#SHINING VICTORY「deck」

[dessarchive]

DR IDEAS. A COLLECTION.

the list below is based off of my current list of drs and i thought i’d share to give others more ideas! i will be updating this often because i often have ideas for drs but i can’t say how often that will be. happy shifting!

KPOP (join an established k-pop group, create your own, redesign the lore of your faves, make the group or just yourself the opposite gender, make joint groups, switch members, script members out, switch the generation of the group, whatever your heart desires)

aespa, billlie, bts, enhypen, fromis_9, girls generation, girlnextdoor (sister group of boynextdoor), illit, ive, le sserafim, loona, monster high (based off of monster high), newjeans, powerpuff girls (based off of the powerpuff girls), p1harmony, rescene, secret, stray kids, tripleS, twice, winx (based off of winx club)

FAME (act in a movie, television series, or film, sing on stage or be a backup singer, dance on stage with your faves or be their choreographer, become the it person of a certain decade, become a world renowned artist, become the next nba player, interview your faves, create the next big book that will live on for generations, play your favorite video games as a living)

actress, artist, author, band, basketball player, ballerina, celebrity interviewer, ceo (favorite brand, an app, music), choreographer, director, drag queen, fashion designer, figure skater, gaming youtuber, influencer, katseye, lifestyle youtuber, mukbang youtuber, nepo baby, olympic medalist, royalty, singer, soccer, supermodel, teen fame, travel vlogger, victorious secret angel

TV SERIES/MOVIES (add yourself into the plot, remove the plot and live a chill life, fight off evil, have the perfect love story, be best friends with barbie, be barbie and have her many many careers, have a talking pet…. be a talking pet…, be a mermaid, vampire, be friends with or be the sidekick of superman, batman, iron man, etc)

13 going on 30, the 100, accidentally in love, a.n.t. farm, alvin and the chipmunks, the amazing world of gumball, the aristocats, a series of unfortunate events, austin & ally, avatar, the babysitters club, back to the future, barbie, barbie's life in the dream house, barbie mariposa, barbie in a mermaid tale, barbie thumbelina, batman, best friends whenever, beverly hills chihuahua, boo bitch, bottoms, boy meets world, bride wars, brooklyn 99, business proposal, camp rock, captain marvel, cat in the hat, cheaper by the dozen, coraline, criminal minds, curious george, deadly class, derry girls, descendants, despicable me, diary of a wimpy kid, dog with a blog, eternals, euphoria, fantastic beasts, footloose, franny's feet, frozen, freeridge, garfield, gilmore girls, girl meets world, good luck charlie, gravity falls, h20: just add water, hannah montana, happy feet, harry potter, heartstopper, high school musical, hocus pocus, home alone, hotel transylvania, how the grinch stole christmas, i am not okay with this, icarly, jessie, kc undercover, kickin’ it, komi can't communicate, lab rats, law & order, lemonade mouth, let it shine, lilo & stitch, little miss sunshine, little rascals, little women, mako mermaids, metal lords, moana, modern family, mr. popper's penguins, my babysitters a vampire, night at the museum, the office, on my block, outer banks, peanuts, percy jackson and the olympians, phineas and ferb, pirates of the caribbean, pixie hollow, the polar express, pretty little liars, princess diaries, the princess and the popstar, ratatouille, riverdale, the santa clause, sam and cat, sesame street, sex and the city, shake it up, shameless, sharkboy and lavagirl, sisterhood of the traveling pants, smallville, smurfs, space jam, spider-man, spongebob squarepants, spy kids, starstruck, stranger things, strong woman do bong soon, the suite life on deck, the summer i turned pretty, the thundermans, teen beach movie, the teenage mutant ninja turtles, toy story, twilight, victorious, wicked, wizards of waverly place, zoey 101

VIDEO GAMES (there’s so many more i can’t think of)

animal crossing, hogwarts legacy, life is strange, minecraft, roblox, uncharted

MISCELLANEOUS

a certain decade or time in history, all women paradise (i love women), animal kingdom, atlantis, angel, babylon, baker, better cr, boarding school, dragon academy, dream college student, eternal childhood, eternal summer, farmer, idol school, marine biologist, new colors paradise, santa’s elf, small town, studying, summer camp, teacher, time traveler, vampire, waiting room

[yaseraphine]

pick a card 3 - something you need to hear right now.

Last day where the Sun is in Scorpio. First day where the Sun enters Sagittarius.

The month of November is always a tough month for everyone. This pick a card is aimed to give some guidance through these dark times. Scorpio energy can be sometimes overwhelmingly intense and gloomy, but it holds great power. Use this energy to die peacefully, and shed your old skin. Like a phoenix, we will all rise from our ashes.

Words of encouragement, healing messages and a tiny bit of reality checks are what this reading will bring you. Hope it resonates.

Pile 1 

The World, 2 of Wands, Knight of Wands, Page of Swords, 10 of Swords (Rx), Queen of Pentacles (Rx?)

Top of the deck : 8 of Cups

Bottom of the deck : 2 of Swords

Life path 7 / Life path 11

“You don’t drown by falling in the water, you drown by staying there.”

“Do what makes you fucking happy”

additional quote : “Do what makes your soul shine <3”

Right off the bat, there is a sense of urgency in walking away from something and making a firm decision. I think you have been in denial about something in your life, avoiding it by trying to live a “normal life”. You’ve been focusing on your day to day tasks as a distraction but something has been at the back of your mind for a while now. And when I say for a while, I mean at least two years, or one year. It is something that you have, overtime, subconsciously suppressed because at the time this thing, career, job, creative endeavor,.. was important to you, but you did not have (or thought you didn’t have) enough knowledge and resources to take methodical practical steps towards it. I am picking up that this might have been something that happened slightly before or during the pandemic (2019/2020). The World fell out of the deck, and this card indicates the completion of a cycle, an ending. After it, the 2 of Wands fell, which indicates future planning, progress, decision and discovery. I feel like the message you need to hear is that now is the perfect time to start this project of yours, or at least plan the practical actions you need to take over the course of the next few months to accomplish it. Don’t overthink over certain details and possible technical issues. There is a fire inside of you that you consistently turned off, thinking and hoping that the embers would eventually die out. The problem you are currently facing is that they never did. You might have an Aries North node. Being assertive and independent doesn’t come easy to you. Starting projects and following your instincts without second guessing yourself is hard. You tried to manage your truest and deepest desires but I feel like this past year, the desire to let it all out, probably influenced by the Lunar nodes being in the sign of Aries and Libra, urging you to just go for it, intensified to the point of suffocation. 

Your spirit guides are urging you to take this leap of faith, to walk confidently towards that goal like The Fool, without worrying if you run the risk of falling from a ravine in the process.

They’re telling you to start slow, to take a step by step approach while still keeping a strong mindset. You will come out victorious only if you’re able to keep pushing through the obstacles. What awaits you is a slow and steady marathon and growth. You can do it !

Oracle cards from the Green With Oracle pulled for you : 

16 - Memory / Rosemary => Leo energy

“Deeper levels of connection with people, concepts and plans are all areas that Rosemary works with. You are reminded to ensure you are in touch with your inner wisdom, paying heed to the past, and have cleared what needs to be released. Listen to your intuition as it is calling to you at present, but be wary of gossip or becoming tactless or too forceful.”

5 - Grounding / Potato => Virgo energy

“Explore the deepest, innermost areas of yourself and situations, as potatoes indicate energies that are calling you to look again at what you may have once missed and will help to bring stability. If you are looking for an answer, try pulling back a little to let things settle on their own first. Challenges at the moment may include ignorance, self-centeredness and forgetfulness, so make sure you are compassionate and focused.

You are called to use all the knowledge you acquired overtime to finally take action. You’re currently ending a cycle. You have enough wisdom to make a plan that will lead you closer and closer to tangible success. Trust your intuition and inner guidance. Don’t make rash decisions, but be decisive.

Just realized these two cards have the same message in the guide book ! This is a crazy coincidence. I used it many times and never paid attention. I didn’t even know two cards could have the same message. This is crazy lol.  Let me share the quote with you : 

 “When the world wearies and society fails to satisfy, there is always the garden”

Pile 2 

2 of cups, 3 of Pentacles, Queen of Wands, Ace of Wands, The Star, 2 of Swords, Page of Pentacles 10 of Pentacles

“The same light you see in others is shining within you too.”

(there are a lot of references to light, stars,shining,;. throughout the reading. Are you drawn to space ? or the galaxy ? You’re probably a huge astrology, and/or astronomy nerd. You are probably also a huge dreamer. Maybe drawn to the idea of being a starseed. You might have strong aquarius placements, or a populated 11th house. Pluto finally going in Aquarius this week is going to grant you so much luck and recognition ! You are about to step into your power for the next 20 years. Like a rocket, you are about to fly towards the stars. Are you ready for the take off ?  

“Don’t let the ugliness of others kill the beauty in you”

Something you need to hear is that you are about to be blessed by the universe ! Shooting Star by XG just started playing !

“Babe, if I give it my all, will it pay off?

Workin' overtime, no days off

All these shootin' stars in the dark (Yeah)

All these shootin' stars in the dark, make a wish (Yeah)

Takin' off from the ground, it's amazin'

So outta this world, I'm in space

Now I'm goin' up, headin' to the stars

Wouldn't trade it out for another life, no

Yeah, we ridin', ridin', ridin' on up (Woo)

So shinin', shinin', shinin' for sure

Ooh, ah, I'm lookin' so lavish (Shinin', shinin', yeah)

Ooh, ah, put in work like it's a habit (I'm lookin' so lavish)

It's a big move, every day's like a dream

Makin' big moves as I should 'cause I'm a queen (Ooh)

Ooh, ah, I'm lookin' so lavish

Ooh, ah, yeah, I bet you can't imagine (Oh yeah)”

You are shining on your way towards the stars. You are currently in your Queen of Wands and Ace of Wands energy, (Million Dollar Baby just started playing, you’re really sure of yourself and goal oriented right now).

You are bursting with confidence and assertiveness. You are determined towards your goals. You are in a “work hard, play hard” type of energy. If it’s not currently happening, you are about to have a huge burst of popularity on whatever you’re currently working on. Could be any project, a youtube channel, a business : there are a few people that are well respected in the industry you're aiming for that are eyeing you right now and that are about to offer you a contract/ a deal/ a collaboration. They have been probably on a hunt for someone like you for a while now and they were probably starting to lose hope until they came across your page/work/profile. They see you as a Star, you’re unique and like The Star in the tarot, you represent hope and faith to them/to their business/ association/school/company. They see your raw potential and they are going to help you refine it. 

Right now, you’re probably more focused on your work/ career/ school and nurturing your friendships, going out. You’re basically active in your social circles and this is benefiting you a lot ! 

An additional message you need to know is that you’re attracting a soulmate! It’s not necessarily a romantic soulmate, could be a friendship, a mentor.. Whatever the nature of this relationship is, it is going to fill you up with even more joy and hope! Your spirit guides are so proud of you and of all the work you have been putting in lately. Even though it was hard, you stayed patient and worked diligently towards your goals and desired reality. You did a lot of shadow work, tried your best to let go of the limiting beliefs that were holding you back. The Universe wants to tell you they are about to reward you.

Oracle card from the Green With Oracle pulled for you : 

40 - Positivity / Marigold : Leo energy (again you are shining and radiating confidence! Your solar plexus chakra and sacral chakra might be in overdrive currently! You are the main character in the play that is your life.)

 “A better understanding is indicated and a reason to be more optimistic about outcomes and the roads to get there. There are opportunities for nurturing encounters and a general aura of happiness pervades. Marigolds help us focus on the positive aspects of even the most difficult events. Your inner child may need to come out for a play, and be sure to take creative invitations. Be wary of not having all the facts and of emotional blockages.”

Pile 3

TW : this pile is a bit sad and angsty.

Before I pulled any cards for you, I already felt your energy overlapping in Pile 2’s reading. Your energy was really intense, deep and melancholic. Sad songs started playing, which completely contradicted pile 2’s energy (which was overwhelmingly positive). You are probably going through a really tough period right now and your soul is desperately crying for help, praying for a hand to come and save you. You have been having really painful realizations regarding your past, especially your childhood. You’ve recently realized that the child inside of you was buried alive. You’ve recently realized that you lost your essence. While growing up, you accommodated to the world around you, what people expected of you, what was “normal”, what was acceptable. By bowing down to other people’s expectations, you let your true self die slowly. You’ve been on autopilot for a while now, completely numb and empty. There is a bit of mirroring between this pile and pile 1 of suppressing one's authentic self and desires. 

Right now, you feel that your heart has been almost rotting inside. You lost all of your passion and your spark of life. But, don’t worry, what you need to hear now is that this painful realization is what is going to set you free. It is the first step towards a really deeply healing period where you are going to reconnect with your inner child. I heard : “The truth will set you free, but first, it will piss you off”. Did you read my last reading by any chance ? I am getting the energy that you chose pile 2 and 3, both or just one, or that you would resonate with those two piles for some reason. Don’t hesitate to check it out, you might find some comforting messages I heard ! 

Now, let me pull some cards for you. I don’t know why, but I felt drawn to use different decks than the ones I used for the first two piles. So, your pile will have different messages (no message from the Green Witch oracle for you)

 [took a little break before going to your pile. You probably need to slow down on your day to day tasks. I know it’s really hard in the productivity obsessed capitalist world we live in, and it is a huge privilege to be able to have enough time and energy to spiritually reconnect with ourselves, but this is what your spirit guides are urging you to do. You’ve got this.]

For you, I used the Occult Tarot and the Heavenly Bodies Astrology deck.

I only pulled 2 cards, one per deck (it was supposed to be like that but more cards sneaked in while shuffling haha) I feel like you need just a simple check up.

Cardinal - Instigation, Bravery and A pioneering spirit => your lost spark and childlike innocence will soon be reignited by a deep healing period. A new beginning is coming for you, but it will take some hibernating time before it comes. 

Sagittarius - Optimism, Exploration and Freedom

Trine - Angelic Support, Harmony and Perfect Flow

Reconnect to your higher self and spiritual side. Disconnect from the direct, yet understandable, dissatisfaction you feel towards life. Your embers that were slowly dying will relive, just trust the process, enter the deepest parts of yourself and keep exploring with positivity : your angels will guide you. There is a team of spirit guides and angels that are proud of your progress. Even if you don’t see it, they do and they want to tell you : There is light at the end of the tunnel, keep on walking.

The Hermit and the Ace of Swords :  The truth about your past came out, now is the time to meditate on those realizations and integrate them. Alchemize the pain in wisdom. You are about to come out stronger than ever. Isolate yourself, or at least try to keep your peace and have a lot of alone time (without completely stopping socializing altogether, humans are social creatures, connecting with people is important for our wellbeing) to ponder, analyze, decrypt all the patterns that you’ve been repeating. Reconnect with your inner child, look at photos of yourself when you were younger, delve deep into your childhood and childhood wounds. Maybe try to find what your attachment style is, anything that stems from your childhood that has been making you stuck in a rut these past years. Maybe, if you can, try to heal the relationship you had with your parents/parent or primary caregiver. Try to understand the nature of you guys’ relationship to see how it affects your self worth now. You've got this, trust me.

here is a link to my ko-fi.

[blueicequeen19]

Not His

Warnings: mentioned of forced pregnancy, birth control tampering, & terminating pregnancy, oral, blackmail, threats with a g*n, cheating, dark unhinged Rafe, all the trigger warnings!

The pounding on the door intensifies enough that JJ finally rolls off of you with a groan, leaving you aching and empty as he yanks on a pair of boxers and stomps off down the hallway. You bury your face in his pillow, inhaling the intoxicating scent of him when you hear an unmistakable voice that flushes away any traces of desire left in your system.

"Where is my wife?" The words are ground out with more anger and ownership than you can stand as you jump to your feet, wincing at the soreness there, and quickly yanking on a pair of JJ's boxers and a T-shirt from the surf shop.

"She wouldn't be your wife if you'd sign the divorce papers." JJ fires back as you emerge from the bedroom. His back is to you as he bars Rafe's entrance with his arm stretched across the door frame. Rafe's eyes lock on yours, narrowing into slits when he takes in your freshly fucked appearance. Both men tense as you approach and you quickly wrap your arms around JJ's narrow waist, loving the feel of his skin under your hands and the safety he offers.

"Y/N, if you're done playing Pogue Slut, it's time for you to come home." Rafe growls as you peek at him over JJ's shoulder. You tighten your hold when JJ tenses. You know he'd go to jail in defending your honor but that would give Rafe what he wanted.

"She's not leaving so stop looking at her." JJ warns, his voice low and his body ready to fight. Rafe's gaze snaps to JJ's, the vein in his temple throbbing with anger as the two men square off.

"You know she was fucking me as much as she did you, right? Do you think you'll have the means to provide for a child let alone afford to fight me when I demand a paternity test? Will you play daddy to my son?" Rafe smirks as JJ's hands ball into fists and he takes a step forward. Rafe's smile widens, flashing his bright white teeth as they stand almost chest to chest.

"Shut up, Rafe." You snap, swallowing the lump in your throat as anxiety sinks in. You never told JJ about having to perform your wifely duties on a daily basis with Rafe. You assumed he knew and wouldn't want to know about it.

"I never pulled out. Not once. She let me breed that pussy whenever I wanted and sucked the cum off my dick when I was done." A growl rumbles through JJ, his body trembling with restraint.

"Will you be there for her when I take my child away from her and she has no choice but to follow?" Rafe's voice lowers to a whisper, his eyes shining with victory from the seeds of doubt he's planted. Something snaps inside you at the picture he's painted. Before you've registered anything, you've grabbed the shotgun from behind the door and cocked it, aiming directly at Rafe's chest. His eyes widen in surprise but that stupid smile is still stretched across his smug face.

"Hit a nerve, did I? Don't want history to repeat itself?" Rafe taunts, pressing his chest firmly against the barrel. It was just like him to throw your shitty childhood and awful parents in your face.

"Baby.." JJ murmurs softly, reaching for the gun but you shake him off as you step out on the deck and force Rafe to back up with the gun to his chest.

"I was sneaking birth control the whole time, you idiot." You spat, jamming the gun harder against his chest, making him wince.

"Maybe I switched it out for fakes. Maybe you've been pregnant for weeks now and had no idea." The gun trembles in your hold. It's not surprising that he would try to trap you with a child so you could never leave.

"Maybe I had an abortion." You counter, finally seeing the smile fall from his face. "Maybe I didn't. Maybe I've also been taking Plan B as an extra reassurance to never bring any spawn of yours into the world. Maybe I'd rather die than stay married to you and live in that place." You'd taken a test right after moving in with JJ. You weren't pregnant. And if you were.. it sure as fuck wasn't Rafe's. But he didn't know that.

Rafe's Adam's apple bobs as he swallows, jaw clenched in anger.

"You're bluffing."

"So are you."

"Get the fuck out of here and don't come back until you've signed the damn papers." JJ pushes Rafe back, making him stumble down the steps as he glares at the both of you with enough hatred to start fires. Rafe didn't care about you. He cared about what this would do to his reputation and what people on Figure Eight would say.

"I'll never stop. You're coming back to me." Rafe declares, walking backwards towards his Rover before climbing in and slamming the door shut.

"I'll never go back to him." You state, watching him drive away as JJ gently takes the gun from your grasp. JJ cups your face, his eyes searching as tears fill your eyes. He wasn't angry or accusing.

"You'll never go back to him." JJ whispers, wiping your tears away with his thumbs and pressing his forehead to yours.

"Why aren't you angry?" You breathe, wrapping your arms around his waist as you fight to calm your racing heart.

"Because I love you and I don't care what you had to do to survive him." A sob breaks free and then you're kissing him as tears race down your cheeks.

"I wish I was your wife." You moan against his lips as he lifts you into his arms and carries you back inside.

"You will be." JJ promises, lowering you to the bed and yanking his clothes off your body.

"You'll have my ring. My name. My kids. Every part of you will be mine." JJ kisses his way down your body, positioning himself on his stomach between your parted thighs and licking a stripe through your slit, not caring that you're still full of him from earlier as your body bows off the bed.

"He'll sign or I'll kill him." JJ growls against your pussy, licking and tasting you with an intensity that has you seeing stars as you cry out. The thought of Rafe ceasing to exist shouldn't be such a turn-on..

"We can sign our marriage license in his blood if he wants to go that route." The orgasm crashes into you, tearing a scream from your lips as you squirt all over him and the bed.

"Fuck, JJ!" Your body shakes violently as he forces your legs back, bending you in half while continuing his feast.

"Goddamn, I love it when you do that, baby."

"We don't have a-any more c-clean sheets." You whimper, the pleasure becoming too much as he thrusts his tongue inside you and curls it to reach that sweet spot.

"Let me worry about that. You focus on cumming on my tongue before I fuck this greedy pussy again."

"Wait, wait, wait, no, I can't.. please baby!" You cry, fisting his hair as he presses his mouth firmly against your clit and sucks it into his mouth. Suddenly, three fingers enter your pulsing pussy, forcing you to scream as you cum harder than before. Everything seems to go black then he's coming down on top of you, burying his thick cock further than it's ever been with the position.

"That's right. Take all of me, baby." JJ grips your chin as he kisses you, swallowing your cries as he hammers into you, like you both hadn't already been at this for hours before Rafe interrupted.

"Do you want more of my cum, sweet girl? Is this pussy hungry for more?"

"Oh, my, god." You pant, digging your nails into his shoulders as his pace grows sloppy.

"I go by JJ, but thanks." JJ lets out a grunt, throwing his head back as he cums, cock buried deep as it throbs inside you. Your legs drop down to the bed and you groan in unison, bodies falling towards exhaustion. JJ leans in for a kiss, pressing his lips to yours in a sweet kiss as you wrap your arms around his shoulders and stroke his messy hair.

"You're not his." JJ whispers, rolling your bodies so you're on top and he's still buried deep inside you.

"Not his." You murmur back, kissing him back as the threat of what's to come starts to form in the back of your mind like a big dark storm cloud.

Rafe wouldn’t stop until someone was dead.

You or him.

[rubyin-wonderland]

Infatuation

opla!Zoro x reader

Summary: Zoro's emotions for you are so repressed he doesn't even know he has them.

WC: 2.3k

Warnings/tags: drinking/hangover, all fluff

As he grabbed yet another bottle off the counter of the bar, Zoro's eyes turned to the empty space in the middle of the room, cleared away so the drunken patrons could dance to the music being played onstage.

You were there, in the mess of bodies, twirling and dancing with reckless abandon, and he felt something in his chest. A flutter, perhaps. Maybe even a jump. His hand instinctively lifted to his chest, trying to be subtle, but ultimately failing. It was luck that nobody happened to be looking at him.

He had been feeling the strange palpitations for a while now. Every once and a while, his heart felt strange in his chest, his stomach flipped, his insides grew warm and fluffy.

He wasn't exactly happy about it. The feeling was so unnatural to him and he hoped that it would stop so he could feel normal again.

On the other hand, the feeling wasn't bad. It was unfamiliar, but it wasn't painful. He'd prefer if it was. It would be easier to see it as a problem. Instead it was fluttery. It was nice.

It had to stop.

He'd marked each previous incident in his head, and he ran through each one, trying to figure out a reason behind it.

