#zoya and Nikolai baby fic

[rietveldbrothers]

ice ice baby

a/n: its that time of year again, @grishaversebigbang posting time and here’s what I got for y’all!

this AU grabbed my by the neck and dragged me along with it. Reuben and Eva made some absolutely lovely creations to go along with this fic so be sure to check those out and give ‘em a reblog

and as usual, thanks to @reapersbarge for saving you all from my crimes against the english language

Materialki: @6crowgang [link] & @oretsov [link]

Summary: Mal Oretsev and Zoya Nazyalenksy are the biggest rivals in professional hockey. Too bad their partners compete together in Ice Dance and its impossible to escape one another.

aka 5 times Zoya and Mal were rivals and 1 time they also were rivals but different.

Ao3 Link

part 1 under the cut:

To say Zoya Nazyalensky hated Malyen Oretsev would be an understatement. She loathed him. She despised him. She hated every fiber of his being. She could not get rid of him.

Here she was, on her Sunday off, on a Nike shoot, and he was right there with her. Because could Nike possibly shoot for their new training set with just Zoya alone? No, of course. If one of their star hockey players had to be there, so did the other. Not that Zoya would admit Oretsev was a star. Not publicly anyway.

“How ya doing, Nazyalensky?” He greeted her in that way that was technically nice, but the way he grinned down at her set her teeth on edge. “Nikolai mentioned you hadn’t been feeling well.”

“Nikolai is an idiot who shouldn’t be talking to you.”

“So you are not feeling well?”

“I’m perfectly fine to pound your ass into the boards next Saturday.” Zoya sniffed imperiously. Mal’s team was her’s top rival and both of them were good this year, both strong playoff contenders. People were already disappointed that being in the same division meant one team would have to knock the other out before the cup finals. She had every intention of doing the knocking.

“Alright, Mal? Zoya? Can we have you two over here please?” The photographer interrupted any response Oretsev could have come up with in that pea brain of his, and moved them around under the lights.

Zoya was a professional. She was excellent at her job and sponsorships were part of that job. Which meant photoshoots were part of that job. And Zoya excelled at photoshoots. Mal Oretsev… also excelled at photoshoots. Which was annoying. His hair was nearly as long as hers was, which she was starting to take personally, and the shoot assistants kept cooing over him as they arranged him under the photographers direction. She had no idea what Starkov saw in the idiot. Here he was shooting grins at everyone in sight as she reluctantly allowed herself to be positioned next to him. For once, the photographer was going for determined instead of happy or loving. Zoya’s game face was legendary already.

She could admit the photos they were shown afterwards looked good. Zoya always looked good, but it wasn’t like she wouldn’t have looked just as good on her own. She didn’t need to spend her entire morning with Oretsev’s stupid charms spilling over to infect everyone else present. By the time she could leave, she felt slimy with it. Nikolai had better not be late to pick her up; she was already regretting letting him drop her off in the first place.

To her immense regret, Nikolai was indeed waiting for her, but he was not alone. Alina Starkov’s white blonde hair caught the sunlight right next to where Nikalai was waiting at his car. The two appeared to be in an animated conversation of some sort, perhaps about the free skate they were currently workshopping, based on the way Alina was waving her arms about. For someone with so much grace on the ice, she was remarkably jerky in the parking lot under midday sun.

Mal rushed by her to swing Alina up in a dramatic hug, as if it had been days since he’d seen her. They were always like that, though–disgustingly adorable, which she supposed was a symptom of being recently engaged. Either that or they were just gross; either was possible.

She allowed Nikolai to drop a kiss to her cheek and tried to usher him into the car.

“So Alina and I were thinking,” Nik started, “What if we grabbed a late lunch? You know, the four of us?”

So thats what this was then.

An ambush.

“I don't know if that’s–” “Maybe another–”

Mal and Zoya spoke over one another trying to come up with reasons not to. However much Oretsev’s golden retriever personality refused to allow him to be rude to her face in front of Alina, Zoya was well aware that her dislike was mutual. They exchanged a glance. Solidarity with him certainly did not feel good, but if it got her out of spending the next few hours with him, she’d swallow down her discomfort. If Nikolai thought he was getting any action after this stunt, he was wildly mistaken. Even if he was about to leave for four days.

“You two are silly.” Alina’s voice was light but Zoya could see her grip on Oretsev’s arm tighten. “You like each other, you just refuse to admit it. Come on, Nikki and I already made reservations so I don’t want to hear any excuses. Genya and David are going to join us.”

“Surprised you didn’t invite Tamar and Nadia while you were at it,” Zoya grumbled.

“We did!” Nikolai was proud to chime in, “Adrik and Leoni too. Tolya is still out of town or he’d be in for sure.”

“So how many people?” Mal perked up at this considerably. Zoya figured she agreed it was good news, the more people there, the less she had to interact with him.

“Oh it’s just the Safin-Kostyk’s.” Nik sighed, “Tamar and Nadia are too good for us, of course. Enjoying the nice weather. And Leoni had ice time this afternoon.”

“Her short program is stunning. I was watching her choreograph the other day,” Alina chimed in.

Damn. Tamar would have easily occupied Oretsev; they were teammates after all.

Before she could come up with another argument against lunch, she found herself in the passenger seat of Nikolai’s car and pulling out onto the road.

Nikolai was definitely not getting any tonight.

#gvbbmb22 #gvbbmbfic22 #ice ice baby #malina #zoyalai #mal oretsev #zoya nazyalensky #alina starkov #nikolai lantsov #my fic #grishaverse

[happyhauntt]

— march fic recs, brought to you by happyhauntt.

a wee fic rec post for a few of the fics i read in march that altered my brain chemistry!! i've put a lil comment next to each rec because honestly writers don't get praised enough for their work these days and i wanted to show my appreciation for these talented souls!!

grishaverse.

➡ kaz brekker.

what do you want from me by @rubysunnday. notes: literally perfect wtf.

dark days by rubysunnday. notes: i reread this literally constantly, it is so perfect, kaz's characterisation is perfect, i adore it.

bloody hands by rubysunnday. notes: i devoured this whole thing like a starving person it was sO good.

when am i gonna lose you? by @crowsmybeloveds. notes: this is so beautiful honestly i have no words.

the lost princess by @ellewritesalright. notes: look it's only part one but elle is a fucking wizard and i'm a sucker for an anastasia au.

you and me (a whole lot of history) by @heliads. notes: this was so cute and such a clever concept i fell in love!!!

schat by @amourology. notes: fully choked this is so adorable.

soulmate by @magpiencrow. notes: KAZ BREKKER SOULMATE AU didn't know i needed this but now i need 100 more!!!!

➡ nikolai lantsov.

nine long years series by @ellewritesalright. notes: i am actively fucking screaming over this fic. i will never stop. this might genuinely be the best thing i've read in a LONG while. everything about it has me sobbing i actively CANNOT COPE. and it's not even finished yet.

one of us by @songofpatrochilless. notes: literally had me sobbing you don't understand the domesticity of it all!!!!!.

come on back to me by @atlabeth. notes: there is a very strong chance that i'll literally never stop screaming about this fic.

dreams of you by @wh0refornikolailantsov. notes: every cell in my body is SCREAMING.

this love by @lantsovsupremacist. notes: did not, in fact, give you permission to hurt me like this do it again.

salt in the wound by @in-my-feels-probably. notes: brain goes brrrr this has everything i need to survive tbh.

wanting was enough by @rubysunnday. notes: beautiful stunning magnificent i want to eat it.

an exhausted smile by @writing-havoc. notes: think i had an aneurysm reading this it was that amazing.

run away with me by @sumsebien. notes: i am still sobbing over this.

in emerald hearts, emerald minds by @undiscovered-horizon. notes: love love love love love. there aren't enough words in any language to describe how much i love this.

➡ alina starkov.

alina starkov x reader by @heliads. notes: alina does not get nearly enough love and this was so fucking sad and cute and brilliant.

➡ nina zenik.

the ten steps to 'i love you' by @sophierequests. notes: this was SO HEARTWARMING AND SWEET i adored it!!!

➡ zoya nazyalensky.

forget-me-nots by @syllvane. notes: not enough zoya fics on this hellsite. but also this ripped my heart out and made me sob so RUDE. i feel devastated.

➡ inej ghafa.

inej ghafa x reader by @heliads. notes: INEJ MY SWEET BABY, this fic is everything to me. everything. and it's so beautifully written!!!

➡ the darkling.

the dark side of the moon series by @myhairpintrigger. notes: this fic is ASTOUNDING. i haven’t cried this much reading something in a long time. i was FULL-BODY SOBBING. i don’t even like the darkling. i am Not a darkling girlie. but i was intrigued by concept of this fic and i can safely say it has ruined my life. this is Emotional Damage Incarnate. i will never recover. author, i salute you.

911.

through the smoke by @borntobewondering. notes: spent twenty whole minutes sobbing after reading this. i felt undone i felt hollow i felt so utterly fucked. author is a genius and that's all there is to say.

not so one night stand by @shmaptainwrites. notes: this was so fuckin adorable i'm in love.

d.c. to l.a. by shmaptainwrites. notes: bobby my guy just doesn't get enough fucking credit and this is so fucking adorable.

criminal minds.

➡ spencer reid.

trouble almost all my life by @januaryembrs. notes: this series is. it's literally. everything. i love bugsy like she's my own child. sister relationships are everything to me. i spent an hour sobbing in my bed over parts 2 and 3. i want this tattooed on my forehead.

