#Ridoc and sweetheart

[callsign-rogueone]

unrelated but I was listening to juno (sabrina carpenter) and it got me thinking: which of the gfverse couples are the most kinky in bed? if any? that's all, I hope you're doing well! love your writing, btw!

top three:

it is my firm belief that sawyer and peach are absolute freaks. they’re going at it morning noon and night when they’re at riorson house. sawyer is in charge. he’s a rider and she isn’t, so he definitely has the upper hand strength wise, and she loves it. add in the fact that he’s an executive officer and looks so good in his uniform… it stays on quite often. their dynamic will change a little after his injury, which causes some physical limitations, and with him living in the infirmary for a month, they can’t really do anything. but once he can make it up stairs to her room, all bets are off. and even if she’s on top, he’s still in control. (actively working on this, hehe)

lieutenant colonel brennan sorrengail fucks. duchess is never ever left unsatisfied. he’s also in charge 95% of the time. he just has that stern, commanding but loving energy, that makes you want to be a good girl for him. but it’s also quite fun to rile him up and tease him, and then see him snap. he’s a brat tamer through and through. he’ll spank or edge you until you finally cry and apologize, tell him that you won’t do it again. but be careful what you wish for — if you beg him to let you cum, you’ll be cumming four times that night, until you’re an absolute mess and can’t take it anymore. he’ll take such good care of you after, though <3

dain and love are also at it like rabbits (how’s that gonna go for them, lmao). it’s a constant tug of war with who’s in control, and her signet often comes into play. it’s just so easy to tie him up with little ropes of air, or slightly reduce the amount of oxygen he’s getting, making him dizzy… admittedly, it took a while for dain to be comfortable with not being in control, because of the traditional view that the man is in charge etc etc, and also to build the trust necessary to be okay with stuff like being tied up. but now he’ll do anything for you, as long as you call him a good boy while he does it. he needs that validation and praise like air. also, king of body worship. let him help you undress and kiss every inch of your skin, give you a massage, and then make you cum on his tongue.

honorable mentions:

garrick and angel. similar to sawyer and peach, gare is in charge, and much stronger. he’s able to put her in any position he wants, and manhandle her a bit, which she loves. and the size difference goes crazy. he’s a literal giant, and it’s so hot to see him towering over you while you’re on your knees, or above you, taking up your whole vision. again, it’s all built on the deep trust between them, that he won’t truly hurt her, that she’ll tell him if he does, and that she has the ability to stop him at any time with a word or a gesture. which is the bare minimum of a healthy d/s relationship!

bodhi and darling are also a coin flip to see who is going to be in charge. but often times neither of them is, and they’re just each focusing on the other and pleasing them. once darling gets her wingleader title… that definitely made a few appearances in their bed. he’s also a body worshipper. he just wants to make you feel good.

soft and gentle, and/or need more time to build trust and confidence before they do anything else:

this would be a great opportunity for me to tell you about my plans for liam and spark… apart from the one dragon-induced fuck fest (courtesy of tuile), they’re soft and sweet. they both already have enough pain in their lives, and feel the need to cherish every moment that they can touch. even on that day of him helping her out with her need, he still goes slowly and takes excellent care of her, because he hasn’t told her yet, but he’s deeply in love with her, and because he’s just the sweetest.

in time, ridoc and sweetheart will get up to some kinky shit. she reads, after all. she’s just inexperienced (also actively working on writing their first time!) and needs to be fully comfortable with the vanilla stuff first. once that trust is built, and she’s less anxious, they’ll have some fun, including his ice.

aaric and sunny probably won’t be doing anything for a while, both because demi/ace!aaric is everything to me, and because of sunny’s past issues. once they finally do, it’ll be soft and loving, and he’ll let her be in complete control / on top, so as not to trigger her or make her feel pressured to do anything she doesn’t want to do.

[callsign-rogueone]

in this order: Love, Ridoc (and a little bit Bodhi too), Sweetheart, Mira, Angel, Spark.

Random Character Profiles

Prodigal slacker. An exceptional intellect, capable of solving complex problems with ease, but absolutely no drive or motivation to apply their abilities towards any practical endeavors. Others are often frustrated by the wasted talent, but they couldn't care less. If their ideas are so great, someone else can come up with them. They're just here to laze around and have fun.

Loveable annoyance. A mind that dances on the border of sanity, and a perpetual source of simultaneous amusement and irritation. They delight in making puns and bad jokes at the expense of others' patience. Undeniably loveable nonetheless.

Reluctant recluse. They present a facade of rugged independence, portraying themselves as one who thrives on solitude and despises the company of others. They project an air of indifference towards others, often dismissing any attempts at connection or sympathy with a sharp retort or a cold shoulder. But beneath this tough exterior lies a soft spot reserved for the select few who have managed to breach their defenses—though they're reluctant to show it, going to great lengths to conceal the affection they view as weakness. Their stubborn refusal to accept help or acknowledge their own struggles stems from a fiercely guarded sense of pride, manifested in their vehement denial of any signs of weakness or vulnerability, even when they're visibly on the brink of death.

Sister figure. Sharp-witted and quick-tongued; will shame, embarrass, and ruthlessly tease. Their sarcasm is as much a display of fondness as it is merciless. Fiercely affectionate, extremely caring, unwaveringly loyal. Will put themself in danger for those they love, and will not hesitate to hurt anyone who offends or hurts those they care for; but mess up, and their sternness could make a warrior sob.

Impressively patient. Reserved, caring, mature, typically polite and tolerant to an extreme extent. May lash out occasionally. Possessive of a quiet strength, tending to observe situations with a thoughtful demeanor. Their reserved nature can be mistaken for aloofness despite their deep well of empathy and care for those around them. They navigate social interactions with a polite grace; however, beneath this composed exterior lies a potential for volatility on the rare occasions when they are pushed to their limit. Often the peacekeeper in friend groups.

People hater. Seems perpetually done with everything and everyone. Specialises in dry remarks and diminishing enthusiasm. General mood killer. However, their outward projection of disdain and superiority is really a mask of their own feelings of inadequacy.

Feel free to add on any other character descriptions you like! Happy writing ❤

[benz12313]

🥺👉👈 ridoc who falls head over heels in love with violets twin who is autistic and he's an absolute sweetheart to her, and helps her when she needs something and protects her.

Also their dragons are mated and aotrom is very over protective of her.

I had so much fun writing this. I hope this was written well. As a parent of an autistic child (diagnosed) and as someone who suspects herself and her other child are AuDHD but in the process of getting diagnosed, I really tried to represent this well. I also think in the Fourth Wing universe, at least in Basgaith, many mental differences are shunned or looked down upon, so I went that angle with this fic. Please give me feedback on how I did with this request. I also have some ideas for a part two so let me know if you'd like that! Thank you for your request though! I had a lot of fun working on it. :)

Own Worst Enemy - Ridoc x Sorrengail!Reader

Warnings: violence, death, dragon mate possessive behaviour

Word Count: 4,274

I sat quietly next to Violet, as she interacted with her- our friends. As much as they assured me that I was just as included as her, I’d never really felt that way. I wasn’t like her. I didn’t know what to say, what to do? Always feeling a little bit lost when the group was together, like I was one step behind, too busy analyzing everyone to add my own input into conversations. Sometimes it felt like they only put up with me because I was Violet’s twin, and not nearly as breakable as her. 

I was good with schoolwork and okay with challenges, at least good enough to hold my own and take minimal injuries; and my joints are stronger than hers, not popping and breaking under pressure. Perks of being a fraternal twin I guess. Our DNA isn’t identical. No, something else in me feels broken. Something deeper. More substantial. Something I never talked about with anyone, ever. 

Violet has asked before, in my moments of weakness, when everything is too much and I can’t hide. But I always am able to reign it back in then, hide it all behind a smile and recite lines I know will appease her worry. After all, the mask I wear protects me, especially growing up in a family where weakness isn’t tolerated. Even Dad, who saw straight through me. He expected me to reign it in too. Taught me in his own ways how to know what to say, how to make people look away, how to breathe when it was too much. Yet he still expected me to conform, to act like everything was okay. Like I wasn’t broken and weak minded. 

I was a good actress at least. Everyone just thought I was quiet and reserved. And they never looked too hard at me, letting me fall into the background. I preferred it that way, it was much easier.

Everyone, except Ridoc Gamlyn, of course. He was always right there. In my space, but somehow, I never minded it. Maybe because with Ridoc, it didn’t matter what I said, he just accepted it. When I missed an unwritten social rule, he just smiled and responded, somehow getting what I was trying to say instead of harping on how I said it. He was annoying at times, always a bit loud, but he could say or do whatever he felt like with no reservations, easily breaking through my walls like no other could. Not even my own sister. I was honestly a bit jealous. 

Ridoc wouldn’t let me fade either, prodding me to talk with him while the others were occupied in their own conversations. His voice usually quieter in those moments when he was trying to get me to reconnect, asking the oddest questions about whatever I was working on. It worked though, making my mind settle as I answered whatever he’d asked me, the casual back and forth grounding me, easing my anxiety over messing up. 

He could see me. Really see me, like nobody ever had. It didn’t take me long to understand though, as I quickly became interested in trying to figure him out. Nobody really saw him either. Seeing what he wanted them to see. The loud, boisterous, sexually overconfident man he let everyone see wasn’t all of him. He didn’t let them see his worry over schoolwork, or over whatever current obstacle we were being thrown as new riders (currently the gauntlet) or his disappointment when a night of fun never became anything more, even if his conquest came back, it was never more than for another round. It was such a carefully crafted act that nobody thought to ask questions, nobody seeing that there was even an act to catch. 

Nobody could see. But I could. And he knew I could, giving me a knowing smile in his moments of weakness, but I never knew what to say to make it better. I don’t really think he wanted any sympathy, hence the mask that mirrored my own. He interested me though, so completely different than the others. Even though that’s what he wanted, I could never truly look away. Not when he’d become my biggest source of safety in this death college. 

Always pushing me on the mat, giving me pointers on how to improve. Walking with me when I needed a moment, my body feeling restless. Talk about my books, even the smutty ones, maybe especially the smutty ones. He’d grin and let me talk for hours, sitting on his bed in the men’s dormitory as we talked quietly. He’d glare at any of the other men who looked at us too long, daring them to say something. To make one move towards me. None ever did. And he always listened, asking questions that actually made me think, or that would lead me to another tangent.

Ridoc Gamlyn was an enigma I could barely understand, so I too hung around. Maybe it was the same for him. Maybe we were both just trying to figure the other out, never quite getting there. Never quite understanding. But accepting. Always accepting. 

“I think, maybe you could bounce back and forth up the chimney. Your joints aren’t as weak as Violet’s so if you get enough speed and momentum…” He trailed off, as he watched me nudge my sausage across my plate. “Y/N?”

I met his warm brown eyes for a moment before my eyes quickly returned to my plate, torturing my sausage again. “I get what you’re saying. It’s worth a try.” It was presentation day, and this was my last try after all. Violet had told me her plan, but it wouldn’t work for me. If both of us pushed the rules like that, then one of us would definitely be disqualified. It was her plan, so I told her I’d already found another way. Lied through my teeth, but she’d let it go so it must’ve been convincing enough. 

“C’mon, you’ll make it.” He assured, like there was no possibility I wouldn’t. “After all, my best friend isn’t a weakling.”

The twisting in my gut wasn’t unfamiliar, it happened every time he mentioned us as being friends. Why? I wasn’t quite sure, and it was one of the few things I refused to ruminate on. I refused any negative emotion when it came to Ridoc, too afraid to let anything take hold and then let the emotions push away my only solace in this place. 

“Yeah.” I sighed. Then forced a smile as I met his gaze again, holding it this time. “Just want it to be over with.” 

He smiled, moving some hair out of my face, the annoying strand of hair that always refused to stay in my crown of braids. “I know you do. And you’re gonna kick ass, and then in two days, we’re gonna get dragons and be certified badasses.” He sent me a big grin and I sighed, looking away to hide the smile blooming on my lips. I speared the sausage on my fork and plopped it in my mouth, finishing my breakfast. 

“Yeah, yeah. Can’t get rid of me that easy.” I joked and with a quick glance from the corner of my gaze I saw his smile widen. 

“Exactly Sorrengail. You’re stuck with me. Forever.” I laughed, before standing, Ridoc quickly following me. “Besides, I haven’t heard about the end of that dark romance you’ve been reading. It’s just started getting good. And I won’t have the patience to read it myself if you go and die on me.”

“Glad to see I have some use.” I snorted at him, my body relaxing the moment we’d gotten to the hall. The noise of the cafeteria fading the further we got from it. Finally, I could actually hear myself think now. 

“Oh don’t be like that! You’re smarter than Violet, and that’s saying something.” He said and I rolled my eyes. 

“No, I just watch more than she does. It’s easier to put things together when I don’t have to worry about holding a conversation at the same time.” I countered and he chuckled, pinching my side and making me squirm away. I still giggled against my will though. “Plus the photographic memory helps.” I snorted out another laugh when he poked me again. “Stop that!” 

“Okay. Okay.” He relented, giving me a goofy grin and shoving his hands in his pockets. I knew that was the only way he’d be able to not touch me as he tried to honor my wishes. Ridoc never really could seem to keep his hands to himself when he was near me. Especially when he was nervous. “Don’t discount yourself though. You’re brilliant. Own it.”

“Shut it Gamlyn. I’ve got enough to worry about.” I sighed, taking in his expression before bumping his shoulder with my own. “Don’t need to worry about me okay? I won’t die today.” 

The anxiety in his eyes faded, replaced with all consuming warmth as I was stuck in his gaze. He opened the door ahead of us, not saying a thing. 

Ridoc’s POV

I held the door for her, warmth pulling at me as her gaze never faltered. I believed her, after all, it wasn’t often that she lied to me. In fact, she was usually unabashedly honest with me. A fact I was grateful for. She hid herself from the rest of our friends, her sister, but couldn’t hide from me. 

Her brilliant mind fascinated me, she was amazing in her own unique ways. How the others couldn’t see it was beyond me. She was definitely the strongest, and smartest of us. I just wish they could see that, that she could see that, just once. She finally rolled her eyes, moving through the door as her cheeks went pink and my chest swelled with pride. 

She was beautiful, in every way, and I'd been hopelessly pining after her since that first night when we’d been assigned to the same squad. When she’d finally met my gaze with those pretty y/e/c eyes of hers, catching me in a trance as she looked through me. Past my confident facade, straight to my core, past all the bullshit I wore like armor. But then she didn’t call me out like most would have, just cocked an eyebrow at me, and looked away. Like it was some secret that she was electing to keep for me. 

I’d been practically begging for her attention since, especially after I’d figured out that she was pretending too. That she hid herself, afraid of the inevitable rejection too. But she didn’t play pranks, pretend to be stupid and refuse any feelings too painful to address. No she refused everyone, never letting anybody too close to be able to hurt her. Only letting the rest of our friends close enough to see what she deemed the useful parts of herself, but never close enough for them to really see her. But she let me. And I knew it was because she saw our similarities. 

I was broken from my thoughts when we made it to the gauntlet, and fear seized my heart. As quickly as it’d taken over, it was gone because Y/N shoved my shoulder with hers again, sending me a bright smile. 

“We’ve got this Ridoc.” It was simple, yet wholly convincing. 

“We’ve got this.” I repeated, squeezing my hands into fists in my pockets to keep them still. To keep them from pulling her into my arms, and never letting go. 

Y/N’s POV

I made it. I fucking made it! Shock seized me as Ridoc’s bellows rang in my ears, not quite hearing it even though his words echoed through me. His arms were wrapped tightly around me, spinning me around as he held me in a bone crushing grip. He set me back on the ground but didn’t let go, burying his head in my shoulder. 

“You made it.” He whispered, and I nodded, tears pricking in the corner of my eyes as emotion flooded through me. Everything was suddenly too much as I hid my face in his chest. Breathe in. Out. In. Out. In. Out.

“I made it.” I whispered back, squeezing him from where my arms were wrapped around his neck. 

We made it through presentation as well. Though several of the less savory of our squad couldn’t say the same for themselves. None of the dragons really stood out to me, a hollow feeling in my chest as I walked off the flight field. I won’t be chosen. I knew none of those dragons would choose me, deep in my soul. I didn’t say anything though, not until I was sitting criss-cross with my back leaning on his pillows and headboard as I watched him sharpening his sword, talking about needing to be ready for threshing. 

“Did you-“ I paused when he quieted and glanced up at me, “Did you feel any of their approval?” I asked, voice barely above a whisper. 

“The dragons?” He asked, putting down the stone in his hand and setting the sword to the side. Damn him, he must’ve noticed my shift in mood, deciding to focus on me completely now. I nodded. He thought a moment, his face shifting into contemplation, a look I couldn’t help but find so handsome. “Not really. There was those greens that crowded your sister. But I was terrified of them. Maybe that brown one, towards the end, that was annoying the others? Rolling all around them. He was funny. But I don’t know, none of them really jumped out at me.”

He hadn’t been able to take his eyes off that brown. I remember following behind him, watching him as he had softly chuckled at the dragons antics. For him to have brought it up again…maybe he was just lying to me, or himself, but he’d definitely had a connection to that dragon. My heart dropped. 

He must’ve seen it too because he sighed, before crawling over and wrapping his arms around me as he pulled me into his side, and I leaned my head on his chest. “You are gonna get a dragon tomorrow. I just know it. Maybe your dragon just isn’t sure about you yet.”

“Comforting.” I snorted, voice devoid of emotion.

“Look, I know I haven’t convinced you, and you’ll be thinking some awful things about yourself now.” He paused, sighing and looking unsure of himself as he tried to find the right words to soothe me. Failing, but he’s cute, trying like that. “Just trust that I know, more than I’ve known anything that you will get a dragon tomorrow. If any of us deserves one, it’s you.”

The raw honesty in his voice made my heart race, and despite myself, his words gave me an inkling of hope. Hope that he was right. That there really was a dragon out there who could accept me, despite my shortcomings. Hope that a dragon would find me worthy. 

“Thanks Ridoc.” I mumbled, and hoped that he’d hold me just a little longer as I worked to pull myself back together. 

He did. 

Ridoc’s POV

I wandered the woods, my mind occupied with Y/N and her show of weakness last night. She never let the facade fall that completely before, she was scared. More scared than she’d been for the gauntlet. Afraid a dragon wouldn’t want her. I frowned as I hid behind a tree as a red passed by. I knew that one wasn’t mine, but luckily it either hadn’t noticed me or decided to spare me instead. 

I’d felt a tug all afternoon as I wandered the forest, coaxing me further and further inwards, where I knew that brown was waiting. I’d meant what I said last night, it’d only been once I’d left my friends that I felt the tug. But Y/N had caught what I hadn’t last night, in that way that only she does, already knowing the brown had intended on choosing me. 

I finally started moving again, lost thinking about Y/N. Too lost to notice the forest shifting in front of me, until a deep male voice rang through my head, ‘Oh come on! You didn’t even notice me!” 

I jumped back two feet, suddenly seeing two large golden eyes staring at me from a large brown swordtail that was hanging from a particularly large tree. A tree that still looked like it was about to buckle under the weight of him. 

“S-sorry.” I stuttered out. 

The brown jumped from the tree, landing on the ground and sending me staggering from the shockwaves. ‘I suppose I’ll forgive you. Only cause you’re so worried about her. Call me Aotrom, I’ll give you my full name later. You’re mine now.’ He sniffed at me as he circled me, before settling in front of me again, looking proud of himself. 

“You mean Sorrengail? Y/N?” I specified, remembering Violet was out here too. 

The dragon made a sound, that sounded suspiciously like a snort. ‘Who else? Your mate of course.’ 

My body froze as my mouth fell open in shock. “She’s not! We’re not-“ I shook my head. “She’s my friend.”

He tilted his head, looking confused. ‘Oh? I thought…’ He sounded confused too, thinking, before his face lit up again, tail wagging back and forth. ‘I see! Eve did say she thought you two hadn’t acted on it yet when I shared my memories with her. I guess she’s right!’

My mind was swimming. This-my dragon, Aotrom, was unlike any other dragon we’d learned about. That was for sure. And he thought me and Y/N were mates??? “Who’s Eve?” I finally let the words out and the dragon puffed his chest out as he straightened with obvious pride. 

‘My mate of course.’

Y/N POV

I kept a hand over my mouth as an orange slinked by, sniffing the air. I willed my traitorous heart to slow, afraid that the nasty looking dragon would hear my heartbeats and try to eat me. Eventually he slinked out of view, and I let out a small breath as I continued on my way.