The first time it happened was when he was sitting on deck, relaxing after a workout. His heartrate was elevated, but he was settling down, just in time for you to come out, doing your own work.

You drew your sword, going through a few stances, slowly going through the movements, one at a time, each movement careful and precise. He watched your process, admiring it. You looked over at him, noticing his stare.

"You like what you see, Roronoa?" You asked, swiftly executing a decapitation, before sheathing your blade.

His heart beat quickly as he watched that sequence of events. He frowned, trying not to call attention to it.

"You leave your sides open." He critiqued. "Oh yeah?" You grinned. "You do." "I'll have to work on that then." You drew your sword again, going through the motions one at a time, but Zoro was too startled by the sudden jump of his heart to stay and pay any attention.

You were known for your flirtatious remarks, but they were given out to nearly everybody you knew. Not just Zoro. Sanji had been on the receiving end of a comment or two, along with Nami and even Usopp once. It could be said that you flirted with Zoro the most, but your comments were often accompanied by flashy shows of swordsmanship. It was for the bit more than anything.

And for the most part, he hadn't felt anything like this before. At first, he had hated it, but he soon grew to understand that was a part of you and consequently, your friendship with him.

The second time was in the galley. Sanji was preparing dinner and you had come in, asking him if he needed help. He said yes, and you joined him, helping slice vegetables.

You got the hang of the chopping board quickly, and without much time passing, more than enough vegetables had been cut, and you went and sat down at the table, along with Usopp, Nami and Zoro. "Didn't know you could handle a knife like that." Nami said, sipping a glass of lemonade Sanji had given her.

"Yeah, I'm a bit of a natural." You bragged, giving an overly cocky smile.

And then his heart did it again. A flutter. This time he didn't leave, but he stopped listening to the conversation. He tried to tune it out while he thought about how strange it was.

You were attractive, a fact backed up by multiple members of the crew, but what really made you shine was your confidence. There were two types of confidence you liked to show. Genuine and comedic.

Your genuine confidence showed itself after a fight, in the fiery light in your eyes and the heaving breaths you took, as a victorious smile spread across your face.

Your comedic confidence was sassy and dramatic. Usually undeserved, but the way you presented yourself with that cocky smile- akin to the one you wore when you had finished fighting- was undeniably amusing, if not attractive. It was the type you tended to use when flirting.

Zoro liked both confidences on you. The look in your eyes complimenting the quirk of your lip, a complete lack of fear on your face. You were brave and you believed in yourself. It was beautiful.

The third time was when he had gone out for a walk at night. He was unable to sleep for whatever reason and decided that maybe a walk would help.

You were on night watch, sitting alone on a banister, gently kicking your legs. At first, you didn't notice him, your eyes were skyward, scanning the stars.

He watched you for a bit, your face completely serene as your eyes drifted across the sky. He almost didn't want to disturb you in this rare moment of peace. You were constantly on edge, in need of something to do, somewhere to be, that he never saw you relax.

It was as he studied your features, that his heart once again did a flip against his rib cage, and he quickly hurried back to his room.

To see you so calm for once, not burdened with a sword and scars and a point to prove, was a rare occurrence. To see what you were like completely alone, exposed to the world, open and liberated, it was a strange sight, but a welcome one.

You were open. Bare and exposed and completely unguarded. And deep, deep down, in a place Zoro refused to acknowledge and hardly even knew about, he loved it. He wanted to see you like that again and again, one million times over, until he forgot that you had ever been burdened in the first place.

And then, the palpitation at the bar. His brain, working on enough alcohol to make him at least a little tipsy, tried to connect any dots, but came up empty. It wasn't the food he ate or the amount of exercise he had done. The times were all arbitrary and nothing made sense.

"What's wrong?" You had sauntered up to the bar and sat down next to him.

"What?" "Your brow was furrowed. You were thinking. Which is rare for you, you know." You laughed at the insulting joke, before putting in a drink order. "What's eating you, Roronoa?"

He sighed, figuring someone might as well know if his heart decided to take him out in his sleep.

"My heart's been acting funny." He huffed. "You better not be dying." You said seriously.

"I'm not." He said it so defensively you had no choice but to think he was lying. "Oh my god, you are?" Your eyes widened in fear, looking around for help. He grabbed your arm to calm you down. "I'm not dying. I don't think. So don't go telling everyone."

You settled, but your eyes shone with a new, concerned light. "Are you okay?" You said it so sincerely, his heart did it again.

"It just happened." He warned. You looked at him, scanning him for any signs of pain.

"Does it hurt?" You asked. "Because it looks like it isn't doing anything." "It just feels weird. Like it's jumping." You thought for a bit, trying to understand. "Jumping?" "Yeah. Like it speeds up. It makes my whole body weird. Kinda like when I'm drunk, but it happens when I'm not."

You leaned back as your drink arrived. "Huh. It doesn't seem bad if you get to feel drunk without drinking." You mused. "Heck, I'd give up quite a bit to feel like that."

"Yeah. Don't tell people about it though." You saluted with two fingers before walking back to the dance floor. "You got it, Roronoa."

His heart did it one more time. It was growing in frequency. He could only hope this was an outlier, no indication for the future.

For the rest of the night he pondered this strange situation, and he thankfully didn't get another flutter in the bar.

The night went on and he eventually decided to go back to the ship, stumbling, a bit drunker than he had expected to get, walking in a wobbly line.

"Hey there, Roronoa."

You appeared, and he was reminded of the night he saw you looking at the stars and once again he felt tingly. You looked incredible at night, illuminated by the streetlights, and with less inhibitions than usual, Zoro voiced his opinion out loud.

"You're very pretty."

You were not nearly as drunk as he was, having had some restraint back at the bar. "Wow. How much did you have?" You hoped he couldn't tell how warm your face just got.

"Just a couple." He responded, trying to walk again, though his drunken gait was nowhere near ready to support him. He leaned heavily to one side and you caught him, nearly being taken down by his weight, only aided by him catching himself on the way down.

"Whoa there." You helped him back to his feet. "I can't wait to see the hangover you get tomorrow." He hummed as you helped him walk back to the ship.

The walk was longer than it should have been, most of your energy put into making sure he didn't fall into the water. You assumed everyone else was already asleep, which was good for them, but you wished you were asleep too.

You got him to his room and watched as he fell onto his bed, tugging off his boots and kicking them across the room. He lay down and shuffled awkwardly to get his belt off, his swords bouncing off each other in their sheaths. You watched as he manoeuvred the swords around his body and tried to carefully rest them against a wall. You watched as they nearly fell over, and you managed to run and catch them before they hit the floor.

Taking the blades, you carefully set them on the floor, flat, so as not to run the risk of them falling over later in the night.

"So, you think I'm pretty?" You asked, leaning over him as he settled in. "Did I really say that?" He groaned, not sounding half as worried as you expected him too, given his tough guy persona. "You did. But that's a problem I'll make you worry about when you're sober. How's your heart? Still fluttery?"

"A bit." "You should talk to a doctor about it if it starts to worry you. We can't lose you Roronoa."

"It happened again." You raised an eyebrow. "Wow, it's happened twice in front of me, you'd think I was the one causing it." He laughed. "You were there for all of them."

His comment meant nothing to him, but you connected the dots. "I have?" "Yeah. And you're the only one too." He briefly frowned. "What are you doing to me?"

Your jaw dropped as your brain found the answer to his troubles. Were you the reason his heart has been acting up? Was it just the flutters of a crush instead of a heart problem?

You stepped away from him. "Just get some sleep. You'll need it." And you left him to his business.

Alone with his thoughts, Zoro sat, drunk and wondering what had scared you off. You had been hovering over him one second and left him alone the next. What had he said to make you react like that?

He wasn't sure, but he decided that along with admitting that he thought you were pretty, that would be a problem for him when he sobered up, and tried his best to go to sleep.

He slept like a rock, and when he woke up, his head was pounding against his skull. A hangover. Of course.

He stayed in bed for a while, until he heard a knock at his door.

He opened it and came face to face with you. A memory reappeared. Him calling you pretty.

"Hey." You refused to let him begin whatever he was about to say. "Good morning. Breakfast is served." You left before he could say another word, but he noted the way your mouth curved slightly upward as you turn away.

He closed the door, wondering what he said to you last night, trying to remember.

He remembered calling you pretty, and talking about his heart flutters then-

"You were there for all of them. And you're the only one too. What are you doing to me?"

His face dropped as it finally clicked. That couldn't possibly be right. Him? Like you? Like that? It was out of the question. It was insanity.

Except it wasn't insanity. It made sense. Terrible, horrific sense. The way he liked spending time with you, the way his eyes subconsciously drifted towards you whenever you were present.

He wanted to slam his head against a wall. Had you figured it out? Had you told everyone about his stupid heart flutters and how you were the reason he felt that way?

He stepped out of the room, ready to accuse you of lying about his heart, noting that you stood just outside the door.

"You wanna talk about last night?" You offered. "What did you say to them?" He demanded immediately, praying that he had gotten to you before it reached the others.

"I haven't told anyone anything and I won't. That's your business." That settled him, if even a small bit.

"Though, if my theory about your heart flutters is correct, I wouldn't say it's unreciprocated." You winked.

Zoro's heart jumped in his chest as you walked to the kitchen, smiling back at him. Another flutter. He was screwed.

[alwayssassydreamer]

Charmed And Disarmed

A/N: thanks Ann for asking for a fluffy story with Shanks who is getting on the readers nerve until she agrees to go on a date with him, hope you like it.

Plot: you're trying to avoid your incredibly charming captain but he wouldn't let up until he gets what he wants

Warnings: none, just a fluff-ish story

Characters: Shanks x F!Reader cameo by Beckmann, Hongo, Yasopp

You were busy working on the deck of the Red Force, focused on your task as the sun shined down, the wind was gentle, the crew was bustling around you, and the day should have been peaceful. But, of course, nothing was ever peaceful when Shanks was around.

"Need a hand?" Shanks’ voice suddenly drawled from over your shoulder. You felt him lean in, his breath brushing against your ear. His tone was smooth, that familiar teasing edge made your heart skip a beat.

"I’m fine," you said, trying to keep your voice steady as you felt a flush creeping up your neck.

Shanks didn’t budge. "Are you sure? It looks like you’re having a hard time... concentrating." There was amusement in his voice, and you could feel his grin without even looking at him. He leaned even closer, practically invading your personal space.

From the other side of the deck, you heared Yasopp snicker. "C’mon, captain, don’t be shy now. You know she can’t resist your charm."

The rest of the crew burst out laughing, clearly enjoying the show.

You shot Yasopp a glare, but Shanks seized the opportunity, lowering his voice so only you could hear it

“They know you like the attention.”

Your face turned even redder, and you opened your mouth to protest, but he was already standing up straight, looking incredibly pleased with himself.

"How long until she cracks? I give it two minutes," Yasopp said loudly.

"Two minutes? I say less!" Hongo shouted, and soon, the entire crew was placing bets on how long it’ll take for Shanks to get under your skin.

Shanks winked at you, stepping a little closer again.

“We’ve got an audience now. Care to make this interesting?” His voice was playful, but there was a challenge in his eyes.

The whole crew was watching, waiting for you to crack, while Shanks stood there, all charming smiles and relentless teasing.

The longer you tried to keep your composure, the more impossible it became. Every little word, every glance, just added to your growing fluster, and Shanks knew it. He was enjoying every second of it.

Finally, when you couldn't take it anymore, you shoved the papers into his chest.

"You want to be helpful, Captain? You finish the paper work then!"

The crew erupted in laughter as Shanks held up his hands in surrender, but his eyes sparkled with victory.

After days of enduring Shanks’ relentless teasing, you decided to take matters into your own hands.

Every time you stepped onto the deck, it seemed like Shanks was there—ready with a smirk, a flirty comment, or some harmless touch that sent your heart racing.

You needed an escape, so you started spending more time in the infirmary, assisting Hongo with medical supplies, or helping Beckman sort through the endless stacks of paperwork.

"If you keep hiding in here, the crew's going to think you’ve suddenly developed an interest in medicine," Hongo said with a raised brow.

"I'm just avoiding.....distractions." you said with a sheepish grin.

"Sure. But you know he's going to find you in here right" Hongo replied with a small chuckle.

And he was right. It didn't take long until Shanks entered the infirmary.

"There you are. Already feared you would have gone overboard" Shanks joked.

"I’ll leave you two to it.” Hongo said glancing between you and Shanks, smirking as he left.

"What’s this? Playing nurse now?” Shanks teased, his eyes gleaming with amusement.

"Just offering a helping hand" you muttered not meeting his gaze.

"Seems you've been developing some sort of helper syndrome lately. Or is this part of your strategy to avoid me"

"No.....I'm just being helpful" you said as you felt that familiar warmth in your cheeks as he stepped closer again, clearly not buying your excuse.

"Sure you are" he said his tone full of amusement. "But you can’t avoid me forever, you know."

Unfortunately for you he was right. Everytime you were hiding in Beckman's quarters helping him with the paperwork Shanks would enter the room. Dropping a playful comment, teasingly poke your side or stand too close to you all while Beckman chuckled under his breath.

It seemed like there was just no way to escape your captain's teases.

After he left you flustered again Beckmann smirked.

"You know he’s not going to stop, right? Might as well face him head-on.” he said amusement in his voice.

You sighed feeling the need to find a better tactic.

Next day you told yourself that you would just blend your captain's advances on you out. Which worked at the beginning pretty well but not for long cause Shanks isn’t easily deterred.

“What are you working on so hard that you can’t even look at your charming captain?” he called out, his voice loud enough for the whole crew to hear.

You ignored him, focusing intently on the chart in front of you, pretending it’s the most fascinating thing in the world. The laughter of the crew filled the air, and you could feel their eyes darting between you and Shanks, clearly enjoying the spectacle.

“Is she playing hard to get?” Shanks teased looking at his crew. “I like a challenge.”

You refused to glance up, but you couldn’t suppress the smile threatening to break through. You heard the crew chuckling, and you wished they would have just let this go.

"C’mon, sweetheart! Just a smile for your charming captain?” Shanks persisted, leaning over your shoulder, his presence made it increasingly difficult to concentrate

"I’m busy, Shanks!” you exclaimed, shooting him an irritated look.

The crew bursted into laughter, clearly relishing the interaction.

Shanks raised his hands in mock surrender, but the playful glint in his eyes remained. “Busy? Or trying to ignore me?”

“I’m trying to get work done!” you replied, trying not to chuckle.

"You know you can’t ignore me forever, right? I’ll always be right here, waiting for you to crack.” His teasing tone sent butterflies fluttering in your stomach, and you turned back to your work, determined not to let him get to you.

But you could feel the tension in the air, the crew’s eyes watching the unfolding drama with glee and you knew you couldn't resist him much longer.

------

You were sitting at the table playing cards with Beckmann, Yasopp and Hongo enjoying the peace without the captain. You were determined to finally win, not realizing Shanks approaching.

The other men at the table already grinning as they saw their captain carefully sneaking up to you.

You jumped in your seat as you felt him poke your side. "Fuck" you cursed, breath hitching.

"You should definitely work on your observation haki" Yasopp teased you with a smile.

"I hate you all" you said not able to supress the smile on your face.

"Maybe the captain can help you win before I'm starting to feel sorry for how bad you are at this game" Hongo stated making the others chuckle.

"Sounds fair" Shanks replied as he pulled you off the chair, sitting down on it and pulling you onto his lap. You could feel your cheeks flush almost immediately, your body was on fire.

"Show me those cards" he motioned for your hand to hold the cards up. He rested his chin on your shoulder oberserving the cards while you had a hard time to hold your hand still and keep it from shaking.

You could feel the other three staring at you knwing that they were amused by your 'misery'. Shanks clearly enjoying your discomfort and the way your body tensed.

"Maybe this was a bad idea it seems you're about to lose again" Yasopp teased smirking at you.

And he was right of course you lost. Shanks seemed too observed with you sitting on his lap and you were busy to keep your body from shaking.

Shanks sighed.

"Sorry for that I was sure we'd win. But I'll make it up to you, we will dock tomorrow. I know this quiet little place on this island that serves the best drinks. You’ll love it. Good food, good atmosphere..you and me" he said smoothly, voice dropping to that low, almost-too-charming tone he used when he was up to something.

"Wait what?" You asked getting off his lap.

"Just some......relaxation after I've been annoying you" he continued.

Yasopp, Hongo, and Beckman were watching with amused expressions, clearly catching on to Shanks' real intent, but they didn’t say a word. They just sat back, watching as the realization slowly dawned on you.

"Fine but you have to promise to leave me alone until then" you said. You could really use some time off and a good drink.

"Deal" Shanks winked, then stood up, heading off with that casual, confident stride of his.

As soon as he was out of earshot, Yasopp let out a low whistle while Hongo chuckled lightly. You looked at them confused.

"You do know he just asked you out right" Beckman said a small smirk playing on his lips

"What!?!" You almost yelled. You froze, blinking as it hit you.

You glanced at the others, who were all smirking knowingly.

Hongo glanced at you a mocking grin on his face. "Looks like his strategy worked. In the end he got what he wanted"

[meazalykov]

the past does not exist

lena oberdorf x interviewer!reader

summary: after a year, the both of you came to accept that you cannot change the past.

it was a job you loved—interviewing the best and brightest in women’s football, seeing the beauty and heartbreak of the sport that brought you so much love.. love for someone who never made it professionally. 

you had a thing for drawing out stories no one else could, peeling back the layers of the players' lives beyond the pitch.

it wasn’t just about asking the right questions; it was about knowing how to listen, being caring, and respect. through this job, you were able to make friends with many of the footballers.

you weren't a gossip interviewer, you knew what to post and when to keep your mouth closed and mind your business. mainly sticking to growth stories, interviews about games itself, and tactical commentary. the players respected you as much as you respected them.

when you stayed in wolfsburg during the 2023 champions league final, the town seemed excited for the team that shined throughout the season. the final was in eindhoven, but wolfsburg fans decked out in green and white as they prepared to cheer on their team against barcelona in the dutch city. 

for you, it was another opportunity to dig deeper into the lives of players, and the wolfsburg squad was nothing short of intriguing. to you, lena oberdorf stood out among them. she is a tough midfielder whose intensity on the pitch was matched only by her charm off it.

your first interview with lena was.. interesting to say the least. she leaned back in her chair, arms crossed casually, a mischievous glint in her eye as she teased you about the list of questions you had prepared. 

“come on, these can’t be all you’ve got!! be nosey for once,” she’d said, a grin tugging at the corner of her lips.

you laughed, adjusting your recorder on the table. 

“trust me, oberdorf, i’ve got plenty more where that came from.”

“good,” she said, leaning forward slightly. 

“i wouldn’t want this to be boring.”

what followed was a conversation that felt less like an interview and more like a sparring match. she was sharp, witty, and unapologetically confident. you couldn’t help but be drawn to her energy. over the next few days, lena sought you out whenever she could—whether it was a casual chat after training or a quiet drink in the team’s hotel bar. 

it was there, amid the low hum of conversation and the clinking of glasses, that your connection deepened.

one night, as the team celebrated their victory in the semifinals, lena pulled you aside. her usually playful demeanor was replaced by something softer, more vulnerable. 

“y/n.. i don’t know what it is about you,” she admitted, her voice low enough that only you could hear. 

“but i can’t stop thinking about you. you’re so beautiful, and i can’t stop hearing your voice. is that weird to say? i am not sure, but please tell me that this is not one sided..”

it didn’t take long for your professional boundaries to blur. you spent nights tangled in lena’s sheets, stolen moments in hotel rooms where the world outside ceased to exist. 

it wasn’t love, not at all, but it was something raw and undeniable. 

wolfsburg lost the champions league final, which sucked horribly. that means that you had your next job to do– the 2023 women's world cup. you were in australia, assigned to be following the uswnt as they sought to defend their title. 

that means that you couldn’t be with lena or germany. it sucked, but you and lena kept contact. until, germany’s shocking elimination in the group stage. it was a blow to lena and her teammates. 

when you texted her to check in, she didn’t respond. calls went unanswered, messages left on read. 

you understood that lena was hurting. the weight of expectations, the sting of disappointment, it was a lot for anyone to bear. however, her silence cut deep. you wanted to be there for her, to comfort her, but your job demanded your attention elsewhere. 

as much as it pained you, you told yourself to let it go. lena owed you nothing. you weren’t hers, and she wasn’t yours.

still, it hurt.

months passed, and you threw yourself into your work. you interviewed aitana bonmati after her world cup final heroics, sat down with leah williamson to talk about england’s near chance at winning it all, and made a documentary on the rise of young stars like lauren james, salma paralluelo, and trinity rodman. 

lena became a ghost in your life—a memory you tried not to revisit, though it lingered at the edges of your thoughts.

then, over a year later, the news broke: lena oberdorf is leaving wolfsburg for bayern. the transfer sent shockwaves through the football world, and as one of the leading journalists in women’s football, it was your job to cover it. 

except your coworker, matt, stepped in before you could even begin.

“i’ve got this one,” matt said casually, leaning against your desk. 

you looked up from your laptop, frowning.

“since when do you cover transfers? you only do injury status stuff..”

he shrugged. 

“since i know this one’s a little... complicated for you.”

“complicated?” you repeated, your tone sharper than you intended. 

matt raised an eyebrow, unbothered by your reaction. 

“look, everyone knows that you and oberdorf had... something. i’m just trying to make it easier for you.”

“i don’t need you to make it easier for me,” you snapped, though the tightening in your chest betrayed you. 

“i can handle it.”

“y/n,” judah, matt’s husband and your other coworker, spoke up, his voice softer. 

“you don’t have to prove anything. let matt take this one.”

you wanted to argue, to insist that you were fine, but the truth was, the thought of facing lena again—even from a professional distance—made your stomach churn. 

you hated that she still had this power over you, that the mere mention of her name could unravel the carefully constructed walls you’d built around yourself.

“fine,” you muttered, closing your laptop with more force than necessary. 

matt gave you a reassuring smile. “i’ll handle it, don’t worry.”

as he walked away, you leaned back in your chair, exhaling slowly. you told yourself it didn’t matter. lena was just another player, another story. you’d moved on. 

except, deep down, you knew that wasn’t entirely true.

paris had this summer’s energy with the olympics. the streets were alive with fans draped in flags from all over the world, and you were in your element, weaving through the chaos to chase stories that mattered. 

the united states had just played germany in the group stage, a tense match that ended in a 4-1 victory for the americans. the post-match adrenaline was palpable, and you had just wrapped up an interview with sophia smith. 

it was nice seeing one of your favorites again, sophia’s grin mirrored your own as she walked off toward her teammates to the dressing room, the tension of the match now replaced by joy.

you adjusted your microphone to turn it off. you turned to walk away, preparing to call it a day when you nearly collided with lea schüller. 

the blonde woman’s presence was commanding, her expression soft yet serious. you’ve interviewed her a long time ago while she still played for essen, but now she’s grown up. 

“oh, lea,” you said, recovering quickly. professionalism kicked in as you gestured toward the camera crew that was starting to pack up. 

“did you want to do a quick interview too? i can call them back.”

“no,” lea said quickly, shaking her head. her tone caught you off guard—there was a weight to it, something unsaid pressing at the edges. 

“i don’t want the cameras.”

your brow furrowed as you lowered your microphone and put it away in your bag. 

