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queer-irritator · 7 months

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Everything Has Changed | Kratos x reader

A/N: I was listening to music and Everything Has Changed by Taylor Swift came on and it made me think of how one look at Kratos and I was in love lmao. I think Kratos deserves a whirlwind, sudden teenage dream type romance. Pure fluff!

Fem reader, no use of pronouns, but feminine descriptions used.

CW: Adult language, mention of death, mention of mysophobia.

Word Count: 4,535

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You lived alone on a small island in Svartalfheim, near Dragon’s Beach. Since the towns nearby were built with dwarves in mind, you didn’t exactly find it the most comfortable to live in Nidavellir. So, you built your own little slice of paradise. You had a quaint home, not unlike those housed by dwarves. You also had your own garden to grow food, and a few pets to keep you company. You found your way into the tight-knit community created by, and for, dwarves after being taken in by the most unlikely candidate in all of Svartalfheim, Sindri.

Left an orphan after your parents were murdered under Odin’s orders, you were stuck wandering the town of Nidavellir at the age of 6. Your parents were adventurers; brave and curious truth-seekers. But when their curiosity brought them to Svartalfheim, dangerously close to what you can only assume was something very sacred to Odin, they were killed. Or, that’s what you think anyway. Odin and the aesir claim there was an “accident” when they were exploring. You didn’t know any better at the time, but Sindri did. Somehow he had convinced Odin not to take you away with him, gods know what he would have done to you if he hadn’t been successful.

Since then, you’ve looked to Sindri, and the entire community of Nidavellir, as family. It had been almost two decades since then, and now you work hard helping out the dwarves any way you can. You perform chores that are made easy due to your height advantage over them, but most importantly you make yourself available to listen to the community, sort of like a self-appointed therapist. That’s where you were at this very moment, on a hill a few minutes walk outside of town, you call your “office”. You saw a few people each day, but today was slower than usual. On days like this you liked to practice magic and tend to your garden. You took an interest in nature, so Sindri taught you how to manipulate some natural elements, get food to grow quicker, some healing magic, stuff like that. You were planting some seeds for the upcoming harvest season. Your hands, covered in soft, cold dirt, carefully poked holes into the tender earth. You dropped a few seeds in each hole before gently covering them back up.

The snap of a twig to your left tore your focus away from your current task. You turned your head to meet the sound and couldn’t help the smile that spread across your face. You saw Sindri stepping out from behind a tree, you hadn’t seen him in a few months, the both of you had been consumed in work as of late.

“Sindri!” you called to the dwarf as you dusted the dirt off your hands and stood up.

“Hey, it’s been a while. I-”

You cut off Sindri’s words by running over to him and embracing him in a bone-crunching hug. You were careful to keep your dirty hands away from him, but he hated being touched nonetheless. This was the longest you’ve ever gone without seeing each other, so he was just going to have to deal with your close proximity. You could feel his body tense up around your arms, signaling he had enough.

“I’m sorry, I know you hate it, but I haven’t seen you in forever!!” You flashed him a sad smile, pleading him not to be upset with you.

“No, it’s fine. I’ll just… take a bath in bleach.” He was standing so none of his limbs were touching each other, like an awkward sparring dummy.

“Don’t be so dramatic.” You teased him as you knelt down to rinse your hands in a bucket of water nearby.

“We breathed the same air for nearly 20 years, a hug is nothing.” you attempted to reason with his brain. You stood up once again and really took in the sight of Sindri standing in front of you. Despite his mysophobia that refused to waver, you really missed him.

“So, what are you doing here? Just dropping by?”

“No, I… I actually need your help with something.” Sindri’s tone had shifted from annoyed to more serious. “Anything for you, Sin’.” you smiled at him, trying to keep the conversation light. You couldn’t imagine he would have anything horrific to ask of you. You turned to a small shelf and grabbed a clean rag and a bottle of cleaner and handed it to Sindri.

“Here. I can’t take you seriously with you standing like that, man.” You chuckled. He mumbled out a ‘thanks’ and swiftly began to clean himself.

While Sindri was getting himself into a state of cleanliness that he deemed suitable, he told you of the favor he needed. He explained that the World Tree was dangerously close to becoming overgrown, and Ratatoskr had his hands busy trying to parent the lindwyrms, who were not ready to care for the world tree on their own quite yet.

“Ahh, so now my “dirty hobby” has come to be useful!” You crossed your arms smugly as Sindri rolled his eyes with a scoff.

“If that’s how you want to look at it…” he murmured. “Just, come to my house when you’re ready. I have to take a bath now.”

Before you could even agree, Sindri was gone. You chuckled to yourself and began to clean up and get ready to be away for awhile. You said a spell over your newly planted seeds to keep them healthy and watered for the time being. Next you collected some clothes and supplies into a small satchel and picked up your sword. Its hilt was crafted from dwarven steel and the blade was made out of wood from a poison tree and wrapped in thorny vines. You slid it into its sheath on your back and headed to the nearest mystic gateway.

---

Kratos, Atreus, and Mimir had just returned from freeing the Hafgufa from Vanaheim. There was a trail of sand following behind them.

“I’m really glad we got to set the Hafgufas free, but I don’t think I wanna go to any realms with sand for a while…” Atreus stated as he brushed some sand from his hair

“Aye, I’ve got sand in me neck stump!” Mimir shared Atreus’ disdain for feeling sand in every crevice imaginable. The sound of the front doors opening pulled the men’s attention from their current discomfort.

You took a few steps through the front door before you stopped in your tracks as you locked eyes with perhaps the most invigorating man you’ve ever seen. You hadn’t expected to see anyone else at the house, let alone someone so tantalizing. It felt as if all the breath was stolen from your lungs as you looked deep into his amber eyes. The scowl the man had on his face only a second before had noticeably softened now. It was as if the two of you were the only people in all the nine realms at that moment. After what felt like years of staring into this man’s soul through his eyes, it was cut short as sound filled the air.

“Y/n! About time I saw you again.” Brok greeted you as he walked out from behind the counter of the workshop. You held your gaze with the giant man for just one more second before reluctantly tearing your eyes away to greet Brok.

This was no big deal, you just had to act like you hadn’t just seen the most attractive and magnetizing person in your entire life… If you didn’t believe in love at first sight before, you sure as Hel believed in it now.

“It’s really great to see you, Brok.” You smiled at the blue dwarf and bent down to engulf him in a hug. You could only hope that he couldn’t feel your heart pounding in your chest.

Although your back was turned, you could feel the man's eyes on your body. You stood up straight and took a deep breath, readying yourself to speak to the handsome stranger. You turned towards him and held out your hand to greet him as you found yourself drawn to his eyes once again.

“Hi, I’m (y/n).” You introduced yourself. The man glanced down at your hand and then back at you. He reached his hand out to grasp yours in a surprisingly gentle handshake.

“Kratos.” is all he said. The sound of his voice was better than anything you imagined. You could have melted into a puddle of goo at that very moment.

“Kratos.” You smiled as you repeated his name. “It’s very nice to meet you.” You said, letting go of his hand, missing the warmth of his body heat immediately. You looked to your right to see a teenage boy. You had almost missed him in all the feelings and thoughts swirling around in your head.

Kratos placed a hand on the boy's shoulder, “This is my son, Atreus.”

You reached your hand out to greet Atreus as well, “It’s very nice to meet you too!” you smiled at the boy. He returned your smile and shook your hand, with much more grip and enthusiasm than his father.

“Good to meet you as well! So, how do you know Sindri?” Atreus asked, assuming only people close to the dwarf would be allowed access into his home. You chuckled slightly, thinking he was joking around. When he glanced around awkwardly you realized how serious he was.

“Oh…” you started, confusion showing on your face, but it soon turned to agitation. “Oh my gods.” You quickly turned your head to Brok. “He… He doesn’t talk about me?” You practically yelled in astonishment.

“Hey, don’t take it out on me… But, uh, let me take a look at yer sword.” Brok knew just how to evade your annoyance. You took out your sword and set it down on the workshop table with a scoff as you repeated your words with disbelief, “He doesn’t talk about me…”

Kratos and Atreus silently exchanged glances to each other as they were left guessing how you and Sindri were acquainted. One situation in particular was swirling around Kratos’ mind, that you were romantically involved with the dwarf. Disappointment had crept up onto him as he began to entertain this thought.

“Uhm… Are you and Sindri, like… dating?” Atreus awkwardly asked you, staring at his own feet to avoid your gaze.

“No! Oh, no, not at all! He raised me!” You had been so lost in your annoyance that you never answered the boy's question.

Kratos felt relief wash over him. He wasn’t sure why he was relieved, or why he cared if you had been something more than a friend or family member to Sindri. He had just met you, he should not be having these types of thoughts or feelings about anyone, let alone a stranger.

“Ohhh!” Atreus chuckled a little, finally looking up at you again. “Wait- Sindri had a kid?” He glanced at his father and then back to you. “Are you-”

You cut Atreus off before things could get awkward again, “No, I’m like an adopted sibling he never wanted.” you cleared the air.

Seemingly right on cue, Sindri entered the house.

“Oh! I didn’t realize you three would be back already...” Sindri shifted his weight from side to side, seemingly unprepared to introduce you to his guests. But his awkward demeanor soon switched to panic as he noticed the pool of sand in his house.

“Really?!” Sindri sighed loudly as he fetched a broom from a nearby closet. “You two, get outside!” He commanded Kratos and Atreus, pushing the broom at their heels to rush them out of his previously pristine house.

Once the duo had been escorted outside, Sindri shot them a warning, “And do NOT come back in until you are sand-free!”

Sindri propped the front doors open and began to sweep the sand out of the house. You were left watching the entire ordeal with a slightly amused look on your face. You figured you could give Sindri shit later for not telling his friends about you, he had enough on his plate for the time being. For now, your gaze drifted back towards Kratos.

“Uhm, I’m gonna go take a bath.” Atreus notified his father before turning his back to walk through a small wooden gate on the side of the house to clean up.

Kratos grumbled slightly and unhooked Mimir from his belt, setting him down on the bottom step of the stairs leading into the house. He then proceeded to take off each piece of his armor and shake the sand out from them. You took your time to look over his upper body. Your eyes trailed the bright red tattoo, from the sharp edge on his face to the swirl on his bicep, and the curve on his abdomen. You couldn’t help admiring his muscular physique and taking note of the large scar on his stomach, and a smaller one over his eye.

“Alright, quit yer drooling.” Brok’s voice snapped you back into reality. He set down your sword on the counter in between the two of you.

You whipped your head towards the dwarf, a soft pink blush falling over your cheeks.

“Fuck off, I was not drooling…” You defended yourself, snatching your sword back. You took a moment to look over Brok’s upgrades before returning it to its sheath.

“Whatever you say, princess.” Brok teased you further.

You rolled your eyes and started to walk down the steps outside. You were careful not to make any more of a mess for Sindri, but not careful enough to notice a severed head on the very last step. In your effort to avoid stepping on the head, you tripped over your own two feet. Instead of feeling the harsh impact of the ground, you felt a warm hand on your upper arm. You looked up to see Kratos holding onto you. His piercing brown eyes were staring right into your soul, again. You felt your heart rate pick up, you opened your mouth to speak but no words came out. His grip loosened on you and he returned his hand to his side.

“You should be more careful.” Kratos advised you.

“Yeah- uhm, I’m sorry about that.” You turned to the severed head on the steps, “I’m really sorry, I didn’t see you there.”

“Ah, don’t worry about it. It’s the big oaf’s fault for settin’ me down there.” The head was surprisingly forgiving of your clumsiness. A tinge of pink settled across your cheeks as you looked back to Kratos. The man just grunted in response to the head.

“I’m Mimir, it’s nice to meet you.” The head introduced himself at last. You sat down on the steps next to Mimir.

“Right back at’cha. I’m sorry I didn’t introduce myself earlier.” You felt guilt for over-looking him earlier. Although, you did overlook just about everyone except for Kratos…

“Don’t even mention it. How could ya have seen me?” Mimir continued to joke at the expense of Kratos. A smile spread across your face. Before you could continue your conversation, a voice rang out.

“Master (y/n)!” A familiar voice entered your eardrums, Ratatoskr. A small sigh escaped your lips as you stood up.

“Duty calls.” You announced. “I’ll see you two around.” You gave a smile to Mimir and a wave to Kratos before walking over to speak with the abnormally large squirrel. It was time to find out what exactly you’ll be helping him with.

Kratos’ gaze followed you as you walked away from him. His eyes raked over your figure, memorizing the way you walked and how your hips moved with each step.

“Father?” Atreus’ voice interrupted his thoughts.

“Hm?” Kratos turned his attention to his son and continued to shake the last of the sand out of his waist armor.

“I was just saying that the bath is ready for you, and I can clean up out here.” Atreus shifted his gaze between Mimir and his father. Kratos simply nodded his head, dropping the armor he was holding and headed to get himself cleaned up.

Atreus began to gather the armor from the ground. “Uhh, do you think he’s acting a little… weird today?”

“I think he might be a wee bit tired from all the traveling, lad. Speaking of, would you mind helping me clean up a bit?”

“Sure, no problem Mimir.” Atreus smiled and got to work.

---

You spent the next few hours getting a tour of the World Tree and extremely detailed instructions from Ratatoskr on how to care for it. He explained how to prune the branches, what limbs held which realms, what you should never touch, the list went on and on. Your head was so filled with new information it felt like your brain was going to explode. You walked into the house just as it was getting dark outside after finally being relieved for the evening. Even though the realm between realms doesn’t have a sun and a moon, it was still nice to have it simulate days and nights, so as to not lose track of time. The scent of meat and spices filled your nostrils, Brok was in the kitchen stirring a large pot, of what you assume was dinner.

“That smells amazing.” You said, walking towards Brok. You stopped in front of the giant pot and picked up a spoon to give the stew a taste test. “Tastes amazing too.”

“It ain’t ready yet.” Brok snatched the spoon out of your hand. You put your hands up in defense.

“Sorry, I guess I’ll just wait then… and never compliment you again.” you turned your back and headed to where you used to sleep growing up.

“Wait, that’s-” Before Brok could finish his warning, you opened the door to be greeted by Kratos sitting on the side of a makeshift bed. The only item of clothing he had on was dark brown pants. He almost looked like a different person without all his armor on. There was even more scarring hiding under his wrist armor, it looked like chains had been branded onto his forearms.

“Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t realize you were staying in here.” You apologized for intruding.

Kratos looked up to meet your gaze, “It is fine.”

You gave him a small smile and looked around the room, “This place hasn’t changed much. I used to stay in this room when I was younger.” You leaned against the wall as a flood of memories entered your mind.

“You can have the room if you wish.” Kratos said as he stood up with a slight grunt.

“No, I couldn’t kick you out of your room. You probably need it more than me. Plus, the chair out there is pretty comfy.” You assured him.

“Mh… Let me know if you change your mind.” He began to wrap some red cloth around his forearms.

“So, how did you come to have a talking severed head as your companion?” You questioned him.

“I cut it off.” Kratos replied to you plainly.

“Huh?” You had confusion written all over your face.

“He was trapped. Imprisoned in a tree and tortured everyday. He asked me to cut off his head to free him. So I did.” Kratos further explained.

“Oh, that’s actually really kind of you.” You said, reflecting on the odd, but thoughtful, request.

Kratos grunted in response.

Just as you were about to ask him more about himself, you heard Brok announce that dinner was ready. You gave Kratos one more look over. His lack of clothing was incredibly inviting, but you were hungry and tired.

“I’ll see you out there.” You excused yourself and walked out to the table to sit down and get some food.

---

Dinner was nice and casual, there was no residual awkwardness from the days prior events. You got to know more about Atreus, that boy really likes to talk. He was going on about the different types of monsters he’s fought with his dad. He seemed the most proud of defeating a huge electric dragon a few years ago. The most surprising detail of the story was that Sindri utilized one of the dragon’s teeth to enhance Atreus’ bow. Swapping stories around the dinner table made the time go by far too fast for your liking. It felt like the six of you had been friends for a lifetime. When the conversation had died down, you stood up and collected the empty plates. You made your way to the kitchen to wash up while Kratos and Atreus went into their respective rooms.

“I can get that, you should get some rest.” Sindri’s voice came from behind you. You turned your head to look at him.

“No, I really don’t mind!” You insisted, turning on the water.

“Okay… Well, to be honest I don’t trust anyone else washing the dishes but me.” Sindri admitted.

“Mmmh, the truth comes out.” You chuckled and stepped away from the sink. “Let me know if there’s anything I can do.”

“You just rest. You’ve done a lot for me today… Thank you.” Sindri gave you a small smile and got started on cleaning up.

You had an idea brewing in your mind. You couldn’t get your mind off of Kratos. You just wanted to know more about him, he was all you could think of. You found a spare piece of paper, scribbled down a note, slipped it under Kratos’ door and made yourself scarce.

“Brother, someone’s slipped a note under your door.” Mimir alerted Kratos, who was laying down on his makeshift bed. He pulled the weight of himself up with a slight grunt and walked over to where the note was. He bent down and picked it up, unfolding it carefully.

Meet me at the side of the house.

Kratos furrowed his brows and let out a confused grumble. He set the note down on a crate near his bed and stepped out of his room.

“Aye, what did it say??” Mimir questioned, but the only response he got was the sound of the door closing and heavy footsteps leading further and further away.

You were sitting on a barrel, leaning your back against the side of the house and nervously tapping your fingertips on your thigh. You heard the front door open and close, causing you to spring to your feet and run a hand through your hair to tame any fly-aways. You watched as Kratos entered through the side gate, latching it behind him. Your heartbeat started to increase with each step he took toward you. He stopped a few feet away from you.

“You wanted to see me?” Kratos spoke with a hint of confusion laced in his words.

“Yeah, I did…” You took a step toward him, taking in a deep breath before looking up into his eyes. “I’ve really enjoyed talking to you, and I just wanna know you better.” You confessed your infatuation with the man.

“What would you wish to know?” Kratos asked you.

“Everything?” You responded, taking another step closer to him, leaving only a few inches of space in between you.

“Mh… That may take awhile.” Kratos looked down at you, his chest steadily rising and falling with each breath he took. It was beyond your grasp how he could remain so calm and stoic, but it made you want him more than ever.

“I have time.” You told him with a small smile. You lifted your hand from your side and carefully placed it on Kratos’ cheek, right where his beard began to sprout. You looked in his eyes for any signs of hesitation, but you found none. You leaned up on your tippy toes and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips.

You leaned back just a few centimeters from him and opened your eyes. He hadn’t moved a muscle, it was like you had kissed a statue. Kratos had a look of surprise and confusion sprawled across his face. His eyes were raking over your facial features, searching for any hint of disgust. He was waiting for you to shove him away, to start laughing at him. He was expecting to hear you question who would ever want to touch a monster like him. But you were just staring right back at him, looking increasingly worried by the second.

“Are you okay?” You spoke, barely above a whisper. Had you broken him? Did he not like you? Was he trying to find a way to let you down without hurting your feelings? Your embarrassment started to manifest itself as redness across your cheeks, darkening with each moment of silence that passed.

Kratos nodded ever so slightly and one of his hands ghosted just above your hip, barely making contact with your body.

You placed your free hand on top of his, encouraging him to make full contact with you. You placed both of your hands on either side of his face and kissed him again. Only this time, you weren’t as gentle. You started with a firm kiss and then began to move your lips against his, trying to encourage him to kiss you back. You felt his hand on your hip pull you closer to his body and then you finally felt his lips start to move against yours. He dipped his head down so you didn’t have to strain to reach his lips. You couldn’t hold back a faint moan erupting from your throat as you wrapped your arms around his neck, trying to get even closer to Kratos. He now placed both his hands on your hips, tilting his head slightly to the side to deepen the kiss. After a few more moments, you weren’t sure if it was a lack of oxygen, or if you were getting drunk off of the feeling of Kratos on you, but you were getting dizzy. You stopped kissing him and placed a hand on his chest to steady yourself and took a moment to catch your breath. Kratos watched you cautiously, he gently brushed a strand of hair out of your face with the back of his hand. Your face was flushed pink and your lips were wet with the mix of both of your saliva. He hadn’t had any feelings like this in a long, long time.

“Uhm…” You looked up at Kratos, pleasantly surprised to see he was watching you carefully, “Would you wanna get a drink with me sometime?”

For the first time you saw the man’s cheeks firm up into a slight smile and heard the sweet sound of a chuckle escape his lips.

“Why don’t we go now?” He proposed.

You nodded in response, “Yeah, that sounds great.” You smiled back at him, not caring if you looked like a complete idiot.

“Let us go then.” He declared, walking towards the gate and holding it open for you.

“Okay, I know just the place.” You walked through the small wooden gate and excitedly waited for Kratos to catch up to you at the mystic gateway.

---

A/N: Thank you for reading! I very well may do a part two to this story. Feedback and interaction helps me know if you want me to continue!

#god of war #god of war ragnorak #gow #gowr #kratos #gow kratos #kratos x reader #kratos x fem reader #kratos x gn reader #kratos fluff #kratos smut #gow fanfic #gow fanfiction #gow sindri #gow spoilers #gowr spoilers #atreus #sindri #brok

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reviewsthatburn · 9 months

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THE WITCH KING by Martha Wells is excellent and I had a great time reading it. The worldbuilding is nuanced and well-developed, with factions and history in a way that implies much more going on, but not getting bogged down in little details that don’t matter to this particular story. It deals with colonization and empire from the perspective of a quasi-immortal character (Kai) who has not been around forever, but has been around long enough that things which are part of his culture and history are now details that would fascinate only historians. The narrative shifts between two time periods in his life. This means that some events are mentioned before they were actually shown, but it was generally in a way that made the whole thing easier to follow. The two timelines are connected, as the main characters are trying to figure out whether the plan they were working on when they were betrayed is still salvageable.

Full Review at Link

#BookReviews #Audiobook #Fantasy #Highly Recommended #witch king #martha wells

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aris-ink · 1 year

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Hi, can I request a drabble where yandere brothers Jimin and Yoongi are overprotective and possessive of their sweet and innocent step-sister. Thank you and I love your writing ☺️💖

y e s, love you 🫰

pairing: yoongi x reader, jimin x reader

genre: forbidden romance

warnings: allusions to murder (both attempted and committed) mentions of violence (not towards the reader), pseudo incest, ✨manipulation✨, some angst, possessiveness, jealousy, fingering, edging, orgasm denial, hints of dacryphilia, praise kink, dirty talk

It was a little evil, Yoongi thought. Still, he couldn't help feeling fascinated by the pearly drops shining on your cheeks, the quiver of your bottom lip. It was both admiration and sympathy that tugged at his heartstrings, softening his resolve. He shushed you, wiping the tears away with his thumb.

"That's enough, hm? Think you've learned your lesson?"

You nodded, sniffling. Yoongi cupped your cheek and scanned you from head to toe, his eyes hooded and thighs tensing beneath yours. It was safe to say that all the anger from before had dissolved in the heat of your cunt, dripping and swollen from the aggressive finger fucking it has been subjected to for the last hour. He didn't let you come once, stopping every time he felt you shaking and squeezing him tighter.

Why don't you ask Namjoon to let you come?

That was the only thing he had to say in response to your pitiful whines. Just letting the unfortunate man walk you home was enough to set your stepbrother off. He was only being protective; besides, why would you look for attention elsewhere if you were given everything you needed, right here at home? The question prompted more tears to flow as he continued to edge you. You ended up apologizing repeatedly in between soft cries, asking so nicely for permission to finally let go, while Yoongi watched and twitched in his pants.

"Good girl," he muttered, slipping his soaked fingers out of your heat slowly.

Your stomach flipped, eyes widening at the action. Yoongi looked away, avoiding your gaze. He tried to swallow.

"Not tonight. Finish yourself off for all I care."

Was he still angry at you? You didn't understand. But it didn't seem like he wanted to talk, or like he even had anything more to say to you. With your heart shrinking and knees wobbling, you lifted yourself off his lap and made your way outside the door.

"Goodnight, Yoongi."

A soft hum answered you.

Sighing, you pulled down the handle. Left alone in the darkness of the corridor, for some reason you remained still, hesitating. It was almost two am. You should go to your room. You really should...

The next door opened with a slight creak. You peeked inside shyly, greeted by a dark silhouette stirring under the sheets at the noise.

"Baby?"

Jimin sat up slowly, his hair tousled and eyes still puffy from sleep.

"What's wrong?" He whispered. "Come here."

You stepped inside, turned the lock and climbed under the sheets with him. He felt so warm to the touch, arms pulling you into his chest without hesitation. You snuggled into him, inhaling the soothing, familiar scent of his skin. He leaned his cheek on the top of your head and sighed.

"What's the matter, kitten?"

You bit into your lip, unsure how to answer him. Guilt simmered low in your abdomen, along with other sensations that spiked the moment you saw him. You could do nothing about the way your pussy throbbed, clenching around nothing as he held you. It didn't help that Yoongi left you leaking and unsatisfied. Your thighs were the next to clench at the thought.

As though taking notice of that, Jimin tilted his head.

"Was Yoongi mean to you?"

The question stole your breath and made your eyes snap up to his dark ones, already burning into you. It might have been embarassment that made more wetness flow into your ruined underwear, or the raspiness in his murmur; either way, there was no denying it. Knowing you were already caught, you had no idea what to say. It wasn't like you could lie to him. Jimin leaned in, the corners of his lips tugging upwards. His hand slid down your thigh languidly, exploring the sensitive skin.

"Need some help?"

No reluctance, no sugar coating. He was all too eager to provide, to give you what you've been deprived of, pushing you onto your back and spreading your legs to pick up right where Yoongi left off.

"That's a good girl," the charming devil breathed into your ear, his palm beating against your sensitive cunt loudly, lewdly. "It was just a mistake, wasn't it? You won't let anyone else walk you home anymore, right, baby?"

He dropped a kiss onto your cheek when you mewled, nodding desperately, the knot is your stomach so close to unraveling.

"You're so naughty," he whispered, his mouth brushing against yours with each syllable, dripping with sweet mockery. "Can't follow rules and can't fuck yourself either. Your little fingers aren't enough? Had to wake me up to come?"

You moaned into his lips, tears burning your eyes again, though this time it was mostly due to the heated tension in your tummy finally snapping. Jimin groaned softly in return, his fingers curling inside you, ceaseless in their deep, hard thrusts. You felt yourself gush around them, your head spinning in the dark.

"Such a good girl," he purred, hungry, blown out eyes cast downwards. "Look at this pretty fucking cunt."

