#but this felt like the right place to leave off for dramatic effect

[millenniumdueled]

Wish of Final Effort: part 1

A great darkness begins to engulf the entire Earth, that band of shadow widening until the stars disappear. Far away from the battle, Duke and Rebecca watch anxiously as lightning flashes against that pitch black sky.

And under the ocean, the Great Leviathan roars.

"Do you hear it?" Dartz asks as the temple and the island it sits on shake. "With Seto's sacrifice, my god is almost ready."

"tell your dumb lizard to spit out my brother, you genocidal freak!!!" Mokuba snaps from his place beside his fallen brother, tears raining freely from his stormy grey eyes. "kill him, Yugi!!!!!"

Dartz rolls his mismatched eyes. "I think we've heard enough from the peanut gallery." As he speaks, an eye appears in the Seal behind him. The Seal pulsates, sending a shockwave of energy rippling through the room that knocks the spectators back, off their feet and to the floor.

Somehow, Mokuba manages to crawl back to his brother before he collapses, unconscious beside his lifeless form, one hand clinging to Seto's arm.

"There! No more distractions," Dartz laughs.

The Other Yugi gasps as he glances behind himself at his friends, crumpled on the floor beside each other. "What did you do to them?!" he demands. His hands shake.

"Don't worry, they're only sleeping. My god has no appetite for their weak and pathetic souls." Dartz's aloof demeanor changes, back to that bloodlust he radiated before, as he fixes his blue and gold eyes on his opponent. "Now it's only you and me, Nameless Pharaoh. Some quality time."

Other Yugi growls as he tears his focus away from his unconscious friends and back to the battle at hand.

Yugi and Joey stare back at him from their Mirror Knight forms, their eyes blank. Still, the Other Yugi can feel something in them, feel his Partner pleading silently with him to head the few words he had managed to utter against Dartz's control.

The Other Yugi takes a deep breath.

Thanks to Kaiba's Wish of Final Effort, he has a second chance, and 4300 Lifepoints. But across the field, Dartz is protected by an unbeatable serpent, the legendary Geh with infinite attack points.

He draws for his turn, plays Pot of Greed to draw two more cards. The first is Obnoxious Celtic Guardian, a familiar and well played monster. But the second makes his eyes widen. The nameless card given to him by the Dark Magician Girl the night he had freed Timaeus! Except now, it isn't blank. Now, the image of three knights, swords raised and crossed, appears to him clear as day, along with the name: Legend of Heart.

He can feel its power radiate inside his heart. His eyes meet his Partner's across the field, he swears he sees Yugi smile and he knows.

This is the card that will save the world.

He summons his Celtic Guardian, just to tribute the elf, as well as 1000 of his Lifepoints, to activate this new card's effect. All three legendary dragons, Timaeus, Critias, and Hermos, appear on the field at once. They let out a mighty roar as they all leap into the air, flying up, up, up into the shadows of the temple's high ceiling, until a burst of bright, white light blinds the Duelists far below.

"After ten millennia in captivity, our time has finally come again, Dartz!" booms a voice that echoes through the chamber.

When the Other Yugi's vision returns, he finds three knights, the spitting image of himself, Joey, and Kaiba, on his side of the field where the dragons had stood seconds before.

The knights stare Dartz down with 10,000 years of resentment in their eyes as they face their enemy. Each knight announces his name, Sir Timaeus, Sir Hermos, Sir Critias, and they raise their swords, crossing them overhead as the art on the card the Pharaoh had played.

"In the name of Atlantis, we have been reborn to defeat you," they announce as one. Their swords strike the ground, and the three layers of Dartz's Seal of Orichalcos are destroyed.

But despite that, Dartz still laughs. "How good to see you all again. But that's some confidence you've got! Have you forgotten our last battle?"

Timaeus raises his free hand to touch his right eye, scarred over. "How could I forget? We have a score to settle, here and now."

Dartz hardly seems shaken by the knight's threats.

But the Other Yugi hesitates. Even if these knights have some effect that can destroy the immortal Geh, those two mirror knights, wearing the souls of his Partner and best friend, stand in the way. Kaiba had destroyed Mai and Rex without hesitation. But how can the Pharaoh attack the people most precious to him...?

His eyes meet Yugi's across the field again and the seconds tick by.

The knight Timaeus looks back at the Duelist who summoned him. His perplexed expression softens as he realizes what's holding the Other Yugi back. "It's okay," he assures his Duelist. "Attacking the mirror knights won't hurt them. You'll only break the spell he holds over your friends' souls."

The Other Yugi searches Timaeus's single blue eye for the truth. Finally, he nods in understanding. His chest hurts, but he orders his knights to attack the ones that shield Dartz and his serpent.

Timaeus and Hermos ready their swords.

[bladesprettywhore]

「 DAZAI OSAMU 」 — " you're so pretty " !

⟡ . prompt : dom! dazai x sub! reader

⟡ . warnings : reader has a female autonomy, fluff to smut? , dazai gets super worked up and is a sadist, degrading + praise, spitting, hairpulling, choking, dacriphyllia, gagging, edging, overstimulation, use of bandages, a little dark.

⟡ . before you read : minors and ageless blogs dni.

it had been a tiring day at work for both you and dazai at the agency. currently, both of you were walking to the agency dorms together hand in hand. upon arriving right infront of the familiar abandoned sight which was home to the both of you, a sigh escaped your lips , dazai looked down at you before a smile appeared on his lips, "tiring day huh? I can understand..kunikida was so mean at work today!" the words left his mouth with a dramatic tone as you just palmed your forehead lightly with a soft smile on your face.

"can we go inside now? your monologue can wait until you're alone you know" you said nudging his arm in a teasing manner. he just pouted and dramatically put his hand over his heart "ah belladonna! what a cold hearted woman you are!". you just chuckled at his silliness and walked into your shared room before flopping yourself onto the mattress in the middle of the tatami mats. it was a little messy in the room as you and dazai didn't clean up before leaving.

you yawned a bit as you felt a pair of familiar hands wrap around you from behind, and pressing their body against yours. "you tired? today was rough huh..." dazai spoke in a calm and relaxed tone as he put one of his legs over yours. you chuckled a bit, as you ranted on about all the events that took place that very day "uh huh...I had a hard time figuring out the case assigned to me today but fortunately ranpo-san was nearby so I was in luck and to add on...." you told him more details about your day but he wasn't even listening.

the leg which was over yours was now kneeing you right at your covered womanhood. your talking was interrupted as you realised what was happening at that very moment, as dazai's hands travelled up to hold your tits, his fingers teasing your clothed nipples until they started getting hard and perky. "w-wait! dazai— nghh!"

"I apologize for the man I'm about to become bella, you're just so breathtaking, I can't help myself" he leaned in closer as he nibbled on your earlobe before he pinned you down beneath him. his movements were rough but slow, his hands lifted up your shirt along with the bra that was underneath it just to grope your tits in a very harsh manner making you whimper in pain, the whimper that left your mouth made it so tempting for him to just shove his cock right in your mouth but he could never give in so early.

he was taking it slow just to see how quickly you'd get impatient and start begging for him. the man put his mouth on your right breast, as he started licking and sucking on it while maintaining eye contact with you which made you turn red from embarassment, "stop looking at me like th— fuck!" you were interrupted when he bit the nipple he was sucking on. it was painful but dazai enjoyed it.

"you're so fucking mean" you said with slight annoyance causing him to raise an eyebrow "oh yeah? how fragile you are, it seems i always cause you pain just to satisfy my own needs...." as much as he was trying to make it seem like he felt bad, he did not, the jerk was enjoying it. "i promise you, bella, ill reward you in the end if you're obedient~" his honey like voice had such a huge effect on you making you feel helpless.

"but, unfortunately ill need to arrange something so that you won't be able to interrupt me while i work" he pretends to think for a second before an idea pops up in his mind. the man took off the bandages on his neck, revealing the bare skin behind it, using them to tie your hands together before he also grabbed a mouthgag from his drawer. his eyes analysing your body as you sat on your knees with your hands tied behind your back and the mouthgag preventing you from speaking as it caused drool to run down your mouth.

"my my, am i in heaven?" the words left his mouth with a chuckle following. your upper half was exposed as dazai also started to undress your lower half to reveal your dripping cunt. "oh my, you were just complaining about how mean I was a few minutes ago but you're dripping this hard? does that mean you enjoy it when I treat you like a doll?" this man could say the most disgusting shit and somehow it'd still be hot. two of his fingers teased the entrance of your clit, pulling on it and stroking it making you whine against the mouth gag, saliva running down both sides of your lips.

you were trying to beg him to quit teasing you but the mouthgag made it impossible. dazai, of course knew this but acted clueless on the matter, "what's wrong bella? if you wanna make a request, you'll have to use your words you know~" you just sat there , trying to endure how dazai was playing with your clit. finally , he pushed his two fingers in, pumping them in and out, making you roll your eyes and arch your back against his fingers. you could feel yourself getting close until he realised this and pulled them out.

your eyes widened as you looked at the man with tears foaming in your eyes, "shhh, it's okay doll, you're doing so well for me, it's only a matter of time till I give you your reward, just have a little patience for me okay?" you were embarassed to even look at him in that pathetic state as tears started running down your cheeks. "ignoring me hm? what if i give you a bit of freedom hm? it's only fair since you were obedient that whole time", he says taking the mouthgag out from your mouth , making you gasp for breath.

"I wonder if you can last through this~. naturally, one has to work for a reward" the words that left his mouth were followed by a sinister grin, his hands removing the clothing that had been covering his lower half, to reveal parts of his legs that were bandaged , you didn't even get to get a look at his pretty cock because it was already in your mouth. dazai put your hair behind your ear and grabbed a handful of it while he forcefully thrust himself inside your mouth, "god, bella! your mouth is so skilled when it comes to stuff like this, what a talented doll you are".

he wasnt being gentle with it either. you were huffing and trying your best not to gag but it was unavoidable with the way he was forcing himself inside you. "such a professional, aren't you? I'm about to cum so make sure you swallow all of it yeah? otherwise there'll be consequences~" his voice was like honey but his intentions weren't. beads of sweat running down his forehead as the moonlight pierced through your glass window, shining on his skin. he released in your mouth after a bit. naturally, you stuck your tongue out to show him because that's the only way he'd be satisfied.

"you took me well, so as a reward, I'll untie the bandages for you but if you dare cum before me, I'll make sure that you don't get to cum the whole night. does your pretty head understand or are you too dumb that you can't talk?" you just nodded and barely manged to utter out your consent. a mischievous grin forming on dazai's face before he snapped his finger , causing the bandages around your hands to fall off almost instantly. his hands travelled to your plushy thighs , putting them over his shoulder as he lined up his cock before your entrance.

pushing inside you without a warning was something you should've expected from the bastard, throwing your head back onto the pillow placed on top of the futon as dazai's thrust sped up by each second passing by, your head was dizzy with visible hearts in your eyes, cheeks painted red with drool running down from your lips. "fuck!— belladonna! how long was it since we fucked? your little cunt is clenching around me so tightly" breathy but low moans left his mouth before he leaned in to wrap it around your nipple, sucking and licking on it while making eye contact with you.

"don't look at me like— fuck! bastard...." being the jerk he was, he only laughed like a maniac and continued thrusting inside before lightly biting on your nipple making you whince in pain. moans leaving your mouth by each second as you felt your orgasm getting closer. "w-wait dazai! I'm close!—" he only chuckled and whispered in a sadistic tone "you know you can't cum yet~ but you're so pretty like this that I almost want you to cum just so i can torture you for my satisfaction all night" his words caused tears to run down your cheeks, he whispered sweet things to you to comfort you but he was secretly enjoying seeing you vulnerable.

at last, you creamed all over his cock and unfortunately before him too, knowing the outcome of it, you were beginning to regret agreeing to his conditions. his hands travelled to your neck to hold it with a strong force to cut off your air, "my oh my....you really want me to touch you all night huh? well...it'll be my pleasure 'donna".

[thinkingotherwise]

Requested by: misticbullet Please do more fanfics with bad girl vibe with suo and the rest, or preppy girl from all girls school in sailor uniforme like one from akebi's sailor uniforme, i'm a total sucker for good girl bad boy situation relesh

Not sure if I got the preppy girl vibes correctly.

Also, I'd surely add some other stories with this dynamics and the bad girl/boy reader, because it's really fun and on point with the series.

Choji Tomiyama x fem! Preppy Girl! reader

He's such a deadly cinnamon bun

TW: blood

Even with his funny shirts and a big smile, Choji inspired fear in your friends but not in you. You got along really well since the day he complimented your keychains attached to your bag. Seemingly the only "strange" thing about your elegant and stylish appearance. At the same time, his T-shirt brought a smile to your face, leaving both of you grinning and richer by a new friend.

You got more attached to each other, the more time you met. He brought you so much joy so easily and, you could say, stupidly. You really did appreciate the different and more relaxed way he was compared to your classmates.

All the rumours your friends told you about him being the leader of Shishitoren, the fights he got in, and the race for the strength he constantly found himself in, didn't have that much effect on you. Of course, the first time you saw his bloody fists and dark eyes was very shocking, you even took a step back trying to calm yourself before you could run away from him. And so after talking and him sharing in excitement that his fists were finally heavier and more powerful you only grinned at him and congratulated him. He reminded you of a cute puppy, a cute but feral puppy.

As mentioned it wasn't strange for you to see him covered in blood but to see him at your school gate with blood over his T-shirt was new. He just got too excited to share something with you and had to do so right after the fight.

You came out of school with your friends and immediately you heard all sorts of mutters from around you.

"Why is he here?" Someone behind you whispered.

"Oh my God!"

"Is that blood?" A couple of voices echoed.

Then your eyes meet the figure that caused all this disturbance. His eyes searched the crowd constantly moving from one leg to another and swinging side to side. When he finally found you he smiled brightly and waved in your direction.

"Oh, (Y/n)! I was waiting for you." Choji said and eagerly bounced toward you.

Seeing that your friends hid behind you grabbing at your arms and using you as their shield. You knowing such a delinquent made them question if you had some trouble or got into some unwanted company.

"Hi Choji, what happened to you?" You asked when he stopped before you.

Your friends and people around gasped at the friendly attitude you shared with some thug, covered in blood and with bruises lining his body.

"Oh, that? Just some weak guys that went out of line. Had to set them straight." He replied cheerfully and you could see the people around shivering in fear at the temporary change in his voice.

"I see, then good job keeping them in their place." Your monotone voice made him very happy.

"Thanks."

When you felt your friends' grips tightening around your arms and shoulders once again you sighed and shook them off. You reached into your fancy bag and took out a pack of wet tissues. Taking one you stepped closer to him and your hand reached toward his face.

"Here, let me help you with the blood." You proposed and your friends gasped dramatically making you roll your eyes.

"(Y/n), don't come so close to him." One of them said trying to come to you and bring you away from the boy but you just raised your brows at them.

"Oh, come on, it's not like he'll bite you." You said sarcastically, but you knew that he could if he was provoked, you wouldn't put it behind him.

"Eeek." At yet another sound from your classmates, you had enough.

You grabbed Choji's hand leading him out of the school grounds and on the way to some quiet place.

"I'll see you guys later." You told your friends not even sparing them a look.

"Are you sure?"

"Will you be alright?" They asked worried about you.

"Yes, don't worry." You turned briefly toward them and sent them a small reassuring smile before continuing with Choji by your side.

He was unusually docile, but you blamed it on his after-fight excitement and need to share the whole story with you.

When you were far enough, you sat on the benches near some playground. You gave him the tissue and he finished cleaning his face up as best as he could without seeing where the dry blood was. Then he searched his jacket's pockets before grabbing something and showing it to you. From his finger dangled a cute little charm and you tilted your head.

"What's that?"

He grinned at your question.

"Ah, yes! Here you can have it. I got it from the kid I helped." He said before shoving it in your lap.

He then started telling the story in much more detail, talking about how heavy his fists were when he saw the kid in trouble, and when he beat up the guys. And you, you listened to him going on and on while playing with the fuzzy charm.

[markscherz]

A friend of mine sent me a yt video of a guy who was relocating frog eggs (prolly a vernal pool) and showed 1000s of baby frogs coming out of the water in his backyard. she asked me how I felt about it as a ecologist. I felt like it was irresponsible to do, especially to post videos on it, but probably not "ecological terrorism" like people in the comments were saying, because I see baby frogs in nature come out of water in hoards sometimes too. Kind of a mixed bag.

But I wanted to ask you, since you're a herpetologist and waaay more experienced than me: how do you feel about the yt channel "frog army YouTube"?

Many frogs and toads are classical R-strategists. Some toads can lay 20+ THOUSAND eggs in a single clutch. The whole point of that strategy is that not all of the offspring survive. In fact, it would be really rather bad if all of the offspring were to survive, because (1) they wouldn't be feeding the predators and decomposers that live off of their noble sacrifice, and (2) they will require massively more resources than they otherwise would. It can have all kinds of detrimental down-stream effects.

This is the reason we often see swarms of tadpoles darkening some small pools (especially ones where there are no fish!), and later hoards of froglets (that's the technical term) emerging from pools at once. It's an evolutionary strategy, that only few individuals survive to achieve reproductive age.

Point 1: it is *fine* if not all the tadpoles survive to adulthood. That's how the system is supposed to work. You are not doing the system favours if you are changing tadpole survivorship to 100%.

Now, humans really are fucking things up in a lot of environments. Environmental pollutants, like heavy metals, can cause major issues for wildlife, and especially frogs, which (1) are not as vagile as e.g. birds and medium- to large-sized mammals and thus cannot escape the problem zone effectively, and (2) are EXTRA sensitive to the environment because of their permeable skin.

Point 2: we do have some responsibility to do something if we notice that there is a major problem emerging, which could dramatically alter the population dynamics for one or more generations of frogs.

However, *moving* clutches of eggs that are found in polluted pools is not the right move, especially for your average person. There are many reasons that it is not the right move, but chief among them are

(1) A lot of frogs that lay eggs in vernal pools have tadpoles that cannot survive being in larger ponds, and certainly cannot survive in streams or other bodies of flowing water.

(2) A lot of frogs that lay their eggs in vernal pools are already adapted to less than ideal conditions, and have excellent strategies to overcome those conditions, such as incredibly quick metamorphosis (sometimes just a few days!)

(3) By moving clutches of eggs, you could easily be moving the pathogens or pollutants that are causing the problem in the first place.