“are you okay? i mean, this is about the olympics, right? you should be focusing on that.”

“i am,” lea said, her voice steady but her gaze unwavering. 

“but this isn’t about the olympics. not entirely.”

you tilted your head, curiosity prickling at your skin. 

“then what is it about?”

lea hesitated, glancing around as if to make sure no one was listening. 

“can we just talk? no microphones, no cameras. just you and me.”

you hesitated. as much as you respected lea, this wasn’t normal protocol. the look in her eyes—earnest and almost pleading—nudged you to agree. 

“okay,” you said softly. 

“what’s on your mind?”

lea exhaled, the tension in her shoulders easing slightly. she stepped closer, lowering her voice. 

“i’m here to apologize. not for myself—but for obi.”

your heart skipped a beat at the mention of her name. you hadn’t spoken about obi in months, hadn’t even allowed yourself to think about her for fear of reopening old wounds. 

here it was, her name hanging in the air between you and lea like a ghost.

“apologize?” you echoed, keeping your tone neutral. 

“for what?”

lea shifted on her feet, clearly uncomfortable. “i know about you and lena. about... what you had.” she paused, watching your expression carefully. 

“she’s really sorry for how things ended. or—how they didn’t end, i guess. for ghosting you.”

you swallowed hard, your throat suddenly dry. 

“she told you about us?”

“she did, but honestly she didn’t have to,” lea said gently. 

“i’m her best friend. i noticed how different she was after you two stopped seeing eachother. she’s not great at dealing with her emotions, and back then...” lea trailed off, sighing. 

“she was going through a lot. losing the champions league final with wolfsburg hit her hard. then germany getting knocked out of the world cup? it was too much. and she didn’t know how to handle it. she shut everyone out, including you. shit, it took me a few weeks to get to her again.”

you wanted to look away, to shield yourself from the vulnerability of the moment, but lea’s gaze held you in place. the blonde’s words twisted something deep inside you—part anger, part sadness, part longing. 

“i get that she was struggling,” you said finally, your voice steadier than you felt. 

“but she could’ve said something. anything. instead, she just... disappeared.”

“i know,” lea said quickly. “and i’m not trying to make excuses for her. she knows she messed up. that’s why she asked me to talk to you since she can’t be here.”

you blinked, the weight of her words settling over you. 

“she asked you?”

lea nodded. 

“she wants you to know she’s sorry. she didn’t mean to hurt you but she also knows that an apology coming from me isn’t enough.”

you folded your arms across your chest, the defense mechanism almost automatic. “it’s not,” you admitted. 

“if she wants to apologize, she should tell me herself.”

lea’s expression softened, and she gave a small nod. 

“i understand and i think she does too, but she’s scared, y/n. scared you’ll never forgive her.”

you took a deep breath, willing yourself to stay composed. 

“i’m not saying i wouldn’t. but it has to come from her. not you.”

lea studied you for a moment, then offered a small smile. 

“honestly, you’re a good person, y/n. she doesn’t deserve you, but if she gets the chance to explain herself, i think you’ll see she’s been trying to be better.”

you didn’t respond right away. part of you wanted to dismiss the entire conversation, to pretend it didn’t matter anymore. the truth was, it did. lena still mattered, no matter how much you tried to convince yourself otherwise.

“thank you, lea,” you said finally, your voice quiet. 

“for telling me.”

lea smiled again, this time with a hint of relief. 

“of course. and for what it’s worth, i think she’ll reach out. she just needs to find the courage.”

as she walked away, you stood there, the noise of the olympic village fading into the background. you weren’t sure how to feel… relieved? angry? hopeful? 

it started innocently enough—moments stolen between interviews and training sessions, quiet conversations that lingered long after they ended. obi was magnetic by a vulnerability she rarely showed to anyoen except for you. 

she made you laugh when you least expected it. over time, those stolen moments grew into something deeper. the teasing smiles turned into lingering glances, and the casual touches—her hand brushing yours, her knee pressed against yours under the table—became harder to ignore. 

usually, you were able to keep your professionalism for footballers, but lena made you feel ways that you didn’t feel for a very long time until that spring of 2023.

for lena, you were different. she had always been wary of letting anyone get too close, but with you, it felt effortless. you asked about her family, her dreams, the books she read when she needed to escape the noise of the world. however, you asked because you wanted to know– not because you needed something new to write about for an article. 

obi, in turn, wanted to know everything about you—your favorite coffee order, the places you dreamed of visiting, the stories you carried behind your composed demeanor as an interviewer. it scared her how much she wanted to know, how much she wanted to keep you close.

the nights you spent together weren’t just about the sex, though that was undeniable. it was about the quiet moments after, when lena would trace lazy circles on your skin as you talked about nothing and everything. 

it was in the way she’d insist on walking you back to your room, even when it was out of her way, or how she’d send you random texts during the day—pictures of the sky, a meme she thought you’d find funny, a simple compliment. 

it wasn’t just hooking up, not to either of you, even if neither of you said the words out loud.

the semifinal was here a week after lea and you talked. the united states against germany, again. 

you adjusted the strap of your bag, walking alongside matt and judah as you made your way to the front-row seats reserved for the media.

matt was mid-story, animatedly describing america’s pre-match routine as he holds judah’s hand. you’re set to interview lindsey horan after the match. your media company is collaborating with the united states to put out a documentary if the united states win the olympics. a contrast to being eliminated from the world cup a year before. 

matt was talking when suddenly stopped in his tracks. his hand reached out to grab your arm, his eyes wide. “y/n,” he said, his voice dropping in volume.

“don’t freak out, but... is that who I think it is?”

you followed his gaze, and the world seemed to tilt for a moment. lena. sitting in the crowd just a few rows behind where your seats were, her presence as sharp and overwhelming as a gust of icy wind. 

she was next to lea, who was also sidelined due to injury, both of them out of action yet here to support their team. lena’s leg was propped slightly to accommodate the brace on her knee—a harsh reminder of her recent acl surgery. 

your breath caught in your throat as her eyes locked onto yours. there was a softness in her gaze, an unreadable mix of intrigue and something else that made your chest ache. she smiled lightly, not quite coy but just enough to make you feel unsteady. 

beside her, lea glanced your way and offered a small, sympathetic smile that only twisted the knot forming in your stomach. 

“shit,” you murmured under your breath, quickly looking away and focusing on the crowd in front of you. your heart raced, a thrum so loud you were sure matt and judah could hear it. 

“are you okay?” matt asked, his tone cautious, concerned. 

“fine,” you said quickly, your voice tight. 

“just wasn’t expecting—her.”

“do you want to switch seats?” judah offered, ever the considerate one.

“no,” you said, shaking your head even as your hands trembled slightly. 

“it’s fine. i’ll deal with it.”

it didn’t feel fine. it felt like your chest was caving in, the air around you charged with tension. lena wasn’t supposed to be here. she was supposed to be in germany, recovering. why was she here, in france, sitting just a few rows behind you? 

you made your way to your seat, determined to ignore the weight of her presence. matt and judah settled on the left side of you, chatting about the potential lineup changes for both teams. its 0-0 in the 40th minute and its clear that both teams might need changes. you nodded along absently, your thoughts spinning in a dozen directions. you glanced at the pitch, and latched onto lindsey horan’s familiar figure. you reminded yourself that you were here for a reason. lindsey. you had a job to do.

it was impossible to shake the sensation that someone is looking at you. it crawled along your skin, pulling your attention until you couldn’t resist. you turned your head slightly, your gaze flicking over your shoulder—and there she was.

lena.

she wasn’t watching the game. the german’s eyes were on you, unflinching and intent, as if she were trying to read your every move. obi’s expression wasn’t smug or teasing; it was quieter than that, almost searching. 

beside her, lea was fully immersed in the match, cheering loudly as the germans pushed forward. however, lena’s focus was solely on you.

your stomach flipped, and you whipped your head back around, your pulse thundering in your ears. you clenched your hands into fists in your lap, willing yourself to calm down. the last thing you needed was to let lena see how much she still affected you. 

“she’s looking at you, isn’t she?” judah’s leaned in, his voice feminine but low enough that only you could hear.

you didn’t trust yourself to speak, so you just nodded slightly. judah sighed, his tone softening. 

“forget that she’s even there.”

easy for him to say. judah didn’t have the weight of months of unspoken words and unresolved feelings sitting just four rows behind him. of course he didn’t, neither judah or matt understood lesbian relationships.. or situationships. the married couple didn’t have to confront the ache of seeing someone who had disappeared from their lives without explanation.

you tried to watch the game and it worked for a while. as the minutes ticked by, you couldn’t help but wonder if this moment, this game, this crowd, was lena’s way of trying to find her way back into your life.

it was. 

the americans kicked out germany to secure their place in the gold or silver medal match as germany will fight spain for the bronze medal. you finished your interview with lindsey in record time. it helped that she was a close friend, making the questions flow naturally. 

after the camera crew packed up and moved away, lindsey squeezed your shoulder affectionately. 

“good luck with... whatever’s on your mind,” she said, her knowing smile hinting that she’d picked up on your unease before and after the interview. before you could respond, she jogged off to join her celebrating teammates, leaving you standing alone at the edge of the media zone.

then, you saw her.

lena was on crutches, moving slowly through the thinning crowd. the brace on her leg was unmistakable, but it was her eyes that made your chest tighten. she was looking right at you, determined, like she’d already decided this conversation was going to happen whether you wanted it to or not. 

you froze. part of you wanted to turn and walk away before she reached you. however, your feet could not move. your pulse quickened as she stopped in front of you, her presence commanding despite the vulnerability of her injury. 

“hi,” she said softly, her voice carrying an unfamiliar mix of nervousness and resolve.

you nodded, keeping your tone professional. 

“hi, lena. how’s the leg?”

her lips curved into a small smile, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. 

“it’s... getting there. rehab’s gonna be tough, but i’m managing.” 

you nodded again, the words sticking in your throat. 

“that’s good. um, do you want to—”

“no,” lena interrupted, her voice firm but not unkind. 

“don’t do that, y/n. don’t skip around what happened. we can’t just act like it didn’t exist.”

you blinked, caught off guard by her directness. 

“lena, i don’t think—”

“please,” she cut in, her tone softening as she adjusted her crutches to steady herself. 

“let me talk.”

you swallowed hard, nodding. she took a deep breath, her gaze unwavering as she began.

“i messed up,” she said, her voice low but steady.

“last summer... after the champions league final and the world cup, i was in a bad place. i felt like i’d failed at everything that mattered—my team, my country, my family, and you.” she paused, her brows knitting together. 

“i was embarrassed. i didn’t know how to face you because i thought you deserved better than the mess i was. so, i ran and that was the worst thing i could’ve done.”

obi’s words hit you like a wave, stirring up emotions you’d worked hard to bury. you opened your mouth to speak, but lena pressed on.

“i thought i needed space,” she continued. “and maybe i did, but i didn’t realize what i was losing until it was too late. until you were gone. and i’ve missed you, y/n. every day. not just what we had, but you. your laugh, the way you understood me even when i couldn’t find the words.” she paused, her voice catching. 

“i haven’t forgotten about you. not for one day.”

you looked away, trying to steady your breathing. “lena,” you began, your voice shaky. 

“do you have any idea how much that hurt? you just... disappeared. no explanation, no goodbye. i thought—i thought i didn’t matter to you.”

“you mattered,” she said quickly, her voice firm. 

“you still matter. i know i hurt you, and i’ll never forgive myself for that. but i’m here now, and i’m asking... can we start over? i have so much time on my hands now with this injury. time to make it right, if you’ll let me.”

you hesitated, the weight of her words settling over you. “maybe you should focus on your recovery,” you said finally, your tone careful. “that’s what’s most important right now.”

lena nodded, her expression serious. 

“i am. my therapist said part of my recovery is being honest with myself though and the truth is, i want you back in my life. not just as something casual. i want us to be official, when the time is right.”

obi’s words hung in the air, and for a moment, neither of you spoke. then, you nodded slowly. 

“i’ll be in munich when bayern plays their first champions league match,” you said, your voice barely above a whisper. 

“we’ll see where things stand then.”

lena’s face broke into a smile—genuine, relieved, and filled with something you hadn’t seen in her for a long time: hope. “okay,” she said softly. “okay.”

she stepped closer, leaning down slightly despite the crutches to pull you into a hug. her arms wrapped around you tightly, and you felt her press a small, lingering kiss to the side of your head. it was grounding, familiar in a way that made your chest ache.

as she pulled back, she met your eyes again. “you can stay at my place in munich anytime,” she offered, her tone light but sincere. 

you gave her a small smile. 

“okay.”

just like that, the past felt smaller, less significant. the past did not exist anymore, since the future was all you and obi have. 

masterlist

[hemmingsleclerc]

Hi! Could you write a fic with dad!Carlos x reader, where they have twins, and they're in a family gathering, they're playing UNO with the kids, each has one twin, but then Carlos loses, reader won, and pretenting to be super offended and says reader cheated, and everybody is siding with her, including the twins, and he pretends to cry, and the kids feel bad and hug and kiss their daddy? Thank you! <3

UNO! ┃CS55

note: ugh I love dad!Carlos 😭💕 this request was soo funny, I loved it

The Sainz family gathered for a joyful family reunion, and laughter echoed through the living room. Carlos and his wife Y/N watched over their energetic twins, Adrian and Noah, as they ran around the room, their laughter mingling with their voices.

"Alright, who wants to play a game?!" Y/N asked. Carlos approached the large table in the living room with different board games and the twins approached the table excitedly to grab their places.

''UNO! Please!'' Noah shouted holding up the deck of brightly colored cards.

''Yes! I love that game!'' Adrian nodded in agreement

''Alright, UNO will be''

Carlos smiled, knowing that a game of UNO with his lively twins was always chaos. "Are you guys ready?" he asked, ruffling Adrian's hair as he sat at the table next to him.

Adrian nodded enthusiastically, his eyes shining with anticipation. "Yes, Dad! We'll beat Mommy, right, Noah?"

Noah nodded, his small hand clutching a handful of UNO cards. ''Of course, because I will win!''

The game began with cheers and jokes. Y/N and Carlos teamed up with one of the twins each, creating a competition. As the game progressed, laughter filled the room and the twins' infectious giggles warmed their parents' hearts.

''Come on Noah!'' Carlos said frustrated, ''Why do you always give me +4 cards?''

Noah giggled ''Sorry papá''

However, luck seemed to favor Y/N and Noah as they drew card after card, inching closer to victory. Carlos and Adrián exchanged determined looks, but despite their best efforts, their stack of cards steadily grew thanks to Y/N's strategies.

Finally, with a triumphant smile, Y/N laid down her last card, declaring herself the winner. "UNO!" she exclaimed, her eyes full of joy and amusement as she watched Carlos throw his stack of cards onto the table.

Carlos's jaw dropped in mock disbelief, his playful expression turning into an exaggerated pout. "No, c'mon! You cheated, amor! You must have! I was winning," he exclaimed, feigning offense.

Y/N rolled her eyes playfully and her laughter filled the room. "Oh, come on, Carlos! You're just jealous because you lost fairly, once again I proved to be the best at this game, accept it cariño."

The room erupted in laughter as Carlos continued his charade, pretending to be deeply hurt by his defeat. "But…but…I thought we were a team, Adrian!" He said, turning to his son with feigned disappointment when he saw how he celebrated his mother's victory.

Adrian giggled, shaking his head. "Sorry, daddy! Mommy's the best at UNO!"

"No fair, Noah! You're supposed to be on my team!" Carlos exclaimed, turning to his other son, who simply grinned in response.

The rest of the family joined in, mocking Carlos affectionately as he continued his theatrics, pretending to wipe away imaginary tears while covering his face. However, the twins, sensing his father's distress, exchanged a worried look.

"Papá, you're the best in the world!" Adrian declared, throwing his arms around Carlos in a tight hug.''Please don't cry! We didn't want to make you feel bad''

Noah joined in, wrapping his little arms around Carlos's neck. "We love you, papá!"

Carlos's heart filled with warmth as he hugged his children tightly, his playful façade fading. Y/N watched everything fondly as she saw her husband along with their little children.

With a satisfied smile, Carlos leaned down to plant a kiss on the forehead of each of his twins. "I love you both more than anything in the world," he whispered, his voice choked with emotion.

[iwoulddieforher]

Rigid | Casey Novak × Alex Cabot

Author's Note: This got super out of hand with the length- I think this is the longest fanfiction I've ever written. Hope you enjoy it, though <3 ~16k+ words

Warnings: Tooth-rotting fluff. I like the idea of Alex being neurodivergent in some way, even if she doesn't know it herself, so some of her self-descriptions will come off that way.

Summary: Alex wants desperately to be able to relax like she sees her colleagues doing, and a night watching a coworker she has her eye on- Casey Novak- might present itself as the opportunity to get what she wants.

Porcelain dolls strung up by small transparent strings were significantly less rigid than Alex Cabot currently felt. How she usually felt, even.

High-class family, posh preparatory school, strategically made connections rather than real relationships were all she grew up knowing. Everything had a meaning, a purpose, a reason for why it was so, and that also applied to every detail of her appearance and demeanor must similarly be intentional. She grew up internalizing that, and thus, as an adult she utterly lacked the ability to let her spine curve into a natural slump, to lay in bed without wondering what it would look like to a non-existent observer, to kiss someone in a way that focused on the intimacy rather than the shifted facade that she displayed in order to appear desirable.

It felt inhuman. She really hated it. The feeling she coped with daily made her skin crawl as if it was begging to be torn off to reveal a real person behind it instead of the ever-complicating mask.

It was especially noticeable to her on days like these, where a high-profile case had just been absolutely devoured by her colleague, Casey Novak, so the squad room was positively thrumming with excitement and a collective sense of triumph. Olivia, the one Alex had made a habit of perching herself by, was currently at the corner store to pick up a bottle of something to share, so the attorney was standing almost aimlessly against the brunette detective's desk. Across the desk was Stabler, in his respective chair, looking up at Casey who had chosen to place herself on the edge of his desk. Munch was in his rolly-chair, with Tutuola leaning over the back of it, Cragen standing stiffly but not uncomfortably near the commotion like a proud father.

"And that absolutely little weasel of a man-" Casey chirps, as much as a voice as low as hers could sound like a chirp, interrupted by a bark of laughter from Stabler, "Sorry, that boot-licking short ass bottom-feeding rodent-"

"Casey!" Stabler admonished, although his eyes were shining with amusement, and the faux blonde woman laughed and swatted at him half-heartedly.

"Yes, okay, I'll mind my manners. The defense counselor, before the trial, told me that because I'm pretty if I want after the duration of court he'll give me some tips on improving- and now I won, and when he was walking out, I managed to shoot him a smile and say 'if you want any tips, just call Novak at the DA's office'- I thought he was going to deck me right there-"

Casey's storytelling is rewarded with a roar of laughter from the men, her face shining with victory and the aftereffects of a battle well fought, and Alex can't help but find her beautiful. Casey Novak was anything but rigid, and Alex wished she was more like that- even if Casey's temper did get her in trouble more frequently than one would wish.

"Okay, well, don't let your victory get you all haughty, I'm still going to kick your ass tonight." Stabler snorts, after the laughter had died down, which sends Casey into a refreshed cascade of giggles.

"You? Kick my ass? Oh, you wish."

"Wait," Alex cuts in, everyone's eyes flickering to her as if they were slightly off guard that she was still following the conversation, "what's this about kicking each other's asses?"

"I'm going to hand Stabler his balls on the softball field tonight-" Casey starts before Stabler swings at her playfully and she gets distracted by shooting him a playful warning look. Alex forgot how much they acted like siblings sometimes, but the way they seemed to bounce off each other and banter so smoothly made them seem like twins. She could very easily imagine them in early teens kicking each other under a dining room table.

"Recently we've all started getting together to play softball together," Stabler interjects, granting Alex a serious response, "after big cases on the weekends we get together with some other cops and some other lawyers at night. Good way to blow off steam if justice isn't served or good way to celebrate if we do."

“It used to be a big thing, there were inter-department tournaments at the DA’s office or whatever, but now us who liked it so much just play for the hell of it, and also against the cops.” Casey nods, finally done with Stabler after managing to flick him in the middle of the forehead with her finger, which he glares at her for.

"And us who don't play softball get drunk while watching 'em." Munch says, leaning back in his swivel, with Tutuola adding a nod from just above him.

Alex bit her tongue, blinking in mild surprise. Back before she had 'died', they had gone to bars together to celebrate such things, and she didn't know any of them had really had any penchant for sports outside of Stabler occasionally mentioning his daughter's soccer or basketball results. She certainly had no clue Casey was apparently formidable enough on a softball field to hold on against a built detective such as Stabler.

"Speaking of drunk, I'm back." Olivia announces, strolling into the precinct once more, finding her way to stand beside Alex while cradling two bottles of some discounted wine, holding one up as evidence.

"Oh I got the worst fucking hangover from that shit-" Fin fires off immediately, who then gets silenced by a snort from Olivia, and the warm atmosphere is immediately resumed, Novak and Stabler beginning to chatter about proper swinging technique and which one of them was doing it wrong while Munch, Benson, and Tutuola start arguing over alcohol. Alex felt rather out of place.

Tone switching over to something light and banter-y was usually a bit difficult for her after grueling caseloads, and today especially she was just done. She didn't want to leave, though, she didn't want to be alone or god forbid find company with other stiff-necked attorneys to chat with hollow words about unnecessary topics, but involving herself in this easy exchange- especially since she wasn't entirely sure if she was invited- was hard.

"Oh, how about you join us, Alex?" Olivia suddenly exits her own argument to turn towards the blonde, her face soft the way it usually was when it came to her. "I know it's not your type of thing, probably, but it would be nice to have you there."

Her voice is earnest, and Alex had been wishing someone would invite her to accompany the drinkers, so although she entertained the puppy-eyes Benson made at her for a few seconds longer than necessary she did ultimately accept.

"Does this mean we can put bottles of something more worth drinking on Cabot's platinum card?" Munch mutters, pushing his dark glasses up the bridge of his nose, and Alex snorts.

"Tough luck, but if we go to a bar after I'll carry a round."

Olivia's head whips around and stares pointedly at Casey, firing off a quick, "No tequila," to which Casey makes the most indignant face Alex could possibly imagine on the copper-headed woman.

"Hey, that was not my fault- and also only once-" Casey defends, and Stabler starts laughing, slapping his fist on the table.

"Do you remember the whole thing with that-"

"Yes," Casey snaps, "I'm sure mostly everyone does, and if they don't then-"

"Casey, Alex wouldn't know." Olivia says lightly, elbowing the mentioned blonde, "Come on, Alex, aren't you curious? We should retell this for your sake, right?"

Alex's icy blue eyes met Casey's dense green ones, and she was momentarily indecisive. She wasn't friends with Novak, and she wasn't going to pretend that she was, as much as she enjoyed watching the copper-headed attorney play with the coworkers she was genuinely close to. She wanted to know, but as soon as she saw the guard up in Casey's posture, the way that Alex's rigid demeanor was mirrored immediately by the younger woman, she faltered.

Alex was stiff. Her spine was held to an excessively intentional angle. Even though to everyone else she seemed almost as natural as the rest of them, learned iron in her veins commanded her to be a degree of rigidness that came close to robotic. And Casey was the farthest thing from imperceptive.

