#come join our campfire everyone

[tenebrous-academic]

Thank you for your lengthy answer! I love it, I might camp in your asks for a while and enjoy your insight if you don't mind.

God there are so many things we could get with them, they're the definition of potential. I hope and pray tommy's staying for long in s8. I could go on for hours just talking about how good and fitting his character is.

I’m lighting a fire for s’mores, camp away ⛺️🔥🍫

Tommy is so fascinating as a character. He’s sweet, considerate, compassionate, has deadpan humour, and he has a full life outside of his romantic interests. He was able to establish a solid friendship with Eddie even before he knew Buck was interested, and he came over to try and smooth tensions when he could have easily dipped out to avoid any conflict.

He’s confident in his actions and likes taking charge, but also has no problem letting Buck take the reins when he wants to. He’s committed to his promises (see attending the bachelor party even while on call, and coming to the hospital to go to a wedding after fighting a fire for the last 15 hours). He showed up dirty, sweaty, and exhausted - but he showed up. And that is so important for someone to do if they’re going to date Buck.

He’s built like a brick shithouse and somehow manages to make Buck look small next to him. Do we realize how insane that is???? But he’s so gentle with Buck too. I think Buck really needs that gentleness after everything he’s been through. Most people look at Buck and see a strong man who doesn’t need any tenderness because they assume he can take it. But Tommy is treating Buck with care. His “Evan” says everything we need to know about the way he views Buck. Legitimately I can’t get over the tone he uses when he says Evan’s name. It’s so insane and so perfect.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Tommy deserves the Castiel treatment and to be made into a series regular (just without the yeeting into SuperHell after a love confession).

[kairoot]

❝ 𝐛𝐮𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐝. ❞ | nrk.

𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: fluff, enemies to lovers

𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: nikis kind of mean.. not really idk

𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝: by @keiipopped

𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: niki x fem!reader

author’s note: I’m so sorry this didn’t come out sooner 😭 i lowkey forgot abt this request which I feel super bad abt cause kei’s been waiting for like a month

as everyone gathered on the small bus, y/n placed her things in the seat located at the middle of the large vehicle.

she grabbed her small black headphones, putting them over her ears as she found herself looking out the window before they even started their journey down the road.

niki sat two seats across from her, his friend, jake joining him. they sat and laughed at whatever they were talking about.

“what if we have to share bunks with a girl or something?” jake snorted, moving his bags as the bus began to move. niki shook his head at the older boy, chuckling a bit.

“don’t be ridiculous, hyung.”

“i’m not! but what if you have to share with her?” he nodded his head back towards y/n. niki turned around, looking at her for a moment. she looked over from the window catching his gaze before he quickly turned back to jake.

“who? y/n from chemistry?” he asked.

“not just chemistry, she’s joined us at a couple of parties in the past.” jake shrugged, pulling out his phone.

“yeah, no. why would i wanna share with her?” niki said in an irritated tone.

“why not? she likes you, so.” the boy shrugged once more, now scrolling on his device.

niki’s brows furrowed in confusion. he remained silent, sitting back against his seat. did y/n really like him or was jake just saying things?

arriving at the campsite, y/n grabbed her bags as she began to head off of the bus. jake caught up with her, niki following behind as he watched the two.

“hey, y/n!” jake tapped her shoulder causing her to take her headphones off of her head.

she smiled slightly, “hi, jake.”

he smiled back at her, the both of them walking side by side now.

“i was wondering if you were going to the campfire tomorrow night?”

she shrugged, “maybe. i was thinking about it.”

the boy nodded, leaving her to walk to her cabin, “well if you do, we’ll be there.” he gestured to himself and the taller boy now standing behind him.

niki’s gaze met hers before she looked back at jake, “oh. ok then.”

as nightfall came, y/n wiped the sweat from her forehead, unpacking the last item from her bag. the trip was for a few days so she made sure she packed enough.

she began to climb into her bunk before there was a knock on her door.

she opened it to see jake and niki standing outside. her brows furrowed, starting to ask what was up.

“there was a huge spider in our cabin. there’s no way i could’ve stayed in there.” jake clutched his things in his arms, eyes pleading.

she looked from him to niki, his own eyes already on her. his hand stuffed into his pockets while the other carried his bag.

“can we stay with you?” jake’s voice knocked her out of her trance as he shifted his stance.

“uh, sure.” her response was short, not wanting to stutter from the nervousness she felt. the two boys walked passed her, settling in her cabin.

y/n laid in the dark, staring up at the ceiling as she heard one of the boys settling into the other bunk.

“yo, y/n,” a deeper voice called. “do you.. like me or something?”

she quickly recognized the voice as niki’s. the question was out of the blue and random for her so it took her a moment to answer.

“um.. um, no.” she said, hoping it didn’t hear the shiver in her voice. there was a loud silence before he hummed and brushed the short conversation off.

the next day went by like a breeze and it was nighttime again. y/n was getting ready for the campfire that the class would be attending. she slipped on her boots and furry sweater before slipping out the door. jake and niki left before her since jake wanted to be the first one there.

she walked until she saw the orangish light in the distance. everyone sat on the logs, laughing and talking with eachother. y/n found a log where there were no people. she sat, wrapping her arms around herself to shield her body from the cool air.

the mini event started as everyone took turns with the guitar one guy had bought and the karaoke mic. she saw Jake laughing and talking with some girl on the other side of the orange light. y/n smiled knowing he was probably telling one of his corny jokes.

“hey,” a voice sounded from behind her. she looked up to see the taller male she had hoped to bond with tonight.

“this seat taken?” niki asked, already going to sit next to her. she shook her head, smiling gently. he took a moment to look at her before turning to look at where jake was seated.

“he’s gonna talk that poor girls’ ears off.” niki shook his head, laughing slightly. y/n felt herself chuckle at his small joke since she knew he was probably right. they both knew jake too well.

after a while, the awkwardness between the two faded and they eventually conversed like two best friends (lovers).

it began to get chilly out, the campfire dying down a bit. y/n shivered as she only had one sweater on, suddenly wishing she brought more.

“cold?” niki asked, already picking up the blanket he had with him. he brought the blanket to where y/n’s lap was, letting her adjust it to her liking.

he opened his arm slightly, silently asking if she wanted to lean on him. of course she didn’t refuse.

author’s note: im sorry that this was so short, it was very rushed 😭 i was trying to hurry since i didn’t want kei to wait any longer than what she already has.

taglist: @haechansbbg (message or comment to be added)

[atlabeth]

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

I've been waiting on you

part 21 | masterlist | part 23

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

wc: 4.8k

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Really?” he asked. “Even then?” 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“I know,” Aang said cheerfully. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Aang frowned. “Sounds like a great guy.” 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“You are such a downer,” Aang groaned. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Hide and blast?” 

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

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

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

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

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

“For the better?” Y/N murmured. 

She could feel Zuko nod. “Definitely.” 

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

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

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

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

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

Her eyebrows shot up. “What for?” 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-

The rest of the day went by in a breeze. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

Zuko scoffed. “That doesn’t count.”

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

“That counts even less!” he insisted. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Good,” she said. 

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

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

“Believe me,” Zuko sighed, “I know.” 

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

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

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

“Don’t say that,” Zuko urged. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Of what?” 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Together,” Zuko agreed. 

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

Together.

-

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

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

[selfaware-bungou-stray-dogs]

Sick day

Self-Aware! Fyodor Dostoevsky x GN! Reader

Description: It's summer and, somehow, you became sick. Fyodor is here to look after you.

Fluff. Little Sick fic.

Semi-Sequel to Shopping trip and Surprise.

Warning: OOC. English is my second language.

You groaned and woke up. You felt terrible and had a headache, your nose was stuffy, and your throat were sore. Moreover, you were shivering, like crazy.

For the whole evening, you feel under the weather. Even when Doppo and Kolya offered you to have another movie marathon, similar to the one you three had after that terrible shopping trip.

If you felt better, you would join them. But, instead, you decide to go to bed early at 8:00 pm.

It takes you a minute to grab your phone from the bedside table. The familiar picture of you and Armed Detective Agency near the campfire, that you use as your lock screen picture, greet you. You look at the time.

10:00 pm.

Still early. You sneeze. Your headache became worse.

Well, isn't it just dandy? You were sick. Somehow, you manage to catch a cold in the middle of summer.

You start coughing.

You wonder, if, in reality, you had an ability that makes you get into troubles or almost impossible situations. You also wonder if it's the case, could you convince Fukuzawa to let you became his subordinate and use his ability on you, so he can turn off your supposed ability off. It will be easier, than dragging Dazai everywhere you go.

Another cough. You grumbled and struggled to get out of bed. Your mouth was dry, you needed to drink water. And, it would be perfect, if you had a wet rug for your forehead.

After getting on your feet, you slowly moved towards one of the shelves. You start searching through it, hoping to find a rug or a towel. You only find a big towel (too big to put on your forehead) and scarf, that Kolya made for you (too precious).

You shook your head. Maybe, In the bathroom, you will find something suitable.

But, first thing, water.

Staggering, you slowly walked towards the kitchen.

You were tried, you felt terrible. You close your eyes, hoping, that it will ease the headache.

That's how you bumped into someone. Someone warm.

You blink few times. It was dark, but you manage to see familiar purple eyes.

You bumped into Fyodor Dostoevsky.

You two were staring at each other. Fyodor carefully put his hand on your forehead. Fyodor frowned.

"You have a fever."

It wasn't a question, but you nodded. Fyodor sighs and carefully put his arm around your shoulders.

"Come. Stay in my room tonight, [Y/N]. A d don't try to protest, Myshonok¹. I will take care of you."

You whine.

"Water... Wet rug..."

Fyodor pat your head.

"I will get them for you, but, please, you need to go to bed."

You had no strength to fight or protest. You let Fyodor lead you to his room.

Soon you were laying on Fyodor's bed and Fyodor tucked you in. Fyodor cast a quick gaze at you and left his room.

You sigh. It wasn't your first time sleeping in Fyodor's bed. At the end of May, you slept here for a week.

_______

It happened few days after Kolya made dumplings for everyone and scarf for you. Because of that, all BSD cast start searching for something interesting about their real world counterparts. They were trying to find some cute facts, so they can make something nice to you.

You discussed everything you knew about their real world counterparts with BSD Cast. And one day you made a mistake. You discussed the wrong fact about Fyodor Dostoevsky.

"This world Fyodor Dostoevsky has a gambling problem. One time, he lost everything, even his wife's clothes. I hope, our Fyodor won't follow this path."

To give you credit, you didn't say at Fyodor's face. But you didn't discuss it, when Fyodor wasn't in the house.

He heard you nice and clear.

The next evening, he challenged you to a game of poker. The loser had to grant the winner's wish.

Fyodor still didn't tell you, why he wished for you to sleep in the same bed with him (and cuddle with him) for a week.

________

You doze off. But, after you feel a wet rug been placed on your forehead, you opened your eyes again.

Fyodor was back. Holding your head with one hand, Fyodor brought the mug to your lips.

"Slowly, [Y/N]. Small sips"

You followed Fyodor's advice. It wasn't pure water. It was a special tea, that helps against cold. Tea was warm and tasty. Soon, you drank tea to the last drop.

Fyodor nodded contentedly. Putting the mug away, he took a small bottle of cough syrup from the inside pocket of his coat.

Fyodor poured syrup into plastic spoon.

"Now, open your mouth, Myshonok"

The syrup was too sweet, but, you knew, that you can not to take it. Fyodor won't let you.

Tea and syrup made you sleepy. Wet rug on your forehead felt nice. You yawn. You slowly doze off. You mumbled.

"Thanks, Fedya... Good night"

Through your sleep, you felt Fyodor kiss your forehead and whispered.

"Good night, Myshonok. Sleep well."

After making sure, that you are sleeping, Fyodor sat in his computer chair. He wasn't against sleeping in his chair, so you will be comfortable.

Fyodor chuckled. He hoped that when you became better, you will agree to cuddle with him again.

_______

¹Myshonok - "baby mouse" in Russian

[kozumesphone]

✮⋆˙ 𝐅𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐘 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄

⤷ percy jackson x emma (@riordanness)

masterlist | event m.list

♡ fandom | percy jackson and the olympians

♡ includes | songfic (sort of), joining luke, luke calling you by a nickname and being understanding (overall we get nice luke), betrayal, little fluff to angst, hurt with no comfort, swords, daggers, very mini fight scene, overall sadness, altering the timeline of the book a bit

♡ in which | emma has to betray percy in the tlt timeline (includes spoilers for whoever hasn’t read chapter 22 of tlt)

♡ a/n | omggg, I was on a writing hiatus, but this got me out of that slump fr. emercy are goals <33 anywayyy my heart hurts after writing emercy angst so I WILL make up for it by writing emercy fluff at some point (hopefully during the event itself).. enjoy this one tho!!

