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samfkiszka · 3 months

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Paper Bag: Chapter One

Vampire!Jake Kiszka x F!Reader

Hunger Hurts, and I want him so bad, oh, it kills…

★・・・・・・★

Forced to move back to your father's hometown the summer before your first year at college, you had resided yourself to the fact that the next few months were going to suck.

But that was before you were reacquainted with Danny next door. And before you got a brand new job at a dusty old bookstore run by an eccentric old woman. And before Jake walked into said bookstore, poised to turn your entire world upside down.

Word count: 7,169

Warnings (for this chapter): Light cursing, very vague mentions of a grandparent's passing, maybe some slight spelling errors… (that's literally it)

Chapter 2

Master list

taglist form if you’re interested <3

★・・・・・・★

The incessant whining of a nagging mosquito awakens you from your daydream of sunnier places and brings you back to reality; the reality that you were moving thousands of miles away from your quaint beach town to the vast green that sped past you now. Your father was busy droning on and on about how good this change was going to be. You had to stick your head out the window to stop from losing it inside the interior of his brand new car, a gift from his equally brand new job that had moved him back to his hometown. Sure, you knew deep down you were only going to be there for a summer, and then thankfully it was off to college. Three grueling months of living in this damp swamp that was being passed off as a town. Smacking the side of your neck, you pull your hand back to glance at the gruesome sight. The mosquito twitches involuntarily in your palm, surely a reaction to its untimely and swift death. You could already feel the tingling itch rising up, and by the splatter of blood drying in your hand you knew it was too late. With a sigh, you roll your windows up and turn back your dad who was grinning entirely too much for your liking.

“Can you at least pretend to be happy about this? I know you’re only going to be here for a few months, but I would appreciate it if you tried.”

“I just don’t see why you couldn’t have waited until after I moved out,” you grumbled. This had been a source of tension between the two of you for quite a while now. It wasn’t like you were going to make any friends. Without the help of school you were going to be utterly alone for the next summer. You already missed your friends deeply, longing to see them as soon as possible. But unless they could somehow save up enough for the cross country flight, it seemed to you that you were doomed to a summer of absolutely nothing.

“I know it’s tough. But try to be a little understanding. You used to come here all the time with me to visit Grandma and Grandpa, remember?” He looks away from the road for a second, his face painted with hope. His smile falls when he sees the angry look you’ve been sporting for the entirety of the ride from the airport. “Come on, please, just… cut me some slack. This is going to be great for both of us.”

You hum in response, not knowing what else to say. He sighs, gripping the steering wheel and clearing his throat as the car pulls into a gravel driveway leading to a house that is simply too big for the two of you. It was the kind of house meant for a much larger family, and in its youth that was exactly what resided between its brick walls. Your father, along with his many siblings, spent their youth terrorizing your poor grandparents until they grew up, leaving them alone. Your grandfather’s bird feeder still inhabits the front porch that you had spent many a summer afternoon occupying. You were certain that the room you had always slept in when you visited, the room that was now expressly yours, would be the exact same as it was in your childhood. Just as this house had seemed untouched by time, as did every neighboring one.

Your father, obviously attempting to get back on your good side has hauled what little bags you had packed up the porch steps, setting them down to unlock the door. Thanks to his arrival merely a week before yours, mostly everything had been unpacked. You were silently grateful that you would not have to spend days unpacking painful memories. Not that you were in the mood to thank your father for anything in particular right now. All that was left to do was sulk in your new, yet familiar, bedroom. But before you had the chance to angrily stomp up the stairs, the old doorbell that you didn’t even know existed rang out through the house. You peer past the entry way as your dad heaves the heavy oak door open, revealing a slightly familiar face.

“Hello, Daniel.” Your father welcomes the boy in, seeming exasperated at his appearance. If this Daniel had noticed it, he simply ignored it, grinning ear to ear and surveying the room.

“Danny,” he corrected swiftly before continuing, “I was just wondering if-”

As if your father could read minds he waves in your general direction, answering Danny.

“She’s here. Not in the best of moods, but-”

“I can hear you.” You interject, striding into the room and taking Danny’s appearance in. He was wearing a shirt that seemed too small for him, and his remedy for this was clearly chopping the sleeves off. He was too tan for the apparent lack of sun in this town, and he took every opportunity to flash his perfect teeth at you.

“Hey! It’s nice to finally see you again!” He reaches his hand out and you take it hesitantly. His skin is far too warm considering it was barely sixty degrees outside.

“Again?”

“You remember the Wagners, don’t you honey?” Your dad casually drops the name as if it would enlighten you any further. It’s not like you had ever spent longer than a week here. Of course you didn’t remember the Wagners.

“I’m Danny, I live across the street from your grandparents- well, from you guys,” He offered, dropping your hand and casually stuffing his back into the pockets of his shorts, “You used to hang out with my sister when you were younger.”

You rack your brain, trying to pull up any memory that would help. You get vague flashes of a boy your age, somehow recalling a sister slightly younger than the two of you that you always preferred to play with.

“Oh!” You gasp, feigning surprise and hoping it satiates both him and your father, “Yes Danny and Josie. Of course I remember you two.”

“Daniel has been stopping by all week asking when you’d be here,” Your dad mumbles to you, and if this information embarrassed Danny he surely doesn’t let it show. As if tired of this boy’s presence, your father drifts out of the room leaving just the two of you to talk.

“Sorry about all that,” you mumble apologetically, “I’ve been in a shitty mood all day, I think I set him off.”

“No, It’s definitely my fault. I really have been bugging him all week,” Danny laughs so effortlessly that it almost puts you at ease. Maybe you weren't as friendless as you thought you’d be. “Josie went to summer camp this summer and I’ve been insanely bored,” he explains.

“You didn’t go with her?”

“Nah, too old. Kinda thought I’d stay here and cause a bunch of trouble,” he laughs easily again, “Plus, I’ve got a summer job down at the golf course. Certified cart boy,” he finished with a sense of unearned pride and you bite back a laugh that was sure to come off as harsh.

And in all honesty, a summer job didn’t seem like an awful idea. Sure, you knew it was a bad idea to set down roots considering you were leaving soon enough; but, could it really hurt to make a few friends? To have a reason to get out of the house every day? And it’s not like a little extra cash wouldn’t help.

“Are they still hiring?” You ask, your voice laced with hope.

“No,” he frowns, looking sincerely sorry that he won’t be able to offer you a job. “But I heard the bookstore down on Sun Avenue is looking for a cashier, ” He added with another pearly white grin.

Sun Avenue. How ironic, you think to yourself, mulling over the idea. A bookstore doesn’t sound half bad anyway, in fact it seemed a near perfect fit for you.

“That would actually be great! Is there a number I could call, or-”

“No, don’t worry. I know the owner!” He beamed. Of course he knew the owner. Danny seemed like he knew the entire town. “If you want to meet me there tomorrow, I can introduce you to Mrs. Palmer. I’m sure she’ll love you. She’s pretty desperate too, most people leave during the summer. I bet she’d hire you on the spot.”

“Yeah, trust me, I’d rather spend my summer anywhere but here too.”

“It’s not all that bad,” he mumbled, a look of hurt crossing over his otherwise overly joyous face, “You can always hang out with me.”

You felt bad for a moment. For a boy you barely knew you were eager to make him smile and laugh again. It was nice to have someone in your corner despite your unwillingness to be here.

“That’s true. I’d love to hang out with you. And, yeah I can meet you at the bookstore tomorrow. I really appreciate it,” you reply earnestly, unable to stop the smile that spread across our face mirroring his own. His positive energy was honestly infectious.

“Great! I can meet you there tomorrow around noon!” He beams, bouncing with excitement and making his way to the door. Your dad reemerged from wherever he had been hiding as soon as Danny left.

“That kid has got to be on something,” he shakes his head, eyeing the door like Danny could bust in at any moment. “Or maybe I’m not used to someone smiling that much.” He nudged your side, attempting to get back in your good graces.

“Hah hah hah,” you mumble sarcastically, rolling your eyes and beginning your trek upstairs to your room. The door creaks open and you are pleasantly surprised to see your dad had decorated it in an almost identical fashion to your old room. Staring at the posters that adorned the walls, you started to feel like maybe you had never left home at all. The bed was even slightly bigger than your old one, a concession you were pleased to make. Flopping down with a huff, you glare at the ceiling, noticing the glow in the dark stars you had foolishly placed up there one year were still stuck to the ceiling.

Exhaustion from your early flight washed over you. You were never really a morning person. Fighting the urge to fall asleep you gently lift up, staring out the window at the setting sun. The clouds covered up what could be a beautiful scene, the usual pink and orange hue you were used to back home suddenly replaced by gray and green. You pull the purple curtains closed, grimacing at the ugly hue you had picked out when you were younger. Maybe you’d be able to convince your dad to replace them with newer ones. You were, afterall, displaced and depressed.

The floorboards were awfully loud as you went from room to room, making a mental map of each one. Your father had left his parents’ room untouched, evident in the fact that your grandmother’s glasses still sat on her nightstand. You smile softly, not lingering too long before you make it to the bathroom to ready yourself for bed. Everything in this house seemed to make unnecessary noises, the knobs on the sink squeaking as you turned them around to allow the water to flow out. After a confusing few moments of trying to find where your father had put everything, you were ready and back in your room. Your bed was a lot more comforting than you recalled, lulling you to sleep quickly. Not even the nervousness of meeting up with Danny could keep you up. Soon enough you were gone, dreaming of home.

But the good dreams didn’t last as long as you had hoped. What started off as a pleasant image of your old backyard full of friends and sunshine was soon replaced with something much darker. You can’t quite make out the scene, but soon you were thrashing against the covers and slamming a hand to your neck. When you pull it back a speckle of blood is adorning your fingers. You realize with a groan that you had scratched the mosquito bite so hard in your sleep that it had begun to bleed. You had dark blood under your nails and you wince at the faint burning feeling that now plagued your skin. Shaking your head as if it would expel the dream, you lean up to peer at the alarm clock settled on the bedside table.

Despite your rowdy dreams you had managed to sleep in well past when you had planned to wake up. Massaging your temples you remember your promise the day before to meet Danny at the bookstore.

Ambling sleepily across the expanse of your new room you tore your curtains open to reveal another gloomy day. Somehow you managed to get ready with clothes scattered around several open suitcases and your vague remembrance of where your dad had put everything from the night before. Traipsing down the stairs, you peer into your dad’s office, mumbling a good morning that he barely acknowledges as he continues to work on something clearly more important. The kitchen is all but barren and you wonder how he had been surviving the week before you got here. You make a mental note to stop at the grocery store after the bookshop, and you leave a note on the fridge for your dad telling him where you were going.

The walk into town is uneventful, but you are shocked that you somehow remember how to get there. It’s like your feet carry themselves, subconsciously remembering this area from when you were younger. Your odd dreams from last night are distant in your mind, and you ignore the nagging thoughts that urge you to go back to it. Soon enough you’re standing outside Palmer’s Books and More!, greeting an always cheerful Danny. He had traded his sleeveless tee for a somewhat more appropriate outfit, one that you soon realized was his work uniform, yet he still sported his pearly white grin.

“You okay? You look a little tired,” he teases, poking your side and earning a glare from you.

“Gee, thanks,” you grumble, smoothing out your shirt and suddenly feeling very nervous, “I didn’t sleep great last night. Do I really look that bad?”

“No! You look great!” He flushed, but came back quickly. “Mrs. Palmer is gonna love you, I swear.”

You frown, anxiety coursing through your body. He pushes through the door and the two of you are immediately greeted by an older lady, who you assumed to be Mrs. Palmer. She was smaller than the both of you, her stature swallowed by the oversized white sweater she was wearing. Everything else about her seemed too big in comparison to her height. Her glasses covered half her face, magnifying her piercing eyes. She grinned at Danny, eyeing you suspiciously.

“Hello, Daniel! You brought a visitor?” Everyone in this town was entirely too cheerful for you, you decided.

“Yes ma’am. This is my friend I was telling you about! The one that just moved here.”

You don’t have much time to wonder when he had had the time to talk to her about you specifically. You introduce yourself, leaning down to shake her hand. You are thoroughly surprised when she pulls you in for a hug instead, knocking the wind out of you. Danny stifled a giggle and you mentally prepared to kick him as soon as you were out of view from anyone who could chastise you for it.

“Oh, you have no idea how happy I am to meet you,” she began rambling, “I knew your father when he was just a baby. I went to school with both of your grandparents. Well, it was just a tragedy when they- But, of course… Yes, that is simply the passage of time. I missed your family dearly, I am so pleased that you’re back.”

Not knowing what to say in response to all that, you simply smile as she pulls back and wipes a lone tear from her eye.

Was everyone in this town crazy? You wonder, as she leads you and Danny around the store. Despite obviously being here a thousand times before, Danny listened in awe as she explained the history of the store and where everything was located. She never once offered you the job, seemingly operating under the conclusion that you were without a doubt the newest- and only other- employee of her shop. Not that you minded in the slightest; the idea of a formal interview was much more frightening than whatever this was.

“So… Can you start today?” She asks, wringing her hands together. She had a curious habit of pausing as she spoke, starting sentences and never quite finishing them.

“Today?” you try to hide the shock in your voice. It’s not like you had planned much today besides restocking the empty kitchen, but you wouldn’t mind the mind numbing tasks. The job didn’t seem very hard, and not a single customer had walked in since you and Danny had begun your little tour.

She stared up at you hopefully, and you felt your stomach twist. How could you say no?

“Uh- Yes! Yes, of course, I can start right now!” You try to sound as excited as possible, eyeing Danny nervously as he continues to sport his all too familiar smile. Surely this wasn’t how real jobs operated.

“Amazing!” He clapped his hands together loud enough that you almost jumped, “I’ll come visit you after I get off and we can walk home together.” He bounces out of the store, waving at the both of you.

Mrs. Palmer vanished for a moment, coming back with a name tag that she had hurriedly scrawled your name on. She explained how the cash register worked, and although it was very intuitive, you were grateful for the extra explanations. The longer you focused on menial tasks the less time you had to dwell on everything; your new home, your new friend, your strange dreams. Of course as soon as she realized you understood, she vanished once again.

Your shift passed by slowly, only a handful of people stopping by to purchase new arrivals you had never heard of. A few of them recognized you, reaching across the counter to hug you or shake your hand. You were almost ashamed to admit that you did not know who any of them were. Your theory that everyone who lived here was entirely too gleeful was proven even more correct with each passing hour. Despite the gloomy weather, everyone brought in the same cheery disposition, and as the sun began to set you wondered how you could ever fit in without radiating the same sunshine they all did. The store was mere moments from closing when the door rang once more, causing you to look up from the paperwork Mrs. Palmer had asked you to fill out as part of your unofficial application.

This customer seemed different from the rest of the earlier visitors. For one, the grin that graced his face was nowhere near as ear splitting as everyone else’s. It was better described as a smug smirk. Secondly, the almost blinding paleness of his skin felt more fitting for this weather than the tan everyone else was sporting. He almost floated around the shelves, and you tried not to stare as his long fingers danced over the books. He chuckled at seemingly nothing, and you shook yourself out of your stupor. You hadn’t meant to look for so long; well, you hadn’t planned on getting caught. Surely, no one could blame you for being unable to pry your eyes off of him. You have never seen someone more beautiful. His long brown hair fell in slight waves past his shoulders, framing his nearly bare chest. He was wearing a black button up, opting to leave only the bottom two buttons fastened. His neck was adorned with several silver necklaces, and despite the setting sun he had a pair of circular black sunglasses covering his eyes; which you were sure were just as gorgeous as the rest of him. His face was nearly indescribable and yet you couldn’t stop yourself from attempting to take in every detail. In fact, every prior thought had left your brain; you were absolutely consumed by this man. You take him in again, trying to drink in every small feature that made him up. You slowly realized he couldn’t be much older than you. Once the haze wore off you were able to digest his almost boyish face. You were just wondering if Danny knew him when you heard him let out a sharp laugh at absolutely nothing.

The sound jolted you from your thoughts and you suddenly felt the need to pay attention to anything but him. You fix your eyes on the old cash register, pretending to be extremely occupied with the amount of money in it when he suddenly clears his throat. You jump back, wondering how he had made it across the store so quickly when he smirks again. Any other person would have you rolling your eyes at their superior attitude, but something about him made you shrink back.

“Hello. I was wondering if you had Candide in stock yet?” His voice was sickeningly sweet, as if his tongue was dripping in honey as he spoke.

“Candide?”

“You know… Voltaire?” He continues, pulling his sunglasses off to reveal a pair of striking ochre colored eyes.

“I.. I literally just started today. Um, I could help you look… I-” You stammer out as Mrs. Palmer comes ambling out of her office.

“Jacob!” She exclaims happily, holding a rather worn book gently in her frail hands.

He slightly bows to meet her, graciously accepting the book from her and gently tucking it under his arm.

“Thank you, Evelyn. How much do I owe you?”

You couldn’t help but huff out in annoyance at his dismissal of you. For some odd reason you felt the need to prove yourself to him. He grins again, letting out a quiet chuckle you were sure Mrs. Palmer didn’t hear.

“Absolutely nothing!” She waved dismissively, quickly turning back to her office.

“Don’t be silly!” he called, pulling a black leather wallet out of his pants. He pulled out several bills, pulling her back and slipping them into her palm in a discreet handshake. “I have more money than I need and nothing to do with it.” He smiled sweetly, his pink lips stretching across his rather pale skin. His soft, yet alluring, voice seemed oddly familiar to you. Maybe you had met him before, years ago. It’s not like this was a very large town. Mrs. Palmer flushed, waving him off but still pocketing the cash he had handed to her. She waves a quick goodbye, fluttering back to the office she so enjoyed to disappear to.

Yet, Jacob stayed put, only turning to you once you both heard the slam of the office door.

“I don’t think I know you,” He whispers, his boots making quiet clicking noises on the linoleum floor.

“I… Well my dad and I, we just moved back here. Um, I used to come here every once in a while though. My grandparents live here, or they did before-” you cut yourself off, feeling like you were telling him entirely too much.

“Hmm.” He hums as he flips through his recent purchase. He was much too nonchalant for your liking. Usually, you would prefer this kind of behavior, especially after spending a day interacting with some of the most cheerful people you had ever met. But you wanted, no you needed, him to like you. “And, you are…?” He inquires, and you quickly respond with your name.

“And you’re Jacob.” You posit.

“Mhm. Just Jake is fine.”

Jake didn’t seem as fitting as Jacob, which truthfully didn’t seem to fit him very well either. He seemed like he belonged in a century much earlier than this one. The way he spoke, the way he held himself, he just simply did not seem real.

“You’re not walking home alone tonight are you?” He wondered aloud, barely addressing you, and you immediately felt defensive.

“No, my friend is walking me back.”

“Good. You have no idea what kind of… monsters are lurking these streets,” He leans across the counter slightly, his face inches from yours. The teasing lilt in his voice only served to intrigue you more.

As if you summoned him Danny comes sauntering in, his usual grin fading as soon as he spots Jake. Jake had pulled back the second the bell attached to the door rang, and he turned gracefully on his heel.

“Ah, Wagner. Nice to see you again,” Jake’s smug smirk was back, and Danny grimaced at his words.

“Kiszka,” he grumbles, skirting past Jake. Jake glides out, and Danny follows him with his eyes until he is fully out of the store. “God, that guy gives me the creeps.” He shivered to emphasize his point.

“You know him?” you ask as you gather your things, shooting a quick goodbye to Mrs. Palmer.

“I know of him. He moved here like two years ago with his brothers. They’re all really weird. Their younger brother went to school with us but he never really bonded with anyone. They kind of all just stick to themselves. Well, Jake goes out and about a lot, mostly at night,” He begins, holding the door open for you as you both start down the sidewalk and towards your houses. He glanced around to make sure no one was in earshot before continuing, “I kind of feel bad for them. No parents, no other family, just each other. But, they’re kind of… freaky,” he whispered the last word and you giggled at his reluctance to speak freely.

“Don’t laugh! I swear, that guy is everywhere.” He glanced around him as if to emphasize his point.

“If I didn’t know any better I’d say you were scared Daniel.” You tease him, nudging his side. But he didn’t laugh back.

“I'm serious. I’d stay away from that guy, there’s something super off about him.”

“He seemed okay to me.” You shrug, more intrigued than put off. “What do you mean they have no family?”

“I don’t know a ton about the story, just what I heard from around. But… I think their mom and dad died a few years back. Maybe a car accident or something? And as soon as Jake was old enough he adopted Sam, even though they aren’t much older than him. I’m not sure how it works honestly. They live in this huge house just outside of town. No clue how they afford it, none of them work,” he scoffed, obviously annoyed by their mere presence in his town.

You hummed, taking in all that Danny had said. And yet all you could think about were his striking eyes… and how beautiful his face was. You didn’t really care if Danny thought he was dangerous. From what you learned, he seemed like he had been through a lot, especially for someone so young.

“I know I can’t control you, but just be careful, okay? He really gives me the willies.”

You had arrived at your front door. The glow from the porch light illuminated his face, which was creased with worry.

“The willies? I can protect myself, I promise.” You take his hand and wrap your pink around his, “Pinky promise,” you emphasize.

He smiled softly again, squeezing your finger and reluctantly letting your hand go.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, okay? Can’t let you walk to work alone.”

“Not with all those monsters, huh?” You tease.

“Yeah, yeah. No monsters. See ya,” he calls, already heading over to his house.

“Night, Danny.”

With a sigh you heave open the heavy front door, waving goodnight to your father who was so entrenched with work he was barely able to acknowledge you. Trudging up the creaky stairs, you wondered how so much had changed in the span of twenty-four hours. With the prospect of a biweekly paycheck and a slightly overbearing new friend, living in this sunless town seemed slightly more bearable. Not to mention your meeting of a rather… interesting stranger. You tried to push all thoughts of Jake out of your brain, to absolutely no avail. Something about him invaded all your senses from the moment he stepped into that damn bookstore.

You fall onto your bed rather ungracefully, shoving your face into your pillow and groaning. Barely a day in this town and you’ve already developed a slightly unhinged and rather unhealthy obsession with a stranger you barely just met. Part of you hoped that he would be a regular customer, and from his interaction with Mrs. Palmer, you were sure he would be. You’d be sure not to mention your secret hope to Danny, considering his reaction to the very short interaction he shared with Jake. Danny’s odd prejudice aside, he hadn’t said anything truly worrying about the man.

You slept peacefully that night, no more strangely vivid dreams to plague your mind. In fact, when you woke up you had absolutely no memory of dreaming at all.

Work was agonizingly slow the next morning. Even the walk to the store with Danny was surprisingly uneventful. It didn’t help that the entire day you had been hoping to catch a glimpse of Jake. Even just his passing silhouette in the street would ease the slight ache in your chest. You weren’t one to obsess like this, especially not over a man you didn’t know. But you longed to get to know him, to learn what made him so intoxicatingly alluring,

And to your surprise, and satisfaction, he did show. In fact, an entire week passed and he visited every single night you occupied the space behind the register.

Nothing out of the ordinary happened. He would come in, speak to you softly, purchase a worn book, and leave the store as soon as Danny popped back in to escort you home. You had grown increasingly fond of this routine. Deep down, you assumed this is all you were going to get from him anyway.

That was until Saturday night.

Of course, he caught you entirely off guard when he arrived. He glided in gracefully, once more at night, all while you were absentmindedly stocking a dusty front shelf. He cleared his throat calmly when you failed to notice his arrival, and you nearly jumped ten feet in the air at the abruptness of it all.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you,” He murmured casually, his voice just as velvety as you remembered.

“No, it’s okay. I’m pretty easily startled,” You chuckle nervously, wiping your hands on your pants and turning to give him your entire attention. “Can I help you with anything?” You try to ignore the slight shaking in your voice as you fail to look him fully in the eyes.

He had opted to forgo the pair of glasses he usually wore when you crossed paths, leaving his extremely vibrant eyes on full display. Once again he was wearing an almost completely unbuttoned shirt, allowing you to take in the expanse of his bare chest. He was close enough now that the barrier of the front counter was gone that you could make out the dangly pendants that decorated his neck in extreme detail.

“Maybe,” he mused, a pleasant look washing over his features, “I’m looking for another book.”

“Yeah, most people who come in are looking for books,” you try to tease, failing to do so when your voice shakes slightly. “Anything in particular?”

“No. If I'm being quite honest I came in here to see you again,” he professed, grabbing a book and flipping through the pages before sliding it back into its proper position. “I seem to have failed to come up with a good enough lie in time though… I had more than enough time to.”

“Honesty is usually the best policy.” You steady yourself, trying to ignore the quickening pace of your heart at his admission. He smiles widely, and you wondered if he could somehow hear the palpitations.

“Usually. Sometimes it’s much more appealing to lie,” He paused for a moment, seeming pensieve, “I wouldn’t mind rereading something by Camus.”

“You’re really into French literature, huh?” You ask, leading him down to the aisle where you were sure to find something by his requested author. “You know, most people come in here looking for a good romance novel. Maybe a really bad mystery. You might be the only person who’s ever seen this part of the store.”

“I find that most people here don’t look that deeply.”

You wondered if this had something to do with how people thought of him. Throughout your morning walks with Danny you had come to learn that he wasn’t the only person in the town that harbored negative feelings towards the elusive Kiszka brothers. You still couldn’t quite understand why. He seemed more than perfectly fine to you.

“Ah…” he whispered, pulling a battered copy of The Stranger off the shelves. He blew the dust off the cover and turned it over in his hands. “I always enjoyed Camus' perspective on life.”

“Really? So, ‘life has no meaning and death is the only certainty in life?’”

“I said I enjoyed his viewpoints, not that I agreed with them. I simply find them entertaining. Death is never guaranteed, and life certainly isn’t without purpose.”

“So what do you suppose is the purpose of life?” You continue, choosing to ignore his claim that death isn’t everyone’s promised ending.

“Isn't it all about creating your own purpose?” he observed, finally looking back up at you. He studied your face for a moment, and you felt overwhelmed by the sudden attention. You thought, for just a mere moment, that his eyes flickered down to your lips before they skirted back up to your eyes. You shied away from his eye contact, coughing nervously and turning back to face the shelf.

“Very philosophical Jacob.”

“Jake,” he corrected.

The two of you stood in silence for a beat, and you were completely unsure of what to say next. You had glossed over his profession of coming in to simply see you, and now you wished you hadn’t. On a better day, with someone who was easier to talk to, you would have teased him. Maybe even mustered up the courage to flirt with him. But something about Jake terrified you.

He cleared his throat again, and you were pleased to find him looking ever so slightly nervous himself.

“I was… I was wondering if you would like to go out with me one night.” The words lacked his usual self assuredness, which shocked you slightly.

You tried to stop your jaw from completely detaching from your skull. Surely you had gone so far past the point of delusion that you were now hallucinating- rather vividly, you might add- that Jake was… asking you out. He seemed to grow impatient and slightly frustrated with your lack of a response, and yet he composed himself better than you could dream of.

“Go out? Me?” You mentally punch yourself for not being able to come up with a better response. Your desperate need to make him like you only grew stronger with each interaction. You wondered if he knew how he affected you, and by the way you could barely look at him you were sure he did.

“Preferably. I’d hoped I made that clear,” he laughed, and your heart skipped a beat. You wondered if his was pounding quite as hard as yours. He smirked again at absolutely nothing.

“Um,” it was like you had forgotten every word in the English language. This was so thoroughly unlike you. Usually you had more than enough to say.

Say something! Anything!

Your brain was positively screaming at you in a voice that surely didn’t belong to you.

“Yes. I would love to,” you say definitively, unsure how you had even gathered the ability to speak when he was staring at you so intensely.

“‘Perfect. Tonight?” His tone was eager and you wanted to soak in the hopeful look that knitted his brows together.

“I- Danny. Danny’s already walking me home tonight…”

Goddamn Danny.

As if on cue, he sauntered through the door of the building. He was less than pleased with Jake’s nightly visits, and he didn’t bother to hide it. He was never anything less than frustratingly punctual to interrupt your conversations. It seemed his slight distaste surrounding him had grown to near hatred. He always seemed to grimace when you brought him up, despite your attempts to not sound too interested when you spoke his name.

“I’m sure he won’t mind walking home alone without you for just one night.” Jake’s usual velvety voice was back in your ear.

You began to say something before Danny had fully made his way to where you and Jake were standing. You instinctively stepped away from Jake, not really understanding why. Danny’s usual grin slowly faded into a scowl, and you wished you could understand why he harbored such a strange resentment for him.

“C’mon, I wanna get home soon. I think it’s about to start raining,” Danny mumbles, reaching for your arm. He was staring daggers at Jake while he spoke.

“Wait- Just one second Danny,” you give him a sympathetic look, hoping he can sense that you need a moment alone. He grumbles under his breath and steps away, just enough that you can still see his tense shoulders as he leans against a wall opposite you and Jake.

“I’m sorry, he’s just…” you pause, searching for the right words, “How about tomorrow night? I’m off, you can pick me up at home?” You suggested, worried he would hate the idea.

“Of course.” He smiled as you rushed to the front, scribbling your address down on a scrap of receipt paper.

“Beautiful,” he says, staring down at the smeared red ink, “I’ll see you at 6.”

That’s all he leaves you with as he walks out of the store, not bothering to bid Danny a passing glance. You suddenly feel like you’re going to pass out as Danny turns to face you, the anger on his face replaced with a pleased look. He was always happy to see you. He gives you a moment to gather your things and you walk in silence for a while. You can tell he’s itching to say something by the way he’s bouncing around and refusing to meet your face.

“Danny, if you don’t spit it out I’m going to go crazy,” you eventually announce, surprising so much so that he stops in his tracks.

“I just… wanted to know what you guys were talking about is all.”

He sounded like a dejected child, and any other night you would have laughed at his immature tone. But tonight your nerves were entirely too ramped up to indulge his antics.

“He kind of asked me out,” you state matter of factly.

“Kind of?”

“Okay, not kind of. He’s- he’s taking me ... somewhere tomorrow night.” You winced, scared that he would… Well, you couldn’t imagine him angry. But you were more than aware that he didn’t like Jake, and he certainly wouldn’t enjoy you going on a date with him.

To your surprise, he didn’t say anything. This was more than shocking considering he had spent the past few nights on a nonstop tangent about the Kiszka family. You learned about the three brothers: Jacob, Joshua, and Samuel. You learned about the big house that was occupied on the outskirts of town, the big house that no one had ever really visited. For someone who seemingly couldn’t stand the family, Danny knew quite a bit about them. You figured it was unfair that you knew so much about Jake, regardless of how true it was, when he knew nothing about you. You supposed that would be amended tomorrow night, though.

Danny told you about the youngest, Sam, and how he had excelled in school. According to him, Sam was smart enough to be accepted into any Ivy League college. And yet, he stayed in this little town that had nothing to offer. You found that endearing, though you were sure not to reveal that insight to Danny. He never shared a single piece of information that would allow you to understand why he distrusted them, and you had begun to wonder if he ever had a real reason.

And despite all this, he stayed silent. You had spent those earlier nights wishing he would shut up about Jake, and now you found yourself silently begging him to say something again. Even if he screamed, cursed you out, begged you not to go out with him.

Why do you care so much? The little voice from earlier whispered in your head. You didn’t have an answer.

Danny walked in stunned silence until he stopped at the last lamppost before reaching both of your houses. When he finally spoke it startled you.

“I told you I have no control over you. It would be insane of me to want that. Look, I really just want you to be happy. And… I don’t really hate the guy. Just freaks me out a little. That’s it. Seriously.” Though he didn’t sound like he actually believed the words coming out of his mouth.

“Thank you,” you start, shifting on your feet as you whisper, “I mean it. I know it’s stupid but… you're my only friend here. I wouldn’t wanna piss you off or anything.” You try to laugh but it catches in your throat. Why do you care so much? This time it was your voice screaming at you. “If it makes you feel any better it’s not gonna be anything serious. I'm only here for the summer,” you reminded him, much to his dismay.

“Yeah. I know. Only for the summer. G’night sunshine,” he breathed softly as he led you to your door.

You watched him make his way into his own home, but you stayed glued to the porch long past his departure. Staring at the cloudy sky that was beginning to pour down, you were able to make out one star that was shining a lot brighter than the others. You were too old to believe that wishing on a star would do anything, but that wasn’t going to stop you. You pushed down the embarrassed version of yourself that was screaming at you to not believe in something that foolish, and you silently mouth a single wish before heading inside and collapsing in bed.

#Jake Kiszka #Danny Wagner #Josh Kiszka #Sam Kiszka #Jake Kiszka x re #Vampire!Jake Kiszka #greta van fleet #greta van fic #jake gvf #gvf #jake kiszka fanfic #jake kiskza x reader #jake kiszka fic #gvf fanfiction #yes this is a twilight au #jake kiszka is edward cullen #and danny is jacob black sorry

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joshsindigostreak · 3 months

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Oh, Danny lane…the inspo that is flooding my mind right now for a summer college AU!Danny one shot right now:

Plot to be revealed soon…

Taglist under the cut

Tag List: @roving-blade , @readyforthegarden , @sinners-go-to-drink-the-wine , @wideminded-dreamer , @runwayblues , @wildbluesorbit , @llightmyllovee , @rhythm-of-space , @sacredthefran , @writingcold , @alwaysonthemend , @wetkleenex-gvf , @josh-iamyour-mama , @lightsofthe-living-gvf , @gvfcinema, @sacredthethreadgvf , @losfacedevil , @jakekiszkasbuttsweat , @shutupdevvie , @hearts-hunger , @gretavanfleetposts , @ascendingtostardust , @mackalah , @andromeda-raine-gvf , @jake-kiszkas-smirk , @gracev0609 , @sacredjake , @earthlysorrows , @gvfpal , @myownparadise96 , @itsafullmoon , @gvfmelbourne , @twistedmelodies , @that-witchy-pan , @gold-mines-melting , @texas-bbq-pringles , @jakekiszkapunchmeintheface , @sadiechar , @char289 , @stardustvanfleet , @sunfl0wer-power , @holdingup-fallingsky , @bladenotblaze , @gretavanlace , @lipstickitty , @jjwasneverhere , @josiee-gvf

Let me know if you want to be added to the tag list!!

#danny wagner #greta van fleet #danny gvf #danny wagner x reader #college au #summer love #heat and cicadas #hehehehe

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emsfallingsky · 7 months

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Of Fate and Fury

Pairing: Danny x Acotar au x female!reader

Word count: 19.1k

Warnings: 18+ ONLY! sexually explicit content. Enemies to lovers, M dom f sub, violence, gore, fighting, mating, unprotected sex, (kissing, fingering, choking, name calling, praise, cursing, oral sex (f recieving), dirty talk, breeding kink, hair pulling).

It had been a long day– a very long day and you were completely wound up. Your body was tense and overwhelmed and it seemed like nothing was easing the fire that left your blood boiling.

You quickly finished up your task at hand and set yourself on a determined mission, storming up the stairs that led to the training ring atop The House of Wind. You didn’t hesitate one bit as you led yourself across the ground, kicking up specks of the tan dirt beneath your feet. But as soon as you grabbed a sword off one of the racks, you felt all their eyes turn to you.

Without any hesitation you immediately started swinging your swords at one of the wooden dummies, silently cursing at yourself from the instant strain in your muscles from not being warmed up.

You didn’t care though. All the pent-up emotions and frustrations came flying out of you with each swing of your sword. You gritted your teeth tightly together, letting out a deep grunt as you hit the blade of your sword directly against the torso of the dummy before you. You could feel the vibration of the sword as it collided with the soft wood, traveling all the way up the expanse of your arm.

Out of the corner of your eye, you could see the fae warriors standing frozen in place as they watched you. The sheer formidable force of them flanked into you but you ignored them.

You turned on your heel, spinning yourself around as you flung your arm backwards and hit the shoulder of the dummy. As you spun, you caught sight of their varying expressions. Some of their eyes were wide with their eyebrows raised and others looked at you blankly, but you could read their annoyance on their face. Thankfully, none of them decided to interfere, allowing you to continue unleashing yourself on the piece of wood that was slowly starting to chip and splinter with each hit.

You weren’t sure how long you had kept at it but pretty soon you were an exhausted and panting mess. The muscles in your back and biceps were practically screaming at you and your thighs had started to shake from using them to push yourself as you flung yourself at the target.

It wasn’t long before you found yourself collapsing to your knees in the dirt, struggling to catch your breath. The sword had dropped beside you, but you kept a loose grip on the pommel, not fully wanting to give into the exhaustion that was starting to sweep over you.

The hair you had tied back in a braid had come loose and now stuck to the side of your face and neck. Sweat covered every inch of your body and dripped down your neck as you continued to kneel in the dirt, trying to catch your breath.

With your hair draped around your face, you barely took in the black boot, scuffed with brown dirt that came to a stop beside your limp hand. You sucked in a breath and slowly lifted your head. When you peered up, you saw Daniel. The Illyrian warrior, second in command from Cassian, who was in Rhysand’s inner circle.

His long curly hair was tied in a knot above his head, but he had managed to leave the bottom half of his hair loose, letting the rest drape over his broad shoulders. You could see the layer of sweat that soaked through his white tank top, surely from his earlier sparring. It was hard to ignore the dark whirls and patterns tattooed along his arms that rose higher along his neck and plunged down beneath the edge of his shirt that covered his chest.

Daniel crossed his arms over himself, making you notice the thick muscles of his chest and biceps that rose through his shirt. He stared down at you with nothing more than a blank face, his eyes stone cold and distant. You would have looked away in fear if it weren’t for the fact that you were too tired to care. If it wasn’t that it was the sight of the muscle that feathered in his jaw that shut you up.

“You are exerting too much of your energy…you’ve worn yourself down completely,” he said, his voice flat and monotone.

“I don’t care,” you muttered back, your own jaw now clenched.

Daniel shifted his weight to his other foot and raised his eyebrows up at your response. “Are you sure about that? You know you could have injur-”

“I don’t…care,” you repeated again, this time making sure your words were laced with a hint of malice.

Daniel shot you a glare and you watched him turn his head to the side like an animal observing its prey. “What’s wrong?” he asked, his voice and facial expression didn’t falter once. You glared up at him and brushed the sword away from you as you climbed onto your shaking feet. You held his eyes but when you turned on your heel away from him, you could feel tears start to well in your eyes. All you had wanted was to let out some of your pent-up anger and frustration…not be bombarded by an Illyrian general.

