#[[now them crouching on the ground and staring from afar

[lixiaolang]

Reconnection

Pairing: Go Hyuntak x fem!reader

Summary: Having known of Hyuntak from his training days of Tae Kwon Do, you never thought you'd run into him again. What started as admiration from afar quickly turned into the beginning of something more.

Word count: 1.7K

Warning: Slight trigger warning of SA if you squint, but other than that, none.

A/N: Wrote this for me. My first fanfic in years, and God, it felt good to write again. I'm happy with it.

Go Hyuntak was someone you've never imagined crossing paths with again. Attending different schools. Having different friend groups. Only ever catching glimpses of him from the window when you would walk past Hu-min's father's chicken restaurant across the street on the way home. Sometimes, it was hard not to notice the bruises and wounds he and his friends bore. You began to wonder if he's still as skilled in Tae Kwon Do as you remember. Of course he is. You shook your head. He was the best.

Rumor had it he hurt his knee and couldn't compete anymore. When you heard, you felt devastated. Someone as talented and hardworking as him, only for his dream to be taken away. It wasn't fair. You could only imagine how he felt. Did he suffer through the pain alone? Does he still think about what could have been? To be the best Tae Kwon Do athlete and have it all?

You'll never know. But from where you stood, the injury doesn't stop him from fighting. From protecting his friends. The five young men laughed at a joke Baku made and then dug in at the feast placed before them. Hyuntak's smile still dazzled you, even from a distance. As you start to worry whether he is taking care of his injuries properly, you hear your name being called.

"y/n!"

You turned and quickly rejoined your friends who had walked further ahead.

"Staring at Gotak again?" One of them teased, using his well-known nickname. Your face instantly blushed, and you looked away, unable to deny it.

"Hey, leave her alone. I think it's cute," your best friend piped up, putting an arm over your shoulder. "There's nothing wrong with a little yearning every now and then."

That made you laugh, "Shut up." You both giggled and continued going about your way.

After you said goodbye to your friends, you decided to stop by a convenience store before finishing your walk home. You were thirsty and wanted your favorite cold drink: a strawberry and banana smoothie. It was probably the best part of your routine. You grabbed your favorite bread to go along with it and headed for the register.

You thanked the cashier and just stabbed your straw into the drink when a rowdy group of boys walked in. They were a noisy bunch, and their uniforms told you they also attended Eunjang High, the same school as Hyuntak and his friends. Your eyes scanned the store, looking for a way to exit without having to go through them. Luckily, the aisle that was next over was free, and you kept your head down, making your way to the door. Due to your short stature, you didn't have to crouch much, being 5'2 and all.

You stand straight and head for the door, pushing it open when you feel someone pull you back from the strap of your backpack, hard. Somehow, you were able to maintain your balance and look up at the face who deprived you of your freedom. Hair dyed blonde and a scar across his left eye. He sneered.

"What do we have here?" His friends behind him snicker as he pressed forward, making you bump against some of the merchandise.

"Is that for me?" The blonde placed his hands over his heart as he feigned gratitude, noticing your drink and pastry. As he stepped closer, you looked away and felt him take your bag with the bread. He threw it on the ground and stomped on it, smearing the delicious treat on the floor with his foot.

Closing your eyes, you took a deep, shaky breath. Never imagining yourself in this position before, you decided not to go down without a fight, no matter what their intentions were. You held your breath as he took one more step closer, and that's when you jammed your right knee against his crotch with all the strength you could muster. It was enough to distract him for a moment, and you ran out, throwing your drink at him, focusing only on getting out of there.

As you heard him and his group start to run after you, you heard a voice. Not just anyone's voice. His voice.

"Hey!"

You stopped in your tracks and turned back around. Being a good distance away, you noticed Hyuntak and his friends a few feet apart from the entrance of the convenience store where the blonde and his group were also stopped in confusion. The blonde looked pissed, whether from being hit in the nuts or stopped from chasing after you, you couldn't be sure.

"This has nothing to do with you!" He screamed in rage.

All the while, Hyuntak remained calm. His eyes scanned the area, first seeming to count how many of the goons there were, and then to the blonde covered in your drink. Hands in the pockets of his pants, he glanced over at you, and you both locked eyes. Your heavy breathing from the adrenaline and run began to slow down, and you felt a sense of peace take over you.

He turned back to the blonde. "It does now."

The next word was said at the same time. You in your head and the blonde aloud, "What?"

Before you had time to think it over, Hyuntak's fist connected with the blonde's face, knocking him to the ground. You gasped, stuck in freeze or flight mode. The decision was made for you when one of the goons charged after you. The last thing you saw before running away was three of Hyuntak's friends joining in on the fight, including Baku.

You ran as fast as you could, not daring to look back. You knew the area pretty well and figured you would be able to hide somewhere once the coast was clear when you felt a pair of hands slam you against a wall. Your face and body were pushed into it, holding you in place.

"We weren't done with you yet." Said an unfamiliar voice, his hot breath fanned against your ear, and you struggled to get away.

Before you could scream for help, someone threw the boy off of you. You turned around, back towards the wall, as you watched Hyuntak beat the guy to a pulp. With his back towards you, you badly wanted to tell him to stop, but you couldn't find your voice. It wasn't until Baku walked up to him, putting a hand on his shoulder, and said, "Enough, Gotak."

Hyuntak stopped fist midair and let go of the boy, his limp body making a thud as he hit the ground. He was breathing heavily, and yet there didn't seem to be a scratch on him. Baku looked untouched as well. As if he read your mind, he turned to you and smiled.

"Are you alright?"

You nodded, still a bit in shock and unsure of how to thank them. Hyuntak took a breath and finally turned to face you. His eyes looked into yours again, and this time, you felt your heart start to race for a different reason.

"I need to hear you say it," his voice was soft, yet stern, "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"I'm okay." You managed to get out.

His eyes softened, and he looked at Baku. With a nod of his head, he turned and walked back from the way we came. Hyuntak looked at you and simply said, "Let's go."

The walk back to his friends was silent. You tried to fix your school uniform and composure as discreetly as possible. With no idea of how your hair looked, you figured it was what it was. You peeked at Hyuntak, and he looked lost in thought. Up ahead, two of his friends were waiting, and it appeared that the blonde and his goons had run off. You wondered where his other friend went. The one with the glasses.

"Nice job, Sieun! Suho!" Baku threw his arms over their shoulders with a wide smile. "Where's Juntae?

As if on cue, the one named Juntae comes out of the convenience store with what looked like your drink and a pastry bag. He smiled shyly and handed you the items. "We hope you're alright. I wasn't sure of the pastry, so I just got one I recommend."

The day's toll hit you instantly, and tears welled up in your eyes. You quickly wiped them and looked at the five boys who rescued you. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

The boys all smiled, apart from Hyuntak. He cleared his throat, adjusted his blue hoodie, and faced his friends, "I'll walk her home. See you guys later."

They waved goodbye to you, and you waved back with a smile. You then noticed Hyuntak staring at you with curiosity. You blushed and turned to the general area of your home. "It's this way."

Even though the distance was short, they say time lasts longer being with someone you like. The sun was beginning to set, and the breeze felt nice against your skin. It was a comfortable silence until you heard Hyuntak say, "Drink."

You stopped walking and looked up at him confused, "What?"

He sighed, "You must be dehydrated. Drink." He gestured to the strawberry banana smoothie.

Oh. You hadn't even realized how thirsty you were until he mentioned it. Your lips covered the straw, and you drank. The cold drink felt good traveling down your throat. You eagerly drank some more, and that's when you heard Hyuntak chuckle. You watched his smile, and up close, it's the most beautiful thing you've ever seen. You blinked and took in your surroundings, and saw that your home was just a few houses down.

"I'm fine here. Thank you for walking me home. And thank you for helping me today."

"You can thank me by letting me walk you home for a while." He said.

Shaking your head, you began to protest. "There's really no need. You don't-"

With what looked like slow motion, Hyuntak leaned over. He maintained eye contact until his lips touched the straw of your drink. You held still, letting him finish it and at the same time not believing this was happening. When he stood up, he smiled at your reaction. You couldn't tell if it was his smile that blinded you or the sun setting behind him.

He walked past you and said over his shoulder, "See you tomorrow, y/n."

A/N: may or may not continue this. Gif is made by me. Feedback is appreciated :)

Update: Part 2 is posted! ♡

[anonymous-existences]

DPxDC Prompt 8:

Danny is a streamer but, this is a philza situation where he is an internet Dad. Dani is his adopted daughter and they've been staying in Gotham for a long time, Danny has a lot of money saved up with being a ghost king and his job as one of the professional engineers in WE.

Dani Befriends Damian in Highschool and Ever since then they've acted like any siblings would until Dani introduces Danny's streaming platform, Danny started to stream out of boredom and to share his interests. Damian gets hooked onto it especially with the Older man's obvious care for the environment as well as his honest and upfront opinions and statements but also his gentle father demeanor. Damian shows Tim just because Dani said it'd be good for Danny's platform.

Bruce wanted to be a cool dad and understand why Tim and Damian are suddenly all so close about one specific topic and why they have similar merch they buy. Damian gives in and finally introduces Bruce to the internet, and Danny.

Shenanigans Ensue, he finds out Danny works at WE but decided to take the slow route as to not scare the pretty older man. >:) you get the gyst from here.

Damian and Tim are distraught, Danny and Their Dad are hitting it off and now he's their dad's boyfriend, Elle is exasperated and in denial. Damian, Tim and Ellie are all in denial and would like to live in their normal delusion thank you very much.

Something like this with Damian and Tim are bonding over their distraught with Danny(favorite streamer) and their dad hit it off but also still their usual much more subtle arguments.

"This is all your fault Demon Brat." Tim sighs exasperated, staring at Danny and their father from afar having a sweet and lovely chat in a cafe.

"I regret accepting your offers of learning from internet Danielle." Damian sneered glancing over to Ellie who was with them, stalking their fathers. "Not my fault you obliged to my question." She scoffed and rolled her eyes.

Damian and Tim gasped, Ellie Grumbled as Danny gave Bruce a kiss on the cheek, causing Bruce's face to flush up a tone of red.

"Drake, end me now, honorably stab me in the heart before I commit it myself." Damian said grabbing Tim by the cuffs of his neck and weakly shaking him, visibly distraught and in disbelief.

"I need Bleach in my eyes..." Ellie groaned and dragging her hands to her scalp as she crouched on the ground.

Tim was frozen, malfunctioning mentally trying to erase the scene he had just witnessed.

"Drake! Snap out of your measely trance you imbecile!" Damian shook him harder as he held back the urge to slam Tim to the wall as Ellie continued to groan and grumble in agony.

[notlhecxzsa]

It Still Hurts Underneath My Scars - N.R

Summary: Natasha was supposed to go home, but what happens when she unveils something—hidden deep beneath those smiles, making her also run right back to the past. Will this turn out well for both of them?

Author's Note: Ahhh this is a hot 4k+ word and just like what I said, here comes all the angst I could give the world.

Warning: Yelling, broken glasses, cursing, so mean!natasha, crying, blood, injuries, bruises, trauma, poor sad baby Y/n (she deserves every good thing in the world, yes.) Tell me if I missed something!

°^~°^~°^~°^~°^~°^~°^~°^~°^~°^~

3rd Person's POV:

Natasha woke up at the faint sound of metal clashing onto the ground, with eyes snapping open and body sitting up straight immediately she quickly withdrew a gun inside the small table beside her bed. With steps cautious and quick, she approached the door and quietly opened it. As another clanking of two or more heavy material, she approached the kitchen where the sounds are coming from.

Maybe, it was coincidental or maybe the time is just in the mood for games that Natasha was not prepared for. With her gun pointed to the culprit of the sound, it was faced directly to the younger one's figure, if she was to pull the trigger she would hit bullseye, that's for sure.

With 2 pairs of wide eyes, one with shock and the other with a noticeable fear, Natasha pulled down her gun, her facade straightening up while Y/n stayed staring. The tremble of her chest as she took deep breaths—too deep breaths for Natasha's liking can be noticed from afar.

"What the hell are you doing? I thought someone had broken in." She did not intend for it to come out so harshly, but the unsettling feeling in her chest is just so hard to ignore. What even is it? Fear? Anger?... Worry?

She walked towards the counter, putting down the gun as she watched as the gaze of the small girl seemed stuck with a glue on it. She didn't know what pushed her to hide it away, putting it on her waist, tucking it in on her pants, away from eyes that seemed to be going through a thousand miles.

There was a moment of silence, Natasha almost felt the unsettling rumble in her stomach overtake her being. So, she decided to speak up once again, "I asked you a question." Rounding up the counter to get a glass of water, she saw just how much mess has been made.

A broken mug with spilled coffee, clattered empty pot and a pan, there's also some water splattered around the girl's feet. A deep frown settled on her face as she looked up once again to gaze at Y/n's face, trying to search for her eyes but found nothing when she saw that she was looking down.

"I-... I di-... I'm so- I'm so sorry... I don't- I didn't mean to... W-Wait..." Crouching she immediately touched the pot and the pan, one hand each. And each hand, Natasha could visibly see how much it trembled, the pump of her chest now more seen by the naked eyes.

As the young woman moved around, giving Natasha a glimpse of the distressed face she was wearing. This is the first time that Natasha had seen her with that kind of expression, in this type of condition, but she was stuck on her own feet as she watched.

She watched as she picked the shards of sharp glass off of the floor with her bare hands, making Natasha's eyes widen in fear as the worry in her chest grew, now having a clear understanding she was feeling.

"Wait! Stop that." Launching forward, she took a hold of both of the thin arms that are covered with sleeves, one of the many long sleeves that Y/m wears.

As soon as her hands got in contact with Y/n's forearm and and upper arms, Natasha pulled her upwards. With a force applied and the grip she that the older woman has on her, Y/n's face scrunched bitterly as she yelped. Her hands flapped up and tried to pull her body away from Natasha.

"Ah!" It went unnoticed by Natasha who seemed to be in trance, getting Y/n out of the surrounded glasses. "N-Natasha..." Tears pricked her eyes as she looked up, her body being manhandled away from the scene while Natasha's gaze was stuck on the ground, observing the trail of glasses, water and coffee in order to get the younger woman in her arms to safety.

Biting her lips, tears swam around her eyes before it ran down on her cheeks. "Are you an idiot? You can't fucking pick up those glass with your hands! You will hurt yourself. Are you even thinking?" Blurting out words she didn't think of, words out of the raging storm in her mind, blinding her from the way Y/n kept flinching on her grip.

Y/n could feel a faint taste of rusty blood on her lips with how much she's biting down so hard in it. Her whimpers drowned out by the scolding she's receiving as the hold reminded her of something familiar.

Soon enough she was settled down beside the counter, far from the chaos and mess she made. Her form trembled as her breathing became ragged. Her arms ached, she could feel the blood rushing inside the bruises that littered around her body. She couldn't even find enough courage to move and help Natasha out who swept the glass and wiped the substance on the floor.

She's supposed to clean that up! She messed up so bad, and she knows it. The aching arms are quickly forgotten when fear starts to overcome her mind, spreading like a poison ivy. With tears flooding her cheeks, she bent down and started picking the broken glass that was near her, flinching when it cut right through her skin.

"Y/n!" Natasha watched as the young woman continuesly pick up the glasses with trembling hands. One hand kept picking it all up while the other holds the shard of glasses—she wasn't holding it, she was gripping it. "Hey! Y/n!" Stepping forward, she took a hold of the petite body once again, never missing how it tensed under her touch, making her almost pull away.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Please, don't- don't hurt- No, no, no..." Natasha heard the whispers that came out of her mouth, making her frown go deeper as she pulled them up together. She felt Y/n trying to pull her arms away, so she gripped tighter. "No!" It came out meekly, a small high pitched voice.

"Hey..." That must have been the softest voice that came out of Natasha ever in her life. Finally realized just how much mess and chaos has been done, not just in her kitchen floor, but to Y/n. "Hey, hey, hey..." She walked the two of them towards the other side of the kitchen island, her grip softening as one of her hand snaked around Y/n's waist.

"Please... don't hurt me... I'll clean it up... good- I'll be good." At the sound of her voice, Natasha could feel her knees weakening for unknown reason.

"What?- I- I won't hurt you." Analyzing the angelic face of Y/n, she couldn't help but notice the distant gaze she has and seemingly to in some kind of trance.

