#I also thought about what if Thena got caught

[softquietsteadylove]

Oh my dear, please continue the mermaid AU.

Maybe something where Thena tried to protect Makkari from a fisher net and got caught. Gil seeing the boat at the dock, Thena in the net and he cuts her free when no one is looking.

🖤✨ Hugs an much looove!!! ✨🖤

Gil went still in the middle of pulling the chord of the small motorboat. He was just about to head home, but he leaned over the edge, staring into the water. He saw it--he knew he did.

There!--a streak of red, so quick if he had blinked at the right time it would have been gone. But he had seen it, he was certain. He wasn't sure why, though. He looked around him, making sure no one was around his end of the docks to see them in the dark. He whispered, "Makkari?"

A little distance away, a head popped out of the water to glare at him. Just like Thena.

He waved at her, although she disappeared from view. Just a for a second, though, before popping up in front of him again.

"What are you doing here?" he whispered, knowing that even if she couldn't hear him, that she could tell what he was saying from watching him say it. "You shouldn't be this close to land!"

She rose slightly with the help of her tail thrashing rapidly under her. She moved her hands too fast to follow, too.

Gil blinked and shook his head. "I-I don't know what-"

Makkari huffed, slapping her hands down and splashing him as she did so. She pressed her fingers together before bursting them outwards, like an anemone. Her lips moved.

"Th-Thena?" he guessed, and she pointed at him and nodded.

Makkari pointed to herself, and then moved two of her fingers around in a swimming motion.

"You and Thena were swimming," Gil narrated as he watched. Again, Makkari confirmed he was right. Her other hand dove down over them, but she flicked one finger against the other. Her left hand pulled up only one finger. "You and Thena...then you got caught?"

She shook her head.

"Thena," he corrected, his heart dropping when she stared down into the water. "Thena got caught."

Makkari nodded, gesturing over her chest.

"Thena protected you from a net?" Gil guessed, to which she offered a miserable nod. He didn't have time to dwell on it, though. And neither did she, since she had endangered herself plenty just to come and find him. He leaned so far over the edge of the boat he was close to falling in. "Makkari, what boat was it?"

She turned in the water, pointing over to where the larger, more heavily equipped boats were docked. The crews were probably in the pub currently, drinking away a long, hard shift.

Gil finally took the plunge, slipping into the water as quietly as he could. Makkari looked a little bewildered, but he released the edge of the boat in his hand. "Can you show me?"

She appraised him and how serious about this he was. She just swam off, although Gil could tell she was moving at a snail's pace for her own ability. It was for the sake of leading him. He moved gently in the water, kicking minimally and angling his hands. "If I go by dock, someone might see me. The less people who know about her, the better."

Makkari seemed almost impressed by his reasoning. She eyed the boats they passed, seeming familiar with each one. When they finally arrived at the largest boat, she pointed, spelling it out with her hand.

Gil frowned at it: the Deviant. "I know this guy."

Makkari looked at him, splashing him slightly again to prompt him to continue.

Gil huffed, pulling himself up to the ladder. "Kro--it's illegal, but he'll take poaching contracts sometimes."

Makkari tilted her head at him, and again he was reminded of Thena. His heart lurched in his chest.

"We have a responsibility to fish only what's needed, avoid species that are endangered, that kind of thing," Gil listed, moving up one ladder wrung at a time as he looked at Makkari below. "Kro will basically hunt anything if he's getting paid. And he's pretty cruel about it, keeps trophies and stuff."

Gil's blood chilled even further, and not just after his impromptu evening swim. If Kro thought he had truly caught something as magnificent as Thena, then who could say what he would do with her?

Gil looked around the deck, making sure no one was on it. It seemed unwise to leave her unguarded, but maybe they had all left to go spread the news and gain even more of a crowd for their big reveal. He snuck onto deck, soaking wet boots and all.

The arm was still held aloft, the net with their catch still suspended. Gil's gut twisted as he saw a few shimmering scales scattered around under it. "Thena?"

"Gil?"

He rushed to her as carefully as he could. Her voice was small and fragile. She was obviously exhausted from the struggle, and he couldn't imagine what it felt like to be captured like a wild animal.

Gil collected the scales on the deck and shoved them in his pockets, determined to leave not a trace of evidence for them to keep. He stood, hooking his fingers through a loop in the net. "I'm so sorry, Angelfish."

Thena sniffled, blinking her tired, bloodshot eyes at him. "I didn't think anyone would come."

Gil shook his head at the mere suggestion of it. He could see her eyes were raw from crying. Her skin had red marks from her struggling against the net. He could even see where she had tried to gnaw at it with those fangs of hers. But these nets were thick, made to be durable--they had to all but be sawed open.

Thena leaned into his touch as he brushed two fingers against her cheek.

"It's okay, I'm gonna get you out of there," he whispered, pulling out his pocket knife. He reached up, sawing at the top of the net with the serrated back edge.

"How did you find me?" she whispered, her voice unable to muster more strength to it after the worst day of her life.

"Makkari came to me," he whispered back, sawing desperately at the top of the net. It was a terrible angle for it, and his arm was already burning from the effort.

"We were swimming," Thena sighed, shifting miserably in the bottom of the net. "The whole boat shook when it blared its horn. It interfered with her echolocation, and she didn't realise the net had hit the water. I moved her out of the way of it."

No wonder Makkari had looked so miserable when she finally found him.

"I knew she'd find someone, but I assumed it would be Ikaris," Thena murmured, her fatigue getting the better of her. "Although I guess he wouldn't have been able to rescue me up here, anyway."

Gil tossed his knife down catching Thena in his arms before she could fall to the hard deck of the boat. She clung to him, and he held her tighter than he ever had before. "You're okay."

Thena buried her face in his chest, her whole body trembling from head to tail.

"You're okay," he repeated in a fragile whisper. He felt around for his knife, shoving it back in his pocket and adjusting Thena in his arms. "We gotta go, Angelfish."

She held tight as he stood, moving towards the back of the boat. "What if they know it was you?"

"They won't," he rushed out as he slid down the ladder, just barely keeping them from splashing into the water by one hand. Thena's tail came to life once submerged again, able to keep her afloat better than he ever could.

Makkari was by her side in a flash, wrapping her arms around her.

Thena nodded, weakly but firmly, "I'm okay."

Gil swam closer to them, still watching around them for signs of people on the pier. "You two have to get as far away as possible. I mean it--don't come anywhere near the surface for at least a week."

Makkari balked at him, although Thena didn't seem surprised.

"Kro won't be happy his catch got away," Gil murmured, looking up at the side of the Deviant. "He'll be looking for you specifically, and he'll cast wider and deeper until he finds you."

Makkari nodded, ready to speed away already. She pulled at Thena's arm, frowning when she resisted.

Thena moved closer to him again. "I want to stay with you."

Makkari's jaw dropped.

"Thena," Gil sighed, but she cuddled right up to his side in the water. "It's not safe, Angelfish."

Makkari startled even more at the little nickname.

Thena shook her head at that, though, burying her face against the sopping wet sleeve of his shirt. "The safest I can be is with you."

Gil hated to admit it, but maybe she had a point. If her other option was staying at the bottom of the ocean for a month straight, maybe it was better to just keep her with him. With any luck, it would be the last place anyone would look for her. "I don't know, Thena."

"Please?" she whispered, using those big, amazing green eyes of hers on him.

He sighed. What a sucker, he was--a suckerfish. His hand found hers in the water. "Okay."

Thena looked at Makkari, her hand moving as she spoke. "Tell them I've found somewhere safe to hide. That's all you need to say."

Makkari gave Thena a look, shrugging widely at the total lack of explanation it offered.

"Just tell them," Thena asserted, and certainly Makkari only acquiesced given what Thena had been through. "And you: like Gil said, no more boat chasing for at least a moon cycle."

Makkari made a face at both of them, moving her hands and flicking water at them.

Thena rolled her eyes at her.

Gil smiled; for all their squabbling, the two hugged each other tight as they prepared to part ways temporarily. Gil received Thena at his side again, although he nodded at Makkari. "I promise I won't let anything happen to her."

Makkari narrowed her eyes, hissing at him before slipping under the surface and speeding off in the blink of an eye.

Thena sighed, burying herself against his shoulder and using her tail to keep them both afloat. "Can we go home?"

Gil pressed a kiss to her forehead, "yeah, Angelfish. Let's go home."

[heartofwritiing]

Almost lost you

Paring: Druig x fem!eternal!reader

Summary: During the emergence, you think you lost Druig and your emotions overcome you.

a/n: I watched eternals at 3am when it drop on disney+ and haven’t been able to stop thinking about it (and druig) so heres this brian child lol also a little note on the backstory the reader has the same type of powers as wanda but instead of her magic being red it’s gold like druig’s eyes turn when he uses mind control. she can’t fly as high as Ikaris either but can still float. also I might’ve been a little bit too dramatic but I was feeling like garbage when I wrote this and was kinda venting :/ listen to this while you read 😉

Warning(s): Spoliers for eternals!, mentions of/and death, angst, crying, violence, acting on emotions, fluffy fluff, happy end don’t worry :) ignore any mistakes made I have no beata reader :/ 

gif by @emcu7o

The Domo was approaching the Indian ocean as you were all suiting up for whatever battle was to come. You were nervous, to say the least, you didn't know what was going to happen. This plan Phastos and Sersi had could fail, you all could fail and the earth would be destroyed. You tried to keep a positive outlook on the situation as you waited for everyone else to finish getting ready. It was weird being back with everyone again, after everything that occurred in Babylon you weren't sure you’d ever seen your fellow Eternals again. You were only just with Ajak a few  months ago but then she told you to go find Sersi. But how could you have known she would be killed by a deviant? Then you lost Gilgamesh only a day ago to the same Deviant but after what’s happened you were glad everyone was together again. You stood looking out the front window of the domo to see a volcano bubbling in the distance and a presence came up behind you. 

“Hey, you okay?” A soft Irish accent spoke close to you. 

It was Druig. You were honestly surprised he was coming up to talk to you considering he hasn’t seen you since 500 BC and he left you with the others. You thought you had something with Druig but you were wrong. The months that passed after that night you were heartbroken and you stayed with Ajak, and she healed you in more way’s than one. She looked after you and cared for you while you were mending the wound Druig left in your soul. During that time you went back and forth traveling around the world and living with Ajak in South Dakota. Even Sprite lived with you both for a while until we were both set off to find Sersi in London. 

You nodded at Druig still keeping your eyes out the window. You really weren't but you were trying to keep your emotions in check for the sake of yourself and the team. 

“Just a little nervous.” You say truthfully. 

You turn your head to look at him for the first time. He’s wearing his black robes and his hands are behind his back as he also looks out onto the landscape you’re approaching. He notices you staring at him so he looks over at you and your eyes meet and your breath catches in your throat. You’ve missed his eyes and how they would be brighter when they caught the light and somehow got bluer. His lips began to form a little smirk as you continued to stare into his eyes realizing his suspicions were correct. You missed him just as much as he missed you. You could tell he wanted to say something to you, It was hanging on his mouth. 

“Listen, I-” he starts.

“We better get down there,” 

It was Sersi, she looked like she realized she was interpreting something between you both and she gave you an apologetic look. You nodded at her and gave Druig a look that almost said we’ll continue this conversation when this was all over. 

You, Makari, Druig and, Sersi all teleported down to the surface while Thena and Phastos stayed on board to distract Ikaris if he showed up. You all stood in a line ready to form the Unimind and gave each other reassuring looks before Druig begins. He gives you one last look of affection before he nods to Sersi. You watched as he closed his eyes and when they opened once again they were glowing gold as energy began to form around him. Then it began to form around the rest of you lifting you above the ground. The bracelets Phanstos made were working, You could feel everyone connecting and joining together. The feeling came and went as Druig was hit with a blast of Ikaris’ lazers in the back and rolling forward. You fell back to the ground and could feel the energy surrounding you disappear. You weren't quick enough to react as you watched in horror as Ikaris grabbed Druig by the throat and soared into the sky. Ikaris then throws Druig down and then his eyes shoot beams and drive Druig into the ground and rocks. You feel frozen and your heart drops. 

“No!” 

The scream you let out is strained. there are tears streaming down your face for the only man you ever loved, and all you did was stand there. You never even got to tell him how you felt. Sersi and Markkari are also in shock as they watch Ikaris force him into the earth also feeling helpless. You've sunk down to the floor, your knees buried in the sand. You reach out with your mind to feel Druig but there's nothing. Your connection with his thoughts are gone, your hands grip your chest and Ikaris is floating back down to where you all were standing. 

“Druig’s gone.” Ikaris’ words are like a dagger driving into your chest. 

