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readingreylo · 3 years

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Valentine's Day Reylo Fic Recs

It has been a dark and cold winter and reading about these two idiots has been keeping me sane. Here are some romantic and Valentine themed fics to warm the cockles of your heart. No surprises here - these are all Modern AU ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Image by @m1ssjess

Romantic Fic's

Not necessarily Valentine's Day themed, but some *chef kiss* fics with super satisfying romance. Some are smutty, some are not.

(won’t you let me) walk you home from school by somethingdifferent | Explicit | 130k | complete | Modern AU | Teachers | Co-workers | Enemies-to-lovers | Hate-to-love | slow burn | fuck buddies | idiots in love | smut | Ben POV | Ben is an asshole. A former lawyer, turned high school councilor who works at the prestigious private school that he, himself, was expelled from. Rey is an adorable art teacher who is everything he despises and who does not take his shit. They clash to say the least. He hates her. Then he wants to fuck her. Then he falls in love with her. If he plays his cards right he might get everything he never knew he wanted. | Jessie's note: this might be the greatest enemies-to-lovers I have ever read! The prose is top notch, the characterization is fascinating, the slow transition from hate-to-attraction-to-love is so brilliantly done.

Happy Reading!

#reylo #reylo fic rec #reylo fandom #reylo fanfic #reylo fic #reylo fanfiction #ben x rey #i was going to add my favourite smutty fics too but this got huge and i am so tired #while making this list i re-read over half of these fics and boy do i still love them #i also kinda feel guilty for not adding my two cents to each one but i am so tired #did i mention i am tired?#i realize its still a week and a bit till Valentine's day #but we are already decorated at work and i freaking like the aesthetic #and i am a hopeless romantic

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exalok · 4 years

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whaddup my dudes!!!

i am tired and wired and this means brain no writey but brain VERY focused on absolutely all the fic i have going on at once that aren’t prompts (prompts will be incoming, no worries dissociation anon)

and THAT means y’all get to hear about my many. many. MANY projects, or at least the ones that make my heart go pitter patter when i think of them

a few examples: demon!corvo and priest!daud with extra worldbuilding ; the naptime cuddles AU ; corvo doesn’t come to dunwall so jess and daud end up arranged-married for profit (more info..... under the readmore..... i’m gonna get rambly)

also feel free to ask questions, i love questions and they get me thinking even more in depth about the world and specific instances of characters and that is the entire POINT

LIKE OKAY SO MY BRAIN PRETTY MUCH CONTINUOUSLY THROWS IDEAS AT THE WALL AND ABOUT 95% OF THEM STICK BECAUSE I’M A HOARDING RAT BASTARD i love my ideas they are my precioussss

i might have about. 25 fic more or less active at the moment? which sounds like a reasonable number but those are the ones i have an actual plot for as well as the will to get them out into the world

let’s put aside the ones i have actually posted on tumblr or ao3 (teen!daud, domestic zombie apocalypse, bondageverse, knife!corvo) in favor of those you have either no or little idea exist. begin:

I MEAN OBVIOUSLY I MADE FANFIC OF MY OWN FANFIC or as i call it parallel/companion fic, because at some point in the past a prompter inspired me and i was deep in the prince!daud fic at the time and i thought what if high chaos. what if void monster corvo? what if horrifying yet human creature of the depths!!! what if EVERYTHING was TERRIBLE and daud killed corvo as a last ditch and vain attempt to get his people out of burrows’ clutches, and it all went to shit from there??? also they’re bound by marriage contract and the vagaries of magical intention and daud becomes corvo’s life battery, in essence, which you can imagine leads to a very unhealthy relationship i think it’s not spoilering much to tell you it does NOT end well, and i’ll be writing it as a sort of foil to low chaos prince!daud

i have quite a few high chaos fics actually. high chaos is depressing to play but the story outcomes are DELICIOUS and the degrading world and character motivations are a lot of fun to play around in

weirdly enough another one of these high chaos fics is the naptime cuddles AU!!! i won’t lie it’s the one i am currently on and i want to talk about it to everyone so bad constantly. in short, corvo doesn’t kill daud and the whalers because he’s trying to get out and currently too fucked up to fight, and when he doesn’t manage to save emily despite his best efforts he comes back to daud for some kind of symbolic execution. meanwhile thomas convinced daud to take a goddamn nap with him there because daud, despite his paranoia, does sleep better with people around, and this is entirely an excuse for semi-platonic daudthomascorvo cuddles in bed followed by whaler puppypiles when the gang catches on that this is a thing they can do now I LOVE PUPPYPILE WHALERS I LOVE NAPS I LOVE REDEMPTION THROUGH THE POWER OF RESTORATIVE SLEEP please i’m so tired and i can’t actually fall asleep next to people let me live my dream vicariously additionally: this will be my contribution to the absolutely wonderful whaler vineyard of old fanon

there is also what i feel should be a classic and ISN’T though a couple of fics were written around the concept and one in particular is /chef kiss, and the concept is: high chaos corvo meets low chaos corvo!!!!! i made it a threesome with daud because no one can stop me and i fucking LOVE the idea of daud ending up capable of telling them apart through tiny details even when high chaos corvo, bastard that he is, tries to impersonate low chaos corvo, who is a bastard in much more subtle ways and would probably be better at impersonating hc!c than the other way around but finds it distasteful; also i added intense body horror because that’s how i roll and there are eventual magical CONSEQUENCES to hc!c being in the low chaos world and regularly in contact with what is essentially his narrative double when he doesn’t belong there, probably ends in a tragically bittersweet way, i’m not completely clear on it yet though i do have ideas

and oh man......... the time travel corvo fic.... the one where high chaos corvo ends up in his own seven-year-old body........... fuck i hashed out so much of the general worldbuilding for that one and ended up going way too far and imagining a sequel like i always do where corvo learns how to walk universes and gathers people he cares about from places where he can actually save them from their eventual tragic futures and the dissolution of their timelines once the outsider is ousted from the void and a new void avatar is made and SHENANIGANS YO!!! SHENANIGANS AND CAMPING!!!! SELF-CROSSOVERS!!!!!!! I COULD HAVE HIM MEET HIMSELF IF HE HADN’T TRAVELED BACK I’M CRYING I HAVE SO MANY EMOTIONS

the one where corvo is a fae child is probably a lil bit high chaos though it isn’t determined yet, and he has all of these instincts with regards to possessing and exchange and deals, and assumptions as to how other people must work approximately the same, and he is so wrong. then there’s the really creepy bad touch possible sequel that i won’t get into unless someone specifically asks because it’s a lil bit much really