In the courtroom, it was necessary to shoot the same metaphorical bullet as the one that had been fired at you, and Casey did nothing short, her vertebrae stacking above one another as she readjusted herself, jaw growing more firm, her eyes flickering to become hard and sharp in a way that would almost seem predatory had it not been for Alex's recognition that this was entirely procedural for the younger attorney. Alex knew in her head too that if she was interacting with someone else like this, she'd have done the same thing.

Lawyers had a way of exchanging thoughts without verbalization, and Casey and Alex were currently having an odd back-and-forth that happened within a fraction of a second completely unbeknownst to the rest of the room. Casey registered the swirl of thoughts in Alex's mind and her inability to formulate a response in time to seem natural, and with the ball in her court, decided to give the blonde attorney an out.

"Okay, fine," she huffed, as though she was actually unwilling to share, despite the fact she was fully aware Alex would not have moved to force her to and she could easily tamp down or distract the eager detectives, "long story short, Olivia and I started fighting, and she made a jab about me no longer being white collar's youth prodigy, so I tried.. to prove how youthful I still was- er, still am."

Alex wrinkled the tip of her nose, pursing her lips to stop from laughing at that, and Casey twitched an eyebrow jokingly before shaking her head.

As soon as her head turned, the copper-headed attorney decided to release the inelastic facade she had just momentarily constructed, leaning backward once more. To the eye of the others, nothing that demanded the level of thought that had just been executed had come close to occurring.

The older attorney wasn't entirely sure how to reward Casey for her kindness in that exchange, but she felt like she should. She made a mental note that she owed Casey something- perhaps if the copper-headed woman snarked at her sometime in the future, she'd let it go without question, or some similar social grace. Her uncle has drilled in the 'advice' that one never forgets what they owe another, lest suddenly be surprised when the other expects to collect.

"She ended up kissing this random blonde woman who was going through a divorce." Munch supplied helpfully, who earned a glare from Casey in return, and the seconds returned to passing at a more natural rate rather than the slowed pace Alex had just felt like they moved in. The conversation was resumed.

"No, the bad part wasn't even that she made out with her, but the fact her flirting consisted entirely of legal jargon-" Olivia filled in, and Alex snorted softly as Casey's head whipped in the other direction to glare at her instead.

"Okay, okay, listen- first of all, she was not a random woman, her name was Jane and we did keep in contact for the duration of her vacation here-" Casey raised a finger, cutting Liv off, "and if you understood any sort of vocabulary past fifth grade, it would have made perfect sense to you."

Alex paused, deciding this was probably a point at which a response was required to reestablish her presence so she could stop relying on Olivia to make her involved, "Well, it does seem like a- ... youthful thing to do?"

Casey's jaw fell slightly agape, and then she closed it with a huff. "Okay, well. Olivia's just pissed because I can actually involve myself with women."

"I'm not gay!" The brunette protested indignantly, to which Casey and Elliot exchanged a look that read as what-is-she-on.

Olivia was silenced for a moment, bristling, before extending her arm to rest on Alex's. "Alex, help me out, us straight girls need to stick together with all this-"

"Straight?" Alex questioned, an uncomfortable chuckle in her throat, "Olivia, you didn't know I'm-?"

"What?!" Olivia cried, straightening immediately, not affronted but apparently incredibly surprised, which Alex internally sighed at, only to be distracted by a low whistle from Casey that she decided not to respond to.

Internally, Alex was grappling with the new information that Casey was sapphic. She was too, although she understood why Liv hadn't known, she wasn't super forthright with her identity- but Casey?

After a moment's contemplation, she realized that this actually made a lot of sense and she felt mildly stupid for not having realized on her own.

"Yeah," Stabler says after a pause, "I think this is our cue to get going to the softball diamond before Liv has her whole am-i-gay breakdown right here in the squad room."

The rag-tag group collectively nods, shuffling for possessions, with Olivia still apparently on edge and lost in an internal conversation with herself about the possibility of homosexuality. After a few more moments of collecting items or putting things into respective places, and after Casey pats Olivia sympathetically on the shoulder, they begin to head out to the parking lot.

Alex clicked the key to her Cadillac, briefly pausing to obtain the address of the sports place as well as a time, since a few people wanted to drop by home to discard professional belongings or change, and because a few members of the DA's teams were still in session, before studying the exits of her colleagues.

Tutuola and Munch separate to respective vehicles, with Olivia being given a ride by Stabler as usual, and Casey splitting off from the group entirely to unlock her bike. Cragen excuses himself with the explanation that he's not going to meet up with the rest of them, he doesn't play softball nor does he drink so he's spending a nice night in instead.

Everyone's method of transportation seemed in some way reflective of themselves. Munch's windows were so tinted Alex was vaguely concerned about the potential illegality of it and Fin's car is beat up in a way that shows he doesn't abide by the physics of curbs. Olivia and Elliot's carpooling constantly served as a testament to their bond as detectives, and Casey...

"I still can't believe you actually bike here every morning. While wearing the suit? Jesus." Stabler bantered, leaning on the hood of his own car while watching Casey fumble with the lock on her bike.

"Well," she replied in a curt rasp, straightening, "that's why my legs are toned and yours would snap under water pressure-" she stopped to point at him almost accusingly, "and don't get me started on cardiovascular health."

Olivia drags Elliot into his car before the two start bickering again, and that leaves Alex watching Casey out of the corner of her eye as the attorney fixes her bike locks to the luggage rack before swinging one leg over the seat and taking off, her chin nestled in her scarf, her mid-length hair swirling behind her.

For a second too long, she lingers, but then Alex climbs into her cold car, groaning slightly at the feeling of the stiff leather on her back, before driving without picking out a destination. She didn't have anything she felt uncomfortable leaving in her car, nor did she have anything to pick up, so going to her penthouse was somewhat pointless. However, with about an hour until the designated time, staring out the window at the city streets far below seemed more interesting than staring at said streets on the ground level while seated aimlessly in her car, so she went home.

The elevator opened directly into her apartment, so she needed to use her key in the elevator pad itself, and when she did and the doors opened she dropped her briefcase right next to the door- it fell exactly the same way it would've if she had intentionally placed it, which makes her mildly irritated.

She didn't bother to kick off her shoes, placing herself on the couch in her apartment, and staring blankly at the wall. Her spine was straight, her legs angled to the side in the way her mother had taught her to make them look longer, her hands folded in her lap. Her apartment felt desolate. Her skin crawled.

She tried to focus on something- anything, really, in her apartment- but all she was met with was cold, smooth marble that her eyes slid off of. Plaquettes held her accomplishments that suddenly felt utterly pointless, framed pictures of her family or college friends that seemed impersonal. She couldn't keep a plant alive and she had never actually gone decor shopping herself, so the place was devoid of color, only shades of grey.

Alex groaned and placed her hands over her eyes under her glasses, tilting her spine backward until it hit the back of the sofa. It felt wrong, everything felt wrong, and her skin felt like it was crawling, her bones turning and burning inside her like she imagined cement would feel. It was uncomfortable in a way that wasn't painful- but that didn't stop her from fixating on the discomfort immensely.

The attorney rolled to the side, swinging her heels up onto the couch, one hand cradling her head and the other reaching to tug off her glasses. Strangely, in the dim blue lighting of the sun setting behind heavy clouds, her mind shifted to the opposite of said cold color- it landed on the shade of Casey's hair.

In the DA's office or in court when they crossed paths, Casey was stiff in the way every lawyer Alex had ever encountered was. The degree of rigidness that was learned by years of constant practice of saying and acting exclusively in intentional ways. Still, though, her eyes were always warm, in a way lawyer's eyes seldom were. But when she relaxed, which she was able to do, unlike Alex, she was simultaneously the same and also a completely different person.

She'd be lying to say she didn't know Casey was athletic- despite her unaware that she played softball, or was to any degree interested in her own physique the way her exchanges with Stabler today suggested- Alex had let her eyes linger on the other woman's arms on occasion in warmer environments when the redhead rolled her sleeves up. Her mind constructed the image of running her finger along the toned curve of her forearm, up her arm, and towards the delicate curve of her neck. In her imagination, Casey's skin was warm, and it only warmed further at Alex's motion. When she met Casey's olive-colored eyes, she was already looking back at her, eyes only half-lidded.

She felt her own cheek flush in her palm, and she sat up, shaking off the thought, but the sensation of warmth in her cheeks and the imagined feeling in the pad of her fingertip was enough to pull her off the couch, to the bathroom, where she took off the makeup she had done for court, tugging her suit jacket off, fumbling off her belt.

She wanted out of the porcelain, out of her skin for a night. She had seen the way Casey's guard had flickered up when she had faced her in the squad room, holding a mirror to the rigid body across from her, and she wanted out. The solution to that was to try to force the stiffness out of her soul so Casey wouldn't have any such thing to mirror. She had a reputation to uphold with the rest of the squad, with Liv and with Stabler, but Casey was more perceptive than Liv was- at least when it came to her- and she felt as though she knew enough to play it safe while still getting what she wanted. It would be an issue if Liv or Stabler or any of the other detectives or such lost respect for her professional standing. She was diligent, and hardworking, and she valued that about herself immensely, and she was not about to make the mistake of letting that persona fumble for a night’s activity. But still, she wanted a night where her skin felt like it belonged to her. If Casey's eyes didn't harden when she looked at her, maybe that would be close enough.

Her formal attire was replaced quickly, boot cut jeans instead of her slacks and although she didn't remove her white blouse she layered it with a loose sweater. She ran her fingers through her hair, intentionally messing with it, before nodding with satisfaction at her now slightly more casual appearance. The collar of her blouse sticking up through the neckline of her sweater was enough to not shift the persona the detectives identified with her, but she decided it was enough. It was enough that her uncle would click his tongue at her for wearing jeans while around a colleague.

She then proceeded to sit almost aimlessly on her couch again, drumming her fingers on her lap while waiting for the time to elapse so she could go to the softball field without being the first one there. In her mind, she debated writing up some notes or preparing for a case in the coming week, but she knew if she went back into lawyer mode it would just be worse trying to shake it off again. Unfortunately for her, as a kid all her hobbies were dictated- fencing, equestrian, ballroom dance and such, and since she never really grew attached to any of them and then failed to procure a hobby or pastime in her adult life, she didn't have much else to do.

Her phone chimed and she picked it up, assuming it would be something idle or law-related, only to find a text from a number she recognized, her heart thrumming insistently when it realized whose message she was currently reading.

Casey Novak→ Hello Alex, this is Casey (Novak, the one you work with, in case you know another)

Casey Novak→ Apologies for jumping this on you, but any chance we could carpool tonight? My bike is having a technical issue I can't be bothered with fixing it currently.

She waited a couple seconds before answering with,

← Seems doable. Send me your address?

Casey responded to that within a minute and Alex exhaled, mentally registering where that was, before standing up. With the detour of picking up Casey as well as the fact it doesn't really matter if she's early now because she's accompanying a player, she feels soothed to leave soon.

← Would you find it alright if I came in about a half hour?

Casey Novak→ More than alright, you have my thanks

← I'm more than happy to help.

After a pause, the message goes on read, and Alex doesn't really know what she had expected as a response. Mildly discontented, she put her phone down.

If she wasn't about to be driving, she would drink a glass of wine, but alas that was quite literally the point so she could not indulge herself. She pondered briefly the logistics of getting drunk when she was at the softball diamond, but worst comes to worst she’d just have to taxi. And, she supposed, would have to take Casey also in said taxi.

She felt her jaw grow a bit firmer at the constant resurfacing of Casey Novak in the back of her mind. Alright, sure, now they actually had plans and she was picking her up, so it made sense. But still. It wasn't exactly unlike her to develop random infatuations, desires to knock people she admired and simultaneously was irritated by down a peg, god knows the mistake with Jim Steele- but… Casey seemed… different.

Her heart muttered that Casey seemed warm and alive and her skin seemed soft and she was entirely unlike anyone Alex had ever grown attached to, Casey was not a power play, Casey was not a mind game. Casey was Casey. Alex didn't really understand what that meant.

She clicked her tongue to herself and then decided that no, she would not pursue anything with Casey. She had been toying with the idea of making that dream of tracing up Casey’s forearms with her fingertips a reality, perhaps as a flirty joke she could pass off as drunken boldness. But now her heart started to fumble in her chest at the thought, and not only in a good way. She wasn't exactly sure why her mind was suddenly reeled in the polar opposite direction of what she had been fantasizing about only a couple of minutes ago, but now she felt mildly stressed. Her skin crept little patterns on her nerves like ants blacking out a lamp, eating through power cords.

Maybe the fact she didn't really understand Casey is what sent little alarm bells ringing in her mind. To pursue meant to trust and to trust meant she had to know it all. She felt like she knew essentially nothing.

Sometimes Alex really wished she was less self-aware. She analyzed every thought or feeling she had like it was someone else’s, and therefore frequently felt as though she was drowning in someone else’s brain when in reality she was still sitting on her couch in her apartment in her clothes in her- supposedly her- skin.

It was time to leave now, anyway, so she cut herself off from her own train of thoughts to stand, and collect some items in one of her more used purses in case alcohol was split, it got snatched, or some other random misfortune that may occur to a handbag. Once she was pleased with her level of preparation she double-checked the contents one last time- car keys, one of her more mildly used wallets, phone, power bank, medical emergency kit, a notepad, a block of sticky notes, her pager, and a pen. She pulled a scarf on as an afterthought, not entirely sure if the temperature would drop as it got dark out but decided not to take that risk.

With that, she left her penthouse, standing stiffly in the elevator on the way down, staring at herself in the reflective wall the metal box had. Hmm.

Within twenty minutes, and exactly on time to the thirty minutes she had offered Casey earlier, she was parked on the street outside Casey’s address, looking up at a rather elegant brownstone. Sometimes she mused to herself that the modern aesthetic of her apartment complex far outranked the sort of shabby, oftentimes falling apart older buildings, but this seemed.. it seemed vaguely Elysian. She approved of it.

← I’m outside

Casey Novak → I’m sorry, I’m running a little late. Would you like to come up? I’ll buzz you in.

← I can wait in my car, I don't want to intrude.

Casey Novak → I’ll feel better if you just come on in. I’m inviting you. Please.

Alex blinked at that message, slowly typing out,

← Okay, then. If you're sure.

She exited her car with a furrow in her brow, locking the vehicle, and then continuing the steps up to the doorbell placard, where she found Novak’s name printed in a thin, flat font. She pressed the small silver button next to it, making a mental note of the floor and roughly which door it should be based on doorbell placement. A startling buzzing sound went off that Alex was thankfully prepared for, and she pushed open the frankly unnecessary large wood door. She traveled up the steps, to the third floor, deciding that she should start exercising more often if going up only three floors already had her inhaling a bit sharper, and she didn't need to wander reading the names next to the ringers because Casey’s door was open ajar and she was peeking her eye through the crack.

Alex caught a glimpse of Casey’s smile through the small opening, before the copper-headed woman disappeared in a flash, waving Alex in. She did as instructed, closing the door behind her tentatively. Immediately, she could not see Casey in her own apartment.

“Sorry,” the woman called, “I decided I wanted to shower beforehand so I need to straighten my hair again. That's why it's taking me a minute. Just sit down wherever you like, I’ll be done in just a second.”

“You straighten your hair?” Alex asked curiously, standing awkwardly in the foyer. Although Casey had instructed her to sit, she couldn't imagine pulling a chair out anywhere or settling herself on the younger attorney’s couch.

Inhaling deeply, she resigned to studying Casey's apartment interior with interest.

The interior walls were a smooth ivory, the floorboards a dark wood that matched the accents- the window and door frames, the stairs. Casey’s apartment was a lot more vertical than her own- where Alex had half of a floor, so her apartment was wide horizontally as well as deep, the walls were only a couple of feet on each side in the entry hallway and Alex couldn't imagine the rooms being, well, anywhere as large as her’s. But somehow, the comparison did not change the charm of the apartment.

Perhaps that had something to do with the atmosphere. It smelled like sandalwood and caramel, and the walls were lined with memorabilia- which Alex considered briefly was strange, because Casey's desk and office were almost barren considering some of the other workstations she had seen. She skimmed over smiling faces, Casey with dozens of people she’d see in this photo and never again. Casey with a little girl propped up on her hip, holding a little boy by the hand on a beach, all three smiling at the camera, but in a way that made it seem like it was almost unintentional, like someone had captured a moment in a camera which usually only existed in fond memory. Casey kissing a man with short brown hair, her arms, which seemed slightly thinner in the photo than Alex had grown to know them, (although the woman was always slim,) wrapping around his shoulders. She looked younger, happy, smiling into the kiss, and he did too. Probably during college, Alex mused. Casey’s finger, resting lovingly on his shoulder, was adorned with a silver band. Alex blinked.

She chided herself to move on with her inspection. Whoever this person was, it didn't seem like they were still in her life, unless Casey had been cheating on him with ‘Jane’. Stabler didn't take well to cheaters, so Alex really doubted that. She wasn't sure what the thrum of her heart was meant for- so she just exhaled. She couldn't drag her eyes away from it, though.

When she inhaled again, she was greeted with the scent of whatever hair products Casey was currently employing. It dragged her out of her thoughts, and it made her twinge with guilt at the thought of analyzing Casey’s history through her personal pictures. Casey was kind enough to be undeserving of an inspection.

There was no door between the foyer and the kitchen, so Alex turned to focus on that instead, her blue eyes skimming over what appeared to be a sourdough starter. Music played quietly out of some surround sound speaker, somewhere, something idle, and indie.

The dark brown of the floor was complimented well by the constant appearance of plants- not flowers, but succulents or similar. Apparently, Casey was in the middle of repotting one, because the table had a large tray with items that would suggest that.

“Oh, sorry about that-” Casey mused, appearing suddenly next to her, “I was trying to swap out pots for that one- roots were getting too big, you know, but then I got buzzed for a warrant this morning and dropped it.”

She smelled really good, and Alex wasn't happy that that was the first thing she noticed, but she did. Casey’s perfume, which Alex had noted a couple of times in the DA’s office, had just been freshly reapplied, and her hair was perfect in a way that only lasted a couple of moments after styling it. She looked in a way that Alex could only describe as warm.

Casey was dressed in a blue softball jersey that had ‘Sex Crimes’ bolded on the front in a lacy font and tracksuit pants. The usual frustration carried in her eyes and eyebrows was gone entirely, replaced with lights of excitement that showed in the way she held her hands and smiled. She wasn't wearing any makeup, only a dark lip balm that Alex now wanted to know the brand of.

“And yes,” Casey said, replying to Alex’s comment from a moment ago, despite it having felt like an eternity since then to Alex, “I do have to straighten my hair. Not all of us can be blessed with locks like yours, Miss Cabot.”

Ignoring the teasing nature of her voice as she said Alex’s more formal name, the blonde still lifted her eyebrows as if pained and shot her a look. “Please never call me ‘Miss Cabot' again- It’s just Alex to you.”

“Alright, ‘just Alex’-” Casey said, with an amused huff, before turning and waving at her abode, “verdict? You seemed interested.”

“I-” Alex pursed her lips. Casey was not stupid. If she hadn't been interested, she would've sat down like Casey had initially instructed or been on her phone, or been staring off into space. “I like it. You have a very lovely apartment. It suits you.”

“Thank you.” Casey smiles, pleased, before glancing back down at the houseplant activity. “It would feel better if I had gotten to finish this, though. My mom insists I keep them all.”

“Why?”

“You know how in law school, you’d stay shut in all the time, sleep at horrible hours, and keep the blinds drawn? She bought me a million plants and kept making me show her they were still alive to make sure I was airing my dorm and letting sunlight in. And that I was looking up from my laptop at least for a minute a day.” Casey snorts, but she seems fond of my memory. “I guess she doesn't really insist I keep them anymore. She hasn't checked, anyway. But I got used to it. I swapped out her delicate plants for succulents, though, because I forget to water them sometimes. I’m not here very much.”

“Your mother seems like an attentive woman,” Alex comments, watching as Casey’s eyes grow momentarily heavy, staring still at the plant, before she blinked it off.

“I’ve been blessed,” she answers smoothly instead, “with a wonderful family.”

There's an awkward beat of hesitation, where neither knows what to say, before Casey exhales and forces a smile. “Have you eaten anything? If you're going to drink with Tutuola, you probably need something to eat. And I need to grab my gear and such. If we leave now, we’d still be significantly early.”

“I had breakfast-” Alex starts, before seeing Casey raise an eyebrow at her, “but it was a large one, Casey, I’m not trying to tear up your kitchen.”

“Sweet or savory?” Was the other woman’s only response as she strolled into her kitchen, opening cabinets and ruffling through items.

“I don't have the time to make you something properly right now, but God help it if I let you leave here without eating something.”

Alex stood uncomfortably in the doorway to the kitchen, a small unsure frown on her face, so Casey shot her a pointed look, walked over, grabbed her arm, lightly guided and then shoved her into a chair, and then went back to trying to find something to offer her.

“You seem,” Casey looked at her as if studying her brain through her skull, “as though you’d have a sweet tooth.”

“Why do you say that?” Alex looked at her, slightly indignant. Outside of being used as a method of intimidation, it was normally rude to brazenly note observations as such in the world she was used to. It was far more polite to make it sound as though it was a question.

But Casey just laughed softly, pulling a box out of the fridge and popping the lid. She fumbled with the contents for a few seconds. In the chair Casey had set her down in, Alex could not see what it was until Casey approached, holding a dessert fork in one hand with her other carrying a plate with a generous portion of red velvet cake.

“Fancy ass cake for a fancy ass lady. I made this yesterday, so I think it's still fine to serve you, even if the frosting set a bit more than I prefer. You don't have to eat it all, but I hope you at least try it.”

With that, and not even waiting for a thank you, Casey brushed past, going to collect her sports gear. Alex felt like her head was spinning slightly with the lack of normal procedure. She was being left alone to eat cake in Casey’s apartment? Wasn't the redhead worried she would- well, Casey had commented on the fact she knew Alex was borderline snooping, but to leave her alone after that? How trusting was she? Unless this was some sort of test.

Alex decided to proceed as if it were. What would Casey be testing? How much Alex trusted her? Maybe she thought Alex wouldn't eat food a stranger gave her, well- not entirely stranger, but still. But she couldn't fault her for that, could she? Regardless, Alex wasn't like that anyway. Maybe she was testing if Alex was too prudish to eat what she had provided. That sent a small jolt down her spine- she really didn't want Casey to think she was a snob- so she lifted the fork and in small, precise movements separated a small piece from the slice.

As soon as she felt it on her tongue, she immediately broke off a much larger portion to follow it with. Fuck. It was delicious.

Soft vanilla cream coated somehow equally soft red velvet generously, but not overwhelmingly, and once Alex separated off the middle she could see it was triple layered. The flavor was delicate, but in a way that made every taste bud in her mouth moan.

If she had to go celibate for the rest of her life to eat something like this again, she just might have to consider that. This was better than sex.

“Grandmother’s recipe,” Casey purred, reappearing with a large duffel slung over her shoulder, leaning in the doorway. “Well, not really, but it was one of the first things she made after she got access to the Internet and all the baking blogs one can find on there.”

Alex was physically startled, too engrossed in her eating to have realized Casey’s presence had reappeared. Casey easily could have murdered her while she was eating cake, and she wouldn't have looked up once.

She pushed the plate as if making to stand up, holding a hand in front of her mouth as her mother had taught her- it was impolite to see people see one chew, after all- but Casey shook her head quickly and took a seat next to her, leaning back, the duffel hitting the floor with a soft thud while Casey stretched out her arms, arched her spine languidly. Alex tried not to let her eyes linger on the soft amount of muscle coating her.

“By all means, I don't mean to interrupt your indulgence.”

Alex sheepishly turned back, pausing only for a fraction of a second before returning to shoveling the cake into her mouth as gracefully as she could. Casey looked very pleased, so that settled her nerves by a fraction. She couldn't and also wouldn't complain about Casey's bemused grin.

“It's- it’s just been a while since I’ve eaten anything this good.” Alex said after a swallow, straightening in her chair a little bit, looking at the remaining bites on her plate as if they were whispering sweet nothings into her ear.

“You look good like this,” Casey said, which Alex’s eyes widened at, blinking up from the cake to Casey, who strangely looked equally delicious, “you're normally so tense. Glad my baking can fix that.”

“I- uhm,”

Casey chuckled at Alex’s fluster, resting her head in her hand. “Just teasing you. But really, I am glad you're enjoying it.”

“How did you learn to bake like this?” Alex murmured, decided to switch tracks since she wasn't very sure what was happening.

The copper-headed woman only shrugged. “You learn in a family as large as mine. I mean, if both of my parents were busy, I’m not about to let all the younger ones go hungry because the older one decided to order something only for herself. And now all my nieces and nephews demand I make them sugary shit when I’m over, so my pastries are decent enough.”

In the back of her mind, Alex was now a bit upset that she couldn't cook. Casey’s reasoning that it was due to her family made sense, but it also twinged Alex’s mind that if her parents were busy and she had nothing to eat, they'd just call for the private chef to come up and make her something nutritious enough. When she was in college, on her allowance, she had just kept ordering delivery. Casey and her seemed to contrast each other notably in that way.

“How many siblings, if I may ask?”

“Four. I have an older sister, and then there was me, and then two twin brothers and my baby sister. Not that she’s much of a baby anymore- she graduated college last year- but still. She'll always be little to me.” Casey exhaled, evidently very fond, before glancing back up. “And you, Alex?”

“I’m- I’m an only child.” Alex said, after a second, and before she could stop herself, “they needed an heir.”

Casey paused, looking up at her thoughtfully, before nodding. “I wished I was an only child a lot growing up. It's different now that I have my own life and everything, but… mm. Families are complicated.”

Alex nodded sagely at that, finally finishing her cake, and then after a small pause asked, “Did you want your own?”

The second she said it, she felt like it was wrong. It was an intrusion, and she was already in Casey’s apartment in Casey’s chair eating Casey's food with Casey's utensils. She was overstepping everything, and she was asking something from Casey she could not possibly believe she was entitled to knowing, without giving her an out.

Casey froze, her eyes icing over. She stared at Alex for a long moment, who now was sure she had done something horribly wrong, but then Casey’s eyes shifted from blank shock to mildly upset.

“Sorry- yes, I did. It didn't work out that way.”

Alex swallowed, and realized this was a decisive moment. She had relaxed, and she had slipped up, and now Casey was rigid, and if she bounced back off of Casey and tensed, she’d never get what she wanted.

So then, biting back her nature and what she was taught to say in such situations, she said softly, “It didn't for me, either.”

The atmosphere shifted entirely, so much it seemed like the colors had changed spectrum. Alex was now used to how fast her colleague could run through emotions and facades, and although that familiarity was from the courtroom, Casey’s demeanor now changing into something almost like solidarity reminded her a lot of it. Casey dropped her momentary coldness as fast as Alex could put down her form, but unlike when Alex changed the face she wore in order to elicit the response she wanted, Casey seemed like she genuinely just had a change of emotion.

“You're still young, Casey,” Alex continued, encouraged by the attorney’s return to warmth, “it’ll happen.”

“Oh, please. Alex. You’re what- two years older than me?” Casey chided, her voice light. “And you're hot as hell, so I’m sure you have suitors.”

“Casey, have you looked in a mirror recently? If I have suitors, you must have a line from here to the DA’s office.”

“Oh, you charmer.” Casey scoffed, but Alex meant it. She slid her hand underneath the now empty plate, bringing it to the kitchen, before picking up her duffel once more. “And now you get to be my driver.”

“I’m honored,” Alex smoothly joked back, collecting her purse and standing up.

She glanced around Casey’s kitchen, then glanced around the foyer, one last time before she followed the redhead out of her apartment. She noted the shift of atmosphere the second she stepped over the doorstep, and internally found herself hoping it wasn’t the last time she was there.

A more sensible part of her brain reminded her just now that she had decided against pursuing Casey, so such thoughts were not worth lingering on. Another part of her brain indignantly riled that she could enter someone’s apartment without any sort of connotation. A third part of her brain wanted to reexamine the circumstances of the decision to blacklist Casey from the possible companion category, while a third sighed loudly and wished they would all shut up. A fourth part snarled that she was not going to allow herself to be vulnerable with this enigma- yes, despite her niceness and her willingness to provide her with cake she still didn't have any grasp on Casey's psyche, so that's what she was- until she had enough to cover her ass if something went wrong. A fifth part just wanted to see Casey smile at her in the kitchen like that again. The fifth part managed to distract most of the others with daydreams.

Casey understood that Alex was in thoughts, so she did nothing to compel a response, although Alex was sure she thought she was musing about family or law or such.

Nothing was said until they reached the front door of the building, which Casey opened and offered, and then resigned to follow Alex to where she had parked. She gave a low appreciative whistle when she climbed into the front passenger seat tugging her duffel down and into the legroom.

“Fuck. I knew from the outside you had a nice car, but… jesus christ, Alex.”

“What? Oh.” Alex glanced behind her as if only just now registering that. It was a nice car. Her Cadillac had been a birthday present from her uncle, especially because her Bentley was sold off after her death. “I- thank you. Well, only the best for you, right? Now that I’m your cabbie.”

She was rather pleased with the hints of a surprised blush forming on Casey's cheekbones. If Casey kept throwing out random compliments at her, she should return that, right?

“It's just because of my bike-…”

“Please. You’re so quick to dish out the teases until I do so?” Alex hummed, amused, and Casey only huffed in response, pointedly looking forward.

Alex set the softball arena as her navigation’s destination, and allows Casey on aux, the same melodious background sound filling the car speakers as they begin on their way. Being the driver is good. If she was the passenger, she’d be darting her eyes too constantly to look at Casey. Casey apparently does not have this struggle.

“So tell me, honestly,” Alex starts, to fill the silence with a topic she knows Casey will yap over, “between you and Stabler, who has the better swing?”

“Me,” Casey says, with absolutely no question in her voice. “Elliot is good- but he’s too used to his job. In softball, most of the swing is supposed to come from the rotation of the shoulders, not the movement of the arm. Elliot relies so much on the idea of punching he doesn't really get that. He tries to push his palms forward and pushes one shoulder down. Besides, I’ve been playing softball for a much longer time than him.”

“How long?” Alex asked, glancing over at her in the passenger seat. Casey was so forthcoming with information- well, yes, Alex had asked, but…

“Since my sophomore year of high school,” Casey answered, “There was this fight involving one of my little brothers and I- well, that's beside the point. Regardless, the coach took me aside the next day, said he’d never seen someone swing like that, and asked me to try out. I did, and that was that.”

Alex let out an exhale that felt like a soft laugh, so Casey quipped in response, “Have you ever played any sports?”

“Fencing,” Alex offered, “and equestrian, for a little.”

“Equestrian?” Casey perked up, “Wow, that's amazing. I’ve always wanted to try riding a horse.”

“I didn't really enjoy it much-” Alex looked over again, and she realized that was a mistake, because Casey was looking at her with such interest in her eyes that Alex felt as though she needed to run for the hills. “I- I… it just wasn't for me.”

“Why not? If I can ask.”

“My instructors had to scold me constantly for being too stiff,” Alex murmured, trying to make it sound lighthearted despite to some degree admitting the biggest self-struggle she had, “when you're on a horse, the horse has to be an extension of you, the same way when you hold a bat- actually, I’m not entirely sure of that, I’ve never played a ball-sport, but- when the muscles of the horse move, you need to adapt and move with it. Otherwise, the horse becomes vexed.”

“So young Alexandra was just being a vex to horses?” Casey chuckled, and Alex tilted her head at the jest.

“But if you tell anyone, they’d never believe you.”

“Oh trust me,” Casey snorted, “I’m not about to let other people know about baby Alex being a thorn in some training horse’s side. That’s something only I get to know.”

“Hey. You just used the adjective ‘young’, and now ‘baby’- am I regressing? And I was more a pain in their back rather than side, unless I very immensely misunderstood where you're supposed to ride horses.”

In reality, the small thrum in her heart that she now associated with the younger attorney was very pleased with the information Casey apparently felt territorial on information regarding her. She couldn't describe to herself why that made her happy, but it did.

“Sigh. ADAs and their technicalities,” Casey shook her head, “and no, I could never accuse you of regression. You only ascend.”

“Good. Quick study, Casey.” Alex purred, the words a bit too soft and a bit too smooth, although she hadn't really thought about it that way until she saw Casey shift and decided she was very pleased she had said it.

It was Casey’s turn to fall into a blushed silence, her eyes fixing suddenly very straight on the road, as if she had never seen New York City before. Alex felt victorious, and she basked in that feeling.

They arrived at the softball field shortly, and as soon as they pulled over in the dirt parking lot and Casey stepped out of the vehicle with her duffel she was essentially jumped by a collection of random people Alex believed she probably had seen previously in the DA’s office- other ADAs, a couple interns. They surrounded Casey eagerly, spouting game talk- apparently feeding Alex cake had delayed her arrival, and she was the last one, so they had been waiting for it. The copper-headed woman gave her an apologetic wave over the shoulder as she was yanked off, and Alex felt uncomfortable. She tried not to feel as though she had just been shunned. If she had spent less time in her intern years sucking up and networking with her uncle and her uncle’s friends, perhaps she would know some of them. Her career was jump-started, she did not have the bond the others seemed to share of watching each other pull themselves up the ladder- despite knowing logically some of them must have also come from nepotism, at least to some degree.

The softball field was fenced in by wired mesh, and ‘softball field’ was really the only way she could describe it, because it was nothing else. There were a couple of bleachers that reminded her of a cheap high school movie- her school had definitely never had anything like that- but otherwise, it was just a meshed-in square in the middle of a flat field, with a large brick box-like building on the side. She spotted Munch already seated on said bleacher, though, and although she didn't know him as well as she knew Olivia, who her mind had been looking for initially, she wandered over.

“Hey,” he greeted her on arrival, motioning to the place next to him, which she tentatively sat down on after her eyes skimmed it to ensure there wasn't a layer of filth (there was, but she ignored it) “Liv's trying to hype up Elliot. He really wants to get Casey back for the last match.”

“What happened in the last match?” Alex muttered, not especially interested but aware she was required to continue the conversation, inspecting the floor of the bleachers for a place to put her purse. She decided directly beneath her was probably the cleanest.

“She- well, nothing exactly. She’s just ridiculously good. Not many of the DA team have her skill, but so long as she’s there she continuously wipes the floor with ‘em. MVP, easy.”

Munch turns to her, almost accusingly. “Oh, you're rooting for that team, aren't you?”

Alex considered that for a moment, then, “I’m rooting for Casey.”

“But, team-wise, you're on our side?”

“I’m just rooting for Casey.”

Well, we had the whole gay talk in the squad room earlier, so-”

“Careful,” Alex chided, cutting him off with a harsh look in her marble blue eyes, “your boyfriend is here.”

Munch looked over with confusion, then saw Tutuola walking towards them, and shot Alex back a glare through his dark glasses. As if on cue, Olivia materialized and plopped herself down next to Alex, handing her a flask and wiping her mouth with the back of her palm indicative of the fact she had just taken a swallow. “El has been given the best pep talk I physically know how to give. If he doesn't win, I’m done showing up to these.”

“Alex is rooting for the enemy while drinking our alcohol,” John fired, but Alex turned to him and, apparently intimidated, he visibly backed off. Olivia just laughed.

Alex took a swig from Olivia’s flask, grimacing at the feeling of vodka burning down her throat, but she took a second swig almost immediately. She already felt uncomfortable, skin prickling and writhing, and being drunk would make it better.

The game began with little issue, and Casey had meant it when she said it wasn't a real tournament so much so as a large group of very competitive friends being cheered on by a large group of friendly drinkers.

She was bored until Casey took the batter’s stand. Alex had absolutely no clue how softball was played, but Casey looked perfect.

It was probably the alcohol talking. Between her and Olivia, they had made quick work of the flask, Liv because she had started to become anxious on Stabler’s behalf, and Alex because she was double-thinking her decision to show up. But if she hadn't shown up, she never would've gone to Casey’s, she never would've gotten that cake and she never would've seen the younger woman's reaction to being told she was good.

And God, Casey was good. Alex watched her sprint, the way she swung so relaxed but so intentionally, completely in her element. It was dark other than the stadium lights, which definitely were not up to standard, but when Alex caught a glimpse of Casey's eyes she could see very clearly the glint of fierce determination.

John Munch had been very correct that the DA’s team- Casey’s teammates, were not comparable to the copper-blonde’s skill. But to that matter, neither were most of the detectives. Alex noted the reality in the way that Stabler swung as if he was trying to hook something instead of swinging a bat- Casey was right- but he still did fairly well.

Not well enough to keep up with Casey.

Every time she hit the ball with a heavy ‘thwack’ that reverberated in Alex’s spine, every time she started darting, long legs stretching out to slide the last meter, the furrow in her brow, the light reflecting off her hair. Alex felt positively dizzy. That last part could very well be from Olivia’s vodka- or so she reminded herself.

She had tied her hair into a bun- Alex mused to herself it was unnecessary for her to have straightened it, then- but it bounced as she walked up to take- no, own the stand. Her lips were pressed into that thin line she made when she was concentrating in the courtroom and was similarly undeniably attractive here, except the corners of her mouth tugged up in a fierce smile. Her movements were fluid and Alex decided that if she would've done well in equestrian, with the way she moved- her intensity was elegant, her movements as refined as a swimmer’s. Alex felt her chest tighten and her heart pounding as she watched, feeling almost greedy for more sight of Casey.

Other than her, she was displeased with essentially everything else. The people next to her were becoming progressively more drunk and more rowdy, cheering and applauding and calling out encouragement or jests to active players, who would yell incoherently back at them. The bleachers had grit stuck in the groves in the aluminum and she mused to herself she’d need to get the pants she was wearing cleaned.

The game simultaneously lasted fucking forever and was much faster than Alex thought it would be. Casey's team won, so Alex had to deal with Olivia huffing and chastising the DA’s team next to her and John giving her a very pointed look, competitive in the way of the observer, that she returned coldly.

Casey didn't come around until the detectives were almost ready to go. Stabler had returned, clenching his jaw after trying to convince a couple people to do some more practice runs with him, and Olivia bolted to her feet to sympathetically pat him on the shoulder. Alex, after a fraction of a second, rose too, and followed. “I don't get how she does that,” He kept grumbling, and Alex had to agree- but her opinion of that was different.

Alex watched out of the corner of her eye as Casey bounced around- literally bounced around, some of the younger interns were literally jumping with the adrenaline and Casey was mimicking it for their benefit- and they hugged each other tight around the shoulders, fluid motions and hearty laughs, until their noses and cheeks were tinted pink with breathlessness. Casey was here celebrating a win- a double win, now- but apparently, some other girl on the team had just lost a major suit according to someone Alex had overheard on the bleachers and the DA’s team was clearly playing on the enthusiasm and adrenaline to cheer her up. Alex watched as Casey grabbed the other lawyer in a tight hug, then pressed a kiss to her cheek, and her stomach fluttered and she looked away very quickly. She hoped no one noticed.

She looked back in time, though, to see Casey shaking the woman off her arm, and that settled the unease in her bones quickly. The other woman held her hand for as long as possible, looking at her with eyes akin to a lost puppy, but Casey only flashed her a bright smile and kept walking, letting her arm fall loosely over to her side as she walked away. She quickened her pace of exit when she saw Alex looking in her direction, jogging over.

“So, Alex?”

“So yourself. You were fantastic.” Alex chimed, and even though Casey was sweaty and was coated in dirt from the floor of the field she extended an arm to give her a half-hug and Casey took it, resting her head on Alex’s shoulder for a moment before letting go.

The others in the group shared similar observations, albeit half-heartedly, while Casey just grinned apologetically at Stabler who stood staring at her blankly. After a moment, the two exchanged a very informal fist bump, and tension eased from Elliot’s broad shoulders.

They chatter about the game for a while, recounting moments of note or teammates that were new or actions that were game-changing, until it was randomly noticed they were the last ones outside, the other legal system workers apparently having moved on to their own after-party that Alex noted Casey apparently had turned down and the other detectives had sullenly collected belongings and dipped.

“So, McMullen’s?” Stabler muttered, “I could use a beer after all this.”

“That's the one all the way near the precinct,” Munch argued, but Alex interjected with, “Let's do it.” That place was familiar- she had grown accustomed to it, and selfishly it was also very close to her apartment. John was left alone in his argument and they all nodded, separating towards cars with the knowledge they’d meet up shortly.

“You may have to drive,” Alex murmured, “I’m above the legal limit. That okay?”

“I get to drive your fancy-ass car? Hell yeah!” Casey cheered, “That's a reward on its own. Come with me, though, I have to grab my things.”

There was a small building off to the side, big enough to serve its only purpose as being a locker room. There were two doors and no windows, effectively a brick block that had no aesthetical component at all, and the lights flickered on as Casey went into one of the doors and hit the light. It kept flickering, though.

Alex stood in the doorway for a second, wrinkling her nose at the smell of very heavy spray deodorant and sweat, but Casey was talking to her, so it felt rude to let the door close separating the two, and after a second Alex stepped in behind her and tugged the metal door closed behind her.

“Did you mean it, though? That in the fourth inning I-”

“Yes, Casey,” Alex interrupted her, “you played very well. I don't say things I don't genuinely stand behind.”

It was rather endearing that Casey wanted her verbal approval, despite the fact Alex was completely aware Casey knew she had played well. She had been getting a stream of compliments and attention from her peers. It made Alex salivate that Casey had chosen to ditch the girl who had reminded her of a dog to talk to her instead. Maybe that was the alcohol talking. Maybe she should keep reminding herself that it was the alcohol talking.

“Hold on- look away, I’m going to change really quickly, and then we can get going.”

Alex felt her cheeks grow warm but she obediently turned on her heel to face the metal door, hearing the tug of a zipper as Casey stripped off her pants, then the rustling of fabric as her shirt came off, and Alex ground her teeth against each other trying not to imagine what was directly behind her. Casey sighed deeply, and Alex bit into her cheek.

She stayed like that, staring bolts of lightning into the door, until she felt Casey tap her shoulder, relinquishing her of the obligation. “Alright. Car keys, counselor?”

Alex pawed them over from her pocket wordlessly and Casey offered her a confused smile but did not press the issue, letting herself out of the locker room and heading towards the car.

She had changed into a white polo shirt, the top two buttons missing to dip and show her distinct collarbones, the cut of the sleeves emphasizing the subtle but firm muscles of her forearms. Beneath it, she carried dark jeans with a leather belt. She hadn't removed her hair from the bun, even though several strands of hair had fallen out near the front, and Alex tried to fixate on the shape of said bun on the back of her head while following her towards her own car.

Her internal monologue was failing to come up with reasons why she shouldn't be allowed to touch Casey's shoulders just a little bit. She could see the groves of muscle through the polo shirt- a little bit, right? Just a little bit?

Alex turned the music up in the car when Casey put it back on so she wouldn't need to make shaky conversation, and Casey seemed content enough with that. The duffel bag had been discarded in the back, Alex now in the passenger with Casey in the driver.

“You seem happy,” Casey commented finally during a lapse in the music- a long outro, or a long intro- and Alex just smiled slyly back at her. She was.

The bar was wonderfully familiar. Alex followed Casey to the booth in the back, the one their group always frequented, and the others were already there, looking up from menus no one really needed because they'd been there so many times everyone already had a signature.

Alex ended in between Olivia and Casey, the brunette on her left towards the wall, and Casey in the gap between her and the end of the couch. Casey struggled slightly- the booth wasn't large enough to accommodate a group of six people, but Alex was more than happy that it forced Casey to try to curve into her side. She didn't move over, didn't try to shove herself against Olivia to make more room for the redhead. With one leg crossed over the other and her shoulder firmly on Alex's, though, Casey made due.

They chirp orders to a bartender who wanders over, Alex graciously agreeing to carry this first round as she had earlier mentioned. Stabler ordered a beer more expensive than the type he normally drank, and Casey shot him a pointed look. He looked mildly apologetic, and Casey rolled her eyes.

John and Fin quickly began chattering about things below Alex’s pay grade, so she turned her attention towards Olivia and Elliot, who were discussing an upcoming event at Stabler’s children’s high school- a fundraiser, or some other such thing- and Casey listened eagerly. Alex stayed mostly quiet, unaware of how to participate in a conversation about public schools and children.

Besides, she had a much larger problem to attend to.

Casey's arm had snuck around her waist and was currently resting on the slight ridge of her hip.

Logically, she could reason that it was because she was intentionally making it more difficult for Casey to sit comfortably, the younger attorney still awkwardly very close to the edge of the faux-leather booth, but still. Her thumb was resting directly on the iliac crest, and if Alex paid close attention it was almost as if Casey was moving it, the rest of her fingers snaking just below it, grasping at the fabric of Alex’s pants. Maybe this was her punishment for enjoying forcing Casey to wriggle and balance on the very end of the seat.

She opened her mouth to join the conversation, but Casey, as though experimenting, ran her thumb in a line across the jut of her hip bone and Alex stiffened on impulse. As soon as Casey felt her spine tense like that, she hastily let go. Alex wished she could ask her to leave her hand there, though.

Why are you thinking like that, she internally chastised herself, Alex, you don't- you said you wouldn't try to do anything with… but she’s pursuing you, now, isn't she?

“Yes, Alex?” Olivia asked with a note of confusion, and she realized she had made to speak and then lost herself in thought. She didn't really remember what she was going to say, though. Her jaw was still open, but she just snapped it shut and shook her head quickly with a ‘never mind’.

Casey's hand did not return for the rest of the hour or so spent chatting at the bar, despite Alex’s struggling attempts at manifesting. She was uncomfortable, now, not because of Casey, but because of Casey's absence. She was pressed so close to her side but somehow it felt as though Alex had messed up, prematurely rejected her, and that something would shift in the dynamic now. The itch and ache behind her skin got progressively worse as she tried to mask her anxiety behind the mask, when really all she wanted to do was talk to Casey. The copper-headed woman’s conversations always included either Olivia or Stabler or Munch, though, and there was never a moment in which Alex could separate her off to start a banter or a hushed conversation between the two of them alone. So, mostly, Alex just sat there, watching her coworkers indulge in the moment while feeling isolated and cold. Her spine was not able to relax after Casey’s hand had left.

She started to feel sick with the rigidness of her body. She wanted to peel it off.

“You seem distracted,” Casey murmured lightly, her breath warm over the side of Alex’s face, her mouth precariously close as she leaned her face towards the side of Alex’s jaw, speaking into her ear. Alex hadn't even realized she had moved.

She steeled her eyes and turned to stare at Casey coldly, almost as if trying to scare her off, a habit she regretted the second she realized what she was doing- I won't let you get this close, I'm warning you- it said, but Casey simultaneously picked up on it, picked up on her regret, and simply grinned at her. She seemed pleased, even, that she was eliciting a response. Alex fumed inside of her mind at the amount of control the redhead had attained over her in the span of a night that wasn't even over yet.

“I’m fine.” Alex said in a hushed whisper, “Just- just drunk.”

Casey provided a low hum in the back of her throat, placing her jaw on Alex’s shoulder, blinking up at her through slightly narrowed eyes.

“Aren't you, Casey?”

“I assumed I’d be driving. I had a beer, but that was around an hour ago, now.”

“Oh.” Alex shifted, her face heating up slightly, “You're taking me home?”

“Do you not want me to do that?”

“I- but, how would you get home from mine? I don't- I can't really give you my car-”

“I can walk from yours,” Casey responded easily, to which Alex shook her head quickly.

“God, Casey, I’m not letting you walk home alone in the middle of the night, just-”

“Are you two planning on leaving soon?” Olivia interrupted loudly, who had drunk a bit more than both of them and seemed irritated in the way drunk people were. “I cannot wait to get away from this guy here,” the brunette sighed, jabbing a thumb at Stabler, who stared at her incredulously. Like Casey, he had also refrained from drinking so he could drop Olivia and John off.

“Olivia, I’m driving you home, and I stand by what I said.”

“But that doesn't even make sense!” She scolded him, “Why is the plural of mouse mice and the plural of goose geese and the plural form of moose still moose? Who the hell has ever said ‘Oh yes, what a lovely pack of moose there in the distance’-”

“Liv, I didn't say it didn't make sense, I just said it wasn't relevant-”

“Excuse you. This is very relevant to my day-to-day life.”

They blinked at each other for a long, slow moment, and Alex decided she did in fact need to get away from them. But, as she reached for her purse to drop what she owed, shame bloomed suddenly in her heart. Fuck.

She groaned quietly, her index extending automatically to rub the base of her glabella, tilting her head backward and squeezing her eyes shut with frustration and also an unwillingness to share what she definitely needed to.

Her discontent at her mistake triggered something else in her stomach, and she felt the familiar sensation of everything inside of her moving uncomfortably, skin aching and turning. She felt like she was about to be scolded by her father- or worse, her uncle- for lacking composure, for forgetting to keep track of every minor detail and interaction held.

It was important to be on top of everything constantly- no, it was necessary. She needed to. It was drilled into her as much as her skin was part of her anatomy, and regardless of how stressed it made her, she needed it compulsively.

She wanted to be someone else, and now she'd have to pay the price for it.

“Alex?” Casey’s voice sounded mildly concerned, and Alex tried her best to hide the embarrassment in her voice when she turned to the redhead and conspiratorially muttered, “I forgot my purse.”

She knew exactly where it was- well, unless it had been stolen since then, but she knew where she had left it. Putting it directly beneath her on the aluminum bleachers of the softball field had not been a wise choice given the principle of ‘out of sight, out of mind' and her lusting after Casey and Casey’s ridiculously attractive shoulders had not helped to remind her to grab it before they left.

Luckily she always kept three hundred dollar bills in her phone case in case of an emergency, so she popped it open and removed one to cover the table, waving off the others who tried to offer her change and similarly dismissing people offering to cover her drinks the next time the group joined at a bar.

“Well, we’ll just go back for it, then.” Casey replied smoothly, and Alex thanked the heavens Casey had not taken this as an opportunity to try to tease her, because Alex genuinely would've gotten mad if she had.

“But that's- that's half an hour each way,” Alex sighed, “and I’ve had too much to drive, but I don't want to ask you too-”

“Extra time with you? I can't complain. Come, now.” Casey grinned, swiping at her shoulder gently the way she had with Elliot earlier, and Alex couldn't help but crack a weak smile and follow her and she made her way out of the bar, waving goodbyes to the others.

“I meant it, though,” Casey starts once they're outside of the building, “you did seem distant back there. Is everything… alright?”

“I-” Alex started without meaning to, clamping her jaw shut and watching Casey unlock her car so they could both climb in, Casey placing the duffel in the back again as prior.

She watched the younger attorney raise an eyebrow inquisitively, which she responded to with a loose sigh.

“Nothing.” She said blankly, and listened as Casey echoed her sigh.

Alex could see the gears churning in Casey's head as they both clambered into Alex’s Cadillac, Casey’s eyes roving over the interior with awe once more. The copper-headed woman wasn't verbally pushing her to explain her issue but Alex wasn't stupid enough to think Casey would let it drop. She briefly worried that Casey thought it was her fault, but if she did, maybe she wouldn't provoke an explanation, and Alex was okay with that. She didn't feel like she wanted to verbalize this discomfort with Casey.

This car drive was again quiet, but not because Alex was in a state of drunken content, but rather because Alex was fighting personal demons and Casey was trying very hard to run through every possible list of what could've upset the older attorney.

“It was just one of my mulberry set, so it doesn't matter that much if it's actually missing or if someone stole it.” Alex said finally, to fill the void of silence.

Casey squinted at her, trying to figure out if that was sarcasm, but it didn't seem to be.

“I’m not going to grant that a response,” she said finally. “You rich kids are something else.”

Alex thinned her lips into a straight line but didn't respond. Casey was right, of course, they had very different upbringings. That's why Casey's skin suited her body, and Alex’s was constantly irritating her.

Neither attorney tried to fill the void of silence after that, not even with music, Alex staring blankly out of the side window while Casey focused on the dark road in front of her. Alex had moved on from her demons to anxiously smoothing her thumb in little patterns on her wrist, very uncomfortable without a distinct reason. This wasn't really about the purse, to put it plainly.

After what felt like an eternity, Casey pulled over, and Alex stumbled out of the car. The place was utterly devoid of people, although the lights were still on for some reason, and it wasn't hard to spot the dot of her bag in the distance even with her glasses. There was a light behind the bleachers that illuminated the spaces between plates of metal and she could make out a shape that blocked out the light exactly where she had been sitting. Without checking to see if Casey was following, she set out, wincing at the feeling of gravel and damp dirt beneath her shoes.

She had picked up her purse and slung it over her shoulder before she registered Casey’s presence again, behind her, and the attorney's voice was soft as she spoke.

“Put it back down, Alex, play ball with me.”

Alex froze.

“What?”

“Play ball with me,” Casey echoed, and when Alex turned around the copperhead was simply tossing the softball up and down in one hand without even looking at it. Casey’s eyes were instead fixated intently on her.

Alex shrugged her purse strap tighter to her side as if it were a life raft of sorts. “I don't play sports, Casey-” she tried, but Casey just shook her head slightly, the bun that had slowly been coming out over the duration of the evening bouncing along with the rotation of her head.

“Just catch it,” Casey soothed, “and if you really hate it we’ll go back to the car. Put your purse down- come off the bleachers, come over here.”

It was hard to disobey when Casey sounded so direct, so after a moment of hesitation and a minor internal thrashing Alex set her bag down once more and stepped off the bleachers, onto the grass where Casey was. She knew her face must be exerting a twisted, concerned expression, but although Casey’s eyes were soft they were also immensely firm. Determined.

“I don't know… how to catch a ball.” Alex said lamely, holding her hands out stiffly in front of her. She was rewarded for her confession with Casey’s chuckle.

“Don't think about it,” Casey said, “just focus on me. You’ll catch it.”

The redhead paused her casual toss-catch rhythm, cupping the ball in her palm and letting her arm hang down by her side. She smiled reassuringly at Alex, who hadn't felt nervous like this since grade school.

“You've been doing fine focusing on me tonight,” Casey teased, after Alex hadn't answered, and Alex flushed, “so- should be doable. Ready?”

Alex wanted to curl into a ball and hide, honestly, so no, she wasn't ready. Straight spine, stiff shoulders, her head feeling like it was propped up on a pedestal rather than a neck. Her hands still were held loosely in front of her, as though someone was passing her a wine glass to nurse rather than a ball to catch, and her feet were right beside each other in the ‘natural’ resting position for her- which had been very unnaturally taught, and then forced, until young Alex did not automatically stand any other way. Casey’s brow quirked as if this was amusing to her.

The blonde’s brow furrowed in anxious concentration, and she took a quick breath, trying to focus on Casey as the redhead had so advised. And despite her teasing tone, she had been right, it was easy for Alex to focus on her.

It was really dark out, now, so Alex could only see the parts of Casey that were illuminated by the overhead beam, but it was angled in a way that she could still see most of her. Casey’s eyes were teasing but attentive, and her posture was entirely relaxed. She didn't look like she had when she was actually playing, which relieved Alex immensely.

When Casey had been playing, she had seemed athletic and agile, with muscles that rippled under her skin the way that a leopard’s might as it pounced. Now, more similarly to her courtroom appearances, her arms had relaxed back into how they normally appeared- although they always looked wonderfully lean- only slightly more built than the average woman’s. Her fingers were lithe as they wrapped around the softball she held, a degree of comfort interacting with the object that read easily as years of experience. Alex tried not to note the details of how the white polo shirt clung and accentuated her bust, or the curve of her waist. Casey’s stance- leaning slightly, more weight on one leg than the other casually, did not help Alex scrape her eyes off of her figure. She felt herself relax, slightly, drawn in by the details of the other woman’s form. She supposed it was easy to stop paying so much attention to herself and everything that was right or wrong in herself and her posture when she was given permission to study someone as- well, frankly, hot- as Casey.

“I’m ready,” Alex said after a long pause, running her tongue over her dry bottom lip to ease the nerves. She wasn't sure what prompted her to say it.

Casey eased her arm in a low arc, passing it once, then twice, the arc getting larger each time, before curling her fingers around the ball as she let it go in a firm underhand toss. Trained as she was, it flew in a bow formation, slow and controlled as it made its way directly towards Alex, who caught it instinctively, trapping it between her two palms.

She looked up at Casey with eyes as concerned as if she was carrying a grenade, and Casey laughed, her hands on her knees, evidently pleased.

“Good! Go on, throw it back to me.”

Alex’s nose scrunched up with focus as she tried to recreate the same motion Casey had done, her limbs feeling weird and disjointed, stiff and loose, unlike the fluid motion Casey had produced. But regardless, she threw it.

Casey catching it was entirely due to the redhead’s own ability, because unlike when Alex had caught it due to Casey’s precise aim, Alex had no clue how to direct the ball properly, and it fell short by about a meter, which was anticipated the second the ball left her hand by Casey who scrambled to get it, achieving the fear with only a mild degree of difficulty.

“You did it!” She cheered, bouncing with excitement the way she had when she had won the softball match hours prior, and Alex couldn't help but acknowledge her enthusiasm as very infectious. A small, genuine yet shy smile played on her lips and Casey darted backward again, taking her stance to throw it once more, which Alex did not move to protest.

Unlike last time, when Alex had caught it very close to her chest, the blonde with some degree of determination reached her arms slightly higher, managing to catch it while it was still in the air above her. She still used both hands, but it was a stark degree of progress.

Alex's face split open into a grin of genuine emotion, now, a smile that awkwardly expressed the strange pride she felt at managing the relatively very simple task, and without hesitation she threw it back to Casey, using enough force this time- correcting her precious mistake- so the ball was easily once again resting in Casey's hand.

“Look at you go,” Casey beamed, the corners of her eyes angling with the intensity of the smile she flashed Alex with, “now, this one’s harder, okay?”

This time, Casey threw it overhead, albeit still much gentler than she normally would. Her previous throws were meant to land directly at Alex’s stand, but this one aimed for a foot or so behind her. The blonde, however, had seemingly gained enough understanding of the ball’s arch to realize, hastily taking a few steps backward to once again encase it.

Alex mused to herself that she felt as though she was getting the hang of this, so she returned the ball once more, still using underhand, watching as Casey bounced backward twice to give them more distance. She threw it, and Alex realized it was flying too far to the side, and she scrambled in that direction, bending down strangely but managing to catch the softball before it hit the floor.

She looked up with a very sheepish expression, but was rewarded with the sight of Casey smiling as if it were Christmas morning, and she relaxed, standing up. Casey had apparently taken a few more long strides backwards, away from her.

“I can't throw that far, come closer.” She called, but Casey shook her head.

“You can make it to me- try out throwing overhead.” Casey urged, “And if it falls short, I’ll run and get it anyway.”

Alex stood, awkwardly still for a long second, staring at Casey, who just kept her bright smile. After a second, she glanced at the ball in her hand, and, mimicking Casey’s movement once again, extended one arm behind her slightly, rotating her torso, and then shot it forward, leaning forward into her swing.

Although she stumbled, looking up prematurely to see if the throw would arc the way she had wanted it to, it did fly almost all the way to the other attorney, who easily lifted a singular hand to catch it in her palm.

This time, Casey did not wait for Alex to recompose before swinging- and she did it differently, this time, lifting a leg to fire the ball at her the way she had during softball except with a bit less force. Enough force, though, that although Alex again scrambled for it, the softball flew too far to the side and the blonde woman ended up on her knees in the shortly clipped grass. She turned her head to stare indignantly at her companion, who just poked the tip of her tongue out of her mouth nonchalantly and motioned for Alex to go fetch.

She would never do anything so.. unpretentious. However, with Casey patiently grinning at her, Alex sighed, standing, brushing off her knees quickly, and then briskly pacing to retrieve the ball, which had landed only a few meters to her side.

“Are we done, counselor?” Novak called from her place a ways away, and Alex raised her eyebrow at the other woman incredulously.

“After that?” She scoffed, and threw the ball again more forcefully, purposely not really aiming at Casey who thus had to hasten towards it, reading its path but still needing to scurry multiple meters, catching it but only just barely. Alex refused to note how elegant the motion was, despite how awkward it really should've seemed.

Alex did not have the time to further study Casey’s elegance because the redhead was already firing back at her, one leg raised high at the knee as prior, and that only really made her understand how attractive Casey’s legs were- her undivided attention to the attorney’s arms had made her miss out on something else equally appealing.

This time Casey was gracious enough to aim at her once more, and Alex caught it, each grab easier than the previous.

They repeated this exchange, Casey’s throws were much smoother and intentional, except she kept occasionally throwing slightly higher or lower or to either side to force Alex to move herself. Alex occasionally missed her grab or not being able to close the distance in time, which only fueled her play intensity when she returned the ball. Alex’s throws were mostly loose, but for the most part, they went far enough, and Casey was more than happy to scramble for them, ending up on her knees multiple times but never failing to catch it firmly.

Casey had started laughing, at some point, delighted to be playing no matter how bad her play partner was, and Alex hadn't even realized when her grin became permanent and her exhales started to sound like breathless giggles.

Eventually, Alex’s breathing started coming faster, and there was a thrum in her heart unrelated to Casey, and said woman realized the blonde was starting to get tired. She stopped the back and forth once the ball returned to her palm, choosing instead to jog over.

“Let's try something- hold this.” She murmured, tossing the ball into the air, which Alex now easily and casually managed to snag.

She reached over and adjusted Alex’s position, smooth hands gliding to shape the rotation of the older woman’s shoulders, lightly pressing to move her hips, gliding across her arms to rearrange the assortment of limbs.

She then turned to stand beside her, mirroring the posture she had just moved Alex into, looking at her with a sly grin. “Now, when you throw, I want you to curve like this-” she demonstrated, her motions causing the fabric to ruffle, her shirt rising up slightly at the hem to tease Alex with a thin strip of the woman’s abdomen, “and raise your leg like this, and then,-” she made a hushed whooshing sound, a cartoonist version of a ball being thrown.

Alex nodded obediently, starting to prepare herself before Casey shook her head quickly. “Give me a headstart- I go on two, and you go on zero. Okay?”

The blonde was now mildly confused on what Casey was attempting, but regardless nodded, frozen in the position Casey had sculpted.

“Five, four, three..” Casey counted down, slowly creeping her body down into a low lunge, “two-!” she bolted forward, and then Alex understood, mentally counting down the last two numbers before flinging the ball as hard as she physically was able to.

She was then content to straighten out, catching her breath, while watching Casey sprint after it. Her strides were so long and so light Alex wasn't sure she was even really touching the ground. With the movement, her ever-loosening bun snapped open, and auburn hair flowed as if cascading behind her, and Alex's breath caught still in her lungs.

Even though the ball did manage to outfly her sprint, she was damn near close when she dove for it, sliding on one knee to retrieve it, skidding to a halt a little ways away from where she had initially landed. She jumped up, shook herself off, and then jogged back, a breathless grin on her face.

“I thought I had it,” she panted, “I’ve always wanted to try doing that.”

The copper-headed woman proceeded to flop down on the grass, rolling so she was lying on her back looking up at Alex who was still breathing with a little more labor than she’d like to admit from their previous shenanigans. After a second, Alex carefully sat down next to her, near but not close enough to be on her loose hair by accident.

“You were very close,” Alex agreed, eyes never leaving Casey’s enthusiastic ones. “I didn't know people could be that fast.”

After a brief second, she reached out and rested her hand on the front of Casey’s shoulder, who blinked up at her. It was a reassurance that Alex’s earlier silence wasn't her fault, Alex tried to convey, that Casey had done nothing wrong and everything right.

Casey sat up to look at Alex more directly, but she raised a hand to keep Alex’s fingers resting on the flat of her chest and an inch below her collarbone. Her face was close to Alex’s leaning forward so boldly Alex almost thought to lean back.

“You look good like this,” She cooed so lightly it was almost smug, almost victorious, “you’re normally so rigid, so overtly mannered.”

It was then that Alex realized she had not registered anything of herself outside of trying to figure out how to position her arm to throw better for the past while.

Nothing had seemed to exist outside of Casey laughing gleefully across the field, bouncing from one foot to the other while waiting for her to launch her softball back to her- as much as Alex could launch it- and as soon as the ball had left her hands, the only thing she thought of was the sight of Casey running to snatch it midair, her hand itching to feel the leather again so she could try again, see if she could throw it farther, and more forcefully.

See if she could make Casey laugh harder, the giddy sound almost echoing in the night, filling the void and almost creepy vacant softball field with audio so genuine it made Alex’s heart flutter. See if she could elicit another called praise, or another witty comment from the woman she had been eyeing so intently.

Her limbs and joints felt loose but connected, blood racing through her veins happily as if finally allowed to dart around her body, resurfacing energy and releasing dopamine in a way she hadn't felt in what must now be years. Her bones felt as light as a bird’s, and her skin was so enthusiastic at the play it nestled onto her body like a puzzle piece that finally clicked into place, and even now that she was finished, it felt like her own. For once, Alex had earned the right to feel comfortable in her own skin.

She hadn't cared to ponder what she must look like, in a blouse layered by a sweater in a field with her glasses, tripping over herself to try to play ball with a woman who could pass as a semi-professional athlete. Her chest must be heaving in an effort to catch her breath, her lungs entirely unused to anything more strenuous than stairs, her legs long but her ability to use them only equivalent to a fawn’s. But whenever she had caught Casey's playful eyes, they looked at her like her stumbling self was a million bucks, and that was enough for her.

This was enough for her. Her goal for the night had been realized in full.

“What are you thinking about, counselor?” Casey breathed, and Alex realized she had leaned even closer, dark green eyes searching her’s as if she could read words in Alex’s pupils.

Alex almost thought she was assuming something until she caught the microaction of Casey’s eyes darting to her lips, before glancing up a fraction of a second later with a hint of shyness in her expression- something Alex had never seen, but certainly wasn't complaining about- and Alex was more than happy to indulge her, seeing as how Casey had spent the last hour trying to ensure Alex could ease some of the rigidness from her soul.

She left the hand Casey had touched on her collar, but brought her other hand up to cradle the back of the redhead’s skull, closing the small gap between their faces, and pressing her lips gently against the other woman’s.

Casey let out a small, whimpered sound, and Alex tried to let her go, only to be tugged back with ferocious intensity.

The younger woman pushed her into a more structured sitting position, one leg swinging over Alex’s lap to straddle her hips, Casey’s hands cupping the sides of Alex’s neck, one thumb on her jaw. Her lips were so soft, but so exhilarating, Alex felt as though she could melt, Casey pulling them apart every couple seconds just to come back closer a second later. Due to the nature of their position, Alex had to crane her neck to angle her face up at her, the column of her throat exposed, and Casey was clearly thrilled, her hands exploring her jaw and below it, soft touches that felt rather greedy.

Alex was finally able to take what she had been fantasizing about- when Casey pulled them apart for a second, panting for breath much harsher than she ever had while exercising, she untangled her hand from the auburn locks she had grasped and ran her hand instead down Casey’s shoulder blade, reveling in the feeling of the soft muscles and the small noise Casey made when she did so, catching the woman’s mouth once more to swallow the sounds she made as her hands both moved to smooth over Casey’s biceps, her triceps, her forearms, and then back up again.

“Alex,” Casey breathed into her mouth, before Alex shifted, pressing her back into her lips, to which Casey had no protest. The copper-headed woman’s hands stopped so much exploring as they did holding for support, and Alex mused to herself- the first coherent thought to break through the haze of bliss she had found herself in- that Casey must have thought she’d be the one to have the other squirming. The thought amused her, and only compelled her to continue feeling her up.

“Alex-,” Casey was whining now, Alex’s hand slipping behind her lithe figure to her shoulder blades again, running her fingers down savoringly before turning her attention to her ribs, using her thumbs to brush against her breast only slightly before moving down her to waist, utterly enraptured.

Alex bucked her hips, startling Casey as the blonde pushed her off entirely, and then kept pushing, rolling them over until Casey was flat on her back, and Alex was over her, her knees buried hard into the dirt to keep her above in a way that would've made her quite upset at the grass stains they’d be sporting later had she not been so enchanted by the feeling of Casey moving, Casey’s muscles bunching and twitching as she moved against her.

“Oh,” Casey gasped, and Alex paused, raising her hands to either side of Casey’s head so she could smile down at the woman whose cheeks were so red they almost matched her hair.

Her blonde hair fell to frame Casey’s face, who breathlessly tried to push it out of the way so she could see the triumphant gleam in Alex’s eyes, and then Casey propped herself up on her elbows to land a soft kiss on Alex’s grinning lips.

The normally overtly composed woman broke into a giddy laugh, sitting up, before rolling to the side so she could lay next to Casey in the dark grass. Casey snorted lightly at the sound of it, rolling to the side so she could study Alex’s gorgeous side profile as the woman looked up to the dark night sky above them.

“I guess this solves the issue of us going to separate apartments with only one car,” Casey breathed, and that just made Alex laugh harder, lulling her head to the side to meet Casey’s eyes and see her quiet smile.

All of Alex’s strings had been cut. Right now, she felt anything but stiff. Anything but rigid.