Suddenly the emotion is too much to keep inside and your whole body is pulsing with power and rage. Gold wisps of energy explodes all around you as you wail out. It causes the earth to shake and crack all around, splitting the ground in half. It’s so much that you send Markkari and Sersi back behind you, knocking them to the ground. You bolt up and float towards Ikaris, bringing your hands together to make a ball of gold energy and send it straight through his chest. You’re now close enough now to lay a punch to his left jaw, then another on the opposite side. You get a few good hits on him before he blocks your next attack you both continue to assault each other, you’re sure your body will be bruised with the amount of force he’s hitting you with. With that last punch he give you, it sends you sliding back across the sand, and once you’ve stopped your sprint back towards Ikaris to land another punch. At this point, your eyes and hands are glowing gold from your energy and powers, your anger, grief, and revenge all pouring out through it. Your arms twist around creating wisps and sparks of gold energy around Ikaris trying to pull his limbs away from punching you but he pushes through and attacks you, throwing a punch that makes you dizzy. Once you’ve composed yourself, with one big push of energy, you throw him back into a rock wall. his body creating a gap as rocks fall onto the sand from the sudden force of Ikaris being pushed into it. You were sure that wasn't enough to put Ikaris down because now he's back up again and aiming his laser beams at you. you try to conger a shield with energy but you're too late, suddenly you're being thrown back and soaring through the air until your back hits a boulder sideways and you land on your side in the sand. Your breathing is labored as you try to sit up but your chest hurts too much. You look up and can see Markkari zipping around and getting a few hits on Ikaris and then finally pushing him into the rock wall once again with a final push of kinetic energy. Then your vision is going black and you’re passing out. 

-

When you open your eyes again you can feel a someone behind you trying to support you up. You groan as you turn onto your back to see Phastos kneeling beside you. He sighs once he realizes you’re awake and breathing. 

“Y/N, you’re okay, try not to move too much,” He says calmly. 

“Where's Ikaris?” you wheeze out. 

“Don’t worry about him right now, I need to get you to the domo you’re badly hurt-“ 

“Where is he?” you sit up now using Phastos as support to pull yourself up, rage is spilling from your lips. 

“I had him but he got away, Sersi is dealing with him,” Phastos explains. 

You now try to stand up and Phastos sees this and tries to help you up but you push him off and start walking in the direction you sense Sersi and as you do you're staggering. 

“Where are you going?” 

“to kill Ikaris.” you spit. 

Phastos runs up to get in front of you and grabs you by the shoulders and stops you in your tracks. 

“killing Ikaris isn't going to make things better,” he starts. 

“yes it will-“ you seeth trying to push past him. 

“It won’t help-“

“Phastos, please!” 

“This isn't what Druig would’ve wanted!” 

His name makes you stop you completely trying to escape Phastos’ grip and your whole mood shifts. 

“He wouldn’t have wanted you to get revenge. or get hurt, or worse killed.” 

“We all know you cared for Druig, loved him even.” 

You hang your head and your arms fall to your sides in defeat. You sink to the floor and cover your mouth with your palm and Phastos follows you. Tears fall silently down your face as you cry. What were you doing, this wasn’t right of you to do, you were blinded by revenge that you let it take over you. Phastos was right, Druig or Ajak wouldn’t have wanted this. For you to avenge them, if Ajak could see you now you know she’d be disappointed. 

You cried as Phastos sat by your side, a comforting arm on your back. Until you felt a strong energy surge pulling you up into the air and extending your arms. gold symbols weaved their way around you and you look over to see Phastos in the same position a few inches away from you. Then you can feel everything. Everyone with you is connected by the uni-mind. You could even feel the fallen Eternals with you in spirit. 

Sersi had done it. You all did, you stopped the emergence before it could destroy the earth and you couldn’t believe it. Everyone met back on the beach once it was over, Ikaris was dead and Tiamunt wasn't going to destroy Earth. Sersi brought you into a warm embrace and you winced when she squeezed your torso a little too tight. 

“Sorry,” she pulls away. 

“It’s okay,” You groan out holding your side. You knew you had to get to the Domo and rest before you felt worse. 

“How did you do it?” Makkari signs. 

“I don't know, it's like some power went through me, when I touched timuts palm, I felt energy surging through me.” Sersi explains. 

“We were all connected, I could feel it, I could feel the others with us,” you professed tearfully. 

Sersi smiles sadly as a tear falls down her cheek at the memories of her fallen family members. You hugged Markkari and Thena as well before something in the back of your mind was telling you to look to your left. 

You could sense Sprite coming from over the cliff and onto the beach but you could hear another voice calling out to you in the corners of your mind. When you pulled back from Thena, you all saw Sprite. Your smile drops and you scolded her for what you see. 

“Sprite, now you are just being cruel.” your eyes well up with tears again seeing Druig or illusion Druig walking towards you. 

“Im not doing anything,” She says defensively. 

Fake Druig just smiles as he walks closer to you. 

“It's really me love.”  

god, it even sounds like him why was she doing this to you? 

“Seriously Sprite, enough! you knew I cared about Druig too much now stop!” you cried at her.

He finally reaches you and puts his hands on your shoulders and to your surprise, they feel real, but you don't buy into it. 

“It’s okay, m’alright. I'm real. feel me.” he coons, reaching for your hand and places your palm on his cheek ever so gently. You gasp out taken by surprise that his hand or cheek doesn't vanish when you touch them. 

“Druig?” you whisper in disbelief. 

“It’s me, it’s me,” he chants in a low voice, placing his forehead against yours and you stay in that position. You smile as you blink more tears. You look into his beautiful blue eyes and gasp in realization and his eyes peer back into yours. 

“Oh my love.” you whisper, pulling him into a tight embrace. when you break apart he's grinning from ear to ear. 

“Druig, I love you so much, I should have gone with you all those years ago in Babylon, after you left it was like I lost a part of myself and I never want to be apart ever again.” 

He leans down and presses a kiss to your lips, which you eagerly kiss back with as much love and affection as he does. your arms find their way around his neck to pull him in closer as his hands are flat on your lower back pulling you flush against his chest. You place your hand on his cheek and caress it softly with your thumb, feeling his skin against yours. When he pulls back a smack fills the air when your lips break apart. 

“I should’ve asked you to come with me but I knew how loyal you were to Ajak I didn’t want you to have to choose between me or her.” Druig shakes his head. 

“I would've gone with you if you had asked me, I would've followed you anywhere Druig.” You proclaimed. 

He almost sighs at hearing you say that. It’s taken him years to cope with leaving you behind but deep down he always regretted it. But now knowing that you would've gone with him no questions asked makes his heart swell. 

“I love you too. so much.” He beamed. 

Your smile gets even wider with hearing him say those words. He leans his forehead on yours one last time before you face the group who are all smiling at you for finally confessing to one another. Sersi looks as if she’s about to cry, Thena is smiling admirably, Makkari looks so elated for you both and sprite gives you both a nod of approval. You're a blushing mess as you and Druig walk side by side as he supports you. 

“Finally!” Phastos lets out an exasperated sigh. 

“Oh by the way, thanks for the bump on my head you ass!” Sprite scowls at Druig. 

a/n: Thanks for reading! I might start doing a taglist so please comment or go to my inbox and I’ll add you! 

[softpshycopath]

Summary: when the eternals split up; you realise this is your last chance with Druig. (Reader has telekinesis).

Warnings: some mild violence and mentions of mass slaughter.

Word count: 2232-ish

Prompt: ‘Well? Say something. Scream, yell, anything!’

Authors note: sorry this is so much later than I wanted to but here we are! Also, I don't know shit about Tumblr so if someone could tell me how to get rid of the line on the left, it would be great! Also also, I can't for the life of me figure out how to add the 'continue reading' thingie, so um if someone could help me w that as well that would be great :)

1521

When the attack on the city had begun, all of you split up to fight the deviants, and it was just your luck that a bunch of Spanish conquistadores decided now was the best time to attack as well. To say it was chaos was an understatement, a severe understatement. People were running and screaming while left and right you heard gunshots go off and roars seemed to surround you.

Admits the chaos you had lost Makkari and Thena, with who you were sent to kill this group of deviants. God knows what could happen to them in this mix of blood, metal and bloodcurdling screams but you tried your hardest to think of something else. Like the deviant running headfirst towards you.

You jumped to the side and before it managed to take a sharp turn and jump at you again, you threw a large piece of stone at it, remains of buildings were scattered everywhere so you doubted anyone would mind. The deviant broke the rock in two with its tail like it was nothing and the sheer whiplash of it made part of it come back to you. Before you had properly registered it, it knocked you down and upon hitting the ground a stab of pain echoed through your spine.

Thank God you were an eternal because otherwise your spine would've been broken into a million pieces. You got up as well as you could and readied yourself for another attack. The fight was far from over and the longer it went on the more you wished you had Ajak's healing powers. Despite the continuous pain in your tailbone, you hit the monster with loose pieces of anything within reach and very unceremoniously dodged its attacks.

Every time it was a close call, and you were beginning to feel the energy seep away. You had had a long day pining for someone who didn't think of you as more than a friend and even though it was a feeling you were used to; it didn't fail to cost a massive amount of energy. The pain seemed to spread, both from your heart and from your tailbone it slowly crept through your body. When you thought they would finally meet in the middle, an orange spear pierced the deviant from behind and as it sank to the floor dead; you sank to the floor exhausted.

“Come on, we must find the others.” Thena offered her hand, and you gladly took it, half walking half being carried by her you managed to find a way forward. “I thought you were with Makkari,” you groaned upon noticing the speedster's absence. “We killed our deviants and were on our way to look for you when she noticed some more on the other side of the city.” Thena started carrying more and more of your weight until you were hanging on her for dear life. “She went to deal with them.”

Before long Makkari returned and you caught up with her, she inquired about your injuries and you explained, “It's nothing really, I got hit by a boulder and landed on my tailbone.” You smiled at her in reassurance, but it was far too obvious that, had Thena not found you, you might not have seen her again.

When the three of you made it to where Ajak was, you noticed that the others who had been sent to fight the deviants, hadn't returned yet. Thena put you down a little further away from the eternals who were there so you could regain your strength without being bombarded by questions and concerns, as well-intended as they would be. You couldn't see everyone because of the dark, the distance between you and your eyes not being able to focus properly, but as far as you knew Druig was still out there.

You felt bad for him, he'd always confided in you about how horrible he felt about having to let the humans die at their own hands, how they suffered daily, yet he couldn't do anything. You figured he must be having a hard time now; the screams of mass slaughter could be heard from miles away.

Despite the searing pain in practically your entire body, you felt a cloud of worry begin to form in your mind and you hoped that as soon as Druig came back, he would come to see you. Before your thoughts were able to spiral though, a distresses Ajak knelt beside you, “Oh my, what happened to you?” “Just a typical day.” You turned to look at her properly, “but it does hurt quite a bit so, my dearest Ajak, please fix it.” She laughed a bit and started using her magic on you. The sharp edge of the pain disappeared almost instantly, and you knew that when Ajak had finished you would be just fine.

Before she was able to do so however, a commotion amongst the other eternals caught your attention. You couldn't really see what was going on but suddenly Thena started to attack, and Ajak ran off to help. You tried your best to help and occasionally knocked some weapons out of Thena's had with lose rock you could see, but from this distance and with your still not fully healed body, you could only do so much.

After Gilgamesh knocked Thena out, he picked her up and, along with the others, started walking towards the highest temple. You tried to stand up, barely succeeding and limped towards the group, turns out Druig had been with them all along and your worry had been for nothing. Ajak's healing had made a significant difference because you were able to catch up to them before they reached the stairs. You looked up and sighed audibly.

“Everything alright?” Druig asked, he had turned around to look at you when he heard you and noticed your crooked stance. “Yeah, yeah, no worries just thinking about how standing up was such fun and now these stairs,” you waved your hand in their general direction, “they're gonna be a hoot,” you chuckled sarcastically.

Druig stepped down and wrapped an arm around your waist, “wouldn't wanna miss out on the fun.” He helped you and slowly but surely you made your way up the seemingly endless flight of stairs. “So, are you going to tell me what happened?” He asked while looking to where he was holding you. “Have you ever been hit with the whiplash of a deviant's tail?” He shook his head. “Well, that and half a boulder threw me to the ground.” He looked at you with sympathy and together you continued in silence.

Your mind was racing with thoughts, how ironic it was that your heart had longed for him so much this morning and how close he was holding you now. How it was so very kind of him to help you and, how glad you were to know he wasn't dead. But mostly about how close he was holding you.

And close it was. Druig knew that he would be able to help you up the stairs with more distance between you, but he liked holding you like this, and you didn't seem to mind. He felt guilty for not going to you when he first saw you were injured but his mind was too preoccupied with what was going on around you. He told you so and you made sure he knew it was fine. “You're helping me now and that more than makes up for it.” You smiled in reassurance.

“What happened to Thena?”, you asked when your thoughts had stopped consuming all your attention and you noticed the silence. “I don't know, one minute we were talking.” He looked away a little and you knew why. Even the dark and the distance couldn't hide that fact that, had Thena not attacked them, your friends would've started fighting amongst themselves anyway. “The next she had a spear in hand and a distant look in her eyes,” Druig continued, “she seemed almost possessed.”

You didn't really know what to say, so you remained silent. The closer you got to the top the better you could overlook the city. It was a horror site, everything seemed to be on fire and the atmosphere was filled with never-ending screams and gunshots. You could see the pain in Druig's eyes, the guilt he felt for not helping and the internal fight he had every time something like this happened.

