#so like. time 2 take some deep breaths and make tea and try 2 wind back down | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

1whore1gang · 6 months

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it's the little things🤍

part 1

part 2

Enjoy part 3 besties :)

I feel like something bad has happened in every chapter so far, i’m sorry lmao

the next chapter will be fluffier 🫡

WARNING: this chapter contains some tough topics such as SA, read at your own risk!!

Taglist: @ghostslittlegf @sketchyfandomgirl @batw3nch @thedevillovesflowers @gaymistakeboi @almightywdm @under-the-dirt @clear-your-mind-and-dream

(if i forgot anyone i apologize!!)

I feel like these are getting shorter and shorter 😬

The hum of the coffee machine was the only noise in the kitchen as you waited for the coffee to brew. You and Price were able to squeeze in a couple more hours of sleep before you became restless and got up to make coffee.

You had your arms wrapped around yourself due to the cold air in the compound. Taking a deep breath, you watched as the coffee began to pour out into the container. The smell of it already woke you up more as you breathed it in.

Pulling out the mug underneath, now filled with the liquid, you began to blow on it before setting it down hearing footsteps approaching.

"Morning. Did you make any tea?" Price's groggy voice rang through the silence.

"No, I didn't I'm sorry." You wrapped your sweater closer around your body.

"S'all good." He mumbled, moving around you to get a kettle going. "You still got that training session today?"

"Yeah, new recruits. It was supposed to be me and Ghost, but I told them Ghost got the flu." Price chuckled at that.

"Want me to come help you since you're down a man?" You tilted your head in confusion at his statement.

"Who would watch the boys?"

"Laswell. We can trust her can't we?" You lolled your head to the other shoulder, thinking.

"I suppose so. how do we even tell her? She's gonna report us for illicit drug use." You laughed a little at the thought.

"I'll tell her it's my nephews or something, or we can tell her the truth?" Price laughed along with you.

"Can I ask you a question?" Price hummed as confirmation. "Why haven't we fought yet? Usually when we work together, we're at each other's throats."

Price nodded, obviously contemplating his answer. "I don't know." He said it so simply, as if he hadn't noticed the change in behavior from you both. "Maybe because there's children involved?"

"How many rescues have we done with children where we're still fighting?" Price nods in agreement.

"I'm not sure then." He looks up at the clock, noticing the time. "Let me go ring Laswell while you get ready."

Somehow, Laswell bought the nephew lie. She agreed to watch them for a small amount of time.

"Alright recruits. I'm your Lieutenant, and you can call me that. This is Captain Price, you report to him for any major or emergent situations, otherwise you find me or Sergeant Garrick, who you will meet at a later date. Today, we are going to go over some basic defense maneuvers."

Carefully, you taught the recruits, demonstrating each device with Price. From what you could see, the recruits were catching on quickly. "Finally, my favorite defense mechanism." you signaled Price to come at you, putting you in a headlock. Bending down and quickly pulling your body weight forward, you fling Price over your head.

You hear a couple of recruits gasp. "For the nature of this exercise, we will have each one of you come up to try to flip one of us instead of having you flip each other."

One by one, each recruit came up attempting to flip you and Price. A couple failed, which is normal in these types of training situations. You only had a couple of recruits left. "Private Taron?" you called the young man up. "Try to flip me." You heard Price call up another recruit as you wrapped your arm around the Private's neck. He easily had you flying over him, landing roughly on your back.

You felt the wind being knocked out of you. "Here, let me help you." Taron reached out a hand, helping you up off the floor. When you stood up, he didn't let go of your hand. "Can I ask you something since I'm the last one in your line?"

"Yeah, what's the problem?"

"No problem, I just wanted to see if you could flip me?" You froze at the question but took the challenge since Taron was about the size of Price.

"Why not, I could use the challenge." You prepped yourself, waiting for him to wrap his arm around you. "Ready when you are-"

Your words caught in your throat as you felt him grind himself into you, his erection pressing into your lower back. "See what you do to me ma'am? You won't write me up for sleeping with my superior will you?-"

Quickly, you flung him over your head, him landing with an audible thud. "You have a meeting with General Shephard at 0800. Don't be late."

You left the room quickly, not even bothering to look at Price. You beelined to your room to change and shower as quick as you ever had before going to relieve Kate from the boys.

"Thanks again Laswell."

"Anytime, his nephews are angels." She left without another word as you looked down at the three littles in their playpen.

Soap and Gaz were playing with some little planes you and Price had bought while Ghost was asleep. Soap looked up at you and his little face lit up, making grabby hands at you. You smiled as you picked him up. He immediately snuggled into your neck, letting out the cutest little sigh. Gaz followed suit, giving you grabby hands as you picked him up too. "Come on boys."

Moving over to the pullout couch, you propped the two boys to where each one was laying on a shoulder as you sat back. Both of them seemed calm, almost sleepy at contact. You stroked their little heads, shushing them into a nap since Laswell said she couldn't get them to settle.

You tried to focus on the current moment and not the disturbing event that had happened not even 10 minutes prior.

Your skin itched, feeling exposed, dirty. You felt violated. You felt tears sting your eyes, trying your hardest to focus on the little sounds coming from Soap and Gaz. Deep breaths left your mouth, trying to calm yourself.

Little snores filled your ears as your face became red with tear stains. You moved to set the boys back down, feeling bad for not holding them for very long. You sat with your head in your hands, trying to subside the tears you felt. It was such an icky feeling, your body crawling with an uncomfortable feeling.

You didn't want Price to see you like this, you knew he'd ask about what happened and you two would get into a heated debate about how you could've handled it better than storming out.

You could hear his voice now, telling you how you should've reported him right away, spoke up. His voice telling you that your response was immature.

Sighing, you took out your phone to send an emailed report to Shephard so he knew what was happening when the recruit walked in.

Footsteps filled your ears as you hit send, the door opening slowly as a freshly showered Price entered the room. "What the hell was that?"

"I'm not doing this right now. Yell at me all you want another time."

"No, explain to me why you walked out on those recruits." His voice was beginning to border the line of anger.

"Price, please."

"No, Y/N, what was that?! It doesn't matter who you are, you don't walk out on recruits during a vital training sessions." his stood against the closed door, his arms crossed. His head tilted as he spoke.

"Can we please not do this?" You finally made eye contact with him for the first time since he had stepped in. This made him see your tear ridden eyes.

"Tell me. Now." His voice was almost a growl as it came out.

"Please-"

"WHO?!" He boomed as his hands slammed down on the table in the kitchenette of his room. It made you flinch, which made his gaze soften. "Y/N."

"Price." He moved over a few steps closer to you.

"Tell me. Please." You saw his eyes change from being the angry narrowed look to a more gentle, beckoning one. "I am still your superior, so you report any issues to me, regardless of what it is."

"Don't fucking pull that card." You shook your head in annoyance.

"I can pull whatever card I goddamn want, I am your Captain and you will tell me what happened." You was back to the pointed look he always gave you.

You huffed out a breath. "You don't give up do you? Don't know when to stop talking?"

"Y/N..."

"One of the recruits rubbed their hardened cock on me and told me that they wanted to sleep with me. Happy?"

"Y/N, if you had just-"

"Don't start. I know you're gonna tell me my response was immature and that I'm overreacting or I misheard him. You're going to tell me the statistics of women getting harassed in the military and how one little grope isn't gonna hurt me right?" You watched Price's face turn to one of horror.

"Why the hell would I say that? Do you really think so lowly of me?" Price was hurt now.

"Because that's what you did last time something like this happened. November 4th, 2020. We were on a mission in Dubai and one of the new soldiers on the mission groped me and fondled me. You told me I was overreacting and told me to brush it off."

Price was froze, his mind turning for answers to why he did that. He wasn't speaking nor moving. Instead, he just walked out.

He walked out on your important conversation like that. Left you alone in your state of pain and the familiar feeling of betrayal came back to your chest.

That feeling was a package deal when it came to your Captain. You always felt betrayed and hurt by him due to your common interactions. He was tough on you, and you two never were on the same page.

Except lately, you thought you were. You were so wrong.

You took your things and the boys back to your room that night, wanting to be away from your Captain. You knew the kindness was too good to be true, deep down though you wanted it to linger just a little bit longer.

His offers to cook or watch the boys, the way he would look at you and tell you to rest. You wanted the kindness in his eyes and his smile to stick around longer.

You wanted John, not Price.

And you'd never have that. Not with your Captain's history with you. The constant fighting, the butting of heads, the disagreeing will never go away, and as you realized that, you cried.

You had seen a glimpse of the man behind the title, and you welcomed the warmness he had brought to your eyes. The way his personality shown through instead of his usual coldness. You had felt a tinge of a friendship blooming, but that has quickly been ripped from your grasp.

While you were crying, you looked over to see Ghost standing up in the playpen, staring at you with a blank expression and wide eyes. He whined when you looked at him. "Oh, Simon..."

Moving, you picked him up and rocked him in your arms as he began to sniffle. "I'm okay, just the usual squabble with our Captain." You shushed him, trying to convince this small child that you were okay.

His little hand reached up to touch your mouth, letting out a little sound. he blinked at you a few times, still sniffling as his bottom lip quivered and he eyebrows were down.

You smiled a little at the seemingly meaningless gesture. "How do you know how to make me smile even as a baby?" You laughed a little as he sad expression faded, his little hand dropping back down. he let out a couple of little baby babbles, and you smiled again. "My Simon always comforting me, even if it's incoherent baby noises." He yawned, leading you to move him back into the playpen, giving him a thank you, even though you knew he couldn't understand you. He yawned again as he rolled over, closing his little eyes.

You sat back down in your bed as your mind raced a million miles a minute.

How could your Captain be so double sided, and what triggered him to change from cold to warm, but so quickly snap right back?

#captain price x reader #modern warefare 2 x reader #soap mactavish smut #soap mactavish x reader #tf141 x reader #cod mw2 #johnny mactavish #simon ghost riley

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xxrengokusimp · 1 year

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|| Arrival || Rengoku x Fem!Reader

Note: The day has finally come, Rengoku's pregnant wife was ready for labor. now, lets just fucking get too it-

. . .

It was a dark night, just you and Rengoku sleeping well in bed. The sound of the wind outside, the crickets chirping, and the sound of your husband snoring next to you.

You were okay at first like, you weren't worried that the baby would come too soon. You thought "just a couple more weeks..." till the baby would arrive. I mean, thats what the doctor thought...

Rengoku couldn't wait any longer for the baby's deliver. Everyday he would talk to the baby in your belly shouting "Come out very soon!!! I want to see your adorable face!!!!" And everytime he does that, you laugh. It's funny that He's just talking to your stomach. Rengoku is just rlly excited.

. . .

"mm... damnit... this is the third time..." you silently groan. You get up from bed and walk over to the bathroom. Man... was the baby giving you a hard time...

You then feel sudden cramping... a lot... of sudden cramping. You moan in pain, placing your hand on your swollen belly. You try to suck it up and just stay up for a bit. You walk into the kitchen making yourself some tea to soothe the pain.

You sit down on the mat and take a long sip. The warmth of the tea seemed to settle the pain, which was good. But ... what was not good... was that you felt like you just peed yourself...

You look down on the floor to see a wet mat... then, you suddenly realized....

"Kyojuro!!!!!!????? KYOJURO!!!??" You screamed. Rengoku heard your sudden screaming, quickly got up from bed and ran straight to you. "What??!! Whats wrong?!?!!" He asked. "I... Kyo... Ngh!! I think.. It's Time...!!!" You studder. "HUH!!?? REALLY?!??! IS IT TIME!!????!!!!" Rengoku shouted. "YES!!! NOW HURRY AND GET SOMEONE!!!"

Rengoku panicked, "UH...??" he studdered. "Do you want me to carry you to the Butterfly Mansion?? So Kocho can help????!!!!!" "YES JUST... NGH!!" You scream in pain. "Okay!!! Okay!!! Up We GO!!!" Rengoku picks you up into his arms and rushes to Lady Kocho's Mansion.

"MISS KOCHO??? ARE YOU HERE??? IT'S A SERIOUS EMERGANCY!!!!" Rengoku shouts. "Huh???!! What???!!!" Shinobu ran over. "Whats Wrong???!!!" She questioned. "Y/N IS READY FOR LABOR... WILL YOU HELP US??!?!?!!!!??!" "Oh my!!! Yes Of Course!!!! Take her to the infermery!!! I'll be there in just a sec!!! I'll go call for more help!!!" Shinobu then rushes to find Aoi and Kanao. (she didn't want to call Naho, Sumi, and Kiyo cause they seem to young-)

"Its going to be alright Little Flame! Just breathe!! Take deep breaths!!! Everything is alright!!" "Kyojuro... I'm scared..." You weeped. "No, don't be!! I'm here!! I'll be standing right here the whole way through!!! ...Take my hand.. It's going to be okay... Little Flame.... just calm down... and breathe.. in... and out..." Rengoku cups the back of your head and touches foreheads together. "We're here!! And we have some of the stuff!!! AOI!! KANAO!! Go get more towels!!" Shinobu shouted. Aoi and Kanao then rush to get more.

"Shhh, Just breathe Y/N, breeeathe. steady your breath.. shh, its going to okay, just relax... relax.." Shinobu gently puts her hand on your cheek. "We Got More Towels!!!" Aoi shouted. "Good! Now... Y/N? Are you ready??" Shinobu asked. You nod weakly. "Alright. Now, I'm going to remove your pants okay??" Shinobu said while slowly removing your pants. Kanao places a towel under your legs so all that blood and liquid would be caught in it. (dont want no bloody bed) "Now... Y/N, I'm going to count okay. When I say 3, you push. And keep pushing till I count to 10. Alright? . . . 1 . . . 2 . . .3"

"PUUUUSSSHHH!!!!" Everyone in the room shouted.

. . .

"oh, my..." Shinobu grabs the baby. You hear the first cry of your child... Rengoku looks at his baby, tears falling down his cheeks, Joy growing more and more in him. "you did it Little Flame... We're parents now..." He sobbed with a smile. You give him a faint smile.. you were so exhausted... sweat rolling down from your forhead and cheeks... you face red from all the pushing. "Rengoku!! Please come in here!!" Shinobu called from the next room cleaning up the baby. "Oh! Alright Kocho! I'm coming!! I'll be right back..." Rengoku lets go of your hand and walks over to the next room.

"heh... congratulations Rengoku... here's your new baby boy..." Shinobu says giving him his child. Rengoku grabs his baby and holds it in his arms. Rengoku's smile slowly faded as he looked deeply into his son's eyes. His eyes widen in happiness. Tears falling out of his eyes like waterfalls. "go show her!" Aoi told him. Rengoku looks up at the three girls... "thank you..."

Rengoku walks back to the infermery, "Little Flame!! Look!! It's a boy!! We have a son!!" He said excitedly. You sit up and ask him if you could hold him. Rengoku gives you the baby, and you stare right into his small beautiful eyes. "heh, he has your eyes kyo..." Rengoku silently laughs, looking down to his child.

" . . . he looks just like you . . . Kyojuro. . .❤️‍🔥"

DAMN, THIS TOOK AWHILE- Hope ya'll enjoyed!!!

#rengoku x reader #rengoku kyojuro #demon slayer #rengoku x y/n #rengoku my beloved #rengoku x oc #kny fanfic #kimetsu no yaiba

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queen--of--shadows · 2 years

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Healing Shadows: Part 4

Azriel x Reader

Summary: Reader is a gifted surgical healer and water bender. Rhysand needs her help when he finds out about Feyre’s risky pregnancy. Azriel finds out reader is his mate.

Warnings: mentions of surgical wounds and scars

Word Count: 1,896

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11

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Part 4: Truth

Nuala and Cerridwen cleaned up, removing any trace of the traumatic morning, while you and Rhys set up a cozy array of soft quilts, plush blankets, and thick pillows in Feyre’s old room so she could nest with baby Nyx. “Feyre, let me know if you need anything, I’ll be in my--” You stammered as you felt the heat rise to your cheeks.

“Y/N? What’s wrong?” Rhys questioned, raising a brow.

“Nothing, I’m sorry. I was about to say my room, I didn’t mean to assume I could just take over the guest room. I…Is there somewhere else I should bring my bag?” You only had your supplies with you, not foreseeing that you would end up moving in so soon.

Rhys and Feyre shared a sympathetic look. “Y/N, please, consider the House like your own home. Take whichever room you prefer. If you want to stay in the guest room, by all means, do,” Rhys continued, “We have no problem using another room for guests.” He gave you a warm smile, and you knew he meant it.

Your chest swelled with joy and gratitude at their generosity. Turning to Feyre, you said “I’ll be in my room. Shout if you need me.”

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

It was late and although you were physically and emotionally exhausted from the day’s events, sleep escaped you. Soaking in a long steaming bath usually helped, but maybe it was the nerves of being in a new home. And not just any home, but the High Lord’s. You still were having a hard time believing the trajectory of your life changed so drastically in just a few days.

You paced in your room, read a few chapters of the book Nesta had lent you, trying to tire yourself out, but after a half hour gave up. Maybe I just need some tea, you thought, grabbing a robe from the dresser and making your way downstairs.

The House was dark and dim, save for the faelight torches along the length of the stairs. You were already familiar with its layout, or as much of it that you’d seen so far. Nesta had mentioned she would give you a tour of the Library tomorrow, and Cassian offered to show you around the rest of the House and the training ground on the roof.

With one hand against the wall, you made your way into the opulent kitchen. Beautiful white marble glistened underneath the iridescent faelight. You grabbed one of the torches to guide your path to the end of the room, pulling back the thick curtains draped around giant floor-to-ceiling windows, revealing the famed starry Velaris night sky and a full moon. Even though you had spent most of your life here, the sight still took your breath away.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Azriel whispered.

You jolted back and turned to face him, not realizing he was in the kitchen before you had come down.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” he chuckled, bringing his hands up in innocence. His deep, breathy laugh caressed your soul. Azriel was donning a simple black ensemble, the V-line cut of his sweater showcasing dark sweeping tendrils of his tattoos across a broad, muscular chest. Your heart began to pace and you were sure he could hear its pounding. Moonlight shining bright on him from the window, you couldn’t help but marvel at his perfect features. The sharp angle of his jaw, his soft, full lips, and gorgeous, blazing hazel eyes. His shadows slithered around his arms and shoulders, and you looked down to see one of them wrapping up your leg, like a cat brushing and winding against you. A cheeky smile spread across your face as the shadow slid up and around one leg, then the other.

Meeting his eyes again, you realized you hadn’t said a single word.

“Yes, it’s beautiful,” you breathed. Turning back around, you continued, “I’ve loved the night sky since I was young.” Azriel hummed in agreement, taking a seat at the oak table in the center of the kitchen. You just noticed the odd-shaped chairs, and as he sat down, it made sense that they were fashioned to accommodate their massive wings.

“I was going to make myself tea, would you like some?” You looked to Azriel for his response, but he just stared at you, as if searching for an answer from you in turn. His cold, beautiful face yielded no emotion.

“Sure, thank you.”

You worked in comfortable silence, steeping the tea, unsure what to say or how to make conversation. He was the notorious Shadowsinger, and although that alone didn’t scare you, you had just been invited to move in and were still getting to know everyone.

Straining out the rich chamomile drink into two mugs, you handed him one before deciding to head back upstairs. You wanted to stay, some feeling in your gut telling you to take a seat, but figured it would be better to avoid any situation that would cause you to gain feelings for someone in the Inner Circle. The few moments you’ve had with Azriel thus far already had you in bed at night, imaging his tall lithe body, pushed up against yours.

Azriel wrapped his hand around the mug and your fingers, warm and strong. He looked up at you as if expecting more, but you instead pulled back with a soft smile and mumbled goodnight.

You didn’t notice the shadows that followed you back to your room, slithering along the cold stone floors in the darkness.

You were kicking yourself as soon as you shut your door.

How will I ever fit in around here?

The tea worked its magic to clear your mind, and with heavy lids, you drifted away into a deep sleep.

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The following day, you were awoken by a loud knock at your door. “Come in,” you grumbled, eyes still half-closed.

“Morning, Y/N!” Mor squealed as she let herself in, her citrusy cinnamon scent filling your room. Jumping onto your bed and propping her head on one elbow, she asked “How did you sleep?”

Her eyes sparkled as she awaited your answer. “Fine,” was all you could manage. How did she look so good this early?

“Madja is here. She said she wanted to come check on Feyre and Nyx.”

Rubbing your eyes and pulling on your robe and slippers, you followed the tall blonde downstairs.

You entered Feyre’s room to find Cassian holding Nyx with Azriel seated next to him, both cooing over the baby. He was looking healthier and stronger by the day. Rhys was helping Feyre out of bed and onto the couch so you and Madja could look at her wounds. Madja slowly peeled back the bandages and gauze from yesterday morning. She whipped around, meeting your eyes with a menacing gaze that made you want to shrink.

“Why do her cuts still look so fresh?” Madja’s words shook you out of your sleepy stupor, and an icy fear mixed with rage washed over you.

No…please, please don’t say anything.

You didn’t respond.

“What does that mean? Are they not supposed to look like this?” Rhys asked, his night-kissed power slowly thrumming throughout the room. All eyes were on you, again.

“Madja? What are you talking about?” Feyre protested.

She didn’t shift her gaze away from you.

“I thought you were going to tell them. When I asked for your help, I meant all of it.”

You threw your head back in frustration. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Madja,” you replied coolly. “I performed the surgery, Nyx is healthy and Feyre is healing appropriately. Her wound is already closing.”

You prayed that everyone would believe you, despite Madja’s death stare.

“Y/N, what are you hiding from us?” Rhys knew how to sound like the High Lord when he needed to. Guilt and shame-- you suddenly felt horrible for not telling them the whole truth. Fine, they offered you their home and trust, the least you could do was give them this.

“Rhys, Feyre, I’m sorry. I haven’t been completely honest with you. I…” You were having a hard time putting your thoughts into words. “I have healing…powers? Magic? Something beyond just my surgical skills. I’m not entirely sure what to call it. I learned a lot from studying medical texts, but my healing power is similar to...”

They all stared at you, awaiting your explanation.

“It’s hard to describe, and I haven’t fully mastered it yet. I need to practice more, but essentially I can heal using water.”

The blank stares you received in return had you stumbling over your words as you continued, “I think it would be better if I just showed you.”