➡ aaron hotchner.

found by @benedictscanvas. notes: DADDY i mean what. all jokes aside this was so sweet and beautiful and i'm in love the writing!!!

doctor who.

rage rage (against the dying of the light) by @morganas-pendragons. notes: felt feral after reading this. kayla just gets me in my feels every time.

heartbeat by morganas-pendragons. notes: this was the most emotional devastating thing i've ever read and i fully needed 3-5 business days to recover. rude. i want 100 more.

untitled by morganas-pendragons. notes: PAIN i love this so much.

ache by morganas-pendragons. notes: just scoop my heart out of my fucking chest i don't want it anymore after reading this.

a mind full of blissful terrors by @magiccath. notes: simply fucking amazing.

light in the dark by @i-imagine-my-doctor. notes: screaming please i adore this so much.

baby talk by @kisstherainwriting. notes: THE ABSOLUTE CUTIEST EVER. there's not enough clara fics and this had me squealing and feeling all warm and fuzzy!!!

holding my hand by kisstherainwriting. notes: angst galore this was STUNNING.

in another's eyes by @cas-kingdom. notes: PERFECTION.

where do we go now series by @theetherealbloom. notes: literally so fucking amazing i don't have enough words.

marauders.

the winner takes it all by @ellecdc. notes: brb faye is having a STROKE--

come back, be here series by ellecdc. notes: i think i had a full on stroke while reading this series. the attention to detail is insane. the characterisation is perfect.

i don't know you anymore (maybe i never really did) by @thenyoumightaswellwrestleangels. notes: SCREECHING i'm in love you don't understand.

bridgerton.

➡ anthony bridgerton.

distractions by @peterpparkrr. notes: simply immaculate.

right person, all the wrong times by @wwinterwitch. notes: did you mean one of my favourite tropes bc this is it.

right in front of me by @idontgiveaflyinggrayson69 & @thirteenisles. notes: i felt feral after reading this tbh.

➡ sibling!reader.

reluctant caretaker by @rubysunnday. notes: this fic hit my heart in all the right places okay sibling stuff means everything to me.

did she have a cookie by rubysunnday. notes: a joyous read from start to finish i CACKLED the whole way through.

moon knight.

come back to me by @mgparker. notes: still sobbing. immaculate.

the other sarcophagus by @starryevermore. notes: i literally reread this constantly i adore it so much!!

marc spector x reader by @softlyspector. notes: i had an aneurysm reading this and i haven't been the same since.

more marc spector x reader by softlyspector. notes: i am having an intense emotion hold on. anytime i see autistic stuff in canon content for any fandom i SQUEAK. and this is so well done honestly.

star wars.

heartless by @youvebeenlivingfictional. notes: i reread this constantly, it's so amazing and heartwrenching and beautiful and i want to eat it.

little talks by @light-yaers. notes: you simply do not understand how much i adore everything beff writes. i adore this fic more than i need oxygen to breathe.

right where you left me series by light-yaers. notes: personality-defining series. i LIVE for this fic. every update adds five years to my lifespan. if you're not reading this you are MISSING OUT.

a light, a song, a bluebird by @millllenniawrites. notes: made me SOB 10/10 would recommend if you like emotional trauma.

invisible string by @campingwiththecharmings. notes: pining!!! loneliness!!! i adore!!!

hard landings by @softlyspector. notes: no. no you don't understand. this fic doesn't just own my soul it is my soul. i want it tattooed on my face.

misc.

hopper x reader by @luveline. notes: you don't understand this might be the cutest shit i've ever read and jade is a fellow welsh person which automatically makes them brilliant in my book.

muña by @in-my-feels-probably. notes: alicent means fucking everything to me and this had me sobbing.

mistletoe magic by @writingsbychlo. notes: literally the cutest fucking thing ever, had me kicking my legs and squealing!!

#* faye's monthly fic recs. #* type: fic recs. #nikolai lantsov x reader #kaz brekker x reader #poe dameron x reader #marc spector x reader #spencer reid x reader #aaron hotchner x reader #anthony bridgerton x reader #evan buckley x reader #the doctor x reader

[downn-in-flames]

kanej/soc fic masterlist

needed a new pinned post so here goes:

big reputations cinematic universe

big reputations [wip]

the crows in their senior year at ketterdam university as the dramatic (and often drunk) little shits they are. a chatfic that has spiraled wildly out of my hands, the crows are in charge now.

↳ high above the whole scene [wip]

prose content from big reputations to fill in the gaps.

↳ caught up in a moment [wip]

more prose content from big reputations to fill in the gaps, but this time it’s all just kanej spicy moments because people keep requesting them and i am more than happy to oblige.

↳ i want your midnights [2.2k words]

prose content from big reputations, but just new year’s eve and also it was a collaborative thing.

↳ forever with your hands in my pockets [wip, helnik]

the big reputations helnik origin story.

↳ just wrong enough to make it feel right [wip, zoyalai]

zoya and nikolai as moot court partners in law school, also vaguely set in the brcu.

multi-chapters

treacherous [30 chapters, 25.3k words]

flashes of kaz and inej’s relationship over the years, in the choose your own adventure style of ‘do i read this in the order of the song lyrics or chronologically.’ 98% fluff.

↳ begin again [2.5k words]

somehow treacherous prompted kanej babyfic.

midnights [13 chapters, 16.4k words]

another set of kanej flashes that can be read in two different orders, this time written pre-midnights release with only the track names to determine the vibes. slightly less but still mostly fluff.

↳ midnights (3am edition) [7 chapters, 8.2k words]

midnights scenes (or adjacent scenes) told from different povs. expect three gut punches.

↳ midnights (the late night edition) [1k words]

one final midnights fic because obviously i had to write one for ‘you’re losing me.’

one-shots

carry your baggage up my street [4.8k words]

kanej is renegade by the national and taylor swift. change my mind. (you won’t).

castles crumbling [2.9k words]

kanej baby but make it hurt just a little.

come morning light, you and i’ll be safe and sound [3.4k words]

kaz and inej have enemies, they’re each other’s protectors, and both of them deserve some damn decent sleep.

die for you in secret [5.3k words]

a 5+1 in which kaz keeps all his soft thoughts close to his chest until finally he doesn’t.

forever is the sweetest con [2 chapters, 3.6k words]

there’s a wedding for tax incentive purposes. kaz sends jesper through the entire range of human emotion in the span of approximately 10 minutes, purely for shits and giggles. now with bonus inej content.

i could be the way forward only if they pay for it [1.1k words]

kaz buys a ship. for reasons.

keep your brittle heart warm [2.1k words]

kaz reveals his true tell. once upon a time this was baby’s first kanej fic. now look where that got us.

the end of a movie i’ve seen before [3.3k words]

a modern au and the final result of ‘i wonder if i can gaslight readers twice in one fic.’ also the only non-taylor swift title of them all.

what if i told you i’m a mastermind [5k words]

another modern au in which kaz schemes to win over inej, failing to realize that he is not in fact the one pulling the strings here. 

wishing for right now [1.1k words]

genuinely obscene levels of cottagecore fluff.

you had some tricks up your sleeve [2.6k words]

inej wears silks and gets a new knife. that’s really all that matters.

#what's wild is that some of these extremely bad summaries #are still somehow better than the summaries i used for them on ao3 #kanej #kanej fic #kanej fanfiction #kaz brekker #inej ghafa #six of crows #six of crows fic #six of crows fanfiction #shadow and bone #shadow and bone fanfiction #shadow and bone fic

[timeandspacelord]

My crack-fic is, at long last, publically available!

Summary:

In which circumstances conspire to push Nikolai and Kaz closer than ever. AKA a fake dating crack-fic that got extremely out of hand, but has been my baby for most of a year. Book canon, post-RoW. Is it OOC? In some ways, yes, very. In other ways, I understand these characters as well as Leigh herself and that is reflected in their dynamics in the fic. Written for and with my partner. ~~~ “I say we let them do it.” Zoya lifted her head and cocked an eyebrow. “And you’re okay letting Kaz and Nikolai play at romance? Together?” “It would not be the strangest role Kaz has played for a job, your majesty. And, as Nikolai pointed out, it would shift almost all press attention to them.” “It would also,” Mila said through a bite of waffle, “be fucking hilarious.” A smile fought its way onto Inej’s face. “That’s an added bonus, as well, yes.” Zoya threw her hands up. “I guess!”

#Kaz Brekker #Nikolai Lantsov #six of crows #six of crows fanfic #soc #soc fanfic #grishaverse fanfic #kaz x nikolai #kazolai #fake dating #writing #my writing

[mihrsuri]

My Shadow & Bone feels 5 episodes into S2 from someone who has only read the crows books:

NIKOLAI MY BELOVED (get wrecked Vasili). I adore him. I really do.

Inej is everyone’s favourite and that’s how it should be. (This is true in the books as well)

Freddy Carter absolutely and completely embodied Kaz (I mean the entire cast is incredible but like particularly That Moment Covered In Blood).

I am murdering DARKLES myself for doing what he did to my precious baby Genya. (Ben Barnes still gorgeous but STABBY)

Tolya and Tamar being the best.

I am so invested in the Crow-Grisha-Prince Nikolai found family Polycule (aka why all the Crows have diplomatic immunity in Ravka). I might have fic about it. It might involve all Nikolai’s friends beating up Vasili.

WYLAN.

Listen all my feelings about Inej are obviously just MY HEART.

And Nina. (listen @shes-a-voodoo-child is the Nina to my Inej).

And Zoya. Zoya whose story I think I’m spoiled for (I think? I looked up some things)

ALINA. ALINA. ALINA.

#tv: shadow and bone #I love this show so much new Thing

[unrequitedloveletter]

Hi, everyone! I’m posting this a little less than two weeks in advance because if I don’t, between finishing up the last of my schoolwork before exams, studying for them, and then going in and doing them, this’ll get lost in my drafts. 

I will be offering fics for this event, so here’s a list of the characters to whom this event is applicable: all of the crows, Alina, Zoya, Nikolai and Mal

(Edited to remove characters I no longer wanted to part of this event)

Mutual tags: @ellora-brekker @brekkers-desigirl​

Feel free to send in as many requests for this as you want, but if you’re going to send in multiple, please send them seperately!

We’re not talkin’ lately- send me an angst prompt or scenario of your choice, your preferred pronouns, and the character for whom you want me to write the fic

Baby, you were the love of my life- send me a romantic prompt or scenario of your choosing. Leave your prefered pronouns and the character for whom you want the fic. 

If my blood is your blood, I will course- send me a lyric from a song by a queer artist or a song about being apart of the queer community, and I’ll write a fic around it! 

If I died here in your arms, I wouldn’t be upset- give me a character and any pride-themed scenario of your choosing. 

I’m scared of getting older, but our future’s looking bright- send me a character and how you’d like to see their future play out. I’ll do my best to write it. 

I hear heaven singing when your lips move- pick a prompt from this prompt list!

Matilda- free space! Send me anything you feel like sending in!