(4) If there is Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis fungus around, you are spreading chytrid, and that is VERY bad. Chytridiomycosis has already driven several frog species to extinction, and caused massive population collapse in several others.

(5) If you do not know the species, attempts to rescue them might be aiding the advance of an invasive species.

(6) It's often illegal to intervene! Many species are protected by law, and you are not allowed to remove them from the wild. Consult your local laws.

Point 3: the responsibility to do something does not include removing the frogs and raising a frog army.

So what should we do if we find a clutch of eggs in an oily pool? Or in a nearly dried out puddle?

First assess the nature of the problem. Is the pool just about to dry out? Then leave it alone. The tadpoles will probably be fine (and if they're not, they'll provide rich nutrients to predators and decomposers). But are there signs of pollution? Then assess: is the pollution covering a larger area? Or is it localised? If you find dead frogs or other amphibians is a major warning sign, and it needs to be brought to the relevant authorities. Contact your local environmental agency/department, and notify them of the precise location of the problem, and its extent. Document everything with photos and videos.

Point 4: there are organisations and agencies specifically tasked with intervening in cases of environmental damage. It is *your* job to bring it to their attention, but unless instructed by them, you need not take any further action. It is their job to know what to do, and to take appropriate action.

TL;DR: 'Raising a frog army' is for the likes, not the frogs, and is not environmentally responsible or ethically defensible. Build a home for the frogs, and they will come.

[adrinktostopyourthirst]

Bucky Barnes | Series | Loose

Part two of the Rebellion Series

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Plot: You and Bucky have no idea whether you can trust each other. There is an understanding, but you're not sure of what that understanding is and why it seems to run so deep.

Warning: Angst, violence and fluff (?)

Words: 4,1OO

It is hard enough already for Bucky to fall asleep at night. Yes, it has gotten better in recent years, but there will always be that part of him – awake and aware – that registers every sound and movement, even when he should be knocked out. Though he wouldn’t admit it, that part of him sat more alert ever since you had joined the building. Perhaps because Bucky still wasn’t so confident in your allegiance.

He can’t stop overthinking it. He has seen what you’re capable of. Would you be capable of even more if people cornered you? If you felt like you had no other choice but to manipulate and kill your way out? After all, wasn’t it possible that you felt like you had moved from one prison to the next?

You’d been a delight at dinner two nights ago, but Bucky can’t turn off his brain. This is the part that made you win people over. The way you’d gotten along with Natasha like a house on fire, the way you’d shared stories like you and his team had been friends all along… Yet you had no trouble letting a side of yours slip through the cracks that tantalised Bucky beyond belief. The way you had looked at him, teased him–

The faintest rustle has Bucky shooting back to his current place in time. Lying in bed and staring at the ceiling. He holds his breath in an effort to hear better.

Nothing.

However, something doesn’t sit right. Something is off. He’d learned that hypervigilance was a side effect of his trauma, but he had a hard time believing his intuition would betray him like that. Not when he had relied on it so successfully for years.

“F.R.I.D.A.Y.?” he whispers to the dark ceiling.

“Yes, sergeant Barnes?”

“Is everyone in their respectable rooms?” he tries.

“I cannot divulge that information,” the voice sounds and Bucky sighs. He musters up some strength and swings off his duvet before climbing out of bed.

Yeah, he doesn’t trust you for a second.

…

Your heart is pounding in your throat. This isn’t part of your skillset – the escape and combat. Though perhaps if you do the former correctly, you won���t have to resort to the latter. Escaping the compound had been surprisingly easy, which strangely made your chest hurt. It was way too easy to escape. But it made sense. Steve had told you that you weren’t being held captive and you being here was all in good faith.

Faith you just broke by making your escape.

You probably should have been more patient. Winning their trust a bit more and then making an escape, make sure they really don’t see it coming. But the dinner had made you antsy and impatient. You had to get out.

If you’re entirely honest with yourself, you know that getting attached to a new group of people and deciding to escape then – or worse, leading them into their demise later – would be worse than getting away now that no one has attached themselves to you. Or you to them…

Breaching the edge of the surrounding forest, you finally let go of the breath you’ve been holding. You did it. Out of sight, out of mind. You’re free. No more captivity, no more expectations. All you need to do now is leave the country, change your name and possibly dye your hair. Sounds easy enough. A bit dramatic, but not impossible.

That is, until you get dragged backwards by a hand over your mouth and you lose your footing. The hard body behind you is the only thing keeping you from tumbling to the muddy forest grounds. Your breathing is ragged as your hands both fly to grab the forearm attached to the hand covering your yelp.

The metal forearm.

“Rule number one of making your escape: never assume you’re in the clear,” Bucky’s voice rumbles through the night air, his mouth so very close to your ear. “Shouldn’t have dropped your guard when you reached the edge of the forest.”

His gloved hand removes itself from your mouth, but you know better than to make a run for it, or to scream. He twists you by your shoulders and you muster some playful guilt to your face, masking your disappointment. Disappointment… but you feel strangely relieved. Maybe the largeness of finally being free felt somewhat overwhelming. Move to another country and change your name? It’s ridiculous. And that, when the people here have been so patient and kind to you…

You let out a soft laugh, “Worth a shot, no?”

Bucky studies you intently and something in your gut stirs at it. Not even Natasha seems to have as good of a read on you as Bucky does. It makes you feel naked. Makes you feel like all of your carefully crafted plans are flimsy and no good. Makes you feel like you have to stay far, far away from Bucky. Like you need to run. Now.

And how the hell did he manage to figure out you were making your escape?

You wait for him to tell you off, preach against your indolence and call in backup to shove you into something more similar to a prison cell. But Bucky sighs, disappointed and tired.

He seems so, so tired.

“Let’s go back inside,” he says and you furrow your brows at him.

His defeat has your chest clenching tightly. You want him to punish you, scold you. At least show that he cares. Why? You’re not sure. Maybe you need to know that the relief you felt from being caught is somewhat mutual in a sense. That the people here don’t just see you as a weapon, despite the burden, but that you’re someone worth saving. Worth keeping around.

Worth healing.

“That’s it?” you ask. “No scolding or punishment?”

Bucky scoffs humourlessly. “You get a kick out of punishment, darling?”

You roll your eyes. “Seriously.”

“I’m not your fucking baby sitter,” he mutters and starts walking back to the building, rightfully assuming you’ll follow. “If you want, I can ask Steve to tell you off in the morning. He’s better at that sort of thing anyway.”

Some pathetic part of you wants to sulk at his response like an ill-tempered child. “Then why come after me?”

It stays quiet for a second as you cross the field towards the compound. “I couldn’t let a poor escape plan be successful.”

You can’t help but snort at that answer and decide that fine, you’d play along for now. But you wonder if the curious Bucky you’d seen a few days ago had completely vanished since that dinner.

…

The next morning, Bucky gets cornered by you after breakfast. He looks down his nose at your defiant face.

“You didn’t tell anyone about last night?” you ask him and he raises his brows, unimpressed.

It had surprised you that no one at breakfast mentioned anything or gave you even so much as a dirty look. Clearly, none of them are aware that you tried to make your escape last night. And you cannot for the life of you figure out why Bucky is taking it easy on you. Is he smart enough to assume that your own guilt will do more damage than he ever could? Is this part of some bigger scheme of his? Perhaps he is actually as tired and unbothered as he looked when you saw him in those woods.

“What happened last night?” he asks with a telling smirk. The current look on your face is worth the lack of sleep he had tonight. It’s too easy to rattle you. You roll your eyes and Bucky smirks even wider at that. Is he… flirting?

“Why didn’t you tell anyone?” you try again.

Bucky remains quiet and fights to keep a straight face. He did expect your question, but why didn’t he tell anyone? Because he thought you and him would get along after those tiny moments during that first dinner? Because the team would have let you walk away? Because Bucky doesn’t want you to go… Because he thinks he can help. Help the world. Help you. He thinks he can help you. And you can help him. And–

“Want me to tell them now?” he says instead.

He barely notices the flash of panic in your eyes before you cover it with an annoyed scoff and turn on your heel to walk away. He watches you. Every step until you are out of sight.

“You said she trusts you,” Steve’s voice sounds from behind him and Bucky schools his face back to bland interest before he turns to Steve. “That doesn’t look like she trusts you.”

“It’s a work in progress.”

Steve frowns pensively. “Well, speed up the process. We have an important mission and we need her for it.”

“What?” Bucky almost loses his restraint, his body flaring in alarm. “Steve, she hasn’t had any training. She was locked up for months. It’s too big of a risk–”

“I wouldn’t ask if I wasn’t desperate, Buck,” Steve tells him regretfully, but instantly notices that Bucky isn’t buying it. “This is the thing we needed her for.”

“She isn’t some kind of weapon!” Bucky exclaims and he notices Natasha turning away from her conversation in the nearest common room to see what the commotion is about. He gives her a warning look, then lowers his voice. “Steve. This could’ve been me,” Bucky breathes. And there it is. Recognition flickers in Steve’s eyes. “We can’t use her like this. She’s all alone.”

Steve looks past Bucky’s shoulder as if you’re still walking away from him. Angry frown, uptilted chin and swaying hips– Bucky almost looks. Then Steve sighs and looks back at his friend. “Take all the time you need. If she’s ready, I’ll explain the mission to her. I think she might want to help.”

…

Bucky reads over the file until his eyes turn bleary. Steve was right, you will want to help.

He thinks you can handle it, but… what if you encounter a trigger on the way? What if it all becomes too much? Bucky realises he isn’t nearly close enough to care this much, and he doesn’t, but who else but him is going to care whether you live or die? Sometimes Bucky wonders if even you care whether you live or die. What would have happened to Bucky if everyone had given up on him? He knows damn well that he’d be long dead if not so many people found him useful.

But that’s the thing, isn’t it? Bucky never had a choice. So he finds himself knocking at your door at 10pm with the file in hand.

After opening the door, you barely manage to get a word out before Bucky extends the folder towards you. “Steve needs your help on this. It should be fine, but the choice is up to you.”

Quick. Brief. He’s just the messenger and the decision is all yours. Bucky turns and makes to walk away – before you can spot all of the thoughts crossing his mind – but your voice stops him.

“Will you be there?”

The question takes him by surprise. Turning back towards you and slowly walking to the doorframe you’re standing under, he creases his brows together. “You need me to come along?”

You shrug abashedly. “Will you?”

Bucky studies your face intently. “Yes,” he lies. He’ll figure something out with Steve.

“What if I can’t do what you need me to do?” There it is again. He doesn’t get why this vulnerable side of you keeps surprising him so much.

“You’ll be useful,” are his terrible words of comfort. He wants to palm himself in the face.

The suppressed smile you give him heats his face and he’s sure you’ll call him out on his horrible people skills, but you stay quiet. The silence grows and grows and Bucky starts to shift nonchalantly, wondering if he should walk off and let you read the file in private.

“Okay,” you say softly.

“You’re coming?”

“Yes,” you affirm and look up at him, handing the file back. “Do you not want me to go?”

“It’s your choice,” he tells you and gently takes the folder.

“That’s not what I’m asking.”

Some wall snaps up inside of him at that tone – at that hopeful look in your eyes. “You could use the mission to make your escape,” he says with a shrug and makes to turn away from you again. “I won’t stop you this time.”

He walks away, leaving you to gape at his retreating form.

…

The mission was simple enough.

Sam, Natasha, Bucky and you would be attending a gala. Supposedly, there is a certain divide between the guests in attendance. Your job is mainly to feel out just who will be willing to join your cause. What goes unsaid is that you’re also required to butter them up to spring into action when your team would deem it necessary.

The party is in full swing and everyone is finally losing their mask of formality and enjoying their evening. You just hit the sweet spot of their susceptibility and you sweep into casual conversation about politics. Seeing who keeps quiet, who isn’t scared to speak up, whose faces harden at the prospect of change, etcetera. All of your antennas are on and when you know people have stopped paying attention to you, that’s when you dare a glance across the room where you know Bucky is standing.

All dapper and handsome, wearing a very expensive suit.

All of you have taken thorough action to look exceptional and to blend in perfectly with the high class crowd. Being charming is easy enough, looking it was a necessity – yet, all of it does still feel very far removed from yourself. Like a betrayal to the woman who was locked up mere weeks ago. However, being a true professional, you don’t allow your thoughts to linger too much and channel back to the matter at hand.

Then you feel it.

The searing heat that starts at your legs and spreads all the way up to your chest and cheeks. Like a virus burning over your skin. And you know what it is – know who it is. So you look back in the direction of Bucky, if only to catch him in the act.

But he’s unbothered. Brooding and observing from the bar in the shadow of the room, somehow alone and undiscovered by most of the crowd (a skill you assume he has acquired over the years). And his eyes are still on you. They glide down and back up for even more emphasis and you swallow away the dryness in your throat.

Gliding a sensual hand over the arm of the man next to you, you excuse yourself with a warm smile and slowly stride over to the culprit. Bucky waits patiently, and you swear you see a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth as you walk over. He hands you a spare glass of champagne and turns his back to the room when you’re close enough to hear him.

“It’s working,” he says and you swear he sounds slightly impressed.

“Did you assume I’d fuck up?” you taunt and lean over the bar, sipping at the glass flute between your fingers. Bucky turns to you and his eyes sweep over the curve of your partly exposed back, the hollow of your spine and the curve of your ass. Then he holds his breath for a moment.

“Wouldn’t be mad if you did,” he tells you and his tone sounds gentle. You know that’s why he’s here, even though neither of you said it out loud, you know he’s here to stick up for you if you can’t get it done yet. If you’re not ready to be that person again.

Just like he probably knows that you’re here because the guilt of trying to escape from your saviours was eating you alive. And you didn’t want to prove Bucky right by escaping. You had glanced at the exits a few times and debated it, yes, but then looked at your team and thought against it. Looked at Bucky and–

“We’ll leave in five minutes,” Bucky murmurs as he finishes his glass. “I noted down all the people you signed as potential allies and who definitely isn’t.”

“There’s a few we can convince to help,” you cut in.

“What? The woman who runs that capitalist shitshow?” Bucky frowns. “Nah, she’s only motivated by money.”

You smile at him knowingly. “Money is a great motivator and our movement could benefit her greatly, so you just have to nudge her in the right direction.”

Bucky studies your face then and you might have found it less penetrating when he looked at your body with that stare. That intrigue. “And you already have a plan to tip her over to our side,” he concludes.

“You chose me for this for a reason, did you not?” you ask.

His eyes drop to your mouth. “I like a woman who takes her job seriously.”

You have no idea where that came from, but decide to go along with it anyway. You smirk and empty your flute, gently setting it down on the bar after. “Here I was, thinking you didn’t like anyone,” you purr and saunter off to find your other teammates and round up today’s mission.

You turn around when you hear Bucky yelling out your name, but then the room spins and debris flies everywhere. You’d cry out if the wind didn’t whoosh from your body and your ears don’t hollow out. You want to voice your discovery, as futile as it is, but the scream dies in your throat.

Someone just blew up the building.

…

It feels like there’s ash in your mouth. And throat. Your body bleats in pain, but nothing too severely. Maybe you’re in shock. Maybe you can’t feel a limb that’s no longer there. Maybe–

The room is dark except for an orange hue that travels over the ceiling and walls every few seconds. You’re slumped in a velvet chair and your fingers pluck softly at the fabric. One by one, your senses weave together and you hear the soft sounds of someone working on something. Paper ruffling, some gentle work, someone who’s trying to be quiet. You rasp in a raw breath and see a shadow at the bottom of your vision. But your body is relaxed. Or… Well, as relaxed as it can be.

There was an explosion.

“Have some water,” Bucky offers from his kneeling position between your legs and nudges his chin to the glass at the small table next to your chair. His voice is soft, raw. And when you squint at him while you blindly reach for the glass, you see soot on his face, dust on his suit.

“Are you alright?” you ask and your voice reminds you to take the drink. The water feels like heaven in your throat and you nearly gulp down the whole glass.

Bucky pauses at your question and surely he didn’t expect that to be your first question. “I’m fine,” he grumbles and focuses on the task at hand. Which, you quickly realise, is cleaning up the wound on your thigh.

Next to him, there’s a small container with small shards of glass in there and a used pair of tweezers. You feel the prickle of the wound at your thigh and observe closely as he presses some gauze to the puncture wounds. His hands are firm and steady as he wraps a bandage around your thigh to secure the gauze. His calluses scrape against your soft skin and you almost swear he takes more time than he should securing the bandage.

You heave a deep sigh and straighten up in the chair. “Natasha and Sam?”

“Natasha was sent to hunt down the ones responsible and needed an aerial patrol, so she took Sam.” Bucky clenches his jaw and you have a feeling it took some convincing to get Bucky to not go after the bastards himself, to let Natasha handle it instead. “There were deaths, lots of wounded.”

You flinch at that.

Bucky notices it. The glaze over your eyes and the tightening of your fingers into the soft fabric of the chair. He barely allows himself to hesitate and he covers your left hand with his right one, taking your fingers and stroking his thumb over your knuckles. “We got out as many as we could, no one saw the explosion coming,” he explains and hopes the information brings you some peace. He’s desperate to take that haunted look off your face, but doesn’t know how.

He gives you time then. Allows you to sort through your memories and shush them. He strokes his thumb gently and squeezes your fingers every once in a while to anchor you to here, to being safe. Your breaths go from shallow to deep as they slow. He hears your heartbeat steady and watches clarity fill your eyes again.

Fuck him. Those eyes.

“Tomorrow, we go over your list and see what we can do. Let’s get some rest for now.” He pushes to a stand and moves to remove his hand from yours, but you hold onto him.

“I’m sorry for trying to escape,” you rasp and Bucky tenses at that. He did not expect that confession. Didn’t expect an apology either – he didn’t think one was warranted.

You slowly push to a stand and Bucky’s heartbeat spikes as you wobble on your legs before you steady yourself. His eyes search your face frantically and he tries not to linger at your lips for too long. You gently stroke a hand down his arm before brushing past him in thanks, and Bucky has to take a deep breath. A flash of you doing the same thing to one of tonight’s guests comes to him and jealousy hits him, a little too viciously. Just like it did when he saw it earlier tonight.

He turns around and watches as you walk up the small bag he packed for an instance like this. You pull out some clothes and Bucky shamelessly stares while you do it. He almost sighs as the sight of that orange hue travelling over your form, most of the sleek dress still intact and definitely still doing its job of making you look good enough to eat.