Looking down, she caught the sight of Y/n's shaking hardened fist, then up to her chest that jumps up and down hysterically, just then she noticed how ragged her breath is. "Hey, breath. It's okay, it's all fine..." Her hands seemed to have its own brain as it automatically cups her cheeks, trying to trap her gaze into hers. "Y/n, detka, hey, I'm not mad, it's okay. The mess is cleaned up already, hey..." Seeing the irises of her eyes moving side by side hysterically, Natasha realized that she can't see clearly, along with the tears in her eyes.

With her vision unfocused, her ears only ringing, Y/n could feel her blood running cold as she tried to catch her breath. There was a pressure on both of her face but she couldn't feel it properly, she doesn't know what it is. God, she can't have another meltdown here, not when she's just new here. Natasha might think of her weirdly, she might even get more angry.

"Hey, Nat?- What-" Natasha's head whipped around to see Maria standing by the kitchen hallway. Was she that too caught up with the girl in front of her that she did not notice the other presence breaking inside of her penthouse? No, she couldn't be. "What happened?" With worry evident in her voice, Maria rushed to their side, her hand reaching out to touch Y/n's lower back.

Natasha has her locked up in her arms, so Maria couldn't really do anything much. With both of Natasha's hand caging Y/n's small body, she pulled her in even more. There was a sudden click inside her that made her pull her in, she doesn't know if it was because of the worry i side of her growing or maybe the way Maria had reached out for her girl.

"Maria, get the aid kit inside the bathroom. Also get some towel and a bowl of water." Natasha's voice commanded before bending down to pick up the girl in her arms bride style, realizing that she wouldn't be walking.

Maria immediately ran to get what was needed, looking down at the mess that was made on the kitchen floor, she frowned and started pondering or what had happened. Then suddenly, flashes of the bruises she saw on Y/n's arms blinded her thoughts, clenching her jaw she imagined the worse.

The was Natasha was gripping her, holding her tightly did not sit right as she thought of it right now. The way she overtowered the small girl as Y/n trembled in fear. Fuck, Natasha couldn't be...

"Hey, let me get that..." As soon as she set Y/n down on the couch, she take a hold of her fisted hand that is still holding the pieces of sharp glass tightly.

Holding it gently in her hands, she caught a glimpse of something as the sleeves of Y/n's clothing hike up. Frowning, she reached forward and pull it up even more out of curiosity. Blood drained her face as the bruises that littered around it became visible in her eyes. Her hold on her earlier couldn't have done that, no. It is clear that it is made days or weeks ago.

Averting her focus back on getting the glasses out of Y/n's hands, she felt her heart started to pump faster. She hated it. She shouldn't be feeling like this, no, she can't feel like this.

"Here..." Without looking up, she took the kit from the hands of her friend and started tending on Y/n's hand, now in complete silence as her mind ran miles.

What is there that she still doesn't know?

°^~°^~°^~°^~°^~°^~°^~°^~°^~°^~

Maria's POV:

"You're still here." I turned to see Natasha walking towards the railing of her balcony, gazing towards the scenery in front of us, not bothering to throw me even just a glance.

I looked back to where I was staring, inhaling a pound of air before letting it all out. "Your actions opposes the assumptions I have in my mind." I started, just then, I felt her eyes burning holes on the side of my head. "You're not..." I gulped down an invisible ball of saliva in my throat. "You're not the one who did those to her, did you, Natasha?" Catching her eyes, a frown started forming her face before her stance became tensed.

A reaction I knew all too well. But, not what I expected to receive with this topic.

"What?" She asked and I could hear the pure confusion lacing through her voice. A sound that demands an immediate and straight answer. I looked away and started answering.

"The last time I was here. I saw her arms. Beaten. Raw. I'm starting to thinking it's all over her body, I also... thought that it was you." I looked back to her face when I saw it snapped to look inside the penthouse. A faint glitch in her facade that she only wore when we thought her father had found out about her hidden treasures. Fear. Worry. "After earlier, I saw... I saw how you cared for her, Natasha-" I almost jumped at the sound of her voice.

"I didn't." I shook my head and chuckled lowly, bending down and putting both of my elbows on the railing. How I could see right through her.

"I wouldn't blame you for starting to feel like this. I watched you, Natasha." Turning only my head to look at her, a knowing glint shining in my eyes as her gaze locked in mine. Showing her that I know, and she doesn't have to hide it.

No matter how much she wants to, no matter how much she needs to. No matter how much she will deny.

"Just like how you watch her."

I waited... and waited. But, a response never came. Sighing, I stood up straight. Turning my whole body towards the sliding door but made no move to approach it. "I care for her..." I started, once again. "Not the way you do, of course." Just then, it all came down to me just how much I got so attached to this girl, how much her attentiveness and hospitality had made my heart moved like no one. Clint's right, we're all really getting soft because of her. "She's a sister I have never had. Tell me what you want me to do, I will help you. I will bring what you need, and I will come wherever you want me to be."

Still, I was met with silence. Clearing my throat before sighing, I started walking towards the door.

"Hill." Now, that's what I was looking for.

Looking back, I catch the fire in her eyes even though her face is stone cold. I knew by then, it will catch up to those who have sinned.

"I want everything." She said in a monotone, with her jaw clenched, she turned around and I was faced with her back.

I nodded, even though she couldn't and wouldn't see me. "You got it, boss." I said before stepping inside the penthouse, my eyes immediately locking in on the figure that is sat on the farthest edge of the couch, as if it will ground her—protect her from everything.

I analyze her body for a minute, she doesn't have her socks on as usual, making me catch a glimpse of a faint bruise that is long but not deep from what it looks like. Taking a deep breath, I decided to go, taking a last look on her face, staring into nothingness with seemingly no thoughts behind her eyes.

God knows what is unleashed.

°^~°^~°^~°^~°^~°^~°^~°^~°^~°^~

(Flashbacks) 3rd Person's POV:

A giggled escaped the 13 year old girl as she read a book that was given to her by Lucille. Something funny had happened on the character that made her stomach tingle and let out a giggle, unaware of the pair of eyes that is burning holes in the whole of her body.

Just as she let out another giggle, the sound of a gun booming that is all to familiar to her ears went off, making her jump with no sound escaping her lips. Just like what Lucille had thought her, no noise means less hits. As her heart raised, beating faster, she stood up, leaving the book on where she was sitting, with a promise to get it back later before running off inside the huge mansion.

The same pair of eyes followed her, a knowing glint of who she was, the same pair of eyes that studied her dull life but found it the most interesting. Walking towards the huge tree, under the shade of it is where she took the book. Knowing that her Dad is enjoying his time with their family's friend, she knew they wouldn't even notice that she's gone, too busy playing with different guns.

She studied the surroundings and did not wonder just how much Y/n loves it here. She remembered the time she met Y/n here, she remembered that the young girl was still 3, munching on a cookie that looks like she will be killed if she was found eating it.

"Hey..." An 8 year old Natasha spoke, a certain softness present in her voice.

The little one jumped, dropping the cookies as she did so. Those cute chubby cheeks with some crumbles of cookies made Natasha want to pinch it. She looks angelic, Natasha wondered if maybe, they do hide angels around here because she certainly just met one.

"I not eat the tookies!" The visible lisp came out, making a smile break through Natasha's face. With those frowning small eyebrows, Natasha could feel her stomach doing flips because of the cuteness.

"But, you did." Natasha started, smiling teasingly as she walked closer. "And you have cookies all over your face." Natasha explained, her hands going to her hips, just like what she sees on her father.

"I didn't..." Smearing her small hands on her face didn't do her any good, as now her face is more covered in crumbles and a faint chocolates here and there. "See? You ate the tookies! Maybe..." A laugh broke from Natasha, even as a mere child, she's never the one to laugh a lot. Hearing the unbelievable assumption that has been made towards her made her surrender in defeat—once again, something she does not usually do.

"Okay, then. Whatever you say... cookie monster." She said before she saw Y/n smile—a name she discovered from her parents. "Would you like to play?" She asked, observing how Y/n looked down at the cookies that fell earlier with somber eyes.

Natasha felt bad, knowing that she accidentally scared her and now she doesn't have anything to eat. "No, Lutcy will be mad if I get dirty. I won't get more tookies." She explained, and Natasha smiled.

As if she didn't eat one already.

"I'll give you more cookies! We have so many at home." Natasha said, making the small girl snap her head up at her.

"Weally?" A toothy grin made its way on her face, making Natasha smile unconsciously and nodded. "Otay, but- but we gotta make- we gotta bring Tammy along with us... he gets very lonely." The small girl almost scream in excitement, Natasha only nodded before she followed the little one.

Following the 13 year old girl, her steps in track and with a certain speed to catch up. There were a couple of turns until she was met with the end of a hallway. Clutching the book in hand she approached the slightly ajar door.

She stood there, frowning when she tried to listen to the other side of it and was met with silence. She was sure Y/n had ran in here, catching a glimpse of her hair as she went running inside. Her hands reach out to knock, but then again was met with nothing, only a faint shuffling that reassured her someone was inside.

Breathing deeply, she push the door, it was a tight space, a storage room, yet it is clean. As soon as the door is wide enough, she saw the trembling form of a girl. She observed how her shoulder heavied with each breath she took.

"Were you scared?..." Natasha started, gazing at the way the younger one's head popped up to look at who followed her. "By the guns, I mean." Natasha noticed how tears are brimming up in her eyes—those same eyes she never once forgot.

The same ones that haunted her in her sleep.

Receiving no response, she took a step forward before crouching in front of the girl. "You left this." She raised her hand and offered her the book, which was immediately taken by the girl. Just then, Natasha noticed the gauze wrapped up around her arm, more bruises surrounding it that is mixed of color green and purple.

Frowning, she looked at the girl's eyes, only to find it gazing at the book, avoiding her look. "What happened to you?" She could remember those other times she met the girl, the same color littering her body, the same condition designed her skin.

Finally, their eyes met, but only a shake of a head is what she received as another faint gun shot rang in the atmosphere making the girl jump from where she was sitting and pushed herself further on the wall. Natasha, without flinching, as if the sound puts her to sleep at night, turned her body and pushed the door close.

Turning back, she sat on the floor, offering a small smile. "Don't worry, you won't get hurt." Noticing the way Y/n's eyes kept looking back at her and the door. "You won't hear it anymore. If you still do, you just go like this..." Putting her hands on both of her ears, Natasha simulated what should be done.

Only gazing at the red head, Y/n felt a certain familiarity with her face. She was the kid of those friends of her parents that would come and go here. But, still, shying away from the girl in front of her, Y/n knew very little of socializing—experiencing it scarcely.

Seeing uncertainty swimming around the doe eyed gaze of the younger girl in front of her, Natasha went forward, putting her own hand on Y/n's ears that are covered by her hair. With the space between them almost closed, Natasha could finally analyze the face that kept chasing her waking hours.

Natasha does find her beautiful—ethereal even, but she has no explanation as to why she feels this way—remembering the young one this way.

"Do you hear anything?" Natasha felt the shake of her head, their eyes staying lock in each other's. "That's good..." Natasha said before pulling away and going back to sit on the floor, now with a much more closer distance with the girl.

It was like a magnetic pull that keep wanting her to get closer and closer. She doesn't know what it is, yet she did not fight against it. It feels just right.

"Are you going to stay here?" Natasha asked, the girl did not answer, only keep looking at Natasha now with eyes full of curiosity and familiarity. "We can stay here—I can stay here with you." Natasha said, before her eyes dropped down to look at the movement of the girl's lips. She's smiling, Natasha thought, but only a little.

In the moment, both of their hearts grew, sitting in silence, hidden from the world that is destined to break and make them.

(End of Flashback)

°^~°^~°^~°^~°^~°^~°^~°^~°^~°^~

Natasha's POV:

I stood in the kitchen, looking over at the girl that is sat in the living room. I opened the television when I went inside from the balcony, seeing how eerily quiet here—the same noise the surrounded the atmosphere before Y/n started living here.

I was supposed to leave and go to the manor today, but something just keeps me from going. Something is grounding me from walking right through the door and get back with my life.

"What did you want to say? Make sure to not waste my time." I sneered at Yelena as we stood in the building's parking lot.

"Father's plans changed—I shouldn't be telling you this, but..." Gazing straight into my sister's eyes, I knew she wouldn't keep something from me. "I though I should let you know." Crossing my hands, I gave her my full attention.

"The wedding's not gonna happen..." I frowned, my insides shaking with something I can't put a finger to. Searching for any lies in her eyes, she explained further, "But, everything is still going. The marriage..." My shoulder visibly relaxed, I doubt that she did not notice it, seeing the way her eyes went on my sides, a knowing glint in her eyes as it reach my gaze. "... it's all settled in the paper..." She trailed off.

"Hmm?" I raised an eyebrow, urging her to continue.

"Papa discussed something with Y/n's parents, I didn't hear much but what I know is that after everything, they will be cutting Y/n off of their will... you will have it all." My frown deepened, my chest tightening with something I can't name.

"What the hell do you mean about that? What? Are they going to just throw her away like she's not their daughter?" I blurted out, Yelena's lips turned up a little—damn it, Natasha, get your shit together.

"She's just simply the paper in between their business, Natasha. After the marriage, you and I both know she's nothing to father..." She started. "...and to her parents... I don't really know, but that is the only thing I've heard. After that, I think it's up to you whatever happens to her... she'll be your wife...on paper, at least." She searched for something in my eyes, something I'm unsure of.

I have never felt so out of control. I couldn't control the thoughts and feelings circling around my insides. I couldn't even begin to figure it out.

"And you and I both know she means nothing to you..." She started, making my eyes dart straight into her eyes.

My face hardened, not letting her show a bit of emotion.

"Isn't that right?..." She asked, and I could tell the slightly visible teasing tone lacing through her voice. "Natalia?-"

"Shut the fuck up before I make you." Surging forward, I pushed her, making her tumble, if it weren't for the car behind her she would've fly down to the floor.

She chuckled lowly. "I still haven't met my future sister-in-law, when can I visit her-" My hand immediately reach out roughly and punch her on the cheek, making her tumble on the side.

"I won't let her near you—all of you." I gritted through my teeth. She knew about it. She's hitting all of my soft spot, and she might be the one whom I call my best friend before, telling her everything, but not anymore.

Not after she chose to stay with our parents when I offered her the chance to run away with me and build a new life.

"Even after all these years, Nat?" She asked, looking to side as if her face got locked after I punched her.

My eyes lit fires as I burn holes on the side of her head. My fist clenching on my side as I fought the urge to kill her right there and then.

"I don't wanna see your face here."

But, how can I leave when I finally have what I've yearned for all those years. I didn't even ask for it, didn't work for it yet it came down falling into my lap.

As I continued gazing at her, for once in my life, fear started to creep up. Fear of the unknown, where will this lead me? Weakness is something so foreign to me, just like how love and care is, but taking in what Maria had said earlier.

I did care.

But, not for anyone.

Only for her.

°^~°^~°^~°^~°^~°^~°^~°^~°^~°^~

Author's Note: Finallyyyy, ahhhh, everything in my mind is falling into place. Hope you enjoyed this one! More angtyness coming your way, darlings (⁠ ⁠◜⁠‿⁠◝⁠ ⁠)⁠♡

[dark-night-hero]

Glaze Lily (Zhongli)

ᴴᵃⁿᵃʰᵃᵏⁱ ᴰⁱˢᵉᵃˢᵉ ᴬᵁ

I have been in love with you as far as I can remember.

"If you were to watch the love of your life slowly fall in love with someone else, what would you do?" Asked the figure with a violet eyes and black hair. Its deep yet misty eyes stare at the two figure from afar then back at the woman in across it.

There the said woman followed were the figure with violet eyes were looking at. Looking at the scene, he was holding her close. He was holding her close that it was almost suffocating. Like something was stuck on her throat that she felt like throwing up.

"Are you okay?" It was the same figure with violet eyes that has been bothering her for a while now who snappened her out of her daze. "Love can be a dangerous game darling." Her eyes were glowing as if to warn her something. "Stop loving while its early." The hooded figure laughs, standing up from their seat as she continue to glare at the figure before it disappear from her sight.

She was left there in place, hands clench in a fist as she bit her lips. It was suffocating, her throat was itching. Something was happening. Something is starting. But what is it?

"Are you alright?" Rex Lapis asked as he gently and carefully approach her, but as soon as she look up to him, she could see her following closely behind. "Yeah. I'm alright."