Your thighs trembled, pelvis lifting off the mattress and cunt clenching more at the filthy praise. Your hips twitched, then lowered back down. The pulsing around his digits faded in intensity, a sign for him to slow to a stop. Tingling, you let your head fall to the side, trying to take in some much needed air. You were quite literally on cloud nine, light and up somewhere in a dimension closer to dreams than wakefulness, already nodding off.

Gently, Jimin nudged you, let you lean on him as he walked you back into your bedroom to tuck you in. He barely got back into his own bed before Yoongi appeared in the doorway, his arms crossed.

"I'm not doing this anymore."

Jimin glanced over at him, prompting his head up on the pillow.

"Aw, come on. She deserved a little torture today."

Yoongi's expression remained unreadable, his tone detached.

"I don't care. If you want her here, you can get her here yourself."

Jimin frowned. No, this wasn't how things worked. You weren't quite there yet; you've barely let go of the guilt of sneaking around behind your parents' back with your stepbrother. Getting involved with both? You still needed to be reassured, seduced, coaxed; and Jimin got the short end of the stick because he didn't make his move first. How petty was this?

"I'm not cleaning up after you anymore either."

Two pairs of keys were thrown in his direction, their silver gleam catching his attention. He recognized his own chain immediately, and right beside it landed Namjoon's.

He looked up at the elder.

"I clean my own messes. Learn to clean yours, too."

With that, Yoongi turned around and left, not even bothering to close the door after himself. Moody asshole. Annoyed, Jimin let out a heavier sigh and got up to shut it properly. He was hard as a rock and he needed to get off; then to sleep. He didn't care how mad Yoongi was at him for hurting your feelings; it wasn't like he forced him to punish you or not let you come, anyway. He only asked for the latter - very politely, might he add - because how else could he be guaranteed you'd conquer your shame and end up at his door? He sure as hell didn't force him into doing any cleaning either. He had nothing to gain from that.

It was a complicated matter. Yoongi had horns, too; they just seemed a little smaller. Jimin knew he wasn't as impulsive as him. He also definitely seemed more prone to the manipulations of his heart, and probably saved the fool from bleeding to death in his own house tonight.

All because of you.

Still, he had plenty of skeletons in his closet; and his own copy of keys to Namjoon's place, locked away in the deepest corners of his drawers for the darker nights, when at last deemed necessary to use. In the end, despite their differences, he was just like Jimin. Heart torn open and bleeding endlessly, emptier with each thump. Until you touched him and all the pain faded into light, your gentle hands finding no difficulty taming a creature so scorched. And yet, the scars remained. You couldn't be there to soothe the aches all the time. And no matter how much he tried to keep himself chained to your leg, like the pathetic pet you reduced him to, sooner or later you'd always have somewhere else to be, or you'd make another mistake. And in moments like this, even if it took time, Yoongi always ended up breaking free and bringing more bones to hide in the backyard.

Because in the end, no matter how much he tried to change, he was just like Jimin. A scorched creature. And all those were creatures of habit.

#yandere bts #yoongi x reader #jimin x reader #bts x reader #bts smut #bts scenarios #bts imagines #bts reactions #bts yandere

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merbear25 · 24 days

Text

A still beating heart

Dread and turmoil mix into a deadly elixir which is drunk by the masses. Whilst two wandering souls seek out refuge in this unforgiving world, finding each other by chance feels too good to be true. You’ve started crumbling at the feet of your health complications, and although you are in need of his support, distrust deludes the gift of his companionship.

a/n: This is heavily inspired by the movie Repo! The Genetic Opera because it’s a masterpiece and Caesar would thrive in this world. Divider made by me.

CW: Repo man AU, gn!reader, angst, horror themes (mentions of gore, murder), yandere undertones (kidnapping, possessiveness, Stockholm Syndrome), reader has health conditions, some romance and fluff, no sexual themes.

The city bathed in the moonlight, but even still there were crevices that remained absent from its rays. Having been traced and hunted down, the shadows were the only things to bear witness to the woman’s pleas. Choked cries painted the cold bricks, now weeping for her when no one else would, for the hands that played as judge doubled as her executioner. The predetermined verdict being brought on by a lack of funds had sealed her fate after contracting her life in the hopes that something more would come of it.

Others shared the same lack of foresight: choosing to turn a blind eye to the repercussions if they failed to keep their end of the bargain. Even so, they all willingly gave these cosmetic corporations an ungodly amount of power, which in turn had these lost souls collapsing like dominos—each spreading the word of such wonders being gifted to them all while deluding the dangers which came with it.

As the sprouted weeds in the pavement drank the spilled life, the blood would only stain the hands of the reaper who’d slain and even then, the deed would bear little weight on his conscience. With the sobs of the recently departed fading into the late hours of the night, they received no pity as the man’s hands collected the organ for bounty money.

With such negligence making these companies swell to the brim in cash, it was no wonder why they relied on repo men such as him; casting down on them swiftly while also being morally numb to the horrors they were unleashing were qualities scarcely coupled. However, once found, they would be cherished, perhaps flourishing under the watchful corporal eye.

Trudging through the bleak city, even the sun peeking over the buildings did nothing to relieve this world of the melancholy plaguing it. With such a tarnished reputation, there were few other prospects residing outside this one, whether career wise or personal.

Finding yourself in an elongated hallway, the lights above were dim, just barely giving you leverage to see what lurked beyond. Calling out, there was no answer—there never was, and yet you kept trying to connect with someone, anyone.

The chill pricked at your exposed flesh, making you wince. As you wandered down the hall, you noticed the walls were bare—stripped of the potential portals you could’ve unlocked. With only being given two possible directions, the gravity of the decision was weighing you down, sinking you into the floor. The further you sank, the dimmer the lights were. Isn’t there anyone there? Despite all your might, your words fell silent.

Couldn’t there be a reason for this? Why were you given the short end of things time and time again? The self-loathing only pulled you down deeper into the floorboards, making you gasp for air as you dipped below them.

Drifting in the void of your own dismay, you made one last attempt to cry out, “Who am I meant to be?” The doubt of being able to live in this world without acquiring the essential brutality cascaded on you, further forcing you into the depths of your awaited despair. In a shrill voice, you shrieked, “Isn’t there anyone who can tell me who I am?” Although faint, your desperation made its way to the surface.

A beacon of light lifted your head, enticing you to follow, but the closer you got, the top remained out of reach. With your arms tiring and your will running on fumes, you debated whether or not to push forward. Before being given the choice, your eyes shot open.

Parting your curtains, you were met with thick clouds of smog obstructing your view of the park, albeit the grass and flowers had browned and wilted long ago. Despite promptly reclosing them, it didn’t change the dread that awaited you. No matter how many times you shielded yourself from the reality you were born into, the cruelty of the world persistently seeped through the paned glass with doubts of it ever changing poisoning your already rocky optimism.

In spite of the climbing bills regarding your medication, it was still better than opting out for a heart transplant. After all, going without your medication could be risky, but it paled in comparison to the organ being ripped from your chest. With that in mind, today of all days when the smog seemed to be the thickest it’d been all month, venturing to the pharmacy to retrieve your medication was a necessity.

Even with taking precautions, the polluted air restricted your breathing, tightening your chest as your heart struggled to fight against the harsh conditions. Pushing forward, you kept reminding yourself that the pharmacy wasn’t far, meaning you’d be able to regain your composure once entering. However, upon reaching the door of your temporary sanctuary, the bolt was fastened and no one was inside.

Panic at the unforeseen turn of events set in, looking around in a frenzy made matters worse, as your breathing grew more shallow. Clenching helplessly at the fabric around your form only further drilled hopelessness into you. Staggering along the walls, you stumbled to your knees. Tears beaded at the corners of your eyes as you huddled in a ball on the pavement. As you laid there clutching at your chest, a robed figure came into view before the bleak city surroundings dimmed into a haze.

A barely audible voice crept in as you came to. “What to do, what to do…” Shuffling could be heard in the distance which was then followed by clinking glass. When your eyes fluttered open, the light shining down on you was unpleasantly bright. Squinting from the abrasion, you caught sight of a tall figure in the shadows.

Scanning the surroundings of which the light touched, the understanding that someone had dragged you back to their home jumped out at you. With such a conclusion, other more frightening ones followed suit. Kept for ransom, sold on the black market or forced into slavery: all seemed plausible given the hard times everyone was continuously finding themselves in.

Even when gingerly shifting yourself, creaks of old springs sounded under your subtle movement. Although the figure blended into the dark, the outline was still jagged enough to separate itself from the still backdrop.

As the stranger’s hand eased its way onto the counter top, their head shifted and even though your vision was obstructed by the fluorescent bulb, the dreadful feeling of eyes being on you was unmistakable.

Restraining yourself from shouting for help, demanding answers, and bursting into tears was whirling within you, pulling you in too many directions to focus on one tactic to break free. Instead the trembling dread was kept bottled up, making you shake from the building pressure.

“Don’t get so worked up,” his voice alluded to a disinterest in your wandering thoughts.

“Who are you? Where am I?” Your assertiveness prevailed over quivering lips.

Tilting his head back and forth as if contemplating whether or not to answer, he remained silent.

When you failed to coerce an answer from him, your chest heaved from the burdening assumption that you’d found your eternal resting place. Putting your trust in a higher power that would somehow pull you out of this was like grasping at straws. Such powerful beings had never casted their grace on you before, but they appeared to be the only ones in whom you could place your faith.

Closing your eyes to the terror surrounding you, you said a quick prayer, mumbling your pleas in hope that they’d reach the ears of some pure entity. “Please,” you begged to yourself, “Is this really how I’ll die, Lord?”

A curious smile stretched his lips at your increasingly labored breathing. Turning slightly towards you, he couldn’t help but chuckle at your feeble attempt at appealing to the heavens. “Do you honestly think anyone is listening?”

Refusing to acknowledge his obvious attempt at getting under your skin, you irked him. However, it led him into thinking of your tenacity as a challenge. Inching out of the shadows, his unconcealed contempt burrowed into you.

Leaning down, his words dripped with anticipation of you admitting your lack of faith. He spoke just above a whisper, “Tell me, what kind of God would bestow such hardships onto one as frail as yourself?”

With contorted lips, you failed to stop the tears from streaming down your face. Pressing your forehead against your laced fingers, you were tempted to fall victim to the seeds of doubt he was planting. “There must be someone out there who cares.”

Furrowing his brow, he huffed a bit at your self-pity. “The sooner you realize there isn’t, the happier you’ll be.”

Wiping the stinging sorrow from your eyes, you cautiously asked, “Why did you bring me here?”

Looking down his nose at you, he wondered that himself. “Why indeed.”

Risking a glance, you hastily averted your eyes. His golden orbs were burning into you with searing intensity. His sudden reach made you flinch. He paused briefly before fully extending his arm to the end table. With a soft clink, he retracted from you, yet his eyes held on, studying each subtlety you exuded.

“Drink it,” he commanded. However, his tone shifted slightly when your eyes held distrust. ‘It will help you feel better.”

Seeing as he wasn’t going anywhere until you downed the liquid he gave you, gulping it down left your tongue coated in bitterness. Pleased with your compliance, he allowed you time to rest, giving you some much needed solitude.

Once he left the room, your ears followed his footsteps through the wooden corridor. He hadn’t locked the door, though taking it upon yourself to leave felt more like bait if anything. Instead, you held tight, looking about the room you found yourself in.

With the muffled sounds echoing throughout the house, your curiosity got the better of you. The walls were cool to the touch, leading you to believe you were in the basement and although the room was seemingly empty, there were drawers in the disheveled desk.

Poking around, you dared to uncover any shred of who this man was. Stumbling upon a collection of documents, you unfastened the folder securing them. Thumbing through them carefully, the names of their faceless owners were becoming overwhelming. “Why would he have such papers within his home?” you muttered to yourself.

There were papers containing medical information, addresses, places they frequented, all of which were filling your head with the glaring truth as to who this man was.

Thuds traveled down the hall, alarming you that they were marching your way. Fumbling with the evidence stacked against him, you shoved them into the folder and quietly shut the drawer. Jumping on the sofa, you were just able to control your racing heartbeat in time for him to enter your dwellings.

Closing the door behind him, his gaze was fixated on you as he approached. Before he could get a word in, you spoke out against him holding you there. “When can I leave?”

Stopping in his tracks, he was less than pleased to be greeted with such an ungrateful attitude. “If you want to leave, there’s the door.”

“I can just go? You won’t stop me?” Your questions held your disbelief. When he nodded, something about the situation chilled you to your core.

Smirking at your hesitation, he asked, “What’s wrong?” Watching your eyes dart between the exit and him, he informed you, “There’s no trick, no trap.”

Smiling down at you - as unsettling as it was given the circumstances - gave you an ounce of courage to motion off the sofa.

“If you’re sure in your abilities to find your way back without any help or medication, then by all means, you have my word to let you go.”

The fact of the matter was you were in no position to go anywhere, and he wanted you to understand that. Pulling your knees to your chest, you rested your forehead against them.

With triumph wafting off of him, he glided towards you, requesting you to tilt your head up. He patted your knees, signaling you to put them down to allow him an easier time checking your vitals. Checking your eyes and pulse, his hands then wandered over the sides of your ribcage.

Inhaling sharply, he asked if the pressure hurt. Truth be told you weren’t quite sure if the gasp was brought on by pain or the sudden touch. Letting him know that there was a slight pain issued for more probing: his fingers pressed at the front and back of you in an attempt to find any other pockets of discomfort. When none were left, he leaned back to fully take in the marvel you were presenting yourself as.

With a slight nod, he whispered, “Good.” Getting up, he looked back at you. “If you’re in no hurry to leave, you can either spend the rest of your time down here or I can show you where the spare bedroom is.”

Despite his gracious offer to extend more of his home to you, the aura emitting from him gave you reason to proceed with caution.

When you absentmindedly bit your lower lip, he shrugged off your doubt. “Stay in this room, don’t stay in this room, it makes no difference to me.”

“No!” Your own burst of enthusiasm made you recoil. “I-I’d be grateful for a room.”

Ushering you to follow him, his chuckles trailed alongside the both of you. Reaching the top of the stairs, the lavish style all but took your breath away. The embroidery along the ceiling and the fine details on the furniture had you awe-struck.

“Who’d you have to kill to be able to afford all of this?”

“You’d be surprised how easy it is. Well, so long as you know how to play your cards right.”

Leading you to the door you’d be calling yours for the time being, he followed on your heels as you aimlessly sauntered into the room. A sense of pride swelled within him, while he watched you stand there mouth agape.

The ivory window sills complimented by the forest green curtains suited the cream-colored carpet and speckled bits of gold across the wallpaper. Sitting yourself down on the bed, comfort and serenity dispersed around you, having you pondering if you ever wanted to go back to your decrepit apartment.

Folding your hands in your lap, you looked at him with a sincere smile. “Thank you for letting me stay here.”

The gentleness to your demeanor pierced his once thought to be dead heart, reigniting the life lying dormant within it. In a meek attempt at hiding his contentment from your appreciation, a short nod was all you were issued as he swiftly left you alone with your thoughts.

Grinning, you threw yourself back on the clouds surrounding you. Being under the crushing weight of the world for as long as you had, there’d been little to dream about. However, this was the first moment in perhaps a decade or more when fresh air was allowed into your life, soothing your woes.

Such ease washed over you, their waves carrying you out to sea. Although the tide started out calm, the storm clouds on the horizon were cause for concern. The rough water crashed into your boat, forcing you to brace yourself against the oncoming malice.

Pouring rain blinded you to the tidal wave gaining speed in the distance. The full weight of it submerged you deep beneath sea level, forcing the air out of you on impact. As you thrashed your way towards the surface, your body gave out, going limp in the storm ridden waters.

Lifting your eyelids, you stirred under the covers. The streetlamps were shining through the crack between the curtains. Wiping the sleep from your eyes, you looked around for a clock. Carefully making your way down the steps, there appeared to be no sign of your host anywhere.

Stumbling around to the front windows, headlights bathed the parlor. Thinking it must be him, peeking out came instinctively. A long black latex trench coat was cloaked over him, his long hair partly matted to it after having fallen out of the ponytail it was thrown up in.

There was no denying who those uniforms belonged to—the repo men who stalked the streets. The nail in your coffin was being hammered in as he stepped across that threshold.

For a moment, he hadn’t even noticed you standing there. Taking his coat off gingerly so as not to loosen any missed droplets of blood onto the floor, your trembling form caught his attention.

“What are you doing awake?”

“I was just…I couldn’t sleep is all.”

Folding his coat over his arm, he sauntered across the arch way, keeping his eyes on you. “Shouldn’t you know it’s bad manners to snoop in your host’s home?”

“I wasn’t snooping, I promise!”

Him disappearing around the corner caused the hair on the back of your neck to rise. His footsteps were no longer audible and the still of the night was deafening.

“What are you most afraid of at this moment?” His voice seemed to be everywhere at once, leaving you feeling completely surrounded.

“I’m afraid of dying,” you choked out. With the room closing in on you, you were backed into the corner.

“And what is it that you want most of all?”

The tightening in your chest was making you dry heave from the stampede of terror trampling you. While you struggled to control your breath, you sank down to the floor. His stoic form stepped into the night’s rays peeking through, his golden eyes being illuminated by the cross light.

“I don’t want to think about the pain I’m feeling anymore.”

“Then why not let me lighten your load?” You showed a shred of reluctance, which invited him to kneel down by your side. “You can either accept my help and my conditions, or you can become another forgotten name lost to time.”

Offering you his hand, you saw no better option waiting for you, even if placing your faith in this man was contractual.

“Why did you help me?”

“It was a lapse in judgment.”

“But why do you continue to do so?”

He did not answer, only letting the air between you grow stale. You were being given the opportunity to interpret the nonsensical ways of his generosity, although this wouldn’t go without pitfalls of suspicion.

Looking at the hand he was still offering you, you threw caution to the wind and placed your hand in his. When your eyes met, a somewhat genuine smile stretched upon his face while he gently eased you up from the floor.

With the days and nights spent with him on seamless rotation, the unknown reason of him permitting you to stay with him burdened you. There were times that you wondered that perhaps the logic behind it was lost even to him. But the longer you remained with him, the more uneasy you got. Not understanding why, you were there left questions to build up in the darkest corners of your mind: “When could he lose interest?”, “What could make him lose interest?” and the grave reality of “What will happen to me if he loses interest?”

Dark clouds swirled above from the lack of clarity of where you stood with him. As bleak of motivation as it was, it made you contribute around the house, trying to add to whatever worth he originally saw in you, eventually leading him to taking you under his wing of professional guidance.

Despite the unwavering gratitude you had for him, being in his debt had hooked into your immortal soul. With the metal having sunk into your flesh, you were being brought down to the brimstone lined caverns where he was.

Through the anguish you kept secret from him, you persevered, allowing an unwanted yet natural talent you held to unearth itself.

As your lack-luster eyes fell on the fading life sprawled at your feet, he sensed you pulling away from the life you were building together on the backs of those who closely resembled yourself.

“Do not pity those who knew the risks, yet did nothing to prevent them. Time eats all his children in the end, my dear.” His words, albeit cruel, rang true. With each moment shared together, his disdain for the world and those in it wore off on you more and more.

Self-loathing emitted off of you and was misplaced onto him, souring the air. “I cannot help it, but when I look at you, I grow distasteful. The ruthlessness you cast is only seen as mercy to yourself.”

Taken aback by you bearing such a festering grudge against him - the man who’d shown you the utmost kindness - made him grind his teeth. Frowning at you, he spoke without having first collected his thoughts. “And yet here you are by my side. Here you are soaked in the blood of the less fortunate, and you have the gall to throw blame onto me?”

Closing the gap between you, his breath was hot against your ear. “You’ve willingly shredded any ounce of innocence you held over me long ago. Tread lightly, for you’re beginning to reek of self righteousness.” His warning lingered in your ears.

Maneuvering through this minefield was wearing on you. Caught up in your own self-indulgent pity party, you nearly missed glimmers of him being heavily affected by such barriers separating the two of you. Even if his demeanor was rigid and his stare cold, there was a sense of feeling isolated emanating around him.

He sat in his armchair, while he mulled over the precarious justification of having dragged you here all those months ago. Following your descent down the stairs, he drummed his fingers on his pursed lips, leading himself to believe this was to be your farewell to him.

Ignoring the daggers behind his eyes, you kept in mind that he was just as damaged by this world as you were. “I’ve come to apologize.”

Cautiously lowering his guard, you’d piqued his interest. “I see how my behavior has been unjustifiably disgraceful towards you and the second chance you gave me.”

Seeing his eyes wandering over you, you proceeded. “You’ve helped me understand that in this world, one must take center stage and you can either steal the spotlight or fade into the background.”

Choking back the rising emotion, you divulged your soul to him, “I don’t want to fade with the others.”

“You won’t have to.” Easing out of his chair, he opened his arms to you. Holding each other tightly, it dawned on you that this was the first embrace you ever shared.

While his hands caressed your emotionally drained form, your frets were plucked out of you, leaving behind tranquility. “This feels nice,” you admitted in a hushed tone.

Humming at the comfort you found in his touch, such affection was surreal for the life he led. As your arms wrapped around him, he smirked at the resolution to the issues you shared. Looking up at him, his thumb stroked your cheek. His words carried such delicacy, “I trust this means you have no intention of leaving me?”

“I’ll stay for as long as you’ll have me.”

“Two souls deemed undesirable by society.” Leaning down, his lips briefly ghosted yours. “What better match could I have asked for?” Sealing your union with a long-overdue kiss, any lingering doubts of who you thought you were supposed to be dissipated. The ash of your former self, along with your prior morals, circled you as your kiss deepened. Collecting at your feet, you paid them no mind.

The man who’d brought forth a new perspective on this dreary world captivated you. Together you would stay in the spotlight, sharing it as you danced under its beam. Your devotion to each other would keep the shadows at bay, for your adoration would outlast their persistent attempts at tearing you down with the others who were being forgotten to time.

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wangxianficfinder · 9 months

Text

In the mood for...

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1. For the next ITMF, do you know of any fics with Lan Xichen with more of a spine, being less naive/more astute? His absolute trust in JGY drives me up the wall sometimes, so I'd like fics where he sees through him, for once. @kitsileya

i told you when i came i was a stranger by Caramelized (M, 50k, OFC/LXC, minor WangXian, Isekai, Transmigration, Fix-It, Canon Divergence, Amateur cartography, Butterfly Effect, Sunshot Campaign, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, No Golden Core Transfer, Dimension Travel, Politics, LXC the politician, Self-Insert, Foreknowledge, Angst with a Happy Ending) for #1 the closest I can think of it "i told you when i came i was a stranger" by Caramelized it's isekai, but it's extremely well-done. one of those fics i reread a lot. lxc needs some help to see through the deceit, but he gets there in the end, and learns something from it. idk if it's exactly what the asker is after but no one else seems to have provided anything so I thought I'd at least offer it

A Little Fall of Rain by Just_a_Girl_in_a_Crystal (T, 47k, WIP, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Canon Temporary Character Death, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, Grief/Mourning, Angst with a Happy Ending, Jiang siblings, Fix-It, Golden Core Reveal, Protective LXC, Protective LQR) heavy angst

crack in the mirror by the_pretzel (T, 59k, WIP, WangXian, Reincarnation, Royalty, Transmigration, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Murder, Mutual Pining, based on a manhwa, Mystery, court intrigue, Assassination Attempt(s), Assassination Plot(s)) AU - he does keep supporting jgy for a while but believes lwj and then decides for himself

The blame game by apathyinreverie (T, 13k, WangXian, Fix-It, Time Travel, mainly just lxc getting his brother the husband he has wanted since they were teenagers, this time without the years of mourning, also lxc wants his adorable nephew back, LXC time travels, Canon Divergence, Possessive LWJ, Oblivious WWX, Fluff, Siblings, Romance, Golden Core Reveal, kind of, Golden Core Fix-It) here he has the benefit of time travel so idk if this is what OP is going for

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2. itmf fics where wei ying dies in qiongqi dao? thanks! ♡ @darlingjunebug

End Racism in the OTW | The Fire Lapping Up the Creek by notevenyou (E, 66k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Hurt/Comfort, Injury Recovery, Blood, Respiratory Illness, Major Illness, Fever, Grief/Mourning, Angst with a Happy Ending, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Hunger and food scarcity, Surgery, Fix-It of Sorts) Technically WWX doesn't actually die, but he is assumed dead, so you get LWJ going a lil mad with grief & the sects reacting as if he's dead

in this place where we don't have a prayer by Cerusee, Mikkeneko (T, 42k, XuanLi, WangXian, ChengQing)

Looking at You Always, All Ways by Keysmashed (T, 29k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Time Travel Fix-It, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Nostalgia, Subtly Assertive LWJ, very mild angst, Angst with a Happy Ending)

Troublesome Lotus by orphan_account (G, 20k, WangXian, Female WWX, Gender Changes, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Unplanned Pregnancy, Miscarriage, LSZ is LWJ and WWX's Child, Baby LSZ, Non-Graphic Rape/Non-Con, Pregnancy, Pregnant WWX, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, Childbirth, WWX dies in Qiongqi Path, Implied Sexual Content, Parent WWX, Good Parent WWX, Single Parent WWX, Sad Ending) if you dont mind reading fem!WWX

The world was wide enough for the both of us by Moonlit_dewdrops (T, 5k, JC & WWX, Time Travel, Not A Fix-It, Grief/Mourning, Guilt, Hurt No Comfort, Ambush at Qióngqí Path, Blood and Injury, Heavy Angst, Golden Core Reveal, JZX lives but someone else dies instead...)

ius in bello by Lise (T, 2k, Yunmeng Siblings, Canon Divergence, Tearjerker, Sad Ending, Heavy Angst, Grief/Mourning, Not A Fix-It, POV JC, podfic available)

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3. hello! thankyou all for your hard work. for the next ITMF, please suggest fics where: a) modern sick wwx, b) a-yuan is wwx and lwj's son but lwj know it some years after like wwx hid it or smth, it can be modern or not. c) good underrated tags that i can explore later. thankyou!

