#anyways how about that prison finale lol

[fifi-in-the-new-world]

Philza's ultimate: Friend of Rose. By activating his rose charm, Phil becomes a temporary vessel for the Rose the flower deity.

When Friend of Rose is active, Phil gains resistance to magic damage, a bonus to passive energy regen, and whenever one of Phil's attacks hits, there is a chance the target is tangled and frozen in place for a short time.

Philza can make a melee attack and tangle the target in brambles and vines, slowing them down and dealing damage whenever they try to move.

Bloom Sanctuary surrounds Philza in an aura of petals, increasing the health of any adjacent allies.

Garden summons a well of regenerative power that continuously heals allies who stand inside.

The second of Phil's ultimate abilities! The third and final will be posted tomorrow!

[ponderingmoonlight]

Megumi losing his will to carry on until (y/n) shows up

Pairing: Megumi x reader

Word Count: 1,5k

Synopsis: Megumi can't take it anymore. All the death, the grief, the misery he caused. He'll never forgive himself for losing you...But are you really dead?

Warnings: THIS CONTAINS SPOILERS! but more in a really decent way, like I actually think if you have no idea of the manga you don't get that these are spoilers lol, HEAVY angst but also comfort, poor Megumi is at his lowest so TW if that offends you

I know I promised you a Sukuna fic it technically is and I will serve, but this basically wrote itself so I hope you like this as well hehe

Take a deep breath in and out, calm your tingling nerves, allow your feet to walk at normal pace. You waited so long for this moment, recovered from your endless injuries Sukuna conflicted on your body and soul. It took Shoko forever to stitch you up again, to make you look like a human being again. But there you go, walking on your very own legs, to finally see the true love of your life again.

When was the last time you spoke to him? Oh, you remember it exactly.

“I’m scared. Scared of what will happen, scared about the things we’ll lost…”

“Hey, you’ll never lose me, okay? I will always stay by your side.”

Little did both of you know he’ll break that promise a few weeks later and that he won’t return to your side for over a year. How hard you fought, how desperately you tried to stand a chance against Sukuna – only to get thrown out of life yourself.

“Are you sure you can handle this, that you are fit enough?”, Yuji questioned with his hand resting on your shoulder.

“You know you don’t have to-“

“This might be the only chance to get him back, right?”

Yuji smiled at you with that pained expression on his face you saw countless times these last months.

“Yuta and I think it might work. After all, everyone knows how much you mean to him.”

You clench your hands into fists. There is no doubt in the fact that Megumi Fushiguro is still in there, that he is still the boy you know and adore with all your heart. Even if it means you’ll get attacked again, even if it might end your life, you’ll have to try.

-Megumi-

Megumi’s body doesn’t move an inch, lifeless eyes staring into nothing but darkness. What time is it? He couldn’t care less. No, time doesn’t make any sense right now. Not when he lost everyone he loved. His family, his friends, his self-control. You.

His heart stings immediately. Oh, your gorgeous face hunts him down like nothing else. The way you talked, the way you laughed. The way you looked at him with widened eyes when your lifeless body fell to the ground, the way your blood pooled around his brown shoes.

Why? Why didn’t you listen to him when he told you earlier to stay away from Sukuna? Why did you decide to show up anyway, without Yuji or Yuta by your side? There was absolutely nothing he could do to save you.

Just like his sister.

Just like Gojo-sensei.

Just like everyone else.

It seems unreal to him. Unreal that he’s the one still alive, that all these people lost their lives through his very own hands. Oh, he’ll never forget the way you cared for his sister, your dumb inside jokes with Gojo. He’ll never forget the way you held his hand that one night, how your soft smile outshone the heavy moonlight.

“Don’t worry Megumi, everything will turn out alright eventually!”

Oh, how wrong you were. How awful these words make his guts turn, how desperately he wants to close his eyes forever.

No, you didn’t deserve your fate. Everyone didn’t deserve their fates. But he? He deserves nothing but death.

Nothing but emptiness.

Nothing but darkness.

“Megumi.”

Is he hallucinating again? Is your voice hunting him down like it always does? It sounds so clear, near to reach. As if he could open his eyes, stretch out his hands and-

“Megumi.”

Again.

His skin suddenly starts to feel warm, as if someone touches his arm. Impossible, no one should be here, it’s just him in this prison that never ends-

“Hey, I’m here. It’s me, (y/n).”

“(y/n)?”

That name. That gorgeous name he adores to the moon and back, that last name that saved him from giving up until you died in front of his eyes.

“Hey, it’s been a while.”

“You’re dead.”

That voice sounds so unknown, so far away that you flinch for a second. Is this really Megumi and not just a cheap copy of him? You swallow hard, desperately try to contain your emotions. Oh, how much you longed for this moment, to finally hold the love of your life again. But on the other hand, you can’t take the sight in front of you. Him laying curled up on the cold floor, face showing absolutely no emotion.

You shake your head. No, you have to be strong right now. If not for yourself, then for him.

“Open your eyes, silly. I’m right here”, you reply.

Gently, you cup his cheek with your hand the way he always secretly adored. This just has to work, you need to get him back.

He hesitates for a moment, breath stuck in his throat. Is this really you or just his own sorrow reminding him of the things he’s done? But what…

He opens his eyes.

His gaze finds yours.

Time stands still.

“I missed you, cutie patootie.”

Reality hits him with full force. This might be a cruel trick, a hallucination. But that nickname was always a little secret between both of you, how you called him in private. No one except you knows about it. No one except you looks at him with so much love gleaming in their eyes. No one except…

“(y/n)”, he breathes out.

“I know you think I’m dead but…I made it, Megumi. I never gave up hope to see you again.”

You can’t hold back the waterfall of tears that now streams down your cheeks, eyes holding onto his gorgeous face for dear life, afraid to lose him all over again.

“(y/n).”

And for the first time since you know him, his eyes get watery to the point where they overflow with tears, the salty stream getting caught in your hands.

“(y/n)”, he whimpers again.

“Don’t feel sorry for what happened. It wasn’t you but him. I don’t blame you”, you blurt out immediately.

“(y/n)!”

Faster than you’re able to comprehend what’s happening, he wraps his longing arms around you, presses you so close that your lungs refuse their service for a second.

“I thought you’re dead. I thought…I killed you.”

The sheer agony in his voice forms a painful lump in your throat. Oh poor Megumi…He doesn’t deserve to feel this way, doesn’t deserve to hold all these horrible memories. How much you’d wish you could simply take his pain away, could make him forget what happened.

But all you’re able to do is holding him tightly.

“You would never harm a single hair on my body-“

“But I did!”, he screams.

“I hurt you! I almost killed you! Just like Gojo-sensei, just like Tsumiki!”

His voice breaks, a dry whimper escapes his lips.

“I…I can’t do this anymore. I can’t hurt another soul. I don’t wanna li-“

“Stop right there.”

Desperately, you force him to look into your reddened eyes.

“This wasn’t you, Megumi. Did you hear me? No one ever thought it was you. We loved you, we missed you, we want you back. When Shoko stitched me up, all I was able to think about was you. Fuck that shitty jujutsu world we’re living in, fuck all the curses and monsters and humans. Think about us, Megumi. Think about what you told me back then, that you’ll always stay by my side. Because that’s were I need you, this is why I love you more than anything else. In my eyes, you’ll never be anything apart from Megumi Fushiguro!”

Without thinking twice, you press your despairing lips against his, taste the salty tears of him and you that mixed on each other’s faces. His arms wrap themselves around your back and waist, hold you into place while you get lost against the lips you know so well but yet not at all. Megumi just needs to come back to you, needs to find his willpower again.

“I need you”, you mutter against his mouth.

“I love you.”

The agony radiating from his voice becomes almost unbearable, lets you hold onto his neck even tighter. No, Megumi didn’t deserve what happened to him. He didn’t deserve to see his loved ones die right before his eyes. He didn’t deserve all the things he’s been through. But this right here, this is just right.

This is a reason to hold on, right?

“Promise me you won’t give up”, you urge.

“Promise me you’ll give yourself the chance to heal, that you’ll stand with me and Yuji and the others. Just promise that you’ll come back.”

“I swore to myself not to be a burden to this world anymore, that I’m done with my pathetic life, that I deserve to die. But you’re alive, you’re lying in my arms…And now I’m too selfish to do that.”

Again, he caresses your lips with his in the gentlest way while his arms hold you in place.

“If I’m not able to look at myself in the mirror, I’m able to look at you.”

Tags: @arehzhera @ploylulla @tzubaki @beatrexworld @kenstarsworld @dazaisdick @hellkaiserinphoenix  @lauv4chuuya @shadowfoxey @starlightanyaaa @sindela @kayleegomez @sunshine7queen @magalimachete @mokoartpost @gatitam @idontknow1123 @creative1writings @sanicsmut  @mynahx3 @sad-darksoul @chilichopsticks @hellkaiserinphoenix @chuyasthighs0 @ynackerman9499 @keepghostly @wxwieeee @lovelyluna1 @froufrousnowman @hidazinie @tomiokathedepresso  @gojosrealwife  @coffeeluvr96 @mahi-tamashi @weebotaku21 @chaoticwinnercupcake @lees-chaotic-brain  @risuola  @sugurulefttesticle @wordskeeper @baku2345 @polarbvnny @ruixrei @bam-bam-bam-bame-blog @lavenderdrxp @localhehecat @alicerhr @kayleegomez @belovedvamp @wifenanami @chilichopsticks @dlwlrmas-world @oikawarz@darkstarlight82 @satoreo @luwumii @tachiharazsstuff @kentocalls @cheesemachine44 @ryva@kenjakusconcubine @baku2345 @komelrebi-san @deezy12299@busyreader17 @4pgletter @okay-it-is-ivy @iluvtoru

[qqueenofhades]

-Runs back into the room from having been wrapped up in the Sub Shitshow- context PLEASE on what’s up with Putin!?

Lol okay buckle up:

Yevgeny Prighozin is (well, as of now) one of Putin's closest allies. He is Putin's former chef and now the CEO of Wagner Group, the Russian private army of mercenaries who have spent a decade plundering Africa and destroying Syria in the employ of various terrible local dictators. Since the invasion of Ukraine, Wagner has become one of the Russian army's mainstays, mostly because they're the only ones who seem able to actually do anything. Of course, it did still take them nine months to take Bakhmut, Ukraine's *checks notes* 53rd largest city with very little strategic value, but given what a shitshow the regular Russian army has been, that's good. Or something.

The Russian army is mostly good at destroying dams and bombing civilians, which are obviously terrible for many reasons, but not that useful in the military scheme of things.

However, Wagner are also -- I hasten to stress -- thoroughly terrible people. Aside from all the shit in Africa and Syria, they've done likewise in Ukraine and will continue to do so. Legally speaking, they technically "don't exist," which has allowed them to get around a lot of the usual rules and regulations that are supposed to "bind" (ha) the Russian army. They are obviously in Ukraine directly at Putin's behest and doing Putin's bidding, but it turns out that giving an ambitious and amoral psychopathic warlord his own private army of criminals, rapists, killers, and whoever else they can dredge out of Russia's prisons to throw at the front line and die en masse may not be a good idea?

Shocking, I know.

Anyway, Prigozhin has spent months ripping into the Russian Minister of Defense, Sergei Shoigu, for what a whole shitshow clusterfuck this whole stupid war patently is. (Not, however, that this has stopped him from continuing to eagerly carry it out, since he's just as much or indeed even more of a zealot as the rest of Putin's government.) This has included blaming Shoigu for equipment losses, underprovisioning of Wagner troops, general strategic numbnuttery, etc. Prigozhin has not, however -- again, until now -- attacked Putin directly, or backed off from getting his losers killed in Bakhmut and/or wherever else. One suspects that Putin has been perfectly happy to let Prigozhin scapegoat Shoigu for the war's failures, since this means Shoigu can always just conveniently fall out a window or something if it gets too necessary to make a public show of displeasure, and not Putin.

HOWEVER, things took a turn VERY FAST today, within about 12 hours. Prigozhin has, as noted, spent months tearing the Russian military leadership a new asshole -- not because he's a good guy (he's a fucking war criminal on like, 10 different levels), but because it is plainly obvious what a shitshow this is and even a war criminal has his limits as to how much totally pointless murderous bullshit he wants to go through, I guess. (That includes telling the truth about why the war started -- i.e. to steal Ukrainian stuff/land for the oligarchs, and not any of Putin's other stupid excuses.)

Today (June 23) Prigozhin accused the Russian Ministry of Defense of orchestrating a rocket attack on Wagner's camp in eastern Ukraine (near the Russian border) and causing massive casualties;

We don't have proof of this yet, or indeed much else of what Prigozhin is talking about, BUT he finally decided to put his Coup Hat On and get serious about "punishing" Russian military leadership, i.e. presumably Shoigu, declaring that "there are 25,000 of us [Wagner soldiers] and we're coming into Russia to sort out this chaos"

So -- again, according to Prigozhin, who is not the world's most reliable source on anything -- he turned his army of yoinks around, left Ukraine, and marched into the southwestern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, where the Russian military command in charge of the assault on Ukraine is headquartered;

For a while, there was nothing but Prigozhin's various unhinged rants on Telegram to prove any of this, but it's now early tomorrow morning in Russia and there are indeed a lot of videos of what DOES IN FACT LOOK like Wagner mercenaries rolling into Rostov and storming Ministry of Defense buildings;

Firm information on what is going on is almost nonexistent, even for Russia, but Putin is clearly taking this seriously; Moscow is shut down, there are armored vehicles on the streets, Google is down in Russia, and Russian newscasters are interrupting their broadcasts to insist Don't Look, Everything Is Fine Here, Totally Fine, Do You Hear Swan Lake? I Don't Hear Swan Lake!

Nobody can find Putin either, allegedly, but don't worry! He has been "briefed on the situation and everything is under control!"

The Russian FSB (successor to the KGB) has meanwhile issued a warrant for Prigozhin's arrest, said they'll charge/prosecute him for treason and armed rebellion against the state, and ordered him to stand down/his own men to arrest him

This, uh, does not appear to be working

ANYWAY, Putin's basically fucked no matter how this ends. Wagner literally just led an armed mutiny, he can't feel good about sending his ex-bestie Prigozhin back to Ukraine with any confidence that his orders will continue to be obeyed, it's Russian-on-Russian open war in the streets of Rostov and God knows where else, he's totally lost control of the narrative, the war, the domestic political situation, Wagner, probably good chunks of the Russian military command/elite establishment, etc., and we all know what happens to dictators in Russia who can no longer dictate

(And yet the Russian army is still finding time to lob some missiles at civilian buildings in Kyiv tonight, because they suck).

This is obviously a huge lucky break for Ukraine as well, since if the Russians are busy fighting each other, they can continue to push for a big breakthrough on their counteroffensive.

So yeah. Pride Month really wheeling out the big guns here, after Putin was the top option picked for Lady Karma to do her thing on in my poll a few weeks ago.

Stay tuned.

[kurvinitty]

wriothesley 👁️ 👁️ as your soulmate

( * ₊ 🦋◞ ˚ ) ⠀ ⪼ ⠀soulmate au drabbles. ( open )

tags. ⠀ ⪼ ⠀ 1.5k wc, reader works as an engineer, swearing lol, not proofread bc i'm eepy and going to bed now

notes. ⠀ ⪼ ⠀ listen to colors by halsey while reading this bc i think it fits rlly well !! anyway this may be ooc but do i care? no. i only care about he.

You can only see colour when your soulmate is with you and you’re touching. This gives a whole new meaning to them bringing colour to your world.

Who knew that out of all places, a prison would be where your world of grey would suddenly burst into bouts of colour?

As an engineer, you were stuck fixing & maintaining things more often than actually creating them. Your colleagues sometimes pitied you, as your already monotonous world made your job even harder. Those lucky enough to have found their soulmate are not only favoured by cupid’s bow, but also by whoever delegated your working tasks.

You wouldn’t lie — it pissed you off. Yet at the same time, you were aware that it was much safer dispatching someone who could identify a cable’s colour before installing them. However, that still did little to soothe your frustrations.

It’s also what had lead to you being stuck with more tedious tasks — maintenance and routine inspections. Despite all this, you still loved your job — and you’d be damned if your peers’ mocking pity would bring you down.

Ironically, it was due to them that you’d get what you were looking for all this time.

To beckon the call of help from the Fortress of Meropide was definitely not your field of expertise, yet you were still the one who answered. Due to the aforementioned reasons, it was also your first time setting foot on the premise. The prison’s damp walls added a chill to the already eerie atmosphere, and you now regret not taking your coat with you. The gardes were kind enough to escort you to the administrator’s office, saving you the pain of navigating this labyrinth on your own.