♡ wc | 1.02k

✮⋆˙ emma’s pov

it had been a long day after percy returned to camp, glorious, after his quest. after all, that’s what all demigods thirsted for: δόξα. glory.

as soon as my eyes met his, I practically ran into him. we toppled over because of all of the unexpected force, and he just laid there below me, holding me gently.

pressing kisses to my forehead and my cheeks. running his fingers through my hair. smiling at me, and taking me in.

“all right, lovebirds! chiron and the others want to talk to him too,” grover’s voice rang out from above us.

snapping out of my hazy dream-come-true, I get up slowly and reach my hand down for percy.

“hey princess,” he whispered, still holding me close, after he stood up.

“hey handsome…”

I loved having him in my arms, memorising the feel of his hands around my waist, his lips against mine. who knows when I’d get to feel it again, if ever?

✮⋆˙ percy’s pov

her eyes, hollow. smiles, forced.

what happened to her in the days I was gone?

timeskip

✮⋆˙ emma’s pov

as the campfire was dying, empty mugs of cocoa and packets of marshmallows lay in the trash bag behind the logs.

will and his siblings sang beautiful songs, played music, as all the campers joined in.

percy and I were huddled together on a log, warmth radiating off each other.

everyone said their ‘goodnight’s and ‘sweet dreams’ knowing well and good none of us would sleep without nightmares.

“wanna turn in for the night?” percy asked, pulling me up from our log.

I smiled at him and nod. we walk to cabin 3. he offers me a hoodie and I remain in my denim shorts, ready to leave as soon as he falls asleep.

we plop onto his bed, and he tells me everything about his quest, as I take him in. at one point, we begin cuddling as he continues talking.

“hey, perce?”

“mhm.”

“I love you. you’ll remember that forever, won’t you?”

“‘course I will. I know you do. I love you forever too, and I hope to find you in elysium, my love… you’re never leaving me, are you?”

“of course not, dumbass.”

scattered ‘cross my family line…

i’m so good at telling lies…

that came from my mother’s side…

told a million to survive…

“good. I don’t think I could go a day without you there to stop me from stapling my finger by mistake again.”

I let out a sudden laugh. “oh, what about that other time you-”

“I completely made a fool out of myself in front of everyone by tripping over air? whatever,” he rolled his eyes.

sometimes, I wish my mortal father hadn’t taught me to hide my sadness so well. too well. I suppose he did do a good job, at the end of the day.

timeskip

with one last look at percy’s sleeping form—oh, so peaceful and beautiful, my baby—I stepped out of the cabin with our picture frame from percy’s bedside, weighing heavy in my bag. my hair whipped around my face because of the wind, right outside cabin 3. I turned to luke, waiting for me. I noted a hint of sadness in his eyes as well.

scattered ‘cross my family line…

god, I have my father’s eyes…

but my sister’s when I cry…

“luke, please. I don’t know if I can do this,” I whispered, eyes burning with the fire of a thousand suns–bright enough to illuminate his face.

“we can’t stop now, em. not after we’ve worked so hard, for so long. we can’t let it all go to waste. I didn’t want you to do this with me either, because I know he could hate me with ease after a while, but you? never. he could never look at you with anything other than love, and i’m sorry I have to take you away from that,” luke said, with glistening eyes.

quietly, I nodded, not trusting my voice to not shake. luke looked in the direction of cabin 6, and turned to walk towards the portal. I followed him, as we walk into the woods.

I can run, but I can’t hide…

from my family line…

from my family line…

“i’m sorry, perce. I love you,” I whispered into the wind.

“then why are you leaving me?” a voice shook behind me, just as we reached the portal.

I turned around sharply.

“percy?”

“princ— emma. why?”

oh, all that I did to try to undo it…

all of my pain and all your excuses…

“it’s… a long story,” I hardened my gaze. “we’re done. i’m sorry.” if this was going to work, he had to hate me. hate me from the bottom of his heart. hate me enough to be able to send me to the depths of tartarus, if needed.

“are you stupid?– hey! luke! get away from her!” he yelled. luke and I moved closer to each other as my cold gaze rested on percy’s face. I registered the betrayal and hurt in his eyes, my heart breaking with every emotion flickering across his face. his face morphed into something emotionless, all of a sudden.

I was a kid but I wasn’t clueless…

someone who loves you wouldn’t do this…

“you know what, emma?” he spat. “I can no longer recognize you. and that’s not even the saddest part. it’s the fact that you no longer make any attempt to make me understand you.”

“for the daughter of the goddess of love, I clearly have none of it left to give,” I said, unsheathing my sword. luke’s backbiter glowed faintly behind me.

percy looked alarmed for a second, but took out annabeth’s dagger, startling luke.

they swung at each other, as I stood there. nicking at one another’s body. I rushed in to help luke, so we could escape soon. my face was in the middle of a swing percy sent luke’s way, and his dagger slid down my face.

oh, I deserved that.

all of my past, I tried to erase it…

but now I see, would I even change it…?

[sihtricfedaraaahvicius]

warnings: Sihtric being a total cutie. That's it. That's the warning.

pairing: Sihtric x you (one-shot)

summary: You're a big wuss who is afraid of thunder, Sihtric is a big softie who is not afraid of thunder, and you think Sihtric is a big cutie. Which he is. Am I simping in the summary? Perhaps.

word count: 2,1k

You only had been part of Uhtred's crew for several weeks, as a healer, but Uhtred trusted you and his men had taken a quick liking of you. But maybe that was because you were the only woman there. You had already dismissed several advances from some of the men during your short time with them, mainly Finan was testing you. But it didn't bother you much, you knew he was joking.

The sun was setting and the sky was heavy and thick, with dark clouds. Uhtred and his small army of men had just finished setting up a camp for the night. Everyone was in good spirits after the victory of a battle near Defnascir, but most of the many men had already passed out, for it had been a rough battle.

You sat near the campfire, across from Sihtric and Osferth, and you looked up to the sky.

'Ay, looks like thunder is on the way.' Finan said, as he sat down beside you. You grimaced at him, and he let out a chuckle. 'Oi, what's the matter? Ye not scared, are ye?' he laughed and he gave you a little push.

You rolled your eyes and sighed, 'I am not very fond of thunder, no.'

Finan laughed, so did the two men sitting opposite of you. Then Uhtred joined and said, 'Oh, come on, leave her alone. We do not make fun of our own people.'

'True. Except for baby monk here,' Finan said, and grinned at Osferth.

'Except for baby monk,' Uhtred agreed, and you all laughed at Osferth's annoyed face.

The men quickly forgot about your fear, and you decided you wanted some rest. You said goodnight and made your way to your tent. 

Your tent was small, really only suitable for one person, but it was cosy and warm. Uhtred made sure you had the best furs to keep you warm during the nights. It may be summer, but the nights turned cold quickly. Before you drifted off, you heard the men outside tell jokes and laugh.

After a few hours your body jerked you awake. A loud, long and deep rumble went through the air and it made the ground beneath you vibrate.

'Oh, no,' you sighed, and seconds later your tent was lit up by the lightning in the sky. You quickly buried your head under your blanket and hugged the furs beneath you. You didn't know why you were so scared, but you hated it. You heard the sky was getting ready for another loud rumble, as it started off slow and far away. Quickly it grew louder and this time you heard it had awoken the others too, as you heard some men curse from their tents.

You closed your eyes, hoping it would be over soon, when you suddenly heard footsteps approaching. You looked up from beneath your blanket as someone quietly made his way into your tent. When the sky threw a massive strike of lighting down, your tent lit up and you got a quick glimpse of Sihtric.

'Sihtric?' you asked, a little spooked. You had helped him take care of his wounds several times already, even earlier that day when a wound above his eyebrow bled again, but beside a flirty comment he sometimes made, you had never really spoken much.

'What are you doing here?' you asked as you sat up, 'are you hurt?' And you quickly lit the small candle that was on a box next to where you slept.

'My lady,' he whispered, his voice making you feel somewhat dizzy, which caught you off guard. 'I do not mean to startle you,' he continued, 'I am not hurt, I think,' he paused as the candle dimly lit up the tent. 'I just wanted to make sure you were alright,' he said and he crouched down to you.

'What? Why? I mean… I, I don't understand.'

'The thunder,' he said softly, 'you said you were afraid of it.'

He brought his face closer to you, noticing there was not much space anyway. 'The rumbling woke me up, so I thought you'd be up as well,' he gave you a slight chuckle and looked down, hoping you couldn't see his flustered face.

'Oh, I… yes. It did wake me,' you stammered, equally as flustered. You never had a man alone with you in your tent before, and of all people, you had never even been really alone with Sihtric before. Then a low and deep sound emerged from the sky again, growing into a dramatic and long rumble. And without thinking, you had clasped onto Sihtric's shoulders, your hands firmly gripping his black fur cloak, as the earth beneath you seemed to shake to its core.

'I'm sorry,' you chuckled when you saw his soft face.

'Don't be,' Sihtric said compassionately, and he pulled you closer, just as lightning struck down somewhere close, erupting into a loud bang.

'I don't want to die,' you muttered under your breath as you tightly held onto him. Sihtric couldn't help but laugh, and hearing that sound was a comfort on its own.

'You're not going to die,' he smiled.

'How do you know? This weather is unpredictable. I just might.'

'No.' he said firmly.

'No?'

'No,' he repeated, 'because I won't let you.'

You felt flustered again and turned away.

'Okay, well, maybe,' you said, cheeks red, 'but I am tired.'

'Oh, of course. I didn't mean to keep you up,' he said, 'I just wanted to check on you. And, well, you're alive,' he chuckled, 'so I will let you sleep now.' He made an attempt to get up, but you quickly pulled his cloak.

'No, I didn't mean it like that,' you said softly, 'I mean, if you want… you could, you know, I mean I'd like it if you-' another rumbling through the sky interrupted you, and you accidentally pulled him closer.

'I think I'll stay,' Sihtric said with a smirk, 'but let me get more comfortable.' He gently moved back and took off his cloak, exposing his bare chest and arms to you. You didn't know where to look anymore. You had seen his arms when cleaning battle wounds, but you hadn't seen much else of him, and now he was here, wearing only some underwear. You choked on your saliva and awkwardly started to cough.

'Sorry,' you wheezed, 'I think I'm allergic to fur.'

Sihtric looked at you and raised an eyebrow.

'Hm, yes,' he smiled, going along with your lie, 'must be hard for you then, sleeping with all these furs around you,' and he moved one hand through the furs you slept on.

'...Yeah,' you murmured, and gave a fake cough.

Another heavy rumble sounded around you, and Sihtric's smile faded as he saw you were startled again.

'Come here,' he whispered. He pulled you towards him with one arm, still holding his cloak with the other, and carefully swapped places with you. He sat down on the furs which you had been sleeping on, only moments before.

He spread his legs as far as the tent allowed him, which wasn't far at all to be honest, but enough. He gently pulled you towards him, positioning you between his, you noticed, very muscular thighs, and he pulled your back against his chest.

He let out a soft, satisfying sigh as you fell back against him, and you felt his warm skin through your thin shirt. He threw his cloak over his legs and pulled it up to your arms, covering most of both your bodies. Then he wrapped his arms around your shoulders and held you tight as you flinched at the flashes of lightning outside the tent.

'Don't worry,' he whispered in your ear, his voice deep and sleepy, 'I'm here. You're safe, I promise.'

You didn't know what to say, so you simply thanked him, to which you felt him chuckle. He rested the side of his face against yours and moved his arms down, wrapping them around your waist. You let out a soft gasp as he gave you a gentle squeeze, making you both giggle.

'I guess you shouldn't tell Finan about this,' you joked.

'I am actually surprised he didn't check on you first,' he laughed, 'I guess he's not really that serious about you.'

'And you are?' you asked.

'What?'

'Serious? About me?'

Sihtric was quiet for a moment, allowing you both to hear the starting sound of rain outside.

'Sihtric?'

'Hm?' he murmured into your ear, making you feel weak and dizzy.

'Are you serious?'