Focusing on the glass of water next to Feyre’s bed, you took a deep breath and closed your eyes to center yourself. You searched deep down in your core for that power, that magic that hummed along your veins, allowing you to bend water to your will. Opening your eyes, you lifted one hand with a flicking motion of your wrist, the water following, easing out of the glass and into the air like a fluid rope. You turned your palm towards the water to stop it, and then continued to bend and twist your wrist and fingers, weaving and dancing the water through the air, not unlike Azriel’s shadows when they wreath around his neck and limbs. You were so focused, you didn’t notice the multiple sets of eyes darting back and forth between the water and you.

“Incredible…” Azriel all but whispered to himself.

Halting the water above Feyre, you motioned for her to lay down on the couch. The room was silent as if everyone was holding their breath, watching you command the element to your will.

With one hand holding the water still above her, you used your other to lift Feyre’s tunic above her abdomen to reveal the site you had cut into just a day ago. Using both hands, you twisted the water into a circle and brought it down above her wound. “This may tickle,” you warned. Feyre nodded, and you were grateful for the trust shining bright in her eyes.

You slid the water across her abdomen, willing the magic from deep inside you into the liquid. The water began to glow a soft blue, illuminating Feyre’s belly, and you moved it in long strokes across her wounds as if you were washing and wiping with a towel. You continued for a few seconds, the redness from the stitches slowly subsiding, and the wound fully closed. You were done with a few more strokes, then eased the liquid back into the glass on the nightstand and reeled your power back in. The water stopped glowing.

“That was…unbelievable,” Rhys muttered. “Y/N, it seems you have a sort of elemental magic. Have you tried using your power with other materials?”

Already following his pattern of logic, you responded with a sigh and shook your head in disappointment, “I have, but for some reason, I’m not able to connect with the other elements. I don’t know why, but it seems I’m only able to do this with water or other fluids that contain water, like--”

“Like blood,” Azriel finished for you, wearing the cold mask of the Night Court’s Spymaster.

“Yes, like blood.”

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softly-potter · 2 years

Text

Milk & Honey | Chapter 2

Summary: Recently widowed, Draco and Hermione give dating a try.

Pairing: Draco X Hermione

Word Count: 4,201

Warning: smut

A/N: Inspired by the quote “I’ve had sex, she said. But I don’t know, What making love, Feels like” by Rupi Kaur.

Find Chapter 1 Here

Chapter 2

Halloween passes and Pansy is elated with the fact that Hermione has successfully enraptured Draco.

“I told you there was something there,” Pansy practically howls with glee as she begs for details of the previous night. “He was basically undressing you with his eyes at work.”

“Don’t be vulgar!” Hermione squeaks, gripping the strap of her satchel harder. Pansy gives her an encouraging grin, dark eyes coaxing her friend to spill the events of the night before. “He’s truly a gift, Pans. I never knew someone that acted so awful in their youth could grow into someone as beautiful as him.”

Pansy stops walking, her mouth falling open in shock. “You love him.” she gasps, and Hermione considers this proposition.

She had considered it on her own accord many times, almost said the very phrase to him, but something has always made her pause, retract the sentiment like pulling down a kite, the wind of want hard to resist.

“Don’t say that,” Hermione says, voice dropping to a whisper, and Pansy knows her well enough that it was finally time to drop the subject. “Please just...don’t say that.”

Thanksgiving at the Weasleys with Draco was more uneventful than Hermione could have predicted. After some encouragement from Harry and Ginny, Ron's sour disposition at his highschool bully joining his family for the holidays slowly eased, and the group were able to enjoy themselves. The conversation did however steer away from the second wizarding war and politics, subjects that normally wormed their way in during family dinners, and Hermione was forever grateful that her second family loved her enough to open their home to the unlikeliest of individuals.

“Molly makes a hell of a blueberry pie, but I still think the blueberry scones from that muggle cafe you took me to takes the cake.” Draco muses as he walks her to her front door, their fingers entwined. Hermione laughs, squeezing his hand.

“Only you would prefer cafe food over Molly Weasley's baked goods.” She giggles, fishing her keys from her jacket pocket. A gust of chilly wind nipped at their coats, and she turned to him, her head leaning to the side. “Care to come in?”

He grins, quirking an eyebrow as he gives her figure an up and down glance, and she blushes. “For tea, I mean.” She curses herself for being presumptuous as she opens the door, and gives her wand a flick. The large two candles set on the opposite ends of her living room come to light, and she removes her jacket, Draco following suit as she shuts the door.

Walking to the kitchen, she opens the cabinet, peering closely at its contents in the dim light. “Which tea do you care for?” she calls, placing both hands on the lining of the cabinet door.

“I don't care for tea.”

Draco's voice is right beside her left ear, his hands snaking around her waist and the sudden closeness gives her such a fright, she shrieks, flipping around in his grasp. Hands pressed against his chest, she glares up at him, and he laughs, caging her waist against the counter between his large hands pressing into the wood.

“You gave me such a fright, you prat!” she complains, her voice catching as he drops his head to her shoulder. “I thought you were still in the living room.”

Hermione gives a light gasp when he presses a kiss to the junction between her neck and shoulder, his lips softly making their way up her neck and to the sensitive spot below her jaw. Hands on her hips, he squeezes lightly, and she cradles the back of his neck to her, breathing in his scent.

“Draco.”

He kisses her cheek, right near her ear, his breath deep and warm against her skin, and she drags her fingers through his hair, pressing her eyes shut. She can feel it. The warmth, the desire, pooling in her belly like molten lava, dripping further down and settling between her thighs. Her breathing becomes rigid when his mouth finds hers. His tongue dips in, playing with hers and fighting for dominance.

As his mouth moves against her own, she feels his hand drop to the hem of her dress, his fingers dancing lightly across the flesh of her thigh, moving up further and further. Taking her bottom lip between his teeth, he sucks it softly, his hand now lightly pressing the line of her panties and the feeling is so known yet foreign, so understandingly normal yet terrifying that it takes all her strength to press her hands against his chest feebly.

“Draco, please.” She begs, and she isn’t sure what she’s begging for. She knows she wants this, wants this with him but— words press against her skull, trying to force its way out, but with his hands touching her gently against her panties, she can’t remember how to form the words.

It’s when he gives a gentle tug to the hem of her undergarments does her brain return to her, and her eyes fly open as she shoves against his chest. “Draco, please, wait.”

His absence is almost immediate. His hands retract from her skin as if she's burned him, and he takes a step back, worry painted across his face like make up.

“I-I’m sorry, was that too much?” he blurts, his lips red. His eyes swim in worry as he takes her in, wringing his hands so quickly she instantly feels guilty.

It isn’t his fault she feels so scared, and she hates that he thinks it is.

“No!” she exclaims, and he flinches. She pauses, taking a breath. “No, it’s not too much. It’s perfect. I just—”

Hermione does not know how to tell him everyone before him has taken a piece of her, never to return and never given anything back. She wants to bare it all, but she can’t. Over the course of therapy and grieving the souls lost at the hands of Voldemort, she’d fallen so far within herself, she never thought she could find herself again.

Yet here he was, searching for her. Wanting her.

Loving her.

“Draco I- I'm not a virgin.” She says, choking on the words. He gives her a quizzical look, but nods slowly.

“Alright, neither am I.” He replies, and she shakes her head.

“I mean, I’ve had sex before.” She says, holding her hands. “With people that...didn’t care for me. Not the way you care for me. At least I think you do. And yes I’ve had sex but I’ve never…” she trails off, her words hanging heavily between them.

Stepping towards her, he holds his hand out, and she gingerly places her own in his palm. “Go on,” he encourages. “I’m listening.”

She sighs, trying to catch the words flying around her head, unable to articulate them in a way that even made sense to her, until suddenly it hit her so hard she nearly doubled over.

“I’ve...I’ve had sex before,” she says again, looking up into his face. “But I don't know what making love feels like.”

There it was; the clinical truth behind the entirety of her caution.

Draco pauses, his hand warm holding her own, and she feels her breathing stale in anticipation.

“And I-I want to feel that,” she rambles, and he takes another step toward her, until they are chest to chest, their clenched hands between them. “I want to feel that with you.”

Leaning forward, he gently presses a kiss to her forehead, the light smell of his mint cologne filling her senses. “Let me change that for you.”

Dipping his head, Draco claims her mouth as his, hands moving slowly but surely around her torso, squeezing her frame lightly as she sighs against his lips. He bends, scooping her into his arms bridal style and she lets out a laugh of surprise. He gives her a quizzical look as he glances around, and she gestures down the hall with a nod of her head.

He pushes the door open with his knee, placing her on the bed before he pushes her back, straddling her frame, the both of them fully clothed.

“Hermione Granger,” he muses, reaching up and slowly undoing his tie, his fingers work at the buttons next. “I have had the pleasure of dating you these past few months, and while it wasn’t easy, it was one of the greatest things I could have ever done.” Shirt unbutton and open, she watches as Draco shimmies his arms from their confinement, holding her breath as she takes him in. Reaching down, his fingers graze the hem of her top. “May I?”

She nods, biting her cheek as he removes her top, leaving her upper half exposed. His eyes soften as scarlet colors her cheeks, and he gives her a smile.

“Calm down, Granger,” he whispers, leaning down to capture her mouth. “I’d rather drown than ever let you be hurt again.”

“Again?” She asks when he pulls away, the sentence distracting her as he begins to kiss down her stomach. He pauses his movements just above her belly button, his breath fanning across her skin, and he sits up.

“The Manor.” He replies matter of factly. “You were hurting, in my living room as I watched. And I did nothing.” He sits on the backs of his thighs and she opens her mouth to stop him, to tell him she forgave him a long time ago, but he holds up a hand.

“I allowed her to hurt you.” He breathes, his hands rubbing her sides. “I’ll never allow anyone to hurt you again.”

Hermione can feel her eyes begin to prick, and she sits up quickly to kiss him, arms circling his neck. She can feel the anxiety and tension in his shoulders as she pours herself into him. He moans softly against her mouth, cupping her face.

“I forgave you, Draco.” She whispers, nudging his nose with her own. “We were children. Let’s make new and better memories together.”

Grasping his face, she tugs him down into a kiss, tongue dipping into his mouth and he sighs against her. As they kiss, she can feel his hands settle on the hem of her skirt, fingers pressing against the zipper nervously, and she moves her hands down to unzip and remove her skirt. Settling between her thighs, he kisses her over her panties. She stiffens the closer he gets.

“Relax, sweet girl,” Draco nuzzles his nose against her hip, flattening himself down as his thumbs hook under her panties. “May I?”

She nods, and he maneuvers her legs to pull them off. Grey eyes flick up to meet hers. “My pretty girl.” He looks down, his tongue darting out from between his lips and Hemrione clenches her thighs.

“Draco, please,” she says, pulling his hair, watching his movements. “Please.”

“I'm going, ‘Mione.” He says before pressing a quick kiss to her mound. “I just want to look for a moment.” He brings up a hand, cool fingers collecting her wetness and her muscles contract.

She opens her mouth to complain again, speaking always helps calm her nerves, but then he delves his tongue between her folds and her eyes roll. He repeats the action, groaning against her damp skin.

“You taste like heaven,” he hums between gentle licks. “I can’t wait to see how you feel.”

She thinks he’s going to continue, her heart swelling at the pretty words, but instead he laps at her heat, eating her out like he’s starving. Her ankles hook behind his head, back arching off the surface, and his hand comes up to grip hers, fingers tangling.

His eyes are trained on her as he pulls back to kiss her thigh, sucking heavily. “Look at me, sweetheart. Keep your pretty eyes on me.”

Her chest heaves but she nods.

Eyes still on hers, he reaches up, rolls a nipple between his forefinger and thumb, and when his teeth graze against her clit she keens, coming hard, thighs shaking as lets out a heavy sigh.

“You look beautiful like that,” he says, leaning forward to give her swollen bud a small lick. “So beautiful when you come.”

Hermione whines, reaching for him. He crawls up between her legs, pressing kisses to her neck and jaw. Together they haphazardly push his trousers down, and then his undergarments, until he’s heavy and bare against her.

Blowing air through his nose he looks up at her, white hair falling in his eyes. “You sure?”

She runs her hand down his check, tracking her thumb over his bottom lip. His tongue darts out, wetting the pad.

“I’m sure.”

He smiles, before dipping his eyes downwards, stroking himself a few times before aligning himself with her. He grunts against her jaw as he slides slowly into her. Holding her breath, Hermione grips his bicep as he stretches her perfectly, her walls fluttering. When he’s settled to the hilt, Draco breathes hard against her neck, his teeth grazing her neck.

“Shit,” he whispers, his voice low, before he laps at her skin softly. “You're like velvet around me.”

When he begins to move, Hermione's eyes drift shut. He’s murmuring against her skin, pretty words decorating her skin, before he leans up to capture her lips with his own.

“Feel ok?” He murmurs against her lips, and she nods, trying to find her voice. His thrusts are slow and deep, taking his time as his hand drifts down to grip her thigh, hiking it up. The new angle hits her deep, and she cries lowly, nails digging into his skin.

“There it is,” he groans, his skin slapping against her heavily. “Those sounds you make…mmm. I want to hear them again.”

She gasps again when he hits that spot deep inside. Her limbs feel like jelly, warm and loose, and when his rhythm picks up, she feels another wave of pleasure building. Stomach tight, she bites into his shoulder when she comes.

“Good girl,” he whispers, tugs on her earlobe. “Good, good girl.”

The contraction of her walls triggers his own orgasm and his hips buck into her as he locks onto her frame, finishing inside her. He lies panting, lifting himself so as to not crush her but she grabs his shoulders, tugs him back.

“Draco,” she murmurs, nuzzling into him, breathing in his scent. “Draco, please stay.”

“You want me to stay?” He asks quietly, brushes her hair out of her face. She knows it must be horrendously unruly but she doesn’t care, smiling at him sleepily.

“Yes,” she replies. “of course, yes.”

He grins, and she gently pokes the dimple that shows. Leaning forward, Draco kisses her again, soft and sweet, his fingers tangling in her hair.

“Mmm,” he hums, his tongue swiping against her lower lip. “You taste like honey. Just…so sweet. Sweet as honey.”

Hermione giggles, and pulls him to her so that his head rests against her bare chest, and as they drift off to sleep she hopes he always prefers

#dramione #milk & honey #short fic #draco tok #soft draco

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spilledkauffie · 3 years

Text

Dating Baron Zemo HCs

The Falcon and Winter Soldier spoilers!

I just have no self control, that’s what this is — Pt. 2

Waiting— you’ve been waiting a good while to finally see him again, and you had no doubt that someday he’d find his way out. So, you waited. Upon the prison break, you continued patiently waiting for him at one of his nearby estates. Sure enough, he eventually found his way back. There you stood, with a bottle and two glasses of his favourite champagne. “I didn’t expect you to wait,” he smirks, walking to you. “I told you I would,” you tilt your head. Without a hesitation, he pulls you closer by your waist and gives you the exact kiss you’ve been waiting for.

↳ however, he did bring some unexpected company, upon Sam clearing his throat loudly, Zemo turns, putting a little space between you and him, “Gentlemen,” he gestures to you, hand still against the small of your back, as he introduces you. / “Dude’s got everything,” Sam mutters to Bucky as they follow the two of you through the corridor.

Forehead kisses— it’s always been a habit of his, even if he’s just walking past you, he’ll stop and press a quick kiss to your forehead. Other times when you’re snuggled up against him, he’ll give your temple a lingering kiss. As a goodbye, even after a kiss, he places one to your forehead. He also strokes back your hair, keeping his thumb against your temple, while you lift your head a little closing your eyes with a smile as he rests his forehead against yours.

Staying in Bed— mornings are when you take 100% advantage of the fact that he doesn’t have to be anywhere, hence he can stay with you all morning. You actually spend a lot of time just talking, holding hands, and seeing the sun brighten the room gradually. He traces his fingertips along every inch and curve of your body as he listens to you talk, trying his best not to just kiss you mid-sentence, which has happened.

Living like a princess— literally, you want it you get it, anything. Even if it’s just in mention, you’re probably going to wind up getting it as a little surprise. Travel wherever you want to, whenever you want to, he’s got a private jet so there’s no need to plan ahead. Jewelry, lots and lots of jewelry! You never quite get used to living so lavishly, but he thinks that’s one of the best things about you. Everyone he’s known has been accustomed to living so fancifully, but the way it takes your breath away never gets old.

Event “Dates”— obviously you’re his date to any event he’s attending, but often you feel you are easily out of place around the kind of crows at such fancy and intimidating events. You tend to just stay out of the way and in the corner, holding the one drink you’ve had all night, and subtly, but anxiously tapping your free hand against the side of your thigh. “why are you so nervous?” he takes your hand, pressing a kiss to the knuckles, continuing to stroke his thumb across your skin. “Because I’m nothing like these people,” you quietly say, “I don’t really think I belong here.” / Zemo smirks, “well, a Queen seldom fits in among common people.”

He’s Not Very Handsy in Public— while you’ve learned to go along with the whole professional side of events, you also know that when it’s just the two of you, he typically likes you near. With a hand always in yours, or somewhere touching your body, thigh, shoulder, nape of the neck, etc., you’ve come to love the intimate TLC, that doesn’t mean you haven’t tried to coax it out of him whilst at an event, but he’s superior at keeping his cool compared to you.

↳ he’s also superior at teasing, wherever and whenever. It can be a simple touch that you never expected to turn you on, or it can be a glance across the room from you, making it very clear what’s on his mind, causing you to blush, look away, and take a deep breath, composing yourself while he just smiles, taking a sip of whatever drink is in his hand.

Attempting to Learn Sokovian— since his entire family was Sokovian you wanted to learn it so he could more freely speak it on a regular basis, much like he used to. You tried keeping it a secret for a while, but when he found out you were trying to learn his language he immediately wanted to help somehow. You’ve found you typically get a little distracted when listening to him speak, but you’ve definitely learned! Plus a “very good” follows by a kiss is much more of a reward than any textbook could offer.

Surprise Trips— you’ve been woken up at three a.m. just to be told your going somewhere. Naturally, you asked why you couldn’t just go later in the day, “it’s very special,” he rubbed your shoulder, “c’mon, you can sleep on the plane, I promise.” And you certainly do, tucking your knees up onto the seat, you nuzzled as close to him as possible, trying to sleep the whole plane ride. Turns out he woke you up so early just so you could see the sunrise coming up over the Pyramids in Egypt.

Breakfast in Bed— despite having had a family cook, Zemo actually knows how to cook, and pretty darn good. There have been several occasions where you’ve woken up alone, a little disappointed only to find the smell of cinnamon and sugar spreading throughout the room as he brings you breakfast in bed, obviously joining you.

At Home Library— you weren’t exactly sure what he meant when he said he had a library, but you found out soon enough. Feeling like Belle, you were in absolute awe that he literally had a library in one of his estates. A lot of the time you’ll spend house just sitting by the beautiful window, reading. After a while, he’ll bring you some tea and join you, either reading with you or watching you read (which make you blush).

Art Exhibits— in his house. . . yep, he’s got a whole gallery. Sometimes you just walk through it by yourself to calm your nerves and relax a little. The first time you were amazed that they were all real pieces. “There’s been a recent addition, that just so happens to be here in time for your birthday,” he explained, walking you through the gallery, “and how’d you come across it, may I ask?” you smile knowingly, twisting your hips side to side. He responds with a soft chuckle, “let’s just admire it now that it’s here, yes?”

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genshin-obsessed · 3 years

Text

Shelter | Kaedehara Kazuha x Reader

Heyo! Got the inspiration for this from one of Kazuha's teapot lines! Enjoy <3 yeahh I'll make a p2 upon request It's partially edited <3 Word Count: 1.4k

To Let The Wind Lead - Part 2

You sighed as you closed your window and locked it. The rain was getting heavier and it didn’t seem like it would stop anytime soon. Though it was a cool day outside, having the window open would only wet your floors.

As you walked back to the living room, you heard a soft knock on your door. Your eyes shot towards the sound and you paused. Who could it be this late? You could think of a very lively friend who had a very bad habit of staying up much later than she should.

With that thought in mind, you approached your door and slowly opened it, peeking through the small space in between. It was not Pocket, but a young man rather soaked to the bone. Your eyes widened as did the gap between the door and yourself.

“Hello, I’m sorry to bother you so late at night,” the man started with a frown, “but would it be too much to ask for shelter for tonight?”

Your eyes fell to the sword attached to his hip, making your hand tighten on the door handle. You didn’t often see strangers with weapons out where you were. It was obvious the man saw your eyes flicker to his blade, but he avoided making a big deal, even choosing to try and hide it a little.

You looked behind him to see the rain pouring down mercilessly and you were right, it wouldn’t let up any time soon. Frankly, you didn't like the idea of letting him sleep out there. Your area wasn't known to have much shelter. Maybe a few trees, but the nearest town was quite far. Finally, you met his vermillion eyes. Desperation was most evident but you could not find traces of any ill will.

“Ok… come in.” You said, stepping aside and opening the door all the way for him. His frown melted into a grateful smile and he took a large step into your abode.

“Thank you, so much. My name is Kaedehara Kazuha. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” His name was foreign and you could only think of Inazuma when you heard it.

“It’s nice to meet you as well. You may call me (y/n). We should get you dried off. I wouldn’t want you to get sick.” You said, walking inside and searching for a towel. “Tell me about yourself, Mr. Kaedehara.”

“Just Kazuha is alright. I am… a simple wanderer.” You hadn’t noticed the hesitation in his voice as you pulled the towels out of a cabinet.

“Just a wanderer?” You inquired, looking at him. Something flickered in Kazuha’s eyes before he nodded.

“Just a wanderer.”

He took the towels from you, starting to dry his hair as you walked to the kitchen to prepare some tea. It had only taken a few minutes before you stepped out to ask if he was hungry.

You froze in your spot, your eyes meeting a bare back. Kazuha had turned around and taken his clothes off in an attempt to ring them out, outside.

Your eyes traced over his smooth back, spotting many scars along the way. Every curve and divot glistened with raindrops that dripped from his silvery locks.

“Oh, I’m sorry to get your floor wet.” Your eyes widened when you realized you had been staring at Kazuha. Unable to help yourself, you let your eyes flicker down to his chest before looking away with red cheeks.

