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chaotic-iguana · 9 months

Note

HI OMG UR FICS ARE INTOXICATING WTH!!!

Can I please req a Din Djarin where he and the reader are travelling together and reader is bubbly/sunshine personality and then she admits her feelings and Din doesn’t reciprocate at first.. then her personality changes and she’s all sad and he can’t stand it!!!! Cause he does love her and he can’t bare to see her that way!!!

Super angst and fluff please 😭😭😭😭 THANK H IF U DECIDE TO WRITE THIS 🤍🤍

HELLO THANK YOU SO MUCH!! ofc im writing anything u request lysm ur the best plus the prompt is so adorable ahufsdkfjhfs. just to try sumth new, im gonna switch it up and do this one from din’s pov. lmk what you think!!

Enough

Summary: Din rejects reader when she confesses her feelings to him even though he feels the same, only to regret it later.

Pairing: Grumpy! Din x Sunshine! Reader (no use of y/n)

Wordcount: 2.6k

Warnings: none, just a lot of angst and fluff

masterlist

——————————————————————————————————

Din Djarin was not a good man. He was aware of this, which is why he was careful not to get to close. Not to taint things with his darkness; the destruction that seemed to shadow him wherever he went. He learned to turn his head away when you sung softly to the child, to clench his fists and keep himself from reaching for you when you giggled at your own terrible (adorable) jokes, to steel himself against your pleas to purchase every single fuzzy fabric you saw, no matter the form. Socks, blankets, shirts, trousers, even a kriffing hat, which Din stopped and let you buy just to stop the stares he was getting from people at the way you were practically jumping in your spot, pointing at the shop’s display.

But despite his best wishes, Din was not a strong man, either. Not as strong as he needed to be, to resist you. You, with a beaming smile that never failed to make him blush under his helmet; with tender, caring hands that looked so soft that Din wanted to rip his beskar off so you could brush them against him, just once. Your hair, which smelled so sweet that Din could catch traces of it through the beskar. Your eyes, almost siren-like when you blinked up at him while rambling away about something. The way you scrunched your nose with a snort when you couldn’t hold in a laugh. The fact that you had never, ever asked for his name - or an explanation of his helmet, for that matter - even when he knew you hadn’t heard of Mandalorians before. The lilting notes of laughter in your voice before you turned to him with a sly smile, offering him with a witty quip he would have killed others for voicing, before throwing back your head and howling. No, Din was nowhere near strong enough to stand a single damn chance against you.

He could hear you humming to yourself and the baby while you heated some broth, stopping to lean down and pepper kisses all over Grogu’s face as he cooed happily. Walking into the cockpit, he grunted in acknowledgement of your “Hey, Mando! Sleep well?” before turning to the child and nudging his helmet against his wrinkly forehead. When he turned around to see a gentle smile gracing your face in acknowledgement of the scene in front of you, he straightened up and cocked his helmet as if daring you to comment.

He was itching for a fight: something, anything to stop the sweet torture of your presence which seemed to breathe life into your surroundings, no matter where you stood. You’d find a way to brighten a graveyard, Cyar’ika. Your smile tightened slightly before you presented him with a bowl of his own, brushing past him to take the child in your arms and leave the cockpit. Every muscle in his body was tense, his mind begging him to let you stay, to apologise for his hostility. To hear you prattle on about something menial while he ate, to revel in the domesticity of being with you. Not like that, of course. You were simply too good for him. Too perfect; too pristine. Your eyes too bright and your heart too soft for him to be worthy of your love. And so Din slipped off his helmet, ducked his head, and ate in silence.

He had noticed that lately, you still spoke to him, but you’d leave with the child more often. He could hear conspiratorial whispers sometimes, the child nodding and babbling his own input as if the two of you were hiding something. You weren’t awkward around him, per se, just less readily giving of your laughter, your jokes, your mindless chatter. All Din knew was that his mind would not rest unless he confronted you, and soon. A restless yearning for your erratic, unnecessarily bright gestures gave way to the anxiety spooling in his gut. Had you finally seen him for what he is?

So later that day, after the supply run when you had fed and put Grogu to sleep, he approached you in the cockpit. He shuffled uneasily behind you, shifting his weight from side to side as he waited for you to break the silence. But uncharacteristically, you just continued to stare into hyperspace without a word. When Din cleared his throat, you turned your head his way. But your gaze was flitting around; your hands fiddling nervously in your lap. Why were you apprehensive?

“Are you…” Din swallowed, unsure of how to phrase his question, “okay?” Are we okay?You looked up at him then, your eyes wide with anxiety, before looking down at your lap again. Could you be…scared? Of me?

But then you took a deep breath; the nerves fading from your face and giving way to a look of complete resignation, your shoulders slumping with the weight of inevitability. Your gaze met his visor, and he could see that your fingers were lightly curled into fists.

“I don’t really know how to do this, Mando.” Another deep breath. The colour has faded from your face and suddenly you seemed so small, folded in on yourself, that Din had never had to wrestle harder with his own self-control to stop himself from pulling you into his chest and holding you; comforting you, until you’re back to your bouncy self. “You know that I like most people, right?” He nods; you do seem to like and be liked by most people he’s come across, even the ones he would deem unworthy to so much as look at you.

“I’ve always really enjoyed meeting new people, and making friends. Life is easier when you’ve got people, right?” You’re rambling again, but instead of the usual enthusiasm lacing your tone, crippling worry dripped from your every word. Are you leaving him?

“I think-I know that I like you more than I like everyone else. Anyone else. I like everything about you more than I’ve ever liked about anyone else and I just…” you trailed off, gulping. “It feels like you and Grogu are my family, already. And I guess I just can’t help but wonder if you might want more than this, like I do. I-fuck it-I’m in love with you, Mando.” And then you’re shying away from him again, biting your lip as you search his visor for a reaction.

You’re in love with him? This has to be a joke. Din waited for the catch, standing unmovingly in front of you as if waiting for one of your signature punchlines to come tumbling out of your mouth. When it doesn’t, he just gaped at you, his mind overwhelmed with too many thoughts to even say anything. A part of him had never been happier than this moment right here; never loved you more than right now. But the other, more dominant part of him was practically reprimanding him. And what now, idiot? Profess your undying love to her and subject her to a life as the wife of a bounty hunter? No comfortable homes, no proper vacations or even neighbors. A life on the run. With you, dikuit - a man who has never been loved enough to understand how to reciprocate. There is nothing you can give her. There is nothing you can do.

Din bristled under your gaze, suppressing a wince at the words that came out of his mouth next. “You mean to tell me that you are in love with a man you have never even see the face of? A man who hasn’t even told you his name? Stop lying to yourself. There is no ‘family’. You are the child’s caretaker, and nothing more. It would be best for you not to forget that in the future.” He wanted to slap a hand to his mouth, to bite his tongue - anything, anything not to see the way you wilted in front of him as his words registered. You slumped further in the chair, shoulders curving inwards as you brought your knees to your chest to curl up into a protective position, as if he was hurting you. Frustrated by the fact that he could neither pull you in his arms to comfort you, nor find it in himself to continue spewing bullshit he didn’t mean, Din just turned and walked away. He pretended not to hear the muffled crying echoing through the ship that night.

——————————————————————————————————

That had been three weeks ago. He’d gone for a hunt right after, returning within the week. What he found back at the ship made a part of him wish he wouldn’t have returned at all. Your eyes sat bloodshot on hollow cheeks, sunken in your face as dark blotches formed under them. You were quiet, even with the concerned child - all the singing, humming goneas if it had never been. Grogu kept gesturing to you when he father looked his way, as if asking what was wrong. Din knew what was wrong. He just didn’t know how to fix it. He couldn’t find it in himself to leave you alone again, so he’d been mumbling excuses to you each morning as to why he was still on the ship. You’d never answer, just offering him the barest dip of your chin. Din hadn’t just rejected you-he’d been cruel about it. And he hadn’t slept since the night he’d spat those pathetic words at you in an effort of self-preservation, either. The moment kept replaying in his head over and over: your initial nervousness, the words you’d said to him, and your wince at the ones he’d reciprocated with.

But like he’d admitted: Din Djarin was not a strong man. For you; only for you, he would crumble. To see your usual cheeriness replaced by this emptiness nearly made his knees buckle. You’d stopped eating, too - quietly slipping your food to Grogu, whose concern was overridden by his constant hunger. He’d done this: out of fear of hurting you, he’d reduced you to a mere shadow of what you used to be by doing it anyways. Out of his fear of fucking it up, he’d gone and done that exact thing without even trying to make it work. It was unacceptable to him, to go without hearing your laugh or your jokes or your humming. Not to see you giggling with Grogu. Fix it then, dikuit. So he would.

Din walked into the cockpit, picked Grogu up from his place on the floor, and whispered a soft apology to him before shutting him in his cot. Grogu, ever-understanding, had just pressed a claw to his helmet and nodded as if wishing him luck. Thanks kid, I’m going to need it. He’d seen your confusion when he had taken Grogu out of the cockpit, but youremained mute. Walking back towards you, Din could feel his chest hurting at the way your hands shook and your eyes glossed over when he got closer.

“I’m sorry.” His words have no effect; a tilt of your head is the only proof you offer to show that you heard him. Ironic, isn’t it, to be at the receiving end of what I do to others all the time? “For how harsh I was. I didn’t mean it.” Your mouth opens this time, but he raises a hand to stop you. If he doesn’t get this out now, he never will. “I was the one lying to myself, not you. I fell in love with you a long, long time ago, ner’karta. But I was scared-still am-because I have nothing good to give you. Not like what you deserve. My creed alone means that I can’t show you my face until we get married. My job doesn’t allow me stability. I have never been…loved. I do not know how to love you properly. All I know is that it doesn’t feel like a good morning until you say it, that I feel myself flushing under my beskar when you smile at me, that I have to bite my lip to stop a chuckle when you tell me your jokes. All I know is that since you’ve come into my life and made it brighter, it seems I can’t face the darkness alone again. These past two weeks have been hell, cyar’ika. I cannot bear to see you like this. Please forgive me. I will drop you off anywhere you wish to go.”

And then your face is twisting and you’re sobbing - large, shuddering sobs that alarm Din when they begin. He reaches a tentative hand out towards you slowly, giving you more than enough opportunity to slap it away. When you don’t, he steps closer and pulls you into his chest. As I should have done then. You shake with the force of your hiccups, and Din reaches to rip off his gloves before wrapping his arms around you, a warm hand coming to cradle your head against him. All he can say is a feverish repetition of “I’m sorry, I’m sorrymy love, please forgive me”.

By the time your tears subside, you can hear sniffs coming from under the helmet too; his modulated voice cracking and giving away his own crying. “Y-you don’t get to-to decide for me. You can’t decide whether or not you can offer enough or whether you can love me properly or not. Just love me, Mando. All you have to do is try.” Your voice is so fragile, so tentative as you speak into his chest that Din’s heart aches at the pain he can hear in it. You continue, “I don’t need stability from you, nor do I need your name or face. To have your heart is enough.” And though you can’t see it, Din has to shut his eyes and brace himself against the weight of his own tears this time. His chest warming, butterflies in his stomach as he tucks you impossible closer.

“Like I said, cyar’ika, you’ve had it for a very long time.” And then you’re smiling again, as Din’s knees threaten to buckle from the force of emotion that wells up at the sight. You’ve pulled back from his chest, but stay close enough to graze his helmet with your nose.

“Is that so, Mando? Do I want to know how long?” You whisper back, somehow looking straight into his eyes despite the visor.

“Din.” At your frown, he clarifies hesitantly. “My name, cyar’ika. Din Djarin.” You beam brighter, repeating it to yourself. “Wait - cyar’ika? You started calling me that last year, when you were annoyed I bought that fuzzy green hat with frog ear and Grogu tried to eat it on the way home. I thought it was like a swear word, or something -not that I think you would swear at me, you just seemed very annoyed, you know?”

A chuckle slips past his modulator, before he gives in completely. “Close your eyes, please.” When you comply, he rips his helmet off and cups your jaw with his hand, thumb stroking your cheek. Leaning in, he presses his mouth to yours gently, leaning back to look at you. “Beloved, cyare. It means beloved.” Before he can say anything else, your hands tangle in his hair, and suddenly you’re pulling him back into another kiss. And another. And another.

You two remain so wrapped up in each other that you actually forget to leave the cockpit until Grogu stomps in, having apparently broken out of his cot, and begins babbling at you both angrily, before seeing the smile on your face after so long and hurtling towards you at full speed, nearly tripping on his robes in the process before you catch him in your arms.

It was true, though. You didn’t need Din to go out of his way to give you anything. This was enough.

hello loves, as always - thank you for reading. comment your thoughts or find me on ao3. stay hydrated and have a great day! taglist: @imherefordeanandbones @theywhowriteandknowthings, @josephquinnswhore

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normal-internet-user · 9 days

Note

Hii! How are you?

I was hoping you could do a one shot or hcs for a platonic/sibling PJO thing with Percy. I was thinking this kid shows up at camp-half-blood (their age being like 11-13) and being like a carbon copy of Percy and everyone notices except for him. They become pretty close and during a capture the flag game the Reader gets claimed by Poseidon, and Percy is just in shock like: 😲 holy moly

I think it would be really cute and I love big bro Percy

The reader is gender neutral

This is completely /nf and feel free to delete it if you don't want to! Thank you so much! Remember to drink water and take care of yourself!

-Axel <3

Ahhh this is actually such a cute IDEA-

Percy With a Child Of Poseidon Reader...

When you showed up to camp, no one really thought much of it.

The Titan war was over, demi-gods were showing up left and right, getting claimed along the way.

The thing that was weird was your lack of the latter.

Weeks after you arrived you were still unclaimed, with no change in sight.

It frustrated Percy because the gods had literally JUST promised not to leave any kids unclaimed.

As a result, he decided to spend time with you, just because he noticed you were feeling slightly put out at your lack of a godly parent.

Percy seemed to be the only one who hadn't noticed that the two of you next to each other was like looking back and forth between a mirror of features.

Everyone else did though.

Annabeth really did try to just- nudge him in the direction that MAYBE POSSIBLY-

But no, Percy was as oblivious as a blind cat after you moved the furniture.

Honestly he liked hanging out with you.

It made him feel good to know he was keeping you occupied instead of thinking about not being claimed.

He felt like an older brother ironically enough.

He had you sit with him during meals, and during activities he was with the Hermes cabin most of the time to help you.

Your very first capture the flag was exciting for him,

Him helping you put on your armor before plopping am oversized helmet on your head was like a mother watching their watching their child ride a bike for the first time.

He was so proud!

Sure you tripped over yourself and fell on your face, but that's okay! Everyone stumbles sometimes!

You're doing great!

Honestly, it was his fault for not helping you tie your shoes.

It was safe to say, the two of you had sufficiently bonded.

Which must have been the reason Poseidon decided to claim you now of all times.

He must really like capture the flag if that's how he claimed both his kids.

Percy was floored, and incredibly confused.

Everyone else was more or less like, "yeah saw that one coming." and you were trying to look up at the floating trident over your head through your helmet.

Percy feeling a whirlwind of emotions.

Confusion, excitment, slight frustration- but mostly excitement.

He was confused as to how as a child of Poseidon you'd managed to stay alive this long.

Unless your mortal parent had also kept a Gabe around to hide your demigod smell.

The thought made him wince.

He was practically vibrating when he showed you around Cabin 3.

You'd seen it before, sure, but now it was your cabin as much as his.

He wouldn't be sleeping alone anymore and he was exstatic about it.

And he can't wait to introduce you to Tyson too.

And his mom, oh she's gonna love you.

Especially if your mortal parent isn't in the picture either by choice or tradgedy.

Percy was gonna be the best big brother ever, it was his job to protect you now, so he would.

Ta-da! This is legit, the first thing I have posted in FOREVER holy shit, it felt SO good to write this out, like-

Anyway, all done! Here you go, I wanted to keep going but I figured it was long enough lol

#normie writes #pjo headcanon #pjo x reader #percy x reader #platonic x reader #sibling reader #percy jackson x sibling reader #pjo x reader headcanons #percy jackson x reader #child of poseidon reader

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captain-mj · 3 months

Note

can you plssssss write a part two to the love potion thing- pleaseee

I finally finished it! Part 1 here

Ghost saw Soap look at them. He hated it. He loved his lord and lady so much, but he did not like sleeping with them. But he did it to make them happy.

Ghost shivered. He knew about MacTavish’s inclination to talk as well as his distaste for elves.

Pilar grabbed his face and tilted his head towards her. She kissed him softly. There was something like pity in the kiss. It tasted too sweet. Cane syrup.

“That’s enough.” Roba ordered and she got off of him, leaving to just lay there awkwardly. He ruffled Ghost’s hair. “Get dressed. You’re dismissed.”

Ghost got up, legs shaking. His body felt… wrong. Someone else’s, not his. He quietly put his gear on and went outside, a little surprised to see Mactavish still there.

Instead of saying anything, he just stood there beside him to hold guard.

“Got anything you’d like to say?”

Soap glanced at him. “No, sir. Not any of my business what you and them do.”