You strided across the ring, not acknowledging Rhysand, Cassian, Azriel or Jake who stood there watching you. You had made it across the ring and were about to reach the top of the stairs when you felt a firm hand clasp your shoulder and spin you around. Instantly, you knew it was him and refused to meet his stare. If you had, you would’ve been able to see the glimpse of worry that sparked across his face.

“You don’t get to walk away when I’m talking to you,” Daniel spat, his grip on your shoulder squeezing just enough to make you feel your muscles start to protest. You refused to look up at him, feeling all your anger start to boil to the surface once again. You didn’t have to look up to see him take a step closer to you, his body now so close that your face was practically pressed against his chest.

“Now,” he says, tightening his grip on your shoulder, making you hold back a wince, ‘What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” you muttered, still not being able to raise your eyes to meet him.

Daniel clicked his tongue against his cheek, sucking in a small hiss, not believing a word of your bullshit. His hand slid off your shoulder and then you found yourself frozen in place when you felt his hands grip the underside of your chin and tilt it upwards, so you were now forced to look at him.

“I’m not going to ask again,” Daniel said, his voice low and hoarse, ‘What’s wrong, YN?”

You found yourself clenching your jaw, your eyes becoming cold while you glared at him. “I need to go take a bath,” was all you said as you turned yourself on your heel and began to walk away from him.

You were instantly stopped as you felt that same stern grip on your shoulders and could feel the eyes of the other accessing the scene. You turned back on your heel and ripped his arm off of you. “Do not!” you said, hissing at him.

You stormed down the steps and stomped into your room, slamming your door closed. You were just starting to undo the top of your tunic when you heard your door fly open and slam into the wall so hard that it made the room shake. You knew who it was before he started talking and you ground your teeth so hard that it made your jaw ache.

“What the fuck has gotten into you?” Daniel yelled; the once calm tone he held before now completely stripped away. You turned yourself quickly around to see him far closer than you had expected, leaving you to have to tilt your head up as he towered above you.

You aren’t sure what gets into you, but you find yourself taking a challenging step towards him. All the work you put in to fend off the anger now seeming useless as you feel your blood start to turn once again.

“I thought I told you I wanted to go take a fucking bath! I don’t need you as my fucking babysitter Daniel!” you snap at him, your chest now rising and falling quickly while you struggle to maintain an ounce of any composure you had left.

Daniel seems to weigh your words and takes a step back, but his face doesn’t falter. His eyes seem to mirror yours as they ignite with anger of their own, making his hazel eyes glow golden- flame like.

He crossed his arms over his chest and nodded his head in the direction of your bathroom. “Fine, go take your damn bath but I’m going to be waiting right outside for you.”

“You will leave,” you hiss, pulling back the top of your lip to give him a flash of your elongated canines. It didn’t seem to do anything, and you watched him lean against the door frame, cocking one of his brows up. “I’m not going anywhere,” he says in a stern voice, not one word faltering.

“Get the fuck out of my room Daniel!” you scream at him, your hands balling into fists beside you.

“Or what Y/N? What the fuck are you going to do about it?” he asks, pushing himself off the wall to only then halt his steps right in front of you. His gaze is hard and unwavering as he peers down at you from over the tip of his nose.

You couldn't help it- contain it. The anger within you was screaming, pleading you to let yourself go and unleash everything you had upon him. So, you did.

Without really processing it, your hand that was curled into a tight fist beside you flew up at lightning speed to deliver him a hard smack against his cheek. You might’ve gasped or heard your breath hitch as you realized what you just did but you couldn’t hear or process anything from the roaring of anger that rumbled in your ears.

Daniel didn’t falter one bit as you struck him. His body didn’t move an inch. The only sign to show that it had happened was the red, angry handprint on the side of his cheek. Danny gave a slow blink while the corner of his mouth started to tilt in a smirk. He clenched his jaw and his eyes slowly slid back to yours.

You don’t back down. You stay planted right where you are, not showing him any sign of guilt, fear, or remorse for your actions. Daniel struggled to maintain the smirk growing on his face. He tilted his head to the side, studying you- a predator's stare. Most people would immediately back down if an Illyrian male looked at you that way but notyou.

Daniel sucked in a breath and clenched his jaw, flexing the muscles that lay beneath his skin and took a step closer, bending down so his face was merely inches away from yours. “That was cute,” he said, his breath hitting your cheeks. “But no.”

You clenched your own jaw, feeling your teeth protest against it. You were then the one to smirk and you let your eyes slowly drift down to his lips that were so close, they nearly brushed against yours. His eyes followed your own, noticing what you were now staring at. You decided to use it to your advantage.

Your eyes drifted back up to his and then you bit the bottom of your lip, a sinful sight with him being as close to you as he was. His reaction was just what you were looking for. His body seemed to halt, and you swear you saw his breathing stop for a second.

It was an extra second you didn’t take for granted as you quickly reached a hand around his side, plucking a dagger that hung from his leather belt. You clutched the dagger in a firm grasp, pressing the blade against his side. If Daniel had an ounce of fear flowing through his veins, he didn’t show it. “I would be very careful if I were you,” you draw out in a hiss. Daniel’s wings twitched in annoyance and the muscles that built his firm chest and ran along his arms flexed as he held your stare. You pressed the blade against him harder. “Get. Out.”

Daniel sent out a rumble of his power that threatened your hands to almost release the blade flush against the side of his abdomen, but you pushed past it. You were defiant and you would not stand down.

Daniel’s eyes flicked down and then back up to yours, the lick of flame that was once in his eyes now grew strong and mighty. Wildfire. The golden flecks in his eyes now moved as the flames raged and danced within them. “Put down the blade,” he growled.

It took every ounce of your strength and will not to send that dagger plunging straight into his flesh. “Get out of my room and I will.”

Daniel let out a huff of annoyance but then smirked at you, surely analyzing you as nothing more than a piece of meat. “You wouldn’t dare to stab me with it.”

You shook off the glare from your face, instead replacing it with a sweet smile. “Try me,” was all you said as you whipped the dagger, slashing it against the fabric of his shirt. You made sure the blade didn’t cut him though. You just wanted to prove it to him that you were not afraid, and you would not back down from a challenge.

Daniel glanced down to the town fabric of his shirt now hanging loose against his side. He raised his head to look back at you but before your eyes could meet his, he lunged and grabbed your wrist in his hands. He moved so fast that you couldn’t even process how you ended up slammed against the stone wall of your room. It reminded you exactly who you were dealing with. His power, his strength, all of it…All of it was coming from a fae Illyrian warrior.

Daniel pushed you back so hard and with so much power that it made the back of your head thump against the wall. You back groaned as you felt the hardness of it press into your spine. Both parts of your body instantly began to throb, and the pain left you groaning.

The dagger in your hand dropped to the floor as his hands on your wrist tightened, threatening to shatter the fragile bones beneath your skin. He was so big. So full of strength and unweighted power. His hands were so large that they almost wrapped twice around your wrist. “Stupid, stupid girl,” Daniel growled in your face. Once again, he was so close to you that you were practically left sharing the same breath as him. He wasn’t wrong though…Stupid. How very stupid it was for you to be challenging him.

Every inch of your body was screaming. Screaming with pain, rage and absolute fury. You lifted your face that had tilted downward from the force which he threw you against the wall and beckoned to look up at him.

Once you did, you held his stare. You were breathing hard, your chest rising and falling with each deep breath you took. Your whole body was left shaking as a mixture of emotions rose to the surface. Fear, rage and something else you couldn’t quite put your finger on but nonetheless, your fighting spirit was still left thrumming against your veins.

You clenched your jaw and then moved your tongue around in your mouth, drawing up saliva on your tongue. You purse your lips and then spat directly onto his face.

Daniel closed his eyes and turned his head to the side as your spit hit him directly in the center of it. He shrugged one of his shoulders up and wiped your spit off of his face. When his eyes came back to yours you knew you were unmatched. Your throat bobbed as you swallowed but he was not done letting you know just how stupid you were.

He moved both of your hands over your head and then pinned your wrists in one hand while his other wrapped around your throat and squeezed it in a tight grip. “Are you trying to piss me off?” he growled. All you could do was respond with a strangled groan, your eyes now growing completely wide.

Danny gripped you by the neck harder and pulled you forward, making you arch your back and neck up at an awkward angle. His wings rustled again, clearly showing you just how impatient he was growing.

He pulled you closer towards him, so the tip of his nose brushed against yours. “Answer me,” he growled again. You couldn’t. All the words that were on the tip of your tongue vanished and it felt like your head was swimming each time he tightened his grip on your neck, depriving you of oxygen. You opened your mouth to respond but you couldn’t. You just stared at him; your brows knitted together with your jaw hanging loose. You tried to wriggle yourself away from him but between the grasp he had on your neck, wrists and the wall that dug into you. For the first time in a long while, you were utterly helpless.

Using all the strength you could muster, you finally choked out something…his name. “D-Danny,” you stuttered in between a strangled gasp. It was the only word you managed to get out before the doors of your room flew open and Rhysand, Cassian and Jake stood there. Their faces all conveyed the same thing. Utter shock.

Daniel glanced behind his shoulder and when he saw them, he seemed to snap out of his anger induced fury. He instantly let go of your wrist and neck and you slumped down to the floor coughing while your own hands clutch your neck as you try to pull in oxygen.

Cassian and Jake were immediately upon Daniel, grabbing him by his shoulders and yanking him back. “Are you out of your fucking mind?” Cassian snaps at him. “You could’ve fucking killed her!” Jake shouts.

Rhysand quickly walks over, crouching on the floor beside you. When you look up you could see only worry and concern shining in his eyes. He places a gentle hand on your knee and asks, “are you alright?” The only answer you could manage was a small nod of your head while you continued to gasp and sputter for any air you could wield into your lung. His eyes soften further, and he tilts his head down. “Are you sure?”

“Out,” you said in a voice that is merely a whisper. “Everyone get the fuck out.”

Rhysand, Cassian and Jake all exchange glances, Daniel’s eyes look everywhere but your own as he stares down at the floor. You can see the muscles in his shoulder twitch, but Jake and Cassian’s hands tighten on him.

Rhysand looks back at you and nods before rising off of the floor. Rhysand walks by the three men but stops before Daniel. “You and I are going to have a little chat,” he sneers before leading them out of the room. The sound of the door clicking into place is the only indicator that they had left.

You don’t move from your spot on the floor. Instead, you invite the welcoming cold of the marble floor against your skin. You draw your knees up to your chest while your brain makes any attempt to start working again. What the hell just happened?

Your brain starts to turn, sending you down an endless hole as it replays all the events that just unfolded before you. You were shocked. At Daniel, yourself…all of it. You knew he had every right to defend himself. Every right. And the words he spoke were nothing but the truth. ‘You stupid, stupid girl’.

Yes, so utterly stupid. Why you found yourself unable to back down and just stop, you didn’t know. All your emotions stirred within you, leaving your chest feeling like a heavy weight pressed down upon it. You felt so…hollow.

It took you a few seconds to render that tears that started to fall down your face and you pressed your knees further against you to cradle yourself. Your shoulders began to shake as you released everything into the world. You would be lying if you said you didn’t know how you ended up here, but you did. And it was all but entirely your fault.

So, you let yourself cry…and cry and cry. You let out all the emotions within you; all the rage, the anger, the fury…then the sadness, shock and guilt that came along with it. Images flashed in your head. The hand he placed on your shoulder when you went to exit the training ring and how in that moment his face looked so soft and full of concern for you. Only then to be stripped away as the image of his face with nothing but primal rage plastered on it as he pinned you against the wall.

You could again feel that anger start to swirl within you but you pushed it down, so it was only a soft hum in your veins. Despite everything, there was something else that prodded and poked against the walls of your brain. Something you couldn’t quite understand or begin to explain. You pushed that thought aside, you would come back to it another time.

You weren’t sure how long you sat there crying and holding yourself, letting your own body be the sweep of comfort that you would allow. But soon enough, you were exhausted. You could feel the marks of where your tears fell down the sides of your cheeks, leaving them to feel damp and sticky where they rested against your knee. Your eyes burned and you were sure that if you were able to see your own reflection you would notice how red and puffy they were.

You let out a deep sigh and finally raised your head, letting your eyes readjust to the dim lighting of the room. You were completely exhausted, but you still had your mind set on what you initially came in here to do. Bracing a hand on the marble floor, you pushed yourself to your feet and strode past the door leading into the bathing chamber connected to your room.

With a twist of your hand, you turn the knob of the bath, making sure to twist it all the way to the left to get it to the highest temperature. You wanted it hot- scalding, so that when you slid in, it would burn and sting against your skin before it left you feeling numb completely.

You begin the process of removing your clothes, having to peel them off your body as they stick against you with sweat. You had just removed your pants and were straightening your body when you caught a glimpse of yourself in the mirror. You turned your head to fully face the mirror and what you saw made your gut swirl.

A red mark shone on your neck, wrapping around it entirely. You leaned yourself further into your reflection and when you did, you were able to see the faint mark of where Daniel’s thumb had dug into the side of your neck.

You lifted a shaking hand to your throat, lightly brushing your fingertips against it and had to hold back a wince. The area was so sore and tender. How did you not render how hard he was choking you?

You yet again pressed down all the emotions stirring within you and swirled yourself around and strode for the bath. Good. Let that mark he left on your neck be a reminder, not for you but for him. Let him look upon it and feel all the remorse and guilt for ever laying a hand upon you. Let it be a reminder. Gods, how you now regretted not plunging the dagger into his flesh so he would have his own reminder of who he truly was dealing with.

You sat in the bath for what felt like hours, letting the scalding water grow cold and frigid. If not the heat of the water being able to welcome you then the icy water would also do the trick, letting it numb you to the core and making your teeth chatter against themselves.

As badly as you wanted to stay in the water, you couldn’t stand the way your skin started to feel. Your fingers were pruney and rigid and the water was so cold that it only made the bones in your body ache.

You lifted the drain and set it on the lip of the tub before you pushed yourself out of the water. You didn’t bother with grabbing a towel and instead reached for the fluffy robe that hung on the back of the door. You bundled the soft, velvet like fabric around you and let it breathe its warmth back into your body.

You strode out of the bathroom but not before taking a final glimpse in the mirror to see the angry bruise around your neck that was slowly starting to turn to a deep shade of purple.

When you made your way back into your room, you looked out the window to see the sun starting to set over the snowcapped mountains. It’s light making the sky flush with pinks and purples- a rather beautiful shade of purple compared to the ugly mark that was left around your throat.

You walked over to your wardrobe, opening the wooden doors of it and gazed at the clothes before you. Your hand drifted over to a tunic but stopped and instead grabbed for a sleek lilac colored evening gown. The sun setting is what alerted you that it was now dinner time and instead of staying in your room to grovel over the event that took place, you wanted to make a stand against him if only to prove a point.

So yes, the evening dress would do just that. Instead of opting for the tunic that would cover your neck you chose the gown with its thin straps, leaving your shoulders and neck bare. You thought about grabbing one of the necklaces that was laid out your vanity but no- let it remind him.

Slipping on a pair of flats, you opened the door of your room and descended the steps, leading to the dining room with your chin held high. Let it remind him…

When you first came around the corner you could hear the deep voices and laughter filling the space, but they were immediately silenced when you first stepped into the room. Everyone’s eyes- Rhys, Cassian, Jake, Azriel and lastly, Daniel’s laid upon you but then slowly dipped down to your neck. Good.

You didn’t acknowledge them or give any sign that you noticed their eyes staring at you or your neck. You silently strode up to the table and it felt like all the air in the room stilled and had been sucked up.

You took your place at the table next to Cassian leaving you to sit directly across from Daniel. Jake and Azriel sat along either side of him and Rhys took the head of the table.

When you sat down, you could feel Daniel’s eyes upon you, and you met him back with a cold and unwavering stare. You could still see the imprint you had marked across his cheek, but you also noticed the bruising around his cheek bone and the split lip. Rhys had certainly had a little chat with him.

Daniel’s eyes cast down to your neck and then you were left hearing your own blood starting to thrum in your ears, feeling all of its fury work its way back up. Rhys stayed silent at the head of the table and watched the two of you silently battle, seeing who would be the first to yield. Cassian did the same and you could feel his body stiffen beside you as his eyes darted from you to Daniel.

You finally ripped your eyes away from Daniel, but your face was still sneering even as you looked away. This wasn’t you yielding to him –no, never that. This was you telling him fuck all the way off.

A deep sigh escapes you and you reach for the wine in the middle of the table. You slowly pour out its content into your glass, the room still cold and silent with all eyes set on you–watching and awaiting your next move.

You take a sip of the wine and see Daniel’s eyes fixed on yours over the rim of the glass. It was the way he stared at you that truly pissed you off. All signs of anger were gone from his face and instead his eyes were soft and full of worry. You hadn’t expected him to give in so easily–so quickly. You had wanted him to go down swinging and fighting. You had wanted to fight and argue with him.

You slammed down your glass, gripping it so hard the tops of your knuckles turned white. Cocking your head to the side, you looked at Daniel and let your eyes slowly rake up and down his body. A chuckle escaped you and you leaned forward to rest your elbows on the table and then clutch your hands in front of you. “You know what’s funny?” you ask, letting your eyes sweep over everyone at the table, pinning them in a hard, unforgiving stare before solely landing on Daniel.

Daniel’s glare returned to his face, and he looked back in a way that was rather unsettling. His tongue pushed against his cheek, and he cocks an eyebrow up as to ask ‘What?”

You took one of your arms off the table and sat back in your chair, draping it over the backrest so you appeared loose and casual “For as long as I could remember, I always dreamed about having a necklace that was full of diamonds and deep, rich colored rubies. Oh, but wait,” you lift a hand to your neck, “Well now I do. And I guess, I can owe that all to you,” you say waving a hand in Daniel’s direction.

Everyone in the room stills and you can see them all trying to come up with something to say to ease the burning tension. Your eyes linger on Daniel, and you watch as he blinks and drops his head. “Fuck,” he mumbles under his breath.

Your eyes narrow on him and you shift further back in your seat. “What’s wrong Danny? Is it not as beautiful as you imagined?” Daniel’s eyes were still looking down, utterly fixated on his hands placed in front of him on the table.

After what felt like ages, he slowly lifted his head to meet your stare. You could see every line sketched upon his face, conveying just how bad he truly felt. It was almost enough to make you cave but you would not yield. When he spoke, his voice was low and soft- barely a whisper. “I’m sorry.”

The thrumming in your ears returns, making you clench your steak knife placed next to you. His eyes immediately spy your hand wrapping around the utensil and you swear you could see his body grow stiff– as if he were waiting for you to plunge that knife into the side of his neck.

His eyes then turn away from the knife and come back to meet yours. He takes a deep breath, and you see his throat bop as he swallows. “C-can I ask you somethi-”

“No, you may not,” you say through gritted teeth. Daniel seems utterly stunned and at a loss for words. He looks back to your neck and it seems to truly cause him pain as he looks upon the angry bruise. He opens his mouth to say something but immediately shuts it and lets out a sigh that makes him sink back into his chair.

You suddenly push your chair back and rise to your feet, your hand still firmly wrapped around the knife. You look back over at Daniel and lean so far over the table that your face is only inches away from his. You lift the knife from the table and point it at him. “If you ever do anything like that again, I won’t even give it a second thought before I cut off the part of you,” you angled the knife down, “that deems you as a man. Do you understand?”

Daniel seems to wince as you point the knife downwards. He doesn’t look at you while he says, “Yes, I understand.”

“Good,” you say and send the knife down onto his plate, piercing a piece of meat on it and sliding it onto yours. You sink back into your chair and take a bite of it before you turn to Cassian. “And how was your day, Cassie?” you say, smiling at him around your fork.

Cassian shifts his once tense body, snapping out of whatever trance he was in as he watched us. “My- my uh, my day was good,’ he says with a small cough, ‘Although it certain wasn’t as interesting as y-”

“Watch it,” you hiss.

“Sorry,” Cassian mumbles.

You turn your eyes to look over at Rhys and see him stiffen under your gaze. “And how was your day, High Lord?” Rhysand blinks and takes a sip of his wine before he says in a short and low tone, ‘My day was…fine.”

You place your hands back on the table and smile at him, reaching for your glass of wine, taking a sip. “Didn’t have to wrap your hands around anyone’s neck then?” The muscles in Rhys’s jaw flex and his eyes dart over to where Daniel sat. “No. No I did not.”

“Well, I guess it’s a good thing that our High Lord knows how to behave himself. Such a shame that others cannot…” Rhysands eyes drift to yours and he holds them. “Are you trying to insult me?” he asks, wrapping his hands around his glass.

Shit. “No sir,” you say, your voice dipping a bit as you hold his stare, unblinking.

“Then may you explain the need for such a comment?” You can feel the tops of your cheeks flush feeling utterly embarrassed at the lack of being able to control your own tongue. You clear your throat, “Respectfully sir, that is none of your busine-”

“Then why bring such things to the table?” he asks, cutting me off. All you can do is lower your head and nod. “I understand, sir.”

Rhysand sits back in his chair, but you can still feel his eyes burning into you. “Now are you done?”

You clench your jaw, your hands gripping hard around the knife in your hand. “No…so may I be excused?” Rhys seemed to weigh your words, but he sighs and waves a hand at you. “Yes, you may be excused.” You give him a small nod and scoot your chair back. You let the knife clatter onto your plate and stride out of the room, aiming for the staircase, not bothering to take one glance behind you.

You enter your room and shut the door behind you. Now being in the comfort of your own room, you feel like you can finally let your guard down. You walk over to your bed and sit on the edge of it, letting out a deep sigh. You bring your hands to your now unbound hair and rake your fingers through it, trying to sooth yourself. It was working but then you hear a knock at your door. “Go away,” you say through gritted teeth. The person on the other side of the door seemed to pause. The voice then finally speaks and it’s the last person you want to see.

Daniel’s voice is on the other side of the door. “C-can I come in?” he asks, softly.

“No, you may not.” The pause is longer this time, and you think he has accepted the defeat and walked away but his voice calls again. “May I please come in and talk to you?”

You let out a deep sigh and pull your hair at the root. “Go away Daniel.”

“Y/N please, I need to talk to you,” he pleads, his voice cracking.

Gods why? The sound of his voice cracking as he said your name sent a ripple into your chest and threatened to make you cave but once again, you had to brush it aside.

“I thought I told you to fuck off!” you yell.

“Y/N please. I have things I need to say to you.”

You are not sure why or how but with the exhaustion tugging at you, you no longer felt like putting up a fight and so you say, “Fine.”

The door to your room slowly opens and you see Daniel slinking into the room. He sweeps his eye around the room letting them stop at the wall he had you pinned up against before letting them rest upon you and you see him recoil at it.

He softly shuts the door behind him before taking a few steps into the room and then halts. He looks over to the chair placed beside your bed and then glances at you before making his way over to it to deposit himself in.

Your arms are crossed over your chest, watching his every move. When he slumps into the chair you send a glare his way. “What do you want?” You ask sharply.

Daniel looks over at you but then looks away. He rests his elbows on the top of his knees and bows his head. He brings one of his hands up and rubs it over his face. “I- look, can we just talk?” You grit your teeth and keep that cold gazed fixed upon him. “I'm waiting.”

Danny brings his hand down from his face and rests it against his leg, leaving his hand to hang limply over the side of it. “Can I just ask you som-”

“Oh for fucks sake Daniel! Look you better make it quick because I’m at my fucking wits end with you,” you snap, waving your hands in front of you.

“Before I ask this…can you promise me you won’t get angry with me?” Your arms go back to cross over your chest. “I cannot make such promises.”

“Well then just promise me you will listen without interrupting me.” You clench your jaw at his words but give him a small nod of your to him to let him continue.

Daniel swallows hard before he takes a deep breath. “May I explain why I put my hands on you?”

You scoff and roll your eyes. “Oh! So, you’re not here to apologize then, instead you're going to try and justify your actions? Real fucking smart,” you say and then push yourself off the bed and stride over to him.

Daniel doesn’t move back as you come to step in front of him. Instead, he angles his head to look up at you. He brings his hands together in his lap and clutches them. “You’re right. I am not here to apologize.” All you could do was expose your canines to him as you hissed.

Danny sits back in the chair, moving one of his hands to adjust himself as he spreads his legs open. Gods.What a cocky and arrogant bastard.

“Yes, I did put my hands on you but let me explain exactly why I did so.” You snarl at him and take another step to stalk towards him. “I thought I told you I’m running out of patients.”

Danny remains stationary as you snarl down at him. He puts his arms over his chest and sank further back into the chair, crossing his ankle over his knee, making his foot brush against the fabric of your dress. Fucking prick.

“Let. Me. Explain,” he commands in a stern and unwavering tone that makes the hair on the back of your neck stand on its end. You pray to the Gods that he won't notice the change in your scent as a small ripple of fear rolls up your spine. You push the fear aside and cross your arms over your chest and then lean down so your face is in front of his. “Speak.”

Daniel holds your stare, and you can see that cocky smirk starting to spread over his face, but he quickly washes it away. You straighten yourself back up and wait for his words. “What I did was out of pure rage. Is it something that I wish I hadn’t done? Yes. However, that does not negate the fact that at that moment I was not thinking clearly.”

You let out a deep chuckle and throw your head back. You take a step away from him and turn on your heel, holding your hands behind you. Most people wouldn’t dare to turn their back to such a powerful male, but you didn’t care the slightest.

With your back to him, you can practically feel his eyes roam over your body as they take in the deep cut out of the dress that exposes the skin of your back to him. You then stop your steps and swirl back to him and you were right. His eyes were lingering on your body. “I bet you are thinking of other ways to harm me right now huh?”

Daniel sucks in a breath and leans himself back over his knees, his eyes going back down to stare at his hands clenched before him. “I’m going to have to be very careful with this,” he seems to whisper to himself. Your eyes narrow on him, your brows scrunching together as you try to piece together what he could have meant. “With what?”

Daniel peels away his gaze from his hands and sets them on you. “With you.”

You feel your body stiffen. You? What could he possibly want from you? “W-what about me? Do you wish to harm me or strangle me again?” Daniel’s eyes seem to grow wide, and he shakes his head. “I wish to do neither of those things to you.”

You don’t why the question comes to mind, but it comes out of your mouth before you can even stop it. “Then, then what do you want to do with me?”

Danny’s body seems to grow rigid, and you watch as his pupils dilate. One of his hands releases from his own and you watch as it sinks into his thigh. He uncrosses his legs and lets his eyes rake over your entire body and it leaves you still and utterly breathless. “I would like to ask you a personal question, Y/N.” That seems to do the trick and snap you out of it. Your eyes narrow again and you feel your anger start to stir and something else. That same feeling from before. “And why the fuck would I allow you to ask me such a thing?” you hiss.

“Listen you may say ‘no’, but just let me ask you the question.”

“You know I’m armed right?”

You watch his eyes as they look over to the knife on your dresser. You let out a small laugh and shake your head. “No, that isn’t the knife I’m talking about.” Daniel nods and clears his throat. “I’m aware. So let me ask you this. I know that at this moment you are not going to forgive me for my actions, but I would like to know if you would consider it one day?”

You give him a small shrug and turn back on my heel away from him with my hands still clasped behind my back. “Who’s to say?”

You hear Daniel loosen a breath behind you. “Then may I ask you one more question?” You whirl back on your heel to face him. “I would be very careful with how you wish to proceed,” you snap back, your eyes narrowing on him again.

Daniel takes note of your body language and the growl that came from you. His eyes again sweep over you. “Would you be open to the idea of possibly starting a relationship with m-”

Your body grows utterly stiff but then you find yourself unable to contain the fury that sweeps over and blinds you. “Are you out of your fucking mind?” You yell, stomping over to him. “Why would I ever do such a thing, huh? S-so I can grant you the liberty of possibly inflicting harm on me? A-and how would you even know, huh? How would you even know if there is some sort of bond between us? O-or the sheer fact that I would even accept it? Are you actually out of your fucking mind?”

The pure fury that flies out of you leaves your body shaking. Daniel takes note of it and holds up a hand, his eyes growing wide at your outburst. Your body halts seeing his hand being held up. Daniel leans back against the chair and sighs. “If you would have let me finish my question before you decided to interrupt me, I would’ve explained further.”

“Then what the fuck do you mean ‘relationship with me’?” You hiss as you push aside his hand and lean over him.

“What I meant was a civilized relationship. Get your head out of the fucking gutter Y/N,” he hisses back but you could see the amusement that started to spread on his face. Your body stiffens and you pull yourself away from him. “Oh,” is the only word you find yourself able to say.

Daniel leans back in the chair, and you see him smirk as he runs a hand through his curls. “Mating bond though? That’s cute,” he says with a small laugh. You feel heat rise to your cheeks and this time you know it’s not out of anger. “S-shut up,” you say but your voice falters.

Daniel moved his body and sat up slightly in the chair, his arrogant smirk still plastered on his face. “Why? Do you wish to find out?” he says in a cocky tone, this time letting his eyes linger on curved parts of your body without trying to hide it. Your hands bawl up to fists at your side. “No. No I would not,” you say through clenched teeth.

Danny sighs and slumps back into the chair. 'Shame, cuz’ I wouldn’t have minded. I’ve always wondered if you are crazy and reckless in the bedro-” You hiss again and find yourself leaning back over so your face is right in front of his. “Oh!? So, you just want to ‘mate’ with me? Is that it?” you shout into his face.

Daniel’s eyes dip to where the front of your dress hangs down, exposing the upper part of your chest to him. He slowly lifts them back up and stares right into your soul. His eyes seem to gleam, and you know it has nothing to do with any sort of rage. When he speaks, his voice is low and gravely. “I’m going to be very honest with you Y/N…yes.”

That was it. That was your final undoing.

You reach under your dress where you kept the dagger strapped to the side of your thigh. You pulled it out of its strap and pressed it against his neck. “Is that what you came in here for? To tell me just how badly you want to fuck me?” Daniel doesn’t move away from the blade- doesn’t even try to push it aside. “No…but what if I said yes, then what?”

You grit your teeth and angle the dagger closer to his neck. “And why the fuck do you think I would ever grant you the access to share that part of me?”

Danny swallows and you see his throat bob against the blade. “Because I think you’ve thought about it before– I know you’ve thought about it before.” Your hand that clutches the blade starts to shake. “S-shut up,” you stutter out.

You don’t know why you didn’t try to deny it or why you didn’t immediately protest as such an outrageous thing. And maybe, just maybe his words held an ounce of truth in them.

His eyes hold yours and don’t make any sign or indication of looking away. “I know Y/N. I see the way you look at me…how your eyes sometimes linger over my body. I know because that is the way that I find myself looking at you. I know.”

Your mind had gone completely blank. Not at him stating that he knew your eyes would sometimes linger, but at his own confession. The fact that he looked at you the same way with nothing but hunger and desire.

“I thought I told you to shut up,” you spit back at him, tilting your body so you hovered back over his face. Daniel does nothing except gaze back. His eyes began to swirl with smoke and flame.

The mixture of emotions that courses through you makes your head spin. You knew it was true. All of it. There were times when you had come into the training ring and found yourself unable to take your eyes off of him. The way his muscles shifted each time he flung his sword and how by the end of it, his body was drenched in a layer of sweat that made those muscles of his glisten under the rays of sun. You knew that he noticed you watching him– could sense your eyes on him but he never acted upon it. All he would do is cast you a knowing glance and a smirk would be upturned on his face. All you could do was glare at him and then quickly avert your eyes, feeling warmth spread over the tops of your cheeks.

Leaning yourself further into his face, you press the dagger closer against his skin. “So what?” you say, with a cock of your eyebrow. Another small challenge for him. He swallows and lowers his voice to that gravely and dark tone that makes chills form across your skin. “So…would it be such a bad thing?”

Your chest tightens at his words, and you feel yourself not knowing how to think– let alone act. You open your mouth to say something snarky back, but no words seem to come to mind. With a shaky deep breath, you let yourself finally give into that nagging feeling that had been pestering you all day.

With your legs failing to collapse under you, you deem yourself to take a step forward. Then another so you are now standing between his legs. You can see Daniel sink his hands into the soft cushion of the chair like he was fighting against every instinct that raked through him not to reach out and grab you.

Another deep breath and then you move one of your legs and lift it over his. Then you follow with the other, so you are now sitting on his lap, straddling him. Daniel’s body stiffens beneath you, and you once again spot his hands sinking into the cushion, clawing at the fabric. You wouldn’t be surprised if you saw small tears in the fabric the next day.

His eyes close for a moment and you can hear him mumble a curse under his breath before he lets out a ragged breath and looks back at you.

You look at him over the bridge of your nose. “I-if you think that there is even the slightest chance of having a mating bond,” Gods, the words felt strange and foreign as they rolled off your tongue, “then now would be the time to prove it.”

Daniel doesn’t know what to do as he is pinned under you. His heartbeat pounded so hard and fast that the noise appeared to be rattling his brain. All he could do was blink up at you. Was she really going to allow him to try something or was this just another one of her games?

Daniel swallowed thickly and you could feel his body tremble beneath you. “I- I would like to try something…”

The cloud and whirlwind of emotions starts up again, feeling like it is ripping you from the inside out– gutting you. It’s worse than the feeling of a blade piercing your skin. You swallow and your eyes dart over the expanse of his face. “W-what is it?” you ask, your grasp started to loosen on the dagger.

The muscles in his jaw feather and you feel him shift beneath you. It takes everything in you not to gasp at the feeling of his body moving beneath yours.

“There is a way…to test it. To see if there is truly anything that lies between us. Would you be open to finding out?” Your tongue feels heavy in your mouth, but you manage to find the words. “H-how? What is it?”

“There’s a certain gesture–no gesture is the wrong word for it,” Daniel says stumbling over his own words, “I don’t really know how to phrase it other than it being a sort of test. But if it does happen to work and there truly is some sort of bond in place, then it should be almost instantaneous.”

You feel your body grow tense. You weren’t sure exactly what he had in mind and that only made the wheels in your head start to turn. For the first time, you let your guard drop in front of him and show him the nerves that made your body start to tremble.

Daniel’s face grows soft, noticing the change in your demeanor. “Hey, hey, it’s nothing crazy or anything that will harm you…I promise you this Y/N,” he says, and you watch his hand come off of the cushion and raise it but then he drops it. It was like he was going to reach out and caress the side of your face but then opted against it.

“What is it Danny?” you ask with a soft voice but you make sure to pull yourself back together and manage to throw in a snarky comment. “And don’t be smart about it. I can already feel your other gesture poking into my leg,” you say with a small smirk.

Daniel’s mouth curves upward into a smile and you see his eyes quickly dart to where you are seated on his lap. “Yes, there is also that, but allow me to show you what I mean.”

You feel your body burning once again as you grow impatient. The tip of the blade angles deeper against his neck and presses, letting it sink into his skin but not deep enough to truly cause any harm.

Daniel tenses beneath you and you watch as he turns his head slightly to try and put some distance between himself and the blade. He sucks in a deep breath, and you see his face harden, his brows narrowing in on you. “You may not like it. You have to fully submit yourself to me.”

Your body grew stiff and rigid. Your mind instantly felt leadened as you realized just exactly what he was saying– what he was asking you to do. And you couldn’t. You would not.

What Daniel was asking of you was something that was far too much– too invasive…too intimate. The idea of it extinguished the growing fire that filled you and burned it away. The sheer thought of having to submit yourself fully to him and having to willfully show him everything made your stomach turn.

There were things you couldn’t even bring yourself to acknowledge but you knew these things had happened and you felt nothing but shame and guilt for the things you had done. For him to even ask you of that, to fully allow yourself to show yourself to him– all the good, the bad and the ugly…it was all too much.

“No,” you said softly and when that fog in your mind cleared, you started again, this time your words sure and steady. “No! I- I can’t! I will not lower my shields for you!” You try your best to control the trembling racking through your body, but it feels all too much. You weigh his words again and the trembling continues.

You swallow and blink, trying to shake away the racing thoughts that blur your vision. You tried. You tried with all you might to remain strong in front of him, but it was too much. You let your eyes drop, your hair cascading in front of you to shield him out. If you were to have taken a glance, you would’ve seen the softness that crept onto Daniel’s face.

“Why? Why not Y/N?” He says, his voice coming out as nothing but a whisper.

Your chest ached at the softness of his voice. The softness of it, the vulnerability in it as if he was truly trying to understand what burned underneath all the fire and anger you held in your heart. He was trying to understand. The thought alone made your eyes line with tears.

You sucked in a shuddering breath and lifted your head. When your teary eyes met him again, you saw his face ripple with what looked like desolation and sorrow but not only that. Pain.

The hand clutching the knife against him was now limp as your eyes searched his face, really searched his face. You took him in, letting your eyes linger on the parts of him that you hadn’t dared to let yourself get lost in for too long. His strong cheekbones, his chiseled jaw, the way in which his prominent nose stood from his face to arch down at the end to form a point. A point that led down to his plump, sensual lips.

Your eyes flickered back up to his and you saw his browns come together, trying to read through every thought that washed within you. “B-because…I don’t trust you Danny,” you whispered to him. Danny actually winced, he winced at your words. The thick column of his neck bobbed as he swallowed again. With a slow and steady hand, he reached up and tucked back loose tendrils of your hair behind your ear. You felt yourself shudder against the touch and you knew it wasn’t from fear.

His hand brushed against the side of your cheek until his fingers crept under your chin and held your face there. This touch, this touch was far different from the hands that had been wrapped around you earlier. They were weary and seemed a bit unsure.

“I know Y/N…a-and I’m sorry. Truly I am. But, just,” he sighed, “Can you at least put the knife down?” Your fingers again wrapped themselves around the handle of the dagger but then you slowly loosened them and dropped the dagger. The sound of it clattered to the floor and you glanced at it briefly before your eyes slipped back to his. Danny let out a shaky breath and you felt his body relax under you.

“Good. Okay, now will you try? W-will you let me…please?” There was such uncertainty in his words, and you saw his eyes dance around your face trying to read the blank expression plastered on it.

Slowly, so slowly you nodded your head and relief washed over his face. But it was instantly gone as you stiffened your body and stared him down. “Wait. I want to try first. Let me in your mind.” Danny’s eyes grow wide a bit, surely taken back by what you now laid out before him but then the expression was gone. He nibbled against his bottom lip but then gave a small incline of his head. “Okay.”

