#and yes i DID do the gone with the wind pose. what about it

[infinite-mirrors]

More from The Last Binding, I can't stop thinking about themmm

[faith369]

Hi I hope you take request sooo I was thinking about Captain Price and his female secretary. She's young and innocent and captain really really like it.A lot of tension between them (we know what kind 😉) . A little smut at the end and maybe a confession. I hope you'll like it, if not then it's okay. Btw I love your work

Thank you 🖤

I do not like this request I love it.

Your cheeks felt like they were on fire, a heat spreading through your body, just from the Captain calling you a good girl while he passed by a few seconds ago. You shouldn't feel like this, he's older and, most importantly, your boss. Luckily the stack of documents and files reminded you that work wasn't going to get done by itself, you had just started this jobs a few months ago, and slacking wasn't on your mind, although the tall, dark bearded man of a boss definitely posed as a distraction.

John slumped himself onto his office chair. The exhaustion of the last mission settling into his body only made him more glad that he had you now, the paper work left for him to do was minimal. He wasn't sure when his mind started to wander from the mission report over to you, or more specifically the moment when Laswell told him you'd be transferred to his team after another captain retired, the fact that he was on mission while you got started working for him didn't exactly sit right with him. But when he came back, all of his paper work done, and a young and innocent thing introduced herself to him sweetly, he realized he had no reason to worry. By now, the way you sweetly smiled at him, not noticing the hungry look in his eyes, always fueled something inside him. He wasn't sure when exactly his dick began twitching at the way you became all shy the second he praised you, not that he minded.

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

You dreaded going into John's office, but you had to ask him about something regarding a few files. The fact that you were stressed and had to call a bunch of people didn't help. It wasn't even like he did something wrong, but more the fear of stumbling across your words in front of him was what kept you from getting up. You eventually left the comfort of your office paperwork in your hands, as you knocked on his door, the grumble he let out signaling you to come in. Regret washed over you almost immediately. The whole room smelled like him; pine, Bourbon, and cigars, it distracted you from forming coherrent thoughts. It took you a second to register that the Captain got up, he now stood near enough for your view to be blocked by his broad chest.

"R'you stressed?" The slight nod you gave him, not even looking him in the eyes, didn't satisfy him, he really wanted to be gentle, coax you out of your shyness, but his patience was gone, wasted in meetings, phone calls and training recruits.

"Want me to help you wind down, hm?"

The yes you gave him was enough of an answer. His hand dug itself into your neck while his tongue parted your lips, inviting himself into your mouth. Work was long forgotten, you the paperwork dropped somewhere on the ground the second his lips touched yours. Price chuckled at your hitching breath after his hand moved under your skirt, to move your panties aside before starting to push his fingers into your drenching hole.

"You have no idea for how long I wanted to do this, y're always so sweet to me. Gotta make sure you're getting rewarded for being such a good girl no?"

You didn't answer,you couldn't. Not when Price had his fingers buried inside you. The whines that left your mouth only spurred him on, his fingers pumping in and out of you harder, abusing your poor cunt. John had to restrain himself from fucking you, his dick pushing against his pants uncomfortably—not now when you were so pretty for him, gushing all over his fingers. He didn't stop, not even when you whined about wanting him to fill you properly, instead he used his thumb to stroke your swollen clit to send you over the edge. He kept moving his fingers through your orgasm, gently caressing your waist while you came undone.

The captain stopped you from unbuckling his belt.

"Honey, as much as I'd like to turn you around and fuck you, making the whole base hear you, I wanna take you out properly."

A/N: Guys im sorry it took so long to write anything this happened and lessons started again, anyway I am back.

Requests are open <333 love faith

[gofancyninjaworld]

Blast is a mediocre hero

Talk about a controversial opinion! Well, I intend to defend it! With thanks to Eldrich_Void, who heard my rantings out.

This is not an opinion I rushed to. However, it has bothered me a lot that Blast seems to have a real track record for fucking things up. Almost all his endeavours seem to end up cursed in some way.

His evil partner, the ninja village horror he set up, and the way he seems intent on protecting the guy. His estranged son. The two heroes he saved both having serious complexes as a result. The monster he couldn't subdue.

Now that we get to see how he saw the situation on the ground, I think that Flashy Flash's accusing him of being unconscionably hesitant is right.

Under the circumstances, if I were Flash, I'd not trust that pressing that button would summon Blast in a manner timely enough to matter to me.

So, shall we see below the cut?

Before...

So, let's wind back all the way to chapter 165, back when Cosmic Garou landed. Remember then? He had time to pose for the benefit of the heroes gathered...

…then to look at himself, look at the heavens, and thank God for this gift of power.

Then Bang crawled up to Garou to try calling him back to his senses.

It took a while for the situation to ripen.

It's only in the next chapter, with Bang continuing to plead futilely with Garou, that Blast showed up.

Looks like he showed up as soon as he could.

So far, so good. It seemed that Blast came as soon as he could, given whatever else he was busy with. In the current timeline, Saitama came back from the future and punched Garou right when the latter looked up to thank God, so we thought, reasonably, that Blast never had a chance to appear. Case closed.

And looks like he didn't have an opportunity to show up.

But now we see more...

Several chapters have come and gone, and now we have a fuller picture of the event. And now we know that Blast was aware and on scene when Garou unleashed his gamma-ray burst:

Oh, so you were here.

We know too that Blast was on scene when Saitama appeared to punch out Cosmic Garou, before Bang even had a chance to crawl to Garou.

And there!

So Blast had had an opportunity to intervene earlier but did not take any action until after everyone was dropping dead and Bang was using the last of his energy to plead with Garou to come to his senses.

Okay, there's a place for observing the scene before you wade in so as not to make matters worse. As Drive Knight points out, rushing into things without proper analysis is a foolish thing. However, there's one thing I can't overlook. Even if Blast did not want to carelessly jump into a fight, the fact that he was able to reroute Garou's cosmic rays away from the heroes on the ground -- but had not done so originally... that is borderline unforgiveable.

Damn, if you could always do that, you should have done it earlier!

Let me be extremely clear. I don't hold Blast wholly responsible for restoring Empty Void. Yes, his rerouting the now free-floating 'God' powers as well as the cosmic rays to another dimension accidentally fed Void. That was careless, but not incomprehensible: thinking that one's evil ex-partner whom you left more dead than alive 15 years ago might be camping his nasty half-starved body on the other side of the dimensional hole you opened up in order to receive God's powers is not at the top of anyone's mind. What I am holding him responsible for is failing in the first duty of a hero: HELP PEOPLE!!

Now, let's go back to the original timeline. Even before he stepped up to support Bang, he could have rerouted those cosmic rays and saved most of the heroes. But he did not. I don't think he thought of it. Not a good hero instinct. But it gets worse.

Once it was clear that Garou had no intention of leaving the planet or ceasing to kill with his very presence, Genos stepped up, risking his life to buy Blast an opening.

Being a hero to the core. When people are in need, he is there.

However, when he was in danger and it was clear that Garou was fixing to kill him, did Blast step up? No. He just stood there, opened his mouth and bleated 'No.' [1]

And it gets worse still. It's not like Garou ripped Genos's head off to kill him instantly. Garou punched Genos through his center of mass. That was really bad: his upper torso is heavily protected for a reason, but that is not what killed him. We find out afterwards that Genos remembers seeing Garou pull his core out. Even that did not kill him: we've seen from back with the Giant Meteor that while losing his core's functionality will stop him being able to move his body, Genos's life support systems run independently of it. No, what killed him was Garou smashing him down so hard that his head and armor shattered and his blood splattered and ran into the ground, some of it being washed into long runnels by the fallout rain. So Blast stood there and watched while Garou not only struck Genos critically, but mutilated and maimed him to death. It was as if Garou was taunting him to try something heroic. And when Saitama finally arrived on the scene, Blast was just standing there. Uselessly.

Blast does not have the instincts of a hero.

Saitama rightly criticised himself for losing sight of what a hero's true duty was. I remember back when Sonic asked him who he was, he defined himself as the person who helps people when they are in trouble. [2] And he knows he fell short.

Blast appears to have totally lost sight of this fact. That's why his work is cursed.

A Hero Is More Than Mere Works

Without any doubt, Blast is strong. He is righteous but he's not looking at situations the way a hero should. He looks at things more as a warrior -- and it's not really helpful. He's forgotten the need to actually *be* a hero.

If I think about it a bit more, Blast was concerned for the health of the heroes on the field. Yet he did not protect them, even though he could have. He did not move them out of the way, even though he could have. He did not call on the rest of his compatriots to help him accomplish these goals, even though he could have and they would have helped.

I don't think that Blast is in danger of being deposed as the number 1 hero any time soon but man, it's as Flashy Flash says, his conduct is disappointing.

It's an insult to the heroes we've seen. I can't begin to imagine how bitterly Tatsumaki would be if she could have seen him. As the narrator said, she puts him on too high a pedestal. When I think of how hard she fought while never forgetting the helpless child, the civilians at risk, the rest of the strike team, and taking care of them even as it reduced her fighting efficiency, it's everything Blast ought to be. We saw so many heroes risk their lives to help others, even when they weren't of any strategic value.

Tatsumaki's determination to throw nobody under the bus, no matter how expedient, is the soul of heroism.

A hero is not merely their works. A hero is also what they symbolise. Amai Mask gets it: that's why he goes on and on about a hero being a beautiful symbol of peace. Saitama gets it: that's a big part of why he refused to out King because he symbolised being a hero so well. Mumen Rider lives it: even though he's not strong (by hero standards), he's greatly respected and people are inspired by him to do better in their lives.

What a hero is: someone who saves from danger, someone who reassures, someone who inspires.

Blast doesn't get it. When he had an opportunity to mitigate Garou's cosmic radiation and save lives, it did not occur to him. When he could have swallowed his pride and called back up to help him subdue Garou and save hero lives, it did not even cross his mind: he only saw a fight.

Since when was justice a matter of who can hit who harder?

And when he didn't prevail, he just stood there. When it was time for him to step up as a hero and actually take on some risk to try saving a life, he stood there, as hapless as any civilian. Even when it was hopeless, we didn't see the likes of Tank Top Master giving up. We didn't see Genos giving up on Tatsumaki, even when they were swarmed by Black Sperm. You don't give up on people.

No wonder his works are cursed.

How might the curse be lifted?

Some thoughts.

Never mind Tatsumaki: it's a rare hero who wouldn't be appalled. They all look up to Blast as the ultimate hero.

Fortunately, the only person who knows is Genos: it takes knowing how else things would have played out if Saitama hadn't arrived in the nick of time. Genos has no interest in trying to run down Blast: what little credibility he's got, he's used to tell Sicchi to ensure that Saitama got called up if Blast came up with anything.

Unfortunately, Sicchi hasn't passed on that message to Blast and Saitama's been allowed to go dawdling away. Even more unfortunately, what Sicchi has told Blast about Genos is that he's a terror who impedes access to Saitama. This may have terrible consequences down the line.

Talk about leaving out the important part. That 'is that so?' gives me chills.

You know how some readers are disappointed that the MA arc did not end with Saitama lecturing Garou about the importance of not compromising one's goals? It seems to me that Blast needs that lecture a lot more badly than Garou ever needed it in any version. He's forgotten that the point of heroism is the people you help *first* before it is about glorious fights. Important as it is to fight, losing sight of the human need in front of you is a hiding to nothing.

Or, if you want to put it differently: Saitama is likely to have a reason to confront Blast in the future.

Someone needs to hear this message and it's not the truculent teenage tearaways.

I am going to be there for it with a giant tub of ice cream!

Asides

[1] What was it that Awakened Garou said back in the WC: 'When facing an imminent threat against a monster, all you do is open your mouth and start babbling. It's an easy kind of job.'? (ch 85). It has applied very brutally to Blast here.

[2] In case you need a reminder:

That's the right thing to be. Saitama's been struggling since he forgot the brief a bit.

[rise-my-angel]

Heart of the Great Wolf

27 - The Winter Rose

Pairing: Jon Snow x F!Baratheon!Reader, Robb Stark x F!Baratheon!Reader (Past)

Length: 16.5k

Warnings: angst/hurt comfort, descriptions of blood and violence, mentions of character death, imprisonment, minor self harm, discussions of miscarriage and child loss, smut, oral (f receiving), p in v, possessiveness

Notes: I'm sure this chapter title and the last chapter title have no deeper meaning whatsoever. Nope just totally, utterly random. Previous Chapter Here, Series Masterlist Here

You were thankful Maester Pylos was easier going then most, meaning he was quick enough and familiar enough with you to listen when you told him not to ask anything about it. His eyes were drawn right to the scar as he looked over your bruised ribs, but he kept his word and said nothing regarding it. At least for the most part. As he moved on to carefully cleaning the somewhat still bloody wound on your forearm he did however comment in jest, “Should I be concerned if these ones do not heal? That might make acquiring more in battle leave you looking a little worse for wear, your grace.” 

You huffed a laugh before wincing. “Don’t, I’m in too much pain to laugh.” Glancing out the open window to the night sky, your eyes narrowed in a weary thought before finding that voice. “Pylos, when did Maester Cressen...”

He pause in his work as he glanced up almost in an apologetic manner. “Not long after the start of the war. He-” Trying to cut himself off before you sat up straighter to look at him did he feel the pressure to continue. “I mean not to speak ill of him, but it was at his own hand. Poison in a goblet of wine, hoping to share a toast with the red woman. It worked on him, but not her.” 

Both looking at the other in a dreaded silence, neither were sure what to make of it. Even now, with what you had lived and Pylos had seen. You swallowed heavily before relaxing a bit to let him continue in quiet. “Who else?” His eyebrows raised and your voice found itself lowering in roughness. “Who else is gone? Because of this woman?” 

Sighing deeply, Pylos pulled away. Sitting back as he looked sympathetically. “There was your uncles. Lord Renly first, then Ser Axell-” Your head shot up in a confusion for a moment repeating his name as Pylos nodded. “Yes. Your father had allowed the red woman to..burn alive those who did not convert to the Lord of Light, and Ser Axell was amongst them.” 

Your heart sunk in your chest, what had you allowed this woman to turn you into father? 

“One of your own cousins was to be sacrificed until Ser Davos betrayed his grace’s word and aided the boy in escaping-” You repeated the word cousin with more confusion and he seemed surprised you had not known this information. “A bastard boy of Robert’s. The red woman had need of King’s blood for her witchcraft, and sought out a living bastard of Roberts and brought him here with intent to sacrifice.” 

Heart skipping a beat, you heard not the footsteps approaching the door from the winding stairwell up to the top of the Sea Dragon Tower. “Robert had..well he has many bastards in King’s Landing, which one did my father bring here?” 

You did not like the pause, the sorrow of something you hadn’t known. “I am so sorry, I did not realize you hadn’t known...” The pairs of feet stood outside the door, one hand holding out in front of the other figure to give a moment for both to listen. “King Joffery..he had ordered..he had ordered his City Watch to find and execute all of Robert’s bastard children. He believed that they posed a threat to his claim should the rumours of his mother and the Ser Jaime Lannister to be true. Only one remains as far as we know..”

You wanted to ask who, but the answer was sickening no matter what, because it was a boy he said. Not the innocent life of a tiny baby girl in the arms of her young, sweet mother who knew none better. What was her name? Barra? That was it, the little girl with already growing dark hair and green eyes that shined up at you when she woke up in her mother’s arms. 

Lord Baelish had never specified how many of them were out there, but you could only imagine the truth. You had on more then one occasion come across the outside of his chambers, Ser Jaime Lannister posed morosely outside forced to listen to your uncle with however many women he drew into his bed that time. It was one of the few times in those last few months before Lord Arryn’s death that you and the Lannister had found genuine common ground. 

That both of you found it nothing but an insult to force a brother to listen to his King insult his sister, no matter how little love existed in such a marriage. You both had joked how judging by the sounds, you couldn’t tell if it was worse if the number of women he had inside was more or less then the number you had thought of. Watching girl after girl leave and sometimes return or a new one would show, and how many of them had sons or daughters which now lay dead at your repulsive cousins hands? 

Before Pylos could speak more of it, the door to his study opened and the tense air was cut short as both Jon and Ser Davos walked in. Pylos making motion to stand only to be stopped by Jon offhandedly waving off the need of a gesture of formality. Yourself however, stood as you and Davos looked to one another, a full volume of regret somewhere behind his eyes. “Your Grace, I came to apologize.” 

Were Jon’s head and heart not still racing in something treading close to anger, he may have found the strength in him to laugh at how easily you dismissed that, almost not even having realized there was any slight to apologize for. “Unless you’ve committed a crime in the hours since I last saw you, you haven’t done anything I’ve taken offence with. You've known me my whole life, that allows you to think I'm an idiot sometimes.”

Almost dropping his face a bit more flat as he looked at you, tone a bit heavier but more flat as well thankfully. “What has the world come to, when it’s easier to apologize to Stannis than it is you?” Both of you had a small laugh at such, you stepping forward as Pylos gave more space to those all in the room. 

Crossing your arms there was a beat passed between you before your own voice found the right words, “I should be the one to apologize. After what happened to Matthos..being on the other side of it wouldn’t make it any easier, it was the best option we had but that doesn’t change..” Something unsaid between both of you, and it wasn’t your place or anyone's but Davos himself to truly bring it up all on his own volition. “What I’m trying to say is, I am the one whose sorry.” 

The room was quiet as was his own voice a little far away with a tinge of amusement. “Don’t imagine it’s good manners to reject a Queen’s apology.” 

Only that made you laugh, and laugh hard enough that you had to stop mid way through with a wince at your ribs. “You should hear the way some of my own men speak to me, I’m not what one would call particular with manners anymore.” Your eyes shifted a bit more stern however, a question tinted on your lips to follow. “Dare I ask whats been done with our new prisoners?” 

“Most of the Golden Company has been put in the main dungeons, none to happy with how crowded it is but least they’re far enough down we won’t hear them complain.” Nodding, brows narrowing as he read that too. “As for our honoured guests,” a twist of jest in his tone matching his expression to choose his words carefully. “They’ve been put in separate cells for now, Connington requesting one for each of them away from the other.” 

All four in the room found something strange in such a thought, but there was little to ponder over it in the moment. Jon had been standing some feet back, arms crossed over his chest with a dark, narrowed anger in his eyes that matched the rough strain held back in his own voice. “If they are willing to cooperate I can work something out with Stannis. Their army in the dungeon, I have no reason to keep them there as well. If they hear us out they might be of some help, if not, I see no reason they can’t at least have freedom to stay here or leave.” 

You nodded, having not a clue what such a conversation with your father would look like and yet it seemed most of the reasonable ones anymore were between him and Jon now. Working together in White Harbour was the most you had gotten along with him since he was still in King’s Landing. It was not your place to question that, nor did you feel the need too. As long as whatever he wanted, wasn’t going to push Jon into anything he didn’t want. 

All was quiet as the three of you now walked the halls back towards the ground level, you finding specific instructions to Davos. “Gather enough men to check around the curtain cliffs for structural damage. It’s hard enough getting around this place without those paths getting cut off. And tell Amos to start clearing the bay when the rest of it has put itself out. I don’t want our shores turning into a graveyard.” 

Making his leave, you found enough drive still flowing through you that you had thought to tun to Jon with something else entirely on your mind only to have him glance down the hall, before his face twisted in a deep irritation. Grabbing you by the arm and all but hauling you into a small alcove just around an empty corner. Crowding you in and instant, hands roughly holding you by your upper arms as he looked you over, the blood and grime he found even more minimal then it was still on himself before letting them fly up to cup your cheeks.

His hold was tender, but the raggedness in his voice certainly was not. “What in Seven Hells did you think you were doing out there?” 

If the look in his eyes weren’t such a brightness that yet gleaned with something desperate you may have teased him, but instead your heart only dropped further then it sat within your chest. You noticeably, did not reach out to him in anyway. “We needed Connington to surrender, I did what needed to be done. “

“By putting yourself in danger?” Trying to defend yourself, Jon cut you off with his voice trying to raise but being unwilling to go anything near a yell this close to you. “What happened if you lost?”

You on the other hand, were a bit louder but high pitched in an unsure lack of confidence as he stared you down. “Aegon wasn't about to give up, he wasn't going to go willingly I had to do something.” 

This time, something uncomfortable had boiled in Jon’s chest and did in fact, come out as a yell with an anger rushing through. His hands on your face dropped as he tried to turn away, only getting a few feet away before his face still twisted in anger faced you again. 

“I never would’ve let you anywhere near this fight if I knew this was what you were going to do.” If he expected you to argue, you didn’t. Deep down he knew you wouldn’t. His voice a little quieter but just as on edge as he ran a hand across his mouth before he turned closer to point at you almost in a lecture. “I shouldn’t even let you within fifty feet of a sword if you think your best chance is to always throw yourself at the enemy first.” 

Again, you didn’t fight him in any way. Instead your nails dug into the skin of your other fingertips as your arms sat tensely at your side, jaw clenching as you flickered between his face and the ground beside him. 

Your voice far more quiet and unsure then his anger. “I’m the one who actually saw you dead, you know.” His eyes narrowed briefly but you looked away again. “You weren’t there, you didn’t see me at the Twins. You weren’t the one between us who sat there staring at your corpse all beacuse you were a few hours too late to stop it. First time you felt my scar was when I was alive, I felt yours when you were dead long enough down there your skin was turning blue.” 

He had barley moved, and your voice hadn’t raised. It wavered in between upset and something darker but you just stood quiet and stiff, Jon trying to gently call your name but your jaw clenched further. A shake of your head before you continued to stare away from him. “You’re so afraid of losing me out there but I know exactly what you look like when you’re dead. You don’t think I hate not being strong enough to be at your side, to have your back if no one else does? Or do you think it’s just easy for me to imagine coming up after a battle and seeing you on the ground exactly like you were that morning?” 

You looked up to him finally and found instead all the anger had transferred to your eyes, only a heartbreaking softness left in his, but now as Jon stood there you knew he wasn’t certain if reaching out to you again was a good idea. Not when you were this on edge. 

“Do you really think I’m fine with the fact that I’m too weak to protect you?” 

He wanted to reach out to you so badly but you’d flinch away from him the second he even twitched in your direction. His grey eyes swimming with that need however and could not hide it from your own eyes distant in a pain. Your name murmured on his lips, “Why do you think I asked you if you wanted to learn how to use a sword?” Your eyebrow raised in confusion, “That night in Winterfell, why do you think I wanted to teach you when I caught you looking at the practice swords?” 

It was still one of you fondest memories of that visit. How you had been so caught off guard he swiped at your legs and it sent you knocking to the ground. Looking up in confused anger to see a fourteen year old Jon, that dashing smirk on his lips as he swung his own practice one around in one hand looking down at you. His voice at that point already having developed so close to the deep raspiness it was to this day. 

He had teased you about not turning your back on your enemies before helping you up. Accepting the shove you gave him.

Risking taking a step forward, you tensed a little as you looked away but you otherwise did not try and back away from him. Jon’s voice growing softer as he spoke, trying to coax your eyes to his. “I never thought you’d ever need it. Never thought you’d find yourself having a life where you’d need to protect yourself like that. I only asked if you wanted to learn how, beacuse I wanted an excuse to spend time alone with you.” 

Your eyes didn’t meet his, but you looked closer, enough that the gaze now trained on Longclaw sat at his side, brows slightly narrowed. “You spent plenty of time with me, in those days.” 

Jon risked another step forward, and you tried not to let it choke up inside you how careful he tended to be when he could see whenever you were in a more high strung state. He always knew exactly when and how far to keep his distance until you settled enough. “Not the way I wanted. You spent most of your days working beside my father and when you weren’t there was always something trying to take your time away from me. It was an excuse to spend time with you and no one would be around to interrupt.” 

Glancing more up, you found the blood splattered across his chest plate, somewhat covering the direwolves. You more mumbled then anything, not having the ability to argue at the best of times with Jon. “I didn’t learn how to use a bow to set a thousand men on fire, but that came in handy when the time needed it.” 

Jon’s hands itched but he kept them to himself. “Never in my life did I think teaching you all those years ago meant you’d be putting your life in danger beacuse of it. I didn’t think you’d ever have any use for it, and I don’t expect you to do it now.” 

It was a mistake looking up, his grey eyes were so wide and bright. A shine to them which radiated something so beautiful as it echoed against the rest of his face. How more women didn’t fall madly in love with Jon, you did not understand. Because even now, they were enough to make you melt enough he stepped within a foot of you. You tried to speak multiple times, but ultimately let a sigh out as you looked away from him in your own frustration. “I knew if I could get him alone, I might be able to overwhelm him quicker then he could me.

Looking back up at him, neither of you held any anger anymore. You both hated having to be together in a life full of blood. You hated it with Robb, and you hated it now. None of the lives you ever planned out as a wishful little girl included this much war and death. Jon tilted your head up with a tender touch at your jaw, making you meet his eyes as he leaned close enough you could feel his breathe dancing across your skin. 

His other hand reached out, grasping your hand to guide it to his waist before settling his on yours, almost a prompt to tell you to let your other do the same thing. Which you obeyed. His tone was as gentle as he could make it, light and airy as he gently pressed a kiss to your forehead before meeting your eyes again. “And if Aegon had killed you, I wouldn’t have hesitated to kill him myself.” The almost loving tone as he ran his hand on your jaw along the skin to your cheek contrasted quite strangely with the dedicated violence of his words. “You’re duty isn’t to put yourself in danger, and it’s my duty to keep you safe. I’m only asking you to stop making my job so hard.” 

Finally, he had managed to pull a breathy laugh from you. Him returning one back, leaning a bit more into you with his own mesmerizing smile as he did so. One of your hands on his waist jumped up, going from there right up to dancing your fingertips along his chest plate, not caring much to avoid the blood as he you traced over the direwolves. “I didn’t do it to scare you.” 

“I know.” His hand moved to run across the back of your head, his fingers clearly toying with the idea of pulling your hair loose as he was there. “I’m not trying to make it seem like I want to control you, it..I hate that I can’t always be there to protect you. I know you can take care of yourself, but you shouldn’t have to. And I know I have to work on that, on accepting that.” 

Nodding, the air between you both felt much less suffocating then before. Hard to overcome the fact that you found it scary, the idea of arguing with Jon. He felt things deeply and intensely, and you hated the thought that you could ever be the one to set him off in a bad way. Especially in moments like this, his grey eyes so soft and full painted towards you and hands gentle like you were the delicate thing to treasure in his touch. 

Letting your hands reach up and cup the sides of his cheek and jaw, he moved with you in an instant as if reading every inch of your mind. Leaning down to meet you half way, the second his lips gently brushed against yours, he moved to grab your waist to steady you against him. Nothing more then a gentle dance without pushing the other too far, and yet Jon’s hands kept growing tighter despite the kiss growing no more heated. 

