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dancingazaleas · 3 years

Note

Can you write a modern au Historia Reiss x fem!reader imagine where the reader is in a band and has a very punk rock style, and Historias the popular cheerleader everybody drools over, and they hate each other but at a party some girl is flirting with the reader so historia takes her and fucks the reader silly in a bathroom and after confesses her feelings to r?

historia reiss | promise

ofc!!! pls i literally love cheerleader!historia. i hope this is good enough <33 !!

18+ pls ! [unedited]

warnings/notes: cursing, use of alcohol and drugs, eventual smut, jealous dom!historia, modern au!, college au!, cheerleader!historia, bathroom sex, degradation, slight praise, enemies to lovers supremacy, fem reader!, finger fucking, hints at pegging, and aftercare

you’re pissed, so pissed that you’re seeing white. you only know that you’re sitting under the bleachers of your college campus and that your best friend, annie, is sitting beside you.

historia reiss, the popular cheerleader adored by everyone, decided it would funny if she pulled a prank on you. the prank being drenched in ice water and then pouring pink glitter on your body from the second floor of campus.

the glitter stuck everywhere, even in your mouth. before you scrubbed some of it off, you looked like a bath bomb. the water made it stickier and made you cold.

you don’t know what kind of vendetta historia has against you, you’ve only just met her two years ago! you hadn’t even really talked her up until your freshman year of college. even then, you don’t think you had said anything rude or wrong.

you just assume she gets pleasure out of your suffering.

you’re ranting about historia to annie, who witnessed the whole incident, still covered head-to-toe in glitter. she’s smoking a cigarette and listening to you absentmindedly, a sign that she’s getting slightly annoyed. she grabs your jaw with her hand and turns your face towards her. she’s taking in a breath and you know exactly what she’s about to do.

when she pulls the cigarette away, she blows the smoke into your face and let’s go of your jaw.

“thanks for that,” you grunt, the smell always seems to calm you down for some odd reason.

“y’know, instead of ranting, you could go home and take a shower,” she looks sleepy as she holds onto her cigarette.

“i know. but she’s just so frustrating! wanna know what makes her even more frustrating?!”

annie decides to play along, she thinks you ranting is funny, “what?”

“she’s hot. scratch that, she’s literally gorgeous. she looks like a fucking goddess and has the personality of a witch,” you shout angrily, following annie’s movements of getting up and walking towards your dorm.

“i dunno,” she snickers, “she’s pretty nice to me.”

“yeah, cause she’s got some sort of vendetta against me. i swear—i have never done a single thing to her!! do you remember when she bashed our band?! does she even listen to punk?!”

annie’s made a mistake in encouraging you, “anyways. speaking of our band, don’t forget we’re playing tonight at eren’s house.”

“you mean at his frat house,” you snort, bumping your shoulder into her’s. you immediately regret it when you pull away and see pink glitter stick to her shirt and a shiver going down her spine.

“yeah, whatever. thank god he’s loaded enough to pay for a band. i can’t believe his dad just gives him and zeke cash,” annie coughs while she chuckles, smoke puffing out of her nose.

you’re laughing at her coughing, slapping her firmly on the back as you walk.

you don’t notice large blue eyes staring at you from far away.

————

you’re trying to ignore the idiotic comments annie’s making while mikasa does your eyeliner.

you, mikasa, annie, and—surprisngly—jean are getting ready for your show tonight.

originally, it had just been you, annie, and mikasa until mikasa and jean had started dating. she vouched that he could play the drums—and he definelty could. he also gets along surprisingly well with you and annie.

mikasa usually sings back-up for you—despite your begging for her to be the lead—and plays the electric keyboard.

annie’s on bass guitar. she gets stupidly smug everytime she’s done playing and the praise she gets from her girlfriend doesn’t help. annie also writes most of your songs.

“guys, we should make a bet,” annie’s twirling some of her hair, eyeing you and mikasa.

“what’s the bet,” jean smirks and raises a bushy brow. mikasa and you give a hum of approval.

“i bet that one girl is gonna be all over (name) tonight,” you snort sarcastically.

“elizabeth? i think she’s trying to seduce me so i’ll partner up with her for this project we have coming up in our music history class,” mikasa’s pullled away, screwing the cap of the eyeliner back onto the bottle. she hands you coal black lipstick.

“you know what i bet,” jean starts, you know it isn’t gonna be good, “historia’s gonna be eyefucking (name) all night.”

you’re in the middle of applying lipstick but you stop at his statement.

“no, before you say something, jean’s gotta point,” mikasa muses, fanning her hand.

“yeah. dunno how you didn’t noticed,” annie shrugs, hopping out of her chair and stretching her arms upwards.

you’re irritated and finished with your lipstick, eyebrows furrowed bitterly.

“anyways,” you grit your teeth, “it’s showtime.”

————

it’s been five minutes since you and the band performed, and after all that belting you just want a drink. you’re walking through the messy and huge kitchen, trying to avoid stepping on spilled shots and egg yolk—who knows—because these boots were expensive.

luckily, most people are partying like a mob in the main room of the smelly frat house. it smells like weed, everywhere. and when you open the fridge you see a long platter of chocolate brownies, is eren alright? you shrug internally, snatching a water bottle that’s sitting on the top shelf.

after you’ve closed the fridge door and opened it, you’re chugging the water bottle like your life depends on it. when you pull away, you try to not notice the lipstick stain and that you’ve drank the bottle more than halfway. you’re leaning on the island in the middle of the kitchen, you don’t plan on partying too much since you’re supposed to be the designated driver for annie, mikasa, and jean.

you’re about to take another swig of your water, eyes staring down at your phone and continuing to read a article. before you can bring the bottle to your lips, teasing laughter from your front is distracting you.

it’s historia, wearing a baby blue v-neck tank top that ends at her ribs. she has a white skirt on, pulled up to the middle of her bellybutton and stopping at her upper thighs. her shoes are white and chunky with sparkly blue butterflies on the sides of them. her makeup’s cute, a light blue sprinkling on the outside corners of her eyes that tickled her cheekbones, a light and natural (for her at least) pink lipstick on her lips coated with shiny gloss. she’s pretty.

“fuck do you want,” you frown with narrowed eyes, you’re praying there aren’t anymore tricks.

“nothing, nothing!,” she’s got a cheery smile on her face, “just wanted to see how you were doing! i cant even do that?”

rolling your eyes, you scoff, “not after you drenched me in ice cold water and then poured glitter on me. it took me two hours to get rid of the glitter in the shower.”

she’s opening her mouth, but you’re already done with her shit, “fuck off, dude.”

you’re stomping out of the kitchen, huffing with frustration. what the fuck was historia trying to play at? she’s such a cunt, pulling these mean pranks on you with no provocation and then coming up to you after and asking how you are?

you’re seething. you’re so angry you’re not even paying attention to where you’re going.

but it’s interrupted when you bump into someone’s back. lower... back.

said person, turns around and looks down at you. she’s tall, and you’ve seen her around campus with eren and zeke. she’s quiet and cunning, you’ve heard rumors that she gets paid to beat people up sometimes. you can’t really judge her, money’s money.

but she’s also gorgeous. glowing gold eyes and choppy blonde hair. she’s wearing a loose black blazer that closes at her sternum and down, with nothing underneath. she’s got some kind of necklace—you think it says ‘p’ or ‘z’—and pretty silver rings on her fingers. her heels make her tower over you more than she probably would without them on.

“shit, my bad,” you sigh and look away.

she shakes her head, the tiniest smile painting her face and her cheeks turn a little red.

“you’re alright,” she hums, “i don’t think i’ve met you. i’ve definitely seen you around, but no one’s ever given me a name.”

“oh, i’m (name),” you smile shyly, “i don’t know your name either.”

she chuckles a bit, somehow wrapping her hand in your’s and leading you to a nice loveseat. her nails are painted black and you feel inclined to put your legs over her lap.

“i’m surprised,” and that’s when you notice zeke and pieck on the couch next to you, “there are a lot of rumors about me. however, i guess whoever told you—or didn’t—left me anonymous. i’m yelena.”

you give a laugh, watching her throw her arm up onto the top of the couch. you’re cuddling her side within seconds, drawing a deep chuckle from her. her other hand reaches to your cheek, making you look up at her. she’s holding your chin with her thumb and staring at you with her hypnotizing eyes.

“you’re just the cutest,” she mumbles, letting go of your face and tapping your nose.

you’re getting embarrassed at the attention, and you don’t know what to say other than ‘thank you’. you’ve never been pussy whipped a day in your entire life, but you think you might change that.

she’s leaning in closer, ignoring the couple, who was staring at you two with amusement, that sat on the couch cuddling. you feel like you recognize them for a moment, but the thought it forgotten whenever yelena kisses you fervently.

she’s running her tongue across your lip and the shiver that goes down your spine makes you realize she has a tongue piercing. she’s pushing you down to lay on the couch, to which you happily oblige, her hand crawling up to your neck.

before you can even let her shove her tongue in your mouth and choke you, your hand is being tugged and all of a sudden your upper torso and body is on the floor and your head is aching. you’re dazedly looking at yelena, who’s just as surprised as you are, then turning to the couple on the couch.

holy fucking hell, how did you not realize that the couple was pieck and zeke. that isn’t even your main focus when another tug to your wrist pulls your lower half off the couch.

“what the fuck?!” you’re suddenly not dazed anymore, “let go of me!”

you’re snatching your arm away and scrambling to your feet, tugging down your short dress that rode up. you turn around to face the assaulter, only to look down and see historia.

historia grabbed you?!

before you can even scream or slap her, she’s, once again, pulling you away by your wrist. for such a small girl, she’s got a tight grip.

you’re stumbling as you follow her, not like you couldn’t, yelling profanities. you pass by annie, who spits out her drink at the sight of you, it startles her girlfriend, hitch. you mouth a ‘help!’ towards her just as you’re swung forward.

it takes you a second to balance yourself out, and before you can turn yourself around, you’re being shoved forward.

what the fuck is her deal?!

you’re pushed into a bathroom, finally turning around to see historia as you fall on your ass. she’s slammed the door closed and locked it, staring at you on the ground.

“the fuck is your damage,” you scream, leaning against the bathroom counter.

“you’re a fucking slut, that’s what!” she’s yelling back, now standing in front of you. her hands are trapping you against the counter, and you’re looking down at her.

“you’re a dirty little slut. you can’t help but get down with a woman when i’m not with you for five fucking minutes,” you can’t even open your mouth and opted to push yourself towards the counter more as you squeeze your thighs together.

“look at you,” she’s laughing mockingly, “you look like a dog in heat. are you enjoying this, you fucking whore?”

you whimper, shaking your head side-to-side.

“you’re a liar,” she’s laughing again, standing on her tip toes to brush her lips against your’s.

“i’m not.”

“if you’re not, go ahead and push me away then,” she smirks, leaning closer.

you look away, listening to the mocking giggle that she was releasing right in your face. her left hand is grabbing you by the jaw and forcing you to look at her.

“can i kiss you,” her look softens and you nod at her.

“yes,” and within a second, her lips are on your’s. the kiss is surprisingly gentle and sweet.

with a bit on your lip, her tongue is rubbing against your’s and her hands sliding under the thin straps of your dress. you’re whining when she pulls away and laughs. your dress is halfway down your body, chest jumping up and down as you pant from the lack of breath.

“look at you, baby,” she turns your head to the side, which gives you a profile view of yourself in the mirror. your lipstick’s smudged in the corner of your mouth, eyeliner’s smuged as well as your eyeshadow.

weak product.

“you need better makeup,” she’s giggling as she leans her head towards your neck.

she’s kissing and sucking almost everywhere on your neck and chest, as if she were marking her property. moans are bouncing off the walls as her hands release your boobs from the strapless bra you’re wearing and sucking on your nipples. honestly, you’re glad it’s off. it’s been tiring having to pull it up everytime it slipped even just a bit.

you tug at her blonde hair when her small hand gropes one tit and her mouth bites at the other. she’s tugging the rest of your dress down with her free hand, and it pools around your boots. she goes back up to kiss your lips, laughing in your mouth as you struggle to kick off your boots. she’s kissing at your cheek and ear, tugging at the waistline of your fishnet tights.

“might wanna take these off too if you don’t want them ripped,” yelping when she bites at your earlobe.

“i...,” you’re catching your breath, “need help.”

she giggles while nodding, helping you shimmying the tights down to your knees.

“jump up on the counter, babe. it’ll make it easier for me,” you’re obident and jumping on the cool bathroom counter, it makes you shiver.

historia’s on her knees, shoes kicked off, and her fingers tickle your legs when she’s sliding the tights off your legs. she’s got a sultry look on her face when she throws said tights over her shoulder, palming your kneecaps. she bites back her smirk when she pulls your knees apart, showing off your black panties. you fall back against the mirror and you lean mostly on your elbows, ignoring the loud bang that came from it.

her mouth’s leaving open mouthed kisses against your inner thighs, pants leaving your mouth. her fingers hook around the waistband of your panties, tugging them down quickly whenever you lift your hips.

your going to close your legs, but her hands prevent you from doing so. her eyes are glued to your pussy, lips spread open and your wetness shining in the light. you’ve got a little hair on your pubis, but that isn’t going to stop historia reiss from changing her name to sasha braus.

she’s sucking at your clit and spreading your legs apart as far as she can. she pulls away from your pussy just for a second.

“keep your legs open,” she says, a thumb rubbing circles into your clit.

it’s lazy and it’s satisfying, but it’s not enough to make you cum. she knows that.

you’re letting out high pitched moans and fingers tangled in her golden locks as she eats you out like a man starved.

‘i wish i had realized that i’m gay sooner,’ you think as historia slowly slides her middle finger inside of you.

you’re throwing your head back against the mirror when she suddenly adds a second finger, claiming that you could take it since you’re a slut.

considering your wetness is dripping down your ass and onto the counter, you can’t really object the statement.

she’s curling her fingers inside you, mouth closed around your clit. your moans go up an octave when she finds the spongy part inside of you, thrusting her fingers in and out of you after she angles her digits.

“fuck!” you moan and start clawing at historia’s free arm, which is holding down your hips.

“h-historia...,” you pant, “gonna cum... pl..please let me cum.”

her laughter sends vibrations across your clit, and that’s what sends you over the edge. you’re crying out as historia helps you ride out your orgasm by slowing her fingers down and pulling away from your clit. historia’s admiring you while she wipes off your juices from her chin, a small smile adorning her lips.

your head is thrown back against the mirror—once again. eyes rolled back and mouth opened in a silent moan. the hand that was gripping at her arm is clenched in a fist that has your knuckles painted white. your toes are curled and your back is arching in the air.

she doesn’t pull her fingers out of you until your calm, letting you catch your breath before she does it all over again.

———

your legs are trembling as she helps you sit down on the toilet.

you know you look like a mess—historia’s been forcing you to watch yourself. the eyeliner and mascara you have on is now smeared and ran down your face since you cried. your lipstick is smeared up and down, worse than last time, and your hair is messed up and tangled from historia pulling on it.

historia’s squatting before you, looking for a rag to wet down and clean you up with.

“next cabinet over,” you breath, throwing your head back.

“you know who’s bathroom this is?”

“yeah, jean’s in this frat too. him and marco share it. this place is pretty nice when there isn’t a party going on,” you giggle, somehow this whole situation seems funny to you.

she’s running hot water over the rag she now has, staring at herself in the mirror. historia’s got hickeys on her neck too and teeth marks on shoulders. she’s got glittery blue on her cheek, must be her mascara.

she turns off the water and wrings it out. she walks over to you, nudging your legs open with her knee. you comply and absentmindedly reach for one of her hands to hold. she takes the offer, squatting in front of you and cleaning up the slightly dried cum and juices on your thighs and vagina.

you shiver and let out little whines and whimpers, still sensitive from the previous orgasms. historia was also still wearing something. something that you didn’t even know she had.

a fucking 6 inch strap on.

“by the way,” you start, “how’d you get your strap-on here?”

“i came to the house before eren started throwing the party. i brought a bag with me and just hid it in the empty cabinet. i think eren wanted to hook up with me and mentioned something about pegging. brought it in case,” she explains, small smile spreading across her face as she starts cleaning your face.

you start giggling again, the hand that wasn’t holding her hand weakly grabbing at her wrist.

“hisu... can i get a kiss,” you pucker your lips when she pulls away the rag from you. she flips the rag to a clean slide, rubbing herself in the same areas as she did for you.

historia holds your cheek and gives you the sweetest kiss you’ve ever had.

“i’m gonna take you back to mine and ymir’s place. you’re still in sub-space and you wobble instead of walk,” she says, squatting down again to help you get your panties on.

she’s able to get your dress on the lower half of your body, but you both realize there’s a fucking cum stain on the chest. historia gives you a jacket that was in her bag, zipping it halfway. the dress stayed sitting at your waist, you’re to tired to get it open even if you have a cover up.

she’s done cleaning everything up within ten minutes, including herself. she throws the rag in a hamper in the bathroom closet that had jean’s name written on it in sharpie.

she’s slipping the bag on her shoulder and helping you walk with the other one. when you walk out, ymir is leaning on the wall by the door with a smirk.

ymir squats down a bit, laughing at your shaky legs every time you took a step. historia and her manage to get you on ymir’s back. you fall asleep before you three can get to the car.

———

when you wake up, your whole lower body is sore. your eyelids feel heavy as you open them, coming to your senses. you recognize ‘dance moms’ playing in the background and historia eating cereal as she watches.

you groan lowly, and historia finally notices your consciousness.

“so...,” you yawn while you stretch your arms up into the air, “talk about last night?”

historia nods while she chews, “so basically, i was jealous that you were hooking up with another girl that wasn’t me.”

“but why would you be jealous...? i thought you hated me,” you rub your cheek against the pillow you’re laying your head on.

historia blushes as she looks away with a pout, “i never hated you... i just... i didn’t like the feelings i have for you.”

“oh,” you lay on your back and ignore the heat rushing to your cheeks, “what are.... the feelings..?”

“i may or may not love you,” she hides her face by holding her bowl full of cereal to her chin.

you don’t say anything for a few moments, trying to think of what you wanted to say.

“i... i love you too. but, that doesn’t just mean i forgive and forget all the horrible shit you’ve done to me. i’ll start dating you when i feel that you’ve... ‘atoned’ for your sins,” you sigh, “it’s gonna take some time but if you want this to work or even start, you’ve gotta make it up to me and understand where i’m coming from.”

she looks at you with slight excitement, “i... of course! i was really mean to you and you didn’t deserve that, no matter how much i disliked you. i promise to make it up to you.”

she’s holding her pinky finger up to you.

you smile and link your pinkies with her’s, “promise.”

#attack on titan #shingeki no kyojin #snk #historia reiss #historia x reader #anime

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sugasrose · 3 years

Text

Personal Chef

featuring -> Osamu Miya

Osamu cooks for fem!reader for their first date and Atsumu teases him. Just two nervous foodies <3

The wind combed through your hair as you knocked on the front door of the Miya residence. your nerves were tingly as you waited for the familiar grey haired boy to answer the door.

You’d been trying to drop hints of your interest in osamu for weeks, but he hadn’t been picking up on them. one day when you were walking together near the gym before his practice you’d brushed your fingers against his while he was talking about the quick attack he and atsumu were working on. osamu had a small crush on you ever since you two had ended up as partners on an ap biology project, but when you’d bumped your hand into his, seemingly returning his feelings, he was thrown off-guard.

it was too intentional for it to have been an accident, you’d purposefully done it that way. he looked down at your hands and quietly slipped his own into yours. you had to bite down on your lip to contain the wide smile that had appeared there. without any more pretense Osamu spoke, “come over for dinner on Saturday, i’m cooking.”

“Sure, Samu” you smiled as he gave your hand a squeeze before winking and turning into the gym.

The forwardness Osamu had displayed when asking you to come over was completely replaced with anxiety as he opened the front door to let you in Saturday evening.

He held the large door open for you and your eyes nearly bugged out of your head when you got a good luck around you. the Miya house was really nice.

Osamu planted himself behind the counter as you pulled out a stool at the island, slightly behind him but still in view of his side profile. “I hope you like Onigiri,” he said, smiling without looking at you, “i always make the best.”

You hummed lightheartedly, “mmm you could be making stewed garbage and I would still eat it if it smelled this good.” You closed your eyes and appreciated the smell. Osamu took this opportunity to peek at you. You looked so cute with your chin propped up on your hand and a content smile on your face. Osamu was quickly overwhelmed with the urge to kiss you. His face flushed as your eyes opened into his and he turned back to the food.

“Oh, how i love having my own personal chef.” you heard a voice chime from the other end of the room. The more cheerful, blonde version of Osamu strode up to the counter and planted himself in the gap between you and Osamu.

“I’m not your personal chef, idiot.” Osamu threw over his shoulder at Atsumu.

“Well then why do I eat so well everytime you’re around.” Atsumu grinned as he snagged a chopped chunk of carrot and popped it into his mouth. He’d noticed you when he walked in, but he pretended to be surprised as he turned towards you. “Samu, who’s the pretty girl with? It surely can’t be you.” You blushed as he shot you a wink that was accompanied with a click of his tongue.

Osamu reached across the counter to grab a large wooden spoon and thwacked his twin over the head with it, “Goodbye, ugly twin.”

Atsumu scowled, “I can’t be uglier than you if we’re twins.”

“Sure, you can. You’re doing it right now.” Osamu smiled smugly at his brother who then turned on his heels and stocked off in the direction of the hallway, presumably to his room.

“Have a good date with, y/n!” he called from across the house. You blushed at both the mention of you being on a date with Osamu and the fact that Atsumu knew exactly who you were even though he’d pretended that he hadn’t. You’d never seen much of Atsumu since you tended to take very different classes. You hadn’t even known for awhile that Osamu had a twin.

“Sorry if he bothered you, y/n. He can be a twat.”

“No, no. I’m all good.” you gave him a reassuring smile as he turned back to his cooking. It seemed like he was almost done, which made you nervous because then you would surely have to come up with something good to talk about. What do you even talk about on first dates? Should you ask him 20 questions? No, thats childish. He’s cooking for you, you can’t seem childish while he’s being all adult-like!

As you pondered this you noticed how he swayed lightly as he cooked. It was the cutest thing you’d ever seen and you were pretty sure he wasn’t even aware he was doing it. You took his backside in while he wasn’t looking and gosh even the view of his backside is yummy.

“And... we are finished.” Osamu chirped as he turned and placed a plate in front of both of you. You felt as if you’d already blushed enough for the night that you didn’t even feel anymore heat at the fear of being caught drooling at his ass.

“G-great!” you stuttered and quickly reached for the food he’d made. The minute it touched your lips you were ~gone~. It was some of the best cooking you’d ever tasted.

Osamu pressed, anxious to know if he’d done a good job for his date, “Well?”

“Iss goo” you spoke around the food in your mouth. He chucked at your chipmunk looking cheeks and his eyes seemed to sparkle. The nervous air in the room seemed to dissipate ever so slightly.

Osamu knew then and there that he wanted to keep your chipmunk cheeks stuffed with food and your heart full of him forever.

You closed your eyes, totally blissed out from the good food. When you opened them Osamu was giving you a lopsided grin.

“I want to get to know you better, y/n-chan.” he said, popping more Onigiri in his mouth. “Wanna play 20 questions?”

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generallybarzy · 3 years

Text

smile like sunshine vi

Thursday: ~ 9.2k words

previous chapters: i // ii // iii // iv // v

an: writing this was tough on me. I’ve obviously been through a lot of ups and downs while trying to write this, considering it took like 4 months to finish. Continuously losing inspiration and motivation and hitting writer’s block too many times was tough. The chapters keep getting longer and I feel like there are less and less notes everytime. It hurts to see my favorite fic do so poorly, so I've been hesitating to post this. But it’s finally here, and there are only 2 chapters left. Now, let’s see how few notes this gets. Thank you to my beautiful amazing editor/bestie @folkloreflyers I couldn't have done this without you bb 🥰💕💕💕💕💕💕💕

tagging some beautiful people: @sunflowertimothee @deleausvp @dunnwithlyfe @smit41 @softboybarzal @fallinallincurls @matbaerzal @brokeninsidebutnobodyknows @hockeyhughes11 @folkloreflyers @nazdaddy @shawnsreputation

summary: after everything that happened last night, Mat and Y/N realize they probably need some time apart to regroup with their thoughts and emotions and prevent themselves from pushing the boundaries of their friendship so far that they’d never return to normal. It’s 2019, eleven years after you first befriended him, and things are definitely different this time around...

If there was ever a time when you wanted to slip away into the memory of what you once had with Mathew: an amazing friendship, not overshadowed or blurred by stupid hormones and growing feelings, it was now.

It was almost tragic to think about how you’d lost all that time and could never go back to the days when you were completely carefree and nothing could bring you down. Those hot, summer days with Mat when watermelon juice and sticky, sugary ice pops dripped down your hands, and your faces were burnt in the sun were long gone. You’d never be like that again. No matter how often you dreamt of it, thought of it, and buried yourself in memories of that summer to block out the worries of adult life, you couldn’t get it back.

The sun was going down on your second to last night at the beach, as you sat by Mat in the sand, giggling as the water lapped at your toes and digging up handfuls of the tiny coquina clams burrowing in the sand- not that you knew what they were called, but did it matter? Your parents sat further back onshore, talking around a fire and watching the younger children, and you and Mat, like always, were left to entertain yourselves. But you wouldn’t have it any other way. No, you loved spending time with him.

You didn’t realize that your time with Mat was coming to an end. You weren’t sure what day of the week it was, where you were, or when you were leaving, but that didn’t matter. Not then.

“Are you having fun with Mat?” Your mom had asked you earlier in the day.

“Yeah, he’s my best friend!”

“Well,” Your mom laughed. “Why don’t you go have some more fun with him. Cherish your time, we won't be here forever.”

You didn't quite understand the weight of her words, but cherish him, you did. The two of you were attached at the hip, to both your parent's amusement, and after only a week of friendship now, your parents could hardly separate you two.

“Ugh, younger siblings are so annoying." You groaned in agreement to Mat's statement and fell back in the sand when you looked back and saw your baby siblings sucking up all your parents’ attention.

"Yeah, 'cause they're smaller and cuter than us."

"No, that's not true!” Mat shook his head, dark hair flopping around in the breeze, hazel eyes wide. “You're still pretty cute."

"Ewwww, Mat!"

"So am I, my nonna told me!" You laughed at him. Only a week into knowing each other and he could already make you laugh better than any of your friends at school. "So that's not it."

"Well, they always have all the attention. I'm so bored and lonely sometimes."

"Nuh-uh, you have me. I'm always here to hang out!" He wrapped his arms around your shoulders, his small, sand-covered arms, and neither of you noticed both of your parents watching from the campfire. As wise as they were, they knew that if you had been a few years older, this would’ve been too much for them to handle. And little did you and Mat know, at only ten and eleven years old, but you were about to be separated for eleven years.

“Friends forever?”

“Forever! I’ll always be here!”

“Promise?” You stuck out your pinky, and Mat linked it happily with his own, smiling that gleaming smile.

“Promise.”

You had fucked up something amazing.

You woke up early with a pounding headache right as the sun began to beam in through your window, hitting your face in the worst possible way. You’d never so hated the sound of the ocean, but right now, it was just… too much. Too loud. For the first time since you had arrived at the beach, you didn’t wake up smiling and excited to be here, but instead dizzy and confused, questioning what had happened last night, and filled with dread at the thought of having to face the day. And, when you realized what you’d done in your drunken stupor, regret immediately began gnawing away at your mind.

You had fucked up bad.

You buried your face under your pillows to try and drown out the pounding noises in your ears as the image of yourself flooded to your brain, absolutely wasted and stumbling, pushing your body into his, pushing your mouth onto Mat’s and kissing him. It was drunken, messy, and definitely not the way you'd imagined many, many times, your first kiss with him to be. It wasn't magical and beautiful and gentle and sweet, but drunk and sloppy and one-sided. Unreciprocated. You couldn't stop thinking about his reaction. He hadn’t kissed you back, his hands didn’t cup your face gently and pull you flush against his warm body the way you imagined, but instead pushed you away and held you between his arms and looked at you. He hadn’t even smiled or laughed and brushed it off afterward. He must have been disgusted with your actions, he must have wanted to yell at you, ask “What are you doing?” but understood that you were drunk and settled for pushing you away. He'd confront you today, tell you that he couldn't look at you the same way after what happened, tell you that he no longer wanted to be friends. That when you’d get back to New York, you would never speak to each other again.

Fuck.

“(YN)!” The pounding on your door made you cringe and groan. Well, it might not have been pounding, but it certainly sounded like it, as your head throbbed in agitation. “Wake up honey!”

You groaned and rolled over in bed.

She cracked the door open as quietly as possible, showing a little bit of sympathy, which you were thankful for. “Hungover?” Your groan was enough of a response for her. “You’re not gonna get better lying in here, come out.” When you still didn’t answer, she continued. “I’ll be louder next time I have to come in to get you.” And then she left you to drag yourself out of your lethargic state.

Well, fuck, you thought as you cast a glance out the window where the sun was rising over the ocean, might as well get up and face the day, no point in hiding. You needed to get some fresh air, maybe some alone time on the beach before Mat gets up. You needed to talk to someone about what happened, you couldn’t keep this to yourself, but who would you tell? Not your mom, no one in your family actually. Sure, you were close, but you weren’t gonna tell them about your drunken mistake- how you kissed your best friend. Best friend. Your best friend- all the way back in New York City, who always helped get you out there, was the reason you ever reconnected with Mat in the first place, and would definitely be your maid of honor in the future- would definitely want to know about your kiss with Mat Barzal.

“Amy…”

You reached over to the bedside table for your phone and the first thing you noticed, after pressing the power button, was an unread text from none other than Mat Barzal, sent at 1:38 am, probably when you got home last night:

Maty: Hope you don’t feel too bad when you wake up.

It was strange, it was unlike him to leave such a message. Yeah, he always checked in and texted you saying he hopes you’re feeling good, but there was no “sleep tight” or anything funny or cute and not even a smiley emoji like usual. Well, in his defense, you had just kissed him. Of course, he’d feel weird around you.

You sent a quick text to Amy, who you hadn’t spoken to since the beginning of the trip now, and who must have been dying to know anything that happened between you and Mat. She would probably be happy you kissed him, bless her heart, she was in love with your friendship with Mat and the story of how you came to meet, but you needed someone to listen seriously to your problem and help you.

It’d be at least another hour until Mat gets up, you guessed, so, with much hesitation, you dragged yourself out of bed and to the bathroom where you steadied yourself on the sink as your head spun, washed your face, and caught a glance of yourself in the mirror, running a hand through your hair to smooth it down before opening your door to face the day.

The first thing you noticed, even in your state, was the smell of coffee and breakfast from the kitchen. Usually, you loved that scent, but today it made you want to puke, and as you sat down at the island in the kitchen, you dropped your head into your arms and groaned.

“Rough night?”

“Pretty bad.”

The sound of a water bottle being set down in front of you was much louder than it should’ve been. “Drink, it’ll make you feel better.” You took a sip of water and laid down on your arms again, going back to suffering in silence and wracking your head over trying to figure out any possible way out of this sticky situation. “What else is wrong?” You looked up to where your mom was making knowing eyes in your direction. You were close to your mom, sure, you thought you had a pretty good relationship with her, but you were positive you didn’t want to tell her what you had done last night. At least, not now. You knew the news would eventually get to your dad, and you couldn’t imagine what would happen if he found out.

Hopefully staying pretty ambiguous would save you. “I think Mat’s mad at me.”

“I doubt it. The boy adores you.” You wanted to tell her no, that’s gross, you’re only friends, but something made you stop. Mat did adore you. He was always there for you, he was the greatest friend ever, and how do you repay him? By kissing him and screwing up both of your feelings? “What makes you think he’s mad?”

“I think I did something stupid last night. Said something dumb when I was drunk. And he sent me a text before bed last night that didn't sound like how he usually does.”

“Well, you won’t know until you talk to him. It won’t be any good to ignore him for the rest of the trip” Fuck, why did her advice have to be good words of wisdom?

A door rattled open from down the hall and there was Mat, rubbing his face, his hair falling into his eyes, as he crossed the hallway into the bathroom. He cast a glance to the kitchen, locking eyes with you for half a second before he was gone.

You knew he’d be getting up now, so, grabbing your water bottle and phone, you made your way to the back door to avoid any alone time with him. “I’m gonna get some fresh air.” And you headed out the back door and down onto the beach.