3A)

A Grand Immortal Made Me Soup by s6115 (G, 5k, JC & WWX, wangxian, canon divergence, Immortal JC, Immortal LWJ, Immortality, Yunmeng Duo Days, Twin Prides of Yúnmèng Feels, JC & WWX Reconciliation, JC used his immortality to grow and mature, WWX finally reincarnates and the immortal JC isn't going to fail this time, JYL's Pork Rib and Lotus Root Soup, Good Sibling JC)

the soft animal of your body by sysrae (T, 15k, WangXian, Modern with Magic, modern cultivation, Golden Core Reveal, Hurt/Comfort, Whump, Animal Transformation, Shapeshifting, Sort Of, Getting Together, Confessions)

Grace and a tender hand by feyburner (T, 4k, wangxian, modern, First Date, Sickfic, Hurt/Comfort, Misunderstandings, Fluff)

3B)

Nothing but your heart by airinshaw (E, 21k, WangXian, Modern AU, A/B/O Dynamics, Implied Mpreg, First Time, Getting Together, Angst and Drama, Angst with a Happy Ending, Anal Sex, Whump, Breeding Kink)

Family Pictures (Or: “Mark Rothko is very, very dead, Wei Ying.”) by belleweather (M, 37k, wangxian, modern, Kid Fic, Post Mpreg, Cindarella Story, Mistaken Identity, Mistaken for Being in a Relationship, LWJ doesn’t know how to express feelings except with his checkbook, WWX is strangely okay with that, art conservator LWJ, idiot WWX (he gets better slowly), shockingly little actual sex omg what happened to me?, fake/mistaken cheating, no actual infidelity, I apologize to Mark Rothko and Julian Baumgartner)

3C)

agree about the personal preference thing! i feel like the novel has big themes of (found) family, so occasionally i like to go through the tag and stuff like yiling sibs, lsz&wwx, jl&wwx etc etc. also i thing the "disabled character/wwx" fics are pretty underrated? because sometimes they're not found in the tag sadly

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4. Hi! I was wondering if any of you knew of fics that portray the confession scene from LWJ's POV? Ideally, I would like for fics to portray both parts (outside and inside the temple). If not, I would prefer it if the fic had its focus on the part inside the temple @blueghost13

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5. Hiii hope y'all are doing well! For today's itmf fics where wwx and lwj are trying to solve crimes. (any type works but thriller and/or horror would be amazing)? They can work together or meet and have to work together to figure it out, anything works really but I'd have a preference for detectives kinda stuff! @rkivees

medium blues by darkterrible (E, 193k, WangXian, Modern AU, Horror, Spooky, Opposites Attract, Fluff and Angst, Gore, Ghosts, Necromancy, Mojo’s post)

once upon a time, 很久很久以前 by gentil-minou (Flyingsuits) (M, 23k, wangxian, LSZ & WWX, LSZ & LWJ, Modern, Canon Divergence, Transmigration, of the townwide variety, Amnesia, of the nearly everyone variety, Mystery, of the shenanigans variety, Not Everyone Dies au, WWX Has Self-Esteem Issues, wwx is sad and down bad, Single Parent LWJ, except a-yuan runs away to find his other dad, Fluff and Angst, Slow Burn, oh no by god this cant be happening to me, WIP) this is my WIP and there's a murder mystery and a curse that wangxian work together to solve, though they're both more like amateur detectives here. That part is still being set up, however.

~*~

6. Hello, do you know any fics where the guanine temple incident goes wrong and somehow people end up hating wwx again, including lwj. I want an angst adventure fic to cry.

~*~

7. Hello!! I hope you're doing well! I am in mood of angst and heart wrecking wangxian fics to feel emotions.... do you have any suggestions: where wangxian break up/divorce, misunderstandings, arguments or/and similar stuffs? Thank you very much... I will appreciate it so much 😭😭

The Right to Care by travelingneuritis (E, 61k, WangXian, Modern AU, Mood Whiplash, musician LWJ, nanny wwx, Developing Relationship, Breakup, Texting, Pining, Eventual Happy Ending, Adoption, Child Abuse, abuse intervention, Miscommunication)

you'll always know me by ana_cp (E, 127k, wangxian, modern, Actor WWX, Teacher LWJ, Getting Back Together, Exes to Lovers, Angst with a Happy Ending, LWJ being cute with children alert, WWX rides a motorcycle, LWJ writes as a hobby, ALL THE GOOD THINGS, Back hugs as a love language, Sharing Food as a Love Language)

🧡 Life as a House by Terri Botta (Isilwath) (T, 55k, WangXian, Modern AU, Post-Divorce, Father-Son Relationship, Reconciliation, Therapy, Angst with a happy ending)

Tempo Rubato by Spodumene (E, 107k, WangXian, Modern AU, Angst with a Happy Ending, Romance, Persuasion au, Separations, Mutual Pining, Depression, Miscommunication, Emotional Roller Coaster, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Reconciliation, Eventual Smut, Jane Austen Fusion, Underage Kissing)

Dirty Little Secret by ilip13 (E, 67k, Wangxian, modern, Angst with a Happy Ending, Unreliable Narrator, Post-Break Up, Friends with benefits / Exes with benefits / Fuck-buddies, Implied Cheating, Also possibly some cheating kink, Self-Worth Issues, WWX is strong with the self-hatred here, trigger warning: suicide and mental illness (background of minor character), Graduate Students, Liberal use of the word 'fuck', Semi-Nonlinear Storytelling)

~*~

8. Hello hello! It's been a while since I asked for fanfics buuuut I came back :D. Anyways, for I'm In The Mood For, can I ask for some "Freak for Freak" wangxian?

Thaaaaank youuuuu~~

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9. hello! thank you very much for your work! i was hoping if you know fics about how LWJ reacted or the scenes surrounding LWJ realizing that MXY is WWX after playing their song?

thank you very much! @cuddlemehun

~*~

10. this has probably been done before, but i want to ask nonetheless. i'm in the mood for a fic where lwj is married to (preferably dark) yllz in exchange for something. dubcon is okay. thank you :)

💖 love, in fire and blood by cicer (E, 360k, wangxian, immortal WWX, slow burn, pining, arranged marriages)

~*~

11. Hello! I don't actually have a specific fic to request for but I'm wondering if you can recommend or know of any fics where WWX is chubby?

All the fics I read describes WWX as desirably slim and I'm kind of thinking, is there any out there where he's meaty and cuddly?

leave all your love and your longing behind by ScarlettStorm (E, 143k, WangXian, Modern AU, no magic, Meet-Ugly, Panic Attacks, autistic lwj, neurodivergent wwx, the neighborhood asshole dog, if you've met one then you know, Hurt/Comfort, Pining, Minor Angst, major shenanigans, Happy Ending, for everyone including the asshole dog, Eventual Smut, switch rights, Sex Toys, horny yearning, Masturbation) This is one of my favourites, WWX has had previous food insecurity but he and LWJ now both appreciate his current level of chub

~*~

12. Hi hello! I saw some people asking for fics where married wangxian fight like a married couple, kinda soft, but I was wondering if there are some where they fight for real? Like not necessarily physical (but could be), but I mean where they disagree with something very important and fundamentally can't agree. The kind of fight from before, but after. With happy ending of course, just lots of angst first hhahaha Could involve Sizhui for extra angsty points. thank you! @alexwilltellyouthings

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13. Hi. For the next ITMF could you recommend any fics where LWJ gets hurt protecting WWX and him feeling guilty (or just getting hurt for whatever reason but with WWX still blaming himself somehow /maybe even others blaming him too)? I've read Traveling in shadows, chasing your light by MusicMe_tc, it was amazing, so I'd love to read sth similar. Also I'd prefer finished works. Thank you @castielle711

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14. ITMF silent/quiet Wei Wuxian

❤️ whipstitch by curiositykilled (M, 131k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Dysfunctional Family, Torture, WWX Lives, but basically no one else, Case Fic, Cultivation Sect Politics, Past Abuse, WWX Whump, YL WWX, JL Needs a Hug, JL Tries, Yunmeng Bro Reconciliation, Past Character Death, Body Horror, Non-Consensual Body Modification, POV Alternating, Flashbacks, Eventual Happy Ending, Heavy Angst, Suicide Attempt, PTSD, Depression, Not A Fix-It, Mouth Sewn Shut) he has his lips stitched shut

can consider looking through the mute wwx tag on ao3

I am sorry for taking your voice by misterfish (G, 9k, WWX/OMC, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Hurt WWX, Remorse LWJ, Mute WWX, not Jiāng Family friendly, Past Child Abuse, WIP) Also, this is technically alr in the tag but I want to specifically rec

🧡 rain falls and soaks into the earth series by RoseThorne (T, 53k, WangXian, WIP, Near Death Experience, Attempt Drowning, Madam Yu Bashing, Recovery, No war AU)

~*~

15. goodday! recently ive been rereading lots of fics and i feel like ive read all of i think the goods one (more like 25% completed, 50% ongoing, 25% ghosted).

i dont know if this is for ficfinder or itmf, i just want a suggestion from u'all, what tags should i explore more? or maybe you can recommend some fic? i already explored/read the compilation list here. ive been looking for underrated tags in ao3 but lots of them are ghosted. i feel like my request is kinda hard but thank you!

it really depends on your preference but I'd say start with your fave fics and follow the tags. Sometimes you can also check out the author's bookmarks for their fave fics as well. I'd also recommend checking out the wangxian fic recs blog! Alsp dont just search by kudos!!! This fandom has so many hidden gems. Id recommend making limited searches like within a certain time or even just going to a random page and checking out what you might like!

it might be helpful to only look for completed fics in ao3 :)

~*~

16. Hi! I am in the mood for fics where Wei Ying is compelled to tell the truth via a spell or talisman, so secrets come out sooner than in canon. I have read sooooo many fics where WY is dragged before a conference and accused of stuff and no one believes what he says and for once I want him to tell the truth and for everyone to know he is telling the truth and then I want the dramatic reaction from everyone around who know that WY cannot lie right now. Ya know? Thanks so much!

After Truth Lies the Honest Path by Vrishchika (M, 10k, WIP, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Truth Serum, Angry WWX, Post-Sunshot Campaign, Mild Angst, WangXian Get a Happy Ending, Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Getting Together)

Silence Like a Cancer Grows by julomaiboulomai (M, 12k, Yunmeng Siblings, LXC & WWX, truth curse, Suicidal Thoughts, Canon Divergence, Whump, Hurt/Comfort, Dissociation, WWX Needs a Hug, Golden Core Reveal, Hopeful Ending) not a conference

~*~

17. i would very much love some recs of wwx being the spouse of a sect leader! like, wangxian is awesome for acting SL/chief cultivator lwj but i'd like specifically ppl HAVING to respect him for his position at least if they're not gonna do it for his genius and kindness. mingxian/ruoxian/xixian or idk other ships also welcome 🌸 if E-rated, please canon wwx dynamics! thank you! ❤️

~*~

If you didn’t get an answer to your ask here, don’t forget to make use of @mdzs-kinkmeme and MDZS KINK MEME on Dreamwidth. Authors actually do use them for ideas. You may get what you order!***Your prompt doesn’t have to be kink! Fluff, crack, whatever - it’s all good!***

#wangxian #mdzs #wangxian fic recs #i'm in the mood for a fic #the untamed #wangxian fic search #wangxianficfinder #long post

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lieutenant-teach · 3 months

Text

Post fix-it (Anakin doesn’t go Dark and fulfills the prophecy, clones get civil rights, everyone is happy or on the way to it). Cody speaks about problems concerning clones’ and his own appearance. Hurt\comfort, romance, discussion of sexual harassment.

Only a couple of months ago Cody wouldn’t believe if anyone told him that the war would be over, and the Clone Rights Bill would pass. Yes, a lot of work is needed to be done – settling cadets and shinies saved from Kamino, helping the Jedi get back into ‘diplomatic’ style, figuring out what the veterans want to do with their lives – but right now Cody is content and doesn’t think about it. At least, he tries. Obi-Wan is sitting right next to him in a cozy loveseat, in front of the cracking fire, leaning into him and reading some news on his holopad. Cody promised himself that he won’t speak about heavy topics at night – they both have had enough during the daytime, and Obi-Wan needs some rest after he and other Jedi rummaged through Sith artifacts they found hidden by Palpatine.

But a couple of thoughts, doubts are nagging in the back of Cody’s mind.

And Obi-Wan must have felt it, because he closes the pad and turns to him.

Cody raises an eyebrow in a lame attempt to avert the attention.

– What is bothering you, my dear? – Concern is written all over his face, and Cody hates it.

– Nothing serious. Just some stupid thoughts, not important.

– Which are so not important that your uneasy emotions emanate all around?

Cody remembers how hurt Obi-Wan was after discovering all the lies Anakin Skywalker had been hiding through several years – from negative emotions like fear and jealousy to secret marriage to murder of the whole Tusken tribe. Now he knows Cody’s also hiding something… Of course, it’s nothing as bad as it was with Skywalker, but the fact remains.

– Well, sir… Obi-Wan, - Cody’s still not used to calling him familiarly. He shifts a little bit facing him fully. – I’ve heard some brothers mentioning that before, and, frankly, I still don’t know what is the right way to react and what to do.

Obi-Wan furrows eyebrows, but listen attentively, and more concern bleeds into his eyes. And Cody hasn’t even told yet what actually happened.

– They weren’t complaining per se, just confused. They say when they come out onto the streets, sometimes, I guess, some not very polite strangers – some natborns comment on them. You know… appearance. Call them pretty or handsome or attractive while not being asked for any kind of such compliments. And… I suppose, we are attractive to some, though it’s hard to tell when you see your face every day and you don’t even need a mirror, - Cody lets out a small self-deprecating smile, but Obi-Wan only furrows further. – They’re confused – during the war we also walked around sometimes without our buckets on, but no one reacted like that. No one noticed any attractiveness. But now, as we’re still in the centre of attention, now suddenly they see us.

Obi-Wan opens the mouth, but Cody isn’t finished yet:

– Today I was walking to my workshop to complete these wooden porg toys for younglings, when someone stopped me and started flirting with me. – He feels uneasy even thinking about it. He’s never felt so awkward before. Not even after he kissed Obi-Wan for the first time and then started mulling over – maybe, he was kissing badly, maybe, he had a bad breath – and not even when after this his former General began reassuring him everything was fine. No, it was a feeling similar to when after several years with the Jedi respecting them and teaching self-worth he looked back on their collective life on Kamino. They were created for the Republic. Units to serve. To be used and discarded. But then the Jedi insisted that they’re not units, but people. Everyone deserves respect. And they were mistreated both by the Kaminoans and the Senate. It was impossible to even start realizing that it shouldn’t have been like that. How must they react now to the previous treatment they’ve got used to? Especially these days, when they’re recognized as sentients? Quite often they were never seen at all or as furniture at best. But now they are at last considered, called pretty, so it is good, right? But why does it feel wrong? – And it felt wrong. I was looked at, admired for my physic, but I wasn’t seen at all. It doesn’t make sense, right? – Cody chuckles self-deprecatingly again, feeling stupid for not being able to figure out his own emotions.

– It does. – Obi-Wan sighs. – First you’re not seen at all, now you’re seen as beautiful dolls. Two sides of the same coin. It shall take time for the general public to realize fully that you have the same rights of respect as anyone else. And it does make sense you do not feel good when called like that, especially when not asked for any kind of such attention. I think I shall talk to Healer Che and Knight Secura about it, maybe Master Tapal also – they can organize something for the Brothers, some lessons specifically about such situations. Mace should know, too – I think about political implications of addressing such attitude…

– Isn’t it too much? Overreacting? – Cody doesn’t want any trouble for both his brothers or the Jedi. Catches Obi-Wan’s somber gaze and deflates: - I guess it’s not. Thank you for bothering.

– Not bothering, it’s serious, - Obi-Wan’s eyes are immensely sad now. – I’m so sorry it happens to you all. Thanks for telling me.

One boulder is off Cody’s shoulders.

– But there’s something else, right?

– Yeah, it’s more personal… and really stupid, - Cody hesitates, then tugs his shirt, pulls it over his head and throws on the floor. Rolls his shoulders, straightening his back: - Who do you see?

Obi-Wan is obviously taken aback – both by question and by Cody’s actions. As they haven’t been that intimate. Taking time, not hurrying into naked business. So Obi-Wan hasn’t seen him shirtless… in romantic context, let’s say.

Cody likes the way his General’s… former General’s gaze wanders over him – quickly, not wanting to be intrusive. But clearly interested. But the doubt – unreasonable, as he tries to convince himself – rots all the joy.

– I see you. Why do you ask?

– Don’t you think about… Jango Fett?

Obi-Wan looks offended.

– I’m his clone, I look the same, and you’d met him long before you met me, - Cody prods with some masochistic insistence. – You’ve told me I’m different in the Force. But our outwards are identical.

Obi-Wan sighs and takes his hand gently.

- Will you believe me if I say I haven’t thought about him in what – three years? I never ever seen not a tiniest bit of Jango Fett in any of you. The Force signature, shall I say, impacts how we, the Force-sensitives, especially the trained ones, perceive the world…

– But do you find me… handsome? – Cody interrupts him – he knows what Obi-Wan’s is trying to tell him. He’s heard it before – “You feel steady and warm, like a sun”. He never expected sex issues to be so complicated, he thinks to himself.

– I do, - Obi-Wan sounds as if he’s saying a vow. – Cody, I have no intention to be insensitive, but do you presume that when I’m with you, I imagine… Rex instead of you? Or Waxer? Or literally any of your brothers?

The idea is the most moronic ever, despite Obi-Wan’s serious voice. Cody even laughs:

– Course, not! – he catches the idea his Jedi is conveying and lets the other boulder fall. He smiles warmly, feeling easy: - I hate being beaten by my own logic.

– I know it may be hard for you, darling, - Obi-Wan starts and then smiles back. Cody knows he feels the change in his emotions, because the concern on his face fades away. For now, at least. – Well, Cody…

– Yes? – Cody is alert, as per usual. Obi-Wan blushes and ducks his head a little bit – Cody finds it adorable. – What is it, sir? – he teases, flashing a flirty smile. He already suspects what he’ll be asked about, and it feels gloriously absolutely opposite to what happened this day.

– Would you allow me to touch you? – Obi-Wan doesn’t look confident – obviously remembers Cody’s not nice experience too. – Of course, the fact you took off your shirt doesn’t oblige you to agree, and it was rude of me to assume you’d enjoy hearing that, especially after today’s unfortunate experience…

– I want it, - Cody doesn’t intent for Obi-Wan to feel as if he did something wrong. Because he didn’t.

Obi-Wan slowly stretches his hand and lays it on Cody’s chest. The touch is gentle and warm, very careful. His heart is fluttering, and there’s a funny feeling in the stomach – intensified by the intimacy of the situation.

Cody cannot take his eyes off Obi-Wan’s face, mesmerized by love written all over it.

– You’re beautiful, - the hand slowly slides lower, on his belly, tracing tense muscles. – Dear, you are beautiful, - finger pads move up, circling chest muscles, brushing the nipple – the latter causes a tremor of pleasant vulnerability in Cody. The hand travels over his shoulder, mapping every inch of skin.

Cody presses his hand to Obi-Wan’s cheek – the beard scratches, but he likes it. Then he lowers it and touches the hem of his Jedi’s shirt, looking questioningly into his eyes. He’s not sure if he oversteps the boundaries – maybe, Obi-Wan is not ready to go this far as Cody is.

– How can anyone say no to these puppy eyes? – Obi-Wan laughs quietly. – Not that I ever wanted, - he raises his arms, allowing Cody to take the shirt off and throw it away to his own.

Cody wants to have a look, but he only catches fair skin before Obi-Wan throws his arms around Cody’s neck, presses himself into him and plants a long and really nice kiss on lips. Cody isn’t stupid to complain about it – especially when he hugs him back, feels warmth and lean muscles under his palms, heat of chest and stomach against his own. And he moves closer, exploring Obi-Wan’s back, taking in all scars – his heart squeezes with ‘there could have been no scars, if not this karking war’. He interrupts the kiss only to press his lips to the shoulder sprayed with faint freckles. He feels like he’ll explode of tenderness. Feels Obi-Wan caressing his shoulder blades and neck, kissing his temple.

– It’s all right, darling, it’s all right, - the Jedi murmurs into his ear, practically cradling him. Cody doesn’t like the somber in his voice, so he uses his weight to tackle Obi-Wan down into the loveseat. Hears delighted chuckle into his ear and grins, shifting himself to look into his eyes. Then leans for a kiss, and the initiative is met with vigour.

#star wars #codywan #clones #fanfiction #my fic #fanfic #jedi #pro jedi

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mixelation · 5 days

Note

What does the working relationship with hiruzen and Minato look like after the Tori murder attempt (seems like being an anbu in hiruzens office whenever they have to talk after it would be the most stressful thing)

excellent question. i'm not sure how i want to develop it exactly, but minato's overall character arc is that he doesn't actually like spending time in konoha. hiraishin means he can just go anywhere he wants, and there's more exciting places out there. he prefers being on missions, and the people he might go to konoha to spend time with are largely also on missions. in canon he'd have his romance with kushina to keep him tied to konoha, but in async they're instead close friends and his wifeguy energies are directed at your local semi-nomadic scam artist. so he's already sort of divorced from konoha as a place

leading up to the murder attempt, hiruzen first attempts to get him in line by giving him a genin team (minato enjoys this) and then when he doesn't get in line, starts overworking him. tori interprets this as "konoha is trying to kill you, idiot" but minato is like "noooo they just need meeeee" and TBH it's a little of both. the tori murder attempt makes his view of konoha leadership sours & he's more inclined to believe tori's hypothesis

i think maybe the murder attempt makes more sense if the plan was to frame someone else. at first i was thinking it'd be a "be more obedient, bc we can and WILL take away your loved ones" type of message, but i'm not actually sure that move makes..... sense? the genin are pretty expendable people that minato has imprinted on, so they could be used against him, but also you have to be VERY confident you've read Minato's personality right and you're not about to make a missing-nin. so maybe the plan was instead to murder tori and then make it seem like some other ninja did it, in order to pull a "you see why you need to dedicate yourself more to konoha?" kind of move. either way, they get caught immediately

i want the murder attempt to be a major ideological turning point for minato, but i'm not sure what his short term move would be because i think he'd be hesitant to actually abandon konoha (or more specifically, his team, kushina, jiraiya). i might kill his old genin teammates to help shift his mood without killing anyone the readers actually care about. also part of his character arc is he just defers more and more to tori's plans so TBH he might just do what tori tells him*

tori: okay hear me out. this is what i would do in this situation. just go back to konoha and act like nothing happened. it will drive them insane but they can't say anything to you without admitting what they did. and you can keep your little genin team

jiraiya: that is a terrible idea

minato: no, no. i like this. tell me more

*minato doesn't just do what she says for the sake of doing what she says. however he does slowly join the tori logic train and is like "but this plan makes sense--"

#asynchronicity #toriverse

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baldurs-gate-official · 9 months

Text

Ok I just need to vent for a sec because I finished my Romanced/non-ascended Astarion run and gosh

As someone who suffers from severe PTSD... this means a lot to me. I've seen so many characters in media with PTSD where the condition isn't taken seriously/written poorly, or the only 'happy ending' they get is death.

But this... This is nice. The life I've lived is abnormal. I don't talk about it much because most people either wouldn't believe it, or might feel bad just for hearing it. I've survived torture, starvation, attempted murder, and I'm only just coming out of a lifetime of that. I was trapped for ages. Years. So many years. It's made it hard to trust people, or feel genuinely cared for. And being able to play a character on the other side of that, as someone confronted with a person traumatized and tasting freedom for the first time... and being able to help them, despite the difficulties, and get them to a place of safety and happiness is... I don't even know what word to use. It makes me feel hopeful, in a way. Seen. Understood a little.

And his reaction to freedom and safety! While it's not exactly like my own, it's so close. And I've never seen that feeling represented before. Safety is terrifying! Trusting people is terrifying! It feels impossible to believe anyone would genuinely stick with you while you work it all out.

When you go through a life of trauma, there's no such thing as safety. You get so used to the danger that going without it is the most terrifying thing in the world. Your brain and body can't comprehend that there isn't a threat. Before I escaped my situation, I knew there was always danger. I was always prepared for it, I was used to it, and knew how to tell when and how I needed to react. Being scared is familiar. It's a crutch, almost. The fear keeps you alert and alive. But... when the source of that fear is gone, you're left with this horrible feeling that the danger hasn't passed - you just can't see where it's coming from or what shape it'll take.

It's numbing. But a weird numbness. You flip between that and deep periods of, 'Oh fuck oh god, all of that really happened and now I have to pick up the pieces and live with it'.

Seeing someone else going through that, and being able to say the things I wish someone would tell me (and not even realize I needed to hear it until after) feels so good in the most aching way possible.

And the Cazador scene! There's one part at the start that hits so hard:

That last line is everything I wish I could say to my own parents. I was punished for everything. Anything I did was an excuse to hurt me, even something as simple as showing an emotion or reacting to the pain. But when I escaped it all, and my father tried to pull me back, he tried to frame it like he'd done it all for my own good. That I was the one at fault, and failed despite his best efforts to 'help' me.

I wish I had the courage to yell those words at him, instead of trying to keep peace and make myself meek. "Fuck you and fuck everything you've ever done to me". I feel that in my soul. I want to scream it at him until my lungs hurt and I can't breathe.

And his ending... He can't stay in the sun anymore. It hurts him. It'll affect him for the rest of his life. But he has someone who cares for him, who will stay with him despite that, who doesn't view it as a hindrance. I can't even describe how that makes me feel. I have wounds from what was done to me that will never truly heal, and until now I've always thought of it as a flaw that would make me unlovable. As odd as it is... Him not being able to go in the sun makes it an even happier ending for me? Yes, it hurts and it sucks. But... He's not alone. Part of him believes you'll leave him now that he's confined to the shadows. Proving him wrong feels like a final affirmation that, yes, you're really staying with him. It's real, and he won't be alone. Everything will be okay, despite the pain.

Anyways thanks for coming to my traumadump. I really wish Larian would give us more opportunities to hug Astarion.

#BG3 #baldur's gate 3 #Astarion #traumadump #CW PTSD and Abuse #Also #And I have some incredible friends and social workers helping me get through it #I'll be ok. This is the best I've ever been #if you have questions I don't mind answering #it feels good to talk about tbh. and if I can keep people from worrying I will #q

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the-hole-in-terzos-shoe · 1 year

Text

Premier Amour

Terzo x Fem!Reader

TW: smut, running away, murder, blood, pregnancy

Word Count: 18.4k

Medieval Terzo is finally here!!!! I've been working on this for.... A month now? I've lost track, but I'm stoked to share it with you.

I'm not a historian and also it's just like a fantasy AU so I'm sorry if there's historical inaccuracies, especially around religion, marriage, ceremonies, language, geography, the feudal system, whatevs. I'm no William Shakespeare 😂 just let me have my cliche romance in peace. But if there's anything I can improve, please let me know, I love to learn things ❤️

This is the Terzo I picture for most of the story. And this is one of my Cavaliere Terzo inspo arts!

"What a beautiful pendant," you admire the metal work that the local silver smith has on display in the little bazaar in the middle of town.

"Ah, yes, that's one of my favorites. Beautiful emerald, innit?" the merchant engages with you.