I still felt that hollowness. No pull anywhere as I wandered around aimlessly. I’d run into a dozen different dragons now, and felt nothing from any of them. 

I silently wondered if Ridoc had found that brown swordtail. I wondered if Rhi and Violet had found theirs too. If Sawyer would finally get his own. If I would be forced to repeat the year as well, and start over next year. 

I paused when I heard a rustling in the bushes, but before I could hide, one of the other cadets strode out. It was one that hung by Barlow, not in his inner circle but itching to move his way in and appease the cruel man. He was tall and fit, definitely a foot taller than me. I palmed my daggers as he stared at me, cruel grin forming as he looked me up and down. 

“The quiet Sorrengail twin.” He hissed and I glared. 

“Won’t earn you any points with Barlow killing me.” By sheer will my voice was strong. 

“Oh, but it will weaken her, and Barlow will approve of that if he hasn’t killed her by the end of the day.” My heart raced at his words as I steeled myself for the fight ahead of me. He wasn’t backing down now. 

He ran four steps raising his sword and was about to swing when air rushed around me, and then suddenly he was lifted off the ground, a giant scorpion tail sticking out his back and through his chest. With a flick of the tail his body flew behind me. 

But I was frozen in fear. Standing in front of me was a dragon, with navy blue scales and bright green eyes narrowed on me, assessing. Waiting for what my response would be. It’s tail moved slowly now, curling around its body, which gave me some hope that this dragon didn’t plan on killing me. Yet at least. 

“Thank you.” I whispered, lowering my gaze as my thoughts went wild. There weren’t supposed to be any blues out here today. 

‘I came because my mate wished to take a rider, that’s all.’ Her voice was majestic, beautiful and commanding, filling my head and making my eyes snap back to hers. She was talking to me…but that meant… ‘Yes, Strategist, I agree with my mate’s assessment. You are worthy of being mine, despite your worries. He may have been selfish, having chosen his own already, but he had assured me that you would do me proud young warrior. Now, climb on, before I change my mind.’

She chuffed out a puff of air in my face and I chose not to argue and climb atop the small blue dragon. She wasn’t the smallest of the ones we’d seen during presentation, but she definitely wasn’t the largest, I noted as I climbed on top of her. 

She grumbled. ‘I am only 21!’ She hissed out the words irritated with my…thoughts. Great she can read my mind. ‘I will grow with time! I’ll be bigger than Aunt Sgaeyl even! Just you watch!’

So don’t mention her size. Noted. Wait, Sgaeyl? Riorson’s dragon??? 

‘My name is Eventhasil, but you may refer to me as Eve.” Then she was launching into the air not a second after I had thoroughly settled into the seat, ignoring my mental question of her lineage. I gripped her tightly with my thighs, hanging on for dear life. Once she leveled out, not jostling me at all anymore, I was able to actually enjoy the wind flowing through my hair. Joy flooded me and tears welled up again. I was actually chosen. 

‘That is a habit we will have to kill with prejudice. Your doubt in yourself is sickening.’ Though her words were harsh, I think that was supposed to be encouraging. 

‘What about your mate?’ I asked, changing the subject. ‘What’s he like? Who has he chosen?’ It would be nice to know exactly which cadet I’m now tied to for the rest of my life.

‘He approaches.’ She says simply, her voice going quiet as she speeds up, forcing me to hold tighter as a brown tried to catch up. Were they…racing? ‘Yes, and if Aotrom wins he’ll be insufferable. Hold tight.’ Determination laced her tone as she tightened her movements racing towards the flight field at top speed, easily outflying the brown as she flung her wings out at the last minute, landing quickly. I was nearly flung from my seat with the maneuver, but with luck and my muscles locking, I was able to hold on. The brown landed thirty seconds later, towering over Eve as he snapped at her face playfully. She snapped back at him, narrowly missing his neck as her tail swung behind us. 

But then another dragon landed on her other side and the brown lurched forward, growling low in his throat as he eyed the other male, his swordtail curling around Eve protectively.

She, however, sat calmly amidst his display of possessiveness. Almost…bored? 

‘Overpossessive male.’ She explained, irritation lacing her tone. ‘Male dragons are known to be volatile towards any potential threats in the first few years of establishing a mate bond. And Aotrom is very…determined to keep me as his.’ An obvious affection was laced in her last words. The other male backed away, submitting to Aotrom’s dominance and claim, eyes and head down as he moved out of range. Only when the male had moved a sufficient distance away and Aotrom relaxed, turning to his mate again did I see his rider. Ridoc. Holy shit! Ridoc!

Happiness bubbled within me. There was no one better to be tied to! Holy shit. And he looked unharmed, thank the gods. 

‘Go speak with him.’ Eve somehow sounded…teasing? ‘He’s relieved that Aotrom had told the truth when he told him that you were safe. As if I’d ever let harm come to what’s mine.’ She snorted at the last sentence and I laughed. 

‘I’m glad he’s okay too.’ I sent her way as I climbed down. 

The moment my feet hit the ground they lifted again, as Ridoc’s arms wrapped around me and swung me around. “We both got dragons! We’re both riders!” His voice was full of joy as he put me on my feet again. “We made it Y/N! We made it!” His hands moved to my cheeks, and I was frozen as euphoria took over his gaze, and then in a split second, his mouth was on mine. 

Moving, kissing, me. I slowly moved back holding onto the moment as my heart burst. My crush was kissing me. Tongue slipping into my mouth as he pulled me to him, pine and male and Ridoc taking over my senses completely as I lost myself in him. 

This moment was perfection. 

And then it was ruined, by Sawyer calling our names, obviously not able to really see us yet. Ridoc jumped back, looking panicked and my heart lurched. Did he not mean to do that? His eyes scanned mine as he backed up. 

“Talk later?” He asked, and I froze. He froze too, hands hovering over my waist. “Y/N? Talk later yeah?” 

I nodded, words catching in my throat as Eve growled in my mind. But she said nothing. 

“Yeah.” I whispered, putting on a smile as our friend greeted us. 

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[fantasticfourthwingimagines]

Complicated Pairing - Garrick Tavis x RiorsonSister!Reader Summary - You're finally reunited with your brother and your long term crush after years of separation, and one of the first things Garrick does is catch you hooking up with a fellow cadet. You've finally given up on him, so why is everyone insisting he's jealous? Word Count - 3.8k Warnings - Language, but that's it!

“Gotta admit, Gamlyn. That was fun.” You said, tugging your clothes back into place the best you could in the cramped closet. 

Ridoc grinned at you. “Anytime you want a repeat sweetheart, you let me know.” 

You threw him a smirk, still catching your breath. “I might take you up on that.” And you might. It had been nice having a release after all the adrenaline from the fight you two had sparring on assessment day. While you didn’t know him that well, you had a nice feeling about Ridoc. He was in your squad and seemed like a good person. “Now we should get back -”

The door flew open, causing you to stumble into Ridoc’s arms who thankfully caught you. The light blinded you both for a minute before a large figure blocked it out, his arms crossed over his chest. 

Shit. Well at least it wasn’t Xaden or Ridoc might not be alive right now. 

“Damn it Garrick, you scared the shit out of me!” You said, stepping out of Ridoc’s arms to shove him out of the way. 

Garrick’s hand clamped on your hip, hot and possessive, and the jolt it sent through you made you hate yourself a little. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” He asked - voice low, lethal - but his gaze wasn’t brotherly. It was territorial, and he was looking over your shoulder at Ridoc who you guessed was probably about to shit his pants. 

“Woah, calm down, we were just . . . Blowing off some steam.” You said, shrugging your shoulders and trying to get Garrick’s attention on you by tapping his . . . Ridiculously toned chest. 

It worked, but you weren’t a fan of the result. In all the years that you’d known Garrick, you’d never seen him look so angry at you. “Oh? Do you think Xaden would be fine knowing I’d found you in a closet with him?” He snapped, his eyes dark and sharp. 

Now it was your turn to be upset. “Why the hell would I tell him anything about this?” You asked in disbelief. It’s not like you wanted Ridoc dead. 

“Uh, why am I getting the feeling you two know each other?” Ridoc spoke up behind you. 

“I’m pretty much her brother-” Garrick started, looking at Ridoc like he was about to rip his head off. 

That one cuts deeper than you care to admit. You bite it down with the same blade you’ve been using for years to carve him out of your heart. You took a step back so his hand fell off you and at his side instead. “No. He’s my brother’s best friend.” You snapped. Who was he to come around and judge you for your decisions anyway? “And someone who has no right to try and make choices for me.” 

His gaze shot back to you. “I’m your section leader-”

Was he trying to pull rank?! On you?! Now?! Fury must have shone through your eyes, but Garrick didn’t back down. “Who has no say in who I have sex with!” You’d spent years pining after him, dreaming about what it would be like to have his attention, and now, as soon as you stop hoping, he shows up acting like he still gets a say?

His eyes flashed with pure shock for a moment before a fire blazed in them, and he leaned down, invading your space. “Maybe not, but I’m sure your brother would love to know what you’re doing with a squadmate in his Wing.” He added as if you needed the clarification. 

“Riorson is your brother?!” 

That’s it. You were going to kill Garrick Tavis. You turned back to give Ridoc a sheepish smile. “Did I not mention that?” 

Garrick let out a snort, and you turned around to find the asshole looking pleased with himself. 

Gods you’d never been so pissed at him. “You know, section leader?” You spat the words like they tasted foul. “You can go fuck right off, and hope and pray to Dunne that I don’t stick spiders in your bed again like Bodhi dared me to when I was thirteen. Or maybe I’ll let Ridoc do a full report after our next closet rendezvous. I’m sure you’d love that.” You shoot him a certain finger, and turned on your heel, throwing over your shoulder, “And go ahead - report me. I’m sure Xaden would love to hear about his baby sister’s sex life from you.” You added, calling his bluff. 

Garrick didn’t say anything. His jaw ticked, like he was chewing on words he wanted to hurl after you, but they never came.

Good. Let him choke on them.  

“You know, now that I’m looking at you, the two of you kinda look alike.” 

Surprised, you turned to look at an appraising Ridoc who had fallen into step beside you. “Wait - you’re not - you’re not running for the hills based on what you found out?” 

He raised his eyebrows at you. “Should I be?” 

You blinked. That . . . wasn’t a reaction you were used to. Most people either ran or kissed your ass the second they connected you to Xaden. Ridoc? He didn’t even flinch. You were sure as soon as anyone in your squad found out who you were that they’d want nothing to do with you. Mostly because, you weren’t afraid to admit, your brother was in fact fucking terrifying the majority of the time. “I - I guess not. I just assumed you would be.” 

Ridoc slung his arm around your shoulders. “Listen, I’m not about to let a little thing like your super hot, but totally scary brother get in the way of what I think is the start to a beautiful friendship.” 

Something warm unfurled in your chest - not the kind of heat that came from adrenaline or attraction, but something steadier. Safer. Like you’d found something you didn’t even know you needed. You’d had people your whole life, friends and family you loved, but . . . They’d always been Xaden’s friends first. Ridoc? He felt like a friend just for you. “A beautiful friendship, huh?” 

“I would say friends with benefits, but I don’t think Tavis is going to let you stay single for long.” Ridoc said, raising his eyebrows at you with a smirk. 

Your brow furrowed. “What do you mean?” 

Ridoc drew the both of you to a stop. “Did you miss the way he was preparing to crush my skull with those enormous, unfairly sexy biceps?”

You rolled your eyes. “He was just being overprotective on Xaden’s behalf.” 

Ridoc stared at you, and you got the distinct impression that he didn’t believe a word you said. He shook his head though, and the two of you started walking again. “Sureeee . . . Whatever you say. Now, how are you in history? Because I’m pretty sure without some help I’m definitely going to fail.” 

If only he knew the real history. “Unfortunately my dear friend-” you wrapped your own arm around his waist, giving him an apologetic smile. “When it comes to history, we are well and truly fucked.”

“Fuck.”

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

You were still irritated at Garrick when it came time for your little meeting with the rest of the marked ones. In fact, you were feeling pretty irritated about everything until you took a step outside and found someone waiting for you. “Liam.” You said, a bright smile forming on your lips at the sight of your fellow blonde cadet. 

“I was sent here to get you out of a foul mood?” He said, raising his eyebrows at you, but his grin made you feel right at home. 

You frowned, proving his point, but quickly wiped it away as you stepped forward to wrap your arms around the boy you considered your second brother. “People are being dumb. I don’t like it.” You murmured into his shoulder. 

Liam laughed, returning your hug for a moment before pulling away. He put his hands on your shoulders, giving them a squeeze. “You know, you might not be surrounded by so many dumb people if you’d gone to the squad you were supposed to.” He said, raising his eyebrows at you. 

Immediately you’re annoyed again. You turn your back on him, letting out a groan. “I’ve already had my lecture from Xaden, I don’t need another one from you.” 

He hurried to catch up with you, slipping an arm around your shoulders. “No lecture. Just reminding you of how we could be kicking ass together.” 

“I got curious about her. She’s supposed to be this weak, fragile thing, yet the first time I saw her she’s practically chopping off Barlowe’s balls.” You shrugged as the two of you approached the other marked ones. “Plus I thought it might help Xaden . . .” Gods you wished he could see that. That your brother could know all you wanted to do was try and make his life a little easier. 

The man in question glanced up as the two of you neared the quiet crowd, and Xaden gave the smallest smile, meant only for you. Garrick was next to him, but you pointedly ignored him, returning your brother’s little smile. 

Out of the corner of your eye, you caught the shift - Garrick’s jaw tightened, eyes tracking you like you were something he couldn’t look away from. 

You pretended not to notice. 

Of course Liam picked up on it, he picked up on everything. “Why do I get the feeling you’re not just upset about Xaden?” He said, nodding pointedly to Garrick. 

You clenched your jaw. 

Liam smirked, shaking his head. “What did he do this time?” 

“You mean besides treating me like a child who’s not old enough to enjoy some male company when the mood strikes her?” You snapped before you could think better of it. 

The smirk on Liam’s face only widened. “Thank gods it’s finally happening.” 

“What the hell does that mean?” You asked, your voice pitched just a little too high. Defensive. 

Liam wiggled his brows. “Just that Garrick is circling like a territorial dragon and you’re pretending you don’t like it.” 

“I don’t,” you said automatically, but the heat in your cheeks said otherwise. 

“Come on, it’s obvious. We’ve all been waiting for it to happen for years.” Liam said, smirking at you. 

Your heart pounded harder in your chest, but you couldn’t figure out why. “What are you talking about?” 

“Garrick finally realizing he’s in love with you.” Liam answered matter of factly. 

If you had been drinking something you would have choked on it. “Liam, what the fuck?” You gasped. 

“Oh come on,” he said, looking at you in disbelief. “It’s so damn obvious. We’ve been taking bets for forever on how long before he noticed your massive crush and realized how perfect you two are for each other.” 

You could feel the heat rushing to your face as your eyes glanced at the man in question for the briefest moment. He was talking to Xaden, and your heart gave its all too familiar lurch at the sight of him. 

His head tilted like he felt your eyes on him. Just for a second. His brows drew together, confused, like he couldn’t quite figure out what you were thinking. Or maybe what he was. 

You looked away, fighting back a sigh. It’d be pointless to deny your crush. You hadn’t known how to be subtle about it when you were younger. Now though? You could hide it. Try to move on from it. Which you definitely wouldn’t be doing if there was a chance that Garrick was into you. “Well that’s never going to happen,” you muttered, forcing your eyes away from Garrick. “I got the message loud and clear when he called me his best friend’s little sister like I wasn’t even standing there.” 

Liam’s smirk never faded. “Want to test that theory?” 

This was ridiculous. There was no way Garrick Tavis had any sort of feelings for you other than being his best friend’s little sister. “You’re wasting your time.” You told him, rolling your eyes. 

“Which means you’ve got nothing to lose.” He grinned. “Unless you’re scared he might actually feel something back.” 

You scowled. “This is ridiculous.” 

“So prove it,” he said, eyes dancing. 

. . . Liam knew you entirely too well. You couldn’t back down from a challenge. “Fine, what pointless thing do you want to do?” 

Liam slung his arm around your shoulders again, tugging you right against his side. “You don’t have to do anything. Just go with it.” He said, turning his attention back to Xaden who had started speaking. 

You’d been on the receiving end of enough Xaden lectures to not feel bad about your lack of attention. He was talking to the rest of the first years, figuring out what he could do to help them. It made you proud to be his sister. Was he harsh? Yes. Was he telling them things they needed to hear? Yes again. 

“Watch his body language.” Liam whispered to you.

You did what he asked, letting yourself look at Garrick as Xaden continued to speak, splitting up the first years between Garrick and Imogen. “Garrick’s the best fighter we have, but Imogen’s right there with him.” 

“Well actually-” Garrick looked over at you, but froze immediately. 

Liam turned his head, letting his lips come so close to your ear that his breath made you shiver. “Jaw and fists,” he murmured. Then, more playfully: “Let’s test a theory.” Before you could ask what he meant, he pressed a slow, deliberate kiss to your cheek. 

You did what Liam said, keeping your eyes locked on Garrick’s body as he took in the sight of you and Liam. Surprise flooded your system as Garrick’s eyes narrowed on Liam’s arm, his jaw clenched. Your eyes traveled down his tense arms to his hands which were now clenched into fists. All signs that Garrick was not happy about what he was seeing. Something low and wild stirred in your stomach. You weren’t sure if it was victory or something more dangerous, but it hit you hard. 

“Yeah, well we’d all be great fighters too if Xaden was our brother, and had been training us since birth.” A cadet snapped near you. 

You turned slowly, leveled him with a glare, and flipped him off without a word. Liam stifled a laugh next to you. Garrick, though? He stepped forward before Xaden could respond, his eyes burning into the cadet. 

“You might want to think before you speak again, cadet,” Garrick said, his voice low and dangerous. “She’s the last person you want as an enemy.”

Your eyes widened in shock and . . . pride. You glanced back up at Xaden who was clearly fighting a smile and Garrick still looked like he would like nothing better than to let Chradh drag the kid around by the foot and grin while he did so. He was hardly one who easily got mad or upset, and you knew you wouldn’t want that look he was giving the cadet thrown in your direction. 

“Do you believe me now?” Liam whispered in your ear again, and you playfully shoved him with your shoulder. 

“He’s just being protective.” You muttered, but even to your own ears the words sounded thin. 

Liam snorted. “Protective? Please. Xaden’s not throwing daggers with his eyes every time I touch you.” He said, subtly nodding in the man’s direction. 

You followed his nod. Garrick’s jaw was tight again. His arms were crossed. His gaze flicked to where Liam still held you, like it physically pained him. 

It was hard for you to deny it. Was Liam actually right? You let out a soft sigh and rested your head against Liam’s shoulder like you’d done thousands of times before. “He still told Ridoc he was like my brother.” You admitted. 

Liam was silent for a couple of moments. “Well, I never said he wasn’t an idiot.” 

You had to fight back a laugh, but the humor died as you looked back to find Garrick’s eyes on you again. He crossed his arms over his chest, and he actually looked . . . Upset. For a moment, guilt twisted in your gut, but then heat bloomed in your chest.

Seriously? He could look at you like that - like you’d just betrayed him - after all his lecturing, all his possessive bullshit? He didn’t get to act like that. Not when he’d made it clear you were just someone to protect. Not when he’d told Ridoc you were like a sister. 

If you wanted to crawl into Liam’s lap or fuck half the damn quadrant, it was your business. Not his. 

You turned your gaze away from him, focusing back on the conversation right at the moment when they were complaining about Violet. You rolled your eyes. “She’s stuck here too, you know.” 

The whole group quieted, turning toward you.

“What?” You heard Imogen say, clearly offended. 

You straightened, lifting your head off Liam’s shoulder. “I said, Violet’s stuck here just like the rest of us. Bleeding the same blood. Going through the same hell we are. Her mother’s a monster, yeah - but Violet’s not her, and shouldn’t we be striving to show the Navarrians that we’re better than they are by not punishing them for the sins of their parents?” You asked, raising your eyebrows. You hated Violet’s mother. Given the chance you’d probably try and kill her too. But Violet was not her mother, just like you and Xaden weren’t Fen. She’s lost a brother, at least she thought she had, and you’d lost a father. Hadn’t everybody already lost enough? 

“What the hell, are you seriously defending her now?” Imogen snapped, her expression twisting like you’d just stabbed her in the back. 

You knew Imogen couldn’t stand her, and you hated pissing off your friend, but you also thought she was wrong. You shrugged your shoulders. “It’s hard not to respect a girl who’s got the guts to put a dagger to some asshole’s balls the first time you see her.” You admitted. 