Ghost nodded. “Good.” They stood there in icy silence rather than their usual banter. “Long night.”

Soap swallowed. “Yeah… Not going to whip me for this are you?”

Ghost laughed and it made Soap almost jump out of his skin. “No. I’m not. Not your fault they left the door open.”

Soap nodded slowly, though he didn’t look convinced. Their replacements came and Soap quickly left, barely speaking to them.

Ghost sighed softly and went to find the only person who had any idea of what was he was.

Roach.

The man in question was at his shop. Despite the early morning, he was already up. A cup of tea was on the counter. Waiting for Ghost. Always waiting.

Gary smiled at him and waved him over. Ghost took the food that was offered a moment later. He was starving and he quickly raised his helmet just enough to start eating.

Roach stared at him as he did, eyes bright and shining. Ghost wondered sometimes if he suspected. He certainly suspected some things about Roach. Only one type of creature that he was aware of would cover their ears.

“Thank you, Gary.”

Roach’s eyes moved like he was smiling. He kept refilling his tea and giving him more food until Ghost didn’t feel like his insides were eating each other.

Roach then placed something down. Ghost stared at it for a moment, confused. It was like a small brick with a bow on top. “Is that soap?”

Roach nodded and pushed it closer. Ghost brought it to his nose, smelling the herbs he had mixed in. “Guessing you had some extra tallow?” Lavender. Camomile. Some flower buds from the woods. It smelled really good.

Roach nodded to the question. He signed slowly. “Should help with your scarring.”

“Thank you, Gary.” Ghost said softly. He watched the soft blush appear on Roach’s face. If he didn’t love Roba so much, he thinks it would be easy to fall in love with him. Really easy.

Simon glanced away. He shouldn’t be thinking like this. His lady would be upset.

Roach shooed him away and Ghost smiled at him before leaving. He went home first to grab a few things. Change of clothes mostly. With his little gift, he headed back out.

Ghost knew of a little spot near the river. It was a spring. Before the village was here, it was considered holy. Now it’s… just a spring. The thought made him sad sometimes.

Ghost checked that no one was near and undressed. He hid his clothes, so people would just assume that he was a random elf. It may cause some trouble, but the woods were seen as a no man’s land. There was no need to bother each other when the only reason they’d be in the woods was for survival.

The spring was always warm. Cold water hurt his scars but he hated feeling unclean so this was a godsend for him.

Ghost sank into the water with a purr. It was one of the few pleasures he allowed himself. He started by wetting the soap, inhaling the sweet scent.

Despite his attempts to stay quiet, he made little chirps and purrs of pleasure. He stretched and started at his shoulders. He scrubbed and scratched at his body, craving the feeling of being clean.

His arms couldn’t quite reach his back. After a moment of awkward maneuvering, he gave up and instead soaped up his chest. The bubbles fell into the water and the moving the spring only made everything more fragrant.

Footsteps.

Ghost’s ears swiveled immediately and he glanced over. “Johnny.”

Soap stood there, leaning against a tree. He watched him impassively.

Ghost leaned against the rocks of the spring. Another person Ghost felt would be easy to fall in love with.

“You look human.”

“I’ve found that’s a lot less differences between us than people believe.”

“By people you mean humans?”

“I mean both. Humans. Elves. All bleed the same.” Ghost stared at him. “What are you looking for? You follow me into the woods to just stand there?”

Soap bit the inside of his cheek. Ghost could see the subtle flex of his jaw. “I…”

“Are you denying you followed me?”

“No. I was simply making sure you aren’t…”

“Aren’t what, MacTavish? I’m not dangerous. Been you’re Lt a long time. You have a problem with anything, that’s your problem.”

Soap got down and undid his shoes silently. He looked at him quietly as he slipped off his shirt.

Ghost swallowed, admiring his body. Tan skin, scarring, soft patches of hair along his chest.

Soap pulled off his pants as well but left his undergarments on. He sank into the water with him. The spring had plenty of room and Ghost was up to his nose in it.

“How long have you been with your lord and lady?”

Ghost thought about it. “Don’t know. Years. I think. As long as I can remember, I loved them.”

Soap made a face and looked away. “Right. This place is nice.”

“It is. Don’t tell anyone else about it. Don’t want people ruining it.”

“You okay if I use it?”

“...I don’t mind.” Ghost closed his eyes and another purr tore out of him. He felt Soap take the soap from his hands.

Soap moved behind him and scrubbed at his back, fingers trailing over the deep whip marks. “Who did these?”

“Lord Roba has odd tastes. Masochism is one of them.”

“You enjoy this?”

“I didn’t say that. I said he does. I put up with it for him. As long as he’s happy.” Ghost said softly.

Soap grabbed a handful of water and wet Ghost’s hair. “I see. What do they do for you?”

Ghost frowned. “Nothing.” Sometimes, selfishly, he wished that they cared about him as much. That wasn’t fair. They had so much to deal with. Rules and regulations and villagers. They were so busy. The least he could do is let them have their fun with him. “It’s okay though. It’s our relationship.”

Soap nodded and hesitated. “If I wanted to ask about magic, could you answer?”

Ghost hummed. “I could try.”

“Love potions…”

Ghost whipped around, looking at him with disgust. “What? Can’t get laid of your own charm? I never thought so low of you.”

Soap blinked, startled. “What if I said I wanted to break one?”

He metaphorically put his blades back down. “Oh. I don’t know. I feel like I should. But who needs that kinda stuff?” Ghost relaxed back into the water, making a steady purring noise.

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zepskies · 3 months

Text

Being Human - Part 4 (Finale)

Pairing: Alec McDowell x F. Reader

Summary: Your life made sense before Alec slipped his way in. He unravels your threads without even trying. He frustrates you as easily as he weasels back into your good graces. But you soon realize that this man is worth the challenge.

AN: (I decided to release this a bit early.) Here we are, friends! The final chapter...

Chapter Summary: Ames White captures you, forcing Alec to his knees.

Word Count: 4,300

Tags/Warnings: Peril and violence, angst, major hurt/comfort, but also major fluff...

💜 Series Masterlist

Part 4: Reckoning

Terminal City is a region on the edge of the city. The chemical and biohazardous waste that was dumped there after the Pulse makes ordinary humans sick, but for the immune transgenics, it’s the perfect spot to carve out a sanctuary.

Alec has been visiting the sector frequently, working with Max, Joshua, and other Manticore escapees to build up its infrastructure. Joshua lives here full-time now, as it’s safer for the half-canine transgenic and others like him, who don’t “look” human.

Today, Alec’s working with Mole and Joshua on ammunitions. Regardless of what any of them look like, they are all soldiers, in one way or another built and trained for warfare.

As much as Alec doesn’t want to see it, the tensions between “ordinaries” and transgenics are mounting, especially in Seattle.

He checks his watch and realizes that he’s late to meet you.

“Shit. I gotta go,” he says.

“Where’re you going?” Max asks. She has a perceptive eye, but Alec doesn’t reveal anything. He revs up his motorcycle and dons his helmet.

“Just going to meet someone,” he says, purposely vague. He doesn’t want another lecture from her.

The truth is, he’s dreading this. He knows when he sees you, it’ll be damn near impossible to maintain his distance. He should’ve just met you at your apartment, but surrounded by your things, your familiar scent etched into every fiber of your place…it would buckle his resolve.

So he heads back on his motorcycle all the way home.

Something’s off.

He instinctively knows after he climbs up the stairs to his apartment. He tests the door, and it opens without him having to unlock it.

You would know better than to leave the door open.

He pushes inside the apartment, and he’s greeted to a scene that drops his heart into his stomach.

His apartment is empty, but a table near the kitchen is knocked over. Glass liters the ground where it’s overturned, and on further inspection, he finds drying bloodstains on the glass and on the floor.

His heart beats faster as he takes in everything with wide eyes. He doesn’t smell gunpowder, or find anything else that would tell him what happened here.

He does find your purse, tossed by the couch in the living room.

Alec whips out his phone and calls your cell.

“Hello, 494.” A man’s voice—one that Alec would know anywhere. It prickles his skin with unease and makes his blood boil all at once.

“Ames White.” Alec’s teeth grind. “What game are you playing now?”

“This isn’t a game. It’s business,” White claims. “I have something you want. How much are you willing to pay to make sure she stays alive?”

Alec forces himself to calm down, even though his pulse is racing.

“What do you want?”

“You. And 452. With no bullshit on your end,” the agent replies. “Or this girl is going to pay that price for you.”

Alec’s breath becomes unsteady. “And if I comply, you’ll let her go. I’m supposed to believe that?”

“Oh, I won’t lie to you. She’s on her way to the lab as we speak. You see, they’re gonna want to analyze that abomination she’s carrying,” White says.

That steals the breath from Alec’s lungs.

His eyes grow wide as he puts together what the man is saying.

“But if you do comply,” he says, “I’ll make sure they let her deliver to term, at least.”

Alec’s throat tightens. Oh, God…

“You let her go, you son of a bitch!” he grinds out. His white-knuckle grip pops a few springs in the couch. He releases it and covers his face, pressing hard between his eyes. “She’s not part of this!”

“It seems she is, 494. I’ll send you the time and the place. Be there with 452.”

The line clicks. Alec’s breathing is harsh. He grips his phone so hard it nearly shatters, but he tosses it onto the couch and pushes his palms against the burn in his eyes. His jaw locks with the strain of clenched teeth. No, no, no, NO!

His phone chimes with a voicemail message. Alec grabs the phone and listens. It details coordinates and a meeting time: tonight, at midnight.

Alec makes another call with what remains of his phone.

“Max,” he says shakily. “I need your help.”

Alec barely resists pacing throughout Logan’s apartment while the latter types away, researching the coordinates Ames White provided for the meeting point. Their forced surrender.

Max perches on the corner of the couch with her arms crossed. She’s concerned for you as well, but she gazes at him with sympathy.

“We’ll find her, Alec,” she says.

Alec shakes his head.

“He could have her anywhere,” he gestures widely. “He could’ve already handed her off to whatever shady government agency he works for. Or with that damn cult, that in case you’ve forgotten, hates us. Like everyone else in this city.”

“Not everyone,” Max reminds him pointedly.

“Yeah, and look where we are now,” Alec retorts. “I told you this would happen!”

“Do you want to be right, or do you want to save her?” Max shoots back. “Now think. We’ve found bases of White’s operations before. Both for the agency, and the breeding cult.”

“I’m cross-referencing old locations,” Logan says. He’s been typing away at his computer for several minutes. “I can ask Asha and her people to join the search. And I can do an Eyes Only broadcast, encourage people to keep an eye out.”

Alec nods, but any outcomes of those plans will take time. Time you might not have.

They’ve been following anonymous tips for hours. Joshua and a few X5s and X6s joined the search for Ames White, and more importantly, for you.

Alec and Max have been working together without stopping even for a breath throughout the night. They only have one hour before they’re meant to be at the agreed meeting point: an abandoned building near the edge of the city. No doubt for their easy extraction.

Logan eventually calls Alec to tell him about a lab within a mile of the scheduled rendezvous point. There have been reports of late-night transports—locals calling in about strange noises, and in one case, what someone thought was a muffled gunshot.

Alec and Max agree to check it out, but they’re going to cut it close with the meeting time.

“Josh. Where are you, buddy?” Alec asks after calling his friend’s cell.

“I’m here.”

“Where’s here?”

“Here,” Joshua replies. He’s turned the corner and found his friends on the crossing of Avalon St. and Broadway, via his elite sense of smell.

“Good,” Alec smiles in relief. He pats his taller friend’s arm. “You’ve been a big help so far, but I need you for this. Wanna be part of the rescue party?”

“Yes,” Joshua nods, but his tone suggests he’s offended that Alec has to ask. “Help save your mate.”

Alec’s smile weakens. He doubts you’ll ever want to be that with him, ever again. But he’ll be damned if the government, or some damn breeding cult, is going to lay a hand on you.

Logan agrees to meet them there in his van for backup, while Josh hitches a ride on the back of Alec’s motorcycle. The three of them haul ass to the location of the suspected lab.

They approach a large, three-story dilapidated building. According to Logan, it used to be a mental health asylum. When the government bought it out, the facility was turned into a private lab.

Great, comes Alec’s sardonic thought. Hopefully the ghosts of whoever was tortured here won’t cause them any problems.

He and Max communicate silently through the militaristic hand motions they learned in their training to scope the place’s security, its entry points, and the best way for them to infiltrate the building. Although Manticore made Joshua, he hasn’t gone through the same training as most transgenics have.

He’s fortunate for it, but it means that Max has to direct him more carefully. He covers her and Alec as they approach the back entrance, which seems to be where they most often transport both cargo and people. Right now, there’s a large van waiting on standby.

Alec rips out the driver first, while Max and Joshua take on the other guards who start shooting. Alec comes around the back of the van, and when the first guard opens the back door, Alec tears the gun out of his hands and yanks him out. Alec uses the man’s body like a Kevlar vest as his two companies unload a clip or two. He punches them both out hard enough to hear the crack of bone.

The van inside is empty, but he sees a cot and several machines already ready and waiting to transport someone. He grits his teeth and slams the door shut on his way out.

“She’s not in there,” he tells Max. “If she’s here, she’s gotta be inside.”

Max and Joshua have taken out the outside guards, no problem, but he’s sure there’ll be more where that came from.

The three of them enter the building and race through the long hallways, slipping by lab technicians, doctors, and other staff. Anyone who attempts to stop them soon regrets it.

Alec is especially brutal and efficient with the federal security guards. Max watches him out of the corner of her eye, but she doesn’t yet warn him to pull his punches. The stakes are high, and she understands his anger and stress.

“There’s a file room,” Alec points to a door that’s labeled: RECORDS.

“I doubt they’ll have a file on her yet, especially if White’s trying to keep this under wraps,” Max says.

Joshua looks around and points across the hall. “Cameras?”

The other two look in the direction he’s pointing to, and they see what he sees—a room labeled: SECURITY.

Alec slaps a companionable hand on Joshua’s back, and they head for the security room. The guards are dealt with swiftly, being knocked out and piled against the back wall. While Joshua keeps a lookout, Max and Alec scan the many different camera feeds: focused on various hallways and lab subjects.

Alec scans each of them rapidly. He’s always been good with TV.

He finds you on one of the camera feeds and he points to it. “There she is! Room 204.”

You’re in a small, cell-like room, sleeping on what almost looks like a hospital bed. Except there’s a breathing mask held over your face, probably keeping you unconscious, and you’re attached to several monitors. It makes his heart sink and his spine tighten with rage, simultaneously.

“Let’s go,” Max says, but it’s not necessary. Alec is already halfway out the door.

They’re stopped at a four-way crossroads in the hall. In the center is Ames White.

“You’re smart, I’ll give you that,” he grants with an incline of his head. He takes a radio clipped to his belt and clicks it on, speaking into it. “Transport the girl. Make sure she’s sedated.”

Alec seethes. Before he can sprint headlong into a fight, Joshua stops him. Alec looks up at him in askance.

“You go. Find her. Leave him with me,” Joshua says. His blue eyes are sharp with predatory anger at the man who killed Annie Fisher.

Alec softens a fraction and nods in understanding. He shoots Max a look.

“Go, I’ll catch up with you,” she says.

Alec nods and races on ahead. He dodges bullets with the help of superior speed and crashes into each guard, taking them out with brutal force. He steals a gun off of one of them, and that saves him a lot of time and energy. He tries not to kill anyone, but he can’t think about holding back. He just needs to get to you.

He reaches the second floor, and finally to Room 204.

Two men are already in the room. He doesn’t want to open fire—the room is too small, the risk of ricochet too high. He grabs a knife from his belt and hurls it at the first man, who was poised to inject something into your arm. The second guard turns with his gun, but Alec is already moving too fast for human eyes to follow.

He breaks the man’s arm, followed by a swift uppercut. He takes the gun and hurls the man into the far wall, knocking him clean out as he slumps to the floor.

Alec breathes hard in the aftermath, but he begins to soften after his attention turns to you. He sets down the gun and takes in the sight of you, still dressed in jeans and a blood-stained shirt.

You’re heavily sedated and restrained by your wrists and ankles. You have a bandage wrapped around your forearm, along with brain and heart monitors attached to your forehead and chest, and an IV drip in your other arm.

Alec takes a breath, and he starts with the wires, removing the small suction cups from your body and disconnecting all the monitors. He takes off the mask and unclips the leather restraints.

The fury builds back up inside him at what they’ve already done to you. He doesn’t want to think any more on what they’d planned to do.

You must’ve been terrified, he thinks. He touches your cheek tenderly. His free hand hesitates, before it rests gently on your belly. He calls your name.

You don’t stir just yet. Your body is still under the effects of the sedation. So he carefully lifts you into his arms. He hears Max approach, and she’s there in the doorway by the time he turns around.

“Let’s go,” Alec says. His face is hard and angry while he carries you out.

They regroup with Joshua in the lobby, though even Alec stops short when he sees the carnage. Ames White’s body lays on the floor with unseeing eyes. His throat is torn out.

Joshua has blood in his teeth. He wipes at his face with the back of his arm, his eyes veering away from Max and Alec. Max blinks through her shock and tries to keep her mouth from falling open.