'Would you mind if I was?' he asked quietly, and he moved his lips to your neck.

'I don't know,' you whispered. And then you felt his soft, warm lips place gentle kisses on your neck, and you moaned softly at the feeling. You felt his lips curl into a smile, and his arms around your waist tightened, as if you were his only belonging, and he was afraid you could be taken from him any second.

'Well,' he whispered, as he rested his face against yours again, 'then you'll have to think about that, before dawn arrives.'

'I might just do that,' you said, turning your body sideways against Sihtric's chest. He slowly lies down, keeping you close to his chest, and pulls his cloak up to your shoulders. And before you dozed off, you felt his fingers intertwined with yours.

When you woke up, Sihtric was gone. For a moment you thought it was just a dream, but as you sat up you noticed his cloak still covered you. You got dressed, folded his cloak and got out of your tent.

'Ah, there she is!' Finan called, 'did ya sleep, luv? Or did the big, bad thunder keep ye up?' he laughed.

'I hoped you got struck by lightning, but alas,' you hissed.

'Yeah, yeah. Love ya too, darling!' he laughed.

Sihtric came out of his tent as you walked past Finan. He looked down, adjusting his leather armour and looked up when you called his name.

'Hey,' he smiled as you got close.

'You forgot something,' you smiled and held up his cloak. You had drawn Finan's attention, who had turned around by now to get a look at you two.

'No, I didn't forget,' Sihtric smirked, 'I knew you'd return it. And my plan worked. So now,' he continued, and placed his hands over yours as you held his cloak, 'I want to know.'

'Hey, what? Know what? What is goin' on 'ere?' Finan called over, 'wha's she doin' with ye cloak, mate?'

You both looked at Finan, chuckled and then back at each other. You looked down, smirked, and looked back at Sihtric, squinting your eyes.

'Yeah, I think I know,' you teased.

'Hey! Know what?' Finan called again.

'Finan!' Sihtric yelled, and he gave him a look that told Finan to shove it. Finan laughed and just sat back, watching the two of you.

'So what will it be, my lady?' Sihtric asked, his attention back to you.

'Well, if you are serious about me, which I wouldn't mind,' you said, blushing, 'then maybe you could check on me again tonight.'

Sihtric chuckled. 'Even when there's no thunder?' he asked, pretending to be serious.

'Even when there's no thunder,' you smiled.

'Hm,' he murmured, 'I guess I might have some wounds you could take a look at then.'

'Oh, yes,' you frowned, 'why else would I see you tonight?'

Sihtric laughed, took his cloak out of your hands, turned away from you and threw it inside his tent.

He stepped back towards you, placed his hand on your lower back and leaned in for a kiss. 'Yes, why else would you see me?' Sihtric teased, and you placed your hands on his chest and pulled him closer by tugging at his armour. Your lips touched and it quickly became a deep and passionate kiss.

'Hey!' Finan yelled, 'Boss! Uhtred! What d'ye think of this?' he called out. Uhtred appeared out of his tent to see what Finan was yelling about. Uhtred laughed at the sight of you and Sihtric, 'what of this?' he said to Finan.

'A crime is what it is,' Finan joked, 'that bastard got the only lady here. He should be banished!' 

You felt Sihtric smile against your lips as he heard Finan's nonsense, and you also felt the need to giggle. But you didn't want the kiss to break, so you placed your hands onto Sihtric's neck and made sure his lips stayed locked onto yours. 

Osferth had woken up too, and stood next to Finan and Uhtred, watching the crime unfold.

They saw how Sihtric lifted you up, making you wrap your legs around his waist. And they watched Sihtric carry you inside his tent, without breaking the kiss.

'Hey!' Finan shouted, 'we do not want to hear ya hump, ay?'

'You'd rather watch then?' Sihtric yelled from inside the tent. 

'Ay, ya filthy heathen!' Finan yelled, and everyone erupted in laughter for a moment.

'Ladies always fall for the mysterious ones,' Uhtred snorted and walked away, patting Finan on the back, who looked playfully offended.

'With all due respect,' Osferth said to Finan, 'but I think you never even stood a chance.'

'What did I tell ya 'bout thinkin', baby monk, it doesn't suit ye,' Finan mocked, and they both smiled as they turned around and walked to the fire pit.

They knew very well that you and Sihtric were meant to be together, and they would take down anyone who would try to separate the two of you.

[violetmuses]

Can't Get Enough - A. Aretas ❤️‍🩹

Title: Can't Get Enough - A. Aretas ❤️‍🩹

Fandom: “Bad Boys” Film Universe

Character: Armando Aretas

Pairing: Armando Aretas + Female Reader

Main Storyline: When Armando Aretas returns to Miami, one familiar face shows up sooner than later.

Tag List: @nelo0wesker @yassbishimvintage @nobodygetsza @peaxhygirl @superstar-t20 @adoresmiles @klssngss @deja-r @hyper-trash-panda @amethyst-loves-bucky 🏷

======

2024

Traveling around the world pulled strings for quite some time, yet Armando Aretas returned to Miami, Florida on this bright and sunny afternoon.

“What's up, man? I'm parked outside.” Detective Mike Lowrey stepped forward to dap Aretas up.

After facing many questions or encountering secrets over time, Mike would take responsibility here and stand up as Armando's biological father.

“Thanks for picking me up.” I didn't know who else to…” Armando trailed off.

“It's fine.” Mike then completely understands this point, whispering. “I'd feel better if you stayed with us anyway. Someone else might call authorities before you could even settle in.”

“Yeah.” Aretas genuinely struggled to express himself. I'm just…”

“Tired?” Mike asked.

“That's putting it nicely.” Armando shrugged before joining the classic Porsche. “Can we drop it, though? I don't wanna bum you out with my bullshit.”

“That's fair.” Mike attempted to ease the situation once more.

“Yeah.” Armando speaks up again, thankful while air conditioning chilled down the vehicle.

_______

Until further notice, Armando settled in the guest bedroom located upstairs. Very few belongings took space when Aretas organized essentials.

After taking this much-needed shower, Aretas headed downstairs and noticed that Christine Lowrey, Mike's wife, had returned.

“Hey. Did you just get back?” I didn't hear the garage.” Armando already observed different parts of the house.

Mike married this remarkable person named Christine, a physical therapist. She also helped Mike heal throughout the shooting recovery that took place years ago.

“I drove back from work early because you were here, Armando.” Christine smiles.

“What? You didn't need to…” Aretas feels shocked in a quiet way.

“Of course.” Christine then laughed for just a moment. “Ready for lunch?”

“Thank you.” Armando nodded, joining the kitchen table with Mike before Christine sat down.

Peace.

*****

“Time to work.” Driving his classic Porsche, Detective Mike Lowrey pulled up to the Miami Police Department by morning.

“That's our job Armando left the passenger seat.

“Got jokes now?” Mike laughs while entering this well-known precinct.

“No.” Armando declined, walking toward the briefing room to join others.

Right when Armando and Mike genuinely sit down together, one voice called out:

“Nephew!”

Detective Marcus Burnett, Mike's longtime partner and best friend, reached that briefing room this time. Staff members chuckled around this space.

“I know.” Even Mike shook his head.

“Habla demasiado.” Slyly pointing toward Burnett, Armando whispered to Mike and used his native language of Spanish.

“Your Uncle Marcus.” Shrugging, Mike laughs for real.

“Está loco. ¿Recuerdas la fogata?” Aretas expressed the campfire nonsense.

“Yeah.” Mike nodded, ending the conversation before Marcus sat down.

“What'd I miss?” Burnett veiled Skittles in his pocket despite showing up early this morning.

“Uh-uh.” Disappointed, Mike arched his brow toward Marcus.

For once, Armando held back laughter while observing.

When Captain Rita Secada stood behind the podium and began this meeting, everyone settled for business.

Here we go. Aretas thought.

*****

“Seeing an informant today.” Mike gathered with Armando and Marcus in the hallway.

“Cool. Are they coming to the station?” Marcus genuinely questioned his partner.

“Going to her place.” Mike grounded location details. “It's too risky if the public learns our assignment.”

Her? Armando stood puzzled by curiosity this time around. Who could help us with this drug case?

Silent, Armando joined the car, exiting with Lowrey and Burnett to figure everything out.

______

Sunlight warmed all around Florida palm trees that lined up near gorgeous homes.

Within seconds though, Aretas became silent for once.

Navigation signaled your old address.

When that door finally opened, you emerged and sent Armando through an inward tailspin.

His expression turned unreadable for this assignment, but feelings pulled in so many ways.

“Hey, Mike.” You cleared your throat. “I didn't know that y'all would come over so early.”

“Bad timing?” Mike didn't even know what to think.

“Not at all. Just finished cleaning the house.” You declined, silently welcoming Marcus and Armando through. “What's going on?”

“Whenever you're ready, we need some intel, all right?” Mike questioned. “Pushers started running again, especially in clubs this summer.”

“Okay.” You nodded, watching your hands to set the kitchen table for guests. “Let's do it.”

_______

“You good?” Mike noticed immediately that Armando wasn't talking and excused himself from the table.

“We knew each other.” Aretas exposed new information and revealed your bond.

“What, seriously?” Gobsmacked, Mike almost clenched his teeth over Armando's connection to you.

“It's a long story, but yeah.” Aretas went on just a little more. “We met right before my mother escaped prison.”

“Damn…” Mike stepped back through disbelief right now.

“Mike!” Marcus called from the living room out of nowhere.

Returning to that living room, Mike and Armando see Marcus facing pictures on the walls.

Armando smiled, beaming like an adorable goofball throughout various photographs.

“Are y'all together?” Marcus pointed between you and Aretas.

“We broke up.” You say.

“But y'all still have pictures organized around the house!” Marcus pulled theatrics.”Might as well get a dog too.”

“My mother got in the way, but I don't wanna talk about it.” Aretas planned to work instead.

No other choice.

*****

Red and blue overcasts hit various neon hubs that grooved throughout South Beach. The police department just locked down monsters again.

That same night, Armando returned to your house and turned off the news, just grateful that you were okay.

“Can we try again?” You glanced down and realized that Aretas nearly fell asleep on your couch.

“Hmm?” Armando wakes up, grumbling to seek long-awaited kisses.

“Can..we…” You trailed off that response when his now gentle lips met yours and made up for lost time as he smiled for real.

Just when your fingers smoothed his beard, one cell phone rang.

Leaving his warm embrace, you frowned when Armando picked up the call.

“Hello?” Despite so many years passing, you rest your head on his shoulder.

“Sorry. Marcus is losing his mind right now.” Mike spoke up.

“No more Skittles?” Armando tried first.

“Uh-uh.” Mike refused that idea. “It's not about snacks. He's looking for you.”

“What's up?” Armando questioned his father while puzzled.

“He's acting really paranoid about your relationship.” Mike told the truth.

“I don't care.” Armando defended himself and only watched, concerned.

“I'll deal with Marcus. Just know that I'm happy for you, all right? Bye.” Mike hung up and left Armando with you once more.

No matter what happens next, you'll never lose each other again.

[kynimdraws]

Is it gay to camp with ur bf and ur ex?

To see the story drabbles the prev part is here (all entries tagged under "#Hunter and the Mask Verse Story") Yone design ref for this verse can be seen in detail here

Let's find out under the cut lmao

Over a week had passed since they started their long trek through the desert to reach Nazumah. There had been some encounters with stray Bacci and dune hounds, which were taken care of relatively quickly. It was also fascinating for Yone to see K'sante in action: in the dense forests of Ionia he was far more careful about his swings with the ntofos. But in the vast dunes of Shurima, he seemed more in his element. The power and grace of his moves just seemed to belong here. Of course Yone's soul-sword techniques were sufficient to dispatch foes as well.

During one of the nights (K'sante figured that it would take another day or two to reach the outskirts around Nazumah), they suddenly find a relatively large party pass by. K'sante and Yone tense, since it was initially unknown whether this traveling group was friend or foe until…

"Tope!" K'sante calls after recognizing his former lover.

The two embrace and laugh, and the tension disappears immediately from everyone. The two parties set up camp.

"Traveling by night too? So not a hunt, I presume? Where are you headed?"

"No hunt. And I was about to go to Nazumah to warn the council there about…suspicious activity at the Sun Disc."

Tope informs that through Taliyah, there has been some unrest between Xerath's Magus cult and Azir's newly built Empire following. While the independent Shurima nations were aware of this building conflict due to the increased activity of soldiers, cultists, and Baccai…there never have been full on war.