Imogen couldn’t say anything to that, because she knew you were right. She also wasn’t going to admit it either. 

“I will take care of Sorrengail.” Xaden said, cutting through the tension with a voice like steel. He shot a glance at Imogen, then at you - unmistakably a warning to drop it. 

The conversation ended quickly after that, but before you could leave Xaden called you over to him. “Great, time for another lecture.” You muttered to Liam, who just laughed and gave you a shove toward Xaden and Garrick. 

“Are you still pissed off?” Xaden asked you, not wasting any time, crossing his arms over his chest. 

“Are you?” You asked, raising your eyebrows at him and matching his posture, crossing your own arms while you completely ignored the man standing beside him. 

He didn’t answer for a moment, but then let out a sigh. “I was trying to keep you away from this as much as possible.” 

“Well that sure was a dumbass move on your part. Guess Garrick’s bad judgement is contagious.” You glared at both of them, pulse hammering in your ears. “You need to accept that I’m in this. I’m your sister, and I love you. That means I’m not going anywhere.” Finally you turned to Garrick plastering on the fakest smile you could summon. “And you? You can still fuck right off.” You spun on your heel. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m exhausted. Try getting your heads out of your asses.” 

It was strangely cathartic to tell off your brother and Garrick, like they hadn’t just taken off two years ago, and the three of you were right back at Riorson house. All you needed was to add Bodhi to the picture. Gods you wished you were back in Aretia instead of this place you had to call home for the next three years. You were almost at the door when a call of your name made you groan. 

“Wait, please!” Garrick called, and you felt his arm grip your wrist way faster than he should have been. 

You glanced back at where Xaden was, measuring the distance. “How the hell did you get over here so fast?” You asked in disbelief. 

Garrick ignored your words. “I don’t like it when you’re mad at me. Especially when I’ve barely gotten to see you the past two years.” 

Irritation leapt up once more, and you yanked your wrist out of his grip. “Well I don’t like being mad at you when I’ve missed you like crazy for the past two years, but when you do dumb shit like act like an overprotective brother-” you spat the word like it was poison, “-you don’t give me much of a choice.” 

Garrick actually flinched like you’d slapped him. His mouth parted slightly, like the word had knocked the air right out of his lungs. “I shouldn’t have said that.” 

“Why not? That’s what you are right? Just another overprotective brother-”

One moment you were facing Garrick, and the next your back hit the wall, his body crowding yours, the heat of him pressing in. His hand landed on your hip, strong and grounding, thumb brushing slow, gentle strokes that sent a wildfire through your veins. Your heart stuttered stupidly at his closeness, but before you could say anything he did. “I am not your brother, and I definitely do not look at you like a sister.” 

Oh fuck it felt so good to be this close to him. You felt crowded in the very best way - absolutely protected and safe. If only that feeling applied to your heart too. “Then tell me, Garrick,” you whispered, voice trembling despite your best efforts. “How do you look at me?” You asked, even though you were terrified of the answer. 

Garrick didn’t answer at first, instead letting his free hand rise to your face, and you closed your eyes as he brushed some escaped hair behind your ears like he’d done a million times before, but somehow this time it felt a million times more intimate. “Fuck, I don’t know.” The words came out raw, almost broken. “It’s like . . . you’ve always been there, and now I can’t look at you without -” He cut himself off. 

Well that . . . Was not the answer you wanted to hear, but it sure woke you up. You opened your eyes and placed your hands on his chest, ignoring how muscular it was and shoving him back from you so you could get past him to the door. “Then you need to figure it the fuck out.” You shoved past him, fury and heartbreak warring in your chest. “And don’t expect me to sit around waiting while you do.” 

You didn’t look back, and the door slammed behind you so hard it rattled the frame.

[vintagestarlight]

Subtle Acts of Love

Pairing: Garrick Tavis x fem!reader

Summary: Garrick shows you he loves you in small ways

Warnings: fluff

Word Count: 5.2k(this one got away from me haha)

A/N: Been a little MIA these last couple of weeks; I was on vacation and then last week was super busy. I've been wanting to write something for Garrick for a while now so I hope everyone enjoys this fic of Garrick and his sweetheart🥺

I'd love to write more for these two so send in any requests you might have about Garrick and Princess and I'll do my best to get to them! Not gonna lie I was listening to Alex Warren's song Ordinary and I felt like it fit perfectly! Hope you guys enjoy this!💕

Let me know who you'd like to read a fic about next :)

****Beware of typos lol(my computer is acting up) and constructive criticism is always helpful!

You had been studying for days, preparing for the upcoming Battle Brief exam that hung over you like a dark cloud. Your mind was drowning in the notes you had been taking during class containing outpost information, skirmishes, and other information that you swore was swimming around on the page in front of you. Despite your best efforts, the stress had started to seep into every facet of your life. If you weren't training or going to class, you were studying or eating in the dining hall and your friends had started to take notice. You noticed the sun's rays casting a warm glow over your room and you peeked out your window to see the sun setting in the distance. You sighed and rolled your shoulders to try and get rid of the tightness from being hunched over your materials. A knock sounded at your door and you jumped, the sound pulling you from your thoughts.

You got up to open it and saw your squad standing in front of you. "We're all heading to the dining hall, want to join?" Rhiannon asked. "I don't know," You hesitated, casting a glance behind you at the open textbooks on your desk, "I feel like I should keep going over the material for battle brief," You answered. "Oh come on," Ridoc groaned playfully. "You're going to ace the exam like always. I'm sure you could take a break to feed yourself," he went on. "Alright," You gave in with a small smile and Ridoc threw his arm around your shoulders pulling you into his side, jostling you.  "You know there's more to life than studying," He teased. You sat with your squad, munching on dinner as the boisterous energy around you reached its peak. You had to admit it was nice taking a small break but the upcoming exam still nagged at you at the back of your mind. I'll go back to studying after dinner. You decided.

A shadow loomed over you and you tilted your head up to see Garrick standing behind you and you smiled. Garrick had been your best friend since first year at Basgiath last year and the two of you had practically been inseparable since. "Hey you," He said, sliding his large frame on the bench beside you. His deep, raspy voice caused your heart to flutter. Just being near him, your body seemed to loosen and let go of some of the tension it had been keeping. Garrick must have noticed because his eyebrows furrowed. "Are you alright?" He asked. You nodded. "Just a bit stressed about the exam for Battle Brief," You replied. "You'll do great, I know you will. I know your studies are important to you but try not to stress too much," He said, rubbing his thumb along the back of your hand.

You nodded and though his words were comforting, the anxiety didn't leave completely. "I really should get back though," You replied, standing up. Your friends protested but you promised to spend more time with them once the exam was over tomorrow. "I'll walk you back," Garrick offered, rising to his full height. Admittedly, he had made you uneasy the first time you saw him because of how big he was; Violet had called him "the big one" the first time your squad watched him spar with Xaden and the moniker was fitting. But after you helped him the first time in math, you realized he wasn't always as scary as he seemed and now you couldn't imagine your life without him in it. You and Garrick strolled leisurely through the corridors-or rather Garrick strolled leisurely-and chatted a bit.

"Why are you so stressed about the exam?" He finally asked. "It's an important exam. I don't want to fail," You replied, as if it was obvious. The two of you had made it to the courtyard and the smell of honeysuckle amid the fresh air tickled your nose. "You always say that you're scared to fail but you never fail and you worry yourself too much about it. So why are you so stressed about passing school all the time if you're good at what you're doing?" He asked, leaning his back against a pillar as the two of you sat on the cobblestones. "I don't know....I guess I just don't want to disappoint my family. They were so proud of me when I got accepted to join the quadrant," You admitted. The swath of daylilies growing at the edge of the courtyard a few fingers length away caught your eye. You reached down and stroked the delicate petals and a soft smile graced your face; they were your favorite flowers with their showy and vibrant colors and they never failed to make you smile. "I just feel like if I fail, even an exam, I'll be letting them down somehow," You said, letting the petal slide along your fingers. "You're one of the best students I know, Y/n. I'm sure your parents would be proud of you no matter what," He said softly, watching you look at the flowers.

The next morning you woke up and the pit in your stomach about the exam was still there. Talking with Garrick helped but the anxiety wouldn't go away until the exam was over. You finished braiding your hair, strapped your daggers to your side, and grabbed your book bag. You sighed and opened the door and almost stepped on something laying on your doorstep before gasping softly. Laying on your doorstep bound together with twine was a bouquet of daylilies, the same ones you had stopped to admire yesterday. You picked up the bundle and admired the vibrant oranges, pinks, and yellows. You brought them to your nose and inhaled the sweet scent and noticed a small piece of paper tucked into the twine. "I know they're your favorite." It read and you noticed it was unsigned. I wonder who left them. You thought to yourself. It could've been any of your friends since they all knew you liked them. You stepped back inside, placed the flowers on your desk, and left for battle brief; and of course you passed the exam. 

"Oh, come on again?" You cried out, seeing the lack of your favorite dessert on the dessert table. "They have plenty of other good desserts," Violet offered, amused. "I know but I wanted the blackberry tartlets again," you said, craving the delicate little pastry. You settled for lemon squares and while they were delicious, they certainly weren't blackberry tartlets. "Want me to bribe the bakers to get some for you?" Garrick chuckled. "I know you're only teasing, but I'd love you forever," You laughed, and you missed the way the red crept up Garrick's neck as he smiled sheepishly. The conversation quickly turned, and you forgot about the missing dessert you had wanted.

"Don't overreach y/l/n!" Emetterio shouted over the noise in the sparring gym. "You open yourself up if you keep doing that," he continued. You had been partnered with a girl from third wing and although she was small, she was infuriatingly quick. She knocked your feet out from under you before you had time to register what had happened and pinned you to the mat forcing you to yield. Emetterio sighed but class had lapsed, and the girl got up and offered you a hand, giving you a small nod before rejoining her squad. You walked over to your own, undoing the wrappings on your hands. “Getting your ass kicked by a first year?” You heard behind you. You looked over your shoulder and saw Garrick standing beside your gym bag. “Oh, please like you never lost a fight,” You snorted. “Besides I was just distracted,” you said. It was true; you were still thinking about the flowers left anonymously a few weeks ago and... Garrick looked really good sparring with Xaden during your match. Garrick opened his mouth but before he could ask about it, your squad called for you. “I’ll see you later?” You looked at Garrick before grabbing your gym bag and he gave you a nod. You and the rest of your squad headed towards the showers to wash off the sweat and stink of sparring practice. Sawyer and Ridoc split from the group heading towards the male showers while you, Rhiannon, and Violet headed towards the female showers. 

The steam hit you in the face and suddenly you desperately wanted out of your gym clothes to feel the hot water wash everything away. "So still no idea who left those flowers?" Rhiannon asked, stripping off her shirt revealing a standard issue black sports bra. "No," You shook your head, setting your gym bag on the bench and taking a seat next to it. "I guess I should give up trying because it could be anyone." You slipped off your shoes and your shirt, leaving them in your locker to grab after your shower, before opening your gym bag to pull out fresh clothes. You scrunched your eyebrows in confusion. "What is it?" Violet asked, seeing the look on your face. "Not sure but it was sitting on top of my clothes," You murmured, pulling out a small but thick package wrapped in butcher paper and tied with twine. "Well open it I want to see what it is," Rhiannon said. You gingerly untied the twine and peeled back the butcher paper to find five...blackberry tartlets. You'd recognize the little pastries anywhere. The buttery crust held together a pastry cream layer, a blackberry compote layer, and topped with fresh blackberries dusted with powdered sugar. "Did one of you guys put this in my bag?" You asked but both of the girls shook their heads. "I love you but you know how the bakers are," Violet jokes, peeking out from behind the shower curtain. It was true the bakers were known to be a bit...difficult. It was common knowledge you didn't want to piss off the bakers who felt themselves to be superior and all important. "Someone must really like you," Rhinanon smiled before stepping into the shower. Yeah. you thought. But who?

Your squad, plus Xaden and Garrick were gathered in the common room studying or otherwise pouring over old books from the Archives. "So I heard you got another present from your secret admirer," Ridoc teased, looking up from his spot on the floor where he laid on his stomach, a textbook open but discarded. Everyone's head turned to look at you and you felt your face heat up. "Pastries in my gym bag," You murmured. "Not just any pastries...I heard they were the desserts you were wanting. Blackberry tartlets perhaps?" Ridoc wiggled his eyebrows, a huge grin plastered on his face. "Yes, they were," You said, a little uncomfortable about the attention focusing solely on you. "But they're not a secret admirer. I think they're just trying to be nice," You added, the weak defense clearly doing nothing to convince your companions. You happened to glance over at Garrick who was watching with an unreadable expression. Was he upset? You wondered. Did he care at all? Your little crush had bloomed over the last year and you knew you loved Garrick even if you never had the courage to say anything and you knew you wouldn't return the feelings your "secret admirer" had. You only wanted Garrick and you wished you could tell him.

"Please anyone who gets anonymous gifts has a secret admirer. Maybe you should try to find out who it is," Rhiannon joined the conversation. "If they found out who it was that would obviously defeat the point of the secret part," Ridoc snorted derisively. "Plus everyone knows two gifts is too early to attempt to discover a secret admirer's true identity," Ridoc added seriously. "Oh yeah who said that?" Sawyer laughed. "Everyone knows that!" Ridoc whined, shoving his friend's shoulder playfully.

"I don't but I wish I did know who it was so I could thank them and let them know how much I appreciate it," You replied. Even if you wouldn't return their feelings, it was still thoughtful what they were doing. "Maybe they already know," Garrick pointed out and you looked over. His hazel eyes always made you feel weak in the knees but there was something...different in them. "Maybe," You whispered. "Well, if they ever decide to stop being anonymous, tell them to send one my way too. I wouldn't mind tarts and a love confession," Ridoc smirked from his spot. A few laughed and the tension faded but garrick's look stayed with you.

The morning bell sounded, signaling classes were beginning soon. Your first class of the day was Dragonkind with Professor Kaori, and your steps were light but brisk, not wanting to be late. You rounded the corner and there he was- Garrick stood leaning against the wall, dwarfing the first years that passed by. "Cutting it a bit close today. Are you trying to make me late?" He joked, falling in step beside you. You rolled your eyes playfully. "I'm not the one making you late, you've got your own schedule," You laughed as you and Garrick made your way to Kaori's classroom. "I guess," He said with a lazy smile. "I can't just have you roaming the halls by yourself though," He added. You blinked in surprise. "I appreciate it but you don't have to always walk me to class," you replied. "I'd be fine." Garrick gazed down at you briefly. "I know you would be but I don't mind," he told you, his voice softer. A part of you wanted to argue but the warmth in his eyes made it hard so instead you gave him a small nod, letting the moment settle in. His presence beside you was comforting; like something you didn't realize you needed until it was already there. As the two of you walked a comfortable silence spread over the both of you- that was something you always liked about being around Garrick; you never had to fill the space with small talk if it wasn't needed- and you let your mind wander. 

It struck you how often he did this, walking you to your classes. How often he waited for you even though he didn't have to, seemingly always there. Most of his classes were on the other side of the academic wing so they weren't exactly close and yet, without fail, he always made a point to walk you to yours even if it meant he'd be late to his own. The two of you approached the crowded courtyard, students milling about as they gathered for their own classes. "So what do you think?" Garrick asked, a teasing glint in his eyes. "What?" You asked, shaking your head free from your thoughts. You followed his gaze and you realized- Garrick was close to his class but you were still a good several minutes from yours. You would make your class on time as always but he'd be late. Again. "Are you sure you don't mind risking detention just to walk me to my class?" You asked, a soft smile curling at the corner of your lips.

Garrick smirked at you, not breaking his stride. "It's worth it," he said, his voice unbothered. "Besides I've been late to worse things. A class won't kill me," He added. "And this...is more important than your class?" You asked, raising an eyebrow at him in bemusement. "Always," he quickly responded as if it was the most natural response in the world. "Besides you're stuck with me now whether you like it or not," He grinned. You chuckled and shook your head, knowing there was no arguing with Garrick once he made up his mind. By the time you reached your class Garrick was already glancing at the crowded hallway with slight frustration. "I should get going," He murmured but there was no real urgency behind his words. He was clearly in no rush to leave you, regardless if it meant he'd be late to his own obligations. "Thanks," You said softly. "I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have you walking to my classes everyday," You joked lightly. 

“I have no doubt you’d make it on your own but I’m in no hurry to let you,” He teased, giving you a wink. “Have a good class,” He said and with that he turned and started making his way through the crowd towards his own class. You stood there for a moment and watched him leave, your heart swelling a little. Walking you to class was one of those small things that amounted to something much more significant than what it seemed on the surface. It struck you and you realized that Garrick wasn’t doing these little gestures to simply pass the time; he was showing you in the only way he knew how that he cared. As you took your seat, you thought about the anonymous gifts that had been left for you and you wondered. Was Garrick leaving them for you?

You were tucked into a quiet corner of the library, your head hunched over the textbooks in front of you as you tried to get through some of your assignments that had piled up. It was late and the rest of your squad had already said goodnight and left. Garrick sat next to you and his warm presence filled the space. He didn't have anything to study and you told him he could leave with everyone else but he refused, remaining seated beside you. Your back ached with the hunched position you had been in the last few hours and your arms and legs felt stiff from sitting. You really should have taken a break hours ago, probably left with everyone else, but there was so much to do and you didn't want to fall behind. Your eyes crossed as you furiously scribbled down notes and you closed them, stifling a yawn. "I think it's time you stopped for the night," Garrick said, half amused, half serious but you shook your head. "I'll take a break in a few minutes," You said, cursing your voice for sounding weary. "You said that hours ago princess," he murmured. You looked up and noticed the fire had dimmed significantly and all but a few mage lights had gone out; maybe time had gotten away from you more than you wanted to admit. "Just a little longer and I'll leave," You protested weakly, but Garrick wasn't having it. "You won't be able to study efficiently if you're as tired as you are," He said and he had a point. You conceded and started packing up your things, putting your papers, notes, and pens in your book bag and closing your textbooks. You stood up, your body protesting from being in the same position for so long and you stretched. 

Garrick stood beside you and without missing a beat grabbed your stack of textbooks before you could even reach for them. "What are you doing?" You asked, wincing as you remembered the weight of them even though deep down you knew the weight barely bothered him. "Helping you," He said, nonchalantly. "But I can carry my own books," You replied. "I know you can but right now you're so tired you can barely stand," he pointed out. He grabbed your book bag from the chair and slung it over his shoulder, his body language effortless, as if carrying your things was nothing to him. Truth be told it wasn't and he did it often. "Just relax," He said, his voice gentle but firm. "You've been going at this for hours, I'll handle it now," He went on. "Let's get you out of there." He placed a hand on the small of your back, guiding you out of the library. Garrick's expression seemed soft, almost...protective, as though he were willing to take on your burdens for you. And that was just it- he wasn't just carrying your things he was carrying your stress. The weight you hadn't even realized you were carrying started to dissipate with every step you took, as though by carrying your things he was telling you it was okay to let go.

"I could've just taken a break," You pointed out, Garrick letting you lean against him slightly as you walked. "You could have," He agreed. "But we both know you wouldn't have. And I'm not going to give you the option of overworking yourself," his smirk returning, but warmer. You stayed quiet and your mind returned to the possibility of Garrick being your secret admirer. Could it be him? You wondered. The way he seemed to always be there when she needed him. The way the gifts had shown up seemed a little too coincidental to when Garrick had been around. You shook your head. Why would he do any of that? It felt a little ridiculous to think Garrick would be the one to be your secret admirer. Anyone could have left the gifts and you were sure Garrick also walked the rest of his friends to class and carried their things every once in a while. But deep down you knew he didn’t. You glanced up at him, catching his eye and he smiled at you like he always did but there was something different about him. Something... vulnerable and tender and you offered him a small smile in return. No, it couldn't be. Still, as Garrick helped you with your things you couldn't shake the feeling that your secret admirer was no longer as anonymous as they used to be. 

It was the kind of day that the exhaustion wasn't evident until you flopped down on your bed with a sigh. It had been a long day with classes and flying practices and your body ached from the drills. The sun had started to dip below the horizon, softly illuminating your room. You sat up and started to peel off your flight jacket and daggers, dropping them on your desk. You turned to undo your braid to shower and noticed something peeking out from under your pillow, your breath catching. Was it another gift? You wondered. You walked over and slid the package out realizing from the shape it was a book. You removed the soft cloth that contained the book and almost gasped out loud. It was your favorite novel since you had been a young teenager; you hadn't read it in years since you hadn't been able to bring it with you to Conscription Day. It was leather bound with the letters on the cover brushed with gold.