“I’m glad you’re alright,” he blurts. But he stands still as he watches you freeze. You slowly turn to him and tilt your head at him curiously.

Then, a slow smirk spreads over your face and your brows raise playfully. Bucky frowns as he tries to read the expression on your face, even if the lightness of it makes him want to drop to his knees in relief. This is much, much better than that haunted look that was there mere minutes ago.

Until one of your hands lifts from the bag, a small scrap of lace dangling from your fingers. “I am never letting you pack our getaway bag again.”

Bucky matches your smirk and strides over to you, close enough that you have to tip your chin up to maintain eye contact. “You can choose not to wear it,” he shrugs and the nonchalant gesture makes your legs weak. Slowly, he starts unbuttoning his own pants and shirt, stripping himself of his clothes and tempting you to break that eye contact. “But we’re sharing a bed, so you decide what is less tempting for me to look at.”

It takes everything inside of you not to balk at this… flirtation. But it’s nice – so fucking nice to deflate that balloon of tension after a mission like the one you had tonight. To have banter and humour and perhaps a little friendship.

“I better not catch you looking at all,” you snipe, but have a hard time keeping the smile off your face.

Bucky smiles too then and gives you a wink powerful enough to set your clothes aflame. “Too bad. You can’t ask that of me and look like that.”

That does render you a bit speechless and Bucky takes his win as he strips himself to his boxers. Climbing under the sheets, Bucky’s powerful body shifts and ripples with movement.

This is going to be a long night.

[scoonsalicious]

5.4 Major*

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Fem!Reader

Summary: Lily McIntyre, trainer for new SHIELD recruits at the Avengers Tower, has been in love with her best friend, Bucky Barnes, from the moment she met him. She's been content with her role of the #1 girl in Bucky's life, even if it means she has to sabotage a romantic relationship or two. It'll be worth it when he realizes that they're meant for each other, right? There's just one small problem: Lily McIntire never expected Bucky Barnes to fall for You.

Warnings: (For this part only; see Story Masterlist for general Warnings) Language, explicit sexual content (hand stuff, fingering) Minors GTFO: I don't serve your kind here.

Word Count: 900

Previously On...: Lily knows Bucky's been lying to her, and she's surmised he's on a date. That's got to end.

A/N: Posting a little early today to make up for yesterday being so late!

I've decided to postpone my break by a few days, so I will give you Chapter 6 in its entirety before I take my mini-hiatus. It's only three parts long, so I will start my break on Thursday, 5/16 and resume posting on Thursday, 5/23. It's a better place in the story to leave you, a little bit more dramatic than at the end of this chapter, like I had originally planned, lol. It felt off leaving you all here.

NOTE! The tag list is a fickle bitch, so I'm not really going to be dealing with it anymore. If you want to be notified when new story parts drop, please follow @scoonsaliciousupdates

Thank you to all those who have been reading; if you like what you've read, likes, comments, and reblogs give me life, and I truly appreciate them, and you!

You flopped your body down onto your bedsheets with a giggle. “Full marks, Sergeant,” you gasped between panting breaths. “Once again.” It was all the two of you could do to get back to your apartment without ripping each other’s clothes off.

Bucky laughed and came to lay down alongside you, propping his head up on his vibranium arm. Leaning over, he bent down to kiss you. “I couldn’t have done it without you, doll” he said with a grin, but then his face grew serious. “Seriously. It’s never been like this with other girls.”

You blushed and playfully pushed at his rock hard shoulder. “Come on, Bucky,” you said with a laugh. “You’ve already got me naked and exactly where you want me; you don’t need to sweet talk me.”

Bucky placed a hand on your sweat-slicked hip, gently turning you to your side so you were facing him. “I’m not,” he told you, searching your eyes with the utmost sincerity in his expression. He pushed back a strand of damp hair away from your face. “I’ve been with… well, a fair number of girls over the years.” At the raise of your eyebrow, he held his flesh hand up defensively. “What? I’m 105 years old, doll. I’ve been around the block.” You couldn’t hold back your laugh at that, and he kissed your nose before continuing: 

“Like I said, a fair number of girls. And none of them, not a single one, ever made me feel the way I have when I’m with you.” He cupped your cheek in his hand and you felt your cheeks flame in a blush. “Come on, sugar. Don’t tell me you don’t feel it, too. That this,” he took his hand off your cheek to motion between your two bodies, “isn’t something special.”

“It’s been a little over a day, Bucky,” you chastised him gently with a smile, afraid to admit that you, too, felt this was something unique. “Maybe thirty hours?” Thirty hours in which the two of you had somehow managed to have sex eight times, not that you were counting. You couldn’t believe how quickly he was able to get it up again after he came, but he’d assured you that was his favorite side effect of the serum that had made him a super soldier. It had quickly become your favorite, too.

Bucky’s face fell, and you realized that he wasn’t going to judge you if you told him the truth, because he felt it just the same. “The best thirty hours of my life,” you clarified, tucking your fingers under his chin so you could bring his gaze back up to yours. “And yes, I feel it, too. It’s never been like this before. Not with anyone else.”

“Not even with your ex-husband?” Bucky asked with a playful smirk.

“Especially not with Conner,” you told him with a roll of your eyes. “Took me years to teach that man where my clit was, and even on his best days, he still needed a map.”

“Oh, you mean this, right here?” Bucky deftly slid his hand between your thighs, finding your hub of nerves almost instinctively and began to lightly trace it with his finger, sending an electric tingle through your body. 

“Fuck, yes,” you exhaled, reaching up to grab Bucky’s shoulder for support as he increased the pressure. He moved his metal arm from under his head and slid it behind your shoulders as he pulled you flush with his chest.

“I got you, sweet girl,” he murmured into your hair as he moved his fingers faster against you, occasionally dipping them down to your entrance to collect some of your slick for lubrication. You hitched a leg up over his hip to allow him better access to your core. 

“Jesus, Bucky,” you moaned, feeling yourself building to the crescendo. Taking your hand off his shoulder, you grabbed his wrist, guiding his movements so you could grind your desperate cunt against his hand.

“Do you want my fingers, sugar?” Bucky panted. You looked up at him to find his gaze locked on where his hand had vanished between your thighs, his pupils completely blown from lust. “Do you want me to fuck you with my fingers until you squirt all over me?”

You couldn’t even get out a coherent word, just a pathetic whine that turned into a near scream when Bucky plunged three of his digits into you. The air was full of the frantic sounds of your combined breathing, along with the rapid squelch of his fingers driving in and out of your cunt with a speed you didn’t know was humanly possible. It felt like he was hitting every part of you, even parts you didn’t know existed until now. Every time with Bucky felt that way.

“How you doing, sugar?” Bucky asked as he continued to drive his fingers home. “You okay?”

You nodded and grunted in the affirmative, loving how he always checked in on you. You were so much more than okay. You were transcendent. 

Soon, you felt that intense, unfamiliar build up that only he had been able to pull out of you once before, on the living room floor. The pleasure was so intense, you couldn’t see straight and you were exploding all over again, clinging to Bucky for dear life as you screamed his name. 

<- Previous Part / Next Chapter ->

[delcakoo]

hi ! can i req jungwon as the big spoon?

hihi ofcc <3 writing this def cheered me up, thank u for the cute req anonnie! (soft hours closed)

9:41PM — “jagi, are you sleepy yet?” jungwon whispers, head against your chest as the promised neverland plays softly on your tv in front of you.

you tap your phone curiously at his question, brows furrowing at the early time displayed on your screen. “it’s only like, 10pm, wonnie.”

your boyfriend peers up at you grumpily, large cat eyes nearly impossible to refuse. “i know, but i’m really really getting sleepy, y/n,” he continues to complain, wiggling around like a toddler.

snickering at his tired antics, you reach for the remote to turn off the anime, watching from your peripheral vision as jungwon grins happily at your inability to tell him ‘no’.

only a minute or two later, you find yourself hopping into bed, jungwon following close behind from his side of the mattress while eliciting a silent yawn. once you’re both securely settled in the sheets, you quickly lift an arm to turn off your lamp, embracing the pitch black darkness that follows suit.

at this point, normally you’d wrap your arms around the boy, leave a few gentle pecks down the back of his head and neck before murmuring out a ‘goodnight’ and ‘sleep well’. but you’re shocked to say the least when you feel jungwon push you over to face away from him, a lazy arm pulling your back right up against his chest while the other lays above your head on the pillow protectively.

“what- what are you doing?” you inquire, rendered speechless. his heart beat is surprisingly calm and relaxed, opposing your unsteady one at the close yet unusual contact of the male. it was practically an unspoken rule that you were supposed to hold him in bed, not the other way around!

jungwon giggles, dragging you impossibly closer and snuggling his face into your hair. “i felt like trying out big spoon tonight,” he explains cutely.

“oh? and what’s your opinion thus far?”

“i get the appeal,” he instantly admits. “i have so much power! i can change positions and cuddle you however i want and there’s nothing you can do about it~” you can nearly envision the cat boy’s snarky, teasing expression at that moment, sighing as a larger leg raises on top of yours, effectively trapping you in place like a snake to its prey.

your boyfriend may look weak and small compared to some of his weightlifting bandmates, but there was no doubt in his strength at times like these. “ah, this is seriously perfect,” jungwon groans in satisfaction.

you fake a dramatic huff, “yeah, for you, idiot. i’m practically immobile over here.” little did he know you that you were busy smiling like an idiot, thanking the overwhelming darkness for hiding your ears and cheeks growing warmer by the minute.

“yoi, don’t pretend you aren’t loving this.”

perhaps you’d allow jungwon to take charge of cuddling more often.

the ‘yoi’ is supposed to be that thing wonnie always does irl 😭 i just didn’t know how i should spell it jshsj

[eternalfae]

When You're Gone (pt 2/??)

When you finally got back to your flat your heart was pounding. You practically ran inside, part of you still not believing he would really be there. You tried to not show your excitement as you opened the door, still in your uniform from work. You heard the TV on and Andrew was humming along with the opening theme song of some show. You could already see him laid out across your couch, so perfectly relaxed as if nothing had happened. You stepped in and closed the door behind you a little too hard, startling him. 

“Well, don’t you look excited to see me?” He had to crane his neck to see you, a small smile resting on his face. 

You couldn’t help but roll your eyes while you tossed your bag on the table near the front door. A catch-all table littered with anything someone could ever need. “A strange man broke into my home while I was at work, why wouldn’t I be delighted?”

He cocked a brow at that, face going serious. “That sounds like a big deal. You know who did it?”

You sat next to him on the small couch. “The cops are already on their way.” A moment of silence passed between both of you before you crossed your arms and turned to face him. “Why are you here, Andrew?”

“I finished, obviously.” He looked a little proud of himself, like a cat bringing you a mouse. 

You couldn’t help your attitude. While you were happy to see him, you were mad that he’d leave you alone long enough to miss him. “When?”

He frowned. “About three days ago. Quite frankly, I thought you’d be more happy to see me.” You felt trapped by the almost sad look in his eyes. You took him in for a moment, beard unkempt, hair a bit longer than what it was when he left. He definitely needed a trim… and a shower. He smelled strongly of cologne, probably to cover up the smell of the long train ride back home. You loved his cologne. 

“I’m very happy to see you. I just wish you would have told me you were coming back. I could have planned something!” You threw your hands up dramatically for effect. 

“We can still do something fun; go out to the pub,” he offered. You shook your head in response and he frowned again. 

“I don’t want to go to the pub immediately after getting home from work. Order some delivery while I shower and we can watch a movie or something. I want to relax.” His smile returned and he nodded, quickly taking his phone out to order from his favorite local place. Fifteen minutes later you were dressed in your comfiest pajamas, towel-drying your hair quickly before you made your way back out to the living room. “Do you want anything to drink? I pretty much have the entire pub in my kitchen.” You leaned over the back of the couch, resting your arms on it as you watched him.

He looked up from his phone and nodded. “Please,” he answered simply, “But surprise me.” 

You nodded and wandered back towards the kitchen, slightly distracted by the ad currently playing on your TV. You managed to peel your eyes away as you stepped into the kitchen. You contemplated your liquor cabinet for a moment before you pulled down a bottle of Midleton whiskey, something you always saved for special occasions. Warm light shone through the glass, and you filled it up with maybe a bit more than you should’ve, but you didn’t care. After dropping some ice in, you brought the drinks back to the living room. He took the offered glass silently and you sat next to him, relaxing into the plush cushions. 

You sipped your drink and let your brain go empty, desperately trying to just forget about everything and relax here with your best friend. You couldn’t help but be acutely aware of the warmth radiating off of the man next to you, a direct opposite of the chill your damp hair was sending down your spine. He wordlessly took the remote and switched it from the show to one of his favorite movies, Grand Budapest Hotel. You took a swig of your drink, craving the warmth that was teasing you from your right, and grabbed a blanket that sat on your couch to bundle up in. 

The alcohol seemed to do barely anything to warm the chill in your bones. You were utterly exhausted from work, though, and the alcohol wasn’t helping. You felt yourself dozing off within the first ten minutes of the movie. You were rudely awoken, however, by the sound of the doorbell. Oh, yeah, your food. You mumbled to yourself as you went to get up, but a hand on your leg stopped you. A warmth spread immediately from that spot that rivaled that of the alcohol in your veins.

“I’ve got it.” Andrew stood up and waved at you dismissively to stay sitting as he walked toward the door, stealing your warmth. You craned your neck a bit to watch him, but couldn’t hear their voices over the movie on the TV. You ended up relaxing and stretching out on the couch while you waited for him to return. Not long after, you smelled your food approaching. You hummed happily and sat up once again. “Your favorite.” He set the box down in front of you and opened it up, the smell causing you to practically drool.

“You’re a saint. Thank you,” you smiled up at him and he simply nodded and returned to his spot on the couch. He scooted closer to you as he reached for a slice and you were painfully aware of his knee touching yours. You willed yourself to ignore the thoughts racing through your head as you grabbed a piece for yourself. Your thoughts finally faded to the back of your mind as you ate, more or less watching the TV.

Once you had your fair share of food and liquor you could feel the exhaustion of your workday catching up with you. You pulled your legs up onto the couch and got cozy while the two of you sat in a comfortable silence watching the TV. You started to doze off again and was vaguely aware of the man next to you getting up from the couch. 

Right when you were about to open your eyes to see where he went, though, the couch sunk again and a blanket was placed over you both. One of his arms went around the back of the couch and, totally only because the couch was making you go that way, you found yourself leaning against the tall man with your head on his shoulder. As sleep took over your body now that you were adequately warm, you felt his arm come off the couch and move to around you. With one hand resting on your shoulder, you barely even heard his words. 

“I missed you so much.”

[raainberry]

Eyes Off You

« Silly Series - 3 »

Sana x gn!reader

Fluff

synopsis - even late at night, when you should be closing them, you just can’t seem to be able to take your eyes off each other.

wordcount - 576

A/N - had my glasses on for this one #twins🤭 BUT enough with the underlying suffering that’s been going on my page lately with Sana, here’s some proper fluff. enjoy!

01:04am

You’ve been laying in bed for the past hour or so, melting into the sheets at the mere sight of each other.

Nothing mischievous going on—far from that—although she is practically on top of you, her cheek along with half her chest having found a resting place against your stomach.

All you’ve been doing is having quiet, meaningless conversations and sharing a few laughs as your hands and fingers intertwined here and there. It’s a pure relaxing time, finding comfort in each other’s touch and proximity on this rare, quiet night.

She’s been fighting against her own eyes begging to be shut for the past twenty minutes, just so she could spend one more in this moment. You noticed that long before she even did, and it warmed your heart just as much as it broke it.

You don’t want her to tire herself out, but you want the same thing.

You want to stay just like that, to feel her so close to you that you could melt at the warmth it caused within your chest. You want to look at her, to stare and appreciate how beautiful and cute she was, like you’ve been doing. All night long. You want her to look back at you the way she’s been doing, with that sparkle she only had when laying her eyes on you, with that smile you would do anything to even get a glimpse of.

You want to love her just a little more for today.

Your own thoughts pushed you to lift her hand up to your lips, leaving a soft kiss on top of it. Her eyes fluttered, along with the butterflies in her stomach; and the gesture allowed you to see her smile again, a sleepy one this time.

“Just give up.” You said amused, your voice just above a whisper in fear of disturbing how peaceful this all felt.

A soft chuckle left her lips. The words had slowly faded out between you two, rendering her fight that much harder.

“I don’t want to.” She mumbled.

“The you of tomorrow will hate you.” You warned.

“Sounds like a problem for her, not for me.” She sassed, and your laugh was careful as to not shake her too much.

“It’s still gonna be you.”

Sana sighed, suddenly taking interest in playing with your fingers in her hand. Anything to stay up.

“If I go to sleep now, you have to go with me.” She bartered.

“If I ever say no to that just slap me.”

“You could have just said okay.”

You only smiled at her fatigue-induced annoyance, pulling on her hand to encourage her to come and lay down properly. That meant next to you, where you loved having her the most. Where she loved to be the most. That’s why she didn’t waste a second more on your chest, and moved to her side of the bed.

You felt her absence when the cold air hit through your shirt, it was almost ridiculous. She was right next to you, there was no need for such dramatic effects.

You pulled yourself away from the headboard, turning on your side to face her only to find her eyes already closed. She could have unwillingly fooled anyone else, but you knew her enough to notice otherwise.

“Sana.” You spoke softly.

“Hm.” She hummed, letting you know she was seconds away from drifting off.

“I love you.” Her eyes opened just enough to see you one last time, a lazy smile pulling on her lips once more until tomorrow.

“I love you too. Goodnight.”

[kotias]

South Downs cottage - Our Eden

Okay, I've decided to create the cottage that I envision for Aziraphale and Crowley's final retirement at the end of the story.

I have used the Sims 4 game, meaning that I have been a bit limited on a few things, but here it comes, the vision I have for it.

Anyone looking for references, for inspiration, whether it is for drawing or writing, is very welcome to use those pictures.