“Time to go,” Joshua says. His voice is heavy, but matter of fact.

“We’ll need to take his body, get rid of it later,” Max says, when she recovers. “We can’t let the police find him.”

They’ll blame us, is understood by them all. The police won’t have the full story, but it won’t matter. Appearances are everything.

Max finds a black body bag in a nearby storage closet and Joshua collects White, later hefting the full body bag over his shoulder.

They make their escape out the back of the building, where Logan is waiting with his van. Joshua deposits the body in the back, where he also climbs in. Max takes the front passenger seat while Alec carries you into the middle seat bed.

Nothing else feels right but to hold you in his arms. To stroke your cheek and wait, both desperate for, and yet dreading the moment you’ll open your eyes.

Because when you do, there’s a good chance that he’ll find your fear. Or worse.

“She’s going to be okay,” Max says to him, quietly. She’s twisted towards him in her seat.

“Maybe physically,” Alec counters. “I don’t know, Max. How did being held up in a lab affect your mental health?”

Her lips purse. “One step at a time, okay?”

Alec shakes his head and looks down at you. He tries to commit your peaceful face to memory, because he doubts that he’ll ever see it again after tonight.

Slowly, you start to wake.

At first, all you see is shadows and shapes of someone looming over you. Unconsciously you whimper and push at whatever holds you down, but the hold is gentle, the voice soothing.

“Shh, it’s okay. Sweetheart, it’s me,” he says.

Your eyes clear and focus as you blink…though they soon flood with tears. Relief takes over your fear. You see his concerned, handsome face, and your lower lip trembles.

“Alec,” is all you manage to say. You still have some trouble moving your heavy body, but you grab a fistful of his shirt and wince as you pull yourself up, just enough to bury your face into his chest. Your body shakes with the force of your sobs.

Alec gathers you up against him and shushes you gently, even as his heart clenches. He soothes a hand over your hair and your back.

“I’ve gotcha. It’s okay, you’re safe,” he says in your ear. He meets Max’s concerned gaze, then Joshua’s in the shrouded end of the car. Even Logan glances back through the rearview mirror as he drives.

Alec tries to block them out and focus on you. He holds you and comforts you for as long as you let him.

Eventually, you pull away to look at his face. You still have tears in your eyes, but now, it’s with a hue of uncertainty.

“The man…the agent who took me. He was looking for you,” you say. Your voice is weak and a bit coarse. You try to clear it.

Alec wishes he had some water for you.

“He’s gone. You don’t have to worry about him,” he says.

You let out a shaky breath, but you meet his gaze. “He said that you’re not…Alec, are you…”

He sighs; he understands the question you’re trying to ask.

“Yeah. Those freaks you hear people talking about on the news?” he says. “I’m one of ‘em.”

Your eyes widen as your breathing becomes more labored.

“I was made in a lab,” Alec confesses. “At Manticore, bred and trained to be a soldier.”

A transgenic.

Your hand falls away from his chest, and you take that in with an unblinking stare. He can see you trying to process all this.

You glance over at Max, who had been facing the front to give you and Alec the semblance of privacy. Feeling your gaze on her, she turns around and gives you a half-hearted smile.

“Hey, girl,” she greets. “Glad you’re okay.”

“You’re like him too?” you ask. Max nods.

Suddenly, everything makes so much sense. Why she and Alec have always seemed to share history and bickered like siblings. Why Max was friendly, but never truly your family. Why Alec had been so much of a mystery to you. Why he’d broken your heart.

“Joshua too,” says a deep voice from the back.

You turn your head and gasp as your eyes fly open wide again. Alec gives his friend a look over your head, but he tries to reassure you with a warm hand on your lower back. He hopes you can’t see the dried blood on Joshua’s snout.

Joshua breaks into a sheepish smile.

“Sorry,” he says, gesturing to his wolf-like face. “Bit of dog in my cocktail.”

You shake your head slowly. Your mouth opens and closes, but you try your best to get through your shock (and a lance of fear). Your head tilts as you consider his kind, very human blue eyes.

“You, um, your name is Joshua?” you say at last.

“Yes, Joshua,” he nods. “Rescue party.”

You blink at that. “You…helped get me out of there?”

He nods again, with a smile that flashes a few canine pointed teeth. You rest a hand over your wildly beating heart.

“Thank…you,” you manage.

Joshua bobs his head. “No problem. Saved Alec’s mate.”

If possible, your eyes widen further at that one. You turn back to Alec with raised brows. He offers a wan smile and a nervous chuckle. You notice, however, that he hasn’t let go of you. You’re also still sitting across his lap.

“This is what you were hiding from me,” you say, perhaps stating the obvious. Your heart clenches with pain. “Why you…”

He brushes his hand along your arm.

“I was trying to protect you,” Alec says. His brows furrow as his green-eyed gaze veers away from your face, with shame. “But I failed, and I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. None of this was supposed to happen—”

Some instinct has you reaching out to sooth your hand along his cheek, stopping his lips with your thumb. You stare up into his eyes, and they’re no longer guarded or distant. They’re the eyes you remember.

Whatever you are, you’re mine.

You lean up and press your lips to his.

After a beat, Alec’s eyes close, and he answers you in kind. His fingers sink into your knotted hair. You grip his shirt by the collar, and he wraps his arm securely around you.

With each new kiss, you feel more relieved. You don’t realize you’re trembling until he clasps your shaking hand against his cheek, to steady you.

Alec gives you one more searing kiss before he pulls you into his arms. It’s a hug you both need.

His eyes shut tight as he buries his face in your neck, inhaling your scent. His lips find the mark he’d left weeks ago on your skin. It’s faint by now, but it’s still there. He takes deep breaths to calm himself, and you rub his back through it.

He realizes you’re comforting him now; a fact that makes him smile.

You’re mine, instinct tells him. And this time, he just can’t fight it.

Logan houses you and Alec for the night (or the morning, since dawn breaks by the time you all get back).

You’re exhausted, but you still force yourself to shower. You’ll have to remind yourself to thank Logan for the spare clothing, though you don’t bother with the sweatpants just opt for the large shirt as you roll into bed.

Alec isn’t far behind after he takes a quick shower. You force yourself to stay awake, waiting for him to come out of the bathroom. His skin glistens when he eventually leaves the bathroom, and you watch him cross the bedroom with just a towel low on his hips. He shoots you a smile before he starts getting dressed.

“Logan says he’s help us find a new place to live,” he says.

You slowly smile at that. “Us?”

“Well, you know, both of our apartments are compromised.”

“Yeah, I get that,” you reply. When he slides into bed next to you, you swim through the covers and inch closer to him. “I’m just glad it’s a together thing.”

Alec gives you an amused look, but there’s warmth in his eyes. He thumbs at your lower lip. Soon, his smile begins to fall.

“I didn’t want to get you caught up in this. In my crazy fucked up life,” he says.

“I know,” you sigh. “But I’m in it now. I’m in this with you. You realize that, right?”

He nods, though he doesn’t think he deserves it. Or you, for that matter.

He slips his arm around you, just the same. You rest your head against his shoulder and tap his chin.

“Alec, I don’t care what you are,” you say. “Transgenic or not, you’re the man I’ve always known.”

He lets out a subtle breath at that, chuckling.

“For better or worse, right?” he asks.

You smile. “I have something to tell you…though I’m pretty sure you already know.”

Despite a tremor of nerves, a slow grin spreads across his face.

“Tell me anyway,” he says. “I love surprises where I know the answer.”

You giggle. “You sure about that?”

“Yes,” he nods with a smirk. “Just tell me, woman.”

Your hand drifts down to rest against his chest, and you tilt up your face so you can meet his dancing eyes. The fact that he seems genuine gives you enough courage to just…say it.

“Alec, I’m pregnant,” you tell him.

His smile grows.

“…Really?” he teases. “You sure it’s mine?”

You gasp, laughing, and you shove against his chest. You twist away from the cage of his arms, but he laughs and doesn’t let you so easily escape. You realize then how truly strong he is when he rolls you under him on the bed.

He dips down and claims you with a kiss. He shakes his head, because he never thought this would be his life. His hand sneaks under the sheets to rest over your lower belly, through the shirt. In turn, you cover his hand. You bite your lip with slight anxiety.

“You’re really okay with this?” you ask. “Even after everything we…this is a lot for us. Really soon.”

Alec gradually sobers, and he acknowledges that with a nod.

“Yeah,” he agrees. “Honestly, I didn’t see this coming.”

You have to laugh a little at that. His lips tug at the corners, but as he squeezes your hand back, he stares directly into your eyes.

“But I’m not letting you do this alone. I… I love you,” he admits. “Sorry it took me so long to figure it out.”

Tears burn in your eyes, but only one finds its way down your cheek. You take in a tremulous breath and nod.

“I love you too,” you reply. Though you can’t hide a different uncertainty when you look at him. “But if you leave me again…Alec, I can’t.”

He looks more vehement than you’ve ever seen him when he shakes his head, meeting your gaze.

“That’s not happening. I promise,” he says. “You’re stuck with me, baby. So much that you might just get sick of me.”

You utter a laugh through your tears, and you nod in acceptance. Alec smiles and wipes your cheek dry before he gathers you tighter into his arms, and presses a kiss to your forehead.

You relax against his chest with a sigh. His heartbeat thrums steadily under your cheek.

And you finally rest.

AN: And there we have it. 🥹 I truly hope you enjoyed Being Human.

I might come back to add bonus one-shots to this, if you guys are interested in seeing more of their story. 💜 But I hope you'll let me know what you think about how it all shook out here!

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#Reckoning #Being Human #Part 4 #alec mcdowell #alec mcdowell x reader #alec mcdowell x you #Being Human finale #alec mcdowell x female reader #logan x max #max guevara #original cindy #logan cale #ames white #Dark Angel #Jensen Ackles characters #Jensen Ackles #zepskies writes

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alegendoftomorrow · 2 months

Text

Letters to our Soldiers

Summary: Bradley finds himself making a Christmas wish on a letter from a stranger as he spends another Christmas alone ten thousand miles away from home.

Character: Bradley Bradshaw and F!reader (no use of Y/N)

Word Count: 1,208

Warnings: None

A/N: This is my third entry into @sailor-aviator winter challenger. My prompt was Merry Christmas, though I did also use this as a springboard for a possible series that I hope to start soon. Now, is this late... so very much so. Did life decide to send me into the new year with one finale kick…. Also yes. Is this also the first personal thing I’ve written for myself in a long time…also yes. But I had so much fun doing it and it feels good to get back to writing again. I hope you all have a phenomenal New Year and you find all the things you were looking for…. Enjoy some Christmas in February!

Bradley jumped off the ladder of his F-18 and shivered against the wind that blew across the deck. The sweat beading up along his brow and making his curls stick there was now making him feel even colder as he saluted the handful of privates who came to tighten his jet down to the deck and then lower it away so they could head back into port. Their practice drills finally done.

Rushing inside he tucked his helmet under his arm and headed right for the debriefing room. If he was lucky their CO would have nothing of note to say and send them all back to their bunks. Bradley wanted to change and get under his blankets. There was heat on the USS Dauntless but the steal walls and floors always seemed to hold onto the weather outside better then they did the temperature inside. Meaning right now it felt like walking through an ice box.

“Hey Bradshaw, you coming with us tonight or not?” That was Fitz’s voice echoing down the hall.

Bradley paused in the hall and pressed himself against the wall to let another officer pass by him as he waited for Fitz to catch up to him. “Na, I think I’m just going to stay in and try to catch up on some sleep.”

Fitz rolled his eyes and groaned as he walked in stride with Bradley to the briefing room. “Come on man it’s the first time we’ve seen land in weeks and you’re telling me you’d rather stay on this floating tin can then come and enjoy the night out with us?”

“That is exactly what I’m saying,” Bradley quipped back. “I intend to spend my leave sleeping and resting in my own bunk. Not eating bread and water in the brig.”

Fitz rolled his eyes and punched Bradley’s shoulder. Waving him off like he was a lost caused. “First of all, that happened one time and secondly you’re still boring.”

Bradley just shook his head and plopped down on one of the wooden seats. His excuse was the truth. Mostly. The other reason though was currently burning a hole in the pocket of his flight suit. A perfectly folded letter that still smelled faintly of warm vanilla. A letter from a stranger he’d never met. Natasha had signed him up for one of those letter writing programs for soldiers. He’d been annoyed at first, but now he looked forward to each and every one of them.

“We’ll be heading into port in a few hours and I expect all of you to act like the officers you are. Dismissed,” their CO finally called after the debrief had ended.

“Last chance Bradshaw,” Fitz said already halfway out of the door. “It’s Christmas Eve!”

“Leave the man alone Fitz. He’s got big and important plans for the night,” Omaha said with a laugh. Dragging Fitz out of the doorway as a chorus of other officers and enlisted men chattered loudly, interspersed with laughter and off key singing which Bradley just chuckled at.

After a quick shower he changed back into his dark t-shirt and pants laying back on his lower bunk and taking out the letter. The writing on the front was in pretty, dark cursive. Whoever this woman was she had the prettiest handwriting Bradley had ever seen. He pressed the letter to his nose and breathed in the warm scent of vanilla that still only faintly lingered there. It would be a hard day when the smell faded from this one too. Opening the letter, he tucked one of his hands back under his head and smiled softly.

Dear Soldier,

I don’t know what time zone you’re in, or even what country you’re stationed at, but where ever you are I hope you’re not spending Christmas Eve alone.

Bradley laughed. “Sorry to disappoint sweetheart,” he muttered. Though he did wonder if this technically counted as spending the day alone if he was reading her words…

I for one will likely be spending it at the hospital. One of my co-workers, Mandy--she was the one involved in the blue cupcake fiasco a few months ago—anyways she has two adorable little boys and so I took her shifts so she could spend the holidays with them. I don’t mind though so don’t go feeling bad for me or anything. I like what I do and it’s nice to get to spend time with the patients over Christmas. Especially when some of them don’t have any family to come visit them. You should see the nurse’s station all decked out in different decorations for just about every different holiday celebrated among us.

Bradley’s smile grew wider as his heart swelled in his chest reading over the words. This woman was so kind and bright. He could so easily imagine her sitting at a nurse’s station and painstakingly writing to him everything that came to her mind as she looked over her floor. He imagined she had the most beautiful smile to match her pretty words. He found himself longing, as he often did, to ask her questions back. He wanted to know everything about her and he wanted to tell her everything about him. He wanted her to know that he reread the twelve other letters shed written him nearly every day. That he held them close to his chest when the nights got dark or the sea was rough. He wanted to tell her that he had them memorized. Every friend she mentioned and patient she cared for; he knew them all. He wanted to tell her that they had the same favorite color and favorite Girl Scout Cookie flavor. He wished her letters came with a return address.

Alright well it’s getting late and I have to head out for another round but I want to make sure I get this in the mail to you so you get it in some kind of speedy order. I don’t really know how to say this without coming off like a stalker or some kind of wierdo, and I really hope you don’t thinks it’s weird but I included my address at the bottom of this page just in case you wanted to write back to me.

Bradley’s heart flpped and he sat up so quickly his head nearly hit the top bunk. Flicking his eyes to the bottom of the page he did indeed she her return address written there. His thumb brushed across her name and the letters and numbers beneath it.

I know the service is random and I’ve already written more letter than I was supposed to but, I don’t know, getting to write to you these past few months has felt nice. You really helped me, whoever you are out there, and I just want to keep writing to you if I can.

I hope wherever you are you’re staying safe and that m letters have been a little piece of home you’ve been missing.

Merry Christmas Soldier.

“Merry Christmas sweetheart,” Bradley whispered. He looked down at the address one last time and then reached under his bunk into one of the drawers there. Pulling out a notebook and his pen he began his own letter.

#top gun maverick #top gun fic #letterstoasoldier #bradley rooster bradshaw x reader #bradley bradshaw #bradley bradshaw fanfiction #bradley bradshaw oneshot #Liz’s Christmas challenge #writing challenge #letters to you #rooster bradshaw

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writerlyhabits · 2 years

Note

Din’s partner figures out they’re pregnant, and is terrified. They aren’t married, this is the worst time possible, Din already has so much responsibility on his shoulders. But they have to tell him. Because Din deserves to know. She’s terrified of what his reaction might be, if he’d be angry, or excited, or dismissive, etc.

How do you think that scene plays out?

AN: I loved this prompt so much. I haven’t written anything like this yet, but is 100% in line with the unwritten fics in my head 😂And honestly, I think we all deserve a wholesome wonderful moment with this absolute sweetheart. Thanks to @deceiverofgodss for beta reading and brainstorming for our dear Mandalorian 💛 I hope you enjoy!!

Content Disclaimer!! This is a story about pregnancy, and most of it was written a few weeks ago, so there is mention and discussion of termination and/or carrying it to term. If that makes you uncomfortable, or you’d rather not think about that right now, please do not read. But if you wanna escape to a world without recent political events, me too friends, lets go ✨

Warnings: mild cursing, pregnancy, discussion of termination, helmetless Din (I had to i'm sorry), med center/hospital setting, nervous reader, its a little angsty and about a serious topic but otherwise I can't think of any warnings? Please let me know if I missed any!!