In the little chamber on the top of the temple, Druig helped you to a wall near the opening and you leaned against it. Thena was still unconscious, but she began to stir, and your friends took a step back. All but Ajak and Gilgamesh, Thena and him had always had a special relationship, they seemed to understand each other without saying a word, even more so than Sersi and Ikaris. You had always dreamed that one day you and Druig might be like that.

After Thena had awoken, it all went very fast. You had barely grasped what Ajak had meant when she told Thena she had to erase her mind when Druig rebelled. It seemed that for the first time, his internal fight had been won by his sense of morality rather than his sense of duty.

If you had had the strength, you would've thrown Ikaris from the top of the temple the second pushed Druig against the wall, “you're gonna have to make me.” And for a second it looked like he would, luckily Ajak was there to calm him down. Unfortunately, Druig's mind was made up.

When he started walking down you thought he would still bid you all farewell or at least tell you where he was going. He didn't. Then, for just a second, you thought he would come back. He didn't. You hoped at least someone would run after him. No one did.

So, you took matters into your own hands and, slowly but surely began to make your way down the stairs. None of your friends made any effort to stop you, something which, you would only realise later, was actually quite a bitch-move.

“Druig stop,” you groaned, the combination of smoke in your lungs, pain in your ribs and having to walk down a flight of stairs made you feel like passing out. “Stop please, where are you going?” You grabbed him by the shoulders. When you got to the step he was on, you had to take a second to catch your breath. “Where are you going?” you asked again. Around you people had stopped their fighting and, despite his eyes not glowing, you knew they were under Durig's control.

“It's gone on for long enough, their suffering.” He glanced at the humans as he spoke, “I'm leaving, and you can't change my mind.” He looked at you with sadness in his eyes, but you knew this was what was best for him, he couldn't take it anymore. “Well, when will I see you again?” Your breath was still shallow but at least your eyes were able to focus again. “I don't know.” You knew what he meant. Maybe never.

Your mind was still going crazy, Druig was leaving. Druig, he was leaving. And he might never come back. You thought about your feelings, your hopes for the future and eventually you decided it was now or never.

“In that case,” you looked him in the eye and grabbed his hands, “I am utterly and irrevocably in love with you.” You noticed something shift in his eyes but didn’t wait for his response, “I have been since we were in Babylon and I figured, since you're leaving never to return, it would be best you knew. Now, I don't expect you to feel the same, but I just had to tell you, or I would be cursing myself forever.” When you were finished you, once again, found yourself short of breath.

Druig didn't know what was happening, he had felt so sure about his plan 5 minutes ago but now, not so much. He knew you had some feelings for him, it was obvious, not to mention his feelings for you. But love? It wrecked his plans and his mind.

“Well? Say something. Scream, yell, anything!” Apparently, he had been silent for too long because there was definitely some desperation present in your voice. He didn't know what to say so he did the only thing he could think of. He kissed you.

You didn´t see it coming and your mind didn't register it for a good 5 seconds, but when it did, it felt like heaven. The kiss was soft, gentle and so full of desperation. It seemed as if thousands of years of untold feelings and longing stares were poured into it, to some extent that was true.

“Come with me,” Druig said when he finally broke the kiss. You were sad to put distance between your lips, but this proposition made it worth it. “I don't know where we'll go, but at least you don't have to leave.” He was right, you didn't know where you were going, or what was waiting for you in the wild world. But you knew that you had Druig by your side and that made it all better. “Yes, yes I will come with you.”

[himoutolifestyle]

Some ideas that I had for Artist!Druig at some point while writing Meraki (because why not?):

Canon:

Druig was intrigued by art because of the artifacts that Makkari would show him

He started wanting to create art in the Han Dynasty in China (where paper making was thought to have originated)

He would draw pictures of people’s day to day life 

The other Eternals didn’t know about this hobby, but Makkari did! (and she tried to take peaks at his sketches often) 

It was only after Tenochilitan when he tried to draw the other Eternals (because he did miss them, but didn’t want to see them); He always struggled drawing Makkari since he never thought that he could capture her well 

He normally kept his drawings away from the humans of the commune 

But then a kid got curious and stumbled into Druig’s quarters and saw the drawing of Makkari

Druig caught the kid and let them off with a warning after the kid told Druig that his picture of Makkari was pretty 

Modern College AU

Druig is looking for a model for his art assignment; 

He hates this assignment because he hates having to figure out limbs and positioning and needs an actual model and can’t just think of how it would work in his mind 

Sees Makkari running => is in absolute awe of her

He asks her to be his model for the project and she agrees

Romance ensues 

Flower Shop AU (note: this was during my first renditions of Olive Tree Florist)

Druig works at Thena’s flower shop part time to support himself while he’s trying to make it as an artist

Everyday, he always notices a very beautiful woman run by when he’s in the middle of sketching/painting

He has little doodles of her in his sketchbook (a sketchbook that he brings to work sometimes so he can practice flower drawings when the shop’s not busy)

Thena is aware of Druig’s little infatuation with Makkari and occasionally teases him about it 

Thena says that Gil is trying out a new menu for the restaurant so Druig should come over 

He goes because free food  

In walks Makkari, who is Gil’s newest employee and who is currently studying for a Masters in art history (or something similar)

the two of them hit it off immediately, so Druig is incredibly smitten 

They get close enough where Druig is showing her some of his artwork

Makkari absolutely adores Druig’s art and even asks to see not only his finished paintings, but also his sketchbook  

Makkari asks Druig about the little doodles, which he tries to play off, but in a tug-and-pull type of situation, it comes out that Druig was aware of Makkari’s existence, but Makkari was also aware of Druig’s existence (because he would always paint/sketch and she was able to see him through his windows on her runs)

With Makkari as his muse, Druig is able to create his breakout piece that launch es him into the art world

Art Thief AU

Druig is a proclaimed artist 

Makkari is an infamous art thief who is always particularly interested in Druig’s work 

She sends out notice cards after she steals what she wants, but after some time the art will be back safe and sound 

This confuses the public because this happens with every work that Makkari steals   

in reality, Druig and Makkari are in on it together, because Druig’s work gets more publicity whenever Makkari steals his work and Makkari enjoys the thrill of it all 

[kawaiionnna-moved]

Wish I were Junie

Okay so it’s basically a song prompt fic based on the song Heather by Conan Grey https://youtu.be/GPUg7n8-M6o

December third. The Wright Anything Agency office was cold. The heating wasn’t working, and one window was stuck in an open position. Athena was at her desk, reading through a case file when something hit her in the face. It was a red polyester jumper. She moved it from her face, looking up at the person who’d thrown it at her.

“I can see you shivering from here. Put that on.” It was Apollo. He gave her a smile before turning back to focus on his own case file. Athena slipped on the jumper, feeling how warm it was. A blissful smile appeared on her face, taking a moment to curl up into the warmth of the jumper. Apollo glanced up at her. “It suits you. I think it might actually look better on you than me.” He laughed, causing Athena to laugh softly too. After a moment, they both turned back to their separate case files. The pleasant silence that had fallen over the pair was soon interrupted by a gentle knocking at the door. “Come in.” Apollo called to the person on the other side, who opened the door and revealed herself to be Juniper Woods.

“Hi Thena. Hi Apollo.” She came in, smiling at both before walking over to Apollo’s desk. The two of them had been spending more time together recently at Athena’s suggestion, and were now evidently close. “You ready to go?” Juniper asked Apollo, her back turning to Athena. Apollo quickly shuffled the files on his desk into a pile and got up from his desk.

“Yeah. Let’s go.” He grabbed his coat from the coat rack and put it on before turning to Athena. “Mr. Wright knows I’m leaving early. I promised Juniper I’d help her with some shopping. He informed her. Junpier gently held his hand, and he held hers back in response. Athena could sense the strong happiness from Juniper when he did. “Keep ahold of my jumper, just return it tomorrow or something.” He said, noticing she was still wearing it. He already had his coat on, and he didn’t want her to be cold still.

“Alright. See you tomorrow Apollo. Bye Junie.” Athena smiled at the pair and waved to them as they left the office. The second the door closed, Athena’s smile dropped entirely. She caught the scent of Apollo’s aftershave on his jumper. Somehow it made her warm inside, but also sad.

The next morning, Apollo and Athena arrived at the office at the same time. They’d run into each other on the way, so had just come the rest of the way together.

“Stop!” Trucy practically shouted as they came in through the door. Phoenix didn’t appear to be in the office, so it was just them three. Athena stopped, stepping slightly to the side so Apollo could enter too. “Look up.” Trucy instructed, making no effort to mask the smile that so desperately wanted to escape. Both Apollo and Athena looked up, and noticed it at the same time. A piece of mistletoe.

“Y-you don’t have to if you-“ Athena started to explain that he didn’t have to kiss her if it made him uncomfortable, but Apollo did it anyway. He cut her off with a kiss. Athena’s face turned as red as Apollo’s suit, but she quickly decided to kiss him back. It just felt right to her.

“Let’s agree not to tell Juniper about this.” Apollo said quietly as he broke the kiss. Athena nodded, her hand going to her cheek. It was warm and tinted red. Apollo decided to make some coffee. It was pretty cold outside. At least the cold gave Athena an excuse for the somewhat obvious blush. “Would you like some coffee, Athena?” Apollo asked as she took off her coat and sat at her desk.

“Yeah, thanks Apollo.” She didn’t look up from her desk as she replied to him. She was just idly on her phone when a text appeared. It was from Trucy, which she found rather strange considering she was basically next to her. She opened the message, and was instantly met with a picture of her and Apollo kissing. Trucy must’ve just taken it. She didn’t want to smile at it like she was. She almost wanted it, but she knew she couldn’t. Juniper loved Apollo after all, Athena could never do that to her best friend. Widget displayed a sad dark blue as Athena turned her phone off and started to read the case file that had been left on her desk.

Light rain began to fall as Athena, Apollo and Juniper walked through the busy high street. The trio had gone Christmas shopping together, and Athena couldn’t help but feel like a third wheel. Apollo and Juniper had been flirting pretty hard most of the time. She was happy for them, but she was admittedly a little jealous. She just couldn’t help it.

“Apollo, I’m starting to get cold…” Juniper told him, wrapping her arms around herself. The wind was starting to pick up, hitting them with an icy wind and cold rain water droplets. Apollo took off his jumper and held it out to Juniper.

“Here. Put this on.” He insisted. He had a second one on underneath, so he would be fine. Juniper thanked him and took the jumper, slipping it on. Athena felt a pang in her heart as she remembered Apollo loaning her the same polyester jumper back in the office just a few days ago.

“It’s really warm.” Juniper commented softly, snuggling up in the jumper. Apollo laughed softly, putting his arm around Juniper’s shoulder as the wind picked up. Athena shivered, her own jacket not being enough to keep her warm. She was starting to get overwhelmed with everything that was happening. She had to get out.

“I think I’m gonna head home…” Athena told the pair, interrupting their moment. She tightened her grip on her bags, digging her nails into her palms. “It’s so busy here, I’m starting to get a little dizzy.“ She forced a smile, burying her sadness.

“Oh, you sure?” Apollo asked, a little disappointedly. Athena nodded her head, but the feeling of his bracelet tightening on his wrist told Apollo a different story. “I’ll see you at the office Monday then.” He didn’t press it now.

“See you later, Thena.” Juniper smiled and gave Athena a small wave. Athena turned and walked away quickly before they could see the tears pricking her eyes. Emotions had always overwhelmed her, but rarely were they her own.

The party was in full swing, ready to celebrate the new year. Apollo had been with Juniper most of the night, and was ready to ask her out. They were close, and he liked her. It just made sense. He pulled her into the kitchen, where Athena and Trucy were getting a drink.

“I wanted to ask you something.” Apollo told Juniper, his voice loud so it would be heard over the music. Juniper looked at him with an innocent smile, oblivious to what his question could be about. “Will you be my girlfriend?” He asked, fiddling with the end of the knitted scarf Juniper had made and gifted to him.

“Yes! Absolutely!” Juniper was beaming, her smile as bright and happy as the sun. She jumped into his arms, hugging him tightly and kissing him. Athena slipped out, her own heart breaking inside. She was supposed to be happy for Junpier, yet all she could feel was a deep sadness consuming her heart. A moment after she left, Phoenix and Maya entered their kitchen.

“You guys alright?” Phoenix asked, interrupting their moment. Juniper broke the hug quick, her face flushing with shy embarrassment and her hand grabbing on to Apollo’s. He laughed awkwardly and held on to her hand in return.

“Yeah. I just asked Juniper to be my girlfriend and she kinda said yeah…” Apollo decided to confess. He was over the moon about it, but it felt a little embarrassing to be caught by his boss.

“Aww! Congratulations!” Maya smiled brightly, congratulating the pair. Trucy meanwhile pulled Phoenix aside to talk to him about something. It was important and couldn’t wait.

“Daddy something’s wrong with Athena. She looked really sad a minute ago.” Trucy’s voice was only loud enough for Phoenix to hear her over the music, even with her speaking a few inches from his ear. She’d noticed it as soon as Apollo had asked Juniper to be his girlfriend, and thought the two were linked.

“Alright. I’ll go check on her.” He told Trucy, patting her head before leaving the kitchen to go find Athena.

