#the prompts were modern au and older me meets younger you | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

free-for-all-fics · 1 year

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Just binge watched the IWTV series and it gave me many thoughts. No pun intended when I say it made me very thirsty. So I wrote some prompts! Warning: Some of these contain spoilers for the AMC show! Most of these prompts are written with the AMC show in mind, but they can probably be used interchangeably for either the 1994 movie or the 2022 tv series. Whichever version is up to you. Please tag me if you’re inspired by or write any of these ideas. I’d love to read it! ❤️🩸

Content Warning: Almost all of these prompts contain dark themes! Including: Toxic behavior, unhealthy relationships, power imbalances, abuse, racism, murder, and incest. If Dark! Fics aren’t your thing or you can’t handle such themes, that’s okay. These prompts just may not be for you, so ignore them and kindly move on. If you don’t like, then don’t read. Please don’t act as morality police and harass me or others. Don’t start arguments in the comments. Thank you.

1. You meet Lestat and Louis at a ball celebrating your arranged engagement to an odious man you don't love. While taking turns dancing with them, you're rudely dragged away by your jealous and controlling fiancé. Seeing how innocent and miserable you are, they later kill your unwanted groom and take you from your home, eventually giving you the choice to live with them and have a better life as a vampire.

2. You were Lestat's lover and companion heart when he was human. You were forcibly separated when he was abducted and turned into a vampire by Magnus. He believes you later perished in the French Revolution, until he’s delightfully surprised when he finds you in New Orleans while living with Louis and Claudia. You don’t look a day older than when he saw you last, and he realizes you had faked your death over a century ago. As he watches you seduce and feed on a couple of unfortunate humans, he falls in love with you all over again. You’re even more beautiful as a vampire.

3. Lestat feeds on you and drains you of blood to the point of near death. He gives you a choice: Join him in eternal life as his new companion heart and lover, or don't. Help him adapt to the modern world, or he will leave you to die and move on to someone else.

4. Haunted Mansion-esque AU: When Lestat was human, he was deeply in love with you, a black or mixed woman, despite it being unconventional and illegal. You may have had many plans for the future, but your love was like playing a most dangerous game. It ended tragically with you killed and him kidnapped by Magnus and turned into a vampire. But what if you’re reincarnated looking exactly the same as you did before in the early 20th century. Lestat becomes obsessed with you at first sight, discreetly following you around or using his powers to hypnotize you to come to him.

He acts overprotective and possessive when he courts you. Even if you don’t remember him or your past life yet, he’s undeterred in his advances. He’s determined to keep you safe with him and not let such a cruel fate befall you again. If that means turning you into a vampire, so be it. You’re his forever and he’s yours. You may hate him at first, but you’ll thank him for the dark gift in the end. He has loved you in death as he did in life and whether your memories come back or not, he’s going to stay by your side. What if in this life, you’re Louis’s neighbor/friend and he loves you too? Maybe not romantically, but there are many forms of love.

5. You’re Lestat’s younger sister and the only other person he loves in his family apart from yours and his mother. He cherishes you so deeply that he often protected you from your abusive father and other brothers by taking countless beatings and starvations to spare you. While you were only a teenager, you’d tend to his wounds and bring him food and drink. He insisted you came with him and Nicolas to Paris, where he would look after you as your legal guardian until you could be free as an adult woman. But after he was turned into a vampire, he tried to stay away. For years, he kept his distance and watched over you from afar as you blossomed into womanhood, while using his inheritance to send money and lavish gifts so you could live comfortably. He still wanted to provide for you, give you everything he felt you deserved but couldn’t have while living in poverty.

Until something happened that made him hyperaware of your fragility in your mortal state. He realized he was too selfish and loved you too much to condemn you to permanent death. He couldn’t bear it if you were lost to him forever, so he snuck into your house and turned you into a vampire. You live together for many decades before you go off on your own to explore the world. But you still correspond and visit regularly. You’re surprised and delighted when you stop in and discover your brother has a lover and a…sister? Daughter? Are you an aunt now? You’re not really sure what the family dynamic is but you’re happy for him.

6. Crimson Peak/Flowers in the Attic-esque AU: You’re Lestat’s sister. You sought comfort and protection from your abusive father and other brothers through each other, and your unhealthy coping mechanisms spiraled into a toxic incestuous relationship. After taking countless beatings and starvations, you’d tend to Lestat’s wounds and he to yours. While locked away together, you’d silently admire your bodies and touch each other gently, mindful of your scars. Your curiosity gave way to darker thoughts, and neither of you could help the urges you began to feel. Lestat and you are so fucked up. You’re overly co-dependent on each other, you both can be manipulative to get what you want, etc. You and Lestat are aware you might love each other too much, since you’ve had ugly fights fueled by jealousy where you’ve threatened to kill the other.

“If I can’t have you, no one can!”

“Do it, coward. You won’t. You and I both know a life without me would be even more unbearable.”

But neither of you would ever actually go through with it. Despite your issues, you cared for each other and wanted to get into a better situation. Even after Lestat became a vampire and inherited endless wealth, he couldn’t let you go. So he snuck into your Paris bedroom and seduced you. Afterwards, he used his powers to render you immobile so he could kidnap you. He turned you into a vampire and your bond can never be severed now. You may have been livid with your brother for turning you, but even that argument ended with angry hate sex to blow off steam. It’s no different than the many times he killed or otherwise drove away all the men and women who vied to be your lover while you were both still human. You were angry with him then, and retaliated by doing the same with all his lovers. These kind of sibling spats are common. If there’s one thing you both hate, it’s competition.

But still you slept together and all was soon forgiven. As vampires your lovemaking can be bloody and violent but it hurts so good. You can’t hear each other’s thoughts, but are so in tune with one another that you still know exactly what the other is feeling. When everything is good, you either hold hands or embrace without needing to say anything. You have your own coffins, but often crawl into each other’s so you can cuddle within the enclosed shared space where you spend hours talking into the early morning before going to sleep. You’re addicted to each other’s company. To the outside mortal world you may act as husband and wife. This is your eternity. You both fear loneliness and abandonment more than anything in the world, so as long as you stay together, neither of you will be alone and you’ll both be fine.

7. You’re a whore and have threesomes with Lestat and Louis. Unlike Lily and the others, you’re a woman of many talents with a unique spirit, so Lestat and Louis want to keep you forever as theirs. What started out as purely transactional sex and pillow talk has become so much more. They’re addicted to you and each other. Being a human and having sex with two vampires is on another level you never knew existed. Levitating in the air while your body is sandwiched between the two handsome devils, Lestat feeding on you while Louis may refuse to at first before Lestat convinces him to do it. Un petite coup, they call it. The little drink. Not enough to kill you, but just enough to keep them fit. The feelings of intimacy it awakens in you is beyond words. And all your senses are only heightened once your lovers turn you into a vampire. While you have your own coffin, you sometimes share a special coffin that’s big and spacious enough to fit 3 people.

8. You’re a human who willingly lets Louis feed on you in modern day. What Daniel doesn’t know is that you actually live in the house with him and Rashid. They take good care of you after the feedings and it’s like a poly relationship. Daniel doesn’t know how to respond as he watches Louis feed on you while you just nonchalantly talk to him like nothing is happening to you. He finds it so off putting how you hold eye contact with him.

Spoilers: Or you’re actually a vampire who pretends to be human by putting on a good show of acting faint and woozy after Louis feeds from you. You go by a fake name and wear contacts just like Armand. Louis and Armand are your lovers.

9. Phantom of the Opera-esque AU: You’re an opera singer or a First Chair in the orchestra and you’re elevated in Lestat’s eyes due to your immense musical talent. You’re one of the few human attachments Lestat keeps. He acts as your patron, providing you with money and lavish gifts. He visits you in your dressing room before and after performances, where you often get hot and steamy. He sometimes takes you back to his home where you sing and play piano (or another instrument) together. You may not know about his vampiric nature yet, but make no mistake: He will inevitably turn you one day.

10. In the books, Lestat mentions bedding a whole lot of women before he was turned so it’s possible he had children he never got to know. He finds out he had a secret accident baby over a hundred years ago when you, his daughter, show up at his and Louis’ home after tracking him down. Lestat being Lestat, he may not believe you at first, but you have substantial proof: A birth certificate, old belongings of his, miniatures of him and your mother, handwritten letters from the 18th century, etc. And then there’s your uncanny resemblance to him in both physical appearance and personality/mannerisms that even Louis points out. You’re not only a grown adult, but frozen in time. Maybe you had a family of your own before your vampire transformation, maybe not. But Lestat tracking down his descendants could make for an interesting story. Because he’s not your maker, you can hear each other’s thoughts. Lestat wants to know everything about you: Who your maker was, how you lived after parting ways with your maker, etc.

He doesn’t want secrets. In hypocritical fashion, he’ll probably keep secrets from you, but he doesn’t want you to keep secrets from him. You and your father are alike in so many ways, and sometimes that causes you two to butt heads and get into petty quarrels. It’s like an unstoppable force meets an immovable object. It’s like two walls trying to get the other to move. Whenever your father annoys you too much, you’ll block him out of your mind or he’ll do the same to you. From what your mother told you about him, you were expecting him to be a bratty and spoiled prince. She used to say you were his perfect copy and called you princess to annoy you. He does love you and you do love him, it’s just expressed and shown in very weird, unusual ways that don't make sense to anyone else. Your form of affection is unique to only you two.

11. You and Lestat are vampires in a complicated love-hate and co-dependent relationship. It can get very toxic and manipulative, especially since both of you are varieties of possessive and jealous or vain and narcissistic. Sometimes if either of you are bored, you do your best to goad each other into losing any sense of decorum or restraint. Like playing with each other’s emotions is a game. Your arrangement of, “You can fuck whoever you want as long as you come home to me.” quickly becomes “I thought we could have an orgy. You can fuck them and I can eat them.” Your sex life is full of depraved fantasies and decadence you indulge in. A hedonistic existence of drink, drugs, and parties. You’re both different flavors of fucked up, but you’re addicted to each other. You want him dead, you want him all to yourself. He wants you dead, he wants you all to himself. It’s far from healthy, but it’s all you know and neither of you care. You’ve let go of human attachments ages ago.

12. You’re a vampire who’s in a romantic/sexual relationship with Lestat and in his own twisted way, he actually cares about and loves you along with Louis. You were given the dark gift by your maker when you were a full grown adult, unlike Claudia. So you’re like an older sister or aunt to her. Claudia is envious of your mature body and asks you questions of the female sort that you do your best to answer, no matter how awkward they are. Some of the questions she has are similar to ones she writes in her diary. (If you know, you know.)

13. Ghost of Thornton Hall-esque AU: When Lestat was human, he was in love with you, a renowned singer. During a masquerade ball celebrating your birthday, a fire started that quickly spread out of control. You got trapped in the burning building and were killed. You’re the only person Lestat has cried rivulets of blood over in his vampire life. All Lestat has left of you is a necklace you always used to wear. That’s why he’s hesitant to turn Claudia after Louis saves her from the fire and tries to make excuses that she’s too charred and he doesn’t know where to bite. During the Mardi Gras ball, Lestat hears your voice whispering and singing sweetly to him. He may be losing his mind due to fasting, but he swears he can see you in the crowd, wearing the same blood red dress that you burned up in. Your black lace mask hides your eyes from him. He follows you, but keeps losing sight of you in the crowd when other men and women get in his way. It’s like trying to follow a ghost. Finally he catches up to you. When you turn around, you are indeed wearing the very same red dress you wore when you “died”. It’s now charred and black in some areas. He removes your mask and looks into your eyes - your vampire eyes.

14. You and Lestat go out to Lover’s Lane because it’s one of your favorite spots to hunt. The many lovey-dovey couples fueled by passion and sexual desire makes your meals that much more tasty. After you feed together, who could blame you if you also wanted to get romantic and passionate yourselves and make love outdoors or in the car of some victims before you disposed of the bodies? It’s practically like going out on a date anyway. Lestat and you go on date nights like this often. Your dates have also included going to the movies, sometimes watching vampire flicks to laugh at them and have a good time. Lestat uses his vampire powers to make an annoying movie goer who keeps shushing you start slapping himself repeatedly, just to entertain you and himself.

15. The relationship you have with Lestat is…complicated, to say the least. You’re human, but musically talented or have something else about you that makes him very possessive and obsessive over you. Maybe you remind him of his first love, Nicolas. He fears loneliness more than anything, so he tries to make you dependent on and love only him. He tries to isolate you and prove that he’s all you need. He can take care of you and give almost everything you desire. Toxic Lestat is so against you leaving because he doesn’t want to be alone. He lets you know of his plans to make you a vampire, whether you like it or not. It’s inevitable, he’s more than clear in no uncertain terms about that. But instead of rejoicing at his plans to give you this most precious and coveted dark gift, you tried to run away. He killed all the other passengers of the train you tried to stowaway on and blamed you for their deaths. You made him do this by acting out and being ungrateful, their blood is on your hands.

He used the conductor’s head as a macabre puppet to scare you before he coerced you into coming back home. You should be thankful he’s still respecting your compromise to stay human for a little longer after you pulled that stunt. You should show him some appreciation for all he’s doing for you, instead of acting like a spoiled and bratty princess. One time, you get into a nasty fight that ends with Lestat dragging your weak but still alive body outside, leaving a bloody trail. He then uses the Cloud Gift to fly high up into the sky while holding you in his arms. He tells you, “How I’ve waited. I have patiently waited in vain for you to love me as I love you.”

“Let go of me!”

“Anything for you,” he says as he strokes your cheek and wipes away your tears before letting you fall from the sky. As your heart pounds loudly in your ears and can be heard over the whistling wind, you thought surely you’d splatter on the ground below and be nothing but an unrecognizable mess of mangled flesh. But no. Lestat wouldn’t give you the mercy of permanent death. He only let you free fall for a few seconds before swooping down and catching you. As if to teach you a lesson and further prove his point that you need him. You need him to protect you from others and yourself. But who’s going to protect you from him, you think to yourself as you lose consciousness in his arms.

16. During the Mardi Gras Masquerade ball, Lestat had Tom appoint you, his vampire bride, as Queen while he was Raj. After fasting for three days before the ball, you play your part well. Both men and women try to crowd around you and vie for your attention, but you’re very particular about who you hand out boutonnières to. You can see Lestat surrounded by middle aged women he seduced but can’t remember from 10 years ago. They’re still fawning all over him. Ah, these must be the ladies from the Women’s Opera Society. They’ve gotten so old and wrinkly in such short time, poor dears. You use your hand fan to hide your smirk as you try not to laugh when you overhear their voices coated with sympathy. So they really believed him to be ill all those years? Just when he asks which of the ladies did he pull under the stairs during that dull lecture on Don Giovanni, you take that as your cue to pull him away. You can feel the ladies’ questioning and jealous gazes on you as you loop your arm through his and kiss his cheek then his lips.

You’re so radiant, all dressed in white and diamonds. But all the women’s eyes are drawn to the matching rings on your and Lestat’s fingers. You love putting on a good show. Even more so when you’re covered in blood during the after party when you and your vampire family start feeding on the selected victims from the ball. While you walk towards them in a straight line and assert your power, they run and scream in terror. In vain, they try to break down the locked doors and windows. It’s a massacre, a bloodbath, and one hell of a good time. (Whether you know of Claudia and Louis’ plan to kill Lestat or not is up to you.)

17. Vamps inspired AU: You’re a vampire who was turned against your will. During the 1970’s, you met and fell in love with Daniel, a fresh young journalist who was aspiring to achieve more as a writer. You were only together for a few short years before you left. As much as it pained you to do so, you knew you had to leave him before he noticed you weren’t aging and got suspicious. He could have a normal life and hopefully find another love. You loved him so much that you didn’t want to be selfish and condemn him to vampirism. So you parted ways both for his sake and to protect your secret, before he had his first interview with Louis.

Now it’s 2022 and Daniel is an old man. When he’s interviewing Louis again, he’s surprised to see you, seemingly either living with or working for the vampire, just like Rashid. When he questions you, you lie. You say you’re not his past love, but her daughter, and that your mother died. It isn’t until much later in the interview, after Rashid reveals his true identity as Armand that you also come clean. You tell Daniel that he was right about you, and that you’ll answer any questions he has. You spend a great deal of time catching up as you ask him about his life, family, career, etc. And he asks you about your own life, why did you leave, why didn’t you tell him or turn him, etc. (Maybe you’re Armand’s sister and over 500 years old so the sun has no effect on you either.)

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unusual-raccoon · 1 year

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Because it’s Mother’s Day, I’m using this holiday as an excuse to gift you a prompt 🌚 So stay with me…but what about a modern switched at birth jaceluke au?

Jace always imagined he’d be a fantastic older brother, he read stories about the legendary sibling relationships in his family’s history, but somehow he’s never clicked with his younger brother Vaegon. He thought it so strange considering Jace’s first memory ever was holding his brother in his arms and thinking everything right with the world. But it would seem their relationship would not blossom further than that moment. At first he thought the problem was with him but Joffrey’s birth erased those insecurities. It was cruel to think the fault of a nonexistent relationship rested solely with Vaegon, but Jace accepted that. And besides, it seemed that Vaegon preferred it that way, never having an interest in their younger brothers or Daemon’s daughters. But it would seem that everything would change when his younger brother was assigned a school project pertaining to DNA history.

In another part of the world, Luke always felt that something was missing from his life. His family was nice, but they were just that. He always burned too brightly for them, felt too deeply. Luke was like a different species next to their normality. He was haunted by the feeling that the space beside him should be occupied. Again, everything would change when hospital staff and lawyers started calling the house.

If you are up to it, maybe write the first JaceLuke interaction when Luke meets the fam?? Or maybe some sexxy angst once they actually get to know each other? Also, In this au Rhaenyra took one look at the switched baby and decided Lucerys was too pretty, so I chose to use the name of the lamest Targ in history (other than Aemond oc). Luke lucked out namewise in this one, but once the truth comes out he can’t help but start to use Lucerys. This au is so tasty because can you imagine both of them not trying to go feral and scare the other off? Jace not knowing how Luke will react to the history of their family while Luke doesn’t know the family secret and feels like a freak because his attraction? Also bc I can’t help myself: Corlys never made Vaegon heir cuz he’s a total loser; besides he’s been too busy to choose one ever since he’s been teaching a certain new intern the ropes. Even if you can’t write anything for this, you’re a gem 🌚

My darling 🌚 anon, you have no clue how with you I am. I’m so sorry for not being able to address all of your amazing asks with the consideration they deserve, my masters thesis is kicking my ass right now.

A treat for you, and for me (ficlet under the cut):

It had started with an assignment, a history project. It had seemed an innocent enough task. Typing the name Targaryen into one any run of the mill search engine would lead to results in the millions, chock full of tabloid articles and nonsense all bound up in the family name. If Vaegon really wanted to pull out the stops, he’d submit a sample to one of those ancestry sites, BOOM, goldmine.

Of course, Vaegon hadn’t seemed particularly thrilled by the prospect. Admittedly, Jace was a little more excited by the prospect of seeing their family’s historical tree span back generations.

So, when his brother waved the notion aside, claiming he’d just ask their mother for anything important enough to warrant including in his report, as if the whole of Targaryen history wasn’t worth it. Jace took matters into his own hands.

It had changed with results…and a little fork in their family tree. A pruned branch, as it were. In the place where Vaegon belonged, beside Jace, was something else. Someone else.

Name: Luke R.

Suggested relationship: full siblings

Known Relationship: Brother

Ancestral Surnames: Targaryen, Velaryon (Freehold, Valyria)

And there it was…his missing piece.

Jace stared at the website’s message function, at it’s washed out green interface. This was insane.

His cursor blinked in the empty text box. Mocking.

There was no photo attached to the profile. It could be a fluke. It could be nothing.

Jace pressed his thumb to the name on his phone screen, watched as his brother’s name was automatically highlighted. Copied it, and pasted it into Google. He scrolled mindlessly, possessed for what felt like hours.

Stumbled on a dating profile on a hookup app that Bells had downloaded for him. His mouth was dry.

The profile wasn’t under the name Luke, but Lucy.

He tapped on a profile picture, saw delicate features, dark hair, dark eyes, pale skin. He’d seen enough photos of his mom when she was younger to know the young man in the phots was her carbon copy.

Fuck.

His thumb slipped without meaning to. He liked the profile. Jace hissed, flooded with horror, mortification, panic-

It’s a Match!

Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit.

Luke, or Lucy, rather messaged first.

L: Heyy

Jace stared at the message and felt longing pull in his gut, worse than anything he’d ever known.

His reply is quick, hungry for more. His brain wired on a feedback loop at the chime of a notification.

J: Hi

The reply is quick.

L: chatty huh

J: sorry, lol. Wasn’t expecting to match w you.

L: really? Why’s that

J: you’re hot

L: LOL that’s pretty forward. And unless ur using someone else’s photo in ur profile pic, so are you.

His cock twitched.

J: just stating facts. And Thx lol.

J: are the tats in your gallery yours?

L: yea. r the abs in your gallery yours?

J: yeah.

L: 🥵

J: you’re funny.

L: and ur strangely humble for a guy that’s as good looking as ur pictures make you seem.

J: that a bad thing?

L: no, just trying to figure out where you came from lol

J: same place as you probably

L: I doubt it, lol.

J: I could be

L: ??

J: in the same place as you

J : if you wanted that

Jace wanted that, he wanted this his entire life.

L: oh yea? What would we do in the same place together?

J: whatever you want, Lucy

L: what if I wanted to do boring stuff? Like talk about history or sumthing?

J: joke’s on you, I love history. Kinda into the idea of you talking about history.

L: yea?

J: yeah

L: Hot and ur into history, def made in a lab.

J: LOL. Maybe I was made for you?

Maybe we were made for each other, he thinks. He thinks back to the results of his test - full siblings. Jace had always felt like oil and water with Vaegon, like they’d been cut from a different cloth.

Lucy had gone silent for a few minutes. Jace felt panic dig it’s roots into him. Desperate for a scrap of attention, affection, anything.

The chime of the next message hits like a narcotic.

L: I can multitask btw. We could talk about History AND do other stuff.

Jace’s hands are shaking as he replies.

J: anything in particular?

L: yea, in about six diff positions.

Jace ducked his head with a smile, cheeks throbbing with a blush.

J: is that so? Well, please educate me.