[shiningmystic]

Motivation for you (Timeless PAC)

Close your eyes and use your visualization skills; imagine 3 blank photos with the same golden frame. Whichever glows brighter or comes closer to your chest then that will be the one for you. It may visually be different in your mind on how it presents itself whatever feels correct follow that, you are your compass. May this reading find the ones who need this message.

All messages are from your highest self, spirit guides, or spirit/the universe who only want/s to see helpful growth for whatever you have the potential to become/desire to become.

Ko-fi

.·:*¨¨* ≈☆≈ *¨¨*:·..·:*¨¨* ≈☆≈ *¨¨*:·.

Here are the piles:

.·:*¨¨* ≈☆≈ *¨¨*:·..·:*¨¨* ≈☆≈ *¨¨*:·.

Pile 1 🕊

The cards: crown chakra (crown center), 6 of cups, 2 of cups

Symbols of confirmation: Moths, love, swans and ducks (ugly duckling)

The mind is a powerful weapon and it can be a double edged sword. We get distracted and punish ourselves but we also triumph and overcome. I see you are reminiscing about times of love that have passed, let these memories fuel you or hold you back. Sometimes it all ends with a choice, make a choice instead of reaching for something that is gone. You have grown to radiate understanding and love; you are much more beyond then what you judge yourself to be. You attract kindness and opportunities that will make you shine because you do. You radiate light; Let your mind run free and create what may have been dormant for to long. I feel your energy to be a flower blooming so follow your bloom.

.·:*¨¨* ≈☆≈ *¨¨*:·..·:*¨¨* ≈☆≈ *¨¨*:·.

Pile 2 🐞

The cards: The devil, 6 of wands, the hanged man, death

Symbols of confirmation: Dragonfly, bugs, wings, trampoline, trumpets, keys

Oh wow, you guys are really going through it but you’re gonna win. Don’t hold back! I feel your guides are riding this wave with you. Powerful energy, you guys are giving up on addictive unhelpful habits. This could range from drugs to coffee, like seriously anything can be addictive and hard to let go. It could even be a role you have been playing for to long and your breaking free; fantastic! I’m really feeling this energy guys, it’s a sacrifice you’re making for something good and you are transforming into what you choose to become. Even if your resisting this change (which most are not) you should be proud of how far you have come and accomplished even if it hasn’t been smooth ride. I’m honestly honored to channel this message to you. Keep rising to your highest potential and good luck, your guides are cheering for your next victory.

.·:*¨¨* ≈☆≈ *¨¨*:·..·:*¨¨* ≈☆≈ *¨¨*:·.

Pile 3 👁️

The cards: 3 of pentacles, 3 of swords, base chakra (base energy center), 7 of cups, 7 of swords

Symbols of confirmation: Eyes, people, choices, reds and blues, masks

You could have chosen deception, manipulation and gone back to your old ways with yourself but you didn’t. You learned and stuck it out even from betrayal. You have been insecure and unappreciated a lot throughout your existence and you know what? You have the right to be angry at the people who have hurt you, the hand you were dealt and how you could continue the cycle of pain; but you didn’t choose that path. You have chosen one of renewal and moving on. Maybe not moving on completely but enough to change, to move in a different direction that is you. Have pride in that, maybe pride is a bad thing for some but sometimes we deserve recognition and you have earned it. True strength comes from within, you have endured deep sorrow, know that you are recognized and heard, stay true and you will be alright.

.·:*¨¨* ≈☆≈ *¨¨*:·..·:*¨¨* ≈☆≈ *¨¨*:·.

Tarot Cards used: The Psychic Tarot Oracle deck by John Holland

[insomniacirl]

Chip has moved in the shadows his entire life almost, he only stood out when he wanted to- when he knew he needed to.

Because he's a thief first and foremost, a bastard, with silent footsteps and the ability to dodge impossibly- to avoid and sneak past at every turn.

But when Jay and Gillion entered the scene, that changed.

When he looks at them he must admit he shines a little brighter, grins a little wider, stands a little taller- but it's not just that... Jay and Gillion are the sun and the moon, and when they turn to look at him, no matter how he tries to hide, to blend in to his surroundings, they always find him. Left, right and centre.

And it makes him feel vulnerable. But it makes him feel seen.

It's a terrifying feeling, having those eyes pierce through him and skewer him right through the middle. The one defense measure he's used his whole life, the thing that's kept him alive all this time- stolen away from him in the blink of an eye, in the turn of a head and the shine of a smile.

Yes, it feels a little bit like dying- but doesn't it also feel a little like love?

For the first time since he was taken on board and given a family, a sister; all of who were torn away from him, he is being looked at like a living, breathing, feeling thing.

Like running out onto the sunlit deck with not a fear in the world, like watching moonlight glimmer on the ocean and hoping to one day swim down there and feel it, like defeating his sister in their play battle and reigning victorious, King of the overseas, King of it all.

That feeling is distant to him now, hidden from the sun for so many years, staying far away from the chill of moonlit waters. All this time, it's felt unfair to him to know that he is alive when they are not. So he avoids sensation, avoids the gold and silver the world offers him freely.

Until he finds the gold of a girl he can't help but run with, the silver of a boy who's hand is cool in his, as he helps him breach the surface of the swaying ocean.

Jay drags him out onto the sunny deck to spar, to dance, to laugh and navigate their course together.

Gillion grabs his hand and pulls him down into the cold midnight waters, pulling him through glimmering waves and showing him even more beautiful things he's never seen underneath it all.

Sometimes he wonders, when he sees Gillion pray or Jay drift, when their eyes begin to glow and magic seems to spill from their lips, seeping out of the corners of their mouth, if their goddesses ever missed him- if they ever noticed his absence, or more prominently, his return.

[bl3pwastaken]

Trafalgar D Water Law X reader End

It's the home stretch baabbyy let's fuckin goooo. Couldn't sleep last night again so I figured I'd go ahead and finish this chapter and get it posted. Prepare for angsty fluff

TW and CW: Hanahaki disease, Angst, Hurt/comfort, mentions of blood, Eustass Kidd typical language, miscommunication, Kidd maliciously complying at Law's expense to the chagrin and humor of everyone but him

Part 1, Part 2

A Dive Through Crystal Waters

Humid and hellishly fucking muggy. Those words were the perfect descriptors for how the air made everyone’s clothing stick uncomfortably to their skin. The harnesses donned by now both the Kidd and Heart pirates doing very little to help alleviate the growing swelter of heat. Kidd made a point he’d only agree to follow through unless Law and his crew also wore the very same leather and metal as his crew if and he quotes,” You shits wanna stay safe” were the words Eustass said if Law’s memory served him correctly.  He remembers how the most devious of shit eating grins painted it’s way on the bastard’s face as he said it, his arms obnoxiously crossed in cocky confidence and malicious mischief. It seemed like Trafalgar wasn’t the only one with plans, and he was right in his assumption. Upon putting the blasted thing on aboard the top deck of the Polar Tang, Kidd had the great idea to make use of his devil fruit, a weird buzzing sensation coming from the large metal ring on Law’s chest suddenly yanking him forward, face slamming smack into the wooden boards of the top deck floor. 

It took Shachi, Penguin Bepo and his beautiful sweet girlfriend piling on top of him to not try and kill Kidd on the spot, who victoriously cackled with satisfaction at his “totally harmless joke” and “Oh lighten the fuck up lover boy”. The asshole leaned over the railing of The Victoria Punk, fist hitting the side railing in his fit of devilish giggling. 

As far as (Y/n) knew, the two band of misfit pirates were heading to some island and they needed her skills and knowledge as a botanist to steer everyone clear of any greenery related danger, while they were to make their way to the heart of the island to procure something found near the mythrill deposits that Kidd seemed to be concerningly jazzed about. Which honestly was fine and dandy by her, but what really made her wonder was why Law would willingly get dragged into this, and what he wanted out of this little exploration of a highly perilous island, with how paranoid he could be about the health and well being of his crew. She knew him at least well enough to know by nowadays standards for a fact that part of Law hadn’t changed and was very much alive and well, especially to put up with this for no reason and helping Kidd for funsies. 

The island coming into view really sank in just how far in deep shit it would probably be to even set foot on it let alone just sail and anchor down off shore. Clouds violently swirled in the sky in randomly scattered areas, spots either covered in dark treacherous stormy ridden clouds, other speckled spots only sporting quaint fluffy cotton like clouds with light gracefully shining down to the thickets of woods and forest below. There were strangely scattered cliffs and mountain ranges, a strange dip further inland that was just out of sight, hidden behind trees from view.

The first few sandy steps on the shore bank, a bone chilling shrill echoed about, the sound seeming like it came from something very big, and very angry is what greeted them. Sounds of something akin to breaking shattering glass and crystal sang in resonance in the distance. A mix of determined and intimidated faces mixed around the crow of pirates, Law, Kidd and a select few the only ones seemingly unaffected. 

“Listen up! Trafalgar over here has the coords of why we’re all here in this hellhole. You follow my damn orders if you want to live. The animals here are apparently a bit hungry, so give ‘em hell if any of them decide they’re itchin’ for a fight, and follow what the botanist has to say. According to dipshit here there are plenty of daisies and pansies ready to eat you up just as quick. To keep it short and sweet don’t be dumbasses and let’s kick some ass, level whatever gets in our way to the ground!” Eustass Captain Kidd’s booming voice rang over the crowd, and was met with a just as loud,”Yes boss!” from the Kid Pirates and that’s all it took for the rowdy bunch to be on the ready for the trek ahead. Everyone of the Heart Pirates aside from (Y/n) having already been clued in on the details of what to expect, the only instructions she was given were to point out plant related harm, and if needed use what flora was around to hopefully counteract any unsavory effects they had.

                      ↞      ↞     ↞    ⇚   ⇜  ↭  ⇝   ⇛    ↠     ↠      ↠

Night had swallowed them whole, everyone drenched in a gross mix of the random rainfall and sweat. It had been eerily quiet for the past few hours only having run into a handful of mishaps. The first being a rather small and adorable white bunny, that upon trying to devour Wire’s leg, its little beady red eyes hateful and starved, that mayhaps it wasn’t so very adorable afterall. The second, being a small pack of strange looking quadrupedal animals looking somewhere in between feline and canine with scaled legs and dribble that burned and sizzled on contact with the dirt below, now in an unconscious half dead pile some miles back. The next being a small slew of large plants either latching onto or snapping at and attempting to swallow Penguin and Shachi. The last attempt being made at Kidd when he defied the small woman’s warning to watch his step around a particularly feisty giant species of Venus Flytraps. The botanist, already feeling particularly worn out from her mysterious and in her opinion ironic illness, flowers killing a botanist from the inside out and all, was even more mentally drained with her new task of keeping the Kidd pirates(and Penguin and Shachi unfortunately) alive and listening to her directions and advice. 

Ferns crunched under foot, the occasional snap a twig joining in on the symphony of the crisp crinkling, were all that were heard in the dense wood. Something definitely wasn’t right. The annoying yell of bugs, the squawking of birds, and even the assault of plants had all come to a stop. The only sign of movement and sentient life being everyone present. Then there it was. A loud popping noise. First one then, many, many more all at once.

“Those are trees falling. That’s too many to be a coincidence.” Her nervous frantic eyes  searched the crowd, looking for her boyfriend and Captain. Finding him looking in the direction of the sounds, somewhere off to the northwest, he grabbed hold of Kikoku, and now a new buzzing sensation coming from the metal ring of her harness, she felt frozen in place. It was mere seconds after she felt it. It being not far off from a musky scented strong gale of wind from the trees behind, the popping sounds of creaking trees knocked over rumbled the ground she stood on. Turning around felt like a mistake, really wishing she hadn’t, she was met face to face with the crouched face of what looked like a fur covered wyvern, blizzard like chilly clouds of its breathe huffed out of the slits on it’s snout, white fur standing on end, proudly stating it’s threatening presence. 

A rumbling chitter shook through the beast, and right down (Y/n)’s spine. With a turn as quick as she could muster, she made a mad dash for the one place she would hope to be her safety by Law’s side, screaming his name desperately. Only to be shattered as he himself dashed right past her, the buzzing of the O-ringed harness throwing her body into the rough hold of Eustass. In the middle of the battle cries, and screeching growls from the monstrous animal, she felt the all too familiar pain in her chest again. This wasn’t how this was supposed to go. Law was supposed to have her, not Kidd. He wasn’t supposed to rush past her, that was supposed to be literally anyone else but him. The pain scorched her chest, her organs on their way to snapping apart like twigs, to break apart and make way for the blossoming garden of feeling useless, unloved, ignored, and lonely. Coughing shook her body in the firm tight hold of the rival captain, blood pouring from her plush lips and nose like plague filled water, full blooms of Jasmines delicately pouring just as steady onto her and onto the chest of Kidd. For once, Eustass Kidd stood in horror as the small frail woman in his arms spittled blood and flowers of all things onto them both. Struggling with deciding whether to gape at you, or gape at Law, dropping her onto someone else to kill this shithead of a monster, creature whatever the fuck to get Law over here and solve this, or literally anything at all.  

“Trafalgar, this is serious!” tattooed hands gripped Kikoku with skilled ease and strength, the blade holding firm in it’s place against a clawed icy foot. “I’m a little busy right now, can’t your shit wait!?” Too busy to turn around to see what he was causing a commotion about.

“Wait if you want, but (Y/n)’s kinda fuckin’ dying in my arms right now!” It all was so loud. The ground was shaking so much, and to the botanist it was almost like the vibrations were lulling her to sleep. She felt a rough shove into something warm, providing her further a sick comfort, the blood, water and sweat of her shirt having done nothing but freeze her down to her very soul. Her body was shivering from blood loss. The yells, and screams ebbed and faded. One stuck out though. One familiar voice whispering about her head, the only thing keeping her present. One that made the pain worse, more agonizing. Familiar arms cradling her weak dying body closer.

“Fuck don’t die on me now. Not when I’m so close- when we’re so close. I refuse to have the woman I love more than anything else in this fucked world die.” Jasmines spewed from her lips, something wet and warm pebbled on her face, eyes too weak to open and look at the source, barely able to register a whimpering voice. “I love you so much, please don’t leave me here.” This was Law’s voice. A scream barreled from (Y/n) as her body expelled whatever it could of the flowers from her quaking form, roots and vines tearing from organ tissue. Horrific was what this was for Law to see. Less and less blood, but more and more roots, leaves, flowers and vines were spewing from the love of his life’s mouth. He recognized this instantly as Hanahaki. 

He realized many things in that moment, time feeling like it had slowed. Gone was the wrathful aggressive blaring of Kidd and they’re crews' battle cries. Gone was the shrill of the beast. Gone was everything in the world, but the both of them. Caught up in his workaholic nature, he had neglected his relationship, he neglected his best friend, he neglected her. He was the one that brought this on them, on her, and all because he said nothing to her. His decision to keep her in the dark, and then spending less and less time with her, listening to her less in favor of searching for clues left her love feeling unrequited. He realized there as the beast fell and shook the ground, surrounded by the sound of victory cheers that it took more than the label of a relationship and just feeling love wasn’t enough. He had shown everyone, but her his love for her, and gave her few words as supplementation for his lack of action if any at all. 

“I love you so fucking much, please don’t go. I’m so sorry.” 

Then gentle and warm dark encapsulated her mind.

                      ↞      ↞     ↞    ⇚   ⇜  ↭  ⇝   ⇛    ↠     ↠      ↠

She could feel the bob and sway of her body move. She was warm, so very warm and it felt like home. Her arms and legs hugging into it, her face nuzzling into the back of something equally warm, something tickling her nose. Going to rub at the top of her head to ease the pounding headache ravaging her skull, instead of her fingers touching her hair, they ran across soft fluffy fabric and down onto the brim of the hat on her head. Prying loopy eyelids open, she saw black curls, and a rather familiar hood. The voices of the Kidd Pirates close but distant echoed in across rocky walls and ceiling, stalactites and stalagmites bouncing the sound around and further into what she now saw was a cave. Beautiful almost crystalline metal ore glowed in the sea of mythrill. Law gently jostled his hold on her thighs to ensure her place on his back. Carrying the Polar Tang’s botanist with as much care as he could, nerves shot as he made steady calculated steps forward. That’s when they both saw it. The silly little flower that started this whole mess. Law honestly disturbed at the sight of another flower, and (Y/n) in her giddiness could put the excitement of a child in a candy shop to shame.

She tried her best to make a move to get down from where she was perched on the back of her lover, wanting to rush over and examine the Holy-Light Peony, it’s petals giving off the faintest of blue and golden hued glow. Law on the other hand only was having none of that, tightened his grip, even going as far as further leaning forward using the weakened state of her body to keep in her place.

“You lost a lot of blood out there Sicky. There’s no way in hell I can let you walk on your own until you recover.” His voice was horse and rough like gravel, showcasing against his will how much he strained it.

“But-”

“Doctor’s and Captain’s orders.” Well that was that she supposed. A small pout on finding it’s way on her features, until it faded to something more sad and gentle.

“Hey dummy.”

“Hmm?”

“I forgive you.” The last few steps were quiet, a sense of strange calm overcoming the young couple as they were nearing the gentle glow of the lone peony. With a crouch to the ground and awkward maneuvering, Law managed to place (Y/n) down right front and center, pulling a small bag from his hoodie to place next to her filled with a few of her supplies. She made to look at him from her spot on the crystal like floor, eyes meeting and baring a question for him.

“How did you-” It was her own turn to cut herself short this time around. The realization hit her like a truck, or even as far as getting body slammed by a sea-king. This was what he was doing this whole time. This was why. The deflated grief filled smile being all the answer she really needed. She understood. “Thank you Law.” Dropping to his knees beside her as he did his best to help however he could, listening intently on whatever directions were thrown his way.  For what felt like the first time in forever they were truly present with one another, and it felt patient, gentle, warm and kind.

“Of course love.” The moment was warm indeed.

Tagged as promised<3:

@metonimia-de-bellota @true-king-of-rats

[enmi-land]

୨ ❪ THE FAMiLY ALBUM ❫ ୧

💭 LEARN ABOUT THE FUTURE EN- FAMiLY ! POLY!OT⑧ 𓈃 headcanons. (˶ˆᗜˆ˵)CONTAiNS. mentions of pregnancy & birth, minor suggestive content. ꒰ FOREWORD ✦ This takes place further into the future, but it is not specified when.

🪽 ୨୧ 𝓂𝖾𝖾𝗍 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖾𝗇-𝖻𝖺𝖻𝗂𝖾𝗌 . . . in age order; “age gap” indicates age at which next sibling was born.

୨୧ JUNSOO JASON PARK

GENDER: Male FATHER: Jay HANGUL: 박준수 (제이슨) MEANING:  · Jason,  “healer” · Junsoo, “talented”/“universe” AGE GAP: 3yrs

୨୧ KIM BITNA

GENDER: Female FATHER: Sunoo HANGUL: 김빛나 MEANING: “to shine” AGE GAP: 2yrs

୨୧ LEO RAEWOO SIM

GENDER: Male FATHER: Jake HANGUL: 심래우 (레오) MEANING: · Leo, “lion” · Raewoo, “future”/“allow” AGE GAP: 10mths

୨୧ PARK MINKYUNG

GENDER: Male FATHER: Sunghoon HANGUL: 박민경 MEANING: “jade”/“luminous” AGE GAP: 1yr

୨୧ NISHIMURA HARUTO

GENDER: Male FATHER: Riki KANJI: 西村陽翔  MEANING: “sun”/“soar” AGE GAP: 2yrs

୨୧ YANG INHYE

GENDER: Female FATHER: Jungwon HANGUL: 양인혜 MEANING: “kindness”/“gracious” AGE GAP: 1yr

୨୧ LEE SEUNGHYUN

GENDER: Male FATHER: Heeseung HANGUL: 이승현 MEANING: “victory”/“virtuous” AGE GAP: 5mins (Twins)

୨୧ LEE SEUNGJAE

GENDER: Male FATHER: Heeseung HANGUL: 이승재 MEANING: “victory”/“talent”

🪽 ୨୧ 𝑔𝖾𝗍 𝗍𝗈 𝗄𝗇𝗈𝗐 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖾𝗇-𝖿𝖺𝗆𝗂𝗅𝗒 . . . and how they got here; headcanons about the future family.

The 02z each wanted to have the oldest kid, and the other members already agreed to let them—it was just a matter of who. Needless to say, Jay was the happiest man alive when he realised Mila was pregnant with his son. But of course, everyone agreed to treat each other’s children as if they were their own—or at the very least, as equally as they possibly can. And seeing as Jason would be the first, that meant it was all hands on deck trying to figure out this whole “parenthood” ordeal.

Mila was constantly being coddled and treated like a porcelain doll by her husbands, she would roll her eye at them. But she of course appreciated the effort, and it was cute to see them fussing over both her and baby Jason. Jay had downloaded an app to track the baby’s growth and would excitedly tell Mila whenever baby Jason (who was nicknamed gummy at this stage, because of Mila’s cravings for gummy worms) grew just a little bit bigger in her womb.

After Jason was born, Mila had been fiercely protective of him, and didn’t want to let him go, not wanting to miss a single second of being with her newborn baby boy. Jay had to coax her to let the nurses take him from her so she could get some well-deserved rest. The others were worried sick since it was the first pregnancy and birth, but knew the work would only get tougher from now.

The next pregnancy had supposed to be one of the 02z, remembering that the group unanimously agreed they could have the oldest children. And after a few years of getting used to parenting, Mila was finally easy for the next baby. Except, it didn’t end up being one of the 02z—it was Sunoo’s baby instead. To this, the explanation is quite simple: Mila had been feeling insecure about all the changes her body had been through since giving birth to Jason, and Sunoo wanted to reassure her. One thing led to another, and well… you get the picture.

To say they were betrayed would be an understatement. But as soon as they heard Mila was having a girl, all of it faded away in an instant. Of course they had been excited for Jason’s birth, as the eldest, but there was something about having a little girl that made all of them melt. Sunghoon, especially, who had been wanting a daughter as well. (Well, until Mila mentioned he would have to let her go when she’s old enough to get married, and decided that, yeah, a son would do just fine.)

After Bitna was born, it took a while for Mila to adjust to having two kids to deal with, but Jason was getting old enough that he was starting to learn some responsibility himself. And just like his father, he became a guardian for his younger sister—as well as all his other siblings in the future. This, of course, only fuelled the baby fever even further, and Jakehoon were ready to get those children they were promised.

The funny thing about Jakehoon’s children is that they’re only 10 months apart—which wasn’t all that funny to Mila, when she realised she was pregnant with Minkyung only a month after giving birth to Leo. But while Sunghoon felt guilty, he was also really excited because he knew his boy and Jake’s would be the best of friends, just like their fathers. And, well, Mila might have found it so cute she forgot she was unimpressed by their competitiveness to se who would have the oldest kid between the two of them. (Sunghoon also gets brownie points for the sheer fact that, unlike Jake, he didn’t collapse in the delivery room, and because he named his son for her Chinese name: “bright jade.”)

Haruto was a bit of a tricky one to give birth to, because there were some complications during his birth. And considering this wasn’t Mila’s first pregnancy, it definitely took her husbands off guard. He was born a month earlier than he was supposed to, meaning that no one was prepared, and a such no one had been there for the delivery. Thankfully, the mother-in-laws pulled through to take care of the other kids while baby Haruto and Mila were recovering and the boys were scrambling to get to the hospital from wherever they were at the time.