“Um, i-it's ok- ahem. Are y-you hungry? I-I could make y-you some food.” He nodded and let the towel drape over his shoulders.

“Yes. Thank you.” Inhaling sharply, you quickly turned and returned to the kitchen, taking a few deep breaths to relieve yourself of the embarrassment you had just felt.

Kazuha, on the other hand, chuckled at your reaction, shaking his head a little as he quickly dried himself off. It was cute and he definitely took note of the way your voice cracked.

—

You set the tray down on the dining table, placing the teacups and pot down in the center. Quickly moving back into the kitchen, you brought out the warm meals you had made.

Kazuha had placed his sword against the leg of the table. Your eyes flickered down to it before you took a seat across from him.

“I really don’t think I can thank you enough.” Kazuha said with a smile.

“Well, I couldn’t just leave you out in the rain. I have to ask… you uh… carry a sword.” You were unsure how to phrase the question, but Kazuha quickly picked up on your curiosity.

“Well, being a lone traveler- one must learn to defend themselves.”

“That’s true, I suppose. So what brought you here?”

“The wind.” You smiled and tilted your head as you watched him take a bite.

“The wind?”

“Have you ever followed the wind, (y/n)?”

“No, I don’t think I ever have. What, can you hear the wind?”

“Sometimes.” You giggled, wondering if you’d let a madman into your house. Yet, there was sincerity in his smooth voice. Not only that, he truly believed what he said. Which prompted your curiosity.

“Elaborate, please.”

“I can… hear the wind. I suppose my sense of hearing is just really good. I can hear the wind passing between mountains, foxes chewing on apples in the forest, the sound of crabs blowing bubbles... I can even sense danger before it draws near.” Your eyes widened at his words- were they true? Could he really hear all of that?

“That’s impressive." You saw him look down shyly and nod as if to thank you. "Where have you been?” You asked, eyes glancing at the red streak in the man’s hair.

“Hmm… not as far as you think. I only recently left Inazuma. From there I’ve only been to Liyue and here. What about you? Have you gone anywhere before?” You shook your head with a sad smile.

“Never been anywhere. It’s a mundane life, I live. I could only wish to see the world.”

“Maybe you will, one day.” Your eyes met vermillion once more and you felt your heart flutter. The two of you only smiled as you continued your meal. There was a comfortable silence that fell between you two- one you didn't think you'd ever feel with a stranger.

—

Your eyes stared at the ceiling above as you mulled over the thoughts of earlier events. A stranger was in your home for the night, sleeping right in the room beside yours. Though he seemed to have good intentions, you could never be too sure or too careful.

You did wonder why you saw hesitancy in Kazuha’s eyes when he answered some questions. Yet, you couldn't bring yourself to ask more.

“Kaedehara Kazuha… you’re a man shrouded in mystery.” You whispered to yourself, before shifting to your side. “I guess everyone has their secrets.”

—

You had slept much more comfortably than you thought with a stranger in your home. Morning had come around much quicker than expected and it was time for Kazuha to leave. You had made breakfast for the both of you as one last meal before he left.

You opened your door allowing the sun to pour into your home. The cool breeze ruffled the flowers and grass only a few feet away. It blew past you and it made you wonder what Kazuha heard this time.

You took a step outside, inhaling the fresh air. Kazuha stepped right beside you, closing his eyes as the sun fell upon him. You turned to him, staring in awe. The way the sunlight encased him made him glow. He almost looked as if he'd stepped out of heaven and pieces of it followed him.

He really was a beautiful man.

After a few moments, he turned to you with a somber smile. It was time for him to go, even though neither of you wanted him to leave.

“Thank you for your hospitality, (y/n). I don’t ask for shelter often, in fear of upsetting people. So I thank you for accepting me, without questions. I will never forget your act of kindness and if we shall meet again, I will definitely make it up to you.” Your heart fluttered once more at the way he gazed at you. It made you shy away a little before you responded.

“Happy to help. Good luck, Kaedehara Kazuha.”

He stepped away from you, walking further into the distance. You watched as his figure got smaller and smaller, finding it hard to return to your home.

“I hope we see each other again, (y/n).” He whispered to himself.

#genshin impact x reader #genshin x reader #genshin kazuha x reader #kaedehara kazuha x reader #genshin x gender neutral reader

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imagineimpact · 3 years

Note

Could I please request a one shot for scaramouche where the reader and childe are best friends, and the reader is dating scara. But none of them have any idea that they know each other. And the reader decides ‘hey i’m going to make the two closest people to me meet each other’ and once they show up they’re standing there like🧍 ‘so THIS is the idiot you call your best friend??’ And childe sees this as the perfect opportunity to tease scara more cause damn he actually cares for someone?? Tyyyy

I've had this written for 2 weeks or so and I forgot to post it, I am so sorry for being such a moron.

But here you go! I love the dynamic of Childe and Scara being annoyed at each other all the time but still being, you know, obliged by each other's company.

Anyway...

You've Got to be Kidding Me

Scaramouche x Reader (ft. Childe as the Best Friend)

You were laying in bed beside Scaramouche, a late night together behind you. You silently watch him resting, his face seeming so serene in the covered light of the morning hours together. You have plans for the day so you would have to be up soon, but you had hoped that he would be awake before you left.

As you gently touch his cheek, he stirs toward you in a pleasant instinct that makes you feel warm and puts an equally pleasant smile on your face. His eyelids open slowly, with a few blinks as his eyes adjust his sights to you.

“Good morning.” You say quietly, not wanting to startle him too much.

“Mmm.” He pulls you closer to him, drawing you near for a kiss. “This is a nice surprise.” He wraps his arms around you.

“What do you mean?”

“I thought you had to leave early.” He ran a hand through your hair. “To meet with your friend.”

You kissed him again. “I do have to. I just wanted to see you before I left to meet him.”

“Him, right.” He spoke as if only just remembering.

“I should bring you to meet him some day.” You say mindlessly, kissing his cheek again as you move away from him to get ready.

“Perhaps.” He watches you leave the bed, eyes wandering over you as you search for clothing to wear.

“You’re both very important to me.” Your hands reach for nice but informal clothing, perfect for the occasion.

“Well, if that’s what you wish, then I can meet him.” Scaramouche sits up, leaning against the headboard with a stretch. You begin to dress as he talks. “Of course, I cannot guarantee that he’ll make it out alive if I see him trying to-“

“He isn’t like that.” You dismiss simply with a chuckle. You look over at him through the dresser mirror, knowing fully well that he’s serious. “But anyway, don’t you have Harbinger things to do today?”

“I’m on assignment, yes.” He gets up from the bed and takes hold of your hand, spinning you to face him. “But I can see you to your destination, maybe so that I can meet this best friend of yours.”

“You would do that?” Your eyes wander through his, seeking that softness locked deep inside. He brings it out in his smile.

“For you, anything.” He kisses you again, lightly, before also getting dressed.

~*~*~

It doesn't take you too long to arrive at the location, a nice spot outside of the tea house where you met your best friend every time, but you were still a little bit late on account of your boyfriend also needing to get ready. Scaramouche dotingly keeps to your side, insisting that he was sure that your friend would be fine if you were just a little late. He carries his hat with him, holding it in the hand that wasn’t around your waist or holding your hand at various points during your travels.

Near the location, you step away from your boyfriend to search for your expected company. “There!” You nearly jump up with sheer happiness when you spot the tall redheaded Snezhnayan across a short distance. You nealy send Scaramouche flying when you grab his hand and hurry toward him. Scaramouche has to slow you down in fear of drawing too much attention to you both, and as you move through the crowd, you finally reached him.

“Childe!” You excitedly tug on his sleeve to pull his attention away from his far-off staring. “It’s so nice to finally see you!” Scaramouche tenses up beside you, stiffly pulling you to him again.

“Ah, hey there comrade!” He turns to smile at you, but then his eyes flick up to your company.

“I brought my boyfriend along to meet you, I hope you don’t mind too much.” You give him a soft smile, eyes sparkling with a mixture of excitement and fear that the two people you love most will despise each other.

Childe’s eyes flicker between you and Scaramouche, and you stand to the side watching the two silently stare at each other. Neither say anything for an unnerving amount of time.

Your mind begins to race with a myriad of questions. Did you do something wrong? To the both of them, your expression must have the clearest look of confusion and worry that has ever existed.

Then, Scaramouche takes a sharp breath, and speaks, eyes not shifting even slightly away from Tartaglia. “So this is the idiot you call your best friend?”

“Idiot?!” Childe laughs placing a hand on his hip and bowing his head slightly to stare down at the shorter male. “I think even you have to give me more than that-“

“Absolutely not.” Scaramouche’s eyes narrow. Childe, on the other hand, simply turns to you and, smiling far too much, places a hand on your head. You nearly chuckle, but the confusion setting in makes the sound choke into a puzzled smile.

“You two... know each other?” Your question barely has time to linger in the air.

“We... work together.” Scaramouche explains, wrapping a hand around your waist to keep you beside him, eyes locked on Childe. A silent signal to him.

“Oh. That... actually makes sense.” You peer over at your best friend, who has a playful smirk spreading across his face.

“You know how much I don’t like to talk about such business.” His eyes flicker away from you. “I didn’t know you were such a softie, Scara.” Childe raises a teasing eyebrow, leaning down slightly. The intensity of Scaramouche’s glare didn’t seem to match the playfulness that Childe held. “And here I thought you had no heart.”

“Don’t call me softie.” His arm around you tightens. “I have the mind to kill you right here.” Childe simply laughs, placing a hand on Scaramouche’s shoulder. He tenses even more, impossibly so. “Get your hand off me Ajax.”

“Okay, okay.” He holds his hands up in defeat, still chuckling to himself. “Look at you, caring about someone so dearly. That looks like a tight hold there.”

Scaramouche loosens his grip on you, letting you slip away from him as he steps up to Childe. “Don’t try anything, or I swear to-“

“Don’t worry, you can trust me.” Childe tilts his head, leaning down to meet his eyes. “We’ve been friends for a long time. And besides, I’d never try to take away something so absolutely dear to you. It gives me far too much to tease you about.”

“Ajax you-“

“Woah, hey.” You gently push them apart, and they bend to your will as if neither possesses the strength to resist such a movement (which they so obviously could). Their gazes both soften.

Scaramouche turns back to look at you, that tension leaving his body completely when you reach out and take his hand. “Come on, how about we all get something to eat? You say, giving him a soft smile. He can’t help but do the same.

“Alright.” He lets you kiss his cheek, a small reassurance that everything’s alright.

Childe circles around, examining Scaramouche’s expression before giggles bubble out of him. “Oh, you two are adorable.”

“I better not hear a word about this again, Ajax.” Your boyfriend tries to assert, but the pink of his cheeks and the embarrassed tone he has makes the threat dissipate in the wind. Childe leans an arm on his shoulder, prompting the harshest glare you’ve ever seen from your dearest.

“Hey, come on.” You hold in a giggle, but as you lift a hand to cover your mouth the sounds escape you.

“Oh, not you too.” Scaramouche huffs, face reddening.

“I can’t help it, you’re just so adorable.” You squeak back the giggles,

“Aw, maybe he is just so adorable.” Your best friend teases, ruffling Scaramouche’s hair.

He calls your name, very softly. Suddenly quiet. “Did you really have to chose this utter moron to be your best friend?”

“You can’t choose your best friends.” You shrug, grabbing both of their wrists and pulling them apart. “Just like you can’t choose who you love.”

“But him?” They say simultaneously. You look to both of them, chuckling.

“Of course.” You shake your head. “And of course.” The laugh you let out is met with a collective sigh from them both, but you nonetheless start walking away, leaving the bickering two to trail along with you.

This day was going to be fun.

#genshin #genshin x reader #genshin imagines #genshin scenarios #genshin impact imagines #imagines #Scaramouche #Scaramouche x reader #Scaramouche Genshin #Childe x reader #Tartaglia #Childe #genshin impact requests #requests #imagineimpact

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levis-coffeecup · 2 years

Text

Chapter 15 | All that is lost

WC-9.9 k

Content/Warnings

canon- compliant, canon-typical violence, descriptions of PTSD, grief, depression, heavy angst and themes, strong language.

Author's note:

Brace yourself for this really really long chapter, because some it's almost 10k words long and idk how.

There are 2 scenes in this one, and the first one takes place a month after chapter 14, where Levi and Mae kinda confront each other. And the second scene is a month after that. (So basically, 2 months covered in this one chapter)

Also I'm sorry, there's been quite a delay on my side. Its 1:26 in the morning which does mean that I'm almost 1 and a half our late and Sunday has already ended. But also the fact that I had been posting in the afternoon the past weeks. (I was in my hostel and we don't have good internet there at night, so I was posting the chapters early, but now I'm back home for a week, so I took my time🤡)

So in short, i'm really sorry if someone was waiting and i showed up 12 hours later lol.

The song for this chapter is lost on you - by LP. I hope you guys like it!

Chapters

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22

Masterlist | Playlist | Other Works

SEPT 846

Cold air blows in Mae’s face, as she wipes the tear that rolls down her cheek. The river streams below the rock she sits on. And the moon is out, crescent shaped today. Shining its light on the clearing in the forest.

She takes in a deep breath as she looks down at the ebbing river. And even though she doesn’t see her reddened face in all the darkness, she doesn’t need sight to know that her face is swollen from all the crying.

She’s doing well as a doctor. The bar is good as well, no man has gawked at her ever since the Levi incident. And she’s not alone, she has Hange and Raz.

Things are fine, and there is no blatant reason to be upset. But she is still crying.

It feels like there is so much sadness trapped inside of her. And she doesn’t know why it's here or how it got here. But she carries it everywhere… And it comes out at random times, in the form of the quaking of her shoulders and the glossy film that covers her eyes.

Her tears feel cold against the blowing wind. The sound of the flowing river fills her ears. And the stars in the sky blur out due to the moisture laced in her eyes.

It's been so long since she’s been here. To her spot, to the place that used to offer her so much solace.

But today, as she sits here and feels the sturdy rock beneath her body, she is reminded of the time when she first met Levi. Days spent sitting under a cedar tree, on the outskirts of the clearing. Giving a mere stranger some space because to her he looked upset.

And now he stands behind the same tree where she once sat. Staring at her instead as she cries on the rock. The tables have turned and life has drastically changed. And there seems no way for things to get back to how they once were. So naive yet spiteful.

September is about to end in a week, And it's almost been 2 months since that day when Levi beat up that creepy customer and created a scene. And since then he’s been coming to the bar daily, he hasn’t missed a single day.

He stays at the bar for her entire shift. From 8 to 12. Glaring at anyone who even looks at her. And it's not just that.

He follows her back to her house as well, and he only leaves when he sees her shut the door and blow the candles off. Resting safely inside her home.

And oh! How hard she has tried to get rid of him.

She left his table uncleaned. Told Raz to ignore him and not serve him anything. She even added salt in his tea some days, and yet he drank it without filing a single complaint to the manager. Without even making a face.

And she’s failing again. History is repeating itself. In the most ironic way. Just like 2 years back, when she was trying to get him out of her spot.

And yes his presence does make the bar a much safer place. Raz feels more comfortable as well. But Mae doesn’t want her stupid heart to throb for him once again.

She wants to forget about him. She left her job, she left everything she had, for this, and now he comes chasing after her. Acting like her bodyguard.

Acting like the man she fell in love with.

Her mind feels heavy with thoughts. And her thoughts are crashing inside her like a hurricane. Messing up everything that stands its way. Her head throbs and she clutches it with both of her hands. Her fingers dig into her scalp and she lets out a frustrated groan.

It's all the same, just like all those days back then. She isn’t able to get him out of her spot and she isn’t even able to get him out of her heart.

And Mae doesn’t understand how Levi is even managing everything? Have his duties as a captain magically reduced? Or does he not need any sleep anymore?

Her mind flashes back to the day after, when she lashed out on him. Weak and miserable, begging for him to cooperate.

It was raining, so hard that Mae thought a storm would come in.

The bar was jam packed, filled with customers and people taking shelter from the rain.

And words couldn’t describe the disappointment on her face, when she found Levi sitting at the same cornered table, with that same damned cloak on. As if she never begged him to get away from, just a day prior.

The rain stalled for a minute. And her feet moved on a will of their own, ignoring all the customers who were waiting for her to come to their table.

She pinched the fabric of his cloak, and dragged him outside the noisy bar.

The streets were quiet and water filled up all the crevices in the cobblestone path. There was hardly anyone in sight, and to Mae this filthy, mud covered street seemed like the perfect place to confront Levi.

Or maybe it was her desperation, her mind that was begging her heart to forget him. And her heart, that was poorly failing. Trying everything in hand to not think about him,

And yet he was here at the bar, acting as if nothing wrong ever happened between them. Acting like she still was his friend, and he still cared.

Mae pivoted around, hand still clenching on to the fabric on Levi’s shoulder. And her face was filled with venom as she sneered. “Why are you here when all I want from you is to not be in my life anymore?”

But Levi was quiet as usual, head facing down and body so still, as if she wasn't even saying anything . It reminded Mae of the day she confessed to him.

And anger seeped into her system, at his lack of response. “LEVI! I’M A MARRIED WOMAN, YOU NEED TO STOP PLAYING THESE GAMES WITH ME.”

Levi remained quiet again. His cloak covered half of his face. And Mae couldn’t see the expressions on his face, but she knew the man in front of her wasn’t the indifferent, cold man who never breaks out of his demeanor.

It was something else, maybe a part of him that he had caged deep within him.

Thunder cackled through the clouds, and it was only at that moment that Levi looked up. Reaching his hand forward towards Mae, that he knows, shudders at the sound of thunder.

And it was true. She had shriveled up, hands hugging herself and eyes wide in a moment of fear.

Her heart was beating faster, and she didn’t know whether it's for the thunder that scared her, or for Levi’s hand hovering over her shoulder.

She never told him that she’s afraid of thunder… it must have been something he observed. And just like always he knew her like the back of his hand. Every fear, every desire and every thought.

It felt like time had frozen. They looked at each other, eyes filled with unspoken words and buried emotions.

One contemplating whether it was wrong of her heart to still beat for him, when she had long decided that she needed to forget him. And the other contemplating whether he was allowed to touch her anymore.

The silence was broken by thunder once again. The rain picked up, even stronger this time. Drenching the both of them whole in a matter of seconds.

But they stood still, lost in time and in the downpour of their emotions.

Mae heaved out a sigh as she pulled her eyes away from him.

She hated herself. She hated herself so much for being weak. For still feeling for a man who had hurt her so many times. Who’s thoughts still made her cry every night.

She turned to his hand that hovered over her shoulder, and forced a grimace on her face. And Levi withdrew his arm back, as his eyes fell back to the ground once again.

“Mae… “ His voice cracked and he took in a breath to compose himself. “Yesterday you told me that it’s a person’s will that’s the strongest… And you were right, because I can only break their bones and dislocate their shoulders, but they still have the choice to not surrender, even if they are in a… horrible condition.”

He looked up at her and a fire reflected in his eyes. “Your life is your own, and at the end you can do whatever with it. You can choose anything from the options in front of you, even if the options are shitty… And I have chosen for myself to stay here. Because I’m not leaving you to work all alone at night…That’s my will. Do whatever you want. I’m not going to let anyone harm you here… and I’m not going to leave.”

His resolve was evident in his voice and Mae’s lips quivered as she took in a shaky exhale.

Why was he here acting like the man she fell for, when all she wanted to do was forget him? Couldn’t he just continue being an asshole and make things easier for her?

Why was he here with his decision to stay, when all she wanted was for him to be gone from her life and her heart?

The rain pattered against her frame, and she was grateful, because it hid her tears so well.

But this was Levi we are talking about. The man who knows her as well as the back of his hand.

She turned around, wanting to be as far away from him as she could. But Levi’s hand was quick to grab on to her wrist. He didn’t want her to leave with a sullen expression like that.

He’s wanted her happy, he’s always wanted her happy.

Her head swiveled, and she looked back at him. Face blank and eyes cold.

“M-Mae, I’ll never hurt you,” his voice cracked.

A painful expression took over Mae’s face. ‘You've already hurt me Levi,’ it said. And Levi’s eyes widened as it told him exactly what she was thinking./ everything about the thought in her head.

“.... physically.” He muttered out, to save himself from the weight of his own actions.

His hand was still latched onto her wrist. It was cold and Levi’s body was always the first to lose its warmth when the weather dropped.

And he was sodden in the rainwater… he could catch a cold.

But Mae wasn’t supposed to care about him anymore.

So she shaked her hand out of his grasp. And walked back into the bar with heavy steps.

Levi has always been a violent man. This clearing itself stands a testament to it.

The first day she went to him, he tackled her to the ground. And the other day in the market, he beat someone up just because they were looking at him?

But there is more to it, Levi doesn't just beat up people for looking at him. If that was the case, then she would have been long dead by now.

Hange says Levi gets violent when he’s angry, annoyed or overwhelmed, sometimes even when he’s stressed. Or when he needs to prove a point.

In a way violence is how he expresses himself. He doesn’t crack under the pressure, he explodes loud enough that everyone feels his rage.

It has something to do with his past, Hange said. He has had it very harsh, they said.

And Mae can’t help but think how brutal Levi’s past must have been, if he believes in philosophies like ‘strength is all I need to survive’?

She lets out a defeated sigh, as another tear slips down her eye.

Why he did what he didn’t doesn’t matter. It shouldn’t matter.

The point is that Levi is a violent man, and she’s known that ever since the day she met him.

So why did her heart manage to discard the things she already knew about him? How did she be so blind in her love for him?

Levi never told her much about himself. Yeah, she knows about all his likes and dislikes, and all his small quirks. But she doesn’t know about his past, she doesn’t know about his parents. Heck, she doesn’t even know his surname.

And the irony is that she doesn’t know him well. But right now it feels like she doesn’t know herself as well.

She looks into the mirror and she doesn’t know the woman who blinks back at her.

Because the woman she thought she was, was cautious. Never a risk taker. Always walking meters away from any danger.

And even though she has always been quite sentimental, a part of her was always rational. Able to decipher the truth between all her emotions.

She knew that the evacuees would be abandoned one day. She knew that she wouldn’t be able to save her parents. Because the odds were against it. And it was the bitter truth that her heart learned to accept the first month after the announcement of the mission itself.