Amy had texted you back by now, telling you to call her right away, and you took the moment to reflect, walking down to the water’s edge and just looking out. The early morning heat was cooling down, the sun had barely risen and already dark clouds were rolling in from the horizon, the rain was coming, maybe even a storm in the next hour or so. Sure, you may have made your friendship awkward, but for now, you’re still friends. At least until he comes out to confront you. So until then, you were gonna be proud. You had kissed him. His lips were just as soft and nice as you expected them to be, and his face pressed against yours was something you could get used to. Unfortunately, that scenario was unlikely.

Your heart raced when you started connecting the video call, and you couldn’t help a smile from spreading over your face for the first time all morning. Yesterday, besides the mistake you’d made, was easily one of the best days of your life. Mat took you out to the pier because he remembered you loved it when you were younger, he remembered he promised to teach you to skate, he even remembered your favorite ice cream flavor. And, despite how much you regretted kissing him, you had kissed him. You had kissed Mat. God, Amy is gonna be fucking ecstatic for you.

“Haven’t heard from you in a while.”

“Ames, I’m sorry for not calling sooner-”

“Are you kidding?” She laughed, always a welcome sound, and you knew she wasn’t upset. “You’re on vacation with Mat fucking Barzal. But now that I have you for a few minutes, girl, spill. All. The. Details. Now.”

“Yeah,” You laughed at her words. All the details? “He took me out to the pier yesterday for my birthday. We roller-skated together and held hands.”

“Oh my god, seriously? That’s so fucking cute!” You winced at the way she shrieked in joy for you, your head still pounding as you tried to overcome the hangover. Amy immediately noticed your change and lowered her voice. “Girl, are you hungover?”

“You tell me. I’m twenty-one now, aren’t I?” Before she could start talking again, you continued, figuring it would be easier to just get all your words out there and over with. Rip off the bandaid. “Actually, I did something really bad last night. When I was drunk.”

“Oh shit. Spill!”

“I…” You couldn’t help the small smile on your face. As much as you hated the realistic part of this, you were still overjoyed it had happened. You shook your head and pushed on. “I kissed Mat.”

It was almost comical how your friend’s jaw dropped and her eyes widened. It almost made you laugh, it had a little smile pulling at your face. Holy shit, it was still sinking in that you’d kissed Mat. “Oh… my god. You kissed Mat. You kissed Mat Barzal. How was it?”

“Well, messy. I was drunk, he didn’t kiss back at all. But focus on the realistic part, Ames. I made it awkward.”

“Oooh…”

“How are we gonna be friends after this? He’s gonna hate me, he’s gonna wanna leave, he’s never gonna want to talk to me again. He must think I’m so dumb-”

“Babe, listen, he doesn’t think any of that. He’s head over heels for you. If not in love, then in platonic love at least.”

“Now you’re sounding like my mom.”

“I hate to say it, but I actually agree with her then.” You sighed. As much as you wanted to listen to them, maybe the realistic side of your brain was just too powerful. “Mat has done stupid things around you when he was drunk. Remember the karaoke night? He was so fucking embarrassed in the morning.”

“Yeah, but he never kissed me.” He never kissed you, not once. Not even when you desperately wanted him to, when he was drunk or Christmas Eve, or New Years’, or his birthday, not even when you practically created chances to get close to him, not even when you kissed him. No matter how much you wanted it, life isn’t a love song. “Look, things don’t just work out like in romance novels. Some things don’t get to last beyond one summer. Sometimes this shit just doesn’t happen. Sometimes it’s just a feeling.”

“It’s only a feeling ‘til you make it more.”

“Shut uuuup. He hasn’t spoken to me since then. He’s obviously upset.”

“Have you tried to talk with him?”

“I mean…”

“So you haven’t. C’mon, you gotta at least ask him about it.”

“Okay, but if I ask him how he feels he might say he doesn’t want to be friends. If I avoid him completely, he can’t break off the friendship, right?” Before she could respond, you rambled on, maybe to her, maybe just to yourself. Sometimes it’s good to just talk yourself out of something. “We’ve become such good friends in the last year and I really don’t want to lose him because of something stupid that I did while drunk. I feel like I messed everything up.”

“Babe, babe. You didn’t mess anything up.” Ames smiled at you over the phone as thunder rumbled in the distance. “This isn’t gonna drive him away, okay? He’s in too deep already. Trust me.”

“Alright, we’ll see.”

And you would see. But now, you had to go to the porch, already feeling raindrops drip from the looming clouds above. The storm was rolling in. And it was coming fast.

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

Even before Mat’s eyes opened that morning, his mind was racing.

He rolled onto his side in bed, eyeing the pillow he had been hugging against him all night. It was as if he was a child who needed a teddy bear to fall asleep, and he hated how vulnerable you made him feel. But rather, you were his teddy bear and after that night in the motel, he couldn’t sleep without some sort of faux version of you that would never compare. Not to your warmth, your softness, your heartbeat against his chest, the soft sighs of breath against his neck. You had messed him up bad. You had kissed him, and it’s unnecessary to think it needs explaining why he was so confused. “I had a dream about you last night. We were really goin’ at it. You were really good, like, really good.” What had you meant by it? Was it just a dumb mistake? Or is what they say true: “Drunk words are sober thoughts”? The moment your lips touched his last night, he was flooded with serotonin. It was… well, maybe not perfect, but more than he could ever hope for. More than he thought he would ever get.

He wanted it so bad, he wanted it for months now, but he wanted it sober. He wanted you to know what you were doing. He wanted you to mean it. He didn’t want it like last night.

He pushed himself up, hearing the muffled conversation from the kitchen. He knew it was you and your mom, and, though he couldn’t hear any clear words, he couldn’t help but realize that the conversation had to be about him, and for a moment he was strangely self-conscious. It was an unfamiliar feeling for him, but he was embarrassed, even ashamed he had let anything happen last night.

He shouldn’t have let you get so drunk.

The moment he opened the door and stepped into the hallway, the conversation came to an abrupt stop. He glanced up into the kitchen, where he immediately caught your gaze, noting how much of a wreck you were this morning. He couldn’t help the way he rushed into the bathroom before you could say anything.

He heard you say something about “fresh air” and then the back door opened and closed, he finished up his morning routine and rushed back into his room. He’d barely even sat back down in bed when there was a pounding on his bedroom door that was a lot less than friendly.

“Mathew!”

Your dad was gonna fucking kill him.

It was safe to say he’d never been more afraid as he jumped to his feet and stepped over to the door, debating on pulling out his phone to send a final “Goodbye, I love you” texts to you, his friends, and family. But there didn’t seem to be any time for that, as the pounding on his door increased. Sucking up a deep breath, he opened it and was greeted by the face of your father with crossed arms and a scowl. He could only choke out a terrified “Yes, sir?”, sounding like a pathetic teen boy caught in a girl’s room.

“(Y/N)”s upset.”

"I-"

"I don't know why that is, but something tells me you have something to do with it." Mat went silent, trying to figure out what he could say. You were upset? Were you upset with yourself, or with him? He had stopped your kiss, brought you home, got you water, and tucked you into your bed, what had he done wrong? “She thinks you’re angry at her.”

“Why would I be-?”

“Mathew.” The boy closed his mouth when your father put a hand on his shoulder, pushing him over towards the bed. “Sit.” Mat nodded quickly and sat on the edge of the bed, flattening his hands on his thighs awkwardly and waiting for the lecture to start. “Listen, I don’t know what’s happening between the two of you, but I can see how much you mean to her. I know I shouldn’t be too hard on you, but I just need to make sure you’re going to treat her right.” Mat couldn’t help the smile that lit up his face momentarily. He was in the middle of opening his mouth to say thank you when your father rambled on, eyes narrowed, examining the boy in front of him. “(Y/N) has been hurt a lot in the past, and I’ve tried to help. It’s not my place to mess with her love life anymore. She’s not a baby. But the least I can do is make this right. I still remember what you said on our first day here. You like my daughter?”

He nodded enthusiastically. “I really do. A lot.”

“Good. So then you didn’t mean to hurt her?”

Mat’s head shook frantically, wracking his brain for what he might’ve done. “Absolutely not. I don’t know why she is, I don’t think I did anything wrong.”

“I’ve seen her hurt so many times, and I’m gonna trust that you’ll treat her right. Now, I don’t know what happened between the two of you, and I’m not going to ask. That’s between you two. But she thinks you’re angry, you’re obviously not, and you need to fix it.”

“I know, I promise I will. I’ll make her so happy, I swear to God, I promise you.”

The older man continued to look at his daughter’s friend for a few long, tense seconds, but Mat’s eyes gave everything away with no hesitation. His feelings were genuine, he truly, truly cared. He wasn’t lying. Slowly, he nodded, and Mat’s face lifted in a cautious smile. Was this… approval? Was this your father’s blessing? Your father slapped his hand on Mat’s back. “There’s something else I want to show you. C’mon, Mat.”

-----------

You sat alone on the porch with your little pile of shells, watching the rain pour down beyond the porch, watching the waves continue through the storm, always pushing and pulling despite the circumstances. And as you threaded shell after shell onto your little braided bracelet, you couldn’t help but let your mind wander.

It was the summer of 2015, you were sitting on the passenger side of his dad’s car, the wind in your hair and OMI's 'Cheerleader' playing on the radio. You had just turned 17 and were trying to live your best life on the coast with your new friends, forgetting about any of your responsibilities and just chilling for this trip. You might have been getting involved in the wrong crowd, but you couldn’t care less. You had your friends, you had your newfound teenage freedom, and, most importantly, you had him.

When you first met him, at the beginning of the summer, he was new to your group of friends. But he immediately seemed to take a liking to you.

“You’re different.” He would whisper in your ear as you sat around the campfire with your friends before breaking away from the group to go make out by the cliffs. “There’s just something about you.” He would say as his hands glided over your swimsuit under the water, hidden from your other friends eyes. He knew just the right words to say to have you sinking into him, giving in, And you were stupid to follow him.

In the back of your head, this party was a stupid idea, but it was summer, you were young, he was hot, you had to live your life. What was the worst that could happen?

Kyle was behind the wheel of his dad’s car- maybe he had taken it without his permission, maybe not, who knows?- his beachy blonde waves blowing in the breeze and his blue eyes sparkling behind dark sunglasses. His hand was on your thigh, he was always touching you in some way, but what you didn’t know was that you weren’t his only girl for the summer. He wasn’t trying to hide it, all the signs were there, but you were too carefree to notice.

The car came to a stop and you both jumped out, locking arms around each other before running over to the steamy, crowded party atmosphere.

Really, what was the worst that could happen?

You were sitting there lamenting over your past, nursing a cup of coffee and staring out into the thunder and rain, fidgeting with the object closed in your fist when the door opened down the porch. And when you looked up, of course, you were met by the man himself, wearing a lightweight gray hoodie, the hood pulled up over his dark waves of hair. “Hey Y/N.”

“Mat.”

There was a moment of silence, perhaps for your damaged friendship or perhaps for the growing feelings that neither of you believed were reciprocated, as you both stayed in place, not knowing what to do or say to the right things to make it better. You let the silence, the tension settle uncomfortably between the two of you as the rain pounded as heavily as your hearts. Mat stayed in place where he was standing at the doorway, not wanting to come any closer. Whether it was because he was upset and grossed out or something else, you couldn’t tell, but you needed the silence to end. “Mat, I’m so sorry about last night. I didn’t mean- I was just, I was drunk and I couldn’t think straight-”

“Hey, hey. No big deal.”

“No, it was so uncalled for, I-”

“Hey, (Y/N), I’ve had people kiss me while drunk before.” He gave you a reassuring smile, but something was missing. Something genuine. That sparkle was missing from his eye and the sunshine was missing from his smile.. Something had definitely changed. Something definitely wouldn’t go back to normal. “Seriously. It’s nothing.” He swore. Cross his heart. Something was definitely wrong, but you weren’t going to bring it up. If he was alright with moving past this, so were you. “You don’t have to feel bad at all.”

“Promise?”

“Promise. Friends?” He stuck out his pinky for you.

You smiled at the gesture that threw you back to your childhood and accepted it happily, despite the twinge of guilt and fear in your chest. “Yeah, friends.”

“Good. I’m glad.” Mat smiled, taking a seat next to you, pretending everything was normal. “I like being friends with you.” He was shouting at himself in his head, this is so fake, so forced. But he would rather force the comfort than not have you in his life at all. And then the silence was back.

The silence was painful, filled with unspoken words- words you could never say aloud- and both of you knew. You weren’t sure if the rain was picking up or it had just become so overwhelming between the two of you that you were hyper fixating on the patter patter patter of raindrops against the porch roof. Friends. Friends. If this is what it's like to be Mat's friend, you could only wonder what it would be like to have him as your own, to be his, to hug him and kiss him and protect him and have him do the same to you.

“I, uhhh.” You glanced over to see Mat’s eyes already dead set on you, and you wondered if he had been staring the whole time. You were almost shy as you opened your fist to him. “I finished it.”

“Woah.”

"Yeah, you like it?"

“I love it.” Mat took the bracelet with delicate fingers, as if afraid he was going to break it, and slid it onto his wrist gently. A perfect fit. "It's amazing. You're really talented. Seriously. " His eyes were unbelievably soft as he gazed at the pretty shells you had worked so hard to braid together for him. All for him, from you. “I’ll never take it off.”

"Oh, never?"

"I'm dead serious."

Your heart throbbed in your chest. The idea of him wearing this bracelet you had worked so hard on, even when plagued by the thought that maybe he wouldn't want to be friends at all anymore, just had you so overwhelmed. The idea of him wearing something you made for him, something so personal, as if it was there to constantly remind him of this summer, of you. Like it was a cute inside joke no one else would ever understand, made your heart ache. It was as if you were claiming him, as if he was claiming you as one of his best friends, one of the few people that got a glimpse into his private life. You were special.

“I’m serious.” He repeated. “Honest. I love it.”

“Thank you, Mat.”

His arm fell heavily but gently across your shoulders as he tucked you closer into his body, and something about the weight of it against you was comforting, a reminder that he was still there no matter what and he would always be there no matter what. Mat was resilient, and no matter how much you wanted to push him away, he was here. He was your friend. Forever, and through anything.

"Hey," Mat broke the silence. "I have something for you, too."

"Yeah?"

"Consider it a late birthday gift."

"Mat, you've already gotten me so much-"

"Ah, ah. Your dad actually found these. I'm just presenting them." Before you had a chance to ask or even wonder what it could be, Mat was pulling some flimsy rectangles from his hoodie pocket.

"Are these...?"

"From that summer." Mat finished with a smile, letting you take them from his hands.

"No way."

There in your hands were photographs your parents took of you and Mat, ten and eleven years old. The two of you were standing close, Mat’s arm around your shoulders and squeezing you into his hug, both of your faces lit up with wide smiles. You were so close that summer and you weren’t sure how your parents dealt with the two of you. That picture captured a moment of childish joy and innocence- grinning brightly in mid laughter as you built your final sandcastle of the summer together. LIttle did you know, back then, but the next morning, you’d be leaving, leaving your summer-long friendship behind.

“Look at us.” Mat’s voice was tender, gentle as he leaned in closer and you fingered through the pictures. “I can’t believe we were so small.”

“I can’t believe you still smile the same, Maty.”

He laughed at the nickname that threw him back to that first summer. He quieted down for a few moments as you flipped through the rest of the pictures, his fingers drumming softly on your arm. “I still can’t believe we found each other.”

“I know.”

You could hear your heartbeat pounding against your ribcage as Mat leaned in closer to look at the pictures with you. Your breath hitched in your throat and you stopped suddenly as one picture caught your attention- the family picture taken that year, with both your family and the Barzals posing together as friends. But what really stuck out to you was the way Mat’s face was pressed up against your cheek, in the most innocent, childish kiss you’ve ever seen.

“Wow, look at that.” Mat chuckled a bit through his words, his eyes soft behind you. He didn’t remember kissing you at eleven years old, but seeing that picture brought sparks to his veins and had memories flooding back to his mind. It was you. You hadn’t just been his first crush, but his first kiss as well. “We’ve come pretty far, eh?” Your silence was almost painful to him, and he couldn’t help the way his face fell. Wrong thing to say, wrong thing to say, oh god oh god oh god.

“Yeah, we have.”

He smiled again as your voice filled his ears.

“Do you remember that place, Mat?” His eyes followed your finger as you traced the rocky cliffs in the background of the photo. Oh, did he remember. The little hidden beach, surrounded on three sides by rocky cliffs and sandy dunes and the little ocean inlet shallow and warm and perfect for swimming in, was a beautiful place that immediately brought back memories. You had first found that place on a family walk, and Mat had dared you to jump off the cliffs into the water with him. Of course you didn’t end up jumping, as neither of your parents let you out of their sight.

“It’s our little hideaway.”

“Yeah.” You sat in silence for a moment, in awe that you had such a private little place with him, and noticed how the rain was slowing down. “When it stops raining, do you want to walk there tonight?”

“Absolutely. As much as I love your family, I’ve been dying to spend some time with my girl again.”

My girl. My girl. My girl. Too much?

But the smile on your face reassured him. “I wanna spend more time with you too, Mat.” You threw your arm around his shoulders in an act you thought was sweet, but regretted it and drew back your arm as soon as he let out a sharp hiss. “What’s wrong?”

“Ah, nothing.”

“You’re sunburnt, aren’t you?”

“No, no, it’s not bad.”

“Mat, I told you you’d get burnt!” He was quiet, red faced, and you weren’t sure if all the red was from the burn or embarrassment. “Let me see.”

“I’m fine.”

“Mathew!”

“I promise.” But you stood up, always just as stubborn as him, photographs in hand, and held your hand out to him. He looked up at you, amused. Oh what you did to him.

“Come on. We’ll fix you up, dummy.”

Mat laughed and shook his head before giving in, his palm sliding into yours and following you obediently back into the house.

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

The rainclouds had finally cleared, though it was too late in the day to get any sunlight in, and instead the vast blanket of stars were already beginning to twinkle overhead when you and Mathew headed out after the family dinner.

“Mat, look at all the stars tonight!”

“You still love them as much as always, yeah?”

“Of course!”

Mat watched you, adoration evident in his eyes, as you gazed up at the sky in awe. He had to agree. There weren’t stars like this in the city, not even in his hometown. This little oceanfront town didn’t produce enough light to block out the beautiful heavens above. But, his eyes were still fixated on you, on the wonder in your eyes and the way you were so soft and amazing in everything you do. The moon could be falling, for all he cared, there could be a literal alien spaceship in front of them, but all he could see was you. “Beautiful.”

“They look best after it storms, I think.”

“Yeah?” Mat could do nothing but nod along, too lost in his own thoughts to find words to say. He hoped he didn’t seem too boring, but walking there, hand in hand with you and feet in the warm sand, his mind couldn’t help but wander. What if you loved me, (Y/N)?

“I think I wanna be a constellation when I die.”

“That’s-” Mat laughed a bit louder than he meant to at your sudden confession, and stumbled to pull himself back together. “That’s a little grim to talk about, isn’t it?”

“I mean, I just think stars are so pretty, and I’d just love to be twinkling up there, looking down on people. Plus, I’m more of a night person anyway.” You smiled, and Mat’s heart fluttered in his chest. “What about you? If you were reincarnated as something? Maybe… ice? So you could live and die with hockey like you do right now?”

Mat didn’t even need to think for a second, he knew his answer immediately. Stars, stars, I’d lie in the stars with you, spend all eternity by your side. I’d drop hockey, all the wins and the trophies and the attention. I’d drop it all for you. “Yeah, that’d be pretty cool.”

You walked, hand in hand, down the length of the beach, until you could no longer look back and see your house. Until houses no longer speckled the shore, and instead it was just you, Mat, the ocean and the stars, in your own little world. The shore rose beside you, and after walking around a little bend, you were suddenly hidden away in a little sandy inlet, rocky cliffs surrounding you on three sides, and the ocean, gentle and lapping on the other.

“Here it is.”

“Looks the same as when we were young.” Your hand slipped out of his, just for a moment, to pull out your phone. “Smile, Mat.” His face lit up, not in one of the dazzling smiles you remember and loved so much, but a softer, gentler little smirk.

“Before and after pic, huh?”

“Yeah.”

For a few moments, his eyes gleamed in mischief, and you should’ve known what was coming.

“You know what? You still never jumped off the dock at the fishing spot with me. But I can think of something that would be even more fun.” You were about to ask what, but the smirk on his face as he glanced towards the cliffs and raised a hand to motion towards it should’ve told you that nothing innocent was coming. “Remember that dare?”

“Oh my god.” You laughed at the excited look on his face.

“Let’s jump off that rock.”

“Are you the bad influence my parents always warned me about? Who asks if I’ll jump off a bridge with them?”

He laughed, loud and boisterous and bouncing around the sandy dunes and cliffs that hid you away from the rest of the world. “Maybe I am.” And then he stretched his arms above his head and tossed his shirt to the sand, the muscles of his now bare chest and shoulders shining in the pale moonlight, watching with a giddy smile as you looked him over with an incredulous laugh. He took a few strides back towards the rocks, giving you an enticing smirk and luring you out to him like a siren with his song. “So? You coming in or what?” You should’ve turned back right there; you should’ve recognized the signs and listened to your head rather than your heart, your hormones, and turned back to shore and ran, left him here alone instead of stepping over this boundary- scratch that, fucking barrelling through this boundary like it was a race to finish- but you didn’t. You stayed. Worse yet, you stepped towards him, foolishly, blinded by that goddamn stupid smile.

No, no, you really shouldn’t. But you were so fucked for him, for that smile, for that cocky little “gotcha” laugh that he always did when you followed him so blindly, without any hesitation. You were so in love. Fuck it.

“Unfortunately, Maty, I’d follow you anywhere.”

There was a rocky path leading from the sand up the side of the cliff, a natural staircase, or so it had seemed when you were younger and more imaginative. Mat grabbed your hand to help you up, his palm big and heavy against your own, and you couldn’t help but wonder how you used to make it up here as children.

At the top, your eyes met the most beautiful sight, and, for once, it wasn’t just the man standing next to you. The moon had risen over the ocean, casting its cool glow across miles and miles of water. The water was dark and blue and lapping gently at the pool below you, and the air was still warm, though the rocks beneath your feet were finally cooling off. You both watched in silence for a few moments, taking in all the beauty of the scene before you and forgetting all about his hand in yours.

“It’s certainly a lot smaller than I remember.” It was true, the rock definitely wasn’t as high as you pictured it to be. It was a high cliff, sure, but standing atop it was much less intimidating than facing your feelings for Mat.

“Yeah, well, you were a lot smaller eleven years ago too.”

He snickered, his hand squeezing yours, perhaps subconsciously, or maybe in realization, he’d still been holding it. But he still didn’t let go, and neither did you. His face was warm, not that you’d ever notice, not in the dark. “Well, you’re about the same size.”

“Mat! Not true!”

“Yeah, it is.” He pulled you against his side like he always did in a little half-hug and laughed that beautiful laugh of his. After a few more moments of smiling silence, Mat hummed in thought. “Ya know what? I know what would make this jump a lot more fun.”

“Yeah, what’s that?”

“Skinny dipping.”

Your heart almost stopped when the words passed his lips. You hesitated to respond, laughing a little bit. “No, you’re not serious.”

“Yeah, I mean, no one can see us out here. There are no houses nearby. Only us.” It was tempting, so, so tempting, and Mat could tell you were right on the edge of saying yes. You were. “Listen, I’ll stay far away from you the whole time and I won’t even look at you, I promise. But we’re leaving soon, we'll probably never get another chance at this exact spot, and we’re twenty-one, twenty-two, let’s do something reckless. Let’s be stupid together. Yeah?”

You bit your lip, and Mat would never admit to you how much you turned him on at that moment alone, but he stored that image away for later tonight. You were considering it, but both you and Mat already knew you had made up your mind long ago.

“Sure.”

“Yeah?”

You laughed, the excitement of doing something so scandalous and dangerous and intimate with him finally settling in. Mat smiled back at you, you both laughed and looked at each other with complete reckless abandon. There was nothing else to lose after this. Easily every shred of friendship would be gone. You couldn’t be just friends anymore. “Let’s be reckless.”

“Let’s go, baby!”

“You first, though.” You stepped away from him and motioned towards his shorts, your heart pounding and cheeks hot. The smile on his face should’ve warned you that he wasn’t playing around here, but for some reason, you were still shocked at what he did next.

“Alright, fine.” You could feel a slickness between your thighs as he hooked his fingers in the waistband of his shorts and smirked as he shimmied them down, making a great show of swaying his hips and biting his lip, trying and succeeding to be as sexy as possible. And though you jokingly laughed and pleaded for him to stop, the dull ache in your core only worsened when you caught just a glimpse of what lay beneath the fabric, at the end of that V shape in his hips. Your eyes shot up to the sky, your face red hot and shy when he lifted his swim trunks as proof and flung them towards your feet.

“Ew, Mat!”

“Come on, your turn!” Your heart pounded and you couldn’t help the wave of self-consciousness. But Mat’s smile was addictive, and he made you so comfortable, comfortable enough to have you pulling Mat's hoodie over your head, letting it fall by your ankles and leaving you in your bikini.

“Turn around, Mat.”

He raised his hands in surrender and smiled as he turned, and you couldn’t help but glance- for just one second- down at his toned thighs and ass. Wow…. “I know you’re staring, y/n/n.”

“Wha- no!”

“I don’t mind, babe. Look wherever you want. I'm all yours.” And his body shook with laughter as you undid the string of your top and slipped out of your bottoms and tossed the fabric towards his feet. You could see him do a double-take at the sight, as if he didn't believe you were serious about skinny dipping, but you couldn’t bring yourself to laugh, to busy marveling at his physique, the dark swoop of hair he kept running his hand through- a nervous habit you’d recognized as far back as 2008- the muscles of his back and shoulders, the dip at the small of his back, his toned ass, his thighs... He wasn’t even looking at you, but there was something about how you were so bare, so vulnerable, so close to him. Just the idea of his body and yours being so close and so primal, so exposed, and about to take this leap… something was stirring up a fire, a fire you'd put out later. Your fingers slipped down between your thighs momentarily, marveling at how hot Mat made you before they wiped hastily on your thigh and you stored those memories away for later that night. Your other hand curled into Mat’s again, and his fingers squeezed around yours at the contact, as if it was the most natural thing to do. The only thing against his body, besides your own skin, was the bracelet you had put all your love and energy into, all for him, and now you were standing on the edge, taking a final breath. About to jump. About to fall with him as hard as you’d already fallen for him.

“You ready, Maty?”

“I think I should be asking you, pretty girl.”

You hesitated, still a little nervous, trying to build up that excitement. “Countdown?”

“Course. After three. Say it with me?”

“Okay." Your thumb smoothed over his hand, tightening your grip. "Three.”

“Two.” He squeezed back.

“One.”

Mat gave a final, devilish smirk as he whispered “Jump.” and, with one of his iconic howls, your feet were off the ground.

You felt so free, so vulnerable, so exposed, falling naked through the cool air, hands clammy and grasped against each other, shrieking in excitement and adventure. You had bared yourself to Mat, you had stripped yourself of any fears and leaped with him, as if each article of clothing that hit the ground was another shedded insecurity, another forgotten reason for hesitation. You’d pushed the boundaries until they couldn’t go any further, then said “fuck it” and tore the boundary away. There was a brief moment of fear as you hit the cold water, but the moment you resurfaced with a gasp to see Mat’s smiling face, his hair dark and saturated, dripping into his eyes, you couldn’t help but laugh.

You'd done it.

"Wow!"

“Right?”

Your combined laughter filled the little inlet with squeals of glee as you splashed around with Mat. It wasn’t too deep, but deep enough that your feet couldn’t touch the bottom, and you instinctively gravitated towards Mat. You moved closer toward him, maybe subconsciously, as if your body craved his more than your mind would ever be able to comprehend. As if you were pulled to him by some force you couldn't control, the same way you'd found each other after 10 years apart, how you'd found yourselves here again, so close, so opened up and bare before each other, even after you'd both thought you'd wrecked any chances. How you had found the sunshine in Mat's smile again, even after the rain.

"Was it worth it?"

"Absolutely!"

The water was cold, goosebumps were popping up along your arms and legs, and across Mat’s as well. And as you drew closer to him and reached out for his wrist, dragging your hand from the bracelt he wore so proudly, up the length of his arm, his hands reached for yours as well, looking for a lifeline as his smooth voice reached your ears.

“You cold?”

You nodded and ran your hands across the tight muscles of his biceps, warm despite the chilly air, and flattening them against his chest before bringing them up, up, up behind his neck to tangle in his dark, wet hair. Your breath hitched in your throat when Mat's hands dipped under the water to your waist, leaving a bit of space between your bodies and honoring his promise from earlier to stay away, but asking permission with his eyes. His big hands squeezing your waist was making your mind spin, and you could barely stutter out a quiet: “You?”

“Nah. Feels fine for me.” He grinned, "But I can help you." He pulled you ever so slightly closer, slowly, slowly, until you were flush with each other, your bodies slick and wet and warm in the cool water, every crevice and curve fitting against each other like puzzle pieces. Mat’s blown eyes traced over your face, from your eyes, down to your lips, and leaned down, pressing his face against your shoulder and pulling you as close as possible, bringing a knee up to prop you against him. He opened his hot mouth along your skin, leaving wet kisses across your shoulder and up your neck. Your chest was pressed flush against his, your nipples poking out hard against his skin, your hands in his wet hair, his big hands engulfing your waist with his touch, his knee inserted between your thighs to keep you against him, floating, weightless, against him. “Let me help?”

And God, how you wanted him to help.

It seemed as if every part of you was touching. Your skin was hot and wet and the sound of the gentle lapping of water against your bodies and on the shore made everything feel like a dream. Even more euphoric, though, was the way Mat's eyes- dark and needy- found yours, in the way you'd always seen in your dreams. The way you'd only seen in your dreams. Until now.

And then, finally, your mouths.

Your mouths collided hot and needy, open and wet and the furthest thing from chaste, wanting to swallow each other up, to ease the aches you had tried to bury so deep in your bodies. You wanted to get so lost in him that you’d never come back, so lost in him that for the rest of time it’d only be you and Mat and the ocean. Weightless, naked, and hot. And he wanted to bury himself in you, hide away from the rest of the world for just this night. He’d been craving it all week. And what he’d been craving was more than sex, it was the affection, the intimacy, the closeness of being with you, entangled with you, so gentle but so needy, giving in completely and finally- finally- letting your hearts take control. His tongue was slippery and warm against yours, and it felt, for a moment, as if this was meant to be.

“I would treat you so much better than he did.” Mat’s mouth was hot and wild and messy against yours, breathing against you and moaning out his confession. “I would be so much better. I’d fucking cherish you.”

“Mathew.”

“Fuck, I’d take such good care of you.”

“Mat, I want you.”

“Fuck,” He groaned against you, rocking his body against yours gently. Your hands burnt his skin wherever you touched, your nails dragging along smooth, wet skin and leaving angry red lines in their wake, dragging down his sides, over his hard abs, right to that one forbidden area. “I want you so bad, baby.”

There were no more words, only hot, aching silence as Mat held you against him. You were slick between your thighs, even under the water you could feel that familiar warmth, the tingling in your belly at the sound of his voice and the feeling of his face against yours, his nose pressed against your cheek as his lips ravaged yours, his tongue delving into the crevices of your mouth to taste you, to feel every part of you. His hands slid to your ass and pulled you as close as possible, molding your skin against his and gluing you to him with the passion. You could feel his desire, hard and swelling and needy between your bodies, and you wanted him. You wanted him more than anything.

“Stop, stop, stop.”

Mat, always concerned with you before anything else, pulled away, his eyes wide and worried, his hands dropping you back into the water, where you pushed yourself back as fast as you could, trying to catch your breath. “What?”

“We can’t.”

He said nothing else, but nodded and stepped away from you, averting his eyes, his face hot and his head spinning. Fuck, he was still aching. But you took your chance to wade to shore and scramble up the rocks to collect your clothes and hide yourself again. You were shaking, trying to shake away the shame flooding through your body at what you just did. Fuck, fuck, fuck, why did you have to do that? Why did you do something that stupid? If last night didn’t ruin your friendship, tonight certainly did.