A stock photo of two men at a cafe rolled in, coffee cups that looked suspiciously empty situated before each of them. Jace couldn’t quite hide his smitten giggle.

L: it’s not the Kama sutra but I think we could pull it off

J: I might need to stretch first, but yeah, I’m down.

L: 🥰

J: lick a spot and we can try it for ourselves

J: *pick

L: didn’t mind the 1st one, LOL

L: but, yea, I’d like that.

He masturbates like a madman that night, frantic to the sight of tattooed, lily-white thighs in Lucy’s gallery. Imagines those pretty legs locked around his waist.

His guilt the following day isn’t enough to quash the quick flush of excitement that surges to his fingers (and cock) at the unique chime of a message on the app.

L: morning 😊

J: Good morning

L: it’s definitely better now

J: ☺️

J: rough night?

L: I had a dream about u…

J: I think I like where this is going

L: it was pretty morbid actually 😓. There was a fire, I don’t remember much, but I remember that. And u were there.

L: not like in the house btw. U were just there, next to me.

Jace sucked in a sharp breath. Harrenhal…Harwin’s lake house had burned down when they were young. Blood frothed hot in his veins.

L: … i’m sorry that was like the most unsexy dream to have abt a hot guy 😩.

L: omg wait I didn’t mean to make a pun 😨

L: …Jace?

J: do I have to burn something to be next to you now?

L: OMG, no!

L: I mean, did you still wanna be next to me after I had some weird ass dream with u in it?

J: YES

L: I’m free this weekend. Saturday. There’s a coffee shop near by, I’ve never been to it. No burning required.

J: it’ll be a first time for both of us then.

L: 🫣

L: it’s insane how bad I wanna kiss you

J: 😚😚

Fifteen minutes later, he’s sent an address.

They exchange flirty messages throughout the week leading up to the day they’re supposed to meet.

He gets to the coffee shop early. It’s cozy, warm, the air is fragrant. There’s a gentle buzz of conversation and hiss of coffee machines and milk frothers.

His phone pings and he nearly spills piping hot decaf all over his hand.

L: are u here yet?

J: yeah

L: lift up ur shirt so I know it’s u

J: lol! Sitting by the bookshelf

His heart stops when he sees him round the corner, like something out of a dream. Lily-white legs in microscopic cut-off shorts. Delicate fingers with chipped polish wrapped around a phone.

His eyes are dark, darker in person. Brown with a touch of amethyst. His eyes are Jace’s eyes. His heart is pounding fast.

“Lucy?” Jace calls, voice shaking. A timid smile parts on pink lips as he draws nearer. He’s stood before the intimate little corner booth Jace had picked out.

He’s tiny.

“Luke,” he corrects, “Lucy is…an online thing. Most people call me Luke.”

“Luke,” Jace repeats, and there it was. Easier than breathing. His missing piece.

#answered asks #🌚 anon #my writing #ficlet #jaceluke #jaceluke agenda

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emberswrites · 1 year

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love the other prompts you've written so far - can you do Modern AU + first meetings - and add shisui as the third person --

Prompt Game - Thanks for participating, this is the last one for this round! :)

"Sorry to leave you hanging with the paperwork, Kakashi."

Kakashi waves his younger partner off, they'd just wrapped up a big homicide case and just in time, too. Shisui had mentioned he'd gotten tickets to a concert his younger cousin had been dying to see and had been worried he'd have to cancel.

"No, no, it's important to have a life outside of work. At least I'll be paid in overtime."

"Speak for yourself - next time I'm doing the write-ups and you go out. Find yourself a date, yeah?"

Kakashi is about to respond when Shisui grins and checks his phone, "He's almost here. I told him to come in, you guys can meet. I feel like we're basically dating after those 12 hour days..."

Shisui runs off to the restroom and Kakashi returns to his computer, getting ready to settle in for a couple more hours of work before heading home.

"Excuse me? Is Uchiha Shisui here?"

He looks up.

This must be the younger cousin, he thinks, taking in their slight resemblance. Only, when Shisui had said "younger cousin" most of the time "baby cousin" in fact, Kakashi had been expecting someone no older than a pre-teen. What he is faced with instead is a tall, fit-looking man looking dressed up for a night out. A beautiful man, if Kakashi is honest.

"Yes," Kakashi replies, realizing he'd been staring, "He'll be back in a sec. You can take a seat."

The other man sits and murmurs a thank you, eyes dancing around the bullpen, still bustling with activity as the evening shift comes in and officers wrap up their arrests.

"Sasuke, by the way," he says, looking back to Kakashi, "You must be his partner?"

"Yes, sorry, I've been rude. Hatake Kakashi."

"He didn't say you were so handsome," Sasuke says and Kakashi startles at this, feeling shy, "Sorry. I'm too blunt. But Shisui always complains about the long hours and I don't know if I would."

Kakashi may be a detective, one of the best if you ask anyone else, but he's not so great when it comes to personal matters. In this case though, he's 95% sure he's being actively flirted with by Shisui's younger, very attractive cousin. Sasuke leans against the desk, chin resting on one hand as he regards Kakashi with a little smile.

Okay, make that 99%.

He's saved from having to reply by Shisui's entrance.

"Hey! You've met!"

"When you sad baby cousin, I was expecting a middle-schooler."

Sasuke scowls at Shisui then, "Will you stop calling me that? I'm 22!"

"Yeah, yeah, always be a baby to me Sasuke. You ready to go?"

"Mhm," Sasuke stands, looking back at Kakashi before he heads off, "It was nice to meet you, Kakashi. I'll see you again."

As he watched them leave, Sasuke throwing a glance back over his shoulder before disappearing from view, Kakashi finds himself thinking that sounds like a promise.

He hopes it is.

#kakasasu #feels like lightning #embers' asks #lazy-scarecrow

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foxybananaaaz · 1 year

Note

hey can I request elucien hc or oneshot for fwb but the "it's not just sex for me anymore" fight or fake dating but the "we're not really together, this is just pretend" fight

Speak Up

Main Pairing :: Elain Archeron/Lucien Vanserra

Summary :: “Weirdly enough, I actually understand you. I just told my sister last week that I needed to move out, because I needed more privacy with my boyfriend, who doesn’t exist. Funny how I didn’t seem to think this far ahead.”

Authors Note :: Another Prompt FanFic, thats Super Late! But Alas! I am getting to it! I am going to include Bitki, to further feel her out as a character, but yes. Let’s get to it! Anon who submitted, I know this is forever late, but I hope you enjoy! MODERN AU

Word Count :: 5.2k

Elain was running late, knowing that she was. Her phone made the pinging sound of a new text message in her bag making it incredibly obvious. But this time it wasn’t her fault. She genuinely was at the store planning to get some cat food for Renarde, before going to meet up with her friend. This was the only thing she had planned before going to meet with her friend until she met with her sisters while leaving the store.

They of course wanted to talk to her about the large party they were planning for her birthday, even though it wasn’t for another month. How many people? What colours should they go with? There was a reason she had asked the two of them to take care of it all, yet the way they refused to leave her alone asking all these questions when they would see her. They would even call in the middle of the night sometimes.

Nesta and she had been living in the city for a significantly less amount of time than Feyre. But even then, Elain had chosen to stay in, keep herself away from anyone in the city, other than her sisters friends. It wasn’t until just over a year that Elain had moved out of her sisters place, and into an apartment of her own.

It had gone well, except for, well—

“You can't just leave. You live here.” Feyre had said, looking at Elain, shock, and a mix of pain and anger shining in her eyes.

“Yeah, actually, I can. I’m an adult, older than you, actually. I do have somewhere to go, the money I’ve gotten has been given as a down payment. The lease has been signed. I also got a job. Which is a five-minute walk, from my new apartment. So yes, I can leave, and I kind of have to now.” Elain responded looking into her sisters eyes. “Feyre—”

“You can’t be alone. You’ve never been alone! You don’t know how to live alone!” Feyre responded in a sharp, quick tone that took Elain off guard, so much so that she forgot what she was going to say, and fell back on a lie. She could always get away with lying to her sisters. The was the best at lying, simply because they had never expected her to lie. Never thought her able to lie. So the fact that the next phrase she said was both unplanned, and a lie, she knew she would be upset with herself later.

“I also want somewhere I can spend time with my boyfriend, that isn’t out in public, but also does not have my baby sister, or her husband for that matter, hovering like hawks.” Elain kindly shot back she kept kind, though there was a bite to her words, a warning bite. She’s still the older sister, even if she rarely pushes the fact.

“I didn’t know you had a boyfriend.” Feyre responded, backing down only the slightest amount.

“That’s been the whole point. Hovering like hawks. Besides, it’s not like I can bring him here when there's really no safe place in the house. You and Rhys can enjoy yourselves however you like, there's nothing wrong with what you guys do behind closed doors, or with no doors. Or even in the hallways. I would however like to be somewhere I can go pee at night, without having to keep an ear open, each step of the way to the washroom.” Elain responded, simply trying to lighten the mood, and tease lightheartedly.

Elain then smiled at her younger sister warmly. “I will get a cat, so I won’t be completely alone.” It was then that Elain had pulled her younger sister into a hug, knowing it would help calm the nerves that were building in both of them down.

That was just over a year ago, and Elain had been doing just fine, despite Feyre’s concerns before she had left. The way her sisters had such little faith in her living on her own stung, but she had proved them wrong, and she was on their own now and thriving.

She finally made it to their table, and as she was sitting down all she heard was “It’s not hot, and it’s not cold. But it’s still coffee.”

Elain then took a rather large sip of the coffee, deciding not to mention how the coffee was not the way she took it in the least, given how she had been the one who was late. Putting her cup down, Elain simply groaned. “Sometimes I really do wish I were an only child.” Elain exclaimed, before sighing deeply, and looking into her coffee.

“Well, ‘Hello’ to you too then,” Bitki responded sarcastically, looking towards Elain, a smile hidden behind her coffee cup.

“You’re one to talk. ‘It’s not hot, and it’s not cold. But it’s still coffee.’ Where was your hello?” Elain asked, lifting an eyebrow at her friend, which simply resulted in Bitki butting her cup down and smiling even more.

“Oh, yes. I do love how we can skip the pleasantries. There really is no time for them anyway.” Elains friend commented looking above her head. At what? She didn’t even think Bitki knew. “So why is it today you wish you were an only child? The last time you were thinking this was when you moved to your apartment when they wanted to meet Mr. Doesn’t-Exist. You are always so close with your sisters.”

Elain tried to hold back a sigh, she really did. But she did end up sighing before she responded to her friends question. “Yes. You’re right. Though while I found a solution to, Mr. Doesn’t-Exist, and found someone in a similar situation, so we formed a fake relationship.” Elain explained, ignoring the look Bitki was giving her. “And now, that they’ve met him and gotten to know him, they’re asking if they should plan time during this god-forsaken party for a proposal.” Elain finished, refusing to look at her friend knowing what she would say.

“I told you from the beginning Elain. It was and is a stupid idea. Things get messy, and now they’re messy. You’re going to have to tell him about this before your sisters attack him with these questions like they did you.” Bitki explained, looking at Elain seriously.

“Bee, please don’t. Not right now.” Elain simply sighed in response.

“Elain. If you want my support, you’ve got it. All the way. But I’m not going to just sit here and sugarcoat things and coddle you by saying it's all going to be okay when I have no way of knowing that. Saying that just to make you happy, docile? That’s the kind of shit you wanted to get away from. Them treating you like a child. And you lied about having a boyfriend when Feyre threw in your face her doubts that you could make it and survive on your own, without ever giving you the chance to do so.”

Bitki reached across the table to take Elains hand in her own. “I’ve never seen you do better though. You’re thriving on your own. Just, you should have rectified the lie right away. Instead of a fake relationship, you probably could have been in a real relationship with him. You guys went in with the mindset of fake, and it wasn’t smart. And it’s starting to blow up in both of your faces."

Elain looked across the table at her friend, feeling a thankful smile crossing her face. It wasn't forced in the least, but that didn't stop the smile from feeling that way. Forced, stale. Fake. Elain did not need to wonder why this was, the knowledge was as simple as that of how to breathe.

In the year of fake dating 'Mr. Doesn't-Exist' as her best friend so lovingly called this whole situation, called him, Elain couldn't help but develop real feelings. The situation had truly gotten messy, especially since she could tell 'Mr. Doesn't-Exist' was all about business, and making sure this relationship remained so. She reminded herself before and after every fake date. She never expected it to sting, and it did. It stung, like nothing She had ever felt before.

Elain was about to speak up in response to Bitki, when her phone had gone off. One glimpse at her screen, seeing her boss's name, had her heart sinking, knowing exactly how this conversation would go.

"I need to take this sorry." Elain said to Bitki, before looking down to answer her phone. "Hello, Mr. -"

"I thought I told you, I needed the floral arrangements first thing." Her boss spoke. So he was in one of those moods. This should be an exceedingly fun phone call for her then.

But, Elain didn't want to be pushed around, so she simply tried saying, as professionally, and gently as she could, "Well, since it's my first day off in two and a half weeks, I thought first thing meant fi -"

"First thing means 'First Thing the Following Morning.' Also, you don't get days off unless I tell you you get a day off. Get in here, you're late. That is two strikes already today alone Elain." And with that Elain heard the other side of the line go dead as her boss had hung up.

"I don't know why you continue to work for the asshole and put up with his bullshit." Bitki had asked, looking towards Elain with knowing eyes, before sipping her coffee still lounging in her chair.

"I continue to deal with him, because he was the most famous florist in the country, remember. When people would fly hundreds of miles for a single bouquet, and thank him for his attitude. He's someone I could really benefit learning from." Elain explained to her friend, exasperated after having this conversation many times.

"Yes. But he was also dropped by everyone for how he treated his ex-girlfriend when the news broke. No one respects him anymore except others like him." Bitki threw back, again with a knowing expression.

So, Bitki may be the only person to know that Elain used her family name to blackmail her boss into hiring her. But to become the new best florist, Elain had to learn from the best florist out there. Praised, or, as he now was, severely shunned. She felt awful about it, especially considering her sister didn't exactly know who she worked for. But one day she would make sure no one knew his name ever again.

Just as Elain was on her way to work, her phone made the pinging of a new message, so she went to check it after getting on the bus.

Don't bother coming in. A has better designs you could come up with anyway, and has the respect for the job to show up to work every day, on time.

- 9.47 AM

In fact, don't bother coming in anymore at all. Nothing you have to say can ruin me more than your ungrateful sister did.

- 9.48 AM

*** *** ***

As Elain was just getting back into her apartment, closing the door behind her, Renarde came padding over, rubbing up against her shins in greeting, with the usual purrs. Not having anything else to do, but going to put the few groceries away, Elain then picked up the attention-seeking cat who hadn't left her side since she walked in.

"Well Renarde, it seems we're going to have to look for a new job. The problem is, there weren't any florists hiring a year ago when I got that job. I'm sure there aren't any now. What are we going to do?" Elain asked her, otherwise clueless, cat.

"I don't want to go back to Feyre's, I'm not even whispered to start my own floral business. I just, don't know what to do. As soon as Feyre and Nesta find out, they're going to be all I just knew you weren't cut out to live on your own." Elain was starting to spiral and was not talking to her pet, but more so to herself.

"If they find out about this, and that I don't have plans for what to do now, they will for sure expect me to move back with Feyre. It's not like I can just expect them to believe that I will be moving in with-"

"Me?" Elain heard before the apartment door closed again.

Elain quickly turned around and was confronted by the man she had been developing real feelings for, in a fake relationship the past year. The man she met out of pure coincidence in a similar situation as her the year prior. Lucien Vanserra.

"You do realize this is a fake relationship, right?" Lucien had asked her, welcoming himself in, not that she minded. They were each used to it. Not knowing if there were others in the apartment who believed them together.

“Yes, I do,” Elain responded, looking over towards the man with his long red hair, falling loos today, rather than slicked back. She did know, all too well, and to hear it again, especially coming from Lucien cut rather deeply at her heart. Her true feelings were a closely guarded secret, that even Bitki was unaware of them. “It’s just been a hell of a day.”

Elain couldn’t help the soaring of her heart when hearing Luciens mock reply. “Elain May Archeron. I thought you a Lady. A proper Lady. Yet you speak such foul language.” Lucien had even moved a hand over his heart as though to accentuate his feigned shock.

“There are more layers to me than you may ever understand.” Elain replied, with a hint of a mischievous tone lacing through her voice.

“Alright, care to tell me about your day then? Even though the day is only half over.” Lucien asked sitting on the small couch on the other end from her and Renarde. Her cat, ever the traitor since Lucien started coming over, jumped out of her arms and hopped right onto his lap, curling up for a nap. The slight jealousy that Renarde could curl up with Lucien so freely, alongside the longing that Elain could do the same, had honestly shocked her when she had first realized it.

Pushing the feelings aside, Elain took a deep breath before deciding to explain the easier part first. “So, I was fired today,” Elain explained. “Because I didn’t show up on my day off. Bus Driver refused to accept my monthly bus pass, on two different occasions, even though I just got it last week. Oh, and I ran into my sisters this morning while getting Renarde food. They’re expecting a proposal at the party.” Elain explained. She knew she had to explain that last point, but also knew she did not want to explain it like that. It was too delicate a conversation.

“Proposals are very real, and very public. On top of that, marriages are even more real, and incredibly legal. Some places require a minimum amount of time married before you are even allowed to file for divorce.” Lucien said. Just like that, within a simple second, the conversation between them had grown tense. His voice was cold, growing an edge. “And to reiterate what I said before, this,” Lucien said, moving his pointer finger between the two of them, “Isn’t real. We are not dating. This is fake.”

And he was angry now as if she were using her sisters to try and push this past a fake relationship into something more. And what he had said, his words, speared through her heart, stating that even when they wouldn’t need each other anymore for this fake relationship, there would not be any chance to grow into something real.

“I know that Lucien. But they don’t. You’re family doesn’t. That is why we started this whole thing to start with. To get our families off our backs. I’m not a stupid little girl who doesn’t remember what we’re doing. You’re the one, you, even when no one is around and we’re alone, you keep up the act! You’re the one who seems to pretend this is real. The way you act, it's not the way someone acts when it’s just friends Lucien!” Elain knew she was projecting. She had no right to throw her feelings onto him, as though he were the one who was feeling them and not her. But the way his eye flashed at her words, and not in anger. It even seemed like his glass eye flashed as well.

Both standing by now, Lucien took a step back, and then another, and then another. “This whole thing between us, this whole fake thing between us? I think it’s time we ended it. It’s already gone on far too long. As you said, your sisters are already expecting a proposal.” Lucien stated before turning around finally and making to walk out.

“Lucien, wait!” Elain called after him, suddenly feeling bad for projecting onto him. But it was too late, he was already gone. She would assume he was already walking down the stairs, just to avoid her having to wait for the elevator. So Elain stood there, in her apartment, alone, save for Renarde. But it wasn’t long before even Renarde left her for his cat tree. But not before a sound of frustration at her, for making her favourite man leave so soon.

*** *** ***

It was the night of the party her sisters had planned for her birthday. Elain had not seen, nor heard from Lucien since the afternoon of their argument. Bitki had come by to help her get ready, and try to cheer Elain up, given what her sisters had hoped would have happened tonight.

Having been completely caught up, Bitki looked over to Elain in the mirror as she had been applying makeup, before pausing. "We don't have to go you know. It's a party for your birthday yes. But that doesn't mean you owe everyone an appearance. We can stay here, attack the ice cream you have hidden in the back of your freezer, and watch cheezy romcoms." Bitki had commented, concern written on her face, without even attempting to hide it, knowing how much Elain hated that.

Elain offered a small thankful smile. "Thank you, Bee. I appreciate that. But I do have to go. I have been avoiding my sisters since that day. It's time to explain to them what's happened." Elain said in response before the smile fell off her face entirely. "Oh, God. How the hell am I even going to begin doing that? They're going to t-"

"Elain." Bitki cut in, "Elain. You don't need to worry about that. When you are ready, the words will come to you. And I'll be right there, to tell them off if you need me to." Bitki reassured.

When the two of them got to Feyres house, Elain was shocked at how many people were there. She shouldn't be shocked though, as her brother-in-law was a very high-up politician, and he would probably use this to invite political allies over. At least her sisters planned and decorated with her in mind.

Elain was about to walk forward until, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a familiar head of hair. Long, red, tied back low, and formal.

"Bitki, you go ahead. Don't say anything yet. I'll catch up shortly." Elain told her friend, without taking her eyes off the man on the other side of the courtyard.

Vaguely aware of Bitki following her gaze, but not her friends shock, Bitki did nod, before walking up the stairs and into the manor.

Slowly, yet cautiously after their last conversation, Elain started making her way towards Lucien, wanting to know why he was here. Because if they were done, he would have no reason to show up, his only reason would have been her.

"Elain." Lucien sounded surprised as if he wasn't expecting to see her at her own party.

"I'm almost afraid to ask." Elain whispered. "You said we were done. Whatever we had was done." Even though she was whispering, they were still in public, and no one else was supposed to know it was all fake.

"Elain, can we go somewhere to talk?" Lucien asked, sounding, was hesitant with nerves in his voice? She could see the nerves in his real eye too. His glass eye, which he had got as a stupid teenage boy, doing stupid teenage boy things at fifteen, showed no emotion. But again, Elain swore she saw nerves in it as well.

"Follow me," Elain said, before walking to the secret lounging area in the gardens here she had made sure existed. She wouldn't look back to make sure Lucien was indeed following her. She couldn't, because she didn't know what she would do if he wasn't.

Sitting on the bench in the quiet private, closed-off garden, Elain was pleased to see that the red-haired man sat next to her. "What is it you need to talk about, that you wanted to do so in private? Plan a public break up, at my birthday party that my sisters worked so hard on?"

Lucien started at that, but he didn't look surprised as if realizing that was a fair expectation after how he left the last time they saw each other. "No, that isn't the reason at all."

"So what is the reason?" Elain asked, looking at some of the flowers.

Feyres new garden employee did not know how to properly take care of the flowers, even with explicit, simple instructions from Elain. Sure they looked watered, but they looked hungry as well. They weren't getting the nutrients, only water.

After a few moments of silently judging whoever was taking care of her gardens, Lucien spoke up. "You remember our teacher in grade five?" Lucien asked. "Yes he was horrible, and no one liked him. I know I hated him. But there was one small thing I was, and forever will be thankful to him for." Lucien commented, with a soft smile, as if the memory brought him joy.

