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aquilapolariz · 6 months

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Pining Zoro and blind-to-it Reader?

un-certainly

opla!zoro; 3,422 words; fluff fluff fluff so much fluff, straw hat!reader, fem!reader, (seeminlgy) clueless!reader, lots of pining, banter, teasing, smitten!zoro, the whole nine yards

summary: in which everyone knows zoro's got it bad for you, except for you, of course.

one.

“so… i should just… talk to her.” zoro says uncomprehendingly, blinking at an exasperated nami, who has to take a long, steadying breath to keep from shoving him overboard. the waves beneath them are calm, the day above them, a gorgeous, endless stretch of blue so brilliant it almost pains the eyes to stare.

nami resists the urge to pinch her nose bridge as a dull ringing starts to echo in her ears.

“yes. sweet god — just go up to her and say ‘hey, i think i might like you’ and i guarantee you, things will go from there.”

zoro shifts his tightly knitted arms, squinting at her as if she might be lying or purposefully luring him into a trap, “go? so there’s a chance it could go badly.”

this time, nami really does drop her face into her hands, groaning loudly.

“well there’s always a chance it could go badly —”

“sounds like a bad idea to me.” zoro looks away, eyes still narrowed as the light sea breeze ruffles his hair, a colony of news coo squawking loudly overhead, one of them dropping down to careen towards the going merry, landing on the thick white railings next to them, ruffling it’s feathers as nami pushes off to dig in her pocket for some berry.

“oh! newspapers here!” your voice makes both zoro and nami jump, and a second later you’re bounding up the stairs to the forecastle deck and stuffing some berry into the news coo’s bag. your arm brushes by zoro’s as you lean over to offer the news coo a piece of dried shrimp, which it considers for a second before leaning forward and gobbling up.

nami gives zoro a soft shove from his other side, leveling him with a meaningful look before turning and making a show of going to check on her tangerine grove.

zoro doesn’t have time to glare before the news coo takes off with a pat-pat-pat of wings, leaving you and him very much alone on the sunny fore-deck. he purses his lips, casting about for something to say even as you hum happily to yourself, your arm still painfully close to his as you unroll the newspaper and flip though, blissfully unaware of the inner turmoil of the man standing next to you.

“uh — anything interesting?” zoro asks, desperate for something, anything to fill the silence.

you shrug, “nope… just the usual — uptick in piracy along the coast, tightening of marine patrols…” you turn and cast him a grin that makes his stomach twist inside him like a contortionist from buggy’s freakshow.

zoro clears his throat, thumbing absently at the hilt of his swords before taking a deep breath.

“hey — uh…”

“hm?” you turn towards him, with your wide attentive eyes and your stomach-curling smile.

zoro blinks, his gaze flickering from your soft button nose to the way the wind twines its fingers in the loose strands of your hair. two twin pearls glitter from the lobes of your ears and he feels the tension melt from him as he sucks in another breath.

just say it, nami had said, just tell her.

really, how hard could it be?

“i uh — there’s something i wanna talk —”

“wait, hold still,” you say, your eyes going wide as you lean forward suddenly and zoro’s visions tunnels in around him — you’re close, closer, too close/too close/too close!

your fingers card through his hair and he has to bite back the shiver that rockets down his spine as you pull your hand back with a black-tipped feather.

“the news coo left you a present,” you say, laughing as you offer him the feather.

zoro considers it for a second before taking it from you.

“it could’ve left worse,” he says, recalling the few times that he’d gotten bird shit in his hair.

you giggle; the sound makes him want to scream but instead, he settles for clearing his throat again.

“now, you make a wish,” you say, nodding towards the feather in his hand.

“never heard of that before,” he frowns slightly, “thought you could only wish on dandelion seeds and…” he waves at the endless stretch of sky above you, “shooting stars and stuff.”

your smile is so wide that zoro thinks his cheeks might start to hurt for you.

“haven’t you heard that rules are meant to be broken?” you ask, offering him the feather again. he looks at you, then at the feather, and the back at you.

“okay — i wish —”

you squawk flapping your hand, “no! you can’t tell me what the wish is! otherwise, it won’t come true!”

zoro smirks, cocking an eyebrow, “i thought rules were meant to be broken?”

you blush the most darling shade of red and he decides to take it easy on you (and, honestly, himself). so, he plucks the feather from your hand and closes his eyes, making a soft, silent wish. a wish that, in truth, he’d been making since the moment he met you.

when he opens his eyes, it’s to find you staring.

“kay. now what?” he asks, rolling the feather between his thumb and forefinger.

“now…” you gently tug the feather from him before opening your palm and letting the wind whisk it away, “you let the sea take your wish. and if you’re worthy, it’ll grant the wish for you!”

zoro lets out a breathy laugh, “if i’m worthy? and how’s it supposed to know that?”

you lean in, and if it were anyone else, he might’ve been annoyed, but with you, somehow, he finds himself charmed.

your voice is conspiratorial as you whisper, “because… the ocean knows all the secrets the sky can’t keep.”

two.

at dinner, with you by his side, usopp detailing some imaginary adventure, nami laughing, sanji blowing smoke rings towards the middle of the fire-lit deck. your cheeks are pink from the wine everyone is passing around and for a second, you bump into him and turn — he turns towards you too —

your eyes catch like unsuspecting fish to a bobbing hook and zoro feels his stomach tug as you grin up at him, the night sky caught in the flutter of your lashes.

he can’t help the way his gaze flicks down to your lips, and then back up again.

“feel like sharing?” you ask, nodding towards his half-finished bottle.

wordlessly, he hands the bottle to you and watches as you bring the mouth to your lips and take a long drink. he tracks the soft bobbing of your moon-lit throat and feels his own mouth go dry at the sight.

across the fire, sanji watches with a growing smile and nami rolls her eyes.

“oi, moss-head — mind if i take a swig too?” sanji asks as you hand back the bottle, dragging the back of your hand across your lips, and zoro turns to pin sanji with a glare.

“get your own,” he says, before polishing off the rest with a few hard sips and tossing the bottle into a rapidly growing pile.

zoro licks his lips and tries not to think about the way your lips had fit around the bottle just right; he tries not to wonder if you’d taste like wine. or, if he’d even have the mind to think that far if you were to let him kiss you.

three.

“… and then, you pull it through… like this?” you slowly bring your arm through a swiping movement, your hands clutched around the hilt of a wooden training sword. zoro sighs, shaking his head.

“uh — not quite — here,” he pushes off from the barrel he’s sitting on to circle around behind you, wrapping one hand around both of yours, the other palm curling around your middle to press against your stomach, “you’re breaking in your waist again — keep your core tight and —” he helps you swing the sword through in a swift arc.

“oh.”

it takes him a second to realize how close you are, how he can feel your entire back pressed against his entire front, how perfectly you fit into his arms, how easy it’d be to hold you to him and never let go.

“so just… practice that a few hundred times,” he says, stumbling back as his cheeks go hot and he feels the inexplicable urge to toss himself into the calm, saltine waves below, if only to cool down just a bit.

“will you practice with me?” you ask, your smile wider than the sky is wide — zoro is sure.

he blinks at you for a second before making a show of sighing and rolling his eyes.

“ah… i guess i could use a bit of practice too.”

he pulls out the wadou ichimonji and takes his stance next to you.

“ready?” he asks.

you nod, glancing over and adjusting your posture.

“okay, how many are we doing?”

zoro casts around for a number, “a thousand.”

“zoro!”

“five… hundred?”

you cast him a look that makes his stomach flip inside him.

“how about we start with a hundred, and then i’ll see how i feel from there?”

zoro clicks his tongue, smirking, “i could do a hundred in my sleep.”

you make a show of rolling your eyes, “fine then — go take a nap!”

zoro huffs as he clears his throat, “right then — let’s start — one, two —”

you squeak as you hurry to catch up, jumping as he reaches out a hand to correct your posture.

up on the foredeck, luffy watches with usopp by his side.

“hey! i wonder if zoro would teach me sword tricks if i asked!”

usopp sighs, clapping luffy on the back even as he shakes his head.

“uh — not that i think he wouldn’t but … maybe you should just… let them do their thing, yeah?”

four.

“i think you really should tell her,” luffy says, slapping zoro on the shoulder, a bit harder than he’d intended. zoro winces, pressing a palm to his chest — still sore from their recent raid.

“i don’t know what you’re talkin’ about.”

luffy laughs, leaning forward against the railing, “nami said you’d say that.”

zoro fights the urge to scowl as he sighs, his eyes narrowed at the damnably calm horizon. at least if the weather weren’t so nice, he could make up an excuse to leave but —

“really, what’s the worse that could happen?” luffy asks.

zoro grunts, shooting luffy a sidelong look, “oh i don’t know, she doesn’t feel the same and shit gets awkward and —” he waves a hand at the going merry, “the crew falls apart.”

thankfully, luffy doesn’t pause to call him out on for once not denying it.

instead, he lets out a contemplative hum, “hm… yeah, that could happen. but… i don’t think it will.”

inside his chest, zoro’s heart clunks, strange and uncoordinated.

“why? she say something to you?” he can’t keep the curiosity from his voice, the stomach-squeezing anticipation he’d only ever associated with the heat of battle and a really good fight. but now, he feels it whenever you get too close, and he wonders if he can go insane like this — if one day his heart might just give out.

“nope!” luffy’s voice is too bright, too cheerful, and zoro feels himself rolling his eyes before he can stop himself, “i’ve just got a feeling!”

“a feeling.”

“yeah! and — have a little faith! the straw hat crew isn’t that fragile.”

with that, and another hearty clap to the shoulder that leaves zoro hissing in pain, luffy clomps off towards the kitchens, where sanji is already doing dinner prep. zoro lets out another sigh as he straightens, carefully stretching his arms to test the range of motion.

above him, a flock of migratory geese fly southward in a soft, arrowhead formation. zoro holds up a hand to shield his eyes from the sun as he watches them pass overhead.

a single feather flutters down towards him and he finds himself reaching out to catch in the palm of his hand.

a wish, huh, he thinks, twirling the feather between two fingers before casting around to make sure no one else can see him. satisfied that everyone else is either too far away or below decks, zoro closes his eyes and makes a wish —

alright roronoa, please. don’t fuck this up.

five.

“ahem.” zoro clears his throat after dinner, making a point to down a couple more drinks than usual. he’s never been one to believe in liquid courage, but… it couldn’t hurt, right?

“can we, uh, talk?”

you smile a smile that threatens to crack his chest wide open, nodding.

“sure! what’s up?”

across the room, sanji visibly stills but nami catches his eye and shakes her head ever so slightly.

“c’mon… not in here,” zoro says, jerking his head towards the hallway that leads to the decks above.

“what’s got you so secretive all of a sudden?” you ask as he leads you all the way up to the crows nest, reaching down to help tug you up, letting his hand linger in yours as you grin up at him.

“i’m allowed to have secrets,” he says, turning to stare out at the darkened sea, the summer moon hanging low and full-bellied over the glittering waters, the stars winking like so many all-seeing eyes.

“we all are, but… i thought we’d gotten all your big ones after that one night the whiskey bar —”

zoro coughs, “alright, alright — don’t need to bring that up again.”

you laugh, leaning forward to pillow your cheek against your crossed arms, propped up along the edge of the crows nest.

“so? what’s this new secret, then?”

zoro swallows, “uh — wouldn’t exactly call it new.”

“alright then, an old secret.”

“not super old, either —”

you turn to look at him, half-exasperated, half-amused, but when you catch sight of his expression, you still, pressing your lips.

“zoro? is… everything okay?”

he ticks his tongue against his teeth and lets out a long breath, as if bracing himself for something before he says —

“yeah. i think —” he clears his throat again, trying to recall what nami had said about just saying it and he tries again.

“i think i might like you.”

the coil in his chest feels tight enough to snap, but you’re quiet as he turns to steal a glance at you.

“oh,” you say, you expression curiously contemplative as you look out over the darkened seascape.

zoro has to physically stop himself from shaking you by the shoulders — say something, goddamnit! say anything!

“so…” he says, knitting his arms across his chest instead.

you turn towards him, your eyes bright as twin stars.

“you think you might like me, right?” you ask, and for a second, zoro can only blink down at you, completely thrown by your lack of reaction. of all the things he’d imagined you doing — everything from getting angry to apologizing to throwing yourself at him with an impassioned speech about how you’d felt the same since the beginning — this was not one of them.

“uh… yeah, pretty sure that’s what i said.”

you cock your head, a quick, bird-like gesture that makes zoro’s heart skitter inside his chest, threatening to leap from his mouth as you continue to stare up at him, completely unabashed.

“ah… so what do you think we should do then?”

zoro stares, “… do?”

“yeah, because if you’re not sure if you like me… we should do something to make sure, right?”

and it’s then that he sees the soft, playful uptick of your lips, the glittering darkness behind your eyes. the tension in his chest seems to loosen even as he lets out a breath, chuckling before quirking an eyebrow and taking a step towards you, caging you in against the crows nest’s edge.

“mm. you’re right — i can think of a few things we could try, though.”

“yeah?” you voice is little more than an exhale on the wind, but it’s the last thing zoro tastes before he finds his lips on yours.

as far as kisses go, zoro would later think back, it was a pretty damn good one.

it started as a slow kind of kiss, a soft, unfurling of breath on breath, and then lips on lips. the ghost-friction of promises made and kept and unbroken, the first spark to a fire that had been threatening to consume him since the moment he’d heard you laugh.

and then — just like that, he’s kissing you. and you’re kissing him back, the gravity and inevitability of it making his head spin even as he presses in closer. it is sweet and warm and trembling — soft and hard and deepening. he runs his tongue along the seam of your mouth and savors the way you gasp open for him.

just him.

he swallows it like he wants to swallow you, reaching up to sink his fingers into the silk and gossamer of your hair, pulling you so close he can feel your heartbeat thrumming against his chest, your nails as they curl into the linen of his shirt.

it takes everything inside him to pull back, and everything else left not to dive right back in again. you’re both panting, a little breathless, and zoro — a lot relieved.

“so…” you say, your tongue flickering out to lave across your bottom lip.

zoro doesn’t try to stop his eyes as he tracks the spine-tingling motion.

“so?”

you grin, biting back the shiver that chases through you at the deep, base rumble of his voice, echoing from his body to yours.

“what’s the verdict? have you decided if you like me yet?” you ask, batting your lashes even as he watches your own eyes drop down to his lips. a dark, warm, purring satisfaction curls inside his chest at the way your pupils dilate, black as the night, bright as all her favorite stars.

“hm,” zoro hums, leaning down to skim a knuckle along your jaw, slowly guiding your face towards his again, “dunno… jury’s still out… might have to try it a few more times. y’know… just to be sure.”

“mm…” you sigh as he leans down to graze his teeth along your pulse point, fingers tightening around your waist as he feels you tremble in his arms, “y-yeah… wouldn’t want you to be —” you hiccup as he sinks a soft bite into the juncture of your neck and shoulder, “uncertain.”

“no…” and his voice is all groan and gravel as he lets himself breathe you in, “we certainly wouldn’t want that.”

bonus.

far below, beneath the decks of the going merry, sanji takes a long pull from a post-dinner cigarette, his lips twisting into a concerned sort of frown.

“it’s been a while since they’ve been up there. think we should go check on them?”

luffy shugs, still happily picking at the remains of the turkey carcass sitting in the middle of an oblong plate.

“they should be okay — i mean, they say that no news is good news, right?”

“uh, not sure that applies to this kinda thing,” usopp says as he makes to peak out of the nearest window.

nami swirls her drink, “i think they’re fine. and we’d hear if zoro threw himself off the crows nest, right?”

across the table, sanji blinks and luffy pauses in his munching.

“whoa, you think he’d really do that if she rejects him?” usopp asks, his face going a little pale.

nami rolls here eyes, “no.” and then a moment later, “but really, we’d hear him if he jumped, right?”

luffy licks his lips, shrugging, “dunno, probably though. he’s pretty heavy so he’ll make a pretty big splash.”

sanji taps a bit of ash into his empty bowl and lets out a long suffering breath.