The second a tiny sigh slipped from you as you parted, a light dizziness in your head with a satisfied hum along with it however, was a step too far. Jon’s hands suddenly dropping down to your hips, and the innocence of the moment died out as he, somewhat roughly, pushed you against the wall. His lips kissing you harshly, deepening it the second you grabbed at his shoulders with a whine, crowding you against it before letting one hand slip to the back of your head. 

This time, he pulled out the ties keeping your hair up without needing a single glance. Running through the loose strands before yanking your head to tilt up so he could press against you entirely. Biting at your lip only once before demanding you let him slip his tongue inside your mouth, running along yours as the hold on your hair was keeping your lips from being able to part from him whatsoever.

It was the exact same thing as before it seemed, you with nothing but innocent intentions and Jon let it consume him like an inhuman force blinding him with a raw lust. Your hands reached up to let his hair loose but were caught in their path as Jon all but shoved your legs apart, moving a knee to invade the space between. As he shoved that same knee up against between your legs, he used his grip on your hip to grind you down against it, powerless against his strength to stop it. 

Biting your lips, running his tongue along yours and tasting your mouth with an increasing demand and greed as he started to guide your hips to move in a harsh but slow grind. Too many layers keeping you from feeling it so directly, but Jon was unfair in how strong he was and he kept you pressed against him as he moved you along until he felt your hands shake against your hold on his shoulders. 

Your insides burned as his did, screaming in fire at you, but not to be put out. A pleasure that twisted and turned like a coil to snap at any moment begging him to throw you into the flames at his own mercy, and your heart raced so much those across the castle were like to hear it pounding. It was as if something took over, pulling finally from your lips as his eyes now black as the night outside looked into yours. 

His lips red and swollen as he hadn’t pulled from you enough to break the small strands of saliva his kiss brought between you. Lips parted he breathed heavily until he looked down, keeping you against his knee as one hand now flew to find just enough room at the edge of your pants to slip down. 

Jon’s mind aggressively thinking about how much he wanted to be home. Bring you home to Winterfell so he could go back to you having the freedom to walk around in your beautiful dresses and there would be not a thing in his way but your tiny layer of fabric that he could soak you through in seconds.

Teeth almost gritting as he hissed, finding your clit as the rest of your core was shoved too tightly against his knee, still moving you against him only now his fingers pushed more. Running harsh and tightly over the sensitive spark before almost twisting it as if it were the small buds on your breasts he would roughly yank at, twist so cruelly but on something now that made you cry out. 

His mouth covered yours instantly, brows furrowed as he did so as if he was angry someone might have heard you. Running your covered core along his knee and his fingers rubbing, twisting and playing with your clit as he licked his way back into your mouth, keeping you unable to moan out loud or catch your breathe. Tensing hard in his arms, Jon pushed his knee up firmer and forced your hips down as much as he could as he ran his fingers tightly and twisted the core in you so suddenly. 

But you tensed up, gasped into his kiss and then nothing. He pulled away. Again. His hand, his knee, even his lips. He stood almost a foot away from you, hands now steadying you by your upper arms again as you felt so stinging you wanted to cry. Three times now, and it was starting to be painful each time he refused you. Husking down at you, accent so thick only you could understand it from being so close, “Please, don’t ever put yourself in danger like that again.” 

Almost unable to speak through the thick fog in your head you nodded, but he pulled you by a hand at your chin so as he spoke his lips brushed yours. “I want you to promise me, darling. Promise you’ll never do anything like that again.” 

You weren’t in the right mind to guess which, but you wondered far off if he had done this on purpose or not. Put you in such a desperate state to get you to agree to anything he’d ask, or was this just out of his own worried panic over your safety fighting with some darker need he held for you? 

Either way, your hands ran along his chest plate again as you nodded,“I won’t. I won’t do it again, I promise.” Looking to his eyes, they were almost seen as water hidden behind their depths as he looked at you almost heartbreakingly. “Jon..” You bit your lip almost nervously to ask, it sounding too innocent in your airy tone for such a request, “Could..we...” 

But Jon only kissed you again, one last bite to your bottom lip as his tongue ran gently over the marks his teeth left and pulling back again. His hand cupping the back of your hair once more, the other now gentle on your waist. “No.” Your eyes squeezed closed in frustration as he kissed your forehead again, speaking against the skin there too. “But I want you to start keeping track of how often I don’t let you.” 

Your brows furrowing as your heart still beat loud in your ears, “Why?” 

He pressed another kiss to your forehead, this time more gentle and loving. Resting his own against it as he curled the hand on your waist around your lower back to pull you more into a gentle embrace. “Because however many times I take it away from you, I’m going to double. Give you twice as many to make up for it whenever I fuck you. You’re looking at how many? Six? Eight?” 

You actually laughed, and so did he. Your head falling onto his shoulder as you shook with an exhausted laughter. “Remember that day in the wolfswood when I admitted I didn’t know what having one feels like? I’ve decided I regret ever telling you that now.” He asked why and you could hear the grin, “Because you only let me have one after doing this exact thing three times then.” 

Jon didn’t respond right away, but it wasn’t even in lust he retorted. Almost just enough in a dry tone that you would smack him for being a smart ass, were you still children. “If I’m adding those three, then we are up to at least twelve.” You sighed, and he grinned more. Pulling you against his chest with both arms, one more around the back of your head now as yours were at his waist. “Keep talking, darling. I’ll keep adding them. I’ll be between your legs sun down to sun up at this pace.” 

Sometimes it was hard to tell if your fathers men gave a hard time just to see how long your resolve would put up with it. You had been going back and forth before the man finally accepted the orders and made his leave. 

The deep rumbling of a familiar voice came up to your side as you stood watching the men around the main gates working to clear and clean of the dead. “I’d throw them off the sides of that cliff before I let a lanky shit talk to me like that.” 

Glancing up to your right to find Tormund watching the same as you did before glancing to you with an amused raise in an eyebrow. You turned back with little expression, voice as flat and done with this night as before. “I grew up here. Known most of these men my whole life, they talk to me like that because they know I let them. They certainly wouldn’t speak to my father that way.” 

You tried not to glance to where he was in the distance. You felt a bit conflicted on how to handle things. On one hand, you were greatly thankful for him in just the blood spilling hours before and yet Pylos’s words rung in your mind and you couldn’t stop thinking of it. You didn’t know about your uncle, he was your mother’s own brother as well how much had been burned to dust and bone on these shores? 

“You did well.” Glancing back up at him with curiosity, “On the cliff. You did well, not an easy climb that kind of rock but I was impressed. You and the Greyjoy.” 

Smirking you shrugged a shoulder before crossing your arms over your torso. “Should I in return congratulate or apologize that your daughters husband lives to see another day?” He chuckled deeply, and it brought a smirk out of you. Taking a moment to let it simmer before you turned to something more on the side of quiet. “Would you have it in you to do more of that, or was this a one and done sort of deal?” 

Turning to face you with an amused interest, he played just as coy. “Depends on the pretty crow’s offer.” 

You however jumped right to the point. “The mines we’re here for, there’s tunnels all under the island but the easier ones to access are still mostly untouched. I have a few I know that I’ve worked my way through, but before I bring any of the others down there, I need to make sure I have everything in place so I can at the least have people get down to the main surface floor without scaling untouched walls in the dark. Would be nice to have someone who knows what they’re doing down with me.”

Tormund smirked, “Not even a challenge, between you and me, we could have those tunnels ready in a few hours we leave early enough.” You nodded appreciatively, back to looking at the winding stones some now had worked to wash the blood from. “I’d ask how early we should start tomorrow but I have a feeling it won’t be so easy convincing Snow to let you out of bed, to go spend time in a confined dark space with another man so soon.” Your eyes narrowed in confusion as he laughed. “Your fancy castle is large, but it doesn’t hide as much as you think.” 

Your voice cracked as you suddenly hoped the earth would open and drop you into the sea. “I’m not sure I know what you are implying.” 

Tormund leaned in, wrapping an arm around your shoulder and dragged you into his side without care. “All the advice I’ve given him, and he didn’t even let you cum.” Perhaps you could climb to the top of Dragonmont and dive into the molten liquid if you ran fast enough. “Could join you, let me teach him by example, how to treat a woman right if he’s that fucking cruel. Show him what he’s missing out on with you.” The grin in his voice was so thick as you knew your face was flushed and mortified. 

Barley finding the confidence to mumble out, “You’re getting closer and closer to me shoving you off the edge of the mine, Tormund. Right at the very top.” 

There was no noise except for the echo of footsteps as they walked down the corridor. Much torchlight hung by the walls and there were enough in each heavy iron door that you knew at least he would be sitting in more then darkness. As the guards opened the door, you nodded at them pointedly. “Leave us.” 

The door closing behind with a loud clang keeping you in the open space of the dungeon cell, and a thick set of metal bars adorning the second half of the room keeping him apart. Sat on the ground with one knee bend up towards him and the other splayed out on the ground, the heaviest of his armour having been taken off him and he now looked quite like an ordinary man. 

His eyes met yours with a curiosity. Your voice was low and even with nothing to give away in tone or even your face. “Do you know who I am?” 

His answer at least was simple in response of your name, ending with Baratheon before he paused and corrected himself with little effort in him put forth. “Or, I suppose it’s Snow isn’t it? If we are being proper, that is.” 

It made sense you supposed in your mind. Jon Snow was King in the North, and you were Queen at his side and most would presume so due to marriage. But it wasn’t anything worth the effort to correct him on. You didn’t come down here to discuss Jon. 

Looking at Jon Connington you could see the shorter dark orange of his hair that gave his face more youth then the lines and exhaustion blessed him otherwise. “You requested to be away from your men, may I inquire as to why?” 

Glancing up at you, his own eyes narrowed trying to sense the double agenda in your question but you knew he would find none. You played no games now. He sighed deeply, looking back at the adjacent wall with a morose tone. “I led sell swords here, not an army. They aren’t too forgiving of failure, even less so with being forced to surrender. It was safer to put me and him on our own, and I knew you wouldn’t let us together.” 

Giving him one nod before inhaling deeply as you looked at him now with more curiosity. “The Golden Company has never successfully taken anything in Westeros before, they will come back around from this. We out numbered you, more than you suspected we would if I am guessing correctly.” 

Laughing with nothing behind it’s meaning, “That you did. Lord Varys’s little birds were wrong. About many things it seems.” You raised an eyebrow and the silence sat between until he realized this was not a back and forth. “Either he didn’t know about Stannis Baratheons army or he didn’t tell me. Also tried to spook me, saying your husband was some dead man. A walking monster stabbed in the heart. Looks perfectly fine to me.” 

The walking monsters of undead nature were that of cold and ice, not flesh and blood. But the knife in the heart was all the same. “He isn’t here, Lord Varys. Why?” 

Connington barley moved, “I don’t know. Left some days before tonight, had business to attend to elsewhere and said no more on it. He isn’t a man who gives away his secrets,” You agreed and it had him hesitate and turn to look up at you. “How would you know that?” 

Stepping closer your posture loosened a little bit, making him relax as well. “My father and I both served on the small council for some years. Spent much time around Lord Varys, so yes my lord, I know exactly the kind of secret’s he is capable of telling. Or not telling.” 

Oh the glare Connington gave you almost was enough to have you laugh. “So, how does your father being King work? He claims to be the Protector of the Realm, but his daughter and heir is married to an independent Northern King? Things sure seem to have changed since I’ve been gone.” 

“By change you mean there’s more freedom to rule outside of your beloved Targaryeans?” His eyes shot over to you, and while there was no malice on your face there was something unsettling in your eyes deep if he searched hard enough. You stepped closer again. “There was only a Seven Kingdoms because those people flew in with dragons and scorched the earth and it’s people. So you can imagine I am not quite convinced on Aegon’s claim when this country is only just beginning to find footing on it’s own once again.” 

Sighing deeply, Connington’s jaw clenched as he stared harshly at he wall but his voice spit out in a hiss, “So this is who rules now? The Targaryeans fought against you Baratheon’s and Starks and now you get to be the ones who are in charge?” 

Your voice was non confrontational however, you didn’t come for a fight but you knew you hit a sore spot. “For the Iron Throne? It’s a three way tie currently. The Lannisters sit on the throne, my father fights for it and apparently the remaining Targaryean still alive ,wishes to come back to seek it as well.” You came close to the bars, him still a number of feet away even if you were to press right up against the cold metal. “The Starks want nothing to do with the Iron Throne. We have bigger fights in the North then for an ugly iron chair.” 

That you didn’t realize, was just almost enough to get a smirk out of the man. He turned his head lazily to look up at you, “Thought you were a Snow not a Stark.” 

If he was trying to be clever, you saw through it. “You and I both know that Lord Varys has told you exactly who Jon is. Who his father is.” That made him clench his jaw harder, turn away with a rigid uncomfortable look in his eyes in an instant. Crouching down to see him more at his eye level you narrowed your eyes at him. “Let's not play word games. We both are aware of who exactly you were fighting against out there.” 

Connington sighed, an arm coming to rest against his knee and hold his face in his palm before flying it back down to whip his neck around to you. “Is that why you are here? To discuss Eddard Stark’s bastard son?” 

If he was on edge before, he paled now as you whispered into the silent air. “I’m here to discuss his aunt. Lyanna Stark. I’m sure your familiar with the name.” He said not a word, and you felt it seep heavy into the very air you both breathed. “I am going to be perfectly honest with you, my lord. Neither me nor Jon care about Aegon’s fight for the Iron Throne. He asked one thing of you in peace and you and him all but declared war for something on this island you didn’t even know was there. I don’t care if Aegon is fighting for the Iron Throne, what I want to know is how he’s even here in the first place.” Leaning forward you lowered your voice to something a little more annoyed with him. “Do we both know what I’m referring to or do we need to refresh our memories about the end of the rebellion? And how every single person in the Seven Kingdoms assumed Aegon died as a baby when Gregor Clegane  smashed his face into a wall so hard it was unrecognizable.” 

That did not sit nicely on his face. At all. He swallowed had with as much horror swimming in his eyes as you always felt imagining such a monstrous act. You let him sit in the quiet for a good few minutes, and you sat patiently waiting. “He was already two when they brought him to me.” Your eyes narrowed but otherwise remained entirely impassive. “Lord Varys and this associate of his, they approached me with this whole thing. I- I didn’t even know Aegon had survived...I had no idea...but then there he was..the only thing left of him right in front of me and them pleading me to help.” 

“What did they want you to do?” 

“Raise him. Take care of him, help make him ready. Train him to take the Iron Throne when he’s ready and hide with him until then. As father and son. Out of everyone in the world I had thought, me, Rhaegar trusted me with his son.” Your eyes grew dark and sharp but said nothing. There was a distant affection and lightness in his voice that was so far away you knew it tinged in a present pain. “I had lost him, but I had his son. Rhaegar’s own blood trusted in my hands to raise..I don’t know why he was smuggled out..or why she wasn’t..”

Rhaenys he meant. Why what sounded like nothing more than an innocent, sweet girl was left behind to be slaughtered.

He swallowed heavily, and his voice shattered to a waver. Not once did he look at you. “I spent his whole life waiting for him to become Rhaegar. The day I would wake up and see him, in his face, his eyes, anything. But..I’m still looking. I spent Ageon’s whole life waiting to see when he would turn into his father that sometimes...I feel like I missed his life..the life he had when he was just..my son. I failed his father, and now I’m failing the son too.”

Whatever was choking him on the inside, wrapped its tendrils around your throat and squeezed until something rough was forced out. “You didn’t fail. Rhaegar was the one who failed.” Connington’s eyes met yours, and it was a sorrow you rarely saw on people. “I don’t know Aegon, I didn’t know Rhaegar, but I knew the damage he left behind. I spent half my life growing up with a family that his actions led to their deaths before the war was over, and that pain has never gone away. I saw that pain live and fester in Robert’s eyes until it was so strong it almost killed what good in him was left. Good men don’t leave pain like that behind.” 

Deep blue eyes and dark curls in your mind were clear as if he were right in front of you. Robb being gone was agony, but he left no pain behind. Only the agony of loss, and the desperate love of so many who knew the truth that he was the best of so many of you. Good men are like Robb, not Rhaegar. 

Connington was quiet for a long time, but never asked you to leave. A quiet solace as you both thought to men you loved and lost in your own ways, but one was tinged in more guilt then the other until it spilled over as his head fell back with a thud against the dungeon wall. “For a long time I saw him everywhere. In my head, my dreams, would pass someone with just the right shade of hair that I’d trick myself into thinking there he was. I wanted to see him in Aegon so badly, but I never could. I thought I never would again, and..it wasn’t until..I suppose now I realize that maybe I don’t actually want to see him.” 

“Until what?” 

He looked to you with a doubt, and then he huffed a laugh. Shrugging a shoulder in a genuine amusement as he sat there behind the metal bars. “For a good minute out there, fighting your husband felt like I was back in my prime. Sparring with Rhaegar in the training arenas, getting overwhelmed by his intensity too.” 

Tilting his head to you, “Damn near spooked me. Was like looking at Rhaegar how intense he was, but..he was also far better then him. I’ll give him that, your King is a skilled swordsman like I’ve ever seen. Had all of Rhaegar’s intensity and more, and I realize now that maybe I’m relieved I’ve never seen that in Aegon. I don’t know this Jon Snow, but for your sake, I hope there’s more to him then what I saw out there beacuse otherwise?” He whistled out and your face fell flat. 

Your voice however had an edge to it that cut him like steel. “And you think Rhaegar was a better man?” Rhaegar thought he was better then everyone else, and that it made him untouchable. But Jon is a better man then anyone you know anymore in your current life, but he would never think that of himself. He’s a good man because that’s who he is, not beacuse he’s trying to make everyone else think so too. Leaning forward there was a real vitriol there, “Jon’s never abandoned his wife and two young children to kidnap an innocent teenage girl at the least.” 

Connington’s face paled almost sickly. “Is that why you’re down here? Mock me about what he did?” 

You were honest but no less hostile even in whispers. “She was Jons aunt, his fathers own sister and everything he’s heard about what your beloved prince did to her only got worse the more he was told. But he won’t ask you about it. So I will.” You leaned in as much as you could. “Why kidnap her? She died because of him, her father and brother died trying to save her. Why take her, why keep her from her family. What did he do to her that killed her so far away from where he, himself died?” 

Connington’s voice was rough and you had no sympathy. “You’ve heard the story.” Asking why he did it, he said nothing. So you asked again to more nothing. Only the third did he raise his voice. “I don’t know. I don’t know why he did it. He never said what about the girl he wanted with, just that he needed her. But he had his Kingsguard keep her locked up and no one saw her until after she was already dead. He never said what he wanted with her, never told me why. And I was exiled by Aerys before I had a chance to find out.”

Leaning back, your nails dug into your palms at the guilt on his face. “Tell me one thing. The rumours of what he did to her, were those true? Or was that just the angry ramblings from Robert without any merit?” 

His silence was deafening and you felt ill. Lyanna deserved better then to have men thirty years after her death, mourn the man who kidnapped and raped her until she died alone in the Dornish sands. 

You backed off from him, and your tone lightened up a bit for his sake. Already struggling to look you in the eye. “Sometime soon, Jon will offer you and Aegon a peace. But I’d think long and hard, Lord Connington. Think if the man you really want Aegon to be is Rhaegar, beacuse there is none here who is on his side. But they might be on yours. You have time still. He doesn’t have to become his father, you can let him be ready at his own pace.” 

“No I can’t.” You head tilted in question. “I don’t have time. Aegon needs to be ready to take the Iron Throne now or I- he can decide who he wants to be when he’s crowned but I need to sit him on the Throne as soon as possible. I...I have to do this one thing for him. I can’t fail the father and the son both.” 

Your whisper was far away, “Why? Why rush into this after spending almost thirty years leading to it?” 

But he shook his head. Clearing his throat before pulling his knees both up to his chest to rest his arms over them. For a while he said no more, and it wasn’t until the tense quiet of you walking towards the heavy door did he speak up. “He looks like her.” 

Your head whipped around to look at him, Connington’s face more pale once again. “Jon Snow. You said he’s Lyanna Stark’s nephew? He looks like her. Suppose he looks like Eddard Stark too, but it was like looking at a gods forsaken ghost seeing him for the first time.” He laughed to himself. “Spent thirty years trying to see Rhaegar and avoid thinking about all the horrible shit he did, and in one night I feel like he, Lyanna and Robert have all come back to haunt me between the two of you.” 

In only a small voice, you knew he heard you even if he didn’t acknowledge it. “You’re the one who raised him. And you surrendered for his sake beacuse you love him, not beacuse he’s Rhaegar’s.  Don’t allow Rhaegar’s shadow to get in the way of that. Aegon’s not him, and he needs you for you. Not beacuse you are waiting for him to become someone else.” 

As you walked out of the dungeons, all you could see was deep blue eyes against grey eyes. 

For only a moment, you let yourself sit on the steps leading back to to the main floors of the castle as the night sky loomed over. Your hand traced the scar along you, and you realized maybe you weren’t the only one making that very mistake. You had been adamant to ensure your love with Robb was about him and not the guilt of Jon, and it led to a love between you both that was more then you could’ve ever imagined for the tearfully short time you were allowed to share it.

So you couldn’t do the same in return to Jon. You would always love Robb, always love the child you almost had together, but you couldn’t only see them when you looked at Jon anymore. You always said he deserved better then what the world gave him, and that included what you had been doing up until now. 

The path was less treacherous then you recalled. Recently having passed your eleventh name day, you had still been small when you did this last. Your room too, it felt smaller then you remembered, cramped and uninspired with little personality. Much of you had been taken to King’s Landing where none of it existed anymore, but hidden behind a cabinet under the rug was still your spot to have searched on Dragonstone.

The path along there felt long as a girl. Long and the loud tides were frightening as if the gods telling you to stay away but each time including the fifth now, you had to pass the fear by. There was something you had to do, one last act and this time you felt horrid it was done so late. 

Hopefully not only will The Mother see your beg of reason, but Robb would understand you hated not being able to do anything sooner. Whatever gods answered you now, you needed to send his son to Robb once and for all. Robb deserved that, he deserved more then that but this was all you could do. 

As you came upon the clearing however, you felt a weightless sink in your stomach that almost had you drop. What more had he let her do? Your steps were suddenly slow, a painful realization that not only could the old gods of Robb not hear you from here, but perhaps the Seven of your past could not either anymore. 

The statues had always sat tall and proud on the shores, close to the sept but a worship all on their own that felt closer to the earth. Four times you had come here like this, lighting a candle in the middle of each and finally to The Mother you would light all seven before beginning. 

But now, only shadows remained. Burned statues of the Seven that you could hardly recognize what even had stood as what before. Burn the false idols, that was what he had let her do. You prayed in a peace to the old gods now, but not even the sliver of your life following the Seven was allowed here now. Only her fire god, as she burned any and all for him. 

Now, as you stood with the torch in your hand and wind blowing your hair around with it, you only felt the pull North more intensely. Dragonstone was slowly taking away everything that was once a home with a family. Death and destruction was left. 

Your hands brushed along each statues remains, and tried to recall prayers long unspoken in your mind and hoped they would accept your only offer. You knew where The Mother stood, and for once you felt a sting behind your eyes as you approached. This time it was not brothers you lost, and not your own mother by blood that you prayed for. It was you who was the almost mother praying to let the gods forgive your unborn son and pass him to his father and find peace together. 

Carefully, you stuck the torch deep into the sand in front of her, and let your hands trail over the melted insides that were left. Wind blowing your hair and cloak far and wide as you begged for any hope that someone not shrouded in fire could hear you and protect him. He was your son, and you failed him and so you needed to pass him on. 

You had made your way to your old bedroom earlier, shutting the door behind you sealing you alone as you pulled out the deep blue box with ornate foxes etched into it. Four hand carved toys sat inside it, four toys for your four brothers to remember by. 

You had done what you did for them, written out the blessings septon would anoint a child with as they were named under the Light of the Seven. Only this time, the house sigil was that of a direwolf, and the name you called to them at the bottom had almost been enough to make you cry. The memory of horrified blue eyes looking at you with blood soaking his hands as your final memories together. 

Eddard Stark

Now the burned remains sat in a small pouch along with the dagger. Pulling it out you held both ends with a choke so high in your throat were you to let it out it would sob. But the tears fell the same. You had nothing of them, nothing of either of them. Only this. 

You had nothing of Robb but a scar and a dagger. His body was desecrated. He was given no funeral rites, he would not rest beside his father in the crypts of Winterfell with a faithful direwolf to guard him. 

Robbs bones were lost somewhere in the Riverlands. 

You could only give him this, and the tears fell as you cared not to hide them. You had a life to find now without him, with a man you truly loved but you would never find it in you to move past this kind of pain. You would always be scarred in heart with his loss, and the son you failed to give him. But you did have to accept it.

No shatters or thunder or noises to fear came about. The Mother had seen you cry and heard you in agony for the love of your life and the son you both lost, and she was allowing you to do one final thing for them. 

You like four times before, stepped out into the middle of the shores, and with no wince this time, carved the dagger deep into your palm. The blood of you, Robb and your son all dried on it and now you let it twist as much as you could needing some of all three to soak your hand as you and your sons had soaked Robbs. 

Letting it sit back in it’s sheath, you gently pulled out the pouch and poured it into your bleeding hand and letting the material fly elsewhere. Hand tightening around it you let your blood together soak as this was all you had of your son. Robb and you could only give him this to send him and you needed him to find his father, that was all they had of each other. 

Stepping into the watering tides, you knelt down into the ground, the water surrounding you a few inches all around. Your hand sat deep into the sand as your eyes closed, kneeling down on your calves, with both hands braced beside you. The winds and tides blew around you as you saw not the blood. 

Just the memory of a moment to find any joy. The memory of how scared you had been to tell him, only for Robb to haul you up into his lap and arms, the happiest you had ever seen him and the loving press of his lips against you like you gave him the world. 

Eventually, your hand opened and the remains and blood all washed into the sea. You stayed there for a good long while. Eyes open looking to the stars in the night refusing to remember the pain. Only the deep love you found with him and the dreams of a family you couldn’t give him. 

You hoped this far away, Robb Stark could hear you tell him you love him. Now and always. 

It was more time you had planned on being away, by the time you had made your way to the room that was to be yours for a time, Jon was already stripped down from his armour and everything. Both of you having taken the time to clean the blood and grime from you before finding the other at that point as Jon now sat perched against the ledge near the open window, slight breeze flowing through his loose curls as he was cleaning the remaining blood from Longclaw back to it’s shining state. 

Grey eyes soft as they looked up, you gently pushing the door closed behind you before letting your back rest against the heavy surface. A fire softly crackled in against the wall along the rooms clearing with a soft rug covering the cold stone of the floor. It was hard to tell if it was something unsure or worried in his eyes as they looked gentle but with a furrow in his brows at the fragility you stood against the door in, as if struggling more then normal to find the words. 

