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lcverwrites · 9 months ago

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the lovers ― aegon targaryen

THE LOVERS ― AEGON TARGARYEN ... (part one) (2.3k)

summary ... aegon had never known the tender touch of love, from the cradle as a babe, he was cursed to be unlovable. his mother held no love for him, only the safety he provided her. his father never spared him a glance, to sickness struck to see past his golden daughter. his siblings were indifferent to him, never really having the want to dig past his drunkard front. but then came her... aegon never understood why she loved him, what she saw in him that others could not, what he could not see in himself. but thank the gods above, there was nothing he wouldn't do to keep her devotion, because the unlovable had finally found someone who loved him; and who he loved in turn. pairing ... aegon ii targaryen x tyrell!reader (wife reader) warnings ... self loathing, talks of being unlovable, strained family dynamics, targcest (mentioned, but not seen), hurt/comfort, angst, trying to heal from unhealthy relationships, mentions of drinking, supportive wife mode note ... I want this fictional man a healthy amount, as you can clearly see. I might make some more things for this couple in the future, cause they've been on my mind for a loooong time. I just want to love this man for a second, after the shit storm they put him through this season. Let me know if you want more of aegon x tryell!reader, perhaps some smut between these two lovers 😏🫶🏻

next part >>

⠀⠀⠀Voices spoke muffled words around Aegon, drowning him in their monotonous sounds, unimportant and distant from his thoughts. Aegon knew he should have been listening to his merriment of council members, they were talking about the needs of the realm, the wants of the smallfolk, the unwarranted needs of the already wealthy lords and ladies in his court, the impending doom awaiting them across the sees, with his sister plotting to take the crown from his very head.

The crown she was once promised, The Realms Delight was worlds away now, and the crown snuggly sat upon Aegon's head, the doing of the Mother and Grandsire, the controlling hands that guided Aegon under the guise of their affection and want to see him succeed, to bring the promised peace Viserys once spoke about.

But Aegon knew better now.

His mother held no love for her eldest son. She held him at arms length, with contempt, her lips pursed as if she couldn't ever fathom smiling at her own son. With a faux guiding hand, never reaching for a tender touch, only a harsh slap to awaken him from thoughts of straying from the path laid out for him. Alicent Hightower liked to believe she loved her children to the best of her ability, but Aegon knew better, knew that her love came with conditions, and Aegon's was to keep the safety of her family, even if he was killed in the process.

His Grandsire was a bitter old man, who reached above his station as hand of the king, all but ready to snatch the crown from Aegon himself. He was the driving force for Aegon's ascension, seeing the malleable drunk as a way to reach his ultimate prize, to be King through Aegon. There wasn't a bone in Otto Hightower that cared for Aegon past the power he could bring him.

Aegon could hear his mothers docile voice, sweeter than those of the men whom sat around her. Her words blurred into a flurry of movement, her lips parts around the words he wasn't taking in.

He watched his mother. Seeing his lips in her mirror image, full and pink, a slight downtick in the right corner, a frown always threatening to take her tender disposition by the throat. He could see the shape of her eyes, wide like a doe, but all innocence was washed away by a bland rage that barely simmered beneath their dark pools of amber liquid, subdued and boring. She could see her picking at the skin of her nailbeds, a bad habit she never outgrew in her youth, a habit she passed onto Aegon, if his red and raw nails were a certain sign.

He could see so much of himself in Alicent, in his own mother, a mirror into Aegon's soul. But all she could see in Aegon was his father, and she despised him for it.

His gaze traversed from his mother, to the stoic statue was his brother. Foreboding and concealed all at the same time, Aemond was a fearsome foe.

Aemond spoke little, hums of approval passed his sealed lips, displeased puffs of air fled from his nose. When words did leave his lips, they were precise, vicious and cold in the manner, strait to the point, never one to flounder and flaunt with unnecessary grandeur. He spoke as if he were a worldlier man, knew the bitterments was war and what was required to secure their victory, through fire and blood, through destruction and death. Aegon didn't know if it meant their own destruction or their foes, Aemond's want for power knew now bounds.

It's what desired him to his Grandsire.

He saw a likeness in Aemond that he didn't see in Aegon, and he held hatred and resentment for his oldest grandson.

Aemond paid no mind to Aegon, as if he was not there, the chare beneath him empty, no figurehead to be seen. He spoke to the counsel with the convection of a King, hand perched on the hilt of his sword, as if ready to strike at any given moment, lest one of the lords spoke against him, as if it were treason.

As young boys, Aegon and Aemond were like most boys he supposed. They poked and prodded at one another, until one of them bled, pleading for the other for mercy, running and crying to their mother. Often it was Aegon tormenting Aemond for his lack of dragon, for being the boring little know it all, smacking him against in the training yard in the name of bettering his skills, but Aegon wanted his little brother to feel even just a moment of the bitter resentment he felt feasting in his insides, sloshing around with the sweetened wine he drank himself into a stupor with.

He wanted his brother to feel small, unwanted, unloved, just as he felt. But no matter what Aegon did, his brother would always have their mother behind him, caressing his with the tender touch he craved. The lick his wounds with her tender voice, chaste kisses to the crown to his head, all the while berating Aegon in the same breath.

Aegon knew he shouldn't have treated Aemond so, they were both circumstance of their family, they were the only people who could truly understand each other, but resentment flooded Aegon's bones, strengthening his hatred for everyone whom shared his blood, and couldn't taste the bitter bite of his flesh.

Aemond resented Aegon for what he was given, just because he had the audacity to be born first. He was given the crown of their founding family, he was given the undeserving respect of the smallfolk, he was given the time and energy the the King's counsel. He was given the best tutors and training teachers, but he never respected what has trust upon him, not in the way Aemond would have welcomed him. Now his brothers days were spent on the throne he desired so, drunk in his cups and stupidly stuttering around like the idiot Aemond has always known Aegon to be.

Aegon leaned back in his uncomfortable chair, hand reaching out to play with the ball before him, the marble feeling cool beneath his heated palms. He felt as of he were just melting into the wood beneath him, and no one seemed to notice.

Except...

A hand reached for his arm, a delicate little thing, decorated with gentle rings that glimmered in the afternoon light, shimmering shades of glittering gold, azure blue and brilliant emerald. The smooth skin of a palm caressed his forearm, thumb digging into the malleable skin beneath his wrist, as if she knew he was slowly floating away, grounding him to this moment, to her touch.

Oh but she....

She was a marvellous thing. Aegon hadn't seen anything so precious in his life, so delicate, so wonderfully beautiful. There weren't enough words in the world for Aegon to describe her, nothing could ever truly do her justice, and he had tried, many a times, much to her amusement.

The Lady Tyrell had been a gift Aegon knew he wasn't deserving of, it was as if the gods were cursing him to gaze upon the mirror of the Maiden, but never being good enough, strong enough, smart enough to be worthy of even a glimpse in his direction. Aegon would only think himself lucky enough to dream about her gentle touch, to be the lucky man whom would receive her affection, to have her smile at him in a manner he'd never seen a maiden smile before.

Her smile started small, only an upward pulling in the right corner of her lips, inch by inch, her pretty pink lips would stretch in the most delicious curve, revealing the pearls of her teeth, little creased would dip in the skin of her cheeks as she would freely smile, a crinkle would form in her nose, her eyes would glitter with a golden looking happiness, as if you were the centre of her world in that very moment, the very reason she was smiling, like you were the only thing that could make her happy.

Aegon wished he could bottle the feeling her smile encapsulated, pure and true happiness unlike anything Aegon has felt before.

How could a persons smile be so contagious?

Despite his reservations, the Lady Tyrell held no contempt for him. She gazed upon him as if she were seeing him for what he was and she was willing to accept him, bitter soul and all.

The Lady Tyrell squeezed his arm, only once, and it was enough to have Aegon retreating from the narrow tunnel he was burrowing himself into. His gazed picked up from the marble to look upon the visage of his wife.

His Wife.

They'd been married when they were ten and three respectively, much to young to be married, but as is the way Aegon supposed. He hadn't even been given the chance to speak with her, before it was announced in the King's Counsel that they were to be married.

But they've come a long way from those scared children they had been all those years ago.

But the one thing that hadn't changed, was the devotion and love she had bestowed upon Aegon. Day in and day out, there wasn't a moment in time where she didn't love him.

"Perhaps the counsel should take a breath" Her melodic voice pierced through his muffled thoughts, like it always did, his every being was tuned into every sound and moment she made.

"Pardon, your grace?" Lord Lannister paused a moment, looking at her with a look of confusion.

"You have been discussing for hours now" She mildly replied, keeping an easy smile on her lips, looking like the pliant woman they demanded she be. "If we were to be attacked by our foes, they would have done so already, surely you all see this"

"Just because it hasn't happened, does not mean it will not happen" Otto Hightower's condescending voice bounced around the room, looking down upon the Lady Tyrell, as if she were a speck of dirt on his boot.

Aegon clenched his fist, loathing that she was rained down upon by Otto's hatred because she was connected to Aegon.

She never seemed to waiver beneath his gaze, nodding demurely at the Hand, as if she were bending to his whims.

"I do not disagree my Lord" She announced. "But perhaps we have spoken on the themes of war for much to long"

"Your Grace, forgive me for speaking so candidly--"

"Then do not"

All eyes turned to Aegon, who for the first time since the counsel had gathered, had found himself voicing the words that had been rattling around in the back of his throat.

"The Queen has excused you" Aegon bluntly replied, leaning further back in his seat, pulling his arm along with him, turning it just so, allowing his palm to slide right along her. Their fingers gliding together like magnets pulling them together, locking them in place.

Aegon relished the feeling of her warm palm beneath his own, smooth skin against his own rough calloused skin, like silk against leather. The cool metal of her rings biting into his warm skin, a zinging shock to his system.

"Aegon, the counsel needs to speak about--" Alicent tried to gage her son back into the conversation, but Aegon was already detached from everything that was her.

"Your King has dismissed you" Aegon interrupted his mother.

Aegon looked to his mother, seeing her lips parted in surprise. She wasn't used to Aegon snapping at her so, he had always been so willing to bow to his mother, wishing for her affection in return.

But he now knew what love without restraints and conditions tasted like, he craved the affections of his wife, whom would willingly allow him to be loved without limits.

"Fuck off" Aegon waved off the counsel.

He didn't even watch as each member grumbled up their breath about something or the other. He didn't notice the shared look of concern on his Mother and Grandsires faces, he didn't see the glare Aemond had wagered his way, icy and void of any brotherly affection. He didn't see any of it, and if he had, he wasn't sure he would care.

Not when she was gazing upon him as she always had.

With love.

"You may have been too crass my love" She smiled as the last of the counsel left the room, the foreboding doors slamming closed behind Otto Hightower himself, sealing himself out of reach of the King.

"They are a bunch of power hungry cunts" Aegon shrugged.

"Be that as it may" She conceded with a soft smile. She pushed herself from her seat, keeping her hand within Aegon's, walking around her corner of the table, until she was standing directly beside the chair Aegon was currently lounging in. "They are here because they support your cause"

Aegon huffed a breath through his nose.

He used their connected hand to haul his wife's body into his lap, she fell willingly into his embrace, wrapping her free arm around his shoulders.

"I do not wish to speak about them anymore" Aegon announced, shifting his wife further into his lap, until the side of her body was pressed firmly against his chest, the warmth of her body radiating through the thick fabric of her dress.

"Then we shall not" She decided, resting her forehead against his temple.

In this moment, Aegon hadn't ever imagine he would feel a love like this. He couldn't have ever pictured someone would love him for what he was, not for what he could give them.

He placed a gentle kiss against her cheek, enticing a soft smile to paint her pink lips.

Whatever god had decided to bring the two lovers together, he was praying that nothing would bring them apart.

#aegon targaryen #aegon ii targaryen #king aegon #aegon imagine #aegon x reader #aegon targaryen x reader #aegon ii targaryen x reader #aegon targaryen x tyrell!reader #aegon ii targaryen x tyrell!reader #aegon targaryen imagine #hotd imagine #house of the dragon imagine #house of the dragon #hotd aegon #tyrell!reader #the lovers

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bbkoolkatz · 5 months ago

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pairing: barbarian prince! katsuki bakugo x fem! reader.

content warnings: FEMALE READER! violence and injuries, cultural discrimination, prejudice, xenophobia, social ostracism toward the protagonist (you), intense conflict, gender dynamics, emotional distress, animal death, harsh environments, power struggles, language barriers. [lemme know if I forgot something]

sorry if this seems scattered. it was written when I got time and I barely had any during the past two days ╥﹏╥

𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 1 ~ 𝕴 𝖜𝖎𝖑𝖑 𝖇𝖊𝖈𝖔𝖒𝖊 𝕸𝖔𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖗! 4.1k words

prologue!

your world got significantly smaller, restricted behind these stone walls. you sat on the edge of the window of your new chambers, staring out at the vast, jagged landscapes that surrounded you, awaiting your husband's daily visit.

for these past few days, everytime katsuki came to see you, he was covered in soot, sweat, or this amazingly, deliciously, sweet aroma. and you wondered which of them he'd come with today.

the biting chill of the air that graced your skin gave you goosebumps, as you shivered, taking a frigid breath in, "ragna," you murmur, turning to the tall, sturdy woman who stood silently by the doorway.

she stepped forward, expression neutral as ever. she'd been a constant presence since your arrival, being the only one capable of bridging the gap between you and this new world. "yes?" she answered, waiting for what comes next.

"can you tell me about your people?" you hesitated a bit, "i want to understand." patting the cold stone next you.

ragna's expression softened slightly, and she moved closer, making herself comfortable, "of course, my lady," she smiled, "what do you wish to know?"

you gestured vaguely to the walls around you, "everything. how things work. the customs. start anywhere."

her lips twitched, holding back her eager grin, "as you can see, my lady, our clan is nothing like your kingdom," she started, guiding your head to look out the window again and down to where the people were hard at worked in their fields, and moving about with logs on their shoulders, "here, our women hold power. they are life and death."

your brows knitted together at her word phrasing, "how so?"

ragna's voice grew steadier, carrying a note of pride as she spoke of her people, "in your land, men rule because they are stronger. here, women rule because they create. the clan mother is the heart of the people. she births the warriors, guides their steps, and ensures the clan's survival. she is the one who holds the true power."

"she is our leader. a fierce woman, strong and wise." her hands form fists subconsciously, "the men may wield their axes, but it is she who determines where and when they fall. she is not to be taken lightly."

you leaned back, feeling every bump of stone bound together against you, processing everything she said. "this is why they seem so different from my people?"

ragna nodded, "men may sacrifice their children for their people, but women sacrifice everything for their children." your thoughts briefly flashed back to your father... "your arrival disrupts the balance, my lady. some believe you weaken us. others fear change. you are our future." bringing a hand forward to hold yours.

"do they hate me?" you blurted out, fiddling with your fingers as you looked up to the conflicted look that overtook ragna's face.

she hesitated, thinking carefully, "some fear you. others... yes, they do hate you. they see you as weak." she didn't lie, if they could they'd iliminate the weakness on the spot.

your chest tightened, but you straightened your posture, brushing it off. "they too were once weak." you brought your stare up to her's, "and just as they grew stronger, so will i."

before ragna could reply, heavy footsteps echoed in the hall, and both your heads quickly snapped toward the door. katsuki entered, his broad frame making your heart race as your eyes land on him, his presence thickening the atmosphere.

his red hot glare, sharp and unyielding, flicked between you then ragna, and back you, all the way down to your trinket covered ankles that jingle as you walk.

his beefy arms squish you into his chest—a custom you introduced him to as a way of greeting you instead of awkwardly standing in front of you for 20 minutes— and you couldn't help the stupid smile that crawled it's way onto your face, "hvat eru þeir að segja?" katsuki rasped, his tone curt and seemingly straight to the point. ragna stood up, and rattled out a bunch of incoherent words and sentences and your eyes darted up between them, back and forth.

katsuki's jaw clenched, his gaze shifting back down to you. "ekki skiptir máli hvað þeir hugsa," he snapped, turning away. though you didn't understand his words, his displeasure was clear.

ragna's translation was quiet, her attention coming back to you, "he says it doesn't matter what they think."

you rose to your feet, immediately connecting the dots—ragna ratted your doubts out...— you lift your chin to look up at him, "it does matter. if they hate me, it's only a matter of time before they act on it." and ragna's voice echoed behind yours.

katsuki's lip twitched in frustration, but he said nothing. instead, he rested a hefty palm on your head, leaving behind a tense silence that settled heavily in the room.

later that day, katsuki returned to your room, plopping—what you think—is a dead boar, down in front of you and he kneeled beside it. you immediately look at ragna for help. "it's for making you sad you earlier." she giggled, resting a hand on her belly.

"sad? i wasn't- oh..." you too started giggling as you realized, "will he do this everytime i get upset?" you chuckled, cradling his head in the soft cushions of your chest, trying your best to hold in your laugh as she nodded. "i'd like for you to show me your village, instead of a dead animal, katsuki." and ragna's voice followed yours.

and finally, he brought you out of the stronghold for the first time since your arrival, the steady rhythm of his boots, leaving heavy crunches in the gravel as he walked beside you, and ragna trailed a little ways behind. you could feel her eyes burning the back of your head with every step you take...

your skin tightened, perking your nipples under the thin cotton draping your body, as the wind prickled your skin, sending a violent shiver down your entire body. katsuki shrugged his fur cloak off and threw it on you, sending you in a stumble with the force.

"hæ!" he yelled, grabbing your arm, "i'm okay, i'm okay," you giggled, looking up at him, "afsökun," he roughly dusted you off. ragna had rushed to you but with a simple raise of your hand she stopped short.

"thakka thyer," you smiled at him, only to grin wider when you saw the shocked look on his face at the almost familiar sounds that graced his ears. "shall we?" you hug his cloak closer as you continue down the dirt paths that lead into the village, tucked into the valley where the stronghold stood tall against the horizon.

the houses were made of timber and stone, thick roofs sloping against the cold, with the distant hum of activity filling the air. you had never seen a place like this—untamed, rough, and yet strangely beautiful in its own way. the land, harsh and unforgiving, matched the people. you had heard stories of their legendary strength, their ability to overthrow kings and destroy rulers. they were known as conquerors, fierce and untouchable, but now, walking through their village, you see a different side.

the first thing that struck you was the children. in your kingdom, children were raised in luxury and comfort, but here they played in the dirt, their faces smeared with earth and joy. the laughter that filled the air was light, carefree, but it wasn't the kind of joy you were accustomed to. it was raw, unrestrained, and full of life.

a little girl with wild hair and a smudge of dirt on her cheek approached you, holding out a small wooden doll. she spoke in their tongue, too fast for you to try to understand, her wide eyes full of hope.

ragna bent down, translating with a smile, "she says you're very beautiful, that she's never seen someone like you before."

you laughed softly, reaching out to take the doll, the weight of it simple, yet comforting. "thakka thyer," you murmured, hoping you said it right, because katsuki looked at you like you were blabbing nonsense when you said it to him...

the little girl beamed, rushing off to join the other children. you couldn't help but watch her go, her carefree spirit so unlike anything you had known. these children, these villagers— had never been pampered. they never had the luxury you grew up with, and yet, they had things you didn't.

as you walked further into the heart of the village, you saw a group of women working together to prepare food—big cauldrons over roaring fires, knives slicing through meat with practiced ease.

their eyes flicked to you briefly in curiosity. it seems this was their first time seeing a someone as small as you. though their stares started to feel more and more judgemental the longer they looked...

a small group of older men sat nearby, their muscles thick and solid, but their hands were not gripping axes. instead, they were working leather, stitching it together with slow, deliberate motions. they were crafting, mending, tending to what was necessary for survival.

it was a sight that shocked you, the great warriors who were known for their brutality now focused on such delicate, mundane work. you had imagined them only as conquerors, towering giants, but here they were, doing what needed to be done for the survival of their people.

you glanced at katsuki, his expression unreadable as he walked beside you, taking in his features that glowed in the sunset. he looked like the rest of them—stoic, hard, and powerful.

ragna, ever the silent observer, noted the look on your face. "is it so different from what you imagined? my lady," she leaned to whisper.

you nodded slowly, taking in the sight of the men working alongside the women, "they're strong," you murmured, "but also... gentle, in ways i didn't expect."

ragna smiled, "that is the balance of our people. every piece is needed. every role is vital." the softness of her expression a stark contrast to the roughness of her surroundings.

as you walked further, you passed the blacksmith's forge, the rhythmic pounding of a hammer against metal ringing in the air. you had seen blacksmiths at work before, but the sheer power of the men and women here was something else. their muscles flexed with each strike, their movements coordinated, and their fire-forged weapons were some of the finest you had ever seen. the blacksmiths, covered in soot and sweat, didn't look up as you passed, their focus unwavering.

you caught sight of an older woman sitting on a bench near the edge of the village, her back hunched but her gaze fierce. her hands were gnarled from years of labor, but she sat with an air of quiet authority, watching the village with eyes that had seen more than most. you felt a sudden urge to approach her, you wanted to know what it was like to live a life so full of struggle, of strength, and survival. you needed to ask.

but katsuki's voice broke your thoughts. "vér skyldum fara aptr." he said, his tone sharp,—almost a warning or perhaps? or just a desire to keep you close?

you nodded, but before turning to head back, you gave the old lady one last glance, before grabbing on to your husband's arm.

nightfall came quickly, and the air was biting as the sun descended behind the jagged mountains. ragna was at your side, her presence comforting, though the silence between you was palpable. neither of you spoke as you approached the large wooden doors of the council hall, guarded by two massive warriors. their eyes flicked to you, but they didn't move. there was no hostility in their gaze, but the wariness remained, a reminder of how much you still had to prove...

one of the guards nodded at ragna as she spoke briefly in their language. the doors creaked open, revealing the vast room inside—a dimly lit chamber lined with long tables where the most powerful figures of the clan gathered. the air was thick with the scent of stone, fire, and old wood. the council members were already seated, their faces solemn and stern as they discussed matters that shaped the future of their people.

you couldn't help but feel the weight of all their eyes on you, most didn't understand you and didn't care to. you were katsuki's wife, a foreigner, an outsider—and that was all they saw. ragna whispered at your side, "do not be afraid. you are here to learn, my lady."

with a deep breath, you nodded, chin lifting in quiet defiance. no matter how much they resented your presence, you would stand your ground. you weren't just a pawn in their game—at least, not anymore.

the high table at the front of the room was where katsuki sat, his back straight and posture commanding. his eyes flicked to you as you made your way toward the empty seat beside him. the others at the table were much older, faces lined with experience, each one dressed in the heavy furs and iron of their clan, exuding authority and strength. katuki's mother, clan mother, was present as well, seated at the head of the table. her fierce gaze swept over you as you sat, unbothered by your arrival but no less critical.

"sittu hér," katsuki muttered in his native tongue, his voice low and tight, barely above a growl. though his words weren't exactly warm, there was something almost comforting in the gruff tone.

ragna translated softly, in your ear. "he said, sit here."

you nodded to him, your eyes meeting his for a moment before you focused on the other members of the council. you felt every set of eyes on you as if they were all waiting for you to make a mistake, to stumble.

the clan mother spoke, her voice booming, though her words were foreign to you. it was ragna who translated once again. "we have gathered to discuss the future of the clan. there are whispers among our people that threaten our recent unity, and we must decide how we will face these challenges."

your breath caught in your throat at the translation. you knew there were whispers, rumors— but hearing it spoken aloud in such a cold, clinical manner made it finally feel real. you glanced at katsuki, but he gave no sign that he was bothered by the news. his gaze was unwavering and his posture still.

"torvok's faction grows restless," one of the councilmen said, his voice deep and gravelly, though you could sense the unease in his tone. his thick beard seemed to be the only soft feature of his face, as his eyes were sharp, calculating. "they say the blood of our people is being tainted by this foreign bride."

the words stung, though you refused to show it. instead, you kept your chin lifted and your gaze unwavering, even as the room seemed to close in around you.

the clan mother's voice broke through again, sharp and clear. "i am not blind to the whispers. torvok and his followers believe that they can stir unrest, but they will not succeed. our future is bound by the strength of our warriors, but also by the strength of our alliances. the marriage to the princess was not made lightly. it was done for the good of the clan, for the survival of our people."

katsuki's eyes flicked to you briefly, the tension between the two of you unspoken. he was angry, not at you, at those who dared to question his strength and your place in the clan.

"the alliance between our peoples is the only way forward," another councilman spoke, his voice harsh but carrying a trace of concern. "if torvok and his followers believe the princess is weak-"

"gæt þín tungu. þú munt eigi mæla svá um konu mína aftur." katsuki slammed his fist onto the table, his voice echoing through the chamber.

ragna's translation was swift, "he says, you will show respect." she swallowed the dryness in her throat and you passed her your goblet of spring water, and she reluctantly accepted.

the council members exchanged uneasy glances, but none spoke further. the clan mother observed the exchange quietly before speaking again. "we will deal with torvok's rebellion. it will not disrupt the balance of this clan. the princess will learn the ways of our people, and she will prove her strength."

her gaze shifted to you, calculating but not unkind, the weight of her approval—or disapproval—hanging in the air. "þú munt sýna þeim hve sterkur þú í raun ert."

"she says, you will show your true strength to the people." you nodded, your posture straight and unwavering.

☆.｡.:*❀.｡.:*☆

the next day when evening came, a feast was held in the great hall. the smell of roasted meat filled your nostrils and the crackle of firewood greeted your ears, with the low hum of conversations spoken in harsh, guttural tones. you sat beside katsuki, your presence a beacon of contrast amidst the towering figures of the barbarian clan.

you felt their eyes, sharp and suspicious, cutting through your skin like shards of ice. but you kept your gaze level and expression neutral, even as your pulse quickened.

"ragna," you whispered, leaning toward the woman beside you, "are they always this... tense?"

ragna's reply was cautious, as she too had her suspicions, "they are watching... waiting for something..."

you nodded, fingers gripping the edge of your goblet as you brought it up to your lips.

suddenly, a crash echoed through the hall, drawing all eyes to the far side of the room. a figure, cloaked in shadow, leapt forward, a blade glinting in the firelight.

your breath hitched as the assassin lunged forward, and before you could react, katsuki was on his feet, his movements swift and precise. he intercepted the attacker with a growl that reverberated throughout the hall.

"ek mun drepa þig fyrir þetta!" katsuki snarled, his voice a thunderclap of rage.

the assassin struggled, but katsuki's strength was overwhelming. he slammed the man onto the floor, the blade skittering out of reach.

ragna translated softly, "he says he'll kill him for this." leaning down to your ear.

"katsuki," you called, a soft voice cutting through the chaos. he paused, his eyes burning as they met yours.

"bring him to me," you ordered firmly, walking out from behind your table. ragna's translation was immediate, and for a moment, katsuki hesitated. then, with a grunt of annoyance, he dragged the attacker toward you.

the hall fell silent as you stepped forward, your small frame dwarfed by the imposing figures surrounding you. your eyes swept over the room, locking briefly with those who dared to look your way.

"if you think me unworthy of becoming clan mother, then feel free to challenge me." you announced, "do not sneak or cower to take my life." you pick the assassin's dagger up, admiring the shine it gave with the firelight.

ragna translated each word, her voice carrying them with the same fierce determination.

"what is your name?" you asked, looking down at the struggling figure under your husband's strong arms and he mumbles something while laughing, that makes katsuki dig his knee into his spine even more, "my lady, i cannot translate what he said..."

"you cannot?" you seethed, "or you will not?" turning to face a flustered ragna... "very well."

"raise him to his knees," you spat, watching every muscle flex as your husband obeyed. blood trickled from the corner of the assassin's mouth, his defiance still burning in his eyes despite katsuki's unrelenting grip on his shoulder.

your heart was racing, but you forced your voice to remain steady, "do you have a family?" your foreign words sharp and clipped ringing through the hall. ragna, standing by your side, quickly translated. and his head shot up, giving you a good look of his entire face.

he then spat on the ground near your bare feet, muttering something in his language. katsuki snarled, his hand tightening on the man's shoulder, forcing him lower.

"he refuses to answer," ragna said softly.

"so he does have a family..." you grinned, rubbing the handle of the well crafted dagger. "what is your name?" you asked, tilting your head as you burned the image of his face in your head. short black hair stuck to his forehead as he hugged and turned his head away.

"he refuses to answer that as well, my lady..."

you took a breath in, "it seems he is not proud of his actions. a man who hides his name, does not deserve the dignity of forgiveness."

the rest of the clan murmur at your boldness, their guttural voices rising and falling in the background. your husband's usually sharp gaze now fell soft, with a mixture of surprise and intrigue glinting in his eyes.

"tell them this," you turned to ragna, "this man attempted to end my life, not out of bravery but out of fear—fear of change, fear of the unknown." you looked down at him in pity, trying to think of a suitable punishment. "such fear has no place here."

ragna translated, steadily carrying the weight of your words.

