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Jessica and Olivia team up to be Jaune's Greenwives.
#rwby#jaune arc#rwby shitpost#jessica cruz#jessica cruz x jaune arc#rwby knightlight#olivia pine#oscar pine#rwby pinegold#rwby topaz#shepherd's knight#fiona thyme#emerald sustrai#penny polendina#arculus rift#lie ren#martial arcs#greenspiracy
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Me: *Sees Steel Jewel* Hmm... Ya know what I could do with this~?
#rwby steel jewel#rwby#rwby meme#jaune arc#penny polendina#emerald sustrai#jaune x emerald#rwby topaz#jaune x penny#rwby roboticknight#rwby circuit breaker#arculus rift#kyber knight#berserk#guts berserk#casca berserk#farnese
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quick sketchy before bed ^^
#pokemon#rebecca#penny#penny pokemon#pennyposting#oc x canon#emerald stardust shipping#emerald adventurers#my art
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James comes out of the shower with a towel around his waist and notices his clothes is missing
James: What in the he- I KNOW I BROUGHT'EM WITH ME!!!
James comes to the dorms to JNPR's room and opens the door
James: Hey Jaune have you seen my-
James stops talking and noticed Jaune and Ruby were cuddling
James: Uh is this a bad time?
Jaune looks over: Not at all, what do you need?
James: Well I was wondering you know where my clothes went?
Jaune: No, maybe your team knows.
James:...
James sighs: Of course, thanks lil'brother
Jaune: Anytime.
As soon as James closes the door, Ruby leans up and whisper to Jaune's ear
Ruby: Let's go another round~.
Jaune paled
MEANWHILE
James goes to his dorm room which is next door to JNPR, he walks in and notices something that stopped him in his tracks.
It was his girlfriends wearing his clothes, Emerald is wearing his hat with and small tight bikini, Neo is wearing his poncho and nothing else, and Penny his wearing his shirt and vest and also nothing else
Emerald: Oh Cowboy~.
Neo licks her lips, holds up her hands and makes a finger through hole gesture
Penny: I am pleasure ready~.
James paled: Uh oh.
#ruby rose x jaune arc#rwby lancaster#lancaster#jaune x ruby#ruby x jaune#jaune arc x ruby rose#neopolitan#penny polendina#emerald sustrai#jaune arc#ruby rose#james mccall#james x emerald#james x neopolitan#james x penny#oc x emerald#oc x neopolitan#oc x penny#rwby#lancaster4life
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RWBY Masterlist
➤ Team RWBY
➤ Team JNPR
➤ Students
➤ Adults
➤ Villains
#rwby#rwby x reader#ruby rose x reader#blake belladonna x reader#weiss schnee x reader#yang xiao long x reader#jaune arc x reader#lie ren x reader#qrow brawen x reader#nora valkyrie x reader#pyrrha nikos x reader#neopolitan x reader#oscar pine x reader#penny polendina x reader#cinder falls x reader#james ironwood x reader#winter schnee x reader#sun wukong x reader#neptune vasilias x reader#raven branwen x reader#whitley schnee x reader#mercury black x reader#roman torchwick x reader#emerald sustrai x reader#adam tauros x reader
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“TAKE MY WIFE’S NAME OUT IF YOUR MOUTH!!!”
#shut up alex#personal#rwby#cinder#emerald#penny#alice rewatches rwby#cinder fall#emerald sustrai#penny polendina#emberald#emerald x cinder#cinder x emerald
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#pyrrha nikos#schneekos#pyrrha x weiss#purrha#pyrrha x blake#pyrruby#pyrrha x ruby#greek fire#pyrrha x yang#valkos#pyrrha x nora#greek lotus#pyrrha x ren#magnetic attraction#pyrrha x penny#pasithea#pyrrha x emerald#atlantis#pyrrha x neptune#thermopylae#pyrrha x cinder
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The Reluctant Empress (Jacaerys Velaryon x Female!Reader)
Act II. Burgeoning
(19th Century Imperial Austria AU)
summary: crown prince jacaerys gets to know his prospect betrothed and future bride whom he has been arranged with to marry, your sister helaena targaryen, but true to your wild spirit, you cannot help but wonder what awaits in the world behind gilded castles and royal splendour.
word count: 2.4k words
a/n: i'm so sorry this took an entire year before an update but it is finally here! i apologize as I had some health things to settle, and with brain fog and got more distracted by other fandoms but here we go! once again, please comment and share what you liked, what you'd want more for me and request and let me know as my inbox is always open <3 let me know if you want to be on the taglist or not getting tags!
series masterlist
previously: prologue | act i
masterlist
requests OPEN
“Men at some time are masters of their fates. The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves, that we are underlings.” ― William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar
Seated between her mother and sister, Y/N eyes roamed around the dining hall in the palace that hosted the royal family and her covey. Changed into an emerald green gown, wearing the necklace and earrings her father gave her on the last name day before his passing, she paid no mind to the significance of the occasion and was just glad to be there, surrounded in the splendor of the castle walls.
She knew that it was Helaena’s time to shine, and she would not want to rob her of her light, of the opportunity that would change their fortunes and not have Alicent scrabbling and worrying over the last penny of their expenses.
Twirling her fork on the pesto noodles in front of her, Y/N remained silent and just patiently listened to all the conversation around her, between her mother and her childhood friend the Queen, who inquired about Helaena’s well being, her lifestyle and assessing on how she would adjust becoming the next consort upon wedding Jacaerys.
Dazed out in a world of her own, Y/N did not hear Jacaerys reverting his attention to her aptly, until her sister nudged her ankle with her shoe, repeating her name on his tongue like it was the sweetest honey, curiosity and amusement on his features.
“Lady Y/N, what do you do in your free time, my lady?”
Stammering like a cat bit her tongue, she cleared her throat as she gathered herself and make her look and sound presentable.
“I ride horses, my prince. I hunt and I have picked up the sword a few times.” Lady Y/N bluntly replied, already feeling the burning glare of your embarrassed mother. Queen Rhaenyra only watches in amusement, how her confidante could have a daughter who was nothing like her mother.
Jacaerys was intrigued, leaning forward to hear Y/N better and scooch closer over to Her. A curious smile on his handsome, chiseled face, his curly brown hair starting to grow out and neatly groomed behind his ears.
Plates and utensils remained untouched as Y/N and Jacaerys were engrossed in an engaging, animated conversation, passionate replies to uncontrollable laughter.
The older women present at the table watched with trepidation, Lady Alicent’s habits of digging into her fingernails returned while the silver-haired queen’s expression turned unreadable.
Helaena swallowed her wounded pride of being ignored and not found as an interesting companion, playing with her knife and fork, digging at the roast beef the same way her young daughter would.
As the servants gather the finished main course meals and replace them with fresh fruit and lemon cakes for dessert, Rhaenyra swiftly suggests for the elder Targaryen sister to read out some of the poetry her mother praised earlier.
“You must share with us your talent in verse and poetry, Lady Helaena.”
Relieved, the indigo hued girl stood up at the end of the table, grabbing her little booklet hidden in the pockets of her skirt. Flipping through its parchment pages, she settles to a recent entry close to the end of the worn out leather bound book, covered with an embroidered beetle.
To want is the most natural thing Inherent in the blood through our veins The very primal urge of our being Yet we will always want, and want With no end like a black hole What better to want what is not ours? To covet what the other possesses To take away what is given as easily as it was owned?