Calling your name, but when you didn’t respond he set Longclaw aside. Standing to make his way over to you and only on the second attempt did your eyes snap back to the present as your name sounding in your ears. He stood close, but not invading your privacy and yet that sorrow in your heart melted to something that left a bright love to bleed in your gaze. “Talk to me.” 

As Jon’s hand reached up to run his fingers through the hair at the side of your face, you grabbed it instead. Pulling it, and by proxy him, closer to you as you held it more over your heart as the other free hand of yours traced over his jaw, facial hair scratching at the skin. His other came to rest at your waist, both quiet as he waited for what was behind your eyes to make their presence spoken. 

When you found that, it wasn’t what he expected. “I used to think it was my fault my mother lost my brothers.” His eyes narrowed at you but you had not the strained hurt in your voice, but something more gentle and easy. “She stopped speaking to me after the first, and then the night after she lost her second my father told me I was being sent North. I thought it was a punishment.” Your hand begun to trace back and run through his curls as he watched you closely. Your own eyes not meeting his as they trailed innocently over what you could see of him from such an angle. “Used to think boys were meant to come first, and by me being the firstborn I had screwed it all up, and my mother kept losing them beacuse of me.” 

The hand holding his over your heart slowly slid downwards, his eyes following intently until he led your hands and reached where the scar sat under your clothes. Letting his palm almost slide across the whole thing and his eyes never looked away from it as if he wanted to see it through the material. “It wasn’t your fault.” 

Nodding, you moved both of your hands to rest along his chest close to his collarbones. “I thought I was cursed. Eventually, I stopped thinking about it. It had been so long I forgot what it ever was like to be afraid I was the reason she couldn’t have them.” Your voice lowered however, and you felt him tense drastically in your touch. “At least, I forgot until I lost my own. And then I felt like a failure. I didn’t even have one before he too was gone.” 

Jon tried to move, wanting to pull you closer but your hands on his chest pushed back a little to keep him at bay. His voice low and rough trying to contain something in him. “Robb would never blame you for that. Never.” 

You echoed those words, not realizing as he had said them about himself that you understood exactly what that felt like. “I thought I failed Robb, and I was terrified he would hate me for failing his son too.” Jon never moved his hand from your scar, his shoulders holding a visible weight on top of them as he stood close to you. “But I realized something tonight. That if I keep holding onto that thought, all I am doing is pushing you away with it. I’m doing exactly what you had told me not to do when I married Robb. I’m letting my pain of losing them get in the way of what I should be having with you.” 

His other hand not on your scar moved to run over the back of your hair as his grey eyes were bright and conflicted as he looked into your willing ones. “I’m not asking you to choose me over Robb, I’d never ask you that. I know you two loved each other and I’ve never wanted to get in the way of that-”

It didn’t matter how quiet your voice was, it to Jon sounded as if it were a yell from above. “He said I was fine.” His eyes shot up to yours sharply. “Wolkan. He said I was fine. That..he doesn’t think I should have any reason to suspect I can’t..or that we wouldn’t be able to..”

His touch was still and his eyes were wide in almost shock. Lips parted slightly as he looked you over gently before meeting your eyes again. “He said that you can..” His hand on your scar increased the pressure and he almost could lose it at how you seemed so gentle looking up at him.

You leaned back against the door more, a relax in your posture. “I thought that if I failed to give the last King in the North an heir, I didn’t deserve to fail with the second. Thought you should’ve just moved on, made me leave and find yourself a better wife that could give you all that and more. That letting you be with me was a mistake, and you’d end up hating me for wasting your time.” 

Something deep in Jon’s eyes hurt, something painful cut at him hearing such a statement that there was a redness tinting behind the grey that threatened to pool out were he to let it. In an instant he moved to cup your cheeks, resting his forehead against yours as he crowded you against the door, your hands coming to his waist. “I don’t care about if you can give me a heir, I care about you. I care about how much it would hurt you not to be able to have children, and if I was pushing you for something that was impossible..but..” 

The ease in how lovingly you looked into his eyes made him choke up. And the tenderness in your voice made that all the worse. “I’m not trying to influence you one way or the other, I just..thought you ought know the option is there..should you decide you want that..” 

You suspected there was a lot he wanted to say but little ability to speak them into the world. His voice still a whisper as he looked at you, but a playful small smile on his lips. “I did always think your name would sound better with Snow than Stark.” You both just laughed, for a moment before he tried inhaling shakily before speaking again. “We don’t have to plan anything right now, but,” One hand started to trace down your arm, as his eyes followed, “We could always practice.”

His eyes flickered up to you, and a weight held your voice and breathe down. Maybe keeping the tears at bay too, but you swallowed heavily. Hands on his waist tightening as you slowly nodded. Jon leaned in, hovering close to your lips before glancing up to your eyes, you nodded once more before nervously shutting them as he closed the gap himself. 

Jon tried to be gentle, he truly did. 

His kiss was soft at first, a gentle brushing of his lips to coax more from yours. Hands on the other were both light and firm enough just to keep the other in front of them, but it was the shaking in yours as they rose up the length of his chest that made him weak. His touch back up to cupping both of your cheeks as he gently let you find a slow, sweetness in the harmony, your hands continuing their journey up to dance along his neck and wrap around the back of it, almost too gently for him to handle. 

Your touch when that soft and innocent, made his blood race. 

He tried pulling away a few times, wanting to at least take the heavy layers off of you, but each time he was pulled right back to your lips on his own desire, kissing a little harder each instance and getting worse at pulling back every return. The hands on your cheeks tightened ever so slightly when Jon gently nibbled at your bottom lip and you tried to gasp. He would return to a soft kiss, bite your lip harder and then kiss it soothingly before biting and repeating. 

Each bite you got closer to a whine at the pleasure from the stinging he gave you, and your nails unintentionally dug into the skin of his neck as you felt yourself getting lightheaded. One of his slipped behind your own neck, keeping a firm hold cupping the back of it as if to force you not to move as the other hand left your cheek as well. Blindly working away at the laces and straps keeping your light armour still attached to your upper body as if he needed no sight to know how to take it all off of you. 

As soon as it was loose enough to pull off you, he let it toss down anywhere he could throw it, biting your lip harsh as he jumped to your bottom half. His tongue now soothing over the bite mark before slipping into your mouth. His invading kiss and calloused hand running along the skin by your hips undoing your pants almost impatiently had you arching a bit into the touch and a gentle whine he caught in your mouth with his greed. 

Instead of shoving them down though, his rough hand slipped in between the fabric and your skin, and suddenly it was just as it was in the castle halls earlier that night. His fingertips dancing down to where you burned for him, and his own knee suddenly shoved your legs apart to once more rut in between you. The hand slid just inside only coming back up to grab what he could of your pants and roughly yanked you down onto his knee as much as he could manage, you much more freely moaning into his kiss. 

The entire time, Jon refused to let your lips part from him. Refused to loosen his grip on the back of your neck and you felt more and more like it was a wolf really in front of you. A rough hold on the scruff of another wolves neck to keep them subjugated and you let him without a single thought on the matter. There were no thoughts of anything in you that wasn’t letting him do what he wanted. 

Jon’s own head screamed at him over it. This was exactly the kind of thing that led to the way he took you that night in Castle Black. In your early days together, slowly exploring one another at the same pace it was never this bad. He never felt this barley in control. Yet as soon as his eyes opened once more in the body belonging to him, as soon as his mind settled and he understood the truth of what he had experienced, it started and never stopped. 

Something dark and clawing in his chest begged him to keep you all for himself, and the way you melted to his touch so willingly and so naturally made that stronger. It partially scared him, having something so intense and addicted find it’s way about you. Worried that he was too much now, he would frighten you with his need for you in his life but you weren’t. You were the one in fact, scared of over staying your welcome. 

That darkness was stronger then it had been in his entire previous life, and it was that same darkness that had him take you that night. Hoisted against the cold wall in his arms, Jon had slid his cock deep inside you for the first time and he knew there was no going back. Shoving you onto the ground and fucking you deep as soon as he already came once. Waking up with you bare in his arms and you had only even just tumbled out of sleep as Jon yanked you up onto his lap. 

Barley opened your eyes before he roughly bounced you on his cock and him sitting up to mark your breasts up with this teeth because you gasped so beautifully in the air whenever he did. He filled you twice that morning without ever stopping how hard he fucked you onto his cock and he didn’t understand why he wanted more and more. Couldn’t understand why he suddenly was so desperate to fill you in a way that once terrified him when he was nothing more then just a bastard boy in love with a royal highborn girl. 

But now? Jon was King in the North, the King his brother, his brothers people and his home all wanted and not a thing would stand in his way from keeping you with him. He was still honest about not wanting to pressure you into thinking you had to marry him, but he wanted it. Wanted you in a beautiful ivory dress, even more elaborate then the last. Pray with you in front of the Weirwood, drape his own fur over you in that beautiful ivory dress and kiss you before finding one last string of tradition in him, and hoisting you in his arms to the celebration to follow. 

You could be each others and there would be nothing anyone could do to change that. Jon would never force it, or even press for it, but nothing would be in his way. And now? He thought too, nothing was standing in his way of getting you pregnant and suddenly his blood almost boiled him alive. 

Hands finally having enough, you started to push up the soft material of Jon’s shirt until he got the message, pulling from you to let you take it off him, and letting it drop much more gently then he was treating your things. Looking down at you with wide eyes and lips parted as he breathed heavily, he stopped. Running his hand back down your cheek before just as gently taking everything from your top half off of you. 

A shiver running over your chest as you were left with nothing covering you but Jon’s dark, greeding gaze. But he didn’t overwhelm, not now. Keeping a hand steady on your hip as you kept perched right over his knee, but his other explored your skin. Running flat along your jaw and neck thumb firm as it trailed down the middle of your neck to your collarbones before circling around to grasp at your breast. 

His eyes were narrowed and his breathing heavy through his nose as he stared in silence, hand suddenly rough as he groped the plush skin he found. Thumb running over your nipple already perfect for him to grasp and twist. Grey eyes so dark they were near black as they flickered between his touch and your arching back and high pitched gasp you tried to keep low. 

It only made Jon tug and twist at the small bud more roughly, and your gasp turned to a small cry before he finally moved to the other hand from your hip. Both hands rough and calloused and leaving bruises of his fingertips as sparks shot through your chest, pumping from your heart down between the legs trapped on either side of one of his. Jon leaning forward, pressing only gentle kisses down your neck. Nothing like his selfishly rough touch, only feather light presses of his lips making his way up to your ear before leaving another gentle one just below.

His lips only giving a peck before his hands came to slid everything left on you, off. Keeping everything in a tender touch until he rose back up to your level, you now bare before him. 

Three fingers danced between your legs and grazed the growing wetness before trailing up to your clit with a touch that never really got committed. “Will you lay out for me? Let me taste you?” You bit your lip, still the act somehow making you nervous. It wasn’t something you even knew about until he was already doing it, and still it made you self conscious, but the need was deep in his eyes. “You’re safe with me, remember?” 

That made you nod, and you let him gently move you to the soft carpet close to the fire. Still something nerve wracking in you, realizing you had no idea how to make yourself look alluring like this. Gently kneeling down on your calves with your hands in weak fists sat in your lap as if anything else would look like you were trying too hard. Jon however, just exhaled deeply as he looked back at you. 

Grabbing your hands with both of his larger ones before leaning close, placing them along his shoulders around the back of his neck until you continued the path yourself, fingertips running what you could reach of his curls. Moving next to guide you to lay out for him, your knees somewhat bent with feet flat on the soft carpet as Jon settled partially above you. 

Instead of moving you more, Jon leaned down and kissed you again. A soft brush of lips that this time never picked up, one of his hands running along your hair splayed out under you as he pulled away, after giving one final small kiss. Nothing else was spoken in the air as he moved down your neck, kissing a path just as soft and just as gentle the whole way. 

Your hands slipping to his shoulders the lower he kissed, your chest already with a slight heave as your breathing picked up, but he never let up. Never let his lips press anywhere but gently along your skin. A muttering against you when he had to reach up, and direct a hand into his hair, mumbling into his path, “Keep that there.” You nodded even though he couldn’t see it. 

The lower he got the more your nerves and heart raced, unsure as to why it made you so nervous but it also was something you simply never knew existed before him. Much of what you had always discovered with Jon made you nervous. He paused as he got to your scar, and just as you had his, kissed a path all the way down it and further. 

Shifting to lay between your legs, Jon confidently draped your thighs over his shoulders, once more grasping your hips as he kissed along your upper thighs. Moving your hips slightly up closer to him, you felt the gentle brush of his tongue along your clit, enough to have you gasp. Would have jumped too were his hold not keeping you so strongly tethered right where he wanted. 

Small, gentle licks along your clit that had your core awaken suddenly. Just a tender touch, working you up at the sensitive spot with only his tongue until he felt your thighs around him begin to shake, only then did Jon finally run his tongue flat over it much more soaking. Sucking your clit before just barely grazing his teeth over it as you tried again to jump at the spark of pleasure but he kept you in place. 

Jon refused to let his mouth trail his mouth anywhere else, licking and sucking your clit with hands holding your hips tight until you felt that build up inside of you. Almost bracing yourself, knowing he was going to take it away again, you tried holding it off. Tried keeping it at bay as your free hand curled into a fist and biting your lip, but the pressure inside refused to stop. 

But just as you felt the weakness, just as you felt inside tightening, Jon instead moved to grab at your upper thighs, and pushed them far. The instant you were sure he was going to pull away though, Jon moved to lick right down your folds with a deep hunger. A loud cry left your mouth as the second that feeling snapped, Jon used that hold to yank you into his mouth more. Tongue tasting every bit of wetness you were gracing him with before trailing back to your clit and down again. 

Legs shaking and your breathing airy as your orgasm ripped through you but he didn’t pull back, only held you close. His tongue making his way deep inside of you, and your cries were loud and free by then. Unable to stop, as your hand curled into his hair with a beg of his name which meant no other words. 

Jon grunted into your cunt, licking and tasting you with greed at the feeling and sounds you made above him. Hands pushing your thighs wide and off his shoulders, and instead as he run his tongue against something sharp and sensitive inside of you, his hands slid down your thighs to pull you again closer. Not realizing you had arched away from him the more your head fogged with pleasure rolling around your veins. Hands almost grasping now tightly at your ass, fingertips leaving deep bruises already as his mouth drank from you with his own need. 

His own sounds vibrating through you and up leaving as cries from your mouth. Soaking his tongue and yet Jon didn’t back away for a second, his own need refusing to let go of you as suddenly that wave of pleasure shocked. Back arching for him, as your hand tightened in his hair. The sensation causing Jon to growl into you and his hands on your ass holding tighter as your orgasm rippled through you, babbling need saying words you heard not in the snapping pleasure burning your insides. 

Perhaps it was so close to your second that it made it simple, but Jon so quickly drew a third. Not letting himself simmer down to a gentle coaxing as he started, instead keeping the desperation in how deep he tasted inside of you and how much he drank everything you soaked him with. You almost rolled right into a third as you begged this time, “Please- I can’t, don’t..” Nothing was close to a sentence and Jon didn't stop until he could will himself to leave by force. 

Your eyes stung as it almost was too much between you did Jon kiss a path to your clit, and instead of marking his way back up, he all but leaped to your eye level. Pulling you in by the back of your hair as he slipped his tongue in your mouth. Making you taste what he was addicted too as his covered cock rutted into your soaking bare cunt. His hands held your waist as he rolled more into you with intention, breathing growing heavy and the second he pulled away from your lips a snarl almost formed on his face before he bit your lips into another rough, deep kiss. 

Your hands attempted to reach down, but a soon as you got to his pants, Jon leaned up again. Saliva still pulled from both your panting, swollen mouths and now yours was as shined with wetness as he was giving you the mess you let him drink from. Eyes black as he watched you, taking over for your hands and pulling the last of his own clothes off. Trailing down to look at you, yours shyly looked down to him. 

Hard and thick, slightly red with need and his own seed already leaking as he looked at you. Pulling your legs wide as he moved back to you. His cock brushing against your soaked folds had him shudder and you whine, hands at his shoulders. Eyes still on you, his voice was strained, accent strong as he rasped down at you, “No matter what happens,” One hand drifting to your scar as your eyes stung, “We’re family now, we’re together.”

You swallowed, nodding yes before Jon kissed you gently. But the kiss was a distraction. 

The pressure as his cock slid inside of you, your nails dug deep into his shoulders and Jon kissed you harsher. One slow, gentle glide inside of you and he slid as deep as your cunt could let him go. Stretched thick around him you burned and cried, tears coming from your closed eyes. Hands running through his hair, Jon kept your lips on his too. 

He was slow about it, savouring every inch of you around him so warm and tight, your own walls being pressed against as you wanted to cry at the pleasure it stabbed you with each inch. His cock slid in and out smoothly, you utterly soaking around him as Jon would pull out almost just to the tip before just as slowly, sliding right back. Making you feel every moment of his cock filling every inch of you, his tongue brushing into your mouth as he did so, and the gentleness matched. 

Your lungs were no more as he fucked you slow. Every gasp you tried to have, Jon would steal it with his kiss and refuse you any air that he didn’t give you. He wanted everything you were to be at his mercy, trust him to keep you right where you were and you did. Legs falling wide around his hips, the coil inside of you twisted and cracked as you held his kiss even closer with your hands raked deep in his curls. 

His hands on your hips kept you in place, making every thrust of his cock had you shake, but the pace so you were to feel every second as you clenched so tightly around him. By the time he drew another orgasm out of you, you had tears genuinely at how overwhelmed you felt with his slow pace inside of you. 

But then he pulled from your lips, looking down to watch his length disappear into your soaking cunt, Jon didn’t notice his hands on your hips grew tight the longer he watched his cock slide in and out of you. Teeth gritting, he started only to realize how much you were scratching at his insides when you cried his name out. “Jon- fuck, please, gods, please, you feel so good,” 

Then, Jon picked up. Not the speed, still mostly just as slow but his hips suddenly skipping past a gentle increase and moving right to a hard, rough thrust inside of you. Looking up to your closed eyes as your back arched, hands now splayed in the carpet around your sweating hair. Jon fucked you rougher, stuck hovering over watching you. Each slam of his hips making the sounds between you slap, a rough smacking of skin that had him growling and holding your hips in place. As if he needed to control just how rough he fucked you at all times. 

He had once dreamed of being kind and gentle with you in such a manner, but now he could see your overwhelmed pleasure, watching how well your soaking cunt let him pound deep inside like he was destined to fit with you, and the obscene sounds of his skin against yours and how wet you were every thrust. Part of him still wanted to be gentle, but something else that had only awakened when he came back, made him feel like he was a wolf destined to take his mate.

“I hate every second I’m not with you.” His accent so strong you could barley hear its low rasp through the rough slap of each time he pounded inside you. A hand coming to press right beside your head as he looked down at you, almost speaking in tandem with every pound of his cock. “Hate every second I’m not inside you, not filling you fuck after fuck. That’s all I can think about, should lock you in our bedroom in Winterfell, keep you tied to my bed and never leave. Do nothing the rest of our lives but fill you deep with my seed,” 

His head dropped as he hissed, trying to control himself but the roughness was going to leave you good and sore and it made you beg for more in yielding. “I- anything, fuck Jon I’ll do whatever you want, you’re so good..” Pulling you up by the back of your head to meet his lips in a rough kiss, Jon thrusted only a few more rough times into your cunt before he shook above you with a groan into your lips. 

Cum unusually warm as he spilled inside of you, and thick as he spread your legs as wide as they could go on the ground beside you as he kept going. It was a lot of thick, very warm cum and he bit your lips with every heaving breathe or snarl inside him at the feeling of you so deeply taking him, and keeping all he spilled inside of you. 

He wasn’t done, almost as if it made him harder. Grinding deep inside you did you cum before he was even done though, coating his cock in your wetness and forced to take his cum deep as you cried his name. But Jon, only got rougher. Fucking into you with pounding slaps that would have echoed through the castle halls by that point, any passing close by would be able to hear the slap of skin from the ground, or even the sea. 

Burying your face in his neck as your hands wrapped around and into his curls, Jon almost pulled you closer, pressing your bodies as close as he could as he pounded into you. You didn’t know if keeping each one slow was meant as torture or not. Because you couldn’t tell if you needed him to go faster, or you might cry and beg for him to slow down if he changed his pace at all. Your voice was breathless and muffled in his neck, “I love you, fuck, Jon I love you so much,” 

As possessed as Jon felt, the almost tearful genuity in your voice made him bury his face in your hair, hands tight holding you to him. 

“You, gods- fuck, you deserve better, better then this, better then me.” Jon tried to protest, begging you not to say that but you clenched tightly around him and made him groan just as loudly into you as he fucked you. “Tell me what to do, please, fuck tell me what to do for you. I want to give you anything-everything, tell me what to give you to let me stay.” 

If he wanted to cry before, Jon certainly did now. His cock screaming to cum deep in you again, and the sound of his hips slapping against yours were music if he’d ever heard it but you had begged him. Hand running along the back of your hair, Jon mumbled into your ear, voice wavered and shuddering with his own breathless desire. “Marry me, let me take you home and marry me. That’s all I’ve ever wanted,” 

He knew he felt tears hiding in his neck, but he also felt you orgasm around his cock and he yanked your watering eyes to kiss you. Keeping you pressed to his lips, only pulling back to brush against them as you were jostled hard under him, asking as if he hadn't already. “Can I fill you? Will you let me spill inside you?” Nodding yes, he kissed you with a biting sloppiness to it before pulling back as his muscles strained the closer he got and the more your orgasm shocked around him like a sparking fire. He was barley comprehensible, so close to his own orgasm he slurred against your lips. “Fuck, fill you with my seed, fill you with a son. Give you my son..” 

His hips left their rough, slower pace, as Jon lost all control. Fucking fast into you, the slapping pounds turned to obscene speed and smacking as he roughly kissed you, your hands tight in his hair. Jon sped towards filling you once more, and you managed to pull away enough, voice high pitched and crying in loving need, “Anything, Jon, anything you want, I promise.” 

That time, your final, sudden and flooding orgasm snapped in your veins with an almost painful wave of pleasure, as Jon shook against you, and thrusted deep inside you, and you felt his thick cum spill inside of you. Cum almost as warm as the fire burning hot next to you, sweat covering both of you. 

Jon cupped the sides of your face, and you did his. Both knew there was something not normal about how blindly desperate you both felt for the other when he was inside you, but neither were sure anymore if either of you wanted it any other way. 

You hadn’t been in this room in a very long time, many years. The painted table was a long wooden table that was constructed to map out all the known lands of Westeros from Dorne to the Wall, and raised and lowered depending on the structure of the lands, all painted in accordance to how such an area around it looked. 

Just by walking in you could tell what the pieces came from, your father’s own collection as opposed to whatever Aegon and Connington brought. Planned out acts still set partially to what you now knew were your fathers own organizing. 

While it had been years since you had stepped foot in the room, it wasn’t unusual when you were on Dragonstone to appear in here. In only a few hours the sun would begin to rise from across the Narrow Sea, and yet you found your mind too worked up to sleep any longer. 

You had woken up with a panic, a gasp for air as you came close to jostling Jon from his peaceful sleep, from the force it awoke you with. The dreams had gotten out of control. Dreams of fire, and wolves and roars that you couldn’t identify had finally bled into something that you didn’t understand but found to be compelled to. 

This time, the green fire exploding from the torches in the Winterfell crypts were not followed by a burning flame roaring across the ceiling. Instead this time the direwolf which jumped from the statue of Ned Stark had ran behind you, and when you turned around you were standing deep within the sandy lands of Dorne. Sun blazing above and a tower standing tall in the distance with the red mountains looming in the background of it. 

A direwolf stood with many at his back. A small lizard short to the ground, what looked like ten small wolves at their backs, a black horse with a bright red main and scattered across the lands like rubble were two crossed long axe’s with dark black handles, a silver gauntlet curled to a fist, and three buckets scattered and all but the wolf and lizard were coated in blood. 

Standing across from them was a cluster of nine black bats all flying to hide the sight of a white tower crowned with grey smoke and burning flames as a lilac falling star crossed it, the tail almost in the shape of a white sword but just as the star fell across the morning so did everything but the Dornish tower behind it all, and a bloody direwolf and lizard. 

The tower however, begun to bleed as well. The wolf on the bed in the crypt had melted into the sheets and painted it with the red and blues of it’s fur and the tower begun to bleed such colours as well and suddenly as you looked around to any, the animals were gone. 

The closer you stepped to the tower, the more you heard a high pitch of crying. Something that was not an animal but also sounded too young to even be an adult, it sounded that of a baby until the crying morphed into the tiny growls of a young sounding wolf. Little growls and howls came from the tower as it continued to bleed. 

You took only a step forward more, and the tower had enough of your watchful eyes. From the ground it was ripped from the sands, and in it’s place roared that which followed fire. From the place which the tower had stood, came out a great dragon in it’s place flying high in the air swirling the lands with it’s fire. It’s scales burned your eyes with a pure white colour as it’s own eyes and flames from it’s mouth shined that like blood. But the roar it gave out was not one you imagined of a dragon. 

The white scaled dragon had flown to the top of the red mountains, perched high and what was supposed to be a roar, was a mighty growl of a wolf. A powerful growl that sounded like one’s you’ve heard on many direwolves now before. 

And just in the seconds before you had been startled awake, a gentle, dainty hand grasped at your shoulder covered in blood. When you turned, the figure was nothing more then a mist as if covered in vines of blue roses wrapping around your limbs. Just as the cold, blue roses came to wrap around your throat, the dragon behind roared like a wolf’s growl and a gentle, desperate voice of a young woman came to you from above. 

“Promise me, Ned.” 

You had startled awake, at that point and now found yourself here. In the room your sleepless nights on the island commonly found their way too. Walking to the side of it, your eyes narrowed as you spotted something tossed on it’s side carelessly. 

Reaching forward you grasped the wooden figurine and found it that of a dragon. Walking to the main seat you had many years watched your father sit at, you sat down gently. Leaning your forearms on the painted table, your hands held the wooden dragon with sharp eyes watching as you turned it in your hands. 

The dream was that of many you had before it, and your mind swirled without your permission to put it together of what you were being shown. Only, it wasn’t just the dream it connected too. It was the words of an intensity seen, it was the sight of a ghost. Your mind raced and flew words and images around in your head all staring at that dragon figure.  

When it connected, you didn’t know why. But it all screamed and cycled together into a blend coming into a painted image that was clear as day and suddenly your entire body felt as if it had fallen fifty feet in place. A shocking jolt in your mind and a twisting in your heart.

Your face morphed from that of a squinting thought, to a wide shock. Mouth slowly opening agape as your eyes widened in a sight only you were seeing in your clues. Many secrets scattered across the lands of Westeros, but your dreams had led you right to the heart of a secret none knew even existed. 

None perhaps, but one. One who went to the grave without telling a soul and you felt something faint inside you, realizing, now the other person who knew this secret, just might be you, and it shocked your heart into a stunned quiet until the sun rose in the outside behind you. Your hands had dropped the wooden figurine. 