“yeah, y’know really, no news is good news.”

#zoro x reader #one piece live action #one piece #PINING ZORO IS BEST ZORO #mackenyu brain rot #iz recommends

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aquilapolariz · 6 months

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For my 100 followers milestone, I give you this!! Buckle up this sucker is 3.4k lmao

[heads up!: grim reaper!Law, slow burn, angst, fluff]

The day Law meets you, it's because you almost die.

It's a cold winter day, the sun pale and bright against the gray of sky ㅡ and the iced over pond is too much of a temptation to ignore.

You're wearing a heavy coat, one that helps keep the bitter chill from your skin save for your lips and nose ㅡ how very ironic that it's your coat that almost kills you.

Places like this are always buzzing with the energy of potential tragedy ㅡ even with the watchful eye of parents and loved ones, misfortune still has a way of happening.

The ice, for one, is far too thin to bear the weight of so many feet, made thinner in spots for what meager warmth the sun does provide.

It's one of those spots that you happen upon, located on the other end of the pond, away from your friends. The ice doesn't so much crack as dissolve, frigid water up to your knee as your balance is lost and sends you into the water entirely.

Dark and cold, water soaks your clothing quickly ㅡ including the heavy winter coat you've got around you. It drags you down, thrashing made harder for the frozen ache of your muscles ㅡ and the cloud of bubbles that explode from your mouth as your lungs burn.

And then there's a hand snagging into the back of your coat and hauling you up, not unlike a housecat ㅡ and you're on the frosty bank, coughing blindly until you vomit foamy pond water into the mud.

"You shouldn't play around places like this," an unfamiliar voice tells you, striking you hard between the shoulder blades to elicit another wave of pond water and watery-eyed hacking. "You could die."

You gasp raggedly, clawing at the ground to work yourself further from the embankment, then focus on your rescuer. All you can make out is a shock of dark hair and golden eyes ㅡ and then your name, being shouted with increasing alarm.

"You were lucky," the stranger says. "Next time, it won't be like that."

By the time your friends have made it to you and have called for an ambulance, the stranger has vanished ㅡ leaving you with nothing but the frosty air and a brush with death.

ㅡ

Law isn't sure why he'd saved you that winter day. He can fall back on the fact it hadn't been your time, but that doesn't account for the fact that now, he's watching you.

Call it curiosity or perhaps morbid fascination, there's a pull that drives Law towards you. It shouldn't interfere with his work, of course, because nothing ever does ㅡ but then suddenly, you do.

He doesn't know if saving you has allowed something of a supernatural ability to rub off on you where you're aware of his presence ㅡ but the knack that you have for stepping in and messing with the intended order of things is both alarming and annoying.

The older lady he'd been sent to collect from an unattended heart attack? Somehow, you manage to call an ambulance in time and save her life after she collapses in the middle of an aisle in the grocery store.

Then there's the guy you save from an unfortunate end via the business end of a knife following an altercation at a bar ㅡ tempers diffused and the proper authorities called, he scowls as another of his intended targets walks away.

There are two or three more after that ㅡ and each time, he swears that you spot him, staring at him with a tiny, self-satisfied smile that drives him crazy.

He doesn't have time for this, damn it. (He actually does, but there are things that have to run on a schedule ㅡ and you're messing with the natural order.)

He needs to get rid of you.

Cruel? Yes, especially given the fact that he's already saved you once ㅡ but he can't just let you run amok like this. He knows what will happen if he does ㅡ they'll send someone else to handle you, and he doesn't want that.

So he ends up following you at a distance as you make your way home. Again, he thinks himself inconspicuous enough to not warrant attention ㅡ but by the third time that you turn around, he can tell that you've spotted him.

"If you're trying to stalk me, you're terrible at it. Come on out, I'm unarmed."

"I'm not trying to stalk you," he says flatly, "and telling someone that is hardly a good idea. Are you trying to get killed?"

Ironic, coming from him.

There's that smile of yours, the one that makes Law think you're laughing at him. "Isn't that why you're here?"

He blinks. "I'm not sure I know what you mean."

You roll your eyes. "I saw you, that day I almost drowned." You shift to tug your sleeve up, exposing your arm. "You left me with a souvenir."

The skin of your forearm is gnarled like the scar tissue of a burn, several shades darker than the rest ㅡ and in the shape of a hand. You pull your sleeve down. "There's one on my back, too. But ever since that day, I've been able to see the border between life and death." Your eyes lock with his. "And you."

This is bad. Very bad. Though he'd assumed you were able to see him, having you confirm it only makes this situation so much worse. If the others find out about this ㅡ

A couple of things happen in rapid succession. The light turns green as you step off of the sidewalk onto the crossway, a car whips around the corner on a straight trajectory towards you ㅡ and Law snags his hand into the back of your shirt and yanks you back as the car breezes past where you'd just been standing.

And for the second time, Law saves your life.

ㅡ

You invite death into your apartment.

It's a strange sentence to be sure, but death is far less imposing when it takes the shape of a man who wears a hat modeled after a snow leopard.

"Would you like something to drink?" You're nothing if not polite, though you tip your head as you eye Law with no small amount of amusement. "Or do you need things like that?"

Law is less amused than you, golden eyes sharp as he stares. "We need to talk. This isn't a matter to be taken lightly."

"Of course not," you say, and he watches as you pull a pitcher of water from the fridge and pour a glass, then pour a second. "Serious talk makes me thirsty, though."

Law takes the glass that you offer him, but he doesn't drink from it as he watches you cross the room to seat yourself in a battered, well-loved ottoman. He waits a moment, then seats himself on the couch when you raise an eyebrow.

"Let me get the obvious out of the way," he begins, "you shouldn't be able to see me."

You stare. "I thought we made that clear from this," you say, gesturing to your arm. When his gaze lingers, you shrug. "It doesn't hurt, if that's what you're wondering."

"I wasn't."

Your lips curve against your water glass. "You're so kind." His eyes narrow, and you sigh. "Okay, so I shouldn't be able to see you. What else should I know?"

"That what you're doing is dangerous."

You look away. "I don't know what you mean."

Law scowls. "Don't play stupid with me. You know that you're messing with the natural order of things, don't you?"

The casual way that you shrug annoys Law further. "I think everyone deserves a second chance, don't you?"

He glares. "No. And if they did, you already used your second chance. What would you call that narrow miss with the car?"

You watch him, the upward curve of your lips that he hates so much. "I call that luck," you answer.

ㅡ

Corazon is waiting for him outside your apartment. He towers, a contradiction for the makeup he wears and the shroud of feathers, the lazy curl of smoke from a cigarette between his lips. (He enjoys smoking while in human form. Law has never understood, but he doesn't question it.)

"There you are." Cora turns towards him as he approaches, his eyes flicking to the apartment behind him. "Never thought you'd be one toㅡ"

"It's not like that," Law counters before Cora can make some dumb insinuation. He debates for a moment before he sighs as Cora raises an eyebrow in question.

"Then what is it like? You never interact with humans."

Law's teeth grit. This is all your fault. If you'd stop getting in his way, if he'd just let you drown ㅡ he huffs, kicking at a loose chunk of pavement before he looks up at Cora. "Fine. I'll tell you."

Whatever Cora had been expecting, what Law tells him is far from it by the way the older reaper's eyes widen. And then he laughs. Long and loud until he's doubled over, and Law scowls.

"I don't see what's so funny, Cora."

"All of that is," Cora wheezes, swinging a hand to your apartment before he wipes mirth-born tears from his eyes. "I never thought I'd see the day you had a crush on a human."

"I do not have a crush." Cora gives him a knowing look that only pisses Law off further as his eyes flash.

"Sure you don't," Cora humors him, though it's clear the older reaper doesn't believe him. Calmed down, he sucks on the cigarette, the end of it flaring before he exhales a long stream of smoke. "I just hope you know what you're doing."

This time there's some warning to Cora's tone, reminding Law that he can't get into deep, reminding him of what and who he is.

"I do."

ㅡ

Law has no idea what he's doing.

"Have you ever been to a bar?" You're laughing at him again with that smile of yours, head propped on your arm as you drum a tempo on the table with your other hand.

Around you there's nothing but noise ㅡ tinny music playing from speakers set in the corners of the rafters, televisions broadcasting various sports ㅡ and of course, drunk people.

"No," Law finally answers, studying the din around him with no small amount of annoyance, "I haven't."

This time you laugh outright, then take a sip of your drink ㅡ and Law does his best not to follow the work of your throat as you swallow. "Alright then, what does death do for fun?"

There are a thousand things Law could tell you. That he's not the only reaper around, that he'd been warned not to do things like this with someone like you. That he should've let you die the several chances he's had to make it happen.

He doesn't. Instead, he lets his eyes linger on your face, trace your features, tread the dangerous water of interest as he has the last few weeks.

"I don't know," he answers, "but it definitely isn't this."

ㅡ

There are so many ways that Law can kill you. They're everywhere that he looks, and yet he can't bring himself to do it. Instead, he lets you chatter away, lips curving despite himself.

Maybe you're not quite as annoying as he'd thought ㅡ but as his eyes drift to the plush of your lips before darting away, his brow furrows. Not just annoying ㅡ you're dangerous.

Dangerous because you've been touched by death, dangerous because you get in his way, dangerous because all he wants is to kiss you.

It's your abrupt stop that makes Law almost collide with you and he takes a step back, lips parting to ask what the problem is ㅡ and then he stops.

"Cora," he says, feels your eyes on him as he stares at the man a few feet away from you both.

"What a nice little jaunt," Cora says, head tilting as he watches the way you reach for Law's hand ㅡ and the way Law doesn't stop you despite the danger of it. "I think we need to have a talk. All three of us."

ㅡ

Corazon "Cora" is a reaper.

You know that much ㅡ you can see it, the dark shroud that silhouettes him like it does with Law.

As for what he's doing here, that remains a mystery to you. But from the way Law tenses as Cora talks to him, you can guess that it probably isn't good.

You stand nearby idly, pretending that you can't hear your own name being tossed around, mostly from Law who corrects Cora's careless usage of "that human". You have a horrible feeling that Law's getting into trouble for the last few weeks, and for before, when he'd saved you.

Why had he? Surely he hadn't had to ㅡ he could have let you drown and that be it. None of this.

Law finally approaches you, and you watch him carefully, trying to glean what their conversation had been about by the look on his face. But his expression is carefully blank, unreadable as he reaches you. "What did he say?"

"Nothing that you need to worry about," he answers, and your eyes narrow before you pull away from him and dart towards Cora. "[Name]!"

"What did you say to him?" You demand and Cora blinks, studying you for a moment. "You guys were talking for a while, so spit it out. What did you say?"

He doesn't have to answer you. Cora knows that, that he owes you absolutely nothing ㅡ but his eyes flick to Law, who's staring at you. This is for your own good, kid.

"I told him what would happen if he kept this up with you." He pauses to light a cigarette, and you watch the little flame waver.

"And what exactly would happen?"

Cora sighs. "If the higher ups found out about it, they'd strip him of his powers."

Your gaze doesn't waver, boring holes into him. He sort of understands Law's fascination with you ㅡ even without the touch of death, you're an odd one. "And without his powers?"

Smoke curls towards the sky, ghostly tendrils that curl before they disappear. "He'd cease to exist. Reapers are nothing without their powers."

You look back to Law, who's watching you ㅡ and your brow furrows. He wants to say this is nothing? "Is this because of me?"

Cora could lie, but he doesn't. "Yes."

Your fingers curl into fists, aware of the shiny skin of your forearm, the patch between your shoulder blades. "What if he killed me?"

"He won't. I already suggested that."

Your eyes lock with Cora's, unwavering. "What if a different reaper did?"

ㅡ

Law doesn't like that you're talking to Cora. He doesn't like that the other reaper won't leave and let him face the repercussions of his actions as he wants to. He knows Cora has told you, can see it in the tension of your body, the way you look at him.

When you return, Law knows something is wrong. "What did you talk about?"

Instead of answering, you wind your arms around him, pressing into him. The pressure should be comforting, but Law tenses, trying to squirm out of your grip. "[Name], answer me."

"Cora told me the truth." He stills. "Were you really just going to keep me in the dark about it?" He feels your hands fist at his back. "You're an idiot."

He knows that. He doesn't care. "What's done is done," he answers. "I'm simply facing the consequences."

"Stupid." You pull away from him and blink, and he reaches to swipe his thumb beneath your eyes.

"Crying? Really?"

You pull away completely, scrubbing at your eyes. He expects you to call him an idiot again, demand to go home, to talk about what's next ㅡ but you don't. Instead, you exhale slowly. "I'm sorry."

Law blinks, brow furrowing. "About what?"

"This," you sweep your arm out. "You should be in trouble because of me." He wants to protest that he did it of his own volition, that you hadn't forced his hand in any of it ㅡ and then with a jolt, he realizes that Cora hasn't left.

"[Name]," Law starts, "what did you do?"

"I'm cleaning up my mess," you say firmly, "I'm not going to let you get your powers stripped because of me. So Cora and I made a deal."

Law doesn't have to ask what kind of deal it was, it doesn't take a genius to figure it out. His eyes narrow, anger and hurt clashing. "So dying is an easier solution?"

"It is," you tell him, rigid in your resolve. "It's what should have happened in the first place, Law."

He hates this. Hates that this is how it ends, that you look so at peace with your decision. You approach him again, reaching to stroke his cheek ㅡ and he leans into your touch. "Don't be sad," you tell him, "I'm annoying, remember?"

His eyes close. "No you're not."

You huff a soft laugh. "See, you're a softie after all." You pull away, and his cheek feels colder than it ever has. "Maybe we'll meet again someday. Do this the right way."

The likelihood of that is slim, next to nothing ㅡ but Law lets himself indulge in the idea of it anyway. "Yeah," he answers, "maybe."

ㅡ

Law doesn't get to see you go.

You'd made it clear that you didn't want him to see, didn't want him to watch you die. "You spent too much time making sure I didn't," you tell him, "feels like it'd be a copout if you did it again."

He can't argue that, because he knows he would. You both do. That he'd defy his orders over and over, let you live a little longer again and again.

Maybe he shouldn't have saved you from drowning in that pond. (He's glad he did.)

Law has seen a thousand and thousands mortals die and will see thousands and thousands more, but yours is the one that actually hurts.

Cora warned him. He warned Law, and he didn't listen ㅡ and now he's paying for it. But it'd been you who'd chosen to leave him ㅡ even though it'd been to protect him.

Idiot, he thinks, but it lacks any bite. Much as he loathes it because it's a very human emotion, he misses you.

(Not like he'd ever admit it.)

"Law." He looks up to find Cora approaching, a look on his face that automatically makes him wary. "I have a gift for you."

Law's eyes narrow. "I don't want it."

Cora's head tilts, eyes gleaming with amusement. "Are you sure? Because I'm sure you'll like this one."

There's someone standing beside Cora. The dark robes draped around them says that it's a new reaper ㅡ and Law resists the urge to roll his eyes. Cora's been oddly insistent that he take on a protege ㅡ perhaps he's not been as adept at hiding how your death affected him as he thinks he's been.

"I'll leave you two to get acquainted," Cora says, patting the new reaper on the shoulder before he heads back the way he'd come. Law sighs, then shifts his attention to the newbie.

"First off, you don't need the hood up. It's a dumb stereotype." He looks away, mentally questioning if he has the energy for someone to hang off his every word.

There's a soft laugh, strangely familiar ㅡ and then an even more familiar voice. "And here I thought it gave me a mysterious charm."

Law freezes, then turns as the newbie yanks down the hood. It's you. For a second, Law thinks he's hallucinating ㅡ but you're smiling that frustrating, irritating, beautiful smile of yours.