"Sì, it would look bellissima on la signora," a stranger interrupts. You turn to see him, just taller than you, dressed in a black linen cloak, removing the hood from his ear length raven black hair. He looks quite pale to be from Italy, but his accent is too accurate for him not to be. His bare face, clean of facial hair indicates that he might only be a little older than you; his dimples on his cheeks and chin are strong, and he look quite handsome. And his heavy black brows give him a natural scowl over his… mismatched eyes?

Your eyes lock with his, "Yes," you practically whisper, "thank you, sir."

He closes the space between you, his rugged riding boots scraping across the gravel beneath his feet. The mysterious man holds out his hand, and you offer him yours without a second thought. Something about him is so alluring. His eyes flutter closed as he presses his lips to your knuckles, and when they open again, there's something fiery in his gaze. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance, bella mia."

And just like that, he's gone, off into the crowd like nothing happened. You exchange a look with the shop owner, both equally shocked by the encounter. After that, you decide maybe it's time to head back home for the day.

You quickly stop by the local baker's tent to grab a few pastries and fruits for the journey back, but as you walk on the outskirts of the bazaar towards the trail you always take, an arm slips itself under yours, hand gripping tightly against your sensitive skin. Whimpering, you try to pull away from whoever is, when you hear that Italian accent ringing in your ear again, "Don't scream. Act normally if you want to live." His other hand slides around your waist and leads you off the trail and into the trees, deep into the thick of the woods.

"What do you want from me?" You finally question him once out of earshot of the marketplace, fire and frustration building in your belly. Jerking your arm away from him only for his grip to return a second later, he turns you, pinning your back against a tree, making you drop your fabric wrapped goods. "Hey!" you yell at him.

"𝘏𝘶𝘴𝘩!" he commands of you.

"Why should I?!" You attempt to garner anyone's attention.

You hear the unmistakable sound of metal being unsheathed before feeling the cold blade against your throat. It got you to shut up, eyes wide with horror. "You're not who you pretend to be, dolce mia."

"W-what do you mean?" you mutter, his face only inches from yours.

"You traipse around like some common little girl from town, but I see the way you hold yourself: proud, but taught to be like a delicate flower. Exactly the way they want you to be to find a suitor."

"On what grounds do you make these assumptions?" His remark had hit you right where it hurt, as if he could read you like a book, and you were angry again.

"The silk petticoat peaking from under your skirt… Commoners can't afford silk."

You couldn't believe he would talk about your undergarments with such a smug look on his face. "It was a gift! My family saved up for quite some time for it!"

He lowers his eyes to your chest, lewdly raising his eyebrows as his finger traces down the center of your cleavage, hooking on the outer layer of your dress and pulling outward just an inch or two. "Did they save up for the matching corset, too, bella mia?"

You stare at him in shock, wanting to strike him down, but also feeling an unfamiliar kind of heat coiling up inside you. Attempting to push him away with your free hand, he snatches your wrist, hiking it above your head and pinning it to the tree, the knife still pressed against your neck.

"If you're going to try to dress like a commoner, I would suggest making certain your disguise is more… thorough," he says pointedly. "So, who are you then? The daughter of… Hmm, a lord? High up land owner?" He inquisitively watches your body language, knowing you won't admit to anything. "Is daddy a lawyer? No? An ambassador? Politician?"

Nothing from you, only persed lips and furrowed brows.

"Ahhh, dare I say it? I must have some lady of the high court under my steel blade." His joke isn't funny to you, so you just keep staring him down, "Perhaps a handmaiden? No… She wouldn't want to escape. But who would? Someone who's never known anything different than the silver spoon…" It's like he's playing with his dinner before devouring it. "You must be la principessa."

You cut your eyes away from him, and he knows he's got you.

"There she is, la principessa, just wanting a taste of the world around her," he teases you.

"What do you want from me?" You cut your eyes back at him.

"Just one thing," he moves impossibly closer to you. "A kiss… da quella tua dolce bocca." (A kiss… From that sweet mouth of yours.)

His eyes glance down at his prize, and you know there's no stopping him. At first contact, his plump lips are surprisingly soft against yours. He moves slowly, giving you several pecks, not unlike the ones you'd experienced while being chaperoned around with your suitors.

That's when he presses his chin to yours, and your mouths drop open together. You feel his hot breath on your face before his mouth closes around yours possessively, tongue demanding entrance. You let out a soft whimper and your tongue dances with his much more skilled one. The knife drops to the ground and is quickly replaced by his fingers massaging over the skin roughly. His other hand leaves yours to scandalously claw at your waist, urging your body closer to his, and your hand falls from the tree to tangle in the base of his hair. Your other hand explores his firm chest, desperately pushing past his cloak to feel him through less layers.

In a matter of seconds, he's turned you into some sort of harlot, abandoning all of your knowledge from finishing school, making your legs weak as he sucks on your bottom lip. Suddenly, his fingers squeeze around your windpipe, but not in a way that would hurt you, rather it draws a lengthy moan from you.

Feeling intoxicated by his presence and the lack of air, you pull away from him, resting your head in the crook of his neck and leaning against his chest, trying to catch your breath. Both of your hands relax on his warm torso, his arms now wrapped around you protectively. You dare to glance up at him, and you're met with his soft gaze staring down at you, still getting used to that strange white eye.

"Who are you?" you whisper to him.

He chuckles deeply, "Your salvation… But for now, you can call me Terzo."

You aren't sure what that answer meant, but you decide to try out his name on your tongue.

Out of the corner of your eye, you see a silver chain dangling on one of his fingers: the emerald pendant from earlier. You stand up straight, putting a bit of space between your bodies.

"Think of me when you wear it, sì?" He commands more than asks, as he latches the clasp around your neck. Your fingers feel the precious stone on your chest, while Terzo bends down to gather your pastries and his knife.

He hands the tied up package to you and makes a move to walk away.

"Wait-" you stop him. You lean up on your toes and give one one last sweet and lingering kiss. "Will I see you again?"

"Sì, do not worry, tesoro," he places his lips to your forehead then disappears into the woods.

• •

You wake that night after seeing flashes of him in your dreams, and you're warmer than normal. The heat between your legs pools stronger than you've ever felt before. The pulsing of your blood so strong, it almost feels like someone is touching you there.

Squeezing your thighs together, you try to sit up and ignore it, opening your window to let in the cool night air.

"…touch…" It's like a whisper in the wind. Your hand rests at your pelvis, balling your night gown up, fighting the sensation between your legs, like a slow, languid stroke back and forth, just enough to make you want more. But you shouldn't. It's debaucherous to even speak of these things in the little bubble that is the castle you live in, let alone to partake.

Another whisper, "please yourself for me, bella mia…" You must be losing your mind. 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘢𝘮 𝘐 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘸?

You look around, seeing everything in your room is as usual, but the aching in your core grows stronger. You feel your blood rapidly filling the area. Ever-so-gently, you grind against the sheet beneath you, and feel immediate relief at the sensation. "Ah…"

You crave more, need it even. Grabbing a pillow and shoving it under your weight; you rock your hips back and forth, toes curling as your fingers come to rest on the emerald pendant once again. You notice it glowing and nearly vibrating with energy.

"Yesss, cara, just like that," you hear him again, intoxicating you.

You rip off your night gown, leaving you bare under the moonlight as you soak the plush fabric that scrapes against your folds.

From his campsite deep in the woods, Terzo sits on his knees in a position similar to yours as his hand works over his hardened member, teasing at his own tip to drag him closer to that precipice he enjoys so much. "Touch yourself, dolce mia, please," he begs into the open air.

Back in your room, you follow his command, fingers diving between folds you'd never explored before. Upon finding a little bundle of nerves that's quite pleasing, you cry out in pleasure. Flicking over the spot again and again has the most euphoric feeling building in your pelvis.

Terzo holds both hands out in front of him, balled up onto fist for his cock to push in and out of, wishing it were you. His jaw hangs slack at the thought. "Will you come for me, tesoro?"

For the first time you address him, unsure if he's able to hear you, unsure if this is even real, "I- I think I am…" Your fingers work faster chasing that feeling higher and higher when crash! You feel the shockwave over take you, your fingers flying from beneath you to brace yourself on the windowsill. "Terzo!!!!" you scream his name out the window as your climax rips through your body for the first time.

Hands pumping fast, Terzo spills his seed all over the ground before him, cock twitching and sending long white streams through the air. He chuckles to himself, as he's pretty sure he heard your scream echo through the woods.

• •

Days passed and he was the only thought on your mind. You were careful to only wear his pendant in the night so no one would question where it came from, but also so whatever 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 was wouldn't happen again in the broad daylight. You weren't completely sure the pendant had anything to do with it, but best to be safe.

Your father, the king, had you meeting with more suitors. You were past the age that you should be married; you should probably even have a couple babes by now, but perhaps you were progressive minded in thinking that you weren't just some livestock to be sold off for breeding.

The more time passed, and the more kisses that you had to share with these boys--Terzo kissed you like a man should, like a lover would--well, they all paled in comparison to it, and frankly you were starting to miss him. Although, no doubt, you feel insane for missing a man that held you at knife point just to give you a kiss… The best kiss of your life.

As you wait in the garden for the next suitor to come along, you figured you'd spend an hour with him, then onto the next--𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘮.

You stare at the man before you like you'd just seen a ghost.

"Ma'am, this is Marquis Lucien Sauveterre," the chaperone announces.

Terzo takes your hand and kisses your knuckles just as he had in the bazaar that day. "C'est un plaisir de faire votre connaissance, ma belle." (Pleasure to make your acquaintance, beautiful.)

Your head is spinning.

"Merci," he hands the chaperone some gold coins, and waves them off.

"What are doing here!!?" you whisper shout at Terzo once the chaperone returns back inside. "𝘓𝘶𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯 𝘚𝘢𝘶𝘷𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘦…" you mock the fake name you'd been given, rolling your eyes.

That devious smirk pulls at his lips. He was dressed much nicer today, as were you; clearly he was hiding some sort of noble background as well.

"How have you been, mia principessa? Did you enjoy yourself a few nights ago?"

Your eyes dart up to his, and he looks you over as if he knows what you look like naked. 𝘔𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴… 𝘐'𝘮 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵.

"Anyway, I won't be bothering you long. I came to deliver a message: there's a big tree with a nice canopy in the middle of a wheat farmer's field not far from here, do you know the one?"

You nod your head; you go there to read sometimes.

"Meet me there tomorrow, sì? I'll be waiting for you." His hand cups your cheek and he kisses you quickly, a tease compared to what you know those lips can do. "I think about you every day, too, cara mia. I can't get you off my mind, but you knew that would happen when you kissed me the way you did," he guilts you with a grin.

"I believe you were the one who kissed me, sir. Held me up with a knife for it," you sass him.

You hear a low groan near your ear followed by, "Let me taste you once more, principessa."

With that, your lips crash into his with a fire to rival your previous encounter.

"Brava ragazza," he compliments you, breathless, "So responsive for me."

You blush at his praises.

"Now, when I leave here, you're to act like you despised me. You want nothing to do with me or my people ever again, sì? And then I'll see you when the sun rises again." He gives you a wink and another kiss on the forehead before leaving you to face more of your stupid suitors.

• •

The next day, you dress in your common clothes again, you hadn't yet acquired a cotton petticoat or linen corset.

You slip out of one of the back gates, letting your handmaiden know you were going to the bazaar again. And heaven knows you don't know what possessed you, but you didn't wear anything except your thigh high stockings under your petticoat.

"How did things go with your papà?" Terzo asks, languidly laid out on his side under your reading tree.

"Well…" you sit next to him crossing your arms and propping them on your knees, feeling the cool breeze rush up your skirt. "No more French suitors," you coyly reply.

He bursts out a short laugh, leaning up to sit closer to you, "Mia principessa was convincing then. Eccellente." Terzo kisses your temple.

"Terzo," you address him directly.

"Hm?"

"Who are you? I know your name, but I don't know anything else. The thought of you drives me wild, don't you think I deserve to know you at least a little bit? You clearly know a lot about me."

"Sì, sì, you are right," he holds your face in his hands, admiring all the little details as if committing them to memory. "I cannot tell you who I am or what I do. You must believe me when I say this is for your own safety."

You think on it for a moment, chewing your lip. "At least tell me something about yourself. Something not many others know."

"Let's see… I like meeting with beautiful women in secret," he giggles and kisses you.

"Terzo…" You search his two toned eyes.

"Okie dokie, tesoro. I like to partake in the company of beautiful people; I don't enjoy waking up alone. I'm sure it's obvious that I'm far away from home, and that's because I'm in search of something to take back with me. And I write music; sometimes you might catch me at the pubs singing for others."

Yes, it was cryptic, but you felt like he was as honest as he could be.

"Hmmm… What's your favorite flower?" you question him.

"White roses."

"And what do you think of before you go to sleep?"

"Home."

"What is home like?"

"Old, but it's full of life," a genuine smile comes to his face at the thought.

"Thank you…" you whisper to him.

"For what, bella mia?"

"Honesty. Your honesty," you lean forward, giving him a chaste kiss.

His fingers weave into your hair, urging you to lean your head back, where he then starts peppering kisses across the soft skin of your jaw and neck. You think kissing him has to be your favorite thing in the world.

Your arms find a cozy spot on his waist so you can let him work on you. Traveling towards your shoulder, Terzo's fingertips slip your sleeve from your shoulder, exposing more skin to him. He leaves a playful nip at the end of your collarbone, earning a squeak from you.

Hands find his shoulder blades, scratching at his black tunic as he lays you back on the grass, hand cradling your head. His legs tangle with yours while his mouth worships the cleavage spilling from your dress.

With your fingers threaded in his raven colored hair, you pull his attention back to you, wanting his mouth on yours. As he situates himself above you, his hand hooks your knee on his hip. When that same hand starts to creep up your thigh under your petticoat, you feel something hard start to press against your pelvis.

Fighting every want in your body, you put a hand on his, stopping him. "We shouldn't…" Embarrassment washes over you. "I just, it's- I'm supposed to be pure for when I get married."

"Cara, you do not owe me an explanation. If you don't want to, then we don't, sì?" He sits you both up, looking you right in the eyes to let you know he means it.

You lean into his chest for a hug, and he pulls you into his lap, leaning back against the large shady tree. "I hate it… The future of my father's kingdom depends on me remaining untouched. All of it for a man I won't want to marry."

"Don't say that, dolcezza, you may meet someone and really love them." He tries to encourage you. "Besides, your virginity shouldn't matter to anyone, especially not some man. It doesn't matter to me."

"It doesn't?"

"No, of course not. It's just some foolish ideal of the Christian church to keep women controlled." You were a little taken aback, surprised at his progressive thinking and at his blatant dismissal of the church that your father was a conduit for.

"Well, I still don't think I'll find any suitor that I love," you look down at his chest, trying to find the words, "not when you're the one who occupies my heart."

"Don't say that, principessa…" he says as if the wind has just been knocked out if his chest. "You deserve someone much nicer than I."

"Nicer? I don't want nice. All of those stupid suitors are nothing but nice! I want passion, the fire that I feel with you, I- I want 𝘺𝘰𝘶. And you make me feel CRAZY for it! I hardly know you, yet you're all I think about. When I wake up in the morning I long for you to be there; when I try to sleep at night, I want you in my arms."

In that moment, he knew he'd found what he'd been searching for, the thing to take home with him: you.

Looking down at the emerald worn proudly on your chest for him, he admits his feelings, "Ti amo, principessa." No one had ever wormed their way into his heart as fast as you had. He still had much to reveal to you, and he couldn't wait to be open with you, but he knew he had to get you somewhere safe before that could happen.

You give him a few short kisses before standing up in front of him. After kicking off your shoes, you work the laces on your dress with expert fingers, loosening them and letting the linen fabric as well as your silk petticoat fall to ground around you.

Terzo stares up at you, drinking in the sight of your soft thighs hugged by the plush white stockings, your bare sex, and the curve of your waist that your corset forced onto you.

"Make love to me," you ask of him, biting your lip.

He stands up on his knees, approaching you to wrap his hands around the back of your thighs, and sucking a lovebite to your hipbone. "I would love nothing more, bella mia."

While looking up at you, he delicately kisses your inner thigh, right next to your core, making sure you're still okay with everything before placing a sloppy open mouthed kiss to your folds.

It's unlike anything you've ever felt before. It's wet and it's hot and it feels like heaven. 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘻𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥… Without realizing, your hands tangled in his hair, pulling harshly and drawing a moan from the man beneath you.

"Oh goodness, I'm sorry if I hurt you…" You let go of him.

He opens his eyes to look at you through his lashes, "You're not going to hurt me." He takes your hand and puts it back on his head before going back to work, flicking his tongue happily over your clit.

Within seconds, your legs are shaking from him having total control over the bundle of nerves. "T-Terz-zo…" you stutter out.

He stops what he's doing and takes your hand in his, "Do you need to lie down, amore?"

You nod at him, and he helps you onto your back, but not before spreading his cloak out on the grass for you. Terzo picks your thighs up, squeezing tightly so your feet rest on his back, before getting right back to work. And with his next move, he has you seeing stars. His lips surround your clit and suck on it harshly, making you mewl for him to keep going.

He drops one of your thighs to tease your entrance with a finger, pressing in lightly to test the waters.

"Mmm! More!" you command.

With that, he slides a little deeper, slowly curling his finger over and over again, his mouth still sucking on you in just the right way.

"I- ah, Terzo, I'm-" your face is scrunched with pleasure as your orgasm reaches you.

Terzo can help but think about how fun this will be with you so sensitive as he helps you through it. After a few minutes, he sits up, still keeping that finger in you, working you slowly.

"Ready for another one, tesoro?" he asks.

"Another what?" you inquire innocently. He holds up his free hand and wiggles his digits. "Oh! Um, yes, please."

He slides out, slicking up his second finger and gingerly going back in. "You cum very easily," he states like it's the most casual thing in the world.

Feeling the stretch of his two fingers, you reply, "I do?" Being filled like this is completely foreign to you; it may take some getting used to.

He nods his head with a half smile, "It's cute."

"Oh," you feel heat come to your cheeks, and it's not from lust.

"Don't be ashamed, cara mia. I enjoy making you cum, and I'll make you do it again, and again, and again." He thrusts his fingers in time with his words to make his point.

You whimper at his motions, and he lays down next to you to make out with you yet again. Legs lifting in the air showing how needy you are for his fingers inside you, the feeling of his digits curling has that fire in your belly burn smoldering.

Hungrily, you start to toy with his tunic, needing to see more of him. "Terzo…"

His eyes find yours, the sun peeking through the canopy of the tree catching his pale face so beautifully. His hair is all messed up, falling over his eyes, irises blown wide with lust even in the bright daylight.

You reach out, fumbling with his hardness through his pants. "I need you," you pant out. In your mind, you knew there was no going back after this, but there was no stopping you either. Your desire for him was stronger than anything you'd ever felt.

He pulls his fingers from you, popping them right into his mouth; he wouldn't want to waste it after all. Next, his tunic flies off, pulled over his head hastily, exposing his chest, belly, and shoulders to you. Curious fingertips take in the expanse of skin, only serving to make you want more. He works at the ties on his trousers, fidgeting with the knot.

"Here, let me," you sit up, nimble fingers making quick work of it, just like your dress.

Seeing him lain bare is like a work of art; one that belongs in a museum for centuries to come. The long legs, the curve of his hip as he lays on his side, the hungry look in his eyes…

"Your turn," he whispers before pouncing on you, undoing the snaps on your corset before discarding it. Flipped on your back yet again with your lover atop you, his mouth explores your newly uncovered breasts. "Bellissima…" he grumbles against your chest.

With your legs wrapped around his hips, you pull him down so he's flush against you.

"Impatient, principessa," he kisses a trail up your neck to your jaw, "Always getting what she wants." He kisses you once on the lips, leaving you wanting more, "It will be no different with me; I'll give you everything your heart desires." And with that his lips meet with your again, soft at first before shifting back into the passionate rhythm you normally share.

Fingernails claw at his hips, still in desperate need to feel him inside you. As if reading your mind, his hand guides his hot girth through your slick folds, collecting every drop. He lets out a shaky breath and bites his lip, "Are you ready, tesoro?"

Already keening at the feeling, half from lust and half from anticipation, you nod your head fervently, "Yes! Yes, Terzo."

Not wanting to make you wait another second, he rocks his hips forward in a small motion, just pushing in a tiny bit. Terzo watches your face intently, waiting for any sign that he should stop. Slowly, he pulls back and slides right back in, a little deeper this time, "Bene?" he whispers to you.

"Mm-hmm," you confirm, getting used to the way he fills you.

He kisses your cheek with a hand on your hip to keep you still. As he starts going deeper, your face scrunches up, and he stops instantly, searching your face for what to do next.

"Just stay still for a moment," you caress his cheek, "It feels so good, I just need a moment." You feel his cock twitch inside you, making you realize how much he must be restraining himself to make you comfortable. You nod your head again, "Move," you demand.

Terzo doesn't hesitate, languidly pushing and pulling his hips, not even concerned with trying to go further for fear of hurting you. He lets out a soft groan at the pleasure washing over him.

"Deeper, I want to feel all of you," your hand snakes up between his shoulder blades lightly scratching.

He lifts his eyebrows as if to ask if you're sure, and you nod once again. With that, he adjusts his body to get back on his hands above you and makes sure your legs are properly wrapped around his hips; you even hook your ankles together so you don't go anywhere.

The change in angle alone feels wonderful, but when he thrusts into you solidly one time, you feel him sheath his himself into you fully. You gasp out at feeling his full length, the burn of it quickly melting away as he moves excitedly against you.

He stays on his hands for just a few more pulses of his hips before falling to his elbows so he can caress your form. "How is that, piccolina?"

"S-so good," you stammer.

"Sei così bella," (You look beautiful,) he pants hotly into your ear as his hand glides down the side of your body to grip your ass. His head nuzzles into the crook of your shoulder as he moans out his satisfaction.

Peaking over his shoulder, you watch his body move on top of yours: knees spread and toes digging into the ground to keep close to you, hips bouncing showing off the delicious curve of his ass and hip bone. It was a sight you could easily get used to.

Suddenly you feel another wave of pleasure creeping up on you, "Ohhh, Terzo…" you drag out his name.

"Sì, vieni per me, amore," (Yes, cum for me, love,) he grunts. You're not entirely sure what he's saying, but all it takes is a few strokes of his fingers on your center to have your tight wet heat clenching around his cock. "Sì, sì, bellissima, così bella…" (Yes, yes, very beautiful, so beautiful…)

You whine for him, hardly feeling like you're on planet earth anymore as you come undone at his hands. Things slow down for a brief period, as your lover lets you cool down from your high; he presses soft kisses to your collarbone as you stare up at the leaves in the tree.

Next, you certainly don't know what came over you, but you were pushing him up and to the side, and Terzo reacts quickly, holding your hips tight to him as he's rolled into his back. He looks genuinely impressed with that move as you instinctively begin to ride him, hands clutching his chest as you lift your hips and drop them.

The man beneath you helps guide you with a strong hand, and his other finds your throat again, squeezing lightly at your windpipe. You let out a small moan of anticipation at his actions. "Not quite yet, tesoro," he winks at you.

"Ughh," you groan only half frustrated. Legs more tired than you'd anticipated, you start sliding yourself back and forth rather than up and down, and it's pays off more than you would've expected as his length continuously grazes over that spot his fingers found earlier. It has that now familiar feeling building back up again, and you furrow your brow and bite your lips trying to stave it off.

"Don't fight it, cara mia, trova il tuo piacere con me…" (Find your pleasure with me…) And of course, as he promised, his hand returns to your neck, squeezing just the right way to make your head feel lighter than air. It only serves to heighten the sensations you feel and sends you toppling over in your release, literally.

Terzo holds you close as you crash down on top of him, cunt encircling his hard lust so deliciously. He cries out as his release explodes inside you, your name the only word on his lips, which is pretty impressive for a guy who knows at least two languages and never shuts up.

You can feel the warm liquid filling you; it makes you squirm on top of him. Returning the many kisses from earlier, you take your turn to adorn his pale skin with your love, as you both hold each other tightly.

Rolling off of him with shaky thighs, you bundle up in his large cloak as best you can, feeling more exposed now than before; it would certainly need to be cleaned later. He drags you right back over to him, cuddling you to his chest and kissing the top of your head. "Dolce mia, you could bring the Devil to his knees," he remarks, still catching his breath.

You look at him like he'd just said the most scandalous thing you'd ever heard, perhaps it was the most scandalous thing you'd ever heard, and he laughs heartily from his chest. A small giggle escapes you, and you offer him some of the cloak cuddle under with you. "You're gonna have to teach me all those Italian phrases, although maybe I don't wanna know what they mean," you blush at him, making him laugh again.

His lips find yours in a loving kiss, "There will be plenty of time for that, amore mio."

• •

The next time you see him, you have a ring on your finger and tears in your eyes.

"Stellina, you must dry your eyes. I can't stand to see you like this," he pulls you into a hug, his cloak wrapping around you once again; it always smells so much like him.

You had made a regular routine of meeting near the bazaar or under the reading tree every few days, whenever you weren't seeing suitors. Much to your dismay, the courting was over since your father selected a fiancé for you.

"Come, sit with me," Terzo whispers to you. He sits with his back against the tree and you in his lap, another habit you'd fallen into together in the short time you'd known one another. "Tell me what happened, cara mia."

"He was tired of waiting…" you sob, and Terzo knew you were referring to the king. "He said I was making the kingdom wait too long, and since relations between his and Lord Vogel's lands haven't been ideal lately, he's betrothed me to the man's son! I'm nothing more than a chess pawn to him!" You lean against your lover's chest, letting the tears flow.

"Amore, you are so much more than a simple pawn," he kisses your head, running his fingers through your hair repeatedly.

You sit up, looking in Terzo's eyes and cupping his cheek. "I don't want to marry him. For me, there is only you. I would give it all away if it meant I could have my life with you."

"Tesoro… Don't say that. You love your father, you're committed to your kingdom." How he wished he could whisk you away, but deep down he would feel so guilty for taking you away from everything you'd ever known.

"I do love my family, but I haven't been happy, not since I was first made to start seeing suitors. I know everyone thinks I'm just some stupid girl, but nothing has shown me the corruption of royalty and the blasphemous use of religion to play their little games better than being courted. They play games with people's lives, even the ones in their own homes!" You pound your fist against his chest and he clasps it in his, "Is that why you left your home? It makes me want to leave mine."

"No, cara mia. My home isn't like this. Everyone is accepted for who they wish to be, and everyone has the freedom to leave if they'd like. Even those in the royal blood line," Terzo explains.