Her raspy voice echoed through the halls mellifluously in perfectly rehearsed High Valyrian. Yet you could not help a guilty perception weighing on you, blossoming at the pit of your stomach and you could not shake it off. You were doing nothing wrong, you told yourself, wanting to believe in it but it felt wrong.
Y/N’s fears arose to the surface when she could feel a burning stare on her face intensely, as if memorizing her very form and that she would disappear into nothing anytime. You were listening as intently as you could, yet when you turned, Jacaerys did not pay mind to a single word Helaena said as his focus was fixated on you.
No, no, no. Nothing was going as planned. Everything was going wrong. She praises whatever gods intervened when the heir’s brother Prince Lucerys gracefully diverted the topic into the new cuisines created by the cooks of the Keep with the freshest catches of seafood from Driftmark.
…
“Y/N, what do you think you were doing out there?! Do you think I do not notice your need to always be the centre of attention?” The shrill shrieking of her mother’s voice pierced through her ear drums, yet Y/N was unsurprised and used to such altercations with her mother.
Following the uneasy supper, the three ladies from Dalston Keep returned to their chambers to change midday in preparation for the tour around the gardens with the queen and her heir again after a few hours of respite.
Silently humiliated as they reconvened in private, the illusion of propriety that Lady Alicent carried in front of the queen and prince ripped away, unleashing a ferocity unrestrained like never before.
“I did nothing, mother. I was polite and engaged in a conversation when I was spoken to.”
“You did more than that, you foolish girl! It was about your sister. All of this was about her, not you! Is it so difficult for you to tone down your tendencies for once so we can go according to the arrangement? You put our fortunes up to be desolated. You are as careless as your father!” The sting of her final words hung in the air, salt over the open wound for such a loss. Y/N knew her mother did not love her father, who was older than her own father, and only did her duty to her ailing, troubled, aging husband.
“Mother, that is enough! Do not bring father into this.” Helaena countered exasperatedly, holding onto her sister by her shoulders in defense. “Y/N did nothing wrong. It was..it was me. I should have engaged with the prince more. She did me a favour.”
Y/N gasps in disbelief, astonished her beloved sister would keep taking her side when it was clear she was the wounded party.
“Do not worry about it, mother. I promise I will remain silent from now on. I want this to be Helaena’s night.” Y/N swears sincerely, wanting to defend Helaena and stay away from any trouble from now on.
Alicent does not fully believe her youngest, but nods solemnly as she seeks to move this behind them, returning to her dignified, contemplating gaze with her perfect posture and arms clasped at her waist.
Subsequently, a drove of maids and seamstresses poured in, as Alicent went to her solitary room while the sisters shared a larger room. Each stepped on the raised wooden platform. Taking lush gowns from the closet, they plucked out a rich emerald green gown with fitted sleeves for Helaena.
Meanwhile, a muted seafoam gown was placed on Y/N, as maids scuttered behind her to tighten the corset and laces. Y/N whimpered quietly in discomfort, never finding any gratification in restrictive court dress upheld by centuries of protocol and conduct. It barred her sense of freedom, clipped off her wings from flight and reminded her of a bird in a cage.
Heirloom pieces of emerald silver lined jewelry were given to Helaena, designed to accentuate her beauty and prepare her for her upcoming role and ascent into her duty. As the daylight trickled in through the lace curtains and open windows, she looked like a future queen. A role she was raised to be. Otherworldly and ethereal, while Y/N was grounded to the earth, locks like flames and soil.
Y/N beamed in delight for her older sister, squeezing her hands in reassurance. Helaena reciprocated not as enthusiastically, the nerves still getting to her as her palms were sweating and shaking.
“You have nothing to worry about, Hel. We would not get this far if he did not consider you his bride already.”
“Truly, do you really think so?”
“I do. Without a doubt. You already look the part. It is only the formality left we are waiting for at the ball.”
The elder genuinely chuckled this time in relief, her joy finally meeting her eyes from the comfort and encouragement of her sister.
“Now, all that is left is for you to step into your destiny.”
…
Manicured gardens flourished in the peak of spring, cicadas chirping from the branches of oak trees. Lilies and carnations in hues of apricot and blush, while the outlying paths were paved in blue hydrangeas and violet peonies.
Queen Rhaenyra adorned a lapis lazuli blue gown adorned in gold trimmings and sapphires sewn onto her bodice, matching the stone necklace of the color on her neck and matched her tiara, a reminder of her late mother and former queen.
She pleasantly strolled with a natural confidence, carrying herself with an ease afforded by one who has known privilege and power all her life. Guiding a tour around the Red Keep at the height of its social season, Rhaenyra proudly showed off her domains, and subtly if so, the lands that Helaena would take care of as its hostess after she marries Jacaerys and becomes his queen when the time comes.
Behind her was her eldest Crown Prince Jacaerys, always without a hair or trivet out of place, the picture of perfection that she had groomed since his birth. Dressed more casually in teal with the seahorse emblem on his chest, he honoured his late father Lord Laenor Velaryon, further dispelling any rumours or uncertainty around his paternity.
Although he did not directly resemble his father, he has begun to share features with his paternal grandmother Princess Rhaenys with her Baratheon colouring, and the shape of his nose and chin mirrored her father, who was another Prince of Dragonstone, Prince Aemon the Pale Prince. As rider of Vermax, it was undeniable he was the prince long awaited by the realm, whom millions of hopes and dreams were instilled in.
Standing beside him was Lady Helaena Targaryen, his expected betrothed in everything but formality. Raised with the intention of becoming a princess consort, she was demure, shy, obedient and trusting, exactly what the people of Westeros wanted of their model future queen. Proven in her success of childbearing, onlookers examined her critically on baited breath as they wanted to know who will bear the next generation of Targaryen rulers on the Iron Throne.
Their chaperons trailed behind them, Lady Alicent arm in arm with Lady Y/N, in the same shade of muted green, but her mother had visible symbols of the Faith of the Seven from her necklace, her dark headdress and veil, and on the cuffs on her wrist and belt. Y/N distractedly took in her sights, studying every nook and cranny of the storied palace with eagerness and pursuit.
“This garden still follows the design plan created by Queen Rhaenys the Conqueror herself, yet it was only finished years after her passing in Dorne.”
The queen continued the tour of the keep, while she discreetly eavesdropped on the conversation between her heir and his expected betrothed. The two were engaging pleasantly yet amiably on the surface level, their dialogue not reaching too far. Unaware of a figure parting at the fork and heading another direction.
…
When she is assured she’s clear and no one can find her, Y/N Targaryen smirks victoriously as she heads straight and turns left towards the barn, near the dragonpit, where the horses and grazing animals were located.
On nimble footsteps, through the mud and manure, she makes a run for it as two stableboys turn the corner and miss her, as they forgot to close the stables and she sneaks in.
As the afternoon light trickles in, Y/N looks around curiously, before her attention is caught by this white mare, with its freshly brushed mane and shining horsehair, an anomaly among ebony and hickory. Not wanting to startle the majestic creature, she prances until she’s in front of the horse, hushing and cooing at them as she latches onto the reins.
She holds the mane by her reins, tugging gently as she walks through the barn and the empty backwaters of the ancient castle. It is quiet, with most servants resting for their annual nap and their morning duties finished, so Y/N is able to ride the stallion undiscovered.