His words were the confirmation you needed, and you gathered all your strength inside you, felt it coil and rip into your veins. Daniel dropped his hand from your face and laid them back over the arms of the chair. With your hands now free of the dagger, you slowly let them come to rest on top of his. It wasn’t that you didn’t want to touch him, you did but you knew that the added connection would help you. Would wield you in a way to him. A sort of lifeline if you needed it.

With a final shaky breath, you let your gaze harden on his. The room was silent as he stared back at you blankly as if to show you know he was no threat and that for you…he would do this for you.

Slowly, you let your eyes close, keeping the frame of him wielded inside your brain as you sent a blind hand out to try and find just what you were looking for.

Everything was dark as you pushed your power forward and your face contorted into a grimace as you concentrated. Your jaw clenched as you pushed yourself further but still. There was nothing.

“I-I can’t find you,” you said, feeling your eyes shift back and forth behind your eyelids. Your hands that rested on top of his now gripped the top of his hands as if doing so could help you further.

“Steady yourself. You're coming on too strong and you're letting your emotions cloud over. Try to relax and ease yourself in,” Danny spoke softly. You let out a deep sigh to ease everything stirring within you. You flexed your hands out over top of his and then let them lay gently on top of his. You cleared your mind and let it go blank before you tried again.

Slowly you let your mind go and this time you could feel it creeping to something–for something. It was still dark, but it now felt you were being guided down a tunnel. You felt all of its twists and turns as you reached with a hand and let your hand brush against it, trying to find a sliver or weak spot within it. “I-it’s still dark. I still can’t find you, but I feel something…like I’m being carried somewhere.”

“Good. Keep trying, keep following that path. Let me guide you there. Just focus on the sound of my voice.”

You gave a small nod of your head and felt him shift under you. Then one of his hands slipped out from under yours and you almost cursed at the lost connection until you felt it gently placed on the small of your back, steadying you in his lap as he leaned himself forward. His breath danced along the side of your neck, your ear and felt it send a shiver down your spine that made your back arch slightly. “Follow my voice. Focus on it. The pitch, the words. Use it and let it guide you.” With your eyes still closed you nodded.

“Are you listening, Y/N?” he asked and the way that made your blood run hot but this time not with rage or anger. You could feel his breath hitting your ear and the tone he used lapped around you, making your breath shutter. You silently cursed at yourself when you felt your core pulse. “Yes,” you whispered, your voice suddenly stripped from you.

“Good, now just listen to the sound of it.”

“I’m listening.”

“Good,” he says so softly and you swear you could almost feel his lips murmuring the words against you.

You forced yourself to focus back on that task at hand and when you did– a small shimmering. An opening. You wanted to race to it, not knowing if the image would stay but you held yourself back. If you lunged for it too quickly it might vanish. Instead, you let your mind slowly creep towards it.

“I-I see it. I see a wall,” you said faintly.

“Describe it to me. What all do you see?” Danny cooed into your ear.

Your brows knitted together, trying to focus on just what it was exactly that was in front of you. It was solid and blank. Just a high stone black wall that was so high you couldn’t see the top of it. It just stood there, looming in front of you. You frowned again and shook your head. “I don’t know, i-it’s just a wall. A big wall.”

“Then you know what to do, Y/n. Go through it. Try to find a way through it.”

You squinted your eyes further together and tried to find a door, a crack, a sliver of something. Anything. But it was solid. A hand reached for the wall trying to feel for any weak spots but there was none. As you reached that blind hand towards it, you heard Danny shudder slightly at the nails now trying to scratch in and open his mind. “That’s it. Keep going.”

So you did. You walked yourself along the wall that seemed to stretch for miles and miles but there was still nothing. All his training had paid off. The wall seemed utterly impenetrable. You tried again, now trying to picture an opening. Trying to find any way through.

You were about to give up but then suddenly– it was like a window appeared out of nowhere. You were now the one to shudder as you slowly made your way towards it. “I- I see something.”

“What do you see?” Danny said, breathing down your neck. You felt his hand that was resting against the small of your back, digging into you a bit.

“It’s a window…a-and it’s open.”

“Good, now climb through it.”

You approached the open window and took a step forward. You were about to push it open and step into it but it was stuck. You grimaced and tried to open it wider again, but it didn’t move. You let out a deep sigh and shook your head. “I can’t get through. It’s stuck.” You had tried your hardest, but it seemed like it was no use.

‘I’m sorry,”’ Danny said but there was something off. He was speaking but the words didn’t come from his lips.

As soon as you realized just what had happened you felt yourself stumble into the window. You opened your eyes, them growing wide as you took in the sight of him. His body was now close, so close to you. He pulled back a little so you could see the full shape of his face before you. But even now, seeing him before you, you could also see inside his head. There were many different doors. Some were lighter and looked welcoming and others– others were dark and just looking at them made you feel unnerved.

‘W-wait…it worked? Can you hear me?’ you spoke to him now mind to mind.

You saw the own shocked expression flash across Danny’s face as he too realized that you had actually done it. You had gone into his mind. Were in his mind.

‘Yes, I can hear you. Can you hear me?’ Danny said to you.

You gave a nod of your head. ‘I can see everything,”’ you said as your hand grasped the knob of one of the more welcoming doors. You opened it and were met with a memory of him, Rhys, Cassian, Azriel and Jake who were all lounging on various chairs and couches. Their heads were tilted back in laughter as Cassian told a story about an encounter with a girl and clearly, she hadn’t known who he was– what he was and told him that she could very well take him up in a fight without a doubt.

The sound of your own laughter filled the room, and you watched Danny’s lips curve upwards as he let out a soft chuckle. More warm memories infiltrated your brain, and you smiled but then the memories vanished, and you felt yourself being shoved through another door. This one was not welcoming at all.

Images flashed in your head of– of war. It was bloody and gruesome, and you felt nausea turn in your gut as you beheld fallen soldiers, bloodied, and splayed out before you. They were scratched and bloody, so bloody. Some of the cuts were so deep that you could see the white of their bone at the opened gashes.

Your body was frozen, and your hand dug into his. His own eyes grew wide at the sight of your fear. “Out! I want out! Danny push me out!” you screamed at him this time the words came from your lips.

Danny beheld you in front of him, a frantic look on his face and then he grimaced, and you were instantly shoved out of the door and then slipped completely out of his mind.

Your breathing was heavy, and you panted, trying to calm yourself down from the images that were now permanently embedded in your head.

Danny slipped his other hand out from under you and reached up to troked the side of your cheek, but you flinched back. He instantly recoiled his hand and placed it back on the armrest. “I-I’m sorry. I don’t know why that door appeared, why it felt the need to push you through it. Are you okay?”

You gave a slow nod of your head, your breathing now coming out at a slow, even pace. You slowly braced your arms on the chair and pushed yourself off of his lap. Even though your breathing had slowed, your heart still beat rapidly under your chest.

You paced around the room trying to gather all the thoughts that invaded you and sort them out. If this truly was a test, then was that meant to happen? Were you supposed to see everything? The good, the bad and the ugly…all of it.

Danny sat perched in the chair, watching you as you paced the room. Ever so slowly, he pushed himself out of the chair and started to approach you. “Y/N,” he said but you couldn’t hear them over the thoughts that clouded and filled your head. He took another step and placed a gentle hand on your shoulder. That same gentle touch from earlier that now seemed like a millennia ago.

“Y/N,” he spoke again, this time his voice sounding clearer.

You whirled around instantly to face him, not realizing how close he was to you and had to take a small step back. You were so frustrated and– and confused by what this all meant that it made you snap at him. “What does this mean?” you hissed at him.

Danny pulled his hand away from you and let it drop to his side. His own confusion was now written on his face too and he looked at the floor, shaking his head. “I know as much as you do. I know that people– Daemati can speak mind to mind…but mates? I…I don’t know if that is something that is granted or perhaps just happens? It is beyond the knowledge I possess.”

“I know, but what does this mean?” you signaled with your hand, pointing between the two of you. Daniel again shook his head and raised his eyes to meet you. “All I know is that you can now enter my mind and maybe I can enter yours, if that’s something you would allow me to anyways. But it works both ways. Even with or without the mating bond…it still means there’s some sort of connection.”

You took in every word he said. Both of you seemed utterly lost. While yes it may be something. It wasn’t necessarily the answer you were looking for. You looked at him and you felt your eyes soften as the question rose into your head. “But how do I know if you’re truly my mate?”

Daniel’s eyes took you in and something flashed in them– something feral and wild. A smirk marked his face, and he stepped forward closing the distance between us. “Well then maybe we should find out. It could be rather interesting. Do you want to play, Y/N?”

Your hands found his chest and you shoved him back as you scoffed. 'Prick.' You heard Daniel laugh and you cursed at yourself for not pulling your mental shields up. Daniel smirked and crossed his arms over his chest. He cocked a brow, that cunning smirk still on his face. “And here I was thinking that your anger towards me wasn’t anger at all. I think you rather enjoy it.”

You let your face harden as you glared at him. “What are you talking about?” You asked, mirroring him and now letting your own arms cross in front of you. Danny stared at you and his grin grew further. “Oh, come on, all the so-called anger you have towards me. You don’t think I’m that stupid do y-”

“Oh, it's definitely crossed my mind.”

Danny just rolled his eyes but let his hands fall to his sides. “I think all that anger is you trying to flirt with me. You like it. You like when we bicker and argue. It does something to you and I would be lying if it didn’t do the same to me.”You scoffed and rolled your eyes. “That doesn’t mean shit.”

Danny took a step toward you, and you could clearly see the challenge held in that step. “But it does. You want to play. You like it when we play.”

“Have you maybe thought that for one second that it’s because I think you’re an arrogant, annoying asshole?” Danny tilted his head back and laughed. “Oh, come on, we both know the answer to that. But I can see it– sense it when I’m around you and when I touch y-”

“Oh! Like you did early when your hands were wrapped around my throat?”

Danny’s gaze hardened and you watched the muscles in his jaw flex. “You know how sorry I am about that. I- that’s not what I meant,” Danny said with a shake of his head.

When his eyes met yours again, they had that feral gleam in them. He took another step towards you. “Don’t lie, you know exactly what I’m talking about.” You swallowed as you looked up at him. “Just now, when you were sitting on my lap, you felt it didn’t you? Felt the way my hands felt on your body, the way you arched into me when I whispered in your ear. Did you enjoy that?”

All you could do was stare up at him. You couldn’t begin to deny it because it was true, and it left your body trembling…your core aching.

You had had many lovers, some of them good, some of them…bad. But even with how amazing they were and how they left you pleased and satisfied it felt like nothing compared to the way his hands felt.

You had noticed it the first time he touched you. It was an accident. You were up in the training ring sparring with Jake, and you had stumbled back only for Daniel to wrap your arms around it to catch you but when he did…it felt like lightning had been shot into your skin. You had whirled around to see who it was who had caught you and when you realized it was him your eyes grew wide, but you quickly replaced it with a glare. The same look had been plastered on his face, but he only gave you a nod of his head to signal to go back to training.

“You felt it too?” Danny asked, looking at you once over. You stared blankly at him but gave him a small nod. “I think that’s when I knew.”

“Knew what?” You asked, your eyes narrowing in on him. Danny sucked in a breath and let it out. “It’s when I knew…you were my mate.”

Your eyes grew wide, and you just stared at him. Stared and stared and stared. The hands you had crossed in front of your chest dropped and you let them fall to your sides, your mouth gaping. “W-what?”

“Mate,” Danny said again, “you’re my mate.”

Mate. Mate. You were his mate. Your eyes scanned his face, searching for what? You didn’t know. Your body felt like it was a statue, and you felt your breath halt in your chest. Shaking your head, you closed your eyes, trying to process what he just said. You opened them. “I- what? How? W-when did you know?” Danny gave a casual shrug like any of this was normal. “I think I knew from the first moment I saw you.”

Your eyes grew wide, and your hands bawled into fists. “Y-you’ve known for that long, and you didn’t tell me?” Danny gave another casual shrug of his shoulders. “Well yeah…I-I guess I didn’t know what to say– if I should say anything at all.”

A scoff escaped you and you threw your hands back over your chest. “You knew…and yet you still didn’t tell me. Why? Were you afraid I might reject you…it?” Daniel’s face softened and you saw that doubt and uncertainty flash onto it. “I- yes. I was afraid you would say no-”

You took a step forward. “And what would you do if I rejected it now?”

Daniel stiffened and opened his mouth and then shut it. He took you in, really looked at you, the same way you had looked at him moments ago. And the way he looked at you, it ignited something under your skin.

“If I’m being honest…I don’t know. I think it would crush me…I’d get over it- I mean I’d have to.” You watched him speak with such sincerity and you felt that ache in your chest grow. Would it crush you as well?

You let out a deep sigh and ran a hand down your face. You dropped it only to see him standing there and you swear he almost looked uncomfortable. Perhaps this was rather uncomfortable. It was for you anyway, but you couldn’t imagine how it must’ve been for him since he’s the one who knew and had admitted it.

“I wait…I have questions. Sit,” you said pointing back to the chair behind him. Danny gave a small nod of his head and walked the short distance and plopped himself into the chair shifting his wings, so they draped around the back. He clutched his hands together as he balanced them over his knees.

You stalked over to him. “If what you’re saying is true…then is this why explain why we’re always at each other’s throats– feel the need to be? I mean what you said is true, I enjoy it…t-the playing, the taunting…the flirting. But is this the real reason why?”

Danny gave a small nod of his head and shifted in his seat. “Yes, I think that may have something to do with it. I don’t think it is much of a coincidence how easily we seem to rile each other up. I think sometimes we- well maybe more I would, I guess sometimes see it as a challenge, a way to almost invade me or my space but it almost felt…territorial, I guess. Like I wanted– still want to keep drawing you back to me because I knew…I know. I wanted to keep you coming back because that part of me deep down knew that you were mine.”

“And when you put your hands on me…. Was there something more behind that?”

Danny nodded slowly and let out a sigh. “I think it’s because I was frustrated. And believe me I know it wasn’t right– isn’t right but it killed me to know something was bothering you o-or hurting you and you wouldn’t tell me. And in turn, I couldn’t do anything about it. And it’s not because I could see that you were clearly upset…it’s because I felt it. I could feel something was wrong.”

“B-because of the bond?” you asked softly. “Because of the bond,” Danny echoed.

“B-but then why couldn’t I feel that? If you were upset or something was bothering you,” you asked with a small frown.

Another casual shrug. “Maybe because you didn’t know? But then again, maybe you did feel something but mistook it as your own emotions, whatever that feeling was.” His words made sense. You were always a bit moody, and your emotions always seemed to run high but there were times when you would feel a strong wave of emotion hit you and you didn’t know where it was coming from or why. But maybe these emotions were actually his all along.

You stopped short in front of him and the ache in your chest grew. Not for what he was saying but for him.Danny laid everything out. All the things he had kept to himself for so long that he had finally confessed to you.

His eyes stilled on you and something like fear flashed across his face– like he had said too much and regretted it. But no, you wouldn’t allow him to think those thoughts. Instead, you prowled closer to him.

“You know, I can smell you, scent you when you’re around. And sometimes, when a room is packed and crowded, I still can scent you and it’s strong. It rises above all the rest even when I can’t see you. Like something in my body knows you’re there and is telling me to go to you…” Daniel swallowed and leaned back a bit. “I know, because the same thing happens to me.”

“You can scent me too?” you said, taking another weary step to him.

“Of course, I can and sometimes it drives me fucking nuts. Especially when I know you’re there and can’t see you.”

The both of you stilled and blinked at each other for a moment. You took him in, his casual appearance and how he seemed utterly calm. “H-how are you okay with all of this? How do you look so calm?” Danny’s eyebrows raised upward, and his eyes grew wide. “Calm? I’m anything but that right now. I may not be showing it but I’m freaking out right now.” You gave him a small smile to try and reassure him and he returned it.

You stalked closer to him. “And just how do I reject or accept the bond?” Danny went utterly still and looked up at you. He blinked a few times and then cleared his throat. “Well, if you want to reject it, you do just that. Reject it. But if you decide to accept it…well the act seems rather silly but it’s something deeply rooted into our traditions.”

“And just what exactly is that?”

“The female offers their mate food if she accepts. But with that they also accept everything that comes with it. Embrace it, but not only the bond but who they are. It means they accept everything about that person regardless of the flaws they may have. It means that they claim them as theirs and they claim them as the same. As one.” You swallowed and nodded, absorbing all the information he laid out for you. Your eyes traveled to the nightstand beside your bed. You slowly walked over to it and felt his eyes on your back. If he was thinking about your movements, he didn’t voice them.

“But I guess there may be another way…another way we already know. And before you protest– no it’s not that. I mean of course it can certainly help in some cases but what I mean is touch. Some people know then and choose to accept it that instant if they feel it. But like I said…we already know that. Sometimes a pair can know just by looking at each other. It differs from everyone.”

You gave a small nod of your head as you closed the distance to the nightstand. “But even though we may have felt that…I didn’t accept it because I didn't know then,” you said as you opened the drawer to the nightstand. “That is correct. For us– well for you, you hadn’t known. So, in our case, it’s different,” Danny spoke.

You gave another nod of your head and rummaged around in the drawer and then you found what you were looking for. You grabbed it and held it behind your back as you walked back over to him. Daniel ran a curious eye over you as you stopped in front of him.

“Well, I may not have known then, but I know now.” Daniel kept that watchful eye on you, trying to understand just what you meant with your words. Your hand tightly gripped the item behind you and then with a shaky breath, you extended the hand out to him.

In it was a small chocolate wrapped in a red bow. His eyes grew wide, and he looked up at me. “I know it’s not much, b-but it’s all I have.”

Daniel smiled at you, truly smiled and he plucked the small chocolate from your hand. This wasn’t just an offering. It was a sort of union. A knowledge and acceptance that you would now be his and that he would now be yours.

You watched him carefully as he undid the tiny bow and plucked away at the wrapper. A small smile was on his face as he brought it to his mouth and when he did his eyes found yours. He held the small candy in front of his mouth, and you felt your breath catch not knowing if now he would accept. But then all the worries that clouded your mind soon vanished as he popped the candy into his mouth.

A relieved breath escaped you and you watched him chew and then swallow. And maybe you were too caught up in the moment, but you swear something shifted within you. And maybe he sensed it too because something lit up in those hazel eyes of his.

All you could do was stare at him, your mind racing at one hundred miles an hour as you realized what you had offered to him and what he had now gladly accepted.

The moment seemed to last forever as you both beheld the sight of each other. Mates. He was your mate, and you were his. That word echoed through you and felt foreign but something about it felt so…right. Danny was your mate.

Danny reached out a hand and gripped the fabric of your dress loosely and Gods. The sight of him seated below you with his head angled up…It tore through you and ignited a fire that burned so deeply that it felt like all of the worlds had tipped on its axis.

His hand slid up and cupped your thigh from behind, pulling you closer to him. His hand dug into while he pulled you in so close that his nose almost brushed the lilac fabric of your gown. It was enough to make your breath and body halt in their place.

Your hands were still hung loosely at your sides, and you rubbed your thumb over them, suddenly not knowing what to do with them– where to put them or if you should put them anywhere at all. Danny’s eyes glanced at them and then back up to you. ‘Just fucking touch me already,’ he said into your mind. So, you did.

Your hands lunged for him and grabbed hold of his face in your hands while climbing back onto his lap. He shifted back into the seat, his hands now coming to hold onto your waist.

You didn’t waste any time as you crashed your lips into his. The feeling of his lips moving beneath yours gave you the same electrifying feeling from the first time he had touched you but this time it was way more intense. Your hands and body worked on a mind of their own as they moved along him, touching, and exploring the parts of him that you had secretly pawned over for so long.

If you thought that you were a mess, then clearly it was nothing compared to how Danny had felt. His hands moved along your back, gripping you tightly to him as they did the same and explored your body. You could feel his breath tangled with yours and heard the sound of him groaning as he pressed himself further against you.

You felt one of his hands move to cup your backside while the other snaked further up your neck and grabbed hold of the nape of your neck. He gave a small tug to the hair there and your head tilted back, a low moan crawling out of you.

He tore his lips away from yours only to replace them along the column of your neck. Danny let out his own soft moans against you while he kissed and nibbled along the sensitive skin.

Your own hands traveled up his body until they were tangled in his curly locks. You came to the top of his head where half of his hair was tied up in a thin leather band and hooked your finger under it, letting his bounded hair fall down to his shoulders. He was so fucking beautiful.

Your hands and body were now frantic as every thought left your mind and there was only one left. You needed him and you needed him badly.

Your lips found his again and you practically melted into him when his tongue pushed into your mouth. If his scent was enough to drive you mad, the taste of him would make you go utterly fucking insane. Danny’s hands traveled back to your hips and gripped them, he shifted a bit and you felt his own madness poking beneath you. Your hands ran down the front of his body, feeling the hard, taught muscles of his chest and stomach until they gripped the bottom edge of his tank top and ripped it off of him, carefully minding his wings.

You brought your mouth away from his and peered down at his bare chest beneath you. You felt his hungry eyes watch you every move. When you looked down, you could see the tattoos that slithered along his skin. You had seen them before but never up close. You let your fingertips trace along them as if to mark a new imprint of your own against him.

Your eyes traveled along the expanse of him, and you noticed his golden tan skin that had small flecks of white lines– old scars. Some of them you noticed were cut so deep that his skin hadn’t healed smoothly and protruded out. Battle marks. Each from a different war or past encounter. Each a different reminder of all that he had faced in his past.

Your finger grazed over one of the more brutal looking scars and you casted your eyes up to his. “Do they hurt?”

Daniel gave you a soft smile and shook his head. “No.” You just glanced back at his body and gave a small nod of your head. One of his hands left your hips and came to cup the side of your face as he pulled your back to his lips. His kiss erases all those daunting and looming thoughts that plagued your mind.

You were completely consumed by the desire that raged and pressed into your veins. A groan escaped you when you felt his teeth nip along your bottom lip and it left your core aching. You nipped him back and felt him smile beneath your lips. “I knew you wanted to play,” Daniel mumbled against your lips. You smirked and let your mouth meet his again but not before you ground your hips against him. He hissed and his hands tightened on your hips. Play with me Danny, you spoke into his mind.

It seemed like those were just the words he had needed to hear because his hands slid to cup your backside and he rose up from the chair in one fluid motion. Your legs tightened around his waist, further pushing his hardness into you that made you cry out at the pressure.

He walked the short distance to your bed and gently laid you on it, not breaking the kiss. You felt him crawl up the bed, placing one of his hands beside your head while the other lingered on the crest of your hip.

You pulled back for a brief moment just to cast a glance at him and when you did– cauldron burn and boil you. He was propped on his knees, kneeling between yours. His bare chest in the dim shadows only seemed to further enhance the ridges and dips of his muscles. His dark curly hair that was now unbound came to hang around the sides of his face. His dark wings that were tucked behind him now were splayed out. And his eyes– God's eyes. They devoured you from the inside out and were completely wild, his pupils shot. A picture of purebred power only that could be crafted by the Gods hands.

Daniel’s dark eyes raked up the expanse of your body and you watched his chest rise and fall heavily. You pushed yourself up so you balanced on your elbows and reached a hand out and laid your palm flat against his stomach. You felt his muscles twitch and saw him look down at your hand, bringing his bottom lip between his teeth as that started to slide down lower and lower.

You let it stop at the top of his leather pants and you leaned yourself up into a sitting position as you ever so delicately began to undo the laces of his pants. You were able to see the outline of just what exactly was being held and bound against his pants and the sight was enough to make your hands start to shake.

Daniel’s hands came to rest on top of yours and you tilted your head to look up at him. A flash of concern was drawn on his face. “We don’t have to, you know,” he spoke softly, his hands tightening on yours to try and ease that shakiness. You looked away from a mere second but then quickly found his eyes again. “I-I want to.”

Danny gave a small incline of his head and then leaned down, so his lips tickled the shell of your ear. “Just tell me if it’s too much. I’ll try to be as gentle as I can, but I have been dreaming about this moment for so long that I don’t think I’ll be able to hold myself back.”

You felt your core clench around nothing as his words lapped against your ear. You continued with the task at hand and found your fingers quickly working to undo those final laces, this time trembling from anticipation alone. You got them undone and turned your head slightly and felt the side of his face against yours. “Please. Please don’t hold back.”

That seemed to be all he needed because he softly pressed his hand to your chest, and you fell back onto the bed. He gripped both of your thighs and slid your body down to him. He gave a small shift of his hips and fully pressed himself against you and that feeling alone had your back arching off the bed. You could see the outline of him behind his pants and knew he was big but it was nothing compared to how he now felt pressed against you.

Danny’s lips pressed against the bottom of your neck and slowly trailed upward so his mouth was once again hovering by your ear. “I was hoping you would say that because I have no intention of holding myself back.”

A moan ripped from your throat, and you found your hips bucking up, grinding them against him while you tried to ease the ache that made your wetness start to pool. Your hands rested on his wrist while he held them on you and pressed his weight against you while you writhed underneath him. “Please Danny,” you begged, “I need you so fucking bad.”

That fiery flash rose in his eyes and Danny leaned up a bit and let his hands quickly went to his own body. He tugged down his pants and revealed himself fully to you. Your eyes grew wide seeing the full length of him, his cock hard and glistening at the tip with his arousal. He was fucking massive.

He leaned himself back over you, bringing his mouth back to yours while his hand snaked up on the other side of your lilac dress, slowly dragging it upwards. The tips of his fingers brushed against the edge of your undergarments, and you bucked into his hand, signaling him further.

Danny let out a low chuckle against you and his finger dipped under the elastic and pulled it back and let it snap against your skin. A shock squeal escaped you and his laugh rumbled through you. ‘Such a sensitive thing, aren’t you?’

‘Pri-’ but your thought was quickly cut off when you felt him drag a finger against the fabric and come to stop right at the apex of those nerves. A moan escaped you and he removed his mouth away from yours and pressed his lips back against the side of your neck. Your hips seemed to have a mind of their own, slowly rocking against his finger while you tried to get some relief from the building ache that lingered between your legs.

‘Tell me what you want,’ Danny spoke into your mind, his lips still continuing to trail up and down the expanse of your neck.

‘You, I want you. All of you. Please.’

Danny let out a deep growl and moved his hand and grabbed the edge of your undergarment and tore it off you –literally tore it. You felt the fabric sting and burn against your skin, and he tossed it over his shoulder and let it fall to the ground.

‘How bad?’

‘So, fucking bad Danny.’

Without any hesitation, his finger brushed through your center and felt the wetness pooled there. “Fucking Hel, Y/N,” he growled. His finger made another pass through your wetness before it stopped at your clit and began to draw slow, coaxing circles onto it. You arched your back and a deep groan ripped through you. “Gods please Danny,” you cried.

Danny nipped at the skin of your neck and moved his body down further along yours. He continued those small, daunting circles and you watched while he placed kisses over the fabric of your silk dress until his head was between your legs.

With his other hand he slowly grabbed the hem of your dress and lifted it up. His eyes drifted to your face where your jaw was hung open, soft, shallow pants puffing past your lips while you anticipated his neck move.

Danny pulled up the dress and you were fully revealed to him now. His eyes stared right between your legs, and you heard him cursed under his breath, his tongue poking out to wet his bottom lip. ‘You look fucking delicious.’

You were about to respond back but the words were knocked from you when you felt the brush of his lips against the inside of your thigh. He licked and nipped at the skin, and you felt your legs start to tremble just from the touch alone.

He traveled his way up your leg, and you opened them further for him when they connected to the inside of your thigh where it met your hip. You cried out and released one of your hands from his wrist to tangle in his hair. You pulled at the root and jutted your hips up to try and catch his mouth. Danny let out a low laugh that sent shivers up your spine. ‘Is someone getting impatient?’

“Danny please,” you cried in a breathy moan. His fingers that were circling your clit stopped and you were about to try out again from the loss of contact but then you felt his tongue lick a stripe though you.

Your back arched and you released the hand from him to have it clamp over your mouth as a loud moan was drawn from you. Danny groaned as he tasted you and you saw his hips grind down into the mattress, trying to release some of his own tension.

‘You taste fucking delicious too,’ he said and licked up you again. You clamped your hand further down against your mouth and that hand he had stilled on your hip came up and yanked it away from your face. You looked down at Danny and saw his face set into stone. He removed his mouth from you and his jaw flexed. “Don’t do that again. If I’m going to make you cum, I want to hear every sound I coax out of you. I don’t give a fuck if others can hear. Do you understand?”

All you could do was nod and Daniel moved his head back down between your legs. His mouth clamped around your clit and this time the sounds of your pleasure filled and echoed off the walls of the room.

He sucked on your clit and then rolled it gently between his teeth, making your fist a handful of his hair. His other hand was back and you and started to draw lazy circles at your entrance. You were absolutely drenched, and his fingers spread your arousal around.

Danny moved his head to the side, taking his finger that was circling off of you. You whined and shifted your hips wanting more of him. His eyes flicked up to yours and you watched as he placed two of his fingers in his mouth and sucked. His eyes rolled back in his head while his tongue licked over his fingers and took in the taste of you. Your chest was falling rapidly and a heartbeat later you felt him push his finger into you and encompassed his mouth around your clit.

You through your head back, a strangled moan clawing its way up through you. You kept your hand fisting his hair while the other clawed at sheets of the bed. He was good with his mouth alone but his fingers…Gods. Both of them worked in tandem, licking and pumping into you and your body trembled and shook around him.

You were already so close, and he had barely scratched the surface. He groaned and it vibrated against you. His finger inside of you curled and brushed against that spot deep inside of you. You had never felt anything as intense as this. Nothing compared to this, and you knew nothing ever would now that he was yours.

Danny pulled his finger back and slid them back into you, this time adding another digit into the mix. He had worked them into you slowly but now there was determination in each and every one of his moments. He curled his fingers, continuing to sweep over the spot while his tongue worked on your clit. You were close. So fucking close.

Your breath grew faster and became more rapid. His eyes found yours and he sucked against your clit so hard that it had you shooting up. A low laugh rumbled against you, only making the pleasure grow stronger. He slowly pressed his hand to your chest to push you back down. ‘I know you’re close. I can feel how hard your pussy is squeezing my fingers…cum. Cum for me, Y/N.’

You bit your lip, looking down at him from your half-lidded eyes. The sight of him between your legs would forever be burned into your brain. His fingers gave another curl and with a flick of his tongue you came undone.

Your cries of pleasure filled the room and your whole body trembled as you shook around his fingers. You had never come so hard before and you could see stars dancing behind your lids while you arched your back so high you thought it might snap.

Danny removed his mouth from your clit but kept his fingers inside you slowly pumping them in and out while you rode out the length of your orgasm. His mouth peppered gentle kisses along the insides of your thighs, sometimes licking and biting but never enough to truly hurt.

He withdrew his fingers from inside you and moved his face back up and gave a small kiss over your clit. Your body shuddered and you heard him chuckle. “So so sensitive for me, huh?” Danny said in a low voice and then proceeded to further his point as he blew against that sensitive spot that made your legs shake. Danny let out a hum of approval and then moved from his spot nestled between your legs to climb back over you.

You let your free hand that wasn’t still tangled in his hair come to dance along his arm. Feeling the hard, strong muscle of it. Danny leaned down and brought his mouth to yours while his hands caressed the side of your face and neck. When he slipped his tongue into your mouth, you were able to taste yourself on him and you let out a deep groan.

Danny dug his hips into you, and you could feel his hardness pushing against the inside of your thigh. You moaned against his lips and felt him shift his hips, so his length was brushing higher and higher.

“Please,” you moaned, grabbing the underside of his arm as you tried to push him further against your mouth. All he did was hum against your mouth and you felt his hand come off the side of your neck to grasp the edge of your dress. He tore his mouth from you and sat back on his heels while he pulled up the fabric of your dress. You too sat up, raising your arms over your head as he pulled the silk dress off of you and let it drop to the floor.

Danny’s eyes scanned up the expanse of your body, the two of you now completely naked and bare before each other. You saw his cock twitch while he took in the sight of you and felt his hand slide up your stomach and then crept higher, pressing his palm between your breasts. ‘You’re fucking beautiful.’

Blush crept onto your face, and you gave him a soft smile. He brought his hand to the side of your cheek and swept his finger over the top of it, returning the small smile on your face. He slowly brought his mouth to yours and placed a gentle kiss on your lips. ‘You don’t know how long I’ve been waiting for this.’ Your lips started to move against his and you let yourself fall back against the bed and he fell with you. ‘Then please, give it to me Danny.’

Danny shuddered at your words and then shifted his hips, so he was closer to you. With his free hand, he grasped his length and began to drag it through your wet core. You moaned into his mouth, your back arching at the contact of him dragging his tip against your clit. ‘Just tell me if it’s too much’

You nodded and then you felt him drag his tip down further, so it was at your entrance. He pushed his hips and you felt him slip into you. Danny groaned and you let out a deep moan, your eyes growing wide at the sensation. He practically tore you in half. You gripped his bicep, and you watched his eyes that were fixated between your legs come to meet yours. ‘Shhh, just relax…you can take it. I’m not even all the way in yet.’

Your eyes grew wide but then you bit your lip and nodded to feel him give another push of his hips. Your back arched and Danny threw his head back, letting a moan slip past his lips. “Fuck Y/N.” He pulled his hips back and pressed into you again and you felt him slide in further, but you knew that still wasn’t all of him. You decided to wrap your legs around him and gave him a nudge to press into you further and he did.

“Oh, my Gods,” you screamed and felt your walls wrap around him as he pushed himself fully into you. Danny shuddered and fell onto his forearms to keep him upright. His mouth found yours and you felt your hands clawing at him to continue.

He brought his hips back, almost fully pulling himself out of you before he plunged himself deep into you. You gasped and your body lifted off the bed as pure pleasure swept over and encompassed you entirely. His pace was slow and steady–sloppy even but it made every inch of your body stand on end.

You brought your mouth back to his and let your hands travel along his back. Your finger gently grazed across the edge of his wings which made him let out a deep moan before you let them latch onto his shoulders. Your nails dug hard into his skin, puncturing it and you knew that marks would be left there. Good, you thought. You forever wanted to mark his entire body so he would forever be reminded that he was yours.

Danny moved his mouth away from yours and then you felt him bite where your neck met your shoulder. His teeth sunk in and all you could do was groan at the sensation. It hurt slightly but it felt so damn good.

He pushed away from you to grab both of your hips in his hands, angling your bottom half off of the bed and brought your body down against his. Something not short of a scream ripped through your chest while he continued to slam his hips into you, hard and utterly viscous. He told he wouldn’t hold anything back and he didn’t.

Each thrust of his hips knocked the breath out of you and your hands didn’t know where to reach, to grab for him, your own body, or the sheets beneath you. You were a complete fucking mess.

Danny’s muscles in his arms and across his stomach flexed while he pumped into you and the sight of him like this made your core tighten around him and a small curse fell from his lips. He bit his lip and watched where the two of you connected, the sound of wet skin ringing through the room.

Danny brought a hand off your hip and moved it between your legs and let his thumb circle against your clit. “Fuck Danny!” you cried and felt your legs start to shake. You felt them starting to close, only to be interrupted by his body between them and he smirked. His hand left your clit only to give you a small smack to the inside of your thigh as he pushed them open. “Don’t you fucking close those legs,” he growled and then his thumb was back to circling against your clit. Your eyes roll back in your head and your whole body trembled, feeling him hit that sweet spot hidden so far inside of you.

“D- Danny, I’m gonna cum,” you cried, your voice now sounding straightened and hoarse. “I know baby, I know. Let it happen. Cum for me,” he cooed. Your walls gripped him tightly and you felt him hiss. You tried your best to hold his eyes but found yourself unable to as they rolled back into your head.

One of your hands fisted the sheets and the other gripped his wrist tightly and soon you were plummeting into that fire. You shook beneath him and cried out, feeling that wave of pleasure sweep over your body. It felt like your soul was floating outside and above your body and the sheer pleasure that drove through you made tears start to form in your eyes. You felt yourself explode around him and you were left as a panting mess but that didn’t stop him.

Danny cursed and the grip he held on your thighs only tightened as he took you over and over again. With each powerful thrust he gave, you found yourself not knowing your name or seeming to remember you were a part of this world because this world, your world now belonged to him. The only thing you knew for certain was him. Danny. His name echoed like a chant inside your head and maybe it fell from your lips, but you were too encompassed by his actions and the pleasure he ripped out of you to know for sure.

He drove you further and further into that state of bliss where stars and colors danced with one another, and the sun and moon collided and filled the world in a fiery, bright flash. And then you felt it and you came utterly undone around him. Your body thrashed and withered underneath him and you felt the bond snap into place.

“Fuck Y/N!” he growled and continued with his merciless power, thrusting into your hard and deep while your body continued to shake around him. You knew in that moment he felt it too and it drove him utterly mad.

You could sense it in his body, the way he seemed to grow stronger and stronger with each thrust of his hips and it was either the dim lighting behind him but you swear that he seemed to glow.

With another couple of deep and powerful strokes, he collapsed on top of you, his chest now damp and sticky with sweat while he poured his release into you. Daniel’s breath was heavy and ragged, but his lips met with yours and his hips continued to find yours. ‘You’re mine Y/N. You’re fucking mine. You’re my fucking mate.’

“Say it,” you mumbled against his lips, already feeling him starting to coax another orgasm out of you. Danny gave another powerful thrust of his hips that rocked your entire body. “You’re my fucking mate,” he growled and the two of you found your release again and you traveled into that colorful world the two of you had created full of stars, light, and fire. He was yours and you were forever his. Your mate.

Tag List:

@gretas-sweat @dannyshair @itsafullmoon @peaceloveunitygvf @darianh07 @thunderstomp-and-tequila @gretasfallingsky @bathingin-thelight @jordie-gvf @withlovegvf @jazzyfigz @iliana-gvf

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sparrowofthedawnsworld · 1 year

Text

Princess Of The Prisoner - Pirate!Jake Kiszka AU

A/N: I’m BACK!! And god, is it good to be. I’ve missed you all so, so much. I thank you all for your patience and endless support. You all mean the world to me <3 I hope you all enjoy this - finally. I love you! (Only lightly edited for the moment).

WARNINGS: Semi-light Violence, bl00d, unconsciousness, fighting, use of weapons.

This is MAJOR 18+ Minors DNI! AT ALL. Bondage, kn!fe play, edging/orgasm denial, light overstimulation, fingering (F), oral (F&M receiving), choking, slapping, degradation, unprotected sex (be smart, be safe!)