I was here first. I met you first. I was there first. I was with you first. This means nothing to you, right?

Loving can be kind, but one must remember that love- loving can be dangerous. So dangerous.

She was so kind, so smart, so caring and lovely. Of course the adeptus were all over her for a reason, even him was no exception. "I honestly prefer your work over mind, what was Morax thinking when he chose mine?" She pout, sitting on the near vacant seat. Looking at her, a fake smile makes its way on her lips, "Is that so? Tell me about- cough!" "Oh my-! That sounded so painful, are you alright?!" "I'm alright.. If you'll exc- cough! cough!" She quickly stood up, hands covering her mouth. "Are you sure-!" "Move." "What was that-" Before Morax, Rex Lapis could even finish his sentence, she already run off.

Looking down at her hands in horror, there was blood. Then there was a single blue bloody petal. "What is thi-!" "I warned you didn't I?" She almost flinch but the perhaps, she had seen this coming. "What is happening to me?" She gasp, it was suffocating. For a while now, that suffocating feeling never went away.

"Pfffff haha" The hooded figure sigh like it cannot help it. "Asking something you already know?" She could not help but to glare at the fugure, hand curling into a fist, crushing the bloody petal. "It's the sickness of unrequited love. Hanahaki disease." Then the figure laugh, its violet eyes glowing. "I warned you, didn't I? Even the all mighty ones has their own demise."

Love is dangerous. It will bring you happiness until everything falls apart, tearing you into tiny little pieces.

I was there in your deepest darkest hours. I was there when no one was by your side. I was the one who pulled you away from darkness. I have always been by your side.

Series of claps can be heard as well as cheers as the two figure finally announced their relationship to the majority of the adeptus. And as much as she wants to do the same. She felt her throat itching like hell. Her sigh was getting deeper and deeper as time passed by, it was only a matter of time before she burst into fit of coughing. But she was all pretending everything was fine with a smile.

She held it in for a very long time until it was time for them to leave, she did not say a single thing. She just stood there in place, a smile on her lips. As soon as she was far away from hearing and sight. She crouch over to the ground as she burst out into a fit of coughing. Endless coughing.

She felt like she was dying, maybe she was. She cannot breathe, she felt like her lungs were being ripped apart. It hurts like hell that its killing her inside out. Tears rolling down her cheeks as she cough out bloody and fucking bloody white and blue petals. "Ah seriously-! cough- ugh!"

Is this the price to pay for loving-

"Tsk tsk. Look at you." Someone crouch down along side her. "Funny how humans and those immortal ones have something in common." Those belittling violet eyes, she wants to pull them out. "They all become a fool in love." "Regretting it now?" "Hahhhh... get out of my face."

Love is dangerous. But you know that didn't you? This is your choice.

"What should I do with you?" She was barely hanging on into consciousness. "This is such a foolish move." The figure tsked as it watches her die slowly. But it the major wounds on her body or suffocation. She had already accepted it. "Those wounds is fixable. It is the disease that is slowly killing you." The figure explain. "I can fix it but there is a consequence." That made her look at the hooded figure. "You'll have your emotions gone-" "They..." "???" "Are they okay?"

The figure halt. Then it laughed. "How crazy." "They're the reason why you're like this but even after all that you're still looking after them?" The hooded figure laugh for a long time then it looked back before disappearing without a trace, and not too long after that. Morax came on sight. His arms were trembling as he picked her up. She hated it, she hated the suffocating feeling in her chest that never went away even in these times. It was killing her. Like someone was tearing her lungs apart. Like somone planted a seed in there having its roots warped all around her lungs.

"Morax... Rex Lapis." She gasp, she was holding on into him for dear life. "Hush, come on. They'll be here in no time to heal you-" "My love.." She felt Morax stiffen. "My dear." She could barely breathe. "My lovely (First name)." "Guizhong-" "Morax... take care of her.. please?" She gripped on his arm. "I..." her eyes were teary. "I love her."

Just as Guizhong said that, the hands that was holding into him loosen. Slowly, Guizhong body starts to form a crack before it disintegrate into thin air. In her place leaving behind a bloody flower that was later known as Glaze Lily.

Love won't die, but it can kill you. You know?

[ⓒdark-night-hero] 2024°

: as much as I want to keep it gender neutral, I need to mislead ya'll for the plot twist so yeah.

[clonetrooperjournals]

Hi! I have to say im obsessed!! With your “Not Enough” Wolfe x reader fic and I was wondering if you could maybe do a Rex or Hunter x Fem!Reader where it’s along the lines of the song Heather (by Conan Grey) where she has a crush on him but even though she can see him flirting or just interacting with others she just can’t bring herself to say anything because she doesn’t think she’s enough? Maybe his brothers knock some sense into him at the end. Hope this is ok! Happy Weekend! Xx

Summary : You're the shy mechanic that tries not to get noticed but when you save some soldiers, you get put into the spotlight, and you then have to face that your not the girl your crush wants but someone else has noticed you all along Pairings : Tup x Fem!reader (civil mechanic) x Captain Rex Warnings : angst, self conscious reader, injury, self doubt and negative self talk, fluff, cute fluffy ending, Tup is the man we all want! Words : 3k A/N : This started as a Rex fic and as I kept going I got carried away and created this instead! I hope you like it because honestly? This may be the my favourite thing I've written so far! Tup deserves the world and all the love and he's the man we all need! masterlist here

You sat waist deep inside of a republic starfighter trying to rewire the circuit board for the guns after the last mission completely fried the current one. Your droid and best friend R0-BY or Robby chirps happily beside you while he welds a new access panel in place. From afar you can see a small group of the 501 currently engaged in conversation and you try not to stare at the certain clone captain that holds your affection, but Robby notices you staring and starts his usual chirping.  

“No Robby. I’m not going over there to talk to him we’ve been over this!” 

He beeps back a sarcastic remark. 

You sigh, “because I’m not good enough. Besides everyone knows that the other mechanic Heather has a crush on him too and everyone’s been trying to set them up...” 

It’s like she heard you talking about her and she approached the group of clones putting her hand on Rex’s shoulder as they all talked and laughed. She was tall, blonde, beautiful, and a people person, you couldn’t compete with that. Not that you ever would, you know you’ll never be enough for anyone let alone Captain Rex.  

You hop out of the ship and start packing up your tools for the day as you keep a casual eye on the boys in blue when you see it. Up from above coming in hot is a republic fighter, on fire, flying in for a crash landing in path with the group of clones. Your body moves before your brain does and you sprint across the hangar, some of the clones turn to see you running at them.  

“MOVE!” 

You throw yourself into Rex and Tup knocking the whole group over and out of the way as the starship comes crashing past where they were just standing. Your lying on the ground clutching your leg as Rex, Tup, Fives and Jesse run over to you giving looks of a mixed of shock and worry as they see the large gash down your leg where the ship clipped you.  

“You saved us girl!” 

“We didn’t even see it in coming!” 

“I can’t believe you dove in front of that ship! You are crazy!” 

Rex crouches in front of you looking over your leg with a concerned expression, “Let’s get you to the med bay. Can you walk?”  

Your cheeks are on fire, you look down avoiding all the clones worried gazes and shake your head, “I-I don’t think so...” 

“Tup help me lift her,” Rex orders his brother. Immediately Tup lifts you from under one arm and Rex on the other, then they begin to walk you to the med bay with the rest following behind. 

You’ve never been so close to the soldiers before, your so shy that you always try to stay out of everyone's way, until now. You see the tan of their skin, the blonde of Rex’s hair, the wrinkles around his eyes, the tear drop tattoo under Tups eye, these men are so gorgeous up close your brain is short circuiting. Your cheeks burn as you see both of them looking at you and each other having a silent conversation that you would very much like to hear.   

Tup eyes you closely, never having been this close to you because he knew you were a shy person, but he always thought you were beautiful and seeing you up close confirms it. Your curly hair pulled back into a long braid, the freckles that adorned your nose and cheeks, the brown of your eyes that shined, how your cheeks got red at the slightest comment, he was enamored with you, and you didn’t know because you liked Rex.  

The med bay door swung open, and Kix runs up to the group with a confused look on his face, “What happened?” 

Rex and Tup Walk you over to a bed and gently put you down, Rex turns to Kix, “Our mechanic here decided to jump in front of a crash-landing ship.”  

“And save all our lives!” Fives chirps in from the back of the group forming. 

Kix looks over your leg pulling out drawers grabbing all kinds of medical equipment while listening closely, “decided to be a hero today?” 

Your cheeks were on fire as you looked down, “I didn’t- I ... reacted before I thought about what I was doing...” 

Kix smiles, “well at least we all know you have a good heart. Not many people would sacrifice themselves for a clone.” 

“They should. You all sacrifice for us, putting your life on the line every day. I'll be damned if something that could have been prevented harms you all! I mean... umm..” you ramble embarrassed.  

The clones all stop and look at you, really look, the bright red cheeks, the way your fists are scrunched into your coveralls nervously, the way you avoid eye contact, you’re the shyest person they’ve ever seen and yet you stand up so strongly for them without a second thought. Smiles break out on all the boys faces and they all start laughing.  

Rex pats your back making you blush even harder, “Thank you. We all owe you our lives today.” 

You look up at him with a gentle smile, “your welcome Captain.” 

Heather then runs into the med bay looking worried as she comes over to you, “y/n are you okay!? You ran out of nowhere and pushed all of us out of the way! You’re a total hero!” 

Tup notices the way your shoulders droop as you look at Heather, “Just a scratch. I-I'm alright.” 

Kix turns to the group of clones, “Alright. You can all thank her once she’s cleared but right now, I need you all to clear out of my med bay!”  

The group of clones all disperse yelling thank you’s as they go and you chuckle at their antics. Tup, Rex and Heather still stand by your bed as Kix eyes them. Heather smiles warmly at you shining everyone with her beauty, “Thanks again y/n. Captain can I speak to you for a moment?” 

Rex smiles at her, making you feel even worse, “Of course. Thanks again y/n.” 

You nod and watch as they leave, Rex’s hand on her back and warm smiles as they talk. They look so good together, the warmth they emit like the twin suns of Tatooine. You’ll never be that, you’ll never be beautiful or bright or warm like she is, you’ll never be seen like she is...  

“Ma’am?” Tup says waving his hand in front of your face.�� 

You jump out of your self-loathing, blushing, “Sorry. What was that?”  

“I asked if it was okay with you if I stay?” he asks with a small smile.  

You nod hesitantly and he sits in the chair beside your bed as Kix finishes cleaning and stitching up your leg. There was an awkward silence as you played with the sleeves of your coveralls nervously, feeling Tup’s gaze on you.  

“Alright that should do it! I’m gonna give you some meds for the pain and you should be good to go in about an hour. Hang tight, I'll be back.” Kix walks away leaving you and Tup alone. 

You look at Tup, “You don’t have to stay you know... you probably have more important things to do then sit around with me.” 

“Nothing is as important than making sure you're okay ma’am.” He says leaning forward. 

“You can call me y/n. I’m not important enough for formalities...” you whisper.  

“You are important, but I'll call you y/n if that’s what you want.” He says giving you reassuring smile. You observe him, the bun of hair pulled back, his striking brown eyes that watch you intently, the tear drop underneath them, his gentle smile that sends an ache in your chest. He is special, and he shouldn’t be looking at you because you're not.  

Robby rolls through the med bay door and beelines to you and Tup chirping fast.  

“Robby I’m okay. Really!”  

The little astromech pulls out his little arms waving them around in Tups direction and you giggle at his antics, “Tup this is R0-BY but I call him Robby.”  

He chuckles at the droid patting its head, “hey little fella.”  

Robby beeps out something and you blush as the droid laughs. Tup eyes you both curiously, “What did he say?”  

“Umm he said he... Likes your hair,” you spit out quickly, not wanting to embarrass yourself further by telling Tup that the little droid was telling you to ask him out on a date.  

“Okay...? Thanks little fella.” he chuckles, “You know y/n, I still haven’t thanked you for saving us.” 

You look down, “Oh don’t worry about it. It's not a big deal.” 

He reaches forward hesitantly grabbing your hand, smiling gently at you, “It is to me. Thank you for saving us today. I’d like to repay you somehow...” 

“Oh, you don’t have too. You all being okay is payment enough.” you say squeezing his hand, your heart fluttering in your chest. You quickly realize that your holding hands with this trooper and drop your gaze and your hand out of his, embarrassed.       

Kix walks over then with a smile, “Okay you’re free to go! But you’ll have to be on crutches for a while. Light duties only alright?” 

“Yes sir.”  

... 

The next day you sit in your workshop peacefully, working on rebuilding part of a shuttle that needs to be reinstalled later. Robby stays beside you, giving you tools and welding certain pieces, as you enjoy the quiet while it lasts. All morning troopers have been coming to check on you, to thank you, to see if they could do anything for you, and as much as you appreciate their efforts you're not used to all the attention, so you’ve been a flustered mess all morning. Of course, the peace doesn’t last long when you see Captain Rex coming over to you and you start to panic. 

Robby chirps happily and giggles as he wheels out of the room leaving you alone with the captain, “Hello Captain. D-Did you need something?” 

“I just came to check on you and make sure you’re doing okay. I thought you wouldn’t be working so soon with your injury.” he confesses concerned.  

You smile gently looking down, “I’m alright really. Besides I’m too fidgety to sit and do nothing I’d rather be working, even if it's just light duties...”  

He steps further into the room smiling at you, making you blush, “I get that. But take it easy alright? If you need anything all you have to do is ask.” 

“I appreciate that Captain. Thank you.” 

Then your heart drops as Heather walks into the room with the both of you. Her hair is pulled up in a ponytail showcasing her bright blue eyes, and she smiles at the both of you, “Hello y/n! Did the Captain here invite you to 79’s tonight?”  

You look at her sad and confused, “For what?”  

“I was getting to that,” he chuckles at Heathers enthusiasm, “Some of the boys are going to the bar tonight and we wanted to invite you as a thank you for everything.”  

Heather walks over putting a hand on your shoulder, “Please come! I can’t be the only date there!”  

Your face drops, “Date?” 

Heather smiles at Rex and he winks, “Captain Rex here invited me as his date!” 

“Ooh... Well, I’ll think about it...” you say quietly.  

She walks back over to Rex, and waves at you, “Okay! Let me know later, we can go together!”  

“Don’t work too hard y/n. I hope we can see you tonight.” Rex says waving as both leave hand in hand. Your heart breaks as you watch them, knowing that you just lost that small bit of hope that he might see you the way he sees her, and tears start to fall down your cheeks.  

You’ll never be pretty enough.  

You’ll never be enough. 

 Not for him. Not for anyone.  

What you don’t know is Tup was watching you from afar, and his heart breaks as he sees your shoulders shake and tears run down your face. He can see your heartbreak as his Captain leaves with another woman hand in hand, and Tup hopes he can do something to mend your heart before it’s too late. 

... 

Tup debated with himself, pacing back and forth around the barracks when Fives walked in, “Hey brother what’s up?”  

Tup continues to pace, “Just thinking...” 

Fives sits on a bunk smirking, “about the cute mechanic.” 

He stops and turns to him flustered, “N-No I was...” 

“Right sure. Not like you haven’t been admiring her with heart eyes for months.” Fives laughs at his brother. 

Tup walks over to Fives and sits on the bunk beside him, “but she doesn’t like me. And the man she does like, doesn’t like her... What do I do?”  

Fives looks at Tup and his dejected frame, “Well... You won’t get a chance if you don’t take a chance.” 

“It’s not that simple,” he sighs.  

Fives pats his shoulder, “It is. I bet she’ll forget all about the other guy if you show her just how much you like her. And we all know how much you do, you're not very subtle.” 

“What if I ruin it any chance by saying something?”  

Fives sighs, “Take the risk. Were soldiers for makers sake, use some of that courage!” 

He clenches his fists and takes in a breath, “Okay.” 

“Okay?” 

Tup looks at Fives with an unsure smile, “I’m gonna go talk to her.” 

“Atta boy! And when she agrees we’ll celebrate at 79’s tonight!”  

Tup laughs and heads out the doors, “we’ll see...” 

... 

Nervously Tup makes his way through the hangar bay to your small workshop in the back. On the way he sees Robby wheeling by and stops the little green astromech, “Hey little fella. Is your master still working?”  

Robby chirps and waves his little pinchers in the direction of your shop, Tup nods and pats his head, “Thanks buddy.” 