oh MAN oh SHIT speaking of bad touch there’s another dead dove do not eat one where i grabbed an entire handful of granny rags’ apparent fucking around with magical arrays and rune creation and general spellery and threw it at corvo post-interregnum and he sees “ghosts” and doesn’t understand what the FUCK is going on and things go really badly for him, and one ghost, soon the only ghost, is daud, and corvo doesn’t know if he’s real, if he’s seeing things, if he’s NOT seeing things but daud is some kind of void demon, if he is and also having psychotic breaks he doesn’t remember because he ends up with some hellish bruises, but the real daud is actually still out there just hiding out and corvo will eventually meet up with him and real daud will meet fake daud and even more shit will happen

god, the demon!corvo AU gets pretty fucked up as well if i remember right; corvo is both some dude with a wife and kid and the demon that inhabits him, jess is his wife and the demon that inhabits her (to be clear, separate characters but both based on either jess or corvo oh my GOD what if i switched the demons that would be amazing but no, calm down, maybe for a short what-if scenario that will inevitably turn into its own thing), daud is the overseer with the really good exorcism record trying to get the demons to fuck off except he thinks there’s only one of them and the other takes him by surprise; cue daud being hunted by that demon, furious that daud shattered his favorite pupil, and some revelations about what exactly lives inside the abbey and also under it

on a somewhat lighter note, the one where corvo never comes to dunwall (i think his mom gets sick and he doesn’t win the blade verbena at sixteen?) is also where jess keeps losing her royal protectors to assassination attempts because the first one was decent and died protecting her and the second one was decent and had an accident and people start believing there’s a curse on the position or a curse on her, and she’s like okay so how do i make sure i don’t die now that no one is willing to become my protector since it’s pretty much a death sentence, and she arranges a meeting with the best assassin in the city and suggests an alliance -- protection and some commission overview, all secret, versus funding and housing -- in the form of a marriage and daud ends up agreeing; then later duke abele visits and corvo is among his personal guard and he gets to meet the empress, and the assassin, and there are ot3 shenanigans

oh my GOD also the kids in karnaca AU. obviously. fuck you may have seen the (dis)armingly charmed notefic but this would be them meeting as actual kids, in karnaca, just tiny babies, daud recently kidnapped and corvo doing his best to make this cool older kid into his friend and also maybe hiding him from the people who want to train him to do Illegal Things, and there are dumb childish arguments and daud goes on the run to avoid capture and there is an exchange of letters that at one point stops and corvo is Devastated and there is a REUNION and they are ADORABLE but also INCREDIBLY STUPID, AS IS RIGHT AND CORRECT, and i don’t know what happens later but it gives me warm fuzzies okay

then i have a NUMBER of oneshots that are more or less plotted out, like the one where jess has a kind of groundhog day because Heart reasons but over months and starts out not quite remembering what happened in past attempts and OF COURSE it ends with royal ot3; and there’s the one where Daud becomes the Outsider and is very temporally confused and OF COURSE it ends with corvodaud who do you take me for (including Very Perplexing arguments where daud doesn’t know at what point in this relationship’s development he is and corvo is angry or very patient depending on where he accidentally time travels to, and i make some assumptions about the non-linearity of the void avatar’s existence); and there’s the one where corvo catches the plague and gets through kingsparrow to get emily out then to people he trusts, ie the curnows and sam beechworth, then crawls away to die, but daud finds him and sighs and rolls up his sleeves and sends whalers to the Tower and emily thinks the Tower is haunted then, when it becomes very clear the Tower is not, demands one of these assassins teach her how to stab a bitch; AND THERE’S THE ONE WHERE CORVO AND JESS ARE GHOSTS AND DAUD IS A REAL ESTATE AGENT AND THE WHALERS ARE THE KIDS HE TRIED TO HELP OUT AS A SOCIAL WORKER and yes it’s ot3 and yes he buys the ghost house and ends up being filmed by the whalers to do cooking videos and fancy knife tricks and asmr because his voice is insanely soothing when he’s not being ornery; oh fuck and there’s the one where i wrote an unrequited corvodaud prompt and my brain grabbed it, smelled it, and decided that corvo very reluctantly falling for daud was necessary to the health of my feelings, and there is at least one (1) sleeping beauty coma while corvo yells at the outsider about the Heart; also there’s the one where in D2 billie was evasive about the old guy living with her on her boat and em finds daud rather than sokolov in jindosh’s basement and they have long, emotional discussions; and for the character building hell of it one that would span the outsider’s beginnings and growth and how the void tries to welcome him in

okay........................ i think i’m done rambling now

i love fanfic y’all

#dishonored #writins #so many writins #gonna have me a nap now

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ariabauer · 6 years

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100 Carmilla Stories - RunWithWolves Masterpost

Missing Hollstein? Already re-watched the series dozens of times? Need some Carmilla in your life? Then I have the fics for you. Seriously. I’ve written 100 Carmilla stories and categorized them here for your convenience (some stories fit into multiple but i did my best)

If you want...

Fake Dating/Marriage - i just really love this trope

Politician Carmilla has to get engaged to someone for her campaign and ends up with her long time best friend Laura. Marriage of Convenience

When Laura hears that actress Carmilla is fake dating her ex, she has some words for her best friend. A Rational Irrationality

Princesses Laura and Carmilla told the world they were dating to get out of arranged marriages. It’s easy til they fall in love. Not Really a Royal Romance

Laura wakes up in the hospital to find ex Carmilla at her side after they apparently got married a decade before. The Girl Who Got Away

As far as anyone knows, pHd candidates Laura and Carmilla hate each other. Lab Manager Laf is onto them. Worst Lab Partner Ever

General Fantasy - Supernatural beyond just vampires

Hollstein are dragon riders and Carmilla is not taking the responsibility seriously enough for Laura. Just A Girl and Her Dragon

Vampire Carmilla never expected to find old roomate Laura working a magical flower store in Diagon Ally. Lophii’s Blooms

Carmilla never wanted magic and Laura can’t unlock her own, they’re stuck together until they figure it out. circle of magic au Magic of My Own

Movies at Silas come to life and drag Carmilla into the role of Prince Charming while Laura gets sleeping beauty. Silas Movie Night

Werewolf Laura and Vampire Carmilla don’t get along and Carmilla doesn’t understand why Laura doesn’t turn her over tot he hunters. Like Cats and Dogs

Carmilla’s the best surgeon in the hospital but she swallows her pride and asks Dr Hollis for help when she gets an unusual sickness. Paging Doctor’s Hollis and Karnstein

Laura is angry because Carmilla thinks her blood tastes gross and spits it out instead of killing her. False Advertising

Clockwork Au: Laura and Carmilla to each have creatures made of clockwork (dragon and cat respectively) that represent their souls. Silver and Gold