You drew stars, around my scars- send in a description of yourself and a fandom, and I’ll ship you with someone and write a blurb! 

It’s not the same as it was- ask me anything!

Depollute me- send in a character of your choice and any activity. I’ll create a moodboard or write blurb around it. 

I’m right where you left me- send me a soulmate AU with a twist of your choice!

I belong in your arms- drop a scenario and I’ll write a fic for it that goes over 1,000 works in length. 

#kaz brekker #kaz brekker x reader #inej ghafa #inej ghafa x reader #jesper fahey #jesper fahey x reader #wylan van eck #wylan van eck x reader #nina zenik #nina zenik x reader #matthias helvar #matthias helvar x reader #alina starkov #alina starkov x reader #nikolai lantsov #nikolai lantsov x reader #zoya nazyalensky #zoya nazyalenksy x reader #mal oretsev #mal oretsev x reader #six of crows #shadow and bone

[wesper-ao3feed]

let him be mine (let him be soft)

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/ErgOd6o by jordiefloatie a shrek retelling with the crows, zoyalai, my gay disaster son kuwei, my other disaster but straight (or is he?) and a lot more bitter son, kaz. contains love triangles, one beds, arson, death, undeath, sparkly wings, revenge, villains, and absolute bullshit. read at your own risk. Words: 1400, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English Fandoms: Six of Crows Series - Leigh Bardugo, Shrek (Movies) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Categories: F/M, M/M Characters: Kaz Brekker, Shrek (Shrek), Jesper Fahey, Wylan Van Eck, Nina Zenik, Matthias Helvar, Kuwei Yul-Bo, Inej Ghafa Relationships: Kaz Brekker/Shrek, Kaz Brekker/Inej Ghafa, Jesper Fahey/Wylan Van Eck, Kaz Brekker & Jesper Fahey, Matthias Helvar/Nina Zenik Additional Tags: Crack Treated Seriously, Crack Relationships, Crack Fic, inej is fiona, nina is gingerbread (wo)man, matthias is human who almost accidently eats her, cue dramatic enemy to lovers cause nina is offended and will hold a grudge for as long as she can, wylan is arsonist, wylan is bamf, wylan is all-powerful killer of men, wylan is dragon (literally), and jesper is donkey, for real, he is donkey from shrek, jesper is also magical, Simp Jesper Fahey, Simp Kaz Brekker, Simp Matthias Helvar, Simp Shrek, he's a horny mf, Sharing a Bed, Love at First Sight, Declarations Of Love, Love Triangles, it (doesn't) make sense I swear, kaz hates onions, I Don't Even Know, I Can't Believe I Wrote This, Author Is Sleep Deprived, shrek is a slut, and thirsty af for kazzle dazzle, i saw the shrek movie ten years ago, i did reread ck a few days ago tho, wesper is instantly married, though jesper almost dies before the vows, Inspired by Shrek (Movies), but nikolai is puss in boots, and zoya is kitty softpaws, TOO MANY COMMAS, POV Kaz Brekker, Touch-Averse Kaz Brekker, Kaz Brekker Has PTSD, Kaz Brekker is Bad at Feelings, kaz is a petty mf, and dramatic af, pekka rollins is lord farquaad, kuwei is pinocchio, Kuwei Yul-Bo is a Little Shit, Near Death Experiences, Major character death - Freeform, Major Character Undeath, kaz is krugesexual revengesexual inejsexual and ogresexual, Bad Humor, im not funny guys so you'll just have to deal with my unfunny jokes, kaz is grumpy magical and a fairy godmother, he has a baby blue and pink cane and glittery sparkly pink wings, he still wears a three piece suit and acts like a bitter over caffeinated eighty year old tho read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/ErgOd6o

#wesper #wylan x jesper #wesper fanfiction #wesper ao3feed #ao3feed #fanfiction

[vanilla-vivillon]

So since y’all seemed to like Kanej kid, let’s do Zoyalai kid. Also David isn’t dead in this because it is to sad

||ROW SPOILERS||

TW, this has brief mentions of infertility and describes labor, nothing to graphic just talks about how painful it is

After the wedding zoya and Nikolai were both excited to start a family

Nikolai; while he adores his sister Linnea and his father, never really was able to grow up in a loving household

He never wanted that for his children

He and Vasily had a horrible relationship growing up and he wanted to di everything in his power to make sure his kids had a healthy sibling relationship

Zoya on the other hand never really thought she’d have kids

Before everything went down she kinda assumed she’d work as a general and work to help Grisha

She never thought she’d have children

That obviously had to change

The country needed heirs

Zoya already decided that since she was probably gonna live a loooooong time, when her heir came of age she would step down; that way she wouldn’t love for a super long time.

Now that Zoya was gonna have children she wasn’t honestly sure about

What if they hold her back?

What if she gives up to many duties for them?

But higher the all these other worries she didn’t want to turn into her own mother

No matter how much Nikolai assured her that never will happen

Zoya still had worries

Zoya was a lot of things but motherly she was not

Nevertheless in February Zoya and Nikolai told there friends they were expecting

They were all incredibly happy for them

Tamar loved children although she herself didn’t want any and couldn’t wait to teach the kid things like how to ride a horse or shoot

Tolya objected saying the kid should be well educated on poatry and great works that way the Nazyalensky dynasty might be somewhat pious

Genya was hoping for a girl. Genya and David had there son Forrest earlier that year and Genya was already planning play dates

David was happy for his friends and had already started on projects for toys for the kid

When they wrote Mal and Alina they were ecstatic

While Mal gave tips on how to handle babies to Nikolai

Alina with her wiles and years of friendship with Zoya figured out all the way from Keramzin Zoya was worried

She wrote “Zoya babe imma cut to the chase, your nervous, your scared, your probably worried you’ll turn out to be a horrible mother. And imma tell you your not. Cause you’ve got an amazing freaking team. You’ve got Nikolai, Magnus, Linnea, and Genya and David, the twins, and of course myself. There’s no way in hell we’d let you turn out horrible to the kid. We’ve got you”

It helped Zoya a lot

She decided it was orphan wiles that Alina used to diagnose her exact problem from the letter she wrote to her

And Zoya did have wonderful people to help her

She wasn’t alone

Zoya had been trying to remember that more

Three months along Zoya was safely into Trmester two and it was time to tell the public

This was crucial to the monarchy

While zoya and Nikolai were popular

They needed an heir to convive people of the security of the nation

They made a public speech announcing the baby and Ravka went wild

If there’s one thing Ravkans know how to do it’s rally around babies

Letter came pouring in from name suggestions to old wives tales

They said Rosemary made the baby healthier

They said they should name there child Plumje

Well the Plumje comment was from some Kerch girl Zoya found strange but never mind that

The announcement was huge

The people had hope

Hope that wolves wouldn’t come knocking

Hope that there boys and girls wouldn’t be drafted

Hope for peace

While the people rejoiced Zoyas pregnancy was getting tougher

She had a easy enough first trimester but the second? That was rough

The morning sickness was bad

Her Healer; a no nonsense Fjerdan Women said that the vomiting wasn’t something that could be healed

And so Zoya suffered on

Zoya insisted on keeping her normal schedule

Her usual meetings with Grisha and the spy’s

Passive agressive letters to the Kerch

Aggressive aggressive letters to the shu

And trying to figure out whether or not there was a revolution group in the Wandering Isle

Zoyas schedule was already stressed and the baby wasn’t helping

Eventually her healer; Monika, put her foot down

“Your Magesty” She started “if you do not alleviate your stress I guarantee your pregnancy will be worse”

“Look Monika I can handle a little throw up”

Monika and Zoya attended the little palace together

While Monika was a healer and back then the animosity between corporalki and etherealki were high, they were friends

It was good to have a powerful healer in your corner when half the little palace hates you

And it was good to have a powerful squaller in your corner when your Fjerdan and in enemy territory

“Zoya you are endangering your child” Monika stated

By this statement Nikolai had enough

And zoya finally listened

Nikolai assumed some of her duties and Zoya started to feel a bit better

Her second trimester was stressful for there relationship

Nikolai had a hard time understanding zoya

And Zoyas fears started to grow

But they were a good couple

And they worked through tension before

Zoya opened up about her worries of being a competent queen with a child

She leaned on Nikolai more

And they worked together to fix the damage

By the end of her second trimester there relationship was healthier

And they thought the third couldn’t be as bad

In a way they were right

Her morning sickness while still present was significantly less then her second trimester

However I new thing arose

A question that everyone had been thinking

“What if the baby is Grisha?”

The Ravkans had accepted a Grisha queen

But a Grisha dynasty was another thing

Monika told them outright that the baby was probably Grisha

Being Grisha tended to run in families

And Zoya was fairly sure her paternal grandmother was also a squaller

The whole science of Grisha heritage wasn’t studied well

Most Grisha were in Ravka in the second army

And most of the soldiers don’t have children

Zoya also learned her new found ability to sense Grisha wasn’t fool proof

Sometimes she couldn’t tell at all

And in Genyas case of being somewhere between a corporalki and materialki, she couldn’t tell what she was

She also couldn’t sense anything in Forrest Kostyk

That meant they couldn’t rely on Zoyas power

Nikolai couldn’t help but think tracing heritage would be easier if he wasn’t a bastard

His mother’s line was easy

She was a Fjerdan princess so he could trace everything back from the very start

And from his mother not a drop of Grisha blood ran through his veins

His fathers got murky

Magnus didn’t come from nobility

He was self made

A self made orphan

So other then his father neither he nor Magnus knew anything about Grisha influence

Nevertheless they had other worries

Zoya was in her third trimester and was going to give birth any minute now

Zoya honestly didn’t think she would make it this far

And that has nothing to do with her fears of motherhood

Her own mother had four miscarriages

Pregnancy complications were common

Especially in Ravka where most couldn’t afford mediks

But now that the due date was fast approaching Zoya was in fact okay

Zoya can handle pain, she’s handled much worse

Labor was one of the least of her worries

The due date was October eighth

And on time and punctual Zoya went into labor during lunch

Nikolai joked it would be a good trait for a ruler to show up on time

However Zoya was in to much pain to think about a snarky retort

She had vastly underestimated how much this would hurt

The pain was blinding

But Zoya was strong enough to survive the fall

And so in 3:07 PM son October eighth

Prince Mycanae Juris Nazyalensky was born (prounounced My-kuh-nay-uh because I threw some random vowels together and made it a name)

Myca (My Kuh) for short

With a tuft of chocolate brown hair and beautiful hazel eyes he shone

Nikolai absolutely adored him

He would rock him and sing him lullabies

But mostly tell him stories

About the amazing Privateer Sturmhond

Of the allusive Juris

Of the little termite

Zoya in the other hand had a different approach to there newborn

When he first cried she was elated

Zoya didn’t hold back the tears of happiness and didn’t even swear the healers to secrecy after

Zoya was the epitome of

“Oh god it’s a baby, as I holding him wrong? Does he have the right clothes on? He’s so fragile and precious”

Monika had to tell her three times that Myca’s crib was fine for him and it wasn’t to hard

However the family’s elation was short lived

They were a family

But they were also the rulers of Ravka

And Ravka needed to see the face of there hope

Four hours after his birth Nikolai presented him before the nobility

Zoya still wasn’t feeling to great and Nikolai Insisted he could do it

This is what the Ravkans needed

The baby met stability

Met peace

For once in many years the people could lay down in there beds without fear

But to Zoya and Nikolai

There baby wasn’t a political tool

Or a savior

He was just a baby

A perfect

Small

Baby

This is what love does.