The only dragon on the painted table, and you had dropped it right at the Prince’s Pass, as the wooden figurine fell, it cracked right down the middle. 

Splitting the dragon into two even halves, in the sands of Dorne. 

[rosewalkersjayaforever]

Chaos at the bottom of the sea.

Pain and loss

Nya merges with the sea like Nyad, only Kai is not standing in the background, but will try to stop his sister, attention will also be paid to ninja, Pixal, Wu and Benthomaar, not just Jay

Nya was next to Jay and watched with a sad look and pain in her heart how bad and hard it was for him, he was barely breathing, as if he was going to suffocate. Turning around, the girl noticed Benthomaar standing near the window, remembering the story of Nyad, which was told by the Merlopian, the water master thought about it and since there was no other choice, she let go of her boyfriend's hand and approached the prince.

— Bentho, do you remember you told me the story about Nyad? How could she defeat Wojira? — the girl asked, what did he look up to.

— She merged with the sea —Benthomaar replied, not paying attention to her, as he looked at Jay, who was sick from the amount of salt water in his lungs.

— But how is this possible? How did she do it? — The brunette continued to persistently ask her friend.

— She opened up to the full power of the ocean and became one with him — then he looked at the girl, and after that Nya looked at the sea outside the window, where fish were swimming, Benthomaar quickly realized, he would not let her do this, as happened with Nyad.

— Don't even think about such things! — Nyad had defeated Wojira, but she had lost herself... what she had done... could not be undone… She's gone forever.…

But the blue-eyed one was no longer listening to the Prince of Merlopia, she was still looking sadly at the sea, and then she heard the cough again. It was Jay, and the girl herself had now approached him. When she got closer to him, she heard his hoarse breathing, he had already turned pale and was barely opening his eyes, this kind of hurt her. Nya took her beloved's hand again.

— Don't worry, Jay.… I will fix everything, but you need to be patient and please don't leave me… I'll feel bad without you — the water ninja whispered.

Gripe opens the door, scaring Kalmaar, and his crown falls.

— My Lord! The ninja is still not visible! — The King of Merlopia turns to him.

— They're here, keep looking! Search each of these buildings if necessary.

— Yes, my lord — he nods. — Meanwhile, we've found someone who claims to know them.

— What? Who! — The Merlopian asked.

— He refuses to talk, but we found this on him — he pulls out a framed photo, it shows a police commissioner with a ninja, showing the villain, who grinned.

— Take me to him! Immediately! — Kalmaar demands.

***

The sun had just glanced, illuminating with its rays, the ninjas were fast asleep, except for Nya, she still held Jay's hand, then looked at the others as they slept in different poses, but hearing coughing and heavy breathing, she turned back to Walker and put her palm on his cheek, stroking.

— I wish we had more time, but we never had a break ... — said the water master, holding back tears and tenderly kissed the brown-haired man on the cheek, the girl got up and headed for the door, and at that second the guy's blue eyes opened and Jay followed the movements of his beloved when she I was leaving the room, although it was a little blurry.

Closing the door, she walked over to the sea, while watching it move under the influence of the wind, then Nya looked back at the door. There was no other way to improve the situation, she would have risked anything to get Jay better.

Tears came out of her eyes and she whispered goodbye:

— «I love you...» — it was addressed to Jay, her Ying. Having made her decision, she took a deep breath and dived into the water, starting to spin and do a spinjitsu, as it was with Cole, only now under water. She allowed the water to pass completely through her body, as Benthomaar said, to open up to the full power of the sea, her eyes began to glow white.

Meanwhile, Jay is suffocating and the sea water from his lungs comes out, while he woke everyone up.

— Jay? — Wu asks.

— What's going on? — Lloyd asked.

— The water is being pulled out of his lungs! — Zane exclaimed.

When the water was completely out, Jay began to cough, gulping air.

— How?.. — Cole didn't have time to say it when a bright glow seemed to dazzle everyone outside, and then everyone turned to the sea.

— No! — Benthomaar realized what Nya was going to do, merge with the sea, as Nyad had done several thousand years ago.

— What is she doing? — The elder asked Benthomaar, everyone was looking at her.

— She is trying to merge with the sea, but this is something that cannot be undone! She will be lost forever! — The Prince of Merlopia replied, to say that the others were shocked is to say nothing.

— We have to stop her! — everyone except Kai and Jay run out of the room to stop the water master.

— What...? — Jay asked, barely opening his eyes.

— Jay, how are you? — The fire master asked.

— I'm fine..Thank you for asking— the lightning master smiled — What's going on? What did I miss? — before the elder Smith could say, looking out the window with Walker, they see the silhouette of a girl.

— Nya?.. — getting up from the sofa, Kai helped him of course and both brown-haired men come to the window.

After completing her transformation, Nya was blue like water, her eyes turned blue-white, she had water lines and patterns on her, and a wave was depicted in the middle of her chest. After looking at her hands to the end and looking out the window, the elemental ninja notices her brother and beloved. Smiling, she floats up to the window and puts both palms against the glass, where Jay and Kai's palms were, blue-eyed smiled, and amber-eyed was still shocked in disbelief, looking at his sister in her new form.

In the distance, the roar of a Wojira could be heard, changing its face to gray, and in an instant it took off from its place, floating away.

— Nya... — Sister, wait! — but they will be quickly thrown back by a powerful wave.

After leaving the door, the master and his students rather run to the sea, where the brunette was, noticing the blue glow under the water.

— Nya! Nya, come back! — The son of the FMS called, but Nya did not hear her teacher and sailed on and on.

— She's going after Kalmaar — the others turned to the two who cared about the girl — She's going to fight him! — And we're going to help her! — Jay barely holds on, his legs gave way, he almost falls, but Kai quickly grabs him tighter so that the winner in the «Prime Empire» could stand on his feet.

— Jay, but you can barely stand — the master said regretfully.

— I don't care! I have to go! I have to help her! — Walker declared — Just like me! — The blacksmith's son agreed with his friend.

— Okay, then we are with you — Garmadon's brother said with a smile, then the ninja smiled, Pixal with Benthomaar, and Kai and Jay in response.

***

— Who are you?

— I'm the Police Commissioner — the policeman replied.

— The Commissioner? — Kalmaar repeats in confusion, and Gripe turns to him.

— I think it's some kind of lord. Like a king.

— I am a representative of the law. My job is to protect the people and property of this city — the Commissioner smooths his hand to his chest.

— Then I'd say you didn't do a good job. Where is the ninja? Tell me, and I'll show you mercy.

— Even if I knew, I would never tell you.

— I'll ask for the last time — the King's trident starts attacking, pointing at the police — Where are the ninjas? The Merlopian demanded, aiming his weapon, the Commissar just shakes his head, refusing.

Kalmaar wanted to attack, but then the building began to rattle. Wojira's eyes light up outside the window, looking inside the building and she slides up the building, warning that someone is approaching, noticing that glow. Kalmaar and other the merlopians are running to the roof. The king of Melopia walks over the head of a Wojira, then he found out that it was the girl he was fighting with when the blue glow was approaching them.

— It's her! That girl who tried to stop me! — Kalmaar exclaimed, and then Nya abruptly surfaced in her aquatic form and a tornado from the water.

— I'm not a girl at all! My name is Nya! — the water spirit said angrily in a distant voice, there was also a kind of echo in it, he activated the amulet of the Storm with his trident, Wojira raised her head and pushed it towards her.

— You're going to pay for meeting and pissing me off! — she exclaimed and the struggle began.

***

Nya started throwing jets of water at Kalmaar over and over again, he dodged, but he couldn't even defend himself and threw him back. The girl landed on the sea snake, it was clear from her expression that she was very angry, angry, he pointed his trident at her, but she slipped past him. She stopped behind and hit the Merlopian right on his back, using her element to throw him away again. The King stood up with his mouth full, looking at Nya:

— You have become one with the ocean!

Like that Nyad! Stupid sacrifice! — He raised his trident at the water spirit again, shooting at her, but it didn't do her any harm. — It won't do you any good! — he kept shooting, but they passed through her as if she had become a ghost. She angrily approached the King, knowing that she could defeat this tomboy — Don't expect that you can defeat me and Wojira! — Nya got tired of his chatter, as well as himself, so she kicked Kalmaar in the face.

The rest arrived on their elemental dragons, when their dragons disappeared, the ninjas landed on the roof, the Wojira roared, rising higher and higher than the buildings of the city and was a few meters away from them, then they noticed Kai's sister in a new form and how she fought with the Merlopian Kalmaar.

— Nya! — shouted both brown-haired men, she stopped the fight, the jets of water disappeared, turning towards them, where the voices of Kai and Jay were.

— Kai? Jay? — the elemental ninja asked in a puzzled way, the others were sharply surprised by the girl's distant voice along with the echo, except for themselves, they smiled at the creature they loved, but soon both guys noticed the danger, paying attention to Kalmaar. He stood up, preparing another attack, but in a different way.

— Nya! Look out! — Smith and Walker shouted, but it was too late. The king of Merlopia sent a powerful stream of energy, hitting her, this time he did not pass through her, as he had done before, the girl literally disappeared, friends, brother and teacher were afraid — NO!

Kalmaar grinned, and they got angry, especially Kai, damn it, he killed his sister right in front of his eyes, he will pay for it. The son of Trimaar stood in front of the Wave and Storm amulets again, hitting one of them. — Destroy the ninja! — The King ordered, the snake let out a roar again and shot at the ninja with the help of the elements of water and wind, and knocked them down. Kai, Wu and Jay collided and three fell, the blue ninja nunchucks fell into the sea. When he got up and did not find his weapon, his attention was attracted by the staff that the master had used for many years, he quickly took it and, together with Kai, rushed to run to the villain.

— Jay, Kai! Wait! — The elder shouted, but they were too busy, they ignored their teacher, both pushed off with a staff and climbed onto the Wojira, the two of them fought with the Merlopian in turn.

— My sister! You're going to pay for taking her away from me! You bastard! — You'll pay for it! — You killed my girlfriend and my friend's sister! — they shout, but Kalmaar didn't care, and thus the blue ninja and the red were defeated.

— Stupid attack! — the son of Trimaar points at them with his trident — Your emotions are blinding you! — He declared as the fire and lightning ninja tried to stand up.

They managed to get up, coming to their senses, they were still furious, their anger seemed to possess their minds. Without thinking anything through, they jumped up again, attacking King Kalmaar, but in vain, he was able to throw them off the Wojira and the ninjas fell screaming. Kai flew into the ocean, and Jay landed on one of the fins of the Queen of the Endless Sea.

— You're a weakling! Enjoy your last rotten breath while you have the chance, ninja! — the Merlopian wanted to attack again, but suddenly the Prince of Merlopia Benthomaar attacked him from behind, kicking him. Jay rolled and fell again, but was quickly caught by his best friend Cole.

— Are you okay, Jay? — the dark-haired man with dark green eyes asked, worried.

— Yes, Cole..It seems, yes, I'm fine — he smiled, as always stupidly, to which the earth ninja grinned — And where is Kai? — Walker asked anxiously.

— He fell into the water... — So what are we standing for? We need to help Kai soon, before the water gets into his lungs! There will be no second chance! — the blue-eyed man declared, and he and Bucket ran to the sea rather to help their friend, they hope that they will save him.

***

— You are not my king! — Bentho shouted, throwing a spear at Kalmaar, who defended himself by covering himself with his trident, but unfortunately the trident was blown to pieces, the prince managed to land with his new friends.

— What have you done? — The King of Merlopia shouted, Wojira's red eyes turned blue again, she hit the building in order to get rid of the arrogant parasite that she had upstairs and knocked the Merlopians off their feet. — Destroy them! Destroy it! — Kalmaar tried to hit the Storm(Wave)stone, but nothing came out, his trident was broken into two parts, and the sea snake was only angered more. With a roar, the Master of the Sea threw off the Merlopian, throwing him into the air and when he falls, screaming, she swallows the son of Trimaar whole. Benthomaar just stared at the sight sadly, shaking his head. Yes, Kalmaar awakened a giant snake, killed their father, Ninjago was flooded, because of him Jay almost drowned and died from a lot of salt water in his lungs and Nya merged with the sea, but still he was his brother, although not so good and wonderful.

— LET'S RUN!!! — Lloyd shouted when the Queen of the Endless Sea releases a discharge from her mouth, but a huge water ball crashes into Wojira's head, the others turn around and their gaze fell on the dragon, which consists entirely of water.

— Is that's Nya? — the team leader asked, pointing with his finger.

The water dragon growled angrily. — It looks like her—and she looks pissed — Cole added.

The sea beast hurled the dragon into the building, causing others to stumble. The dragon-shaped Nya shakes her head, growling. Wojira attacks the ninja again, everyone flees, until Nya interferes again, grabbing the snake and throwing it into another building. Wojira dives under the water to knock down the dragon, which consists of water, she again climbed out to her full height, wrapping around her. She is released, then purple lightning flashes in the sky and disappears after the third time.

— No! — Sister! — Nya's brother shouts, watching her evaporate again.

The Master of the sea again draws attention to the ninjas, they retreat in fright, she opens her mouth again, controlling the fury of the storm, the others let out a scream, tightly closing their eyes. It began to rain heavily, and a flash of lightning flashed behind Wojira, causing her to turn around in disbelief.

Nya began to spin, turning back into human form.

—Nya...— the lightning master spoke softly with the fire master, watching Nya fly like a rocket. The water spirit then extended her fist to gain speed. The Wojira let out a roar, and the girl in the new form came closer and closer until she destroyed the amulet of the Wave. After the blue stone was destroyed, a shock wave emanated from it, knocking over the ninja, and Wojira was electrocuted, she rose into the sky, unable to control the force of the Storm anymore, after which she was destroyed. As soon as the sea beast disappeared, the storm subsided, and Nya emerges from the water, landing on the roof where the ninjas were. They began to congratulate the girl, she just turned around and looked at them in surprise, as if she was seeing them for the first time.

— Nya! You did it! — Jay exclaimed, smiling. He wanted to hug his Yang, but he walked through it, as it was with Cole when he turned into a ghost. Freckled gasped in surprise, he wanted to touch Nya, but could not, the others had worried expressions on their faces.

— Ha, it's going to take a little getting used to. But we'll figure out a way to get you back. Don't worry.

— Back? — Nya asked, confused by what her brother meant.

— To a normal life. You know, the old you—Jay kept his optimism with a smile. The elemental ninja looked at her hand. — Back to normal? — The brown—haired men looked at each other before looking at Nya again. — Are you okay? — Smith asked, puzzled.

Nya didn't answer anything, she watched the clouds dissolve, becoming white clouds again, the shining sun came out, and the sea also appeared.

— Do you hear that? — Do we hear what? — Kai asked, confused.

— The sea… It's so loud… Such a powerful one...— his sister replied, looking at the sea in fascination.

— It's calling her — the Prince of Merlopia explained, and the girl's figure began to ripple at that moment.

— Nya — both guys gasped.

— I'm sorry. It's hard to keep this shape — she apologizes.

— What do you mean by «shape»? — Jay asked — This is how you should look!

— What I was. Yes — the blue and red ninja stared at the girl, not knowing what to do in this situation. — I have to go now. I will remember you.

— Remember? What are you talking about? Where are you going? — the former red shogun, running after his sister.

— Nya! Stop it! Listen to me! — Walker also joined the conversation and stood in front of Nya — There's something wrong with you. You have to concentrate. You have to focus, you have to turn back — but she didn't listen to her Ying and also went through it, Jay shivered from the cold, as if he had fallen from a waterfall.

— Where are you going! Answer me! — Kai demands, but Nya still didn't answer, she jumped onto the ledge of the roof.

— Nya, I'm begging you. No matter what you hear, no matter what you experience. Fight it, Nya. Remember who you are. Remember — Master Wu begged, coming closer. He hoped that Nya would remember and come back. The girl turns to her teacher, brother and friends with a smile. — I am Nya. I am the sea. We are one.

— Nya! You don't belong there! Your place is here! With us! You're my sister! You're Jay's girlfriend and Yang! You are the daughter of our parents! Maya and Ray! You are a disciple of Master Wu and a friend of our friends, you are not the sea! You're one of us! We are a team! And you're just going to leave us?! — he shouted, forcing her to jump off and return, then he fell to his knees — I promised that I would always protect you… But I didn't hold back... — tears flowed from his eyes, the hothead didn't want to show his weakness, but he couldn't, he didn't want Nya to leave.

Then he heard footsteps approaching, he raised his head and saw his sister, merging with the Endless sea, she touched his cheek, gently stroking.

— And you kept your promise, Kai. I am grateful to you — she said, as always with a smile. She came up to Cole — Cole, I considered you an older brother and always will, even when you fell into the dark, I always blamed myself because it was my fault that this happened to you, but now that you're alive, I was so happy, so glad, I wanted to hurry you up a hug. That's what, always stay on earth, even when you're lonely, because this is your element — then she hugged the master of the earth, and he didn't care that his clothes were wet and the girl was cold, now it wasn't up to that.

— Zane, when I found out that you were a nindroid, I was shocked, but you were still and will be our friend, our brother. And when you sacrificed yourself, defeating the Overlord and «died», I was horrified, it hurt me a lot, but learning that you were alive and seeing you in this form, you have no idea how happy I was to see you again. But now it's my turn, don't be a machine, find joy in the darkest of times — and also hugged the titanium ninja again.

— Lloyd, when you were still a kid, you stole candy from everyone in Jamanakai to be like your father and also released snakes, you were an annoying, naughty boy, but despite this, you admitted your mistakes and it's okay, all people make them. Then you became a green ninja, I didn't even think that this would happen to you, I really thought that it would turn out to be Kai or Zane, but know, Lloyd, you are a good leader, you take care of others, of your team members, as a leader, you lead the team and are responsible for It's a responsibility. I understand how hard it is for you, but do not hesitate to call us, talk to us and we will always listen and help you, you have a kind heart and you have always been like a younger brother to me.

— Pixal, I couldn't even imagine that you would turn out to be the new Samurai X when I fought with you, but I'm happy for you, because I'm a water master now. You can take whatever you want from Samurai X's cave. You can take blueprints, tools, and old mechs as well to preserve the Samurai legacy.

— Bentho, you are our family now, and you are also our new friend and we are glad for that, you have a new home—this is a monastery and we are your family. Thank you for telling me the story about Nyad.

— Master Wu, thank you for teaching me to become a ninja, a water ninja. You were much more than our teacher, you were like a father to us, and we were like your children.

— Jay, you're an annoying chatterbox who tells jokes we don't understand, not as funny as you saw yourself, but you could cheer us up, you always helped, supported us when we needed help. And you have no idea how wonderful you are, a kind and cheerful boy, I have never met someone like you, Jay, you have always been and will always be an optimist, you will always make us laugh and I like it. I love you, Jay, my boyfriend, my Ying — Jay's hot tears ran, and his lips trembled, he bent his head as Nya stroked his face, and then hugged him. He also didn't care that he was wet and Nya was icy, as with the previous participants. There was Kai, Nya's brother, the son of a blacksmith and a master of fire.

— Kai, my beloved older brother. Please stand up — he obeyed — Thank you for raising me, for bringing me up, for always being by my side when our parents left for reasons already known to us. Thank you for saving me that first time in the volcano, you saved me as much as I saved you. You continued to protect me even when I didn't need it myself, you were afraid of losing me, just like I was afraid of you. But before I leave, I want you to know that I will always be with you, I will be with you, in your hearts, we will have to part on such a note and there is nothing we can do about it, you are a wonderful and the best brother in the world and I am glad for that, you were my father, mother, by a parent… Thank you for the childhood you gave me, without you, I do not know what would have happened next. I love you, brother — Kai did not expect that Nya would do this, after all that he did for her, his sister, and he was glad of it, glad that Nya was happy and he too, but he did not want her to leave, brown-haired hugged the water spirit tightly, he could not do anything He let her merge with the sea, but now it's too late, it can't be fixed, tears began to flow, but he still let her go, It would have been bad if she had stayed, the girl had little time to return to where the sea called her.

The elemental ninja returned to her former place, she looked at the others again, they had sad faces, It hurt, but she can't do anything about it, the ocean is calling her and she must go, she must return to it and be happy. She doesn't want to say goodbye to her family like that, it was too early.

— Nya... I... love you... — Jay said softly, he could only say that — And I love you! All of us, we will miss you, Nya! After all, you are expensive to us all! — she just smiled sadly — Tell mom, now I understand that this is how cookies crumbles. You are my friends, my brothers, my sister, my teacher. Goodbye — these were her last words, everyone wanted to take off and stop, but they didn't, they just stood and watched as Nya turned, raised her arms and jumped into the water.

— NO!!! NYA!!! — COME BACK!! SISTER!!! — Kai and Jay run to the edge, then the others run up, the water from the streets returns back to where it belongs — SISTER!!! NO!!! — the amber-eyed one jumps onto the ledge, summoning a fiery dragon and chased after the blue glow — KAI, WAIT! — but Wu was ignored again, the fire ninja wanted to touch his sister, but it was too late, she disappeared over the horizon, the fire ninja clenched his hands to his white knuckles, angry at himself that he could not stop her.

***

— Kai, are you okay? — Maya asked, approaching her son.

— How can I be calm, Mom?! My sister left, she merged with the sea, and I couldn't do anything! She didn't deserve this! — Smith blamed himself.

— Kai..But you couldn't do anything if you wanted to, the sea called her and she came back to him. It hurts me too, because Ray and I lost our daughter, but we have to hope for the best. I am sure that Nya will come back someday and we will become a family again, as before, she will remember us again. I didn't have time to say goodbye to her either... — The elder Smith put her hand on his shoulder.

Kai lifts his head slightly and looks at his mother.:

— She told us to give you something. Something about cookies...

— Cookies? — Maya asks, arching an eyebrow questioningly.

— Yes, she said: «Tell Mom that I now understand how the cookies crumbles» — she looked stunned. — Did she say that?

— Yes, why? What does it mean? — Kai and Nya's mom smiled.

— This is only understood with your sister — Maya tenderly stroked her son's hand. Then Ray's wife left Kai alone, as Jay arrived.

— How are you?.. I can't even imagine what it's like for you, because she was your sister — the lightning master said sadly.

— Not really, but I'm holding on somehow.. It's the same with you, because she was your girlfriend and Yang...

— It's all my fault... — Freckles said without raising his head.

— What makes you think that?.. — Kai didn't understand what his friend meant.

— I had to get out of the car by myself! I could have waited for you, but I didn't wait and got into trouble! Because of me, Nya gave up her human form and merged with the Boundless Ocean...

— You're a fool, Jay.. — the former red shogun laughed — Nya sacrificed herself to save not only you, but all of us and Ninjago! Why can't you understand that?

— We would have found another way to defeat this sea reptile if I hadn't ruined everything! But Nya, she could have consulted with us and she didn't... It's all my fault, Kai! I couldn't do nothing, I couldn't stop…

— I didn't do anything either, I wanted to save my sister, but I also couldn't.. But you are not to blame for this, Jay, just like me, Kalmaar is to blame and he deserves for all these sins that he has done, he will be fed to Wojira. And you weren't the only one who loved her either, we loved her too, she was expensive to all of us. When there was seawater in your lungs and you were unconscious, my sister was always by your side, she would have done everything possible to save you and she did, being merged with the sea. Nya is a hero and always will be, she knows how to surprise in her unusual ways. She loved you, Jay, so don't beat yourself up about it.

— Just like she loves you...I think you're right.. Thank you, Kai — the lightning ninja thanked him — You're welcome, buddy — the brown—haired man grinned — And now we have to go.

When Jay and I entered the courtyard of the monastery, I thought that the whole city had come, there were a lot of people and there were those whom we encountered and met, they were all here to thanks Nya for what she did, she saved Ninjago, the whole world. We started the funeral, stood next to a large white vase, and in our hands were bowls filled with water, Master Wu began his speech:

— We gathered here today to honor the memory of Nya — while the teacher was saying this, each of us began to pour water from a bowl into this jug, which depicted the blue ocean — the Inventor, Samurai X, ninja, master of the water and our dear friend. Her courage and strength saved us over and over again — I also saw my mother crying bitterly from the loss of Nya, and my dad comforted her, he held on, but I could see a couple of small tears in his eyes — And even though we couldn't save her, we will always remember her. Wherever she is, she is in our hearts now — after Wu finished his speech, he, I and the ninja from Pixal lowered our heads and closed our eyes.

— I knew you'd come here — I was startled by this, when I turned my head towards the voice, I saw Skylor.

—Oh, hi, Skylor — I waved at her — What are you doing here?

— I came to check how you are and I see that you are holding on — the amber craftswoman smiled faintly, I turned away, hearing her take a deep breath, she sat down next to me — Kai, everything will be fine, I know that words are not enough, it can say anything, but do it..I know it's not easy, but just you know that you have friends, Master Wu and I, if you need help, we're always there to help you. And even if the team splits up again, as it was with Zane, I will always be with you, I will do everything possible to make it easier for you and make you always happy, as before — I was surprised and turned to her, she noticed that I was crying, she was surprised, because she and others have never seen me cry, I wanted to calm down, I didn't want to show my weakness, but I didn't do it well, I just couldn't, she hugged me without words, and I just snuggled up to her, she comforted me, stroking my back and kissed the top of my head — I love you, Kai — I raised my head to look at her amber eyes, like mine — I love you too, Skylor — she smiled, and I answered her and we kissed. We turn around with a smile and look at the sunset, as well as at the sea. It's so beautiful...

— I love you, Nya, my little sister. You are free now and probably happy, but know that our friends, Jay, Master Wu, our parents and your older brother will always love you very much and miss you — the last lonely tear rolls down my face — I am sure that we will meet, Nya, and be together again, we will be happy, as before.

[transforming]

When I was younger, I would always feel jealous of the male models in the fashion industry. They were tall, always had such good hair, handsome... and how they also have muscles while remaining so slender intrigued me. I swear, it was as if God had cursed me to be forever skinny, acne-scarred, short and with unshapeable flat hair. It was as if I was destined to be the ugly office nerd for the rest of my life, and I thought that I would be able to 'glow up' like my classmates did, but that never fucking materialized.

One day, I was trudging home from my economics class in the middle of winter, when I saw a lilac cowboy hat on a lonely stone bench. It seemed so out of place in the dull, drab world around me, and I nearly mistook it for a block of ice, so I went over to see what it was.

"Must belong to someone," I thought as I stared at it.

Once I picked it up, I turned it all over, and the chin strap fell from underneath. There was something about the hat, an aura, that... enticed me. Begged me, in some way. To just plop it onto my head. I knew I should have gone to the lost-and-found nearby, but I couldn't help myself.

The moment it sat firm on my greasy head, a moan escaped my lips. I felt something wake up inside me, a candle-like heat. It only grew hotter and hotter, and my body felt like it was up in flames. I closed my eyes and ran my hands up my sweater, and I gasped when i felt my slight belly fat melt into a perfectly-chiseled six pack.