You flinch at the sound as the garde opens the door, holding it open for you to enter. Only now do you realise how tense you’ve been so far — the temperature undoubtedly having played its hand in it. Archons, you couldn’t wait to get out of this place.

With a thankful nod towards your escort, you step inside the room, Wriothesley already expecting you. Before you could fully enter, the man was already on his feet to receive you. Well prepared — as expected of him.

You have heard many things about the Duke, rumours both good & bad — but you’ve never had the chance to confirm them yourself. But now that you stand before him, you think you understand why everyone respected him greatly — no matter their personal opinion of him. At a glance, you could tell that an air of authority accompanied his every step, and you feel yourself subconsciously shrinking before the man.

Should he notice, he doesn’t say a word though. Quite the opposite, in fact, as he seems quite relieved when you finally arrive.

“You’re the engineer we requested, I assume?”

He speaks matter-of-factly, yet he also sounds… quite friendly? You didn’t know what to expect of the man, but you were sure it was closer to ice cold apathy, rather than the soft-spoken silk you experience now.

The first words this man had ever spoken to you, and you were already at a loss for words. Both because you didn’t know how to explain the situation, and also due to Wriothesley himself. While the first impression he made was better than expected, you were sure you’d somehow manage to piss him off in the next second. But then again, was it really your fault?

You clear your throat, fumbling over the words, before you settle on something to say. “Well, uh- yes I am.”

It’s evident how the Duke senses your hesitation and raises and eyebrow in question. Where he once looked at you in relief, his expression now falters and his eyes scrutinize you with suspicion.

Oh, you’re fucked.

Heat floods your body in embarrassment, your mind now drawing an even bigger blank as you desperately try to backtrack. “With that I mean— I am an engineer, but I doubt the work here will be within my expertise,” you sheepishly explain as the words escape your mouth in a single breath. What an absolute wonderful way to start off this interaction. “I am terribly sorry.”

You have half the mind to bow in apology, for an inconvenience that wasn’t even your fault. Doing your colleague’s dirty work was one thing, but your company being under staffed was a whole other issue.

But Wriothesley only shakes his head. Though you could swear you saw his face drop in annoyance for a split second, you felt like there was no need to worry when he next spoke. “It’s alright. I’m just glad there’ll be someone to look at it. This stuff has been giving me trouble all week already.” his hand moves up as he sweeps it over his forehead in exasperation, fingers combing through his thick dark hair. And for the Archon’s sake, you wanted to do nothing more to curse out loud when he did that. Even more so when you catch yourself examining his features more closely now, with your eyes lingering on his for a moment longer than they should. You wonder what colour his hair may be — dark, for sure — but there was only so much you could determine with a world full of grey.

You’re here to work, not to admire pretty men.

Pretty.

It took you more self-restraint than you’d like to admit to not slap yourself.

“Anyway, I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced yet,” the man continues, thus effectively pulling you out of your self-loathing session. His hand reaches out toward you, an invitation for you to reciprocate in kind. “Wriothesley.”

Surely, you wouldn’t be able to mess up a simple handshake, right?

You waste no time to clasp your hand in his & tell him your name, your dainty digits being engulfed by the rough and calloused skin of his own. And in that moment, you felt as if time had completely stopped.

It wasn’t due to the feeling of his skin coming in contact with yours. As much as one could sing songs about how the touch of your soulmate could invigorate & keep you warm for a thousand winters to come — it wasn’t the case for you. The catalyst for sure, but the event that followed was worth your song.

The moment your hand touched Wriothesley’s, you didn’t even feel it. The only thing you felt was the feeling when your world suddenly filled with colour. All it took was the blink of an eye, and you were in a whole different world. You stare at the man before you, your mouth hanging wide open while you were freeze in shock. There was so much new information to process, but your eyes & mind could only focus on him. You can’t exactly pinpoint all the new colours you see, but the first thing you notice is his eyes.

You weren’t the only one at a loss for words, and even if you tried — you could not pry your gaze away from holding his. His eyes don’t look much different than they did before, actually. They’re naturally blessed with a light colour, but now you notice all the different shades and hues within them. Does he know what colour his own eyes are? Do you know yours? For all you know, anyone you asked could have been lying to you so far.

You also notice how his pale face now gains the slightest bit of colour, and you wonder if he sees the same with you.

Honestly? If time would allow it, you’d stay like this forever. But of course, it’s the man you’re supposed to spend eternity with that would deny your wish.

“Let’s get started then, shall we?”

And he acts as if nothing happened.

You, on the other hand, are still in the process of digesting this experience. Before you knew it, his grip on your hand loosened, until it completely fades away and your vision is plunged back into an array of black & white.

“Wait, I—” The words slip out of your mouth before you could stop yourself, your body almost acting on it’s own accord to wrap your hand around his wrist again. Now that you’ve gotten a taste of this — of him — you desperately want your world to burn up once again, like a new hunger that begs to be satiated. Did he not feel the same? Did you just imagine it?

It seems like Wriothesley took notice of your crestfallen expression. He doesn’t back away, yet he doesn’t come closer either. Instead, he speaks — in a tone so beautiful & soft, you can scarcely believe it’s real.

“I think we’ve got more than enough time to talk later.”

© KURVINITTY '23 — ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. || DO NOT plagiarize my work or steal any graphics, as they are either purchased, commissioned or edited by me unless specified. | support divider

[bloodynereid]

Hi can I please request a Jordan x reader . Reader has power that glitch & saves Jordan. Reader hey I am lucky that I didn’t get stuck in between a wall.

Thank you.

Flying Grand Pianos - headcanons

pairing: jordan li x gn! reader

tw: cursing, mentions of uncontrolled powers, cate and sam went to prison (i'm sorry okay! they're my pookies but for this fic to work i had to do something), uh nothing much ig? unless u have a phobia of falling pianos... then maybe don't read this??

description: your powers come in handy in the weirdest situations.

a/n: hiii hopefully u enjoy this! i literally did not mean to make this as insane as it ended up being but hey i'm sick and running on like too little sleep, i hope it's still entertaining tho cause i had sm fun writing this lol. i tried to integrate everything you said into headcanons cause it felt more apt ? ig... anyways requests are open & lmk ur thoughts <3

It was your final year at God U, somehow you had actually made it through the insanity that happened during junior year. You had even come out of the whole situation with a whole new group of friends… even if Cate and Sam sort of had to be locked away because of all the shit they did.

Thank whoever had decided to call the FBI because you had no idea how the entire situation might have turned out if Homelander showed up instead.

So life had turned back to normal towards the end of junior year, mostly because Vought was able to keep most of the situation quiet. Now you were only a step away from becoming an actual superhero… which was a strange situation to think about.

Your powers weren’t all that noteworthy but were insanely useful in battle and to get out of awkward conversations… especially since you were able to mostly control them.

You had the ability to glitch, which essentially meant you could manipulate the fabric of reality around you and mess with it (always with a limit of course, you weren’t an all-powerful magician). You mostly used it for teleportation or to mess with people, something that was always sooo worth it.

You also were kind of insanely good at dealing with actual glitches in computers, which made absolutely no sense but it did help adding to your skill set for your major.

There was probably one specific time where your powers worked in your favor in the best way possible. Over the past few years you sort of developed a tiny little miniscule (HUGE) crush on Jordan Li and now that you were actually able to call them your friend that tiny little crush grew into something way bigger.

What you weren’t aware of was that Jordan felt the same way, they always viewed you as this pretty incredible supe but never really had the chance to talk to you… until the whole The Woods situation. After that it almost made it harder for them to just ask you out on your date… because you had created such a tentative but strong friendship - something that Jordan hadn’t had since Luke. Something that they weren’t sure they would be able to walk away from again.

It was a few months into your senior year when the incident happened. It wasn’t something crazy like Homelander suddenly massacring the school instead it was an incident that belonged in the halls of a supe school… one of the new freshmen had somehow conjured up a piano in the middle of the damn sky and was unable to make it disappear.

The one problem with this piano was that it was falling... and falling really fucking fast.

You had been drinking one of your favorite drinks from Jitter Bean when you were surprised (and very concerned) to see a piano making its way towards Jordan - a very distracted Jordan who was talking, or rather yelling into their phone.

It barely took you a second to make the decision before you dropped your drink and glitched in Jordan’s direction - thank whatever all powerful force was out there for actually having it work because a moment later you reappeared next to Jordan and grabbed their arm before glitching again.

Suddenly you were standing in your room and Jordan was looking at you like an insane person before a loud crash and a whole bunch of yelling was heard outside the window.

Jordan shot a confused look before darting over to the window, only to find that a huge grand piano now stood (well not really it was sort of everywhere) where they had just been standing a moment ago.

You shot them a sheepish smile as they turned around to look at you with a dropped jaw.

“I actually can’t believe that worked, I’m lucky I didn’t accidentally get us stuck between a wall.”

lol i have no idea what this is but i like it anyways.

[acotar-taylorsversion]

Future ACOTAR Books

Ok, so Sarah is contracted for 2 more acotar novels and a novella, right?

Here's how I'm thinking its gonna be laid out.

ACOTAR -1, ACOMAF -2, ACOWAR -3, ACOFAS -novella 1, ACOSF -4

ACOTAR 5 - Elain's book with Azriel as love interest. I believe she will reject the bond with Lucien and help Nesta and Az with the trove and locating Koschei, the prison, Az and Nuala and Cerridwen helping her with her seer skills since it can be related to spying, and all that. There's much that could happen here and some many questions could be answered.

Novella 2 - this can be Vassa and Lucien's. I truly believe that if Elain would reject the bond, Lucien would allow himself to discover something with Vassa. This would push the story along for the Koschei storyline because I believe that Lucien and Vassa will be heavily involved with that. Sarah made Lucien a part of this band of exiles for a reason. We could also see or hear about what the inner circle is doing through their povs or through some type of correspondence through Lucien. This could possibly start while Elain's story is going on as well, if she rejects the bond early on in her book. She could even tie in Mor and what it is that she's doing since she's trying to get more allies for Rhys. And even Eris since he will be dealing with Beron and the aftermath of being caught. Seems like a lot but Tower of Dawn was meant to be a novella and look how that one turned out.

ACOTAR 6 - this could be a multi pov novel that centers around all the sisters and their chosen loves. And don't tell me she won't because she did it in acofas. OR it could be in feyre and Rhy's povs because they are sarah's favorite couple and if she had to end the series with any couple I believe it would be them. But anyway, I believe that Koschei will be the final big bad for acotar and its gonna take a lot to defeat him. it's gonna take everyone coming together just like they did with the king of Hybern. I also believe that people are gonna die. I've always felt that Mor would be the one to die and maybe Lucien, and Helion, and Tamlin. I think that a couple of courts would be left without high lords and this would allow Rhys and Feyre to become High King and Queen, especially after what we learned in HOFAS, its pretty much his birth right. Wouldn't be something since Tamlin told Feyre that there were no such things as High Lady's and she would end the series as High Queen! lol

This is what I think will be happen, and it's my opinion so I don't need anyone telling me that I'm crazy or delusional, none of that. Based on what happened in frost and starlight (the one that sarah said she set up the rest of the series in), I believe this is what could happen. Do I think Nesta's story is done? No, and we could have her pov in the last book with her sisters. Do I think the valkyries are gonna be main characters? No, I don't because I think they are there mainly for Nesta and I only see them helping with battles and maybe some research. That's it. Do I think the illyrians will be important? Maybe, but sarah has been known to forget about some plots or just completely shut them down in the next book. Remember how we all thought Kallon from frost and starlight was gonna be Cassian's enemy #1 in silver flames? Don't remember him at all? Exactly.

Sorry for the long post, I just have to get all of this out of my head before it drives me crazy. Just so y'all know, I'm pro elriel, feysand, nessian, vassien (if Lucien survives). I don't see how elucien could ever be a happy mated couple, and I don't see how people think Gwyn and Az could ever be romantic and you can't say the next book is Nesta's and say that sarah will have gwynriel as the couple when they would be side characters. Each book will be centered around a couple, right? Did she say new or established? I can't remember but the main couple wouldn't be in the background. And I don't see how Gwyn could carry an entire novel. I'm sorry, I just can't. It would be half of silver flames and I don't think Sarah will do that. And I do think its messed up how sarah and Bloomsbury have let this nasty ship war go on for this long.

But I do believe that this series started with Feyre and her sisters and it will end with her and her sisters. I believe Sarah has made such a big deal with 3's for a reason. Do you guys remember that scene in mist and fury where Mor (whose power is truth) painted the 3 sisters and 3 brothers on the wall in the cabin? That meant something. Mor's reaction to almost every Elriel interaction means something just like it did with Nesta and Cassian. Azriel being able to smell Elain's mating bond and questioning the cauldron means something. The sisters being Made means something. The fact that the cauldron was messed with means something.

Anyways, these are my thoughts. Sorry that this is so long. Please be kind.

[atlabeth]

everything happens for a reason part 22 - zuko x fem!reader

I've been waiting on you

part 21 | masterlist | part 23

a/n: UHHH happy one year anniversary of me not updating!! i missed it by a day but honestly that's very in character. i kind of have no excuse for taking a year long break from this. lol. all i can really say is i lost all my avatar inspo and got really into a bunch of other things and poor little ehfar got left in the corner abandoned!!! but i could never abandon this it's my baby and even if it takes me 1000 years to finish it i will finish it. it's kind of embarrassing that it took so long for this to come out and it's a short filler chapter like who do i think i am.... but everyone is happy and on the beach and yn finally gets some clothes of her own after spending like 7 chapters in prison clothes. anyways enjoy (three more chapters left what?? will it take me 3 years who knows)

wc: 4.8k

warning(s): yn and zuko talk about their pasts and what theyve been through but overall this is a very fluffy chapter

chapter title from seasons (waiting on you) by future islands

The days after their arrival back to the island passed by with relative ease. 

Y/N practiced waterbending with Katara and Aang so she could work on getting the hang of it again. She’d been close to mastery before Ba Sing Se, and her muscle memory was stronger than she realized, but prison and the months without her bending had weakened her. Zuko continued working with Aang on his firebending under the looming deadline of the comet.

Sokka and Suki trained with each other too, working on their hand to hand and sword fighting, and Y/N would occasionally join in to stay sharp on what Suki had taught her back in prison. Her time without her bending made her realize how much she relied solely on it, and she never wanted to feel defenseless again. 

They continued to share stories every night over a campfire. They all had plenty to talk about after everything they’d been through, especially when Zuko had been against them for half the time, Suki was leading the Kyoshi Warriors, and Y/N was stuck behind bars. 

And of course, Zuko and Y/N spent as much time together as they possibly could. They were practically attached at the hip—sitting together at meals, watching one another bend on their breaks, training against each other the way they used to, exploring the island together, just being with each other. After everything they’d been through, Y/N thought they deserved it. 

Eventually though, it was decided that they had to leave. Being in Fire Nation territory, even in the middle of nowhere, was risky. They were running out of food and supplies in general, and the possibility that Fire Nation ships would still somehow discover them weighed on their minds. They couldn’t afford to get caught so far into their mission, especially with the traitor prince of the Fire Nation on their side. 

Zuko’s idea, however, was possibly even riskier. 

“Ember Island?” Y/N asked hesitantly. “That’s… bold.” 

“We’re already being bold by staying in Fire Nation territory,” Zuko said. “We’re safe from Azula for now, but it’s only a matter of time before she somehow finds us again.” He shrugged. “My family’s vacation home is the last spot anyone will think to look.” 

“I think it’s a great idea,” Sokka said. “It’ll be nice to not fight for our lives for a minute before we make the final push.” 

Aang adjusted his hold on the reins—they’d already packed up Appa and started flying before Zuko proposed his idea—and shrugged. “I’m okay with it. Zuko and I will be able to keep training, and you all can relax in an actual house.”

“And we’ll be able to go to the beach!” Toph exclaimed. “I’ve been meaning to work on my sandbending. And,” she grinned, “I’m betting none of you have heard of sandball fights.”

“We’re really getting ourselves into something,” Katara said dryly. 

Y/N smiled and she leaned into Zuko’s side. He wrapped his arm around her immediately and pulled her closer.

“I’ve always wondered what Ember Island was like,” Y/N mused. “I was always so jealous when you and Azula got to go there on vacation every summer and I was stuck at the palace.” 

“You weren’t missing much,” Zuko said wryly. “Yeah, there’s beaches, but mostly it was just unbearably hot.” He frowned. “My father still made me do work even when we were supposed to be on vacation. I’ve done a lot of swordfighting here.” 