Masterlist

•••

“I am no where near equipped for what you are asking of me.” You speak firmly to your father, fighting the intense urge to stomp your foot against the shiny, glassy floor like that of a child.

“If I didn’t see you fit, I would not send you.” Your father says to you, sounding just as sure of his plan as ever.

As always.

“I will not be used as bait for one of your enemies.” You straighten your back, holding his blazing and frustrated stare. “You’ve lost your sanity, father.”

“I have not asked you, I have told you what you are to do.” He remains stubborn and firm. “I expect him here no later than morning. Don’t disappoint me, dearest. Now, you best be off.”

Your face twists in the purest form of anger as you turn away from your father to leave him be at his throne. You storm across the palace, back to your own room.

“How could he put me in such a dangerous position?” you mutter to yourself, gathering up a new dress to change into for your days journey.

“Sending me off to find some god forsaken ship, to hunt down a man for him,” you continue to ramble to no one other than yourself and the over-decorated walls.

Or, so you think.

“Let me guess-“ The cook of your palace stands in your doorway. You have grown quite close with her, given she is one of the few women around anymore. “-You’re being sent off on a mission, per your father’s orders again?”

“Yes,” you sigh heavily, undoing your corset. “I must be off shortly. I’m essentially being used as bait for the captain of some ship, Jacob Kiszka.”

Her eyes look as though they are going to fall out of her head, “Do you not realize who that is, Princess?”

“I haven’t the first clue who he is, no,” you admit.

All you know is that his ship would be arriving sooner rather than later, and Jacob is after a specific sword of your father’s. You are not sure why the sword is so significant, all you know is that Jacob is indeed after it.

“I’m sure he’s some gross old man-“

“Far from it, actually. He’s quite young if I remember correctly,” she informs you, laughing lightly at your shocked expression.

“Young?” you scoff in disbelief. “There is no possible way…”

“Oh, but there is. He could only be a few years older than you,” she continues and laughs lightly at you, unintentionally adding to your frustration more. “Not to say that I am at all on board with your father using you, but I understand why he’s asked you. He’s just a young lad.”

“This is just absolutely ridiculous,” you huff. “Sending me off to capture some boy, who could probably still kill me with one hand, regardless of age!” Your arms flail around you in dramatic emphasis. “How do you even know this information about him?”

“He’s actually quite well known,” she answers, eyes falling to the floor. “But… how I know him personally is not relevant.”

A heavy silence falls over the two of you for a moment.

“I know very well that your father has taught you to be an incredible fighter,” she speaks up, softly breaking the silence. “…Perhaps if you’re truly so worried, you should take another man with you. Daniel, maybe?”

You think on her suggestion for a moment, ultimately deciding it isn’t a bad idea after all.

“Will you please retrieve him for me?”

“Of course, Princess.” She nods to you politely. “I should not distract you any further. Good luck to you, dear.. I shall send for Daniel for you at once.”

“Thank you,” you mumble under your breath, sending her a rather forced smile.

Gathering the rest of your things, you are going off to find Daniel yourself, but you realize he has finally come to you, by the soft knock at your door.

“Princess,” he greets with a charming nod of his head and a smile that can undoubtedly melt the coldest souls. “It was brought to me that you are in need of my assistance.”

“Yes,” you start, casting him your undivided attention, just as he is giving to you. “My father wants me to capture this Captain…Jacob Kiszka. He is after something of his and Father wants him taken care right away.”

“With all respect, Princess, shouldn’t you be demanding he send someone else to do such a job?” Daniel’s face turns immensely concerned and fearful on your behalf. “Jacob is a very skilled and clever man. You have no business-“

“-I’ve tried to change his mind all I can, but you know how he is,” you speak warily, cutting him off. “But that’s why I’ve asked for you. I would love for you to join me.”

Daniel’s eyes widen and the Adams apple of his throat bobbed as he swallowed thickly.

“Princess, I truly don’t think this is-“

“-I have no other choice, Daniel!” You firmly cut him off once again. “Now… Are you coming, or are you going to stay here as though you are some sort of coward?”

Daniel is far from a coward and you know that without a doubt, but you have to convince him somehow.

“When are we to depart?” He caves, speaking through a sigh of defeat.

“Right now.” You nod curtly, grabbing your belongings and walking right past him.

He mumbles to himself from behind you, taking long strides to keep up alongside you, “What have I gotten myself into…?”

“Just look at it as an adventure, Daniel,” you jest in attempts to lighten the mood.

“And suppose one of us gets hurt? What shall happen then?” Daniel questions rapidly, speeding up to reach the door of the palace before you. “Ah! Do not dare to touch that door.”

“I am about to capture a thief and you are concerned about me opening but a single door?” you chide lightly, cocking an eyebrow as he opens the door for you anyway.

You step out first, waiting patiently for him to follow after you.

“And stop thinking in such worrisome ways,” you add, once he joins at your side. “You are quite frankly putting a thorn in my side.”

Your light teasing brings a small smile to Daniel’s face and he huffs a soft laugh before changing the subject entirely.

“How would you like to travel, princess?”

“On foot,” you tell him, taking off in the direction of the area in which Jacob and his ship are suspected to be coming to.

He looks at you with shock filled eyes, “Alright, you are officially out of all of your senses.”

“It is not that far from here,” you roll your eyes, the pair of you walking farther away from the palace. “They’re going to anchor at the closest point they can, but far enough away as to not be perceived from the palace.”

“And how can you be so sure?” He’s full of never ending questions.

“Enough questions, Daniel, seriously,” you sigh in slight annoyance. “It would be in your best interest to simply trust me.”

The two of you walk in silence for quite some time, taking in the nature around you and putting mental marks on things that you walked by, as to not leave any chance of getting lost on your journey back.

“How much farther are we going, Princess?” Daniel breaks down and asks yet another question.

You open your mouth to answer him, but the sounds of various voices shouting about, swiftly interrupt you.

“Stop.” You place your hand out to stop Daniel in his tracks beside to you. “Voices. I hear voices. Do you hear them, Daniel?”

He looks around, listening intently and after a moment or two, the same shouting fills his ears as well.

“I hear them.” Daniel nods, confirming that you are not losing your sanity.

Quickly, you put your plan of attack into motion.

“Daniel, whatever you do, do not leave my side.” You tell him, giving a curt nod as you made your way towards the tree line that followed the edge of the river bank.

The closer you get, the louder the voices become and the more your nerves threaten to overtake you.

You and Danny make your way through the trees, stopping just out of view of the surprisingly nice ship haphazardly docked just before the shoreline.

A beautiful, fit and young man treads his way through the shallow water and up on to the sand, looking far more put together than the rest of the crew surrounding him.

“That must be him…” you point towards him, Daniel’s eyes following your index finger. He nods, confirming your guess.

“Princess, please, let me take care of this?” Daniel pleads quietly. “There are far too many of them to take on alone.”

“Nonsense. I shall do what I was sent to do,” you insist. “We must figure out how to capture him without the rest witnessing. They will surely come looking, if they see us leave with him.”

“Not to mention that we walked here,” Daniel reminds you. “I suppose that means I will be carrying him back, surely?”

“You have always been incredibly smart,” you tease and answer his question all at once.

“Now, then! Now, then!”

Soft gasps are shared between you and Daniel, as who you presume was Jacob, starts to loudly gather in his crew.

“Now that I have the undivided attention of all of you dandy crewmen, I shall be off in attempts to get in to the King’s palace at once!” he begins to explain, voice somehow much louder and firmer than you expected it to be. “I hate to break one’s heart, but all of you are to return to the ship and remain there until I return! I cannot risk my plans being tampered with. Am I clear to all of you?!”

They all express their understanding in almost perfect unison.

“That will be all, then! Please, return to the ship right away!”

Like well trained animals, everyone files back to the ship as Jake stands around to watch on, ensuring not one person is staying behind.

He is so breathtaking… It almost drowns out the hatred that you already hold for him.

You shake your intrusive thoughts of the captain away, putting on your brave face to continue on with a new plan.

“Come, Daniel!” you yell in a whisper, creeping your way back out of the trees.

“Come on!”

Once you both make it out, he begins his frantic questioning once more, “What ever are we doing now, princess?!”

“Hush,” you silence him. “We must go back towards the palace. I believe it best that we ambush him there.”

He simply shakes his head in understanding, glancing over his shoulder quickly to be sure no one has spotted either of you and is following.

You stop at the bushes near the entrance of the palace, breathing heavily and shaking your head in exasperation as the two of you duck down out of sight.

Daniel lets out a frustrated and tired huff. “We are back where we started, princess. I’m starting to question your oh-so elaborate planning.”

“You are being such a sore thumb today. I beg of you to just do as I say.” You send him a pleading look.

Silence fills the air around the two of you for a while, until the cracking of rocks beneath boots captures Daniel’s attention.

“Princess,” he nudges at your shoulder. “The Captain is upon us.”

You peak through the flowers and leaves, eyeing him as he makes his way carefully up the path.

You catch yourself gawking at him again; the way he walks, his long tresses and the beautiful dagger hanging from a strap across his chest.

“Your majesty, please,” Daniel begs, knocking you from your trance. “Please, tell me what you want me to do.”

“I… I want you to wait until he walks by us. If we stay here, he won’t see us right away. Once he passes, we will attack from behind. I need him unconscious,” you explain quickly. “Once he is unconscious, I will tie his hands and you shall help me carry him to the cells.”

Just as you finish and Daniel gives you his quick, verbal understanding, Jake passes through the gates and bushes, slowing his pace and ducking every so often to avoid possibly being seen.

“I will tell you when,” you whisper into Daniel’s ear and he nods once.

The captain walks a few more feet up the pathway, ducking down behind a rose bush and unsheathing his dagger from its case.

Daniel copies him, pulling his own dagger from its casing.

“Now,” you mutter with unbridled urgency.

Daniel has Jake plummeting to the ground within seconds. You watch on for only a moment, before fear takes over and you feel the need to join him.

Groans and curses are being hurled between them, swings and bone crushing punches being thrown along with their noises of pain.

Jake holds his dagger backwards, swinging the handle towards the side of Daniel’s head.

“NO!”

You bolt towards them, taking Jake to the ground upon your collision - sparing Daniel of the bone-crushing blow that was mere seconds away from colliding with the temple of his head.

Daniel recovers rather quickly, throwing you off of Jake and taking your place on top of him.

One strong and well-timed swing from Danial is all it takes and the Captain falls limp against the ground as he goes unconscious.

Daniel falls away from him, chest heaving and covered in small droplets of blood here and there. His hand clutches over his chest, as he fights to recenter himself.

“Are you alright?” you ask frantically, pulling the rope from around your waist and tying it securely around the Captain’s hands.

“Just perfect, Princess,” Daniel chuckles sarcastically, dusting himself off as he stands to his feet. “Here, allow me.”

“I think not.” You swat his hand away. “Rest for another moment. I will take care of this.”

Once you have the knots tied, you stand up and let Daniel take over again. He scoops him up like a rag doll, throwing him over his shoulder as though the Captain weighs little to nothing.

You bend down and pick up Jake’s dagger, shoving it down into your pocket and following after Daniel as he starts making his way up towards the palace.

“How long do you think he will stay unconscious?” you ask, making your way through the lower levels of the palace.

“Not much longer, I’m afraid.” Daniel answers, stopping at the large cell at the end of the cold, dimly lit hallway.

“Just put him on the bed. I shall take it from here.” You order rather gently, confident that he can’t hurt you from behind the bars of the cell.

“As you wish.”

Daniel drops him down onto the bed and unties him carefully, tossing the rope to the side thoughtlessly as he goes.

Just as he finishes Jake lets out a low groan of discomfort and Daniel quickly makes his was back out of the cell.

You close the door and lock it, watching Jake for a moment to find that he is still mostly out of it, when there isn’t another sound to be heard from him.

“Do you wish for me to inform your father that we have the Captain?”

“No!” You look up to Daniel with panic-filled eyes. “I will tell him myself. He doesn’t know that you accompanied me and I would rather him not.”

“Understandable, Princess,” Daniel says. “I shall keep my doings to myself.”

“I am most grateful for you,” you smile up at him, placing a gentle hand on his bicep. “Thank you.”

Removing your hand from his arm, Daniel brings it up to his lips in a gentle kiss as he bows, “You are most welcome, your majesty.”

He releases your hand, standing upright and beginning his way down the hallway.

Before he gets too far, he turns back to face you with a serious look. “Princess?”

You whip around to face him also, “Yes, Daniel?”

“If anything is to happen and you need my assistance again, you know where I reside.”

Not awaiting an answer - knowing you understand without having to say so out loud - he disappears through the large door. The loud sounds of it closing sends an eerie echo around the concrete walls and floor.

You slowly turn back towards the cell, watching and listening to Jake intently for any signs of movement or noise.

“Bloody hell,” Jake’s voice rumbles in a low groan, his arms struggling to push his weight away from the bed he is sprawled across.

He finally gets himself upright, looking around in a pure panic at his surroundings.

Stumbling up to his feet, he spins around and freezes in place when his eyes land upon you.

“Oh, well is this not just lovely?” you speak rather tauntingly. “The captain is finally awake.”

“And you are?” Jake saunters up to the door, rough hands wrapping around the cold bars.

“Princess of The Garden, at- well… I am not at your service,” you stumble over your formalities, forgetting that you owe him not a single one. “Not much of a kingdom we have around here, more so a small, royal family on secluded land.”

“I am very well aware of practically all of that.” Jake bites matter-of-factly, full of anger.

There are a few moments of intense silence, the loud and unsteady breathing from Jake being the only constant sound.

“Would you be so kind as to remind me how I managed to get here?” Jake questions bitterly, clearly trying to contain his rage.

“Me,” you smile at him with hardly contained pride. “Well, me and another accomplice.”

“Quite weak of you to have to bring a companion along just to capture me.” Jake smirks, his face noticeably contorting in discomfort as he assesses with his fingertips, the bruises that Daniel had left on his jaw. “Someone ought to teach you how to fight.”

“You know nothing about my fighting skills,” you say dryly, sending him a death glare through the bars of the cell. “I would be a fool to travel alone, regardless of how well I fight.”

“You seem to be a bit of a fool anyway,” Jake chuckles, glancing up at you with bold eyes.

If you could smack him across his careless mouth, you absolutely would.

“Letting your father send you into such danger…” Jake shakes his head, giving you a judgmental once-over. He turns and walks towards the hard bed in the corner. “You aren’t cut out for such violence.”

“I wish you would stop speaking as if you know me.” Your arms cross over your chest. It isn’t a very good response, but it is as good of one as you can seem to gather. “You know absolutely nothing about me.”

Jake ignores the comment entirely.

“If I may ask, why are you still lingering, princess?”

The name falling of his tongue is like a drug. The most addictive drug one could find. Somehow he makes the most flattering and important name, sound so degrading.

You stand frozen in place for a few moments too long, struggling to find a genuine reason for staying around - of which you do not have.

He hums to himself, head tilting back slightly, “Just as I thought. You haven’t any good reason.”

You open your mouth to attempt some sort of protest.

“If I may, your majesty,” Jake stands to his feet and saunters back to the door. “You are quite the gem. So exquisite and beautiful…” he trails off for a moment, a sly grin spreading over his lips as he looks over you. “Too bad you are too feisty and disobedient for my liking.”

Your whole body begins to boil with various emotions; you’re flustered, angry and immensely intrigued by him. He is setting you ablaze in a foul, but irresistible way.

“And… you are much too disrespectful for my taste,” you seethe, faltering for a moment so short, you hope it goes unnoticed. “Speaking to royalty in such a despicable manner…”

“And yet, the royalty herself, seems to be enjoying it.” Jake grins wickedly.

You can’t tell if it’s your body’s attempt to be intimidating, or seeking closer proximity to Jake. Regardless, without really thinking, you step forward, “What makes you believe for a second that I am enjoying any part of this?”

“Many reasons, Princess…” Jake starts, speaking low and hushed. “You’ve taken at the very least five steps closer to this door. You could have left the second your… ‘accomplice’ dropped me in here.”

“You are terribly-“

“-Quiet, Princess. I don’t take well to being interrupted.” Jake cuts you off abruptly, holding up a single finger that you can not seem to tear your eyes away from. “I would almost say you enjoy being spoken to this way, don’t you? Everyone gets tiresome with constantly hearing praises… And I’m sure praise is all you know, is it not?”

“Perhaps.” The word leaves your mouth bitter and clipped. He is very much right - you both know that very well.

“Mhm, as I thought.” Jake grips the bars of the door above his head, leaning forward as far as he can go. “You know… I could show you so much more. Make you feel so much more.”

“And what could you possibly be hinting at with such words, Captain?” you question, attempting to throw his title back at him the same he had yours. Only to sound much more breathy than you intend.

“If only I had the keys to open this-“ He gestures to the large door, the only thing keeping the two of you separated. “-I could show you much better than I could ever tell you, your majesty.”

“Never in a million years would I consider letting you out,” you scoff, shoving the key that is now damp from your sweating hands, back into your pocket.

“Who said anything about letting me go?” Jake asks you. “Just join me. You have the key to leave whenever you so please.”

“And… if I do choose to join you…?” You narrow your eyes, taking in his blown out pupils and all the little details surrounding them.

“Then I shall do just as I have said and show you things you will never forget.” Jake promises lowly, leaning in closer. “Things you will never want to forget,” he adds.

Your faces are as close as they can possibly be, you can feel the warmth of his breath as he speaks to you.

Without once looking away from him, you hastily retrieve the key from your pocket and unlock the door.

Jake steps back, allowing you the proper space to slide the door open just enough to squeeze your body through and get into the cell with him.

You turn around and close the door, closing your eyes for a split second in attempts to slow your pounding heart and process what you have just done.

As you turn around to finally face Jake, he immediately outstretches his hand towards you and bows before you ever-so-slightly.

Hesitantly, you place your shaking, sweating hand in his and he brings it up to his lips, “‘Tis quite the pleasure, Princess.”

Jake places the first kiss to the top of your hand, holding your stunned gaze. He shifts his hold up to your wrist, his lips following and placing another kiss higher up.

He continues the same actions, kissing all the way up your arm, until his hand reaches your shoulder and his face is inches from yours.

Slowly, he backs you up until you can feel the uncomfortable firmness of metal bars against your back.

“You are truly quite the brave one for joining me.” Jake whispers against your ear. “Just to make things sort of even, I fully plan to tease you until you’re begging and pleading for my mercy.”

“And what leads you to believe I would ever beg someone like you?” You tilt your head back defiantly.

Jake only smirks In amusement, “Is that a challenge?”

“If you can make me beg, I will let you go and tell my father you didn’t dock where he expected,” you bet with him rather smugly… and stupidly.

“My, my. The princess is going to beg me like a whore and lie to her father?” Jake tsks with a faux disappointed shake of his head. “It seems I have corrupted the sweet, royal, princess already. And suppose your accomplice -as you called him- goes back and tells him…? What lie should be grand enough to cover us then?”

His nose is practically brushing against your own, a tension so unbearable further blooming between the two of you.

“T-That is not his place. My father didn’t know that I took him, nor will he. I asked Daniel not to speak of his hand in helping me, or even that we have you,” you inform him truthfully. “It was my duty to capture you and bring you here, not his. I shall be the one to tell my father what it is he must know.”

“Well, then, I suppose I can have my way with you.” Jake purrs, teasing his lips over yours. “Is that what you want, your majesty?”

“So many words and promises, but you’ve yet to show me a thing.” You just barely chase after his lips.

Grabbing each side of your face with both of his large and calloused hands, Jake connects his lips with yours roughly.

It takes you a moment to catch up to his pace, especially with losing every bit of air from your lungs within the very second his lips met yours. Your tongues move against each other, fighting for dominance as whimpers flutter from you and into his warm mouth.

He pulls away, breathless and practically hissing out his next words, “Sweet, sweet princess. You do not know a bit of what you have in store for yourself. Stay right there.”

Jake steps back from you with a finger pointed to the floor where you stand, bending down to pick up a lengthy piece of rope that you and Daniel had him tied up with not so long ago.

“Do you trust me?” There’s a twinkle in his eyes, amusement behind them as he asks you the ridiculous question.

You stare down at the rope outstretched before you - shocked, but you remain shamefully aroused by it all the same.

“Trust- trust you? You are nothing but a complete stranger,” your voice wavers.

“Nonsense. We have spent at least few hours in one another’s presence, now, haven’t we?” His crooked smile sends waves of heat to your core. “Stranger? yes, in some sense. But I’m not a complete stranger anymore.”

You drop your eyes from his, back down to the rope in his hands. Jake pushes it out a little closer to you, eyes deeply studying your cautious but curious face.

Slowly, you lift your hands up and lay your wrists over top of his hands, looking up at him in question as if to say, ‘is this right?’

Jake holds your burning stare and starts to wrap the rope around your wrists, binding them together tightly, but still comfortably somehow.

“Outstanding,” Jake hums, walking off to a corner where another small piece of rope has been discarded.

“Just one last thing,”

Jake makes his way back over to you, placing a hand on your shoulder and pushing you back a few steps until your back collides with the cold metal bars.

His hand travels from your shoulder, down your arm, until it reaches the rope around your wrists. Grabbing it, he watches your breath quicken as he lifts your arms up and over your head, securing them to the bars with a second piece of rope.

“Mm-“ you clear your throat nervously. “-And how do you presume you will be able to remove my dress in such a position?”

“Lovely of you to inquire,” Jake smiles wildly, pressing his body against yours and leaning in closer to your ear. “I just so happened to see this-“ his hand travels the corseted curve of your side, dipping into your pocket. “-the handle of my dagger shining, while you were standing outside the cell. Not only are you a princess, but a little thief.”

“Well- I...” you stutter weakly, feeling mindless for forgetting to leave it with Daniel.

“You what?” Jake presses, biting at the shell of your ear.

Your only response is your labored breathing, unable to form an intelligible response.

He unsheathes his beautiful dagger from your pocket, resting it over your chest.

“You think too little of my schemes, princess.” He places a kiss over your nose. “I already planned to take my dagger back to use just for this moment. Why take your clothes off with my tired hands, when I could cut them off?”

“Jake,” his name rushes out of your lungs in a heavy sigh.

He grabs you by the waist, turning you around to face the bars and skillfully cut the strings of your corset.

Turning you back around to face him, he pulls it off of your body with ease and continues on with cutting away at your other garments.

Each piece is slowly pulled from you, neatly cut and haphazardly tossed to the side by Jake’s calloused hands.

As he yanks the last piece away, you are then completely naked before him - eyes never lifting to meet his burning gaze upon you.

“Breathtaking, your majesty,” Jake all but whispers, seemingly a little lost in the site that he is beholding.

You draw in a deep breath, exhaling it even slower than the slowness at which you had taken it in, “I’m sure I look far more suitable than anyone you have ever laid with.”

Upon your overweening remark, your eyes finally meet with his and you swear you see fire flash within them.

“How witty of you, princess,” Jake snaps sarcastically, pressing his body into yours. “Haughty of you to assume you are not the one that I would graciously turn away.”

It stings, but somehow you know he doesn’t mean it. Part of you hoped he didn’t, at least.

“Your mouth is foul and full of disrespect,” you snap quietly; silently wishing your hands were free, so that you can act on the resurfacing urge to smack him.

Jake stays silent, bringing the handle of his dagger down against your stomach and slowly dragging it down. The golden handle makes goosebumps form across your skin, your hips writhing about ever so slightly in anticipation.

Just when the end of his handle is close to your heat, he jerks it away entirely.

Instead, he dips his own finger down farther to feel the wetness pooling between your legs himself.

Jake glances up at you with wild eyes, flashing you a wicked smile. “The princess, so proper and poised and innocent… soaked as though she’s dipped into the river.”

Adjusting his careful hold around the blade, Jake lays the handle right where it had stopped before he pulled it away. He continues its slow descent down to your clit, where it halts to rub in the slowest, softest circles.

“Oh, Jake,” you gasp, pushing your hips harder against it.

“Oh, that’s just lovely,” Jake smirks, leaning in to place kisses over your exposed chest. “My name sounds beautiful coming from that pretty little mouth.”

He uses his own hips to hold yours in place, so he that can move the handle of the dagger at whatever pressure or speed he so desires.

“Let me hear it again, princess… ‘Jake,’” he repeats his own name to you, as though you don’t know it.

“Jake,” he repeats again.

Trying to hold onto your defiance and composure, you harshly bite at the inside of your mouth to keep from doing as he asked.

“This won’t do at all, your majesty,” Jake clicks his tongue, moving the handle in faster circles, while his other wraps around your throat. “Did I not say I want to hear you again? Come now, let me hear what pretty noises you can make. I’m sure you’re fantastic at it, little whore.”

He presses the handle harder into your bundle of nerves, drawing firmer circles against you. It’s untamable; the noise that erupts from your lungs, echoing through the cold cell and likely even through the long hallway.

“So beautiful. Keep going…” Jake encourages, tilting his head back as he watches on to your pleasure.

Jake leans forward, his free hand securing itself around your jaw to tilt your head to the side. His lips meet with your neck, biting roughly at the tender skin and soothing the sting with the softness of his tongue.

A soft laugh floats out of him each time you whine or struggle against him and the rough ropes that secure you in place.

“Jake,” you whimper through a labored exhale. The feeling of sweet release is already beginning to bloom in the pit of your stomach.

“Is the princess getting close?” Jake questions with a sly cadence. “Already, your majesty?”

You choose not to answer him, in light of climbing to the peak of your orgasm without chance of interruption.

Alas, Jake is the least bit stupid.

“Are you trying to fool me, princess?” Jake asks lowly, slowing the circles that the handle of his dagger are making.

The urge to relent and beg him is already far greater than you anticipated, but you are determined to stand your ground.

“Not trying to fool you, only avoiding the act of begging a thief,” you speak breathlessly.

“That’s a shame,” Jake grins, trailing his hand down your body to your arousal. A single finger plays at your entrance, “I would let you cum if you were not so hell bent on being a stubborn little brat.”

Just to antagonize you further, he sinks his finger inside you, purposefully curling it upwards just shy of the sweet spot within you.

“Mm…”

A tight lipped whimper tumbles out of you, your body arching into his touch ever-so-slightly.

“Oh? Do you like that, princess?” Jake taunts, looking down the bridge of his nose as he watches you. “You love having attention on your pretty little pussy, don’t you?”

“I…” You aren’t really sure what you had planned to say, or even what you want to say. All thoughts are either jumbled, or lost entirely.

“You what?” Jake pries, sliding the handle of the dagger through your folds to collect more of your wetness.

The second the handle returns to your throbbing bundle of nerves, something snaps inside of you.

“Jake,” you whine, tugging at your restraints despite the incessant burn of the rope. “Jake, please!”

“There it is.” Jake’s smile is pleased and cocky.

Feeling ever so gracious, he pushes in a second finger and deepens their rhythmic thrusts.

Jake presses his lips to the corner of your open mouth, “Tell me how good it feels, princess. Tell me.”

“I-it feels s-so good. Feels so good,” you stutter, tempted to turn your head and capture his lips in a kiss, all on your own accord. “Please!”

“Please?” He parrots mockingly. “Please what, your majesty?”

The feelings of your impending climax finally starts to build once again. This time, you are not going to give it up.

“Please let me cum!” You nearly sob, rushing every single word from your mouth. “Please, captain, I’ll do whatever you want… J-just please let me cum.”

“Give it to me, then,” Jake demands. “Right now.”

The band of pleasure breaks within you, sending you into an earth-shattering spiral of bliss that you could not have ever prepared yourself for.

Your knees buckle beneath you, leaving the ropes binding your wrists to be the only thing holding you up. The sting of the rope not even registering, as cuts and burns surely form around your wrists.

“What a good girl you are for me, princess,” Jake praises you, removing his fingers from you first to wrap his arm around your body, holding you up.

“J-Jake,” you choke out, squirming in his hold against the overstimulation that he was beginning to cause you. “I- It-s-“

“Shhh,” he silences you, a little reluctantly pulling his dagger away from your core. “I know, princess.”

Studying your face, he takes in your half-lidded eyes and flushed cheeks. The slightest bit of pity took over him.

Jake tucks the dampened handle of his dagger beneath your chin, tilting your head up to meet his gaze. “Will you be a good girl if I untie you? Hm?”

“Y-yes, sir- I mean, Captain,” you answer him, correcting yourself once more just for good measure. “Yes, Captain.”

Flipping the weapon around, he drags the tip of the dagger down your throat with only enough pressure to make it resemble a feather, making your breath hitch in your chest. Fear starts to rise back up inside you, along with adrenaline. The combination is intoxicating in a dangerous way.

“Will you truly?” Jake cocks a single eyebrow at you.

The sharp tip moves across your chest and down your stomach, goosebumps forming as you shudder.

“Yes! Yes,” you promise, breathing uneven and more labored than it has been so far.

The tip dips into your belly button, eliciting some sort of choked whimper from your throat.

Jake smirks at that, “Feels nice, doesn’t it?” He begins to trail it back up your body, the same way it had descended down.

You’re struck silent, unable to manage a single word.

Finally reaching your bindings, with two flicks of the dagger, the ropes fall from your wrists.

Your body immediately collapses forward into Jake’s. He tosses his dagger to the floor with a high-pitched clink, just in time to catch you.

“Falling at my feet so soon, princess?” Jake snickers, hauling you back up and guiding you to the bed.

“You forget yourself,” you scoff, clearly displaying your distaste for the thought of being at his feet. “One place you will never find me is at your feet.”

“No, your majesty-“ Jake tangles a hand in your hair, yanking your head back. “-You have forgotten yourself.”

Letting go of your hair, he hastily works to undo the buttons adorning his vest, pulling it away to be discarded onto the dirty floor of the cell - his shirt following directly after.

“What happened to being my good girl?” Jake inquires, stepping closer to you, his face mere inches from yours.

Your response is quick and confident, “Being your good girl is only applicable if you’re pleasing me, Captain.”

“Oh, is it, now?” Jake places his hand over your sternum, sliding it up until it splays around your throat and tightens there. “Is that not what I just did? Please you?” You struggle to draw in air as his grip stays unrelenting, his hold never once wavering as you slowly sink to your knees. “And you’re so needy and desperate that it still wasn’t good enough for you?”

He leans down to be eye level with you as he fires questions at your flushed face, “You’ll take what I feel so inclined to give you, your majesty.”

Jake releases his grip, standing straight up as he watches down on you, gasping to refill your burning lungs with air.

While you work on regaining some form of control over your own body and mind, Jake begins removing the rest of his clothes.

You look up, watching him attentively through your lashes. The perfections of his body are not lost on you.

“Perhaps we should try this again,”

Jake suggests, taking himself in his hand. Your mouth waters at the sight of him. His free hand cups your cheek, “Are you going to be my good girl?”

All you can muster is a nod, unsure that your voice can even function to its fullest abilities.

His thumb, gentle and featherlight in touch, traces over your bottom lip before sinking into your mouth, “Prove it to me, then.”

Your hands are reaching up to wrap around him, before your brain can even fully process the movement.

A kiss far too innocent for the actions you wre about to take part in, is placed over his tip. You hear the shaky breath Jake draws in, encouraging you to repeat the same little kiss once more.

You drop one of your hands down to your lap, sliding your hand down to his base. Sinking your mouth down over the rest of him, you can tell that his whole body shuddered from the pleasure you’re providing him.

“That’s it, princess,” he encourages you, his hand coming up to tangle into your hair.

The twitch of his fingers against your scalp, serves to enlighten you on his urge to push you further. Taking a deep breath, you take him as far as you can go, breathing through the urge to gag around him.

“Fuck,” he curses, hips jerking on their own volition. “Your mouth is too good for me, angel, but you look absolutely lovely taking me like a little whore.”

A whimper sounds from your throat, sending the slightest bit of vibration through him. You start to find a steady rhythm, his hand still resting in your hair.

Every so often, his grip will tighten when you do something he particularly likes. Within a minute or so, he is throbbing inside of your mouth.

“Fuck, alright- enough.” He pulls you away abruptly, breathing significantly more labored.

He takes a moment to gather himself, staring up at the ceiling, as if fighting to hold onto his composure.

“Stand up,” he demands, releasing his grip on your soft tresses.

You scramble up to your feet, dizziness plaguing you for a brief moment.

Jake takes no more than a single step closer to you, eyes scanning over the expanse of your naked body that is displayed before him. He reaches up, dragging the back of his knuckles along your temple, letting the gentle touch travel its way down your face, your neck and to your breasts.

The tip of his finger grazes over your nipple, causing your eyes to flutter closed as your breathing increases.

“Oh, the ways I could ruin this flawless body…” Jake trails off, dragging the tip of his finger down your stomach slowly. “So perfect and not a single blemish or mark in sight. A true beauty, you are, aren’t you?”

With every word that so gracefully purrs its way out of his mouth, he backs you closer to the bed.

“M… mark me.” The words fly out of you before you can stop them.

In one quick movement that you are far too dazed to notice, you’re laying beneath him. His cock rests against the inner part of your thigh, hard and still throbbing softly every few seconds.

“Mark you?” he repeats your words back to you in question. “How could I, your majesty?”

There is a playful cadence to his tone, very clearly telling you that he will gladly oblige to the idea.

Jake quirks a single eyebrow at you, “And how do you suppose I do so?”

Given the fact that you hadn’t meant to say it, you haven’t thought that far ahead. Visuals of the silver blade of his dagger lightly grazing your skin, replay in your mind. Along with the imagines of bite marks and bruises that you will surely have to find the means of covering.

“Speak up,” he grumbles, lips ghosting over the center of your throat.

You quickly come to the conclusion that you will allow him to do whatever he pleases, as undeniably insane as it is.

“Do what you wish.”

Jake sits up, bold, widened eyes boring directly into yours.

You stare at each other for a few long moments, before you watch the corner of his mouth twitch and curl up into his increasingly familiar smirk.

“Mmm,” he hums in acknowledgement to your words.

Both of his hands smooth over your hips and up to your breasts, where he cups them and brings his mouth down to capture one of your nipples in his mouth.

“Jake,” you whimper, gripping at the firmness of his bare shoulders.

“I refuse to mark you permanently just yet…” Jake says against your skin. His left hand retreats from your chest, palm harshly colliding with your thigh. “Temporarily, of course-“ his palm cracks against you once more, surely leaving a red tint in its wake. “-I suppose, will do for now.”

You inhale and exhale shakily through your mouth; hung open in shock and the slightest hint of pain.

“Take me, please,” you beg him pathetically.

“Take you where, your majesty?” Jake inquires, a teasing inflection to his voice. He knows.

“Right here,” you sigh, pressing your hips up into his. “You know what I want.”

Reaching between your bodies, he glides his fingers in between your folds - still completely soaked.

“Perhaps I do.” He toys around at your entrance, paying your clit the slightest bit of attention afterwards. “There’s a chance that I don’t, though.”

A low, sinister laugh erupts from his chest as he watches you squirm underneath him.

“Tell me, princess,” Jake demands, voice low and raspy. You can feel his cock teasing your entrance, just waiting for you to say the filthy words he wants to hear so badly. “Take. You. Where?”

Pathetic as it may be, a sob tears its way out of your lungs, “Take me right here, please...I want- need you inside of me.”

“She needs it,” he taunts, barely pushing into you. “Sweet little princess just needs to be fucked…turned into a filthy mess.”

“Oh, god- fuck-“ Your nails dig deeper into the skin of Jake’s back.

“Princess is no good for anything but getting ruined by the man she’s supposed to be capturing.” Jake pulls out almost completely, only to drive himself back inside of you roughly.

The moan that rips its way out of your throat is anything but pure and elegant, bouncing around the walls around you and likely beyond.

“Quiet.” Jake places a hand over your mouth, his other holding his body above yours as he starts to sharply thrust into you. “God forbid you get us caught… Get ME caught.”

Jake begins working his way up to a steady, brutal pace. The depths at which you can feel him is sending an almost unbearable pleasure through you. From the center of your body, out to the tips of your fingers and toes; the pleasure completely consumes you.

You can’t help the volume that your moans have taken on.

Jake attempts to silence you by capturing your lips in a hungry kiss, but it proves to be of very, very little help.

He pulls away abruptly, hand wrapping around your throat, “Shut. Your fucking. Mouth, princess. Will you?” He rasps into your ear through gritted teeth. “We can’t possibly have His Majesty hearing how much of a whore you are for a thief.”

Your head lulls back, face contorted in concentration and immense pleasure as Jake continues to fuck into you relentlessly. Mercilessly.

“Good girl,” Jake praises you, starting to lose control of his own breathing.

The hand wrapped around your throat, travels up to your face; a bruising grip forcing you to look at him.

“I want you to cum for me. Quietly,” Jake growls, adjusting himself above you to bring his other hand between your two bodies. His fingers find your swollen clit, “You can do that, yes?”

“Mhm,” you hum your response, afraid that if you are to open your mouth too much, the unholiest of noises are sure to free themselves from your lungs.

“Come on, then,” Jake urges, pinning your body in place on the rather uncomfortable bed with his own. “Let me have it.”

You feel that addicting burn spreading through the pit of your stomach, mere seconds away from taking over your whole body.

As soon as Jake watches your eyes roll back into your head and your mouth fall open into the perfect little ‘o,’ he crashes his lips into yours to ensure that all possible noises are muffled.

Even he groans lowly into your mouth, forcing your to swallow it down as he continues kissing you with mind numbing passion and fervor.

Your lungs start to tingle, your body buzzing and thrashing all at once; riding out an orgasm unlike any you have ever had.

Jake’s orgasm is only seconds after yours. He spills inside you, gasping to refill his lungs with air when he pulls away from you.

“Damn it,” Jake moans. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.”

Bliss has overtaken the both of you, leaving you to bask in stunned silence for what felt like an hour.

“I… I must say,” Jake finally speaks up. “You are quite something, your majesty.”

For once, his tone doesn’t have any malicious intent or taunting cadence behind it. It seems genuine.

You gaze up at him, slightly shocked. “Thank you…”

He removes himself from above you, laying to your side closest to the wall, leaving you the space to leave the bed.

Staring up at the ceiling, hands on his chest, he reminds you of his previous promise, “You’re free to go if you please, I shouldn’t keep you here any longer, your majesty…”

You blink a few times, struck speechless by his sudden change. You think over your next decision carefully before speaking.