The lingering scent of the manure and greenery turns into salty waters of aegean and spruce and the earthy, musty petrichor from the rain on the fir and cedar trees earlier in the morning.
A hint of the cool breeze tingles through her skin, a dress and not proper riding gear in its leathers and furs, but she brushes it off, as King’s Landing in the spring at this time of the year has turned warm and the rain from earlier is long gone.
She rides as far as her companion will allow, until the peripheral view of the Red Keep grows distant from over her shoulder. Y/N stops at the fork of the road before it joins the greater Kingsroad, diverting by the forest with towering trees and fallen logs. Sitting by the foot of a trunk, Y/N pauses for some stillness, her back pressing against the hard trunk as she closes her eyes, before grabbing an apple and vial of water to share with her stallion.
As she and the mare finish the fruit, she stands up to brush off any leaf and dirt on the back of her skirt, about to mount once again before she hears echoes of confrontation growing closer. Y/N has barely begun to leave the forest and return to the artery before she is surrounded by hooded, disheveled men with smug expressions.
Unable to avoid contact, she politely acknowledges them and pulls her cape over her flaming locks before she is stopped from moving in either direction. “Good morrow, sirs.”
She yelps as she’s grabbed by her wrists by the men, struggling to stay on her saddle as the mare turns skittish. “Not so fast, my lady. We need something from ya, and you gotta pay up for our silence. Comes with a price.” The men smirk, distant galloping approaching them.
Y/N yelps as she is knocked off her horse, hitting her head against the rock and all turns into darkness around her. She hears a distant echo of another mount heading her way, furious yelling and clattering swords. Her head throbs, feeling the blood dripping down her nape, as her eyes flutter closed.
#house of the dragon imagines#jace targaryen#jacaerys targaryen#jace velaryon x reader#jacaerys velaryon x reader#jace velaryon#jacaerys x reader#jacaerys velaryon imagines#jacaerys velaryon#prince jacaerys#hotd jacaerys#jace velaryon imagines#hotd imagine#hotd x reader#hotd fanfic#hotd jace#house of the dragon scenarios#house of the dragon fanfic#house of the dragon headcanons#house of the dragon#my work#reluctant empress
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Playing with Fire: Chapter 5
Jason Todd (Red Hood) x Fem!Reader (Criminal)
Trope: Enemies to Lovers, Forbidden Romance
Warnings: strong language, gun usage, bodily harm, gunshot wounds, reader's past, slight angst, use of pain drugs/inhibitors (lmk if I missed any!)
WC: 8.7K
Summary: You don't imagine yourself getting caught in the middle of a difficult situation, especially not when you're being suspected by one of your boss's partners and being followed by your past. With Black Mask watching your every move, you have no choice but to turn to the last person you'd ever want to ask for help. What do you do when an underlying truth is revealed and a chance at leaving this life behind presents itself?
Series Masterlist
Chapter 4 || Chapter 6
Flash Back
There was a calmness tonight, feeling the warmth on your skin as you walked up the stairs that led to the roof, your heart racing in your chest as you pushed the door open, your heart stopping in your chest. Robin stood on the roof, a picnic mat laid out, a few small drinks and food placed perfectly as Robin met your gaze. Your smile spread across your face, a warmth in your chest as he walked over to you, his devastating smile making your body feel giddy.
“Hey, (Y/n).”, your eyes were bright as you looked up at him. Robin was tall, his dark hair slightly messy and his body muscular for a 16 year old.
“Hey, Rob.”, you smiled at him, your arms around his body as he hugged you tightly. He smelled like woodsy musk, the smell making you feel safe and comfortable.
“I have something for you.”, he pulled back, digging something out of his pocket as he held it out for you. “Happy Birthday, (Y/n)”
You gently took the small box, opening it to reveal a beautiful emerald green necklace on a silver chain, the stone a deep color in an oval shape. It was one of the prettiest pieces of jewelry you’d ever seen, and you’ve seen several pieces thanks to your adoptive mother. She had a wide range of jewelry and accessories made from the finest jewels and golds. All of them worth thousands if not hundreds of thousands, but this… this was worth far more than any expensive necklace someone could give.
You felt a rush of emotion, a tugging in your chest as you admired the green stone and touched it lightly, letting it sink in that Robin had just gotten you the best birthday gift ever.
“I… It’s perfect, Rob.”, you smiled up at him, your eyes flooding with a glossy sheen as you held back a small flood of tears from overflowing. “I love it.”
“I’m glad. I saw it and I thought of you. I think it brings out your eyes.”, he smiled as he pulled the necklace out of the box, moving your hair to the side as he walked behind you, his hands going over your head and clasping it around your neck. He looked down at you with a warm glance, taking in how the necklace sat on you. “I guess I was right. It really does look pretty on you.”
“I didn’t even get you anything for your birthday..”
“Well, you don’t know my birthday, and second, even if you did, you are more than anything anyone could ever give me.”, he smirked while tilting his head. “You’re the only thing I could ever ask for.”
“You’re such a flirt.”, you shoved him gently, moving over to the small area where he laid down the picnic area.
“I get it from my older brother.”, he shrugged.
You raised an eyebrow at him, “You have an older brother?”
“Yeah, he’s the golden boy of the family but I don’t mind. I prefer not being in the spotlight. Draws too much attention.”
“You say as you wear the Robin suit on a regular basis”, you joked as he let out a deep laugh, as he sat down next to you. He wore dark jeans and a gray long sleeve shirt, his eyes covered with sunglasses instead of his usual domino mask. It gave you a glimpse of what it would be like if the two of you had met under normal circumstances. Would you two meet up for dates? Would you meet his family?
The thought left you warm inside.
“Penny for your thoughts?”, he cocked his head to the side, staring at you as you snapped out of your trance. “Just… thank you for making today a good Birthday.”, he leaned in, placing a soft kiss on your lips, your mouth moving against his as you breathed him in. You didn’t want anything else but to be happy, and you found that in Robin. He showed you it was worthwhile living in Gotham, he understood your background, your struggles, your dreams.
“Anything for you.”, he smiled.
Everything was perfect.
~
“Y/n”, your head snapped up, meeting Penguin’s gaze. “Here is the paperwork for our partner.”.
He handed over a packet that held all the paperwork for the Arkham Asylum release, reading over all the information. He was confirmed for release in three weeks. Had it already been two months since they had started the process to get him out? Sionis had hired him but knew it would be difficult to get him to fulfill the job unless Black Mask and Penguin worked on bailing him out.
“We need to finalize the security transfer. You will go with the men to pick him up on his release to ensure no one can find that he’s out. Can’t have him getting a hit put in him either.”, you nodded as you took note of the date, committing it to memory. “You’ll be accompanied by Black Mask’s men, four guards and three drivers”
Such a high profile prisoner. You didn’t question the why, you knew the reason and it made your stomach churn. You’d never met the man in person but you knew he was evil, maniacal, a psychopath.
You wondered if he would actually be able to get the job done, especially since you already had suspicions of your inability to catch Red. You still couldn’t let Sionis get a leg up so easily. Penguin never questioned you or why you hadn’t caught him, the only thing that mattered was everything in the underground operations to run smoothly. For the past two weeks they had been. Red had stayed hidden since your encounter at the server room.
He’d helped you when you didn’t ask for it, he’d helped you even when you didn’t deserve it. You let out a sigh, pushing the thoughts out of your head before standing, stretching your arms as you handed the documents back to Penguin.