Im really proud of myself for accomplishing this. I worked really hard on it and to keep our characters in canon. My ask box is open and n do any Grishaverse asks

If this gets 25 likes I’ll do a part two 😉

I defo think Nikolai and Zoya would have more then one kid

Also I kid you not I couldn’t find any good names for the life of me so I eventually took a break and was doing my History homework when I was reading some old Greek thing and saw the word “Mycenae” and was like “Yeah I can massively mispronounce this and make it a name”

Here is part two https://dablackdahlia.tumblr.com/post/651104016423583744/the-black-dahlia

I also made a Kanej kid one here

#shadow and bone trilogy #dragon zoya #zoya nazyalensky #row spoilers #rule of wolves spoilers #king of scars #zoya x nikolai #nikolai duology #zoyalai #pregnancy #zoya and nikolai #zoya and Nikolai baby fic #leigh bardugo #the grishaverse #genya safin #david kostyk #genya x david #tolya yul bataar #tolya and tamar #tamar kir bataar #shadow and bone netflix #i worked on this all day #i actually love it #lowkey hate it tho

[in-my-feels-probably]

MASTERLIST

MY SECOND MASTERLIST IS ON MY NAVIGATION POST WITH THE REST OF MY NEW WORK! I RAN OUT OF LINKS ON THIS POST AND HAD TO START A NEW ONE, SORRY FOR ANY CONFUSION :)

i apologize for how shitty my old work is.

ask if you want anything written for, or look at my requests posts!

if there’s someone not on here you want to see, check to see if i write for them, or just send me a request or message anyways :)

MARVEL/MCU

writing for steve, bucky, wanda, peter (tom or andrew), matt, and yelena (requests closed)

BUCKY BARNES

books

SAUDADE - ON HOLD

—

prologue - till forever falls apart

chapter one - brooklyn baby

chapter two - i’ll follow you into the dark

chapter three - pluto projector

chapter four - grow as we go

OUTER BANKS

writing for jj, sarah, pope, cleo, and rafe (requests open)

JJ MAYBANK

imagines

diver down - y/n goes down to the grady white wreck instead of john b, and she gets stuck. jj has to save her.

jealousy, jealousy - jj gets jealous when y/n’s friend comes down to visit, and she has to reassure him that she’s with him.

SARAH CAMERON

imagines

midsummer shenanigans - it’s a long story. sarah becomes a pogue.

GRISHAVERSE

writing for kaz, jesper, nikolai, nina, zoya, alina, and inej (requests open)

KAZ BREKKER

books

INEFFABLE - COMPLETE

—

prologue - before

chapter one - now

chapter two

chapter three

chapter four

chapter five

chapter six

chapter seven

chapter eight

chapter nine

chapter ten

chapter eleven

chapter twelve

chapter thirteen

chapter fourteen

chapter fifteen

chapter sixteen

chapter seventeen

chapter eighteen

a thank you/upcoming work

just finished season 2…sequel, anyone?

sequel! - empyrean

prologue of empyrean is published!

—

EMPYREAN (INEFFABLE SEQUEL) - ONGOING

—

prologue

chapter one

chapter two

this fic is still being updated! i ran out of links on here and had to start a second masterlist, which you can find on my navigation post. the rest of this fic—as well as my other fics—will be posted there as i update :)

imagines

bet on it - kaz takes care of a kid the reader looks after and admits some feelings along the way.

catharsis - reader gets hurt on a mission and kaz helps them back home, and confesses feelings along the way.

midnight strolls - reader isn’t part of the dregs, but kaz enjoys their company and asks them to come jobs.

JESPER FAHEY

imagines

bonnie and clyde - reader gets hurt on a mission with their partner jesper and they have to convince him it’s not his fault.

NIKOLAI LANTSOV

imagines

salt in the wound - patching nikolai up after the aftermath of the battle.

INEJ GHAFA

imagines

rest and relaxation - you take care of inej after a long night.

HARRY POTTER/MARAUDERS

writing for james, sirius, remus, regulus, lily, and marlene (requests open)

SIRIUS BLACK

imagines

my lady - sirius is dating a slightly older reader and the boys love to tease them about it.

guilt - reader gets hurt by a group of girls that are jealous of her relationship with sirius and he feels really guilty.

woman - reader is a tomboy and doesn’t think sirius would go for someone like them. the reader overhears him say otherwise in a game of truth or drink.

forgiveness - it’s a long story.

solacing - after a bad night with walburga, sirius needs comfort in a way that he can only find with you.

prince charming - you dress up as a muggle princess for halloween.

rosy cheeks - you see sirius naked and he teases you about your reaction.

home - you’re like a sister to james, and always at his house. you’re there the night sirius runs away from home.

everyone likes abba - you and sirius dance together at a party.

feeling - you and sirius get drunk and try not to touch each other. one of you caves.

canis major - you shift into your animagus form for the first time as a prank on the boys.

REGULUS BLACK

imagines

entanglement - both regulus and sirius confess feelings for the reader, and she doesn’t want to hurt them by choosing between them. sirius makes the choice easy.

line without a hook - an imagine based off ricky montgomery’s Line Without a Hook.

STRANGER THINGS

writing for eddie, steve, billy and robin (requests open)

EDDIE MUNSON

imagines

bowie - eddie takes you to see one of his favorite bands, and tells you how he hopes he gets famous and is able to take you along with him.

ribs - you admit something interesting things to eddie while you’re both high, not knowing how he feels for you.

we’ll never have sex - reader isn’t that comfortable with physical touch, and has to talk about it with eddie, who really likes it.

it’s metal, even - eddie after the upside down pushes the reader away and can’t cope, and you have to help him get through it.

STEVE HARRINGTON

imagines

one down - you’ve been dating steve for a while, and your sister erica finds out

matilda - steve has a nightmare, but not about what you thought. you’re there to help him through it.

reassurance - you get really hurt in the upside down, and steve is angry and scared, but he takes care of you anyway.

HOUSE OF THE DRAGON

writing for daemon, aemond, rhaenyra, aegon, alicent, and jacaerys (requests open)

RHAENYRA TARGARYEN

imagines

sweet creature - reader is a shapeshifter who has become close rhaenyra after daemon leaves for war and alicent has married the king.

anything for you - a part two to sweet creature.

epiphany - a part three to sweet creature and anything for you

DAEMON TARGARYEN

imagines

my fire - reader has red hair, and daemon is obsessed with it.

white knight - reader is pregnant, and the egg for her child hatched early, and is fiercely protective, just like her husband.

jester - daemon presents rhaenyra with oranges as a wedding gift after the reader tells him about ser criston’s proposal.

AEMOND TARGARYEN

books

WE’RE BURNED FOR BETTER - ONGOING

prologue

chapter one

chapter two

chapter three

chapter four

chapter five

chapter six

chapter seven

chapter eight

chapter nine

chapter ten

chapter eleven

chapter twelve

this fic is still being updated! i ran out of links on here and had to start a second masterlist, which you can find on my navigation post. the rest of this fic—as well as my other fics—will be posted there as i update :)

imagines

a wolf amongst dragons - reader is a stark, who meets aemond and thinks he’s one of the most beautiful people she’s ever seen.

doomsday - it’s a long story.

lucky, indeed - blood and cheese come for you and aemond’s daughter, but fail. aemond struggles with the aftermath, and you’re their to help him.

ALICENT HIGHTOWER

imagines

muña - reader is one of the only one’s who can console baby helaena. alicent thinks she is a bad mother, and reader does everything she can to convince her otherwise.

trepidation - reader comforts alicent after she has a panic attack in a council meeting

AEGON TARGARYEN

imagines

winter child - domestic moments between reader, aegon, and their first born daughter.

this is me trying - reader protects and comforts aegon from the harsh treatment from his family.

keep driving - reader can’t have children, so alicent proposes aegon take a second wife. he doesn’t agree.

late night driving - aegon has a nightmare. you’re there to comfort him.

JACAERYS VELARYON

imagines

the gods gifted me you - aegon finally pushes jacaerys past his limit, harassing him for being a bastard. you’re there to comfort him.

GAME OF THRONES

writing for jon, robb, and daenerys (requests open)

DAENERYS TARGARYEN

imagines

a better world - reader is scared of daenerys after the events at king’s landing. they work through it together.

a dragon in the north - stark!reader (kinda) can shift into a direwolf. daenerys comes to the north.

ROBB STARK

imagines

whatever may come - reader and robb survive the red wedding, and deal with the trauma of it together.

flaws - you’re the daughter of one of the stark bannerman. you live in winterfell, and you got hurt as a child in a riding accident. you always thought you’d never have any suitors growing up because of it, but robb always surprises.

JON SNOW

imagines

that’s my girl - reader gets hurt defending jon to some of the men at the wall. he isn’t pleased.

sniffles and dramatics - you’re sick, and you hate it. jon is there to help.

you and me - you have a nightmare about your family abandoning you. jon is there to help.