Slowly he heads the rest of the way to your shop and stops just outside the door. You haven’t noticed him yet as you wipe your tears on your sleeve trying to wire something. Your hair was braided in pigtails today, and you had your coveralls unbuttoned showing your tight black tank top underneath that hugged you in all the right ways. He thinks you're the most beautiful woman in the galaxy, and just as he’s about to enter the room you slam your tools down and throw your sleeves over your eyes.  

“Ugh I gotta stop crying! Of course he wouldn’t like me... I’m not beautiful like her. I’m nothing...” 

Tups heart aches in his chest as he enters the room shutting the door making you jump and look at him surprised, “Tup? I-I'm sorry I didn’t hear you come in...”  

“You’re right. You’re not beautiful like her,” he says coming up to you as more tears start to fall down your face, “You’re even more beautiful. She doesn’t compare to you at all.” 

You freeze and shake your head, “N-No I’m not I’m just-” 

“y/n please listen to me,” Tup grabs your cheek and wipes the falling tears with his thumb, “You are quiet, and shy. You try to stay out of people’s way and try not to get noticed but I did. I noticed you.” 

“I noticed the way you tie ribbons in your hair when you’ve had a bad day to make you feel better. I noticed how you sing the same song quietly to yourself as you work. I noticed how you and Robby race each other at the end of your shift and how you always let him win. I noticed how you take your lunch to the hangar so you can watch the troopers from afar. I noticed how you blush anytime a trooper comes and asks you a question,” he smiles cupping both of your cheeks now, “I noticed the way your eyes sparkle when you see something you think is pretty. I noticed the freckles that lay on your face like your own little galaxy. I noticed the way you put others above yourself, and how you think everyone deserves more than you do. How you put yourself in harm's way to protect my brothers and I without a second thought. Y/n I think you are the most amazing and beautiful creature in this galaxy, and I know I’m not him. I’ll never be Rex, he’s everything that I’m not but... If you give me a chance, I’d like to show you all of me as I learn more about you.” 

You close your eyes as you hiccup through another sob, “You really see me like that?”  

“Oh sweetheart... I always have.”  

You open your eyes and see Tup still cradling your face, like you are the most delicate thing he’s ever seen. Slowly you trail your gaze over his face for any hint of a lie, but he just smiles at you with his twinkling eyes and pink cheeks. You put your hand over his, “I would like to get to know you too Tup.” 

He smiles even brighter, “Yeah?” 

“Yeah.” You smile brightly at him. “And for the record, I like you just the way you are. You’re amazing.” 

Gently you cup his face and lean in placing a long kiss to his burning cheek. He freezes and as you pull away you both smile bright smiles. He grabs you and hugs you placing his chin on your head as you listen to his racing heart.

"Would you go on a date with me?" he asks timidly.

You look up at him your eyes sparkling, "I'd love too Tup."

...   

From afar Fives stood behind some cargo watching his brother with a big smile, “Good job brother. Good job.”  

dividers by @saradika-graphics

[frost-queen]

The moment I knew // part 9 (Reader!Bridgerton x Tewkesbury)

Forever tag:@missmelodramatic, @merlin-dahlia, @alex--awesome--22, @elllie-does-the-posts, @floatlosers, @merlieve, @queen-of-books, @glimmering-darling-dolly,@denkisclown, @wildieflower, @meyocoko, @bubblybrianna, @justanothercoco,@subjecta13-thefangirl, @m-rae23, @harleyquinnswifeyfrfr, @swampthing07, @melsunshine, 

@panhoeofmanyfandoms, @venomsvl, @the-uncoordinated-house-cat, @rosecentury,  @imagines-by-her,  @evilcr0ne, @vviolynn, @cayt0123, 

@powwowsworld, @yomamacrusty, @mileyy22, @omgsuperstarg, @helen06dreamer, @misscaller06, @l4venderia, @dracoflaco, @loliakeoghan23, @emotionaldamageemotionaldamage, @reallysparklychaos, @ok-boke, @the-fifth-marauder7, @asgards-princess-of-mischief, @cherrysxuya, @lol6sposts, @cierrajhill, @heheyhey, @drinkfantasy, @esposadomd

Summary: An idle search for a certain book sparks up your interest about a particular set of art. The queen's ball is at your disposal as you finally might receive a clear answer. [ part 1 & part 2 & part 3& part 4 & part 5 & part 6 & part 7 & part 8 & part 10 ]

“Are you going to help me or not?” – Francesca asked, looking up from the book in her hand. You had been idling away at your home library. You were normally going to assist your sister in finding a book on French artist. Yet Francesca seemed to be the only one actually searching. While you idled away on the other hand. Deep in thoughts as you stared at the book back’s with a slightly tilted head. – “I am helping.” – you muttered out letting your finger glide across the back’s.

Francesca hummed unintrigued seeing through your false lies. She shut her book with a loud thud, startling you a bit. – “Just help me Y/n.” – she begged. – “The sooner we find it, the sooner we are out of here.” – she came closer to you. You jumped when she had slapped her book against your bottom. – “Fran!” – you called out in shock.

Your sister laughing loud. Clearly amused. – “Please Y/n a bit of help.” – she asked placing the book down on a stack of other books. You nodded walking boredly to a stack of books on the desk. You picked up the first one. A blue cover with golden pressed letters on.

“That’s clearly no French.” – Francesca commented from afar, having looked up from her book to you. You set it aside, looking at the next one. A dark green book with heavy thick black letters. Francesca was looking at numerous covers, holding two in each hand. – “Have you heard anything from him?” – she asked reading the back of a book in her hand. – “From who?” – you replied reading the back of your book as well. Francesca sighed loud. - “The Viscount.” – she answered casually with a quick smile. The mention of him made you act clumsy.

You wanted to set a book back as you knocked the stack of books over. One or two dropped on the ground. – “Sorry.” – you called out seeing your sister’s scolding expression. You quickly duck down to pick them up. One of them was tipped over. Standing on the edges, pages facing the ground. You picked up the yellow book as your eye fell on the title. The secret language of fanning. Your mind immediately got pulled back to the moment with Tewkesbury.

Seeing so vividly in front of you what Tewkesbury did. The same sequence, repeated. At the time you thought it was idle. Now you weren’t so sure anymore. Still crouched down, you tilted the book to read the pages. You ruffled through them. Seeing sketches of ladies performing a gesture step by step with writing by the side. Fascinated you stopped at a page. The secret language it was describing ‘how to let your company know you are uninterested’.

It made you snicker quietly. Turning a few pages you wanted to find the sequence Tewkesbury did. Perhaps his had a meaning too? Your pursuit of finding the true meaning of it took a heavy turn. Almost obsessive as you craved the answer. Was he perhaps also showing to you he wanted to leave your company? Was it something else? Did he try to say you were ugly? Couldn’t dance? Only saw you as a friend? You were almost going insane with the unknowing.

Eyes widened when your finger pressed hard on a page to stop it. Recognizing one motion of Tewkesbury’s. – “Y/n!” – Francesca called out, startling you. The book fell out of your hand as you jumped up, bumping the back of your head against the desk above you. – “Au!” – you shouted keeping a hand on your head as you slowly rose, minding not to hit the desk again while rising. – “Found it.” – Francesca exclaimed happily, showing you the book.

“Oh sorry.” – she apologized seeing you rub your head. Your head turned slightly, looking down at the book you were very eager to finish. – “Come we are finished.” -  Francesca went over to you, grabbed you by your wrist and started pulling you out of the library. ‘I’ll come back for you’. You thought as you got pulled through the door. On your way out, you encountered Benedict in the hallway.

“Found it!” – Francesca said happily, holding the book up. Benedict took the book in his hands. – “Excellent sister.” – he replied giving her the book back. – “Now I can astonish my governess.” – she said feeling over the moon. You got dragged along again, trying to keep up with her quick feet, as you hoped much not to trip over your own. Benedict laughed at his adoring sisters.

Finally you had found a way to escape Francesca’s clutches. You loved her but she could be a too much towards you. She had always felt a strong push towards you. She confided with you on about almost anything. You were her most truest friend and beloved sister. You took the turn, leading you back to the home library. That itch of reading more of that book unstilled. Quickening your pace, you were almost panting. Panting with desperation to reach it.

So desperate you walked straight past your brother Colin without a proper greeting. He smiled wanting to greet you, his smile faltering when you walked straight passed him. Clearly too occupied in your own thoughts. Hands almost shaking you threw the door open. Finally your questions would be answers.

Finally the storm in your head would still. Yet you were greeted with a harsh stomp. Bluntly you stared at a cleared up room. All the books that once was stacked around on the desk. On the floor. On the small table. All gone. All neatly set back on the shelves where they belonged. You screamed loud out of agony. As if something was keeping you from knowing the answers.

Stumped and defeated you outed your emotions. Shouting, stomping your feet and swaying your arms to curse at the maids who cleaned up the library. Crying and sobbing, dropping down in utter despair. It would take forever to find it back. Sobbing loud, you remained in place. Crouched down as you held your knees. Your limbs felt numb and stiff yet you didn’t move. Grieving too much for a book. The library had gone dark.

Till the creak of the door and a light flickered into the room. A heavy set of feet entered the room as the light fell upon you. – “Y/n.” – Anthony said soft placing the candle on the small table near you. – “What are you doing here sister. It is bed-time.” – he told you kneeling down to your height. Lips pouted, you moved your position, throwing your arms around him and bury your face against his chest.

Anthony immediately responded by holding your arm and back. Kissing the top of your head. He didn’t need to know what bothered you. He only needed to know that you required his attention and love. – “Let’s get you to bed.” – he whispered, repositioning his hands. He picked you up, carrying you in his arms. You kept your arms around his neck, resting your head against his chest. He blew the candle out, leaving the library in the darkness.

He carried you up the stairs up till your room, where he carefully laid you on your bed. – “How did you find me?” – you asked as he was adjusting your covers to warm you. – “Colin told me, he saw you head for the library.” – he responded tugging you in. – “Good night sister.” – he spoke, giving you a night kiss on your forehead. – “Night brother.” – you responded. He left your room with a warm smile on his lips.

━━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━

“What are you doing here?” – you called out in shock. – “Is that how you greet your sister?”  - Daphne replied with her hands on her hip. – “Apologies.” – you rushed out, curtsying before her. Daphne’s stern glare faltered, revealing her gracious self once more. She entered your room more. – “Mama has asked me to assist you.” – she spoke approaching you. She touched your chin, admiring you. – “It is just the queen’s ball.” – you told her, gulping soft at the hard glare from your sister.

Clearly you had said something wrong. – “It is not just the queen’s ball Y/n. It is the queen’s ball!” – she exclaimed letting your hair glide through her fingers. – “And you need to look your upmost best.” – she booped your nose making you flutter your lashes. – “If not for the queen, for a certain Viscount most certainly.” – she added nudging you playfully in the side. You could only stare at her. Your stare made her laugh. – “He’s but a friend.” – you told her. – “Uh-hu.” – Daphne said unamused and seeing right through you.

She turned you around, pushing you to your vanity. – “Now let’s make you diamond worthy.” – she whispered to you with a gleam in her eyes. You swallowed nervously, looking back at your own reflection in the mirror. Daphne cleared her throat loud when she stood at the top of the stairs. All your siblings waiting down below. – “Finally.” – Gregory said receiving a flick against his ear from Benedict. – “Au! What was that for.” – he called out.

Benedict was about to comment on it when Daphne cleared her throat, silencing him. Eloise rolled her eyes. – “You are always dramatizing everything Daph.” – she outed with crossed arms. Daphne ignored her comment. – “I present to you, our sisters.” – she spoke with a gesture. First Francesca appeared as you followed right behind her. Mama teared up at the sight of her glorious daughters. Each a pearl in their own way.

“Try keeping any men away from them now.” – Benedict joked to Anthony with a snicker. Anthony slapped his hand at him as Benedict avoided being hit just in time. Francesca and you went down the stairs to join the others. Daphne coming after you. – “I shan’t be present, but enjoy every moment. I remember I did.” – she told you and Francesca.

“I remember you tried to win over the prince.” – Colin commented with a smirk. – “At least I could attract royalty.” – she mocked back with a sarcastic undertone. Benedict and Anthony laughed at Colin’s dumbfound stare, unable to come with any comeback. You were all heading for the carriages as Daphne pulled you back to her, separating you from the others. – “Y/n.” – she started. – “Do not be content with watching from the side. Don’t lose it all when you let the precious time slip away.” – she went on as it confused you.

Trying to find the meaning of her words. – “Don’t keep fighting it and let yourself fall.” – she finished with a soft smile. She gave you a kiss on your forehead before sending you off. You got on the carriage with your brothers and Francesca. The words of your sister spinning in your mind. The carriage got in motion as it hobbled over cobblestone. Riding towards the palace for the queen’s ball. The highlight of the season as it was nearing.

Words were almost impossible to distinguish. The room filled and warm. Up on the balcony was someone observing the space below. A man overlooking it all. Tewkesbury stood by the railing. One hand on the railing as he attentively searched the belows. Many faces he saw, yet not the one he desired to see. In a corner of the room below, he saw his grandmother chatter with some elderly ladies. A bit more to the centre, he saw Enola make her way swiftly through the people.

Still there was no sign of you. He was almost becoming desperate. Hopeless that you wouldn’t be present. Hopeless that you perhaps already settled down for another. Groaning soft, he turned his head away in disgust. Not wanting to think about it. He sighed wanting you to show yourself. Then a group of people caught his attention. His immediate gaze fell upon your brother Anthony, coming in from the right. His second response was to look for you amongst them. There he found you, holding your brother Benedict’s arm. A relieved smile showed on his face. A weight falling off his shoulder.

Letting go of the railing, he made his way down the stairs to reach the belows. He needed to reach you. He needed to see your beauty from up close. Tewkesbury pushed a way through the crowd. – “Miss Y/n!” – he called out to get your attention. You turned your head, having heard your name, yet no familiar face was in sight yet. Till a lord passed and revealed you an approaching Tewkesbury. – “Miss Y/n!” – he repeated coming to a stop before you.

He grabbed your hand, lifting it up as he bowed his head near your hand. A gesture that made your sister almost lose her mind from excitement. – “May I have this dance?” – he asked only looking at you. You looked back to your brothers, looking for confirmation. Anthony shook his head as Benedict slapped him against his chest, nodding.

“We just got here.” – you heard Anthony speak to Benedict a bit annoyed when Tewkesbury took you with him. He positioned you in front of him. The music started as you greeted each other. Tewkesbury kept his hand above yours, guiding your arm to lift and lower gracefully. Turning his head, he repeated the same with your other hand. He then took your hand allowing you to spin underneath his arm.

With a firm pull, were you pressed closer to him. His hand on your lower back. It made you gulp soft. Tewkesbury smiling down at you. With one hand on his back, the other on your lower back, he swayed with you from side to side. Your dress swishing around. – “You look beautiful.” – he told you as you turned with him. He lifted your arm up again in motions, going higher and higher each time. Till you spun under his arm.

He let his hand slide down your wrist to your elbow as you lowered your arm to hold it up against his chest. Tewkesbury pressed his hand against yours, near his cheek, giving your palm a gentle push so you could spin. You spun back to him as he kept his hand on your lower back again. Swaying to the side. Taking your hand, he led it up and down as you approached and backed away.

A smile growing on your lips. You gasped soft when he grabbed you firm to waltz. He took his space waltzing with you. He let go of you with one hand. Holding your hand in his. You spun out, still holding his hand. Returning to him, he changed your hand to his other, where you moved across and spun out as well.

Giggling a bit, you felt like a princess. Tewkesbury moved a hand to your lower back, pulling you closer to his side. You let your hand join his on your hip. His other hand holding yours, stretched out. Pressed against his side, you looked up to him as you waltzed around. Tewkesbury grabbed almost desperately for your waist as the music picked up. Sweeping you up in the moment.

You set yourself off as Tewkesbury lifted you up. Turning a bit before he set you back down. Your eyes meeting as your faces were dangerously close. Gently panting in each other’s presence. Your noses almost touched when you circled around with him. Breaking the tense contact, he gave you a push to make you spin round. Till you went back to him.

The music fading out as the end of the dance was nearing. Tewkesbury and you circled around each other, staring at each other’s eyes. Slowly you stopped as the music stopped, letting out their last note. Tewkesbury and you greeted each other once more to thank one another for the dance. Out of breath, you felt hot. Overheated from the dance.