Word count: 3k - 4.2k (there’s a split ending…)

“As you’ll be able to see on your scan, you’re in perfect health,” the Med droid explained in its cheerfully programmed inflection, and you took the chip from its outstretched limb to plug into your data pad. Din had always found them eerie, but after enough check-ups on your adventures, their strangely soothing presence was starting to grow on you. “All cuts have healed, no internal or neural injuries, and the baby is doing well.”

Your brain short-circuited as your data pad illuminated your face, snapping your head up at the droid.

“What?”

“You sustained no neural injuries, and all-”

“No, not that. Did you say baby?” you snapped. You’re usually much nicer with the med droids, but right now your mind is swirling and it just needs to get to the damn point.

“Your little one is five weeks along, and in perfect health. It’s too early to determine much, but its heart seems to be forming very strong!” Your throat felt tight as you listened with a blank expression, looking down at the scan in your hands it kept referring to. You zoomed in on the model of your body, right to your abdominal region, and saw a handful of popup passages link themselves to…

A baby.

“At this stage, they are no bigger than a citrus fruit seed, and just starting to develop essential systems. You may be feeling some of the effects already…” You tuned out the droid as it droned on about sensitivity to smell and other elaborate terms for the classic, bordering on cliche symptom; morning sickness.

It definitely explained why you’d been so queasy the last few times you made the jump to hyperspace, and why you had felt sick when Din had prepped your favorite ration pack. The smell was so intense, but you couldn’t figure out how to explain what it was that made it so off-putting. Your sweet Mandalorian had been so attentive, trying to figure out what it was that seemed to be affecting you, only you. At least you could give him an answer now.

How the hell were you going to tell him?

"I sense a shift in your demeanor. Is this news unpleasant?" The droid’s concerned – though mechanical– voice pattern took you out of your thoughts, and you did your best to put on a fake smile but it didn’t stay there long.

"No, I just- well… I don't know,” you rambled, looking back down at the pad in your hands. You couldn’t stop looking at it, both in awe of the fact that a baby is growing inside of you… and nervous about how your partner would respond.

You knew Din inside and out. You knew what each tilt of his helmet meant, the meticulous steps he took when removing his armor, you felt like you could hear the thoughts in his head as they appeared. You fit to him as if you were a layer between the Beskar that protected him from the outside world, and the heart beating underneath it, and that’s just where he liked you. But now?

You weren’t married. You drove in separate cruisers after having lost the Razor Crest. You had no home and hardly any money, keeping Grogu safe in this crazy life you two led was challenging enough. For the first time in a long time, you had no idea what Din would think.

"It's normal to be nervous. You will find information about prenatal care installed on the chip, information for termination, and resources for support. You are not alone."

Dank farrik… there it was, clear as day. You were either going to care for this child, or you weren’t. Either way, you’d have to make a choice. And you didn’t exactly have all the time in the world to do it with Din waiting for you outside, and a baby actively starting to form inside you.

“Oh… thank you,” you said lamely, not sure what else to do as your brain seemed just to start filling with thoughts in every direction.

"I still sense some unease... are you safe in your home?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes… yes!” You were quick to assure the droid so as not to start running through any of their pre-programmed protocols on dealing with unsavory hospital guests. It was a sneaky code you’d found installed in the droids at any med center worth a damn, the prime loophole objective being to ensure a safe environment for all patients.

You’d learned this the hard way once on some big city planet, Din’s rough Beskar exterior intimidating a good many of the people he passed, which left you doing extensive scans on your own before you could go through the ordeal of bypassing the protocol. He’d been so worried about you that day; even after being escorted away and held in an interrogation room, his only concern had been about you.

“My partner is… he’s wonderful, I couldn’t be in better hands,” you gushed, relieved when you could tell the droid was making no move to act. “It just caught me by surprise, I guess. I don't uh… well, I don’t quite know what to do."

"Informing your partner may allow them the opportunity to support you, but if you feel you are unable to do that, there are more resources we can provide to you,” It explained not unkindly.

“No, I’ll tell him. Thank you.”

But that was easier said than done.

Your body was moving but your mind was numb as the droid led you out into the hallway, immediately noticing the large wall of shining silver that shot up out of one of the seats, a green bean secure in the bag on his shoulder. A bag… why did either of you start putting him in a bag? That can’t hardly be comfortable. What if he hits his little head? Where were these thoughts coming from?

You braced for impact, mustering the energy to face them with a reassuring smile as you reached out for the little one, holding him close to your chest. Goddamn hormones… Little hands on either side of your face and a soft coo from Grogu, and you had to fight so incredibly hard to keep from getting emotional over his big eyes.

“Mesh’la, how did it go?” Din voiced as he took you in his arms, one hand at your hip while the other rested across his foundling’s back in your arms. You picked up on the way he said the Mando’a word, a nickname he’d given you that never fails to make you smile; he’s nearly whined it, clearly not a fan of the way they opted to keep the rest of your crew waiting outside. He liked to be right where the action was, knowing he could protect you at any chance you needed him, whether it was in battle or in the examination room.

“It’s uh… good. Everything is good,” you managed, doing your best to tame his need to watch over you while navigating your own nerves. You could tell by the slight cock of his helmet that he wasn’t buying it, he knew something was off. The man knew you too damn well. He looked up at the med droid and nodded to assure it that you were safe in his hands, and only once it had left the vicinity did he speak up again.

“What’s going on? Talk to me,” he pleaded softly, his grip on you never faltering, and acting as a sort of tether to reality. Your heart was caught in your throat, and you did your best to swallow it down just enough to calm his immediate worries.

“Everything is fine, I’m fine, I just…” You stared at your own reflection in the darkness of his visor, trained on you as he was no doubt scouring your features for any hint of what was preventing your usual cheery and comforting attitude from surfacing like it normally would in these situations. You had always been excited to leave the med centers, scooping up your foundling and dragging your Mandalorian out the doors.

“Do you want to go back to the Inn? Or do we need to find a place here?” he asked calmly, his deep voice familiar and soothing as it came through the modulator. Maker, did you love him… Always at your beck and call, reading you like an open book.

“The Inn.” He gave a short nod to your response and stayed close as he led you out the door.

You weren’t staying far, it would have normally been a very short walk but you were sure you weren’t the only one affected by the anticipation, making it feel like a destination that couldn’t come into view soon enough. You held Grogu securely in your arms, rubbing a hand across his back as he gurgled contentedly, playing with the necklace Din had gotten you a few planets back. Din’s hand between your shoulder blades allowed you to keep your focus on the swamp rat in your arms, trusting him to lead you safely through the streets of the quaint town.

“Me'vaar ti gar?” He asked after a while, a question you recognized; the Mando’a equivalent of ‘how are you,’ but meant exactly as such. He used the foreign phrase when he wanted a straight answer from you, no fluff, no beating around the bush, and no judgments in return.

“Naas,” you quickly replied with what he’d taught you to be the complacent response, a confirmation that nothing had changed. “I just want to be somewhere quiet,” you continued, trying to communicate your sense of urgency without worrying him about the reason. His gloved hand rubbed a gentle circle across your back, doing what he could to soothe you.

“We’re almost there, mesh’la.” He pulled you a little closer, and his pace picked up a little, going as fast as he could while making sure you could keep up in a comfortable stride.

What could only have been a ten-minute walk felt like an eternity, and you only realized you’d been holding in tight breaths once you crossed the threshold into your small room and felt relieved enough for air to properly fill your lungs again. But with your ease of breath, your mind began reeling again, feeling much like you had the first moment you’d stepped out into the hall to find him waiting for you.

The weight in your arms lifted as Grogu happily went to his father, deposited onto the cocoon of blankets and toys that had been made for him when your party had first arrived. Then you watched in what felt like slow motion as Din began removing his gloves, discarding the excess bulk on his body now that you could settle into your private space, and turned to find you still standing just inside the doorway.

“You’re worrying me, cyar'ika,” he spoke softly, just barely coming through the helmet in a smooth transmission. His warm hands found yours, encompassing them as he led you towards the bed in the middle of the room. “Are you ready to tell me what’s going on?”

You were gonna have to, sooner or later. As he spoke, your mouth felt dry, hands clammy, and you couldn’t have uttered anything coherent even if you’d wanted to. But you watched with adoration as he tilted his helmet up to meet your eyes, sitting on the edge of the bed while he waited patiently for some kind of sign.

Words weren’t going to get you anywhere, you didn’t have any to help you.

You nodded gently to give him a response, before slowly slipping your hands out of his large ones. He kept his palms open to signal his willingness to listen and receive, and it made you melt. You reached around to grab the data pad from earlier, opening up your medical scan – the collection of pixels in your abdomen a beacon now that you knew it was there – and placed the device in his hands.

He hesitated before looking down at the pad in his hands, and you could tell that for a moment, he was confused about what he was looking at. One hand began perusing the scan, pinching in to take a closer look at the details starting from the top down. Always so methodical… but in this instance, he had permission to skip about. Your head, your shoulders, and your chest passed the screen. He stopped to read the passage about your heart, fingers hovering delicately as he read the positives.

And then you saw the familiar set of passages appear, his hands freeze, and your heart skip.

The baby.

Your baby.

His baby.

You couldn’t take your eyes off the screen as you saw his helmet look up to you in your peripherals. Your chest felt tight, but you kept your composure, lest you worry him about the wrong thing.

“Five weeks… Was that…?”

“Naboo,” you answered. A faint smile hit the corner of your lips as flashes of the trip entered your mind; lush greens, clear waters, as tempting a place as ever to let loose with your Mandalorian. He’d been on too many hunts that had taken a toll on his body, and it hadn’t taken hardly any convincing for him to let you take care of him... “I went in on the first day of the trip, my ear was bothering me. I think-”

“The meds must have counteracted your…” he started at nearly the same time you would have finished it for him. Your wonderful, clever, observant lover, getting to the root of your surprise crew member in mere moments. “Pregnant?” He breathed, like he couldn’t believe what was happening. You didn’t know how to interpret it.

“Pregnant.”

“How long have you known?” You could only manage to shake your head slowly; you hadn’t known.

You stared at each other for Maker knows how long, and you were only briefly aware of the fact that he’d set the data pad aside before watching his shoulders rise and fall with a shaky breath, holding his hand out to you. You let him pull you into his lap, the familiar feeling of his thigh plates against the back of your legs as you straddled him, hands resting tentatively against the beskar on his chest.

A shiver ran down your spine as he started rubbing circles on your back, and you could tell there was a lot going on inside that helmet, you just wished you knew what. The uncertainty was killing you. Din had to have felt it because it didn’t take long for him to rest his forehead against yours. The cool of the beskar was relaxing, and the intimacy urged you to close your eyes and release the breath you were holding.

“I’m sorry.”

“What could you possibly have to be sorry about?” His brashness contrasted his words and intent, something that had startled you when you first met. Now it was a comfort, not having to guess what was going on; he meant what he said, and he said it with purpose. It was something you had admired about him for a long time.

“This is… I didn’t see this coming,” you continued with a quiet and shaky voice. The tears couldn’t be far behind as your body was coming down from its high, all of your emotions crashing down on you with a brutal force. “Din, I’m sorry. I’m so-”

“Don’t you dare apologize for this.” His voice was quiet but it was strong, full of conviction. Somehow, it steadied you. His body shifted ever so slightly, and you could tell that he was looking at you through his visor as your foreheads touched, though you still couldn’t open yours. “We did this together. Everything that happens with this… we do together. We take responsibility together.”

You couldn’t stop your tears from falling now. The pad of his thumb brushed over your cheek to stop it from trickling very far, and he held the back of your neck as he tucked you into the crook of his neck, tilting his head up for you to fit comfortably in the space.

“I’ll be here, no matter what you choose. I’ll help you raise this child, to be the father it deserves… if that is what you wish.” He hesitated for a moment, and if you trusted your ears, he took in a difficult breath. “And if you don’t, I’ll be beside you at every step. But this first choice is yours, mesh’la.”

“You’re not mad?”

“Exactly the opposite.” You stilled for a moment, feeling his chest rise and fall with his deep breaths, knowing he was making a strong effort to keep them so even. “I… Children – and foundlings – are the way of the Mandalore. But… but it is something you must choose, for yourself and for the child in your care. It cannot be forced, it diminishes the choice to follow the Resol’nare…”

“This is the way,” you said quietly, assuming that would be what followed after his explanation. It was not the first time he had shared the intricacies of his lifestyle, nor would it be the last, and it had given you the ability to admire his choice to follow his creed. But as you expected him to say the well-used phrase, he was silent.

“The decision is yours to make. And I will be here to help you, whatever you choose. This is the way.” You rose from your spot tucked into him, sitting straighter to be able to look into the black of his visor, already trained on you. Your heart jumped in your throat as you imagined what expression might be hiding on the face behind the mask.

Though you supposed he was probably glad he was wearing it, forcing you to have to make up your own mind as your reflection stared back at you, thoughts teeming about what to do with the little one developing inside you.

“Everything that happens with this, we do together,” you started, finding a semblance of courage to pick your voice up barely above a whisper. You brought your hands to either side of his helmet as if you were cupping his face in your hands, bracing both of you for what came next. “What do you want to do, Din?”

“That’s not my-”

“I know what I want,” you cut him off, surprising yourself with the gumption your words had found. “But only if you want to do it with me. What do you want?”

The room was covered in a blanket of silence so thick that you were certain a war could have broken out outside and you wouldn’t have been able to hear it. Your heart was thumping in your ears as Din seemed to be looking over you with that meticulous eye of his, one hand holding you close while the other caressed your cheek.

“Please, ner’karta…” he just about whined, his grip tightening on you as your hands flew to his neck, pulling him close for another Keldabe kiss.

You were having a baby.

“We’re having a baby,” you managed through the smile spreading across your cheeks, disrupting the path of the tears beginning to fall. You heard his chuckle break through the modulator, and couldn’t help but return it.

When his hands left your body you instinctively sat back, though you closed your eyes just as quickly as you had opened them when you saw his hands move to the lip of his helmet, a familiar dance the two of you had shared time and time again. Lips ghosted across yours, the prickly scruff on his cheeks tickling your skin as your hands flew to his messy curls.

“Mesh’la… open your eyes.” If it hadn’t been for his lips crashing into yours, you would have retorted back. Instead, you sat in a confused sort of bliss as he poured his soul into you, simultaneously breathing in your very essence. “Please, I want you to see me.”

“Your creed-”

“I am already on my way to restore the living waters of Mandalore for that creed. My foundling has seen my face when I feared I would never see him again.” You started to squirm at the implication of his words, and his strong hands found you again to ease your thoughts, tangling one in your hair as the other found a home resting gently over your abdomen. “I think the mother of my child has the right to see me, just this once… before we are married.”

Against every instinct you had taught yourself during your relationship with Din, those words made your eyes flutter open.

And Maker he was beautiful.

Warm, expressive brown eyes looked up at you from under concerned brows as he put his heart in your hands. Your eyes danced across his features, finally getting to see the prominent nose and pouty lips you had felt so many times before. As you brought your hands up to play with the scruff on his cheeks, his lips curled up in a smile that made something warm bloom inside of you, your own smile growing with it.

“Do you like what you see, cyar’ika?” he giggled, and you felt it rumble through his chest. Instead of answering you leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the tip of his nose, delighted when you leaned back and watched his eyes flutter back open from your affection.

“You want to marry me?” you replied, and the blissed-out expression faded from his face for half a second to don a more serious one. Being graced with the opportunity to look upon your lover's face had made you realize how expressive he was, wearing his emotions plain as day the second they came to him. You figured that must have been a benefit to wearing the helmet for so many years.

“I have for a while.” He spoke so reverently, gazing upon you like you were the Maker herself. But even in such a tender moment, you couldn’t refrain from poking fun at your Mandalorian.

“You’re not just saying that to make me feel better?” His smile returned as he released a breath of amusement, shaking his head softly as you continued. “Don’t let this baby force you into anything you-”

“I have wanted to marry you, to remove my helmet in front of you, for a long time. I was saving up to take you away, ask you somewhere you’d always wanted to go,” he admitted, and you were basking in his ramblings. As a man of so few words, you loved when he shared his with you, when he let you into the head on his broad shoulders.

“What were you waiting for?”

“We picked up a womp rat. Kind of threw off my timeline.” He gave a disgruntled look in the direction of his green child, still happily playing with the toys in his little cocoon in the time your world had been torn down and rebuilt in front of him. “I’m not about to let this child keep me from it any longer.”

You giggled as his grip shifted down to focus on your abdomen, overjoyed with the situation you found yourself in, happy and cozy with your little mismatched family. Din began to laugh with you, holding you closer to him as he stood from the bed and turned to lay you down gently amongst the pillows. He made to crawl over you, but something stopped him, getting back to his feet and walking over to the chair opposite Grogu.

Before you could ask what he was doing, he began the process of removing his beskar, which you were all too familiar with. Propping yourself up on your elbows you watched him meticulously release every strap, weapon, plate, and vambrace. He caught your glance and gave you a boyish grin as he untucked the duraweave top and lifted it over his head.