"So you're from a kingdom too?" you ask.

"Eh, of sorts, but we don't call it that."

"I've never heard of a place like that. Sounds wonderful," you look down, wringing your hands together, fidgeting with your new ring. "Say, have you found the thing you're supposed to return home with yet?" you ask, referring to the first bit of information he ever told you about himself.

"Sì, I have, Stellina," he pets your hair lightly, playing with the ends.

"Well, then why haven't you gone back?" You look up at his mismatched eyes, the ones you never get tired of looking into.

"Because, ah… I found something here that feels like home, amore," he puts his hand over your heart, indicating that he's talking about you.

You put your hand over his, "Do you think… Could I be accepted where you're from?"

"Sì, we accept all, tesoro, no matter their background."

"Would you take me there?" you whisper.

Your lover diverts his eyes and remains silent.

"Terzo?"

Turning his eyes back to you, he has a painted expression on his face, like he's completely torn about what to do. "I fear you would feel like not more than a caged bird there, as well."

"Would I not be allowed to be with you?" you worry out loud.

"No, tesoro, we'll be together. I would never let anything take you from me," he takes your hand in his.

"If we stay here, my father will take me from you. I'll be sent off to another land and made to have someone else's babes," you remind him.

He leans his head back on the reading tree, sighing a deep breath, "I'd like to give you the choice, cara, but you have to know what you'll be involved with."

"Okay."

"I'll have to forgo some details, because it won't be safe for you should you decide not to return with me, but know that I will tell you everything when I can," he warns.

"I trust you, Terzo."

He takes in another breath, nervous that what he has to say will scare you away. "I'm to be the figurehead of a covert organization," the language sounded very practiced, not like how he usually speaks, "We seek out those who desire acceptance, freedom from the systems around them, an escape from corruption. When I return, I'll be expected to take a partner, just as you face, Stellina. Which is why I set out in search of love," he starts to sound more like himself again. "Cara, should you return with me, I'd like you to be mine. I know it would feel like you're trading one arranged marriage for another…"

His words make you realize just how similar you are, how he faced the same issue you did, and how despite it, you still found one another. "Amore," you try the new language on your tongue, "you're not only offering me a choice, you're offering me liberation… What was it you said so confidently in the woods that day? That you would be my salvation? Well, then… Free me."

That fire in your eyes had come back to him, the thing he loves most about you; you may be a princess, but you had some real fight in you. "Anything for you, principessa."

You chatted for the rest of the afternoon; what looked like casual talk between lovers was really planning and plotting for how he would get you out of the city, away from civilization, and slip quietly across the country side back to Italy.

"When do we leave?" you ask him with a warm smile. You straddle his lap now, fiddling with the edges of his cloak.

"Not for a few days, cara. You'll need a horse. I'll have to trade for one." He twirls your hair on his finger.

"We have horses at the castle, I could just take one," you offer.

"No, if they come looking for you, which they will, they would recognize one of their own horses, sì?"

"They would," you look down, feeling dumb for the suggestion.

He scoops your chin in his hand and kisses your nose. "It pains me to say it, tesoro, but you will have to cut your hair. Anyone could recognize your beauty."

"It will grow back," you bite your lip playfully and lean your forehead on his. "Hmm, what's this?" you ask, slipping a piece of paper from the lining of the cloak.

For a moment, he stiffens up like he wants to take it away from you, but he decides to let you read it… Except it's all in Italian.

"What does it say?" You look at him with innocence.

He takes the paper from you and clears his throat:

"Alessandro,

The halls of the abbey haven't been the same without your spirited presence. We wish you home soon, but no one understands more than I how you need this time away. The world is much bigger than we may know, especially in our little fortress here at home. Some may never find the love that you so desperately desire, but I will pray every day that I see you not return to these grounds until you have it. It will pain me not to see you each and every day, not to hold you close to me even though it makes you squirm for freedom, but this is a journey you must make for yourself and for your future love.

Your mother, Felìcita"

He's not sure why he felt compelled to share it with you, but he felt there was no need to hide anymore.

"And this letter is yours? I thought your name was Terzo?"

"Sì," he huffs a small laugh at you, "it is. Terzo is one of my names, but Alessandro is my birth name. No one calls me that except mia madre." He smiles foldly thinking of her.

"Oh," you pause for a moment, taking in all the little details you'd just learned about him and where he comes from. You can't help but imagine his mother as a loving and caring woman, something you hadn't known since losing yours. "Alessandro," You lock eyes with one another at the use of his name. "Ti amo… Is that how you say it?"

He smiles broadly, giving you a quick kiss, "Sì, I love you too, principessa."

• •

The task at hand is simple: sneak out of the castle just like you do all the time, even a few times at night, but now it was for forever. There would be no returning.

You scan your suite one final time, silently thanking the walls for harboring you and all the feelings you'd cried, screamed, punched into them over the years. Of all the places in the castle, this was your favorite; however, it was also the place that kept you hidden away from the rest of the world.

Sliding your engagement ring off of your finger, you leave it on the bedside table. It would be obvious that you ran away, no signs of struggle, just a bird free from the cage. You clasp the pendant Terzo had given you around your neck, immediately feeling his energy wash over you. Whatever he had done to that necklace, you couldn't explain.

Finally, slipping into your darkest cloak, a deep maroon, and picking up the bag of things you'd need: warm layers, extra riding shoes, and your mom's bracelet that she'd worn on her wedding day to your father. Quickly taking a peek out of your high up window, you see a few guards on rotation, some look asleep, others just wandering around. You had rested up as much as you could the last few days, knowing you had a long night ahead of you.

Taking a few pebbles from a small plant you had in your room and shoving them in your pocket, you close the window and leave the room, not only locking the door behind you, but breaking the key off in the keyhole. The longer it took for them to see you were gone, the better.

Sneaking down staircases and through back corridors seemingly lost to time, you made it to your usual back door. Cracking it open slowly, you scan to see where the guards are: none in sight, and your exit gate is just a few paces away. Stepping out into the cool night, you hear two guards chatting around the corner. Hiding behind a stack of barrels, you launch a couple of pebbles in their direction, and they ping off of a watering trough nearby.

As expected, it grabs their attention and they saunter over, completely unaware of your presence. Taking your opportunity, you quietly run over to the gate, flipping the latch as silently as possible and squeezing out, opening it only a little. Once on the other side, you try to even out your nervous breathing and quietly click the latch closed.

You take one last look up at the castle before turning to walk away; you had to walk while still in earshot of the palace, but once you are far away, your feet start to fly, carrying you fast and hard toward your lover. Holding the pendant against your chest, you feel his pride swelter in your chest.

Breathing hard as you run past the farmer's wheat field, you nod a final goodbye to the reading tree, warm memories of the spot flashing in your mind. You make your way towards town, near the bazaar was a tavern where Terzo would be waiting for you.

Perfect timing too, as the raven haired man exits the bar, you approach, stopping near the brothel by the stables. A few ladies of the night wait around to draw in what would be their pay for the evening, and one of them compliments how pretty you are.

"Alrighty, fellas, it's time for me to call it a night," he says to the two guys on either side of him, all hanging onto one another drunk. He spots you and gives you a wink.

"Planning to sneak off and bed one of the harlots over there?" one of the guys jabs at his side.

"Sì, sì, I think I've got my eyes on one," Terzo chuckles.

"Aye, hopefully she's good," the other guy says as your lover separates himself from them, making his way over to you.

"Oh, she is," he mumbles to himself.

As he approaches you, swiping a hand through your hair and tickling your chin, one of the bar guys calls out, "Aye!!! That don't look like no common whore." 𝘚𝘩𝘪𝘵. They were onto you; perhaps your disguises weren't as good as you thought.

Hesitating for a second and looking at Terzo with wide eyes, you jump right to action, bending over and lifting your skirt, gathering the fabric to show off your leg. You unhook a couple of garter clips, sliding one of your stockings down exposing the flesh of your thigh and giving the man before you the most sultry bedroom eyes you could muster.

Terzo responds with a low whistle and a shit eating grin, waving the other guys off before leading you back behind the brothel. You try to hide the giggle that works its way out of you, "I'm not sure what came over me, I just thought it was the best way to get them off our trail," you excitedly explain as Terzo presses you up against the wall, lips crashing into yours.

His body pressed tight against yours, giving anyone that might still see you the impression that he wanted to give off. "Brava ragazza, bella mia, I think you fooled them all," he praises you hotly in your ear.

Your fingers tangle in his black locks, and you attack his lips again. "Tutto per te, amore mio," (All for you, my love,) you tell him, you'd stolen a book from the kingdom's library to practice your Italian, but don't worry, you made sure to put it back before you left, not leaving any trace as to where you would be going.

Terzo growls against your lips, frustrated he can't take you right here and now. Once he's sure those guys went back inside the pub, he drags you by the hand over to his horse--a gorgeous midnight black. Lifting you by the hips, he sits you up on the horse's back, who lets out a huff. "Oh hush, bella ragazza, it's only for a little while," he scolds the horse playfully, giving her nose a scratch.

As Terzo hoists himself up on the animal, you catch the eye of the lady that complimented you earlier. She holds a questioning look on her face, so you throw a finger over your lips, silently asking her to keep your secret. She nods slowly at you, waving her ornate fan a few times in front of her face, a signal telling you to go while you can.

You nudge your lover's side, telling him it's time, and you cling to him tightly, riding side saddle in front of him, as he whips the reins, and you disappear into the woods.

• •

The first few days of travel would be the hardest. A few miles into the woods, Terzo would meet up with the horse he'd found for you, a beautiful dappled stallion, and from there you would ride separately. You would ride through the whole first night; it's important to make as much distance as possible as early into the trip as you can, because it will mean more distance between you and the knights that search for you.

You will catch naps and food as often as you can, but you will move almost constantly through small towns, fields, woods for about two to three days. When you get your first real break, setting up camp deep in some forest, Terzo will cut your hair and bury it, leaving no trace of your locks; he will also rub some dirt in your hair in an effort to change the color and texture even if only a little. And then you will move some more.

Everything went exactly as your lover told you it would. You were tired, exhausted really, from lack of sleep, having to take shifts to listen for danger, when all you really wanted was to hold him close and drift off. The smell wasn't great; you certainly weren't used to spending extended time like this outdoors with no bath. But you are happy.

Happy to be free from a marriage you didn't want. Happy to be by Alessandro's side; you'd really grown to understand one another well, especially when you are having to survive the elements and possible danger lurking at every corner.

"Alessandro, look! A stream!" you chirp happily, riding horse back, sun spilling through the trees

The use of his name made his lips quirk upward; he liked that you'd made a habit of it. "Sì, we should refill our cannisters," he points out.

"It looks so nice, amore, deep enough to step in. Do you think we could stop just for a quick bath?" Your eyes beg him.

As much as he didn't want to waste a moment in your escape, he knew it would make you feel better. He nods his head and leads the horses over to the running water.

Within seconds, you're dismounted and shedding layers of fabric. It was a nice warm day, and you planned on soaking it in, at least for the little while that you could before heading out again.

Terzo chuckles at you as you stand in your undergarments before him.

"Coming in, lover boy?" you tease, unsnapping the top few buttons on your corset, squeezing your cleavage together nicely.

"I shouldn't," he looks you up and down, biting his lip to hide his mirth.

"Oh, but you should. You smell just as much as I. Together we're probably worse than that horse's ass," you throw over your shoulder as you disrobe the last of your clothes, and stepping into the stream.

Terzo watches you candidly, as he refills your drinking water supply. Watching as your wet, naked body glistens and sparkles in the sun.

You dip your head in the water, fingers struggling to get used to the shorter length of your hair as you loosen the clay that tangles your locks. Terzo will insist on reapplying it, but for now, it's nice to let your hair down, so to speak.

Speaking of the sneaky bastard, he'd already slipped out of his clothes and was joining you for a quick dip. "Mmm, hello, cara mia," he greets you, wrapping his arms around your frame, bringing you close to him.

"I thought you weren't coming in," you whisper jokingly.

"You know I can't resist you like this, principessa," he kisses your cheek and ear a few times.

"I hardly feel like a princess like this," you cringe.

"You will always be my princess, all mine." Slowly you kiss one another. You hadn't had much time for romance since running away, so it felt incredibly intimate being able to kiss him so languidly. He holds your jaw so delicately, as your hands rinse the cool water over his strong chest.

As his thumb teases at your throat, you let out a small moan. He feels your breath on his face and he gently pries your mouth open to allow his tongue access. Gently, hands roam and caress one another, reveling in feeling one another's bodies as you hadn't been able to in days.

"Cara," Terzo sighs, pressing his hardening length against your hip. It was pretty incredible how you went from such a timid little thing to confidently handling your lover's desire as your palm strokes him, making him rut up into your cupped hand. Fingers dip between your folds, indicating his need to satiate you as well.

Touch starved, it wouldn't take long for either of you; the last time you'd made love was days before your escape from the castle.

The raven haired man lifts one of your thighs up to his hip and then removes his hand from your core to start lining his throbbing member up with your entrance.

"Oh, please, Ale… You always feel so good," you praise him and a soft blush comes to his cheeks. "Did you like that, huh?" You ask as you feel him press into you, "Like when I compliment you, pretty boy?"

His duotoned eyes flash up to yours, lips curling into a smile despite his jaw dropping open at the feeling of your walls flush around his burning lust for you. He nods his head, wanting to hear more. He holds you tightly to him as his hips buck up into your heat, needy for your body and your affections.

"You're so sweet, my Alessandro, oh- ahhh! Your cock feels perfect inside me," you continue.

He grunts softly, letting his head fall to the crook of your neck as he rolls one of your nipples between his thumb and index finger.

With a hand under his chin, you lift his face, "Look at me, handsome."

He bites his lips before pressing them to yours in a heated make out. Your fingers tangle in his unruly locks, and he angles you back slightly, looking to thrust deeper into your delicate walls.

Finding just the right spot, you know you'll be done in seconds. "Touch me Ale, make me feel like a goddess the way you always do," you choke out, fingers pulling at his hair and scratching vicious red lines across the pale skin of his back.

He quickly obliges, making sure to pay special attention to your clit, sending you right into your climax. "Ah!" you cry out, cunt clinching around his swollen desire. A few more pumps and he's filling you with ropes of his seed.

You hold him tightly as you ride out your orgasm, panting out, "See what you do to me, amore? That should be the biggest compliment of all."

He gives you a coy look, "Sì, I do enjoy making you come undone," his confident self returning.

"And you're so good at it," you kiss the tip of his nose, as he slips out of you, shivering at the loss of your warmth, especially in the cool stream flowing around you.

You both take time to dote over one another, washing every inch and savoring the moment before you'll have to be on the move again.

"I could never have done this without you, Terzo," you ponder as you rub his shoulder blades.

"Hm?" he spins around in the water to face you.

"All of it. Running away, traveling south through the woods, living outdoors. I never would've had the courage to do that without you."

His face flushes at your praises again, though this time for a different reason. "I wouldn't be taking this journey without you either, principessa. I'm so glad I found you." Cupping your face, he kisses you a few more times before it's time to get out and dry off.

• •

Back on the horse, feeling much fresher than before, a change of undergarments and all, you and Terzo took the horses quickly through the trees at a nice trot to make up for your little stop a couple miles back.

Suddenly, you hear another set of hooves moving quickly at a distance, as you turn to see who or what it is-

"DUCK!" Terzo screams at you, and you do, the knight speeding by you barely missing you as his arm whips through the air above your crouched body.

You immediately pull your horse to a halt, as does your lover, knife already in hand. Your hand finds the hilt of the knife he'd given you, gripping it tightly under your cloak as you watch the knight circle back towards you: one of your father's. Your stomach drops, and you have to focus to not throw up.

"Aye! There you are little princess!" he hollers out, his pewter helmet glimmering in the sun. "Taking on a different look, huh?" he refers to your hair. "Make this easy on all of us, and come with me. Then maybe your father will be merciful on your boyfriend here, yeah?"

"No." It was all you could manage. You hadn't worked so hard and come all this way to lose it all now.

He urges his horse forward in between yours and Terzo's, making a move to grab at you. Not wanting the knight to get you onto his horse, Terzo swiftly dismounts and yanks the man by his leg, pulling him from his own saddle. He did manage a hand on your wrist which involuntarily dismounts you as well.

Hitting the ground with some force, you gasp for air as the two men entangle in a fight with one another. Your lover isn't the largest man, but he was explosive like dynamite taking on one of your father's largest soldiers in all his armor.

Terzo works to rip parts of the other man's armor from his body, flinging an arm piece across the forest floor like a vicious animal. He expertly evades the larger man's punches, slowed a bit by the heavy metal on his person.

As you sit up, trying to right yourself again, you hear, "Get her! Grab her and take her back to the base camp," from the man fighting Terzo. You look up to see another knight riding up and dismounting, smaller than the other guy, thank heavens.

He chuckles a cocky laugh, heading right for you, "Come on, little princess." The second knight grabs your arm, forcing you up off of the ground. As you look into his eyes, you sober right up from being knocked off your horse, instincts taking over. You push and kick as hard as you can, fighting against him.

Out of the corner of your eye, you see the first knight with his hands around your lover's throat, hoisting him up against a tree. Your eyes widen in horror as you see Alessandro red in the face and sputtering for air, arms outstretched trying to tip the man's helmet off his head.

The knight fighting you made the mistake of underestimating you, as he was dragging you back to his horse only holding onto you with one arm. Like a trained mercenary, you knew what to do. Fast as you could muster, you unsheathed your knife, whistling at him to get him to look at you, and before he could even form a word, your blade was sunk into the soft spot between his chest plate and his helmet.

Harshly dragging the blade from his neck, he drops to the ground as life leaves him. Looking deliriously as the fight between your lover and the knight turns bad, you rush over, dipping to grab a fallen branch in your path.

Terzo looks at you over the knights shoulder, eyes bloodshot as he takes in your beauty seemingly for the last time. Just as his struggling fingers finally tip the dense metal from the knight's head, a loud crack sounds through the forest as your branch meets with your assailant's dome.

Slumping to the side on his knees before falling over, the knight releases your lover, who draws in a raspy breath, coughing painfully. Adrenaline still pumping through his veins, Terzo reaches for his own knife that had fallen to the ground and kneels above the knight that tried to kill him.

You move toward them, holding back one of the knights arms as your lover kneels on the other, swiftly cutting his throat, blood spilling out everywhere.

Stepping around his body, you hold Alessandro to your chest, a million thoughts rushing through your mind, "Oh my god, Terzo… we killed them," you cry into his chest as you both try fill your lungs with air, breathing unevenly and seemingly fighting the atmosphere around you.

"Amore, we must go. You heard them; there are more," Terzo helps you stand, getting you right back on your horse and sending them running at a full gallop with a harsh smack. Seconds later, he's following right behind you.

You ran the horses as fast as you could for as long as they could take it, tears streaming down your face over the danger afoot, the near loss of your lover, the sin you'd just committed against those knights. Love had changed you, for better or for worse.

• •

The days were long, full of worry that your father's knights would catch up to you once again. At night, you held each other closer than before, often unable to sleep over the anxiety and guilt that riddled your mind.

Finally a small relief came: you were getting close to Italy, and Terzo said he knows the tavern keeper in the next town. You'd ventured into towns to buy food and try to get a reading on how far the search party for you had fanned out, but you'd never stayed the night. Your lover was confident you'd be safe, a feeling you both needed.

As Terzo and the tavern keeper share a whispered greeting, you find a place to rest your feet, your back, your hips. Everything was sore. Between that and the mud and dirt crusted on your face and hair in an attempt to conceal your identity, you can only imagine how terrible you look right now. You could hardly bring yourself to care, only concerned with your safety and right now… relaxing.

Your lover reappears next to you, a glass of mead in each hand. Surely your eyebrows gave away that you were hesitant about drinking whatever was in that glass.

"C'mon, don't be such a 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘢 about it," he teases you, setting a glass in front of you. As you look left and right to make sure no one took his joke seriously, Terzo kicks back in the chair opposite you and takes a large swig of the amber liquid. "È buono, try some." He throws a wink at you.

He enjoys watching you squirm as you attempt the drink in front of you. Although it wasn't the wine you were used to having at the dinner table, it wasn't bad. In fact, after a few more sips, you could see why people liked it enough to get drunk on it.

Terzo cups your chin in his fingers, swiping across your bottom lip with his thumb. He throws a smug grin at you before throwing the rest of his glass back, wiping his mouth on his sleeve, and standing up again, chair scraping across the floor.

"What-"

"Do not worry, bella mia. I will return," he winks at you, striding across the tavern, weaving between tables to the guy in the corner with a lute. You watch as he mumbles something to the bard, hands him a coin in trade for the lute.

Pulling up a stool in the center of the tavern, he sits and starts to tune the instrument, tweaking the pegs until it sounds just right. You didn't know he had an ear like that, although you think he mentioned something about tavern singing at some point.

He quickly clears his throat, strumming a gentle melody on the acoustic instrument, and starts with the lyrics,

"In an ice-capped fire Of burning wood In our world of wire Ignite our dreams Of starry skies And you and me As realised Our bigger themes"

Of course, he glanced up at you often. His cheeks flushed as he sang to you; it was obvious he was used to serenading perhaps whoever he was trying to lure in for the evening, but for you it was different. You meant more than that. Much more.

"Oh, take me internally Forever yours Nocturnal me, Take me internally Forever yours Nocturnal me…"

Even the ladies of the night are blushing at the innuendo in those lyrics were. Alessandro's lusty eyes find yours, as he continues filling the room with his beautiful melody.

You feel an overwhelming sensation of adoration and love as the emerald pendant on your chest starts glowing lightly, buzzing once again. You could tell that the feelings you were feeling were not only yours, but his as well.

Accompanied by that, a familiar warmth settles between your legs, growing to an uncontrollable burn by the end of the tune. You can't begin to understand the way that the pendant connects your feelings to his, but right now the solution is having your way with your lover.

After Terzo's song concludes, he receives a fair amount of applause as he returns the bard's lute and heads back your way, eyes piercing you.

Your breath hitches in your throat at his gaze before he takes you by the hand, pulling you up out of your seat and kissing your knuckles. It feels like all eyes in the room are on you two, and your survival instincts fight with your desire for him.

Without a word, he sweeps you across the tavern, heading toward the stairs by the bar to take you up to a room.

"Aye! We don't allow that kind of business in this establishment!" the tavern keeper flags Terzo down.

Your lover looks shocked, but notices the silver coin in the man's hand straight away.

The owner taps the coin on the counter, displaying a knight's helmet on it, leaning in closer to you both to and speaking in a more hushed tone, "Ladies of the night aren't welcome to run their operations here; it would be best if you seek refuge in the brothel across the way." He tilts his head towards the exit.

The message is covert but clear: there are knights upstairs, and you need to get out of here fast.

𝘚𝘩𝘪𝘵. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵'𝘷𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘛𝘦𝘳𝘻𝘰 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘐 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘨𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵?

"Ah! Mi dispiace, amico. We will not disturb you any further," your lover exuberantly replies, leading you towards the door.

You are warmly invited into the brothel with your lover, a few of the women pining over him, playing with whisps of his hair or swiping their fingers across his shoulder. It was enough reason to suspect he'd been here before too…

When he brushes them off, asking politely for a room for the two of you, the insecurities you'd been feeling melt away; it's clear he only has eyes for you.

A point that only becomes more evident when Alessandro whisks you into your room for the night, immediately pinning you to the door with his mouth latched to your neck. "Terz…"

He caresses you, pressing his body right up against yours. "I know, amore mio, I want you so badly. Sei così bella…"

You feel anything but beautiful right now. "No, Ale, I-"

Your lover's actions come to a screeching halt as he hears the tone in your voice: one of fear and worry. Two things you should never have to feel, in his humble opinion.

"I don't think I can do this… What if those guards find us? Terzo, I'm so scared," you cling to his cloak with frustrated fists, leaning your forehead against his chest.

"Do not fret, cara mia. I know it feels as if we are in the lion's den, but you are safe here. I know many people in this little village, and they will not give us away." He smoothes back your tangled hair, trying to ease your mind.

"But they can't stop those knights from seeing us! They can't stop them from recognizing me," you have real urgency present in your voice and in the way you look at him.

"Well…" He pauses to think for a moment. "What if I set up an alert system? I can have le signore here on lookout for us tonight, and we'll leave before sunrise, sì?" He rubs your arms, leading you over to the bed to at least sit down.

Your nerves are so on edge, you feel like you could ride off into the forest right now, into some secret tunnel that would take you to your destination… But you knew that wouldn't be good for you: number one because of exhaustion, and number two because you're clearly delirious if you're hoping for some imaginary path through these mountains. Relaxing into the plush mat on the bed, it wasn't much, but it was certainly so much nicer than the hard ground you'd unfortunately had to get used to.

"Principessa," Alessandro whispers to you, "You are tired. Get some rest, tesoro. I will make sure we are safe," he coos, helping you lie back in bed.

Sleepiness has hit you like a wall, especially being in a bed for the first time in what felt like months. "Amore… I trust you," you squeak out before pressing a soft kiss to his lips and allowing yourself to truly relax. Within minutes, you're out, softly making little noises in your sleep.

Terzo smiles down at you, carefully pressing his lips to your temple before slipping from the room. He's got work to do.

• •

Waking in Alessandro's warm embrace was something you'd happily gotten used to, often holding onto each other out of necessity on cold nights, but to wake in a bed, bundled up and fairly well-rested… Now this is something you'd like to experience more often.

Turning over to see Terzo's bare chest, you wish you had more time to show it your affection, but the sun will be showing itself soon.

Grumbly and not wanting to separate himself from you, it's a challenge waking the sleepy man.

"Now who's being a 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘢, huh?" you quietly jab at him. "C'mon, bed bug, we've got to get moving before those knights do."

He groans, finally cracking his eyes open, "I told you, amore, we have nothing to worry about with that." He smooches your forehead before you climb out of bed.

"Yeah, we won't have anything to worry about if we leave!" you chuckle, trying to be as lighthearted as you can by chucking his cloak at his lying form.

"Eh!" He swats his hand playfully before finally getting up.

After lacing up your corset, you lean down to retrieve Terzo's shirt noticing something on the sleeve. "What is this?" you ponder quietly before turning to him. "Why is there blood on your cuff here?"

He saunters over, giving you that devilishly handsome smile and taking the shirt from your hands, "Perhaps I nicked myself on something." His tone is nonchalant as he goes back to getting ready.

It has you suspicious, but you decide to shrug it off.

Outside in the stables finally, Terzo helps you up on your steed before mounting his own. He looks you over as if sizing up a meal, admiring the way you'd really risen to the challenge of fleeing your home.