The leather showed signs of wear and the spine had a few cracks where the book had been opened too many times to count; it wasn't stiff like a new book, but had some give to it. The book was old and out of print now, nearly impossible to find in its original form. You opened the book and ran your fingers down the page; they were soft, the edges worn and slightly frayed from countless fingers flipping them. But this book contained something even more special and rare; marginalia. You thumbed through the pages and noticed notes, comments, and annotations from the author scribbled amongst many of the pages. You didn't even want to think about how someone could have gotten this, much less what it had to have cost. But who would even go through the trouble of getting this for you? And you realized, there was only one person it could have been.

Garrick.

The book was special to you as a kid, a gift from your parents, and you had only ever told Garrick about it. The novel was about a princess and her knight who conquered dangerous quests to prove his love, always bringing her something from his many fascinating travels across the land. You were afraid your friends would tease you for liking such material and although the teasing would have been good-natured, you wanted to keep it to yourself. You had only told Garrick about the book a while back. There was romance and danger and it had made teenage you swoon and daydream about one day having your own knight. You sat there, shocked that you hadn't realized it sooner; or rather believed it sooner. Garrick was your knight. He was the one who had left you the gifts. He was your secret admirer. The pieces were falling into place now. Garrick had been there to see you admire the daylilies and the next morning they were on your doorstep. Garrick heard you wanting the blackberry tartlets and the next day there they were in your gym bag. He always walked you places. Always carried your things. He never did this for anyone else. Now, a rare edition of your favorite book had appeared under your pillow.

These gestures and gifts weren't nothing to him; in his own way, Garrick was letting you know he cared about you and listened to you. In his own way, Garrick was trying to confess that he loved you. Not with big grand gestures but in subtle and deeply meaningful ways. Tears pricked your eyes because that meant more to you than anything. That he knew you wouldn't want him to admit he loved you in a big or public way. You asked your dragon along the bond to find out from Chradh where Garrick was before rushing out the door. You had to confront Garrick even if you were wrong-and you didn't think you were- and you had to tell him how you felt. Chradh and his rider are about to land in the flight field. Your dragon said through your bond. You ran towards the flight field passing the dining hall and academic wing before finally making it to the field just in time to see Garrick and Chradh touch down. 

You waited on the edge for Chradh to leave before approaching Garrick. "Is everything okay?" Garrick asked as you walked up to him. "Chradh said you were looking for me." "I'm fine but I need to ask you something," You said, your fingers curling protectively around the weathered spine of the book. Garrick tilted his head and something in his eyes shifted, becoming cautious. "Alright," he simply said. "This... this was under my pillow when I got back from drills," You told him, holding the book up for him to see. Something flickered across his gaze but it was so quick you couldn't even register what it was, and you continued on. "I told you about this book a long time ago. About how much it means to me. How no one else knew." your gaze searched his, watching carefully and your chest became tight but you pressed on. "And now it turns up. After the flowers, the pastries, always walking me to class, carrying my things, everything." Garrick's jaw tightened but he didn't say anything. The silence pressed around you two, thick and heavy with all the words being left unsaid. "You've been the one leaving me the gifts," You said, not as a question but a statement because you knew, but you wanted him to say it. "Haven't you?" You asked him. For a long beat, Garrick stood silently looking at you, something unreadable flickering in his expression. You began to grow uneasy. What if you had been wrong? Finally, Garrick let out a faint sigh and nodded. “Yeah I have,” he stated. The breath you had been holding in your lungs escaped and you stepped closer to him. “Why didn’t you just tell me?” You asked. He smiled a soft lopsided smile at you. 

“Because you deserve a knight,” He responded, echoing your words from so long ago. 

“You deserve someone who brings you things from his travels. You deserve someone who proves how much he loves you without ever having to say anything. You deserve everything you want Y/n,” He said. “I just wasn’t sure you’d want me to be him,” he confessed, sadness tinging his words. “Garrick…” You said, your heart thudding painfully in your chest. “I thought maybe if I could show you instead of telling you outright that you’d figure it out. Or even if you didn’t you’d at least smile a little more. I would’ve been fine with that much honestly,” He went on, anxiously running a hand through his hair and looking away for a split second. “But then every time I noticed you smiling and happy after I left something for you, it felt like I could breathe easier. Like maybe I actually had a shot,” He smiled. You closed the remaining distance between the two of you and looked up at him. “Garrick you always had a shot,” You whispered. “You just didn’t know it yet.” His hazel eyes, those stupidly beautiful hazel eyes, bore into you.  “Do you mean that?” he whispered back and you nodded. “I do. You’ve always been my knight haven’t you? Always watching out for me, always there,” You smiled. “I’m not really the best at this kind of thing,” His voice was low and earnest. “But I love you with everything I have. That much I’m sure of. And I’ll spend the rest of my life proving that you,” he promised.

The setting sun caught his eyes, making the hazel irises look like molten honey and it made you weak; you could stare at his eyes forever.  “Then you’re already doing everything right,” you smiled and it was big and bright and all you. That was all he needed to hear and he bent down slowly, giving you every chance to pull away but you didn’t. His lips met yours, moving slowly; it wasn’t a kiss filled with urgency or heat but a confession in itself. It was quiet and complete, brimming with everything he couldn’t put into words. You leaned into the kiss without hesitation, holding your knight as if you’d never let go. Garrick finally pulled back and smiled down at you, familiar and lopsided and you gazed at his face; it was perfect, even the scar running down one side. “I’ve wanted to do that since the first moment I saw in the Archives scowling at your reading list,” he said with a husky chuckle. “You mean the time when I dropped all my books and cursed the professor under my breath for assigning so many?” You laughed. “That’s the one,” he grinned. “I knew I was done for. Took me weeks just to speak to you the first time in math,” He grinned. 

You tilted your head. “You mean all those dumb questions about the equations were just your excuse to talk to me?” You teased. “They weren’t dumb! I stand by not knowing what the hell was going on in that class,” he laughed. “You had a better grade than me!” You said, shaking your head with a smile. “Yeah but only because I started studying after you helped me. I had to impress you somehow,” He flashed a grin. “Then you’ve just been trying to impress me this whole time?” You asked softly, looking up at the man who stole your heart. “Because you never needed to,” You whispered, wrapping your arms around his waist, still clutching the precious book. “I’d still do it all over again for you,” He said, leaning down and kissing you again. This time, you held your knight and didn’t let go. 

[luvly-writer]

Basgaith: Charmed

Xden Riorson x Gamlyn! Reader

Masterlist

It was funny really, even adorable, how Xaden would lower his walls around Y/n. She was the only one to get to see the sweet, soft, and even playful parts of him. The parts he thought had been burried with his father at the Apostasy.

The gym was mostly quiet now, the late-afternoon sun filtering through the high windows, casting long streaks of gold across the mat. Y/n was cooling down by the water station, towel slung around her neck, when she heard a familiar voice call out.

“Hey, Gamlyn.”

She turned, unsurprised to see Xaden approaching—shirtless, of course—his black training pants hanging just low enough to be distracting, dark hair damp with sweat.

“You here to admire my form, or are you just stalking me now?”

Y/n raised an unimpressed brow. “You mean your ego? Yeah, it’s hard to miss.”

“Oh, sweetheart.” He grinned, stepping into the light, the gleam of sweat on his chest making it criminally hard to look away. “If you’re going to ogle me, at least own it.”

Before she could retort, he turned dramatically, flexing his biceps with an exaggerated groan.

“Damn. Think I pulled something,” he muttered, clearly not serious. “Might need someone to check it out—right about here—” He pointed to the middle of his back, then shot her the most innocent look he could muster.

Y/n burst into laughter, completely unable to help it. “You’re ridiculous.”

Xaden didn’t move, staying in the pose. “C’mon, Gamlyn, be a good citizen. Help a wounded soldier.”

Still laughing, she walked up behind him and poked at his shoulder blade. “Oh yeah, very serious injury. Tragic.”

He flexed again under her fingers. “Better?”

She swatted his arm, giggling. “You’re the worst.”

He turned to face her then, eyes dancing with amusement, the grin on his face so unbearably smug and yet… gods, he looked good when he smiled like that. Not deadly. Not broody. Just him.

“Admit it,” he said, voice low and teasing. “You’re completely charmed.”

Y/n narrowed her eyes, grinning. “Not even a little bit.”

He winked. “Liar.”

And gods help her—he was probably right.

As Y/n stood there, still chuckling from Xaden’s antics, she didn't immediately notice the approach of Ridoc and Violet until they were already halfway into the gym.

Ridoc's eyebrows raised almost to his hairline when he saw Xaden standing there, flexing like a madman in front of Y/n, who was trying (and failing) to hide her laughter behind her hand. Ridoc shot Violet a look, the silent exchange between them speaking volumes.

Violet couldn't hold it in anymore, and her eyes flicked between the two of them. "Are you serious?" she whispered with a grin, nudging Ridoc.

Ridoc, always the more expressive twin, put a hand over his heart dramatically. "Oh, I’m so serious." He gestured to Xaden, who was still preening, his muscles bulging in all the right ways as Y/n beamed at him like she was the sun and he was just basking in her warmth. “I think I’m witnessing the birth of a new level of ridiculousness.”

Violet leaned back against the doorway, crossing her arms, her smirk as mischievous as Ridoc’s. “He’s not even trying to hide it anymore. It’s so obvious.”

Ridoc nodded slowly. “You see that? Xaden doesn’t flex for the squad. He doesn’t even flex when we’re out on missions. But for Y/n?” He watched Xaden, who was still holding his pose, eyes locked with Y/n's, completely unaware of the audience he’d gathered. “He’s just showing off.”

Violet rolled her eyes but couldn't hide her grin. “You mean he’s basically preening like a peacock for her? Because that’s what it looks like.”

Y/n, finally catching sight of them, froze for a second before looking back at Xaden, still giggling. “Okay, okay. That’s enough. You’re ridiculous.” But the way she was looking at him? Oh, she wasn’t fooling anyone.

Ridoc snorted. “Oh, she’s loving it. She’s absolutely loving it.”

Xaden, hearing the comment, snapped his head over his shoulder with an amused but slightly smug look. “Mind your business, you two.”

Y/n laughed harder, raising her hands in mock surrender. “I didn’t ask for this circus, I swear.”

Ridoc leaned against the doorframe, crossing his arms. “Sure, you didn’t.”

Violet joined in with a sigh, her eyes glinting. “It’s cute though. I mean, who knew our brooding Wingleader was a show-off?”

Xaden groaned, looking entirely unbothered. “I’m not a show-off. You’re both terrible.”

Y/n, still caught in the moment, looked between them. “I’m just trying to survive here.” She glanced at Xaden, the smallest blush creeping on her cheeks.

Ridoc shook his head. “It’s so obvious.” He grinned. “Well, just let me know when you two decide to make it official. I might just start charging for the front-row seats to this drama.”

Violet raised a brow, completely entertained. “Oh, don’t worry. We’ll be sure to let you know when we’re tired of watching you both be adorable.”

Y/n flushed slightly, trying her hardest to look unaffected as she shot Xaden a side glance. But they both knew: this was the beginning of something they’d never admit out loud.

It was one of those rare afternoon where neither of them had to rush off for drills or briefings. The light filtering through the curtains was soft and golden, the room still wrapped in the warmth of sleep. Y/n lay curled into Xaden’s chest, her fingers absentmindedly toying with the charm bracelet on her wrist. The soft clink of metal caught his attention.

He shifted slightly, propping himself up on one elbow, watching her with gentle curiosity. “What’s that?” he asked, nodding to the bracelet as it glinted in the light.

She looked down and smiled. “It’s my charm bracelet. I add one for every important person or moment in my life.”

Xaden reached out, gently taking her wrist in his hand to examine the bracelet more closely. “Tell me about them.”

Y/n’s voice was sleepy-soft, but there was a light in her eyes. “That one’s a flower from my hometown. My dad gave it to me when I left for Basgiath.” She touched the tiny enamel blossom. “This one’s for Violet and Rhiannon—our first squad, our first mission together. I got it shaped like a star because they always say we’re a constellation, not a straight line.”

Xaden smiled at that, his thumb brushing lightly against her skin as she moved on.

“That one’s Ridoc, of course.” She chuckled, tapping a miniature gold mask. “Because he’s dramatic and ridiculous.”

Xaden huffed a quiet laugh.

“And this,” she said, eyes softening, “is Tiamat.” The dragon charm was sleek and elegant, with tiny etched wings. “She’s… part of me. My strength. My clarity.”

Xaden was quiet for a moment, looking at the bracelet like it held pieces of her soul. “You don’t have one for us,” he said lightly, not accusatory—just observant.

She blinked, then smiled a little sadly. “Not yet. I only add charms once something is... defined. Permanent.”

Xaden didn’t say anything, just nodded and pulled her closer again, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. But he was already thinking.

A few days later:

The courtyard buzzed as riders from all quadrants gathered after training, laughing and catching their breath. Y/n, wiping sweat off her brow and adjusting her gloves, was only half-listening to Rhiannon recount a dramatic mid-air spiral from earlier when a stranger approached.

He wasn’t from their squad—probably a second-year from Flame Section—and his swagger alone made Ridoc immediately pause mid-sentence. The guy leaned just a little too close to Y/n, flashing her a cocky grin.

"Hey, you were incredible out there," he said, eyes scanning her with open interest. "Fast, sharp—honestly impressive. Maybe we could spar sometime… or something less exhausting."

Y/n blinked, her polite smile thin. “Appreciate the compliment, but I’ll pass.”

The guy didn’t back off. Instead, he smirked, lowering his voice as he added, “You and Riorson aren’t official, so that makes you still in the market, right?” He winked and walked off like he hadn’t just tested fate.

Ridoc was on his feet instantly, fury flashing across his face. “I swear to Malek, I’ll—”

“Ridoc,” Rhiannon warned, grabbing his arm. “He’s not worth a write-up.”

Y/n rolled her eyes, cheeks flushed with irritation as much as embarrassment. “I handled it.”

“Barely,” Ridoc muttered, still glaring in the guy’s direction. “I don’t care if you’re not ‘official’—he doesn’t get to talk to you like that. Or breathe near you, frankly.”

She touched his arm, giving him a small smile. “Thank you, Ric. But really, I’m fine.”

Just then, Xaden passed by, having clearly caught the tail end of the interaction. His expression was unreadable—but his gaze lingered on Y/n, then flicked to the guy retreating in the distance.

Rhiannon and Violet exchanged a glance, already bracing for the storm.

Later that evening, the tension of the day melted away as the sun dipped beneath the horizon, casting amber light through the halls of Basgiath. Y/n walked beside Xaden, arms brushing, the silence between them easy—familiar. But her thoughts weren’t as calm.

She kept replaying that flirtatious encounter in her head. Not because of the guy—he was forgettable—but because of what he said. You and Riorson aren’t official… And the worst part? He wasn’t wrong.

They’d been on dates. Shared moments. Kissed. Danced in the rain. Cuddled until they fell asleep whispering stories. But still, there had never been a moment. No question. No label. No title.

"You are quiet today," Xaden said, glancing at her from the corner of his eye as they stepped out into the cool night air.

She gave a little shrug. “Just tired.”

He nodded, then suddenly paused. “About earlier…”

Y/n raised an eyebrow. “With the guy who thinks I’m still on the market?”

He scoffed. “He’s lucky Ridoc didn’t take his head off.”

“And you?” she asked, teasing lightly, nudging him with her shoulder. “What would you have done?”

Xaden stopped walking. “I don’t need to do anything.” He turned to face her, voice low and steady. “You’re mine.”

The words weren’t possessive. They were protective. Grounded. Like a promise.

Y/n’s heart stuttered, and she blinked up at him. A nervous laugh escaped her lips. “Well, that’s bold.”

He smirked, stepping closer, eyes dancing. “Not denying it, though.”

She rolled her eyes, cheeks flushed. “You’re infuriating.”

“And yet you keep choosing me.”

“I do,” she admitted softly, and that was the truth.

They kept walking, but her mind raced.

If he sees me as his… then why hasn’t he asked? Why hasn’t he made it official? The question ached at the back of her throat, but she swallowed it down. She didn’t want to ruin the moment. Didn’t want to seem needy. Didn’t want to get hurt.

And Amari, did she wish that was enough.

The day after...

Y/n had been on her way to meet Xaden in the common area, hair still damp from her shower, braid hanging loosely over her shoulder, when she heard laughter echoing down the corridor.

Curious, she slowed her pace—until she spotted them.

Xaden and Imogen stood near the library arch, the flickering lantern light casting warm shadows over them. They were close—too close. Not inappropriately so, but close enough that Y/n felt something stir in her chest.

Imogen elbowed him, clearly teasing. “I’m not the one playing boyfriend without sealing the deal, Riorson.”

He rolled his eyes. “We both know you’re too busy watching Garrick trip over his own feet when you walk into a room.”

“Deflect all you want,” Imogen grinned. “But you’ve got it bad. It’s cute. And tragic. You think acting like a territorial dragon makes it official.”

Xaden was smirking but before he could answer, Y/n turned away. She hadn’t heard the full conversation—just enough to mistake it.

You’ve got it bad. Acting like a boyfriend. Not sealing the deal.

Her heart sank. So it’s not real, her thoughts whispered. He knows it. They all know it. Maybe that’s why he hasn’t asked. Maybe she was just convenient. Someone soft he could lean on in stolen moments between briefings and squad drills.

Without a word, she turned and walked the other way. She found Violet and Rhiannon near the strategy room, half-laughing at something Rhiannon had said.

“Can we talk?” Y/n’s voice cracked a little.

Both girls exchanged looks and followed her immediately, no questions asked.

A few minutes later, they were in Violet’s room, the door shut and the lanterns dimmed low.

“I think I messed up,” Y/n said quietly, curling her legs beneath her on the bed.

Rhiannon sat beside her. “What happened?”

“I saw Xaden with Imogen. They were… laughing. Close. She was teasing him about our relationship—and he didn’t deny it wasn’t real. He just… smiled. Like it was a joke.” Her voice broke. “What if I’m just someone he enjoys spending time with? Someone easy. But not someone he sees as his?”

Violet placed a hand on her knee. “Y/n—”

“I know I sound ridiculous. I just… we’ve danced in the rain, we’ve kissed, I’ve given him chocolate cake and he’s brought me nail polish—but he hasn’t asked me. Not once. And maybe it’s because he doesn’t want to.”

Rhiannon frowned. “Or maybe he thinks you don’t need him to.”

Y/n blinked. “What do you mean?”

“You’re strong, Y/n. Brilliant. Beautiful. You command rooms and hold your own in battle. Xaden… he’s powerful, but emotionally? He’s still learning how to let people in. He probably thinks actions are louder than words.”

Violet nodded. “But that doesn’t mean your feelings aren’t valid. If this is something you need… then it’s okay to ask for it.”

Y/n stared down at her hands. “But what if he says no?”

“Then he’s an idiot,” Rhiannon said simply. “But he won’t.”

That same night...

It was past curfew when Xaden made his way down the dim corridor toward the common kitchens, a couple of warm rolls tucked into the crook of his arm, stolen from the mess hall with minimal guilt. He reached Y/n’s room and tapped softly on the door.

When she opened it, she was already in her sleep shirt and shorts, her eyes wide with surprise.

“Xaden?” she asked, voice hushed but curious.

He lifted a brow. “You didn’t eat much at dinner. I figured I’d bribe you into a midnight snack.”

A soft smile bloomed on her lips—small, but there. “You’re bribing me with bread?”

“It’s warm,” he said with a smirk. “And I’m charming.”

She stepped aside to let him in. “I’ll give you the warm bread.”

He took his usual spot near the window seat as she curled up beside him, accepting one of the rolls. For a few minutes, they sat in a comfortable silence, sharing food and occasional comments about how Garrick still couldn’t boil water properly without setting something on fire.

But Xaden kept glancing at her.

Her laugh wasn’t as easy tonight. Her smile a little too polite. She hadn’t made fun of his bed hair once, or asked about Sgaeyl.

He shifted slightly, his voice gentler now. “What’s wrong?”

Y/n blinked. “What?”

“You’re being quiet. Not in your usual ‘plotting world domination with Rhiannon’ way.” His eyes searched hers. “Did something happen?”

She shook her head quickly, tucking her knees tighter to her chest. “No, it’s nothing. I’m just tired.”

He frowned. “Y/n.”

Her heart stuttered at the way he said her name—low and concerned, like she was something he couldn’t bear to see dimmed.

But she forced a smile and shrugged. “Really. You don’t have to worry.”

He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, gaze never leaving her face. “I always worry. I care about you.”