Myths and Fairytales - sometimes you need a Hollstein happily ever after

Sassy Laura barges into Carmilla’s castle with a rose and demands a curse be lifted from her father. Beauty in A Beast ft Catmilla

Cupid Laura is determined to find vampire Carmilla’s soulmate even if Carmilla doesn’t want her too. Stalked By Cupid

Totally-in-love Laura and a tiny kitten Catmilla. Princess and the Frog twist, The Princess and the Kitten

Goddess of Spring Laura is accidentally kidnapped by Lord of the Dead Carmilla. Hades/Persephone AU. Queen of the Underworld

Carmilla goes overboard into the ocean during a storm and never expected a mermaid to pluck her from the sea. Kissed a Mermaid

War is over and shepherd god Carmilla can’t wait to go home to her wife. Sumerian god au. The Shepherd God

Orphan Laura falls in love with witch!Carmilla and chases after Carmilla when she runs. King Arthur au. Sword In My Stone Heart

The gods disappeared and Greek demigod Laura demands Sumerian demigod Carmilla help her save them. Daughter of Love and War

Science Fiction Fun - time travel and space and oh my!

Carmilla’s time machine keeps taking her to a small human child. When Carmilla stops coming back, grown up Laura stows away. Time Travel Malfunction

After graduation, bffs Carmilla and Laura take their spaceship on a roadtrip with definitely no pining. Roadtrip To the Stars

Captain Hollis is forced to let cocky co-pilot Carmilla join her starship crew as she tries to stop black holes from devouring the universe. Star Filled Memories

Cops or Superheroes Au - nothing like a good bout of crime fighting and a mystery to get flirty Hollstein roaring to life

Laura as a detective and Carmilla as the flirty annoying writer following her around as they try to solve murders. Write Me A Murder

Laura who doesn’t have superpowers trying to navigate a school for the superpowered featuring asshat with superstrength Carmilla. Powerless

FBI agent Carmilla trapped in a bank/bomb heist and sending flirty notes to the hostage negotiator Laura. Don’t Let Go

Supervillain Carmilla and superhero Laura being arch-enemies and yet their alter egos are roommates. Beneath the Boots and Leather

Special Agent Hollis would have an easier time getting through the laser field if her annoying partners wasn’t so flirty. Mission Flirtable

Vampires know there’s no such thing as superheros. Laura didn’t get the memo and she’s now Carmilla’s problem. Not a Superhero

Fire Princess Carmilla has flames at her fingertips and still isn’t ready for her air-powered roommate. atla au Fire In My Veins and Air in My Lungs

Star Reporter Laura is determined to get an interview with Superwoman if only her incompetent partner Carmilla stopped getting in the way. At The Daily Planet

Batwoman doesn’t have time for dating even if Wonder Woman ‘call me Laura' makes her heart flutter. No Dating For Batwoman

Could Be During Canon? - Trying to fit stories inside the world we love

Reincarnation AU where Carmilla's vampirism allows her to die and then come back to life 9 times. Nine Lives to Die

Carmilla plans a date after Laura asked her to the Zeta party. s1 Date Like it’s 1698

Each episode written in an extremely snarky tone in Carmilla’s diary. Dear Creampuff

Countess Karnstein is looking for the partner who dances in step with her. The Right Partner

Laura is the girl who cares and Carmilla doesn’t know what to do when she stops. s2 story. A Question of Caring

8 times Laura uses a Bandaid and 2 times she doesn’t. Stick an Apatosaurus to My Heart

Even though Laura’s dead, alt-Carm keeps hearing her heartbeat everywhere she goes. Floating Through A Stone Wall

Laura breathes until she doesn’t. Carmilla doesn’t breathe until she does. With Human Breath

Hollstein gets trapped in the s2 cellar with a magical snowstorm raging upstairs. Cuddling for warmth. Colder Than Our Hearts

Hollstein says hey a lot. It’s kind of their thing. A look at all seasons and the movie and what that word means. Hey

Canon Alternatives - twists on the way it went

Carmilla dies from the Dean’s sword and Laura brings her back, binding them together forever. The Golden Heart of Paris

Laura gets her heart back but doesn’t wake up so Mattie comes to her with a deal. Hold Her Hand

Danny is dead and the the campus is gone and Laura Hollis has had enough of people dying in her name. An Explanation for Deification

Laura saved them all from Vordenberg but paid a price Carmilla wish she hadn’t to channel a god’s power. Behind Your Ancient Eyes

Laura had meant to do romantic things for Carmilla, she’d just thought they’d have more time. I Meant To Do That

LaFerry fic where Laf is a ghost and keeps stealing substance from Carmilla so that Perry can touch them. Define Death

Saving Laura to be the only reason Carmilla would ever willingly get back inside the coffin. Coffin of Starlight

Barely friends Carmilla and Laura literally glued together including obligatory shower scene. The Sticking Incident

Mircalla’s doesn’t remember her past but her next client looks familar and, instead of taking her ‘services’, just wants to talk. Find You In the Dark

One Carmilla was bad, Laura has no idea how to handle 2 version of her ex girlfriend when they’re stuck in the library. Split Personality, Literally

Laura has amnesia but is thrilled to find out the hot vampire by her bed is her wife. Absolute jackpot Wake Up With a Hot Wife

Carmilla’s soul is trapped in the pit and Laura and the scooby gang have to figure out how to put her back together. Colours of A Soul

After Canon Ends - what could happen next

Post Movie Hollstein and their daughter go looking for the fountain of youth. Retcon the retcon. Family Trip to the Fountain

Papa Hollis gives a speech at a Hollstein wedding that gives all the feels as he tells Laura’s life story. That’s My Daughter

Vamp Laura going through a photo album and telling stories about her adventures with Carmilla. A Live Well Lived

Laura, her father, and eventually Carmilla leave letters on Laura’s mother’s tombstone. Until We Meet Again

Mortal Laura and immortal Carmilla trying to figure out their lives and how to handle forever. Dandelion Promises

Vampires can’t go inside churches but Carmilla still likes to listen to the bells. Laura follows her. post movie. Monstrous Grace

Laura leaves a letter for Carmilla to give to all of Laura’s reincarnations over the centuries. The One Who Loves Her Next

Pregnant Laura has weird 2am cravings for Carmilla to try and fill. 9 Months of Mustard

Musical Hollstein - Trying to write melody with words

Tired world class musician Carmilla gives beginner Laura lessons and falls a little bit in love with her and the music. Teach Me to Play

Carmilla’s sent to interview her ex, pop star Laura. It’s been years and Carmilla can still see the brokenness her mother put on Laura’s face. To Hope Beyond an Unfinished Melody

Coffee Shop and Cooking Hollstein

Laura moves in with the hot coffee barista she has a crush on it’s both the best and the worst. Coffee Cupcake Crush

Laura can’t make coffee but she can set up all her customers with each other, the only person she can’t find a match for is fellow barista and ‘cupid-in-crime’ Carmilla. The Ultimate Coffee Shop Au

Angsty chefs Hollstein run a cooking show but when things get hot in the kitchen, they become secret exes with benefits. Cooking With Hollstein

Human Hollstein - Nothing supernatural. Just our girls being cute.