Mat was standing in the sand at the bottom of the cliff, turned away from you, trying to even out his breathing, and you brought his swim trunks down as a courtesy, the least you could do. “Thanks.” His voice was choked up, strained, and he cleared his throat and scratched the back of his neck before pulling them back on.

The walk home was silent, but not silent in the way that it had been earlier, comfortable and warm. There was no hand-holding, no smiles, no funny small talk. Only pain and heartbreak. Both your minds were struggling to process the last hour. Why had you decided to leave the house tonight? Why did you let yourself take it that far? How could you ruin something so amazing? How many chances would you give each other before giving up and never spoke again?

You almost ran up the porch into the house and to your bedroom, as Mat followed silently behind. Your bedroom door was already locked, you were already hidden beneath the covers, tears in your eyes and hands between your thighs with the thought of Mat paguing your mind, when Mat made it to his, glanced across the hallway at your door, and finally hid himself away.

He wished he didn’t feel this way, he wanted nothing more than to love you as a friend, but the same as every other night, Mat fell asleep with you floating through his mind. Only this time, it was more than your image. It was the smell of you, your burning touch, your sweet taste as your tongue danced against his own, imprinted on his brain, daring him to even try to think of another woman ever again. He bit his tongue as he jerked his desire desperately into his hand, holding back his moans and his cries as he spared one last thought to you before spilling out and letting the tears stream down his hot cheeks.

And he fell asleep, sticky and shameful and, like always, thinking of you.

#mat barzal #smile like sunshine #mat barzal x reader #reader insert #nhl fanfiction #mat barzal fanfiction #fic #op

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anothertimdrakestan · 4 years

Text

Sharing Is Caring - Gar Logan x Reader Soulmate AU

Words: 2.3k

Requested? Yes! From a lovely anon!

“Hiya I love your writing and it’s cute that you call us angels hehehe! May I request 18 with beast boy in teen titans where a new titan (fem! reader) joins and they finally touch during a battle or something and the sparks go off? based of the AU you did with familiar green!” (18. I think you might be my soulmate)

LINK TO PROMPTS -> REQUESTS ARE STILL OPEN!

I’m so happy you like the AU and I love BB so this is perfect! Also yes - I do call y’all angels because you’re always making me so happy and fulfilled so thank you for the amazing request angel I hope you like it <3 Also I there’s lots of Teen Titans universes so I went with the Titans from right after Justice League vs. Teen Titans before D.A. goes and rips my heart up haha. Let me have me moment.

“Welcome to the Titans y/h/n!” Kori greeted you, reaching out a hand. You clasped it, feeling her energy radiate but you closed yourself off from pulling her powers. “TT she doesn’t look all that powerful” a short, domino mask clad, child teen starred at you. “Shush Damian let her get settled in then she can show off her talents” Nightwing chided Damian who crossed his arms staring at you. “I think a new team member is sick! Welcome y/h/n!” a green colored boy grinned ear to ear. “Uh hi, is there somewhere I can put my stuff?” you trusted Nightwing, Dick as he had recently told you.

Martian Manhunter had found you on an away mission. Some form of test subject you were a confusing mash between human dna and white martian, unable to shift on your own, who ever’s experiment you were had weaponized martian dna turning you into a parasite. You realized this during your training, and learned to control the leeching, even discovering a way to share the powers of others without harming them. Eventually on your next birthday you pretended your powers had disappeared. Seeing as only you could now activate your powers your captor rendered you useless, a weapon with no more bullets. At that he gave you to alien traffickers, who had little use for a human girl. Then, working tirelessly on a planet of some random sector the green martian stormed you, sensing the white martian blood. Fast forward through a terrifying fight and explanation, you had been brought to earth and dropped in the hands of Nightwing. He promised you a team and finally, a family.

“Yeah I’ll take you to your room” Dick smiled, placing a hand on the small of your back - that’s when you realized he was powerless. Human touch was comforting, you didn’t have to suppress the desire to share, or steal human’s abilities, it was refreshing. As the two of you walked through the tower Dick explained about each person on your team while he gave you a tour. You had learned that Raven was quiet but trustworthy, Blue Beetle was uber powerful but kind of a loose cannon - you wondered if you could test your powers on his, next was Robin who was the newest but was cold yet secretly cared, according to Dick at least, then there was Cyborg who came and went, and finally Beast Boy who was apparently the easiest to get along with, even though he was green. It was a lot to take in while also trying to memorize the floor plan of the seemingly never ending tower. Finally you arrived at your room and began setting it up. You didn’t have much as you were new to earth, but you had a few rocks from the planet you were working on and some new furniture and clothing Dick had bought you before you arrived.

Putting the finishing touches on you room you heard a knock at the door. As you approached it slid open to reveal a cheery green boy. “Hi! Nightwing told me to give you your new suit! It’s totally cool look!” he pushed a suit into your hands with a smile as he continued talking. “It’s like my suit! Super stretchy and stuff because of your powers. What exactly are your powers cuz this suit kinda has it all? Fireproof, waterproof, light weight, maneuverable, but it doesn’t have any cool gadgets like Robin’s so that means you have to have powers!” he rambled on while you took in his appearance. He looked confident and kind, like was happy to be in his own skin regardless of the color, he had light freckles that peppered across his nose and he had the prettiest eyes, they were a delicate light brown with golden flecks, they were mesmerizing; and they were staring right at you.

“Uh hello? Earth to hero?” you flushed as Beast Boy had caught you staring. “Oh sorry thanks this is great! Uh do I have to wear it all the time or?” you still hadn’t quite picked up on the way life was around the tower. “No, not unless you want to! Also y/h/n is cool but some of us, me included have real names too! So as you already know Beast Boy, Garfield. Please to meet you!” He stuck out a hand but retracted it when he realized you had moved back into your room to put away your suit. “Oh okay! I’ve always wanted a real name!” you called from halfway inside your closet. Pausing to think of the perfect name that really represented who you wanted to be on earth you decided. “Y/n” you called out to Garfield who still stood in your doorway. “Cool name! Y/n - I like it! Well, I think you have to get settled in but catch you later for training y/n!” he bounded down the hall, lucky for you he was quick enough he didn’t catch the blush dancing across your face everytime he said “y/n”.

Your room looked good as you headed towards the kitchen, excited to try whatever real humans ate. “Y/n! I hope you don’t mind but Gar filled us in on your name and it’s pretty cool!” Blue Beetle waved at you from the kitchen. Sitting down at the kitchen island you peered over to see what he was making. “Hungry? Gar and I are eating grilled cheese. I can make you one?” you nodded, fascinated with the way the bread browned on the pan. As he slid you your plate you saw a green dog running towards the kitchen. Terrified you stood up, ready to take on the creature, hoping Blue Beetle wouldn’t mind sharing a little juice. The dog noticed your alarm as it shifted into Garfield. “Woah y/n sorry, you probably don’t really know all about us yet! Dude thanks for the meal Jaime!” Gar slid into a chair a couple seats over and he began digging in. The grilled cheese was delicious, after giving your compliments to the chef the three of you began talking about your lives. You learned a ton about Jaime and Gar, really happy that they were so welcoming. “So what are your guys powers? Besides turning into a dog and all” you smirked at Gar who stuck his tongue out at you. A familiar voice interrupted you, “actually y/h/n I think it’s better of you come see for yourself! Up for a little training?” you turned to see Dick who stood next to Raven and Robin.

“So to help y/n understand her new team mates lets do a little one on one!” the others looked bored while you couldn’t help but be excited. Jaime and Robin were chosen first. It blew your mind to watch blue colored metal envelop Jaime’s body. Damian was also shockingly talented, you assumed he was powerless like Dick because of the heritage and the fact that his suit had a tool belt as Gar had said. The two danced around the practice area, bantering about the weakness of the other and what not the entire time. Damian soon had Blue Beetle pinned down and even though you knew he could go further, Jaime pulled out of the fight.

Next was Raven and Nightwing because apparently Dick demanded a “rematch” from last time. Raven’s powers were by far the most amazing. Your jaw dropped as black light seemed to lift any object at her will, including Dick. What you didn’t expect was that the powerless defeated their opponent again. It was so exciting. All that was left was you and Beast Boy. Before you could begin you realized you needed to explain your powers to the team. “Okay wait! I’m gonna need some help for my battle” the others look surprised but Dick nodded, encouraging you to explain.

“Okay so basically I’m half human half martian. I know it sounds super scary but technically the experiment with my dna was a failure. I control my own powers even though I really have none. As you probably know martians are shape shifters right? They take the form of creatures along with other mind bending powers. What the scientists did with me was basically taking away the creativity and giving me more control. See, I started with the ability to steal the powers of other creatures, like a parasite. I hated the feeling of snatching the life force of other creatures so I essentially taught myself to share. Because of the martian blood I can set up a link between me and another hero where I mirror their power without draining it, like a sharing is caring kinda thing. I was hoping one of you would let me try it?” You finished sheepishly. Dick and Damian shrugged knowing they couldn’t help and Raven was the first to say no. “Y/n I’d be interested in the future but I don’t think I can trust you right now, the power I possess is difficult and confusing and I don’t want us to get hurt” you agreed, after hearing snippets from Gar and Jaime you completely agreed. “Well I’ll let you!” Starfire grinned and you couldn’t help but get excited to show off.

Taking her hand you established a link, she blinked a couple of times, explaining how it felt like there was an invisible loop between the two of you, but she was completely fine. You could feel her powers radiating heat and energy. After just a few seconds you tested the powers out, throwing blasts of green energy from your hands. “Oh yes you can fly can’t you!” you grinned as you began levitating. The whole team was amazed. “Alright Gar let’s go. But fair warning if I can get a hand on you I might just use some of those shape shifting abilities” you winked.

The two of you began, using Starfire’s abilities you went on offense, soaring after Beast Boy as he shifted between creatures. Throwing bolts of energy at him you managed to land a hit on him when he was a hawk, he tumbled to the ground but shifted into a cat, landing on all fours. This went on for a few minutes until you saw the opportunity to grab his shoulder and pull some of his energy. Soaring down you kicked him down, pinning him beneath you, reaching for his shoulder. When you touched him, sparks like you’d never felt before erupted. You bounded backwards, quite literally shocked. Beast Boy shifted. back to his normal form, rubbing his shoulder with confusion.

“I- that’s never happened before. The electricity was - do you have those powers too?” You couldn’t understand what had happened until Damian walked up to you. “TT - Y/n you’re human are you not?” you nodded. Damian turned to stalk over to Garfield, “and so are you Garfield, even though you are quite green” the rest of the titans let out some form of an “oh my god” or “no way” or “only here” and you stood up, still confused. “I don’t get it. Is he a special human that shocks me? That has never happened before why does it make sense to you?!” you stared at the team as their heads all turned to Beast Boy. He got up, closing the distance between the two of you. “Well you probably didn’t learn this on your planet but here, humans have soulmates and when they touched - ” Gar moved his hand to your cheek and the same sparks danced on your skin, you leaned into the touch, the warmth was perfection, something felt right, you looked up at Gar who continued. “when soulmates touch they feel sparks, that’s how you know it’s them and well, I think you might be my soulmate.” he finished. You looked at the others for confirmation. After a couple nods you looked back at Gar.

“But I’m not all human. Shouldn’t I not have a soulmate? I read about it in magazines since I’ve been here but I wrote it off as a human only kinda deal?” Beast Boy shrugged, “hey I’m not all human either, I thought I’d be missing out as well. Fate works in funny ways I guess” you smiled, you had read that soulmates were perfect for each other in every way, coming to Earth seemed scary but knowing you had a forever friend made it seem a lot better.

“I think we can call it quits on practice” Dick started. “The new soulmates probably have a lot of catching up to do, seeing as they’ll kinda be together forever” Damian groaned, saying something about the disgusting idea of soulmates and how he thought he’d probably never have one, Raven quietly agreed. Jaime told the two of you he’d catch up later as he walked off with Dick and Kori.

Now just the two of you, you reached up to Gar’s face, letting the unfamiliar feeling crackle and pop with electricity. “This is not how I expected my first day to go” you admitted, still trying to wrap your head around the days events. Gar looked at you, his eyes softening, “trust me y/n I did not think today would be like this either. But I did think you were totally cute even before I found out you’re already mine” you laughed, but couldn’t help the butterflies that were now dancing in your stomach. Craving more of the warmth you closed the distance between the two of you, not ready for anything more than a hug just yet, you wrapped your arms around his torso while his tightened around your waist. The books were right, the feeling of your soulmate’s touch was addicting, perfect in every way, you could definitely get used to the idea of feeling this all the time. Pulling away Gar clasped your hand in his and winked at you, “now that you’re my soulmate you can share my powers anytime mamas” you rolled your eyes, but were pretty excited to know what it felt like to take a real cat nap. “I think I might have to take you up on that Greenie” you grinned, resting your head on his shoulder as Gar led you up towards your rooms for some well deserved rest. Finding your soulmate was definitely a great start to your time with the Titans, you couldn’t help but wonder what would be next.

#garfield logan #garfield logan x reader #gar logan #gar logan x reader #gar logan x y/n #garfield logan x y/n #teen titans #jaime reyes #damian wayne #dick grayson #raven #starfire #teen titans x reader #titans x reader #gar logan fluff #dc fluff #soulmate au

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birdwonder · 4 years

Note

Could I get life with the Bucci gang + Trish headcannons from after they defeated Diavolo? Like what do they do after they have freedom to do whatever they want now? Everyone lives AU of course because I miss my children 😔

|| i am a tumblr n00b who can not find a way to directly link my rules into my bio but i don’t take part 5 requests juuust yet. BUT. i have been wanting to write for part 5 so i’ll probably make an exception for you, lovely anon, and do some headcanons/fics i’m able to do in the future, until i’ve finished Golden wind ~! also - you hit my feels man.

i made them s/o related bc i’m so used to them that i didn’t realise that the request wasn’t specified for that :,)

Bucci Gang | Happy Ending Headcanons

Bruno Bucciarati

- God, he wants nothing more than to finally have some peace and quiet. Remaining in the mafia isn’t even the least of his concerns, instead he wants to know what you want. Whether you joined him on his journey to take down Diavolo or not didn’t matter as he knew that either way, the stress of him dying and you being tangled up in his mess would have been enough to cause premature grey hairs.

- Even if he does return to the mafia as a Capo, he wants a vacation, just perhaps not somewhere in Italy. With Giorno’s new status, and his own being fairly high ranking, he has the funds to take you somewhere away from any gangs and drama. His first idea would be a holiday island so the two of you can relax on the beach and feel the cool water from the pool washing away all the anxieties you once had; a couple spa day would not be out of the question.

- A change in scenery such as a cold country wouldn’t be too bad either, though he feels like the preparation for that would be a little harder as he doesn’t own many winter clothes.

- During the holiday, the two of you would spend every evening in a 5-star restaurant, dining in front of the sunset with joy in your hearts. On your final night of your stay, Bruno seems to be the happiest he’s ever been the whole trip and you can only assume that the effects of taking a break had finally worked on him. “It’s so nice to see you smiling, amore,” you tell him, resting your hand over his own on the clothed table.

- “It’s all thanks to you, [F/N],” Bruno softly explains, standing up while taking your hand into his own, glancing at the slowly falling sun. “I feel like I’ve been through Hell and back, and yet every moment with you so far has been Heaven.” Your heart melts at his words, eyes softening when he turns to look at you. “I’ve risked everything ever since my father died, and it’s made me realise how short life can truly be…”

- You can only gasp when he lowers himself to a single knee, one hand intertwined with your’s and another holding a small, velvet box with a ring fit for you. “I want to cherish every day, hour and second with you, amore. Will you marry me?”

- Whether you say yes or no, he respects your decision and makes it his goal to enjoy ever last day with you in a beautiful house. He still works alongside Giorno and his gang, but never once steps into a fight or situation without you and both of your safeties in mind.

Leone Abbachio

- He needs a drink, and bad. Yet, you stop him and instead force him into your arms on a couch and hold him until you’re crying tears of joy that it’s all over and even he’s close to shedding one or two; his face buried into the top of your head and muttering that he’s so grateful he hasn’t lost you.

- From there, his need to live for something or someone changes. His goal is no longer to be on hand and knee for an authority, but to be with you.

- His loyalty to Bucciarati remains, especially when they had been through so much together, yet much like his friend, he takes things easier. Leone’s mood is not as bitter as it once was and he softens every time he comes home from work to see you waiting for him or you return from your own occupation - both of you ready for some serious intimacy.

- If you’re apart of the mafia, he might pressure you to leave and live easy with his support, but he knows that you’d have to be pretty hard-headed to join the Passione, so leaving won’t be easy.

- After a year or so since the Diavolo incident he’d really want to settle down. Officially, the two of you would be living together by now but the house is just too quiet, which says a lot for such a silent, kept to himself man. During dinner one day, his cheeks are flushed red and he can’t even bring himself to eat or look at you. Worried that you’ve done something wrong, you ask what was causing this mood and the response of “I want children,” makes your fork drop to the floor.

- It’s entirely up to you if you both have children but if you do want to start a family, he’ll be overjoyed. He wants to commit to you and a rugrat or more. After all the shit he’s been through, having the ideal happy family dream is everything he could want. Also, he’d be an incredible father and husband. Nothing comes before his family, not even a mission.

Pannacotta Fugo

- oh shit oh fuck he’s lost. what does he do?

- There’s a good chance he hasn’t announced his love for you yet, so that’s probably the first thing on his to-do list. He knows he shouldn’t wait for life to take it’s course anymore and that he knows to be with you. Sooo, with pure fear, he pulls you aside and yells out that he loves you and starts to ramble that it’s ok if you don’t feel the same. You shut him up with a kiss and tell him you feel the same.

- After that, he has no real plans. It’s ironic seeing as he’s a strategist who has everything planned out, but he doesn’t have much in mind. Would he stay in Passione? Maybe, maybe not. Fugo has realised that he’s missed so many opportunities when it comes to his education and that he could be using his high IQ for something good, yet he knows no where could handle his anger issues quite like Bucciarati and the others could; aside from you.

- He’s young still, so marriage and a settled life style is too early however he still wants to be with you a lot more. As awkward as they may be at first, Fugo takes you on many dates and makes sure they all end with him shyly telling you that he loves you.

- If he keeps up working with the Passione, he continues to mentor Narancia for sure. Still just as aggressively if the poor boy gets anything wrong.

- Might try to practice using Purple Haze in a way that doesn’t affect the others around him. After all, if he can’t develop himself academically in a educational field, then he wants to grow in other ways. His anger issues and reluctance to use his stand? He wants them gone, or at least manageable to a satisfactory level. Fugo knows it won’t happen quickly or maybe at all, though that doesn’t stop his efforts.

Narancia Ghirga

- He’s going to go to school, baby !!

- And you’re coming with him, whether you were already in it or not. He’s going to become smarter and at least try to experience a portion of a normal growing up experience with your’s and Fugo’s support. Both you and the strawberry man will be begged for tutoring, to which there’s no hesitation for agreeing.

- Narancia is so happy that the whole mess is over and takes you into his arms, kissing you at least hundreds of times, telling you in-between each kiss that he loves you and that he can’t wait to go back to how things were. “I (mwah) love (mwah) you (mwah) so so so (mwah) much! We’re going to (mwah) kick back and relax (mwah) and watch all our favourite movies and (mwah) eat all our favourite foods!” “Narancia, stOoOoP!”

- You don’t have a choice in the matter when it comes to sticking by him. You both are going to live free and happy, with no cares aside from homework and upcoming tests.

- He’ll probably stay in Passione but makes time for school. It’d be a waste to not use Lil’ Bomber/Aerosmith and he wants to stay close to his gang until forever.

- Celebratory torture dance anyone?

Guido Mista

- Both he and his sex pistols are all over you once they realise that you’re all free from the gruelling mission. His hands are under your arms and he picks you up, swinging you around with so much cheer that hearing anything but his joyous yells of, “we did it!” is impossible. At the same time, his sex pistols are crawling up your arms and towards your face, hugging your neck and face with their own mini cheers of victory. Eventually, they each place an individual kiss on your cheek while Mista plants his own right onto your lips.

- He sticks with the Passione as Giorno’s right hand man, living in the joy of being a top dog and working alongside his friends. With all that they sacrificed, he’s enjoying everything that he does.

- Much like Fugo, he feels as though he’s still too young to marry or start a family immediately. Instead, he helps set you up with your own job and visits you every lunch break to spend time together. If you’re in the mafia, he begs Giorno to let you work alongside him, which was probably the new Don’s plan from the get-go, otherwise he visits wherever you work whenever he can. If he doesn’t have the time, he’ll text you with a cute image of him at work to which you reply with your own.

- Oh, even without starting the family, Mista’s mini stands definitely act like you’re their mother. Everytime they see you it’s constant cries for food and attention, and sometimes they can only be calmed down by your affection, not even Mista can make them work well without them at least seeing you recently. Suppose that’s all apart of a stand being the true nature of a person.

- Mista likes to spend his new raise in pay on himself and you. More rented movies, more lavish items, tons of gifts and bouquets that you insist you don’t need!

- You guys would probably move in together just because he likes coming home to you and telling you about his day, or seeing your smile after doing nothing but stand around next to Giorno. He’ll lie at first and say it’s for the sake of controlling his sex pistols because they can’t get enough of you.

Giorno Giovanna

- Aw yeah, who’s head bitch now? This guy.

- He works day and night to make sure his dream becomes a true reality, not letting the opportunity that his gang members and you have given him by risking your lives by even associating with him.

- Giorno’s head is in the game and he hits the floor running as soon as he’s the new boss, not wasting any time in claiming land and setting people straight with his new rules.

- This leaves you a little down in the dumps. After all that, and he still wants to work… It’s only right that you grab him by the face and tell him that he deserves at least some sort of a break, preferably with you.

- Realising that he really does, and so do you, he complies by having at least a week of resting, eating fine food and doing whatever you want as money was no longer an object to him.

- Mafia or not, you’re his right hand aside from Mista and the others. He’s had a bad day or really doesn’t know what to do with all the work he has? You swoop in and relax him, telling him that it’ll be ok and suggesting ways that he could deal with things.

- Mista jokes by saying you’re like his secretary like in those cheesy romantic movies and you come in the next day in a formal, assistant like outfit and Giorno’s heart stops. All and every ‘appointment’ for that day is cancelled.

- “I’m so proud of you Giorno, you got what you wanted.” You tell him, brushing a hand through his hair. “The love of my life and a fulfilled dream? Definitely, amore.”

Trish Una

- She’ll probably want to stick by the you and the Bucci Gang since you all supported her so much. Plus, she wants to improve on using her stand, especially if it’s for good.

- The two of you are glad to be together and spoil yourselves rotten with a shopping trip and a long spa day or two. You spend a lot of hours hugging and comforting her as she definitely breaks down in tears after all she’s been through has caught up. Even if she tries in front of the others, she can’t hide the stress that’s been hitting a rubbery wall and waiting to break through.

- If you cry too, she’ll laugh and say “look at us. Aren’t we just the perfect mess?”

- She isn’t really sure about how or where she wants to live though she wants to see you a lot, maybe not 24/7 just yet but at least close to where you live. If you do end up living together, she’ll enjoy it all the same but will make sure she works hard or longer outside of the home so coming back to see you is a breath of fresh air.

- Trish would want to have a committed, set life after all the bumps she’s had before. She knows who she is now, so from here on she’s going to be finding new parts of herself. From finding new hobbies and interests to doing some exploring across Italy and maybe the world, she really wants to come to terms with herself.

#trish and a few others are short bc im not quite sure yet how things are for them !#trish una #trish x reader #guido mista #mista x reader #narancia ghirga #narancia x reader #panacotta fugo #fugo x reader #giorno x reader #giorno giovanna #leone abbacchio #abbachio x reader #bruno x reader #jjba x reader #jjba headcanon #request

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justlookatthosesausages · 4 years

Text

“Lift the Spirit” :: a post-Frozen 2 Elsamaren fanfic

Chapter 4: On the edge of the abyss

“You are… Going to fight with those?” Muttered Ryder.

“Yep.” Smiled Anna with a proud pout.

“Those are… Yours, Kristoff’s and Eydis’ weapons?”

“Yep.”

“Should I be concerned if you three ever get angry at me?”

“...Yep?”

They looked at each other, then burst out of laughter.

“Come on”, giggled the Queen as he closed the chest. “It’s time to eat.”

He followed her to the spot where their extended family was relaxing, and Eydis was already serving lunch.

Ryder sat happily between Anna and Honeymaren, who had Elsa on her lap.

“Ahh, the powerful trio of the three strongest women of the country!”

The referred women frowned in confusion.

“Excuse me?”

The brown-haired man grinned. “Well, Maren is the tribe leader, Anna the Queen of Arendelle, and Elsa the guardian of Ahtohallan. So yeah, you three are the most amazing women I’ve ever met.”

There was a silence, and they exchanged unsure gazes.

Ryder blinked. “Unless one of you doesn’t identify with the term ‘woman’? It’s fine then, just ask me and I’ll change.”

Anna chuckled at his kindness. “I think we’re good with the woman appellation.”

He sighed. “Okay. Cool. Sorry for panicking. I’ve spent a lot of time with Olaf on last Yule, and he kept talking about genders and pronouns, and…”

Honeymaren tapped his shoulder affectionately. “You’re doing great, Ryder. Here, take some soup before you have a cardiac arrest.”

Anna and the brunette laughed openly, however Elsa remained quiet.

Despite her blatantly essential duty, she couldn’t help but think that she was less important than Honeymaren and Anna, who had game-changing roles that required more leadership than her. Also, they had to manage people, while Elsa had to manage magical beings. Those were just as stubborn as humans, if not more, but at least Elsa could feel their emotions and presence anytime. All of their exchanges were sincere, transparent. There was no way to be lied to in such a relationship. With the Northuldra and Arendelle, on the other hand… Not that the blonde considered them fervent liars, far from it, but one could never know about a human’s real opinion. Elsa had been Queen for 3 years, and in that experience, she had learned that people - especially male politicians - weren’t always trustworthy.

She got jolted out of her thoughts by Eydis heavily sitting down next to her, and the princess sighed longly.

“There. I hope you will all like it.” Smiled the little blonde, despite a clear stress, to the Northuldra present around them. “Bone at the teeth.”

They nodded, and Elsa chuckled discreetly. “It’s ‘bon appétit’.” She whispered to her ear.

Eydis frowned. “Isn’t it what I said?”

“Never mind.” Smiled her aunt.

They all drank their soup in silent content, and it was quite good, which they didn’t miss to tell Eydis.

The princess started to daydream, looking in the horizon at the beautiful landscape they could admire from here. She saw two Earth Giants smile at each other as they exchanged their positions, switching to watch over the Northuldra land and prevent any surprise attack.

“Auntie?”

Elsa stopped staring at Honeymaren to turn to her niece. “Yes?”

“How does the Earth Spirit works? I just saw two Giants communicate with each other without even saying a word.”

Elsa grinned, and followed her gaze. “That’s because they use magic, just like I do when I communicate with them. We could call that telepathy. The Giants even have a way faster system to talk between them, as they are parts of one and only Spirit.”

Eydis nodded longly. “So, it’s like a hive mind?”

The blonde smiled at her cleverness. “Yes, exactly. Well, I’d say more like… An archipel. Because the Giants are like the visible islands on the surface, who actually are connected to each other in one and only land underneath.”

Anna snorted. “You spend way too much time with Nokk. Water metaphors are heavy.”

Honeymaren intervened as well. “Nah, that’s just Elsa. She’s a bookworm and her metaphors are constant.”

“Uhm, I’m sitting right here.”

She indeed was on her lap, and the brunette held her closer for cuddles, proving that this was just tease.

“Anyway”, Elsa said, turning to the Giant who was guarding the place they were looking at on the horizon. “That’s Pebble.”

Anna laughed openly. “Oh gosh, sorry, but… Damn, the names you give them. See? That’s the proof you spend too much time in the water.”

“No, that’s the proof that he spends too much time with Nokk. They keep playing together. And in fact…”

She closed her eyes and frowned slightly as she focused, tying a mental bond with the Giant despite the long distance. Eydis watched as the magical being named Pebble turned a bit to their direction, like he got called.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought.” Chuckled Elsa as she opened her eyes again. “He was hanging with Nokk before arriving for his shift.”

“That’s cute.” Commented Honeymaren, though the Snow Queen couldn’t tell if she was referring to the Spirits being good friends or to Elsa casually sharing a mind connection with a 12-meter tall being.

“Hey, Maren, speaking about bookworms, did you read the novel I gave you on last Yule?” Asked Anna.

“No, not yet. But it’s in the hut. On the nightstand, actually.”

Kristoff snorted at his wife’s intentions. “Are you turning the camp into a book club?”

The redhead laughed. “No. And no mockery! You know that the times I go to the Arendelle library on Wednesday nights are the only time of the week when I’m leaving you at peace.”

Kristoff smiled. “I love hearing you rambling about your recent readings on Thursday breakfasts, though.”

The Queen grinned lovingly.

Elsa was happy to see that Anna had made friends with townspeople. Arendellians were very open minded and knew how to forget that she was their sovereign to casually chat about novels with her in a public building.

“So, Honeymaren, are you going to join the book club once you’ve read her novel recommendation?” Laughed Kristoff.

“Oh, no, it’s not really my kind of thing anyway. I’m not much into reading.”

“Wait, what?” Frowned the redhead. “But you’ve finished several novels I told you about though.”

“I know. It’s because Elsa is the one reading them. She reads them aloud to me at night. I can’t resist it, she has the softest voice in the world.”

“Aaaaawwwww.” Melted Anna.

Elsa blushed, a bit pouty. That was a private habit…

“She does have a soft voice.” Admitted the redhead. “The kids want her to read a bedtime story everytime they can. Well, Isak at least. Eydis says she’s too old for stories now.”

She gave a look at her daughter behind Honeymaren and Elsa, and the young blonde grumbled.

“Though, the other night, she was listening to the one we told her brother. You’re still a fan, aren’t you?”

“Mooom!” Frowned Eydis, grumpy.

“Who wouldn’t be a fan of stories? You know, I’m certain that even animals love stories. You should see when we talk around the campfire. It’s like the entire Forest stops living to listen carefully.”

She even remembered the occasions when Elsa talks about her day to the reindeers, and the same phenomenon happens every time: rabbits, birds and squirrels gather near to listen to her from behind the bushes. Nevertheless, Honeymaren refrained herself to share this enchanting trivia with the others, because she realized that her wife was tense since she had talked about the reading sessions. She caressed Elsa’s back gently, and kissed her bare shoulder. The blonde looked down at her, and their eyes met. She gave her a forgiving sigh, but her azure blue irises sparkled as a warning. Honeymaren grinned, her lips stretching but still in contact with her skin.

They finished eating happily, until Anna stood up and slapped her thighs in both determination and excitement. “Alright! Let’s go scout around the camp.”

Kristoff blinked. “Can’t we take a nap first?”

“Heroes don’t nap.” Huffed the redhead.

Honeymaren giggled. “She’s kind of right. Also, I’m not saying we should tempt the devil, but if we walk around, it will give the possibility for Victor to attack, and we’ll catch him at his own game.”

They agreed and stood up along. “We’ll make two teams. I’ll go with Eydis and Elsa down the valley.” Suggested the Northuldra leader. “You two, with Ryder, across the woods.”

“Excellent.” Beamed Anna.

As they parted ways, she walked up to Honeymaren. “I trust you earnestly, but please make sure that Eydis is safe.”

“Don’t worry.” Assured Honeymaren, winking. “I’m responsible.”

Elsa scoffed sarcastically.

“What?” Frowned the brunette.

“The very first thing you taught my niece was to climb to trees, and how to hang up upside down with her legs without falling.”

Honeymaren gasped. “And isn’t that a practical thing she still uses today? That she could use in this very battle? It is, so stop staring at me like that.”

The two sisters eye-rolled. Eydis intervened to defend her aunt.

“I still thank you for that, actually. It’s not the kind of thing I’d learn from a princess royal training routine.”

“See?” Flinged Honeymaren.

“Eydis, you’re not helping right now.” Said Anna.

“I will keep an eye on your daughter, fire head. I promise.”

The princess turned at the nickname. “Hey, by the way, why do you call her ‘fire head’?”

Elsa giggled. “Because when she met your mother, it was the first time she ever saw someone with ginger hair. Nobody in the Northuldra tribe has such a hair color, you see?”

“Oooh.”

“This isn’t the only reason.” Precised Honeymaren. “When I have fight practice with Anna, her face gets all red from the effort.”