“I… I think I would like to stay here with you…” You tell him, settling back against the worn blanket.

Jake has turned to look at you, now, “What?”

Moving closer to him, you cuddled into his arm, “I want to stay here with you, Jake.”

You blink a few times, trying to rid your eyes of their sleepiness.

Suddenly, the loud slamming of the cell door startles you nearly senseless. You roll yourself over and sit up, all in almost one swift movement.

“Jacob?!” you yell, anger and fear flooding your entire body as you scramble up to your feet. “What ever do you think you are doing?!”

“No hard feelings, my Darling,” he starts with a faux, pitied smile. “You were absolutely magnificent. I almost brought you along. I’ll let them know to come retrieve you as soon as I step foot back on my ship.”

You mouth falls agape, your chest becoming dangerously tight as it heaves up, then shakily back down.

Jake pulls the key he had stolen from the pocket of your dress out of the lock, taking a few steps backwards before bending down and laying it gingerly on the ground.

He straightens, kicking the key just so. It slides towards the door with a few high pitched clinks, stopping just out of your reach.

Jake smiles brightly, shooting you a sly wink, “If we ever cross paths again, let’s revisit this…escapade, shall we?”

@shutupdevvie

@belovedsamuel

@gardensgatedaisy

@ageofbarbarians

@theweightofjake

@jake-kiszkas-smirk @stardustcatcher

@positivegvfthings @ascendingtostardust

@gretasmokerising @highladyofasgard

@doodle417 @groovyvanfleet

@greta-van-chaos @of-infinite-wonders

@skankforjakekiszka @demolitionndann

@sarakay-gvf @runwayblues

@colorstreammind @mybussyinchrist

@ofburningskies @streamsofstardust @twistedmelodies @gvfpal @joshsindigostreak @writingcold @juliensbakery @stillstreetjoshua @alwaysonthemend @gold-mines-melting @gretavanfanfics

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hearts-hunger · 1 year

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Chapter One: A Flash of Steel and Silver {Series Masterlist | Series Playlist ♫}

Series Summary: You've been called the Jewel of the Bay, a lady born and bred in one of the Royal Navy's most profitable ports of call. On a fateful summer night, taken aboard the pirate ship Starcatcher, your world is turned upside down. To survive, you must put your faith in the honor among thieves and learn to trust the devotion of a pirate to his most precious treasure.

Pairings: Jake x Reader, Sam x Danny, Josh x Reader | Chapter Word Count: 4.7k | Warnings: AU-typical violence, harassment, historically accurate misogyny

A/N: My sweethearts! This is my very first time doing an au like this, and I'm very excited to share it with you. I have no concrete plans for this series, and no update schedule - I'm just seeing where the wind takes me on this one. I know it's different from my other fics, but I really hope you like it! ♡

Pirates.

The word alone struck fear into the hearts of the people of Sapphire Bay, sending them inside to lock their doors and close the window shutters with a firm crack. Those devils marked by the branding iron were hated and feared, considered with a mix of awe and horror and morbid curiosity. To meet one meant certain death; for the superstitious, even to speak of one meant the calling down of hell’s rapacious wrath upon the new world’s fragile kingdom of islands. Everywhere, in hushed voices and cautious glances at the western horizon, people dreaded the coming of those demons. Pirates.

You had learned to fear them just as much as anyone, the threat of them always lingering in the back of your mind, but there was an insatiable curiosity that held you captive any time you so much as heard them mentioned. Your late father, the former governor of Sapphire Bay, had spoken of them often; you’d grown up on snatches of conversations heard from the other side of his study door, tales of murder and thievery and drunken escapades, stories of freedom and bravery and adventure.

Those stories had continued to fascinate you even as you became a woman, and you were more interested in them now than you had been as a child. Lucky, then, that you’d been betrothed to Commander Kit Drake of the battleship Black Smoke; his own closed-door conferences about the pirates that roamed the seas provided an endless diversion to your hungry imagination.

Hearing those stories was perhaps the only lucky thing about your betrothal, and you reminded yourself to try and think of other silver linings as your lady’s maid dressed you for dinner at the Commodore’s estate.

“He’ll tell me how beautiful I look,” you said to yourself, touching light fingers to your lightly rouged lips. “Surely he will.”

“Indeed he will, miss,” your lady’s maid said as she styled your hair. “You’ll be the jewel of the bay this evening, all sparkling in the candlelight.”

You met her eyes in the mirror. “Thank you, Tabby. You’re very kind.”

She smiled. “Have you decided what necklace and earrings you’ll be wearing tonight, miss?”

You brushed a hand over your deep blue bodice. “I suppose the sapphires would be best, wouldn’t they?”

“As you say, miss. Commander Drake will surely be pleased to see you wearing his gift.”

Tabby finished your hair, a relatively understated crown of curls, and spangled you with trinkets from your jewelry box that could have fed and housed a family for several months. You touched a hand to the blue gem that rested in a swath of silver, the centerpiece of the heavy necklace that felt more like a collar for a dog than a gift of love from your fiancé.

“There you are, miss,” Tabby said when you were ready. “I’ll tell the footman to bring the carriage ‘round.”

The Commodore’s estate was right on the bay, a sprawling mansion that put even your father’s estate to shame in sheer grandiosity. Several carriages stopped outside the main doors, ladies in fine dresses and men in naval uniform stepping out to join the group that filed into the golden, candlelit hall inside. Your attention was drawn to the sea as you waited, watching the way the moonlight dashed itself to bits across the glittering surface of the water.

“My dear. You finally made it.”

You looked over from the bay to the door of your carriage. “Kit.”

A frown tugged at your fiancé’s expression. “You mustn’t call me that here, dearest, you know that. Commander Drake or ‘sir’ will suffice.”

You flushed, wishing you’d remembered that rule. “Of course, sir.”

You accepted his hand when he offered it to you, and you looked up at him with girlish eagerness to see if he’d comment on your appearance.

“I wore the jewels you gave me at our engagement,” you said quietly.

He gave you a distracted glance. “Oh. Yes, I suppose you did.”

“Do you... do you like them?” you asked, crestfallen.

He breathed a short sigh. “They’re lovely, my dear. Let’s not tarry, shall we? I’m afraid you’ve already made us late.”

He offered his arm, and you hung off of it as a good young lady should. Your head turned back to the sea, just for a moment, and you thought you caught a glimpse of a shooting star reflected on the waves.

“We’ve got to double our presence on the coasts of the southern isles. We’ll rout them simply by being there in force. They wouldn’t dare to try and attack any of the ports there if we made our presence more obvious.”

You took a sip of wine and tried to look bored, knowing that the quickest way to get navy men to stop talking of pirates was for a lady to show an interest in their conversation. If they didn’t consider you too delicate or stupid for that kind of talk, they’d fear for some kind of longing to spark within you, the same kind they allowed to rage unchecked as they sailed on their mighty seafaring vessels.

“No corsair in these waters is a match for any of our fleet,” Kit argued. He gesticulated and narrowly missed your wine glass as you set it down. “I say with conviction, gentlemen, that there is no need to add even a single ship to those we already have out of port.”

“Maybe they’re not a match for your ship, Commander,” said a lady on the opposite end of the table. You glanced over with mild panic, wishing you could tell her merely to listen, but the gentlemen she was interrupting didn’t seem to mind.

“I’ve heard you gentlemen say the Black Smoke is the fastest ship in the Royal Navy,” she said, and there was a flirtatious intonation to her voice that drew the men in like moths to the flame. “However, I’ve also heard it said that there is a pirate galleon in our waters that can match it for speed.”

“Name the ship,” a lieutenant challenged.

The lady smiled. “Starcatcher.”

The name caused a flutter of excitement to stir in your breast. Starcatcher. It certainly sounded like a fast ship, and no vessel in the Royal Navy had such a wonderful name.

“Nonsense,” Kit said, waving her remark aside even as he trained his attention on the coy curve of her mouth. “The Starcatcher is a myth told to frighten new deck hands. No such ship exists.”

“No?” the lady asked with an elegant lift of her brow. “And what of its sister ship, the Indigo Streak? Some men say it can disappear into thin air.”

“Some men are fools,” Kit said, and his smirk betrayed his arrogance. “No doubt you’ve heard these same men claim to have seen the witches that serve as the figureheads of each ship.”

“They’re not witches,” another man protested. “I’ve heard they’re meant to be Nike and Themis, goddesses of victory and justice.”

Kit scoffed. “Victory and justice, indeed. Even if these ships did exist, what victory and justice could be won outside the King’s authority?”

“Pirates don’t consider the King’s authority legitimate, though, do they?”

All gazes swung to you, and you felt a wash of embarrassment follow the heady flush of having impetuously offered your own opinion. Kit’s face went pink with anger.

“What a pirate thinks of the King’s authority means little,” he said sharply. He took your hand under the table and gave it an uncomfortable squeeze, leaning close. “And what a woman thinks of it means even less, my dear, so I suggest you keep such foolish thoughts to yourself.”

He released your hand with disdain, and you shied away from him as far as you could. You understood perfectly well why the lady with the deep red lips was allowed to speak and you were not; her comments were meant to incite men to braggadocio and pride, and yours only called into question their self-assurance. You would not speak merely to stroke a man’s ego, pirate or King’s man or anyone in between; most at the table considered it better, in that event, for you to keep your mouth shut entirely.

You took another long drink of wine and tried to keep your hands from shaking. Of a sudden, everything was overwhelming; the sound of tittering laughter and silver forks against china dishes, the smell of dozens of different perfumes, the heat of the candles that cast flickering beams onto jewels and gold buttons and silver sword handles. You felt pressed in on all sides with an extravagant meal you couldn’t hope to finish in front of you, men to the right and left of you, servants behind you to tend to your every need should you so much as wave an indolent hand.

You took a deep breath, as deep as you could with your stays laced as tightly as they were, and dug into the reserve of feminine gentility and self-control that had been trained into you since birth.

“Commander,” you said quietly, touching your hand to his sleeve. He ignored you, and desperation clawed at you.

“Sir,” you said in a pleading whisper.

With a frustrated huff, he turned away from his companions and met your eyes. “What is it?”

“I beg your pardon,” you said. “I — I suddenly feel quite ill. My head, it’s...”

He snapped his fingers, and a footman came to his side to await his instruction in perfect silence.

“Attend the lady,” he said, gesturing to you with impatience and contempt. “She’s taken ill, apparently.”

The footman bowed his head. “M’lord.” He pulled your chair out and gave you his hand; you took it, offering a feeble excuse to those few who noticed your departure and cared to comment.

“Shall I show you to one of the guest chambers, m’lady?” the footman asked when you were safely outside the dining hall.

You shook your head. “No, thank you. I wonder... could you help me find the gardens? I would be so grateful for a breath of fresh air.”

“Very good, m’lady,” was the man’s response. He escorted you to the gardens. “Shall I ring for a lady’s maid to accompany you?”

“That won’t be necessary,” you said. “Thank you for your help, sir.”

He bowed. “M’lady.”

A bit of the peace you so dearly needed was found out in the garden, and you wandered in the cool darkness of the shrubs and trees blossoming with flowers of every hue. You took a deep breath of the warm night air as you walked over the cobblestones, closing your eyes for a moment to drink in the quiet of birdsong and the ever-present hush of waves upon the shore. You longed to go down to the water, if only for a moment; what relief it would bring to feel the cool waves lapping at your ankles, to feel the salty breeze skim over your cheek with all the tenderness of a lover’s hand. You opened your eyes and felt its dark, silver-scaled presence call you like a mother to a child, begging you to leave the world you knew behind.

“Foolishness,” you whispered, pressing your hand against the merciless shackle of sapphire and silver that hung about your neck. You could never leave. You would be here, always, looking out upon the water, wearing its color on your breast, never quite close enough to touch.

You heard your name called from a direction opposite the ocean. Footsteps sounded behind you, and you did not allow yourself to breathe the sigh that waited ever-ready at your lips.

“I only needed some air, Commander,” you said without turning to him. “I’ll be well enough to join the ladies in the parlor after dinner.”

Without warning, Kit grabbed your wrist in a punishing grip and spun you towards him.

“Turn to me when I call you,” he said in a low, dangerous voice. “Do not presume to speak to me with an air of indifference.”

Your blood ran cold at the anger in his face. “I didn’t — I wasn’t trying to — ”

“I knew you weren’t ill,” he said, squeezing your wrist tighter. “You left because you wanted to shame me, didn’t you? Or perhaps because you were petulant about my correction?”

“No,” you said weakly, trying to tug your hand from his grip. “Please, Kit, you’re hurting me.”

He took your jaw in his other hand and squeezed it. “I told you not to call me that. Do you mean to respect me at all tonight? Or shall I have to teach you a lesson in obedience?”

You paled. You tried to find your voice to try and calm him, to apologize, but another man’s voice broke in before you could.

“Take your hands off the lady.”

Kit released your jaw, more out of surprise than any desire to obey. You tried to pull out of his grip, but he held fast to your wrist.

“Who spoke?” Kit asked into the darkness of the garden. “Show your face.”

“Take your hands off the lady, as I said,” the man repeated. “I’ve got a pistol aimed straight for your heart, Commander, and I assure I won’t miss.”

Kit’s face flushed an angry red. To your surprise and relief, he let you go, and you put a few steps of distance between you.

“How dare you speak to me in such a way?” Kit thundered. “I demand that you to come into the light and show yourself.”

No sooner had he spoken than a man sauntered out of the shadows of a copse of palm trees, a flintlock pistol held in an almost lazy manner in Kit’s direction. The hilt of a cutlass on his hip caught the light of the moon.

“You demand it, aye?” the man asked. His long hair was dark, his frame lean and hard-muscled; he was practically indecent, his cotton shirt unbuttoned to reveal a collection of necklaces that rested against his tanned chest. You blushed and averted your eyes when he looked at you.

“Makes you wonder,” he continued conversationally, turning his attention back to your fiancé. “Perhaps your King ought to call you Demander rather than Commander.”

Kit put his hand to the hilt of his saber. “What are you, boy?” he said derisively. “Beggar? Thief? Be on your way before I arrest you for harassing an officer.”

The man’s mouth turned up in a crooked smile as he returned his pistol to its holster at his waist.

“Go ahead, Commander. Though I doubt if you’ll find there’s any jailhouse to throw me in by the time you do.”

Kit looked the man over in confusion and absolute fury. He opened his mouth to speak, but an explosion from the outskirts of town effectively cut across him.

“What’s the meaning of this?” Kit raged. He looked to see the billow of smoke from the direction of the jailhouse, then whipped his head back to look at the man.

“You’re a fool to attempt a prison break,” he said. “There’s plenty of brigs in the fleet to throw you and your worthless comrades in once we collect all of you.”

Kit drew his sword, and the man had drawn his and disarmed Kit in a flash of steel and silver quicker than you could see it. Kit’s sword clattered across the cobblestones and skidded to a halt at the man’s feet.

“I’d be careful who you draw your sword against tonight, Commander,” the man said. He kicked the saber back towards Kit. “You won’t find my men as forgiving as I am.”

“Your men?” Kit blustered, shame and fury mottling his face. “Who the devil do you think you are?”

A cocky smile lit the man’s face, and you found it somewhat maddening and almost alluring. Confidence radiated from him like warmth from the sun, and you watched in fascination as he took a step closer to Kit.

“You don’t know me?” he asked. He lifted his sleeve; just above the white bracelet he wore was the scarred mark of a pirate.

“You gave me this, Commander Drake,” the man said. “Though I suppose you were only a lieutenant back then, weren’t you?”

“Scum,” Kit spat. “I should have known. I’ve branded enough of your kind that you all run together into one wretched mass.”

“I see,” the man said. He sheathed his cutlass again even as Kit bent to retrieve his, seemingly unconcerned with the possibility of a duel. He tilted his head towards the Commodore’s house.

“In that case,” he said airily, “I’d love to be the one to tell you that the wretched mass is running together in your Commodore’s estate as we speak. Taking your jewels, your gold, your spit-polished swords that have yet to taste blood. It’s only a matter of time before they interrupt your little dinner party, I fear.”

As if on cue, pandemonium erupted from inside the house. Doors burst open, sending a flood of screaming party guests outside with pirates right on their heels, each of them armed to the teeth and crowing with delight.

“Filthy pirate!” Kit howled. “I’ll have you and every one of your men hanged for this!”

“Oh, Commander,” the man said with a winning smile. “You’ll make me blush with that kind of talk.”

Bang. A bullet whipped past the three of you, slamming into the trunk of a palm tree and sending out a shower of splintered wood. You flinched and raised your arms to shield yourself.

“Aye, watch yourself,” the pirate called to whoever had fired. He sounded only mildly annoyed rather than fearful for his life, and you wondered if it was bravery or stupidity that made him so calm.

Suddenly, Kit grabbed your arm and snatched you close to him. For the second time that night, he held you in an iron grip, and there was little you could do to fight him off.

“You’ll tell your men to let me go,” Kit said, panic crawling into his voice. “You’ll order them not to shoot me, because if they do, they’ll hurt the lady.”

You startled at the knowledge that your fiancé was using you as a human shield, offering you as a bargaining chip to a pirate. You tried to wriggle out of his grip, but he held you fast.

The pirate scowled. “Coward,” he spat. “What sort of man are you, Commander?”

“One not condemned to death,” Kit said, a maniacal glee in his voice. “Not tonight.”

He started to drag you with him as he made his way out of the garden, heading with slow steps towards the docks rather than the house where screams and gunfire still rang through the air. You kicked and clawed, begging him to let you go, terrified that a bullet meant for him would kill you too.

“Let me go, Kit!” you pleaded, tears streaming down your cheeks. “You worthless coward, let me go!”

“Silence yourself!” he hissed in your ear. “Once we’re well away from this, we’ll both be safe.”

He clapped a hand over your mouth, and it only made your panic and anger worse. You had to get free of him — he was squeezing you so tightly, you couldn’t breathe —

In a last, desperate attempt at freedom, you bit down, hard, on the soft junction between his thumb and first finger. He bellowed in pain and released you.

“Bitch!” he howled, backhanding you across the face. The force of it made you dizzy, and his signet ring cut your cheek; you stumbled backwards, falling in a tangle of blue skirts to the unforgiving stone walkway.

“Right, that’s it.”

You heard the pirate’s voice as if from somewhere far away. You looked up with a bleary gaze; he stood next to you, his pistol held aloft and pointed right at Kit.

“No!” you shrieked.

You grabbed at his leg to try and stop him, somehow, blind devotion for Kit urging your forward. The pirate didn’t even seem to notice you, and your whole body flinched at the sound of gunfire. You squeezed your eyes shut even as sobs wracked your body.

“Come on, lass.”

You felt the pirate's callused hands reach to help you up, and you reacted in terror-stricken instinct.

“Don’t hurt me!” you begged, trying to get out of his reach, woozy with fear and pain. “Please, don’t hurt me. Let me go. I won’t tell anyone you killed him, I promise.”

“I didn’t kill him,” he said harshly. “Quit fighting, lass. I won’t hurt you, but you have to come with me.”

You looked up at him, and his face was blurry through your tears. “But you’re a pirate.”

“Aye,” he agreed. “And your only chance of making it out of here alive.”

He offered you his hand, and you didn’t see any other choice but to take it. His grip was strong and steady, firm enough to help you but gentle enough to keep from hurting.

“Attagirl,” he said when you were standing. “Steady, now. Can you walk?”

“Yes,” you breathed. For some reason, you didn’t let go of his hand. “Where are we going?”

He nodded towards the bay. “My ship. You’ll stay there until all this settles down, and then I’ll take you back home.”

Shattering glass brought your attention to the house momentarily; a raging fire billowed out of the broken window, sending great clouds of smoke up towards the sky.

“Unless you live here,” the pirate said. “In which case, you’ll have to find other arrangements.”

You could do nothing but stare at him for a moment, bewildered and dazed. “But... why?”

“Why what?”

“Why are you helping me?”

He looked over your shoulder towards Kit, who lay groaning and weak in the grass with a bullet wound to the shoulder. His expression held nothing but disgust and contempt for your fiancé.

“I don’t like to see a lady mistreated,” he said. He gave your hand a gentle tug. “Come on. This way.”

You followed after him, helpless not to, feeling outside of yourself as you tried to think past the pain in your jaw and the overwhelming fear that still held you captive. He led you through the garden and down to the Commodore’s private docks where a skiff was waiting.

“Wait.” You stopped and tugged on his hand, and he turned to face you.

“What is it?” he asked, a touch of urgency to his voice.

You looked to the skiff and then back to him. “How — ” You swallowed nervously. “How do I know you won’t hurt me?”

He looked a little lost for a response. “I don’t know, lass. I believe you’ll just have to trust me.”

“Trust a pirate?” you asked, choking a little on the words.

He gave you a grim half-smile. “Could be worse.”

“How on earth could it be worse?”

He didn’t answer you, distracted by the sight of several more skiffs approaching the docks. You followed his gaze and saw they were coming from two huge galleons further out in the bay.

“Heavens,” you breathed. You didn’t know how you could have missed them, but they suddenly loomed like two great monsters on the surface of the water.

He pulled you towards the boat. “Come on, lass,” he urged. “The second wave’s coming in soon, and they don’t mind me as well as I’d wish them to. I’d rather you not be out here when they come.”

You met his gaze. “Second wave? There’s more of you?”

He huffed a short, mirthless laugh and ushered you into the skiff with little grace. Your became hopelessly tangled in your skirts and sat uncomfortably on the opposite side from him.

“You may wish to take off some of those cumbersome overskirts, lassie,” he said, taking the oars and rowing you out to the giant ships. “You’ll get them caught in something and get hurt.”

You blushed vividly. “Take off my skirts?” you repeated, incredulous and mortified at the idea, though you noticed you didn’t sense any salacious undercurrent to his suggestion. “I certainly will not. Just because you run around in a state of undress does not mean I will.”

He shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

You sat in silence as you came ever nearer to the twin galleons, feeling a caving pressure in your chest as they loomed closer. You looked around for something, anything, to distract you; against your better judgment, your gaze landed on the movement of your pirate rescuer’s strong arms with each pull of the oars.

You looked away, chastising yourself for such foolishness in the face of everything else that had happened.

When you reached the closer ship, you looked up at the cargo net that hung over the side with more than a little trepidation. How were you ever going to climb it in your dress?

Your pirate — when had you started to think of him as your pirate? — gave a theatrical gesture to the net. “Ladies first.”

You huffed, feeling anger at your situation start to override any other emotion. All you’d wanted tonight was to have a nice, unexciting dinner, and yet here you were, standing before a pirate and about to board his ship in the middle of the night.

“Very well,” you said tartly, dredging up some reserve of courage and feistiness from whatever was left in the hollow of your chest. With some difficulty, you reached under the waist of your blue overskirt and untied the two underskirts and hoop skirt underneath. He had the decency to avert his gaze, at least, but your face was still hot with embarrassment as you shimmied out of them and slipped off your uncomfortable shoes.

When all that was left to cover your undergarments was your overskirt and bodice, you stepped in your stocking-feet onto the first loop of rope on the cargo net.

“Mind your gaze, pirate,” you said, managing with a fair bit of exertion to climb the net. He scaled it with you, quick and nimble, and gave you a grin when he reached your perch.

“Pirate sounds such a dirty word when you say it,” he said, and there was a teasing lilt to his voice that gave you the strangest fluttering sensation in your chest. “You’d better just call me Jake.”

Oh, but you didn’t like knowing his name. Not one bit.

“Fine,” you said, tearing your gaze from his. “Mind your gaze, Jake.”

He grinned. “Only if you mind yours, lass.” He stepped up another rung and climbed the rest of the way with ease. You gave a dejected sigh and continued your laborious ascent to the railing of the ship.

When you reached the top of the net, Jake was waiting for you. He offered you a hand up, and it was only with his help that you managed to get aboard without falling on your face.

You looked up when you were steady. “Oh, dear.”

Several pirates stood frozen along the deck, watching you with a mix of shock, hostility, and undeniable interest. Each one of them was armed, sword hilts glinting at their hips and pistols tucked into belts that looped over their barrel-sized chests.

“Easy, lass,” Jake said, taking hold of your arm again. You barely registered that you’d made a sudden, jerky movement to flee the ship and go back down the net, but he’d stopped you before you could go anywhere.

“None of my men will hurt you,” he promised, and when you met his eyes with a terrified glance, you saw that he meant it.

“I have to trust you on this, too?” you asked feebly.

His mouth curved in a smile. “Aye. You’re getting the idea, lass.”

He let you go, a testament to his trust in you not to try and run, and nodded to the stairs before you.

“Allow me to escort you to my quarters,” he said.

You flushed. “Y-your quarters?”

“Indeed. Where I shall leave you to your own devices and come back out to be with my men.”

You gave a shaky sigh of relief. “Oh. Very well.”

You’d taken no more than two steps towards the stairs when another man appeared at the top of them, his features strikingly similar to Jake’s but done up in dark makeup that matched the black clothes he wore.

“Why, my dear Jakey,” he said with a glittering smile. “What have we here?”

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ourtearsofrain · 8 days

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The Barbarians (D.R.W/S.F.K) - Chapter 1

Summary: Sam and Danny have spent their lives with The Hunger Games hanging over their heads. For Sam, it was his only opportunity to escape the shadow his victor older brothers cast over him, sweeping him off to the side. But for Danny, each year at the reaping he prayed to anyone who would listen that his name wouldn’t get called. As the 54th Annual Hunger Games roll around, both know it’s their last year included in the reaping. It’s Sam’s last chance to prove himself worthy of the Kiszka name, and Danny’s last chance at escaping the arena.

Pairings: Danny Wagner x Sam Kiszka (eventually)

Series Genre: angst, enemies to lovers, hurt/comfort, fluff

Word Count: little over 3.3k

Warnings: AU typical events/threats/violence (later in the series), loss of parents

A/N: This fic has everything: homoerotic fight scenes, multiple nearly fatal injuries, extreme past and present trauma, a Dune quote. Plus, you can finish each chapter wanting to bang your/their heads into the wall for so many different reasons!

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Birthright Of Death

Sam

“I volunteer as the second male tribute.”

Jake’s words had haunted Sam for five years. For five years, he had lived under the twins’ shadows, their victory in the arena sending them straight to the top of The New World’s social queue. Sam knew they hadn’t done it to divert any attention towards themselves, yet he still felt that jealous pang in his chest every time anyone brought his brothers up. He knew the twins hadn’t been given a choice, but that didn’t change how he felt. When Josh was reaped as the first male tribute from District 1, Jake had volunteered immediately; knowing that his twin would have a better chance of making it through the games with him at his side, as The Garden allowed for two victors from the same district for the first time ever in celebration of the Second Quarter Quell.

During the games, Sam had spent every waking hour folded in front of his family’s Television, watching and waiting for any news of his brothers. Each time a cannon fired, his heart stopped as he prayed that neither of their faces would light up the small screen that night. He sat for days on end memorizing every move, every kill they made until eventually they were the last tributes still standing, knowing that one day it would be his turn in the arena. He would get his time in the spotlight, and while the twins’ victory was impressive, Sam would captivate them all. He would capture the hearts of sponsors and citizens alike, and when he won, he would join his brothers as The New World’s golden sons. He would be loved, he would be feared by all. This was his last year included in the reaping, and nothing was going to keep him from taking what was rightfully his.

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Monday, July 4th, 54 ADD

“Veronica, will you please hurry up?” Sam shouts the words across the house, impatience coursing through his body at how long his sister was taking to get ready. “I don’t even know why you care so much, you aren’t included in the reaping anymore.”

“Shut up, Samuel. You know how much focus will be on us, even with the twins gone to prepare to mentor their tributes. I won’t slander our family’s or district’s image by showing up looking as if I had just woken up.”

Sam says nothing, only rolling his eyes as he does one last once-over of himself in the mirror. He had been ready for hours, days, and he knew he looked like it. Pride fills him as he takes in his clean image: his best turtleneck sweater underneath a comfortable, yet fashionable button-up Joshua had given him from The Garden, his hair neatly parted with the shorter strands that framed his face swept to the sides, the rest of it in tangle free waves down to his shoulders. The two white gold chains lying across his collarbone, each adorned with a single emerald and sapphire, was the icing on the cake. They wouldn’t forget him, not with those. They’d be his “signature” items.

“If you’re so worried about being late, then leave without me.” His sister’s voice rips his attention from the mirror, startling him out of his daze.

“Fine. Just don’t take too long, if you really do care about our image.” His words are short and irritated as he makes his way through the house briskly, not even sparing a glance back as he slips out the door. Jealousy twists his stomach as he walks down the empty street, the large houses looming over him. He had no complaints about living in the victor’s village; the houses were larger, nicer, and away from the others in the district. They had better food, better clothes, better jobs, better lives. They were better than the others. But Sam wanted to earn it. He felt like an imposter; his brothers had earned that life for him, he hadn’t even lifted a finger. He had been swept to the side, forgotten about as the youngest, the nepo-sibling.

I’ll show them, I’ll fucking show them all. I refuse to be little Sammy, baby brother to the great Kiszka Twins, their “reason for winning” any longer. I won’t be a reason for victory anymore, I’ll be the winner, the victor, and I’ll finally have the respect I deserve. They’ll see.

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Sam didn’t even feel the finger prick as he entered the square, his adrenaline turning everything into a blur as he pressed his fingerprint into the paper, quickly finding his place in the crowd. President Sara Starcatcher’s video about the treason of the Districts, the reason for the games, becomes unintelligible mumbles as he zones it out. They had played it so many times that Sam had it memorized word for word. Finally, the escort for District 1, Electra something or other (Sam could never keep them straight in his head anymore), steps to the middle of the stage again, grinning at the crowd with vibrant blue lips.

“I always love that film!” Her smile doesn’t waver when she’s met with silence, clearing her throat quietly before continuing. “Now onto the main event!” Sam holds his breath as she moves to stand in front of the large glass bowl filled with paper. “Our male tribute from District 1 is… Aurelius Vale!”

Like fucking hell it is. “I volunteer as tribute!” Sam yells the words before Aurelius can make a move, all eyes turning to him immediately.

“Well, isn’t this something! Come over here, dear. Come up to the stage.” Ignoring the peacekeepers moving towards him, Sam nearly sprints to the stage with a smile, taking his place next to Electra. “Now, what’s your name?”

“Samuel Kiszka.” As hushed whispers flow through the crowd, Sam’s smile falters momentarily. Even in his moment, his brothers were still hanging over his head.

“Ah! And would you by any chance be related to the Kiszka Twins?”

“I am, they’re my older brothers.”

“Well, they must be very proud of you.” Sam’s face heats at the compliment, reveling in the idea that it would soon be the twins that were proud of him, not the other way around. “Now, onto our female tribute. This year’s tribute will be… Seraphina Goldwyn!”

Seraphina begins to move through the crowd with a sullen expression until another steps into the walkway, blocking her path. “I volunteer as tribute!”

As relief passes over Seraphina’s face, Sam’s expression drops as he sees who had volunteered. Fucking. Hazel. She’s been obsessed with me for years and won’t take a fucking hint that I don’t like her. I can’t believe she’ll go this far just to be around me, has she not thought this through? There can only be one victor. Despite his happiness being slightly diminished as Hazel joins him on stage, he forces the grin back onto his face as he shakes her hand. He was finally a tribute. He would finally be a victor.

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Funeral Of Innocence

Danny

Monday, July 4th, 54 ADD

Danny looks at himself in the small, dirty mirror hung on the wall of his shared room, taking a deep breath as he stares back at his reflection, the collar of his only nice button-up shirt stiff and tight around his neck and biceps. He had outgrown it long ago, but knew he would never have the money to replace it. It would have been stupid to do so now anyways, it was his last year being included in the reaping, and his stomach had been twisting in anxious knots for weeks. He had been lucky this far, and he had been careful this year; staying in line around peacekeepers, keeping his head down. He hadn’t even taken out extra food rations when winter hit District 7 harder than it ever had before, not wanting his name to be cast into the reaping lottery more than it already had been. Just breathe, Daniel. Your name is only in there seven times, you know people whose names are in the lottery over 30 times. You have nothing to fear.

Except he did. He had everything to fear. He had everything to lose. When he was 14, his parents had made the mistake of getting caught trying to smuggle extra food for him and his sister, Josephine. He had watched his father get shot by Peacekeepers trying to save his mother, a useless attempt in the end as she was dragged away to The Garden. Danny knew deep down that she was long dead. He also knew he could have hated his parents for risking their lives and leaving him to care for himself and his sister, but he couldn’t bring himself to. They had just wanted to keep their children alive. They hadn’t thought they would be killed for such a mild offense, they thought they would become Avox’s if caught, at the worst.

With his parents gone, it was up to him to look after Josephine. It was his job to keep them both safe and alive, and he had gotten good at it. If he had learned anything from the loss of his parents, it was how to not get caught, teaching himself to hunt and grow what measly crops he could right under the nose of the Peacekeepers constantly patrolling his district.

“Danny?” His sister’s quiet voice rips him out of his memories, and he turns to see her standing hesitantly at the door of their room, her hands nervously fiddling with the sleeves of her dress. “We should probably leave. Don’t wanna be late for the reaping.”

“Yeah, yeah we should. You look nice by the way, kid. I know the occasion is- what it is, but still.”

“Really? You think so?”

“Of course I do, Josie. You look like mom.” He feels the sting of tears behind his eyes as she smiles at him, everything about her truly reminding him of their mother.

“Thanks, Danny. And stop calling me Josie, I’m almost 15, I’m too old for baby nicknames.”

“Oh, so now that you’re all grown up, you’re too ‘adult’ to be called Josie, huh?” Smiling at her, he makes his way across the room, taking her hand and leading her through the main room of their small house and out the front door. “What would you prefer? Jojo? What about Fifi?”

“Stop itttt. You can call me Josephine, it’s proper and lady-like.”

“Yeah, alright Madam Josephine.”

“Shut up, Danny.” As they walk though the small, dirty street of their neighborhood, her smile slowly drops as others join them, a solemn march of those included in the reaping and their families.

He feels her hand shaking in his own, offering a slight squeeze of comfort. “It’s ok, Josie. We’re gonna be fine. We haven’t taken any extra food or clothes, and your name’s only in there 4 times. We should be fine.” Should be. We should be fine. Despite his words to his sister, Danny had given up hope long ago. It was dangerous to have hope, foolish. It only ever led to disappointment in his experience, and he didn’t want to be disappointed again. Thankfully, a familiar face joins them as they near the square, filing into the neat line to check into the reaping.

“Hey sexy, how you doing on this fine, grim morning?” David Welcsh, Danny’s best friend. If there was anyone else in his district that Danny could truly call family, it was him. David and his family had always been there for him and Josie when they needed, and he knew he could always count on them if something were to happen to him, leaving Josie alone.

“Oh, you know, the usual.” Danny tries to keep a smile from his face, David’s words lightening his mood slightly despite the circumstances. “How about you?”

“Not great, Danny boy. Not great. My name’s in that goddamn bowl near 25 times, had to take out food and clothes for the family over the winter. Four siblings and all that, so my chances are not lookin’ good.”

“I’m sure you’ll be fine, winter hit everyone hard, there’s bound to be people who racked up more than you.” Danny’s heart drops at the thought of David’s name getting pulled. He couldn’t lose any more of his family, and he knew that he, like Danny, was the main source of incoming food for his own family.

“Whatever you say, Danny.” Their group says nothing more as Josie steps up to the table, her finger pricked and fingerprint taken before she looks back to Danny with wide eyes.

“Go on, Josie. Go find your place, I’ll find you after the reaping. It’s ok.” She nods slightly, fear still in her eyes before she turns from him and disappears into the crowd. After Danny and David both check in, they join the throngs of people filtering into the square, finding a spot on the male’s side as nervous, hushed whispers float through the air around them. “Hey Dave?”

“Hm?”

“If my- if my name gets pulled, I need you and your family to take care of Josie. She doesn’t know how to hunt yet, and she doesn’t know where I grow crops in hiding. I know you guys are struggling with you and your siblings already, but I can’t let her starve.”

“Of course, man. Is that even a question? You guys are honorary Welcsh’s, and I know you’d do the same for us if I get called. Why do you ask me, though? You’ll be fine, you’ve been stubborn enough to not take any extra food and not let me take any for you, what are you so worried about?”

“I don’t know… I just can’t shake this feeling I have. It’d be just my luck to get called this year, my last goddamn year.” Danny chews on the edge of his bottom lip, his eyes darting around the square, trying to find Josie. He feels slight relief when he finds her on the edge of the girls’ crowd, not too far from where he was, his mind calming when he sees that she was ok. Obviously terrified, but still ok.

“Relax, Dan. You’ll be fine.” As David gives his shoulder a light slap, the escort for their district takes the stage. She looked like The Garden’s mockery of 7, with wildflowers and feathers adorning her too-neat hair. Hues of green and gold painted onto her eyes, lips, and cheeks only sent the message that she knew nothing of 7; their district was only luscious, rich forests in her eyes. She knew nothing of the wildfires that destroyed much of their land on a regular basis, the accidents that often occurred deep in the woods. She had never seen a person crushed by a falling tree, nor an axe slipping from a young boy’s hands ending up embedded in another person’s head. She knew nothing of 7, and neither did The Garden.

The crowd becomes quiet as she steps in front of the microphone with a grin. “Welcome to the 54th annual Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favor.” Met with silence once again, she continues, her infuriating smile unfaltering. “Before we begin the reaping ceremony, we have a very special, very important film straight from The Garden itself!”

“War, terrible war.” Danny tunes the rest of President Starcatcher’s speech out, rage overtaking him at the pure bullshit The Garden had been broadcasting to them for as long as he could remember. Where was The Garden’s protection when his parents were killed and taken? When he and his sister nearly starved every winter? Danny had known no protection from The Garden, and he had known no peace in his life. There was no honor or courage in the Games, and the only thing sacrificed was the lives of children, purely for The Garden’s enjoyment. Generosity and forgiveness were never given to any of the 12 districts, or at least never to any district not made up of Careers. Danny despised The Garden, and any district that played along as their pet, seemingly happy with the order of The New World.

Before Danny can further infuriate himself, the escort steps back up to the microphone as the video ends, wiping tears from her eyes delicately. “I love that film. Now, the time has come for us to choose one young man and woman for the honor of representing District 7 in this year’s Hunger Games.”