Athena held her arms tightly around herself as she looked up at the night sky from the small balcony she had gone to for a moment of privacy. She wanted to compose herself, or at least push her sadness down, before heading back into the party to celebrate Juniper and Apollo getting together at last. She was lost in thought when the door opened and Phoenix came on to the balcony.

“You doing okay Athena?” He asked her, standing beside her. She nodded, leaning on the wall and continuing to look up at the sky. He could tell she wasn’t alright though. Her demeanour, Widget displaying a dark blue colour, and the two psyche locks that had appeared all told him she wasn’t alright. “Trucy said you suddenly looked really sad earlier. It was… it was when Apollo asked Juniper to be his girlfriend, wasn’t it?” He decided to press it gently and break the psyche locks. Athena tensed up, closing her eyes and looking down. “Something about that is upsetting you.”

“But it’s not supposed to!” She snapped, Widget turning red around her neck. She looked up and turned to Phoenix, folding her arms. “They’re my friends, and I’ve known Juniper liked him since she met him. I’m supposed to be happy for them… but…” the anger disappeared, leaving only sadness behind again. She sighed and shook her head, not saying anything else.

“You’re not feeling how you think you’re supposed to feel.” Phoenix summarised. Athena’s arms dropped to her side as the first psyche lock broke. Phoenix had an idea where this was heading, but he didn’t want to make an assumption. He also couldn’t shy away from the truth, even though it could hurt. “Be honest, how does it make you feel?”

“I’m happy for them! I really am. I mean, it’s what Juniper wanted, and they both always look happy together.” She turned away, instead leaning on the railing. It didn’t take a genius to see Athena was diverting the topic away from herself. Phoenix leant on the railing beside her, shaking his head.

“No, how do you really feel?” He repeated himself a little clearer. Athena wasn’t as happy as she claimed to be, and the psyche lock was still present. She went silent for a moment, looking down at the patch of grass below the balcony before speaking.

“I feel… sad… and a little jealous…” she confessed. She hadn’t realised it herself just yet, but it was starting to come to light. The reason she felt that way about Apollo and Juniper’s relationship.

“Why do you think you feel that way?” Phoenix’s voice was calm when he spoke. That admission hadn’t broken the psyche lock, but maybe the reason she felt sadness and jealousy would. Athena was silent for a minute, which to her felt like an eternity, as she thought about it.

“I… I l… lo… I love him.” The psyche lock shattered. Tears were threatening to spill from Athena’s eyes. It only came to her as she said it. She loved Apollo. She was jealous because she loved Apollo. She was sad because she’d lost him. No, she’d practically driven him into Juniper’s arms. “I’ve really messed up, haven’t I?” Her voice was barely audible over the music from inside.

“I…” Phoenix wasn’t sure where to go from here. Trucy had never had problems like this, so he was completely inexperienced. Still, he knew he had to comfort Athena. “Do you need a hug?” He offered, opening an arm to her. She looked at him, some confusion mixed into her sadness, but was quick to move closer and hug him. He put his arm around her and rubbed her back comfortingly. “I can’t pretend to know what you’re feeling, but I know how it feels to have my heart broken. Trust me, you’re gonna be okay. Sure, it sucks now, but you’re a strong young woman. I have no doubts you’ll be just fine.” He told her. She was silent, just hugging him and trying not to cry.

The time was three am. The party had long ended, and Athena was laying on top of her bed. She couldn’t sleep. Now she was alone, he was letting her tears out. In her arms was a picture frame with the photo Trucy had taken of her and Apollo kissing under the mistletoe inside. She set it down and forced herself to sit up, starting to idly braid her long hair which was now loose. Widget was dark blue around her neck still. She got up and walked over to the full length mirror on the wall, staring at her reflection. She was wearing just a pink nightie, her ginger hair in braids and makeup smeared all over her face, which to her only made her look like an uglier version of Juniper. More tears spilled from her eyes. It all felt so unfair.

“Wish I were…”

[the-everlasting-dream]

Distraction - Damien x MC (Mature)

Summary: Athena pays a visit to the detective’s office. 

A/N: Yes yes I know this particular is has been written over and over again by almost all Damien writers but idc, here’s my interpretation of it. Also havent written smut since last year so I’m out of practice ahh

Word Count: 3775

Warnings: Erotica, mature content, 30 diamond scene, 18+ - how are we tagging this again? 

Tags:  @choicessa, @meeraaverywalker , @drakewalkerwhipped , @thewolvesss ,  @mfackenthal , @srawesleyghuewrites , @topsyturvy-dream , @enmchoices , @gardeningourmet @debramcg1106 , @alesana45 , @meladoridarcy, @blackcatkita , @tmarie82 , @annekebbphotography , @lizk77 , @jayjay879 , @tornbetween2loves , @akrenich , @theroyalweisme , @likethetailofacomet , @sleepwalkingelite , @littleblossom-18 , @ooo-barff-ooo , @mrsnazariowrites  NSFW tags: @androgynousflowerqueen 

Damien Nazario sighed, running a hand over his face as he stared at the contents of the file in front of him. Stress had sunken into ever pore of his skin, his back was aching from being crouched over his desk for so long, eyes sore from staring at the screen and in the back of his head, a migraine was threatening to break out. It was late, much later than he should have been staying at the office but he couldn’t help it… he was close… so close to cracking this case that if he left it now, he might never solve it at all. Now if he went over these facts one more time, surely there was something he was missing here… 

Victim was found in the side alleyway of a street… something about a knife… wait… what knife..? 

‘Hey D! How’s it going?’

 A cheerful voice cut through his concentration and his thought process came screeching to a halt. Damien gave out an exasperated sigh, annoyed that he’d been disturbed, looking up to see his girlfriend Athena Park entering his office, her thick trench coat almost getting caught in the door as she closed it behind her. 

 ‘Wow Damien, and you tell me off for making a mess.’ 

 He followed her eyes to see the tangle of papers, Post-Its, case notes and red string he’d been using to construct his evidence board strewn across the room and on every available surface. 

 ‘Uhh.. yeah.’ 

Athena’s dark eyes landed on him, sitting amidst the chaos, fingers ink stained from where he was scribbling his suspicions down on a rag of paper. ‘Let me guess… lost track of time?’ 

 He shrugged tiredly. ‘I’m so close ‘Thena. I can feel it. Why can’t I crack this?’ 

She sauntered over to him, heels clicking on the tiled floor as she picked her way towards his desk. ‘You’ll get it D. I know you will. You just need a break.’ She planted a kiss on the top of his head, feeling the cogs of his mind still turning over every angle of this case. She ran her hands through his hair, massaging his scalp gently. ‘You need to relax. You’re so tense baby. At this rate you’ll have a full head of white hair before you’re 40.’ 

 ‘I know but I’ve almost got it.. There’s something here that I’m just not seeing,’ Damien replied absentmindedly as her hands slipped down his neck to knead his strong shoulders. He let out a gasp of relief as her hands made their way over a particularly stubborn knot.  

  ‘You’ll never get any work done if you’re so stressed,’ Athena murmured in his ear having bent down so she was within earshot. ‘Luckily for you I have the perfect distraction.’ 

Damien barely had time to react before she’d manoeuvred herself between him and the desk. His mouth fell open to ask what she was doing when he caught the mischievous glint in her eye. A low hum of satisfaction escaped her as her hands ghosted up her body, smoothening over her trench coat as she slowly unbuttoned it. His breath caught in his throat, swallowing thickly at the black lacy bra that hugged her breasts perfectly. 

 ‘Did you…’ He wet his lips, unable to speak at the sight of her, a pulse of heat coursing down his body to his cock. 

 She chuckled, parting the trench coat to reveal nothing else but a matching lace thong and a garter belt underneath, complimenting her rich skin perfectly. ‘Come all the way here only wearing this?’ 

Another surge of heat rippled through his body at the visualisation of his girlfriend’s boldness. She would have had to catch two trains to come see him, he calculated, only imagining the dozens of people she would have had to pass to get here, all unaware of her little secret under that trench coat. Damien swallowed again, finding it harder and harder to maintain his focus, so dragged up on the sight of her that he could barely focus on what he’d been doing earlier. Her dark eyes glinted, daring him to give in, to give up and take her right here and now. But the rational side of his mind still prevailed. 

 What had he been doing earlier…? Something about a case, the notes.. 

 ‘I should… I should get back to work,’ he choked out, cock begging for release inside his pants while the rational side still held out against the desire that was threatening to consume him. 

Athena’s smug expression wavered, a tiny motion undetectable to the untrained eye but Damien was trained in a hard school and the effect was not lost on him. She held his gaze for one burning moment, allowing the fire to build and build inside him until he was just about to give in when she snapped her coat shut. 

‘You’re right. Its important work. The last thing you need is a distraction,’ she mused, pushing herself off the table and walking around it. 

Now that he’d seen what was underneath, Damien couldn’t for the life of him get the visual of her ass in that lace thong out of his mind and ran a hand through his hair in an attempt to calm himself down. Glancing up his eyes widened. 

 ‘W-what are you doing?’

‘Hmm?’ Athena looked at him innocently from where she was sitting in the chair on the other side of his desk. Her trench coat lay on the floor with the rest of the mess, leaving her clad in only her lingerie, perfectly aware of the way his eyes seemed to be anchored to her chest. ‘I’m helping. I’m not about to put a good outfit to waste.’ 

 ‘Uh-huh,’ Damien choked out, barely able to concentrate with his girlfriend teasing him so mercilessly. 

All thoughts of the case had been banished from his mind now that she was sitting almost naked in his office, looking every bit the cliche sexy secretary she was attempting to project and goddamn if it wasn’t working perfectly on him, alighting a particular fantasy he’d never realised he’d had. It wouldn’t have taken much, she was practically begging for it right now, for him to shove the desk out of the way and devour her until she was screaming his na- 

‘Where do these go?’ Athena’s voice pierced through his fantasy, holding up a stack of files. His cheeks reddened at her catching him lusting so openly over her. 

 ‘That cabinet,’ he replied, barely trusting himself to speak two words. Damien barely bit back a moan, breath catching in his throat when he got a view of her ass in that thong, as she got up from the chair, his cock screaming for release, as he wondered why in his right mind he was resisting. He dropped his head into his hands, willing himself to focus. 

‘Oops!’ 

His head picked up at the sound of Athena’s voice as she bent to pick up the piece of paper she had not-so-subtly dropped and when his eyes landed on her, they grew wide at the sight of a jewelled plug resting between her ass cheeks. 

Suddenly he was on his feet, spinning her around with his strong arms and she now faced him, lips inches away, breasts heaving. One of his hands held her chin, while the other returned to her ass manipulating the plug embedded there. 

‘Was this your intention all along Miss Park? For me to take you like some cliché porn secretary, bend you over my desk making you cum on my cock?" 

Athena moaned at his question, feeling the plug pushing into her ass. She slid her hand between them, down to his groin and began to rub Damien's cock through the front of his pants. ‘I’m glad you finally noticed…. sir.' 

 A low growl sounded from the back of his throat, making her grin wide as she knew she’d found his trigger. ‘Fucking tease.’ 

 Athena was about to shoot back with a snarky reply when Damien pulled roughly at the tiny strip of fabric connecting the two cups of her bra, ripping it off her body.

‘Da-‘ She protested but he didn’t let her finished, interrupting her with a searing kiss that set a fire under her skin. 

Moaning, she threaded one hand into his hair pulling him closes while the other fumbled with the buckle of his belt. Damien broke the kiss long enough to stare into her eyes with an intensity that had her creaming instantly before he reattached his mouth to her neck, biting and sucking hard enough that evener dark skin wouldn’t mask the marks left behind. He licked a fiery trail from her collarbone down to her nipple, taking it into his mouth. 

 Athena bit her lip as he worked the small bud, swirling his tongue around it while he tweaked the other. She arched into his touch, his pants were now fully open and she rubbed his hard cock through his boxer briefs. 

 ‘Damien I need… I want…' 

He removed his hands and mouth from her, leaving her gasping at the lack of contact, the breeze from the air conditioner cooling the line he’d licked into her skin, making it dimple with goosebumps. 

 ‘You think you can come into my office, disturb my work and get away with it?’ He tipped her chin with the tip of his finger so her lust filled eyes met his. ‘No baby, you’re only cumming when I say you can. Understand?’ 

She could barely nod, rubbing her thighs together, driven almost wild with desire in her desperation for him, for her release. Damien’s eyes looked almost black as they stared into hers. 

‘Answer the question Athena. Do you understand?’ 

‘Yes sir.’ 

‘Good.’ 

Without warning, Damien hooked his hands under her ass, hoisting her into his arms and she crashed her lips onto his as he began to walk them back to his desk. He cleared it with one smooth swipe and set her down on it. Damien paused to strip off his jacket and tie, grinned devilishly at the sight of her before moving back in front of her, reaching around and grabbing her ass with both hands just where it met her legs. He easily lifted her setting her on the edge of the table, lowering his mouth to hers. As he kissed her she wrapped her, now dangling legs around his waist and pulled him close. She could feel his cock rub her mound through his boxers, unable to suppress a moan.

