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ellieluvr420 · 1 month

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Friends? Never. Pt.22 (Ellie Williams x reader)

MASTERLIST (and information about Palestine) Please read!

SYNOPSIS: You and Ellie had been bitter enemies for years now but before that you were best friends. You had always planned to be roommates one day but when that becomes a reality the situation isn't exactly how you both imagined it.

SMUT MDNI OR ILL BE YOUR SLEEP PARALYSIS DEMON TONIGHT XOX

proofread kinda but this shit is like almost 9k words and i am tired so if there’s a mistake my apologies, will fix that tomorrow probs!

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“Fuck I am so tired. I’ve been twenty for three weeks and I swear I’m deteriorating already.”

“Ellie you are such a drama queen, you’re just tired because you actually ran laps with the group today.” Training with the group had been going well for the most part but watching Ellie come back breathless and rosy cheeked, though in better shape than the teenagers that followed after her, was the highlight for you.

“Can’t believe you made me do that.”

“You were being naughty and you know I don’t tolerate bad behaviour.”

“I smacked your ass once and none of them even saw. You are so mean to me.”

“Stop sulking, besides, would you have preferred to stay behind with Amber?”

“Okay fair enough, how was that by the way?” Your mind cast back to the memory of your altercation with Amber and left a sour taste in your mouth.

“Amber, can you stay behind please?”

“Why?” She snipped at you with a scowl.

“Because I said so.” You grit as Ellie stifles a laugh. Ellie had been on a mission today to annoy you as much as humanely possible, lovingly but still, she had succeeded. She had done so well that she was now jogging away with the other trainees after you banished her. When they had all been doing target practise she snuck up behind you and landed a harsh slap on your ass that was so loud it was almost audible over the repetitive gunfire. You yelped and rubbed at the sore skin while sneering at her as she laughed.

“Sorry babe, you know I love your ass too much to keep my hands off, you should’ve seen the way it jiggled.” She went to reach for it again but you slapped her hand away and huffed, only making her laugh more, you glanced at the group and when all of their heads remained facing away from you, you breathed a sigh of relief.

“You are such a little shit, you’re running laps with the others while I talk to Amber.”

“What?! No way.”

“Yes way, I’ve had enough of you today.”

“Oh come on babe don’t be like that.”

“Too late and if you don’t go, no sex for a month.”

“You’re joking.”

“Wanna fuck around and find out?” She huffed and called the rest of the group over to announce the badly received news of their impending laps around the town. You almost regretted your decision when you were left alone with Amber, her attitude making you want to throttle it out of her.

“I wanted to have a chat because I want to see what we can do to be better supporting you to get you up to standard for patrol.”

“Excuse me? Why are you only asking me?”

“This isn’t an attack Amber, this is for your safety but you aren’t progressing at the same rate as the others and I don’t want to see you fall behind.”

“You’re just picking on me because you have it out for me so don’t give me all of that caring bullshit because I see right through it.” She hissed, you bit your tongue and took a deep breath, desperately trying to keep your cool.

“Amber, your aim with a gun is nowhere near the standards of the others, you can’t hold your own in a fight even with one of the other girls, you struggle in the drills, you don’t understand tracking and you never know any of the answers to the questions we ask about survival tactics. I’m not picking on you, I’m stating a fact.” It was harsh but she needed to hear it. “I am willing, and so is Ellie, to put in extra hours with you to help but we can only help if you let us and stop being so stubborn.”

“I’ll do the extra hours with Ellie but I’m not spending anymore time with you than I have to.” You snickered at her comment, a wave of insecurity crashing over her features. You’d happily let Ellie take her for the extra training, you trusted her with your life but then Amber would be getting her way and you just weren’t willing to let that happen.

“Not gonna happen, nice try though.” You were going to leave it there but that eye roll and pout of her lip just sent you over the edge as you stormed over to her, closing the distance between you both. “Do you think I don’t notice your blatant flirting with my girlfriend? Do you think it’s going to get you anywhere? We live together, we have a child together, and when we go home together after training we laugh at your pathetic attempts on her. Stop being fucking delusional and get over yourself. I’m here to train you, not to be your friend so you either sort yourself out or I’ll tell Maria you’re not fit for patrol and she’ll find you some other boring job in Jackson.” She gulped and her eyes developed a glassy film. You had taken it too far but you were getting sick of her and she had just pushed you one too many times. “Now go home and come back tomorrow with a better fucking attitude because if you think I’m above kicking your ass you’re sorely mistaken. You saw how quick I took Harvey down, do you really think I wouldn’t crush you in a second?” She scowled at you before storming off, not quick enough that you didn’t see the fear in her eyes though.

“Ugh she’s just- it was as expected. We argued, I scared the shit out of her and she ran away with her tail between her legs, she’ll be the exact same tomorrow. Same shit, different day.”

“Damn, I don’t understand what her problem is.”

“I do, she doesn’t like me because of us and because I have a position of authority over her, she’s the weakest of the group and it makes her insecure and I’m the only one that will call her out on it.” You eye Ellie pointedly as she smiles sheepishly.

“I can take the next lecture, promise babe.”

“Eh she won’t even listen to you because she’ll be too busy ogling you.”

“Damn I’m feeling really objectified right now.”

“Oh shut up, you love it.”

“I only love the attention when it comes from you but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t make me feel good about myself.” She smiles smugly as she wraps an arm around your waist pulling you snug to her hip as she presses a kiss to your temple with a quiet chuckle.

“Who would’ve thought I’d be the scary one out of us?” You chuckle but it dies in your throat as she quirks an eyebrow at you as if your question was entirely absurd.

“Err everyone. You’re scary.”

“I am not!” You pinch her side and she squirms away from you with a hiss.

“You so are, it’s not a bad thing but you are terrifying. Do i need to remind you about you being a jailbird? My girlfriend is a convict, that’s scary, hot but scary.” You roll your eyes as the school comes into view and the bustle of parents awaiting their children is accompanied by the deafening squeals and yells of children bounding out of the gates like a stampede. You both stop and hold hands as you wait for Clem’s beaming face to come into view.

You crane your neck looking for the strawberry blonde locks until they catch your eye causing a smile to grace your features. Ellie had already released your hand to kneel down in preparation for Clem’s leap into her arms that had become customary when you would pick her up. You both exchange looks of concern when her face remains angled towards the floor and she trudges over to you both dragging her feet. You immediately move towards her and bend down in front of her as Ellie joins you seconds later, cupping her cheeks you angle her face to meet yours and the sight sends shockwaves through you. Her face was red and blotchy, the remnants of tears evident all over her cheeks but what struck you both more was the slightly raised red mark on her cheek that looked like the precursor of a bruise.

“Baby who did this to you?” Your voice was frantic as tears welled in your eyes at her sadness, it was the kind of sadness you hadn’t seen in her since the day you found her, the memory of that day cursed you and filled you with a rage you had never experienced before. She had been so excited for school this morning, it was show and tell and she had brought in a painting that her and Ellie had created with the watercolours you had gifted Ellie for her birthday, it was a replica of a polaroid taken on Ellie’s birthday of the three of you, Ellie holding Clem with her free arm around your waist as you all beamed at the camera. She had rushed you both out the door and practically skipped the whole way to school, babbling about how much she loved it and how interesting all her classes were and now she was sniffling and hurt, her entire demeanour oozing the pain she was in. You were so focused on the sorrow on her features you barely remembered asking her who caused her it until she answered you.

“T-Timmy.” Her voice was meek and quiet, the opposite of how it typically was as she sniffled and wiped at her eyes before wincing as she accidentally pressed on the welt forming underneath.

“What happened kiddo?” Ellie’s voice was calm, unlike yours but the scowl on her face gave her true feelings away.

“He made fun of me for having two mommies, so I told him he was ugly and smelly, because he is, then he hit me and pushed me in front of everyone. Please can we go home?” Every part of you wanted to chase Timmy and his parents down for what they had taught their child but Clem came first and she wanted to go home so that’s what you’d do.

Clem perked up quick enough, after dancing to her favourite record with you both and doing some painting with Ellie while you prepared dinner, she seemed almost normal again though it was clear what happened today was playing on her mind as she looked up from the table with glassy eyes.

“Why are people mean about you? I don’t understand, you’re the best mommies. Do they hate me?”

“Oh baby, no one hates you, you’re our perfect angel, don’t ever have thoughts like that, ever, okay?” Ellie was the first to speak as she noticed the slight gape of your mouth though you snapped back into action when Clem turned to you expectantly.

“Some people just don’t like that me and mama love each other. They don’t like that me and mama are young as well and we were so lucky to find you and make you a part of our family. They’re jealous and silly and I promise it’s nothing to do with you. I swear Timmy nor anyone is ever going to lay a finger on you again baby, some people are just silly and mean, do you understand?” She nods with a small smile before going back to eating as Ellie looks at you silently communicating the plan you knew you both had.

“Clemmy, I’ve gotta go out for a little bit but I promise I’ll be back in time to say goodnight, okay?” Ellie stands and presses a kiss to Clem’s forehead as she strokes the soft hair on her head.

“Okay Mama, I’ll miss you.”

“Oh you know I’ll always miss you more.” You stand and follow Ellie to the door kissing her sweetly before she ducks out leaving you and Clem to start her bedtime routine alone.

After her bath and three different books, Clem’s eyes were drooping and the yawn she tried and failed to hide was evident she’d be asleep soon. The sound of the door opening and closing let you relax and as Ellie walked in taking her place next to you at Clem’s bedside you smiled. She pressed a kiss to the girl's forehead. Clem cupped Ellie’s cheeks as she lazily opened her eyes smiling giddily, the love that was radiating from both of them warmed you, your heart sang, you could watch them forever and be perfectly happy with that. You were so wrapped up in your thoughts you didn’t notice them both turning to face you.

“Can you both cuddle me until I fall asleep?”

“Of course baby.” Ellie climbed over Clem’s body as you laid down on the other side of her. Clem cuddles into your chest as Ellie wraps her arm over the both of you, pulling you both in tighter to her. As Clem’s breathing slowed, you lifted your head slightly to look at Ellie who had been gently playing with Clem’s hair as she hummed a familiar tune to her. It reminded you of a time when your mother would sing the same song to you at bedtime.

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Hush little baby don’t say a word

Mama’s gonna buy you a mockingbird

And if that mockingbird don’t sing

Mama’s gonna buy you a diamond ring

And if that diamond ring turns brass

Mama’s gonna buy you a looking glass

And if that looking glass gets broke

Mama's gonna buy you a billy goat

And if that billy goat doesn't pull

Mama's gonna buy you a cart and bull

And if that cart and bull turn over

Mama's gonna buy you a dog named Rover

And if that dog named Rover won't bark

Mama's gonna buy you a horse and cart

And if that horse and cart fall down

well you'll still be the sweetest baby in town.

“I love you Mommy.”

“I love you too sweetie, I always will, sweet dreams.” Your father had read to you after they both gave you your nighttime bath, indulging in your childish play letting you splash at them until the water went cold and you began to shiver. You smiled up at your father as he kissed your forehead goodnight leaving your mum to sing you the same tune she always sang to you before bed. Sometimes you'd sing along and sometimes you'd just listen to her melodic voice as you let her tune coax you to sleep.

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The memory haunted you, it had always been such a fond one but now it burned your skin and stung your eyes. You pushed the thoughts to the back of your mind as you sang along to the tune Ellie was gently humming and you could feel the new memories being attached to the song that took the aching pain in your chest away as if it was never there.

You and Ellie both sneak out of Clem’s room once she’s firmly asleep and walk downstairs to greet Dina and Jesse who were sat in your living room.

“Thanks so much for watching her guys. We won’t be long.” You smile at them before going to slip your shoes on. As you return Ellie smiles grimly at you.

“You ready?”

“Fuck yeah.” Your eyebrows furrowed as the sudden fire ignited within you once again.

“Oh I would be shitting myself if I was them right now.” Jesse laughed though it was clear he was serious.

“Have fun going full mama bears on their asses!” Dina calls out to you as you both make your way out the front door and start the walk to Timmy’s house. You were never going to let his parents get away with teaching their child to be so hateful but you didn’t want Clem to see this side of you.

Ellie knocked on their door and as it swung open revealing a disgruntled man you both pushed past him into his home without a word.

“Erm excuse you, what do you think you’re doing?”

“We want to have a chat Rick, get your wife and sit down.” Your voice was monotone and your face deadpan but his scowl did not fade and he remained unmoving.

“Are you deaf? Get your wife and sit down.” Ellie repeated as she stepped closer to him, her face stony and her voice low and menacing. You watched as his face morphed into a picture of fear and it only made you smile, he scurried off returning with his wife, both seating themselves on their sofa, fidgeting and clearly unnerved.

“I’m assuming the school told you what Timmy did today?” They nodded as a response to your question, their eyes flicking between you and Ellie.

“Mm and I bet you couldn’t have been prouder right?” Their silence was adding fuel to the fire and as you observed Ellie pacing slowly beside you, it was clear she felt the same.

“Listen, if you have a problem with us, we couldn’t care less. But if your issue with us ends with our child getting hurt again, then we need to do something about it.” Ellie's voice was calm as she came to stand over them. “If Timmy ever comes near Clem again, I promise you, you will be looking for a new place to live because I will hunt you both to the ends of the Earth. You’ll never be able to settle because I’ll always be just on your heels. Do you want that life for Timmy? Never knowing when he’d be left alone in the world because his parents hatred cost them their lives. This is your only warning. Keep your snotty little shit away from our Clem or we will make sure the last thing you see is us smiling over your bodies. Don’t give me an excuse to do it, because I’ll enjoy every last second of it.” Their faces drained of all their colour and the sight was exhilarating to you. Ellie was always so gentle with you and Clem so you rarely saw this side of her but the few reminders you got never failed to stick with you, knowing she was acting this way to protect Clem, it only warmed you more. She walked to the door leaving you scowling in front of them.

“If you think Maria won’t be hearing of this, you’re wrong, expect a visit from her tomorrow. You’re the reason her niece's daughter was hurt today, she won’t take that lightly. I’d watch your backs if I were you.” You grinned as they visibly gulped before strolling off to meet Ellie at the door, her face matching yours. The walk back to your home was filled with childish giggles as you recounted the looks on their faces.

Even as you walked through the door of your home to find Dina and Jesse cuddled up on the sofa, you still couldn’t stop giggling.

“Assuming it went well then?” Jesse questioned with a quirk of his eyebrow.

“Oh yeah you should’ve seen their faces. Ellie went all ‘ah I’m so scary, I’m gonna hunt you down aghhh’ it was amazing!” You mocked Ellie’s deep, raspy voice that she had used while speaking to Timmy’s parents before bursting into laughter once again.

“I did not fucking sound like that! But it’s true, they shit their pants.” She looked smug as her chin raised to the air only causing you all to laugh more. You had been annoyed about yours and Ellie’s reputations after the few incidents over the past months that had painted you in a darker light but it served you both well today.

“That’s our girls!” Dina was beaming at you both as they stood.

“Thank you again for coming over on short notice. Did she wake up or anything?”

“No no, she’s been out like a light. Don’t keep thanking us anyway, we can use all the practise we can get.” Jesse breathed out as he rocked on his heels.

They said their goodbyes and left, leaving you and Ellie to collapse in bed, tired of the day.

“I know I joked but you going all scary to protect Clemmy was super fucking hot.” You cupped Ellie’s cheeks as you softly rubbed your nose against hers before resting your foreheads together with a smile.

“Hey it wasn’t just me, I heard what you said to them after I left the room. That was a nice touch.”

“Why thank you.” You giggled softly before your face turned sour again. “I just can’t believe we’re having to deal with shit like this. I mean, Ellie, she got fucking hit today. How many homophobes are there in this stupid fucking town?”

“I know, it’s ridiculous. This place is about as good as it gets and still, shit like this happens. I know what you mean about being done with it all but where do we even go you know?”

“Well I was thinking about that, remember that farm we stayed at before we found Clem, how perfect it was, how pretty the stars were from up there, how good the sex we had up there was hmm?” You dropped your voice seductively causing her eyebrows to shoot up. “We never got to go back and lock it up because of our little bundle of joy but I was thinking maybe Joel could watch her for a day and then Dina and Jesse have her for the night so we can go have a look around and see if it’s a viable option for us. I love our family, more than anything and the more I think about it just being us up there, the more I warm up to the idea, but obviously it’s close enough that we can still see everyone regularly and be connected to Jackson, what do you think?”

“Sounds fucking perfect babe. But I have one condition.”

“Oh yeah?”

“We have sheep, lots of ‘em, and a cow or two maybe, oh and we get to take Shimmer and Greg with us. We should have chickens too.”

“Sounds like more than one condition to me but I’m in.”

“You are going to make the cutest farmer.” She smirks at you as your eyebrows furrow.

“You’re going to be the farmer. I will sit pretty and watch you get your hands dirty.”

“Oh will you now?”

“Mhm you’re the one that wanted all the animals.”

“Well I suppose that’s fair. Do you think Clem will want to go?”

“El she’d follow you anyway, that girl has stars in her eyes when she looks at you. I think after today especially, she’ll be happy to go be farmers up in the hills.”

“Ah! So we will be farmers. I knew you’d see it my way.”

“You are ridiculous.”

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“Ellie look! It’s just up ahead, it looks fine oh my god I’m so excited!” You rushed out as you spurred Greg on towards the picturesque farmhouse that you had been dreaming about returning to since you left.

“Oh fuck yeah and it’s only taken us like an hour and a half to get here with the horses, it feels so far but so close at the same time.”

“I feel really fucking good about this babe!”

“Me too.” Ellie hummed and as you approached the gate you sucked a breath in, praying it would open freely.

“Ah!” You squealed as the gate swung open and you jumped off Greg barely managing to stop yourself from jumping about as you seemed one step closer to building a life there.

“Okay let’s stay alert just in case, you wanna sweep the house or the barn?” Ellie sounded serious but her voice failed to hide the giddiness in her as she hopped off of Shimmer and pressed a hand to the small of your back.

“Let’s do the barn together first so we can leave the horses in there and then go through the house, I wanna walk in there with you, this is a milestone!” You beamed causing her to chuckle and start leading you round the house and towards the barn.

Once the barn had been cleared and the horses were happily grazing on some hay you both walked back round to the porch, you practically leaping up the stairs and dragging Ellie behind you but before you could reach for the doorknob she yanked you back into her and pressed kisses from just below your ear down to your shoulder blade, swaying you both gently. There was a gentle breeze whistling through the air and it smelled so fresh and crisp, the air felt so much more cleansing than in Jackson, every breath you took making you feel light and renewed. A small white butterfly flew around you both before disappearing into the powder blue sky that was dotted with pristine, white clouds. There were patches of daffodils all over the field amongst other splotches of colourful flowers creating the most beautiful landscape.

“El come on- ah!” You were interrupted as Ellie lifted you bridal style into her arms and started fumbling with the door. “What are you doing?” You said through giggles.