Tewkesbury took your hand, leading you away from the dance. He simply followed you as it seemed you were taking the lead. Guiding him outside as you needed some fresh air. If you didn’t have any fresh air, you thought you might pass out. The breeze was chillingly welcoming. The queen’s garden a dream come true as you overlooked it. – “I… I hope I haven’t given you any trouble from showing up unannounced last time.” – Tewkesbury spoke joining your side on the balcony.

Looking back at him, you shook your head. – “I hope my family hasn’t given you a fright. The duke can be intimidating.” – you chuckled out. Tewkesbury shook his head. – “Not as intimidating as my grandmother’s death stare.” – he joked making you laugh. You tried to stop laughing, remembering your manners. – “I shouldn’t laugh at your grandmother.” – you told him and yourself to stop being so foolish. – “It’s quite fine.” – Tewkesbury responded, leaning a bit closer to you. – “I laugh at her as well.” – his reaction made you snort loud. Which made you cover up your mouth for thinking you were acting wildly.

“I like your laugh.” – he told you. You lowered your hands. – “I like everything about you.” – he continued. You smiled shyly. – “You must have girls falling over themselves to get to you.” – you responded turning your head a bit away. – “Why did you choose me?” – you asked. Tewkesbury slightly furrowed his brows. He needed a moment, but knew deep down you referred to the night of the opera. He lowered his gaze. – “You laughed.” – he replied, making you furrow your brows.

“It might have been idle back then, but I assure it is not anymore. I’ve grown very fond of you Miss Y/n.” – he turned his posture as you followed so you were facing each other. – “Y/n Bridgerton, the girl who wanted to be a princess.” – he tugged a stray of hair behind your ear, his knuckles brushing against your cheek. – “I see one right now.” – he added with a whisper. You felt flustered taking a shy step back. You turned away not sure what the storm inside of you was saying. A mixture of emotions you couldn’t possibly name or count. You moved further away from him to the steps, needing more air. Tewkesbury followed.

You went down a few steps till you stopped. – “What did it mean?” – you asked. Tewkesbury frowned. – “What did it mean?” – you repeated turning around to him. Standing lower than him, you had to look up at him. – “The fanning.” – you questioned.

If your book wasn’t going to give you answers, you would ask him directly. Tewkesbury swallowed nervously. – “It meant something didn’t it? The secret language of fanning.” – you told him. – “What did it mean?” – you asked curiously, looking yearningly at him. Tewkesbury swallowed soft,  before speaking with yearning eyes. – “It means I love you.”

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

Read more of my fics on my Masterlists! 

[jackwolfes]

@febuwhump day 24: pinned down Wesper | Six of Crows (Show!Verse) | TW: non consensual drugging febuwhump masterlist

The novice has been acting weird for hours.

They walk along beneath the Barrel’s multi-coloured lanterns in costumes that blend in with the crowd. Jesper rambles on about unimportant things, trying to get a rise out of him or even an eye-roll, but he doesn't seem willing to bite tonight.  

Since their little stint under a rat carriage, Jesper hasn't really known what to do with him. Frankly it's kind of hard to look at the boy without remembering what Jesper had so stupidly forgotten. The way that fluffy bird nest of brown hair looked splayed against a pillow, for one, or the fact his steadfast blushing looked even more alluring when it was the result of Jesper touching him. 

His cheeks are red now, for some reason, even though Jesper hasn't said anything that suggestive since they hit the Lid. Under the Madman mask covering his eyes, the flush stains his supple, freckled skin.

Jesper supposes it isn't that unusual for the kid to be so tense; he usually is before jobs that involve something this illegal. But at the same time, Jesper doesn't really get it. 

The canal splits four or five shopfronts ahead of them, which is where they'll part ways for the next hour to blend into the city's sins. His own heart races as he readies himself for inevitable danger, craving it more and more with each step. 

They come to the place they're due to diverge. Jesper sends Wylan one last glance. “No mourners.”

But all Wylan offers in return is a barely intelligible mumble. 

Jesper's feet stutter, startled out of his own excited anticipation by that lack of a response. Before he can say anything about it Wylan ducks his head and veers away, starting to press through the packed crowd much as he was meant to. Unless Jesper wants to end up on the other side of Kaz’s bad temper, he should do the exact same thing in the other direction. Really, pissing off Kaz Brekker of all people should not be at the top of his list of things to do. 

He shoves through a gaggle of tourists after the novice with his heart in his throat. 

It proves upsettingly difficult to keep the kid in his sights, but the Barrel has always been a maze of canals and they may have done too good of a job blending in with everyone else around them. Why the hell did the novice have to be so damn short? 

Regardless, after only a couple of bridges Jesper loses him entirely. He has to stop at the end of one of Ketterdam’s smaller alleyways and curse vehemently — at Wylan, at Kaz’s stupid plan, at his own fucking idiocy. The last object of his irritation burns brightest like a beacon. Guilt festers. 

From behind him, he hears a rumbling chuckle. 

Jesper doesn’t know what to expect when he looks over his shoulder. 

Jesper creeps closer as subtly as he can, fingers itching to reach for his pistols. Between the looming buildings it isn’t easy to make out detail, but he’s been Kaz’s lieutenant for long enough to recognise the Dime Lion mark from afar. There are two of them crouched on the ground with what looks like a dead body beneath them, except the closer Jesper gets the more clearly he can see the way the third body wriggles and squirms. 

One of the Dime Lions kneels on their chest — they were the one who chuckled — while the second looms over them, pinning their arms down above their head. Beneath the low roll of chatter and mocking laughter, the way they whimper rings clear as day. The familiar glint of a metal gun pressed punishingly against their throat is obvious even to Jesper. This is no boring attempt at a mugging, that’s for—

The toe of Jesper’s boot connects with something hard, sending it skittering across the stones. Jesper freezes. When he looks down a beaked mask stares back at him, right beside an uncannily familiar pair of goggles. 

Understanding is sudden, violent and cold. 

He whips his head back up just for his gaze to land instantly and unsettlingly on the undeniably familiar form of Wylan Hendriks. 

Their eyes meet. Wylan’s lips part.

“Hey!” 

Fuck.

There is a split second moment for Jesper to make a decision and — useless skiv that he is — he misses his chance. The bruiser kneeling on Wylan’s chest has a pistol pointed in Jesper’s direction before the gravity of his fuck up even registers. Jesper bites down hard on his tongue, hearing nothing but Kaz’s voice in his head calling him a useless waste of space. Or, nothing but that and the sickening echo Wylan’s whimpering. 

Jesper opens his mouth, not sure what the hell he can say to get out of this, right as a jolly, good-natured laugh fills the space between them. 

The Dime Lion lowers their gun, pointing it lazily back at Wylan. “Saints, I never thought you’d show up, Pieter.”

It takes a second for Jesper to realise they’re talking to him, but his stomach lurches as soon as they do. He can see Wylan’s wide eyes staring up at him from the muddy ground, foggy and dazed but still clearly terrified. Now that his mask is off Jesper can see the sheen of clammy sweat on his face. 

“We found one of Brekker’s little lackeys,” the second Dime Lion croons. They trail a tauntingly gentle hand over the curve of Wylan’s forehead. He twitches away and whimpers again, but can’t go far with the weight pressing him down into the ground. “He took so nicely to that brew you made up, don’t you think? Barely even put up a fight when we grabbed him.”

Jesper’s stomach rolls. Whatever brew they might have slipped to Wylan explains an awful lot about the past hour. It’s almost impossible for Jesper not to feel like it’s somehow his fault. 

Forcing himself to laugh anyway, he saunters over. He’s the best damn sharpshooter the Barrel’s ever seen and one hell of a quick draw, but he can’t compete with a pistol basically pressed flush with Wylan’s throat. 

The first clambers to their feet, tipping their head down at Wylan’s vulnerable form. “We saved you the fun part. Guess he’s your prize, ain’t he?” 

“I’ll have him if you don’t want him,” the second adds. “I know you were hoping for Dirtyhand’s sharpshooter.” 

Jesper comes to a stop beside them, looking down at Wylan. How likely is it that he can recognise Jesper behind the mask? Not very.

His mouth tastes like bile as he drops down to kneel astride Wylan’s chest, even more sickening for the way Wylan barely even struggles. Jesper can feel him tugging uselessly against the hands holding him down and stares into his brown eyes, blown wide with fear, trying to think. Rain is soaking into the knees of his trousers. 

What the hell do they expect him to do? 

“Give me your gun,” says Jesper, putting out a hand. 

The Dime Lion on his feet chuckles. “Not bringing out the knife tonight?” 

“Not for this one,” Jesper replies. 

“Shame,” the second one says. They trace a finger slowly over the underside of Wylan’s chin, grinning when he tries to shy away. “He’d look so nice with a nice long cut here, don’t you think?”

“The gun,” Jesper repeats, voice acidic. 

Below his weight Jesper feels the panicked rhythm of Wylan’s breathing as he all but hyperventilates. Whether or not he's been drugged doesn't matter: the fear he feels is obvious, visceral and real. Jesper hates himself for feeding into it, wondering how he’ll ever be able to ask Wylan to forgive him for this.

The weight of a pistol in Jesper’s hand is a deadly reassurance. He spins it, inhales, and shoots both Dime Lions in the same breath. Their bodies hit the floor with a heavy thud that makes Wylan flinch. 

Jesper shoots to his feet as soon as they’re down, hoisting Wylan up after him as well as he can with the way the novice struggles. His whole body is trembling, the back of his costume drenched with rainwater and mud, and he begins to desperately try and shake his head. 

“Please,” he slurs, “please, p-please don’t—”  

Jesper tightens his grip on Wylan’s bicep a heartbeat before he slips out of consciousness and lurches towards the ground. With a sharp curse Jesper grabs him, wrapping an arm around his waist. Wylan is too limp like this, too vulnerable. 

Too damn pretty. 

“Saints,” Jesper finally mutters. He looks up and down the alley, wondering how the hell he’s going to get an unconscious demo man all the way back down to the bottom of the Barrel. 

At least he’ll have a good long while to come up with an excuse to tell Kaz why he bailed on the job.

[blue-jisungs]

horizon zero dawn

# author's note … sigh. i started writing it in feb 2024 LMAO when me n zanna would play (i mean i would play horizon n zanna would watch) so this is dedicated to her <3 im so so sorry how shitty it gets later, you can see the diff when i came back to finish it ... (fun fact this fic was inspired by that one gif of yeonjun who took off his shoe and kicked beomgyu LMAOOO n we were like... wow that was so sneaky... imagine him attacking like that...)

# summary … you're an outcast, no one can talk to you and no one wants to... except a weird, red-headed guy

# word count … 3432

# genre … horizon zero:dawn au! (wow if u coudlnt tell by the title... axe u r sooo smart) its not really lore based, only the fact that theres dangerous machines of diff kinds and there's a major law of being an outcast but fic explains it :D

# warnings … rushed ending + an open ending so its up to interpretation what yn (you!!) choose! blood, swearing, fighting (yn bites a man lmao), killing an animal (the way i wrote the scene after seeing deers while in a car BYE), flashback in italics

it was his moment of glory.

the machine stood there, a few feet away from him yet close enough to take it down with one, precise hit.

he’ll take it down and bring the parts, gaining respect amongst the villagers.

crouching in the high grass, the gentle wind making the grass-stalk tickle his face. hands gripping the spear, he took a deep breath and slowly released it.

it was his moment… though that’s a shame that no one will see it. maybe he shouldn’t have wandered off so far.

better to hunt it fast and return before it gets dark.

the machine had massive antlers which were the most precious part. other than that he could possibly loot some shards and valuables.

yeonjun jolted forwards, jumping out of his hiding spot. the blue light in the machine’s lenses changed to red in the blink of an eye. the spearhead landed right above the eye, not making a critical damage.

“fuck” he grunted and ripped the spear out, rolled over and sank it again, this time aiming for the fragile part hidden under the belly of the machine.

it made a loud, whining noise and fell lifelessly with a thud, dust swirling in the air.

“ha, suck it” yeonjun hummed happily and kneeled down, rummaging through in search of parts.

that’s one of the reasons why he preferred mechanical animals rather than real ones. no blood, bones and skin… mess in general. just metallic gears, wirings and containers.

he noticed something shiny and dived in, a foxy smile of satisfaction painting on his lips.

yeonjun failed to notice that the noise when the machine fell dead alarmed a nearby predator.

just when he grabbed the heavy metal antlers and stood up, his eyes met with the thin red light of an angry creature.

“oh shit” he grunted and reached for his bow, fingers almost slipping with how sweaty they got.

the cheetah looking beast started running, its slim

legs making its movements faster. before yeonjun could draw a bow and shoot an arrow, the murderous creature was opening its mouth. metallic, silver fangs even from afar reflected his face in them. mere moments before it jumped and yeonjun almost released an arrow, there was a sudden swish. an arrow cut the air faster than the wind blows and it pierced the machine’s eyes from the side. it fell down on its face, moving on the ground due to the momentum. the dead piece of metal landed at yeonjun’s feet and he stared at one of the ends of an arrow poking through the lifeless lens.

“i almost got it!” he grunted and looked up. he saw someone approach him, a bow in their hand. “nice shot”

“i know” a feminine voice reached his ears and he sighed. great, now everyone in the moa village will laugh at him “that was foolish of you to stay in the open space like this”

you approached him quietly, if he didn’t see you – he wouldn’t even know you’re here. your steps were noiseless. upon further examination, he noticed your equipment – it was handmade but fully professional, adorned with blue sewings… similar to those in his tribe.

“where are you from?” you asked, noticing his eyes wandering on your bow. kneeling down to deatach the lenses of the machine. yeonjun watched how swiftly your fingers moved, prying open the material with your nails.

“moa village” he stuttered.

“you shouldn’t be talking to me then” your voice was cold as you hid the broken lens in one of the sacks you carried.

“why? i’m a curious person, i wanna talk. besides, thank you… even though i’m a great archer i guess… my timing was a little off” yeonjun grinned, patting his weapon.

“i’m an outcast” you grunted and heard him mutter a quiet ‘oh’.

the law (at least the law in those lands) forbid people to talk to outcasts. if one broke the law, they would be subject to being outcast as well. it’s a punishment – some people get exiled forever and some for a certain amount of years. it all depends on the crime committed, from stealing to murder. however, some outcasts even after being allowed to return to the village decide not to.

“but… no one is here anyway. and i want to thank you. is there a way i can repay you for saving me?” yeonjun mumbled, scratching his neck.

you looked up at him and your eyes met, his ebony irises glowing with genuine honesty… and a spark of curiosity.

“just go home and don’t get killed” you grunted and stood up, nudging the piece of metal with your foot. yeonjun nodded, a mischievous idea blooming in his head like a snowdrop flower after winter.

“sure, of course. i won’t. farewell, outcast stranger” he smiled like a fox and waved.

you watched him leave. the boy was turning around to glance at you from time to time before his silhouette blended with the landscape.

and so you parted your ways.

crouching down, bow drawn and arm stretched, you aimed at a deer. it was a bit away from its herd so you wanted to use it as an opportunity to attack without startling the rest. you just had to land the arrow perfectly between its eyes, causing an instant and painless death. your mentor always taught you that it’s the least you can do while hunting – a quick and painless death for the animal.

the deer lowered its head to start munching on fresh grass and that’s when you released an arrow. with a whistle of the air being cut, the animal dropped dead.

before you walked up to it, there was a quiet crunch of a branch breaking. you turned around, scanning the area and drawing your bow again. was it a machine? you would’ve heard it before, surely.

another crunch.

this time you were able to locate the source of the sound and moments before releasing the loaded arrow, someone jumped out of the bushes.

“don’t kill me!” he yelped and you froze, not lowering your bow. the nearby deers ran away, scared by the sudden noise. well, besides the dead one at your feet.

“you…” a grunt left your lips, realizing it’s the guy you saved two days ago. his face lit up, stepping closer. but you aimed the bow at his head “don’t. move.”

“ah– why? i’m– i don’t want to hurt you” he whined, a pout forming on his lips.

“then explain yourself. why the fuck you’re here? it’s the complete opposite direction from the way you were headed. you were spying me… but why?” you came to a conclusion, eyes trained on him. the man just giggled nervously.