"i will not demand his life," you continued, your voice ringing clear. "but he must face the consequences of his actions." you paused again, thinking. "let him carry a mark that will remind him, and everyone here, of his cowardice."

the murmurs grew louder, rippling through the gathered barbarians.

"what... mark?" ragna asked quietly, her brow furrowing in concern.

"hmm... i'm not sure," you pat your chin with the dagger in thought, "oh! i've got it!" you clap, "burn the mark of a coward into his left cheek for all to see." you clasp your hands in content, a bitter smile itching it's way across your lips.

ragna hesitated, her lips parting as though to argue, but katsuki spoke first, his voice low and guttural.

"bróðir," katsuki barked, gesturing toward one of the guards nearby, he stepped forward, his expression grim as he produced a branding iron. the clan fell silent, the air thick with tension.

you stepped aside, allowing the guard to heat the iron in the nearby fire and you turned to the gathered clan, voice strong in your chest, "let this be a warning to all who think to act against me. i am not a woman to be underestimated." something came over you, you couldn't hold back your words... "i am your future clan mother, and i will protect what is mine."

when the iron was ready, the guard approached the assassin, who now struggled against katsuki's hold, his defiance finally giving way to fear. katsuki held him steady, his jaw tight as the iron was pressed against the man's skin.

his screams tore through the hall, echoing off the stone walls. the scent of burning flesh filled the air, and the mark—a simple, sharp rune symbolizing cowardice—was left seared into the flesh of the man's cheek.

"this is mercy," you said firmly, "remember it."

katsuki released the attacker, who crumpled to the ground, clutching his face. katsuki's sharp eyes swept over the gathered crowd before he barked a command, sending the guards to drag the branded man away.

the hall remained silent, every pair of eyes now fixed on you as your pulse thundered in your ears, but you held your ground with your chin raised high.

katsuki stepped beside you his presence imposing and protective. he said nothing, but his gaze lingered on you for a moment longer than necessary.

"i will say it again for those who did not hear me the first time." you paused, letting ragna finish her translation, "if you think me unworthy, you are welcome to challenge me." gesturing to yourself, "but know this, i will not fall easily."

"i will protect my people everything i have." you promised, "ég mun verða móðir!" and they exchanged shocked looks, at the familiar words rolling off your tongue.

»»————> 𝖙𝖗𝖆𝖓𝖘𝖑𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓𝖘 <————««

"hvat eru þeir að segja?" - what are they saying?

"ekki skiptir máli hvað þeir hugsa." - it doesn’t matter what they think.

"hæ" - hey! or oi!

"afsökun" - apologies

"þakka þér" pronounced "thakka thyer" - thank you. [it's written in pronunciation form when reader speaks 'cause she's learning.]

"vér skyldum fara aptr." - we should head back.

"gæt þín tungu. þú munt eigi mæla svá um konu mína aftur" - watch yourself. you will not speak of my wife in such a way again.

"þú munt sýna þeim hve sterkur þú í raun ert" - you'll show them how strong you really are.

"ek mun drepa þig fyrir þetta!" - i'll kill you for this!

"bróðir" - brother [because katsuki's mother is clan mother, he referred to the guard as brother.]

"ég mun verða móðir!" - i will become mother

if you already asked to be in the tag list and you're not there then please check your settings and fix it accordingly or ensure that you have at least one post on your blog and ask again.

»»————> 𝖙𝖆𝖌 𝖑𝖎𝖘𝖙!

@twoplayergaymers @ch3rryjampi3 @lxdystxrdustt @selfishgucci @sleepyfxce @depressed-waffle-time @abinformyobsessions @kodzubaby @cottagedumpling @msjaeger @condy-wants-a-cookie @who-xo @naiomiwinchester @your-mum3000 @weebperson2003 @koigeidi @lanadelgarf @misaki-kira8 @lightsinmycity

mlist!

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cavernsandcod · 2 months ago

Text

ESPRESSO | Cpt. John Price

─────dad's-best-friend!price x reader

· · ────── ঌ·✦·໒ ─── · ·AO3 VERSION | MY FIC GUIDE

Everyone has a complicated relationship with their father; the good, bad, and the ugly. Just like every complicated adult has their vices to cope with their issues. Drugs, sex, gambling, work, adrenaline— name it, it's been done.

Yours is a bit different: hooking up with your father's best friend.

WARNINGS: mild angst. reader has a shitty dad(—i.e. neglectful, militant), but no depicted abuse. alcohol. strong language. legal age gap (20s/40s). power dynamic. smut. porn with plot. authority kink, d/s. unsafe, risky sex. oral (f+m receiving). dirty talk. praise. petnames. fluff, kind of. fem!reader. not edited. WC: 7.9k

The carousel never stopped growing up.

Each time you got accustomed to a new home, school, or routine, you had to pack your bags and start over.

Your father had a new assignment; another part of the world to risk his life in while your mother did her best—well, her worst—to cope. The loneliness and sleepless nights of worry got to her once you reached double digits in age. Their conversations turned bipolar, either abrasive spats or days of tense silence. You were too young to understand, really, but you got the gist. Only saw her on weekends because she moved hours away to start a new family.

And your father, he never made an effort for much of anything except his career. He received a substantial pay raise for contracts in the UK in your teens and never looked back to ask you how you felt about it.

You, perpetually on the back burner of his mind, were only supplied the basics a child needs. A bed, three meals, and a decent schooling. Sometimes got to tag along with him to work events if you caught him in a good mood.

The uniformed men were always kind, many with children and families of their own. Made you feel safe from the hard conversations you weren’t old enough to understand. Bled some color into the sterile, militaristic surroundings you grew used to.

Even then, you knew your upbringing was atypical. Knew that you shouldn’t get attached to anything because the rug always gets ripped out from under your feet.

Once you reached your teens, school became your only out. If you had any shot of straying from your father's militant footsteps, it became apparent that a good college was the best way. Excessive studying tarnished every fake friendship and social invite you had—but there weren't many of those to begin with.

Dwelling aside, you made it.

All the hours of academics paid off with the reward of a prestigious university. Being away from home and your father was the best part of it all. A mellow roommate, a group of classmates similar to you—and the culture of uni. How startling it was compared to the environment you grew up in.

It's your last year, and summer breaks and holidays still aren’t any easier. Going back home still has that sour taste. Each time you expect welcoming arms and approval, you get a harsh reminder of why you left.

Dressed up. A camouflaged wallflower. Cowering in your father’s shadow, small like you once were.

Countless galas bustling with formal attire and gowns alike, decorated with fairy lights and the low hum of seasonal music. Men and women with chest candy to show their years of sacrifice. Their dry conversations all start to sound the same after twenty minutes.

Logistics, hardship, and embarrassing tales are a poor attempt at humoring the family members sitting at the table. You don’t laugh, don’t smile. Only think about how good the end of this holiday will be when you can return to junk food and mild rebellion.

The weather this time of year is perfect for beers and barbecue, all humid and sweltering. Perpetually smelling of bonfires and chlorine swimming pools.

At least this year you aren’t on display. No blinding lights, no raffle tickets, or overpriced, butter champagne.

It’s not a formal event whatsoever. Just a backyard party hosted by one of your dad’s esteemed colleagues. Already much preferable to the stuffy venue space that leaves you nauseous.

“John’s a good man,” your father told you as you climbed into the truck. If he’s taking a break from talking about himself, you usually listen. “Made himself a Captain. Some of the toughest maggots I’ve seen in years, that lot.” Maybe this John character will be a kinder man than your father. Maybe he’s seen the lengths of his temper. Maybe he’ll be kind to you like the other soldiers.

Is he kind to his own family?

The house is alive when you arrive. People standing in the front, side, and backyard. Children of varying ages roughhouse, running barefoot in the manicured grass, belting out squeals and babbles of excitement.

The smell of meat grilling makes the humidity tolerable. As you enter the backyard, your father makes a beeline for the patio, more eager than you’ve ever seen him.

A pair of broad shoulders overlooks the party, thick biceps bulging from a black tee. The cherry of his cigar shines like the sun beating down on you, a cloud of smoke evaporating each time he puffs. His aura is different to the other men around him; commanding and reserved, standing in a spot against the railing that you know is only his.

It’s only when your father gives him a harsh pat on the shoulder, that you realize this is John—John, the good man.

He cracks a smile in response and returns the gesture, his voice a soothing thunder. John turns and reaches into the open cooler resting beside him, fishes out a beer for your old man. Placating. Giving him a bottle to keep him mellow.

Your father settles into a lawn chair, posture stiff and manicured as ever. Didn’t bother to introduce you around—not while he’s twisting the cap off his only pleasure in life and gulping it down.

You flinch when his eyes move onto you, squinting. It’s only fair considering you’ve been staring. After a beat, he nods his head, mouth curling into a more genuine smile than you saw before. All you can muster is an awkward wave through wide eyes.

Not your best work.

“Oi—“ A voice belts. “Fancy a drink, hen?”

It’s coming in the direction of the plastic buffet tables. The first has bread and toppings, various platters, and the other is decorated with solo cups and pitchers.

The source, a younger man than John, is sitting beside the homemade concessions. He’s easy on the eyes, with charming features, holding a squirming toddler in his arms. She has his eyes and, no doubt, the same feral energy.

“Oh, sure,” he hands you a cup. “You have anything stronger?” You ask, gazing down at the punches and cans of fizz.

“Afraid not.” He dodged a headbutt by the skin of his teeth, shushing her. “Cap’n has all the good stuff.”

“I see,” you take a small sip, allowing the pure sugar to coat your tongue. ”Well, thanks anyways.” He turns his head to the side to mutter something to her, and you spot a smear of sprinkles and icing. You raise your index to point at his cheek, “you have a little something.“

He swipes it, giving his daughter a look of intense betrayal. “Wee menace—“ he bounces her, blowing a raspberry onto her stomach, “ah told ye not to get into the cake!” She squeals, little flip-flops kicking through the air.

You chuckle against the plastic rim of your solo cup and step away from the chaotic mess.

Working the grill is possibly the most formidable man you’ve ever seen, still wearing a hoodie despite the heat.

Standing beside him is a still muscular but leaner man who’s dressed appropriately. A tank top and shorts showing off healthy, bronze skin, his hands nursing a mixed drink. He clatters into the ear of the big one flipping sausages and patties, leaning in and throwing jabs.

(You decide to skip on a plate since the man you’d have to ask for one looks like he’ll devour you whole—)

The punch is gone and the red cup turns weightless in your grip. Watching your father talk the Captain’s ear off, all smirks and happy-go-lucky makes you want a taste of the good stuff he supposedly has.

You trudge the wooden steps of the porch and keep your head down. Embarrassing yourself in front of your father is one thing, and you’ve done it many times. But doing that in front of the smoking-hot SAS-Captain isn’t as easy to choke down.

“Ah, sweetheart, c‘mere!” Your dad’s voice greets you, foreign in its softness. Sweetheart? Since when? “Come say hello to John. He is your host after all, eh?”

You nod before stepping closer, standing before the two sitting men. As you shift your focus to the man of the hour, your stomach clenches. He’s hotter up close.

“Hello.” It’s simple. Perhaps too much. “Nice to meet you, sir.”

John only stares, a light expression on his face. His thighs, thick and muscular, are spread wide in the patio chair. The bottle he’s been nursing is in between them, resting at the crotch of his denim. Two of his thick fingers caress the bottle neck, toying with it until you can’t help but track it.

“Well, aren’t you sweet? It’s my pleasure.” He responds, showing a half-smirk. You can tell his gears are turning, but can’t figure what about. Suddenly, the silence feels too heavy, and he tosses back the last of his beer—gathering himself.

“Call me John, love. It’s not sir here.” His assertiveness comes naturally, but it is not unkind. The faux confidence in your posture shrivels even more.

“Right. Sorry.” You swallow.

He chuckles, sprinkling some warmth to the tension. “No need for sorry either. Didn’t know better.”

“I tell you what, Cap’n—“

Your father’s voice soils the moment, slurring and obnoxious. It seems to startle the both of you. The Captain’s blues shift to him, his jaw clenching.

“She’s never that polite with me—her own old man. I tell ya, respect is a dying breed with these brats—“

The longer he rambles, reeking of liquor and disdain, you tune him out. Try to calm yourself down before the spell you’re caught in shows in front of all these people. The porch feels small as if it’s groaning and sinking under the weight of your dysfunction. Your cheeks are burning, your chest is starting to heave, hands are shaking—

“I, uh, need to use the washroom.” The words are a blurt; crude, disrespectful, ungrateful. “Is it—?” You point an index toward the screen door beside them, already peering inside at your escape.

“Down the hall, take a left,” John answers, eyes full of knowing scrutiny; you can’t tell if it’s toward you or your kin.

You step inside his home, feeling at ease without all the outside noise. It’s remarkably clean—some of the furniture even appears handcrafted. Wood floors, freshly polished and with minimal scuffs. Sparse picture frames, mostly of the same men you saw out there, posing in formation and nearly unrecognizable. The rest of the home is antiquated and fully furnished, but still lacking any clues to the man’s true personality. He’s probably not here enough to let it show. This place is merely a bed and desk between foreign lines and blazing bullets.

You decide to skip the left.

You ascend the L-shaped staircase to your right, glancing over your shoulder to ensure you won’t be caught snooping. This isn’t your house, your place, nor your crowd—and somehow the distraction of an alluring stranger’s home is more lulling than your own. Things that don’t belong to you aren’t weighed down by baggage and bad memories. They serve as an escape.

The washroom door is ajar when you pass it, creeping further down the hall with your head on a swivel. It’s wrong and you know it, but your feet don’t stop. Floorboards creak and groan once you make it to the end of the hall. A bedroom, a linen closet, a storage room. Nothing spectacular.

The first door left closed catches your eye.

To your surprise, it isn’t locked. You push it open silently and shuffle inside, dabbing at your eyes with your shirt. The fireplace on the back wall is unlit, two bookshelves on either side, stacked full with thick hardcovers. Beams of sunlight shine across the desk in the middle, sleek and lacking clutter. Only pens and a few files that don’t make sense to you. All the drawers have a keyhole, preventing you from trudging any deeper.

Sunlight casts warmth on your arms and legs, finally giving you the boost to catch your breath. Instead of falling further, you lose yourself in all of John’s distractions. There are more photos up here, on the mantles. Still the same men, in pubs and restaurants alike worldwide, throughout the years of their relationship.

John is clean-shaven in the first one, a stern but youthful glow to his face. Tan camo gear, a background of sand and humvees. Your thumb skims over the thick Sharpie scribble in the corner: Lieutenant Jonathan Price, circa 2009.

Somehow, you like him better now; salt and pepper, bourbon-breathed, a toned tummy turned soft—

“Find something you like, love?”

Fuck. Your nervous system goes haywire, body rigid. Frozen in place like a rabbit sensing a predator to avoid becoming dead prey.

“I’m really sorry,” you squeak, setting the framed photo back in its spot. “I was just—” His footsteps are slow, but loud enough for you to hear. He’s heading for the honey-stained cellarate beside the door. He kicks it closed before you can run for the stairs and beg your dad to let you drive him home.

“No more apologies.” The cork pops when he removes it, pouring himself a healthy glass of what looks like an aged whiskey. A deep amber swirling in his grip, glinting in the beams of summer. “Doing a bit of snooping instead of joining the party? Now, that’s curious.”

Cuticles tear when you bite at them, unsure of where to go. The door is closed. You feel like you’re in trouble. John is settling into a chair, getting comfortable. His tone reeks of disdain and ambiguity, impossible to peace together.

“I wasn’t snooping, really, I only wanted a break. I didn’t even want to come to this party either.” You explain, rounding the desk without getting any closer. “No offense.”

He chuckles. “None taken. I’ve heard worse. ‘S not exactly your crowd, I’m sure.”

You hike a brow, “what do you mean by that?”

The ice clinks as he sips. “Don’t know, dove. Bar crawls? Street fights? Speed dating? You tell me.”

“I don’t—” You huff, fighting a smile. “I don’t do things like that. All I have time for is studying.” It sounds pathetic to say it out loud, but deep down, it doesn’t feel that way, and only you know why. Anything to keep from home.

He looks pleased, sprinkling a crumb onto that constant fear of being in trouble. “I know. He told me all about it. Though, I sense I’m more supportive of your studies than he is.” Another swig empties the glass and he stands to refill it.

For some reason, you feel the need to come to his defense. He’s a shitty dad. Your shitty dad—whom you’ve known longer than John, since birth. “He’s not… like that. It just takes awhile for him to come around, I guess. My father is—”

“—A prick?”

Can’t argue with that. “We’re complicated. And it’s hardly your business.”

“He made it mine, he’s at my home.”

Four steps closer. A wide body cloaking yours. You can’t move. “Especially when his daughter would rather be hiding in a stranger’s home than around him.”

“I wasn’t hiding,” you deflect, crossing your arms and tucking your chin. “I needed some air.”

“Been crying too, by the looks of it.” He pinches your jaw, forcing you to turn it back toward him. “Too sweet for all of it. And too smart. Not a bratty bone in your body.” It works because you know he’s right, and somehow standing before him, being steered by his hands feels right.

You close your eyes when his breath fans over your face. His voice is soft thunder, drowning out the rainfall of voices in the yard. “Here, have a sip.”

This should be wrong. No, it is wrong. Still, you nod your head and wait for the rim to reach your parted lips.

It’s pungent. A sharp punch to the nose. Your nose crinkles, mouth starting to frown as if you’ve never tasted liquor. Whatever he has is clearly a different league than the kegs at uni.

“Hm, I figured,” John leans back to finish the drink off, muscles growing looser by the second. “Suppose that means you were telling the truth, then.”

“I was.” Unconsciously, you open your eyes and find yourself leaning closer to breathe him in.

John reaches around you to set the empty glass down, fingers dancing close to your waist before closing in. He notices the hitch in your breathing, the clench of your jaw muscles, and most of all the fight inside yourself.

“It’s okay to like it, love. Just don’t want to see you sad, is all.” The tip of his nose burrows into your hair, the free hand holding the back of your head. “Gonna let me help you, doll?”

You nod again, head spinning. And that seems to be all it takes. Something once tucked neat below the surface unleashes so violently that you feel it.

The cracks widen. He grips your jaw, lips latching onto the apple of cheek and trailing until he reaches your mouth. The beginning is a tiptoe that abruptly turns messy and feverrant.

The levee breaks. Your tailbone hits the back edge of the large desk, digging into it. You wince against his maw, beckoning two large hands to lift you onto it. The part of your thighs widens, his pelvis nestled between the crux of them.

The waves pull you under. You moan into the kiss, muffled and pitiful. The pressure of his erection is just right against your clothed pussy.

His name spills—a desperate plea for more that he stifles.

“Shh.” John soothes, pulling the hem of his shirt until it’s left untucked. The kiss breaks with a wet pop. “We’ll need to be quiet, lovey. Our secret.”

Love; there it is again, sodden with need.

Your hips shift when he leans forward to suckle on your clavicle, teetering close to your breasts without giving in.

“I need,” you whisper, “need more. Please.”

He tuts. Something that says patience. Be a good girl. It’s the perfect high pitched frequency to rewire the clutter in your brain. When he starts to slither lower, working your tank top off, you have wholeheartedly forgotten why you were upset in the first place.

Your nipples pebble from the air conditioning, growing erect through the thin fabric of your bra. They beg for relief from the chaffing—and he begs to feast on them.

“You wanted me to see these today, didn’t you? Perfect fucking tits.” John probes, snapping the strap against your shoulder with his hand. His hot, whiskey breath fans across your cleavage as he unfastens it.

They drop without the support—essentially hanging fruit for a man starved. Sweet and full of life on his tongue.

He suckles until his tongue grows tired leaving a trail of saliva in its way, but the fire in his blues remains ablaze. You gasp when he pulls you off the oak, a hand on the nape of your neck to herd you.

You’re facing it now, slowly tilting down until your tits are smushed against his workspace. Your upper half shivers against it, teeth biting into your bottom lip in anticipation. His fingers dig into the waistband of your shorts, tugging them, and your panties, down to your ankles in one go.

When the breeze settles onto your bare ass, you wait for the feeling of hips against it. To feel the prod of a thick cock against your entrance. For him to slam inside you without preamble, splitting you open and pounding you sore.

Instead, you feel his weight shift. A hot mouth between your thighs, two big hands pulling your cheeks apart to get a view of your pussy. It quivers, already glistening without any touch.

You let out a sharp gasp when he dives in. No time wasted with kitten licks or long, wet stripes along your inner thighs. He shakes his head when his tongue is fucking you, oscillating until you fight a cry.

“Fuck—!” You yell, muted by your gritted teeth.

He hums, and it feels like a vibrator pressed against your clit. “Even sweeter down here, sweetheart.” John’s words are muffled, as if tearing himself away would cause him death.

The captain shifts from your hole to your swollen clit. He laps at the puffy bead, suckling each time you let out a whimper for something more—already knowing exactly what you need from him. Letting you take it from him.

“My sweet girl,” Price mumbles against your sex, gently spreading it open with his thumb. “You just need to cum. Just needed your pussy played with a bit, eh? ‘S that right?”

Your brain turns haywire. Yes, yes, yes. He’s right. That’s what you need—

You can’t answer, not with words. All you want is for that coil in your tummy to snap. It would only take a few more seconds.

He latches again, hallowing his cheeks until slick pools between his lips. The bundle of nerves in your abdomen gives way, off the edge of the cliff in an instant.

Everything stops. Your legs wobble, a drooling mouth agape against the back of your hand, eyes rolling to the back of your head. The only reason he rips himself away is the fear of you falling too deep, growing too loud for any of his to remain discreet.

He can’t toy with you today. Can't push the limits, no matter how tempting it is.

His zipper interrupts the ringing in your ears, forcing you to gather yourself. He isn’t done and you don’t want him to be. You want, no, need more of him, whether you faint afterward or not because he’s too much to handle. The logistics of it don’t matter right now.

“Do you feel it, love?” He peels down the waistband of his briefs, pressing his hard cock against your pussy, gathering the arousal. It feels big—but you knew that when you first saw him. Already had expectations for what it might be like, and though you can’t see it, you know you were right.

“Gonna fuck you now.” His voice grows hard, an arm snaking across your belly to raise you up again. The thought of being moved makes you whimper impatiently. You want him now, bent over his desk as you were.

Despite the haste in his actions, you can tell there is a purpose to him readjusting you.

Your gaze lands on a bare chest. He must’ve taken his shirt off at some point behind you. Slowly, your head dips down to take a gander. John pumps his cock, using the slick he collected for a smooth, repetitive glide.

It curves upward toward his stomach, girthier at its base. Dirty-blond curls conceal some of it, conjoined with his happy trail.

The reddened tip leaks pre-cum that you want to taste. But, selfishly, you only want him to give in and put his dick inside you for being good. His mouth was only a lick of what you know he can give.

He stays true to his word, scooting you closer so his stomach presses against yours. Your legs hug his waist, spread wide to let him take his spot.

“Need you facing me.” The tip notches against your entrance, barely pressing inside. You yelp, sucking in a breath. “See? ‘M too big for you to stay quiet, baby.”

Your hole remains snug, but still eases him in, making room for what your cunt wants. It's too much to choke down without noise. “I can’t- They’ll hear us—“

“That’s why you’re looking at me, pretty. So I can help you. Just need you to trust me, alright?” You nod your head, eyes shifting from his cock to meet his. To trust him.

He raises a hand, clamping it over your mouth with a vice grip. His hips start to move, pushing forward until his pelvis is flush with yours, balls deep.

You squeal against his palm, cunt filled to the brim, womb being butted. She aches, fighting the sheer size of it, welding the pleasure and pain of every shallow thrust.

You want him to take it slow, but you’d only beg for more if he did that.

“That’s it,” he groans, mouth against your ear. The other hand digs into the fat of your hip, leaving indents in its wake. “Just take it for me so you feel better, sweet girl.”

His pace quickens into calculated ruts, causing your muffled noises to grow in intensity. Every drag of his cockhead inside you lulls you closer to that addictive ecstasy. His tongue was surface-level, playful, and exhilarating, nothing compared to the deep den of primal need. Something you ached for the first time you saw him whether you knew it or not.

Someone enters the house downstairs, dishes clattering, and John looks at it as incentive. Both hands tighten as an anchor for deeper, sharper thrusts that send the penholder and paper weight cascading to the floor. “Can feel you getting tighter, love,” he groans, stubble and breath tickling your ear. “You want to cum all over my cock—all stuffed full?”

You nod while slobbering on his mitt.

The air punches from your lungs with each jolt inside your pussy. The coil tightens again, snared and full of tension. Instead of jabbing, he reduces his pace to slow grinds along the front wall of your cunt, massaging the spongy spot that makes your eyes roll into the back of your skull.

His head lifts from the crook of your neck to meet them.

“Just—fucking—need to cum, baby.” John stutters, a drunk expression that warrants the lazy movements in his pelvis. “Ah, shit—Do it for me. Be good.” He holds on for you; bites the inside of his cheek until he bleeds.

The muscles in your stomach throb, your spine goes weak. A warbled cry expels into his flesh when you gush around him, knees shaking against his sides. All the tension you carried downstairs seems to vanish for a moment. The consequences of being caught look meaningless. Giving in, inviting rebellion feels like something you can live with.

Your eyes flutter open, brows furrowed as he shifts his focus onto his own pleasure. All you need to do is keep still and take it. Be the good girl he knows you are.

He pulls out, leaving you empty and clenching around his absence. Subtle, slick sounds echo through the office as he grinds against your pussy, bumping into your clit.

His hand does the rest of the work, squeezing the base until he sputters, leaving fingerprint bruises on your hip.

You feel the ropes of cum paint the outside of your cunt, his mouth latching onto yours as he rides through it. “So messy.” He whispers, stubble harsh against your lips.

Your legs and posture drop as he pulls away, tucking his cock back into his briefs. You don’t feel regretful, only tired and in need of a cold shower.

“You go downstairs first.” He instructs, lifting you off the desk. After finding your shirt, he slips it over your head, leaving your bra somewhere tossed aside. After, he kneels, dangerously close to the mess he made, he helps you step into your panties and shorts again, hiding the evidence.

The fabric sticks to you, full of cum and sweat. Your legs throb and wobble without the support of the desk beneath you, the spend costing them causing them to stick. “Get yourself a plate, too. Can’t have you passing out, can we?”

“O-okay.” You, utterly stunned, aren’t sure what else to say.

His lips find your sweaty temple, hand splayed across your heaving tummy. “Be good.”

The descent downstairs is slow and just short of shameful. You aren’t sure of what you’ll say if anyone asks questions.

Hopefully there’s a snug corner you can tuck yourself into.

Months pass before you see John again.

The music pounds your eardrums. People are yelling over it. Bodies slam into you.

It’s the night of your grad party, surrounded by fake friends and alcohol. You lost track of the only decent one you came here with. A few minutes pass when you stare at her text, explaining why. She got bored and decided to bar hop in the city with her guy. Shit.

Your vision ebbs and blurs and you wonder if you should have joined her. This isn’t your element. This isn’t safe. This house is unfamiliar. How are you getting back to your dorm?

You never do this, never stop being the rational one in the group. Always the designated driver who holds a buzz while your friends get hammered. Yet, here you are, holding onto a bannister so you don’t faceplant. As you thumb through your contacts, you wager the options in your head about who to call.

A family member—you’d rather die.

One of your classmates—either here with you, or asleep.

The SAS Captain you fucked within earshot of all his collegues and your dad after he caught you hiding in his home office—now that’s promising. And somehow less humiliating.

You giggle against the wood grain when you click his name, feeling the sway of the alcohol on your decisions, remembering the euphoria of that day. He’s probably asleep, too. A text might be better. Otherwise, his name will continue to collect dust in your phone.

—heyyy

—are you awake captain?

He reads it after a few seconds.

I am, sweetheart. Why are you texting me?—

You pout, as if he’s here to see it.

—i missed you and i thought it was past ur bedtime

—hehe

Call me now.—

You don’t call him.

Why should you? He’s being a proper sourpuss about a little joke—

The screen flashes with his name and it takes a few moments before you can figure it out. Stumbling to your feet so you can walk outside, you cover one ear and raise the phone to your ear.

“Sweetheart.” It sounds more like a scold than a greeting.

Keys jingle on the other line, a car door opening. “Where are you?” John’s unmistakable voice flows through.

Your shoe scuffs against the pavement, balance off as you look for a street sign. Somehow, he’s able to make out the address you stutter through. Luckily, you aren’t too far out from his place because you won’t be upright much longer.

You lower yourself onto the curb and tuck in your knees, eyes drooping from intoxication. “Am I in trouble?”

Your voice is weak, half-genuine but his is neither. “No, love. I just need you to stay where you are until I come get you. Alright?”

“Mm-hm,” you hum, plucking out blades of grass. “I’ll stay.”

The call ends.

You sit there for longer than you can keep track of. The muffled bass keeps you awake even though you’re fighting it. Knowing you will see John again is motivating, too, but it’s unsure if he’s going to be warm. It’s an extremely unlikely way to reconnect with an old hookup.