“My face doesn’t get all red. My cheeks are like, slightly more red than usual, at most. If you tease me one more time with that, Maren, I swear that we’ll have a training session right now and it will get very real.”

Ryder laughed behind them. “Liar. You secretly love that nickname. Because it sounds like a war title.”

Anna shrugged in admission, and Eydis grinned. It did have a ring to it.

She also noted how Ryder, Anna and Kristoff called Honeymaren ‘Maren’, while Elsa went for ‘Honey’. This family was really weird. She sighed.

“Shall we go, then?”

=======

“I just want to be a cooler uncle than Honeymaren to Eydis.” Insisted Ryder.

He never had gotten the chance to talk about that topic, because his niece was always around when he saw Anna and Kristoff in Arendelle. Now that they were in separate teams, it was the perfect time.

“Just tell me how!”

Kristoff laughed openly at his struggle. “It’s not something that we can advise you on, my friend. You’ll have to trust your instincts on that.”

“You know, the coolest aunt badge is already taken by Elsa.” Giggled Anna, sarcastic.

“Figuratively and literally.” Grinned the blond.

Ryder gave them a death stare as they all walked among the trees. “Can’t you help me instead of being sassy?”

Kristoff shrugged. “To be honest, Eydis is starting her teenager crisis years. So anything that we adults say to her is never ‘cool’ enough. She’s a bit indifferent to Elsa’s powers now.”

Ryder widened his eyes in shock. If she found the Fifth Spirit mundane, how could he ever compete?

Cogs turned in his mind as he thought of something.

“Having a digestive walk in the Northuldra woods, your Majesty?”

Suddenly said a voice behind them, and all three startled and turned around.

Someone was approaching, at a low and assured pace. It was a man, given his silhouette, and he seemed old, but also fit, like a retired guard.

“Are the Arendelle’s castle gardens too small for your taste? Not that you belong there anyway…” Said the mysterious man in a low voice.

He was wearing a dark purple cape, almost black. As he walked to them, and they were standing still, he took off the hood. Now they could see his face, that he didn’t plan to hide; Victor Eiglatson in person was standing in front of them.

“You…” Frowned Anna.

In her mind flashed images of his threats, his arrestation, his assaults described by Kristoff, Honeymaren, Elsa and the Northuldra, and, more importantly, the two innocent men who had died after his first attack.

“You will pay for what you have done!” Shouted Ryder, and he approached the old Arendellian.

Victor flicked his right wrist up to down in the Northuldra’s direction, and a dark slime blow hit his head from above. In a swift shock, the man groaned and fainted, falling head first in the grass.

“RYDER!!” Exclaimed Anna.

She then twirled to the enemy, her long red hair waving with her like a mane.

“I’ll have you killed for that!!”

Victor eye-rolled. “Calm down, Queenie. He’s only unconscious. I’m not gonna waste my magic on some random guy. You, on the other hand…”

Kristoff followed his gaze. He was strictly staring at Anna.

“Why are you interested in me?” Hissed the woman in question.

“That’s really obvious. You’re the Fifth Spirit’s biggest weakness. I’ll have her at my feet once I’m done with you.”

Anna frowned at his plan. She also wondered why he didn’t call her Elsa, but pushed that thought away to focus on clenching her fists.

“Well I’ll beat you up, you old--”

Kristoff’s arm stopped her in her momentum. She was strong, but he was even more muscular, so he easily held her in place.

“You’ll have to go through me first.” He threatened.

Victor didn’t even flinch at his sentence. “That can be arranged.”

He flipped his wrists, and a burst of dark slime spluttered out of his palms. Two liquid monsters formed on each side of him, and started running to them. He cackled like a maniac as they immediately ran for their lives before the creatures touched them with their long crooked fingers.

Kristoff was dragging Anna along his run, but soon understood that there was no need; she was even faster than him.

He gave a peak behind to check if there were safe, and saw to his biggest fright that the arm of the closest creature changed of form. When the goo assembled at the end of its fingers and solidified in the shape of a long blade, Kristoff’s heart leaped.

“WATCH OUT!”

He tackled Anna, and they rolled in the grass to dodge away from the attack. They stumbled to stand up, and he stared at the monster which had its blade planted to where they had been standing, now struggling to take it off. So it was solid.

Since when could they do that? Did they evolve? Did Victor learn from his past mistakes? Was he able to upgrade his creations, just like Elsa did? He gulped in apprehension.

The second creature quickly made him come back to reality; it used the same technique, but with both arms. Two black slimy blades cut through the air, whistling in the woods, and the two Arendellians jumped back to avoid being sliced in half.

They hadn’t plan this walk correctly, and Kristoff looked around to search for anything that could be used to repel the enemies.

The King then saw a trunk on the ground next to them, and he ran to it. He quickly valued his actions: he could use a fallen tree, right? He wouldn’t disrespect Nature, for this was a dead tree anyway. Kristoff nodded to himself and put his right foot on the trunk, then grasped with both hand the thickest of its branches. It was so wide his thumbs didn’t even touch his fingertips, but he managed to pull and pluck it out with a loud grunt.

Immediately, he twirled around and started to swung the branch in the direction of the creature.

He could effectively stop the left blade of the creature, but it got stuck in the wood, which surprised both him and the monster. It didn’t wait for another blow, though, and made its second blade sing in the air, aiming right at his throat. Kristoff frowned, and thought faster than light; he grabbed his stick with his hands in reverse order, and moved it towards the creature’s elbow moving in his direction. In a swift shift, the monster accidentally planted its blade in its other arm. Looking a bit dumb now, it had both arms tied together, and Kristoff pushed its body with a strong blow of the branch.

The monster fell on the ground. It then was confused on how to stand up now, with its arms like that, and it looked like it was punished and sitting with handcuffs on.

Anna grinned at the state of the enemy, and when Kristoff turned around, panting, his happy brown eyes suddenly widened in terror.

“What?” Said the redhead.

“Duck!!”

In any other context, Anna would have allowed herself a joke about the animal. Now wasn’t the time. She shrieked, curling down, and Kristoff jumped above her crouched body to slam the head of the monster who was about to spike his wife.

The racquetball-like move was given with all his strength, and the creature was stunned, losing its balance and falling backwards. Anna stood up slowly, looking at the two outperformed monsters. She breathed out with a gasp at the shock to have been close to death, and stared at Kristoff from head to toes. She made a pause to admire his muscles glistening with sweat, and his intense stare due to adrenalin.

“Gods I love you.” Sighed Anna, staring at him with arousal.

They stared at each other, and walked the meters separating them with their gaze lost in the ocean of the other’s, like the entire world had ceased to exist around them.

The approaching steps of the enemy brought them out of their reverie. Victor clapped his hands slowly with sarcasm. “Waow, truly effective, your Majesty. But you’re aware that you can’t beat them, right?”

He snapped his fingers, and the stunned creature toddled up, standing up again, while the other saw its arms vanish, then be created again. It went on its feet too.

Kristoff twirled his thick branch around, ready for round two. However, it now was covered with black magic ink, so he dropped it in a disgusted wince before he would get infected.

The Queen whinged at how they now were defenseless again.

“Why didn’t we take the weapons we brought?!” She exclaimed, blaming herself. “I’m so stupid, stupid, stupid!”

“Now is not the time for self-undervaluation, feisty.”

Anna grumbled, for he was right. She immediately placed her hands on each side of her mouth, lifted her head and sang the Spirits Call, as loudly and clear as she could. It rang in the woods and filled the air.

Victor burst out of laughter.

“What are you trying to do, nightingale? The Spirits cannot interact with my magic. Those are basic Nature rules.”

Anna gave him a side look that was overcharged with sarcasm. “I’m aware. Elsa, however, received Ahtohallan’s blessing. You’re screwed, Eiglatson.”

He shivered at her confident teal blue eyes. She wasn’t bluffing.

The old man looked around frantically, now fearing the worst. They had split up in groups, but Elsa could arrive in no time. He gritted his teeth and made his creations disappear with a hand flick.

“You’ll regret this. Deeply. Next time, I’ll have no pity.”

He stared at Kristoff and his wife, and turned around, running away. The blond frowned, not agreeing to let him escape. He ran after him, following his dark cape floating in his move, dashing through the woods. The King followed the man for a long time until the cape suddenly vanished, like it was made of the same goo than the monsters.

“Shit.” He muttered.

He had been fooled. This was an illusion. He grunted loudly, and punched the nearest tree in disappointment.

Anna helped Ryder stand up, and looked at where her husband had been running, wondering if he had managed to catch him. Though, she thought, Victor had magic, and if he was as skilled at Elsa, he would be able to disappear without a trace if he didn’t want to be followed. She knew how effective that was.

“Did he hurt your head?” Worried the Queen. “Did your skin get touched by it?”

“No, I’m okay. I had my hat on, thankfully. I knew that it would save my life one day.” Chuckled the Northuldra nervously.

Ryder retrieved his balance, when suddenly something blurry and white arrived at high speed right next to him, and he shrieked with a jump.

“ANNA!”

The blonde grasped her sister’s arms in less time that it took him to blink.

“Are you okay?! What happened? Why did you call?!”

Before Anna could even answer, Elsa counted only two persons out of three, and inspected the woods. “Where is Kristoff?!”

Gale arrived in a woosh, and made a noise, looking down at Elsa. Kristoff was okay, they said, but angry because he couldn’t catch the enemy in time.

“I’m fine, Elsa.” Assured the Queen.

“Okay, good. Good.”

“Can you please put me down now?”

The Snow Queen blinked in confusion and realized, in her panic, that she had been holding Anna by the arms like a clamp. The younger sister was stuck in her grip with her arms rigid along her body, her legs hanging in the air.

“Oh, sorry.”

She put Anna on the ground, and the redhead smiled sadly. She took Elsa’s hands in hers. “Breathe. It’s okay. He’s gone now.”

“But I couldn’t catch him!” Hissed Elsa, upset.

“I know.”

“Now we know how he looks like, and his fighting style.” Said Ryder, angry as well, so he switched his mind to an analysing mode. “Anna, tell me everything that had happened while I was unconscious. I’ll inform the warriors, and we’ll prepare.”

“Yes.” Encouraged Anna. “And this time, we will have our weapons at the ready.”

She put her hands on her elder’s cold shoulders, resolutely.

“Elsa, our next encounter with him will be the last. I vow to it.”

=======

Anna cracked her knuckles once they all gathered in the armory hut.

“Okay. Briefing the Northuldra, check. Updating their positions, check. Ours, check. Now…”

She rubbed her hands excitedly, and Elsa lifted an amused eyebrow when she recognized where she saw that expression.

“...Weaponry.”

With an excited - and a bit evil and scary - laugh, she opened the chest that they had brought on their wagon.

“Isn’t it a weird that a Queen who swears to be a pacifist and to never lead her kingdom to war is this thrilled about a battle?” Mocked Honeymaren.

“That’s because you haven’t seen my armor.” Winked Anna. “Also, a lady got to be busy. My hobbies include fight, what can I say?”

She opened the chest wide for everyone to observe, and took out weapons one by one.

To Kristoff, she gave his axe, and it shone in the soft light of the hut, its cheek and blade bright blue. The whole head that was normally made of the finest Arendelle metal had been crafted in ice, and could only had been done by one person. Elsa smiled proudly and admiratively, as her work of art got enhanced by the sun rays and floating dust that surrounded the weapon when Kristoff happily made it twirl.

“Perfectly balanced. As always.” He winked to the Snow Queen.

Elsa blushed. They bantered a lot about ice, and spend a considerable time talking about harvesting and such, but when he complimented her unique customizations, she felt a bit shy. But she deserved that praise; she had spent a lot of time on crafting the ideal addition for their weapons. She smiled bashfully and nodded, approving that her ice blade married perfectly with the wood haft. Victor’s monsters could be killed by her ice? Let it be so. But with some elegance, please.

Elsa’s eyes looked down at the grip that had Arendelle crocuses engraved on it, while Kristoff held the axe with both hands to inspect it. The blonde then congratulated herself on the density of the ice, which she could feel in the air from where she was standing. The back of the head, that had a hammer poll, looked more solid than anything despite its transparency. Since Ryder had laid eyes on the axe when Anna had showed it to him before meal, he couldn’t help imagining how Earth Giants themselves would be groggy if they got hit in the face with it.

Anna smiled and bent down again to pick up the next weapon. To Eydis, she gave her mace, whose numerous spikes shone so well that they seemed like sparks. Magically sharp, actually even sharper than razors, the blades glittered in the same way than Kristoff’s axe head, with a beautiful transparency that also scared by its density. Eydis’ mace had a classical grip, but all eyes were obviously staring at the top of it; it alternated between a blade and a spike, making it a fearsome item.

Honeymaren grinned. “So, your weapon of choice is a mace, uh? That’s a nice nod.”

“A nice nod?” Repeated Eydis. “To what?”

“Well, with what happened with Thor years ago. Did you pick this one because you’re at ease with hammers?”

The princess snorted. “Maybe. It’s handy in every meaning of the term.”

Just like her father, she spun the weapon in all ways once Anna gave it to her. She hit the air around in several expert ‘woosh’s, practicing her moves.

“I like the way it feels during fight.” Grinned Eydis.

Ryder widened his eyes at the sight. Yep, she was her mother’s daughter. However, when he saw the careful gaze that Anna was giving her, he could tell that Kristoff was definitely the one who approved on this mace. Nevertheless, Ryder would bet that Anna simply sighed and shrugged when Eydis asked for permission to make this her weapon.

The Queen returned to the chest.

Finally, she took the last weapon, hers, which was to no one’s surprise but to everyone’s honest impression, an enormous sword.

While the Northuldra siblings gasped in admiration, Kristoff sighed longly. “You had to bring your biggest sword, uh?”

“After seeing Victor Eiglatson earlier, I absolutely don’t regret it, dear.”

Honeymaren’s jaw dropped, and she came closer to observe it. Anna made quite a show when she tried it out. Obviously, the whole blade was made out of ice as well. Elsa smirked from where she was. It shone around as Anna wielded it, and even reflected on the wood walls of the hut. It was, out of the three weapons, the one with the biggest amount of ice, so it made a great impression.

Honeymaren was impressed as always by the beauty of her wife’s magic. Though, despite all of that, what impressed her the most was how effortlessly Anna was lifting the sword. It was an impressive work of art that surely weighed more than Honeymaren would even expect. How the heck did she make it seem effortless?

Eydis gasped excitedly. “Awesome! I never got to see this one close before!”

When Anna put it down against the wall of the armory hut to look for their battle outfits, the princess eyed the sword with envy, walking to it.

“Can I borrow it to try it out? With auntie’s ice blade, it’s gorgeous.”

Anna turned around and was about to give her answer, but Eydis, in her iconic nerve, already lifted the sword up. She rose it to see the cross-guard closer, but the blade was way heavier than she thought, and the weapon tilted. With a yelp, she lost her grip, and the sword fell forward to the floor.

“Holy hell!” Muttered the princess.

Anna smirked as she caught it. “I was about to suggest you to not lift it. This sword can’t be wielded by anyone, sweetheart. There is a reason why Elsa custom-made it for me.”

She approached her astonished daughter. “Only I am able to use it. It actually took a lot of training to master my moves. Also, see how long that grip is?”

“Yeah, it’s longer than any sword I’ve ever seen.” Murmured Eydis.

“That’s because it’s a two-handed sword. You lifted it with only one, so it was a foregone conclusion.” Smiled Anna.

She placed it back against the wall.

“So you put both hands on the grip?” Asked Eydis, curiosity and enthusiasm making her voice high.

“It depends on the move or feint you intend to make. Most of times, I place one hand on the grip…” She showed it to her. “And the second one on the pommel.”

Her hands now covered the pine green grip and the pommel proudly engraved with the Arendelle crocus. With its green hilt and its purple round hilt end in each hand, it gave the Queen an astonishing aura by reminding the flag’s colors. She demonstrated the easy twirls that this two hands position allowed to do.

“It’s the most beautiful sword I’ve ever seen.” Exhaled Honeymaren, in awe.

Anna smirked proudly while Elsa blushed with a soft smile.

“Elsa made it entirely for me.”

As if the entire ice blade wasn’t enough of a hint, the rain-guard - which, just like the grip, was made of high quality leather dyed green - had a embedded snowflake symbol. It was the upper half of the snowflake, and it gave the feeling that it introduced the upcoming blade to sight when one observed the stunning weapon. The scabbard, which Anna had discarded next to the chest after she proudly made the sword sing by taking it off, was breathtaking as well. All along were traced drawings that seemed to have been made by both Elsa and Anna. Honeymaren wondered if they had been crafting it together, and easily imagined them giggling as they did in a warm sharing moment.

“Why a two-handed sword, though?” Asked Ryder.

“I suggested it to her since that stubborn idiot refuses to use a shield.” Smirked Elsa.

“A really good suggestion.” Said Anna, who preferred to ignore the derision.

They went out of the hut for Ryder to show them the staff that he would be using. None of the Arendellians commented negatively on how simple his weapon was compared to them. First because they were nice and enough open-minded to not judge ahead, and second because all three of them actually knew the aching pain that followed a hit in the shins. Ryder didn’t train often, but had won a few rounds thanks to that. From what they had seen, Victor Eiglatson wasn’t wearing any armor, and that might even be the blow that would take him down. After all, the most effective attack is the one one doesn’t expect, and Ryder was an expert at sliding down to hit weak spots.

While they were outside and Elsa and Honeymaren started to chat a bit further, Eydis came close to her mother.

“Will auntie be okay? During the fight?”

Anna frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Well, I’ve never seen her truly be mean in her blows. She’s not very direct. She’s a bit scared to be offensive, no?”

The redhead blinked as she stared at Eydis, then suddenly laughed loudly, her head wiping back. “Oh dear, you truly have no idea, do you?”

“What?” Grumbled the princess.

Anna coughed as she tried to retrieve her breath. “Yeah. Right. Sorry. You can’t know, because Arendelle and Northuldra have both always known peace since you were born. So you’ve never seen her actually fight.”

Eydis was upset by her mother’s giggles. “What is so funny?”

The Queen smiled. “Let me search for an example… Well, you have a big snowball fight with her at every Yule, uhm? Remember last year when you asked her to stop holding herself back, to have an actual challenge, and you came back to the castle exhausted?”

Eydis scoffed. “It’s not that amazing, I remember I got to touch her once or twice with a snowball.”

Anna smirked. “Because it was a game. Now imagine what she does when it’s a fight. Did you see Elsa pick up snow from the ground when she, for once, didn’t force herself to slow down?”

The little blonde widened her eyes at that realization. Elsa had been crafting those snowballs out of thin air. “No.”

“Did you see her being out of breath, just for one second?”

Now Eydis gulped. She had been able to hit her aunt several times, but was panting once the game was over. On the other hand, her aunt was perfectly fine.

The princess got suddenly aware that she had been fooled all along. Elsa had only pretended to be hit to make her happy. How dumb was she to not have understood this before? Her aunt was astonishingly athletic, she knew it. Once, she had seen her race with Nokk on the fjord shore and she had been running faster than them. And they have the shape of a horse.

Eydis’ jaw dropped. “Okay, now that is just creepy.”

Anna nodded with a smirk. “You don’t have to worry any second of her abilities on a battlefield. She could kill us all in our sleep, trust me.”

Kristoff approached to put a hand on Anna’s shoulder and a kiss on her cheek.

“I’m gonna go train with Ryder, we’ll see you later.”

He was happy for such a context, and his wife snorted. “Don’t wear yourself out. It’s better if you’re in good shape for the upcoming fight. Be careful, okay?”

The blond man smiled at her care. “I will.”

He followed Ryder to the training area, and not even two full seconds later, he tripped over a root, and almost fell to the ground.

Eydis burst out of laughter as her father grumbled. Anna remained serious to not make him feel ashamed.

“Damn, I lost my ice harvesters reflexes.”

“Too many king activities?” Teased Ryder.

“If you want, I can show you how to use an axe again.” Laughed Eydis.

“Don’t mock me, you two!”

Eydis bit her lip to hide her smile.

“Sorry. Well, I’m not gonna lie, you taught me all I know about resourcefulness in the wild and how to be an ace at ice harvesting. So I can’t demean you.”

Kristoff gave her a smile, then rejoined Ryder.

Anna went to Honeymaren and Elsa, where the brunette was preparing her bow for the battle.

She was intrigued when she approached the leader.

“Wait, don’t you usually have a bigger bow? Where’s the one you hunt with?”

Honeymaren smirked. “Judging on sizes, your Majesty?”

Anna snorted. “Of course not.”

The Northuldra made the bow twirl left to right and back with her hand on the grip. “This bow is a warrior one, that’s why the size is different.”

“Uhm, excuse me, a what? As much as I love this name, I’m confused. Why ‘warrior’?”

The brunette smiled. “It’s the type of bow. You know, they come in all shapes and sizes, just like people…”

“Stop with the tease, dummy.”

She got a smirk in return. “The one you see me use during hunt is a long bow. Very long, in fact. It’s optimized for stealth, with a light wood and silencers on the string to be as discreet as possible. We also craft them that long because we use them from a very far distance. With those features, we do not frighten the animals, and therefore are respectful of Nature. We have a more tender meat as their death was quick and without fear.”

Anna gulped at the powerful statements.

“This one...”, said Honeymaren, lifting the bow she was holding. “Is quite exactly its opposite. Notice how its wood is way shorter and curved three times, even at the tips. It’s optimized for fighting. I’m not a fan of what it represents and the context it’s used in, but it’s very effective. As we stand closer to the target, we don’t need a long bow, and this size allows faster recharge.”

“A bow for warriors on the battlefield…”

“Yes. Its unique asset is its main default, however. As we can’t draw the bow very much because it’s shorter than the usual, it only is for close range.”

Anna blinked, retrieving from those incredible details. She then smiled. “Don’t worry. I’ll give you a window to shoot.”

“I count on it.” Smirked the brunette.

She went to pick up new material in the craft shed to change the grip of the bow and make it brand new. On her way, she passed by Eydis, who was staring at the stunning collection of bows all hand-crafted by the tribe.

“You don’t have those bows in Arendelle, uh?” Grinned the proud leader.

Eydis puffed. “Even if I did, I can’t buy a single thing in the kingdom without thinking of mother, anyway.”

“What, she scolds you when you buy useless things? A bow is far from being useless.”

“No, because there’s her face on every coin.” Snorted the princess.

They both laughed.

“She never scolds me for anything I buy. I could ask a chocolatier for my weight in candies and she would even encourage it.”

They laughed again.

She saw that Honeymaren had sit down at a table to extend a band of leather and cut the parts she needed. She would be using the dagger she had at her waist, and that all adult Northuldra were wearing constantly, for how multifunction it was a for a people living in the wild.

“Hey, could you do the trick again?”

Honeymaren, who was about to simply take the dagger of its sheath and casually use it, smirked. She untied the leather pouch, twirled it in the air, then placed her wrist under it to make it spin around, and took out the dagger with expertise and elegance. The whole movement had been smooth, and Eydis’ eyes sparkled.

“Never gets old.”

Honeymaren waved her eyebrows and turned the knife between her fingers before getting to work.

A few minutes passed, and Eydis admired all the weaponry. Several ice arrows were on a table near the wall, and she approached her hand.

“Waow, those are superb. Look at the very precise and intricate heads…”

“Don’t touch that!” Exclaimed Honeymaren, rushing to her niece.

Eydis’ admirative eyes switched to angry ones. “Damnit! Why can’t I touch anything?!”

“Language.” Scolded Anna from afar.

“Sorry, Eydis.” Said the Northuldra leader with a pout. “Those are extremely sharp. Elsa upgraded them since the last time I used them, and even myself have to be very careful when handling them.”

She slowly placed them back in her quiver, and wondered why she had been leaving them there. Northuldra children could have hurt themselves… When they joined a whole stack of others in her quiver, she realized that in fact, Elsa had been crafting new ones after their meal.

She admired her wife’s dedication and work on their weapons. Each of them had been enhanced with Elsa’s unbreakable ice. Their efficiency against the monster would be unprecedented. Even Ryder’s staff was covered with a thin layer of ice to strengthen it, keeping the traditional way of fighting.

When Elsa had announced that she would be using a spear entirely made out of ice, and she had crafted it under their eyes, Honeymaren’s knees had almost buckled at the flashing image of how attractive her wife would be when she would fight with it. The spear was blue - obviously - and had - as usual - intricate details, for Elsa couldn’t help being extra. The shaft had all the colors of the Spirits spreaded on it, with the four diamond shapes and their symbols proudly displayed along. The head of the spear wasn’t the classical one but a four pronged trident, inspired by the four Spirits’ harmony. The blades were long and placed facing each other two by two, forming a round cross and looking like the cardinal points. Anna had made the remark that if she crafted this quadrident spear while on Nokk, she would look like Poseidon, but Honeymaren didn’t get the reference.

The odds for the fight were really good. Honeymaren smiled proudly and positively when the two sisters joined them.

“With Elsa’s expertise, we will defeat Eiglatson in no time.”

Anna wanted to support her positivity, but she shivered. “‘Next time, I’ll have no pity’, he said. I just hope that we will be strong enough. May the gods be on our side.”

Elsa nodded, then suddenly widened her eyes. It was like she had remembered or realized something out of nowhere.

“We will be prepared, Anna, don’t worry.” Assured Honeymaren with a firm leader voice.

They all agreed. Anna suggested to help Honeymaren refine the Northuldra warriors’ strategy, and Eydis to sharpen their weapons.

Elsa was the only one not to move, and she remained oddly silent, staring down.

Anna turned to her, and lifted an eyebrow, about to ask what was wrong.

“I need to take a moment alone before the fight.” Said the blonde, forcing herself to smile. “I’ll take a break in Ahtohallan.”

Her sister nodded. Elsa certainly needed to recharge in every meaning of the term; as an introvert with a bubble of calm, and a magical being with the ancient glacier. She had noted long ago how better the Snow Queen’s mood was after meditating in the magical source.

Honeymaren watched her lover go, slightly suspicious. But she shrugged and walked with Anna to the hut where they had spreaded a giant map on a table.

“Okay… Strategy thinking…” Mumbled the redhead, and Honeymaren got amused by her pout. “Maren, do you consider yourself lucky?”

The Northuldra leader snorted. “Well, I got to marry a Spirit who also is the most beautiful woman in the world, so… I certainly am.”

Anna eye-rolled comically. “I meant, if we make a back-up plan based on chance, would that be in your favor or not?”

“Yeah, sure.”

The Queen stared at Honeymaren, because now she had been silent, and the distance separating them from the hut was long, so that would soon be awkward between them. Anna noticed that the brunette was fidgeting with something on her left hand, but didn’t get to ask.

“You must think that I’m a hopeless romantic, uh?”

Anna smiled. “No, not at all. I mean, yes, you really are, but I don’t mind it, if it’s what you’re afraid of. I find your couple adorable. And you know already how Elsa’s happiness deeply matters to me, so to know that she’s living a perfect married life with you fills my heart with joy.”

Honeymaren smiled. “I’m the thankful one, I swear. You know, she changed my whole world.”

She rose her hands, showing the woods surrounding them. “First, by freeing the Forest, and then, by teaching me on her first night in the camp that constellations had names. It was barely hours after I discovered the existence of stars. Imagine how overwhelming that was.”

“I easily do.” Grinned Anna. “She’s a real nerd. I’ve known her for such a long time - I can’t say my whole life, that would be lying - and she still teaches me stuff about science and physics. It’s crazy coming from someone who also defies those laws with magic.”

Honeymaren chuckled tenderly.

“Once, she crafted a sextant for a little girl in the village.” Continued the redhead.

“A sex… What?”

Anna burst of laughter.

“It has nothing to do with sex. It’s a navigation tool, based on the position of stars.”

“Oh, I see. Old Northuldra told me that our people used to watch the stars to find their way.”

“All people used to.” Smiled Anna wisely.

Honeymaren nodded. It was also true figuratively. Elsa was the brightest star that ever shone to her eyes. She could follow her everywhere, like her true north. The brunette fidgeted with her ice ring again at the image of her wife giggling when she ran after her stunning figure in the fields, and Elsa turning around with a smile that warmed her heart like nothing else did.

“Mareeeeen…” Called Anna’s voice, probably not for the first time, and finally succeeding in bringing her back to Earth.

“Oh, sorry, you were saying?”

When she turned to the redhead, she was smirking. “Uhm, correct me if I’m wrong, but the hut is that way, no?” She said, pointing the other way.

Honeymaren blinked and look at where she was heading. Three more steps and she would bump head first into a tree.

“Y-yes, yes, I was… I’m coming.”

She cleared her throat, and followed her smiling sister-in-law to where she was supposed to go.

=======

When they went out of the hut more than two hours later, Anna stretched next to Honeymaren, then she suddenly heard a neigh in the distance.

She saw a familiar horse, gleaming between the trees, and trotting through the camp in their direction.

“Oh, hi Nokk!” Smiled Anna, waving. “What are you doing here? Isn’t Elsa with you?”

She then saw that someone was on their back, but not seated like they rode them; that person had been picked up and transported.

Nokk stopped walking in the middle of the camp, about twenty meters away from them. Honeymaren’s eyes widened at the platinum blonde hair of the of woman.

“Elsa?!”

The blonde groaned, shook her head and massaged her forehead. She forced herself to sit up, but she clearly had difficulties.

“Elsa, are you okay?!” Panicked Anna, staring at the blonde.

Nokk neighed loudly.

“I’m fine.” Murmured Elsa, getting down from the Water Spirit with as much composure as she could.

Nokk neighed again, insistent.

“Okay, I may not be.” Muttered the Snow Queen, and only the horse could hear that.

She let go of Nokk’s neck and lurched along the path. Anna and Honeymaren had come close, sensing that something was wrong.

“Elsa, you’re usually pale, but now you’re white as a sheet. What happened?” Worried her sister.

“Do you need help to walk?”

“I can walk, it’s okay…”

Honeymaren didn’t insist, noticing how stubborn Elsa was. However, as her and Anna gave way for her to walk through the camp, her knees suddenly buckled.

“Elsa!!”

She collapsed to the ground, and Honeymaren rushed to catch her. The blonde fainted in her arms, her head dropping back, and Honeymaren lifted it up.

“ELSA!!” Screamed the brunette a second time, starting at her lover’s face with alarmed wide eyes.

She shook Elsa’s body desperately. She pressed her ear to her chest to hear if her heart was beating, but her own heart was beating so fast that she couldn’t focus on the right sound. To make it even worse, Anna had fallen to her knees next to her and was breathing faster and louder each passing second, inspecting her elder’s face.

“ELSA!!”

The Snow Queen didn’t respond, still unconscious, her eyes closed. Honeymaren kept her hand behind her head and fumbled at her belt with the other. She grabbed the knife at her waist and drew it in one swift move, then contrasted with that speed by delicately placing the blade under Elsa’s nose. Time seemed to hang in the air while both Anna and Honeymaren stared desperately at the metal, until it covered with condensation. Elsa was breathing.

They both sighed heavily, their shoulders slumped. They now were sitting on their heels, gripping the blonde’s body. Honeymaren shook her arms.

“Please, please open your eyes, Elsa. Please stay with me. Please stay with us.”

She shook her body again, and Elsa blinked tiredly, opening her eyes very slowly.

Honeymaren gasped and held her tight, muttering a long line of prayers and gratitudes to the world for bringing back her wife. As she hugged her, she felt the ice and snow clothes under her fingers, and she only realized then that it should have been the best clue to know that she hadn’t left them; the magic fabric would have melted away otherwise.

“I like it when you hold me in your arms like that…” Muttered the voice of her lover next to her ear.

The Northuldra leader detached from the hug, and kept her wife in her arms, but away enough to stare at her face.

“What happened to you??”

The Snow Queen’s weak features twitched in a smile. “I found the password, Honey…”

“What?” Blinked the brunette.

“‘Only time itself will tell’... Kronos. It was Kronos.”

Anna and Honeymaren remained silent in confusion. What the hell was she talking about?

“Kronos… The greek god of time…” Murmured Elsa with a weak, almost imperceptible voice.

She however had an obvious sly smile, and Anna blinked.

“Wait, what? What are you talking about?”

Had her sister gone mad? She sounded delirious.

Honeymaren, on the other hand, had connected the dots. She shook her head, as stunned as Anna, but for a different reason. She sighed at the brilliant mind of her wife.