"What's that look for?" you giggle at him.

"Just observing what I didn't get to have a taste of last night," he smirks.

The objectification makes you blush and wish you hadn't gotten so in your own head after leaving the tavern. But before you can snap a quick remark, a few men, including the tavern owner, return from the treeline, shovels in hand. You notice Terzo nod a knowing look at them.

𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘣𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘰𝘥𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵?

Thinking on it for a few seconds, you piece the clues together, but decide now isn't the time to ask. Instead, you whip your horse's reins, running away from your problems once again.

• •

Settled in by the hearth after a delicious dinner with some friends of Terzo's, you lean into the man's chest as the mother of the household reads to everyone. It's a lovely story that the family had been working through together, but you only understand bits and pieces of the Italian lilting though the room. Instead you opt to mostly enjoy the comfortable silence between you and your lover, contentedly listening to his heartbeat.

This well-to-do family had a room to offer you for the night, refuge from the winding paths in the mountains, and secrecy from those who might come looking for you. Luckily, you hadn't encountered any more of your father's knights since the last town a few days ago, and you hoped you wouldn't… for their sake, especially if Terzo did what you think he did.

"Tesoro?" his voice pulls you from your thoughts as you undress for bed.

"Hm?" you turn to him.

Dramatically, he steps across the room, shirt hanging open, as he cups your cheeks in his large hands, fingertips tracing your earlobe and jawline. "Are you alright, cara mia? You've been unlike yourself the past few days, not talking as much. Have I done something to upset you?"

His last question was right on the mark, if your suspicions were correct. "Did… Did you kill those knights in the last town?" your lip quivers and you start to tear up, confronting the guilt you'd been trying to ignore since then.

"Sì, amore, I did," he starts, and as you begin to interject, he continues, "but I did it for you."

"Do not use me as an excuse, Alessandro! Why would you do it?!" Anger starts to replace your tears.

"Amore… I would do 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 for you. I did it to keep us safe! You were right when you said that those knights could catch us. I had given myself a false sense of security being in a familiar place with familiar faces." He steps back, allowing you the space to process his words.

His explanation was plainly honest, simple, didn't beat around the bush. Yet, it still vexes you that you know hardly a thing about his position, where you're going, why he has to be so secretive. And now he's killed your father's knights twice to keep you out of their grasp. You can't help but question his intentions since your stay in the last town…

"You would do anything for me?" you repeat, voice small.

"Sì. Anything. Everything, principessa! I want to marry you, amore, give you as many piccoli bambini as you want! I would do anything to have you and to love you for eternity… even killing those knights to know they won't take you from my arms." As he verbalizes his dedication to you, his emotions swell, causing the pendant on your neck to glow once again, letting you feel just how much he means it.

Perhaps you'd gotten in your own head once again.

Your fingers trace across the emerald as they often did. "Marry me?" is all you can utter.

"Certo che," (Of course,) he whispers, lashes wet as he moves to hold you close to him again. "Ti amo così tanto, bella mia." (I love you so much, beautiful.)

"I love you, too," you mumble into his chest, but then look up at him, "I think I've wanted to marry you since the moment you held that knife to my throat."

You both share small chuckle, noses nuzzled together, Terzo's fingers dancing in your hair as the moonlight spills in through the little window. Softly, he presses a kiss to your lips, relieved that you aren't angry with him anymore. He had feared he would lose you over his own actions rather than anything taking you from him.

"But," you start, and his eyes quickly flick to meet yours, "it's time you tell me the truth."

"Cara mia, we are only two days away-"

"Exactly, Alé. Don't you think I should know what I'm getting into? Who I'll be around? What you're involved in? I've been very patient, and I've put all my trust in you, amore. Nothing you have to say could change my feelings about us," you press him, but also reassure him.

Deep down, he knows you're right yet again. While it would be the safest option to wait until you have arrived at the Abbey, he can't expect you to walk into this blindly. "Okie dokie, principessa, where would you like to start?"

You pause, the realization dawning on you that you finally get to ask the millions of questions you've had. Naturally, your mind goes blank, only coming up with one simple but open ended question. "Who are you?"

The man before you chuckles as he guides you to sit on the plush bed with him. "Tesoro, you know who I am… Truthfully, you know me better than most."

"Terz- Alessandro," you start, unsure what you should call him in your mild irritation at that answer, "Who are you? What's your title? Are you important in… wherever we're going? Where are we going? Is it a kingdom? Who's the ruler there? What's it like?" The dam broke and all the questions leave you in a rush.

"Principessa," he stops the flood. "My name is Alessandro Terzo Emeritus. As for the rest of your questions, perhaps I should start where you ended." He takes your hands in his, clearing his throat. "My home is bellissima. It's not like any place you've ever seen. It's an Abbey, secluded away from the world around it. Peaceful. It's peaceful and protected there."

"What are you protecting?" you quietly interject.

He chuckles before continuing. "Our way of life, cara mia. We are a people of liberation, free will, acceptance. In structure, it is not a kingdom; however, it is not unlike the Catholicism you grew up knowing, but without all the rules. We have loyal followers, we have ministry workers, a clergy."

You sit in silence, his explanation only leading you to a million 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 questions.

"But you see, bella, we are not like Christianity in our spirituality. It's not something most are born into, it is something that is found. We have many of the tenets you are familiar with from your father's religion without all that silly worry about sin…"

You can tell he is hesitant to come out and say it. This is the thing that isn't safe to know. You wonder if it isn't safe because of how you'll feel about it or if it really could bring you danger for knowing about it.

Both is the answer.

"Cara mia, I am a part of the Church of Satan."

Again, silence falls over the room as you collect your thoughts. "Well… It's alright if you practice a different religion. I haven't felt particularly close to my own lately. So you live in this ministry? Do all of the followers live there?"

He gives you a half smile at your naivety. "No, bella, typically our followers do not all live there. Some come seeking refuge, but they do not have to stay, though many who do become Siblings of Sin."

"Siblings of Sin?" you repeat, "Are those like nuns?"

He chuckles again, nodding at you.

"So are you a… Brother of Sin?"

Another smile. And another thing he loves about you: your curiosity far outweighs your need to judge anyone.

"No, again. I am in the clergy. I am one of the few that is raised in the religion, although we are welcome to leave should we choose. My whole life I've been molded to be its leader, and the time is coming soon, which is why I set out to find you, amore."

"Me? The leader? What does that have to do with me?" you are genuinely concerned.

"Perhaps my wording was cryptic, mi dispiace. I just mean to say that once I am in charge, I won't have much time to be away from my duties, so I set out to find love before that time comes." Your lover cups your cheek, basking in how gorgeous you look in the pale moonlight.

"Oh," you smile, relieved. "So… You will be- the Pope? If it's like Catholicism."

"Sì. Papa. Papa Emeritus the Third, preceded by mio fratello, Papa Emeritus the Second, or Secondo when he's being a stronzo," he rolls his eyes at the thought, and you can't help but picture the sibling rivalry.

Somehow you've just found out he's the Antipope, opposite your religion, and all you find yourself thinking about is that he has a brother, maybe even two if there is a Papa Emeritus the First. Then you remember the letter from his mom… His whole family is waiting for him back home, and you can't wait to meet them!

Suddenly, you let out a sob, biting your lip and looking up at him through watery eyes. Hugging him tightly and crying into his chest, you hear him tell you, "I understand if it is all too much. I understand if you do not wish to be bound to me, mia dea. I do still hope you'll come along with me; you'll be safe there, no matter your beliefs. We can just be lovers, even if you never want more, amore, I'll understand."

Sniffling as you wipe your tears away, you search for your favorite mismatched eyes, "What do you mean, Alé? I'm happy. I'm finally happy, don't you see?" You hold his face in your hands, nuzzling noses once again. "It isn't lost on me the irony that I left the king of one religion just to please another, but at least I did it of my own accord. You gave me the choice, and that is what makes me love you, Alessandro Terzo Emeritus. You may have set me free… But my only wish is to be bound to you, eternally." Another pause, "Forever yours, nocturnal me. Just like your song, right?"

Sincerity is written across his face at your words; with an arm wrapped around your waist, he pulls you to straddle his lap, "𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 song," he tells you before his lips crash into yours.

• •

Sun now spills in the room as your eyes squint open. Slumped down into the cushiony bed, your body thoroughly relaxed from the way he worked every tension from your aching body last night, you find it hard to even move. But turning to find an empty spot next to you, motivation to once again be close to your lover encourages your feet to carry you through getting dressed and finding him at the dining table with the family hosting you.

Peeking through the doorway, you watch as he throws his head back in laughter, joking with one of the little boys, making him squeal and giggle. You wonder what he'll be like as a father to his own one day.

"What are you smiling at, tesoro? Come, sit," Terzo stands, pulling out a chair for you.

"Thank you," you tell him, sitting at the table with everyone.

Breakfast is delicious, and you're so grateful for the warm meals and hot bath and soft bed this family has offered you. Between table chatter, a small broach on the mother's dress catches your eye.

"Is everything alright, dear?" she asks, clearly catching you staring at it.

"Oh! Apologies, my apologies. I just spotted your pin… What does it mean?" you cringe at your own bad manners.

"Oh!" she also exclaims, "My Grucifix?" The mother runs her fingers over it almost affectionately. "Terzo… You've done a poor job informing the girl where you're taking her!" She jokes lightheartedly.

"We discussed everything late last night," he gently squeezes your hand. "I just haven't had a chance to… Show her everything: the symbolism, scriptures-"

"Your paints?" The mother asks excitedly.

You offer a confused look. 𝘗𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘴? 𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘛𝘦𝘳𝘻𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘰 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘰𝘯?

"No, I-" Terzo starts but is interrupted again.

"Honey," the father of the family smiles at his wife, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Let them move at their own pace."

You and Terzo both silently sigh your relief. He wants to tell you more, but not now.

"So, you all are followers of Terzo's Church then?" you ask, not really sure how to word it.

"My husband and I are, the children will be allowed to decide for themselves if that's what they would like to believe," the mother answers softly. "This is the symbol of Papa's church specifically, to answer your earlier question, dear."

You spend the rest of breakfast happily chatting away before having to return to the journey at hand.

"Mm, can't we stay, Alé?" you groan into his shoulder after he affixes your horse's saddle.

Hugging you lazily, he kisses your forehead, "I would dare say we could… If I weren't so concerned about delivering us home, amore mio."

"Do you think they'll like me there?" you ponder out loud.

"Like you? Tesoro, they'll adore you. Some will even wish they could be you." He looks you over amorously.

"I'll be that important, huh?" You offer him a smile.

"Oh, sì, sì. As my Prime Mover, everyone will look to you as a beacon of warmth and understanding."

His answer makes you a little nervous. You hadn't really thought about his followers also looking up to you; women don't really have a position in Catholicism, other than nuns. Now his words from last night about not wanting to be bound to him make sense.

"Prime Mover…" You won't let the challenge scare you away. "I hope I can do the position, and you, the justice it deserves," you nod your head reassuringly, kissing him softly several times.

Hesitantly, he pulls away from you. "Mm, tesoro, while I could kiss you all day, we must go," he reminds you, before helping you on your horse for the millionth time in the past few weeks.

• •

Sun was setting, leaving long dramatic shadows cast across the first floor by the tall trees. Terzo is so excited, he can hardly contain it. You're close to your final destination and it hardly feels real. Traveling with him is all you'd known thus far.

"THERE!" He points suddenly, and you're not even sure what he pointed at before he sharply commands his horse to a gallop, spooking yours into doing the same!

You may have let out a scream struggling to hold onto your horse, "Terzo?! What are you doing??!"

"Look, cara mia! Casa!" Home. It's finally within his grasp.

You come up on the beautiful brick abbey at full speed; with it's towering spires and winding vines, it casts some interesting shadows at sunset. Stunning, nonetheless.

Some tall stocky men in silver masks run out of a side door at full sprint. Upon the terrace, Terzo abruptly stops his horse and flies from the saddle, directly towards the largest man. "Omega!" he chirps as they practically slam their bodies against one another in a fierce hug.

Slowing your horse to a halt, unlike your lover, you patiently wait for the men to greet one another. They were clearly all very close. The one called Omega almost acted like an obedient dog thrilled to see his owner after so long and needing a good scratch behind the ears. Observing the devilish look of their masks and the mysterious way they move, a whole new list of questions comes to mind.

"Mamma!" Terzo running towards an older woman with long black wavy hair catches your attention. She has beautiful with warm green eyes; must be where he gets his from.

"Alessandro, how I've missed you!" she exclaims, covering his face in kisses and holding him tightly. He giggles at her, and in that moment, he looks like a happy and well-loved child. "Is this her, Alessandro? The one you've been looking for?" It shifts all the attention toward you, still perched on your dappled horse.

"Sì, Mamma, this is my love," Terzo turns, making his way over to assist you to the ground. He holds your hands, looking into your eyes to make sure you're not overwhelmed. All he finds there is happiness. He brings you over and introduces you by name and title, "Amore, this is mia mamma, Felìcita."

"Buonasera, è un piacere incontrarti," (Good evening, it's a pleasure to meet you,) you greet her just like you'd practiced, wanting to make a good impression.

"Ah, ragazza dolce, mio figlio taught you well, didn't he?" she replies with a laugh and a kiss on each cheek. "Did he give you this haircut, too?" She holds a couple of uneven strands between her fingers. You just laugh and nod. "Ah, don't worry, cara, we'll get you all cleaned up here." Her smile is so inviting and her conversation so charming, you see the influence she's has on Alé.

"Bella mia?" Terzo pulls you from your thoughts, "I'd like you to meet my ghouls."

"Ghouls?" you repeat.

"Sì, Alpha," he gestures to the one on his left. "And Omega," he pats the shoulder of the one on his right.

You're not sure how you'll ever tell them apart. "Nice to meet you both," you hold out a hand for either one to shake. Alpha takes you up on the offer, immediately pulling you close, taking you by surprise. He nuzzles his head in the crook of your neck and a strong appendage wraps tightly around you: a tail. Trying to keep your face as unreadable as possible while you take in his inhuman features, you start to hear a soft purring next to your ear.

"Alpha, scendi! You'll scare her," Terzo commands.

"Alé, it's okay," you tell him, wrapping your arms around the large man's waist, which only increases the noises coming from him.

"Alé?" Omega chucks, elbowing your lover.

"Stai zitto, demone!" (Shut up, demon!) he hisses in return. Their dynamic is pretty funny.

Alpha pulls away from your hug cheery eyed as he quietly tells you, "Il bambino è al caldo e al sicuro." (The baby is warm and safe.)

"Bambino?!" Terzo nearly shouts.

"Si, signore, she carries your child," Alpha tells him.

"Tesoro?" your lover's eyebrows immediately turn upward at the realization, "Did you suspect this?"

"I just- I thought I was only tired from being on horseback so much… I had no idea," you explain, feeling like you need to sit down.

As if reading your mind, Alessandro is there to support you. "Amore…" He gently places his hand on your stomach, "You will make una bella mamma!" Nuzzling your nose, as had become a consistent thing from him, tears prick at his eyes.

"Mi scusi, but if this is the case," Felìcita addresses you, "we should get you inside for a warm meal, sì? I won't have mio nipote go hungry!"

• •

You'd pretty much spent the last 36 hours sleeping… and eating, of course. Italian hospitality dictates that you will not go hungry. Cracking your eyes open just long enough to wiggle under your lover's arm and lay your head on his chest, you nestle right back in to go to sleep.

Terzo groans dramatically and grumbles, "Amore, we can't sleep forever, as good as it feels…"

You had been fortunate enough to be mostly left alone since you'd arrived at the Abbey, and you'd both used the time to rest after such a hard expedition into Italy, especially you and the baby.

"How did Alpha know?" you ask, eyes still closed as you listen to the man's heartbeat.

"The ghouls, they… they feel things. Almost like they're connected to those around them." His fingers trace shapes across your scalp, only serving to push you further back into your slumber.

But curiosity gets the best of you again, as you sit up, leaning over your lover. "Like the emerald you gave me? How it makes me feel what you feel?"

He smiles, "Sì, but the ghouls are much more… sensitive. Hence why I couldn't tell you are pregnant, despite the pendant."

"So you 𝘥𝘪𝘥 do something to it!" you accuse him, proud for finally cracking it.

He chuckles at your little game, "Sì, how else was I suppose to lure you in?" His hand in your hair pulls you down for a kiss.

"Perhaps with the endless thoughts I had of you every day after you kissed me," you drag a finger down his bare chest. "Although that was something entirely out of your control," you wink at him.

"Sì, well, I do like to keep you under my control, cara mia," his morning voice growls in your ear.

"Oh, are you going to put me under another spell, lover?" you giggle, playing with his chest hair.

"Mmm, one where the only word to fall off your lips is my name…" Terzo sits up, flipping you onto your back and pinning your hands above your head.

"Which one?" you playfully rebut.

"I'll allow you to decide this," it's his turn to wink as his lips find your jaw, working on all the sweet spots he knows so well.

"Mmm… Terzo," you sigh into his touch.

His hands snake under your nightgown, leaving your hands resting above your head. "Is that the one you choose, cara?" Resting his fingers on your panties, he starts to rub against your bundle of nerves.

You feign thinking about it as you writhe against his hand. "Oh no… I might pick another," you tease.

He leaves a sizable love bite at your collarbone, sucking his mark into your skin while his fingers dip beneath the fabric impeding them. His hard cock, unfortunately concealed by his sleeping pants, presses against your thigh, so you gently move your leg back and forth to offer him some relief. Before long, evidence of his lust seeps though the thin fabric.

"Dolcezza…" he whispers right in your ear before nibbling on it as well, eliciting a moan from you. One of his fingers moves further down to hint at your entrance.

You inhale sharply, "Please, Alé," you whine.

"Alé? Or will it be Alessandro?" he flirts, allowing that digit to slip into you, making quick work of curling it to find your other sweet spot.

"Mmm…" you knit your eyebrows together, "mm- I- please."

"Please what, mia dea?" He adds another finger. "You must decide on a name for me, since you insist I have too many…"

"Please," you struggle against his ministrations, especially when his free hand comes to tease at you nipple. "Please… Papa."

His eyebrows perk up at that one, and his hands pause for a moment, almost imperceptibly. "Tesoro, I am not Papa yet," he scoffs.

"You will be one day, no?" Now it's your turn to give him the devious look he normally has in his eye. "Plus… You'll be Papa to this little one very soon," you gesture by rubbing your belly just above where his hands work on you.

With that, all his restraint is lost, obvious in the way he pounces back on top of you, attacking your mouth with his and ripping your undergarments from your flesh. "Allow me to remind you how I put il mio piccolo inside you, then," he growls, pushing his own pants down to his knees before hiking your legs up around his waist.

Your hands finally move to claw at his back with him now on top of you. Feeling his length being slicked up in your folds, he gives no warning before pushing in right to the hilt. The scream it drags from you could probably wake the dead!

"Say it again," your lover commands darkly before snapping his hips into you again.

"P-uhh…" is all you manage.

Sitting up, his fingers harshly grab your chin, forcing you to look at him. "Say it. Again." This time through gritted teeth.

"Papa! Please, fuck me Papa!" you beg.

"Brava ragazza," he praises you. "Now, legs up here," he taps his collarbones, giving you little time before he's hoisting them up himself, hooking your knees on his shoulders. Falling back on top of you, you feel absolutely folded in half as his cock presses deep against your walls.

"Oh, Papa!" you whimper, feeling his tip drag against that sweet spot.

He places his weight on his elbows, fingers tangling in your hair, and he aligns his knees on either side of your hips. Carefully at first, he lifts his hips before dropping back down into you. When it earns a gasp from you, he does it again, and again, falling into a dangerous rhythm.

You whine and moan for him over and over again, having to fight back your climax already as he attacks your most sensitive spot. Fingernails scratch at his sides as he pounds into you, and you try to keep your knees from knocking against your head.

"Bellissima, cara mia, you take il mio cazzo so well…" he grunts out, already getting close as well. "Sei bellissima sotto di me." (You look beautiful underneath me.) The soft kiss he presses to your lips is a sharp juxtaposition to his ministrations.

Your urge your heels into his back, opening your mouth for more, and he doesn't disappoint as his tongue does its familiar dance with yours. "P-Papa…" you break the kiss, "I'm, I'm-"

"Vieni per me, principessa, vieni sul mio cazzo," he allows you your release; gently his hand squeezes at your airway as his hips roughly snap into your tight wet heat.

The lack of air only serves to heighten your pleasure as your orgasm rolls through you, causing your legs to shake thunderously beneath his weight. "PAPA!" you scream his soon-to-be title endlessly, the spell he joked about earlier coming true.

Holding off just long enough to work you through your climax, he thrusts into you one last time and you feel Terzo's cock kick, spilling his seed inside you. "Satanas, amore… Ti amo… Amo la tua figa," (Satanas, love… I love you… I love your pussy.) he huffs out, still pressing into you as you both come down from your high.

You share a laugh at his lewd comment, and he bumps his nose against yours before sitting up and slipping out of you before carefully helping to unfold your legs. Climbing over you once again, his thumbs massage your hips, wanting to help release any tension there. "How's that, cara?"

"Mm, feels good, Papa, thank you," you relax under his touch, eyes fluttering closed.

"Bene," he giggles, "you don't have to call me Papa anymore, tesoro."

"What if I like it?" you smirk.

"Then you may call me what you like," he says, magic fingers still working your tense muscles. "But maybe not in front of miei fratelli… It could make them feel jealous." He gives you a little wink.

• •

What would've under most circumstances been a stressful day, was actually pretty easy going. Being with your lover had a way of keeping you calm and content, even as you met the rest of his family and the upper clergy members.

It was lunch with his brothers, Primo and Secondo, and father, Nihil. You felt it odd that his mother was left out, but that would be a conversation for later. The rest of the afternoon was filled with meetings, some being introductions and others were to discuss preparing you for your Prime Mover ritual. There would be a lot to learn, but you feel confident with Alessandro by your side.

"Amore," he catches your attention with a kiss to the cheek. You're back in his chambers getting ready for Mass tonight; Secondo would be leading it, and it's your first one, so you're nervous but excited. "I regret to have to leave you alone while I go dress for Mass tonight, will you be alright without me? Of course, you'll have Sister Beth here to help with anything you could need."

"I'll be fine, my love. Besides, I'm not really alone, am I?" You place his hand on your belly and nod towards the Sister diligently waiting to assist you. "I'll see you in the chapel," you give his hand a squeeze and his nose a kiss.

After your lover dismisses himself, Beth is very patient in helping you get ready and answering any questions that come mind about tonight's mass. She's not unlike your handmaiden back home.

𝘏𝘰𝘮𝘦.

You hadn't really allowed yourself to think about the place you grew up in. It wasn't exactly home anymore…

"Are you alright, Miss?" Beth rips you from your reminiscing.

Quickly peeking in the looking glass and wiping away tears, you respond, "Yes! Yes, I'm fine, Beth. Thank you for asking." You hope the panic isn't obvious on your face.

"Of course, Miss." She nods knowingly and goes back to styling your hair, twisting and smoothing the strands expertly.

"Beth…" It escapes you before you can stop it.

"Yes, Miss?" She glances at your reflection, continuing her work.

"Do you enjoy it here? You weren't raised here, were you? I mean- My apologies, Beth. I've overstepped." You internally cringe at how your curiousity leaps all boundaries.

"It's quite alright, milady," she softly reassures you, "Must be nerve-wracking coming to a new place, and being plopped in a high up position at that. I was nervous too when I arrived on the front stoop. This is the only place I've felt fully accepted as I am, imperfections and all." She has a sense of pride on her face. "Be honest and true to yourself and everyone here will have no choice but to accept you. Surely, since you were charming enough to catch the eye of Cavaliere Terzo."

"Cavaliere?" you question.

"Oh yes, he's so sought after here at the Abbey. I should prepare you by saying that nearly all the Siblings get a little weak in the knees in his presence."

The idea of everyone having their little flirtations with your lover doesn't bother you… But 𝘊𝘢𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘳𝘦? 𝘚𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘩𝘦'𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯… 𝘋𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦?

"I'm sorry, Miss, if I've upset you. I just thought it better that you know how everyone will act around him," Beth softly apologizes.

"No, no, it's not you. Or the wandering eyes. What does Cavaliere mean?"

"Oh! Just that he's a knight. One of our finest, actually. Great on horseback, and you should see him with a sword, Miss! He's very skilled at taking down his opponents during practices and tournaments."

"Oh my… He's never mentioned it to me," you ponder, baffled at this news.

"Well, of course! How else would he have survived so long traveling through the mountains and Satan knows where else?" She sounds so chipper; she must have a small crush on him too.

"And how long was he gone? I've only been traveling with him for just over a fortnight," maybe now you're prying.

"Nearly a year, Miss." Beth smiles, placing an ornate clip in your hair. "Finished! How do you like it?"

"It's bellissima, Beth. Thank you," you nod at her, appreciating her hard work.

"Already getting comfortable with Italian? The family will like that," she reassures you with a pat on the shoulder, before exiting to the bedroom to prepare your gown for this evening.

Staring into the looking glass, head reeling from all the new information, you think about Alessandro's letter from his mother.

𝘈 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳? 𝘕𝘰 𝘸𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘴𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘦?

The realization makes you feel almost insignificant, like there is a much bigger power at work here, but simultaneously makes you feel very special. Thinking on the way he didn't want you to feel trapped coming here, his mother not wanting him to come back until he found love, the sins he committed to get you here safely… It puts things in a different perspective, like all the puzzle pieces are starting to fit together. You know you've made the right choice with him and that you weren't just swept up in your feelings.

𝘏𝘦 𝘪𝘴… 𝘏𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.

• •

The grand halls surrounding the the chapel are absolutely packed as everyone greets one another, waiting for sunset. Beth stays right by your side, not wanting you to get lost in the sea of people; you had no idea this many people could even fit in this place.

"Ah, Sorella, buonasera," you hear a soft voice over your shoulder: Primo.

Secondo follows with, "How are you and il piccolo, doing?" Despite his gruff nature, you're quickly learning he's really a big softie, especially towards beautiful women and babies. You aren't even that far along, but everyone in the family seems so excited about the prospect of another little one.

"We're doing well, thank you both," you greet them offering them both a kiss on the cheek, careful not to mess up their papal paints. It's an unconventional look for certain, but their full formal regalia indeed commands the respect they deserve.

The two dismiss themselves into the chapel, leaving everyone else outside to wait for the doors to open.

"Where do you think Terzo is?" you nudge Beth lightly.

"Oh, he's over there, Miss," she points to a particularly dense crowd of people.

𝘎𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘫𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘱𝘰𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘳 𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘴.