"Surprise," you say, rocking on your heels. "This was part of the deal that Cora and I made."

"You're a reaper too," he says, and you nod before you hold your arms out and do a small spin, making the robes flare.

"What do you think? I think it suits me." Law approaches, grabs a fistful of fabric and pulls ㅡ and finally, finally, gets to kiss you the way he wants to.

You blink dazedly when he pulls away, and he smirks. "You said that maybe we could do this the right way someday," he tells you. "I intend to hold you to that."

You smile. "Fine by me."

#law x reader #trafalgar law x reader #one piece #one piece fan fiction #BEAUTIFUL OML #iz recommends

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aquilapolariz · 6 months

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Early in the morning, especially when it rains, and a little before noon. (1)

erwin x fem!reader

chapters: (2) | (3) | (4) | (5) | (6) | (7) | (8) | (9) | (10) | (11) | (12) | (13)

summary: I basically took Isayama’s work, forced it into a romance story, and made Erwin the love interest. Commander meets cadet and they fall in love (not instantly though)

notes: very berry canonverse (but some events were modified to fit my narrative), wasn’t intended to be this long, but it all is in the details right?

content warnings: smut where it fits (or where I make it fit. Also, reader is NOT underage, so likewise, MINORS DO NOT INTERACT, please.) slow burn (I really mean it. I’m not olympic diving into any form of smut for the first chapters). no angst. I dislike angst. I would never. I could never. (Although angst can be somewhat subjective so take it with a grain of salt?)

wc: 2.1k

One could say it was the most important night of that summer. Even the cloudless sky had allowed the stars to witness the scene unfolding beneath, and only the occasional barking of faraway dogs interrupted the silence. It was the night decisions were awaiting to be made. The type of life-defining decisions that no teenager should ever be expected, or rather forced, to make. Luckily for you, you were a couple of years ahead, ahead enough to not be considered a teenager anymore. And maybe this was the reason why looking around and seeing the tightly clenched fists, trembling jaws, and sweaty foreheads of your 15-year-old Training Corps classmates made you realize that you honestly didn’t know what you were doing in the middle of it all.

The choice was simple for those who actually had one. As it was tradition, the top ten students of the class would be allowed to choose the best out of the three options presented: to join the Military Police and enjoy the safety and commodities that came with life in the innermost wall, to settle for a more humble lifestyle by doing whatever it is that they do in the Garrison, or to put their lives in the line for humanity in the Survey Corps. With young brains still under construction, no one could be trusted to make the right call. The definition of ‘right call’ being ‘one you wouldn’t regret years in the future, or next week when a titan had you in their grip.’ However, you believed that joining the Military Police came with significantly lower risks of regret. And that’s why the MP was the one you were aiming for. Or would have, if you were part of that coveted top 10. That would have been ideal.

Ideal. In an ideal world, no one would have to make such a crucial decision at that age. In fact, there wouldn’t even be crucial decisions to make, in the first place. But this wasn’t an ideal world. It was far from that. A quick glance around at the faces you had gotten used to seeing for the last 3 years was enough of a reminder, in case you had forgotten. But who could forget? All of them standing next to you had either lost someone or everyone precious in their lives when the Wall fell. Luckily for you, however, you had your immediate family alive and well in the capital. And although you didn’t own enough wealth to be accepted into the social circles of the rich, you lived a comfortable life, and most importantly, a safe one. That’s why it came as a shock to your family when you enlisted as a-

“We will reach that basement in Shiganshina. However, this requires us to retake Wall Maria”

Retake what? Your backstory was left pending for another night. Because, before you could start narrating it to yourself, a solemn, modulated voice pulled you out of your thoughts, your head instinctively turning to the stage to locate the source. And that was the first time you saw him: The 13th commander of the Survey Corps, Erwin Smith himself.

“But with the Trost gate permanently sealed, we’ll have to take the long way around from Karanes in the east”

You had heard stories about Erwin Smith. A man of unyielding drive, an iron-willed leader, a liberator, you believed you heard someone called him once. And of course there was also ‘reckless’, ‘demented’, and ‘out of it’, all of which were adjectives commonly tied to his name, especially in the capital. ‘Insane’ was your father’s preferred one, usually heard around dinner time when the topic of Erwin Smith’s latest outrageous expedition somehow found its way into the family table. And you remembered feeling sorry for the man on more than one occasion. Because, from the safety of your Sina home, the closest titan surely miles away, as you fluffed pillows and slipped under warm blankets of undisturbed rest, you had struggled to think of anyone living a more different lifestyle to yours than the commander of the Survey Corps, that one man relentlessly trying to attain the unattainable: to free humanity from the walls.

“It seems the four years we spent preparing a route for an invasion force have gone to waste”

And that night he also seemed to be trying to attain the unattainable: convincing a group of frightened individuals to join a suicide squad.

“In those four years, more than sixty percent of the Legion’s forces lost their lives”

You wondered if there was at least a single easy thing in the man’s life.

“Sixty percent in four years. An insane figure”

His voice was controlled and pleasant to listen to. Even though the things he was talking about were far from pleasant. Life scouting beyond the walls sounded as rough as it probably was. And you guessed that there was no way to make it sound appealing, no silver linings to be mentioned or talked about.

“Any trainees who join us will participate in next month’s expedition beyond the walls”

You had heard that his branch was in desperate need for new recruits, yet you could tell he had decided to let honesty do the talking that night. Because not even when discussing the dire prospect of survival of a Survey Corps member…

“We estimate thirty percent will not return”

…not even then he seemed tempted to make false promises.

“And in four years, most new recruits will be dead”

In fact, the more he spoke, the more honest and raw his words seemed to get. And while, so far, he hadn’t mentioned a single appealing thing about joining his cause, you felt you were beginning to understand it…

“But those who make it through that hell will become superior soldiers, capable of surviving anything”

You see, you had heard all the stories, but you had never seen the man before. And rumors had left out the part about how compelling he was. As he extended an open invitation to a potentially deadly celebration, his voice had a commanding yet gentle feel to it, the type associated with reliable leaders. He had an enthralling demeanor to him, the one that’s used to persuade. His words were softly spoken but rose-thorn sharp. There was something about him, the way he spoke, and carried himself. Erwin Smith certainly looked like someone who could talk the winter into skipping a year, or the rain into waiting until he got home. So yes, you were starting to get it...

“Now you have the cold, hard facts.”

After all the contemplations, it finally clicked.

“Any still willing to risk their lives, remain here.”

It makes sense you thought, why men followed him to their deaths.

“Ask yourselves, am I willing to offer my beating heart for humanity?”

Why they ‘dedicated their hearts’ as they say.

“That is all.”

Erwin Smith was intriguing. Very intriguing.

“All of you wishing to join other branches are dismissed.”

Muffled footsteps brought you back from the realm of thought. You looked around to find the previously full plaza now more than half-empty. You could hear Reiner’s heavy breathing beside you. Jean fiddling with his shirt behind you. Sasha clicking her teeth to your left. And despite the close proximity between your bodies, it all sounded so distant. As if you had been thrown underwater.

“Are you willing to die if I ordered to?”

Erwin Smith’s question, on the contrary, felt as if it had been whispered right into your ear. It felt personal and targeted. And for a brief second you forgot that, although almost everyone had already left, you were still not the only one in the plaza.

I don’t want to die. You answered in your head.

“I like the looks on your faces” You heard him say.

I don’t want to die. You repeated as you picked up your pace to catch up to Hitch at the entrance of the plaza.

“What took you so long?” she asked when you finally joined her.

“I hereby welcome you all to the Survey Corps!”

You heard Erwin Smith’s voice, now nothing more than a faint sound blending with the rustling leaves and getting carried away by the wind, as you and Hitch made your way back to the barracks.

“Did you hear almost all the top students joined the Survey Corps last night?” Hitch sounded particularly excited and jolly that morning. A huge smile plastered on her face.

“Did they?” You didn’t want to let yourself get too hopeful. But Hitch’s enthusiasm was contagious.

“Yep! And you know what that means right?” Your roommate gave you a cheeky grin “There might be a spot left for us at the MP after all!”

You were sure there most certainly was a spot for Hitch. But for you, that was a whole different story. You were no Mikasa. You were no Reiner. And given the fact that your physical capabilities were pretty average, even a little below that on bad days, you were certain you weren’t even in the top 20.

“Jeez. Woman, please look excited! We are set for life!”

She is set for life. “I’m not sure I’ll make the cut. It was the physical aptitude test-”

“Who cares? To hell with that test. What would you need stamina for inside Wall Sina anyway? I heard they don’t even use ODM in the MP. In our first year, maybe we’ll have to run after one of those random idiots who steal papayas from the street stalls, but I’m sure we can manage that much”

You laughed at the thought “You catch him. I’ll write the report”

“Deal!” she said “but once we climb up the ranks…” her eyes lit up with ambition as a result of whatever was going through her head. And you could tell she was plotting something questionable. But before you could start prying she added “Plus you did well everywhere else.”

She was right. While your physical performance wasn’t necessarily stellar, your academics were very good. As an overthinker, often worrying too much about too many, you overstudied for tests like no one in your class did, and your efforts often resulted in excellent marks.

“You’re right. Everyone save Shadis left something nice in my report card. Nothing personal, I’m sure”

Hitch nodded enthusiastically, clearly satisfied with herself because her words were having the effect she intended. And they really were, your head was starting to pitch more and more ideas to support the possibility that maybe, just maybe, you would be able to join the Military Police.

“You know what? You’re right, Hitch. We’ll join the MP and we’ll be on our way to the capital tomorrow.”

Wrong. Later that day, as you held the application paper in one hand, fountain pen in the other, you couldn’t help but snort when imagining how foolish you must have looked that morning, believing you would be back home as a member of the MP brigade. But there was no use in reminiscing now. You needed to focus and make the second best choice.

But focus for what? The only available options for you were the Garrison and the Survey Corps. And the choice was plain and obvious, wasn’t it? The Garrison wasn’t cool or anything but it was safe. Except, of course, for that incident from a couple of weeks ago, when that random titan showed up again, and tried to obliterate Trost District. Luckily for you, however, you had been assigned to assist with the relocation of the citizens once they entered Wall Rose, so you didn’t even have to see any titan at all. That had been a rare occurrence. And with the Survey Corps, the chances of survival were significantly lower. Zero for someone with your physical capabilities.

Are you willing to die if I ordered to?

Erwin Smith’s words from the night before showed up uninvited.

Those who make it through that hell will become superior soldiers, capable of surviving anything.

You could hear his solemn voice loud and clear, even one day later.

I like the look on your face.

Your hand now hovered dangerously over the ‘Survey Corps’ box, centuries worth of handed-down survival instincts forgotten in the blink of an eye.

I don’t want to die.

Your brain repeated as a last resort, right before the ink found the paper.

I don’t want to die.

Now it sounded like a complain more than a petition.

I hereby welcome you to the Survey Corps.

You heard him say, somewhere inside your head, as you turned in your application and walked away.

next chapter

#attack on titan #i LOVE longform erwin fics #erwin smith #shingeki no kyojin #erwin x reader #iz recommends

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aquilapolariz · 6 months

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KEITTTTHHHH ughh this was such a lovely story- i feel that the mutual pining and realization of feelings works ESPECIALLY good with his character!!!

The gentle stag Rewrites the stars

Fandom: Ikemen Prince

Pairing: Keith x MC

Part of : Ikemen Prince Gift Exchange hosted by @ikemen library and @sunnyikemen

Gift for @ridiculouslly-ridiculous, I really hope you may like it 🤗

Tag: Slow burn Mutual pining Party Stargazing Realization of feelings Confession of requited feelings First Kiss Fluff

Word Count : 3.962

Author’s Note: The so very friendly and not at all romantic relationship she has with Keith begin to get more intimate when he invites her over to a ball held to celebrate his birthday.

Pleasant occasion turn the ball into a stargazing date, where they realize the feeling they have for one another and couldn't hide any longer, for nothing resist to the almighty power of Love. 🥰

Side Note: All the images were found on Pinterest-Google and I was unable to find the source, please if any of you know the owner tell me and I will provide to give the artist the credit for the image.

Tag list

@kissmetwicekissmedeadly @aquagirl1978 @violettduchess @atelieredux @klutzyroses @randonauticrap @thewitchofbooks @princess-pray-a @judejazza @itsmyara

You can find me on AO3 as QueenJuliet 😊

Thank you for everyone who will like, reblog, or comment please be gentle with me english is not my first language so please do not leave rude comments I apologise for eventual errors I hope you will like it 😊

“It isn’t a date.”

What I hoped to be a confident assertion of my plan for the night did nothing but elicit giggles and knowing smirks from all the princes, sat around the round table.

Leon was the first to break the ice, or as well melt it with the warmth of his smile.

“Alright then, if you say so we believe you, it's true guys ?”

I hoped they would have listened to him … but in vain, as I noticed seeing Jin smirk as he spoke breezily.

“Of course darling, an invite to a party, in his country, really sounds like a casual stroll to me.”

I sighed as much as I hated that impression he was right, and yes I may have been getting my hopes up a little bit, but he was such a wonderful gentleman, and it was impossible not to love him.

“Be careful out there.” Licht hidden kindness melted my heart, I met his eyes melting at the sight of a soft light smile curling his lips, I didn’t shy away from requiting with one of my own

“I will, thanks for the advice.”

“Remember to pay attention to your outfit, and don’t dare look sloppy on your date.” Yves' warning makes me smile with gratitude, of course I should avoid it or else the nobles will mock me, easily ignoring the fact he called it a date,

“Thank you I will, don’t worry.”

“As if.” his haughty attitude didn't change a bit but the slightly more relaxed smile curling his lips told me another story.

Truth to be told, Keith's wicked side intrigued me like his soft one, the fact I was the only one in Rhodolite to know of his birthday and of his sides maybe made me special to him somehow, or at least I hoped so.

I turned at the sound of a scoff, coming from the head of the table opposite to Leon, in time to see a little smile play on Chevalier’s lips before he resumed his usual stern expression.

If even he didn’t believe me then it was useless to hope someone else would, if even he saw our meetings as dates I can only imagine what kind of rumors had spread around the courts about us.

“Dearie me. Who could have imagined you would have been conquered by him of all people?” I glared at Clavis, ignoring his amber eyes gleaming mischievously, immediately backed up by Nokto,

“He certainly played his card right little lady, you got to admit it.” the foxy grin on his smile tickling on my nerves, pushing me t to give him a piece of my mind

“He isn't my lover.” I declare in a futile attempt at dissuading them from a truth everyone saw but me.

“Not yet.”

“As much as I am fascinated by Keith.” I do my best to ignore the accomplices smiles Julie and Luke kept giving one another as they look up at me, mentally slapping my face for pronouncing his name, like we were intimate, we are a bit, but still, I sigh heavily, great now everyone knows what I feel for him, confirming things they already thought on their own anyway.

“Prince Keith is only a friend. I know my place.”

Or at least, I should have known my adoration with him would have done nothing but hurt us both. Everyone knew it but him, blissfully unaware and careless of the supposed forbiddance of that feeling while our meetings became more and more similar to romantic trysts than mere strolls.

“As you desire sweetie.” a playful smile curled Julie’s lips glimmering in her bright green eyes, knowing her fondness for matchmaking I am sure she saw straight through my lies, but it was the best I could offer to fool myself with a non-existent distance between us.

“Thank you for listening to me.” I took advantage of the courtesy to calm down my heart beating furiously in my chest, with measured steps I walked toward the door, my hand was on its knob … when a crystal clear voice reached my ear.

“Enjoy your rendez-vous alors.” a Cheshire cat grin danced on her lips, receiving only a hearty chuckle as answer to my glare.

Once out of the door I let out a sigh I didn't know I was holding in until now, affection swelling in my heart at the thoughtfulness they had for me, even though someone showed that better than others, and with a spring in my step I direct myself toward my room, basking in the excitement filling my heart at the prospect of that night party.