In a story being worked on together with @daneecastle, called Our Eden, here is the full description:

Our Eden

(2836 words)

It felt like it had been two hundred years in preparation. And in a way, it was; the universe had so kindly presented him to the suicidal girl who had made it all possible, after all. It had so kindly given him a way to help her that would change her so dramatically that the effects of it still rippled through current days. His hands started shaking, and he pretended it was the strain of the walk. He had received the rights to that land in 1884, as Elspeth expired in her farm near Fulking, leaving a will addressed to him. He had spent years and years preparing it, honing it to perfection. He had build a proper garden out of the enormous fields, made it something his. Something theirs. Back then, he thought he may have lost Aziraphale, and yet receiving the land had sparked something new in him. He had spent an ungodly amount of time, only planting his trees, giving them time and space to grow into the luscious beauties they were today. He guided him through what felt almost like a forest, infused with his attentions. The apples had started showing- he grabbed one on the way, gave it to the angel. Anxiety spiked as they approached and were about to come into the final view. He pushed him against a tree, blocking his path, and kissed him, passionately, desperately, with all his love pouring out. He was shuddering. He wanted him to- He kissed him, again and again. The tree above them glowed a golden sheen.

"Cro-" more kissing. "Crowley-" Even more kissing. "Mm!" Aziraphale couldn't break away. So he pushed hard. "CROWLEY! What is going on?"

Crowley pursed his lips. Fuck it. He took his shades off, pushed them down into the pocket of his vest. He had never been good at hiding his emotions, his eyes betrayed them all. His anxiety, mixed with unfathomable excitement, was shining through them, he knew that very well. But Aziraphale knew what taking them off meant; he trusted him, he trusted him entirely, and he wanted him to know. "Just... just a little bit longer." He grabbed his hand again, and they were back on the path. Very quickly afterwards, he opened a little garden door, they passed another set of weeping willows, and there they were. The old farm had been rebuilt entirely into a cottage. A ground floor and a first floor, hidden under a dark tile roof. Maroon bricks, intertwined with regular touches of beige on the rims. Big, white windows all around it, giving more than sufficient lighting to the entire place. Large, teal shutters were attached to the walls. The entire garden around it had been fournished as to compliment its outdoor colours, and deeper into it, an enormous greenhouse had been installed, and was already almost exploding with greeneries. "... well. That's-" He forced himself to breathe. "That would be ours, if... if you would like to."

[...]

"Wanna visit the property properly, angel?" While he was swimming in his relief that his companion loved what he had created, and could stay there for days, he saw the looks he gave to the place, and of course he would be more than happy to show him what he had built for them.

Crowley took the hand and heaved himself up, cradled Aziraphale's hands into his own and kissed them. "Come on." He guided him back through the weeping willows, through the little garden gate, and they lost themselves into the near-forest he had taken the time of erecting for a century and a half. The trees who were welcoming them into the orchard were none other than apple trees of various types, blessing them with reds, greens and yellows. They were sheltered under gigantic mirabelle plum trees whose branches were hugging their little siblings, mixing their tame golden with the reds of their counterparts. The wind -or so Crowley pretended- was passing through the leaves, shaking them slightly as they passed below them. Like a finely-tuned music, nectarine trees, mixing their blonde and crimson colours into perfectly round and juicy fruits. Extending lower on the ground, several mulberry trees were offering a dark shelter from the sun and from any external view.

With a few steps, Crowley leaned down to pass under them, and leaned against the trunk of one of them, pulling Aziraphale against him. He gave him a kiss and brought him out of the leafy shelter, opening his view to a little vineyard he had managed to put together in the last decade. The vines adorned themselves with the blush colours of the setting sun, and opened their arms to the view of Devil's Dyke below. The never-ending greenery, the valley and the hills were battling for a chance to be seen by their two pairs of eyes, demanded the full spotlight and, in doing so, enhanced each other even more. Far into the horizon, beyond the curves of this landscape, glittered the shadow of the sea, reflecting the Heavens above like the Sun dropping into it burned like Hell below.

[...]

In his estimation, fifteen minutes passed before he nudged Aziraphale forward in their tour. They circled the orchard, until they reached the peaches and the pears that were hanging proudly from their trees. He guided him back into the small forest, and quickly, they were entirely covered with foliage above their heads. "I wanted to have more than one originally, but... they just don't know when to stop taking all the space. I thought it safer to just leave the one." This one was a fig tree, whose trunk was large, almost veiny with small craters all over, and its leaves and branches were extending so far beyond it that it had made itself a proper clearing. No other trees were allowed in its protection, and its roots were merrily swimming just below the surface of the ground, peeking through in a few spots. "But, strangely enough..." he brought him to the other side of the trunk and pointed to a large bush whose sharp-looking leaves were climbing up the fig tree like a praying Saint. "It seems to have gotten well acquainted with the strawberries. I don't know how they even appeared here, I for sure didn't plant them, but they've been clinging onto it for about ten years, I'd say." He leaned over the bush and picked one of its fruits, offered it to the angel. "Their taste really is unique, it seems that they've taken a bit of inspiration from the figs above them."

He brought him further into the orchard and back out the other side, and they were back into the garden around the cottage. Bushes full of fruits and vegetable patches were trailing their way around the back fence and contained to a single, rather large area, hidden behind rhododendron flowers. Crowley snapped his fingers for a basket, and did that a second time to collect the never-ending stream of growing zucchinis that were trying very hard to take over the entire area. A few pumpkins were starting to show, and the carrots and potatoes were just about to be ready- only a few additional weeks. Snap. The basket was sent into the kitchen directly. The sun was almost entirely set now, and the light was getting very dim. "If we enter the greenhouse now, I don't think you'll be able to see much. How about we go tomorrow morning, and I show you the house?"

"Yes, I'd like to see the greenhouse with the light, I believe thats where I'll find your best handy work so ..." He gestured toward the cottage. "After you?"

Crowley wrapped his arm around Aziraphale's and led him to the cottage's front door and unlocked it. He couldn't help a deep breath before opening the door, feeling his heart race again. That was it. Everything else would mean nothing if he didn't like the inside. The entry was a short corridor where a thin, dark brown table had been placed for usual end-of-the day clutter; it was open in a way that gave some space for the shoes of the hosts and visitors alike. By its side on the wall, a few hooks had been placed for any coat that needed taking off. It was quite simple, with walls painted yellow and a maroon ceiling. On the left, there was a bathroom as Crowley showed, rather large for the use they may have of it; a toilet, a sink, and, behind a semi-clear curtain, a grand bathtub, with enough space for two people to bathe without feeling the tiniest bit cramped. "I figured that you may appreciate visitors. There are a few families around here, and the kids get easily curious, I'm sure they'll pop by eventually. So... thought I'd furnish it properly, with the toilets and all."

[...]

He opened the door on the other side of the corridor, showing the living room, with one mahogany bookshelf taking over the wall in front of them, entirely empty except for two plants crawling their way up to the ceiling and showing off their vibrant green leaves all around the shelves. On their right was a large, arch-like window that would fully lit up the room during the day, in front of which were two armchairs and a small side table. In front of them, he had placed an off-white oak table that would comfortably host six diners, eight if they were feeling generous, but at the moment, a wooden bench and matching two chairs were surrounding it. On the far left of the room, a large couch and a low table were facing a grand chimney. Just before the couch was an archway that gave a hint of the kitchen hiding behind the wall.

Aziraphale wandered into the room, touching the furniture and looking at all the details of the room, a big smile on his face as he explored the living room. "This is so cozy! I love the chairs." He came to the arm chairs and leaned against one. "Do you prefer to have one or the other? Or is it 'whatever closer'?"

Crowley smiled tenderly at the angel. "You seem to have chosen yours already. Go on, try them out- I think you'll like them."

Aziraphale smiled, glad to see that Crowley noticed which one he favored. He sat in the armchair and leaned into it. It almost felt like he melted into the chair. "It's so comfortable and yet not too much so, I can definitely see myself spending a long time in this chair." He got up and walked over to Crowley, "next room?"

He nodded when it was time to get to the next step, and guided him through the archway and into the kitchen. Compared to the other rooms, it was rather small, but, Crowley thought, rather well furnished. It also was entirely Aziraphale, he hoped. Its soft, pastel colours, mainly beiges and teals, were lighting it up quite nicely, particularly considering that the window in this room was not quite as impressive as the one in the living room. It had a small folding table placed against the nearest wall with two high stools, where his basket full of almost overgrown zucchinis was resting. All over the right corner, facing the door leading to the entry, were a large set of counters and cupboards, an oven and a stove. In one of the cupboards, he had hidden as many kitchen appliances as he could find, enough to make the angel's life easier whatever the task he set himself to do. On the left side of the room was the stone staircase leading them upstairs; before it was a glass door bringing them back outside, behind it was one last door to be opened- and that was the big one. His library.

Aziraphale examined every drawer and cupboard. He pointed out the appliances he knew and questioned and investigated the ones he didn't; he was on an adventure through the kitchen, really getting to know everything. He knew this was his place. He had not really gotten too much into cooking,as he usually only made things for himself, but this time was different. He wasn't just cooking for himself. He was cooking for Crowley too, even if his demon only drank alcohol and coffee; he still got to share that experience. He hurried over to Crowley like a little kid. "Apologies dear, I couldn't help but explore. What's the next room?" He tipped his head ever so slightly in curiosity.

"Oooh, I think you'll like it." He really hoped he would. He took his hand, brought it to his lips for a gentle kiss, looking straight into his eyes. "And please, tell me if you would change anything." He brought him to the door, and opened it. While it had not been filled with books yet, the library was covered, on every wall, from the floor to the ceiling, with book shelves. That was a very round and rather high room, crawling all the way up to the end of the first floor, almost eating into the roof of the cottage, and every bookshelf had been designed to embrace those facts. They were accompanying the walls, hugged them perfectly all the way up to the roof. Three more of them, thinner and shorter, had been placed closer to the middle, creating a visual guide to the large window on the left side, mirroring the one in the living room. In that place, he had installed a wooden resting place, with plenty of cushions and plaids to keep it comfortable. Under that bench, he had created a large space to confine all sorts of blankets, tartan covers, pillows and other comfortable fabrics that would prove incredibly useful during the winter period. Covering the ground, he had chosen soft, dark blue carpeting, and placed more ottomans and footstools in the middle of the room, and a small, low metal table had been fixed on the floor for stability. Aziraphale did love drinking something with his reading, it would be a shame for it to stupidly fall on the floor due to a bad movement making the table tumble. Crowley gave plenty of time to the angel to discover his space, sat on the wooden bench while he was looking around, anxiously watching his reactions.

Aziraphale's reaction was bigger than any of the other rooms he was so overjoyed that his wings burst out and stuck to him as he ran around checkout every detail of his library. He would chatter on and on about what books he wanted to stack where, what he wanted to do with which area during which time of year. He even joked about letting Crowley sleep in a little area for him to cuddle with his Angel when he wanted to read. Then he came running back, floating when he leaped, his wings assisting, then pounced Crowley kissing him. "Thank you! This is absolutely wonderful, my love!"

"Well, as you'd have it, that was the plan-" He kicked into the bench's sides, and a little door to its hidden space opened, revealing the overflow of covers. "I know how much time you'll spend in here, angel, and I'd hate for either of us to get cold. Now, since you're already floating- if you go up to the next floor, you should be able to see your study. I made it so it felt part of the library." It was a little space he had created with a desk full of drawers and a few shelves, usually accessible by going up the stairs, and facing the open space of the library with only a fence separating them. Two windows circled it, giving it a fair bit of light.

Aziraphale paused and looked behind him, and giggled, let his wings vanish. "No, I think I'll go up there the human way. Care to show me?"

[...]

He chortled against his mouth and grabbed his hands, dragged him towards the bedroom's door, opened it with a kick and brought him in. It was a great room, he thought; full of warm colours, albeit on the darker side of the spectrum. The walls were burgundy, with large beige accents all over them, and the lamp above them was adorned with golden colours. On their right, the wall was comprised of a large, retractable door, with large mirrors attached to it, opening to what he knew was an enormous walk-in wardrobe, big enough to host all the clothes they had amassed during the last centuries. There were two little, dark side tables with small lamps attached to them. But the main piece was the bed; perfectly outraged with the tiny thing that Aziraphale dared call his resting place in the bookshop, Crowley had taken it upon himself to make it a proper King size, which had been covered with white and teal bed sheets on which slithered a red bedspread.

[rissararity]

Wrote a little fic inspired by this meme. Art is not mine!

Astarion/Half succubus bard oc. Cat calling, references to SA, comfort, friends to lovers, partners in crime, protective Astarion

Might eventually become a more put together fic, if it does it would be a slow burn friends to lovers

“Do we have any other takers? Any more bets? How about you, sir? Betting man?” the gorgeous bard beamed while she played a melody to raise anticipation on her lute.

“You know what? Sure.” The man tossed a couple gold into the pot.

The crowd cheered while Astarion gave a close lipped smile, eye fucking a couple of the women in the group.

A few more coins trickled in, clinking against the others.

“Now watch and be amazed as I throw this dagger, up to the second floor, it bounces handle side down off that, that then that,” he pointed to a couple of things, “and into the center of that barrel.” He announced with a flourish, parading around dramatically.

While he distracted the crowd, the bard cast a little spell to ensure he’d succeed. Astarion felt the power and confidence surge as her spell took effect, making a big show out of throwing the dagger.

While it flew through the air, Liv took the opportunity to pick a few pockets then make her way to the front before the trick shot was over.

As the blade hit home, the crowd was a mix of cheers and jeers.

“Aww better luck next time, friends!” She offered a supportive smile that hid the inward smirk she felt.  She validated a few peoples feelings and casually got each of them to walk away.

The bard scooped up the gold while the rogue retrieved the dagger. They smiled at each other for a moment before quickly and discreetly leaving the area.

To an outsider they’d look like lovers exchanging a look. But they knew they were shit eating grins of victory, and they were in fact not lovers, but 200 gold richer.

Each.

As they reached the end of the alley, they waved to Gale, who stood with his arms crossed. “Again? Really?” he glared, falling into step on Liv’s other side.

“Oh relax, you benefit from the spoils too. Most of this ends up going to potions and gifts for you.” The half elf snickered, purposely hip bumping him.

The wizard’s glare softened and he ducked his head. “I suppose that’s true. But if you two get caught, you’re on your own.”

The elves smirked at each other, “Somehow I think we’ll manage.” Astarion turned his ruby gaze to Gale who rolled his own.

The men grew uneasy while the trio walked by a group of men who began to whisper after them, staring at Liv in particular. The vampire could have torn their heads off with his bare hands for the disgusting way they spoke about her.

Gale glared back at them, putting an arm around her shoulders protectively. “Honestly, Liv, we can’t take you anywhere civilized.”

“I’d hardly call this place…much less those meat sacks civilized.” Astarion agreed, now wishing he’d been the one to grab her first.

“I’m not doing anything on purpose.” She muttered, dropping her chin.

“Boo hoo, it must be so hard being effortlessly gorgeous.”  The vampire rolled his eyes.

“When I cant go anywhere alone without being hassled, propositioned or having wives threaten me for stealing their husband’s eyes-“ “And hearts.” Gale added.

“Right. A few of them did say that.” She pouted, “I know I can more than take care of myself but I get so…” she crossed her arms over her ample chest and shivered with a frown.

The group had noticed fairly early on she seemed fairly oblivious to the leers she got everywhere she went, and that  when she no longer was, the attention made her extremely uncomfortable.

She could flirt her way out of trouble no problem but was easily flustered and nervous if a man just started commenting on her body. It made a pit form in her stomach that stayed until someone else from her party found her.

Even Shadowheart had played the role to make the men think they had no chance.

She sighed, “And Astarion,” he looked at her. “You sound jealous when you say stuff like that. You’re too pretty to be jealous.”

Gale smirked as the vampire’s jaw dropped for a moment, blinking in surprise “I…er..um..you’re absolutely right.” He pushed his hair from his face and shook out his shoulders, “You passed the test.”

Liv rolled her eyes while the wizard shook his head, a small smile on his lips.

Red eyes grew annoyed as he saw this, prompting him to cross his arms and pout, “I’ll meet you back at camp.” He strode of into the masses of people on the street.

The pair laughed, keeping their leisurely pace.

“He adores you,  you know.”  Gale told her once their laughs became little giggles.

Her cheeks grew dark, “No, he would have made a move by now if he did. We’re just good friends.”

He arched an eyebrow, “Is that so?”

She mimicked him, raising her own and dropping her voice, “Yes, that is so.”

The wizard made a face, “You’re too good at that.”

Wind whipped her long blonde hair around while carrying her laugh.  “What can I say? I give a performance like no other.”

Liv yelped as a hand seized her elbow. “I bet you do, babe. Why don’t you come with me and give a private show?”

Her entire body froze as ice set in, eyes wide with fear as her legs stopped moving.

“I’m going to give you one chance to let go of the lady and be on your way.” Gale’s voice dripped with venom in a way she’d only ever heard in situations like this.

The barbarian sized him up then laughed, yanking her arm confidently, causing her to stumble closer. “Fuck off, mate. If you can’t defend your woman, don’t bring her outside.”

They couldnt go throwing magic in the middle of town, the creep knew that.

What he didn’t expect,  was Gale to cast a hold person spell, locking him into place.

He then gently unfurled the man’s fingers from Liv’s arm and put a protective arm around her waist. “You need to learn some manners. Best hope we don’t ever meet in a battlefield.”

The man’s eyes burned with rage as Gale pressed a kiss to the still shocked bard’s temple and led them back into the crowd.

She pressed herself into her companion’s side all the way back to camp, trying to match his breathing the entire way.

No one knew what caused this reaction in her, but they had an idea. None dared broach the subject and figured talk if and when she wanted.

Normally in battle, she was fearless and thoughtful. But when confronted with someone like that barbarian she locked up.

When they returned to camp, Astarion had already thought up a snappy quip-the perfect amount of sting and sass.

Unfortunately,  it died in his throat as soon as he looked over at them. One look and he knew.

Gale was softly rubbing her forearm, reassuring her while he led her to his tent.

The vampire frowned and exchanged a look with the wizard on the way.  He immediately regretted his hasty exit earlier. He noticed pursuers were more easily deterred when she was with more than one man.

Astarion silently crept over to listen, able to hear their magic friend leading her through breathing exercises. When she’d calmed down, Gale finally left the tent to get some dinner.

He was about to stand only for Shadowheart to beat him to it, heading toward Gale’s tent to comfort the half elf.

 Annoyed as he was, he knew for Liv’s sake that only one person could be with her at a time.

Much to his dismay, she stayed for an entire hour and a half.

He started to head over only to stop in his tracks when the tent door moved and Liv emerged, looking tired but otherwise okay other than her red cheeks and the fact that she used a spell to change her appearance to the one she preferred-the one that more clearly showed her half-drow ancestry.