Slowly, deliberately, at a pace that tested her patience, he began to move lower, kissing lightly biting her neck around from ear lobe to ear lobe. Now she began to rock her hips into him, holding him tight with her legs around his lower back. Athena began to moan loudly as her clit rubbed on the stiff fly of his open jeans. Damien pushed lower, through the grip of her legs entwined around him, as she looked again to the reflection in the office window, she could see her legs had pulled his shirt up slightly, as he began to lick and suck on her breasts, again lightly biting her nipples, his rough hands massaging them both as well. 

As he continued down to kiss and caress her stomach, she could now see the well-defined muscles of back as her feet continued to hold his white work shirt as he moved down the front of her body. Athena moved her legs from around him, placing her heels on the table next to her ass for support as she worked at the buttons. 

Damien lifted his arms and allowed her to roll his shirt off as he continued to kiss her midsection. Her hips pushed up into his chest now, urging him further down as she began to feel her wetness flowing down along the crevice of her ass to where the plug was nestled. She leaned back further placing one hand on his well-toned shoulder, subconsciously urging him down.

Damien paused just before his mouth reached the hem of her thong, running his fingers across her wet slit and nearly throbbing clit. Athena moaned, encouraging him forward, trying to apply some pressure on his shoulder to push him onward toward her pussy. She looked down at him as he looked up, smiling as he held her stare, hooking him thumbs on the sides of her underwear and yanking the fabric off her with one easy motion. He blew lightly on her glistening mound and Athena moaned in anticipation, silently begging him to burying his face in her folds, but instead he moved to the side next to her opening, licking slowly up along the crease between her thigh and hip 

"Uhhhh...pllleeeaaase..." Athena moaned, hanging her head backward, she lifted her hips in a vain attempt to find his tongue, as she felt further moisture make its way along her ass towards the table below. 

Damien laughed softly at her desperation deviously twisting the plug in her ass. Again he moved toward her needy core and then teasingly to the side, licking along the opposite thigh. Athena's hips rocked upward, again searching in vain. ‘Do you like me teasing you Athena?’

‘Fuck.. ahh. Damien please..’ 

‘Please what?’ 

‘Please sir.’ 

 He moved closer to her soaking lips he could see her moisture flowing from her pussy and running down between her ass now. Now finally, Damien centered his tongue at the lowest point of her glistening pussy. Athena felt his warm breath as finally his tongue met her lips. Ever so softly he ran the tip of his tongue up the full length of her tight slit, ending with a flick across the nub of her throbbing clit, eliciting a strangled gasp from her. She felt the tip of his finger apply just slight pressure to her sex just as Damien mouth went to her slit his tongue probing deep between her lips and licking from bottom to top. She moaned finally feeling the full effect of his mouth on her pussy, and the sensation from the plug in her ass. She reached down with one hand and grabbed at his dark hair to try and hold him there and provide some support for the feelings that rose in her radiating up from between her legs. He licked her expertly, knowing exactly what to do to urge her body towards her climax while all she could do was grab at her own breast massaging as she continued to moan, arching her back off the table. 

Just as she was about to near the edge, Damien suddenly pulled away… again.  

She started to protest but the dark look in his eyes warned her against it as he stood over her. 

 ‘Are you ready for me Athena?’ He asked, voice low as he dragged his eyes over her. He needed to hear her say it, for her to tell him just how much she wanted him. She pushed herself up onto her elbows, staring at him in the light of the desk lamp, the only thing that was still on the table besides her, casting a glow across his muscled form. Her core throbbed with need as she glanced down to his crotch where his cock was ready for her, straining against his boxers, the only barrier between them now. 

 She gave him a devilish grin. ‘Yes sir.’

His hands were on her hips instantaneously, spinning her around so that she was facing away from him. her chest was pressed against the cool wood of the desk. 

‘Are you ready Athena?’ He asked again, toying with her now, teasing her entrance with the tip of his cock. 

 'Yes, sir,' she responded, pushing her ass back on his hardened cock, hoping he would just put it in her already. He refused to give in, taking his time teasing her until she was at her wits end actions eased slightly as he pushed gently between her shoulder blades, bending her over the desk. She gasped slightly as her hard nipples meet and rubbed on the wooden top. He was quiet for so long that Athena looked back over his shoulder watching as he pushed his boxer briefs to the floor. She moaned and licked her lips as she saw his thick cock spring free. Damien took at half step back. He could see her pussy, lips glistening with moisture that also coated her thighs where the plug was still nestled in her firm ass. His cock hardened further as she slowly ground her hips into the desk, silently begging for him. He held himself at her entrance for a moment longer before his desire overcame him and he finally pushed himself into her.  

Both of them moaned deeply as he pushed into her tight hole. 'Mmmmmmmmmhhhhhhhhhh…yeeessss,' she exclaimed.

Damien felt the head of his cock force its way easily into the tight opening, lubricated by Athena's juices he continued to slowly push into her, half inch by half inch. Pushed to the very edge, Athena could already feel her orgasm build as soon as he entered her. This slow press into her depths kept the feeling building but only delayed any relief. It was one of the best feelings she decided, amidst the intense pleasure surging through her. No one ounce fill her as totally and completely as Damien, certainly no one she’d ever been with in the past could measure up either length or width. At this angle, he pressed hard onto the g-spot on the front wall of her pussy and still it pressed forward, exploring her depths. 

Finally, Damien's thighs hit the back of her legs and ass, his balls coming to rest against her clit. She moaned, tightening her walls further to force some movement as he waited, his cock buried inside and filling her. Damien enjoyed the feeling as she squeezed his cock tightly then he slowly flexed his ass, his thighs pressing against the softness of her, pushing just slightly further with each small slow thrust keeping his cock fully embedded between. They’d barely started and already she could feel the wave of pleasure begin to come to a crest, the relief she desired was almost here. 

'Oooooohhhhh god!' Athena exclaimed, feeling his cock pressing on her g-spot, his balls rubbing her clit, fuller than she had ever been with the plug inside her too. 'I'm so close to cumming.'   

The head of his cock just teasing her opening was keeping her so close but not letting her climax finally crest. She trying to push back against him and force his cock deeper inside but he was able to control her movement with his thighs. Hands on her hips, Damien continued to tease her. 

‘Make me cum on your cock,’ Athena burst out, unable to take it any longer. ‘Please...' 

Damien’s voice echoed from behind her. ‘Please what?' 

‘Please sir!’  

She’d barely finished yelling, when Damien stood up, slamming his cock deep inside of her gripping hard to her hips. His balls slapping against her clit, he began to truly fuck her sliding halfway out before driving his cock deep inside her again sawing across her g-spot as his fingers worked the plug in her ass. Almost instantly Athena's orgasm crashed over her. Her back arched as her stomach clenched her ass and legs shaking as she felt clenched around his cock. 

 ‘Ooohhhhhh…fuck...Damien!!' 

The dam inside her finally exploded bathing her in a wave of pleasure so intense she could barely breathe. Damien was in awe at the sigh of her, sweat forming on her back and ass, a slight quiver in her legs but he continued to thrust, determined to work her through a second orgasm. As he saw his girlfriend's breathing start to get heavy again, he knew she was ready for more and sped up his thrusts, trying to push down and focus the pressure on the front wall of her pussy and g-spot. He reached to the plug in her ass and pulled slightly adding some pressure to the silver jewel that held it in place. Athena was moving with him now, both their bodies slamming together in loud wet sounds that echoed through his office. 

The desk began to shift slightly under the force of their fucking, moving in jerking motions towards the wall opposite them. Both of them were now slick with sweat and Damien noted the tiny droplets glistened on her back and ass before his gaze dropped further to watch her take all eight and a half inches of his cock like a pro and their mixed juiced that coated his shaft forming a frothy ring at its base. Athena’s breathing began to sound laboured and he could tell the second wave was nearing its crest and began to slowly pull the plug out of her ass as he slammed his cock deep inside her pussy and if his timing was right... 

 ‘Oh Damie- Aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!! !' Athena screamed, as he pulled the plug from her ass stretching her wide just the second wave of orgasm crashed. 'Oh, oh, oh, oh god, oh god, oh god.’ She moaned as wave after wave of orgasm flowed over her almost continually now. 

She grasped desperately at the desk, one hand above her head the other down next to her hip. Her head alternated from burying her face in her shoulder and looking forward gasping for air. grinding herself into the table as she legs began to shake uncontrollably. She clenched almost painfully around him and that did it for Damien. He drove drove his cock deep inside her pulsing sex a few more times before letting out a loud groan of her name. 

‘Athenaaaa FUCK!’

He slammed into her, holding her ass tight against his hips as he coated the inside of her pussy in four thick spurts of cum thrust. Athena was now almost slumped on the desk as the pleasure that had sustained her through now faded leaving a warm glow of final release in her core. Damien fell forward to his elbows, his hands caressing the outer reaches of her breasts as the last pulses of orgasm issued from his cock, unable to think straight as all his focus was on breathing right now. 

 Athena turned her head to grin tiredly at him. ‘Guess I should distract you more often then huh?’ 

Damien placed a soft kiss on her lips. ‘If it ends like this, you can distract me anytime.’

[ladyloveandjustice]

The Great Ace Attorney Replay: Dual Destinies, Case 5, Part 1

Trucy and Phoenix are off to prove Athena’s innocence! aw yeah father-daughter investigations! I really like how Athena and Trucy believe really hard in each other, I want more of their relationship.

Starbuck: As I was coming out of the Detention Center, I saw Miss Cykes.

I was at a loss for words. I didn't know what to say to the poor girl. And then, you know what? She flashed a peace sign at me. "Congratulations on your acquittal," she said. "Now you can go back into space someday."

Phoenix: (Yeah, that sounds like Athena. I can just picture it.)

Starbuck: But I saw her eyes. They were red and swollen from crying. She's gotta be suffering! She must be so worried! And yet she went out of her way to be nice and give me that big smile!

Trucy: She held back her own tears so she could give someone else a smile. That's... so Athena

Athena is an ANGEL. A strong and pure angel and anyone who doesn’t see how wonderful she is is WRONG. I love her so much.

Starbuck’s sighing may be annoying but he wins a lot of points for offering to take Athena’s place in jail just bc he cares so much. I feel ya bro.

Never forget that Trucy is such an expert knifethrower she was able to stop a moving vehicle by piercing its tire. Bamf.

Junie’s so worried about her girlfriend she’s here to give us some classified Athena Info. I wonder how mad Junie would be if she ran into Apollo and found out how harshly he was suspecting Athena right now. I bet if they had a conversation while Apollo was in his darkandedgy state, he’d say something about Athena that would KILL JUNIPER’S CRUSH DEAD. In fact, I’m gonna headcanon that this happened and bookmark it for a fic. ANYTHING THAT CONTRADICTS IT LATER IN THE GAME WILL BE HEADCANONED AWAY.

Athena’s backstory was when I realized she has a permanent place in my heart. The fact that she was originally very quiet and just read and painted and hated going outside resonates a lot with me. Her energy and cheer and zest for life is something she had to work very, very hard over the years to cultivate. I wonder how much of it is still something she has to force herself to do. The fact that she managed to become so enthusiastic and tough despite the fact she was naturally withdrawn and dealing with so much fear and trauma- it’s inspiring. It makes me hope that I can open up a little more in the future too. 

It also makes her fasinating as a character- it’s hard to know how hard she’s forcing herself or what she went through to undergo this transformation. Athena may seem like a open book, and she can get other people to open up- but she’s also very closed off. I find that duality fascinating- she loves analyzing emotions but has a hard time dealing with her own. There’s a lot to explore there.

Juniper:  Because of her special ability, Thena couldn't handle being in school very often. And I was always out sick because of my weak constitution. Maybe that's why we became such good friends. We used to play together here at the Space Center a lot. It brings back memories.

I love that even though they’re complete opposites nowadays, it was actually Junie and Athena’s similarities that bough them together, Athena gets Junie’s shyness and sensitivity because she’s been there. Maybe she’s still even like that deep down. I’d love to see that aspect of their bond explored.

Anyway, Phoenix and Trucy head over to the attention center and we talk to the bomber who hurt Apollo. Phoenix is PISSED. I know I like to tease about the tension in their relationship (which could stand to be explored more) but I do think Phoenix does care about Apollo even with all the weird stuff between them, and it’s adorable how protective he is here. I mean:

(Are you here to laugh at me?)

Phoenix: (Like I'd waste my breath on you. After all, you're the one who assaulted Apollo and put him in the hospital!)

At which point Phoenix looks mad enough that Tonate seems genuinely scared he’s going to attack him and pleads.

Phoenix: "No violence"?! Too bad Apollo didn't get a chance to say that before you attacked him!

Do not mess with people in Phoenix’s circle, he’s not gonna forgive you.

I forgot Apollo and Aura kind of bonded. Well they both are mourning their dead lovers. IN FACT THE GAME BASICALLY SAYS THAT:

Apollo:I get the feeling Dr. Cykes loved her robots almost as much as she loved her daughter... ...and almost as much as she loved you.