BRIDGERTON

writing for benedict (requests open)

BENEDICT BRIDGERTON

imagines

wallflower - reader has social anxiety. benedict is good at making them feel better.

THE WALKING DEAD

writing for rick and alden (requests open)

ALDEN

imagines

together - alden and the reader are left with baby adam together after earl dies and the whisperers attack hilltop. when they meet back up at alexandria, alden isn’t sure if he can handle the pressure.

THE LAST OF US

writing for joel (requests open)

JOEL MILLER

imagines

dozing off - a moment between you and joel before going to sleep

THE BEAR writing for carmy (requests open)

CARMY BERZATTO

imagines

good fortune - carmy finally works up the courage to ask you out after weeks of working across the street from you.

mishaps and bear hugs - you have a bad day at the restaurant. carmy is there to calm you down.

#grishaverse #kazbrekker #sixofcrows #crooked kingdom #shadowandbone #leighbardugo #outer banks #mcu #marvel #buckybarnes #fanfic #fanfiction #imagines #requests #masterlist #kanej #fantasy #stranger things x reader #stranger things #eddie munson x reader #steve harrington x reader #billy hargove imagine #game of thrones imagine #game of thrones #house of the dragon x reader #house of the dragon #rhaenyra targaryen imagine #rhaenyra targaryen #daemon targaryen x reader #daemon targaryen

[nazyalenskyism]

Take My Hand, Wreck My Plans

Summary: A Zoyalai fic based on the prompt: “Some angst and comfort. Some reunion after a very, very long time.”  send me a promt and i’ll write you a blurb

           “Do you see her?” Genya called out, scanning the waves of people disembarking the ships on her tiptoes. It had been months since Zoya had been stationed in the Wandering Isle, a position she had specifically asked him for before the war had ended as they walked through the streets of Ketterdam. Despite Genya’s insistence that Zoya not leave, the two of them had known that it was a necessity. They were too close to crossing a line that they couldn’t afford to, and they had silently agreed that distance was the only way to remedy the problem. Nikolai had known that leading the country into a peaceful era was going to be taxing, but he hadn’t imagined how difficult it was going to be without Zoya at his side. He had come to rely on her, not only for matters of the state, but for matters of the mind too, and ever since she’d left all those months ago, he’d only felt the discontent in his heart grow. He thought he could temper his want for Zoya if she wasn’t constantly at his side, but he’d come to learn that there was a reason for the famous saying, ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder’, being so popular. Nikolai could hear his general’s voice in his ear, could picture the roll of her eyes at the confession, how she would threaten to call Tolya into the room so that the two could lament over forlorn poetry while she got drunk with Tamar, Genya and Nadia. Saints, he missed her.

            “It’s dropped anchor late,” Nikolai called back, slipping his timepiece back into his pocket, brushing his fingers against the cool velvet ribbon before turning to Genya. “And besides, it’ll take them a bit to disembark and--”

          “Nikolai,” Genya gasped in response to a sudden commotion at the gangplank. Nikolai’s head snapped up spotting the daub of blue silk descending down the plank, supported on either side by First Army soldiers. Zoya.           “Move,” Genya yelled, elbowing her way through the crowd, Nikolai hot on her heels. If the sickly pallor of her face and droopy lids of her eyes weren’t alarming enough, the way that she crumpled into his arms was and matted blood in her hair were. 

          “Commander Nazyalensky? Zoya?”           A low, unintelligible groan sounded from her lips and Nikolai’s heart dropped. What had happened to her? At Genya’s command, he laid Zoya out on the ground, letting Tamar assess her condition. Tamar’s hands hovered over Zoya’s form, and after a long moment, the Heartrender spoke. “She should be fine, but we need to get her back to the Dacha, we need more healers.”

          Genya grasped at Tamar as Nikolai carefully lifted his general into his arms, “is it that bad?”           “She’s lost a lot of blood, it’s a messy and difficult process that I don’t want to try in the back of the carriage. She should be okay.” 

          “She has to be fine. I can’t lose her too.” Tamar squeezed the other girl’s shoulder at the words before hopping into the driver’s seat with Tolya, briefing him on the situation while the others settled into the coach.           “Come on, Nazyalensky. Hold on a little while longer,” Nikolai whispered as they tore down the road, Zoya’s unconscious form limp in his arms, Genya’s shaking fingers curled into the blue silk of her kefta, as if she could force Zoya to stay with them.

          The next few hours were a blur in his mind. As soon as the carriage stopped, the Tolya offered to take Zoya in his arms but Nikolai refused to leave, carrying her to his chambers. For once his head was clear of anything but the situation at hand. They’d lost so much, they couldn’t afford to lose Zoya. He couldn’t bear to lose Zoya.           He stood by the window as the healers got to work on his general, applying their training in the small science to replenish her blood and heal her wounds. Nikolai knew that the Corporalki were more than capable, but he knew as well as anyone the potential for things to go wrong, no matter how good the odds were. 

          Nikolai was brought a basin of water to wash off with, a stack of urgent letters, and the reports from the crew of the ship and their account of the events that had left Zoya in this state. Once he’d read the reports, he sent the letters away, nothing was more urgent than this.           After what seemed like an eternity, Tolya sent the healers away, stating that he and Tamar could finish the job themselves, but he knew the reason they did this. It was because Zoya would’ve hated to appear vulnerable before this many people, she would probably admonish them all after she woke up for having the audacity to view her in her injured state, despite being her closest friends. It was when they were alone, Genya in one corner of the room, Nikolai in the other, with the twins standing over Zoya when the silence was broken once more.           “You’re not allowed to let her leave again.”           He scrubbed a hand over his face before turning to Genya, “even if I tried, do you think she would listen? Zoya Nazyalensky takes orders from no one, we all know that.”           “Don’t let her look for reasons to leave. Give her a reason to stay. ” Before Nikolai could fully process the meaning behind her words, a low groan caught their attention. “Nikolai?”           I’m here, he wanted to say, but for the first time in his life, apprehension held him back.           “Where’s Nikolai,” she mumbled again, writhing enough to disrupt the twins’ work. He was at her side in an instant, sinking onto the mattress and taking her reaching hand in his.           “I’m here,” he whispered, brushing her hair back from face, watching the crease in her brow ease as she unconsciously leaned into his touch. Her movements stopped, her body relaxing back into sleep, and Nikolai felt his heart tighten at the way she curled into him.           He felt stares from their friends, but no one said anything aside from Zoya’s occasional calls from him whenever he stepped back to let the twins continue their work. Every time she called, he was there, brushing back her hair, holding her hand between his, murmuring words of encouragement he knew she wouldn’t hear or remember. Around twilight, Nikolai realized that his friends had left them, the quiet of the room felt suffocating now that they were alone. It felt wrong that she was the one injured and asleep while he watched over her, for months their positions had been reversed, and while he hadn’t missed being chained to his bed every night he had missed the time it had given him with her. She had been the first thing he saw in the morning, the last thing he saw at night for months, and he hadn’t realized just how much he missed what that particular practice of theirs had given him.           He slowly pulled his hand from hers, easing into a chair at her bedside. “I’m sorry I let you go,” he whispered, closing his eyes for a moment before he heard her voice.

          “Nikolai?”           “I’m here,” he replied, helping her into a sitting position, and filling up a glass of water for her before settling down himself.           “You’re really here?”           “I know it’s hard to believe, as handsome as I am, I’m not a dream.” He smiled at her irritated exhale, “long time no see, Nazyalensky. You’re looking as darling as ever.”

          “You look worse. Much worse than I remember.”

          “I know I must be devilishly handsome in your fantasies, but a day spent tirelessly at your bedside may have me looking a little worse for wear, I’ll admit.”           “Where are we?” Her dark lashes fluttered against her golden cheeks, voice hoarse but the colour seemed to have returned to her face.  

          “Udova. The twins said that you needed more Corporalki to help stabilize you. You lost a lot of blood.”

          “This is your ancestral estate?”

          “Given how my father is Fjerdan, I don’t think it’s technically mine.” 

          “You used to come here as a child?” faint amusement lit her eyes, “baby Nikolai reigning terror on everyone, or holed away in the library, reading books until you couldn’t see straight?”           “Both.” 

          “Of course, I would expect nothing less.” A lingering silence followed her words, neither sure of exactly how to proceed.           “How are you feel--”

          “You look tired,” her hand reached out, and before he could react, she was cupping his face softly, thumb gently stroking along his cheek. “Have you been sleeping?”           “Yes.”

          Her stern gaze met his eyes, “your lies don’t work on me.”

          “First you’re immune to my charm, and now my lies. Keep this up and you’ll put me out of business, Nazyalensky.”

          Zoya’s hand dropped suddenly, her whole body recoiling at his words, leaving him to shudder from the absence of her warmth. Was she so horrified at the mere idea of being charmed by him? Nikolai sank back into his chair, unsure of how to proceed. Zoya sat staring down stubbornly at her intertwined fingers, and he couldn’t take it anymore, he needed answers. “What happened out there? You almost died Zoya.”

          “I was protecting the crew.”

          “You were unnecessarily throwing yourself in harm's way and you know it. I got the report from the Captain, he said that they would’ve made it safely to port without your heroics.”

          “I had no choice! It was either me or them.”           Nikolai laughed humorlessly, running a frustrated hand through his hair, an action he had repeated countless times today. “That’s not true and you know it. Four years as Commander of the Second Army, of working with me and you couldn’t come up with an alternative? Do you get joy out of nearly getting yourself killed?”

          “No,” she hissed. “You would’ve done the exact same thing without a moment of hesitation, don’t act like you wouldn't have.”

          “It doesn’t matter what I would’ve done. What matters is that you shouldn't have done it in the first place.”

          “I’m a single soldier, I’m expendable. The intel we gathered, my unit, the crew, they weren’t. It was an easy choice, one I’d make again.”

          “For Saints sake, you’re not expendable Zoya!” he burst out. Why was she so convinced that she was? 

          “I was there to lead them--to protect them. If you’re worried about being down a general, you know there are more than capable replacements for me, Nikolai. ”

          “You’re not replaceable! I don’t need anyone else. I need you, Zoya!” The words were breathless, and once they were out he couldn’t reel them back in.

          His words hung in the air before she began to nod slowly, as if she had been expecting the outburst, “as your general.” It wasn’t a question, but it was. 