Her skin kept its pink hue but her hair shortened to a pixie cut, blonde at the root morphing into silver tips that sat perfectly in place. Her blue eyes shifted to one bright blue and one silver. A ring sat in her septum above her lips that wore a coat of black paint, matching her winged eyeliner and eyeshadow.

Her pointed ears were dotted with two in her cartilage on both sides, and a silver ring on the lobe. She bore tattoos of solid black up her throat with flame-like tendrils licking at her jaw, a small flame adorning her forhead.

This was who she preferred to be. Who she felt the strongest,  and most confident as. It was also her defense.

The others knew not to be surprised or comment on what she decided to look like that day. The long blonde look was always used for public performances; it had even earned her the title “The Angel” by word of mouth.

Astarion thought she was perfect both ways, but he knew the other men liked The Angel, while Shadowheart and Karlach shared his adoration of who he dubbed the demoness, the little devil, and simply the drow.

She hadn’t noticed him,  and headed for her bedroll by the fire.

Astarion’s chest tightened as he realized he was too late to comfort her. If he hadn’t ditched her this probably wouldn’t have happened. They’d be sitting around the fire while she played her lute and told them legends and stories.

He should have stayed. This was his fault.

He should have stayed.

Jaw clenched,  he thought, I’ll never abandon you again, my angel. You have my word I will remain close at hand.

What he couldn’t see, was her small smile as their tadpoles relayed the message in his voice.

In fact, he'd been so distracted that all his thoughts of guilt and protectiveness were made privy to the blonde.

He didn’t know it, but they grew closer that night without him ever speaking a word.

--

The following morning when they returned to the little town of Hodge to continue their search for information. Gale noticed Liv go out of her way to insure they passed by the same intersection from last night.

It was fairly early and the roads were fairly clear,  blue sky above them.

As they neared it, Gale stepped forward and took her hand. To everyone’s surprise, she turned her blue and silver gaze to Astarion and held her other hand out to him.

Shadowheart pouted as the visibly confused vampire somewhat hesitantly took her hand and walked on her other side.

Liv squeezed both of their hands as they strode down the road like they owned it. When they got to the next street, she pressed a kiss to the back of Astarion’s hand and gave him a grateful look before letting go and repeating the gesture with Gale.

The vampire blinked in surprise as an odd fluttering feeling danced in his stomach, Gale’s cheeks darkened a little as he returned her smile.

He followed her blindly like they were magnetized, eyes wide as he tried to make heads or tails of this feeling.

Her still short hair shined like silver in the sun, contrasting the warm, sunny light from the blonde near her scalp. Even painted with dark makeup, she was breath taking-silver septum ring glinting back at him a top her confident smile.

Especially when she was exuding confidence like she now was, leading them through the streets to their first contact.

Her rapier carefully tucked into her overcoat, lute strapped to her back, she walked through intersection exuding joy once again.

Astarion’s maroon eyes stayed locked on her profile while he continued to remain at her side. Gale went to talk to Karlach, leaving the two side by side leading the group.

The vampire's eyes flicked down to her hand, yearning to hold it again; to feel her soft, dainty hands in his calloused but well manicured ones.

The butterflies in his stomach hadn’t quite settled down yet-he’d heard some young women gossiping recently and learned that’s what it was called.

Though if it meant what they insinuated it did he refused to believe that was what was happening to him.  

He supposed Liv was pretty enough…oh who was he kidding?  They didn’t call her The Angel  for nothing. She was beauty incarnate, in both of her forms. Her movements were naturally elegant and graceful, her acrobatics during battle were unreal.

Everywhere she went an air of lavender and vanilla followed. You couldn’t be in a bad mood when she was around-he would know. He tried.

She was exactly what Cazador would have sent him after.

At that, he looked away from her shamefully. He didn’t deserve to walk beside her, figuratively or literally. His steps slowed so he could merge with the others but this stopped when her hand brushed the back of his – making his breath catch for a moment as sparks shot up his arm.

She caught his eye and winked, a small smile on her soft lips.  “Walk with me, Astar.”

He was about to scold her for the nickname but for some reason from her he didn’t mind it.

“Gale holds your arm through town.” He murmured quietly as they walked.

Her cheeks darkened, “So he does.”

“It’s only fair-rr- I mean….proper.” He collected himself. “It’s only proper that a lady gets escorted.” He raised his chin, keeping his eyes ahead.

“Of course.”

“After all, you tend to get sidetracked and lost.”

“Sounds like me.”

“Hells forbid you see a cat!”

A  little annoyed now, she glared, “Are you gonna do it or what?”

“Of course I am, don’t be stupid!” Came his rushed reply just before he almost aggressively looped arms with her like Gale often did.

Behind them, the entire team silently laughed. Gale crossed his arms over his chest, batting away Shadowheart to pretended to try and loop arms with him. He turned away from her and glared playfully before pushing her into Karlach who caught her then gave her arm a reassuring pat before going back to minding her business.

Astarion glared venomously at any one that looked at them too long, thankfully only a few people due to her still being in little demon form. He felt like her bodyguard, and as such had to be the scary dog that made outsiders keep their distance.

And unlike most bodyguards,  he actually HAD bite.

Meanwhile, Liv was blissfully unaware of the mission he’d given himself, waltzing down the street casually.

When they arrived at their agreed upon meeting place, Liv wanted to go in alone but the entire group was quick to shut that down.

“Just in and out-it’ll be quick. Everyone leaves happy, no big deal.”

Astarion’s lips quirked up in a grin while he held his laughter, little sounds sneaking out. Karlach immediately began to belly laugh, drawing the attention of a few townspeople. Gale sighed and shook his head while the bard looked at him oddly.

“Sweet summer child.” He pressed a patronly kiss to her temple and hugged her cheek to his chest for a moment.

With knit brows, she let him hold her for a moment. “Anyway, any alternative plans then?”

“Well, you aren’t allowed to go anywhere alone so write that down.” The vampire rolled his eyes, missing her little smile.

“Our best bet here is to not arouse suspicion, and to appear as normal as possible to blend in. I think Liv and I should go in together,  since we look the most like the locals." The wizard spoke up.

“Human, you mean?” Shadowheart asked, crossing her arms at the other half-elf.

“And not head to toe in armor. Not exactly common garb in these parts.”

She relented, “Liv and I could go. Two women won’t look odd and I’m sure she has an outfit I can borrow.”

Gale gave a snappy retort, angering the Cleric. They bickered over who was going in with Liv until Karlach  physically turned their heads to show them Astarion had already whisked her away and toward little café, both in all their silver headed glory.

After casting an apologetic look over her shoulder, she spoke “You didn’t ask me to put on the angel.”

He paused, “I’ll never ask you  to change, darling. However you feel best is how I want you.”

She squeezed his arm, smiling up at him while he avoided her gaze.

Luckily everything went according to plan for once and they got another lead.

Before they returned to their team, waiting in the distance in the town square, they decided to slip out the back door  to see if they could make a few extra coins.

Liv put on the angel to aid in the con on her own accord, excitement in her stomach as she and Astarion approached a small group of people already with a game in progress.

---

“Where is she? I need to see her.” Astarion pushed past Shadowheart and headed toward Wyll’s tent.

“She’s going to live. Don’t interrupt her healing session. It’s…private.” She trailed after him, wishing Wyll hadn’t taken some personal time away so he could cast a hold spell.

Ordinarily  Shadowheart was stronger than Astarion, but now he was in a protective rage, eyes blazing like a wildfire as he sought his little devil.

This fueled him to overpower her, tugging free of her grip and delivering a sharp shove that sent her on her ass, blinking in shock.

He entered the bubble of silence cast around Gale’s tent and froze as he recognized the sounds of lust and sex, as well as the all to familiar scents that went along with it.

His blood ran cold as he hid and peaked in. He knew what to expect but was still aghast when he saw Gale on top of Liv.

Liv’s nude body was dotted with scrapes and bruises from their last fight, her head lulled to the side, eyes half open. She didn’t react much to the wizards deliberate, confident thrusts, her breasts bounced in recoil to punctuate each one.

Gale bit his lip, brows knit as he began to speed up. Liv's shallow breaths along with a few gasps softly joined the other sounds.

Astarion felt rage like never before and had the biggest urge to reach straight through Gale’s back and pull out his still beating heart.

But he knew that was a bad idea.

Liv’s head turned to the other side and she accidently met the vampire’s eyes, her own going from half lidded to wide, cheeks ablaze.

Feeling much like a scorned lover,  though not sure why, he silently sneered at her and left.

--

The following morning, the air was tense between the two troublemakers-Astarion and Liv.

Gale hadn’t noticed him, and she hadn’t told him.

She avoided her rogue as much as possible without drawing attention, seeking a distraction.

Otherwise back to her normal self, she pulled her violin from her bag of holding  and began to play an upbeat jig, a smile on her face as she watched Karlach and Wyll prepare breakfast.

Gale and Shadowheart clapped in time with the music, smiling and enjoying the morning.

His eyes narrowed at Gale as he approached, considering how he could catch the wizard’s robe on fire, stopping short to watch the end of the song.

Liv hesitated a bit upon seeing him, but being the professional she is, she didn’t let it hiccup the song. Gale noticed the jovial mood in her eyes dulled, and used his tadpole to connect to the vampire -immediately realizing what had happened.

The bard finished the song with a flourish of her bow then bowed for the applause  that came from everyone that didn’t drink blood.

Gale connected to Liv for a moment to see if she knew, appreciating that she told him the truth and didn’t make him search her memory.

I think it’s time to tell him, Angel. He’s the only one that doesn’t know and he’s clearly upset.

She sighed, I have to, now. We can’t keep going like this.

He gave a short nod, then made an excuse about wanting to show Liv how to feel the weave so they could both go into the woods together.

They were correct in assuming Astarion’s jealousy would have him tailing them.

Once they were away from camp, his body froze mid-step as Gale cast a hold person spell on him.

The pair turned around and headed over to him, ignoring the slew of curse words falling from his fangs.

“What in the hells do you think you’re doing?!” He growled at last.

“We need to talk- and by that I mean you need to listen. We can’t have you attacking Gale or running off before we explain.”

He glared at her, inwardly annoyed that the passing breeze carried over her lavender scent.

“I’m not sure what I saw other than the two of you acting like a couple of randy teenagers.”

Liv crossed her arms, nodding, “That’s exactly why you’re stuck right now.”

Gale’s lip quirked up for a moment at her flat tone before he spoke, “That’s all you saw? Are you absolutely sure there was nothing else of note?”

“Gale, darling, I’m not going to comment on the size of your staff if that’s what you’re fishing for.”

The wizard blinked in shock, blushing,  “No! No that’s not what I meant.”

Standing slightly behind him, Liv giggled, cutting herself off when Astarian glared at her again.

“Think back. Really think-I’ll even help you.” She cast a focus spell on him while he huffed and closed his eyes.

His mind’s eye took him back Gale’s tent, his eyes glued to the scene before him. Liv looked exhausted from their last battle. Her body was scraped and bruised here and there and bags sat under her eyes.

Her baby blues lacked the spark they usually held.

The vampire knit his brows, growling at the other man. “Did you do something to her?”

Gale’s jaw dropped, Liv spoke up and vehemently denied it.

“It’s not like that either. I look right as rain today, right?” she gestured to her face- bright and clear as always.

He nodded.

“You know I’m a half elf, right?”

“Of course. Drow-correct?”

Liv smiled, happy he remembered that given her normal, warm and sunny appearance. “Right. Well…it turns out…the other half wasn’t human.”

“I’m sure you’ve noticed Liv is much more adept at magic than a normal bard…hells I’ve been trying to convince her to let me train her as a spellcaster…”

She rolled her eyes.

“Anyway, the other half…my father…was an incubus. So…I’m half elf half-“

“Succubus.” Astarion sneered, “It all makes sense now. The power you hold over others with the simple toss of your hair.”

They waited to see what he would say next, giving him a moment to think.

“That’s why you look so much better than you did…last night.”

She nodded, “I seem to have an odd mix of traits and abilities. My little demon appearance can’t be washed away by any manor of magic because it’s still real. When I take after my father, I become the angel. But my mother was the drow.”

“It doesn’t trigger my detect magic ability either.” Gale added, “Because of her half succubus nature, every week or so she needs to be…reset, or she gets sickly and weak.”

“That’s why she’s gotten so much stronger since the began traveling together.”

Liv blushed and shuffled her feet, “Look, I’m really not as smooth as I pretend to be-its an act.”

The vampire was quiet for a long while, “So when you say you cant sleep alone-“

The half elf gasped, “Not every night! God’s Astarion I’m not an animal! Gale told you…once a week. I try to hold out for as long as I can though…” she looked down, “I know it’s a big ask. More often than not I just need to cuddle.”

Gale patted her shoulder, a kind smile on his lips. “I assure you it’s no toil for us. I admit it can be difficult when you’re…in rough shape but knowing it’s the best way we can help you-“

“Mmmhm nothing to do with the fact that you get to have sex with her, I’m sure.” The vampire cut him off, winking when he was done.

The wizard’s warm brown eyes widened, cheeks darkening-it was certainly not a chore, but an honor.

Liv quirked an eyebrow at him, stifling a laugh and trying to force the corner of her mouth down.

Astarion relaxed as he watched her reaction to this. His jealousy faded as he realized for Gale, and hopefully Wyll, this was a friends with benefits situation, not a romantic relationship.

“Oh do let me go now. I’m listening.”

After a nod from Liv, Gale released the hold spell.

Astarion straightened himself and pushed his hair back, shaking off the stiffness. “The girls were already aware, I’m assuming?”

Liv nodded. “Unfortunately, my succubus healing only seems to kick in with men. I guess I need a…bridge to transfer.”

“You had sex with Shadowheart?”

Gale raised an eyebrow, “You tried to.”

“Well yes, but for a different reason. It’s not the same.”

“If anything, my reason is better than yours.” Liv glared.

He tilted his head, “Is it? Who’s to say? Besides, it only makes sense to gather as many…potential healers as possible and keep one on hand at all times. It was smart of you to try, since the two of you normally pair up when we split.”

Silence for a beat.

"Though I must tell you, I thought we were closer than this, little angel.” He turned to her. “Why was I the only one left unaware of your…condition? Did you not want my…” he gestured to his body, “help.”

Gale turned to her, too, curious.

The bard blushed, keeping her eyes on the ground. “We've always been great friends and I didn’t want to risk making it weird.”

“So you didn’t think it weird to proposition your companions weekly to steal their energy when they orgasm?”

Silence.

“It's really not bad. One sip of a health potion and you're back to rights.” Gale defended her.

“Alright, well,” he approached Liv, who shyly looked up. “This doesn’t change anything between us, darling, not if you don’t want it to.” He tilted her chin with one finger. “But if you decide you do, I assure you I’m more than capable of not treating you any differently if we slept together; dearest friend of mine.”

Her cheeks blazed, lips parting in shock. Gale rolled his eyes and looked away while the two had a moment.

He knew his friendship with Liv was clearly different than whatever it was she had with Astarion, so hearing her admit that hadn’t stung like one might expect. It was no secret the two had more in common, more laughs and a knack for getting in and out of trouble.

Gale, as well as Wyll, knew what this was.

Giving the half elf a wink, Astarion turned around and headed back toward camp.

She didn't ask for his help yet, but he hoped she would.

And when she did he would be whatever she wanted him to be; a simple friend with benefits due to a caring heart and sense of obligation or...maybe...

Well he wasn't sure but he was looking forward to her helping him find that out.

[h3llrac3r]

˗ˏˋ For all eternity ´ˎ˗

Theon Greyjoy x stark!reader oneshot

𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧

Warnings: angst, veeery briefly mentioned light smut, death, hurt no comfort, violence, lil bit of gore/ blood ? kinda cringe honestly, Horrible writing, 08x03 spoilers but I changed the episode's plot a little

Summary: I guess there’s nothing more romantic than dying in your lovers arms <3

Word count: ~ 2.6k

A/N: my first fanfic!! English is not my first language so excuse any mistakes. enjoyyy the angst babies <3

𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧

The Godswood. Considerably the most beautiful place in all of Winterfell. It had an almost calming effect on you. The beautiful weirwood tree with its blood red leaves, surrounded by more trees and bushes. It’d look even more serene in winter. The painting worthy beauty of the snow silently falling from an endless gloomy sky, coating the world in a small layer of cold white. Sometimes you’d sit on one of the center tree’s branches with a paper and feather in hand, painting the snowflakes that landed on the back of your hand before they would melt away on your warm skin in a matter of seconds. You also loved the stillness of the forest. If you ever felt like you needed space from everything and everyone around you, you’d simply go out and sit with the trees. You’d see your younger self running, chasing your siblings around the tree in the center and laughing together when one of you would trip.

Theon would always know to find you there. If you’d let him, he’d sit with you and just listen. You knew he really cared. Theon was the only person, other than your siblings, you could trust with anything. He truly loved you with all his heart and you loved him. You tried hard to hide it in the beginning, knowing your Father would not be happy if you married Theon rather than a successful, rich king like the other noble girls did.

𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.

Robb and Jon knew the second they saw Theon and you talking together in the Godswood. They knew by the way he looked at you and how his eyes would linger on yours. They knew by the way his hand would brushed against yours or how he would blush every time your name came up. Jon especially knew when Theon stopped bedding every woman that stepped foot into the Winterfell castle. He only had eyes for you and he made sure you knew that every single day.

'The prettiest Stark' he would call you. Robb always acted dramatically offended every time he’d overhear Theon say it. It was no use trying to hide your feelings from another. So you didn’t.

You still vividly remember the first time you kissed him. It was the night of your 19th Name day. He took you back to your room and wanted to say goodnight as you leaned into him, lips meeting. His eyes widened in surprise for a few seconds but he melted into you right away. God, he’s been wanting that for a very long time. His hand cupped your cheek as the both of you stumbled into your chamber. He started messily taking off your clothes and gently laid you down on your bed, continuing to kiss you. Looking back, that night feels almost like a hazy dream. Like something you wanted for so long and then you finally got it.

Theon taught you how to fight, even though your father strictly forbid it, saying “it isn’t Lady like to wield swords and fight men”. Theon didn’t care about what other people thought of him, as long as he was yours.

𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.

Now everything seemed like a distant memory. What once was, can never be again. You knew you would die tonight. You knew and you were prepared. Your last night with your Ironborn lover was filled with nothing but love. You made sure every inch of his body knew you were grateful for him. Kissing him everywhere from his head down to his neck, hips and thighs. You didn’t want a single inch of him to not feel worshipped and longed for.