“Is there anything else I need to know before I have to make preparations?”, you cocked your head at him, raising an eyebrow to him as he waved you off.
“How is Calvi coming along?”, he lit his cigarette.
“It’s progressing. In fact, I may need the next week off before picking up our VIP. Calvi invited me to attend an upcoming Gala in a few weeks. I think it may be good to be his plus one for the evening.”, you mentioned, hoping he would be pleased with the progress you’d made with him.
“Take the time off, so long as you can be back the night of transportation.”, he nodded. “I look forward to the results, (Y/n).”
You nodded to him before grabbing your things and heading out for the evening. The guards led you out to the side, slipping out of the hidden door and wandering back to the main streets of the city. It was still early, probably enough time to get food at the store near your apartment.
It was only around 7pm, the sun barely starting to set as you moved through the streets. People were still out and it was a nice day, the sun was warm and many of the nearby stores were filled with people eating dinner, buying groceries, or just strolling on the street with their friends, families, or partners. A simple life they must live. A life you would never get insight into. It was never anything you could achieve but it was something you had dreamed of at one point. It was a lifetime ago that you envisioned yourself living a normal life.
Friends, a partner, nights out, birthdays, New Years celebrations, parties, movie nights, a family.
It was all a distant dream, something you were sure you had signed away rights to when you joined this life. You convinced yourself long enough that you were okay with it but nights like tonight, where you could see the buzzing of the evening and see the connections, the love, the trust everyone of these strangers had for one another. It caused an aching in your chest.
The past 6 years had been lonely.
~
“What about your friends?”, Robin asked as he cocked his head towards you.
The both of you were at a park this time around. It wasn’t often you’d go anywhere but the roof but he wanted to take you to the park. It was warm and the day was nice. You also had never met him during the day. He had a different kind of glow to him but it wasn’t any different than he was at night. You were off in the secluded part of the park, away from any people to give you your privacy.
You wore shorts, your hair up in a ponytail and a loose white tee and flannel. It was a more casual outfit than you’d normally wear, the family usually making you keep appearances, but you liked having casual days.
“I don’t really have friends.”, you admitted as you picked a dandelion out of the ground and picked the petals.
“You go to school right? You don’t talk or hang out with any of them?”, he leaned back on his arms, his legs stretched on the grass as he looked at you.
“I.. I’m not really liked at my school. Everyone sees me as this… thief who will never be at the same level as them.”, you hugged your knees to your chest, resting your chin on your knees and staring at the small ladybug on your shoe. “I won’t ever fit in with the rich people who live in this city.”
“Seems pretty boring to fit in.”, Robin leaned towards you, “I think it’s better to not be a part of the crowd.”
You turned your head, leaning your head on your arm as you looked at him. His hair was messy, his dark sunglasses covering his eyes, wearing black jeans and a dark gray shirt. It was tight around his arms, showing off his muscle and how fit he was, definitely because of the life he built with Batman. He was devastatingly handsome, you were sure if he went to a regular school every girl would be all over him and yet he spent his time with you.
“What about you? Any friends back in your normal life?”, you asked softly.
“I don’t try and make many friends, they’d never understand the life I have to live or the secrets I have to maintain to ensure Batman and I’s identities and work get exposed.”
“So… why do you hang around me if you don’t keep friends?”
He smiled at you, his hair flopping forward before running a hand through his hair and shrugging.
“It’s different with you”, he paused, biting his lip before speaking again. “You understand living in the street, and just getting picked up by someone and having to adjust to this new life. It wasn’t easy, especially because no one understands but… you do. That makes this a lot easier to manage knowing I can trust you to share my thoughts with.”, his body was relaxed, his aura changing as he opened up and felt more laid back.
A warm feeling spread in your chest as you held his gaze, the sensation making you feel more connected to him. How could someone you’d only known for a short while had grown as such a prominent part of your life. He was open, charming, kind, sometimes on-guard but he had opened up slowly overtime. You also opened up to him about different parts of your life on the streets, his own experiences similar to yours.
“You’re not too bad yourself, Boy Wonder.”
~
You grabbed a few items off the shelf, placing them in your basket before moving through the aisles as someone bumped into you, some of the items falling out of your basket.
“Shit, let me grab those for you.”, you turned to look at the guy as he picked up your items, standing at full height as he looked down at you. Your eyes widening slightly. “Sorry, I should’ve seen where I was going.”
He was tall, dark hair, green eyes, and was… handsome. He placed your items back into your basket before you thanked him quietly.
“Ah… it’s alright. Thank you for this. Accidents happen.”, you smiled slightly, holding up your items before turning and leaving, the man walking back to the other side of the aisles.
You quickly paid for your items, thanking the cashier as you headed home, letting the night come to a quiet end as you sank into the soft cushions, the exhaustion washed over you from the endless stress and pressure. You had Black Mask watching over you, Penguin’s job with Calvi and his VIP, and trying to catch Red. It became overwhelming, your body’s exhaustion finally catching up to you.
You laid your head back, staring up at the ceiling as you sank into the couch as the silence wrapped around you. It’d become routine. Work in the most extreme cases and with the craziest of people then coming home to a silence that’s become comfort for you. A break from the chaos was all you could ever ask for. You’d never be able to get a clean break. At least you feared not being able to.
You closed your eyes, letting the sound of the city blend into the background. The hum of the fridge, the cars outside, even the small voices of the people in the street all meshed together into a satisfying mix of what a normal life could be like.
Through half lidded eyes, you noticed something on the counter, furrowing your eyebrows in confusion before walking over and noticing a small box. You took the lid off of it, your heart dropping in your chest.
A pair of green earrings.
Instinctively, your hand touched your necklace, the exact one to match the jewelry in the box. You felt your heart swell with hurt, flashbacks of secret nights flooding your mind as you clenched your jaw. The thoughts flooding your head are borderline delusional. He was gone. He left you.
You picked the small box up, examining it for any notes or script left behind but they were by themselves. Placed perfectly in a velvet box, and beautifully crafted, they were meant to be worn as a set. A part of you knowing perhaps Robin would’ve given you the earrings if he’d asked you to be his. You shook your head, forcing the hurt of the thoughts away.
Your eyes narrowed slightly. The only thing that gave away why they were here was written in a calligraphic cursive.
Happy Birthday Y/n.
The night of the Gala was fast approaching, your preparations slowly falling into place as you gathered what you needed for the next two weeks. Everything was meticulously planned, you’d convince Calvi of working with Penguin and get him to cease trade with Red. The Gala was the perfect opening.
The warm water cascaded down your back, the heat burning your skin in a soothing and relaxing way. It was one of your sacred moments. Basking in the warmth and letting your body relieve itself from being tense. The fog filled the clear glass, your eyes focused on the water droplets as they fell down the wall of the shower.
After another half hour, you wrapped your towel around you, drying your hair with an old t-shirt you never wore anymore. You looked at the time, it was still early in the night, you figured you could go out for a ride to get your mind off things while you had the time.
You quickly changed into dark jeans, an old long sleeve and pulled on a leather jacket with your combat boots. You grabbed your helmet and made your way out the window, ensuring your front door was locked. You dropped down into the alley and pulled the tarp off the motorcycle. Swinging your leg over the seat, you turned the key and revved the engine, taking off through the streets.