That nearly broke her. Then why won’t you ask?

But the words stayed trapped in her throat. She couldn’t say it. Not when the truth might break her a little more.

So instead, she nodded. “Thanks for the bread.”

He watched her for a moment longer, clearly sensing the wall she’d carefully put up. Then, in a move so unlike the usually restrained Wingleader, he reached out and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

“Next time something’s bothering you… I want to know. Even if you think it’s silly.”

Her voice was barely above a whisper. “What if it’s not silly to me, but it is to you?”

“Then I’ll listen until I understand why it matters to you.”

And just like that, her defenses cracked, just a little. She gave a small nod, biting her lip.

“Okay.”

He leaned closer, brushed his lips gently to her temple, and whispered, “I’m not going anywhere, Y/n.”

After he had left to his room, Y/n couldn't go back to sleep. The next day, she had asked Violet to meet her after hours wanting to rant to her friend.

The moonlight spilled through the arched windows of the library’s upper floor, long abandoned at this hour except for the two girls curled up between dusty shelves. Violet sat cross-legged, flipping lazily through a book she wasn't reading, while Y/n stared at the flickering candle between them.

Y/n hadn’t said much when she’d asked Violet to meet her. She didn’t need to. Violet had seen her eyes earlier—too bright, too heavy.

“I know it’s stupid,” Y/n finally whispered, breaking the silence.

Violet looked up, closing the book. “It’s not stupid if it’s making you feel like this.”

Yln pressed her lips together, eyes dropping to her hands. “I keep wondering… what if the reason he hasn’t asked me to be his girlfriend is because he just doesn’t want to?”

Violet’s expression softened instantly. “Y/n—”

“No, listen,” she said quickly, shaking her head. “He’s good to me. So good. But every time I think he’s going to say something, he doesn’t. And maybe he just… likes what we have, without anything more.” She fiddled with the thread of her sleeve, voice trembling. “And if I bring it up… I’m scared he’ll only ask because he thinks he has to. Because I’m hurt or because he doesn’t want to lose me. Not because he truly wants that next step.”

Violet’s heart clenched. She scooted closer and gently took her hand.

“Y/n… I’ve seen the way he looks at you. We all have. That’s not a guy who’s keeping things casual. That’s a guy who’s trying not to mess up the best thing that’s ever happened to him.”

Y/n blinked, tears building in the corners of her eyes.

Violet squeezed her fingers. “But I also know what it feels like to want them to choose it. To say it first. Because it means they were sure. I get that. It’s not silly. It’s human.”

Y/n nodded slowly, her voice a whisper. “I just need to know it’s real. That I’m not imagining how much he cares.”

“You’re not. But it’s okay to want to hear it from him.”

The wind brushed gently over the high ridge overlooking the valley below, the stars shimmering above like whispered secrets. Xaden stood at the edge of the overlook, arms crossed, the shadow of Sgaeyl stretching long behind him in the moonlight.

Tairn had nudged him through the bond not ten minutes ago with a simple “She’s asking for you.” And when Violet asked, Xaden never made her wait.

She appeared a second later, stepping up beside him. Her arms were folded too, a subtle mirror of his stance, but her expression held none of its usual mischief. She looked… thoughtful. Sharp-eyed.

They stood in silence for a moment, letting the wind speak first.

“You didn’t ask me here just to enjoy the view,” Xaden said at last, tone even.

Violet exhaled slowly. “No. I didn’t.”

He glanced at her. “Did something happen?”

She tilted her head. “Nothing she told me to bring up.”

“But something did happen,” he said, brows drawing slightly together. “She said something to you.”

Violet didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she studied the stars for a moment longer before speaking again. “I’m not going to break her confidence. But I am going to say this: if you keep waiting for the perfect moment, you’re going to miss a really, really good thing.”

His jaw tightened, his gaze shifting toward the horizon.

“She’s not going to wait around forever, Xaden. And even if she does… she shouldn’t have to wonder. Not with you.” Violet turned to face him fully now. “If you want her, say it. Show her. Because you want it. Not because something forced your hand.”

He let the silence stretch again, his posture unreadable—but his fingers twitched slightly at his side.

“You’re right,” he said finally, voice low. “I don’t want perfect. I want her.”

Violet gave a small, knowing smile as she walked away. “Then go get her, you dumb shadow.”

The stars were still gleaming high above when Violet left him alone on the ridge, but Xaden barely noticed them anymore.

“I want her.”

He’d said it aloud. Not just to Violet, not just to the stars. But to himself.

And it was terrifying.

Not because he didn’t mean it—but because he meant it too much.

He raked a hand through his hair and let out a breath that was closer to a laugh. Sgaeyl stirred nearby, her voice cutting through his thoughts like the scrape of steel.

“You’ve chosen your mate. Stop circling her like prey and tell her.”

“She’s not prey,” he muttered.

“Then stop acting like a predator and speak to her like a partner.”

That stung a little. Because Sgaeyl was right.

He hadn’t asked Y/n yet, not because he didn’t want her, but because some part of him—some bruised, scarred, cynical part—kept whispering that someone like her didn’t belong in the chaos of his life.

But she was in it. With her laughter, her stubbornness, the way she looked at him like she saw every darkness inside him and chose to stay anyway.

He thought of her running through the rain with him, soaked and laughing.

Of her showing up to formation in silk pajamas and a sleepy pout.

Of the little chocolate cake she gave him without a word, and how her eyes had sparkled when he handed her the nail polish in Sgaeyl’s color.

He was in deep.

And he wanted deeper.

He wasn’t going to let his silence be the reason she ever doubted his feelings again.

Xaden turned on his heel, heart pounding with unfamiliar nervousness and determined intent. He knew exactly how he was going to ask her.

No distractions. No teasing.

Just her and him.

No dragons, no squads.

No titles. No shadows.

Just truth.

And he hoped like hell she’d say yes.

Author’s note: Not me posting like 5-6 chapters a day cause i want to have EVERYTHING OUT ALREADY!!! It is a long series and I really want to post it completely without overwhelming everyone lmao. I want to finally have it published and read and enjoy it like everyone else. Having said that, to find ALL chapters if you ever get lost in my profile, go to the #’s and you’ll see one for Of Light and Shadow. There you can find them easily <3

Taglist: @eepyfaerie @dreamdragonkadia @hiraethjules @nikfigueiredo @galaxystern08 @taleiaargenis @minidemont @poeticbookwormcat @eternallyrosyfire @shadowhuntyi @bubble300 @messageforthesmallestman @iheartshopping @fangirling-galore

To be added to the taglits, leave a comment. <3

[theseinfernalangels]

How do you feel about 28 with Bodhi? :)

28: One person tracing the other’s lips with a fingertip until they can’t resist any longer, tilting their chin towards them for a kiss.

You hike your scarf up your face with a grumble, the cold of the December night practically seeping through your clothes. It’s not like this is your first night shift of the cold months, but tonight was too chilly. 

Maybe someone pissed off an ice wielder.

You trudge through the winding hallways that lead to the Third-Year dorms in search of one — who you know will let you in without a second thought. In what feels like hours of monotonous walking, you finally find the room you’re looking for. You barely set one knock against the mahogany door before it swings open and you’re pulled inside by a warm, steady hand.

You let out an undignified squeak at the sudden movement, stumbling into the room and feeling the instant relief of warmth and the smell of cinnamon. You don’t have to look up to know that he’s probably laughing at you.

Unbuttoning your flight jacket, you sigh. “Thank you.”

Bodhi’s usual little grin makes your heart do a little dance in your chest. “You look like you’re one step short of hypothermia, sweetheart.”

You shrug off your jacket. “I feel like it,” you complain. “Gods above, it’s got to be a bad day for Ridoc or something, because I don’t think it’s ever been so cold in these parts.”

He reaches out and grabs your arm, steering you to stand in front of him. Gently, he wraps his arms around your shivering frame, resting his chin on your head. “Well,” he murmurs. “It’s a good thing it’s always warm in here.”

That was true. Bodhi Durran was the human equivalent of the fucking sun, always warm and bright and easy to be around. His little quirk was a tragedy in the summer, when the sun beat down on Basgiath in a way that felt close to dragonfire, but in the cold months, it was a damn miracle, and you make sure to let him know that.

“You’re a little miracle,” you say, your gloved hands twisting into his tunic. “Tidwell from Second Wing is a fire wielder, but he wouldn’t share with the rest of us, the selfish prick.”

Bodhi snorts and pulls away to look at you, still mostly covered from head-to-toe in your leathers and warm gear. “I can imagine,” he replies, pushing your scarf down with one finger to free your mouth. His thumb brushes against your lower lip softly. “Beinhaven likes all of her little cronies to be just as bitchy as her.”

His finger dips a little into your lips, chapped and slightly cracked from the chill. His smile drops into a pout. “Your lip is bleeding.”

Your tongue sweeps along the crest of your lip, narrowly missing his finger, and you wince at the metallic taste. “The temperatures are trying to sabotage our alone time.”

You hear him emit a little chuckle as his hand leaves your mouth to cup your chin, tilting your head up closer to his. “They can try,” he says, emphasizing the last word, “but they’ll never succeed.”

With that, he lowers his head and slants his mouth onto yours, claiming the space — blood and chill and all. Instantly, you’re filled with a feeling that replaces the cold: Warmth. Light. Joy. Everything is purely Bodhi, and it does wonders to expel the previous discomfort that had settled deep in your bones.

You hum softly. “You’re good at that. Warming me up, I mean.”

He pulls away, flashing a mischievous smirk. “I know. I can do more than that, if you’d like.”

He whines when he’s met with a flustered punch to the shoulder. “Hey!” He protests. “Not fair. I’m just doing my boyfriend duties.”

You scoff. “Save your boyfriend duties for a time when we don’t have to be up at five in the morning. We’ll both wake up with migraines if we stay up any later.”

The taller boy just shrugs and pulls you back into his chest. “Worth it. At least we’ll both be warmer than the rest of the quadrant.”

“That, we will be,” you agree, tucking your head into his neck. “That, we will be indeed.”

[laursdomain]

date night

pairing: ridoc gamlyn x fem!reader

synopsis: Date nights are always hard at Basgiath, but Ridoc always finds a way to light up your day with his suprises. Who are you to say no to your boyfriend?

genre: fluff

warnings: established relationship

w/c: 1.2k

ྀིridoc gamlyn masterlist

•´¨*•.¸¸.•*´¨•.¸¸.•

Being a rider was exhausting. You slump your shoulders, your pack too heavy as you hike up the stairs to your dorm room. When you make it into the room, you fall onto your bed without even removing your pack.

"Dramatic much?" Your boyfriends voice comes from his spot on your desk chair, who has been waiting for the past twenty minutes for your own arrival.

You turn your head towards him, "don't start."

He gives you a teasing smile, though the joke that is on the tip of his tongue remains where it is. He gets up, removing your pack for you and settling it against the wall where you always set it. He turns your body to lay on your back, bracing his hands on either side of your shoulders as he cages you in.

"I have a surprise for you."

You tilt your head at him, raising a teasing brow. "What is it?"

He playfully rolls his eyes, "its called a surprise for a reason, sweetheart. Come on, go shower so I can show you."

You groan, acting like dead weight as he pulls on your arm. Knowing he'll have to force you, he uses his strength to his advantage, easily hauling you up and onto your feet. You scowl at him, though it quickly goes away when he dips down, placing a loving kiss on your lips. You smile into the kiss, feeling your tiredness wash away from his presence alone.

"I'll be back in thirty minutes. You better be ready." He whispers against your lips, leaving your room as he heads to his own room, presumably to shower as well.

You groan, but as always, you listen to your boyfriend. You make quick work of showering, washing the sweat out of your hair and off your body, changing into a pair of clean clothes. You wore one of your black training shirts with a pair of black linen pants, your typical go-to comfy outfit. Ridoc returns to your room as you finish binding your hair in a loose braid, keeping it out of your face but still allowing it to dry.

Your boyfriend was clad in a black compression shirt, looking too good with the sight of the cut of his torso through the shirt. He wore a pair of black cargo pants, his usual go-to for when he trained. He better not be taking you to spar.

"Are you ready?" He leans against the door frame, enamored by you.

"Yes," you toss the braid over your shoulder, walking up to him as you wrap your arms around his torso. You place your head against his heart, the solid beating calming you. "Are you going to tell me what the surprise is?"

He chuckles, "no." He places a kiss to the crown of your head before removing you from his body, interlocking his fingers with your own, leading you out of your room and through the halls of Basgiath.

You curiously take in your surroundings, unsure where he could possibly be taking you. Eventually, you make it to the Vale, and uncertainty swirls in your chest. Riders shouldn't be in the Vale unless absolutely necessary, and you were unsure if you two should be here. Ridoc senses your nervousness, giving you a reassuring smile as you make it to a clearing. You could see Aotrom chasing your own dragon around, sensing your dragons happiness. You were safe. No other dragons were around, so this must be an abandoned part of their home.

You two come across a lake, and for a split second you thought Ridoc was going to take you swimming. That thought quickly dissipates when he places a hand at the water, quickly turning the body of water into ice. You watch him enamored, always loving the way he uses his signet.

He turns back to you with a cheeky smile, his dimples showing off. "Tada! We are going ice skating."

You raise a brow, "we don't have skates, though."

He furrows his brows, "we don't need them."

To prove his point, he steps onto the frozen lake, easily gliding around. He turns to you, extending both his hands for you to take. You nervously glance at the frozen lake, surely it was safe, right? Nonetheless, you trusted your boyfriend, so you took his hands, letting him ease you onto the ice. You nearly slip, but a firm arm wraps around your waist, keeping you steady on the ice.

Ridoc glides the two of you on the ice, the boy going backwards with practices ease. Your nervous glances quickly turn into giggles, enjoying the activity too much. Soon, you get the courage to glide next to him, your boyfriend keeping a firm hand around your own.

"You're a natural," he compliments, watching as you begin to lead him around the ice.

"You're better," you retort, letting go of his hand as you twirl on the ice.

He watches you with adoration, a smile dancing on his lips. He reaches out, grabbing your waist as he pulls you towards him. "That's obvious, sweetheart."

You rest your arms on his shoulders, playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. He pulls you in for a kiss, this one longer than the one he gave you hours before. He tilts his head, deepening the kiss as you giggle at his antics. You feel him smile into the kiss, feeling perfectly content exactly where you are.

Your lips leave his, needing to catch your breath. He rests his forehead against yours, enjoying your presence. "We should get off, it's getting dark."

He nods, leading you off the frozen lake as he helps you get back onto the grass. You expected him to begin leading you back to Basgiath, but he objects. He leads you towards your dragons, who were now laying on the grass. You knew they weren't asleep, they would never leave you two unguarded in the Vale.

He sits a couple feet away from Aotrom, pulling you to lay down next to him. You fit yourself perfectly next to him, hooking a leg around his hip as one of his arms caresses shapes into your thigh while the other wraps around your waist.

You look up at the sky, admiring how stars decorate the dark sky. You smile, remembering how your mother would always tell you about constellations, trying to find the ones she told you about.

Ridoc adoringly watches you, watching the way your eyes glitter in the night. You meet his gaze, feeling the way he was looking at you.

"What?" You giggle, getting lost in his eyes.

"Nothing," he smiles, tucking a piece of hair behind you ear.

"Look," you point up at the sky, waiting for him to follow your finger. When he does, "that's Orion."

"Constellation?" He questions, beginning to play with the ends of your braided hair.

"Mhm," you hum out. "Mom would tell me all about them as a kid, she practically engraved them into me."

In hushed whispers, in the quiet of the night, you point out more constellations you are able to make out, telling every little detail about them that you could recall when Ridoc asks you about them. Truth be told, he didn't really care about the constellations. But he oh so loved the way you spoke passionately about them, and he loved the sound of your voice.

Out of all the surprises Ridoc has cooked up for you, this was by far your favorite date night.

•´¨*•.¸¸.•*´¨•.¸¸.•

[illshakeyouallnightlong-dean]

Take Me To The Sun

Previously known as In Times Of Flaring: Here is the official Part one to the series! You can also find it on AO3 I finally made an account!

Take Me To The Sun (846 words) by leftmeinwonderland

The quadrant is in chaos. Finding out who is alive, who we all lost - and all I can think about is they aren’t back. He isn’t back. 

I wish I could comfort you, flare. Rathnait whispers to me, and for a moment I feel guilty that I feel so out of sorts for not being able to focus on shielding my emotions from her. Her talons tick nervously on the flight field, vigilant over my every move and breath. All I can do is stare at my dragon vacantly. Streaks of dark copper highlighted her grace, her beauty - running down the length of her neck and down each of her legs. Rathnait was a sight to behold, and I was only grateful to be considered worthy to be hers. Her scarlett colored scales glistened in the setting sun, as if mirroring the sun itself in all its bright glory. Her swordtail flicked in the air back and forth in agitation. We must not get ahead of ourselves, you would feel it if something happened to him. 

I reach out to clutch her nose to my chest, needing to feel the warmth of her breath on my clammy self. She nudges me gently, trying all she can to ground my spiraling thoughts. 

I can’t help but think of the moments I last saw him - the fight, the anger. 

****

“Xaden is already bending the rules with bringing Violet along, I can’t ask him to risk your well being as well,” Garrick murmurs in my ear as we watch the tense showdown between Dain and Xaden. I try to ignore the sting in my chest, having to wrinkle my nose to rid myself of unshed tears. 

“You're not even gonna try, after everything? You just expect me to watch you go? You’ve been keeping secrets, Garrick. This seems like part of one of them” I hiss at him, shrugging my arm away from his hold. Rathnait glowers at both Garrick and Chradh, his brown scorpion tail - the irritation she feels at watching me get hurt is almost enough to make her snap her teeth at them both. Garrick’s jaw clenches, his ever composed features faltering at the anguish I knew he could see in my eyes, could hear in my voice. 

Just say the word, flare. I’ll teach him to treat you with more care. Rathnait snarls at Chradh, snapping as he tries to nudge her affectionately. I don’t want to put her in an uncomfortable position, to push away her growing care for Chradh. You let me worry about that. Chradh knows you are the one I chose, the one I will always look out for.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart. I wish we had time to talk more, but right now I would rather know you’re safe with the rest of your squad. Your anger towards me is worth it if I am guaranteed your survival,” I watch as he makes sure his flight gloves are secure, flexing them before flickering those earth toned eyes towards me. My heart cracks a little bit more - all I want to do is scream. To shove him and get him to see that this is hurting me, is crushing me. How much more can I let slide? How much more can I take when all I want is to want him. To love him.

“And what about you? What if you don’t come back?” 

Xaden and Violet make their way towards their dragons. Squads have begun to launch to their respective posts, Dain and I are being waited upon by Second Squad. 

“I’ve survived too much to lose now. I’ll be back and we can talk - I’ll tell you everything,” Garrick promises, stepping forward to plant a soft kiss on my temple. Clutching his flight jacket, I can’t help it as tears fall down my cheeks. 

“It seems like you might lose me though,” Turning around to follow my Squad leader, ignoring the curses from Garrick, ignoring the way in which my Squad watches me with grimaces and pity. All for fucking War Games, all for nothing. 

I make my way towards the group, needing the familiar, needing their constant. Ridoc opens his arms, bringing me in for a brief tight embrace. Sawyer offers a wavering smile.

“Are you gonna be ok?” Rhiannon softly asks, wiping my wet cheeks with her hands. I shakily smile at her, making sure my own flight jacket and gloves are secure. I can’t bare to watch Garrick and Chradh take to the sky, having to believe that he’ll be ok, but at the same time wanting to protect myself from more heartbreak. 

“Let’s go get this over with.” I quickly scale up Rathnait, she chuffs at me, making sure I’m secure in my seat. Let’s go flying, Ray. Take me towards the sun. Sending my devotion to her down our bond. She launches quickly, wings flaring gloriously. The rest of the squad is quick to follow. 

I’ll always make sure you’re near it, flare. The light will never die in you, not even from this pain. 

[violent-little-thing]

Safe Place

Word count: 874

Summary: My contribution to Bodhi Week, day 6 (soft)! Bodhi meets his niece Iris and promises her he’ll be her safe place. Background Imrrick, Riorgail, and Slain!

Thank you, @violencelittlething for letting me borrow the Tyrrish custom of only women being allowed in the birthing room. If you haven’t read her amazing fic The Best Thing That’s Ever Been Mine, you need to.