Elain looked at him as if he had grown another head. She couldn't fathom why anyone would have a joyful memory from that year, with that teacher. Let alone want to thank him for anything. "Were you in a different class with a different teacher I don't know about?"

Elain watched, pain crushing her heart as Lucien couldn't help but laugh softly at her comment. "Nope, same class. Same teacher. Mr. Hybern was definitely the worst. But I was still thankful for his Makes-No-Sense-Assigned-Seating. Because that's when I met you, really met you, and started to get to know you. Every pair's project was with your desk partner, so I was with you. Lunch was with you, everything in that class was done with you." Lucien explained, not looking at her, not looking at the flowers, or anywhere around them. He was lost in the past. Flying through memories. Elain though continued to sit there, not wanting to say anything, seeing where this went.

"Grade four, I had the biggest crush on you. But because you and your sisters lived out of the city, and commuted in, I never had the chance to get to know you. Mr. Hybern made us desk partners, and I had the chance to get to know you, and my crush only deepened.

"When High School came, we were closer friends. You were my best friend, and I was still in love with you. But you had started dating Greysen, so I kept quiet. I was grateful to be your friend. It was breaking my heart to see you so happy with Greysen, who ended up playing you and breaking your heart.

"We weren't hanging out as much then. I'd made other friends, you were so wrapped up with Greysen, and you had also met Bitki." Lucien paused in speaking.

Elain knew something difficult was coming up, so she gently bumped her shoulder against his arm, and looked up at him. "Take your time."

"No, I need to continue, before I cower out." Lucien said. Shaking his head. He took a deep breath before continuing. "Then I met Tamlin. He was great, an amazing friend, at first. But he has this way, I mean, you know. Feyre has probably told you more than enough. So I slowly started dropping all my other friends, believing Tamlin was the only friend I needed. He made me believe that. Isolated me from my other friends. From you. Just around the time, Greysen broke up with you. This is around college now.

"It was the two of us. Tamlin and I. Tamlin loved the control he had. He would ridicule me if I spoke my opinion differing from his, or spoke out of turn when others were around. I'm shocked he wasn't as upset with me for the normal things when he started dating Feyre." Lucien kept his eyes closed as he talked about this whole part.

Another deep breath before he continued. "After Tamlin dropped me when Feyre publicly broke up with him, It broke something in me. I lost trust in everyone. I couldn't make new friends, I had lost all my old friends. Because I was still so deeply in love with you, I thought of you every day, but was too afraid to reach out to you then." Slowly, Lucien opened his eyes to look at Elain.

"It wasn't until a year after that, that I bumped into you, and you were in a situation of needing someone to pretend to be your boyfriend. I didn't need a fake girlfriend. But helping you? That was a perfect way back in with you." Lucien paused for half a second before continuing. "And you were even more beautiful than you were in college. So, still so deeply in love with you, fake dating you, well that was better than nothing."

"Lucien, I-" Elain started before Lucien barreled on.

"I'm incredibly sorry for misleading you. I'm sorry for the way I left things last month. But I thought you had known how I felt all these years, and you were just ridiculing me. I thought you were mocking me. I would love to still be friends again. So I bought you a promise ring, to promise that I will never try to toss you to the side again." Lucien stated, and opened his hand, showing her a delicate ring, with flowers, her favourite flowers, delicately decorating around the ring.

Elain gently picked the ring up, turning it around to get a better look at every detail. The ring felt as delicate as it looked. "Oh Lucien. You really didn't have to go through this trouble." Elain responded, looking up, seeing pain lace through his features.

"What I mean is..." What did Elain mean? How could she put her thoughts into words? How could she express to him that yes, growing up, she did view the two of them as friends, and no, she never knew how he felt. But over this past year, she had found that she had fallen in love with him as well.

"What I mean is," oh screw it. Elain thought, as she reached behind his head to pull it down in their sitting positions. She pulled his head down until their lips met, in What could only be described as a blunt, yet soft kiss for the ages, that melted the nervous mess that had been forming in her stomach, in her heart, in her mind over the past year.

The kiss remained soft, silent, yet it had said everything she needed to tell Lucien, and more so. It hadn't taken more than a second or two for Lucien to respond to her kiss, as Elain could feel him smiling against her lips.

While the moment may seem like any other normal kiss, Elain had never experienced this before. She was warming up, she didn't feel like she needed to breathe, though she knew she would need to soon. It felt like she was invincible. Just weeks ago, just days ago, Elain thought this would never happen, and here she sat kissing the man she had found herself falling in love with all through a fake relationship. She couldn't be happier if she tried.

The two of them never did make it to Elains birthday party, choosing to stay in the private gardens instead all night, just talking, or kissing.

*** *** ***

*** Five Years Later ***

*** *** ***

After that fateful party, Elain had gotten an earful from no less than three people. Bitki, for leaving her alone to deal with her tyrant sisters, and said tyrant sisters. But Elain really didn't seem to care much that night for getting the earfuls. She couldn't stop herself from telling Bitki what had happened, and while her friend was supportive, she also was cautious and extra protective of Elain around Lucien now.

But this was Elain's 29th Birthday, and there was no big party, Elain stopped any plans from brewing before they started. She planned it. A small get-together. That was it. Bitki, her sisters, all partners, herself, and Lucien.

She had planned everything, so she would not be surprised, as she had grown rather disapproving of surprises. But even with her meticulous planning, there was still time to fit a surprise in there, as she turned around to get the teacups ready before everyone had shown up, to find Lucien behind her, half kneeling.

"Elain May Archeron." Lucien started, looking up at her.

"Lucien, what are you doing?" Elain asked, a flurry of emotions rushing through her at once. "There aren't supposed to be surprises today."

But Lucien only smiled, ignoring her question and statement. "Elain May Archeron, you truly are the love of my life and have been since we were in elementary school. These past few years have been, a lot, to say the least, and since moving in together, there are few things left I can think to experience for the first time with you. With you, because you are the only one I want to experience them with." Lucien spoke, sounding the most honest, loving and nervous he ever had, including the night he had confessed his love.

Elain had not noticed, just too stunned, but when Lucien was opening the box, to reveal the ring, and continued to speak, she finally realized what was going on.

"So, Elain, my fairest lady. Would you do me the honours of experiencing everything life has to offer, with you by my side, and marry me?"

When had Elain started crying? Those were tears on her face right? They had to be, because she just felt one drop, landing on her collarbone.

"Oh Lucien, you know I don't like surprises! And there wasn't supposed to be any today. Today was scheduled to the minute. Now everything is off schedule, and it's your fault. But I don't care. Yes! Yes I will marry you!" Elain responded in earnest, her annoyance at the surprise, the schedule getting thrown off, and all the love she had in her heart.

Elain sat on Luciens leg just long enough to kiss him, a truly happy kiss. It would have lasted longer, if the front door hadn't opened as Bitki and her boyfriend walked in, calling out her hellos.

That fight about the two of them only being in a fake relationship, and how it would never move past had been long since forgiven and forgotten, but that fight had played a very crucial part in their relationship where it stood today.

*** E N D ***

Post Fic Authors Note.

So this may not have been exactly what the prompt asked for, sorry Anon asker, if you're even still here. BUT I did include the fake relationship bit, and an argument a short bit.

Anyways, I hope everyone likes this fic. It's the first bit of writing I've done in just about a year. Please don't hate on it too hard.

Glad to be back.

-Shae.

#lucien vanserra #elucien #elain archeron #acotar #acosf #lucien x elain #elain/lucien #elucien fic #elain x lucien #elucien fanfiction #modern elucien #modern elucien fic #modern elucien fanfiction

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mai-atsumi · 11 months

Text

Introduction/ Requests (Open)

I am Mai, a Jojo and One Piece fanfiction writer, and I'm here to tell you what to expect from my work: 1. Inconsistency- I don't usually have a defined post schedule

2. I don't specialize in angst, and Im bad at it, but I am much better at writing fluff and smut

3. I have favourite characters, and I write about them more often

✖= Smut

❤= Fluff

★= Angst

☀= Platonic

✓=Family

☎=Sensitive content

Warnings that apply will be in the beginning notes

Rules:

When it comes to requesting your favourite character, you have to know what is and isn't okay

NSFW/SMUT: Only characters over 17 can be requested for NSFW. This is because if I were to write explicit content with characters under the age of 17 that would be counted as writing bout' children and I'm not cool with that

➨ Exceptions are kissing and making out for some characters (Characters that are 14 or younger obviously won't be making out with anyone)

I also write character x character!!!

Things I refuse to write:

Scat play (You are not 5)

Pedophilia

Zoophilia (And I mean a full-on ass animal like a squirrel, that's actually nasty)

There's probably more, but I don't really want to know more than I already do

Examples of things I can and will write:

Non-Con/Rape (Depends)

Stalking

Human Experimentation

Ect.

Things I can do:

One Shots

Head Canons

Short stories

ect

Requests (Open):

When giving me a request, I would appreciate it if you got specific

As the reader here's what you can request:

Reader Pronouns: Gender Neutral Pronouns, Feminine Pronounds, Masculine Pronouns. (I do not use Neo or custom pronouns)

Reader's Gender: Female, Male, TransFem, TransMasc, Gender Neutral/ Non-Binary

You can also ask for a gender-swapped character (Ex: Female Joseph Joestar, Male Nami)

Relationship: You can request to have a history with your requested character. (Ex: Avdol's girlfriend, Smokey's best friend, Bruno's older sister, Luffy's sister, Smoker's rival, ect)

Plot: If you have a specific prompt or idea, like the plot or storyline please say so. (Ex: Proscuttio and Pesci go out on a mission with Reader to kill a politician who is hosting a ball and Pesci and Proscuitto fight over who gets to dance with Reader) (Ex. Reader is sick and Lisa Lisa is taking care of her,) (Ex. Ace meets an old crewmember from the spade pirates and falls in love)

Writing style: Poetry, Novel, etc

Multiple characters

Alternate Timeline/universe: The Twilight thing where everyone is either alpha, beta, or omega, Modern timeline, School Au, Ect.

Example of a request:

Cherryberrylady: Heyyy Mai! (>_<) Can you write an Annasui x Reader? Like, I really want it to be like, Annasui is stalking Reader a little, like putting cameras in her house type stalking, and in her car too maybe. and like Reader is going home and Anasui is watching them thru the cameras and Annasui like, watches them masturbate..? and he hears them moaning his name. (づ￣ ³￣)づ Its okay if you don't want to tho!!! Also maybe end it where Annasui talks to Reader the next day and asks them out. ( ﾟヮﾟ) Also!! when it comes to the reader can you make their pronouns gender-neutral?

Mai-Atsumi: Of course, and your request was so greatly written- Only the best of the best could've made such a perfect request... Or

Numberoneacecocksucker: Hey Mai, can I ask for a pre-timeskip Ace x reader where the reader is a member of the Whitebeard Pirates as Thatch's younger sister and Thatch doesn't want Ace to go after his sister but Marco also likes reader to? Make sure its Female gender/pronouns please! Mai-Atsumi: Sure thing! Ill get to it right now! Right after I finish my other request!

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camuslittlesister · 11 months

Text

Summer of Smut 2023 - 3

I am sorry. That's all I will say. Blame my friend.

Riskyな彼女

Prompt Bonded by the Bikini Top Otome Ikemen Prince (Modern AU) Ship Yves x female OC Warning The ship was a request so enjoy reading a rare domme that may or may not be based on me. It spoils Rio's route so if you never read it, bookmark this page and come back later.

昨日のこと君の名前を思い出す (I remember your name from the things we did yesterday) - Ryunosuke Tsunashi (CV: Takuya Sato)

Clavis had done it again. A family group trip to a villa near the border with Obsidian, and because my brothers were not bad enough, my cousin Gilbert was there too. "I saw Clavis drive out in the town with an open roof so I knew I was being summoned" he said when I glared at him. "Whatever" I said, turning my back as if I had a cape flowing behind me to flaunt, beckoning Licht to come along with me to unpack. There was no point in picking up a fight, Gilbert would have loved that. Thankfully Licht didn't mind my ranting at him as I put away my wardrobe. He sat on the edge of the bed, nodding at times, but mostly like he was in his own world until my phone vibrated next to him.

"It's a text from Keith..." he told me. I rushed to pick up the phone. "Have you arrived at the villa yet? Can you ping me the location? Silvio and I are stranded at the petrol station just out the motorway exit" SILVIO??!! SILVIO AND I??!! This holiday couldn't get any worse and it had barely started. I took a deep breath and replied. It didn't matter if the jerk was with him, Keith was my friend and I rarely got to see him since he lived in Jade. I was puzzled by him travelling with Silvio, though, but that was soon explained. They happened to have been stopping at the same petrol station looking for the right road, Silvio had come in the car with Rio and Emma. At least something positive in this cursed plan.

"Get your hands off my future wife" Rio shouted from afar, as I practically dragged her with me to the kitchen. I needed to hear everything about her engagement and the wedding plans, so that I could just take them over and fix them for her. I knew Rio wouldn't spare any expense, after all he and Silvio weren't nicknamed the princes of Benitoite for no reason. They were the sons of the president of the country, and one of the richest men in his own right to boot.

I was busy baking treats for a first day party when I overheard two of my older brothers bringing in cases of alcohol from the car. When did they even go out? I could see Chev reading in one of the far away corners of the garden as if nothing was going on around him, while Clavis hung lanterns all around the pool area. I could not have expected what was going to happen a few hours later, as the sun began to give an orange hue as it set. Although, I should have expected it, because it was just the thing my womaniser younger brother Nokto would do.

How was he even able to find that many girls for a party in 2 hours? No, forget that, I bet he already knew all of them on social media or something. I carried the last plate of treats with Emma and Clavis came up to us, far too close for comfort, smelling like a fruity cocktail of dubious taste, ordering us to go get change for the pool party.

"What if I don't want to?" I replied, perhaps more brattily than I should've. "Well, suit yourself, but you will ruin your clothes when we throw you in the pool" I knew better than to test whether he meant it, so I followed Emma upstairs. Even Chev was in a swimsuit, although he was still reading by the pool as if nothing was going on around him, and I knew nobody would have dared to pick him up and throw him in the pool. Unlike me.

I met Keith in the corridor and he came to my room while I changed, looking out of the window so I could have some privacy even if we're both guys and we all had to change in the same changing rooms at boarding school. "I have to give it to Nokto, the girls he knows are insanely pretty. It'd be nice to meet someone lovely tonight..." I didn't reply, although I felt the same way. I would never have admitted it, not even to my friend.

"Oh, everyone's here. Let's play a game" Clavis announced with way too much glee as a circle formed around the area near Chev. To my surprise, my elder brother put away his book, a smirk on his lips: "This will be fun to watch."

"No watching. You're playing too" Gilbert was the only one who dared to say what everyone was thinking. I looked around me. Leon and Jin already had a girl in their arms, and Nokto had one per side. Of course. Aside from Rio and Emma, who had Clavis on her other side, the rest of us were sitting guys with guys and girls with girls. It was decided that we should play truth or dare, and a bottle was placed in the middle even if I wanted to protest that we weren't in school anymore. The rounds went by as one would expect of a bunch of adults trying to play as teenagers. Too much to drink, boys kissing boys and girls kissing girls, stripping. I'm not entirely sure Nokto and his girl stopped at kissing even if they were still within sight of everyone else. I just don't want to think about it.

My luck soon ran out, though, as the bottle landed on me. The smile on Gilbert's face was beyond predatory as he waited expectantly for my pick. Few people had been brave enough (or foolish enough) to choose truth, so I did it. The last thing I needed was being asked to kiss Silvio, who had appeared to enjoy kissing everyone else already. I had no idea what a big mistake that was, not until I found myself flustered as I tried to play it cool when asked for my kink, which was not "none" as I claimed.

A few more rounds went by before my turn again. Clavis had by then had to puke, twice, and even Chev had been seen drinking which nobody ever had, but of course his tolerance for alcohol seemed divinely granted. "I dare him to be someone's rope bunny tonight" Gilbert missed no beat being the one to dish out the punishment, although a few others made noises of approval at his suggestion "any volunteers?" he turned himself towards one of the girls, as if he knew he could just volunteer her.

"I didn't realise you travelled with your kit, Gil" she replied. Just who was she, and who was she to my cousin?! "I don't. I'm sure you can figure something out" his smile was too placid for the conversation they were having. I must have looked terrified despite my best attempts as she knelt in front of me and leaned in to whisper: "Don't worry, I'm not going to do something that'll make the rest of the night hard on you" and the next thing I knew she had undone her bikini top and taken my hands in front of me, the dexterity with which she bound them a clear sign she had done it before.

I don't know if it was the thrill of something taboo or seeing her breasts so close to me but it was getting hard to keep myself from showing I was turned on. I had do distract myself from her figure, a perfect hourglass that was both soft and perky in the right places.

I couldn't help but imagine what it would have been like if she had done it alone, in my bedroom, where she could have just sat on top of me while I was unable to do anything but be at her mercy. I looked up at her face, and the symmetry of her features, but the plump lips of a natural shade of red had the opposite effect. What I would have given to kiss them. She smiled in a way that made me suspect she knew that, and then declared her job done.

I was still able to use my hands to drink from a straw, but I would need help eating and it still looked like I was her sub. She swapped places with the girl next to me, holding on to the other end of the bikini strap she had not used while looking at Gilbert with a challenging look in her eyes.

Once we all had two turns at the game we decided to bring it to an end for the time being, and Silvio jumped at the opportunity to pick the music for some dancing, the sun now fully set and the stars and lanterns giving a romantic glow to the garden. Some of my brothers disappeared as soon as the circle broke, to an area that appeared to have been set up for the purpose of encouraging romance.

The girl moved to undo my bound hands, but Gilbert's hand was soon on hers to stop her. "Gil, dear, don't you think you're taking it too far?" she said, softly. How did she manage to speak to that menace like an equal? Just who was this young woman? I had too much pride to ask her to undo them, so I tried to act nonchalant: "Do you like to dance? We should if you do..."

"I'd love to. I'll be right back" she went inside and returned with a top so fast it must have been in the living room prepared for the eventuality. It wasn't any less enticing than her half-naked body, as she had appeared surprisingly comfortable being topless for as long as she had. "It's getting a bit chilly..." she said, as if she knew what I was thinking. I couldn't tell for how long we danced, but slowly the party had started to dwindle as people headed for the rooms upstairs.

"I guess it's time I take my bra back..." she said, a smile that seemed almost wistful in the light of dawn "I had a lot of fun tonight, Yves. You make a very beautiful rope bunny". Gilbert had long been nowhere to be found.

I could feel myself blush: "Why don't you stay longer?" I don't know what led me to ask. It was a pull that had no rhyme or reason, and I hated the idea of being so honest about my feelings. "If you'll have me..." she replied, still making for undoing the tie. "No, leave it" I told her, like an order even though I was asking to remain in her care. She didn't say anything as we headed to my room.

"Did you enjoy it? I was worried Gil had taken it way too far forcing this on you..." "I don't know. It's a new experience. You've been gentle with me, though...I wasn't sure what to expect of someone who stands up to my cousin like that" "Gil and I have known each other for so long we're practically a married couple..." "Should you be here if you're his girlfriend tho?" "Oh. I'm not. It's complicated. And if I was, I bet he'd be all over the idea. He'd probably be knocking on the door next so he can watch...well, that's assuming there'd be something he could watch. For all I know you were just being kind giving me a place to crash so I wouldn't have to drive after drinking and not sleeping..." I could feel my blush get even deeper and I averted my eyes as I knew my body was betraying the thoughts I could not express. "You really are so cute. Although that's probably not what you would want to hear...this is your firs time with a woman topping, isn't it?" I subtly nodded. I was embarrassed to admit to it, I had barely managed for it not to be my first time full stop as I had a girlfriend at university. I wasn't particularly popular with people at school, even though I knew I was considered among the most handsome out there.

She kissed me, her hands getting rid of my swimsuit and right away caressing me gently until she was satisfied I was fully hard. She guided me to the bed and help me set against the pillows, my hands raised up above my head. I was positively trembling with the anticipation, not sure what her move would be. To my surprise, she began kissing my neck and chest all the way down to my erection.

She was toying with me like a cat with her prey, her tongue sliding the full length and back up to where I was most sensitive, before wrapping me in her lips. It didn't take long for me to let out needy moans I wished I could muffle but she would not let me move my hands to my face. Suddenly, as I began to feel my orgasm coming, she stopped and came to sit on my lap, kissing my lips: "How are you feeling? Do you want me to free you?" My throat was so dry I couldn't even manage a reply, shaking my head no.

"Would you like to try being a sub beyond the ropes? It's okay if you don't. It has to be a good time for both" I swallowed and nodded. I had no idea what she meant but I felt I was in too deep not to. She kissed me again and leaned back on one of her arms, the curve of her back against my penis making it impossible not to feel all her movements, while not enough to benefit from it. She undid the bows that held her bikini bottom together, a challenge in her smile. It was torture to have a full view of her touching herself like that, and I was increasingly flustered as her moans intensified.

"Please, stop" I blurted out. She looked at me with a look I couldn't make out, but stopped: "You need to learn to be honest about what you want, little kitten..." she resumed touching herself, but more slowly and deliberate, like she was testing me. It took me a while, but as she started picking up the pace I blurted out to stop again. "Please, let me feel me inside you" I said, taking everything I had in me to find the strength to ask. She smiled: "You're such a good kitten. Normally I'd need a bit more begging, but you've done well for your first time so I can give you a reward".

She adjusted her position so I would be inside her, and the feeling was something I could have felt forever. It wasn't long before I was near climax again, and she stopped. I panicked, was she going to leave me hanging again? But to my surprise she simply reached to undo the tie on my hands so I could hold her as we came, almost exactly together.

We fell asleep in each other's arms, and I woke up with the late morning sun risen high, a bikini neatly folded on top of a note with a kiss in red lipstick that only said "Thank you for a beautiful night".

CC: @voltage-vixen 🖤 @xxsycamore 🖤

#summer of smut #summer of smut writing challenge

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phoenixyfriend · 3 years

Text

The Family Tree is... a Disaster

Takes place in the TCW Leverage AU. It does contain a few deviations, namely that the narrative ended up shifting Plo's role in Ahsoka's life, and Ventress's role overall.