"While I would just let those two fight until both no longer walk this earth, their violence might bleed into innocent tribes and nations that want nothing to do with them. And there are tales of Azir's descendant that may be able to sway the crazy emperor, and I wanted to recruit able-bodied people for the cause."

K'sante nods. His mother, who was one of the Nazumah councilwomen that ran the city-state, would surely agree with Tope's plan. But instead of assuming it was much better for them to get an audience with the netire council.

"Then I will help, and I will be guessing Nazumah will also support. With me and you, and others at our side…we will be unstoppable!"

Then the two men chatter about trivial things, mostly catch up with one another. Throughout this Yone quietly listens in, somehow finding himself sitting between them. He would have been content just being an observer, but Tope was not the type to let that pass.

"So, who is your travel companion K'sante? He isn't Shuriman that is for sure."

"Ah, about that…"

Tope holds up his hand, a signal for stop K'sante from talking.

"I know you are a great storyteller, but I want the stranger to answer."

Yone chuckles at that, and concedes. With SOME interjections from K'sante, Yone retells how the two had met and now are traveling back. Tope in the meanwhile that brought out some palm wine that was shared between the three.

"I see," Tope finally remarks after the storytime ends. "I am glad you found good company with K'sante. By the way did you know…"

Before K'sante would stop him, Tope started talking about some of his adventures with the man. Yone is very amused by much of them, especially whenever K'sante would awkwardly say how much of a reckless idiot he used to be in those earlier times.

As they finally settle to rest for the day, K'sante claims he needed to sleep early and steps out from the campfire. Seeing that Yone was not quite ready to join K'sante, Tope comes closer to talk to the man in private.

"So…how do you like him?"

Yone starts.

"What do you mean?"

"A man does not merely follow another man to his homeland just for saving him. You could have just stayed back in Ionia. To remain as good friends. But it seems there is something more than that."

Tope smiled warmly. Yone meanwhile felt a bit awkward, especially given how Tope was…K'sante's former lover. He just looks away and stays silent.

"For the record, I was not making fun of you," Tope starts up the conversation again. "I think you are good for him. He is not perfect, but I can see that he cares and is a better man especially towards you."

He laughs a little.

"If anything, it is quite funny seeing him tiptoe around you like you are a frightened dune gazelle, because he is usually much more direct about his feelings. I was surprised he introduced you as just a 'friend' after hearing all you went through."

"Oh?" Yone finally responds.

"K'sante is like a desert storm sometimes, he will just charge and say his piece. But with you…he is being gentle. As if he wants you to say something first. I think even if you reject him, he'll respect your decision."

Tope chuckles again, pouring the last of the palm wine for both.

"A toast, to whatever path you take in your life. Regardless of how you go with K'sante, knowing what you know now."

Yone nods and toasts to Tope's health in return. Finally the two eventually turn in for sleep.

[m00nlight-ramblings]

Evergreen: Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of "Evergreen".

The tension between you and Astarion is starting to come to a boiling point, with the first night in camp setting off what seems to be a rocky start to your relationship.

Read Chapter 1 here

Pairings: Astarion x female reader (named "Atriss", but still using "you" because the thought of Y/N makes me cringe)

Warnings: Swearing. Angst. Not proofread we post like men aka fix shit after it's been posted. The entire story is 18+ so MINORS DNI!

Word Count: 1.83K

A/N: This chapter is definitely a bit of a set-up chapter, so apologies if it is feeling a bit slow. However, things will begin to pick up...promise!

After having gotten supplies from the traders inside of the Grove, you and the other companions decided to set up camp right outside the gate - far enough away where your group could have some privacy, but close enough where you could come to their aid if goblins decided to attack them again.

"And then out of nowhere, bam! The Blade of Frontiers! With a flourish of that decadently beautiful rapier, the goblins had no idea what hit them!" Gale exclaimed, recounting the story of how Wyll came to join the group. Much to Wyll's embarrassment, Gale detailed his entrance while the other companions had stumbled upon the Grove and immediately decided to help.

"I was actually hunting Karlach, if you can believe it," Wyll said, tearing a piece of bread off from his dinner, "I was told she was a certain dangerous devil, but it obviously couldn't have been further from the truth."

"Can you believe it? Me!" Karlach laughed, "Quite the opposite, really." Thoughtfully, she took a sip of her wine from the bottle she was holding, "Unless you piss me off. Then you're fucked."

You chuckled with the rest of the companions, falling into a routine with them (from a safe distance). Unsure of how much you could actually trust all of them, you decided at least to have a good time with them while they drank and joked. Gale had made dinner - roasted pig and bread he had procured from the Grove - and Karlach had sweettalked her way into getting a few bottles of wine from a local trader inside. Now, as the night had fallen, you all shared stories around the campfire before you all headed to bed.

"First things first for tomorrow - we get up early, possibly daybreak. We need to leave at a decent hour so we can get to the Goblin camp by the latest, two days from now." Wyll said, jumping into fighting tactics and how we should go about infiltrating their base. Everyone seemed to be on the edge of their seat, excited about the thought of fighting for the Tieflings.

Everyone, except Astarion.

He was leaning against a nearby tree, swirling the wine in his glass. He had neglected a plate of dinner, and currently had a look on his face that could only be read as "annoyed".

"Do you have another plan, Astarion? A better one, perhaps?" You asked, calling him out.

Astarion's head jerked up slightly, his mind finally joining the conversation with the rest of the party. He swirled the wine again slowly and took a sip, smacking his lips once he was done for some sort of emphasis.

"I just think..." He started, walking closer to the group, "That this isn't our responsibility, so why are we even bothering?" His foppish way of speaking - with his hand flourishes, and lyrical mannerisms - were charismatic for a while. But once you realized how selfish he really was, you recognized that he truly was just starting to get on your nerves. "If it were up to me, I'd say we just try and find whomever can help us rid these parasites, and move on with our lives."

"I agree with the elf," Lae'zel spoke, causing everyone to turn our heads, "We must seek clearance of these parasites at once. We need to get ourselves to a creche before long - who knows how long it will take for us to finally turn into those disgusting mind flayers."

"And, if you remember," Gale spoke, causing everyone else to silence, "This Halsin character has said to have information against these ilithid tadpoles. So, it is in our best interest to find him in the goblin camp - and not only for us, but for the tieflings, as well."

Astarion's eyes narrowed at you, making it a point to not look away. He sipped his wine and you smirked at him, trying to assert dominance. You may be kind, but you were no fool. And you knew many men like Astarion - handsome, charismatic men who used their knowledge and charm to get their way.

And it wouldn't work on you.

"So, if that is the only problem that has arisen amongst us, I say we clear our dishes and head to bed. Who is willing to take first watch?" Gale asked, standing with his plate and goblet.

"I will." Astarion said instantly, downing the rest of his wine. You eyed him as he stood up, almost eager to be first watch. Curious.

Or suspicious.

"Great!" Gale clapped his hands and made his way to the bucket of water on the edge of camp to wash his plate. "I will take the second half, then! A little earlier-than-normal wake-up never hurt anyone!"

You watched Astarion smirk as he rest against the tree again. You didn't know why, but you knew something was up with him - why did he volunteer for first watch, during their first night at camp? Was it a defensive tactic, possibly to sus us out?

You washed your plate and brought it back to your tent, getting settled in your sleeping clothes. You were going to find out what the story was with him, one way or another.

After 30 more minutes, everyone had settled into their tents for the evening. Silently, you undid the front to your tent, ready to leave at any moment. Once you recognized Shadowheart's lantern to go out - the last light on in camp - you snuck out of your tent.

Across the camp, Astarion stayed put against the tree he had claimed earlier. As your eyes adjusted to the darkness, you watched him pause a few moments before checking around the camp to ensure everyone was sleeping. Once he thought he was alone, he darted into the woods.

Immediately leaving the rest of the party at camp vulnerable to attack.

"That son of a bitch..." You breathed, stalking into the woods behind him. You moved as quietly as possible, hoping to catch the sound of his running.

Nothing but silence met your ears.

Where did he go? You thought, moving in the general direction of where he sped off to. After a few minutes, you still couldn't find him. Frustrated, you groaned quietly, resting against a rock. Nothing but crickets answered your thought, causing you to grow annoyed.

Deciding to head back to camp, you started your journey back. There was no sense in trying to make enemies on your first night. You thought, trying to subdue the nagging feeling in the back of your mind. Suddenly, a hand gripped your wrist and pulled you back.

"And where, may I ask, are you going?" Astarion purred into your ear. You gasped and turned to him, his eyes gleaming against the moonlight. The former nagging feeling in the back of your mind turned into full blown suspicion.

There goes the whole "try not to make enemies on the first night".

"I should be asking you the same thing, First Watch." You coolly replied, flaring your nostrils, "Any particular reason why you left camp almost immediately after starting your first watch?"

"My dear, were you watching me?" Astarion's voice was still light - flirty, almost - even though you recognized that he was trying to get information out of you. He smirked.

"Answer the question, Astarion. Unless you have something to hide.” You retorted, crossing your arms. Trying to send a message – you were not one to be fucked with.

Astarion’s smirk faltered only slightly – if you weren’t paying attention, you wouldn’t have even noticed. He shifted his weight on his feet, tilting his head to the side. He was studying you…trying to figure out what to say next, how to proceed. You were making him sweat a bit, it seemed.

Good.

“Come now, darling, is this really how you’d like our relationship to start off?” His smirk was plastered back on his face again, his showmanship back to the front. “Starting on a bad note instead of good one? Think of all the fun we could have,” His voice was low, husky. He was trying to charm his way out of it, “And believe me, I know a thing or two about fun.”

You rolled you eyes, “Enough, Astarion. You don’t want to tell me why you decided to leave the camp vulnerable to attack approximately 30 seconds after you started first watch? Fine, by all means, don’t tell me,” You stepped closer to him, pointing a finger in his face, “But just know that I don’t trust you. Your charming act doesn’t fool me…you’re only looking out for yourself. Don’t come crawling to me when you need something, alright?”

“Oh, the dramatics from you!” Astarion huffed, laughing loudly, “And that’s saying something coming from me.”

“With the situation we’re in right now, I have no choice but to be cautious. And so far, you’re not making a good name for yourself,” You paused, taking him in. His eyes, though guilty, were also glittering. “Our lives are in each other’s hands, and if you prove yourself to be unworthy of that, I’d rather know sooner rather than later.”

“Oh fine,” Astarion said, finally seeming to give up, “If you want to throw a temper tantrum because I heard something in the woods, and decided to investigate – you know, the whole purpose of a first watch – then so be it. I’m not in the market to convince you,” He waved his hands as if to dismiss you, “Go off. Back to camp with you. You were so hasty to leave, after all.”

You narrowed your eyes – was he really coming to the woods to investigate? Something about his alibi seemed off – something wasn’t quite right. Without another word, you marched back to camp, you heart thundering. Not only because you were second-guessing yourself, but also because you had a feeling Astarion was hiding something from you.

Not just you, but the entire party.

You finally reached your tent and started to untie the straps holding the entrance together. As you quickly did your work, you noticed out the corner of your eye that Astarion was slowly walking back into camp, his eyes watching you. Once you finally undid the flaps, you stood and looked at him, holding his gaze. After a few moments, he smirked.

He was making sure you were going back into your tent.

To make sure he could get away with whatever he was doing.

You held his gaze for a moment more before slipping into your tent, a cold sweat breaking out onto your brow. You located your dagger on the floor of your tent and quickly slipped it under the pillow on your bedroll. You sighed heavily and pulled the blanket to your chin, your mind ablaze with the conversation with Astarion. You shut your eyes and willed for sleep unsuccessfully, tossing and turning for the next few hours.

You had a feeling this was going to be a long night.

---

Thank you all so much for reading! As always, reblogs, comments, and likes mean a ton to me, and helps me know if you want me to keep going with this!

[klarex]

I would love to dance and sing with him!

Genre: fluff

Warnings: none! Just a cute fic

Summary: Dancing around the campfire with Bofur.

Paring: Bofur x reader

Dance the night away

Pov. (Y/n)

The company stopped in the middle of the forest. The fire was lit. Bombur was cooking some stew. Everyone talked lively with smiles on their faces.

Today was a happy day. I didn't know why. It just felt like it. Maybe because we didn't get attacked today, or maybe the weather was nice? I had no idea.