The girl seems to nervously fidget with her habit, eagerly watching the scene before her intently.

"Do you want to go see him, too?" you smile at her, and she replies with a shy nod. "It's alright, go ahead," you smile your approval.

As your handmaiden slips into the gathering, you giggle to yourself, thinking about how he must really get slowed down trying to go anywhere. From your spot by the chapel doors, you see that familiar mop of hair, but notice that he stands a little taller, chest puffed out a bit more. Seeing the ornate black and gold pauldron on his shoulder gives you a hint of his knightly attire.

Silently observing as people shake his hand, offer him hugs and even hand them their babies, it's not unlike watching a soldier who's come home from war to be greeted by those that care for him. However, when he notices Beth standing near him, his head turns, looking around for you. His face is covered in a stark black and white skeleton designs, similar to his brothers. If it weren't for the way his eyes wandered your body upon spotting you, you almost wouldn't have recognized him.

In an effort to politely slip away from his devoted flock, he kisses a few ladies' knuckles, and bids them farewell for now, turning all his attention towards you leaning against the wall, patiently waiting.

Drinking in his finely crafted artisan armor as he ambles over, you give him a wink, appreciating this new look on him. The black of his armor ties in well with his face paint and dark locks, while the gold only serves to make him stand out amongst everyone else.

"Mm, amore," he grunts, taking your hand. "You look assolutamente divino in this gown. Violet is a favorite of mine, especially seeing it on you, dolcezza." He lifts your chin with his fingers, gracing his thumb over your lower lip.

"You never told me you are a knight, 𝘊𝘢𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘛𝘦𝘳𝘻𝘰…" you feign irritation at him.

"Aye, some things must remain a surprise, sì?" Clearly being back home and returning to his high position has given him a whole new air of confidence.

"I worry to see what other 'surprises' you have in mind, caro," you giggle.

He wraps an arm around the small of your back, the hard metal firmly pressing against your skin, and pulls you in for a what feels like an inappropriate kiss to share in front of the whole congregation.

Luckily, the doors to the chapel open, saving you from any further public displays with your partner; you were already receiving some looks from a few of the Sisters just for kissing him.

"Ready for your first Black Mass, principessa?" Alessandro offers you his elbow, guiding you to the front pew to sit alongside him and his mother, who gives your hand a reassuring squeeze.

After this, you know there will be no turning back. Your old life is nothing but a memory now.

#papa emeritus iii #papa terzo #papa 3 #papa emeritus 3 #ghost band #the band ghost #fanfic #imagine #oneshot #long fic #medieval #fem reader #x reader #reader insert #knight #cavaleire #terzo #papa iii #shitghosting

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agirlwholovesrockstars · 2 months

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𝖄𝖔𝖚 𝖒𝖆𝖐𝖊 𝖒𝖊 𝖋𝖊𝖊𝖑 𝖇𝖗𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖓𝖊𝖜

𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓢𝓲𝔁

"𝘠𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘮 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥"

彡 𝓼𝓮𝓻𝓲𝓮𝓼 𝓶𝓪𝓼𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓵𝓲𝓼𝓽 彡

✦ 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚘𝚞𝚜 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 | 𝚕𝚊𝚜𝚝 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 ✦

𝕾𝖚𝖒𝖒𝖆𝖗𝖞 : you've got what you wanted, why does it feel like it's all too late?

𝖂𝖔𝖗𝖉 𝕮𝖔𝖚𝖓𝖙 : it took this way too long again lol so I hope I did it justice

𝖂𝖆𝖗𝖓𝖎𝖓𝖌𝖘 : 18+ Knight!Eddie Munson x Princess!FEM!reader, language, use of y/n, reader and Eddie are both (21), Henry is (30+), Jason being an asshole to literally anyone on this fic, age gap, vi0lence, manipulation, gaslight, unrequited feelings, attempted murder and homicide, physical and verbal abuse, harassment, this chapter will be GRAPHIC! you know what you're getting yourself into, mentions of corpses, MASSIVE REVELATIONS, I advice to bring tissues on this chapter because 🥹

𝖂𝖍𝖆𝖙 𝖙𝖔 𝕰𝖝𝖕𝖊𝖈𝖙 : set in 17th century, upside down exists but think of it as an much older set up, ANGST IS BACK and FLUFF ON THE BEGINNING (I'm sorry), dark fantasy, romance, action, and drama

𝕹𝖔𝖙𝖊 𝕿𝖔 𝕽𝖊𝖆𝖉𝖊𝖗 : writing this chapter is a quite a lot to take in and I'm so pressured to capture everything from the last few chapters before! I just want to get it right, but I hope the long awaited return of me to write this is still loved! 🥺🫶🏻

𝕬𝖚𝖙𝖍𝖔𝖗 𝕹𝖔𝖙𝖊 : next time when I'm writing for another series, I'll just focus on that and I'll be back for other fic ideas on my list because that's what happened to me like?!? and also my preparations for every other chapter I take it very seriously, so, my apologies once again! 😭

☆ EDDIE MUNSON'S MASTERLIST ☆

❣ AGATHA'S MAIN PAGE ❣

"Y/N, wait, waaaaait"

On the walk on the passageways of your castle, Gareth halt his tracks for the third time but you can't help but feel giddy as you giggled

All of you stopped the moment he blinks his eyes in disbelief

"She already explained to you a gazillion times!" Jeff makes a sour expression directing at his friend

Eddie is holding his huge fit of laughter to his friend losing his mind

"Easy for you to say! I can't process that information when we we're with him! not knowing that he's also a fucking royal!" Gareth punctuates his point as he makes a lot of gestures to Eddie

Gareth rambles at the three of you as you watch him having a meltdown

"Is he a simple royal?! A freaking knight as well for christ sakes!" The lantern makes a squeaks sound as he moves back in forth into the small space

"Now, I know why you're so good at swords fight" he adds but not without his eyes are open wide

Jeff does a side eye to Eddie as he watches him shrugged and he shifts onto his feet from where he's standing

"I mean- yeah, I get it, Gareth, I was shocked too"

You swore to yourself that you saw Gareth almost burst into smithereens to his unbelievable comment

"That was your reaction?!?"

"W-What am I supposed to do?!?"

"Guys!" You shout as your voice echoes into the dark space

Jeff and Gareth turned their heads at you as Eddie flashes amusement on his eyes

"Does that mean things will be changed?"

"What do you mean?" You question him but with a smile on your face

"Since, well, oh- fuck- don't act dumb" Gareth shakes his lantern so aggressively that Jeff steps aside a little bit as he saw the melted wax dripped

"He means since both of you are like royalties things will be different" Jeff replies instead rolls his eyes at his friend who keeps dilly dallying at his point

Gareth flicks his hand making a slight "bow" to his statement

Jeff is now reminding himself why is he friends with him

"Who said things will be changed?" Eddie snickers as he shakes his head at the both of them

"They'll stay the same, Gareth" Jeff tugs up a smile as he nudges his shoulder

"Nah, I doubt it, I think they're just playing dumb, just wait- til' the end one of us will end up in a goddamn public execution"

You and Eddie looked at each other as you both cracked up a booming laughter

Jeff grows a much more bigger smile than before as he watches the both of you dying and needing of air from the serotonin levels that you both had

Gareth made an deathly glare at the both of you

"Come on, guys, let's go, my arm is getting tired for raising this lantern, save that for later" Eddie jokes as he takes your hand in his

You giggle to Gareth's face as he begrudgingly follows Jeff

"but you both gotta have to say "no" if ever that happens, right?!" Gareth groans

"Is this two bodies isn't enough for the gate to open?" Jason carries the lifeless bodies into the pit as he grimaced at disgust

Henry wants to puke all of his wrongdoings and wishes he could start all over again

He wants to talk to you

He even wants to come over at your room to see you

He wonders what you're we're at doing last night

"No, I told you, it needs one more"

Jason huffs as he removes the residue from his hands in a cloth as he stands beside Henry

"Then who is it gonna be?"

"Why don't you try to kill that boy?"

"Who?"

"Eddie, If you saw him, snap his bones off in an instant"

"Why would I do that?!?"

"Because I fucking goddamn believe that he's the one who got out from the upside down"

"Jason, you put all of those people in there, anyone can come out that place"

"What do you mean, me? You're also involved in this you motherfucker!"

Henry clenches his jaw as he looks away from Jason

If he stares any longer, he might've been squashed him down real flat

"I could've been something else rather than this"

Jason scoffs "No, you're born to be evil, don't make yourself innocent"

"I love her!" Henry's outburst caused a huge knock off to every furniture in the room

Leaving Jason the only person in the room who isn't affected but he got startled to his actions

It was loud that the four of you heard the banging sound in the walls

You thought you were the only one who heard it when you look at all of them

Fear creeps into their faces

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Jason walks towards to heavily breathing Henry

He watches him as he making a fist out of anger and frustration

"Our plan is going well until that girl is making you soft when she isn't supposed to be an issue to this" Jason's voice is firm as looks sternly at him

"Ain't she supposed to die like all the other kingdoms that we've wiped out?!?

Henry swallows the lump on his throat as his eyes became glassy

It is true

You should've been died before he couldn't do it

Because why?

He developed feelings for you since the first time he saw you

The maid that you comfortably spoken to before overheard this as she accidentally dropped the basket of clean laundry as she tripped on to the floor

She was about to tell you what she heard

She could've gone far away from them

She could've get up and save herself

But no, something is making her stay in that place

Her mind is now playing tricks thinking that she is safe

When in reality, she is frozen on the same position that she was in before

Jason places his palm on the door as he pushes and there's the girl that you've grown close than any other people from your palace

He grins at the girl as she tries to call for help but she can't, her whole body feels numb

Tears run stream down on her face as she watches Jason squats to look at her

Henry appears in the doorframe as he looked at the girl sympathetically

"Looks like we got ourselves the last hurrah" he chuckles darkly

The four of you run in the halls of the dark passageways

"Here!" You pushed the familiar brick of walls that your father taught you in case of emergency

The rest of you keep pushing as you making your way inside, recognition flashes through your eyes, it's your father's beloved library

"You heard that, man?" Enzo spoke through his mouthful of bread, he dust off the crumbs from his hand as he picked up a weapon

Wayne looks over at Enzo's shoulder, witnessing the books falling off as the wall in the corner kept moving

When they both saw a figure coming out of it they both hide

They're about to attack whoever the person behind the secret door

They heard your voice

But you're not alone, you're with someone else

Enzo sighs of relief as he shoots a melancholy but wholesome look at Wayne who is already looking at him

Enzo nods slowly indicating that he'll meet-

"Enzo? Are you here?" You say as you make your way into the open space of the library

"Y/N!" Enzo speaks as you smile widely as you embrace him

As you hold him, you saw him

"Wayne?"

"Hello dear" he smiles just like his nephew

"Oh my god" you ran over to him giving him the hug for the first time in years

Your eyes went all over the place as your mind make flashbacks of what's become at the two of you before

You both got taken away and that left a mark on you that you'll never can't never erase

But now, he's here, getting the chance to hold him

It's like your father is here again

Wayne smiles down at you but suddenly he heard another voice, he knits his brows together

"I can't believe you've grown up so differently!"

"I think it's because of the hair"

He heard the chatter between Enzo and-

"Eddie?"

Your heart made lurch out of your throat from any minute as he slowly removes himself away from you

Your tears are forming and threatening to spill for what you're going to witness now

Eddie looked over at the elder man who is now approaching him

His heart is racing, his mind is running a lot of thoughts, he feels like he's about to burst into tears at his presence

Is this could be it?

Wayne stares at his nephew as he gasps in disbelief but not without the happiness making in it's way on his features

Eddie searches for your eyes and when he meets your tears swirling through your vision, his heartbeat starts faster as the man walks closer to him

"My, my dear boy" Wayne couldn't help himself as he pulled Eddie embracing him tightly like he was about to disappear

Both of the men broken down into tears and it's the very first time ever you saw his friends cried over this bittersweet moment

Enzo blinks the tears away as you heard his quiet sniffle

Eddie meets your eyes again as it soften through the tears pooling over his uncle shoulder as he nods slightly to you

"Thank you" he mouths to you as you smile at him wiping your tears from your cheeks

"Eddie couldn't even stand still while we're posing at that, he was getting tired of it" you say while chuckling as you look at the painting

Jeff and Gareth laughs at the distorted thing that Eddie holds at the painting of you and him back when you're both 14

Eddie eyes are fixated on you with glint of overflowing tears and happiness, a smile is sitting on his lips

"Here, I have a cup of coffee" Enzo mutters as he offers it to him

Eddie blinks as he snaps his head to Enzo in front of him, he murmurs a soft "thank you"

Wayne is sitting beside him, he can't take it off from his nephew

Enzo glances at his way with empathy on his eyes, I mean- who wouldn't blame him?

He thought he won't be able to see his nephew

He thought he wouldn't have the chance to savor this moment

He thought he lost him

He thought he lost everything he ever cared in the world

He doesn't even know where to begin

"How are you doing, kid?"

Eddie looks at him with a small smile but it's endearing "Uh, if you compare it to before I met you, I feel....complete now"

Wayne chuckles, "he inherited my humor, huh?" he thinks

Thank god, his nephew spills humor he doesn't want to break into tears again

Enzo told Wayne about how strange it is that his nephew didn't know everything about himself

"I-I wanted to ask you, how'd you didn't know?- It's okay if you don't want to talk-"

Eddie waves his hand at him as shifts on his seat as he takes a sip of his coffee, "that's the question that I think I won't ever find the answer, I somehow- I-I didn't know I can't seem to remember what happened to me"

He felt a huge rock just fell right through his chest as he saw the sad look on his nephew eyes

He could've been avoided it happen but he was helpless

Wayne nods as he slowly takes in every word he said "I'm sorry"

Eddie turns himself to him fully as he pulled his brows together at him

Wayne silently sniffles as Eddie sadly sighs

"I-I'm sorry that I didn't protected you enough- I am so sorry-"

"Wayne, don't- just don't ever blame yourself, it is never your fault, please, what matters that we found each other"

Wayne and Eddie laughs in tears once again as they both embraced each other

"I won't ever leave your side again"

"I know, you won't"

The rest of them you've invited them over at your sanctuary room

There are few more extra mattresses, Eddie checked himself out as he wants to be alone for a while, you nod him with an understanding

Eddie breathes at the air in your corridor as he walks at the garden, he smiles to himself

Everything is fine until he pulls back into reality, he was about to go back inside, he saw Jason, pulling a sandbag as he looks closely

He made a double look as he saw it moved

He hesitates for a second to follow him but then he remembers your words

"Don't you think that they're the reasons why so many people disappearing all of the sudden?"

So, he went as he hides as he continues to spy

"You can come out now, Henry"

Eddie glared at the mention of his name

He knew it

And you knew it

He isn't really to be trusted

"You sure there's no one around?"

"Just fucking do the job" Jason seethes as he clicks his tongue

Henry rolls his eyes as Eddie heard the rustles

"No!!!! Let me go!" The girl from the sandbag cries for help as Eddie flinches by the sound of it, it was cut off when Henry covers her mouth, the gut-wretching sobs can't be missed

It became muffled as Henry kept holding her still

He suddenly felt nervous and afraid for the life of the girl that they abducted

"This is the last one, I'm so ready for this" Jason sounds so calm like that gives another info to Eddie that they didn't done this for the first time

They've already done it a lot of times

Eddie gulps, he can feel his heart jumping inside

He watches intently but also the guilt feeling on his stomach is about to form as he already get the idea

They're about to kill this poor young girl

It takes everything for him to disrupt the scene until his eyes go furiously wide, his hands went clammy, he doesn't even noticed that he's shaking

He even had to suppressed his screams of fear and terror

He watches Henry as he lifts his hand directing at the young girl, he saw the eyes that are now turned white, the whole body levitate as he raises his hand higher, Eddie breathes heavily as he saw the nosebleed from Henry

Eddie takes a sharp gasp as he slammed his mouth against the palm of his hand as he saw the young girl eyes sucked out of her skull, it started bleeding everywhere, all of bones started to crunch and snap easily as Henry flick his hand naturally like it was nothing and the whole appearance of the girl changed like he pulled the life out of her

Now, he knows why you're so scared, he is witnessing what you've witnessed

No wonder why you flinched so badly the moment you've told him

Eddie jumped to where he was hiding the minute he heard the thud of the lifeless body onto the ground, the girl is now deformed laying in there

"That was so goddamn satisfying, man" Jason applauses

"Keep it low!" Henry whisper-shouts as he looked everywhere in the area, he's paranoid

Eddie shakes his head as he slowly runs away, he doesn't want to stay there any longer

You're resting on the couch as you wait for Eddie to come back

As soon as he arrived, you immediately light up and it slowly drops as you taken the horror from his expression

"E-Eddie, wait- you're trembling" you held him steady by his shoulders

Enzo and Wayne got unease from the situation as they stopped talking abruptly

He grabs your forearms tightly as he looks straight into your eyes "W-We h-ave to go right now" his voice shakes as he spoke as you looked at him in confusion

You look over your shoulder as you saw Jeff Gareth approaching behind your back as they also mirrored your same expression

You swallow as you nod but you couldn't shake off the fear inside of you "Okay" you replied softly

The preparation to flee into the night hour was fast but also quiet as all of you remained calm and quiet

But you also take chances to dart your eyes on Eddie who still has the "terrified" looks on his eyes, he just masks it with seriousness as he packs up

All of you are now in the hallways of your palace walking the way out

"Eddie, I-I need to get something from my room" you loosen your hold on his hand but he held it tightly making you stop

"I'll be fast as a bullet, I promise"

Eddie sighs nervously as he shook his head but he nods and he lets you go

You study his expressions and he really felt off ever since he took a walk outside

"Be quick, okay?" he whispers as you give him a tight nod

As you enter your room, you picked up your most valuable and also very sentimental dagger that you have

You're about to leave the room until the window from your room whooshes open as you saw Henry appeared right before your eyes, you're so shocked that you pinned yourself against the door automatically hiding your dagger behind your back

Henry walks slowly to you with a unrecognizable smile that he gives to you, you furrow your brows as you maintain your composure

"Hey, Y/N, how is it going?" He greets casually as if doesn't scare you from his actions

"I'm doing well, I'm fine, thank you"

"Uh- what we're you doing last night?"

I slept beside Eddie and I made love to him

"I went to bed because I was so tired from the dance right?" You lie

"I know it wasn't real but I hoped that you liked it somehow"

He wishes it to be real

"Yeah- it was okay" you shrug as you averted your eyes somewhere else

He takes a one step closer as he grazes his fingers onto your forearms shooting goosebumps through your skin as it leaves an unnerving sense of discomfort

The light of his eyes dies as he knits his brows together he takes a step back

He looks at you deeply as he takes you in

Your white blouse dress with corset as your long locks of curled hair waved through the cool night air as your aura became different

You've always looked undeniably and otherworldly beautiful but he can't pinpoint where it seems

Too different from him

"Y/N, something has changed in you" his tone become firm as his eyes goes all over your face

"Henry, I need to go now" you say but not turning back as you reached for the doorknob behind your back you unclick it but he lifts his hands as he closes it back with a force leaving you startled as you look at him

His blue piercing eyes never left your gaze as he walks in front of you as he blocks the door

The silver of light came back to his eyes as he hopes that you feel the same way as he does

"I've adored you, Y/N"

You're taken aback from his admission

As it finally it all came through you, now, you know why he is nice to you

Because he likes you

"Henry, I-"

"I love you, Y/N" he holds you by the shoulders and it looks like he's about to lean in forward but you dodged it leaving him with a deep sigh as you moved away from him

Jason's words are now replaying into his mind

"Don't do this to me!" He exclaims as he apologizes as you flinched on him once again

"I-I'm sorry, Henry" you're both walking backwards as kept pressing personal questions to you

"I've cared for you, I always put you first, you're the only one that I ever wanted to be safe, I never stopped thinking about you and this is all what I get?!?" He flick his hands again as all of the furniture crashes down breaking every piece inside of the room

You grip on your dagger behind your back as you take a deep breath to his sudden outburst

He remembers the name of the guy that Jason always tell him

"Tell me that you're not alone last night, are you?" He sobs angrily but not letting the tears spill

"Stop prying and being nosy onto my personal life, Henry!" You snap at him

He can't even bring himself to hurt you, no matter how evil he is, he has no power over you

And that alone might've been his weakness

He'll be history, if you ended him since his powerless over you

"Are you with him?"

You're on the ridges of your corridor as you hit your lower back on the rim

You're cornered by him

"I don't know-"

"Just tell me the truth, Y/N! if he isn't I'll spare his life"

You feel weightless, you knew this was coming but you can't help but feel slight of disappointment

"What do you mean spare his life?"

You thought your mind is playing tricks on you as you can see that his demeanor and the atmosphere changes as he finally drops his good guy act

"Oh, honey, I'm also going to kill him too"

"W-What?!?"

"Look down"

Once you've followed him, you saw the body of the maid that you we're looking for a few days ago, you're about to bring her along with you

Now, you know why she is missing in action

You shrieked as you cried with ragged breaths as you gave him a deathly stare

"You're supposed to be my wife, you know, we could've been prevented this"

"I will never be your fucking wife!" You aimed for his neck stabbing him deeply as he croaks in pain

You watch him removed it like it didn't hurt him as your eyes go wide as you saw the true form of him

The flesh that he's wearing was all just a costume, it creeps you out more, you shudder

"Oh, you will be" he says as he throws your dagger away

"You can't"

"Yes, I can"

"What will you do?"

"I'll remove your memories, of course" he grins with a knowing look

He gave you a mere seconds to react as you finally figure it out what happened to Eddie

Before you know it, he lifts you up in the air as he flashes now his real eyes

You can't no longer defend yourself as you stayed frozen as you now stare into the blank space like you're in a trance

"She's taking so long" Eddie bops his knee up and down

"Eddie- We just can't" Gareth reasons with him as he is afraid of getting caught

"We can if I lose her i don't know who will I be without her"

Jeff nods "We'll cover you, Eddie" as he gives a tight lipped smile to Gareth who exhales as he scratches his head

Enzo and Wayne are already in the upside down

The plan was to go inside one by one and by groups as they couldn't give other soldiers ideas that leads to more suspicions

As Eddie enters your chambers he gasps horridly as he saw your body up in the air, Jeff and Gareth are also stunned as they saw Henry turned his head to Eddie with a unreadable wicked smile on his face and also noticed the change of his eyes

"Hey, demon face!" Gareth shouts as he throws him an axe right across from his face making drop on the ground with you as well

You're unconscious as Eddie worries terribly as he tries to wake you up and even slightly tapping your face but no to avail as he carries you while resting your legs on his arms as he grumbles at Henry who has now bleeding a big cut on his face

Also revealing the skin crawling true self of him

He was about to stop Eddie but Jeff shoots 6 arrows all at once at him as it completely injured him to make him move slow as all of you made your way to escape

But before Eddie leaves he gives a one last glare to Henry that left him for the first time a knowing disturbing look

Jason was right about him

He held you tightly as Jeff, Gareth keep running non-stop

You woke up screaming and crying as you started to wail, you're covered in your cold sweat as Eddie goes straight onto your side

The sound that you make waken up the others as they looked at you in concern

"She must've seen it" Enzo speaks as he looked in you sympathetically

"Seen what?" Wayne straightens himself up

"Y/N, You're okay, you're with me, you're safe"

You looked around you as you choked up in your own tears and you felt Eddie's hands intertwined with yours as you look at him in question

"Who are you?"

Jeff and Gareth looked at each other in confusion

What did Henry do to you?

"I-I'm Eddie, D-Don't you remember?" Eddie searches for your eyes as you repeat saying his name

"Eddie?"

"Yes, that's right"

You looked at everyone in the room again as you feel like in a some sort of vertigo as you begin to nosebleed, your eyes went backwards as you drop back down on the bed as you winced in pain and start to wail again

They have no idea what is going on

But why do they feel like something is heavy behind your eyes that'll explain everything

"She's bleeding!" Jeff exclaims, Wayne panicked as they all helped each other to give Eddie to aid for you

When Eddie is wiping the blood from your nose, you grab his wrists making everyone halt to what they're doing as the silence starts swirl around the area

Just by one look, Eddie saw the recognition in your eyes, you're back

You swallow first before you can muster to speak as you try to shake your head slightly

Now, you know what happened to your father

Since Henry used his powers to you, it left a glimpse to all of the horrible things that he did

How many? How many people? How many families and how many kingdoms that they've exterminated?

"He killed them all" you sob as you held him tightly as Eddie scoots closer to you

"W-What, Y/N? sweetheart, you're scaring me, what is going on?"

"Eddie, it's Henry- he's the one"

"The one?"

"Who erased your memories" you cried as you let the words fell from your lips

Eddie's lip twitches as it let the information sink down on him instead of reacting so badly he decides to embrace you

"That's so fucked up" Gareth runs his palms over his face in a stressful manner

"Y/N! your highness, please! I can be trusted!" Dmitri somehow managed to follow all of you as he slams the door open, shocking to every single one of you in the cabin

"What the fuck are you doing here? Go back to your master like a dog you are! Always obeying him" Wayne aims his sword on him so closely that one push is all it takes for him to end his life

Dmitri is desperate to explain himself, so, he searches for your eyes in the room

He walks forward but Jeff, Enzo and Gareth held him as Eddie darts his eyes to you and to him

"Listen, I am ashamed of it, I was never proud of betraying you and your father, your father helped a lot to improve my business, I'm grateful for everything but he threatens me if I don't follow him, he'll kill my family!" he begs as you listen to him carefully, you still feel a slight twinge of pain in your head

"I escaped from them! The guilt is eating me up, I can't no longer stay, I don't care, if it's risky, but I won't be able to forgive myself if I don't fight, I will be dishonorable if I don't show that I wasn't siding with them" the poor man is so miserable, you can see it in his eyes, you still feel hurt to his actions but what's the use to get mad at this hour?

When all you can do is help each other and win this fight

Enough with the grudges and heartaches

If you don't save this kingdom and who else will?

Who knows? What will Henry and Jason to other kingdoms next?

"Dmitri is okay, I understand" you stand up as Eddie assists you

"T-thank you, thank you" his voice crack between sobs as he shakes your hand

"Oh, Y/N!" Jason's voice, you overheard the people clamoring your name as a subject of treason

What?!?

Gareth scoffs as he lightly grazes the tip of his axe to Dmitri's neck "Are you doing this on purpose by knowing that you got tailed by them?!?"