“i… i know it will sound weird but i was just… curious, yeah… and i didn’t even tell you my name yet!” he reasoned and pointed at the deer “i want to help you. let me carry the deer for you?”

you sighed, putting down your bow and hiding the arrow. standing up, you nodded.

“fine. what’s your name, stranger?” you tilted your head, grabbing the arrow that was stuck in the deer. some crimson blood splashed on the ground.

“yeonjun. choi yeonjun” he said and walked up to the animal. you watched him with a puzzled look on your face “what?”

shaking your head, you smiled.

“do you even know how to–” you started but he leaned and grabbed the dead body.

“i was… taught. nevermind. lead the way, lady outcast” yeonjun hummed happily. so you did, avoiding branches.

“be careful. we’ll eat it later” you grunted, looking at him through your arm.

“we?” he repeated happily

“i’m an outcast, not a weirdo. you’ll have a stew and leave” you sighed and immediately stopped, causing yeonjun to bump into you “shh”

there was… a quiet squeaking sound somewhere in the bushes. you looked at him, cocking an eyebrow, and suddenly he smiled softly.

“that’s a fox” he smiled, catching your confused daze “i… ever since i was a kid, i attracted foxes. weird thing. but ignore it, it’ll eventually leave on its own”

letting out an amused huff you began walking again. yeonjun followed you, catching a glimpse of a copper-colored tail in the bushes.

“so… may i know your name, oh mighty outcast?” he cooed and you fidgeted with a pocket knife that you always carried around.

“at my place. also, if you think about it, it’s highly unreasonable to track a stranger and then follow them to their house, don’t you think?” you said casually, stepping over a rock.

“well, they call me ‘unserious fool’ at the village so i guess i know exactly what i’m doing” yeonjun hummed.

for a moment comfortable silence fell between you two so you took in the spirit of the woods.

autumn was your favorite season. trees turning into beautiful bouquets of yellows, reds, browns and oranges. under the sunlight, some leaves looked golden and filled up your heart with nostalgia. you lived alone so most of the time you spent outside, hunting or gathering herbs. during autumn various animals were preparing for the winter sleep so you even had a chance to admire bears if you wandered far enough. badgers, raccoons or squirrels… you loved to sit down and watch them wander in their natural habitat. not to mention all the precious mushrooms growing after a heavy rain. and during this season, the air was crisp and refreshing, even if it stung your cheeks with coldness. what’s there not to adore?

“i apologize in advance for my cooking” you said suddenly. yeonjun hummed.

“don’t worry. i ate my friend’s food and survived so it will take much to take me down” he grinned proudly.

“i noticed” you snickered, touching a tree that you passed by. its tree bark was rough and coarse but you enjoyed that feeling.

“are we there yet?” yeonjun suddenly asked and you just let out a deep sigh.

arriving at your place took a bit longer than usual… apparently yeonjun was a very slow walker and tripped twice over a stone. but you made it eventually. and the deer - surprisingly - managed to stay in one piece.

you insisted yeonjun sat down as you started preparing a stew from your whatever was nearby. herbs, dried mushrooms, leftover broth, fresh vegetables from your garden…

you felt his gaze on you and heard his calm breathing. it was quite an usual sound, as for someone who lived alone since–

“nice place you’ve got there, outcast” he hummed and when you looked over his shoulder, you saw him admiring your place.

it was rather simple. all the furniture handmade from scratch, bunches of herbs and braids of garlic attached to the walls to dry, bows and tools scattered on the floor. and a rug.

“this rug…” he breathed out, the sound of a chair scratching the floor reaching your ears. the faint sound of his bones cracking signaled that he kneeled down.

yeonjun’s fingers traced the rough material of the beautifully crafted rug. light blues, greens and yellows braided and intertwined together only to blend with a thick white stitching. a spiral of colors leading to three x signs in the middle.

he turned around, eyes widened. he felt a cold metal on his neck, of a nearest weapon you grabbed, your cold gaze meeting him from above. raising his chin, his mouth fell ajar.

“you’re from moa village?” yeonjun breathed out, utterly shocked.

“so what if i am? were you sent to spy on me, yeonjun?” you grunted and he shook his head vigorously as a no.

“no! no, no! i was just… it’s difficult to explain but there was just something pulling me towards you and i couldn’t… i had to figure out what…” he started explaining. his hands roamed on the floor but you only poked the spear at his throat further.

“don’t. move.” you hissed through your clenched teeth.

“i promise i don’t want to hurt you!” yeonjun whined, panicked.

“you wouldn’t even hurt a fly, junjun. i’m not scared ‘bout that” you said slowly, watching his features morph into pure shock. eyes widened, nose flaring, mouth open wide and chest rising up and down quickly “i’m just thinking what to do with you now”

“no one has ever called me that in ten years” he murmured. and then you saw it: a spark of realization in his ebony eyes “y/n…?”

lowering your spear, you saw you might’ve accidentally pressed too hard: a faint trickle of scarlet blood ran down his neck.

but he didn’t care, rising to his feet and… wrapping his arms around you. now it was your turn to be left frozen, not knowing how to react. you haven’t felt the touch of a human in ten years, not to mention how it was to hug.

“it’s you” he stuttered, burying his head in your neck. whereas you choked back tears, he didn’t hold himself back. broken sobs escaped his lips, body shaking in your arms. you slowly, awkwardly even, hugged him back.

being a girl is tough, especially in a village when there’s a majority of men. luckily, you had some friends that weren’t as bad as other boys in the village. beomgyu, soobin, kai, taehyun… and yeonjun. you lost your parents while they were out on a hunt whe you were 8 and ever since, soobin’s family took care of you. but you loved playing with all of them equally.

when they hit the age of 13, they had to prepare to become an important part of the tribe one day. their trainings began, slowly losing time to hang out with you.

but yeonjun always tried to spend some time with you. sometimes you two would sneak out at night and go on walks, to catch up.

it all took a turn when one day one of the village boys, older than you, started bugging you.

“come on, why are you hanging out with those losers? they are all gonna end up as butchers or blacksmiths, you should stick with me. i’ll be a hunter” he grinned, grabbing your wrist.

“leave me alone, fucker. at least they are normal” you grunted, trying to run away from his hold.

“normal? come on, they’d ditch you the second they had a chance” the boy, kinam, pulled you closer.

“they wouldn’t. don’t even try to talk about them” you shook your head.

“come on, it’s not even like they’re gonna defend themselves because yeonjun is a pussy!”

“he’s not!” you huffed, attempting to wriggle away from his hold. when you noticed trying to run away doesn’t work, you decided to take a swing and punch him. not only to run away but also he deserved it: no one will talk bad about your friends. especially junjun.

his, oh so manly, scream attracted attention. people gathered to see what was happening.

“oh i’ll beat you up” he hissed, coming at you.

yeonjun heard yells and frowned upon realizing there’s a feminine voice. running to see what’s happening, pushing through the crowd… he saw you, covered in blood. but so was kinam, in who you were currently sinking your teeth.

“y/n, stop, you’ll–” yeonjun called and ran to grab you, separating from the other boy. kinam started attacking him but yeonjun’s hold around you only tightened. curling your back, he took the hits.

“enough! what is happening here?” an elderly voice spoke up. it was kinam’s father, the tribe leader.

“she started punching me, i only acted in self defense!” kinam shouted. you just shook your head, tears running down your cheeks.

“that’s not true… i just wanted to escape and he wouldn’t let go…” you whispered. yeonjun lulled you softly.

“i know, don’t worry. it’ll be okay” he hummed; however, there were dark thoughts in his head. violence in the village wasn’t accepted. and this was the leader’s son, after all.

“you attacked my son?” his father asked, the bass of his voice booming in your ears. shaking your head as a no, the realization began to settle in.

you’re in trouble.

“no, it was him who…” you started and slightly tapped yeonjun to move. he helped you stand up and grabbed your hand.

“you did attack my son. there are witnesses” the leader said, eyeing you up and down. soobin and his parents arrived, fear in their eyes.

“no, it was-!”

“kinam would never attack a lady. we saw and heard when you hit him first” an older lady standing by cut in. you began shaking your head as no, managing eye contact with mrs choi. she knew.

“you will be punished” was all what the leader said and turned around, grabbing his son’s wrist. before walking away, kinam sent you a victorious smirk.

the crowd disappeared and you clutched onto yeonjun, unable to control your sobs.

“i attacked him but only because he was saying shit about you… and he wouldn’t let go of me” you cried, panicking. yeonjun saw soobin’s family approaching “i don’t wanna be exiled, junjun, please…”

but life - nor law - isn’t always fair. this was the last time you hugged yeonjun, being sent into to wild to lead the life of an outcast. no one was permitted to talk to you and you weren’t able to say goodbye to your guardian parents, friends.

with tears in your eyes and just a bunch of your stuff in your arms, you saw them for the last time. beomgyu and taehyun had to hold yeonjun back from running after you as the village guards closed the gate.

your exile was meant to last 15 years.

so as a 14 year olds you thought you'd never see each other again. especially that you didn’t have any knowledge of how to survive in the wild.

but here you are, reunited.

yeonjun leaned away, his eyes puffy.

“how… i… holy shit” he breathed out, his lower lip quivering. you smiled softly and wiped his wet cheeks.

“i managed. i’ve stumbled across some people, they were travelers and didn’t mind helping me. i’ve learned how to hunt, gather… it was okay. hey, don’t cry” a gentle scoff left your lips upon seeing his eyes tear up again.

“you were just a girl… i’m so sorry” he croaked out, shaking his head. then, he managed to smile “you recognized me right away, didn’t you? why didn’t you tell me?”

“when you said you’re from our village. i didn’t want to say because i knew you wouldn’t want to come back. i didn’t want you to live in pain that i’m in” you hummed and brushed his hair away

“we were sure you are alive. no one doubted you– holy shit” he gasped, eyes twinkling.

“what?” you frowned. yeonjun ran his fingers through his hair nervously but a huge smile painting on his lips gave him away.

“kinam is the leader now, his father passed away. it was like two years ago and he admitted he angered you on purpose. he, um, felt really bad and said that it haunts him everyday. he wished he could tell you that you are safe to come back” yeonjun breathed out and you blinked, sitting down on you bed.

he did the same, grabbing your hand.

“that’s why i became a hunter. the day you were outcasted, i changed my training. i suck at it, yeah, but that was the only way to leave the village. and i can’t believe i found you” the man grinned, admiring your changed features. changed but still beautiful.

you observed his eyes widen.

“come back to the village. or let me live with you! i- i can’t live without you now that i know you’re here and, and-” yeonjun mumbled, falling to his knees and burying his face in the fabric of your shirt. you ran your fingers through his soft locks and smiled gently.

“junjun, stand up” your voice was quiet but he obliged in a blink of an eye, taking in a sharp breath “i missed you so much”

and with that, you captured his lips in a long kiss. it was full of never spoken confessions, ever-lasting feelings and love. pure love that only parted lovers could share.

with that, his soft lips on yours; you made up your mind where you will continue your life. whether it was in your faraway safe place or back in the hometown you haven’t stepped foot in years, you knew everything will be perfectly fine because now you have yeonjun by your side.

masterlist <3

taglist. @primoppang ,, @mirxzii ,, @laylasbunbunny ,, @slytherinshua ,, @kazmura

@nicholasluvbot ,, @ameliesaysshoo ,, @weird-bookworm ,, @mon2sunjinsuver ,, @ocean-minho ,,

@eternalgyu ,, @haecien ,, @nonononranghaee

[seresinhangmanjake]

omg L-O-V-E-D your recent drabble! 😍🥰 will we get to see the disneyland trip?? (no pressure :)

Thank you very much! I hope you enjoy this one, too :)

Dad!Jake "Hangman" Seresin x female reader

Oh, Baby Series

words: 623

--

"Alright, baby girl, listen up." 

You were surprised your daughter managed to follow your husband's orders in her state. Her ears were full of laughter and playful screams, her nose taking in the drifting scent of cotton candy and popcorn, while her eyes were wide as saucers, trying to absorb every colorful, animated sight before her. But her father's voice broke through the distractions enough to tug at her attention.

She released your hand to take both of his, and you chuckled as she stared up at him with a wide smile, her arms swaying side to side and thus doing the same to his. 

You were tempted to snap a picture of the moment. Your daughter's face was morphed with uncontained excitement, and though Jake's held an intense seriousness, it did nothing to so much as stutter Eve's expression.

"What, Daddy?"

"Rule one," he began and Eve nodded vigorously, "No whining about the roller-coasters. Some of them you just aren't old enough to ride yet and you know it. Safe rides until you're taller. Rule 2: The princess-shaped gummies in the baggies at the candy shop have to be paid for before you start snacking. And rule three: No running off from Mama and Daddy."

Jake had that way about him. He loved to have his fun—perhaps a bit too much at one point in time—but with Eve, fun came alongside ground rules. And you couldn’t exactly blame him. As your daughter grew, Jake’s mother was sure to inform you that the little girl’s energy directly matched that of her own son’s at the same age. A ‘wild boy’ was what she called him, and you couldn’t deny Eve was already succeeding at following in her father’s hyperactive footsteps. 

“Ok!” Eve suddenly shrieked, pulling out of Jake’s hands. She spun until her back was to you, her feet already in her ‘I’m ready to dash’ position. She was quick, that was for sure, but Jake was quicker. 

His finger tucked into the neck of her t-shirt just before she flew out of reach. “That would be running off,” he said, lightly guiding her back to him.

With a huff, she faced the two of you. “But you guys are going to be too slow!”

You snorted then and crossed your arms. “Trust me, sweetie, your daddy has never been slow at anything.”

Jake shot you a playful look, his lips quirking up a little in the left corner. “Except talking to you that first time.”

“That’s true,” you agreed. “It did take you a while. You just stared from afar all night.” 

You were given a wink in return and Jake’s lips parted for what would have been an undoubtedly witty retort that never came due to your daughter’s interruption. 

“Daddy, staring is bad manners.”

He tore his eyes from yours and directed his sight back to his daughter. “Yes, thank you, baby.” 

“Can we go now?”

Jake crouched in front of her so they were near eye level and adjusted the Mickey ears atop her head until they were straight. “What are the rules?”

Counting with her fingers, she repeated the list. “No grumpies about roll-coasters, no gummies until Mama and Daddy say ok, and no running away.”

“Correct,” Jake praised with one sharp nod, then he held up his hand for a high-five. Eve did a little jump to power the force of her palm smacking against his. “You, baby girl, just won yourself an extra balloon on our way out.”

“Really!”

“Yep.” Standing to full height, he brushed a wayward curl out of her face. “Now lead the way with your walking steps.”

She slipped one hand into his, the other into yours, and proceeded to do just that.

tags: @wkndwlff @kmc1989 @sagittarius-flowerchild @dempy @oliviah-25 @rosiahills22 @xoxabs88xox @cinderellasmissingshoe @novagreen04 @multifandomlover4life @mayhemmanaged @memeorydotcom @ryiamarie

---

[sholiofic]

I don't know if you've seen those gifs that were going around tumblr a while back of, i think it was a professional wrestling match, with the participants collared and chained together using the chains as a weapon? But they brought to mind the thought- Sakhalin guards using prisoners for entertainment and forcing them to fight in the same manner, and Biggles witnessing this instead of the coal gathering chain-gang.

TW blood/violence. (Also: amazing prompt, anon!)

----

There was not much to be seen, through the crooked pine and fir trees rising unevenly from the rocky ground. Biggles could hear cheers and shouts, distant and muffled. Miskoff gestured them towards a narrow track that wound behind some boulders, and this they followed, across slowly rising ground until they emerged on top of a ridge covered in firs and low, scrubby bushes. The air was bitterly cold. 

From here they could look down into the open pit they had glimpsed from afar. Fritz and Ginger crouched beside Biggles, and they all looked down with an equal mix of fascination and horrified curiosity.

Biggles had assumed from a distance that there was some sort of mining going on here. The reality was so wildly different from his imaginings that for a dazed moment he could not even understand what he was looking at.

The pit was a wide shallow depression scooped out of the earth. It seemed likely, from the tools and wheelbarrows scattered haphazardly around its rim, and the piles of spoils, that it had been dug out in pursuit of some sort of mineral, perhaps coal or ore. Now there was only a large hole. Standing within it, on the slopes, were a number of guards and a scattered array of prisoners who wore the striped uniforms and iron collars that Biggles had noted earlier.