Danny’s heart freezes as she makes her way over to the large glass bowl in front of the male’s side of the square, reaching in and carefully pulling out a small piece of paper. She holds it high in front of her as she walks back to the microphone, unfolding it as she takes a breath, adding to their anticipation and dread. “The male tribute from District 7 is… Daniel Wagner.”

No. Danny feels as if he could throw up as all eyes turn to him, the boys around him taking a step back as if he were contagious. As if they’d be thrown into the arena with him if they stood too close. No, no, no, no. This can’t- this can’t be happening.

“Come on up.” The escort says the words with a smile, as if he should be happy to be picked. He wanted to punch her square in her perfect, white teeth.

“I’m so sorry, Danny.” David’s words are quiet and full of sorrow as he looks at his friend with tears in his eyes. Danny couldn’t respond, he didn’t know what to say or do except begin to shuffle through the crowd around him, trying his hardest not to cry as he walks towards the stage.

“No!” Josie breaks apart from the group as he passes her, tackling him in a hug around the middle as Peacekeepers rush to stop her.

He holds his hands up to them, hoping it would prevent them from taking any drastic measures out on her before moving them down to unwrap her arms from him. Bending to look her in the eye, he places his hands on either side of her face, his tone frantic and quiet. “It’s gonna be ok, Josie. Go back to the line and then find David when this is over. Everything’s gonna be ok.” His voice breaks as she looks up at him, tears streaming down her face as the Peacekeepers began to pull her back to her spot. “It’s ok, Josie.”

“No, no, please!”

“It’s ok, Josie. It’s ok.” When he ensures that she was safe once again, he resumes his path to the stage, Peacekeepers flanking him on all sides. They nudge him when he stops at the bottom of the steps to it, and he scrambles to gain control of his body once more.

Standing next to the escort, the urge to punch her only grew. I bet her fucking jewelry alone is worth enough to feed Josie and I for a year. She takes a step away from him, towards the bowl containing the female tribute’s names.

Danny had never been religious, but as she reaches into it and pulls another paper out, he prays to any god that will listen for his sister not to be reaped. Please not Josie, please not Josie, please not Josie. “Our female tribute from District 7 is… Daphne Laurel!”

Danny exhales a deep breath, relief flooding him. Josie was ok, she would be ok. Danny may not have been lucky, but she was safe. This year, at least. As happy as he was that Josie’s name hadn’t been called, his heart breaks as he sees Daphne make her way through the crowd, joining him on stage. She was just a little kid, maybe 12 or 13; and she was terrified, visibly on the verge of tears.

Prompted by the escort, Danny shakes her hand, vowing in that moment that he was going to do whatever he could to keep her safe in the arena, to keep her alive as long as possible.

“Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds ever be in your favor!”

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

Taglist: @jake-whatthefisgoingon-kiszka @milojames16 @gretnavannfleet @aioba1503-sdm @sanguinebats @cheersdannyx2 @musicislove3389 @holdingup-fallingsky @Maddie-Rae

#greta van fleet #greta van fleet fan fiction #gvf fic #daniel gvf #sam gvf #sanny gvf #greta van angst #sam kiszka x danny wagner #sam kiszka #danny wagner #hunger games au

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writingcold · 1 year

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Bootleggers & Wildflowers

Greetings! Welcome to Chapter 1 of B&W! I’ve been holding this one incredibly close and the story is very dear to me. I guess that’s partly why I’m feeling skittish about sharing it. I hope you like it. I feel like I should say that this is a slow romance, with a light dusting of smut. There is some steamy scenes in this first chapter, but that is not the focus of this story.

Thank you once more to @whitesuitjake for the Jake edit for the cover, @gardensgatedaisy for listening to me whine and gush and show off pictures of little discoveries, and finally to @lvnterninthenight, Bobbie, your criticism and red pen has meant so much to me.

Dividers by @firefly-graphics

Chapter 1 is all about introductions, so we’ll be meeting Cora, Susannah, and Molly in this entry. There are three parts, three POVs. Word Count: approximately 4700 words.

This is a work of fiction, and is totally mine. Please do not take it for your own personal use. I’ve put in hours of research, hours upon hours of writing, re-writing, screaming, yelling and vomiting over this epic of a story. But it is mine.

Main pairing: Jake X OC, Sam X OC, Danny X OC, mentions of Josh X OC.

Content Warning: Mentions of poverty, personal strife, young marriage, alcohol and drinking, smoking, language, unprotected sex (Sam x OC and Danny x OC). This is an adults only story - that’s why there’s a mature label slapped on it. If you are under 18, please go elsewhere.

Chapter One: Introductions Part 1: Cora POV

May, 1926

Elegant. The singular word flitted through Cora’s mind as her eyes took in the dark wood of the office that was bathed in the early afternoon sunlight. The man that sat behind the huge, intricately carved desk, wore a lush navy suit, embossed vest, with a crisp white dress shirt, a perfectly starched collar and black and gray bow tie. He wore his hair short, but held enough curls that did not allow for the classic taper cut that most young men wore. Instead, it was all the same length that was professional, but belied his youth. Cora placed him no more than five, at most, six years older than herself, and yet, he was highly educated, poised and a honed businessman.

“You seem awfully skinny to be wanting a job here,” the man said with an uninterested eye. “You look like you could barely lift a sack of flour, let alone stand for ten hours a day. Tell me, Miss Janas, why do you need this job?”

Cora shifted in her chair, very aware that Mr. Kiszka was looking her up and down, searching for any reason to tell her to leave. “Sir, I need this job to help my mother support the family. I’m much stronger than I look. I’ve been working as a laborer for the Kilbourne farm for the past three years.”

“Where’s your father?” Mr. Kiszka asked with a raised brow, his dark eyes sparkling.

She wondered if he was looking for an illicit reason as to why her father was not around. “He died three years ago, sir, from wounds he, uh…”

She paused. Her father passed away from wounds from the war, but they did not talk about it. Her mother refused to believe that her father was so damaged that he could not function beyond their own farm.

He waved his manicured hand, his eyes relaying that he was disinterested in any further explanation. “Do you have a better dress you can wear?”

The question drew her back once more. “Sir?”

“I’ll take that as a no,” he remarked with a shake of his head. His fingers tugged at the chain of his very fine pocket watch, his face drifting away from her in a brief reprieve. He puffed out his cheeks as he pushed the watch back into the pocket of his finely tailored waistcoat before fixing the lapel of his coat. “I’ll tell you what. I’ll give you a week's trial. You’ll make fifty cents a day. You prove that you can handle it, I’ll make the post permanent and you’ll get a dollar a day from then on out.”

Cora felt her face drain of color. Fifty cents per day was five times what she made for Kilbourne. A dollar a day if she made it through would mean better in their bellies at night and so much more. She tried to hide her swallow by dipping her chin, but he was already standing and moving to get her to leave his office. He smoothed his hand across the lapel of his fine suit coat as he held the door open for her. She scrambled to her oxford clad feet and smiled widely as he directed her back into the main shop. She extended her hand as he offered his own.

“Thank you, Mr. Kiszka. This opportunity means more than you know,” she said warmly.

He smiled politely, his eyes turned towards the side of the shop. “We’ll see you back here, Monday morning, eight o’clock sharp.”

“Yes, sir.”

The Kiszka and Wagner Mercantile and General Store had been purchased by the families a few years prior. The two sided store was anchored in the middle with wide case openings for customers to move between the two shops, with a central register with beautiful marble counters and elaborate wrought iron framing the space like art, but functional as a way to keep the register safe. The coved ceilings drew the dreamy eye up with its delicate tin tiles of hammered sun rays on the mercantile side and of pastoral regional themes on the general store side. The dark woods of the cabinetry and pristine, clear glass of the fronts was sleek, displaying all sorts of goods from fabric, housewares, toiletries, jewelry, as well as many curios and catalogs made up the mercantile shop, while the general store was just as detailed, but featured dry goods, baked and dried foods, seasonal produce and canned goods. The shops were always busy being one of three such shops across the bustling town of Kingsford.

Cora watched as another one of the Kiszka brothers walked toward the eldest of them as she began to move away. It was Joshua’s twin - Jacob. The man’s dark eyes were always serious and sharp. Like his brother, he was dressed flawlessly in a black suit with a softer ivory dress shirt and black tie. He passed her without so much as a glance, leaving the smell of tobacco in his wake. She flashed a smile at the girl behind the ornate marble-topped counter before she pushed her way outside into the cool breeze of the late spring. It was going to be a long walk home, but her mother was going to be happy. A job in town would be a surprise. A job in town that promised three dollars for the first week was unheard of in her world. Six dollars a week would add up quickly. Perhaps they could move to town and get one of the little bungalows on the west side, eventually. Cora knew she was going to have to work the hardest that she could manage. The Kiszkas were fairly new to the town of Kingsford, but they already had the mercantile shop, the general store, as well as the dancehall next door. People were saying that they were from down south, near Detroit with ties to Chicago, which she took to mean big businesses at first. Then the rumors came thick for the area, with words of bootleggers, illegal liquor, and the ultimate of whispered words… ‘mafia’. Cora could care less. By the time she reached the edge of town, she had convinced herself that the Kiszkas’ were just another family that were trying to make it during the crazy times of 1926.

The family she knew only through reputation at church, and from a wide distance. All four of the gentlemen were typical residents in the hall prior to, during and after services, every Sunday. They were generous, always there to add to the donation pot for various needs of members of the community. The town had readily accepted them for their outward appearance for genuinely wanting to be part of the growth of the fledgling town.

Cora did not reach the cottage until late in the afternoon. She changed quickly to her cotton dress and boots and ran to the barn to help Mr. Kilbourne with the milking. He scolded her as she pushed against Daisy to get her into the chute. She just nodded and smiled to herself. He wasn’t going to push her around anymore. She would be respectable, with a respectable job in town as an in-shop clerk and they wouldn’t hold her father’s debt over their heads for too much longer.

She cleared her throat as the farmer was trailing out of the barn to capture his attention. When he looked at her with his typical subjective expression, Cora sucked her cheeks in to garner up her strength. “I’ll have you know, Mr. Kilbourne, that I have a trial job in town starting Monday and won’t be here to work for you.”

He turned back towards her, his blotchy features turning sour. “Trial job? What does that mean?”

“Mean that for the week, I work my tail off,” she said as his beady eyes narrowed on her. “If they like the way I work, then I will have a permanent post and won’t have to work for you any more.”

He made a rude sound deep in his throat before sucking on his teeth and spitting into the ground. His eyes roamed across her frame as he laughed. “Yeah. You’ll be back to me in a few days. You ain’t smart enough to work nowhere but here, girlie.”

Rosemary Janas was wiping her hands across a yellowed dish towel as Cora peeled off her boots and slid back into her oxfords to enter the cottage. The planks of the floor whined as they walked, as if the tiny three room structure bemoaned their entire existence. Her mother’s face was terribly thin and full of woe. The once happy blue of her eyes was full of dull gray worry and hunger.

Cora nodded to her mother before she washed and started rounding up the rest of the children to get to the table. The family of six were castaways scraping by on the meager earnings of the two women. The younger siblings ranged from 17 down to six. At twenty, Cora should have been married, but she was too busy trying to get her siblings to survive to care much about that business.

The family sat down to beans and bread, saying their prayers and speaking not a word as they ate. Cora and her sister Junie set to doing the dishes while her mother put the youngest children to bed. It was not until their mother returned to sit down at the table to do the night’s mending that Cora could share her news.

“I’ll start Monday,” she beamed, unable to hide her broad smile.

Her mother frowned. “It’s an hour walk twice a day. What if the weather turns? What if you can’t get home? And what of your duties here? Mr. Kilbourne expects you to be milking and in the field.”

Cora had not thought about the logistics and she did not care. “Money may mean that we can finally get into town to live, Mama. Perhaps even before the autumn comes. And I’ve told Kilbourne that I’m not working this next week. That if I get a permanent posting, I won’t have to work for him at all.”

“One job can’t be that good,” she said quietly. “And that’s a lot of maybe’s to put any worth into.”

“I work hard and make it through the first week, I’ll be bringing home $6 a week, Mama. I think it’s more than enough for one of those-”

Her mother’s eyes closed with a deep, mournful sigh. “I’m not telling you not to work the job, Cora. It’s just the other pieces that you need to think about. Without your hands to feed this family, we will fail. Terribly.”

“I know, Mama,” she said, folding her hands in her lap.

“Junie, head to bed. Cora and I need some quiet,” her mother said to the younger girl.

Junie stood up, her frail body evident as her dress caught against her knees as she moved. Her dark hair appeared brassy in the thin braid that snaked over her shoulder. She had the same sad blue eyes as their mother. Cora grinned at the girl as she walked past but received no warmth in return.

Once there was silence again, Rosemary’s face grew even grayer. “Had a gentleman come by who is interested in marrying that one.”

Cora’s stomach lurched. Her mother caught the sight of her reaction and shook her head.

“One less mouth to feed, Cora,” she whispered. “And Mr. Archer is a good man. Educated. He’ll provide a good home for her and a respectable place in town.”

Cora tried to recall the name to place a face. Her throat burned when she remembered the man from church. “Mother! He’s close to double her age - and with children no less.”

“She’s got experience with her siblings just fine,” Rosemary said, her whole body looking exhausted, not just her voice. “I’ve already given the blessing as he will pay for the services.”

Cora sat back with a huff in her chair. The only reason why her mother had not married her off yet was because she could earn a wage, whereas Junie was too frail for hard physical work. She bit the insides of her bottom lip in an effort to keep herself from crying. Fat tears struck her cheeks despite her efforts. Her mother shook her head disapprovingly.

“I was married by seventeen. I should have married you off as soon as your father passed, but…”

Cora hiccuped before she slapped her hands across her mouth to keep from making too much noise. The fate of her sister ground upon her spirit. There would be no love for her. There would be no joy. At least not like in the storybooks that had once been their father’s they had snuck from the Kilbourne’s house to read out back of the barn. Her mother stood with a sigh and walked away, presumably to fetch the sewing basket so that they could work together on their task that was heaped on the table, leaving Cora alone in her own grief.

Chapter One: Pt 2, Susannah POV

The feel of the silk robe against her body and the whiskey on her tongue felt like putting her skin back on and her dignity into place. She sat alone, her thin body shivering against the chill that was always present in the back of the house. The music that played in the dancehall below was throbbing through the floorboards and the singular privacy curtains for the girls that were under the employ of the Kiszka’s speakeasy.

Another sip of whiskey; a light of a cigarette. It was Susannah’s ritual in trying to shake off the fifteen minute venture that she had to perform four nights a week in addition to her dancing with the troupe as a whole. There were only a few others that actually endured what she did, though their trials were chosen, hers was happenstance. Six weeks prior, she was donning a new costume with individual crystals forming the bodice of her dress. Another dancer’s finger had accidently caught hold and the entire covering of her torso was spilled out in mesmerizing fashion. Of course, the crowd thought it was part of the act. She carried on, despite seeing Sam in the back, jaw clenched shut as Joshua yucked it up right along with his customers.

Since then, they honed it into a whole routine that Susannah still felt hollow about, but it came with a raise and a weird sort of prestige that also meant more uncounted tips from customers. Visually, it was the spectacle that brought in clientele. No one but herself, Sam and her friends seemed to care about the damage it caused to her own soul.

Bringing the cigarette up to her lips, she heard Sam’s footfalls somewhere behind her. He was looking rather hard toned, leaving her to try to prepare for what was to come. Rolling her eyes up in the mirror as his face came into view, she saw the gleam in his eyes. The possession. The need to reclaim her like he had anything to actually be concerned about. The man was the prettiest face she had ever seen and was the best of lovers, and it was hard not to fall for the intelligence that was so evident within him. He was always eager to share with her whatever he was working on.

His long fingers dug into her waist as he pulled her from her stool. He grabbed her smoke, took a drag, then stomped it out on the floor before he began to push her towards the wall. His eyes were black with need. His mouth kissed her hard before he spun her, belly flush against the wall.

“Sam,” she breathed as he kissed down her neck.

His hand pressed against the middle of her back, holding her firmly in place. He knocked her legs wide, hiking up the lavish robe. His hands ghosted up her thighs as they quivered to keep up with his movements.

“Mine,” he whispered in her ear before biting the lobe. “Who’s pussy kisses my cock, baby?”

“Only mine,” she gasped as he stroked her roughly.

The rasp of a growl against her skin made her breath catch.

“Who’s the only cum that lands on this skin?” he whispered as he pushed his way into her.

He started to fuck into her at a ruthless pace, stealing all breath and thought from her. Sam stopped, teeth sinking into her shoulder.

“Answer me,” he demanded in a softness that blazed through her head.

“Yours, baby. Only yours,” she answered.

His fingers snaked back around her hip, rubbing on her clit in tight, hard circles. Susannah bit into her lip. The chance for anyone to hear them was always too high. The last thing she needed was to have voyeurs infringe, but his own need for her spiked when something was not right in the business or The Earl, and to see his woman strutting around, titties hanging out and bouncing for everyone’s pleasure troubled him deeply. He had tried to argue with his eldest brother, but Joshua would not take him seriously, especially with that much money on the table.

Her jaw dropped open as her body froze in its pleasure. Every muscle, every nerve ending was on fire as he pushed against her, the roughness of his vest against her back, the power of his hips striking her ass, sent her into her beyond and back just in time to listen as he finished on the silk of her robe.

His breath was hot against her neck as he came down and cleaned himself up on the silk. Turning, he left her against the wall with a promise to return. She pressed her forehead into the plaster, collecting her breath once more, placing her own feelings back onto the background that was Samuel Kiszka.

When he returned, he tenderly removed the soiled robe, replacing it with another, lovingly tying the closure with one last kiss to her earlobe. “Love you,” he whispered, stepping away.

She knew he was honest in his feelings towards her. She could spill all the love she would ever have in her body and she would still have more to give to him. He held her hand, leading her back the few steps back to her dressing table. Susannah went right to putting her hair back into place and touching up her lipstick and rouge.

“I hear there’s going to be a new shop girl,” she said, catching his eye. “It’s all the gossip back here.”

Sam rolled his eyes. “Josh hired a farm girl without experience. She’ll never make it through her ‘trial week’, to be sure. He’ll find some stupid reason to fire her.”

“The girls are placing bets to see how many days this one will last. It’s sad,” she said with a sigh. “I hear she’s pretty hard pressed.”

“Starving is more like it. Maybe that’ll give her an edge.”

Susannah set down her brush. “Samuel…”

“Yes, love?”

“What if we dish a bit of shit to your brother and help this one out?”

Sam stopped fiddling with whatever he was doing and looked at her through the mirror. There was a touch of twinkle in his eyes that she had not seen for a while. The corners of his full mouth stretched and curled upwards.

“Help her, huh?”

She nodded, rising to her feet. “Renee deserves better help than the weak assed gams that have been through there. It’s almost like he’s trying to run that poor girl into the ground.”

“Well, she is the daughter of the man who we bought the store from. It was the one part of the deal none of us liked,” he remarked with a sour tone.

“So, let’s take a few days to see how this one does and see where we can help her out?”

“That would really rub Josh wrong, wouldn’t it?”

Susannah grinned as she stepped close to him. “And you never know, maybe we’ll make friends. It’s been a while since I’ve been friends with anyone other than back of house girls.”

He lowered his forehead down to hers, a sad look in his eyes. “You know I’m trying to get us out of here, right? I don’t ever want you to feel like you’re nothing but back of house.”

“I know, baby. It’s just what it is now. Not always.”

He smiled against her skin, bringing his hands up to cup her cheeks. “If we do this, we’re gonna need Molly and Daniel’s help. Agreed?”

“I heard my name back there! Don’t drag me through it you two!” Molly called out from behind them.

She grinned at the sound of her dear friend. “Let me get dressed and let’s meet out front.”

“I’ll go find Daniel, babe,” he said with a nod.

“Susannah?” Molly called out as she started to get dressed. “You alone now?”

“Yes sweetie,” she cooed as she pulled the patent leather belt across low on her hips.

Molly’s lush curves appeared along with her deep chocolate eyes. “I’m not sure I’m likin’ what’s cookin’ in that expression, doll.”

“Ah, come on. A little light meddling and probably a new friend along the way? Sounds like a win-win to me.”

Chapter One: Pt. 3, Molly POV

Crossing the wide planked floor, Molly shifted her skirt so that the slits running up the sides were lined up with her hip bones once more. The last ‘gentleman’ dancer was too handsy. One look at her Danny and the issue was remedied in a hurry. His dark eyes sparkled with a heat as he dragged the man out of the dancehall with a threat that continued bad behavior towards the ladies would earn him a rock gut and dented brain cover.

It was Tuesday afternoon and word from Susannah was that the new girl was in her place in the store. Sam had said she had done very well for her first day. She watched the clock closely, counting down the minutes and the sweaty man's hands until her shift was over. The day seemed to line up just right; she could catch a glimpse of the girl in the shop to get a feel of what she was about before heading for home.

Danny strolled back inside, hands tapping against the outside line of his thighs. The smile that graced his mouth made her heart flutter. She was down bad for that man and he knew it, but radiated it back to her every moment of the day. With hands on hips, she shimmied at him and he swiped his hands like he was moving over her curves with an air kiss.

The next customer waved his dollar bill at her and she took her time, eyes straying to her lover before finally allowing the man to wrap his hand across her shoulder and to take her hand to lead her in something that resembled a dance with sore toes included. She affixed her emotionless stare as he rubbed his hand up and down her side, humming along to the tune. She placed her mind back to the morning, waking up to Daniel, his sleepy face hovering just over hers. He kissed her body tenderly like he worshiped every inch of her. His tongue and teeth and lips and nose rutting through her folds until she cried out for mercy to just fuck her all ready. It was his favorite state to put her into just before he made good on his work.

Molly felt the memory of his touch against her mouth as he fucked into her, spilling into her with his hands bound in her hair. She often wondered what luck she had to have found him, though often he vocalized that he was the one that was lucky. The heat of him passed over her as her eyes found him talking with Jacob by the main door. It always magnified the kindness and adoration for the man to see him interact with Jacob and Samuel. They were truly his brothers in the world where he had none to claim as his own. And the Kisza brothers, including Joshua, were so quick to accept him, fight for him, protect him. It was a true cycle of trust and loyalty between the four men.

Finally, she spun away with a kiss on the man’s cheek that allowed her to finally march away and end her day. Her feet were screaming, her body felt like she needed a three day soak to get the grime off, and her brain just wanted her body to be cradled by her Danny. She made her way to her dressing table, cleaning herself up, wiping off the overdone makeup and pulling down her frilly new dress that hugged her in all the right places. She would have only a short period that she could glimpse the new girl. She knew it was a hurry. Walking out, she waved at Danny to join her. Jacob had already disappeared.

“Ready, my love?” he asked, holding out his elbow for her to take.

“Yes, babe,” she cooed with a smile. “So, tell me what is she like?”

“Miss Cora is working hard,” he said as he held the door for her. “She’s actually keeping close to being in step with Renee.”

“Really,” Molly breathed. Renee grew up in that shop. For the new girl to be doing so well meant that she was motivated and a fast study. “How does Renee feel about that?”

Danny grinned as his dark eyes met hers. “She’s keeping her fingers crossed for this one. Only thing is her attire…”

“What is that?” she asked more to herself than to her partner.

Jacob was standing at the door, his face looking into the shop for a long moment. He leaned in and opened the door to allow a mousy looking woman in a very plain dress out along with a very well dressed customer. The woman was terribly thin, nearly frail looking, despite the items that she carried to the auto that waited for the customer. Jacob watched as the woman set the items down, a warm smile on her face. He waited for her to return before walking in behind her. Molly’s face brightened with thought.

“Oh my, Daniel,” she sighed as she tightened her hold on the crook of his arm. “Did you see that?”

“See what, baby?” he asked, looking down at her.

“Been a while since I’ve seen Jacob curious about a skirt,” Molly stated before she maneuvered forward towards the shop.

Daniel let out a dismissive snort. “Jacob? I highly doubt that, sweetheart. He was too into Bea for anything like that to strike again.”

Molly frowned at him, her amber colored eyes darkening. “Really? The heart is kind of strange. Just when you think you’re never going to heal, it spies something it wants and compels you to move on, my love, even after someone like Bea comes along.”

They walked closer to the shop, but Molly did not need to walk inside. Instead, she watched at the window like she was looking at the display of goods and wares. “So, if she’s good in the skills department, then let’s get her surface to match her skill.”

Molly had a talent that was unparalleled in the county. She could look at anyone, man, woman, child, and be able to visually tailor onto their frame perfectly. She just needed to study how the person stood, moved and how their body was structured. Renee caught her looking, but continued on without question.

“Good girl,” she breathed as she watched the lovely Miss Cora move from one side of the store to the other with quick steps and never overly rushed movements.

She nodded to Danny and they continued on down the street, arm in arm. “So, when do we kidnap her and dress her up?”

Daniel looked down at her with a gentle smile. “Really? I don’t think that will be looked upon with a kind eye by her. I’ll talk with Sam and see what we come up with. You just get your end ready.”

Hope you liked it. I’ll be back next Wednesday with Chapter Two. Let me know what you think! If you’d like to join my tag list - you can find it here

@lvnterninthenight @doodle417 @luverleaver @jakesgrapejuice @fictional-duchess @whitesuitjake @milkgemini @positivegvfthings @songbirds-sweet @streamingcolors-gvf @gretavanbitches @samsurfgreenbass @joshkiszkas-admin @gardensgatedaisy @babyhoneygvfarchive @myownparadise96 @josh-iamyour-mama @starcatchercarol @loveisonaroll @jakesstarlight @myownparadise96 @reesetrippingthelight @kyrose11 @builtby-gvf @ignite-my-fire @ohgodthefeeling-gvf @wetkleenex-gvf @gold-mines-melting @starsasone @puzzle-gvf @mysticalstarcatcher @montenegroisr @takenbythemadness @brookes-so-done @way-to-go-lad @cal-a-bungaa @lightmylove-gvf @thewritingbeforesunrise @leftjudgeempathsuitcase @brokenbells11 @imborrowedshesblue @vanfleeter

#greta van fleet #gvf #jake gvf #jake kiszka #josh kiszka #josh gvf #sam gvf #sam kiszka #danny gvf #danny wagner #jake kiszka x oc #jake kiszka fanfic #greta van fleet fan fic #greta van fleet fanfic #greta van fleet au fanfiction

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oliverreedmasterass · 1 year

Text

Chapter Summary: Rae, Jake, Josh, and Sam find Danny's jacket and bring in reinforcements for extra help.

Words: 3.2k

Warnings: blood/wounds, mentions of death

Notes: Thank you to @infinisonicosm for the fic idea!

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

“SAM!” Jake’s holler made Rae’s shoulders raise to her ears. Sam and Josh had been deep in some kind of intense conversation but, at Jake’s voice, he had their attention. Within seconds, Sam and Josh were by their side.

“Oh my god,” Sam choked out as he grabbed Danny’s jacket from Jake, holding it up to his nose to give a deep inhale. “There’s that smell again.”

Josh stared at the note on the back of the jacket as Sam continued to sniff the inside, completely oblivious to Danny’s cry for help. It seemed like he couldn’t restrain himself, as he pulled the back of the jacket towards him and let his tongue pass over the blood.

“Dude!” Jake scolded Josh. Josh quickly folded his tongue back inside his mouth, his face flushed red.

“I’m hungry,” he tried to explain himself.

“Eat a rat or something, asshat,” Jake spat. “Don’t lick the evidence.”

“Lick the evidence?” Sam’s head cocked to the side as he took a step back from Danny’s jacket. “Huh?”

It seemed mutually agreed that Sam had a right to know about Danny’s message, so Jake silently turned the jacket around for Sam to see. Sam stared blankly at the words for what felt like a lifetime, and then a few fat tears poured from his eyes.

Jake took a strong whiff around the jacket and looked troubled.

“I don’t recognize this smell either, Sam,” he told his younger brother. “But the scent is still strong. Danny must have written this not too long ago.”

Sam took comfort in Jake’s words as he wiped at his eyes and nodded his head. Jake handed the jacket off to Rae to hold and enveloped Sam in a tight hug, just for extra assurance that everything was going to be alright. Josh stood off to the side, just behind Rae, still licking his lips but looking embarrassed by his lack of control. After Sam released from Jake, he pointed at the jacket.

“Where did you find that?”

Jake and Rae pointed down to the small crater Jake had created in the dirt, just a few feet away at the base of a tree that looked to be withering. Sam hurried to it and got down on all fours to inspect the area, sniffing and pawing around the terrain. As he did this, Jake cleared his throat to get Josh’s attention.

“Taste anything weird in that blood, Dracula?”

Josh looked surprised that Jake was willing to talk to him, and then pissed off by the nickname.

“Nothing out of the ordinary,” he spat back at Jake. But then, he thought more about it and seemed to be swishing the aftertaste of the blood around his mouth. “Well,” he started again, “it is a bit clumpier than it should be.”

Rae and Jake shot him disgusted looks, which Josh ignored.

“When the weather drops from hot to cold really fast, the blood thickens to try and regulate a normal body temperature,” he explained. “I usually see this when there’s a cold front to kick off the winter. But I don’t know why that would be happening to Danny, considering it’s still hot as hell out.”

“That’s really weird,” Jake agreed, looking lost in thought. Rae was getting sick and tired of all these moving pieces that didn’t seem to fit together in the slightest. Down at their feet Sam continued to search the area, his face planted into the ground to find more clues.

“That smell,” his voice was muffled, “it’s getting stronger.”

“What was that, Sammy?” Jake called to him. Sam looked back at them, his face caked with dirt.

“The smell on Danny’s jacket is getting stronger down here.”

Jake immediately joined Sam on the ground and shoved his face into the ground. Rae and Josh glued their mouths shut to try and keep any laughs from squeaking through at the strange sight. After a few seconds of looking like an ostrich, Jake sat back up, his face just as dirty as Sam’s, and addressed the group.

“Sam’s right. I need to dig to get closer.”

Sam, Josh, and Rae didn’t need to be instructed to get out of Jake’s way. They stood and watched as Jake moved at inhuman speeds to produce a gaping hole in the wooded floor, extending down nearly five feet. He looked spent from his work, but he managed to climb out, his face scrunched in thought.

“Well?” Josh tried.

“There’s ice down there,” Jake replied.

“Huh,” was all Josh could say. Sam was already in the hole, seeing for himself, and Rae made her way to the edge to peer in as well. Lo and behold, there was a sheet of ice at the bottom, and Sam was slipping around on it while he tried to get a better smell.

Behind her, Jake tucked his sweaty strands of long hair behind his ears and, with a grunt, pulled his soaked shirt off over his head, which earned him a loud groan from Josh.

“Give me a break, Romeo, you’ve got nothing to flaunt.”

“I’m not trying to flaunt,” Jake growled back. “I’m overheating.”

Rae turned to see what the commotion was, and let her eyes land on Jake’s tanned skin for probably a bit too long. He seemed to glisten in the sunlight and, after exerting himself with the hole, his arms were tense, his veins bulging. He made eye contact with Rae for a split second and started to give her a smile, but Rae turned her head the other way. Now didn’t feel like the time or place, especially considering she was holding Sam’s missing friend’s jacket in her hands.

“I can’t break through the ice!” Sam shouted from the hole, sounding frustrated. “It won’t budge at all, but I can tell the smell is stronger down farther.”

“We might need to get some tools,” Jake called down to Sam. “I don’t think there’s much more we can do with what we’ve got right now.”

“Is it really safe to be in town right now though?” Sam’s head popped up so he could look around at everyone.

“I don’t see why not,” Jake shrugged, but Josh cut in.

“No.”

Jake turned fast to study Josh.

“Word got around about us being evicted,” Josh caught Jake up to speed. “The hunters know, and the town leaders are doing nothing to stop them from coming into Frankenmuth to drive us out. Already a few from my nest are missing.”

“For the love of God,” Jake groaned out, wiping his face in disbelief.

“Why don’t we bring our parents out here to show them what we found?” Sam offered. “Maybe they can help us break through the ice and get to Danny so all of this can be sorted out.”

“I don’t know, Sam,” Jake’s voice trailed off. “I’m sure Dad’s got his hands full right now.”

“It might be our only chance to get out of this mess,” Josh told Jake under his breath. “Plus, they’d be safer out here.”

Jake mulled it over.

“My dad will kill me for being around you.”

“Trust me, my mom’s not gonna be happy either, but I think there’s a lot at stake here, and you can afford to get a light scolding from your dad.”

Jake looked like he wanted to protest, but he wound up giving a shrug.

“So, how do we get them out here?”

“We have to brave going into town.”

***

It was agreed upon that someone needed to stay with the hole in the woods, just in case they couldn’t find it when they brought the parents back. It was also firmly agreed that Rae wouldn’t be the one to stay with the hole, since they didn’t know what they were up against in the woods, and Sam wouldn’t stay either since Jake refused to let anything bad happen to him while he was away. Since Josh had to negotiate with his mom, they decided that Rae, Josh, and Sam would head back into town while Jake stayed behind.

“I’ll be fine,” he promised them as they left. “Just don’t take too long, I don’t want to be out here alone in the dark.”

“We have to move fast,” Josh instructed Rae and Sam as they moved out of the dense coverage of trees into more open space, coming closer to the suburban property lines.

“We should get stuff to cover our smell,” Sam piped in. Rae looked at him worried, and he explained, “the hunters have a serious knack for spotting us out. It’s almost like their kind have evolved over the years so they can sniff us out.”

“Here,” Rae offered, giving Josh her backpack, and Sam her flannel that she had stupidly brought for her first day of school, just in case it got cold out. Josh tugged the floral Jansport backpack on and Sam tied Rae’s flannel around his waist without a single argument.

“They should still be at town hall,” Josh shared. “The last I heard they were doing everything they could to convince the mayor to round up the hunters.”

They moved past the last tree in the line marking the entrance to the woods, and Rae stared back at the shaded area with goosebumps prickling across her skin. She didn’t like leaving Jake alone in there. It felt like something bad was going to happen, but she tried to push that bad thought out of her head. She needed to focus on getting through town undetected.

They kept their heads down and, with Josh in the lead, hurried down the residential street leading back into town, right past Rae’s house. She looked up for a brief moment and noted that both of her parents’ cars were in the driveway. Morgan must not have a doctor’s appointment today.

It was startlingly quiet as they trekked farther into town, especially considering it was the first day of school. But Rae understood why the streets were so still: based on everything she had learned from Jake, Josh, and Sam, she could only assume there were a decent number of supernatural residents in town. They must have all been hiding, terrified out of their mind, or fighting to save their kind at city hall.

The latter, as it turned out, was where almost everyone was. Josh, Sam, and Rae were shocked by an overflow of people crammed into the main hallway of the city hall, leading to the mayor’s office. A few people greeted Josh and Sam with melancholy half waves, and others stared Rae down, trying to figure out what she was. The sheer number of people was overwhelming, but it became abundantly clear that Josh and Sam both held some kind of power amongst the werewolves and vampires, since the people parted like the Red Sea, telling them their parents were up ahead.

They squeezed their way through the doorway and Rae felt her stomach flip flop when a group of serious and cold looking adults who were speaking with the mayor behind his desk turned to face them.

“Sam?” a bald man on the shorter side said in surprise.

“Josh?” a woman equally on the shorter side with graying hair raised an eyebrow, as if expecting an explanation out of him. Rae noted that the two parents had two other people beside them, all looking powerful.

“We’re in the middle of something, boys,” a tall and tired looking man next to Sam’s father told them. Rae hated how excluded she felt from everything that was going on. It was as if she was invisible.

“Mom, we need to talk to you about something really important,” Josh pleaded. “Please.”

“It’s about Danny,” Sam added in, staring at his dad with desperate eyes. “We found something that seems promising. I think we’re getting closer to finding him, Dad.”

“Samuel,” his dad’s voice shook. “Because of your carelessness, we could all be fighting for our lives outside of town in the next couple of hours.” He turned back to address the mayor. “If you’d just listen to us,” he clasped his hands together, “we’ll explain everything. This is all a massive misunderstanding.”

“The Wagner family is beyond devastated,” the mayor spoke over Sam’s dad. “I have to do something to let them know that their son didn’t die in vain.”

“He’s not dead!” Sam raised his voice in protest. His dad put a hand up to stop him.

“We found his jacket in the woods with a note on it written in blood,” Josh quickly explained to his mom. “The blood was thick, like he was in cold weather. Jake dug a hole where we spotted the jacket and found ice at the bottom. There’s something weird going on out there.”

“Hold on, you were with Jake?” Sam and Jake’s dad butted in, his eyes narrowed. In that moment, it seemed like Josh understood why Jake had been so hesitant to share that they had been together.

“It’s a long story,” Josh answered while avoiding eye contact.

“Where’s Jake now?” Sam and Jake’s dad demanded.

“In the woods,” Sam responded for Josh, since he seemed to be having trouble forming any coherent words. It was jarring how quickly the parents both shifted from looking angry to distressed.

“Alone?” Josh’s mom asked, looking at Sam and Jake’s dad with worry. Sam nodded his head, his lips pursed. He, Josh, and Rae shared the same thought: Okay, maybe it wasn’t such a great idea to leave him out there on his own. “Kelly,” Josh’s mom addressed Sam and Jake’s dad. “We need to get Jake out of there.”

“Go, we’ll try to sort things out here, Karen,” one of the vampires standing next to Josh’s mom assured her.

“We’ll be back soon,” Karen promised her.

“I hope so,” she said.

“Lead the way,” Kelly motioned for the door. “And hurry.”

The group was in such a rush to make sure that Jake was okay, that neither Kelly nor Karen even bothered to ask who Rae was, or why she was with them. That was fine with Rae, because she really didn’t know what the right explanation was to give. The last thing she wanted was to say the wrong thing and then pay the extreme penalty.

They were at the foot of the woods, and Josh pointed west.

“He should be that way,” he shared.

“He better be,” Kelly said to Sam and Josh. They barreled through the trees, Sam leading the way with the promise that he could smell Jake, and they were coming up close to him. Rae’s heart thundered in her chest, but she couldn’t tell if it was from the strenuous activity, or the anxiety that they might make their way to the hole in the middle of the woods, and not a single trace of Jake would be there. What made her even more nervous was the sun, which was starting to make its trek down towards the horizon. They didn’t have long before the woods were entirely dark, and they were virtually defenseless against whatever lurked around.

The trees around them grew more familiar to Rae in ways she couldn’t comprehend, and then in the distance she spotted Jake sitting at the edge of the hole.