After hours and hours of fighting for not only your life but that of the people you loved, you were now standing back to back with Theon, trying everything to protect your brother Bran from the White Walkers and the Army of the Dead, who you were completely surrounded by. They took small steps towards the two of you, slowly caging you in further. Frantically looking around, you swung your sword in a way of trying to tell them to stay away.

They all suddenly stopped.

Your wide eyes looked back at Theon confused, your brows furrowing.

“What are they doing?” He asked you with a two thousand yard stare,

You shrugged your shoulders at his question.

Then all of a sudden there was movement. Some of the Dead opened the circle they surrounded you in to show you who was leading the attack. The White Walkers. At least a dozen of them. This was it. This was the moment your entire life led up to… your death. It seemed almost ironic that it was in the Godswood. A place you've cherished ever since you were a little child. Oh how naïve you were then, you thought. Little Y/N would never understand what was about to happen but neither would you, probably.

You stared at the Knight King only a couple of feet away from you, him staring back at you. He didn’t speak, determination set deep in his cold, blue, piercing eyes. He wants to kill Bran and everything that stood in his way; to erase everything that had to do with the past. Everything that you were or ever will be. You couldn’t let him. You had to win this fight or die trying.

Theon was close by your side. You shared a look. It spoke more than thousand words or thousand languages. A look that said 'You know what’s coming next. Please, don’t be scared, I’m here with you.'

“Thank you.” You heard Bran say behind you, both Theon and you turning around.

“You are a good man, Theon. Take good care of my sister.” Theon nodded at him, his eyes welling up.

“In another lifetime.” You turned to look at Theon with teary eyes to see him already looking at you. “What a time it has been with you”

All you wanted to do now was crash your lips against Theon’s and give him a kiss that would last all eternity. A loud selfish voice in your head told you to just grab his hand and run far, far, far away from here. Leave everyone behind to be with Theon.

‘Run. Run now, before it’s too late. You’re not dead yet.‘

The voice spoke again and as much as you might’ve wanted to, you couldn’t. You couldn’t break now. Thousands of men gave their life to protect Bran. It wouldn’t be fair to either them, nor your beloved brother or your other siblings. Hell, you didn’t even know wether they were still alive. They might already all be part of the Dead, long forgotten and coming to tear you apart and make you join them. To say that you were scared was an underestimation. You thought you were prepared to give your life but now standing face to face with death, everything felt so helpless.

“My heart is yours forever, Theon Greyjoy” you said as you turned your face away from him and set your eyes on the White Walkers before you. You wondered if that right there was the last time you’d ever look at Theon. You didn’t want to think about it, it hurt too much.

Your grip around your dragon glass sword tightened, as you gritted your teeth and began to walk towards the Knight King with big strides. Time seemed to slow down as Theon watched you leap at the Leader of the Dead. He whispered silent prayers.

"Let her be okay and let them take me instead." He repeated it like a mantra.

You let out a scream as the blade of your sword came inches from piercing his icy blue skin. He looked deep into your eyes, as his hand found it’s way to your neck, before your weapon could ever come in contact with his skin. Your body was dangling in the air, your feet kicking wildly like a deer caught in a trap, desperate for an escape. A small smile of triumph appeared on the White Walkers lips when you dropped your sword. You let out a strangled choke as his second hand wrapped around your throat, cutting off your air. You tried clawing at his hands and face but no use. You were soon to join his Army of the Dead.

Theon watched frozen in horror as the Knight King slowly but surely started suffocating you. Without one more moment of hesitance he charged at the creature that was about to take you from him. Everything happened in the matter of seconds. You were roughly tossed aside and immediately took a deep breath as you felt the cold winter air enter your lungs again. A feeling you almost thought forgotten in the previous moments. Having hit your head while being tossed to the side, you were feeling disoriented and dizzy for a few short moments. The metallic taste in your mouth made you spit. The red seeping into the white of the snowy forest ground.

A loud squelch sound snapped you back into reality. Your head shot up as your eyes widen in horror. You watched as the Knight King plunged Theon’s broken spear into his abdomen. A place where your body rested on top of, only a few hours prior. You let out a gut wrenching scream as your tears spilled freely from your eyes. Theon’s eyes locked with yours. You could see his trembling lips parting, trying to tell you something before blood spilled from his mouth.

He started coughing and you didn’t waste a second in picking up a dragon glass dagger from one of the dead soldiers around you and running up to the King once more. This time you managed to catch him off guard and sinked the dagger deep into the left side of his neck. You twisted it, before pulling it out and ramming it back in his throat again. The Night King roared in pain, which almost sounded like a wounded animal. But no pain of his would ever compare to losing Theon. You, along with every soldier of the Army of the Dead fell to the ground. You watched as every single White Walker turned into icy shards, perishing completely.

You killed the Knight King, all the other White Walkers, the Army of the Dead and saved Bran. You did what you were supposed to. You saved the seven kingdoms. But you couldn't think about that right now. Not when Theon was bleeding out just a few feet from you. None of it will ever matter if he’s not by your side.

He can’t die. He can’t die. He can’t die. He can’t die. He can’t die. He can’t die. He can’t die. He can’t die. He can’t die. He can’t die. He can’t die. He can’t die. He can’t die. He can’t die. He can’t die. He can’t die. He can’t die. He can’t die. He can’t die.

You kept repeating those 3 words in your head over and over, trying hard to convince yourself that everything was just a cruel nightmare.

You called out his name as you ran to his side, gently picking up his head and placing it on your thighs.

"I'm here with you. Don't you worry, You'll be alright" You told him as you caressed his cheek. He looked up at you through teary eyes, knowing his end was near. His brows scrunched up in pain and he coughed up more of his blood. You started applying pressure to his stab wound, just like Brienne always taught you. Her words rang through your head 'Y/N, if you ever get hurt, you need to stop the bleeding, as best as you can. Stop the bleeding, stay awake and get help.'

"HELP ME PLEASE. SOMEONE, oh god- I NEED HELP!!" you screamed as loud as you could, hoping someone- anyone would hear your desperate cries.

"You need to stay awake for me, okay? We'll be alright, i just need you to hold on a little longer. I promise you will be okay, i promise you..." But your words rang hollow. You felt Theon's bloody hand on your cheek and you looked at him. Really looked at him. He is tired. His face pale, his eyes glassy and his hand shaking. He just smiled at you and gripped your face a bit tighter, fearing he would lose the feeling in his hands soon as they slightly began to tingle. Your face, now covered in his blood from his hand, leaned into his touch. You kissed his hand.

"I don't- I can't lose you, Theon. I can't."

"shhh. It's alright Y/N. I promise you I’ll find you in every lifetime…"

“No, you don’t need to. You have me in this lifetime-“

His smile never faltered.

“I love you, Theon.” You said, the world becoming a blur through teary eyes.

You leaned down to kiss him. You didn’t want it to be your last kiss. You thought about all the lasts you experienced in the past days without even knowing it. Yesterday was the last time you would fall asleep and wake up next to him. Two days ago was the last time you would ever draw him. Three days ago was the last time he would ever pick your favourite flowers for you. He would never attend another one of your Name days or train with you, sing, dance, laugh or cry with you. You noticed how short-lived your time with him was. If you wouldn’t have been so fucking stubborn, you could’ve told him how you felt sooner. You could’ve had him longer. You should’ve never allowed him to fight for Winterfell. He should’ve stayed on the Iron Islands with Yara. He should’ve left you to die here. You deserved it, not him.

He still held your face in his hands, tears falling down his cheeks.

“I love you. You are the best thing that has happened to me. I do not regret a thing- whe- when everything I did…led me into your arms.”

He was slowly choking on his own blood as he continued to cough violently, the red spilling from his lips.

You helplessly looked around, sobbing, screaming, waiting for a miracle to happen, but no god answered.

You cradled him in your arms, slowly rocking him back and fourth like a mother would with her child. You hand caressed his hair and his face and you forced yourself to smile at him

“It’s okay, it’s okay, my love. You can let go now. I’m safe.”

Every word broke you more than the last but that’s what he needed to hear. You are safe. You did it. You’ve won. Like Bran said, he’ll take care of you now, just not from here but rather from above.

You felt his body go limp in your arms. His eyes lost that little twinkle he always had, when looking at you. They were still open as he slowly grew colder in your arms. His usually rosy, warm skin turned into a soft blue beneath your fingertips. He no longer looked alive.

Your head sank into his chest as you sobbed your heart out. You screamed his name.

You faintly heard someone call out your name.

“Y/N? Y/N! Oh gods!” The voice turned into two voices. You jumped as you felt a hand on your shoulder and turned around to see Jon and Arya.

“Jon?” Your voice hoarse from all the screaming. “Jon, he’s dead,” you said without any emotion. You felt numb. Jon took you into his arms. Sansa came running to you and stopped dead in her tracks. Her hand flew up to cover her mouth in shock.

Jon apologized over and over, crying for the both of you. Sansa and Jon pulled you away from Theon’s body and hugged you again.

Theon Greyjoy was gone for all eternity and nothing could ever bring him back.

[goggles-mcgee]

A Little Birdy Told Me 20

AO3

Beginning Last Chapter

Summary: Damian continues to try and get more information about the akuma class and Marinette while Dick is having an off day and just wants it to get better.

Only one brother gets what they want.

CH 20:

Damian may have jumped the gun on that one. 

He admitted that, willingly, in the privacy of his own mind. 

“To Dupain-Cheng? I mean sure but why would you like to know.” Chloe asked with narrowed sharp eyes.

Bourgeois was sharp, as were all his acquaintances so there was no point in lying, though he was confident he could do so flawlessly, his acquaintances had proved to be somewhat trustful. They all kept secrets if asked unless it was something trivial which confused him to no end. Allegra could ask they don’t tell anyone what she shared with them when it came to her having trouble mentally or her parents fighting but the group would tell almost everyone in the group how Claude had a crush on so-and-so from class-whatever. Richard said that is just how teenagers and friends are but it didn’t make sense to Damian and he tried many times to make it make sense. The only thing that made him feel better is the fact his father also didn’t understand. When he was in med school he told him how his study group kept his fear of bats to themselves but when he admitted to not being a fan of some musician that that information was shared and laughed at, but he stated clearly that the laughing wasn’t at him, just at the information as a study group member had explained. Again. It was strange, but Damian felt like this wasn’t one of those moments that they would share his information with others. 

“It goes without saying that what I tell you does not leave this table,” he began, “I know I said that if I knew something I wouldn’t tell, but given Bourgeois’s forthcoming, I too can be a little forthcoming. Dupain-Cheng is now a ward of my Father for the rest of the exchange.”

Vogel nodded and glared at everyone at the table as if to ward them off even thinking of telling anyone what Damian was saying. It was…nice and appreciated. Vogul reminded him of Cassandra sometimes and it always left him feeling warm yet wrongfooted. The blonde wasn’t his sister but sometimes she felt like it and that also confused him. Nonetheless he gave Vogel a small nod of appreciation. “After the events at Wayne Tower and what followed, it was decided that my father take care of Dupain-Cheng for the remainder of the trip and actual chaperones are being flown in. The original plan of having the class merge with ours has been effectively thrown out the window and negotiations are being made where to place everyone as they will be separated. Dupain-Cheng and her friends will join our class but it hasn’t been decided where Rossi and her sycophants will go.” 

Allaway pursed his lips together and looked deep in thought, it was like he was trying to organize everything that was said and unsaid. He was someone who liked puzzles and mysteries. “You guys are building a case?” It was posed as a question but Damian knew the other boy better. It was a statement. Damian simply leaned back in his chair to give Allaway his attention, it took the boy some time to voice his thoughts so Damian waited before responding. “The question is, who is the case against?” 

“I would think that obvious by now Allaway.” Damian scoffed. 

Allaway stared at Damian intensely until he let out a deep sigh, “Yeah, I know, I was saying it to be dramatic.”

“You’re always dramatic.” Damian countered.

“No. That’s Claude.” Allaway shot right back.

“Guilty!” Hardy sing-songed. Damian conceded. Hardy was always dramatic. Every announcement he made to the group or even the school was so rich in dramatics that Damian wondered if the boy practiced what he said every day to make sure it was the perfect amount of dramatic or if it was something instinctual. Damian felt like it was the latter. Sometimes Hardy’s dramatics confused him but Vogel was good at explaining what the dramatic boy was saying, she was basically the Hardy Translator.

“We are getting off topic.” Bourgeois sighed. “You really want to know everything that witch did to Dupain-Cheng, Wayne? Then you better buckle in and take notes.

Damian nodded and pressed the hidden button on his watch that Lucius Fox and his son Lucas upgraded at Bruce’s request, that would record the rest of the conversation. Though he did take out a notebook and pen, he never wrote in pencil, writing in pencil showed you were not confident in your writing or knowledge. He was trying to break out of the habit though as it was one Ra’s made sure ‘stuck’ with his heir. His grandfather would never settle for anything less than perfect and the one time Damian took a test in front of his grandfather and used a pencil, he was punished. Damian hid a wince at the memories of that particular lesson and instead stared at his watch, it was a replica of his Grandfather's watch , the one he wore when he was murdered. It was a bit morbid but it was the thought behind it that made it one of Damian’s most prized possessions. 

It had been a little after he had been…introduced to his father and a little before his father’s seeming demise at Darkseid’s hand that Bruce had taken Damian aside into his study to talk to him. Damian thought it would be another reprimand of his methods but had been surprised when Bruce handed him a small box with a bow on it. He had been so hesitant, so wary, so suspicious that his father had gently taken the box from him and opened it to show a watch. A rather nice watch though Damian had noted its somewhat dated design. Like someone had purposefully made it look vintage.  “ It’s made to look like my father’s watch, your grandfather, though I have no doubt you were…informed of my parents before you came here -”

“ I know everything about you, Father, and my grandparents .” Damian had interrupted, eager to prove his knowledge, his worth. 

“ I don’t doubt that, Damian, but you were told about them by people who did not know them. That makes all the difference. There is time for stories so you get to know them like I knew them but this is the first one I will tell you. ” Bruce had looked sincere yet a bit uncomfortable, Damian had chalked it up to his father’s weakness of not getting over his parent’s death. Such a weakness was not allowed in the League, but Damian had said nothing of the fact even if he could. Richard had been teaching him just because you could doesn’t mean you should. It was confusing but his father seemed to agree with the sentiment so Damian was doing his best to learn it. 

His father continued. “ When my father was ten, his father bought him his first watch. I never met my grandfather, but when I was young, my father told me grandfather wanted to start a new Wayne tradition. When the heir of the family turned ten, they would be gifted a watch. I’m afraid that the reason is lost in time and forgotten memories but my father wanted to continue this tradition. I got my watch on my birthday and 9 days later my parents died. My father had been wearing his birthday watch that night .”

Damian hadn’t wanted to interrupt but he did want to touch the watch and his father seemed to understand that so he passed back the gift and watched as Damian had caressed the face of the watch with his thumb. 

“ I admit that I have bought your brother's watches as well but I know you are struggling to accept them. I won’t lie and say I understand but I want to feel connected to them, to me, to this family. I wasn’t able to give you a watch on your birthday but I am giving it to you now. I had this made for you in the image of your grandfather’s watch because I want to show you how important you are to this family and me. I could have easily given you a new watch as I had your brother’s but you deserve a connection to your roots. I hope you like it. ”

Damian had only nodded but the small smile his father gave in return had filled him with such warmth he hadn’t known what to do other than let his father put the watch on him. Later, Alfred would explain that Bruce had the watch built with many hidden features to keep Damian safe and to make sure his son wouldn’t be without a way out of a situation. The watch was made to resemble the Rolex Submariner that Damian had seen in a case along with a broken pearl necklace and some loose grimy pearls. He knows they were keepsakes of his grandparents that Bruce kept in a protected case in the Cave. He didn’t really believe it would make him feel any more connected to the Wayne name than him already being Bruce Wayne’s biological son but wearing the watch and seeing the original in its case when he was down in the Cave actually did make him feel connected in a way he couldn’t explain. Thus it became one of his most prized possessions much like his first straight double edged sword his mother gave him for the earliest birthdays he could remember. 

Damian inhaled slowly then exhaled to bring himself out of his memory before he looked up at Bourgeois and gave her a short nod. “Proceed.” 

___________________

Dick was doing all he could to relax and show Marinette the company’s botanical gardens as it was something she had wanted to do. It was good to see her smile and flit from plant to plant like a little honey bee or something, but Dick couldn’t get rid of his tension completely. He was always like that after dealing with Two-Face even if it wasn’t the usual confrontation between the two, i.e mask to two faces but it still left him feeling the same. Angry, restless and most annoyingly, scared. He wasn’t the same little scared Robin but dealing with Two-Face always made him feel like he was. He thought he worked past all that! But seeing Marinette in his arms with a gun pressed to her head brought uncomfortable flashbacks of a different tiny black-haired blue-eyed child. A child who got cocky in his skills as Robin and helper of Batman. He could still feel the long-since healed injuries throb in phantom pain. Dick couldn’t help the flash of another black-haired blue-eyed child, older than the first when he learned that being Robin wasn’t magical or whimsical. Thinking of that never did him any good, if anything it brought about an enormous amount of guilt and anger that Dick didn’t know what to do with. 

“Mari-gold?” A very familiar voice pulled Dick out of his thoughts and he cursed himself for being so distracted. 

“Ivy!” Marinette shouted out in glee as she ran to hug the woman she had seen fairly recently. It made Dick smile though, this kid loved with her whole heart and it was something he admired. 

“Now what are you doing here, Sapling?” 

“I came here with Mister Dick and Mister Tim. Though we lost Tim pretty early on.” Oh yeah, they did. Though Dick was willing to bet Tim just went to the coffee shop nearby, he seemed to have a built in radar for knowing where they were no matter what part of town they were in. It was kind of funny though since Tim wasn’t even a big fan of coffee, he more so just needed the caffeine. The guy preferred tea but he was really particular about which places made the best tea, specifically a good ol’ Dirty Chai. 

“And what brings you to the Gardens today, Ive?” Dick asked, deciding to partake in the conversation. 

“Oh just making sure they are doing okay and to give the workers a restock of my special fertilizer.” That made sense, Ivy was, on-the-down low helping the Wayne Botanical Studies team. While Harley helped them more with their night time business, Ivy was content to help in the more official business. With the occasional helping hand stopping a threat if they “got in over their heads.” Her words. 