“You’re incredible, Elsa, I swear… In all meanings of the term.”

The blonde allowed herself a grin despite her lack of strength.

“Would someone care to explain?” Frowned Anna, upset that she was missing something that clearly was important.

“The code word that would unlock the repressed memories of the previous Fifth Spirit… It was ‘Kronos’.” Said Honeymaren.

Elsa felt happy as the two people she cared the most about exchanged a gaze with huffed smiles. Though, when their eyes reverted to her, her forces left her; her eyes turned up again and she plunged back into darkness.

=======

When Elsa regained consciousness, she slowly opened her eyes, recovering her sight in blurry steps. She first saw the floating blue candle jars hovering just below the ceiling of the hut. So she was in her bed. At the idea, a feeling of warmth invaded her heart. She then saw, as her vision sharpened, Honeymaren looking at her in distress, then deep relief as she sighed when she saw her wife smile.

The brunette cuddled next to her and pressed her forehead to her temple.

“Thanks Ahtohallan, you’re alright.” She murmured.

“Actually, what happened is Ahtohallan’s fault…” Pointed out another familiar voice, filled with reproach but also concern.

Elsa’s smile went larger as she turned her face and saw her sister bent over her as well on the other side of the bed. Anna’s sarcasm left her face to quickly be replaced by happiness when she crossed her elder’s gaze.

“Hey you.”

The blonde winced. “Actually, it wasn’t entirely Ahtohallan’s fault.”

Anna sighed. “Yeah, once again you had to go to far, and now you regret it. Seriously, is she this alluring? Is the need to know the truth like a drug or something?”

Honeymaren and Elsa chuckled.

“Gotta say, the Spirits call can be breathtakingly beautiful sometimes. I can’t imagine how attractive it is when it comes from the source itself.” Admitted the Northuldra leader.

“And in addition to your dorky snoop personality…” Smirked Anna.

“Says the one who keeps asking me about gossip!” Gasped Elsa.

“Well, at least, I’m not risking my life when I ask!”

Elsa eye-rolled. The sisters grinned, and hugged each other warmly.

“You scared me a bit there.” Murmured the Queen against Elsa’s ear.

“It’s a good thing you’re used to my drama then.”

“True.”

After Anna detached from the hug, Honeymaren stared at her wife in a scolding expression.

“You really shouldn’t have done that! Don’t make me quote the song. When will you finally...”

Her frowned eyebrows suddenly shot up, the rest of her sentence vanishing in her throat as she realized what she was doing. “Oh no. I shouldn’t be angry at you. You could have died, and I’m lucky enough for you to be alive…”

Elsa’s hand quickly slid on the sheets to hold hers. “You’re my wife, Honey. That’s what married life does. You get deadly worried about the other.”

Anna winced at the word ‘deadly’.

“You care about me with all your soul, and you’re angry because you weren’t there to protect me.” Continued Elsa.

“So you agree that it was extremely dangerous.”

The blonde winced. “Yes.”

“Your hella curious personality will be your undoing, Elsa.” Grumbled Anna.

“Without my curiosity, we wouldn’t have known about Runeard’s plan!” Reminded Elsa coldly.

The two other women couldn’t deny it, and remained silent.

Honeymaren sighed in an upset way. She didn’t like how Elsa purposely went to Ahtohallan alone right when she figured the code word, because she would definitely have prevented her if she was accompanied.

She passed a hand in her wife’s hair, retrieving her smile.

“So the previous Fifth Spirit was a nerd as well, uh?”

Elsa frowned as she was sitting up with her elbows.

“Why do you say that?”

“Oh, don’t go ‘anyone could have guessed the Kronos password’. You know that none of us would have found it. Did you see memories of him making jokes about Orion’s belt?”

Elsa slapped her arm, and she grinned.

“Those jokes would be so bad that he probably put them in his repressed coded memories, though.”

She received another slap, and this one was stronger.

“Well, I’m glad to see that your regained strength.” Laughed Honeymaren, rubbing her bruises.

Elsa couldn’t help but smile, and shook her head.

“Can you stand up?” Asked Anna.

“I think I can.”

She however put her hand in Honeymaren’s stretched one, just to make sure that she wouldn’t fall if her knees buckled. Nevertheless, she could step easily through the hut, and even started to go outside. As a double reward, the Northuldra who were working near the hut turned to her and beamed to see that she was okay. Elsa smiled back, and she felt infinitely better. Now that she knew all the truth and was replenished, she felt ready to fight Victor.

“You know, I wouldn’t be surprised that Ahtohallan gifts each Fifth Spirit with sarcasm, drama and nerdiness.” Smiled Anna’s voice behind her as she and Honeymaren got out of the hut.

Elsa gave her a stare. “Don’t encourage her.”

The two women simply shrugged, amused. Though, Elsa’s sudden serious face changed the mood.

“Actually, let’s go back inside. We need to sit down.”

“Uhh, what? Are you okay?”

“I’m alright. But I have to tell you all the truth about Victor Eiglatson. And it’s best if we do it privately.”

The Northuldra and Arendelle leaders exchanged a worried glance, and followed her back inside, closing the door behind them.

Elsa then proceeded to explain that they got a lot of things wrong about him, as they sadly expected.

“He has been planning his revenge on the Fifth Spirit for years. Longer than any of us three was born.”

“This is a really spooky introduction, thank you very much.” Commented Anna, her eyes wide.

“I’ve had access to every single memory that the previous Fifth Spirit had been ashamed of and hiding, even to himself, and…”

Elsa shivered. That meant a lot coming from her. Honeymaren understood now that her weak state wasn’t only because going far in the secret past had impacted her magic; it was an emotional wreck as well.

“I’m gonna explain it from the very beginning.” Told Elsa. “So, first of all, Victor Eiglatson had a wife, called Niks.”

Her sister puffed. “How could a man like him have been married?”

Elsa gave her a stare.

“Anna, I love you with all my heart, but I’m begging you to not interrupt me until I’m finished.”

The redhead pouted in a sullen expression, and Honeymaren bit her lip with a smile. ‘Let her continue’, she said with a gaze.

“Victor and Niks both were merchants, who traveled around the country, and they both had dark magic.”

“What? How??”

“Anna…”

“Okay, okay, I’m quiet.”

Elsa resumed.

“While Victor kept it low profile, Niks kept using her dark magic for larceny. Robbery, bullying… She kept wielding her powers for evil ends. One day, they were delivering supplies to the Northuldra, and she had threatened the people during the night. The Fifth Spirit had noticed, and spied on her to see if she would do it again. He saw her doing it repetitively each night Victor and her had stayed in the camp, as they had asked for board and lodging for a week.

Two days before they left, the Northuldra leader told her that he knew what she was doing. He warned her, stating that the next time she would use her powers for such acts, he would have to punish her. She didn’t take him seriously at all. On the following night, she blackmailed a young mother and her child, saying that she would send monsters and hell on the poor family if they didn’t give her half of their crops by the next time they would do business here. The Fifth Spirit saw everything. On the morning after their departure, he followed their caravan, and…”

The Snow Queen interrupted her story. It was a bit sudden, so the others wondered what had happened.

“He…” Elsa stopped to gulped. She took a few seconds, then retrieve the needed courage. “He killed her. He killed Niks with his ice and snow magic.”

Anna and Honeymaren let out synchronized gasps. Anna’s hand flew to her mouth. Elsa closed her eyes and lowered her head.

“I saw everything. I mean, it was in ice statues form, but… Still. And as he used the same magic than I do, I could almost… Feel what I saw. He impaled her in one go.”

Honeymaren’s throat tightened, a ball forming in her throat, and she guessed that it was the same for Elsa. She placed a tender hand on her shoulder, and the blonde squeezed it tenderly. After a breathe in, she continued.

“Victor saw everything. He was boiling with sorrow and rage. He wanted to kill the Fifth Spirit right away, but he froze his lower body and walked away, returning to the camp. He said that it was what needed to be done.”

Elsa’s hands had returned in her lap, and she clenched her fists nervously.

“He didn’t even apologize. Victor had spend the day screaming and shouting until the ice melted with the heat of the sun. Once it had vanished, he realized that he had to bury his wife properly before setting off to the camp to murder the Northuldra leader. On her tombstone, he swore to avenge her, and built a plan. Only, when he came to the Forest days later…”

She looked up at the ceiling, like she could see the sky from where they were.

“The mist had fallen.”

She shrugged sadly. “He tried all he could, poured all his magic into his efforts, but it was in vain. As you know, only Anna and I can open the mist. Only the Bridge can. Only the Fifth Spirit can. And the Fifth Spirit… Had just died in turn.”

Elsa looked at the wall absentmindedly as she remembered the ice statues. “Victor learned about his death through rumors as he came back to the kingdom. He noticed how some soldiers were hateful towards the Northuldra, and he enrolled in the army to train for the day the mist would lift. He planned and planned and planned, and his dark magic got better and darker each passing year. The only thing that separated him from his revenge was a wall of smoke.”

Her eyes lifted to Anna. “Years later, he learned that I was the Fifth Spirit. In fact, that we both technically were. He started to shout to everyone that we did not deserve to be Queens of Arendelle for that reason. You know the rest. He got sent to prison for such words, but he escaped with magic. His goo monsters slipped through the bars really easily…”

She once again couldn’t help but let out a little bit of admiration for his creations, despite some disgust.

“It was less than a month ago. He had trained a lot since. But… Despite hating the Fifth Spirit with all his soul, and his promise to avenge his wife’s death... He actually doesn’t plan to kill me.”

Honeymaren gave her a look that meant ‘Let me guess, it’s way worse?’

“His goal is to rip my magic out of me.”

The two other woman widened their eyes in utter astonishment. And to make things worse, Elsa kept going.

“He cleverly thought of that because with his research, he understood that the Fifth Spirit reincarnation is a cycle. Ahtohallan gives the ice and snow powers to a new person each time the previous dies, for them to be the only one to read her memories. And if he kills me, the chain would not stop, it would simply continue. However, by absorbing my magic, his revenge will be complete.”

Anna had at least a hundred of questions burning her lips at Elsa’s statements. Yet, the elder lifted a finger.

“Wait, that’s not all; I also saw a memory on his frieze that wasn’t there the last time we checked it with Honeymaren. It was the most recent one. From this afternoon.”

She gave a pause, and gulped. “He’s planning to attack Ahtohallan’s tonight, and rot it to the core with his goo magic.”

The two women let out the same gasp, quickly replaced by a deep groan. No one would touch Elsa, and no one would touch Ahtohallan. For Anna, the magic glacier was the source of her magic and who she was and had allowed her to be fully proud of her identity. For Honeymaren, it was this and even more; Ahtohallan was her deity, a representant of the sacred laws of Nature, and she would never let anyone profane the entity that the Northuldra worshipped since forever.

“We’ve got to unite all of our forces and prevent him from crossing the Dark Sea.” Stated Elsa with emotion.

A silence fell, and she looked at them with sad eyes.

Anna didn’t dare to react verbally yet.

“Uhm… Are you finished?”

Elsa sighed. “Gosh, I hope so. Yeah, you can talk.”

“Well, I don’t even know where to start.” Exhaled the Queen.

“The only thing I retain from all of these news is that I call dibs on the first shot to Victor’s heart.” Grumbled Honeymaren, fire in her hazelnut eyes.

“Honey, no.” Calmed Elsa. “Violence is not the solution. I mean, of course we’re going to fight him with all our forces, don’t look at me like that, but we’re not going to kill him. This is not who we are. He’s the murderer, not us. He will have to face justice.”

Honeymaren sighed in a pout. Elsa was right.

“M’kay.”

She didn’t seem so convinced, but admitted that shooting arrows at a human’s heart wasn’t really the way to show a good example.

Anna passed a hand in her hair, and tucked it behind her ear. “So… People with magic can… Rip magic out of other magic people?”

Elsa gave her a sad look. “I didn’t even know it was possible until today. And I’ve been exploring the abilities of my magic since the Great Thaw, so for nearly 20 years. Never would I have thought that I could extract magic out of someone’s soul…”

A silence floated in the room. Honeymaren and Anna exchanged a gaze, not daring to ask the question. Finally, Anna did.

“And… Do you think that you…”

“No. I would never do that. I don’t want to learn how to do it, and I never want to do it.” Stated Elsa, her voice firm and strong.

Her azure blue eyes had been so intense that the two other women got stunned by it, then they had grateful smiles. Elsa had god tier powers, but never would she commit such an act.

However, guilt roamed the Snow Queen’s body as she remembered that the previous Fifth Spirit, on the other hand, had come to a decision of this gravity.

She looked down as she passed her hands on her arms, curling a bit on herself. “First my grandfather… Now him… I’m tied to criminals.”

“Don’t say that!” Exclaimed Anna.

“He killed, Anna. My previous incarnation killed someone.”

“He’s not you. You are not defined by his action. You’re you own person, even if you have identical powers. You’re no evil, Elsa. Do you hear me?”

The redhead had been grabbing her sister’s arms for impact, but also to make her stop cowering.

“You’re literally the most gentle, nicest person I’ve ever met.”

Elsa blinked sadly. Honeymaren nodded firmly next to Anna, and passed a soft hand in her hair and along her face.

“Yes, you are, snømus. Would I have made a murderer my wife? I don’t think so.”

A snort escaped Elsa’s sad lips.

With the way her sister and lover were holding her, she could cry instantly, so humor was a good way to prevent that. She took a long inhale, and stood up.

“Yes, it’s no time to get emotional. Victor is cruel and reckless. Tonight we face him with all that we got.”

The Snow Queen walked to the entrance of the hut, opened it, and turned around to face the two women who looked at her in undeniable awe. With the light passing by the wood slits and the candles projecting blue hues on her face, she looked like a fierce Valkyrie on the warpath.

She gave their stunned faces a big grin.

“Let’s suit on.”

A second of impressed silence fell. Anna let out an amazed puff. “Waow, look at who’s all confident about conflict now. Who are you and what have you done with my forever insecure sister?”

The blonde gave her a judging look. She had just ruined her epic attitude.

“I’m not saying that negatively.” Assured the younger. “Only… Damn, you’ve become such a badass. What happened to you?”

Honeymaren put a hand on Anna’s shoulder.

“She married me.”

Elsa smirked.

=======

Anna helped Eydis to put her armor on, then Elsa helped Anna with hers. Sometimes, the redhead had so snap her sister back to reality, because she was admiring the beauty of some steel pieces and taking a lot of breaks.

“Elsa, you’ll get plenty of time to admire my armor once I have it entirely on.”

“Yeah, sorry. Am I too slow?”

“No, it’s fine. It’s actually touching that you love it so much. I like to have your opinion on those kind of things. But right now, I’m starting to lose my balance.”

Elsa hurried to place her boot correctly. She then asked for Anna to turn around to tighten her brigandine. Anna had a proud grin as she stood with her hands on her hips while Elsa was busy.

“With it, there’s no way those monster’s dark slime will touch my skin.”

She was about to turn to look at Elsa, when an annoying noise came from her neck. “Damn, my gorget keeps squeaking. Can you do something about it?”

Elsa turned once she was done with the bodice.

“Well, my magic may do a lot of miracles, however ice and snow are everything but oily. So I’m afraid I can’t.”

“I was talking about actual grease, dummy. Do you have some?”

“Oh. Yes.”

Anna smiled as Elsa went to get some in the shed. It was funny how, long ago, the Snow Queen would never have dared to use her magic for anything, and now it was her default option.

“A Northuldra is using it next door, he will bring it back. Apparently, Kristoff have the same problem.” Smiled Elsa. “I know it’s a good sign, but when was the last time you two wore armors?”

“It’s not that it’s rusty”, defended Anna. “They are pure work of art from Arendellian’s best craft people. But they need some… Restoration?”

The blonde grinned. She kept helping her sister place the armor’s pieces one by one, picking them up from the chest where only hers had remained. Her smile faded when she saw how red Anna’s face had gotten when she lifted the faulds and was about to place them.

“What is it? You seem uncomfortable.”

Anna looked away with a little pout. “It’s nothing.”

“No, it’s something. Your freckles almost are disappearing under your blush. What’s wrong?”

The Queen looked at the faulds. “They’re very large, aren’t they?”

Elsa blinked in incomprehension. “Uhh… Yeah, they’re meant to go around the waist and hips to protect them. So, by definition, they are.”

“No, I mean…”

She was unable to finish her sentence. Elsa frowned as she tried to understand. “You mean your hips and waist are very large.”

Anna looked away again, and nodded silently. The Snow Queen put away the faults in a brisk move, which the redhead interpreted as revulsion. That’s why she was confused when both her hands got seized in hers.

“Anna, look at me.”

The redhead had startled at the touch, and she turned to her sister. “What?”

“You can’t possibly be saying that you don’t like your body, right?”

The teal blue eyes went down. “So you agree. You think I’m fat too.”

“Oh Ahtohallan, no, Anna, hey, look at me.”

She quitted holding her hands to place soft palms against her cheeks. Anna looked at her, and she was on the verge of crying.

A silence passed, and Elsa’s gaze switched from one eye to the other.

“What if you are.”

“Excuse me?”

“What if you’re fat?” Said Elsa.

Anna blinked. It surprised her so much that her tears went away.

“Yeah, what if you’re fat. Does it matter?” Asked Elsa.

The redhead blabbered. “Well, of course it does!”

“No it doesn’t. Stop me if I’m wrong, but I’m pretty sure that Kristoff has seen you naked a couple of times or more, didn’t he?” She asked, half-teasing.

Anna blushed. “Uh, yeah.”

“Did he ever say anything negative about your body? In 10 years of marriage?”

“I… No, quite the opposite.” Muttered Anna. “But he could be lying.”

“Oh. Sure. So, allow me to ask: when was the last time Kristoff has ever lied to you?”

Anna was speechless. Why was Elsa so good at this? How did she knew exactly which arguments do use? How did she knew precisely what Anna had to be reassured about? The elder sister brushed her cheek with her thumbs to take her out of her thoughts.

“Anna. You gave birth to two beautiful, amazing children. Your body changed from that. There is nothing more normal in the entire world. Nature gave you the space to bear children.”

As if those touching words weren’t enough to wreck Anna’s entire soul, Elsa’s left hand went to Anna’s lower belly. “You carried life. Life is the most beautiful thing in the world. Don’t you think that life deserves as much space as possible? And you carried it with love. Love is the most important thing in the world. Don’t you think that love also deserves as much space as possible?”

The redhead’s lips trembled, and she could barely talk as they stretched in a smile.

“Y-- Yes.”

“Then cherish each and every single ounce of your body that fills that space today.”

Anna’s eyes closed and her tears fell, then she launched herself in Elsa’s arms for a tight hug. It was truly tight with her armor, but the blonde couldn’t care less. She closed her eyes as her little sister’s doubts faded away, and she could almost feel how lighter her soul was.

“Thank you so much, I… I…”

Anna had troubles breathing, and gasped over her shoulder.

“Hey, take your time. It’s okay.” Elsa said gently, rubbing the back of her hair.

Anna soon detached from the hug to rub her tears and sniff. “I should stop crying though, or this armor really will get rusty.”

Elsa smiled. The Queen stared at her resolutely.

“You know, you often say it for yourself, but I swear that I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“Nonsense. You rule a kingdom. And are the most admired monarch of Arendelle’s history.”

A silence passed, and they looked at each other with sighs, until Anna stopped sniffing. Elsa picked the iron piece from where she had left it.

“Now, can I please put your faulds on?”

“Yes.”

They kept going with smiles, continuing component after component.

“Can you promise me you won’t tell anyone about what just happened?”

Elsa smirked.

“Sure, don’t worry. I’ll take your secret to the greave.”

Anna stared at her sister, then down at the piece of armor she was holding around her leg, then stared at her again, and this time in a judging way.

“Was that a pun?”

Elsa wheezed, not able to retain herself. “It was a good one, admit it!”

“I can’t freaking believe that my sister just made a joke about a grave. Oh my gods. Hey, stop laughing. No, don’t fall to the floor. Elsa!! Put the greave back on my… Ugh. You’re impossible!!”

She grunted as she placed the piece herself, shaking her head at her elder’s giggles. With the shake, the gorget squeaked, which made Elsa howl with laughter even more. Actually, the blonde’s laugh was so contagious that Anna laughed as well.

“That really was an awful joke. I hereby declare, Queen Anna of Arendelle, that you are not allowed to enter the kingdom’s territory anymore. We don’t tolerate this bad humor.”

Elsa snorted. “Oh, come on. Everyone knows how acclaimed I am in Arendelle. People would riot if they don’t hear my stupid jokes from time to time.”

Anna sighed dramatically. “Granted.”

“You wouldn’t get rid of me that easily anyway.” Smirked Elsa.

Anna kept going on her drama.

“I know. That’s my burden. Being stuck with you as my sister for my whole life.”

She turned to the door when she heard Eydis come in the hut to pick her gauntlets.

“Eydis, could you come over here please?”

“Why?” Frowned the princess, wondering what her mother was talking about from behind the changing screen.

“Would you grab your mace and kill me? I can’t stand Elsa anymore.”

The girl knew her mother’s ramblings enough to understand that she was joking, and didn’t even lift her head from the gauntlets she was tying up at her wrists.

“Sure. Do you want to be knocked on the head or in the face?”

The sisters laughed.

“Gosh, she’s a future mercenary.” Chuckled Elsa.

“She’s actually aiming for ice harvester mixed with sailor.” Shrugged Anna.

Soon, they were finished. “Come on, let’s go outside so I can admire it in the sunlight.” Beamed the Snow Queen.

=======

“So now you’re the one in need of a tissue. Do you need one?” Grinned Anna. “We probably packed some.”

Elsa breathed in and out heavily as she blinked to chase her emotional tears.

“You just look… So great, in this, Anna. I’m…”

She let out a noise that was a mix of a gasp and a squeal. “I’m really proud of you.”

The Queen of Arendelle smiled widely at the compliment. “Thank you, sis.”

Anna’s armor was entirely polished with a matte golden color, and it made her look like a stunning legend. The absence of reflections gave her a serious aura and the detailed finishing touches showcased her. Each joint of the metal and seam of the reinforced garment were engraved and embroidered with ivy motives. On both of her shoulder pieces were drawn Arendelle crocuses, one in green and one in purple. Her plackart proudly displayed the kingdom’s flag, and it married perfectly with the gold color of the whole outfit.

Gods, was it hard for Elsa to not burst into tears at the whole sight.

She approached to wrap her arms around the redhead. It was rare that Elsa was the one to initiate embraces, so it meant a lot to Anna, and it warmed her heart.

When they finished hugging, Elsa held the face of her little sister in her hands, sniffing at her beauty. “You’ve become a wonderful woman, Anna. A passionate Queen, a devoted mother, and a hero with a heart of gold.”

The redhead snorted modestly. “You’ve only seen me in that armor for like, two minutes.”

Elsa shrugged. “And yet, I can attest you that you would look way better on a Joan of Arc style portrait than I’ll ever do.”

Her younger laughed. “This might be the best compliment in the world.”

“Looking really good, Anna!” Approved a voice behind them, and they turned to see Honeymaren with a thumb up.

Anna giggled and thanked her with a comical curtsey.

“I’ll join you in a moment, I’m gonna suit up too.” Informed the Northuldra.

“Okay.”

She disappeared in the armory hut, and the Snow Queen smiled when her eyes landed on the redhead again. “With Kristoff and Eydis, you three look absolutely amazing. This really looks like the Arendelle flag was brought to life.”

Anna smiled. “Let’s hope that it will fly forever, then.”

The exchanged a gaze, their eyes sparkling with emotion.

Elsa looked over to where Kristoff and Eydis had been standing, and the sisters spent a long time talking about the specificities of each. Kristoff’s one definitely was a mix of a knight armor and an ice harvester outfit, while Eydis’ one seemed like a miniature of her mother’s, but in silver. With her blonde hair, she was really pretty. All the armors, in their own way, demonstrated how talented Arendelle’s craftspeople were.

“I like how we got those armors made to measure.” Said Anna. “It allows easy movements, while it assures efficient protection.”

“Yeah, it’s…”

The blonde’s answer vanished in her throat. Elsa suddenly disconnected from reality as she stared behind Anna, but it was like she was staring at nothing. Or rather, at something divine.

“Hey, are you with me?” Said her sister, snapping her fingers in front of her eyes. “Did your brain fry in Ahtohallan or what?”

Elsa didn’t respond. With a frown, Anna turned around to follow her gaze, and when she saw Honeymaren step out of the hut, it was like the Forest itself had stopped its activity to stare in awe.

The brunette was wearing a traditional war outfit only wore by Northuldra leaders, and it suddenly became very clear to Anna why Elsa hadn’t been able to make words. Anyone had to admit that Honeymaren was giving a stunning impression with that attire. Anna’s jaw dropped when the brunette took a few steps outside and looked over the tribe with a stare that made her aura matching the one of a falcon, except that her eyes were filled with pride and care for her people. The redhead then realized that she was looking for Elsa among the crowd that was staring at her, and when she finally recognized the platinum blonde woman behind Anna, her satisfied smile went larger in a beam. She made her way to her, and the Queen wondered if Honeymaren was ready to see up close the ravenous look that Elsa was giving her, and if Elsa was strong enough to not faint right when the leader would be breathing near her.

With amusement, Anna’s eyes darted from one woman to the other, and it was certain now that Elsa had never seen Honeymaren wearing that outfit. Which made sense, given the current peaceful times.

It was a mix of a tunic and an armor made of hard leather. The latter fabric clearly had been reinforced with an unusual thickness that was reserved to battle gear, and Anna was impressed by the details that however had been drawn on it. How much time did the Northuldra have spent on this? It required a lot of expertise and talent for a tribe that only used manual tools. Several bands of lighter leather crossed Honeymaren’s torso and fell from her shoulders to land on her hips, both holding her weapons and assuring that the flexible armor would stay in place. A large band of thick leather crossed the leader’s belly and juxtaposed her traditional belt, to which was still attached her usual dagger. Beautiful darker pieces were covering her forearms so she could easily protect herself from the blows, and Anna noticed the sames on her thighs and shins, tied above her tunic. Her left wrist was protected on the inside as well, the leather also serving as a guard to avoid any injury when archery is involved. The outfit was objectively magnificent with all its practical yet sophisticated pieces, all dyed with different natural colors that made it soar. Some were pitch black, others a deep brown interlaced with ochre bands - which highlighted her chestnut eyes - and others, especially her tunic, were bright beige.

Honeymaren had completed the outfit with her bow in her back and her quiver at her waist, and it looked like she was ready to slay. In fact, Anna was almost considering the idea to let her go to battle on her own and take care of everything. Who could stand up to her?

Elsa let out a noise when her wife arrived to her level, and it betrayed the fact that she had forgotten to breathe for a moment.

“H-- Hey-y… You.”

Both Anna and Honeymaren bit their lips to hide their giggle at Elsa’s rare fluster. For a very articulate person, she seemed to have lost all her vocabulary.

“H-Honey…”

She tried to say a full sentence, but was simply unable to.

Bruni trotted nearby and squeaked, and Anna smirked. Was it to admire the Northuldra leader and compliment her outfit, or to check that the Fifth Spirit wasn’t on fire?

“Are you okay?” Grinned Honeymaren, teasing, though a bit concerned. Now wasn’t the time for Elsa to faint again.

“I-- I’m beautiful. I mean… I’m not... I’m super-- I’m great.”

Anna giggled, but she managed to hide it behind her palm. Elsa was too busy staring deeply at her lover to even notice it.

“Breathe, love.” Smiled Honeymaren, passing her hand along the blonde’s cheek.

One could think that this would make her arousal even deeper, but the brunette actually succeeded in taking Elsa out of her transe. She gulped as she retrieved her normal behavior.

“Yeah, uhm… Uh… Let’s get ready, shall we?”

She coughed and turned around, inviting the others to follow her.

“Auntie, what will you wear for battle?” Inquired Eydis, running a bit to go walk next to her, her mace bouncing on her shoulder.

Her little eyes were sparkling as she imagined the most amazing armor possible. Elsa recovered from her fluster and looked at her niece with a smirk.

“Why, my work outfit of course.”

As she walked, and there was no need for her to stop nor slow down, she flicked her wrists up in unison. Gusts and twirls of glittering magic appeared from her palms and went in two ways. One move went down from her wrists and added layers of protection to the casual white tunic she had been wearing. The other move went up like embers of ice that floated in the air, which then deposited on her bright white outfit like petals. The magical dust formed new shapes on her shoulders, knees, chest, belly, hips and shins, creating the most perfect ice armor. It couldn’t be more custom-made, and it obeyed each and every motion she made, being comfortable and ergonomic. It also was incredibly beautiful with its breathtaking details and decorations, once again reminding the four other Spirits. Most of the parts were diamond-shaped. Despite the whole piece of art it made, its transparency didn’t fool anyone; the armor was sturdy, if not more than regular ones. Elsa admired her own work.

“...With a few additions, I’ll admit.” She smiled.

Honeymaren’s chestnut eyes got lost at the sight, having not missed any of the show while she walked on Elsa’s other side. That was, for the lack of any other word, a divine transformation. Her eyes filled with tears. Were they due to emotion or because the outfit was bright white and gave the feeling to stare at the full Moon herself? She blinked to dissimulate them.

“Not very stealthy, but I guess what we’ll have to deal with it.” Shrugged Honeymaren, to joke about it and switch her mood.

She giggled when she received a white-covered elbow nudging her ribs.

Elsa shook her head, then looked at the horizon. Her gaze now was more focused than ever.

“Okay, Victor. You wanted to face me? I’m not alone anymore. Here we come.”

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nie7027 · 4 years

Text

I finally watched Adventure in the elements AND IT GAVE ME SO MUCH TO THINK ABOUT

First from what we saw at Convention I thought Lilith was going to be Amitys mentor and and the one to teach her spells BUT NO

Amity learns her new spells from her older brother and sister! Which i love so much! Specially because it looks like they do this regularly and from that montage of them training ot looks like they have a lot of fun.

And while the former option would have been cool and expected as a clear parallel to Eda and Luz this one is cute and I prefer it because it gives us an insight to the relationship between the Blight siblings

AND THEY LOVE THEIR LITTLE SISTER SO MUCH AND SHE LOVES HER ANNOYING LITTLE SHIT OF BROTHER AND SISTER

even though they still enjoy ruining her life and sometimes go way too far as we saw from the Library episode but when i watched that I thought they were going to have an strained relationship where the twins were going to be the cool and mean teens that dont actually care that much for Amity and would ignore her and her needs and shrug away everytime they hurt her as Amity being a baby or just plain dont realize what they are doing BUT NO

They love their baby sister, and they look after her and are apologetic for what happened at the library even if ts in their own older annoying sib way!

They care for her more than they let on...actualy they show it a lot but it just gets overshadowed by their messing around.

They take her to train to the most magical place in the boiling islands because they know serious Amity takes magic.

They jump to the front to protect her(and Luz) the moment danger comes up

They love Luz and get happy whenever Amity and her get close even if they cant help but tease her (they probably are realizing Amitys crush on Luz even before she does)

I havent watched Understanding Willow but i saw the spoilers about what Amitys parents make her do which in turn puts the twins comment about Amity finally having a cool friend in a new light! Because! they didnt just said it to annoy Amity but they are actually happy Amity is befriending Luz because this means she is starting to rebel her parents!

It isnt far to believe their parents imposed their strict control over the twins too amd whether they meld to it or not is yet to see because while they dont seem to be the proper and correct witches their parents want they domt hang with anybody but themselves either.

This episode gave us an insight into the twins different personalities too instead of just seeming they are the same.

Edric is the most irresponsible and inmature from the two more prone to goofing around and try new things(trying out Edas methods) while Emira seems to be more strict controlled and meaner deeming new stuff as just goofing around and when push comes to shove she acts like the oldest taking the reins

During training she was doing attacks pushing amity into defense while edric was more likely playing with her, she made dinner and scolded Edric whenever he was messing around and she was the one to talk Amity into doing the new spell while Edric was the first to mess with her whenver Amitry dropped her guard.

It seems like out of them Emira was the most influenced by their parents ...

...which we know is wrong and is another way the show has to open discussiom amd criticize the witches way.

All we know from magic and its origins we have learned from Luz.

The witches, even Eda, didnt know they were using glyps whenever they used magic. They just think they are making their circles in a special way. And if they didnt know about the glyphs they certainly didnt know they can be found in nature and that magic is a gift from the island as Luz and the first witches, which this episode strongly suggests, knew which means...modern magic or they witches see it is a corrupted form and Luz is here to correct it.