The afternoon flew by in an instant, my effort to study was useless, since the only thing in my mind was him. Love was forbidden between a commoner and a noble or, at least, was a lot more difficult than how I read it to be in countless fairytales … but how can you rule the unruly, govern the ungovernable, put rules to emotions, and oblige the heart to follow them?

Brief answer: you can’t.

I sigh heavily, pushing aside the book I was reading, yet another way to cram my head with etiquette and rules that I should have followed to disguise myself as a noble, hoping for it to be enough to earn my place by his side … if only Keith, too, would have been so crazy as to favor love over politics regarding marriage matters.

Wondering if our love was starcrossed or written above the stars, I looked to them beginning to twinkle in the early evening sky, still colored with the warm hues of the setting sun in search of answers to questions that kept me thinking all through the day, especially after a totally casual and not at all romantic meeting of ours.

The ever present mantra of not getting too close to him flew out from the window the instant he appeared in my mind, making a jolt of blush spread across my cheeks as I adjusted the tiara on my curls in front of the mirror, mindful to adjust every detail to perfection, running my hands over the soft jade velvet of the gown, a color I chose thinking of him alike the nature themed accessory completing my outfit.

The carriage ride to Jade took longer than expected but I didn’t pay any attention to it, too lost in the admiration of the flourishing countryside scenery out of the window.

The drumming of my heartbeat only got louder as I caught a glimpse of the Royal palace, dazzling bright like a gleaming Jade stone surrounded by a thick forest amidst the blue velvet of the night sky, embroidered with stars, that so many times Keith and I looked at together.

I ran my fingers nervously over the richly decorated envelope, an official invite to his birthday party, sighing dreamily I caressed his signature, a flamboyant calligraphy I would have recognized amidst thousands.

A celebration he always felt no need for, but everyone insisted on celebrating as he confessed albeit shily to me only a few days prior as we were having tea together … and not that too was not a date … perhaps ?

Nervously I stir my fingers on the gown adjusting invisible crinkles, before rushing to take a mirror pocket from my pochette to check out on my makeup and straight the tiara on my curls, to distraction myself I pick up the coins he gifted me rolling it between my thumb and forefingers, letting out a sigh to dispel my anxiety, smiling fondly at the memory of how he taught me how to make it dance in my palm, even though I was not even good enough as him I liked keep playing, reminiscing all the times we spent together, swelling my heart with all the love I and for him and was doing my best to forget but in vain.

The palace got bigger at each roll of the wheels on the cobblestone mixing with the horses’ hooves as the rhythmic undulation of the carriage slowed as we approached the gates, trailing off in a path surrounded by a rainbow of flowers and foliage billowing in the wind greeting the guests.

My heart beat so loudly almost drowning the music coming from inside, I place and hand over it overwhelmed by a rush of anxiety mixed with excitement as the carriage came to a halt in front of his entrance.

I slide off as gracefully as possible letting the excitement for the night that awaited for me lead the way, pushing away all my nervousness as I smile, concentrating myself to not fall from my high heels keeping a straight composure as I approach the throne placed on a mezzanine floor, with the windows on their back.

I catch my breath at his sight I didn’t know it was possible but he looked even more gorgeous than ever in his formal clothes shining like a Jade under the light of the moon, shaking my head I focus on my courtesy, after the attendant presented me as the daughter of a Rhodolite noble, a surge of pride swelled in my chest at the small satisfied smile playing on his lips.

I let out a sigh of relief I didn't know I was holding in until now, meeting his amber gaze as I rose from my position, smiling at his thoughtfulness at the sight of him descending the stairs to come greet me.

“You looked really beautiful tonight, as ever.” His compliment makes a surge of pride swell in me, as I unconsciously bow to him, sliding my fingers over the front of my gown, letting the softness of the velvet under my fingers calm me down a little bit.

I lower my head bashfully to hide my blush behind the fan gazing at his heart melting expression, a tender smile curled on his lips, radiating acceptance and kindness glimmering in his golden eyes as he took my hand in his leaving a gentle kiss on my knuckles, enough to set my skin on fire, I tried to refresh fanning myself but in vain, for the warmth of his hands still lingered on mine even after he retracted it.

“Thank you so much for coming, it made me so happy to have you here today.”

My heart jumped in my chest at the honesty in his voice, so different from the shallow lies of the nobles I got used to during my time at the palace.

“It was my pleasure and honor to meet you, Prince Keith. May I wish you a pleasant and mirthful birthday.”

"It is now that you are here with me." the earnestness of his heartfelt confession bring a smile to my lips as he tucked a rebel curl behind my ear, ignoring the way my heart raced out of control at the warm contact of his fingers brushing on my cheeks, while an hint of sensuality flickered on his honeyed eyes for a brief second, enough to make me yearn for more.

There was a hint of shyness in his smile as he gazed back at me, while a soft rosy blush crept up on his cheeks making my heart swell with love I held for him, enhanced by the tenderness I saw reflected in his golden eyes as he leaned to me, his breath fanning on my cheeks distracting me from everything else, moment I savour to the fullest revelling in the little touch of his chest brushing against my breast, as my heart galloped wildly in a frenzy from his allure.

“I would like to show you something.” He bit his bottom lip, fidgeting with his own fingers before raising his wide doe-like eyes to look at me with such a heart melting gaze I couldn’t deny anything to

“Do you want to come with me ?” his almost pleading tone pulled at my heartstring, I tenderly placed my gloved hand over his own.

“Of course, lead me.” The sun dawned once more on his features brightened by such a pure soft smile I stared in awe at, I would go with you anywhere if you asked me a secret wish I keep to myself.

I bask in his manly warm hands engulfing mine as he lead me to a secret passage directed to his personal astronomy tower that only he would grace his presence upon, since he kindly explained to me that the astronomer was too engrossed in a deep discussion with the librarian to ever notice or care about the falling stars scheduled for that night to happen.

“I see well it’s cute that is happening today. It's like a gift from the universe.”

I sense him smiling as he gently squeezing my hand in his,

“Moreover I hope you will like my present when you open it, I left it at the entrance with the others.”

“Trust me, your presence here is the best gift I could ever receive from you.”

his soft voice dripped with tenderness as he squeezed my hand, turning around to give me a heart melting smile, so bright to shine even through the darkness of the corridor.

Once arrived there I follow him out on the balcony, my breath catch in my throat, mesmerized by the view of the Kingdom stretching before my eyes, shrouded in darkness almost a continuation of the night sky, with the stars sliding down to play hide and seek from clouds to the towns’ houses, a sight so beautiful to entrance me completely, smiling at the pleasant contact of his masculine forms hovering over next to me while his pinky finger ever so shily crawl on the railing to overlap with mine.

I looked up at him but he simply smiled, enraptured by his handsome features I smiled back at him, squeezing his hand as he engulfed mine in his once more.

“It is so … beautiful.” I manage to murmur as I stare in awe at the sight, sliding to look back at him, the light of the lanterns dancing on his alluring features

“I am so happy you like it.”

“Look out there for the falling star, don’t forget to make a wish-”

“-And it will be granted.” I continue smiling at him, revelling in our shared knowledge.

Curiosity and hope got the best of me and before I know it I had my eyes glued to the sky feeling his pinky finger ever so slowly crawl to entwine with mine as I look briefly at him, seeing a soft smile plastered on his lips as he feigned innocence staring at the stars, reflected in his golden eyes.

I bask in that intimate contact hoping from the bottom of my heart the darkness could conceal the red blush of my cheeks, the same shade of rose I saw dusting over his as I softly squeezed his fingers, he ever so softly entwined with mine.

A bit of time passed by and nothing was in sight, so much so that I was thinking that maybe the towns’ light overshine over the stars … when suddenly I saw it.

A comet rushing amidst them all, burning bright, like my love for him, piercing through the clouds near the moon.

Unable to stay still I beam brightly pointing out excitedly at the sky

“I saw one, there.” I smile at him, unable to look away from the galaxy reflected in his gaze as the lights of the lanterns and the moon danced in the golden pool of his eyes.

“You seem to be lucky tonight, I have yet to see any.”

“Don’t be upset. I am sure you will see one too soon.”

“Have you expressed your wish?”

“Yes.” I confess bashfully

“But I don’t know if it became true.” I trail off, looking down at the towns’ below, wondering if maybe I could belong there too, a wishful dream I brush off shaking my head from the bittersweet thought of what could have been … if only I would have been a noble but I wasn’t and so I was forced to see my love off with another, I clutch my fingers on my heat to calm the painfully tug at the thought.

“Why not ?” His tone dripping with concern as he leaned next to me, brushing his thumb on the back of my hand, managing to calm be it for a while my racing heart, making my focus shift back to him

“It … too strange that is.” I looked briefly up at him, in time to see surprise in his widened eyes, while a sympathetic smile played on his lips.

“I am sure it will.”

His support warmed my heart as I squeeze his hand before going back to gaze at the sky, doing my best but failing at forgetting the love I felt for him, or else this would have led us to our downfall and the mere idea of hurting him was unbearable to me, desiring from the bottom of my heart for him to be happy.

A bit of time went by and I kept my eyes open for any sign of a falling star, ready to indicate that to him and gave him the chance to make a wish too, all that to earn that bright, tender smile of his that never failed to make my heart swell with love and affection for him.

I had just thought that when his gentle voice shook me from my reveries

“I saw one too.”

“You made your wish Keith ?” I leaned over with curiosity, I know well it was forbidden to tell it but a part of me wondered what he used it for … but with great astonishment he shook his head, his tone unusually serious as he looked straight at me.

“Wishing upon a star? What for when I have everything I could have wished for and more right there, in my arms.”

His masculine brawny body engulfing me in his hug, I looked up at him seeing affection glimmering in his amber gaze, glimmering like molten gold at the warm suffused light coming from the lanterns of the balcony.

It was too good to be true, he was a prince and I was … well I a commoner faking to be a noble even though he knew of it this didn’t changed the difference in our status

“Keith please.” I beg, half hoping he wasn’t joking for my heart would have not take too well the delusion of my feelings being teased so openly

“It is not a lie” his words filled my heart with hope, as it began to race out of control in my chest so much I was sure he could hear it too.

“But your duty …”

“Is to follow my heart and that is what I am doing.This always has been the best thing to do for us in Jade and I am no exception.” This statement took me off guard, I always assumed Royalty everywhere married off just for duty and alliance but he proved me wrong and no one knows how much I was immensely grateful for it.

“But who can love someone like me.” My insecurities speaking up before I had a chance to shut them up, I bit my lip trailing my gaze on my fingers curled on his chest,

“I will.” his sturdy fingers cupped my face, raising me to meet his gaze, unwavering, loyal and honest like I came to know both his sides to be.

“I am not tricking you, please trust me.” a plea dripping over his tone pushing me to let down my guard, as I always did around him looking back into his gaze

“I love you.” the brightness of a thousand suns glimmering in his honey eyes, pouring over his tender smile.

“Oh Keith I love you too.”

The sensation of his lips on mine was nothing like I expected it, it was far better, it really felt like we were melting into one another, it was shy and a bit clumsy I felt his hands curl on my hips to help me remain on my feet as I get swept off by the soft movements of his lips savouring mine, while I grip my fingers on his shirt, afraid he may slip off if I loosened my clutch … but there was no need to, as he proved wrapping his arms around me holding me close to his chest.

Reluctantly he pulled away leaning his forehead to mine, brushing his thumb on my cheeks, before trailing it over my sensitive bottom lip, a dreamy sigh escaped my lips immediately robbed by his lips landing once more on mine,it was a brief kiss but enough to let me desiring for more, enhanced by his warm breath fanning over my swollen lips.

“Please grant me the honor of being my fiancé.”

The honest affection filling his golden eyes mesmerize me, driving me in further into that golden pool I wished to swim in with him … and now finally could after week spent wishing and dreaming to become his lover,

“Oh Keith. Yes.” the diamond on the ring glimmered in the sheer light of the moon witness of that peculiar engagement as he ever so gently slide it on my ring finger, unknowingly setting my heart ablaze with indescribable happiness and swollen with love, racing in my chest with all the affection I held for him, I hoped to convey tip toeing to leave a tender kiss on his soft cheeks, revelling in his rosy blush.

Surely he would have had a lot of things to explain to the court sooner or later, like I should have to after all … but for now all that mattered was us, alone on his balcony sharing a promise with only the stars as guardians of our love.

I welcomed the softness of his lips melting once more on mine in a sweet, tender kiss, robbing me of any coherent thought as he embraced me ever so strongly swallowing the ever soft whimpers escaping from my lips as he deepened the kiss, while my fingers dived in his soft grey curls and his own tightened around my hips as he hold me close to him.

Reluctantly he pulled away brushing a gentle kiss on my forehead as he took my hands in his, placing a gentle kiss on their knuckles looking straight at me

“I love you my little bunny always and forever.” his heartfelt confession moved me to the core, I did my best to reciprocate.

“I love you too, my stag, all of you, so very much.”

He placed his head on mine, pulling me in a slow improvised waltz on the balcony floor, I eagerly followed, leaning my head on his chest, hearing our hearts beating in sync like one, like the soulmates we were destined to be.

The princes of Rhodolite were right since the beginning this was a date, and no one knew how much happy it made me to have been able to finally confess that feeling I held secretly hidden in my heart until that moment

Love was a gift, I always believe in that, but no one of all my books prepared me for this, to love and to be loved was pure bliss, it filled your heart with affection and happiness, a passion smoldering as the sun and ten fold as bright, inexplicable to describe and I was grateful to all the universe for making that possible, bringing us together as written above the stars since the beginning of the universe and for all eternity.

#ikemen prince gift exchange #ikémen prince #ikemen prince #keith howell #iz recommends

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aquilapolariz · 6 months

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I'm going to make myself cry typing this but here we go..

I think one of the points of Attack on Titan is that humanity is forgetful. Doomed to forget, actually.

Our main cast are heroes, not just the surviving ones. Levi deserves to have statues built of him. The surviving members of the 104th even went on to become politicians, traveling the world to help change things for the better. I have no doubt that they had buildings named after them, streets and parks named after them. There were probably history books specifically dedicated to each and every one of them.

But humans are forgetful.

There were no photos of Eren. He probably only continued to exist in history books, where he was demonized and vilified for decimating the world. By the time their fingers started to get all wrinkly from age, Mikasa and Armin probably forgot what Eren looked like. What he sounded like.

Time passes and humans forget. Statues crumble, buildings rot and fall apart. People forget figures that used to be significant. History books are changed. Even atrocities eventually become dulled in humanities collective memory. Bombs turn everything to dust. Humans are doomed to forget and repeat their mistakes again and again and again.. and I think that's the point.

#aot spoilers #humans have a short memory

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aquilapolariz · 6 months

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BETTER!!!! massive respect to writers that can write for characters that aren’t their favs….ITS SO DIFFICULT FOR ME I DONT EVEN TRY😭

This is fine. (Chevalier / MC)

You can read/collect this fic on Ao3 if that’s more your speed!

Rating: T Pairing: Chevalier/MC Wordcount: 2646 Summary: Some hurt/comfort with Chevalier. MC is kidnapped and left in a cellar to rot. Chevalier, Nokto, and Clavis make an attempt to save her. Injuries occur. Hearts are bared. Pillows are thrown.

Author's Notes: This fic is a gift for @randonauticrap, Madame L, and was written for the Ikepri gift exchange hosted by @ikemenlibrary and @sunnyikemen.

I won’t let it end like this.

MC worked to free her hands, which were bound behind her back with rope. To her kidnappers’ credit, the knots seemed to be well done, and the rope was secure but not so tight as to cut off circulation to her hands. She had, of course, still fought against her attackers enough to rub her wrists raw against the coarse fibers.

Her best, strongest, hope was that one of the princes would get word of her abduction and come rescue her before this situation got out of hand. Of course, they couldn’t afford to acknowledge that she was Belle, and so it was entirely possible that she would have to get out of this situation on her own. That thought made her suddenly wish she’d taken Nokto’s suggestion of pretending that she was in a relationship with one of them as a cover for her presence in the palace.