There were still a good amount of people out tonight, some of them headed to upper Gotham for the rich and exclusive clubs and bars and others headed to the deep, dark corners of the East side. Gotham had its clear divide and there was no in between. Those caught in the middle would always be grouped with the lower half unless they had ties with the upper side.
You swerved through the cars, passing by in a flash through the city, the lights from the buildings adding to the ambiance of the night. It made the night feel different but it didn’t make the city any better. Pretty lights to cover up the shit show underneath them. It was all just a mask.
The sounds of the city slowly faded behind you as you drove through the outskirts of the city, heading to the nearby harbor that had a secluded beach that not many people seemed to visit anymore. It was nice enough but just not worth coming at night.
You kicked down the bike stand, leaving your motorcycle on the rocky road as you looked at the body of water in front of you. There wasn’t anymore sand, just a few rocks to sit on and the water fresh as the wind made small waves. You walked towards the water, standing right at the edge as the small waves kissed the bottoms of your boots. It came and went as the wind allowed it to, barely touching your sole as you watched it move smoothly.
~
“Do you ever have days off to just relax?.”, you looked out at the water, the moon reflecting on the waves as you stared out blankly.
“Relax? I barely get time to do homework”, Robin was standing next to you, throwing a stone against the water and watched as it skipped, making the reflection ripple in turn.
“Does Batman know you need to do good to graduate?” you joked as he shrugged his shoulders.
“He’d actually kill me if I did bad in school”, he picked up another rock before skidding it again. “Besides, it’s too easy regardless if the advanced curriculum”
“Woah okay, calm down know it all”, you laughed at him, the sound filling his chest with a warmth he hadn’t felt before. It sounded like a sort of heaven.
The both of you sat in the sand at the same time, the warmth of the sand against your skin, his legs stretched in front of him as you watched the lone birds swim in the water.
You felt his hand graze yours, his fingers slightly over yours as he tightened his grip slightly. He was relaxed, laid back, and confident. You melted into him, leaning your head on his shoulder and breathing in his woodsy scent. It calmed you.
He turned his head towards you, his other hand softly brushing your cheek, your eyes meeting his darkened ones. You wish you could see him without those damn sunglasses. You were sure he had the prettiest eyes. His thumb stroked your cheek and pushed a strand of hair back before pressing his lips against yours.
You melted into him, smiling against his lips causing him to smile through the kiss.
“You..”, he whispered against your lips. “You drive me crazy, Y/n.”
A blush crept up your neck, the heat burning between the two of you. Your heart full of happiness, full of content, full of…
~
“Always staying out past your bedtime, aren’t you?”, the silence broke, your body turning slightly, almost relaxed. Red stood a few feet behind you, his gaze locked on you as you stared at him with a soft look in your eyes. It made him falter an inch. Something that went unnoticed by you.
“Always following me? I’m beginning to think you’re obsessed with me.”, you said as the wind carried your voice towards him.
“Keeping my enemies close.”
Your eyes followed his movements, his hand clenching into a fist before relaxing as he walked beside you and stared out at the water. He stayed silent, confusion running through your head before his distorted voice rang out.
“You know he’s keeping tabs on you right?”, your ears perked at his comment, furrowing your eyebrows at him.
“Who’s keeping tabs on me?”
“Black Mask.”, he retorted as the silence grew thick with tension.
A wave of annoyance went over you, like every time he was near you it drove you mad. Red’s revelation cut through the tension like a blade, his words repeating in your head as you broke them down.
“You don’t have anything better to do than follow me around and lie about my alliances?”, you bit out at him, the anger slowly building inside of you.
“When have I lied to you?”
“When have you told the truth?”, you spit back quickly, your eyes snapping to him while glaring daggers.
His entire energy changed then, turning from relaxed to tense, his shoulders flexing under all the kevlar he was wearing. Why did you have to be so stubborn? Why did you believe the kingpins in Gotham were on your side? It frustrated him, made him burn at the fact that you couldn’t see how they undermined you.
“Do you really think Black Mask is on your side?”, his spit out, his hands forming into fists at his sides from his irritation. “You think he trusts you when this entire time he’s had tabs on you, waiting for the perfect moment for you to fuck up and out you to the fat bastard.”
Your eyes filled with anger, your shoulders tense with anger. Who the hell did he think he was to question your allies?
“Fuck you.”, you spit out as you pushed past him to leave, stopping when you felt his hand wrap around your arm, keeping you in place.
“I’m warning you. You already don’t like the son of a bitch, why would I lie about this?”, he questioned. “You suggesting he’s keeping tabs on me means you think Penguin also doesn’t trust me. They’ve been partners longer than I’ve worked for Penguin, accusing Sionis of keeping tabs on me means Penguin questions me too.”, you narrowed your eyes. “My loyalties have always belonged to Penguin.”
“And what are you going to do when you find out that I’m right?”
“You won’t be.”, you spit.
“They. Don’t. Trust. You.”
Enough was enough. You pulled your arm out of his grasp, turning and lifting your leg, letting your foot meet the side of his head, his neck cracking to the side as he moved back. You lunged at him, your fists meeting his body and making him release grunts of pressure. He recovered quickly, matching your aggression, his movements fluid and precise as he dodged your hits and tried to hit back with equal force. His hits barely made their mark as he moved forward, trying to grab you.
Every insult he’s made, every taunt, every doubt just pushed you further to the edge, adding fuel to the fire of your anger until it consumed you entirely. He overwhelmed you, consumed you, completely filled you with anger, frustration, annoyance, and yet you couldn’t bring yourself to make the final blow.
You’d told yourself for weeks, months, that it was all in spite of Sionis but was it really or did you enjoy torturing yourself? Did you enjoy the rush you got every time you came into contact with the infamous Red Hood that had all of Gotham after him?
You continued to take hits at him, your arm getting caught in his hand as he twisted it and pulled you over his body, slamming you to the ground as he forced you into the ground. Your hair feeling the cold, wet sensation from the waves of the water brushing against your hair slightly, his gloved hand next to your head in the water.
“Let me go!”, you pushed against him. “Don’t be fucking naïve, Y/n.”, he muttered. “The only reason he hasn’t fucking caught you is because I’ve been cleaning up your fucking mess and covering your tracks.”
You felt your entire body freeze at his comment, your blood growing cold at the confession.
He’s been covering my tracks?
“You expect me to believe that?”, you snapped, your voice laced with disbelief. “You don’t know shit! I’ve proven myself to Penguin for years, he trusts me and if Sionis wants to keep his connections he knows not to doubt Penguin.”
You almost gave a convincing argument, but the meeting you had with him a few days ago replayed in your head.
“It’s been almost two months. Why haven’t you caught the son of a bitch yet?”
“Doesn’t seem like you’re doing everything you can.”
“If you fail, I’ll make sure to do my own look as to why.”
“Believe what you want, sweetheart. You’ll realize sooner than later that you're nothing but a pawn in Sionis's game", the warning laced in his tone, his voice cutting through the haze of your anger. "And no matter how hard you try to fight it, you'll always be just another piece on his chessboard."
“Why bother helping me if I’m just some lowlife nobody?”, you demanded, your voice tinged with frustration as you held Red’s gaze. “If you hate me so much, why bother helping me? Why not let Sionis catch me and let him torture me? Or better yet, why not turn me in and watch as he beats me to an inch of my life?”, you were taunting him, pushing him to the edge as his grip tightened slightly.