“Din, I love you, but are we really doing this right now? I mean, Grogu is right there,” you teased, the foundling perking his ears and looking over at you as you said his name. Your snarky comment earned you a deep belly laugh as he shook his head exasperatedly, making his way back over to the bed.

“I want to hold you. I don’t want to hurt the baby,” he said seriously as he crawled over you once more, settling himself between your legs so that he could be closer to your stomach, lifting your shirt and resting his bare arms on either side of your hips.

“I don’t think the armor would have-”

“They need skin-to-skin contact, mesh’la.”

“After they’re born, Din.”

“Well I’m going to start now,” he argued with conviction, a playful grin on his handsome face as you laughed at his antics. But your heart melted when his lips met your stomach, a series of soft pecks scattered across every inch he could reach, and going back over again when your fingers began toying with his soft curls.

Din had told you once about an Mando’a phrase, jatne manda. He had said it was a specific way to describe your good mood, “a complex sense of being at one with your clan and life.” When Grogu had come to you, you thought you understood what that meant. But just as you once thought you couldn’t love Din in any greater capacity, you were proven wrong. This moment, was your jatne manda. And you were certain, with another little warrior on the way, you would find more moments just like this. This is the way.

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obetrolncocktails · 8 months

Text

Ignition | Danny Wagner X f!Reader X Jake Kiszka | Part 2

Have you read Part 1?

Warnings: Depression, unrequited feelings, tooth-rotting Danny fluff, Jake angst

Word Count: 6,023

Summary: In the midst of your own misery, Danny Wagner swept in out of the rain and pulled you out of it. So, what should you expect from him? Where do you go from here? Instead of overthinking, you decide instead, to jump on his motorcycle and take a risk.

“Deep breath in, pretty boy,” the piercer warned, holding onto Danny's ear. He was already scrunching his eyes closed, which made you snort.

“For such a badass, you really act like a baby,” you teased. You felt the throbbing sting of your upper ear where Tiffany had given you your piercing. Already, you loved it, rotating the stud as you looked at it in the mirror.

“Hey, no touching,” She scolded, narrowing her eyes at you.

“Sorry,” you apologized, clearing your throat, sidling up to the table where Danny sat.

“Ready, Randy?” Tiffany asked, her voice deep and throaty, most likely from years of smoking. The entire parlor smelled of cigarettes. It wouldn’t have surprised you had she decided to place a lit cigarette behind her ear, picking up puffs in between piercings.

“Danny,” He corrected, looking up at you with a sly grin.

“Whatever you say,” She continued. “Three, Two–” She pierced his ear, and you watched his eyes squeeze shut from the pain.

“Is it done?” He asked, still cowering from the pain.

“Yes,” you snorted, looking up at Tiffany who didn’t look amused.

“Tips are appreciated. Don’t play with your piercings. Let them heal before putting in hoops. Stay away from non-surgical steel, nickel, and other cheap shit.” You reached for your wallet and handed her a tip, smiling and offering a quiet thank you before stepping out of the shop with Danny in tow behind you.

“I can’t believe you actually did it,” you told him, pushing him by his shoulder.

“You wanted to be impulsive, so I figured I’d do the same,” He shrugged. “Hurt like a bitch though.”

“Well, that’s because you’re really a wuss,” you teased, looking up at him with glee. Riding on the spike of adrenaline, you continued, watching him as he looked down at you with a wide, curious grin. “I have one more thing I’d like to do while being impulsive.”

He raised an eyebrow. “And what’s that?” He asked.

Stepping forward into him, you wrapped your hands around the zipper of his open leather jacket, and pulled him downward, his clean, masculine scent looping around you like an elixir. He leaned the rest of the way to pull you into the kiss, his arms secured at your waist, then traveling upward to caress your jawline. His lips were like plush velvet; so soft and supple–luxurious, even. In the moment, you had played it up into just being fun, but as you broke the kiss and dropped back to your feet. You ran your tongue over the soft ridge of your lip from the pressure of the kiss against your teeth, pleasantly surprised at how good the kiss was.

“That was…” Danny said, his hands still hovering in the air around you.

“Come on,” you said, not giving him time to process. Instead, you took his hand and pulled him back to the bike, not pausing to worry about his boyish, flustered expression while you did it.

“Where are we going?” He asked, handing you the helmet once again.

“Anywhere,” You told him. “Just drive.”

As he drove, your thoughts wandered to Jake, and you wondered if he thought about you in the time you had been radio silent with each other. Then you got angry. You felt your skin ignite from head to toe as you clung to Danny. Fuck him, you thought. He showed you all the signs. He flirted with you. He made sure to look nice every time you hung out. Hell, he’d complimented you often–he’d even held your hand. You felt so confident that he felt the same way about you. His actions over the last few months had empowered you, giving you the courage to risk your friendship for more–and he blew it. No, he blasted that chance into smithereens. You thought about his last text, telling you to take care of yourself, and that he was always there for you. It just made you angry.

“You’re quiet,” Danny said over his shoulder as he pulled to a stop at a redlight. “Everything okay?” He asked. You thanked God that he couldn’t see your face, as a single angry tear betrayed your composure.

“I’m fine,” you answered, embarrassing yourself when you unintentionally sniffled the rest of the tears away. He reached a hand back and squeezed your knee firmly, silently reminding you that he was there for you, and that he understood without the need for conversation what was the matter. The late afternoon was beginning to fade into soft featherings of orange, pink, and lavender and you enjoyed the feeling of the wind against your skin. The heat of the afternoon had cooled, changing your mood for the better as Danny continued to drive down the highway. There weren’t many cars on the road, which made for a peaceful ride. You didn’t know if he had a destination in mind, but you didn’t care, either. Something about him made you feel safe.

“We’re here,” He said after a while, pulling into an empty parking lot. “Lynnwood Way Lookout,” He continued, turning off the bike. The sky was still illuminated above, which allowed you to look out into the trees as the colors you had seen on the highway began to intensify and darken toward the rolling hills of the horizon.

“Wow, this is incredible,” you turned to Danny as you both took in the sight. His features were relaxed, but his eyes were bright with wonder as snerenity washed over the scenery.

“Isn’t it?” He asked. “Come on,” He said after a pause. You stepped off of the bike, stretching your legs from the ride.

“It’s been forever since I’ve been out here,” he admitted, taking off his leather jacket, laying it over the handlebars of the bike. Your eyes fell over his chest as you mentally noted the contour of his muscles through his shirt. “I used to come out here a lot when we first moved to Nashville,” he explained.

“Do you bring a lot of girls here?” You teased, grinning up at him.

“No, actually,” he answered, surprising you. “This has always just been my place,” he said, stepping toward the lookout’s edge, placing his hands on his hips as he looked out at the treetops. “I came here all the time when I was feeling my lowest,” he explained. “Which, at one point, was quite a lot.”

“The entire time I’ve known you, you’ve always seemed so happy,” you said, your tone coming out unintentionally speculative.

“All of us pretend to be happy a time or two, Y/n.” He looked over at you calmly. His curls danced softly in the evening breeze. If you were even half as good of an artist as your heart wanted you to be, you could have painted the picture of him in front of you, his eyes so intense with abundant wisdom and honesty. His gaze roamed over your body and soul, and transfixed you like you’d never experienced before. You couldn’t explain it to yourself, let alone to anyone else.

“Pretending makes it easier for those around us,” he continued, placing his clasped hands on the concrete barrier as he continued to look out. “So I did it for a while, until I couldn’t anymore.” You nodded with understanding, relating more to him than you were comfortable admitting–yet.

“I get it,” you said quietly.

“It was really hard at the beginning, you know? As a band, I mean. We’re still growing, of course. But when we were getting our footing out here as a band, it was rough. It still is. I guess I’ve just gotten better at filtering out the bullshit.” He shrugged lightly, but you could tell that these were heavy emotions that he carried.

“What exactly were you going through?” you asked, risking being too invasive.

“Oh you know,” He began almost sarcastically. “I’m not one of the brothers, I’m not conventionally attractive–I drum just like John Bonham, or really, I just suck in general.”

“People are just awful,” you told him, reaching to squeeze his arm fondly. “I’m really sorry, Danny. I didn’t realize it affected you as much as it did.”

He shrugged again. “No one really does,” he admitted. “It’s because I’ve been hiding it for a while now. The boys know about the hate, and they check on me every now and then when it gets really bad, but I guess I just deal with it on my own for the most part.”

You stood beside him content in the silence as you thought back on the time you’d known him. Yes, you were friends, but never close enough to have conversations like this. Now that you were here with him, especially after today, you wanted more of him.

“How are you, Y/n?” He asked, turning to you after a while. “I’ve spent too much time talking about myself,” He chuckled nervously. “I’m sorry.”

“No, no,” you dismissed his worry, pausing for a moment. “I’m okay, I guess. I don’t think I’ll really know how I am until I talk to him again, you know? I feel like I’ve forced myself to be numb. I do miss him, though.”

“You’re not going to reach out to him, though,” he said as a statement, eyeing you with a slight smirk.

“Nope,” You answered instantly, the ‘p’ in the word popping from between your lips.

“He’s probably scared to talk to you,” he offered. “He doesn’t want to upset you further. I’d bet that’s why he hasn’t said anything.”

“Would you reach out after you told your bestfriend you didn’t have feelings for them, and then destroyed their heart by stabbing a thousand holes into it?” You asked sarcastically.

“Wow, that’s very dramatic,” he chuckled, turning to you. “But yes, if it meant enough to me, I’d reach out, even if it was embarrassing. Even if it made me cringe to even think about–because I’d rather risk looking like a jackass than losing my best friend.”

You swallowed, feeling the ache in your throat as anger surged forward. “It’s been almost two weeks, Danny. Two weeks and he hasn’t reached out. Hasn’t called. Shit, he hasn’t even tried to talk to me through you, Sam or Josh.”

“To be honest, Y/n, he hasn’t really spoken to anyone. I only knew about everything because you hadn’t come by and I forced him to tell me at least the bare minimum. Even then, he really didn’t want to talk about it.”

“God, he’s such a pussy.”

“I don’t think that’s the case,” Danny countered. “I think you both are just so stubborn that neither one of you knows how to move forward.”

“It’s just not right for it to be me,” You said, sighing heavily.

“Why don’t you come to rehearsal tomorrow?” Danny asked, biting his bottom lip. “Let’s grab lunch, and then we can meet at the office,” he suggested.

“With Jake?” You asked “Danny, you’re crazy.”

“No, with me.” He grinned. “Come have lunch with me. My treat.” The invitation was casual, friendly, and no doubt refreshing.

“You know what? Sure,” You agreed. “I think I’d like that.”

“Yeah?” He asked. “We rarely get to hang out. Plus, today was surprisingly really fun.”

“Are you surprised that you actually had fun with me, Wagner?” You asked, staring at him intently, mostly to test him. You couldn’t help the grin that was beginning to grow wider and wider as he squirmed in front of you.

“No, no, you know what I meant– I didn’t–”

“I was just joking, relax,” you chuckled, reaching for his hand and squeezing it. You watched as his features loosened as he looked down at your clasped hands. You pulled away, clearing your throat. “But yes, I’d love lunch,” you finished with an enthusiastic smile.

***

The drive back to the record store was quiet and chilly, and, if the cliché hadn’t been established for decades, you really could have used Danny’s jacket for warmth. Wrapping yourself around him did help though, and it took everything in you not to fall asleep as you rested against his back.

“Hey,” he said once he entered the downtown area. “We’re almost at The Bohemian. I’ll take you to your car.”

“Thanks,” you told him sleepily, feeling the urgent need to stretch and move your limbs. As he parked beside your car, something tugged at your heart, making you want to stay with him longer. He made you feel safe, his presence like a protective cocoon of sorts that you never expected, but so desperately needed.

“Today was…really nice,” you told him after stepping off of his bike.

“It really was,” he agreed with a soft smile. “Are you good to drive home?” He asked, most definitely seeing how sleepy you were.

“Yeah, I’ll be okay,” you nodded. “Don’t worry.”

“Will you text me that you got home safe?” He asked.

“Of course,” you assured him.

“Okay,” he smiled, turning the bike back on. Watching him on the motorcycle was extremely sexy, and anyone watching would have thought the same thing. “See you tomorrow.”

“Bye,” You said, waving to him as you lowered yourself into your car. He waited in the parking lot for you to pull out first, and you heard his engine revving as he turned the opposite way onto the street. For the first time since the fall out with Jake, you felt like you could breathe, and though you missed him, Danny had filled you with genuine happiness today. He had literally come out of nowhere, and now, you wanted more of him, but you weren’t ready to admit that to even yourself. Before you stepped out of your car to go inside, you reached for your phone and texted Danny immediately. “I’m home. Thank you for a great day, Danny. I really needed it. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Stepping into the house conjured a mixture of feelings. It was messy inside, proof of the slump you had let yourself slip into. There were dirty dishes piled up, couch pillows scattered on the floor, and you realized that you had left the TV on the entire time you were gone. You didn’t have the energy to clean up, so you reached for the remote, turned the TV off and walked straight to your bedroom and got into bed.

“Count on it,” Danny had responded to your latest text with a smiley face. You went to bed with both hope and anxiety. You hoped that you’d mend bridges with Jake before rehearsal, and you were grateful that Danny was there to support you. You let your thoughts roam as you pondered the many different outcomes after you and Jake had finally spoken.

***

“Good Morning.” Danny texted you the next morning, making you smile. It had been forever since you’d gotten texts like that, and even though you knew it meant nothing serious, just the kind greeting had shifted your mood, starting your day off in good spirits.

“Good Morning! Where are we meeting for lunch?” You texted back before starting a shower. Stepping in, you imagined washing off all of the misery from the last two weeks and starting fresh. Once you stepped out of the shower, you’d be strong again. You’d know what to say to Jake, and everything would be okay.

“Well, I figured I’d pick you up (in my car this time), and we’d go to the rehearsal together. Sound like a plan?”

You saw the text, and then the three dots that appeared under it.

“Of course, you can drive too if you want. No pressure.”

He was so careful. You smiled as you typed out a response.

“I don’t know,” you texted back. “I might not think you’re as cool or sexy if you pick me up in a regular car. ;)” You imagined the grin he’d have while reading your text.

Getting dressed, you slipped on a comfortable and cute summer dress that fell to your knees in soft, chiffon frills. The dress was white with blue, printed flowers, and it made you feel pretty and confident when you wore it. You let your hair fall in loose waves over your shoulders, applying light makeup.

“A vehicle will never determine my sexiness, Y/n. Is that all I am to you? A piece of meat?” He was most definitely flirting, and you definitely wouldn’t turn it down.

“Oh idk, maybe you’ll have to show me your worthiness instead…” You finished the text with a wink emoji, testing the waters further before slipping your shoes on and grabbing your purse.

“I’ll be there in ten. You’re heartless!”

He pulled up just on time, rolling his passenger window down, chewing gum with dark shades over his eyes. “Taxi,” He said with a grin. He drove an incredibly beautiful black Corvette coupe that was so glossy, you could see your reflection in it. You’d seen it before when the boys would rehearse or when they’d gather at each others’ houses, but you’d half-forgotten he’d driven a car this beautiful.

“Holy shit,” you blurted, your eyes widening.

“Am I sexy now?” He asked, propping his sunglasses on the top of his head, his curls framing his face perfectly.

“Yes, Danny. You’re a Greek god,” You spoke in a syrupy–sweet tone, playing as if he’d somehow seduced you instantly. “I don’t know how I never saw your incredible beauty before.” You internally cringed, because, though he didn’t know, the second half of your playful statement was true. He chuckled lightly, breaking the joke, patting the seat beside him.

“Jump in, you tease. Watch your head while you get in. It’s lower than you think.” You watched him for a moment as he chewed on his bubble gum, his bright teeth glinting in the sunlight. oh fuck me, you thought. Why did all four of these men have to be so goddamn attractive? What is wrong with the world? Stepping into the car, you immediately forgot Danny’s warning and slammed your head into the top of the car door on the way down.

“Fuck,” You spat, your tone filled with pain as you pulled your arms upward, rolling instinctively into yourself to wait until the pain subsided.

“Oh my God,” he said, turning in his seat, his hands hovering around your head, not exactly sure how to help. “Are you okay?” He asked. In the moment, if you had the focus, you would have made fun of him for it. “Let me see,” He said, his fingers gently lifting your hands away from the area. “How hard does it hurt when I do this?” He asked, pressing his thumb against your skin in different areas.

“It hurts,” you admitted, squeezing your eyes shut. “But not too bad.”

“That’s a good sign,” he said. “You’re literally hard headed,” he said with a smile. You rolled your eyes, and to your surprise, he leaned forward and placed a kiss on the injury. “For the record, I did tell you to watch out.”

“Yeah, well I’m not very good at following directions,” you told him, rubbing out the injury as the pain began to subside.

“You’re gonna be the reason I keep a first aid kit in here,” he said, putting the car in gear as you fastened your seatbelt. You liked the idea of him purchasing and having an item specifically for you, even if it was as stupid as a first aid kit for your clumsiness. Plus, it made you feel good that he wanted you in his car again, that he wanted to spend more time with you.

“That might not be the worst idea,” you admitted, sitting up in your seat. “So, where are we going to eat?” You asked, changing the topic as he pulled onto the road.

“Just wait,” He said, offering a knowing grin. “You’re about to fall in love.”

“Already did that. Didn’t turn out too good,” you said sardonically, turning your head and looking at him.

“Hush. It’s you, me and lunch. It’ll be fun,"he responded. “Okay?” He asked.

“Okay,” You nodded, turning to look out of the window as he drove.

***

“What do you mean you outran a mountain goat at field day?” You asked Danny, laughing so loudly, it was a surprise you hadn’t been asked to leave the restaurant.

“It’s true! His name was Billy,” Danny continued, shoveling a forkful of his food into his mouth.

“Billy? Like Billy Goat?” You asked, snorting through your nose.

“Hey, I didn’t name it, I just raced it. You decide who the stupider person was.” His eyes were bright with amusement.

You shook your head with disbelief. “You have to be lying. That can't possibly be true.”

“It is! Mom probably has pictures. Hold on,” He said, wiping his hands and reaching into his pocket, facetiming his mother, Lori. You heard the dial tone beep as he waited for her to pick up.

“Daniel!” She greeted him. “What’s up, honey?” She asked through the phone.

“Hey Mom, I’m at lunch with Y/n,” He continued.

“Jake’s friend!” She said, waving at you on the other side of the screen. It made you cringe when she mentioned Jake. “Hi, sweetie!”

“Hi, Mrs. Wagner.” You offered her a friendly smile.

“Please, only doctors and bankers call me that. Call me Lori, always!” You nodded, smiling at her.

“Yes ma’am.”

“Anyway, Mom. Y/n doesn’t believe me that I raced a mountain goat at school,” he said.

“Oh he definitely did. Don’t tell me how that was approved, considering what could have happened. Luckily, Daniel had some speed and some height. I have pictures somewhere on my phone or on my computer. I’ll find them soon and send them to you.

“Thanks for vouching for me, Mom,” Danny thanked her, offering you a wink over the phone camera. “I’ll talk to you later, okay? Tell dad and Josie I said I love them.”

“Will do, baby. Talk to you soon. Bye Y/n!” She said, waving into the phone camera.

“Bye Mrs–Lori!” You said, cringing at yourself.

“Bye,” Danny said one more time before hanging up.

“You’re not lying,” You said, impressed.

“Nope. Trust me, Frankenmuth isn’t only known for the Christmas shops and kitschy stores. At school,” He continued, taking a sip of his water. “There were days when students got to come to school on their horses.”

“On horses?” You asked. “You’re bullshitting me, Wagner.”

“I swear to God!” He attested, leaning further into the table as he explained. “ =They’d just tie them up to the nearest post or tree, and then go into school. The teachers would actually let them out later to check on them.”

“That’s incredible,” you chuckled.

“Rednecks don’t exist only in the south,” He smirked. “Yeehaw!”

“You’re full of surprises,” You told him. “What else do you have up your sleeve, Danny?” You asked, pushing your finished plate away from you.

“Oh trust me, I am full of surprises. You’ll just have to stay long enough for me to reveal them all to you.”

You liked that. He had such a vivacious, and lively spirit, and you wished you had experienced it earlier. “You’re pretty cool, Wagner,” you admitted, sitting back in your seat.

“Eh,” he shrugged. “Only when I’m trying to impress.” You watched as he waved over your server for the check, as if what he said wasn’t flirtatious in the slightest. You felt the heat creeping up your neck.

“I’m going to the restroom, I’ll be right back,” you told him casually, pulling yourself up from the table.

Everything was becoming confusing. There was a hole in your life that had yet to be filled, but at the same time, Danny had swept in, just like a late-evening summer rain shower, providing you with a reminder of your worth, just in time for the sun to come back out and sparkle against your wet skin. He made you feel the way children do when they have the opportunity to play in the rain fully clothed, with no concern for their cleanliness. You imagined the picture of a child-sized you, tilting your head back and sticking your tongue out to the sky, catching cool raindrops as they fell.

Danny made you feel sexy, desirable, and spontaneous–a feeling you hadn’t had in forever. You felt loved and special around Jake, but recently over the last few months, it had turned into intense longing, lust, anxiety, and ultimately heartbreak. They always say never go after your best friend, but they also say the heart wants what it wants. Both clichés had destroyed you in the end. Danny felt like the possibility of a new beginning, a new direction, and perhaps, maybe he was the right choice all along.

In the short time you had spent together, the connection was instant and effortless, but you weren’t sure if it felt that way because you’d filled Jake’s absence with Danny, instead. You washed your hands, trying your best to wash away those thoughts at the same time.

“Hey,” you said softly, arriving back at the table.

“Hey,” He smiled warmly at you. “Thought you’d taken the free meal and ran,” he grinned.

“Not in the slightest,” you told him with a matching smirk. “I would have at least told you in person I wasn’t feeling you. Haven’t quite decided yet, if you’re wondering.”

“You’re a heartbreaker, aren’t you, Y/n?”

“There’s nothing but steel in here,” You responded, placing your hand over your heart.

“Ah,” He nodded. “Lucky for you, I melt even the coldest, hardest hearts. Even those made of steel.”

“Mm,” you nodded, amused. “Ah!” You groaned, pretending to feel pain in your chest. “I’m feeling it!”

He laughed genuinely, the sound of it vibrating through your body like a bell that had been struck.

“Come on,” he said with a grin, standing up from the table and reaching his hand out to you. “Let’s go.”

You looked up at his hand for a moment, deciding you’d jump in and take the risks you’d considered earlier. You took his hand in yours and immediately felt the length of his fingers tightening around yours, his large hand fitting in yours perfectly. You squeezed his hand once, and smiled when he looked down at you while walking out of the restaurant.

“It’s gonna be okay,” Danny told you as you both sat in his car. “I’m here for you.”

“I feel like I’m gonna puke,” you admitted, feeling your lunch flop in your stomach.

“Well, take it outside the car,” he grinned, his eyebrows raising sympathetically behind the joke.

“You won’t be alone. I’ll be with you.” You looked back at him. “Whatever happens, I’ll be there. I promise.” He lifted his pinky into the air for you to take. You smiled, rolling your eyes, lifting your pinky and lacing it with his.

“Okay. I’m ready,” you decided, opening your car door, and stepping out of it. You knew this space well, and you’d attended countless rehearsals, but you were in an entirely different circumstance now. “Did you tell Jake I was coming?”

“Nope,” Danny admitted, pulling his sunglasses off as he opened the door for you. “It doesn’t matter, though. It shouldn’t bother him, should it?” He asked, reaching for your hand once you were inside.

“I don’t know,” was all you could think to say.

“Daniel!” Josh called, padding through the hallway barefoot, a cup with steaming liquid in his left hand. “And Y/n,” he said, his tone deflating the tiniest bit, even though he didn’t mean for it to. “Sorry, I just wasn’t expecting you,” He said, lowering his voice.

“Yeah, Danny invited me, and it’s been a while since I’ve seen you and Sam, so I thought I’d stop by.” You purposefully omitted Jake’s name, knowing most definitely that Josh knew about everything. He let it slide. “We’re set to start in about fifteen minutes,” Josh said, taking a deep swig of his beverage.

“Sure about that?” Danny asked. “Strange that you’re the timekeeper is all I’m saying.”

“Kiss it,” Josh said playfully, turning to head toward the rehearsal space.

Despite the casual play, nervousness coursed through your body, and you weren’t sure if it would subside once you saw Jake. “I’m gonna go grab my sticks and check my kit. You can tag along if you want.” He turned the corner with you, stopping at the threshold of the rehearsal room.

“No.” You shook your head, choosing to be brave. “I’m okay. I’ll be okay,” you corrected. “Don’t worry.” You offered him a thin smile. He squeezed your hand one last time and left you.

As you turned, you faced Jake head on. Sitting on a stool at the far side of the room, he sat, strumming mindlessly on his guitar, but he wasn’t focusing on it. His eyes were set on you, his gaze pointed downward where yours and Danny’s hands had been intertwined. You swallowed. He wore dark sunglasses, his shirt characteristically left unbuttoned, and he’d worn his two-toned jeans, just as you knew he would. You nodded at him in a gentle greeting, and he did the same, reaching to push up his sunglasses. You strode further into the room, walking the dreaded distance between you and him, feeling your heart pound faster and faster as you moved closer.

“Hi,” he said, finally, silently holding down frets as he pretended to practice his fingerings. He didn’t practice, so you knew he was nervous, too.

“Hey,” you answered coolly.

“It’s good to see you,” he said, putting his guitar on its stand beside him. You didn’t say anything initially, choosing to cross your arms across your chest.

“Yeah, Danny invited me, so,” You offered, turning over your shoulder to look at Danny who glanced up at you with a protector’s gaze. “I thought I’d come by.”

He nodded, as if trying to understand the pairing. “How have you been?” He asked, playing with his bracelets.

You took a deep breath, frustrated with his small talk responses, especially given the circumstances. “Honestly Jake, I’m not very good. But you wouldn’t know that, seems as you couldn’t bother to pick up the phone and call me, or even come see me,” You gathered the courage to say, forcing yourself to make eye contact with him.

“I- I don’t know what to say,” Jake said, rubbing his chin. “I didn’t want to hurt you even more than I already had.”

“And you destroyed me by not trying at all.” You watched as his features fell slack, and though it killed you to see him that way, you stood your ground, because you meant what you said.

“I couldn't be that person for you,” Jake responded almost defensively. “Not when you felt–you know– that way about me.”

“You couldn’t be my best friend?” You said, feeling tears prickling at your eyes.

He was silent for a long moment, averting eye contact. You watched as he swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing with emotion. “Wow,” he said, nodding slowly, the corners of his mouth curving upward just slightly.

“Jake. I love you. I fucking hate that I love you. But you fucked me up. You fucked me up in ways that I can’t even begin to explain. Not because you didn’t have feelings back, but because you completely abandoned me when I needed you most.”

“I get it,” He said slowly. “I’m sorry I hurt you, Y/n. I wish I had acted differently, okay? I didn’t know what to do, and I know I can’t take it back,” He continued, choosing his words very carefully.

“You’re right. You really can’t, can you?” You acknowledged him.

“Y/n, please,” he pleaded. “I’m trying to apologize.”

“Words mean nothing to me now, Jake. Your actions already showed me how you feel,” you shrugged. “And I’m starting to believe this was all one-sided this entire time.”

“Don’t say that. Please don’t ever say that again. It’s not true.”

“You know what, Jake? I’m realizing that I’m too angry to make up with you today,” you admitted, taking in a deep breath and stepping back from him. “I’m tired of always having to be openly vulnerable and getting nothing back in return. I’m fucking exhausted. Talk to me when your pity fest is over.” With that, you turned on your heel and marched away, determined to move on, regardless of if that meant you were going to lose your best friend in the process.

It didn’t go in the slightest how you’d expected it would, but at the same time, you stepped away with your pride and dignity intact, and that was enough.

You watched quietly as the rest of rehearsal dragged on, the boys working through different setlist configurations, and practicing the different transitions between songs, including Jake’s guitar solos. As you sat, you’d regretted accepting Danny’s offer to come to rehearsal. All you wanted to do was run away, but since you were already here, and you had come with Danny, you were stuck. At the same time, you didn’t want to leave without Danny. The only things that helped you power through the rehearsal were the glances that he stole as he played, winking when he locked eyes with you.

Every time he looked at you, you felt a spark of excitement and curiosity, wondering what he was thinking, and if he had felt the same tug that urged you to stay with him, and to spend time with him. You watched Jake play, twisting and writhing with his guitar in hand, as if it possessed enough power to tether worlds together. God it was annoying how masterful he was, but there was no denying that he wasn’t beautiful to look at. After a while, you had to relax your expression, having focused so intently, you were sure you looked ridiculous. Your heart fluttered as he shook the sweaty, damp hair from his face, his sunglasses still obscuring his gaze. You wondered if perhaps he was using them as a defensive mechanism so you couldn’t always tell if and when he was looking at you. Then again, he probably wasn’t even thinking about you, anyway. He didn’t seem to really care that much, so you shouldn’t haven’t been so concerned to start with.

“Doing okay?” Danny asked, approaching you after the boys had called the rehearsal. You had busied yourself by scrolling idly through social media, looking up finally when he spoke. “Yeah, I’m okay,” you said, breathing deeply and sitting up straight.

“Ready to go?” He asked casually, and you perked up instantly. Getting the chance to be alone with Danny again filled you with excitement, though you worked to make it not so obvious.

“Mmhmm,” You nodded, putting your phone away and standing up to join him.

“Danny…” you began, thinking of ways to finish your thought.

“Hm?” He asked, turning his head to look at you.

“Can we not go home? I mean, like–” you continued, considering restarting your question. “Can we go do something? Together?” You asked him, trying your hardest not to blush.

“Are you asking me out on a date?” He asked you, offering that delectable grin that revealed his almost too-white smile. Goddamn, why did he have to be so sexy looking down at you like that?

“Well, i–”

“Because if you are,” He continued, cutting you off on purpose. “Then I’d say I’d want nothing more than to take you out on a date, Y/n. But only if you think you’re ready and if you really want to.” This time, you didn’t hide the giddiness in your expression.

“I’d love that,” you smiled brightly.

“Good,” he grinned in response, biting his bottom lip. Reaching his hand out in front of him, he silently asked for your hand, and you instantly answered him with yours, clasping your fingers together again. He raised your hand in his and kissed the top of it before dropping it to his side, swinging his arm with yours as he walked.

End of Part 2.

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i-am-baechu · 1 year

Text

♡ Summary: Just last year Namjoon hated Y/N but here he was getting flowers for their anniversary. Sometimes, he doesn’t feel like he’s worth her love...

♡ Paring: Established relationship; Namjoon x Reader

♡ Rating: Pg - 14

♡ Genre: Established relationship, Scientist! Namjoon, Head Scientist! Reader, insecurities, angst, serious Namjoon, autistic and carefree reader

♡ Based on the one-shot; Scientist

“You said the purple roses, sir?”

Namjoon blinked his eyes and let out a nervous laugh, “Yes, sorry.”

“No worries.”

Namjoon watched the florist go in the back as he stared down at his shoes with a frown. It’s been a year since he’s been with Y/N and things have been great. There were moments when things were hard, especially since Namjoon didn’t truly understand autism. Sure, he understood the biology of autism but he didn’t understand the emotions part. Everything was new. Brand new.

He never admitted to anyone that he was scared because this was something he knew he had to face. He wanted to be with Y/N but there were moments that he felt like he wasn’t worth it. He hated Y/N for so long and treated her like shit, how could she love him? What did she see in him? Yoongi told him that it was just his guilty conscience talking to him but this was much more . He may be a genius to everyone but to him, he was just an idiot with complexed feelings.

“A dozen purple roses, sir.”

“Thank you so much, have a good night.”

He bowed to the florist and made his way to his bike with heavy thoughts. He placed the flowers into his basket and sighed before riding away. Tonight is supposed to be perfect but why did it feel the opposite?

“Jooonnniiiieeee!!”

He let out a laugh and put his helmet on his seat. He turned around and was met with arms around his waist, “Y-Y/N, what did I say about running up to me like that? You can get hurt.”

“I don’t care, I miss you.”

She looked up at him with her chin resting on the top of his stomach. He shook his head and leaned down placing a kiss on her forehead, “I care though.”

“Jin, made us dinner. I tried cooking but I burned it and Jin didn’t trust me anymore. So....”

He continued to stare down at her as she rambled about dinner and he smiled softly. The way her face shifted to express every emotion she was feeling and the way her eyes had a small sparkle in them, was the most beautiful thing he has ever seen. He’s worked with substances that sparkled under the light, even substances that exploded but nothing compared to Y/N’s eyes. Without thinking, he leaned down and placed a quick kiss on her lips.

When he pulled away her eyes blinked and looked away from Namjoon, “Surprise attack...”

He gently smacked her butt and let out a small chuckle, “I have something for you.”

“Ohh!?” He let go of her and she waited with excitement. He pulled out the purple roses and she clapped her hands at them, “Wow, purple roses. I didn’t even know they were in season. Usually its-”

“Y/N, baby, let’s go have dinner.” (He knew if he didn’t say anything, they were going to spend all night outside.)

She nodded her head and took the flowers out of his hands. She brought the delicate petals to her nose and took a deep sniff. They smelled fresh but somehow they smelled like Namjoon. She smiled gently and looked up at him, “I love them, thank you.”

“N-No worries.”

The couple went up to her apartment and the thoughts suddenly hit him again. Y/N was so kind and loved him, she didn’t even care that he burned her pan that one time. This whole year was filled with him making mistakes and her just laughing and saying no worries. A year. That’s a long time. Will she want to be with me longer? I want to stay with her, I love her, I really do-

“Namjoon, the doors opened. Do you want to stay outside?”

He quickly shook his head and gave her a quick smile, “No, sorry got lost in my thoughts.”

“About?”

He walked inside and stopped taking off his shoes midway, shit. He looked up at her to see her face draped with curiosity. He sighed and shook his head, “It was nothing.”

“Well, obviously that’s a lie. When a person stays quiet like that and then says it’s nothing, it is a clear indication that you're lying. So, what’s wrong?”

“Y/N, I don’t want-”

“If you don’t talk about then it’s going to continue-”

“Y/N, I DON’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT.”

Namjoon let out an angry puff of air out as Y/N took a step back at the sudden loudness. He cursed at himself in his head and quickly took off his shoes. He ran towards her and brought her into him, causing her to drop the roses. Namjoon held her tight as he bit his lip, trying his hardest not to cry. Y/N wrapped her arms around her waist and quickly relaxed in his strong arms, “Joon...talk.”

He felt his lip quiver at her soft voice and held her tighter, “Let’s stay like this for a while...please.”

“O-Okay.”

After ten minutes, they moved to the couch and Y/N sat there staring at Namjoon. Not so sure what to do in this situation but Jin always told her to ask if they're okay and then see what happens from there (She obviously knew when someone was sad, she just didn’t know what to do or how to make them feel relatively calm). She took a deep breath and looked at Namjoon who was staring at her carpet with a blank expression, “Namjoon, are you okay?”

He sighed and roughly ran his fingers through his hair before looking up at her, “Why are you with me?”

“What?”

“Why are you with me? I mean, Y/N, I literally hated you for such a long time and now I’m with you...How could you forget that pain I’ve caused you?”

“Y-You hated me?”

Namjoon saw her face twist into hurt and he wanted to punch himself in the face, “N-Not hate (lies), dislike. I treated you badly.”

“Namjoon, I never noticed you disliking me fully. I had my suspicions but I never let myself think you hated me.”

“But why-”

“Because I see you. I saw you as this genius that loved his job but then I got to know you. When we had dinner at Yoongi’s brothers restaurant I saw a side of you that I fell in love with, you listened to me. Jin was always the one that listened to me besides family of course but it was different with you. You came into my life just and changed everything. I’m not always good at expressing my feelings but I do try to showcase them...Namjoon I love you because you made me feel like there was nothing wrong with me, you made me feel normal...well normalish.”

He stared at her with wide eyes and was flabbergasted. He wasn’t expecting this at all, he was just expecting them to eat dinner together and watch a movie. Not this. She got up from her seat and sat on the coffee table in front of him. She gave him a quick smile, a smile that made his heart flutter, “Namjoon, you gave me a new adventure. An adventure that I didn’t think I would ever be on because I mean, I’m difficult. I love you for you, even your flaws. You don’t really talk about your deep feelings, only surfaced level. That’s not fair to me. The more you hold it in, the more it's going to build up. Like a chemical reaction, you know that topic well.” He let out a small laugh and shook his head at her. She grabbed his hands and kissed his knuckles, “I love you, Kim Namjoon. I really do.”

“And I love L/N Y/N. I really do.”

“Do you feel better?”

“Yes, I do...”

“Can we eat now? I’m so hungry.”

He leaned forward and kissed her forehead as he let out a deep chuckle, “Yes, we can eat.”

#bts reactions #bts scenarios #bts imagines #bts jungkook #bts namjoon #bts seokjin #bts taehyung #bts jimin #bts yoongi #bts x reader #bts hoseok #Bts #bts fanfic #bts fanfction #namjoon x reader #kim namjoon

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sarcastic-sketches · 8 months

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Kitsune!Anakin Asks

@shining-nebula2000 sent a handful of asks about the Kitsune Anakin AU that I got at work and just never got around to answering so now that my brain is firing again I can go through them:

Has Kitsune Anakin ever done that fox thing where they dive headfirst into snow to try and catch mice to eat

He has and it's on my list of things to draw! He does it occasionally to hunt but the main time he did it was to retrieve some of his men who got burried in an avalanche.

Does kitsune Anakin have the power to suck the life energy out of people by kissing them (I think that’s a power that kitsune and they have but fill free to fact check me)

I don't think I've come across the concept of Kitsune being able to drain life force (though my big encyclopedia for methological creatures is in storage rn orz) but that sure would complicate Anakin's life even further. They can imbue people with elongated lifespans though iirc and that's definitely something this AU works with. Anakin, hundreds of years old, along with his descendants and his entourage of masked guardians. Oddly enough, each mask matches the helmet markings of clones who used to follow him during the Clone Wars...

I have another ask for the kitsune Anakin AU How was the whole Jedi bombing thing go you know when the temperature gets five minutes so get sprayed by Baruss (I don’t think that’s how you spell her name) how would that change or would it stay the same?

You know, this is still one of the arcs I'm not sure how I want to proceed with. It would be easy to argue that Anakin's increased sense of smell would make this whole plot fall apart really easily - also this happens after Umbara so Anakin would remember the scent of a Jedi turning bad and recognise it on Bariss. Yet, again, this arc is important for character development reasons and having Anakin just fix it is a cop out. Maybe Anakin tries to persuade Ahsoka to hand herself in, like he does in canon, pointing out that she's only making herself look worse and when that fails? He decides to accompany her.

Ahsoka: Master, this is treason! Anakin: Nope. I'm supervising you. We both know you didn't do it, so I'm going to follow you as a witness to find evidence to prove you didn't. If I can do that at the same time as keeping on eye on you then all the better Ahsoka: Won't they just think you're in on it too? Anakin: It's my job to make sure my padawan stays out of trouble. As your Master, that's what I'm doing.

Even with support I imagine Ahsoka would still be severely shaken, since the Order has shown that it cannot provide the safety it once did for it's members if the Senate wills it otherwise. But Anakin would be far less reserved about straight up telling Ahsoka to chill out at Padme's for bit before she goes off on her journey of self discovery.

#ask and ye shall receive #star wars #anakin skywalker #sw au #kitsune!anakin #ahsoka tano

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multifandomsw · 2 years

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Din Djarin x reader

Din and you were the closest of friends, almost inseparable. However, this mission was way too dangerous to take you with him and Din needed you to stay. The way of telling you didn’t go as planned, though.

warnings: well- angst. Lmao. Fighting, crying and a bit fluff in the beginning. I can only write angst. Also this is my first Din fic as I’m an obi-wan girly

Part 1

Letting go

From above, the lava looked like rivers flowing around the planet, only the red color telling otherwise.

The scenery was filled with mountains and volcanos, some parts more rocky, some flat.

And even though the sky was sometimes blue, you had only ever seen it in its grey color, barely ever seen the sun seep through the few clouds.

It always smelled the same, a dusty and mechanic smell flowing in the air.

The planet was nothing in comparison to others. Nothing in comparison to Naboo, whose rivers were not deadly.

Nevarro held, however, a special place in your heart.

You may have never told him that, but you liked the planet because of your closest friend, Din Djarin.

Because he was so fond of the planet, he used to be there a lot, because he always told you stories of his bounty hunting. Of course he left out most of the details that he didn‘t want you to know about, but he made the stories sound interesting nonetheless.

Because of him it was that you liked the planet.

You were happily bouncing on your feet, waiting for the ramp to finally lower, or rather for Din to finally lower the ramp.

Excitement filled your body at the thought of seeing your second closest friend, very close after Din, again.

And even though you thought you had masked your excitement quite well, the low chuckle coming up from behind you told you otherwise.

Din slowly came up beside you, scooping the child up as he grinned under his helmet by only watching you.

“You’re too excited cyar’ika.”, he stated, his voice still soft as ever, even with the voice modulator of his helmet. It was always so soothing and you were sure if he spoke just a little more, he would be able to make your excitement go away and only think of him.

That’s what you didn’t want though, not this time. “Come on Din, lower the ramp!”, you begged him and watched it lower itself slowly.

Only halfway.

The ship was so broken that not even the ramp could lower itself completely. Annoyance was definitely written in Din’s posture, you could clearly see it because he had his weight shifted only on one leg, his helmet tilted just a little.

Mando carefully walked forwards firstly, setting Grogu down to climb down before he took the child and set him down on the ground.

“I don’t think I can climb down like that-“, you began as you stepped forward, but were quickly interrupted when you felt Din’s hands on your waist, slowly picking you up.

You squealed for a second, but upon realizing that Din Djarin had just picked you up by your waist, your cheeks reddened almost immediately.

For a second, you only looked up at his visor, hoping that your eyes were meeting his. Thinking about what color they might be as you still felt his hands on your waist.

And when you realized what he had just done, you pouted. “I’m not the child, I could have found a way to climb down myself-“

Din let out a small laugh when he saw your pout. “Sweet girl.”, he began, making your heart skip a beat. “You just told me that you couldn’t climb down.”

You shook your head. “I am an independent woman who can take care of herself and you-“, you began, but your train of thoughts were interrupted when you saw that familiar black hair in the crowd.

You immediately ran off, your eyes only set on her as you all but stumbled into her chest, hugging her as tightly as possible.

“I missed you!”, you exclaimed, gaining a chuckle from her.

She would never admit it, but Cara had missed you too.

Her familiar scent was filling your nostrils and you breathed in deeply before letting go, you had truly missed it here.

When you pulled back slightly, Cara grinned at you.

She hadn’t changed a bit, she was still the old Cara and that was what made you happy, you hadn’t missed too much, it hadn’t been that long since your last visit.

Cara was about to say something but abruptly stopped when she saw Din making his way towards you.

Her whole attention was now focused on the small child in Din’s arms and she grinned happily as she all but tore the child away.

“Hello, little one, has grumpy Mando been nice to you?”, she talked to the child, gaining a scoff from Din.

As you watched the scene you hadn’t realized how close Din had gotten to you until you felt his hand brush against yours, asking for your palm to open and your fingers to join.

Without hesitation, you opened your hand and intertwined your fingers, warmth spreading in your chest almost immediately.

Your gaze slowly wandered from your intertwined hands to his visor, that was already looking at your direction, making your breath hitch a bit.

“How many times have I told you to not run off without me?”, Din asked as he tilted his head a bit, annoyance mixed with a little sarcasm.

However, you knew that he meant his words, he had always been stern about this.

“Haven’t I just told you that I’m independent?”

Mando shrugged his shoulders. “But I still want to take care of you.”, he admitted quietly.

The hold this man had on you-

“You’re overprotective.”, you pointed out, raising your eyebrows.

Din didn’t even hesitate when he answered you. “Only when it comes to you.”

Before you could answer or question him, Cara interrupted you with a cough, looking from Din to you to your intertwined hands while smirking and raising her eyebrows.

Had the two of you finally admitted your undying love for each other?

Had you finally confessed-

“Where’s my favorite girl?”, a voice called from behind and before you knew it you were pulled into the tightest hug by none other than Greef, your hand slipping from Din’s.

You giggled in return and Din could swear it was the most beautiful sound in the whole universe. In any universe.

“I missed you too, old man!”, you stated and Greef pulled back with an exaggerated gasp.

What didn’t go unnoticed by Cara was the way Din’s posture had changed, he suddenly stood taller, his hands were formed into fists.

Cara smirked at the Mandalorian, knowing exactly what was going on.

Greef couldn’t be mad at you any longer when he saw the child happily cooing in Cara’s arms. “Hey Marshal Dune.”, he greeted her and nodded to Din afterwards.

He scooped the child out of her arms, grinning at him. “Has grumpy Mando taken good care of you? Yeah? Has he taken good care of her? I hope so!”, Greef quietly talked to the child, admiring him.

You almost let out another squeal as Din suddenly put an arm around your waist, pulling you closer again.

You were his girl and no one else’s.

When you leaned in a bit, putting your head on his shoulder he felt his own heartbeat increase.

“I think your ship needs some repairs.”, Cara stated as she looked at the broken razor crest, barely standing as it was.

“That’s why we’re here.”, Mando explained.

Cara shrugged her shoulders. “We’ll fix it.”

“I really want to see the city! Has it changed much?”

And oh, how much it had changed.

The people looked so much happier, the streets were fuller, everything was cleaned up and repaired.

You were truly impressed how Cara had done it all on her own. She had even build a school.

Now it seemed like you liked the planet even more than before.

Din was currently talking outside with Greef, giving Cara an opportunity to ask you some questions about a certain Mandalorian.

“So-“, she began, hesitating a bit.

You furrowed your eyebrows. Cara never hesitated.

“How has it been going?”, she began.

“Ah! Okay I guess, we’re currently on the search for a Jedi to bring the child back to its kind and the missions aren’t that-“

“No.”, Cara interrupted you immediately. “How has it been going with Mando, I mean.”

Oh.

Well, how could it go?

Cara was the only one you ever made aware of your feelings, the only one knowing of the depths.

To anyone else, Din was just the tough Mandalorian, maybe even the best bounty hunter in the galaxy, confident and very dangerous.

You had, however, never once been afraid of him, had never feared him which you had assured him of multiple times.

Din was so much more than the outside, under all that beskar and armor, he was still a human.

He was ambitious, always trying to succeed on his missions and being disappointed at himself when doing any mistakes.

And even though he seemed confident because of all that armor, he only hid behind it. Sometimes, even Din was insecure and you had to assure him that he had no reason to be, you had to wash those doubts away.

Din was so so caring, caring for the child like he was his own. He could have just forgotten him, left him with what remained of the Empire, but Din hadn’t. He had adopted him and that’s why he was also so-

Loving. Not only towards the child, no, towards you too. It were the subtle things that no one else would notice, but you noticed everything.

The way he would always hold your hand when he felt you were anxious, the way he would keep you close to him, never letting you out of your eyes. The way he would offer you his clothes to sleep in, offer you his own bed while he had to rest in the cockpit of the ship.

Din may not care for many people, but if he did, he would protect them with his own life. He wouldn’t even hesitate to do so.

It was just so difficult not to fall in love with him.

You knew, however, that he would never like you back.

He only saw you as a friend, he followed a strict code and if he ever did decide to marry, it would never be you.

He would never break this code for you, he didn’t even break it for the child.

You were nothing in comparison to him. You wouldn’t deserve him.

“Still unrequited as ever.”, you answered Cara’s question of how it was going between you two.

Cara wanted to scoff at your answer, wanted to pack you by your shoulders and just yell at you for being so damn oblivious.

It was not her place to tell you, but how she wished she just could.

Cara always had the right instinct when it came to love. And when she got to know you and Mando for the first time, she could almost immediately tell how much Mando cared for you.

She had of course confronted him about it and even if it was difficult, she finally got him to confess his undying love for you.

It was clear as day to anyone but you.

She had promised Din to never tell you, it was not her place anyway, but how she wished she could.

Well- she could at least try to bring you two to confess.

“Have you ever tried talking to him? Confess to him-“

“No!”, you interrupted her quickly. “I don‘t want it to get awkward between us, Cara.”

“You can’t just ignore your feelings forever.”

You scoffed. “It’s better loving him in silence than losing him forever, believe me.”

Cara grew frustrated. “But that’s not what’s going to happen!”

Before you could answer, though, you heard heavy footsteps behind you.

Din was making his way towards you, turning his attention to Cara. “We’re going.”

You furrowed your eyebrows, your mouth wide agape. Already? You had thought you could at least spend some time with Cara.

“Already? I thought-“, you began, but Din spoke before you could even voice your thoughts. “Not you. You’ll stay here.”

“What?”

Had you just heard him correctly? Maybe you hadn’t. Maybe he was just jesting. He wouldn’t leave you alone like this, would he?

Din stood tall in front of you as he fully turned his attention to you, determination was written all over his helmet.

“You heard me correctly. You’re not coming with us.”

“Us?”, you furrowed your eyebrows. “You’re taking the child with you but not me?”

Cara saw by the way your face turned slightly red that this was going to end in a fight and she did not want to get involved, so she silently left the room.

“Whenever he goes, I go.”, Din stated, taking a step forward to show you who had the upper hand in this.

“And what about me?”, you questioned, gritting your teeth.

“You are only a passenger, you can’t take care of yourself. You don’t even know how to use a blaster, there’s no way I’m gonna take you with me on this mission.”

Your breath caught in your throat when his words sunk in. Had he just said that you were useless?

Din regretted his words instantly, but he knew you were stubborn and he needed you to stay on Nevarro for this mission, he couldn’t put you in any danger.

“Passenger? I thought we were friends Din, I thought I was your companion, your partner. I- I take care of the ship, I mend your wounds, I help you with the ship even though I barely have any clue-“

“See, you don’t have any clue! I don’t need you on this mission.”

You felt the tears rush to your eyes.

“You don’t need me? Not even as your companion?”

“No.”, he answered, his heart breaking as he saw your glossed over eyes. He would do anything to make you stay here, even if it meant breaking your heart. He wouldn’t let you die, the child was easy to hide but you weren’t, he wouldn’t risk it.

“Then why did you even take me with you? You know what, you should have just left me on Tatooine, I would have been happier there than here with you.”

Well- your words hit him hard. He remembered the day he rescued you from people trying to steal your things, seeing how you used to live all on your own.

You had never known your parents, had been left on Tatooine to live on your own, going from job to job, trying to escape any danger.

Din had felt so bad, the situation reminding him of his. He had been rescued, but his parents weren’t. You deserved a chance and there was this pull he had felt towards you.

Happier on Tatooine than with him?

Din was starting to breathe fast, panic rising in his chest. He loved you, so so much, and hearing that you weren’t happy with him was hurting him so so much.

He was too mean to you, he knew, but you weren’t desperately in love with him like he was. His words did affect you very much, it really hurt him, but your words hurt even more. Because they came from the one person he loved more than anything else.

Love was maybe even an understatement, what he felt for you was so much deeper than that. He needed you, it was as if you were connected to him. He needed you to breathe, to live. If you were ripped out of his life he supposed his life would be over too. He could never bare it.

Before he even knew it, you tried to storm off, but he was quick to block the door. “What are you doing?”, he questioned.

“I-“, you began, gulping hard. “After this mission, I don’t want you to come back for me.”

Din’s heart stopped. How he wished you could see the tears rushing out of his eyes like waterfalls, how he wished to tell you how much he adored you.

“What?”, he whispered.

“I want to go back home.”

No, no, you were his home. He thought he was yours. He wouldn’t let you go back to Tatooine, there was no chance he would.

“Back to Tatooine? Are you out of your mind?”, he questioned, his voice faltering a bit.

“You said you didn’t want me with you!”

Din bit his lip under his helmet so hard that he could taste his own blood.

“I didn’t mean it, sweet girl, I just don’t want you to be in danger, dank ferrik!”

“You don’t have to say that to make me feel better, Mando.”, you retorted and he saw you desperately trying to wipe at your cheeks.

Were you crying?

He tried to step towards you, tried to take your face into his hands, but you backed away as if you were afraid of him.

You had never been afraid of him, you had never backed away like that.

“I’m going back to Tatooine!”, you declared before you took the opportunity and ran past him.

“There’s no way I’m letting you go!”, he screamed after you and when he saw that you were, in fact, gone, he almost screamed in anger.

Anger at himself.

Had he just lost the only person he loved?

Din didn’t care, he closed the door and ripped the helmet off his head, throwing it on the ground and just sliding down the door as he felt the tears flow out of his eyes.

How could he always be so stupid?

#angst #star wars #the mandalorian #din djarin x reader #cara dune #din djarin #mando x reader #mando x you #din x you #din x y/n #mandalorian

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jaeclerc · 9 months

Note

Sebchal + "will you stop being such a menace to me?"

5 things Sebastian overheard Charles say to their daughter over the years:

“Celine! Will You stop being such a menace to me?”

All Seb heard was a crash and Charles swearing in French. Sebastian bit his lip, afraid to turn the corner.

When he did, he saw all of Charles’ course work on the floor along with at least half of his helmet collection.

“Chéri, I’m begging you!”

Raising a six year old was honestly the hardest thing Seb has ever done and he was a 4 time world champion. Especially a 6 year old who was half him and half Charles Leclerc. She was whip smart and way too aware of it.

The best part though, by far, was watching his husband attempt to do her hair. Long, beautiful, curly, and the most beautiful brown he’s ever seen (maybe he’s biased).

Every morning before Charles wrestled her into her uniform and put her into the sensible Nissan he made Seb buy, he did her hair in beautiful styles. Sadly, they also had a child with a severe inability to sit still. And every morning, Charles used that line to beg her to sit down in her chair so he could do her hair.

“You’re the most beautiful choice I’ve ever made.”

Sebastian tried to ignore the tears in Charles’ eyes as they watched their daughter graduate middle school, but he knew that this was important to Charles. Every moment in her life was proof that he made the life he dreamed of when he would lay and bed and beg to be taken away from the body he was forced into.

He heard him whisper this into her hair as he hugged her tight, kissing her temple as he pulled away, his green eyes watery.

“Papa!” She whispered, blushing “You’re being sappy!” But she held his hand as they walked over to her best friend’s family, her dimpled grin matching her Papa’s.

“Your Vatti is about to keel over, tone it down!”

He was not about to keel over, but he was shocked beyond belief as he heard the things his daughter was saying. Sebastian just laughed, sitting beside Charles on the couch.

“I’m just sayingggg, dad.” She was on an English kick, and called them both that despite the fact that it confused them greatly.

“It’s just purple hair dye! A little bleach and some pink hair dye! My friends are all doing it.” She rolled her eyes, an exact mirror of her Papa. Still at the age of 14, she was his twin.

“But you always said you never wanted to dye your hair and now this…” he gestured and she prompted “BTS.” He nodded.

“BTS! Is making you want to dye your hair purple and go to Paris? You know Paris is really stinky, right?” She giggled and shook her head.

“Dad, we’ve been, I know it smells but I still wanna go. It’s my dream, please! Charlotte said we can stay with her Auntie.”

Sebastian sighed and told her to grab his wallet, already grabbing her iPad to see these tickets.

“I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always, as long as I’m living my baby you’ll be.”

Charles started singing that song to Celine when she was born, a fresh bundle of blanket and pink baby. It had so many versions, Sebastian could never keep track of all of them. But he sang it to her every night before she slept until she was 10.

Then he would sing it randomly to her whenever she needed him to just rock her, and comfort her. He sang it to her when she graduated high school.

And here he was, at her wedding, singing it to her in his speech and Sebastian wasn’t crying, it was just the wine. His daughter, all grown up and beautiful beyond belief. Married to the love of her life, both of them beaming at the love of his life.

#charles leclerc #sebastian vettel #sebchal #bee au !#jaeclerc asks

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floral-force · 1 year

Text

Sleeping Bounty - Chapter 7

A Battle for the Dawn

din djarin x fem reader, princess!reader

summary: Tasked with his unusual quarry, Din sets off to finish the job. Nobody told him how strange this world could be.

words: 2.5k+

warnings: canon-typical violence. my blog is 18+ only, no minors allowed. I am not responsible for your media consumption.

read on ao3 | series masterlist

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Din caught up to the prince and the fairy, flying alongside Peli. She glanced over at him and made a face of approval. It didn’t take long for them to approach the bridge leading into the kingdom square, but as soon as they neared it, there was a bolt of lightning. The air cracked and Din watched as twisted trunks grew out of the ground, thorns emerging from the dark wood as they curled upwards, never seeming to stop climbing to the clouds. Peli stopped suddenly with a shout, and Din landed with a stumble as Phillip’s horse reared up on its back legs with a spooked whinny. Din heard sinister laughter, and he saw Peli shake her head.

“Moff Gideon,” she growled. “His magic is far too strong. I can’t go any further.”

“What?! Why?” The prince exclaimed, his voice wavering.

“If I do, he’ll sense me. I’ll give you both away.” She sighed, and Din felt a tug at his heart when he saw her quickly wipe a tear away from her eye.

“So, where is she?”

Peli pointed up to the tallest tower protruding from the castle on the hill within the kingdom.

His helmet snapped over to look at her. “You’re kidding.”

“I’m serious,” she said gravely.

“And you can’t help us at all?” Din pressed.

“I told you, I can’t.”

He turned to face her, ignoring the prince’s frantic interjections. “This seems suspicious.”

“Look,” her eyes fell to the ground, then settled back on Din’s helmet. “It’s my fault she’s there. I can’t get to her because the Moff will sense me and kill me and her. My magic is useless against his—I barely fixed the curse he placed on her!”

“Curse?” Din took a step forward, his eyes widening under the helmet.

“Yes, he cursed her to prick her finger on her 21st birthday and die. I fixed it so she’d just fall into a deep sleep and could only be woken up by true love’s kiss.”

Din suppressed a laugh. If it wasn’t for the fact that he had a fairy floating next to him and an ominous black cloud threatening him, he would turn around and call the whole thing a giant load of bantha shit.

And if it wasn’t for the fact that Peli’s description of the princess matched his memory of the girl from the forest, he would be back in the cantina with Karga demanding pucks. Something tugged at his heart, and he exhaled.

Instead of flying off, he nodded. “I’ll get her back to you,” he said to Peli. “I promise.”

She weakly smiled and nodded at him. “Moff Gideon may be evil, but I have a feeling you’re much stronger than him.” She waved her wand, and a spear appeared in the air. When Din made no move to take it, she gestured to it. “Please, take this. I want to be able to do something for you, even if it’s small.”

Din nodded in thanks, taking it gingerly and weighing it in his hands. “It’s beskar.”

Peli nodded. “A weapon fit for a Mandalorian.”

Though the spear felt good in his hands, he forced it through one of the loops near his jetpack. He began to jog toward the thorns, stopping in his tracks when he heard the prince shout, “What about me?”

He stopped and turned back around to face the prince. “Stay here. I don’t need you slowing me down.”

And with that, Din ran to the edge of the thorn forest. He stopped, his hand inching towards his belt. He hated it and everything it might bring upon him, but Din needed it—not for him, but for her. Din steadied himself and unclipped the darksaber from his belt, closing his eyes as he ignited it, the blade humming to life, a beacon in the dark. He focused on her face, her soft smile, the way she smelled like the woods and sweet berries, and how he wanted to hold her in his arms again so he’d know she was real and not just a figment of his imagination. The darksaber hummed and vibrated in his hand, and he thought of how her hand felt in his. He was doing this for her, fighting through this so she could be safe.

Din opened his eyes again and held her in his mind as he slashed through the thorny barricade, trying to hold on to his purpose as he slowly marched forward. He pushed onward, ignoring thorns that stuck the vulnerable spots uncovered by beskar. If his mind wandered at all, the saber would work against him—he needed to remain focused. He channeled those brief moments of thorny pain into the fire that blazed within him and through his arm and hands, helping him wield the ancient weapon.

When he finally made it through what felt like almost a mile of thorns, he took a moment to catch his breath and take in what was before him. All he had to do was walk up the stone bridge leading into the kingdom, and he nodded when he noticed no other horrors were waiting for him other than the twisted trunks that arched over his head and stopped at the beginning of the wooden drawbridge where stone ended. He sheathed the darksaber and attached it back on his belt. Din took a hesitant step forward on the stone bridge toward the kingdom gates, gathering his strength for a running start to fly all the way to the castle and to the princess.

Before he could take one step, he heard a cry of anger, and looked up just in time to see a green bolt headed his way. He jumped out of the way just in time, rolling to the left and looking over to see green flames where he was just standing, purple and black smoke curling up from the blast. Din looked up toward the arching entrance to the kingdom, pressing a button on his helmet to enhance as his eyes trailed up. He saw a man standing on the watchtower, his face twisted in an angry snarl, a staff with a green orb gripped in his hands.

This must be the Moff Gideon Peli mentioned, Din thought, scrambling to his feet and reigniting the saber and adjusting his stance with it, pressing a button to undo the vision enhancement. The man jumped off the turret of the watchtower and landed at the other end of the bridge across from Din, straightening and laughing at him. Green flames exploded around him upon his landing, scorching the bricks of the bridge. Din took a step back, centering himself with the thought of holding her once again, allowing the weight of the darksaber to anchor him in his resolve.

He glanced up at the tower Peli said she was in. He whispered her name—a prayer before battle, a promise to make his dream come true.

“Now shall you deal with me, O Mandalorian, and all the powers of hell!”

Moff Gideon’s proclamation was immediately followed by an explosion that knocked Din backwards and onto the hard surface of the bridge with a grunt. He saw a beam of green light shoot into the sky, Gideon’s shadow stretching with it as it shot through the storm cloud. Purple smoke fanned out from the base of the explosion, and Din scrambled back to his feet as the sound of Gideon’s sinister cackles filled the air.

When he looked up, he could hardly believe what was in front of him.

A black dragon with a purple underbelly and wings roared, its giant body blocking the way into the kingdom.

Gideon had transformed into a kriffing dragon. Din added this moment to his growing list of insane and absurd things he’s experienced or witnessed, making a mental note to tell Karga after this was over.

The incredible roar of the dragon snapped him back to the present and his attention centered once again on the challenge ahead. The dragon’s yellow tongue flicked out of its mouth, a burst of green flames following it. Din knew he could fly over it with his jetpack, but he knew that he’d endanger whoever was in the kingdom, including the princess. Its green eyes focused directly on Din, and he broke into a sprint up the inclined bridge, the darksaber gripped in his hand, her sweet smile in his mind.

The dragon roared and green fire shot toward Din, and he managed to dodge out of its way. He continued running, watching the dragon amble forward and off the wooden drawbridge, perching instead on the brick bridge. When Din reached it, more flames erupted out of the dragon’s mouth. The dragon moved its head side to side, and the force from the dragon’s aimed fire caused the bridge to split, bricks falling into the trench below. Din stumbled but caught his balance just in time to avoid another onslaught of green flames.

He noticed a ledge to his left and ran up to the edge of it, knowing it would taunt the dragon just enough to bring it to him. He wielded his saber in a defensive position, blocking the green flames from burning him to a crisp, even if the force from them caused him to be pushed back into the thorns. When the dragon let up, he ran behind a thick tree of thorns, waiting until he heard the low hum of the dragon’s breathing to jump out and strike, slashing it on its snout. It growled, pulling back immediately after Din was able to leave three wounds as evidence of his cunning move. It snapped its jaws, trying to reach Din without poking its head too far into the thorns, but he moved back further. He watched the dragon sit back up to its full height, and then his eyes widened when he saw it shoot flames onto the forest of thorns, the magic barricade lighting up with green and yellow fire.

Din ran to a rock wall that was untouched by thorns, and he shot into the sky with his jetpack, landing on the edge of it. He readied himself as the dragon stomped its way over to him, roaring all the while. Din’s heart was racing as it approached him, and he prepared himself for whatever the dragon might do.

It snapped its jaws at him, and he was close enough now to see that the sharp, black teeth could easily rip him to shreds if the fire from its mouth didn’t scorch him first. He swung his saber, managing to land a few blows, but the dragon never stopped its assault. It was forcing him to walk backwards to the edge of the rocky overhang, the forest of flames below lighting up the beskar he wore. He steadied himself again, planting his feet, and he took a deep breath, retracting the darksaber blade and quickly clipping it back on his belt.

Din reached behind his head and pulled the beskar spear up out of the loop he’d jammed it through, cursing himself when he had to tug harder than he thought, the dragon cackling at him with Gideon’s voice. Finally, he gripped it in his hands, then held it at the ready in his right. He waited for the dragon to lift itself up enough to go for the death blow and snap Din in its jaws. When it moved into the position Din wanted, he took a deep breath and threw the spear with a shout, using all his strength to send it where he wanted it.

The dragon howled, and Din saw the spear had pierced it exactly where he’d aimed—its vulnerable underbelly, right where its heart should be. The beast tumbled forward, its claws grasping at the rock as it clumsily fell off the platform and to the unforgiving flames and sharp boulders below. The movement made Din wobble, and he quickly pushed off his feet and engaged his jet pack, watching as the dragon hit the ground, exploding in a burst of purple and black smoke that made Din cough and squeeze his eyes shut.

When he opened his eyes again, the only things on the rocks below were Din’s spear and Gideon’s tattered cloak, the flames extinguished.

He flew down and retrieved the spear, gripping it as he flew back to the broken bridge over the thorny forest. As he did, Gideon’s barricade disappeared, and the damaged bridge repaired itself. Scorch marks from the dragon and Gideon’s magic faded away. The twisting black cloud above disappeared to reveal a clear sky that was melting out of a purple night and into a pink dawn.

Din landed with a wobble on the top of the kingdom wall, strapping the spear back on his body. He turned around to see Peli waving at him from below and cheering, and he gave a short wave before pushing off the wall and starting his flight to the tallest tower, the sun shining its early golden rays to help him find his way.

He reached the balcony, landing with a thump and a grunt. His knees suddenly felt weak, his heart drumming in his chest. Din pulled back the curtains and he gasped when he saw her.

Din cautiously walked over to her, taking soft steps even though he knew she wouldn’t wake up. His breath caught in his throat when he got a closer look at her as he rounded the foot of her bed. She looked so angelic laying there, her hair arranged perfectly, her hands folded gently, her face frozen in what he hoped was peaceful sleep.

Looking at her, he couldn’t bear to let her be wed off to that coward waiting below. He dropped to one knee at her right side, resisting the urge to rip off his glove and run his thumb across her cheek. Din’s eyes found her plush lips, and he smiled softly at her.

“I’m supposed to bring you to your prince,” he whispered to his sleeping princess. He furrowed his brow and felt his throat tighten. “He’s supposed to be the one who can wake you up.”

True love’s kiss bounced around in his skull, and he clenched his fists.

He had to try.

Din’s fingers found his helmet’s release buttons, and he lifted it off his head. He tore his eyes away from his dream girl to set his helmet down on the ground, immediately looking back at her. He needed to make sure she didn’t disappear like she did every time he woke up, that she was as real now as she was when she danced with him to a melody only they could hear. Looking at her without his helmet’s visor overwhelmed him; her beauty was even more incredible without his visor muting it.

Din could only smile at her as he planted his hands on the edge of the mattress. He took a deep breath, bending down and tilting his head so he could give her a gentle kiss of hope.

He pulled away, biting the inside of his cheek and sniffing when nothing happened. Of course, he figured. It could never be him.

And then, her eyes fluttered open, her dreamy gaze settling on him.

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