Billionaire playgirl Carmilla can’t bring herself to be a playboy when it’s Laura she’s taking as her date. Read The Carmilla Karnstein Special

Laura sees a girl on the subway but couldn’t speak to her so writes a ‘missing person’ ad instead. Missed Connections

Aggressive salesman Laura sells girl scout cookies with tiny Laf and knocks on Carmilla’s door. Just Buy the Cookies

Adorable sticky note conversations between broody Carmilla and the girl on the day shift who stole her mug. The Mug Thief

Drunk Carmilla comes into Laura’s tattoo shop and demands a tattoo on her butt. Tattoos and Bikinis

Laura literally falls into Carmilla’s lap on the bus and a spunky older gentleman gives love advice. Strangers on a Bus

Laura’s not very good a camping and the night’s cold when your tent collapses, might have to share sleeping bags. To Build A Tent

Librarian Karnstein enjoys annoying Professor Hollis by rearranging the books to see her scrunched nose. Librarian Hottie

Laura signs up to be a toymaking Christmas elf but gets a grumpy partner who hates making toys. Christmas Trains

Hockey player Laura is determined to get concessions booth worker Carmilla to love the skating rink. Cookies Cupcakes and Hockey Captains.

High School Hollstein Stories

Nerd Laura becomes the quarterback and only reluctant cheerleader Carmilla doesn’t change around her. A Classic High School Love Story

Laura is desperate for cookies and Carmilla ate them all after high school home ec. How to Avoid Kale

Hollstein neighbours shoot nerf guns and marshmallow guns and water guns at each other. War of the Windows

Hollstein becoming friend in kindergarten and then grow up together while getting into all kinds of trouble. Loving Trouble

Hollstein with Animals - Fluffier than fluff because animals are fluffy

Reluctant dog walker Carmilla can’t say no to vet Laura’s requests to walk various animals so they get exercise. Puppy Dog Eyes

Pet Store worker Carmilla saves Laura after she kills Laf’s fish. Again and again. One Fish Two Fish

Carmilla’s cat to keep bringing home some mysterious girl’s underwear. Drawer of Lingerie

Carmilla’s cat gets Laura’s cat pregnant and Laura demands Carmilla co-parent the kittens. Bonus unexpected canoe. Kitten Kisses

Carmilla rescuing Laura from evil spiders in the laundry room. For Fear of Spiders

Playing With Words - Hollstein examined in a story

The story on campus before Carmilla reached room 307 told like Welcome to the Nightvale. Welcome To Silas

Writing the movie plot before the movie came out with Hollstein engagement and Ell closure. It’s Not About the Plot

Laura’s a baker, Carmilla’s a firefighter. An examination of what a Hollstein story really is. A Generic Carmilla Story

Detailing the 100 little ways Hollstein fell in love over the seasons. 100 Ways They Fell in Love

Soulmates - because who doesn’t love some soulmate Aus. Usually twisted from the typical soulmate version or an original idea

Tiny literal hearts to pop up every time Carmilla looks at Laura and all Carmilla wants is for Laura to NEVER SEE THEM.Love is Orange

The scars from one person to show up only on the body of their soulmate featuring a Carmilla who is scarless for centuries and a Laura who will only wear long sleeves. Scars Inside

Timer soulmate au where Carmilla meets a tiny five year old Laura on her first day of school and suddenly finds her timer has started counting down to the moment they fall in love. A Broken Pocketwatch

A mirror will let you see your soulmate every year on your birthday but everyone is convinced there’s been a mistake when 21th century Laura sees 17th century Carmilla in the mirror. The Mirror Between Us

Fairy Laura follows her soulmate compass through a jungle only to find a panther. Carmilla’s not interested in soulmates. Follow Your Arrow

Everyone is born with a soulmate marker to write the name of their chosen soulmate on their skin. Vampires don’t have ink. s1-3 We Chose Each Other

Child countess Carmilla wished on stars for a best friend and got an imaginary lion. Centuries later, child Laura makes the same wish and finds a panther on her doorstep. Wishing On Imaginary Stars

Carmilla has never seen color until the world starts flickering when a kid can’t find their mom. A Hint of Colour

You can hear the music of your own soul and your soulmate but vampire Carmilla can’t hear the music. After Ell separates them, can Laura find her again and again? In Every Universe You Are My Symphony

This has been a 3 year labour of love. The stories vary in length from about 2k to over 100,000k for a total of more than half a million words. Have suggested stories? Let people know! It’s a big list!

Hope you enjoy them and thank you for all of your support creampuffs! <3 Aria

#carmilla #hollstein #laura hollis #carmilla karnstein #runwithwolves #aria bauer #long post #masterpost

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itsallavengers · 6 years

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And I ask for your hand (So you can follow as I run)

Ah, historical arranged marriage for poor Prince Anthony- except not, because he’s in love with a certain poor blacksmith's apprentice who’s name begins with ‘S’ and ends with -’teven’, and there’s not a force on heaven or earth that will stop him getting what he wants when he makes up his mind. This turned out at about 5k. Whoops.

Tony stared at his reflection in the grand mirror and wondered how the hell he’d ended up there.

The room was outlandishly large, even by his standards. Glittery. An obvious show of wealth. There had been a few of these rooms dotted around the Stark palace, but never his own quarters. He’d made far too much mess for that to ever be an option.

No, this was a message. A boast. He’d been put in the most expensive of bedchambers in Stone’s palace and he’d been put there for a reason. This is what you’re marrying into, it screamed at him, look at all this money, this glory. This will all be yours tomorrow

In all honesty, it made him feel nauseous.

He did not need more money. He was already a prince- even if his father had blown all the kingdom’s fortune on foolish drunken decisions and his own insatiable vices, the wealth of his family still stood. He didn’t… this wasn’t his life. He didn’t belong here, being- being sold like nothing more than some object to fortify his father’s own kingdom. He wasn’t a tool used to improve political relations. He was a person. He was…

He was out of options.

His father needed the money to stay in power, to keep his land in one piece after all the idiotic mistakes and wasted money. And when he had trekked over to Tiberius Stone’s neighboring kingdom in order to plea for help, for money, the other king had made an offer that Howard simply could not refuse.