“I missed you,” she said, and she knew that she would never get tired of seeing Zuko’s cheeks flush red. 

“Really?” he asked. “Even then?” 

“Especially then,” she clarified. “It wasn’t like I had much going on for me there. The palace was extremely boring without you.” 

“Spirits, you guys are gross,” Sokka groaned as he looked out at the sky. “Suki and I haven’t been like this, have we?” 

Katara chuckled. “You definitely have. You could barely stay off of each other when you got back from the Boiling Rock.” 

“Just imagine what they were like when they first got back together,” Zuko said with a frown. 

“Neither of you can say anything,” Toph asserted. “I can hear both of your heartbeats shoot up every time you’re around Y/N and Suki.” 

Zuko scowled, Sokka’s face flushed, and Suki and Y/N just smiled at each other. 

“So Ember Island is a yes?” Aang asked. When everyone nodded in agreement, he looked at Zuko. “I’m in need of your navigation skills, Sifu Hotman.” 

He groaned. “I told you to stop calling me that.” 

“I know,” Aang said cheerfully. 

Zuko just sighed, and he kissed Y/N on the cheek before he moved to sit next to Aang. She smiled, and she let her hand hang over the side of the saddle. 

“...I guess it is nice not seeing you two argue all the time,” Sokka said after a moment. 

“It’s nice that you two aren’t moping around all the time either,” Toph added. “That was kind of annoying.” 

“Imagine how I felt,” Y/N said, though it was absent minded as her gaze stayed on Zuko. 

“I don’t have to imagine it,” Toph said. “You were very clearly mopey.” 

“And when you weren’t mopey, you were angry,” Suki contributed. “You said you were imagining Zuko’s face whenever I taught you new moves at the Boiling Rock. You beat him up a lot there.” 

Sokka and Toph laughed, but it was a moment before she said anything. It took Katara saying her name for her to turn back around, and when Y/N did, she blinked for a moment. “What?” 

Katara chuckled, glancing at Zuko before she looked back at her. “We’re just glad you’re back.” 

Her expression instantly brightened as she smiled. “I’m glad to be back.” 

-

It didn’t take long for them to arrive at Ember Island—and if it did, Y/N was far too busy conversing with her friends and watching Zuko for it to matter. She grimaced as she slid off of Appa, one hand taking Zuko’s and the other wiping a bead of sweat from her forehead. 

“Spirits,” she mumbled, “I thought I was used to Fire Nation heat by now.” 

“Me too,” Sokka groaned. “But this is already worse than all the other places we’ve been to.” 

“Ember Island’s always been like this,” Zuko said. “The good news is that it’s Ember Island. There’s plenty of beaches—we’ve even got our own private one.” 

“Good for practicing waterbending,” Katara said with a glance at Aang. 

“Good for practicing all kinds of bending,” Zuko said. “You’re gonna need to practice your firebending every day if you want to stand a chance against my father. We’re running out of time and you’re nowhere close to being a master.” 

Aang frowned. “Way to bring down the mood, Zuko.” 

“I’m being realistic!” he defended. “You can’t just end one hundred years of war with some good luck and an optimistic mindset!” 

Sokka shrugged. “It’s worked for us so far.” 

Zuko opened his mouth to say something that would definitely cause an argument. Before he could, Y/N laughed, looping her arm through his and tugging him along. 

“Come on,” she said. “Show us around.” 

Zuko sighed, though his show of annoyance was negated as he pulled Y/N closer. “Fine. It is about time I’ve brought you here.” 

“Ugh.” Toph kicked at the sand with her foot. “I think Zuko’s just brought us along on his couples vacation.” 

“Oh, quiet,” she joked. “We’ve earned it.” 

Toph stuck her tongue out. “Doesn’t mean we can’t complain about it.” 

Y/N chuckled as they walked together, the rest of the group trailing behind them. 

“Spirits, Zuko,” Sokka marveled when they stepped inside the house. “This is huge.” 

“It is the summer home of the royal family,” he said dryly. “My father never settles for anything less than perfection. It also gave us more room to avoid each other when he was causing arguments.” 

“I can’t imagine that happened a lot,” Katara said sarcastically. 

“Never,” Zuko agreed with the same tone. “He almost burned down the place a few times.” 

Aang frowned. “Sounds like a great guy.” 

“I know you’re not a violence guy, but if there’s anyone you’d enjoy fighting, it’s my dad,” Zuko muttered. 

“I’ll do it for the good of the world,” Aang said. “Not because I’ll enjoy it.” 

Zuko grimaced and opened his mouth to say something, but Y/N interrupted once more before they could devolve into this conversation again. 

“Like Sokka said, this place is huge.” She placed a hand on Zuko’s arm. “Will we have our own rooms?” 

Zuko’s brows creased a bit, but he nodded after a moment. “Yeah. There should be enough for all of us.” 

“Suki and I can share,” Sokka said, stretching his arms out casually to reach one around Suki. She laughed and leaned her head against his chest, and he looked far too pleased with himself. “Tryna make up for lost time, y’know?” 

“Gross,” Toph scoffed. “I’ll take my own room, please.” 

Aang glanced at Katara for a moment before he cleared his throat and nodded at Zuko. “Yeah. Me too.” 

Katara was too busy looking at a mask sitting on a mantle. She picked it up and glanced back at Zuko. “What is this from?” 

“One of my mother’s favorite plays,” he said. “She was an actress before she married my father, and every time we came here, we’d always go see some shows. They gave her the mask of the lead character after the end of one production a few years ago, as thanks for her patronage.” 

“Oh, we should definitely go see a play while we’re here!” Y/N exclaimed. “I got my hands on some old play scripts when I was still working in the palace, and the other servants and I would spend hours reenacting our favorite parts.” She chuckled. “It would be nice to see actual actors do it.” 

“We should be able to carve out some time for that,” Zuko said. “Between all the training, of course.” 

“You are such a downer,” Aang groaned. 

“I’m seeing the full picture!” he defended. “We’ve still got a lot of work to do—just because we’re at our vacation home doesn’t mean we’re on vacation.”

“After all this is over, we definitely deserve a vacation,” Sokka muttered. “Before all the rebuilding and restructuring and relegislating starts…” The smile fell from his face. “Wow. We’re never gonna get a vacation.” 

“Oh, perk up, ponytail,” Toph said. “We’re going to end the endless war and defeat the undefeatable Fire Lord. If we want to take a vacation, no one can really stop us.” 

The smile reappeared with surprising quickness. “That’s true!” 

Zuko laughed softly. “Your rooms should be on the first floor. You can explore and divide the rooms yourselves. I,” he looked at Y/N, “want to show you something.”

She smiled as Zuko pulled her closer with an arm around her shoulder and made for the stairs, leaving a rapidly growing argument over room selection in their wake. 

“Do you think they’ll have decided by the time we get back down?” Zuko asked. 

Y/N shrugged. “This is the first time they’re sleeping in rooms instead of camping on the ground in… Spirits. Since Ba Sing Se, I think. I wouldn’t be surprised if they go at it all night.” 

He chuckled as they stopped in front of a room, and Zuko pushed open the door so they could walk in together. 

“This was my room whenever we came here,” he said. “I figured we could share it.” 

“This is the height of luxury,” Y/N commented, stepping out of Zuko’s embrace to run her hand over the sheets. Her lips quirked into a smile. “I can’t believe you slept on a bed like this every night.” 

“You’re telling me they don’t have this kind of stuff in the North?” Zuko asked wryly. 

“No,” she chuckled, “definitely not. We were more focused on not freezing.” 

“Well, we’re more focused on pointless displays of luxury,” he said, “so you’re not too far off.” 

Zuko ignited the tip of his finger and began lighting candles around the room, and Y/N glanced at him with amusement as she sat down on the bed. 

“Mood lighting,” he explained with the sliver of a smile. “I think we deserve some time alone after the past few days.” 

She pressed a hand to her chest. “You know the way straight to my heart.” 

Once he was done he sat down next to her, and Y/N intertwined their hands together and pulled him down so they were laying on their backs. She rested her head on Zuko’s chest and he moved his arm around her to keep her close, tracing lazy circles on her shoulder. 

“Wonderful mattress,” she sighed. “So this was what you were up to while I was sewing clothes and doing endless loads of laundry.” 

“I thought about you a lot more than you probably think,” Zuko said. She turned her head a bit to look at him, slightly surprised, and he shrugged. “Honestly? When we were kids, I thought about you pretty much constantly. My father always told me not to talk to servants, but I didn’t see you as anything other than my friend. You were… kind of my only normal friend.” 

“Well, you were kind of my only friend, period. All the other servants were way older—they just felt like a different version of my mom.” Y/N’s gaze rose to the ceiling. “I wonder how they’re all doing.” 

“They should be okay,” Zuko said. “No one really caused as much trouble as we did.” 

Y/N laughed as her gaze flitted around the room, taking in all the details. A portrait of the royal family hung on the wall, while a much smaller, lone portrait of Zuko sat on a desk in the corner. He didn’t look very happy, but she couldn’t imagine sitting for that many paintings as a child was fun. What looked to be a half-finished message sat on the desk, the ends of the scroll rolling up and obscuring most of the inked letters. A neat stack of towels and blankets were on top of a clothing chest in the other corner, and she chuckled a bit. In her experience of doing his laundry in their youth, it seemed to be something he still hadn’t grown out of. 

“I can practically see little Zuko running in here after a day at the beach,” she mused. “The ends of his clothes singed from fighting with Azula, his hair drenched from swimming, getting sand all over the sheets.” 

“I wasn’t that messy of a child,” he complained. “I… I did come home with my clothes singed a couple times, though.” 

She chuckled. “I know. My mother had to fix a lot of your outfits because of it.” 

“It’s not my fault that ‘hide and blast’ was her idea of fun!” he defended. 

“Hide and blast?” 

“One person hides, the other person searches. By… blasting fire everywhere.” Zuko shook his head. “I don’t know all kids around the Fire Nation were as crazy as us or if Azula invented it herself.” 

“...Yeah,” Y/N said with a slight laugh. “We definitely didn’t play that in my village.” 

“Of course you didn’t,” he said. “None of you were firebenders.” 

“I was the only waterbender in the village though,” she said. “There were a couple other earthbender kids, but it made me feel so special. We would always play together and try to mix our bending together.” A small yet wistful smile tugged at her lips. “That feels like forever ago, though.” 

“I know what you mean,” Zuko murmured. “I was banished three years ago, but a lifetime has changed since then.” 

“For the better?” Y/N murmured. 

She could feel Zuko nod. “Definitely.” 

Their door was then pushed open more, and Suki poked her head in through the gap. A grin appeared on her face at their closeness. 

“I see the lovebirds are making themselves at home,” she mused. 

Y/N laughed as she sat up, pulling Zuko with her. She smiled at the sight of his flushed cheeks. “We’re trying.” 

“We believe in knocking here in the Fire Nation,” Zuko grumbled. 

“The door was open,” Suki said cheerfully. “And I’d like to steal your girl for an afternoon outing.” 

Her eyebrows shot up. “What for?” 

“Well, I’d like to explore the island some, and I figure we’re the lowest profile out of our whole group,” she said. “We’ve also missed out on some shopping while we were stuck in prison—we’ve gotta get our hands on some Fire Nation clothes.” 

Y/N’s eyes lit up. “That’s a great idea! Leya’s dress is beautiful, but Earth Kingdom clothing sticks out a bit more than I want.” 

“And I’m in literal prison clothes,” Suki said. “The sooner we’re in red, the better.” 

“That’s… probably smart,” Zuko amended. “There’s some gold pieces in my bag. It should be more than enough for both of you.” 

“Are you sure?” Y/N frowned. “You don’t have to—” 

“You think I didn’t take a bunch of money from the palace before I left?” Zuko asked wryly. “Don’t worry about it.” 

Suki’s smile grew. “Just call it reparations.” 

Zuko huffed a laugh, but Y/N cut him off as she pulled him in for a kiss. 

“You’ll be alright while we’re gone?” 

“Of course,” he said. “This is my home, after all. If anything, I should be asking you that.” 

“I’ve got the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors with me,” Y/N said. “If anyone decides to mess with us, it’s going to be their problem—not ours.” 

Suki laughed and gestured with her head, and Y/N stood up and started walking backwards. “I’ll see you later—try to have some fun here.” 

“I don’t have fun,” he called out as she was walking out, and she just shook her head with a smile. 

“You’re really dating a ball of sunshine there, aren’t you?” Suki joked. 

Y/N bit back her growing smile. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” 

-

The rest of the day went by in a breeze. 

Y/N and Suki spent a few hours in town, chatting and shopping and even doing some reconnaissance at the end, just to make sure they were truly undercover at the vacation home. Doing rookie spy work with a Kyoshi Warrior was surprisingly just as fun as the shopping part—and after what she and Zuko did to free her village, it was surprisingly easy. 

The sun was still high in the sky when they got back, dressed head to toe in Fire Nation finery. Zuko and Aang were in the midst of training when the two of them went around back to find their friends, and when he saw Y/N, his fire died out and his eyes nearly popped out of his head. 

(“Yeah,” Zuko had stammered when she asked his opinion, “You look really good.”

“Thanks,” she said, and she felt the heat rush to her cheeks. “I feel pretty good.”

“Fire Nation clothes suit you,” he said, and he pulled her into a kiss. “It’s about time you’ve gotten some.”

“Technically, I wore them for a few months,” she said wryly. “Prison clothes and all.”

Zuko scoffed. “That doesn’t count.”

“And I wore them for most of my childhood,” she mused. “Servant clothes and all.” 

“That counts even less!” he insisted. 

“But thank you,” Y/N finally said with a smile. “I was hoping you would like them.” 

It was an effort to bite back her joy every time Zuko would sneak a look at her while they continued their training.) 

The rest of the day was just mostly spent getting used to everything. The last time the vacation home had been occupied was when Zuko, Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee visited, so a lot of adjustments needed to be made. 

Katara insisted on washing all the sheets, and Y/N decided to join in because of her waterbending—Aang wanted to talk with Katara, Zuko wanted to be with Y/N, Toph wanted to ask him a bunch of questions about Ember Island, and Sokka didn’t want to be left out, so soon enough, the seven of them were all sitting on the steps of the house doing laundry and telling stories. 

Soon enough, the sun had set and the house had been cleaned what felt like ten times over. Everyone had retired to their own devices except for Y/N and Zuko, who were walking along the shore arm in arm. 

“I think I like beaches,” she mused. “The nearest ocean had no beach back home, and all we had in the North was ice. You Fire Nation folk are lucky.” 

Zuko chuckled. “I don’t know if it’s luck. We’re just one big island with a lot of humidity.” 

“Still,” she leaned her head on his shoulder, “it’s nice. We should visit here together once all this is over.” 

“Of course,” he nodded. “I know I’m going to be the Fire Lord if all goes well, but there’s going to be a lot of diplomacy trips.” She felt his eyes on her. “You can join me on all of them.” 

“Of course,” she repeated. “The Fire Lord’s Earth Kingdom-born, waterbending girlfriend will be so welcome.” 

“If you’ve learned one thing through all of this, it should be that I don’t care what anyone thinks when it comes to you,” Zuko said. “I want you there with me. You want to be there with me. That’s reason enough.” 

Y/N chuckled, and she ran her thumb over Zuko’s knuckles. His hands housed callouses, borne from hundreds of hours of explosive firebending and sword-fighting and years of life on the road. She always wondered how hands that treated her so softly, that revered her, were so capable of violence. 

“I know there’s going to be a lot of expectations for us,” she said. “Especially once you take the throne. But I— I’d like to take things as slow as we can.” 

“Of course.” Zuko squeezed her hand, his brows creasing. “I don’t care what anyone says or wants or expects. I love you, Y/N—we’ll go at our own pace.” 

“It’s just because we’ve spent the past year trying to kill each other,” Y/N said with a nervous laugh. “If we could spend this next year being in love with each other, that would be really great.” 

That actually got a laugh out of Zuko, and he gestured with his head towards the sand. When they sat down, he pulled her into his side. They fit perfectly together. 

“Don’t worry,” he murmured. “I think we’ve already gotten a headstart on that.”

“Good,” she said. 

Y/N sighed as she moved closer into Zuko’s embrace, his warmth a shield from the cool night breeze. She’d always run cold, and having a personal hearth made things much easier. 

“I wish we didn’t have to go through so much to end up with each other,” she murmured. 

“Believe me,” Zuko sighed, “I know.” 