“You make your own fertilizer?” Marinette asked. Look, Dick was also curious about that but after finding Ivy and Jason talking one night with these big-ass smiles on their faces, all teeth, he was like 80% sure that fertilizer was some of Jason’s…problems. But there was no way in hell that Dick was going to try and confirm that, and he sure as hell would not be telling Bruce that little theory. 

“Yes! It takes time but it-”

“My Passion Lily! I got your Matcha Lemonade and look! I found a wild Wayne.” They were interrupted by Harley, which was not a surprise, and she was dragging a resigned looking Tim with her. 

Ivy merely huffed out a laugh at her wife before taking the offered drink with a kiss to Harley’s cheek. “Thank you, Peanut, I also found a wild Wayne and a little Sapling.”

“Mari-Doll!” Harley squeaked out before almost knocking the poor girl off her feet in her hurry to smother the girl in a hug. Surprisingly they didn’t fall over. 

“Hi Harley!”

“You guys saw each other the other night?” Tim said, confused. 

“And?” Marinette and Harley asked in unison. It made Dick giggle and helped relieve him of more of his pent up tension. 

“Well since we're all here, why don’t we walk around together?” Dick offered. “Bruce wanted Tim to get some fresh air so try not to let him sneak off again.”

Tim gave an offended squawk which had Marinette laughing once more. “I’m fine!”

“Yeah, okay Timmy-Boy.” Harley said with a scoff as she laced her arms together with Ivy and Marinette. “And I’m the Queen of England.”

“You do need some time outside the Manor Tim. It’s not healthy to stay cooped up.” Ivy said as she happily walked with Harley and Marinette. Though she did grab Tim by the scruff of his shirt and manhandled him toward Dick. He looked very much like a cranky kitten. 

“What is this? Pick on Tim day?” 

“I believe Damian has that scheduled for next month.” Dick wished he was joking.

Marinette obviously noticed he wasn’t if her raised brow was anything to go off. “Oh?”

“He stepped on Titus’s tail three months ago, on accident.” Dick explained. “But Damian is very good at keeping grudges and he’s very good on cashing in on favors.” 

Tim merely whined in response and Dick couldn’t help but pity his brother for a second before he remembered how Tim used him as a human meat shield when Condiment King randomly joined in on a fight against some robbers. Apparently he was also planning on robbing the jewelry store after keeping a low profile from his then-recent prison break. Needless to say it took Dick forever trying to get the mustard smell out of his costume once again and had to beg Alfred for help once again. Even though Alfred refused to help with cleaning anything CK contaminated, it spiked his blood pressure or something like that. Dick thinks it’s because of all the first times he helped clean them up when the rogue had been new on the scene. That had been a long month and Dick had seen how Alfred got more and more annoyed each time they came home covered in mustard, ketchup, you name it. It was awful. Truly. So Dick didn’t feel all that bad. Stephanie was already coming up with a list of things to tease Tim about. She specifically waits for the days Damian declares will be Pick-On Drake Days so she has lists on lists compiled for that very reason. She hoards them and never shares until the scheduled day. Duke surprisingly joined in too and started making his own list. 

“He’s very dedicated.” Marinette giggled out.

“That’s one word for it.” Tim grumbled. 

From there they had a good time touring the different gardens with Ivy acting as a somewhat tour guide and Dick could see it was really helping Marinette unwind as well. The interview with Jim and Harvey had really gotten her tense which was totally understandable, it would be intimidating for anyone. Tim tried to escape a couple times but after Dick teasingly asked if he should get Tim a child-leash and Ivy offered to make one out of vines he stopped. He even seemed to be relaxing a small bit. It was nice, really and it seemed to be something that Dick needed too without realizing it. Eventually they went out for lunch and after they went their separate ways. The drive back to the Manor had been nice too, normal traffic and a nice playlist helped. Tim and Marinette had even made some good conversation, though Dick got worried at the mention of PowerPoints. He hoped it was nothing serious, but the fact that Tim found someone as obsessed with planning and making PowerPoints was a little frightening. Maybe more than a little, Dick could only take so many Tim PowerPoints. He loved his brother, dearly, with his whole heart, but his PowerPoints were long and…thorough. He even tested people on the more important ones with a freaking Kahoot match. Cass and surprisingly Damian always won those. 

As they made their way into the manor Dick was pretty much planning on taking a good, lengthy nap to catch up on the sleep he hadn't gotten last night. His brain felt fried and scrambled, like it couldn’t decide whether to sink into the depressing thoughts from before or just remember the good time at the gardens they all had, even Tim surprisingly had a good time. As he sunk into the couch in the family living room his mind seemed to settle on both. His eyes closed and he saw Marinette laughing and smiling at their afternoon activities, then it would flash to her being held against Two-Face. He could hear the rogue’s laugh deep in his bones, then it changed to the Joker’s unique cackle. Marinette changed from her to him to Jason at blinding speeds. He could hear Marinette’s voice firm and confident in contrast to the fear in her eyes when she told him there was no time and that she would lead Scarecrow away. He could hear her yelling and telling Alfred she and they weren’t safe. He heard his own cries and shouts mixed with Two-Face’s voice. He could hear what he imagined Jason sounded like when the Joker beat him to death. He could hear the accusations of others about his jealousy of Jason being adopted. 

That unfortunately brought up memories of the talk he had had with Bruce once upon a time about Jason and adoption. It felt like he had had to fight not only tabloids but even Bruce about nonexistent hatred. Dick never hated Jason, but he had been so caught up in his anger with Bruce that he let it affect his and Jason’s relationship. He had just been so angry and it wasn’t an excuse but sometimes it seemed like he was even trying to justify his actions to himself. Though there was some jealousy and hurt there that he didn’t know what to do with, okay he did know what to do but the fact it would have to involve talking to Bruce and Jason was not something that sounded fun nor easy. He liked a good challenge but that idea sounded impossible. Like yes, he was Bruce’s son now but for so long he was just a ward, like Marinette was now, he called Bruce dad, they lived together, they fought crime together, they took care of each other, and yet it took years for Bruce to adopt him. But Jason? Dick knew Jason was Bruce’s son, his first son, his favorite son. Jason got the Bruce Dick had always wanted and it had hurt. Jason’s death had impacted Bruce more than his parents. That was a fact. 

And…And Dick had no idea where this was all coming from. He knew he didn’t know Marinette well as her class’s tour guide but seeing her held against Two-Face, mere centimeters from danger had thrown him. She reminded him too much of himself and too much like Jason before his death. She wasn’t a Robin, she would never be a Robin, but she had been a hero like one. She saved her people as fiercely as a Robin protected Gotham and its people. She took the weight of her world on her shoulders, much like a Robin. She was a child turned soldier due to circumstance just like a Robin. Marinette was a Robin in soul with no Batman to guide her and maybe that was for the best but looking at how lost she looked when she spoke about the ‘akumatizations’ in Paris, Dick wished she had had her version of Batman. A mentor who could aid in the fight, who shared the knowledge and responsibility. Yes, there were other heroes, they were like her version of Teen Titans, but that’s just it she was just barely a teen, a child, when she took up the mantle of hero. And from the pictures Tim showed the family of the other heroes, it wasn’t hard to guess that the other ‘Holders’ were teens themselves. Seeing as Adrien was also a teen and a former hero. 

Dick, in a weird, roundabout way, felt responsible for Marinette. As soon as she looked at him with hope, determination and fear in her eyes he was hit by a wave of protectiveness for her. She looked at him like Damian did when he first complimented and criticized his work as Robin, he and Marinette had also pulled off a plan as smooth and seamless as Dick and Damian had been when they were the Dynamic Duo. Or as Dick liked to call them, The More Dynamic Duo. He knew his family was kind of freaked out by how well Marinette and Damian seemed to get along, but not him, sure he teased a bit but he just had a feeling they would be friends. Damian had been trying to get himself out there and make friends and he did have some! He just called them acquaintances right now but Dick knew it wouldn’t be long till they were bumped up to friend status. Though Jon would always be Damian’s best friend even if they weren’t in the same school anymore. They still video or phone called every day and they played games with each other online. Which games? Dick could never remember but the point was, Damian had grown and was very capable of making friends, it just took him some time. 

Speaking of time , Dick thought as his gaze lazily glanced at the clock on the wall. If he slept now, he knew he would not go to bed after patrol tonight. So with much reluctance he pushed himself up and off the couch. He figured he could see if Marinette wanted some company and maybe the two of them could get some tea and snacks from Alfred and tour more of the manor when they were done. It would help in the long term of Marinette’s stay so it was productive! When he got to her room he saw that the door was slightly open but it was still he knocked, if he could dodge a Pennyworth Lecture he would even knock his own bedroom door. As he did so though, the door opened more and with it came an overwhelming energy that left him feeling suppressed yet energized. He wasn’t around magic a lot anymore, but it always left him with the same feeling so he ditched being a gentleman and waiting for an answer and just barreled into the room to see what looked like a closing portal. 

“Shit!” That would be a dollar in the Swear Jar, but that wasn’t important. What was important however was the fact Marinette was missing, a portal had seemingly opened in her room and closed, and…and there was a note on the bed? 

‘Dear Any Wayne That Finds This,

Actually, are you all Waynes? I never asked, I should have asked. Anyways, please don’t freak out if you come to my room and I’m not here. Ladybug needed my help back in Paris and opened a portal to get me there. I shouldn’t be too long and hey! Maybe I’ll be back before anyone reads this but if I’m not then just don’t worry. Ladybug will return me once the akuma is dealt with.

 -Marinette who is very sorry if someone does end up reading this and is pleading they don’t worry or get angry.’  

“Double shit.” Dick said as he read over the letter. 

That was another dollar for the Swear Jar. 

_________________

Dick “Flying” Grayson @toflyistofall

Oops.

____

Bruce Wayne @therealbrucewayne

RE: Dick “Flying” Grayson @toflyistofall

       Oops.

Richard John Grayson-Wayne. What did you do?

_____

JBIrd @sidesteppeddeath

RE: Bruce Wayne @therealbrucewayne

       Richard John Grayson-Wayne. What did you do?

Ha! You got full government named Dickie! @toflyistofall

_____

Dick “Flying” Grayson @toflyistofall

RE: JBIrd @sidesteppeddeath

       Ha! You got full government named Dickie! @toflyistofall

Oh come on! I didn’t even add tags! How did he respond so fast?

#hahaimindanger

Next Chapter

[vivalas-vega]

new perspectives / jake ‘hangman seresin x reader / part nine

hello !!! the moment has arrived !!! ngl I cried a little writing this. bonus points if you catch which show I referenced during the ceremony ;)

new perspectives / jake ‘hangman’ seresin x reader / part nine

prologue - one - two - three - four - five - six - seven - eight

word count: 4.2k

warnings: mentions of drinking, insinuation of sex, language, fluff !!!

“Another shot for the bride,” Phoenix said as she placed tequila before you and you rolled your eyes before throwing it back.

“If I have any more I’m not making it down the aisle tomorrow,” you teased before biting into the lime.

“Dr. J?” you heard behind you and you swiveled in your seat, suddenly alert at the use of doctor, to see one of your residents. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude, the wedding is tomorrow?”

You smiled as you motioned for her to join the two of you, “indeed I am. Phe, this is Dr. Eliza Roberts. What brings you to a Naval bar?”

“Man-hunting,” she replied sheepishly and you nodded knowingly. “I’ve seen your fiance around the hospital,” she paused to wiggle her eyebrows for dramatic effect, “figured it wouldn’t hurt to try something other than the dive bars downtown.”

“Well, they’re certainly pretty but be careful, they’re all idiots.” Phoenix said, looking over her shoulder towards the boys at the pool table who all burst out in raucous laughter as some of them rough-housed, accentuating her point and you just shook your head.

“Ignore her, Eliza. She’s jaded because she works with them.” you teased.

“You’re a pilot too?” she asked, and as the two talked about work you took a moment to look her over… you’d always liked her, she was a fantastic resident with a wicked sense of humor but through the hustle and bustle of your shifts you’d never once stopped to look at her long enough to notice anything other than her scrubs and tight ponytails. She was stunning standing here before you in a loose-fitting band tee tucked into retro flare jeans and her hair was messily curled showing off her fiery locks. As she prattled on about a case the two of you had worked on today you felt a lightbulb appear above your head and soon you were grabbing her wrist and dragging her away from the bar.

“Dr. J, where are we-”

“You don’t have to call me doctor here,” you said as you stopped far enough away from the boys. “You want a Navy man?” you asked and she nodded sheepishly in response. “Then I’m going to do all of the hard work for you and weed out the red flags,” you said, pulling her along and knocking your shoulder into Rooster’s.

“Your man is wiping the floor with him,” he chuckled, watching as Jake and Coyote played pool. “He’s down oh-for-three, it’s actually getting hard to watch.” 

You cleared your throat, “Roo, I would like you to meet Dr. Eliza Roberts,” you introduced and his eyes nearly bugged out of his head when he finally turned to look at the two of you. “She’s one of my finest residents. Eliza, this is Rooster, or Bradley if you prefer, he’s a pretty decent pilot if you squint.”

“Eliza, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” he said, extending his hand and you fought back an eye roll as he raised hers to his lips to press a chaste kiss against her knuckles.

“Well, I’ll leave you to it, she’d make a great plus-one, Roo,” you said with zero subtly before slipping away and you let out a giggle as you collided with Jake’s chest.

“Are you playing matchmaker?” he asked, looking down at you skeptically and you nodded.

“It’s about time someone made an honest man out of him,” you said, turning to watch the two hit it off completely, their smiles were blinding as they both laughed and you had a feeling you just initiated something long-lasting. “She’s my favorite resident, he’s my favorite Dagger… it makes sense,” you added, a smirk tugging at your lips as he gasped.

“Your favorite Dagger? Excuse me?” he gestured to himself as you laughed.

“Oh, you’re right, my bad… he’s my second favorite, behind Phoenix of course.” you continued teasing as you slipped from his grasp.

“I can’t believe I’m marrying you,” he called after you and you turned with a shrug.

“There’s still time to back out,” you replied and you let out a loud laugh as he quickly crossed the distance and pinned you against a wooden beam.

“No chance in hell of that sweetheart,” he whispered, pressing a kiss to your lips. “Are you ready to become Mrs. Dr. Seresin?” 

You nodded, “born ready, baby.” you giggled as he kissed you again. “Your mom texted earlier to tell me she finished altering my dress and my mom worked some magic with Trader Joe’s flowers for my bouquet… everything is set and ready,” you said with a smile.

“This is a precursor for what’s to come when we do the real thing when you get back,” he pointed out and you shrugged.

“And we won’t have to lift a finger then either… they’ll plan the whole thing and we’ll get to celebrate for a second time.” You pulled away from him as you rejoined your friends and you shouted at Coyote who turned to look at you with fear in his eyes. “Did you ever finish getting ordained?”

“Your lack of faith in me is insulting,” he said and you rolled your eyes.

“Do I need to bring up Virginia Beach 2018?” 

“I said I was sorry!” 

“Yet you see how it’s relevant to me double checking you are in fact able to marry us tomorrow, right?”

“Yes ma’am, we are ready to go.” he conceded, wrapping an arm around you. 

“And so are we,” Phoenix said as she pulled you from between Coyote and Jake. “You need to get your beauty rest and I know everything about this is unconventional, however we have about eight minutes until tomorrow and he cannot see you until you’re walking down the aisle,” she said and you just laughed.

“It’s not even really going to be an aisle, Phe… it’s a stretch of sand thirty feet from where we’re standing.” 

“I don’t care, let’s go,” she prompted and you rolled your eyes before turning to face your almost-husband.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” you whispered against his lips before kissing him and he looked down at you with nothing but love when you pulled away. “I’ll be the one in white.”

“I’ll be the one at the end of the aisle,” he replied with a smirk. He wrapped his arms around your waist and lifted you off the ground as he kissed you again and you let your legs tangle around him as he spun you in a circle, earning cheers from your friends as they watched.

“Alright, alright… save it for the honeymoon,” Phoenix teased as he set you down. You let her tug you out of the bar, not before shooting a wink towards Rooster and Eliza. “Face masks and a scary movie?”

“Can’t think of a better bachelorette night.”

You sat at the bar while Penny made you a mimosa with a towel draped around your shoulders… your mom was adamant in keeping it over you until you were ready to walk out. Heaven forbid anything get on your dress. You’d found a white mini dress with subtle beading with Phoenix a few days ago and felt it was perfect for your last-minute beachside nuptials. 

“They are just about ready to go out there, Seresin cleans up nice,” Maverick said as he entered the bar and he stopped in his tracks as he saw you… towel and all for the first time all day. “Oh Jupiter, you look incredible.”

“You like?” you asked, accentuating the terry cloth as you spun in the chair and he chuckled as he came to press a kiss to your temple. Your hair was loosely curled with a few pieces pinned back and you’d decided to forgo a veil and donned a brooch turned into a hairpiece from Grammy Seresin’s collection instead… you’d save the big white veil for the larger ceremony to come. This was simple, lowkey, and just about you marrying the love of your life with the most important people… you’d allow yourself to go fancy for the event everyone back home was waiting on next year. 

“It seems as if it’s time, honey,” your dad said as he came inside and you finished off your mimosa before standing and shrugging off the towel.

“Well, then let’s blow this popsicle stand,” you said with a smile as you slipped into your heels, white with pearl accents. 

“You sure? I can still drive the getaway car if you’d like,” Rooster said, standing beside Phoenix as best man and maid of honor and you laughed as you shook your head.

“No need for a getaway car today, Roo. Go on, don’t trip,” you teased. You hovered around the door with your arm looped through your father’s as you waited for everyone to file out and when the speakers began playing an instrumental version of Drops of Jupiter that Rooster had recorded for the two of you… it was cheesy and you’d originally protested the idea but eventually came around and it felt perfect as you took a deep breath and tightened your grip on your dad. “Don’t let me trip,” you said, half-joking and half-completely-serious.

“Never, sweetheart.” The doors opened and you started to walk around the corner of the building towards the area Penny and Phoenix alongside your mother’s had spent hours setting up this morning as a photographer worked her magic and managed to be everywhere at once… capturing every angle she could. You saw a few of your friends from the hospital along with the rest of the Dagger Squad, Penny and Amelia, and his parents standing on either side of the aisle with huge smiles on their faces as you came into view… but soon it was like they weren’t even there. All you saw was Jake, standing there underneath an arbor of baby’s breath in a linen suit. 