Financial aid. A coalition of both kingdoms, joined together to create one formidable force- all for nothing more than Prince Anthony’s hand in marriage.

And what had there been to think about, Tony thought bitterly, fisting his hand against the hard oak of the desk- the deal was win-win. Howard got to keep his kingdom, and he also got rid of the son who had always disappointed him. It all worked out fine and good for him.

It was Tony who had to lose everything.

Stone was 32 to Tony’s 18 years of age. He was smarmy and he was powerful and Tony hated him with a passion that burned fiercely in his heart. He’d had no choice in this- a boy in a world of kings, what hope had he had of fighting it? His initial arguments with Howard had only earnt him a trip to the dungeons, and when he had brought up his doubts to the man he was supposedly marrying, a quick and brutal backhand had shown him exactly where he stood. Exactly what his opinion was worth. Nothing. Nothing at all.

Shaking fingers curled around the heavy ring on his opposite hand, and he twisted it nervously, feeling the familiarity underneath his fingertips. Made of simple silver, stained and scratched with age and with no precious rubies or diamonds to speak of, it was still the most valuable thing Tony owned. A family heirloom- although not his own. He could still remember the very day Steve had given it to him; slipping the thing on his finger in between soft kisses and even softer words.

“It’s not much, I know,” Steve mumbled into his mouth, and Tony felt his lover’s cheeks flushing with embarrassment, “and it is not at all fit for a prince. I understand if you don’t want it-“

“Shut up, idiot,” Tony smacked him gently on the chest and bit his lip, looking up at Steve and feeling a burn in his chest that no other gift had ever elicited from him, ‘”I love it. It’s beautiful. Although I feel as if I’m undeserving of it- you should keep it for your future partner, Steve, not m-“

“You are the only person I could ever imagine wearing it,” Steve interrupted, as brutally honest as ever, bringing Tony’s hand up to his mouth and kissing the finger where the ring rested, “and you are the only person I want to be with in my future.”

It had been foolish of them both to try and believe they would ever have something even remotely close to a future together- Steve was a blacksmith’s apprentice and Tony was a prince- there hadn’t been a hope.

It hadn’t stopped either of them from trying, though.

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Secret meetings and desperate nights spent with one another had been commonplace. Mornings when Tony had snuck out of the gates to spend the day in the woods, hunting with Steve. Letters sent back and forth, compiling in a mass Tony kept under his mattress and treated as if they were more valuable than the Kingdom’s entire fortune.

He’d been in love with the boy since they were both twelve-year-olds and Steve had been on the brink of death from his illnesses. He’d loved him still as they’d walked through their teenage years together, Steve growing stronger and taller with each passing season until he could outmatch even Tony’s own skill and strength. And he’d loved him so fiercely, so intently on the night of Steve’s eighteenth birthday, that it had finally burst like a dam, and before he’d even known it he had thrown himself into Steve’s arms, knowing without a doubt that he would be caught. Because that was just who Steve was.

They’d known, going into it, that it was horribly dangerous. Steve ran the risk of exile or worse if he was caught having affairs with a prince, especially seeing as Tony was supposed to marry into royalty and strengthen the kingdom in less than a few years time. Initially, Tony had tried to stop him. Tried to push Steve away, knowing it led only to danger and heartbreak and if there was one thing on earth he would never be able to live with, it was Steve’s blood on his hands. But of course, it was Steve- Tony may as well have been trying to convince a brick wall.

“I want this, Tony,” was all he’d said, even after Tony’s grand speech on why they needed to end it before it could begin, “I want you. And you want me too. Even if the risk was ten times higher I would still do it. You’re worth it.”

Tony hadn’t even been able to say goodbye to him.

It had happened so soon. One moment he was waking up and hearing of his father’s new deal with Stone, and the next he was being shoved into a carriage and directed to the neighboring kingdom on the other side of the valley. A day’s journey, and Tony had been thinking of those blue eyes and that warm smile for the entire length of it.

And now he was going to be getting married to someone else in the morning. No doubt Steve had heard the news- it traveled fast in their rather small town, after all. Tony wondered if he would wait by the place they always met on a Saturday morning anyway, just in case. Probably. Steve never gave up hope. Tony, however- he was more of a glass half empty sort of man. And this situation certainly did seem lacking in any positives.

Money, lavish palaces, the heir to a throne- it all meant nothing to him. Tony didn’t want it. He wanted Steve- and the fact that he would probably never be able to see him again was like someone knifing his heart straight through from one end to the next. Once they were married, Tiberius certainly would not hesitate to execute Steve if he found out about them. And Tony would rather die himself than let that happen.

Jesus- he was going to be married by this time tomorrow. Eighteen fucking years of age, and his life had already been decided for him. Ruined for him.

It wasn’t fair, he thought bitterly, biting down on his lip so hard it split and formed pinpricks of red under his teeth. When he looked up at himself again, he was unsurprised to see his eyes were wet. None of this was fair.

There was a knock on the door and Tony jumped, wiping hurriedly at his face and blinking away the tears. Weakness was not an option here. He took a deep breath and straightened his back, because he still had his dignity if nothing else. He was a prince, dammit, and he would act accordingly.

Well. To a certain degree, anyway.

“Come in,” he said loudly, putting his hands behind his back so the guest wouldn’t notice them shake. It would probably be one of the maids, coming with his outfit for tomorrow. Or perhaps a tailor to work out his size- that would be more likely, considering they wouldn’t want to just throw him in any old th-

His train of thought froze up entirely as the door opened and his eyes were drawn to the unmistakable blue of Steve’s across the room.

“Uh- Room service,” he declared, pulling in a trolley full of lavish foods and beverages behind him. He was wearing an apron and hat used by the kitchen staff and was generally playing up to his role of what appeared to be some sort of manservant remarkably well. “I was sent by the chef- don’t want the groom to be getting hungry, do we?”

Tony’s mouth dropped open. Steve kept chattering until his hand pushed the door fully closed, and then, only then did his mindless and made up conversation stop. His face lost its smile a little, but it was replaced with something undeniably relieved, and when Steve let his eyes slide shut for a second, Tony could feel the invisible weight being lifted from his lover’s shoulders. “Oh, sweetheart- I am so glad you’re okay,” he breathed softly.

“Steve,” was all Tony said, struck completely dumb. He didn’t understand. “What in the name of God are y-“

He never got to finish; a moment later Steve had swept him up in his arms and embraced him completely, sending him into darkness as he found himself with a face full of Steve’s chest. On instinct, his own hands rose and clutched Steve’s back, fingers working into the folds of his shirt and clutching for dear life. He could feel himself start to shake, the relief at just being able to see Steve’s face again almost overwhelming him entirely.