At the bottom of the pit, two men were fighting. They were prisoners; both were thin and bearded, wearing nothing but striped trousers. They were barefoot in the cold mud, breath steaming in the air, and the top part of their suits had been cut or torn away so they were free to move. 

They were chained round the neck, and the two collars connected with a long length of chain, which they were using to whip, beat, or strangle each other. It was the only weapon they had. Blood striped their skin where they had beaten each other with it.

"What is this terrible game?" Fritz whispered. None of the others answered. Ginger looked stricken. Miskoff watched dispassionately, as if nothing that could happen below could affect him. There was every chance he had participated in such cruel games himself.

As Biggles watched in a mix of shock and dismayed sympathy, one of the prisoners managed to get his chain wrapped round the neck of the other, and gave it a tremendous yank, flinging the unlucky fellow to the churned-up, half-frozen mud of the pit bottom. The loud crack as the man fell was audible to the stunned watchers at the top of the hill. The surviving prisoner straightened a bit shakily, panting in reaction, showing little relief.

Cheers and curses arose from the watching guards. Money changed hands. Then the dead prisoner was unceremoniously dragged away, the other cut free of the dead one and hustled off. Turning to watch, Biggles saw that he was taken to rejoin a gang of men cutting timber at the edge of the forest, even though his arms trembled with weariness and he had barely been given time to put on a pair of threadbare boots.

A sudden jerky motion from beside Biggles drew his attention, and he seized Fritz's arm as the boy began to rise. "Get down!" Biggles whispered, pulling him back. "What are you doing?"

Fritz was staring down into the pit with wide, shocked eyes. "Look," he whispered. "Look!"

Biggles looked. Two more competitors were being drawn from the ranks of the prisoners, forced into the pit at the business end of a whip. As they stripped off their shirts and the guards locked the chains to hold them together, there was a sudden flash of recognition that hit Biggles almost like the crack of a whip. 

Both men were thin and scarred, their damaged bodies pitifully on display with only their hips and legs concealed by the ugly, filthy uniforms they wore. But in spite of those ravages, in spite of the long greying hair and the beard, there was no mistaking the upright carriage of one of the two men -- or the limp as he went into the pit in tandem with the man he was now chained to.

"Uncle," Fritz murmured, his voice breaking. Biggles, keeping a firm hand on Fritz's shoulder, simply stared.

The two men faced each other. About fifteen feet of chain separated them. The man who must be, who could only be, Erich von Stalhein grasped the chain in one thin, scarred hand. It was clear that he had done this before.

The man he faced was comparatively large, a big scarred brute with a massive dark beard spilling over his bare chest. Next to him, von Stalhein looked almost pitiful. He had always been thin; now he was nearly emaciated, with visible whip scars marking his prominent ribs and back. But he faced his opponent with his spine straight, looking the other man in the eyes, knees slightly bent as he waited for the other to attack.

One of the guards snapped a word. Before he had finished speaking, the other man lunged forward and von Stalhein dodged, dancing out of the way with lithe grace that made Biggles's breath catch in his throat. For all the visible damage and von Stalhein's clearly weakened condition, he was shockingly fast, nearly dancing on his bare feet. His breath steamed in the air. He wrenched the chain, and his opponent, already off balance, fell to his knees. Spinning with that same almost supernatural swiftness, von Stalhein smacked his opponent with the chain, first across the side of the head and then over the shoulders.

But the retribution came swiftly. The man hardly seemed fazed. He yanked the chain, flinging von Stalhein off balance. A length of chain whipped over von Stalhein's thin, pale shoulders, drawing a line of blood across the pale, dirty skin. Von Stalhein lost his footing, and for a moment -- Biggles drew a swift breath -- the chain was wrapped round his head, giving his opponent leverage to beat him viciously over the shoulders.

Biggles clamped his hand harder on Fritz's shoulder, preventing the boy from rising.

The guards were yelling, clearly delighted with the blood sport, and Biggles felt a hot surge of hatred that nearly overwhelmed him.

Von Stalhein ducked out of the chain, reeling a little. He turned to keep his opponent in view, but he was obviously flagging, and his back and shoulders were covered with blood.

"We must help him," Fritz whispered hotly.

[kamipyre]

💧💧 whoever made her cry better not cross his path >: |

oh you know i'm just in pain ( 💧💧 for your muse to find mine secretly crying w/ @bloodxhound )

SUCH OCCASIONS ARISE- when it's not just the detectives out in the field that are in the line of fire. Suki knows she should have been prepared for this. And maybe she's naive, selfish even for thinking like this, but when you have people like Detective Barlowe, it's odd to feel anything but safe.  

The thing is, the situation didn't even happen at work. One minute she's idly looking at this year's Valentine's Day edition Moozy merchandise and the next there is the sound of gunshots and shouting and screaming from 'put your hands up' and 'do it or I'll shoot'.

Suki's just lucky she happened to be out of sight when the panic initially ensued. Or maybe that makes her unlucky- her heart races as she racks her brain for what to do in these sorts of situations. What would Detective Barlowe do in this case?

It's a dumb question to ask; for one thing, he'd probably have his firearm on him. For another thing, he'd be making a plan to save the other hostages in the vicinity.

Suki has neither of those things. But what she does have is a cellphone and his number. She nearly forgets to put her phone on silent when she dials his number. Ring. Ring. Ring.

He doesn't pick up. Of course he doesn't- he's off duty and even a detective who loves his job needs time away from work. Besides, it's not like they do anything together aside from work. She can't help but think this might be what Mister Godot was talking about when it comes to having a life outside of work.

Still. There's more stomping. And then talking:

"Is that all of them?" She shuts her eyes.

"They're all in the security room. Jason's got his eye on them."

Shakily, she opens her phone and pulls up Ray's number. She only hopes her typing is quiet enough: Hostage situation. There's at least three- they said the others are in the security room. She wavers. Please help

She crouches into a ball and waits. He has to answer sooner or later.

Time passes. She's not too sure how much actually passes, butno new notifications show up on her phone, the only noises she hears now being the sound of glass breaking and blares of sirens from afar. Idly, she looks up- there's a door staring her right in the face. There's no lock on it; the perpetuors must not be very similar with the place-

She sits up. Wait a second. Does she take her chances and try to escape? Or does she wait it out? She checks her phone- Detective Barlowe still hasn't gotten back to her. What would he do in her place?

BOOM.

"LAPD! Put your hands up!" The sound of boots on the ground follow alongside gunshots as she eyes the door that so close she could touch, but also so far to reach. She grips her phone and stands up, decision made. She can't just sit here and wait to be rescued- she has to be brave because that's what Ray would do-

A hand latches onto her arm. "Suki!"

She freezes and whirls around.

He's here. He really did come.

Something snaps. (Of course he did.)

"Ray-" His first name is clumsy on her lips but she hardly notices that. Or that her legs have given out just as she's lunging at him. Hands ball his jacket as she tries not to break. Tries not to and fails to.

"You're here-" Her words are hardly coherent, voice more and more panicked with each passing second. She sobs; it doesn't matter that what probably is the rest of their workplace is watching them now. "I'm sorry, I couldn't- I should've done more-"

[axratsffxivwrite]

FFXIV Write Day 4 - Reticent (Familiar Strangers)

Guard duty was hardly Miriam’s preferred choice of mission. Nonetheless, the survivors of Rabanastre needed supplies, and merchants needed a safe route west across the Estersands. It seemed with each passing moon the desert grew more dangerous, lending credence to rumors of the end of the world. 

Final Days or no, she had people to feed. Perched atop the back of a chocobo-driven cart, her light armor and loose, breathable clothes kept the worst of the sun from baking her alive. She carried a simple hunting bow in one hand, a handful of arrows in the other. 

Kemal sat across from her, his eyes fixed on their right flank as hers were their left. While she observed silently, he… talked.

“I was thinking, you know, once father’s business fully relocates back to Rabanastre, maybe we could do more partnerships with the clan, bring the coin back to the Desert Sapphire.” 

She watched. She waited. 

“I mean just ten years ago there was so much coin in Rabanastre, do you remember the bazaar? Merchants from everywhere selling their wares! Could you imagine the day we have merchants from Radz-at-Han again?” 

A fat, round harpy observed them from afar, but declined to approach. It rolled away instead.

“Oh, that’s a thought; maybe we should look outside Dalmasca. All the other merchants pulled out of trade with Thavnair when that tower appeared, and then when the whole burning skies thing started… but now that the skies no longer burn, I bet there’s good coin in it. High risk, sure, maybe they will have a third catastrophe, but if we’re partnered with the clan we’ll have blades enough to guard our wares. Do you think Kutok would take the contract?” 

“I don’t know.” 

“Hm, well, maybe I’ll talk to my father and he can talk to Kutok and we can… what’s wrong with that wolf?” 

Miriam narrowed her eyes and turned her head. She spotted the beast in question at the crest of the dunes, some twenty yalms to their north. It was a twisted, hairless beast with skin the color of raw, rotting meat. Spines grew from its back in an array of sizes, from spikes no smaller than her forearm to nearly as long as the beast was tall. Long fangs and tusks crossed in front of a flat muzzle, and glowing red eyes stared out at them. Claws as long as its tusks dug into the sand as it crouched low to the ground, hunting them. 

Two more of the beasts rose from behind the sand, flanking their packmate. Miriam nocked an arrow. 

“I don’t think that’s a wolf.” She stated. 

“I’m starting to think you’re right… It doesn’t look like anything in the huntmaster’s bestiary.” He turned toward the driver. “We need to move, quickly!” 

The merchant called back an affirmative and cracked the reins. The chocobos quickened their pace, the cart bouncing on the uneven terrain. She saw Kemal reach for his bow out of the corner of her eye.

The monsters charged, kicking up sand and dust as they careened down the dune. Miriam let her arrow fly. Despite the bouncing of the cart, her aim was true. The bolt struck the beast in the shoulder, dug deep into its tainted flesh, but it did not so much as flinch. 

The beasts were gaining. Kemal fired off his own arrow. It pierced the lead creature’s flank, dug into what should have been bone, but still it charged. Twenty yalms quickly became ten as they nocked, drew, and fired once again. Their arrows struck in the head and throat respectively. The beast charged on. The merchant screamed, the chocobos bolted, the cart bucked violently, and Miriam went flying. 

She hit the ground and rolled, pain radiating across her body. The lead beast pounced at her. She fumbled for her knife. 

A purple blur shot past her and collided with the beast instead, sending it well off course. A tangle of red and purple fury careened through the sand. The remaining two beasts peeled off, circling the field to assess this new threat. 

A chocobo, Miriam realized. An armored chocobo with feathers as purple as a plum. The beast struggled to find purchase against the bird’s barding as its claws and beak tore into its tainted flesh. Not far behind, a Viera darted past her and launched himself at another of the beasts, grasping it by the spines to grapple it in the sands.

Kemal sprang from the cart and rushed to her aid, but she brushed him off. She scrambled to retrieve her bow and her remaining arrows from the sand. 

“Beasts first,” she snapped to Kemal, “bruises later.” 

“Right.” He hurried away, arrow knocked and drawn as he moved to flank the remaining beast. 

Ignoring the protestations of her sore shoulder, Miriam nocked her own arrow and fired. 

Nearby, the chocobo tore the head off of its adversary. There was no blood, no gore, only an empty black mist as the creature dissipated into nothingness. The bird let out a triumphant cry as it rushed to aid the stranger. The Viera fought claw to claw with the snarling beast, even as it tore into his own flesh and blood splattered across the sand. 

The third beast charged toward Kemal as he repositioned, their arrows adding to the array of spines along its back. Miriam ran around, letting loose arrow after arrow into the monster’s flank. The pain drew its attention back to her as it pivoted, turning its crimson gaze on her.

She let her last arrow fly. It sunk deep into the creature’s skull, directly between the eyes. In an instant, it burst into mist, as if it had never existed in the first place. 

Miriam turned in time to see the Viera claw open the final beast’s chest and tear out the ichor that constituted its organs. It, too, burst, its remnants dissipating on the desert winds. The chocobo once more cried out in victory. 

For a moment they all paused, as the battle rush faded and they caught their breath.

Finally, she called out, “thank you! I do not know your name, but I appreciate your timely arrival.”

The Viera half-turned back to her. She felt herself lock up. He had the brown skin of a Rava, deep green eyes, a handsome face framed with shaggy black hair, and a geometric tattoo under his left eye. His black-furred ears seemed unusually short for one of his kind. His off-white traveling clothes were torn and stained with his blood, but the Bozjan medal pinned to his belt still gleamed. 

He stared back at her, his expression inscrutable. “...are you alright?” 

“You… you remind me of someone, that’s all.” She replied. “A friend, from a long time ago. I’m Miriam, by the way.” 

His eyes narrowed slightly. “...a pleasure, I’m sure.” 

Miriam frowned. Why hadn’t he offered his name? Male Viera were rare to start with, but male Viera with the stunted ears one might see in those of mixed heritage were even rarer. Plus the green eyes, the black hair… 

She held her tongue, doubt gnawing at the back of her mind. 

“Kemal,” she turned toward him, “check on the boss, make sure we’re good to move. We shouldn’t stay here.” 

Kemal hesitated. His eyes trailed from her to the wounded Viera, then back again. 

“...I don’t know that I’m comfortable leaving you alone with him.” 

“I can look after myself.” She looked past him to where the cart had come to a stop some two-dozen yalms or so down the path. “...besides, if you can’t shoot an arrow that far, then we need to send you back to train with Myrmidia.”

Kemal followed her gaze, a frown on his face. “...fine, but if he tries anything…” 

“I’ll skin him before you can.” She replied. 

Kemal offered a grunt of acknowledgement. He reluctantly turned to walk away, though she caught him glancing back in her direction every few steps. 

Overprotective dolt. 

With a sigh, she turned back toward the Viera. He had turned away to fuss over his chocobo. Gentle hands coaxed open the bird’s wings, examining the feathers for any signs of damage. In return, the chocobo wiggled its tail and summoned up a swell of restorative aether that washed over the man’s wounds, staunching the bleeding. 

Miriam smiled, despite herself. “Well, I was about to offer my own magic, but it seems you two are more than capable of looking after each other.” 

The Viera paused. He turned to look at her, then his chocobo, then back at her.

“Exodus and I have been partners for years, it only makes sense.” He paused. “Are you alright? I saw that fall, it looked rough.” 

She shrugged. “I’ll be sore, but it’s little more than bruises.” 

“Good,” he smiled, seeming genuinely relieved. “I am glad to hear it.” 

She couldn’t help but be struck by that smile. That familiar, yet oh-so-handsome smile. He felt familiar, safe, and she couldn’t help but be drawn to it. She pushed the feeling down, locked it away deep in her chest, and reminded herself that there was a good chance this man was simply a stranger on the road. 

He cleared his throat. “I should ask… is your friend always so protective, or does he really think I’d hurt you after I went through all that effort to save you?” 

“Kemal’s… like that.” Miriam shrugged. “He means well, he’s a good man. Just somewhat…” 

“Territorial?” 

“Hmm… that would imply he has territory.” 

The Viera chuckled. “...fair.” 

An awkward quiet lingered for a moment too long as uncertainty built in Miriam’s chest. If he was who she thought he was, then all she wanted to do was wrap him up in the tightest hug and weep tears of joy for his overdue return. Her heart longed for her old friend’s arrival, and yet… doubt lingered in her mind. If this truly was him, why would he try to hide it? Why would he not just say as much? Furthermore, why the Bozjan medal? Last she heard word of her friend, he was adventuring in Eorzea, though it had been too long since his last letter…

Without thinking, she blurted out, “you should come with us.” 

“Hm?” 

“Come with us. You can clearly handle yourself, but if more of those beasts appear, strength in numbers will do us some good.” 

His eyes glanced past her, then returned to meet her gaze again. 

“You are bound for Rabanastre?” 

“We are.” 

His expression remained impassive as he considered the notion. A slight frown toyed at the corner of his mouth. 

“...I will come with you until we have full view of the city. Then I must return to my hunt. The skies no longer burn over Ilsabard, but the blasphemies born during the Final Days need to be culled.” 

Her shoulders slumped slightly, but she maintained an even expression. “I understand, though I must ask you to come with us to the city so our acting Huntmaster can properly repay you.” 

He shook his head. “I don’t need payment. I was hunting them anyway, if anything you helped me by keeping them occupied.” 

“You’re certain?” 

The Viera hesitated. “I… I appreciate your offer, but I would not be welcome in the city. Better to keep my distance.” 