An engine grows louder, tires crunching gravel through the ringing in your ears. The brakes squeal, a car door closes, boots enter your swaying sightline.

You lift your head from your lap and chew on your lip when you meet his gaze, feigning innocence. “Mr. Price?” You know who it is.

“C’mon. Get up.” His brows furrow, not giving you the time to follow his commands. Instead, he cups your upper arm and pulls you up, leading you toward his car. The other hand holds the back of your head, shoving it to the center of his chest in case you manage to fall. A few scrapes is better than a drunken head wound.

“‘M not supposed to get in the car with strange men.” Your feet drag, ankles bobbing, but his hold on you doesn’t budge.

“Cute.” John retorts, unamused as he opens the passenger door. “But I think we’re past strangers.”

With ease, he lifts your body into the seat, tucking in your feet and then forcing your hands into your lap. When he leans over you to buckle the seatbelt, you lick your lips and smirk at him, shamelessly breathing in his cologne.

“You think I’m,”—you hiccup—“cute?”

John draws back and pauses, skimming your features with a clenched jaw. Decides not to negotiate with you right now.

“We’ll talk in the morning.” Your door closes.

As you slump against the window, your eyes follow his speed-walk around the vehicle to climb inside, and how abruptly he puts it in drive and takes off. After that, most of it is a blur of neighborhoods and headlights that you’re too out of it to pay attention to.

The trudge inside his place is bits and pieces. There’s a constant hand on the small of your back, up the stairs until you reach the bedroom. His bedroom. You only saw a glimpse back at the party—masculine, simple, and neat. Two hands on your shoulders steer you toward the bed until you lower onto it.

John digs through his dresser, pulling out a clean t-shirt. “Arms up.”

You raise them, and he pulls off the sweaty one you’re wearing, and then your bralette. His shirt is more breathable by far, perpetually smelling of him. You toy with the hem as he reaches for your jeans, tugging them off each leg methodically. “Can’t sleep in these, can you?” The captain mumbles, more to himself. “Probably not the shoes, either.” Those are next, tossed onto the armchair with your clothes.

You chortle, cheeks hot. “I like your clothes.”

“Yeah? Then stay right there.” He turns away and enters the bathroom, returning with a small cup that he extends.

You stare at it, puzzled and hesitant. When you cock a brow, he sighs. “Mouthwash. You smell like a distillery, and I reckon you’ll fall over before we can brush your teeth.”

You toss it back, relying on muscle memory to swish it around your cheeks before spitting it back into the cup. The minty aftertaste is miles better than the remnants of your last syrupy, mixed drink.

“Nauseous?” He returns to the bedroom, peeling off his belt and jeans. “Tell me the truth.”

You shake your head and that seems to burn the energy you have left. The world tilts on its axis.

John huffs when you fall over, cheek squished against his navy bedspread. If he weren’t in such a sour mood, he might appreciate the sight a bit more. Instead, he grabs a throw blanket and drapes it over your crumpled frame before climbing in next to you. One arm snakes around your waist to keep you secure and the other supports your head in case you start to roll, or vomit in the middle of sleeping.

You don’t vomit in the morning.

You have a hellacious headache in place of an alarm, however. The body pressed against you throughout the night is gone and you’re shivering now. With a groan, you climb off the bed and follow the noise.

The bathroom door isn’t shut completely. You can see his shadow moving under it, the sound of him brushing his teeth and spitting out the excess.

“John?” You frown from the bright light when you push the door open. “How am I here?” That question reminds you of how you ended up here—actually, that you can’t remember the answer. All you can do is rely on hope that he was responsible enough to not have sex with you when he brought you home.

“A few texts.” He answers, placing his toothbrush back in its cup. “That’s how.”

“Did we… we didn’t—?”

“No,” he shakes his head, expression stern. “Believe it or not, love, I have a conscience.”

You can finally breathe. “Good.” Your shoulders drop, posture relaxing. “I mean, you were mindblowing, but— I’m glad we didn’t.”

The flattery gets you nowhere; John walks past you and you can feel the cloud that follows him. It makes the air thick.

Though all you want to do is sleep, you follow him with furrowed brows. “Are you mad at me for something? Whatever I said, I was drunk. A-and you didn’t have to come get me. I would’ve asked… I don’t know, someone, for a ride home.”

“I doubt that.” John argues, stopping at the foot of the bed. “You were seconds from passing out when I got there, too shitfaced to stand. You’re lucky nothing bad happened.”

Frankly, you’re offended. No, you don’t get out much, nor have you ever been that drunk without a ride. But this spat isn’t remotely fair.

“I know that. I’m not an idiot.” You roll your eyes, pulling his shirt over your head.

Like an asshole, he does that cocky, knowing half-smile. “That’s my point. You’re not stupid, sweetheart.” Despite the heat in his words, his eyes comb over the sight of your bare chest, then the swell of your ass when you bend to grab your jeans.

With your back turned, literally, you are fully intent on ignoring the domineering lecture you know is coming. It’s not his place. You just need to get home and forget about the whole thing.

“Don’t get dressed yet.” His feet shuffle closer. “We aren’t done.”

You scoff, refusing to turn around. “Or what? You’ll lecture me about safe drinking, Mr. Price?”

A dark cloud casts over your bare body in an instant. Two hands clamp onto your shoulders and spin you. Then, a rough palm shoves you onto the mattress. “I’m not doing this with—”

You let out a yelp, hands digging into the comforter. A flame of arousal flickers in your belly and it wages war with frustration. “This isn’t funny to me, John. My head hurts—”

“Shut your mouth. It won’t do you any favors.” The bed creaks when he sinks a knee into it, one before the other to hover on top of you. John’s eyes singe into every inch of your skin, hands beginning to roam. “Besides, I thought it was Mr. Price, sweetheart?”

You shake your head, sincerely regretting your choice to be snarky. “I-I wasn’t…”

“No?” His thumb toys with the waistband of your panties, stilling when your hips buck upward. “Hm, I suppose ‘sir’ is better, anyhow. Easier for you to remember.”

When your mouth opens, he tuts and brings the hand up to your chest. Too far from where you need him to touch you. It’s been too long since you felt it. Stale memories aren’t enough to get off to. None of your toys do the trick. And the blokes your age are clumsy and inconsiderate—nothing like John.

“Though your pretty head might not remember it,” he licks a nipple, teeth barely grazing it until you shutter. “I said we’d talk in the morning.”

You whine and reach for his belt, but he swats the back of your hand harsh enough for your knuckles to sting.

“Ah-ah— you want it? Want my cock inside you?” He asks, almost deceptively sweet. “Be polite.”

Your throat bobs when you swallow your pride, feeling every ounce of dignity drain from your bloodstream. “I want your in me cock. Please.”

He tilts his head like he’s truly thinking about it. Every second feels a lifetime. His index adjusts a strand of hair sticking to your cheek, sluggish enough to count as torture.

“Much better.” John leans down, pecking your lips a few times. “‘M gonna give it to you now.”

Relief washes over you with a shaky breath. You start to think this will go by quick, that a rough fuck will be all it takes for him to forgive you. One that you’ll enjoy probably too much, but God, all you want is for him to fill you—

“Up.” He fists the hair on top of your head, firm enough to make you raise it. “Follow my hand.”

You gape at him with wet eyes, lip all but quivering. You should be whining from the stretch of him, knees tucked as close to your chest as they’ll go—but instead, you’re sitting up and unsure of why.

It takes a slow blink for him to put a foot on the bed and feed his tip toward your lips. Circling them with it until they part enough for him to slip inside. Despite months of fantasizing about having his cock down your throat, you feel tricked.

“Easy. There we go. Hold onto me.” You grip his thighs tight, tilting your head forward. Halfway inside the warm, wet chasm of your mouth, his eyes flutter shut with a satisfied groan.

”Fuck— you’re bloody perfect.” It’s a new, soon-to-be addiction. He starts to pump his hips cautiously, narrowly avoiding your gag reflex.

Tears prick in your eyes as your throat fights to allow him space in it. You gag when he pushes deeper, giving his thigh a light squeeze, not a full-stop.

He pulls out, gripping the base of his glistening cock. “I-I thought—“ You stutter, voice hoarse. “You said you’d give me your cock, John.”

The hand in your hair tightens, enough for your scalp to start screaming. You whine from the mild pain and he reneges, stroking your temple to keep you dazed.

“Try again, sweetheart. Use your head.” After a beat of silence, you gather the pieces missing. Begin to anticipate what will warrant one of his firm corrections.

“I told you what I wanted, Sir.” It’s the correct answer—you can tell. Your neck is already sore, the agitated muscles putting a damper on your speech. “T-that I wanted your cock inside me. You promised you would—“

“Oh, baby.” His voice softens, less militant and more condescending. The hand on his cock starts to pump slowly, spit coating his fingers.

“I said I’d put my cock in you, but I didn’t say where, eh?” The tip prods at your mouth again and it opens on instinct.

You gulp, desperation breeding. Arguing is futile.

He goes deeper than before, easing through every gag and cough until your throat opens. “Your mouth is just as good isn’t it, baby? You can cum from this?” You won’t. And he damn well knows it.

The shift to rhetorical and demeaning feels like something you should hate. He’s been mean for the sake of it; playing with his slab of meat before devouring it.

With your eyes closed, it’s not as agonizing. You focus on the sounds he makes and keeping your teeth from getting in the way. Every grunt and groan makes your pussy clench around nothing. Makes you want to slither a hand between your legs for relief.

“‘M gonna cum, sweetheart. Keep still—“ he retracts with a wet pop, jerking himself off with only the tip being warmed. Your tongue rolls over the slit, nails digging into his hip bones to egg him on.

His fist balls on top of your head when he comes, costing the roof of your mouth and inner lips in hot, milky spurts. “Fuck, mmfph—“

John loosens the grip, finally allowing your head to rest. His mouth meets yours, tongue lapping at the inside of it despite the remnants of his climax still on your tastebuds. Before you lean back again, he works at your soaked panties, nearly ripping the cheap fabric when he rids them.

After all that, you’re practically buzzing with anticipation. Whining into every kiss. Gripping onto him like he’ll run away. Grinding your pussy through thin air.

“Gonna fuck you now, pretty. Like I promised.” He pecks your collarbone. “Turn over for me.”

With his hands steering you, you’re facing the bed in an instant, staring at the backs of your hands digging into the sheets. You arch your back, putting your head down, but he stills you with a gentle pat on the hip.

“All the way down, love. On your tummy.” It’s unusual, but definitely more comfortable than bending your spine. As you shift off onto forearms, he sets a pillow underneath the spot of your pelvis, elevating your ass.

You can tell it’s a calculated move to drive you mad. The soft arch of your back, how he’s going to drape his entire body on you and crane his hips toward that special spot.

Weight settles across your entire back, a cock head finding your hole. You wiggle your hips and he breathes through a laugh, easing inside you smooth as butter.

He doesn’t waste time, not like before. The stretch is seamless, an instant pleasure that flows to the plug of your womb.

“S-so deep. Mm— fuck.” You moan into the pillows, mouth agape.

His cock bullies for its spot in your guts, deeper than it was the last time. He leans closer, fingers slipping across your belly to massage your clit. The other drapes over your tits, his body forcing you into a bear hug from behind.

“I missed being inside you, sweet girl,” his hip bones bite into your ass, balls flush with it. Every drag of them makes your eyes roll, working the places inside you that have never been abused. “Taking my cock so well.”

The rough pads of his fingers swirl around your clit as he fucks you into the mattress, hearing sounds he couldn’t before. But now, every thrust earns a sharp, overstimulated moan from your lips that he’ll savor; to keep him warm when he’s away.

“‘m gonna cum, don’t stop.” Your voice raises an octave, a fire burning in your stomach. The headboard slams against the wall as he quickens the pace, abusing the aching spot that worked so well before.

You come with a shaky moan, coating his dick in a slick that drips down his inner thighs. Sweat poured from your skin, muscles taut and overworked.

You go limp beneath him, relying on his hold to keep your head from dropping. “Almost there, baby—“ Baby. There it is again, only desperate. “Just keep t-taking what I give you.”

Instead of thrusting, he slows and begins circling his cock inside you, grinding his pelvis into the fat of your ass. “Fuck, fuck. M’filling you up this time.” He mutters into the side of your head, unintelligible.

Your vision blurs, body jolting forward when he stills inside you. Spurts of cum coat the inner walls of your cunt as he slumps forward, bracing himself with both palms on the bed now.

You can breathe once he eases up, panting like a dog into your neck. “You’re perfect.” John’s lips feather against your ear before he shifts beside you.

Your pulse begins to slow, limbs jelly, and therefore useless in leaving anytime soon.

“I think I hate you.” You mutter into the sticky skin on your wrist, curling onto your side to face him.

His lips curve upward, slightly impressed. “I’ve heard that before.” He does the same, scooting close so you can lean against his heart. “How’s the headache?”

“Gone.” You reply, begrudgingly.

“Hm. Suppose you should get out of here, then.” John teases, while making no effort to move or let go of you. “Just a few steps and you’d be out of my hair. Easy peasy.”

You huff, fighting exhaustion. “Please stop talking.”

He chuckles hard enough for your head to jiggle against his chest. “Only because you asked me so nicely, lovie.”

#captain price x female reader #captain price x you #john price #john price x reader #john price smut #captain john price #john price x you #captain price x reader #price x reader #modern warfare #call of duty #call of duty modern warfare #call of duty fanfic #modern warefare ii #tf 141 #tf 141 x reader #price mw2 #cod fanfic

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dumbbitchenergy17 · 4 months ago

Text

Where the Wild Things Are - Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen: Save Who You Can Save

Plot: Wild men or monstrous infected creatures, the world is wild and ravaged by Cordecyps but some are raised in it and flourish becoming a wild thing.

Word Count: 2.4K

Pairing: Joel Miller x Platonic!Teen!Reader, Ellie Williams x Platonic!Reader

Warnings: canon-typical fighting/violence, injuries, harsh language, tw: CHARACTER DEATH, description of intense injuries, trauma from abusive mother, description of child neglect/abuse

—————

Joel...save who you can save.

“Be glad I gave you the family reunion you were so desperate for,” Her finger rests on the trigger and you’re unsure why you aren’t afraid. Maybe you’ve expected death for a while, whether from something simple or by infected. To be executed by your mother in front of your father wasn’t how you thought it would go.

A loud guttural cry pieces through the night pausing your inevitable death as it grows quiet for a moment. You feel the ground rumble under your cheek like something large moving. Another familiar screech that sends fear in not just Jacksonians but Raiders alike.

“Infecte—” A man shouts but is bodyslammed by a runner who beats his face in. It’s complete chaos you see something jump over you and you watch your mother get tackled hearing the sound of gunfire and screams filling the air. Someone grabs you and you see it’s Joel shouting something at you but a high-pitched ringing from the sight of your mother being mauled. Tommy appears with a rifle shoving another weapon in Joel’s grasp as they try pulling you away and defend themselves at the same time. Your vision catches a clicker enter the stables and your mind runs clear only one through.

Lila.

You shove Joel away and he screams your name watching you disappear amongst the chaos. He would have gone after you if a clicker hadn’t rushed him forcing him to defend himself. It’s a bloodbath of either infected or humans dropping like flies. You were surprised to see the sudden resurgence of Jacksonians joining the fight to stop the raiders and infected. Rushing into the stables you hear screams and see Lila under a table out of Red’s pen her legs kicking at a clicker trying to grab her. With a roar, you jump the clicker stabbing it in the neck as it screeches before falling dead. She cries rushing into your arms and you pick her up. Her back is wet with blood and you see the dead man’s body and a smear assuming she slipped on it.

“We gotta go!” You yell rushing to Red’s pen opening it fully pulling the horse out. Placing Lila on the saddle before climbing on top holding her close to your chest. “Hyah!” Red bursts out of the stables into the chaos, a building is on fire, and gunfire from every direction as you guide Red out the main gate. Some infected try chasing after you but you fire your rifle at them mowing some of them down as you disappear into the night.

It took hours and many dead men and women to finish off the raiders and infected. The main gate was heavily damaged from the invasion and they lost many brave men and women as well as many innocents. A large pyre was built in the middle of the town to burn the bodies. Many were outraged they couldn’t bury their dead but the council couldn’t tell who was killed by raiders or by infected so they had to be certain no one was going to turn. Joel stared grimly at the flames still caked in blood and grime along with the many others, Ellie tucked in his side tears in her eyes at the many they lost. Joel catches his brother’s eyes across the pyre a conversation needing to happen.

“Ellie,” he squeezes her shoulder, drawing her attention, “Go join Maria in helping settle the children.” Many homes were destroyed or ransacked, so currently, there is a sanctuary at the church, where many of the injured are being taken care of since the clinic is way too small to house so many. Ellie nods before heading off, where Dina and Jesse join her. Tommy stands beside his brother, still in grime and blood from the night before.

“We haven’t found her b—” Tommy speaks his voice heavy.

“She’s not dead.” Joel’s words are final as he continues watching the flames. After you disappeared within the chaos he never saw you again. You and Lila left no trace besides the stables missing Red and the dead body of a raider and clicker. Your mother’s body was almost missing so they weren’t sure where she went off to which didn’t settle his nerves knowing she was seconds away from killing his daught–

“She’s alive,” Joel says glancing at his brother, “She knows how to survive, she would have lived tonight. Where would she go.” Tommy grows quiet, he knew your places here in Jackson. Where you went to be alone or avoid people he knew those hiding spots. But outside Jackson.

“She’d head back to the cabin,” Tommy says and Joel looks over at him. “Ever since we brought her here that’s the only thing she’s asked for. After that, I’m not sure where else she’d head to, knowing her most likely North to more desolate areas.”

“Then we head back to the cabin.”

You didn’t realize how close Jackson was to the cabin, it’s harder to tell directions during the winter but with it all melted into spring and life brought back you recognized familiar landmarks once covered by snow. Guiding Red out of the dense forest over the small hillside there was the cabin. The snow had long melted and the bodies that once there seemed disposed on the outside. The hole was still in the roof but you were surprised to see it standing. You expected the Raiders to have burnt it to the ground. Lila is fast asleep on your lap as you guide Red to the pond where she eagerly drinks water. Sliding off with Lila in your arms you pat Red’s coat.

“Thank you, Red.” You whisper before adjusting your grip and heading inside. The place was completely deserted as you rested Lila on the destroyed couch before checking to make sure the area was secure. Returning to Lila who was still asleep you take in her feverish complexion resting your hand on her forehead feeling how hot she was. Opening your pack finding your canteen and a rag you drench it in the cold water before placing it atop her forehead. Looking over her you freeze seeing a slight muscle spasm in her hand. You rub your eyes hoping you're just imagining it from the exhaustion but then you see it again her hand full twitch before falling limp. She seems almost lifeless in your grasp as you pull up her sleeves not seeing anything, peeling her collar back and her skin though dirty but clear, you grab one of her legs pulling up her pant legs and there’s nothing, you grab her other leg feeling your hand grow damp from blood as you pull up the cuff.

“Oh god,” You fall back covering your mouth with your arm at the sight, of her leg with a clear bite mark and the infection spreading strongly deep red and black veins protruding from it. You feel sick at just the sight of it taking in the young girl who looks peacefully sleeping but is transforming with every second. Why didn’t you check more thoroughly for the bites, you could have done more. You could have gotten her to Ellie maybe she could have turned her immune if that’s even how it works.

“Y/n…?” Lila slurs out like she is woken from a groggy nap but it was the infection taking over.

“Hey, I’m here,” You rush forward pushing back strands of sweaty hair that stick to her forehead. “We’re safe okay we got out.”

She smiles, “Did momma and daddy get out?” She asks and you grow quiet and you see the twitching in her hand before it dies down.

“Yeah, they did…but we got separated,” You feel a burning in your throat as you speak the next words, “We’re gonna go see them soon though.”

“I can’t wait to see momma and daddy!” She says happily though still weak and you smile those tears burn at the back of your eyes. You look up forcing them back before clearing your through.

“y-Yeah..me too.”

You clean Lila up when she falls asleep again her energy drained from just a simple conversation taking the time to trash your old bedroom to let out the rage and sadness inside of you. When Lila reawakes you’re sure she can see your bloodshot eyes. Taking her outside she smiles at the vast amount of fields and flowers that surround the cabin.

“So pretty,” She slurs as you sit amongst the grass as she plucks flowers. You can see it’s taking over more and more and you know keeping her like this is wrong but you can’t get the strength to do this. She holds out a flower for you as her hand violently twitches, “For you.” You smile placing it in the pocket of your flannel being careful with your rifle still slung over your shoulder not to let the strap crush it.

“Thank you, honey.” You say before looking at your pack lying beside you and on top of it the pistol. You glance back seeing the twitching only gets more frequent as you feel sick.

“Lila sweetie,” You call out to her, “You wanna see some fish?” You try to keep your tone light but you’re too choked up to fake it. She doesn’t seem to notice whether her oblivion or the one induced by the infection.

“Fishy!” You tuck the item in your waistband before coming and helping her to her feet as you two stand guiding her over to the pond. She giggles at the colorful fish swimming around and the frogs hop across the lily pads. You crouch down to her height placing a kiss on her temple and letting yourself rest there for a moment. Before you rise take a few steps back to admire her the beautiful and innocent of her ever as this deadly thing takes over something so pure. Your hands shake as you check to see the gun has a bullet in the chamber, cocking it back the noise fills the air but Lila doesn’t pay mind to it.

“li-Lila…” Your voice cracks as you call out her name and she doesn’t turn to face you, “I love you.” Your voice drifts through the wind as her waning attention is still focused on the pond.

“I love you too Y/n.” She says and tears streaming down your face as you raise the pistol to aim. Closing your eyes your finger pulls the trigger. A loud crack fills the air before the sound of a thud. Your knees hit the ground your face pressing into the dirt as you sob. Your fist bangs against the grass and dirt as you cry into the earth cursing it. For bringing you into this world, for making you find such pure thing to love, for making you be the one to end its suffering.

“Y/n..”

A slurred voice calls out and you whip your head up to see a person standing a few feet away from you. She was covered in blood and grime, her clothing ripped and tattered, but you could see the multiple bite marks that littered her from her neck down to her legs. She twitches erratically her eyes bloodshot and shifty as she moans in pain.

Your mother.

Her gaze moves from you to the body that lies behind you and she with the dwindling mind left in her as the pieces connect. She screeches rushing towards you with flaying arms and you raise your rifle firing at her legs. She hits the ground and this anger you’re not sure you’ve felt before overtakes you. Retribution for all the pain and suffering she put you through, every tear shed, every drop of blood bled, for the pain she put Jackson through, the pain she put Ellie through, for Tommy and Maria, the pain she put Lila through, the pain she put Joel through. You let it take over as you used her as your punching bag. Your rifle fires multiple shots at her arms when she tries crawling leaving her writhing and screaming in pain. You jerk the empty clip out fill a new one and hold the trigger as you spray her with bullet holes, her screams pierce the serene atmosphere, and you reload another clip. She stares up at you with tears in her eyes, with the last bit of humanity whether for mercy from your wrath or to finish her off and end her suffering. But you didn’t want her to die, you wanted her to feel exactly what you thought. You scream pressing on the trigger as she is painted in bullets, you don’t care that she isn’t moving anymore. The rifle stalls empty of bullets and you throw it to the side with a roar pulling out your handgun and shooting her in the head her skull fractures open more, and your gun jams. You scream pulling out the knife as you fall to the ground stabbing her blood and spraying it on your face pulverizing her brain matter as you sob and scream. You embed the knife deep into her coming through the other end into the ground as you fall to the side emptying your stomach. Your throat burns from the acid as you hack and cough up practically a lung as you cry. Pushing back you look at the scene you left behind your hand scrambling for the pistol. Opening the clip you see only one bullet left and your mind goes numb. Reloading the singular bullet you rise to shaky feet stumbling over to Red who paces at the event just happening. Untying the reins you let them fall from your grasp.

“Go Red,” Your voice hoarse as she doesn’t move pressing her snout against your shoulder and you shove her away, “Go away Red!” You yell smacking her rear and she rushes off and you watch her disappear over the hillside. Dragging your feet back to between the corpses of your mother and sister you let yourself fall to your knees draining it all. Pulling the crushed flower from your pocket a few petals fall as you bring it to your nose taking a deep inhale of the earth. The last good thing you can say you did. Sat and smelled the flowers before you died. Raising the pistol not even flinching at the cool metal gracing your temple your finger undoing the safety with a click. Your finger rests on the trigger looking at the small beauty left in this fucked up world.

“Y/n!”

And you pull the trigger.

Where the Wild Things Are Tags

@afictionaladventure16 @alohastitch0626 @amy172 @amyispxnk @ashisabitgay @batgurl42 @bobbypickl3 @christinamadsen @clovergray @cozyphine @daemontargaryenwhore @darthrue @daughterofthequeen @ellistyle @enamoredofbella @endo-bunny @enfppixie @enfppuff @feenoire @feralkidz @fictional-character-whore @frootloops1213 @gods-menace @gundham11037 @ilovehotdadsandshit @ioonatv @jmillersgirl @kaiwai @kitdjarin1 @lainekyuu @legoemma @lemonlaides @lorenaloveslewis @love-giselle @lovelyygirl8 @lunawants @maelartasch @marvelandhamilton @melonmochi @minaridior @mmkkzz @n7cje @oscarissac2099 @pandorascosmic @phoenixgurl030 @poetoflawed @queenofthekill @randomhoex @rannifer @rhaenyramistress @scoliobean @screechingsandwichtriumph @severussimp @sevikasleftarm @shotgun-shelby @stargurl99 @stickthegremlin @strangesthirdeye @supernerdycookietrashblrr @theclassicvinyldragon @theredvelvetbitch @todoroki-simp @tracysnook @viviio3o @wife-to-pedro-pascal @your-shifting-gurl

If your name is crossed out tumblr won’t let me tag you for some reason. Sorry :(

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moonyswritinq · 4 months ago

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black swan — killian jones x male reader

❝ BLACK SWAN ❞

SYNOPSIS ➢ Killian Jones was no stranger to using his charms in order to woo beautiful women, Emma Swan being no exception. You couldn’t stand the sight of him flirting shamelessly with your sister, purely for brotherly reasons, so you decide to tell him off. What you didn’t know, was that his eye had been drawn to you the moment he saw you.

PAIRING ➢ killian jones x brother!Swan male reader

CONTENT WARNING ➢ season 2 & 3 spoilers, sort of one-sided rivals to lovers, tension, kissing, making out, harsh language, guys flirting, insults as flirting, threats

WORD COUNT ➢ 2.4 k

AUTHORS NOTE ➢ I wrote this because I read another similar fic and, no hate to that author, but I wanted to write it better and so that it would be more to my satisfaction. Also, I am well aware of all the requests I still have yet to do, but I fell into a OUAT hole and now I’m here.

MASTERLIST, TAGLIST

Killian Jones finding a woman attractive was nothing special. He’s had his fair share of dalliances over the years. Ever since what happened to Milah, Killian was in no hurry to find the so-called “true love” and settle down. His never-ending adventures at sea kept him plenty occupied—and so did his hunt for his Crocodile.

It was no surprise then that the woman named Emma Swan would draw his eye. She was just his type: bold, determined, and a natural leader. His interactions with her in the Enchanted Forest left him intrigued, and his curiosity of her only grew when they returned to Storybrooke and defeated Cora together. He expected his infatuation with Emma to grow the more time he spent with her, but what he was not expecting, was you to catch his eye instead.

The son of Prince Charming and Snow White, brought to a world without magic together with Emma as babies, put into a foster home. Despite all your bad luck as children, your inability in finding a place to call home, at least you managed to stay together. And as Henry brought her back to Storybrooke to break the curse, you followed with. You weren’t a Saviour like her, not by a long shot. But you did have your own skills and abilities, something that came with being a devilishly cunning detective. However much she hated to admit it, Emma would oftentimes turn to you for help in hunting down a bounty. A difficult bounty for her meant an afternoon of idle searching for you.

You never turned down an opportunity to tease her about it and she never hesitated to roll her eyes at you. Nonetheless, you felt incredible protective of her. You may just have been a few minutes older than her, but that didn’t stop you from putting on the big brother act—something she didn’t always appreciate.

Which is why, when you saw a certain pirate unashamedly flirting with her, those brotherly instincts kicked in immediately. You knew Hook was helping your family in getting Henry back from Neverland, providing passage on his ship, the Jolly Roger, and offering his being a guide on the island. But those facts did not give him the right to flirt with your sister.

You had already been at odds with the man when, at your arrival to the island, the ship was attacked by a school of mermaids. Hook had stumbled in your direction and taken hold of the most stable thing closest to him—which happened to be you. His hand had gripped your waist, his hook coming to your chest as he fell against you. The closeness of his breath stirred something within you, something not entirely uncomfortable. Of course, it was not his fault that the ship veered to the side and that you had been closest to him when he stumbled, but that didn’t stop you from pushing him away from you the moment the ship steadied.