Aura: ...Ha ha ha ha ha! What are you talking about? Don't make me laugh! But you lost someone, too, didn't you, Apollo? Your friend Clay... I guess you and I are pretty much in the same boat. *sigh*

You heard it here, Apollo has special knowledge of how Aura feels because he too has a dead love and Aura thinks their situations are the same.  btw Clonco mistaking Apollo for his dead bf is pretty creepy. he sure is going through a lot rn.

Trucy getting pissed at Apollo on Athena’s behalf- yes. give me that sibling drama.

In fact, she even goes back in to talk to him- Id’ve liked to see that. He must have left before her though, since she got caught up in the kidnapping and he didn’t. Maybe she made him storm out? I wonder why she hung around afterwards?

The way Phoenix is like TRUCY NO DON’T LEAVE ME and gets really depressed the SECOND he is alone, never fails to crack me up. like literally it is one second and he is like WOE IS ME I AM SO ALONE. Fortunately a letter from Maya perks him up. FUNNY HOW SHE FAILS TO MENTION SHE’S IN ANOTHER COUNTRY they so obviously hadn’t thought of that yet.

 I do like that this game actually bothers to address what Maya and Miles were doing during the hobo years and reassures us they were there in some capacity.

~To be Continuedddd

[magewardensurana]

For your writing prompts! Ema/Maya, chocolate?

Sorry this took awhile!

Ema knocked on the door to the Wright Anything Agency, but didn’t wait for an answer before she pushed it open.  It was business hours, after all.

“Mr Wright?” she said, not looking up from the folder she was absorbed in reading.  "I was wondering if you could take a look at - Oh.“  She stopped when she did look up, and saw that the person in the office was not Phoenix Wright, or his daughter, or Athena Cykes.

“Heya, Ema!” The woman greeted her with a bright smile and a wave.

Maya Fey.  It was always a slightly awkward moment running into a highly attractive old friend.  Even more awkward when the last few interactions had involved murders, arrests, testimonies and cross examinations.

“Maya, hello.  I wasn’t expecting -” The folder got transferred to under her right arm and her left hand automatically went for the bag of snackadoos.  "Have you been in LA long?“  That seemed like a safe topic choose.

“Just a few days.  Probably be here a few more.  With Trucy in her senior year and Apollo in Khura'in, Nick’s a little short staffed.  So I said I’d help out for a bit.”

“What about Miss Cykes?”  Ema’s mind had gone blank of anything except the most inane of small talk.  She suddenly wished she had a crime scene to examine (not that she wanted the Agency to be the scene of yet another crime.  It was more a desire for a general crime scene) or a testimony to give. Forensics would give her something to talk about, and distract her from the fact that she hadn’t washed her hair in several days and her lab coat still had that stain on it from last week.

“Thena’s running way more trials now, and Nick’s taking the whole mentor thing really seriously.”  Maya grinned, “Doesn’t really like me reminding him of the days when he couldn’t get through one trial without yelling for Sis to help.  So, it’s time for the real head of Wright and Co. to take her rightful place in the office again.”

Ema untucked the folder from under her arm.  "I’ll just leave this here, then,“ she said, slipping the folder on the desk.  "If you could ask Mr Wright to look at it.  It’s not important, just something I thought he’d find interesting.”

She turned to go.

“Ema, wait.”  Maya was leaning over her desk, her hand on Ema’s arm.  "It’s been ages since we spoke properly.  And arrests and cross examinations don’t count as a proper reunion.“

Ema blushed, and Maya sighed.  "Is that why you’re acting so weird?  Look, if I held a grudge against everyone who accused me of murder or testified against me I’d have no friends except Nick.”

Ema managed to smile in return. 

“I am sorry about that.  I could’ve got you and Mr Wright killed.”

“It’s no problem.  Happens all the time.  Come on, I was about to make hot chocolate.”

The kitchen at the Wright Anything Agency was still well stocked despite the fact that the Wrights no longer lived there.  Maya found milk and a saucepan, measured out the milk and put it on the stove to boil.

“Milk?”  Ema asked, surprised.

“Yeah.  What else would I use?  Water?” Maya slipped a glass disk into the pan.  She caught sight of Ema’s guilty expression.

“Oh, Ema…”

“What?  It’s quick and less work.  That efficiency is necessary for the busy working woman.”

“If you want to kill all the taste.  Also, that’s coco.”

“What’s the difference? In scientific terms, please.”

“S-scientific, huh?”  Maya frowned, thinking.

Ema rolled her eyes.  "Look at the basic nature of things, Maya”

They stared at each other for a moment, then Maya shook her head.  "This is all sounding way too familiar.  Besides, if I used water then I think Sis would channel herself into me and throw it all out.“

It was still strange to hear Maya so casually talk about spirit channelling, despite everything Ema knew of the Feys and had seen in Khura'in.

“Do you speak to your sister often?”

“Not as much as I used to,” Maya replied, rummaging through the cupboard to find the chocolate flakes.  "We spoke loads before I went to Khura'in, though.“

"How… exactly do you talk?”

“Is this your scientific curiosity?” Maya asked, a tub of chocolate flakes in her hand.  She added a generous amount to each mug and stirred in some cold milk.  "And it’s not that difficult.  Either we write notes to each other, or Pearly channels Sis and we talk face to face.“

Ema considered this.  Scientifically she knew spirit channelling was impossible, but empirical evidence said otherwise.

"It must be nice,” was what she managed.  She thought about her own parents, a man and a woman she barely remembered, and wondered what it would be like to see them again.

“I guess.  We haven’t talked since I turned twenty seven.  It just -” Maya shrugged, and stirred the milk and chocolate flake mixture again.  Ema tried to think of a way to change the subject.

“Did you know I didn’t actually realise our sisters were dating?" 

Maya laughed.  "Yeah, I know.  Sis and I had a bet going on how long it would take for you to realise.”

“I was pretty focused on my school work.”

“Emaaaaa.  They were living together.  In your house.”

There was a rattling of the glass dish as the milk came to the boil.  Maya poured the milk into the mugs and added a whipped cream and a sprinkling of marshmallows to each.  "Ta-da!  Maya’s Super Special Hot Chocolate!“

"It shall be drunk,” Ema replied, reaching up to adjust her glasses, “In the name of science.  You proposed the hypothesis that this is superior to water-made hot chocolate.  I intend to test this.  Scientifically.”

“I intend to drink it ‘cause it’s delicious.  Later I’ll probably test the hypnosis that whipped cream straight from the can to my mouth is just as good as adding it to food.”

The mental image of Maya Fey and whipped cream caused a small and sudden coughing fit from Ema.

“You okay, Ema?”

“I’m… fine.” Ema replied, running through the periodic table in her head to refocus her thoughts.  "Let’s go drink, shall we?“

They took their drinks over to the office’s couch, Maya curling up on her seat with the comfortable familiarity of someone who had thought of the place as a home for a long time.  Ema studied her over the top of her mug.  They’d known each other a long time, but then lost touch after Lana ended things with Mia.  Despite their mutual defence lawyer friend they hadn’t properly reconnected until just a few months ago.  And now they were drinking hot chocolate and talking like the years of separation had never happened.

Romance was not Ema’s strong suit.  In wasn’t that she lacked experience in the field.  More that her usual approach was impossible.  Dating wasn’t something that could be treated scientifically.  What worked with one person wasn’t guaranteed to work with another.  Each partner required a whole new set of formulae.  Klavier hadn’t been Kay, and Maya wasn’t Klavier (which she was very grateful for since being interested in one Klavier Gavin had been bad enough), so there was no reference to draw on.  No way of telling if her interest was requited.

"Did you know,” Maya said, breaking the silence.  "Meeting your sister really helped me.“

"Oh?”

“I’d only ever really had Sis to compare myself to.  So I figured there was something wrong with me ‘cause I didn’t like guys.  Kurain is really, really straight and Sis liked girls, buuuuuuuut she also liked guys.  So it wasn’t until I met Lana that I realised it could be a thing.”  Ema didn’t realise she’d been staring at Maya until the other woman blushed, then pouted.

“Shit.  You did know I’m gay, right?”

“A little hard to miss,” Ema replied, wryly.  "We were mutuals on tumblr, remember? You url was mayagay and your description was ‘I’m a lesbian and I like Steel Samurai’.“

"Still is.  And it’s still true.  So, what was with all the staring, then?”

“It’s just - I went through the exact same thing.  Growing up my only frame of reference was a lot of heterosexual people and Lana.  So I thought attraction was an either/or deal, and that I was an outlier.  Then I met Mia, and adjusted my theory to fit the new information.”

“Y'know, a quick Google search would’ve given us the same answers.”

“True.”

Maya raised her mug in a toast.  "Here’s to being a couple of really weird kids.“

Very carefully, so she didn’t dislodge any of the marshmallows or whipped cream, Ema accepted the toast.

[autumn-elwood]

Castor and Pollux

Warning: Cursing and other mature themes. The first story is linked at the bottom. Previous stories in this arc include: [1] The Prisoner and [2] The Fool

Also available on: Blogger

The sun beamed down over the sandy dunes of the Estival Desert. The heat saturated the air like molasses, causing visible waves to dance across the sandy horizon. For miles there was nothing but dunes, however if you looked closely, you could see a fractal of light from two figures running and faintly catch the light peels of hysterical laughter as the boys bumbled and tumbled up and down the dunes.

Most of this laughter hailed from the taller and younger boy by the name of Cyrus. He was in a state of giddy disbelief. His brother and him had done it, they were free. No more beatings, no more master and no more grueling tasks that no human should be made to endure. Both of them may have been struck with their ‘Z’ shaped brands but at least they were free.

Cyrus’ joyful ponderings were then abruptly interrupted as Kain’s wooden leg buckled, sending both boys and their single suitcase spawling through the air. Upon collision the bag burst open, sending their meager belongings across the sand dunes. The boys were also sent face first into the burning sand, and only by pure luck, did not end up with sand in their eyes. Kain recovered from the tumble first, spitting out sand and cursing.

“Are you alright, Cyrus?” he asked, shaking sand from his long blond hair.

“Fine. Now please watch your language.”

Kain rolled his eyes. How many times had he heard that? Too many to count.

Cyrus gave him a look that said, I wouldn’t have to say it so many times if you actually listened for once, replying as nonverbally as his brother’s reply.

Kain turned away to focus on his led. He attempted to bend it but it was stuck. He applied more pressure but the limb remained stubbornly out stretched. He growled.

“Dammit, it’s stuck pretty good. There’s sand in the joints.”

“Let me try.”

Kain unfastened the prosthetic and handed it to his brother. Like Kain, Cyrus attempted to move the hinges but the leg remained unmoving.

“It’s of no use. At least we brought the crutch.”

“Stole,” Kaine coughed. “It’ll slow us down.”

“Well we don’t have much of a choice. If we don’t get moving we are either going to get caught or die in the middle of this desert from dehydration.”

Kain sighed. “I know.”

Cyrus got up and began to search for the extendable crutch. Kain stood up and hopped towards their belongings but stopped when Cyrus signaled him.

“Here,” he said a few minutes later.

“I could’ve helped,’ Kain murmured, “Who’s the older brother here? You or me?”

Cyrus laughed. “You. Just because you’re older doesn’t mean you can’t accept my help.”

“Accepting your help seems to be all I’ve been doing lately,” Kain said mindlessly,

“Brother, I could have never gathered the courage to escape without you.”

“ If you hadn’t shown up in my cell I would have been hanged.”

Cyrus’ face grew anxious at the reminder of his brother’s almost death.

“We should get going. How much farther do you think the nearest town is?”

“No idea,” Kain answered, heaving himself to his foot with the crutch. “Damn it’s hot.”

“Language, brother” Cyrus countered, picking up the suitcase, now back to it’s pre-fall condition, and held the prosthetic over his shoulder.

Kain grumbled something inaudibly under his breath that sounded vaguely like, “Stupid little brothers.”

Kain put his hand above his eyes like a visor and scanned the desert in front of him. Endless piles of sand with no sign of civilization.

“How about that way?” he pointed west.

“Are you sure?”

“No.”

“What?!”

“We don’t exactly have a map.”

“We’re dead.”

Kain hummed vaguely but internally agreed.

“How much water do we have left?”

Cyrus shifted the canteen around experimentally.

“A little bit over a third.”

“Shit!”

“Lang---”

“Shut up,” Kain yelled, smacking Cyrus with the crutch around the ankles.

“Ouch.”

Behind them the sound of the safety of a gun being switched off before it was loaded was heard. The boys froze and turned slowly towards the sound. This was it. They had been found. They were going to be dragged back to their master or killed in the middle of the desert where their corpses would never be discovered.

What both boys expected was a big burly man with a sniper that looked like he could snap you like a twig. What they saw however was a beautiful blank faced woman with a shotgun. Her inky black eyes stared emotionlessly at them framed by a bob of ebony hair. She wore a simple brown tank top style dress that was opposingly paired with jewelry that made her appear to be an Egyptian princess. She had done nothing but point her gun at them but both found her infinitely more terrifying than the burly man of their fears.

“What have you found, Athena?” laughed a man from the top of the dune, his figure hidden by the sun.

“Two small children, Hephaestus. They appear to have no weapons bar the crutch and the prosthetic, and they have no valuables,” the woman, Athena, replied, her expression seamlessly blank.