“We both know Sionis isn’t shy when it comes to getting rid of those who betray him. So tell me, why?”
“I have my reasons. Don’t read too much into it.”, he forced out, his muscles flexed and you could tell he was getting more annoyed than he already was. It pissed you off that he was elusive, refusing to give you a straight answer to your questions. Your heart pounded in your chest, the adrenaline spiking once again because of him.
What was he hiding and why did it feel like he was tricking you?
What information did he have that would’ve made you second guess yourself, and why would he even suggest helping you by ‘covering your tracks’?
You wanted to dive deeper, but believing him would mean second-guessing the company Penguin kept. Regardless of how you felt towards Sionis, you wouldn’t question Penguin’s ties if you wanted to stay under his protection.
Red released you, moving away and walking back towards the road. His shoulders were tense, your confusion flooding your mind as you tried analyzing what just happened. The water dripped down your neck as you sat up, watching his back as he walked away.
“You’re not telling me everything.”, you wanted to know more about Sionis and his tabs on you. How long has it been? What did he know? Who was relaying the information back to him?
“Maybe not.”, he called out, his distorted voice sounding haunting with the quiet of the night. “But I’m sure your trust in the son of a bitch doesn’t require you to know more.”
Fuck.
He turned, leaving you sitting in your own confusion and frustration. How would you find out if what he was saying was even true? When would Sionis even find the time to focus on you when Red was the one destroying and dismantling all of his jobs? He would spend more time focused on killing Red instead of focused on why you haven’t caught him.
Sionis forgets your loyalty belongs to Penguin yet he questioned you tirelessly, always watching you and the way you were with Penguin’s partners. You were working on convincing Calvi to work with Penguin and it took priority for a split second. Now that you knew that Red was connected to Calvi it made everything more complicated. Sionis doesn’t care about complications, he cares about getting the job done and you haven’t been so cooperative in that aspect.
You forced yourself to your feet, wobbling as you brushed the dirt off of you, your body tired of Red throwing you around like you were some rag doll.
You needed to get out of this mess, needed to find out if Red was being truthful, if Sionis really was keeping tabs on you, and if Penguin had gotten any hint of his suspicion of you from Sionis.
All in its own time but the gnawing in your gut told you you needed to figure it out sooner than later.
Before it was too late.
One Week Later
This was stupid, brainless even. A part of you on edge at you as you paced around the roof, letting yourself try and calm down but your anxiety slowly ate at you.
The abandoned building laid in the outskirts of the city, it had no surveillance and was completely abandoned by every crime lord due to its lack of structure and functionality. It was the perfect, clandestine meeting spot. You recounted every word, detail, every bit of information in your head and shifted through each of the files you had organized in your head. Your feet pacing were the only thing that could be heard as you but your thumb while thinking. You checked the time, impatience and uneasiness tugging at your gut, the sound of footsteps making you turn a little too quickly towards them.
“You’re late.”, you said.
“You didn’t exactly make this spot easy to find.”, he retorted as he walked up to you, the distance only a few feet between the two of you. “The message you left for me was cute enough though.”
You’d blown up another one of his satellite locations on the outskirts of the city. Leaving a carefully planted code with a message attached on one of his shipments you knew only he could find. You knew it’d be a 50/50 chance of him showing, but you liked the odds anyway.
The silence suddenly laid over the both of you like a blanket, causing the tension to rise a bit but left more of an awkward silence than anything. The silence was necessary to help you collect your thoughts but also annoying as it made your anxiety eat at you.
Your eyes stayed trained on him, your guard down as you contemplated even asking him to meet you here.
“I-“, you stopped yourself, trying to swallow your pride. “I want you to tell me what you know about Sionis keeping tabs on me.”
You heard a deep chuckle escape him, his arms crossing as he stood tall, confident in himself and entertained by the fact that you were choosing to believe him. There was an obvious blend of distrust and reluctant cooperation. He’d never expected you to accept the intel he’d share.
“Tell me why you hate him”, he said with a firmness that left no room for you to reject his ask.
You hesitated, your guard slipping just a fraction. “It’s personal. I have my reasons.”, you said through clenched teeth. You met his gaze, your eyes hardening. “Leave it at that.”
“You give me information, I give you yours. Otherwise, figure it out on your own”, why did he always make everything much harder than it needed to be?
His words rang around in your head, you didn’t have time for this or his games. You needed answers, an in that Sionis would never know you had.
“Four years ago, I was barely getting into the Gotham Crime Ring. I was stealing from one of his jobs and he found me. He had his men beat me half to death before dumping me in the back alleys of Gotham. I nearly died before Penguin found me. I was weak, small, and Sionis doesn’t even fucking recognize me.”
“But you’re still trying to dismantle his empire”
“The only way I know how. From working on the inside.”, you confessed. “Now there isn’t a day that son of a bitch doesn’t try to get me to try and prove myself to him and his cause. As if I answer to him and not Penguin.”, the hate was evident in your tone, the disgust you had towards him burning deep inside of you as you fixed your gaze to the ground.
“So you’re risking getting caught.”, your eyes held a level of vulnerability in them that made Red’s walls falter before regaining his composure. “Gotham’s taken a lot from me. Forced me to give my old life for this one. This isn’t about taking out Black Mask. It’s much bigger than that.”
In that moment, the both of you shared a rare instance of mutual understanding.
“Sionis hired one of his men to follow you on the jobs your pig of a boss has been sending you on. He’s been watching you since the building fire.”, Red retorted, his arms still crossed as he took you in. You were wearing leggings and an oversized sweater that fell off your shoulder. Your hair was down and tucked behind your ears, your eyes full of confusion, distrust, vulnerability. It made something inside of him soften despite himself. “I found the son of a bitch.”
“Did you throw him off with a false lead or plant information?”
“No.”, he said seriously. “I killed him.”
Your eyebrows furrowed, the emotions swirling inside of you at his confession. He covered your tracks by getting rid of the person tracking you. No intel to make it back to Sionis, no suspicion raised about your loyalties or why you’d failed to kill Red.
The shuffling of his feet made your head snap to him again, watching as he turned to walk away before you called out to him. He turned to look at you, the silence elongating with each passing second.
He had killed Sionis’ informant…
Sionis had hired someone to track you all because you hadn’t caught Red yet. Were there others? Did he have other informants looking into different jobs you had been doing or was it just the one?
“There isn’t any others if that’s what you’re wondering.”, Red’s voice sounded as you clenched your jaw. There was a knawing sensation that ate at you from his confession and a part of you wondered why he’d even consider a task like helping stop information that could expose you to Sionis. It would remove you entirely from the equation and make everything easier for him to achieve.
“How do I know you aren’t lying.”, she narrowed her eyes at him, waiting for a crack in the lie that you wanted the truth to be so badly and yet he further proved he was telling the truth.
He threw a device at you with a badge attached to it, your hands gripping the receiver and noticing it was the same technology that Sionis Industries mass produced for all of Sionis’ close men that did the underground work for him whenever he needed, The badge had two photos in it, one of the man who was hired to follow you and the second being a photo of the same man decapitated.
“I’m not your enemy, Y/n.”, his voice was so deep you could feel the vibration flow through your body and left you with a sensation in your chest that you couldn’t quite place. You wanted to believe when he said he wasn’t the enemy, but in reality he was. He’d infiltrated a majority of Penguin and Sionis’ operations, has killed more men in the underground than you could count, he was constantly after you and taking any open hit to get rid of you, he would further prove your disloyalty in letting him go time and time again even if it was unintentional. Yet, he stood here telling you about the informant, getting rid of them and in turn saving you from having to face whatever abuse Sionis would bring on to you for not following simple orders. Orders if disobeyed by anyone else would’ve resulted in their death a long time ago.