“But my mother always told me that everything happens for a reason,” Y/N said. “And… I guess she’s right. Because I don’t think we would be here if all this hadn’t happened.” Something inside of her twisted, and though she tried to suppress it, the words came out before she could really think about it. “And sometimes I— I wonder why I’m still here.” 

He frowned slightly, allowing a short glance down at her. “What do you mean?” 

“I mean… you know what I’ve had to go through to get here. My village, the palace, the North, this journey with Aang, the capital prison, the Boiling Rock…” she shook her head. “Countless others have died or gotten hurt trying to protect me or save me. Our group— we were the first ones ever to escape from the Boiling Rock. So why do I get to be here? Why is my father gone, but I’m still here? I don’t deserve it more than he did. I certainly don’t deserve it more than Yue. So… I don’t know. Sometimes I just can’t understand why I’m the one that got to make it when so many others haven’t.” 

“Don’t say that,” Zuko urged. 

“It’s not the way you think,” Y/N said honestly. “It just feels like we’ve beaten every single odd.” 

“Maybe we have,” he said, “but it’s certainly not out of luck, or chance.” Zuko took her hand and intertwined their fingers together, giving her hand a squeeze. “You fought every step of the way to get here—a lot of the time, you were fighting against me. You’ve earned every good thing you’ve gotten, Y/N, and I think I might spend the rest of my life trying to be someone worthy of you.” 

“Zuko,” she lamented, “you already are.” 

“It’s not the way you think,” he echoed wryly. “I’ve loved you since the beginning, and despite everything, you still love me too. You kept giving me chances because you believed in me for some stupid reason. I wouldn’t be where I am without that—without you. I want to be the best version of myself every day so you know you made the right choice.” 

Y/N felt the heat rush to her cheeks as she smiled, squeezing his hand back. Nowadays, they were almost always touching in some way. Tonight reminded her why—she never felt more comforted, more at peace, then when she was with Zuko. 

“You… kind of just hit my next point,” she said with a nervous chuckle, curling into his side further. 

“Don’t tell me it’s more self-doubt,” Zuko said. 

“I can’t help it!” she defended. “I— I just have to make sure.” 

“Of what?” 

“That…” Y/N paused, her mouth suddenly dry. “That I’m still the one you want. Even after all that’s happened. After all that’s going to happen.” 

Zuko frowned, and he took her other hand, lacing their fingers together.  “Of course. Y/N, it’s always been you. It’s been true forever, even if I haven’t always known it.” 

“It’s not going to be easy,” she said softly. “I’m Water Tribe and Earth Kingdom. Your people aren’t just going to accept that, especially with you as their leader.” 

Zuko actually laughed at that, and he gave her a sideways smile. Months ago, staring into his hardened eyes used to bring her close to tears. Seeing him smile now, reassuring doubts that seemed so pointless in the face of his love—even after everything, Y/N considered herself the luckiest girl in the world. 

“Y/N, we’ve gone across the whole world doing things no one ever has,” Zuko said. “The seven of us are going to end a war that’s been going on for a century. Aang is going to defeat my father, and he shouldn’t even be alive. We’ve beat every single odd against us. I think getting my people to like you will be the easiest thing we have to handle.” 

“You think so?” she asked. The tension had dissolved some from her shoulders, her worries dissuading with each honeyed word. 

“I know so,” Zuko assured. “I’m gonna have to change the Fire Nation from the ground up. There’s no one else I’d want by my side while I do it. My people will see you the way I do, and they’ll love you just as much.” 

Y/N leaned closer and pressed a kiss to his lips. Sometimes she still couldn’t get over the fact that she could just… do that. Just kiss him, just smile with him, just be happy with him. Yue shone down on them as she pulled away, Zuko’s features glowing in the moonlight, and Y/N hoped her friend knew she was so much of the reason she’d gotten here. 

Happiness seemed out of reach, out of her cards entirely, for such a long time, and when she had it, it always felt like such a precarious thing. Sometimes she still remembered those days in the tea shop, the night in the catacombs. 

But with Zuko finally by her side, it was a tangible thing. Something she deserved. Something she already had. 

“We’ll do it all together,” she murmured. 

“Together,” Zuko agreed. 

And she laid back down on the sand, bringing Zuko with her. He pulled her closer, tucked into his side as he wrapped his arm around her. They laid there in silence, Zuko’s warmth heating her from the inside out, staring up at the starry night sky and reveling in the feeling of just being with each other. 

Together.

-

i'll tag ppl here because it's been uhhhhhh fucking YEAR and everyone's prob forgotten it exists and i also did tag lists while this was coming out but please do not ask to be added bc i dont do them anymore!!

ehfar tags: @chandies-sideblog @zacatecanaaaa @anzanity @randomthingssssss @escapingthoughtsandsecrets @shanksfav @shephard17895 @ilovespideyyy @whats-my-question @selfship-mishaps @ilistentotayswifttocope @i-make-questionable-choices @3leni @thatobsessedreader @lostgreekgod @oriontingz @zerode-unhinged @badpvn @mimi-sanisanidiot @adhdhufflepuff @aquaamethyst96 @hollyismentallyillhelp @holypoetrygarden @islandgayneery @pitrii-petra @jinxed-jk @veras-fanfic-reblogs @cloud-9ine @lucifersidepiece @kiskzawagnerwhore @froggi-00 @eajalova @mrsyixingunicorn10 @xxxxxxdelenaxxxxxx @cafesho @the-natureofme @whoevenfrickinknows @a-bit-late @zukowantshishonourback @settlebackeasy @jemssafespace @wildwallflower24 @calmoistorm @mich1551-blog @inutheangel @sagemastah @avrilh

[thosewildcharms]

Any personal headcanons on Rick and Michonne as a couple? Like their favorite things about the other, what they argue about, love languages ect. lol they’ve set up camp in my brain and I just want more of them 🙇🏻‍♀️

this is so funny because i've been thinking about their love languages ever since danai did that interview with YNB after 1x04! yvette said rick's is words of affirmation and michonne's is acts of services, and I definitely agree but I also think they display pretty much all of them, and quite a bit? rick is obviously into giving gifts and loves quality time (family fun day, begging her to spend just a few more days on the road in 7x12) and to say they both love physical touch is an understatement. this gorgeous gifset highlights it all beautifully.

anyway, some headcanons~

I really don't think they argue about much? they are very in sync most of the time. historically their big arguments are about how to handle major threats (negan, the crm, rick's PTSD) and since nothing bad is ever happening to them ever again because I said so there's no need to fight about those things anymore

michonne's favorite things about rick are how affectionate he is with his family, his strength, his accent, and his hair

rick's favorite thing about michonne is everything

i actually think they talk about books a lot. they're both nerdy as hell in different ways and love that about each other

michonne likes to cook and is very experimental while rick likes to bake (mostly secret family pie recipes) and they love feeding each other and their kids

michonne absentmindedly sings and does little dances when she's doing things around the house and rick stops whatever he's doing to lean against the wall and watch her and smile

that scene we saw in 9x01 where they cuddle up in bed and unpack their day was a ritual they started way back at the prison, even though back then it was obviously platonic (we do actually see them talking when everyone else is asleep several times throughout twd). they would linger and chat before heading to their respective cells at night. in the six years michonne spent without rick, she continued the tradition herself, talking to him out loud alone in their bedroom

rick DEFINITELY teases michonne about being oblivious to his feelings for her before The Couch

michonne hits back by teasing him about Whatever the Fuck He Was Doing With Jessie 💀

you didn't ask for grimes family headcanons but:

after they got home, michonne has a moment like that scene at the end of kill bill vol 2 and has a near silent hysterical laugh-cry of relief by herself in the bathroom before calmly walking back out to join her family. only rick notices

rick on the other hand is afraid to let any of them out of his sight. he spends the first six months he's back home being a total insomniac watching the three of them sleep because he's afraid if he closes his eyes he'll wake up alone back at the CRM

antony azor who plays rj is apparently very shy and reserved but opened up unexpectedly with andrew lincoln and so obviously this is also exactly what happened with rick and rj. father and son bonded INSTANTLY

his first night back, judith asks rick to finish reading the wizard of oz to her because he never got a chance to. it takes a good five minutes for him to compose himself but she does finally get the full story from her dad

rick and michonne do have an actual wedding ceremony, but it's just for them, judith and rj.

[letsmyy]

i have a request!!! you should write a daughter of apollo x leo valdez fic but based on espresso by sabrina carpenter (idk i feel like that song gives children of apollo vibes!) it'd be leo obsessed with the apollo girl (like him being absolutely obsessed with her, having the biggest crush on her possible, he constantly thinks about her, him being an absolute loser bf) and finally getting the courage to ask her out on a date or something like that.

“she’s like a shot of espresso…”

leo valdez x duaghter of apollo!reader

warnings: use of yn! english isn’t my first language so it might be some errors!!

thank you so much for your request, it made me so happy!! idk if what i wrote it’s exactly what you want but i hope you like it 🤕 this is my first timing writing a real fic and I think it really shows lol, but i promise I’ll try to improve in the next one, I’m so sorry if it’s that bad, and this is really short too? omg im really bad at this lol, but anyways, ly anon tell me your opinions (honestly) abt this later, kisses to uuu!! 🫶💗 (btw anon, please request other things I feel like I didn’t did you justice with this one)

words: 850

“is it that sweet? I guess so…..”

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ - ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

Leo was sure he was going crazy.

He always had a pretty big amount of silly crushes on girls, but with you? It was getting way too serious. Of course, you're beautiful, incredibly kind, and too generous for your own good, and you treated him well, but that isn't enough reason to make him lose sleep; at least that's what he thought.

And he was extremely wrong. Being in your presence was the equivalent of being bathed in the sunlight, and gods, he felt like a prisoner who hadn't seen the sun in years.

He's completely obsessed with you; he just needs the courage to verbalize that, but being honest, Leo felt like a coward at the moment.

While being lost in his thoughts (the thoughts being the pretty daughter of Apollo that never leaves his mind), the boy finally falls asleep.

Leo doesn't mind waking up if that means spending the day with the people he loves, so after getting ready for the day, he searches for you.

And he found you, talking with a much younger camper, helping him. You're smiling like it's the best day of your life, and Leo could swear that you're almost glowing.

The boy makes its way to you the same moment you finish talking to the kid, now having your full attention on Hephaestus' son.

"Leo! Good morning!" Your voice to him had the same effect as listening to his favorite music, it made him happy in ways he couldn't explain, even if his life depended on it. 

"Yn! Good morning!" He mimics you, not in a bad way, just a teasing one. You roll your eyes in fake annoyance.

"Sooo, did you sleep well, Valdez?" You ask, seeming really interested in the answer, but he knows that you're like that for everything, being extremely kind.

"Not really, would be better if I dreamed about you," you laugh amusingly.

"You say that every day, y'know?"

"I know, I say because it's true. " You can't help but blush a little. You're used to Leo flirting with you, but it never gets past that, so you just learned to joke back.

"Hilarious, Valdez... fortunately, I slept very well today, and I'm more excited than normal! I think it's because it's so sunny today, that's awesome, was thinking about going to the lake later. I can't waste such a pretty day like this one painting inside my cabin..."

"Unfortunately, I'll be in the bunker today, I have lots of things to do."

"What? No! You're coming with me, you can't waste this wonderful day either!" You grab his hands, walking toward the lake.

Leo could swear he would pass out at that moment. He couldn't even think about denying your offer, he would prefer dying to doing that.

After a few seconds, you guys get to the lake.

"Look how pretty it is! You have to go swimming with me, it’s a need.”

"Look, sunshine, water and fire don't get along so well, so I might skip that one" he says, apologetic. You frown, thinking.

"We don't need to go swimming, we can just talk, i really don't care." You smile lovingly at him.

"I don't want to ruin your day! There are many people that can go with you, you'll find someone better to do that." He's so oblivious that it's getting concerning.

"I want to spend time with you, Valdez. I don't mind if it's swimming or just talking, I want to, you know..be with you."

"Oh." He's acting like a loser, he can't think straight anymore and is blushing like crazy, but who cares?

"Oh?" You tease him, smiling.

"Yeah, we can. Just talk, I'm happy with that. " His smile was so genuine that made your heart melt.

That's when you realize you're still holding his hand, and you don't want to change that. You can feel he notices too.

Something just snapped in his head, now it’s the time, now or never, right?

"Yn? Can I tell you something?" He says it in a quiet tone, and you just nod.

"When I'm around you, it's like constantly drinking a shot of espresso, it's like being bathed in sunlight, you're incredibly energetic and enthusiastic, and i just can't get enough of you, you're my sunrise and daylight....all I'm saying is, gods, I very much love you more than just friends" You're surprised, really surprised, so surprised that you can't even speak for a moment, which just makes Leo even more nervous.

"Please say something...like, anything, a no it's better than silence because it’s less-“ Before he yaps again, you interrupt him:

"I like you too." The boy almost squeals of pure excitement.

"Seriously? Oh gods, oh gods. What?" He's so happy, it's so sincere, so soft, it's amazing, you can feel your heart beating so fast, and you don't even care; seeing him like this because of you is the best feeling you ever felt.

Then you see that one look, meant just for you, it's like time has frozen, and you're both thinking the same thing. Then, like all the stars aligned, you kissed him

[twd-l0ver]

Bloody and Grimy

Daryl x fem!reader

!fluff/angst season 4 prison era

"What are your thoughts on this?" you asked, turning to face Daryl and showing him a purple top. "Hmm, don' like it" he grumbled. "Well, I think it's cute and I'll just wear it at home," you replied smiling, trying to lighten the mood. "Then why yea' ask?" he mocked, mimicking your tone. "Hmm, I don't know," you shrugged. As you walked around, your eyes landed on a zipped-up, long-sleeve green shirt.

"Oh, baby, look at this!" you exclaimed, holding it up for Daryl to see. "Wha'?" he asked curiously. "Year' boobs will be... out" he pointed out. "Really? It's a zip-up anyway," you defended.

"Oh," Daryl sighed.

Grinning and shaking your head, you decided to search the area to see if you could find anything else. As you reached out to turn the doorknob of a storage closet, Daryl called out your name. Startled, you quickly turned around. As you made your way towards Daryl, you heard growls. Swiftly, you spun around to face four walkers. "Shit," you muttered under your breath. "Daryl, there are walkers!" you exclaimed loudly, hoping he would hear you.

You swiftly draw your knife from its holster, easily stabbing one walker in the head and forcefully pushing it back, causing another walker to fall. You focus on the two limping walkers closing in on you, you raised the knife to slash into the head of the one on my right.

However, the knife becomes lodged and unable to be removed. As the other walker continues to approach, you stop the attempt to retrieve the knife and search for an object to defend yourself. Unfortunately, you're unable to find anything around you.

The walker finally reaches you and leans its weight on you making you stumble down, you immediately extend your hand to keep it away from your face. You scan the area and notice the walker fall down in a swift, recognizing the arrow you know its Daryl.

Daryl quickly runs towards you forcing his knife into the walkers skull. The body collapses on you as you felt relieved. He rips the walkers body off of you, concerned, he quickly checked if you had any bites. "Are yea' okay, hun? Did yea' get bit?" he asked with worry. "Yes, I'm okay, and no, I didn't,'" you replied with a slight smile. He kissed your head and hugged you. "What about you? Are you okay?'"you mumbled into his chest. "Yeah, I am." You let go of the hug to retrieve your knife from the walker's head.

As you were about to wipe the blood residue on your pants, you noticed how dirty and grimy your shirt had become. "Ugh, my shirt is ruined," you dramatically sighed. "Really tha's wha' yer' worried abou' ".

Ignoring his remark about the situation that just happpend you remembered about the clothes you found. "Daryl, where are the clothes I found?'"

He looked at you with a questioning look then pointed to where you had initially been. As you searched through the pile of items, you found the shirt you were looking for. With a smile, you replaced the bloody and grimy shirt with the nice green one. Turning to face Daryl, you noticed his cheeks turning red. "Soooo, you likey?"

'Its nice but-' he pointed to your breasts. "Babe it's nothing I can jus-" "tk" looking at your hand there's the zipper. Before Daryl could say anything you walked up to him and kissed him "Let's go".

Not sure if I love this lol, hope you guys enjoyed!