I was sitting next to Dori, talking with him and laughing, while we waited for our supper. Bombur stirred the stew, and he tapped the spoon on the pot two times. I heard someone clap and tap their foot. I knew a song was coming.

Bofur stood up and started singing. Everyone stopped talking and looked at him. The smiles creeped on every person from the company. Some of the dwarves joined Bofur. He spun around the fire, singing a happy song. I laughed at a sweet moment, but then the singer stopped before me and pulled his hand out for me. He had this silly smile of his on his face.

- Ye mind dancin' with me?

He said with his thick accent, and I placed my hand in his. He pulled me up on my feet.

- No. Not at all.

I said and smiled. He spun me around, singing and laughing. We jumped from foot to foot, waving our hands. Now everyone was having fun.

When the song finished, Bombur stood up and poured the stew into our bowls. We all sat down and started eating in silence, but with smiles. The talks started after a while again.

Bofur was looking at me from across the fire. When I caught him staring, he looked away, blushing and focusing back on his supper.

After eating, the talks started growing again.

- Bofur! Sing us something again!

Ori said, and Nori nodded, hitting his thigh.

- Aye! Go on, lad!

Dwalin said, and Bofur laughed, leaning on his knee and standing up. He cleared his throat and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He started singing and opened his eyes. Everyone looked at him and bounced in their seat, humming the tune. This time Fíli stood up and walked up to me, pulling his hand out. I grabbed it, and he helped me get up.

He spun me around and put his hand on my back while dancing. Then I felt a strong grip on my waist, and someone pulled me their way. I lost my balance and landed on their chest. I looked up and saw Bofur giving Fíli a death stare, but still singing.

I looked around and saw that no one paid attention to us. They just enjoyed themselves while singing, laughing, and dancing once again. Fíli walked away with a chucke and wink to Bofur. He blushed and looked down at me. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and he put his on my hips.

- Don't be jealous, Bof..

I whispered in his ear, and he shivered. He squeezed my hips and pulled me closer, if that was even possible. Other folks sang their hearts out, minding their own business. I put one of my hands behind his head and gently leaned in. I pecked his lips and gently pulled away, looking into his eyes.

- I'm only yours..

I whispered with a smirk. His cheeks dark red and eyes wide. It took him a second to process what happened. Then he passionately leaned in and kissed me hungrily, but softly. I kissed him back. His moustache lightly tickled me, and I laughed, pulling away. I looked at him with love and a warm smile. He smirked and quickly lifted me up in his arms.

- BOFUR!!

I shouted, putting my arms around his neck to secure myself from eventual fall. Everyone around the fire now looked at us. Bofur was laughing and spinning me around, joining others in singing again.

The night went on and on. Everyone got tired after a while, so we stopped dancing and singing, but the talks were still heard.

I was sitting next to Bofur, leaning on his shoulder. He had his arm wrapped around my waist. I tried to focus on the conversation between the dwarves, but it was hard, because of a warm body pressed to mine and exhaustion taking over me. I yawned, and Bofur looked down at me.

- Ye tired?

He asked with a smile. I nodded, and he wrapped his arms around me, lifting me up. He excused himself and walked to our bedrolls. He gently put me down, and I lay down. He kneeled next to me and wrapped a blanket around my body.

- Wait her'..

He said and slowly stood up. He walked up to his bedroll, took it, and walked back to me. He put it beside mine and lowered himself. He put his blanket over himself, but enough to cover us both.

When he lay down, I immediately hugged him tightly and nuzzled my face into his chest. He wrapped his arms around me tightly and kissed the top of my head.

- Goodnight, Bof..

I whispered, running my hands up to his neck. He kissed my head again.

- Goodnight, princess..

He whispered back, and we fell asleep, secured in each other's arms.

♡~masterlist~♡

[justcallmefox89]

Submission: Chapter Three - Campfire Stories

Cal, Lia, and Rolan join Drakul and the others for a meal, the others learn more about Drakul than they bargained for.

TW: Drow being drow - fantasy racism, classism, murder-hobo tendencies.

I watch Rolan stomp away from his siblings, grinning at the agitated lashing of his tail and admiring the shape of his firm, tight-

“Stop that,” Gale commands, flicking the tip of one of my ears.

“Ow!”  I swat his hand away with a scowl. 

“Serves you right,” he says primly, fixing me with a disapproving stare. 

“I didn’t do anything!” I protest.

“I know exactly what you’re thinking,” Gale lectures, sounding so much like my mother it’s uncanny.  “And you need to leave that boy alone.”

“If you had even the faintest idea what I’m currently thinking, you’d be blushing wizard,” I purr, running my thumb over my lower lip.

“You… you…” Gale stammers momentarily then snaps his mouth closed and settles for giving me a dirty look. 

Astarion saunters back to us, closely followed by Karlach.  “Oh… did you break the wizard again, Drakul?  I was hoping to watch this time.”

“Karlach, my darling!  Gale was being dreadfully horrible to me while you were gone,” I pout and dramatically gesture to the reddened tip of my ear.  “And he flicked me!”

She snickers and nudges me away with the butt of her battle-axe.  “I’m sure you deserved every second of it.”

“He most assuredly did,” Gale assures her.  “Honestly Drakul, you’re even older than Astarion and you act like a child.”

“Hey!” Astarion and I shout in unison, twin images of outrage.

“Is now a bad time?”

The four of us whirl around to see Cal and Lia watching us with faintly bemused smiles on their faces.

Gale recovers first.  “Is there something we can help you with?”

“Oh gods,” Astarion groans.  “Stop offering to help every person we meet.”

“Actually… we wanted to invite you to have dinner with us,” Cal answers.

“We heard how you helped Arabella and Mirkon and we just wanted to do something to thank you,” Lia adds.

We aided some common children and now I get an invitation to dine with Rolan?  Maybe there is something to this whole ‘helping’ nonsense Gale bathers on about…

I am struck by a brilliant idea.

“You should come dine with us at our camp instead,” I blurt out. 

Cal and Lia exchange hesitant glances.  “Are you sure?” she asks.

“Absolutely.”  I throw my arm around Gale’s shoulders and gift them with my most charming smile.  “The human loves to cook.  It will be no trouble at all.”

“Then we’ll see you at sundown.”

“See you then!” I call after them as they take their leave.

“A child…” Gale mutters.  “An overgrown, xenophobic, murderous child.”

True to their word Cal and Lia arrive at our camp right at sundown, a clearly reluctant Rolan trudging a few steps behind them.  Pleasantries are exchanged as Gale and Wyll put the finishing touches on the evening meal, and Scratch circulates through everyone, gathering scritches and pets as he goes.  Soon enough Gale begins to dish out bowls of stew and everyone starts to settle around the campfire to eat.

“Rolan,” I say, just loud enough to get his attention, and tap the space next to me with one finger.

He hesitates, turning to go sit next to his brother and sister.  I clear my throat and tap the spot again with a touch more force.  He waffles for only a second longer before relenting sitting down on the log next to me. 

“Thank you,” I whisper, pressing my shoulder against his. 

Rolan grunts irritably but leans into my touch, so I take advantage of the moment and turn my head to take quick whiff of his hair.  I inhale deeply, taking in the scents of old books, ink, and candlewax. 

Of course.

I’ve only known the wizard for a scant amount of time, but I’m not surprised that these are the scents that make up Rolan.

“What are you doing?” he hisses, pulling away from me.

I begin to reply but get distracted when I realize Gale has forgotten to dish up a bowl of stew for one of our party members.  “Wizard!”

Gale pinches the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger.  “Oh for the love of…”

“He’s hungry!” I insist.

“Do not indulge him,” Lae’zel orders.

“My minion demands food!”

“What the hells is going on?” Lia whispers to Karlach.

Gale dishes out one last small portion of stew and sets the bowl at my feet.  Appeased, my newest underling slinks out of my tent and pads over to the campfire.

“It’s a cat,” Rolan says, slightly stunned.

“His name is Varyyn,” I say proudly.  The cat lets out an indignant mrrp as I sweep him up into my arms to show him off to the tiefling siblings.  He’s a fat little thing with orange and white stripes, he drools when he sleeps, and one eye blinks slower than the other but I’ve decided to claim him anyway.

“Where on earth did you find that thing?” Rolan asks as Lia coos and scratches under Varyyn’s chin.

“He followed us back from that abandoned village,” I reply, nodding in a vaguely westerly direction.

Varyyn begins to yowl in earnest so I release him, and he immediately pounces on his portion of stew.

“Shadowheart says we can’t keep him when we move on -”

“We are not keeping the cat,” Shadowheart says, giving me a stern look.

“I’m keeping the cat,” I rebelliously whisper to Rolan, secretly thrilled when he gives me a small smile.

“Did you have many pets growing up, Drakul?” Lia asks.

I take a bite of stew, sucking thoughtfully on my spoon as I consider the question.  Rolan’s eyes track the motion of my lips, but he quickly looks away when I catch him watching.

“Mother allowed me a dire bat as a flying steed once I passed the Test of Lolth,” I answer.

“Truly?” Cal’s eyes are as wide as saucers.

“Fallon is a hideous, stubborn beast,” I say fondly, smiling at the thought of the giant bat.  “It took ages to get him accustomed to the bit and bridle… the trainer was going through two or three children a week for months.”

My smile fades as I notice that everyone – with the exception of Lae’zel and Astarion- has stopped eating.

“What?” I ask.  “What’s wrong?”

“You fed children to your dire bat?” Rolan looks positively green.

“Oh!  Of course not, silly.”  I pat his thigh reassuringly.  “They were the riders.  Fallon needed to get used to carrying someone and there are so very many commoner children in Menzoberranzen.  When one fell to his death the trainer would just pluck another from the masses.  I was never allowed a darthiir like my sisters were though…”

“I am almost afraid to ask,” Gale mumbles.  “A darthiir?”

“Yes,” I nod and gesture towards Astarion.  “You know… like him.  Darthiir.”

“People?” Lia squeaks.  “Your sisters kept people as pets?”

I frown.  “No, not people.  Elves.”

“So they were slaves then.”  Karlach scowls at me.

“Oh no, my sisters’ darthiir were treated much better than our slaves,” I assure her.

“My gods.”  Rolan nearly chokes on his bite of stew.

“Darling, if you keep talking I will kill you,” Astarion says, eyeing me calmy from across the campfire.

I smirk.  “You would try,” I retort, already reaching for the dagger hidden at the small of my back.

“Alright boys, you’re both pretty.”  Karlach glares at both of us.  “Now pull your claws back in.”

“I would kill him,” I whisper reassuringly to Rolan.

“Of course you would.”

I turn, ready to reprimand him for his patronizing tone, but stay silent when I notice the tiny smile on his lips. 

“You mentioned you had sisters, Drakul?” Cal asks, trying to fill the awkward silence.

I nod, finishing my list bite of stew.  “Seven sisters; six younger and my twin, K’tarai.”

Cal nudges Lia with his elbow and laughs.  “If they’re anything like this one I don’t envy you,” he jokes.

“I doubt they are,” I muse, pondering my sisters’ personalities.  “K’tarai ordered her first execution at the age of six, and Catriona attempted to assassinate our mother when she was just fourteen.  Mother survived though!” I reassure my companions, noticing their shocked looks.

“New rule!” Gale announces, clapping his hands.  “No more asking Drakul about his life.”

I frown at the others’ ready agreement.  “But I am fascinating.”

Rolan smothers a giggle behind his hand, and I don’t have the heart to be cross with him.

“Take a walk with me,” I murmur in his ear, gently stroking my hand up and down his spine.

He shivers under my touch.  “I don’t think -”

“Walk with me, my wizard,” I repeat.  “I’m selfish… allow me to steal you away from the others for just a short while.”

Rolan nods shyly in agreement and sets aside his empty bowl.  I stand first and offer him my hand, helping him to his feet.  We sneak away while the others are absorbed in conversation, and are almost to freedom when Gale catches the sleeve of my tunic. 

He tugs, urging me to bend low, and whispers in my ear.  “Step carefully, Drakul.  That lad doesn’t understand the game you are playing.”

I glance over at Rolan as he waits for me, anxiously twisting the fabric of his robes in his hands.  I don’t know what it is about this antagonistic and guarded tiefling, but for the first time in my life the cruel and manipulative games of my home hold no appeal.  I only feel the urge to cosset... to cherish... to protect.... to make him delirious with pleasure.

“As you say, Gale,” I assure him.