This is even more stronly suggested with Amitys training wand.

Amity depends on a faulty wand to learn new trickes and use her magic and when the battery dies she is left useless which she shouldnt be because Luz never need it to learn new spells amd i think this speaks a lot of how they use magic.

It seems like for witches society magic is a limited source that can be emptied while for Luz it is infinite.

And one would wonder why? Why the sole fact that Luz uses glyphs changes this?

Easy.

Whenever Luz uses magic she is using it from an outside source. She is taking from her surroundings and using them for her magic.

Whereas witches use themselves as the source amd belive magics comes from within (the magic glandule eda spoke about)

And yeah people probably have magic inside amd it would make sense to use it instead, right?

At first one would even think it is more poweful that way but the truth is it is not.

Becase a person is a limited source that will eventually dry themselves if they are not careful

Whereas Luz wont have this problem. Because magic is a gift from nature.

And here is where the corrupted view the wirches society have come into play.

Because Luz ways is harder, its more difficult. It involves looking outside and hearing what nature has to say and listening and trusting in something outside yourself.

Whereas the way witches are doing it allows them to separate themselves, to think they are the ones in control. That it comes from the inside and they only have themselves.

In a wider way these distintcs approach eson magic can be viewed like an analogy for individualism vs community.

In a simpler way they can be viewed as an analogy on the discussion on creativity amd its origin.

People like to think creativity comes from the inside, talent they call it, and that only those who have it will rise to the top while all the others stay below

And this is bad and why a lot of artist end up burning out.

When creativity in reality comes from the outside and you get inspiration from observing your surruoundings and the stuff you experience.

Like magic. Like Luz does it.

And before i finish this i want to ask something because ok we settled witches have a corrupted view magic but Why is that?

Who would do that?

Who benefits from witches burning and drying themselves doing tasks they could easily do the other way?

Who sees the witches as simple pawns that exist merely to serve?

As soldiers that can be discarded?

Who is limiting the magic?

Eda already told us.

Basically Eda may had been the first to rebel the emperors system by refusing to join a coven and limiting her own magic and but Luz will be the one to dismantle the system by teachin the witches there are other ways

And here is where my other analogy of individualism vs community comes from.

#*mic drop*#the owl house #as i said this episode gave me a lot to think

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artificialqueens · 5 years

Text

taxidermy butterfly (raven x sharon) -lem0n_b0y

an- guess whos back back back again! It’s the long awaited knife play fic. ive worked real hard on this for about a month and a half so please enjoy. also little note , this isn’t a cheating fic. in the verse they are in for this fic, they are both in separate open and poly relationships. the reason why i wrote this was someone suggested they cross over and well it works out that manila would fuck alaska, sharon would fuck raven and raja and jinkx would just smoke weed together. so yeah!!! also check tags before reading!!!!

Thud-Thud-Thud.

Raven was beyond pissed with Sharon. She had continued to not take the hint to not stare at her girlfriend during their weekly hangouts. Raven held off on confronting her since everytime she wanted to the most, Manila was in the room. She’d be just harmlessly sitting on Sharon’s couch with her own girlfriend, just watching a movie together.

Tonight there wasnt anyone to get in the way of a confrontation. Sharon had stayed home while Alaska and Jinkx went to a bar with Raja and Manila. The only for the reason Raven didn’t all join them was to finally go give Sharon a piece of her mind.

Raven stands outside of Sharon’s front door, waiting patiently for a response of her onslaught of knocking. She wanted to make it clear that if she keep eyeing her girlfriend down that it won’t end pretty for her. With more knocking to no response, Raven groans. “Sharon! I know your home!” Seconds pass and no response. Knocking on the door harder at a repetitive pace, Sharon’s ability to ignore it until Raven persistance runs thin.

Sharon sits at her office desk, sorting through emails. With her hair tied up into a bun and her eyes with dark rings, she was physically tired. She had spent most of the day working away in her office. Hearing all the knocks get louder and faster, she slowly pushes herself back in her chair. “I swear to God this better be good.” Sharon stands from her desk, stretching her body out. Sure it was a good excuse for her to take a break but she knew that after stopping she won’t start back up. She sluggishly finds her way to the front door as it’s being assaulted with knocks. Each knock made Sharon’s head hurt a little more. Opening up the door, she is faced with the very unhappy Raven.

Raven wasn’t just unhappy. She was mad. Looking at the opened door, she crosses her arms. “Finally you decide to open up.” Her voice growls out. Sharon leans herself against the door frame. She taps her nails against her forearm as she eyes down the huffing Raven. “I was busy doing school work. I was hoping you’d give up, but now that you’ve annoyed me enough to answer the doooor..” Sharon steps from the doorway to allow Raven into her house.

Raven steps into the house and makes her way towards the small bar that sat inbetween the kitchen and living room. “Did you just come here to drink all my booze?” Sharon closes the front door and makes her way towards the dining room table. She takes a seat as Raven turns around from the bar with two drinks in hand. “No I actually came to talk to you about something important.” Her voice still sharp, she sets a glass of amber liquid in front of Sharon.

“What’s so important that you can’t just call me instead?” Sharon raises her brow as she sips from the glass she was given. She couldn’t take Raven seriously for some reason. Her huffing and puffing seamed so comical. It wasn’t the first time that Sharon had seen her so worked up, but in that moment she had once seen, Raven was screaming at someone in the club for attempting to drug Manilas drink.

Taking a sip from her own glass, Raven sets in back down onto the table. She taps her fingertips against sweating glass, looking Sharon in the eyes. “Well, I thought it would be good to address this in person. Manila told me yesterday that you were really eyeing her down while she came to visit Laska. Is that true?” Her eyebrows furrow together as she takes another sip of her drink to prevent herself from slipping out with a comment that isn’t needed. Sharon’s eyes widen before they squint with a small chuckle. “Oh she’s just dramatic. I was looking at her only a little bit. Shouldn’t send her over here in such a cute skirt if you didn’t want her to get looked at.”

“She’s allowed to wear what she wants, and I should trust you around my girlfriend. I would never look at Alaska the way you look at Manila.” Raven holds her glass tighter as Sharon props her head up with her hands, smiling at the annoyed Raven. She can’t help but admire how protective she gets over her partner. “Its not like I touched her or anything. Did she complain about it or did she tell you and start blushing the ways she does when you act rough with her? Because there’s a difference.”

“The difference isn’t the point. The point is to stop eyeing her down, especially when I’m not around.” Finishing her drink, Raven stands back up from the table to fill her glass once more, with Sharon following behind. “So what if I do it when you’re around? Gonna punch me and watch both of your girls get onto you?” Sharon teases as she takes wraps her fingers around one of Ravens loose curls. Raven quickly turns around to face the unphased Sharon. Her lips curled into a devilish smile, Sharon liked the look on Ravens face. The look of her about to snap. “Sharon, I’m being serious. Do not stare at my girlfriend. No matter what.” She places her full glass onto the counter of booze.

Raven taps her nails as she leans into the island, looking Sharon dead in the eyes. With not a peep coming from Sharon, who stood there with a smile still painted in her lips, Raven huffs. “Are you even listening?” Sharon nods, stepping closer. “Oh I’m all ears. It’s just cute seeing you so worked up from being scared.”

“What would I be scared of?”

“Scared that maybe my ‘wandering eyes’ could somehow steal your Manila away? Does that sound about right?” Sharon sticks her tough out playfully with a smile. Raven doesn’t like the playful attitude that Sharon has towards the serious situation. Raven steps forward as Sharon backs away. Each slow and quiet step backs the still cocky Sharon into the closest wall.

Raven slowly presses her hands onto her waist, pressing her into the wall roughly. She leans closer and looks Sharon dead in her eyes. Maybe it was the booze or the anger ticking in her, but Sharon looks into Ravens glazed over eyes with no fear. “So what are you going to do? Fuck me? Fuck me til you’re not mad anymore and go home to your girlfriend’s like you’re still not mad?”

“Your taunting doesn’t scare me Shar.” Raven says in a flat tone, grabbing into Sharon’s hips tighter. It was true, she isn’t scared of Sharon. Sharon was all bark and no bite, so Raven had no problem testing her limits.

Looking straight at annoyed but calm face, Sharon smiles slightly before pulling her closer by the belt loops and flipping both of their bodies to change positions. The quick and slick movement fully pushed Raven off her guard. With her own back against the wall now, Sharon places on hand onto her hip and one hand around her throat. She’s pinned in place like a taxidermy butterfly. “Let me go! You shithead!” Raven barks out and squirms about. She was not enjoying the spot she is stuck in.

“Not until I can make you scared of me.” Sharon chuckles as her grip around Ravens throat tightens. She liked seeing her glazed over eyes widen with the new pressure. “You’re not going to scare me.” Raven whispers, her eyebrows furrowed together with much annoyance.

Removing her hand that held down Ravens hip, Sharon digs into her pocket for something. The sounds of metal keys against something else that’s metal clangs in Ravens ears. She squirms her hips around to escape, but to no luck. Sharon wasn’t going to let her go that easy. Finally finding what she needed, Sharon pressed her leg between Ravens. “Are you sure about that?”

“You don’t scare me, Needles.”

Her rough around the edges voice was music to Sharon’s ears. With Ravens declaration, she takes the liberty to remove the metal device from her pocket and holding it up for Raven to see. It’s a simple, thick bladed pocket knife. Being shiny and looking to be new, Raven squirms back as the sight of the sharp blade. “So you’re not scared of me huh? You’re already squirming just looking at it.” She slowly drags it down Ravens exposed shoulder. The gentle touch of the blade has quickly changed the cocky and angry Ravens deminor.

“At least be careful, not to cut me.” Her voice was quiet as a mouse, to which Sharon didn’t like. “Are you afraid to get cut? I thought you’d be the miss big and bad who can handle being cut up..” Her voice trails off as she moves the blade to gentle trail down Ravens cheek. She bites her lip instantly as the sharp utinsel touchs her cheek. Trembling under the blade, Raven trys to hold herself together. “I’m- mnot afraid.”

Sharon taps the flat of the blade under Ravens chin, tilting her head up at the perfect angle to look her in the eyes. “If you’re not afraid, let’s have some fun. If I can’t even look at your little Manila, how about we have some private time, hm? I need to blow off some steam.” The cool metal moves forward slowly from Ravens chin to her vision. Looking at Sharon smiling while holding a knife didn’t seem like a nightmare to her. Sharon still had those tired eyes from studying all day and her hair just tied up messily. She may be acting like a psychopath in the moment but Raven knew she wouldn’t hurt her as much as it seemed to be boiling in the moment. Raven nods to the suggestion of blowing off steam with confidence. With Sharon’s guard down, Raven grabs a hold of her shirt and pushes her roughly away from her. The forceful motion brought back Sharon and before she could get her hold back around Ravens throat, she was being dragged into the nearest bedroom.

“Looks like someone’s confident, hm?” Sharon chuckles as she’s thrown onto the bed like a rag doll. Raven rolls her eyes and gets a handful of Sharon’s shirt, pulling her back up from the bed. “Not confident, just still mad.”

“Oh come on!! I just like to windowshop! I’m not actually trying to steal your girl, shes just pretty.” Sharon throws her head back with another dumb chuckle before Raven drops her body back onto the mattress. She follows behind, crawling on top of Sharon who smiles gingerly. Ravens blonde hair drapes down over their faces, inclosing the space. “Hell you look even more gorgeous up close.” The still smiling Sharon teases.

“Oh shut up.” Cupping Sharon’s face carefully, Raven presses her lips against hers. The kiss wasn’t sweet like the kisses that Sharon shares with her girlfriends. It was rough. She knew that there still that venom in everything that Raven does, since she’s clearly still annoyed with the wandering eyes Sharon has. Sharon kisses back at the same tempo as she grabs her by hips to tip her over. Last thing that was going to happen is Raven attempting to control the scene.

Being pushed onto her back in one movement was shocking to Raven, making the kiss break. She looks up at Sharon angrily. “You thought you’d be on top didn’t you?”

Sharon trails one of her hands up to her throat, holding Raven down into the bed with on hand. She lets out a growl while squirming her hips to get free. “I’m not bottoming for you. No way in hell.” The persistent attempts to break free didn’t work in Ravens favor. The metal blade returns from Sharon’s pocket. Dangling the blade in front of Ravens face, Sharon can’t help but chuckle at the look on Ravens face. “Are you sure about that?” The sight of the blade once again turns Ravens attitude around.

Dragging the blade down the front of her shirt, Sharon teases with pressure. So easily she could cut a hole into the shirt, all the way from her collar to her waist band. “Do you like this shirt? I hope not.”

With no room for an answer, the tip of the blade hooks under the collar of her plain black shirt, tugging downwards quickly. The first tear is made, enough to only need one more movement to tear the shirt in two. Ravens eyes widen before she bucks her body forward. “You fucking cunt!” Sharon draws the blade back to prevent any accidental cutting. Her eyes narrow as she tightens her semi loose grip around her throat, pressing her down into the pillow much harder. “Hold still.” The new pressure made Raven gasp out instantly.

Using the back end of the knife to move the torn fabric to the side, exposing Ravens bra and abdomen. Sharon’s eyes trail down her tan skin, smiling slightly. “You really are gorgeous. You’d look better dripping with blood.” The quiet words sent a sharp shiver down Ravens spine as she looks at the dark haired woman eyeing her down. The mixture of fear, anger and arousal was pumping through her veins for sure.

Sharon looks back into her eyes, cocking her head to the side. “How does that sound to you? Can you handle some cuts?” Raven furrows her brows together as if the answer was a given. “Of course I can.”

Leaning her head down, Sharon kisses her jawline to her ear. The back end of the knife slowly slides up and down Ravens ribs. The slight pressure brings Ravens body back out of nervousness. Sharon can feel Ravens skin crawl perfectly under her hand. It was the control she wanted. The small kisses hault as Sharon removes her hand from around her throat. “Don’t try anything.”

Sliding the hand from her throat to her waistband, Sharon unbutton her pants. She’s ready to tear them off along with Ravens shirt but she holds back. “Take your pants off. I’m not doing all the work.” She looks up at Raven who is still very annoyed. Obeying, Raven slides her pants off reluctantly. “If you’re in charge you should do the work.” Raven grumbles under her breath, leaning upwards. She eyes Sharon down, watching as her pelvis is pinned to the mattress with one hand. Her annoyed grumble leads Sharon to look her in the eyes as kneels between her thighs. “You want me to go rough on you or something?”

“No, I want you to just hurry up and fuck me or something.” She narrows her eyes, moving hair from in front of her face. Raven becoming impatient isn’t the best Raven to mess with. Sure she didn’t like to bottom but if she has to wait, she becomes ansty. Sharon isn’t afraid of how she’ll act, she is the one with a knife in her hand. Without a response, Sharon begins kissing her inner thighs slowly trailing to the outside of her panties. With just a kiss press against her, Raven bucks her hips forward with a deep whine.

Sharon pulls her face away quickly, looking up to see the annoyance on Ravens face. The knife makes it way to her thigh, the tip dragging down slowly. Holding Ravens hips down with her free hand, she gentle presses the blade into her skin. A gasp is released from Raven as she lays her head back down. In the moment, she realizes that she’s at no control. The blade slowly breaks the skin, not deep enough to cause much harm but draws blood. Droplets of blood raise from the wound and drip to her inner thighs. Sharon kisses up the trail of crimson, licking her lips. “You taste pretty good Rav. Can you handle more?” The taunting question brings Ravens hips up uncontrollably. They are pressed back down into the matteress.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” Sharon proceeds to make two more small cuts onto her right thigh, warm blood trickles down her skin as it’s kissed away. Each small gash gives Raven shudders down her body. The sharp pain with the gentle kissing drives her insane. Lifting herself up to look at Sharon, she sees all the blood. “Can you please- please fuck me.”

“Will you keep your hips still? If not I’ll keep cutting.”

“I’ll keep still.”

Sharon placed the knife onto the bed as she trails bites onto Ravens thighs. She’s barely able to keep her body still as with every small nip brings Ravens closer to saying 'fuck it’ and begging to get fucked. Her lips return to the outside of her underwear, with sloppy kissing. Being held down was the only thing keeping Raven still. Sharon trails her tounge painfully slow up the front of her panties, resulting in a buck of the hips thats strong enough for Sharon to really feel.

She quietly grabs the knife and hooks it under the underwear. Sharon quickly cuts the fabric off of her. “I said stay still.”

The cold blade finds its way to Ravens left thigh, leaving cut after cut. The blood drips down once more but Sharon wipes it up with her fingers. Crawling back on top of the heavy breathing woman, Sharon taunts the blood in her face. She smears it down the side of her cheek, to her lips. Ravens eyes open at the feeling of the warm liquid on her face. She licks her iron coated lips and grins up at Sharon who dangled above her. The hand that held her down slides between her thighs, pressing into her clit. “Fucking finally!” Ravens head throws back as she is finally greeted with some sort of pleasure. Sharon’s fingers explore her skin, making her jerk and squirm around.

She returns to between her legs as her fingers begin to slip into Raven. Her hips instantly buck towards Sharon. “What did I tell you? Don’t buck.” Another cut is brought to her thigh as the finger movements quicken. The bucking becomes uncontrollable as well as the low moans and loud cursing come from Raven. The onslaught of rough fingering and being cut open feels too good. Sharon licks and kisses up the blood before moving back on top of Raven. She grabs her face with a bloody hand and kisses her with intensity, making sure she tastes herself. The rough biting of lips brings more blood into their mouths, along with more groans of pleasure. Sharon pulls away with a hand still holding Ravens face as her own fingers bullet inside of her.

“Fu-FUCK!” Ravens eyes squint shut as she approaches her finish. As she does so, the fingers slow down. Sliding back to between her thighs, Sharon kisses her clit, slowly grinding her tounge against it while her fingers lazily pump inside of her. The bucking hips turn into grinding, soaking up all the blissful friction. The roughness of the moans fade into quiet whines and gasps. Sharon’s eyes open to see Raven covering her face, with her back arched. Smiling against her, she feels bad for making her wait so long to finish. Maybe it’s how soft she had gotten from not being able to cum.

Sharon’s fingers return to their quick pace, luring her over the edge. She moves her head away from her clit, kissing and lapping up the trickles of blood still flowing. Ravens body begins to shake as her climax peaks. Letting out once last curse, her body goes limp like a rag doll.

Slipping her fingers out, coated in cum, Sharon crawls back on top of her. “Open up.” She smiles as she watches the exhausted blonde do so. Placing her fingers into her mouth, Ravens eyes open as she sucks on them. “You’re so pretty.” The gentlest voice filling the space between them. She removes her fingers and grins. “Need some band-aids?”

After much coaxing of getting out of bed, Raven sits a top the kitchen counter. Sharon digs through drawers to find some sort of first aid. The cuts have stopped bleeding, but still needed to be covered. Taking a sip of her glass of rum, Raven sighs. “You’re not half bad. I expected you to chicken out and go easy on me but you didn’t.”

“Why would I? I knew you, of all people, could handle it.” Sharon responses while looking through a cabinet over the sink. Standing on her tippy toes she grabs a box. “Ah-Ha! Band-aids!” She turns around with with box in hand. Stepping closer she begins opening band-aid after band-aid, covering all of the wounds she caused. Raven watches as she does so, smiling as she finished her glass. “Thank you.”

With all cuts covered, Raven jumps down from the counter, looking at her naked self. “Also, you owe me a new shirt and panties.”

“I know, I know. Come and you can borrow some til I take you shopping for a new outfit. My treat?”

“Sounds perfect to me.”

#rpdr fanfiction #sharon needles #raven #raven x sharon #tw knives #tw blood #tw knife play #tw blood play #smut #angst #rare pair #lem0nb0y #lesbian au

27 notes · View notes

everything-person · 5 years

Text

Not All Talk part 2

Summary: Best friends plan their lives together from time to time. It’s all pretend, just for fun. Until its not.

You can read the first part here.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

Emma dropped the last box on the floor. She stretched her aching muscles before collapsing on the couch letting her legs dangle over the arms.

"We still have unpacking to do, love." Killian leaned over the back of the couch, looking down on his best friend.

"We can do that tomorrow," she replied with out even opening her eyes.

"Then we have to at least organize the furniture."

"Let's do it tomorrow."

"Is tomorrow going to be your answer for everything?"

"Ask me tomorrow."

Killian let out a huff before rounding the couch and plopping down next to her head. He looked around the space. It was small place but it was theirs. "We finally did it. We moved out and got an apartment. We are now roommates."

"Yup. And I say as our first day in our apartment we have done enough work and should take the rest of the day enjoying our place."

Killian smiled. "There's a sandwich shop down the street. How about we grab lunch?"

"That sound great," Emma replied sitting up.

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

"Swan!"

Emma looked up from the book, she's been trying to study. She heard footsteps coming her way before Killian opened her door leaning on her doorway. "I thought you were going to do the dishes today?"

"Oh yeah. Sorry. I'll do them tomorrow."

"You said that yesterday, love."

"I'm sorry. My classes have been picking up and work is crazy-"

"Forget it lass. It's okay." Killian left closing the door without looking at her.

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"Killian!"

Killian heard his name over the sound of gunfire coming from the tv. He averted his gaze from his show to see Emma emerge from her bedroom and make the short walk to the living room. Pausing his show he asked, "Swan?"

"Can you keep it down?"

Killian raised a questioning eyebrow at this. He didn't think it was that loud.

"Come on, Jones. I'm trying to take a nap before my shift. You don't need the volume on 40."

"Lass I only have it to 25. If I turn it down I won't be able to hear them talking."

"Can't you watch it later then?"

"I'm in the middle of an episode. Let me finish this then I'll turn it off."

"Fine," Emma huffed returning to her room. Killian didn't turn it off after one episode.

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"SWAN!"

Emma nearly dropped her laptop on the floor at the sound of her name. She looked up to find a wet Killian standing at the entrance of the hallway wearing nothing but a towel clutched around his hips. "What the hell Killian?"

"Did you by any chance take a shower today?"

Emma's face scrunched up in confusion. "Yeah. I took a shower."

"You couldn't be bothered to inform me you used all the hot water. Again."

"How was I suppose to know? The water was still warm when I got out."

Killian looked like he was going to say more but stoped himself. He let out an aggravated sigh while pinching the bridge of his nose. Dropping his hand he looked back at her, "How about just warn me everytime you take a shower?"

With that he went back to the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.

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

"JONES!!"

His head snapped up from the book he was reading at the sound of his name. Only a fews seconds later Emma burst in the door.

"Where did you put the mail that was on the counter?"

"I put it in the bin. It was all junk mail."

"My check was in that pile," Emma screeched.

Killians eyes widen slightly, realizing his mistake. "Oh."

"Stop cleaning shit up! This is like the fifth thing of mine you've 'cleaned up' and has been thrown away or just disappeared."

"Swan it's just in the recycling."

"That's not the point." Emma left the room slamming the door.

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"SWAN!"

Emma jolted awake. Her heart racing at the sudden wake up call. Once she heard her bedroom door slamming open she sat up, turning toward her roommate.

"Did you eat the rest of the fish Nemo brought over?"

"What?"

"Did you eat the fish Nemo brought over?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I was planning on eating that. I've been looking forward to it all day."

"I'm... sorry?"

"Ha I've heard that one before."

"What do you want from me? I ate it, it's gone."

"Next time ask. Or at the very least warn me that my food is gone."

Emma rolled her eye and turned over laying back down with her back to him. She heard him huff before closing the door leaving her room.

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"We barely see each other. Killian is always either working at the docks or at the bar. I'm at class or working. But when we are home together one of us is mad at the other. All we do is fight." Emma explained to her adoptive mom. Ruth placed a mug of hot chocolate with cinnamon in front of her while she herself enjoyed a cup of tea. "Oh and he has this mysterious girlfriend, he refuses to talk about."

"It's only been a couple months, Honey. Give it time. You two are still learning how to live with each other," Ruth calmly said, deciding to ignore that last comment.

"We have been talking about living together forever and known each other for longer. You'd think we know how irratating the other was by now."

"Emma." Ruth didn't say anything until Emma looked up at her, "Talking is the easy part, doing is a whole different thing. Killian is still the same boy you knew before but now you're just seeing a different side. Now it might not be one you always agree with but you have to decide can you live with it."

Emma knew she was right, but she didn't know what to say. Thankfully Ruth changed subjects, "so tell me about this Graham fellow."

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Killian offered to help Nemo on his boat, they were well away from the shore when Nemo asked about Emma. Killian was in the midst of airing his grievances to his uncle when he was cut off. "Killian you need to calm down and take a step back. This is Emma you're talking about."

"Aye and she right infuriating lass. She's so damn stubborn and nonchalant-"

"And she was like that before you decided to move in together," Nemo said cutting him off again.

Killian stopped at that. He knew that but roommates was so different then just being friends. It was a change Killian wasn't prepared for.

Nemo came up to him and clapped a hand on his shoulder. "I know it's been difficult. But you have to ask yourself, what is important? Living shipshape or living with Emma?"

When Killian didn't answer Nemo changed subjects, "Come on let's get back to shore."

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

Killian was walking back to the apartment in deep thought. He thought about what Nemo said and he thought of all the arguments he and Emma had. They definitely needed to talk.

He unlocked the door hoping to find Emma home so they could try to work somethings out. But when he opened the he found more than what he was hoping for. Emma was sitting on the couch with a towel bundled up in her lap and if he looked close enough he swore he saw the towel breathing.

Emma looked up at him giving him a soft smile. "Hey," she all but whispered.

"Hey." He pointed to the towel. "What's that love?" Almost as soon as he asked a soft 'mew' was heard come from the towel. Killian walked over, leaning in to see a tiny kittens face poke out of the towel.

"I found him when I took out the garbage. I heard him crying, I thought he was hurt but when I found him and crouched down he came right up to me and started licking my fingers and head butting my hand. I looked for mom or any signs of other kittens but I couldn't find any. I brought him in and cleaned him up in the sink. I was drying him off when he fell asleep," Emma explained.

Killian couldn't take his eyes off the little creature. He couldn't have been more then two, maybe three weeks old. "Have you fed him yet?" When Emma shook her head he got up and went to the cupboard. He found a can of tuna, opening it up he dumped it on a plate mushing it up a bit more before placing it on the island separating the kitchen and the living room.

"Put him up here, love." Emma picked up the towel with the kitten inside carrying him the short distance to the island. Once placed up there she freed him from fabric. Seeing the food the small animal walked on wobbly legs slowly making its way. When he was close enough he layed down again half on the plate half off. They watched as his little tongue licked at the food occasionally taking a bit of food in his mouth.

Killian spoke first, "we should take him to the animal shelter in the morning they have a vet that can look him over and proper food for him."

Emma just nodded in response. She didn't dare take her eyes off the poor little creature. But Killians next question made her.

"We should decide if we are going to keep him or not before we do."

Emma darted from her friend to the fuzzy creature on the island between them back to her friend. "Well, he isn't the fox we agreed on but he's awfully cute. I'm okay if he stays."

"I thought 'cats were mean'." Killian threw her words back at her with a smirk never leaving his face.

"He's not a cat. He's a kitten," she said matter of factly reaching forward scratching the kittens head lightly.

"He's going to need a name. If it even is in fact a he."

"How about Todd or Foxy if he turns out to be a she," Emma offered. Killians smile was his only answer.

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

The next day while Todd was getting checked out the roommates had a talk. They told each other what bothers each other, little pet peeves the other does. They made a set of rules and both agreed to try harder at living together. As days turned to weeks and weeks turned to a month things got better. Besides Todd growing, nothing eventful happened.

Until one night Killian came home drunk. Emma was mindlessly watching tv when he stumbled through the front door. That was the night he told her about Milah. His mysterious girlfriend was apparently a married woman who visited him at the bar. That night she came to the bar ending whatever relationship they had. “The whole thing was ridiculous really,” he said when finished.

Emma stared at her friend for a moment as the sat on their couch. She was facing him her legs tucked under her with her arm leaning in the back of the couch supporting her head. “Thats not ridiculous. You want to hear ridiculous?” Emma went on to tell him all that conspired between her and Graham. How she encouraged him to leave his abusive girlfriend. When he did and came to her, she got scared and ran away.

“Seems as if we have drifted quiet bit lass.”

“Yeah. We have.”

“Well thats going to change. Every... What day is it?”

“Sunday.”

“Right. Every Sunday, I say we order in and have a movie night. Just roomates. What do you say love?”

“I say the sandwich shop is open 24/7.”

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

It was one such movie night when it happened. They were all sitting on the couch. Todd in Emmas lap, Emma leaning into Killian with her head on his shoulder. The movie playing was some ridiculous rom com, both of them too comfortable to be bothered to grab the remote and change it.

“What kind of date would you take me on?” Emma asked suddenly.

“What?”

“What kind of date would you take me on? We always talked about our kids, and we planned our wedding. We even made up our Disney themed apartment. But you never told me what kind of dates we would go on.”

Killian thought for a moment before he answered, “Our first date I would take you to a nice restraunt. Then I think a nice walk by the water, maybe even taking you out on Nemo’s boat. How does that sound?”

Emma lifted her head to look at him, “That sounds nice.”

Killian looked at his roommate, his best friend. Looking into her shining green eyes he realized he never wanted anything more than to take her out for dinner as more than friends. He was silently hoping maybe she would want the same when Emma spoke up.

“I would picked have you.”

“I would have chased after you”

Emma leaned forward pressing her lips against his. He kissed her back. When they broke apart she said “what would our second date look like?”

Killian smiled and replied, “That is a surprise.” Before kissing her again.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

And thats all she wrote. Hope this is a decent “sequel” there will be a third part to this story. Also this second part is dedicated to @superchocovian hope you enjoy.

#ouat #once upon a time #not all talk #captain swan #captain swan au #cs fanfics #cs au #cs ff #cs fics #killian jones #emma swan #ouat fic #ouat fanfiction #ouat fanfic

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marvelsuperfangirl · 6 years

Text

Peter’s Babygirl ( Peter Parker x Reader)

A/N: A little something with Peter since it’s been a while I haven’t written something about him. Enjoy :)

Words: 1697

Your latest mission didn't exactly went as planned. You and the team were supposed to go to a H.Y.D.R.A base some states away and kill everyone and maybe rescue the people the organizations captured if there was some. Everything went smoothly until you were trapped between two H.Y.D.R.A agents, the one who faced you walked toward you and you stepped back instantly, as a reflex. But the one who was behind you grabbed you and you couldn't move anymore, the first continued to get closer to you and took out a serynge from his coat pocket. You tried again to get free, unsure of what they wanted to do to you, but the second agent was too strong for you to escape his grip. The first, planted the needle into your skin et you squeak at the feeling of the needle penetrating your body. They both released you and the team came in to the room and managed to kill the agents before they could try anything else.

You were feeling dizzy and managed to grabbed Natasha's arm as she passed by you before fainting, and luckily, she caught you before you could collapse on the floor.

When you got back to the compound you got carried to the medical aisle and were examined by Bruce who said that H.Y.D.R.A injected you some kind of product but he didn't know what its effect was. You didn't wake up the whole time and Bruce said that you were fine and that nothing proved that you were in danger so you got carried to your bedroom for the night.

The next day, Wanda came to check on you and was surprised of what she discovered. She walked back to the common room and called the team to assemble.

When they all turned to her, their eyes widened.

Wanda was holding a child that ressembled Y/N a lot and that was approximatively 5 years old.

" Is this Y/N?" Tony asked

" I think so, I found her in her bed. I think it's what H.Y.D.R.A injected her."

" Now we have a baby Avenger to take care of" sighed Sam

Steve walked to Wanda and bend over a little so he was at eye level with you.

" Hello, Y/N" he said

You just looked at him with wide eyes but didn't answer

Then Tony walked over and pushed Steve aside

" Let me try, you're lame with children" he said with a smirk

" Hey, baby, aren't you cute?" Tony asked in a ridiculously high voice

You looked at him then frowned. You make grabby hands toward Tony and he came closer so you could touch him. He was surely waiting for a kiss or a hug but he only received a small slap from Y/N

The team laughed and Tony backed off, slightly offended.

" What were you saying, Tony?" Clint asked between laughter.

" We have to call Peter" Tony said " They're really close, he will know what to do"

Tony called Peter and asked him to come to the compound because there was an emergency that required the talents of the mighty Spider-man.