Being Belle had given her all kinds of experience in situations she never thought she’d be in. Spending her time trying to understand Chevalier had left her at the whim of Clavis’ traps enough times that she knew her way around most knots and binding techniques. She’d endured enough of Nokto’s endless flirting that she knew she wasn’t cut out to be a disposable consort. Even still, a lover could be rescued by her prince, of course. Not so a noblewoman who simply had permission to study in the palace.

As she let her mind wander over her time as Belle, her fingers worked nimbly at the rope behind her back. The odd sound she was hearing was getting louder, and she realized that something was happening to the house whose cellar she was trapped in. Were those footsteps? It sounded almost like the patter of heavy rain, with the occasional peal of thunder. But it wasn’t raining today, and the sound was louder near the interior stairs rather than the cellar doors.

Just like that.

MC grinned in triumph as the rope came undone, and she rolled her shoulders to ease some of the stiffness. The offending length of rope went in one of her skirt pockets. Not the sort of thing a normal noble lady would have in her skirts, but MC was far too used to her life as a commoner to be without copious pockets.

Next stop, escape. MC made her way over to the cellar doors, hoping to avoid going through the house to get away from her captors. Of course, the cellar doors appeared thoroughly secured with chain and a padlock on the inside, let alone whatever might await her on the other side of those doors. Nearing them, however, she heard a voice she wasn’t expecting.

“She’s here.” It was Chevalier’s voice. Quiet through the heavy cellar doors, but the ice in his tone was unmistakable.

“Are you sure, King Highness?” That was Nokto.

“Chev wouldn’t say it if he wasn’t certain.” …and Clavis.

“I’m in here!” MC tried to call, but her voice came out hoarse from disuse. She cleared her throat and tried again, banging against the door. “Chevalier! I’m in here!”

“Well, well.” Nokto’s voice carried through the door. “Padlocked and reinforced.”

“Your fancy swordwork can’t fix this, but I should be able to get the lock open in a minute.”

“It’s chained and locked on this side too.” MC yelled, her voice cracking.

A moment of dead silence followed her revelation, and then she heard Chevalier’s no-nonsense tone.

“I’m going through to the interior stairs. Get this unlocked, just in case.”

“King Highness, the manor is collapsing, you can’t mean to— Ugh, he’s gone.” Nokto’s bitter words pushed MC into gear, as she turned and rushed towards the other side of the cellar.

The heat from the stairs was immense, and in that moment MC realized she hadn’t been hearing rain, but fire. Someone had set the manor ablaze and left her locked in the cellar to die. They’d locked her in here so thoroughly that they were probably counting on the princes failing to save her, regardless of how hard they tried. The fallout from that happening would be bad enough, but now, against all odds, Chevalier was working his way through a burning manor to reach her. He was smart enough not to try something that he wasn’t entirely confident would succeed, but even what little she knew about fires told her that the situation could change in an instant. Sure, she was Belle, but she was a replaceable commoner. There was no way her life even came close to balancing the risk to Chevalier’s own.

She climbed the stairs carefully, realizing just how hot the air had gotten. She reached for the handle, but was greeted with three unpleasant truths. First, that the fire on the other side of the door had heated the handle to an unpleasant degree. Second, that her abductors had, in fact, locked said door. Finally, Third, that she was as much a simpleton as Chevalier always insisted she was, having to learn those first two truths the hard way. There was no doubt in her mind that terror waited on the other side of that door. Even so, she absolutely had to get through it. The hinges were on her side of the door, which meant it opened into the fire, so Chevalier wouldn’t be able to break it down from his side. Her only way out, unless he miraculously found a key somewhere, was to break this door.

Gritting her teeth, MC slammed her shoulder into the door. Nothing. It was hot, but not as hot as the metal door handle. She couldn’t tell if it gave a little bit, or if that was just wishful thinking. She tried again, and this time something snapped. The heat was overwhelming, and she wasn’t even in the worst of it yet. She knew to be worried about breathing in the smoke, but it was the kind of knowledge that came from reading, not from experience. So, when the door gave on her third attempt, the first thing she did was take a deep breath… of the acrid smoke that started pouring down the stairs.

Wracked with coughs it was all MC could do to look around for Chevalier as she watched the fire lick up the walls. It was simultaneously dark and bright with the red and yellow of flames flickering over the burned husks of furniture. Ah. The butler’s pantry. Of course. What else would connect to the cellar?

MC hunkered down, trying to keep her head out of the smoke as her eyes burned and tears rolled down her face.

“Chev—” she coughed, and tried to get a breath that wasn’t smoke as a figure stepped through the doorway across the room.

The second prince looked like a bandit, with a cloth over the lower half of his face, tear tracks running into it through the soot that had collected over his fair skin and in his hair. Before she could say another word, a loud crack rang through the room, and something above Chevalier gave way to the all-consuming fire.

“Chevalier!” MC called, her hands reaching out uselessly toward the prince, who lifted his arm to ward off the falling beam, even while sending a concerned glance in her direction. A sickening crack and the momentary flash of pain across Chevalier’s face was all she saw before the beam hit the ground in a flash of sparks and fire.

Heedless of the fire, or as heedless as one really can be while everything is burning down around them, MC scrambled across the room to where Chevalier was crouched on the ground, his arm clutched to his chest.

“Chev.” she whispered, concerned as he stood again.

“Simpleton.” His voice was low and rough. “Get downstairs. Now.”

MC knew better than to argue with Chevalier on a good day, and by the tone of his voice, going against his command here was a death wish. Still…

“Not without you.”

Chevalier growled, and MC was reminded that once again she was dealing with the Brutal Beast. He reached out with his good arm and grabbed her wrist, his calloused hand against the raw skin making her hiss, but she didn’t dare pull out of his grasp. He seemed to realize there was a problem, loosening his hold and taking her hand instead. Her heart fluttered.

Now is not the time for this, MC. she admonished herself, before Chevalier admonished her aloud.

”Get out of this alive, then swoon.”

They made for the stairs, but Chevalier stopped short.

The stairs… were on fire.

MC looked at the stairway, and then at Chevalier’s face, which had of course not changed from his usual stoic mask, excepting a small crease between his brows.

“These stairs won’t hold.” He said, and then pulled her to him. “Hold on tight.”

To what?!

Sparing not even a moment for a second thought, Chevalier picked her up by the hips and tossed her over his shoulder before descending the stairs in a rush. True to his appraisal, the staircase collapsed behind them. Now the only way out truly was the padlocked cellar doors.

MC looked at his face as he set her down once they were clear of the collapsing staircase, and caught the tail end of a wince and a clenched jaw before he smoothed his expression once more.

“Show me the cellar doors.” He said, with no preamble.

MC nodded, and led him to the chained-and-padlocked door she’d just been at. She didn’t know how they were going to get that lock unlocked. Chev had blocked that beam with his dominant arm and she wasn’t as good at locks as she was at knots. Maybe something to ask Clavis about after this, assuming they made it out. For now, getting out was the priority. And they needed to do it soon. MC felt like her lungs were on fire like the rest of the manor.

Of course, she needn’t have worried. Chevalier unsheathed his sword and made quick work of the lock, ripping it off of the chains and pulling the chains free from the door, before once again claiming her hand with his good hand. Well then. His arm must not actually be as hurt as she thought it was. He had used both arms to lift her over his shoulder, after all. The beam was probably just hot.

“Let’s go, Simpleton.”

MC rolled her eyes at his use of that favored nickname, and allowed him to haul her along with him as the cellar doors opened, showing the concerned faces of none other than Nokto and Clavis.

Having reached the relatively cool outdoor air, MC felt like she was gulping down breaths rather than simply breathing them.

“Let’s get clear of this.” Nokto said, as behind them another room of the house collapsed inwards.

“MC. Deep breaths.” Clavis’ voice rang in her ears, and she turned to look at him, but the world kept spinning even though she’d stopped moving, and she felt herself falling.

“MC.” Chevalier’s arms held her, and distantly she worried about him holding her with that injured arm. As everything went dark, she would have sworn she saw him roll his eyes as she heard him mutter. “You weren’t supposed to take me seriously about swooning. Idiot.”

Oddly, scent was the first thing to come back to her. Clean cotton, medicine, and paper.

Then, sound. A quiet conversation, the shuffle of feet across a rug, and the sound of a door closing.

MC blinked, opening her eyes. She was laying on a familiar bed, though it wasn’t her own. A quick glance about told her everything she needed to know. She was in Chevalier’s room, and the prince himself was laying next to her on the bed. Otherwise, the room was entirely vacant. Whoever had been having that conversation must have left. MC took a moment to check on Chevalier, and what she saw made her stifle a gasp. First, he was shirtless, but that was secondary to the fact that his right side was covered in bandages from shoulder to hip, with the arm itself in a splint. So he had broken the arm.

For her part, she’d been changed out of the ruined dress she’d been wearing, into a clean nightgown, her wrists carefully bandaged, as well as a number of other small wounds she hadn’t even noticed in their escape from the burning manor house. Someone had even washed her hair. How long had she been out? Certainly it couldn’t have been that long…

MC turned to slip out of the bed and find a robe so that she could go report in to Sariel and find out what he knew about what had happened, and see if there was someone who would tell her how hurt Chevalier actually was, since he certainly would never give her a straight answer about it. She didn’t get very far, as Chevalier grasped her hips and tugged her over into his arms.

“Where are you going?” He muttered sleepily. “Stay with me.”

MC’s heart thundered in her chest. Of course he just wanted to sleep more. He’d done this to her before when she was sent to wake him, and she knew better than to read into his desire for touch when sleepy.

“I need to go report what happened to Sariel.” She said. Honesty was always the best policy with Chevalier, he could taste a lie before you even uttered it. And if she didn’t get out from his hold, he was going to feel her heart racing, and then he’d be asking her to explain that, and… she knew how useless he found the concept of Love. They’d discussed it. At length.

“The Devil can wait.” He muttered, his breath ruffling her hair. “I, on the other hand, cannot.”

“Chevalier.” MC huffed. “You’re literally the epitome of waiting right now, you’re trying to sleep.”

“No. I am trying to keep you from leaving. Sleep is a convenient side effect.”

“You’ll give me ideas if you keep this up, you know.”

“You already have plenty of them, if your heartbeat is to be considered.”

I knew it! MC sighed. He’s too perceptive.

“Well, the man I love his holding me captive in his bed, what am I supposed to think?”

“Perhaps you might think that you’ve won our little bet.”

She froze. He couldn’t mean it, could he? In the back of her mind, MC could hear Sariel reminding her about Clause 99, but right now she did not care, not even a little bit.

“You mean, you…”

“I love you.” He said it plainly, but the words settled in her chest like a warm sweater on a cold day. “The thought that I could have lost you in that fire nearly broke me. And there you were braving the worst of it to aid me rather than saving yourself.” He tapped on her shoulder, and she turned to face him. There were tears in his eyes as he looked her in the eye.

“I love you, MC. You win.”

“I love you, Chevalier.” she said, her eyes misty.

Everything was different now. New, and shining.

She blinked to clear the tears that were threatening to fall, and thus was surprised when Chevalier’s lips met hers, but it didn’t stop her from kissing him back.

Their moment, of course, was broken by vibrant applause.

“Oh, well played, Chev.” Clavis’ voice was full of mirth and mocking. “Save the damsel in distress and then profess your undying love. How many times does that happen in those books in your little library? Was that all research, then?”

Chevalier grumbled and threw a pillow at Clavis.

Well. Not everything had changed, after all.

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aquilapolariz · 6 months

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ugh so true!! i love writing about characters being vulnerable in an effort to show that 🫶🫶

the ocean's mercy (portgas d. ace x reader)

Summary: Ace encounters an ocean of memories and thoughts that seem to drown him. Someone needs to pull him out of the sea and help him navigate it.

Notes/Warnings: Minor spoilers for Ace's background and minor spoilers for Wano (all of them are literally just name drops), angst with comfort! Requested by anon

Word Count: 2.2k | Read below the cut or on Ao3 here!

The Moby Dick was filled with cheers and liquor as the crew watched Ace single-handedly take down a pirate crew. Pride swelled within you, joining in the shouts and claps of your pirate brothers and sisters.

Ace landed back on the ship with a dramatic thud, hopping onto the railing, and then jumping onto the deck.

Ace was reliable but reckless, fiery and confident. His tattooed back was facing you, Whitebeard’s Jolly Roger on display to Ace’s friends, enemies, and everyone in between. But really, when it came to Ace, there really was no in-between. He loved like there was no tomorrow and saved pure hatred only for those he believed deserved it: those who hurt the people he cared about.

His shoulders, strong and sure, slouching only when he squatted on the edge of the ship, were laid back in satisfaction. His chest was puffed out with no signs of exhaustion on his face. He shined bright like the sun, his radiant smile reinvigorating the crew, which prompted them to grow louder and drink even more rum. It seemed like nothing could ever shake Ace or his unwavering resolve. The air around him was full of certitude, as if only the strongest of earthquakes and tsunamis could weaken his unfaltering spirit.

And disasters that were big enough to shake up Ace were few and far between.

A disaster of that magnitude ended up being Marco offering Ace the position of Second Division Commander. You raised your eyebrows at Ace’s hesitation. For a full week, he didn’t give Whitebeard or Marco a proper answer.

The great Fire Fist Ace is never uncertain, or so you thought.

+++

Ace made everything look effortless. From making his crewmates laugh to punching enemy pirates or falling asleep in any situation, Ace made living life look easy. But he was only human. And just like every human, Ace contained multitudes that were hidden beneath his facade.

“Looks like we’re spending more time together, huh?”

“Guess so,” you said inattentively. “Though you are a big shot now, Mr. Second Division Commander. Who says you’ll have the time to spend on me?”

“As my own boss, I say so. I gotta get to know the Second Division better than anyone else.”

“Well, cheers to that,” you responded, your glass clinking against his as the party celebrating Ace’s promotion commenced.

You didn’t tell Ace — or anyone else for that matter — that you saw him pacing outside of Pop’s door for an hour the night before.

+++

Even from the ship, you could see that his feet were in the sand, but his mind was somewhere far away.

“Hey, Ace,” you uttered, quietly approaching him.

“Hey,” he replied, his eyes regaining their vibrant glow as he turned to you with a captivating smile. “Not enjoying the feast?”

“Hard to enjoy it without you,” you shot back.

“Codependency at its worst,” Ace laughed.

You sat down next to him, the sunkissed sand filling in the spaces between your toes and enveloping your feet like a warm embrace. “Why aren’t you on the ship with everyone?” you lightly chided, “it’s a commander’s duty to spend time with their crew, no?”

“Wasn’t really feeling it today, I guess.”

“Was it something Teech said? I swear that guy doesn’t know how to shut up.”

“If I was bothered by Teech I would’ve left this ship long ago,” he chuckled as he looked away from you. Ace’s hearty laughter was like a wave that regularly washed away your worries. But this time, it didn’t.

You took in the view he was facing: a shoreline that never seemed to end. Before you joined him on the beach, Ace had been staring at the sand for what felt like years. Within the minuscule grains, Ace could see the faces of a young Sabo and the legendary Gold Roger. He blinked and those faces morphed into the purple-haired Otama and the crying face of Yamato.

These sands of doubt and time did nothing to ease the tension in Ace’s body.

“Despite how close you are to everyone, it still feels like you keep people at arm’s length. You said you needed to get to know your division more, but how about letting the division know you?”

“There’s nothing to know.” Ace feigned offense at your skeptical expression, “What can I say? I’m a simple guy.”

“A simple guy who Whitebeard allowed to take a division commander spot?” you questioned.

“Exactly! What you see is what you get.”

You snorted. “What I see is a devil-fruit user, who has a misspelled tattoo of his name and doesn’t know how to wear a shirt.”