“My apologies,” he said, quite out of breath. His blue eyes were remarkably clear in the moonlight. “I usually offer a drink before getting so close to someone.”

Your glare was your only answer.

“I don’t believe we have been properly introduced.” He extended his hand for you to shake. You looked at it uncertainly.

“I’m Emma’s brother,” you said simply.

His eyebrow raised. “So you must be the infamous town sheriff y/n Swan. I s’pose good looks do run in the family.”

You began to scoff, but then your brain was able to fully comprehend his words. “I never told you my name.”

Hook glanced away, his confident smirk faltering. He cleared his throat. “I may have, er, asked someone for it.”

You shifted your head to meet his eye. “Someone?”

He let out a sigh. “I wanted to know who the handsome man that was traveling with us is, so yeah, I asked around. Really, you should be flattered.”

You scoffed at the grin that flashed across his face and turned on your heel. Like you’d said—shameless flirt.

Later, while searching Neal’s hideout, you watched him flash that same grin when talking to Emma. He stepped much closer, leaning towards her. You couldn’t stomach watching it. And you told yourself it was because she deserved better than a good-for-nothing scoundrel like him. No other reason.

So you watched from afar, leaned against the cave walls, as Hook winked at your sister. Emma glared at him, unimpressed. At least you wouldn’t have to worry about her falling for his charms. She was much too clever for that. You saw her walk away from him, away from the hand that he had reached forward to her and you smiled with grim satisfaction. But before you could step forwards, out of the shadows, David had approached Hook.

“Let me give you a bit of advice, Hook,” he said. “She’s never gonna like you.”

Hooks eyebrows shot into the air. “Is that so?”

“How could she?” David’s voice was laced with venom. “You’re nothing but a pirate.”

He seemed to want to reply, but nothing came out, and David walked away. Hook’s gaze followed him, his hand running down his face.

“He’s right, y’know,” you said, stepping forward.

A low growl slipped from his throat, Hook turning to face you. He looked almost crestfallen. “Can I not get enough of your bloody family?”

It was your turn to raise an eyebrow. “And here I was thinking you’d be glad to see me.”

Hook let out a dry chuckle. “Oh, I am very glad, love.”

“There’s that charm of yours,” you remarked humourlessly.

He smiled cheekily. “Doesn’t seem to be working on your sister, though.”

“Yeah,” you hummed. Step after step brought you closer to the pirate. You watched him closely, noting the way his eyes jumped over your figure. “Speaking of, we need to have a chat.”

He nodded absentmindedly, raising his finger to rub against his lips. The movement drew your eye to them. You knew he had noticed your gaze before you managed to tear it away when his lips curled into a smirk. You rolled your eyes. Goddamned pirate.

“If you’re going to stare at me like that, I’m going to get some mixed signals, love.” His voice was as smug and sweet as honey, only managing in irritating you more.

You were not known to be calm and level-headed. Anyone who was close to you knew to keep away when your anger threatened to burst, like an erupting volcano. Emma had once stolen one of your favourite pencils as a child and you had gotten back at her by spilling ink all over her favourite stuffed animal. But Hook did not know you well enough. He smiled sweetly.

Two steps forward and you were stood right in front of him, pressing against his chest. Rum and leather and sea salt filled your nose. The smell of him was overpowering and intoxicating all at once. You pressed one arm against his throat, pushing him back against the cave wall, the other bracing yourself against it. He grunted at the impact, groaning in displeasure, before meeting your gaze steadily.

“And to what do I owe this pleasure?”

The words growled out of your throat, through your gritted teeth. “Stay away from Emma, got it?”

“You may have gotten the good looks of your family. Not the manners, though,” he said lazily.

You cocked your head. “No, that is more my parents’ style.”

“You do have more of a bite than them,” he said. Then he tilted his head, as if in thought. “Huh, well, aren’t you a dark Swan, love? Or do you prefer Black Swan?”

Your brows knit together but you chose to ignore his words. Instead, you said, “I do agree with David that Emma will never fall for you, so you might as well give up now.”

Hook’s eyebrow raised. “If you’re so sure she won’t fall for me, why even bother threatening me? Surely, my flirting must be harmless.”

Your brows knitted together in suspicion. His eyes were annoyingly blue, piercing straight into yours. “Just leave her alone, Hook.”

“Does it bother you?”

“Does what bother me?” you asked, rolling your eyes.

“My flirting with her.” He leant forward a bit, throat straining against your arm. “Swan, are you jealous?”

You opened your mouth to protest. You? Jealous? Ridiculous. Then you noticed that his lips had curled into a cheeky smirk. “No,” you bit out.

Hook blinked, raising an eyebrow. “You sure?”

“Yes.”

“Heard you were quite the detective out in the Land of No Magic.”

Your head cocked to the side. “Yeah, so?”

He simply hummed, head falling back against the stone walls. His eyes traveled across your figure before jumping up to meet your gaze through his lidded eyes, something unintelligible in those swirls of blue. You ignored the warmth that pooled in your stomach at the sight of him like that.

“I will leave her alone,” he said calmly. “You have my word.”

You tried to detect the mischievous thoughts that were surely lying behind his eyes, but came up empty. You had no idea if he was telling the truth or not, but you let him go and stepped back in one swift moment. He cleared his throat, rubbing one hand across his collarbone.

“Fine,” you said, glancing away from his steely gaze. You weren’t sure what to do with yourself then, and you cleared your throat uncomfortably.

“Shall we?” Hook asked, gesturing to where the others had gone.

“Yeah,” you said simply, walking past him briskly.

You didn’t know what had suddenly overcome you or why you were now so uncomfortable in Hook’s presence. For the rest of that day, every time you glanced in his direction to make sure he was heeding your words of staying away from Emma—to which he did—you felt as if your nerves were standing on end. And on occasion, when he happened to be glancing your way as well and your eyes met, you felt shivers travel down your body, forcing you to break his eye contact. You thought you could see a smirk playing across his lips in those moments, but you chose to ignore him.

That same evening, you had found out David and Hook been ambushed by the Lost Boys. Apparently, Captain Hook had risked his life saving David from a poisonous arrow with Nightshade on it. You almost wanted to laugh at the idea of Hook doing something so heroic, but at the sight of David’s serious face you merely took a swig of the offered flask, like the others. You caught his eye right before he turned and stepped away from the others. You followed him behind a tree.

“I heard what you did for David,” you said. He stopped and turned to face you. “Thank you, Killian.”

His smile didn’t seem to reach his eyes. “I wouldn’t leave your father to perish on this island.”

You nodded, glancing away for a moment before meeting his eye. “I must ask, did you do it to get in my sister’s good graces?”

“I thought you weren’t jealous.” His eyebrow raised.

“Answer the question,” you bit out.

His smile dropped as he met your gaze. “No, I didn’t do it for her. I did it for you. And because it was the right thing to do.”

You couldn’t help the scoff that escaped you. “So now you’re all righteous, huh?”

Hook cocked his head. “I’ve always been chivalrous,” he said. “And, well, it doesn’t take a genius to know that getting your father killed would not help my courting you.”

You chose to ignore those last few words, your smile holding no warmth. “You’re right. You are no genius,” you said.

“This doesn’t sound like a thank you,” Hook remarked, raising his eyebrows.

You let out a sigh, looking down at the ground beneath your feet. “I’m sorry.”

He scratched the nape of his neck. “Perhaps you could show me some gratitude to make it up to me.”

His gaze was dark underneath his eyelashes, his lips curling into a smirk. You thought you knew what he was implying. You wouldn’t let him get off that easily, though.

“Uh, yeah,” you said, the corners of your mouth lifting. “That was what the ’thank you’ was for.”

“Mmm,” Hook hummed. He took a step closer, so close now you could count his eyelashes. “Is that all your father’s life is worth to you?”

You rolled your eyes. “Please, you couldn’t handle it.”

“Perhaps,” he whispered, face leaning much closer to you. You could feel his breath against your skin. “It’s you who couldn’t handle it.”

Your eyes jumped between his, then to his lips. Those damned lips, curled into that damned smile. Oh Gods, why did you have to be attractive to a pirate. Without leaving any time for you to think your actions through, you took ahold of his jacket and pulled his face towards yours.

Hook let out a surprised gasp, which you swallowed into the kiss. He dragged himself closer, hand clinging to your waist. You felt his chest press hard against you as his lips moved against yours. It was harsh, quick, and angry—just like your feelings for him.

The warmth in your stomach deepened as you pressed yourself impossibly closer to him. One hand made its way into his dark hair, pulling lightly against it. He let out a deep moan at the movement, his eyes shooting open and lips pulling away for a moment.

You smiled at the sight of him, red-lipped, cheeks flushed and eyes full of desire. “Too harsh for you, captain?”

He groaned at your words, capturing your lips once more. His hook was pressing your waist against his as his hand grabbed your neck, bringing you into him. He was truly and well intoxicating.

Hook pulled away again, breath coming out in short bursts. “So I’m not good enough for your sister, but I’m good enough for you.”

You cocked your head and shrugged. “I’m not as good as she is.”

He smiled into the kiss when you pulled him closer again. His teeth captured your bottom lip lightly, but the feeling made a smile of your own erupt across your face.

“I don’t know,” Hook said. “I think you’re pretty good.”

“Killian.”

“My name has never sounded sweeter.”

“Shut up.” You rolled your eyes, smile still playing across your lips.

“With pleasure,” he murmured while pulling you close again.

Tag list: @a-gay-dumbass @eunxhan @loverclear @shobolanya @edit-me-prettyplease @bookholichany @scriblezz

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walidfamily · 6 months ago

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Help Secure a Future for a Whole Family - Me, Shatha, my husband Khaled, and our children Toleen, Walid, and Layan 👶💙

✅️ Vetting info

#1000 in the Butterfly Project 🦋 spreadsheet [here]

#246 in the @gazavetters spreadsheet [here]

#259 in the Pali.Pals spreadsheets [here]

#Vetted by @turtletoria

My name is Shatha, a mother of three children from Gaza, living through extremely harsh conditions. We have been displaced over 15 times, searching for safety, but to no avail. I have two daughters, Toleen (7 years) and Layan (2 years), and my young son Walid (4 years), who was born with a disability and is unable to walk. Walid used to receive regular physical therapy before the war, but now his condition has worsened due to the current crisis.

This is now the state of my three children in the war; they suffer from illness and malnutrition and are in need of safety and healthcare 💔🥺

Today, we are enduring severe humanitarian conditions, lacking access to food, clean water, and medicine. My children need basic essentials like milk, diapers, and clean clothes

Toleen, 7 years old, suffered during the war and couldn't finish her studies in first grade. She became sad because she lost her playroom. She loves drawing and the sea

🚨🚨 Walid, 4 years old, is the reason I started this campaign. He was born with a disability and cannot stand or walk. He used to receive regular physical therapy sessions, but due to the war, everything stopped, and his condition worsened. We need to take him out of Gaza to continue his treatment. He also requires special treatments, medical supplies, and a daily diaper

Little beautiful Layan, 2 years old, knows nothing about her childhood and has never had her own toys. She frequently falls ill due to malnutrition and the lack of healthy food, clean water, and medicine.

This Campaign is a Call for Hope, to Guide Our Children Toward a Better Tomorrow ✨

This call is for all who believe that every child deserves a life of dignity and safety. Your contribution is not just a donation; it’s an act of shaping a new life for Walid and her siblings, ensuring they grow up in a world filled with hope, away from the horrors of war.

Thanks to Your Support, We Have Made Progress, but We Still Need Your Help 💖🕊️

Thanks to your generosity, we’ve raised €3,297 of our €20,000 goal. Your support has shown us that humanity is still alive and strong. Your help is a light of hope that we’re building our children's future on.

We kindly ask for you to continue supporting us by donating or sharing our story. Together, we can ensure that our children have the safe, bright future they deserve, filled with peace and opportunities.

✅️ Vetting info

#1000 in the Butterfly Project 🦋 spreadsheet [here]

#246 in the @gazavetters spreadsheet [here]

#259 in the Pali.Pals spreadsheets [here]

Vetted by @turtletoria

@timetravellingkitty @tiredguyswag @brokenbackmountain @imjustheretotrytohelp @turtletoria @sar-soor @appsa @akajustmerry @annoyingloudmicrowavecultist @feluka-blog-blog @sayruq @tortiefrancis @flower-tea-fairies @schoolhatergirl @frottingfemme @determinate-negation @death2germany @killyourhistory @heritageposts @turtletoria @valtsv @annabelle--cane @anneemay-blog @tamamita @taffybuns @taylorswift @prinnay @prisonhannibal @pcktknife @schooloutfitideas @officialspec @t-800terminator-blog @4ft10tvlandfangirl

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sagesskies · 11 months ago

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ʏᴀɴᴅᴇʀᴇ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴅᴇɪᴛʏ

✒ ᴄᴜᴘɪᴅ ᴍɪꜱꜱᴇᴅ ʜɪꜱ ꜱʜᴏᴛ

ᴄᴏɴᴛᴇɴᴛ ɪɴᴄʟᴜᴅᴇꜱ: ᴏʙꜱᴇꜱꜱɪᴠᴇ ʙᴇʜᴀᴠɪᴏʀ, ꜱᴛᴀʟᴋɪɴɢ (ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴡᴀᴛᴄʜ ʏᴏᴜ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴀ ꜱᴄʀʏɪɴɢ ʙᴏᴡʟ), ᴍᴀᴊᴏʀ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀ ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ, ᴜʜ. ʀᴀᴄɪꜱᴍ (ᴛʜɪꜱ ɢᴏᴅ ʟᴏᴏᴋꜱ ᴅᴏᴡɴ ᴏɴ ᴍᴏʀᴛᴀʟꜱ!), ᴇxᴘʟɪᴄɪᴛ ɢᴏʀᴇ, ᴍᴜʀᴅᴇʀ, ʀᴇʟɪɢɪᴏɴ, ᴍᴇɴᴛɪᴏɴꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴡᴀʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ, ᴇxᴘʟɪᴄɪᴛ ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ, Qʜᴇᴛᴏʜʀ ᴊᴜᴍᴘꜱᴄᴀʀᴇ, [ɴᴀᴍᴇ] ɪꜱ ᴀ ʜᴜᴍᴀɴ ꜱᴀᴄʀɪꜰɪᴄᴇ, ᴛᴇʟʟ ᴍᴇ ɪꜰ ɪ ᴍɪꜱꜱᴇᴅ ᴀɴʏ!

Yandere Love Deity whose temple you grew up in; Intricate paintings and marble sculptures depicting their ethereal figure surrounding you as the years pass and you go from being one of the children raised within the temple’s immaculate halls, to the most devoted priest serving Luvarin.

You firmly believe that love goes beyond just romance, the love between two partners in union, but extends to a love that matters just as much; the love between family, between friends, or even the simple love for your neighbour. It shows in how you preach, emphasising the importance of that connection and teaching the children that just as they should pursue the kind of love depicted in the sacred partnerships of the Gods, they should search for the love between two great friends, like that of the Merciful One and his sibling Qhetohr.

Yandere Love Deity who hears your name in only a few months after your induction into priesthood. But really, they took notice of your presence before that. It was hard not to. Not when your offerings were always of the highest quality: Intricate carvings of sparrows, wines brewed with the strawberries grown in the temple, and not to mention the hymns you sang and wrote for them which were always a delight to listen to.

But what really drew them to your offerings was not merely the quality, no, no, they had no shortage of extravagant offerings from their wealthy followers. It was the fact that you had taken the time to create them yourself. Now, handcrafted gifts weren’t uncommon either, but really it was the dedication. To truly devote yourself to creating such impeccable displays of faith… why, it was enough to make their heart flutter. And that was no small feat. Luvarin decides that it’s high time that they reward you.

It’s small at first. Little things that build progressively till you realise that life has been treating you suspiciously too well recently. Your recently published text debating the moral lesson one should take from the fall of the house of Arus has taken off to unforeseen heights. You’ve been promoted in the temple. You managed to avoid getting hit by a vase dropped right on top of you, unintentionally of course, because it somehow, miraculously, got blown away by the wind.

Yandere Love Deity, who is of course, the one responsible for it all. It’s almost like you know that, because your prayers become more intimate and personal. Truly grateful for everything Luvarin is doing for you– Well you don’t exactly address it to Luvarin, you’re praying to the Gods in general, but still. They’re the reason why you’re so lucky in the first place, and hearing you passionately thanking them so genuinely, is enough to have them giggle and kick their feet with absolute delight.

‘O Children of Kases, hear my call, I offer you my deepest gratitude, for the countless blessings you bestow upon my path, For the love that surrounds me, both seen and unseen, for the beauty of the world and the kindness of hearts.

Thank you for the lessons, both gentle and harsh, that shape me, mold me, and help me grow. For the strength to overcome challenges, And the wisdom to see the truth within.

In the quiet whisper of the leaves, In the gentle glow of the moon, I feel your essence, ever near, Guiding me, loving me, holding me….’

Laying in the fluffy, warm, and comfortable surface of their bed, Luvarin sighs. Truly, they were amazing. They’re aware that your prayer is not just for them, but for all their siblings as well, but sheesh, who were they kidding? Of course, this prayer was meant for them! Who else has been aiding you so much? Giving you such powerful blessings and bountiful gifts, their merciful brother had competition!

Luvarin sits up, and summons their scrying bowl. It was a new one that they haven’t used yet, it was a gift from you, one of your beautiful wood carvings.

They don’t usually like using wood in their equipment, it was for commoner mortals. But this bowl was of a perfect shape, the width was of their exact preference, it wasn’t flimsy and easily scratched or damaged, and it was designed with carved drawings of myths that centred around Luvarin themself.

Seriously, how lucky could they be, to have a follower as devoted and as considerate with his offerings as you are. Compared to the rough and unpolished quality of the mere commoners and the superficial and needlessly gaudy level the nobles reached, yours were a breath of fresh air in how much care was placed into them.

Thinking about it is enough for Luvarin's already present smile to widen further.

Luvarin waves their hand in a delicate flourish, and the bowl fills itself with a clear, mystical water, the surface shimmering with images of the activity below the heavens. They press one tawny finger, and it pauses.

Their brow furrows in concentration, Luvarin purses their lip, and close their eyes as they search for your presence.

“Aha!” There you are darling.

Luvarin's eyes open, gleaming purple, and they clap their hands with delight as the water morphs to show them the familiar sight of your room in the temple. The bed on the right, blanket strewn haphazardly on the soft mattress. Your desk is on the left covered in the drafts for your latest text. Then there's you, on your knees in front of the window, hands held in prayerful position, head bowed submissively and your eyes closed in concentration. The moonlight pouring in and shining down on you.

Despite being one of Kases’ powerful children, a literal god, Luvarin was a mere afterthought to the mortals. Unlike mighty Uren, or their fearsome twin Qhetohr, why should one concern themself with the deity of Love for anything more than matters of romance? They were a joke in the Heavens, mortals literally painted them as a cherub with a pathetically small bow and a heart tipped arrow.

Not to mention that a lot of their priests were nothing better than scammers who tricked desperate and lonely people and naive mortals who believed that serving in Luvarin's temple could give them luck in their love life.

But, then there was you. [Name]. Sweet, genuine [Name].

Luvarin traces their finger around your face, enjoying each and every detail. Sometimes, when they watch you, from the scrying bowl or in the form of a sparrow, they have the desire to just reach out and touch you. To truly feel the warmth that you radiated. To know that you're real, and not just something that their mind has come up with.

A wisp blows in. Luvarin clicks their tongue, less than pleased about the interruption. They snatch it out of the air, it wiggles and tries to escape from their grasp, but eventually it tires.

“Speak,” Luvarin drawls, tapping on their leg impatiently.

Wisps, little creatures born from the mist of the Jaurdenia River and used by Luvarin and their siblings as messengers. Round, bouncy, balls of wind that glowed far too brightly for Luvarin's keen eyes. They were cute and Luvarin loved to throw them around their palace and watch them zip and crash into the walls, but right now it was [Name] time, and [Name] time was as sacred to them as the annual Luvercalia ritual.

The wisp squirms a bit, their golden centre glowing darker in concentration, before relaxing as the honey-like smoke pours out of it. The whispers of their merciful brother carried by the fumes, “Luvarin, please do know that I will be visiting you soon to discuss some matters.”

Luvarin groans, frustration rolling off of them in waves. They loved their merciful brother. Really who didn't? But they'd much rather get back to watching you from the scrying bowl and listening to you sing their praises.

However deep down Luvarin knows that if they were to not show up, then he would worry and tell Qhetohr to check on them, and then Qhetohr would find about you and then–

To the deepest pits of Demorta, why are they dreading the mere idea of Qhetohr discovering you? Their beautiful, precious, fragile mortal. Oh, it's precisely because of that. You're mortal, you're fragile, and Qhetohr would delight in absolutely tearing you to shreds if they found out you're the reason why Luvarin stood up their merciful brother.

Luvarin gnashed their teeth, their hand squeezed the wisp so tightly in their stress, they're snapped out of their furious thoughts by a sharp pop and the cool mist that seeps through their closed fist; the remains of the unfortunate wisp.

Fine. Fine! If that is what must be done to keep you a secret, safe from Qhetohr’s blade. Then they'll do it.

Luvarin waves away the scrying bowl, and with a flourish of their hand, a regal purple chlamys settles over their shoulders and they rub at the cool, golden brooch holding it in place.

Their steps echo through the lavish, empty halls of their palace. A bird flies through the nearby garden, sunlight seeping in through the gaps between the chiselled pillar, and the smell of rain-soaked leaves pervades the air. Last night they forgot to renew the barriers that prevented the rain from getting in. Usually they would just flick their wrist to get the job done, but they were watching you work away at your latest text on Uren's Rebellion.

Luvarin halts as a realisation dawns on them. When did they start to care for you? If they paused and took a look at the situation, it was strange. It shouldn’t even be possible.

Them, a Love God. Twin to Destruction and Insanity themself. One of Kases’ powerful children. A literal living legend, responsible for the Fall of the House of Arus. And here they are, pouring their time and attention into a simple priest, their very own servant, and practically mooning over him instead of doing literally anything else.

Before they can ponder further on this topic, a familiar figure enters their view. He waves, and flashes them a smile that Qhetohr would kill to keep for themself. Luvarin beams, pretty portrait perfect smile reserved for greeting guests and people they would rather not deal with at the current moment.

They’ll deal with you later. They have all the time in the world, after all.

Yandere Love Deity who starts to fall in love with you. They would like to say that it’s a slow and gradual process. But honestly, it’s not. It’s humiliating how quickly it all happens. One day they’re watching you writing your newest text, one moment you’re pondering your next sentence, then your eyes light up with a brilliant idea and Luvarin can’t help but genuinely smile, because they’re happy for you, for your breakthrough, because it’s something that you wanted, and what you want they want you to get and when that thought pops into their head that’s when they realise what the burning flame in their heart actually is.

Yandere Love Deity who has had mortal lovers. They were all the same; Bold, filthy little creatures full of hubris that thought they could surpass the children of Kases. Luvarin’s infatuation with them never lasted long, they weren't meant to. They were all only mortal after all. And they completely expect the same to be true with you. Yes, they know what they’re feeling is love, but really what is the difference between loving something and desiring it?

So they descend to earth in human form, ready to charm you, have a bit of fun, and then leave like it’s nothing. It should be easy, right?

Yandere Love Deity who disguises themself as a wandering traveller, settling into the town for a short while. After all, Luvercalia is coming soon, what traveler wouldn't want to take this opportunity to partake in the festival right in the town that Luvarin had once used as their base of operations during the rebellion? Mortals were weird, but they get it. To witness the sacred ritual dedicated to Luvarin take place on the very soil their holy blood was once spilled on, any god worshipping mortal worth their salt would not hesitate to take this opportunity. They are simply as one would say, blending in with the locals.

Yandere Love Deity whose first meeting with you is not like what they imagined at first. They imagined that they'd charm you first, then they would sweep you off of your feet and seduce you into breaking your vow of chastity, pardon you from whatever punishment they dished out nowadays and then leave.

Yandere Love Deity who barely even gets to say since you're running through the town, making preparations for the upcoming Luvercalia festival and the ritual. Instead of a proper introduction where the two of you exchange pleasantries and get to know each other, all you get to say is: “Ah, hello traveler. Please, make yourself welcome here.” Before being pulled away to select a sparrow to sacrifice for the ritual.

But then they manage to catch you in your downtime, and you look at them for a moment as if you're trying to figure out where you've seen them before, and then you snap your fingers and you smile, your eyes creasing and wrinkling a bit at the edges and you apologize for not getting to introduce yourself properly earlier, but you remember them. You remember them even if they were probably nothing more than just one nameless face in your hectic day, and that… for some reason the mere fact that they were still important enough for you to remember amidst everything else that was going on, it just…

Yandere Love Deity who isn’t prepared for how you make them feel. Holy.. the way you have their heart racing has them thinking you are the one who’s the god of love here, and they’re the one who should be worshipping you and singing your praises. Just seeing your smile has them weak in the knees. It shouldn’t be possible, you’re just some mortal destined to die out and fade away while they are a literal God, who has seen kingdoms and empires fall and rise in what to you is centuries, but to them is merely a small drop of water in the vast ocean of their existence.

Yandere Love Deity, who still thinks that they can get out of this. Just like their destructive twin, they’re as stubborn as a mule. An immovable object that refuses to budge no matter how hard you push them.

Yandere Love Deity who changes their mind so quickly it’s embarrassing. They try to distance themselves from you and pull themself out of whatever hold you have on them, but each and every attempt is foiled, not even on purpose, by you. You and your natural charms that has them caught, hook line and sinker. How can they not fall deeper in their love for you when you make it so easy to just descend deeper?

Yandere Love Deity who continues to interact with you in mortal form. Slowly they become as much of a daily fixture in your life as you are in theirs, and they can't be more pleased about it. However their joy is short-lived when their greatest fear comes true; Qhetohr finds out.

Cruel, wicked Qhetohr. Obsidian eyes curling with a malicious delight as they remind Luvarin that though beings such as them, deities, will continue to exist even when they will be forgotten and turn from reality to mere myth, that you will return to the dust and dirt that Uren used to mould your kind into shape.

Yandere Love Deity who comes to the realisation that a life without you is no life at all. And so they waste no time in ordering the clouds to part, for the sun to shine down right in front of you, and then descend down to you in their godly form, their entrance announced by pale rose petals gently floating down from the heavens.

Yandere Love Deity who does everything properly. They had a ring forged by Ularus, encrusted with small, absolutely dazzling rubies. They've wrapped it in a pure white cloth, with sparrows and roses embroidered into it.

They get down on one knee and unveil the ring, and say those four famous words.

��Will you marry me?”

Your eyes are wide and your mouth is gaping. Clearly you're shocked. They understand. You've just learned that sly, mischievous Erasmus is the very God you worship, serve, and mention in each prayer— and now they're proposing to you! It would be mind blowing for any mortal.

But they let you calm down and process everything, they're patient like that, and they wait with bated breath and an eager grin for your response and the words that leave your lips are–

“I– Forgive me, Lord,” You take a shaky step back, your eyes dart around– People are staring– you purse your lips, “But I cannot accept your proposal. You're a god and I'm a mortal and it just– It won't work!”

“[Name], darling, please,” Luvarin laughs, clearly you're not thinking straight, still in shock they suppose, “In all the years that I have walked this earth, I have had many, and I am not joking when I say many, lovers. And many were just like you my love: Mortal. With crimson blood running through their veins and fragile bodies doomed to age.”

They stand up and reach for your hand. You flinch and try to pull away, and even if their heart twinges, they soften their smile– Remember Luvarin, mortals are sensitive creatures. Be patient– and grip it tighter.

You wince and they swear they can feel a phantom around their own hand in response.

Luvarin slips the ring on your finger. They wrap an arm around your waist, they ignore how you whimper and the fear in your eyes, and they bring you closer.

“But you… darling, you are special. Compared to all those shallow creatures, your soul is vast, as wide as the earth, and the only one able to captivate me in the way that only you are uniquely capable of.”

“None of them can compare to you. Nobody can,” Luvarin can feel you shaking as they press a kiss to your temple, “And that is why I want– no need to marry you. I need you in my life [Name], and it's because you're mortal that we need to get married as soon as possible.”

You push them away, and this time they let you just so they can see the look on your face.

Your brows are knit, and your lip is stiff. They've never seen this expression on you before. But they've seen it on Uren. On their merciful brother. On countless other gods and mortals through the ages.

It was an expression that told Luvarin that they were about to hear something they didn't want to hear.

Yandere Love Deity who thinks that you made an attempt to be gentle in your rejection, at least at first. But then it was their persistence that got to you.

They saw glimpses of it in their time masquerading as a mortal. Your anger. It simmered underneath your skin and has been burning since you were young and pure.