The heat spread all over, and I could feel my skin getting more supple and youthful, while my bony, flat chest blossomed into lean, slender pecs. I swirled my finger around my now sensitive nipple, while my shoulders and back broadened and stretched, increasing my height. Even though that happened, I was still skinny... like...

My arms and legs were next. Wiry sinews started to throb and shake, and I fell to my knees, but where I was expecting to hit my ankles hard was now a round, perky butt. I chuckled, nearly giggled as I noticed my arms bulk up, filling my biceps.

I looked down at my hands, which shook me, because they were obviously masculine, but had a touch of softness and beauty to them. The changes didn't stop there, as my aching feet exploded out of my shoes.

Suddenly, the chinstrap came to life and tightened around my jaw, reshaping it and scratching my face as it hollowed out my cheeks and squared my jaw, it was more chiseled and defined, with a light five-o-clock shadow coming on. My face was on fire as the changes melted my features. My nose sharpened. My eyebrows became thinner, more pretty. My lips plumped, and my eyes began to brighten.

It all felt so good, so enchanting. The hat tightened around my scalp, and I could feel all of what made me - my fears, my intelligence, and my dreams - get sucked away, leaving my mind a blank slate. As it did, the roots of my hair began to curl and wave, blowing in some invisible wind as it changed into a flowing, sleek middle part style.

The heat shot down straight to my dick. I rubbed my delicate hand on my bulge, and I could sense the pleasure of doing so hit an all-time high. Here I was, moaning and biting my lip in the middle of snow, as my tiny, shriveled cock grew hard, but also stretched into a long, juicy sausage, while my balls churned and absorbed all of the old me, growing into a pair of oranges.

I couldn't take it anymore. My dick twitched, I closed my eyes, and let out a deep seductive moan. Cum spurted out, taking everything I was with it. The heat left with it too, but it was as if it now surrounded me.

A flash interrupted that beautiful moment of ecstasy. Opening my eyes, I realized why. I was on a yacht, in the middle of Saint-Tropez, with a photographer in front of me as I posed on the doorway. My clothes felt light, and when I looked down, I was surprised to see I was dressed for the beach.

"Yes, that's good man, you look sexy," the photographer said. The hat fell off my head, the chinstrap keeping it on my slender shoulders as I posed. The mirror inside showed what I had now become, who I had been jealous of before.

I stood there, posing for my next Instagram post. my lips curling into a smolder. Looks like someone finally answered my prayers. I didn't need much smarts anymore, nor did I need to study economics. I was pretty, and that's all I needed to live my new, sexy male model life.

[gothamsfinestdummy]

Batman: the Audio Adventures: Batjokes moments

SLAMS THIS ON THE TABLE

Here are the transcripts of all Batjokes moments in BTAA. Context will be provided.

To begin: There are numerous side plots in BTAA, one of them being that Joker wants Batman to love him so he plans this whole romantic comedy for Valentine’s Day. That’s pretty gay.

ALSO, @jokerblogs this is dedicated you you, pal.

Now onto the transcripts.

S1E02

(In the Batcave) Alfred to Robin, speaking of Joker: …he thinks he’s cured! He believes he used to be hopelessly lost; then, he met Master Bruce. Now he believes everything makes sense.

//

(On the rooftop of the GCPD, Joker “lovingly” (as the narrator puts it) wrapped the bat signal up in purple wrapping paper, a green ribbon, and strewn it with flower petals.)

Gordon: We came up tonight to turn it on like we planned and, well, there it is; gift wrapped and strewn with flower petals. It’s almost…romantic?

Batman: I don’t have time for his perverted theater tonight. He thinks the world is his private “Punch and Judy” show.

(Batman tears the wrapping from the batsignal revealing a music box.)

Batman, gritting his teeth: I thought so. It was just a matter of time.

Robin: Okay, that’s bad.

Gordon: That’s bad? What’s bad? What is it?

Robin: It’s the waltz! It’s—

Batman: It’s Strauss, the waltz from his opera, Die Fledermaus.

Gordon: Die Fleder— what now?

Robin: It’s German, means “The Bat”

Gordon: There’s a bat waltz?

Batman: It means the Joker is ready to resume the dance.

Gordon: Okay, so should I know about the dance?

Robin: Oh, you’re gonna hear about the dance.

Batman, now narrating: It was the second time I’d faced him. You remember, he’d gone away to Arkham once, but they had no idea what they were dealing with.

The Joker broke out of maximum security in nine hours. Evidence indicates he only stayed on the premises that long to pick off extra staff as they showed up for the late shift. He hunted down and strangled everyone on the faculty softball team. For some reason, he found that devastatingly funny.

Two days later, I cornered him at the Archer Park sky tram terminal. He was filling the cable cars with department store mannequins arranged in obscene poses. 

Joker was convulsing with laughter.

I admit it, I was careless, emotional. I didn’t care what his sick setup meant. I wasn’t gonna give him time to ramble to the punchline.

I took him down without a struggle. So it was only a moment later that I realized he’d stuck me with something. I don’t know how a needle got through my suit, but it did.

I suddenly felt an electrical fire in my central nervous system. I knew instantly it was a curare derivative edged with some psilocybinoid compound. But this was just useless knowledge swirling with the rest of my mind down the drainpipe.

I was paralyzed. He could have finished me, but it was clear that was the last thing on his mind.

He crawled over to me. He whispered in my ear. He said he had a dream.

Joker, in Batman’s narration: I had a dream the night we met.

Batman: He said he...

Both: ...dreamed we were dancing the waltz at a feast at a funeral, and all of Gotham City was there. Mayhem and violence locked in embrace. And we’ll keep dancing until Gotham is in ruins, and we are redeemed by the madness we share.

Batman: I came to. He was gone. But as I shook off his drugs, I felt like I’d just woken from his dream, too.

(A minute or so after the conclusion to Batman’s narration and a few lines unrealated to Batjokes)

Batman: Report any new Joker activity to me immediately. Time is of the essense.

Gordon: I just wish we knew how much time we’ve got.

Batman: We do, until Valentine’s Day. The Joker is going to attack the city on Valentine’s Day.

Gordon: What? How do you know?

Batman, winding up the music box and letting it play: The waltz, Robin, you notice something off about it?

Robin: You’re right, Batman. It’s in the wrong key.

Batman: Yes. It’s in B minor.

Robin: B minor? Holy stalker alert. I get it now. This whole stunt, the flowers, and the gift wrapping, this is a Valentine to you, Batman.

Batman: A Valentine and a threat.

Gordon: What threat?

Batman: B minor, commissioner. The Joker is saying, “Be mine or...”

Gordon: Or what?

Batman: We have 11 days to figure that out.

Closing out with the narrator’s lovely addition: Rages are red. Violence are, too. On the feast day of St. Valentine, the Joker comes a-courting. Will he have Batman’s heart? The answer in a future tale of Life and Death in Gotham City.

Okay, now this is where it gets OVERWHELMINGLY GAY. Be prepared.

S1E10

Batman and Joker face each other again at ACE Chemicals on Valentine’s Day.

Batman, stepping forward: Let the hostages go, Joker, and i’ll send you back to Arkham with the use of your legs.

Joker: Oh, you, just never mind my legs, you masher. Fresh.

Batman: What’s in the vats?

Joker: Just a little something to help get us all in the mood. You in the mood for love, caped crusader? Of course you are. Everybody is. It’s Valentine’s Day! Dance with me, Batman.

Joker, cont., stepping forward hastily: Do you remember our dance, our dream? Dance with me and maybe I don’t flood the city water supply with psychotropic aphrodisiacs.

Batman: We are not negotiating.

Joker: Ugh, haven’t you got a romantic bone in your body? Look at what I did. I recreated our first date! Don’t you remember? I wore a red hood, and you... were overdressed, but you made it work. And that’s not all you made that night, is it? 

You made me. I was just a mixed-up crook ‘till you came along, gorgeous. I remember the fall, sinking into a vat just like those down there, the chemicals seeping into my mind and unwinding it like a ball of dark purple yarn. And then, in a whiplash of agony, the whole mess hardened like glue. A million bugs in my brain got trapped in amber forever. Can you know what that feels like, Batman?

Batman: No, but neither can you.

Joker: Excuse me? Rude. I think I know my own story.

Batman: We’ll see if you do. It’s time for the truth, Joker. See, i’ve often marveled at your madness. It’s majestic in its obscenity.

Joker, flattered (and I like to imagine his shoulders heightening and his eyelashes batting): Batman, you do notice.

Batman: What created such a diseased thing? I had to know, so after painstaking trial and error, I finally recreated the exact mixture of chemicals you fell into.

Joker: Wait, you what?

Batman: I replicated the conditions that supposedly created you, Joker, and I got into the vat myself.

Joker: You did what?

Batman: I took the plunge, too, Joker, into the unique chemical mixture you fell into that night to see what you see, and the effect on my sanity, Joker...”

Joker: No.

Batman: Was nil.

Joker: No!

Batman: Zero, Joker. The chemicals were caustic, but there was absolutely no  psychotropic effect. It did not touch my mind.

Joker: That’s a lie.

Batman: It did not affect your mind, either, Joker. Whatever fiend came out of the vat that night five years ago was exactly the one that went in. The Joker was just a change of clothes.

Joker: That’s not--no. We’re not doing this. This is my picture. What’s your angle?

Batman: I didn’t create you. I was just an excuse for a hack with stage fright finally to try an open mic night.

Joker: Why are you saying this? You’re such a liar.

Batman: You’re a gimmick. You had all the cruelty. You had all the malignant intentions, all the sickness in your head before the chemicals. The only thing that fall into the vat gave you was an idea for a novelty act.

Joker: No, no, no, no, no, no--

Batman: That’s not the origin of a criminal mastermind. That’s the origin story of a costume.

Joker, laughing: I get it. We got a heckler. Well, here’s the squelch, chief, I don’t care what you say. That screwy dip pickled my coconut, Batman, and it was your fault! I’m your creation! Everyone knows it.

Batman: This is just not true, Joker. This is the story you insist on living. It is not reality.

Joker: Oh, now you want me to bring reality into it, Bat-Man?

Batman: I still don’t know who you were before that night. I may never know. But I know this whole act is flim-flam.

Joker: Oh wait. Wait, wait. Is that--could that...

Batman: You really believed it, didn’t you? That it was the chemicals that ruined your mind. You have no way to discern your fictions from reality, do you?

Joker: Stick to the script, Batman. No not torture me with your talent show improv.

Batman: That’s how i’m going to beat you. You have a diabolical mind, Joker, but you’re not exactly running the show, are you? You just work there.

Joker: That’s it, Batman. I’m feeling absolutely no chemistry between us tonight, so let’s see what we can do about that, huh?

(Charges detonate beneath the catwalk they stand upon and Batman hangs over the vats of acid)

Joker, leering at him: You know, I didn’t want it to be this way, Batman. But if I have to make you love me, I’m prepared to do that.

(Joker begins to whack Bruce’s fingers with a crowbar)

Joker: Fall, fall, fall, Batman! Fall in love again for the very first time!

(Sirens screech and the GCPD enters the scene)

GCPD Officer: Joker, this is GCPD! The factory is surrounded!

Joker: You are completely killing the mood, fellas!

Batman: You’re done, Joker.

Joker: I don’t think so, Batman. You may have stomped all over my heart tonight, but let me tell ya, there are plenty of fish in the sea, and i’m gonna gut every last one of them! (cackles)

Okay, so those were the all of the Batjokes moments! I know the ending was abrupt but it makes more sense when listening to it.

I hope that this was fun to read. Seriously, if you can, you should absolutely give BTAA a shot! And, if not, you can at least say you know of the batjokes content

[drinkthemlock]

NIGHT AT THE TAVERN

IV - GENNARO

The Return of the King, haha. But seriously, I’m sorry for taking so long with these translations. Here is Gennaro’s chapter. Unlike his peers, he doesn’t commit any actual atrocities, but be aware of murder, adultery, descriptions of corpses and just general scary goth stuff. He’s Italian like Solfieri, but since Álvares had an obsession with southern Italy (Sorrento and Naples in particular) I’m guessing he’s a southerner, while Solfieri lived in Rome.

Text by Álvares de Azevedo, translation my own.

IV

GENNARO

Meurs ou tue…

CORNEILLE[1]

“Gennaro, do you sleep, or are you soaking on the last sip of your wine, on the last puff of your cigar?”

“No: while you were telling your story, I remembered one leaf of life, dried and red like those of autumn that the wind sweeped.”

“A story?”

“Yes: it is one of my stories. You know, Bertram, I am a painter… It's a sad memory that which I am about to reveal, because it is the story of an old man and two women, beautiful like visions of light.”

"Godofredo Walsh was one of those sublime old men, on whose heads the white strands resembled the silver diadem of geniuses. Old as he was, married a second time to a beauty of twenty years. Godofredo was a painter: some said that the marriage was an artistic love to that Roman beauty, like if made in the image of ancient beauties; others painted him as being compassionate for that poor girl that lived off posing as a model. The fact was that he loved her as a daughter, like Laura, the only daughter of his first marriage, Laura… Blushed as a rose and blonde as an angel.

I was young at the time: was a painting apprentice in Godofredo’s house. I was pretty then; thirty years have passed since, then still my hair and my face hadn’t faded like in these long fourty two years of life! I was that type of young man still pure and transpiring childhood, pensive and melancholic like Rafael portrayed himself, in the portrait in the Barberini gallery. I was almost as old as the master’s wife. Nauza was twenty and I was eighteen.

I loved her; but my love was as pure as my dreams of eighteen years. Nauza loved me as well: it was such a pure feeling! It was a lonely and fragrant emotion like the Spring, full of flowers and breezes that cradled the skies of Italy.

Like I said: the master had a daughter named Laura. She was a pale girl, with brown hair and blueish eyes; her brow was white; only sometimes, when bashfulness flushed her, two roses reddened her face and stood out against the marble background. Laura seemed to love me like a brother. Her laughter, her kisses of a child of fifteen were just for me. At night, when I went to retire, when walking through the dark hallway with my lamp, a shadow would put out the light and a kiss would land on my face, in the dark.

Many nights were like that.

One morning – I slept still – the master had left and Nauza had gone to church, when Laura entered my room and shut the door; laid beside me. I woke up in her arms.

The fire of my eighteen years, the virginal spring of beauty still innocent, the half-naked chest of a damsel beating over mine, all that… after waking me from the light dreams of the night, made me go mad…

Every morning Laura would come to my room…

Three months passed like this. One day she entered my room and said:

'Gennaro, I’m dishonored forever. At first I tried to fool myself, now I can no more, I’m with child.'

A thunder strike by my feet wouldn’t have scared me so.

'You must marry me, must ask my father, do you hear, Gennaro?'

I was silent.

'Do you not love me then?'

I was silent still.

'Oh! Gennaro! Gennaro!'

And she fell onto my shoulders, coming undone with sobs. I carried her like this, cold and out of her mind, to her room.

Never again did she speak of marriage to me.

What did I have to do? Tell everything to her father, and ask to marry her? It was madness… He would kill her and me; or at least he’d throw me out of his house… And Nauza? Every day I loved her more. It was a terrible fight that was waged between duty and love, and between duty and remorse.

Laura spoke with me no more. Her smile was cold; every day she turned more pale, but the pregnancy didn’t grow, and no other signs showed themselves…

The old man spent the nights wandering in the dark. He painted no more. Seeing his daughter that died to the secret sounds of a harmony of death, that grew more and more pale, the miserable man ripped out his white hairs.

I had not forgotten Nauza, nor had she forgotten me. My love was always the same: always nights of hopes and the thirst that bathed my pillow in tears. Only sometimes the shadow of remorse passed through me, but the image of her dissipated all these hazes…

One night… it was terrible… someone came to fetch me: Laura was dying. In her fever she mumbled words no one could retain, so hurried and confused they sounded.

I entered her room: the sick girl recognized me. She rose, pale, with her face damp with abundant sweat, and called me. I sat down beside her bed. She squeezed my hand in her cold hands and whispered in my ears:

'Gennaro, I forgive you, I forgive you of it all… you were a rascal… I’ll die… I was mad… I’ll die because of you… your child… mine… I’ll see him still… but in heaven… my child whom I killed… before he was born.'

She yelped, extended her arms convulsively as if to repeal an idea, ran her hand over her lips as if to dry the last drops of a liquid, twisted in the bed, livid, cold, bathed in icy sweat, and gasped… It was her last breath.

An entire year passed in this manner to me. The old man seemed maddened. Every night he closed himself off in the room where Laura had died: he spent the entire night there in solitude. Did he sleep? Not so! For long hours I listened to him pant with disgust, and other times drown in sobs. Afterwards it all went silent: the silence lasted hours; the bedroom was dark; and later the heavy steps of the master were heard around the room, but faltering like a drunk that stumbles.

One night I told Nauza I loved her: kneeled close to her, kissed her hands, showered her lap in tears. She turned her face: I thought it was disdain, so I rose.

'So, Nauza, you do not love me,' I said.

She remained with her face turned.

'Adieu, then; forgive me if I offended you[2]; my love is an insanity, my life a hopelessness– what is left for me? Adieu, I’ll go far, far away from here… perhaps then I could cry without remorse…'

I took her hand and kissed it.

She kept her hand pressed against my lips.

When I raised my head, I saw her: she was broken down in tears.

'Nauza! Nauza! A word, do you love me?'

-

Everything else was a dream: the moonlight ran through the glass panels of the open window, hit her; never had I seen her so pure and divine!

-

And the nights the master spent weeping over his daughter’s empty bed, I spent in his bed, in Nauza’s arms.

One night something haunting happened.

The master came to Nauza’s bed. He moaned and cried in that cavernous and raspy voice; took me by the arm with great strength, woke me up and dragged me to Laura’s bedroom…

He threw me to the ground; closed the door. A lamp was lit in the room facing a painting. He pulled the sheet that covered it. It was dead Laura! And I, gaunt like her, trembled like a condemned man. The girl whispered in my ear with her pale lips…

I trembled seeing my likeness so livid in the canvas and remembered that in that day while leaving the dead girl’s room, in her mirror, that was still hung by the window, I was horrified at seeing myself like a corpse…[3]

A tremor, a shiver took hold of me. I kneeled and cried burning tears. I confessed everything: it seemed to me it was her that commanded it, that it was Laura that rose from the sheets of her bed and set me ablaze in remorse and in remorse tore at my chest.

By God! It was agony!

The next day the master spoke to me coldly. Lamented the loss of his daughter, but without any tears. About the past night, not a word.

Every night was the same torture, every day the same coldness.

The master was somnambulant…

And so I didn’t think myself lost…

Although, I remembered that one night, as I left Laura’s room with the master, in the dark I saw a white dress pass me by, was brushed by a few loose locks and in the slabs of the corridor cracked a few timid steps of bare feet… It was Nauza that had seen and heard everything, that had woken up and felt my absence in bed, that had heard these sobs and whimpers and ran to see…

-

One night, after supper, master Walsh took his cape and a lantern and called me to accompany him. He had to leave town and didn’t want to go alone. We left together; the night was dark and cold. Autumn had bared the trees and the first blows of winter roared in the dried leaves in the ground. We walked together for a long time; each time we went further into the mountains, each time the path became more lonely. The old man stopped. It was at the edge of a mountain. At the right the rocks split into a trail: at the left the stones loosened by our feet at each step fell and rolled down the hill and, instants later, one heard a sound like when something heavy hits water…

The night was very dark. Only the lantern lit the tortuous path that we followed. The old man set his eyes on the abyss of darkness and laughed.

'Wait for me there,' he said, 'I’ll come soon.'

Godofredo took the lantern and carried on to the summit of the mountain; I sat down on the path and waited for him; saw that light at times be lost, at times reappear amidst the trees and zigzags of the trail. At last I saw it stop. The old man knocked at the door of a cabin: the door opened. He walked in. What happened there I do not know; when the door opened again a livid and disheveled woman appeared with a torch in hand.

The door closed. A few minutes later the master was with me.

The old man put down the lantern on a rock, removed his cloak and told me:

'Gennaro, I want to tell you a story. It is a crime, I want you to be its judge. An old man was married to a beautiful woman. From another marriage he had a daughter, beautiful as well. An apprentice– a wretch he raised from dust, like the wind sometimes raises a leaf, but he could reduce to dust whenever he wanted…'

I shuddered, the old man’s glares seemed to wound me.

'Have you never heard this story, my good Gennaro?'

'Never,' I said with difficulty and trembling.

'Very well, this scoundrel dishonored the poor old man, betrayed him like Judas betrayed Christ.'

'Master, mercy!'

'Mercy? And did this rascal have mercy on the old man’s heart?'

'Have pity!'

'Did he pity the virgin, the dishonored, the infanticide?'

'Ah!,' I screamed.

'What’s with you? Do you know this criminal?'

His voice of mockery suppressed me.

'You see, then, Gennaro,' he said while changing his tone, 'if there were a fate worse than death, I’d give it to him. Look at this precipice! It is frightening! If you saw it during the day, your eyes would be blinded and you’d roll down it maybe out of dizziness! It is a safe grave; and it will keep the secret, like the chest keeps a dagger. And so, if you still have in your damned heart an ounce of remorse, pray your last prayer, but let it be quick. The executioner waits for the victim, the hyena is hungry for a corpse…'

I hung there alongside death. I could only choose between suicide and being murdered. Killing the old man was impossible. A fight between him and me would be madness. He was robust, his stature high, his muscular arms would break me like the wind snaps a dried twig. Furthermore, he was armed. I… I was a frail child: at my first step he would push me off that rock on which’s edge I was perched… All that was left for me was dying with him, dragging him down while I fell. But what for?

I looked down the abyss: all was dark, the wind there howled along the bare branches, in the heathers, in the withered briers, and the river in the distance crashed against the rocks.

I was scared.

Prayers, threats, all would be in vain.

'I’m ready,' I said.

The old man laughed: infernal was that laugh from his lips cracked with fever. I could only see that laughter… After that it was a blur… the air that suffocated, the weight that dragged me, like in those nightmares where you fall from a tower and are left holding on with your hands, but hands get tired, falter, sweat, get cold… It was horrible: branch by branch, leaf by leaf the shrubs snapped in my hands, the dried roots that shot out of the cliff cracked under my weight and my chest bled against the thorns. The fall was very fast… suddenly I felt nothing… When I woke up I was close to the cabin of peasants that had found me next to the river, stuck in the branches of a giant holm oak that shadowed it.

It was after a day and a night of delirium that I woke up. As soon as I was healed, an idea came to me: going to speak with the master. At seeing me survive such a horrible death, it was possible he took pity on me, that he might forgive me, and then I’d be his slave, his dog, everything there is of more degrading in a man that humiliates himself– everything! – as long as he forgave me. Living with that remorse seemed impossible. I left then: on the way I came across a dagger. I lifted it: it was the master’s. Came to me then an idea of revenge and presumption. He’d wanted to kill me, he had laughed at my agony, and I was going to cry at his feet so he could push me away again, spit on my face and search for a safer form of revenge tomorrow? I, humiliate myself when he had wounded me! The hairs on my head stood up, and the cold sweat rolled down my face.

When I arrived at the master’s house, I found it closed. I knocked… no one opened. The garden of the house faced the street; I jumped over the wall: all was desert and the doors that faced it were also locked. One of them was weak: with little effort I broke in. At the bang of the door that fell, only the echoe answered through the rooms. All the windows were closed; there was not even a single lit lamp. I felt my way to the painter’s studio. I got there, opened the windows and the daylight poured into the empty room. I got to Nauza’s room then, opened the door and a sickening stench came out. A ray of sunlight hit a table. With it there was the shape of a woman with her face down against the table and her hair loose; thrown over an armchair, a figure covered by an overcoat. Between them there was a cup where a powdery residue had settled. At their feet an empty vial. Later I found out– the old woman from the cabin sold poison and it was her that certainly had sold it, since that’s what the white powder from the cup seemed to be.

I brushed off the woman’s hair, lifted her head… –it was Nauza, but dead Nauza, faded by decay. It wasn’t that most fair statue from before, with a soft face and snowy bosom… it was a yellowed corpse… I lifted the edge of the other’s cape: the body on its belly with its head down; sounded on the floor the crack of its skull… –it was the old man! Dead too, purple and rotten! I saw him: –a greenish foam ran down his mouth."

-

[1] “Be killed or kill”. This quote, like most of the quotes in foreign languages that begin these chapters, is likely misspelled. I couldn’t find the original passage the author wanted.

[2]Gennaro uses the formal second person plural here (vós).

[3] This passage is confusing even in the original; Gennaro is dragged into Laura’s room by the painter where he reveals to him a painting of Gennaro with his dead daughter.

I hope you enjoyed! Next up is Claudius Hermann.

[bountyhaunter]

TIMING: Recent. LOCATION: The 3 Daggers. WARNINGS: N/A. SUMMARY: Daiyu comes to cash in on a bounty.

The door to The 3 Daggers slammed shut behind her, the cold winter wind pushing the wood close for Daiyu like it was some kind of favor it was doing her. She paid it little mind, pushing into the warm space with a duffel bag slung over her shoulder, bits of snow shedding from her hiking boots. Her eyes flicked around the place, trying to gauge if there was a familiar face here and, if so, that were to pose a potential problem.

Stanson (first name forgotten by her chaotic mind) she did recognize, and she slumped down on a chair at his bar, the bag crashing on a chair next to her. 

“What can I get ya?” He sounded vaguely like his brother, though that could just be her fantasy filling in the gaps — the camps had been a long time ago, and it wasn’t like Daiyu remembered particularly much of her childhood. Camp had been a reprieve, though, that much was certain.

Daiyu looked up at the owner as she started to shrug off her jacket. “Cherry coke.” The jacket, too, was disposed on the chair, one leg pulled up to the chair. “And a bowl of peanuts? You’ve got those, don’t ya? I always love ‘em.”

She was quite hungry, after all. Her hunt had taken a long time, and though she’d brought a fair amount of snacks to keep herself satiated, it hadn’t quite been enough. She’d tracked the Ahuizotl for most of the day, keeping a close eye on the forests around her as she familiarized herself with the new area. And then, once she’d tried to confuse it by imitating it, everything had gone awry. The Ahuizotl had not fallen for it, as her imitation had been followed by a burst of laughter at her own attempt and well, it had gotten what she had interpreted as offended.

One (or three) struggles later and here she sat, its head in her duffel bag and her eyes on the bounty she could check off her mental to-do list. 

A cherry coke and bowl of peanuts appeared in front of her face soon enough and Daiyu grinned up. “Appreciated.” She was quick to dig in, shoveling a few peanuts into her mouth and washing them away with fizzing coke.

“What’s in the bag, then?,” Stanson asked, just as Daiyu was about to go off on a tangent.