[dozyrogue]

Ok im still thinking of the philza and tubbo fight cuz it reminds me of the marvel fandom when talking about the ending of cilvil war

Bucky killed tonys parents and tony tried to kill him, some where mad at tony cuz he tried to kill bucky but bucky was a victim. Others agreed but still pointed out that he still killed people. It goes into more details but I don't wanna do that

Philza says that we should help him cuz hes a friend and we should help each other, cuz hes a victim an doesn't have a choice. Lock him up and find a cure like last time. And yeah that's phil to a T, phil would travel to hell and back to protect his freinds. And he knows he has friend's who would do the same for him. Man's disappears and the island panics. Bolas would flock around their leader to protect him from the other teams

There's also the added fact that it does take a bit to earn philza's trust and forever has that trust. So to him he sees forever is clearly not himself and he knows how MUCH HE LOVES Tallulah and would never ever purposely hurt her. So something's wrong with forever obviously. And of COURSE he wants to help out forever back together again.

Like when he told tubbo we help forever and then said he would expect tubbo to help phil if he was ever in this position shows so much about phils character to me. Like u help each other so hearing someone u trust doing something as quick as killing him would freak me out lol.

Then theres my sweet traumatized tubbo, he can trust so easily but take his trust away just as easily, his self estime is so low that he expects everyone to be against him. then it was evern worse after purgatory 1 and fred things keep getting worse. And worse of all hes kidnapped from the island most people didn't know he was taken and was forced to leave his kid. In purgatory 2 mans finally had his targaryan moment and took them all down with him.

Then hes back and hears that forever suddenly is different...again. corralled all the kids into following him and that he hurt Tallulah and tried to kill chayanne. Sent ramon into a panic to the point man's PUT ON HIS ARMOR. he himself believes that the island would turn on him immediately if he did something wrong. So if course he would think the same if someone lost it AND HURT THE CHILDREN. he went into purgatory with the only thought of helping the children, and questioning why the other islanders forgot that the point of this. He even said himself that he would choose his godchildren anyway over fred. NoW HIS DAUGHTER IS IN THE MIX. AND ITS NOT EVEN THE FEDS GOING AFTER THE KIDS ITS ONE OF THEIR OWN.

So of course!!! To tubbo the only choice for forever is to kill him so he himself doesn't hurt the eggs again. For any of the islanders the idea of hurting the children even if they were the victim would probably ruin him.

I agree with both yes we should help forever but i agree with tubbo a bit more if forever is so possessed with whatever that hes going after the children???? Kill him, jail prison, lock him away.

And phil expecting for tubbo to help him if he was ever in the same position but tubbo made a promise to care for his godchildren if phil was ever in a place were he couldnt tubbo would fucking kill him.

Idk I really liked the fight shows the difference between the characters and specifically how tubbo changed as a character.

I probably have more thoughts on this but this is it??? Me thinks??

[nyxronomicon]

CAPTURED. WITH JING YUAN. I NEED TO KNOW.

this was supposed to be porn but i wrote almost 3000 words of plot and they don't even kiss! anyway just bc i like you here's the entire wip

send me a wip and i'll post something about it!

jing yuan x stellaron hunter!reader

cw: enemies to lovers vibe (though i never got to the lovers part lol), lots of swearing, reader is sarcastic & pessimistic, mentions of suicide (falling to death)

.

Captured. It was honestly kind of embarrassing. Of course, the same fate has befallen Kafka and Blade, but that was expected. Your role was to stay unseen, to let them distract the general while you carried out your part of the plan.

That soft smirk on his face when you literally bumped into him. You instantly wished you were paying more attention to where you were going rather than making sure you weren't followed. Then maybe you could have avoided getting caught. Although he looked a little different from the photo, this was undoubtedly Jing Yuan, the General of the Xianzhou Luofu.

"Oh?" He chuckled. "And who might you be?" The iron grip on your wrist suggested this was a rhetorical question, not that you were going to answer. He just smiled, your silence answering the question just as well as your words could have.

"I'm afraid I'll have to take you into custody." His smile was almost apologetic. It was infuriating. He was infuriating. You opted to continue your silence, seeing how this was uncharted territory.

He was gentle with you despite the fact that you were an intergalactic criminal. It was odd, to say the least. This wasn't the first time you were caught like this, but it was by far the most pleasant. He simply boarded a starskiff with you, taking you to aeons know where. You weren't even cuffed, not that there was anywhere you could run to at this point.

You watched your captor as the starskiff glided through the air. You'd seen pictures of him in the briefing, but none of them did him justice. He was incredibly hot, his long silver hair flowing gently in the breeze, framing his strong jaw and that stupid smirk he still wore. Your eyes trailed down his form, noting muscles that could only be maintained with daily training. Despite the situation, you couldn’t stop yourself from thinking about how attractive he was.

Maybe if you hadn't chosen this life, you could have found someone noble like him to spend your days with.

You shook off those thoughts, reminding yourself that you weren't bound and could make a run for it as soon as you docked. You needed a game plan. You didn't really know where you were, but you could get help from HQ if only you could escape. So as you felt the starskiff slow and the cloud knights busy themselves by hitching it to the dock, you jumped off the boat and ran.

You bolted down the only path you could find, but were quickly met with a dead end and the voice of the general.

"You didn't really think it would be that easy to escape, did you?" He chuckled. You looked over the ledge to the fall below, not realizing he'd approached you from behind until you felt his body against yours. He grabbed your wrists in one hand, easily restraining you with his strength. Not that there was much of a point in making a run for it again.

"I guess I should have figured there would be nowhere to go from here." You finally spoke.

"Don't worry." You could hear the smile in his voice as he firmly pushed the back of your head with his spare hand, forcing your gaze down to the foggy abyss. "Falling would be a fate far worse than what we have to offer here."

"Is this not a prison?" You hissed back at him.

"It is. But at least you’ll live. And I promise this is better than the other prisons you’ve been to." So he did know you. He didn't just stumble upon you by accident, he was looking for you. It was no wonder how he captured the other two so easily.

-

General Jing Yuan had thrown you in a cell days ago. You hadn’t spoken to a soul since, only knowing the hands that brought you meals three times a day. Admittedly, the cell was much nicer than any of your past prison stints, although the others had their gaps in security that this one just didn’t seem to have. Even if you made it out, Jing Yuan made it clear that you’d need a starskiff to get anywhere.

You were stuck.

Not knowing the status of the other Stellaron Hunters made this all worse, and none of them knew what happened to you, either.

Not that they could help you if they did.

You sighed.

The silence of the cell was deafening.

You heard footsteps. The droll pacing of whatever poor Cloud Knight guarded these cells, most likely. You laid back on the hard cot trying not to think about how dismal the situation was.

"Bored already?" A familiar voice spoke through your cell door. Your eyes darted to the small opening where you could see locks of silver hair spilling over Cloud Knight armor.

"Did you come to keep me company, General?" Your voice was hoarse. Apparently, that happens when you don’t use it. "Pretty sure that’s against the rules." You watched the window, your only glimpse of the outside world.

"Is it?" He chuckled and leaned down, his eyes finding yours through the bars. "Luckily, I’m the one making the rules here." He sported another infuriating smirk.

"Fuck off." You scoffed, looking at the ceiling.

"Come now," He tsked at you. "You’re leaving me hanging after I came all the way out here to visit you?"

"You just want to know what the Stellaron Hunters are planning, right?" You sighed. "I’m not a snitch."

"I never accused you of such." He was so nonchalant. You wished there was a warning in his file about how punchable he was.

"Then what could you possibly have come here for?" You glanced back at the window momentarily before looking up again.

"Kafka seems to have escaped." Jing Yuan smiled.

"She did?!" You immediately sat up, staring at his infuriating grin.

"We were wondering if you have any information to offer. We can make a deal." He was completely unreadable. He seemed all too casual about this, but he was like that about everything, from what you could tell.

"What kind of deal?" You knew you shouldn’t even ask, but you were feeling lonely and bored with no one to talk to, so you just wanted to extend the conversation.

"So you have information that might be valuable to us, then?" Jing Yuan stood again, his chest taking up the window as it did when he first spoke.

"I might." You said too much. Still, you didn’t really plan to say anything more.

"Good." He chuckled. "We’ll keep you here a bit longer, then. And how stupid do you think we are? Let Kafka escape?" His laugh was heartier now. "Yeah, right."

Shit.

"You lied." You hissed, trudging up to the little window to get a good look at him.

"You trusted me." That fucking smile was maddening. You wanted to strangle him. "That was your first mistake." He paused for a moment, clearly imperceptive of the growing fury on the other side of the cell door. Either that or completely apathetic. "Well, I guess your first mistake was watching your back instead of your front." He sauntered down the hall with one last quip. "Made my job a lot easier, though."

-

Time didn’t really mean anything to you anymore. You could count the meals, but there was no point. Jing Yuan visited you occasionally, but there was no pattern to it from what you could tell. He mentioned a while ago that Kafka and Blade were gone, so you were all alone here. Today felt especially quiet until you heard the familiar gait of the general.

"I’m tired, Jing Yuan." You said when you heard the footsteps stop at your door. You didn’t even need to look to know it was him. "How long have I been here?"

"Do you really want to know?" He was already bent to look through the window, seeing you laying on the cot like usual. You thought for a minute.

"Yes." You looked at him through the window, seeing an empathetic smile. Something about it always ignited your anger again. He was holding you here for no reason. He never even questioned you about your activity. You couldn’t even remember what crime you committed other than being a Stellaron Hunter.

"Its new year’s today." He watched your expression carefully. Two months. You’d been in captivity for two months. "I thought you might appreciate the company."

"Liar." You’d taken to calling him a liar whenever he extended an olive branch. It was more of a reminder to yourself not to take him at face value.

"C’mon." He chuckled. "That was one time. Can’t I feel a little empathy for my favorite prisoner on a holiday?"

"Favorite prisoner?" You scoffed. "What kind of title is that?"

"You don’t like it?" He tilted his head, reminding you how badly you wanted to strangle him.

"Yeah. I love being reminded how trapped in this hellhole I am." Your voice dripped with sarcasm. He chuckled again, each time it got more grating.

"I brought you something." Jing Yuan was as unreadable as ever.

"How generous of you." You sat up on the cot, hoping it was something to eat other than dry rice.

You watched as the general pulled out a pair of fancy handcuffs with a wide grin, holding them in front of the window. They were intricately carved, but still unmistakably sturdy.

"You’re kidding." You sighed.

"I’m not." Jing Yuan always seemed so amused, you wanted to wipe that smirk off his stupid face. Was he purposefully trying to anger you? There’s no way it wasn’t intentional at this point. "The fireworks are in an hour. I thought I’d take you to the roof to see them."

"Pass." You scowled.

"I thought you were dying to get out of here." He grinned. "This might be your last chance for a while."

"What’s that supposed to mean?"

"You’re wanted on a lot of planets. That’s gotten your case caught up in quite a bit of bureaucracy. It could be months before there are any changes to your situation, and it’s likely it’ll only get worse." He lowered the cuffs out of your view, looking directly at you through the barred window. "I’m afraid this will be your last chance for fresh air for a while."

You looked at him, weighing your options. As much as you loathed the thought of spending the new year with him, you felt like you were going insane in that room. Maybe later you could headbutt him or something just for the satisfaction.

"Why are you doing this?" You finally asked, wondering if he had an ulterior motive.

"It would be a shame for you to miss the new year." He simply smiled. What a stupid reason. There was a dash of melancholy to his voice that you couldn’t quite place, like maybe taking you out like this would mean more to him than it did to you.

You wanted to reject him on principle, but he was right. You hadn’t been outside in two months and you were desperate for a change in scenery. He seemed so empathetic towards you, maybe you could even inspire him to do this again. Or give you better food. Aeons, the things you’d do for better food…

"Fine." You muttered. You could hear the metal latches shift as Jing Yuan unlocked your cell door. This was the first time you’d seen it open since getting thrown in here. He casually walked over to you, opening the handcuffs. You stood, begrudgingly allowing him to cuff you.

The metal was cold on your skin, a sharp contrast to the heat of his body. You hadn’t been this close to another person in months. It was like you forgot what it felt like to touch someone. The brush of his fingers on your skin… you hated to admit it to yourself but it felt really nice. Warm. Inviting.

He finished cuffing your hands behind your back and wrapped a hand around your elbow. "Shall I escort you?" He chuckled, his good spirits as infuriating as ever.

"I can walk just fine." You tugged your arm away from him.

"So be it." He shrugged. "I’ll note that there are Cloud Knights stationed throughout the jail, so there’s no point in trying to escape."

"Yeah, yeah." You rolled your eyes.

He tried to make idle chatter on the way to the rooftop, but you were busy taking in the new scenery. The halls were empty and labyrinthine, and even as you tried to memorize the route, it got jumbled in your mind.

You arrived at an elevator, which Jing Yuan called using his fingerprints. Just another insurmountable barrier to your escape.

"You're not listening to me." He said when you got in.

"No." You scoffed. "I don't really like you."

He feigned offense at your words. "I'm your only regular visitor and you don't like me?" The general pouted.

"You're the one who locked me up." You sighed, leaning against the elevator door. "You don't get to be my friend and my captor."

"I see." He laughed that infuriating laugh again. It was like everything you said was a joke. Like he never took you seriously. And yet…

You stomped on his foot. As he recoiled away, you closed the space between you, getting in his face.

"Is this a fucking joke to you?" You growled. Despite having him cornered in the elevator, he was still taller than you. Stronger than you. And he knew it too with the nonchalant smile he wore, even now. "What am I, your little trophy prisoner? The Stellaron Hunter left behind?"

"The Stellaron Hunter left behind…" Jing Yuan repeated your words. "I guess Elio knew this would happen to you, too." The elevator door opened to a small room.

"Whatever the reason, it couldn’t be helped." You shrugged. His tone made you more irate than usual. Maybe you were feeling defensive. The thought had crossed your mind many times in that cell, but you remembered Elio’s words. His gentle tone, his unshakeable confidence, and an intimate focus on you and your worries accompanied them. In time, you will know that this, too, is destiny’s plan.

"Do you really believe that there’s nothing they could do?" Jing Yuan spoke, unlocking the door in front of him. He opened it, the soft natural light spilling in. The air smelled so different, so fresh. You almost wanted to forgive the general for dragging Elio through the mud.

"Maybe they’ll pluck me right off this rooftop. I’m sure Elio knows we’re here." You hissed, glaring at him as he held the door open for you. "Maybe I’ll jump. Destiny is a cruel mistress, as they say." You smirked, wondering what would happen to Jing Yuan if you died because of such a frivolous activity.

He laughed.

The fucking General of the goddamn Xianzhou Luofu laughed at your escape plan.

The sound grated on your ears. Did he have any idea how annoying he was? It was so patronizing how little he thought of you. Just the idea that Destiny’s Slave would come back for you was funny to him, and you were facing a life sentence if not the death penalty! How sick and cruel destiny was to make you spend what could very well be your last moments outside with a man like him.

[bronx-bomber87]

Happy Monday wonderful fandom :) I can’t believe we’ve reached the finale I’m in shock we're here. This has been my side hobby for 9 plus months. I started these to get through the extended hiatus. I wasn’t even sure anyone would even read them. The response I got was so lovely. I adore this fandom. So welcoming to any new Chenford content.

So thank you to everyone who’s read these especially those who've been with me since the very beginning. I can’t explain how much it has meant to me. Whether it was likes, reblogs or comments. Special shout out to my tumblr bestie @makeitastrength and @northern-neighbor You both commented on every single one of these. Thank you so much for your insight and sticking with me this entire time. Means more than you'll ever know.

I’m planning to do mini reviews during this new season. Then this same kind of thing during our hiatus hopefully we’ll have S7 locked in by then. *fingers crossed* I finished this before S6 which was my goal. We are only 8 days away which is unreal. Eeeee. Let us get started.

5x22 Under Siege

This episode starts off with all kinds of anxiety. Aaron and Celina kill me with not calling the noise in WHY.... Why didn’t you call it in? Ugh. Celina lying on top of Aaron protecting him till they arrive. Rip my damn heart out right off the bat why don't ya? I’m going to cry. I love Tim and Lucy showing up to the scene together. They’re clearly off shift and showing up to the scene with each other. I love these little details they make my heart so happy.

They’re a packaged deal now and I couldn’t be happier about it. Also like to note looks like Lucy is wearing one of his jackets. Maybe they were at his place when they got the call? The sleeves look long on her and I adore it. Basically living together at this point. I can’t get over it. Just casually showing up to scenes now. Ain’t no thang. This thought is where I live till S6 LOL

Anyways Tim says he heard it was Aaron. Grey confirms this is true. GSW to the back. Looks like the same spot Jackson was shot. Eerily so. Three masked men and they were ambushed. The painful parallels to Jackson’s death in this one getting me in the feels. Grey has them start to work the scene. Lucy looks incredibly upset but is trying to keep it in check. Probably feeling the Jackson vibes too.