Steve stroked his back and rocked them from side to side gently, and Tony let himself choke, just for a moment. The sadness, the sense of loss- it felt like too much. He wanted to stay where he was, safe in Steve’s arms forever and ever- but once he let go he’d be leaving for good, to a man he didn’t know and a kingdom he didn’t belong in and with a side not occupied by Steve-

“It’s okay, love,” the warmth and heartbreak in Steve’s voice made for an interesting contrast, and Tony coughed weakly, trying to catch his breath as he found tears springing to his eyes, “I’ve got you, I’ve got you- we’re going to be okay, I promise, I’m here, I’ve got you-“

“Steve…” Tony hiccupped, pulling away if only a little until he was staring right up at Steve, their noses brushing, “Steve, you have to… you have to leave, it’s not safe, they’ll kill you-“

“I’m not leaving without you,” Steve told him softly, fingers brushing the stray hairs from Tony’s face and then smoothing around to cup his jaw, “I didn’t borrow Bucky’s horse, ride all this way and then sneak in through the kitchens pretending to be part of the Goddamned staff for nothing you know.”

Tony’s hands moved to Steve’s chest, resting over the beat of his heart. “I can’t- Steve, I can’t go, I can’t go with you, if they find you here they’ll execute you, please, please leave-“

“No,” Steve shook his head, “Tony I can’t leave you here, I can’t- not with them. I know it’s not my place and I know I was never meant to have you but…” he broke off, voice barely rising above a wrecked whisper as he leaned forward again, interspersing his speech with desperate, pleading kisses. “-Please- anyone but him. Come home, marry someone over there. It might break my heart but at least I could still- it would be safer than here. Don’t do this.”

Tony looked down miserably. He felt so exhausted; his head leaning heavily into Steve’s palm, just desperate to feel him, one last time. “I have no choice, Steve. They’ve already made the deal. Howard would never rescind just so I could be happier, you know that.”

Steve was silent; the only movement being his fingers carding lightly through the sides of Tony’s hair. He looked so sad. There had been a time when Tony would have pulled the moon out from the sky to stop him looking like that- but now all he could do was watch on, utterly helpless.

“Then run away with me.”

His head jolted up, looking at Steve in confusion. Steve was still stroking his fingers lightly across Tony’s scalp; eyes watching him as intently as ever- and those words were unmistakable. Steve was asking-

Someone knocked on the door, four sharp and brisk bangs, and Tony almost yelled in his panic. Steve jumped too, his own eyes widening as his head jerked over to the door. “Anthony,” came the unmistakable voice of Tiberius Goddamned Stone himself, “can I come in?”

Tony was surprised he’d even asked at all. Although, in all fairness, the man was a king. He had been taught these manners as a baby. “I- uh, just one second!” He called as naturally as he could, all the while shoving Steve in the direction of his huge bed. “Get under, get under, do not make a sound,” he hissed frantically, shoving Steve down onto the floor.

Steve looked a little afraid, but he went with a sharp nod and a quick kiss on Tony’s hand. Just in time, in fact- because a second later it seemed Stone gave up his manners entirely and opened the door despite Tony’s calling.

Tony stumbled back around, hands going behind his back once more. “Stone,” he said blankly.

The man looked at him with a fond shake of his head. “Come, Anthony, we are going to get married. I’m sure Tiberius is fine. If not- I am a king, and would like to be addressed as such.”

Tony swallowed, but nodded his head. God, he wanted to punch the bastard. “Sorry- your majesty.”

There was a silence in which Stone simply looked at him. Then he gestured toward him with a hand. “Come here,” he ordered. There was no room for argument.

Tony tried to smile, he truly did- but he felt it stick to his face a little as his legs worked robotically and he made his way to the dressing table in which Stone was leaning on. The man watched him intently and Tony felt a shudder of revulsion start down his spine. This was the person he was supposed to marry?

“I know I shouldn’t be seeing you on the night before our wedding,” the man spoke softly, and Tony stopped a good distance from him, but Stone made the rest of the journey himself; wandering forward until he was well in Tony’s space, “but I could not resist. I needed to give you something.”

Tony watched him, silent as Stone curled a hand into his pocket and pulled out a necklace. Gold; a plain chain that was thick and heavy, and with the largest circular pendant Tony had ever possibly seen. Made of solid diamond, by the looks of it. It was brash and ugly, in Tony’s opinion.

“I made it specially for you,” Stone whispered, “I had to raise the taxes in the whole kingdom to afford to have it made, but it was worth that. It will go so well with your skin. Here-“

And then Tony was being turned, dragged forward until his back was almost pressed into Stone’s chest. His face shone from the reflection of the table’s mirror, and he looked pale, visibly uncomfortable. Not that the king gave a damn, of course.

He stood there, tense and unmoving, as Stone unclasped the mechanism and opened the chain. Two arms came forward and wrapped it around his neck, and each press of metal against skin made it feel like a noose getting tighter around his throat.

“There,” Stone said softly against his neck, and Tony wondered how fast his pulse was going under the man’s mouth, “beautiful.”

When Tony said nothing, Tiberius looked at him. There was a slight warning in his eyes. Tony nodded jerkily. “I- yes- definitely, your majesty.”

He felt the sigh blow through his hair. Light fingers traced downward, starting at the top of his neck and moving slowly down his spine. He just stood there, praying the King wouldn’t try anything on and attempting not to shut his eyes in revulsion.

Thankfully, his hand stopped just under his collar before withdrawing. Tony bit back a sigh of relief and stood there, watching Stone through the reflection of the mirror. The king was close, too close, and yet again Tony had to wonder why the fates would ever have decided this for him. He was not just a pretty face destined to sit by his king’s side and stare adoringly, for God’s sake, he was an inventor. He was going to change his own kingdom for the better one day, and when his idiot of a father finally kicked the bucket, he was supposed to take over- a better, stronger leader than ever before. Not… not this. Not pushed into some marriage he knew would end with him as nothing more than some trophy, put on a shelf surrounded by glass walls he was unable to free himself from.

This wasn’t his life. This was never going to be his life.

He made his decision, right then and there. Fuck the fates. Fuck every last one of them.

“Tomorrow,” Stone whispered, mostly to himself as he began to back away, eyes still fixed on Tony’s in the reflection of the mirror. “Tomorrow will be a good day. Wear the necklace. Look pretty. The kingdom will marvel at what I have collected.”

Tony smiled warmly. “Of course,” he agreed, sweetness permeating his voice as he turned and ran a finger over the smooth surface of the pendant, “I can’t wait.”