“Thank god,” Kelly and Karen both breathed out.

As they got closer to Jake, two things became apparent to Rae: something had obviously happened, and Jake was in distress. When Kelly and Sam caught onto this, they ran the rest of the distance to Jake, squatting by his side. Rae, Josh, and Karen approached them as Kelly tried to pry information out of his son.

“Please talk to us, Jake.”

Jake had scratches running up and down his arms and bare torso, and a nasty slice on his cheek that looked like it would never permanently heal. His hair was disheveled and he shook out of control, but the most concerning thing was the look of devastation on his face.

Sam gave Jake’s bare back a light rub to try and calm him, and then placed his palm on Jake’s shoulder. Rae watched as Sam’s eyes rolled back in his head and he started to tremble in place, his hand still firmly on Jake. In return, Jake continued to gaze off into the distance, his eyes widening as if he was reliving whatever traumatizing event had happened while they were gone. Kelly watched between his two sons with concern, and was on top of holding Sam upright when he released from Jake with a gasp.

“Oh god,” Sam’s voice cracked, looking around at all of them in a panic. Kelly tried to soothe Sam, but he shakily got to his feet and, to everyone’s surprise, approached Rae. Unsure what was happening, Rae looked beyond Sam and saw that Jake was looking at her with tears streaming down his cheeks. “It’s your brother,” Sam told Rae.

“What?” Rae’s words felt disconnected from her body. What the hell did Morgan have to do with anything??

“He came out here looking for you.”

“Oh shit,” Rae said as her knees buckled.

“Jake tried to stop it, but some beast that I’ve never seen before grabbed him and dragged him into the hole,” Sam told her.

“Is he still alive?” Rae whispered.

“I don’t know,” Sam’s voice was hardly audible. Rae felt herself drop to her knees, but the pain from the force of impact didn’t seem to register in her brain. Everything was buzzing around her, and her eyes couldn’t focus. She wanted to scream out, to bawl her eyes out, but it was like her body was paralyzed in fear and grief. Anger trickled in. What the hell was he doing looking for her in the woods? He knew it wasn’t safe. But Rae did too. She shouldn’t have been in there either. Rae wanted to smack herself for being so foolish.

“I’m so sorry, Rae,” Jake’s voice came behind her, sounding like it was echoing in a pool. Rae didn’t want to look at him in the state she was in, but she turned to face him and was immediately swarmed in a tight embrace. As Jake held her in his arms, Rae had a hard time discerning if he needed the hug more, or her. She could feel the heat from some of his blood oozing onto her shirt, but it was the least of her worries. Morgan was gone, taken by some terrifying thing beyond any of their imaginations. As if Jake knew what she was thinking, he whispered into her ear, “I tried to do everything I could to keep your brother safe. I really tried. I’m so sorry.”

The ringing in Rae’s ears died down at Jake’s words. It was her job to keep Morgan safe, not Jake’s. She moved away from Jake’s arms and studied Sam, Josh, Kelly, and Karen, who were finally looking at her with suspicion, just noticing she was a part of the party.

“We need to find where this thing is taking its victims,” Rae instructed the group. “I’m getting my brother out of there if it’s the last thing I do.”

“Sure,” Kelly nodded at her. “But first things first, who the hell are you?”

****

Taglist:@lvnterninthenight, @writingcold, @myownparadise96, @i-choose-the-road, @psychedelicsprinkles, @mama-likes72, @ascendingtothestarssasone

#greta van fleet #gvf #josh kiszka #jake kiszka #sam kiszka #danny wagner #the frozen light #greta van fleet fanfiction #greta van fleet fanfic #greta van fleet fic #gvf fanfiction #gvf fanfic #gvf fic #gvf werewolf au #gvf vampire au

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samfkiszka · 2 months

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Paper Bag Masterlist

Vampire!Jake Kiszka x F!Reader

Hunger Hurts, and I want him so bad, oh, it kills…

★・・・・・・★

Forced to move back to your father's hometown the summer before your first year at college, you had resided yourself to the fact that the next few months were going to suck.

★・・・・・・★

Warnings (more detailed in each chapter and will update if needed): Cursing, vague mentions of family members passing, eventual smut, underage drinking, angst, angry and jealous Danny, blood, death

Current word count: 17,308

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4: coming soon!

TAGLIST FORM <3

#jake kiszka #jake kiszka fic #jake kiskza x reader #jake kiszka fanfic #jake kiszka smut #jake kiszka is edward cullen #and danny is jacob black sorry #twilight au #yes this is a twilight au #jake kiszka x reader smut #josh kiszka #sam kiszka #vampire! jake kiszka #vampire!jake kiszka #danny wagner x reader

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indigostreaking · 2 years

Text

Hearts Aflame

Chapter one

(Chapter two)

Firefighter!Danny x fem!reader

This will be a series, so please be gentle on part 1. 😅 No warnings or anything(yet).

Word count: 1.8k

"Kitty, please," you whined as you stretched out your right arm trying to reach just a little bit further. Your left arm was wrapped tightly around the trunk of the tree, keeping you steady as you attempted to rescue a little gray cat. When the kitten skittered just out of reach, you groaned. You had been at this for 15 minutes already, and you could hear the sirens in the distance growing louder. You took a deep breath before hoisting yourself up, carefully planting your feet on a thick and sturdy looking branch. The kitten eyed you cautiously and ventured further down the length of the limb above your head. You made a few kiss sounds, hoping to convince the kitten to come just a little closer.

"You're getting pretty high up there!" an older man in the growing crowd below you announced pointlessly, causing you to roll your eyes. You had never been someone who enjoyed attention, so having all these eyes on you made you feel nervous and very anxious. Your nerves ratcheted up another notch when you saw the police car and fire truck pull in to the parking lot. You loosed a breath you had been holding and took a hesitant step towards the terrified kitten, inching closer with each tiny, cautious movement.

"Sorry, buddy, but you're at the end of the line," you said with a sigh as you used one hand to reach out as far as you could, just enough to feel the delicate fluff of the kitten's soft fur. "Just a little closer.." you whispered as you helplessly willed your arm to grow an inch or two longer. The chatter below you grew, and you couldn't help but glance down to see why.

"Alright everybody, time to go. I'll take it from here," one of the firefighters said in a stern voice as he waved his arms motioning for the crowd to disperse. You knew you only had a few more minutes to get to the car before the professionals would force you to climb down, so you turned your attention back to the stranded cat. "You gonna come down or do I have to come up there after you?" The same firefighter asked with a soft chuckle.

"I've got this under control," you replied snarkily, repeating his own words back to him with a wide smile on your face. You were finally able to grip the kitten by the scruff and carefully put it in the messenger bag you had slung around your shoulder. It wasn't quite as professional as the bigger rescues, but it would certainly do in a pinch. You made your way back to the trunk of the tree, proud of your accomplishment, and looked down at the waiting fireman to see him quirking an eyebrow at you.

"Need help getting down?" He asked with a smirk. Fuck. You hadn't ever made it this far before. Usually you'd been cherry picked from the tree along with the cat once the big red truck arrived. You shrugged and held your smile, unwilling to give up that easily.

"No," you shot back defiantly. You made it this far up the tree unassisted, so you should be able to make it back down...in theory. You heard him snicker below as you mentally mapped out your descent.

"I really don't mind to get the ladder.." he said gently, clearly offering you a metaphorical and fairly literal life raft. You knew you should take him up on it, but when you looked down to see him grinning at you, you couldn't bring yourself to do it. You shook your head no, and his smile only widened. "Suit yourself," he replied with a shrug. The bag at your side grumbled and wiggled as you took a step down. You patted the kitten gently and took another step only to have your right foot slip out from under you. The bark of the trunk dug into your palm as you caught yourself.

"Are you just gonna watch me or are you going to actually help?" You huffed loudly, glancing down at the handsome fireman. Without another word, he walked back to his truck, returning with an extendable ladder. You forced a smile as he leaned it against the tree and made his way up. He held out his hand for you, pulling you close once you took it. You were confused on the chest to chest positioning, but you wrapped your arms around him, holding tight as he climbed down.

"Thanks," you mumbled as you stepped away, dusting yourself off before noticing the blood dripping from the cut on your hand.

"Here let me see," he said softly as he gently grabbed your wrist and analyzed your injury. His palms were rough and calloused, which made sense, but they were warm and careful. You looked up at his face, and were mesmerized by his beauty. He was handsome from a distance, but up close he was almost ethereal with his sharp, angular features and his invitingly warm brown eyes with long dark lashes.

"No, it's fine," you protested with flushed cheeks as you pulled your hand away. You were sure he had caught you staring, but he didn't acknowledge it if he did. "Happens all the time," you explained as cooly as you could.

"You get stuck in trees all the time?" he giggled as he asked, and you couldn't help but notice the way his nose scrunched when he laughed.

"I wasn't stuck!" You replied, not failing to notice the inflection at the end. "Am I under arrest or can I get this baby home?" You hugged the bag at your side up to your chest, which made it let out a loud meow of displeasure.

He laughed again, tilting his head back a little this time. "You're free to go," he added with a smirk. "Have a good day, miss..." the pause and expectant look on his face made you blush.

"Y/n," you answered softly, hating how flustered you sounded. You recovered as much as you could, forcing a smile as he nodded and walked away, leaving you standing there dumbfounded and kicking yourself for not asking his name. "Better get you home, little guy," you whispered as you peeled into the bag. A soft rumble of purring was his reply.

*****

"Why am I doing this?" you muttered to yourself as you pulled in to the station parking lot. You parked in a spot near the door and picked up the plate of cookies from your passenger seat. The bay doors were open with a few guys outside washing the truck, but none of them looked like the one you were looking for. A wave of disappointment washed over you and you let out a sigh, but you weren't ready to give up, yet. You could still drop off the cookies at least.

"Hey! I'm so sorry to bother you guys, but I brought cookies," you announced as you walked up to the open garage doors. You were quickly ushered over to a large table covered in a mix of tools and snacks.

"Y/n? What are you doing here?" a familiar voice asked from behind you, and you turned to see the handsome firefighter from last week sporting the same crooked grin. He had on a pair of khaki pants with a yellow reflective strip across the ankles, a pair of bright red suspenders, and a navy blue t-shirt with your city's fire station emblems on the right side of his chest and a name written in gold on the left side. D. Wagner.

"Oh, I-I was just coming to drop off some cookies.." you began as you motioned towards the plate with a weak smile. "Chocolate chip," you added quickly. This felt more embarrassing than you expected, but you had spent the last week thinking about him despite how hard you fought to distract yourself with work. His smile widened before suddenly dropping when his eyes landed on your palm.

"This looks awful!" He took your wrist, rotating your palm up in his hand. The cut hadn't healed properly, yet, but you'd had worse cuts from the animals you rescued. You tried to pull your hand away, but he wasn't letting go. Instead, he lead you over to the first aid kit already laid out on the other side of the table. You tried to wriggle free, but his grip didn't loosen as he began cleaning the cut gently and applying some ointment. You watched as he carefully wrapped your hand tightly and stuck his index finger under the bandage making sure it wasn't too tight. "That's better," he finished with a smirk. "Oh! How's the kitten?" He asked excitedly.

"He's doing great, actually. His new mom is coming to pick him up tomorrow," you said proudly. The little gray kitten, who you affectionately referred to as Smokey, had been an excellent distraction all week, running around recklessly and offering cuddles every time you sat down. "Thank you," you said softly, "for this..and the tree incident.." Your cheeks burned as you avoided eye contact. "I also wanted to apologize..." you trailed off as you glanced up at his face.

"Yeah?" He smiled as he spoke and put one hand on his hip while he waited for you to continue.

"Yeah.." you struggled to form words when he looked at you like that, like you were the most interesting person he'd ever met.

"You're not very good at this," he laughed and grabbed a cookie off the plate. "Cookies are good though," he mumbled with his mouth full. You crossed your arms as you processed your thoughts and tried to come up with a response. Suddenly an alarm went off and the whole station came to life. You felt like you moved in slow motion as they all got ready rapidly. You were still standing there astonished as you watched him climb onto the back of the truck as it rumbled to life.

"Wait! What's your name?" You shouted as they began to drive away.

"Danny!" He yelled back with a toothy grin. He said something else, but the siren kicked on and drowned him out. You waved as they sped away, yet again leaving you standing there dumbfounded.

"Danny.." you mused to yourself while looking down at your newly cleaned and bandaged hand. A gentle smile crept across your face, and you wondered when you would see him again.

#au fanfiction #greta van fleet #danny wagner #firefighter Danny #danny gvf #hearts aflame

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emsfallingsky · 1 year

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Masterlist

CW: this blog is 18+. Minors please do not interact.

Add yourself to my tag list:)

Josh

Sting

Mama, You Been on My Mind (fluff)

Temperance

Danny

Enchanted

Danny x ACOTAR

Of Fate and Fury

Jake

The Deepest Cut

Show You

Sammy

Indignation

Danny x Sammy

Rapture

#danny wagner #greta van fleet #gretavanfleet #jake kiszka #josh kiszka #sam kiszka #gvf fanfiction #fanfiction #danny gvf #josh gvf #jake gvf #daniel gvf #gvf fic #gvf josh #greta van fic #acotar smut #acotar #acotar au

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hopefullyitsextensivebule · 11 months

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Danny & the Kiszka Gods AU:

Josh, Jake and Sam are deities from another plane of existence, and while they know everything when it comes to the stars and the galaxy, they don’t know shit about humans and human life.

Josh is constantly observing and questioning human interactions and relationships, and even trying to have some of his own, but it ends up with him being by himself because people just don’t

Sam is instantly in love with the Earth: he left the trees, the grass, the creatures that live on the planet, and even has his own terrarium that he manifest and conjures up in his room.

Jake is often listening to all forms of music and dialect, deeply immersing himself in the musical arts.

And all three of them, gather their information and share it amongst one another in hopes of learning everything about humans.

When they experience death, they realize how short human life is, everyone deserves to live their life to the fullest

^^Josh takes heed of this and tries to cherish every single moment in his state of being as much as possible.

I know in an interview Josh states that he does not care for types and that it’s really more about the energy: So imagine him having a kindred spirit with someone in this AU. he experienced love and lost, and he cherish every single moment

Jake also experienced love, but it’s monogamous and with one person. He doesn’t know how to express love because deities don’t feel love from where they’re from. But with this particular individual, he feels like ‘his heart will come out of his chest’.

Danny has explained to him that what he is experiencing his love, and that Jake explores it more but in his own time.

Sam abducts a dog: it was an abused pitbull that was chained up and emaciated. Her name is Violet.

Daniel sees just how attached Sam gets when the pup is with him. He washes her beats her, even makes a shrine for her and blesses it with everlasting life so she literally can’t die.

#greta van fleet #gvf #josh kiszka #josh gvf #jake kiszka #jake gvf #danny wagner #danny gvf #sam gvf #sam kiszka #gvf au

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hearts-hunger · 1 year

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Chapter Two: The Way of Lady Justice {Series Masterlist | Series Playlist ♫}

Series Summary: You’ve been called the Jewel of the Bay, a lady born and bred in one of the Royal Navy’s most profitable ports of call. On a fateful summer night, taken aboard the pirate ship Starcatcher, your world is turned upside down. To survive, you must put your faith in the honor among thieves and learn to trust the devotion of a pirate to his most precious treasure.

Pairings: Jake x Reader, Sam x Danny, Josh x Reader | Word Count: 3k | Warnings: AU-typical violence, sexual innuendo

A/N: Everybody say hello to pirate Josh! I'm enjoying giving them their swashbuckling characteristics, and though we don't get to meet Sam and Danny in this chapter, I promise they're coming soon. I hope you like it! ♡

Your breath caught in your throat as you looked up at him, eyes wide and heart pounding at the sight of a pirate who really did frighten you. Jake had proven himself honorable, at least so far, and the rest of them were bruisers and henchmen, obedient to their captain’s call. This one, though, had a cunning curve to his mouth, a keenness to his gaze that seemed to cut straight to the heart of you. He looked at you as if he knew you, as if he understood every secret you’d ever tried to hide.

He came down the stairs to stand before you, his gold earrings and necklaces catching the firelight from the raging inferno of the Commodore’s house. His hair was unusually cut, shorn on the sides and wild with curls otherwise. His eyes flashed between your face and the gaudy necklace you wore as if trying to determine which he liked better.

“Brought home a little plaything, Jake?” he asked, not taking his eyes off of you. You shivered under his gaze.

“Josh,” Jake warned. “Don’t frighten her.”

It was too late for that, and both you and Josh knew it. He gave you a smile that did nothing to soothe your nerves.

“What’s your name, little dove?” he asked. His rings clinked against the hilt of his cutlass as he ran his hand over it in a habitual motion.

Your mouth went dry. You couldn’t have answered if you’d wanted to.

Josh smirked. “Cat got your tongue, my love? No matter.” He reached out to you, and you panicked and shied away from him.

“Steady now,” he said, though it was more of an order than a consolation. His slender fingers grasped the sapphire in your necklace.

“Fitting to find a gem this big at this port of call,” he said, almost lovingly. He met your eyes. “But you’re the real jewel of the bay, aren’t you, sweet one?”

Your head spun with all the pet names he lavished you with. You’d never been called anything close to those kinds of names, and they held a strange kind of magnetism in his voice.

He knew the pull he had over you. His eyes swept up from your necklace to meet your gaze.

“I think that’s what I’ll call you,” he said. “Sapphire.”

You swallowed. He gave you a lazy smirk.

“Take it,” you blurted, your voice more fearful than you wanted it to be. You reached with shaky hands to unclasp your necklace and hand it to him. “It’s yours.”

He laughed. “I know it is.” He kept his eyes trained on you as he took it, and it was only when he held the necklace in his hand that he moved his gaze.

He ran his thumb over the surface of the gem. “However did you come across such a magnificent jewel, Sapphire?”

“M-my fiancé,” you stammered. You glanced at Jake; he was watching the exchange with a cool expression, completely unreadable.

Josh raised a brow. “Caught yourself a rich one, did you? What’s his name? Perhaps I’ll send a few men to see what other gifts he has secreted away for you.”

Despite the disgust you felt for Kit, you held on to a flicker of bravery; he was legendary for his cruelty to pirates, and perhaps his name held some weight with this one.

“Commander Kit Drake of the Black Smoke,” you said, trying for confidence. “That’s his name.”

Josh’s eyes widened, and to your surprise, an almost giddy smile spread over his face.

“Is it?” he asked. He looked over at Jake with vicious glee. “Got a little sidetracked, did you, Jacob? Stealing the beloved of Kitty-Kat Drake?”

Jake snorted. “Beloved?” he repeated. “He used her as a shield when our men attacked. Show him your bruises, lass.”

You hesitantly offered your hand to Josh. He took it in a surprisingly gentle grip and looked over the bruises blossoming on your wrist.

“He marked your pretty face too, didn’t he?” Josh said, releasing your wrist and examining the cut on your cheek. “Wasteful.”

“It was his signet ring,” you said softly, a wave of tears threatening at the memory. “He struck me with the back of his hand.”

“Only after she’d nearly bitten a finger off,” Jake said, and there was a hint of pride in his voice.

Josh’s brows rose in a way you would have thought almost playful if you hadn’t been so wary of him still.

“I suppose I’ll keep my distance, then,” he said, and there was a wry teasing in his voice. He held up two fingers. “I use these too frequently to have them bitten, sweetheart, even by a mouth as pretty as yours.”

You blushed vividly, suddenly all too aware of your state of undress as you stood before him. Jake either sensed your unease or felt the comment too forward; he took a step towards Josh, but stopped obediently when Josh shifted the hand that rested on his cutlass.

“Now, now,” Josh said, directing himself to you. “I see I’ve made my twin restless. Unfortunately for me, that means he’s entirely too keen on you.”

Jake made a little noise of impatience and embarrassment. You blushed hotter, unsure what to do with the implication that a pirate had set his affections on you with less than an hour’s acquaintance.

Josh gave a magnanimous gesture towards the stairs.

“You may allow yourself to be whisked away to Jacob’s private chambers, if you wish,” he said graciously. “Or you may roam the ship. Whatever you prefer, Sapphire.”

You looked uneasily at the crew of pirates that went about their duties but could not take their eyes off of you.

“Your men...” you said faintly. You looked meekly up at Josh. “Jake said they wouldn’t hurt me.”

Josh’s eyes flickered with something close to gentleness, the warmth of sunshine amid the untamable fire of his presence. You were drawn to him, suddenly, this golden twin of your pirate, and wondered at how easily he’d swayed you.

“Every man aboard this ship will feel the cut of the captain’s blade if he so much as looks at you the wrong way,” he said, and his voice was for a moment hard and unflinching. “My word is law, Sapphire, and I bind myself to your honor and my brother’s vow. You have no need to fear any unwanted advances, I assure you.”

Before you could thank him, or even think of how to respond to such surprising respect, cannon fire sounded from the fortifications on the bay and caused both twins to swear loudly.

“Though it seems we may receive some unwanted advances upon our ship for our trouble,” Josh said. He called to his men. “Load cannons, you dogs! Give the King’s men a taste of iron.”

You watched as the crew obeyed immediately, working together as a well-oiled machine. You’d always thought of pirates as careless, almost rabid individuals; never had you imagined them as loyal and efficient as any crew of Navy men you’d seen.

“You might want to cover your ears, lass,” Jake said conversationally. You looked up at him in question, but no sooner had he said it than a deep, reverberating barrage flooded your senses. The acrid smell of gunpowder filled the air as cannon after cannon was fired from the body of the ship.

You pressed your hands over your ears and tried not to flinch at every sound. Jake stood with that imperturbable calm, watching the scene unfold on the bay. To you it seemed a morass of chaos and violence; from Jake’s expression, one might think that the billowing smoke and leaping flames was no more than a day’s work to him.

“Are they firing on your ship because of me?” you asked, raising your voice to be heard over the din.

“Might be,” he said easily. “More likely no one has noticed you’re gone. We’ve sent a crew to get our man before he hangs, and we decided we’d cause a little trouble for the King while we were at it.”

“And get your share of gold and jewels, no doubt,” you said, feeling a little put out at the destruction of the only home you’d ever known.

Jake grinned. “Aye. That too.” He absently rubbed the part of his arm you knew bore the scarred brand of a pirate. “You’ve been marked by a King’s man just as much as any of us. You don’t want your revenge?”

You didn’t know what you wanted. You tore your gaze from the battle, following the dance of the fire over the choppy waves until it met the cool shine of moonlight.

“What will you do when you’ve got your man?” you asked. “Where will you go?”

He shrugged, his expression shadowed with pain. “We’ll hide away for a while. More likely than not, Daniel has been treated with cruelty. He’ll need rest.”

“Daniel?” you said, looking up at him. “He’s a member of your crew?”

Jake shook his head. “He’s our brother’s first mate. Got taken in a raid nearly a fortnight ago. We didn’t know where he’d been taken, but your Commander Drake is a braggart; he told anyone who would listen that he’d caught the first mate of the Indigo Streak.”

Your eyes widened. A million thoughts raced through your head, the first among them being the one you voiced:

“The Indigo Streak is real?”

His smile was wry. “Real as the fire she’s spitting now.” He nodded to the other galleon in the bay whose dozens of guns shot cannonballs and then recoiled into the shadowy darkness of the hull. “That ship’s dedicated to Lady Justice, and she’ll have her way with the King’s men tonight.”

You noticed, then, the blindfolded figurehead at the front of the ship. She held a set of scales in one hand and a sword in the other and seemed almost alive in the firelight.

“Then that means...” You moved breathlessly to the side of the ship, leaning over the railing to try and see the figurehead. You caught a glimpse of a wing and a laurel wreath held up in triumph.

“That’s Nike,” you said. “Goddess of Victory.” You looked up at Jake with innocent wonder. “This is the Starcatcher, isn’t it?”

“Aye, lass.”

You searched his face for some kind of mythology, some indication that he was the first mate of a ship that existed only in legend.

He noticed, and his laugh was so charming against the backdrop of violence that it made you dizzy.

“What are you looking for?” he asked, but it wasn’t unkind. “An unnatural gleam in my eyes? Fangs, perhaps? A phantasmal aura?”

You blushed and looked away from him, knowing that some small part of you had been girlishly looking for something otherworldly.

“Look at me, lass.”

You did, embarrassed and wishing you’d comported yourself with a bit more dignity. His smile was amused and curious.

“There’s magic in these waters, Sapphire,” he said, and you knew he wasn’t teasing you. “Magic I can’t explain. I won’t deny it, and no sailor worth his salt would deny it either.”

You thought of all the times Kit had ridiculed young sailors for their fear and awe in the face of the mighty ocean, their eagerness to believe the stories of ghost ships and captains with supernatural powers. You had never dared to mention that you believed them too, choosing instead to listen and drink in the tales of phantoms and magic and monsters that captivated your imagination.

“But this ship,” Jake said, scuffing the heel of his boot against a plank — “this ship is just wood and water, lass.”

“But the legends,” you said, moving closer to him, trying to convince yourself it was just to hear him better. “To hear sailors tell of it, the Starcatcher can outpace any ship in the sea. They say the Streak can vanish without a trace.”

Jake grinned and looked up at his twin who was perched at the ship’s wheel to watch the drama of thievery and jailbreaking unfold.

“That’s because of their captains,” he said. “Our brother Sam is the captain of the Streak, and he and Josh are better sailors than all of the King’s men put together.”

You thought the way his expression lit with affection and pride for his brothers made him even more handsome. You didn’t have long to look, though, as your attention was grabbed when Josh ran to the balustrade and looked out into the bay.

“They have him!” he called to Jake. “They’ve got Danny. Send the signal.”

Jake gave a shrill whistle to a man halfway up to the crow’s nest. The man nodded and climbed his way to the top, lighting a huge beacon that washed the deck in an eerie glow of orange and red.

Jake looked over the side of the ship; below, a skiff with two men came steadily to the Indigo Streak. One man was rowing hard, already calling for help; the other man was slumped over, the back of his white shirt ripped and bloody.

“Damn them,” Jake said, quietly and with feeling. His face was a mask of pain and anger.

You felt sick at the sight of the injured man, even as distant as he was in the waters below. You’d heard enough stories and scurried past enough public punishments to know whip wounds when you saw them, and this man bore more than you’d ever seen.

“That’s Daniel?” you asked quietly, barely audible over the noise.

Jake’s knuckles were white on the railing. “Yes.”

You looked upwards to the fire in the crow’s nest. “And that’s the signal for your crew to return?”

“Aye,” he agreed. “It also means it’s time to get you home.”

You were bereft, suddenly, at the thought of leaving. You couldn’t imagine why; surely home would be preferable to this. Then you realized that you might not even have a home to go back to; fires raged across the north side of the island, the houses of nobility and wealth in Sapphire Bay plundered until nothing was left.

“How do I know your men haven’t ransacked my home and burnt it to the ground?” you asked, wrestling with the emotions that flooded you. Everything suddenly seemed as unsteady as the deck of the ship, and you tried desperately to keep your balance over the choppy waves.

Jake scowled, his amiable mood all but vanished now that he’d seen the state of the man they’d come to save.

“You don’t,” he said. “I said I’d get you out of there with your life, lass, not with all your little treasures still in your jewelry box.”

He made to ready the skiff for your return. “Besides,” he said bitterly, “a lady like you has friends all over the island, all over the kingdom. Surely you can find a place to rest that pretty head of yours tonight.”

“I shouldn’t have to,” you shot back, embarrassed that he seemed disappointed in you, appalled with yourself for caring about what he thought. “I’ve never done anything to you. Why should I face retribution for something I had no part of?”

Jake gave you a scathing look. “Your fiancé put my brother’s man in irons and would have hanged him if he hadn’t been too busy whipping him within an inch of his life.”

You paled, unable to argue that fact. “I had no knowledge of it.”

He cursed. “Your kind live on the knowledge of it,” he spat. “You couldn’t have your empire without it. You’re worried about your castle on a hill when you have no idea of the bones it’s built on. All your jewels, your dresses, your dinner parties — they’re a gilded cover over a kingdom of death and savagery.”

“And what do you call this?” you said heatedly, throwing an arm out to encompass the bay in flames, the hoards of pirates coming back to their ships after ravaging the island. “Is this not death and savagery, sir?”

He had the unmitigated gall to laugh at you.

“Sir,” he repeated, and your face burned hot. “You still keep the gilded cover, even when it doesn’t serve you.”

“What do you suggest I call you?” you said through gritted teeth. You could think of a few choice names to try on for size.

He’d just opened his mouth to deliver a snarky comeback when his twin gripped his shoulder.

“No need to worry about it now,” Josh said to you. “Plenty of time to figure it out on the way to the Cove.”

You and Jake spoke as one, his voice surprised and yours curious. “The Cove?”

“Aye,” Josh said, clapping Jake’s shoulder. “Set course.”

He was off to the quarterdeck before either of you could question him, though that didn’t stop Jake from trying.

“Are you mad?” he yelled after Josh. “She can’t come with us!”

His call was lost in the din that had only gotten worse with the arrival of the rest of the crew and the orders being shouted from every side.

Jake glanced over at you, your eyes locking for a moment that felt like it might have been years. He gave a scornful huff and left to join the men in readying the ship to leave the bay.

“Don’t be cross with me, pirate!” you shouted after him, for a moment too indignant with his sudden change of heart to be very fearful of it. “You brought me on this ship, and it’s no one’s fault but your own that you’re stuck with me!”

Let me know if you’d like to be added to the taglist for this series!

series taglist: @ohmy-kiszka @starcatchercarol

jake taglist: @m0uthfl13s @ohhey1293

gvf taglist: @malany-gvf @spark-my-nature @eearevee @madneedshelp @demonrat444 @josh-iamyour-mama @honeyandsweettae @mydarlingdanny @gretavandann @sacredjake @myleftsock @joshskittytickler21 @hellowgoodbye @watchingovergvf2

#jake kiszka x reader #pirate!au #pirate!jake #jake kiszka fanfiction #greta van fleet #gvf fanfiction #sam kiszka x danny wagner #josh kiszka x reader #maddie writes stuff!#fate of the faithful fic

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ourtearsofrain · 17 hours

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The Barbarians (D.R.W/S.F.K) - Chapter 3

Pairings: Danny Wagner x Sam Kiszka

Genre: angst

Word Count: just under 4.4k

Warnings: AU typical events/threats/violence (later in the series), brief explanation of past traumatic experiences in the games, family issues once again

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Can't You See What You've Done?

Sam

It had only taken about an hour to arrive at The Garden, and Sam was glad to get away from both Hazel and his brothers. He couldn’t stand Hazel’s eyes on him at all times, Joshua’s focus on how spectacular The Garden was, and worst of all, how quiet Jacob had been. He said nothing as Joshua filled the silence, only half listening to his twin’s words as he went back and forth between their seats and the drink cart. Sam hated him for it; hated each barely audible scoff he gave, each time he could see him roll his eyes behind his tinted shades. Why is he acting like such a dick? I mean, yeah, he’s been sort of like this ever since the games, but it’s only gotten worse now. I bet he’s just upset that I’ll be taking their spotlight. Hates that he won’t be the youngest Kiszka that’s adored by The Garden.

While the people tending to him to get him cleaned up and ready for his official introduction to the citizens of The New World were slightly annoying, he was glad to finally be somewhat alone. God, they’re all wasting their time; I don’t need to be scrubbed head to toe, they can save that for the tributes from the lower districts. Don’t they know who I am? Where I’m from? At least I know they’re using expensive, nice products. Couldn’t imagine being presented after being covered in shit products.

After they finish cleaning him off and present him with a change of clothes which he chooses to decline, knowing what he had brought surely had to be nicer than what they offered, he’s led into a large hallway, once again joined by Hazel, Electra, and the twins. “Now, we have a floor all to ourselves while we wait for the other tributes to arrive. Since you’re from District 1, you’ll be on the first floor, that’ll save us all some time waiting in an elevator any time we need to make an appearance!” Electra’s voice is bright and excited despite the mundane topic. That’s going to get on my nerves fast. I don’t know how long I can stand this shit.

“It usually takes about two days for further districts to arrive, so we’ll all have plenty of down time until then.” Joshua explains as the elevator doors close behind him. “I doubt we’ll get to take you anywhere before the Tribute Parade, though, so I guess we can all just hang out until then.”

As soon as the elevator doors open, Sam’s chomping at the bit to get out of the small space, already weaving through the entry area to find his room. A room, really anywhere else where he could get real privacy was what he wanted, what he needed. “Are the rooms assigned?”

Electra’s face twists with confusion and annoyance at his attitude and eagerness to leave them, but he can’t see it as he crosses the living room. “I- um, no, they aren’t.”

“Don’t you want to spend time with us before the games?”

Jacob rolls his eyes as he follows, holding the same feelings as his younger brother. “Oh, just let him go, Joshua. He obviously doesn’t want to. I think I’ll find my room too.”

Sam pauses to look back at the group, forcing a small smile onto his face as he remembers his manners. “Sorry guys, I’m just tired. Didn’t sleep well last night, too excited for the reaping.” Jacob scoffs as he passes him, disappearing into a bedroom without another word. Weird. Whatever. “I think I’ll try to get some sleep; I’ll see you guys for dinner.”

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Sam “slept” through dinner intentionally, grumbling out “half asleep” incoherent nonsense at Joshua when he was sent to retrieve him even though he hadn’t managed to get even a minute of rest. He didn’t leave his room until long after the sun had gone down, hoping that the living room and kitchen would be empty long enough for him to grab a bite to eat. His footsteps are silent as he walks through the rooms barefoot, making as little noise as possible as he sneaks into the kitchen, his stomach screaming at him for waiting so long as he looks over the food options. Finally landing on whatever soup they had left in a heating tray, he serves himself a large bowl before hoisting himself up to sit on the counter. He sits in silence as he eats, glad to finally be alone with his thoughts. If his brothers weren’t going to prepare him, he’d have to do it himself. Be charming, got that. Be confident, definitely got that. I don’t know why I’m so worried anyways, like they said, I just have to remember my training. That’s easy enough, I was always top of my classes.

Sam’s ripped from his thoughts as Jacob stumbles into the room, only offering a small nod as he reaches past him, grabbing a large bottle of fine wine and uncorking it. Finally, without his glasses on, Sam could see his eyes for the first time in what seemed like years. They looked tired, even in the dim lighting of the room, perpetually sad. The light Sam had grown up seeing in them was gone, leaving nothing but a broken man. It isn’t until he bypasses the wine glass Sam offers, choosing to bring the bottle straight to his lips instead, that he finally speaks.

“What happened to you, Jacob?”

“Excuse me?”

“What happened to you?” Sam repeats, clarifying nothing for his older brother. “You used to be fun, happy. You used to think it was an honor to fight in the games, you would have congratulated me. Ever since you guys won the games, you’ve changed. You’re moody, quiet. You’re not you anymore.”

Jacob scoffs at his words, taking another long swig from the bottle. “The fucking games happened to me. You know the only reason I volunteered was for Josh? Because they said they would allow two victors as long as they were from the same district, and I knew I couldn’t let him go into the arena alone. I figured we came into this world together so we might as well leave it together. Or win; and we did.”

“So, you regret volunteering?”

“No. Josh would have died without me, and I wouldn’t have let myself live knowing I could have prevented it.”

“So why are you... like this? Why did you change, Jacob?”

“You won’t fully understand my answer until you set foot in that arena. Until there’s someone you care about, dying in your arms, or the other way around. Until you realize that you just took another kid’s life for some rich elite’s entertainment.”

“Tell me anyways.”

“Jesus fuck, why all the questions?” Jacob lets out a heavy sigh, his gaze dropping to the floor as he tries to collect his thoughts. “Even though we aren’t in that arena anymore, I am still constantly stressed about Joshua’s wellbeing, about keeping him alive. Every time I close my eyes to sleep, I see every tribute I killed, their blood still warm on my hands. I can hear Joshua pleading, fucking begging the other tributes to spare me. Did you know that the other Careers pretty much tortured me in front of him? Killing us was far too easy for them, no, they had to break us mentally before going in for the kill. Which was stupid of them; we waited until their watchman finally passed out from exhaustion and killed them where they slept.”

“I- I didn’t know. I’m sorry. I tried to watch all the games, but I fell asleep the night you won. I woke up to the announcement, I never- I never knew what happened before your victory.”

“I don’t want your apologies. Of course you didn’t know, it’s a fucking television show. Their own reality TV program where they get to watch teenagers brutally murder each other while they sit safe in the comfort of their mansions and penthouses. If anyone should be apologizing, it’s me. Maybe if I had told you sooner, you wouldn’t have volunteered. You would have been satisfied benefiting from what we went through. I feel as if it’s the Second Quarter Quell all over again, only this time I won’t be there to keep my brother safe. I can’t lose you to them, Sammy. I can’t watch you die.”

“You won’t, I’ll win. I’ll make you guys proud.”

“Have you not been listening to me? I don’t give a shit about pride. Don’t you see that the only thing I care about is you surviving?!” Sam’s at a loss for words at how sharp his brother’s tone was, his mouth opening and closing as he tries to find anything to say to him. “Y’know, it actually might be better if you die. Better to die as soon as the games start than to live with the weight of your actions, with what you’ll go through. I wish you hadn’t fucking volunteered; you were so close to getting out of it. And it’s my fault, Joshua’s too. We failed you. I failed you. Goodnight, Samuel.”

Sam thinks he can see the glint of tears in his eyes before he turns, but he doesn’t try to say anything more as Jacob walks away from him, wine bottle in hand. Only one sentence circles his mind as his own tears begin to trail down his cheeks, alone on the counter of their luxurious apartment.

“It actually might be better if you die.”

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This Is for Their Own Desire

Danny

Danny nearly jumps out of his seat when a woman sits down across from him and Daphne, her steps having been so light that he hadn’t heard her enter the room. “Hi, I’m Luna Evergreen.” She offers a smile to Danny and Daphne, but unlike Sable’s, there was an air of sadness behind it. She understood what it really meant to be a tribute. She knew what challenges were to come for them.

Once again, Daphne shuts down, her fear back with a raging vengeance at the newcomer. “Nice to meet you, I’m Danny and this is Daphne.” Danny takes her in as he shakes her hand, and for the first time, he felt like he might finally have someone on his side in The Garden. With sandy blond hair twisted into two neat French braids hanging over her shoulders and a comfortable flannel over jeans and a black shirt, she looked like any other woman from 7. The most striking thing about her was her eyes, deep emerald like an evergreen tree; kind, yet sad. Everything about her would have fit into their district perfectly, everything except for the small sprigs of Red Cedar needles woven into her hair. Really playing up to the name, huh? Bet The Garden eats that shit up with a gold spoon. At least she has calluses on her hands, she isn’t some prissy mentor that’s never worked a day in our district.