I quickly rejoin Rolan and offer him my arm, as if I am still in Menzoberranzen and he is a potential suitor.  He flushes a deep burgundy and hesitates, but soon enough his fingers wrap around my forearm, sending a thrill shooting through me.

“Shall we?”

[sterekfests]

Welcome to our Spring round of Sterek Fests! Sterek Spring Fest will run from March 3rd - April 6th in celebration of Spring, whether you are excited about the renewal of life and spring blooms or traveling for Spring Break, there’s a little something for everyone!

Check out our Rules and FAQs. 

We also have a Discord you can join.

How to Participate:

Participating in Sterek Spring Fest is easy and stress-free! This is a no-commitment fest where you can participate as little or as much as you want. Participate in one week and none of the others if you so fancy, or participate in all of them! There is no minimum word count for your fics. We have an AO3 Collection for you to post all of your creations in!  This fest is open to both Fic and Art, so create to your heart's content!

How to post:

You can post your creations to any website that you want, as long as they are viewable to the public, whether that’s Tumblr, LiveJournal, DreamWidth, or our AO3 Collection. @sterekfests so we see your creations to reblog them. We can only reblog on Tumblr and Re-Tweet on Twitter (we are @sterekfests on Twitter also).  If you post on another site other than Tumblr, Twitter, or Ao3, you can send us a link and we can post it here on the fest blog for you. Use the tags #sterekfestsspring2024, and #sterekfests for generic tags. For weekly tags: #sterekfestsbreak, #sterekfestsicecream, #sterekfestsbeach, #sterekfestspicnic, #sterekfestsharvest

Late Posting:

Late posting is always welcomed! The collection will stay open for late submissions. You can find our Summer, Fall, and Winter collections also if you’d like to add to those collections.

If you have any questions, feel free to send us an ask!

- Liam (@sterekbros) & Dori (@evanesdust)

Keep reading to see all the awesome Spring theme weeks ahead!

March 3 - 9: Spring Break

Spring break mode: activated! Stiles and Derek are ready to make some unforgettable memories. The plan? Maybe a road trip through the scenic routes of California. Or maybe they spend the week in a cabin in the woods, surrounded by nature's serenity. They could go hiking, take long walks, and at night, gather around a campfire, share stories, or just enjoy the peacefulness. It's all about stepping away from the usual hustle and bustle and reconnecting with each other and the great outdoors.

March 10 - 16: Ice Cream Crawl

What better way to beat the heat and stress of their supernatural lives than an ice cream crawl? Maybe Derek and Stiles spend their day hitting up different ice cream shops across Beacon Hills as they hunt for the most mouth-watering flavors. Or maybe they venture out of town, finding secret spots and hole-in-the-wall parlors, sampling the eclectic mix of frozen delights from vendors who boast an array of international and exotic ingredients. Either way, they're sure to map out a route that would make any sweet tooth swoon.

March 17 - 23: Beach

It’s time to ditch the winter blues and bring on the ultimate beach parties. Perhaps Derek and Stiles decide to make the most of their day building sandcastles together, or maybe they go for a swim and try boogie boarding? They could walk along the shore and collect unique seashells or relax on their beach towels and soak up the sun. Wherever you take Stiles and Derek this spring, they’re sure to be excited for their beach adventure, enjoying the sun, sand, and waves.

March 24 - 30: Picnic Anywhere

With Spring comes lush, vibrant landscapes filled with new life…and ants. There’s sun-warmed skin along with sweet fragrant flowers blooming, which means it’s time to have some Spring fun! Perhaps Stiles and Derek are having a picnic at the newly rebuilt Hale house, or are enjoying a meadow speckled with wildflowers in the preserve. It could be perfect or a complete disaster if it’s interrupted by Spring showers. Only you can share with us where Stiles and Derek are having picnics this Spring! 

March 31 - April 6: Spring Harvest Festival

Spring has arrived and it’s time to enjoy all the local harvest festivals have to offer! Maybe Stiles and Derek visit a local farmers market to check out the produce for the season, or they run a table or booth there. Perhaps Stiles and Derek are taking Eli to an Easter egg hunt with all the pack kids during a spring festival. There are so many options, including games, food, crafts, and anything else you can imagine that can be enjoyed during a Spring Festival! Show us what Stiles and Derek are doing this Spring!

@thebigbangblogproject @teenwolffandomevents @sterekevents

[quitealotofsodapop]

Wukongverse ships;

pretty much yeah!

Au!Shadowpeach is so married it hurts, while Canon!Shadowpeach are still building back up to being soulmates.

Ace and Joker (Jackpotshipping) are the Old gay married couple who have experienced every kind of high and low together, and insult eachother as a form of affection.

Peachbuds is "im in love with my best friend, but what about our friendship?" up until both of them admit their feelings in a whirlwind of tears and emotions. Awkward dramatic first kiss. Afterwards, its mutual dreams of being co-ruling-kings.

On Sugar + Spice (LinkedFacade) tho its more a QPR relationship. They value their friendship far above any romantic aspect.

Dasheng + Zhanshi (ReboundedHeroes) are raising kids together, and both have a mutual attraction. But its hard for them to say that they're together. Will refer to the other as their "husband/wife/mate" unprompted, but become flustered when asked how they feel about one another. Suddenly reminded of Loid and Yor from Spy x Family.

Smokey + Liang (fruitiedads), it starts out as "childhood rivals" to "uh oh, best pretend we're married so people don't ask too many questions about our kid." Sorta a "Buddy Daddies" vibe. It takes them a fair while to admit that they've been romantically attracted to one another for a long time. First kiss is probably one meant to be fake/for show, but they got too into it. First "real" kiss was at night by the pilgrims' campfire - Xiao Qi saw and woke everyone up with his delighted squeaking.

For the netflix Cherry and Olive (CherryandOliveStones); it starts out more like a mix of Disney's Hercules and Meg + April and Andy from Parks & Rec. Mutual fascination that has to learn to work through pride. The kid comes in later after Olive joins the pilgrims. Cherry melts like a gotdang ice cube every single time Olive kisses him, could be the 2nd or 1000th smooch; this monkey offline. Marriage only gets brought up cus of royal legal benefits (also useful for deterring would be suitors).

[verai-marcel]

Your Hearth Is My Home (BG3 Fanfic, Astarion x Female Reader, Part 16 of ?)

Summary, Notes, Tags, & Part 1 are here.

Act I - Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12

Act II - Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15

AO3 Link is here, my dear.

Word Count: 4275

————————————

Act II, Chapter 4 - The Portal

The next morning, Karlach was sitting at the campfire, waiting very impatiently for you to wake up.

“C’mon, c’mon! Let’s go see if Dammon can fix up my engine!”

You smiled at her. She was like a kid in her excitement. Getting up and throwing on your day clothes, you left camp in a rush, pulling on your gloves as you went.

“Why do you always wear those gloves outside of camp?” she asked.

You shrugged. “Habit.”

Karlach looked at you, tipping her head to get you to continue. You ignored her.

“Alright. Keep your secrets.”

“I will, thank you,” you said with a grin.

Dammon was waving to the two of you as you arrived at the forge. He explained what he had done, and how Karlach needed to install the piece.

You watched with academic interest as she opened up her chest and installed the insulating chamber to her heart engine.

“Did… did it work?” she asked as she stared at her hands.

“Only one way to find out.” Dammon held up a hand. “Go on. Give us your hand.”

Tentatively, Karlach reached out to him. Slowly, she placed her palm against his.

He didn’t burn. He only smiled at her. “Damn. I’m good. And you… you’re very touchable.”

You held back a snicker.

Karlach looked at you. “I can touch people again!” Her face was lit up like a summer sky, her happiness filling you with so much joy that it overflowed your heart. Unable to help yourself, you leapt up and gave her a big hug.

Laughing and squealing with cheer, she swung you around a few times, easily holding you up like you weighed as much as a feather.

“I can’t wait to hug everyone!” she cried out.

“Wait,” Dammon said, his face turning serious. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

***

Walking back to camp, you glanced over at Karlach, who was clearly processing Dammon’s news. You didn’t know what else to do, other than hold her hand the whole way back. You had your gloves on so you couldn’t pry into her emotions, but you could tell from her expression that she was quickly digesting it and moving on.

I’m not sure that’s healthy for her emotionally, but maybe she’s handling it better than I would have.

“Who are you going to hug first?” you asked, hopefully getting her mind off of her future for the time being.

“I don’t know…” She tapped her chin. “Although it’d be real funny if I hugged Lae’zel first!”

As the two of you entered camp, hand in hand, you noted everyone’s reaction.

Gale did a comically exaggerated double take. Really? He’s such a dork sometimes.

Lae’zel and Shadowheart raised an eyebrow. Those two are more alike than they realize.

Astarion glanced at your joined hands and smirked. Oh, I bet he’s got loads of quips in his head right now.

And Wyll smiled and immediately came up to the two of you, holding out his arms. You let go of Karlach and not so subtly pushed her towards him.

He picked her up and held her tightly. “I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time.”

Karlach and Wyll seemed like they were in their own world, so you walked past them quietly to get breakfast made. As they finally joined everyone at the campfire, she told everyone about her heart and her future choices.

“But we’ll worry about that when the time comes,” she said when she saw the concerned looks on some of their faces. “For now, let’s figure out what’s goin’ on with these tadpoles in our heads. Then I can go home.”

They planned to head to a mausoleum in the old ruined town south of the inn called Reithwin town. You bundled up some snacks for them and wished them luck. 

***

A little past midday, you saw a familiar face. 

“Arabella?” 

You recalled the little tiefling girl from the party, where her parents had been coddling her and profusely thanking the group for rescuing her. The fact that she was here alone did not bode well. 

The base of your spine tingled. It felt cold. 

Oh no. This isn't good. 

She told you that the others had saved her from the shadow cursed while she was looking for her parents. They had told her they would look for them. 

You glanced up at Withers, who subtly shook his head. 

Godsdammit.

“Well, while you wait for them, why don't you come help me with some chores?”

She shrugged. “Sure, I guess.”

***

Arabella soon grew bored of helping with your chores, as most children do, and split her time between playing with the animals and bothering Withers with inane questions. You eventually took her to the inn to play with the other tiefling children while you helped out around the building. 

After a few hours, you saw the party return, Halsin leading with an old, battered lute in hand. He headed straight for the room where the Flaming Fist were staying. He looked determined, an elf on a mission.

You fell in step with the others and followed him, wanting to see what had gotten the usually calm archdruid into such a state.

Halsin held out the lute to the semi-conscious man on the bed, talking softly with him. The man didn’t seem to respond, and even strumming a few strings didn’t do much beyond getting his focus for a few brief moments before he fell into delirium once more.

What if…

You quietly backed away from the group and went to the bar.

“Alfira!”

She turned to you. “Yes, what is it?”

“Could you come help us? We need someone who can play a lute.”

She grinned. “Well, I might know someone.” 

Returning to Halsin with the bard in tow, you tapped him on the arm and gestured towards Alfira. “Can she play?”

He nodded and smiled at you. “Great idea.” Handing the lute over to the tiefling, he stepped back and allowed her to stand beside the bed. After listening to his broken song for a few minutes, she began to play the same song on the lute.

You watched as the man, who you learned was named Art Cullagh, slowly came back to the present, his fragmented mind reconnecting the dots of reality with each strum of the lute. When he sat up, looking around at everyone with clarity in his gaze, Alfira handed back the lute to him and wished him well before excusing herself.

“Thank you,” you called out to her as she left.

“Any time,” she replied as she smiled at you.

You turned back to the conversation before you, learning about the next steps in Halsin’s quest to save Thaniel.

“A portal?”

Halsin nodded. He turned to everyone. “Whenever you are all ready to help, I can summon a portal and get Thaniel out of the Shadowfell. But I’ll need your help to guard it. If the enemy comes and shatters the portal before I return…”

He didn’t need to elaborate. Everyone nodded.

As they all began to head out of the building and back to camp, you spoke up. I have to confirm, even though I'm pretty sure Withers was right. “Did… did you find Arabella’s parents?”

When all of their faces fell, you knew they had. And it wasn’t good.

“No!”

You turned around to see that Arabella had been eavesdropping.

Dammit, I thought she was with the other children.

She looked to be on the verge of tears. “I saw you all, so I came to ask… But… it can’t be. No! I refuse to believe it!” Taking off in a sprint, she left the building faster than you could speak up.

Chasing after her, you saw her taking the path back to camp. A bit relieved, you followed her, keeping her in sight, making sure that she made it back safely. The rest of the party followed at a more sedate pace.