“Practising for the real thing.” She nudged the door open and as you both walked through hearing nothing but sweet, serene silence you both snapped your heads towards each other and smiled. You grabbed her cheeks and pulled her in for a kiss that felt like you were melting into each other before she gently put you down and walked you towards the dining room table opposite the front door, her lips never once leaving yours, it started tender as she explored your mouth with her tongue, lapping at yours slowly, but it soon grew hungry and desperate, the passion radiating off of both of you, she still tasted slightly minty from when she had brushed her teeth this morning and it cooled the growing heat slightly. Her hands grabbed and squeezed at any expanse of skin she could find as she groaned into your mouth, the sound making your knees weak, relying on her to keep you upright as she reduced you to a puddle of desperation with just her lips on yours. You could barely think straight, your mind being clouded, everything becoming hazy as she devoured you. As your thighs hit the back of the table she grabbed at them and lifted you to sit on the oak, pressing herself between your legs and gently grinding her hips into yours, you whined quietly and wrapped your legs tighter round her waist, pulling her impossibly closer to you while gripping onto her hair like she was anchoring you to this plane of existence. The friction of your cores rubbing together could’ve generated electricity, it felt like it was as the hair on the back of your neck stood and you shivered with need. Shockwaves of energy rippled through you as the temperature seemed to rise impossibly higher between you both until you each pulled away gasping for breath, a string of spit connecting your lips together like the tether wrapped around each of your hearts that had kept you closely bound to her since the day you met, even when you hadn’t spoken all those years, the tether still tugged you in her direction.

Ellie bit her lip as she quickly unbuttoned your jeans and yanked them down your legs with your assistance licking her lips at the sight of the wet patch on your underwear. “Someone’s pent up huh? All this from a little kissing? Need to take better care of you don’t I babe?”

“Mhm, quit stalling, I’m so wet it’s uncomfortable El, need you to clean me up.” She groaned at your words and immediately kneeled down on the floor wasting no time slipping your panties to the side and burying her face between your legs. You’d think she hadn’t eaten for days with the way she was sucking you dry, your clit throbbing in her lips as her fingers teased your entrance. She knew your body better than you did, not even having to search for the spongy spot inside of you that made your insides turn to liquid. It was so easy she was chuckling into you as your hips ground themselves into her. Her tongue was her paint brush and your pussy was her artwork as she swirled it around every inch of you, she’d swap from flattening her tongue and almost making out with your cunt to small kitten licks that had you keening and whimpering. Her fingers curled as they pumped in and out of you, each time she’d hit your g-spot you’d jolt and gasp, the feeling was so intense you wanted to squirm away but she had you tightly pulled against her with her free hand gripping onto your hip hard enough there’d be faint oval bruises in her hands absence. “Oh fuck, right there baby, I’m so close, shit-” With a long, harsh suckle on your clit, her tongue working circles around it at the same time, it seemed to be the only occasion where she could multi-task, your body tensed with your release, your hips bucking onto her fingers as you ride out your high. “Ah fuck- OW!” You suddenly exclaim cutting yourself off mid-moan. Ellie quickly jumped up to face you, her lips and chin shiny with your slick that looked comical against her panicked expression.

“Babe what’s wrong? Did I hurt you? Fuck I’m sorry-”

“No, no you didn’t do anything. You were fucking amazing but I- I think I got a splinter in my ass.” You admit shamefully.

“No you fucking didn’t, oh my god turn around, let me see.” She couldn’t contain her laughter even as you frowned at her while hopping off the table and turning away from her. She pressed a hand to your back, bending you over the table and gently easing your underwear down your thighs as she inched close enough to your behind that you could feel her breath tickling your cheeks.

“Ellie stop being a perv, is there a splinter?”

“Ohh yeah, big one too, could see it from a mile away.”

“Why is your nose practically touching my ass then?”

“Because it’s really pretty.” You could practically hear the smirk in her voice before she made a sorrowful attempt at whistling that just sounded like air escaping through a slightly cracked window. You laughed and she smacked at your uninjured ass-cheek lightly.

“Ellie! Get the fucking splinter out!”

“Alright, alright. Ruining my fun you are.”

“I’m gonna ruin you when this splinter is out of my ass.”

“Is that a threat or a promise?”

“Both you heathen now hurry up!” She chuckled before quickly but gently removing the splinter earning a satisfied hum from you as you returned upright and faced her, unamused at her childish glee while inspecting the splinter between her thumb and index finger.

“So errr we should probably varnish this table or sand it or something before we move in here. Wouldn’t want Clem getting hurt.” Ellie declares.

“Oh yeah this is sooo about Clem and not just you imagining railing me nine ways to sunday on here.” You raise your eyebrows at her, you knew Ellie was thinking about making sure Clem didn’t get any splinters, but you also knew that wasn’t the reason for her comment. You were the one that worried about things like that, she was the one that would throw Clem over her head high enough that you’d gasp and scold her for how close Clem’s head was to hitting the ceiling. You frowned as she seemed completely unphased by your remark only staring at the splinter still.

“I’m keeping this, it’s a memento.”

“Ellie so help me god-”

“Relax babe, someone’s prickly.” She hunched over with laughter as you simply rolled your eyes and redressed yourself.

“You’re so unfunny.”

“Why are you always laughing then?”

“I really don’t like you right now.”

“Hey that’s not fair, I just made you cum in under like five minutes, that’s gotta be a record, be nice to me.”

“I’ll be nice to you when you drop the fucking splinter.” Without hesitation she turned away from you and hurled the splinter towards the front door.

“See, it’s gone, now kiss me woman.” She shut her eyes and puckered up her lips dramatically while making loud smooching sounds.

“You’re lucky I love you.”

“Doesn’t sound like kissing!” She sang before puckering her lips again to which you relented and pressed your lips against hers, smiling into the kiss as her arms wrapped around your waist. “Goddamn I love you.” You giggled as you stepped away from her and spun round the room, taking in everything you had missed in your frenzied state. So much had happened in such a short space of time but the house, the house looked like it was frozen, everything exactly as you remembered it from before. It just felt right, it felt like home.

“So er now we’ve christened the place, how about we take a look around?” You suggested, the heat in your cheeks barely subsiding.

“Oh yeah, I wanna christen each room before we go.”

“You’re an animal.” She laughed as she followed you all throughout the house until you were in the kitchen, both gazing out of the window above the sink at the field that surrounded the property. The long grass was swaying in the wind, two doves landed on the fence in front of the window and their chirps were a melody you could listen to forever. The sun was beaming making everything look even more vibrant than it already did, the mountains creating the most beautiful backdrop. “Imagine teaching Clemmy all about the animals and how to grow fruit and vegetables in the sun, nothing but quiet all around.” As you spoke you could picture everything in your head like it was already reality.

“And sitting outside at night, looking at all the stars, looking for constellations.” She spoke into your neck where her face was nestled, her arms wrapped around your front, swaying you both gently.

“We can read together on the porch, bundle up in winter and have hot chocolate out there while we watch the snow fall.” You add.

“Teach Clem how to ride the horses, the fields big enough.”

“Yes! She’ll love running around with all the animals, I bet she’ll love the chickens.” You both chuckle at the notion.

“She’s gonna make one her pet and then we’ll have a house chicken.” Ellie huffed as if she was already being faced with Clem’s puppy eyes as she clutches the clueless chicken to her chest begging for it to be her pet.

“Bet she’ll call it Eggbert whether it’s a boy or a girl.”

“That sounds like something I would do.”

“That’s exactly my point.” You turn to face her over your shoulder and smile as she purses her lips and nods slowly, her eyes narrowing at your smug face before breaking out into the widest grin.

“Babe I fucking love it here, I can picture our lives here and everything. You still want this?” She spins you to face her, the smile adorning her features would have been enough to convince you to jump off a cliff if that was what she wanted.

“More than anything.”

“Then, as long as Clemmy’s okay with it, we’re moving.” You squeal and press your lips against hers as she squeezes you against her, lifting you from the ground slightly and spinning you around until she staggered to a stop. “Oh fuck I’m dizzy.” She rests her hands on her knees and takes a few deep breaths that have her back visibly rising and falling causing you to chuckle at her playfulness.

“Okay, we need to look at the fence, the water, the gas and the electric, I’ve got used to some comforts in Jackson that I’m not prepared to give up just yet.”

“Let’s look at the fence because I don’t know who you think I am babe but I will have no clue about any of the other things.” Ellie stands upright once again, her hands finding their place on her hips as she tilts her head slightly at you.

“Oh right me neither, that can be a job for Joel and Tommy.”

“They’ve got their uses.” She grabs your hand and drags you back outside where you both just stand for a minute admiring the view.

₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

“Look this can be Clemmy’s room! Maybe you could paint something on her wall for her El!”

“Fuck yeah but come on you, it’s been a long day and we need our beauty sleep.” You groaned as Ellie ushered you towards the master bedroom, you just wanted to stay and keep fantasising, but Ellie was right, you were tired and you wanted to wake up bright and early to get back to Clementine tomorrow.

You each slipped off your clothes, you climbed in bed as Ellie cracked the window slightly to let the cool, summer night air breeze into the room. The only sound that could be heard was the faint chirping of crickets and your breaths as you both settle into the bed, cuddling into one another. You looped your arms around Ellie’s waist and pressed your face into her chest as she softly scratched patterns into your back. Your legs entangled with each other's as your heartbeats synced, it was serene and you felt the calmest you had felt in as long as you could remember. It felt almost perfect, but you knew once Clem was here with you both it would be perfect. You breathed in, letting Ellie’s scent linger and blur your senses more as sleep dragged you further into its embrace, she had always smelt of fresh washing that had dried in the summer breeze, it was comforting, everything about her was comforting. Her soft skin moulding against yours, the steady rise and fall of her chest, the way she clutched onto you subconsciously, she was home to you, she was always home to you, even when you weren’t speaking for those years, she still offered the comfort you so desperately craved.

₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

“Are you okay?” You didn’t have to look up to know who it was, her voice was etched into your brain, all you wanted to do was leap into her arms and clutch onto her, never letting go but you couldn’t. You had already pushed her away until your time together was blurring memories swirling around your head. You had pushed her away to keep your relationship with your parents but it still wasn’t enough, it was never enough for them. You swore they wanted nothing to do with you, banishing you out of the house because you had got into a fight and refused to divulge why. Ellie was why, and that would’ve only angered them more.

You had been sitting in the park, reading a book when Petra and Suze had enclosed on you, sitting down by your side with smiles. “Hey bookworm, what ya reading?” Petra questions.

“Persuasion by Jane Austen, it’s so good, romance books will always have a special place in my heart.”

“Another romance book huh? We gotta get you out in the real world, Jason’s got his eye on you, you know, we could set you two up.” Suze quirked her eyebrow as you grimaced.

“As much as that offer is so tempting, I’d rather stab myself in the eye repeatedly than go out with Jason.”

“What? What’s wrong with him?” He’s a guy and he’s not Ellie, you missed her every minute of everyday, Petra and Suze were a nice distraction but they were nothing like Ellie, you just wanted Ellie.

“I don’t know, I’m just not interested in him like that, he’s so full of himself, there wouldn’t be enough room in the relationship with me and his huge ego.” They both giggled at your harsh tone.

“Well that’s fair.” Silence settled around you as you watched the scenery, people-watching had always been one of your favourite pass-times but you found yourself doing it more now you were constantly searching for the auburn hair you used to run your fingers through, you had convinced yourself you’d seen her this time, that wasn’t a part of your imagination like it often was but Petra’s words confirmed you had actually been seeing her this time.

“Ugh there goes the town dyke. God she’s so fucking weird.”

“I know right, why would they even let her in? Throw her to the wolves I say.” Suze snickered and everything went red, your ears rang and your vision blurred, you only remember being yanked off of Suze as Petra lay just a foot away wheezing and coughing, cursing you under her breath.

Your parents had screamed, thrown things at you, yanked you by their iron grip around your wrists to barricade you in your room when you refused to explain why you had so viciously attacked the girls that were supposed to be your friends. You sobbed and sobbed until you heard your dad shifting whatever he had used to keep your bedroom door shut tightly. He didn’t speak, didn’t look you in the eye, just dragged you out of your room and straight outside where he shut the door after uttering. “Find somewhere else to sleep tonight.” That was it. You were on your own and the rain that started to pour from the heavens mirrored your mood as you wandered aimlessly until your legs grew weak and you collapsed by a tree, desperately hoping it would shelter you from the torrential downpour.

“Hey I said are you okay?” Ellie nudged your shoe with hers as you sniffled and spared a glance up at her only to bury your head back into your knees that you were holding to your chest with a small shake of your head. “Why are you outside in this weather? You’re gonna get sick. Go home.” Her tone wasn’t nasty but it wasn’t soft and sweet like it used to be with you, it was a slap on the cheek that you thoroughly deserved.

“I can’t” You weakly whispered, barely loud enough for her to hear, she kneeled down and stroked a hand down your hair, beckoning you to meet her worried gaze.

“They kick you out again?”

“Mhm.”

“What was the reason this time?”

“I fucked up Petra and Suze and I wouldn’t tell them why, they love Petra and Suze more than me so they’re really pissed.”

“Why’d you fight them?”

“Doesn’t matter.” You wouldn’t meet her eyes, you just stared off into the distance, occasionally hiccupping as a result of your sobbing.

“Get up.”

“Just leave me alone please Ellie.” She was too painful of a reminder of how alone you were, you’d rather be actually alone than in her presence.

“Just get up, c’mon. You’re not sleeping out here tonight. If you get struck by lightning I’ll feel kinda responsible.” Her tone was lighter than it had been and you chuckled slightly as you took her hand and let her pull you from the ground, immediately turning on her heel and letting you trail along behind her back to her home. You considered just disappearing from your place behind her, you doubted that she would notice before you were long gone as she seemed to avoid looking at you like she’d turn to stone if she did.

Her garage was exactly as you’d remembered it with a couple new additions to the trinkets that littered every surface and wall. You had always loved it here, it was so much more inviting than your home. You used to let yourself in and immediately flop down on her sofa like you owned the place but now you just stood by the door, shivering and fidgeting unsure of what to do from here. Ellie was busy at her makeshift kitchen, milling through cupboards and drawers.

“Have you eaten?” She turned to face you for the first time since she had found you and frowned at your uncomfortable demeanour. “Just sit down or something, you’re making me feel weird just looking at you.” She snapped, immediately regretting it as you flinched and dragged yourself to the sofa like she’d throw you out if you hadn’t. “Sorry, have you eaten?”

“I’m fine.”

“That’s not what I asked though is it? Have you eaten? Yes or no?”

“Yeah.”

“Fucking liar.” She bit her lip as your eyes flashed to hers, guilt painted all over your features. She couldn’t see you like this, it was too hard to not just wrap you in her arms and tell you everything would be okay, that she’s here for you, you wouldn’t let her do that and she couldn’t let herself so she just turned back towards the kitchenette and began making some dinner for you both. “You know where my clothes are, don’t sit in those wet clothes, if you wanna take a shower to warm up you can.”

“I’m-”

“For fuck’s sake can you stop being so fucking stubborn and just take care of yourself? Go warm up and put on some dry clothes.” She sniped leading you to rush away from her and into the bathroom without another word. “Shit.” She muttered as the bathroom door slammed shut, she was kicking you while you were down and she felt horrible but she couldn’t control herself around you, if she could she would’ve pretended she hadn’t seen you earlier and kept walking. She heard the shower turn on and faintly through the pattering of the water she heard sniffles and choked sobs that led her to press her ear to the door trying to listen in closer. It was clear as day, the sound of your sobs that you thought the shower muffled, her heart clenched and her skin itched as it felt like it was constricting around her, choking the air out of her. She stayed at the door, just listening, she knew she should’ve given you privacy but she felt glued to the wood separating you both, she only moved when the sound of the soup bubbling beckoned her over to turn the heat on the cooker down. She went to go back to the door but the sound of the shower turning off sent her leaping in the complete opposite direction, sitting at her desk and forcing herself to keep her eyes planted on the comic that had been resting atop as you walked out in a towel, her towel and shuffled over to the drawers where she kept her pyjamas.

She dished up the soup and handed you a bowl wordlessly before going back to the desk to eat hers, the tension was palpable between the both of you, the only sound filling the room being small metallic clinks of your spoons hitting the bowls over and over again as you scraped the remnants of the soup from the bowl. “Sorry it’s not much.”

“Thank you Ellie.” You walked over to her and took her bowl going to the sink to wash them up for her, it was the least you could do.

“You can take the bed, I’ll sleep on the couch.”

“No I’m not taking your bed too.”

“Just-” She went to snap but sucked in a breath and calmed herself down. “Just take the bed, please.” You breathed deeply before nodding your head and skulking over to the bed where you had once stayed almost every other night, climbing in cautiously, subconsciously crawling over to ‘your’ side of the bed.

“Thanks, night Ellie.”

“Night.” It didn’t take long for sleep to overtake you, you were exhausted and your head was pounding, sleep providing the much-needed reprieve from the emotions of the day.

The first thing your eyes focused on as you woke was Ellie’s sleeping form on the sofa, curled up under a blanket, her face was peaceful, washed of the scowl that typically took over her features around you now. Suddenly everything hit you like a brick and it felt like the air was getting sucked out of you as you rushed to change back into your clothes and get out of there as quickly and as quietly as possible. You were out of the door in under five minutes and the guilt only weighed you down with every step you took away from Ellie. She had been kind and helped you in a time of need and you ran off without a word. You didn’t know what you would say, how you could face her, it was too painful, going back to your home and facing the wrath of your parents would be kinder to your heart than staying with Ellie any longer.

Ellie woke, eyes immediately scanning the room for you but as soon as she noticed you were gone without a warning, without a goodbye, she felt like she was losing you all over again and her eyes welled with tears as she pressed her face into her palms and cried softly.

₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

“Hi baby! Oh we missed you, did you have fun with Uncle Jesse and Auntie Dina?” You squeezed Clem to your chest until you heard a little squeak leave her lips prompting you to release her and tuck a loose strand of her soft waves behind her ear.

“Yes! Uncle Jesse showed me how to play catch and Auntie Dina helped me make cookies, I have some to bring home!” Clem beamed before Ellie scooped her up and spun her around, eliciting giggles from the small girl.

“Aren’t you a lucky girl? Say thank you kiddo.” Ellie pressed a sweet kiss to Clem’s cheek as she propped her on her hip and bounced her slightly.

“Thank you! You guys are the best.” Clem’s happiness rubbed off on all of you as you all chuckled. You both thanked them profusely before leaving to go to Joel’s, you wanted to thank him in person also and you needed to discuss the move with him.

As you walked, Clem in the middle of you both, gripping onto your hands, she rambled and rambled about her time away from you both until she hummed quietly, signalling she was done. “Can you swing me? Can we swing? Can we, can we? Pleaseee.” You and Ellie both smiled at her before swinging her into the air from her arms. She’d do a jump into it each time and giggled sweetly as she soared through the air between you both. By the time you reached Joel’s, yours and Ellie’s arms ached and Clem seemed tired and subdued, her tiredness only being confirmed as you entered Joel’s and she immediately took herself to the sofa to lay down instead of running straight outside to her playset.

“Hi Joel, thanks so much for watching her yesterday. Didn’t give you too much trouble did she?”

“Oh not at all, she was an angel as always, how was your trip?” You and Ellie glanced at each other before beaming at him.

“It was perfect, you gotta see this house Joel, it’s a farmhouse with a fence around the property that’s completely intact, it’s got a barn, and the house has a wraparound porch, the view is amazing, it’s perfect.” Ellie rushed out as she sat at his dining table where he had already situated himself.

“So you wanna move there?” You both nodded hesitantly, anticipating his reaction. “Well me and Tommy will have to get up there, have a look and see if it’s functional, but if ya wanna do this and it’ll make ya happy, I support ya. I heard what happened to Clem the other day.” He didn’t have to finish his sentence, you all understood what he was saying. It seemed you had outgrown Jackson and he wanted you to be happy, he wanted Clem to be happy and carefree. “We’ll all pitch in and get ya up there.”