Our couple arrives at the hospital with an update. Once again arriving together. I love the quick looks we get as they approach. That silent communication of their's ever present. Also she is wearing the necklace I must comment. It’s popping against that shirt she is wearing. Like to also point out how look at each other while the other speaks. It’s the little things I love so very much. Getting massive 4x01 vibes from this scene too. Reminding me of the scene is Wes's living room night after the hug. The height difference, the way Lucy is looking at Tim as he speaks. United front power couple vibes.

So much can change and things like this stay the same I love it. They’re reporting back their CI’s have nothing. No one has heard back about a gang targeting cops. Lucy has also hit a dead end with the masks. Their next idea was Elijah but Tim says nothing out of prison confirming that. Angela and Wes are working on the riddle. Grey tells them to head home they’re not getting anywhere tonight. Once they've all left Grey turning to Luna saying he can lose another. Ugh getting me in the feels so early in this episode. More Jackson feels.

Lucy and Tim get home late. The minute they’re back Lucy’s walls are down. Tim can see how upset she is. Another great callback to 4x01. To that hug. Only this time Lucy doesn’t have to ask for it. Tim seeks her out. See’s how now that they're home her work walls are down. She is visibly wrecked and can't hold back the tears any longer. I love how he pulls her right into his arms. Being the exact comfort she needs in this moment. He can't stand to see her upset. Wanting to make it better.

Tim grabbing her instantly is so lovely. Lucy crashes into him and falls apart. He gets to comfort as much as she needs now. How very far we’ve come. It’s been a beautiful journey to this point. Lucy is ready to fall apart in her safe place. Knowing Tim will be there pick up the pieces. Shield her from the PTSD this must be bringing up for her. I love how he encases her fully. One hand around her back the other gently cradling her head to his chest.

Tim closing his eyes wanting to absorb her sadness. The swaying and his chin on top of her head. *squee* I love her being fully enclosed in his arms. Also never be over the fact Eric improvised the kiss to her head. Forever squeeing about that fact. Our ship King is the best. Oh captain my captain. How damn intimate and sweet it is as he does as such. Then resting his head back on hers. Telling her ‘It’s ok.’ His hand in her hair rubbing her back soothingly. I cannot. Lucy was alone last time. Grieved alone and dealt with everything solo.

Now she never has to be alone again and I wanna cry at that thought. Getting emotional at how beautiful this hug is. Lovely ray of sunshine in a rather dark finale. I love this scene so much it made my chest hurt. You want to see outstanding chemistry in a short amount of time? Watch this scene. Melissa and Eric are glorious together. We truly are so lucky to have them as our ship. This is such a soft and gentle moment.

Tim pulling her in and wanting to comfort her has me all in my feels. Lucy has this wonderful man to catch her when she falls now. To be able to absolutely come apart in his arms. Knowing he’ll be there to comfort and keep her together when she does. Gah I love them so much. Also A + to whoever does the music. The song in this moment is adding to the emotional depth of the scene. Amazingly good. It’s been so on point in this season. They need a raise whoever does this.

They finally have some suspects to track down. Violent felons that have connection to the station and to them as a group. Lucy offers to check on one by herself. Grey says no and Tim offers to go with her. Because he loves her and wants to keep her in his sights. They’ve all been attacked at this point. Except for him and Lucy. No way he’s letting her go solo. It’s not cause he didn’t trust her to handle herself. He can’t handle her going alone. His instincts on high alert.

Lucy telling Tim he should be out knocking down doors with Metro. Tim tells her 'He’s good'. As good as he can be without letting her out of his sights during this. Only they could so effortlessly flirt while on duty. In the middle of an intense OP. Lucy letting him know she doesn’t need him to protect her. Tim is very aware of this. Says he knows. Lucy turning this moment into some very cute light banter. Saying he is telling her he needs the protecting. Tim being sassy right back with his reply above. God I love them.

Their teasing and banter is iconic. Lucy’s next line is fantastic. I know we haven’t had an official ILY you yet. But they’ve said it so many different ways this season. In moments such as this. When we do officially get it not gonna be a shock to either of them. Tim telling her 'Back at you.' Making me all emotional. They are such a power couple and the next portion of this episode proves that. I’ve always said watching them in the field is poetry in motion. This next battle scene is literal proof of such.

It’s a good thing Tim came with her. I don’t want to think what would’ve happened if she’d been alone. The creepy crowd coming at them. My stomach dropped. First Tim willing to sacrifice himself for her so she could get away. *heart clutch* Man would die for her and not even blink in the decision making process. Lucy of course will not allow this whatsoever. Valiant or not he’s not falling on his sword for her.

We get a nice call back to 1x18. Not only with Lucy saying they need to go to higher ground. Like he taught her in that ep but to show no mercy. Tim instructing they hurt as many as they can and then retreat upstairs. Lucy getting exactly what he’s saying because they’re simpatico. This entire scene shows that. Also LOVE Lucy saying they only stand a chance TOGETHER. Theme of this season right here. They're better together. Damn right.

What a bad ass battle couple we have. Look at this scene. Lucy calling the audibles in this moment and Tim following her play. Repeating it back and saying 'Copy that.' Gah I love this so very much. Tim trusts her gut without question. Not a doubt in his mind to go with it. The amount of respect he has for her in the field is immense. He was going to stay behind she said no. Then Tim instantly followed her lead after that.

Damnit I love them so much. Tim’s instinct is to always protect Lucy. Where her's is to protect them both in this moment. It’s never because he thinks she can’t handle it. Tim just can’t handle the idea of losing her if he doesn’t. Started from the bottom now we're here and I’m emotional. Also the song once again killer during this epic scene.

Love her touching his arm before they engage in battle in that first one. Look at them in the final two above. I know Eric said they had a blast filming this. They are so damn in-sync. It's such an amazing thing to watch them take these people on. Like I've sad many times before poetry in motion when they're in the field. I love getting to watch the well oiled machine that is them. This was that on steroids ha

Eric was so excited for us to watch this scene and I can see why. It so fun to watch. Taking these guys apart together one at a time. I LOVE Lucy taking that guy out and then grabbing his riot shield. Tim is starting to get overwhelmed and she makes work of what's around her. Running towards Tim getting that guy off her man. With a very impressive shove might I add. Sends him flying down the stairs with the others. They have to start retreating up the stairs after this. They are slowly running out of ammo as well. Backup has yet to arrive and they're battling the best they can to stay alive till it does.

Harper and Nolan finally arrive on scene. Nyla tells John to get to them. She is going to get her sniper rifle even the odds a bit. Unfortunately even with higher ground they’re getting ambushed from all sides now. It's now all melee combat at this point without ammo. Tim takes a guy out with pepper spray and gets a guy off his girl.

Who is literally choking the life out of her. Tim dispatches this guy with any remaining rage he has left. Smashing this guy's face into the wall. Making sure he can't get up to get back to her. All the while Harper being a bad ass snipping people left and right for Tim. This scene is epic af. I love it so much. One of my all time field scenes for sure. They did a damn good job with this holy cow.

Then we get an other beautiful parallel from 1x01 to now. When Lucy pulled Tim to safety mid battle. We get to see Tim do the same for her. The way Tim scoops Lucy up and carries her to safety. I’m not crying you are.... Power couple since day one they just didn’t know it yet. The way he picks her up and then shields her with his body. Gah it’s so good.

When the door opens Tim is worried it’s another bad guy. He shields Lucy with his body. Ready to take a hit to keep her protected. Not willing to let them get at her again. I’m sobbing everyone. The instinct to always protect one another. I’m drowning in feels over here in the best way. Nolan ushers them to safety. Never been happier to see John Nolan in my life LOL

They make it to the stairway battered and bruised. Gasping for air as they try to recover from what just happened. Let’s look at the no space between them when they land on the stairs. Tim reaching out for her instantly. Placing his hand on her thigh checking on her. TWICE might I add. He touches her twice there. While checking around to make sure they’re truly safe. Lucy reaches out for his hand on the first touch. Also their heads touching as well in that first gif. Gah this mini moment has so much to it.

Tim is grounding himself in this moment through those touches. Making sure Lucy is breathing and he can stand down to catch his own breath. Such an intimate moment after an incredibly intense battle. He almost lost her so he is reaching out and making sure she’s ok. He also needs to touch her to settle himself. It was to tell her we’re ok now’s and to confirm to himself she was as well. Damnit it's so good. Don't tell me one of Tim’s biggest love languages isn’t physical touch. It for sure is.

Our last shot of the season for them. Just a BAMF couple post battle. Height difference that I love so much. The check in’s they do walking away knowing this could've been so much worse. Battle worn and bruised. These shots always hit harder knowing they’re together. I would like to think they would fuss over each other's wounds at the hospital. Or at home. We shall see what S6 brings for that if anything regarding it. If not sure someone will write a fic. LOL

The lack of personal space as they walk from the scene always floors me. As close they can possibly be at the moment. Sure Tim is thanking his lucky stars he came with her. I don’t wanna imagine what would’ve happened had he not. Or what Tim would’ve done had something happened. They looks so exhausted they’ve earned a good snuggle and some alone time. Sadly they're still in the middle of case so that's a no go.

