged to their family, their language, their child.

“

Sleep now, sleep safe, the hope of our lives

Our thorns will protect you with all our might

Be not frightened, be not alarmed

The fires shall still when you’re in our arms

“

As he sang, it was as if he can see the queen and king there beside their child of night and thorn. As if they embraced him, watched over him even now. And how Lilia wished, as the small prince drifted off to sleep, for them to be there for him, at least, once upon a dream.

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The End

#twisted wonderland #twst angst #twst spoilers #malleus draconia #Lilia Vanrouge #twst writing #twst fanfic #twst fanfiction #twisted wonderland writing #twisted wonderland fanfiction #twst scenarios #diasomnia #diasomnia angst #twst #twst birthday #yes i did feel bad writing THIS on malleus birthday i have a heart #but the urge to make everyone suffer with me is stronger than the guilt

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lollahazadi · 3 months

Text

Zeb X Y/N (from episode "warhead")

I Would Want Myself

. ---> dialogue

💜It was a late afternoon with pleasant winds on the surface of Attolon at the CHOPPER base when the entire Ghost crew was invited to training, all except one very upset Lasat:

I'm telling you, I'm going to die of boredom! - He said with regret in his lowered ears, despite being displeased, it wasn't enough to convince the greenish Twi'lek:

You won't die of boredom, AP and Chopper will be here.- Hera stated, but Zeb was still unhappy:

Like I said, I'll die of boredom. - said the humanoid upset. Hera gave her ultimatum to keep Zeb within the base's perimeter: -But as I also said, you will be with AP and Chopper, I need you to take care of everything until we get back and besides, Y/N will also remain, she couldn't join us because she just had surgery. -She said with vehemence in her voice. The arguments about the droids' company went in one ear and out the other in Zeb's ears, but upon hearing her name and that she would be at the base, it seemed that his older, grumpier world had become more colorful. "Well, at least I won't talk to the walls and those were made of metal, they squeaked and talked nonstop about inventory things." he rolled her eyes just thinking about it. Zeb seemed excited now, even if just a little:

And where is she? -He asked Hera, curious, and she replied:

In the command center, instructing the newbies. - Zeb thought with a smile on his face "that's good to know…" his thoughts of going straight to you were interrupted by Captain Syndulla who seemed to have a warning tone in her voice:

But remember ! Be very careful, she has just had surgery and cannot suffer strong emotions of stress, remember that she is in the rehabilitation phase, despite being stable, care will never be enough!- Warned Hera. Zeb realized that Y/N had left a surgical suite a few days ago, but he didn't know that he would have to keep his eyes on her. Hera continued to speak:

-No sound disturbances, no carrying weights, no unnecessary efforts, nothing at all! Did you hear me right, Garazeb?- Hera asked seriously, well, Y/N wasn't a child, she knows what she has to do to recover and what NOT to do, Zeb found Hera's warnings unnecessary, it wasn't like he was going to be the babysit a girl, right? However, he had to give a guarantee that everything would be fine under his command:

I heard it loud and clear, captain - Zeb made the gesture of salute, following the orders.

Perfect - Hera said a little more calmly - Well, we're going, good luck here. As Hera walked away, Kanan followed closely behind and Sabine passing through the lasat said:

Hold on tight Captain Orrelios - And Ezra, who came right after, said to him:

Judgment, okay? No strong emotions, remember?.- Teased the blue-haired teenager. Zeb with a growl said: -Ugh, see if it grows, kid!-He raised his arm and shook it as if he was expelling Ezra, he just turned his back and continued laughing. Now that Ghost was gone, there was only him left. Or that's what he thought, AP 5 had emerged right behind saying that the team had abandoned him right there and left him in charge of everything and argued that Zeb was too violent and brutish to do the task of Inventory, making him growl in anger at the fact that he felt offended by the droid thinking he didn't know how to count charges. Zeb remembered that Y/N was at the base's command post "Well, I'm going to see how that girl is doing, she shouldn't be any more trouble than those old cans" he thought disgustedly and pushing AP 5 aside he went to the desired location:

I don't have time for that! I'm going to the Command Post. - He communicated without details, but the droid asked what he would do there. But will it be possible? Did he already say where he was going and needed to say something more??? Ironically the Captain said:

Let's see, I'll have a good time, since I'm partially the owner of the whole thing and I'll invite Y/N to participate and you'll be the butler. - AP innocently wanted to know: -

Is it really serious??- Said the droid with confused circuits. Zeb responded without delay and, turning his back to the droid, threw his arms up and shouted irritably: -I'M GOING TO COMMAND!!! - He said leaving him behind, on the way he was anxious to see someone not at all annoying and irritating who was in the Command Center waiting for him, but she didn't know she was expected. ***

You were helping a cadet manipulate a small blaster and shoot metal dummies exposed in front of him: -That's right, relax, don't be afraid to shoot, the blaster is only lethal when used by the enemy. - It can shoot the target perfectly, you say proudly - Very good, keep it up, have more confidence. knowing that everything is fine, heading to the holo messaging bench you rest your arms on the table, while no one watches, you check the surgical points located on your right breast, observing it through the neckline of your blouse (In one of the battles involving exchange of blaster shots, one of the shots hit close to his heart, narrowly missing an important artery.

Luckily for you, the surgery was a success and now the rehabilitation depended on you.) "I can't do much, I can't carry weight, run or beat up any Imperialist" you think with a yellow face, a little break from the Rebellion it wasn't that bad per say, but it felt more like a forced withdrawal, not because she wanted to take time off, but because her doctor said she needed time off. She felt a little helpless because she couldn't do much to help the galaxy out there, being useful was what would do him good at that moment, so at the very least she was filling gaps in that base, little things, like checking the security of the base or helping a lost cadet, nothing grand perhaps. Well, Y/N noticed that the stitches healed with flying colors due to the effectiveness of the bacta applied as a bandage. Yes, everything was fine and you knew that your heart beats in a healthy way, because someone made it beat in a perfect rhythm: when you turn around, you come across the figure of the lasat that you like so much, right behind you.

- I hope I didn't scare that heart.

As Garazeb advanced to the post, he observed you with your back resting on the table, "probably checking a message" he laughed quietly, he would keep an eye on her, yes, but not in the sense that Hera had asked, because Y/N, despite being sweet, she was tough when falling and knew how to take care of herself very well. At least being close to her would be a relief during Ghost's absence. Without asking for permission, the humanoid was positioned behind and Y/N seemed to have noticed Zeb approaching behind her, making her turn and smile in front of the tall figure. :

-I hope I didn't scare that heart. - Zeb says smiling - How are you, girl? -. You respond vehemently:

-Scare ? pff- laughed- remember that I'm very much alive and my heart beats well, very well and thank you- you cross your arms below your chest, making them raise them a little. Zeb still continues looking into her eyes and says:

You scared all of us in that medical tent, you know? You were very strong there.- Lasat praised.- But I confess that I thought I would go crazy if the doctors didn't do something for you that night- He spoke worriedly, placing his hand on his bald head. You stand on tiptoe to counter Zeb:

Well, guess what: The empire will need to do better to get rid of me, do they think I'm that easy to get rid of? - You say confidently.

Look, I trust you, the strength of your wrist and what you do against the empire, true, but do me a favor. - Zeb asks.

Say it…- you consent without delay, smiling. With his enormous size, Zeb holds your small hips with both hands without any difficulty and lifts you up, making your body give a slight spasm due to the sudden action, he has just placed you sitting on the table so that you are equal to Facing him, you lean back a little on impulse. Then he asks with his arms crossed and leaning in front of you:

Make sure you don't leave this team, ok? and don't leave me, otherwise I'll be very upset with you Y/N.- He said hoarsely, pretending to be upset. You look at him and at the same time hold on to the table, despite feeling sure of yourself, it wasn't what your heartbeat said about you, Zeb has always been your beloved lasat from Ghost and mission partner and always the reason for being ready for whatever comes and comes and someone who enjoys fighting alongside. Despite him messing with you, you respond sweetly and firmly:

Can I do it, I won't and I would hate to see you upset at my funeral…

Don't play with me like that, girl, I'm serious. - Zeb grunted - You're too young for this wake nonsense, and you're the one who's going to bury me…

Zeb, why is that? - you want to know and bite your left lip - is it because of your age? - Zeb reacts a little dumbfounded:

And what does my age have to do with Y/N?

I don't know, Zeb, you tell me, with this talk that I'm going to bury you first… I don't know, you talk as if I were too young to die…

But you are Y/N - Zeb says vehemently - You got into all this too soon - Zeb opens his arms referring to The Cause.

Okay, but what about Sabine? - you argue

I'm not talking about Sabine, I'm talking about you, girl- Zeb says seriously

Okay again. And Sabine? Don't you think she got into it either… - you also open your arms - too soon? and it's been 3 years Garazeb, we're growing in this, you know? So we kind of have the maturity to take risks…

Once again, I'm talking about you, you matter to me, understand? I don't know what's going to happen in an hour, because in a war you expect everything to happen at all times, but I wouldn't want something to happen to you…

Okay Zeb, but you speak as if you deserve to perish on the way - you say, raising an eyebrow and rolling your eyes from right to left, like a clock's pendulum.

You have your life ahead of you, you will definitely make plans when this is over…- He insists, you didn't like how that conversation was going. wasn't appreciating the fact that he didn't think his life mattered and that he didn't prioritize himself. You took Zeb's hand and left it to yourself:

And you do too, Zeb, just because of the pathetic fact that you're someone… - you don't want to involve his age group and you just say - vivid and experienced, doesn't mean that you don't have anything else to do after all that. Not everything revolves around the navel of this war and… if you let me tell you, you are in my "After the War".- You guide the lasat's hand to your chest where your heart organ is located.- … Garazeb Orrelios.- You conclude by delicately speaking every word of his name. the Humanoid looking and reacting to the dialogue, touched, even though it wasn't very clear to his ears, these words moved deep within his soul, Zeb didn't understand much about matters of the heart and it wasn't about the cardiorespiratory system but something related to affection, love. Zeb was usually embarrassed about matters of love, but at this time he felt uninhibited with discomfort. Y/N still holds his hand and press against her chest, he looks at his hand and feels Y/N's heartbeats and they weren't slow, they were fast and capable of pumping feelings. He finally says something:

I think I understand this time…- making you smile, looking at him warmly.

I thought the loth cat had eaten your tongue, Big Guy… - When both discovered that could dare at that moment…

Captain Orrelios.-a rebel officer from Alderaan appears at the command post, making you stop immediately, Zeb moves away from you and you immediately get down from the holo messages table, you can hear a "karabarst" followed by a snort Coming from Zeb, he was certainly upset, but they knew the officer wasn't to blame, after you pretended to fix your hair and dust off your shirt and Zeb cleared his throat, the official question:

Am I in the way, Captain? - Zeb and Y/N look at each other and then pretend that nothing happened, Orrelios composes himself and responds formally:

no way .Something wrong with that ?

You were informed that a supposed comet had damaged the equipment that repels the giant spiders, despite the soldier offering to check, Zeb himself was ready to go to the location. You who until now listened, on your own, you set yourself the task:

Zeb, prepare the car, let's go take a look.

And who said you were going? - he asks, making you look at him reproachfully. - I don't know if it would be a good idea for you to come…

And why not ? It's just a broken device.

Because…- Zeb starts but is interrupted by you:

If you dare say it's because I'm having surgery, the weather is getting dark, I'm warning you. - Zeb makes a face, because that's exactly what he was going to say.

To begin with, it's because of that, I don't know if it's a good idea to take this road and secondly, we don't know for sure if it really was a comet that damaged our equipment… -Zeb, what is it? This doesn't even compare to what we did in the open field fighting, it's just a silly check up and besides you might need me…

Y/N for ASHLA - pleads Zeb with a dizzy expression - I know you're very big but Hera gave me direct orders that you can't suffer strong emotions, nor get stressed, and if a spider appears…?

Zeb, stop, you said I can't stress but you're already irritating me, those damn spiders are the biggest thing around here and… since when are you going to give me orders?

Let me see… since I was put in command?- The lasat speaks with his pseudo-eyebrows furrowed looking at you.

Zeb… leave it, leave it, leave it… - You ask, grabbing his biceps. Zeb looked at you a little fearfully and then looked down at your surgical stitches, deciding whether it was worth letting you go or not, she had been discharged for days and even though you were reacting well to the bacta, he didn't want to lose her. Why was he being so silly? He thought about why this exaggerated concern, did you know the risks every day and why has it changed now? "These things about the heart are really complicated…" he made a brief reflection, sighing loudly, "even more complicated for someone who isn't even the right size…". His daydreams fell apart with you asking:

Are you cool? - but he got no response, as the inventory droid AP5 and Chopper appeared discussing the subject of counting crates. Zeb, who still didn't give him satisfaction, simply summoned the astromech for the task, which he denied with serious "beeps". You were upset and replied: -Wait, is he going? and I dont ?? you are kidding…

It can, because if this unfortunate thing breaks, it can be fixed.- The lasat argued, making Chopper beep desperately, at that moment he said - Hey, I didn't say something is going to happen to you…- and Chopper beeps more and more, but then he jokes, smiling Machiavellianly - still… - Chopper spun around and was shouting, showing that he was irritated with the humanoid, Zeb slapped the droid's bodywork - Stop complaining, wheelie bin and let's go… or you Would you prefer to join AP5 in the arsenal? - Zeb suggested looking at AP who seemed to want company for his inventory, making Chopper quickly change his mind, Garazeb laugh - that's what I thought. - But there was still one thing missing: what about you? you pestered Zeb to join the mission:

Are you going to leave me here? with…- points to AP 5- him?, nothing against him and not counting crates but I would really prefer something more outdoors.- unfortunately for you, AP 5 sees you and seems happy:

Thank the Creator, I found you Y/N, and the heart? How are you? - he approaches with quick droid steps, making Zeb roll his eyes, you, somewhat cornered, respond:

Ah…it's going well, I feel better every day.- You respond with a silly smile

Good, do you know what would be good for you?

No AP, I don't know what would make me better…

Help me with the inventory of loads that are in stock.

Oh, I don't even know if I'm suitable, you know… - you divert - I'm a bit of a loser when it comes to these things, I'm human, not AP, you know… - You give Zeb a 'help' expression, but the same gives a few muffled laughs.

But I'll help you, girl - The droid proposed, motivated to teach you. You speak kind of stuttering:

Ah… errr… but I…

Perfect ! I'm going to get the clipboard - Without letting you speak, he walks away, leaving you helpless and making you sigh in frustration:

Arrgh but I didn't want to, I said I'm human.- Zeb ironically, says with his hands on his hips:

And then I'm the one who doesn't know how to count.- and he looks at you with a frown, feigning humor:

Ha, ha, ha, wow, I'm just laughing here… you're bad, you're going to abandon me here, right? - You ask with a pout, Zeb still with one hand on his hip, puts the other on his temple and snorts, Without a choice he takes her holding her hand:

Karabarst, and I think it's good for you to take care of yourself, to be well? I'm not your babysitter…- and together they go to the car.

Of course it's not, Uncle Zeb, you can let me know that I won't do anything that could kill me…

Uncle!? - he exclaims intrigued - I don't believe I lived to hear that… - Zeb groans in disgust -Wow, he's feeling it…- you say with a little pity.

Please don't repeat that… -Uncle?

Stop. - Zeb says smugly - Do you want to go back? - He squeezes your wrist a little, making you laugh.

Okay, okay, I stopped, I stopped- But you repeat the word, just moving your lips and laughing. He hears you laughing he says:

What you are doing, you better stop.

By God and who said I was making fun of you?

You know what… your mind is a devilish child… and thinking about it, I don't just think you suffer at the hands of AP 5, he's very talkative… - Zeb opens the car door for you to get in - Get in quickly There, go- and Chopper gets in the back seat.

He's not bad at all, he's just a little chatty and sometimes says a lot about what he thinks about other people… - you settle into the seat.

Only sometimes? - Zeb asks with sarcasm on his face, as he adjusts the driver's seat, since he was a very spacious creature, and starts the car.

Ah, go easy on him… - you put on your seat belt.

Karabarst, No comments..

So let's go quickly before he comes back and you'll hear a lot, but a lot, a lot.

Okay, sure there, girl.- And finally, the vehicle comes to life, steering and gradually moving away from the base. ***

Really Zeb, you're really old-school, right? - You were on the arid road to Attolon, the car radio was tuned to the channel chosen by Zeb, Joe Cocker's "Unchain my heart" was playing, it was a lively melody despite the artist's voice sounding hoarse and dramatic.

What can I say, I'm from the golden age, I was a giant child when I played on the radio in Lasan.

Were you born more than 50 years ago? - You ask, smiling - Because that's about how old this song must be… - Zeb, with his hands on the steering wheel, looks at you with a frown and a smile on the side of his mouth and then rolls his eyes:

Spare me Y/N… and enjoy the trip and the quality sound - Chopper in the back seat beeps mockingly, making the lasat notice - And you shut up, it's quality. - Against your will, the droid remains silent. With your hair blowing in the wind as the vehicle travels along the path, you notice the lyrics:

"Free my heart, darling, let me go, free my heart, because you don't love me anymore"

"God, what a sad song, but the instruments are so festive and happy, it's not even my style" you criticize. But a few seconds later you are approached with a deep, hoarse voice:

you sewed me up like a pillowcase, but you let my love go to waste, you unchained… my heart, you set me free… - Was that Zeb singing? Until the moment you were looking at the scenery, now you focus your gaze on him and you realize that he is excited when you see him with one hand on the tiller and the other on the side of the car, drumming his fingers to every jazz beat . It's funny that you were used to seeing him enjoy his flashback songs, but you'd never seen him sing with so much emotion, well, there's always a first time, as they say. And he didn't stop:

…Oh, set me free. Oh woman, why don't you do this for me. You do not care. wont you let me go…- He practically gave himself away in this part, "Aaaww how cute, he singing as if he was suffering" you reflect affectionately and the interesting thing is that he was singing shamelessly, without knowing how you are reacting, if Whether you think it's ridiculous or not, nothing like that, everything you've seen so far has been very cute and he even has a beautiful voice, even if it's deep, it would serve him well in this song. Unfortunately, the song was ending and he ended with emotion in his voice: -Oh.. you don't care…please…set me free..- when singing, Zeb made an expression of satisfaction, relaxed, his eyes drooping in tranquility and the song ended in a chorus. When it was over, his ears moved as he reacted to her frantic applause and he looked at her smiling - Did you like that?

Clear! a singer among us, ladies and gentlemen- you keep applauding.

It's not bad to see you flatter me.- Zeb says, giving a slight turn with the steering wheel.

silly. - you laugh.- I didn't know you liked singing. -Well, he he, now you know, sweetheart.- Zeb says laughing with his eyes on the road feeling the soft breeze hitting his face. After a few seconds of silence you lean forward to where the radio is located:

now it's my turn… - when pressing the button, a frantic pop melody plays, Zeb shrinking his eyes always looking at the radio monitor and asks:

Tate Mcrae…?

"I said I'm serious. I tried, but I can't figure it out. I've been next you all night… - Now you were singing Tate McRae's song "Greedy", now it was part of your vibe, surprised Zeb looks at you questioning:

Seriously, now are you going to sing…?

And he realizes that he was ignored when he observes you singing distractedly and agitatedly with your arms raised:

…I would want it myself! baby please believe me! - you sing at the top of your lungs, then you unbutton the belt that kept you safe, Zeb notices:

Hey, what are you doing…?! - And he saw her standing up in the car seat, hoping that chance would protect her while she sang with her hair dancing in the wind and keeping her balance with her arms on her waist, shaking:

I'll put you through hell, just to know me yeah yeah… - You roll to the sound of pop. Garazeb looks at her doing such madness, with his eyes wide open at the scene but keeping control of the driving "Karabarst is really making me get to know her" he reflects watching you from head to toe, but when he remembers that she couldn't take crazy risks, Zeb takes you by the forearm and returns you to the seat, making you sit down hard and emit an "ouch":

Hey ! - you object - it was almost at the best part…

Can you stop ? - He scolds her, looking at the road and you - Yeah, the part where you fall into a moving car? - He grunted.

I was having fun…

Have fun the way you are - It points the indicator to where you were in an "up and down" movement but without losing direction. Your song begins the second part, you continued:

I see you eyein' me down, but you'll never know much past my name… - You shake your shoulders feeling the musical energy and point to your driver who was snorting, realizing that you weren't going to stop singing. -…Or how I running this room around that im still half your age.- You imitate little steps with your two fingers walking through the air and look at him fixedly. Arousing a mocking laugh and a roll of eyes from the lasat, he noticed that you sang beautifully, you had no experience with singing but it was pleasant to his ears and at no point were you out of tune, ironically, he asks:

Are you trying to tell me something or what…?- And he saw that you maintained perfect eye contact without letting your guard down and without any shame with a smile on your face, bringing a slight twist to your stomach, as if you had butterflies inside it. and his mouth was half open. Zeb shakes his head and looks away because he needed to drive and you pointed to your own eyes and his in a playful and feline way:

Yeah you loo, looking at me like I'm some sweet scape. - Zeb felt your figure pointing at him, making him laugh heartily, you touch Zeb's lips with your index finger, making him close his mouth, you slowly descend up to his chin:

Obvious that you want me, but I said I would want myself. Baby please believe me…- you sing happily and see his reaction:

you think you are too much, young lady… - Zeb feels his face being squeezed by her hands:

I'll put you through hell, just to know me yeah yeah…

Hey, slow down, it hurts a little, right?

So sure of yourself, baby don't get greedy - you release him and wave "no" with your finger - That shit won't end well, no, it won't end well… - you conclude, but the song doesn't end yet, with a few more minutes his driver just let himself be carried away by the melody while driving, for him it wasn't a bad song, despite not being to his taste, it was beautiful, fun and danceable, the beats were addictive like sugar and made him start drumming the side of the car following the lyrics, Zeb curiously asks:

Music? - and you creating your own club in the passenger seat responds:

Greedy, from Tate McRae. - biting your lip you wink at him in response.

Do you like being Greedy? - asks Zeb jocular.

And do you like suffering for love, Garazeb suffering Orrelios? - You tease him, reminding him of the previous song. He bluntly responds:

It's not because you sing that, that you're living that…-he looks at her, turning around.

Precisely, my big guy.- You respond and squeeze his swollen biceps, who kept his focus on holding the steering wheel, but focused on her from time to time. Zeb, with just one hand on the steering wheel, allowed the other to lean back on the seat where you were like If he were to surround you and you were involved in the beat, you would continue:

I-Would-Want-Myseeeelf…- You hugged herself while singing.

Yes, you really are the type of woman who likes herself. - He watches her laughing, making a pun.

But not only do I like myself, I care about others besides myself and I care and like you, Zeb. - You smile and he smiles back with his arm resting on your seat, he gives your shoulder a friendly squeeze without hurting it:

I care and like you too Y/N.

I would like myself.- You singing a parody and laugh at him, which he even thinks is cute.

Funny girl. Hey, the music is over. - he says, noticing that there was no sound on the radio.

It's your turn to choose, something in mind?.- you say allowing him to make the choice. Zeb thinks for a few seconds and decides:

Well, would it be okay if we repeat the last song? - He turns a small knob to choose the frequency.

For sure. - You respond excitedly. And the music once again plays starting with the upbeat melody. Who knows, maybe this song will be part of Zeb's flashback playlist now, it really is as addictive as sugar…

#sw rebels #garazeb orrelios x reader #garazeb orrelios fanfic #star wars rebels #garazeb orrelios #rebels fanart #rebels fanfiction #star wars

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dumdumsun · 1 year

Text

To Nightfall

A/N: Happy holidays, y’all! One more chapter!!

Warnings: character death (Klaus, ya know), violence, blood, mentions of blood and death/dying

Word Count: 5130

—————————————

Chapter 19: Oblivion

(Y/N)’s mind was in a frenzy as she barreled down the passageway that glowed in a white patterned light along the walls. She placed her hands on the wall to steady herself so as to not crash into Allison in front of her. She wasn’t certain who was behind her, but she only hoped it was Five or Klaus.

From the front of the line, Lila kicked open the door on the other side of the passageway, the group spilling into the room. Perhaps it was her mind running wild, but (Y/N) was almost certain they had gone in a circle. Despite her limited time in the Buffalo Suite, though, she did notice some differences with the room. The paintings had changed, the furniture was completely different. The biggest difference was the buffalo head that was once over the mantelpiece was now the tail end of a buffalo.

“Let’s never do that again.” Viktor panted.

“What? Narrowly escaped the apocalypse?” Five sarcastically asked.

“Yeah, that’s kind of our thing, isn’t it?” Diego mumbled as he inspected the room, harpoon at the ready. As he returned to the group, Ben was staring at the buffalo before them in wonder, swatting the tail of it with his hand.

“There’s something very wrong about that…”

“Same suite, just ass-backwards.” Lila informed.

“No hyperbole there.” Five frowned.

“This is some hardcore Alice in Wonderland shit.” Ben gasped. Diego tightly smiled.

“Yeah, it only gets weirder.”

From the open door, the final passenger of the caravan bolted into the room. Breathing heavily, Reginald shut the door and leaned against it. “At last,” He breathed. “The other side…”

(Y/N) shook her head and looked around the room. “Hold- Hold on. Where’s Klaus?”

“Children, I’m sorry, but your brother…” He trailed off for a second. “I did all I could, but he didn’t make it through in time. The Kugelblitz has claimed its last victim.”

“Bullshit, he just helped me through! How did you make it and he didn’t?!” She raged. “We’re going back to get him!”

“There’s nothing to go back to, my child.” He went to place a hand on her shoulder, but she moved away quickly, standing at Five’s side, who gently held her as his venomous stare fixated on Reginald. The old man sighed in disappointment. “Children, there will be time for tears later. Right now, we have to keep moving.”

Reginald brushed past them all to leave the room and enter the hotel. When he was gone, everyone took a second to let everything sink in.

“Wait. Luther and Klaus?” Viktor whispered in disbelief. They had lost two more members of their team. It was becoming surreal. More surreal than the incoming apocalypse they had just dodged.

When the lot of them finally decided to follow their father, they all ended up in the lobby. The Hotel Oblivion had much more of a polished hotel decor than Obsidian did, with its shiny checkered floors, lack of tacky furniture, even the pillars shone orange instead of blue.

“You guys should’ve stayed here.” Ben grinned as they walked further into the lobby. “This place is way nicer.”

“Lila and I barely got out alive last time. Remember?”

“Yeah, but I’m here this time, and the numbers are in our favor.”

(Y/N) rolled her eyes at Ben’s smug reply, having enough of his cocky attitude. She much preferred his inebriated self more than the real him. In fact, she preferred her Ben to him.

“Well, whatever it was, it was strong, fast and super pissed.” Lila sighed as they neared the front desk.

“Alright, so, whatever you do, do not ring this bell.” Diego informed, pointing at the brass bell sitting at the desk, a sign with the Japanese language written sitting beside it. “Unless you wanna lose a finger or a tentacle.”

Sloane moved closer to it. “I’ll take my chances-”

“Don’t!” Lila stopped her.

“Get out of my way.”

“To take out this thing, we need to be in the right state of mind.”

At that, a fire crackled in Sloane’s eyes. “State of mind? Do you mean, am I angry? Yes, I am angry. I wanna kill whatever it is that hurt Luther!”

(Y/N) walked up to her sister-in-law and gently placed a hand on her back. “Sloane, we lost both Luther and Klaus. We’re all angry, but if we aren’t careful and smart about this, then we’ll only lose more people. I wanna kill it, too, okay?”

Lila nodded in agreement. “Yeah. When the time is right, we’ll act.”

“Don’t even try it, Five.” Diego called out to his brother, who was approaching the entrance of the hotel, a glaring white light barricaded on the other side. “Doors won’t let you out.”

Five hesitantly walked back to the group as Allison scoffed. “So, what, we’re stuck here?”

“This place is a test and a trap and a means of salvation, all at once.” Reginald spoke.

Viktor motioned towards the bell. “Does anyone know what that sign says?”

“Yeah, it says ‘Do not ring the bell’. That’s what that means.” Diego firmly said.

“We get it, Diego. Bell bad.” Five shrugged. “What do we do? Anybody know?”

A little ways away from them, Reginald had taken out his signature journal as he inspected their surroundings. Everyone’s attention turned to him, awaiting what they hoped was an explanation he was getting to. But he didn’t say anything.

“Reggie?” Allison called out. “Reggie.”

When he didn’t answer, Lila sighed and headed towards the other side of the room. “I’m hungry. Does anyone fancy an unagi roll?”

Ben glared and walked up to her. “How can you possibly eat at a time like this?”

“Shut up, Ben.” (Y/N) mumbled as she walked past him to follow after Lila. Where the alcoholic bar once was now sat a rotating sushi bar, presenting what seemed to be freshly prepared fish. (Y/N) joined Lila at the bar and watched the woman stuff her face for a bit before her curiosity just couldn’t be held back any longer. “Lila?”

“Yeah?”

“We’re friends now, right?”

“Where are you going with this?”

The girl sighed and picked up a piece of sushi. “Are you pregnant?”

Lila nearly choked on her food as she stared at (Y/N) in fear. “What did Diego say to you? Because if he said anything, I swear I’ll-”

“No, no, no.” She shook her head and chewed on the fish in her mouth. “He didn’t say anything.”

“Then how do you know?”

(Y/N) smirked at her. “Lila, I’ve been pregnant twice. I can tell the signs.” She picked up another piece. “Almost every time I’ve seen you, you’ve got food in your mouth and yet, never a drink. Not when we celebrated trapping the Kugel and not at the wedding. Now, we haven’t been friends for long, but you don’t strike me as the type to not drink at all.”

Blinking, Lila swallowed both the lump in her throat and the sushi, but she never stopped eating.

“No wonder Diego’s been so protective of you…” She whispered. “Hey. Bit of advice from a mother to a mother?”

Lila slowly nodded.

“Do whatever you need to do to keep that baby safe,” She gently held her hand. “This is also coming from a childless mother… If we make it out of this, I’d like to meet my niece or nephew.”

A teary smile slowly stretched across Lila’s face before (Y/N) gently patted her hand and hopped off her stool, heading back into the lobby. As she passed Diego, she gave him a proud smile and a nod. She walked right past Reginald without even a glance to him and approached the staircase, where Sloane sat.

The poor woman was trying to clean her blood-stained hands as she sniffled and weeped to herself. (Y/N) saw so much of her past self in Sloane, and she hated that she could empathize with her.

“I’ll help you with that.” She whispered and sat beside her in-law, taking the rag and beginning to clean her hands. It was then that (Y/N) realized that her own hands were also covered in blood. Blinking, she moved the thought away. “I was a widow before I married Five.”

Sloane’s lashes batted the tears out of her eyes and down her cheeks. “You were?”

“Yeah,” (Y/N) nodded, choking on her words as her heart clenched. “I lost my husband and I was left with two very small children who I was not ready to raise alone. I wasn’t strong enough for them, you know? I-I fell into depression and I just… I ignored everything. My responsibilities, my career… the two of them. They didn’t deserve that. They needed me more than ever…”

(Y/N) fell silent for a moment to collect herself. She had never, ever talked to anyone about her neglect towards Michael and Jada. Not even Allison, who was always there for her after Anthony’s death. Now that she was admitting out loud what a horrible mother she thought she was, the sinking in her stomach only plummeted deeper, eating away at her to make her feel even more empty.

She supposed this was her karma after all those times she tuned out Jada’s crying, after all those times she pretended not to hear Michael on a late night complain about how hungry he was. She didn’t deserve her children.

She came back to herself when she realized that the pity party she was throwing was not meant for her, and turned back to Sloane. “What I’m trying to say is that no one gets to tell you how strong you need to be, okay? Because they can say whatever they want, look at you in any way, but nothing can truly prepare you to lose someone you love… I’m kinda losing track at this point. It feels like my whole family is dying.”

“My whole family did die…”

(Y/N) let out a silent sigh before wrapping her arms around Sloane and pulling her close. Sloane sniffled and clung to the girl as more tears cascaded down her face.

From the other side of the room sat Five and Viktor, quietly conversing with one another. “Nah, it’s like the old man said.” The boy whispered, his eyes on Reginald, who was still walking about the lobby. “Once is happenstance, twice is coincidence, and three times ain’t gonna happen ‘cause I’m not a gibbering idiot.”

“Well, we can’t be sure he killed Klaus or Luther.”

“You serious? This is his modus operandi. We’ve seen this before. Have you forgotten how we all came together in the first place?”

Viktor sighed as his face fell. “Dad’s funeral.”

“Exactly. He pulled this on you rubes before, and he’s doing it again now.”

“Come on, Five…”

“No. He lost the vote to come through the tunnel, yet here we are.”

Viktor shook his head, not wanting to believe what he was afraid he believed. “Are you really sure that he could kill Luther?”

“I think he could kill Luther, Klaus and the rest of us without breaking a moral sweat. And what’s worse, I think Allison is involved.”

“No, no.” Viktor scoffed, the both of them turning to look where Allison was joining Sloane and (Y/N) on the former’s other side.

Sloane sighed and slowly sat up as Allison cleaned her hands. “I hate to say the things everyone says.”

“Mourning in cliché is the last thing you need to worry about.” Allison rasped, (Y/N) sending her a warning look.

“I know everything is ending,” Sloane sniffled. “...but I thought we’d be together when it happened. I didn’t even get to say goodbye.”

Allison and (Y/N) shared a look before the former gently took Sloane’s hand into hers, wiping it clean with her rag. “I got to say goodbye… to my daughter… and my husband. (Y/N) got to say goodbye to her kids.” She gently spoke. “But it wasn’t enough. And I think she can agree.”

“She’s right. It’s not enough…” (Y/N) whispered tearfully.

“Feelings are just… They’re too big for words. Luther loved you… to the moon and back.”

The three softly chuckled at Allison’s sweet attempt at a joke.

“You made him so happy, Sloane,” (Y/N) gently kissed her cheek. “In all my life, I’ve never seen him smile as bright as he smiled at you.”

Neither of the two noticed how Allison met Reginald’s eyes.

“No, she… she was with Sloane in the tunnel.” Viktor whispered as he watched Allison comfort Sloane.

Five tilted his head slightly. “I’m not talking about Klaus.”

“Luther…? What? No, she would never do that.”

“She’s been unraveling since we got to this timeline.”

“Yeah, she lost her daughter.”

“And she killed Harlan.”

Viktor frowned deeper. “(Y/N) almost killed Dad. She lost her kids and she watched herself die twice. She’s not unraveling?”

“(Y/N) is absolutely losing her mind, but she hasn’t taken any of her pain or anger out on us like Allison has. Dad deserved what he got from her, Allison is the one siding with him. Do not compare them.”

Viktor blinked at the offense in Five’s tone and turned his head back to watch Allison now cleaning (Y/N)’s hands. “Even if you’re right, I can’t imagine they’re just gonna come clean if we confront them.”

“I agree…”

Once her hands were free of blood stains, (Y/N) gave both Sloane and Allison a cheek kiss before descending the staircase. She was just about to head over to Five and Viktor when she caught Ben in her peripheral. He was in another seating area, anxiously wringing his hands as he tracked Reginald’s every move. She knew that look. It was a look her Sparrow self gave him. It was a look she and her siblings gave him when they were young and in his grasp. Ben was still seeking validation from him.

With a sigh, she abandoned her original agenda and walked right up to him. “You know, you can stare at him as long as you want. He’ll still be a total dick.”

Ben shot up to his feet with a heated look. “Excuse me?”

“What, you disagree?”

“He is my father. He’s your father, too. The difference between you and me is respect.”

“He was never a father, Ben!” She quietly hissed so as to not cause a scene. “He was just a man who adopted us! Didn’t you care about your (Y/N)?”

“Of course, I did!” He snapped back in her volume.

“Then why are you still following Reginald? After everything he put her through?”

Ben looked away. “He said it was never his intention to hurt her.”

“Good or ill intent, he still broke her. Even when she was freed from the basement, she was still in his grasp.” (Y/N) blinked back her tears. “That’s the issue with abuse, Ben. You can never truly escape it. But you need to break free now more than ever, because whatever he told you, he didn’t tell you everything. Whatever he’s got planned is only for his benefit, and I know you know that.”

His eyes didn’t leave her even when she walked away to join her husband and brother elsewhere. However, his attention was stolen by Reginald when the man ascended a flight of stairs wordlessly. Ben stood and followed him with furrowed brows. When he reached the top, he saw Reginald examining a grandfather clock, he and Allison having a hushed and heated argument. When they noticed his presence, they ceased their talking, Allison moving past him with a bump to his shoulder. He ignored it and set his eyes on his father.

“What was that all about?”

“That’s none of your concern.” Reginald answered as he scribbled in his journal.

“Not my concern? We’re here now, in the Hotel Oblivion. Just like you wanted. I made that happen.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Reginald snapped his book shut. “Allison killed Harlan, and I united the families. What did you do, Number Two?”

He left his son behind and returned back to the lobby. “Gather around, children. Now that we’ve had a chance to catch our breath, the real work can begin.”

Five stood from his seat as everyone collected at the center of the lobby. “Ah, the myth of the seven bells, eh?”

“Exactly. Somebody’s been paying attention.”

“Okay, so we find the bells, then what?” Diego asked.

“No, no, no, no.” Reginald shook his head. “The bells are just a metaphor for this.” He held up his journal to show off a drawing sketch along the pages.

(Y/N) squinted her eyes to get a better look. “A sigil?”

“Correct, my child.”

“Don’t call me that.”

He hesitated, but continued. “The sigil is the key to the seven bells. Once we find this symbol, we’re one step closer to resetting the universe.”

“What do we do when we find it?” Sloane quietly asked.

“I don’t know.”

A collective gasp sounded as Viktor stepped forward. “Excuse me? We’re here because you said you have a plan.”

“I do. Up to a point.”

Lila snickered. “Great. So, we’ll just stay in the hotel forever, staring at the walls and eating bad sushi.”

“Finding the sigil is our only way out of here and the best chance we have of resetting the universe.” Allison spoke up.

“Funny how you and Dad are on the same page again.” Five narrowed his eyes at her. Allison glared at him, which caused Viktor’s want to deescalate the situation before it got ugly.

“Okay, uh, where do we start?”

Reginald perked up. “We’ll split into groups. I will go with Allison and Sloane, Ben, Five and (Y/N) with Viktor.”

“No, we want Allison.”

Five nodded with a sly smile. “Ben for Allison. We’ve trained together, so it makes sense if we take Allison.”

Allison clenched her jaw and scoffed. “Yeah. No, thanks.”

“Why not?” (Y/N) raised a brow, truly confused as to why Allison didn’t want to team with them. Allison looked at her, speechless.

“Splendid idea!” Reginald piped up. “Allison, you go with the Umbrellas. Sparrows, stick together. Everyone take a different floor. We must find that sigil.”

“What about us?” Diego called out.

“You’re a duo.” He waved them off. “Nobody wants to listen to your endless bickering. Now, spread out, leave no stone unturned, and meet back here in thirty minutes.”

Three floors above, the Umbrella team entered one of the bedrooms, Allison and (Y/N) beginning to look through drawers for any sign of a sigil. “Someone went through a lot of trouble to hide this thing.” Allison said.

“How big is it supposed to be?” Viktor asked as he wandered the room.

“You know, dear old Reg didn’t say.”

Five hummed. “Really? Hm. That’s surprising. I figured you’d know more about his plan.”

Allison slowly turned to her brother. “Sorry, what’s that supposed to mean?”

(Y/N) straightened with a frown. “Guys, what’s going on?”

“I saw you and him in the White Buffalo Suite during the wedding.”

“Wait,” She stepped closer with wide eyes. “She’s the person you saw with him?”

Viktor sighed. “I don’t know if now’s the right time-”

Allison interrupted him. “You know, I heard that you blacked out last night.”

“I did, and it took me awhile to remember what I saw, but I do remember, Allison.” Five stalked closer to her with an accusatory finger pointed. “You and Dad made some kind of deal. What did you agree to?”

“A deal?”

“Mmhm.”

“With Dad? Please, tell me you’re joking.”

Viktor stared down. “He’s not…”

At his agreeance, (Y/N) crossed her arms and glared at her sister. “Answer the question, Allison.”

Allison chuckled and turned to her sister. “Oh, you, too? See, this is exactly what I meant,” Her finger waved between the married couple before she turned back to Five. “You’re out of your mind.”

Five leaned closer. “You and Dad make a deal, now Luther is dead.”

“Okay… Luther was killed by whatever the hell that thing is.”

“And Klaus?”

“He didn’t make it into the tunnel.”

But Five didn’t believe her for a second. Neither did his wife. “You know, your deal is costing people their lives.”

“Do you really think that I made a deal with Dad to kill Luther and Klaus?”

She looked between her siblings, and while none of them answered, their expressions said enough. Viktor guiltily avoided her gaze, (Y/N) was still measuring her with her eyes and Five continued to stare her down with an unwavering certainty. She was losing them.

“I’m done.” She moved past them to leave the room. “I’ll meet you in the lobby.”

“Hey… Hey, wait, no.” Viktor sighed and then scoffed at Five before hurrying to catch up with his sister. “Allison. No, just listen to me.”

Five shook his head and looked to his wife, who was frustratedly tapping her foot. “So, her apology to me was bullshit, huh?”

“Afraid so, my love.” He swiftly brought her hand into his and began out the room. “Let’s go before we lose ‘em.”

When the two stepped out of the room, something (actually, many things) were off. For one, the hallway was much smaller than it was before. Five called out for his siblings as he walked towards one end of the hall up to a plant that was not there before. (Y/N) rushed up to the other end of the hall, where three paintings hung on the wall. She pushed against them in case they would lead her into another secret room, but the wall didn’t budge.

“Okay, what the hell is going on?”

“Now the real fun starts.” Five clicked his tongue and walked back into the very different bedroom they had just exited. (Y/N) followed him in, dread settling into her heart when she realized they were now on the fifth floor.

On the third floor, Allison was still storming away from Viktor. “No, I’m done with the three of you and your conspiracy theories.”

“Come on. Just listen to me-”

“Why should I?!” Allison whirled on him after pressing the elevator button. “Huh?! You’re the ones who voted to stay and die. You’re the ones who said to hell with family and the whole universe. I’m the only one fighting to save both.”

“We just need to know what Dad is planning before more of us get killed.”

Allison, once she realized they were two people short, moved past Viktor to look around the corner. “Where the hell are Five and (Y/N)?”

Viktor followed. “They were right behind me. Five?” He walked back down the hall in search of his siblings. He stopped in the doorway of the bedroom, but neither of them were there. “(Y/N)?”

Back on the fifth floor were Sloane and Ben, the former moving picture frames in search of the sigil while the latter leaned against the wall and ridiculed her. “Ooh, don’t forget to check under the plants.”

“Get off your ass and start inspecting the walls for hidden compartments.” She sharply spoke. Ben pushed himself off the wall and knocked on it.

“Hey, uh… here’s a wall and, uh…” He knocked on another. “Oh, here’s another wall.”

She rolled her eyes and opened a door to one of the rooms. “What the hell is wrong with you? People are dying left and right, and you’re acting like a sulky teenager.”

“You sound just like Dad.” He growled as she moved to another room. At his retort, she whipped her head back to him and shut the door.

“Why is it so important for Dad to like you? He doesn’t define you or us. We made our own mark in this world without him.”

“As the Sparrow Academy, but they’re gone now.”

“He was never a Sparrow! He was our dad, and a shitty one at that! You don’t need him.”

He sneered. “Easy for you to say when you’ve already got a new family.”

She deeply inhaled as her lip quivered, pointing a finger at him. “And the best part of that family just died.”

Their argument was interrupted when Five and (Y/N) rounded the corner, hand-in-hand. “I can’t believe I’m saying this,” Five started as his wife went up to Sloane and shared a hug with her. “I’m actually glad to see you guys.”

“What’s wrong?” Sloane looked down at her.

“There’s something seriously wrong with this hotel. We were just two floors down and now we’re here the next second. It’s like the place is alive.”

Ben frowned. “We should get to the lobby.”

“Tried it.” Five shook his head. “Whatever direction we choose, we end up in the same spot.”

“Or maybe you two have no sense of direction.”

(Y/N) bristled. “Alright, douchebag, lead the way.”

Ben gave her a look before doing just that, the teens parting to make room for him. They let Sloane in front of them before they joined hands and followed them. On the third floor, Allison and Viktor were looking for the two of them, calling out in hopes they’d call back.

“(Y/N)?”

“Five?” Viktor called before sighing. “Where are they?”

“How the hell am I supposed to know?!” Allison hissed.

“Come on. We can’t keep doing this.” He stopped the both of them. “Please, how do we get back to the way things were? You know, before that fake apology and-”

“And the lies?”

Viktor nearly groaned in frustration. “Allison, come on. How do we do that?”

She stopped and stared at him for a second, biting her lip before she inhaled. “I don’t know that we can.”

Suddenly, the entire hotel shook and rumbled, the lights above them glowing a bright yellow as the ceiling lamps swayed with the force of the shaking. They planted their feet to keep from falling and surveyed the area around them, the air shifting as an ominous tone settled within the many halls of the hotel.

“We should get back to the lobby.” Allison led Viktor back where they came from. “Which one of our moronic siblings do you think rang the damn bell?”

A few feet ahead, a figure broke through the wall and stood before them. This figure was large in stature, covered in armor with a mask-like face covering in the shape of a tiger on its face. Before either could react, it swiped its large ax through the air and cut into Allison’s arm, sending her to the ground with a gut-wrenching wail of pain.

“Allison!” Viktor cried out. Glaring up at the guardian, he summoned his blue energy and blasted it to him, sending the armor-clad figure down the hallway and skidding across the floor. Immediately, Viktor dropped to the ground to help up his sister and get her as far away as possible. “Allison, we gotta go! Allison, get up! Let’s go!”

The guardian twirled his ax in the air before darting after them. On a different floor, the quartet had rounded a corner the same time as another guardian. This one looked similar to the first, only its mask was different and it held a katana rather than an ax. Spotting its targets, it snarled and swiped its katana through the air, holding it up at the ready.

“Really? A samurai?” Ben deadpanned.

This must have been it. The thing that killed Luther. Sloane tried to remember Diego’s description of the possible weapon used, but all she could remember was “blade”. That was all she needed. With a war cry, she charged up to the guardian. It headed right for her, but before it could send its blade into her, she flipped around it, ending up behind the guardian. It turned around and swiped its katana down, but halted when Sloane used her power to stop it. It was clear that she was struggling, though. She was going to need help.

“Revenge looks good on her.” Ben smirked. Five and (Y/N) rolled their eyes.

“Would you shut up and help us kill this thing?” The boy scoffed as he went up to an ax hanging on one of the doors. He grabbed it and went to blink closer to the guardian, but stopped when (Y/N) grabbed ahold of it. His eyes widened in astonishment when she duplicated the weapon. “Where the hell did you learn that?”

She smiled before sending her ax into the wall next to her. From its shadow, she pulled out a duplicate of that ax, along with a clone of herself from her own shadow, its hands tightly clutching the weapon as it was summoned from the wall. (Y/N) turned to Five and cocked her head.

“My sister taught me.”

Ben leaned against the wall and watched the three lunge for the guardian, hacking axes and manipulating gravity in an attempt to defeat it. Below them, Viktor was assisting Allison in hurriedly rushing down halls to get to safety. When he saw the sign for the spa, he urged her forward. “Here, here. Go, go, go.”

She ran inside and leaned against a pillar, holding her bleeding shoulder in agony. Behind her, Viktor shut the door and rushed her towards the back of the spa, behind the last tub. “We need… We need to tie off that wound.”

Allison whimpered and groaned as Viktor acquired a towel. “You were right, okay? I made a deal with Dad.”

Viktor ripped the towel and looked up at her. “Luther and Klaus?”

“No, I had nothing to do with that. I swear.” She winced. Viktor quickly wrapped the towel around her arm and tied it roughly, Allison crying out.

“Why tell me now?”

“Because I need you to believe me, okay?” She panted as he let go. “That I did this for all of us. Luther and Klaus, too.”

He shook his head. “What did he offer you?”

“I need you to trust me.” She whispered. “Look at me. If we get through this, everything’s gonna be okay.”

The door to the spa fell in, granting access to the guardian. This one was different, though. Yet again, it had a different mask and held a chain. One end of the chain held a mace, and the other end held a sickle. It swung the end with the mace before sending it forward, blowing the tub to pieces when it crashed into it. Allison and Viktor split ways and flew out of different exits to avoid the blast.

“Viktor?” Allison called out from the ninth floor.

“Allison?” Viktor called out from the fourth floor.

—————————————

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americancowgirl19 · 2 years

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The Witch and Star

Summary: You’ve returned to your family in the disguise of their coven mate Star in a mission to finally destroy Max.

Warnings: angst, magic, blood, fluff, body possession

Reader: Female Reader

Pairings: Poly!Lost Boys x Female Reader

Word Count: 5490

A/n: I REALLY didn’t want to do this BUT I’m gonna have to make ANOTHER part to this. The third part will be the conclusion and if I make a fourth it will just be fluff and smut if anybody wants that. I’m so sorry it took forever to write THIS part and I’m going to make an effort to not make you wait so long for the next one. I hope you all enjoy this and PLEASE tell me what you think!

PS I tagged who I thought would want to be tagged, if you don’t want to be tagged please let me know and I promise no hard feelings! If you DO want to be tagged let me know!

@thelostboys-posts @piscesnyx @stickywinnerpastabakery

Part One - The Hybrid and Her Mates

Part Three - Spells and Chaos

Masterlist

“For the past week Star has had this reoccurring dream. At first, she had trouble remembering it when she woke up but now it was clear to her. Well, the dream was clear but it’s meaning was still lost on her.

The dream always took place just outside of Santa Carla. There’s this beautiful girl with alluring eyes and a sweet smile. Everything about her is inviting. When Star wakes up all she wants is to meet this woman. Every hour she’s awake there’s this urge to leave Santa Carla in search for her but she can’t be real right? It’s just a dream.

She’s thought about confiding in one of the boys but always brushes the idea off. They hardly cared about her, so why would they care about what’s going on in her mind?

By the middle of the second week Star can’t hold back anymore. She just has to go to this spot she’s been dreaming about. She needs to meet this woman.

It’s hard to leave Santa Carla. Despite the urge to find this woman Santa Carla will always have a leash on her. A pull that keeps her from running away that gets stronger every time she gets close to the border of the small town. But tonight, the need to find this woman overpowers the pull to stay in town.

When Star finally arrives, she can’t help but feel a little bit silly. There’s no one around. It’s just her, the trees, and the ocean. You could see the pier in the distance and faintly hear the screaming of those on the rollercoasters.

What was she thinking? Of course, the woman doesn’t exist. It’s just a figment of her imagination.

“I was wondering how much longer I would have to wait for you to come find me,”

Star swirls around. She’s met with darkness. Great, Star thinks, now I’m hearing things.

“You’re not hearing things,” The voice reassures her. There’s a pause before the voice continues. “I just have to be certain you’re alone,” It whispers.

“I am,” Star says, her eyes surveying her surroundings. “Who are you?” She asks, her voice kind and welcoming. She hopes to coax the person out of their hiding spot.

“Someone who can help,” it says vaguely. “Someone who can help you escape Max,” it whispers from behind her. This time, when Star spins around, there’s a woman.

It’s you; the woman from her dreams. Your eyes are just as captivating and smile every bit as inviting as Star remembers. Within seconds Star feels as if she can truly trust you but she forces herself to be weary since the last person she trusted changed her life for the worse.

“Who are you?” Star asks again, her voice half demanding half curious.

“Y/n,” You introduce yourself. You take in her appearance. She’s beautiful, you won’t deny that. Beautiful with a gentle heart. She doesn’t exactly seem like your mate’s type, but you can’t help but to wonder; after all the years you’ve been gone have, they found someone to fill the void you left?

“I’ve dreamed of you,” She whispers. “A-and of this place!” She adds quickly. “What is this? I don’t understand,” Star groans, running a frustrated hand through her hair.

“Of course, you dreamed of me and this place... How else was I supposed to get you to come meet me here?” You ask, tilting your head. Star’s eyebrows pinch together as the confusion only grows.

“Who are you?!” She snaps stepping away from you feeling fear creep up her spine.

“That answer is more complicated than you realize,” You state, fiddling with your thumbs. “I guess I should start off with the fact that I’m Max’s sister,” Star’s jaw drops.

“Max?” Star deadpans staring at you.

“Unfortunately, yes,” You nod with a tight-lipped grin. “I understand that he’s in the process of forcing you into vampirism,” You observe. Star becomes visibly uncomfortable, and you know you hit the hammer on the head. “I want to prevent that. I want to give you your life back,”

“That’s not possible,” Star whispers, her gaze turning to the ocean. You notice that despite her being in the in between stage of vampirism she has come to terms with what she believes to be the inevitable.

“It is,” you tell her gently. You move to her side and gently grab her hand bringing her attention back to you. “I can return your humanity to you. You can leave this place and never have to look over your shoulder again,” You promise.

“They’ll never let me go,” She whispers, her eyes misting over. You release a soft sigh and cup her cheek as if you were a mother comforting a child.

“They will,” you assure her. “But this isn’t something I can do alone. I will need your help. I will need you to be strong and very brave. You must do everything I tell you. Put your trust in me and you will have your freedom,” You vow.

“Tell me how,” Star says, you pull your hands from her. “How is it possible?... And what do I need to do?”

“When a sire dies any person that has started the transition but has yet to complete it will return to their mortal form,” You explain to her. “You and that precious child are not fully fledged vampires yet. Once Max dies, you both will be free,” You promise.

“And Michael?” She asks. “He will be free as well, right?”

“Michael?” You ask, frowning your eyebrows.

“He’s been hanging around the boys for a while,” She explains. “Max wants him and his family,” Your eyes darken as you instantly recognize Max’s fucked up plan. It wouldn’t be the first time he’s attempted this but you know it will be the last.

“As long as he doesn’t complete the transition then yes, he will be fine,” you reassure her. Star visibly relaxes and lets out a long sigh. She nibbles at her lips hesitant to ask her question. You lightly encourage her.

“What about the others? The boys?” She asks.

“What are they to you?” You can’t help but to ask. Star nibbles at her lip a little harder.

“It’s complicated,” She whispers. You fight to stay calm. You didn’t want to scare her off, but you also feared her explanation. You knew you had no right to be possessive, but you couldn’t help it.

“For this to work you need to trust me,” you say. “I need to be ready for everything. Tell me,” You reach for her hand and gently take it into yours once again. “What exactly are they to you?”

“Ever since I joined them, they’ve been protective but not exactly kind. There’re nights where at least one of them will seek me out for... comfort,” She explains. You lower your gaze to hide the anger but keep your grip on her light and gentle.

“Comfort... how?” You whisper your question wondering if you wanted the answer.

“Some night they just needed someone... to hold them I guess.” Star shrugs. Your eyes snap up. “They say my scent comforts them but they won’t tell me why. Then afterwards they usually avoid me... Like I said, it’s complicated.”

You subtly take in a whiff of her scent. You smell faint traces of vanilla and jasmine. Your heart flutters as you recognize the scents. It’s the same scents that you used to wear. It’s the same scents you still wear. They’re much more subtle on her compared to you but you can understand how they take comfort in her.

“So, what will happen to them?” Star asks breaking you from your thoughts. “They’re vampires, not in transition,”

“I’m going to break the bond between them and Max,” You explain. “I’m going to free them and once Max no longer has a hold on anyone, I’m going to rip him limb from limb,” You whisper. Star feels her heart stop. Even through your voice is soft she can sense the danger. She knows you’re a predator. A predator that has been hunting their pray for a long time.

“What do you need from me?” She asks.

“Your body,” You state. Her mouth drops again. “Max will know the instant I walk into town, and everything will be for nothing. So, I want to possess your body for a short while and use it to get close to Max,”

“And if you fail?” Star asks.

“Then we’re all dead,” you tell her. “If you want your life back. If you want your freedom and the child’s freedom and the same for Michael, then you must trust me. If you don’t then things will only become much worse for you. Centuries trapped as Max’s little slave, forced to sleep during the day in fear of being burned alive, and killing the innocent just for your survival. Could you live a life like that?” You ask, fully sympathetic and understanding. You’ve been in her position more than once. You understood it was hard to take a stand against Max. You understood.

“No,” Star whispers, shaking her head.

“You won’t remember nor feel anything. I’ll be in complete control,” You assure her. You step closer and raise your hand. “It’ll be a peaceful sleep,” She stares at your fingers tensely. “Please, trust me,” You beg. Star hesitantly nods and it’s enough for you.

With a touch of your finger on her forehead the transference begins. Both of your bodies are transported back to the hotel you had been staying at. The room is spelled so that none, other than you and Star, can enter. By the time the transportation is complete your abilities and consciousness are in Star’s body.

Your original body lays peacefully on one of the beds. You check yourself in the mirror. You take a moment to get used to this body before returning to Santa Carla.

When you see your boys for the first time in centuries, they’re on bikes. Of course, they look the same but different as they adapt to the current times and style. They still look deliciously attractive. All you want to do is jump their bones and ravage them for the next decade, but you can’t allow yourself to become distracted now. Not when you’re so close to your own freedom with your mates.

Still, you can’t help but to watch them. David’s smoking on his bike being the strong silent type. Marko and Paul are teasing each other playfully and sexually. Neither of them cared about being in public. Dwayne was watching them form his bike and would occasionally lick his lips.

“Star!” A child shouts and races towards you. You jump startled from your thoughts. All the boy’s glance in your direction but only David holds his gaze. You awkwardly greet the child chiding yourself for not knowing his name. “Where were you?” He asks, grabbing you hand and dragging you to the boys.

“Yes, Star, where were you?” David asks condescendingly. You almost forget to answer. You relish the sound of his voice and the smell of all their scents reaching your nose.

“Oh-uh, went sightseeing,” The excuse was pathetic, and you wonder if you’d be able to trick them that you’re Star. You’ve always been a shit liar when it comes to the four of them. You figured as long as you could fool Max long enough to be able to complete the spell then all would be fine.

“Sightseeing?” David deadpans. You hum rocking on your heels.

“Found a new spot, lost track of time,” You shrug, forcing yourself to look away from him. Of course, your eyes immediately go to Dwayne. He’s eyeing you like he had when you first met him, and you wonder if he can see through this illusion as well.

David just hums and you know he’s suspicious. Looking away from Dwayne your eyes linger on Paul and Marko. It’s like you never showed up, they’re too engrossed with each other. Perhaps your lustful staring isn’t something normal for Star because if anything it only makes David but Dwayne more suspicious of you.

“Let’s go,” David decides. The child jumps behind Dwayne and Marko reluctantly leaves Paul to get on his own bike. “Star,” David snips. You instantly look back to him. If you were you, you would have smacked him for using such a tone but all you did was climb behind him.

When they took off you wrapped your arms around David’s waist. The other boys hooted and hollered but all you could do was hold onto David. You didn’t even realize you were nuzzling him but luckily Dvid remained silent.

The last few centuries have been unbearably lonely and painful. You and Ezekiel had traveled the world helping vampire escape their sires. You worked to improve the spell. Unfortunately, a lot of vampires died before you could perfect it.

It wasn’t until a few decades ago did you finally figure out what was wrong. Once the spell worked you and your surrogate father spent the rest of the time searching for Max and your mates.

You were so close to having everything you wanted when death finally caught up to Ezekiel. He had held on for so long. He was so desperate to see you free and happy. All you could do is promise him that your dreams of happiness would come true. You hoped that wherever his soul resides that he will see it happen.

Your grip around David tightened and still he didn’t say anything. He let you hold onto him until you reached their spot. The first night went as smoothly as you could expect. David and Dawyne were suspicious while Marko and Paul were oblivious.

You interacted with the child while subtly eavesdropping on David and Dwayne. Star wouldn’t be able to hear them but for you it was as if they were talking beside you. They didn’t know why you were acting different but they were determined to figure it out.

You knew you had to work quickly to get the spell done. It wouldn’t be easy. You would need not only locks of their hair but vials of their blood. You figured you would be able to get their hair and blood fairly easy; it was Max you had to be cautious of. His hair and blood are required as well.

The morning everyone went to bed without any interrogation. You laid in Star’s bed with the child cuddled up to you. You threaded your fingers through his hair soothingly. You waited until you knew everyone was dead asleep before slipping off the mattress.

Despite the fact that Star is in transition you weren’t. Your magic and vampirism followed you when the transference completed. This allows you to have all of your strengths and stealthiness that Star wouldn’t normally have.

Grabbing clippers from your bag you sneak into the part of the cave that the boys are resting. You were grateful they had taken on the habit of sleeping upside down. Made snipping some hair from them easier.

When you prepared for extracting some blood you whispered a spell to help them fall into an even deeper sleep. When you had enough blood, you stashed everything away and slipped out into the daylight.

You walked into the heart of Santa Carla. You easily blended in with the crowd staying unnoticed. It didn’t take long to track you brother. When you saw him, you found yourself frozen. Even after all these years he still terrifies you to your core.

“I wish you were here,” You whisper, thinking of Ezekiel. “I need your strength,” Even though Ezekiel is gone you channeled his courage and strived forward. You slipped into his shop and slowly gained the confidence to approach him.

“Star,” He greets with a smile. “And what are you doing here?” He asks. You can hear the warning in his tone.

“I know I’ve been difficult,” you say, lowering your eyes. “I wanted to... apologize,”

“It’s alright, my dear, I understand,” Max says, placing a heavy hand on your shoulder. You fight the urge to flinch and tremble. You refused to be the scared little girl. You were so close to getting your revenge and freedom. You just had to be strong for a little longer.

It wasn’t hard to bring tears to your eyes, but it was difficult to embrace him. You knew all Max desired was a family. Seeing Star finally come around and accept him as a father figure would be a dream come true. You just had to be careful not to fall into his trap.

“Everything’s going to be alright,” He promises. “There, there,” He pats your back. “You know what you need to do, and everything will fall into place,” He mutters.

“I do,” You whisper, nodding. “I just wanted to talk to you first,” You mutter.

“And I’m glad you did,” Max whispers as you pull back. “Now, run along and I’ll check on you later,” he tells you. You nod stepping towards the door. You shove the locks of hair you had stolen into your pocket.

Before you walk out the door you make eye contact with a boy. A flash of color glides over your eyes before the same happens to his. A second later an unexplainable rage takes control of the human boy.

He lashes out at his friends and a brawl takes place. Max instantly interferes but is cut with a knife before he can break up the fight. Once the boys are thrown out you rush to his sigh feigning concern. You bring a napkin to his cup and dab the blood away.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine Star, they can’t harm me you know that” He comforts, patting your head. You give him a small smile before giving his cheek a kiss and leaving the store.

You walk a few blocks before dipping into an alley. You lean against the wall and begin to breathe heavily. You tremble so badly you fall to the ground. You take in quick short breaths while hugging yourself.

“Star?”

Your head whips up and towards a boy. He races towards you before kneeling. He takes your face in his hands and you instinctively pull from him. He looks at you strangely but respects your distance.

“What’s wrong? What happened?”

“Nothing,” You hiss. It another few seconds before you compose yourself. You stand up and brush yourself off. “What do you want?” You ask.

“I was looking for you,” he says, following you out into the street.

“Yeah, well I’m going to be busy for a while so don’t bother,” you tell him.

“Star, what’s wrong?” He asks. When you keep walking, he grabs your wrist and spins your around. You snarl and slam him against the wall.

“Don’t touch me,” You snap. He lifts his hands in surrender. You huff and let him go. “Look, everything will make sense soon but for the time being do yourself a favor and make yourself scarce.”

“What’s going on?” He pesters. “Whatever it is, I can help,” You laugh.

“No, trust me, you can’t,” You shake your head at his naivety. “Just stay out of my way and everything will be fine,” You promise.

“You’re not making any sense,” Michael mutters. You sigh and turn around forcing him to stop walking abruptly.

“Look, you got yourself into some deep shit messing with Max and the boys. I’m trying to help not only you out but myself as well. In order to do that I need you to trust me and stay out of my way,” you tell him. “Give me a couple of days and everything will be fine,”

Before he could reply you’re disappearing into the crowd again. You return back to the cave with a couple of hours to spare. You grab all the samples and lay them out on the ground.

You look at the napkin with Max’s blood on it. You hope its enough blood. You knew you wouldn’t be able to get more without raising suspicion. Everything else was perfect. All you had to do is wait for the full moon. Which isn’t for a few nights.

You just had to survive another night with your mates.

You contemplated telling them who you were. You considered cluing them in on the plan. Only the risks were too high. They were high already but if they knew the risk level would raise.

It’s not that you didn’t trust them. You trusted them with your heart, your body, your very soul. You just couldn’t risk Max finding out about the plan. If your mates knew and couldn’t keep Max out of their mind, then the jig would be up. you had to prevent Max from finding out. It killed you to keep this from them, but they would just have to understand.

That was the main reason you didn’t tell them. The other reason was much more selfish. You left without a word. You didn’t say goodbye, you didn’t promise them your return, you just abandoned them. You feared they wouldn’t trust you and that they wouldn’t love you anymore.

You had to prepare yourself that they wouldn’t want you once this was over. You would stay true to your word and give them their freedom. Once they were free, they could do as they please. You just hoped they’d want to spend the rest of eternity with you.

“What is all of this?”

You curse when you see the kid watching you. You were amazed with his ability to sneak up on you. You began to put everything away and ignore his stare.

“Nothing you need to worry about,” You say.

“What doesn’t he need to worry about?” Paul asks, rubbing his eyes as he saunters into the room. You go to respond only to get caught staring at his bare upper body. His pants hang low on his hips and his hair isn’t styled yet. He had just woken up and all you wanted to do was sink your teeth into him. “Star?” Paul asks feeling strangely aroused by your stare.

“Oh, uh,” You clear your throat and look away. “It’s nothing,” You mutter practically running up to the room to hide your bag. “I’m going out,” you tell Paul and leave before anybody could question or stop you.

You walk up to the market and shop for some herbs. These aren’t necessary for the spell, but it should help strengthen and speed up the process. You also just wanted to avoid the boys for as long as possible.

Nearing midnight you sensed the boys by the pier. You knew the cave would be empty thus prompting you to return. You went to put the herbs with your stash only to find everything missing.

“No,” You whisper, practically tearing the room apart in your search.

“I never knew you were a witch,” Dwayne said behind you. You whirled around and saw your bag in his hand. “Why didn’t you tell us?”

“It’s private,” You whisper. “Max is touchy with witches... I thought I’d be safer if he didn’t know,”

“Yeah, he can be pretty touchy with them,” Dwayne nod, his expression unreadable. He tosses the bag onto the bed. “But how would you know?” He wonders, closing in on you. You move around trying to avoid being cornered. The movements are slow and casual but intense. Either one of you could lash out and both of you know it.

You’re certain this isn’t common behavior for Star. She’s a newbie in transition. She wouldn’t dare stare off with someone as old and strong as Dwayne. She wouldn’t move with the confidence that you do. You knew Dwayne wouldn’t, and couldn’t, hurt you. At this point you knew the jig was up, but you couldn’t help but to play along wanting to see how this would turn out.

“Max isn’t exactly a closed book,” You answer simply. “He wants a family and is willing to do anything to get it. A witch would ruin his plans,”

Dwayne hums and continues to stalk around the room. You’re about to continue the conversation when he strikes. He’s fast, faster than you remember but so are you.

Dwayne shoves you into the wall but you shove his chest and switch positions. Now his back is against the wall and his arms are pinned above his head. He doesn’t fight your grip. He simply smirks at you.

“If you were in your real skin I’d kiss you,” He whispers, fondness and adoration taking over his face.

“What gave me away?” You ask, keeping your tone low like his and your face close. You enjoyed teasing him but hated that neither of you would do anything while you were in Star’s body.

“Everything,” He mutters. “From your hungry stare to your-” He pauses and runs his nose along your neck. “-irresistible scent,” He moans, leaning his head back against the wall. “And now this,” He glances up at your hands with a casual smirk. “You always loved reminding us of your strength just like we loved taking advantage of your pleasing nature,” The instant the last word leaves his lips your positions switch again and this time you allow him to pin you against the wall. “You could possess a thousand different bodies and I’d still be able to pick you out,”

“Dwayne,” You whisper, slipping your hands from his to cup his face. “I could never hide from you, could I?” You mutter, pulling his head down to yours. Your foreheads rest against each other. His hips press against yours needing as much contact as he could get.

“I hate that you felt the need to hide in the first place,” He whispers, closing his eyes in an attempt to hide the sorrow in them. His hands wrap around your wrists while his heads turn inward to kiss you palms.

“I didn’t want too, please believe me,” You beg of him. “It was necessary,”

“Don’t hide anymore,” He pleads with you. He forces his eyes open and another wave of sorrow hits him when he looks at Star instead of you. “Where are you?”

“I’m somewhere safe,” You promise him. “This will all be over soon. I swear to it,”

“I can’t hide this from the others,” Dwayne says. “David will know as soon as they return. Marko and Paul will pry it out of him sooner rather than later,”

“The more you know the more danger you will be in,” You warn him.

“We don’t care,” Dwayne shakes his head. “We’ll stand in the sun to give you shade. We’d lay in a puddle of holy water so that you can walk across our backs and stay unharmed. We would do anything for you,”

“I don’t doubt you,” You assure him. “Not for a second,”

“Then trust us to help you,” He begs. “I know why you’re here and we know why you left. Let us help you,”

Before either of you could go on you both heard the sound of bikes. You tense in anxiety. Dwayne softly shushes you and presses a gentle kiss on your forehead.

“We’re not angry with you... We’re upset but only because it’s been so long since you’ve been with us,” He mutters.

“I’m sorry,” you whisper. He gives you a playful grin and bumps his nose with your.

“I know,” He mutters pulling back. You turn towards the mouth of the cave.

“Send Michael and the child away,” You tell him. “And I’ll explain everything,” Dwayne nods walking to greet the others.

You grab you bag off of the bed and walk into the main area. Dwayne is having words with David while Michael leads the child away. Marko and Paul walk over to you.

“What’s going on?” Marko asks. You don’t respond right away. You kneel on the ground and spread out the ingredients for your spell along the ground before pulling out your book. “Witch,” Marko breathes. A second later Paul snatches the book and inspects it.

“Where did you get this?” Paul whispers, recognizing it.

“I found it some time ago,” you tell him. He snarls and goes to grab you but Dwayne intercepts him. Marko jumps at the suddenness of everything. Paul continues to growl and struggle in Dwayne’s grip as he snaps at you.

“This isn’t your book! You stole this! Where is she!? Where’s the woman you stole this from?” He snaps.

“Paul is that...” Marko whispers. Paul shoves Dwayne off of him. The two growl at each other.

“It’s Y/n’s,” Paul confirms. “I remember her reading it... It’s one of her favorites with her most powerful spells,”

“Such as mater manipulation, weather control, and I assume there’s a possession spell in there as well,” David says, shifting in his seat. His eyes narrow in on you but you don’t shrink away.

“Possession?” Marko asks, looking from David to you.

“Star isn’t a witch,” Dwayne states.

“Little flower?” Marko whispers, inching towards you drawing your gaze from David. Finding his courage he speeds up to close the distance.

“Marko,” Paul mutters anxiously. He didn’t understand what was going on but soon it would be clear.

“You smell like her,” Marko whispers, hesitantly grabbing your hips. “Tell me it’s true,” Marko pleads trying not to get his hopes up.

“It’s true,” You whisper, resting your hands on his arm. A small smile turns into a wide grip. He pulls you into his tight embrace and spins you around. You laugh clinging to him.

“What are you doing here? Where’ve you been? Why’re you back?” Marko spits out question after question. You gently shush him while promising him answers.

“Y/n?” Paul asks. “What’re you doing in Star’s body?”

“Hiding from Max,” you tell him. “I’m sorry I left without saying anything, but I had an opportunity to separate us from Max. I had to take it which meant I had to leave you behind,”

“Have you figured it out yet? Or do you need another couple centuries?” David asks with cold indifference. You hold back a whine.

“I’ve figured it out,” You promise him. “In a couple of days, the moon will be full I can sever the bond. We’ll all be free of him... and free to kill him,”

“Now you’re talking, baby!” Paul shouts stealing you from Marko. He lifts you into the air before holding you close. “You found us,” Paul says. A slow smile spreads across his lips. “Finally,” He breathes nuzzling his head into your neck. “God, I was so nervous the trail was too subtle for you to pick up on,” He whispers in your head.

“Trail?” You ask, when he reluctantly pulls away.

“We knew you’d come back,” Dwayne says, a small, sweet smile on his face. “We just didn’t now when,”

“Max was furious when you disappeared,” Marko explains. “He spent a long time trying to hunt you down and then the rest of the time making sure you’d never find us,”

“We heard the rumors,” Dwayne began again. “About the hybrid separating vampires from sires. He knew what you were trying to do and knew you were growing stronger,”

“He’s scared,” Marko says. “When he realized just how strong you were he hid us. Figured that as long as he had us with him you wouldn’t dare touch him,”

“When he started to hide us, we started leaving a trail knowing you’d pick up on it,” David says, finally walking over to you. You smile at all of them. You didn’t even realize it was a deliberate trail you were following. “And now you’re back,”

“And now I’m back,” You whisper standing toe to toe with him. “And I’m ready to finally set us free,”

“I knew you would figure it out,” Marko smirks coming up to your side. “So smart,” He touches your face. “And still Star,” He mutters tilting his head.

“Max would know if I entered the town... He won’t expect me as Star,” you tell them. “I just need to hide until the full moon. You can’t do anything out of the ordinary and you can’t let him into your minds. I know it’ll be hard but if he finds out he could ruin our chances,”

“We’ve got your back, baby,” Paul promises, kissing the back of your head. “We’ll keep you hidden and Max occupied. Once your spell is done we’ll take turns tearing him apart,” He promises ready for blood.

“And once it’s done, you’ll never leave our sight again,” David states, forcing you to look at him.

“I won’t ever leave,” You promise. The corner of David’s lip tilts up and you take it as a sign to embrace him. You cuddle into his chest, and he holds you tight. “I love you,” You whisper to all of them.

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creamyavocadosoup · 2 years

Text

𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐭

a/n: more kazuha brainrot bc my daydreams are endless characters: kazuha x f!reader tags: fluff :] inspired by cornelia street - taylor swift

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

Soft orange rays of the sunset painted the landscape beautifully as you absentmindedly plucked the strings of the guitar. Your notebook rested on the ground beside you as you took a moment to breath in the scenery.

You were sat on the edge of the Jade Chamber, the height allowing you to see the entirety of Liyue Harbor. It was a magnificent sight, especially as the sun set further into the horizon. It allowed for the city to glow the mesmerizing orange it always did.

You had been too lost in thought to notice the familiar breeze that flowed around you whenever he was near. Kazuha's sudden touch on your shoulder had you jump from your seat and pulled you out of your reverie.

Turning to look at him, he had a small sheepish smile and raised brows, apologetic about scaring you. "I apologize, m'lady. I did not mean to scare you." He spoke his voice soft yet reassuring.

I only waved him off and patted to the spot beside me, urging him to sit down and he did so happily.

Lady Ningguang was apprehensive at first, letting a fugitive anywhere near the chamber was indeed an extremely stupid thought to even consider. But after learning his entire story and assurance from Beidou, she had relented and allowed him to come up freely.

Ever since then, the two of you had hung out here, Kazuha usually bringing you snacks to enjoy during your break. It had caught the eyes of Ganyu and Keqing multiple times, sometimes even coming to find you to inform you of his presence outside. The teasing grin and tone in their voice only made me roll my eyes, despite the slight heat rising to my cheeks. 'It wasn't anything like that.' you assured yourself. Even you would catch Lady Ningguang speaking to the samurai as you step outside, the knowing glint in her eyes and small lilt in her smile as she excuses herself indicating that she was indeed teasing you.

But our relationship was nothing of the romantic kind. Both you and Kazuha keeping everything strictly platonic.

The smell of Grilled Tiger Fish hit your senses and triggered the grumbling in your stomach. He only chuckled at the noise before handing you your piece.

"Didn't even realize how hungry I was. Thank you, Kazu." You spoke in between bites, solely focused on scarfing down the food.

He only smiled before switching topics, “How has your writing endeavors been?” he nudged to the open notebook beside me.

He watched as my face lit up, excitedly grabbing the guitar behind her, the snack long gone. “Speaking of, I actually want to show you a little bit of it. If you don’t mind of course?”

“I would be most honored.” he spoke, displaying the smile that would almost completely hide his crimson eyes. You ignored the warm feeling in your chest as you start to strum the strings, making sure everything sounded up to pitch.

“I don’t have it completely figured out but I’ll sing to you what I have so far.” humming, you start to get the bearings of the song you had written earlier, trying to remember by memory the notes as you glanced at the lyrics on the page.

“We were in the backseat

Drunk on something stronger than the drinks in the bar“

The hilarious memory flashes through your mind, putting a small smile on your face.

“We were a fresh page on the desk

Filling in the blanks as we go

As if the street lights pointed in an arrowhead

Leading us home.”

You were nervous, silently thanking that strumming the guitar hid how bad your hands would’ve shook. Despite the constant times you would convince yourself, you couldn’t deny that rush of dopamine or the instant calmness you would feel around his presence. You were growing feelings for the white-haired samurai and he didn’t even know.

“And I hope I never lose you, hope it never ends

I'd never walk Cornelia Street again

That's the kind of heartbreak time could never mend

I'd never walk Cornelia Street again.”

You took a peek at his expression. Any normal person would have told you that his face was devoid of any emotion, but the slight rising of his brows and the faint pink blush that spread across his cheeks had told you otherwise.

“And baby, I get mystified by how this city screams your name

And baby, I'm so terrified of if you ever walk away

I'd never walk Cornelia Street again

I'd never walk Cornelia Street again”

The melodic notes soon slowly drifted off with the wind as I stopped. I struggled speak, the words getting tangled in my throat as my gaze flickers between his eyes searching for something, anything.

“So--um--yeah, that’s how far I’ve gotten.” I mumble, my hands already itching to let go of the guitar but I felt paralyzed, terrified of what I had just admitted. The silence stretched for what seemed like ages were only a few seconds before I moved from my spot.

Gathering my things, he still had not moved and I mumbled out apologies and excuses to flee from the situation. How embarrassing was that? But as quickly as I had walked away, he caught up and held onto my wrist, keeping me in place. My eyes widened as I looked into his panic-stricken expression.

“Wait,” he stammered, clearing his throat before continuing, “I apologize for my silence. I had to.. take a moment to understand the situation at hand.” he clasped both my hands between his, the heat feeling as if its seeping through my pores and adding fuel to the flame on my cheeks.

“Did--Was that song inspired by me?” he questioned, he wanted to be sure and not make any assumptions. Kazuha’s demeanor had been completely calm and collected, only his voice and the pounding of his heart betraying him. When you nodded in confirmation, it was as if a heavy weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

“I like you, Kazuha.” The words rolled off your tongue before you could even register them in your head. A grin broke out on his face as he chuckled at the way your entire face turned the same color as the streak in his hair.

He let a hand trail your face, pushing away the stray hairs, “You’re adorable.” he teased but you could hear the truth to his words. He stared at your eyes, his crimson eyes glimmering under the moonlight and it looked so comforting.

Kazuha gave in to his temptations and pulled you in for a kiss, the sensation of your lips against one another sending you both swirling in ecstasy. “I like you too.” he whispered, momentarily breaking your kiss, which made you smile like an idiot.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

a/n: i got carried away writing this so sorry if it became too long :,) how was it? if u have any suggestions i ofc would love to hear them. anyways i have so much more silly little ideas in my head that i would love to write out so i will be posting more def.

#ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ books #ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ sugar #kazuha x reader #kazuha #fluff #kazuha fluff #genshin impact #genshin impact fluff #genshin x you

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