This is mostly just dialogue where I outline the fuckery that is the disaster lineage family tree, not actual fic. It stemmed from my incessant need to justify "25yo Obi-Wan somehow got custody of 9yo Anakin without Shmi dying."

Warnings for: canon character death (modernized), canon violence (modernized), and references to Nazis and white supremacists (Palpatine collects WWII weaponry as a parallel to his canon display of Sith artifacts in his office as chancellor, and Ahsoka thinks it's sketchy)

----

"Okay," Cody says, setting down a glass of whiskey as he drops into the seat across the table. "What the hell is your family tree like?"

Obi-Wan raises an eyebrow, and continues cleaning off the definitely-not-stolen crystal komodo dragon he'd won in today's job. "I beg your pardon?"

"You and Skywalker," Cody says, gesturing between Obi-Wan, who is just sitting there minding his own business, and Anakin, who is across the closed-for-tonight bar and doing something inadvisable on the pool table. "You've said he was your brother, and mentioned raising him, which, sure, I'm over twenty years older than my youngest brother, people take over parenting roles all the time. But you have different last names, have mentioned stepfamilies that the other doesn't have, reference things as 'your aunt, not mine,' and I am just getting... very confused. I figured it was personal and I could leave well enough alone, but considering your older brother almost shot us today--"

"Okay, Xanatos is not my brother," Obi-Wan immediately says. "Just. I just have to stop you right there. Xanatos was a student of my father's for a time, but I promise he's not family. Nobody except maybe Komari would consider him even close, and she doesn't count since she's in prison for life and the farthest thing from stable."

Cody gestures. "That, Obi-Wan. That's what I'm talking about. I don't even know who Komari is."

Obi-Wan purses his lips in a failed attempt to not smile. "Do you actually want the explanation? It's long and unnecessarily complicated."

"So's mine," Cody snorts. Obi-Wan waits, patient and pleasant, and is rewarded when Cody sighs. "Please."

"Of course, my dear. To answer your first question, though, Anakin is my half-brother." With a smile, Obi-Wan digs a piece of paper and a pen from his briefcase. "So, center of the chain: me, my father Qui-Gon, my grandfather Yan, and my great-grandfather Yoda. With me so far?"

"Easy enough. Do you have to go back that far?"

"Great-grandfather Yoda is still alive and regularly escaping the old folks' home to terrorize younger relatives, so yes," Obi-Wan says. "Given that you may just meet a tiny, meddling relative of mine when he's bored, we do in fact have to go back that far."

"...how old is he?"

"We don't know for sure. A hundred and eight-ish is the best guess." Obi-Wan shrugs. "It's not a huge deal, mostly he likes bothering Anakin these days. Anyway, grandfather. Yan Dooku. Inherited a minory duchy from his maternal grandfather decades back. Mostly hangs around there because he's on terrorist watchlists in the States."

"Oh, lovely."

Obi-Wan grins. "Trust me, it gets worse. Anyway, grandfather never actually married, but spent most of his time with his 'best friend' Sifo Dyas, who died about a decade back."

"Gay?"

"Well, we know that now, but they got together in the seventies, and this was back when they were both working government jobs, so, you know. It happens."

"Good to know," Cody says. "So, Yoda's kid is Yan, who inherited a title and land from a maternal relative, and had a life partner but never married. With you so far."

"All of Yan's kids were adopted," Obi-Wan continues, sketching out the first branch away from the Yan/Sifo partnership. "Rael was actually grandfather's cousin, maternally, and ended up in his custody after getting orphaned at five. These days, he does most of the stewardship duties at the Serenno Duchy. His daughter Nim is teaching military history at a university in Germany."

Cody nods. "Uncle number one is named Rael, technically your dad's cousin, has a daughter. Got it."

"About a decade after Rael, they adopted my father, Qui-Gon. He and grandfather fought, frequently, but they did care for each other. My father was a botanist, did bio-engineering. We'll get back to him later, because he's where things get complicated." Obi-Wan made sure to leave room around the name. "Just a few years older than me was--is--Komari Vosa. She is... serving a life sentence. I think she fought Jango once."

"She fought my father?"

"To the best of my knowledge, they both almost died, yes," Obi-Wan says. "She's in maximum security these days. She was an assassin. I'll get a call if she breaks out, and I'll let you know along with everyone else."

"Bad news auntie, got it."

"Last adoption, sort of, is Ventress," Obi-Wan finishes off. "A few years younger than me, is technically grandfather's personal assistant and does secretarial work and the like, but we all know he's planning to leave as much of the inheritance to her as he is to the rest of us. She's aggressive and unpleasant, but she takes care of him and hasn't actually threatened to kill any of us yet, so that's fine."

"How'd she join?" Cody asks.

"Ky Narec was a friend of Qui-Gon's; Ventress was his daughter. Ky died a few years after Qui-Gon did, and Ventress was a mess, after." Obi-Wan shrugs and scratches that connection into the little sketch of a family tree as well. "Grandfather offered her a job until she got herself back together, and then she just kind of... stuck around."

"Youngest aunt, more of a cousin." Cody summarizes. "Now we go back to your father?"

"Qui-Gon Jinn was a man of many skills," Obi-Wan says drily. "Adequate birth control was not one of them."

It's almost a pity that Cody wasn't drinking anything, because going by the way he chokes, Obi-Wan's pretty sure the spit take would have been spectacular.

"I'm sorry," Cody says. "Can you repeat that?"

"I was an accident," Obi-Wan says, not even bothering to hide his smile. "So was Anakin."

"So that sounds like... a story."

"It is," Obi-Wan confirms. "My biological mother has never been in the picture. They had a fling, she wasn't sure if she'd want to abort or give me up, just that she wasn't ready to be a parent, and Qui-Gon volunteered to take full custody so she could go back to her life after the birth. I've never met her, but I kept her family name. You can consider her irrelevant beyond that."

Cody nods.

"So, when I was about a year old, Qui-Gon reconnects with an old flame, they get married two years later. Step-mother number one is Tahl. Lovely woman, I absolutely adored her, and she had a daughter, my stepsister, Bant Eerin."

"I met her, right?" Cody asks.

"Yes, she was the doctor who patched up my bullet wound a few months ago," Obi-Wan says. "With the giant glasses that make her look a little fish-eyed."

"She was nice."

"She is," Obi-Wan agrees. "At any rate, that was our family for a while, and then Tahl died when I was fourteen. Bant wanted to go to a magnet school for medical studies, and Qui-Gon's grief was... not optimal for taking care of multiple teenagers, shall we say, so Bant moved in with her paternal uncle, Kit Fisto, and Kit's son Nahdar. He's a marine biologist, incredibly friendly, and has no idea of any of the rest of my side of the family's questionable activities. If you ever meet him, you will pretend that we are a legal firm with a team of security consultants."

Cody raises a brow. Obi-Wan despairs. "Best you could do?"

"We're not that likely to run into him." Obi-Wan draws out a new line. "So, Qui-Gon deals poorly with grief. This is also around the time that Xanatos came around to ruin our lives a little. He was a very rich and unpleasant man, but he's dead as of four hours ago, so you don't have to worry about him. Or his son."

"His son?"

"Anakin handled that," Obi-Wan says. "Thoroughly. Granta Omega is no longer an issue. He's not dead, but... well. Anakin has his ways. Er--I should probably mention Feemor; he was my father's assistant at the university for a long time. Anakin and I still call him our uncle."

"Also a person to avoid mentioning criminal activity to?" Cody prompts.

"Well... no, but only because I don't think he'd care. The man is, forgive me, more of a 'walking sweatervest' than I am. He's a very bland and unassuming man. He once described himself as the background character of the soap opera that is my family's existence."

"Sounds like a charmer."

"Oh, he's very kind and clever, and witty as well. I adore him, and he really is family. He's just also very, very normal. Not boring, but..." Obi-Wan trails off and shrugs helplessly. "He's an editor for an agricultural research journal. Also not someone I anticipate us running into."

"Noted."

"Right, so, Qui-Gon dealing poorly with his grief didn't involve much drinking, but there were a few months of him trying to... lose himself in the pleasures of the flesh?" Obi-Wan tries, and then deflates at the look on Cody's face. "He was slagging around. Shmi got pregnant with Anakin, who was born when I was sixteen. Shared custody at first, Qui-Gon got him weekends and every other holiday, that sort of thing, and then they got married because they actually did like each other well enough, and it was easier on the taxes."

"So Shmi is stepmother number two."

"Shmi is stepmother number two, yes." Obi-Wan sketches in Anakin and Shmi. "About nine and a half years after Anakin was born, Shmi and Qui-Gon were in a car accident with... well, it later turned out it wasn't an accident, there was a hitman called Maul involved, he's actually Ventress's second cousin or something, I don't know. Grandfather handled most of that problem. Qui-Gon died, Shmi was in intensive care, and I got custody of Anakin as his nearest adult relative. We weren't very close before that, because I was off at university by the time he was old enough to form memories, but that changed once he started living with me. I more or less raised him as a single parent from that point."

"This is why he jokes that you're like a father to him."

"Precisely," Obi-Wan says. "Shmi took about a year to recover enough to move again, and grandfather covered the costs. She still had to live with a dedicated carer and attend daily physical therapy. At that physical therapy, she met Cliegg Lars, whose son Owen was also a patient there. They hit it off, and three years later, they married. When Anakin refers to his stepfamily he's talking about the Lars out in Nevada."

"Nevada?"

"They have a farm. A very, very normal one. We don't drag them into our activities, unless we have an at-risk person who needs a safe house." Obi-Wan pauses, and then decides this really needs to be stressed. "This is important to me and Anakin, that we don't get them involved unless there's absolutely no other choice. Shmi's been through a lot, and the Lars are busy enough running the farm."

"Works for me," Cody says. "We've got enough safe houses that it shouldn't be an issue. I'm guessing this story doesn't end there, though."

Obi-Wan grimaces. "My own love life has been... a bit of a mess."

"I already know about Kryze, at least."

There's that. "I was temporarily engaged to a friend, Siri Tachi, shortly after high school. We were in a relationship, but this was mostly something done to appease a relative of hers that was getting overbearing to the point of absurdity, and she couldn't just cut them off. We broke off the engagement after the relative passed, and we're still friends."

He notes that down, then adds the other embarrassment of his early years. "First marriage was actually a drunken joke between myself and my best friend when we were in college. We got it annulled a few months later because we just didn't have time to drop by the courthouse before then, and he's actually engaged to Asajj now."

"Asajj?" Cody asks, watching in fascination as Obi-Wan tries to mark in both his own short marriage and the newer, long-term engagement without crossing any lines. He settles for just writing the name twice and including an asterisk with 'this is the same person.'

"Ventress," Obi-Wan clarifies. "Yeah, Quinlan's a fun guy. His little sister, Aayla, treats Anakin like a beloved younger cousin."

"Are they also off-limits for criminal activity?"

"No, Aayla's the one that taught Ahsoka how to vent-crawl," Obi-Wan says. "And I'm pretty sure Quinlan has contacts in every major government branch, criminal organization, and Fortune 500 company on the planet. I reach out to them regularly."

"Resources, then."

Obi-Wan nods. "Some time later, I married Satine. We had a son; you've met Korkie. We split due to incompatibility a year and change before Qui-Gon's death. Satine doesn't engage in criminal activity, but Bo-Katan is..."

"I've met Bo-Katan. I know what she's like, Obi. You don't have to explain."

"She works with Maul sometimes."

"...the man who killed your father?"

"Yes. It's all very stupid and convoluted." Obi-Wan still writes her in. "So, that's them. Korkie goes to boarding school, and I try not to involve him in anything. Anakin and Ahsoka like to teach him self-defense and the like, but Satine is adamant that he stay unaware of my less legal dealings until he's an adult."

Cody shrugs. "Makes sense. Is that every--wait, no, Skywalker's married."

Obi-Wan grins. "Yes, and Padme's got twins on the way."

"I was there when he told us," Cody says drily. "He was very loud about it. Okay, how does Ahsoka fit in?"

"Hold on, I forgot Beru," Obi-Wan mutters. "Owen's fiancee. Same rules as the Lars. Okay, you asked about Ahsoka. Right. So. Um."

He dithers. Cody waits for him, and then Obi-Wan just gives up. "Ahsoka, dear, would you like to explain how you joined the family, so to speak?"

Ahsoka looks up from whatever she and the boys are doing--there are multiple beer glasses and straws and duct tape involved, and Obi-Wan doesn't really want to know--and then flips off the table and over to Obi-Wan and Cody. She looks over the family tree chart, and then says, "Oooh, did you tell him about the cult?"

"You were in a cult?" Cody demands.

"No, Komari was. She was head priestess or something. I dunno, it's why she's in prison and stuff."

"I did not tell him about the cult," Obi-Wan mutters, already regretting this. "The Bando Gora aren't a problem anymore. I've already gotten to explaining how you and Anakin know each other."

Ahsoka rolls her eyes, steals his pen, and starts sketching in around Quinlan's name, over by Asajj since Obi-Wan's section is too crowded. "Okay, so, Quinlan's adopted. His dad is Tholme, and Tholme's dad is Plo Koon. Plo Koon is good friends with my Auntie, Shaak Ti, who raised me. They live next door to each other, out in the country, and I'd play in his yard a lot, because he had puppies, and he took me to visit his bees. Whenever Auntie needed a babysitter, she asked Quinlan or Aayla to do it since she knew and trusted them, and Aayla needed pocket money."

"This is so unnecessarily complicated," Cody mutters.

"It is!" Ahsoka chirps. Her grin is far too sharp. "So, this one time, Aayla was watching me when I was fourteen, and she was just helping me with my physics homework. BAM, the door slams open, and in stumbled Skyguy with his arm missing. I've never met him before, and my first introduction is him shortly after he's gotten an unplanned amputation."

Anakin, on the other side of the room, giggles. Obi-Wan just sighs. The Fett brothers appear to be in the land of 'horrified fascination.'

Ahsoka revels in it. "There's blood everywhere, I'm screaming, Aayla's panicking, Anakin's halfway to unconscious and insisting we can't call the hospital, and nobody can get Obi-Wan on the phone. Quinlan's in another country, and Auntie Shaak and Uncle Plo are at a movie, so they've both got their cellphones off. Tholme was faking his death at that point to get away from an incident with the Irish Mob, so we didn't even try him."

"What the actual fuck," Rex breathes.

Ahsoka continues with relish. "We get Bant to pick up, and she's there an hour later with Padme, because Padme knows how to drive the way Skyguy does, and the entire drive there is just Auntie Bant on speakerphone telling Aayla how to stop the bleeding and get him stabilized while Padme's screaming at traffic at the top of her lungs."

"I owe Aayla a fruit basket," Anakin muses aloud. "The anniversary of her saving my life is coming up, it's warranted."

"Five years, baby!" Ahsoka crows. She fist-pumps.

Obi-Wan just drops his head into his hands. "You're killing me, children."

Anakin shrugs, grinning. "You know, I think Fett Senior might have been involved in that fight."

"My shitty dad cut off your arm?" Rex demands.

"No, I think he was busy fighting the Interpol guy," Anakin says. "But he was definitely there. I think. Blood loss kinda got to me after a bit, but I'm pretty sure Jango Fett was there, and also Boba might've been hiding in the getaway car?"

"I need another glass," Cody mutters. He doesn't stand up, though.

"Wait," Rex says. "So who cut off your arm?"

Anakin shrugs with an unsure noise. "Someone tried to convince me it was Grandpa Yan, but he was in the middle of a court case in Italy for some kind of parole violation when it happened, so he had an alibi."

"...did he actually violate parole?" Cody asks, and Obi-Wan thinks he looks like he doesn't know if he actually wants an answer.

Ahsoka shrugs. So does Anakin. Obi-Wan carefully looks at a spot behind Cody, and doesn't explain anything about wine tastings used as covers for illicit arms deals.

"The arm?" Rex prompts, sounding a little desperate to get back to the question he likely thinks is the most important.

"I still say it was Skeevy Sheev," Ahsoka chimes in.

"It wasn't Palpatine," Anakin snaps.

"Your creepy older friend who took you to operas and gives you fancy gifts and knows way too much about swords who was conveniently there to talk to the police and cover for you so you didn't get arrested for getting in the middle of a gang war in the first place, yes," Ahsoka says, dropping into a chair and sighing dramatically. "The guy who definitely hasn't been trying to convince you for a year and change that your wife is cheating on you with your older brother."

"Ahsoka!"

"What? He is."

"Anakin," Rex says, "your life sounds like a trainwreck."

"I'm not going to assume a frail, elderly man cut my arm off!" Anakin protests. "Even if he wanted to, he doesn't exactly have the muscle for it!"

"Grandfather's older," Obi-Wan points out, even though he knows it won't help. "And he definitely still could."

"Ha!" Ahsoka shouts.

"He could have hired someone?" Cody suggests. "Doesn't need to do it himself, if he has enough money."

Obi-Wan has a sneaking suspicion that Cody is deliberately stirring the pot as revenge for Anakin sending him eighty-seven cat memes inside an hour during last night's dinner.

"You all suck," Anakin declares. "Also, what the hell do you mean 'knows way too much about swords,' Ahsoka? You know way too much about swords!"

"Yeah, but I'm like ninety-percent sure that his antiques are Prussian and mid-century German military officer dress uniform relics, and pairing that with the Nazi pistols he's got on display--"

"He's just a history buff! And his family's German, of course he prioritizes that region, it's not like he doesn't have Russian or French or English antiques in there too, it's all sides of the war and--"

"I'm just saying he's almost definitely sending me sketchy glances like he thinks I'm planning to steal the silver on the three occasions you've had me with you when you stop by, and I'm pretty sure it's got less to do with my criminal record and more to do with me being, you know, not white."

Anakin looks ready to blow, so Obi-Wan interrupts. "Ahsoka, you were explaining how Anakin passing out on Aayla and scaring us all half to death led to your friendship?"

Ahsoka blinks at him, and then sticks her tongue out at Anakin and turns back to the chart. "So basically, Skyguy had to recuperate in Uncle Plo's living room for a week or two, and I kept showing up to bother him because he was bored and nobody would give him a laptop for 'security reasons,' because he had to lay low and stuff. He made me help him sketch out designs for a prosthesis and do all the writing for the math he had to do for the 3D printer, and we got to chatting."

Ahsoka hops up and back onto a table, legs swinging below her. "I decided he was cool and started following him around while he was getting used to only having one hand, mostly because I was bored. He showed me how to hotwire a car, and explained the best places to put a bug if you were looking to make it sneaky, and he picked my pocket to show off so many times when he was walking around Uncle Plo's house that I made him teach me that, too. And, uh, then Aayla found out and they got into a shouting match about it and decided they both needed to teach me parkour so I could get out of any mess I got myself into, since I was obviously going to follow them into a life of crime."

"And you did," Anakin says, far too proudly. "You're the best thief in this half of the country."

"Only because Aayla moved out east."

Anakin rolls his eyes and pulls Ahsoka into his side, digging his knuckles into her skull. "Best thief! You are the best thief! Be proud of yourself!"

"Let go!"

"Never!"

Obi-Wan sighed heavily and rubbed at his forehead. "Children, please."

"You're not my dad," Ahsoka growls out at him. "Skyguy, I'm going to bite you!"

"Good luck, the only arm you can access is the one that's going to break your teeth."

Ahsoka shrieks in outrage and stomps on Anakin's instep.

It's almost funny, for all that Obi-Wan's seen it play out a million times before, but the really interesting part is seeing Rex's look of fond dismay.

Obi-Wan thinks he might be adding a branch out to the Fetts soon. He's not actually sure if Rex is interested in Anakin or Ahsoka, and he's smack dab between them in age, so that's not a help either, but... well. The expression is familiar enough.

"Please tell me you don't match-make," Cody mutters to him.

"No, I plan to let the pieces fall where they will," Obi-Wan responds, just as low, and far more amused. "I'm simply trying to predict where those landings are to be."

Cody looks at him, and then back at the roughhousing trio, and sighs heavily. "You know, I really didn't think that you technically being minor royalty was going to be the least convoluted thing in your story, Obi-Wan."

He laughs, because it's true. "I'm first in line to inherit the title, since Rael denounced his claim. Nim isn't interested, and Qui-Gon's dead, so... I'm next."

Cody makes a face. "Delightful. I'm guessing that's not a connection we can safely make use of."

"No more than the Kryze or Naberries, I'm afraid." Obi-Wan claps him on the shoulder. "Chin up, I've plenty others in the metaphorical rolodex, all far less legitimate and far more amenable to work with our little outfit."

"Rolodex, really?" Cody snorts. "You're not that old."

Obi-Wan smiles winningly. "You don't know how old I am, Cody. All my IDs are fake."

"Anakin's twenty-four, and you're sixteen years older than him, going by the story you just told me," Cody points out. "I do know how to do basic math, Obi-Wan."

"I had to try," Obi-Wan admits. "I threw a lot of information at you all at once; I'd hoped you missed some of the ages in there."

"I have eight brothers," Cody scoffs. "And literally dozens of cousins, plus niblings, uncles, aunts, and so on. I have experience on this."

"If I asked you to list of the age of every single relative you have, you'd be able to do it?"

"Do you want me to draw a chart? I can draw a chart."

Obi-Wan can't help but laugh. "I'd be delighted, my dear."

Cody rolls his eyes, but Obi-Wan thinks--it's hard to tell in the dimmed lights of the closed bar--that there's a hint of a blush on the man's face. Obi-Wan lets himself slouch to the side, drops his head to rest on one fist, indolent debauchery in every line of his body. Cody does his best to ignore him, but Obi-Wan knows how to smile lazily and blink slowly and draw a man in.

(The whole 'indolent debauchery in every line of his body' phrasing is Anakin's, from back when he was a teenager trying to read highbrow literature to impress a cute girl... and to come up with new insults for his older brother.)

"So," Cody says, with a cough meant to somehow distract Obi-Wan from whatever's showing on the man's face. "Why, uh, why is your grandfather on terrorist watchlists?"

"Well, he didn't initially do anything," Obi-Wan says. "He was just a gay man who didn't hide it quite well enough, and had too much money and too white a face for someone to just call the cops on a faulty report. The Red Scare was technically over by that point, I think, but if a few people made suggestions that he was more loyal to the country that gave him a noble title than to the United States... he received a few warnings, of course, and it could have all blown over..."

"But?"