@empyreanevents

—

On the day that Iris Riorson was born, her uncle Bodhi waited impatiently to hold her. Imogen and Sloane had been by Violet’s side as she labored, getting the earliest looks at their niece. Xaden paced outside the birthing room for hours, adhering to Tyrrish tradition of the birthing room being a space for women only. When Sloane came to announce that the baby girl had arrived and was healthy, Garrick whooped and jumped in the air, shaking the whole fortress on his landing. Xaden visibly relaxed as he hugged Sloane before making his way to his wife and daughter. Ridoc hugged Sawyer and Rhiannon so tightly it looked painful, glee in his eyes. Dain pulled Sloane onto his lap and kissed her like they were the ones who had just had a baby. Brennan pulled Imogen aside, asking questions Bodhi assumed were meant to gauge Violet’s need for mending. As for Bodhi, he exchanged smiles with everyone and then began pacing, retracing his cousin’s footsteps.

“You okay, Bodhi?” Imogen asked.

“Never better. Just wanting my baby snuggles.”

“Baby snuggles are the best,” Sloane said, still sitting on Dain’s lap. “I’d have a hundred kids just for the baby snuggles.” Dain leaned down to whisper something in his wife’s ear. Sloane’s reply was hushed but Bodhi could have sworn he heard her say “not now, we’ll lose our place in line.”

An hour or so later, Xaden’s voice came from the doorway. “Bodhi. Come meet your niece.”

Bodhi didn’t have to be told twice. He entered the room, seeing a dark haired little girl wrapped in a traditional Tyrrish receiving blanket lying on Violet’s chest. “Congratulations, Vi. How are you feeling?” he asked, bending down to kiss her forehead.

“I’m okay. It was hard on my body, but Imogen and Sloane were great supports.” Violet shifted the bundle in her arms, turning to face Bodhi. “Bodhi, this is Iris. Iris, meet your uncle Bodhi.”

Bodhi carefully lifted Iris from Violet’s arms, noticing how tiny she was. She couldn’t have weighed more than 6 pounds. Her eyes were closed, allowing Bodhi to see her long, dark eyelashes. He cradled her in his arms, breathing in her intoxicating newborn scent. Calm immediately washed over his body as he soaked in the baby snuggles.

“Hey, sweet girl. I’m Uncle Bodhi. Welcome to Riorson House. Your dad and I grew up here and it’s so cool that you’re going to grow up here now. I live here too, along with your Uncle Garrick, Aunt Imogen, Aunt Sloane, and Uncle Dain. You have a bunch of other aunts and uncles who live close to us, too. So many people love you already, sweetheart. We’ve waited a long time for you. You and I are going to have so much fun together. I have a green dragon, Cuir, who is the most awesome dragon you’ll ever see. I can’t wait til I can put you in some baby flight goggles and bring you along for a ride.” Bodhi swore he saw Iris’ perfect rosebud lips twitch with happiness. “I can teach you all about Tyrrish customs and traditions. That’s kind of my thing around here, princess. And we can plant flowers together in the garden with your mom. Let me tell you, you have amazing parents. They love you so much.” Xaden smiled, delighting in hearing his cousin’s words to his daughter.

Bodhi lowered his voice, wanting only Iris to hear his next words. “I know there’s a whole bunch of people wanting their turn to hold you, so I’ll just say one more thing. I’ll always be your safe place, my sweet girl. You can always come to me for anything. If you’re sad or scared or need a hug or just want someone to listen to you, I’ll be there no matter what and I’ll never judge. You’ll always be safe with me, physically and emotionally. I promise. I love you, Iris. I love you so much.” Blinking back joyful tears, Bodhi passed Iris back to Xaden.

When Dain and Sloane’s son was born years later, Bodhi snuggled his nephew close and spoke the same words to him. He did the same with Imogen and Garrick’s daughter and the rest of his many nieces and nephews as they came into the world, each of them knowing from day one that Bodhi would always have their backs. And he made good on his promise to be a safe place. He tended to skinned knees and broken hearts, soothed tears and hurt feelings, and was the go-to confidant for anything that they thought would get them in trouble with their parents. He was known for giving the best cuddles. On stormy nights when the kids were little, they would file in one by one to Bodhi’s room, knowing he’d never turn them away or tell them to just go back to sleep. The next morning, their parents would find them piled up on Bodhi’s bed, sound asleep and content in their safe place with their uncle.

Bodhi had spent so much of his life wondering what his true purpose was, who he was other than Xaden’s cousin. As he held Iris, he knew. This was what he was made for.

[callsign-rogueone]

questions

Ridoc Gamlyn x reader (sweetheart!) Part three of Ridoc and Sweetheart's story words: 2.9k 🏷: no real book spoilers, this will make more sense if you've read Resson (Garrick's version) but it's not required, set a week or two into Iron Flame, this is a sweetheart chapter so warning for intrusive / self-deprecating thoughts and anxiety spirals, I made a bunch of stuff up about Ridoc's life because RY never told us anything, Rhith being a cool mom, this hasn't been proofread, oops. gonna go have a bagel now byeeee

Rhith had told you that Ridoc would meet you at the gates at eleven — so naturally you’ve been standing there since 10:45, rocking back and forth on your heels and peeling your cuticles.

Why did you agree to do this? Actually, this was your idea — why did you bring it up? What if he’s not going to show up, and you’re just going to stand here for an hour like an idiot?

“Hey! Am I late?” he asks, startling you out of your thoughts. He’s a little out of breath, like he’d ran here, but he offers you a wide smile nonetheless.

You open your mouth to speak just as the bells chime. 

“Guess not,” he laughs when they’re done. “You ready to go?”

You nod, stuffing your hands into your pockets so he can’t see the state of your fingers. Thankfully it’s not too hot to wear your flight jacket. This is your first venture into town, and you don’t want to have your relic on display when you’re in a new place — just going is scary enough.

He leads the way — of course he knows where you’re going. He probably goes out every weekend with his friends; another way you’re completely different.

“I figured we could play twenty questions,” he offers. “Get to know each other a little more. You can go first, if you want.”

You take a second to remember how to speak again. “Alright, um… do you have any hobbies?”

“Coming up with jokes is pretty time consuming.”

“And here I thought they were all completely spontaneous,” you say, shaking your head. “Do you write them all down in that fabled diary of yours?”

He laughs. “Would you believe me if I said I didn’t actually have one?”

You tilt your head to the side, considering it. “Only because I don’t see you spending your free time sitting down, writing.” 

“You wound me, sweetheart. I assure you, I’m perfectly capable of writing complete sentences.”

“I never said you weren’t. I just said that I didn’t see you doing it.”

“Fair. Tell me about your book,” he prompts. “The one you’re always carrying around.”

“That’s not a question.”

He gives you a sly smile. “Well played. I’ll rephrase, then. What’s the book about? Do you like it?”

“That’s two questions.”

He laughs, warm and full. “I can’t get anything past you, can I?”

“Three.”

“Okay, okay. The first one, then — what's it about?”

“The main character is a trained assassin who is called before the king to join a contest to become his hitman, basically. But the contestants keep getting murdered in the night by some creature that they can’t track down.  It’s part of a series, but I’ve never seen the other volumes anywhere. I like to imagine a different ending every time I read it.”

“You’ve read it more than once?”

You ignore the fact that that’s yet another question, answering it without protest. “Yeah. I know that’s dumb, but it was the book I was in the middle of when my life went to shit. It’s technically property of the library in Aretia, but it was burnt to the ground, so I never gave it back.”

Your heart beats a little faster at the mention of your hometown, and you immediately regret bringing it up, but thankfully Ridoc seems none the wiser. 

“There’s nothing dumb about it if it makes you happy.”

You’ve just stepped into the tiny restaurant when a man that you guess is the owner sees Ridoc and pulls him into a tight hug. “I was wondering when you’d bring your girlfriend!”

Your cheeks warm, but you don’t correct him — that would be too awkward.

Ridoc doesn’t correct him either. “I set up Ezra here with ice that never melts,” he explains with a smile.

“It’s been a blessing. Keeps everything fresh longer, so I don’t have to waste it. You two sit — I’ll make you something special, on the house.” He disappears into the tiny kitchen in the back, leaving the two of you alone in the nearly-empty dining room. 

Ridoc gestures to a table in the corner, away from the door, and you settle into the chair silently. You can’t help but run through Garrick’s mental checklist — your back is to the wall, and you have clear sight of the two exits. You have a knife in your right boot and one in your left sleeve — plus the blunt one laid on the table in front of you. The fork would probably do more damage, though.

“I think it’s your turn.”

“Hm? Oh. Right.” You take a moment to look at him. “Why are you here?”

He gives you a stupid grin. “Because you asked me on a date.”

You roll your eyes. “No, I mean, why Basgiath? Why the rider’s quadrant?”

“Oh, I know. I just wanted to remind you that this whole thing was your idea. But really… probably because I’m an adrenaline junkie who feels like he has to prove to the world that he’s not an idiot. And I’ve always admired the riders and their magic. We can do some pretty cool shit.” 

There’s a pause, and his voice softens as he continues. “I know you didn’t want to be here, so I probably sound super ignorant saying all that. I do think it’s fucked up that you didn’t get a choice — and the way that they handled all of it.”

“I respect your answer. It was honest.”

His turn for a question. “How do you feel about it, really, being here? Not here as in here,” he clarifies, tapping the table, “but at Basgiath.”

You look at him for a second. “Is that your question, or…”

“It can be. But if you don’t want to talk about it, we can go back to the dumb ones.”

“No, it’s fine,” you say quietly, thinking for a second. “I’ve accepted it, but that doesn’t make it any less terrifying.”

He’s quiet, giving you space to elaborate — the same way Garrick does; not prying, but silently offering to let you tell him what you’re thinking, if you want to.

“Challenges are the one thing here that doesn’t scare me, because I don’t have to think about it anymore. I know what to do if someone takes a swing at me, and I know how to disarm someone, because Garrick made me practice hundreds of times. But everything else…” 

“Is uncertain and unfamiliar, and therefore scary,” he finishes for you. 

You’re a little surprised by the gentle tone of his voice, the lack of judgment in his words. “That pretty much sums it up.”

Another pause.

“I’ve had an anxiety disorder pretty much my whole life,” you admit. “I was that kid in school that everyone thought couldn’t speak, because I never talked to anyone, except my siblings. Liam was my first real friend who was my age. He didn’t mind the quiet. We would just sit together, and he’d do his wood carvings while I read my books. That was good enough for both of us.”

“Where are they now? Your siblings, I mean.”

You’re silent for a moment, looking down at the tablecloth and the barely distinguishable pattern of flowers woven into it. 

“I know that’s two in a row for me,” he says, backpedaling. “And you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”

“I had a brother and a sister. They were eight and ten years older than me, but they were my best friends. I think they knew that I didn’t have anyone my age, so they always let me tag along for everything until they left for Basgiath.”

“They went here?”

You nod. “As infantry. When they graduated, they joined Fen Riorson’s movement, and a few years later, they were executed along with my parents.”

“I’m so sorry,” he says softly. “I shouldn’t have asked.”

Something compels you to keep talking, to push past the awkwardness and condolences. “I don’t mind talking about them. It’s hard, but they were an important part of my life, and they deserve to be remembered. Losing them was devastating, but Garrick and my foster sister helped fill that void.”

You trace a fingernail over one of the tiny flowers. “I think… I think that’s why I kept pushing you away, and why I haven’t really made any friends here. Being marked doesn’t help, but I can never let myself get close to anyone, because everyone I’ve ever been close to has left me, one way or another.”

You can’t bring yourself to say “died” — and that wouldn’t be quite correct, either. Garrick is very much alive, last you’d heard, but he’s at least a twelve hour flight away. 

“I’m sorry,” he says softly. “I only met her twice, but she was always kind to me and everyone she met.”

It takes you a second to realize that he means your foster sister — as far as Ridoc and the rest of the school know, she’d died at Resson along with Liam and Soleil.

“She was,” you say softly. 

It feels weird speaking about her in the past tense. You know she’s not dead, that she’s safe with Brennan and the elders, but the last time you saw her, she might as well have been — she’d felt so cold, and looked so drained, unable to respond to you or even open her eyes. 

She has to be awake by now, starting to recover. She has to push through, if for no reason other than that it would absolutely shatter both you and Garrick if she didn’t. 

Ridoc exhales, choosing his next words carefully. “I really am sorry. You shouldn’t have had to go through any of that, especially so young. But for what it’s worth, which probably isn’t a lot — I think you’re handling it all incredibly well, and you’re really brave for it.”

You, handling anything well? and being brave? Yeah, right. You take a sip of water to cover the look of dry disbelief on your face, but he sees it anyway. 

“I mean it. Bravery isn’t “never being scared”, it’s “being scared but doing the scary thing anyway”, and you’ve been doing that every day for the last year — for your whole life, honestly. I think that’s admirable.”

You blink at him for a moment, surprised. 

“It’s true,” Rhith says gently. 

“Thank you,” you say softly — to both of them. “I’ve never thought about it like that before.”

He offers you a soft smile. “I think that’s enough deep questions for now. Thank you for telling me all of that, though. I’m sure it wasn’t easy.”

“It wasn’t,” you agree. “But I feel… lighter.”

“Lighter is good.”

Ezra arrives at the perfect time, holding a tray with two plates of steaming noodles and two glasses of water, placing them in front of you and making a quick exit.

Ridoc brushes a hand against his glass, and you watch the pattern of frost crawl over the edges as it chills itself near instantly. “Want me to do yours?”

You blink, realizing he’s speaking to you. “Sure. Thank you.”

He pushes the cold glass toward you, taking the other and chilling it for himself.

The question comes out before you can think. “How long did it take you to get used to the cold?”

He looks up at you, surprised. “Not long. A week, maybe. I run hot, so sometimes it’s kinda nice.”

You nod in understanding. He’d been warm to the touch when he’d wrapped his arms around you, and you’d melted right into him. That was a first. But so is this, and it seems to be going okay.

You both eat without further discussion, every minute of quiet a little more comfortable than the last. The food is good — better than anything they serve at Basgiath. 

“So, where’s home for you?” you ask after a while.

“Deaconshire,” he answers. “My dad’s still out there. It’s been just me and him for a while.”

“Not too far, then,” you comment, not wanting to draw attention to the fact that he hadn’t mentioned his mother. 

“Yeah. I’ve thought about going AWOL for an afternoon, just to see him for an hour or two. But at least the letters will arrive fast.”

“Right,” you say softly, pushing the last piece of pasta around your plate idly. 

It hadn’t really sunk in yet that you can write letters now, as a second year. You could write to Garrick, but it would be too dangerous to send anything to Aretia, with the professors reading everything to make sure there’s no classified information being spread. You might be able to write to the Duke, and hope he passes it on to the right people, but that would still be deemed suspicious. 

Maybe Bodhi could help you.

“Where’d Garrick get stationed?” he asks.

“Samara,” you answer quietly. 

He winces, knowing that’s right on the front between Navarre and Poromiel, but he recovers quickly. “He’s with Xaden, right? They’ll take care of each other.”

“Yeah.”

“They’ll be fine,” he reassures. “They were the two biggest, most intimidating dudes in fourth wing. Nobody’s going to mess with them — but if anyone’s dumb enough to try, they’ll get what’s coming to them. And they can definitely kick ass in the air, too.”

He’s right — they’ll be fine.

Probably.

“Yeah,” you say again, hoping it sounds convincing. “They can definitely hold their own.” But against wyvern… what if what happened to Deigh happens to Chradh or Sgaeyl, and there’s nothing they can do? 

You force the thought out of your head before the universe can hear it and make it come true. 

“You ready to head back?” he asks gently.

You nod in affirmation, and he gets up, finding Ezra. The owner bids him a cheerful goodbye that includes a hearty pat on the back, while you stand by the table and offer him a weak wave and a soft thank you.

The walk back to the school is quiet, only the crunching of gravel under your boots, but this time the silence isn’t as loud.

You’ve already said everything you needed to say, laid all your cards face up on the table and shown them to the other — almost all of them, you think with a little flare of guilt, but there are some things you just can’t tell anyone, for the sake of Tyrrendor in its entirety.

“This one’s mine,” you say quietly, stopping in front of your door. 

You call it yours, but it doesn’t feel that way. Just because you sleep here and your stuff is piled up in the corner, yet to be unpacked, doesn’t make it feel like yours, and doesn’t make it feel safe, despite the ward that Garrick had helped you put up before he left for Samara with Xaden.

Ridoc offers you a warm smile. “Thank you for taking a chance on me. I’d really like to see you again, if you want.”

“I’d like that too.”

He lingers, and for a moment you’re worried that he’s expecting something of you, but he remains a few steps away, his hands in his pockets.

“Thank you,” you add. “For today. And for finding me yesterday.”

“Of course, sweetheart. And next time you start to feel that way, you can have Rhith tell Aotrom to get me, okay? You shouldn’t have to deal with that alone.”

“Okay,” you say softly. 

He gives you another knee-weakening smile before he heads off, disappearing into a room that must be his — eight doors down, on the other side of the hall.

You make it inside just as the bells strike twelve thirty. The afternoon is still young.

You decide to unpack — starting by shoving the box of your sister’s things into the bottom of the armoire. You’d burned most of her stuff, to maintain the appearance that she’s actually dead, but you and Garrick had both taken some for yourselves. Malek couldn’t get mad about that, right?

You don’t know if you should worry what he thinks or not — you despise him for taking everyone away from you, but you need to remain in his good graces if you want to keep the few people you have left. But you aren’t sure how — it remains unclear what you did, or didn’t do, to deserve that. 

“It was nothing you did,” Rhith says gently, startling you. “And you didn’t deserve it.”

“Sorry,” you stammer. “I didn’t mean to project that to you.”

“We’ve talked about the apologies, sweet one,” she prods. “They’re never necessary.”

“Sor—” you stop yourself before you can finish the word. “I’ll work on that.”

She changes the subject for you. “I’m proud of what you did today. I know that was difficult for you.”

“It’s easier with him,” you say quietly. “I don’t know why, but it is.”

“Many things don’t require explanation. It is enough to simply appreciate them.” 

Spoken like a true green. “I wish I could be as logical as you,” you sigh. 

“There is value in both logic and emotion, but there is a balance to be found between them.”

You sit with the statement for a moment as you start to fold the laundry you’d shoved into a bag and dragged up the stairs when you’d moved, trying to smooth out the wrinkles to no avail.

“What do you think?” you ask. “about him, I mean.”

“I think he has a good heart. He genuinely cares for you, but it is your decision whether to trust him or not. And even if you do, there are some things that he can never know.”

“Yeah,” you say softly. “I know.”

“I’m proud of you, my girl.”

You’re a little bit proud of yourself too.

[angstywaifu]

The Lost Sister - Part 30

Synopsis: Xaden is known as an only child due to his sister who 'died' during the Rebellion. Little do they know she didn't die and has been so close this entire time.

Garrick Tavis x OC (Ophelia Riorson)

The Lost Sister Masterlist | Masterlist

As the middle of May arrives, so does War Games. Meaning we are fast approaching graduation. Something I had tried to avoid thinking about too much. But it was fast approaching. Meaning Garrick and Xaden leaving was fast approaching. This year was going so fast. It felt like only yesterday I was crossing that parapet and being shoved in front of the stairs in the rotunda. Being reunited with my brother and Garrick. And now we had to face the prospect of being separated again for who knows how long. And with our line of work, there was also the reality we may never see each other again. I shake my head to clear the thoughts from my head. I needed a clear head today. Today was War Games. If I went into this distracted, there was a very real chance I could be killed. It wasn’t uncommon for riders to die during war games. None of us were safe.

”What do you think our assignment is going to be?” Liam asks as we stand in formation in the middle of the courtyard with the rest of Fourth Wing. “Deigh thinks we’re on offense. He won’t stop going on about getting to kick Gleann’s ass-” Pausing as his dragon clearly butts in to say something. “Guess dragons hold grudges.” He whispers.

We certainly do. Mealladh adds, causing me to chuckle.

Anyone in particular you want to get revenge on? I tease.

Mealladh chuckles. No, not yet at least. Though Cath might be tempting to teach her rider to pull his head in.

We might have to get in line for that one.

Ahead of us leadership are gathered, getting their assignments from Xaden. He had know about the task since yesterday and he used his spare time to plan who was going where.

”We’re definitely on offense,” Rhiannon answers, “Otherwise we’d already be in the field.”

I nod in agreeance. “I don’t think I’ve seen a single rider from First Wing since lunch.”

Which did not bode well for us. Out of all the wings, First Wing liked us the least. Mainly Jack Barlowe and his squad. He wasn’t going to forget that Violet had put him in hospital for four days after their challenge a few weeks back. Meaning she would be the most likely target if our squads crossed paths.