And no smart person offers food to a cat that bites back.

Then why is her heart so hell bent on playing with fire? Why is a part of her so adamant on understanding why Levi did things the way he did?

It's only now that she sees the way she’s latched on to him. The death of her loved ones left a void in her heart and Levi was the quick relief that took all her pain away. And she was so distracted by the rush of her heart that she hardly paid any attention to the void that weakened her from the inside.

He was something she relied on, instead of strengthening her own will. And it's been 4 months since the day he held her up by the collar, but imagining a life without him still feels hard.

It's cold, so cold. Her teeth clatter, and her body shivers. She crosses her arms and places her hands on her shoulders. Trying to warm her body by rubbing her palms.

But the sound of footsteps comes to her notice. They are silent and fast, like Levi’s. And she knows they are coming towards her because of the fallen leaves that they crush on their path.

The footsteps are coming closer but she is reluctant to turn around. For once she wants to be lost in her own world, without any reminder of reality. For once she wants to be left alone.

A coat falls onto her lap . It's the Survey Corps cloak. And the hands that keep it next to her are pale and calloused.

“You’ll catch a cold.” Levi’s voice is gentle. And she doesn’t need to cast a glance to know he’s wearing a thin white cotton shirt himself. Because she’s seen him throughout her entire shift plenty of times already.

Levi stays there for a moment, standing next to her, and staring at the river ahead.

He follows Mae back everyday. And he sees the house she’s now living in. It's despicable, just a single room, with a metal shed on top, in the poorest section of the city.

She’s working as a waitress. Living in a house, smaller than the dorms in the Headquarters.Working at a cheap clinic in the slums.

And all he wants to do is to beat that damned Ivan. He wants to steal all his money and get her settled in Sina. This isn’t the life he wanted for her. This isn’t the life that he distanced himself from her, for.

But he holds it all inside of him. She wants him out of her life and he doesn’t have the right to barge into her life anymore. Not when he himself kicked her out of his.

And he blames himself for the situation she’s in. He should have interrogated that fucking husband of hers personally, and he should have spoken to Mae as well.

He should have taken her thoughts into consideration, before assuming what's best for her.

And he’s so ashamed of himself, that he doesn’t even find the courage to look at her. He failed her, he hurt her. The one person who’s cared for him selflessly. The one person who’s been gentle with him.

But if he did take a chance and meet her eyes, then he would see the sadness trapped in her insides.

Mae shifts her position, so her back faces Levi and he doesn’t see her cry.

There goes her heart beating faster again at the gesture. And there goes Levi, toying with her feelings once again.

At this point she’ll never get over him.

And Levi grimaces, as Mae keeps his cloak on the spot next to her instead of wearing it. An exhausted sigh escapes his mouth, and then he turns around and walks back to the cedar tree.

But he lets the cloak be, on the rock, just beside Mae. Just in case it gets too cold and she changes her mind.

His footsteps fade away and Mae shudders as another tear escapes her eye.

Every time Levi comes to her, the same question surfaces in her mind.

What about her bandaging his hand out of sheer concern made him feel cornered and pushed him into a state of violence?

What about her just trying to be a good friend and looking out for him, got on his nerves?

Was she being too annoying back then? Did he need more space? And did she fail in giving him that?

Because it's so annoying now, when he follows her back to her house everyday. Yeah, his intentions are good and he’s just protecting her, but she doesn’t want him here. She wants to stay away from him.

And she can’t help but think that maybe Levi felt the same way back then as well.

Her father always told her that it's in the toughest times that teach you the most.

And the past months have been so painful, if nothing she wants to learn something from it. She wants to come out a better person.

Nothing in her control is in her life anymore. She’s making money but it's not enough. She has a job but its not stable enough. And the one thing she was sure of that she would do, was forgetting Levi.

And even that seems impossible now that he’s always in front of her.

But the hate she has for him, is a poison in her own heart. And she doesn’t remember the last time she truly felt happy

Her face turns into distaste every time she sees him. And it's sad that she still has so much power over her. Enough to ruin her mood at the mere sight of him.

It's only now that Mae realizes that ever since her parents died she only found happiness in Levi. And he became the source of all her joy.

And it's time she takes control of her happiness. It's time she learns to make herself happy.

Maybe they were never meant to be, but one thing's for sure. Levi’s care wasn’t a pretense. It wasn’t an act he put up just to earn her favor. And maybe Hange was right all along. Maybe he does like her.

But the moment is long gone, and things have forever changed.

No feelings can undo what happened between them.

And she’ll learn to forgive him, but she’ll not let him in her life until he gives her a valid explanation for his actions that day. Not until he proves to her that violence isn’t something he goes to whenever he gets angry. That his violence isn’t a beast that he can’t tame.

The unknown is unfolding.

She doesn’t know where she’s headed, she doesn’t know where she’ll be a few months from now. And she doesn’t know what’s going to happen between her and Levi.

But the stars are twinkling brightly above her, and it reminds her of the words she told Levi on that starry night.

“There will always be so many things that are out of my control, but I just want to keep doing all that I can. I want to stand tall amidst all the chaos and I want to make the most of the limited time I have…”

The things that are happening are out of her control again. And she is trying her best. Once again it's time to make peace with it. It's time to heal.

And she’ll learn to be patient with the heart that she’s hated for so long. And maybe she’ll stumble on the path, make a mistake and flop down. But she’ll get up.

She has to get up.

The water gushes below her, moving through every obstacle its way.

And just like the water, she’ll learn to persevere.

She’ll learn to let go, and be carefree. She’ll learn to be light and to not take everything so seriously.

And she’ll adapt to every situation and find happiness no matter what.

And just like the ebbing water, she’ll go where the wind takes her. She’ll change, she’ll learn and she will have the faith that good things are coming for her.

━━━━━━━━━━━━

OCT 846

The sound of clinking glasses echoes through the illuminated halls of Tipsy Titan Hours. And the once cramped bar, mellows down as the moon rises higher and higher.

Raz glances back, her head whirling and eyes lagging, as she scans across the empty seats and tables for the millionth time. And once again her eyes are quick to land on the quiet table in the corner. ”My vision is hazy, but I'm ssure he's still starin' at ya.”

"...It doesn’t matter anymore.” Mae hisses as the cool metal of the jug meets her sodden lips. The golden beverage promptly washes down her throat, and a burning sensation now covers its trail.

She slams her jug on the desk, and rolls her head back in contentment, "my head hurt-sh... but 'tis feels good, to just forget for some time."

Glasses clink, and in a matter of seconds they are empty as well. Raz pushes herself up again. Hands propping against the stale table as she gets up to bring another beer bottle.

It's around 12. Working hours are close to an end, and perched on the center table are the waitresses, wasted.

Today has been a hectic day. A celebration marking the one year anniversary of Tipsy Titan Hours. Free drinks were served to everyone, and the bar was jam-packed for hours.

But now that roaring crowd has finally dulled, and the workers are free to have whatever they want as well. After all, it's their hard work that has also contributed to the success.

And so, Mae has been spending the past hour drinking. It's not something she would have done a few months back. But she is changing, and what is life if you don’t open yourself to new experiences?

Levi sighs with distaste, as he looks at her empty another mug down. The table she sits on is filled with blotches of alcohol. Fuck that, the entire tavern is so damn dirty, usually it just stinks of booze but today it stinks of sweat as well. Because of all the people who have danced here in their drunken state today.

And instead of cleaning all the shit up, the waitresses lay wasted. Gulping bottle after bottle themselves. Every inch of Levi’s body is telling him to leave and it's taking every ounce of resolve left in him to stay put in place.

Tch, if he knew that his life would end up like this, then he wouldn’t leave the underground in the first place.

He takes his eyes off the musty tavern and looks at the window next to him. Staring at the streets of Jinae, which are empty and quaintly silent.

He just hopes that Mae knows what she’s doing, and she isn’t wasting her life away.

Thoughts of her fill his head again, and he turns his head to watch that silly, drunken lady who captures all his heart.

But he only pots Raz. Mae’s seat is empty and he doesn’t see her around the other tables as well.

Levi's face contorts into a frown as worry swells up in his heart, and in an instant he gets up and marches towards Raz. "Where is she?"

"Uhm... to my left." Raz speaks blankly, and she swivels her head to the left. Only to be met with an empty seat again. "To my right then.”

“Your drunk as fuck," Levi jabs as he turns around and wanders through the dimly lit interior.

And Mae’s name tumbles out of his lips as soon as he spots her through the partly open bathroom door.

She’s on the floor, body hunched over the toilet seat, as violent fits make her lurch forward and empty the contents of her stomach out.

In a breath, he’s beside her, holding her soiled hair back as he stares at her face, flushed and sticky with sweat.

The bathroom is the filthiest of them all, and the stench of the washroom and alcohol, makes his nose crinkle in utter distaste. But more than that, it's Mae.

She reeks. Of sweat, ale, and vomit. And a dark crease runs along Levi’s forehead as his eyes hover over her face. It's a pity to see her in a condition like this.

Her brows are pulled close, and numerous lines of tension are forged between them. And her eyes are shut tight as soft pants leave her smeared, red lips.

And as filthy as she looks, she also looks like she is in pain. And so, his free hand finds its way to her back, rubbing long strokes, in an attempt to soothe her.

Mae looks at him solemnly. And Levi doesn't miss the slight downturn of her lips and how instantaneously her hand grips the wall for support as she tries to stand up.

Only to fall into his grasp once again.

"You can't even hold yourself upright,” he comments.

She throws a wary look his way and tries to free herself from his clutches. But Levi holds her upper arm in an iron grip. ”Don’t act so reckless, you’ll fall to the ground and hurt yourself”

But obviously she doesn’t listen and continues to struggle to take her arm out of his. “Levi,” she squirms as her brows scrunch up in frustration.

And Levi freezes, eyes wide and lips parted in fright. Shit, did he mess up again, was that way too harsh? Did he hurt her… again?

In an instant, he takes his hand away from her and staggers back, caught off guard by the thought and the horrible feeling it brings along.

Mae wobbles away from him, out of the bathroom. Towards Raz, who has dozed off on the sodden table itself. And Levi watches her figure slowly fade away. Because these days, all that he can seem to do is to watch her slip away from him, again and again.

"RAAZ-" Mae extols, raising her arms up excitedly and shaking it side to side, with much vigor. But her loud call hardly seems to rouse the other waitress from slumber.

Her speed increases, and her heel lands on a wet patch on the floor. Her foot slips due to her hasty pace. And Mae doesn't know what surprises her more, her embarrassing fall or the hands that instantly catch her entire frame.

Levi is beside her again, one arm around her waist and one around her shoulder, as he helps her up. And he’s glad that the crowd has completely simmered down, and now it's just him, Mae, Raz and the cashier.

It will save Mae from all the embarrassment she’ll have to deal with tomorrow, when she comes back to her senses.

“Mae, let's go home.” Levi’s voice is soft and imploring.

But she ignores him and continues moving forward. Pace still as fast as before. And it's only his support that’s holding her upright and not letting her topple to the floor. “Mae, you’re going to hurt yourself this way… please… let me take you home,” he continues.

“Leviii,” she drones out, “do you have to be so damn stubborn and persistent all the time… I wanna have fun.” she pouts. And Levi sighs defeatedly as he helps her sit on the tall bar stool.

Raz is asleep right beside her, and Mae's entire attention shifts to her. She pokes and prods at her colleague. Whining like a little child, asking for her to wake up and have another shot with her.

And Levi looks at her softly.

“Raz is fast asleep, how about you sleep as well?” He says as he slides the beer bottles to his side of the table.

All he wants for now is to keep her away from alcohol. She’s vomited once, and if she keeps having alcohol after that then it will just lead to her stomach getting worse. And it might also lead to alcohol poisoning or blackouts.

“You know you come in my dreams sometimes… and how do I know I’m not already asleep and you aren’t dream’ Levi?” Mae’s words slur as slowly turns her head towards him.

Levi‘s posture stiffens and warmth gathers to his cheek. His perpetual shyness floods back to him, and it's been so long since he has felt this way. His lips quirk up a little, reminiscing such moments that would happen so often in the past. And at the fact that she dreams of him…

And well he thinks of her too. She’s stuck in his mind and seated in the chambers of his heart. Like a guest who’s way too comfortable. Who’s found his place and will never go back home.

And just like he can’t tear his heart away from her, he can’t take his eyes off her as well.

Every part of Mae’s face is tinted red. Her eyes are red, her cheeks are red. And Levi is so dazed by the situation that he can’t even make out whether the reducing distance between them is just a stupid imagining of his heart. Or whether Mae is actually so drunk that she is leaning forward… to kiss him or something.

Then he feels her breath graze the slant of his nose. And he freezes, eyes wide and any intake of breath, halted.

“I’m gonna be wild tonight,” she says as she looks into his eyes. Face extremely close to his and her hand reaching out towards the beer bottles that he has stacked at the other end.

"W-what?" Levi almost topples off his chair, his ears flushing red as inappropriate scenarios fill his head. And god bless his quick instincts and his fingers, that clutch on to the table and help him balance himself.

"I am gonna drink till 1, and then I'm gonna dance till 2, which is why I can't go home now… you need to understand." She pleads with seriousness as she drags a bottle from his side to hers. And the sound of glass screeching against the wood, brings Levi back to his senses.

“Oi,” he warns as he snatches the bottle away from her and shakes his head.

“But Levi… I want more.” She pouts and he sighs to himself. She’s going to be in a horrible state tomorrow morning. Probably regretting everything and down with a nasty headache.

But she’s made her decision, even though in a shitty state. And he has crossed his boundaries once, but he’s not going to do that again. He has no right to tell her how to live her life, when he himself kicked her out of his.

And so he’ll protect her from the sidelines, he won’t impose his choices on her anymore. Because that is what caused all the mess in the first place.

So Levi watches, as she ruins herself. And he’s beside her, filling her glass with water whenever she reaches out for some beer. And he’s beside her, holding her hair back whenever she’s in the bathroom, vomiting. Even when it hurts to see her like this.

It's a little against his judgment, but he isn’t going to stop her from doing what she wants. As long as she is safe, he’s fine with it. And as long as he’s here, he’ll let nothing happen to her.

And as much as he’d say she’s in a pitiful and defenseless position right now, she’s smiling. And it's been so long since he has seen her like this. So lively and untroubled.

And so he’s beside her, ready to catch her whenever she gets up to dance.

He scans the tavern once more, checking for any dangerous objects that Mae might hurt herself with. And his eyes land on the cashier, who’s busy watching the both of them, instead of reading the damned novel in her hand. A string of curses fly out of his mouth at her prying eyes and her callous attitude, and he flashes her a disdainful look.

But then his eyes land back on Mae and they soften once again. She’s prancing around the tavern, halting at a chair, or speaking to a flower vase placed in a corner. Like a child, so bright and carefree. And it's been so long since he has seen her like this. Without any worry or a tear rolling down her cheek.

He would see this side of hers so often. In the days when she would share without thinking about how much she’s receiving in return. And when she would put hours of effort just to make him some pie to appreciate the small wins of his life.

It was the part of her that loved selflessly, that cared limitlessly. Without taking into account the cruel realities of the world… and of people. And he hurt her… He hurt the inner child that she so courageously showed him.

And even though it's completely his fault, he’s tired of seeing her hurting.

She smiles at everyone, but it never meets her eyes. And even though no one else might be able to tell the difference, Levi can see the sadness brimming inside her.

Even now, her cover of sadness is only broken due to temporary the haze of the alcohol.

But he’s glad nevertheless. He’s glad she can have a single moment of rest and he can have a moment of reprieve as well.

Mae reaches to his usual table, and lifts the tote bag he always carries around up. And Levi throws her a thumbs up in return, indicating she can do whatever she wants with it.

And she takes a red book out of it. The same red one that made him realize his feelings for her. The Fable of the Fallen Apple.

She shuffles towards him, and takes a seat on the bar stool next to him. And then she starts reading the story to him, just like the good old times.

It reminds him of the days when she used to tutor him, except she’s holding the book in the opposite direction.

And he looks at her, chin resting on his palm and fingers drumming against his cheek. Eyes as soft as possible.

He decides he likes it. Even though her words are slurring and things just hardly make sense.

It's been so long since she has been like this with him. Having a normal conversation and not caring what anyone else thinks,

And very soon this will also fade. The contempt in her eyes will be back, and her voice will be quelled with sadness again. And he’ll go back to watching her walk away from him. Again and again.

And so he stays in the moment today. Savoring every word she says and every breath she takes, so it doesn’t hurt as much when she’s gone.

Half an hour passes by and the cashier finally says that it's time to close the tavern now. That working hours are close to an end, and it's time to wind up and clean the place.

Levi gets up as soon as hears the words. And makes his way towards her with some money in his hand.

“Sir you don’t have to pay today,” she responds politely as Levi extends the cash forwards towards her.

“This…,” he throws her a stern look but no one can deny the ever darkening hue on his cheek. It's prominent even in the dim light.”... Is too keep your mouth shut about all that was happening today.”

“… And,” Levi continues. “Make sure she reaches home safe, that redhead who is fast asleep right there.” He points towards Raz, who’s now snoring in her slumber.

Mae rests there as well. Almost mimicking Raz's position as she rests her head on the table. Utterly exhausted with all the prancing she has done in the past hour.

His face softens in an instant.

Today she’s not here. The cautious, caring woman whose father told her to only drink in a safe place, with safe people. And today he’ll be gentle and patient, the man that he failed to be for her.

He walks over to her, and dotingly his hand lands on her shoulder. "Mae, let's go home."

She shifts her head towards him, and the slits of her eyes lazily open for a split second as she glances at him. But she remains quiet and offers him no response.

“The store is closing… we need to go home now.”

But the request garners no response again.

"Mae, please, let me take you to your house."

"B-but… I don't wanna go home. I don’t like it there." She mutters out slowly and he grimaces as the words leave her mouth.

The sound of footsteps coming close feels louder in the silence that settles between Levi and Mae. And the tension in the air only reduces when the cashier steps in, and stands next to Raz.

And Mae tries to get up as well, as she sees Raz being woken up. But she’s had so much alcohol that she can’t even stand on her own feet.

And Levi sees only one solution to the problem.

“We’ll go to the headquarters okay… that works for you?” He speaks out a little softer. He may not have the right to pry into her life anymore and know all her problems. But he’s still here for her, and he’ll still help her whatever way he can.

She hums in agreement, and slowly they make their way out of the musty tavern.

The streets are quiet, the night is dark. The light from the street lamps brings out the texture of that cobblestone path. And Mae’s front is pressed to Levi’s back as he carries her back to the Survey Corps headquarters. Giving her a piggyback ride.

Her calves sway along with every step he takes, and her face is beside his, so close that he can feel her breath in and out. A gush of air hits their face, and he breathes in a sigh of relief.

Finally he’s out of that filthy tavern and fresh air touches his face again.

“This feels awfully familiar doesn’t it Levi.” Mae mutters, voice low and hoarse from all the drinking she’s done with Raz today.

And Levi reminisces a little as he thinks of the day when those thugs attacked him. She stayed with him, begging and yelling that she won’t leave when he was repeatedly telling her he’d be fine on his own.

It is a memory he will cherish forever. “It does, except this time you are stinking.”

Mae falls quiet at his words and then she exhales heavily. “I really despise you sometimes Levi. You play with my heart in the worst ways possible.”

He falls quiet at her statement, and his shoulders wilt a little. A question lingers in the back of his head. One that he has been wanting to ask her forever. Do you hate me?... Because sometimes I hate myself too.

But she beats him to it.

“But I still can’t bring myself to hate you… I don’t think I could ever hate you… You saved me and then you hurt me. But you were you all along. It was me, who’s perception was distorted. It was me who clung to you because I thought I couldn’t do without you. I had low self esteem, I was lonely. And so I was the reason for all my heartache…” She pauses, and then her voice comes out much more sadder. ”I know I messed up and I should learn to find happiness all alone. I should have been more careful, less naive but it just hurts sometimes you know. …I’m never the first choice. Be it with Mr. Mendes, be it with you. I give all that I have in all my relationships. And every time someone else turns out to be more valuable than me…”

She lets out a sigh as she rests her chin on his clavicle and mutters,” I miss my parents so much. My friends as well. I don’t even know why I bothered staying. I should have just worn an olive cloak and offered myself to a titan.’ A sardonic laugh escapes her mouth.

And Levi frowns at the miserable joke. "Shut it, it's not funny. Don’t joke about dying to the titans.”

“I know I shouldn’t…” her voice cracks and somehow it turns more melancholic. “ But it’s so lonely without them, my family, my friends… Everything feels worthless.”

What she is saying right now, is what she feels in the depths of her heart. Things she knows she might be wrong for feeling. And thoughts she knows, that will get her nowhere.

These are the thoughts she doesn’t want to settle with, and the thoughts she’s always fighting against. These are things that she’s admitting in her drunken state.

And Levi wants to cower and hide. He’s never been good at consoling and shit, and he wants to act like she never said all these things. He wants to continue staying invulnerable and never get his feelings out.

But he also knows these feelings all too well. These feelings of loneliness. And he doesn’t want her to suffer all alone with them, just like he does.

“Also I am heartbroken but I’m not dumb. I’m only telling you all this because you are ‘dream’ Levi, and just my imagination…The actual Levi will never touch me in a state like this… I am absolutely filthy.” She starts rambling, and in all her chatter, Levi tries to compose himself.

And he can feel the heat gathering to his cheeks as he tries to force some words out. “L-listen M-Mae.”

It's hard. It doesn’t suit him and he's so unused to speaking out loud about his feelings. But he’s not going to let her feel miserable forever. He’s not going to succumb to his inner demons.

And he is going to comfort her with all the softness that remains in his heart. “You are not all a-alone… y-you might not consider it, b-but I am–.” He pauses again, to collect his thoughts, and calm himself.

The air is heavy. And Levi is fumbling and stuttering with the way he is expressing himself. And much to his relief the moment is broken by sudden taps on his shoulder.

.“Levi, something’s coming up… I can feel it.” Mae speaks with urgency.

And he almost freezes for a second. All thoughts of Mae and her loneliness simmer away, and for the first time in many years, Levi panics.