          “Yes, but it’s more than that.” Why was he having such difficulty saying it? How did he explain the all encompassing nature of his feelings to Zoya? Brave and beautiful Zoya, with her eyes hesitantly, maybe even hopefully trained on him?           Nikolai wanted  to take her into his arms and explain that ever since they’d been dragged into the Fold by Saints, he had felt a connection to her, that he could taste the ice wine they shared on quiet nights, smell her signature scent of wildflowers on the wind wherever she was near. He wanted to tell her that he felt a connection between them, as palpable as a golden thread binding them together, and wondered if she felt it too. Nikolai desired to tell her that at her departure, he had felt like the thread had been pulled and pulled until he couldn’t breathe, only for it to suddenly snap back like an elastic at the news of her return, an overwhelming sensation of longing overtaking his senses. He wanted to tell her that when he first saw her today, it had felt like someone had pierced his chest with a lance, an agony rivaling only what he’d felt when being impaled by the thornwood that day in the Fold, the same day he’d felt his fate be irreversibly bound to hers. He wanted so much, he couldn’t stop himself from leaning forward in his chair, uttering words he could never take back.

            “I want you. I want you all the time, Zoya.”

            “You want me, but will you have me? Are you not bound to your duty as king to choose the best person for your country?” To anyone else her face would appear impassive but he knew the way her eyes widened slightly, the way her lips parted, when she was holding her breath, afraid to hope that something was true. She wanted it to be true.

            “If my country and I are one and the same,”  he began, taking her hand in his, “then I shall only give it what it most deserves, and hope I am worthy of it too.”

            “Can you let yourself do that?”           “A king can do as he pleases, can’t he?” She turned away at those words, and Nikolai reached out, cupping her face and bringing her gaze back to him. “I’m sorry I made you feel like you couldn’t stay. I thought we both knew what was right at the time, and it’s clear that we were both wrong.”           “Go on,” she whispered, her shining eyes locked on his.           “I don’t want you to leave again. I want you here, by my side, for as long as time will let me, if that’s what you want.”           “What are you proposing?” Her hand slid up to his and she leaned further into his touch.           “A coquettish courtship, a exuberant engagement, a whirlwind wedding and when all that’s said and done,” he angled his head towards hers, “hopefully many, many years of peaceful and quiet companionship.”           “Sounds perfect,” Zoya breathed, her gaze trained on his lips, “except for one thing.”           Nikolai pulled back, afraid that he’d alarmed her, “what?”           She wrapped her arm around the back of his neck, pulling him down towards her, “you expect me to believe that a single moment with you will be quiet.”            “I can think of several ways you can shut me up if I ever get to be too much. I think you’ll find that I am easily--” Zoya crashed her lips against his, and despite the harsh words she always seemed to have readily on hand, he felt her smile against him. For once in his life, Nikolai let himself relax, knowing that the rest of the world would still be there when they were ready to face it, together.

#zoyalai #zoyalai fic #row fic #zoya nazyalensky #nikolai lantsov #my writings

[black-rose-writings]

Reading Siege and Storm because I hate myself

To begin, I’d like to state that this is my first read-through and I only have vague idea of the plot I’ve gathered from fanfics and tumblr posts.

Long post ahead

Chapter 1

So... at first I was like - huh, this isn’t as bad as I thought, but the moment Alina gets introspective, it all goes to hell.

Like, she’s being physically made sick by not using her powers, which is making her feel useless - like, she says, pretty much verbatim: “The only thing I was ever good at was being a Sun Summoner and I’m not that anymore.”

I’m gonna beat those paragraphs over the head of anyone, who says Alina got a good ending.

I’ve also noticed just how often the like “I pushed that thought away” is used and more often than not, it’s used on thoughts that should probably not be pushed away.

Ah, yes, here he comes, my boy Darkles, being the dramatic bitch he always is. We get it, you’re the hot villain, tempting the good and pure heroine away from being good and pure.

And I’m just now realizing how many times in this chapter has Alina lamented their lack of privacy. We have to ensure the reader doesn’t hink she’s *gasp* sleeping with Mal.

Chapter 2

What?

Alina is tripping balls while being put under by a Heartrender, got it.

Darkling is being the voice of reason, but I’m getting the distinct feeling it won’t last.

Ivan gets one point, because Alina is in fact a traitor, but he’s also being a cunt, so it doesn’t really count.

Alina at Sturmhond: Do you even care about Ravka?

Me at Alina: Do you?

Chapter 3

“Mermaids are not real”. I’m pretty sure they are in the Grishaverse.

My boy Darkles is still making sense, but Alina is dedicated to being against him just for the hell of it, it seems.

Did this bitch just throw a tantrum, because he told her, what we can assume is the truth? Okay. Like, I get that she’s at best 18, but still. Not exactly the type of protagonist whose head I like being in.

And in that moment, dozens of smut fics were born.

Chapter 4

Wow, that was quick.

Aaand. What had just happened?

Chapter 5

Sturmhond is a funny bitch, I’ll give him that.

And this entire conversation, it seems like Mal’s entire purpose is to stand behind Alina threateningly and repeat what she said, lol.

I’d like to remind Alina (and LB) that a king in an absolutist monarchy (which is what Ravka appears to be) is very much a tyrant. Don’t make it sound like Ravka didn’t have a tyrant before. And at the very least, my boy Darkles seems pretty competent.

A man calling himself a Storm Dog likes dogs. No shit.

Chapter 6

I hate Mal. Dude, this is your girlfriend, maybe like... listen to her? Don’t bludgeon her with the one other guy she was kinda-sorta with, when you are a well known manwhore?

I don’t know man, I don’t like him.

Everyone: You can’t have more than one amplifier, it’s dangerous.

Alina: Haha, sparkles go brrrr

Chapter 7

In other news, pirates are funny.

Holy shit, they have a plane.

That was... a lot. And we’re crossing the Fold again, yay.

Chapter 8

You feel bad for the Volcra but not for the people you’ve left for dead in the Fold last time? Okay.

Baby Volcra. Am I supposed to say “ew” or “aww”? If I tried doing both at the same time, it would probably sound like one.

Jesus fucking Christ this book is a ride.

Did Alina really just have an “oh no, he’s hot?” moment? *sighs*

Puppy boy has a title longer than Daenerys, jesus.

Alina, my dear, you could have waited for a bit before doing that. There’s like thirty soldier with guns around you and you’ve just punched a prince.

Then again, you’ve never been smart, have you?

Chapter 9

For once, I completely agree with him. I know you two have lost your one shared braincell on that first crossing of the Fold but still, that was very dumb of you, Alina.

I’m starting to get why people were calling Nikolai “Darkling light”. Definitelly seems appropriate.

Mal, calm the fuck down, that was the least romantic proposal I’ve ever heard and you know it.

You two didn’t even let Alina get a word in for the last page. What right do you have to her, Mal, huh? Nikolai is making sense and you’re being an idiot.

What’s your deal Mal? What the fuck do you want?

And why in the hell are you the endgame love interest?

That’s an awful lot of guilt-tripping you’re doing there, Mal. No need to be pissy about it.

Chapter 10

The bones thing is definitelly yikes.

Saints, Mal, are you on your period or something? Alina doesn’t belong to you. Alina can make her own choices. Get a grip.

“You think I’m like the Darkling?” Yes. The Darkling isn’t all bad. You’re at war. No need to get your panties in a twist over a few fingers.

Oh, look, Alina has a cult now, nice.

Chapter 11

Your “dad” is a rapist, Nikolai. Quite possibly a pedo. He got exactly what he deserved.

I’d go for the second option. Especially after that stunt. Jesus, you could have asked her beforehand.

At least Darkles had the decency to make out with her in private.

Also like... why is every single person in this series so far an asshole?

Chapter 12

We meet the King again, unfortunately.

Alina gets Darkles’s old job.

This should be a total disaster, but let’s see where it goes anyway.

Chapter 13

Alina’s nuts, yay.

(I know they have a Force-bond-thingy. I also know they did it before Reylo did.)

Chapter 14

Oh boy, Alina’s not doing as bad as I thought.

For the 100th time in this book, I wish I had Nikolai’s confidence. Though it is getting a bit too much.

Puppy boy is dropping some truth bombs. Nice.

But he doesn’t realize that my boy Darkles has very good reasons to not align with Fjerdans - a) they think he’s a demon and b) they want Grisha dead.

I’m not gonna say she was, but like... the monarchy is very much corrupt.

Oh, boy, Baghra. This one’s gonna go well.

Yep, Baghra’s as pleasant as ever.

So... Baghra’s plan in book 1 really had been to just have Alina run away and hope for the best? Jesus Christ, lady. I’m not saying she deserved to have her eyes taken away, but she is definitelly a trash person and I’m not surprised her son turned out the way he did.

Also, I’m fairly certain that Baghra is literally slowly killing herself - that the reason she looks so old and frail is because she’s started to supress her power and it’s literally killing her, because, you know, she’s bonkers old.

Chapter 15

Nerd Alina > Self-pitying Alina

Also, I’m just saying, Alina comments on Zoya being attractive a whole lot - I get that she’s meant to be insecure, but I’m interpreting it as her being gay, because I need some happiness in my life, okay?

Just kill the sleazy old Rasputin-wanna-be. There’s plenty of them to go around in this series.

Chapter 16

Vasily takes after his father in creep factor.

Why not the Darkling being courted by a horny prince? Be a bit creative.

Chapter 17

Nikolai has big ADHD energy and I love him for it. Fits right in with the heavily autism-coded Fabricators.

*sighs at heteronormativity again*

*sighs at improper gendering of titles*

Date night with Mal. This is gonna be a disaster, isn’t it?

Chapter 18

Fun night of cultural appropriation, yay.

I hate cultists.

LET. ALINA. GO. FERAL. Please.

You two are going to give me a headache, I swear.

Darkles cockblocking Alina. And Malice threw a tantrum. Nice.

Chapter 19

You’re way too harsh on Genya, Alina.

Horny Alina rights.

They have a laser, now. Cool. Or, well, enormously hot.

Mal is being a drunk a-hole. Great. When does he become likable? Does he ever?

Banter between Mal and Alina? Kinda weird, always somehow comes back to either of them being insecure.