"But my grandfather is not a man to do things by halves, and instead decided that if the government was to list him as a threat, then he would oblige and make himself a threat," Obi-Wan finishes. "Living up to their labels, rolling with the assumptions, whatever you'd like to call it. It all irked him, and so he made some incredibly questionable decisions to make the government's lives harder. Some weren't bad, like donating to anti-war foundations that were protesting the Gulf War and the interventions in Yugoslavia, that sort of thing, and some were... nobody really looks well on gunrunning, you know."

"For fuck's sake..."

"Indeed," Obi-Wan chuckles. "Ironically, he has minimal opinion on the optimal form of economics, for all that virulent xenophobia and the remnants of anti-communism were involved in the whole mess. He just wanted to create problems for the people that were causing him problems."

Cody shakes his head. "I want to judge that, but you've met my father."

"Jango Fett is, indeed, also not a man to do things by halves," Obi-Wan agrees, attempting to nod gravely but breaking into a smile at the end. "That man is absurd."

"At least he's not dragging Boba into it anymore," Cody mutters. He drags over the fresh sheet of paper and pen that Obi-Wan offers him. "Okay, right, let's start with Jaster..."

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cyborg-franky · 3 years

Note

Hi Franky,

I am always in for Halloween prompts, this is one of the best periods of the year.

Could you do the prompt "meet at a Halloween party" with Marco and a reader who is shy with strangers, please ?

Thank you, have a nice day and happy Halloween in advance ! 🎃

Marco x GN Reader SFW Modern AU Word Count: 385

Marco often felt he was too old to indulge in silly festivities like this, he was a doctor and, in his forties, and right now he was wearing fluffy white angel wings and a halo. He thought back to how he ended up this way, he caught a flash of an orange hat as Ace whizzed by in complementary devil attire. Marco brought his beer to his lips and took a swig, ah yes, that’s exactly how he ended up here, in this get up

You watched the tall blond standing by himself and glancing around the crowd of costumed people, the music wasn’t so loud you felt you couldn’t converse without shouting at one another. You leaned on the wall next to him and offered him a small smile and a nod.

“I like your wings”

“Thank you” He glanced you over seeing how you were dressed, it looked like you were much more into Halloween then himself.

“I like your costume”

“Thank you! I’m guessing you were dragged out? You don’t seem like the type to be at a Halloween party” You hummed and watched his tired eyes blink at your general assessment of him.

“Don’t get me wrong chick, I like parties, I like being social I just can’t help feel like I’m old enough to be some of these people’s fathers” Marco explained a chuckle that was accompanied by a grimace.

“You don’t look more then thirty” He was handsome, his voice pleasant to listen to, you felt brave from the amount of booze you’d already consumed.

“You are definitely flirting with me now aren’t you yoi?” He smirked, seeing the blush on your face as your intentions had been exposed, you chuckled and looked at the bottle in your hands, picking at the label absently.

“Am I that obvious?” Batting your eyelashes at Marco, he chuckled at how you pretended to not know exactly what you were doing.

He looked around the room, he saw Ace in a circle with the younger party goers, laughing and taking a shot, enjoying the game of spin the bottle. Marco could see he was enjoying himself and wouldn’t miss the older man’s company too much. He leaned down to whisper in your ear.

“Want to come back to mine for a treat yoi?”

#marco the phoenix #marco x reader #marco the phoenix x reader #marco x you #marco x y/n #one piece marco #one piece reader insert #one piece x reader #one piece reader insert fic #one piece x you #sfw #gender neutral reader

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disast3rtransp0rt · 3 years

Note

Prompt list: 75–“I have secrets you don’t know about!”

been saving this one for a rainy day

modern au, oh my god they were roommates, accidental confession

---

"Leave me alone," Anakin huffs, attempting to slam his bedroom door in Obi-Wan's face. He just wants to run away for a moment of peace, wants to hide from the handsome older man whose entire fault this is, anyway. Unfortunately, in his haste to escape Obi-Wan's presence, Anakin fails to notice that his roommate's foot is still blocking the door from closing all the way; it isn't heavy, but Anakin isn't weak, and the wood collides with the side of Obi-Wan's well-polished oxford with a loud thunk.

Obi-Wan bites his lip and takes a step back, balancing his hip against the short bookshelf that takes up half the hallway. He's clearly biting back tears of pain as he fucking apologizes and starts to hobble away. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude on your personal space. I'll just get-"

"I'm so sorry!" Anakin darts forward, falling to his knees against the threadbare carpet. He holds onto Obi-Wan's hip with one hand in order to keep him balanced and uses the other hand to lift his roommate's injured foot into his lap. He's careful not to jostle Obi-Wan too much even as words tumble hurriedly from his mouth, "Let me look at this! I'm sure it's going to need to be elevated for most of the afternoon. I'll grab you some ice and an ACE bandage and get you set up on the couch. I can make you tea and put on a movie if you want, whatever you want. Do we even have an Ace bandage?!"

"Anakin-"

"I didn't mean to hurt you, Obi-Wan. In fact, that's the last thing I'd ever want to-"

"Anakin!"

The younger man freezes in the middle of removing Obi-Wan's shoe, slowly raising his eyes up to meet his roommates'. The older man is still clinging desperately to the bookshelf, but his other hand reaches to tuck a stray curl behind Anakin's ear.

"What's got you so upset, dear one? You're usually more willing to talk to me about the things that bother you."

"I can't say."

"You say an awful lot of things on any given afternoon, Anakin. It's okay if you're not comfortable telling me, I won't pry. I just want to make sure you don't feel alone if you're hurting."

Anakin will never deserve Obi-Wan Kenobi. Not in a thousand years, and yet he years. He aches. He wakes up in the middle of the night near tears and desperate just to hold the other man for a moment nearly three times a week. "I have secrets you don't know about."

"Oh, like the fact that you're in love with me?"

"Wh-What?" Anakin blinks stupidly, Obi-Wan's shoe dangling from one hand. His roommate seems apologetic as he explains.

"You didn't text Kitster last night when you were drunk with the other engineering grads," Obi-Wan flushes from his neck to his hairline. Anakin suddenly needs to know where that blush originates from. His chest? Lower? He swallows thickly as the older man continues. "I got a very long, only mostly intelligible text from you last night about how much you enjoy the colors of Hotty-Wan's eyes."

"Oh- Oh no..."

"And how you find my backside... I think the words you used for my backside were enchanting and hypnotizing. Quite lovely compliments, although I wish I'd have gotten them on purpose and from a far more sober Anakin."

"Wh- Huh?" Anakin is totally lost. Is Obi-Wan really saying... Is his unrequited crush of four years finally admitting...

"I love you," Obi-Wan leans down to collect his brown leather Oxford from Anakin's loose grip. "I have loved you for quite a long time now, and we can discuss the imminent changes to our relationship and co-habitation a little later. For the moment, darling, would you mind terribly getting me some ice? You go to the gym about four times a week and my instep is probably turning purple."

"Of course, yeah, I uh... I love you too. And I'm really sorry for hitting you with a door."

"All's fair in love and war."

#fluff #obikin fluff #obikin ficlet #anything for you artemis #obikin prompt fill #obikin getting together #accidental confessions #oh my god they were roommates #idiots to lovers

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bucky-hues · 3 years

Text

sambucky fic recs

hellooo!! i've been wanting to do a sambucky fic rec, so i thought i'd do one for @fuckyeahsambucky ‘s fic yeah friday! here are some sambucky fics i love <3 do read the warnings on each fic!

one-shots

when i'm in a room with you (that missing piece is found) | @omg-just-peachy

sam x bucky

Three times Bucky falls asleep on Sam, and one time Sam asks why.

double dare | @omg-just-peachy

sam x bucky

Bucky follows his therapist’s advice to cultivate friendship, Sam makes him work for it, and by the time he’s sure they’re friends, Bucky has an entirely new problem on his hands.

press conference | @sammy-souffle

sam x bucky

Sam watches from a distance a journalist from Denver, Summer, puts her hand on Bucky’s arm and laughs at something he says. Her hand trails further up and squeezes his bicep which Bucky doesn’t seem to mind at all. If anything, he laughs along with her and leans in closer to her to say something. Sam closes his eyes briefly and swallows back his anger.

accidentally | @sammy-souffle

sam x bucky

x | @sammy-souffle

sam x bucky

request: during the time when sam is tracking bucky in romania, after sam and bucky get caught up in a fight against some hydra agents who were also tracking bucky

sam gets hurt and bucky feels guilty so he carries him inside to patch him up, they talk some stuff out, its all very intimate and both start to fall for each other a little

acquiring alpine | @sammy-souffle

sam x bucky

prompt: alpine being cute

x | @sammy-souffle (18+)

sam x bartender!bucky (modern au)

regrets | @sammy-souffle

sam x bucky

x | @jeffersonshattricks

sam x bucky

Bucky being completely oblivious that him and Sam have been dating for like 6 months and Bucky finally understands why Sam has been kissing him, sleeping in the bed with him, and being an all around sap with him.

reckless idiots tend to fall | @jeffersonshattricks

sam x bucky

Bucky and Sam are arguing cause Sam did something reckless on a mission and Bucky freaks out but oblivious Sam genuinely has no idea why. And then Bucky accidentally yells ‘because I love you’

tell me a secret | @jeffersonshattricks

sam x bucky

Every time Sam gets drunk he finds Bucky and asks him for a secret. Bucky always gives him one.

fucking ridiculous | @jeffersonshattricks

sam x bucky

Sam is pining and a bitter grumpy grump, Bucky is mostly oblivious but also pining. misunderstandings happen, feelings get hurt, people get hurt (like physically), and then confessions happen and all is well. yay! also the other avengers are just their nerdy selves for the most part!

come to the ocean, even when you're broken | @liminalmess

sam x bucky

“Bucky, hey, man, fancy meeting you here!” he said with an exaggerated enthusiasm that he probably knew would get under Bucky’s skin, clapping him on the shoulder as he sat down.

“I thought we were taking separate vacations,” Bucky grumbled back.

Or, in which Sam and Bucky go an accidentally not separate vacation to the Bahamas.

feelings | @yaksomins

sam x bucky (modern au)

sam crossed his arms and inspected the lobby. they were indeed the only people there, not including the few staff members seated at a table near a magenta-tinted arcade area with their noses buried in their phones.

"i think i can help with that," a voice said from behind sam.

sam turned and found himself face to face with the clerk they'd bought their tickets from earlier, the scruffy-looking man that seemed a little out of place amongst the younger staff. sam gave him a quick scan, his eyes catching the name plastered to his chest via a paper name tag, scribbled by hand using a marker.

"and what exactly can you do for us...bucky?" sam frowned. what kind of name was ‘bucky’?

"i can be your extra," he said, removing a hairband from his wrist and swiftly tying up his hair into a tidy bun. with more of him now visible, sam could get a better view of his face, all hard lines and soft eyes. "and it's a nickname," bucky added, smirking and moving past a puzzled sam towards the game room. "c'mon, let's suit up."

x | @yaksomins

sam x bucky

prompt: leaving each other notes

x | @yaksomins

sam x bucky

bucky takes sam for a ride on his motorcycle

i'll make this feel like home | @buckywilsonbarnes

sam x bucky

sambucky domestic fluff

x | @transjoaquintorres

sam x bucky

sam loves bucky's handwriting

just let me adore you | dharmainitiative (AO3)

sam x bucky

“Alright, what gives?” Sam demands. “Why do you turn down every single person I try to set you up with?”

He expects Bucky to avoid the question, come up with all sorts of excuses. What he doesn’t expect is for Bucky to start laughing.

“C’mon, Sam. Seriously?”

“Yes, seriously.”

“Sam,” Bucky finally says, slow and deliberate. “I’m not interested in anyone you’ve tried to set me up with because I’ve been gone on you for ages.”

watch your words | dancer_in_the_rain (AO3)

sam x bucky

sam insults bucky and then loses his shit when someone agrees with him

love, punch | @clintbartonswife

sam x bucky

Bucky can get protective, but Sam reminds him he doesn’t need to be defended - a confession is made

exchange rate | @joycesully

sam x bucky

Bucky's older memories are coming back, sometimes at the cost of more recent ones. What he cannot forget is tearing the wings off Sam Wilson. Too bad Bucky just let Steve talk him into staying with him and Sam. Consumed by guilt, the only thing Bucky knows to do by way of apology is to let Sam hurt him back. Fortunately, Sam has better ideas.

stubborn wounds | @constantwriter85

sam x bucky

When Bucky’s badly injured after trying to protect his partner, Sam realizes that he needs Bucky more than he’d care to admit.

nurturing | the_buzz (AO3)

sam x bucky (pre-slash)

Bucky isn't the only one who feels alone after coming back from the Blip.

keep the ashes from my heart (and walk away) | @coffeeinallcaps

sam x bucky

In which Sam starts dating someone who is not Bucky, and Bucky pines, gets seriously injured, and proves himself wrong.

you're blowin' my mind (with the things you say to me) | @jemgirl86

sam x bucky

After getting an earful from Bucky at the cookout, Sarah suggests Sam and Bucky have a chat... and they do.

(sometimes) all i think about is you | @softhauntedwinds

sam x bucky

Bucky discovers Sam Wilson's pre-blip media content and things escalate.

when the wheels come off (i'll be your spare) | @returnsandreturns

sam x bucky

“What, the government doesn’t pay you enough to buy some art?” Bucky asks, a minute after Sam lets him into his apartment, gesturing at the blank walls. “It still looks like you just moved in.”

“Uhm, I’ve been busy being a national treasure,” Sam says. “The government doesn’t pay you enough to buy a shirt that fits?”

Bucky glances down at his long sleeve t-shirt for a second before he looks back up with a grin.

“I’m just a part-timer,” he says, shrugging.

forever and a day | @returnsandreturns

sam x bucky

When he sets the needle, Ella Fitzgerald croons and he glances over to see Sam sitting up, looking interested as she sings it’s very clear. . .our love is here to stay.

Bucky can flirt and he can really tell that he’s still got it by the way Sam’s mouth drops open for a moment when he saunters up and offers a hand, smiling with all the potential of where this could lead and asking, “Care for a dance, doll?”

Sam stares up at him before he sighs and mutters, “Fuck, that’s really working for me somehow,” and lets Bucky pull him onto his feet and into his arm.

world's greatest uncle | @novembermurray

sam x bucky

Rhodes arrives in Delacroix to bring Sam up to speed on their newest mission and deliver the bad news: Bucky Barnes has gone AWOL. He's in for a few surprising discoveries.

panic | alienspronkles (AO3)

sam x bucky

When Sam and Bucky go to Sarah's place for a get together, Bucky's anxiety starts kicking in. And he's trying to hide it from everyone there.

series

sam and bucky first date 2: electric boogaloo | ObsessiveExplosion (AO3)

sam x bucky

Sam is gearing up to ask Bucky on their first date, but he is interrupted by a bullet wound to the shoulder.

sam and bucky go to a fourth of july party | ObsessiveExplosion (AO3)

sam x bucky

Sam and Bucky, recently engaged, make an appearance at the annual Delacroix Fourth of July Block Party, and Sam ends up partying a little too hard.

the gang navigates and airport | ObsessiveExplosion (AO3)

sam x bucky

Sam and Bucky have to navigate an unexpected layover on their way home from a mission, made more difficult by the fact that Bucky has just taken a sleeping pill designed for Super Soldiers.

he followed me home one day | AshaCrone (AO3)

sam x bucky (au)

He was supposed to be starting fresh.

Sam Wilson was moving from New York to Washington and picked the worst possible Friday to finish his move. But he does what he does best- stops to help.

And asks a passing stranger for a little muscle to get some trapped people out of a car. Feeds the stranger a protein bar.

Now a lost cyborg has followed him home. And he isn't quite sure what to do about it.

#sambucky fic #sam x bucky #sam wilson x bucky barnes #sambucky #fysbfriday #fysambuckyweek

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everlarkficexchange · 3 years

Text

How Katniss Everdeen Got Her Groove Back

Author: @hutchhitched

Prompt 34: Modern AU where a forty year old Katniss has shut herself off from the world from fear of getting hurt. After her sister dies she realizes how isolated she is and now wants to open herself up to love, but hasn’t a clue where to begin. Everlark HEA - the details of how they meet and what Peeta’s been up to are entirely up to you. :) [submitted by anonymous]

Ratings/Warnings: E

The room’s dark. There’s only one small lamp burning in the corner, but that makes the single candle in the cupcake brighter than it would have been if the entire area were lit. It’s a somber celebration, but that doesn’t make much difference. It’s as it should be.

“Happy birthday, dear Katniss… Happy birthday to you.”

As the last note fades into silence, Katniss whispers a birthday wish and blows out the candle.

“Happy birthday to me,” she mumbles. She’s alone and tired and feeling older than she thought she could. In the grand scheme of things, forty isn’t that many years, but the difference between her fourth and fifth decades seems like lightyears. She’s halfway (or more) through life, and she’s hiding from it.

No one could really blame her for running—not with the experiences she’s faced. Her father gone as a young man leaving Katniss, her mother, and her younger sister Prim alone with practically no income and empty stomachs that gnawed at her insides for months as she fell asleep. Her mother falling into addiction to anti-depressants and opiates leaving Katniss to keep the household together so she and Prim wouldn’t be taken by child services and separated. Her beloved sister gone in a house fire that ripped through the apartment building where she’d stayed while enrolled in med school in a neighboring state. That’s enough tragedy for any one person, and that doesn’t even count her own pain and disappointments during the past forty years.

She’s suffered plenty of both. There’ve been days when she has no idea how she continues to function, but she puts one foot in front of the other repeatedly, doggedly, hoping against hope that something will go right for her. The odds should be in her favor, but they never seem to be. Instead, she watches as the world goes by and wonders if she’s brave enough to step back into society and join the rest of the living. She’s been in mourning for long enough.

Forty. It’s a scary number, but it’s also a little motivating. With a shake of her head, she decides. It’s time. Prim would want her to be happy. She’d be furious at the way Katniss has shut herself off from everyone in order to protect herself. If there’s anything that can drive her out of her shell, it’s thinking about the disappointment that would shine in her sister’s eyes if she were still alive.

“It’s time to rejoin the living, Everdeen.”

Her voice is small as it echoes in her empty apartment, but that’s not the intimidating part. What’s terrifying is that she has absolutely no idea how to get back out there. It’s been almost a decade since she bothered, and she can’t help wondering if maybe she’s waited too long. It’s possible there’s an expiration date, and she’s past it.

It’s late, and she’s tired. Heaving a sigh, she heads to her new bedroom and plugs in the airbed to blow it up. Her belongings won’t arrive for another few days, and the thought of sleeping on the hard floor is the reason for her last minute purchase at the local department store. Shaking out freshly laundered sheets as she retrieves them from the dryer, she inhales the clean scent and tucks the corners onto the air mattress. A pillow and blanket that made the cut when she purged her possessions before her interstate move provides a tiny hint of home. Flicking off the overhead light, she closes her eyes and drifts into sleep. She counts the fact that she only wakes from nightmares three times as a win.

****

“I like that there,” she mutters to herself as she adjusts the picture on the shelf to the left of her television. It’s her favorite of the ones she and Prim took together before her sister started med school.

They’d been so happy, arms wrapped around each other and a rare smile gracing her own lips. As it always had, Prim’s grin stretches across her face, and her blue eyes snap with excitement in the image. She deserved so much better than to become a human torch because someone was stupid enough to not know how to douse a grease fire. The senselessness of it all hits Katniss again. Someone cooked dinner, and that act killed her sister. Prim, who only wanted to heal people, died because an idiot didn’t know how to make bacon and then tried to douse the flames with water.

A knock sounds at her door and shakes her out of her reverie. She isn’t expecting anyone, but a second knock convinces her she shouldn’t ignore it. It could be her landlord, and the last thing she wants is a grumpy Haymitch Abernathy yelling at her because she’s inadvertently broken some rule she doesn’t even know exists in the first place. Tossing her braid over her left shoulder, she crosses her apartment and answers the door.

“Can I help you?”

She’s surprised she can get the words out of her mouth. The man standing there definitely isn’t her landlord, and he’s not old, grumpy, or drunk like Haymitch obviously has been every time she’s seen him. The guy standing in front of her must be about her age, maybe a few years younger, and he has shockingly blue eyes which remind her of her sister’s, as well as the same ashy blonde hair that falls in a shock of curls over his forehead. She has the sudden urge to reach up and push them back, but she keeps her hands at her sides. It would be exceptionally inappropriate to grope a total stranger, even if he is standing in her doorway with a smile and a paper bag that smells something like heaven.

“I’m Peeta. Peeta Mellark. Your next door neighbor. I brought you some pastries.”

“Pasties?” She squeaks out the word and immediately wants to smack herself. She sounds a little like a mouse, while his voice makes her insides vibrate. Also, what did she just say?

Peeta does a double take before bursting into laughter. “Pastries, not pasties. I’m not into that— Well, I mean…uh… I mean, I could be, but not the first time I meet a woman.”

His face is bright red, but hers feels like it’s flaming. She can’t believe she said that and crosses her arms unconsciously to cover her breasts before uncrossing them just as quickly. She’s not sure which is worse at drawing attention to the fact that she has nipples that pasties would cover, and… Hell, she’s spiraling.

“I’m sorry,” she babbles. “That was unseemly.”

“It’s fine. Hilarious, actually.” He grins and gives her a onceover, which makes her blush even harder.

“Well, pastries make way more sense and smell a lot better. But, why?” She’s not sure if that sounds rude or not, but it’s better than what she’s already blurted.

“I’m a baker,” he offers in explanation. “Just a little welcome to the building, uh…?”

“Uh…?”

She can’t think. He’s staring at her, and it makes her extremely uncomfortable in a very peculiar way. She’s not able to name it, but there’s something bubbling below the surface. If she concentrates really hard, she could probably identify the feeling. However, that’s not an option when Baker Boy is standing there with a perplexed look.

“You are?”

“Oh! Sorry, sorry,” she mumbles. “I’m Katniss. Katniss Everdeen. Just moved in. You probably already knew that. I, uh, thank you. This is great.”

“You’re welcome. Welcome to the building, Katniss, Katniss Everdeen. Let me know if you need anything. I always have eggs and sugar and more.”

“More?”

“Yeah. Think on it.”

With that, he disappears into his own apartment, and she’s left holding the bag. Literally.