”I think you two might be right.” Violet adds as she fidgets with the collar of her uniform. It was a particularly warm day, and we we’re fast approaching summer. I suddenly envied the other quadrants who had far better uniform options than the black leather we wore. “Why do you think riders wear black anyway?”

”Because it’s badass,” Ridoc states from behind us.

”So it’s harder to see if we bleed,” Imogen adds.

”Forget I asked.” Violet mumbles as she turns her attention back to the front.

Any hints as to whats to come? I ask to Garrick who startles slightly as I speak in his mind.

I’m never going to get use to that. He replies as his eyes flicker up to meet mine.

You love it. But you didn’t answer my question.

You’re getting nothing out of me sweetheart. He tells me bluntly as he turns his attention back to the squad leaders in front of him.

Nothing? I can’t tempt you anything? I tease.

I watch as his shoulders tense and his nostrils flair. No

No? Not even me getting down on my knees, my mou-

Stop it! His eyes meeting mine again, desire and need heavily evident in them.

Make me. I tease before severing the connection as the leadership meeting ends, Dain and Cianna heading back to us.

”Which is it?” Heaton asks. “Offense of defense?”

”Both.” Dain states as he stops in front of us. “First Wing has taken a defensive position in one of the practice fort in the mountains, and they’re guarding a crystal egg.”

The older riders in our squad murmur with excitement. Obviously this challenge is far more exciting than ones in the past they have encountered.

”What are we missing?” Ridoc asks as he looks around at the older riders. “Because you guys seem thrilled about an egg.”

”From past years, we know that eggs are worth more points,” Cianna states as she grins enthusiastically. “Flags have statistically been the lowest, and captured professors rank somewhere in the middle.”

As exciting as it would be to try get an actual human out, if it was Carr I would leave him there as long as possible just to make him squirm and suffer.

”But they like to switch it up,” Dain adds. “The same way we could be going for a real objective on the line only to discover its not as valuable as we thought.”

”So how is this both offense and defense? If they have the egg, then clearly we should go get the egg.” Rhiannon adds.

Dain’s excitement peaks with Rhiannons question. “Because we’ve also been given a flag to defend and no outpost to do it in.” He grins widely.

”And we’re carrying it.” I state as a grin of my own spreads on my face.

Dain looks over at me and nods, his grin faltering slightly as our eyes meet. He still wasn’t sure of me, and I don’t blame him. But right now we had to be on the same page.

”And who is going to carry this flag?” Imogen asks.

I don’t know how but Dain manages to smile even wider. “That is going to be the fun part.”

Immediately we jump into formulating a plan. Dain drilling into us the strategy he wants us to follow. It seems Dain had taken something away from out time in Monsteratt with Mira. But our plan was simple and easy to follow. Anything too complicated would have us too focused on trying to remember what to do. All we had to do was play to our individual strengths and pass that flag often, never giving First Wing a chance to spot who was carrying it. An almost perfect chance for me to try use my signet. But could I cast a believable illusion while moving and on a large group of people? That was going to be my test. With two whole wings out there it would be a massive test to see if I could. But if I messed it up, part of my signet would be known to the entire quadrant. Something I did not want.

It’s a risk worth taking. It will not be easy, but if we focus I have no doubt you can pull this off. Mealladh states as I meet her eyes as we walk into the flight field.

One way to find out then. I state back as I smile at her.

”We’re going to win.” Rhiannon states confidently as she puts her arms around Violet and I.

”What makes you so sure?” Violet asks nervously.

”We have you two, Tairn, Mealladh, Riorson and Sgaeyl. And obviously me.” She grins. “There is no way we’re losing this.”

”You are certainly-” Violet’s words die as Tairn comes into full view.

He’s standing proud and tall at the front of the section next to Mealladh. Dain’s dragon Cath pushed easily to the side to accommodate them. A glint on Tairn’s chest catches me eye. A buckle. On Tairn’s back is a saddle. A saddle made to help Violet keep her seat. That sneaky bastard.

”That’s…. That’s a saddle.” She stutters out.

”That’s cool, that’s what that is.” I tell her.

”Yeah, and it looks way more comfortable than Feirge’s bony spine, I’ll tell you that. See you two up there.” Rhiannon says before pushing past us and heading off to mount her own dragon.

I turn and walk over to Mealladh, leaving Tairn and Violet be to have whatever conversation they are having.

She’s not going to be happy with you. I tell Xaden who is walking over to Violet.

He meets my gaze and shrugs. It will keep her alive and let Tairn do what he needs to do. She will learn to like it.

I shake my head at him. Fucking mated dragons.

He gives me a vulgar gesture before walking past me to Violet who still looks shocked at the saddle that now adorns Tairn. I have to give it to my brother, he had thought of anything and everything to keep that girl alive. And honestly this was the best one I had seen yet. Hell I kind of wanted one, but I had not problems keeping my seat and I doubt Mealladh would tolerate it.

You would be correct. But if it kept you alive I would do my best to tolerate it. She states as I run up and mount her.

That might be one of the nicest things you’ve said to me.

I don’t have to look at her to see she’s rolled her eyes at me. As I settle in my seat I look forward to see Garrick mounted on Chradh looking over at me. I can tell from here how excited he is about this War Games. It would be challenging to do offense and defence, but we could pull it off. I feel his presence reaching out for me, clearly wanting to communicate before we take off.

You’re going to use your signet aren’t you?

Of course I am. It’s going to give us the upper hand with that flag. I tell him sternly. I was not backing down on not using my signet. I needed to learn to use it in real life situations.

I see him nod his head slightly. I know there’s no point in telling you Riorson’s not to do something, but please be careful with it. We can’t have everyone knowing what you can do.

If it means winning, I’ll do whatever it takes. And I know you will to.

I don’t doubt that. You just keep that flag safe sweetheart, and I’ll make sure Xaden or I get that egg.

How about this. You make sure you get that egg and you might just get a reward tonight. I tease, knowing he will do anything and everything to make sure he gets that egg.

A reward? What kind of reward? He practically growls in my head.

Get that egg and you’ll find out.

And with that Mealladh and I launch into the air, leaving a very shocked and dumbfounded Garrick down below.

@riorgail @going-through-shit @fw-gt @bbkissme99 @xceafh @leptitlu @came-to-laugh-but-cried @onthewaytotimbuktu @daardyrnitta @lovemesomevesey @mxtokko @krowiathemythologynerd @callsign-blue @1islessthan3books @side-angel @wolfbc97 @just-an-ace-elf

[benz12313]

Delirium Part 3/3 - Ridoc x Reader 🌶️

{Images are not my own}

Summary: You and Ridoc have been dancing around each other for months, just on the cusp of becoming something more. All it takes is a rough week and a bit of liquor to have you become putty in his hands, and he's been dying for the chance to carry you to his bed. [Takes place during Iron Flame]

Warnings: morning after/aftercare, some angst, fluff, happy ending, Ridoc being a sweetheart, nothing particularly explicit, swearing

Part 1/3 - Part 2/3

Authors Note: This final part made my heart ache writing it, but honestly? I absolutely love how it came out. Thanks for showing this mini-series some love! Now that it's over let me know if you'd like to be added to either of my other taglists. I've got two; All Ridoc Fics and my ongoing fic, Surface Tension's. Either message me or comment! Thank you again, it's nice to have my writing shown some love! :)

Word Count: 2,606

Ridoc’s POV

My body ached, and I nearly groaned and stretched, until I felt the weight resting on my arm. Memories from last night crashed through me, blurry and confused due to the alcohol, but when I opened my eyes to confirm them I froze. Y/N was here. She was really fucking here. Looking divine and sleeping like the dead, makeup smeared over her face and my pillows, and head resting peacefully on my arm while she was huddled in the sheets. Good thing too, because there were scattered piles of fucking snow around the room, letting me know just how thoroughly I’d lost my control last night. 

You know… Aotrom’s voice rang through my head, teasing and I fought back a groan at whatever smart-ass statement he was about to make.

“Not now Aotrom.” I snapped and he chuffed, but for once quieted as he felt my quickly rising panic.  

Not because I regretted anything. Fuck no, I would never regret a single thing about what happened last night. But I knew she would. She was the one who’d run away every time things got too real. She was the one who’d be eye-fucking me one minute and then reminding me, painfully, the next minute that we were just friends. Friends who had now crossed that line and…fuck, just how many marks did I leave on the poor girl? 

My eyes washed over her after lifting the sheets gently, and guilt consumed me. Bruises on her hips and ass in the shape of fingertips, bite marks on the top of her perfect fucking breasts and along her neck, hickies covering her from her neck down to her thighs. And gods, her collarbone was deep fucking purple where I remember making my claim on her last night. A moment of particularly eager loss of control where all I could fucking cling to was the thought of making her mine.  

Well fuck. 

I let out a breathy sigh, and gently pulled my arm from beneath her. She didn’t even stir. My heart ached. Sure, I liked fooling around as much as the next rider. Being always on the cusp of death made one eager to enjoy what life they did have, but this was different.

She was different.

I would gladly give it all up for her, to be able to call her mine. To hold her, love her, absolutely fucking worship her like the goddamn princess she is. One more glance over and I decided. If she was gonna run from me anyway, I would at least make sure she was taken care of first.

It was gonna take a little field trip first though. Let’s just hope he was awake. 

Y/N's POV

My muscles ached, my head pounded, everything outside the blankets was freezing, I felt oddly empty, and unconsciousness pulled at me to stay under in it’s tight embrace. Warmth ran along my hips, trying to coax me awake, but I grumbled into the pillows and snuggled deeper, the scent of the unfamiliar bedding soothing me. 

I don’t care who’s bed I was in. They could fucking wait for me to be ready to wake up. 

I don’t know how long I had fallen back into unconsciousness, probably seconds, but when I awoke, warmth and wetness was running along my aching core and I halfheartedly swatted it away. 

“Ngh.” I whined, barely there. 

“Princess, gotta let me clean you up okay?” A soothing voice muttered, carefully being quiet. Voice barely above a husky whisper, mindful of my hangover.

I knew that voice. Shit..I fucking know that voice, much too well. My eyes flew open, luckily the room was dark so I could see without adjusting, but I found him immediately. Ridoc. 

Shit.

Shit.

SHIT. 

He grinned sheepishly up at me, where he was sitting on the end of the bed, wet rag in hand, and cleaning up between my thighs. The events from last night crashed through me, overwhelming me.

How did I actually let this happen? Even with the alcohol?

Fantasies are one thing, fantasies are safe. Fantasies don’t throw wrenches into friendships and throw the easy dynamic of our squad to the fucking wind. Tears pricked my vision, emotion overwhelming me and Ridoc cursed. 

“Shit, Y/N, are you hurt?” I met his panicked gaze and my heart ached. I was full on sobbing now, everything too much. I couldn’t even tell him that no, my body ached (deliciously) but I wasn’t hurt. I’d just ruined fucking everything. No big deal right? I shook my head as that’s all I could manage.

“Hey? Hey? Okay.” He threw the rag to the side before scooping me up and pulling me onto his lap. “I’ve got you. Just let it out. I’m here.” He cradled me tightly, my face buried in his bare chest as I sobbed. His hand threaded through my hair, holding me secure and his other arm wrapped around my back, cradling me gently. I flashed back to how he’d held me last night, just like this, like something breakable as he’d pounded into me. I sobbed harder. 

“I…ruined….everything!” I wailed and he stiffened, but then continued running his fingers along my scalp. 

“No. Princess, shh. Nothing is ruined.” He whispered, voice gentle, and so sure of himself that I had to pull back and examine his face. He was carefully neutral, and so serious that it threw me off, making me stop sobbing immediately. Not a hint of a smirk or playfulness. Nothing. 

I’d only seen him this serious one other time. When we learned that Violet had been lying to us and keeping secrets. He’d been so hurt that she hadn’t trusted us. He ranted for days about it when it was just us. 

“Yes it is-“ I tried and he shook his head, eyes narrowing on me. 

“It’s only ruined if we let it be.” He assured, gulping as I realized he was lightly trembling. Was he…nervous? Scared? He wiped the tears off my face and sighed, like he was trying to get the weight of the world off his chest. “You can walk right out that door now and pretend that nothing happened if that’s what you want. I can handle our friends. No one will say a fucking word if that’s what you need. Just…please…don’t think you’ve ruined anything.”

I opened my mouth and closed it again. Open. Close. Open. Close. What the fuck was I supposed to say to that? Did I want to leave? 

‘…if that’s what you want?’

What the fuck did that mean? My head swam, aching, and not in a good way. 

“What…what do you want?” I asked, voice small. It was a question I’d been wanting to ask for weeks. Months if I was going to really be honest with myself. 

He froze beneath me, as still as the little animal figurines he’d make for me when he was bored. The ones made of permafrost that I’d kept safely tucked away in the back of my wardrobe, the coldest part of my room. I looked up to his face again and he was biting his lip, terror in his gaze. I realized it then.

He hadn’t expected me to ask. That much was obvious. My heart broke as I realized he’d really expected me to run. To throw what happened last night away, chalk it up to a lapse in judgement, and try to forget about it. He hadn’t predicted I’d ask him what he wanted, that I’d care enough to ask. 

But I couldn’t just throw last night away without at least asking him. Sure, it was easily the greatest sex of my life…but it was more than that too. The tender seconds, thrown in amongst intense pleasure? The way it was so mind altering, not because of what he was doing, but because it was him. The way he’d reduced me to absolute, fucking, delirium where all I could comprehend was Ridoc? No. It didn’t matter if my instinct was to run, to forget everything, to laugh it off and ignore our friends teasing until they eventually forgot about it too. 

I knew with aching clarity that I would never be able to. 

I had to stop running from him. 

I had to put myself at his mercy if I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life with the constant question of what could have been. 

He was quiet, until he shook his head lightly, making my heart stop and fear clutched my throat, choking me. “I can’t…”

“I can’t tell you what I want.” His words were whispers as his thumb ran along my jaw, eyes anywhere but meeting my own. His eyes finally found the courage to meet mine and they went soft. “Don’t look at me like that.” He laughed, short and hollow, the sound suspiciously resembling my previous sobs. 

“I can’t tell you because then I’ll never be able to let you go. To let you walk away and protect your heart how you need to. I can’t tell you because then last night was real, not alcohol induced horniness. Not a mistake. Not two friends dancing over the line of being something more.” Frustration creeped into his voice and I clung tighter to him as he fucking glared at me now. “I can’t tell you because I know with fucking certainty that you’re gonna decide to throw me away like everyone else does. And if I let myself be vulnerable for a fucking second it will destroy me Y/N. You will destroy me. So no, I won’t tell you what I want. I’ll wait for you to tell me what it is you want and do whatever I need to with whatever you give me.” 

My heart raced at the painful truth in his words. The following words left my mouth with aching certainty before I could even think them. 

“I want you Ridoc Gamlyn.” He froze, the anger that had crept up gone, and his mouth fell open in shock. I continued, “I can’t pretend. I’m sorry but I can’t. I just…I’m sorry for crying…for scaring you…I just, I woke up and I remembered and I thought that you’d hate me for what we’d done. Or that I’d let feelings get involved and I’d have to watch you just…I don’t know…move to the next pretty face…and I’d have to bitterly watch and pretend to be happy for you…and it would just ruin everything with the squad…and fuck this is all hurting my head too much Ridoc.” Fresh tears streamed down my cheeks and Ridoc sighed. 

A small smile creeped on his face as he wiped away my tears again. “I knew you liked me.” Then his grin was teasing, and my heart lurched.

My Ridoc was back, sitting underneath me, quickly beginning to grin like a fool. Eyes drinking me in so warmly that I had to hide my face in his chest to cover the heat creeping up my cheeks. I squealed in surprise when he suddenly lifted me, and erupted in giggles when he gently plopped me back down on his pillows. 

“Ridocccc.” I groaned, shooting him heatless daggers as he went back to where he’d been between my legs when I’d first woken up. He laughed and picked up a small tub of what looked like some sort of tincture. In fact he had a few different unlabeled containers piled to the side on his bed as well as a fresh set of sweatpants that I recognized as my own. “What are you doing?”

“Taking care of you Princess. After care is important, I know it’s a little…delayed…but I’m still a gentlemen.” He flashed me a grin, before gently tossing a water canister next to me, within reach. “And I feel a little bad, I was a little…eager…to finally get my hands on you.” 

“I remember.” I giggled and he laughed, gesturing with a nod and an absent hand wave to look at myself. I did, my eyes widening before warmth crept between my thighs. Remembering just how good it had felt when he’d made the dozens of marks that now covered my body. My thighs clenched at the memory and he laughed, lighthearted, despite the satisfied smirk on his face. 

“You should see your neck, if you think that's bad.” He chuckled, before opening the little tub in his hands. “Drink your water. Bodhi leant me this bruise cream-“

“Bodhi? Why does Bodhi have bruise cream laying about?” I asked incredulously and his ears turned light pink. 

“Dude’s into some kinky shit…anyway-“

“Why do you know that?!” I asked and Ridoc sighed, looking anywhere but my face as he began rubbing the cream on my skin, and I couldn’t help but relax at the soothing warmth. 

“Just drink your water woman. Goddamn…too early for so many questions.” I hummed in response to his embarrassed mutters, but my throat was scratchy and water sounded amazing. 

So I sipped the water, as Ridoc gently massaged the tincture into my skin. I relished in his touch and then he was slipping a fresh pair of panties and the pants onto my hips. Then he moved upwards, straddling my waist as he applied more tincture.

We didn’t speak, didn’t really need to, as I watched him with affection in my gaze. He’d gently kiss over some marks, soothing almost as well as the tincture would. When he was finished he slipped one of his own shirts over my shoulders, the fabric soft, and practically drowning me in its size. It smelled so much like him though that I couldn’t complain. 

And then he was cleaning off my makeup after grabbing another container, that I finally recognized as my cleanser. He didn’t stop there though, applying my moisturizer and spf as well, nearly bringing tears to my eyes as my chest filled with emotion. He handed me a muffin without a word; blueberry and dusted with sugar on top, my favorite, before sitting me up and beginning to gently comb through my hair. He pulled it into a haphazard ponytail before slipping out from behind me as I munched on the muffin, thankful that the churning that had begun in my stomach lessened. He then moved around me, grabbed my boots, and sank to his knees in front of me, making my heart race. 

“We going somewhere?” I asked softly and he nodded, a pout covering his lips. 

“As much as I’d like to keep you locked in here all day, doing everything that I’m now allowed to do to you…” His gaze heated for a moment before he gave me a single peck on the lips, sighing sadly, “Our friends haven’t seen us since last night, its nearly lunch hour, and you need something more than a muffin to get your energy back.” 

I whined, wanting his lips back and he chuckled, giving in and giving me one more chaste kiss before working on my boots. Slipping socks on, then tugging the boots on and deftly tying the laces. Then he was off me completely, and pulling his own shirt on, much to my dismay. 

“If we have to.” I pouted as I stood, immediately falling back down again. The ache between my thighs catching me off guard and causing Ridoc to laugh. “What did you do to me?!”

“Don’t worry Y/N,” He teased, pulling me up into his arms. “I’ve got you."

@xadenswhore @littlemissmelodie @jobroho @the-lake-is-calling - I hope I got everyone, if I missed you I'm sorry!

[crisalidaseason]

Second reading of Fourth Wing - My complete sincere and silly thoughts

Fucking spoilers below

First...goofy title. But who am I to judge...Have you seen my fic titles????

Overall a very bingable - bingeable? - book. The writing is simple enough - a bit similar to fanfiction to be honest - and despite the amount of pages it did not require much effort reading (although I am biased when talking about speed reading since i am a historian and reading stuff is my job). Not the best or consistent vocabulary and sometimes the writing was a bit cringy, but nothing overwhelming. Some dialogues were really funny though, I enjoyed the humor.

A bit too much foregin words during exposition at the start. I get it, you want to build the world the story is set in, but having Violet rant that on parapet was a bit tiring to read through. Don't get me wrong, is a good way to introduce world building by having the main character info-dump to calm down, but there were many names that we would forget anyway...it could have been more simple.

Violet is an okay character. I usually hate romantasy main characters from the start because their personality is just so bland...but Violet did surprise me a little. I could actually care for her after reading more about. Her being disabled helps a lot because I felt seen and understood in many aspects of her own thoughts about her disability. Also, broke my heart whenever Dain or Mira talked about Violet as if she was a bag of fragile pieces...kinda dehumanizing to have your disability be the only thing people see about you. Even if they were worried, maybe trust the girl a little bit, huh? She knows her body and limits like nobody else.