He let out a dramatic sigh. “Contrary to popular belief, I know how to spell my name.”

“That’s odd. I’m not getting that from what I’m seeing.”

“Then what do you get from what you see of me?”

“I see my second division commander. Reliable. Cares about his friends and his family to a fault.” You paused, but Ace kept nodding, urging you to go on. “You’re just eating all these compliments up, huh?”

“Whattttttttt? Nooooo!”

“I see a stubborn idiot”— you mentally celebrated a small victory when Ace’s lips instantly turned to a pout — “who’s too kind.” He squinted at you. His expressive face never seemed to get old. “Too kind to the point where you never want to be vulnerable.”

The tension in his face all but vanished, and he suddenly turned away.

Despite always seeming larger than life, this was the smallest you’ve ever seen Ace. With every wave, the sea crept closer and closer to where the two of you were sitting until the salty water washed over the tips of your toes. Ace recoiled and scrunched his face at the sudden weakness he felt, even if it was only for a moment. Ace seemed like he would be pulled in by the rising tide and sink down into the sea if you left him alone—not because of his weakness as a devil fruit user, but because of his oft-hidden weakness as a human. Even Ace was not immune to the endless pools of self-doubt.

So you put your hand on his shoulder, scooting closer to Ace to close the gap between the two of you, trying to ground him and prevent him from falling into the siren’s song of sadness. He thought about your words. Too kind to the point where you never want to be vulnerable. You keep people at arm’s length. Arm’s length is still pretty close, he always told himself. He turned to you and your face was mere inches away from his, brought closer by the hand that clung to his shoulder now. You were much closer than arm’s length. But for some reason, this time, it didn’t feel close enough.

“I know no one ever asks you this but, what’s wrong, Ace?”

He stared at his wet feet. “The sea takes my strength, y’know?” Of course you knew that. And of course he knew that that wasn’t what you were referring to.

“It’s always a surprise when the tide comes in, isn’t it?” He asked cryptically.

You frowned. Ace never spoke in riddles.

“Is it, though? We’re pirates, we know how the ocean works,” you reminded him.

“We know the tide will always rise and fall, but in the New World it’s a little more difficult to know exactly when.”

You hummed realizing that Ace was right. “It's constant, true, but it’s also constant change.” You stared at the ebb and flow of the water, falling into its visual rhythm.

“And as pirates, we’re always at the ocean’s mercy,” he added. It always surprised Ace when memories of the past washed over him, seemingly at the most unexpected and unwanted times.

You shook your head with a smile. “With the help of the wind, a trusty ship, and an able crew, we can defy even the roughest of waves.” This time, the seafoam seemed to form the faces of Luffy, of Whitebeard, of Marco, of you. “Without the ocean, how would we sail to all these islands and live the life we do? The ocean isn’t our enemy.”

Ace mentally cursed at himself for getting caught up in his thoughts and, dare he say it, regrets. Memories of the past, just like the tide, aren’t always out to get him, it seemed. The waves fell back into the ocean, suddenly much less threatening.

Ace let out a sigh of relief. He mentally thanked you for pulling him away from an ocean of spiraling thoughts. He should’ve known that you would leave the feast to look for him once as soon as you noticed he was gone. As much as he tried, there was no escaping you. Was there any point in still trying to? “It’s nice to have such a reliable crew,” Ace said coolly.

“It’s nice to have such a reliable commander,” you replied without missing a beat.

Maybe he would let himself be selfish, be vulnerable. Maybe he would share the weight of his past with you, little by little. He reached across his chest to place his hand over yours, your touch lingering on his shoulder. He was a fool for thinking he could keep you at arm’s length for forever. He drew in a deep breath, his brows furrowed, as if debating whether to speak. You squeezed his shoulder, reassuring him of your presence.

“Sabo,” he blurted out. “I had a brother named Sabo.” You raised your eyebrows, trying to process his sudden words. “The extra “S” in my tattoo is for him.”

“Had?” You asked. His dark eyes bore holes into yours. Full of life and depth, you couldn’t look away. You felt like you were at the ocean’s mercy. The bottomless urge to know and explore every part of it was pulling you in, more than ever before.

“He died when we were young. That’s why it’s crossed out.”

You gasped, recoiling away from him, pulling your hand away, his eyes narrowing almost immediately. “I’m so sorry for always teasing you about it. I shouldn’t-”

He tousled your hair and you couldn’t help but lean into his touch. Just like how the tide is bound to the shore, there was always an unseen pull between the two of you. With Ace’s words lingering in the salty air, that pull became more discernible. “No need to apologize. It always made me smile. I know for a fact that Sabo would’ve joined in on your jokes. He’d probably ask me why I bothered putting an ‘S’ in my name instead of getting an entirely separate tattoo,” he laughed.

You let out a sigh of relief. There it was. Your ears were filled with his rich laughter that washed away your worries— your worries about him and about accidentally hurting him. “Hmm…that would be a good question. You’re really not making a good case for yourself, Ace. You sure you didn’t come up with this excuse after you messed up your tattoo?” you playfully quipped.

“No! You don’t believe me?!”

You shook your head with a smile. “I believe in you. Always have, always will.” Ace watched you as you began to stand up, trying your best to dust off the sand on your legs.

“How can you say that?” Ace asked curiously, hugging his knees to his chest. He was thankful that you were no longer facing him, that you wouldn’t see him with his shoulders slouched, looking so small. Your eyes were fixed on the horizon across the vast surface of the ocean.

“Say what, exactly?”

“That you’ll always believe in me?”

You walked closer to the water, willingly letting the waves wash over your feet. “There’s nothing that you can do that will make me not believe in you,” you stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

He stared at your back. He took in the way you so easily walked into the ocean that he thought was so dangerous before. “What if”, he paused, taking a deep breath, “what if it’s not what I do, but who I am?”

There it was again, you noticed, Ace speaking in riddles. “You’re you. That’s more than enough.”

“You’re saying all I gotta do is exist? And that’s…enough?”

You spoke to the merciless ocean: “You exist and I see you. All of you.” You turned around. Ace looked up at you, the sounds of the waves lapping seemed to be an echo of your words, as if the whole universe was trying to get through to him. You reached your hand out to his. Taking it, you pulled him up to his feet and dragged him closer to the water. Both of your ankles were completely submerged, but neither of you minded. Feeling some energy flee from his body, Ace felt weak, but was that such a bad thing? He squeezed your hand, the warmth of it standing in stark contrast to the shocking cold water around his feet. No, he concluded. Being vulnerable wasn’t so bad, especially when it was with you. Because you really did see all of him: the weak parts, the strong ones, and everywhere in between. “To see you is to always believe in you,” you whispered.

You brought your gaze back to the horizon and Ace followed suit. With your hand in his and the waves now lapping against his knees, he couldn’t help but feel gratitude. The merciful ocean had brought you to him, washing up on the shores when he needed you the most.

#self reblog #iz talks #portgas d ace x reader #ace one piece #one piece

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aquilapolariz · 6 months

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Ikemen Prompts Week I

Primary Theme:

Mirror

Secondary Theme:

Identity

Tertiary Theme:

Love

Colour Palette:

#FFC198 | #FFA38F | #FD8779 | #EF776F | #D6646D | #BE5160 | #A84257 | #8E3E5E

CHARACTERS

Ikemen Revolution: Sirius Oswald Ikemen Vampire: Napoleon Bonaparte Ikemen Sengoku: Kicho Ikemen Prince: Nokto Klein Ikemen Villains: Roger Barel

You can read about what this is here!

Feel free to send questions via ask!

Masterlist for week I [not yet active]

#love this #might skip out on this first week tho #thank you

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aquilapolariz · 6 months

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ughhh i LOVE that this story was based on your own experience with the northern lights, which is smth i long to see as well!! i’ve been a keith stan since i’m the moment i read the prologue but i still have yet to play his route…this is making me extra excited to play it soon. a lovelylovely story 🥰

Getting There is Half the Fun

Word count: 6.8k

Recipient: @violettduchess as part of the Ikemen Prince Gift Exchange hosted by @ikemenlibrary and @sunnyikemen

Characters: IkePri Keith Howell and MC (Emma), established relationship

Prompt: Something fluffy and lighthearted, maybe a trip together. It would be fun to see something not go according to plan and how they handle it. SFW, a little bit of spice.

Triggers: N/A

Content Warnings: Alter!Keith makes a couple of appearances, young children, kissing, depression, mention of sex (not depicted), mention of marriage. It is all fairly tame; just heaps of fluffiness.

Author's Notes are at the end of the story

“Isn’t this the most whimsical thing you’ve ever seen? What a vivid imagination this artist has!”

Emma’s delighted tone caught Keith’s attention immediately. He came over to see the painting she was admiring. The couple were browsing decor in a shop situated near the crossroads of Rhodolite and Benitoite, filled with fine exports from sea-faring merchants. The framed piece in front of Emma was done by an artist who hailed from the border between Obsidian and Achroite.

Keith came to stand beside her and pointed at the painter’s signature, explaining, “I’m a little familiar with this man’s works. He doesn’t depict make-believe or fantasy. All his paintings are based in nature, and he paints them on site. This … oh, this piece is certainly not imagined…”

His voice trailed off in a wistful sigh. She gave him a questioning look. She had never seen him go all gooey over art before. Stars and herbology, yes. But a painting? There was something special here, she could tell she was about to uncover another secret treasure buried in Keith’s heart. Emma nodded, encouraging him to continue.

The glimmer in his golden eyes sparkled brighter as he explained the natural phenomenon known as the Aurora. Astronomers theorized the shimmering ripples of bright green are waves of light bouncing off the particles in the sky, or maybe they are chemical reactions happening at the cosmic scale.

“How I wish I could glimpse it with my own eyes, even if just for a moment.” The enthusiasm that had fueled his explanation soon was replaced by a tone full of yearning, his dreamy gaze on the painting once more.

“But why can’t you?”

“The lights are only visible near the north and south poles of the planet. I would have to go many days worth of travel just to see even a smidge of them. And even if I was in the right place, I’ve heard the conditions have to be just right: low humidity, no clouds whatsoever, no wind, a crescent moon is best… in short, unless one lives in the perfect area and searches the sky every night of their life, seeing an Aurora in one’s lifetime is not likely. It’s like trying to hunt the rare and elusive white stag of Jadean legend.”

Emma waited until Keith was exiting the shop to secretly purchase the painting with her own money and arrange to have it shipped to the palace in Jade. Few things had ever made her lover’s eyes fill with the hungering ache she just witnessed. Even if he would never see the sight with his own eyes, this artwork would have to suffice.

Then she began to wonder: Why couldn’t he plan to see it in the future? What’s stopping him? What if she were to put the plan in motion herself, and surprise him?

—-------

An invitation arrived for the royal family of Jade, requesting a representative of the governing body to attend a special conference hosted by Achroite in the north. As soon as Keith offered to go, Emma saw this as her opportunity to enact her plan. Skillfully, deceitfully, and delicately, she plied various tactics and reasoning for letting her accompany him.

Keith didn't quite understand the motivation behind Emma's attempts at joining his journey north. However, he wasn't going to deny her when there was such bold determination in her warm eyes. He was never any good at telling her 'no'.

Triumphant at her victory, Emma packed her trunk and bags with thoughts of dancing green lights in her head, only to be outshone by the spark in her prince's eyes when his wish was granted.

—-----

The fastest travel route was straight north through Obsidian. That also made it the most dangerous. Keith wasn't about to put Emma's life in danger to save a few days of travel time. He planned a route northeast by carriage to the sea port in Benitoite, sailing north on a luxury cruiser, and then west by carriage through the mountain pass to Achroite.

He looked over his map and itinerary one last time, a soft smile hiding the growing confidence he felt each time he examined his plans. It would be their first time traveling so far, and would be a test to how well they can bear the burdens of a long journey with limited resources. Keith had decided this trip would be the perfect opportunity to prove to Emma that he was capable, reliable, and could take care of everything.

His usual companions of gloom and self-doubt had been visiting more often during this year of peace. The period of calm also meant there was less necessity for Alter!Keith to make an appearance and save the day. However, that absence made it all the more poignant when Emma would cajole him out simply because she wanted to spend time with him.

With lots of time on his hands, the anxious voices in Keith’s head ran rampant without an exterior distraction to keep them silent. But now? Traveling to the conference was just the thing to challenge himself and keep the depressing thoughts at bay.

He patted the side of the carriage before climbing aboard with a smile, "Easy travel, good roads, and plenty of time to relax along the way. Why, we could almost treat this like a vacation!"

—-------

Famous. Last. Words.

'Vacation' would have been the absolute last word to describe the comedy of errors hounding every leg of their journey.

The first thing to go wrong was one of the carriage wheels broke as it hit a deep run left by the late summer rains. It happened right inside the Jadean border before stepping over to Benitoite. The only living souls around were all busy in the rye fields. After convincing one of them to put down his scythe long enough to talk, Keith discovered with dismay the small group of people he was looking at was the entire village. It was a very isolated place that relied on every able body to help with the harvest. That group included the wheelwright: Keith and Emma's only hope of getting back on the road before dark.

Keith offered to take the wheelwright's place in the field. The hardy villagers barely held their skepticism behind polite faces.

"The wright can thresh twice as many sheaves of rye as anyone else. You'd be taking one of our hardest workers. Besides, t’is no time to be gabbing about. Lookit those rain clouds headin’ this way. Our work’ll have been wasted if we can’t get the rest in the barn before the drops fall. Beggin' yer pardon, but a prince ain’t no replacement for the wright."

Keith wasn’t about to take ‘no’ for an answer. Spurred on by necessity and the desire to impress Emma – and perhaps the bruised pride of being passed over without even a chance to prove his worth – he picked up a scythe and jogged to the row needing mowing.

He shrugged off his coat and went right to work, speaking over his shoulder to the wheelwright, "I'll do your share here if you fix the wheel. And I'll pay you triple the usual amount. Do we have a deal?"

He never broke his rhythm as he talked, taking a broad arcing swing, smoothly slicing the stalks in front of him, and moving forward with a quick grace rarely shown by the first prince of Jade. Muscles rippled across his back as each successive swing gave him more confidence. The villagers were shocked into silence.

"Y-Yes, your highness. Thank you!" The wheelwright touched the brim of his hat in courtesy, amazement on his face. Emma glanced sidelong as the villagers who now all raced to pick up their scythes and attempt to keep up with the prince.

Tales of Keith's kindness and willingness to help commoners with even the most mundane tasks had spread across his kingdom long before this. However, the additional detail of how strong and muscular he was never accompanied the rumors. 'He sure showed them! Well, that ought to fuel their gossip through the winter," she thought giddily to herself as she headed towards the end of the field to help with tying the sheaves. Emma was pleased and vindicated on her prince's behalf, proud that his people had found new respect for him.

—-------

After that encounter, it was supposed to be smooth sailing. Quite literally. Only … the mishap with the wheel and then the afternoon’s rain muddying up the roads put them far behind schedule. They missed the luxury cruiser. It disembarked from Benitoite the day before they reached the docks.

With a sullen face, Keith booked their fare on a north-bound merchant ship. Emma knew that face too well: it meant he was disparaging and beating himself up inside. She knew it would do no good to convince him right this second that he couldn't control the weather. She'd wait until they had a quiet moment together to soothe his nerves.

The trouble with that plan was that peace and quiet were impossible to find on that busy ship, not to mention privacy. They shared sleeping quarters with the crew’s family, swinging in hammocks at night and sitting elbow-to-elbow with eight noisy people below decks during the day.

There was one moment of peace, though. It occurred above deck at night when the sea was glassy smooth and the crew wasn’t throwing mouthfuls of curses at one another. Keith hugged Emma from behind, whispering just a tad louder than the wind whistling past them, “I don’t know how I’d get through this ordeal without you. But at the same time I feel like the worst person alive for bringing you on such a doomed voyage. I'm sorry you’re with a jinx like me.”