In a trance, she crosses to her kitchen and sets the pastries down on the counter. Flustered, she pulls a bun out and sinks her teeth into a little bite of decadence that’s got to be illegal in all fifty states, Canada, Mexico, and half of Europe. It tastes so good it’s sinful. It’s doughy and filled with cheese, and she moans so loudly she wonders if he can hear her through their shared wall.

“Sweet Jesus,” she mumbles. “That’s the best thing I’ve eaten in a long time.”

She sits there with a grin on her face for a stupid amount of time before realizing she’s hungry for more, and it’s not necessarily baked goods she wants.

****

Katniss rounds the corner and smacks into a wall. With a loud oof and a screech, she flails in her attempt to stay upright and keep her groceries from falling around her. Just when she’s about to lose it all, strong arms grab her and pull her upright. Relieved, she looks up and falls into the blue pools of her neighbor’s eyes.

“Easy there,” he says with the hint of a smile. “Where’s the fire?”

She almost says, “In my pants.” She really does, but she’s made a fool out of herself enough with him already. She frees herself from his clutches and congratulates herself on remaining calm, and then she sees what he’s wearing. Which isn’t much.

“Holy hell,” she murmurs at the sight of sweat-soaked skin and form-fitting running shorts.

“Sorry. I just got back from a run.”

“I…yeah. I see that.”

She can see some other stuff, too, and it is impressive. She can’t stop looking at him. He’s absolutely gorgeous, and she’s just told herself a few days ago that she needs to get back out there and has no idea how. She did say that, and here he is. She doesn’t even have to leave her building to find an opportunity. There’s no way she’s this lucky.

“Can I help with those?” He nods at the bags she’s holding and reaches out to take the ones hanging from her wrists. He brushes her hand with his, and her insides sizzle.

“Sure.”

She’s going to seduce him. Or let him seduce her. Or get him drunk and take advantage of him. Or something.

Every single fiber in her body tingles. It feels like waking up after a decade long nap and feeling simultaneously ravenous and powerful beyond belief. As he follows her into her apartment, she scans the area and decides to just go for it. What’s the worst that can happen? Her neighbor hates her? Well, that would be terrible, but she can move. That’s how turned on she is by him. She’ll risk a broken lease.

“You can just put them there,” she says softly and runs her hand down his arm. He freezes and looks at her, and she stands her ground. Maybe she’s not thinking straight, but she wants him. Now.

“Katniss?”

She presses into him and trails a finger down her bare chest. She wipes a sweat droplet from his skin and bites her bottom lip.

“Yes, Peeta?”

“I’m not misreading this, am I?”

She wraps her arms around his neck and tips her head back. “No, I don’t think you are.”

“Fuuuuuuck,” he drawls.

Looking directly at him, she says, “I really hope so.”

“Oh, hell.”

His mouth captures hers in a searing kiss, and she turns off her brain. She has no intention of thinking, only feeling for the next however long. His tongue is in her mouth, her hands are on his ass, and his sweat dampens her clothes.

Peeta hoists her into the air and wraps her legs around his waist. He stumbles backward to deposit her on the edge of the countertop and rucks up her shirt to slide his hands along her waist. Frantic, she tugs at his waistband, indicating she’d prefer he lose the shorts, and he growls into her mouth when she slips them over his hips. She cups his backside, pulling him between her legs and moans against him.

“Please,” she gasps. “Fuck, please.”

He’s frenetic, all power and kinetic energy as he rolls her leggings down her thighs, baring her to him. When she bites his lower lip, he grunts and shoves his hands between her legs. He pushes inside her roughly, and she whimpers at his pace. His thumb’s on her clit, and his middle finger plunders her as their tongues tangle and dance together.

She’s got him in her hand, jerking and tugging as he swells in her palm. It’s a solid weight there, but she wants it inside her. She doesn’t have time to look. She’s too enthralled in what his lips are saying as they mate with hers.

Katniss tugs one of her feet free and yanks him to her with her legs. His shaft is hot against her slit. She begs for him with her hands and body, but he pulls back slightly to catch her gaze.

“Are you sure?” he asks, his voice ragged and broken. She nods frantically, and he moans in the back of his throat. “I’ll pull out. I promise.”

“Okay,” she agrees.

She’d agree to about anything as long as he gives it to her hard. Then he’s inside her, stretching her as she calls his name. He’s big enough that it’s uncomfortable at first, until her body adjusts to the intrusion and she’s aching for more. By the time she’s relaxed, he’s pumping into her with her name falling from his lips as he bites and licks at her jawline.

“Tug my hair,” she manages to instruct, and he yanks on her braid so hard her eyes water. It’s sexy as hell, and she grapples at his back in an attempt to pull him further inside her. He’s good at this, she realizes. Really good at it, and she thanks her lucky stars she’s the fortunate recipient of such a fantastic experience. He’s doing everything he can to make it good for her, and it really, really, really is.

What they’re doing is so messy, but she doesn’t care. She owns bleach and anti-bacterial cleaning supplies. She just purchased them, in fact, and she’s going to need all of them if the mess between her legs is any indication. She’s quickly losing control, fucking against him as hard as she can.

Skin slaps together, sweat pours off them both, and he nuzzles his face into her shirt. If they had more time, she’d take it off for him—maybe she’ll wear pasties next time just to blow his mind—but they’re careening toward a climax faster than she knows how to handle. She’s desperate for more friction, so eager that she rubs herself as his thrusts stutter and falter.

“I gotta pull out. I’m gonna— shit!”

He yanks free, and she catches the sight of him before her eyes roll back in her head. His skin is pink and glistening with moisture from her body. The first splash of his climax hits warm and wet on her leg, and she arches her back as waves roll through her. Her hand cramps as she contorts it. Her hips buck, and then she’s reaching for him. She clings as her body tenses and releases repeatedly.

When it’s over, she huffs several breaths before blinking open her eyes. Her t-shirt hem has fallen against her thigh, and it’s marked with his ejaculate, as is most of her thigh and stomach. He pants into her ear, but he doesn’t seem to be in any hurry to let her go. That’s fine with her, although it surprises her how affectionate he’s being in the aftermath of a quickie in her kitchen.

“Katniss, that was—”

“Something we need to do again.”

“I think it gives new meaning to the phrase ‘welcome wagon.’”

“Because you want me to ride you next time?”

“Next time?” His eyes are blown wide, his pupils dilated as he realizes what she’s saying. “You want there to be a next time?”

“I’m not sure I want this one to be over.”

He flushes at her suggestion, but he’s a very helpful neighbor. Before he leaves to head back to his own apartment, he cleans up and then eats to his heart’s content. She’s pretty satiated from his visit, too.

#hutchhitched #prompt 34 #Springtime Edition 2021 #submission

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lupismaris · 3 years

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Summertime, And The Livin’s Easy- a black sails fic prompt fill

this became incredibly long so instead of just posting it with the ask i’ve made it’s own post

@themelonface asks- For the fic prompts (if you're still taking them), silverflint talking about children. Can be AU, can be set during or after canon. I just have a feeling Miranda never wanted any, Thomas was too wrapped up in the fight for equality to need anything more than cats, but maybe James would have wanted kids in another life.

HERE MY DARLING HAVE THE FIRST OF hopefully TWO PROMPT FILLS because i want to write a post canon ficlet for this ask as well.

but for now have modern au silverflint (and hamilton at the end) and the discussion of children 💕

cw for mentions of child abuse and shitastic fathers!!! but theres nothing graphic mentioned or shown.

***

It was the hazy space between what would have been brunch on a weekend and the corporate lunch time rush and the start of cocktail hour on every other day when half the bars in Brooklyn Heights hadn’t actually opened their doors yet and those that had were serving sandwiches and day drinking friendly cocktails.

The Walrus was one of the latter.

Silver slid off his bar stool as the last member of the aforementioned lunch rush stepped out the door and leaned against the polished bar top with a bright grin. “How you holding up, honey?” Muldoon rolled his eyes. “Please, a corpse could make an aperol spritz.” “I doubt a corpse could make that many of them that quickly.” “Flattery might work on other men,” Muldoon said, as he always did, with a wag of his tattooed finger and a smile fighting to show on his face. “But it will not work on me.” “Are you sure? Cause you were pretty sexy with those martinis. Remind me why its always vodka?” “Your boyfriend has told you that a dozen times already, I know it for a fact, you shit.” “Okay but maybe I wanna hear you explain it. Again,” Silver said, propping his chin on his hands and putting on his best Cheshire smile, throwing in a slight batting of the lashes just for Muldoon’s sake. They played this game every time Silver wasted away a few hours at the bar, which he was starting to do more and more often. He’d joke with Flint that it was only out of boredom, but in truth, he felt safe there, nestled in the corner with his laptop or acting as an honorary member of the staff when they needed some help. He didn’t want to dwell too much on it, on why he felt so safe there or why after so many years he was once again feeling so painfully devoted to the same group of men who’d despite everything, seen him through hell. Muldoon sighed, his hands making quick work of filling the high powered steam dishwasher under the counter. He pushed it closed with his hip and looked up at Silver, finally cracking a smile. “Do you want to help me run bar for a bit, love? While it’s quiet?”

Silver was behind the bar before Muldoon could even consider changing his mind. He did pause to duck into the kitchen quickly, where the two line cooks- Randal and Dooley- were working on their mise en place and Vane was wedged into the alley doorway with a cigarette in his mouth, recovering from the lunch rush. His long hair was carefully tied up in a braided bun and covered in a bandanna, ears lined as always with half a dozen hoops a piece. “Why do you look like you just ate a canary?” Vane asked around his smoke. “No reason. Where’s the Captain?” Vane nodded to the walk in pantry where Flint was likely checking stock counts, “he’s in a mood again.” “When isn’t he? When he’s done tell him to come up to the bar I’ve got a surprise,” Silver said, still wearing that grin, and Vane laughed with a nod, going back to watching the alley behind the bar. “Alright come on you flirt-” Muldoon called, and Silver quickly washed his hands and snagged one of the spare aprons Hal kept behind the bar. It wasn’t like he didn’t know how to make a cocktail, he played bartender for house parties all the time. But there was something different about learning to do it properly, from Muldoon who clearly took great pride in it, and in a place that was quickly becoming a second home to him. An hour in, and several successful cocktails later, Muldoon allowed Silver to help him actually fill orders for the few customers they got, though it wasn’t many. Flint still had not resurfaced from the kitchen, and so Silver kept his focus on the recipes Muldoon had him run through- proper martinis and Manhattans, Mojitos and mules, mezcal margs and all the things you could do with the collection of Amaros and aperitifs behind the bar. The customers were students on their way home from morning classes, morning shifters heading home or stopping for some food before the evening shift at their second job started, regulars who stopped in for lunch because no one made a cuban quite as well as their kitchen did. And then the door chimed and Silver looked up with his customary smile and greeting ready, waiting to see where the guests might seat themselves- the host wouldn’t be in till four when the official dinner service started- and found himself staring at, well, children. Six of them, all too young to be in a bar unsupervised even before happy hour but probably even too young to be wandering around Brooklyn by themselves as it was. The older two definitely had the hardened older sibling with “semi absent if not entirely absent parents” look around them, Silver knew that look far too well, though whether the four younger kids were siblings or just under their care he couldn’t be sure. All of them were wearing some variation of public school uniform which Silver recognized from the public school a few blocks away. “Hey Nicki,” Muldoon said with a wave, and one of the older kids with short messy dark hair and equally dark eyes waved back. Silver looked at Muldoon quickly with raised brows. “Do me a favor go find Flint, okay? Tell him the kids are up front.” Silver just nodded, watching as Nicki and the other older kid shepherded the younger kids into the big corner booth closest to the bar without being told to, and slipped into the kitchen. Vane was at the prep table, knife in hand and making quick work of a cut of meat. He didn’t look up when he heard the door swing open but tilted his head expectantly. “Flint?” Sliver asked. “Smoke break, should be about done. Said he was coming up to see you in a minute.” Silver threw open the back alley door and there was Flint, propped up against the wall with a beaten up paperback on his knee and a forgotten cigarette in his hand. He looked up at him with a frown. “Hey whats wrong? You set the bar on fire with a flaming mojito or something?” he said, wearing a rare teasing smile. “Not yet but theres like, half a kindergarten class upfront.” Flint blinked, looked at his watch, and swore, “shit they must’ve let out early cause of the heat.” “Darling, what in the hell are you talking about.” Flint stubbed out the cigarette and tossed it in the ashtray by the door, kissing the top of Silver’s head as he passed. “I’ll explain in a minute- Vane! Leave the dinner service I need you on the meal kits with me-” “Already started on them,” Vane said, waving the knife idly as he portioned the meat into rather exact ready to cook portions. Flint nodded and washed his hands. “Dooley wheres those sandwiches I told you to fix-” “Here boss.” “Silver,” Flint loaded up six plates of sandwiches onto two serving trays and passed the lighter of the two to Silver. “Take one of these out with me ‘kay?” Silver nodded and balanced the tray on his shoulder, following Flint out of the kitchen. The bar was still mostly empty, Muldoon hanging out at the corner of the bar closest to the kids, making them each a Shirley Temple and passing Nicki a pitcher of water for them to share. Normally, Silver would’ve made some smart ass remark about how apparently it was normally for a bunch of kids to just turn up at the bar for lunch but something about this felt different and something in the set of Flint’s shoulders told him to stay quiet. “Let me guess the AirCon crap out again?” Flint asked upon reaching the table. “Or did one of you sabotage it to get out early?” The younger kids all started talking at once, bursts of loud excitement at seeing Flint, and the food, all wanting to explain why they had been let out of school a little bit early that day. Nicki and the other older kid, Sola, helped distribute the plates of food with smiles and nods of thanks while Flint listened intently to the kids’ rambling and incoherent explanations. Once the young-ins were distracted by the sandwiches, Nicki offered a more coherent explanation. “Yeah they said the AC’s gonna be out till tomorrow with the heat, so they’re closing school till Monday,” he said. “Three day weekend I guess, without the extra homework since the teachers didn’t have time to prepare for any.” “Nice. Gonna meet your friends at the bridge park tomorrow? You mentioned wanting to get your kick flips more polished.” Nicki shook his head, looking bitter about it. “Can’t, busted up my front bearings and wheels on a ride home last week, won’t be able to afford to fix it for a bit. S’fine though, got chores to do.” Flint nodded, leaning back against the bar with his arms lazily crossed over his middle. “Do me a solid and bring the board by tomorrow okay? I think one of my guys might have some spare parts they’re not using.” Silver felt something in him break a little at the way the boy’s face lit up at Flint’s words. Or maybe it was at the ease with which Flint handled the kids, the openness he showed them, listening to how their days had gone, if only in brief, listening to their problems, which to them seemed world ending- Sola’s internet was out for the weekend, so she’d be at the library doing homework on Friday and probably most of the weekend when she wasn’t helping at her aunt’s salon, the little ones would all be shuttled to various relatives until Monday until they went back to school and Sola and Nicki, or another of the older kids in their building would take charge of them again. One of the younger kids was staring at Silver, her sandwich half held to her mouth. Just staring, bright brown eyes fixed on him in that quizzical way that children possessed that always made Silver feel transparent. Flint noticed and followed her gaze with an amused grin, waving for Silver to come over to join them instead of hiding behind the bar with Muldoon. Silver looked at him wide eyed for a moment, then at the kids, specifically the little girl who was staring him down like a gunslinger, and then back at Flint, who just reached for him. Damn the bastard, he knew that was all it ever took. Silver came over and let Flint pull him in under his arm, feeling like a bug under the microscope in a science class he never attended but had heard about from other people. “You have pretty hair,” the little girl said. She was missing her two front teeth and Silver wanted to melt. “Thank you. You have big eyes.” “Yeah. They see a lot,” She said nodding solemnly. Silver could feel Flint shifting with the effort it took not to laugh. “They’re a pretty color. They remind me of this stone called tiger’s eye,” Silver continued. He could see Nicki giving Flint a look, though he didn’t know what Flint was doing in response. The little girl tilted her head. “Whats that?” So Silver pulled out his phone and showed her, which lead to a short lesson in gemstones that mostly amounted to excited cries of “oh shiny” and “I’d steal that one” which did Silver’s heart good. “This is Silver, a friend of mine who just moved back to town. He’s helping out round here. So he and I are gonna go fix your take away bags,” Flint said, once the momentary fascination in gemstones had faded and the kids were once again fixed on their plates. “Sola, you and Nicki just let Muldoon know if you guys need anything, or stick your head in the kitchen and yell okay? We’ll hear you. C’mon Silver.” If Silver had hoped for an explanation, he didn’t get one. Once he and Flint crossed the threshold back into the kitchen there was work to be done- Randal and Dooley handled the orders brought to them from the waitstaff while Flint and Vane, with Silver doing whatever Flint told him to, made quick work of assembling meal kit after meal kit from dishes both on and off the bar’s menu. Everything was boxed up and taped shut, paired with pre-typed instructions on how to cook the meals and how many servings each would make, and tucked into sturdy double layered brown bags that would hopefully survive a trip across the neighborhood. As they were finishing twenty minutes later, Hal’s voice could be heard through the window behind the bar, which answered Silver’s most pressing question- did he know that Flint was just running a school cafeteria out of the bar? Apparently yes, and apparently the kids were just as excited, if not more so, to see “Uncle” Hal. Because of course they called him Uncle Hal, why wouldn’t they. God, Silver was going to have to book a fucking dentist appointment for all the tooth rot the sweetness of this was giving him. He helped Flint carry out the bags of food, Vane insisting the kids would be too scared of him while Flint argued that Vane was just scared of the kids, and Silver watched as Hal and Flint got the bags labeled for each child and into a push cart that Sola promised to bring back the next day when she passed on her way to her Aunt’s salon. He then did his very best not to pass away on the spot as each kid, even Nicki and Sola, hugged Hal goodbye. Flint had crouched down to say good by to the little ones, accepting their clumsy hugs, reminding them to be careful walking home, and asking them to recite the bar’s phone number for him just in case (though Silver was sure they probably had cellphones, even if they were elementary schoolers), before he stood and gave Nicki and Sola each a one armed hug and watched them shepherd the group outside again. “Only group today?” Hal asked and Silver thought his voice sounded a bit heavy. “So far. Powers out at their school though, likely a couple others’ll come by later. Want me to call around to the other bars and see if they’ve heard anything?” “Yeah call the food bank and the closest shelter too for me, see if we can’t drop off our end of night supply to them this weekend.” Later, several more hours of food prep and three more groups of wary looking kids who all seemed completely unafraid of Flint and his crew, plus a Thursday night dinner rush, and Silver finally got his explanation. He also thought he should have gotten the nobel prize for being able to keep his mouth shut for as long as he did. “So are we gonna talk about it?” Flint was sitting on the floor in front of him, half asleep already between his thighs, as Silver combed his hair. They had taken home food from the bar and shared a six pack between them on the deck, Thomas held up at a Client dinner where he was no doubt being wined and dined and bored to absolute tears. They had treated themselves then to a hot bath, with the jets, and were now just wasting time with the kind of nonsexual intimacy that Silver had learned he craved with Flint, waiting for Thomas to join them so they could all manage a good nights sleep. “Talk about what?” Flint asked, his voice a heady rumble. “The kids. And why they knew to just wander into a bar on a Thursday,” Silver said, keeping his voice gentle. He coated his hands in more product and worked it into the shaved sides and back of Flint’s head, massaging his scalp as he went. “Why you and Hal and the rest of the crew seemed completely unphased by it.” Flint hummed lowly, nearly a purr as he leaned into Silver’s touch. They’d settled into the bedroom Thomas and Flint shared, like they did most nights since it had the nicest adjoining bathroom and all the obnoxiously nice hair and skin care products. Silver sat in the old plush armchair, bundled up in a robe while Flint, naked and content to air dry, leaned into him, a picture of ginger hair, rich freckles, and well loved tattoos on a soft strong figure. If Silver hadn’t been so distracted by the day, he’d have been more appreciative. “S’not that big a deal. Lots of families round here with young kids, can’t keep an eye on them between working two or three jobs, haven’t got money for babysitters or relatives to watch ‘em, or enough to cover food for the week, especially when the public schools can’t feed em. You start to notice which kids it is, when they pass by, which schools they go to, which blocks.” “In Brooklyn Heights?” “They don’t live in this neighborhood, Silver, you know that, not all of Brooklyn has been gentrified to shit by the developers. Hell walk a few blocks east towards the tech school and you’ll find a lot of them. Or south towards Bayridge. Anyway, the groups you met today are all right from Downtown Brooklyn, they go to school nearby you’ve seen them.” “Yeah I just… I dunno, you see so much of the multi-million dollar condos I guess you forget thats not all theres is.” “Nicki lives with his mom, his dad walked out and she’s working two jobs to keep the one bedroom they share over on Jay street. He’s only thirteen but he tried getting a job with me washing dishes last summer, I turned him down, sent him home with some food for his trouble,” Flint continued. Silver smiled, he could picture the scrappy dark haired boy trying to square up with Flint, trying to convince him he was old enough to legally work. “Let me guess he wasn’t the first.” “Won’t be the last either. If they aren’t working for the family to earn some extra money or to cut back on hiring expenses they’re looking for shifts somewhere to pick up the slack. They’re losing out on being kids all because the rent keeps going up and there ain’t shit else to do about it other than leave. And a lot of them can’t even afford to do that.” There was a familiar grit to Flint’s voice, the old bitter salt that meant someone had touched a nerve. It scared other people, but Silver knew it just meant Flint was, for the moment, being vulnerable with him. “Were you Nicki once? Trying to bully your way into work?” Silver asked softly. He reached for the comb again and sectioned off a part of Flint’s hair to start working with. Flint was quiet a moment. “Yeah. Yeah worked the docks a bit as a boy, most kids did it to earn pocket money or to help out with the bills.” “Which was it for you?” “Granddad only had his pension. And he spent that on booze. So whatever I earned at the docks helping the fishermen, or from pickpocketing, that was what bought food. Kept the lights on, shit like that. I told you once, that I met Henessy that way, picking his pocket.” Silver laughed softly. “I do remember. You technically succeeded, didn’t you?” “Mm, he only caught me cause someone snitched. Broke that fuckers nose real good I’ll tell you.” They were quiet for a moment, Silver combing Flint’s hair with impossible care, working his fingers through any knots he found, before following with product and conditioner, Flint grew heavier and heavier against him, warm and soft and his. “So you and Hal decided to do something, the way you always do?” Silver asked. “Hm? Oh yeah- city isn’t doin’ much, food banks and schools are already over run, and when school holidays hit, they can barely keep up demand for kids who need free meals. So we got a few other bars involved, met with some schools and the food banks and sent out some notices and just- started feeding people. I mean thats why Hal wanted to open the bar you know? You feed people and you give them everything. You feed them and they’ll do the rest. So thats what we did. In a week or two when the schools are out for the summer we’ll have a couple trucks that’ll make deliveries, so the kids don’t have to come to the bar.” Silver hummed and kissed his temple. “You’re sweet.” “Am not.” “You’ll let me help, right? Prep the meals and stuff?” Flint tipped his head back to look up at him. “You want to?” “Yeah. This altruistic thing is new to me, as is the cooking for fun thing but… it matters, to you, any idiot can see that. And I want to be part of it.” Silver smiled and leaned down to kiss him best he could. He could feel Flint smiling into the upside down kiss. “You’re really good with them too, you know, which please don’t take this the wrong way, I did not expect,” he added when he pulled back. “What with the kids?” “Yeah.” “Oh no offense taken I have no idea how it happened. They just aren’t afraid of me for some reason. I fully expected them to be, mind. I used to think I had the kind of face that would make babies and small children cry but apparently they just, I dunno, think I’m alright.” “They trust you, thats a big deal for kids. Especially ones who have clearly been let down by other adults. I mean you also talk to them like they’re just tiny adults which probably helps.” “They’re gonna be adults one day, might as well treat them with dignity well before they realize they should be fighting for it, you know?” Silver smiled softly, “Sometimes I don’t think you realize how magnificent you are, you bastard.” Flint didn’t say anything, just blindly reached for Sliver’s hands so he could pull him closer. So silver set aside the comb and rested his chin on the top of Flint’s head, wrapping his arms around him and holding tight to his weathered, tattooed hands. “You were good with them too, once you stopped being scared of them,” Flint offered. “Kids scare me, I’ve never spent enough time around them to learn how to make them happy. They’re so easy to hurt, so easy to damage. And extremely durable, extremely resilient but… I dunno… Just never trusted myself and never had the opportunity to do more than amuse them for a few minutes at a time before vanishing into thin air like Santa Claus.” “Well, you’ll have plenty of practice at the bar. I still think you were good with them. Little Sylvie likes you at least.” “Not as much as they love you.” Silver thought a moment. “Hey…” “Hm?” “Have… Have you and Thomas ever talked about kids?” It was a heavy question, one that might have been too much too soon and a part of Silver wished he hadn’t asked it. But there had been such a softness in Flint’s face when he’d spoken to the children, a kindness and a focus in his attention that meant he’d put time and effort into his actions, into making sure what he was doing was what the kids needed in that moment. It wasn’t just an adult slumming it with the neighborhood kids cause he had nothing better to do, it was almost, dare Silver think it, Paternal in nature. Paternal and the dread Captain Flint being used in the same sentence had not been something Silver had ever considered as possible, and yet- And yet it was, and it had piqued the old curiosity. Flint was quiet again, though he didn’t pull away or let go of Silvers hands, so Silver trusted that he hadn’t upset him. Silver held him tightly, turning his head to rest his cheek on Flint’s hair and wait patiently for him to speak. “Its complicated, pup.” “You don’t have to tell me. I was just curious. I never thought of you as a dad until today but now I’m… I won’t lie a part of me is still thinking about it.” There was a soft shuddering sound and Silver felt Flint shift in his arms, curling tighter in on himself for a moment before trying to settle again. Silver held tight, pressing his face into his hair. It took another moment or two, and several deep breaths, but Flint eventually spoke. “Thomas and Miranda were expected to have children when they married,” he said lowly, “all wealthy families expect heirs. But Miranda didn’t want to go through pregnancy and Thomas wasn’t sure if he could sire so they found ways of putting it off and focusing on Thomas’ political career. Thomas… he wanted to save the world, I’m sure for a while he thought he couldn’t allow himself thoughts of a future until that was done.” Silver hummed. That did sound like Thomas. Even now, with the chip on his shoulder and the somewhat colder view of the world, he still seemed to think he could save it. Silver wasn’t about to point out that Flint still seemed to think the same way. “And after everything I dunno I guess it just took so much time to remember how to be living, breathing people again, that children were never part of the consideration,” Flint said with a shrug. There was a weight to his voice, an emptiness that had Silver frowning slightly in surprise. “How can you care for a child when you’ve only just come back to life? When you’ve only just found reason to stay alive? It- Any child we brought into our lives would have been at risk, back then for certain, though I’m not sure a child would be better off now and besides with how much we work its not like-” “James,” Silver said softly, lifting his head, “you’re rambling.” Flint went still in his arms, still as if waiting for the lash that he knew would never come, but waited for all the same. The readiness with which Flint expected violence broke something in Silver, just as much as it felt like a mirror, smudged and smoky and cracked with age. “Is this your way of saying you want to be a father, but the thought of it terrifies you?” Silver asked. “The things I’ve done,” Flint said in a rough voice, “The stains my hands have carried- I’d see them every time I held my child. That’s my fear, I think. That I’d see them, and that violence would stain them as well.” He paused. Silver held him, hiding his own face. It was easier, they had learned, to talk about such things like this, with Flint’s back to Silver, their faces just hidden enough to give the illusion of control. How many secrets had they shared like this? Silver was losing count. “I was raised by a drunken old sailor and a bastard of a navy man who brought nothing but ruin- what could I ever give a child, John?” Flint asked, his hands white knuckle tight on Silver’s, his eyes the deep green of the sea, ghostly and far away. “What could I give them but that same ruin?” And what could Silver say in the face of that? So he said nothing, just nodded and kissed Flints throat until the tension in his shoulders softened and Flint settled back against Silver’s body to rest, weary and still haunted, but at least no longer at knife point in his own home. Silver went back to brushing his hair, singing softly to him as he worked, until Thomas came home and they were able to find more pleasant ways to spend their evening than discussing the sins of one’s father. They didn’t talk about the possibility of children again, not for the whole of the summer. They helped the food banks and the neighborhood families as best they could through the summer, made sure whatever kids stopped by the bar or the kitchen door in the alley left with something to eat, on the house. Thomas made sure checks were written to the shelters and the food banks that needed them, that the families that needed childcare could get it free of charge. They got through the summer, and the conversation never arose again. Silver just kept the thought of Flint holding a bright eyed child that sometimes looked like Thomas’ kid, and sometimes looked like his own, locked away safely in his heart and didn’t examine it too closely. Then Idelle had her baby in August. In October they held a two month belated baby shower for her at The Walrus, so the crew could meet little Wesley Ira Featherstone and his father, bless him, could cry with his crew mates about how proud he was while Idelle had her first stiff drink in over a year. Rackham was there, of course, as the boy’s God father (Silver was delighted by the idea because Rackham was absolutely as terrified by the concept as he was as honored) and Wesley took to him as well as any two month old possibly could. But when it came to crying babies, Rackham didn’t know what to do, and Hal the God Father to all and obvious baby whisperer was back in the kitchen unable to assist. And so Thomas and Silver watched as Flint, who seemed to be acting without really thinking about what he was doing (outside of scolding Rackham who was himself on the verge of tears) scooped up the baby and promptly rocked him calm within moments. “How did you-” Rackham stared at him in shock. “If you didn’t fuckin panic all the time then he wouldn’a started crying,” Flint growled at him, which Wesley found hilarious, if the slew of gurgling giggles was anything to go by. Silver watched, feeling his face split into a ridiculous smile, as Flint refused to give the baby back to Rackham until he’d sobered up, and instead let Idelle tie a sling around his chest to tuck Wesley into, so he could still fix drinks and use his hands while keeping the baby safe. “Sure you don’t want me to take him back?” she asked, Max watching with an amused smile. “You’ll have plenty of him soon, I got ‘im. Just give Rackham a 101 on how to actually hold a baby.” Silver leaned into Thomas as they watched Flint from their seats at the bar, humming as Thomas’ arm went around him automatically, pulling him close into his side. He looked up, curious to see what Thomas thought of his husband suddenly so at home with a child. He didn’t know what he had been expecting, but whatever it was, it wasn’t what he saw. Thomas’s face had gone soft, from the crows feet around his eyes to the laughter lines around his mouth, which parted in the gentlest shape of awe Silver might have ever seen on the man, as if he’d realized something he’d never considered before. His shoulders were rounded, leaning forward against the bar, hand fidgeting against the polished bartop as if desperate to reach out for his husband. Silver could feel the arm he hand around his shoulder tensing with the need to act. They watched as Flint moved behind the bar, one hand resting where Wesley’s head was under the sling, rocking him gently as he fetched fresh beers for himself and for Hal. Silver was watching his face, watching the way his lips were moving, as if he were talking to the baby, but he was just too far away to hear what he was saying. “He’s singing,” came Thomas’ voice suddenly, almost lost to the noise of the bar. “What?” “He’s singing,” Thomas said again, nodding to his husband. “Padstow Farewell, he sings it to me sometimes when I have nightmares, I’d know the lyrics on his lips even in the grave.” Silver smiled softly. “He sang it to me when I was recovering from my leg. I didn’t know it could be a lullaby.” “Neither did I but…” “But now-” “Yeah.” Silver reached for Thomas’ other hand and kissed his knuckles, leaning into him further. Thomas held him impossibly tight, resting his cheek on his hair. There’d be more to talk about in the morning, tomorrow, the day after, next week, next month, next year. And there was a dizzying sense of joy in that, the same kind of joy that came from watching Flint carrying the future in his worn and weathered hands.

#my fic #jamie's fic prompt fills #black sails #black sails fic #black sails modern au #silverflinthamilton #silverflint #james flint #john silver #thomas hamilton #@themelonface #muldoon #hal gates #charles vane #i had a lot of feelings writing this one y'all just so many feelings all over the plave holy shit!!!!

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justlookatthosesausages · 3 years

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Frozen x Loki AU prompt - Elsa meeting her other variants in the Void after Hans attempts to get rid of her for the throne

ahjsgdfhdsgd the comical potential though, but also serious matter

I'm thinking of 4 variants. Of course if you guys have other ideas I'd LOVE to hear them and learn about your OCs too lol

let's make it in a 5 headcanons list form!

Obviously, all of them have magic. Elsa without powers would be... out of character, I think. Now if you can write a very good Elsa with no magic I am all ears for real

First variant she meets, and who will accompany her along her adventure (but no romance, y'all, having Elsa bond with any of her variants romantically would be creepy) is one who looks just like her with the same royal background etc but with all optimism and joy ripped out of her. She has the same age but looks older. She is definitely sadder. She spends every night staring at the stars instead of sleeping like Original Elsa. Later on Original Elsa finds out that this sad!Elsa actually killed Anna in the accident when they were younger. (yes please jump at my throat)

Next variant is a modern version of her, from a parallel world that actually is similar to ours. That Elsa is from modern Norway and also happens to be the CEO of Arendelle Inc., an architecture company that has An Iconic Building(TM) that she designed herself. Anna and Kristoff work at the company and actually met there. [For more details you can see my #frozen texts thread which is basically my whole delirium about this OC] . She is a VERY skilled architect, even more than Original Elsa if that's even possible, and at some point they need to infiltrate Hans' base so before leaving, architectCEO!Elsa makes sure that they place bombs on each of the weak points of the building to make it collapse later

Next variant is a hilarious idea I had, like, imagine a scientist!Elsa. You might think "Elsa's already into science" but no no no. WAY MORE than that. This Elsa hates that she has magic powers. Not because she is afraid of them, but because she is struggling to explain them in a scientific way. Original Elsa be like "but then how can you justify that we're able to create ice out of thin air?" and scientist!Elsa just blabbers like "We just have a different perception of particles and air pressure, it's nothing very--" and sad!Elsa goes "Then how come we can change the color of the ice?" to which scientist!Elsa replies "Easy. That's just a density trick." but then she looses her shit when trying to understand how Original Elsa stocks the energy obviously needed, in a scientific point of view, to BUILD AN ENTIRE ICE CASTLE IN ONE GO

Last variant I can think of (but can't wait to hear about yours) is babymagical!Elsa. A teenager who lives in a very recluded place (Earth or anywhere else) with just her horse (or the equivalent of it) and who is afraid of her powers because she never got the explanation for them. Original Elsa is more than touched and delighted to explain the whole Ahtohallan thing and she acts like a big sister with her through the whole adventure.

tadaaaaaaa!

Send me a Frozen AU and I'll write 5 headcanons :D

#cursedonceagain #asks #frozen AU #frozen x loki #frozen #frozen 2 #post frozen 2 #elsa #au elsa #ceo elsa #elsa ocs #frozen modern au

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gshinisalesbian · 3 years

Text

The Mistletoe in the Kitchen

| Modern AU fic, Aether x Venti and Lumine x Childe. ~5,000 words.

| Lumine didn’t think her last minute decision of hanging up mistletoe in the kitchen would end up with her brother kissing a guy Lumine didn’t even know that well, but what else is new?

"It looks crooked," Tartaglia's relaxed voice chimed, gazing up towards the top of the tree. Indeed, as if the ginger had ever been correct in his life, the star atop the tree was crooked.

Lumine made a soft "tsk" noise, shaking her head gently. Her amber eyes drifted over to stare at her brother, who had his arms crossed in speculation as he gazed up at the star with a contemplative look.

He, too, seemed to take Tartaglia's side, moving closer to the tallest male in the room. "You're right. For once..." he mumbled under his breath, seeming to share the same thoughts as his sister.

Tartaglia pouted at that, shooting Aether a pointed glare. "I came here to help, and yet all you two seem to do is ridicule me."

"Oh, we appreciate you very much. Especially your height, it's very helpful when someone wants their star placed crooked," Aether pipped up, playfully grinning up at him.

"Don't fight this close to Christmas, or I swear I will throw out both of your presents," Aether's sister interrupted, watching as the two gave her matching disbelieved looks.

"You wouldn't!"

"Ah- Lumine, wait!"

"I absolutely would. You two get it together before the others gets here."

Tartaglia and Aether nodded their heads solemnly, focusing their attention back on trying to correct the position of the star.

Lumine ran her hand through her hair with a gentle sigh, looking at her mental checklist.

The trio had baked cookies and cooked a decent meal. Check. They had set up the Christmas tree with only... minor issues involved. Check. She had prepared presents for everyone coming. Check. Now, all she needed was for the rest of the group to arrive.

She made another mental list in her head, a reminder of all to expect to arrive. The first guests to have been invited were Lumine and Aether's next door neighbors, a pair of brothers named Diluc and Kaeya. They barely knew each other, with the twins having just moved in, but Kaeya had welcomed them to their new house with a playful smirk when they first moved in. When Lumine decided to host a Christmas party, Kaeya was one of the first to pop in her head when thinking of who to invite. The blue-haired male had asked if he could bring along his roommate and brother, Diluc, which Lumine had openly agreed to.

The next to be invited was an upperclassman in Lumine's college. Her name was Jean, and she was incredibly popular at the school for her incredible knowledge, insanely good looks, and natural kindness. Men and women alike seemed to fall on their heels for her. For a while, Lumine was included. Despite having moved on from her small crush, Jean was another person Lumine was determined to invite.

Then, of course, was Tartaglia. Aether and Lumine had grown up with him (and his many siblings) so it was only natural that he came too. Tartaglia and Lumine had been close for many years, but it was only a few months ago that Tartaglia had finally got the nerve to ask her out. Despite now being her boyfriend, he could still be, well, quite a bit to handle. Still, he had offered to help with the preparations, so she was more than grateful.

Then, was Venti. Venti was quite the mystery to Lumine, as he was invited through Aether, but what Lumine did know was that Aether got incredibly flustered and fidgety when Venti's name was brought up. Lumine was especially excited to meet him for that reason. What she did know about the male was that he took many of the same classes as Aether, and they were both freshmen. It wasn't uncommon for Lumine to get random texts from Aether, saying he would be home late because he was spending time with Venti.

Amber and Lisa were Lumine's best friends in high school (and still were!) so it was only natural for them to come too. Lisa was a year above the two, but the three had quickly bonded and became lifelong friends. You can imagine how surprised Lumine was to find out that Jean and Lisa were actually dating. Lisa had mentioned her girlfriend many times, but Lumine never would have guess it was the Jean at the same school as her.

Lastly, was Barbara and Klee. Barbara was Jean's little sister and had been invited by Lumine upon Lisa and Jean's request, and tagging along with Barbara was their younger cousin, Klee. Lumine didn't know much about Klee, but she was warned that she could be quite the handful at times. Well, Lumine was certain it was nothing that she couldn't handle.

Lumine let out a small sigh. Kaeya, Diluc, Jean, Venti, Amber, Lisa, Barbara, and Klee would be arriving soon, so Lumine simply hoped they were prepared enough.

As she left Tartaglia and Aether to fix the star, she focused herself on hanging up mistletoe in front of the doorway to the kitchen. If people wanted to kiss under it (with people meaning Lisa and Jean) than they could. Though of course, they didn't have to.

"Lumine! We fixed it!" She heard Aether's voice call, as she made her short way back to the living room to look at the tree.

Indeed, the star was fixed on top of the tree, though Lumine noticed the ruffled appearances of both Aether and Tartaglia. "Good job, boys," she acknowledged, giving them an amused smile.

"It was so hard," Tartaglia wined, falling backwards onto the couch. Lumine rolled her eyes at him, making her way to his side on the couch.

She poked his cheek coyly, peering down at him while trying to hold back her laughter. "Well, I'm afraid your work isn't over yet, dearest. You and Aether still need to get changed before everyone arrives."

Right as she spoke, the sound of the doorbell pierced through the house.

"Speak of the devil..." Lumine said with a frown, quickly pulling Tartaglia up. "Hurry, you two, go get dressed! I'll go greet the guest."

Lumine's boys quickly scurried upstairs to go change into their Christmas outfits while Lumine hurried over to the door. She adjusted her red Santa dress, making sure her hat was placed correctly on her head. With a gentle sigh, she turned the doorknob and opened the door.

Jean, Barbara, and Klee greeted her at the door, Klee practically bouncing in excitement when she saw Lumine. "Merry Christmas!" She cheered energetically.

Jean gave Lumine an apologetic smile, ruffling Klee's head. "Thank you for inviting us all." Barbara shyly nodded her head behind her older sister.

"Thank you all for coming," Lumine said politely, opening the door further to allow the trio in. "Make yourselves at home! There is cookies and food in the kitchen, and some alcohol for the older ones," Lumine said, shooting Jean a knowing look. "There are Christmas movies playing in the living room, and my brother and boyfriend will be downstairs soon if you want to mess with someone."

Jean let out a small laugh at her words as Klee curiously peaked around inside. Still having not said a word, Barbara clung to her sister's arm while watching Klee's actions. "Let me know if my cousin is being a bit... too much for you. Barbara and I can take care of her, right?" She said playfully, glancing down at Barbara and prompting her to speak.

Barbara timidly nodded her head, with a small, "Yeah."

Tartaglia and Aether announced their arrival downstairs by their arguing voices. Lumine held in a laugh as she saw Tartaglia in his elf costume and Aether in his reindeer getup, with colors matching Lumine. "Look at you two! So handsome," Lumine said with a small snort.

"Only for you, babe," Tartaglia said with a grin, grabbing Lumine's hands and pulling her close to his chest. Lumine gave him a skeptical look with a laugh in her voice.

"I really can't take you seriously when you look like a sunburnt elf." Tartaglia gasped in mock offense, pressing his forehead against her red Santa hat.

"I can't believe you don't love me, even as an elf. I thought we were forever, babe," Tartaglia said against her head, feigning sadness in his voice.

"I'm afraid not," she said with a small laugh, pulling away from Tartaglia's gentle hold. "I just keep you around so you can entertain our new friend, Klee." Lumine looked at the small red girl, shooting her a playful wink.

Klee beamed, nodding her head in agreement. "Yeah, what she said!"

Aether, who had been tiredly watching the interaction between his sister and her boyfriend, jumped when the doorbell rang. He shot Barbara and Jean an awkward smile, before pointing towards the door. "I'll- uh- just go get that."

Aether made his way to the door, opening it to the faces of Amber, Lisa, and Venti. Immediately flustered, Aether smiled gently at the group, who were talking energetically among each other. "I didn't know you two knew Venti," he said, with a certain fond softness.

"We just met!" Amber said with an ever happy smile, looking between Lisa and Venti. "We weirdly all arrived at your porch at the same time. Well, Lisa and I came together, Venti just happened to be here too."

"Aether, it's good to see you!" Venti said with a playful smile on her face, resting a hand on his hip. "You have alcohol here?" He teased.

"Of course. Had to make you come somehow. You better be grateful, because it took a whole lot of convincing to get Lumine to allow it."

"Ah, I see. Thank you, my hero," Venti teased, narrowing his eyes at Aether.

Aether smiled, flustered, watching his mint eyes. He momentarily found it a bit unfair that Lumine could be openly affectionate with Tartaglia, but because Aether wasn't confident enough to tell Venti how he felt, he couldn't do anything like that.

Lisa cleared her throat, sharing a look with Amber.

"Well, if you two are done, can we come inside? It's a bit cold out here, and I'm not getting any younger out here, darling."

"Oh! Of course!" Aether replied, embarrassment tainting his cheeks pink. Lisa, Amber, and Venti made their way inside, Lisa practically throwing herself on her girlfriend, Jean, when she saw her.

It didn't take long for everyone to make themselves comfortable in Aether and Lumine's house, Jean and Lisa cuddling up on the couch, Klee, Barbara, and Amber exploring the house together, Lumine and Tartaglia teasingly reenacting cringy scenes from the Christmas movies that were playing, finally leaving Aether to seek out Venti in the kitchen, who was helping himself to glasses of wine.

"You sure you can handle all that?" Aether asked him, leaning against the entryway of the kitchen. Venti glanced over at him with a grin, from where he sat atop the counter with a glass in his hand.

"Oh, I'm sure. I've had way more than this before. Remember the time we went to that bar together and you tried to copy how much I was drinking and passed out on me? Cause I definitely remember that," Venti said with a chuckle of laughter, watching the embarrassment take over Aether's face.

"You're never going to let me live that one down, are you?" Aether asked, crossing his arms over his chest (in maybe a small attempt to seem a bit cooler to the boy before him, but no one had to ever know that except for him).