“I know you don’t trust me, but you’ll figure out why this is happening sooner than later. I’m helping keep you out of trouble Out of his line of fire. Out of everything.”, his voice had softened slightly, the edge no longer present.
Your breathe came out ragged, your eyes filled with confusion and disbelief. She couldn’t trust his word, couldn’t take his side over Penguin’s. It wasn’t a pill she wanted to swallow or a reality she wanted to face, yet the proof was right in front of her. The photo, the device, the badge confirming employment through Sionis.
“I’m not here to hurt you… not anymore.”, he said finally before he turned, slipping into the shadows as you stood still examining the items and being left with your thoughts. As the echo of the night slowly faded away, you were left with the grappling realization that Red wasn’t her enemy anymore, and Sionis wasn’t an ally to Penguin.
When did the tables turn so quickly?
When had he become the ally and the business partner to your boss the enemy?
Sionis had always been your enemy, but his partnership with Penguin allowed you a certain level of immunity from him. Now, it didn’t seem like Sionis was following that code of business anymore.
Red… he was a puzzle you couldn’t solve, and being in this world of crime, it made him the most dangerous thing of all.
Could you trust him?
There were times that you wondered if any of your jobs would ever go on the right track, if you could make it through just one night since meeting Red without being stuck in an impossible situation or have him fuck everything up while you tried getting the intel you needed.
The blood in your veins pumped through you and roared in your ears as you ducked behind a crumbling brick wall, the distant sound of gunfire echoing through the air. You tried looking around the corner to find an out, anything to get out of the shitshow Red had created.
You grit your teeth, narrowed eyes focused on Red as he shot towards the men, your path blocked by their pointless shoot out.
“Hey! If you’re done playing with your friends I would love to leave!”, you yelled at him as he threw himself behind a pillar and tried getting out of the shooting range.
“Sweetheart, I’m glad you want my attention, but I’m a bit busy trying not to get killed”, he shouted back as he shot back at the men on the other side.
This was pointless, you needed to get out. Your frustration reached its boiling point as you tried to slip away on your own, trying to find even the tiniest opening. Once the bullets stopped for a split moment, you quietly slipped through, the moment short lived as you heard the sound of a lone gunshot ringing out and buried itself in your shoulder, throwing your body in the ground as you let out a cry of pain.
“Y/n!”, you heard Red’s call after you as he took better aim, two of the men immediately falling. You body lay on the ground, the blood pouring out of you as you tried to push pressure on your shoulder. This was the second time you’d been shot in the shoulder, both times thanks to Red.
Your vision started to haze, your head spinning from the pain. Regardless, you couldn’t stay in one place, you tried to push yourself out of the way and drag yourself out of the line of fire. Before you could even move, Red tan over to you, his hands helping pick you up as he moved you to the other side, a slight sign of movement tipping him off as he turned and shot the last of the men, the body limping as it fell hard on the ground.
“Y-you..”, your anger slowly melted away as the grip of his hands stayed on you, making your skin burn in embarrassment. You grit your teeth in pain, your pride wounded just as much as your shoulder.
“Relax”, he muttered.
“You try fucking relaxing with a bullet in your shoulder!”, you spat back in annoyance. His body language changed from helpfulness to frustration at your stubbornness, trying to relax as he laid you down on the ground.
You glared at him, watching as he pulled out bandages and a small, collapsible version of forceps.
“This is gonna hurt.”, he met your eyeline, handing you a piece of fabric to bite on.
“Whatever, just get it over with.”, you laid against the small wall, your head leaned back as you felt the pressure build in your shoulder, your own blood running down your arm as he carefully inserted the forceps. You clenched your teeth in pain, feeling the flesh move around as he slowly tried to remove the bullet.
Anesthesia would be ideal, but being in field and completely caught off guard made it impossible. Red focused, trying his best to ensure the pain could end sooner than later, the sound of your painful grunts made him work faster.
The twitch in your leg made him focus more, applying pressure to try and stop the bleeding. The sting of the bullet burning you from the inside, lifting your arm to cover your mouth to try and keep from screaming. The white burning pain left you in overdrive. You’d been shot before but removal was always done with you under anesthesia or being completely knocked out so Penguin's doctor could work. This was a pain you never wanted to experience again.
Red finally managed to remove the bullet, luckily all in one piece. He quickly applied the small bottle of alcohol on the wound to keep it from getting infected before wrapping it in bandages. Your chest heaved as you tried to catch your breath, the shakiness making Red wonder if you’d pass out from the pain.
“Y/n”, he watched as your eyes dropped, tapping your face slightly to get you to snap back to attention. “Y/n.”
“What?!”, you snapped, your body full of irritation and frustration. How many more hits could your pride take before you started to look pathetic?
“You need painkillers”
“I don’t need shit.”, you muttered, forcing yourself to stand as you reached into your utility belt, pulling a small dial and twisting the cap to reveal a needle. Red watched as you shoved it into your arm, the relief from pain sweeping over you in a sweeping sensation.
Red’s eyes narrowed, watching you as your breath evened out and your body relaxed. A wave of relief helped you focus, orient yourself back to reality as you turned and watched Red’s narrow gaze.
“Drugging yourself up now?”, he retorted.
“It’s a pain inhibitor.``, you forced as you tried rolling your arm to lessen the soreness. You hated using it but you were desperate, it wouldn't last forever and the after affects would leave you sore but at this moment, you couldn't care about those affects. You needed to get home, away from him and his chain of bad luck. The shot gave you enough leeway to get home and take real pain killers. This would only last for a short time, often used whenever you were too far from home or the Lounge to get actual medical assistance.
You shot him a final glance, turning and walking away as he rose to his full height, his stature still overwhelming as he stood a good foot, foot and a half over you. In any other circumstance the obvious power difference would have done something to you, would’ve built a pressure in your gut but right now you couldn’t bring yourself to care about his presence.
You started to walk away before feeling his hand clamp on your wrist, your annoyance eating at you. You did not want him near you right now.
“I have a job proposition”
Oh, now he was getting fucking bold.
Your eyes snapped towards him, narrowing and staring daggers at him. His silence giving an edge to his statement. You didn’t care if he was serious, he could go fuck himself. You pulled your hand out of his grasp as he stepped forward.
“Work with me.”, he reached for you again, but you turned quickly, kneeing him in the gut and slamming his head down against your knee in one other movement. He grunted as you pushed him back and swung your leg around, snapping his head to the side as he fell, pulling out your knife before forcing him to the ground, your teeth clenched in anger.
“You get me fucking shot and now you think you have the right to ask me dumbass questions?”, you spit out as your arm burned slightly. He grunted underneath you, his body moving slightly before you leaned down.
“Why would I ever agree to work with you”, you spat at him, your knife digging further into his neck, a small trail of blood trailing down the side. You had venom in your voice but the sound of his Jericho 941 connecting to your temple and being cocked echoed in your ears. The barrel was cold, giving you a rush of adrenaline being on him like this.
Red’s eyes squinted as his gun remained connected to your temple, your body still on top of him as your legs held down his arms and your hands stayed trained on the dagger you held to his throat. It was a compromising position, but one move from either of you would result in both of you getting killed. A double murder at the hands of each other.