She leaned into him, turning her head so the breeze wouldn’t snatch her words away, “Darling. There’s no such thing as bad luck. Where you go, I go. And that’s that. I love being with you, no matter where it is or what is happening.”

—-------

Finally having landed just east of the mountains bordering Achroite, Emma thought they could relax at last. A coach was hired easily, and they were well on their way through the mountain pass. That's when they heard a series of muffled THUMPS behind them.

Alarmed, Keith had the coachman stop the horses as he took a look at what made the noise. Almost every one of Emma's bags were on the dusty road, clothes strewn about.

"Wha….what happened?? How….?!" She felt like crumbling onto the rocks and crying. How could this trip get any worse? She bit her lip to stop the wobbly tremble that threatened to bring tears to her eyes.

The coachman came over and looked at the shredded leather casings of her bags, nodding, "Oh yah, this is old leather. It's no surprise that the salt air on your sea trip had weathered it and made it too brittle to withstand much more abuse. S'too bad, it is. But there's an expert leather worker just ahead."

They wearily gathered up her belongings and did their best to stuff it into Keith's luggage. His was supple, well-treated leather that showed no signs of damage from the sea voyage. Emma inner thoughts were cruel for the ride to the village, reminding of the gulf between their backgrounds, status, and financial situation. Feelings of inadequacy crawled angrily across her heart. 'Of course. Of course the poor little orphan girl has crap for baggage – why would someone like me ever need to travel? No one expects someone like me to ever go beyond her front door.’

Fortunately, the leatherworker was home. Unfortunately, he was forced to watch his young children because his wife was recuperating from a severe illness at her sister’s. He met them at the door bouncing a screaming baby in his arms while a toddler on unsteady feet clutched his pants leg. His face was apologetic, “I’m awful sorry, I am. But with the missus gone, I can’t leave the house. I tried keeping ‘em in the workshop with me one day to see if I could get any work done, and it was a disaster, heh.”

Clenching her fists in frustration, Emma took a deep breath while trying not to despair. “If you can’t repair my pieces, do you have any luggage completed that I can buy right now?”

He shook his head, “Nah, I don’t do my business like that, makin’ stuff that might sell ‘someday’, I only take on jobs that will pay me when the work is done.”

Both Keith’s and Emma’s faces were crestfallen. They knew they could buy luggage once they get to the capitol city, but it was still a long ways to go and her belongings were getting dustier and dirtier by the mile. They muttered their thanks, turning to go, when the leatherworker suddenly made a sound like he just remembered something. “By any chance is what yer needin’ is just the fastenings? Like the straps around the bags and such? Because I do have those ready-made.”

“Yes! Yes, that’s what broke. That’s all I need replacing!” Hope filled Emma’s voice and face and she stepped up the stairs again towards the little cottage. Emboldened by this promising possibility, she brushed up her prettiest smile and offered, “How’s this? I’ll watch your little ones while you repair my baggage, and we’ll pay you twice the going price.”

The man blinked, glanced past her to where Keith was still waiting by the coach, as if to silently ask ‘Are you okay with this arrangement, buddy?’

She turned around and gave him an optimistic ‘thumb’s up’ gesture with a big nod to encourage him t agree, “Right, my dear?”

Keith was gazing at his beloved with open admiration. He nodded, “Absolutely. That’s a wonderful idea.”

They sent the coachman off with enough gold to ensure he’d come back to get them later than evening. While the leatherworker took the ruined luggage into his workshop, Emma introduced herself to the children. Besides the baby and the toddler she had seen at the door, there was also a 5 year old inside. Hours went by as the couple played games, told stories, and fed dinner to the kids. Both of them had wildly giddy sweet thoughts running through their heads of how capable and adorable the other one looked in this parenting mode. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say ‘baby fever’ had taken root that very day. From this moment on, Keith in particular was prone to falling into daydreaming about their future family.

—------

At long last they reached the Achroite castle without further mishap. As they unpacked, weariness settled in. The long journey and many unforeseen hardships were at last taking a toll on the young couple. Keith took a seat on the bed, resting his back against the headboard. He patted the space on that mattress next to him, gently calling “Emma? Come take a rest.”

“But I’m only halfway done with putting away my things…” is what she said, but her heart wasn’t in it. She was in the middle of pulling out another sweater from her bag when she felt warm hands glide from the top of her arms, down to her hands, freeing the fabric from her grasp. Keith set the garment on top of the luggage just as Emma’s shoulders slumped. She turned to face him and sagged against him with a sigh, while he bent his head to place a kiss against her hair. She gave no resistance when he led her to the bed.

The sky darkened as they lay on top of the crisp sheets, snuggled together in a drowsy heap. “We can’t fall asleep…” her drowsy voice was muffled against his shirt, “...or be late to dinner.”

“...we won’t…but, hmmm…” Keith’s lethargic murmur turned almost sour, “what if … would it be the worst thing in the world … if we just stayed in bed?”

Emma squinted a bleary eye at his face, trying to discern if, in fact, Keith had already dozed off for a second and allowed Alter!Keith to slip into consciousness now. That reply sounded an awful lot like something the other one would say. Oh, what did it matter? She was too tired to really care which one was beside her at the moment; she loved them both equally.

However … it would be rude of them to be absent at the first gathering of the conference. And then they’d have to make apologies to their host, which was not an attractive prospect. Prince Matthias didn’t seem the sort to forgive easily, no matter how small the slight. She didn’t want to be the cause of an international incident right at the beginning of their stay.

“Nnghh… no,” She struggled to rouse herself into a sitting position, and jostled his shoulder in an attempt to keep him awake. “We have to get ready.”

Moody citrine eyes opened to give her a scathing look. Well, that made it clear who was at the forefront now. “Don’t ya think he’s earned a rest?”

Emma expected any sort of objection from Alter!Keith, but not this tactic. His words gave her heart a warm squeeze, just as they did any time he showed consideration for his other side. She also realized he knew about this weakness of hers. Was he trying to exploit it for the sake of a nap? She rolled away off the bed and went to one of her open trunks for a fresh gown.

“Tch. That’s sweet of you to show concern. But it’ll mean more trouble for us later if we don’t get moving now. Decide which one of you is going to be on the surface for this meal. It will be lots of socializing and politics.”

Suddenly deja vu from mere moments ago danced over her memories as a warm presence moved behind her and hands slid down her arms. This time, however, they belonged to a very handsy prince. His words gusted hotly over her ear, “Mmm, I’ll stick around long enough to help you undress. He really oughtta be present for the boring – I mean, important stuff.”

—-------

As much as they yearned for one another’s intimacy through the week, the conference schedule kept Keith busy all day, and social obligations kept the pair busy in the evenings. By the time they were alone and could have enjoyed one another in private, exhaustion demanded it was time to sleep.

A few times Keith had asked Emma how she had kept herself occupied during the day, and received very predictable answers such as; visiting the town market, strolling in the conservatory and greenhouse, socializing with the other noble ladies. And reading, of course. She never went into detail of any of the sights she had visited or conversations she had had. Usually Emma was full of chatter about the things that had filled her day. Keith decided not to pry and merely attributed her quietude to the demanding schedule rather than her being evasive on purpose.

What Emma was actually doing was reserving a cabin rental and preparing for the most romantic and memorable viewing of the Northern Lights ever! The cabin would have the groceries stocked and firewood ready by the time they arrived. All they needed to do is show up and enjoy a few days' rest away from the hustle and bustle of the conference. This was the real reason Emma had begged to come along on the journey in the first place.

After that hellish trip north, they needed a relaxing break now more than ever. Her chest warmed at the thought of being able to give her beloved prince a special memory like this. If only nature and the heavens would cooperate to give them a once-in-a-lifetime show, that would make it truly perfect.

The night before the conference ended, Keith heaved a sigh as he began to fold clothes to go back into the bags.

“Darling? That was a rather heavy sigh. Is anything the matter?” Emma’s sweet inquiry washed away the layer of fatigue that had covered his soul. He paused to look over at the bed where she was flipping through a cookbook of traditional Achroite foods. With a book; in her natural habitat. Keith’s soft smile was full of adoration at this comforting sight. He often wondered how it was possible for the simple act of looking upon her in repose was enough to give him his own sense of calm.

—---------

It reminded him of the first time he had encountered the odd phenomenon, on her first visit to the kingdom of Jade:

As he showed her around the palace, she asked to see his personal chambers. Worried had plagued him, thinking it would be awkward beyond measure and she’d find fault with everything. However, when he watched her step among his belongings, inquisitive fingers trailing over the spines filling his many bookshelves, eyes lighting up at seeing the keepsakes decorating his bedside table, he realized with surprise that his anxiety had been utterly unfounded. In fact, the sight of her in his room, among his things, gave him a deep sense of peace.

A warm blanket of contentment and resolve settled around him in that moment, as if he was being told ‘this is right, this is good’. It felt so very natural to have Emma there at all hours of the day and night. Having her near was a balm like no other. He had mused on the mystery of it: If he was struggling with a letter at his desk or fretting about an upcoming meeting with bureaucrats, all it took was to look up for the fraction it took to see her with a book perched at his window seat or sitting on the couch. His heart was eased instantly. Her presence was a wonder drug to his perpetual paranoia. Wherever Emma was, that was ‘home’ for him.

He floundered without her presence. His soul required her like a tree needed sunlight.

Alter!Keith was in the same situation, though for different reasons. He needed Emma to stick around because her deciding to stay sent the message that he was worthy of notice, of love. That he deserved to exist.

Neither side of him could never admit this to her, though. His reliance on her would only highlight his ignomy and patheticness. How utterly weak would he appear to her if he confessed he needed her just to get through a day without a panic attack?

—------------

Her miraculous effect was the reason he hadn’t required much persuading to allow her to join him on this trip. Prince Matthias was an imposing figure whose presence in a room was nearly as oppressive as Prince Chevalier’s. Keith was glad to have his own personal ball of sunshine to help him survive the stressful conference. Without her warm kisses in the morning and her sweet voice at night, he was sure his nerves would have been frayed beyond measure before he returned to Jade.

He basked in her soothing oasis a moment before answering her question, “It feels as though there hasn’t been a moment of true rest during this excursion. I realize it wasn’t intended to be a relaxing getaway, but it would have been nice to just have a day to spend with you. To sleep in and enjoy breakfast in bed, or stay up late trying to glimpse the Aurora, or have the leisure to browse their castle’s extensive library. And now we have to be back on the road tomorrow. At the risk of sounding petulant … it isn’t fair. I’m bone-weary, Emma.”

By the time her name was on his lips, she had gotten up and moved to stand beside him, small arms around his thick torso, forehead pressed to his broad shoulder. He soaked in her serenity for a few heartbeats, nearly crumbling under the immense gratitude he felt for her love and support.

She broke the harmonious silence first, “Isn’t it a good thing, then, that we don’t have to go home just yet? We can extend our trip a little longer.” There was a playful lilt to her words, obviously inviting him to inquire into her meaning.

Keith turned within the circle of her embrace to face her with a quizzical lift of his thick eyebrows, “Did the royal family invite us to stay past tonight? I hadn’t heard of this.”

She shook her head and pressed her lips together in a smile that was eager to burst forth with the news. Emma was determined to keep the surprise until the last moment when they arrived at the cabin tomorrow. Then she realized his anxiety might burrow needlessly under whatever cute evasions she gave now with a smiley ‘Just you wait! You’re going to love it!’. Wouldn’t it be less cruel to tell him now instead of risking him worrying himself into a fit? Why not give him the choice: divulge the secret, or be left in the dark?

She grinned impishly up at him, “Oh, we are staying in Achroite for a little while longer, but not as Their Majesties’ guests. Would you like to be surprised? Or shall I tell you all about it now-o-OHH!”

Keith had picked her bodily off the floor in a bear hug, squeezing her last syllable into an excited squeak as her feet left the floor. He laughed heartily as he spun her around with ease. “Emma! Give me all the details. Packing can wait!”

Energy recharged as he held his beloved ray of light within his arms. He could hardly believe his amazing luck. Had she really planned something to help him relax before they started the arduous trek back home? He lowered her to the bed, brawny arms pressing down the mattress on either side of her, face bearing down on her with a smile sanguine and imploring.

She giggled at his lack of princely composure and laced her hands around his neck, drawing him down for a quick kiss, “You know the days I've been going into the market and village? That was to prepare for three days of relaxing at a cozy little cabin just an hour’s ride north of the castle. It’s stocked with food and firewood and everything we need. And the best part?” She paused to land a little peck on the tip of his nose. “It’s the perfect place to watch the Aurora.”

Emma paused, holding her breath for his reaction.

She finally had to exhale because he was silent for so long. “Darling? Keith? Are you not excited for the trip?’ A moment ago she was ready to dissolve into happy giggles, but his reaction now had her nibbling her lip.

“...You planned all this? By yourself? For me?” His questions were hushed, awestruck.

With a slow nod, Emma resumed her smile, “Not just for you. For us. I’m going to be there as well, silly!”

She finally giggled as she watched his face change from surprise to delight. The grin on his handsome face was dazzling, but she only glimpsed it a moment before he leaned down for a kiss, which she gladly returned. He trailed little kisses down her jawline, and she continued answering his questions between happy sighs. “And … you know, it wasn’t too much trouble to prepare. After all, I should get some practice, don’t you think? I’ll need to know how to plan much greater events … at some point in the future…”

Keith caught her hint squarely in the chest, and was glad to have his face hidden in her neck so the blaze upon his cheeks would be unseen. Inwardly he berated himself for the thousandth time for not having the guts to clear the way for Emma, a commoner from Rhodolite, to become his wife and Queen of Jade. He couldn’t propose until he knew the path would be easy for her. Yet he wasn’t going to start the official process until he was sure that was what she wanted – that he was what she wanted. It was a catch-22 that was a sure way to spiral into despair if he thought about it too long.

Of course the two of them were madly in love, and they spoke in terms of ‘always’ and ‘forever’ when expressing their feelings.

But they hadn’t ever sat down and plainly discussed the future.

What Emma just said now was the closest either of them had ever come to a proclamation of their intentions for marriage. He couldn’t swallow the fact that he had been too feckless to say something before Emma. Now that she had been brave enough to be the first one to break the ice, he couldn’t hesitate any longer. But oh, how he loathed for her to see his face like this: sweaty, nervous, pathetic!

He moved his lips to her ear, giving it a quick kiss before whispering with a tone that flowed with love and hope, “It’s my dearest wish to put you in that position, Emma my beloved. I didn’t want to come across as presumptuous. Or … maybe I simply lacked the courage to speak to you about it before. Or … or –”

He was interrupted by her hands dragging his face up and her lips seeking his. She kissed him long and hard, not letting go until several seconds had passed, then huffed out, “Keith. I’ve felt you wanted to marry me. I could tell in every action, every look, every touch. But hearing you say this? Hearing that you want it just as much as I do, just as much as I always thought you did? It puts my heart at ease to know, with certainty, that you feel the same as I do.”

She held his cheeks firmly as he tried to look away, forcing him to return her gaze. He saw nothing but kindness swimming in her eyes. She waited a beat longer, holding his gaze before continuing, “And that’s enough for now. You don’t need to rush into … well, anything. The wheels of monarchy creak along slowly. You don’t need to do it alone, though. I’m here to help, to support, in whatever way you need. And that’s all there is to it. Alright?”

The corner of his mouth quirked up in chagrin, already finding another fault in himself no doubt. But he nodded regardless because he believed her. A feeling of triumph and pride soon overtook his usual shame. This conversation was a true breakthrough! She wanted to marry him! He wanted to marry her! With elation, he leaned in to kiss her deeply, eliciting a moan from Emma. As his lips left hers and he began to nibble down her neck, he asked, “This cabin, you said it quite a ways from here? Does that mean it’s isolated? Not in a village? No neighbors?”

Fingers roved through his sandy hair as she gasped at his adventurous kisses plunging down her collar. She endeavored to think and answer at the same time, “Mm-hmm. I think so. I didn’t – hmm ah! – didn’t see any other buildings around.”

She was about to follow up by asking why he wanted to talk about this now, when there were obviously other things the two were thinking about. But suddenly she felt Keith smiling against her cleavage, and he glanced up at her with a devastatingly hungry look, saying, “Good, then there will be no one close enough to hear us. We can be as loud as we want.”

—----------------

Their first evening at the cabin was full of excitement. The snug little building was cute and clean, if a bit sparse. There was a distinct sensation of ‘playing house’ for the couple as they went about getting the bedroom ready, cooking dinner, and getting the hearthfire going.

While they ate, they talked over all the misfortunes the trip had entailed: Broken wheel, missed ship, horrible sea voyage, ruined luggage, lost time, and extra expenses. Yet when they remunerated all the bad things, they were able to point out good things that came out of each predicament. The rye was harvested in record time, Keith’s good reputation was solidly implanted in that village, the wheelwright was able to afford much-needed upgrades due to Keith’s generous payment, Emma’s baggage was now better than ever, the leatherworker was able to afford the expensive medicine his wife needed.

There wasn’t anything positive they could come up with to say about the merchant ship, until Emma suddenly remembered, “There was that night you held me from behind, keeping me warm and whispering the sweetest things in my ear. Remember? On the deck? The night sky was full of stars. The steady sound of the prow sloughing through the sea will stay in my head forever, just as that memory will. I remember thinking: ‘It doesn’t matter if I’m on a floating palace or a rickety fishing boat. As long as Keith is with me, I’m content and I’m where I need to. All I need to be happy is Keith.’ And I don’t think I would have encountered such strong, resolute determination if I hadn’t been in that situation. The foul odiousness of that ship contrasted so starkly against the purity and strength of having you next to me.”

Keith wanted to cover his face with his hands to hide his blush. He really couldn’t stand the way she heaped compliments upon him, and had the audacity to say it with such a sincere smile! He quickly turned the conversation back to reflect on her merits. “You were amazing with those children. I would never have thought to strike a bargain like that, nor could I have done that all by myself. You’re a natural. I loved watching you holding the baby…” he cleared his throat and barreled on, switching the subject, “That just goes to show that you are the one who cares about helping people, and are resourceful, and reliable, and kind, and capable. And everything I wish I was.”

With a self-deprecating smile, he reached across the table to hold her hand. She squeezed his, ready with a rebuttal to help buoy his self-esteem, “Darling. You are all those things. Hasn’t this trip shown that? Together, we can overcome anything. I couldn’t have done any of this on my own.”

Keith had to admit that he was only able to jump into action when the wheel cracked because he was intent on keeping his Emma safe. In fact, the desire to prove himself capable in her eyes was the driving motivation for enduring all the mishaps on the trip. If he had been by himself, there’s no telling how well he would have fared. But with Emma there to support him and be the reason he needed to ‘man up’, he knew her words were true: together they could overcome anything.

They had decided to go to bed early and wake up a little after midnight because the locals had said that was the best time to view the Aurora. Due to the odd hour, it was Alter!Keith who unexpectedly awoke in the middle of the night. He walked to the door that led to the balcony and looked through the window at the sky. Grumbling, he let the curtain fall closed again and climbed back into bed. Emma stirred awake at the movement, sleepily calling out, “Keith? Is it time to go outside?”

“It’s me, not him. And no, there’s nothin’ worth looking at. Whole damn sky is covered with clouds. If it had been the right conditions, I woulda let him switch over because I know he wouldn’t want to miss it. But ...” He moved closer and wrapped an arm around her hips to pull her flush against him as he continued in that gravely sleep-soaked voice, “I think I’ll let him sleep a little longer. You, though, aren’t gonna get much sleep tonight, sweet cheeks.”

—-----------------

Long after the sun had risen, the couple slept late to thoroughly enjoy the laid-back schedule. Keith was first to arise; he noticed the new pink marks the other man had left on her skin in last night’s pleasures. He sighed regretfully, more for having missed the chance to enjoy her himself than for missing the Aurora.

That night they resumed the same pattern as before, with going to bed early and planning to wake up after midnight in hopes of seeing the dancing lights. Luck was on their side that night! The humidity and wind were just right, the sky was clear of a single cloud, the moon was just a tiny sliver. Keith excitedly woke Emma, then wrapped themselves in thick boots, hooded cloaks and then in more blankets before settling on the bench outside on the balcony. The mountains were visible on either side, and the broad flat valley and its bubbling river spread out before them, creating the perfect stage for the heavens to put on an unforgettable performance.

“Oh. My. Word. It shimmers like a magic trick!” Emma breathed the words, mesmerized.

The couple sat transfixed, silent for nearly twenty minutes as the bright green glow warped into misty shapes, faded, and lit up again as vertical shards of light wavered across the sky.

She snuck a peak at Ketih’s face, which was awash in the verdant hue of the Aurora. His eyes sparkled, a childlike look of wonder writ across his features. He noticed her staring, and looked her way at last with a wry smirk, “You’re supposed to be watching the lights, my dearest. Not me.”

“I’ve got two eyes. I can keep one of them on you while I take in this amazing sight.” She grinned and snuggled closer to him, to which he responded by wrapping an arm around her waist to impart more body heat.

“It would be a shame to waste even one of your precious eyes on me. You can look at me any time. But this rare phenomenon is something you may never see again.”

Her cheek nuzzled his shoulder as she gazed skyward once more, letting out a contented hum, “We could always come back here? This would make a cozy spot for our honeymoon.”

Keith’s hand flexed tightly around her hip at the word ‘honeymoon’, mirroring the way his heart was squeezing. He softly muttered, “Or sooner than that,” as his thoughts drifted to the little jewelry box stowed away in one of the shelves of his dresser back in Jade.

It contained his great grandparents’ rings. They were originally part of the collection of family heirlooms, but had never been treated like the great ornate pieces of the crown jewels because they were not that impressive. There were modest gold bands with a few small green gems. Their unassuming beauty and elegance reminded him of Emma. His grandparents had had a fairytale romance full of joy and love, a rarity for royals. Ever since he had decided he needed Emma in his life, he had hunted them out of the collection, tucking them away for the eventual proposal. Keith hoped that maybe just by wearing them, his grandparents’ legendary luck in love would rub off on him and Emma. He pictured himself sitting out on this balcony in the near future, with a ring in his pocket, waiting for that perfect moment.

He had been a standstill for too long, fettered by indecision.

Soon it would be time for him to finally take action.

(This is the daytime view the couple would have had from their balcony in Achroite)

Author’s Note: This story was partly inspired by my own recent failed attempts to watch the Northern Lights with my husband, lol. With Keith’s love of astronomy I thought a rare cosmic phenomenon would be on his bucket list, especially being situated so far away from either of the globe’s poles. I had the entire story outlined and was well on my way with the narrative before Keith’s route was released. Of course I started reading it the say it was out, but I was only on chapter 20 at the time I finished writing this, so if anything is wildly OOC for him or Alter!Keith, I apologize. However, it is very satisfying to see that as I got that far in his route, most of the inner thoughts and outer reactions I wrote for him were things I later on saw in his route. Yay! It’s so nice when that happens. I really hope @violettduchess like this. Thank you for asking for Keith; he is a true treasure. I had so much fun taking on this assignment for the exchange.

#ikemen prince gift exchange #ikepri keith #ikemen prince keith #keith howell #iz recommends #recommend

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aquilapolariz · 6 months

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awww what a sweet scenario- i love the poems used as well!!

Read to Me

Chevalier asks MC to read some poetry to him, much to her surprise. She soon realizes a book of poems isn't as innocent as it sounds. Approx 1600 words.

Written for the Ikemen Prince Gift Exchange! This is for @aquagirl1978

Chevalier regarded the former Belle and future queen with a bland expression. She was still explaining her idea for a family picnic and how she might include everyone -

“I think it would be easy enough to convince Yves and Licht, of course, and Clavis would show up just to cause chaos but Nokto is so hard to pin down!” Her eyes were bright with determination, showing a glint of the steel in her soul. “I was thinking of putting some perfume on his invitation - not mine, of course! And lipstick?”

He didn’t care whether or not she held her picnic, though he had no doubt she would. And every one of his brothers would be there, because she knew how to ask them. She’d grown into her position in the palace. Emissary of the Brutal Beast. The King’s common lover. Keeper of his library, and his heart. Chevalier found his lips curling into a small smile.

“Did you think of something for Sariel? I can’t pull him away from his work for even an hour and -”

“Come.” Chev stood and held out his hand. When she took it, he still felt her warmth prickle along the nerves of his arm and speed his beating heart. He didn’t think he would ever get used to the love in her eyes nor the simple trust she placed in him. His calloused hand cupped her small, soft fingers gently as if she were blown glass.

She said nothing as he led her out of the library and into the garden. Late summer brought out the riotous colors, every plant weighted with heavy-headed blossoms. But it was only when they came within sight of the rose-entwined gazebo that she made a noise. Soft, breathy. A sigh just on the edge of hearing.

Roses in scarlet and crimson twined about the wood structure, curling up the columns and hanging in vermillion boughs at every opening. The air was scented with their perfume and even the light took on a pink tinge within the confines of that place.

Chevalier’s heartbeat faltered a moment as the sound she made brought back a tumble of memories. Her parted lips, heavy-lidded gaze, soft breasts in the glow of afternoon sun. The feel of her skin beneath him. Perfect recall was not always a strength, he thought, mildly chagrined.

He led her to the wood bench beneath the awning, a hidden spot, a favorite place to go and read without being disturbed. “Sit.”

She sat down beside him, her smile more beautiful to him than the curtain of roses around them. There was no blossom to compare. “Thank you for showing me this, Chevalier. I get so caught up in palace stuff that I forget to enjoy being here.”

His snort of laughter was soft and not unkind.

She nestled into his side with a happy sigh.

“Here.” He fished his newest acquisition from an inner pocket. The slim volume had no title painted on the leather cover, nor an author’s name. “Read to me.” Chevalier kissed her temple, inhaling the scent of her.

“Mmm. Alright. What page are you on?” She raised an eyebrow, expectantly.

“I have not begun it yet.” Her little gasp of surprise pushed his smile wider. “I thought to save it for you. Something to share.” He could feel the way her pulse sped at his words. The effect of such a small gesture of affection. Chevalier loved her reactions.

She opened the book, flipping past the title page and the list of contributing authors. Eager to get to the meat of it, so to speak. “Ok. Umm, this one is . . . Come Slowly, Eden? It looks like - poetry?” Her head tilted to better regard him.

“I like poetry. Sometimes.” He couldn’t help the slight, teasing tone to his voice. “Go on.”

“Right. So -

Come slowly – Eden! Lips unused to Thee – Bashful – sip thy Jessamines – As the fainting Bee – Reaching late his flower, Round her chamber hums – Counts his nectars – Enters – and is lost in Balms.”

She paused, read back through it again, her eyes tracing the lines, fingertips light on the edges of the pages. “Chevalier . . . is this love poetry?”

“Is it?” He raised an eyebrow. “Continue. Your question is better answered by the text.” Chev pulled her tight against his hip, settling his arm around her shoulders.

“I had no idea.” She laughed. “Love poems. And you’ll remember every single line?”

“Of course, simpleton. Stop delaying.”

“Mhmmm.” She was flushed slightly now, her cheeks warm. “Next then.” She flipped the page, scanning the text with her eyes.

“Carnal apple, Woman filled, burning moon, dark smell of seaweed, crush of mud and light, what secret knowledge is clasped between your pillars? -” She paused, scanning all the way down the page now, gaze flitting from line to line, lips parted in mute surprise before she mumbled - “Kiss by kiss I cover your tiny infinity, your margins, your rivers, your diminutive villages, and a-”

Her breath trembled as she read and re-read the text. “Ah, let’s - let’s pick a different one, hm?”

“You don’t like that one?” His fingertip traced the edge of her ear.

“Chevalier!” She threw him a glare, though she knew he could see right past her faux-outrage.

“Pick another, then.” He watched as she thumbed through the pages, her eyes going wider with each printed line of dark ink. She didn’t seem likely to stop on one. Her shyness, even after all this time, amused him. As if there were any poems in this book more erotic than the love they made. “That one,” he chose for her.

She squirmed a moment and then surrendered. “You don’t even know if you like this one.”

“I will know after you read it.” He rested his chin atop her head.

“Whatever happens with us, your body will haunt mine—tender, delicate your lovemaking . . .”

Her breath was shallower than usual, and he could feel the pounding of her heart against his chest. How silly and precious she was, this lover of his. Chevalier eased her onto his lap, enjoying the solid warmth of her pressing against him.

“Mmm . . .” She gave him a look that said she knew all too well he was teasing, but that she planned to go along with it.

“like the half-curled frond of the fiddlehead fern in forests just washed by sun.”

Chevalier let his lips find the edge of her ear. Brushing her skin lightly there, his breath ghosting across her cheek.

“I - I can’t concentrate when you do that. I thought you wanted me to read?” She wriggled defiantly, knowing exactly the effect such a motion would have on him.

He bit back the breathy groan and gave her the iciest look he could muster. “Read.”

The slight curl of her lips told him she was well aware of her effect, noise or no.

“Your traveled, generous thighs between which my whole face has come and come— the innocence and wisdom of the place my tongue has found th- there—”

Her stuttering was more the effect of his teeth grazing her neck, than the text, he thought. Her skin was salty-sweet, a slight bitter tang from her perfume, sweat, and the deliciousness of her.

She tried to ignore his touch, but focusing on the sensual language was no help. Her voice quavered as she read on.

“the live, insatiate dance of your nipples in my mouth— your touch on me, firm, protective, searching me out . . .”

Her entire face was hot now, and she licked the corner of her mouth with the tip of her tongue.

The gesture made Chevalier want to kiss her. “Is that the last line?” He knew it was not. He could see the page easily enough and had already learned the words by heart.

“No but . . . Chevalier . . . it’s -” She gestured to the book helplessly.

“Read it to me.” He spoke the words against her skin. His rasping voice sent a trembling pleasure through her and she bit her lip in rebellion to it.

Her expression was one of internal conflict. The desire to give in to his demands and her natural defiance. “Alright. Here,

your strong tongue and slender fingers reaching where I - I -”

Chevalier smiled as she stumbled over the final lines. Her breath was thready with excitement, and her heart sped faster still. He loved seeing her like this, nearly undone by a few words and light touches. Her reaction had nearly undone him as well. Though he hid it well - no blushing or gasping breath for him - his pulse was racing too, and a certain tension coiled in him. “Go on.”

She cleared her throat,

“I had been waiting years for you in my rose-wet cave—whatever happens, this is.”

Her eyes read over the words again, tracing the ink with her fingertip.

He lifted her hand from the page and kissed the tip of her finger, his lips and tongue and teeth tasting her. From one finger to another, her palm, her wrist. Chevalier wanted to devour her whole. To strip her here, in this blossom bower and love her with every part of him until every part of her was claimed. He nearly shook with restraint as he let go of her hand.

“Chevalier.” His name said with equal parts love and desire. She turned to face him, her fingers traced the line of his jaw. Brushed his lower lip, satin on velvet. Then she kissed him, soft and hungry.

His arms went around her, pulling her closer. Heat like an August sun beneath the ice of his exterior burst through him. The moment stretched, shared breath and the possessive tangle of limbs and lips, tongues and teeth. Sighs stained the close-held air, petal-soft caresses kept secret by the gallery of roses.

Come Slowly, Eden by Emily Dickinson

Carnal Apple, Woman Filled, Burning Moon by Pablo Neruda

The Floating Poem, Unnumbered by Adrienne Rich

#ikemen prince gift exchange #ikemen prince #chevalier michel #iz recommends

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aquilapolariz · 6 months

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gosh im not even a chev stan but your writing made me feel like i waS??? wonderful description and characterization, this was brilliant!!!