Reaching the campsite, you saw that the girl was sitting with her arms around her knees, staring out at the water next to Withers. Looking at his stone-faced expression, you only shared a nod before turning away, letting her process the news. 

You went about your usual chores, mending and cleaning while letting the stew pot do its thing, but in the back of your mind, you wondered if you could repeat your off-the-cuff cooking cantrip that you had accidentally sang in the Grymforge. While part of you enjoyed letting the food slowly simmer and accumulate its flavor, you knew that the others were probably hungry.

Dropping off the pile of armor and clothes to be cleaned next to your bedroll, you took off your gloves and went up to the pot and stared at it.

Alright, here goes.

Your hands hovered over the simmering water as you hummed, trying to remember exactly what you had done last time. Knowing that it wasn’t quite right, you still managed to make something happen as greenish-yellow lines sprung from your fingers, and you weaved a spell with your voice.

Dropping the magical web down onto the pot, you were surprised to suddenly see the simmering water go eerily still.

You peered into the pot curiously.

A tingle shot through your spine, and you reared your head back just as a fountain of stew shot from the pot, steaming and boiling in the air before landing straight back in, liquid splashing over the sides and scalding your hands. You hissed in pain.

Shadowheart called your name as she rushed over. Taking your hands, she cast a light heal on you.

“Careful, that nearly hit you in the face,” she said, taking a handkerchief and wiping the stew off your skin.

You smiled at her, a bit embarrassed at how badly your spell had backfired. “I know. Thank you.” You glanced over at your stew. “It… might be done?”

It smelled good. You grabbed the ladle from where it had landed on the ground, cleaned it with magic, and tasted the stew. “Yup, it’s done.”

“A dangerous way to make dinner faster,” Gale commented. “But effective nonetheless.”

“You could market that as dinner and a show,” Wyll joked.

Rolling your eyes, you started to serve up the meal.

Afterward, everyone began to prepare for the next day. Sharpening weapons, sparring with each other, reading up on spells… You finished with everyone’s clothes and set them by their tents as usual before heading over to Halsin, who was staring out across the water, deep in thought. You were worried for him most of all.

“Halsin,” you said quietly, reaching up to touch his arm. He felt determined, unshakeable as a mighty tree. Yet there was a hint of fear, but it didn’t seem to be for him. “How are you feeling?”

He turned to you, a gentle smile on his features. “I won't lie, I am a bit nervous. Traveling into the Shadowfell is no easy task. I’ve studied for years, beseeching the Oak Father for his blessing. I pray that we will have his favor come morning.”

You nodded. “I’m hoping that everything goes smoothly. Who will go with you?”

“I must go alone.”

You gasped. “What? Why?”

“The portal is maintained with my power, and the more people that go into it, the more it will drain me. If I’m to have a chance at finding Thaniel and bring him home, I need to go in with as much strength as possible.”

You nodded. That made sense. “So everyone else will be defending the portal?”

“Yes. The moment it opens, the shadow-cursed will swarm it, trying to destroy it. If they succeed…” 

He didn’t need to say more. You reached for his hand and held it tight. “I trust our friends. They’ll make sure you come back safely.” You smiled. “And I’ll make sure there’s a nice meal waiting for you when you return.”

He smiled back. “That’s more than enough incentive to return.” Halsin let go of your hand and held his arms out for a hug, and you gladly let him wrap his big arms around you.

“You’re stronger than you know,” he murmured.

You pulled back, observing the knowing look in his gaze. “What do you know that I don’t?”

He grinned. “There’s a power inside of you, older than even me, and I’m more than three centuries old. I can’t quite place it, but it’s there, within you. You just need to learn how to harness it.”

Frowning, you instinctively reached for your back, but quickly pretended to scratch your shoulder instead. “If you say so,” you said, putting your hands in your lap and wringing them together. He must be sensing something else, not actual power. I’ve never done anything other than cantrips.

He patted you on the head, and you felt a fondness, like a big brother ruffling your hair. “One day, little witch. You’ll find your magic.”

***

Returning to camp, you rolled Halsin’s words around in your head, but they made zero sense. 

An old power? Inside me? Maybe he’s sensing the seal my mother placed on me. There’s nothing else it could be.

You tried to put together the pieces of knowledge that you knew from what your mother had told you. You had an eladrin ancestor somewhere in the past, it was why your ears were a bit pointy. An eclectic form of magic, based solely on song, was what you had learned from your mother, who had learned it from hers, and so on and so forth, passed down through the generations.

From your father, you had learned a bit about the different planes. Baator, Shadowfell, Feywild, the Astral Sea, and their denizens. You had never really thought about why your father, so learned in these things, was living in a small village in the middle of nowhere, but you were thankful for the knowledge. If not for his random lessons while you were growing up, you would have never known about the githyanki, devils, demons, pixies, and other extraplanar beings.

It has to be the seal. It must be some kind of ancient spell she put on me. But for what purpose? Other than giving me weird premonitions.

Perhaps it was a protection spell? It had certainly saved you from bodily injury a few times at this point.

You had been in your head so thoroughly that you had walked past your bedroll and towards the other side of camp, your foot nearly stepping off the shoreline and into the murky water. You stepped backwards and felt a presence at your back.

“Still can’t sense a damn thing, can you?”

You turned to see Astarion smirking at you.

Godsdammit, can’t you come talk to me like a normal person? “Can I help you?”

“You’ve already helped me plenty, my dear,” he said. He pulled out his dagger, gesturing towards yours on your belt. “I’m returning the favor.”

You sighed. “Alright. Go easy on me.”

Pulling out your dagger, you attacked, a clumsy lunge, a graceless swing. For five minutes, he effortlessly deflected every one of your strikes.

Then he began to hum.

Confused, you continued to attack. There was no power in his song, but somehow, he seemed to be even more nimble as he dodged and spun away from your flimsy attempts to stab him.

“Your turn,” he finally said.

“Huh?”

“Hum something while you attack.”

You raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

“Just indulge me.”

Sighing, you thought of a faster tempo song and began to hum. Focusing on the song while striking at him over and over, you stopped thinking, and started to just act and react on instinct. Like the flow of a melody, you slashed, parried, jabbed, and finally, felt like you had made progress when you grabbed Astarion’s wrist, twisted his arm, and dipped in close, pointing your blade at his throat.

“Not bad,” he said, beads of sweat slowly dripping down his forehead. 

Then you felt a tapping on your belly. You looked down to see his other hand, wielding a second, shorter dagger, pointed at your gut.

“But I would have eviscerated you before you got this close.” He tapped the flat edge of the dagger against your belt.

Sighing in defeat, you stepped away from him and put your dagger back into its sheath. “Well, at least I got closer.”

“Did music help?”

You nodded. “Yes. I… I hadn’t thought of that. It was like I stopped overthinking about my next move and just reacted.”

“Good girl,” he murmured, patting your head. You felt that fondness, but it was different from what you had felt with Halsin. This one seemed like…

No. There’s no way.

You pulled away, tired of getting mixed messages. “Thank you for helping me,” you said quietly as you glanced back at your bedroll. “I’d better get some sleep.” You started to turn away.

“Wait.”

You turned back to him. “Yes?”

“I…” He paused for a moment. “Tomorrow morning. We’ll be helping with this”—he gestured dismissively—“portal thing.”

“I heard.”

“So…” He looked up at you and then looked away, clearing his throat. “Don’t do anything stupid. I’ll be hungry when I return.”

You smiled. You miscommunicating idiot. “I’ll keep that in mind.” On a whim, you stepped up to him and patted him on the head, the same way he did to you. “Stay safe, kitty cat.”

He caught your hand and held it close to his chest. His gaze bore into you, two scarlet irises focused fully on you. “You do the same, kitten.”

Thrown off by his intensity, you blinked and backed away, pulling your hand gently from his grasp and smiling to hide your sudden nerves. “Of course. Good night.”

“Sweet dreams, darling,” he said, but you were already heading towards your bedroll.

I’m not running away. I’m not.

***

The next morning, everyone headed off to a small rock outcropping that was just outside of Isobel’s barrier. You went to the inn to help out with laundry and potion making, since a shipment of goods had just arrived, and many of the guards had been injured to get the shipment here.

As the day progressed, you could tell something was wrong. The tingling at the base of your spine was growing stronger with every passing minute. In the past, a tingling would just make your mind churn with anxiety, and you usually calmed down after distracting yourself with some chores. That was before you began having these stronger inklings, and their strength kept increasing as you spent more time with your companions.

This time, the feeling would not go away, even after peeling all of the potatoes in the galley.

You stepped out of the Last Light Inn, your gaze turning north towards the spot where Halsin had opened the portal. You weren’t sure how things were going, but your heart kept telling you to go have a look.

Don’t do anything stupid. I’ll be hungry when I return.

You knew it was his roundabout way of telling you to stay safe and hidden away.

Your seal kept tingling. Fine, I’ll just go take a peek.

As you made your way over to the edge of the shield, your heart began to drop. Shadows and the shadow-cursed were swarming a shining portal, covered in crackling lightning. And in front of the portal, the party was fighting desperately, defending it to the last. 

You could tell that the spellcasters were down to only cantrips, their power weakening as they grew exhausted. The fighters kept swinging their weapons, but the sheer number of enemies was forcing them back, step by step.

You didn’t see Astarion, and started to peer around, looking for him. It wasn’t until Karlach made a big shove, forcing two shadow-cursed away from her, that you could see a bit beyond. On the ground in the front of the portal, you saw one pale elf, clutching his side.

Your feet began to move before your mind caught up. As soon as you left the safety of the shield, you could feel the shadow curse filling your lungs, but you didn’t care. You had to get to the group.

You had to get to him.

Claws of darkness scratched you as you passed, lines of crimson leaking into your clothes as you took cut after cut. But you pushed through and to everyone’s surprise, made it to the top of the rock overlook.

“What are you doing here?” Karlach yelled as she grabbed your arm and practically tossed you behind her.

You paid her no mind. Immediately kneeling down where Astarion lay, you pulled up your sleeve, exposing one of the deeper cuts on your arm, and forced it into his mouth.

“Drink, dammit,” you cried.

The sounds of the battle behind you became muted as you watched his eyelids flutter. His lips moved, and then through sheer instinct, he latched onto your wound and began to drink. You winced at the sharp pain of his fangs penetrating your skin, the pull of blood into his mouth. But after half a minute, he let you go and opened his eyes.

“You idiot,” he rasped as he sat up. He looked terrible, wounds on every limb, claw marks raking his chest.

“I know,” you replied, and slowly stood up, turning to the shadows.

In the back of your mind, you had a thought.

Closing your eyes, diving into your memories, you recalled that specific song from your mother, the one she had only taught you phonetically. A melody to shield against the long cold nights, a hymn that traveled beyond Evermeet, beyond the Trackless Sea.

It was a song you had sung a thousand times, and nothing had ever happened. But you felt that maybe, just maybe, something would happen if you just sang it one more time.

What if it doesn't work? It's never done anything before. 

But it has to. I need it to work.

Taking a deep breath, you imagined a barrier, much like the silvery shield of Isobel, and began to sing.

As if the world suddenly paused, the sounds of battle quieted. You weren’t sure if it was because you were so focused on your song, but it sounded as if the hordes of the undead were moving farther and farther away.

You opened your eyes. A golden aura was before you, pushing back the darkness, giving the others a chance to breathe as the shadow creatures slammed against the shield. With one particularly strong hit, you felt one of your cuts bloom in pain, a burning slice into your skin, and you gasped in agony.

The shield crackled and began to fade. 

Oh shit. 

Ignoring the pain, you sang, and sang, and sang, until the barrier grew strong and bright once more. Until your voice was hoarse and your throat was raw. Until you felt like you were being flayed alive with each strike, the shield taking its power directly from your body. Your cuts bled, the searing pain intensifying with each passing lyric. But you would not, could not stop your song. It flowed out of you like water over a cliff, unstoppable.

Until finally from behind you, the portal crackled and shattered. You felt a familiar presence behind you.

“Well done,” Halsin said.

Smiling, you ended the song on a single triumphant note.

The shadow cursed had disappeared, and vestiges of the enemy lay around a golden perimeter that slowly faded as the barrier created by your song faded away. You felt exhausted, but also elated. You had helped. 

The others turned to you, and they all immediately gave you a strange look.

“What?” you croaked.