Wonderful side characters. I loved Rhiannion and Ridoc so fucking much!!!! They deserve the world! Also, Liam was such a sweetheart. Imogen really grew on me, girl is an icon in my humble opinion. Dain was okay, just a bit too repetitive on the entire I-wanna-protect-but-I-don't-want-to-listen-your-opinions! I wish we had a bit more insight on those characters, like Ridoc and Sawyer, but most of them I was able to really enjoy.

Xaden is alright. A bit underwhelming and clichê, but he grew on me by the end of the book. Maybe we could get more POVs from him, because I started to like him more when I got to read his only POV chapter.

The dragons are awesome. I love Tairn so fucking much, he is my spirit animal, the grumpy ass protective dad trope, but it's a dragon. Also, his dynamic with Andarna is so sweeeet. But I wish we could see more of him and Sgaeyl interacting, I barely know her - but she is iconic anyway. Also, Tairn never calls people by name and that is fucking funny because my dad is always calling people nicknames - hence why I think Tairn is just a grumpy dad. Andarna is soooo cute and corageous, I love her.

The plot of the book is quite simple at the start, but fuck if those names did not confuse me! Assessment, Challenges, Gauntlet and etc. Sometimes I got confused as fuck with the timeline of those events! Also...why some people have super simple names and some have like...unreadable names?

How do you pronounce Xaden? Because in my language "X" has a soung of "SHH" and I fucking lost it while trying to pronounce it.

Our girl Violet is very brave, I'll give you that! She does not back down at all, and the poisoning her enemies was really fun to see. It was good to see her win opponents without poisoning too, because I am sure the girl is capable.

Violet is a horny woman, I can relate - even if I am no girl. A glimpse at Xaden and she was DOWN BAD! Funny as fuck but at the same time...get a grip, Violet!

The bad guys in the book were a bit too cartoonish, not gonna lie...Jack, Oren. They were a bit goofy sometimes because of that. I get it, you need an asshole, but maybe tone down a little? But nothing too agravating - aggravating??.

I'll give it to you, the tension around the romance is nice! The steamy scenes - although not something I really care for - were not nearly as cringy as other I've read. Although I kinda laughed hard at how those two wrecked the entire room, must be so awkward the next day when everyone knows what were ya'll up to. I enjoyed their interactions and banter too, it was fun to see but sometimes I felt second-hand embarassment at some of their attitudes. Those two need a room!

The venin/wyvern foreshadowing was strooooong and predictable. Also, the whole smuggling-weapons-to-help-fliers was pretty detectable too! I knew the marked ones were up to something ''good''. The whole rebellion discussion was screaming 'history distortion'. All the hints were very obvious and I think maybe it was the authors intention? The hints were all there, and they were not bad in my opinion.

The rebellion needs its own story, my historian ass demands it.

I liked the battle scenes. It wasn't that out of pocket or so unrealistic. I get that Violet is a badass, but we pretty much see her fail and loose Liam due to her untrained power. Sometimes we get too much of the main girl just mastering everything easily. Violet is really good at stuff, but she also needs to be bad at something to the point it costs her something. I like the balance of her abilities, made me relate and like her more.

I knew Liam would die the moment Rhiannon said he cheated death twice...fuck I hate it when authors kill the sweetest guys!!!!! WHYYYYYY

I knew the rebellion never vanished. It's typical in books like these, but I don't think is bad. As long as it's well developed, there are good chances that it becomes an interesting political arc. I love political arcs. The first book has a good base to make this interesting.

I give the book a 3,5/5 stars! Good enough to not drop it and it gets better after a while

[callsign-rogueone]

like snow on the beach - r.g.

Ridoc Gamlyn x marked!reader a continuation of love at first fight, part of the Ridoc and Sweetheart series 🦋 words: 2.8k 🏷: FOURTH WING SPOILERS. she/her, feminine reader (wears a dress for Reunification Day, referred to as a girl/woman). mentions of canon character death, mentions of dissociation and anxiety. you have a panic attack, but someone helps you through it. titled after the tswift song!

“Don’t look now, but that guy from second squad is staring at you again,” Liam says quietly. “At your four.”

You twist in your seat as if cracking your back, looking over your shoulder. Sure enough, the cute curly-haired boy who had handed you the dagger you’d won from Jack Barlowe the other day is looking right at you. 

“Say the word and I’ll handle him,” Imogen offers, picking at her nails with disinterest. She’s been itching for another fight since her last opponent tapped out after ten seconds. 

The tall redhead sitting across from him notices you’re looking in their direction, and he kicks his friend under the table. He looks away quickly, starting a conversation with the rest of the group. Not discreet at all.

“Hurting anyone in Sorrengail’s squad wouldn’t go over well with Xaden. And look at him. He’s harmless,” you defend. 

“He definitely doesn’t want to kill you,” Liam agrees. “He’s just smitten.”

You glance to your right again. He has his back turned now, still engaged in conversation with his friends, who are all laughing at something he said.

So he’s the class clown type. Interesting.

Imogen scoffs. “He can bark up that tree all he wants, but we all know it’ll never get him anywhere.”

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

And bark he does. You can’t shake the guy and his sunny personality. He’s everywhere you are, always having something to say, some shameless line to drop on you.

“If I make this bullseye, you have to let me take you out for dinner. There’s an amazing pasta place in town, you’ll love it.”

“No,” you say flatly.

“You don’t like pasta?” He asks, and you know that if you say you don’t, he’ll just offer something else. 

“I do. But we’re not going out.” 

He misses by an inch and a half anyway.

You pick up one of your own blades, weighing it carefully in one hand before pulling it back and letting sail. It lands to the left of his, in the dead center of the target.

He doesn’t look embarrassed in the slightest. “Alright, we’ll stay in and work on my aim. Just you, me, and a whole rack of knives. What do you say?” 

“I’d say that putting us in a room with one weapon is a bad idea.”

He grins. “There’s just something undeniably sexy about a woman who wants to kill me.” 

“I don’t want to kill you.” It’s true -- you have no ill will toward the guy, you just wish he’d quit while he’s behind.

“That might be the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

You falter for a moment, thinking about it. You don’t think you’ve ever been objectively mean to him, just blunt in declining his advances.

“You’re moving your arm too much,” you say instead, yanking your dagger out of the wood panel, but leaving his where it stands, off-center. “Less in the elbow, more in the wrist.”

You don’t stick around to watch him try again.

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

Nothing seems to discourage him, not your dry responses nor being ignored completely. He’s determined to keep chipping away at your shell, but why?

“Is your dragon mated? I was thinking we could go on a double date. Aotrom’s an upstanding guy, she’d like him.”

You can’t even begin to imagine the conversations this guy must have with his dragon. Is he as weary of the boy’s enthusiasm as you are, or is he encouraging this behavior?

“I’d consider it if he wasn’t missing so many teeth,” Rhith muses. “But he’s a bit young for my taste.” 

“Their personalities wouldn’t mesh at all,” you answer, as if you’re speaking about Rhith and Aotrom, and not you and Ridoc. 

“I think if she gave him a chance, she’d change her mind,” he says slyly.

“I don’t date men under six foot.”

He mimes taking a knife to the chest. “You wound me, sweetheart. But I promise I can make up for it in all the ways that matter.”

“With that dazzling sense of humor?” 

“I was going to make a dick joke, actually. But I’m glad you think I’m dazzling.”

You roll your eyes, leaving.

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

You have never considered yourself vain, but you’d spent a full minute admiring your reflection in the bathroom mirror before heading down for the festivities. 

The formal dress looks incredible on you. Tight in all the right places, the cut highlights the muscle you’ve gained since starting the term at Basgiath, but it covers enough to still be somewhat professional.

You don’t need jewelry -- your rebellion relic is the perfect accessory, the black swirls forming the illusion of a lace sleeve up one arm, complimenting the black satin draped over your skin.

You’d even fixed up your hair for the occasion, freeing it from its usual sweaty braids and washing and drying it carefully, letting it fall over the exposed curves of your shoulders. Simple. Perfect.

Imogen hadn’t hesitated to hype you up when she saw you, her jaw dropping at the sight. “Holy shit, girl, you look hot. If you’ve ever wanted to fuck anyone in the quadrant, tonight would be the night to do it.”

You laugh. “I’ll be perfectly content to have a calm night. Some boring speeches, some fireworks, and then straight to bed.”

“Suit yourself,” she calls, headed off.

“Someone should tell Amari that she’s missing an angel.” 

You don’t need to turn to know who it is, but you look over your shoulder at him anyway.

Ridoc continues to wax poetic, a lazy smile on his face. “You are a goddess among men. The kind of woman bards write songs about and men go to war over.”

“How many drinks have you had?” 

“None,” Sawyer answers for his friend, sounding like he could use one himself. “This is just the way he is.”

Ridoc agrees, grinning. “Stone cold sober, gorgeous. I want to remember this sight forever.”

You laugh at his bold absurdity, and the light, clear sound goes straight to his heart.

He beams even brighter. “You laughed. That’s a crack in the armor.”

“You’re a menace to society, Gamlyn.” 

“Gods, I love it when you’re mean to me,” he says with a dreamy sigh. “I’m gonna write about this in my diary when I get back to my room.”

“Goodnight,” you say, ending the conversation, or trying to.

“Someday, sweetheart,” he calls, watching you walk away. “I’ll get there someday, I know I will.”

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

You should already be on the flight field, but the fear gripping your heart has your boots stuck to the stone ground of the courtyard. You’ll be no use to your friends in this state, anyway. You need to relax.

You close your eyes for a moment, picturing the meadows of Tyrrendor. A dozen blue butterflies materialize in front of you, the gentle motion of their wings as they float through the night air soothing your nerves.

“Whoa.”

You startle, and the butterflies vanish, your head snapping toward the voice. 

Ridoc stands a few yards away, still in his dress uniform, though he’s undone the first two buttons of the shirt, rolled up the sleeves and ditched the jacket entirely. A few dark locks fall across his forehead, loosened from the gel that had been holding them earlier.

He looks good like this. Too good.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you,” he offers. “I’ve just never seen anything like them before. They’re beautiful.”

You compose yourself quickly. “They’re native to Tyrrendor. They don’t live anywhere else on the continent.”

“You’ll have to show me the real ones sometime,” he says, smiling.

You raise an eyebrow at the implication that you’d be bringing him home any time soon.

He continues, not missing a beat. “I may look like a hotshot dragon rider, which I am, but we both know you’d be the one in charge between us. I’d do anything you asked, sweetheart.” 

“Anything except leave me alone?” you ask, regretting the sharp words as soon as they enter the air.

He’s silent. Maybe you’ve finally proven your point, proven to both him and yourself that you’re no good for him, that you don’t deserve the starry-eyed reverence he’s afforded you for months.

A whistle echoes across the courtyard, a three-note gliss you’d recognize anywhere; the one your parents had used to call you inside for dinner when you were kids.

You don’t turn toward the sound, still looking at Ridoc. For the first time ever, he isn’t smiling at you, and it feels like the world has stopped turning, that the sun has burnt out and the moons have disappeared from the sky.

You’re sick with guilt, struggling to form complete sentences. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to… that was a really fucked up thing for me to say. I just… I don’t understand why you-”

“Hurry up,” Garrick calls, impatient. “Xaden is pissed.”

“You should go,” Ridoc says softly. “We can talk about this another day.” 

Why is he looking at you like that after what you’d said to him? Why does he still care about you? Why did he in the first place?

“Be safe,” he adds quietly, and that’s enough for you to finally move your feet, to run toward your foster brother, to follow him and Xaden to gods-know-where for their final assignment. 

Garrick’s words go in one ear and out the other as you race toward the flight field. It doesn’t matter where you’re going or what you have to do, only that you come back, that you see Ridoc again and tell him the truth.

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

The next few days go by in a blur, devoid of color. You’re barely aware of your existence, just going through the motions to keep yourself alive. You sleep, you eat, but your dreams are blank and the food tasteless. 

You settle onto the cold stone of the main staircase, leaning your cheek against the banister. 

It’s easy enough to conjure a few of the soft blue butterflies, watching them flutter about above your head. You reach forward, extending your hand to one, and it lands on your finger, flapping its wings gently.

“You’re getting really good at that,” Garrick says quietly, sitting down on the step above you. 

Five years living as siblings has attuned him to your emotions -- he knows that something is wrong, that something had been wrong even before you were sent on this suicide mission and lost two of your friends. “Do you want to talk about what happened when I came to get you?”

You really don’t, but the words come out anyway. “I fucked up,” you whisper, still watching the butterflies. The sight of them only reminds you Ridoc, of the soft awe that had lingered in his eyes even after they’d disappeared — until you’d snapped at him. Gods, the look on his face…

You push the thought away, and they fade back into air. “I hurt him, because I was scared.”

“Scared of what?” He asks. There’s no judgment in his tone, just gentleness; he genuinely wants to understand.

“That he was being serious, that he actually likes me,” you answer. “I keep pushing him away, but he keeps coming back, he keeps looking at me like… like I mean something to him, and I don’t understand why. He doesn’t know me, he isn’t one of us, he isn’t even in my squad. There’s no reason for him to care about me.”

Garrick lets your words hang in the air for a moment before he speaks. “I thought it was fitting that you developed an illusion signet.”

You look up, waiting for him to elaborate.

“It took me a full year to figure you out when we met, to realize that the person you really are on the inside doesn’t match the person that you show people. I think he saw right through that perpetual stone-faced look, saw the girl that I’m proud to call a sister.”

“You really think so?” You ask quietly.

“I know so.”

You rest your head against his shoulder, a gesture that he knows is equivalent to a tight embrace from anyone else -- you’ve never been a touchy person. 

You’ve never been good at feelings, either. “It’s too damn quiet in this house,” you say after a moment, changing the subject.

He laughs. “It really is.”

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

Ridoc is standing in front of you.

You’re relieved at the sight of him, that no terrible fate befell him in the week you’d been away, but you can’t handle the conversation that you need to have, not when you feel like your heart is going to give out.

“I can’t do this right now,” you say, but the words don’t come out as strongly as you’d hoped, not enough air in your lungs to speak properly. “So if you could find somewhere else to be, that would be great.”

In true Ridoc fashion, he isn’t discouraged by your protests, kneeling down next to you. “Can you look at me, sweetheart?”

His seriousness confuses you enough to comply. You raise your chin, stunned at the softness in his eyes -- you’ve never been this close to him before. He’s beautiful.

“I’m gonna check your pulse, okay?”

You nod silently, allowing him to extend a hand toward you. Two fingers press into the side of your neck, feeling for your heartbeat. 

He’s never touched you before. His hands are warm.

“Do you know where you are?”

��Basgiath,” you answer easily.

“Good. How long have you been sitting here?”

“I don’t know. Since we got out of formation?”

He realizes exactly what upset you — that must have been your first flight since you got back from War Games with the rest of the marked ones.

“I don’t know what you saw out there, and you don’t need to tell me, but whatever it is, it can’t hurt you right now,” he promises. The genuine sincerity in his voice has the tears falling faster. 

Through your blurred vision you see him open his arms, and you lean into them without hesitation. He’s so warm that you can’t help but melt as soon as your skin touches his. 

He rubs your back, speaking softly. “You’re okay, pretty girl, you’re safe. Just breathe with me, okay?”

You attempt to match the even pace of his chest rising and falling against yours, deepening your shuddering breaths.

“That’s it,” he soothes. “You’re doing great.”

Grief comes flooding out of you, and you clutch at the fabric of his flight jacket to remain upright. “I miss them so much,” you sob. “They didn’t deserve to die.” 

Liam and Soleil, the two marked ones that hadn’t come back with you. 

“I know, sweetheart. I’m so sorry.”

He continues to rub your back, murmuring soft reassurances to you until your grip on him has loosened and your breathing has slowed.

You’ve relaxed, your heart no longer pounding as it had been when he found you, but you still don’t want him to go, you couldn’t bear it if he left right now. “Stay?” You ask in a small voice.

“Of course,” he answers, pulling back to sit beside you. “As long as you need.”

Your tears have dried, leaving you with a headache and a hollow feeling in your sinuses. “Why did you help me?” You ask quietly, looking out at the river. 

He wraps an arm around your shoulders. “Because it was the right thing to do. And because I can’t stand to see pretty girls cry.”

“Of course you’re back to cracking jokes already.”

“I’ve never been joking with you,” he says, shaking his head. “I meant every word I said to you, sweetheart. You’re beautiful, but you’re so much more than that, too. You’re capable, strong, witty, kind, caring, gentle… everything about you is good, and I wish that people would see past the relic on your arm and realize that.”

You blink at him, stunned.

“It’s true,” he says softly. “When you smiled at me that day at challenges, I knew that there was a soft heart under all that steel.”

A soft heart. A sweet heart.

There’s a moment of quiet while you work up the courage. 

“Is that pasta place still there?” 

He laughs, perhaps a little too loudly, but you’ve grown to love that sound, and the way it shakes his chest is comforting, like the rumble of a thunderstorm when you’re safe and dry indoors. “I think so.”

“Wanna go there tomorrow? Together?”

He grins from ear to ear. “Are you asking me out right now, sweetheart?”

You look over at him. “Yeah. I am.”

“This is going in the diary too, for the record.”

You can’t help but laugh, leaning back against him. If only for a moment, your anxiety has melted away.

You feel like you could face anything, as long as you have Ridoc to come home to.

[callsign-rogueone]

love at first fight - r.g.

Ridoc Gamlyn x marked!reader the first post of my Valentine’s Day celly! 💕 words: 668 🏷: no book spoilers this time! sparring and some blood. no mention of reader’s gender / pronouns. I just have a feeling that Ridoc would be super attracted to someone who's dangerous and can handle themself in combat. this will be part one of a mini-series I have planned, hehe update: sequel is out, read here!

Ridoc commits your entire being to memory the moment he sees you step out of the crowd.

How had he not noticed you before? Everything about you is stunning; the muscle packed onto your legs, the way the rider’s black looks on your skin, and your unruffled demeanor -- you’re looking Jack Barlowe straight in the eye, unflinching. You might be one of three people in the class who aren’t terrified of the guy, who is itching to fight with you.

You strip off your jacket, handing it to the tall blonde beside you whose name he can’t remember, and Ridoc’s heart nearly stops at the sight of the swirling tattoo trailing up your left arm: you’re marked.

If you’re as strong as the rest of your friends -- and you certainly look to be -- this is going to be a good matchup, but he’s still on edge. Barlowe has already garnered a reputation for fighting dirty; he’s tried to kill every one of his opponents thus far in the term, and judging by his visible disgust at your rebellion relic, you won’t be an exception.

Your friend says something to you quietly, advice or a soft reassurance, and you take your place on the mat, shaking out your limbs.

Barlowe lunges at you the second the professor says go, and you make no move to stop him. Do you have a death wish or something?

Evidently not. You kick out at the last second, catching him in the stomach, and he skids back a few feet. He quickly pushes forward again, and you land a punch directly to his jaw and another to his ribs. If he wasn’t mad already, he definitely is now. 

He tackles you to the floor, his fist catching the side of your mouth, and you hiss in pain. You grab the hilt of the dagger at his side and pull, yanking it from its sheath and pointing it at him in warning.

He wraps a hand around your wrist, twisting and pushing back at an awkward angle. Rather than struggle over the dagger, you let it fall and kick it aside, sending it spinning across the floor. If you can’t have it, he can’t either.

You kick out again, hitting him where it hurts and shoving him back onto the mat, rising onto your knees. You pull two more blades from the leather straps that circle your thighs, pressing one to his throat and the other to his side.

He yields, but everyone can tell he’s pissed, and that he won’t be letting this go anytime soon. He retreats to the other side of the gym, still smoldering.

Ridoc picks up the short blade that had landed at his feet, extending the hilt to you silently -- by the rules of the Codex, it’s yours to keep as a trophy.

You smile at him with a split lip, the only wound you’d sustained in the fight, taking it and tucking it at your thigh alongside the ones you’d threatened Jack with. “Thanks.”

He nearly falls over at the sound of your voice, soft and sweet in contrast to the hardened soldier persona you’d displayed on the mat.

You return to your squad, leaning against the wall to watch the next match. Blonde guy -- Liam? Lucas, maybe? No, definitely Liam. -- hands you your jacket, but you don’t put it back on, draping it over one arm instead.

Liam holds up five fingers, and you shake your head, holding up four: it had taken you four blows to bring Barlowe down. “New record,” you mouth, smug.

Ridoc’s eyes still don’t leave you even as two cadets start throwing punches directly in front of him. 

“I smell a crush,” Rhiannon says slyly. 

“We need to unpack why you’re only attracted to people who could kill you, dude,” Sawyer adds. “I’m legitimately concerned.”

His friends’ comments go in one ear and out the other. Deadly or not, he’d do anything to have you smile at him like that again.