“NO NO NO,” He gets frantic, eyes wide as he scans every nook and corner. Then he spots a tree, at least 50 meters away and he darts towards it. “You need to control it, hold it in. HOLD IT IN.”

“Levi h-hurry,” her voice is strained, and Levi tries to move as fast as possible, also making sure that his speed doesn’t further dislodge the contents in stomach.

The air feels heavy again, but this is a different kind of heavy. Filled with a different kind of suspense.

The tree is just a few meters away, but alas Levi is too late.

“Le-” an ungraceful, hideous sound pierces through the air. Right out of Mae’s mouth into his ear “-vi.”

And Levi halts in his tracks, eyes wide and eyebrows raised up, taking a moment to process what just happened.

And it’s only after a minute that he comes back to his senses and sneers, “you just BURPED, in my ear.”

Nevertheless, he’s very glad it's just a burp and not vomit.

Mae is still for a moment, and then she slouches again, chest pressing fully against his back as her chin goes back to resting on his collarbone. “‘M sorry… but Hange says why fart and waste it when you can burp and taste it.”

Laughter ripples past his lips. This time it isn't a stifled chuckle or a subtle giggle. But a loud obnoxious cackle. ”You and Hange… “ he speaks in between breaths. “You and Hange will be the death of me.”

And Mae smiles at his words as well. Because Hange is amazing and iconic.

Shops and houses pass by, as Levi resumes walking at his regular pace, and Mae’s eyes remain wide awake. Staring at all the stores, almost searching for something.

And then her eyes light up, when she spots a shop all too familiar. Decorated with creepers and veils climbing along its white walls. “Is the bakery open? Can we go inside it.”

“It's 1 in the morning, obviously they’ll keep it open for you.” Levi retorts with blatant sarcasm.

And she huffs against the crook of his neck in response. “I’ve not had a pastry in so long,” she drones out, and Levi frowns at her words. He vividly remembers how often she would have a pastry. Almost one every week because she's always been a firm believer of celebrating the small moments. And celebrating life in itself without any reason or accomplishment.

But he decides not to dwell on the topic any further, because it might make her upset.

“All that energy is finally depleting hmm? It’ll make you easier to handle… What’s got you so energetic today, anyways?” He asks, as he changes the subject.

“I’m happy! I had a lot of fun with Raz today.” Her voice lights up and even though Levi can’t see her face because of the position they are in. He knows that she is smiling with how sweet her voice sounds.

He smiles a little at that as well.

The rest of the journey passes by in silence. Mae closes her eyes and rests against Levi’s frame, and Levi listens to the thump of her heart against his chest . She’s so close to him, and she still stinks. But he’s glad nevertheless, He’s glad she had fun, and he’s glad he's getting to spend some time with her in so long.

In a way, all of this is wrong. She’s married and if she wasn't drunk she wouldn't let him touch her like that. But it's all going to fade away anyways. It will be ripped away from him just like everything is, and so he’ll stay while everything lasts, even if it's just for a day.

The headquarters come into sight. Time is running out, and a part of him doesn’t want to put her down. He wants to relish in her warmth that he's experiencing after so long.

But she needs rest, and she needs to sleep on a proper bed. So he enters the dim hallways and makes his way to his quarters.

His quarters are covered in darkness, with not a single candle flame flickering. But Levi knows this place as well as the back of his hand.

He places Mae on the couch, and quickly makes his way around to light a few candles.

And if Mae was in her senses she would have noticed that his room isn’t as clean as it used to be. The tea bags are hastily left on the kitchen counter, the bedsheet isn’t creaseless anymore. And what adds to it, is the stacks of paperwork piled both on his desk and even inside a few shelves.

But the alcohol rests heavy in her system, and her eyelids are shut close in exhaustion. She sighs in relief, finally a soft, comfortable surface to rest upon.

Much to her dismay, she is woken up by the sudden cool feeling that touches her skin. Her eyes open partially and Levi stands in front of her with a wet towel in his hands. “Levi let me sleep, what are you doing?” She calls out in frustration.

“It's not good to sleep with so much product on, not good for your skin… And your dress is stained everywhere, you are not sleeping on my bed with that on.”

But Mae feels so drowsy that she hardly listens to him. Her eyes close midway, heavy with sleep and she sits still on the couch, completely unbothered with whatever Levi is doing.

And Levi stands in front of her, dipping down from his back, as he scans her face. And cupping her jaw as he holds her face straight.

If only she’d open her eyes, she would see how close he is. She would see the red on his cheeks. And if only she wasn’t this sleepy, she would have felt how clammy his hands are, due to nervousness.

He takes in a deep breath and his hands quiver as he roves the towel over her eyelids. With all the gentleness that he can garner in his hardened fingertips. And as the makeup comes off from her skin, he sees the dark circles that now encircle her eyes, and skin that looks so dull and lifeless, filled with acne

And his silver eyes flock with concern as he stares at her a little longer.

She looks battered, like a worn out soldier who’s been strong for too long.

And she’s here, because she didn’t want to go home. She doesn’t like it there. The thought itself fills Levi’s mind with rage and fear.

And all that he knows for sure is that he is going to beat the shit out of her piece of a shit husband.

"Is your husband treating you like shit?" he asks, with his voice drawn taut and jaw clenched.

"What husband?" she mumbles incoherently.

And Levi sighs, as he looks at her and her passed out state. He gets up defeated, and picks the comb he brought along as well. And then he moves behind the couch and positions himself behind Mae’s seated figure. “Straighten up, I’ll comb your hair.”

She gives in thoughtlessly, and it's only when Levi sees the clumps of hair that fall out of her head, does he notice how thin her hair has gotten.

He realizes he hasn't seen her properly in months, and now he sees her on the verge of breaking.

He gets visibly sadder at the thought, and in a mere attempt to distract himself he gets up and stands in front of her again. Wrapping both of his hands around her upper arms as he says, “come I-I’ll help y-you g-get changed.”

Mae’s sleepy eyes open wide at that, and a new found energy grips her voice. “NO, thank you mister, I can change by myself.”

“You can’t even stand.” Levi mutters, as he gets her up to her feet, hands still clutching on to her so that she doesn’t drop to the floor.

“As far as my brain tells me,” she says, tapping her index finger to her temple, “standing and changing clothes are two completely different things.”

And Levi looks at her incredulously, almost taken aback by her stupidity. “Tch, you are so drunk,” he grumbles.

And Mae gets quiet for a moment, before she says. "I'm not drunk, I'm beautiful."

Levi looks up at her as she says those words. Her skin is now clean and fresh, ridden of the smudged makeup that once dawned on her face. And the ponytail she wears, gives him a full view of her tired eyes that burn with boldness and conviction.

Indeed very beautiful.

"My face is not disgusting," she continues, as her eyes bore into his. But Levi doesn’t miss the slight tremor of her lips.

His face falls and his heart sinks into a pit of disgrace.

Those were the words he'd told her, weren't they?

All of a sudden he’s reminded of who he is, and what he’s done. And it's only now that he understands how he has hurt her. With every look and every word.

His throat runs dry and he finds himself unable to speak a word, without disintegrating.

The silence becomes agonizing. And Levi backs away, as he realizes that if he looks at her any longer, then he will break. Into bits and pieces. Because more than her husband, he’s a reason for the condition she’s in as well.

He takes slow steps backwards, unable to take his eyes off the floor and meet hers.

He needs a distraction. He needs to think about something else. And so he darts towards his bedroom, and finds his way to his cupboard. Opening it and absent mindedly pulling out a shirt and a trouser.

And when he stands in front of Mae, he’s back to being aloof. It has always been like this, a moment of defenselessness until he shrouds behind his mask of nonchalance.

"Go change," he places the clothes in her hands and struts away. Giving in to her demands even though she’s probably going to trip and fall. But also, a little too scared to displease her any more than he’s already done.

"Levi, wait," Mae’s hand latches onto his wrist. "I don’t want this…want the gray one… The v neck, it is my faaavourite on you.”

His face softens at the words and that’s all it takes for his mask of indifference to fade, once again.

There's a child in her, and he hopes she can always keep it alive. He hopes it doesn’t wither away in the cruelty of life, like the child in him did.

His cheeks turn pink again as he glances at the shirt she is holding out, because she wants his gray one. And he makes a mental note to buy more in the same color.

As quick as ever, he gives in to her request, and hands her the gray shirt she demands.

At that her eyes squint and she flashes him the same smile that always takes his breath away. The same smile that makes him feel like he’s the reason behind all her joys. His cheeks turn pinker at the thought.

No one’s ever smiled at him the way she does. No one has looked at him with such warmth and affection. And he’s glad that he can see her smile like this one last time.

A part of him doesn’t want to leave. A part of him doesn’t want to go away so that she can change her clothes. A part of him doesn’t want to be apart from her a single second more.

But he’s wronged her a little too much, to still be around her. A little too much to still crave her company.

And so he walks her to his room, lights a candle there as well and ambles away. Because even though his heart gravitates towards Mae, he isn’t a man capable of love.

The office seems silent now that she is cooped up in his room. And Levi lets out a heavy exhale as he walks towards the small kitchenette placed at the adjacent wall.

He brews himself a cup of tea, and takes a seat on his desk. Eyes glazing over the stack of paperwork piled in front of him. Somehow, the familiarity of it all calms his nerves and he takes a sheet out and starts with his paperwork.

And he waits, for the sound of Mae collapsing to the floor, or the gate opening and her wobbly figure leaning on to the doorframe.

He waits, and he waits but she doesn’t come out.

And drunks are so annoying, he prays that he never has to deal with them again.

Time ticks out, curiosity gets the best of him, and he walks to his room.

And when he opens the door, he’s met with the sight of her resting on his bed and the faint sound of her snores.

The candlelight kept on his side table casts dancing shadows across her sleeping figure. Her mouth is slightly parted, and her hair is strewn messily on the pillow. And Levi can’t help but hold a breath in as he stares at the way she looks so relaxed and peaceful;..

Then he pushes her towards the center of the bed, lest she fall and crack her head open. He tucks her in a blanket and places two pillows at her side just for protection. And finally he blows the candle off.

And as he looks back at her, he doesn’t know why he has the sudden desire to touch her.

His motion stutters, and his fingers tremor as they reach towards her head.

His mother would often pat his head when he had difficulty sleeping, but Mae is already asleep. So why does he have the sudden, irrational desire to caress her head?

And Levi doesn’t know indulgence.

But he knows that the sun will rise tomorrow, and he will be blackened by his own regrets. Unable to face her because now he knows that he has probably left her, even unsafer, in an unhappy marriage. Now he knows how much he has hurt her. And now he knows how miserable she really is.

It feels like their last night together. Because tomorrow she'll be gone, back to ignoring him. And he’ll go back to the miserable person who mourns the loss of that love that he himself destroyed. With his own two hands.

Levi doesn’t know indulgence, because everything he cherishes always ends up getting torn apart from him.

But he has lost her already. She has been ripped away already.

And so he rests his hand on her head. And so he roves his palm over her head. Looking at her dotingly, caressing her gently. His heart beats wildly, and for once he lets it win over

She looks peaceful now that she is asleep. Far different from the exhausted face she sports all the time in that filthy bar. And he drinks all of her details in for one last time.

He wants to look at her more, the desire only seems to deepen the more he stares at her face. He wants to be next to her the entire night.

And so Levi shifts his desk into the cramped space of his bedroom. As quietly as possible. And he lights up a candle as he sits down to do his paperwork. Right next to her sleeping figure.

Author's Note:

Okay! So with this we are done with half of the chapters for this fic.

This chapter is kinda bittersweet, I don't know how happy I am with this chapter honestly, because it has gotten too long and it might have some cringe moments, but I just wanted to show how close Mae and Levi are and what there bond was once like.

Also in the first scene, Mae has a realization that she needs to start working towards and in the 2nd scene, a month later she still hasn't been able to implement it completely yet. Its like you know you should love yourself, but you still find it hard to.

And that realization will come to her, but LATER on, not in the recent chapters for sure.

Also the line 'why fart and waste it, when you can burp and taste it' is not something my brain has come up with, i don't have that kind of genius-ness lol🤡. Its taken from a bollywood movie Queen, which I definitely recommend, because its a pretty good watch.

Another thing I want to mention is that its highly likely I'll take a few weeks off again, after I finish this arc, because I don't have enough content written to keep up with my writing schedule. And I don't want to write fast and compromise on the quality of the chapters, because I really want to give my best shot with this fic, and it takes me time to come up with good metaphors and ideas that I can put into the scenes. I'll completely address this situation next week.

Thank you reading! I hope you liked it. As always I appreciate any comments, questions and criticism as well. See you next Sunday

Taglist: @keijikunn @evas-leslas @leviackermanmyhero245

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valuedabovehoardedgold · 3 years

Text

Friction Part 2

Pairing: Karl Heisenberg x Female Reader

Warnings: Dubious Consent, Bruises, Imprisonment, Choking, Finger fucking, Finger Sucking, Heisenberg being an ass (This is a dark fic once again if that is not your cup of tea do not interact)

Rating: EXPLICIT

Word Count: 2317

Tagging: @theravencawsatmidnight

Summary: It's been a few days since your interaction with Lord Heisenberg. What could possibly happen when he comes back pissed from a good old 'family' meeting.

Part 1 can be read here

It's been a few days, and Heisenberg hasn't come back for you. Food gets shoved through a slot in the door. Some hard bread and questionable water, but it's something to fill your stomach and keep you aware. It's enough to sustain you for the time being. So he doesn't want you dead; yet. But you're not important enough to come back to. You don't know whether to be grateful or terrified. Maybe he'll leave you here to waste away, or worse; he's waiting for you to crack. He'd already messed with your mind the last time you didn't need to find out what else he could do when he came back.

To stop your panicking thoughts, you wandered the room you've been- sequestered to. The chain allowed you enough movement that you could get close enough to look over the papers on the desk. Most of it is illegible; from what you could make out, it looked like notes. Mostly anatomy, some engineering sketches. But nothing to help you plan a way out of this mess.

Your next tactic is to figure out how to get the chain off, or at least unshackled from the floor. A few jerks on the length proved fruitless. He's managed to weld the damn thing to the floor. Something tells you its purpose is to incapacitate something a lot tougher than you.

So now you look around the dingy space for something to cut the chain with. Again the length of the chain preventing you from exploring much. Everything that might hold some tools is out of reach, even when you tried reaching with a barefoot to pull open one of the drawers of the desk.

You drop to the floor, trying and failing to figure out how the hell you could get out of this place. As you ponder the welded chain length on the floor. You hear the unmistakable sound of footsteps stomping toward your prison; you wait expecting another round of shitty bread and water. But everything stops when the door slams open, and the footsteps continue into your space.

It's Heisenberg, and he's pissed, that medieval hammer clutched in his fist as he storms in. A cigar clenched in his teeth billowing smoke in his wake. Going over to the desk, he slams the hammer viciously against the wall. You watch wide-eyed as the hammer imbeds into the concrete. Dread fills every inch of you.

This is it...This is where I die.

He drops into the rusted chair by the desk. Taking a long drag of his cigar before slamming the remains in his fist.

"Fuckin' stupid super-sized bitch telling me how to run my fuckin' factory," snarled through gritted teeth as Heisenberg removes his hat, gloves, and shades. Discarding them on the desk, he's silent for a few minutes. You hope he's forgotten about you in his rage. But those hopes are dashed as those eyes glance over to your shivering form.

"Come here," he whispers, and his eyes lock onto yours. A whirlwind of emotions works its way through your mind. But your legs refuse to move, so you sit on the ground dumbly staring at him. A deer in headlights.

"I said," the sound of metal groaning reaches your ears as the end of your shackles rip from the floor and into his outstretched palm. "Come here!"

He gives a hard yank on the chain, and you stumble forward landing in a graceless heap at his feet. He chuckles quietly as you glare at him. From up close, and without his hat and shades you see he's handsome...In a rugged sort of way. His face is covered with scars. Green eyes observe your crumpled form at his feet, his lips twist into a wicked smile.

He yanks on the chain again, and you take his not-so-subtle hint, standing before him awaiting his next command. You try to ignore the way his gaze rakes over your form.

Another yank on the chain, and you're falling forward onto Heisenberg. Hands catching yourself on his chest, he smirks up at you. His hand grabs your hip pulling you forward to straddle him. The position presses your hips to his. Stifling a noise of surprise, you squirm in his hold, his fingers dig into the soft flesh of your hip. It's a silent threat but one that quells you all the same.

Heisenberg's hand keeps your hips pressed to his grinding himself into your core. You gasp as your bodies meet; the sensation feels good. With every grind, a spark begins in your innards. Your cunt throbbing as the sparks can only get you so far. Heisenberg's smirk turns to a feral grin as a frustrated moan finally leaves you.

"Enjoying yourself sweetheart?"

Your fingers fist in his shirt, a glare is leveled at his stupid fucking face. But you're anger only adds to his delight.

"Is this really the best you've got?"

Oh, that quip gets him, the grin is gone, and with a snarl, he yanks on the chain, hard. He snarls into your ear as your body contorts into his.

"Oh, wrong move," his growl sends an unwanted flood of lust through you. The collar around your neck is yanking you back with a choked cry you're slammed painfully onto the desk. The chain follows slipping from his grip forcing your arms and hands over your head.

Heisenberg stands observing you with a calculating glance before a flash of metal and clothing is sliced away. Exposing your flesh to the cold of the room. Your nipples pebbling in the frigid air, goosebumps erupting over your skin.

"Hey!"

You fight against the chains and collar to no avail. Heisenberg has you splayed out before him, and you're left to his mercy once again. He's quick to take advantage, slipping between your spread legs. Hunching over your prone form. He leans down pressing his nose against the flesh of your neck. Again he grinds himself into your core. Another strangled moan leaves you as the fabric of his cargo pants rubs your throbbing exposed clit.

Eyes clamped shut; you shudder as his hands, now free from holding you explore every inch of flesh exposed to him. Rough and calloused his hands leave sparks of electricity as they dance across your skin. Tweaking your hardened nipples cruelly, the sensation of pain and pleasure mingling. With every spark, you jolt a pitiful whine leaving your clenched teeth. He smirks against your flesh nipping at your neck and shoulder. You feel your flesh bruising beneath his attentions. After every hard nip, he runs his tongue along the mark, soothing the sting for a moment.

"You say you've had better pretty girl? Your cunt says otherwise."

To make his point, his left hand drifts from your breast along the curve of your hip to your weeping slit, where he takes a moment to rub your clit before delving further. He smiles wickedly as another strangled moan leaves you. Your hips bucking into the feeling as his fingers leave your clit to sink deep into your cunt with one thrust.

That shocks you, your eyes ripped open, mouth open in a silent scream. Heisenberg sets a fast pace, burying his fingers deep into your cunt with every thrust.

The sensations send all thought stalling; it had been too fucking long. Your body relishes in the feeling of his fingers stroking your walls. Curling the digits he finds that spot inside your cunt that has you seeing stars. All your mind can think of is how fucking good it feels, as his fingers thrust in and out of you in no discernable pattern. His palm meeting your clit with rough slaps. Your thighs tense with every movement, pulling at your bonds.

Heisenberg snarls above you rutting himself against the desk his pupils blown as he watches you writhe beneath him. With every thrust muscle tense, breath hitches, you're so close.

"Look at you pretty girl," he huffs into your ear as your hips press into his hand.

"Soaked, and humping my hand like a bitch in heat. Didn't take you long at all."

The sound of his laughter has you shivering as another gush of slick leaks from your cunt. You know it's a taunt, but your mind's too muddled to form a coherent response.

So close to the edge, and your hips press into his hand. When he pulls his fingers from your soaked cunt you can't stop the scream of frustration that leaves you.

Heisenberg pulls back admiring your heaving breasts. The way your thighs twitch and your cunt throbs. Another dark grin he's over you again slick-covered fingers, pressing past your open lips and into your mouth.

"Clean these up, and no biting."

An order you unthinkingly begin to obey, your tongue lapping at his fingers tasting yourself on his flesh. Mixed with god knows what else. But your horny mind couldn't give a shit, Heisenberg groans, watching your lips and tongue work on his fingers.

The sound of a belt unbuckling jolts you from your task, but Heisenberg is quick. His cock in hand rubbing his length against you. A muffled noise leaves you as he smirks.

"Good girl," he hums, and with no warning, thrusts into you, taking his length in one hard stroke. The wind knocked from your lungs. Heisenberg groans as your walls flutter around his length. He's fucking big, and the burn of being filled so suddenly has your mind stalling. Fuck, it feels good as he bottoms out filling you to the brim.

"Fuck...oh, you're perfect pet."

He removes his fingers from your lips, both of his hands braced on either side of your hips. Heisenberg meets your gaze, taking in your flushed face, the way your tongue slips out to wet your lips. He snarls starting a punishing pace.

Flesh slapping against flesh fills the stale room as every one of his thrusts empties and fills you over and over again. You pull at your chain restrain wanting to find purchase on his shoulders, fingers grasping at the air as the chain pulls taut keeping your arms trapped.

He's merciless hips slamming into yours again and again. You feel the bruises forming on your skin where his hips plow into yours. But part of you doesn't care; you don't care at all that you covered with his marks. It sends another jolt of pleasure through your core Heisenberg snarls as your cunt quivers around him.

"You about to cum pet?"

He hunches over you, hips never slowing as one hand grasps your chin forcing you to look at him. Panting and groaning over you, he's just as wrecked as you are. His breath fanning over your face as he fucks you into the desktop.

"Answer me!"

He growls, fingers digging into the soft flesh of your cheeks; you moan at the pain.

"Yes, please...please let me--"

"Please?"

You whine as his thrusts slow, and the delicious friction slows with it. It's so close to that release that you've been stumbling after since this started. His eyes lock onto yours, and your drowning in those green eyes.

"Please, sir--"

He leans his head to the side like he can't hear you. It's so tempting to take advantage of him like this, bite his ear...might be enough to get him off. But no, you're too far gone. You need this.

"I'm sorry, what was that pet?"

You grind your teeth, but desperation wins out over pride.

"Please, sir, please let me fucking cum!"

His smile is wicked, and his eyes are dark. You've crossed a line that there is no returning. And, for now, you're okay with that.

"Good fucking girl."

It's what he needs to hear, a submission that he's fucked you into oblivion that you can never come back. He starts up the brutal pounding again, and his other hand slips between your bodies. Finding your abused clit his fingers circle the little bud as he fucks you stupid.

The sensations have you screaming his name, a howl that he joins as he fucks you through your climax. The pace doesn't slow even as your body jolts from the overstimulation, and moans turn to cries.

He fucks you through two more climaxes as your body is about to give out; he growls out his release. You go limp, feeling his length throb inside your cunt. Jolting with every spurt of cum filling you.

Heisenberg remains in you for a few more moments, groaning as your cunt milks his cock. He huffs above you as your pant below him. It could be a blissful moment if it wasn't interrupted by something banging around outside the room.

Heisenberg snarls to himself, pulling out and leaving you splayed out on the desk. Tucking himself away, he's quick to pick up his hat, shades, and gloves. The chain has gone slack, but you're still too blissed out to move.

He stands over you, considering your form, before walking over to a cabinet taking a thick woolen blanket. From there, he tosses it over to you.

"Be a good pet while I'm gone. I've got a lot more plans for you tonight."

With an outstretched hand, the hammer dislodges from the wall. Without a second glance and laughter echoing in the hall, he's left. Though, you hear the telltale signs of a lock clicking. Of course, he wouldn't give you a chance to break out just yet. You wrap yourself up in the blanket; the material protects you from the worst chill of the room.

Everything is sore, your arms from their position above your head, your neck where the collar cut into delicate flesh. Bruises are forming on your skin.

You know it shouldn't be the first thought in your mind. But you hope Heisenberg gets back sooner rather than later.

#Karl Heisenberg x reader #Karl Heisenberg x you #Karl Heisenberg imagine #Karl Heisenberg x female reader #Resident evil village imagine #resident evil 8 imagine #karl heisenberg #Resident evil village #resident evil 8

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momiji-bookhouse · 2 years

Text

For every hour with you (100 Followers Event) (CLOSED)

...is a moment to be cherished.

Thanks to every one of our patron's support, the Momiji Bookhouse is proud to introduce our first special event! For this particular occasion, the bookhouse has prepared a list of prompts that will hopefully grab some of our customers' attention. If you are interested in any of them, please let me, Sagi, know and I'll do my best to fulfill your request. Thank you to all of your kind words thus far, and the Momiji Bookhouse is looking forward to doing more of these events for our dear customers!

➺ This event will run from November 29 to December 19. In the case all prompts have been requested, the event will end early.

➺ As usual, my rules will still apply.

➺ All prompts will be written as short drabbles.

➺ Depending on the amount of requests and my own personal schedule, please allow me some time to write your requests.

➺ The characters I will be writing for:

♡ Kaedehara Kazuha

♡ Albedo

➺ Please format your request as such: "I want to be with (Kazuha/Albedo) at (insert hour here)."

➺ Once again, I cannot thank everyone of you enough for liking my writing. You guys are wonderful.

➺ Prompt list found under the cut.

Morning:

☼ 6 am: "you should know I like waking up by your side" (6 am - marian and sean)

♡ Albedo

☼ 7 am: "if we lay, let the day just pass us by" (i like me better - lauv)

☼ 8 am: "when you're standing there in your underwear, and my t-shirt from the night before" (toothbrush - dnce)

♡ Kazuha

☼ 9 am: "green tea in the morning, be my, my sugar honey" (green tea and honey - dane amar)

☼ 10 am: "baby i like you a lot, i love it when you look at me with that smile on your face" (puppy love - gani)

☼ 11 am: "i get so lost inside your eyes, would you believe it?" (adore you - harry styles)

♡ Kazuha

♡ Albedo

☼ 12 pm: "i can say that loving you is easy, i don't have to prove a single thing" (easy - mac ayres)

Afternoon:

🌥 1 pm: "and I'm thinking 'bout how people fall in love in mysterious ways, maybe just the touch of a hand" (thinking out loud - ed sheeran)

♡ Albedo

🌥 2 pm: "i knew you were perfect, after the first kiss, took a deep breath like 'ooh'" (imagine - ariana grande)

🌥 3 pm: "so softly a tender breeze, brush against my knees on a summer afternoon" (sunkissed - khai dreams)

🌥 4 pm: "you are my sunshine in the rain when it's pouring" (best part - h.e.r ft. daniel caesar)

🌥 5 pm: "hey pretty stranger, i think you look cute, can i get your number?" (your text - sundial)

🌥 6 pm: "sunsets never been so bright, when you look into my eyes" (my whole life - alina baraz)

♡ Albedo

Night:

☾ 7 pm: "so can i call you tonight? i'm just trying to make up my mind" (can i call you tonight - dayglow)

☾ 8 pm: "winding down the evening, record on repeat, a little wine" (honey - raveena)

☾ 9 pm: "so baby let's turn down the lights and close the door" (versace on the floor - bruno mars) (suggestive)

♡ Albedo

☾ 10 pm: "and when we're making love, your cries they can be heard from far and wide" (get you - daniel caesar ft. kali uchis) (smut)

♡ Kazuha

☾ 11 pm: "i love to hold you close, tonight and always" (pillowtalk - zayn malik) (suggestive)

☾ 12 am: "let's fall in love for the night and forget in the morning" (let's fall in love for the night - finneas)

♡ Kazuha

☾ 1 am: "it's a quarter after one, i'm all alone and i need you now" (need you now - lady antebellum)

♡ Albedo

☾ 2 am: "looking at the stars, admiring from afar" (we fell in love in october - girl in red)

☾ 3 am: "baby it's 3:00 am, had you on my mind and it's not the first time we've gone through this" (3:00 am - finding hope)

♡ Albedo

☾ 4 am: "if you're lonely, come be lonely with me" (this side of paradise - coyote theory)

♡ Kazuha

♡ Albedo

☾ 5 am: "in my rose-tinted dreams, wrinkled silk on my sheets" (double take -dhruv)

♡ Kazuha

#kazuha x reader #kaedehara kazuha #albedo x reader #albedo #genshin impact #genshin impact x reader #momiji's 100 followers event #momiji's notice board #momiji's special events

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slashingdisneypasta · 3 years

Text

Slender Brothers x Reader || Imagine

One day the Slender Brothers each turn to stone (In separate places- separate countries even) and not even Zalgo can figure out why or how to unfreeze them.

Slender's in the forest, moss and different vines growing over his shoulders and twisting around the seamless, smooth (Too seamless, and too smooth, to be man made) stone of his tentacles. His Proxies are still there, protecting the place, but they cant get everyone- pictures have been taken of the mysterious forest statue and posted online, and he's become an urban legend (in a world where he wasn't already obviously). He makes a beautiful statue... but eerie as hell. He has been graffitied a couple times over the years but those who dared to do such a thing quickly got viciously but down by the formerly mentioned Proxies, who then spend hours and hours cleaning him up again. They don't know what else to do. What can they do?

Splender is sitting wait at Offender's place (A townhouse in New York), having been there to talk to him about something important but got frozen before his brother could even get home- he now gathers dust, one leg stuck draped gracefully over the other and his long thin fingers previously edging towards a (now room temperature, ruined) cup of tea. At times, he's heated up by strips of sunlight coming from the window blinds (which remain closed all these years- Splender didn't want to give Offender any heads up that he was there lest the fucker skip town immediately like he did sometimes when he just wasn't in the mood for lectures, or 'chats'), and others he's blanketed in the cold, grey darkness of a home that was never really 'home', to anyone.

Off in a not-often visited glade somewhere in Scotland's highlands is Trender, curled up in the grass and the dirt and the daisies, facing a beautiful, imposing mountain- sketchbook still rested against his legs and pencil between his fingers. The pages have been weathered and now curl inwards but if you ever found him, which is unlikely, you could still see some faint pencil lines on the first page. Rain, lightning, snow, hail, sweltering heat, wind and a number of other natural beatings have hit him but he continues to sit there, peaceful and relaxed looking and utterly unchanged.

Offender now lives in the back of some alleyway in Melbourne. He looks like a gargoyle, all shoulders and sharp teeth. People have tried to break him, and have covered him in years and years of multicoloured spray paint that now just looks brown but he does not break. He does not shift. He stays, leaning against the wall by a couple of bins, the menacing, perfect, sharp lines of his coat and his teeth still clear as the day he was frozen. His smirk is still a warning despite his helpless state; Women who see him assume that he's a sign without a label, a bit of street art telling them to get outta the fucking alley if you want to live. You get a cold, tight feeling in your chest just looking at him.

Then, decades later, one by one... they wake up. First Trender, then Slender a month later, Offender 2 years after that and finally Splender, a good half a decade after Offender. No rhyme or reason to it, seemingly. No one had found them at that particular moment, Zalgo had given up trying to figure this out years ago, Slender's Proxies had died...

They wake up, but they wake up... different. Parts of them are still stone. Both Slender and Splender have a hand that's still totally made of stone, stuck in the position it was last in, Offenders legs is stuck entirely too straight (So he walks like a pirate), and Trender's chest is still and makes it hard for him to bend or twist.

Still, they go on with their lives. Mystified entirely as to why they lost decades of their lives and now they still weren't allowed to completely recover, but still- eager to move on with their lives.

18 years after he woke up, Trender meets someone called Y/N Who could not be older then 18 years old themselves. Not that Trender considers that at all at first and his chest suddenly... softens, again, finally. The stone cracks and crumbles away, turning to nothing but warm air before it can even slip off him. His skin and muscle is sitting right behind, like it was always there. He takes some deep breathes and clutches his chest, experiencing the long forgotten feel of it, hidden behind the sweater he's wearing (which it had been for years and years, since turning to stone), rising and falling once again...

It wasn't until weeks later that he thought to link some things... and asked Y/N when their birthday is.

Casually, they recite the date that Trender was brought back to life.

The same thing happens of course to the other three. They meet their Y/N 18 years after coming back to life and fond out that they were born that very day. Like someone, or something, some inexplicable force stopped their ageing until the person they were supposed to be with came into existance.

Basically, Soulmate AU with room for Brother angst (and fluff) in between.

Its a work in progress.

Some dot points to add:

Having Trender be the first to wake up was a a very conscious choice XD- Allows him to be the main brother for a while. I cant skip out on giving him some prime time.

And having Splender be the last is important too, as it means a n g s t. His three brothers are awake and they're wondering where the fuck their brother is (Splender would have found us if he was awake. Where is he), until Offender finally wakes up and goes home... and him. And he, (Offender), the least loving and most disgusting of them gets to find his brother (one of the only things he gives even the most miniscule damn about) sitting grey and made of stone, alone at his breakfast table. Waiting for him. But even now that he's finally home, his brother cant wake up and and greet him. Cant be happy his wait is over. No. Offender gets to sit there at the table with him instead, in his own house, and wonder what the hell Splender wanted to talk to him about. And how long it'll be before Splender wakes up again.

Obviously, Slender doesn't come to the 'soulmate' conclusion without some help. He's very uncomfortable and suspicious about, first the person Trender found, and then his own. So you're telling me, this person was born on the same day we were brought back to life? And just meeting them made your stone cracks away finally? And you don't think this is truly coincidental, and actually quite suspicious at all???

I really like that Offenders gonna walk around like a pirate for 18 years. Don't mind me XD

Yes, they all get shat on by many animals. Except Splender.

#Slender Brothers x Reader #Slender Brothers #Zalgo #Slenderman #Trenderman #Splenderman #Offenderman #Slenderman x reader #Offenderman x Reader #Trenderman x Reader #Splenderman x reader #Imagine #Creepypasta

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xxgoblin-dumplingxx · 3 years

Text

Mind The Gap: One

Summary: In an age of Heroes, there's always one more Villain. Can Shang- Chi handle his girlfriend needing to walk a Hero's Journey of her own? And how will he handle the two of you not being the only "people" in your relationship?

“Where are you?”

“I’m safe- well. Relatively speaking.”

“Y/N-” He tightened his grip on the phone like it was a life line. Like if he clung on hard enough, he could find you somehow.

“I promise to explain it all when I get back,” you say slowly, in what you hope is a relaxed tone of voice. It’s a little had to do with a desert Eagle pointed directly at your nose but for Shang-Chi, to keep him out of this you’d try.

“Please,” he whispered. He could hear the difference in your tone. It wasn’t your usual easy going voice. The one that filled him with a sense of calm. There was a sharpness. And under current he’d only heard once before. And it made the hair stand up on the back of his neck.

“Tell Katy I’m sorry I have to miss Karaoke night,” you try, hoping to break his concentration. “I have to go, I love you.”

And before he can get anything else out, the line goes dead. The line goes dead and he can feel a hollow ache in his chest. One that tells him you’re in trouble. Big trouble. And without being able to keep you on the phone, there’s no telling where you went.

“She’s smart,” Xialing said frowning. “Either she’s done this before or she was warned. But we couldn’t get a fix on her.”

“She’s an archive,” Shang Chi said, trying not to sound bitter, “Smart is an understatement.” He folded his arms and looked over Xailing’s shoulder frowning. There had to be a pattern. Something had to make sense. You were a creature of habit. Very particular habits. When you ate and when you slept was a strict schedule. And on the run you’d be trying to hold on to something… Unless that was all part of your cover, too.

“What happens if-”

Shang- Chi felt his head jerk up and his eyes narrow, making Katy flinch reflexively, “If we can’t find her?” he finished.

Katy nodded hesitantly and he exhaled slowly trying to rein in his temper, “I don’t know, but it can’t be good.”

____

You toss your phone away carelessly and listen to the sound of a heavy boot crushing it under heel and scattering the pieces. But still, you don’t look away from the man pointing a gun at you.

“Not bad for a librarian… A little on the nose don’t you think?” he scoffed.

You force yourself into a nonchalant shrug and smile a little, “The best place to hide is in plain sight. At least some of the time.”

And that’s the last thing you managed to get out before that Desert Eagle cracked across the side of your face, sending you into the dark once more.

________

Wenwu watched his son pace, trying to stem the tide of panic. Your phone had gone from ringing out to nothing. Straight to voice mail.

“You got me, leave a message. Or don’t. Whatever.”

“Does she have enemies?”

Shang-Chi exhaled slowly and took a deep breath, “None. At least none that I know about. She avoided the snap but… There’s a bit of time before she wound up in the City she doesn’t really talk about.”

“So she could have enemies?”

He stopped and carded his fingers through his hair, “If not enemies because of who she is then… maybe because of what she is.”

“What she is?”

Shang Chi nodded reluctantly. He wasn’t even sure he completely understood. He only knew that your brother had warned him. Told him that there were things you could do that were… rare. That might attract attention. And he wasn’t sure if he could share that information. Even if it might bring you home. He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. For all he knew you could be dying. You could be dead and it could already be too late. But if there was a chance… No matter how small, he could take your anger. He could take you never speaking to him again. As long as he knew you were alive.

She’s an- an Archive,” he said slowly. “At least. That’s what the world knows them as now, I guess.”

He watched in apprehension as he saw his Father’s eyes widen in understanding and it was clear that he’d met, or at least heard of the Archives before.

“What does she hold?” he asked, seriously.

“Secrets. Things that are hidden.”

Even as Shang-Chi heard himself say the words, he knew he didn’t understand, not really. That had been what your Brother had told him. Quickly. Quietly. While you were distracted with a tea kettle and getting out the mugs. And even his most intense searches could turn up no information.

“Secrets?” Wenwu repeated, “Such as?”

And all Shang-Chi could do was shrug. He’d seen you at work. Your fingers brushing the spines of books. Tenderly. Almost lovingly. And he’d thought that it was cute. That it was an extension of your curiosity. A love of knowing. He thought of the way you’d told him once that Libraries were where you felt at home. Where you felt safe. He thought of the evenings when he came to walk you home. The serenity in the security lights. The way you smiled at him. And his chest throbbed. The secrets you knew probably didn’t include any martial arts.

“I don’t know,” he admitted, leaning heavily against the table, hanging his head. “The only information I have came second hand from her brother. And even then, he only told me that she isn’t human. At least not all human.”

He didn’t like to think about it. And he didn’t like to think about the distance he tried to put between you when he found out. Or how that distance had lead him here. The reaction that had made you avoid coming to him for help. He felt the hand on the back of his neck. But it didn’t register. Not really. In the back of his head, he could hear you. A casual fact. Things about Aliester Crowley. Or Agrippa. Or the Knights Templar.

You’d always written off questions about it as being a weird kid. Or by reminding people that you had a doctorate in Anthropology. But it wasn’t… It never felt like that. It felt like you had just… said it.

Shang Chi didn’t need to be looking at his father to know he was frowning. Thinking. “If we can’t get to her, I need to try to call her brother.”

“What is her brother?”

“An engineer,” Shang Chi said smiling a little. And a former Marine. But he was going to keep that to himself. He had a hunch that your best chance wasn’t going to involve his Father going on a recruiting mission simultaneously.

Wenwu’s frown deepened but he nodded as he watched his son pull a card from his wallet and dial the number.

“Kai-”

“We have a problem,” Shang Chi said quickly, “Y/N is missing.”

“Missing missing or went camping for a couple days?”

“Missing, Missing,” he clarified, “I got a phone call an hour ago and she hung up before we could trace it.”

“Let me call you back-”

And the line went dead before he could say more. “Shit,” he hissed. He wasn’t sure what Pandora’s box had been opened with that phone call. And he hated bumbling around in the dark. He hated not knowing if you were safe. If you were hurt.

“He said he’d call back,” Katy said helpfully, “Maybe he’s calling family.”

“I don’t know if there’s any family to call,” he said pinching the bridge of his nose. He could kick himself for not pressing you for answers. He hadn’t because he’d not been prepared to give you any. He still wasn’t sure he wanted to drag you into his life but. It was looking more and more like he might not have any choice.

When the phone in his hand rang he almost dropped it and had to fumble with it for a second before he could answer, “Kai-”

“I’m assuming you aren’t alone,” the other man said shortly, “I’ll text you the coordinates. Get there as quickly as you can. I’m not sure if we’re going to extract her or clean up the mess. Those idiots have a tiger by the tail and they don’t even know it.”

The call ended and all Shang-Chi could do was stare at the phone for a second, “What the fu-”

“Y/N,” Katy demanded, “Our Y/N? The dirty chai loving, vintage wearing Y/N that cried for 30 minutes at the end of the brave little toaster?”

“Evidently-” he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Does anyone else here have a secret badass origin story?” she yelped, “What the hell?”

_________

The coordinates were, So far as anyone could tell, in the middle of nothing. A waste land of tall grass and trails left by herds of cattle in Montana.

But, even without asking he knew he was in the right place. There was a palpable sense of… mayhem in the air. Like the feeling before a nasty storm. Rising anxiety and energy crackling on the wind. Everyone was affected and everyone was quiet.

It wasn’t until they got closer that Shang-Chi and Katy could pick Kai out of the small knot of people. And it was something of a comfort that he looked relaxed. Or at least unconcerned.

“Hey,” Kai said taking a slow drag off his cigarette and exhaling a cloud of smoke towards the sky. He didn’t seem the least Perturbed that Shang-Chi hadn’t come alone. Or that they were all dressed for a fight.

“What-”

“We’re waiting,” Kai said shrugging. “She’s got to take the vortex apart. Then we mop up whatever comes out of it.”

Almost on cue, a Motor Cycle comes roaring over the flat ground as an explosion rattled the ground beneath their feet. “2 hell hounds and at least a baker's dozen in demons, grades 4 to 2.” The words sound like they're coming from you but. You don’t look like you. Skin coated in soot and eyes shining like silver in moonlight. It makes Shang-chi want to shake you.

“Y/N-” He starts, but when you look at him, he doesn’t know what to say. Or where to start.

“You’ll know what it is when you see it,” you say, spitting a mouthful of blood into the grass. “Take it down quickly. Headshots. If it doesn’t go down run for me. Demons don’t play. And, I make better bait. The rest of you are kinda like designer purses. Nice to have but ultimately disposable.”

“Is the vortex closed?” Kai asked grinding the cigarette out with his heel.

“With half the Golden Dagger on the other side of it. Everyone else scattered before I could get anything else for Lea.”

And then there wasn’t time for you to answer anything else. As the small hoard surged into the open field, Kai almost lazily tossed you the other sword he’d had strapped across his back and it was all a blur.

You were a blur. Almost preternaturally fast as you dismembered the bodies that hurtled towards you. It wasn’t until the last demon crackled on the fire that you crumpled like paper, sagging heavily against Shang-Chi who had made his way to your side.

“Shi-” he caught you, if only just. The dead weight taking him by surprise. And the warmth of the blood running over his hands. He could only gasp before the rest of Kai’s team descended like a plague of helpful locusts, loading you quickly onto the nearest stretcher and starting to try and repair the damage.

“I wonder how long she was out,” Kai mused, lighting another cigarette. “Or if she remembers anything. She doesn’t always.”

Shang- Chi opened his mouth to ask, wiping blood off his lip with the back of his hand, but Kai only shook his head. “She told you she’d explain. Let her do it.”

“Will she be okay?” He heard himself ask, but as he watched you loaded into a helicopter, nothing felt real. He’d just watched you dismember a demon. You’d looked at him… But hadn’t seen him. You didn’t look at him like you even knew who he was.

“She will,” Kai answered, looking at him sympathetically. “It takes time… but. The Archive has a vested interest in keeping her alive.”

____________

“Hey.”

“You look like hell.”

“Gee thanks,” you sigh, wincing as you try and sit up straighter. “You should see the other guy.”

“I did,” he said. And he can’t stop the frown when he looks down at your hands. They’re clean now. No trace of the black blood you’d been coated in. You looked like you. Your eyes were the same color that they’d always been.

“I’m sorry that I lied,” you tell him. “That I didn’t come clean when you came back from Ta-lo with Katy. I just… I guess I was still holding out hope that I could be normal.” You look away from him, taking a deep breath. “Becoming an Archive… I always hoped it wouldn’t be me. And then it was. And it was… it was a blessing and a curse.”

“You weren’t born an Archive?”

You shake your head and exhale slowly, “I was born a witch. If Lea and my grandmother can be believed, the most powerful witch born into this family in 400 years. I became An Archive when I was 12.” You swallow hard and take the hand that reaches for yours. “It- I remember the pain. I don’t remember much from before. I remember smoke and screaming. And I remember… I remember hunters and- and- when I woke up I was here.”

Shang-Chi squeezed your hand and reached up to touch your cheek, wiping away tears with his thumb. He’d been ready to be angry. He’d been hurt. But now all he wanted was to pull you closer. “The scars on your back-”

“I’ve been told it’s best that I don’t know,” you murmur. “Lea- She knows but.” You stop and take another deep breath.

For a moment, there is silence. It stretches out around the two of you while Shang-Chi digests those pieces of information and you try to try to put together a coherent explanation. Beyond the door, you can hear voices mingling in the kitchen. Katy. Kai. Lea. Wenwu. Xialing. Cousins. Your Grandmother. Both familiar and strange.

“What’s the last thing you remember?” Shang- Chi asked quietly.

“Calling you… I know I told you I’d explain I just- I don’t know how.”

Shang-Chi smiles a little, “It’s probably harder given there’s a lot you don’t remember.”

“A little,” you murmur. “Sometimes, the Archive condescends to tell me what they’ve been doing with my body but other times? It feels a little like waking up from closing down the Karaoke bar.”

“How much time are you missing now?”

“A day. Maybe two. I’m not sure.”

“What’s the longest time span you don’t remember?”

“Close to a year,” you sigh. “If my physical body is in danger, The Archive will take the driver’s seat until the danger has passed OR It’s deemed that I can handle it on my own… Now that I’m older and I’ve grown into the powers I was given I spend a lot more time driving.”

“Even when you’re with me?”

“The Archive seems to think it can trust you. Though if it’s just with my physical body or with the things we know I’m not sure. Sometimes it views those things as one and the same.”

“Do you- I mean. When we’re alone?”

“You mean when we’re having sex?” The blush that blooms over his cheeks makes you smile a little. “I mean. The Archive lives in my head. Sometimes it has notes though… I don’t know how it would know-”

“Notes?”

You nod and roll your eyes. And even if he’s confused and a little offended, he can’t help but chuckle, “What kind of notes?”

“Ugh-” you groan, “No. We’re not humoring the freeloader in my head.”

#Shang-Chi #Shang-Chi x reader #fluff #angst #cannon violence

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mrspettyferr · 3 years

Text

A Midnight Wish Part 2: A Kiss of Dawn

Part 1

Elain was exhausted by the time she finally dragged herself to her bedchamber. She had neglected her slippers long ago, crossing over the threshold silently on padded feet.

Taking a deep breath, she pressed her back against the closed door and closed her eyes. Despite the nature of the festivity--and the celebration of Nesta and Cassian--too many thoughts were still running wild in her mind. She tried not to think of how she had failed Nuala and Cerridwen, because that led her to thinking of someone else.

So she tried to think of nothing at all.

She wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed, fully clothed, her face still glowing with rouge and her hair still styled. But she would regret it in the morning--especially if she ruined such a beautiful gown.

Sighing, Elain walked to her vanity, plunked down, and got to work.

She had just finished removing the pins from her hair when she felt the night-kissed shadow ruffle the hem of her gown. She went very still, staring at the swirling darkness at her feet. It moved, and she turned and watched as it slithered away like a snake, across her floor and to the balcony.

Follow me, it seemed to say.

She hesitated only a moment before rising and padding quietly across her bedchamber. She pushed back her lilac curtains and stepped onto the balcony. There, crouched precariously on the railing like a gargoyle, was Azriel.

For a moment they just stared at each other, Elain still in her evening gown, her golden-brown waves blowing gently in the wind. Azriel still wore his finery, too, though he had retired from the party long before she had.

She wanted to ask him what he was doing here, but instead she blurted, "How are you doing that?"

He seemed surprised at her question. She could not blame him. "Doing what?"

"Balancing like--like that."

"It's not that difficult."

It most certainly was. "Perhaps you just make it seem easy."

"Perhaps," Az agreed, and though it was almost too dark to see, a slight smile tugged at his mouth.

Elain crossed her arms, shielding herself from the chill of the night. "You left the party quite early," she said, and immediately regretted it. She shouldn't have noticed.

"I had business to attend," he replied.

"He keeps you busy, doesn't he?"

She said it lightly, jokingly, but for some reason Azriel stiffened slightly. And when he spoke, he did not sound amused. "Yes, he does."

Silence fell, though it was not uncomfortable. It never had been with him. Still, Elain felt a slight blush creep up on her cheeks as she considered the situation: it was very late, and there was a male perched outside her balcony. Not just any male, either.

She was about to ask him what he wanted, when she saw his head turn slightly, as though listening to something. A shadow, no doubt, though she could scarcely see one. But she did notice the way he went very well.

"What is it?" she asked, taking a step forward.

"Nothing." He turned back to her, his hazel eyes guarded. But not enough. Something was worrying him.

"Doesn't look like nothing."

He shrugged.

"You like your secrets, don't you?" she asked, her tone a bit sharper than she intended.

"No, I don't. But that comes with the territory." Azriel smiled slightly, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Though Feyre tells me you have me beat in secret keeping."

"Did she?" Elain couldn't help it--she beamed at the compliment, no matter how poorly earned it was.

Still, Az nodded. "Nuala and Cerridwen are training you well."

Elain stared at him. It felt like someone had thrown cold water over her.

"How--how did you know?" She managed to ask. The twins wouldn't have told him, she was certain.

Az angled his head almost curiously. "I am Rhys's Spymaster. It is my job to know."

"Are you upset with them?" Before he could answer, she plowed on, "Don't be. I insisted. We are friends, you know. And I practically forced them to train me. Don't--"

"The only thing that upsets me," he interrupted quietly, "is that you felt you couldn't come to me."

Elain blinked, staring at him. "You haven't exactly been around," she said carefully.

Azriel's jaw clenched, the only sign of emotion on his otherwise perfectly guarded face. It was the sort of look one made before they retreated into the night, a heavy silence falling in between.

And because she did not want him to go, to put that distance between them that he so recently favored, she said, "If you must know, I failed miserably tonight."

He looked like he wanted to say something else, but settled on, "How so?"

"I was...out matched, it would seem." An understatement, but she did not want to elaborate.

To her surprise, Azriel chuckled, his shoulders loosening a bit. "I doubt that. You just need practice, and time."

Time. She had endless time now, didn't she?

She didn't want to talk about any of that anymore. So she just cocked her head and surveyed him, still perched on that railing. Wasn't he cold?

"Do you want a cup of tea or something?" she asked. "A scone? Something hot?"

Azriel straightened as though she had offended him. "No," he practically blurted.

"Oh." Elain blinked in surprise. Something inside her crumpled just a bit. "Right. Well, it's late, I shouldn't have--"

"It was very kind," he said quickly, though for some reason, he sounded pained. "But I don't think that would be a good idea."

Of course not. How could she be so foolish?

"It's fine," she said stiffly.

"You keep saying that."

"Because I mean it."

Az stared at her. "You can lie to them," he said quietly, "but not to me."

And just like that, Elain was no longer on the balcony, but standing before Nesta and her friends. A familiar necklace stared back at her, glinting and taunting her in the faelight.

It was as though Azriel could read her mind, for he said, "I--I'm sorry."

"You said that already."

"Can't I say it twice?"

Elain just waited.

Azriel ran a hand through his hair, once again looking oddly out of sorts. "When I found your necklace, I intended to return it to the shop, but for some reason I ended up at the library, and I thought..." He shook his head. "I don't know what I thought. You didn't want it, and--"

"I did want it," Elain interrupted.

His brows furrowed as he studied her. "You did?"

She nodded. "I wanted it very much. Too much, probably."

She knew--and hoped he did not--that she was no longer talking about the necklace. But something shifted in his gaze, as though he did know. He always seemed to know what she was thinking.

Hesitantly, Elain took a step forward. And another. Moving closer until she stood before him. He watched her carefully, still balanced precariously on the railing. Even perched, he still stood above her.

His hazel eyes were glowing, an intensity in them that made Elain look down. Made her admit, "I left the necklace behind because I did not want you to regret more than one thing that night."

The silence that followed was cold and biting, seeming to last forever. Elain sucked in a breath, prepared to fumble through some sort of explanation, when--

"I do regret it," Az said softly.

Elain looked up, hurt flashing on her face before she could hide it. But Azriel reached out, cupping her face in his scarred hands. Her mouth parted slightly in surprise.

"I regret making you think it was a mistake. And I regret not doing this," he said, and leaned down and kissed her.

Elain's surprise only lasted a half second before she returned his kiss, sighing into his mouth, her own moving in perfect sync with his. Her hands clung to the front of his jacket, pulling him off the railing and closer to her. A lesser male would have stumbled in the process, but Azriel was graceful and smooth, and no sooner had he landed on the balcony did he spin them so that Elain's back was pressed against the railing.

His wings flared out slightly, shielding them from the wind. One of his hands slid behind her neck, burying in her hair, while the other found her lower back, pressing her closer. Elain let out a soft moan that Az devoured with his mouth. Heat flooded her cheeks, her core. She was on fire. She was burning and burning and--

A clock tolled in the distance.

Dawn. It was almost dawn.

As though the sound woke them from their reverie, Azriel pulled back slightly. His breathing was slightly ragged, matching Elain's. He leaned forward and pressed his forehead to hers. She closed her eyes, listening to the sound of his hammering heart.

"I will speak to her," Az said finally. "Clear up the confusion and return your necklace to you."

It took Elain a moment to realize who he meant. She opened her eyes and frowned. Took a step back. "No, no. I could never do that."

"But--"

"What is done is done." Regret flashed in his eyes. She wanted to tell him it wasn't the gift itself that meant so much--it was the thought, the careful consideration in which he took in finding something so perfect. But all she said was, "I might ask for something else in exchange, though."

Though Az's eyes narrowed slightly, he said nothing, waiting.

Elain knew it was selfish, but she said, "Come to family dinners. When you can. Everyone misses seeing you."

I miss seeing you.

Az stiffened and peered down at her. His thumb gently brushed her cheek, the gesture shockingly tender from someone who tortured enemies for information.

"They know where to find me," he murmured.

"Perhaps they're waiting for an invitation."

He raised a brow. "Is that so?"

Elain nodded. "It is only polite. Even among friends and family."

"Friends and family." Amusement glittered in his eyes and even Elain fought back a smile. While she was still trying to work out what Azriel was to her, simply a friend or family did not seem accurate. "I will remember that."

"Good."

They stared at one another, tension and longing thick between them. They left the rest unsaid. How the mating bond complicated matters, even if Elain had not accepted it. Even if it meant nothing to her at all. There would be a time for that conversation, but that time was not now.

"I should go," Az murmured. "Rhys is expecting me."

Elain didn't want him to leave, but she had no power to make him stay. So she just nodded.

He turned, and hesitated. Hesitated long enough that Elain asked, "What is it?"

"There is something else," Az said, almost reluctantly.

"Oh?"

"It's Koschei."

Elain felt the color drain from her face. "What about him?"

Azriel turned back to face her. He looked resigned, unhappy, but determined. "There is another object to be found, I am certain--a fourth item in the Dread Trove."

She stopped breathing. Forced herself to say, "And?"

"And I think we're the only ones who can find it."

Elain stared at him. She hadn't told anyone--not even her friends--what she had seen.

"Who is we?" she managed to ask.

"You and I."

You and I.

The words fell into deep, unending silence. And the way Azriel was looking at her--did he know she had seen something? Was he just waiting for her to confirm his suspicions?

"This sounds quite serious," she said finally.

"It is." Shadows swirled around Azriel's shoulders, reflecting the darkening of his eyes.

"Then you must tell Feyre and Rhys as well."

And I must tell them what I have seen, she thought.

Some unknown emotion flittered across Az's face, one Elain could not decipher. "I intend to, but--"

"Perfect. Then you will do so tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?"

"At dinner. I will even prepare some of Nesta's favorites, for she will certainly have much to say on the matter."

Az's confusion morphed into a knowing, amused look. "I know what you are doing."

"I have no idea what you mean," Elain said seriously, but her eyes shone with mischief. "This is a serious matter that must be discussed with the High Lord and Lady. Don't you agree?"

"I do," he said reluctantly.

Her grin widened, but quickly faded as she considered, truly, what he was saying. What it meant. What it confirmed, even for herself.

"Do you think they will protest?" Elain asked. "Insist I stay out of it?" She remembered the last time she tried to get involved, and how that had ended. But this time was different. It had to be different.

Azriel considered her words. "Possibly. And they are not entirely wrong." When Elain looked at him in exasperation, he added, "There is an innate darkness to the Trove, Elain. A darkness that might alter you forever."

She raised her chin. "I do not fear the dark."

Az smiled slightly, like he believed her. And Elain could not help but return his smile, because she knew he did. He was the only person who ever looked at her like she was capable of something great.

She wanted to cross the distance between them and kiss him again. She wanted him to gently push her into her bedchamber and lay her atop the silk sheets.

Elain swore Az could read her mind, for he chuckled and inclined his head toward her chamber. "Go," he said, though it was far from commanding.

And because it was nearly first light, Elain backed away, biting her lip and smiling. "Tomorrow, then."

"Tomorrow," he promised.

- -

Note: In this scenario, I do imagine when Gwyn found out the truth, she would return the necklace. But I couldn't imagine Elain demanding it from her. Such an uncomfortable situation, so it was interesting to write. Can't wait to see how SJM handles it!

#elriel #elain x azriel #mrs pettyfer writing

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sukifans · 3 years

Note

May I request a Zuko x Reader with prompt number 2 from the 50 cliché prompts? I'm desperate for some fluff

SWEATSHIRT // zuko

WC: 1.8k

PROMPT: “your shirt/jumper was in the laundry pile and i couldn’t help but steal it”

WARNINGS: none

A/N: if you want fluff you came to the right place—tooth rotting fluff is my specialty. the title may or may not be a jacob sartorius reference. yall remember when tik tok was music.ly?

⇦ 𝘔𝘈𝘚𝘛𝘌𝘙𝘓𝘐𝘚𝘛

Living with Sokka certainly had its ups and downs. On the one hand, he always kept things interesting—you never knew what you might come home to find, and he often made you laugh so hard you had tears streaming down your cheeks. He could also MacGyver just about anything that broke in your apartment (usually broken by him, however). You’d only had to call maintenance once, when you’d found him stuck under the kitchen sink, absolutely drenched, and shouting for help as water viciously sprayed from the pipes and the garbage disposal made some sort of ear-splitting shriek.

On the other hand, his mind moved a hundred miles a minute and he often forgot little things, like closing the kitchen cabinets or starting the dishwasher. One such thing he tended to forget was to finish his laundry. Often you’d find his still-wet clothes in the washer or his clean clothes in the dryer, having finished several hours ago. The two of you had worked out a deal: if Sokka did the dinner dishes and bought the snacks for Movie Fridays, you’d make sure the apartment ran smoothly despite his forgetfulness.

That’s how you found yourself dumping a load of his clothes onto his bed after finding them in the dryer while trying to do your own chores. You picked through the shirts and boxer briefs before settling on stealing a deep burgundy sweatshirt—an unspoken part of your deal was that if you found his clothes, you were allowed to steal a t-shirt or sweatshirt of your choosing because he knew you liked to wear the oversized tops on lazy days.

He came back later that night to find you standing in the kitchen, scrolling on your phone while you waited for your tea to steep. Your wet hair hung around your face and you wore the red hoodie with sleep shorts and thick, fuzzy socks.

“Hey,” he said, dropping his backpack on the ground by the door and kicking off his shoes.

“Hey.” You looked up at him as he bustled around the kitchen, tossing something into the microwave. “How was work?”

“Annoying,” he sighed in irritation, making you grin. He turned to you and frowned, reaching out to tug at the sleeve of your sweatshirt. “Where did you find that?”

“I stole it from your laundry, stupid. You left your stuff in the dryer again. I’ve never seen this one before, did you just get it?”

“Uh... yeah. Thanks for doing that for me.”

“Mhm.” You slipped your phone into the front pocket and cradled your mug. “Why do you ask? Do you want it back?”

“Nah, it’s okay. In fact, keep it. Red doesn’t suit me, I don’t know what I was thinking when I bought it.” He had a smirk on his face that made you very suspicious.

You raised an eyebrow while you slowly sipped your tea. “If you say so, Snoozles.” You flicked his arm as you passed him to retreat into your bedroom for the night. “Don’t forget to pick up your bag. And snacks for Friday night!”

“Yeah, yeah,” he responded through a mouthful of noodles.

You and your friends were gathered in the living room like every other Friday, this week to watch Jurassic Park (yet another classic that neither Aang nor Zuko had seen, much to everybody’s disbelief). Katara and Aang sat together on the armchair, Zuko sat between you and Sokka on the couch, and Toph sat on the floor with her back against the sofa next to her service dog, Badger. You had your legs thrown across the guys’ laps and all eyes (except Toph’s) in the room were glued to the screen. Well, for the most part—Zuko kept looking over at you all night. You tried to keep your attention on the dinosaurs, but you could feel him staring at you. Eventually you caught his eye and raised your eyebrows expectantly. He simply flushed and looked away. You furrowed your brow and turned back to the movie, pulling your hands inside the sleeves of Sokka’s red sweatshirt and sticking them in the pocket.

“Did you guys know that Spielberg wanted the raptors to be taller for the movie and then a few months after they wrapped shooting, paleontologists found a new species of raptor that actually fit the movie portrayal really well? They almost named it after him,” Sokka said with his mouth full of popcorn.

“That’s nice, Sokka,” Katara responded absently, obviously not listening.

“Yeah, and they made the T. Rex sounds with an alligat—oof!” He wheezed when you jabbed your foot into his stomach. “Asshole!”

“Pack it up, IMDB,” you huffed.

“I just thought it was interes—ouch, Toph!” he yelped when Toph punched his shin.

“Stop talking, I can’t hear anything!”

“Just watch it!”

“I can’t!” Toph barked. Sokka crossed his arms and slumped down, grumbling to himself. You and Zuko glanced over at each other and broke out in grins, pursing your lips to hold back your laughter.

As the movie progressed, you noticed the tension in Zuko’s shoulders. He had his jaw clenched throughout the whole scene with the kids trapped in the car with the T. Rex attacking. You nudged him with your knee and he turned to look at you.

“You scared, Zu?” you teased in a low voice, leaning forward to squeeze his bicep. “You want me to protect you from the dinos?”

He rolled his eyes but still lifted his arm, inviting you sit up and tuck yourself into his side. As you leaned against him he seemed to loosen up, settling into his seat and resting his head against yours. Sokka noticed this and looked around Zuko to waggle his eyebrows suggestively and very conspicuously, making your face heat up in embarrassment. Unfortunately, the idiot had caught wind of your crush on his best friend and had been relentlessly tormenting you about it ever since. You glared at him until he sat back, looking disgustingly smug.

After the movie finished, everyone got up to stretch and refill their drinks before the next one started. While talking with Toph in the kitchen, you noticed Zuko standing outside on the balcony by himself. You excused yourself from the conversation and made your way out to him while all your friends hooted in the background. It seemed everyone knew about your attraction to the boy, except for the boy himself.

“Hey,” you said softly, stepping outside. He looked around at you and gave you a small smile that made your head spin. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” he sighed, “just getting some air. It’s getting hot in there with everyone in the room.”

You nodded and stood next to him to lean against the railing. After a few beats of silence, you could feel his stare on you again. You met his gaze curiously. “What’s up, Zu? You’ve been looking at me all night.”

“Nothing, it’s just—“ he narrowed his eyes and cocked his head to the side as if inspecting you “—is that my sweatshirt?”

You frowned. “No, I took it from Sokka.”

“Lying bastard.” His eyes widened at your offended look when you rounded on him. “Not you! I—um, it is mine. I gave it to Sokka the other day and when I asked for it he insisted he already gave it back to me. The fucker gaslit me over a sweatshirt.”

“Sounds about right,” you giggled. “I’m sorry. I’ll give it back before you leave.”

He pulled at one of the drawstrings. “You can keep it, if you want. It’s, uh—“ he cleared his throat “—it looks better on you.”

You stood facing each other now, barely a breath away from being chest-to-chest. “I can’t take your sweatshirt.”

“You take Sokka’s all the time.”

“Yeah, because he always forgets his laundry in the machine. He owes me.” Zuko laughed a little at that, still fiddling with the string. You could feel your heart racing at his proximity. He sucked in a breath and seemed to brace himself for his next words.

“I kind of like how you look in my clothes, though. Might have to start leaving my stuff around here so you stop wearing Sokka’s.” The confidence in his voice was betrayed by the rising blush on his face that surely rivaled your own as you stared up at him with wide eyes.

Your lips parted to speak, but no words came out. All you could squeak out was a soft, “Zuko,” when he raised his hand to brush a loose piece of hair back behind your ear. You felt frozen, rooted to the spot, when his fingertips grazed your cheekbone. His hand lingered there, palm radiating heat into your already flushed cheeks.

“I—“ he pulled his hand back and chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly “—sorry.”

“For what?” you asked.

“I don’t know.” You grinned at each other and in that moment it could’ve been just you and Zuko left on the planet and it wouldn’t’ve mattered; everything you wanted and needed was right there in front of you, if you were bold enough to take that final step toward it.

“Zuko—“

“Hey, we—oh!“ Both of you whipped your heads around when the door slid open to reveal Aang standing there. His whole face went red and he laughed in embarrassment. “Sorry! Just wanted to tell you guys we were gonna start the movie, but no rush! Take your time!” He started to back away and you felt yourself release from Zuko’s magnetic pull now that your small bubble had been invaded.

“It’s okay, Aang.” You smiled gently at your friend and started to make your way back inside. “We were about to head in anyways.”

Aang shot Zuko an apologetic look before nodding and hurrying away. Zuko couldn’t find it in himself to be bitter about the ruined moment when you reached out towards him and gazed up at him with those warm, bright eyes. “You coming, Zu?”

“Yeah, right behind you.” He took your outstretched hand and laced your fingers together, squeezing his palm against yours.

Maybe you weren’t the last people on Earth, and maybe you hadn’t taken that leap just yet, but something between you two shifted and finally clicked into place out there on that balcony. Everything would work out just fine—he knew it in the way you kept your fingers slotted perfectly between his as Jaws played on the television, and in the way you quickly rose onto your toes to press a kiss to his cheek in the hallway before he left. He couldn’t wipe the dreamy little smile off his face for the rest of the night, even as he laid awake in bed thinking about you.

Yeah; everything would be just fine.

ATLA TAGS: @hotgirlazula @octophopi @simpinforsukka @protect-remus @akiris @sunflowerazula

ZUKO TAGS: @fiantomartell @avatarayeaye @hypercakeiii @sher-lockedmarvel @emeraldpotato @september-ctd

#zuko x reader #zuko x you #zuko x y/n #prince zuko x you #prince zuko x reader #zuko fic #zuko fluff #zuko #mine #requests #avatar the last airbender #atla #avatar fic #atla x reader #x reader #zuko imagine

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not-me-simping-for-blasty · 3 years

Text

I Melt With You - Bakugou Katsuki

All Parts:

Part 2:

You never end up getting a text from Kirishima.

The following night, when you return from your shift at the hospital, what you find waiting for you instead is a gift basket. It’s filled to the brim with boxes of food, and packets of tea, a few dishtowels, and, surprisingly enough? A job offer.

Thank you for saving one of our own. The attached note reads. Due to your impressive quirk and quick thinking, we’d like to offer you a spot on our medical team. The Hero Public Safety Commission would love to utilize your talents. Call at the number listed for more information. We’ll be waiting.

You think the note sounds a little ominous, if you’re being completely honest. While it’s a nice offer, and one you’ll probably at least ask a few questions about, was the ‘We’ll be waiting’ really a necessary addition to the note? It makes the whole message read as an order, not a suggestion, and that makes your stomach uneasy.

The knowledge that they know about your quirk sits a little heavy too. You’d always tried to keep a tight lid on your power; only using it when absolutely necessary for as long as you could remember. You didn’t like digging into people’s brains, and you knew that it was an easy power to exploit if left in the wrong hands.

People felt pain for a reason. You knew that better than anybody.

Still, you did end up calling the number, and you did end up accepting the offer. As uncomfortable a reason as it was, the money was undeniable. The local hospital’s salaries just couldn’t compete.

You were quickly reassigned to a hospital in the center of Musutafu, and it was a bit of a culture shock. You’d always lived on the outskirts, and the villian presence there was laughable in comparison to the inner city. Suddenly, you were extremely busy, nearly constantly drowning in work and people who needed your help, but you didn’t mind. You’d always been passionate about being a nurse, and now you felt fulfilled in ways you hadn’t before.

All in all, you considered Bakugou a strange blessing. He might’ve been rude, and violent, and just generally pretty unpleasant when you first met him, but you didn’t hold it against him. If you really thought about it, you were nothing but grateful- well, as grateful as you could be to a guy who bled all over your apartment and then never talked to you again.

Still, you always wondered if he was alright. As much as you tried to forget about it entirely, you couldn’t wipe that night from your mind. When you took his pain, you were nearly winded by the anger and terror he felt. It was more than just shock, more than just fear over his injuries- it was something lasting, developed, something he’d been struggling with for a long time. A feeling that intense was hard to forget.

It was nearly three months before you saw him again.

Your day had been hectic, as it nearly always was. There had been a villian attack near a residential subdivision, and while the casualties were few, there were innumerous injured civilians. The entire day had been spent rushing between rooms, splinting broken limbs, applying casts, and evaluating for concussions. You were exhausted, nearly dead on your feet, when one of your superiors pulled you away.

“We need your quirk.” She says, tapping her foot impatiently.

“Excuse me?”

“We need your quirk. We’ve got a special guest, and we need it as painless an experience for him as possible. It’s the least we could do for him.”

“Oh? Um, okay? Who is it?”

She doesn’t answer, just spins on her heels and motions for you to follow. Your superior walks fast, leading you down winding hallways and past operating rooms, all the way down to the small luxury wing. You know what you’re in for now- a hero.

Your hospital had treated a lot of injured pro-heroes in the past, but you’d never been chosen to help before. You mostly stayed in the general part, assisting with the civilians heroes saved instead of the pro’s themselves. You briefly wondered why you were chosen- you figured whoever it was had to be pretty important if they wanted you to take away his pain entirely.

“Take your time with him, he’s your last patient. I know your shift’s not over, but, trust me, all you’ll want to do is go home after treating him. So be grateful for the time off.” Is all your superior says, pushing you through a door. “ Alright. Good luck.”

Then she shuts the door behind her, leaving you with whatever problem-child she was mentioning- and what a problem-child he is.

One look at blonde hair and red eyes and you realize your earlier assumption was wrong. You weren’t chosen to make his experience as painless as possible- you were chosen to make the hospital’s experience as painless as possible.

Still, you’ll push through it. You’re tired, but that doesn’t mean Bakugou’s injuries should be ignored. Upon first look, you notice gauze around his forearm and one of his knees. When he turns his head, he’s got a shallow cut spanning across his temple, and of his fingers looks oddly blue and swollen. All things considered, at least it’ll be a quick visit. You’re fairly confident it’s not gonna be anything more than stitches and maybe a finger splint for him.

“Alright, first things first, any other injuries I should know about? Besides the obvious ones, I mean.” You say, pulling over a cart and taking the blood pressure cuff from it. You start taking his vitals, smiling up at him from where he’s sat on top the hospital bed. “Secondly, it’s nice to see you again. I’m glad you’re not unconscious this time.”

“Excuse me? The hell are you on about?”

“Wait, do you not remember me?”

“Nah, ‘m fuckin’ supposed to?” He bristles, his shoulders tensing up. “You a fan of mine or some shit?”

You roll your eyes- you’d always sort of naively hoped he was more pleasant when not gravely injured, but you’re quickly realizing that not’s the case. Bakugou is prickly. Prickly, prickly, prickly.

“No. Not exactly a fan.” You answer him coyly, moving to rinse your hands clean at the sink. You slip on a pair of latex gloves, gather some antiseptic, some gauze, and your stitching kit, and then you turn back to him. “You might not remember it, especially considering your head wound that night, but three months ago you crash landed on my balcony.”

Bakugou blinks, once, twice, and then he’s red in the face and screaming.

“You! Fuckin’ you!” He roars, lips pulled back over his sharp canines. “You were in my goddamn head! Fuckin’ witch.”

“Okay. Well, yeah, you’re technically correct- but that’s not a very nice way to thank me for saving you. And it’s a quirk, not witchcraft.” You reiterate, nearing him with the antiseptic wipes. Bakugou recoils back, slapping your hand away lightly. You’re entirely unimpressed at his actions. “Calm down, I’m not going to use my quirk on you; at least, not without your explicit permission. I’m just here to stitch you up.”

He just huffs, nostrils flaring as he glares down at you.

“Have you ever gotten stitches before?” You ask.��

A part of you is aware the question is kind of dumb, especially considering his career, but you figure you should ask anyway. In your experience, patients generally receive treatment a lot better if you talk them through it.

“Yeah.” He answers. “Not while fuckin’ lucid though.”

“Alright, that’s fine. We can work with that. But, that means you must not get hurt a lot then, huh?”

“Nah. Never.”

Bakugou’s voice is proud, and when you look up at him, he’s smirking. You think that expression is only mildly less irritating then his grimace- but, maybe he’ll finally let you take a look at his arm now. You decide to try, your hands nearing the bandages around his forearm, but he smacks you away again.

“Bakugou. Stop. I need to take a look, alright? That’s what you’re here for, so let me do my job. I won’t use my quirk on you, I promise.” You tell him earnestly, holding his gaze steadfastly. “I couldn’t even if I wanted to, alright? I’ve got gloves on and it doesn’t work without skin-to-skin contact. So, could you please calm down for me?”

Bakugou’s eye twitches.

“Fine. But I’m fuckin’ watching you.”

“I’m sure you are.”

“I am.”

“I know. I’m not arguing with you.” You retort calmly.

You point at the cart, sighing in relief when he finally complies to your wishes. He sets his forearm flat on top of it, and you watch him wince slightly. There’s cloth and gauze wrapped around it, blood soaking through the makeshift bandage. You peel the material away gently, revealing a fairly large cut. The wound’s not very deep, thankfully, but it slices almost to the inside of his elbow. It is going to need a fair amount of stitches, but luckily most of the active bleeding seems to have stopped.

“Alright,” You start, catching his gaze. “This doesn’t look too bad, but it might scar.”

“No fuckin’ shit. Dumbass.”

“Bakugou, take a breath for me. I didn’t mean any harm by the comment, okay? I’m just doing my job and being honest with you.”

“I don’t need your fuckin’ honesty.”

“No, maybe not, but you do need me to stitch you up.” You try to keep your voice level, treat him delicately even as he fights you with every breath. It’s challenging work, but no more strenuous than any other difficult patient you’ve ever dealt with. “Alright, so I’m gonna clean around the wound, apply some local anesthetic, and then stitch you up. Sound good?”

“I don’t need the goddamn step by step, I’m not a fuckin’ kid. So just get on with it already.”

“I’m just trying to be accomodating.” You reply with a sigh. You take his forearm gently, working around the wound with an antiseptic wipe. You hear him suck in a breath. “Sorry. I’m sure it probably stings.”

“Don’t pity me.”

“It’s- I’m not.” You can’t help but sigh in slight frustration. It’s normally a reaction you’d try to cut short, but Bakugou’s being needlessly rude- you think he deserves to hear it. “Look, I was trying to be professional, and normally I’d never say this, but I’m- I’m not being paid to argue with you, alright? I’m just here to fix you up. So, if you’d rather me just stay silent while I do that, that’s perfectly fine. Just say so. I won’t be offended.”

“Good. Shut the fuck up then.”

Irritation flares in your chest, but you do your best to breathe through it. He’s far from the most difficult patient you’ve ever had, but something about his clipped words and guarded expression has you just as annoyed. You think it might be his eyes- the way they seem to always be tracking you, zeroing in on any and all possible flaws.

Still, you try to ignore his attitude anyways, and it becomes a little easier as you focus back on dressing the wound, finishing up with the antiseptic wipes and moving on to the anesthetic. You almost consider lathering the numbing gel on while it’s still freezing cold, but you quickly decide against letting his bad attitude interfere with your job performance. You don’t want to sink to his idiotic level.

You’re warming the gel packet in your palm, rubbing to create friction and heat, when he speaks again.

“You can skip that.”

“Yeah. I could. But I won’t- it generally makes the whole process a lot smoother if you can’t feel every stitch.” You say simply, tearing the gel packet open. “Sorry in advance if it’s still cold, I tried to warm it up a bit.”

“I’ll be fuckin’ fine.”

“I’m sure you will. Still though, most people flinch, so I figured I’d warn you anyways.”

Bakugou doesn’t say anything in response, just flares his nostrils as you spread the anesthetic over his arm. True to your words, he does flinch at first, and that only seems to piss him off more. You can’t really see his face from where you’re hunched over his forearm, but you’re sure he’s probably scowling. You wait a few moments for the gel to activate, and then you’re opening your kit and lacing thread through your needle. Thankfully your arm feels steady today, and it’s easy work as you begin stitching up his wound.

Bakugou’s a pretty good patient. Surprisingly. He breathes quietly through his teeth, fist clenched as he tries so very hard not to admit his discomfort. He actually reminds you a lot of the children you so often treat.

You find an easy rhythm sewing him up, your fingers gently prodding his arm as you work. You do your best to be delicate, treating him just as gently as you would any other patient- even if he irritated you. When you look up at him, Bakugou just traps his bottom lip between his teeth and creases his eyebrows. Those same red eyes study you again, almost looking right through you. You hold eye contact for as long as you can stand, but under his intense gaze it’s less than a few seconds.

“Alright. Almost done.” You mutter softly, dropping your eyes back down to his arm. You resume your stitching, eyebrows drawn together in concentration. “Thanks for keeping still for me.”

“Yeah. Whatever.” He grumbles, but his voice is a little softer now. He seems almost calmer, none of the bite from earlier coating his words. “Nothin’ special.”

“No, really. I mean it. You wouldn’t believe how much harder it is to treat somebody who’s panicking.”

“It wouldn’t be difficult if you weren’t such a shitty nurse.”

“If you didn’t want to be treated by me, you could’ve asked for somebody else. But you didn’t.” You comment easily, taking the kit’s scissors and cutting the thread. “You really missed your chance- could’ve caused a whole scene, Bakugou.”

“No thanks.”

“Wow, and here I thought you actively enjoyed making as big a scene as possible. Guess not.” You can’t help but tease, smiling slightly. “Or did you just want an excuse to come and bleed all over me again?”

“That’s- no. Shut up. You’re annoying.” Bakugou barks, blushing slightly as he turns his head away. “Fuckin’ witch.”

“You really shouldn’t call me names when I’m the one treating your wounds.”

“I’ll do whatever the hell I want. And you started it, fuckin’ pryin’ around in my head.”

“I wasn’t prying.” You tell him, turning away as you grab new gauze and bandages. “I was bringing you out of shock. I’m sure you don’t remember, but you were threatening to blow my entire apartment up.”

“No! I wasn’t! You just wanted to fuckin’-”

“Wanted to what? Help you? Stabilize your condition? Make sure you didn’t die out on my balcony?” You press the gauze carefully over his stitches, making sure none of the sutures catch on the cloth. “Yeah. Guess I did want to do that.”

“Still shouldn’t a fuckin’ done it.”

“Okay, well I did, and I’m still sorry if it felt invasive. Believe me, I wouldn’t have done it unless it was absolutely necessary.” You tell him honestly, trying to catch his gaze even as he avoids looking at you. “And, it was months ago, you know? So no point holding a grudge. Especially since I’ll probably be seeing a lot more of you from now on.”

“What, you think I’m gonna get myself killed again? Fat fuckin’ chance. I’m not that fucking weak.”

“Are you always this defensive?” You ask him, wrapping the bandages gently around his arm. “I meant, this hospital’s the main center for relief efforts, alright; so even if you try to avoid me, we’re bound to see each other if you ever end up back here for whatever reason. I wasn’t insinuating that you’d definitely get hurt again.”

“Fuckin’ sounded like it.”

“I didn’t mean for it to.”

“Yeah whatever. Pick up the goddamn pace.” He rolls his eyes, dramatically swinging his hurt leg up onto the table. You’re sure it has to hurt, but Bakugou keeps his pride. He doesn’t even wince. “My leg’s not gonna fix itself. Get the fuck to it already.”

“Okay, alright. You got it.”

Luckily, you don’t have to cut the material of his hero costume away just yet. His pants are already torn, thin, scattered slices exposing his leg all the way to the tops of his thighs. When you take a look at his knee, you’re not pleased with what you find.

Removing the gauze unearths a strange web of metal shards sticking out of his skin. They don’t seem to be stuck worryingly deep, but there’s a lot of them and some of them are quite large. You’re gonna need to pluck them all out, and give stitches for the big ones. Your short visit with Bakugou just got a lot longer.

“Alright. So this is gonna take some time, but the good news is, nothing is actively bleeding on your knee.” You tell him. “So, I’m thinking I’m gonna sew up the cut on your forehead first, alright? Head wounds bleed a lot more. That should be taken care of first.”

“Fuck are you tellin’ me, for? Your job, you do it.”

“Oh- yeah. Sorry.” You apologize. “Guess I’m used to treating kids. Lots of mom’s hanging around and asking questions, you know?”

“No. ‘m not a fuckin’ nurse.”

“No, you are not.” You breathe out, hardly able to keep the sarcastic tone out of your voice. “Okay, I’m gonna need you to lie back for me.”

He grumbles, but falls back anyways. You sigh in relief, grateful for his acquiescence. You honestly thought you’d have to fight with him about that.

You begin the process all over again- cleaning, applying gel, and then stitching the wound close. Bakugou doesn’t say anything while you work, but he does let his eyes flutter shut. He kept them open at first, staring you down relentlessly, but eventually he doesn’t seem to like all the unintentional eye-contact as you lean over him. You think it’s strange- the way he seems to melt into the hospital bed even as you’re sewing up his forehead. You begin to realize that his day was probably just as long as yours, if not longer.

You fall into an easy rhythm again, and time passes peacefully before you know it.

“You almost done?” He peeks an eye open, voice gravelly when he speaks.

“Yep. Almost. Just one more up here and then we can move on to your knee.”

“You can move on to my knee. I’m not doin’ shit.”

“Oh my,” You mutter under your breath, cutting the thread with your scissors. You clear your throat before speaking again. “So are you always this difficult with the other nurses?”

“No. Only the dipshits who go diggin’ around in my fuckin’ head.”

“Well, I only have to dig when people threaten to blow up my apartment.”

Bakugou doesn’t seem to have a response to that. He just closes his eyes and huffs through his nose, ending the conversation entirely.

That’s fine with you- if he wants to stay quiet, you’re not complaining.

It’s quiet as you begin working on his knee, nothing but the soft metallic clink of your tools and Bakugou’s own breaths. You think it’s a strange sort of calm, but also a little nice too. You’d been worked to the bone all day, rushing and scrambling and giving instructions- it was nice to just sit back and focus on one thing at a time.

You think Bakugou must feel it too, because when you look up at him he’s still lying back. He’s got his head pressed back into the pillow, his uninjured arm thrown over his eyes while the injured one lies across his stomach. His index finger is still blue, but not any more blue than it was when he walked in. You’re not sure how he’s managing to look so relaxed, despite being in what you guessed was a fair amount of pain.

You wonder what kind of day he had that made his hospital visit out to be the most relaxing part. You try not to think about it too long- try not to fit that anger and terror you felt into a make-believe narrative.

“Alright. That around does it for that.” You say softly, wrapping a bandage around his knee. “If you don’t mind me asking, what happened? With the metal- it doesn’t look like any shrapnel I’ve ever seen before.”

“It’s not.” He drops his hand from across his face, voice deeper and slower than before. Groggy almost. “Fucker had a metal quirk. Shattered a car right next to me.”

“Oh. That really doesn’t sound fun. I’m sorry.”

“Not your fault. Don’t apologize for stupid shit.”

You find that oddly ironic- pretty much your entire job was apologizing and showing understanding for things that weren’t your fault. You decide there and then, without a single shadow of a doubt, Bakugou would make the worst nurse in the world. Far shittier than you, no matter what he said.

“All that’s left now is your finger.” You say, grabbing at his hand gently. “Sorry if this hurts, but I’ve gotta feel and see if it’s broken. I’m fairly sure it’s sprained, but just in case.”

“Whatever.”

“Wow, no fight? None at all?” You joke, applying as gentle pressure as you could to his finger. “You tired or something?”

Bakugou just nods, letting his eyes shut once more.

Up close again, you notice the circles under his eyes, the paleness of his skin. His face doesn’t even contort as you prod at his finger, and it almost breaks your heart when you realize how high his pain tolerance must be. The only way he’d be able to be even half as calm as he currently was, was if he was getting hurt like that on the regular. Which, you figure, probably comes with the job description in his case- but the thought still flooded you with sympathy anyway.

“All good, just a pretty severe sprain.” You tell him. “Now, metal splint or dressings? Your choice.”

“Dressings.”

You squint a little bit, at him. You’re pretty sure a metal splint would be easier, and more convenient, but he looks pretty sure in his choice. You shrug, figuring that you did give him the choice for a reason. Maybe he just finds dressings more comfortable.

You dig out an ace bandage from your medical cart, setting it on the hospital bed as Bakugou sits up. He still looks a little tired, breaths slow and even as he looks at you through half-lidded eyes. You figure he must suffering a pretty serious adrenaline crash- if he’s not, then you’re not sure what the attitude change is about. He just looks so calm, so quiet that you almost can’t place him as the same angry guy you’d been faced with earlier.

You unwind the bandage, taking his hand into yours. His palms are strange, calloused and tough, unnatural heat radiating off of them. It’s a little hard to ignore, but you figure it’s just his quirk, so you press on without comment. You’re pressing his index and middle fingers together, half-way through wrapping the bandage around them when he speaks.

“Too lose. Do it again.”

“It’s not loose, I promise. I know what I’m doing.”

“It’s loose.” He says again, more insistently this time. “Do it again.”

“Okay.” You sigh, figuring that starting over entirely would still somehow take less time than fighting with him. “But just this once, alright? As an apology for ‘digging around’ in your head.”

Bakugou just nods tightly.

When you start again, you try a different approach. You’d been trying to avoid touching him earlier, to soothe his worries about your quirk, but you start to think that maybe it caused your splinting to suffer. You decide to just go about it normally this time, grabbing his wrist and flipping it upwards just like you usually would. Bakugou seems to stiffen for a moment, but then he’s huffing a breath and lolling his head forward to his chest. You watch his eyes flutter shut.

You think that’s a strange reaction. You really expected him to put up more of a fuss about your touching him- he doesn’t though, and you take the little win. Chalk it up to just how tired he seems to be.

“There- you’re all done now.” You say quietly, pressing the adhesive side of the bandage into place. “Everything feel good? Need anything else?”

He shakes his head, blinking his eyes open blearily. If you didn’t know any better, you really would’ve thought he’d fallen asleep while you were caring for him. Well, you figure, guess that makes twice now that’s nearly passed out beneath your fingers.

You think that’s pretty funny, but you keep it to yourself. Bakugou seems to be feeling relatively pleasant, and you don’t want to jinx it.

“Alright, so concerning the splint, wear it for at least a few weeks, and then take it from there, alright? And all the stitches are dissolvable except for the ones in your arm. Those ones will need to come out in about a week or so, but that’s a super simple procedure. You could probably get them removed in the med-wing at your complex. No need for a follow-up her-”

“No. I’ll be here.”

“You don’t have to. I can just write up some instructions and send you back, no problem. Really, it’s-’

“I said I’d be here, so I’ll fuckin’ be here.” He grumbles, clearing his throat. Bakugou averts his gaze, turning towards the window to avoid your eyes. “You did the stitches so you take them out. You’re not gonna fuckin’ get away with cuttin’ corners on me.”

“Yeah. Okay. Whatever you want, I guess.” You say, a bit unsurely. “So I’ll see you in a week or so, alright? Somebody’ll give you a call.”

“Whatever.”

Bakugou then hops down from the bed, and you wince at the sound of his impact. You’d seen his knee first-hand, and you imagined that it probably hurt a lot to walk on it. He seemed unaffected though, shouldering his weight without fuss and hardly even limping as he walks out. The only sign he’s even slightly in pain, is the grunt that leaves him when he accidentally tries the door handle with his injured hand.

He’s so quick that you can’t even ask him if he wants crutches or not. The thought hardly even enters your head before he slams the door shut behind him.

--/--

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