Their merciful brother told them, he knew you before when you barely reached their mortal form's waist, that you came from a pagan land. A land that was ransacked and pillaged and absorbed into Uren’s ruling. You came in, resentful and bitter with no desire to listen and obey to the people who killed your family.

They know that you don't like the gods. Even now that you're a priest. But they thought that they were an exception, you got to know them as not a god after all, as Erasmus and not as Luvarin.

Yandere Love Deity who is met with your frigid glare and… Gods, they can't bring themselves to remember the words you wielded like sharp blades. All they remember you telling them before they allow themselves to be swept away by the wind is that they should find another god to marry instead

Yandere Love Deity who weeps with such force that the skies turn grey, the oceans crash and churn, and the wind blows so violently it's nearly enough to have you whisked away from the earth's surface. It's enough to draw the attention of Qhetohr who cackles at the sight of Luvarin’s tear-stricken face.

“I told you so!” Qhetohr’s obsidian eyes flash menacingly, “Mortals are fools. Arrogant, bumbling, fools. You could promise him the world and he would still turn up his nose at the thought of spending an eternity with you.”

Luvarin clicks their tongue and avoids Qhetohr’s gaze, they wipe away their tears before facing their twin with a burning glare, its force lessened with the redness of their eyes, “Are you done?”

Qhetohr snickers, they plop down on the kline beside Luvarin and hook an arm around their shoulders, ignoring their protests as they bring them closer, “Don’t be like that. After all,” Qhetohr smirks, “I’m here to help you.”

Yandere Love Deity whose love for you turns bitter, it’s still there but it’s tinged with resentment, and Qhetohr only fans the flames higher till Luvarin doesn't think twice before saying yes to whatever Qhetohr has cooked up for you.

Yandere Love Deity who continues to watch you, watching as you experience misfortune. It starts with you injuring yourself more frequently. You struggle to think of what else to write in your latest text. The roses you've been growing in the temples wilt. If your public rejection of them wasn't enough already, this was enough to convince the town you're bad news. The temple's head priestess who once told you she understood why you refused Luvarin now glares at you coldly as she hands you your things and tells you you are no longer welcome within their walls.

Then it intensifies, your bad luck bleeding out into your surroundings. The food in the stores turn foul and rot. The animals start dying, flies surrounding their corpses and crows picking away at the meat. The village falls to unidentifiable sickness that the physicians and priests are not able to cure. It all comes to a head when the waters become infected and run black.

Who else could be responsible other than the ex-priest who rejected his own god?

They scream at you, they curse you out as your ‘brothers and sisters’ hold you down with flinty stares on top of the stone table. Your bare skin pressing on the cold surface. They stripped you down to your loincloth and doused you in the freezing waters of the Yulerine River all in preparation for this moment.

One acolytes light the candles at the feet of the altar, and another one pours wine into a bowl and sets it in front of the statue of Luvarin behind you. A priestess lights the incense sticks and the air is filled with the scent of smoke tinged with roses.

The head priestess holds a hand up and closes it, the crowd goes quiet. You can see them, their purple eyes framed by their golden locks, royal and cold, narrowing with what you can only describe as a sadistic glee.

“We stand here today,” The head priestess bellows, “To witness the execution of a traitor to the temple, to our patron and god: Lord Luvarin.”

“Sister, please–”

“He has offended our Lord!” Her voice drowns out your pitiful voice, “And by his death, we shall rectify his foolish mistake. We shall offer his life as an offering to our Lord and beg for their forgiveness by giving them the man who has refused their love that which he does not deserve to have!”

You search the masses for somebody, anybody who can see past this farce and save you. But amidst the mass of people who you have grown up with, who you have helped, who you have supported through the hardest of times only to find aggression and rage that should not be directed at you.

The head priestess starts to chant the prayers for ritual. The damn Luvercalia ritual. You want to laugh. You spent weeks planning everything meticulously down to the tiniest detail, and you don't even get to see the fruit of your labour because now instead of the sparrow you picked out from the town's aviary, the adorable little bird you've spent so much time grooming and preparing for this exact moment, you are now lying here, being rushed through the sacrifice preparations that should've been done over the course of two weeks.

You want to laugh, and so you do because now that you're going to die you don't have to care about maintaining appearances.

One of the acolytes holding you down, a teen boy with freckles and mousy hair named Kreo, glares at you, “Shut your mouth, swine.”

You only laugh harder, because this little boy is trying to act tough when you've already seen him bawl his eyes out when he broke an ankle trying to save a cat from a tree.

A balled up piece of cloth is shoved into your mouth and you choke on your own spit and gag as it touches the entrance of your throat.

Usually you love it when it rains, but when it starts to fall in slow drops, building up till eventually you're shivering from the rain, you want to cry because when you died, you at least wished for golden haired Ebris to grant you the mercy of letting the sun shine down on you in your final moments.

As the head priestess starts reciting the prayers, and the men and women who you grew up with in the temple anoint with you oils and salts for the sacrifice, you search for them in the sea of faces and you find them easily. Their lips spread into a devious grin, teeth shining from beneath their hood, and they mouth to you: This is your fault.

“This is your fault!” A grieving father screamed at you as he held his dying daughter.

“This is your fault,” Your friend hissed at you from between her teeth when the cows on her family's farm began to drop like flies.

“This is your fault,” The head priestess spoke with a measured tone when you were removed from the temple and your position as priest, “And that is why you are no longer welcome here.”

The head priestess lifts her head from her prayer, and she spreads her arms wide, “Let the ritual begin!”

The people cheer as your eyes widen and you struggle against the hands holding you down. You try to find somebody with even a hint of pity in their face, but all you see is disgust and resentment.

Despite your struggle and the clear panic and fear in your eyes, an acolyte holds out a wooden box decorated with intricate carvings of flora and sparrows, too pretty to be holding the deadly sharp blade forged from Ofriedian metal that you had personally shined and sharpened to perfection.

The head priestess plucks it out daintily, holding it with reverence. She weighs it in her hand, before gripping the hilt and pressing it against your bare skin.

She leans down into your ear, you can barely hear her voice amidst the raucous noise of the eagerly awaiting villagers, “You have cursed us all with your actions,” Her breath that smells like citrus and ice fans against your sweaty face, “But today… today you can repent [Name]. What we are doing may seem wicked and cruel, but I assure you. This is for the greater good. By your death the village will be saved and our Lord Luvarin will forgive you.”

“You will thank me for this. You will thank us all.”

The head priestess rises from where she bent down, and then she lifts the blade and presses it back down on the area of your upper abdomen, the cold blade digs into your skin, and the blood starts to seep out.

At first as the knife pierces your skin, the pain is equivalent to an ant bite, if the ant's mandibles were aflame. Then she drags it across his skin like she's making one long stroke with a paintbrush, and a guttural scream is wrenched from your throat but is muffled by the gag and drowned out by the people's cheers.

–

Luvarin felt suffocated within the large mass of people, mortals. Sweaty, ailment stricken mortals burning with rage and righteous fury. Despite how sickening this was, they had to be here.

They meet your gaze that is resentful and full of fear at the same time, and despite the tension between you two their heart flutters and their face breaks into a lovesick smile. Though it quickly morphs into a frown when you turn away.

People keep jostling them and the mortal woman with grey streaks in her blonde hair is speaking, but the only thing that Luvarin cares about right now is you.

You who have the kindest eyes they've ever seen. You who held them in your arms when on the nights they'd visit and pretend to be cold. You who despite your past continued to respect the gods and adhere to the strict rules that came with being a priest.

Then they remember Qhetohr's words. And Luvarin remembers your other side.

Your other side. The you who looked at the ring, their genuine feelings, and listened to their heartfelt confession, who they allowed to see their vulnerabilities. The you who chose to turn your back to them just like he did all those years ago.

Luvarin's hands clenched into fists, and their immaculate nails dug into their divine skin. They can hear you laughing from the altar, and that is enough to fan the flames of anger higher. Their skin breaks and golden ichor drips to the earth.

Eventually your laughter is cut short when you are gagged, and somehow that only infuriates them even further. Emotions they can't understand are brewing inside of them, and it reflects in how the earth responds to them; the sky darkens, and the sound of distant thunder approaches.

Rain starts to pour from the sky, and they can hear some of the mortals around them start murmuring about how Luvarin must be watching them. Yes, they're watching alright.

Luvarin flinches when you look at them again, they hope you don't notice. Looking at your eyes again, the fear seems to have only increased, and the anger is slowly being replaced by… regret. They smirk, and slowly it turns into a grin.

Their lips move quicker than their brain, “Yes. This is your fault. Regret it. Regret it and wish that you had just come to me instead.”

They can see that as the rain runs down your face, so do tears. Tears that despite whatever they may want right now, they feel the need to wipe away with gentle kisses.

No! They curse in their head, You can't be thinking this again. Remember what Qhetohr told you.

You could give him the world and he still wouldn't choose you.

Before Luvarin knows it, the woman with greying hair lifts her arms to the sky and exclaims, “Let the ritual begin!”

Despite Luvarin's superior senses already being overrun by the harsh sound of ecstatic cheers, they can still hear your pitiful whimpering, like you're a wounded animal.

The woman is handed an Ofriedian dagger and then–

Thunder strikes the same time you scream.

Luvarin can't look away. It's like cold hands are digging into the sides of their head and are forcing them to witness consequences of their action.

The Luvercalia ritual traditionally has them cutting open the stomach of a fattened sparrow, removing the organs, and then cleaning it with purified water and then filling it with herbs before wrapping it with a rope soaked in purified oil and tied to a stick before it is lit on fire.

You kick and fight, tears streaming down your face, indistinguishable from the rain. The woman cuts your stomach open, stopping when the blade reaches the beginning of your loincloth. Blood starts to seep from the wound, the flow intensifying when two acolytes dig their hands in your wound, ignoring your thrashing, and pull the wound open wider. Luvarin feels as if their own stomach is being ripped open as they continue to watch this.

The woman's face is calm and serene, but her eyes have a satisfied gleam as she rolls up the sleeves of her pristine white robes. She reaches a hand in and starts to pull out your organs. The way she goes about can only be described as methodical. First she cuts out the liver, then the gallbladder. She's unbothered by the crimson that begins to stain her skin and bleed into her soul that no amount of prayers or bathing would remove. Hair falls in front of her face as she is pulling out the stomach and a priestess immediately steps in to tuck it behind her ears.

Luvarin has seen no small amount of blood in their lifetime, before they were an adorable cherub, they were a war hero who walked a road soaked in gore and ichor but this… They… They can't bear the sight of your violent but ultimately futile attempts to break free that only grow weaker as the light begins… Oh gods.

Luvarin shoves a hand over their mouth and pushes their way out of the crowd, ignoring the protests of those pulled out of the trance the ritual placed on them.

They barely step foot out before their immortal body is no longer able to hold any of it in.

As they heave, they try to grasp your heartbeat and stabilise it. You don't deserve this. They made a mistake, but they could still fix this. But just as they're trying to anchor you in the land of the living, something else, a deity or something of equal power, is dragging you to Demorta.

No, they weren't going to let you leave them, you were going to stay with them and they were going to fight harder than before, and this time they won't accept any rejection you may have ready for them.

However maybe it was the vomiting, or the opposing force was simply that powerful. Whatever it was, when they whip their head around as soon as they can no longer hear your already fading heartbeat, they use their enhanced eyesight and you– You've stopped moving. The blood is slowly pouring down the altar, moving slowly, oozing even.

They are already cleaning the now hollowed out stomach of your body and reciting the blessings to purify the herbs. Rosemary. Basil. Sage. Lavender. Thyme.

Luvarin is still as they watch the woman, hands cleaned but forever dirtied with your innocence, place the herbs inside, and then sew up your chest before closing your eyes.

She claps her hands, and they tie you to a large wooden pillar with the rope. They recognize the wood, they– they can see the little carving you etched into its surface when the two of you visited the grove.

You smiled as you sheathed the dagger back on the strap in your leg, satisfied with your work.

The first letter of both of your names with a + sign in between the two of them.

“Some of my finest work yet,” You chuckled, but the look in your eyes tells them it's more than just a joke.

They brush their hand against the letters, and they smile. It's not perfect, but it's.. it's human.

“Do you like it?”

“I… I love it.”

The woman recites prayers before your body as an acolyte waves a golden thurible around your body, letting the smoke curl itself around your corpse and purifying the body these so called holy servants of theirs have sullied with their cruel, filthy hands.

A man, the village chief, steps forward with a burning torch that struggles to remain lit against the rain that has only grown stronger. He turns to the woman, “Priestess, are you sure that this will work? The rain–”

“The fact that it is still lit is a sign Xander,” She nods toward the unlit pyre, “Please, get on with it.”

He nods, and lights the pyre. It is weak, sputtering, and despite the muttered prayers of the temple’s servants and the mortals watching, the flames die out. Killed by the rain.

“Priestess…” The village chief starts, but the priestess raises a hand.

“This is… It is an issue with [Name],” She looks to the sky, “Luvarin may not want anything to do with him anymore.”

Those words cause something to snap inside of them, and as if in response lightning strikes the pyre. The priestess gasps, the village chief falls on his ass, and the people are struck with fear. However the lightning does not set the body aflame, instead the fire lights the earth and it spreads faster than the rain can extinguish it. It bites at the feet of the acolytes trying to put it out and burns them with all the strength of Luvarin's rage.

What happens next is a blur.

Qhetohr's told them about this before. When your body becomes nothing more than an extension of your weapon and it's like you're not in control of it.

Everything you do in this state is controlled by instinct alone.

When they wake up, one of Luvarin's hands is caked in blood and bits of flesh are stuck beneath the nails. They are standing over that woman's corpse and her neck has been punctured with holes that could have only been made by their hand.

Her body is floating, half submerged, and they are knee deep in water. The rain has stopped, and they're no longer wearing their robes. They see that it's wrapped around the village chief's neck like a noose. The village in the distance has been ruined by the flood, and there are more bodies floating around them.

The only thing unaffected? Your body. The grey clouds have parted and there's a beam of sunlight shining down on you. Your eyes are closed, your head is slumped, and your wet hair sticks to your face.

You're still beautiful, even as your skin begins to grow pale with death.

Luvarin sees the Ofriedian knife, they pick it up and sever the ropes. They catch your body when it falls, they drop the blade, and they wrap both arms around you.

They inhale whatever remains of your scent that hasn't been washed away by the rain and the ointments.

Luvarin frowns when they feel the unfamiliar sensation of tears stinging the corners of their eyes. They burrow their nose in the crook of your neck and mumble into your skin, “I'm sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen.” Their voice is like a sputtering torch about to succumb to the harsh rain.

If they strain their ears and focus on the wind, they swear they can hear you.

They can hear your voice, but they don't know what you're saying.

“I'm sorry,” Luvarin croaks once more, “I didn't want to hurt you. I never did. I just wanted you to notice me. Not Erasmus. Not Luvarin the Deity of Love. Just me.”

“A- And I couldn't take it when you said no. I need you in my life [Name], and I still do. But I'm not so selfish tha- that I'd do something stupid. It was Qhetohr,” They can't stop their voice from quavering, “Qhetohr made me do this, s- so if you're gonna be mad at anybody just be mad at them okay?”

Your silence is deafening but they press on, “I'll do anything,” They look up to the sky, as if begging for any of their siblings to help them. Dignity be damned, “I'll do anything.”

But nobody answers. Not Qhetohr. Not their merciful brother. Not Uren. The only response is the quiet, occasionally interrupted by the sound of rain dripping from nearby leaves.

Yandere Love Deity who fixes your body. They place back your organs, mend your skin, and make everything normal again. Or as normal as it can be now that there's a gaping hole left in their existence.

Yandere Love Deity who keeps your body in a coffin they make from their own hands. You have made them countless gifts, but their favourites were always the adorable wood carvings that they can tell you poured more time and effort into than they would ever deserve.

It is imperfect and made of mistakes, but it is sturdy, and it is genuine. Ularus volunteers to help, he insisted, but a flinty glance is enough to discourage him from continuing further. They need to do this. This is the least they can do for you after all you've done for them.

Yandere Love Deity who is visited by their merciful brother the day that they lay your body to rest in the coffin.

“He was always such a bold child.”

“[Name]?”

“Oh, of course! He may not seem like it now, but well, you remember what I told you.”

“Who else would, if not us? We're the only ones who know now. We're the only ones who will ever remember him.”

“He loved you.”

“He loved Erasmus.”

“Are you not also Erasmus?”

“Dear brother, no. Erasmus is the mysterious charming mortal. I am Luvarin, to him I am nothing more than the master he hates– hated and would have never had to serve if he had the choice.”

“He loved you Luvarin. He was simply confused. He can respect the gods but that does not mean he likes them, and well– to love the god he detests the most is not the easiest thing to come to terms with.”

“What are you trying to say here?”

“I'm saying that the two of you could have worked if there was simply time, time that you no longer have.”

“...” “My condolences to you, Luvarin. He was a good man.”

☏ - ᴠᴏɪᴄᴇᴍᴀɪʟ: ᴍʀ. ꜱᴀɢᴇ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴍɪɴᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʟʟ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʀᴇQᴜᴇꜱᴛꜱ ᴀʀᴇ ᴏᴘᴇɴ, ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ'ᴅ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛᴏ ꜱᴇᴇ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴇɴᴛ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛʜɪꜱ.

#yandere oc #yandere imagines #yandere x you #yandere x reader #male reader #x reader #yandere #Luvarin

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hihomeghere · 2 months ago

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Nightmare | Arthur Morgan x f!reader x Charles Smith

Summary : Arthur has a recurring nightmare. Part of the series Baptized by Fire

Word count : 3k

Warnings/tags : Mention of death, slight panic attack for Arthur, talk of dead child (Isaac), feelings of inadequacy, poly relationship, Arthur morgan x reader x Charles smith, reader has female gentalia and menstruates, talk of children and pregnancy, talk of natural contraception

this will be the last chapter in Spring! This is my favorite that I've written for these three so far, so if you enjoyed it please let me know!

divider by @saradika

Arthur knew this trail by heart, the map in his satchel long forgotten as he led Boadicea along it. The sun peeked through the trees, golden rays guiding him through the spotlights from above. He tipped his hat a little lower on his face, shielding his eyes from the rays.

Birds raised their melodious voices into a natural chorus, accompanied by Boadicea’s hooves clopping along the dirt path. A breeze rustled through the leaves, pulling his attention away from the path for only a moment. Arthur’s heart felt light, as though whatever weight had been pulling him down was lifted. A sense of anticipation built in him the longer he rode. He wanted to set his heels in Boadicea’s side, urging the horse into a sprint, but he refrained. Letting her easy trot take him along. He emerged from the canopy of trees, leaving his sanctuary from the blistering heat.

Still, he would endure whatever Mother Nature sent his way. There was nothing that could damper his spirits today. He was going to see them today. The thought sent a flutter through his stomach, his hands tightening around the reins. The worn leathering creaking under his hands. His tongue darted out to wet his lips, dryer than ever under the smoldering sun.

The fauna felt it too, the further he ventured the more barren it became. The wildflowers and ferns, wilted and yellowed against the harsh conditions. Arthur felt sweat run down his temple, wiping the salty streak away from his face.

Jesus, it was hot.

That trickle had now turned into rivulets, pouring off of him the longer he rode. He raised his eyes, catching the waves of heat as they danced on the horizon. Turning the sky and earth into a watercolor, the two bleeding into each other.

He pulled out his handkerchief, wiping it haphazardly across his face. Boadicea’s hooves crushed the scorched dirt beneath them, although all Arthur cared about was in front of them.

His life was ahead, in that tiny house. Those tiny fingers and toes, that mop of sandy brown hair much like his own. Her warm and welcoming smile, never changing no matter how long his sorry ass had been gone.

He had made up his mind, the pack on Boadicea’s rump confirming it. This time, this time, he was staying.

No more running, no more being a damn coward. He was gonna own up to his actions, not mistakes, never a mistake. The ruby ring weighing down his pocket, never straying far from his mind. He would do it right, after being wrong for this many goddamn years he could do right by her. He could be happy with her.

Despite the sweltering heat, damn near stealing the breath out of his lungs with every breath, he smiled.

And finally, finally, the house came into view. He couldn’t help himself, digging his heel into her side with a resounding ‘hyah’, they raced towards the house.

Only they didn’t make it far before he saw the graves.

His stomach sank like a rock, the world fading away as his eyes fell upon the two crosses. He urged her to go faster, as though that would clear the image like a mirage. He slung his legs over her back, his knees almost buckling as he hit the ground.

He smacked his lips together, all the moisture sucked out of his body, he didn’t know if it was from the sun or… this. Two graves.

He raced towards the small house, tears clouding his vision. He hastily wiped them away, swallowing past the growing lump in his throat.

But this wasn’t right. It wasn’t like before, the graves… they weren’t packed with dirt. They were open, and instead of Eliza and Isaac’s bodies buried deep in the ground, it was you and Charles.

“No.” He whispered, his voice shaking as he dropped to his knees. “No- no, no, no.” He repeated as though his words could turn back time. Could undo what monstrosity had been done to the two of you. His heart thudded against his ribs as he jumped into one of the graves. He gathered you in his arms. “C’mon sweetheart- c’mon wake up. Open- open those pretty eyes f’me.” He babbled, pleading for you to look up at him. His hand gripped your hip, feeling the ice cold flesh under your blue dress, now stained with dirt. It was one of his favorites. He held your lifeless body, his hand brushing against your stomach. It was like he was shot, the air knocked out of his lungs as he felt what was obviously a bump. Your stomach rounded with a child, their child. He drug himself out of the grave, pulling you with him. He laid you down on the ground, his body pulled towards Charles, his body much heavier and bulkier than yours, but he still managed. His eyes moved from you to Charles, bile held behind his clamped jaws until he couldn’t hold it back anymore. Bracing himself on his knees as he emptied his stomach onto the grass. Tears streamed down his face, his nose running like a spigot. How damn pathetic he looked was the last thing on his mind.

You looked so peaceful, like you were only sleeping. His angels, just sleeping, that’s all.

But the cold chill of your bodies brought him back to reality. He clasped Charles hand in his own, pressing kisses to his palm as he dragged you into his lap.

He had failed again. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry-“ He cried, his chest constricting painfully with each ragged breath. “I love you, I’m sorry!”

Arthur woke with a start, his heart pounding as he sat up in bed. He hadn’t had that dream in a while. Charles' warm back radiated heat to one side of him, while you slept curled up on the other. He panted, running his hand down his face as he tried to gain control over his sporadic breathing. He didn’t need to wrack his brain to figure out why his subconscious had pulled it forward.

You were late. It wasn’t something that didn’t need to be spoken out loud to be known. You were quite regular with your monthlies, sometimes they were a day later or perhaps a day earlier. But never for three days.

They were always prepared. Extra sheets set out on the trunk at the end of the bed. In case the red devil came when you were sleeping. Charles would have tea ready to be brewed once the cramps started in your lower belly. The cloths you used were cleaned and laid out, ready for use, along with your sanitary belt.

But you hadn’t needed any of them yet.

He supposed he shouldn’t have been so surprised, him and Charles were always spilling into you. But only on the so called ‘safe’ days. Arthur still didn’t quite understand how there were days of the month you weren’t ‘fertile’. Although he wasn’t well versed in the way women’s bodies worked despite having gotten Eliza pregnant all those years ago.

But it didn’t matter to him, you said you couldn’t get pregnant on certain days, so he believed you. So why the hell were you late?

Sure, you and Charles had times where Arthur didn’t join you. It didn’t matter, he trusted the two of you. There were times when it was just him and Charles, or just him and you.

But he didn’t believe that you’d go behind his back trying to get pregnant without at least talking to him about it first.

It was moments like this that the little bug began to whisper in Arthur’s ear. Telling him he didn’t belong with the two of you, that he was only bringing you two down, that you’d both be better off without him, that you didn’t need him.

Normally a kiss from Charles or your arms wrapped around his waist would silence this little bug, but this one couldn’t seem to be quieted.

He groaned, pressing the palms of his hands against his eyes. You shifted, seemingly disturbed by the noise. You swung your leg up onto his hip, pressing yourself against him. Instinctively he wrapped his arm around your shoulders, pulling you closer. He felt something against his thigh as you cuddled up against him. Something wet.

Arthur nudged Charles, pushing the bigger man’s shoulder.

“Hm?” Charles mumbled, looking over his shoulder at Arthur. His eyes squinted in the low light of the dawn.

“Reckon, we're gonna need to change the sheets.” He said softly, looking back down at you. Charles nodded, immediately getting out of bed. Arthur shook your shoulder, gently rousing you from your sleep.

“C’mon sweetheart, let’s get you up.” He said softly, rising from the middle of the bed. Charles was lighting the oil lamp on the bedside table, casting a golden glow over the three of you.

You quickly realized what was happening. A low sigh leaving your lips as you started to strip out of your blood stained nightgown and bloomers. Arthur went into the main room, grabbing a wash rag from the kitchen. He wet the cloth in the basin before returning to the bedroom. Charles pressed a kiss to your crown as he moved to the other side of the bed, collecting the sheets. Arthur handed you the rag, letting you clean your thighs off before you put on your sanitary belt.

He headed back into the main room, working on getting the fire going before you eventually made your way out to join him.

As he added the logs to the hearth, he couldn’t get the image of you and Charles’ lifeless bodies out of his head. The almost waxy look of your skin, the unmistakable bump under your dress… He shook his head, trying to clear the image as he sat down in his chair.

You shuffled out of the bedroom, Charles poncho falling to your thighs. You curled up on his lap, resting your head on his chest. He wrapped his arm around your waist, feeling your body heat under his fingertips. So unlike his nightmare, you were alive, both you and Charles were alive.

The only sound was the gentle creak of the rocking chair and the light crackle from the fire. But it wasn’t tense or awkward, just comfortable.

Charles came out of the bedroom, laying the sheets in the basin to soak. He sat down on the identical rocking chair, rubbing his eyes as he let out a yawn.

“What woke you up?” He asked, looking over at Arthur. Of course he would ask that.

“Nothing.” He mumbled, brushing his fingers through your hair. He knew he had given himself away almost immediately. You stiffened just slightly before you lifted your head off his chest, sparing a glance at Charles.

He understood what you meant now. When you had first come to live with him and Charles you would complain about the ‘silent’ conversations that were had. Arthur was now on the outside of one of these conversations.

“Arthur, are you alright honey?” You asked looking back at him.

God damn that sweet honeyed voice, how could he ever lie to you? Not that he was the best liar anyway, not when you and Charles could read him like a damn book.

“You know how I was almost married before.” He asked, his fingers running over the ruby ring resting on your finger.

“To Mary.” You nodded, furrowing your brows as you tried to figure out where he was going with this.

“After she… after she called it off there was another girl. She- she was young and I was a fool.” He sighed, shaking his head. “I got her pregnant.” He didn’t miss the way your eyebrows shot up. “She had Isaac my- my boy. I’d visit when I could but each time I was gone it just- just felt like an eternity. Christ, he’d go from sitting to walking, babbling to talking. But I had the gang and I’d send her money, not that that counted for much.” He knew he was rattling on but he couldn’t help himself. “I was such a fool back then, still am in some ways I suppose. I was so focused on the gang, on Dutch…” He trailed off, anger and guilt burning deep in his belly, only cooled by the gentle touch of your palm on his chest. “One day I rode out there and-“ He cut himself off, the lump in his throat growing too large to speak.

“Oh Arthur,” You said softly, running your thumb over his cheek. “I’m so sorry.” He didn’t deserve to be comforted, but he couldn’t bear to push you away.

“All over a few dollars.” He shook his head, “I didn’t know the first thing about being a father and- I doubt I’d be any better now.” He muttered, looking into the low burning flames.

“Did you know?” You asked Charles, raising your head to look at him. He nodded, moving his gaze back to the fire.

“I… I used to dream of them, finding the graves…” His voice broke as he fought to speak, “But this time it- wasn’t them. It- it was you n’ Charles.” He saw Charles wince out of the corner of his eye.

“Oh honey.” You sighed, his words tugging at your heart strings, “Honey it’s okay, it’s okay.” You said cupping his cheek, running your thumb over his cheekbone. Brushing away any stray tears. “What happened was a tragedy, but it wasn’t your fault-“

“If I had been there-“ He squeezed his eyes shut, shaking his head, “I could’ve saved them. If I would’ve done right by them they’d still be alive.” He choked back a sob.

“Arthur-“ Charles sighed looking over at the two of you.

You wrapped your arms around him, pulling his head to your breast. He melted in your embrace, holding onto you like you would disappear into thin air if he let go. He listened to the thump of your heart against his ear, his tears slowly drying as he took in a few shuddering breaths.

How the hell did he manage to find two of the most understanding people in the world, and how did he make them both fall in love with someone like him?

The awful part was he was disappointed when you started to bleed. He wanted it. He wanted to see you grow round with Charles and his baby. To feel the babe shift and kick under your skin. To watch as you grew into a mother, he knew you’d be perfect. To see Charles be a father. To have a second chance at what he missed with Eliza and Isaac, to make them proud.

But he didn’t deserve it.

“We’ll be careful Arthur.” You said, petting his hair, “We’ll just keep track of the days and if you’re really worried we don’t have to-“

“I don’t want to be careful.” He huffed, pulling away from you. He got to his feet, pacing in front of the fireplace. “I don’t want to be careful I want-“ He ran a hand through his hair, knowing he probably looked like a fool. “I want- I want…” He trailed off, biting his lip as he shook his head.

“Arthur?” Charles asked, his deep timbre voice setting his blood ablaze.

“I’m making a damn fool of myself.” He grumbled, running his hand down his face.

“Arthur.” You stopped him, grabbing the hand that had been clenched into a fist at his side. “If… if having a- a family- is something you want,” You started slowly, looking over at Charles before you continued, “We want it too.” You said, running your thumb over his knuckles.

“You mean it?” He asked breathlessly, looking from you to Charles.

“Yeah.” Charles nodded, an easy smile on his plump lips. Arthur looked between the two of you, seemingly stunned for a few moments before he pulled you towards him. His hand grasped at Charles' shirt before he too was pulled into Arthur's embrace.

“Yer serious?” Arthur asked, his voice slightly muffled as he pressed his face into Charles' neck.

“We’re serious honey.” You said wrapping your arms around the two of them. “I mean, it ain’t no secret that Charles has wanted to see me in that way.” You giggled. Charles let out an amused huff, shaking his head. “Just didn’t know you wanted it too.” You hummed, moving back to kiss his cheek.

“I’m a lucky son of a bitch.” Arthur said, swallowing past the lump in his throat as he looked from you to Charles. The loves of his life, here in his arms, agreeing to start a family.

“We’re pretty lucky too, cowboy.” Charles chuckled, squeezing your waist before pressing his lips to Arthur’s, “Now I’m going back to bed, and I think you all should join me.” He said with a yawn.

“What do you say honey?” You asked, leaning your head on Arthur’s shoulder.

“Let’s go to bed.” He nodded, letting you and Charles walk him back to bed.

Arthur fell asleep, tucked in between you and Charles.

He dreamt of Boadicea, riding her along the dirt road. His heart in his throat as he watched the door open, Isaac’s sandy brown hair flying in the wind as he raced towards him. Arthur jumped down from her back, his arms flung wide as he caught him in his embrace. Through tearful eyes he looked up towards the house. Eliza stood on the porch, her warm gaze finding him. From the inside of the house you and Charles walk out, his arm around your waist. That pretty little blue dress hugging your figure as Charles cups your belly.

“C’mon pa!” Isaac said in that sweet boyish voice, tugging on his hand as he led Arthur to the house.

He never had that dream again.

Tag list :

@photo1030 , @emerald-ranch @highlandhour , @buffkirby2020 , @esquilone , @cyb3rsx , @whalecage , @idekraeven , @calcarius445 , @heloixe , @heron-feathers , @bluebxrrxl , @youngwhisperstree , @snoorio , @punctatum

#rdr2 #red dead redemption 2 #arthur morgan #john marston #charles smith #dutch van der linde #hosea matthews #charles smith x arthur morgan #Charles smith x reader #Arthur Morgan x reader #arthur morgan x reader x charles smith #arthur morgan x charles smith #baptized by fire #hihomeghere

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two-white-butterflies · 12 days ago

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a beautiful little fool

Description: You have a child with the Rogue Prince and you only have one wish for your daughter...

Pairing: daemon targaryen/reader

Words: ≤ 1k

Warnings: angst, period typical sexism, smut.

Your desires in marriage have always been simple.

You wanted a warm castle with a lord husband who didn't necessarily have to love you, but he needed to love his children from you with all of his heart. A husband who would be firm on his vows and you weren't exactly strict on the word 'vows' for you shall allow him to take dozens of maidens and whores in his bed, but never his wedding bed. Yours shall be his wedding bed, and that was enough for you.

But if you knew that the gods would be giving you this man, you would've begged for something better - someone kinder.

His harsh lavender irises were aflame when he approached you. His eyes were burning with passion and unmistakable rage. "What did the King say?" You raised an eyebrow, hinting at the previous council meeting that he had attended.

He ignores the words that escaped your mouth, instead, he pushes you down on the bed. The mattress slightly shifts to accommodate your shared weight.

"Give me your hand," he commanded, and you did.

After all, he is your lord husband, and his command far outweighs everything else, even the whims that knock on your heart begging you to stop. A grunt escapes his lips as he allows his trousers to fall, the cloth gathering around the bends of his knees.

He guides your cold fingers down to the warm base of his cock. Another moan escapes his mouth as he feels the coldness of your palms. He has always adored the way that you'd stay cool even during the hottest summer seasons, and he admits that the coldness of your palms mixed with the anger of his swollen cock makes him feel good. It soothes him.

You stroked him slowly - eyes trailing back and forth between his cock and his eyes. "You are so beautiful," he mumbles underneath his breath while lifting your nightgown to expose your cunt to the chilly winter air. He always says that you are beautiful; it is a compliment that bears no weight compared to your other skills.

His warm lips quickly found yours, devouring you like a man starved.

You continued stroking his cock throughout the entire embrace, with each pump he only hardens with obvious fervor. "Stop," he commands while wrapping his hands around your wrist. Your shoulders momentarily tensed, body shrinking until you were beginning to sit up - but he pushes you down again.

And, with the aggressiveness of a man who has done this a thousand times, you wanted to point out.

Daemon Targaryen admits that he has never seen a creature as beautiful as you. A lady whose presence can shift the entire world around her. You remind him of a whirlpool - whose pull may very well end all his ambitions, whose pull urges him to claim you.

His conquest. His little wife.

When he is inside of you, he feels a light like no other.

He reaches for the edges of your nightgown, lifting it over your shoulders until it is also discarded on the floor. With each touch of his on your body, he feels the fire in his body increase in warmth.

He flips you onto your back, tracing the imaginary curves of your waist. Your eyelids flutter for a moment, feeling pleasure bloom in the bottom of your stomach. "Daemon," you moaned, the first time that you referred to him with something other than his royal title. "Hush," he commanded while spitting on his palms, rubbing the wetness in the sides of his cock before tapping your back.

"Get up," he whispers while lifting you from your position. "- on all fours, wife." He demands.

You looked back at him, watching him kneel from behind you.

Your teeth burrowed into your lower lip, feeling the head of his cock press against your entrance. It always hurts during the first time, Daemon knows that - he should prepare you before spearing himself in but you reckon that he likes the way you're hurting.

He likes the way that he can take and take and take... and you have no choice but to give him everything.

He reaches towards your scalp, wrapping his fingers around your hair. He tugs at your hair - using it as a way to help him rock back and forth. "Ah," you winched feeling an inch of him inside of you.

You could hear the bed creak, rocking back and forth.

"It will feel better," he comforts while pressing his entire length upon you. "Daemon!" You shrieked, feeling a pain like no other. He spreads your legs wider, entering your body further. Slowly. Firmly. Like he is owed your body and you know that it belongs to him.

You are not ready. You are in pain, but the pain vanishes when he enters your body once more - and you delight in it. You feel his cock press against your womb. He continues his relentless attacks.

"Daemon," you mumbled under your breath, feeling waves of pleasure ripple inside your body. "Shh, show me what your pleasure is like." He whispered while thrusting himself in deeper.

Your first peak comes, and the second comes, and the third is forced.

Your husband breaks you as a man would a wild animal. He claims you, spills his seed inside of you, and you allow him. He keeps his cock inside of you that night - and for the first time, he presses a gentle kiss on the top of your brow.

Needless to say, the sunlight does not feel good.

The next month, the Maester says that you are with child. You give birth during the autumn. A girl. A daughter who inherits your eyes and your hair. But you pray that she is nothing like her parents - you pray that she does inherit your gentle disposition, but you pray that she'd be a fool, so as to not understand.

The best thing that a woman can be is stupid and beautiful.

"My two girls," Daemon smiles while pressing a kiss to your lips.

He says all this and still lusts after his niece.

You've heard stories of their rendezvous in Flea Bottom. You care little for their affair, but you do fear Rhaenyra's newfound position as heir to the throne. "She has been fussing the entire night," you say.

But despite all of that, you still love your daughter with all of your heart, because she is the only one who can truly be yours. Your sons will be promised to the realm. Your husband has promised himself to another, but Maelora is yours. Yours.

"She missed you," you gave him a gentle smile.

"I apologize for being gone, then," he says, looking down at the little bundle of joy.

"Prince Daemon," one of the heralds opens their mouth to speak.

He places a hand on your shoulder. "I shall attend a patrol with the gold cloaks today. I will meet you during luncheon," he bids farewell. Leaving you to look down at your daughter, soaking in each indentation of her features.

You closed your eyes, whispering a prayer to the gods.

Let my girl be a fool, please, let her be kind and clueless, so it shall never occur to her that she has no choice.

Please let her live unaware.

#daemon tagaryen x reader #daemon targaryen fanfics #daemon targaryen x you #daemon targaryen #house of the dragon fanfiction #house of the dragon #daemon targaryen imagines

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sheriffaxolotl · 4 months ago

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Rough Hands and Gentle Strokes (Chapter 1) Arthur Morgan x Reader

Summary:

In the rugged wilderness outside of Blackwater, a hardened outlaw crosses paths with a woman who challenges everything he’s ever known. A kind-hearted and resilient art teacher, she bears the weight of the world’s judgment, especially regarding a woman’s place in it. As their lives intertwine, he struggles with feelings he can’t make sense of, questioning his very purpose. In a world of harsh realities, can he dare to let someone in? And will she allow herself to soften enough to find love where she least expects it? Together, they come to heal, challenge each other, and discover what it truly means to fight for something worth living for.

Additional Tags: Romance, Arthur Morgan Deserves Happiness, Pre-Blackwater Massacre (Red Dead Redemption), Period Typical Attitudes, Period-Typical Sexism

Chapter 1: The Touch That Lingers

°─────────────────°•❀•°─────────────────°

The sun hung high over the quiet town of Willoughby Creek, its golden rays dancing over the bustling main street. Children’s laughter floated through the air, mingling with the rhythmic creak of wagon wheels and the hum of distant conversation. Arthur Morgan tugged his hat lower over his eyes, squinting against the glare as he guided his horse, Boadicea, toward the general store. He wasn’t planning to linger—just pick up supplies and get moving. The less time spent around people, the better.

Compared to Blackwater, Willoughby Creek felt like a world apart. Where Blackwater thrummed with the energy of a growing town, a hub of commerce and the occasional confrontation, Willoughby Creek was still finding its rhythm—quiet, more laid-back, with a slower pace of life. The folks here went about their business in a way that reminded Arthur of the earlier days of civilization, before progress changed everything. A lot more open space, fewer buildings, and none of the modern hustle and bustle. In some ways, it suited him. But that didn’t mean he felt like sticking around long.

The creaking of an old wooden sign as it swayed in the wind drew his attention for a moment, but he quickly shook it off, focusing on the task at hand. He wasn’t here to get lost in thoughts of how things used to be—he had a job to do.

But as he passed the edge of the small park by the church, something made him pause. A group of children sat cross-legged on the grass, their faces alight with concentration as they hunched over wooden easels. In the middle of it all was a woman, her voice soft but carrying a melodic quality that drew his attention. She moved among the children, her skirts brushing the ground as she knelt to examine their work, offering encouragement or gentle advice.

Arthur’s brow furrowed. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d heard laughter like that—pure, unrestrained, and joyful. It was contagious, and before he knew it, he’d stopped entirely, his curiosity getting the better of him.

“Mister, you here to join the class?” piped up a small voice.

Arthur’s eyes darted down to a freckled boy staring up at him, a mischievous grin on his face. Arthur shook his head, glancing around as if to make sure no one else had heard.

“Nah, kid. Just passin’ through,” he said gruffly, shifting his weight. “Don’t reckon I’d be much good at somethin’ like this.”

The boy wasn’t deterred. “Aw, c’mon! It ain’t hard. You just gotta try. Here, I can show ya!”

Arthur took a half-step back, his hands coming up in a warding gesture. “Listen, I—”

“Mister!” the boy interrupted, his tone insistent as he grabbed Arthur’s sleeve and gave it a tug. “It’s real easy! Miss Harper says anyone can draw if they give it a shot.”

“Miss Harper?” Arthur repeated, glancing toward the woman now, who was crouched by another child and hadn’t yet noticed the commotion. He was about to gently extricate himself when the boy cupped his hands around his mouth and called out loudly.

“Miss Harper! This man says he can’t draw!”

Arthur groaned inwardly as several heads turned in his direction, including hers. The woman straightened, brushing her hands on her skirt as she approached, her expression curious. Her eyes—clear as a mountain stream—locked onto his, and for a moment, he felt rooted to the spot.

“Oh, now, don’t be shy,” she said with a smile that held both warmth and mischief. “We’ve always got room for one more.”

Arthur shifted awkwardly, one hand scratching the back of his neck. “Don’t think I’d be much good with all that,” he muttered, his voice gruff.

“Nonsense,” she replied, gesturing to an empty spot on the grass. “Art’s not about being good. It’s about trying. Besides, I’m sure the kids would love to have you join us.”

“Yeah, mister! Draw somethin’!” the freckled boy chimed in, tugging on Arthur’s sleeve again.

Arthur sighed, glancing between the boy and the woman, whose expectant gaze didn’t waver. He opened his mouth to protest once more, but the boy’s grin widened as he thrust a piece of paper and a bit of charcoal into Arthur’s hands.

“Here! Just try it!” the boy said.

With a resigned shake of his head, Arthur relented, muttering under his breath as he lowered himself onto the grass. The woman’s smile softened, and she crouched beside him, her presence unexpectedly calming.

“Here,” she said, demonstrating a quick, simple outline of a horse. “Just start with basic shapes. You’ll get the hang of it.”

Arthur’s first attempt was, in his opinion, a disaster. The horse he drew looked more like a lopsided mule, and the weight of so many curious eyes made his hands feel clumsier than usual. He wasn’t used to drawing where anyone could see—his journal was a private refuge, where lines flowed easier without the pressure of an audience. Here, under watchful gazes, it felt like every flaw was magnified. He half-expected the kids to burst out laughing. But when he glanced up, he found the woman studying his sketch with a soft smile.

“It’s got character,” she said. “And look at how strong those lines are. You’ve got a steady hand.”

“You don’t have to lie,” Arthur replied, his voice tinged with self-deprecating humor.

She laughed, a sound that made something in his chest loosen. “I’m not. Art’s about expression, not perfection. And you’ve got plenty of expression here.”

By the end of the lesson, Arthur’s initial awkwardness had faded, replaced by a reluctant sort of enjoyment. The children’s chatter and the woman’s easygoing demeanor had a way of disarming him, and he found himself lingering longer than he’d intended. As the children began to pack up their supplies, she turned to him with a curious tilt of her head.

“Thank you for joining us,” she said. “I don’t think I caught your name.”

“Arthur, Arthur Morgan,” he replied, adjusting his hat, his voice faltering slightly.

“Well, Arthur, it was a pleasure having you in class. You’ve got an artist’s spirit, whether you realize it or not.”

He snorted softly, brushing a hand over the brim of his hat. “Don’t think anyone’s ever accused me of that before.”

She smiled warmly, her eyes crinkling at the corners. There was a kindness in her face, a softness that felt out of place in a world that seemed to grow harder by the day. “Well, there’s a first time for everything. I’m Miss Harper, by the way. If you’re ever in town again, feel free to stop by. We’re always here on Wednesdays.”

Arthur nodded, tipping his hat politely, but before he turned to leave, his gaze lingered on her for a moment longer. She wasn’t wearing a wedding ring, he noticed. Her hands, pale and delicate, bore faint smudges of charcoal, a small testament to her craft. Her dress was simple but well-made, the soft blue fabric catching the sunlight in a way that reminded him of clear summer skies. A loose strand of hair had slipped from her bun, framing her face in a way that made her look younger, almost carefree.

She didn’t seem like the sort who belonged to a place like this—Willoughby Creek, with its rough edges and tired faces. She carried herself differently, with a quiet confidence and a grace that made Arthur feel a little self-conscious of his own mud-splattered boots and worn clothes.

“Take care, Mister Morgan,” she said, her voice pulling him from his thoughts.

“You too, Miss Harper,” he replied, his voice rougher than he intended.

As he walked back to his horse, he could feel her eyes on him, and for reasons he couldn’t quite pin down, that thought stirred something unfamiliar in him—something cautious, but not unpleasant.

When he swung into the saddle, he hesitated for a moment, his gaze drifting back toward the park. The sound of children’s laughter carried on the breeze, mingling with the faint rustle of leaves. Miss Harper was crouched beside a young boy now, showing him how to hold a piece of charcoal properly. She laughed at something the boy said, her head tilting back slightly, her expression open and genuine.

Arthur scratched at the back of his neck, feeling an odd warmth creeping over him. It wasn’t like him to pay much attention to anyone, let alone a schoolteacher in a quiet little town he had no real reason to linger in. Yet, as he turned his horse toward the trail, he couldn’t help glancing back once more.

The memory of her smile stuck with him, as did the image of her standing there with the sun framing her like some kind of picture. For the first time in a long while, Arthur felt a flicker of something he couldn’t quite name—something warm and unsteady, like the first rays of dawn breaking through the dark.

And as he rode away from Willoughby Creek, he found himself wondering if, perhaps, he might take a little longer to pass through next time.

°─────────────────°•❀•°─────────────────°

The ride back to camp was quiet, the sun dipping low on the horizon, casting long shadows across the trail. The gentle clop of his horse’s hooves and the occasional rustle of the trees were the only sounds accompanying him. Arthur kept his eyes on the road ahead, but his mind drifted back to Willoughby Creek, to the park, and to Miss Harper.

It wasn’t often someone stuck with him like that. Most folks he passed through towns barely left an impression. But her, with her calm voice and that unshakable, easy smile, had rooted herself in his mind like an itch he couldn’t quite scratch.

By the time he reached camp, the sun had sunk below the horizon, leaving the sky awash in hues of deep blue and purple. The gang was scattered about, some gathered around the fire, others tucked away in their tents. Arthur exchanged a few nods and muttered greetings but made a beeline for his own tent. He wasn’t in the mood for conversation, not with the thoughts stirring in his head.

Once inside, he lit the small lantern on his makeshift desk and pulled out his journal. The leather-bound book felt familiar in his hands, the pages worn and filled with the fragments of his life—sketches, musings, and bits of poetry he’d never admit to writing. It was his way of making sense of the world, of keeping a piece of himself in a life that seemed to take more than it gave.

He flipped to a fresh page and began writing, his hand moving slowly at first.

“Passed through Willoughby Creek today. Nice enough place. Kids were laughing in the park. Seemed like the kind of town that don’t see much trouble, at least not yet. Met someone too. A teacher. Miss Harper. She said I had an artist’s spirit. Can’t say I know what she meant by that, but she weren’t mocking me, I think. Funny how some folks can see something in you that you don’t see in yourself. Maybe she was just being kind.”

He paused, tapping the pencil against the page. His jaw tightened as he stared at the words. It felt strange to put her down in writing, like it made the memory of her more solid, more real. With a quiet huff, he set the pencil to the side, rubbing the back of his neck.

But instead of closing the journal, his fingers lingered, his mind drifting back to the way she’d looked, standing in the park with the sun on her dress. Without thinking, he reached for the pencil again, the movements of his hand slower, more deliberate this time.

The lines came hesitantly at first—a curve of her face, the loose strand of hair, the faint crinkles around her eyes when she smiled. Arthur wasn’t much for portraits, but there was something about trying to capture her that made him focus in a way he hadn’t in a long time. The memory of her dress, that soft blue, kept coming back to him, and he shaded in the folds, the light catching just so.

When he finally sat back, hours must’ve passed. His fingers ached, and the lantern’s light had dimmed, the flame flickering low. He stared at the page, at the image he’d sketched—a rough rendering of Miss Harper, caught mid-smile, with a faint outline of trees behind her.

He let out a quiet chuckle, shaking his head. “Damn fool,” he muttered to himself.

His gaze drifted to the small table beside his cot, where a worn, silver-framed photograph stood. Mary. The sight of her smile, frozen forever in that picture, made his chest ache in a way he’d grown used to but never truly stopped feeling. His calloused thumb brushed the edge of the frame, tracing the curves of her face. She had looked at him like that once too, full of hope and possibility, before it all fell apart. Before he let it fall apart.

A familiar weight settled on him, that dull ache of knowing how much he’d lost and how much of it had been his own damn fault. He swallowed hard, the lump in his throat stubborn and unmoving, and set the photo back down gently. For a moment, he just stared at it, the silence of the night pressing in around him.

Then his eyes shifted back to the open journal on the desk, to the rough sketch of Miss Harper. The lines weren’t perfect, the proportions a little off, but her smile—he’d gotten that right. It was different from Mary’s, lighter somehow, like a breeze instead of a storm. It wasn’t better, he told himself—just different.

He leaned back in his chair, letting out a slow breath as he studied the drawing. That ache in his chest was still there, but now it felt... tempered, softer, like a wound starting to scab over. For the first time in what felt like forever, the thought of tomorrow didn’t feel quite so heavy.

And just before he drifted off, he thought again of Miss Harper’s laugh, of the way she’d looked at him like he wasn’t just another shadow passing through. For the first time in a long while, Arthur felt the edges of hope creeping into the corners of his mind. And he didn’t hate it.

°─────────────────°•❀•°─────────────────°

The days passed in the usual rhythm of camp life—chaotic and loud when it needed to be, quiet and tense when it wasn’t. Thursday came and went with a botched supply run outside of Blackwater that ended in an argument over who’d gotten the directions wrong. Friday blurred into a long, cold ride through the mountains with Hosea, chasing down a lead on a gang of highwaymen. By Saturday, Arthur was back at camp, fixing a broken wagon wheel while Dutch rambled about their next big score.

Life didn’t slow down, not for a moment. Yet, in the quiet spaces between the noise, Arthur found his mind wandering back to Willoughby Creek. To her.

It wasn’t deliberate, at least not at first. He’d catch himself thinking about the way her hands moved as she worked, smudged with charcoal but still delicate, or the way the sunlight had lit up her hair, catching on the loose strands.

He’d been cleaning his gun Thursday night when the memory of her voice drifted in, unbidden. “You’ve got an artist’s spirit.” He’d chuckled softly to himself, shaking his head, but the words lingered. What had she seen in him that made her say that? Surely not the man he was now, the man who spent his days riding hard and his nights drowning out the sound of his own thoughts.

On Friday, during a break in the ride with Hosea, Arthur had found himself idly sketching in the dirt with a stick while they rested. The lines he drew made no sense, but his hand kept repeating shapes he didn’t notice until later—curves like the hem of a dress, the outline of a tree, even the faintest hint of a smile. Hosea had teased him about looking distracted, but Arthur just grunted in reply and went back to saddling his horse.

By Saturday afternoon, as he worked on the wagon wheel, he caught himself staring off into the distance. It was a fleeting thing, just a moment of stillness in the midst of camp chaos, but in that quiet, he wasn’t in camp at all. He was back in Willoughby Creek, standing under the shade of those trees, hearing the laughter of children and watching her crouched beside a boy, guiding his hand as he drew.

“Arthur! You listening to me?” Dutch’s voice snapped him back, sharp and impatient.

“Yeah,” Arthur replied, shaking himself out of it. “I’m listenin’.”

As the days passed, Arthur tried to push the thought of her from his mind. There was work to be done, things to keep him occupied—patrolling, hunting, keeping an eye on the camp. But in the back of his mind, she lingered, like a quiet hum, always present.

Monday morning found him sharpening his knife by the fire, his thoughts drifting once again to Willoughby Creek. He wondered if the park was still the same, if the children still laughed and ran through the grass. His hand paused mid-motion as he remembered how she’d looked at him, so calm and steady, and how he’d felt like just another drifter passing through. Yet, something about the way she hadn’t turned away when he spoke to her, how she’d seemed interested, had made him feel... noticed.

The sound of a twig snapping nearby brought him back to the present. He glanced up, seeing John and Bill coming back from the river with supplies. Arthur gave them a quick nod, but his mind was elsewhere. His hand returned to the knife, but it wasn’t the blade he was focused on. He found himself absentmindedly carving small, jagged shapes into the wood. Faint outlines of trees and curves that looked a lot like the one he’d seen on her dress.

Tuesday came, and with it, another long ride out to check on the progress of a deal with a neighboring gang. Arthur kept his focus on the job at hand, but as the hours passed, he couldn’t help but feel the distance between himself and the men he rode with. Their conversations felt distant, like noise he couldn’t quite tune into. The laughter, the insults, the stories of past misdeeds—none of it really reached him. He was there, but not fully.

He found himself scanning the landscape, the sparse trees, and distant hills, as if searching for something—or someone—that wasn’t part of the life he had. His mind was somewhere else, half-wishing he were back on that road to Willoughby Creek, wondering if she might be walking down the street, or sitting in the park again, perhaps drawing quietly in the afternoon sun.

By the time Wednesday rolled around, Arthur could feel the weight of it, the pull in his chest. The thought of returning to Willoughby Creek was on his mind constantly, as if his body had already decided. He told himself he was just passing through, that there was no harm in a quick stop—just another day of rest on a long journey.

But deep down, something had shifted. He wasn’t sure if it was the pull of her smile, or the way she’d spoken to him, or the feeling that there might still be something good left in the world for someone like him. But he knew he couldn’t keep pushing it aside.

The morning light on Wednesday was crisp, and the air smelled different—fresher, almost. He saddled his horse with the usual motions, but this time, they felt deliberate. There was a purpose in his steps that hadn’t been there before.

As the camp began to stir with activity, Arthur rode out, his mind already miles ahead, heading toward Willoughby Creek once more.

He didn’t know what he was looking for, exactly, or if he would even find her there. But the thought of seeing her again, of hearing her voice, filled him with a nervous anticipation that he hadn’t felt in a long time.

And for the first time in days, his heart beat with something resembling hope. He didn’t know where it would lead, or if he would regret it. But for now, he was content to let that small, foolish hope guide him toward something he couldn’t quite name.

°─────────────────°•❀•°─────────────────° The ride was long, the familiar landscape blurring past him, but Arthur felt none of the usual impatience. His mind wasn’t occupied with the weight of the past or the worry of what the future might bring. Instead, it was filled with thoughts of Willoughby Creek, the sound of children’s laughter, and the faint memory of her smile. Each mile felt like an unwritten story, one he wasn’t sure he was ready to live—but it was pulling him in anyway.

As the afternoon wore on, the town’s silhouette finally appeared in the distance. It looked just as he remembered—quiet, unassuming, with the same rows of buildings, the same dusty streets, and the same park tucked at the heart of it. The closer he got, the more he felt a strange flutter in his chest, like a bird trapped in a cage, beating against the bars. He’d come here once before, without much thought or expectation. But now…

Arthur slowed his horse as he rode into the heart of the town, giving the familiar buildings a cursory glance. His heart rate picked up as he approached the park, the place where he had met her. The children were still there, running around in the sun, their laughter filling the air. But he was looking for something else.

He dismounted, the soft thud of his boots hitting the ground drowned out by the noise of the bustling park. Arthur scanned the area, his gaze landing on the familiar figures of mothers, fathers, and townsfolk, but not her.

For a moment, he considered leaving, just turning around and heading back to camp. It wasn’t like he’d promised anything—hell, he hadn’t even told her he was coming back. But something told him he had to stay, even if it was just for a little while longer.

And then, as if by fate, there she was.

Miss Harper was standing near the edge of the park, crouched down beside a child, guiding his hand as he drew. Her soft blue dress fluttered in the wind, and her hair—loose and wild in the breeze—seemed to shimmer like sunlight through the trees. For a moment, Arthur just stood there, watching her, feeling the weight of something both familiar and foreign stir inside him. He hadn’t expected to feel this nervous, to feel his heart race like it did when he was face-to-face with something he wanted but didn’t know how to reach.

She looked up, her eyes catching his almost immediately. A soft gasp escaped her lips, quickly followed by a tentative smile.

“Mister Morgan,” she said, her voice warm and surprised. “I didn’t expect to see you again.”

For a moment, Arthur couldn’t find his words. He’d imagined this moment a hundred times over the past week, but now that it was here, he felt strangely tongue-tied. He cleared his throat, shifting his weight awkwardly from one foot to the other.

“Didn’t mean to surprise ya,” he said gruffly, scratching the back of his neck. “Figured I’d pass through.”

She smiled again, and it was like a weight had been lifted off his chest. “Well, I’m glad you did.” She gestured to the empty space beside her. “I’m just showing this young man how to make a proper tree. You’re welcome to join us.”

Arthur glanced at the child she was speaking to, a boy no older than eight or nine, holding a piece of chalk in his small hand. He looked up at Arthur with wide eyes before quickly looking back to Miss Harper.

“I’m no artist,” Arthur muttered, his gaze flicking back to Miss Harper, who raised an eyebrow playfully.

“Not yet,” she said, her voice light, teasing. “Come on. I already know you have a steady hand.”

Arthur hesitated, but the offer was genuine, and the warmth in her eyes made him take a step forward. He crouched down beside them, his large hands seeming out of place beside the small child, but he did as she asked, picking up a piece of chalk and tracing the outline of a tree on the pavement. It was simple, nothing special—but it was enough.

For a long while, they worked in silence. The child drew beside them, occasionally looking up at Arthur’s rough attempt at a tree and giggling. Miss Harper’s soft voice would occasionally offer guidance, and Arthur found himself listening to her without realizing it. Her words, like everything else about her, seemed to settle into him, easy and natural, like the feeling of home he hadn’t known he’d been missing.

The peace between them stretched on, the quiet hum of the afternoon blending with the sound of chalk on stone. Arthur’s mind was surprisingly clear, filled only with the image of the tree he’d drawn—a simple, crooked line, but something about it felt... right. He caught himself smiling, despite his usual grimness. It was easy here, in this moment, with her, surrounded by children and the laughter that filled the air.

But just as he thought he might finally relax, a voice cut through the air, sharp and unwelcome.

“That’s enough, Miss Harper.”

Arthur’s hand froze mid-stroke, the chalk slipping from his fingers and falling to the ground. He glanced up, his brow furrowing as a man in a long coat and flat cap approached them, his gaze fixed firmly on Miss Harper. The man was stocky, his chest puffed out like he carried the weight of the world, and his tone was anything but friendly.

Miss Harper looked up, her smile faltering just slightly. “Excuse me, sir?”

The man jabbed a finger toward the group of children, his face contorting in a mix of disdain and authority. “It’s improper, you know,” he said, his voice dripping with condescension. “For a woman like you to be out here, teaching them... especially teaching these girls. It’s one thing for them to learn how to read a bit of writing, but this—this nonsense, drawing and such—is no place for a lady.”

Arthur’s jaw tightened at the man’s words, something dark flickering in his chest. He could feel his muscles tensing, ready to rise and say something, but Miss Harper was already speaking, her voice calm but firm.

“I’m not teaching them nonsense,” she replied, standing up straight, her gaze unwavering. “I’m teaching them to create, to express themselves. There’s nothing improper about that.”

The man’s face twisted with outrage. “It’s unnatural,” he spat. “A woman’s place is in the home, not out here, teaching this kind of thing to young girls. You ought to be ashamed of yourself, Miss Harper.”

Arthur’s hand clenched into a fist at his side, his eyes narrowing on the man. He knew the type—men who thought they had the world figured out, who believed they knew their place and everyone else’s. This wasn’t a man who saw women as anything more than tools for family and housework. It burned in Arthur’s gut, seeing her challenged like this, in front of the children who looked up to her.

But Miss Harper didn’t back down. Her voice was steady, though there was an edge to it. “You’ll have to excuse me, sir, but I don’t believe I asked for your opinion. I’m teaching them what they deserve to know. You’d do well to mind your business.” She glanced over at the children, her expression softening. “Now, go on, all of you. Let’s finish this tree.”

Arthur could feel the tension crackling in the air, the hairs on the back of his neck standing up. But he admired her, how she stood her ground, her face resolute and calm even as the man’s anger bubbled up.

“Now you listen here—” the man started, stepping closer, his voice rising.

Arthur stood up slowly, the ground beneath him seeming to settle into place with each movement. He had no particular desire to get involved in this kind of fight, but something in him bristled, instinctively wanting to defend her.

“Is there a problem here, sir?” Arthur asked, his voice low, but unmistakably firm.

The man turned to face him, sizing him up, his eyes narrowing at the sight of Arthur’s broad shoulders and the unmistakable presence he carried. There was a moment’s pause, the man seemingly calculating whether or not to escalate things.

“I’m merely stating a fact, friend,” the man said, taking a step back, his bravado faltering slightly as he looked up at Arthur. “A woman has no business doing such things.” He shot a venomous glance at Miss Harper. “It’s a shame. You ought to be ashamed of yourself, teaching these girls such ideas.”

Arthur took a step forward, his hand hovering near his hip where his gun rested, just a reminder of who was standing here with him. “You’re mistaken,” Arthur said quietly, a cold edge to his voice. “Now you best be moving along, rather than standin' around, talkin’ down to women like you seem to enjoy doin’.”

The man’s eyes flickered to Arthur’s hand as it rested near his hip, a subtle but unmistakable warning. His bravado faltered for a moment, the cocky expression twisting into one of irritation as he took a half-step back. He seemed to reconsider his position, no longer willing to push things too far with a man who clearly wasn’t one to back down.

“Fine,” the man muttered, his voice dripping with venom. “I’ll go, but mark my words, Miss Harper—this isn’t over. A woman has no business teachin’ those girls how to think for themselves. I’ll see to it that someone puts a stop to it.” He shot a final look of contempt at her, eyes narrowing, then turned sharply on his heel and walked away, his heavy footsteps leaving a trail of tension in the air.

Arthur watched him go, his jaw clenched tight, but he didn’t say anything more. The man wasn’t worth the trouble, and Miss Harper didn’t need any more of his nonsense. She stood silently for a moment, the weight of the encounter pressing down on her, but she didn’t let it break her. Arthur could see that, see how she straightened her shoulders and took a breath, as if shaking off the shadow the man had tried to cast.

“Don’t worry about him,” Arthur said, his voice softer now, though the edge of anger was still present, a remnant of the tension in his chest. “He’s just talk.”

She glanced over at him, her eyes meeting his with a small, appreciative smile. “Aren't they all?,” she said quietly, though there was a subtle tightness in her tone. “Doesn’t make it any easier, though.”

Arthur nodded, his hand shifting away from his hip and resting at his side. He didn’t know what else to say. The kind of world they lived in—where women had to constantly fight for respect, just for being who they were—was one he didn’t fully understand, not like she did. But he could see it now, the quiet toll it took on her, the way she had to pick herself up every time someone tried to put her down.

She sighed, looking back at the children who were still drawing, their laughter slowly returning to the air. “Thank you for stepping in,” she added, her voice softer now. “You didn’t have to, but I’m glad you did.”

Arthur shifted uncomfortably, the weight of the moment pressing in. “I don’t take kindly to men talkin’ to women like that,” he said, his tone steady but firm. “You don’t deserve that.”

She smiled, a small but genuine curve of her lips that eased some of the tension between them. “Well, I appreciate it all the same. But you’re right—he’s not worth dwelling on. I’ve dealt with far worse.”

Arthur watched her closely, his gaze lingering on the way she carried herself, her shoulders squared, her face steady even after the man had left. There was a quiet strength in her, but it wasn’t the kind that he imagined she wanted to wear all the time. But what if she didn’t have to? What if she didn’t have to face it all alone, shoulder to shoulder with the weight of every fight?

The thought lingered in his mind as he shifted on his feet, watching her interact with the children, a soft smile lingering on her lips. There was something about the way she carried herself, like she was always poised, ready to meet any challenge head-on. But in the quiet moments, when the world wasn’t pushing in on her, she seemed so different. He wanted to see more of that side—the one that wasn’t always hardened by the world’s cruelty. The one that wasn’t always on guard.

Before he could dwell on it for too long, he felt her hand on his arm, a soft touch, delicate but warm. Her fingers rested there for a brief moment, and it was like the weight of everything else faded away. She looked up at him with a kind smile, her eyes reflecting gratitude, something soft and sincere in her gaze.

“Thank you again, Mister Morgan,” she said quietly, her voice gentle. “I truly appreciate it. You didn’t have to step in, but I’m glad you did.”

The simplicity of the gesture—the warmth in her touch—struck him more than he expected. For a moment, he felt his heart skip, something unexpected stirring in his chest. He wasn’t used to this kind of attention, especially not this close. His breath caught, and for a split second, he forgot how to breathe properly. His chest tightened, the way it did when he was caught off guard, like the world had tilted slightly on its axis and he hadn’t quite found his balance again.

He blinked, caught off guard by the sudden rush of warmth flooding his cheeks. Arthur opened his mouth to say something, but the words tangled in his throat, slipping away before he could form them properly. His usual gruffness, his tough exterior, suddenly felt inadequate. It wasn’t like he was a man who stumbled for words, but in front of her, with the gentleness of her touch and the softness of her gaze, he found himself out of his depth.

He shifted on his feet, his hand moving slightly as if he wasn’t sure what to do with it. His fingers twitched at his sides, the calluses from years of hard work suddenly feeling like they didn’t quite belong. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, trying to find his footing again, but the warmth of her touch lingered, a constant presence that made him feel oddly exposed, yet strangely... safe.

“Ah… uh… yeah. Nothin’ to thank me for,” he muttered, his voice rougher than usual, a little quieter too, like he was unsure of how to match the softness she was giving him. “I just... I don’t like seein’ people talk to ya like that.”

His words came out a little jumbled, as if his mind wasn’t quite catching up with his mouth. He cleared his throat, trying to shake off the awkwardness that had crept into his chest. But it didn’t help. He still felt that strange flutter in his stomach, like he’d forgotten how to be around someone who didn’t look at him with suspicion, or fear, or just plain indifference.

She smiled again, a soft, understanding smile that only seemed to make him feel even more flustered. Arthur’s gaze dropped briefly, looking anywhere but directly at her face, though he could still feel the weight of her attention on him.

“Mister Morgan,” she said, her voice light and reassuring, “you’re a good man. I appreciate it more than you know.” Her hand lingered just a moment longer, a light touch on his arm before she gently pulled it back, though the warmth of it stayed, as if it had seeped into his very bones.

“Just don’t make a habit of it,” Arthur mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck again, his mind still racing as he tried to regain some sense of normalcy. “Steppin’ in for folks. Ain’t my place, and I... I ain’t no hero.”

She chuckled softly, and the sound was like music to his ears. He risked a glance up at her, seeing the twinkle in her eye, the gentle amusement that softened her features even more.

“I think you’re more of a hero than you give yourself credit for,” she teased, her voice light and playful, but with that same quiet sincerity. “Least, today, you can be my hero.”

Arthur’s heart thumped in his chest, and he suddenly realized he couldn’t quite remember how to stand properly. His hands shifted at his sides, his boots scuffing the ground beneath him, and he gave her a sheepish look—something close to a nervous grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. His mind wandered just briefly, noticing how her presence felt calming in ways he hadn’t expected. She had a soft scent to her, like wildflowers mixed with the faintest trace of lavender, and it lingered in the air around him as she stood so close. He wasn’t sure how he’d never noticed it before, but now it was almost impossible not to.

He blinked, his thoughts scattering a bit. It wasn’t just that though. There was something about the way she moved, the gentle fluidity in her motions, like the world around her didn’t need to be rushed. The way her hair framed her face, soft curls catching the light in a way that made him want to reach out and touch it—though he didn’t, of course.

"Maybe..." he said, his voice a little lower than usual, unsure of the weight of her words but feeling a strange warmth spread across his chest all the same. "Maybe just a little bit."

He cleared his throat, trying to regain his composure, but the smile that tugged at his lips remained, a little hesitant, a little shy, as though he was still trying to figure out what exactly it meant to be someone’s hero. The quiet joy in her gaze, the way her words hung between them, was enough to leave him feeling like he was standing on shaky ground—but for the first time in a long while, it wasn’t a feeling he minded.

Arthur stood there, still a little off balance from the strange warmth she’d ignited in him with just a few words and a simple touch. He had always been good at keeping his distance, but right now, with her standing so close, it felt like the world had suddenly gotten a little softer. Her presence was something he didn’t know how to handle, but he was starting to like the feeling of it.

When the moment stretched on, and the air seemed to hum with something unsaid, he cleared his throat, trying to focus on something—anything—other than the quiet fluttering in his chest. He looked over toward the path leading back to town, where the shadows were beginning to stretch long, the light fading as the sun dipped lower. The thought of her walking alone, that man possibly still lingering somewhere in the back of her mind, didn’t sit well with him.

"You know..." Arthur started, scratching the back of his neck, unsure of how exactly to word it. "I’d be happy to walk you home, Miss Harper. Don’t think I want that man bothering you again." He glanced at her, offering a quick but genuine smile. "I reckon you’ve got enough to deal with without folks like him getting in your way."

The suggestion felt strange coming from him—like he was trying to do something good, even if it didn’t come naturally. But it was the right thing to do. Besides, he found himself wanting to keep her safe, to make sure she didn’t have to carry the weight of the world alone, not when he could help.

He shifted on his boots, suddenly aware of how clumsy his words had sounded, and he added, “If you don’t mind the company, of course.”

Miss Harper regarded him for a moment, her gaze soft but searching, as if weighing his offer. Arthur shifted on his feet, suddenly self-conscious of the silence stretching between them. He didn’t know what he expected—maybe her to turn him down politely or give him a teasing remark, but when she finally spoke, her voice was warm, thoughtful.

"I’d like that," she said, her eyes meeting his with a quiet sincerity that made his chest feel a little lighter. "I appreciate the offer. I really do."

Arthur felt a small, relieved smile tug at the corners of his mouth. He nodded, more to himself than anything, before turning slightly toward the path that led out of the park. His steps were a little slower than usual, like he was reluctant to rush this, but at the same time, he felt a strange sense of rightness in walking beside her, not as a guard or a protector, but just... as two people sharing a quiet walk home.

They fell into step beside each other, a comfortable silence wrapping around them. The distant chatter of the children, still lingering in the park, faded as they walked away from the lively scene, the evening air growing cooler with each passing minute.

Arthur couldn’t help but glance over at her now and then, though he tried to keep his attention on the road ahead. He found himself noticing little things—the way the setting sun caught her hair, making it shimmer like gold in the last light of the day, or how the faint scent of lavender seemed to follow her with every step. It was subtle, but it was there, and for reasons he couldn’t quite explain, it made him feel like he was walking through some kind of dream.

As they neared the edge of town, where the dusty road met the outskirts, Arthur found himself thinking about how easy this felt. Like it wasn’t just a simple offer to walk her home—it was something more, something that felt right, like he was supposed to be here with her.

"So," he started, breaking the silence as he turned his gaze to the darkening horizon, trying to keep his thoughts focused on the conversation instead of how his heart seemed to be beating a little faster. "What’s it like... teaching these kids? I mean, I can’t imagine it’s the easiest thing, especially in a place like this."

He glanced over at her again, his expression curious. It wasn’t just the teaching that intrigued him—it was the way she’d handled everything, the way she’d stayed so composed even when people tried to tear her down. He wanted to know more, to understand more about her, about what made her the way she was.

Her eyes flicked toward him, a thoughtful expression crossing her face as she considered his question. “It’s not always easy,” she said after a pause, her voice carrying a quiet strength that seemed to come naturally to her. “But it’s worth it. These kids, they deserve a chance to learn, to grow up knowing there’s more out there than just what’s around them.” She smiled slightly, a soft, wistful look in her eyes. “I just wish... I wish more people saw that. Saw the potential in them, in me.”

Arthur’s heart tightened at her words, and he glanced down at the dirt road beneath them. He couldn’t imagine how hard it must be, always having to prove yourself to the world, to constantly be pushing against the current. He wondered what it would feel like to just be able to exist without that weight pressing down.

“You don’t have to prove a damn thing to me,” Arthur said quietly, his voice low but firm, though there was something almost tender in his tone. “Not for me, or anyone else.”

She looked at him, her expression softening, and for a moment, the world seemed to hold its breath. Then, she gave him that small, quiet smile again, the one that made something flutter in his chest.

"Thank you," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. “That means more than you know.”

They continued walking in comfortable silence, the night growing darker around them as the stars began to twinkle overhead. Arthur couldn’t help but feel like this was a moment he’d remember, one that was almost too peaceful, too perfect, to be real. But in that moment, he didn’t want to think about anything else—just the quiet rhythm of their steps and the warmth of her company.

As they approached the small house at the end of the road, the comforting quiet of the evening wrapped around them. The flickering light from the window illuminated the soft, rustic simplicity of the building, a humble cottage nestled against the edge of the town. Arthur slowed his steps as they neared, not wanting the walk to end. Something about it felt different—like it had meant more than just getting her safely home. The idea of saying goodbye had an unexpected weight to it.

When they reached the front gate, Arthur glanced over at her, his voice quiet but tinged with curiosity. “Well, here we are,” he said, hesitating before adding, “You got someone inside waitin’ for you?”

The question hung between them, light yet weighted, and he found himself almost bracing for her answer. He wasn’t sure why it mattered to him, but it did. His eyes flicked to the house, then back to her, wondering if he’d be handing her off to a husband or another man, someone who might look at her the way he wanted to.

Her eyes softened as she met his gaze, and there was a faint amusement in her smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes in the same way it usually did. “No,” she replied, her voice steady but not without a touch of something else, something private. “No husband.”

A small, unexpected relief flooded through him at her words. He hadn’t even realized how much he’d been holding his breath until it was released. He hadn’t thought about it before, but in that moment, a part of him was grateful that there was no man waiting for her, no one to claim her, to take her away from the quiet moments they’d shared.

“Well, I—” Arthur cleared his throat, feeling a bit awkward. “I didn’t mean to... I mean, I just didn’t want to be handin’ you over to anyone. Figured if there was a man, he’d be worried, you know?”

Miss Harper’s smile softened, and she gave a little shake of her head. “I understand. But no, no one’s waiting for me.” She paused, as if considering something before her eyes met his again, this time with a hint of something more vulnerable, more sincere. “I appreciate you walking me home. I know I can handle myself, but... it’s nice to have someone watch my back, even for just a little while.”

Arthur shifted on his feet, a little caught off guard by the sincerity in her words. He opened his mouth to say something, but the words didn’t come right away. Instead, he just nodded, his heart feeling uncharacteristically light in his chest.

“Well, you take care of yourself, Miss Harper,” he said, his voice gruff but soft, the way he always spoke when the moment felt important. “You don’t have to worry about anyone botherin’ you while I’m around.”

She gave him a small nod, her smile more knowing now, as if she saw something in him that he wasn’t entirely sure he wanted to acknowledge. But it was there, and it made something twist pleasantly in his gut.

“Thank you, Mister Morgan,” she said quietly, her tone full of unspoken meaning. “I’ll be alright. You don’t have to worry about me.”

Arthur hesitated for a moment, standing there in front of her small, quiet house. He wasn’t sure what to do next—whether he should say something else, or just leave it at that.

As they neared the small wooden porch, Arthur’s boots scuffed softly against the gravel path, and the quiet hum of the evening seemed to press in around them. They were standing at the base of the steps now, and without thinking, Arthur found himself stepping forward, his hand reaching out toward her.

"Here, let me help you," he said, his voice a little rough as his fingers hovered near her elbow.

She glanced at him in surprise, then down at his outstretched hand, her brows furrowing slightly, but there was a softness in her eyes that made something in him tighten. He hadn’t even realized what he was doing—he just knew he wanted to offer her something, some small gesture to make sure she got inside safe and sound.

He cleared his throat, suddenly aware of how ridiculous it might seem, but her smile, warm and gentle, eased the awkwardness in him.

“That’s kind of you,” she said quietly, her voice soft, like she wasn’t sure what to make of the simple act of him offering his hand. But without hesitation, she placed her hand in his, the warmth of her fingers sending a strange spark through him.

He helped her up the steps, not saying a word, but somehow it felt like the simplest, most natural thing in the world. He was conscious of the way her hand fit in his, the way her presence seemed to fill the quiet space between them, the sound of her soft breath just beneath the night sky.

When they reached the top, she paused, turning to face him with a small, appreciative smile. “Thank you,” she said, her eyes meeting his, and there was something in them, something unspoken that made Arthur’s chest tighten in a way he didn’t understand.

“Don’t mention it,” Arthur muttered, his heart beating a little faster than it should, his hand lingering just a moment longer than necessary before he pulled it back. “Just don’t go doin’ any more of that stuff, alright?”

She chuckled softly, a warm, genuine sound that made his heart skip a beat. “I won’t. But I’m glad you’re here. I truly am.”

He nodded, not trusting himself to speak for a moment, the words caught in his throat. He wasn’t used to moments like these, to soft touches and quiet smiles that lingered in the air.

"Well, you take care, Miss Harper," he finally managed to say, his voice a little rougher than usual, and as she stepped back into the doorway, he turned away, his mind buzzing with all the things he hadn’t said. As the door closed behind her, he hesitated, standing there for just a moment longer, before turning and heading back down the path.

Arthur walked a few paces away from the porch, his boots making steady crunching sounds against the gravel. He kept his gaze forward, not daring to look back. But the feeling in his chest, the strange warmth in his blood, refused to let him go. His heart thumped against his ribs like a wild thing, and the heat of her hand, where it had briefly touched his, still lingered on his fingers, as if it had somehow settled deep into his bones.

He finally came to a stop, his boots shifting slightly as he rubbed a hand over his face, the same hand that had touched hers. A low, frustrated groan escaped him, more from the feeling than the words he couldn’t quite manage to say out loud.

"Goddamn it," he muttered, shaking his head as he dropped his hand back to his side. His breath was a little unsteady, like he couldn’t quite catch it. He could still smell her—something sweet, something soft and natural, mixing with the crisp evening air. And for some godforsaken reason, it made his blood feel hot, too hot for the night.

His fingers twitched, like they were still waiting for her touch to return, and the thought of it made him grit his teeth. "What the hell’s wrong with me?" he grumbled to the night, kicking a small stone in frustration. His mind raced, chasing around the moments of the evening, the way her smile had made his chest tighten, the way her touch had felt like the most natural thing in the world and somehow, still, the most terrifying.

He stood there for a long minute, breathing deeply, his thoughts tangled with the heat in his blood, trying to make sense of it.

Finally, he gave a low, frustrated sigh and turned away from the house, his steps more purposeful now, though the unease in his chest lingered like a shadow.

One thing was for sure—he was far from done thinking about her.

°─────────────────°•❀•°─────────────────°

I haven’t edited this yet, but I’ve been craving to write something sweet and different from Bleed, Survive, Remember. I wrote until I was happy and giggling about it, and I’m excited to see where it goes. I’ll make sure to edit it later!

#arthur morgan x reader #arthur morgan x you #rdr2 x reader #arthur morgan x female reader #rdr2 fanfic #red dead redemption 2 fanfic #arthur morgan

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hajimedics · 9 months ago

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relationship charts between my fop ocs and their respective groups

A BIT OF RAMBLE HA HA HA!!!!!!!

tsubaki's whole deal at school is that she lied about being an esper and has to rely on kira to back up her frauds despite her reluctance on making wishes. hazel's hot on her tail. she suspects that girl genius might have a magical being on her side. tsubaki suspects the same with hazel and forms this one sided rivalry with her. hazel thought tsubaki was kind of mean and thinks she's flaunting her academics. however as they spend more time together and get caught in supernatural situations, they began supporting one another and telling each other to think about what she wants for her own benefit (tsubaki to hazel) or relax for a bit and not think everything and everyone's out to get her (hazel to tsubaki). also tsubaki hangs out with the hazel gang when she doesn't have cram school for the day

tsubaki and dev did not get long. they both came from harsh home lives (obsessive parents, neglectful dad) but they don’t see eye to eye because they have opposing attitudes and values in life. tsubaki thinks you only deserve good things if you work for it while dev gets everything handed to him on a gold platter. she also thinks dev doesn't deserve his godparent or anything good in life (words that later push them to understand each other better). dev looked genuinely upset, she later apologized, and they became.... frenemies? rivals? they still throw jabs at one another but tsubaki wants to put in effort to make more friends thanks to hazel's encouragement. when they're older they became close friends and catch up on how each other's doing despite not going to the same schools after elementary. it's cool.

NOW ONTO KIRA AND PERI. MY FAVORITE.

kira believes the fairy world is hypocritical. he doesn't have world domination plans (that one goes to irep) but he wants to change fairy world for the better and make the fairies realize the flaws in the godparenting system, and what better way there is than through peri?

peri's both a fairywinkle and a cosma, he's the first fairy to be born in 1000 or so years, he's incredibly powerful and harbors massive potential, yet his powers is kept under control in that glass orb. peri is also new to godparenting while kira has thousands of years of experience. kira's witnessed many things that gave him such views (kids with abusive parents, homeless kids, sickly kids, mentally ill kids, etc), and he also noticed that peri is struggling with his first godkid and is such a stickler to da rules that it strains his relationship with dev. he must've noticed it too, right? how he and dev are at odds due to peri's reluctance to give him the things he wanted, how he and irep aren't really as close as they were when they were children. kira knows peri's naive, not stupid.

kira's not going to manipulate peri or straight up force him to do anything but he does want to become a presence in peri's life so he can open his eyes and change fairy world for the better ("a good godparent wants to see their godkid happy, right?"). he wants to guide peri in the path that he thinks is right. unfortunately they don't see eye to eye often so most of their conversations are at benches outside the school while their godkids are in their classroom

#fairly oddparents #fairly oddparents a new wish #fairly oddparents oc #tsubaki (oc)#kira (oc)#dev dimmadome #hazel antoinette wells #winn harper #jasmine tran #peri fairywinkle cosma #wanda fairywinkle cosma #cosmo cosma #senjart

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ferigrievous · 11 months ago

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when hell freezes over.

⊹ ࣪ in which touya todoroki finds himself.

a.n touya todoroki they could never make me hate you touya todoroki

⤷ masterlist ; requests open ; one – 2004 (here) ; two – 2006

touya todoroki was four years old when his quirk developed.

he was not a child born out of love. enji todoroki married out of desperation, an unyielding desire to surpass the current number one. a desire that not only ruined his relationship with his wife, but his children after that. a fire burned bright inside of enji, a fire that left no room to warm the icy relations he harboured with his family

touya’s training began almost immediately, a harsh regimen that demanded more from the boy than his young body could handle. hours not spent eating or sleeping, were spent attempting to foster his newfound quirk.

a quirk his body could not handle.

parents are often overjoyed when their children develop their quirks, proud of the future they now possess as a powered individual. but enji, enji felt nothing but failure and regret when he realised his only son could not manipulate ice the way his mother could. a failure, he would tell him, a disappointment to the todoroki name. nevertheless, he persisted with training, pushing touya further and further everyday.

in the dead of winter, touya found himself on the brink of exhaustion, the world spinning around him as he crawled on all fours, desperate for a break. he felt cold, so unbelievably cold against the biting wind, his flames doing nothing for him in terms of warmth. his father’s voice, sharp, and demanding, rung in his ears, urging him to push harder, to be stronger.

he couldnt do it.

in a fit of anger, he was left, alone, on sekoto peak, with nothing but his weak flame and the stars above to guide him.

“you shouldn't be out here.” a voice spoke. he wondered if he was hallucinating, collapsing on the grass and curling up in a ball. “its too cold.”

he stifled, wiping his nose with the back of his hand. his weak flame danced in the wind, threatening to give out at every gust. “i have to train,” he whispered, closing his eyes. “my dad says i need to be strong.”

for a moment, silence enveloped them, the only sounds being the faint sound of crickets, and the soft crackle of touya’s struggling flames. he felt a hand on his cheek, warm to the touch. he didn't know there were physical hallucinations. he’d have to ask his mother about that when he got home. god, would his father let him in?

his eyes opened, wide, and glistening with tears. the hand was real, so real against his skin. the warmth from your touch was new, and never in his life had he ever experienced something quite like it. he leaned into it, a choked back whimper escaping his lips. he wanted more, so much more of that warmth, he could practically feel it seeping into his skin. touya had forgotten what it was like to truly feel warm.

“but you’re just a kid. you shouldn't have to train so hard.”

the voice’s words were a revelation to touya, a concept so alien it felt like a breath of fresh air. he was more than a little surprised when he came face to face with a child his age, wearing nothing but pyjamas in the cold.

touya couldnt help himself.

he took your hand in his own, holding it against his face, desperate for the warmth. it had been months since anyone treated him with such kindness, treated him like a child, instead of a tool. a person instead of a weapon. treated him like a child.

“what’s your name?”

your voice was soft, softer than any he had ever heard before. without thinking, he pulled you down with him, cold hands wrapping around your wrist in an attempt to feel. “touya.” he’d tell you, watching as you splayed your arms out on the grass below.

the sincerity in your eyes made touya feel.. safe. a foreign concept to him, but something he knew he could always find in you. he snuggled up closer to you, throwing all ideas of a personal bubble out as he seeked out the warmth you seemed to emit.

“what’s yours?”

you told him your name, no louder than whisper, and you watched as he tried it out, stretching each syllable and letter out as if it was a foreign word. rolling over, you laid your hand around his middle, seeking warmth where there was none.

touya leaned into you, seeking your touch. his small body trembled with the cold, his flame dying as he curled closer to you. the warmth from your body was a stark contrast to the ice biting his skin. no one was ever gentle to him, ever warm to him. a soft sob wracked through his body, his hands clenching the material of your shirt.