Banter between Alina and Nikolai? I’m all for it. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still a Darklina trash, but like... Nikolai is fun. I could see him and Alina having an arranged political marriage and ending up falling in love years into it, that’s all I’m saying.

Chapter 20

Just let this one go, Alina, please. You two are not working out. Please, end it with him. You’ll both probably be happier. (I’m saying this with the full knowledge that Malina is endgame).

Jesus Alina, get your shit together. You have every right to be mad, because you two didn’t actually break up, you didn’t kiss Nikolai and also, I don’t like Mal.

Sooo... when is Alina going to realize her manchild of a boyfriend is an amplifier?

Chapter 21

Alina has the horny sickness, lol.

Jesus Christ, girl, I don’t want to read your vaguely suicidal thoughts.

Mal, you fucking idiot.

Alina, stop defending Mal.

Chapter 22

Alina has a logical thought? Impossible.

Finally, some action.

Chapter 23

Oh, boi, this is going great.

Oh, boi, Alina’s having another martyr moment.

And, we’re done.

Finally.

That was a ride. Nothing really happens for like ten chapters and then everything happens in one and a half.

#shadow and bone #grishaverse #siege and storm #review #darklina #anti mal #I guess #reading binges like this yeet me right back into middle school

[forzalando]

good evening, friends! what a lovely milestone to reach while on hiatus/inactive, i'm so eternally grateful for every single one of you! it means the world that you follow me, read my writing, and want to look at the things that i post. to show my love and appreciation, i'd like to do a little sleepover event! i'll put the details below the cut! thank you all again for your support, i love you all so much! feel free to send in as many of the below as you would like!

tagging some besties and mutuals that keep me going. ily all very much! @weelittleweasley @butterflybuchanan @weasleylangs @spacexcowgirl @belladonnabarnes @rcwenaclaw @yelenabeluva @gryffindors-weasley @writingsomewrongs @nancybycrs @ch0colatefr0gs @barnesjamcs @cherrybarzy @izzytheninja (please forgive me if you’re not tagged, i have not been active on tumblr in literal months hahaha i promise i love you just as much)

🌼- cym! send me any category/topic/group of characters and i will cast my mutuals as your desired grouping

🍓- fmk! send me any 3 characters/people and i'll let you know who i'd do the horizontal tango with, who i'd marry, and who i'd k word

🌊- one sentence ships! give me one sentence or fun fact about yourself and i'll ship you (platonically or romantically, please specify) with a character from a fandom of your choice! (fandoms include: marvel, harry potter, grishaverse. please let me know your gender preference as well)

🌸- song trade! send me a song that reminds you of me and i will send one back that reminds me of you

🐬- fic titles! send me a title + fandom and i'll describe the fic i would write

☀️- ask me anything! (yes, you can ask me anything but please keep the questions appropriate and not too personal)

📖- fic review (only accepting first 5)! send me your fic and i will read it + give a detailed review and reblog! here are the fandoms i read for and their characters: marvel (everyone but peter parker since he's a baby), harry potter (everyone but draco and snape), grishaverse (only nikolai, zoya, nina, jesper, or matthias)

🍄 - anything else! if there’s something i didn’t list as an option/a game you like, just let me know! describe it in the ask and i will play along/answer any questions!

#mars2.5k #celebration #ily guys

[if-fortunate]

hi! i absolutely ADORE your fivan fics so much! Like if i can pick my canon, im picking your fic and your whole universe i reread all the time. i was wondering if you had any hcs about their relationship during the war or life after the war (where they finally get to be happy) since we weren’t able to see them together as much in that way?

thank you in advance ✨✨✨

Hello! Thank you so much, this makes me squeal with glee and clap my hands together, I am *so* glad you like my headcanon universe. Yes, I definitely do, so, loosely:

After the war, Ivan becomes Ravka's spymaster - it's difficult for him to be in the field as much, and whilst his disability absolutely doesn't stop him from fighting he's also just so tired of it? So this way he goes into the field where necessary, but really acts as the central node of intelligence and supports King Nikolai and his council.

Fedyor takes over the practical running of the Little Palace - obviously David, Genya, and Zoya are in charge, but they need someone to make sure that the place functions when they're off doing other things. The biggest change that Fedyor makes is that the school for the kids becomes an actual school, not a military training academy. There is no expectation of joining the military when you graduate. There is a track for those who want to, but the school is a lot more wide ranging than when he and Ivan went through it - they want Grisha to have livelihoods other than those which make people fear them.

They also set up regional schools for those people who don't want their children to go all the way to Os Alta, because why should Grisha children be taken from their families if they don't want to be?

The children adore Ivan, especially because he always takes them very seriously, and is firm but fair. He teaches class at the end of the week. After a few weeks of this, Fedyor sneakily organised the kitchen staff to bring a picnic down to the lake for after it - and it's quickly become a Little Palace tradition.

Fedyor insists that the memorial in the courtyard of the Little Palace is for Grisha who fought on both sides. Sometimes he'll get caught in front of it, reading the names to himself. By the time he's an old man, he's got every single name memorised.

When the nightmares get very bad, they always go down to the kitchens and make cocoa and sit in the big arched window looking out onto the courtyard. Sometimes the others join them - Zoya, Genya, and David. Once or twice, even Nikolai appears (which gave everyone a heart attack the first time he did it, and which he has been unbearably smug about ever since).

Ivan wasn't expecting to be asked to visit Keramzin with the others, but he's secretly pleased when Zoya puts her foot down and drags him along the first time. He hangs back and doesn't really say much, but later, he and Mal end up drinking outside on the terrace, looking out at the silent countryside, keeping each other company, and swapping war stories - because sometimes, the only way to deal with a past as jagged as theirs is to talk about it.

After the war, Fedyor goes looking for Ivan's family - not that it matters, now, but he knows Ivan wants to know what has happened to them even if he'll never say anything. Ivan's parents have died, years ago, but Ivan's youngest sister is still there - and she and her wife have three sons, the youngest of whom is Grisha. He comes to the Little Palace to train, and ends up becoming a famous Materialki sculptor.

Eventually, when they are too old to really work any more they move to a small cottage in the grounds of the Little Palace - they could go anywhere really, Ivan teases Fedyor about his old desire for a bakery, but the Little Palace is in their bones now and they know they'll never settle anywhere else. They watch Ravka at peace. They become the de facto grandfathers of the Little Palace - always there to talk to those who've come after them, to feed them cake, to hold their babies, to offer advice.

Fedyor dies three years before Ivan does, and Ivan does his best to keep Fedyor's legacy alive. Sometimes, people will catch him sitting on the steps to his cottage and talking to himself - the younger ones ask who he's talking to, but he never answers.

They are buried together by the lake, under the same headstone. No-one knows who starts the tradition of new graduates of the Little Palace going to say goodbye to them, but it picks up in the years after Ivan dies and carries on, steady. After a century or so, the names wear away - and as times change, the traditions change too - it's less of a goodbye and more of a lucky rock that new students and leaving students touch on either end of their time in the Little Palace. Only those who go looking for Ivan and Fedyor's stories find them, as they are the kind of people that history leaves behind.

It doesn't matter; neither of them need to be remembered. Because in the end they found peace, and that is the most important thing of all.

Wow, ok, this turned into a bit of a story on its own, Anon, but I hope this answers your question! Please feel free to add your own, I always love to hear other people's ideas.

#shadow and bone #heartrender husbands #fivan #meta #headcanons #shadow and bone headcanons #fedyor kaminsky #ivan #asks

[wafflesandkruge]

I wish you would write a fic where Ravka the kitty causes problems on purpose in the little palace 😔😔

ahfkahf no fic yet but pls accept this long list of headcanons to introduce ravka the kitty (not to be confused with ravka the country):

zoya finds ravka the kitty a few months after nikolai adopts captain

she’s wondering why all her grisha students are late to class, then she finds them clustered near the lake, all playing with a beautiful gray kitten

she shoos them back into classes and figures the cat will go its own way, but then the beast follows her around and she keeps tripping over her

the cat literally won’t stop following her as she goes about her day, so she picks her up

“i’ll name you ravka, because you too follow me around just to cause problems,” she murmurs

ravka just nuzzles her affectionately and purrs

zoya babies ravka so much 🥺 she’s always picking her up and kissing her face but if anyone other than zoya tries to do that ravka scratches them

ravka’s favorite hiding place is in zoya’s kefta and she likes to pop her head out of the collar to see what’s going on

she also likes wandering around the little palace and getting pets from the grisha students, or visiting the fabrikator workshops to cause some chaos

ravka’s sole purpose in life is to ruin nikolai’s day and i think that’s beautiful

while captain sleeps at the foot of their bed like a normal pet, ravka likes sleeping directly on nikolai’s face

and when nik is trying to work on something ravka just stretches and lays down right on top of his papers

ravka loves eating human food, but only from nikolai’s plate

and instead of the perfectly fine scratching post nikolai built her, she prefers shredding nikolai’s clothes

and while nikolai is always jokingly complaining about the vendetta ravka has against him, his complaints always fall upon deaf ears bc zoya absolutely adores ravka

sometimes zoya walks in on nikolai and ravka having intense arguments over the dumbest things 😭

“you think zoya loves you more?”

“meow” :3

anyways yeah ravka the kitty is something that can be so personal 😭

#ravka the kitty #go read am's posts about captain!!!! #i love our dumb fur babies #anyways thinking about all the ravka jokes #ahfjkahf did you hear about what your cat did today to the kerch ambassador #it's ravka there's always more #ravka actually likes nik!!!! but she likes annoying him more aklfjkajf #kos #king of scars #kos writing #zoya #nikolai #zoyalai #grishaverse #leigh bardugo #my writing #ask

[gravity-lifts]

Who’s Afraid Of Ghosts?

Hello everyone! Here’s my piece for the gvbb mini bang (organized by @grishaversebigbang) 

Here’s some absolutely amazing art by @generalstarkov link and  @emmaxtw link!!!! Also a wonderful edit by @jiangsziyas link!! 