"Absolutely not. That one is filed under stories to tell at your wedding. Better prepare your future wife," he continued nonchalantly, taking another chug of his glass.

"Actually, uh- Venti," Aether started uncertainly, looking down as he scuffed his foot against the hardwood floor. "Venti, I thought you knew, but I'm uh- I'm gay." His eyes immediately darted up to the boy who had paused in the middle of drinking, his face overtaken with surprise. Aether's head immediately started to panic. "I'm sorry if that makes you uncomfortable or anything! I'm not gonna like- weirdly hit on you or anything, so you don't have to worry about-"

"I'm gay." Venti interrupted, his face still covered in shock. He quickly cleared his throat, setting his drink on to the counter. "I mean, I'm gay too, Aether. You don't have to worry about me judging you or anything."

"You're- what? Really?"

"Yeah," Venti said with a small laugh. "I didn't ever tell you because I thought it would make you comfortable. But jokes on me, I guess."

"So your not, then? Uncomfortable?" Aether asked, noticing that he had been holding in his breath throughout the whole encounter. He felt a certain relief, knowing that his crush wasn’t completely unreachable, after all.

"No, I'm not. Are you?"

"No. I could never be," Aether said, letting out his breath as he took a cautious step closer to Venti.

"Good," Venti responded, sounding a bit more breathless than he had a second before, eyes taking in as Aether stepped closer and closer to him. "Good. Aether, I-"

"AETHER! It's so good to see you!" The two were interrupted by Kaeya's loud voice, as the blue-haired man wrapped his arms around Aether's waist and spun the small blond around.

"Kaeya, would you put him down?" Diluc's monotone voice cut through, watching the interaction with bored eyes. He narrowed his eyes at Venti in recognition. "Oh, you're here."

"Diluc, it's so good to see you!" Venti said cheerfully, showing no trace of the breathlessness that he had only moments before. "I've been wondering when you would come pay me a visit, hehe!"

"You two know each other?" Aether asked, having now been released from Kaeya's arms.

"Yep!" Venti answered, picking up his glass from where he had put it down on the counter. "Diluc and I go way back. I work part time at his bar!"

"More like steal from my bar. You don't think I notice how you're drunk too every time you get off of work?" Diluc said with a huff, crossing his arms.

"Oh, humbug. You could never get rid of me," Venti responded cheekily.

Kaeya threw an arm around his brother's shoulders, shooting everyone in the room a large grin. "Hey, Christmas is no time for arguing, now is it? Let's enjoy the party! Get drunk, shake our asses, as you do."

"Yours and my idea of a party is drastically different," Diluc grumbled, but grumpily accepted his brother's words.

Kaeya blatantly ignored Diluc, pushing off of him. "Well, now that that is settled, Diluc and I were actually sent to come find you two. Lumy and Ginger Head are watching the Grinch, and they want everyone to join."

Aether nodded his head, shooting a glance at Venti. "Uh- yeah, sure, we'll come! Just give us a second, I need to make sure- uh- Venti has enough wine," Aether said, despite Venti's glass being clearly still very full.

Kaeya and Diluc shared a look. "Uh-huh," Kaeya said skeptically, before shrugging his shoulders. "Well, we'll see you there, yeah? It's starting in a few minutes."

Aether let out a long sigh as the two left, the room being left in the silence between him and Venti.

"So why'd you want those two to leave?" Venti asked, peering at the blond boy over the top of his glass. He was still sitting on the counter, Aether only a few steps away from him. The distance could easily be closed, but why would it need to be? And why did Venti want it so bad?

"Well... I figured we should probably talk out a few things, right?" Aether asked, dodging Venti's gaze.

"Like what?"

"You're really not going to make this easy for me, huh?"

"Hehe~!"

"Venti," Aether started, gazing up at him. "Look, Venti, I-" Aether looked for the words to tell him what he thought, or even what he felt, but the words got caught in his throat as he gazed into Venti's piercing gaze. "I-" He thought maybe Venti's eyes saw Aether the same way that Aether saw Venti, but how could he really know? He did he know that Venti wouldn't be disgusted if he told him? "I- I just wanted to get something to drink before we sat down for the movie, that's all." Aether sighed, defeated.

Venti let out a sigh too, disappointedly resting his head in the palm of his hand. "Oh. Well, there's plenty to go around, I guess." He jumped off the edge of the counter, eyes avoiding Aether's. "Well, I'll see you in the living room, yeah?"

"Uh- yeah." Aether responded, flustered by the conversation.

With that, Venti left to the living room, Aether harshly slapping his own head. He was so close to saying it- why did he have to overthink so much? Why couldn't he be more like Lumine? She was so much better with words and feelings, and she didn't have to worry about hiding how she felt towards Tartaglia.

It all just felt so frustrating to Aether, and all he wanted was to be able to tell Venti how he felt about him. With another sigh, he poured himself a glass of wine. He was definitely going to need it, to get through the night. With that, he walked to the living room, where everyone at the party had gathered on the long couch Lumine and Aether owned.

Aether sat down next to Jean and Lisa, who were still cuddling against each other. Barbara sat on the other side of him, Klee sitting in her lap while curiously watching everyone in the room. Kaeya sat on the floor near Aether's feet, talking about something to Amber, who sat beside him. Diluc, Lumine, and Tartgalia sat on the opposite end of the couch, with Venti sitting on the arm of the couch near Diluc. Aether and Lumine’s cat, Paimon, bounded onto the couch, curling up in Aether’s lap as soon as he sat down.

The quit ambiance of the room was startled by Klee, who started talking eagerly. "My friend will be here soon!"

Lumine blinked in confusion, sharing a glance with Jean, who looked equally confused. "What?"

"My friend was lonely and no one wanted him around for Christmas. So I invited him here! Is that okay? Am I in trouble?" Klee pouted, looking over at her older cousin.

"Of course not, he's welcome to come!" Lumine said, trying to pacify the girl. "The more than merrier, right?" She asked, holding in a sigh. Hopefully Klee's friend wouldn't be as... energetic as she was. Not that that was a bad thing, but there was only so much Lumine could handle.

"Okay!" Klee beamed. "He's actually here right now!”

"He's... already here?"

"Yep! I'll go get the door!" Klee bounced off of Barbara’s lap to go answer the door, Lumine following shortly behind her after untangling herself from Tartaglia's arms.

Klee opened the door to a boyish looking male with white hair, who blinked sheepishly up at Lumine when he saw her, simply saying, "Hello, I am Razor."

"Razor!" Klee said excitedly, grabbing his hand and practically dragging him inside the house. "Come on, we're about to watch the Grinch!"

Lumine watched as Klee and Razor hurried inside, letting out an exasperated breath. It wasn't that Razor was unwelcome, but it was simply an unexpected turn in what she had believed to be a calm night.

Lumine made her way back to the living room, taking back her seat next to Tartaglia. Razor laid down on the floor next to Klee, blinking innocent eyes around the room. Tartaglia leaned into Lumine's side.

"You enjoying your night?" He teasingly whispered into her ear. She could feel him smile against her skin as she let out a breathy laugh.

"It's definitely something," she responded in a whisper, turning her head to look at him. They were so close to each other, that she could feel his breath on her skin. It made her feel queasy but so, so alive at the same time. She supposed that was always how he made her feel. "I'm just glad your here."

"I'll always be here for you. And I've kept that promise since we were kids, haven't I?" He chuckled quietly, staring into her amber eyes. For a moment, it felt like it was just her and him in the room. Like everyone else had simply vanished and all she could feel was him right next to her.

"Of course you have." She leaned forward, pressing her lips against his, feeling his warmth become a part of her. She had kissed him many times before, but it always felt so new and surreal with him. Like she could do anything or be anything, as long as he was beside her.

The kiss was short, and they had pulled away from each other after only a few seconds, but it left Lumine feeling breathless and warm all over, like she could float away and never return. With a smile on her face, she snuggled against Tartaglia's chest, feeling his heart beat against her ear. And she simply felt so, so alive.

"If you two are done," Lumine heard Lisa say in a teasing voice, turning her attention to her. Lisa wiggled an eyebrow at the two. "The movie is starting, lovebirds."

Lumine rolled her eyes, but shot Tartaglia a mischievous smile as the two got comfortable against each other.

“I think Lumine and Aether could be the Grinch!” Klee shot up energetically only seconds after the movie started. The room shot her a strange glance, with Aether tilting his head curiously at the girl.

“Uh- why?” Aether asked, curiosity getting the best of him. He gently pet Paimon, who was purring in his lap.

“Well, you both have strange names!”

“Our names aren’t strange,” Aether said with a small pout, watching as Venti let out a breathy chuckle out of the corner of his amber eyes.

“Hm... well, Lumine and Aether aren’t our real names, you know. They’re actually Yíng and Kōng, but we go by Lumine and Aether since it’s generally easier for people to pronounce here. And we think it’s cool,” Lumine explained with a nonchalant shrug, amused by Klee’s words.

“Yíng and Kōng,” Razor repeated to himself, as if uncertain how to speak the names. Lumine noticed that the guy didn’t seem to have the biggest vocabulary either, not that that was a bad thing to Lumine anyways.

Klee seemed flabbergasted at this fact, seeming to have no response for the twins in her shock. With a humored smirk, Lumine turned her attention back to the movie. It was because of this, that Lumine didn’t notice her brother’s continued glances at Venti, and how his agitation grew until he eventually chose to excuse himself from the room.

“I’ll be back,” Aether promised apologetically, noticing how Lumine turned to look over at him when a questioning look when he sat up from his place at the couch.

With that, Aether left the group in the living room, heading upstairs to open the balcony door. He closed it behind him, letting out a long breath as he gripped the railing with his tan hands.

It was so frustrating. Why couldn’t he just tell him? Why did his tongue get caught in his throat when he ever he considered the possibility of telling him? It was so unfair. He watched as Venti’s mint eyes would go from watching the movie to shooting Aether a laughing smirk when a funny scene happened. It was like he was whispering a small secret to him with just his eyes, words meant for just him.

He knew it wasn’t just the wine talking, either. He had been feeling this way for so long, had nights were he woke in surprise, flustered about his dream were Venti’s hands ran up his chest and his lips were pressed against his. He felt so silly, and embarrassed, and shy whenever he thought about those nights, nor could he get rid of those feelings when he was around Venti.

Lost in his thoughts, he didn’t notice the door open as someone came to join him on the balcony.

“Aether?” Lumine asked quietly, softly joining his side against the railings. He could sense his sister’s worry, gratitude and fondness instantly running through his body at the thought of his sister coming to check on him. What did he do to deserve being born with someone as amazing as her?

“Yeah?” He questioned, playing oblivious despite knowing exactly why she had came out to see him. Besides, Lumine always seemed to understand what he was thinking someway or another.

“What’s wrong?” She pressed, turning her gaze to stare up at the darkened sky and stars. Aether thought the world felt still around them, as if seeming to understand Aether’s frustration with himself.

“It’s... nothing, really. Nothing important.” Aether let out a small sigh, setting his elbow on the railing and resting his head in his hand. “Just- have you ever felt like you want one thing but... don’t deserve to get it, no matter how hard you try and how much you long for it?”

Lumine turned her head to look at her brother, her eyes seeming to see through him as he spoke.

“Whenever I try to convince myself to reach for it, it’s like my whole body just stops. I guess it just feels like I’m not good enough or I don’t have what it takes, so my body just... stops while it’s ahead.”

“Kōng,” Lumine started, her amber gaze piercing through him. “Kōng, you are more than enough. Remember when we were eleven and my bike broke, and I was so sad about it? You let me use yours everyday, despite that meaning that you wouldn’t be able to go ride around with your friends anymore after school because you knew I liked riding my bike around the park for hours until it was dark. Remember when we were sixteen and sitting on the couch and I started my period without realizing it? I had gotten blood on the couch and I was so embarrassed, and when mom and dad found out, they were so mad. But you said that you had spilt a drink and took the blame for me, getting grounded for weeks. Remember back when we lived in China, but I wanted to travel around the world so badly? You worked your ass off, helping me save up the money so we could move. You even helped me to convince Tartaglia to come with us. You’ve always been there for me, and you’ve always been so selfless, Kōng. If anyone deserves to be happy or to get what they want in life, it’s you. Don’t say that you aren’t good enough for something, brother, because you deserve so much in this life.”

“Thank you, Yíng. I’m... I’m so grateful to have you. I don’t know what I would do without you.”

“Probably die from your lack of survival skills,” Lumine said playfully, quickly switching back into her teasing mode. She pulled away from Aether, amusement glistening in her eyes as she gazed up at her brother. “Now, get get ‘em, tiger.”

Aether gawked at her, mindless noises slipping through his lips. “I- How did you know?!”

“We aren’t twins for nothing, Aether. He wanted to come up here and see you, actually, but I told him I wanted to talk to you first. So, if you don’t mind. I’ll be sending him up now. Good luck!”

With that, Lumine left the balcony, her gremlin laughter ringing through the still night air. Aether let out a nervous breath, anticipating Venti’s arrival on the balcony.

Just as Lumine promised, Venti came up shortly after, looking at Aether with an indistinguishable look in his eyes. Venti lifted himself up on the railing, kicking his feet over it and sitting on it.

For once in his life, the male seemed to be thinking about what to say to Aether as he watched his legs kick through the chilly night air.

“Look, Aether, I-”

“Venti, I have to tell you something-”

The two started at the same time, before bursting into laughter as they gazed at each other. Aether clutched the railing, a large grin refusing to fade from his face. “You first.”

Venti wrinkled his nose, surprising Aether by gently leaning against him on his side. Venti stared down at the houses around him, Aether noting with affection that Venti’s legs continued to kick through the air.

“Look, Aether. There’s something I’ve been wanting to tell you for a long time, but- Well, at first I thought maybe you felt the same too, but now, I mean I don’t really know- anyways, Aether, my point is, I really like you. A lot. Like more than Diluc’s wine, a lot. And I get it if you don’t feel the same, but I don’t like seeing you all... upset, you know?” Venti said, Aether noticing as his hands fidgeted in his lap.

The words finally sunk in, Aether snapping his head over to stare at Venti. “Wait- you- you like me? Like... like like me?”

Venti blinked at him with a blunt look, with a “Yes, Aether, that’s what I said.” His face relaxed again, looking almost apologetic at him. “You don’t have to like me back or anything, so don’t feel as if I’m trying to pressure you. I just wanted to get it off my chest, I guess.”

“What? No, no, no, Venti, I... I really, really like you. I like like you,” Aether said, seriousness painted on his face as he stared intently at Venti.

The boy on the railing let out a loud laugh in the night, watching Aether’s face with amusement. “That’s one way to say it but good to know.”

He leaned closer against Aether’s side, with the blond noting that he could almost count the specks in Venti’s eyes at this distance.

“Remember the mistletoe in the kitchen? I wasn’t going to say anything, but I really, really wanted to kiss you when I saw you under it earlier,” Venti said softly, letting out a breathy laugh against Aether. “Mind if I make up for that now?”

“I would love you to,” Aether replied, barely getting the words out before Venti was kissing him, his hair reaching up into Aether’s blond hair, skimming through it.

Aether placed one hand against Venti’s face, the other around his side, hands burning to touch him, and hold him.

The angle was messy, the kiss was sloppy, but neither Aether nor Venti could bring themselves the care. Aether only knew the burning desire in his chest- the rest of the world was nonexistent and invisible.

Eventually they had to pull away, gasping for air with delighted smiles on their lips. Aether pressed his head against Venti’s, closing his eyes and basking in his presence. “You know, I was just about to confess to you, but you just had to come and do it first. My sister even hyped me up and everything.”

“What a shame. You know, I’m not stopping you from doing it now.”

“I like you. I like you so much that I don’t even know what to do sometimes. You make me feel like I’m flying in the wind, Venti. Does that make sense?” Aether whispered to him, the cold air encouraging him.

“Yeah. Yeah, it does,” Venti responded, eyes open as he gazed at Aether’s tan face. “I understand perfectly.”

Aether laughed softly, opening his eyes to gaze into Venti’s. “Merry Christmas, Venti.”

Venti smiled, his nose wrinkling with the movement. “Merry Christmas, Aether.”

#genshin impact fic #genshin impact #aether and lumine #aether #venti x aether #childe x lumine #lumine #aeventi #chilumi #genshin impact headcanons

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randomingoftherandomness · 3 years

Note

Modern AU: Cheng Ling and Gu Xiang get into a fight in school and the principal/ school calls their parents. Ah-Xu and Wen Kexing meet for the first time.

A/N: this was something interesting to write and I thank you for the opportunity 🌸

I’m still accepting WenZhou prompts 😊

—

Today was going so well for her; she’d gotten out of bed feeling well rested, her morning coffee was perfect, her drive to work today was smooth, and the radio was playing her favourite songs.

She should have known it was too good to last.

It’s not even ten and the two children in front of her were already glaring at each other at the verge of tears. It is a comical look that tethers into pitiful when the younger, a quiet, well-mannered boy had sniffled and the girl, only slightly older but already a known troublemaker in school blinks rapidly like she is about to follow suit.

“You’re really not going to tell me why you were both fighting out on the football field?” She tries one last time. She had scarcely believed it when the caretaker had stopped her on her morning rounds and told her that Zhang Chengling had been caught mid-scuffle with Gu Xiang from the year above him, and they needed two teachers to break both child apart.

Stubborn silences meet her. Alright.

A timely knock at the door draws their attention to the small face of his secretary ushering in the tall forms of the children’s guardians. At first glance, and by the gossip she’d picked up in the teacher’s lounge, she picks out Wen Kexing by the almost blinding smile on his handsome face and the tailored suits that probably cost more than a three month salary’s worth, and on the other hand, she immediately knows the man in the rubber Bata slippers and the khaki cargo shorts that look like they are in need of a good wash, is the equally fabled Zhou Zishu. The former is the guardian of Gu Xiang and the latter is the one who took Zhang Chengling in last year as a foster.

She isn’t sure how that even happened, but there isn’t much time to wonder either.

“Good afternoon,” She clears her throat, gesturing to the two empty seats in next to their kids. “Please, sit.”

Mr. Wen folds himself elegantly into the seat next to his charge, smile never even once dimming, while Mr. Zhou frowns deeply as he slides into his own. Though, she is interested to note, give both their kids a careful once over that ends in both of their sights crossing over their sullen heads.

“I’ve called you in because Gu Xiang and Zhang Chengling were caught in scuffle. Neither one has confessed what has happened but yet we can guess.”

“Guess?” Mr. Wen asks, leaning in with that unsettling overly saccharine smile.

She meets the glint in his eyes dead on. “Yes, Mr. Wen. We can guess. Gu Xiang has been demerited a few times for some small incidences but there is not an insignificant amount of complaints from the students that she’s been a bit of a troublemaker in the last year. With her prior behaviour, we believe she was bullying Zhang Chengling.”

“That’s some serious words you’re using there, Principal,” Mr. Wen says slowly. Turning to Gu Xiang, he points at Zhang Chengling. “If you’re not going to explain yourself, brat, don’t expect me to.”

The words seem to have an effect on the girl because her eyes brim with angry tears and she bites her bottom lip, suppressing her sobs. “So, you’re not going to explain? Fine. I’ll ask the other brat then.”

Mr. Zhou sparks to life then, hand shooting out over Zhang Chengling’s chest and meeting Mr. Wen’s smile with an unpleasant one of his own. “Leave my kid out of this. Yours bullied mine, remember?”

“And you’re going to believe that?”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“I didn’t do it! I didn’t!” Gu Xiang sobs, tears streaking down her red cheeks. As if a switch has been turned off, Mr. Wen immediately deflates, wrapping an arm around her and holding her close. No trace of that overly-genial smile on his face as he comforts her gently, coaxing her quiet crying to quiet down. Mr. Zhou seems to lean back, curiosity clear in the tight lines on the corners of his lips.

“Gu Xiang,” She says softly, ready to try prying the truth out of her when Zhang Chengling starts to cry too - harder and with infinitely more heartbreak. Surprisingly, before any of the adults could register it, Zhang Chengling reaches out to Gu Xiang, tugging at her pinafore.

“Ah Xiang jie, please don’t cry. Let’s just tell them, ok? Please don’t cry anymore,” He hiccups, snot dibbling down his chin. “Ah Xiang jie...”

Mr. Wen doesn’t keep her in his arms when she climbs out of it, going over to hug Zhang Chengling. “It was those kids from 5A,” She explains between the hitching of her breaths. Mr. Wen dives in just in time with Mr. Zhou and the tissues in their hands hang in the air right before Gu Xiang’s nose. Their eyes look up at each other in shock.

“I’m used to them calling me names and I fight back, but Chengling can’t. He’s so small. They tell us that we aren’t wanted and that’s why we had to live with Uncle Wen and Mr. Zhou. They tell us no one wants us.”

“Those little--” Mr. Wen seethes, only to be interrupted by Mr. Zhou’s soft tut, though there’s a curious quiet fire in the way the other man clenches his fist.

A picture starts to form in her mind. “So this morning you were protecting him?”

Big brown eyes, wet with tears meet her eyes unwaveringly. “Yes.”

Mr. Zhou reaches for his kid, cupping his cheek. “Why haven’t you said anything?”

“I didn’t want to worry you, Uncle Zhou, I’m sorry,” Zhang Chengling sniffles, wriggling out of Gu Xiang’s side and into a hug with his guardian.

“So,” Mr. Wen says, a smile that was only marginally less despicable than the last curves his lips. “I guess this settles it?”

She hums, wanting to say that, no, no it wasn’t even in the slightest, but a look over at the children holds her tongue. “Maybe the kids can go back to classes now,” She offers instead. “I’m sorry to have taken you out of your day like this. Please be assured that we will be looking into this.”

“You better,” Mr. Wen purrs sweetly and the utterance of that last syllable sends shivers up her spine. Mr. Zhou says nothing but levels her with a glare of his own. The children link their hands together as they walk out of her office and she hears a cajoling Mr. Wen ask, “Say, why don’t you take my name card and we can arrange a play date for the kids or something?”

The door closes before she can hear anymore and she exhales heavily. Huffing quietly to herself, she wonders what sort of menace these two are going to wreck now that they’ve met each other.

#wenzhou #word of honor #wen kexing #zhou zishu #gab writes stuff #this is one of the longest things I've written for this fandom #i'm going to go stretch my spine now

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