Hephaestus slid down the dune gracefully revealing an average looking red headed man with bronze goggles strapped to the top of his head. His hair was swept behind him in a long ponytail of flames. He was wearing a long coat and he wasn’t sweating in-the-middle-of-the-desert.

“Then they are useless.”

“Are you gods?” Cyrus whispered in awe.

 Kain resisted the urge to smack his baby brother but refrained when he remembered the shotgun barrel pointed directly at his face. Their captors snuck each other a glance. The man cackled while the woman remained as impassive as ever.

“No,” he gasped, still laughing. “Maybe we should take them on as jesters, Athena but I’m not sure how funny the short one is.”

Kain bit his lip to prevent himself from screaming insults about how he was not short. The man threw his arms around the boys and brought them close to his face. He smelt like smoke.

“Now what are two young boys, such as yourselves, doing here?”

Kain gave a meaningful look to his brother that said tell them nothing. Sadly, Cyrus took this glance as tell them everything.

“We’re running from our master.”

Hephaestus smirked. “Oh. Ex-slaves.”

Kain wanted to scream at Cyrus. These people could be slave wranglers.

“Should I kill them, sir,” Athena asked.

The boys stiffened. Hephaestus laughed pulling them even closer, causing the brothers to butt heads.

“Not yet. Let’s ask ‘em first. Little blondies, how would you like to join our thieving caravan or we kill you?”

Cyrus’ eyes widened. Thieves. Were brother and him cursed to forever be a part of the dregs of society or die? Kain’s face was very red and he was practically growling.

“What was that? I didn’t hear ya.”

“What do you deal in?”

Cyrus’ heart sank in his chest. He had already known Kain would most likely agree for the sake of their lives but to hear it out loud was devastating. Hephaestus smiled.

“I knew it. I knew you wouldn’t refuse, you smart brilliant boy.”

“What do you deal in?” Kain repeated.

“Jewelry, valuables, occasionally drugs,” Athena listed, still not lowering her gun.

“Slaves?” Kain asked bitterly.

“Nope,” Hephaestus replied, popping the p. “Although on- and let me emphasize this-, very rare occasions, we free them.”

The boys looked at him like he had just said it was raining in the middle of a drought. A thief freeing slaves? No. That does not just happen. Even the kindest humanitarians of the age did not free slaves. Sure they advocated for their freedom or even helped ex-slaves recover but they didn’t free them. They didn’t storm a manor and seize slaves nor did they buy them with the intention to free them. No. This man had to be lying.

“So will you be joining or will Athena be filling you with lead?”

“We don’t have much of a choice, do we, brother?”

“No. Not much of a choice at all.”

Athena’s lips quirked up briefly and Hephaestus beamed at them.

“I have not heard the yes~” Hephaestus sang.

“Yes,” Kain scowled.

“Yes, sir.”

“Lower the gun, ‘thena. These boys are ours now,” he messed up the boys’ hair and stepped away. “But if you leave without our say so, we’ll send you six feet under.”

“Joy,” Kain muttered, sarcastically.

Hephaestus wrapped his arm around Athena, put his finger to his mouth and cocked his head thoughtfully.

“Now sweet thang, what shall we call our new children.”

Athena gave her companion an unimpressed look.

“They’re old enough to pick their own code names.”

“Code names?” Cyrus questioned.

“You didn’t honestly think our names were Hephaestus and Athena, did ya?”

Cyrus colored. Athena sighed. Kain groaned. Hephaestus laughed.

“Do we need the code names? We could, you know, just give you our names,” Kain said.

Hephaestus gave him a long look, his deep blue eyes were unreadable. Cyrus shifted awkwardly next to Kain in obvious discomfort.

“You could, he finally said. “But you’d be the only ones.”

“You don’t know each other's’ names,” Cyrus exclaimed, shocked.

“Only ones. You mean there are more of you,” shrieked Kain, at the same time.

“Yes, on both accounts,” the redhead replied with a smirk.

“How do you know you can trust each other, if you can’t trust them with your real names?” Cyrus asked, confused.

“A name is just a name. If I can’t trust the captain under the name Hephaestus, why would I trust him anymore under his real name,” Athena answered, loyalty saturating her voice.

Hephaestus clapped and gave her a genuine smile, absent of all the smugness that coated all his previous smiles.

“Beautifully put my dear.”

Cyrus silently agreed and had to force himself not to wipe his eyes of intangible tears. Kain barely stopped himself from gagging. Then his body snapped to attention.

“Captain?”

Hephaestus smirked lazily. “Yes. Oh did I forget. I’m Captain Hephaestus of the caravan of Hermes and this is my second in command, Athena.”

“Wait, so Athena isn’t in charge of you,” Kain spluttered. “I thought you were her back up!”

“Back up,” the man in question repeated in an offended tone.

Athena chuckled lowly. “What confused you, his idiocy or his carefree disposition?”

“Oi!”

“Everything.”

“What?!”

“Um… apologies, sir, but what my brother means to say is Miss Athena is quite a bit more intimidating than you,” Cyrus interceded in an attempt to prevent an argument that could result in his brother being smacked, shot or in any way attacked.

Hephaestus clutched at his chest.

“Everything!” he moaned in despair, completely ignore Cyrus’ poor attempt at atonement. “You wound me, shortie.”

“Don’t call me shortie,” Kain growled.

“Then what shall we call you?”

“I’m Kain and this is my younger brother, Cyrus.”

The fiery haired man pursed his lips to prevent himself from laughing. His jovial eyes danced, seemingly saying, He’s your younger brother? Really? Kain took in a deep breath in order to restrain himself from tackling the man he had privately dubbed “Captain Bastard.”

“How about Castor and Pollux?”

“Cool,” Cyrus whispered, apparently forgetting his prior apprehensions towards becoming a thief in the face of code names. Kain grunted indifferently.

“Who would be who?”

Captain Bastard and Athena shrugged.

“Pick. We have a mile back to the caravan and we have to leave quick. Your previous ‘employer’ might still be one you tail.”

“Shit.”

“Brother!”

“I guess I’ll be Pollux,” Kain muttered.

“And I’m Caster!” murmured Cyrus to himself enthusiastically.

Cyrus was by no means ecstatic about becoming a thief but he was still excited about their progression in life. Sure, thief was only a little better than slave but it was still a step up. And they made new friends with more people to befriend in waiting. In a way, this was somewhat of a relief. Neither boy could read so that would raise questions if they attempted to get proper jobs and asking someone to teach to teenage boys basic literature would end in the same result.

“Um… sir. Could you… uh… you think any of your crew could- would be willing- to teach my brother and I to read,” Cyrus asked, fidgeting.

Kain blushed and glared down at the sand in embarrassment.

Hephaestus cracked another genuine smile.

“Certainly. Although not required for our… um… jobs, we often deal with books and there’s not much to do on the road. We have everything from the most recent to pre-rest literature.”

“Are you fucking serious?” Kain asked in excitement. “How the hell did you get your hands on pre-rest literature? Most of those books have been destroyed or are more expensive than three large houses!”

Athena smiled again. “We also do excavations of historical sites for consultations and… illegally.”

“In fact the other day we hit the jackpot. Found a pre-rest library buried in the sand three miles that way,” Hephaestus said pointing past the boys. “We’re going to make it our new hideout. It’s only about an hour away on foot from Apple-polish.”

“How good of a condition would you say the books are in?”

“Well Pollux, I’d say mint, well as mint condition as pre-rest books can be. I’ve never come across a more well preserved collection.”

Kain startled suddenly at his new name but quickly resumed his questioning.

“Do you think it’s safe to remove the books from the library? It won’t damage them, will it?”

“You’re pretty knowledgeable about books for an illiterate ex-slave.”

“The young master made me sit in on a lot of his lessons.”

Captain Bastard looked impressed. His expression seemed to say, how’d you convince him to let you do that, blondie? In Kain’s opinion it wasn’t all that impressive. Gavius was a lonely kid and Kain was one of the few slaves that was around the young lord’s age. Additionally, Gavius found Kain’s obstinate and rude personality refreshing. Unfortunately, when Lord Zafar found out about their ‘friendship’ he used it as an excuse to toughen Gavius up and punish Kian by making Gavius beat him. And then Kian had helped Gavius’ fiance, Lady Alma, Escape, leading Gavius to order for his execution unless he gave up Alma’s location. Well not that Gavius had actually asked. He had still been mad about the argument Kain and him had gotten into six months before the incident and didn’t even bother asking where Kain had stowed Lady Alma away to.

Also, when they had escaped Kain had left fairly accurate depiction of Gavius dressed like a fool. Needless to say, the ‘friends’ had not left on the best of terms but this author digresses.

“So?”

“Oh yes. It should be perfectly safe to remove the books,” Hephaestus removed a thick volume from his coat. “I’ve been reading this book by a Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (quite interesting if I do say so) and it’s doing fine.”

He opened the book and turned the pages to show the condition of the ink. Hardly any fading and the pages of the book looked pretty good.

“We’re going to transcribe them on some typewriters and sell them on the cheap.”

“That’s so kind of you, sir” Cyrus complimented.

Hephaestus puffed out his chest and adjusted his goggles in a manner reminiscent of a preening bird.

“Why yes, it is quite kind of me,” he boasted.

Athena cleared her throat and shifted her gun in a semi-threatening manner.

“Sir, we can discuss all of this later. We should really be getting back to the caravan. Their master might have sent someone to tail them.”

Both boys’ stomachs dropped at this reminder of how they still were not in the clear. Hephaestus nodded, looking serious.

“Who was your master? He asked.

Cyrus shuddered and Kain shifted uneasily on his crutch. Athena stared apprehensively, fearing she might recognize the name, whether from previous business or from her life before she was Athena, was uncertain. Hephaestus fiddled with his cuffs nervously.

“Lord Zafar,” Cyrus finally managed to stutter out.

Kain flinched and the two thieves reeled back violently.

“But you look so…” Athena breathed, not finishing her thought. How could she finish it? Not half-dead? Okay? Hephaestus’ expression became fierce. He grabbed their hands in his and brought them close to his heart.

“I won’t let him touch you again, he growled with conviction. “I will do everything in my power to keep that… that monster away from you.”

Hephaestus said those words with such honesty and anger Kain wondered if the man had previous experience with Baris Zafar or he was just that disgusted by every horror story about the man. Not that any of the stories were anywhere close to the truth. There were not any words that Kain knew of that could truly paint accurate picture of the man’s cruelty and malevolence. Zafar was a man that Kain, if he had still believed in religion, he would compare the man to all of the cruelest demons of hell and the Devil himself.

“Thank you,” whispered Cyrus. Kain kept silent, fearing he might cry or say something to mess this up. A total stranger, someone they had just met today, who didn’t even know them, was vowing to protect them. He was so torn. Part of him wanted to scream that Hephaestus was lying, that there was nothing the man could do to protect them from Zafar and the other half wanted to breakdown and thank the god he didn't believe in.

Cyrus had no such qualms. He fell down into the sand sobbing, chanting thank you’s and glorifications to God, Athena and Hephaestus. To kindness, compassion and mercy. To being alive.

Athena placed her hand on Cyrus’ shoulder. She conjured a small smile for the distraught boy.

“Let’s go Castor.”

Cyrus began sobbing louder and threw himself at the impassive woman, pulling her into a hug, causing shock to appear on her face. Kain removed his hand from Hephaestus’ and put it in hers. He squeezed it as if steeling himself for something and whispered:

“Thank you. Thank you both.”

Well that was fun. I haven't touched on Kain and Cyrus for but do hope you enjoyed the contintion of there tale. The ask box is still open to prompts and please notify me if you find any errors so I may correct them to optimism your reading expierence. Folow to get regular content updates.

[1] The Prisoner

[softquietsteadylove]

Hi! I just had this sudden idea and I have to ask you!

For the ice queen/tyrant au!

Thena asks Gil what and how exactly the assasination happened and if he can remember anything. While Gil summarizes what he can remember Thena listens quietly without interrupting him. When he finishes Thena says nothing a while and Gil gets worried but before he can say anything she softly takes his hand with the ring tattoo and kisses it while looking directly into his eyes, saying a lot without actually talking. Just this intimate, soft and quiet moment.

"Hey," Gil smiled as he heard the door to his hospital room slide open and shut. He was improving by the day - maybe even by the hour, at this point - and Ajak had promised his release within the week.

Thena remained silent.

Gil kept an eye on her as she came over to her chair, same as she had been. His jacket he had been brought in with was still thrown over the back of it, providing her a shawl of sorts when she was sitting in the chair (and not in bed with him, despite Ajak's complaints about that).

"Gil," she finally spoke up, pulling off her gloves and shedding her coat. She had come from work, either her office or his. "What can you tell me about what happened?"

He let his surprise show. He hadn't expected her to ask--at least not right now. She hadn't asked at first, and as time went on, he just assumed she had been briefed on things.

When she had been poisoned, he had demanded to know every detail of it.

Thena was quiet, sullen, pulling his hand in between both of hers. She looked at him, her brows pulled together and her lips pulled down at the corners, "please?"

Gil inhaled and sighed, looking up at the ceiling. He had thought about it some, dreamed about it more. It was hazy, at first, but the longer he spent recovering the more of it came back to him. "I was headed home after work. The weather was nice, so I wanted to walk."