"N-No! I swear, I ran as fast as I could! I didn't know that they're following me!" Dmitri quickly saids

"Man, they knew we're we live" Eddie tuts him to put back down his axe

But Gareth gave him a look as he watches by the window

"I assume you know what happened to Eddie?" Jason runs his swords at the walls outside of the cabin making sounds as he walks around, taunting all of you

You frown but anger nestles in your face as the rest of you line to each other side by side with weapons

"I wonder who took him?" Jason feigns innocence as pretends to think

Eddie remembers the knowing teasing that he always throws at him and it all makes sense now

"It's him" Eddie mutters as he cracks his knuckles

"That little fucker!" Wayne is about to kick the door open but Enzo stopped him

"It's me!" Jason laughs evilly "Poor boy was crying for help and shouting his Uncle's name and Y/N"

You looked at Eddie who is now looking at you as you feel so sorry for him but he just nods as he gave your hand a squeeze

"Wait- this is the best part" Jason claps his hand together wickedly

All of you listened in anticipation

"I was also the one who framed and spread the fucking lies to everyone in town that the Munson's are who practiced black magic" Jason chuckles

The town went quiet to Jason's reveal that you swore everyone gasped that they're targeting the wrong person all this time

"What's wrong? Why all of you stopped? You all so fucking gullible little unfortunate people!" Jason stabbed one of the townspeople leaving the whole other people alarmed by his action

Jason runs his fingertips on his sword covered by blood "I guess this could say that yes we're the ones who took your loved ones away"

Everyone screeched and couldn't get away any further as all of them are guarded and cornered by soldiers

Enzo couldn't control Wayne any longer as he finally kicked down the door open

He attacks Jason as he nicked him on the side

"Touché" Jason grunts as he touched his side now his fingertips are smeared on his own crimson blood

"We we're living in peace and you spoiled it" Wayne punctuates his action using his sword

"Y/N"

Hearing his voice cracks your own head

You're so petrified that a lot of expressions are mixing on your face

"Henry" you let out an incredulous laugh, you walk in circles slowly and also playfully

Eddie is keeping an eye out for you but also he's amused

Amused to your actions

"Don't let me hurt you" Henry softly speaks

"You already did" you smirk but not without fiery eyes directing at him

"We can stop this"

"We can?!? don't fucking play with me, Henry! you could've stopped in the first place if you really want to"

Your whole nation is watching and listening

You glanced at them as you think of a much better plan

If they didn't still won't believe you or any either of your allies

You will show it to them

"My dear people, he slaughtered every kingdom they've ever been in, taking everything they can, because why?, you ask?" you laugh in disbelief again as you shook your head sideways as you think "They wanted to be gods, isn't that right? Henry? you struggle to be somebody in the world but you didn't think first that isn't right to end someone else's life?!? just because other people can't accept you?!?"

"You maybe right on that, Y/N" Henry interrupts

His tone changed and it made you close your mouth to speak

Jason punches Wayne making him drop his sword as he got hold off by the palace guards

Wayne fumes deep into his soul as he looks at Jason

"Do you even think what happened to your mother?" Jason joins in as he spits the blood from his mouth

You freezed once again, Eddie, Jeff, Gareth, Enzo, Dmitri and even Wayne perked up at the mention of the late queen

You're too appalled, too appalled that you set that aside for Eddie's knowledge

No one really knows what happened or what is the true story behind it

Until now, no one has ever find out about it even your father

Your mother is just like you, kind, courageous, charm and sensibility, cares about the people than herself like no other

One day, on your 7th birthday, she vanquished with no explanation, never left a mark or even a trace to why she just disappeared

Your father never talked about it ever again but you know he misses her as much as you missed her

"She's our very first victim, by the way" Jason sniggered as if it didn't scarred you

"Why?"

"We don't like fighters and fighters are keep meddling with our plans like you're doing right now"

"it's so hard to track you down"

You look at Jason with the most questionable expression on your face

Henry chuckles evilly as you glare at him

"Your father, Jim, left every place that reminds him of your mother, he hides you from us"

"Didn't you taken a notice why your father is somehow knows what to do with all of this?!"

Yes, you did, you always wonder why your father prepared you with situations like this

You didn't ask him about it because you thought it's the only way to protect yourself and your loved ones

Now, you know, it's must've been so tough for your father to go through with all of this

At the moment, all you see is red, the sounds from the people around you are now drowned in your surface of boiling point

You straighten your shoulders and hold your sword properly

You can hear the branches next to you are crunching as Jason walks to your side as he continues to provoke you

"And then the next is her father" Jason chuckles

Eddie, Jeff, Gareth, Enzo and Wayne are mortified by the reveal

You met with Eddie's eyes with so much anguish but also feeling blue inside of it

Eddie can see that you're holding your tears as you make a move an uppercut hit on Jason, you can hear his jaw crackles a bit as he shouts in pain, blood is spilled as you push him back down

Your fight has become an inspiration to Wayne as he uses all of his power on his body to let go of the grip by the soldiers, he fought for them as he finally approached the bewildered Jason on the ground who is just about to process the man that is now standing in front of him, his eyes went bigger as Wayne put an end to his life

"Now, you'll shut the fuck up for the rest of your life" Wayne whispers angrily as he lets his sword got deeper and deeper into Jason's body, he hurls on his own blood as it squelches

Henry saw everything as Jason predicted

You attack him while he is distracted, you got him by his shoulder as he whimpers in pain and then onto his legs you aim for it

He starts to limping around as he goes closer to you

You raised your sword as you used it slanted position as you scrape of the half of his skin

Showing it to everyone what he really looks like

"Now, you've done it!" Henry held you by the neck as he raises you upward, leading everyone to gasp

"Y/N!" Eddie calls for you as you wave him to go back away

Dmitri saw your fallen dagger on the ground as he takes it

Henry is now tightening his grip onto your throat making you cough out of air as you watch Dmitri stab Henry by the neck, you drop onto your knees in the ground

"Traitor" Henry tuts as he flicks his hand lift him up in the air for anyone to see as he starts to squirm as you can hear the weeping sounds coming out from him

"Oh my god, no- no- No!" Eddie helps you get up as he yells

"W-What-"

"I've seen this before" your heart cracks as you can see the fear on Eddie's eyes and Dmitri whimpers"

"That's what happened to your maid" Eddie's voice starts to waver as you went down to your knees in shock as soon as you heard the crunch and crumble from Dmitri's bones

Henry totally did a mark on you as you couldn't move so fast to save him but it's all coming too fast

You can feel your head is bleeding, your back is obviously now bruised and his real hands can be so sharp that it wounded you

Despite the excruciating pain that he's having, the last seconds that are left in him are ticking, you can hear it, you can feel in your heart

You slowly shaking your head as you cry as you watch him die

He nods his head carefully to you as he said his last words

"I am e-elated to be a p-part of your service, Princess Y/N, I served m-my purpose, my land, I am so thankful that I have someone l-like you and your father" Dimitri managed to give you a one last smile

Your lips are trembling as you nod in understanding "The honor is mine" you smile weakly

It was so terrible that you saw what Eddie saw and him seeing this for the second time is so wrecking your sanity

The eyes just got pull him out right through his body, he's not recognizable anymore, the face and the whole body is crumpled altogether

"No!" You wail as you throw yourself on Eddie's arms

"I know, sweetheart, I know" he caresses your head as held you tightly

You flinched just like Eddie flinched when it drops onto the ground like it was just an soulless being

He's an animal

You grab your sword as you remove yourself from Eddie, your adrenaline is rushing in, there's no one else to stop you by the moment he turns around, he sees you, appalled that you're Infront of him, not thinking twice for any longer as you stab him right through his chest

His mouth is agape as his eyes went down onto your sword and to you

Both of you went back down as the whole town exclaimed

You're still holding onto your sword as it pinned him down, his blood are now peeking through the ground

"We could've been something" he grins as the nerve to touch you again by your ankle but you move away fast, you scoff as you can't believe he still managed to be so damn cocky on his last breath, you pull out your sword making him gasp and winces in pain not giving him a moment to help him out with the pain that he's having

"In your dreams, Henry!" You angrily said as you his eyes went wide as he realizes what you're about to do

You slammed down your sword as you decapitated his head as it starts to roll around the ground

You used up every energy you have, you didn't noticed the people started to cheer

Jeff, Gareth, Enzo looked at each other as all of them are baffled

You end him just like that?!?

All of the soldiers are now free from the brainwashing, hypnotized and controlled by Henry and Jason

But Eddie and Wayne eyes softens as you start to walk away in a different path with a unsure expression on your face, you didn't even looked back at Eddie but he doesn't mind it

"Where is she going?" Gareth asks in confusion

"Let's leave her alone for a while, she needs time, she'll be okay" Eddie replies to him as Wayne rests his hand over his shoulder as he gave his nephew a reassuring smile

He sighs in contentment as finally everything is done

The clouds are now clearing up, the upside down is slowly starts to dwindle back to normal

Everything is okay now

Eddie's smile falters quite a bit as he thinks about you after all you've been fought through together

He knows this won't be easy for you

Will you be okay?

#Spotify #eddie munson #stranger things 4 #eddie munson x fem!reader #eddie munson x female reader #eddie munson fluff #eddie x fem!reader #eddie munson x y/n #eddie munson angst #eddie munson supremacy #agirlwholovesrockstarsfics #eddie munson fic #eddie munson series

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becomingbts · 1 year

Text

Time Heals (sometimes) - 24

Summary: 6 years ago, (Y/N) thought that she was finally taking her life into her hands, leaving behind a toxic and abusive relationship with a man who taught her she’d never be worthy of love. However, it became hard to ignore his words when she met her seven soulmates, who rejected her without even giving her a chance to prove herself. It took (Y/N) 3 years to realize that it wouldn’t be her end. She would live on to prove them all wrong; she would become what they all thought she wasn’t: someone worthy of love. And as she stands proudly on the stage, under the burning spotlights, the applause and the cries of the delirious crowd, she feels alive. Alive, just like the bond she had believed to be broken.

Around 3.8k

Pairings: Y/N (fem) x OT7

Genre: Soulmate AU!, Idol Y/NAU!, semi social-media AU!, ANGST (mainly), fluff, romance, maybe smut in the series, NSFW.

Taglist closed!

Warnings: Mention of death, almost murder attempt, a lot of blaming, tears, ANGST.

Part 23 - here - Part 25

It had been a while since she had tasted the metallic liquid in her mouth. She had not even noticed that her teeth had pierced the skin of her lips, but the bitter aftertaste did not leave any doubt that she injured herself, even lightly.

Raya didn't cry, she had no strength left to cry. Panting heavily, she stared at the almost lifeless body of her sister. It made her wonder what the fuck she was doing with her life. She felt like she had just hit a wall and not a small one at that. What would happen to her now? Or maybe she should ask: what about them now... Since no one dissociated the two sisters once they learned about their relationship. Why did she have to carry the burden of the crimes of a sister who never felt like one? The words of her friend—could she still call her a friend, though—echoed in her mind, leaving scars that would probably never heal properly.

"Did you ever care for me as a person, or was it an opportunity to soothe the guilt you felt because of your sister’s doings?"

Raya had wanted to yell at her, to tell her she had never thought of it that way. How could she ever think something like that? Yet at the same time, as much as she didn’t want to admit it, Raya knew that there was some truth in (Y/N)’s words. It hadn’t been the only thing that had pushed her to help, of course. Guilt was a strong emotion, but it wouldn't have been enough to push her to help create a medical bond. There was so much more to take into consideration. So many things had happened, and so many feelings were burning in her body. She still could remember how (Y/N)'s bond had been calling for help, almost enthralling every single soul, compelling their bodies to move in her direction and help her. But would it make it any better if Raya told her what she had felt? That her body had almost moved before her own consciousness could come to a conclusion? If she spoke about that day through a medical lens? Wouldn't it sound even worse? She sighed, afraid of the answer. She could have told (Y/N) a billion things, but out of everything, she had decided to stay silent. Her voice had been caught in her throat, unable to utter a sound after the panic had won over her body. Her eyes had avoided (Y/N)’s, but the dry chuckle she heard left little to no doubt about the reaction of her friend. She had only been able to speak afterward, and those words had been enough to set (Y/N) off.

“Why did you even go to their meeting? Can’t believe you’re that naive.”

It was evident that she had hurt (Y/N) beyond imagination. She had not been able to believe herself when she had spoken so cruelly, not thinking before the words had already escaped her. She had tried to make it better, to ask her to wait, not to leave the room before she could explain better, but (Y/N) had only turned around, telling her not to bother before she left without another word. She had deserved it to be fair. She had stuttered, thoughts jumbling together, and ended up saying the wrong things. She had felt cornered and betrayed when (Y/N) had asked her for the truth. So after all these years, all it took was one conversation with them for (Y/N) to be angry at her? After everything she did for her, their side of the story impacted her that much? Maybe she had been naive to think that her best friend would have wanted her side of her story too, instead of throwing accusations as if she had already made up her mind about the truth. They were (Y/N)’s soulmate, of course, she was at a disadvantage in the argument.

Her anger did not prevent guilt from flooding her mind. Raya groaned, annoyed at herself.

“I never told you it was me, you came to that conclusion by yourself.”

The audacity she had to look into (Y/N)’s eyes and tell her that still baffled her. Maybe she had been angry about the whole argument. She couldn’t control her emotion, that was something. But to tell (Y/N) that kind of thing… She had known it would hurt her. Raya had felt defensive, and hurt that her friend would be so angry at her for helping. However, it couldn’t explain why she had felt the need to hit back, throwing words she had known would be hard to swallow. Raya threw her head into her hands, growing. Did she have to say those words?

Anger did not explain why she behaved that way. Raya pinched her lips. Jealousy was a terrible disease, it seemed. She almost laughed darkly at the thought. Raya had always been a rather jealous person. First, of her sister. Then of a bond linking eight people together. Then of (Y/N) with how easily she gained fans and popularity. Then lastly with (Y/N)’s soulmates. How could they be so lucky to have been gifted (Y/N) as a soulmate, reject her, and get a second chance? Why couldn’t it have been her? Was she not loyal enough, not caring enough? She had given (Y/N), Moon, everything she had to offer. Had that been too little?

She had foolishly hoped that it would have been something, that it would have changed something with her fate. When her own soulmate died, Raya firmly believed that if she ever were to get another chance at love, it would be from someone who also lost their soulmate. And (Y/N) looked like a gift from the stars. After everything she had gone through, Raya had found her person. A precious woman who would rather die than betray her. (Y/N) had been a broken soul when they met, yet that had not altered the strong personality she had. She was generous, loving, and giving… Raya believed she had never met someone who cared so much for her. After all those years of living in her sister’s shadow, someone finally saw her for herself, not as someone’s sister or someone’s daughter. She had found someone who loved her, who cooked for her, who took random selfies with her, who confided in her and she did the same in exchange. (Y/N) had lost her soulmates, severed the bond, and covered the mark with a tattoo. Had that not been an explicit enough sign that she would never return to them? Had that not been enough for her to start believing that maybe one day, once (Y/N) healed, they could have a future together?

Raya had been too naive, it seemed. Snorting, she realized how strongly she had believed that maybe one day, they could have had their happy ending together. She had believed that she would always remain by her side. Maybe she had been too hopeful, thinking that she had a chance just because she had believed that (Y/N)’s bond was no longer a threat. Could she ever beat the link one feels with their soulmate? She probably couldn’t. The only thing she had left was…

That abomination of a sister.

The one who took everything from her and whose lifeless body felt like it would take Raya’s soul to her grave with her. She wanted to scream, to yell, to destroy something, and for a short second, her mind wandered to dangerous edges.

How long would it take for her sister to die if she were to strangulate her?

The thought almost amused her. As a nurse, she could find very creative ways to participate in her sister’s demise, why had she bothered so long with that living corpse? Would (Y/N) forgive her if she were to kill the one who almost killed one of her soulmates? The idea felt too enticing. Her sister was so unresponsive, it would almost be too easy to do something, anything to put her out of her misery. She would just need to put her hands around the pale neck of her sister, and apply pressure-

Her mind suddenly quietened, dangerously silent, while her body froze.

Raya jumped back, hands leaving quickly the throat of her sister before she could do anything; before she could leave any mark. She had not even realized that her hands had moved, that she had actually followed her thoughts and acted upon them, but her body had moved before she could get a hold of herself. She panted, breathing heavily and irregularly as she shivered with terror. What had she been about to do? She was a nurse. She was supposed to save lives, and take care of people, not use her medical knowledge and access to patients with physical weaknesses to endanger them. What the hell just went through her mind to go that far? She had barely touched her sister’s skin but it had already been too much. What if anyone had seen her? What would have happened if she had done it? Raya stuttered back into her chair with trembling hands. Tears rolled down her cheeks while she tried to calm herself down. She had almost done the unthinkable. She had not done anything, thankfully, but the way her body had moved terrified her. She had been perfectly silent, almost as if she had expected a yell from her sister. She needed to compose herself. She tried to repeat to herself that she had not done anything, and her hands did not apply any kind of pressure. That had only been in her head. The rest had not happened. What was left of her sister was very much alive. Raya gritted her teeth. She hated her with everything she had but it was not a reason for her behavior. What else was she capable of?

A silent pair of eyes suddenly had settled on her, void and empty, yet strangely focused. However, Raya never noticed them, too overwhelmed by what almost happened.

Take one step forward, take two steps back.

That was exactly how Jungkook felt once (Y/N) disappeared into her room and did not come out of it the next day. It had felt so soothing to be able to be there for her, for his presence to alleviate the pain, even if it wasn’t much. He had hoped that maybe it would lead to more. Not a lot, just more of them as a unit. However, it did not. Or at least, not as of now. (Y/N) was nowhere to be seen. Jungkook knew that she was inside. Her shoes and her coat were there; everything was left untouched. Jungkook wanted to knock on her door, to ask her if she needed anything, yet somehow, he didn’t think that it would be appreciated if he did. Maybe he needed to wait for her to come back to him, just like she did the day before. (Y/N) probably needed to think over everything, breathe, and focus on herself for a little.

Jungkook could understand, he truly didn’t mind. He just wished there was something he could do to help. He cooked breakfast even if she didn’t show up. He believed that maybe if he left it on the table and disappeared, she would come out to at least eat. However, she didn’t. Her breakfast was still on the table, her tea had gone cold, and maybe his hopes dropped a bit at the sight. He knew that he should be disappointed, yet he couldn’t help the sigh that escaped him. Maybe he should have knocked on her door to at least let her know that he had prepared breakfast for her, but he didn’t feel like it was something he was authorized to do, for some reason.

It was dreadfully silent, almost deafeningly. Jungkook could hear his own heart thumping painfully, his head hurt a little at the feeling. He lay down slowly, huffing a bit in annoyance at his own weakness. He knew his body was just seeking his soulmate. Yet, even if this reaction got him closer to her in the first place, he couldn’t help but wish to regain his autonomy. He didn’t feel trapped, but he knew that he was still required to stay here. Not only because his body told him to, but because he knew that the health of his soulmate also depended on him. Hence, even if he had not been brought here forcefully, he still felt the pressure on his shoulders.

Jungkook tried to shake those worries away, after all, he wasn’t the only one in this situation, (Y/N) was also in this condition. His health was also her responsibility, as much as he despised the idea of imposing himself in her life. It was still the reality of their situation. One couldn’t go too far from the other without hurting them. She had a decision to make with the others, though he didn’t want to disturb her, he knew that his presence was already too much, so how would she accept to be part of their lives?

Jungkook hoped, he desperately hoped that she would choose them. He truly wanted to whine and tell her that she could take all the time that she needed as long as she came to them one day but he knew better than to let his selfish self act up. The whole Raya thing was a bit deal for her, she was probably overwhelmed. Jungkook couldn’t expect an answer so soon, even if he was craving to hear acceptance from the lips of his soulmate. Maybe it was also his bond speaking. Since his body was aching because of the distance from his soulmate, his mind was trying to find other means of comfort, and other links to her, however, those links didn’t exist. She wasn’t staying with them, they weren’t living a comfortable and happy life of a bonded group. His mind and body were tired. Jungkook was tired, and in his foggy state of mind, the only thing he wished for was to curl up close to his soulmates. And all of them preferably.

Jungkook groaned, knowing it wasn’t possible. Resting an arm over his eyes, he tried to calm down, maybe he could take a short nap. It would maybe clear his ideas and help him with his overall exhaustion. Alas, his phone rang loudly next to him. Not moving, Jungkook didn’t take the call, letting the ringtone echo in the room. He sighed softly when it stopped and sighed, annoyed when the phone rang again a few seconds after.

Jungkook turned on himself, reaching for his phone as he saw Jimin’s name on the screen.

“Hyung, what do you want.” Alright, maybe there were other ways to greet his soulmate, but he was annoyed and tired. Jungkook just wanted to nap, for fuck’s sake. He wasn’t asking for the moon, was he now?

“I’m… glad that you miss me, I miss you too.” Jungkook chuckled at Jimin’s dry answer, “and to say that I stopped my game to call you just because your bond was pulling. Ungrateful brat.” Jungkook’s eyes opened slightly at that, and a small smile gently crept up on his face.

“I do miss you, m’ sorry. I was trying to nap, but my mind can’t seem to shut the fuck up, and then you called so I snapped at you. I shouldn’t have, though, sorry.” It got silent on the other side, and for a second, Jungkook wondered if Jimin had hung up on him.

“Wow, Jeon Jungkook recognizing that he is wrong? Without bickering first? What happened, are you alright? Wait, are you even Jungkook?” Well, maybe Jimin did deserve the previous greeting Jungkook offered because the younger man really wanted to just hang up.

“Fuck you.”

“Oh my, you sure are snappy today. What a charming prince you are, dear soulmate.” Jungkook groaned again.

“Why are you calling, it sure can’t be the only reason.” Jimin chuckled at those words, knowing that he was caught right from the beginning.

“Can’t hide anything from you, can I? I wanted to ask you if you wanted me to come, or to meet somewhere. I can feel your anxiety and it’s stressing Yoongi-hyung. Although he told us he was fine, he’s clearly uneasy, you know hyung.” Oh, he definitely knew his hyung, trying to give everyone the space they needed to neglect his needs in the process. It was a habit that the six of them were trying to erase. It wasn’t easy, after all, habits die hard, and Yoongi was a stubborn person. But they wouldn’t give up on trying to make him speak up about his needs and wants.

“I’ll… I’ll ask (Y/N) about it. I don’t know if she’ll be fine with you coming though…” He knew he sounded obviously suspicious, being that vague, but Jungkook wasn’t sure about what was happening between him and (Y/N). He didn’t have any other way to put it without crossing lines. Jimin noticed it instantly, sighing softly on the phone.

“Is she okay?” Jungkook looked at the ground, unsure how to reply. There wasn’t a good answer to this question, he thought.

“I’m not sure. She hasn’t come out of her room since yesterday after we shared a slice of lemon cake.” Jungkook was too nervous about the whole situation to wonder about Jimin’s silence.

“You made a lemon cake for her?” Jimin was obviously baffled, not mad, maybe a bit unsure, but certainly not mad. It took Jungkook a while to understand why his soulmate sounded so surprised, but once he pieced the puzzle together, he grinned softly.

“Ah, I promise next time I’ll make sure everyone’s here to have some. Though, hyung… It’s funny, it’s also (Y/N)’s favorite cake.” Jugnkook whispered, almost giddy at the information. It was not something the media was aware of, nor information that fans had. It was a little something just between them, and the fact that everyone’s favorite cake from Jungkook was a lemon cake, made him happy. It was stupid, really. Just a little detail but somehow, it made him feel as if destiny had not messed up fully. As if, indeed, (Y/N) had always been there to fit in. Maybe he was looking at that with too much sentimentality. He shouldn’t get that excited over cake preferences, and yet he couldn’t find it in himself to stop the blooming feeling in his chest. It didn’t remove his uneasiness, but he definitely felt his cheeks warm up at the thought.

“It’s her favorite? Really?” There was a short pause before he continued, “that was unexpected.” Jungkook heard the implications of Jimin’s words, even if the older man didn’t say it: she’s just like us. He thought about it too, after all.

“Yeah, I was surprised too, but it’s cute. Somehow, it fits us. It feels like home, in a way.” Jungkook didn’t hear Jimin’s sharp intake of breath, too caught up in his own little world, yet Jimin’s voice brought him back to Earth without a warning.

“I do understand what you mean, but I don’t think you should imagine stuff like that…” Jimin murmured while Jungkook froze, “I understand, trust me I do. I wish it could be our home too, that she could be part of what we call home, but we don’t… We can’t, not as long as she didn’t take a decision. Yoongi-hyung was right about that, and we both know it. I think, deep down, we all do. I don’t want you to hurt yourself more than you already did.” Jimin was looking after him, he knew that, but he couldn’t help the defeated sigh that left his lips. He wished everything could just be easier for them. Hadn’t they suffered enough?

“I know…” Neither of them said a word, their bond was enough to understand each other without speaking more than that. Disappointment and hopelessness were easily shared through their connection, and Jimin decided that it was enough. Maybe he couldn’t do much about (Y/N) without being invasive and insensitive, but Jungkook… Jungkook, maybe he could help him, at least.

“Ask (Y/N) about me coming to see you, okay? Send a message and I’ll come wherever you want us to meet.” Jungkook nodded with a small smile despite Jimin’s inability to see him.

“I will, see you, hyung.” Jungkook didn’t want to move from his position, yet as he put his phone down, his feet led him in front of the door he had wanted to knock on for the past few hours. He looked at it, almost nervous, before gently knocking three times. He truly hoped that she was awake and that he wasn’t disturbing her. He could have sent a message, maybe it would have been easier. Yet, while he started overthinking, the door cracked open, and (Y/N)’s pale face appeared on the threshold. She didn’t utter a word, questioning Jungkook silently as she watched cautiously his every move.

For a second, he wished he could be swallowed by the ground.

“Hey, uh… I’m sorry if I woke you up…” She blinked a few times at his words, as if trying to process what he just said.

“I was awake. No worries.” Her voice sounded empty, disconnected from reality. Jungkook flinched ever so slightly, worried about her but not knowing if it was his place to ask.

“I know it’s probably not the right moment to ask this, but would you mind if Jimin were to come here to spend some time with me? You don’t have to join us, I just…” Jungkook wondered why he saw a glint of guilt in her eyes as he talked. Maybe she had noticed that he was desperate for some comfort from his soulmates and she had denied him without really meaning to. She had not been set on avoiding him, and yet, she had disappeared in her room, leaving little chances for him to find comfort in her presence, or lack thereof. Maybe it was that same guilt that pushed her to agree with a silent nod, retrieving to her room without noise while the door closed again.

Jungkook sighed, taking his phone back in his hands before texting Jimin the address.

God, he wished everything was easier.

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Uploaded : 16/02/2023

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