This situation made the boys a bit scared and they became very clingy towards Mila for a while afterwards. They also become very careful around baby Haruto, and Mila spent a lot of time with him, earning some jealousy from the other children. But fortunately their kids are as sweet as they are, and understood that their baby brother needed extra attention and care because of health reasons, leading to the babies being extra protective of their mama and Haruto as a result. Thankfully, Haruto grows up to be a cheerful child just like his mother.

Inhye has a more forgiving birth, which was welcomed very gratefully by her parents—as well as for the fact she was the only other girl thus far. She, like Bitna, receives the full princess treatment from her father, and this time around from her olde brothers as well, who have become protective of both Inhye and Bitna under their father’s influence. She, like her older sister, is a daddy’s girl for sure, which is dangerous considering her mother’s sense of mischief and irresistible puppy dog eyes.

At this point, Mila had never been expecting to have twins—most of all during her very last pregnancy, of all things. So of course that’s exactly what happens. The moment Heeseung finds out he’s going to be the father of two children, his mind is blown, but none more than Mila herself. The twin boys are a challenge to birth, naturally, and Mila takes some time to recover, but when she does, the whole family gets to witness the wonder of having two identical babies to care for. The others have managed to get them confused on more than one occasion, but Mila and Heeseung are proud to say they can tell them apart with their eyes closed.

The two, as the babies of the family, are welcome by all their siblings and parents. And with their birth, marks the official beginning of the completed EN-Family. It’s definitely not easy to manage so many children, but like all things they’ve overcome, Mila and her husbands find a way to make it work.

© ENMI-LAND, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. DO NOT COPY, TRANSLATE, REPOST.

[lullabyalikpoptarot]

BTS Ideal Type Reading

I was pulled to this one, as these guys have a bit more experience in the love department, than our 4th gen groups, so I was curious to see what they get for this.

Jin (The Star/Victory) Umm, does he want to date a celebrity!? He never gave me that vibe lol But these cards give me that. He would want someone successful, that knows their worth and their potential, a shining star in their own right. He wants someone confident, a believer. Someone who believes in themselves and makes things happen. Maybe he won't want a celebrity, just someone who is able to build their own success, by their own terms. Who would want someone who is optimistic and hopeful, which makes sense since he is like that as well, so someone a bit similar to his mindset. Wonder what he would get as a boyfriend whenever I feel like getting to that.

Suga (Queen of Wands/Deceit) Umm, what is this, why did I feel the deceit card would pop up eventually for someone. I did also see the knight of wands popping up too. He wants someone fiesty and passionate, someone fun, with a lot of energy. Seriously Yoongi, why is deceit an ideal type? He likes someone with a bit of an edge. I am getting that it is more about the image of the card, than the word on it, the person seems a bit battered, a little hardened. I am seeing all the red, so definitely someone passionate with a lot of fire, they run on that, so he may be more into people with strong fire placements. I think he would want someone flawed. Oh man, this is so Pisces energy here

RM (The Tower/Door to Personal Healing and Happiness) It seems he may want someone who is willing to change things, or shake things up to find happiness, to restructure their whole set system, maybe to break traditions or the status quo in a sense. He wouldn't want someone to stay stuck in a system they don't like and does nothing to change it. The way to happiness is to create changes. This is kind of specific, so not sure this had to with a relationship in the past or now, but not much else here.

Jhope (King of Swords/Storm Warning) Okay, umm this seems more about him, than an ideal type, like he is the KOS's, he is an Aquarius. This is giving me, I don't want to step into that sh**. He knows the mess he can get into. It is like he is clear of mind and thought. In relationships he may be in a fog, or things just aren't as clear. It is like he is looking away from that mess. You see how I have the cards is the man in the deck is looking away from the storm, he wants no part of it. So, he doesn't have an ideal type. He may not want to be in a relationship at all right now. I just keep getting mess and messy. It is like he knows his mind is clear and sharp when he is not involved in that, strong Aquarius energy showing up here.

V (King of Pentacles/Fourth Chakra Archangel Raphael) Lol, what this is giving me. He also has no ideal type, this is his energy, this gives me, I am focusing on my coin and my money, and I love myself too much to focus on a relationship. That KOP's is him. He is focused on building his career, working on his goals. The fourth Chakra Archangel Raphael is about self-love and acceptance, so it gives me he is fine alone. But the fourth chakra is about love and compassion, it could indicate he is in a place to receive love, but with that KOP's energy, it seems he is focused on the bag. He is a Cap, so it makes sense. It is like he rather focus on himself first, before receiving love, or it isn't a high priority for him at the moment.

Jimin (4 of Pentacles/Cornucopia) He wants someone who preserves themselves and has self-respect, don't understand how that came to me from these cards, but okay. He wants someone who values themselves and knows their worth. He wants someone who is able to count their blessing, someone abundant. I wouldn't say abundant as in rich, but maybe within. They just see the good in things and life and count their blessings for any little thing. He would want someone more reserved and traditional as well. He wouldn't want someone who wants loads of money, like they would be happy with what they have. And they protect what is their's.

Jungkook (The Lovers/ Caring Connections) Lol this boy, he is such a romantic, straight up. He wants the love, the heat, the intensity, it all. He wants a strong bond. Like you got two cards with couples on it, but I can see he wants both the passion and the heat, the pleasure, yup saying it, but he also wants the love, emotions and tenderness, so he would be very loving and passionate, this is not his boyfriend reading, but it popped up, so going with it. He doesn't have a specific ideal type to be honest, just someone who can bring this to him. I don't know, kind of seems healthy to me, but we'll see if anything pops up when I do his boyfriend reading, because I can see a hint of attachment, clingy issues here. But that is an opinion.

Okay, interesting messages coming through. This isn't as messy as the other groups I did, which makes sense, since they are older and more evolved.

[brittle-doughie]

I hope you like my Y/N Grand Prix idea. It will really cool to see cookies race.

Oh, I’ve seen that. It sounds like an event that CROB would do, maybe one of the usual obsessive squabbles of the cookies had decided that they should settle their differences through a Grand Prix to see who will win and claim the reward of spending the week at your cookie kingdom palace.

Obviously, cookies with any sort of driving vehicle would enter the competition.

Shining Glitter and her decked out car was the first to come to mind! She could use the week away from all the fame to just take it easy with you.

Roll Cake Cookie is coming in with his road roller to squash the competition all the way to victory!

Kiwi Cookie has got his driver’s license renewed and he’s ready to go! Just needs to fuel his bike a bit!

Everyone else was baffled as to why Croissant Cookie is entering despite having an aerial vehicle. You…made an exception for “your bestest friend in the whole wide world”, Croissant’s words. BUT you did remind her to play fair and not just fly across the track.

Pizza and a week with no worries alongside you? Now THAT sounds like a deal to take off work for the day for Pizza Cookie.

She has her vehicle, but she’s separated from it in her sprites unlike Glitter.

If you think her staff did all the driving for her, you’re sorely mistaken with Shine Muscat Cookie. She’s perfectly willing to pedal to the metal if it meant a week with you!

What a collection of contestants. May the best cookie win!

[lyculuscaelus]

Hold Him

(Inspired by this ask of my moot @jarondont; changed a little something though; an AU partially based on Epic and partially on the Odyssey)

Telemachus was just making sure the ship was fully docked when the sound of breaching came.

Slashes of metal bit through the hull as his comrades cried out in terror—fear seized them all. Telemachus quickly issued the order to take arms, while he himself picked up a spear and a handy shield, fearful uncertainty brewing in his eyes. His young companions did the same—Ctesilaus, Amphidamas, Polyalus…all twenty of his childhood friends. But they did not have the time to put on the armor when the dreadful war-cries burst out, catching all of them off guard.

“Get ready, everyone,” Telemachus warned. “Here they come.”

Twenty well-armed warriors stormed into the hollow ship, charging on board. Javelins flew across the distance, hitting the shields and decks, chewing into bands of their shields with fierce force. Ctesilaus yelled out in pain as a spear found its way to his human heart, spilling out dark blood and agony. Amphidamas blocked a blow in time and returned with a thrust of his spear, ending his opponent’s life in an instant. Telemachus raced to the crowd of fighters, his spear never relented in striking. He managed to take down five warriors before the spear in his palm was knocked off by a heavy blow, while another clash of shields sent him flying to the edge of the deck, dropping his shield in the process. Pain swarmed up in his spine as he landed heavily.

Ouch.

Where was the strength of the son of Odysseus?

It’s just like the last time. Or all the times before that. I never really stand a chance in any fight, and maybe never will.

Telemachus struggled to get up again. Before his blurry vision, warriors continued to falter. People continued to fall.

People that he called friends. People whose survival relied solely on him—

The son of Odysseus, the leader of men.

And he could only watch them fall.

Ctesilaus was lying on deck, his breath already left him; Amphidamas was no longer wielding the spear in his hand, for it had already loosen its strength; Polyalus was still holding on, protecting the injured Anticlus, as those dreadful warriors continued to press on, and press on, and…

And all Telemachus could hear, were the screams of the fallen. The screams of his friends.

They were dying, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

How did I allow this to happen?

“Odysseïdes…”

Eurylaus let out his one last moan and crumbled.

I failed them. I failed them all. In the end, I was too incompetent. They should never have placed their trust in me in the first place.

“They’re too many—”

A slashing sword found Polymedes on the neck as the rest of his body fell to the deck, his sword rolling out from the palm of his motionless right hand, finding its solace.

I am not a good leader. They are dying because of me.

“My prince…”

Telemachus found Theodices holding the right side of his stomach, the chiton was already drenched in red. But it was a smile that came to Theodices’s lips. A smile that was trying to take away the prince’s sorrow. A smile that was blaming him of nothing, yet everything.

In the end, I was too inexperienced, too incapable, too weak.

“Goodbye…it’s an honor to serve you.”

And then Theodices, the last remained, crumbled silently. Behind his fallen body, a group of twelve warriors were standing still. The smirk on their faces was proudly claiming their victory.

It was then did Telemachus recover from shock, realizing his plan to flee—

—And run into a taller figure. His helmet spoke of nothing but malice.

“Where do you think you’re going,” Telemachus heard him saying. But that voice…it can’t be… “Little wolf?”

All of a sudden, Telemachus felt his heart stopped.

So it’s him.

The figure removed his shining helmet, revealing the scarred face of a man Telemachus knew so well. A man Telemachus hated so much.

Antinous.

But does that mean…

Other warriors were doing the same now, he noticed. They were all taking off the helmets to show their faces: Eurymachus, Agrius, Eurynomus, Ormenius…so they have finally come to this. Murder and taking over. Telemachus clenched his fists, feeling so sick.

“What a fine day to take a trip, wouldn’t you agree?” Antinous continued as other suitors behind him were approaching. Telemachus tensed himself. But desperation was growing like a cancer inside. How could I possibly even fight them all…

“You mother must be worried sick.”

“That’s none of your concern,” Telemachus retorted. “Now just leave me alone—”

“Alone? Alone, did you say?” Antinous simply laughed. “But you are alone, little wolf. You are always alone. Nobody will care about you. Not your people, not your friends, not even your family—”

“This isn’t true,” Telemachus shook his head in protest.

“—You really think your mother cares about you?” ignoring Telemachus’s retort, Antinous continued. “What a joke. She must’ve known so well you’re just a failure trying to become your father, and always failing. She must’ve known so well you can never be king.”

Telemachus glared at this man in front of him—that smirk on his face never faded. This isn’t true. Don’t listen to what he says.

But he had to— “And where’s your father when you needed him?”

The world felt like spinning now.

Telemachus hissed, feeling his throat tighten. The sense of suffocation slowly swarmed up as Telemachus gasped heavily, trying to forge a response, trying to find an answer to Antinous’s taunt. But deep down, he already knew. Antinous was speaking the truth.

No one will come and help me now.

His eyes felt like burning.

In the end, it’s just me, myself, and I.

It’s just me against the suitors, against the tides…against everything. Gods, I am so alone.

“So you see? Nobody cares if you’re alive or dead, little wolf,” Antinous sneered, driving Telemachus’s thoughts back to reality. “So when you die, no one will shed a noble tear. Only silence will lament you.”

Maybe it’s time to accept reality now, Telemachus. There is no hope. There never will be.

Antinous was turning around, gesturing the rest of the suitors to move forward. Only one sentence could Telemachus make out—yet one sentence was more than enough—

“Hold him down,” Antinous ordered.

The suitors rushed to the prince, their weapons ablaze. His hands empty, Telemachus didn’t even bother to make any move. He was only watching silently as the suitors came, grasping his arms and shoulders, kicking his knees, forcing him to yield before this towering figure of Antinous right in front. Telemachus didn’t even bother to struggle.

For he had already accepted everything—his failures, his loneliness, his life…his fate. Fate of death. It was neither rage nor sorrow that was gripping him now. For the first time in his life, Telemachus felt relieved.

Relieved of this life he was struggling to suffer.

Just let the end come, swiftly, silently.

Antinous pulled out a dagger from his girdle, playing with it fluently in his palms. “Tell me, little wolf: do you prefer a quick death,” he was flipping the dagger when asking. “Or a fulfilling one?”

“Just…do what you want of me,” Telemachus spit out blankly. “I don’t care now.”

“Very good, then,” an ominous smile slowly crawled to Antinous’s lips. “Then perhaps I can spare you your throat.”

He kept his gaze at the dagger for a while before plunging it into Telemachus’s chest. Dark blood was streaming from his torso, turning the white chiton into a blossoming crimson. Agony enshrouded him as Telemachus cried out weakly, his voice already failing him.

He didn’t hear the sound of an arrow as he crumbled.

He didn’t see how Antinous fell, his hand still holding the shaft that pierced through the chestplate and the flesh inside.

He didn’t notice the arrival of another ship, as torrents of arrows sliced through the air, finding their aim at the suitors’ body, taking them down one by one, until no one was left standing.

Someone had stepped on board, rushing at the faltering Telemachus in haste. Telemachus felt the touch of human warmth holding his body as he struggled to open his eyes, finding the familiar face of a boy he once knew. It belonged to…

“Peisis, you came to me,” Telemachus muttered weakly. “You finally…came to me.”

“Yes…” the young prince of Pylos whispered, tears already forming in his eyes. “But I took too long. It’s my fault—”

“No, Peisis,” Telemachus smiled sadly. “No…don’t blame yourself. I…it…it doesn’t matter now.”

Peisistratus forced a smile, but tears were already dropping from his eyelids. “I’m sorry I can’t get to you in time,” he replied.

“But still…” Telemachus continued. “How…why did you come? I thought…I thought I’d asked you to stay.”

“And stay I did,” Peisistratus answered. “Until a friend came to me, asking me to bring a ship here.”

“Friend?”

“Your friend,” Peisistratus continued softly. “Maybe you know her better as, well, the bright-eyed goddess.”

“Athena?” Telemachus gasped. “But…how?”

“She said she didn’t make it in time either,” Peisistratus replied. “Someone delayed her for a while, and she had only recovered from her wounds just now…”

“Wounds?”

“It’s a long story—at least that’s what she said,” Peisistratus answered quickly.

Telemachus didn’t reply. His breath was already running short. Peisistratus only took up his right hand, and handed him something.

Telemachus opened his palm to find a golden necklace sitting inside. It was a beautiful gift, a chain of gold leaves all carved with the letter Τ—all on the left side of the chain. And then Peisistratus showed him another necklace, with the letter Π carved on every gold leaf on the right side. Telemachus mustered the strength to grin.

“They’re matching ones,” Peisistratus explained. “For our friendship.”

Telemachus nodded satisfyingly. “Thank you, Peisis.”

“And…you must have many things to say to your mother…and father too, I guess,” Peisistratus continued, changing the topic. “Do you want me to…”

“Yes—it’ll be great,” Telemachus coughed. “Just tell my mother, I love her, and, I’m sorry…”

“Wait, sorry?” Peisistratus couldn’t help but ask.

“Yeah…I’m sorry. I failed her, after all…”

“But you didn’t fail anyone,” Peisistratus replied quickly. “You have fought bravely, and no one should take that honor away from you.

“You truly are the son of Odysseus,” Peisistratus gave his shoulder a squeeze. “And I’m honored to have you as my friend, even just for such a short moment in my life. I’m glad to have known you, Telemachus.”

“Thanks…” Telemachus said. His sound was softer than a whisper now. “You too, Peisis…I’m honored, to have, known…

And then Telemachus let another smile play on his face. “Time to meet you, father…”

Peisistratus never forgot that day when Ithaca lost its prince, when he lost his best friend…when a father lost his son, missing the entire life of his son, all in twenty years of wandering.

It was hard to accept, Peisistratus admitted. Not even gods could plan things this cruel, to shatter a reunion with the pain of death. Fates had done this family unfair…

But then, there were times when he would hear whispers of a certain figure that would show up when people were planning or scheming, when they were working with their mind thinking quick. These reports of a certain figure that resembled the prince of Ithaca himself intrigued Peisistratus deeply. Maybe this was why he had never got to see his friend’s body for one last time, when the entire form of Telemachus had suddenly faded in front of his eyes.

For rumors had it that the figure was always accompanying the Ithacan king Odysseus—finally returned in the twentieth year, whenever he planned for stealth or plunder. There was no way for Peisistratus to confirm it, of course—until that very day, when he came across his friend once again, in the realm of quick thought; when he spoke with him once again, learning that neither his father nor he would be alone now—for in the domain of thoughts they would forever be together, as decreed by Athena, where they would be exchanging stories, talking of their past, planning for a future that only one would witness, the other behold.

Then Peisistratus knew it all: how Telemachus was brought to the domain of Quick Thought, for he was Athena’s friend; how he in his divine essence still missed his father, and thus became the patron of the mind of resourceful Odysseus. They’re holding fast to each other’s memory now, Peisistratus thought. Maybe it’s for the better. For after all, isn’t to fall, to learn one way?

And what a great way it is to have their reunion, at last.

[thedvilsinthedetails]

Rosekiller microfic suggestion 😊

Barty and Evan have always been very affectionate and touchy, lots of pet names etc and one day they find out a lot of hogwarts thinks they’re dating and they’re both like “are we dating? Damn I guess we are” and make out lmaooo

HELP IM REPLYING SO LATE TO ALL THESE PROMPTS BUT I FINALLY FOUND THE TJME AND MOTIVATION TO WRITE

sorry the ending is a bit rushed but yeah✨

•••

They were sat outside in the courtyard. Barty could feel the warm sun shining down on his face and Evan’s fingers softly running though his hair as he let a gentle sense of tranquility wash over him. He had his head resting in Evan’s lap, eyes screwed shut as Evan fiddled with his hair while they waited for Regulus and the girls to get back from Hogsmeade. 

He heard some students walk by and blinked his eyes opened confusedly as he heard their whispers and giggles. He frowned, lifting his head as he caught the end of what one of them was saying.

“Such couple goals.”

But then Evan had his hand pressed gently to Barty’s cheek, looking down at him as he murmured.

“Everything ok?”

“Yeah.” Barty nodded, deciding to ignore what he’d heard, those students could have been talking about anyone.

“Yeah everything’s good.”

Evan just grinned in response and Barty went back to resting his head on Evan’s thigh.

•••

Evan soared through the air, decked out in his quidditch gear as he and the Slytherin team flew a celebratory victory lap around the pitch, shooting a wink and a smirk at Barty who was already heading excitedly for the stairs to get down to the ground. Once he got there he sprinted for where Evan was standing, chatting excitedly to his teammates. He launched himself at Evan who caught him and then promptly tripped over, landing them both on the ground in a fit of laughter. Barty rolled over to face him with a grin.

“Well done Rosie!” 

Evan grinned back, face flushed with adrenaline.

“Thanks Bee.” 

He got up, brushing himself off and helping Barty to his feet too, wrapping an arm around his waist.

“You two are so cute.” 

Edgar Bones spoke, smiling as he passed them.

Evan turned to Barty and sent him a wink.

“Hear that? We’re practically the darlings of the year group” 

“Well of course we are, just look at us.”

Barty responded. Evan laughed slightly and Barty huffed questioningly.

“Sorry just- you have grass in your hair.”

Evan reached up a hand and picked out the grass that had gotten into Barty’s hair, then finally he ran a hand through, messing it up for good measure.

•••

“Students, as many of you may know, today marks the  muggle holiday of Valentines Day. Despite the excitement we would like you all to continue on like normal and save the celebrations for this weekends trip to Hogsmeade. Please be civilised and behave norma-“ 

That was when Barty got on the table. He held a bouquet of red roses in the air with a grin and announced loudly.

“Evan Rosier, my rose, light of my life, would you please be my Valentine?” 

He kneeled down, holding the bouquet out to Evan with a grin.

“Why of course.”

Evan took the bouquet and pressed a kiss to Barty’s cheek. As Barty stood up, he took a bow and the students actually began to clap. That was sort of surprising because usually his antics gained groans of annoyance from everyone around him. 

•••

The group was sat in a circle with the new addition of James Potter fiddling nervously with his wand next to Regulus. 

“So…it’s really nice to finally meet you guys. Reggie has told me a lot about you.” James cleared his throat awkwardly before he spoke.

Barty rolled his eyes before turning to Regulus.

“Reggie what happened to friendship solidarity? I’m single so you should be too, it’s not fair.”

“Single?” James asked confusedly.

“But I thought you and Evan were together.”

Barty turned to Evan and raised his eyebrows in surprise.

“Me and Evan? Please as if I could ever pull Rosie, why would you think that?” 

“Well you two are awfully cuddly.”

“Are you saying friends can’t cuddle one another James? Does that mean there’s something going on between you and Sirius? Don’t know how Reggie feels being cheated on with his own brother.”

James’ eyes widened as he struggled to find words.

“No- no I would never, I don’t- sorry I just thought because you- you know, you regularly call Evan ‘your rose’ and that a pretty couple-y nickname so.”

“Well yeah but-“

“Plus you made a massive show of asking him out on Valentine’s Day. Everyone’s convinced you guys started dating this year, that’s why they clapped. Everyone thought it was really romantic.” 

Pandora added with a little self satisfied nod at the end of her statement.

“Huh I guess we kind of are together.” 

Barty turned back to Evan and found that he had a blush dusting his face in a dark shade of red. 

“Rosie.” Barty turned to Evan, lifting a hand to cup his face. 

“Well we can’t disappoint the people, would you do the honours of being with me?” 

Evan glanced down at him through half lidded eyes before pressing a small chaste kiss to his lips, letting a small sound escape his throat as Barty deepened it. 

When they broke apart Barty couldn’t hold back a dopey grin as Evan spoke.

“Well I guess I could.” 

“Brilliant.” Barty jumped up quickly, pulling Evan up with him.

“Where are we going?” Evan asked.

“Well I owe you a date don’t I?” 

“What? Right now?” Evan suppressed a smile and quirked up an eyebrow.

“No time like the present. Oh and before I forget-“ Barty turned back quickly to the group.

“James Potter? Thank you very very much.”

“You’re uh- you’re very very welcome.”

James appeared to be sweating profusely now in confusion, face slightly fear stricken. Regulus would probably murder Barty later but that didn’t matter right now. Nothing mattered right now except the warm weight of the hand holding his and the boy attached to it.

“I still don’t like you though.”

And with that, Barty excitedly tugged Evan out of the common room.