“why’re ya’ here?” he asked suddenly, the words leaving his mouth before he could really think about what he was saying. his body was stiff in the circle of your arms, not being used to the contact. but in his childish mind, the touch itself was wonderful. warm.

he hoped you weren’t a hallucination, that this dream would not be cruelly snatched away from him once he woke up. no, he wanted to stay like this, stay where it was warm and soft. he tried to press himself closer to you.

“‘m stargazin’.”

“stargazin?” he repeated, tilting his head to the side, causing the fire still faintly lit by his side to bounce back to life, dancing and illuminating the planes of his face.

he glanced up, watching the stars dot across the night sky. a frown tugged at his lips at the sight. it was cold, bitter. the stars were pretty, but that’s all they were. pretty, distant and alone in the dark emptiness of space. tilting his head up properly now, he watched as the stars glittered above them, stretching as far as the eyes could see, some dim, some brighter.

“what about that one?” he pointed at said star, a small frown on his face. “it’s brighter than the others.”

you followed his gaze to a bright star in the middle of the sky, twinkling sporadically. “that’s the north star.” you murmured. “some people call it sirius. i… think they’re the same thing.”

his eyes widened. he’d heard his mother talk about the north star before, a guiding beacon that always pointed north. he found it interesting how something so small could do something like that.

”it always points north?” he asked, rolling over so he could look at you instead of the stars. “how can it do that?” he paused. “does it get lonely being up there, by itself?”

“i dont think it does.” you turned to face him, taking in his bright, blue eyes. “look at all those stars. would you get lonely with all those friends around?”

a small pout formed on his lips, his face scrunched up in thought. no, he wouldn’t be lonely, not if he was friends with that many stars. he was quiet for a moment, contemplating that idea.

“are you friends with the stars?” he asked, turning to look up at the sky again, watching as they twinkled in the night.

you nodded vigorously, turning along side him to observe the night sky. the stars were clear from where you two lay on the mountain. the moon was full, tonight, peering down at you from where it sat in the heavens above.

after a moment, touya spoke, the words sounding like they were forcing themselves out of his mouth “...do you think i can be friends with them too?”

the question had left his lips before he could stop himself. in a state of vulnerability, he spoke his mind, something he never did. he waited to be ridiculed, for you to laugh in his face and tell him he was being stupid. instead, you were quiet.

he was just a boy, you thought. a boy who should be at home right now, playing with his toys after a good dinner, or watching cartoons curled up on his parent’s lap. a boy who you found crying in the dead of winter at midnight, alone.

“do you wanna be my friend?”

a part of him wanted to cry, wanted to sob and press himself so close to you and never let go. a part of him wanted to tell you just how desperately he wanted that.

but that part was shoved down viciously, a cold, bitter hatred settling over him.

”i don't need any friends,” he said harshly, forcing his eyes away from your face, and in an instant, the boy you found just moments earlier, was gone. “i just want to grow stronger.”

you were speechless, blinking at the sudden change of tone. one moment he seemed desperate for validation, and the next he was putting up a wall of cold indifference.

you knew you shouldn’t interfere, that you should just walk away and let the boy wallow in his training. but your heart ached at the thought, at the way his expression shifted from vulnerable to bitter in a matter of seconds.

”you don't have to be angry. you can have friends, and be strong.” you said softly. “im sure all might has friends, ‘n’ he’s the strongest.”

he paused. all might, the number one hero.

the man himself was so charismatic, so beloved by the public. touya didn't doubt that he had many friends, both heroes, villains and citizens. a frown tugged at his lips, realising that maybe his father was wrong. maybe he didn’t just have to train. maybe he could have time for a friend. or two.

”i dunno…” he said, avoiding your gaze. “i should just focus on training, thats what dad says.”

but then why did he feel so empty all the time? the only thing he focused on was training, training to make his father proud, to get stronger.

it wasn't fun, wasn’t joyful. some days he wondered if he’d ever be happy again, or if he’d be trapped in his father’s cycle for the rest of his life.

maybe he didn’t want that.

”i…” he repeated, and touya sounded like he was trying to convince himself more than anything. “i gotta focus on training.”

you almost sighed in defeat, watching as his eyes darkened. he was so young, still a child, and yet he seemed so grown up. you hoped you weren't like that. the frown he wore looked wrong on his round face. you were so tempted to press the issue, but you knew it wasn't your place to do so. touya’s life was not yours to control.

but then he spoke again, almost as if the words were ripped from him, pushing themselves out of his mouth in desperation to find love.

“but.. its okay if its you.”

you paused, tilting your head as you rested on the cold grass on your elbows. an… exception? for you?

“i thought you didnt want friends.” you hummed, staring at him as if he was the most interesting thing in the world.

his frown deeped at your words, eyes narrowing. he’d hoped you’d say yes, no questions asked. he was sick of living a lonely life, a life full of empty training and sharp words. but you were right, he didn’t want friends before, so why was he asking now?

he didn’t want to admit that your presence was bringing back those thoughts. that your touch had woken something inside him, something that cried out for more, for more of your kindness, for more of your touch, for more of your words.

for you.

but he didn’t say that aloud. he couldn’t admit it, wouldn’t dare admit it. not when his father had drilled all his life that friends were a waste, that friends were a hindrance. not when he had spent years with a stone cold heart that refused to feel anything but anger and bitterness. not when he was just a four year old, and all he wanted in that moment was to bury his face in your chest and cry.

”i don’t,” he said, forcing his expression to be as cold and emotionless as possible.

“okay. ‘m sorry for askin’.”

he flinched at the way your voice softened in acceptance, the pit of his stomach twisting unpleasantly. there it was again, that guilt that welled up everytime he did something mean to you.

he didn’t want to be mean, he really didn’t. you’d been nothing but kind to him. but that bitter, dark part of his mind, a voice that sounded a lot like his fathers, kept hissing in his ear.

‘friends are for the weak.’ it would say. ‘they’re a distraction. you don’t need them.’

he almost took it back. he almost shouted, and screamed that he did, in fact, want friends. he wanted friends and kindness and everything he was never allowed to feel. he wanted to be a kid, for once.

but he remained silent, letting the quiet settle between them, a bitter feeling rising in his chest.

”whatever,” he muttered. “don’t be sorry.”

you werent friends. not when you walked him home that night, waving him goodbye as he stood there on his doorstep. not when you met up every week, in the quiet of night, to simply bathe in each other’s present. and you weren't friends when you brought him your toys, building castles with building blocks under the stars.

you weren’t friends, that was true. but in all reality, you were more than that. a friend would’ve left him alone, but you stayed. you indulged his fantasies and brought him things for him to play with, you stayed by his side and held him when he cried.

for a lonely child like touya, you were someone much, much more than a friend. he looked forward to those nights, those moments he could spend outside with you, far away from his father and his cold house.

it was enough for touya. knowing that he had someone to look forward to, that he had a place where he didn’t have to be strong. it was enough to know that he had someone who didn’t care about his father, or his quirk, or his talent. just someone who listened to him without judgement, without expectations on the child he should be.

he never admitted it, though. he never said to you that he looked forward to the nights where he could just be a child, carefree and happy.

you’d watch him, sometimes, in the big oak tree, while he trained with his father. you two never spoke about it, but you knew he could see you. you noticed when he began training harder, as if he was showing off to you. flames burning bigger and brighter. and, sometimes, you wondered if he’d accidentally burn the tree down while you were in it.

he wasn’t exactly subtle with the way he pushed himself, he knew you were there watching him. it was like he had something to prove, not just to his father, but to you. he wanted to show you how strong he was, how tough he could be. even when his body screamed at him to stop, to stop before he burnt himself down to the bone, he wanted to push on, convince you that he was getting stronger. stronger for his father, who beat him into shape night and day. stronger for his mother, for fuyumi, and his brother that was on the way. stronger for the future of a society he promised he’d protect.

stronger for you, so you would think of him as someone other than that weak, useless boy you found all those nights ago.

even as he stumbled and fell, face first in the dirt, he got up again. he ignored the harsh words of his father, focused on the tree, knowing you were sitting there, watching him as he worked himself to the bones. his body ached and ached, screaming at him to finally stop, to take a break. but he couldn’t, not while he still had you to impress.

and later that night, you’d offer him an onigiri from your house, holding your hands to his sore body and he’d relish the feeling of your quirk washing over him. he wasn't exactly sure what it did, but what he did know, was that it felt good.

your hands were cold against his cheeks, and he’d close his eyes as the ache in his body began to melt away like the first signs of spring. these moments were the only good thing to come out of training. the only time he’d ever feel relief from the harsh regimen he was put through, the only reprieve he’d ever receive from his father’s scathing words.

he’d lean into your touch, the cold soothing the pain. it was the most peace he’d feel in his life, the only time he’d let himself relax, even for a moment. he craved the touch, longed for the brief coolness you gave him.

your presence alone was enough for him. even on the worst days, when he felt like he’d never be strong enough, never be the son his father wanted him to be, your presence soothed him. just knowing you were nearby, sitting in some tree and watching him struggle to make a large flame, made him feel better.

he started to think of you as his home. his safe spot, his peace away from his harsh reality.

but still, he didn’t admit it.

he never admitted just how much he needed you.

#boku no hero academia #bnha #bnha x reader #dabi #mha dabi #bnha dabi #dabi x reader #touya todoroki #todoroki touya #dabi todoroki #mha #my hero academia #mha x reader #mha fluff #bnha fluff #mha angst #bnha angst #✶ greywrites

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ridingtorohan · 1 year ago

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𓇻 ft. ezio auditore x civilian gn reader

𓇻 summary. There's just you, Ezio, and a slow, sleepy morning on a rooftop.

𓇻 content. platonic or pre-relationship. pre-Brotherhood.

𓇻 enjoy! feel free to like, reblog, or send in asks!

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Soft strands of sunlight crests over the city walls, dusting over the roof slates in a golden sheen. It’s beautiful and tranquil, the starlight fading overhead into hues of gentle light. Early dawn has you feeling cold, a little uncomfortable under the brisk air. Monteriggioni feels quiet beneath the sway of your feet, the small city silent with sleep. Ezio barely breathes - and when he does, it’s relaxed, the motion slow. He’s, somehow, not quite what you imagined and yet everything all at once. Quiet. For all the charismatic clamor you see him with, he watches over the city with a sense of calm that Claudia has never spoken of.

Aristocratic nose, fine cheekbones and firm jawline, Ezio was without a doubt a cut of the finest cloth. Boisterous. Loud. Everything you’ve heard spoken about him - and even seen him act. This is a tender side you didn’t know existed, hidden beneath swaths of fine armour and silky fabric. Looking at him as you do now, his presence almost muted beside you on the rooftop, he seems more man than myth. Gentler, almost, even with the garment of metal strapped to his wrists.

Despite all the armour he typically wears, the imposing and broad figure he cuts, he’s everything but. You’ve seen him out and about, moving along the rooftops and city walls, scrounging for feathers - you still didn’t quite understand that— and tending to mundane jobs. He’s even swept out an arm to guide children back to their feet after a tumble to the street. Which happens a fair bit, even to a young child from your extended family.

Thing is, while it happens a fair amount - Ezio is there to stop it. Always visiting, moving between houses and tending to the people with a spirit and jubilance that you haven’t even seen the Lord cherish the town with. He loves it like his own, a home far from his birthright.

You don’t know much about Ezio’s past, only gleaned some of it from gossip and from Claudia. Even that isn’t enough. Enough would be to hear it from his own lips, to have the man himself explain. But, the strange thing is, despite all the good tidings he gives to the town, when he’s alone with you like this, he grows somber. A million miles away, lost in a world you can’t comprehend.

Other days it’s good. He tends to you like every other townsperson in Monteriggioni, making sure you have everything you need. You’re not even sure how spending time with Ezio like this even happened - what you did to make him choose you. There are many ladies who express an interest in him, many soldiers who want privy into his skills. But he chooses you, takes you for strolls and stops first thing at your market stall when new produce is brought in.

Today is not one of those days.

“I am sorry,” he says then, voice hard in the growing daylight. Not because he’s harsh - never is— but because that’s just how his words sound. “My mind is … quite occupied today.”

“It’s okay,” you breathe out, because it is. It’s okay. You don’t question where his mind goes.

There’s a long moment of silence before Ezio quietly elaborates, “It is close to my Christening day.”

“Oh-” You pause and consider his tone. “I’m sorry.”

His expression twitches then, mirth dancing in his eyes, dark eyebrows knitting together. A small smile plays across his handsome face, fingers spreading across his thigh. “Thank you.” He laughs, an unused sound that rests deep in his throat. “Ah, I’m sure you’ve already heard of Claudia arranging a party, no?” Your pinched expression gives you away and his laugh deepens, eyes turning away.

“She wanted it to be a secret-” You stop yourself there by instinct. But Ezio doesn’t interrupt, he never has. He’s attentive that way, always listening to what you have to say, even if it’s about the soil or the worms in your garden. “You weren’t supposed to know about it.” “She always tries to make it a surprise,” Ezio responds, eyes tender as he looks at you.

“And yet you know of it anyway.” There’s a twitch of his scarred mouth when you speak.

“Mm.” He gives a slow nod of his head, leaning back, brown hair moving from his shoulder to spill over his back instead. Ezio closes his eyes, the hazy sunlight moving across his face as it climbs into the sky. “Has anyone invited you?”

“The whole town is going.”

“Yes, I imagine.” Ezio laughs slightly then. “I’m inviting you as my guest.” It feels like it should be a profound statement - something awe inspiring or an utterance to make you gasp. It doesn’t. Instead, all you feel is a low seeping warmth that touches the tip of your toes. You look down, swaying you feet over the edge of the roof. Ezio isn’t saying it to be polite - there’s something about the way he speaks and acts with you that makes you feel like he’s genuine.

“Thank you,” you say after a moment. “That’d be great.”

Ezio says nothing to that, though you can feel his eyes turn from you back towards the city at your feet. An emotional eclipse washes over you and you’re left feeling cold. Every moment with Ezio is like this - inviting, like summer days and fireflies. Like he sees who you are and accepts it.

There’s nothing for a long moment, just you and Ezio and the slow march of time. Dew glistens on the lower tiles, the rough texture cold beneath your palms. “Thank you for going,” he says - and the way he says it makes it feel more profound than it originally sounds. Like it matters to him, like your presence is something he basks in.

You look at him, at his battle worn features, weary lines smoothing into something almost peaceful. He needs moments like this, you realize. Needs it like you do - the companionship, the ease from everyday life. The slow, quiet mornings, the yawning pull of life. An insurmountable, insignificant second of life - every second that amounts to something more. Because he exists, you exist, and this moment exists.

“I wouldn’t be anywhere else,” you promise, meaning every word of it. You enjoy these mornings with him just as much as he does.

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saphiccarma · 5 months ago

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Hi, i hope your doing well. I have a idea for a angst fanfic of Agatha x reader where they've been dating since they were both like 17 and have basically gone though everything together. And because the reader is known for not liking kids that much she convinces reader to let her have q child with Rio (I'm pretty sure her having Nicky with Rio is canon but im really sorry if it's not) Anyway, reader give off aunt vibes to Nicky and then after he dies Agatha is not okay and just becomes emotionally abusive for a while but they work it out then move to Westview and then WandaVision happens and then by the end of the road they finally work it all out bit then Agatha dies. And everyone leaves her and it's just really sad.

- Hold on, I still want you

Relationships: Agatha Harkeness x Reader

Summary: You had known Agatha for the longest time and it was good, it really was, but the two of you had your complications and no matter how hard you tried it never worked out just right.

Warnings: ANGST, sexual inneudos ig, mainly just angst.

A/N: I wrote this at like 2 fucking am so I apologise for any mistakes lmao

You had met Agatha when you were young, learning the basics of magic and fumbling through the steps. Agatha came to you with her honeyed voice, deep and alluring, as she guided you through the steps. Her words lulled you into a sense of peace. She smelled of strong spices and amber. And despite her dark appearance, she had a serious case of baby face that you adored. From her sparkling blue eyes, the color of light sapphire, to her slightly round cheeks that turned a faint shade of peek when she acted annoyed. You loved it all.

You were part of the plan to help her escape from her mother. You snuck her scrolls, dark ones that you had access through because of your mother. She contained a lot of old spells and didn't let anyone view them but you. Little did you know that they were ones that held instructions to use forbidden magic. Agatha told you it was so that she could build a perfect life for the two of you. She wanted only to help you and her. Not only that, but she wanted to help the world, make it a better place.

Looking back, it was foolish to believe her.

She would place tender kisses on your lips, "I love you." Before pulling back and spending hours bent over the written spells. Some days you would spend with her, your back aching and eyes blurry, but you loved it. Despite her harsh words at times, you still cared for her. She shared that same deep adoration, that deep sense of love too, you knew it. A deep fire sizzled in your heart and there was something that told you felt the same.

At night, against her parents’ discretion, Agatha proved it to you. With whispered words in your ear, her fingers buried deep in your cunt as she drew obscene sounds out of you, and her lips and teeth grazing against her neck. Your hands clawed into her back, arching off the bed as you reached your edge, and you came with a stuttered moan. Then Agatha would leave, nearly right after, only staying for a moment to make sure you were okay. The two of you couldn't get caught by her mother after all. Or your mother for that matter.

You pretended it didn't hurt. It didn't. That was only a precaution, just like not showing physical affection around others was just to be safe. You still stole lingering glances, staring at her dark blue dress and brown hair that draped down her shoulders. And sometimes her eyes met yours, filled with pure care that melted your heart. It was all worth it. The relationship may be private, but you still felt the love that pulsed through your shared moments.

One night, in the cold air that flowed between the trees, with Agatha's arms wrapped around you, her face buried in your neck.

"Do you ever want kids?" she whispered, her tone light and airy, the softest you ever heard it. Your chest tightened at the thought because fact was, you didn't. You wanted to do anything for Agatha, despite your own fears. Children were never your thing.

You didn't hate them, per say, but they weren't your favorite. They were clingy and needy. Most of all, they were fragile. Simple little things that needed protection and someone to care for them. You didn't think you could be that person, ever, so you avoided them like the plague. It was better to never get to know how fun that could be.

"I don't know," you mumbled, turning around before she could reply. You placed a tender kiss to her lips that only deepened from there. It wasn't long before your dress was slipping off your shoulders and her legs were trapping you beneath her. Heat flushed your cheeks from the meaningful kisses she pressed to your neck and lips and shoulders all the way down to your collarbones. The moment was about to become something more until you heard a rustling in the trees.

The two of you snapped apart, Agatha scrambling off your lap, but it was too late. Magic swirled around your wrists, holding you even as you tried to move. Some of the other witches stood at the edge of the clearing, their hands raised as they cast the spell that bound you, and then they moved to grab onto Agatha once you were secure. For some odd reason, you girlfriend didn't even move.

It was hours later when she came back to you, still bound to the tree. When she came back there was something different about her. She felt...strange, powerful. The power radiated from her in waves, flowing like a fresh river that never stopped flowing. That's when you felt it. Death trailed behind her peaceful, quite literally. Not just metaphorically, but literally.

Death was objectively pretty. Her hair was dark brown like Agatha's, a color deep like the dirt in the most flattering way possible, and it matched her black dress. Her ribs were showcased through her clothing, smooth skin on view for everyone to see. Well, anyone who was able to see her. Eyes shimmering with mischief, she spoke with light words, almost teasing while she looked you up and down.

That was the start of your odd connection with Death.

Agatha told you all about what happened. Her coven tried to kill her, and she had the ability to take other witches' magic. It worried you, but it didn't deter your love for her. This was only the start to decline of your relationship. Not that you understood that at the time.

The two of you bounced around, never staying in one place for two long, people were aware of Agatha's little stunt now. Word spread of the coven killer, the young girl, only seventeen, who had killed her entire coven. That scared other witches, and the two of you were too nervous to join another. You never asked why they tried to kill Agatha. She never explained. All you knew was it as unjust and she didn't deserve to be killed. That was all she told you.

Death came to visit once Agatha killed more people. Deep down you knew she was hungry for power, and in reality, you knew that all along, you just refused to believe it. You never cared much for power, but Agatha did. So, you let her have what she wanted and in return you had a happy relationship. The three of you formed an odd sort of bond that was shared. You learned Death had a name, and her name was Rio. Rio revealed she had the power to create life as well as take it. For her, it went both ways.

"What if I had a kid with her?" Agatha asked you as the two of you stood over dead bodies, just a few other witches killed. A common occurrence by now. You blinked at her, more shocked at that than the wrinkled people who lay below you, and you licked your lips slowly. It was an absurd idea. Was she proposing she have a relationship with Rio? As if reading your mind, a sly smirk spread across her lips, "Not to have a relationship with her sweet girl, what if I just asked her to use her magic and we could have a kid."

"Who's we?" Your voice was skeptical as you asked the question, hands tucked into your pockets as you rocked back and forth on your toes.

There was a slight pause on Agatha's end, "All three of us. Rio would deserve a connection with the kid and so would you."

And so, Agatha had a kid with Rio, and you were sort of sidelined. Not completely, Agatha still loved you, but you could tell that she felt something for Rio too. And there was nothing you could do. Agatha was all you had. Your mother was gone, your father unknown like most witch kids, and all you had was Agatha. You would be nothing without her.

In all honesty you didn't mind it. Not entirely. (That was a lie, you really did mind it.) Oddly enough, Nicholas made it all worth it with his bright smiles and little laughs. He wasn't your child, not even in the slightest way, based on the way you avoided him for the first few months. Those few months that were paid for. Nicholas's life didn't come for free - the price being other people's life and Agatha had to pay it.

Rio was truly sorrowful, but there was nothing she could do, not when she took life as much as she created it. Regardless, she stuck around as much as possible. She couldn't stay for long unless she wanted Nicholas to die.

Slowly, the bond between you and Nicholas grew, as much as you didn't think it would happen. He lured you in with his dark brown eyes and hair that grew out at a rapid pace. Even with his sick state, he would laugh at your little jokes, and whenever you tickled his sides. He was a bright light in the otherwise dark world. One thing you found interesting was that he was so unlike his mother. She had dark eyes that bore into every little thing, analyzing it all. But Nicky, the nickname you gave him, looked at the world with a childlike innocence and a different view. You adored it.

You hated the fat that his death was slow, so slow and probably painful. Yet there was nothing you could do to help him. You tried different spells, experimenting with different spells and potions but none of them worked. When it eventually came, you cried along with Agatha. You weren't Nicky's mother, not even close, but you loved him. He was more like your nephew, a kid you took under your wing and taught little tricks.

That was the hammer to nail that was already piercing your doomed relationship.

It started out slow, but Agatha changed.

Her words were harsher, ranging from "Just get me the damn book." to "God why are you so fucking stupid? Can't you get anything done?" They made tears well in your eyes and your chest tighten uncomfortably as your fists clenched. She would make it up to you later with soft words and tender touches while her lips pressed against every inch of your body. Her skilled fingers would toy with your private parts, and she would smirk at your little whines.

The attacks from her were always verbal, never physical, but that didn't make it any worse. It made you feel as if the relationship you held so dear to your heart worth nothing. But you had worked so hard to keep her, to keep the one thing that mattered, close, and you were determined to keep it. No matter how much it hurt. If you thought about it enough, it didn't hurt. Agatha was just expressing her emotions freely. That was a good thing.

But one particular occasion was the end of line for you.

"Why can't you just get anything done?" Agatha's hands were thrown up as she ranted before she carded them through her hair, tugging at all the knots, "I asked for one thing, one thing! And you couldn't just fucking do it. It was so simple!" A familiar wetness gathered in your eyes as Agatha screamed at you. Anger boiled in your stomach, but it was overwhelmed by pure shame and sorrow. They ran through you like fire as you dipped your head down and heat filled your cheeks.

You were wrong for this all, you couldn't just do one thing. It was the 2000's now and Agatha looked as if she wanted to throw her phone across the room. But then her eyes locked onto yours and instantly she softened. Agatha stopped her yelling, for once stopping for some odd reason, and she gazed at you with some sort of odd look. It may have sympathy or even...regret? Sighing heavily, she tried to step closer, arms outstretched as if to hug you, but you took a hasty step back.

"No," you held your hand out, "I need- I need space right now."

She opened her mouth to say something, but you were already fleeing out the door, just barely managing to slip shoes on. You bit down on your lip harshly to stifle the sobs that threatened to tear from your throat. Faintly, you could feel the frustration rolling off of Agatha as she stood in the doorway of the house, but you wouldn't turn back. There was no way. She had hurt you one to many times by now. Blaming you for Nicky's death or just calling you plain stupid. It was too much, and you couldn't stand it anymore.

It was hours later when Agatha found you, curled into a ball behind the house as you rocked back and forth with your knees pulled up to your chest and wet tracks running down your face. You could hear her sigh when she found you and it only made your lips curl into a harsher scowl.

"Go away," you muttered. She merely sunk down next to you, her shoulder touching yours despite your flinch. "Go away, Agatha."

Her arms wrapped around you, covering you in a soft embrace of a rare warmth that she hardly gave anymore. She mostly gave you cold touches, the only warm ones being her fingers when they fucked you, and she pulled you into her lap. You whined in protest but all she did was hush you softly and rock back and forth. It was a soothing motion that calmed any sense of anger you had. Gently, her fingers brushed through your hair until it was all smoothed out.

"I'm sorry," she whispered against your head, words that you had never one heard uttered from her, "For being so shitty. I'll do better, I promise." There was a moment of silence. You let her words sink in, truly considering it. There was a chance she really meant it, that she would try and do better, but a part of you hardly believed it. "Look, I have a way to fix it."

And then the two of you were in Westview playing along to Wanda's spell. Agatha truly was better and not just for appearances, but rather because she was actually trying. There was still harsh words at times, one that hit way too close to home, but she always apologized after. Genuinely apologized rather than just doing it through sex. There was still her Agatha-like pride that stemmed from her apologies, a reluctance to admit she was wrong before brushing it off with a casual and teasing remark. You knew she meant it though and it was getting better.

Like old times she guided you through the process of taking the Scarlet Witch's power. She got so close to, the two of you becoming close to Wanda through her children. It truly was a beauty what the young witch had created unknowingly, this entire town was made through pure sorrow. You admired it a little. Wanda's children were sweet children, but you couldn't help but avoid them as much as possible. Kids still weren't your thing. Especially when they brought up memories of another kid you used to know.

Agatha nearly got Wanda's power before the Scarlet Witch put you both under a spell and trapped you in Westview for years. For some time, it was nice. It is almost peaceful. You were blissed out in the spell and you, and Agatha finally lived a good, nearly perfect, life. But you knew something was wrong, in the pit of your stomach, something wasn't right. It was all too nice, too perfect, and that wasn't how your life worked. It never worked out.

Rio woke the two of you up with her signature smirk and sarcastic remarks before some kid dragged the two of you away. The Witches Road was meant to be a myth, but when the two of you actually went on it, you realized who the boy was. Billy Maximoff. He was just like his mother.

You knew that Agatha actually hoped the road would get her what she wanted. But you didn't buy it. Especially when Rio became involved and when the two of you emerged from The Road into Agatha's backyard. You knew that it wouldn't happen. Billy and maybe a little bit of Rio, were orchestrating it all, whether they knew it or not.

Before you knew it, Agatha was surging forward, smashing her face into Rio's. Pain twinged in your heart as you watched black lines spread through her face and like Nicky, there was nothing you could do as she died. You still tried.

Racing forward as you realized she was taking Rio's power, you shoved Death away, hoping it wasn't too late. But it was. Agatha floated to the ground, all the life drained from her and Death taking over. You fell to your knees beside her, ignoring Rio and Billy.

"No," you sobbed, your head falling onto her stomach, "No, Agatha come on. You're not dead." The tears made it hard to speak but you managed to choke broken pleas out as you begged her to stay with you. It did nothing to her current state.

A bitter stream of grief coursed through you as you fisted into her dress. Why couldn't she stay? You had done everything to keep her with you and yet she just left you. Just like that. Without thought or hesitation, Agatha gave her life for some kid she hardly knew. She left you. Agatha made it look so simple. You don't think you would have left her like that.

Rio's hand landed on your shoulder, curling into your skin in a way that was meant to be comforting, but you found it anything but that. Regardless, you let it sit there for a moment, too absorbed in your grief to care. It could have been minutes or hours later before you jerked away from her. Standing harshly, you shoved at her shoulders, palms colliding with your skin. She let you. Rio did nothing as you shoved her again, trying to let your frustration out on her.

"You did this! You took her just like you took Nicky!" You screamed until your voice was raw, yet the tears still flowed freely down your cheeks. Rio let you take out your anger and pain. You could see the faint shimmer of tears in her eyes, but you hardly cared, too focused on your own. You hit Rio and shoved and screamed for so long before you sunk to the ground once more, not caring for the way your knees collided harshly with the dirt.

Your mother was gone. Your father was never there. Nicholas was dead. Agatha had given up what little the two of you still had so easily. And Rio, well when you glanced up briefly, she was gone too. You had nothing but wanted it all.

Why couldn't one of them stayed?

#agatha harkness x reader #agatha harkness x you

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