“Do you mind if I take off my boots? My feet got wet and — oh, yes, that, it’s –” She pointed at the bounty on the board not too far off from the bar. “That little bastard. He got my feet all wet, is what I’m saying. Fuckin’ freezing, this time of year, but at least he won’t be able to get any of those little kids who go ice skating, hm?” 

Stanson gestured as if to say sure, in regards to her question. “It’s the same one, then?”

“Yeah, shit, of course it is. Checked its markings and all. Got it right here — are you the guy who I talk to for payment, or like …” She squinted at the bounty. Sometimes she did forget to check who she was supposed to go to for payment until after the fact. This had led to her fulfilling some bounties of by-then deceased clients. Always a bit awkward. 

She disappeared behind the bar, untying her shoes and hanging her socks to dry over the little footrest of her barstool. Popping back up, she’d completely missed what the other had said. “Anyway! I got it right here with me. Sorry about the feet.” She wasn’t sorry. 

“All good. Should stock some socks here if you’re gonna keep doing this though,” he said, which elicited a burst of laughter from Daiyu. “I’ll contact the person who posted the bounty — but not until I see.” 

Easy. Daiyu didn’t mind a bit of showing off, and so she pushed her coat aside (which fell onto the ground, where it would stay for at least an hour) and opened the bag, pulling out the severed head of the Ahuizotl and placing it on the bar, right next to her peanuts. It didn’t ruin her appetite. Very little did. “There ya go.”

[harlequinmoss]

Tales From Nabari

These are a couple short fics written for the kamatani fans gift exchange for @tmoblrina . I did two because the first one ended up being very short haha

I hope your holidays went well and I hope you enjoy!

The Owl and the Cat

A chilling wind blew the last fallen leaves across the pavement, bringing with it a hollow rustling and a faint scraping sound. Autumn was turning to winter. “Zeku” was well on its way to completion, and the only thing to do in the meantime was wait.

Shijima was fine with waiting; she’d spent most of her life in anticipation of her desire, her release from immortality, and she found no point in getting antsy right at the end. However, Kouichi was different, and this is how she found herself at an art museum in Tokyo.

“What are we doing here?” She asked, looking up at Kouichi unamused.

Kouichi shrugged and pushed his glasses up on his nose.

“I thought it’d be a good way of passing the time.”

“I was passing time well enough napping at Miharu’s.” Shijima spoke bluntly, yet she followed Kouichi inside nonetheless, holding up her arm to look at the extra length of her sleeve rather than any of the paintings.

“Well I appreciate you gracing me with your presence,” Kouichi joked. “It might be nice, you know. A change of pace. Something other than just watching and waiting.”

“I suppose…” She responded, but she was suspicious, not entirely sure there wasn’t some ulterior motive to coming here.

Shijima followed Kouichi through the museum, matching his pace, observing him and the people around them as he observed antique vases and surrealist works of art. Kouichi’s expression often seemed listless and far off, as if he were deep in thought with something.

“You’re spending too much time with Kumohira,” She said as they made their way over to the renaissance exhibit. “You’re starting to make the same faces as him.”

“Oh, am I?” Kouichi smiled nervously, scratching his cheek with his index finger.

“Yes.” Shijima narrowed her eyes as she began to connect the dots. “Are you…having second thoughts? Is that why we’re here?”

“What? Of course not!” Kouichi’s voice came out at a higher pitch than usual. He was taken aback, but this only made it seem like he was lying. He let out a long sigh to compose himself.

“Look, I want this as much as you do. You should know that. But that doesn’t make it any less bittersweet…we’re so close now, I guess I just want to make the most of it before it’s over. Appreciate all that the world has to offer, does that make sense?”

Shijima looked down, putting her hand in her pocket and turning over the piece of amber that Miharu had given her not too long ago.

“Yeah…I guess I can't argue with that.” Shijima smiled softly as she looked back up at Kouichi.

“Good.” Kouichi smiled as well, and he placed a hand atop of Shijima’s head, giving it a light pat.

Shijima rolled her eyes and knocked his hand off with her arm.

“Haha, sorry…would you like to continue onwards?” Kouichi asked.

Shijima nodded. She followed Kouichi once more, this time paying attention to the art as well as the people around her. She couldn’t deny that some of it was compelling, the brushstrokes showing great skill and beauty.

Soon they stood in front of an old painting with a wooden frame. The background was dark, and it depicted two subjects, a white owl and an equally white cat, posed facing the viewer. The painting of the animals drew a large crowd, patrons murmuring about the human-like expression in their eyes.

Kouichi and Shijima looked at each other and laughed. They remembered posing for an artist long ago, but neither expected anything to come from it, let alone to see it again in a museum so many years later. The crowd around them began to take notice of the laughter, so they moved away, Kouichi still holding his sides. Soon they would be gone from this world, but it was nice to know that they would be remembered.

Baking at the Rokujo’s

The cold came in early this year, frosting the windows and covering everything around it in a thick, glistening blanket of snow. At the Rokujo’s home, the snow stacked up so high against the house that if you were little, all you saw from the windows was a blinding white, so suffice to say, going outside was not optimal. Young Tobari stood in the kitchen staring out the window above the sink, following the trail of snow down, observing how the heaps grew smaller and smaller, little by little, the closer to the sun they were, making mental note of everything he could recognize that was peeking out of the top.

“I wanna play in the snow!” Miharu’s voice was small and distant, but it was still loud enough to take Tobari away from what he was doing and get him to turn around.

Miharu sat by the front door trying to put on his shoes in preparation, and Asahi soon appeared kneeling down beside him.

“We can’t go out right now, Miharu. The snow is this high!” She said as she flourished her arms up towards the ceiling, ending by wrapping Miharu in a hug and bringing him into her lap. “It’ll gobble you right up!”

Miharu giggled, and Asahi scooped him up in her arms and stood up, stepping around a space heater in the hallway as she made her way into the kitchen.

“I know what would be fun,” Asahi started as she opened the fridge and began gathering ingredients into her free arm, setting what she could not carry onto the counter beside it. “Let’s make a Christmas cake! It’s a little early, but you can never go wrong with winter sweets. Would you like to help, Tobari-kun?”

“Christmas cake?” Tobari asked.

He thought of the Christmas cakes he’d had in Ireland, stuffed with currants and raisins and other things he didn’t particularly enjoy, but Asahi had not brought out any of those things, and on top of that she included strawberries in her mental list of ingredients, so Tobari was confused about the whole thing.

“Haha, what’s with the funny look?” Asahi asked, tilting her head to one side as she set Miharu down on the counter beside her.

“This doesn’t look like the ingredients for a Christmas cake…”

“Hm? Oh, I suppose it must be different in Ireland huh? Well here in Japan, a Christmas cake is a sponge cake with strawberries and cream.”

“Oh…” Tobari mumbled in English. “Okay, I’ll help.” He said after a moment.

Baking reminded Tobari of his grandmother, so it was a bittersweet activity, but one that was of comfort to him, one that brought him back to simpler times when he still got to be a child, before he met the Rokujo’s and was swept up in the mess the shinrabanshou took wherever it went. It was a welcome distraction for him, and Tobari figured that Asahi needed it just as much as he did, probably even more so.

“Great!” Asahi smiled as she handed two bowls over to Tobari. “Do you know how to separate eggs?”

He nodded. Asahi passed a small basket of eggs over as well.

“Six, please.”

Tobari set the basket of eggs beside him on the counter and began the process of separating them into the two bowls. With each egg, he would gently tap the shell against the counter, break it in half, allowing all of the white goop to pour into one of the bowls while keeping the yolk contained in the other half of the shell. On the fifth egg, he struggled with a tiny piece of broken shell in the bowl with the egg whites.

“Need some help?” Asahi asked, glancing over from what she was doing: helping Miharu measure out the flour.

Tobari shook his head, not wanting to seem incapable.

“I can do it.”

“Okay.” Asahi smiled, keeping one eye on Tobari as she leveled out a cup of flower and let Miharu empty it into a large mixing bowl.

Tobari still struggled; however, one last piece of shell glided around in the bowl and evaded his grasp.

“Try scooping it out with the large part of the shell,” Asahi offered. “The small pieces want to go back where they came from, so they’ll stick and stay inside.”

Tobari nodded and grabbed the half of the eggshell that was laying out on the counter. He dipped it in and effortlessly scooped out the stubborn piece, beaming to himself at his success.

“Thank you…” He said after a moment, slightly embarrassed that he ended up needing help after all.

“Of course,” Asahi grinned. “It’s a neat trick, isn’t it?”

“Yeah.” Tobari said as he separated the final egg.

He thought about telling his grandmother about the discovery, and then remembered he could not, he could only tell it to her headstone once they returned to Ireland, and suddenly he was a little sad. But Asahi had more instructions for him, so he did his best to focus and put the sad stuff out of his mind.

Tobari measured the rest of the wet ingredients and poured them in one by one while Asahi mixed until they were combined. Asahi then poured the completed batter into two round pans and carefully set them in the oven. She picked up a kitchen timer and clicked it to the 30 minute mark before setting it back on the counter.

“There! And while we wait, we can make the meringue.”

“Meringue!” Miharu repeated with his arms up in the air.

“Haha that’s right!” Asahi smiled, gently tapping her finger to Miharu’s nose, causing him to giggle.

Something inside Tobari hurt seeing this. He knew how scary the shinrabansho could be, how many things could go wrong if they were to use their secret technique, and dreaded all of that immensely. He promised that he’d be strong and protect everyone. He’d stop all the bad outcomes and prevent Miharu from having to go to his mother’s gravestone if he wanted to tell her things. He was only a child, but incidentally that made his resolve stronger.

Tobari was quiet as they made the meringue. It went fairly quickly anyhow: combine ingredients and mix on high until it thickened and looked like frosting, but he did his fair share of helping and Asahi was determined to praise him for it.

“Great job, Tobari-kun! Thank you very much for your help.” She said as she reached out a recently washed hand and ruffled Tobari’s hair, dampening the top of it a little.

“You’re welcome…” Tobari mumbled in English, then repeated it again in Japanese, doing his best to sound polite and proper. He smiled to himself, feeling bashful but all around content with the positive attention.

“I’m going to finish up washing the dishes, will you take Miharu into the other room for me? I’ll bring the cake in once it’s finished.” Asahi said with a wink.

“Oh, of course.” Tobari nodded.

He took Miharu by the hand and led him out of the kitchen, thinking of a way to keep him entertained in the meantime. A game, or perhaps a book.

Asahi quickly washed and dried the dishes, taking out the cakes once the timer went off. She prepared the toppings as the cakes cooled, then layered it with strawberries and cream, spread the meringue evenly on the outside, and decorated the top with strawberries and liquid chocolate, writing the words “Merry Christmas” in English and drawing an impressive portrait of Santa underneath the lettering.

She set the finished cake on a serving tray and brought it into the other room with a proud “ta-da!”, only to find Tobari reading and Miharu leaning on him, asleep.

“He tired himself out…” Tobari said softly, trying not to wake him.

“I see…” Asahi covered a laugh and set the cake down on the coffee table in front of the couch before taking a seat next to Tobari.

“It looks pretty.” Tobari said as he admired the workmanship, smiling at the English lettering that must have been done with him in mind.

“Thank you.” Asahi replied. “Would you like to try a slice?”

“Yes, please.”

Asahi nodded and cut two slices of cake, giving one to Tobari along with a small fork and held the other in her lap to try for herself. She watched Tobari take a bite and stifled a laugh at seeing his eyes light up and his body relax, too entranced by the cake to think about sitting up straight.

“It’s good.” He said before taking another bite.

“You were a good helper.” Asahi responded. “You’ll have to help me bake again, once this is all over…”

“Yeah. That sounds nice.”

And then they both thought, “everything is going to be okay”, as if it were a mantra, as if it would be true if only they thought it enough times. And they both wholeheartedly believed it. They had to.

[arjaandsimoni]

Memories of Loss

Content Warning: This story has a depiction of tragic loss and the mourning thereof. Reader discretion is advised.

Covington Kentucky, the day after the death of Roger Fullmoon

After Stephy and Tex returned from the Nightside, explained to Tara where they’d gone and what they’d done, then re-explained it with ‘yes, that’s a thing’ interjected several times, and such… a new problem had arisen.

Roger Fullmoon was a very very very terrible father, but he was Stephy’s father, that is to say: Legal Guardian. Now both Stephy’s parents were dead, he was an orphan… and as soon as child services realized that they could claim him without having to fear that Roger would beat them black and blue for daring to exist in his presence for longer than five seconds, they would come for Stephy.

Stephy fidgeted at the kitchen table in Tara’s house as Tex sat next to him, Tara across the table as the boy whimpered. They were letting Loren crash on the couch for now, they kind of owed it to her after she’d kept Roger distracted while they made their escape.

“What am I gonna do?” whimpered Stephy, clinging to Tex. “I mean, I’m glad he’s gone, thank GODS he’s gone… but…”

Tex nodded, “Yeah, those foster care parents tend ta be religious kooks, Ya'll wind up right back where ya started...” grumbled Tex, the boy putting his arm tight around his effeminate… boyfriend? Girlfriend? Stephy was still undecided.

Tara sighed, “If it were up ta me I’d just take you in ‘n be done with it. Lord knows you’re practically part of our lil’ family now darlin’…” she frowned, “But I’d have ta enroll in th’ foster care system ‘n get approved ‘n even then…” she tapped her fingers on the table, looking concerned.

As they sat there a knock came to the door and Tara got up to answer it. Standing outside were Nelen and Dawn, the former holding a large paper bag in one arm. “Hey guys, came by with some stuff to help speed up Loren’s recovery.” he nodded, walking in and dropping it down next to her with a loud metallic clatter. “Lesse… some brimstone biscuits to speed up metabolism so you get back all the blood you lost, a topical ointment of ogre bones and hedge fruit for those scrapes he gave you, a potion containing boiled mandrake root and…” he started, emptying them out onto the coffee table.

Loren looked at them, then at him, “… no.” she grunted.

“Loren, don’t be a stubborn little shit about this. You’re a mess. If you were a mundane you’d be dead after a beating like that.” sighed Nelen, rolling his eyes.

“Aye, ah getcha cous, but… well… yer cookin’ sucks. It always tastes like shite.” grumbled the injured Fullmoon in response.

“Loren, its brimstone and boiled mandrake root. I don’t care HOW you brew it, its going to taste like shit.” frowned the warlock.

“Well yer’s tastes extra shite cous.” smirked Loren tiredly.

Nelen sighed, “I bet you were a whiny little crap when your parents took you to get booster shots as a kid too.” he grumbled, rolling his eyes. “Tara, you’re a mom. Make sure she takes these. She’ll be on her feet in three days if she does.”

Tara nodded, “I’ll do what I can Nelen, but we got another problem… Stephy’s an orphan now, ‘n Child Services is eventually gonna realize his dad ain’t gonna stomp ‘em if they try to come for ‘im.” she sighed, “Woulda been an improvement by default afore, but…”

Nelen paused, “Ah yeah, shit… he’s got a one in three chance of psychotic bible thumpers, sex offenders, or vampires.” he frowned, tapping his chin.

“… vampires?” asked Tara, raising an eyebrow at him.

“Well, their ghouls. They pose as the parents.” explained Nelen, “Whole system is totally corrupt. Next of kin is out too. That’d be my mom, his aunt, but if you think my lunatic granddad doesn’t have her under surveillance after all this…” he frowned. It had been under Franklin’s orders that the nature of boys like Stephy in the clan be hidden. What Roger did to his son may well have been with Franklin’s blessing.

Tara decided it was best not to ask, “I mean I’d just adopt the lil’ feller if I could, but I ain’t even registered..." she sighed.

Nelen blinked, “Oh, you’ll take him in if you could?” he asked, standing up.

Tara nodded firmly, “Of course! Poor dear has been through Hell ‘n back and Tex is nuts about him, nevermind what they did for mah boy last night in that weird… alternate… whatever London place! I’d do it in a heartbeat if I could legally!”

Nelen thought on that, “… how about… legal-ish?” he asked.

Tara hesitated, “Beg pardon?” she asked.

Nelen thought some more, “Actually, forget I said that. Plausible deniability is a good idea. Just hang out here for a sec, I got a few calls to make.” he nodded, taking out his phone, “Back in… eh, gimme thirty.” he said, walking out into her front yard, and dialing a number. Tara caught, “Hey, its Nelen! Hang up and I squeal like a pig! Remember a few years back when I found you-know-who doing you-know-what with that one circle in the forest where you-don’t-know-what-but-you’re-happier-that-way was? Calling in a favor…” before the door shut.

She looked at Dawn, who shrugged, “Its technical crap, only time he involves me is when paperwork needs to get ‘lost’ and, lets be honest, we both prefer it that way. Got any fish?” she grinned.

Tara blinked slowly, then walked back into the kitchen. “So, um, Nelen may have something that can sort that situation out for ya’ll Stephy… or possibly get us investigated by the FBI…” she chuckled, “… I really hope I’m jokin’ there.” she added. The last twenty-four hours had been quite the experience.

About half an hour later, just long enough to fix everyone lunch, Tara heard a car pull up and a knock on the door. Nelen walked in with a rather disgruntled looking man in a suit and tie. “Tara-Jane Smith?” he asked, looking at her.

“Er, yes? How can I help ya’ll?” she asked.

He shook her hand rather abruptly. “Thomas Stapleton, Center for Children and Families.” he nodded, taking a clipboard out of his briefcase, and holding it out to her, a pen already on it. Filled in on it was Stephy’s information, the gender being marked down as just an X, and under it was Tara’s information as well. “Sign here, and here, and initial here, and sign here, please.” he said.

She looked it over, then did so, and he took it back, put it away, then shook her hand. “Congratulations on the new addition to your family Miss Smith. May you and ‘Stephy’ have many happy years as mother and… gender undeclared child.” he said in a rather stressed tone, then turned to leave and looked at Nelen as he went. “This makes us even, Fullmoon.” he snapped.

Nelen just grinned and said, “Sandra Eastwood.”

The man gave him a thunderous look, then stomped out.

Tara looked at the retreating man in confusion, then glanced at Nelen, “Sandra Ea-…” she started.

Nelen held up a hand and cut her off, “Plausible deniability.” he nodded firmly.

Tara glanced at where the man left and she swore she heard him yell, “HE KNEW ABOUT HER TOO! WHAT THE FUCK!” as he drove away. She shrugged, then went back to the kitchen and sat down.

“Well, Stephy, I suppose that this is your new home now!” she chuckled. “I mean, I know you and Tex went to all the work of fixing up that old hidey-hole in town and all, but we can move that stuff here and you can bunk down with Tex.”

Stephy's eyes went wide, then looked at Nelen. “Did you seriously pull that blackmail you had on that guy from Child Services?” he asked.

Nelen put a finger to his lips. “Plausible. De. Ni. A. Bil. Ity.” he said very firmly.

Stephy grinned and hugged Tex tightly at that, the boy letting out a little squeal.

Nelen snapped his fingers, “Oh hey, one thing you do need to do though Stephy…” he nodded.

The boy looked up at him curiously, tilting his head. “Whats that?” he asked.

Nelen sighed, “Well, look, I get that you may not want to go back there, but now that Roger is gone you do realize your old house is gonna likely be torn down right? So if there’s anything in it you want, well… its now or never.” he nodded.

Stephy paused at that, “Crap, you’re right… yeah, okay, there’s a few things…” he nodded.

Ten minutes later, the former home of Roger Fullmoon

The door swung inwards, Tex making a face as he looked inside. “EUGH! What in tarnation is that smell?!” he asked.

“Once upon a time it was leftover pizza from Dominos. Now it’s a colony.” replied Stephy.

Tex looked at him, “A colony of what?” asked the Texan boy as he followed Stephy in.

“… best just leave it at ‘a colony.’” he replied. He’d gone with a knee length skirt and cotton tank top for this one, but with a pair of knee-high boots too. He didn’t want to wear something nice here, this place didn’t deserve it.

They passed Roger’s couch, which would forever have a depression of him sitting in it, and three massive mountains of beer bottles. As they passed the bathroom Tex made another face, looked inside, then quickly closed the door and tried to force his bile back down. “GUHGH! What…” he gasped.

“Tex, sweetie, if you ask I’ll have to tell you.” replied Stephy, giving him an awkward smile.

“But… how’d ya’ll shower in that?!” he asked, his face a bit green. He’d swear whatever he saw in there waved at him… and maybe blinked…

“I didn’t. Nelen talked a few escaped changelings who lived at a local homeless shelter into sneaking me in twice a week to use their’s.” he nodded, heading up the stairs and opening the door to his former room. “Here we are… home sweet home.” he smirked sarcastically.

Tex looked inside, then felt his heart ache a bit. Totally barren and empty, with just a tattered old quilt on a bare mattress, a single lamp with a naked lightbulb, and some spare clothes piled in the corner. No decorations, no toys, no nothing. “… darlin’, everything I see here makes me less and less sorry he’s gone.” he sighed as Stephy gathered up the blanket in his arms and bundled it up.

“Its okay… I’m kinda numb to it now…” he replied. “Just… yanno… it helps knowing that this really is the end of it. That I won’t ever come back here again…” he shook his head, taking off his glasses and wiping his eyes a bit. “Just… mn…” he nodded, then paused at the hallway.

He looked up the way to Roger’s old bedroom. He’d never used it after his wife had died, opting instead to sleep on the couch. “Hm… that’s his old room. Maybe there’s something the Clan sent him that we can use somehow…” he muttered, walking towards it and opening up the door.

Besides a thick layer of dust on everything the room was totally spotless. A large king-sized bed, a vanity table, a dresser, and a smaller second dresser. Stephy walked in and looked around as Tex followed him, the boy finding a framed photograph on the dresser as he walked past it.

He picked it up and wiped the dust off carefully, then said, “Hey Stephy, was this your mom?” he asked.

Stephy paused, looking back behind him, “What?” he walked over, then picked up the photo and looked at it.

The picture showed a woman in her early 20s with long dark hair holding a small bundle in her arms, a tiny pair of eyes peeking out at the camera. “… yeah… that’s her…” he muttered… then pushed some of the dust off the rest… and his expression became ugly.

Standing next to her was Roger Fullmoon. Younger, looking a bit awkward and smiling as if he wasn’t comfortable doing so, but unmistakably the man Drusilla had torn limb from limb the other night.

“… I want this picture, but not ALL of it.” he huffed, opening the frame and pulling the back out… then freezing.

There was a sealed envelope in the back with ‘For Stephen’ written on it.

“Whats this?” he muttered, putting the quilt down and taking it, then opening it up.

He felt a chill go along his spine as he did.

Steve,

I’m in the hospital, the doctors say that the pneumonia has progressed too far and I’m beyond saving. By the time you learn to read this, I’ll already be gone.

I just wanted to say I’m sorry. I’m so sorry I won’t be there for your first day of school, or to see you grow up, or to watch you help your family protect everyone from all those things that are out there.

I know your father is hard to be around, but his own father forced him to become that way. He was kinder when I met him, but I think all the years and all the madness your grandfather put in his head broke something. Ever since we married, he’s been under so much pressure to produce a heir with me that its all our marriage means to him now. I think he forgot how to love.

I tried my best to protect you and I wish I could keep doing it, but I’m not going to be here much longer. I’m going to ask your father to hang onto this letter for me and give it to you when you’re ready. I hope he still remembers enough of what we had to do that.

Be brave, my little boy… my darling son. I love you so much. I wish I could see the person you will grow to be someday.

Goodbye,

Mom

Stephy’s eyes worked over it, his hands shaking by the end. Tex standing behind him. “Oh darlin’… I…” he went to hug him, but Stephy shook free.

“I… I need to get outside… I’m sorry… I… I need some air…” he gasped, then he ran out of the room and down the stairs.

Tex started, then grabbed the quilt, photograph, and letter ran out the front door, looking around, “Stephy?! Darlin’ where’d ya’ll go?!” he called out. He carried the things to Tara’s car, the woman looking up from her phone.

“Tex? What’s wrong?” she asked, looking concerned as she put down her game of Candy Crush.

“Mom, Stephy found somethin’ from his mother ‘n he ran off after he read it. Did he come out the front?” he asked.

She shook her head, “I didn’t see anyone go past…” she replied, frowning as she got out of the truck… “He’s been through a hell of a lot the past couple days… I hope he doesn’t do anythin’ crazy…” she muttered.

Tex looked around, seeing the woods near the house. “I’m gonna go check out there, maybe he’s hidin’ out in the trees or somethin’.” he nodded, running off towards the tree line.

The Woods Nearby

Stephy sat on a stump out in the woods, the boy’s chest heaving as tears rolled down his cheek. He thought he could handle it, he thought after Roger was gone he’d be fine… but that letter had been too much. His mother’s last farewell, probably forgotten by Roger after he’d abandoned his only remaining family to his own madness.

As he sat there he became aware of another person nearby.

“Damn, you look like your heart just got smashed to pieces. You okay?” came a voice.

Stephy shook his head, taking off his glasses and rubbing his eyes, “No…” he replied miserably.

The person held out something to him, it looked like some kind of candy. “Here, it isn’t much, but every bit helps right?” they said.

Stephy took it, then slipped it into their mouth. It was sweet and creamy with a hint of mint and something he couldn’t quite place. “T-thanks… sorry, just… cleaning out my old house and found something I didn’t expect…” he mumbled.

“It happens…” chuckled the newcomer, “Whats your name?” they asked.

“S-stephy… Stephy, um, Smith.” he replied. He was adopted now after all, it basically was his name right?

“Stephy… my name is Sam… Prince Samuel of the Icebound Heart…” he chuckled as the scent of frost teased over the boy’s nose.

Stephy froze on the spot, his eyes going huge as he looked up into a smiling face, with pure icy blue eyes and pointed ears. “… oh… shit…” he whispered.

The boy was dressed in a silvery loose tunic-style top and long black pants made from some leather, but not one that ever came from any earthly animal. He had a pair of high heeled boots on as well, and his lips and fingernails were painted a glossy pale blue. “I could smell your sorrow all the way from the Hedge…” whispered Samuel, “… and you took my little treat willingly. You know what that means?”

Stephy whimpered, trying to scoot away as the boy grinned and crooked a finger… and he suddenly found he couldn’t move his arms or legs anymore.

“You’re MINE.” he giggled maliciously.

Tex ran through the woods, calling out, “Stephy?! Darlin’ where’d ya’ll run off to?! C’mon! Say something!” he called out, looking around frantically… and then he sniffed, “Huh? Whats that?” before shivering all over, “BRRGH! Where’d THAT come from? Its freakin’ July!”

And then he heard something moving nearby.

He pushed through the trees, and his eyes went wide.

Stephy was there, being pulled along by another boy with hair like spun gold and long pointed ears, his eyes like two sapphires shoved into eyesockets… and Tex had a flashback of a little girl with roses in her hair and jet black eyes.

“Oh shit! HEY! LET ‘EM GO!” he shouted, bursting free of the underbrush.

The fae boy looked over, then smirked, “Oho? A hero come to rescue the princess? How amusing!” he chuckled, then snapped his fingers. There was a swirl of frost and Tex suddenly felt his legs shoot out from under him, the boy landing flat on his back and sliding along into another tree with a loud crash! The faerie had frozen the ground under him!

He winced, struggling upright as Stephy was pulled along, bound in chains of ice as he looked back at Tex, his eyes huge and fearful! He tried to call out, but his face looked strange… and that was when Tex realized his lips were frozen shut!

The boy was leading him towards an arch in the trees, and the forest through it looked wrong… all strange angles and sharp thorns… “MMPGH! TTTTUUUTTTH!” screamed Stephy as he was dragged away. His lips were sealed, he couldn’t make any wind like that!

“SHIT! Hang on!” he shouted, trying to get off the icy patch, but it was totally frictionless! All he could do was scramble on it as the fae boy laughed in amusement.

“Is that the BEST you can do?” he tutted, “Not going to be saving anyone like that young man. If you do manage to get in however… well… I’ll leave the gate open for five minutes after we pass through. Maybe you’ll find him, maybe not… May fate favor you, cowboy.” he blew him a kiss, then pulled on Stephy’s chains HARD. The boy shrieked and stumbled, following him into the gateway… and then they were gone.

“NO!” screamed Tex, grabbing a tree and pulling himself clear of the ice, then scrambling to his feet before bolting for the Hedge Gate. He should call for help, he should call Nelen and the others, but they’d take too long to get there!

They took Stephy, they took that poor little confused kid who was just starting to figure himself out, who was finally free of his abusive father, who had even helped Tex get the body he’d dreamed of having for years…

“HANG ON DARLIN’! I’M COMING!” he called out as he dove through… the gate snapping shut behind him!

Next Story

Previous Story

[dokifluffs]

You’re Safe | Sakusa Kiyoomi

Pairing: Kiyoomi X Reader (female) 

Genre: MAFIA!AU, dad and husbando tehe, fluffy, action? thriller??

Author’s Note: mafia 🤝 protective 🤝 domestic father figure 🤝 SAKUSA

Warnings: k*lling, blood, vivid imagery, LONG, language

gif from @rivaillerose​ 🖤

“Y/N,” a husky voice spoke your name, pulling you from your much needed rest as life of being a new mother had been challenging though so far, it wasn’t anything you couldn’t handle

“Y/N, darling.”

You groaned in your sleep, not wanting to wake, to leave the warmth that you were so comfortable laying in

The edge of the bed shifted as a weight sat down beside you, making your body move toward the person

You brought yourself to open your eyes as heavy as they were, your vision clearing to find your husband sat beside you, his mask pulled down to his chin

The room was gloomy and gray though the curtains were open, not a bit of sunlight shining through as he looked down to you with gentle eyes

Despite his softer side with you, he was still the head of the clan - and his appearance matched him as well

He donned a black wool overcoat with the same colored turtleneck and mask

“What is it, Omi?” You asked sleepily as he cupped your cheek with his black gloved hand

His black gloves were always an accessory he had on him, whether he was wearing them or not

He had a thing with germs but he also saw no need to get his hands dirty when his men were always there to do the job for him

You nuzzled your face into his touch, very tempted to fall asleep holding him close but as your mind woke up more and more, you remembered what today was

What he had to do, where he had to go

“I’m leaving soon.. I’ll be back in a few days..” he whispered as he moved a strand of your hair from your face

You wanted to pretend you didn’t hear these words, that he never told you he had to leave or when he did

A part of you wished he left without telling you but an even greater part was so grateful that he woke you

“Do you really have to go again?” You squeezed his gloved hand as you sat yourself up straighter

“You know how my father is... He wants to make sure things are... under control.. I promise I’ll be back in two days.”

The way he spoke, the words fell so effortlessly from those lips, his voice low and cutting through the space yet he spoke at a volume as if he was telling you a great secret

“You said that last time and he kept you with him for a couple weeks...” you thought back to that time

You were seven months pregnant, almost eight, at the time and it was like he fell off the face of the earth

You couldn’t go anywhere or do anything but reside in the manor and you couldn’t even talk to him

You were alone again

“Don’t go...”

the nights in bed alone, the cramps, emotional rollercoasters, motion sickness, nausea

You at least wished he could have called you

The nightmares you had, the worst case scenarios playing in your head until you woke up with tears streaming down your face, only for you to cry yourself silently back to sleep as fear pooled and plagued you from within

He could see the sadness in your eyes and he could remember vividly the mental torture he was put under

No communication to you and all he could at most to see you was through the hidden cameras all connected to his phone  

Even checking in on you had to be done in secret, all to make sure that he was strong enough to continue on the family business even if he had to lose you or be away for unpredictable amounts of time

It was unbearable then and it was still unbearable now

He never asked to grow up into the business of the underworld, let alone take it over from his father at the prime age of 20 four years ago

He never wanted your life to be taken away when you two had already been together when he was recruited

“I’m sorry, darling, but you know I have to,” he sighed. “You know how my father is.” He cupped your cheek and kissed your temple then lips before he stood

“Am I going to lose you?” Your voice broke the silence, breaking through the white sound of the downpour outside

But you had stopped your question early

“Am I going to lose you today? Tomorrow? One day?”

He stood frozen in his place before he could reach for the knob

“No, Y/N. You won’t.” His eyes paused for a bit on you as he thought about his response, the fatigue of being a mother was already showing. “I’ll be able to call you this time and I’m the head now. The only title my father has to me now is father.”

“You won’t.” He stepped back over to you leaned down to kiss you again. “Not today at least…”

“I’ll call you at supper time, darling. Have a good day.”

You did your best to hold onto his hand as long as you could, to remember his touch, his voice, his scent, the way he looked before he walked out those doors

Because some days or nights, you never truly know if you would ever see him again

And it terrified you

The sound of the rain only seemed to get more intense now that he was gone and you were here

But now your day was beginning now that you were awake

You slipped out of the king sized bed, leaving the warmth you had slept in as the soft carpet at your feet, your toes sinking into the fibers

Brushing your teeth, showering in the grand bathroom of the manor, it was a life you surely never expected but here you were

Kiyoomi’s father and his entire family had built their name from nothing to the global known corporation that it was today

You dried your body off, finding what to wear today through the walk in closet and once that was found, it was breakfast

“Good morning, madam, shall I bring you your breakfast to the master suite?” Your right hand maid had greeted you as you stepped out as she carried the laundry with her

“Oh, thank you, Olivia, but I’ll head down to the kitchen after waking D/N,” you smiled to the older maid that had worked for the Sakusa family for decades

All the staff that worked and lived in the estates on the property outside of the manor were trained security, men and women, whose jobs were to protect the main family, to serve them, and to keep others who would pose a threat away and out, even if it meant killing them

But you always tried not to think or wonder about how many people these staff have killed or beat up or anything whenever you interacted with them, especially when they greeted you with a smile

They were there to protect you and to make sure that nothing and no would would ever harm your life

You stepped into the nursery, the wide room decorated with warm lights and stuffed animals, some more than twice the size of your daughter

“Hi,” you smiled so brightly seeing your baby’s eyes already open, looking up to you as she sat in her crib, holding onto her blankie. “Good morning precious,” you lowered the front gate of the crib so you could kneel down to her level

Sakusa sat in the limousine as he watched the scene of you and your daughter in the nursery, wishing he could just turn the car around and to stay home

Things were in balance, he knew this already but his father’s orders were orders he still had to respect

He clicked off his phone, tucking the device into his pocket as he was to be in the car for quite a bit of time before he would get to his father’s

The biggest smile spread on her face as she laughed seeing you, her bubbliness seeming to make all the gloominess disappear

“Let’s get you changed~” you chimed as you lifted the baby girl into your arms, getting a whiff of her heavy diaper and finding an outfit for her day 

“Olivia?” You called into the custom intercom by the nursery’s closet, though there was practically one in every room

“Yes, madam?”

“Sorry for troubling you, but could you actually bring breakfast for D/N and I up to the upstairs loft? You could even send it up the dumbwaiter and that’s fine too.”

“Of course, would you like the usual?”

“Yes please, thank you.”

You carried your little girl toward the upstairs loft, one of your favorite areas of the house since it was significantly smaller - well almost - than the living room downstairs

The loft didn’t extend all the way downstairs like how the ground floor’s living room ceiling extended to the second floor

More than ten thousand square feet of property, more rooms in the manor than you knew what to do with them

Four guest bedrooms with full bathrooms, a grand study and two story “little” library, two main bedrooms in addition to the master bedroom and a nursery

So much space, all sorts of technologies, gadgets and gizmos of all sorts in the house

All the systems in the house was made by the Sakusa corporation to ensure security

This even included your and Kiyoomi’s custom made phones

There was also the basement- all sorts of fun activities to be done: a pool, pool table, living room area that opened up to the backyard with the bar and barbecue, the fire pit

and finally, there was the cellar that was the only place Kiyoomi had requested that you never go - and you never did 

You knew that look in his eye, that tone of voice and you knew he had requested this for your best

And most importantly, there were three safe rooms, all three upstairs with hidden entryways to protect you, official guests, and anyone in the family

Before you knew it, Olivia had made her way upstairs with the breakfast as you played with your daughter in the loft, bouncing her on your lap sat on the wide couch

The loft was brightly lit and open, toys of all types for your daughter to play with as the TV played the morning kids show

As filled as the house was with the special staff and things to do, it still felt so lonely and empty as you sat there

You had tried to chat and converse with them but they never loosened up, always keeping all the formalities but it was never any use

The storm outside seemed to be getting worse as your eyes gazed to the horizon, spotting the trees at the edge of the estate where all their branches had been swaying in the wind, the paler, underside of their leaves revealed

Thunder began to rumble in the distance with the occasional flash of lightning but both unbothered your daughter and you as the two of you remained in the loft  

You watched as she rolled about on a blanket, playing with her stuffed animals and the other interactive toys that played music to keep her entertained while you watched the TV, finding nothing remotely as entertaining to watch

But just before you could change the channel to yet another disappointing channel, your attention was pulled to your phone vibrating beside you, your eyes lighting up as you saw the caller ID

“You seem so bored,” Kiyoomi’s deep voice sounded through the phone but he spoke the truth

You were tired and bored but you didn’t want to sleep - it would only make you unable to sleep later tonight anyways

“I am,” you sighed as you muted the TV. “How far out have you gone?”

“Actually, not too far. Only about half an hour since there was a major accident on the highway so we had to take a detour. But traffic is terrible so we were stuck for quite a bit before we could actually exit,” Sakusa almost groaned thinking about the terrible accident

How he was stuck in a single place for practically twenty minutes

“Wow, do you know what happened?”

“Well there was a…” his voice drowned out in your ears as you could hear something that didn’t sound like rain or thunder - they were too distinctly different

Loud bangs echoed in the distance, bringing your attention elsewhere though all you could look was outside the wall window to the dark skies  

But you couldn’t see anything except the normal background of the property but it was just silent again with the white noise of rain washing down the glass, followed by thunder and a flash of lightning as the storm brewed closer and closer

“I’m sorry what? I missed what you said... I think I heard… something weird..” you spoke as you looked outside the windows that looked to the back of the property

You could hear echoes of movement downstairs, the bustling business of the special staff in the house but it sounded standard... or so you thought

“What did you hear?”

“..I don’t know.. maybe it was the storm and I’m just distracted...” you smiled into the phone as you spoke while your daughter happily crawled to you, laying her head on your legs, her puffy cheeks round as ever

“Well, you two were my only source of entertainment so far this trip,” the corner of his lips curled as he picked off small specks off his suit

“That makes one… of us-“ your thought died out in a matter of seconds

You heard louder, clearer bangs while the staff that had been stationed with you just outside the loft talked over their ear coms to another elsewhere

Before you could continue your sentence or call, the bangs only got louder and your body reacted faster than you could say or think

Clear gunshots began firing at the front entrance, echoing off the high walls and ceilings of the manor while the staff worked on securing the doors and all other entrances and possible ones

“Y/N?” Sakusa could only hear the subtle commotion happening but it was clear you weren’t on the phone. “Shit shit shit..” he stayed on the line as he changed to the security cameras he had access to he used to watch you and your guys’ daughter

Looking through the camera surveillance, he caught a glimpse of you disappearing with your phone in hand while your arms carried your daughter as you disappeared toward the bedroom

“Turn back now,” Kiyoomi howled as his driver did just that, not wasting a single second

You ran into the master suite’s walk in closet that led to the entryway of one of the safe rooms, your baby girl in your arms as she held on to you  her whines already beginning before they would turn into cries

“Shh, it’s okay, baby, mama’s gonna protect you,” you smiled, whispering, your voice already shaky, lips trembling as you pressed a little kiss to the top of her head. “Even if it costs my life, precious.”

You moved, leaving the master suite and stayed low as you walked across the “bridge” that connected the loft to the other half of the house

Peeking down, you could hear groans of agony, puddles and splashes of of blood on the floor and walls, empty bullet shells on the ground, shards of glass and broken windows

“Search the house, find that bitch,” a deep voice yelled through the manor as for the first time since the loud bangs happened, it sounded so still, like any normal rainy day

But this was far from normal

You crawled across the marble flooring toward the library

There wasn’t any safe room here but the safe rooms were sure to be where they would look, whoever they were

They were able to get through the security, it seemed like the staff was dead

You silently stood as they scoured the lower levels - you could hear them and all the destruction they were havocking

The cars outside the window blurred into mere colors that passed as the limousine sped through the roads back towards the manor

To save time, they went toward the back roads — it was just the slightest bit longer but time could be shaved down since there were no cars anywhere

“Step on it!” Sakusa commanded as his men readied themselves. “Call in Unit 0,” he demanded as he kept his eyes on the cameras, trying to find you yet he couldn’t see you in the master suite’s safe room

Unit 0 being one of the few very highly trained professional assassins and killers who were at the disposal of the Sakusa family whenever needed

He scoured through the cameras, not even caring about all the destruction being done, all he needed to see was where you and your daughter were

You carefully entered the library, shutting the door behind you as you walked over the wooden floors carefully

Every step made your palms sweaty but your heart stopped after hearing a loud creak in the old floors

The worst part was that there was no way to lock the doors

outside of the door, you couldn’t hear too much but you could still clearly hear the storm as a great big window stretched from the floor to ceiling so all the lighting in here was natural

There was something about the walls surrounding the library that made it sound proof in a sense

You constantly bounced your baby girl in your arms to keep her calm as you tried to get a look outside as you approached one of the corners toward the window

“Search upstairs,” one of the men demanded as a handful of men ran upstairs. “Find her.”

The scoured through all the rooms, flipping every room apart, destroying things, tearing the curtains off, flipping the beds, wrecking the nursery

You peeked out the window that faced the front of the manor yet all you could see were broken things and to your horror, more lifeless bodies of the manor’s staff

But before you could look out any longer, a large rock was launched at the window, breaking the glass, shattering it

Your baby girl let out a loud cry in fear, making your heart drop

“No, D/N, shhhh, please, it’ll be okay, we’ll be okay.” You quickly pulled open the latch to the library’s hidden passage where the door was one of the bookcases

As soon as you closed the bookcase, you heard the door to the library burst open

Several men, guns ready

You scanned your finger print for the room to be safely locked however it wouldn’t let you. All you could do to make sure the room was locked was to see your body to keep the door shut and still

They walked through the wide open doorway to the library scanning the two open floors that was connected by two black steel staircases that wound their way up and down, connecting the two floors

“Shh, please,” you whimpered to your daughter as she cried into your chest as you stayed by the passage’s door so you could look out the peephole

They pulled books off the shelves, throwing them from the second level to the first, knocking the paintings off the walls, ripping them by sliding their knives through the canvas’, kicking them, breaking the frames

The ground shook as you heard a a loud boom, making you jump in your spot, the ground rumbling and shaking below where you sat

It sounded like a bomb went off on the lower level but you assumed it was the cars in the garage since you could hear the repeating alarm sounding off

Your daughters cries began to start back up at the loud noise, as you did your best to shush her

“Shhh, it’s okay,” you whispered to her as you wiped her tears, keeping her face to your chest as you stroked your trembling hand down her back as tears trickled down your cheeks and dripped off your chin

The limousine slid on the gravel outside the manor as Sakusa’s men sprang to action from the vehicle

Kiyoomi stayed in his seat, continuously scouring through the cameras but you were yet to be found

He couldn’t find a single trace of you

His men, as well as unit 0, entered through the blown open entrance, broken shards of glass crunching beneath their steps as they surrounded the estate the best they could, splitting up to eliminate the intruders

“Where are you, Y/N?” His heart hammered in his chest as he desperately tried to find you yet nothing

But before he could look any further, his heart dropped seeing the red system failure message. Whoever these people were, they were impressive, but not fast enough

Kiyoomi now meant business now that he had no access to actually see if you were okay

He ran out of the limousine as gunshots could be heard all throughout the house as half his men made their way to the upper level while the other half wiped out the intruders on the lower level

He followed behind unit 0, making their way upstairs

He clung onto his gun tightly in his hand, finger ready on the trigger as he barged into the master suite, firing two bullets into the chest and head of a large man as he was pillaging the closets

All the precious jewelry he bought for you were now stained in the pool of the filthy blood of the man who had the audacity to enter the premises

His heart almost dropped seeing him in the closet in the first place but it didn’t seem like the man noticed the entrance to the safe room behind the clothes on the hangers

As he pushed the luxurious wardrobe aside opening the door and to his fear, you were nowhere to be seen

More gunshots sounded off, echoing through the halls, sounding off the walls

He couldn’t focus, his thoughts incoherent, unfinished sentences running in his head as he just ran, killing those in his way to find you

A gun war was going off throughout the library as Sakusa’s men fired at the intruders on both levels but they had great firepower too

Both sides hid behind the marble pillars, the different bookshelves and furniture in the room as the rain showered in

Your baby girl cried loudly, her shaken cries sounding off throughout the passage

“No, no, no, please, baby.” Your heart raced as you dared to look out the peephole, only for it to drop as you saw a man you didn’t recognize yell something to another man near him

The man he yelled to fired more shots while the other one approached the passage entrance, banging noises coming through the bookshelf

“She’s in here! Hold them off!” The man yelled

“No, no, no.” Tears welled in your eyes as you did your best to keep the door closed but there was no actual way to since this was just a simple passageway

Your daughter cried loudly in your arms while you gave it your all to keep the door closed

Amongst all the shots being fired, Kiyoomi heard the words the man yelled and then it clicked

He knew where you were

“No.” This one word repeated in his head as he pushed through the front, racing past the bullets being shot towards him as he ran on pure adrenaline

“Boss, no!” His men yelled but this only got the intruders to focus on him, giving them the opening to shoot them all

Kiyoomi shot the man closer to him in the legs before letting his body move on pure killer instinct as he grabbed the man who had fallen to his knees by his jaw, snapping his neck

The other man changed his focus to Kiyoomi as he stood to his feet while the other struggled to pull his gun from his holster

Kiyoomi towered over him as his body moved on his own

He kicked the man to the wall, pressing the barrel of his gun to the man’s chin, pulling the trigger without a second thought

You squeeze your eyes shut, facing the other way from the door, bracing yourself

“I love you. Mama loves you, baby,” you whispered as you cried, a loud rumbling filling your ears as you felt the door being forced open

This was it

You were going to die

Your daughter was doing to die

you let out a blood curtling scream feeling the hands of whoever grab onto you, pulling you, kicking your legs to try to fight 

“Y/N, Y/N, Y/N!” Kiyoomi’s familiar voice sounded louder and louder over the rumbling you heard in your ears from clenching and bracing your body and your daughter’s

“It’s me, It’s just me!” He soothed you as he turned you

You couldn’t explain or even begin to describe the relief you felt wash through your body, your heart racing and slowing down at the same time as you broke down, your cries mixing with your daughter’s

“You’re safe, I’m here,” Kiyoomi pulled you into his arms, your body shaking terribly in his arms as you cried into his chest, all the fear you felt flooding your senses

“I know, I’m sorry this happened, but you’re okay. Everything will be okay,” he whispered as he pulled you into his lap, keeping the passage door somewhat closed

You were already put through enough today and he didn’t need you to see the second degree murder crime scene he had committed right outside

“I’m here, I’m here.” He reached up and pulled his mask off as he kissed the top of your head all over, wiping away your tears with his thumbs but you couldn’t stop crying

But that was entirely fine

“But Y/N,” he held your face in his bare hands, his normal gloves off as he stroked his thumb over your cold, damp cheeks

“Why didn’t you go into the safe rooms, darling?” His own voice was unsteady, his lips quivered, eyes teary. “I looked for you and I couldn’t find you and I thought I lost you..” His voice broke off as he gathered himself the best he could, taking deep breaths

Seeing Kiyoomi like this, it broke your heart even more

“I’m sorry, I don’t know what… I was just scared and- and-“ It hurt you so much

Everything about today did

But just this moment was Kiyoomi, it also touched you

He was such a stoic man, usually one to show a softer, affectionate side with you but this was the first time you saw him shed tears

A man who had taken so many lives was now showing his true emotions for the two lives he would give his own live for a hundred times over if it meant you and your daughter was okay

“I know, I know, but you’re safe,” he let out a deep, relieving breath as he hugged your head closer, your body shaking uncontrollably in his arms

“And hey, shhh, it’s okay baby. Papa’s here.” He stroked your daughter’s head as she sort of calmed down as the two of you sat together, doing your best as parents to shoo away her sadness while his men did their best to first and foremost clear the bodies and blood

You absolutely did not need to see that after today

“You two are both safe.” He breathed as he pulled you two impossibly closer, letting the shakiness of his own heart disperse  