This story is like most of the ghost stories that you’ve heard so far, with the premise having happened in a house just like this one, in a small town of almost the same name. However, that is as far as the similarities go. You see, this one is actually true. It starts on a night like tonight, with a group of friends in a house together, telling stories around the fire. ~~ Sometimes, your friend tells a ghost story so stupid that you just need to prove that nothing bad happens in graveyards at night. Right?

ao3 link here

Fic under the cut warnings: violence, death of a minor character (non canon character) words: 2161

The group sat in a semi circle in the living room, sprawled across couches, chairs and each other, chatting amongst themselves, loud enough to make Zoya actually glad, for the first time, that Liliana wasn’t going to be home that night. She wasn’t paying much attention to the conversation --- she hadn’t really been for a while, more caught up in the flickering of the fire off of her friends as they talked. A shout drew her attention towards where Nikolai was sitting, looking equal parts regal and ridiculous in an armchair. He gestured wildly with his hands, trying to explain something to Tamar and Nadia who both seemed to not quite believe whatever tall tale he was spinning. It was probably just something about the mermaids he swears he’d seen the last time he’d been out boating.

However, as she turned back to the fire, she heard him mention the graveyard. Cursing her needless curiosity, she wandered over to Nikolai’s chair, just in time to hear him rambling about the person’s gory end. So, it was a ghost story, then. She settled in, back resting against his legs, waiting for him to restart with his new audience as Tamar and Nadia shuffled back to the couch and Alina drifted from where she’d been talking with Genya, probably having heard half of Nikolai’s story the first time, looking just as curious as Zoya felt about the beginning of a story that had such a gory end.

Nikolai sat up a bit straighter, his face brightening as he noticed that more people wanted to hear his story. He cleared his throat, and then he began.

“This story is like most of the ghost stories that you’ve heard so far, with the premise having happened in a house just like this one, in a small town of almost the same name. However, that is as far as the similarities go. You see, this one is actually true. It starts on a night like tonight, with a group of friends in a house together, telling stories around the fire. In fact, one of them is telling a ghost story just like this one, a true story of a group of friends all together in a house-”

“Yes yes, this story is true and it’s about true things that happened truthfully, now, what actually happened? I thought this was a scary story, not just one about what we’re doing now,” Zoya cut in, pushing a curl of hair out of her face.

“I’m getting there! Just wait, I promise it’ll be scary. Now, in this story there’s a girl that doesn’t believe the ghost story that is being told. She tells her friends off for being superstitious, for believing in the story that had been told. Now, like I said, this is a true story, a cautionary tale, if you will. And, the story inside the story is just like that as well, about a kid who went to the graveyard after dark, only to be killed, right on the grave. Now, as I said, the girl didn’t believe this story when her friend told it. She believed it to just be a stupid tale meant to scare children much younger than them away from the graveyard before dark, back home to their parents for dinner and bed. She declared that she would go out to the graveyard, to prove that the tale hadn’t been true, promising to leave something of their choice on the centermost grave to show that she had followed through with her plan. And so, she set out, a candle in hand, ready to prove that her friends were all just overreacting over a kids story. Now, this is where the story starts to blur. Some people tell it with a happy ending, one where she runs away, never to be seen again. That, in my humble opinion, is bullshit,” he pauses, seemingly for dramatic effect, the drumming of his fingers on the arm of his chair the only clue that he’s anxious to get to what he clearly thinks of as the important part of the story.

“In the much better version of the story, she goes to the graveyard, brave as can be. She walks to the grave, and sets her candle down, kneeling to light it as she hears footsteps behind her, getting closer with every moment she wastes fumbling with the matches. She stays there until she feels someone's breath on the back of her neck, feels the gentle press of a blade to her back, before it plunges in, then the searing pain took priority over everything else, a knife being twisted before it was withdrawn, leaving her to bleed on the cold graveyard dirt, candle lit at last. 

The next morning, her friends came to find the candle. They were speculating wildly about why she hadn’t returned home the night before, all joking about how she must have met another friend, maybe even a partner, before they stepped inside the cemetery and got their grim answer, in the form of her body, laying in a puddle of what was unmistakably blood, still shielding the candle from the elements.” He leaned back in his chair, pushing a hand through his hair to either straighten it or ruffle it more, Zoya wasn’t completely sure. She was sure, however, that the story was completely untrue.

“So, Nikolai,” she said, standing up from where she’d been sitting on the floor and taking a step towards him. “You’re saying that if I go into a graveyard at night, I’m sure to die? Because, it is night right now, and last I checked, there’s a graveyard only two blocks from here.”

Nikolai sighed, rubbing his eyes. “I suppose you’d like to go alone, as well? Haven’t I just given two examples as to why this isn’t a good idea?”

“Oh come on! You were telling a scary story, those are supposed to be like cautionary tales. Besides, it’s not the same graveyard. No one has ever been killed in this one, I think I would know if someone had been, seeing as I live right. By. It.”

Nikolai stood, looking genuinely concerned. Concerned enough to make her feel like this may not have been the smartest idea she’d ever had. Well, if she was anything, she was stubborn, so she might as well follow through with it. If anything went wrong, it would serve Nikolai right for basically daring her to do it.

She turned towards the kitchen, tossing her hair behind her shoulder as she walked.

“If I’m actually going to prove your story wrong, then I might as well take something to prove I was there. Would a knife work instead of a candle? Of course I wouldn’t be lighting it on fire, but I could drive it into the ground to prove I was there.”

Nikolai just stared at her, before finally snapping out of whatever mess of thoughts had been running through his head. 

“I’ll come and get you if you’re not back after what, ten minutes? Zoya, I never thought I would say this, but please don’t prove me right.”

She scoffed, pulling her boots on.

“Please Nikolai. It’s a children's story! Don’t tell me you actually believe I’ll die from being alone in a graveyard.

She walked out the door, letting it slam behind her in a way that would definitely have made any parental figure furious with her, and started on her way to the graveyard. She must have zoned out while she walked as it seemed to have taken far less time than it normally did to walk there, but she found herself already almost in the center of the graveyard, knife in hand. She checked that she was in between two graves -- it felt rude to stab a grave -- and knelt, swiftly digging her knife into the dirt. 

She was quite ready to go back home, telling herself that it was just because of how cold it was, and definitely not because the wind whistling in the trees sounded like one of the monsters in the stories she had begged her dad to tell her when she was a child, even though she knew that she wouldn’t be able to sleep after hearing them. No, it was definitely the cold. 

She tried to stand, brushing dirt off of her knees as she rose, but she found that she wasn’t able to move past a low crouch. Behind her, the wind grew ever louder, swelling as it whipped through the trees. It sounded almost like babies crying now, less like the roar of monsters as it had before, or the crash of waves on the shore as it usually did, during the day. Uninvited, thoughts of angry ghosts appeared in her head, and suddenly she was a lot less certain that she was actually alone in the cemetery. 

She sank back to her knees, wondering if anyone would find her before morning, or if she would stay in the graveyard, laying dead until morning or even later, like in Nikolai’s story. She really should have thought a bit more before testing fate like this. 

Once again, the wind swelled, almost as if it was trying to push her over. Zoya straightened her back, lifting her chin. If she were to be killed by spirits, at least she would go out with her dignity intact.

Then, from behind her, she heard something. Something that sounded like… footsteps? They stopped, but now she could hear someone breathing a bit behind her. Perhaps she had been too hasty to assume that ghosts were the only thing that could hurt her here.

“Zoya? I’m here to get you! We were worried about how long you were taking. Are you going to turn around, or do I have to make my dramatic entrance to your back?”

She whipped around - or tried to, at least. Whatever was keeping her pinned to the ground was definitely still there.

Nikolai walked around her, probably to make his grand entrance, as by now he had certainly decided that she wasn’t going to turn. With him here, her fears of ghosts and murders seemed almost silly, especially in the glow of his flashlight. He held out his hand to her, entrance seemingly having been set aside. He was looking at her rather oddly, and when she raised a hand to check for dirt on her face, she found the reason in the almost dried tear tracks. She hadn’t realized that she’d been crying until now.

As Nikolai pulled her to her feet, they heard the sound of fabric tearing, amplified by the relative silence surrounding them. The wind had died, leaving everything deathly still. Zoya glanced down, finally seeing what had kept her on the ground. The knife she had brought was still pinning some of the fabric from her dress, clearly stuck firmly enough that it wouldn’t come out without a fair amount of force. She reached down and tugged it out of the ground.

“Well, Nikolai, I suppose we can agree that I was here? Or do I need to leave the knife in the ground for proof,” she said, wiping the dirt off of the knife as best she could on the remaining part of her dress, which was most of it, but she was entitled to some dramatics after what had happened. She would have to get rid of this dress anyway, especially since it was now missing a piece of the skirt.

Nikolai laughed, a bright sound, one that seemed rather out of place here. 

“Yes, I do think that everyone will believe your harrowing tale of the graveyard. Shall we head back now? It’s getting rather late.”

This time, it was Zoya who offered her hand. Nikolai took it, in silent agreement not to mention the fact that she had offered it, now or later.

Together they walked, hand in hand, back to the house where their friends were waiting. As they approached, Zoya could see firelight flickering through the window, and when Nikolai pulled the door open, she could hear them chatting and laughing. As soon as they had stepped inside, both Alina and Genya flew towards them, talking a mile a minute. Genya wanted to know why Zoya had been at the cemetery so long, Alina wanted to know if she’d seen a ghost. Or two ghosts. Maybe three, even, if she’d been lucky.

The four wandered back to the living room, Zoya assuring Genya that she hadn’t meant to stay as long as she had, and telling Alina that she’d seen exactly zero ghosts, ignoring her disappointed sigh.

Zoya sat again, feeling as though she’d be happy if she never had to leave this room again. It was warm from the fire, and the noise from her friends was comforting. She sank back into the couch, content just to sit here, with everyone, until morning.

#Bee's writing #gvbb21 #gvbbminibang21 #group 11 #zoya nazyalensky #nikolai lantsov #grishaverse #tgt #yes I definitely know how to tag things and didn't forget the tags when I posted first of course

[goldengoddess]

what’s a ship/dynamic ur super excited to write more about??

fuck i love this question!!! um i want to write more about nikolai and zoya,,, bc im low key obsessed with them they’re my babies and i want to write some percaebth fics (i have some on ao3 but they’re meh). honestly, i love any couple dynamic that’s super flirty and like the sunshine vs gloomy character. and i love fake dating and the one bed trope so much i wanna write more about that