The man smiled proudly, taking Tony’s hand and kissing the back of his palm slowly. Tony watched him as he straightened his back and then began to make his way from the room, shutting the door quietly behind him- and as soon as the door had clicked shut, Tony stormed forward, taking the chair under the desk along with him.

He waited a few seconds and then jammed the backrest under the door handle.

“You can come out now, Steve,” he called to the seemingly empty room, and then watched as Steve rolled himself quickly from out of the darkness, brushing the dust from his clothes.

Tony didn’t wait. Turning around, he rushed to his wardrobe and yanked open the doors. A few clothes, some of his tools perhaps, his emergency funds-

“Tony?” Steve asked warily from behind him, as Tony pulled bits and pieces from the depth of his wardrobe with an almost manic air, stuffing them all hurriedly into his satchel and hoping there would be enough room. “Tony, darling, are y-“

“Fuck fate,” and then Tony had moved, running toward Steve, shaking fingers curling around the man’s face, “fuck destiny or duty or whatever the fuck landed me here. I love you, Steve, I love you so much it is all that I am some days, and I’m not marrying that bastard. I refuse.”

Steve paused, blinking a few times. Then his breath hitched. “Do you mean-“

“We can travel to Rhodey’s,” Tony started nodded, leaning up on his tiptoes to litter Steve’s face with kisses, “the kingdom he is knighted into is a few days journey, but King Fury is a good man. He’ll keep us safe. Hopefully.”

Steve’s hands rested gently against Tony’s elbows, and his face broke into a hopeful smile. “Are you serious?” He asked like he had never expected Tony to actually agree.

“More serious than I have possibly ever been in my entire life,” Tony laughed a bit, scared and hysterical and stubborn, “I will follow wherever you go, Steve. Always.”

Steve’s face softened, forehead leaning against Tony’s. “You’re a prince,” he murmured, “you’re… you’re so much more than I could ever possibly give you.”

Tony’s mouth twitched in a smile, and his hands found Steve’s, locking their fingers together. “Everything that is worth something to me has come from you,” he said, voice barely making any sound at all, simply breathless promises in a candlelit room; him and Steve against the world, against every rule and order that had dictated Tony’s life. Just them. The only way Tony wanted it to be.

Steve kissed him, then. Soft and slow and gentle, an instant comfort to Tony’s churning mind. The warmth spread through his body, tingling underneath his fingers, zipping over his teeth, his tongue. He could not imagine a life in which Steve was not there. He didn’t want to. It wouldn’t be any sort of life at all, really.

Tony’s hands slipped around Steve’s neck, and he felt Steve’s own arms curl around his waist and tug him closer, holding onto him in desperation. “It is selfish,” Steve spoke into Tony’s mouth, teeth scraping his bottom lip as he spoke, “to deprive a kingdom of a brilliant leader like you.” He pushed a little harder, and Tony made a noise in the back of his throat as he held on and gave back everything he could. “But I’m doing it anyway.”

They broke away; Steve moving his hand around the back of Tony’s neck and then pulling until they were caught in a fiercely tight hug again. Tony sighed in utter relief, sinking into the hold and shutting his eyes against Steve’s neck. It felt as if there was no danger, here, with Steve holding him. No responsibilities. No standards to uphold or rules to follow. Just Steve. Steve’s heartbeat under his mouth, fast and beautiful and proof that there was still one good thing in the world.

“How are we going to do this?” Tony asked after a while, pulling away a little bit, but never letting go entirely. He didn’t think he was capable.

Steve’s face broke out into a sort of sheepish grin. He turned and looked over to the trolley he’d wheeled in earlier, and then shrugged. “Well- at first, I was just using that thing as an excuse to get to your bedchambers. But it does have a convenient bottom shelf, hidden underneath the sheet. And there’s a laughably easy way to get out once I get you to the kitchens- it’s how I got in in the first place,” he explained, whilst Tony just looked at him blankly.

“You want me,” he said, eyes turning to the trolley, “to curl up in that thing whilst you wheel me about a palace?”

“Well, what would you rather do?”

“I- I am a prince, Steve, I don’t-“

“Uh, I thought you said two minutes ago that you would happily give that all up in a heartbeat,” Steve raised his eyebrow and looked smug, beginning to push Tony backward, “and don’t try and tell me you ‘wouldn’t engage in that sort of activity’- I’ve watched you try and backflip into the lake off of the highest branch of that oak tree, and that wasn’t exactly very Prince-like, was it-“

“Shut up, only I get to decide what is princelike,” Tony said haughtily, before yelping when Steve poked him in the ribs and sent him stumbling backward a few more steps, “Hey! I could get you arrested for that.”

“I think you could get me arrested for a lot of things at this point, darling,” Steve said drily, “but you can either get in the trolley and I roll you to your freedom or you stay and become caught in a loveless marriage for the rest of your life. What will it be, your highness?” He cocked his head and smiled a little- and God, he was so beautiful when he was being an asshole. Tony would marry him ten times over if that was possible.

“Well, when you put it like that-“ Tony rolled his eyes and sighed deeply, but turned around to the trolley all the same.

Steve just beamed, kissing his cheek from behind and then hurrying forward in order to lift the regal-looking tablecloth up and reveal a second shelf, just about big enough for Tony to fit in. If he squeezed.

“You know what, I may reconsider-“ Tony started, before Steve just sighed and pushed his shoulder downward. Tony went with an undignified squawk, and he punched Steve’s leg on the way down, effectively deadening it.

Steve just looked at him and made a face. “Why am I risking my life to save you, again?” He asked blankly.

“Because you love me very very dearly and I brighten your life with my wit and boyish charm?” Tony tried, shuffling around a bit until he was firmly inside the shelf. Looking like a fool, no doubt. So much for regal dignity.

Steve huffed and then sunk to his haunches in order to get himself level with Tony. “Unfortunately, you’re not wrong,” he pressed a quick kiss to Tony’s forehead and then pulled down the tablecloth, “now sit still and do not make a sound, or we’re both dead.”

“Aye aye, captain,” Tony whispered, bouncing his knees up and forth in fearful excitement. He was terrified, obviously- but it was Steve. This was just like another stunt they had always pulled as kids. There was nothing to fear. Steve would look after him. He had done for years, after all.

He stuck a hand out from underneath the tablecloth and pointed at the door. “To freedom!” He declared in his most regal voice.

He felt Steve smack his hand lightly, pushing it back under as he began to roll forward. “With all due respect, your highness, please shut up.”

Tony grumbled, but tucked his hand back in, until only a finger was pointed outward. “To freedom!” He whispered, quieter.

Steve just laughed, and then kicked the chair out of the way of the door.

“Okay, you can get out now.”