Astarion tipped his head towards your reflection in the water. “Take a look at yourself.”

You walked to the edge of the water and gasped. Your ears had grown pointier. Your skin had become tawny brown, and your hair had turned into waves of auburn red, streaked with strands of gold and orange. And your eyes, gods, they glowed like the setting sun. You looked as if the whole of the autumn season had manifested in you.

As your magic faded, you began to look like yourself again, but the image was burned into your memory.

The last memory of your mother as she sang this exact song, her form looking exactly like one of the legends she had told you as a child: The autumn form of the fey eladrin, the folk from the feywilds who spoke and sang in Sylvan, the predecessor of Elvish. 

You turned back to the others. There were smiles all around, but you could tell they were definitely tired. Shadowheart pulled out the last arcane potion from her belt and quickly drank it. 

“Vos cura!”

A blue glow suffused the area around the group, and everyone felt their wounds heal somewhat.

Except for you. You felt nothing except for Astarion’s bite mark heal on your arm. Curious.

“Let’s head back to camp,” Gale announced, hovering next to Shadowheart, his eyes assessing her condition. “We could all use a rest.”

The others began to walk away with Halsin, who was carrying the boy in his arms. Only Astarion remained by your side, guarding you. He held out his arm to you, as if he was escorting you to a ball.

You smiled. It was a kind gesture, and though you knew he did it to be playful, you also knew that he wouldn’t have offered if he didn’t care.

You reached out for him.

Then your world tilted.

And everything went dark.

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

Chapter End Notes: I have been waiting and WAITING to post this chapter, I’ve had the portal portion written since chapter three, just infilling the story to get to this point. I’m so happy to finally share this chapter with you. I hope it was worth the wait! Let me know what you think in the comments!

And let me know if you want to be on the tag list so you get notified of the next chapter release! (I usually post on Thursday nights, but I may be delayed here and there because of that darn real life thing getting in the way)

Tag List: @numblytemporary @xalphafox @avitute @stormyjane7

[cilil]

What would the Valar’s reaction be to a modern woman from our world showing them D&D? Who’s going to be really into the game?

𝓐𝓝 ~ Oooh very interesting question! Thanks a lot for the ask, I had so much fun thinking about this ^^

𝓕𝓮𝓪𝓽𝓾𝓻𝓲𝓷𝓰 ~ All the Valar! I couldn't resist... Enjoy!

In general, I think that all the Valar would be at least curious, if not excited to hear about the games modern humans play and try it out for themselves, considering how the Ainur have always been looking forward to interacting with the Children of Ilúvatar.

⊹ ࣪ ˖ Manwë

As a poet and writer, he's immediately in love with the concept of collaborative storytelling. You can expect elaborate worldbuilding and character backstories from him (especially ones that involve reconciling with an estranged sibling) and he loves to write small side stories and fanfic about the cast. Manwë also wouldn't mind being the group's forever DM once he learns how to run a game.

⊹ ࣪ ˖ Varda

Being less excitable than her husband and not always in a playful mood, Varda may choose to watch at first, but she's certainly intrigued by the concept of D&D and she enjoys the mathematical aspects of it, always calculating everybody's chance of success. Once she decides to play, she may surprise the other players with how ruthless and cunning she can be - a menace both in political intrigue and combat-heavy campaigns. Varda also loves seeing Manwë and the others having fun.

⊹ ࣪ ˖ Ulmo

Ulmo in particular is always very fond of the Children and the things they come up with. He too may be hesitant to join in at first, but he's always down to do some voice acting or provide some tasteful background music. If he joins the group, he'll probably need the occasional explanation and reminder how things work on land and that his character might not be able to swim as well as he can (keep an eye on him especially if he plays a class that uses armor).

⊹ ࣪ ˖ Aulë

If he isn't sold on the game immediately, he will be once you tell him that he can play a dwarf. Aside from storytelling, combat and roleplay, Aulë swiftly becomes fond of everyone's favorite shiny math rocks and is more than happy to make custom dice for everybody's characters, satisfying all their dice goblin needs. Important note for the DM: Aulë is an inventor and (in)famous for creating his dwarves in his workshop - do not let him play an artificer if you value your sanity.

⊹ ࣪ ˖ Yavanna

Whether she's aware of tree hugger stereotype or not, she has absolutely no shame and will indulge her preferences by playing nature-based classes such druids or shamans and finds it cathartic to bring nature's wrath into battle in ways she can't in real life. Aside from indulging the occasional destructive or vengeful impulse, Yavanna may default to being the party mom, fiercely protective and supportive of everyone involved in and out of game.

⊹ ࣪ ˖ Vána

Vána loves the concept of the game and is eager to play. Once she learns the basics, she gets really into character and is excited to play with ideas that are very much unlike the flower girl persona people expect from her, always remaking and reinventing tropes and archetypes that catch her fancy. Like Manwë, you can expect her to never miss a game and be very passionate about it.

⊹ ࣪ ˖ Oromë

Talking about and imagining slaying monsters instead of actually doing it isn't exactly to Oromë's liking, but he isn't opposed to indulging in a fun tale of adventure on cozy evenings at the campfire. After he's been sufficiently introduced to D&D culture, memes and inside jokes, he embarks on a personal side campaign to prove to everyone just how cool his personal brand of ranger can be.

⊹ ࣪ ˖ Tulkas

Similar to his good friend Oromë, Tulkas isn't fond of activities that involve sitting still. His creativity and imagination isn't the best either, but at least he's always willing to play frontline and martial classes, which will come in handy especially in groups where most players have their sights on fancy casters and/or fun support builds. Tulkas is a fun guy to be around if you don't piss him off and so are his characters.

⊹ ࣪ ˖ Nessa

Like her brother and husband, Nessa also enjoys being active. If she decides to give the game a try, she's very expressive, gestures a lot and may act out small scenes if given the chance. As fun as this is during roleplay, sitting close to her during combat segments while she shows you how exactly she's smacking her enemies is not recommended, especially if she plays a monk.

⊹ ࣪ ˖ Námo

Námo isn't known for his playfulness, however this doesn't mean he's opposed to engaging with the game. In fact, he quite enjoys slipping into a different role and mindset for a while - having to be the impartial judge and observer all the time can be tiring after all. Another aspect of D&D he may enjoy is, surprisingly enough, the element of randomness: His foresight allows him to know the future, but not every little detail, and a couple of dice rolls in a roleplaying game are probably not important prophecies Eru gave him. It may feel refreshing for Námo to be surprised.

⊹ ࣪ ˖ Vairë

No matter how casual any given session is, Vairë arrives in full cosplay, really getting into character creation like Manwë does as well, though as usual she's more practical about it. Additionally, she keeps a cute notebook as a campaign journal in which she records all the fun little details and great moments the players experienced together. She also enjoys creating fan content for the campaign.

⊹ ࣪ ˖ Irmo

Irmo has quite a vivid imagination and has always adored roleplaying, so he's immediately on board. It's by far his favorite part of the D&D experience, though he quickly finds that he enjoys combat and puzzle solving sequences as well. He's the one to initiate and drive a lot, if not most of the character interactions, helps advancing their character arcs and is just a joy to have at the table. Class-wise, he's definitely a bard player and will happily perform his songs and flirtatious lines in real life too.

⊹ ࣪ ˖ Estë

It may come as a shock and surprise to the other players that Estë categorically refuses to be the party healer, at least on her first playthrough. Like Vána, she's eager to explore other roles through her characters. No matter what she decides to play, her character may strike up an in-game rivalry with Irmo's character to spice things up and both of them have way too much fun bickering.

⊹ ࣪ ˖ Nienna

She most likely takes a back seat at first, letting others play the game, observing to learn the rules and quietly enjoying the stories they tell. Encouraged by her family, Nienna joins in eventually, provided she's currently in the right headspace for it (being the Lady of Grief, she sometimes feels mentally and emotionally exhausted, in which case she prefers to just sit there, relax and unwind by being in the presence of her loved ones). As a player, she enjoys roleplaying the most, but also does well with puzzles since she's a keen observer and listener.

⊹ ࣪ ˖ Melkor

Well. Melkor is most certainly going to be that guy at the table. He likes to derail campaigns, especially if they're Manwë's, tests the limits of the rules (and everyone's patience) and wants kills and loot. Once he familiarizes himself with the game's mechanics, he exploits them and likes to powergame. The one concept Melkor has trouble grasping is that D&D isn't a game you play to "win". Simply put, he very much has fun, but isn't fun to play with for a lot of other players; however, if you want to play a meme or evil campaign, he's your guy.

Side note: If Melkor plays with his own friend group he may also chill out for once.

Side note 2: Don't let him DM unless, again, you want the kind of campaign he'll come up with.

Side note 3: Watch your shiny math rocks. Melkor likes shiny.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

taglist: @a-contemplation-upon-flowers @asianbutnotjapanese @a-world-of-whimsy-5 @bluezenzennie @edensrose @i-did-not-mean-to @melkors-big-tits @melkors-defense-attorney @singleteapot @wandererindreams

[echos-girlfriend]

Am I not good enough?

Tech x reader

Master list

~_~_~_~

You overhear Crosshair teasing tech about how smart you are. Tech takes offense and calls you an idiot in front of you without realizing it.

~_~_~_~

Warning: angst with happy ending/slight love confessions

~_~_~_~

“It’s funny how she fixes the ship’s hyperdrive faster than you sometimes”

You stopped right by the doorway. You made sure no one saw you though.

Tech didn’t say anything but his face looked annoyed.

“She’s says a lot of big words like tech does. She’s pretty smart like him”

Wrecker clearly didn’t understand that Crosshair was trying to get under Tech’s skin. You did smile subconsciously at wrecker’s compliment.

“It looks like someone is jealous.”

Tech just sulked at Crosshair

“What? Loth cat got your tongue.. are you just embarrassed to admit that there’s someone as smart as you”

You thought he was getting a little too harsh and stepped into the doorway to stop Crosshair.

“She’s nothing compared to me! I can program anything and she can’t! She’s an idiot when it comes to most tasks I can do!”

You were absolutely dumbfounded. Tech was the kindest to you. He Aldiss offered advice and taught you all kinds of things.. why would he say that now.

“Um.. tech-“

Echo tried to tell tech you were standing in the doorway but tech interrupted him.

“In fact, I’m insulted you would compare her skills to mine”

Now it was crosshairs turn to stop tech. He grabbed his brothers shoulder and made him turn around.

He then came face to face with you.. everyone was quiet. Tech’s face scrunched in disbelief. You just stood there with a frown on your face and your arms wrapped around you.

“At least you’re honest”

You turned around and stalked to the makeshift campfire outside. Tech was still standing there. He acted out of anger and it ended up hurting you.

Tech needed to fix this but he didn’t know how.. his brothers all left him to his lonesome. He figured they knew he needed to do this himself.

He made his way outside.

“Can you come inside please? I need your help..”

“You need my help or are you just trying to brush off the bullshit you said?”

“Neither.. I’m trying to apologize but. Im not good at it. None of us have had many interactions with people..”

“And that’s an excuse..?”

“Not entirely. I know you understand because you don’t sound that angry..”

“Are you just.. annoyed? Do you feel challenged by my presence?”

“I will admit. Since you’ve joined our team I feel.. less needed. We all had the thing that made us unique or useful but.. it seems me and you have the same gift. And it’s more impressive for you to have your intelligence because you weren’t engineered to be that way. You are actually gifted..”

“Tech.. you are gifted. There are many things I can’t do.. like you said. Which brings me to my final question.. am I not good enough for you?”

“Not good enough? What do you mean?”

“Am I not smart enough to be with you..”

“Be with me?… oh. Oh my. I”

“Yes tech. I want to be with you.. I’ve had a crush on you for a long time.. I admire your intelligence.. but if you don’t think I’m good enough-“

He cut you off by slamming his lips to yours. It was gentle but passionate.

“My dear.. it wouldn’t matter if you were smarter than me or had no knowledge of any technology.. I’ve always loved you.. but my insecurities got the best of me.. I lashed out. And I hurt you..”

“Tech.. it’s somewhat my fault.. I told Crosshair I had a crush on you.. and he was trying to get under your skin. Im sorry”

“You don’t have to be sorry.. now I did actually need your help. My hands are too big to reach the wiring”

You giggled loudly and grabbed his hand, pulling him inside the ship with you.

“And I want your help.. with social interaction and communication..”

“Well let’s start with calling it.. conversation”

You smiled and you both got to work.

~_~_~_~