Look at our power couple everyone. They're ours. We get to have them. And have a season to look forward to. I was so nervous about the season ending. Knowing this strike could last a long time and it did. Luckily we are coming out of it. Light is at the end of the tunnel. Looking forward to S6 and all the squeeing to come with it.

~~~~

Side notes non-Chenford

This episode one giant stress. One of them being when they try and take Harper’s daughter. The panic in my soul for her. My goodness this finale was great.

All of Celina's scene with Aaron pulling at my feels as well.

Thank you everyone once again who supported these reviews. They started out as a way to fill time between S5 and S6. Became a truly fun hobby for me. Kinda sad the ride is over but like I said at the beginning I’ll do mini reviews each week for s6 won’t be rid of that easily ❤️❤️ Can’t wait to delve in S6 with you all :)

[ohtobeleah]

I feel like everyone is scared about the finale lol

Eeeppp Part One baby let’s go!! I’m so excited for this! Three parts over three days! It’s all been leading towards this!

Warnings: Major TW for domestic abuse. MAJOR TW for child abuse. Domestic violence, trauma, Bradley Bradshaw x F!reader. Platonic Jake Seresin x F!reader

Word Count: 6.1k

-> Read Terms Of Endearment From The Beginning: Series Finale Part One | Part Two | Part Three

***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~*

You had spent all day staring at the ceiling, making friends with the shadows on your wall. You had spent all night hearing voices in your head—your own subconscious telling you that you should get some sleep, because tomorrow might be good for something. 

You had to hold on, but you felt like you were headed straight for a mental breakdown. As you heard the doorknob turn from the outside of your bedroom, you knew exactly why you felt the way you did. 

“Seresins here.” Jaidyn hissed as he stood in the doorway. He’d had you locked in the bedroom the pair of you shared for two days. It had been a punishment for the fact you couldn’t get your newborn to stop crying. Odette was having trouble latching, Jaidyn couldn’t stand her squealing, couldn’t stand how utterly hopeless you were at being a mother. He’d dragged you into the bedroom two days ago and took the door handle with him. So that’s exactly where you and your newborn baby girl stayed for two whole days. “Don’t try anything stupid or I swear to fucking god Y/n I’ll beat the ever living Christ out of you and that parasite daughter of yours.” 

All you did was nod silently in response as you cradled your daughter to your chest and hurried out of the bedroom that had kept you contained for two entire days. Sure you had the ensuite, but those four bland walls were driving you insane. 

“There’s my two favourite girls!” Jake beamed as he held out a bunch of flowers for you. You were a new first time mum, in Jake's eyes you deserved to be showered with love, affection, appreciation and supported to the fullest. “You haven’t answered my calls the past two days, I was starting to get worried.” There was an underlying question in Jake's statement, the kind that wanted to know if you were alright. The kind of underlying undertone that made you want to scream to the heavens above that you needed help, that you’d become somewhat of a prison in your own home, in your own relationship. “You doing alright mama?” Jake kissed your cheek tenderly as he embraced you and looked down at the sleeping tot in your arms. “Hi baby girl.” 

When you didn’t answer immediately, Jaidyn cautiously pushed a framed photo of you and Jake off the hallway table that was situated just behind you. The crashing sound of the shattered picture frame made you jump with a gasp that evidently woke Odette up. She wasn’t sleeping well as it was and quite frankly neither were you between the isolation and malnourishment. Things weren’t alright, you weren’t alright, but you were too afraid to speak up. 

“S-Sorry—“ You stuttered out. Jake frowned at the way you looked so scared, how you held your two week old with all the protectiveness you had. “Just been a little busy with Dotty here, I’m fine, I promise.” 

“What’s a guy like you doing checking in on us on a Friday night anyway Seresin?” Jaidyn interrupted before Jake could press the conversation further. “Thought you would have had a hot date lined up or something?” 

“Nah, not tonight—“ Jake sighed, he was still trying to get a read on what your expression was trying to tell him. “Thought I’d stop by and help out, surely with a newborn around there'd be a bunch of things that I could do.” Within a split second of Jake offering to help, Jaidyn was on him. He came around to snake an arm around your shoulder and you forgot how to breathe, his touch brought pain and your body had connected that. 

“We’re fine, aren’t we darlin?” Jaidyn smiled before he leaned in to kiss your cheek. Through a painfully forced smile, you nodded. Terrified as to what may have happened if you didn’t. “No need Jake, really, we’re good.” It was as if Jaidyn was reminding you who you belonged to in the moment. 

“You should totally go out Jake, it’s me who had a baby, not you—“ You tried to settle the now fussy newborn in your arms but Jake could tell you were struggling. You weren’t okay and he knew it. There was something wrong but the last thing he ever thought would be wrong was Jaidyn himself. Jake thought it was postpartum. That’s why he was checking in—he knew you didn’t have a good relationship with your family, he knew you and Jaidyn had been on the rocks the last few months, it was none of his business but he knew, he knew that your circle was small. “I’m so fine, you really don’t have to do a welfare check—I’d tell you if I needed help.” It was lie after lie after lie. “But I really do appreciate that you came by, here—I’ll get you a drink and we can—“ 

“Don’t you remember?” Jaidyn interrupted. “We’ve got dinner at my buddies place at seven.” You knew there was no dinner, but you pretended the thought had slipped your mind. 

“Oh I totally forgot.” You pretended to be shocked at yourself. “Baby brain, what can I say.” Jake decided that seeing you alive was good enough for him, he trusted you enough to believe you’d tell him if you needed his help. He’d pump the breaks a little. Give you some space. “Maybe you can come round another time and we’ll have dinner together?” 

“You know where to find me.” Jake replied softly as he handed you the bunch of flowers he’d stopped by Sheldon’s Green Grocer to get you. You took them gently from his grasp and when your fingers touched his, you wanted to cry. It had been the first gentle touch you’d experienced in two days. “Please, if you need anything, I’m only a call away.” 

“I know.” You held yourself together as Jake said his goodbyes to Jaidyn. You knew the two were on rocky grounds but for your sake Jake played nice. He hated the fact Jaidyn hadn’t been there for the birth of your daughter. He hated how there were so many arguments he’d overheard and hated the way Jaidyn’s treated you. But you always had a defense, always had a reason to want to defend the guy. So he kept his options to himself. Because who was he to judge you. 

The second Jake shut the front door, Jaidyn. Locked it. He stood in the foyer of the house that had once been yours, he’d managed to take it from underneath you. It was his now. He’d forced you to sign that dotted line. 

“Room, now.” He barked as he snatched the bouquet from you. 

“I can settle her if you give me two minutes.” You pleaded but Jaidyn wasn’t having it. He wanted you to know that bringing that little girl into the world against his wishes was what had sealed your fate. 

“Go back to the bedroom, before I flog the ever living fuck out of you.” You didn’t fight back, you complied with his command to protect your daughter. You could recognise how quickly a bad situation was being critically insane. “Daddy dearest doing a drop by to see his fucking spawn doesn’t bode well for you—“ 

When you sat down on your side of the bed, Jaidyn stood before you as he pushed some of your hair behind your ear, the gentle touch was quickly followed by a harsh slap to the cheek. He didn’t hold back an ounce of force—but you didn’t let a peep escape. With the pad of his thumb and his fingers, Jaidyn squished your cheeks together as he turned your head towards where he stood. Forcing you to look up at him. 

“I haven’t killed you because I love you, you know I love you right baby?” He spat. It was as twisted as love could ever get. “I’ll kill you the second I don’t love you anymore, so pray I never stop.” 

“I know.” You mumbled out as Dot continued to fuss in your arms. “I know—“ Your voice shook with fear.

“And you me too, don’t you?” Jaidyn smiled maniacally. He was in control, he had you under his control and he loved it. No one knew, not a soul. He had everyone fooled. 

“With all my heart.” You replied softly as he let go of your face. 

“So be a good girl and stay here.” Jaidyn had a plan and his next step had already begun, he was slowly beginning to alienate you from Jake, your one lifeline. “I’m gonna go to Jason’s for a while.” It wasn’t like you to ask questions, so when you found yourself asking when Jaidyn would be back your heart sank into your chest. Fuck. Here it came. 

“When will you be back?” With the force of a thousand suns Jaidyn spun around and connected his entire fist with your eye. Immediately at the force of it you began to cry. At the sound of your cry Odette began to cry too. Against your bed you laid a sobbing broken shell of your former self. All with your baby girl still in your arms. She was just two weeks old. 

Jaidyn was becoming unpredictable, irrational. He was hungry for power and power he fed off. But the switch really flipped when he made his own connection that night. The connection that his jeans felt a little tighter at your cries of pain. That blood rushed to his length at the sight of you. He enjoyed your pain far too much to ever consider stopping. 

The cattle prod in the closet was dead, but there was a thought there for a fleeting moment that Jaidyn thought about buying a new battery for it. He remembered the night he gave you that pretty little brand on your ass. You were his, you could never be anyone else’s. He’d kill you before you’d ever be anyone else’s. You were his and only his. But instead of changing out the batteries he settled for watching you and your daughter cry on your bed. It was a sight he’d imagine a little later when he got home and needed a release. 

“What part of my plans are any of your fucking business.” 

***~***~***~***~***~***~**

Rhett Abbott could barely keep his eyes open when he entered the threshold of his brother's home. The dim orange hume of the free standing lamp coming from the living room told him that Bob was still up. The sun was just about to kiss the horizon good morning—but the light had yet to make its appearance in the early hours. Everyone should have been sleeping soundly—yet everyone was on high alert. 

“I tell ya what Rob when I agreed to come out here I didn’t expect to be—“ When Rhett rounded the corner he was sure he’d see his brother sitting perched on the couch or passed out from the lack of sleep everyone was getting. But much to Rhett’s delight it wasn’t Robert Floyd—. “Uh, Hi?” 

It was Natasha Phoenix Trance. 

“Hey Rhett.” Phoenix smiled softly under the hume of the lamp she was reading under. “Bob called me not too long after you guys left for the hospital, said he didn’t wanna be alone.” With a gentle nod Rhett entered this living room slowly, his eyes never left Natasha’s as she watched him move around. He looked all sorts of out of place. “How’s Odette?” 

“She’s safe, with her mum—“ Rhett answered, a little less gruff than he normally would. Suddenly he thought back to how hard he’d been on Amilia in the emergency room—fuck, feelings were a son of a bitch weren’t they. 

“And Hangman?” Phoenix raised a questioning brow. She didn’t want Rhett to feel like he was being interrogated, but she cared about her friends, her colleagues. All Rhett did was sigh out as he sat down on the lounge next to Phoenix, not too far away that it had been a deliberate act to stay away but not too close to make her uncomfortable. 

“Last I checked little miss gumtrees and koala bears had that situation taken care of so I left it at that.” Phoenix chuckled, she’d heard about Chelsea’s little sister and how she’d managed to captivate the heart of none of the Hangman himself. “He’s fine, a couple of stitches, a concussion—but just like a roach he’ll survive.”

 It had been a long night, Rhett could barely keep his eyes open but with Phoenix sitting right next to him looking all sorts of angelic and beautiful, he’d force his eyelids open for just a little longer. 

“Bob said you did a pretty great thing tonight, advocating for Fe.” Phoenix finally closed her book entirely before she placed it down on the little coffee table sitting beside her. “She might not act like it but you’ve been a big help these past couple of weeks.” 

“Yeah well—“ She could see the rose pink colour starting to kiss Rhett’s cheeks. He knew he did a good thing, he was a good person. He just didn’t know it because no one had ever really told him. “Kid needed her mum and besides, I take anything Rob says with a grain of salt.” Rhett yawned as he stretched his arms above his head a little more dramatically than he probably normally would have, but the way his action had Natasha laughing softly in the early hours of the morning made his heart skip a beat for the first time in a long time. “He doesn’t think that highly of me.” 

“Well, between you and me Bobs pretty happy to have you here.” Phoenix explained as she settled further into herself. She wasn’t shy about the fact she knew Rhett was staring at her in a way she never thought she’d want him to let alone encourage. “What would it take you to stay? you know—after this whole charade is over and there isn’t anyone left to save?” 

“It would have to be a series of unfortunate events,  Lieutenant Trance.” Rhett smiled out of the corner of his mouth under the dim light. “North Island isn’t the place for me.” The two sat in the comfortable silence of Robert Floyd’s living room for a moment as Rhett listened to the bedroom door open and closed from down the hall. He knew he’d be listening. “Don’t tell him I said this but I didn’t mind being needed for once.” Phoenix pretended to zip her lips shut with her fingers as she felt her own crimson hume appearing against the apples of her cheeks. In the fleeting moments that passed the two of them by, Rhett thought he may as well shoot his shot. “Do you uh—wanna grab a coffee with me sometime?” 

“I’m free later on today if you are.” Rhett could barely control the smile that forced the corners of mouth to pin to his cheeks. “I know a place.” 

“Yeah, yeah well all right then Miss Trance—“ Rhett couldn’t have been happier, he had a coffee date with a beautiful girl to take his mind off things for just a little while. “You’ve got yourself a date.” 

“I’m looking forward to it, Abbott.” 

Bob heard it loud and clear as he padded down the hall—from the gesture of brotherly need to the almost unnerving idea of his brother and his front seater starting a casual fling, he smiled to himself before he heard Rhett sigh and say his goodnight or good morning or whatever the hell you wanted to call it to Phoenix before he stood. 

The two brothers met in the hall with a passing glance that resembled something of a

rekindlement. They both wanted to fix what they had broken over the years, call it a twin thing. But the pair were just as strong headed and stubborn as each other. Rhett knew it took a hell of a lot for Bob to reach out—and Bob knew it took all Rhett’s might to drop what he was doing to come help. 

“Rob—“ Rhett nodded in passing. 

“Rhett—“ Bob greeted his brother through a yawn. “Are you just getting in?” 

“Yeah—“ Rhett didn’t see much reason to prolong the conversation. “Bradshaw said if you swing by his place later on there’s a beer in the fridge.” Rhett took notice of the way Bob shook his head and let out a small but audible scoff. “Hey if it’s free and you don’t want it, bring it home yeah?” 

Bob didn’t mind the passiveness of it all. He didn’t mind the way Rhett said what he needed to say and left it at that. It was better than the two of them not talking at all. So he nodded and pressed his lips together in a firm line, committing it to memory to bring that beer back for Rhett. 

“Sure thing.” 

***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***

“Okay so, You’ll need to present to the ER in ten days to have those stitches removed from your head.” The Doctor discharging Jake after his overnight stay on the grounds of monitoring his condition, explained. “Keep them dry but if you feel like you need to you can lightly dab at the area with a damp washcloth to help keep the area clean—perhaps a trusted friend or partner could help you with that.” Jake didn’t say a word but his eyes traveled over to where Amilia stood reading some random educational infographic that caught her eye on the wall of Jake's hospital room. 

“You’ll also need to take these with food and water twice a day to ward off potential infection.” The doctor handed Jake a packet of antibiotics. “And no flying till that concussion is gone—“ 

“Gee, your bedside manner leaves something to be desired, Doc.” Amilia chuckled as she shook her head softly and came over to where Jake was sitting with his legs over the side of the hospital bed he’d stayed in overnight. With the way Jake immediately brought her close with his arm as he gently perched his open hand on her hip and his cheek on her shoulder it wouldn’t have been an overestimate to assume the pair were dating. 

“You should start to feel less foggy in the next couple of days, Lieutenant.” Doctor Sullivan smiled as he shook Jake's hand. “I’m sure your girlfriend here will keep a watchful eye on you.” Jake immediately felt his heart stop beating inside his chest as his face grew hot with embarrassment. He could feel himself wanting to pull away and explain to the Doctor that the two were not in fact an item. But Amilia acknowledged the statement with grace which allowed for a far less awkward conversation to follow. 

“She will.” Amilia smiled and squeezed Jake's side as she mimicked his original expression of affection and wrapped her arm around his side from behind. 

“Have a good day.” Doctor Sullivan was quick to say his final goodbye before heading out on his morning rounds. Leaving both Amilia and Jake to sit in the silence. 

“Okay big guy let’s get you home.” Amilia groaned as she tapped Jakes back and watched him stand. He could very much do it on his own, but he didn’t let his arm fall from around Amilias shoulder for even a second. 

“You know this could be the conconcussion talking but I don’t remember ever asking you to be my girlfriend?” Jake smirked at the way Amilia nearly tripped over her own feet at his statement. “I’m not saying that it would be a bad thing either, to have you as a girlfriend.” Jake Seresin hadn’t had a girlfriend since his senior year of college and she wasn’t serious. “Just don’t remember asking—“ 

“You haven’t—“ Amilia squeezed Jake's hand as she stayed close to his side. She’d been there the whole night besides the hour she’d gone home to change her clothes and freshen up. “Just thought it would be easier to lie than to have that poor guy chasing his tail apologising for assuming.” It was a very good point.

“What would the answer be if I did?” Jake pressed as the two made their way to the elevator, Amilia didn’t ask why Jake pressed the third floor instead of the ground floor button. She already knew where he wanted to go. To see you. “If I asked you?” Sure of herself as a heat radiated in her cheeks, Amilia tried to keep her lips pressed together to stop herself from bashfully grinning ear to ear. She turned to Jake as he looked at her and without hesitation, he ducked to press his lips to hers in a fleeting moment. 

“Guess you’ll have to find out when you ask.” Amilia smiled against Jake's lips as she pulled away. He was obsessed, infatuated and utterly head over heels for this woman he hardly knew but would throw himself in front of without even thinking. “You still owe me that date.” 

***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***

“It looks like you’re numbers up miss Y/l/n.” Your Doctor beamed as he entered your room for morning rounds with a smile plastered across his face that looked as if he was about to give you the greatest gift of all. “Todays the day—“ He paused at the end of your bed and watched you play with your daughter's hair as she sat between your legs as Bradley ever so carefully painted her tiny nails a bright orange. The same orange he’d done your toes in a few days prior. “I'm signing those damn discharge papers you’ve been hounding me about.” 

“No way Dotty, did you hear that?” You tickled her side softly and leaned in to kiss her cheek. “Mama gets to come home with you and Roo bear today!” It was the day you’d been waiting for, been praying on and wishing every time you closed your eyes that tomorrow would be the day. 

“We’ll still need to do your finale assessments and assuming that you pass the physicality of the tasks you’ll be good to go.” 

“She’ll jump through hoops to get home, a few formalities are the least of her worries. I can tell you that with certainty.” Bradley added as he looked your way with proper heart eyes. You’d never seen eyes light up with so much love and unconditional affection before. But then there was Bradley Bradshaw and he was all yours. 

“Give us a little time to get prepped and I’ll bring the team in for some assessments and based on that we’ll get you out of here as soon as possible.” It was truly the best news you’d ever heard. You were going home. Finally. 

Odette couldn’t have been more excited if she tried, it was hard being three and trying to hide that amount of excitement in your system. It was bound to happen eventually, Bradley honestly hadn’t thought that the secret would have been kept for this long. Dot had given it her very best try, so when the secret was slipping out of her tiny three year old mouth he couldn’t even find it in his heart to be the slightest bit mad. 

“Tooster, does mama get to come home to our new home?” You frowned at your daughter’s words as you played with the bands that still kept your jaw from opening too much. “To your home?” 

“Bradley—“ You warned softly as you turned your attention to the love of your life. “What have you been up to?”

“I’ve been up to nothing, I’ve got no idea what she’s talking about.” Bradley tried to play dumb, but you saw the way his mustache twitched. To the untrained eye it would have gone unnoticed—but you’d become all too familiar with Roosters small tells. “She’s just—“

“My ooms gonna be lellow.” Dot looked over at her Tooster like she knew she’d just thrown him under the bus and under the bus hard. “And mamas gonna share with Tooster.” 

“Mamas gonna share what with Tooster?” Jake interrupted as he and Amilia headed on into your hospital room. “You tell her that you moved all her stuff to yours?” There was something in your eyes that told Jake he’d just let the cat out of the bag, but it wasn’t a glare. It wasn’t a look of rage or anger—it was something softer and more full of thankfulness. “Oh hang on.” Jake cupped his hand, the one that wasn’t in Amilias, over his mouth. “Fuck.” 