Not welcome? Well, that would certainly explain his reluctance to identify himself, but why wouldn’t he be welcome? It didn’t add up. Her friend was but a child when he left. Maybe this was a stranger…

“If you say so…” She shifted. “...still, you are welcome to accompany us the rest of the way. Come, you should introduce yourself to the boss…” 

She turned to guide him back toward the cart where Kemal and the merchant fussed over the draught birds. Though she couldn’t shake that feeling of familiarity, that sensation of warmth that crawled from her heart and through her body, the chill of doubt held fast. She locked those feelings away, resigned herself not to act on them until she had some hint of his true identity. 

If it was him, surely he had reason to hide. 

It only took a few moments to right the cart and steady the chocobos. Exodus’s confidence gave the draughts their own back, and before long they were on the road once more, plus one. Miriam resumed her post across from Kemal, while the Viera rode alongside on his own vibrant bird. 

She couldn’t help but glance to him every so often. Her heart ached with longing. Even if that wasn’t her friend, he reminded her of him. Loneliness gnawed at her. Kemal was fine and all, but he was little more than a trusted colleague to her. 

He caught her staring at the Viera more than a few times as the cart rolled along. By the fourth time he simply sighed, resigned, and turned his gaze outward to scan for threats. 

Despite the longing, despite the pain, Miriam kept her thoughts to herself. Perhaps it was better not to say anything after all.

…right? 

[fluttershyflores2]

English translation of a chapter I made (poor translation notice)

(In this story Flower is 15 or 16 years old.)

"The story begins when two people who never even dreamed of meeting end up encountering each other, at the least expected moment, but at the right time."

Birds were flying in the sky among the clouds, wind was passing through the plants, gently swaying them. Flor was walking through the area, venturing deep into the forest. The sun's rays were blocked by the trees, making the temperature slightly cooler, and the sound of her footsteps on the grass was her only companion.

Flor: Wow, the place is much larger up close compared to how it looked from afar.

She was amazed. She never understood why her mother wouldn't let her go out. Every time she asked, her mother would say, "The outside world is complicated." She's an adult now, well, almost, but she's responsible for her actions. How hard could it be?A branch breaks behind her, Flor stops and begins to tremble.

Flor: Is-is that you, Mr. Fuxi? - she turns back -.

The bushes behind her move slightly, causing the young woman to panic.

Flor: I'm sorry for wandering away from you, I shouldn't have, especially since I don't know the place - she steps back -.

The bushes move violently as if something is emerging...

From the bush emerges a small bunny.

Flor: Oh, it's nothing - she lets out a sigh - What are you, little one? - she crouches to observe it -.

As she watches, the rabbit is startled by something and flees from the young woman.

Flor: Hey, where are you going? - she stands up -.

Confused, she wonders why the rabbit would have run away, not noticing a larger animal behind her. With a growl sounding behind her back, the young woman turns and sees a large cat (let's say a tiger).

Flor: H-hello, cute kitty - she backs away -.

The feline approaches her stealthily as she takes each step almost silently, avoiding making any sudden movements. However, a branch that was there causes it to break, making a lot of noise.

The tiger lunges at her, but she manages to dodge it and starts running. She tries to lose it, but it's difficult to run in a slightly long dress. Anxiously, she thinks, is this what her mother meant about life's difficulties? What is this feeling in her chest as she runs and feels someone following behind her?

Instinctively, she screams, trying to get Fuxi's attention or anyone else's for help.

Meanwhile, elsewhere, a white-furred monkey exploring heard screams coming from one side. Curiously, it heads over there, and as it gets closer, it notices someone being chased by a tiger.

Monkey: I didn't know there were tigers here - scratching its head -.

Meanwhile, Flor continued to flee from the tiger, while the white-furred monkey jumped from tree to tree, following her. Without noticing, she trips over a stone in the path, causing her to stumble and fall to the ground. She tries to get up quickly, but the tiger prevents her.

Flor: Please, stay away! - she pleads, frightened -.

The feline gets closer and closer to her, but a flick of its tail stops it.

Monkey: Hey, leave her alone - with force, he manages to get it to move away from the young woman a bit -.

The tiger's attention shifts to him; the monkey mocks it with some gestures. The tiger lunges at him, and with timing, the white monkey jumps, letting the tiger hit a tree, taking advantage of its daze. He grabs a large stick he found and hits it against a tree, making a loud thud, scaring the tiger away.

Monkey: Phew, are you ok? - he turns to her - How do you feel?

Flor, shocked, just stared at him.

The white monkey sees that she's on the ground, offers her hand to help her up. She accepts the gesture, but with just a touch of their hands, a spark ignites, causing them both a bit of pain.

(old drawing)

Monkey: Ouch! - he pulls his hand away -.

Flor: Umm... - she also pulls away and looks at her hand -.

Monkey: Did you feel that? - still observing his hand -.

Flor: Feel what? - she looks at him - What are you?

Monkey: I'm a monkey.

Flor: And what is a monkey?

Both: ........

Monkey: I'm a kind of primate.

Flor: Wow.

Monkey: But I also have a question, what are you?

Flor: I'm a human - she gets up from the ground and removes her hood, letting her pink hair fall - nice to meet you, I'm flower - she smiles -.

Monkey: Haha, the pleasure is mine - he smiles too - I introduce myself as Liu Er Mihou.

New mixed feelings: fear and surprise, and a spark that fate brought them together.

Part 2

[themonotonysyndrome]

i can’t stop thinking about how castin must’ve felt when he was falling/in love with the baroness. how do you think he felt? or how he tried to express it? like did he watch from afar or try to do little things? i’m imagining him in a room with us, rhett and him came in and we both immediately tried to leave, but rhett told them both to stay, and now he’s just watching us interact with people and he’s just like “damn. i messed up.” or something like that.

i love lovesick castin.

so some headcanons on how he felt/what he did when he was falling or just already in love with the baroness?

i’m imagining him in a room with us, rhett and him came in and we both immediately tried to leave, but rhett told them both to stay, and now he’s just watching us interact with people and he’s just like “damn. i messed up.”

Yoooooo! Anon! You were close to what happened in Castin's Prologue audio! Rhett did try to smooth things out between Castin and the Baroness by making them play a game together, but then Castin messed up near the end by hiding his true feelings and pretending to be all manly Intacian warrior, and that pisses off the Baroness, lol.

But... hmm... perhaps instead of headcanons, lemme try to write a oneshot about Castin slowly falling in love with the Baroness:

-

Rhett, who is at the patio, is watching Castin, who is watching the Baroness from behind a tree, who, in turn, is watching the wild rabbits frolicking about with her entourage.

What a hilarious sight they all make!

With a sigh, Rhett sneaks up behind Castin and whispers, "Brother, this is pathetic. Just go talk to her already."

Castin must be out of it because he nearly screams when he realises Rhett is standing behind him. The warrior quickly crouches down before the Baroness can notice. The King is utterly unimpressed when he immediately pulls Rhett to the ground with him.

"What are you doing here!? I thought you were with the Queen!?" Castin hisses. His cheeks are red, embarrassed at getting caught. At this moment, it feels like the two of them are boys sneaking behind their parents' backs. A pair of impish friends without the weight of the world on their shoulders. It's nice.

"I could say the same for you." Rhet whispers back, deadpan. "You've been stalking the Baroness for days now. It's sad. I'm feeling sad just looking at you. Do something about it before the entire country notices how much you're pining after her."

"P-Pining!? Over her!? Eww! Brother, eww! What's that?"

"By the Goddess, Castin! This is no time for memes. You've never had any trouble sauntering your way into a group of women before, so why now?"

"That's different! She's not fun like them. She's a nerd and you know how pissed off they can get."

"I believe you've already pissed her off the moment the two of you met each other. Now the truth, please."

Castin grumbles and looks away from Rhett in favour of the Baroness. Apparently, one of her friends manages to coax a skittish rabbit to come closer with some veggies. When the Baroness' eyes widen with delight as the bunny hops onto her lap, Castin engraves it into his memories. Rhett nows a lovesick expression when he sees one and 'subtle' has never been in Castin's dictionary.

"She's... she's different. She isn't like other people." Castin finally confesses. "Not you, Not Ma, not Lilia - no one. She keeps to herself even when she's there with her friends, but then there's these little moments that bits of her peeks through, you know? And when she laughs! Look!"

As if the world has scripted it to be, Rhett and Castin watch in amazement as the stoic Baroness laughs when the rabbit kisses her nose. Even her friends stare at her in surprise.

Rhett blinks while Castin lets out a long, heavy sigh. This goes beyond simple crushes; his best friend might truly be in love for the very first time! And if he's too scared to approach her then -

"I have an idea! Leave it to me, Castin. I know of a game that can get her to talk to you."

[convxction]

"Y'know how the Falchion...s... were forged from Naga's fangs, right?" Alm asks, pausing as his eyes glance towards said Divine Dragon as she made her way... someplace. "I'm kind of curious now to see if they grew back..."

unprompted | feel free to send | @jasperlion

“Hm? Falchion? Oh, uh, yes. It is written in books of history after all.” and a given knowledge to who bear the blood of the first holy king. Eyes followed the direction Alm was looking when he spotted the Divine Dragon. A chill run down his spine. To think this realm can offer so many opportunities and among the the divine dragon herself ... 

“H-huh? Oh, ...now that you mention it.” Chrom is now in cohort of staring at Naga. “Maybe this is a version before she gave them out ...?” looking at how there are different versions of himself and others--kind of spooky but interesting nonetheless.    

“Should we offer her something to eat?” now that his curious is piqued, he is thinking of a way to figure that out.

[dulcebloodhnd]

SOMEWHERE SAFE

pairing: sihtric kjartansson × poc!reader

warnings: violence ; sihtric not married here

summary: scared of losing someone dear to you.

a/n: this is so inaccurate but i desperately wanted to write for my one love <3 kicking myself for not watching the last kingdom sooner (that's on me). this has not been edited/beta read.

also! would really appreciate reblogs + comments!!

word count: 1,3k+

COPYRIGHT ® 2023 DULCEBLOODHND. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS ORIGINAL WORK IS NOT ALLOWED TO BE REPOSTED ON ANY PLATFORM IN ANY FORMAT.

SOMEWHERE IN DANELAND

The aftermath of any battle came with its own consolation prizes. Both sides of the war lost many on their sides. There were dead bodies scattered everywhere, decorating the barren field to completion. You do not remember being dragged violently on the ground, only that you could not see properly as blood had gotten everywhere—into your eyes and all.

Now as you sit on the bloodied earth surrounded by Danes jeering about how they caught one of Uthred's most trusted men. But, you knew how the men looked at you. You rather the Saxon's and their god smite you then be laid out on a platter for these savages. You did not know when your back up would come, if they would notice that you were gone. You could be dead for all you knew.

Your hands shuffled across your body, patting down all over. Your fingers had found the small dagger strapped alongside your pants on the right-side. You would die with honour if worst comes to worse.

A Dane you haven't seen before strutted in his glory towards you. You glared as he laughed drinking his ale. Most of it spilled all over the ground. He swiped his long dagger from his hip and brought it directly in front of you.

“What a prize you are,” He dragged the tip of the steel from your cheek down to your chest. “I wonder what Uthred would say now that we have one of his own.”

You spat at him, “I will cut out your tongue and feed it to you and I will watch you as you choke on it.”

His smile turned into a frown. He chucked his empty cup away as he dug his dagger into your throat drawing a sliver of blood. You winced but you sneered even more as you struggled in your binding—the rope cutting into your wrists.

“You shut your mouth bitch or I will make you.”

You swore under your breath. You eyed this man before you spat at his shoes. “Fuck you.”

“You little…” He grabbed the back of your neck. You knew there was going to be a large bruise left after. That was the least of your worries. You had endured worse. Women always bore the brunt of men’s actions. That was written in history.

The Dane brought the hilt of his dagger and smashed it against your cheekbone and switched the weapon so the blade got dragged down your neck. He was making incisions amongst your skin, the flesh open and gaping; letting blood run its course.

You steeled your face. You must show no fear. He kept on beating you, wearing your body down. Until, there was a commotion at their camp. One of the men came and addressed his leader that they found dead bodies scattered at a river.

“The sickness, it has travelled from afar. From those Christian bastards. We must prepare.” The leader addressed his men, he stared directly at you, “If you see anyone that is not a Dane, kill them.” He smirked.

You cowered in hurt as you coughed up blood. It splattered against the earth. Your body collapsed against the ground, eyes dizzy. You didn’t remember anything, only blackness.

—

Screams were heard, the ringing in your ears faded with time. The screams continued. Metal clanged against another, the sharp thrum of violence. You could hear a name being shouted, multiple times of different voices.

Everything rushed to your head, a sharp tinge rung through. White light blinded your eyes as they fluttered open, trying to refocus your gaze.

The chant of your name repeated until you saw someone crouch by your side, pushing your shoulders back and letting your body lay on the dirt. You settled your gaze upon the shadow overcast your body, you gasped.

Sihtric cupped your cheek gently, “I’m here,” his fingers caressed the cuts. “I am here,” he whispered. You groaned in pain. Whimpered at the soft touch.

He coaxed you from the ground, hand cradling the small of your back as he helped you up from the ground. Sounds of throats being slit reverberated in the decrepit environment; Uthred, Finan, Osferth and Aethelstan took care of the rest of the men.

Sihtric called Osferth over to tend to your wounds. His look of worry worsened as Osferth approached in concern. He swore openly in undiluted anger. He stabbed one of his weapons; his dagger into the ground. Uthred grimaced. Osferth tended to your injuries, mixing a salve to apply to the deep cuts. He tore fabric and wrapped it tightly around your arms.

Osferth gazed directly into your eyes, “You know he’s not angry at you. He’s angry at himself, right…?”

Silence filled the space. You replied, “I know.” Your hands scrunched into the dirt, burying your anger and sadness into the specks of soil. “I know.”

Osferth got up and smiled gently towards you. “Thanks baby monk.”

His ears tinted a pinkish red.

Finan called him over after he saw that he was done tending to you. Uthred came over. It seemed like a domino effect; each man lined up waiting to speak with you on Sihtric’s behalf. When all you wanted was that oaf of a man.

You glared at Uthred, “Do not speak of it.”

“I do not know what you mean.” He smiled and shrugged his shoulders. He lifted you up and brought you over to one of the horses and helped you up.

“Let’s get back home to Rumcoffa. We will ride as much as we can before we settle for camp.”

“Hmm.”

“You’re riding with Sihtric.”

“Really? I couldn’t tell by the way you placed me upon his horse.”

He laughed. Sihtric approached the horses side and pushed himself up and behind you. He snaked his hands around your waist to grab the reins. His left hand settled against your stomach and gently pushed you back into him. You felt the warmth of his palm. You relished in it.

A throat cleared and you snapped out of your thoughts. Finan smiled like a lunatic. You glared. The horses neighed and set off riding. Only the sounds of hooves hitting the wet ground as the group rode into the horizon safe from danger.

—

Night came upon the land quickly and Uthred decided to set up camp in favour of you being deeply unwell to continue riding in your state. Their were no complaints from the rest of the men. You needed rest.

The fire crackled, the rabbits spit roasted and charred from the fire, chewing of the cooked meat traversed the environment. No one spoke until Finan couldn’t handle the silence and started talking about one of the women in the taverns. An old tale, a tale heard many times before.

You smiled deliriously and yawned.

“Here use this,” sweet Aethelstan gave you a fur to cover yourself. It was a cold night.

“Thank you,” you said.

Sihtric stayed quiet. He stayed quiet until everyone finally dozed off into sleep.

He stayed right by your side; close by.

You awoke soon after. You could feel someone staring into your back or it could of been a nightmare. You’re not sure which. Sihtric gaze settled on you, his fingers clenched.

“Why do you hate me so?”

“I don't hate you. I hate them for turning you into this.”

“Into what?”

“Someone I deeply care for get hurt.”

“You know bloodshed will never end. Especially because of who our loyalties lie with.” You turned over to face him. You stretched your hand across and placed it onto his thigh.

“I still do not like it.”

“Well, you have to deal with it.”

“Doesn’t mean it doesn’t pain me to see you hurt this way.”

“Neither do I when I see you hurt.”

“I know.”

“Do you?”

“I do.”

Your hand grabbed his. “Then lay with me and rest.”

His fingers tightened around yours in agreement.