You were hit with a wave of emotion with every step… that faltered the second your heels sunk into the sand and you earned laughs from the crowd as you paused and kicked them off with a sheepish smile and Jake’s heart swelled at the sight. Even in a beautiful dress during such a monumental moment, you were still completely you. His eyes welled with tears as you grew closer and your mind was swirling with memories and dreams for your future. You thought about dancing under the twinkly lights at junior prom, him holding your hair back on your twenty-first birthday, and facetime’s in an OR gallery… and you thought of facetime’s on deployments, taking your future dog to the park, and sitting on a porch swing old and gray. 

Your father passed your hand to Jake’s after he wrapped you in a hug and you couldn’t help but beam up at him as the weight of what was happening settled over you… you were finally tying yourself to this man after so many years of waiting. “Well folks, we are gathered here today to celebrate something that is a long time coming,” Coyote started, earning laughs from everyone. 

“I could stand up here and talk about all of the ways these two are meant to be together, and you’d all agree… I could talk about fate, and destiny, about how somehow the stars aligned and these two ended up in the same city all these years later like this was a perfect rom-com. But Jake and Jupiter are not a meant to be story.” He paused for dramatic effect and you stifled a laugh as your eyes widened, curious as to where he was going. “These are two people who are so devoted to each other they were able to set aside their love for ten years to allow room for the other to grow. These are two people who are so in love they carved out space for the other in their crazy lives to show up when they were needed, how they were needed. These are two people who did the impossible… maintained a beautiful friendship despite the love they shared until the timing was right. Jake and Jupiter aren’t standing here right now because they’re meant to be, but because they chose to be.” You blinked back tears as you turned your attention from Coyote to Jake as you allowed his words to sink in.

“In the face of hundreds of obstacles and thousands of miles of distance, they chose each other. When it seemed like they should give up, they chose each other. They continue to choose each other in the face of every twist and turn life brings them. That is not destiny, or fate… that’s commitment. For richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, right here in front of each other or on the other side of the world.” Jake pulled a hand from yours to wipe a falling tear just as you moved to do the same for him. “Now, you two may exchange your vows.”

Jake cleared his throat as he took your hand again. “When I accidentally threw that dodgeball at your face in elementary school I had no idea what I was gaining… a best friend, a confidant, and a personal cheerleader. You are so ingrained in the fabric of my life that I’m not sure how I made it through those first ten years without you. Every day you inspire me, and you continually amaze me with your unending supply of love, generosity, and really bad dance moves.” He said and you pushed past your tears to scoff at him. “Today I’m saying ‘I do’ but really, I’m saying ‘I will’. I will always support you, I will always laugh and cry with you, I will always wait to watch the next episode, and more than anything I will always and forever be in love with you.” Before your brain could catch up you were tugging him into you and pressing your lips against his as everyone laughed behind you.

“Whoa whoa, we’re not there yet!” Coyote protested.

“Sorry, so sorry,” you replied as you wiped your tears and beamed up at Jake who was looking down at you in amusement. “My turn?” you asked, briefly looking at Coyote who chuckled and nodded. “Oh, Jake… when you intentionally threw that dodgeball at my face in elementary school I was certain I had gained a lifelong nemesis, but in reality I gained the love of my life. Through every challenge, no matter how close or how far, I always knew you were there. You’ve made me who I am today, and your unyielding patience and love for me is the greatest gift I’ve ever received. Today I’m not promising you anything new, because somehow throughout it all we’ve upheld a care and respect for each other that has never wavered… but still. I promise you a lifetime of bad dance moves, I promise to always be your best friend, and I promise that I will love you each and every day regardless of where we are. You are my every dream come true, and I promise to never stop dreaming with you.” Your lips were once again meeting as he cupped your face and you laughed against him as Coyote protested once more.

“My goodness, can we have the rings since these two clearly cannot wait?” he teased as Rooster and Phoenix stepped forward to hand them to the two of you. “Now, you will give these rings to each other as a sign of your love and fidelity.” 

“Jake, receive this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity,” you said as you slid it onto his finger.

“Jupiter, receive this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity,” he repeated as he did the same and you both smirked at each other as your lips met once more.

“Can I please just say it? By the power vested in me by the internet I pronounce you husband and wife,” Coyote said and you wrapped your arms around Jake’s neck. “You may resume kissing,” he finished as the crowd cheered but it all faded into the background as you got lost in each other. 

“I love you,” you whispered as you pulled away, quickly pecking his lips again.

“I love you, forever.”

“Do you have any idea how much I’m going to miss you?” Jake asked as you swayed on the makeshift dance floor and you just smiled softly up at him.

“I’m not gone yet… and this will be a piece of cake, we’ve gone years without seeing each other, this is just three months.” you said, in an attempt to make it all seem easier but it wasn’t. No matter what either of you said, it was going to be hard.

“I know, but I’m still going to miss you.” He twirled you around and brought you back into him, and you let your head rest on his chest as you soaked in the moment… his arms wrapped around you and the thud of his heart beneath your ear, your friends watching in admiration off to the side. This moment was perfect, everything you could have asked for and the knowledge you were leaving the day after tomorrow made it all the more bittersweet. “My Jupiter, the bravest person I’ve ever known.” he muttered, and you felt blush creep across your cheeks at his praise.

“Coming from you, Lieutenant,” you deflected and you felt a chuckle rumble through his chest. “I’m not sure I compare to the esteemed pilot with two confirmed air-to-air kills.”

“You know how to save lives with these two little hands,” he said, grasping them and holding them between you as if to further prove his point. “Brave and smart.”

“Well now you’re just flattering me, did you think you were going to get lucky tonight, Lieutenant?” you teased and he bit back a laugh.

“I’m a southern gentleman,” he said firmly as he pressed a kiss to your cheek, “I know I’m getting lucky tonight.” he whispered into your ear and you giggled as you wrapped your arms around his shoulders.

“You hope.” He nibbled on your earlobe coaxing more laughs from you, “okay, okay, I concede. I’ve been wanting to undress you from the moment I saw you.”

“That’s what I thought,” his pride at the statement would have been infuriating if it was anyone else but there was an earnestness in his sparkling green eyes that had you falling all the more in love with him.

“Dr. Seresin,” you were interrupted by Rooster who was extending a hand for you, “mind if I cut in?” You smiled as you took his hand just as Phoenix swiped Jake and you chuckled as Rooster tried to find an appropriate spot for his hand on your waist.

“First time?” you asked, not being able to help yourself and he just rolled his eyes as he tugged you closer. 

“Forgive me for being a gentleman,” he mumbled and you let out a laugh. “Thank you.” he said suddenly and you raised an eyebrow at him.

“What for?”

“For introducing me to Eliza,” he replied, looking over your shoulder at the girl in question who was watching the two of you with a big grin. “She’s really incredible, I think there might actually be something there.”

“Well, I figured since I’m abandoning you it was only courteous to make sure you had someone to keep you entertained,” you said with a soft smile. “I’m glad you two are hitting it off, you deserve to be happy, Roo.”

“So do you… I’m so proud of you, J. When Hangman first mentioned you I was certain I’d hate you, if you were anything like him, but you’re all the good parts of him. And then I did hate you for a moment because he was different around you and it made him more likable,” he added and you chuckled. “But now you’re… well, you’re kind of my best friend, kid. And I’m just, uh… I’m really happy for you.”

“Roo,” you started, feeling tears well in your eyes and the moment was uncharastically emotional for the two of you. “You’re kind of my best friend too,” you said. 

“Alright bird boy, it’s my turn. Get outta here,” Coyote said as he approached and you wiped your eyes with a soft laugh as Rooster passed you off.

“I expect one more duet before you leave,” he warned and you dramatically made an X over your chest to say cross my heart and hope to die.

“This suddenly feels like the farewell tour,” you said as he spun you around and you noticed that the rest of the squad was waiting for their moment with you even though they were doing their best to look nonchalant as they conversed with each other.

“It kind of is, J. You’re going to disappear with Jake tomorrow, as you should, so these are our last moments with you.”

“Don’t say that, you’re going to make me cry again,” you muttered as you laid your head on his shoulder.

“Everyone cries at weddings,” he reassured.

“I never knew you were such a romantic,” you said, referencing what he’d said during your ceremony as you lifted your head to look up at him.

“I wasn’t, not until I met the two of you. You guys are like… the blueprint, you’re what everyone else on the squad is aspiring to.” 

“Well, you got your rom-com ending,” you said, calling back to that day in your house he associated your love story with Jake to a cheesy movie.

“Not at all, this is just the beginning,” he said as the music changed to an upbeat Latin tune.

“It was getting a little too somber for my taste… What do you say, J? Let’s liven the place up?” Fanboy asked you with his hand extended and you laughed as you took it, letting him pull you along as he tried to teach you how to salsa. Your laughter echoed along the beach as the party ramped up and you made sure to give each of the Dagger’s their own dance with you… giving yourself a moment to enjoy their company and say goodbye without really saying it. Bob had attempted to swing dance with you, but in reality it was him trying to help you with the moves and you just giggling as you messed up. Payback kept it classic as you chatted about his daughter, you linked hands and danced wildly with Penny and Amelia as Maverick contributed the bare minimum, and you and Phoenix gave a very NSFW performance to a nostalgic hip-hop song that had all the men in the area not related to you shifting in their seats. 

“Oh, my love,” Mary said as she came to sit beside you on the beach. You’d stepped away for a moment, giving yourself time to process and let it all sink in before rejoining the party and you softly smiled as she wrapped an arm around you. “How are you feeling?”

“Overwhelmed, but in the best possible way,” you answered with a smile on your face. “And a little sad… I hadn’t realized this is the last time I’m going to see everyone for a while before Rooster had to step in and kick off the farewell tour,” you half-joked.

“Everyone in there is so proud of you, myself included. Just when I think you can’t amaze me anymore you go and one-up yourself.”

“What are you hens clucking about?” your mom asked, sitting on your other side and suddenly you were sandwiched between the two women who made you who you were.

“Just taking it all in,” you replied and she nodded beside you.

“You and Jake…” your mom started, but stopped to collect herself as her throat grew thick. “You and Jake are the best things that ever happened to us. You’ve squashed every fear a parent has, granted you’ve given us some new, bigger ones concerning your personal safety…” she trailed off, earning a chuckle from you. “You did everything right. You took everything we gave you and multiplied it into so much more, and we are so proud of both of you, sweetheart.”

“Mom…” you whispered, fighting your own tears as you rested your head on her shoulder.

“You two are larger than life, every parent’s dream. I just don’t know how we hit the kid jackpot,” Mary said just as Jake appeared before you.

“The party is devolving,” he said and you let out a laugh as he helped the three of you up. “I think this is our moment to make our escape before we get sucked into their shenanigans.”

“I suppose that’s our cue,” you said as both of your moms enveloped you in hugs. You felt completely shrouded in love as you made the rounds saying goodbye to everyone, promising to check in when you could and it went without saying that most of their updates would probably be through Jake due to limited service and time… but if there was any group that didn’t need explaining to, it was this one.

“After you, Mrs. Seresin,” Jake said with a cheeky smile as he held the car door open for you.

“Why, thank you Mr. Seresin,” you responded as you headed to your hotel for the evening, heart warm and mind fuzzy with sheer bliss.

previous part / next part

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[upsidedownwithsteve]

Promptober: Day Seventeen

Steve Harrington x fem!reader 912 words.

You couldn’t deny you hadn’t planned it. You’d been coy since Steve arrived, playing shy, smiling at him in a way that he’d soon learnt meant trouble. 

He’d spent the afternoon with you at yours, being lazy, letting the Esther outside grow wilder as the sky filled over with grey and navy clouds, until fat droplets of rain smudged your bedroom window. He had no intention of leaving. 

But still, you were teasing, not playing fair, making him chase your kisses and only allowing him to mouth over your neck, once, twice, three times, before you were tugging at his hair and pulling away. 

The boy would have been offended - concerned, even - if he didn’t know you better. He saw the telltale curl of the smile you tried to hide, the rosy sine to your lips ‘cause you kept biting down on them. And when you pulled his hair and he moaned for you, he heard your breath spike and hitch just like his. 

And then when your parents called up from the downstairs hall, that they were leaving to meet the neighbours for dinner in town, your eyes flashed with excitement and something else Steve couldn’t quite place. 

You indulged him, finally letting him kiss his way across your bare shoulder, up your throat and along your jaw. In fact, you pushed your lips to his first, greedy as if all your teasing had had just as much of an effect on you as it did him. 

You pulled back just enough to let your lips brush over Steve’s as you spoke, eyes still closed, lashes blinking over each other’s. 

“Hey,” you whispered, breath already laboured, ‘cause your boyfriends warm hands were pushing up the sides of your sweater, squeezing at your waist. “Steve?”

The boy hummed, pressing kisses to the corner of your mouth, nosing at your cheek to get you to tilt your head for him so he could suck a bruise under your jaw. 

“Yeah, babe?”

He wasn’t paying attention, not really. Eyes still closed, mouth on you, lips soft and sweet and his hair a little wild. 

“D’you wanna see my outfit?”

“What, for like, Halloween?” Steve asked distractedly, one hand sliding higher, thumb running over the lace front of your bra. 

“Mhmm, sure,” you said mildly, trying your best to contain the noise you wanted to let out at his touch, the sound he was trying his damn best to steal from you. 

He groaned when you pulled away, pouting as you moved off of your bed and off of him. But you busied yourself with finding a bag that you’d promptly shoved in the back of your closet after buying. 

“You’re so far away,” Steve complained and you snorted at his miserable expression. He looked lovely, perfectly rumpled and messy in your tangle of sheets, lips glossy from yours, eyes darker than normal. 

“You’re so dramatic,” you replied. “Be right back.”

Your heart was racing as you locked yourself in your bathroom, wide eyed as you stared at yourself in the mirror, pulling at lace and straps and little gold buckles that did nothing to secure anything to your skin. 

You were more exposed than you’d ever felt, and you’d been naked in front of Steve a lot. The red lace was a deep burgundy shade, like wine against your skin and god, you felt warm. You fluffed up your hair, grabbed a gloss from your messy drawers to swipe over your lips with a shaky hand and then, the devil horns. 

You exhaled, turning this way and that, looking at your reflection with trepidation. Was it too much? The lace underwear was high cut and delicate and the bra did wonderful things for your chest. It was the thigh high stockings and high heels that made you feel a little like you were trying too hard. 

You steeled yourself, whispered a breathy “fuck it,” and walked back out to your bedroom. 

Steve was lounging across the mattress with his head in one of your magazines, flipping the pages idly as he waited for you. You cleared your throat, panicked about what to do with your hands so you held them behind your back, chin tucked, lips pressed together nervously. 

Steve’s head lifted and the noise that left his lips made the hours of shopping with a mortified Robin worth it. 

“I— Christ,” Steve breathed, jaw slack, pushing the magazine off of the bed without taking his eyes off of you. “Fucking hell, baby, you— shit.”

You burned under his stare. “D’you like?”

Steve was already pushing to his knees, shuffling to the edge of the bed as he motioned to you to come closer. Your heels clicked softly and you couldn’t deny how you felt a little powerful before him. His hands found your waist, smoothed down the flare of your hips, fingertips catching on pretty lace before they traced the band of your stockings. 

You watched Steve swallow, Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat as his eyes followed his touch. 

“Yeah,” he whispered and god, he sounded wrecked. “I like.”

You were expecting sly comments, a salacious remark or two, but the flirt in his voice was all but gone and Steve stared at you through hooded eyes and thick lashes, lips parted. 

He looked hungry. Ruined. 

“Wanna take it off?” You whispered, fingers tucking his hair behind his ear. 

Steve shook his head, looking offended. “Off?” He breathed. “Absolutely fucking not, sweetheart.”

[ladykissingfish]

Madara: Hashi, why doesn’t your granddaughter like me?

Hashirama: What do you mean? Is Tsuna being rude to you when I’m not around?

Madara: No, it’s just … she never talks to me unless I talk first. She never looks me in the eye. Do you think maybe we got together too fast, after Mito died? That maybe she resents me or thinks I’m trying to take her grandmother’s place?

Hashirama: *puts his arms around Madara* Stop talking nonsense, old man. Tsuna knows about our past, and how I’ve always felt about you. 

Hashirama: But you’ve got to remember, she really knows nothing about you. And she’s a teenage girl; her interests aren’t realy going to lie in being best friends with her old grandpa’s husband, you know?

Madara, sighing: I suppose you’re right …

Hashirama: I am right. Just give it some time; she’ll come around eventually.

*several weeks later*

Tsunade, going into the Hokage office: Gramps? Are you ready to — oh. 

Madara: He got called away to settle a dispute between two shop owners. But he should be back in just a little bit, if you want to wait?

Tsunade: *nods and sits in a chair, looking out the window*

Tsunade, muttering to herself: Damn … there goes that girl again chasing after Dan. I ought to go after her and punch her lights out.

Madara, quietly: That wouldn’t do you a bit of good, child.

Tsunade: *turns her head sharply to look at him* What?

Madara: Punching somebody is a very poor effort to extract revenge for a wrong. The bruise will heal and as soon as it does, they go right back to the same behavior. Have you warned her about staying away from this “Dan”?

Tsunade: Yes, but she just laughs at me and says that if I’m not enough to hold his attention, then she should be free to take him if she wants. 

Madara: Ah. Still, punching her or any sort of physical violence won’t be effective.

Tsunade: Then what am I supposed to do?!

Madara: Halloween is around the corner. Do you happen to know if she has any fears?

Tsunade: Well, once at academy a little blackbird flew into the window. She panicked and was screaming and crying until some kids caught it and let it back out. So, I suppose birds.

Madara: If she reacts so dramatically over a little blackbird, how do you think she’d react to several hundred hawks and falcons?

Tsunade: She’d probably be traumatized for life. But who in the world would have that many large birds??

Madara: *grins*

*several days later, Halloween afternoon*

Tsunade, running in to Hashirama’s office: It worked! I told the hawks and falcons to circle her and surround her, and they did! I threatened that if she didn’t leave Dan alone, she would suffer the same punishment every day! And she agreed to back off!

Tsunade: Thanks, Uncle Madara! *hugs him and leaves*

Hashirama: Ah? Did — did you show Tsuna how to command your birds — ?

Madara: Mm. Turns out we share two big interests; animals, and revenge.

Hashirama: