#(anyway this fic isn't about the wars of the roses but one of the chapter titles is The Kingmaker which was an accidental pun btw)

[nostalgia-tblr]

in fic news i realised that i've accidentally commited myself to several scenes of jotunn!sylvie porn rather than just the one that i'd initially added mainly for the weirdness factor

[master-amaris]

Blood Bond - A Naruto Fanfiction

|| Multi Chapter || Uchiha-centric || Canon Divergent AU || Alternate Storyline: Uchiha coup d'état instead of massacre || featuring OCs || Angst || Light Gore || weekly updates since I already finished writing this fic || author's Note at the end of the chapter

Itachi and Shisui fail to stop their clan. Instead, Fugaku follows through with his coup d'état and brings Konoha to its knees in a single night, changing the fate of his clan, his sons, and the entire ninja world forever…

Chapter One Before You Start a War, You better Know what You're Fighting For

"This is the point of no return, isn't it?" Mikoto asked when she saw his hands dripping with blood. "Yes," Fugkau replied, pulling the door shut behind him. Her arms tightened their grip around Sasuke's body, who slept on her lap with his cheek against her chest. "All of them?" "Almost." She watched her husband rubbing the damp red from his skin with a white towel, leaving dark edges under his fingernails. "Danzō is still missing." "And… Itachi?" Mikoto only managed a whisper. "What about him?"

No answer. She assumed that spoke for itself, and the conclusion filled her eyes with tears.

"Please, Fugaku." She started to shiver. "If he-... Or if you-... I just want to know if-..." A first tear ran down her cheek, allowing her to see clearly for an instant before her vision blurred again and cleared up once more as the second tear beaded from the corner of her eye. "Is he all right?"

Fugaku put the towel aside. "Don't worry, he's alive. We confronted and arrested him near the Nakano River."

Her heart was pounding so frantically that she feared it might awaken the boy in her arms. "And what will happen with him?"

Fugaku brushed the blood-soaked shirt from his body. A fresh one lay ready for him to unfold. "That's yet to be decided. But treason is treason, Mikoto."

Mikoto brushed the tears from her face with the back of her hand. "I see..."

Silence. For minutes. But Mikoto had this feeling that even without words, Fugaku could hear what she was thinking anyway.

"I'll do what I can," Fugaku said eventually. "But I don't know if I can help."

"You must try." Mikoto could barely speak, trying so hard to hold back the tears. Her voice sounded painfully harsh. "Itachi is our son, despite everything. Please don't forget that. I don't want to lose him!"

"We already have." Fugaku stood with his back facing her; that way, she couldn't see that his eyes were also starting to glisten treacherously. "Itachi picked his side. Even if I succeed in convincing the others to spare his life, it won't change anything. He made his choice, and he won't change his mind. He's gone, out of reach." Fugaku's shoulders trembled. "It would be less painful if he... If he was..."

"If he was dead," Mikoto whispered. She lifted Sasuke a few inches, pulled her legs out from under his body, and carefully bedded him back down on the tatami mats. "Yes, it would be," she continued as she rose and walked toward her husband. " Being allowed to mourn our son's death would be less painful than having to despise him for his betrayal."

Eleven steps separated her from Fugaku: ...nine. Ten. Eleven...

Mikoto wrapped her arms around his stomach and nestled her chin against his shoulder, kissing his neck. With a sigh, Fugaku let his cheek sink against her hair. "I never will."

"Of course not," she mumbled, "He is your son. You will always love him." And you'll never recover from losing him. It will always hurt. "Just never let anyone but me know how you truly feel. They would misunderstand your pain and lose faith in you."

Fugaku turned around in her embrace. I know, the bleak expression on his face declared, and Mikoto's heart wanted to break when she saw his bloodshot eyes and wet cheeks.

She sobbed, digging her fingers into the folds of his shirt. "Yet, if they insist on his execution, you mustn't hesitate. Just do it." She shivered again. "Do it yourself and make sure it's quick. Don't let our son suffer."

Fugaku raised his left hand, grazing her temple with his fingertips, brushing her jaw and cheek, and finally stoking her lips before touching them with his. "I won't," he whispered into the kiss.

Heaving a sigh, Mikoto wrapped both arms around his neck and snuggled closer into his arms as a knock tapped against the door behind them.

"It's time, Commander. We're ready to go."

Mikoto felt the Fugaku's reluctance as he broke away from her lips. "In a minute," he answered through the closed door. The sudden harshness in his voice gave Mikoto's heart and stomach a twinge. "You guys go ahead. I'll catch up."

"Copy that."

Mikoto wavered while listening to footsteps echoing away. Then, she brushed the tears off Fugaku's face. Despite her own, she forced a smile. "Are you ready?" "Determined by all means."

Fugaku took her hands in his and blew them a kiss before carefully pushing past her to walk the eleven steps to the sleeping Sasuke.

Mikoto remained in place. Fresh tears filled her eyes as she watched her husband kneel down beside the child, stroking back his black hair to kiss his forehead. "I love you, son," Fugaku whispered. "When you wake up, it will be over. Everything will be all right at last." He kissed Sasuke a second time. "I promise."

"Have you ever put your hands inside a human's head?" Natsume asked.

His right pointer and middle finger lodged in a young unconscious Uchiha's eye socket, gushing more blood than it could hold.

Satoshi scrunched up his nose. "No."

"You won't be able to make that claim in a few seconds anymore. Come here."

Reluctantly, Satoshi drew a few steps closer and settled on his knees in the grass next to Natsume. The pressure of his knees squeezed seeped blood from the ground. It welled to the surface and soaked the fabric of his gray pants.

"My fingers are plugging the wound he's bleeding from," Natsume explained. "I can close it, but I need a minute or two to prepare the jutsu. You need to keep the pressure in the meantime to make sure he doesn't lose more blood."

Satoshi gulped. "Are you serious?"

"I rarely joke about people bleeding out, you know." The unconscious Uchiha under Natsume's hand twitched. "Come on, go ahead - before he comes around."

"Do I disinfect my hands first?" Satoshi asked, his gaze glued to Natsume's hand; the upper thirds of his pointer and middle finger disappeared between eyelashes and lids.

Natsume raised an eyebrow. "What do you think, huh?"

"Sorry." Satoshi cleared his throat, "I've never done anything like this before."

A small plastic bottle of disinfectant was lying in the grass beside the unconscious young man, whose black T-shirt was decorated with the Uchiha emblem. Satoshi's hand trembled as he picked the bottle up and pressed its beak-shaped cap down several times.

Fine spray wetted his skin and gathered into a thin film, which Satoshi carefully rubbed on both hands. The smell of alcohol burned in his nose, and the hairs on his arms erected - partly because of the cool disinfectant spray, partly because of the thought of poking a bleeding eye socket. He reached out for the fleshy cavity but hesitated at the sight of his fingernails: all at once, they seemed like claws.

"Baka!" hissed Natsume as Satoshi, without warning, put his hand in his mouth in a swift motion to nibble his fingernails down to the tip. "Now you can disinfect your hands again! Why don't you do that before?"

Satoshi picked up the disinfectant spray a second time. "Sorry," he repeated, spitting out the thin scrap of horn he had plucked off his fingernails. "I've really never done anything like this before."

"Trust me," Natsume sighed, "I can see that: you don't have to tell me every few seconds."

"Very helpful, man. Really. Thanks."

Natsume clicked his tongue. "Now, put your fingers in there already!"

Satoshi floundered as he carefully dipped his pointer into the puddle of red, with his middle finger following.

That's just a jar of strawberry jam that's been sitting in the sun too long, he implored himself. That's why it's warm. That's why it's sticky. Because it's melted strawberry jam, not blood: sweet jam that attracts wasps and molds if you don't put it in the fridge.

The blood smacked as Satoshi's fingers displaced it from the eye socket. It spilled over the rims and ran down Uchiha's pale face: over his temples into his ears; over his cheeks, chin, and neck into his clothes; over his brows and forehead into the roots of his black, shaggy hair. The socket wall felt like the sludge of rotten fruit, and the blood felt even stickier, slimier, than expected. More like syrup than jam. Scraps of coagulated blood floated in the pool, and Satoshi had the impression that they had a life of their own, actively wrapping his fingers.

"I think I'm going to be sick..." he muttered. His wrist bumped against Natsume's as they got in each other's way in the narrow eye socket.

"You got it?" Natsume asked.

Satoshi's fingers slid to Natsume's spot. Something pulsed against his skin, and he felt like tearing into a squashed slug, yet he bravely swallowed his nausea. "Got it."

Had Tetsuka Amaya not dislocated her left shoulder during a mission two weeks earlier, much would have ensued differently that evening. She probably would have been with Natsume and Satohi instead of hovering over the sink at home, burying her face in the red pulp of a watermelon. With each bite, drops of the sticky juice dripped down her fingers and splashed into the drain with hollow "plong!" sounds.

She stood in the kitchen barefoot, wrapped in a white towel with dark blue spots. Little beads of sweat glistened on her deep brown skin from the hot bath she had taken a few minutes ago, with her hair still damp from the shower she had taken before climbing into the tub. Coiffed into a bunch of neat twists, the strands stuck to her shoulders and her back. Little drops of water ran down the lengths of her dense, violet curls and settled in their tips until they grew too heavy and splashed on the white floor tiles.

A fresh breeze blew through the open kitchen window, carrying the words of a harsh voice from a distance: "All villagers, retreat to the evacuation tunnels immediately! This is an order from the Hokage! Konoha is in danger! Keep calm and look out for each other!" Amaya heard the call but did not perceive it. It was yet too distant, too muffled to stand out; just one sound among many alongside birdsong, the tinkling wind chimes outside the window, and the barking dogs of the Inuzuka whose estate was across the street. "All ninja assemble at the 34th training area! Wait for further instructions!"

Amaya let the gnawed melon rind slap into the sink and licked the sweet juice from her fingers and lips before reaching for the next piece. A few brown-black seeds plopped onto her bare toes as she bit from this second slice but didn't lean forward over the sink fast enough. At that moment, the doorbell rang. Smacking her lips, Amaya squinted at the clock above the stove.

About an hour too early, claimed its hands.

Amaya put the nibbled piece of melon back on the plate and wiped her mouth and fingers with a checkered dish towel. "Not ready yet, Anko," she shouted, advancing to the house entrance, slurring her words as she used a toothpick to pick pulp from her teeth. "But there's some sake in the fridge if you want to wait until I-"

Amaya broke off because she was close enough to the front door now to see that two people were waiting behind the sliding door: between the bars, their bodies cast crooked shadows on the cream-colored rice paper. A fist pounded against the wooden frame.

"Open up!" "There's a problem!"

Amaya tucked the towel neatly under her armpits because, judging from the voices, the shadows outside the door belonged to two men. Cautiously, she pulled the door open, a small crack to peer outside, facing two pairs of blood-red Sharingan eyes. "Yes?"

"We're here to see Tetsuka Jun," said one of the two men, a balding giant. He towered over Amaya by two heads, his companion still by one." He is to report to the conference room of the Hokage residence immediately. Sandaime's orders."

The sun was already hanging quite low over the horizon, casting its light on the Tetsuka house at a steep angle, blinding Amaya. She had to shield her eyes with her hand to keep from blinking. "My father is on a mission," she explained, "I don't know when he'll be back."

The men exchanged a quick glance. The bald guy shrugged.

"What's your name, girl?" the other asked. His eyes sparkled as he looked at Amaya.

She pulled the towel tighter. "Tetsuka Amaya."

"Tetsuka Amaya," he repeated, nodding slowly. Amaya suddenly remembered very clearly how she had seen a hissing rattlesnake by the roadside for the first time many years ago. Its eyes had sparkled in a way similar to his. "Then you will attend in place of your father. No one will mind. As long as the Tetsuka clan is represented..."

Amaya shook her head. "Represented at what? What's going on?"

"All villagers, retreat to the evacuation tunnels immediately! This is an order from the Hokage! Konoha is in danger! Keep calm and look out for each other! All ninja assemble at the 34th training area! Wait for further instructions!"

Instinctively, Amaya turned her head in the direction from which she suspected the call. This time, she perceived it: during the past few minutes, it had moved from the center of the village closer to the district in the south where Amaya lived with her father. Her heartbeat quickened.

"What's going on?" she asked again. Her voice started to tremble.

The guy with the sparkling eyes waved her off, "You'll find out soon enough." "Just hurry," his companion added. "Remember, come to the conference room of the Hokage's residence. It is very urgent."

Without another word of explanation, the two men turned their backs on Amaya and strode down the three steps of the staircase that connected the front yard and porch. The Uchiha crest emblazoned the backs of their gray shirts.

Amaya remained in the doorway, perplexed, watching the two men with a thumping heart and an unpleasant tug in her lower abdomen as they took the narrow gravel path through the front yard, past the yellow chrysanthemums, the purple-speckled toad lilies, and the golden-orange azaleas. The gravel crunched under their feet until they passed the brass gate in the garden fence, overgrown with ivy.

Dust swirled from the road as the two Uchiha crossed it in a diagonal line. They stopped in front of the wooden gate to the Inuzuka estate.

On the gate was a sign showing a black dog with ruffled fur. The animal wore an eye patch over its right eye, and its left ear was missing. The retracted chaps exposed yellowed fangs. "I need five seconds to get to the door," red characters informed. "And you?"

Undeterred, the bald Uchiha's fist pounded against the wooden gate. "Open up!" And the other added, "There's a problem!"

Behind the wall, a storm of growling, yapping, and howling erupted, punctuated by hissing "Shhh!" sounds or shouts of "Off! Off!" before the gate swung open. Kiba, a little boy with brown hair and fair skin, appeared. On his head, he carried Akamaru, his white puppy.

"Yes?" Amaya heard the little boy ask. "We're here to see Inuzuka Tsume." "'Mom! Here's a baldie who wants to see you!"

Amaya took a deep breath and retreated into the house to get dressed. She began to understand, The Hokage is gathering the clan leaders. Whatever's happening, it's bad.

She had no way of guessing that the Hokage was already dead.

Dividers by @/ohmarigold

Autor's note: I'm so happy and excited to finally share this fic after putting so much time, thought, and passion into it. This project started with the question, what if Fugaku's coup d'etat had been successful? As I began to imagine this alternative scenario, I also tackled the question of how the Uchiha would've pulled that off and found that this was an entire story on its own. And I can already promise a lot of angst as it gets pretty gritty :D

Thank you so much for sticking around to the end of the chapter! I really hope you liked the kick-off. If so, please consider reblogging, and if you take the time and energy to leave a comment, I'll be forever grateful.

[mitsuki91]

WIP Wednesday

Thank for the tag @giosnape 🥰🥰🥰

I am not writing much, I am extra busy this days, but I am translating my fic, so... I post some "spoiler" 👀👀

The hunter

I updated today, but here are some quotes for the next chapter:

James nodded, still with his face covered, trying to compose himself. He had to think of something else. He had to think...

He heard Harry walk away, heading for the kitchen, and then concentrated on the first thing that passed through his mind - on Rose, on her body under his imperious and gentle hands, on her moans in his ears, on the way she gave herself to him so passionately...

Shit. He wanted to see her.

The saying that for anything a healthy fuck was the only possible cure, even for his first attempt at blackmail, always held true.

James inhaled, trying to calm the erection that was suddenly tensing in his trousers. Would Rose have been available if he had sent her a Patronus later...?

James fervently hoped so. After all, he'd only been fucking her all summer now - she was the only one allowed into Grimmauld Place - and, he had to start admitting, he didn't mind it that much. He could almost see Molly's mischievous smile at this consideration and, upset, he decided to get up and go to the kitchen, to help his father and to put an end to all those troublesome thoughts.

Story with no name yet - a Snily 😏

I write only the first chapter and I posted something but I suppose no one see 😂

Soooo now I copy-paste all the letter Lily wrote to Severus - context: after she was informed about the prophecy and that a Death Eather was a spy for the Order:

Sev,

how are you? I think not well these days. Dumbledore has just summoned us to the school telling us about a Prophecy concerning Harry and a Death Eater who has become a spy... It's you, isn't it? It has to be you.

It has to be, or this letter would be useless. I literally ran out of the headmaster's office to go down and write to you, secretly from everyone; I didn't know how but I think this is the only way. I heard you got the Potions class and I'll eat my hands if the two things are not connected, I... I hope you find this letter. After all, I'm hiding it in our last happy memory and if, as I think, you're the spy, then that means that somewhere in you never stopped thinking about me, at least a little.

God, I'm not good with words.

Shall I tell you about me first? Some superficial small talk just to make up for lost time? Ahah... I mean. Apart from the war, and this Prophecy thing that's got me scared shitless, I'm fine. Relatively fine. I'm a new mum so it's stressful, but I adore Harry with all my heart, as you can imagine. James treats me well and he's a great dad. Good. Update finished.

And now I'm supposed to get to the hard stuff. God, I have too many thoughts in my head. What to say? How to say it?

I've been agonising over the same issues for years, Sev. Until I was sure you were a Death Eater, though, I had to swallow everything and move on, because I had no other fucking choice left.

Do you have any idea how I felt?

But maybe I'm getting ahead of myself.

The news is still so fresh in my mind and I... Sigh.

Sev, the reality is that a lot of what I want to tell you also depends on why you decided to switch sides in this war. Is it because my life is in danger? It would mean something, indeed a lot, but at the same time it would still be pointless, because it means you never understood the extent of your mistakes, and there's a part of me that couldn't forgive you anyway. Maybe I'll never be able to. But, on the other hand... If you have seen and experienced the horror of being on the wrong side of this conflict and have decided to act out of conscience, or out of remorse, that also means that this letter is just pathetic in your eyes, and that I have disappeared from your heart. I don't know, Sev. I don't know what to think.

I only know that if you are the spy, the only thing I want to do is to find you after this war is over. Talk, really talk. I want to hear everything from your lips, Sev, even the things we never said to each other.

Because that's how it is, isn't it, Sev? We've each kept our own secrets and look where that got us. Preoccupied with the outside world and deaf to ourselves.

You must have wondered, I know you must have wondered, if you cared at all, why James Potter of all people. Why torture you like this, with your biggest bully, with your nemesis? Why, after what he had done; after he was the one who had, even indirectly, put an end to our friendship?

I told you that he treats me well, that he takes care of me and Harry. This is true. And as much as Harry has been a surprise that has brought more thought than joy - a son in my twenties during a war! I am not stupid to this extent, Sev - the truth is that none of this would have happened if not for you.

Because, in the pain of my seventeen years, in the wreckage of my broken heart for you, Sev - and it is a suffering that never, never goes away - James was the only one who could make you suffer as you had made me suffer. The only sentence I could make you serve, the only revenge I could take.

The only way to seek a reaction from you. Which there wasn't.

You were always distant, Sev. Almost indifferent. And you broke my heart twice with the knowledge that not even being with your most bitter enemy would bring you back to me.

The truth is that I let myself go, Sev. The truth is that I fight because the Death Eaters want to kill me, that I will go on and fight for my son, that I will still try to build a just world for him. The truth is that I love Harry far more than James, than myself… Than you. Because it's the only way I can survive, to make sense of my life.

The truth is that I was in love with you and you destroyed everything, including myself, and now I am just a fool to cling to the hope that you have changed… Even for me.

I write this letter to you so that my heart will not be lost in this war. Because Prophecy is a serious thing and I am scared and see everything in negative, Sev.

Because I am afraid of dying.

But I want you to know that I would like to live... Also to find you, once again.

Yours,

Lily

Bruises

The Tom Riddle/Eileen Prince you have ask me to translate. I have not done it yet, so I copy-past only the summary:

He is different.

The aura of power he exudes is cracked. Tom smiles at her and it is terrible and, for the first time, his face conveys something so wrong that it alarms her: she doesn't understand it, she doesn't see it, but looking at him is like listening to the screeching of fingernails on a blackboard.

Unbearable.

"You are different," she tells him, as he enters their usual classroom, striding towards her with all the grace in the world.

Tom stops, stares at her; he tilts his head and widens his smile.

"Oh, Ely, Ely. My dear girl. Always so clever."

Well, enjoy! 🥰

I tag @postmariannizm and then I ask you to reply me of you are a fan writter! Because I can not place your name so I have no-one to tag in this games è.é Please link me one of your story!

[mercurygray]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love 💖

A Rose Among the Briars (Lord of the Rings, 2009-2015) Pressured by his father into a marriage of convenience, Boromir of Gondor is forced to reconsider his views on married life and women in general while his intended tries to come to terms with her own dilemmas.

This isn't the best thing I've ever written, but it's the story that taught me a lot on how to be a better writer. I wrote the first version in my middle school fandom salad days, and came back to it three years later during late high school. It took me six years to finish, including a year and a half when I wrote practically nothing. It was my first practice making sure characters had reasons to be places, and making sure they had things to do while they were there. It was the first time I worked with a large ensemble. It taught me the importance of giving my characters friends and scene partners. It taught me how to kill my darlings and keep focused on where the story was going. I love this story like it is my firstborn child and I will never stop talking about it.

A Woman Well-Reputed (Downton Abbey, 2014) Testing the waters of her interest in Charles Blake, Mary accepts an invitation to his cousin Sir Severus' house for a shooting weekend, and gets more than she bargained for making new acquaintances, and putting past love affairs to rest. Mary, Evelyn, Charles, and others.

This was one of the last fics I posted on FF.net. Practically no one read it, but I loved writing it. I got to research Irish stately homes, and the Ascendency, and 1920s politics. It was just a lot of fun for me - and it was a challenge to myself to tell a story completely and actually finish something, which I wasn't doing a whole lot of then.

The Cross, The Crescent, and The Star (A Discovery of Witches + Kingdom of Heaven, 2019)

Everyone comes to Jerusalem asking for something - forgiveness, glory, fame. Most questions go to God, but some come to the King, who wields a different kind of power. Baldwin the Fourth has a new chess partner, asking for land for a new monastery, and not all the members of his court are happy about it.

This was one of the first longer-format things I wrote after some time away from fandom; I like it because I set out to tell the whole story in six chapters and did. I also got to use one of my favorite original characters in a different context, which was fun to revisit and explore.

A Goddess's Lament After many years of silence, Amphitrite, the wife of Poseidon, recounts her life and how she came to be the figure she is in song and story, and how she met Percy before events in The Last Olympian. Bookverse.

There is a kind of sick, sad joy in coming into a fandom for a younger demographic than you and blowing the present state of fic out of the water, and I'm still so glad I did it. This is one of the most-reviewed things I've ever written, but I would love it endlessly anyway.

The Darkening Sky (2020 - present) "Some will say that it is a sad state of affairs when a country asks its women to go to war. But there is nothing sad about patriotism, and from coast to coast, America's women have answered the call in record-breaking numbers, happy and willing to serve in all branches of the service."

It's summer of 1942. America's at war, and all kinds of opportunities are opening up for women - including, if the recruiting posters are to be believed, as co-ed additions to an entirely new unit of parachute infantry. Will they have what it takes?

My newest, biggest, most ambitious baby since I finished Rose, and, dare I say it, the best thing I've ever written. If Rose is my firstborn, this fic is my secondborn triplets.

[5-falsehoods-phonated]

Overgrown Metal

Chapter 3: Keep Moving

Summary of fic: Almost two decades ago, the fae rose up from beyond the value with technology far surpassing the human race, quickly taking over after lating waste to nearly everything in their wake. Virgil and Roman, Society escapees and hunters run into an uncertain future while fleeing from their pasts. Remy and Remus stare their only chance straight in the face as they teeter on the edge of reluctant adventure. Emile is left his cousins engineering palace and is given the tools to change the world. Logan, a lone researcher and outcast is found by an old friend who offers him a chance of the century. Hyden (deciet), can shift into anything he so chooses, but staying true to his form as his heritage slaps him sideways proves harder than he thought. Patton mourns the loss of his son as he slowly uncovers secrets he wishes aren't related.

Or less wordy:

Eight idiots with trust issues fumble around each other and try to save the world from killer mechanical beasts and fairies that will snap your neck without taking their hands from their wine glasses.

Warnings: Violence, fight scenes, dark fantasy, apocalypse setting, some gore, blood

Warnings for this chapter: none. Though as always if you see something that should be tagged please say something.

Ships: Remy (sleep) x Remus. Brotherly Roman and Virgil. Platonic Logan and Hyden (Deciet)

The spacious barn creaked lazily as the sounds of swearing and hammering overflowed its weather worn walls. It had been repurposed years ago, the old owners either long dead or moved out once the forest began to take over. As it was now it had been cleared of the twisting roots and oddly growing branches that had once threatened to consume it completely, now standing in a small clearing with a house beside it sitting just as pristine. The barn, though repaired, leaned slightly to the side, braced on an extension that housed a lab of sorts with one other room branching out that acted as cold storage.

The main room itself was currently where loud banging could be heard with the occasional swear sprinkled in as the owner tried valiantly to seperate pieces of plate metal from the skull of a fallen beast, eyes vacant and jaw slack as it sat on the table surrounded by already disassembled parts of itself scattered about and repurposed to varying degrees. Jars of different colored oily substances sat on a cart nearby, with empty ones still waiting to be filled. The hammer was thrown down suddenly, its owners pointed ears twitching in irritation as he dragged a hand down his face and took a breath. Sighing loudly, Logan turned and stalked off to the other end of the room to get a crow bar off the rack in hopes that his new method would work.

As he began trying to pry between plates he felt more than heard the halting footsteps outside the barn, though who it was was clearly trying his best to be quiet. Rolling his eyes Logan slammed the crowbar in a weak spot and pulled hard enough to bend the plate and send the bar snapping back to narrowly miss his face. He scowled as sweat dripped into his eyes, rolling his shoulders and gripping the tool with a white knuckled grip.

"It truly is a wonder you haven't killed yourself yet. To think of all that education going to waste with a cracked skull in an old barn, it's almost enough to make me care to check in more."

"The only reason you come in here is because I'm the only thing within a hundred mile radius who doesn't wish you dead on sight."

"How you wound me. It's at least two hundred when I'm far enough away from the coast." Logan smirked as he heard the irritated tap of the others cane punctuating his statement.

Sighing, he placed the crowbar on the bench and turned to face the intruder, leaning against it while crossing his arms. "Hyden."

"Logan." The other greeted mutually. Though he was typically a bit more put together his thick caplet lay crookedly across his tense shoulders, arms taunt as he leaned heavily on his cane with both hands resting on the top. His long hair curled in the afternoon humidy and Logan definitely didn't miss the slight furrow of his brows, though he knew he would be loathe to admit he was in any sort of pain.

Letting out a heavier sigh Logan pushed away from the bench and gestured for the other to follow him. "Join me, I need a break anyway."

Hyden gasped. "The head scientist admitting he needs a break? Who's hand do I need to shake for downloading an once of self preservation into that thick skull?"

"I'll have you know I take breaks on a regular basis, something you clearly need to be reminded of."

"The audacity! I walk all the way here to visit a long time friend-"

"You walked?" Logan shot him a sharp glance as he held the door, gesturing the other into the old farmhouse.

Waving away the concern, Hyden continued. "I flew most of the way don't worry. I only ducked below the treeline the last few miles so I wouldn't be followed, you're welcome for the concern and forethought."

Snorting, Logan pulled out a chair and moved to collect containers of herbs and thr kettle, sighing for the fourth time as it was blatantly ignored for the refrigerator. As the kettle heated he carefully measured out the proper ingrediants, glancing over every now and again to try and catch what his guest was poking at.

"Are those by any chance agorose gels?"

Walking past the fridge to put things away he caught sight of what the other was observing, humming his confirmation.

"Logan, why do you have DNA gels next to leftover chicken salad in your refrigerator?"

"The chicken salad seems irrelevant." The kettle whistled to give him an excuse to avoid the question, carefully pouring out the boiling water.

"Logan."

"Hyden." The name slipped out easily despite his annoyance, making him wonder for a brief moment if he would struggle when he was finally told his real name.

The mans cane taps were heavier than normal as he made his way over to the table and flopped down without his usual show. Giving Loagn a quiet thank you he proceeded to wrap his hands around the steaming mug, frowning in concentration. "Are you trying to find them again?"

"I fail to comprehend what you could possibly-"

"Because they're trying to find you. And they're getting close."

Logan was quiet as he sat, his wrapped hands folding somewhat painfully around his own drink. Pursing his lips he avoided looking at Hyden for a long moment, nevertheless feeling his gaze attempting to pick him apart. Arranging his expression to be carefully neutral he took a drink, smiling as the other did so as well.

"Make sure to drink all of it, it'll help with pain."

"Did you even listen to what I said?!" Throwing his hands up in exasperation he fixed Logan with his best glare.

"Hard not to with that grating tone."

"Well this grating tone," he growled out. "Is telling you to get your head out of your ass and maybe make sure you're safe before telling someone else to take care of themselves."

Logan dragged a hand down his face, suddenly tired. "Where exactly do you expect me to go? I'm so close to figuring out what they're using to power those things, if I move now I won't have any access to the equipment I need, no studies will be concluded, and nearly all of my experiments will be left behind to rot! I need more time."

"Time isn't exactly a luxury here. You're being stubborn and ignorant, as usual, and if you would just listen-" he stopped short as he caught the look the other was giving him, letting out a breath of defeat and softening his tone. "It doesn't have to be today. But it does have to be soon. I'll even come with you, help you scout out a new location if you'd like. I'm sure there's plenty to be found with a little digging."

Mugs empty save for the dregs silence rang between them as they lost themselves in thought. Distantly Logan was aware of the old grandfather clock ticking, suddenly thinking what a shame it would be to leave the sound behind. He knew the other was right even before he fully decided to voice it. Instead he quietly looked over at him, the scales that freckled his face gleaming with the last rays of the evening sunlight. If they were truly leaving, they would have to be careful. Though he knew Hyden was loathe to do so he could easily shift his appearance to hide his scales. Logan wouldn't be so lucky, his slightly off colored skin and pointed ears a dead give away to what his heritage was, even if he had defected from it when the war broke out. He was obviously fae, and that would do him no favors outside of the protection of his remote location.

But he really couldn't stay. If the guard was truly zeroing in on his location he would much rather abandon his research and try to pick it up wherever he could than even think about getting caught and wondering whether he could escape before he was undoubtedly punished for his crimes against his people. He shuddered uneasily as he stood, carefully avoiding eye contact as he took the mugs to the sink and began to wash them. He stared out the window towards the treeline as he did, having to squint to make out the weak protective barrier set around the perimeter by Hyden years ago. Beyond that lay dense forest only a madman would dare trek through.

Or fae guards with strict orders.

Squaring his shoulders before they could droop in defeat he turned to face his companion with a level stare.

"Give me two days."

-------

"Two more days? I thought the town was closer than that." Virgil irritably kicked a stone into the water, splattering the bottom of Roman's pants. They huffed in response, their frustration easily matching Virgil's as they shifted the pack on their shoulders.

"I said at most two more days, it might be sooner than that. We've never really been this far out before, which is a good thing but it means guessing the distance. Pouting isn't going to make it be any closer."

"Not pouting." Virgil pouted, crossing his arms before realizing what he was doing and angrily shoving them in his hoodie pockets.

Snorting with amusement Roman shifted the pack again before grunting and heaving it up and off their shoulder, immediately sagging in relief. Their burden was lifted further as Virgil tugged it out of their grasp and shouldered it easily, walking ahead while adjusting to the weight.

"Thank you."

"You were slowing us down. Somebody's gotta make sure we stay on schedule."

Roman squawked with indignation, jogging a bit to catch up with the emos longer gait. Their mouth thinned as they thought of how to bring up a concern they'd been thinking about for a while, gripping the straps of their pack tightly in apprehension.

"Alright. Spill it." They blinked as Virgil stopped, dropping both the packs and plopping down in the dirt.

"What?"

"Being anxious is my job and right now you're forcing me into unemployment. So either talk or I'm throwing you in the river."

"You do and I'm eating the last two cans of spaghettios tonight while you get nothing but croutons."

Virgil narrowed his eyes. "I fucking dare you to go through with that threat. You do not come between a man and the last can of shitty microwave pasta."

"I have the food pack."

"And I have the flint and steel so start talking before I decide to set you on fire instead of drowning you."

Unceremoniously flopping to the ground they let out an annoyed huff while shrugging off the back pack. "Fine. I've been thinking....that with this next town..maaaaybe finding another person or two to travel with would be in our best interests?"

The last half of the thought came out rushed and nearly incomprehensible but Roman could tell Virgil had heard them clearly as his face adopted a carefully neutral expression, hands twisting tightly in his lap.

"Roman..."

"I know! I know, I definitely get it. But, it would be easier to carry supplies and we could have more! We wouldn't have to stop in towns so much-"

"Roman."

"And it might be safer! More people means more weapons means more protection right?"

"Roman."

They shut their mouth in worry at the defeated tone Virgil had adopted. He twisted his hands tighter, hesitant to continue now that he actually could.

"Am I not....do you not feel safe enough with me?"

Roman sucked in a breath as they realized how Virgil had taken their concerns, rushing to try and fix it. "It's definitely not that! I-Virgil I'm so sorry that isn't what I meant at all!"

They leaned forward and began gently detangling his fingers from each other, holding them tightly once they finally managed it. "Anx it isn't like that. I honestly worry that you aren't safe enough with me. And once our load gets heavier with trading supplies we slow down and it never seems like we're on the road long enough before what little supplies we can carry run out. It was only a thought I wanted to discuss, not an attack on your skill as a fighter."

Their eyes met Virgil's and they breathed a sigh of relief when they were met with understanding, nonetheless continuing to rub soothing circles across his knuckles until he pulled away.

"I guess..." he glanced over at the near overflowing pack of trading goods. "I guess I can see that yeah. But I don't-Roman how can we trust anyone?"

"We probably can't. But we'll look anyway and if we don't find anyone then we don't find anyone. Just, keep an open mind?"

Crossing his arms Virgil looked away to stare out at the water instead, face drawn with apprehension. After a minute he ducked his head in defeat, nodding slowly and standing up. "Yeah. We'll keep a look out. But if we do find someone and after a while they start to act shady we drop them alright? No debate."

"No debate." Roman readily agreed as they stood as well. They began walking again, the silence much less tense than it had been all afternoon. Grinning a bit, Roman smacked their lips in thought. "With that delay it might be two and a half days now."

"Oh come on!"

This work and others are available on AO3!

[kfawkes]

Drift - [Reylo]

[WELLLLP I couldn’t help myself cause I am TRASH. I hope you enjoy my first Reylo fic!!!!!!! <3 Obviously chalked full of spoilers! And things I wish happened/ I also made some shit up since we don’t exactly know how the Force Bond works….. BUT ANYWAY THANKS FOR READING!!! I think I like it? Idk bros lol. Lmk <3

Pairing: Kylo Ren and Rey

Words: 1.7k

Warnings: spoilers!!!

–Read on Ao3!]

Flashes of that fight were still fresh in Rey’s mind, playing relentlessly on a loop and as far as she could tell they had no intention of stopping. She’d see Ben’s face decorated serenely by the bright light of explosions in the distance– explosions he’d caused. She’d hear his question, and hate the answer she had to return. She saw it all, over and over again and she would never be able to change it.

Did all of this… was it all for nothing?

Rey looked at the reflection before her with pain and disappointment painted across her pale broken skin. Her brows were lowered in defeat with sweat and dirt decorating her forehead and chest delicately like a second skin. By the light creases beneath her eyes it was clear she was exhausted, but her mind was anything but tired. With each breath she drew in her chest rose and fell more hurriedly than the last; filling her with more confusion and rage than before.

This had been her first moment alone, her first few seconds of silence in days and finally she was free to feel it all. With the war, the near constant running and the rebellion being reduced to crumbs only hours before, she didn’t really have the time… and even though she knew what she needed was rest she wouldn’t. With so many unknowns and the only thing substantial to go on being hope, she just couldn’t.

Luke was dead… Snoke was dead… Ben Solo was dead, but the First Order wasn’t. Not with Kylo Ren as its new Supreme Leader. Not with nearly the entire rebellion reduced to ash, and those that weren’t having given up; abandoning their princess when she needed help most.

It really felt like the end of a long chapter, like even the hope they clung to was about to run out. But then she saw that hand again as it reached towards her slowly. She saw that hopeful look in Ben’s eyes and she could hear the way he nearly begged her to just take his hand… to just be with him. It was hard for her to admit even to herself that she almost had.

She released a sigh so heavy it seemed to weigh her down as she slid to the floor. She pulled her dry, calloused fingers to fiddle with the stray pieces of fabric at her side, fixating on one moment in particular and suddenly she was there again… She can almost feel Snoke’s grasp tightening around her entire body— that constricting force she couldn’t even attempt to resist. She could hear his thick syrupy words smothering her again, poisoning Ben’s mind like tar… she could almost feel the pain again too, his pain and hers mixing into one.

But the thing she couldn’t stop fixating on was the moment Snoke ordered him to kill her. The moment her eyes slid to his… and the moment she thought he might actually do it. ‘Ben…’ was all she’d said to him, but somehow she knew it was all he needed to hear and in that moment she also knew that he was hers.

She had someone with her- in her, connected to her on such a level that he was part of her now, and… he was gone. He chose power. He chose darkness over light… He chose darkness over her.

After releasing a deep sigh she pulled her legs up, shoving those thoughts as far away as possible as she wrapped her arms securely around her knees. It wasn’t as good as a hug exactly, but it was better than nothing. But no matter how hard she tried, those thoughts were persistent and wouldn’t allow a moments rest.

“Why…” Rey whispered to her feet, the sharp pang of heartbreak pulsing through her, further and further like venom spreading— each tump bringing more agony than the last. She exhaled slowly with eyes closed as she pressed her forehead to the tops of her battered knees. “why did you choose darkness over me?”

Then suddenly the room was silent as a deep stillness engulfed her, yet somehow that space was more comfortable than anywhere she’d ever been. The muffled voices from outside her room were eclipsed by the promise of what that stillness would bring.

Ben… and in that moment she didn’t know if she should be pleased or frightened, or frightened that she was pleased. Rey swallowed down the lump that formed within her throat, pulling her eyes shut denying the sharp fiery tears the freedom they begged for; ready for the sorrow that was sure to come, but not feeling the satisfaction of preparedness.

“I didn’t.” was all he said as his voice surrounded her with warmth like a blanket and she knew he was there— but she dare not look to his eyes.

“You didn’t?” Rey asked quietly, her voice insinuating as she pulled her head forward; its weight far heavier than she remembered. Once she saw him she felt her composure slipping like sand through her fingers and like all other times they’d met this way, she felt weak in his presence. But this she felt something else as well: sadness. “Is that all you can say to me… after everything we’ve been through?”

There he was standing just a few feet away… his face was burdened with eyes drawn dark in woe. All Rey wanted to do was scream at him, to tell him how much his mistakes cost them all… How much it cost them. But instead of saying any of that she just sat there in that dim inky silence staring up at him. That silence hung around them, and even though it acted as silence typically does the room was anything but still. It screamed with the voice of things unsaid and howled desperately for piety and absolution.

“I know it’s not easy for you to understand, Rey… That or maybe you simply can’t or won’t.” he paused for a moment to wet his lips as he look down at her, yet not on her. “But when Snoke… He was just using us. This– all of this, it’s not real. It’s just a trick.”

Rey’s lips trembled lightly as she pressed them to a fine line; her face hardening like stone. “You can’t really believe that.” she leaned back into the wall still not breaking his gaze once. Her eyes were pleading almost, begging for him to just trust her because she knew it was real, that they were real.

Snoke may have influenced their bond in some ways, but she refused to believe he created it. She could feel their connection coursing through her veins as if it were a part of her being and she knew without a doubt that it was real. They had something strong. Something powerful and raw… It scared her if she was being honest and not because he was the new Supreme Leader, and in all manner of speaking her enemy. That connection scared her because it was one of the only times she felt anything other than emptiness… and if Kylo were here now, surely there must be a piece of Ben left.

Kylo didn’t answer at first though which she half expected, he just stared her down as if he were still deciding for himself… battling with which answer was the correct one, but after a second he nodded just once and lied. “I do.”

“Why are you here then?” Rey nearly yelled, her voice demanding an answer, but she was only given more silence. It was clear by the face he made though that it hurt… cut him deeper than the scar decorating his face. He parted his lip to speak, but once again nothing came out.

Rey slid her legs beneath her, shifting her weight to rest on them as she gaze up. “How are you here if it isn't— how can I feel you all around me?”

He looked at her for a moment longer before releasing a breath of air and dropping to his knees. Even though he wasn’t truly with her she could feel the wave of phantom air spreading across her chest as if he were; chilling her to the core. She only had a second to wonder what that meant before she inched closer to him ending perfectly between the knees he sat atop.

“It’s not too late… we can fix this.” she slid her hand forward slowly towards the scarred side of his face. “You can do this.”

Kylo glanced between those hazel eyes as that deep-seated sense of purpose made its return. It was electric, overwhelming and just like Snoke had said a spark had indeed been ignited. But that spark told him one thing and one thing only: that Rey was it for him. That there were no lengths in the entire galaxy he wasn’t willing to go for her. And he knew that as long as she was by his side he could do anything.

For the first time in so many years he had hope… he had a home.

He held his hand just above hers with eyes lighter than before. He could feel the warmth radiating off her skin, and all he wanted to do was give in to the pull that was constantly pressing them together. But the pull towards the dark side was and always had been stronger… could he ever really be with her with that noose clenched so tightly around his neck? “What if I can’t…”

“You can, Ben. I know you can…” Rey pulled her lip between her teeth almost nervously as she glanced to his lips. “You’re not alone anymore.”

Then just like that Ben placed both hands to either side of her neck, gently sliding the tips of his fingers through the base of her hair… and he could swear he could really feel and smell her as he traced the lines of her face, memorizing every tiny freckle and scar as best he could. “Neither are you.” he leaned down placing his mouth to hers, and somehow even though they were lightyears apart they felt the ardent embrace as if they were in the same room.

When their lips parted that feeling lingered like a perfume only the two of them could smell, filling them both with purpose. They knew now without a doubt where their place in all of this was…

“Together.”

**was asked to tag @sihakrios28 when this was ready!**