“You moved us into your place already?” The way you asked, already told Bradley everything he needed to know, you were thrilled. “Rooster you didn’t have to do that, I could have helped when—“ 

“No need.” Was all Bradley replied with as he stood to place a gentle kiss atop your head. His hand fell softly to your good shoulder. “There's still a few things that I need to take care of, but the majority of your stuff and Dot's stuff is already sorted.” 

“My doll house is at Toosters mama.” Dot interrupted as Jake began making his way over to collect her for a hug. “In my bedoom.” 

“Well isn’t that just super awesome, that means we can play with your dollies when we get home doesn’t it?” You beamed as bright as you could as you hugged your daughter from behind with one good arm. 

It was then you fully turned your attention to the woman standing beside Jake as he reached in to lift Odette up. You didn’t recognise her in the slightest bit but only assumed that she was the woman who Jake had taken one hell of a liking to. 

“You must be Amilia?” You asked through a tight lipped smile as you held your hand out to greet her. “Thankyou for everything you’ve done for me and my family.” Amilia didn’t expect the praise she received but nevertheless she accepted it with enough grace in her system that she didn’t make a fool of herself. “Must be something really special about you if you’ve got Jake all in a flurry.” You teased at the man who now held your daughter tight on his hip. “He isn’t the biggest fan of monogamy.” 

“Hey—“ Jake hissed. “I do alright thank you very much.” Amilia laughed it off as she watched Jake and Dot interact like they were one in the same. He felt like he’d failed her once more last night, but Jake couldn’t be too hard on himself. Jaidyn was a maniac and he had very much proven that. Something definitely wasn’t right in his mind. 

“Amilia came by last night to see how you were doing after Rhett brought Dot up.” Bradley explained. “You were sleeping but she stayed and kept me company for a little while.” Just the thought of knowing someone had been there for Rooster made your heart swell. “She saw I wasn’t doing so well.” 

“Well that settles it then, you and I are gonna have to grab a coffee and get to know each other once I’m out of this place.” It was a bittersweet moment for everyone in the room, on one side of the situation they were all excited to get you home. They all knew how much you hated being trapped in the hospital. But on the other side, once you were out there was no telling what could happen. At least in the hospital you were safe. No one could hurt you. 

“We should probably talk about a few things before the doctors come back Fe.” Bradley sighed. “Jake, Ams, will you guys take Odette to get some breakfast?” 

“I reckon we can handle that.” Jake agreed. “Give those doctors hell Fe, you're coming home.” Jake's pep talk was short and sweet, as he turned to say something to Amilia, you saw the bandage on the back of his head. 

“Wait, why do you have a bandage on the back of your head?” You asked Jake through a frown. “What happened?” The panic had begun to rise. “Jake?” The longer anyone went without answering you the more your blood pressure rose. “Guys? Holy shit what happened!” 

“All that matters is I’m fine.” Jake replied, it was a conversation left for Rooster to have, to loop you in and figure out what to do next. “Come on Dotty, let’s give mama some time to rest yeah? Oz and I are gonna get some breakfast and you’re coming with us.” 

“It was nice to meet you.” Amilia smiled as softly as she could. “Officially that is, I feel like I’ve known you for weeks now.” 

“Likewise.” You acknowledge the woman who’d become an extension of your best friend. There was a spark there, you could tell. Jake looked at Amilia like she hung all the stars in the night sky just for him. When she placed a gentle hand against the small of his back to help guide him out you knew Jake wasn’t one hundred percent, he was fronting. The second Dot, Jake and Amilia were gone, you knew something was horribly wrong. “Bradley, you’re gonna tell me everything, I deserve to know what he did.” 

“We don’t know what his aim was.” Bradley settled back into the chair beside your bed that had become his second home. “He cut the power in Jake's place last night.” The thought alone gave you chills. “When Jake went to see what was up he smashed a piece of two by four against the back of his head.” The silence that fell around your hospital room was as loud and as deafening as silence could be. “Good thing he was on the phone with Amilia or else who knows how long he would have been there for.” 

“He didn’t hurt Dotty?” Your voice was laced with a tremendous amount of concern. “At all?” Bradley could see the way your hands shook against the blanket as you fiddled with the fabric. It was no secret to anyone around you that you were completely and utterly terrified of the father of your daughter. You’d always been completely honest about that. You weren’t brave when it came to him. You knew what he was capable of. What he could and would do. 

“Nope, and we don’t know we’re he is now or what he’s up to but if i'm being completely honest with you baby—“ Bradley sighed as he finally said what had been haunting him since he saw you beaten and bloodied and nearly dead in the janitor's closet. “I don’t know how to keep you safe from him, he’s too unpredictable now.” 

“Maybe I should talk to the police?” You suggested nervously. “They were here once, asked me to file charges. Maybe doing that will do something?” You really didn’t want to have to do it, but at this stage it seemed necessary. “It’ll help.” 

“Maybe, but I’m not gonna tell you what to do baby.” Rooster cooed. “But maybe it’ll give you a leg up.” It was just an idea, Bradley knew you weren’t too keen on filing charges and having to go through that entire process—but it might have to be done. “I reckon what we do, is stop by the station on the way home, talk to the guys who are already involved and see what they say.” 

“I can do it myself Rooster you don’t have to co—“ Before you could even finish that sentence Bradley was interrupting. He immediately shook his head and mumbled out an “ah ah ah.” 

“Your business is my business and my business is your business, and this mess is our business to take care of.” Bradley leaned forward to rub his nose against yours to bring out a delicate chuckle from deep within your soul. “So we’ll do what we have to do, together.” It was a night and day comparison to what you had gotten so used to knowing. You had a partner, in every aspect of the word. Bradley Bradshaw was the love of your life. 

“Okay, we do this together.” 

***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~*

Bob Floyd was a simple man. He loved his family, he loved his friends, and he loved his career. There wasn’t a single thing he’d change. Except for maybe the strained relationship he shared with his brother. 

As Bob unlocked the front door of Roosters home, everything seemed normal. He’d done this a time or two before. Bob would go over, tidy things up, sort stuff out, he’d help Rooster out while he was dealing with a situation Bob couldn’t even begin to imagine how hard it was to navigate. A three year old, domestic abuse, work inquiries and so on and so forth. The least Bob felt like he could do was some dishes and vacuuming. 

Bob made his way into Bradley’s kitchen in search of that beer he knew he’d forget about if he didn’t put his keys in there with it. But when Bob opened the fridge door and saw no beer bottle, he frowned. Huh, Rooster must have thought he put it there. 

So Bob shrugged it off, he shut the fridge and pocketed his keys before he absentmindedly got to work pacing around the kitchen. Emptying the dishwasher full of all Dots dishwasher friendly cups and bowls and plates and spoons. Bradley had been busy preparing his house for the three year old that stole his heart. That much was adamant. 

As Bob went about his business, he thought about filling the silence with some music—he knew Rooster had a speaker system hooked up to his TV unit. With a dishcloth in hand and a hum in his throat, Bob made his way around the corner into the living room where he was met with something very out of place. 

The empty beer bottle, sitting pretty atop the old wooden coffee table Bradley kept when his mother had died. The second thing Bob noticed out of place in the living room was the empty mantle piece. As Bob's eyes trailed to the floor he took notice of the shattered picture framed—all broken and twisted and a mess on the floor. Then in the heavy silence of what should have been Bradley Bradshaw's empty home, he heard a click from behind him. 

The click of a pin on a handgun. 

“Someone should have told you to mind your own fucking business Floyd.” Jaidyn snarled, he’d had a bone to pick with Bob since the hanger. “And now here you are again, sticking your nose into shit that you know nothing about.” 

“What are you doing here?” Bob turned around slowly to face the man who’d caused you and your family so much pain. 

“House sitting—“ Bob showed no emotion as he held his hands up near his head. “What are you doing here?” He could recognise this wasn’t a good situation to be in. He played it cool though, masked the terror bubbling to the surface. 

“Helping out.” Bob knew in that moment he had to be smart about every move he made, right now though he’d play Jaidyn’s game. 

“Seems as though your offer to help out a friend might just cost you your life Bob.” Jaidyn wore a wicked smirk as he held out his hand. “Give me your phone.” 

With a shaking hand and a skyrocketing heartbeat, Bob reached into the back pocket of his jeans. As he flipped it over the check the screen Bob noticed three things in the quick transaction. There was a text from Rhett that had gone unread, a missed call from Fanboy, Bob had never regretted having his phone on silent more in his life, and his background. A photo of him and Rhett when they were five. Together forever trapped in a memory of the past. 

“You could still walk away from all of this you know.” Bob tried to mask the fear in his voice. “Skip town, assume a new identity, start fresh.” It sounded ridiculous really but it could have been just what Jaidyn needed to hear. “I don't want any trouble, I won’t even tell no one I saw you here.” 

“Oh Robert—“ Jaidyn sighed as he pocketed Bob's phone. “I really wish I didn’t have to do this.” Before Bob had a chance to say anything, Jaidyn reached for the handle of the gun and smacked Bob's temple. He went down without much of a fight. “But I gotta teach that little bitch a lesson.” With a solid kick to the gut, Bob cowered in somewhat of a fetal position—trying to protect his vital organs. 

“Gotta show her that no one around her is safe, no one she loves is safe, no one who truly matters to her is safe because I will stop at nothing!” Jaidyn barked as he stomped the bottom of his boot against Bob's head, one single movement that had the Weapons System Officer down and out for the count. “Till she’s dead or killed herself.” 

Unconscious & Unresponsive. 

***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~*

Tags: @a-serene-place-to-be @lilyevanswhore @thescarletknight2014 @blindedbythelightt @averyhotchner @emma8895eb @blairfox04 @caitsymichelle13 @oxxolovemelikeyoudooxxo @teacupsandtopgun @aemondssiut  @akalei349 @notjustsomeblonde @americaarse e @avaleineandafryingpan @phoenix1388 @xoxabs88xox @je-suis-prest-rachel @pono-pura-vida @rosiahills22 @starset21 @anarchyrising @caidi-paris @starkleila @criticalroleobssedperson @enchantingdreamergothprune @flrboyd @emma8895eb @endofdays56 @seresinsaint @topguncortez @mandylove1000

[finalgirlrick]

Ain’t It Easy

Pairing: Rick Grimes x Reader (prison era)

Word Count: 1k 

Warnings: none I think, just fluff. 

A/N: this is my first ever fic & I've had it done for weeks but I've been terrified to post it lmao. might be my first and my last fic but i hope someone out there likes it lol. pretty common trope, but reader has trouble sleeping & stuff commences. there is a rick grimes fic drought which is simply unacceptable, that man is too hot. shoutout @weretheones & @normanplusdaryl for reading over it & motivating me to finally post it :') also, i named this after a random song & it probably makes no sense.

You were no stranger to insomnia. Even before the world went to shit, you often found yourself tossing and turning endlessly until you could see the first glimpse of sunrise. It only got worse after the fall. Now in your cold prison cell, with the threat of growling blood-hungry walkers right outside, the ability to get a good night’s rest felt even more like a fantasy. 

It was impossible to know what time it was. And who cared anymore anyway? There were more important things to worry about. All you knew is that you were fed up with trying to get rest when your mind and body clearly had other plans. You could only lay on your thin prison mattress and stare at the ceiling for so long. If sleep deprivation was how you died, so be it. You were done trying. 

So you decided to take a walk around the prison, careful not to wake anyone and envying all of the people that were able to get a few hours of peace. The bags under your eyes proved that this was something you hadn’t experienced in a long, long time. Daryl’s loud snores almost stopped you in your tracks, but onwards you went past the other's cells. Reassuring yourself that everyone in your group was safe was a welcome distraction from the weight of your heavy eyelids. You found yourself zoning out while taking in the details of the prison when a sudden whisper made your body jolt upright. 

 “Everything alright?” said the raspy southern drawl that you would recognize anywhere. Rick. He was carrying his newborn daughter, Judith, seemingly lulling her to sleep. “Yeah, just going for a walk,” you said with a chuckle, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible. Somehow, whenever you were around the leader you couldn’t help but turn into an awkward babbling mess. 

“Can’t sleep?” he asked looking up at you with a gaze that made you feel like he could see right through you. There was no use in lying, standing in front of him you lost all of your willpower. You looked down at the ground, feeling your cheeks turn pink as you answered — “Nope.” You felt a strange sense of embarrassment. At what exactly? You didn’t really know. Or maybe you were just ignoring it, knowing that whatever stupid feelings you were having were to be kept buried deep. At least the prison was dark enough to mask it. 

“Judith couldn’t either, just knocked out almost this second,” he responded, flashing you a smile that made you just about melt. There was a subtle shift in his expression, as his gaze once again moved to Judith. “Yeah…I’ve been having trouble sleeping too ever since - ,” he stopped himself mid-sentence. You looked at him in understanding, unsure of what to say. There was really nothing to say in these situations. You knew that all too well. 

Swallowing his emotions down, he urged you to go inside his cell with a simple hand movement. He put Judith down into the small crib that Glenn and Maggie scavenged a few weeks ago, where she lay soundly asleep. An awkward silence filled the room, broken only when Rick suggested, “Try sleeping here.” Although, with his authoritative demeanor that always captivated you, it sounded more like a gentle order. 

You felt your eyes widen in shock and almost immediately, you explained to him that you couldn’t possibly do that. You didn’t want to bother him, and honestly, your lack of sleep wasn’t that much of a big deal anyway. But he interrupted all of your excuses by repeating again, “Try.” And it was hard to say no with the look he was giving you. When he so carefully explained to you how it is a big deal, and how your well-being is of grave importance to the group. You didn’t necessarily agree, but hearing the words from his mouth felt good, and the last thing you wanted to do was disappoint him. 

“You’re scared,” he said as he sat down in a chair a few steps away from his bed, where you now sat anxiously. “What?” you snapped on impulse, quickly regretting it. “Of everything outside the walls,” he whispered shaking his head. “All of it,” he continued. “Not just the walkers, everything out there we don’t know about. That’s why you can’t sleep. And I get it, I do.” You took notice of the way his wet curls framed his face and moved as he spoke. How there was genuine concern for you in his bright blue eyes. 

Maybe he was right, you told him. But what was the solution? This was life now. Rest wasn’t ever going to come easy again. Not for you. Until he proposed you with a plan. He would stay awake alongside you as you tried to drift off for the millionth time tonight, in an attempt to make you feel safe enough to do so. It didn’t hurt to try it, he reiterated. And so, you agreed. 

With a swift tilt of his head he encouraged you to lay down on his mattress, and although you couldn’t shake the feeling that you were invading his privacy and robbing him of well-deserved rest — you swore you never felt more comfortable. And it certainly wasn’t because his bed was of better quality than yours, or because the temperature of the room was just right. His presence was a comfort, and goddammit he was right — maybe this was all that you needed after all. To feel safe. To have someone near you that made you feel safe. As you closed your eyes, you eventually felt the world fade away and finally drifted off into a deep sleep. 

In the morning, while gearing up for your shift at the fences you recalled a memory - or, perhaps a dream - of feeling a hand tuck a strand of hair behind your ear at some point during the night. But there was no use in entertaining silly fantasies, back to work you went. 

[ok-boomerang]

if those two don't kill each other, Sokka might lend a hand

a zutara drabble

HAPPIEST OF BIRTHDAYS TO MY DEAREST @hneyteacup. I wrote a birthday drabble inspired by one of your faves, SPUFFY. I however have never seen Buffy and in fact I just found out the fate of Spuffy approximately 30 seconds ago lol, BUT STILL, this drabble is inspired by them, for you 💕 HBD!!!! ILY!

--

The others might buy Zuko’s little transformation, but not Katara.

She knows exactly how sympathetic he can make his sorry life seem, all in the pursuit of Fire Nation supremacy.

So that’s why she’s been interrogating Zuko in his room for the past 15 minutes. She’s made him promise he won’t fire bend at her, and she did not feel a tinge of regret when he frowned and said he would never, sounding almost hurt.

Even so, Katara stands at the ready in front of him, hands sheathed in water just in case Zuko decides to break her rule.

“So you’re telling me you saw the soldiers that were following us back in Fire Fountain City. And yet you can’t describe them?” she asks, voice dripping with disdain.

Zuko groans and rolls his eyes, almost as if this was nothing more than an annoying hassle for him rather than the serious interrogation it was. He waits a beat, staring angrily at the floor, before he lifts his head to meet her eyes.

“Well, they were human,” he says, voice annoyingly sweet. “Two legs. Two arms.”

Katara scowls.

“They were wearing helmets,” Zuko says in exasperation. “Am I supposed to be able to recognize soldiers by the way they walk?”

“Maybe!”

At this point, Sokka enters with a steaming cup of tea. He takes one look between the two—the scowl on the prince’s face and the murderous intent on Katara’s, and mutters, “Not sure you know what you’re doing, sis.”

At this, Katara transfers her glare to her brother, though he only rolls his eyes too.

Katara huffs and takes the tea that Sokka brought, silently dismissing him. Sokka sends what seems to be an apologetic look (traitor!) to Zuko before wordlessly exiting.

“It’s about time,” says Zuko when Katara hands him the mug of tea. “Hope he got it warm enough, since you’re forbidding me from bending.”

Katara ignores him. “How did you even get here?” she snaps, hoping that asking this question for the umpteenth time will expose how he’d been following them for weeks (which was likely!) or how he’d kidnapped some of their friends to get their location (even more likely!).

“I told you; I stole a war balloon and followed you from Caldera.” He takes a sip of his tea and sighs. “I’m done. Let me talk to Aang.”

“Not yet! I’m not done!”

Zuko purses his lips but doesn’t argue any longer.

“How did you break into the North Pole?” Katara finally asks.

Really? Zuko’s expression seems to ask.

For some reason, he smirks at her. “Hmm, I’m not sure.”

“Tell me.”

“I’m trying to remember,” he says, putting down his tea to make a show of tapping his chin. “It was very traumatic.”

“How long are you going to pull this crap?”

“How long are you going to keep me prisoner in my own room?”

Katara sniffs. “I’m not leaving you alone until you tell me something worthwhile.” Until he proves to her that allowing him to stay here will have some sort of benefit.

“Fine,” Zuko says, lying back and stretching out on his bed. One arm holds his head up as he watches Katara over his nose. “We can stay here all day and all night, with you—what did you call it?—interrogating me.” He smirks again, the crooked expression on his face downright infuriating.

Katara abruptly changes tactics, crossing her arms and stepping toward him, the water falling from her hands in large splashes that she ignores. “You know what, I don’t think you want me to leave you alone,” she says slowly, her lip curling in satisfaction. “I’m the only one who will talk to you, anyway.”

Zuko’s smirk falls, and Katara feels a little flame of triumph in her chest roar to life.

“Right, I don’t want you to leave me alone,” he parrots, the bite back in his voice. “I definitely want to be constantly reminded how much you hate me.”

Katara does not feel another twinge of regret. She does not push anything away.

Instead, she falls to her knees with a mocking gasp.

“Does his highness require better accommodations?” she says, her voice warbling. “Better amenities?”

“Katara—” Zuko says, unamused.

“An innocent victim to burn, perhaps?”

“Katara, please—” Zuko says, voice more serious. But she keeps going.

“Do you require a maiden before you cooperate?” she taunts, crawling toward him and exposing her neck. “What about me? Will I do?”

At this point, Zuko is exhaling smoke, but he’s not bending. She wonders how far she can goad him. She crawls closer until she’s at the edge of his bed and mockingly reaching toward him.

“Please, your highness, what must we do to please you?!” she all but shrieks, vaguely feeling like she would make a great actress as Zuko slowly shakes his head, as if to say What did I do to deserve this?

Well, she can think of a lot of things!

Just when she thinks of naming all those things to Zuko, she suddenly hears the swish of a cloak behind her and the sound of wood hitting the ground. Her and Zuko both turn toward the noise, to see Aang, a confused smile on his face, his ears a little pink, and his glider in his hand.

“Um—Katara—I think I’ll talk to Zuko now,” says Aang slowly, eying her strangely. She’s about to ask what’s up with him before she realizes her arms are sprawled beseechingly toward Zuko, her body half on his bed and half on the ground.

“Right, yes!” she says, getting up daintily and wiping her tunic with her hands as if what she’d been doing was perfectly normal. “I’ll just be—”

Inexplicably, she looks back to Zuko, who is also watching her, bemused.

“Bye!” she squeaks to the room with a hurried wave.

She’s talking to Aang, of course. Not Zuko.

Definitely not Zuko.