“You’re safe…”

~~~~~ Thanks for reading! Masterlist for more! Please do not repost anywhere else! 

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[primofate]

Strength (Part 3) Xiao x fem!reader (trigger warning) Angst

Summary: He tries time and time again to warn you that hanging out with a yaksha is not the best decision. When you actually disappear he comes to terms with the unease. Little did he know that there was so much more hiding behind your smile.

Warnings: pining, FAMILY VIOLENCE/ABUSE, dark themes, profanities, there are only brief mentions of it but I suggest not to read it if you’re not comfortable, because there might be some trigger items I’m not tagging anyone for now.

Notes: You know what this part actually reminds me of Squid Game... >_> @eemyr I tear hearts apart a lot more before mending them XD Don’t worry, if it’s the final chapter I usually write it as (Final)

Read: (Part 1)  (Part 2) (Part 4)  (Part 5)  (Part 6 - final)

“Please. Please Ms. Lee. This is all I ask of you,” You beg the older woman, your sister at your side, hugging a worn out stuffed bunny. There’s gauze on her chin.

“Of course, Y/N… but how about you? You should leave too…” You shake your head, a mixture of fear and adrenaline in your veins. You can’t throw the image of last night out of your mind. 

It was the first time your father had ever lifted a hand against Shuyin.

“Stop! STOP! Don’t! Not Shuyin! Don’t hurt Shuyin! I’m here. I’m right here. Hit me instead. Just not Shuyin...Not Shuyin…!” 

You were in tears by the end of it, your sister cradled in your chest. 

That was the moment you realized your family was broken. 

It wasn’t going to go back to the way it was, back when your mother was still alive. Your father was now on the path of self-destruction, willing to take anyone else down with him. Including his own daughters. 

“I...I can’t. I still..” You gulp, fisting your hands on your sides. A memory of your mother flashes in your mind. 

‘Y/N, you’re a very capable girl, take care of everyone for me. Shuyin. Your father. And yourself. You can do it,’ 

He was still your father. Your father who had cherished the three of you, embraced the three of you and loved the three of you. But when your mother died, the father that you knew had died along with her. There was no trace of him now, and yet, there was still hope in your heart. 

Last night came to this decision. To pass Shuyin off to Wangshu Inn for the time being. To Verr Goldet. Ms. Lee had far too many kids on her hands already, she was a kind woman, but there was only so much she could do. 

“...Y/N,” Shuyin looked up at you with watery eyes, “Are you leaving me?” You smile and kneel in front of her, smoothing her hair down. “No, Shuyin, I’ll…” 

I’ll bring our family back… I can do it… If I just talk to father I...

“I’ll come for you when everything’s better...Okay?” You tell her, and your sister who doesn’t know any better, nods, gripping the bunny tighter against herself. Ms. Lee starts the journey, and that is how Shuyin ends up in Wangshu Inn.

“Y/N’s sister…?” Verr Goldet asks Ms. Lee, confused.

“Yes… It’s...complicated,” Ms. Lee was not at liberty to say. “Only for a week, I’m sure Y/N will come pick her up when...everything has settled down,” Ms. Lee explains to Verr Goldet. 

Verr Goldet looks at the child. They had plenty of spare rooms...but taking care of the child could pose some problems. However, Verr Goldet knew that you wouldn’t have done this without a reason. Thankfully a few of the Wangshu Inn staff rented rooms at the inn as well, and when Verr Goldet was busy, someone else was tasked to look after Shuyin. 

They would find that Shuyin was capable of looking after herself, if they had known what the child had been through, they’d understand Shuyin’s keen sense for survival. 

But when the week passed and there was no sign of you, even Shuyin felt lost. She found herself walking around the inn, just before bedtime. She’d never gone up the long winding stairs, it seemed tiring. Like a mountain she had to climb. But today, she explored. 

And that day was the first day your little sister laid eyes on Xiao.

It’d been a week and four days that Xiao hadn’t seen you. He wasn’t counting. Part of him was relieved that you didn’t show up last week. The other part...The other part was wondering why, although he knew that he shouldn’t. 

When night fell and a sound shuffled behind him he thought for sure that it was you. The presence he felt was similar, but when he turned, he saw only a small girl. Stuffed bunny in her arms. Xiao held the girl’s gaze for a moment, then ignored her and turned back around. 

Shuyin watched as the man took no interest in her. She was wary of men, but something about this person told her that he was different, in an otherworldly sense. Shuyin was about to retreat back into her room, but something on the wooden railing caught her eye. A pouch. A very familiar pink pouch of coins.

“...That’s...my sister’s” Shuyin’s brows furrowed. She was suddenly sad. She hadn’t seen her sister in a while. Xiao turned around again and faced the child who was now visibly upset. He glanced at the pouch on the railing and then back to the child.

“...What’s your name?”

“...Shuyin…”

It clicked in his mind. He was not one to forget things easily. But there was unease that came with his realization. 

If your sister was here then where were you? 

He’d have to ask Verr Goldet later. 

“Are you...big brother Xiao?”

He was snapped away from his thoughts of you at the sudden question, and just like that he was rendered silent by the child. Xiao closes his eyes, and sighs out. “Yes... But don’t call me big brother,” even with children, his gruff attitude doesn’t disappear. 

Then, as if the sun rises, shining between the mountains, Shuyin smiles. Her first real one in a week. “Big sister Y/N told me about you! She says you’re amaz--”

“Shuyin! Shuyin? It’s time for bed, come on!” an inn attendant calls out for her. She turns around towards the sound, then turns her head to look at Xiao again, but he was gone. Shuyin blinks. Feet shuffling about and going in a circle to look around her. Where did he go? She thinks. 

She sighs in defeat, and obediently walks toward the inn attendant, wondering when she’d see the mysterious yaksha again.

Wondering when she’d see you again.

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[majestyeverlasting]

Congratulations on your one month tumblr anniversary! Could you please write prompts 16 and 46 with fatws!Bucky x reader? Thank you! :)

♡ Hi, thank you so much! I appreciate you for waiting on me to write this. I had a lot of fun with it, so I hope you enjoy! To summarize, the reader gets to accompany Bucky on an assignment in Germany, and the two of them take advantage of the special housing arrangement they’re given on a private portion of the beach. You guys get to see a little dash of multilingual Bucky towards the end in a really sweet way. The whole thing is pretty cute overall.

♡ Prompt 16: “You’re not good at pretending to be asleep.”

♡ Prompt 46: “Stop making me laugh, I’m supposed to be angry with you.”

Once More

As the tide rolled in, a gentle breeze came with it. Each ebb and flow brought the lukewarm water of the bay running over your feet as your toes pressed into the soft sand. The seagulls gliding above seemed to be welcoming you as they released their throaty cries into the air. Aside from them and the gentle slosh of the bubbling tide, there were no immediate sounds; it was peaceful.

That portion of the beach was private, situated along the Bay of Kiel. It sat behind the small, white, house that you and Bucky were staying in for the week-long duration of his assignment. It was the first time in a while that you’d been able to accompany him because, for once, he and Sam were solely doing investigative work.

There would be no intense pursuits, no combat, no casualties. Just observing.

In the weeks prior, the Office of International Affairs in D.C. had received word that under-the-table negotiations were being proposed in the port city of Kiel. They needed eyes and ears on the ground to confirm whether or not such claims were valid. Because if they were, a major threat would be posed to European infrastructure and the millions who depended on it. So after housing arrangements were made, the three of you were flown into a private airport in Germany along with a couple of military agents.

It was a peculiar getaway, but a getaway no less.

You let out a small yelp when a pair of arms snaked around your waist from behind, squeezing gently. “Hey, pretty girl,” Bucky murmured into your ear, kissing it afterwards. “I saw you walk out here.”

As you relaxed, a thoughtful hum rose up your throat. “I figured you might’ve. You’re not very good at pretending to be asleep.”

Before you wandered out to the shoreline, Bucky had been laying on the wicker couch on the back porch, baby blue cushions beneath him. There were a pair of aviator sunglasses covering his eyes as his chest rose with steady breaths. You had paused to see if he was awake and would acknowledge you. The corners of his lips twitched upwards the slightest bit, which you almost considered calling him out for.

But when he didn’t show any other signs of being awake, you leaned down to press a light kiss to his forehead before heading down the steps, and onto the wooden walkway that led to the sand.

At your comment, Bucky chuckled and let his mouth move the spot beneath your ear, nipping gently.

You shivered, and said, “I should’ve pinched you.”

“That wouldn’t have been nice.” A smile was evident in his voice.

You shrugged with a small huff of laughter. The two of you then gazed out at the expanse of the bay. Ships sailed along the line of the horizon in the distance. The tide continued rolling in, though never rising quite above your knees.

“I love you,” he said eventually, his words competing with the seagulls.

“I love you too.” He coaxed you to turn to face him. When you did, you saw that the white button down he wore was unbuttoned and flowing in the calm wind.

Seamlessly, his flesh hand rose to cup your face and he connected his lips to yours. You could taste the lingering hint of Merlot on his tongue from when you two had shared a glass in the hour prior. Bucky kissed you slowly, and gently, yet still with passion. Had the tide not been lapping at your legs, you would have had reason to believe you were floating.

You chased his lips for a final peck when he started to pull away, making him smile. He looked handsome in the late afternoon sun and you allowed yourself to study his face. A few freckles lined his cheeks and you reached up to run your finger over them. Then your hand fell so that you could wrap your arms around him in an embrace. His secured around you in return.

It was getting closer to the time he had to meet up with Sam and the agents to eavesdrop on a meeting being held at a classified location near the Port of Kiel shipyard.

“You have to leave me soon, don’t you?” You asked, head resting on his shoulder.

“In another hour,” he confirmed. “I should be back before it gets too late.”

“Okay,” you murmured. “And you promise you guys will be safe?”

Bucky chuckled and gave you a squeeze. “We’ve done this kinda stuff once or twice, doll. We’ll be alright,” he said, a note of teasing to his tone. “But, yes. I promise.”

It was before midnight when he arrived back at the house. Late, but before midnight nonetheless. When he walked through the front door, you were laying on the couch in the living room, curled up in one of the fluffy blankets you’d packed. The TV glowed as it aired a nightly news report that had failed to grasp your full attention. You would’ve crawled into bed had you not been waiting for him.

The sight of his tall frame made you push yourself up to stand, the blanket slipping off you, and back down to the couch. You didn’t realize that a small smile had stretched across your face.

“See?” He said, smiling back. “Not too bad, right? Could’ve been later.”

“Yeah,” you agreed. “How’d everything go?”

He ran a hand through his hair as he began to walk towards you. His boots thudded against the wooden planks of the floor. “Things are looking pretty good so far,” he began. There wasn’t anything discussed that raised reason for concern. We’ll see how things play out as we keep an eye out these next few days. That’ll determine everyone’s next move,” he explained, stopping a little ways in front of you. “How about you, pretty girl? What’d you get up to while I was gone?”

Nothing worth noting, you wanted to say. But you decided to tease him instead. “Oh, you know.” You shrugged. “A little bit of everything. Went out on the town, danced on a few tables, got whisked away by a stranger—electrifying stuff.”

A hint of a smirk appeared on Bucky’s face as he narrowed his eyes at you. “I don’t think you’d look this cozy after doing all that.” He began to take off his leather jacket, revealing a black T-shirt that accentuated the definition of his upper body. His vibranium arm almost seemed to blend into the dark fabric, making the gold streaks of accent stand out. Black was one of your favorite colors on him for that very reason.

But you weren’t done messing with him quite yet. “Maybe that’s what I want it to seem like.” You raised your brows in a challenge. Bucky stared at you for a few more beats before stalking off towards the master bedroom with a lighthearted roll of his eyes.

“Wait, no! Don’t leave.” You laughed, following after him.

Bucky didn’t react when you wrapped your arms around him in a jarring hug, forcing him to walk into the bedroom carting a portion of your weight as you attempted to slow his steps. The room was a modest space suited with a neutral color scheme. Lots of browns and creams with a couple pops of a pretty burnt orange. The full-sized bed was smaller than the two of you were used to, but the proximity that came along with sleeping in it hadn’t been too bad the previous night.

He tossed his jacket onto it.

“I was just kidding,” you said. “I was here the whole time. I went out back to watch the sunset, but I hardly did anything other than that. Just scrolled on my phone and read a little. And missed you.”

He finally laughed and pried your arms from around him. “I know, doll.” Then he smirked. “You’d probably fall if you actually tried dancing on a table.”

“Hey!” You lightly slapped his chest with the back of your hand. “I would not.” Bucky’s laughter dwindled when you pouted and took a seat on the edge of the bed.

“Oh, c’mon,” he said, moving to stand in front of you. “I was joking. You know I was.” You almost cracked a smile when he lifted your chin so you could meet his eyes.

“Ich liebe dich,” he stated. German for I love you.

“I have no idea what you just said.” That was a lie.

You let him pull you to your feet as his shoulders shook with amusement. “Yes you do,” he countered.

Then he took your face in his hands and pressed a kiss to your forehead, your nose, and peppered some across your cheeks in a way that pleasantly ghosted over your skin. In between them, he told you that he loved you in a few of the languages he spoke—the ones in which he knew you were familiar with the phrase. He even called you “pretty girl” in Russian before pecking your lips. The whole while, warmth spread through your face.

He smiled at the sight of the sparkle in your eyes. “Do I need to repeat anything, or did you understand?”

That drew a chuckle out of you, against your attempt and feigning indifference. “Stop making me laugh,” you whined in defeat. “I’m supposed to be angry with you.”

“And how’s that working out?”

“It’s not,” you muttered. “I love you too.”

And your lips met his once more.

-

Thanks for reading!

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[luimagines]

Cheesy Pick-Up Lines

Masterlist

Can’t get more self explanatory than this folks.

For Wind’s scenario, the reader is the same age.

Very cheesy lines up ahead. Viewer discretion is advised.

Time

“Do you believe in love at first sight- or I need to walk by again?” You raise an eyebrow at Time with a smirk and a cocky pose with a hand on your hip.

He looks down at you and fails to stop his own smirk in time.

However Time does not answer you.

You bite you tongue, a little frustrated at the lack of reaction and try with a different one. “You know if sexy was a crime, you’d be found guilty as charged.”

You wink this time for good measure.

Time snorts and shakes his head. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“...Trying to get you to blush.” You admit with a shy grin and a shrug.

“You’re going to have to do more than that.” His smirk grows.

“You could be a little cooperative.” You mutter and pout.

“Your lines need a little more work.” He begins to make his way toward you. “But there’s a golden rule to this that you should learn if you want a place to start.”

“Hey! What do you-” You stop short and gulp slightly as Time gets into your personal space. “...know...?”

Time takes your chin between his thumb and pointer finger and tilts your head up. It’s a gentle touch that catches you off guard and makes you feel smaller than you usually do when you’re next to him. He stares right into your eyes and your forced to do the same.

“Here’s the thing.” He begins and you swear his voice drops an octave. “I don’t consider myself a religious man... But when I first laid my eyes on you I knew that you were the answers to my prayers.”

Time lets you go and begins to walk away as if that never happened. “Delivery is key.”

You look after him, heart pounding, a little breathless and feeling the heat of his breath on your face still. Or maybe the heat is your blush.

Oh it’s on now.

Twilight

“Excuse me, Sir Twilight.” You wave to your friend and smile easily when he gives you his attention. “I am in need of a map.”

“Why are you talking like that?”

“I-... Come on man, you don’t have to rain on my parade.” You pout slightly and refuse to give in when he chuckles at your theatrics.

“Oh, my apologies. What do you need a map for?” He smiles and places his hands on his hips.

“It appears I’ve gotten lost.” You hold your head up high and step closer to him.

“How? I’m right here. How are you lost?”

“I’ve gotten lost in your eyes.” You wink and faint on him slightly. “They’re just like the ocean! I’d gladly swim in them all day!”

Twilight pushes you off gently and flicks your forehead.

“Ow.”

“You’ll live. You’ve got thick skin.” He grins. “It’s not as thick as my shirt however. It’s made out of something not found just anywhere.”

“Oh yeah?” You rub the spot gently. “What’s it made of then country boy? Goat hair?”

“Oh you know... It’s boyfriend material.” He says with a shrug and spins around to walk away. 

“Oh haha...” You smirk and walk a little faster to catch up to him. “Of course it is. Before you go, do you mind holding this for me?”

You stick your clenched hand out next to Twilight and he holds his own hand out without any thought to it. “Sure what is it?”

You don’t answer and instead place your hand down in his, unfurl your fingers and lace them with his. “Thanks, it was getting heavy.”

He snorts but continues to hold it for the rest of the walk.

Wild

“Are you a camera? Because every time I look at you I smile!” You jump on Wild’s back and hug him from behind, a laugh on your breath and a grin on your face.

Wild laughs as well and grabs your arms, spinning around for a moment before letting you fall. “That was cheesy.”

“It was supposed to be.” You wink.

“Do you even have a camera?” Wild rolls his eyes.

“That has nothing to do with what I said.” You pout slightly and put your hands on your hips. “But I know you do. You’re really good at using it to.”

“Not that good.”

“Wild you have natural talent, a gift if you will, at taking photos.” You nudge him with your arm and mockingly bow. 

“I’m wouldn’t consider myself a photographer.”

“But incredibly good at taking them in the moment.”

“I suppose so.” Wild shrugs and tosses a cocky smile in your direction. ”I mean, I can definitely picture us together.”

You bite you lip in an attempt to hide your growing grin. “Do you have any raisins?”

“Nope.”

“How about dates?”

“None of those either.”

“Want to go on one with me?”

Wild pauses mid-step and blinks for a moment before turning to you. “Oh, you’re good.”

Sky

“What is it that you do for fun back in your home world?” Sky asks as your both walking through the forest for the day. 

Grin and tilt your head in his direction. “I’m studying to become a historian. I’m especially interested in finding a date.” You send him a wink. 

He scoffs but smiles good naturedly. “Of course. Naturally.”

“You?”

“I like the ride my loftwing through the sky and see the view. I wish I could show you guys but...”

“Maybe when we get there.” You nudge his shoulder and point up to the clouds above you. “Hopefully the skies look better there than here.”

“It’s absolutely is.” He looks up as well and you look over to him.

You lean in a little and snap, a large smile on your face. “I think I figured it out!”

“What?”

“No wonder the sky is grey- all the color is in your eyes.”

Sky bites his lip and puts his hand to his face to hide his growing smile and blush as he laughs. “Stop.”

“Did the sun just come out or did you smile at me?”

“Oh my god!”

Hyrule

“Hyrule, I have a question that I think only you can answer.” You say and wrap your arm around his shoulders.

This takes him by surprise and he’s quick to offer his assistance. “What is it?”

“You’re pretty good with magic right?”

“I know a few spells, sure, but if it’s about magic as a whole? You might better off with Legend.” Hyrule shrugs and offers an apologetic smile.

“But my question is about your magic.” You stress and poke his chest. “You see, before I get to where I’m going, let me ask you this. Are you a magician?”

“...I’d consider myself more a mage?” He tilts his head.

“Ok, prefect, explain this to me then, if you’d be so kind.” You can’t help but grin wildly. “Why is it then, that I’m looking at you, you make everyone else disappear?”

“I...I don’t know.’ Hyrule blushes all the way down to his neck and scratches it bashfully. He takes a minute to compose himself before grinning and tossing you a shy side eye. “You’re too sweet, you know that?”

“Believe me, you’re the sweet one. You’re giving me a toothache over here!”

Hyrule shoves you away then and clamps his hands over his face but from what he doesn’t cover, you can see the wide grin from behind his hands.

Mission accomplished.

Legend

“You take that back Fancy Pants!” Legend shouted. “Or I’ll toss right into the heart of Death Mountain!”

“You couldn’t.” Warrior rolled his eyes. “Not without your oh- so- powerful bracelets and rings and hoard of items.”

“If I could change the alphabet, I’d put F and U together!”

Warrior snorted and walked away. “Just admit that you lost and leave it at that. There’s no need to embarrass yourself further.”

“You-!” 

You sighed and walked up to where Legend was left fuming. “Great come back.”

“Shut up!”

“I wouldn’t take what he says to heart.” You shrug and smile at him. “I think he just gets a kick out of your reactions.”

“That brainless, boorish-”

“You want to know something?” You cut him off before he could go on a cursing spree for the next hour.

“Sure.” He spits. “Hit me with it. What do I care.” 

“If I could change of the alphabet, I’d put U and I together.” You grin widely and wait for his reaction.

But you don’t get one.

Instead he stares at you unamused with his arms crossed and face flat. “Ok, I think I get what he means now.”

“What?” You raise and eyebrow and scoff. “Is that not good enough for you? Ok. How about this one then? You have so many items. Any chance that you have an extra heart? Mine’s been stolen!”

You complete the sentence with throwing yourself onto his side, hand on your forehead and looking up at him with the most blissful expression you can manage.

He snorts a little, forgetting his previous sour attitude and shoves you off.

“That’s low hanging fruit.” 

“Geeze tough crowd.” You brush yourself off and grin at him. “Despite that, I have to say, even though we’re not socks, I think we’d make a great pair!”

“You’re impossible.” He smiles a little easier and begins to walk away.

Well, he might have missed your point but at least he was feeling better.

Four

You sigh and run your hand through your hair. It’s wet and sticking to your face as you get out of the lake.

Four is there on the other side and you find yourself grinning.

Despite the way everything seems to be sticking to you, you jog to where he is and stop in front of him. “Here I am! What are your other two wishes?”

He snorts and glances in your direction. He stills suddenly and no so subtlety looks you up and down.

“Like what you see?”

“It’s a good thing I brought my library card.” He says in response.

“You have your what now?”

“Because I am totally checking you out.”

You blink and laugh. Because yes, you are soaking wet and all your clothes are sticking to your figure. 

“Huh.” You roll your eyes and sit next to him in the sun to dry off faster. “This spot open?”

“Go right on ahead.”

“I think I have something wrong with my eyes.” You grin.

“Wait, really?” He spin in his spot to look into them as if that’ll make or break the problem. “What’s the problem?”

“I just can’t seem to take them off of you.” 

Four goes red immediately and shoves you away with one hand on his face and other on yours. “Ok, you win.”

Warrior

“So aside from being sexy, what do you do for a living?” You slide up to where Warrior was sitting and lean on his shoulder, waiting for his reaction to your line.

He turns his head to look at you and you show him your cheesiest smile and he rolls his eyes.

“Wow...I’ve never heard that one before.” He snorts, letting it slide.

It clicks then that, that could have gone really bad considering it’s Warrior and he’s probably dealt with all kinds of harassments. But you count your lucky stars that he appears to be humoring you and isn’t offended at least.

“Alright, tough guy, what’s your best one?” You challenge and sit next to him.

“Really?”

“Yes. Prove me wrong. Go on. Do it.”

Warrior looks down at the ground for a second and looks back at you with that trade marked smirk, you associate him with. “Are you sure you can fire one back though? I’m sure you’re tired.”

“Why on earth would I be tired? It’s the middle of the day.”

“You were running through my mind all night. So, you must be tired. ” He says casually and looks away.

The blush is instantaneous on your face and you have to cough and look away from his stupid-charming face. That one... has a lot of implications..... depending on the audience..

A moment of silence passes and he laughs a little quietly under his breath. “That’s it? That’s all it took?”

“No.” You squeak and look at him head on.

Your blush still hasn’t gone away.

“I just...”

Warrior continues smirking. He’s enjoying this. “Cat got your tongue?”

You huff and look at the supplies in front of you. “It’s hardly my fault.”

“Sure it is.”

“You’re so beautiful that you made me forget my pick up line.”

Warrior stills and coughs in a similar manner that you did only seconds ago.

Now you’re both blushing messes.

Wind

“Hey Wind!” You call and run up to his side. “I just figured something out!”

“What is it?” Wind stops mid step and waits for you to reach his side.

You’re a little out of breath from running the distance but you grin wildly at him. “If you were a vegetable, you’d be a cute-cumber.”

He snorts and shoves you away slightly, continuing to walk along the trail behind the others. You can hear some of the older ones chuckles but you’re determined.

“I think out of everyone, you’re the cute one here, actually.” Wind smiles in your direction and it throws you off of your rhythm for a moment.

Enough so that you actually trip and fall on the trail, pain shooting from your knee.

“Woah, hey, are you ok?” Wind jogs back to you and helps you up.

You hiss and look at the damage. As far as scrapes go, it’s not that bad, but you are bleeding a little.

“Do you have a bandage?” You blink up at Wind. “I just scraped my knee falling for you.”

He blinked a bit, stunned and confused before a lightbulb seems to go in his head and he blushes brightly. He chuckles and places a hand be the back of his neck. Wind then gets down to his knees next to you and brushes the dirt from your knee. He’s very cute when he’s bashful, you think.

“Let me see what I have in my pack.” He says with a bright grin.

It’s not like the others are watching this all go down or anything.... 

They don’t say anything though, less they ruin the tenderness of budding crushes.

[maijobi]

comfort

megumi fushiguro x reader

summary: you land in the hospital because of the first dangerous mission after your high school graduation and megumi beats himself up with the fact that he couldn’t save you on time. so as a tribute to that he visited you every day. but was guilt really the only reason for him putting this much effort for you?

a/n: I originally wrote this story for gojo,, but something about this reminded me of megumi, so I changed it to megumi and honestly I'm happy I changed it. I enjoy writing for gojo because his personality is so fun to write with, but something about megumi fit this perfectly. enjoy reading!!

————————————————————————

you were sitting on the hospital bed, peeling a tangerine that was in the fruit basket that your colleagues had brought. you looked out the window and watched the wind blow the leafs off of the trees. throwing a piece of the tangerine in your mouth, you chewed on the fruit and accidentally allowed a little bit of the juice to slip through your throat, making you cough lightly.

“careful.”

you turned your head from the window to the door that was opened by fushiguro himself. you looked uninterested at him and threw your hand in the air, as if to wave at him.

“don’t want you dying on a tangerine”, he said, genuinely worried.

“dude, it’s just tangerine juice. how wrong could that have gone?”, you asked, turning your gaze back to the window.

you weren’t really paying attention to the trees anymore, only because the old couple that was sitting on a bench seemed a little bit more interesting. it looked like they were having exciting conversation. the woman was waving her hands and had a smile on her face while the man was looking at her with admiration.

“yes, it was also just a mission but look at you now”, he said, walking to the window and closing the curtains, blocking the sunlight which had unknowingly blinded you. he hadn’t noticed you looking outside so when he closed the curtains you turned your gaze to fushiguro. 

“did you really just compare a deadly mission to a tangerine?”, you asked, raising an eyebrow.

he let out a sigh, earning a chuckle from you. he had been here visiting you almost every day. you weren’t sure why he did, but after your investigation you figured he did it out of guilt. out of guilt of not being able to protect you. he felt like making it up to you. you could be wrong, but this seemed like the most possible explanation.

he sat down on the chair next to your bed and took the fruit basket. slowly he peeled the apple that he took out of there and sliced them into even pieces. 

“you liked apples right?”, he asked. but he already knew the answer so responding didn’t seem necessary. not that he was expecting you to.

he placed the plate on your lap and gave you a toothpick to eat it with. with a small thank you, you ate the apples while he washed the knife.

“what did the doctors say? did they check up on you today?”, he asked as he sat back down on his original spot.

you nodded. “they said I'm doing much better. they said that I might even be able to leave earlier than expected”, you said happily as you chewed on the apple.

“maybe they should keep you in for the originally planned time. you know, just to be sure. don’t want no unexpected incidents to happen”, he said the last in a whisper and dropped his head. 

“megumi”, you said, his gaze turning back to you. “why are you so concerned about this? it was just a mission that went wrong. it happens all the time, nothing new. don’t beat yourself up just because you couldn’t protect me on time. I mean in the end you were there. if you weren’t, who knew where I would be now. I'm doing fine, don’t worry”, you said, waving your hands to show you were doing fine.

but you weren’t totally honest with him. even though you were doing better, you still had taken a lot of damage. that being the reason why you were in a lot of pain. you were still as good as paralyzed on both legs. you were hurting, but telling him that might not be the best option.

“yeah, but me not being able to help in time is the reason why you are now paralyzed in bed for the past two weeks”, he said, looking seriously hurt.

“you can be so dramatic sometimes”, you said, rolling your eyes playfully as an attempt to reassure him. “I am a recovery beast”, you said, pursing your lips and doing a bicep pose, showing off your muscles.

a breathy laugh escaped his lips and for the first time in a while he had a genuine smile on his face. the laughter soon died down, but a small smile was still formed on his face.

“you know, that was the first smile I've seen on you ever since I woke up after the incident. megumi we’re 18. we just graduated and stuff like this is supposed to happen on our first real missions as high school graduates in order for us to grow stronger. I bet that when I'm healed I'll be even stronger than I was before”, you said. “plus-”, you said, pulling the covers so that your toes were visible and you wiggled them, “- I can move my toes again.”

a smile of relief formed on his face. it wasn’t enough to reassure him, but enough to make him smile. “I'm happy at least one of us is taking this situation positively”, he said.

“you are such a drama queen”, you snorted. “tell me megumi, what would you do if I actually died.”

his face turned all serious and he thought for a moment. “I don’t like thinking about that, but-”, he said, standing up and walking to the window to look behind the curtains. probably to just think with out having to be distracted by you, “I'd probably stop being a sorcerer.”

“that’s shocking coming from someone that adores his job”, you said with a chuckle. “you like me that much, huh”, you said in a joking way.

he was silent for a minute, before turning his head in your direction. he stared straight into your eyes, but still didn’t say a word. he was chewing the inside of his mouth and thought of the right words to say. but nothing seemed good enough to be said with words.

“say, megumi. why do you help me this much? is it really all because of guilt or is there something more to it”, you genuinely asked. because there was this feeling inside of you that needed a mutual answer. 

as if making up his mind he looked at you with a confident look. “because I like you. and even if you don’t share the same feelings, I won’t stop caring for you. I want you and I'll do my best to prove that to you. I'll prove that I am worth it.”

“who said I didn’t”, you said in a serious tone. “who said I didn’t like you.”

it wasn’t a sight you were used to see, but seeing megumi turn his head slightly to the side and seeing the redness form on his skin made you blush yourself. he wasn’t the one who’s emotions you could read easily, so when stuff like this happened you just felt a warmness inside of you. something that told you that he was comfortable enough to show this side of him to you.

“don’t say stuff like this, I might get the wrong idea”, he said in a low voice, still hiding his face.

“maybe that’s what I was hoping for”, you said. you scooted to the side, making just enough space to fit another person. “wanna join in?”

how could he even possibly say no to such a request? so without a word he made his way to sit next to you, taking off his shoes before sitting on the bed. he sat down next to you, under the covers. he had this slight awkward pose, but when you scooted closer to him you felt him relax next to you.

you rested your head against his shoulder. “you know, megumi. I enjoy being with you. I'm not sure how you do it, but you just make me feel safe. even if you think otherwise, I do feel a sense of safety. so if it’s not too much to ask. could you stay by my side until I’m recovered? will you be here until I can finally stand on my own?”

“I'll stay with you even after that”, he said resting his head on yours. “I don’t plan on going anywhere else.” he had said the last in a whisper.

“good”, you said while closing your eyes. you felt drowsy and without hesitation you let sleep take over you. “thank you.”

“anytime”, he said while pulling the cover more over your body. “rest well.”

you didn’t have the energy to respond to that, but it didn’t really matter. the way you let your body completely fall on his was enough for him to understand that you had already fallen asleep. but the warm kiss he planted on your head was the real reason why you completely gave your body to slumber. because his touch was comforting to you.

that's how you woke up to him holding you tightly against his chest while he was asleep. a smile creeped on your face. this was probably the most amount of sleep he had gotten in days, so waking him up now was not something you planned to do. instead you pressed your face to his chest. his scent filling your nose as it calmed you down. falling asleep like this wasn’t bad at all. and just before sleep could fully take you over, you felt his embrace tighten around you, as if to show that he was there for you and that he was planning to stay, because that was his main goal. to protect you and for you to be able to protect him.