Peter jumped into his suit and webbed through the city and then ran to the compound th rest of the way. When he arrived he literally sprinted into the building and arrived at the common room, panting.

" Mister Stark, I'm here, what's wrong?!" he asked taking off his mask

The team was assembled around the couches and they all turned to the sound of Peter's voice, Tony got up and walked to him.

" Ah, Peter, you're here. We handled the mission but now it's your turn"

A wide smile made its way onto Peter's face.

He gestured to the others and the young Avenger walked to them as they break apart letting him access to the couch where Y/N was sitting sipping on a small box of juice.

They were all looking at him and he looked back at Tony

" I don't understand.." Peter said depicted

" Yesterday we were on a mission that didn't go exactly as planned. H.Y.D.R.A injected something in her and she woke up like this, this morning." He gestured to the little girl sitting on the couch. " And since you're really close to each other we thought that you could take care of he for the day"

All the Avengers walked out of the room in case Peter refused and they had to take care of her instead of him and giving up on their plan for the day.

Peter sigh and walked back to the couch and sat next to Y/N.

" Hey " he said

The little girl turned to him and smiled wide.

"Peter!!!" she screamed and jumped on him.

She sended her juice box flying away as she got on Peter's lap and throwed her arms around his neck. The juice box ended on the couch and ts content strained Tony's expensive leather couch.

" Y/N" Tony screamed " Do you know how much I payed for this" he gestured to the couch

You looked at Tony with glossy eyes and buried her face into Peter's neck, hugging him tighter.

" Don't scream at her!" Peter snapped at Tony

He hugged Y/N back and kissed her head, he rubbed her back southingly to calm her.

Tony was looking at the scene in front of him and shook his head.

" Guess who's gonna buy another couch..."

While Tony was mourning his couch the teenager was still embracing the little girl that was his best friend.

When you finally calmed down you pulled away from Peter and hopped off his lap and on the floor. You gestured for him to follow you and you waddled up in the direction of the kitchen. Peter chuckled at the sight and folowed you. You were standing in front of the fridge and looking at the young man with pleading eyes.

" Are you hungry?" Peter asked

You nodded eagerly and Peter made his way to the fridge and open it.

" What do you want to eat?"

You pushed on your tiptoes to look at the food, Peter saw you struggling and picked you up in his arms, settling your on his hip.

" Better?"

You smiled at him in response and he press a light kiss to your head.

Peter collected some ingredients and close the door of the fridge

" What about a sandwich? " he asked, setting the food on the counter

You let out a smile " ok" and Peter set you on one of the stool, in front of the kitchen island before getting to work on your meal.

Once Peter finished your sandwich he gave it to you and you devoured it like you haven't eaten in days. Peter chuckled and started to make himself a sandwich while you were watching him intensely.

The young man felt you staring at him and turn to you. You blushed and try to look innocent and turning to another direction.

" You have a little something on your cheek " Peter said, reaching his hand to you.

He wiped a piece of sandwich that stuck to your skin.

If it was possible your cheeks turned at least two shades darker and you looked down, not feelign brave enough to look at Peter.

The young man started to eat his own food and you threw him glances from time to time, looking down immediatly everytime he caught you. When he finished his meal he got up and walked to you. He picked you up by the waist , setting you against his chest and you balled his shirt in your tiny fist to feel more secure in his gasp before he walked back to the living room.

He sat on one of the couch, with you still in his arms, he put you on his lap and you rest your head on his chest. He put one of his hand on your head and stroked your hair gently.

" You know, you aren't that bad as a child. Maybe you could stay like this for a while" he state adding a smile chuckle.

You groan and bury your face into his shirt, you feel him move a little and he hugged you tighter.

" I'm kidding, who will save my ass on mission if you aren't there? "

He kissed the top of your head.

" Who will help me prank the members of the team?"

Another kiss

" Who will be my partner in fangirling?"

Another kiss.

" And who will I cuddle with if you don't come back to your normal self?" he finished giving you another peck on the forehead.

You could feel you, now, tiny cheeks heat up from all the compliments he was giving you. You tried to burt yourself even further into him so he wouldn’t notice, but unfortunately for you, despite being only 16 years old, he was a smart ass.

His hand went up to your hair and he started stroking your head gently, while he cheek went to rest on top of your head. It was unuasual to receive so much affection from Peter, not that he wasn’t affectuous with you but the kisses and hugs never really had a place your relationship.

Your tiny hands were gripping the material of his shirt, like you were tightly holding on something to save yourself. With you eyes as equally tight as your hold on him, you wished you could get out of this embarrassing situation. But to add to the shame there was still a few butterflies hitting the insides of your stomach, clearly saying that you were kind of enjoying the position you were currently in.

“It doesn’t matter what size you are, you’ll still be my babygirl” he whispred

The butterflies instantly went wild and felt like you would explode at any instant.

In this instant you couldn’t care less about being turned back into your real self, everything you needed to know was that Peter cared for you. You were his babygirl and you couldn’t be happier.

#marvel #peter parker #spiderman #peter parker imagine #peter parker x reader #marvel imagine #avengers #avengers infinity war #avengers 4

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jannieka394 · 6 years

Text

~see you in my dreams~

Pairing: gilbert blythe x fem!reader

Warnings: fluff, bad writing

Summary: you have a dream about a boy named gilbert blythe. You brush it off as just a dream. You and your parents are moving to avonlea where you soon become friends with Diana. On your first day of school you notice something. Gilbert blythe is there.

Notes:

•I'm dutch, so I'm very sorry if I make any mistakes. Feel free to send me a message to point out my mistakes!

•this is my first imagine ever! So if you have any writing tips for me I would be happy to hear them!

• diana barrys mother didn't seem to have a first name. At least, I couldn't find it, so I called her Claire.

Meanings:

▪ (y/n) = your name

▪ (l/n) = last name

▪ (h/t) = home town

▪ (m/n) = mothers name

▪ (d/n) = dads name

▪ (y/a) = your age

▪ (e/c) = eye colour

▪ (h/c) = hair colour

[your pov]

* Dream*

i was at an unknown house, lying on the couch in front of the fireplace. but i wasn’t alone. i was lying in the arms of a boy. a name popped up in my head.

“Gilbert Blythe”

he was so handsome, the way he looked at me with those gorgeous hazel eyes. freckles dusted on the bridge of his nose and cheeks. i felt safe, loved. it all felt so real, i wanted to stay this way forever.

but then i woke up

*end of dream*

“(y/n) get up! our train leaves in an hour!” my mom called. we were moving from (h/t) to an Island in canada called prince edward Island. to a place called avonlea. i was so excited, yet nervous.

i quickly got dressed and ate breakfast with my parents. “aren't you excited (y/n)?” asked my dad. he and my mom waiting for my answer with huge grins on my faces. “very, i'm kinda scared though. what if the other kids don't like me?” “everything will be fine dear.” my mom said. “they'll adore you.” my dad added. after breakfast, we packed our last belongings and headed off.

*time skip*

we stepped on the train with our many suitcases. the wagons where very small, and so were the seats. luckily my parents offered me the window seat. this was going to be a long ride.

after the train arrived there stood a carrige waiting for us. it was mrs.Barry an old friend of my mother. “good day, (m/n), (f/n), (y/n).” “good day claire, thank you for being willing to ride us to our new home” said my mom. we put our suitcases in the back of the carridge and rode off.

after a short ride, we finally approached the house. it looked very cosy. and i couldn't wait to go inside. it was mainly made out of wood, and it looked quite new.

we thanked mrs.barry, and she told us that she'd come and visit with her husband and two daughters that very evening.

the house was just as cozy and beautiful from the inside as it was on the outside. but then i noticed something peculiar. there was a familiar couch in front of a fireplace in the living room.

they were from my dream.

all of a sudden a name and face popped up in my head again. it was that boy. “Gilbert Blythe”

my parents showed me wich room would be mine. so i immediately started unpacking. i didn't have much belongings since we had to sell a lot of stuff to make the moving possible. so i finished unpacking rather quickly.

after all the unpacking was done. my mother came with the idea to go and purchase the stuff i needed for school, so i could start as soon as possible. we bought the books i needed, and a new slate. after buying everything me and my mom went to a café to drink some coffee. we also brought some cookies to celebrate our new home.

it was getting late, mother cooked diner, father was chopping some wood for the fireplace while i set the table. we got some potatoes, vegetables and chicken. we also talked about current events. when we finished eating i helped mother do the dishes.

there was a knock on the door. it were mr. and mrs. Barry with their two daughters. Minnie May and Diana. Diana looked about my age. a few years younger maybe. we drank tea and ate the cookies me and my mother got from the bakery. while Diana told me everything i needed to know about school, mr.Philips and the other students. we quickly became great friends. i'm glad me and Diana get along. now i know at least one person, and won't be completely alone at school. after some time, the Barrys left. and i headed to bed.

*next morning*

i didn't sleep much last night. there's just so much going on. i'm also quite nervous for school. i fot dressed and did my hair. i ran downstairs and ate some breakfast with my mom, while my dad was still asleep. “are you nervous?” she asked. “i am. i'm still excited though. hopefully i'll make some new friends!” after we were done eating i grabbed my school supplies. my mom gave me the directions and i headed off. luckily we lived near the school, so it was only a 10 minute walk. the closer i got to the building the more nervous i became. “calm down (y/n). everything will be fine” i muttered to myself.

i opened the door just on time for the lesson. everyone was already in their seats, and they all stared at me. i looked around and spotted Diana. she was sitting next to another girl with red hair. but i also noticed someone else. Gilbert Blythe. i stared at him in shock as he stared back looking shocked and confused as well. “stop having a staring contest, take a seat and introduce yourself” mr.Philips barked. i sat next to a blonde girl who seemed to be staring at our teacher in an odd manner. “i'm (y/n) (l/n), i'm from (h/t) and i'm (y/a) years old.” i introduced myself and nervously sat back down in my seat.

time was going by rather slowly. and i couldn't pay attention to the actual lesson. i kept thinking about him. Gilbert Blythe, the boy from my dream. i glanced over to him and noticed he was already staring at me. with an expression of confusion and wonder? his hand mindlessly playing with the apple on his desk. i looked at him for a bit longer before returning my attention back to the lesson.

*time skip*

school was over and i was cleaning the chalkboard erasers because mr.Philips noticed my lack of attention in class. i was the only one in the room, untill i heard the door open. i expected it to be mr.Philips untill i heard a voice say “(y/n)?” i turned towards the person and it was him, Gilbert Blythe. “yes Gilbert?” i replied. he stared at me with the same expression as before. his mouth slightly agape as if trying to figure out what to say. “how do you know my name?” he asked. oh my god. what am i supposed to do now? i can't just tell him about the dream can i? “if i told you, you wouldn't believe me. and probably even think i'm crazy” i answered, nervously laughing. “try me”he said with a grin on his face.

[Gilberts pov]

i sat in class waiting for the lesson to start. untill someone came into the classroom. it was the girl who appeared in my dream a few nights ago. (y/n) even her name gives me butterflies. i stared at her in shock while she stared at me with a similar expression.

after the lesson ended i waited outside the school for everyone to leave.

after everyone left i went inside. and there she was, with her beautiful (e/c) eyes and her long (h/c) hair. “(y/n)?” i spoke out. she turned around to look at me. oh! those eyes! i can't help but get lost in them everytime i look at her. “yes gilbert?” she said in a soft voice wich sounded like music in my ears. then something hit me. how does she know my name? so i took a pause and finally asked her “how do you know my name?” she starts to giggle nervously. dear lord she's so cute. “if i told you, you wouldn't believe me. and probably even think i'm crazy” “try me” i said. smiling widely at her.

[your pov]

i explained him everything. i couldn't read the expression he had on his face. i probably ruined everything. i waited nervously for him so say something. “i- i-” he stuttered “you don't have to say anything. i'm sorry for wasting your time.” i say as i tried to walk away. “i had the same dream” i stopped dead in my tracks. should i believe him? i mean, that would explain the similar shocked expression on his face earlier. “really?” “i know it sounds unbelievable. but yeah” he says. and for some reason, i believed him. i run up to him and pull him in a hug. his chin resting on my head. we were in a comfortable silence untill he spoke “do you think that the thing we had in our dream, could become reality?” i pulled away from the hug, still very close to him. his hands still on my waist. i answered almost in a whisper "maybe” with a happy and reassuring smile dancing on my lips. “can i walk you home then?” he asked. how can someone be so perfect. he's so kind. “it would be my pleasure” i said. and i meant it.

he walked me home while we talked about our hobbies, friends, family, good and bad times we've had in our lives. he also told me that he had a crush on me. and that he had liked me since the first time he saw me in our dream. i told him i felt the same way. when we arrived at my house i stood in the doorway, while we stared in each others eyes, once more in a comfortable silence. we got closer, and closer untill our lips touched. my heart started pounding loudly in my chest. his lips where so soft. the kiss deepened, while our lips moved perfectly in sync. my hands found themselves around his neck and his on my waist. when sadly, we had to break away for air. the both of us having the widest grins on our faces. “(y/n)! come inside dear! diner is almost ready!” my mom yelled from the kitchen. it was time for him to go home. he let go of me, and said before leaving.

“see you in my dreams”

~¤♡¤~

So I finally finished my first imagine! I can't help but say: I'm proud of myself. I really hope you guys like it!

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beesemporium · 6 years

Text

You’re Brew-tiful!

Summary: Simon is pining over the new barista at his favorite coffee shop. Baz likes to write horrible puns on Simon's cups. Coffee shop AU & Normal AU

AO3 LINK

Simon

I’ve been going to Coffee Island for over a year now, but somehow I don’t recognize the barista taking my order. Maybe he’s new. He’s probably new. Or he has shifts later in the day (this one doesn’t check out, I’ve literally spent an entire day here). I desperately want to order hot chocolate but the usual Barista, Ruth, isn’t here. Instead, she’s replaced by the new guy, he’s far too handsome to be real. Maybe I’m making him up. I don’t want Hot Barista (he doesn’t have a name tag on, what else am I supposed to call him?) to judge me. I mean what 20 year old man orders hot chocolate in the middle of summer? Me that’s who.

Instead of embarrassing myself I order an iced latte, a classic. Except I actually hate iced lattes, I hate most coffee in general. I’ve thought about just buying hot chocolate from the store, but I can’t even use a microwave correctly (Penelope is constantly making fun of me for it). “Simon! You’re twenty years old! How do you mess it up everytime?” she’ll say. Hot barista gives me my latte and I head out. As I’m walking to my first class, that’s when I notice it. Written in neat, loopy handwriting says, “You’re brew-tiful!”. I have to stop just so I can admire just how beautiful the handwriting is (this causes a few angry businessmen to throw expletives at me). The pun is atrocious, but I don’t hate it.

Just the thought of Hot Barista thinking I’m “brew-tiful” makes my insides flip.

---

I don’t have class today. Normally I’d be glad, but I’m a little upset that I don’t have an excuse to go to the coffee shop. I need to see Hot Barista. He keeps my heart beating, the blood pumping through my veins. Okay, maybe that’s a little exaggerated, but he’s hot, okay! His hair is beautiful, it’s wavy and sits just above his shoulders. And oh God, his FACE. He has a nice face, a very nice face.

Just as I’m about to declare this fine Saturday as Sulk Saturday, Penny’s voice rings out through our flat. “Simon could you please get me a black coffee from Coffee Island? I’ll pay”

Of course I’m ecstatic at the chance to see Hot Barista, but I can’t let penny know that I’m crushing on someone who’s name I don’t even know.

“I mean, I guess I could” I shrug out.

“You’re a lifesaver, Si” Penelope shouts.

I throw on some jeans and a t-shirt and head out the door. I’m halfway down the first set of flights when I realize that I forgot the money, and my shoes. I run back up the stairs to the flat and grab everything I forgot.

I’m practically running to Coffee Island. Am I really this excited to see a barista? The answer to that question is yes, obviously. Who wouldn’t be excited to see Hot Barista? I’m kind of hoping that Ruth is there though, just so I can get my hot chocolate (I want to see Hot Barista more though). The coffee shop isn’t that far so I get there within five minutes. I take a moment to compose myself outside and make sure he’s actually here, which thank God, he is. If there’s a God I’d like to personally thank him for sending an angel down to earth. I open the glass doors and step into the line. It’s a long line, which means I have plenty of time to rehearse what I’m going to say in my head. One black coffee and one iced latte. One black coffee and one iced latte. The line moves unnaturally fast, or maybe I’m just so caught up in my head that I didn’t notice it. It’s my turn and I can already tell I’m going to stutter because my heart is beating so fast and my face is all red. How can someone be so hot yet so cute? Hot Barista has a name tag today. Baz.

“One black coffee and one iced chocolate- I mean iced latte.” Of course I fucking mess up, how fitting. Hot Barista- Baz- smiles. He actually smiles, it’s a closed mouth smile, maybe a smirk, but it still makes my insides twist. If my heart wasn’t already melting then it is now.

I grab the drinks when they’re finished and notice that there’s another pun on my iced latte. “Words cannot espresso how cute you are.” My heart is officially bursting. I walk back to my flat in a daze. When I reach the fourth floor I pull my keys out, only to realize that I don’t have my keys. You have to be kidding me. I rest my head against the door and let out loud sigh. Suddenly the door is being pulled away from me

“Simon I could literally hear you sigh from inside,” Penelope said.

I hand Penny her coffee and head to the kitchen. In the kitchen I dump out my latte (I know okay, a waste of perfectly good coffee, but it’s just so nasty.) and rinse the cup out.

---

It’s official, today is Sulk Sunday. I don’t have an excuse to see Baz. I could just go to the coffee shop, but why would I go outside if I don’t have to? I’m perfectly content with lazing in the living room with Penny and watching American Horror Story (except I’m not, I desperately want to see Baz). Penny must notice that something is up because the show is being paused and she’s pulling her feet out of my lap.

Simon,”she sighs, “What’s wrong? You keep staring off into space and you’ve been pouting all day.”

“Nothing's wrong, I’m perfectly fine. Great even,” I push my lips into a pout and reach for the remote. Penny jerks her hand back,

“I’m not pressing play until you tell me what’s wrong,” she rolls her eyes, and I look down at my lap.

“Penelope”, I drawl out her name, “Please don’t make me tell you. It’s embarrassing!”

“If I promise not to judge your life choices will you tell me?” Penny looks up at me.

“Fine, I guess,” I turn my body towards her. “There’s this guy at the coffee shop, named Baz, and he keeps writing horrible puns on my cups. Penny it’s so freaking cute,” I take a breath in and hold it, waiting for Penny to respond.

“Simon, that is adorable. You have to talk to him,” Penny is full on smiling now.

“You’re insane if you think I’m actually going to talk to him,” I cross my arms.

“Fine then, I’ll just let you pine relentlessly,” Penny grabs the remote and presses play.

---

I get ready in record time. I woke up late and barely have time to get my coffee (even if I was late I would still go to Coffee Island, just to see Baz). I think today is the day I order my hot chocolate. Probably not, but one can try.

Unfortunately, when I get to Coffee Island, Baz isn’t there. In his place is Ruth. I order my hot chocolate (they make outstanding hot chocolate, and it’s been too long since I’ve had one) send a text to Penny.

To Penny: Baz wasn’t at Coffee Island today :(. Why is God punishing me?

From Penny: Don’t be dramatic Simon, he probably had the day off.

---

I only have one class Tuesday, thank God. I have no idea why I thought it would be a good idea to take morning classes, if I could go back in time I would slap myself. To say I’m excited to see Baz is an understatement, I’m buzzing with excitement.

When I arrive at the coffee shop I peer into the window just to make sure he’s here, which he is. I order my coffee, and head out. This time the cup says “I like you a latte”. My insides do the twisty thing.

---

I’ve been going to the coffee shop everyday this week, Baz is there everyday, aside from Monday. It’s almost like he’s waiting for me to walk in. He smirks when he sees me, and always gives me a horrible pun. The ones I’ve gotten this week (discluding Tuesday) are:

Wednesday- “Not seeing you makes me despressod”

Thursday- “Been thinking about you a latte”

Friday- “I can feel something brewing between us”

---

Penny convinced me to go to Coffee Island today, instead of sulking. I’m not sure what I would do without her. I convinced her to go with me because today is the day I finally plan to tell baz that I like him too, with a pun preferably.

“Simon, are you ready to go? I want to see what happens. I can’t believe my bestfriend is getting to live in a cheesy love story,” Penny says.

“Penny I don’t know. I think I’m sick, maybe we shouldn’t go,” I sit down on the couch.

“Nuh-uh Si, we’re going. I will literally drag you out the door if I have to,” Penny walks over to me and extends her arm out.

I grab her hand and stand, “Fine, but if I make a fool of myself it’s your fault!”

We walk to the cafe in silence, Penny has to remind me several times to slow down. I stop in front of the cafe and took a deep breath. Why am I making such a big deal out of this?

“Penny what if he doesn’t like me? What if he’s been writing these puns because he thinks they’re funny, and not because he likes me? Oh god I’m going to humiliate myself,” I cling to Penny’s arm.

“Simon, don’t be stupid. He likes you! I don’t think he would write cute puns telling you you’re cute just because he thinks you’re funny,” Penny rolls her eyes.

I let go of her arm and we step inside. There’s only three people in line so it shouldn’t take very long.

Just as expected, the line moved fast. I stepped up and said the words that could determine my relationship status.

“Hi Baz, I like you a latte too,” I manage to breath out. Baz smiles at me (not a smirk! An actual smile, with teeth). His smile is beautiful, it feels like I’m staring directly into the sun (okay maybe not the sun, but something beautiful).

“I think you just made my day, Simon,” Baz says.

I order an actual hot chocolate this time, and on the cup is a number. Below the number he’s written “Call me?”

#snowbaz #simon snow #baz pitch #penelope bunce #carry on #fanfic #bad puns #coffee shop au #normal au

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mmsinwritings · 3 years

Text

Plus One | Short Story

Synopsis:

When Emily's boyfriend of three years suddenly decides to break up with her right before her destined trip to attend her cousin’s wedding, nothing can cure Emily's broken heart. In a desperate attempt to make her feel better, her best friend Kevin states that he will be her plus one.

Genre: romance, comedy, drama

-----

Three years, gone just like that.

I stare at a spot on my navy blue suitcase, not really focused on what’s before me and more concerned about the memories flickering past my lids. I can’t help it. Everytime I see luggage, it makes me think of the way I kicked him out of my life. Everytime, a slab of pain will grab my heart between its icy fingers and squeeze it so that I can barely breathe. Everytime, until I feel like I’m drowning inside dark waters without the real desire to swim to the surface.

My psychiatrist told me that it had been for the better. That it had been an obsessive, unhealthy kind of love in the first place. But was it better now that I couldn’t even feel my heart in the hollow space where it’s supposed to be?

“Emily.”

Still, I remember the messages on his phone, the way his touch would feel strange, eerily hollow for some reason, the way he’d avoid my eyes whenever he’d tell me that he was going out with the guys. I remember smelling his coat and recoiling at the cheap scent of perfume clinging to it like second skin, how he’d constantly tell me how wonderful I was-- too wonderful for him -- and that I should find better, that I didn’t deserve someone like him.

And then, when I’d stumbled into our flat a little earlier than I was meant to -- since my gym class had been cancelled -- and took note of the trail of shoes, followed by a coat, a shirt, a thong, before my ears picked up on the noises echoing from the bedroom doors…

“Emily?”

His face when he spotted me, the astounded expression like a dog that had just been caught sneaking into the pantry. And the girl, a prettier woman, a curvy woman, with red lips and with those beautifully deep red wine locks tumbling down her back with the perfect physique that could make any man drool. That girl, who was none other than one of my good friends at work and who had spent most part of the year listening to my rants about him.

“Emily!”

“Huh?” My head whips up when I register my name being called out, looking up to see a raven-haired, petite-faced man leaning against the bedroom doorway with raised brows and a concerned expression on his face.

“Oh, you’re here,” I say, as he crosses the doorway and sits beside me. The bed dips down under his weight as he tilts his head in that knowing manner of his, “daydreaming again?”

“No,” I mumble, but he sees right through my facade and with a sigh, his arms wrap around my shoulder before pillowing his head against my shoulder.

“It’s going to be okay,” he murmurs as I allow myself to lean back against him, against his comfort. His lavender scent wraps around me, a little bed of comfort amidst all the pain.

“I can’t stop thinking about him,” I murmur, tears stinging the corner of my eyes, “it hurts, Kev.”

He only holds me a little closer, a little tighter.

If there is one person that I can trust more than myself, it’s Kevin Moon. I’ve known Kevin ever since highschool, having hung out in the same friend group until we had become partners for an art project. It was only then that we’d become closer, and had been close ever since. With his angular features and almond mono lidded eyes and thin lips that were constantly shaped in a pout, the Korean-born man had moved to Canada when he was young, just like I had a few years ago. He had kept me afloat during my university days, I had comforted him through his first break up. He had been present during my final Fine Arts Photography Exhibition, I was up all night coming up with re-branding concepts for his design project. Overall, Kevin had pretty much been a constant in my life, you get the gist of it.

When he found out that my boyfriend had cheated just a few days before our destined trip to attend my cousin’s wedding -- mind you, I had been sobbing waterfalls and it was a miracle he even understood me through my blubbering mess -- he had half a mind to storm up to the guy and rip his throat out. But he did the most surprising thing; booked a ticket for himself and turned up at my flat on the eve of the departure, stating that he was going to accompany me to that wedding, whether I liked it or not.

My cousin, Emma, was getting married right where home was: Mauritius. The memories I once had of the small island nestled right in the Indian Ocean on the right of Madagascar, was of my grandma’s comforting food, the sea scented air that washed along with the too-white sandy beaches, the multitudes of merchants selling all kinds of fresh fruits and vegetables on the side of the road, and small corner stores that looked like they had come out of a 1960’s movie. People liked to claim that Mauritius was paradise on earth, and in a way, it is.

“Come on,” Kevin had nagged when I shook my head adamantly. He’d wriggled his plane ticket before my nose, “you’re not going to let that loser spoil such a happy event are you? Emma’s waiting for you!”

In the end, he’d won. Which is why we are here, staying at my cousin, Emma’s, apartment in a village called Moka, located at the foot of a mountain and has an abundance of forestry adorning the sides of the road. It's chilly here, in comparison to the harbourfront, and constantly smells like fresh rain and has a gentle fresh breeze blowing through.

“You know, assholes like him are not worth thinking about,” Kevin says now, his arm a gentle soothing caress up and down my back, “your brain might rot.”

I can’t help but let out a soft, choked up laugh.

“It’s our first day here, let’s not ruin it by thinking about him, hm?” Kevin continues soothingly and I nod in agreement. He’s right. I’m just wasting time by reliving memories that I should be banishing from my mind.

“Okay!” he brightens up then, “where shall we go? The sea? The market? Or do you want to go eat?!”

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

The first few days are about meeting up with family and rediscovering Mauritius for what it is. Emma gives me a full-fledged hug the moment I open the door to her house, pressing me close to her with such motherly warmth that it takes everything in me not to break down right then and there. I greet my uncles and engage in small-talk with my aunts, help my grandma out in the kitchen as she continuously asks me why I’ve gotten so thin. While I know the main reason, I decide to smile and spare her the details, as embarrassing as it is.

No one mentions him, until one of my uncles slips during a conversation with Kevin, “so you’re Emily’s boyfriend. Such a pleasure to meet you! We’ve heard so much about you that we started thinking she was just making things up.”

“Er--” Kevin reddens, “I--”

“So how did you two meet?”

It is at this very instant that my mouth decides to move on its own and I blurt out, “we’re high school friends.”

“Oh highschool sweethearts! How cute!”

Kevin doesn’t fail to mention what a mistake I’ve made to lie to my entire family to save face.

“I feel guilty,” he says as we walk out to the car, keys dangling from my wrist.

I unlock the car, “it’s fine. We’ll be in and out before they know it. They don’t have to know anything.”

“Hm, sure.”

After some well-deserved family time, Kevin and I decide to head to the west of the island to catch the sunset, my camera stuffed neatly in the backseat, where Kevin has tossed a few spare towels just in case. We each have donned our swimsuits for the occasion and it doesn’t take an expert to see the excitement thrumming through Kevin’s veins as he sits beside me like an excited child in the passenger seat.

“I never realized that you guys drive on the left side of the road,” he comments, head whipping back and forth in-between the passage of cars.

“Yeah, it takes some getting used to, especially if you’re crossing,” it is then that I notice that there is a newly built mall as we turn left at the green light, “hey, that’s new. I’ve never seen this before.”

“Cas-ca-velle,” he mumbles out with that strong accent of his. He is definitely not one to know French and I’ve been acting as his translator all along, considering that my family speaks French at home, “what does that mean?”

“Beats me. It’s just a fancy name for a new shopping mall,” I peer into its parking lot, “wanna visit?”

“Whatever floats your boat, honey. I’m all in.”

The mall is longer than it is wide, with white archways decked with wooden-style roofs that give way to an open-plan exterior. A wide beige cemented pathway occupies the space, with shops lined on either side.

“I never realized, but you guys are very multicultural,” comments Kevin as we pass by another family of four chattering quickly in a mixture of French and Creole.

“We’re similar to Canada that way.”

“Do you miss it here?”

My eyes glance over at him, notice the soft empathy in his expression.

“I guess I do sometimes,” I say while I kick at a stray pebble, “It’s like homesickness. But in a way I can’t quite explain,” after a moment, I ask, “do you miss Korea?”

“The food, mostly,” he grins bashfully, “my halmeoni makes a killer gamja tang.”

“Let’s go visit her one day.”

“Is that a promise?” he asks as I shrug, “if you want it to be.”

It’s a little past six when we drive up to the Flic En Flac beach and as we gather our things, my eyes light up upon falling on a nearby roti stand. I quickly slap Kevin’s arm in my bout of excitement.

“Ouch! What? What is it?”

“Kevin, you’re not going to believe this,” I point at the stand in question, “this roti stand? It’s the best roti in Mauritius. Here, take this,” I don’t wait before shoving my bag and camera in his arms, “I’m gonna buy us some. You go and find us a spot on the beach.”

“But--”

I don’t wait for him to finish his sentence before taking off, greeting the merchant who is just about to be wrapping up to ask whether I can get two rotis with ‘cari saumon’ (roughly translated into salmon curry mixed with indian spices), local and freshly made. The smell wafts through the folded paper wrappers as I grab them. They smell just like my childhood, where everything had just been as easy as having rotis by the beach without a care about the future that is to come. It’s nostalgic and I can’t help the smile tugging up my mouth at the thought.

Kevin is already settled atop a pair of spare towels and looks up at the sound of my footsteps approaching. I pass him one of the paper wrappers and he takes a peek, confusion flitting across his face.

“This smells spicy,” he mutters loudly enough for me to hear, “it looks like naan bread.”

“It is,” I agree, “except it’s flatter and more like a crepe.”

Throwing me a hesitant glance, he takes a small bite. I watch his face go from confused to impressed in a few seconds, before his eyes whip up to mine, “woah, this is good.”

“Told you so.”

“But this is really, really good,” he can’t help but marvel at it and laughing, I proceed to dig into my own roti, allowing my mouth to be filled with that salty fish taste melting along my tastebuds, the curry spices giving it the nice tangy kick you wouldn’t find anywhere else. The roti is soft and practically melts on my tongue and I can’t help but moan at how good it is.

“God, this is everything I’ve been looking for my whole life,” I find myself telling him, wrapped up in momentary bliss, “this, this is everything.”

I can feel his eyes on me, so intense that my own flicker up in question. He drops his gaze the moment I do and I frown, confused.

“What?” I can’t help but ask, wondering why he suddenly seems so meek, so shy and awkward, “what is it?”

“Nothing,” he replies like he’s trying to be casual, except that it’s anything but. When he gazes back at me, I notice the warmth in his maroon eyes, more the color of caramel in the dim light from the sunset basking his profile in a golden glow, “I think--I think that’s the first time I’ve seen you so happy, since...”

He doesn’t need to continue, for I know where this is going. Indeed, this is the first time in many months that I haven’t paid any attention to the hole inside my heart.

And it feels good.

“Yeah,” I murmur as I watch the sun settle on the ocean’s horizon, fire kissing water, “I don’t know, I just feel like this is nice. Like it’s right.”

I spare him a glance from the corner of my peripheral and watch him shift. His sleeveless shirt slips, allowing me a glimpse of the naked skin underneath. I quickly look away, slightly embarrassed at the notion of even thinking of him in such a way.