Tony moved for the first time in three minutes, twenty seven seconds- poking his head warily out from under the tablecloth and finding himself in the darkness of the outdoors. They’d ended up just outside the kitchens in the courtyard, and Tony looked up at Steve questioningly. “You said there was an easy way out!”

“There is!” Steve whispered, crouching down and helping Tony out, “I just scaled the wall over there, look,” he pointed over to the corner, where the 10-foot brick wall stared back at them.

Tony looked up at him blankly. “Okay, uh- Steve, darling, you know I love you, but if you really think I’m going to be able to reach up there then y-“

“Don’t be stupid- I’ll give you a lift,” Steve said hurriedly, beginning to tug him forward and looking worriedly up to the windows, “come on, come on- before someone sees us.”

Without looking back, Tony took Steve’s hand and followed, both of them running through the shadows in the courtyard until they reached the opposing corner. Steve stopped and Tony ended up next to him, both of them pressed into each other in the darkness, with Steve’s arms automatically winding around Tony’s waist to hold him close.

Steve looked at him for a second and then kissed him lightly. His face glittered in the moonlight; golden hair falling into Ice-blue eyes. Tony let himself simply sink into it, into Steve- the years of familiarity, of shared secrets and kisses and love, God, did Tony love him- coming together and making this the easiest decision in the world. Steve was… Steve consumed him. Made him crazy. What other reason had he for running from a king, from wealth and fame and everything most men would happily kill for?

Steve laughed quietly and kissed him again. “You sure about this?” He whispered into Tony’s mouth, “Once we leave, we can’t come back. There’ll be a warrant out for the both of us.”

Tony nodded, pushing up to the tips of his toes and curling his hands around Steve’s neck. “Always thought you’d look good on a Wanted poster,” he admitted, “and I would have no complaints with being up there with you.”

When Steve smiled, Tony mirrored him. “Hey,” he said brightly, “we could go the whole mile- become a pair of no-good highwaymen, striking fear into the hearts of the rich and wealthy. Or pirates! I’m sure I could buy a boat from the money made off this God-awful necklace. A life of plundering and ocean-breeze, what do you think-“

“I’m not turning you into a pirate, Tony,” Steve leaned his head into Tony’s and kissed him on the forehead, “I know you’ve always wanted to be one, but I think we have to focus on getting the hell out of here before we make any solid plans about ruling the seven seas, no?”

Tony huffed sulkily. “Fine. But we’re picking this up again later!” He said, holding back a squeak when Steve crouched down and grabbed his ankle, hefting it upward suddenly.

Catching his balance, he quickly grabbed Steve’s shoulders and then felt as he was lifted into the air. Fast hands reached upward and found their grip on the wall, and he hurriedly began to pull himself up with relative ease.

Ha. And Howard had said a prince would never need Blacksmith’s arms.

As he sat on the wall, he looked down at Steve and then giggled a little hysterically as Steve stared back at him, measuring the jump he was going to have to make. “God, I love you,” he whispered, just as Steve flew upward and then scrambled up the wall like it was nothing more than a short hop rather than ten feet of brick.

Steve smiled at him as he swung a leg over, and then gave him a quick kiss on the nose. “I’d sure hope so, after all the hassle I’ve gone through for you tonight,” he said with a quick grin, and then leaped back down over the other side before Tony could even respond. His feet hit the earth surely, and he rolled with the impact before coming up again to look at Tony. “You can make it down, right?”

Tony rolled his eyes and then turned, grabbing the top of the wall in order to swing down easily. “Do you not know me at all?” He asked with a raised eyebrow.

Steve just grinned, taking his hand and pulling him forward again. “Just making sure- forgive me, but I’d rather we executed our daring escape without broken ankles.”

Tony felt himself being pulled down the lane that ran the perimeter of the castle, Steve leading them hurriedly, shooting looks back to Tony as they ran. They were both laughing quietly; Tony cursing every three seconds when his impractical footwear got caught on a rock, until eventually just taking them off and throwing them in a bush somewhere. After that, something clicked in his head, and he decided the whole thing must go. Still running, and with Steve looking back at him in bemusement, Tony shucked off the expensive green overcoat - tugged at the gold-threaded jacket until that too was off his body. Threw it in the ditch with the mud and the pondwater. Steve cocked his head and laughed, stopping to kiss Tony again, and Tony returned it with his own laugh, making the kiss itself rather messy, but still perfect. He never wanted to take his hands off Steve- and it seemed the sentiment was shared.

Steve sighed happily, pulling Tony even closer, and Tony went gladly, “whole kingdom at your feet,” he whispered against Tony’s lip, “and you’re still running away with me. Still all mine.“

“Mmm- what does a kingdom matter to a boy in love?” Tony asked, hands fiddling with the expensive jewelry on his wrists, covering his fingers. He yanked it off and dropped it carelessly, and Steve’s eyes shone with excitement, with mischief. Tony kissed his cheek. “I’ve always been yours, Steve,” he mumbled.

When they broke away, Tony was down to his tunic and trousers only. The necklace that had been gifted to him was stuffed in his pocket- it would sell enough to see them both comfortably living for the rest of their lives, after all. But everything else was gone- no trace of his royalty remained. Even his feet were bare against the stone footpath. Tony smiled, and Steve looked down at him softly, pushing the dark strands of hair out of his face with a delicate hand.

“Let’s go,” he whispered, despite the fact they were well out of range from the castle by that point. He jerked his head over to where Bucky’s familiar horse was tied up waiting, and Tony bounced giddily on his heels, beginning to run over.

Steve mounted expertly and Tony followed, tucking his hands around Steve’s waist. He dropped his head into the center of Steve’s spine for a second and shut his eyes, breathing in the familiar scent of Steve- of home.

“Let’s go,” he agreed, sitting up a little straighter and kissing the back of Steve’s neck.

Tony looked behind him as they rode down the path; back at the future he was leaving behind him, the palace and the crown and the money.

He grinned. Good fucking riddance.

Ao3/ support me on kofi!

#stevetony #tony stark #fic #itsallavengers writes #steve rogers #me: Hm you got lots to do Gwen hows about we just focus on someth-#my fuckass brain: FINISH THAT SHITTY HISTORICAL AU U WROTE IN THE CAR ON THE WAY TO LONDON LIKE TWO WEEKS AGO #me: Gwen no-#my fuckass brain: PRINCE TONY PRINCE TONY PRINCE TONY PRINCE TONY PRINCE TONY PR-#me; sighing: you make a Valid Point #anyway! HEre is this! I hate it lol but I thought I might as well finish it seeing as i got half of it done ages ago #and there's just something about the visual of tony decked out in a load of regal finery.........mm yes #I'm lowkey weak for historrical au's not gonna lie

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