Thena's hand was already tightening around his.

"Tires screeching," Gil narrated as he sorted through his memories in real time. He had woken from a nightmare or two in his time in this room. Thena had been there for all of them, comforting him silently but resiliently, every time. "That was the first one, but when they realised they missed they got out."

"I tried running, but I guess my guard was down. The other two shots landed, and I went down hard. Part of it was the actual shots, but part of it was also figuring that maybe if they thought they got me, they'd leave. It kind of worked."

She didn't return his little smile, or his shrug.

"I laid there for a little bit before calling the office. They used the civilian line to call in an anonymous tip for an ambulance for me. I also asked them to notify Ajak and Sersi. I...I trusted they would tell you."

Thena continued to listen to him in silence, although he looked over and caught her tears dripping from her long lashes. "Hey."

She let him reach over and brush them off her cheeks. She sniffed, pressing the back of his hand to them and then clasping them together again. "Go on."

Gil sighed. He wasn't sure what she was after, or if she just wanted the full story from his own perspective. It seemed to be distressing her more than anything. But she asked, so he would answer. "I was pretty surprised when I found out it was her. Didn't think she had balls like that."

Thena frowned at him.

"Either way," Gil shrugged, not nearly as bothered by the mere concept of the Little Heiress as his Ice Queen was. "That was the last I remembered before they got the drugs in me. When I woke up...well, you were here."

He smiled, pressing his palm to her cheek. His heart skipped a happy little beat as she leaned into his touch, her expression so tender it could make him fall in love with her all over again. That was his Thena, looking at him like that.

She sighed, just looking at him, taking it all in. She let him brush his thumb against her cheek as he liked, allowing the comfort both of them. Her hands held his other one, running over his palm.

Gil automatically leaned as she pulled at his left hand faintly. He watched as she brought his hand to her lips, kissing the tattoo of his ring. His eyes locked with hers. "Thena?"

But she had no answer to his question. The kiss was its own statement, and really, it was all she had to say.

Gil nodded, running his fingers through her hair, "I know. Me too."

Thena, satisfied that he had understood what she was saying in not so many words, stood from her chair. She pulled back his covers, crawling into bed with him.

Gil made room for her, pulling the covers up over them and holding her against him. "And what happened to listening to Ajak?"

Ajak, who had told them multiple times that Gil's IVs could come out if they were all snuggled up in the tiny hospital bed together.

But Thena curled up against him, forehead pressed against his collar bone, hand over his heart as if to order it to keep beating so long as she was present.

Gil kissed the crown of that hair of hers, settling comfortably on his side so they could both fit together. "I love you, too, Thena."

She had said so much when she had kissed his hand--the ring he had imprinted into his skin to mark that he was hers inseparably. Telling him how much she loved him was just one of those many things.

[softquietsteadylove]

Could you do little thing in the Actors AU where Sprite and her salad have had enough… but there is an actual salad involved

Why did she agree to this lunch, Sprite had to wonder.

Oh, because she wanted to see their cousin Sersi, of course. She was in town for discussions of a few possible upcoming projects she was considering. And she wanted the chance to get together with Sprite and Thena.

And somehow Gil ended up coming too.

Of course, he had tried to insist politely that he didn't want to interrupt their time visiting with their cousin as a stranger. But he and Thena had made quite a habit of having lunch together.

Ultimately, it was Sersi who insisted that he join them.

"You should'a seen her," Gil chuckled, nudging Thena next to him as he cut his steak. "Really told him off for it."

"I did not," Thena shook her head with a smile, picking a piece of chicken out of her salad much more discreetly.

"Okay, you didn't curse him out or anything," Gil conceded quickly, "but for you to snap at anyone during an interview is pretty rare."

Except in instances that involved Gil, Sprite kept to herself. She had the same salad Thena had, while Sersi had opted for one with mandarin in it. She looked at her cousin, who gave her a wink.

Sersi had heard all about Thena's chemistry with her co-star--had seen for herself, in a few of their interviews together. And having further evidence from Sprite as a witness was more than enough to have her interest piqued.

"I think he's allowed a few too many liberties because he's young," Thena murmured, flicking another crouton from her salad cleanly onto Gil's plate.

Gil happily snapped up the crouton and popped it into his mouth. "I think he's just jealous I got to sit next to you."

"Yes, jealous," Sersi mused aloud, making the other actors' heads snap over to her. She smiled at her cousin with a certain glint in her eye. "I daresay you're onto something, Gil."

Gil swiped at his mouth with his napkin, "what was it like working with him on that thriller?"

"Admittedly, I didn't actually have many scenes with him, so our schedules were quite separated from one another," Sersi set down her fork, also dabbing at her lips. "Although when we did work together, he usually just asked me about you."

"Me?" Thena asked, while Gil just rolled his eyes (as did Sprite).

"Yes of course you, Thena," Sersi voiced what Sprite was thinking, although with a pleasant smile to go along with it. "He found out somewhere that we're related and made it his mission to make it quite known to me how much he fancies you."

"Fancy makes it sound kinda nice," Gil scoffed aloud at the subject, sharply contrasting how pleasant he had been acting with Eros in their interview together not long ago. "I think the punk just has a crush on her and doesn't know how to stay in his lane."

"Yeah!" Sprite put in, raising her hand for a high five, which Gil delivered with a firm but appropriate amount of strength put into it.

"Gil, don't encourage her," Thena gave him a look, tucking back her hair to take one of the last few bites of her lunch.

"I don't need encouragement."

"No, you certainly don't," Thena glared at her sister, who grinned back at her with all the menace she had to offer. Thena sighed, setting down her fork. "That was quite nice."

"Liked it?" Gil smiled at her eagerly. She nodded and he turned in his seat, "I discovered this place when I first got to LA. The owner was all excited, asked for my picture and everything."

Indeed, there was a picture of the owner and Gilgamesh shaking hands behind the front counter.

"I thought it was kinda silly," Gil admitted sheepishly, "since I'm sure there are big celebrities in here all the time."

"You are a big celebrity," Thena laughed in a velvety tone, nudging his arm with the heel of her palm. "And perhaps he's a fan of your action work."

"Either way, it's always nice and quiet whenever I've been in-"

Thena's eyes caught Gil's hand drifting to the inside pocket of his blazer, "don't even think about it."

"Thena-"

"No," she pulled her napkin off her lap and tossed it over her plate, "I'm paying."

"Really, it was nice of you to invite me," Gil argued, leaning forward in his chair as he tried to convince her of his position, "and I know the owner--it just makes sense."

"I'm paying," she corrected, leaning even closer with a smirk, "for my cousin, and my sister, and my co-star."

"You know, some guys find it emasculating to be paid for."

"You're not that insecure."

"No, but still!"

Sprite looked at Sersi, who was just letting this happen--right in front of their salads! They were going on and on, and getting closer and closer. And as much as she wanted her sister to actually deal with her feelings and maybe have a real conversation about them, that didn't mean she wanted to see them flirting like this in front of her. And she swore to all that was holy, if she ever had to see them have some big, passionate make-out in front of her-

"Thena, really," Gil laughed, but Thena was physically trying to pull his wallet out of his hand, tugging at the lapel of his jacket as he stretched it out behind him and out of her reach.

"Oh my god, both of you!" Sprite burst, shaking her head at the gross idiots and their cutesy play-fighting. "Go up and split it or whatever, just stop doing whatever this is."

"Sprite!" Thena hissed at her, although her hands did release Gilgamesh and snap back to her lap, prim and proper. She had plenty more to say but as soon as she let go of him, Gil shot up out of his seat to rush to the counter. "No!"

Sprite shook her head as the two continued to wrestle with each other jokingly all the way to the front register. She poked at her salad, having eaten all her chicken and bacon bits and croutons and now left with the 'salad' part. "Unbelievable."

"Aren't they always like this?" Sersi asked with a grin as she offered Sprite half the chicken from her plate, "in your own words?"

"Yeah, I guess," she sighed, happily accepting Sersi's offering to her. "But, I dunno, maybe it's less embarrassing when we're all hanging out at Gil's and not in public."

Sersi simply smiled, though, watching as her cousin laughed with the man beside her. He even wrapped an arm around her, picking her up off the ground so he could state that he would be paying the bill for them all.

Sersi had left her card with the host as soon as they had arrived to pay, of course. But neither Thena nor Gilgamesh had noticed because they were too busy flirting for all the world to see.

[softquietsteadylove]

Hey loved the thenamesh lifeguard au! Would you write some cute fluff stuff like for example thena putting sunscreen on Gil’s back?

Thena looked down as she felt Kingo pat the side of the tower chair. "You are not supposed to climb this thing. We tell people not to all day."

He gave her a grin and a shrug, "just thought you'd wanna know that your break is in five--if you wanted to go early I'll cover for you."

Thena raised a brow at him, "and why would you do that?"

Kingo tipped his sunglasses down, "because I'm a good friend, Thena."

No dice.

Kingo chuckled, pushing them up again and climbing even higher, all but pushing Thena out of his way, "because your boyfriend keeps looking over here to see if you're done yet."

"He's not-"

"He is," Kingo rolled his eyes. It wasn't as if it was any secret at all. "Now, go!"

Thena huffed, on her way over to Gil while looking around her at the rest of the beach goers. It was easier than looking right at Gil on her way over to him.

"Hey."

"Hey," she smiled marginally, ending up beside him under the shade of his umbrella.

"How was your morning?" he asked genially, folding up his legs out of the sun as she curled up next to him.

"Uneventful, I suppose," she answered while staring out at the water. "I mostly had to watch the early morning kids and make sure they weren't being hooligans."

Gil chuckled at her word choice, pulling out a bottle of water for the both of them.

"Thanks," Thena murmured, accepting it and definitely not thinking about the very simple brush of their fingers as she did. "What have you been up to?"

"Mm," Gil hummed between sips. "Haven't been here long. But I did get in a quick dip before it got too crowded."

Oh, she had seen. It was impossible to miss a wall of muscle, after all. And in the binoculars, soaking wet...

"I just have to reapply my sunscreen."

Thena blinked, suddenly feeling as if she was being caught up in something. She looked over at him.

"I got most of me already," he promised, as if anticipating her concern. "It's, uh, just my back, really."

Thena could see why he might have trouble reaching it, with those arms, those shoulders, even just the muscles in his back...

"I don't suppose you'd, um," Gil trailed off, blushing cutely as he struggled to suggest the cliche.

Thena smiled at his shyness, "did you wait for me to go on break in hopes that I could help you?"

"Well," he semi-admitted, shifting on his towel. "If you didn't want to, I just wouldn't go swimming again. Or I'd put on a shirt, I guess."

And they couldn't have that.

Thena rolled her eyes, taking the squeeze tube from him, "turn."

Gil acquiesced, not making a big deal out of it, because he was sweet like that. In fact, he was the one with the tips of his ears gone red.

Thena inhaled, rubbing the cream in her palms and staring down the broad expanse of his back. She was hesitant, reaching out slowly before pressing her palms to his back.

The longer she took, the more flustered she felt. Thena blushed as she moved her hands over every bend and curve of his muscles, both strong and wiry but also with a pleasant layer of softness over them. She was a lifeguard, it wasn't like she was a stranger to the average human body.

But Gil was far from average, and she was starting to wonder if he was human.

Gil shivered as she reached the center of his back, along his spine. She withdrew her hand, letting out a soft sound of surprise (some might call it a squeak, which she would deny). "Sorry."

Thena didn't trust herself to get out proper words, instead just resuming her work of making sure Gilgamesh didn't get a sunburn. She moved her hand over his spine, from the base of his neck down, down...down as far as she could dare.

Gil blushed from the neck up as she swiped her palms around the plump over his hip bones. "D-Done?"

"Hm," Thena replied, handing the tube of sunscreen back to him.

"Th-Thanks," he smiled sheepishly at his...at Thena. He wasn't entirely sure what they were or where exactly they stood. But so long as it was beside her, he didn't have any complaints.

"Don't mention it," Thena muttered, fidgeting with the sleeves of her track jacket she threw on over her uniform suit.

Gil cleared his throat. "What, uh, what're you doing after your shift?"

"Today?" she asked, and he nodded. "Well, I'm off by 1 today. Kingo and Ikaris have the afternoon shift."

"So," Gil smiled, "you could, maybe, have lunch with me?--if you want?"

Thena smiled at the very sweet man beside her. She was so used to being hit on by absolute pigs, but Gilgamesh was so completely different from all the meatheads she had to deal with on a daily basis. "That'd be nice."

"Okay!" he brightened, and Thena looked away again. "I'll, uh, I'll just be here, I guess."

"I'll come find you," Thena murmured, standing up to go back to the lifeguard tower.

"Oh, hey," Gil shot to his feet. He pressed the tube of sunscreen into her palm.

Thena tilted her head at him; she had plenty at the guard station.

"You look like you're getting a little too much sun already," he shrugged with a gentle smile. He tapped his own cheek, "just a little."

Thena turned around, eager to escape as she felt her cheeks become even more flushed (which Gil had taken as signs of sunburn). "Thanks--see you later!"