“That’s how you should be, Emily,” Kevin murmurs back just as softly. It’s almost like talking too loudly will break the sudden spell that has settled over our shoulders. He takes a sip of his beer before continuing, “you’ve suffered enough for someone who deserves nothing but shit for what he’s done.”

There’s a small pause as I digest his words. Then, I manage to murmur out, “thanks, Kevin.”

“No problem.”

Another small bout of silence ensues, covered up by the sound of the ocean roaring up the sand, distant birds chirping in the fading light of the sunset drowning into the now orange-flecked waters.

“Hey Emily.”

I glance at him. He’s gorgeous, even more so somehow. Maybe it’s the time of the day, maybe it’s the mood, or maybe it’s the way my heart can’t help but be swallowed in gratefulness whenever I look at him.

“What?” I ask.

“Do you know water has memory?”

I choke on my beer, “do not-- and I mean this-- do not quote Frozen with me.”

“Huh, I tried.”

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

“So, Kevin huh?”

My eyes shoot up to meet Emma’s in her crusty-dust-filled mirror, presently lounging on her bed and flipping through a book as I had been trying on my bridesmaid gown. Kevin is downstairs, helping out with the barbeque grill with the rest of the family, and it is only now that I get to have some alone time with the woman I consider my sister.

She’s the only one that knew the exact details of my breakup, and that Kevin is only a mere replacement to cover my humiliated ass. I remember her trying to calm me down when I had called in a frenzy, practically hyperventilating because of the amount of pain that gripped at my heart and was choking me of all air.

I revert my eyes back to the dress, a baby blue as bright as a summer sky, and smooth my hands down my sides, “he’s been so good to me, ever since…” I can’t finish the sentence, voice already wobbling at the thought that comes with it.

“Hey,” Emma’s murmur causes me to look up, and in her eyes I see a flicker of understanding, “he’s not worth it.”

“I know,” I swallow back the tears crawling up my throat, “I know, it’s just--a hard pill to swallow.”

A hand comes to a rest at my elbow, before my cousin tucks her chin atop my shoulder, “it’ll be alright, Emily. He doesn’t deserve you."

I nod. Then, just to change the subject so that I don’t break down in her arms, I gesture towards the dress, “so? How does it look?”

Emma tugs at some pieces here and there, rearranging the fabric as she sees fit, “I think it looks good. You look gorgeous. Kevin will swoon, for sure.”

“It’s not like that,” I hurriedly say as I strip out of the dress and put it back on its hanger, “we’re just friends.”

“Mhm,” she throws me a pointed look, a mischievous smile tugging at the corner of her lips, “'just friends' doesn't feel right..”

“Emma, really? Right after my breakup?”

“He came to Mauritius just for you Emily,” she squeezes my shoulders comfortingly, “doesn’t that count for something?”

“Well, we’ve been friends since high school so…”

“I don’t think just any friend in high school would do such a thing if I asked,” Emma catches my eye in the mirror, her gaze deep and meaningful, “just think about that.”

I just nod in hopes that she’ll stop yapping away at my nonexistent relationship with Kevin, whatever that means. The hole in my heart is still so raw and filled with pain that I can’t even start thinking about another relationship. The thought alone is enough to drain me of all energy and I decide to brush it off for now as I follow Emma out in the backyard now filled with familiar chatter and the smell of cooked meat wafting through the air, with the sky bruising a soft purple to signal the end of a long summer day.

Catching sight of Kevin as I bring out one of the many salad bowls that my family has prepared, my lips can’t help but twitch into a slow smile when I see him by the grill, whipping away the multitudes of flies zipping back and forth as my other cousin deftly flips the sausages upside down with a trained rhythm that only years of experience can bring.

“Kevin! You’re not doing your job right!” my cousin cries playfully. Kevin attempts to flap the newspaper around while screeching, “oh god, my eyes are burning!"

“Someone bring more meat!” My cousin hollers.

“There’s more?!”

“He’s doing a great job,” my grandmother’s voice brings my attention back to the salad bowl in my hands, and I quickly bend to kiss her cheek as she continues, “better than any of your other cousins. They never help out.”

“That’s because you pamper them too much, grandma,” I grin at her and follow her to the dining table where my aunts are already settling down amongst themselves.

The evening passes by with good food and good company, the sky darkening and dotting with a veil of stars that has Kevin gawking in awe. I'm not surprised, you don't see skies like that anywhere, a sky that isn't so intoxicated with modern chemicals. My uncles take it upon themselves to introduce Kevin to all the types of Mauritian delicacies, such as chickpea fritters we call 'gato pima', small balls of graped choko vegetable and minced pork 'niouk yen', and to top it all off, a plate of cornmeal pudding also known as 'pudine mai' that makes Kevin's eyes go wide with surprise.

"This is dessert?" He holds it up in his hand, "with ...cornmeal?"

"Sure is," one of my aunts chime in with a smile, "made it just this morning."

It's past midnight when we get back to our little apartment with Emma's dress hanging off my arms, which Kevin doesn't hesitate to grab from my hold despite my protests.

"It's fine dude," he flashes me a quick smile, albeit tired, and my heart does this weird little squeeze in my chest at his thoughtfulness.

He's kind. Too kind. I really don't deserve someone like him.

"I'm sorry," I say as we settle onto the small couch, shoulders fitted snugly against each other, "my family is kinda overwhelming."

"No no," Kevin looks over, edges of his lips curled up, "I actually love your family, you know."

My chest warms, "thanks."

There is a moment of silence that we enjoy, the day's events sinking into my bones.

"Hey," he murmurs.

"Hm?"

My eyes slide over to catch his, dark pools glimmering with a certain softness that catches my attention.

I bite my lip. It suddenly feels a little warm.

"What is it?" I ask, voice hoarse.

"Is oreo a sandwich?"

I sit up so suddenly that I jostle him, "wait--what?"

He grins up at me with that little nose scrunch that I can't help but find endearing, "is oreo a sandwich?" I open my mouth to answer but he beats me to it, "is cereal a soup?"

"Stop."

Reclining back to lace his hands at the back of his head, he says, "is ketchup a smoothie?"

"Stop it."

"What about hotdogs? Are they sandwiches?" He continues in a singsong voice and rolling my eyes, I make a move to punch him once more. But he's faster, hand shooting out to hold my wrists. He pulls me over and I stumble, knee pressing against the side of his leg.

"Come on. Answer it," he wriggles his eyebrows.

"Nope."

“Don’t be a party pooper.”

“You’re so annoying.”

"Are you sick of me yet?" His face is so close that I notice the creases at the corner of his eyes when he smiles.

"That's an understatement."

"But really, do you think oreo is a sandwich?"

"No! Oreos are just oreos!"

“You’re no fun,” He pouts before finally releasing his hold. I draw back with a roll of my eyes, settling beside him once more and pillowing my head onto his shoulder.

Emma’s right. Kevin had sacrificed so much to be here with me, and he doesn’t even know Emma. Yet, he immediately dropped everything so that he could be my plus one, so that I wouldn’t have to face the music alone. The thought makes my heart swell with emotion and suddenly I’m all too aware of his presence beside me.

I shift to gaze at him, eyes tracing the curve of his nose, the indent above his lips before I whisper, “hey Kevin.”

“Hm?”

“Why’d you come?”

His eyes flicker over to mine then. A heartbeat passes. For a moment, I wonder if he can hear my heartbeat suddenly throbbing a little too loudly in my chest.

“Good question.”

Another pause.

“That’s not an answer,” I laugh slightly, to show that it’s all just fun and games.

But when I catch his eyes next, there’s something else brimming in them. They’re tender with emotion and it catches me so off guard that I almost don’t catch his next set of words:

“Because I care about you.”

My heart gives a quick lurch but I somehow can’t tear my gaze away. I want to say something. Anything.

But all I can muster is a soft, “oh.”

“Why do you ask?” he asks, voice hoarse.

I hesitate, “Emma asked why. And...I guess I wanted to know too.”

“Oh.”

The air feels heavy, heightened with the things that are threatening to slip off the edge of my tongue. A mixed series of ‘but why’s and ‘can’t you tell me more’ jumbling up my thoughts with so many possibilities that I decide to stay quiet for the sake of not ruining the moment. Because there’s this lingering fear that once I do say something, then it’ll just pull me down a rabbit hole that I can’t crawl out of, that the only escape lies on the other side.

And I don’t know if I want to take that leap yet. My heart is already so fragile with the aftermath of a love that went wrong. I don’t know how much more I can take.

So I just stay quiet and let out a soft sigh, and though Kevin shifts as if he wants to say something, he doesn’t. The question just hangs there between us, in-between the slithers of moonlight and in the cold Moka air, like a perpetual ghost we ignore as we drift off to sleep.

----------

Something shifts between us after that. It’s unspoken of, but suddenly, I am all too aware of Kevin as a whole. Things that I hadn’t noticed before surface as we spend most of our free time visiting the rest of the island; like how he loves ruffling his hair whenever he feels uncomfortable, or the way his bicep curls as his arm drapes over the wheel with the barest hint of muscle that is enough to be attractive yet subtle, or how he smirks in that attractive way of his whenever he thinks something is undeniably adorable.

The good thing about having Kevin is that I don’t get to think of him all too much, which is a blessing in itself. It’s been days since I’ve shed another tear and for that, I have to say I’m glad that I’m making progress.

We spent the last few days before the wedding traveling around the island to visit all the touristy spots that I know Kevin will enjoy, like a hike all the way to the top of Le Morne mountain, where I explain that’s where slaves would throw themselves off when their masters would find them. We visited Bois Cheri, a tea-making factory where Kevin had the pleasure of tasting all different kinds of teas cultivated in the fields below, and ate lunch on the Caudan Waterfront as we gazed at the boats lulling along the harbour.

“Woah, this place makes me feel like I’m in Aladdin somehow,” Kevin’s mouth is wide agape as his eyes try to take in the endless racks of stands selling fresh fruits and vegetables of the day. The Port-Louis Bazaar has always been one of my favourite places to visit, but it’s also one of the busiest. Even now as we attempt to squeeze our way through, people are jostling us here and there, causing me to press my bag to my chest in case any pickpockets are nearby. I prompt Kevin to do the same.

“Hey Emily, I wanna check out the bags over there,” Kevin motions towards the hand-woven baskets situated at the far end of the market and I nod as we keep moving forward with the crowd like a pair of salmons trying to swim upstream. But there’s so many people, it’s so suffocating that it gets hard to keep up with Kevin’s figure. Someone elbows my shoulder and I groan, stumbling to the side in irritation, only to get pushed forward by another.

“Seriously--” I curse under my breath, when a hand suddenly appears before my eyes.

Looking up to see Kevin’s outstretched arm, I am only greeted with his bashful smile and averted eyes.

“Come on,” he doesn’t even wait for my consent before slipping his palm over my own and tugging me along, his hold firm and strong despite his skinny frame and the action is enough to render a flurry of butterflies soaring over my stomach.

Stop, I try telling my subconscious. That does nothing, however, to stop my neck from tingling with unfamiliar heat.

Kevin’s hand feels so warm. It’s comfortable, safe.

And I’m liking it a little too much.

He doesn’t let go when we reach the desired stand and talk over which bag looks the best and keeps his hand in mine for the entirety of our journey back to the car. Only when I unlock the doors that his palm finally drops from my hold and air rushes over my palm that is now a little too cold without his warmth. But while a multitude of questions are burning the back of my throat, they fall apart halfway through at the thought of his answer, before I decide to drop it altogether.

Kevin, on the other hand, doesn’t seem the least bit affected.

When the day of the wedding finally rolls around, I drive my car to Emma’s after a quick breakfast that Kevin surprised me with -- to my surprise, he’d managed to make a decent eggs and toast without burning the place down -- so that I can help her get into her gown and more importantly so that she doesn’t run away, lest her mind goes in a frenzy at the thought of tying the knot.

“You’ll be fine,” I reassure her, teasing a few of her curls so that they slip down to her chest in a perfect wave. She looks stunningly beautiful, with her strapless white dress that shimmers with diamonds in the light with every movement she makes.

I reach out to smooth over her veil so that it falls on either side of her face, frames her perfectly, and notice her big brown eyes staring back at me through her vanity mirror.

“You look beautiful,” I can’t keep the awe from my voice.

Her face blossoms into a smile, “you too.”

“Ah come on, you can’t say that to me on your wedding day,” I shove her playfully on the shoulder, “you’re the star of the show. Don’t let anyone take that away from you.”

I don’t have to look at her to know that she’s giving me a pointed look.

“Okay mom,” she rolls her eyes before changing the subject, “So, how have things been? With Kevin?”

I sigh, “well, okay. Maybe you’re right. About the whole…’just friends’ thing not being true.”

“Why?” she straightens up, turns to me, “what happened? Did you kiss? Did he make a move--”

“No we didn’t kiss,” I’m quick to answer as my cheeks heat up. And after a few beats of hesitation, I give her a summary; the way he’d looked at me that night with eyes that held so much in them that it had made my chest swell, the way that he’d snitch glances at me whenever he thought I wasn’t paying attention, and the fact that he’d grabbed my hand and didn’t let go even long after the crowd wasn’t an issue anymore.

Emma’s eyes are wide and sparkling with a feeling that I know all too well, I can practically see the cogs turning in her head and quickly shook mine in rapid retaliation, “Emma, no.”

“But--But he’s perfect for you!” she bellows in protest, “What do you mean ‘no’?!”

“I can’t go there. Not after,...not now, it’s too soon…”

She rolls her eyes, “it’s not like he’s asking you to marry him, christ’s sake. He likes you, and I feel like you’re only trying to deprive yourself because you feel like it’s not right.”

“It’s not right--”

“Who says so?” she cuts me off then, her gaze hardening on mine with such intensity it takes everything in me not to flinch back, “who says it’s not right? It doesn’t matter if it’s after two days, two weeks, two months. You think I don’t know how it feels to be heartbroken? You can’t just keep thinking about the past. You’re going to hurt yourself that way.”

My teeth sink down onto my lower lip, her words like ice-cold knives aimed straight at my chest.

“What you can control, right now, is the present, Emily.”

“I know,” I mumble out half-heartedly.

“I can see it, you know, the way he looks at you,” she shakes her head, “even if you don’t like him back, you gotta be aware of all that he’s done for you.”

Her hands find their way to mine, enclosing them in her grasp before squeezing them with such care that I can’t stop the tears crawling up the back of my throat.

“I’m sorry,” she murmurs next, “I don’t want to pressure you if that’s not how you feel. That--That was not my intention,” her eyes latch onto mine, filled with understanding, “I just want you to be happy.”

Happy.

That’s a word I haven’t heard in a long time.

“Don’t you dare cry now,” Emma says while waving her hands around in warning, “you’re going to ruin your makeup and we definitely don’t want that.”

I sniffle, trying my best to hold in the tears now brimming through my eyes, “you’re right,” I attempt to smile, albeit it’s wobbly, “we don’t.”

“Come here,” she tugs my arm so that I fall into her embrace. Her head finds her way to my shoulder and she hugs me tight, not caring that her veil is getting all bunched up and wrinkled, “you’ll be okay,” she whispers, one hand stroking my back, “you’ll be just fine, little one.”

Then, pulling back and pushing a few strands away from my face, she flashes a bright smile, “we should probably head to the church soon.”

----------

“We now declare you, Vincent and Emma, as husband and wife.”

The church explodes in a round of applause and I join in the clapping, furiously trying to keep the tears of joy at bay. Vincent has been there for Emma ever since they met at work and it has been the most beautiful love story ever since; filled with the purest kind of love no one can imagine. Beside me, I feel Kevin’s hand coming to squeeze my shoulder in a reassuring manner and I feel warm all over despite the rush of emotion in my heart.

The wedding reception is to take place at a fancy restaurant overlooking the harbourfront. Our family has booked the venue for the evening, and as I enter, I take in the baby blue veils that come down each corner of the restaurant, sprinkles of glitter here and there as we make our way to our assigned tables that each have a baby blue napkin shaped in swans.

I don’t even have time to place my butt down when I hear a voice call out, “Emily! Look how big you’ve gotten!”

Of course, big wedding ceremonies only mean that we get to meet all of our extended family that we haven’t seen since forever, and they’re all too happy to chat with me about living overseas. Soon enough, I’m bustled off to a table and look back over my shoulder to mouth a quick “I’m sorry” to Kevin. Bless his soul, for he only smiles and shakes his head, his hand motioning for me to go on.

I manage to catch up with cousins I haven’t seen since I was a little girl, talk over appetizers with excited aunts who want to know all about how it feels like to live away from family for such a long time, and nod along to the old uncles trying to get me to give a concrete answer about when and where will my wedding take place.

“Come on Emily! You’re the next one after Emma for sure,” one of my uncles bellow, face flushed red as a result of the glasses of wine he has downed like water. He is Emma’s father, no surprise that he’ll want to get drunk from happiness and pride. It is his daughter’s wedding after all.

He leans close with a conspiratorial look in his eyes, “so tell me,” his eyes glance over to Kevin, currently deep in conversation with another one of my distant aunts. I watch as he says something to make her laugh, and something inside my chest warms at the action, “is he the lucky guy that’s going to ask for your hand?”

“Do you think he’s the one?” another uncle pipes up.

I purse my lips and attempt to shrug, “it’s early days,” I try laughing it off although it sounds forced, “who knows what can happen.”

“He’s a good kid,” an aunt says, “you know how we all have this sixth sense? Well Emily, I have a good feeling about this young man. Don’t let him go. Something tells me he’s a keeper.”

A wild imaginative speculation, considering that we’re not even dating. But I nod along and say that yes, I’ll tell them whenever I decide to tie the knot.

It’s only when the dance floor opens and people start pooling onto the dance floor after the first dance -- led by no other than the bride and groom themselves -- that I finally allow myself to breathe. I find my way back to my chair, back to Kevin’s warm smile flashing in my direction as his eyes take in the fatigue lining my face.

“You look like you could use a drink,” is the first thing he tells me the moment I plop my butt onto my designed seat, the one that’s been kept cold ever since I stepped foot into the dining hall.

I gratefully accept the glass of wine he offers me, swallowing it down in a few gulps, “thanks,” I sigh with relief, “I needed that.”

“How was catching up with family?”

“It couldn’t be as bad as being left behind,” I peer over at him, guilt flooding me at the prospect of having left him all alone, “sorry. It’s just that everyone--”

��Oh stop that,” Kevin nudges my shoulder with his, “don’t be sorry. It’s totally normal. I’m happy for you. And I wasn’t left behind. I had a wonderful time talking to your aunt. She seemed so happy to tell me what your childhood was like.”

“Bet you liked that, didn’t you?”

“Hey, it works as blackmail. Why wouldn’t I like that?”

“Dork.”

“You’re friends with this dork.”

“Oh piss off,” I slap his shoulder playfully in retaliation, causing him to laugh softly as we watch couples glide across the dance floor like swans over water. The lights have dimmed, the yellow hues now replaced by soft cool blues and purples that cause Emma’s dress to shimmer every time she turns. She’s absolutely stunningly beautiful, and the way she and Vincent are gazing at each other just scream of pure love that wraps around them in a golden mist so enchantingly beautiful that I find myself catching my breath in the back of my throat.

“She’s so beautiful,” the words fall from my mouth without meaning to, and I feel Kevin’s eyes on my face from the corner of my peripheral.

“You are too.”

I bite my lip and narrow my eyes at him playfully, “thanks, but why do I have a feeling that this isn’t a compliment?”

“It isn’t,” he holds my gaze, “it’s just the truth.”

Emotion lodges at the back of my throat. I stare at him. He stares back, a glimmer of tenderness echoing through the dark pools of black, his whole expression relaxed into a face that appears flooded with affection for--

Me.

For some reason, no words seem to come to me as I open my mouth and close it. Embarrassment slowly bubbles through my stomach. I look away, unable to contain the goosebumps suddenly exploding across the back of my neck with that same familiar uncomfortable sensation I keep getting around him these days. Like I’m standing atop a cliff and preparing myself to jump.

“Wanna dance?”

I blink in surprise, before turning to the said young man beside me who has his head cocked to the side with that same expression. My heart can’t help but squeeze inside my chest before I push down the rising protest searing through my brain.

I nod. And off we go onto the dance floor. His hands settle on my waist, mine atop his shoulders in a casual sling. There’s enough distance between our bodies to show that we’re not together and yet, I can’t deny that electrical tension that keeps on pulling me towards Kevin like a magnet. I wonder if he feels it too, that searing heat that is so palpable I can feel sweat break out from the back of my neck. Asking, though, would mean that I’m aware of what’s happening, asking would imply that I want something to happen.

Maybe I do.

Maybe I do want to grab life by the reins myself and steer it wherever I want it to go.

“What are you thinking about?”

I blink. Right up into Kevin’s brown orbs, his hair catching the shades of blue from the disco balls. My throat runs dry.

“Uh--” my mind tries to scramble for a response, any response, “just--uhm, it’s kind of like our last day here.”

He cocks his head, “sad?”

“Kinda. I like it here,” my eyes brush over Emma and Vincent’s forms in the vicinity, catch my grandma sitting at one of the tables, little cousins running all over the place. Then, I look back at the said young man gazing at me with that undecipherable look in his eyes that makes my heart sing, and try not to squirm as I continue softly, “it feels like home.”

“We can always come back,” he uses ‘we’ as though it’s now an adventure kept between the two of us, a secret to our own little neverland that nobody knows about. I can’t help but smile at the thought.

“Do you want to come back?” I ask.

“Are you kidding? Hell yeah I want to come back. The views are amazing, the food is out of this world, and your family has been really kind to me.”

“I’m sorry, they are kind of overbearing when you first get to know them.”

“I love it,” Kevin says seriously, “I love that they’re overbearing. Couldn’t have asked for anything more.”

If I had any doubts, the sincerity dripping from his eyes is enough to wipe out any suspicions left from his compliment. The sudden urge to hug him rocks through me and my hands fist on the back of his shirt in response.

We keep on dancing silently, bobbing from one foot to another for a few minutes more before he speaks up softly.

“Emily?”

“Hm?”

“I wouldn't mind getting married here.”

My eyebrows shoot up in surprise, “really now?”

“Yup,” he grins, “really.”

“Your future wife will have me to thank for that.”

“Maybe my future wife won’t have to thank you.”

There it is. That same borderline flirting that’s been happening for days on end.

“And why is that?” I probe, partly just to tease him, and partly because I just want to know.

“Maybe she might be right here, in this room.”

“Didn’t know you were into one of my cousins,” I start looking around the room, only for one of his hands to cup my cheek to turn my face back to his.

There is none of that teasing glimmer now. His eyes are darker, gazing down at me with such emotion that the breath catches in the back of my throat and the air halts in my lungs. We gaze at each other for a few beats longer, before I feel his thumb graze my cheek. Gently, so gently like he’d stroke a flower petal.

Swallowing at the heat of his hand cupping the side of my face, my hands unconsciously tighten on the back of his neck. He senses my nervousness, but only pulls me slightly closer so that we are mere millimeters from each other, noses hovering over each other in a space that causes my heart to stutter inside my chest.

When he opens his mouth next, his alto is hoarse, pent-up with emotion.

“I wasn’t talking about your cousins.”

My heart practically jumps to my throat, teeth biting onto my lip.

I can’t hear the music, nor the people. I can’t hear anything except for my pounding heart and Kevin’s soft breaths washing over my face.

His eyes search mine and we hold gazes for a moment too long.

“Emily?”

I press my lips together, “Y-Yes?”

He moves even closer then so that his nose brushes mine in the most intimate of ways.

“I--”

“Emily! I was looking all over for you!”

We spring apart like we just got burnt just in time for one of my cousins to grab onto my arm. He sends an apologetic smile at Kevin, before explaining, “we just need to sort out the takeaways. She’ll be back in a second!”

And without listening to my protests, he proceeds to drag me away from the said young man on the dancefloor. I look back, mouthing an ‘I’m sorry” once more -- it’s the second time that night!-- and see the raven-haired man laugh good-naturedly before shaking his head and waving me away. That does nothing to keep my heart from cartwheeling out of my chest, swelling up with such affection that I grin back despite the earlier predicament.

One thing’s for sure: I’m not done talking with Kevin Moon yet.

----------

I find him sitting alone in the tiny garden that overlooks the decorated pavillon a few hours later. His figure, illuminated by the soft yellow hues of interior light, seems to glow in the dark, the moon bouncing off his hair and catching the strength of his cheekbone when he turns and catches me staring. He only smiles though -- that beautiful tender smile that I keep seeing more and more these days -- before waving me over.

“What are you doing out here all alone?” I ask as I reach his figure. A soft breeze dances along the back of my spine, cool in contrast to the warm stickiness of the air.

“Your smaller cousin was showing me what she’d learnt in astronomy at her school,” he tilts his head up at the sky, “she’s quite the prodigy at that.”

“The next woman to land on the moon,” I joke.

“Jeez, I should get her autograph.”

“Wise idea,” that’s when I feel his hand slip into mine and I look down at him, blinking. He grins a little shyly, before tugging me forward so that I all but stumble right into him, halfway sprawled across his lap.

Heat explodes through my chest at the proximity of our bodies and I can’t help but avert my gaze from his, partly embarrassed that maybe there might be someone around to see, and partly because it’s only recently that I’ve started seeing Kevin in a new light that being so close makes my heart choke up and my mind to run blank.

We’re close. So close I feel his breath mingle with mine. My hands settle atop his chest lightly, “Kev,” I breathe out but nothing follows, too scared to verbally voice out what is going on for fear that it might all crumble into nothing.

I don’t want false hope. I also don’t want his heart -- or mine -- to break.

This friendship is too precious to let go. I can’t imagine a life without Kevin in it.

“Listen Emily,” Kevin’s voice is soft, a hushed murmur resonating through his chest as his eyes search mine, “I think we both know what’s happening here.”

I nod mutely.

Taking a shaky breath, he continues, “I don’t want to do anything that will hurt you. I know it’s been tough and that you’re still healing. I just--I just want to know.”

As his words wash over me as gently as the forest leaves rustling around us, I feel the warmth of his hand cupping my cheek, holding me like I am fine china and stroking my skin with his thumb so that butterflies suddenly rush along my middle.

I bite my lip so hard I can taste blood, " I-- well, I think you already know how I feel."

"I know," he breathes, "but I need to hear it from you."

As if it isn't hard enough to come face to face with my own feelings, having Kevin stare me down as though I put the moon in his sky makes me want to squirm with a mixture of embarrassment and excitement.

“I like you,” I blurt out then, “a lot.”

There is a few seconds delay, before a shit-- eating grin --the biggest I’ve ever seen -- spreads across Kevin’s face like sunshine peeking through the clouds.

“Enough for us to go on a date?”

I nod mutely. I don’t trust my voice, not right now when I already feel so pathetic. Kevin’s grin softens into a tender smile, one that I can’t help but return when our eyes meet in the most intimate of ways. Suddenly, the air feels charged and alive with electricity, the heat between our bodies palpable as his hand moves to the back of my neck.

He tugs. I follow.

His lips find mine mid-way in a delicate kiss.

It’s soft. Softer than any kiss I’ve ever had. Kevin’s mouth parts over my own in a gentle caress, before he tilts his head to the side and captures my lower lip between his.

I gasp slightly at the contact, hands unconsciously tightening around his neck.

Slowly leaning away, I notice the film of lust like a dull glow at the back of his maroon orbs, just the slightest hint that he wants me as a woman. And that makes my lungs constrict, air suddenly halting in the back of my throat.

My skin is prickling with the aftermath of his touch. I let out a soft breath before he covers my mouth with his once more and all thoughts fly out of my brain the moment he does.

I don’t really know how long we spend outside, exchanging the softest of kisses underneath the moonlight, until I hear the soft exclamations of my family’s voices suggesting that it is time to head home. So I part from the said man and can’t help but blush at the lack of space between our bodies.

“We should probably head back,” I hate how wanton I sound, like I’ve just sprinted a mile when in truth I’ve been sitting in this very spot for the last hour.

He agrees and I descend from his lap, his hand subtly finding mine as we walk back to the wedding hall.

Emma is still saying her goodbyes, her hair now dotted with glitter, probably from the decorations that my younger cousins took pleasure in bathing her in. Her face lights up as soon as she spots our entwined hands and I try not to meet her eyes for I know exactly the kind of smug look she'll be giving me.

"Enjoyed the wedding?" She says as soon as we're within earshot.

"That must've been the best cake I've had in my life," Kevin lets out a dramatic sigh, "and that says something."

"Do I trust your taste buds though?" She teases.

"I'd be offended if you didn't," he gasped in mock offense, before they both break into playful chuckles.

As we exchange our goodbyes and Vincent engages Kevin in a conversation, Emma takes this chance to drag me to her side as she whispers, "so you gonna tell me the tea or am I going to have to extract it from you?"

I press my lips together as I try to control the heat searing through the back of my neck, "...we kissed."

She gasps, "No way! OH MY GOD! Are you guys a thing then?!" The answer is as clear as water on my face and she clamps a hand over her mouth, would've jumped up and down if she could've, "OH MY, OH MY GOD. I knew it! I just knew this was going to happen--"

"Shut up!" I hiss, scared that Kevin might overhear and think I'm a big fat tattle tale. My eyes quickly swivel over to his and I'm glad to find his head bent towards Vincent in concentration.

"You need to tell me everything," Emma's eyes are sparkling, "like--as soon as you have some free time."

"You--" I send her a pointed look, then jerk my head at Vincent, "--need to tell me everything."

"Oh I will, don't worry."

"Anyway, I'll talk to you after your honeymoon."

"Okay," I turn around to find Kevin, not failing to notice the smirk playing on Emma's lips. I slap her arm in response, causing her to laugh before she calls out:

"Don't forget to use protection!"

-----------

"We'll come back right?"

That's the first thing that Kevin states as soon as we step inside security, away from the tears of my family that I just left behind a few seconds ago. My heart still aches when I think of their faces, all crumpled and blinking at me with tissues in hand and noses as red as traffic lights. But I seek comfort upon feeling Kevin's hand slip through mine as we walk towards our destined gate.

"Sure," I look at him; at his red-tinted cheeks (probably the aftermath of a sunburn), his newly tanned skin a fresh contrast against his white shirt, and the permanent grin that seems impossible to wipe off his face. My heart instantly flutters.

It's only been a few days since we've confessed our growing romantic interest in each other, but I can already feel the weight of his love pouring out of his heart and into mine the moment he realized that my arms would be there to catch him when he fell.

"I'm not going to wake up to an empty bed tomorrow morning, am I?" He’d joked when we stumbled, half-asleep, into Emma's flat after the wedding.

I frowned at him, "Why would you think that?"

"Just in case you think that kissing me was a mistake."

A small pause ensued, in which I realized that despite all my fears and all the pain I had been carrying in my heart ever since we landed on my motherland, I had not once considered how Kevin might be feeling at this very moment.

My eyes quickly took note of his countenance, sweeping right up to his face only to notice the flash of vulnerability in his eyes, the way the corners of his mouth were tense, cheekbones taught against his skin as he awaited for my answer with baited breath.

Clearing my throat, I whispered, "it wasn't."

A soft smile tugged at his lips, "good to know."

His answer seemed so genuine, so wholehearted that my chest tightened in a mixture of gratefulness and affection, so much so that my arms automatically reached for him to tug him close. My nose found its rightful place at his neck and I breathed in his comforting lilac smell that I enjoyed so much.

I felt him take a breath. Then, softly, a hand caressed the back of my head. I buried even closer if that was possible.

"I really want this to work," my words were a muffled mess and I was surprised that he understood.

"Me too," he murmured into my hair, "and it will work. I promise I won't break your heart Emily."

Looking back now at this tender moment in which we both weren't certain of where we were stepping, I can't help but laugh at the thought, for now the love and attraction is so natural I'm amazed it has taken this long to flourish.

Maybe I hadn't been looking the right way. Maybe I had been searching so far out and wide that I hadn't noticed that my safe harbour is the one standing right beside me.

"Hey Kevin," I call out.

Kevin turns towards me, where he'd been watching planes take off from the ground into the gorgeously blue sunny sky.

"Yeah?"

“I’m really glad you came.”

There's a few beats of silence although his mouth immediately cracks into that gorgeous, crooked grin of his that I adore so much.

“Me too.”

#original fiction #romance #angst #best friend #pining #slowburn #bestfriends to lovers #fluff #comedy #young adult books #author #young adult author

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