“It’s nice to meet you guys too. And I’m sorry. I know how terrifying it is to be reaped, and I know you’re about to be overwhelmed with everything The Garden throws at you even before the games. I promise you both that I will do all I can to prepare you and keep you alive in the arena.”

“Thank you, Luna.”

“Of course, kid. Now, we should be at The Garden in about an hour, I don’t want to overwhelm you with advice and everything right now, so let’s just get to know each other for the time being. We’ll have about two days before the other tributes arrive, so we can and will talk before the games.” When neither Danny nor Daphne say anything, she continues, understanding of their silence. “I come from a family of four, worked both out chopping wood and working in my father’s carpentry shop starting at age 10, and I won the 40th games when I was 17 by outsmarting the other tributes in the arena.”

Pausing, she looks to Danny, urging him to speak next. “I’m 18, this was my last year in the reaping. I uh- I mostly just keep to the woods, lumberjack y’know, never really been good at working with wood other than chopping trees down. My parents- they died when I was 14, so I’ve been looking after my little sister, Josie, ever since then. My best friend, David, he’s- him and his family are taking care of her while I’m gone.” A lump forms in his throat at the memories, beginning to blink rapidly to keep his tears at bay.

“Thank you, Danny. Daphne? You wanna introduce yourself?” Despite Luna’s best intentions, Daphne flinches, her eyes still wide and wild as she grabs Danny’s arm when Luna scoots closer to her. “Hey- I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. I promise I’m only here to help. I like to get to know the kids I mentor before- before you guys go into the arena. That way I know how to help you.”

Daphne looks to Danny, silently asking him if she should trust her. He nods slightly, giving her hand a gentle squeeze from where it still sat on his bicep. “It’s ok, she’s alright. She’s a new friend, like me.”

“Ok…” Daphne relaxes slightly, repositioning in her seat as she tries to keep eye contact with Luna. “I’m Daphne, I’m 12. I help my parents out in their shop and take care of my siblings.”

“How many siblings do you have, Daphne?”

“Five. All younger than me. I took out extra food rations over the winter, 11 times I think, so they could eat. I think that’s why I was reaped.”

Danny’s heart shatters at the words. 12 years old and already fucking taking care of her family due to The Garden’s neglect. They’re killing an innocent fucking child just because she wanted them to have food. All while they’re bursting at the seams with extra resources.

“That was very brave of you, kid. I remember having to do that for my family too, I’m sorry the consequences were so severe.” As her voice breaks, Danny looks at Luna’s eyes, seeing tears along her waterline; she felt exactly as he did. “Thanks again for sharing that, just like Danny said, we’re all new friends here. We’ll look out for you.” As soon as the words leave her mouth, she meets Danny’s eyes, and he sends her a silent message, pleading with her to focus all help she could get from The Garden towards Daphne when they were thrown into that arena.

She nods slightly, the movement so small that Danny questions if she had even moved. Daphne will be ok. We’ll keep her safe. She’ll be ok, Danny.

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

The second their train stops at The Garden, Danny’s thankful that Luna had waited to begin advising them, his senses bombarded instantly. Between the cheering citizens and countless Peacekeepers steering them down hallways decorated with rich, intricate sculptures and décor; with so many new, too fancy smells no matter where he went, Danny couldn’t think straight. It was as if someone had turned his perception up to 100 and he couldn’t get it back down. He dissociates as he’s separated from his group, pulled into a separate room and not given even a minute to readjust before more people filter into it, setting in on cleaning him up instantly. In his daze, he doesn’t allow himself to feel their rough hands raking through his knotted, frizzy hair, nor their attempts at smoothing the calluses on his palms. They could try all they wanted to make him a shiny, new tribute, it wouldn’t matter. In the end, Danny knew he would always be the lumberjack tribute from 7. Nothing more than strong arms and an axe. That’s all they would ever see him as.

He hears them mumble something at him before one of the attendants sets new, neatly folded clothes down on the edge of the table he was on before leaving the room as fast as they had entered. Removing himself from his daze, he gets up to dress in the comfortable, yet light and loose-fitting sweater and pants they had left. He takes a deep breath before walking over to a mirror hung on the wall to see just how much “progress” they had made. He almost doesn’t recognize the man standing before him, what with the dirt and sap he thought would be permanently stuck to his hands and arms gone, but the most drastic difference was his hair. Instead of the frizzed-out mane of waves he was used to keeping out of the way in a small bun, it now laid in curls slightly past his shoulders, each strand a perfect ringlet of hair. The image sends rage coursing through his body. Did they fucking chemically treat my hair? What the fuck else did they do to me? Where do those no-eyebrowed, Garden freaks get off? I thought they were supposed to clean us up, not fucking change who we are.

He rips the door open without another thought, finding the lead attendant standing at the ready outside of it. “What the fuck did you do to my hair?”

He gives an amused glance to his assistant next to him, only furthering Danny’s fury. “We washed it, sir.”

“I fucking know that.” He takes a step towards him, not missing how he flinched at the motion, fear flashing behind his eyes. “Why is it curly? I’m a tribute, not The Garden’s fucking poodle. What did you do? Chemically treat it? Huh? What other chemicals did you use on me?” He takes another threatening step towards the man, his hands fisted at his sides.

“N- nothing, sir. We simply washed it, nothing more. Did you not know your hair was curly, sir?”

His confusion replaces his anger, “What?” being the only coherent word he can form as Luna notices the interaction, quickly finding his side in an instant to deescalate the situation.

“Danny, now that you and Daphne are both done, would you like Sable to show us our floor?” She fixes him a pointed stare that sends the message that she wasn’t asking, she was telling him to drop it and leave.

“Yeah, yeah alright.” He looks back to the lead attendant, relaxing his body as the man looks as if he was preparing for Danny to hit him. “Sorry.”

“Quite alright, sir.” Sir. This whole “sir” bullshit is going to get on my fucking nerves. Danny lets Luna lead him away, back to Sable and Daphne who stood in silence, watching the interaction with bated breath.

“Well, you cleaned up amazingly, didn’t you!” Sable’s cheery comment strikes a nerve in Danny, and he chooses to ignore it, changing the subject instead of snapping at her.

“Luna said something about you showing us to our floor? Why floor? Why not just rooms?”

“Oh! You two are in for a treat! Come, come.” As Sable begins excitedly leading them towards an elevator, Danny drops back with Daphne, seeing her anxiety written clear across her face.

Danny puts on his worst imitation of her accent as he drops his voice to just barely above a whisper. “‘You two are in for a treat! Come, come!’” As Daphne laughs at his impression, Sable glances back mid-sentence, causing Danny to wipe the grin off his face, silently elbowing Daphne. Thankfully, their escort chooses to ignore it as the pair share one last quiet laugh behind her back before following her into the elevator.

“Each district’s tributes and their mentors, escorts, and stylists get their own floor. You’re from 7, so we’re on the seventh floor.”

Isn’t that a bit much? Just as Danny’s about to voice his question, the elevator doors open, revealing a massive entry hall decorated with fine artwork and furniture. His jaw drops as his voice fails him, his words vanishing as he takes the space in, and his body goes into autopilot to follow his group. This entry room is as big as my entire fucking house. How do people have this many nice things, let alone enough to spare some for the tribute’s apartments? Now they’re really just rubbing their wealth in our faces.

“And this is the dining area, we’ll have all our meals together so that our little group can get to know each other better, considering we’re all in this together.”

“All in this together?” Danny’s voice is sharp, barely concealed rage bubbling beneath his tone as he fixes Sable with a look that could kill. “I missed the part where you’re joining us in the arena.”

“Sable!” Luna cuts in, steering the conversation away from one that would surely lead to Danny yelling at her. “Can you show Daphne to her room? I would like to talk to Danny alone.”

Without missing a beat, she plasters a smile back onto her face, sparing one last glance at Danny before turning her attention to Daphne. “Of course, dear. Come along, follow me.”

As soon as they’re out of earshot, Luna motions for Danny to follow her, stopping in the living room and pouring a drink for both her and Danny before sitting down. “You need to cool off.” She hands the glass to him without another word, taking a drink of her own as she watches him settle into a comfortable chair.

“I’m sorry, they all just make me so- so-”

“Angry?”

“Yeah.”

“I get it. They sign you up for a death sentence for their own enjoyment, and then flaunt their wealth in front of you. I was angry too; I’m still angry. Do you want my advice?”

“Yes, please.”

“Ignore it. Ignore it and kiss their ass. Getting through the games is about being the best kiss ass just as much as any physical strengths or talents. I’m well-liked in The Garden, that’s bound to get you guys a few sponsors automatically, but I’m not the most liked. There are other tributes, other mentors, that The Garden adores. You need to charm every single goddamn person in this godforsaken country, and you’re not going to do that by picking fights with anyone in The Garden.”

“Who? Who’s more well-liked?”

“Why do you care?”

Danny shrugs, trying not to let fear pass over his face as he takes a drink, wincing at the contents. “I want to know what I’m up against.”

“You know the mentors for 1 have been the Kiszka twins the last few years, right?”

“Yeah, of course. With how they won, The Garden isn’t letting them retire until they die.”

“Yeah, well, I’ve heard rumors that their younger brother volunteered this year. And so did their female tribute. They’re bound to be a deadly pair, charming too. Just watch The Garden eat them up. If you have to worry about anyone, it’s them.”

“Excuse me if I’m not too worried about two entitled pricks from the pet district, I’m sure they’re fucking snobs.”

“I’m serious, Danny.” Luna sets her glass down, leaning forward with her elbows resting on her knees as she stares at him. “Not only are they highly trained, but they will be loved. Don’t underestimate them because they were confident enough to volunteer. They may look like shiny toys of The Garden, but they won’t hesitate to run straight into the bloodbath the second those cannons fire. Which is why you need to run.”

“What?”

“You heard me, the second you can step off those pedestals, find Daphne and run. Grab a pack on the way if you can, but don’t try to get to the Cornucopia for a weapon. That’s where the Careers make the most kills, they run head on into it and come out covered in other tribute’s blood. Want to know how I won? I kept my head down. I hid for as long as I could and kept myself out of the fight. Set up traps and got the hell away from them before other tributes set them off until there was only me and one other tribute left.”

“And how did you kill them?”

“Led him straight into a trap. Tied the handle of an axe to a tripwire, jumped over it as he chased me. He didn’t see it coming straight for him until it was lodged into his forehead.”

“Jesus Christ.”

She takes a deep breath as she stands, her focus going out the large window of the room at the skyline of The Garden. “It’s not always about physical strength. It’s about surviving whatever they throw at you, and it’s about thinking faster and better than your opponents. We can talk more about this later, but right now I need to rest. I don’t know about you, but it’s been a long fucking day, and I am exhausted in more ways than one.”

Just before she leaves the room, Danny speaks, stopping her in her place. “Does it hurt? Getting to know the tributes you mentor, only for them to die?”

“Yes, it does.”

“Then why do you do it?”

“Because everyone else in this place is about to treat you like you’re only there for their enjoyment, their entertainment, because that’s all you are to them. They don’t care about who you are, only about how you die and how many you take with you before you go. No one deserves to die like that. I want the people, the kids I mentor, to know that there’s at least one person here that cares about them, about who they are. Even if that means that my heart breaks every year. Goodnight, Danny.”

“Goodnight, Luna.” Danny’s voice is small, his mind reeling at everything she had just said as he’s left alone once again. This time, no attendants rush to his side, he was finally, truly alone. He watches the sun sink below the horizon, his mind a constant overlap of different thoughts blending together incoherently, only hoping that he would get at least one day of peace before being sent to his death.

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Taglist: @jake-whatthefisgoingon-kiszka @milojames16 @gretnavannfleet @aioba1503-sdm @sanguinebats @cheersdannyx2 @musicislove3389 @holdingup-fallingsky @Maddie-Rae

#greta van fleet #greta van fleet fan fiction #gvf fic #daniel gvf #sam gvf #sanny gvf #greta van angst #sam kiszka x danny wagner #sam kiszka #danny wagner #hunger games au

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writingcold · 1 year

Text

Hi! Here we are at Chapter Two! If you’ve not read the previous chapter, you can find the Master List for B & W here. We might still be in setup mode, but you’ll want to start at our first part to get into our lovely characters.

Chapter two finds our new shop girl, Cora, in a bit of a bind. There is more character background and story building in this piece. Please be patient! There’s a lot to build here!

**This is a piece of fiction. I have put in a lot of work researching, writing, rewriting, editing, tossing it all and starting over. I do not know the guys of GVF. They became my muses for this long ass story.**

Thanks to @whitesuitjake for the Jake edit in the cover.

Thanks to @gardensgatedaisy and @lvnterninthenight - Britt and Bobbie, ilysm. Thank you for all your support. (You’re probably getting tired of me thanking you, but too damn bad. Y’all are fucking amazing.)

Dividers by @firefly-graphics

Content Warnings: None. Just some pain and injury. Of course, language, mentions of drinking, smoking. It is the 1920’s.

Word count: approx. 5700

Chapter Two: Wounds and New Friends, Cora’s POV

The end of day three of her trial week found Cora standing in the alley peeling away the shoe of her left foot. She had landed wrong coming off one of the ladders, pressing the back of her tight shoe into the thick skin of her heel. The cut was made worse from ten hours of standing, with the back of the shoe digging further into the wound. Walking had become excruciating due to the bruising. Her legs trembled as she fished her handkerchief from her handbag and wrapped it around her heel. She bared her teeth as she tried to push her foot back into the shoe, but sucked in a loud groan when her foot just would not accept the prison of leather.

“Hey there,” a masculine voice called out from the street. “Need help?”

She wiped at her face, hoping that Daniel did not see the pain. “I’m fine, thank you. Just a cut.”

Mr. Daniel Wagner, from what she was able to discern from her past few days, was close with all the Kiszka brothers, but he was particularly close with the youngest, Samuel. His lean frame entered the alley slowly, his near black eyes taking in her condition. He pushed back his hat as he bent, hands held behind his back so as not to intimidate her with his closeness. He was dressed in pressed slacks, dress shirt and vest, his jacket folded in his hands. Cora was unsure of what his duties at the store were, but he always seemed to be working in several areas of the store and office.

“That is not good, Miss Janas,” he said with a sympathetic nod. “Come on. Let’s get you situated. Sam’s good with these things.”

He bent and picked up the shoe then assisted her towards the back of the building. Cora had not been to the area, keeping to the store only, and certainly not the dancehall, though the music that flowed out into the street was always interesting. The garage had three wide carriage doors, all of which were open to allow the cooler evening air in. The deep red brick was neatly kept, but the cavernous inside looked chaotic with tools and shelves full of metal and parts she had no idea what could be in existence for, and the smell of oil and gasoline hung heavy.

“Sammy!” Daniel called out as they approached a garage. “Sammy, I need you.”

Samuel Kiszka was an anomaly - he wore his hair longer, but yanked back under his hat so that it bunched up against his shirt collar. His face was always rich with thought, like he was working out complex problems that she would never hope to understand. His lanky frame was not as tall as Daniel’s, but he seemed to be too big for his actual size. He was dressed in tweed trousers and an undershirt with his suspenders hanging down on his waist. The moment he saw her, he ripped the suspenders up and over his shoulders, disappearing for a moment, only to return as he was drawing a jacket across his torso.

“Sorry, Miss Janas. Was working on the Earl - I mean the automobile,” Sam replied, his warm eyes drifting down to her foot that she gingerly was standing on the ball of her foot. “Oh, that’s awful. Daniel, bring her in. Let’s get that cleaned up.”

“Really, it’ll be fine,” she insisted even as Daniel tugged at her to move towards a chair in the corner. “I need to be getting home.”

“On that foot - I don’t think so. Besides, do you really want to walk home? You’ll get blood all over your lovely shoes,” Sam said with a grin.

Before she could stop him, he had a knife out and cut the thick brown stockings at the calf to slowly pull away from the wound. She let out a yip and couldn’t take her foot away if she tried, Sam had her leg in the vice of his large hand.

“What?” he asked without even looking up at her.

“These are… were my only pair,” she whispered, eyes on the discarded piece of stocking.

“You can buy another pair from the shop,” Sam remarked without a glance at her.

“I don’t have the money,” she whispered as her stomach stabbed with embarrassment.

Daniel’s hand came down on her shoulder. “We’ll get you over to my Molly’s house. I’m sure she has a spare pair that you can have.”

“But I really need to get home,” she started, but her jaw dropped as Sam brought up a rag pressing it to the wound.

He shook his head. “Damn sister, it’s like you sliced the whole of your heel in these things. Danny, go grab me some water, please.”

Daniel disappeared for a few minutes while Sam leaned back on his haunches and pulled a silver cigarette holder from his pocket. He held one to her in offering, but she shook her head. Her mother did not like the habit, so she had never tried. He struck a match and lit his own as his eyes squinted at her foot. With the water retrieved, he set into cleaning away the dried and fresh blood with a look of seriousness.

“Well, you’re lucky there’s no sign of infection,” he said quietly, dabbing at the heel.

“Sammy, how’s my baby…” A fourth voice, full of smoothness, stopped as his heels hit the cement of the garage. “What the hell boys? What’s going on here?”

Cora looked up to see Jacob, hand on one hip, face surprised, not in a good way. The dark button up and vest strained under the crisp linen of his suit. She recoiled, bringing her hands tighter against her abdomen like she could disappear. In the few days of working in the store, she noticed that any time that man was around, the air grew tense, like fabric pulled too tight. He was typically quiet. When he did talk it was low, almost hidden, and usually only to the eldest of the clan. The other shop girl, Renee, no matter what she was doing, would drop away and find something in the opposite direction of the store to do. She said that Jacob had an awful temper and to just steer clear.

“She’s hurt, Jake,” Sam remarked without looking up from his work.

“I caught her in the alley trying to fix it herself,” Daniel said, moving closer to her.

The man’s dark eyes swung from Samuel to Daniel to Cora and she could not stop the visible flinch. The silence that followed made even Sam stop in his actions.

“She’s Josh’s new shop girl,” he said quietly, each word punctuated with a tightness that felt like a hard drum.

“Not news to us, brother,” Samuel remarked, finally looking up at his older brother. “She’s hurt, Jacob. We’re not keeping her here against her will or anything.”

Cora blinked hard, trying not to crumble under the man’s attention like she did something wrong. She tried to tug her leg back. Sam held it firm, shooting her an annoyed expression. The curse that fell from Jacob’s mouth made her blush. His mouth fixed into a fine line as his eyes narrowed at her.

“Get her home,” he said firmly. “Don’t need any worried mamas coming round here.”

“Gotta take her to Molly’s first, Jake,” Daniel said with a nod.

The flare of incredulousness that washed over him made him seem all the scarier. “Why’s that?”

“Had to cut her stocking away. It was her only pair,” Samuel said quietly, as he bent to inspect the wound closer.

“Then take her back into the shop,” Jacob scolded.

“Jake,” Danny said softly, shaking his head.

Jacob’s dark eyes landed directly on her as if seeing through her. Cora tried to make herself as small as possible. Once he had her gaze however, she could not look away. The hard set of his mouth and jaw made her visibly shudder. She watched as he dropped his gaze, tugging his hat off to smooth his hair back. The brown wave that he immediately hid once more caught her attention. Unlike his twin who kept his hair short, with soft curls, Jacob’s was longer in the front to slick back in the more current style. Faded sunshine struck him, making the dark brown brighten and soften his edges for a moment. A moment she took note that there was something beyond the anger that prickled beneath his skin. Cora felt the fear of his thunder drain away for seconds, taking in how he held himself in a tight form, but his eyes on her - surely his visage of her did not hold concern? He took the corner of his mouth between his teeth before retreating and pushing back an air of annoyance.

“Fine. Take the Kissel. Get her to Molly’s, but do not linger. I mean it, you two,” he said in a hard voice. “Get her home and get your asses back here. Josh is not going to like this. At all.”

“Does he have to know?” Sam remarked as the elder brother began walking away.

“Don’t be a wise ass, Samuel,” Jacob called out in a path of smoke.

Cora finally took a full breath. “Really, I can make it home on my own, fellas. I’ll be fine.”

“Committed now, babe,” Samuel said, rising up to cross the garage to a cabinet. He returned with thin material and a small jar of salve. “We’ll get you over to Molly’s and get you home. Josh won’t bluster at us too bad.”

“I just don’t want to cause trouble,” she said quietly.

“No trouble, doll. Let us handle it,” Daniel said, calm oozing from him to surround her.

She winced as he first smeared a large fingerful of the strong scented balm across the wound, then watched quietly as Sam wrapped her foot tightly before trying to get the shoe back on. It stung a little, but admittedly it felt much better. She followed them to an auto that was out back of the garage. The polished silver sedan was the fanciest car she had ever seen. Samuel held the door open for her and helped her inside before sliding into the front seat next to Daniel. Before she knew it, they were in the nest of bungalows that she had tried to tell her mother about. Even in the long shadows of the early evening, her eyes dragged across each of the neat little box-like buildings. They rolled to a jerky stop, catching Cora off guard and causing her to rock back against the seat with a thud.

Samuel held his hand out for her as he opened her door, assisting her out of the car like she was special. She followed the two towards the small home, painted a bright blue with white trim. The door flew open to let out a soft looking woman who wrapped herself about Daniel like no one was watching. The musical laughter made her blush as they kissed in front of her.

“Molly, this is Miss Janas. She’s the new shop girl,” Danny said, finally giving her a reprieve from her blush.

The look the woman gave to Daniel was one of surprise. Cora hobbled a bit up the walk, catching the eye of Molly immediately. “Please, I’m Cora,” she said, attempting a smile.

“I destroyed her stockings,” Samuel replied leaning in to kiss Molly on the cheek. “I’m hoping you can help.”

“What do you mean ‘destroyed’, Samuel. Do I need to straighten you out for something you did to this little lady?” she said with a lot of sass, but a hardness in her eyes that let Cora know she was serious.

“No, ma’am. Miss Cora hurt her foot,” Samuel said with a shake of his head. “Your knight rescued her from the alley and brought her to me. We thought maybe you could share a pair?”

Molly’s quick smile and bright eyes were immediately disarming. She nodded and waved the three inside. “I’m sure I have something that will work for you. And perhaps we can get you gussied up, baby. I can’t believe Joshua allows you to wear that in his store.”

“He asked if I could get another dress, but I needed to make money first,” she said, embarrassed as the words fell from her mouth.

Molly stopped cold with a hard look. “Please tell me he didn’t just give you a week’s trial?”

“Yes - a week’s trial and if I do well -”

Molly groaned with a finger point at Sam. “I’m telling you, that little brat may have charm on his side, but I swear, one of these girls someday is going to put him in his place. Let’s see if it’s you, Miss Cora.”

She looked back at Samuel and Daniel as the woman pulled her by the hand towards the front door. Molly grumbled about her being like the perfect kind of skinny and how she would kill to have the ability to wear any form of drop waist without the boobs getting in the way.

She was met instantly with the scent of lilac as she stepped gingerly up the stairs, onto the narrow porch and into the home. It had four rooms and a bath. The luxury of the idea of four rooms with a bath - running water, no outhouse - for one person made her look upon Molly like she was the richest person in town, though she knew it was not true. The plain white and wood clad walls were warm as the curvy dancer dragged her to the back bedroom with a snap of electric light.

Cora’s eyes popped at the amount of clothing the woman had strewn about the small bedroom. These were not just day dresses, they were dancing girl glad rags that made her blush at how much leg would show if she donned such an item. Each was covered with adornment such as splashes of sequins and crystals, and beadwork that she had never seen in person, just on the picture show screen. She was relieved when Molly opened a wardrobe to reveal modern, yet much more modest attire.

“If you plan on getting past this week's trial, you’re going to need this one,” she said with a confident nod. She pulled out a dusty colored tan skirt with an emerald under top and a smart little jacket that was the same color as the skirt. “Now, it’s not too flashy, but just enough so that Joshua will notice that you are attempting to fit into his shop.”

Cora gazed at the garment with a kind eye. Molly was right, the green would be the snap, but the tan would dull down that overall look to be more suitable. Just as she was to thank her, Molly was back to the wardrobe, pulling out a soft rose colored blouse and matching cream colored jacket that also matched the skirt. The grin that tugged at her mouth before throwing it at her was full of playfulness.

“One more,” she said with a nod. “This one will be for Jacob.”

“Pardon?” Cora stumbled as Molly was combing through the pieces.

“Oh, honey. I know a Jake girl when I see one,” she laughed.

Cora straightened. Her mouth opened but nothing came out, until she finally swallowed hard. “I - I don’t know if I understand what you’re implying.”

Molly stopped in her search to look at her, bottom lip in between her teeth. The coy gleam in her eye sparkled. “Look, doll. I’m just saying that Jacob, for the hardass that he can be, has a type, and you certainly are it. Wispy, pretty, smart. His trifecta.”

She squinted her eyes at Cora for a long moment waiting to see if there was an argument to be made. Cora decided to remain quiet, feigning interest in a baby blue skirt that was laid out on the bed, full of crystals and sequins. Molly turned her back once more, resuming her search.

“Ha! This,” she cooed as she pulled out a drop waist dress that was clearly too small for her lush curves. “This is what you need to wear on Saturday. You hear me? Save it for the last day of the trial.”

Molly held up a dark blue chiffon overdress with a waist that would reach just below mid thigh. There was black trim that boxed out the neckline and at the wrists and hem. The underdress was a rich jeweled blue silk, with embossed flowers of colors blended in the blue, that would only peek out when she moved. Down the sleeves and up both sides were embroidered floral designs with tiny glass beading. It looked luxurious compared to anything that she had ever worn before. Cora took the garment with care as she could not help but close her eyes at the feel of the expensive fabric. Molly had a pair of thin stockings in one hand and thicker brown in the other, waiting for Cora to catch up.

“I can’t pay you for this, Molly,” she said quietly, a flame of shame crossing her cheeks.

“It’s fine, doll. You’ll owe me nothing more than getting through that trial and getting Joshua to hire you permanently,” the woman said with a grin. “Shoes. Those damn things cut you up because they’re too small. These will do you better.”

Soft leather mary janes greeted her when she looked down at the woman’s next offerings. Tears struck her cheeks, hot and fat as her breath caught.

“Aren’t you just the sweetest,” Molly drawled, wiping at Cora’s cheeks with a rough thumb.

“Jake was serious about hurrying up,” Sam called. “I don’t need him to switch me.”

“When are you going to realize that you’re bigger than he is, Samuel?” Molly called, helping her to fold all the items neatly. “Give him a little chin music one time and I’m telling you - he’ll back down.”

Cora rolled her lips into her mouth to keep from smiling.

“Crack him once and he’ll put lead in my belly,” Sam jabbed back. “Come on. It can’t be that hard. We gotta go.”

Molly rolled her eyes, but relented. The two women strolled out, the new shoes on her feet felt more like pillows than shoes. Daniel and Sam were already waiting at the door for her, shooing her along outside. In a repeat at the garage, Samuel held his hand up for her as he held the door open. He grinned as Daniel started the car and they rumbled out of town in a hurry.

Between the jumps, bumps, and sways, Cora felt like her backside would be bruised. She held onto her newly acquired treasures tightly so as not to lose them in the darkness of the seat. Her heart fluttered as they made turns and curves in the near black of the evening with only two very dim lights to lead the way. She wondered how Daniel could see anything, but thought it was best to be left unasked. They had her home in a quarter of the time that it would have taken if she had walked. As they rolled to a loud stop, she saw her mother and younger siblings stream out of the tiny cottage they called home.

With flair, Samuel slid out from his seat and made a big deal of helping Cora out and ensuring that she had all of her items before closing the door. He assisted her to the front of the car before she looked up at him.

“Thank you for this,” she said quietly. “Please tell Daniel I appreciate him, too. That was the bee's knees. Truly. I’ve never been in an automobile before.”

He smiled at her, his dark eyes catching a bit of the light from the lights of the house. “We’ll see you tomorrow then, Miss Cora.”

She smiled at the formal tone as he turned back to the automobile. The look on her mother’s face was distrustful and angry. She tried not to limp as she walked towards her family, but by the time she reached the door, the littles were swarming her and nearly took her down as the pain flared in her foot.

“That better not become a habit, Cora,” her mother scolded before turning and heading inside.

“Yes, Mama,” she said, looking over her shoulder as Sam and Danny disappeared into the distance.

“I suppose there is a reason for that nonsense,” Rosemary continued. “Honestly. Riding in an automobile with two strange men.”

“Mr. Kiszka and Mr. Wagner are respectable gentlemen, Mama,” Cora said as she sat her outfits down on the table to remove her jacket. “They were only helping me out.”

“And why is that?” she asked as she pulled the pot of beans off the woodstove.

Cora’s eyes went to the hand-me-down shoes that were on her feet as if she could guide her mother to notice. “I cut my foot on my oxfords. They helped me and did not think I needed to walk home because of the injury.”

Her mother paused as she started dishing out bowls of the thick mush. “What did they expect in return?”

“What?” Cora sat up straight, her face blushing at the connotation.

“You come home in an expensive auto, with two men. One of your stockings is cut away. You have new clothes and shoes. What am I supposed to think?” her mother said with a hard edge.

She placed her hand on the clothes protectively. “Mr. Samuel patched up my foot, Mama. That was all. It was an act of kindness. Friendship.”

Her mother shook her head and called out for the children to get to the table. Cora stood and moved her items into the shared bedroom of the family before joining them once again at the table. There was no sound as they prayed, ate, and left the meal finished. Junie was sullen as she dried the dishes next to Cora who was washing. Their mother was in the other room, settling down the youngest of the brood.

“I’ve met him,” Junie whispered, looking to make sure their mother did not hear.

“I cannot believe that she is making you do this, Junie,” Cora remarked, not really caring if her voice could be heard or not. “It’s not right. I should be the one she’s trying to get rid of, not you.”

Junie shrugged at her. “But I can’t work like you. We all know that, big sister. She’s going to keep you for as long as she can. She’s even got you convinced that you have to support this family when, really, you can be anywhere and we’d be just fine.”

Cora knew that she had an overdeveloped sense of responsibility, but she could not fathom a reality that allowed for her to not be ensuring her family be taken care of.

“Will you show me your new rags? I love the shoes,” she cooed as she set the bowls in a stack on the table for the next day’s meal.

“You said you met Mr. Archer?” Cora asked after she checked over her shoulder.

“He seems like he is quiet,” Junie whispered. “His children are mean.”

“You don’t have to do this, Junebug,” she said as her heart dropped into her belly.

“I don’t have the same prospects as you do, Cora. This is my one chance to alleviate hardship on this family. I can do my part,” she said quietly.

“You had better wash that whore perfume out of those clothes tonight,” their mother remarked as she sat back down at the table.

“Yes, Mama,” Cora said as she grabbed the wash basin to move outside. “Junie, can you get the clothes please?”

It would give her a reason to show the girl the outfits that otherwise would have to wait until she actually wore them. Junie retrieved the clothes and the washboard on her way outside.

“They smell like lilacs,” Junie said dreamily.

“Her whole house smelled like that,” Cora said as she tried to explain what had happened and the woman who was so very generous with her clothes.

“What does Molly do that she can have the ability to just give away clothing like this?” Junie chirped, her fingers lingering on the dark blue fabric of the outfit she was to wear on Saturday.

Cora looked at the propped open door and found that her mother stood just inside, watching the girls chatter. Swallowing, she started to drag the tan skirt across the bumps of the board.

“Go ahead and tell her what your new friend does for her money, Cora,” her mother said firmly. “I’d like to know as well.”

Thinking back on the brief time she had with Molly, she realized that what Molly actually did to earn her way never was broached. The clothing was that of a night life - flapper attire with pretty crystals and glitz that she was sure the woman was probably the most glamorous woman in town. “I’m going to assume that she works in the dancehall, Mama.”

“You know what kind of women work in the dancehall, Cora,” Rosemary said sharply.

“Doesn’t mean that they cannot be friends,” Cora said just as sharp, her eyes hard. “She was a lovely woman who was willing to help me. That means in turn, she has helped this family. That counts for something.”

“Junie, to bed now,” her mother demanded.

“She’s going to be a married woman, Mama, perhaps she needs to hear this conversation,” Cora remarked, swishing the skirt in the water.

“Cora,” her mother fumed.

“You can’t call someone a whore just because they work in the dancehall,” she said firmly. “And I, for one, will not fault a woman for doing what she needs to in order to survive. Especially in this world of men.”

“Remember that when it has to be your mother, sister or yourself,” Rosemary said in a hard voice.

“If marriage is your only reason for women to be allowed to be close to men or have sex, then there really is no real difference between a married woman and a whore and no reason to look upon either differently. Both must survive within the confines of men and the structure they provide,” Cora continued, voice matching her mother’s as she started wringing the skirt out into the basin.

Junie’s mouth dropped open at her sister’s brashness. Cora held her ground, not liking that her mother did not have trouble looking down her nose at a woman who was doing what she could to live, no different than themselves with their family. Rosemary stood with her painfully thin arms folded across her chest.

“Junie, to bed now, girl,” her mother ordered before turning her back on her daughters. “Cora, I would think that perhaps you should whet your tongue a bit and feed your brain in reality before you run your mouth off again on matters you have no idea what you speak of.”

Hanging the skirt on the line, she set into washing the rest of the items. When her hands wrapped around the dark blue number, her eyes rolled closed. Molly had called her a Jake girl. She had said that she was his ‘type’. She had no idea what any of that meant other than perhaps that she could catch his eye. Perhaps that would mean that she could make him smile? Samuel and Daniel were quick to laugh with happiness. Mr. Joshua was brimming with smiles, though she was sure that those were part of his professional manner. Mr. Jacob was always serious. His dark eyes holding onto something that she could never quite understand or ever see all of what was going on with him. His thunderstorm of a temper was always chaotic and unpredictable, save for one thing, there was always calm afterwards.

The strong vision of him standing in the corner of Mr. Joshua’s office, hands splayed on the desk and looking over whatever his twin was showing him blazed in her thoughts. The way his eyes always met hers, too hard at first, then softening as if he could sense that she needed a more delicate touch. It made her stomach flutter and unexplored knowledge dance through her mind.

Chapter Two: Pt. 2 Molly POV

“Please do not tell me that you hurt that poor girl to get her to me,” she said as Danny sat down next to her, a sarcastic grin tugging at the corner of her plump lips.

He scrunched up his face. “No, it was just a coincidence. I’m actually afraid that if I would not have seen her, she would have kept trying to walk on it.”

“She’s really a doll, though, Danny,” Molly said, clinking her glass of sherry against his mug of beer. “She seems like she can hold herself rather well.”

“Sam thinks that she runs numbers when she is collecting goods,” he remarked. “And I overheard Joshua commenting that she’s a natural with customers. Folks know her from church and foster right into that connection.”

She paused for a moment before leaning over his shoulder. “I hope we didn’t turn things for her by meddling.”

“Why whatever do you mean, meddling?” Josh said as he appeared behind Danny. “Which ‘her’ are you talking about?”

Molly looked up at him over the rim of her glass. He was with Catherine, and Jacob was following right behind. Her stomach soured at the sight of the eldest’s interest. Danny sat up straight as Josh held Catherine’s chair for her to sit. Jacob looked on edge. Samuel and Susannah were wise to remain at the bar. She wished she could crawl under the table and join them. Clearing her throat, she nodded at Danny.

“That new girl of your’s, Joshua,” Molly said, surprised that her voice was as strong as it was. “Danny found her in the alley with a cut heel.”

Josh sat down, eyes narrowed like he was studying the situation. “Well, if she’s injured, then perhaps that’s proof that she can’t do that job after all.”

“She got hurt in your shop,” Molly scoffed.

“No different if you got hurt down here, Miss Molly,” he said, leaning towards Catherine. “If you can’t perform, you wouldn’t be working here.”

“Kind of an idiot-”

“Molly,” Danny broke in, voice firm.

“Kind of a poor business move, Mr. Kiszka,” she continued, ignoring him and shifting into professional mode. “From what I hear she’s been good for your little front of a store. I just gave her some window dressing to level the playing field, boss.”

Josh shook his head. “Alright. Enough of the banter. What the fuck happened today and why is Molly calling me an idiot?”

“Josh,” Jacob said, his voice low. “Miss Cora cut her foot. Sam and Danny helped her out. That’s all. I sent them over to Molly’s to get her cleaned up and on her way home.”

“How droll,” Catherine sighed, rolling her eyes. “Why is this even important?”

Molly noticed that Jake glared at the woman before regrouping. “It was not anything that should affect the shop, is what I’m saying.”

Danny tapped her shoulder. “Come on, Mols. Let’s go dance.”

She let him take her hand. She heard Catherine scoff behind her. Molly tried to turn back around but Danny wouldn’t allow her to return to the table.

“Sweetheart,” he whispered, tugging her tight against him. “Let Jake take care of it.”

“But-”

He swept her out and dipped her down before spinning her, effectively ending the conversation. Molly could not keep her eyes from Catherine, Joshua and Jacob. She said something that made Jake shoot venom. In a chain reaction, Joshua leaned forward, mouth hard like he ended the conversation, leaving smoke and cinders behind. Danny swept her around once more to recapture her attention.

“Leave it,” he whispered, eyes squarely on her own.

Molly screwed her mouth to the side. She reluctantly turned her attention away from the fire that was obviously brewing between the twins. The fuel had been there, growing since Bea had scrammed five months before; since Catherine had strolled onto the scene three months ago; since the family booted them out of Detroit to take the reins on the UP twenty months ago. Molly had been a constant, witnessing the slaughter that Josh had brought to the family from the moment they set foot in Kingsford. She had fallen in love with the tall, dark stranger the moment she had strolled into the dancehall to meet the new proprietors and Daniel stood on the fringes looking like he had choked on a lightning bolt.

Wetting her lips, she pushed her smile to the fore as her fingertips grazed Danny’s chin. The blackness of his eyes and the warmth of his aura filled her with the moment. Instead of arguing, she pulled closer to him and dropped the attention to the group behind them where it belonged.

Hope you enjoyed this bit. Next chapter is one of my favorites and contains our first Jacob POV.

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