“Thank you Joel, we can’t tell you how much we appreciate this.” Your voice croaked slightly as you tried to hold in the tears of joy that welled in your eyes.

“Well I can see this makes ya happy and that’s all I want.”

“You’re really something old man.” Ellie chuckled, a smile so wide you expected her cheeks to ache as she looked between you and him, grabbing your hand and squeezing.

“You told Clemmy yet?”

“No actually, we wanted to speak to you first before we told her but we’ll talk to her about it today.” Ellie replied.

“I’m sure she’ll jump at the idea.”

“That’s what I said.” You looked to the girl dozing on the sofa as you spoke and everything felt like it was falling into place, your life being mapped out in front of you, the sight making your body buzz with excitement.

tags: @emiliabby@readbydayana@radioheadfan699@lil-elliesgf@isitadinosaur@amberputh@maelovescashew@a-little-bit-of-everybody@moonspowder@bready101

#ellie the last of us #ellie tlou #ellie williams #ellie williams tlou #ellie x reader #ellie x fem reader #tlou ellie #ellie williams smut #ellie smut #ellie williams angst #ellie williams fanfic #ellie williams fluff #ellie williams imagine #ellie williams the last of us #ellie williams x reader #ellie williams x you #ellie x you

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traffic-light-eyes · 7 months

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They say love is the best medicine. Kai has never once believed that; how could love, a mere concept, help? He couldn't understand.

When he scraped his knee as a kid, did his absent mother kiss it better? No. When he burnt his hand forging a sword, did his father clean him up? No. Love is nothing but a nuisance, a petty attempt at making something out of nothing.

He knows this. He knows this, but why does he make those attempts for his little sister, Nya? Why does he have to kiss he wounds, to clean her up, to love her? Why can't he help it?

Kai all but drops everything for her. She can not turn out like him: jaded, ruinous, unloving. He won't let it happen. He'll teach her love, a concept he could never quite grasp. He'll learn it, fake it. All for her. His baby sister.

Love doesn't heal. It doesn't have magical powers that instantly cure an illness. Love doesn't heal.

When he sits alone in the bounty, stressed and upset, he has no medicine to fix it. His arms ache from the endless training he forces himself to endure; he has to get stronger for Nya. He has to. But it hurts. He finds his body isn't what all that aches.

A deep devastating ache resides in his chest. Heartache. He has no medicine for this. He can't fix this. He can't he can't he can't. He's so useless-can't save his sister; can't protect that stupid brat, Lloyd; and he certainly can't solve his own damn issues. Useless.

He feels the warmth next to him before he feels the hand on his back. He won't look. Another hand joins the first. His head is cradled against a chest, one hand holding the nape of his neck gently, the other his lower back.

He cries for the first time in a while.

It isn't fair. It isn't fair. It isn't fair.

"I know," Cole whispered, a gravelly rumble grounding him in the moment. Kai hadn't even realized he had been speaking. "I know, Kai. Just let it out. FSM knows you deserve it."

He cries. Sobs. His body jerks with each moment, breath hitching, limbs clutching onto the nearest surface.

It takes a while, but he calms down. His face stays in the crook of Cole's neck, soft puffs of air giving him goosebumps. In a normal situation, Kai would yell at Cole for touching his hair, but in this moment, Kai practical purrs at the soft, gentle carding of his recently washed hair.

When he finally gets his voice back, it crackles like a vintage radio, but he speaks. "How did you know I was here?"

"I didn't."

"Oh," Kai said dumbly, "Then why are you here?"

"Well, I wouldn't just walk away after seeing you like an abandoned puppy-dog."

Kai scoffs, removing himself from Cole's warmth. "I didn't ask for your help."

"I know."

"I didn't need it. I would've been fine."

"I'm sure you would've."

"Then why the heck did you stay?" Was he pressing too much? He shouldn't ruin a good thing. Why did he say that? Oh, fsm, he should really learn when to shut his big mouth.

"I think I told you already," Cole joked, "but I could be wrong."

Kai scoffed again. He pinched Cole's elbow with a glare.

"Yowch!" Cole jerked away, slightly laughing while rubbing his injured elbow. "Okay, okay, I yield."

Kai pushed himself further away. He doesn't know if he wants to hear this. He knows what's coming: 'Oh Kai, you just looked so sad and pathetic, and I'm such a great perfect person, so I just had to come and help you out! But since you're so weak, I'll have to talk to Sensei Wu about kicking you out. Sorry, not sorry!'

"Kai, we haven't known each other for long. Barely a month or two, really. But I've come to care for you. And that includes caring for you when you're upset like today."

Huh.

"You're part of the team now. We take care of one another. We love each other. Yes, even when Jay eats the last pancake."

Huh.

"Kai? Are you good? You haven't blinked in the past two minutes."

His body jerks, face flushing. "I'm fine, thanks."

"Alright," Cole laughs. "I'll see you soon, then. I'm gonna go grab whatever delicious food Zane is cooking up right now."

"Yeah," Kai said, "see you soon."

He leaves. Huh.

Love is stupid and useless. He doesn't remember the last time he felt it. But with the warmth of Cole's embrace lingering and his face still flushed, he can't seem to remember why that mattered.

He feels better. He used no ointment or pill, but he feels better. Love. Love was his medicine.

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givemea-dam-break · 1 year

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hello my love <3 can i request fluff with lockwood where y/n is sick and she also has injury on her hand (something like lucy's maybe?) and when lockwood wants to clean it she's not happyy about that 'cause she only wants to sleep and he's like "i'm your fully qualified doctor, remember? you have to listen to me, love", btw i absolutely adore your stories, keep writing cause you're amazingg, mwah <3

a/n: of course!!! domestic lockwood is the best in my humble opinion. and im so glad you like my stuff so much, love you my dear <3 also taking this as an opportunity to apologise for the terrible titles for most of my fics i spend ages thinking but can never think of something good lmao

warnings: minor injury detail gn reader

Perfect - Anthony Lockwood

The library is the warmest room in the house, and by far your favourite, so it's no surprise when Lockwood finds you there, curled up on your designated armchair close to dozing. He smiles at you as he steps in, carrying a tray of something or other that he places down on the little coffee table before sitting in his armchair.

There's something about him today that makes you want to laugh. Maybe it's the way he's been mothering you all day because you're ill. Maybe it's the lack of Anthony Lockwood professionalism he has today, what with his crinkled hoodie and pink fluffy socks - aren't those the ones George has been looking for? He's so unlike his usual self today, but also inadvertently just like himself. A walking anomaly.

"How are you feeling now?" he asks quietly, as if your ears may explode if he speaks too loud. "Any better?"

"No better than I did seven minutes ago," you say with a laugh. "Lockwood, you don't have to keep a constant eye on me. You've got things to do."

"One of which being to take care of you," he says. "Which reminds me, are you finally going to let me take a look at that cut on your arm? It needs cleaning."

"I trust you with my life, but I do not trust you with the first aid kit. You'll shove half a tube of Germaline on it. Besides, I want to go to sleep, and here is cosier than my room."

He gives you a look, but it's halfhearted. "You can sleep once I've cleaned it. I've brought you some of your favourite biscuits and a brew in return."

You lift your head from where it had laid on your arms. "Doesn't sound like a very fair trade for you."

"Ah, I'll cope."

"Well, it doesn't hurt anymore. I'm sure it's healed amazingly and then I'll be back to my wonderful self in no time."

"I'm not leaving until I've at least taken a look at it. Then after that, you can have your tea and go to sleep." His grin is dazzling then. It's the kind he always uses when he's trying to get his way. "I'm your fully qualified doctor, remember? You've got to listen to me."

If you could be bothered, you could push for him to leave you in peace, but your head feels like it's full of water and you want to go to sleep. So, begrudgingly, you shift so that your arm hangs over the armrest of your chair.

The gentleness of Lockwood's hands as he takes your arm and slowly, carefully peels off the plaster you haphazardly placed on shocks you. His fingers are soft, holding your arm as if it's a delicate thing that could break at any moment.

He takes a minute to just look at the gash on your forearm. It's no longer than your index finger, cutting diagonally across halfway up, and it's still oozing some blood. The plaster is covered in it, and he deftly throws it into the bin before taking his little first aid kit from the tray he brought in. Its original purpose was for you to use it on him whenever he got banged up on cases, which was more often than not, but there's something strangely special about him using it on you now. It makes you feel a little giddy.

"You got this from a glass door, right?"

You're acutely aware of his touch as he shifts his grip so as to clean the cut. "Yeah. George knocked me into it by accident. I'm surprised this is all I got out of it."

His reply comes in the form of a quiet hum. As he cautiously cleans the wound, you watch as his brows furrow a little with concentration, creasing a little line between them, and his top lip twitches a little bit. A little quirk, you've noticed, when he's particularly invested in something. Usually, it's the latest gossip rag, in which he always loses sight of the real world, but now it's you. A small flutter arises in your chest.

He wipes over a small part of the gash, and you suck in a sharp breath. The sound makes him falter, the wipe hovering an inch above your skin as he looks up at you.

For a moment, then, you forget about the pain. Through his thick lashes, his eyes are brimmed with worry and apologies, but after insistence that you're fine, he continues to clean the fresh blood away.

"Let me put the cream on the plaster," you murmur. "You'll put way too much on."

He smiles. "Who's the qualified doctor here?"

"In all honesty, Skull is probably better at this kind of thing than you are."

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that."

"Do."

But, even still, he passes you the tube of Germaline and a long plaster. A moment later, you pass it back, and with delicate hands, he places it over the gash. It stings a little, and you hiss at the sudden cold, but the feelings are gone before the minute is even over.

"Perfect," he says with a soft, private smile. "All sorted."

His hand lingers, still holding your arm, and you suddenly feel more awake than ever. It's as if the tiredness has just melted away into the cushions of the armchair and down into the floor with only his touch, and you yearn for him to not let go. To stay exactly where he is.

And, as if having read your mind, he does.

If someone were to walk in, the scene would be strange. You, curled up in your seat with your arm hanging over the armrest, head resting on your own shoulder, and Lockwood, holding your arm as if it's some valuable thing, and simply looking at you with those expressive eyes of his.

"How do you feel?" he asks. His voice is a little breathy.

You're trying not to focus on the feeling of his fingers slipping down your arm until they almost - almost - slot in between yours. You shift slightly so that your head is in a position that isn't causing a crick in your neck, and it only grants a better view of him. His dark hair glowing bronze in the firelight, the ever so faint freckles on his nose, the dip in the left corner of his lip that insinuates another smile.

"A little better." The words almost catch in your throat when his fingers curl around yours just so. They don't hold yours, but they're so, so close. You can feel his pulse - or is that yours beating wildly out of control? "Do you have any paracetamol?"

He takes a second to realise what you've just said, and his hand leaves yours as he rakes about in the first aid kit for the painkillers. Out of pure mothering ability, he pops two out of the packet and hands them to you along with your mug of tea. Not the nicest thing to swallow them down with, but it'll do.

"You need to be more careful on cases," Lockwood says.

"Tell that to George. He's the one who bumped into me." Then, you shrug. "I suppose I shouldn't have gone when I've got the worst head cold I've had in yonks."

A breathy laugh escapes his lips, and you notice how he's looking down at your hand.

It's a bold move, completely unlike you, but you reach for his hand, looping your fingers through his. His hand is warm and, yes, that's definitely your erratic pulse.

It takes a lot to catch Lockwood off guard, but that does the trick. For a moment, it's like he can't decide whether or not to look at your linked hands or at you, and you laugh at the sight of it.

"This is wholly inappropriate," he jokes. "Doctors and patients shouldn't do anything remotely like this."

You must be out of your mind entirely because you lean over and press a kiss to his knuckles. "What about that?"

The expression on his face reminds you of when the TV signal has gotten busted, and the four-person-army of Lockwood and Co, plus a glowing and crude Skull, are sitting around it angrily waiting for it to stop buffering. When the picture freezes, glitches a little bit, and buffers for even longer. You can almost see the buttons and wires in his mind, struggling to compute what you just did.

That's not to say you aren't the complete same. Truthfully, you shocked yourself with the kiss, and you sit here now, staring at the spot where your lips touched his skin.

You're ill, you remind yourself. Maybe he'll pass it off as delusion.

"Would you mind if I weren't your doctor for a little?"

Frowning a little, confused, you say, "No...?"

You've never seen a person move as fast as Lockwood does then. Before you know it, he's leaning over your entwined hands and his lips are brushing yours so softly, giving you room to move if it's something you don't want. But you do. You want it more than anything.

Everything seems to melt away at the moment you press your lips firmly onto his. The library, the fireplace filled with dancing orange flames, your horrible cold, the sting of anti-septic cream on your fresh cut. You're aware only of his lips on yours, his fingers twisted in yours, the warmth of his hand. Every nerve in your body feels as though it's about to combust. Your heart is practically beating through your chest. God, your hands are awfully sweaty.

Only a moment later, he pulls away, but his face stays so close to yours that you can feel his breath on your cheek.

You want to say something romantic, maybe something smart or snarky like you usually would, but all you can think of is, "You're going to get a cold now."

"It's just as well we have Skull, then, huh?" His laugh is soft and airy, and you could catch it between your lips if you so wished. "I'm sure I'll be fine."

His gaze flickers between your eyes and lips, and you're positive that if he weren't holding your hand right now, you'd implode in a burst of sparks and fireworks.

"Well, if you're so sure -"

Knowing where the sentence is going, he presses his lips to yours once more, and it's perfect.

#anthony lockwood x reader #lockwood x reader #lockwood and co x reader #lockwood and co fanfiction #lockwood and co #lockwood and co netflix #anthony lockwood #lucy carlyle #george karim #x reader #fanfiction #givemea-dam-break

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orange-orchard-system · 3 months

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Got a hate ask on my other blog (funnier-as-a-system) today. I'm not gonna respond to it directly, but I'm gonna go over it fully just as an example of why I don't take anti-endos or sysmeds seriously and find them to be just bullying assholes who don't know what they're talking about. Apologies for the rare discourse post, but I felt it would be useful to have a personal example I can point to if I ever get any more asks than I already have about why I block anti-endos and sysmeds and don't want them on my blogs.

[ID: A screenshot of an anonymous ask, which reads: ""Systems" aren't real. Please stop being ableist against people with DID and our struggles. Pretending to be one of us while simultaneously mocking us makes you look like a piece of shit. Also, DID isn't fucking funny, you're just cruel and ableist. Go see a psychiatrist, get your personality disorders and Munchausens taken care of, and stop pretending to have DID when you don't. We don't need you, our community is better off without teenagers faking DID as a meme. To be honest, I wish you and literally everyone like you were more likely to kill yourself as someone with a real mental illness, because you don't deserve to be alive if this is what you're doing with your life. You're just a delusional bully and neo-nazi" ./ end ID]

Starting from the top, apparently anyone with DID who's ever described themselves as a system is faking now. Nevermind that it's been a term in psychology and the community for decades now! All systems are fake!

I have DID. I've said as much many times. Not that I think this person would consider this a counterargument, but I feel it deserves restating considering a fair amount of my posts are specifically about my DID and managing the symptoms of it.

If I want to find humor in my own disorder, I'm going to. I'm not going to resign myself to misery and self-hate just to please some randos on the Internet. I crawled my way out of the pit of self-hate and am not just gonna jump in there again just to avoid a couple asks and assholes. And I'd make a point here about systems that don't come from trauma or aren't disordered, but what's the point of that when they think literally all systems are fake?

Ohoho! Disableism towards other mental disorders! Isn't the irony sweet?

Not to toot my own horn, but I just love the lack of awareness when it comes to "we don't need you." No, I guess you don't need me... but you'll be going without the work I've done both online and offline to teach people about dissociation and plurality. Not to mention the terms I've coined that make people feel seen, the experiences I've talked about that make people feel less alone, the building of spaces to let others talk about their own problems and experiences, and the general promotion I've done of plural representation in media. No, you don't need me, but I've been doing work to assist the DID and wider plural communities for years now. And what have you been doing? Sending hate asks to people with DID for being too happy?

I'm an adult. I've mentioned before that I go to university and have a job. Seems like even online, I can't escape the assumption that I'm a teenager, smh. Also, I'm much more worried about the teenagers you might be sending this to than any kind of unquantifiable harm a couple teenagers faking DID could do, considering how clearly you wish to do harm with your words. Especially considering the next few sentences...

Oh, so we're just moving onto blatant suicide baiting and admitting you want systems to die. Got it. Totally not a bigot, right.

Wait... "Real mental illnesses"? Didn't you just accuse me of having several earlier? Or do personality disorders and Munchausen Syndrome not count? (Also, do they think being suicidal is a requirement to be mentally ill? They know not all disorders or presentations of disorders involve suicidality, right?)

Well, you got the delusional part right (which, side note, do you think it's impossible for people to have both DID and psychosis? Big yikes even if no, but that's what these asks always seem to imply), but I think this post might be the closest anyone can call "bullying", considering I'm not giving you an opportunity to respond as I tear down your argument. But maybe the definition of peer abuse changed to *checks notes* running a blog talking about plurality in a positive manner since I last checked.

These people do know what a Neo-Nazi is, right? They know what a Nazi is? Because it feels like people just use it as a stand-in for "general asshole" when it means a specific sort of ideology and bigotry. Ironic that they'd be so pissed about "mockery" and treating serious topics "as a meme", but then they go and misuse a term for a very dangerous kind of ideology and person.

Alright, I think I got that out of my system. Please be careful out there, guys! It feels like the number of hate asks I've seen people get has been going up. I'm in a stable enough place to make a demonstration out of this, but don't push yourself to have a snappy comeback or write essays responding to these assholes if you don't think you're up for it. Hell, I rarely write things like this myself, I just chose this ask to respond to because it was such a clear example of how hypocritical and foolish this particular brand of assholes is that I couldn't pass up the opportunity to break it down.

#syscourse #disableism #front soup.txt #suicide baiting

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russellrustles · 2 years

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Babysitting Shenanigans - g. russell

a/n: I’ve decided that there is a significant lack of George content and therefore I must play a part in making sure that there’s more fanfics about him. Also, massive thanks to the wonderful Proofreader P @f1tingz for keeping me sane... and for the title...

word count: 5.2k

summary: when your nieces’ babysitter falls ill, there’s no way that you can say no when you’re asked to look after them for the day.

masterlist

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The ringing of your phone on your nightstand tears you from sleep at the excruciatingly early time of 5:05AM. Blinking rapidly in an attempt to clear the blurriness from your sight, you grab your phone without really looking at it and in a rather maladroit manner, knocking over a small framed photo of you and George on a beach in the process.

“Hello?” you ask, voice croaky, as you answer the call without even checking who it is.

“Oh, hello! Thank God you picked up,” your sister exclaims over the phone, evidently filled with relief. You stay silent, unsure of how to continue the conversation or why she’s even calling you at this time - besides, who has this much energy so early on a Saturday?

It doesn’t take long for her to continue talking, “So, basically, you know that today me and my husband are going out for a day without the kids, yes?” You give a quick ‘mhm’ to confirm - in fact, there probably isn’t a single aspect of this day that you aren’t aware of, considering how often your sister had excitedly rambled on about it in the past few weeks. It warms your heart to see her so happy in her relationship.

“Well, our babysitter just called a few minutes ago and told us that she’s rather ill right now, and can’t come over today,” she says, and follows her explanation up with a brief sigh of frustration.

“Uh, that’s not good,” you mumble, rubbing your eyes with your free hand as you still struggle to process all this new information after such an abrupt awakening.

She pauses for a few seconds, before blurting out, “Please don’t be mad at me, because I know George is home this weekend and you probably have plans, but would you be able to look after them today?”

To be honest, you haven’t actually got anything major planned for this weekend other than a walk in a park a short drive away. And, realistically, your sister has helped you many, many times before, so it’s only fair if you do the same for her.

“I don’t see why not. Just make sure to drop off their car seats,” you conclude, and hear a massive sigh of relief.

“Thank you, honestly, thank you, thank you so much,”

“Hey, it’s all good, don’t worry about it.”

After a brief conversation arranging all the details about when they’ll be dropped off and what you’ll need, you end the call and put your phone back down. To your side, George is gently highlighted by the first morning rays of sunlight beginning to seep past the curtains, still sprawled out across the majority of the bed and completely oblivious to you even being awake. You can’t particularly blame him, though - it’s his first weekend home after a triple header and he very much deserves some deep sleep.

Moving slowly, as to minimise the chances of waking him up, you slip out from under the duvet, finding some clothes to put on for the day and throwing his old t-shirt that you slept in onto an empty armchair in the corner of the room. However, despite your best efforts, you hear him start to shuffle around and turn to see him looking up at you, leaning on his elbows as he lays on his back.

“Why are you getting dressed?” he asks after checking the time on his phone.

“I need to help my sister out,” you tell him, putting on a hoodie and a warm pair of slippers.

“I’ll help too,” he offers, beginning to get out of bed. You immediately tell him to lay back down and pull the duvet back over him. “You’ll be helping later. Now, go back to sleep,” you tell him sternly, before giving him a kiss on the cheek and heading into the living room.

Whilst waiting for your sister to arrive with your nieces, you do your best to child-proof the room. You move last night’s empty hot chocolate mugs from the coffee table into the kitchen with the intention of putting them in the dishwasher later, make sure that any fragile objects are placed on high shelves, and do your best to hide any wires or cables behind furniture.

When you finally hear a knock on the door it’s just past 6AM, and part of you wonders how your sister had possibly managed to wake up and dress two young children at such an early hour. Upon opening your front door, you see your sister holding a sleeping baby wrapped in a blanket and her other child standing holding onto her leg, yawning.

She gives the baby a quick kiss on the forehead and whispers, “Bye, Bea,” before you take her from her arms, along with a large bag presumably containing the things you’ll need for today. She kneels down to face the other little girl and says, “Alright, Maya, be good today. We’ll be back in the evening. I love you both,” then points at you to encourage Maya to follow you inside as you say a quick goodbye to your sister. While she’s walking away, she promises to leave the car seats outside your door.

After making sure that Maya has made it inside, you gently place the bag down onto the ground as quietly as you can and carefully close and lock the door. Holding your hand out for her to hold, you make your way over to the sofa and she toddles along beside you.

“Where’s Uncle George?” she asks as you help her climb onto the sofa once you’ve sat down.

“He’s still asleep,” you tell her while trying to unfold a blanket from the sofa with your empty hand to give her something to lay down under, “He’s been very busy recently, so we’re going to go back to sleep here so that we don’t wake him up. Is that okay?”

Maya gives a small nod before wrapping herself up in the blanket and leaning against your side, closing her eyes. With one hand you play with her hair, while with the other you hold Bea against your chest as she continues to sleep.

----------

This time what wakes you up is George’s loud walk down the corridor and him trying to talk to you whilst presumably looking for you in the apartment. “What did your sister need? I could have helped,” he says, before coming around the corner and into the living room. “What the fu- fudge?” he immediately censors himself after you give him a stern glare, for the sake of the children. He just stands there, a few metres away from you, hands on his hips, assessing the sight of you sitting on the sofa, barely awake, with one child-sized mass of blankets against your chest and another by your side.

“When did all this happen?” he laughs, and you assume that he’s caught on to how you’ll be helping your sister today, “How long was I asleep for?”

“Very funny, George,” you mumble, trying to move your arms enough to rid yourself of the unpleasant tingling sensation but not so much that you’ll risk disturbing either of the girls. Much to your dismay, Bea begins shifting around and making a little noise, and you freeze in place in an attempt to not wake her up any further.

Seeing your struggle, George comes towards you. “Give her here,” he whispers, taking her into his own arms and slowly walking around the living room, delicately rocking and shushing her until she stops moving again. Meanwhile, you reposition Maya so that she’s laying down on the sofa and you finally stand up and get to stretch your limbs.

Pulling your phone out of your pocket, you see it’s nearly 8AM, and turning to George, you ask, “Do you suppose we have any appropriate breakfast foods for an eight-month-old?”

“Don’t we have a box of cheerios stashed somewhere?” he says.

With a quick nod, you set to searching for the cheerios in the kitchen, separated from the living room only by an island with a few barstools. Luckily, they’re not too hard to find, and you place them on the countertop, along with two plastic bowls and plastic plates that you had bought during one of Bea and Maya’s previous visits.

After some careful thought, you decide that it’s safer not to give Bea cow’s milk, and opt for pouring her a small portion of only cheerios instead. As for Maya, you’ll let her choose herself. In addition to the cereal, you cut a banana into chunks and share it out on the plates.

Hearing some more fussing from Bea in the living room, you walk over to George, who’s still standing up and holding her. “I’d say it’s alright if she wakes up now,” you say, coming in close and holding one arm around him and the other on Bea’s back.

He nods, and then asks, “Where are they going to eat?”

“Well obviously we’re not putting them on the barstools,” you say, and move away from him and Bea to start placing a few pillows around the coffee table, “Just let them eat here for now, we can move the table when they want to play later.”

As you’re picking up the bowls and plates back in the kitchen, you hear a blanket falling to the floor and an excited shout of “Uncle George!” from Maya. Laughing quietly at Maya’s elation, you walk into the living room with two small bowls in one hand, two small plates in the other, and a box of cheerios tucked under your arm, and you place all this on the low coffee table.

“Breakfast time,” you tell Maya, who’s clinging onto George’s leg and stretching her little arms up, demanding to be picked up just like her sister. You take now-awake Bea from George and help her sit up at the side of the coffee table, supporting her with a hand on her back as she finds her balance, while he picks up Maya and gives her a big hug, much to her delight.

After being put back on the ground and asked whether she’d like milk with her cereal, Maya puts up a very insistent argument that she wants to eat her breakfast exactly like her sister - no milk, no spoon - and seeing as it’s such an inconsequential thing, neither you or George bother to try and persuade her to do something else. The four of you sit on the floor, occasionally witnessing a cheerio or piece of banana go flying across the table, but it’s nothing that you can’t clean up once they’re done eating.

“Do you want me to make something for us?” George asks after a few minutes.

Shaking your head, you grab the box of cereal and start eating a few individual cheerios straight from the box, “Cereal will do just fine for me today, thank you very much.”

When they’re both satisfied with their meal, George takes all the bowls, plates and boxes back to the kitchen while you place both girls on the sofa, give the table a quick wipe and push it against the wall to create an open space. Once you’ve spread a few blankets on the floor to act as some insulation from the hardwood floor, Maya jumps off the sofa while you help Bea down.

The older girl immediately makes a beeline towards the TV cabinet on which some of George’s helmets are placed, as you hadn’t been able to find a shelf with enough room to relocate them. “Oh, sweetheart, no, I’m not sure if Uncle George would want you playing with those,” you tell her in a hushed tone, trying to make sure George isn’t aware of your exchange as you rush to try and find her an alternative source of entertainment. You know that he most likely wouldn’t have an issue with them playing with his helmets, but you also know how much they mean to him, and you don’t want to risk any of them being damaged.

Much to your dismay, George comes back over just as you’re trying to lure Maya away with a toy dog. He scoops her up and holds her out at arms length. “Alright, missy, what are we getting up to here?” he demands, but you’re relieved to see a humorous smile on his face.

“I want to drive fast cars!” she exclaims, waving her arms around.

“Is that so?” George replies with exaggerated thoughtfulness, placing her back down onto the ground, “Well I do think that three is a bit young to start a racing career,”

“Nearly four!”

“Alright, alright,” he holds his hands up in mock surrender, “When you’re a bit older, I’ll take you karting.”

You watch their conversation while holding Bea on your lap, entertained by Maya’s persistence. George picks up one of the helmets and places it on Maya’s head, muffling her cheers, and you snap a quick photo on your phone which you send to your sister.

“George, their car seats are outside. We can take them to the park with us,” you tell him as he sits next to you, and the two of you watch Maya run around the room pretending to drive and playing with the visor. Bea seems eager to join in, so you let go of her and she crawls off towards her sister.

Picking up one of your hands in his, he says, “That’s a good plan. Maybe some exercise will tire them out.” You lean in closer to hold his arm instead of just his hand. “Alright. We’ll go in my car, though,” you say.

“Why not mine?”

“As if we’d ever manage to fit two chunky car seats in your souped-up Mercedes.” You poke his side and he hums in agreement.

“Okay, you get them ready and I’ll put the car seats in,” he concludes, standing up and putting his coat and shoes on while you start to round up the girls, beginning with taking the helmet off Maya’s head.

----------

Thankfully, the car ride goes smoothly, with no complaints, cries or excessive toilet stops. While you busy yourself with taking the girls out of the car and trying to explain to Maya that a coat is not optional considering today’s weather, George grabs a tote bag containing a picnic blanket and some food from the boot.

With Bea held on George’s hip, his free arm around your waist, and Maya’s hand in your own, the four of you slowly make your way around the lake. It’s a pleasantly sunny day despite the lack of warmth, and there seems to be a rather minimal amount of people in the park at the same time as you, or at least far less than you had anticipated.

When you find a nice spot in the grass a Maya-safe distance away from the lake, you set to digging the blanket out of the tote bag and laying it out on the ground. George places Bea down on it and she seems content just taking in her surroundings for the time being, while Maya decides to explore the grass around the blanket instead.

“Come here,” George says to you as he sits down, holding a hand out to you. You take it and sit down between his legs, back pressed against his chest as his free arm holds your waist.

“It’s going well so far,” you tell him, resting your head on his shoulder, and dropping his hand in exchange for grabbing both his arms and holding them tighter around your middle. He gives a small ‘mhm’ of agreement, leaning down to leave a small kiss on your forehead before turning his attention back to keeping an eye on Maya.

Together, you sit like this for a while, soaking in the sunlight and each other’s warmth. Bea lays on her stomach, occasionally crawling to a different location on the blanket, while Maya finds great joy in picking blades of grass and clovers.

Eventually, she begins to pick daisies, and upon seeing this, you call out to her, “Maya, sweetie, bring some of those over here, please!”

George leans down and whispers in your ear, “What are you getting her to do that for?” and you reply with a shrug, unwilling to share your plan. Maya comes sprinting over, arms flailing, both hands filled with partially crumpled daisies, and she haphazardly flops down to take a seat next to you and George.

“Here, look at this,” you tell her, taking a few daisies and slowly showing her how to split the stem and thread the daisies through one another. “A chain!” you exclaim excitedly, holding it up to show her. She gives a little cheer and George hums in approval, moving his arms to play with your hair, trying to do a braid here and there, gently kissing the back of your head and neck every now and again.

Maya gives splitting the stems a go, but when she’s unsuccessful in doing so she tells you that you’ll be in charge of splitting the stems while she threads the daisies into a chain. It takes a little while, but soon enough, with a little bit of guidance from you, she makes a small daisy chain crown.

She stands up, and you watch as she toddles over to Bea, who by now has managed to sit up, and Maya places it on her head. You gasp a little and grab George’s arm, squeezing it tightly, “God, that’s so cute!” you squeal in a hushed tone as he chuckles and hugs you from behind.

After their little interaction, the girls go off to do their own things again, but it doesn’t take long for Bea to get grumpy and begin crying quietly. You immediately stand up, going over to her to pick her up and placing her daisy chain crown in your bag for safekeeping. Going back to George, you sit sideways across his lap and hold Bea to your chest, rubbing her back in an attempt to comfort her as he holds the two of you in his arms.

“Alright, it’s okay, you’re alright,” you whisper, hoping that a little bit of attention would calm her down. However, it seems that she has intentions completely opposite to yours, and instead her cries rise to a full wail.

Sighing, you stand up for a second time and keep trying to soothe Bea to no avail. George takes the sudden ruckus as a sign to start calling Maya back over and to roll up the blanket, putting everything away in the bag and picking it up.

“Maybe she’s just tired?” he suggests as Maya comes over and holds onto his finger just as the four of you start walking back towards the car through an unspoken, unanimous decision. You nod in agreement, shooting a glare back at some lady in her 40s who had scowled at seeing you with a noisy, wailing baby.

Piss off, woman. Leave the poor kid alone.

----------

George’s theory turns out to be correct, as Bea had nodded off quite early into the drive back, and now as you all make your way back inside he immediately carries her to your shared bedroom to lay her down on the bed. Leaving the door open so that you’ll be able to hear her when she wakes up, he walks back into the entryway where you’re helping Maya undo the buttons on her coat and asks, “What are we cooking for them?”

“Well it was going to be spaghetti today, but we only have one change of clothes for each of the girls, and I’m not exactly willing to sacrifice them to spaghetti sauce,”

“No, no, that’s understandable. How about we just make something simple that they can both eat?”

In the end, the two of you settle on preparing some chicken and vegetables. Perhaps it’s a little bland, but the short notice of their arrival this morning hadn’t particularly given you the chance to plan something more extravagant. As George gets to cooking, you go and grab your laptop and sit down with Maya at the coffee table.

“Which one do you want?” you ask her, scrolling through a range of colouring pages. She points at one of a golden retriever puppy, so you print it out and give her a pack of colouring pencils to keep her distracted before you head over to the kitchen with the aim of pestering George - quite honestly, on some days you admire the level of patience he has for dealing with you.

He’s standing with his back to you cutting up some vegetables, so you tiptoe up to him as quietly as the kitchen tiles will allow. Once you’re within striking distance, you wrap your arms around him and shove your hands into the front pockets of his jeans.

How is it fair guys get such massive pockets in their trousers?

“You know, you should never try to surprise someone holding a knife,” he lectures you, shaking his head and tutting, but you can hear the amusement in his voice.

“I offer the most sincere of apologies, Mister Russell, it shall not be happening again.”

He laughs quietly and you rest your cheek against his back, humming contentedly. “It’s nice having some extra energy in the apartment - makes the day a little more unpredictable, I suppose,” he muses, and you’re a little taken aback - your eternally organised, always neat George enjoying some mayhem? Is he just making a comment, or alluding to something slightly more significant?

“Georgie, are you suggesting something?” you mumble, but now it’s his turn to shrug instead of replying. You’re forced to take your hands out of his pockets as he moves away to wash his hands and the knife. When he comes back over in your direction, you think that he’s just going to continue cooking and that you should probably start cleaning the house while the kids don’t require too much supervision. However, as you start walking away with the intention of decluttering the study, you suddenly feel him forcefully grabbing your hips and then pinning you against the counter, facing him.

Rather startled, you rest the palm of one of your hands against his chest, slowly tilting your head up to meet his gaze as he towers over you. Neither of you look away as a palpable tension fills the air, his grip on your hips tightening as he leans in closer and your other hand moves up to gently hold the back of his neck.

“So, were you suggesting something?” you repeat your question in a hushed tone.

“I don’t know, baby, was I?” he whispers back, before finally closing the gap between you, much to your satisfaction. You kiss him back with equal passion, scrunching up the fabric of his t-shirt and pulling him in closer to you. His hands are starting to travel lower and you’re lifting one of your legs to wrap it around his hip as he holds your thigh and-

“Look! Look! I finished!”

George abruptly lets go of you and steps away as Maya comes storming into the kitchen, proudly holding out her completed colouring page of the golden retriever puppy that is now a neon pink. As you lean back against the counter, George squats down to Maya’s height to take a closer look at her artwork and congratulates her. How he can act so normal immediately after what was beginning to develop into a makeout is beyond your understanding.

“Can you please print me another one?” Maya asks, turning to you and tapping your leg. You look down at her, before nodding and allowing her to drag you back towards the laptop by the hand, and, to your dismay, away from George.

Perhaps not all aspects of unpredictability are enjoyable.

----------

By the time Bea wakes up, Maya finishes her second colouring page, and everybody’s eaten their meal, it’s nearing 7PM. You see this as the right time to start getting everybody to wind down for the evening and calm down a little. Therefore, the blankets and pillows go back onto the living room floor and a Disney movie is put on TV. The girls are sprawled out on a pile of pillows, already dressed in their pyjamas, and you lay snuggled up to George’s side with your head on his chest.

Rather foolishly, you had forgotten to ask your sister when she’d return. While logically you know that you could just text her and ask, you don’t want to accidentally give the wrong impression and make her feel like she’s being rushed, especially with how excited she had been for today. As a result, you’ve just settled on the idea of getting them ready for bed in case they fall asleep right after getting picked up.

Halfway through the film Maya starts getting restless and she crawls over to you and George. She looks down at you for a few seconds, then up at George, then back at you, before poking your cheek a few times to get your attention.

“What’s up?” you ask her, sitting up.

“Where’s my teddy?”

Despite not having seen her teddy at all today, your first thought is that it’s probably somewhere in the bag, so you take her hand and together you go to the bedroom, where it had been deposited while the girls had been getting changed into their pyjamas. She’s quick to rummage through it and dig out her teddy, a bright smile appearing on her face once she finds it, and as you’re making your way back to the living room you hear a knock on the door.

You see George getting up immediately and rushing towards it as you sit back down next to Bea with Maya and her bear in tow. The three of you continue to watch the film, all cuddled up together as the little ones start to yawn, and it’s not until George opens the door and your sister’s voice can be heard that the girls sit up straight and turn to look at the door like little hawks that have just heard an interesting noise.

Maya leaps up, screaming, “Mummy! Mummy!”, apparently no longer even sleepy in the slightest, and you pick up Bea to start going over to the door with her.

Your sister and George are already having a small conversation about what you all got up to today, and when you appear from behind him she immediately steps forward to hug you, nearly squishing poor Bea in the process.

“Thank you! Thank you so much!” She repeats herself a few more times before you hand Bea over, reassuring her that it’s all okay, Maya already clinging to her mother’s legs.

“It was lovely to have them here,” you tell her as George disappears off to grab their bag, “George said he liked the extra energy in the home as well - I told you it would all be fine.”

George quickly comes back with the bag, handing it over to your sister, before quickly rushing off to get the car seats out and just putting them in her car to make things easier for her.

When he returns, he gets down to his knees to be at the same level as Maya and gives her a hug. “You better come visit more often, yeah?” he says, “And remember, if you’re well behaved I’ll take you karting soon.” Maya gives him an eager nod and a high-five before stepping away, and you take the opportunity to give her a high-five and say goodbye too.

Standing together in the doorway, you and George wave as your sister and the two young girls leave, and to be completely honest, you feel a certain poignancy about the moment. Even if their stay was only planned to be a day long, it’s still quite upsetting seeing them leave after the four of you had spent a pleasant time together.

“You alright?” George asks once they’ve left, holding an arm around your shoulders and leading you back inside, shutting the door.

“Yeah,” you respond quietly, stepping away from him to turn off the TV and start putting away the blankets and pillows, “I just think that we should have them over more often.”

George hums in agreement, coming over to help you out and put the last few pillows back on the sofa. “You’re not wrong,” he concludes.

Considering the slightly hectic course of the day, you both decide to have a shower and retire to the bedroom despite it still being a relatively early hour. It’s not that either of you feel particularly drained or exhausted, you just want to take the chance to relax after having had to supervise kids capable of having far more energy than the two of you combined.

It all seems too silent, too calm, as you both lay in bed, cuddling in a similar manner to how you had been laying down on the floor earlier. In the end, it’s George who breaks the silence first.

“You know, maybe I was suggesting something earlier,” he whispers, so quiet that for a moment you genuinely think that you’ve misheard him.

“What?” you ask, a little confused, still delicately tracing small patterns on one of his hands as the other plays with your hair.

He hesitates for a second before elaborating, “Maybe I wouldn’t mind having some little ones in the house.” If anything, that just perplexes you more. Hadn’t you already agreed to invite the girls over more often?

“George, we already said that Maya and Bea can-“

“No, I mean our own.”

You’re shocked into silence for a second. It’s not necessarily a bad silence, you just quite honestly don’t know what to say. You both have your own careers, and all the travelling would get so much more complicated, and-

“I’m sorry,” George jolts you out of your thoughts, pulling you closer and kissing your forehead. Suddenly inundated by guilt, you realise that your silence had likely seemed to be a rejection of his idea.

“No, no, it’s not that,” you begin rambling, desperate to prove to him that your silence had no ill intent behind it, “It’s just - I don’t know - it’s a big thing, and our careers - I could just work from home but you’d be away a lot.”

He doesn’t interrupt you even once, and as you look up at him you can see that he’s nodding, listening as you voice your concerns. “That’s okay,” he finally replies in a hushed tone, “We’re still young, we still have time. I just wanted to put the idea on the table.”

“But I don’t want you to think that I’m saying a firm no,” you blurt out, still scared that he may be interpreting the entire situation wrong, “I’d love to - but, maybe in a bit.”

He smiles a little, and you’re relieved to see that he seems alright with your suggestion. “Okay, whenever you’re ready, darling,” he says, moving one hand to gently stroke your cheek with his thumb. “We can look after the girls a few more times to get a feel for what it would be like,” he adds as a light joke.

You laugh quietly at his suggestion, before replying, “Is that the equivalent of the free practices before the real deal?”

“Shut up, you dork.”

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

a/n: I have a few more ideas for George fics in the future, so please let me know if this is something you’d like to see more of. I might also be making separate taglists, one for everything in general and one for just Showbiz, Baby.

#i need more george content in my life #george russell #george russell fanfiction #george russell fanfic #george russell imagine #george russell x reader #george russell x y/n #f1 fanfiction #f1 fanfic #f1 imagine #f1 x reader #f1 x y/n #gr63

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yandere-fics · 6 months

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♡ How They React To A Darling Who Is A Sucker For Massages ♡

♡ The City Version ♡

♡ This goes without saying but it will be used against you, I mean you don't want people finding out that a maid has been receiving massages from the Crown Princess, do you? No, good. Just sit back and relax, you've had to work so hard as her personal maid today, it's only fair that she gives you this so you can keep working just as hard. ♡

♡ Don't ever think of asking anyone else, even a friend to do this, being a maid is hard but she might have to get you fired if you think about going to anyone else to help you relieve the tension. Look now you have no tension since you have no job. That doesn't give you freedom from the palace though, now instead you're her official companion which is far worse. ♡

♡ You and her are the pinnacle relationship. It starts a trend in the kingdom for keeping your darling complacent. Obviously her being the king and you being the queen, everyone views your relationship as rock solid and well she's constantly massaging you so clearly it works. Congrats, you've doomed so many people. ♡

♡ She plays coy so much at the beginning that it takes her forever to realize massages are your weakness. She is very touchy when she's casually flirting with you but it's more her casually kissing your cheek or forehead, sometimes wrapping her arm around your shoulder, not wanting to get too lost in the moment though cause she's not sure you like her yet so she can't reveal her true feelings. ♡

♡ Eventually you two get closer and those simple touches deepen a bit. She comes back from a mission one day and casually rubs your back as a thank you for carrying the equipment when she notices how quickly you melt. She gives into delusion so quickly after that. You must have reacted that way because you love her right? ♡

♡ You can tell her that she's wrong all you want, she knows your body won't lie to her.(That sounds dirty.) Go ahead and argue, she knows that her baby must just be doing so cause it'll get you more massages. You really don't have to argue to get your massages, you could just ask, but it's just another one of your cute traits. ♡

♡ Abigail knows before you probably do. You work so hard training all day so it makes sense that you need some relaxing, she just wasn't expecting your reaction to be... so intense. She calls you into her tent one day, you think you're in trouble, and next thing you know your captain is rewarding you for your hard work with a massage. ♡

♡ You avoid her like the plague after that. You can't believe that you showed such weakness in front of the person in charge of granting you your knighthood. Now you'll never get it, not that you ever were but you didn't need to know that. But it sort of becomes a friends with benefits relationship after that, although you seem to be the only person receiving benefits. ♡

♡ It's a few months into your arrangement when she feels comfortable popping the question. She's slowly turned you away from training, giving you a back rub anytime you go to pick up a sword so you just never train anymore. She's confident you won't be able to say no if she proposes while she's straddling your back and massaging you at night, and once you say yes, she might want to take it a bit further. ♡

♡ Veronia is not going to notice, she barely even sits near you in the cave, even at night. The only time she touches you is when you're injured since she wants to give you time to adjust to your new life. If she were to notice it would be during one of the times you have an injury. It's not something she'll really notice either. The first time she thinks she imagined it. ♡

♡ It isn't until you fall ill when the winter hits that she realizes how soft you are for massages. Well normally she would keep her distance to allow you to adjust but her mate's health comes first and now she can lie to herself and pretend she's only touching you for your health. This is only to de-stress you, no ulterior motives. ♡

♡ She gets addicted to this very quickly and tends to get quite irritated when she's not getting her fill. There's only so much she can suppress her dragon instincts when she has her mate melting in her arms every single day. Fuck letting you have time to adjust, this is clearly a better way to you to adjust.(To that fat dick! Ayoo!) ♡

♡ Surprisingly, she doesn't realize unless you tell her. Despite how touchy she is with you right off the bat, she's not one to give massages or rub you or anything. Even when she is, she isn't going to realize you're reacting much stronger to massages than any other touch. ♡

♡ Once you tell her though then she might have to invent something so you are constantly getting what you're craving even when she's working hard. You're going to have to reject the zombie hand idea, it's just too gross. She settles on spectral ghost hands to follow you and rub your back or really anywhere you feel sore.(Yes she may also suggest using this kind of magic for sex purposes late.) ♡

♡ She'll find some way to make sure you're always getting what you need and she's not jealous since it's her own magic. Just... don't ever leave her tower and try to go to an actual masseur(You're probably going out since you're fucking weirded out by all the spectral hands running around trying to touch you.) ♡

#yandere oc #yandere lesbian #yandere x reader #yandere x y/n #yandere asks #yandere scenarios #my oc theanna #my oc elisha #my oc abigail #my oc veronia #my oc ainsley

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gofancyninjaworld · 11 months

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Webcomic Chapter 143 Review

Fetch yourself a cup of tea or beverage of choice: this is a long one.

Story Summary

In brief, we are staying with the scenes of the last chapter, and have moved our viewpoint to take in the responses of various heroes from the two organisations as they try to deal with the influx of killer robots as the latter scythe down civilians and pulverise buildings.

Straight away, we see very different fates play out. Lightning Max cautiously sizes up a single robot and tries to work out who best to tackle one that shrugs off his blows nonchalantly, but soon a sea of robots approach, driving before them a wave of panicked civilians. Max's feet are shot out from under him and he is surely at the end as a robot takes aim at him, but...

No lie, when I first saw these panels I felt so ill I had to stop reading for a few minutes

... the shot is absorbed by an armoured figure and Mumen Rider -- no Neo Mumen now -- protects him. He carries Max off to safety.

Around the various locals, it is a similar story of pro-heroes struggling to make headway against the robots, only to find Neo Heroes sweep in to make short work of them. Even former pro-heroes (we met this lot suffering in chapter 138) who've taken up with the Neo Heroes are finding it easy.

Who needs courage or skill when you've got tech?

The situation reaches its apogee with Tank Top Master. He finds it easy enough to destroy the robots, but is prevented from ploughing through them by needing to defend his comrades who were felled after mistaking approaching figures for escaping civilians. He's desperate to fight back but moving means abandoning his comrades to die.

what a bind!

Relief arrives in the form of the Neo Hero Hunter group, but with it comes real ugliness. The Hunters start mincing up the robots and are hailed as the true heroes of the day by the present civilians. Fair enough, however, when Tank Top Master asks for help moving his comrades to safety so he can join the offence, only to be so rudely rebuffed the man is left stunned into silence.

Tank Top Master is really too nice

The chapter closes with Axel's thoughts as he and his team destroy the robots. He sees this as the start of a society kept safe from monsters by universally-worn power armour from the Neo Heroes. If the world has changed, then so must mankind.

And he will permit no one to stand in the way of this vision.

Oh. Dear.

Much more below the cut!

Meta: Roundup Ready

A: So this is how you kill an organisation

Unless something big and wonderful happens, today is the day the Hero Association dies. Its destruction has been as systematic as watching a once well-unionised trade be dismantled.

The Neo-Heroes didn't do it all on their own. They've been aided by a press that has highlighted every scandal and flow of the Hero Association (ably aided by data breaches -- cough McCoy cough) while fawning uncritically over the Neo Heroes. The government has been persuaded to dilute the Hero Association's position by giving the Neo Heroes the same rights once only entrusted to the HA.

They have then stolen away sponsors and enticed away pro-heroes with lavish salaries, equipment, free housing, and even clothing and food. They've run a slick public relations campaign the HA can't hope to match and have stolen public approbation from the HA.

And then they've gone a lot further. At some plausible remove, someone has been systematically unleashing cybernetically-enhanced monsters (and now robots) onto the populace. These threats have been marked by their ferocity and destructiveness when faced by pro-heroes, and their willingness to lie down and die when confronted by Neo Heroes, making even inexperienced fighters feel powerful and leaving an impression on the public. [1]

RoundUp Ready is the Monsanto trademark for its patented line of genetically modified crop seeds that are resistant to its glyphosate-based herbicide, Roundup. By deploying a cybernetically-enhanced campaign of terror, pro-heroes are being culled like weeds [2].

It is no accident at all that the three S-Class heroes who succeeded in defeating the dragon-level threats sent simultaneously to several cities, Tatsumaki, Flashy Flash, and Genos, are precisely the heroes sent on special missions when they are most needed on the front lines.

In Genos's case, he's been sent on the sort of mission designed to finish off whatever lingering credibility the Hero Association has. At the very best, deadly infighting is a foul look on any organization. At the worst, his destroying Metal Knight's arsenal (and maybe Bofoi too) will remove the only source of systematic mass defense the Hero Association has. No matter how things turn out between Genos and Metal Knight, only the Organization wins.

This is how the bad guys win. There are more ways to defeat a hero than engaging them in head-on combat. [3] The bad guys don't care in the slightest about the value of the human lives they've destroyed to achieve this. For Tumblr readers, I've spoken about it here.

B: Brave New Techno World

On the one level, a conflict like the one between the Hero Association and the Neo Heroes was always going to come. We've learned that monsters have long been part of the Earth, and so long as humans aren't being excessive, they're happy not to attack humanity.

In a world where monster attacks were sporadic, the Hero Association, with its emphasis on finding and supporting exceptional individuals to be heroes, was a brilliant innovation. In a world where monster attacks have become endemic, there was always going to be pressure to move away from dedicated amateurs to a more standardized, professional response.

However, as we've seen, the magnitude of the threat has been artificially worsened. Also, as we've noticed, the ultimate goal of the founder of the Neo Heroes, Mr Fuzzy, is control.

World Dominion: an oldie but goodie. And damn is he being clever about it.

Once the actual heroes are gone, with the politicians and businesses bought, there's little preventing the Neo Heroes (or more precisely, the powers behind them) from becoming an oppressive force keeping the populace in line.

Any protests from within can be silenced by cyborgization. Any protests from without... Ah, remember when Raiden tried to take in Puri Puri and his men for forcible thought correction? Remember the stupid people cheering the prospect?

This is the note-perfect way to introduce unjust laws: inflict them first on those society does not respect, not thinking that laws apply to *everyone*, not just the ones we don't like. There will be no wrong thought in this brave new world.

All the bits are in place: the satellite surveillance, the instruments of terror, the legal right to act with impunity, the conspiracy of other powerful organisations working in the shadows.

It'll be a brave new world all right. You may be alive and tech-savvy, but you won't be free. And you'll like it.

Or else.

The only question is: How is our titular hero going to deal with this? Against an evil that seemingly has no form? I guess we'll have to pray ONE is minded to give us more soon!

Asides

[1] We see what happens when the Neo Heroes face non-nobbled opposition. It often doesn't go well, not even against regular monsters:

[2] This development puts a much more sinister cast on the delegation that sought Mumen Rider to press on him a specially-modified Neo suit. It's as if they knew the cull was coming.

[3] Yes, there are wildcards such as Saitama, Garou, and even Sonic, but the enemy knows something that the Hero Association understands well: without credibility, a hero is just a weirdo ranting in the street no matter how strong they are. A discredited hero is no threat.

#OPM webcomic #Chapter 143 #review #long #Neo Heroes #Hero Association #things are looking grim indeed #it isn't just about defeating the enemy #it's also about who is seen as the legitimate defenders of the world #I'm hoping that something big does happen to expose the evil behind the Neo Heroes

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across-violet-skies · 3 months

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Febuwhump day 7: suffering in silence

Whumpee: Time

Whump Rating: 5/10

TWs: blood & injury

Time was always the most insistent that nobody should hide an injury or illness. When it (inevitably) happened to one of their number, they were sent to be lectured by Time.

Which is precisely why none of them expected the Old Man to hide an injury. He was their strongest advocate against the practice, and he usually stuck to his morals.

To be fair, it wasn’t like he had gone into it intending to hide an injury. But they were out of potions and fairies, and Hyrule looked just about ready to pass out while he was working on Sky’s arm. Time’s injury wasn’t that bad– he would manage just fine the old-fashioned way until they could restock or Hyrule regained his magic.

So, tearing away from the group while they cleaned themselves up, Time pulled bandages out of his bag. He sat on a log, propping his leg up as his layers were peeled back. The injury itself looked fine… enough. All he could really do was empty his waterskin over the wound to clean it before wrapping it up.

It was a small wound, shallow too. Just a cut across the back of his calf, obtained while he was surrounded by Lizalfos. One of their tails had whipped around, but this one cut into his leg instead of tripping him. Time guessed they were sharper than they looked. And at the speed Lizalfos tails moved, he supposed one of them could slice through his calf.

The Old Man sighed, tying off the bandage over the injury. It would be covered normally, so as long as he could manage walking for hours at a time, it would be fine. He had years of experience pushing through injuries, so a little cut shouldn’t be an issue.

This line of thinking should’ve been the first warning sign. Especially with all the lectures he had given on this very subject. But Time was as much a holder of the Hero’s Spirit as any of the others, and that same stubbornness they had lived in him, too.

So he pushed through it.

The first hour or so of traveling was fine, almost normal. Nobody suspected a thing– why did it sound like he was trying to hide something big? It was only a small cut, nothing to worry about– and Time held idle conversation with the Captain as they walked.

“...I just think it’s weird, y’know? With Cia and everything, and all the pictures of me-” Warriors cut himself off, squinting at Time. “You alright, Old Man? You’ve been quieter than usual.”

“Hm?” Time raised a brow, humming. “No, I’m fine. Just thinking.”

The Captain elbowed him playfully. “Care to share?”

“Ah, well…” Time waved a hand dismissively. “Nothing of note.”

“Right. Well…” Warriors continued with his story, something Time would normally listen to. Today, though, he couldn’t find it in himself to bother. His head was in the clouds, metaphorically speaking, and not in a good way.

“-ime. Time!” Sky called, waving a hand in front of his face worriedly. “Are you okay? You seem ill!”

“Ah…” Time held a hand to his head, dazed. “I suppose I may be coming down with something.”

Sky frowned. “We should stop.” Then louder: “Everybody stop! We’ll make camp for tonight here!”

There was only a moment’s hesitation before everyone was getting to work setting up camp. Wind helped Twilight, who was carrying an exhausted Hyrule, to set up the bedrolls and get their healer situated for the night. Wild started a fire, and Four contained it to a small pit. Legend and Warriors bickered as they collected firewood, and Sky led Time over to the fire, sitting him down against a tree.

Sky placed a gentle hand against their eldest’s forehead, frowning. “You’ve got a fever,” he murmured, shaking his head. “How long have you been feeling unwell?”

“Not too long,” Time replied, shaking his head. “Only an hour or so after the battle.”

“Are you hurt?”

“No, of course n-” Time paused. He was hurt, wasn’t he? And falling ill so suddenly like this… well, it wasn’t good news. “...I am. But it was minor, and I cleaned and wrapped it.”

Sky pressed his lips into a thin line, sighing. “I thought you were supposed to be the responsible one,” he murmured, shaking his head. “Can I see?”

Silently, Time rolled back his pant leg to reveal the bandaged wound. Sky hummed to himself as he unwrapped it carefully, grimacing at the wild discoloration all around the injury.

Yeah, it wasn’t an ordinary wound, that’s for sure. What had previously been a small cut was now a large slice across the back of Time’s calf, oozing an inky blackish-purple substance.

Sky dropped the soiled bandages, shuffling backward. “...I’ll go get Wars.” The Skyloftian left quickly, leaving Time with the ominous injury. It gurgled and hissed, almost like a separate entity, and even more of the sludge bubbled out from his leg.

Sky and Warriors came running, getting down on their knees next to Time to better examine the wound. “What the hell did you do? What caused this?” The Captain questioned, feeling around the cut.

“Lizalfos tail,” Time explained, shaking his head.

“You mean from the battle this morning?” Warriors clarified, narrowing his eyes. Time nodded sheepishly. “For fuck’s sake, Old Man! You were the one person I trusted not to pull shit like this! I- ugh!” The Captain raised his arms in displeasure, grumbling as he cleaned out the wound. “You’re lucky we caught it. What happened to not hiding injuries?”

Time sighed, gesturing uselessly. “We didn’t have anything left, and Traveler…” he waved an arm in Hyrule’s general direction. “Everyone was stressed enough already; I didn’t want to add to it. I thought I could handle it on my own until we were able to restock.”

“Clearly not,” Warriors remarked, emptying a bottle of liquid on the wound. Before his eyes, the dark ooze was swept away, leaving a deep wound that bled red. “You-” He pointed at Time. “-owe me a bottle of Great Fairy-blessed water.”

The Old Man nodded. “I’ll be sure to repay you, Captain. Thank you.”

Warriors sighed deeply, wrapping up Time’s leg properly. “Of course. I just wish you had said something earlier, even if we were out of potions and fairies. We still have other healing supplies, and this whole thing likely could’ve been avoided if you hadn’t hidden it from us,” he commented, tying off the bandages. “I thought you were better than that, Old Man.”

Time’s brow furrowed. Ouch. Still, he knew Warriors was right, and he never should’ve hidden an injury in the first place. He should’ve known better– he did know better. This wasn’t an accident.

The Captain softened, exhaling. “Get some rest; heal up. The fever should break in the next few hours, and we can talk then. Sky and I will get you to the bedrolls.”

The three of them made their way to the bedrolls, and Sky and Warriors deposited Time onto his. The eldest Link adjusted himself until he was comfortable, sighing. “Thank you, Captain. And thank you as well, Sky. I apologize for hiding the injury.”

Sky shrugged, smiling gently, while Warriors simply nodded. “You’re welcome. Let’s not have a repeat of this.”

“Definitely not,” Time agreed, exhaling.

The Captain cracked a small smile, patting Time’s head once before standing. “Get some rest, Sprite.”

–> support me on ao3!

#febuwhump #febuwhump2024 #febuwhumpday7 #tw blood #tw injury #linked universe #lu time #lu sky #lu warriors #linked universe fanfic #ao3 #riv writes

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fucking-michaell · 1 year

Text

Title

God works fast but fucking-michaell works faster. Whipped this baby up in 2 hours.

Warnings: Stormbringer spoilers, language

‼️This is a tickle fic, if you're not into that kind of thing then SCROLL‼️

"G-gyahahaha—! W-wait!" Chuuya clenched his fist tightly. His face pressed against the jacket of the man holding his wrist.

Chuuya was currently sat behind Albatross, one hand held hostage while the other pounded at his back to try to get him to let go. Though it proved useless. How did Chuuya get into this situation you may ask? Well..

~~~~~~

"Chuuya!" The older of the two exclaimed as he entered the apartment, without knocking of course. The ginger grumbled.

"No." The younger was layed across the couch on his stomach, blanked splayed over him. Despite the fact it was 2pm, he was still in his comfy pajamas. And sleeping. The room was completely dark, thanks to the black out curtains. Chuuya grumbled and shoved a pillow atop his head to hide as the lights switched on. He was not in the mood for this. "Get out."

"Eh? What's that all about?" The strawberry blonde raised an eyebrow at the response to his presence. "What're you hungover or something? I told you to lay off on the wine, but'cha never listen do you?"

Chuuya peeked out from under his pillow to glare. He was certainly not in the mood for a lecture. "I'm not hungover. I'm tired."

"Uhhh-huh." His eyes glanced over to the wine glass on the table. Though it was still half full, maybe Chuuya hadn't gotten drunk enough to have a hangover. It didn't matter either way. "Cmon, get up."

Chuuya gave only a drawn out grumble in response, gripping tighter to the pillow so he could drown out as much light as possible. Albatross tsked.

"Allright, if you're gonna be stubborn then you leave me no other choice. Swiftly, one hand snatched Chuuya's wrist. Where the ginger usually wore gloves he had a distinct lack, considering he was in sleepwear.

"Fuck off." The gravity manipulator complained as he shoved halfheartedly at Albatross's back. In his state, he hadn't figured what was obviously coming for him.

"You're certainly mouthy today." Chuuya's eyes shot open as he felt one finger drift across his palm. Then two. Then five.

"G-gyahahaha—! W-wait!" Chuuya clenched his fist tightly. He pressed his face into the jacket of the man holding him hostage. "I'll k-kill you—!"

Chuuya's voice shook and his words were stammered as he tried to even out his speech and not giggle. He didn't find this tactic very fair at all.

"Still feisty, even when you're being tickled~" He snickered quietly at the way Chuuya threatened him. "And this isn't even a bad spo—"

"Do‐nt even th–ink about it!" Chuuya shuddered. He knew that his hand wasn't even close to as bad as… other spots were. Unfortunately, he didn't hold much sway here.

"Oh I'm thinking about it." The strawberry blonde man grinned, turning and pinning Chuuya's hand down above his head. Usually, he'd be able to fight it off. But he was Unfortunately weakened by the tickles. "I'm definitely thinking about it.."

Chuuya squirmed as Albatross sat himself on Chuuya's hips, straddling him. One of Albatross's hands wiggled fingers above the back of Chuuya's waist. "Feel like getting up yet?"

"Go to hell." Chuuya growled. Not only did he not want to, but it was a game now. And he was gonna win it. Albatross grinned wider, hand launching for Chuuya's helpless side, squeezing right against the dip in his waist. This method included him squeezing up and down, from Chuuya's ribs to his. Uh oh.

"WAITWAIT!" Chuuya gasped out, cackles spilling from his lips as the olders hand found a sweet spot above his hip. The one that, before this moment, only shifty Dazai knew about. "StOHop I'll geHET up! ILl get UhUp dammit!"

"Oh you will, huh?" The squeezing didn't stop as it zeroed in right on that sweetspot, causing shrieks and cackles from the ginger, as well as a stream of threats that would be terrifying if not for the fact that Chuuya was currently laughing. "How do I know you're not lying just to get me to stop? And besides, maybe I wanna keep on now that I've found your little soft spot~"

If not for the frantic laughter, Chuuya would've told him off for being a terrible negotiator, that Chuuya had already given in and he shouldn't be so cruel. Unfortunately. "NOhHO NOHO nNOhO! NOHoT thEHERE!"

"Hmm tell ya what, I'll stop ifffff…." He trailed off, grabbing hold of Chuuya's other wrist as it came back to fight as well. He pinned it under his knee, giving the other wrist the same treatment before both hands zeroed in on the spot on either side. Chuuya hoped nobody was around to hear the embarrassing scream he gave at it. "...you agree to do my paperwork for the next month."

Chuuya groaned internally. Of course, this was the perfect opportunity to bribe him. "G-gOHO tO hEHEll!"

"Fine then.." he sighed before grinning, moving down a little to sit on Chuuya's Thighs, alternating between squeezing and massaging the back of Chuuya's Thighs and Kneading into his hips. And though his wrists were free, Chuuya had no means of escape as he shrieked and cackled. He tried to push himself up, but only slipped on the couch cushions, falling flat on his face. The way he couldn't get used to it was driving him crazy.

It went on for about another 3 minutes before Chuuya gave in.

"FIHINE! FIHINE ILL DO YOUR STUHUPID PAPERWORK NOW LEHET UHUP!"

"You will?"

"YehEs!"

"You proooomise?~"

"FUHUCK SAKE YES!"

After that colorful statement, Albatross let up, standing up and ruffling Chuuya's ginger hair once.

"Cmon, get a move on, we've got a long day ahead of us, and you've got plenty of paperwork."

Chuuya groaned. It really was going to be a long, long day. He wouldn't have it any other way.

#bsd tickle #bsd #lee!chuuya #ler!Albatross #stormbringer bsd #tickle fic

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that-weird-skeleton-bastard · 7 months

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More psychonauts incorrect quotes?

Ford: You have any sunscreen? Milla: You can't get a sunburn from a bonfire— Ford: It's for my marshmallow ya dummy.

*****

Raz: I’m genuinely surprised you haven’t gotten arrested, let alone gotten a felony yet. Ford: Nat 20 Charisma. Raz: That is NOT how that works-

*****

Lili: I’ve only ever said ‘I love you’ to two people in my entire life: Raz and a guy in a dark club who I mistook for Raz.

*****

Ford: How would you like to live forever? bobby: I'd hate it. Shut the fuck up.

*****

Raz: Oh my Sasha . Ford: Don't you mean 'oh my god'? Raz: You worship your god, I'll worship mine.

*****

Lili: Astrology is fun because i can pretend that all of my behaviors are just a result of being a Gemini and not symptoms of mental illness. bobby: Being a Gemini is a mental illness. That’s not hate it’s just a fact.

*****

*Sasha and Ford are texting* Sasha : Who are you? Someone changed the names in my phone. Ford: What did they change my name to? Sasha : Chosen One. Ford: Don’t change it back. Sasha : BUT WHO ARE YOU?!?! Ford: I’m the chosen one.

*****

Ford: A stake to the heart won't kill a vampire if their tits are big enough. Raz: Yeah, you just catch it. Milla: Nah nah nah, deflects it. Stake? Just bounces right off. Done. Back to doing hot girl shit. Sasha : Then I just use a spear instead. Ford: You are trying so hard to kill a vampire with big bazongas, and for what? Why would you do that to the ecosystem?

*****

Ford: So I have made the decision to trust you. Raz: A horrible decision, really.

*****

bobby: Yeah, I don’t like people. Milla: Oh, well now that’s not fair bobby. Have you met all of them? bobby: I’ve met enough of them. People. What a bunch of bastards!

*****

*Raz sneezes* Lili: Raz, are you sick? Here, let me wrap you in a blanket and hand-feed you some warm soup while singing you a lullaby! *Ford sneezes* Lili: Oh my god. Shut the hell up.

*****

Raz, looking at the squad: Okay, so I need to become a therapist faster.

*****

Sasha : What do we say when life disappoints us? Raz: Called it! Sasha : No.

*****

Lili: Why are you like this?? Sasha : I used too much "No More Tears" shampoo as a kid and I haven't felt a single emotion since.

*****

Sasha : Hello all, it is I, your favorite person. Raz: Actually, Lili is my favourite. Sasha : Okay then, it is I, that bitch.

*****

Milla, teaching Raz to drive: Okay Raz, what does a green light mean? Raz: Go! Milla: A red light? Raz: Stop! Milla: And what about a yellow light? Raz: If you floor it, you can make it! Milla: …No—

*****

Raz: The only thing I'm guilty of is being adorable... ...and also assault with a deadly weapon.

*****

Sasha : Today at 7 am, Raz poured a Monster energy drink in their coffee, said "I'm going to die" and drank the whole thing. Ford: I watched Raz brew their coffee with Monster instead of water. Three cups in two hours. I think they ascended into the astral realm. Sasha : The survivability of the human race never fails to amaze me.

*****

Lili: I'm very scary. Ford: You're about as scary as a wet kitten. Lili: Wet kittens are cute, at least I've got that going for me. Ford: And small. Lili: Lili: ...Yeah, yeah. I guess.

*****

Milla: What’s wrong? You look 10 seconds away from ripping someone’s throat out. Lili: Fucking Raz and Ford were trying to invoke one of the minor gods again last night. I didn't get an ounce of sleep, thanks to their bloody chanting.

*****

Sasha : Helpful grammar tip: “farther” is for physical distance, “further” is for methaphorical distance, and “father” is for emotional distance.

*****

Ford: *gets a text* Oh! It’s Raz. Milla, excitedly: Did they get me the stuff? Ford: Yeah, they say they got you the clown costume, the power drill, and 12 gallons of blood. Milla: Wow! Where’d they find 12 gallons of fake blood? Ford: You wanted fake blood? Milla: Ford: I’ll go call Raz.

*****

Ford: Do you think different paints have different tastes? Raz: They do. Sasha: ...Why did you say that with such certainty?

*****

bobby: Anyone d- Raz: Depressed? Ford: Drained? Sasha : Dumb? Lili: Disliked? bobby: -done with their work... what is wrong with you people...

*****

Lili: BEHOLD, the field in which I grow my fucks! Lay thine eyes upon it, and thou shalt see that it is barren!

#psychonauts #psychonauts incorrect quotes

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amyisherenowitsokay · 5 months

Note

Can we plsplspls get a LITTLE sneaky peaky at the pen pals AU

Just a little tiny weeny peak please 🥺

For you anon, of course <3

I'm copying and pasting instead of my usual method of curated screenshots because I'm being lazy. Here ya go.

Pen Pals AU (Spoilers, obviously) ft. my OC for this fic, Amagda

Word Count: 600ish

“Rumor is it got nastyyyy,” she hummed, pointing his utensil Zim’s way. “I’ve got people who would pay a lot of money to find out how you managed to get a prisoner out from right under the nose of the Massive.”

Zim’s smirk was thin, though no less smug. “You’ll have to offer them some other incentive to spend their monies.”

She deflated. “Aw, come on, Zim. I could send you a percentage. I can be reasonable! How’s 40% sound to you?”

Zim scoffed. That was a laughable deal, and they both knew it. “Terrible,” he replied. “Besides, any creature stupid enough to attempt infiltration without a plan of their own would only end up caught. And when they’re interrogated, who do you think they will point appendages at, hmm?”

Across from him, Amagda paled. “Mm,” she hummed. “Fair enough.”

“You’d do well to keep far from the Armada in the coming rotations,” he warned, idly. A glance her way showed he suddenly had her full attention, even if both of them were feigning a casual disinterest.

“Noted,” she said simply. Her facade of professionalism didn’t last long. She couldn’t resist shooting him a grin. “For Armada-level trouble, you’re going to need Armada-level weapons.”

He held up a hand, stopping her salesman's pitch in its tracks. As much as he appreciated her company, he was in a rush today. A meal could not be avoided without risking offense, but small talk would need to be kept to a minimum.

“I’m more interested in supplies more suitable for a lengthy journey,” he insisted.

Amagda’s face smoothed. Business was the only thing she took seriously. “We’re talking fuel, medical supplies, refurbishments, rations, the works?”

He nodded. “Among other things. What do you have in way of comforts?”

Her brow rose slowly. “Comforts.”

Zim only offered a nod, doing his best to keep a straight face. He already dreaded the oncoming reaction. It was best to suffer through it with as little of a reaction on his end as possible. With any luck, she’d run out of steam quicker that way.

“Uh,” she frowned, mulling the request over. “In a ship like yours? Assuming you didn’t want to waste time with more extensive upgrades?” He nodded. After a lengthy pause that clearly indicated she was waiting for him to elaborate, her expression began to sour. “I’m going to need more direction here, Zim.”

He steepled his fingers, drumming the pads of his fingers against one another. “Hypothetically speaking,” he began.

Across from him, Amagda visibly perked. Hypotheticals was a favorite game of theirs. Admitting to something without ever admitting you knew. Pointless, but it often managed to get him what he needed without excessive prying.

“Hypothetically speaking,” he repeated. “Let’s say I have a guest.”

“A guest,” she said slowly, but her eyes were bright with interest. “Hypothetically speaking, this guest might be . . .?”

“Someone of significance,” he supplied. “Fragiler than most bipedal creatures, and ill used to space travel.”

Amagda’s grin began to stretch wide. “Hypothetically speaking,” she nearly purred. “Would you also be interested in materials that might aid in a . . . personal acquaintanceship with one another?”

Zim pointedly kept his mouth shut, only offering a smile.

Her palms smacked together gleefully. “And here I was, worrying a psychopath like you would stay on the market forever. What a dunce I am!”

#amyisherenowansweringyou #pen pals au #invader zim #zagr #zim #gaz #iz #fanfiction #ao3 #ravenfollower13

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strobarium · 2 months

Text

erin's thoughts on "paper angel."

the first post on the strobarium! how nice. (SPOILERS AHEAD.)

(eyestraining colors ahoy, dereality-type stuff is mentioned)

youtube recommended me a video i really, really enjoy by this youtuber named Mara. it's well over an hour long and she talks a lot about her experiences with outsider art and mixed media, among other things. its worth a watch if you do like long-winded video essays about...STUFF. i guess

youtube

thats only partially relevant, though. i bring the video up because within it, she talks about the game in question today, briefly. the visuals struck a chord with me, and the seemingly abstract narrative being more or less promoted my way was very intriguing and had me interested in getting my hands on it.

you already picked up the title from the title of the post but i like using big font!

"Paper Angel," by Slitherbop.

(love that title screen, wow.)

Slitherbop, or, Slither, is a 25-year old surrealist illustrator based in Sasketchewan, Canada, from what his Neocities homepage states. he has an absolute ton of really colorful and trippy art spread out across several pages, but i feel the most of them you'd find on his tumblr page. i'd recommend looking into if you're...well i mean if you're even READING THIS you're prob into the same type shit i be on, yeah. lol. anyway,

Slither has OCs. (commonplace amongst contemporary illustrators online, if you've noticed) One of them, is the focus of the game i'm going to write a lot about.

Spinwhim! (they/them)

(god, look at them.)

taken from Slither's toyhou.se (toyhou.se is more or less an original character database tool that illustrators like to use, a lot, to log their OCs and stuff)

"Spinwhim is a powerful healer and grand storyteller. They’re very kind, outgoing, and wacky. They like to travel all around to help others. Their intense curiosity and passion makes them meddlesome. They can focus and see the world on a cellular level, which is utilized in healing and creating. Good :-)"

they, are more or less the focal point of the entire visual novel. it's a treat that they are, their design is great (much as it does change over the course of the game,) and i generally do like their demeanor and how they interact with me, the player.

speaking of the player, i don't really know who i play as! it's a blank-slate type deal. i speak very vaguely and generally i think im depicted as rather confused seeming/"out-of-it."

competent enough to prepare soup for an ill spinwhim though. OH right. plot stuff. i should get into that-

...well, actually the plot's not really super complex. you're there with spinwhim in this house within this elaborately colorful world and you're essentially nursing them back to health. its said in game you spend about a week with them.

...

i didn't even get to experience the whole week but i just. i have this incredible draw towards them.

it's not really a surprise to me that any motherly (well, or even fatherly) figure with this type of benevolent, reassuring and friendly aura just resonates with me: as i kind of allude to in the preface, i've had familial...struggles in the past and i more or less continue to, especially as it relates to how i feel about my biological parents. its complex and i don't think i could really get into it fully no matter the medium, idk.

spinwhim is just nice to experience speaking to me even if it is confined to the limitations of a RPG Maker VX Ace-created visual novel. (shoutout RPG Maker also, wow, interactive outsider art people love this program a lot i have learned LOL.) as i'm taking care of them, they note how good of a job i'm doing, and even how helpful i've been to the recovery process they're going through relating to the unknown illness they have. i'm even just complimented in general regarding my demeanor and whatnot... i really do wish they were someone i could come to for comfort like i do a fair amnt of my friends, or romantic partners. it would be nice.

what, really sealed the deal, was the twist.

after seemingly, fully recovering from their illness, they're up and at it and in a different fit than normal, to boot. they say they cleared a path to head into town (the whole duration of the game, some apparently severe snowy weather was hitting your gen. location) and that they're excited to go.

they ask me if i want to come with.

so, OF FUCKING COURSE i hit go with. lol

after expressing excitement that i actually did want to go with, they ask me to come closer.

they recount how horrible it was living the way they were, prior. that their head was "caving in" and that they were "boiling" and "lethargic." sounds pretty tough. but after that, they hit me with this revelation:

i was... CREATED???

(the actual verbiage and whatnot they use to talk about everything from this point forward is genuinely just breathtaking also as a side note)

it especially explains the demeanor they've had toward me throughout the game, like i kinda said earlier, very motherly overall. i felt loved. it was sincerely nice. but then it gets even more emotional frm there for me...they say this:

"When I say I want you to come with me, I mean I want to absorb you back into me. You will be returning from where you came. Your thoughts will be my thoughts again, and it will be like a dream to me. It will be wonderful…"

was given a choice.

ONCE AGAIN. OF FUCKING COURSE I HIT YES.

this part just made me tear up a little-the response i got:

"Oh, my beautiful apple. You will no longer live in this confusion of yours. You will be safe."

i basically immediately realized what was happening to me and why it was hitting me so damn hard.

...

it's basically no secret at this point (i make sure its not) that i'm, dissociative. to the extent i fucking formed 10+ people in my head about it. lol. that being said, i'm all-too familiar with what it's like to just be, broken, split apart, fractured.

Its Not Great !

i lucked out, with my system. (there's a lot to it but this dissociative disorder shit can REALLY BE TOUGH depending on a lot of circumstances. well its tough Already, but yeah) i only (at the time of writing) deal with one alter who more or less has it out for me, and the rest of us. that makes it so that i have pretty much 12 additional friends just kind of in my noggin at every given moment. it's pretty cool-things are even such a way regarding how we work that they can just talk to me and my friends rather fluidly. it can result in a lot of shenanigans.

but the road to which led them all to forming was fucking crazy and shitty. i won't go into details i guess here but dissociative disorders are most of the time traumagenic, to give you an idea. its not great, as i said earlier. theres just a lot to OSDD that i don't like, the memory issues i regularly have come to mind, along with me feeling detached from the world, other things. blegh.

that considered along with , complex (negative) feelings abt family shit considered it's probably just, obvious as hell why this scene resonates with me so much.

(had this revelation while getting screenshots for this post but the character they're hugging which i can only assume is the player looks alarmingly like one of my oldest sonas. made everything hit a lil harder for me)

i feel like a broken soul. and i yearn to be whole, again.

i don't think i would have taken up this oppurtunity irl if i was granted it given how much i do enjoy about being my own person who does things and whatnot but the thought lingers. getting to live it out to some degree thru this lil mini interactive artpiece just proved very therapeutic to me. i discovered it very early in the morning, and didnt really talk to anyone about it until after i experienced it. going through all of that solitarily, in my blue-lit room (thank you phillips for the hue bulb. Lol) just did a lot for me. i'm very, very thankful.

(should also note the same day i played the game i also took a phone call frm my mom and we talked about life stuff. it kinda hurt. to quote frm a more primitive form of this writeup "she used to bring me great comfort in my youth, during times i really needed it. complex feelings have led to a rift between us, that she can't even see. that i don't even, know if i want her to see." kinda says everything ig)

it was a nice escape from everything i'm generally going through at the moment, broadly. the process of recovery has proven to be fucking insane and full of all sorts of surprises on top of a very unpleasant yet expected amount of moments ive been faced with my absolutely, less pleasant qualities to my personality and bad habits and such. it sucks, but im at least...well i like to THINK im at least angled toward being better about shit but i don't know. i'm still learning. it's tough and i know i'm not alone when it comes to CPTSD recovery or dissociative disorder coping or bipolar disorder coping or whatever the hell else, but it really just, feels cold and solitary a lot of the time regardless. it's tough. it really is tough.

im just glad i found this little game. any sort of respite that appeals to me to that degree is just very appreciated.

i almost thought it was some strange divine shit going down in my life that led me to even stumbling upon it, the way it hit me. didn't lead to any i guess new revelations about my life or whatever, which is fine!

but. i liked it. it's nice.

i'm grateful. :)

slitherbop, if you're reading this, thank you. sincerely. from the bottom of my heart.

also plz more acid glitch parenting moment's plz (lol)

~ E.K.S.G.

#erin experiences #slitherbop #visual novel #outsider art #Youtube

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biffhofosho · 1 year

Text

Prisoner to Temptation | Chapter Two

Word Count: 7.8k

A/N: Rough, rough, rough week last week, so I didn’t get this out as planned. Needless to say, I was more than happy to teleport to another universe with Prince Chae Hyungwon tonight. *sob*

Cvr | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12

Most of the royals who had attended the ill-fated ball had stayed at the khan’s palace for a week after, which meant a tedious amount of handshaking and bowing and simpering, which had drained Naran of most of her spirit. Prince Hyungwon had been by her side through much of it, and he seemed to wear far better than she—not that she’d asked—but even his shoulders had slumped by the end of the week.

Though obligation now bound them, the couple did not converse with each other as they had to with others. It wasn’t for the prince’s lack of trying, but Naran had no heart for anything but the bare minimum of politeness no matter how relentlessly handsome he was, especially after spending hours sitting between the Empress of Goryeo and her own mother as they talked wedding plans over her head. To be fair, the ladies tried to include the princess, but she just waved them off with as pleasant a “as Your Highnesses wish since you know best” as she could manage.

Her dowry had to be negotiated, too, which felt much more like haggling with the town grocer over the price of a sack of potatoes. For that, Naran chose to leave the palace entirely and breathe the fresh air in the palace gardens. Under the open sky and before the might of the mountains, she forgot everything that was and tried to imagine what could once have been. Maybe she could steal a horse from the stable tonight and go for a ride before she had to return to her palace in Urga to collect her things. Just the thought of packing up her life brought a fresh wave of nausea.

She took a deep breath. Morning was giving way to the day, and the damp fog had burned away before the yellow sun. The world smelled of greenery and faintly of the horses across the grounds.

“I thought I might find you here.”

Naran swiveled and found her betrothed approaching. Her exhale came out in a choked cough.

“What are you doing here, my lord?”

“Queen Jigme sent me to find you.”

Naran narrowed her eyes, but it was for her mother this time. “Of course she did. Have I finally been weighed and measured?”

“I have no idea. I stay as far away from those discussions as I can.”

“You're as shrewd as your father then, I think.”

“And you're as tenacious as that weed,” observed Hyungwon is he nodded toward a small bundle of feathery-headed flowers clustered beneath one of the hedgerows.

Naran shot him a withering look. “The prince is off to a terrific start with his future wife by comparing her to a nuisance.”

“Hey,” he said. Hyungwon reached for her but stopped just before he touched her. His ears were pink, and his expression was strained. “My apologies, my lady. That's not what I meant at all. I meant you are the kind who thrives in places no one expects you to. You can withstand anything. Besides, it is a pretty flower.”

“It’s covered in thorns,” Naran quipped. “I thought you were supposed to be good at talking to women.”

The prince sighed. “Actually, my kingdom, my rank, and my looks do most of the talking for me. Often, I say very little, so in the interest of being a little less awkward, I’ll just say you're very beautiful today, my lady.”

“Yes, well, I think my mother is afraid you'll rescind your proposal, so she has subjected me to an hour’s worth of preparation every morning since.”

“That’s not it,” Hyungwon insisted with a gentle shake of his head before his fingers gripped a lock of loose black hair along her jaw. “It's the way the wind frames your face. The wildness suits you.”

In that moment, Naran swore the wind stopped just to spite her. She took a step back and cleared her throat. “You do not need to flatter me, my prince. It’s not necessary because I can’t go anywhere. Our fate is already bound.”

“As you wish,” he said, but out of the corner of her eye, she caught him studying her.

Naran had told Hyungwon her vanity didn’t need to be fed, but with the side of her skin still burning at the mere proximity of his touch, she could admit to herself that his words had swelled a certain pride in her chest. Then she remembered he had compared her to a weed and it tempered. Instead, she plucked the nuisance plant herself only to get jabbed by its prickly stem as its last protest. Reluctantly, she had to concede that maybe his metaphor wasn't as far off base as she'd like to believe.

“Are you all right?” he asked as he craned his head to inspect her finger, but Naran clutched the injured digit to her chest. He was far too close as it was.

“It's nothing, your grace. We have these back home, too. I’ve pricked my fingers on them hundreds of times. I guess I never learned my lesson.”

“Too busy trying to make a point?” the prince suggested with a raise of an eyebrow.

Through gritted teeth, she replied, “I suppose.”

“Shall I see you back inside then?”

Naran shook her head. “I’m not ready to go back in there. The air is so much easier to breathe out here.”

“Then I shall wait out here with you.”

“That’s not necessary, Prince Hyungwon—”

“Of course not, but you’re right. The air is sweeter here.”

The princess resigned herself to the company. She would have to get used to it soon enough anyway, but she was hoping for a bit more time to herself before all of it was stolen from her. Even though the prince made no further attempts at conversation, he also showed no signs of leaving, and while the silence wasn’t awkward, Naran felt obligated to say something.

“I take it it’s rather crowded in Goryeo.”

Hyungwon shrugged a shoulder as he surveyed the countless steeples and spires that pierced the skyline beyond the palace walls. “The cities are, especially Namgyeong, but we have a home in the country, too. It’s smaller and much more secluded. It’s my favorite. Sometimes it feels like the only place I can think.”

At this, Naran’s interest reluctantly piqued. “Are there mountains?”

“Many, and a river that, in the summer, sometimes turns the exact color of the sunset so you cannot tell where earth and sky exist apart from each other.”

“Really?”

The prince nodded, a slight smile on his face. “It’s as though it’s been painted that way. Other times, there are rivers of clouds swirling between the mountains instead of the water below.”

Swaths of emerald and pearl unfurled in her mind as Naran drifted with the vision Hyungwon had conjured. Beside her, his gaze trained on her misty-eyed profile.

“There are hot springs nearby, too,” he added.

“Hot springs? I’ve only ever heard of those. They sound…”

“Healing?” he suggested.

“Magical.”

Hyungwon outright grinned now, and it transformed his face into that of a boy’s. “I'll take you to them, Princess. One day soon.”

That was Naran’s ice-cold reminder of their contract, and as gentle as the prince’s words sounded, they were mere obligations that came with fulfilling their terms.

“As you desire, my lord.”

His smile vanished with her intrigue, and idly, they strolled around the palace gardens, the prince always a step or two behind her, which only managed to provoke the princess. Men always wanted to set the pace as well as the route. With his long legs, Hyungwon should have been eating up the pathways. What was he doing back there?

Eager to end what was becoming an increasingly uncomfortable walk, Naran rounded a corner back to the palace proper, and just as the doors came into view, the prince spoke: “Do you know any Goryeon?”

“I’m afraid not, my lord.”

Hyungwon hummed. “Shall I get you a tutor then? Perhaps it will make you a little more comfortable. And you will need to speak the language of our people, of course.”

“Of course,” Naran said though she resented it to her core. They weren’t her people. Her people lived unmoored in the grasslands as far as the sky stretched or in sturdy tents around the palace walls. They certainly did not live in Goryeo.

“And on our ride there,” he continued, “I could help prepare you for our Court customs to make things a little less overwhelming once we arrive.”

“How thoughtful, your highness.”

At last, Hyungwon pulled up alongside her with a side-eye at the ready. “You know, Princess, I’m not going to rescind my proposal, I swear to it.”

It was all Naran could do to keep her composure now that the doors were nearly in reach. “I’m sure not.”

He sighed. “If that’s not it, then did I do something wrong?”

“Sire?”

This time, Hyungwon outright grunted. “Can we please go back to the way we were speaking a bit ago? You're talking to me like you're putting on a show for your mother. It's just us out here.”

That was the problem. There were no other distractions. Playing formal was easier than admitting that she felt the tug of superficial attraction to the man who had shackled her by force to him for the rest of her life. It was terribly unfair that he could be so handsome and yet also so casual about upending her whole world.

“I thought you might like the change of pace,” Naran said, and Hyungwon vehemently shook his head.

“I hate it. We swore we would be our true selves with each other, did we not? With you is the only place I can receive such equality. Please don't take it away.”

The princess swallowed hard. “Very well, my lord, but remember that I tried to spare you once. If you want openness from me, you shall have it—all of it. I hate that I have to move to the other end of the Earth to accommodate you and your family, I hate that I have to speak a language I have no desire to learn, and I hate that I’m not allowed to hate any of that.”

Stunned, Hyungwon stared until she sighed and stomped at last to the doors. The moment her hand fell to the handle, he asked, “Feel better?”

“Hardly, but I did enjoy the awkward look on your face for a change,” Naran replied. “Doesn’t any of that bother you?”

“Yes, all of it.”

“Are you sure you’re not going to rescind your proposal now?”

“Do you want me to?”

Naran exhaled long and low. “No. I don’t trust much of anything out of a royal’s mouth, but I do believe without our alliance, your father will have my homeland, and I cannot bear the thought of my grasslands being trampled for pointless war. No, I will marry you as planned, but don’t presume for a second that I will ever accept it as anything other than a business contract.”

“As we agreed then,” he said with another nod.

“And since we have not had time to expound upon terms, I should like to add one other.”

“Okay?”

Naran tugged at the collar of her deel as she drew herself up as tall as she could be. “I shall bring my own servant with me to Goryeo.”

“We have more than enough skilled servants at our palace, my lady, I promise you.”

“I don’t doubt it, my prince,” she echoed, “but Magda has been with me since I was born. In many ways, she raised me, and I trust her with my life. It’s the only way I will be comfortable in a palace that has been plotting to invade my country for who knows how long.”

Hyungwon hummed. “I suppose that’s fair. You may bring her.”

“Well, I wasn’t asking, but thank you all the same.”

“Is there anything else I can do to make you more comfortable?”

Naran cocked her head to the side as though she hadn’t heard him right. “Why do you care so much?”

“Should I care less?” he retorted.

“I mean it. You have all the power here, my lord.”

Hyungwon shoved his hands into his pockets. His head dropped low, and for the first time, he didn’t look at her as he spoke. “Power isn’t something I desire.”

“What do you desire then?”

Naran hadn’t meant to let her voice plummet, too, but she wished harder than she ever had that she could bring those words back into her mouth because the way his head raised so hesitantly, with his dark eyes peeking up at her under a darker brow, made her throat go bone dry.

“I desire peace,” he said simply. “I am not a great leader, Princess, nor am I a great man, but I will always try to be fair to you. I wish I could give you more, but I do swear to try my best to give you a good life, even if it isn’t the one you desire.”

Naran stared at him, numb from the inside out. She wasn’t even sure she could move her limbs if she tried. She was cold and hot at all once and somehow so sad she could burst into tears.

Maybe Hyungwon saw it, for he tilted his head and said softly, “Princess Narangerel?”

Her name was like icy water dumped over her head, and she shook to life with the urge to run far and fast from it.

“Yes?” was all she could muster.

“Do you hate me?”

With a deep breath and a trembling heart, Naran opened the door and let it slam behind her.

I should, she thought. I really should.

The rest of the week passed in a purgatory of tense politeness. Queen Jigme surveilled the empress through a veil of hospitality while Naran’s grandfather schmoozed the emperor with the finesse of a man thirty years younger. If the princess didn't hate the whole spectacle, she would have been impressed.

Meanwhile, Prince Hyungwon easily curried favor with his future in-laws with every flash of his round-cheeked smiles. No one was immune to the prince’s charms. Her grandfather's servants doted on him as though it were his palace instead of the khan’s. Once, Naran had run face-first into her betrothed in the hallway, and when she turned the corner to gripe to herself about how absent-minded he was, one of the passing maids remarked, “Perhaps Her Ladyship might mind where she is going.”

How was it possible that in a mere fortnight’s time, the prince had won over the entire khanate? The world had descended into madness around Naran without her ever realizing. To cope, every morning, she took to the country, riding as fast and as far as her horse could carry her, and only when the fish ceased their morning leaping in the river did she return to the palace to hide out in her room for as long as her mother would allow (which was never long enough).

The rest of every day was spent being scrubbed and painted and groomed and finally paraded around the grounds in the orbit of the queen and the empress. Unless coerced, Naran rarely had anything to contribute to the conversations about caravans and wedding plans and court customs. Instead, she imagined herself high above them, soaring away like her eagle in search of something that could catch her interest, and the only thing to send her crashing back down was the inevitable run-in with her fiancé.

Prince Hyungwon, like the princess, was always in the presence of the emperor and the khan, only he looked far more natural than she did. He always had a smile at the ready for the ladies and a bow that could only be described as gentlemanly. Once, Naran had made the mistake of looking at his fine face, and she remembered their last conversation in the courtyard.

Do you hate me?

For some reason, it drew heat up her chest and made her shift in her skirt. For that, she supposed, she should hate him.

Other than that, though, the princess had done a respectable job of avoiding the prince, his husky voice, and his piercing questions, and it gave her hope that maybe she might actually be able to artfully dodge him for much of their married life. Perhaps she would still be able to sneak away for rides or hunker down in her chambers in peace. Of course, the long, quiet ride back to Moghulikhan would be her last chance to be single and free.

Except it was never to be.

Queen Jigme had insisted Naran ride back to the capital with her in-laws. It was truly draining, and from the looks in her mother-in-law’s face, the princess knew she’d likely been labeled as “taciturn” or “surly,” though she couldn’t fault the empress for either description. Naran was. There were only so many times she could discuss the climate or the rugged state of the roads or the thinness of the air before the princess could manage only grunts in reply.

At least dinners were a welcome respite. As the servants set up the gers for the evening, Naran could escape to her mother’s side and relax. Every night, when she curled alongside the queen in their tent, the princess was so exhausted by pretense that she would pass out immediately. But the very next morning, everything would be packed up, and she was once again stuffed into her gilded cage.

It was easy to lose track of time when every day passed exactly the same way. Naran had no idea how long they’d been traveling nor how far until the moment she caught sight of the first homespun ger. She pressed so hard against the glass that the carriage rocked and the empress let out a little cry.

“What is it?” asked Hyungwon, leaning a bit too closely over the princess’s shoulder though Naran was too excited to care.

“I’m home!”

The empress squinted out the window as another ger and then another and another tightened ranks. With a scowl, she asked, “Your whole country lives in tents? Is the palace just a bunch of tents strung together?”

“Mother!” Hyungwon scolded. His ears turned red in an instant as he glanced apologetically at Naran.

“It’s better than those mud huts in Sygnak…” mumbled the emperor.

“Father,” the prince snapped now, but Gongmin waved him off.

“No, Your Highness,” Naran interrupted through gritted teeth, “our palace is not a ger. While it is quite permanent—and grand in its own right, despite what you may be used to—many of our people live in gers because the ground here is as hard as the weather. This way we can move with the seasons and thrive anywhere. Very few cultures can say the same, I think. They must take to conquering their neighbors to thrive as we have, wouldn’t you say, my liege?”

The emperor narrowed his eyes while tightening his lips before he returned his gaze out the window.

It wasn't long after that that they entered Urga’s city limits through one of the two main gates, and with no more walls impeding their views, the palace appeared as a crown on the skyline. Since most everyone outside the palace wall lived in a ger, it was easy for the center of their kingdom to dominate the eye. With the rolling emerald mountains as a backdrop, the sharp-tipped wings of the palace proper flared upward while the central tower thrust its patinaed, three-story crown even higher. It was surely nothing compared to the wealth and majesty of Goryeo, but its green tiled roof shone in the late afternoon sun and loomed over the spiderweb of white-skinned tents.

The closer they drew to the city center, the more crowded the streets were. Eyes bugged beneath sheepskin hats as citizens took in the gold leaf and vibrant paints of the Goryeon carriages. People were quick to bow as the caravan trundled down the hard-packed streets, and Naran’s heart lifted at words once again in her mother-tongue. She felt like crying—at first from the end of her homesickness and then immediately again from the fact that she might never see or hear this ever again.

At last, they pulled in through the gates to the palace and stopped at the foot of a wide flight of stairs leading up to a mammoth terrace on which the palace proper sat. Torches had been lit along the length of the footing and stacked up toward the grand entrance to dispel the shadows under the carved overhangs.

When she set foot once again on Moghul soil, Naran felt at last like she could stand at her true height. There was already a long procession of palace staff waiting to receive the royal family and their guests, chief among them her father.

The khan was stocky, ruddy-cheeked and well-weathered, with sunken eyes framed by small glasses and lifted by his wide smile. Though he relied upon his cane to stand, he moved surprisingly fast to grip his daughter warmly by her shoulders.

“Narangerel, my dearest, welcome home! I have missed you nearly more than I could bear.”

“Father,” she said with a bow he quickly interrupted with a hand under her chin.

In a whisper, he continued in Moghul, “I have heard the news, my child. I am so very proud of you. You could not have made a more suitable match if you tried.”

“Fa—”

But before Naran could say another word, the khan drew alongside her and faced the growing party of strangers lined up with faces of exemplary apathy. It was almost as though someone had forgotten to teach the foreign family how to emote.

“Esteemed guests,” boomed her father in the customary English of travelers, “welcome to the Kingdom of Moghulikhan. We could not be happier to have you here, and on such an auspicious occasion! I am Delger Khan, who is proud to call you family now.”

The might of his voice contradicted his withered limbs, and Naran felt comfort for the first time in weeks. The khan bowed as deeply as his body would allow, an introduction that was followed by the emperor as well as the rest of his family. Just as they were finishing up their greetings, Queen Jigme’s carriage pulled up, and she hurried out faster than Naran had ever seen her mother move.

Not a moment later, a spritely, effervescent child with glossy cinnamon hair and freckles to match Naran’s own, stepped forward. She was dressed in a lavish deel of gold and crimson Naran had never seen before, fresh and bright to match her complexion, which was festooned with a painted smile. “Pleased to meet your graces. I am Princess Sarangerel of the Kingdom of Moghulikhan.”

A second round of bows were traded, with Prince Hyungwon rising with a sweet smile of his own. “I can see the resemblance between the princesses. How pretty you are, young lady.”

Saran’s blush was instantaneous and fierce, lighting up her neck with little red firecrackers. With an awkward mumble, she said, “Thank you, Your Grace.”

“Please, come inside,” said Delger Khan. “You must be exhausted after such a long journey. What Moghulikhan may lack in splendor, we make up for in comforts. I think you’ll find our beds warm and our food sumptuous. We shall feast tonight as Urga has not seen in a generation!”

The emperor and empress exchanged perfunctory smiles with their hosts and followed them into the palace while Naran and Hyungwon trailed behind, with Saran wheedling her way between the two betrotheds.

“I can’t believe I’m going to have a brother at last!” proclaimed the little princess softly as she looked up with moon eyes at the prince.

“And I have never had a sister,” he returned with cheeks as puffy as clouds. “Maybe now I can have an ally at last.”

“What do you mean? Narangerel is the greatest ally a person could have. She’s fiercer than all the golden eagles in the land.”

“Is that so?” Hyungwon said, amused. He glanced at his fiancée, who was doing her very best to keep her eyes on the parents ahead of them even as she burned under the weight of the otherwise lighthearted conversation beside her. “I’m afraid I haven’t had that privilege yet. To tell you the truth, dear sister, I have a feeling she doesn’t like me very much.”

Saran gasped. “How could you say that? She’s marrying you! I know my sister. She would never marry for anything but the deepest love.”

Naran jammed her eyes shut to tamp down the rage bubbling inside her, so she misjudged her step and tripped over her slipper along the flagstone. Just in time, the prince grabbed her forearm with both hands to steady her, but the commotion caused the entire parade to stop and stare at the crown princess now supported by the prince and the little princess.

“Are you all right?” whispered Hyungwon.

“Fine, my lord,” Naran insisted and shook her arm free of him. “Thank you.”

“Sister?” asked the small, sweet voice beside her.

Naran soothed her sister’s braid and thumbed at the girl’s freckled cheek. “You know me. Just clumsy.”

Saran raised an eyebrow. “You’re never clumsy. You’re the most careful person I know.”

The crown princess huffed lightly and nodded ahead. “We’re falling behind, you know. Mother will be cross.”

The trio picked up speed, with Naran leading the charge, and they rejoined the party in time for a stop in the back of the Great Hall to view the mammoth white and gold stupa, the cultural centerpiece around which the whole palace revolved. Even the emperor seemed impressed with its magnificence, and, satisfied, the royal families convened in the palace dining room.

The room itself was large, with the 20-person table swimming in the center of the red and green walls. Long tapestries counteracted the stone floors while dozens of candles warmed the shadows. Windows high up in an inset in the ceiling let the sunset shine like a chandelier down upon them, but since it was fading fast, servants rushed in from every corner with more candelabras to conquer the oncoming evening.

The khan left the head of the table empty to sit across from the emperor and his wife did the same with the empress, and while Naran was glad she didn’t have to sit next to the prince, she was seated across from him, the expectation of conversation clear. Luckily, Saran was to her right, and she reached under the table to squeeze her sister’s hand.

“Seriously, are you okay?” Saran whispered.

She patted the back of Saran’s hand and replied, “I just missed you so much. Did you miss me?”

“If I had known you would actually come back engaged, I would have stowed away in your trunk! I can’t believe you.”

“Oh hush, it wasn’t at all like you’re thinking. The whole trip was extremely tedious, and the actual proposal happened so fast, I don’t even really remember accepting. You didn’t miss much.”

“Liar,” hissed Saran. “If you’re trying to make me feel better, it’s not working. I know you, Naran. You’re harder to move than Mother. You never do anything you don’t want to do.”

“I went to the silly party, didn’t I? I didn’t want to do that either, but sometimes life doesn’t give you a choice.”

Saran put her glass down and stared hard at her big sister. “Are you telling me you’re being forced to marry the prince?”

There was so much concern—no, outright fear—in the little princess’s face that Naran immediately backpedaled. The last thing in the world she wanted was her innocent sister fearing her own fate when Saran was a huge part of why the crown princess took the deal with Hyungwon in the first place.

“Don’t trouble yourself, my little fox,” Naran said with a genuine smile. She tugged Saran’s braid again and returned her attention to her wine. “Our future is safe and secure, and that makes me happy.”

At this, the girl beamed. “And you’re in love and will make the prettiest babies! You have to let me hold them all.”

Instead of screaming, Naran downed her goblet of wine.

“He’s so handsome,” continued her sister as she stared with her cheek in her hand across the table.

Naran scoffed. “Oh, you just like him because he complimented you.”

“He complimented you, too!” the girl reminded.

“Exactly. Shouldn’t that tell you something about him?”

Saran sneered at her sister, and Naran returned it as though she didn’t have a decade of maturity on the girl.

The next thing she knew, there was an elbow in her side as Queen Jigme hissed, “Quit prattling on with your sister. You’re neglecting your husband.”

With none of her own wine left to drown out her next scream, Naran swiped her sister’s and drained it.

“Hey! That’s mine!”

“Sorry, I got our glasses confused,” lied the crown princess.

Thankfully, the first course was served before conversation with the prince became unavoidable, and with most everyone travel-weary, the party was only too eager to eat in happy silence. With so many choice distractions available, Naran kept her focus low, but she was lying if she said her ears didn’t perk every time the prince offered a kindness to her family or a witty remark. No matter how much nudging her mother did, she could not steer her daughter into lively conversation. The only thing Naran wanted to do was lie in her room and stare out the window at the stars she knew she’d never see the same way again.

Instead, after dinner, the group continued their palace tour, and with good food in their bellies, the emperor and empress seemed more engaged than the princess had ever seen them. They complimented every room and much of the art, which the queen was only too happy to offer up as wedding presents as well. Surprisingly, the khan set a lively pace through each wing, and Naran wondered where the man found the reserves considering he’d been mostly confined to the palace for the last two years. He looked every bit the lord who controlled one of the largest empires in the realms despite the cane and wrinkles like drapes.

When at last they’d finished touring the palace, the Goryeons were shown to their rooms, which, happily, were far enough away from Naran’s own that she felt like she was free again. Even when Saran came bounding into her sister’s room unannounced, it seemed, for a moment, that nothing at all had changed.

“So,” asked the teenage princess, who was draped across the furs on her sister’s bed, “have you two kissed yet?”

“Sarangerel!”

“You can tell me! Who will I tell?”

“I know your mouth, little fox. Any news I had for you would reach the other side of Urga within the hour.”

Saran rolled her eyes. “If you’re engaged, you must have though, right?”

The crown princess tossed a pillow on top of her sister and sighed. “It’s really not like that.”

“I don’t believe it. Prince Hyungwon is far too handsome not to kiss.”

“You marry him then!” said Naran with a laugh, and her sister flopped onto her back with a groan, clutching the pillow to her chest.

“If only I were a few years older... But, sister, I’m very serious about this. What if he’s not a good kisser? What if the rest of your life is just filled with bad, wet kisses that leave you all slobbery?”

“I’m going to throw you out, you know,” Naran warned.

“I worry about that kind of thing though,” her sister admitted. At first, Naran thought she’d misheard her because Saran’s face was buried in the pillow, but as soon as she put it together, she joined her sister on the bed and rubbed her arm as the girl continued, “If I don’t know what I’m doing, how could I expect my husband? What if we’re both terrible at everything so we stay terrible at it because we don’t know better? Will we be doomed forever to a miserable, boring, slobbery life?”

Always a romantic, Saran’s fantasies were evidently catching up to the more adult parts of love and relationships, and it gutted her big sister to know she would be abandoning her to society without a guide. It made Naran more determined than ever to give every bit of what was left of her heart to her sister.

She propped herself up on her arm and stared down fondly at Saran. “Nobody said your husband has to be your first kiss…”

Saran bolted up on the bed, criss-crossing her legs and leaning forward so hard she almost tumbled into her sister. “Are you saying Prince Hyungwon won’t be yours?”

Naran simply shook her head lightly, and when Saran’s eyes continued to widen, she raised a finger and jabbed it at her little sister’s puffy cheek. “I mean it, this better never leave the room. Swear it.”

“I swear it,” said the girl. “But don’t you think Prince Hyungwon will be mad about that?”

“It’s really none of his business, but I dare say I wouldn’t be his first kiss either. Not with a face like his…”

“I knew it! You are in love with him.”

“Psh! I may have some appreciation for his natural… endowments… But that doesn’t mean I’m in love with him. I’m realistic, Saran. And either way, it’s not something I have to worry about particularly with him.”

Saran raised her eyebrows again. “Why’s that?”

The crown princess worried she might betray something, and that was the absolute last memory she wanted to make with her sister with such little time left for them to be their simplest selves, so Naran sneered and lobbed another pillow at the girl. “Because I’m too busy chaining you up in the dungeon to keep you from blabbing all my secrets to the whole palace!”

And just like that, the natural order of things was righted. After a good tussle and more than enough laughter, Saran sat back, and through gulps for air, she asked, “Can I sleep in here with you tonight? I mean, since we’re not really going to have a chance to do that anymore…”

Naran grinned from ear to ear. “I would love that.”

Once tucked in, Saran quickly fell into her soft little snores, but as tired as the crown princess was, sleep eluded her. Naran thought about how few days she had left in her homeland and more importantly, how few she had left of her freedom. She thought of her sister alone in this palace without a bed she could dive into and confess all her fears for her future. She thought of her eagle soaring over the steppe searching for its companion and finding only ghosts. She thought of how happy everyone was to watch her leave all of that behind her.

Eventually, there was no point in the pretense of staying in bed any longer. Her limbs were as restless as her mind, so Naran took to prowling the halls. The few servants who were still awake checked relentlessly on her at first, but after she rebuffed them enough times, they let her wander in peace.

Midnight turned into morning though the sun was still hours from rising. Instead, as she leaned against the terrace railing overlooking the sleepy tent city, the only thing that rose was the princess’s anger. She had no power over anyone in the palace anymore, so with no other options, she planned to take it out on the one person who was as trapped as she was.

It was in the heaviest part of the night when Naran broke into the prince’s chambers without heed for decorum. Though the servants had done their jobs, stoking the fire in his hearth throughout the night, a chill still bit her skin upon entry. Hyungwon was adrift in a sea of quilts and furs, everything but the moon-white of his face swallowed up in coziness. His thick lips were parted for his shallow breaths, and his long black hair fringed across his eyes.

His nose was no doubt ice-cold, and Naran had the strangest flash of it pressed against the back of her neck as he curled into her from behind, a surreal reminder of the inescapable future that loomed mere days ahead of her.

With a little indignation and maybe more anxiety than she cared to admit, the princess tossed a pillow onto Hyungwon’s bed and said, “Wake up, my lord.”

The prince barely stirred but for a drowsy, dismissive wave.

“I said wake up,” Naran demanded louder, this time shucking the fur coverlet off the bed.

Hyungwon growled, his lips pulling into a snarl as he tugged the rest of the blankets up to his neck.

“If you don’t get up this instant, I’ll let my eagle into your chamber.”

He sat up at that, rubbing his eye with the back of his hand. His hair fuzzed upward from the electricity lingering in the blankets from the cold, dry night air. It would have been cute like a boy’s were it not for the way his robe split open across his toned chest. They might have been betrothed, but, at this, Naran felt like she was prying, so she turned toward the fire.

“What’s so urgent?” Hyungwon mumbled. “Am I sleep-blind or is it still dark outside?”

“It is dark, my lord.”

“Then why on earth am I awake at this ungodly hour?”

“Because I wish you to be,” Naran said.

The prince let out a frustrated sigh that morphed almost instantly into a yawn. “Couldn’t you just wait to be mad at me until after breakfast?”

“No. Now, get up. We’re going to look at the stars.”

“I don’t know what you’ve heard,” Hyungwon grumbled as he collapsed petulantly onto the bed with his back now to her, “but we have stars in Goryeo, too, Princess.”

“Not like this you don’t, and you’re going to see them before we can’t again.”

Groaning all the way, the prince rolled out of bed, wrapped himself in a blanket, and shuffled down the hall with his fiancée at his side. They garnered a few looks from the servants again, and Naran was certain the gossip would make its way to her mother by daybreak, but for now, she didn’t care.

She led Hyungwon to the same patio she’d been to earlier. They lingered under the overhang for a moment as the princess gathered her many thoughts. She had spent hours trying to cobble together exactly what she wanted to say to the man exactly the way in which she wanted to say it, but now that he was beside her, she’d forgotten damn near everything but the raw emotions.

“You’re right,” he said after a minute of peering at the horizon, “the stars are beautiful.”

His words jarred Naran awake. She gestured to the wide-open terrace beyond them, and again with a sigh, Hyungwon followed her onto it. The princess looked up while, beside her, she heard a gentle gasp.

“Oh.”

Beyond the palace walls, there wasn’t a candle to be seen, only the vast canvas of heaven and flickering starlight. It was a moonless night, and a pennant of peach and vanilla arced above the kingdom from one end of the mountains ringing the city to the other. There were as many stars dappling it as there were grains of sand in the Gobi, each one twinkling impishly at the unexpected couple.

“Mm. Okay, yes,” the prince continued, “this is better. I’ve never seen such an enormous sky.”

“Sometimes, it feels like you’re the only one looking at it,” Naran confessed, “like it’s all yours and no one else could ever possibly understand its beauty.”

Hyungwon opened his mouth but stopped himself before any words came out. Instead, they stared upward for a long while as the occasional flare of light streaked beyond the mountains.

“It is rather romantic,” he conceded.

At this, Naran scowled. “If you try to make this something it isn’t, I swear, I shall call for my eagle.”

Hyungwon laughed, dispelling any ambiance she thought he might be building. “Why do you keep threatening me with a bird?”

Naran stifled her own reluctant laugh as she answered, “I take it you’ve never seen a golden eagle in action?”

“I haven’t. Are they scary?”

This time, the princess had no hope of keeping in her laughter. “There’s not much they can’t kill. They have claws like razors and beaks like scythes, and they always have the advantage, flying down like a falling star and with just as much force.”

Hyungwon’s eyes bugged. “And you have one as a pet?”

“Not as a pet,” she corrected. “As an ally. My grandfather’s people use them to hunt in the mountains. My father never cared to learn, nor did he have the time, but I loved my grandfather’s stories of his own eagle, and I begged him to teach me. Girls aren’t supposed to hunt with them, but he taught me anyway. I raised her and rode with her every day for six years. This trip was my first time away from her. My mother said now is as good a time as any to break the bond between us seeing as she is due to be released back to the wild anyway. We do not tame these creatures so much as befriend them for a while.”

Just as I am to be tamed, Naran added bitterly to herself.

“I’m sorry. That must be very hard,” said Hyungwon.

“At least I always anticipated that part. She will be happier with no restrictions and no master. She will be where she belongs.”

Their eyes met and a beat passed before he added, “But she will miss you just as you miss her.”

Don’t cry, Naran, she warned. Not in front of him.

“Will you be the one to set her free?” asked the prince.

“It’s only right. Then we can part with clear hearts.”

“Would you—” Hyungwon stopped himself and rephrased, “Could I meet her before you do?”

The princess closed her eyes. Waves of unfamiliar emotion crashed over her in ways she couldn’t have fathomed, and they threatened to suck her down if she didn’t pull away quickly.

“I can have one of the servants take you to the falconry room if you’d like to see them, but I think it’s best if we keep certain boundaries up between us.”

It was clear from the fall at the corner of Prince Hyungwon’s full lips that he was disappointed with her answer, but he nodded like he understood. “As my lady wishes. You may name them.”

Naran wasn’t ready for him to be so agreeable, and it made it very hard to guard against him. “We’ll leave it at that for now, I think.”

Time passed in silence with just the thrum of the wind across the plains between them. If the prince was uncomfortable, he certainly didn’t show it. Only the princess shifted and twitched and gnawed on her lip. She had brought the man out here to gain some control, but instead, she felt… Well, she wasn’t sure what it was because she hadn’t really felt it before, but she didn’t know what to do or what to say, and her head was preoccupied solely with the fact that her future husband was standing right beside her under the same stars, ones he had just named as romantic. That, more than anything, didn’t sit well.

Eyes still on the sky, Hyungwon asked, “Have you lived in Urga your whole life?”

“Except for our winter travels, yes, as did my father, though my grandfather was born in Kipchak. My mother was born in Ladakh. Perhaps you’ve heard of it? Though I hear it’s called something else now.”

Naran felt the prince’s gaze slide from the sky to her profile, and she felt the smallest blip of triumph.

“I have,” Hyungwon said carefully.

“I guess that is the way with empires, isn’t it?” she continued. “What you are one moment, you might not be the next. Maybe it wouldn’t matter if I married you or not. I might have become Goryeon either way.”

The prince faced her fully now. Only the torchlight at the base of the palace brought warmth to his features. “We’ve talked about this, Princess Narangerel. It is not my intent to change who you are.”

“I’m not trying to start a fight,” she insisted, but he squinted and she flashed another brief grin. “Well, maybe a little, but really, I’m just thinking out loud. Even this city has grown up from nothing. It wasn’t here two generations ago, but what was once tufts of grass now serves as the capital of one of the largest kingdoms in the realms. The world is always changing. I just never thought I’d be at the center of that change.��

“For me, that has always been inescapable.”

“So here we are. A woman who always expected to fade into obscurity and a man who has only ever lived in the spotlight. How did we end up here?”

“A twist of Fate?” the prince suggested.

“A test,” Naran added solemnly.

Hyungwon gripped the railing and squeezed.

“Failure isn’t an option anymore,” she continued. “I’ve disappointed everyone my whole life, but it was okay—it was even expected. The moment you emerge into the world a female, it’s a letdown. I learned how to use those low expectations to my advantage. I learned how to get out of things, how to slip under noses, and how to disappear in a crowded room.”

The prince turned then, his hip leaning on the railing as he faced her.

“I saw you,” he said.

The princess stared back.

“I wish you hadn’t. Your pretty promises aside, we share the spotlight now, and obscurity will never be an option for me ever again, nor will it be for our children.”

“Are you telling me this to make me feel guiltier?” Hyungwon asked.

“I’m telling you this so you understand.”

“Understand what?”

Naran steadied her expression until it was as cold as the night air and as resolute as the darkness.

“Why I can never forgive you.”

With that, the princess turned back into the palace, the bewildered prince trudging behind on her heels.

#monsta x smut #multichapter #prisoner to temptation #hyungwon smut #royal au #romance #slow burn #bodice ripper #third person #arranged marriage

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