What a glorious yet lame way to die.
“I can offer you something with this that you’ve always wanted, sweetheart.”
You leaned in, your face getting close to his, the gun still cold against your head. “And what’s that, Red?”
“Your freedom.”, his distorted voice whispered, your eyes narrowing at him as you watched his hand lower, the gun falling to the ground as he uncocked it. “You do this job with me, I’ll give you a 50/50 cut.”
You stared at him, trying not to let the shock be evident on your face. You slowly moved your body back, your legs rubbing against his causing friction between the two of you. You loosened your grip on the dagger and put it back into its sheath. Why would he hold this over your head like some trap?
“What are you after? How do I know you’re not playing me for a fool?”
Red started sitting up, his body weight on his elbows and forearms as he looked up at you, meeting your eye line. “A couple million is more than enough for anyone to live comfortably. I want to do this to get a direct hit at Black Mask’s operation and under the table trades with the Black Market. You hate him and I’m trying to dismantle him one piece at a time just like you are. If we steal and sell one of his most valuable possessions, you get the money to leave Gotham like you’ve always wanted. Set our differences aside, steal the target, get our payout. We both live to see another day and go our separate ways.”
“You’re a con-man. The enemy. I don’t trust a single thing you have to say.”, you pushed yourself off of him, standing as you took a few steps back, letting yourself think about his bogus offer. You worked for Penguin, not Black Mask. You had been trying to find ways to get a straight hit at Sionis without outing yourself. Could this son of a bitch be your answer?
“Have I not shown you I’m not your enemy.”
You turned to look at him, your hair blowing in your face as you stared at him with narrowed eyes. You watched as he stared at you, the white sockets of his helmet moving slightly. You crossed your arms to try and cover your body from his wandering eyes.
“How do I know you’re being serious and not planting this meeting so you can out me later on for agreeing to work with you?”
Red walked towards you, his body seeming bigger due to the weapons he had on him and the thickness of the kevlar plates covering his body head to toe. He stared at you as he held out a small flash drive, waiting for you to take it.
“This has everything you need to know about what I’m trying to do. It should prove how serious I’m being about this.”, his voice broke as his filter cut in and out, making him sound even more ominous than usual. “Besides, anyone who’s anyone in the underground knows that you’re one of, if not, the smartest person to have on your side when trying to orchestrate a heist. Especially one at this caliber.”
You furrowed your eyebrows, slowly taking the drive out of his hand before examining it. It was standard, easy to plug into your off grid computer and not be traced. If it had some sort of virus, you’d already programmed your computer with an anti-virus to delete anything and everything off the drive.
“I’ll think about it.”, you said, still holding his gaze.
“Good. I look forward to your answer sweetheart.”, you watched as he turned, walking to the ledge of the building before jumping off the side and going down into an alley, likely where his motorcycle was hidden for an easy getaway. You followed suit, heading back home as you held the drive in your hand, the questions swirling in your head. As you reached your apartment you quickly changed into loose clothing, letting yourself get comfortable before taking some of the pain killers you had in the cabinet.
You grabbed the blanket off the couch and pulled your laptop onto the table, opening it before connecting the hard drive into the USB on the side. The file window opened, showing the file size and the name.
‘Josephine’
You felt a tug in your gut at the name. There was no way.
You leaned forward, your elbows on your knees as you watched the file download onto your laptop. Your heart pounding in your chest. He wouldn’t be so crazy to pull something suicidal like this…. Would he?
Your eyes focused on the screen as everything poured in. Blueprints, camera locations, attendance lists, background checks, security measures, charity dates, gala notices, lists of every major possession in the building, bank information, possible outliers, anomaly situations, emergency exists, car information, hidden passages, even valet service and the company that would be in charge of the event. Your eyes widened as you skimmed through all the information like a hawk.
You slouched back into the couch. Your blood rushing through your ears as you soaked in every bit of information, your brain overwhelmed by how deep he’d done his research.
He was serious.
He was insane.
Out of every encounter you’d ever had with the Red Hood, this would be the most insane thing he could possibly think of. All this just to get at Black Mask? A part of you had to commend him for being so cocky and having the balls to believe he’d pull something at this caliber off.
He’d escaped a burning building and a massive explosion, being taken on and hunted by all of Gotham, being chased down and shot at, being forced to fight 10 men all at once. He had come face to face with Batman and Nightwing, Black Mask’s men, Penguin’s men, and you. A series of misfortune and yet he'd come out alive every time.
You physically felt your stomach turn at the information in front of you. Your heart pounding as you brought a hand to cover your mouth slightly.
That son of a bitch.
He was fucking lowballing.
He wasn’t doing this for a couple million.
He was doing this for a $48.4 million diamond.
A/N:
Hi guys! This chapter was probably one of the most difficult to write since it's mainly a little bit of filler to move and transition into the Gala chapter, which I have planned and get things moving and picked up! I truly do hope that you guys are enjoying this and if you do I would love to see your comments and feedback! I truly do thrive off of feedback and seeing everyone love on this series even if it is only starting out!
Also, I have been rewatching Attack On Titan and wonder if you guys are also anime or AOT fans, if you guys would be interested in a Royal!Reader x Criminal!Levi Ackerman series once I'm done with Playing with Fire?
I've had the idea for years. I remember writing a series on DeviantArt wayyy back in the day and plan to revamp it! Let me know if that's something you guys are interested in and I've also already received a good amount of feedback from other users on here.
Sorry for the long note but I hope you enjoy this chapter and I can't wait for next week! See you then, xx.
#jason todd x y/n#dc jason todd#jason todd fanfiction#jason todd x reader#jason todd angst#jason todd x you#jason todd#jason peter todd#dc dick grayson#dc tim drake#dc batman#dc comics#dcu#dc universe#red hood#red hood x reader#red hood x y/n#red hood angst#batboys#batman#nightwing#dick grayson#tim drake#bruce wayne#enemies to lovers#forbidden romance#dc x reader#dc x you#dc x y/n#jason todd imagine
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Invisible String - Jake Kiszka x f! Reader - Chaper One - Series
You’re just a small town girl who always had big dreams of living in Nashville. You hoped your music would get you out of your hometown, and your dreams were finally coming true. You knew you had your best friend, your music, and a new guitar to take you through the new life ahead of you. What you didn’t know was what and who this new adventure would bring you. Used to beach town life, could you adjust to the big city and the big names attached to it?
Warnings : None this chapter :)
Authors Note : This is something I’ve had in the works for a little while now. I hope you enjoy this series. Please let me know if you have any suggestions, or if you’d like to be added to a tag list! <3
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You couldn’t believe it was actually happening. After years of coffee shop shows, bar performances, and the occasional birthday party or wedding, you were finally moving to Nashville. A dream since you were just a kid, stuck in a small beach town tucked away in the outskirts of Washington. You’d saved every penny from your gigs, giving guitar lessons to the neighborhood kids, and everything you could spare from your 9-5 paychecks. You checked your bank account religiously, waiting for the day you’d finally saved enough. All you needed was a few months rent, and the money to put gas in the U-Haul, yours and Cam’s home for the 36 hour drive.
Cam had been your best friend since middle school. An absolute force to be reckoned with at your dodgy little public schools. You trusted her with your life, and believe me when I say there were plenty of times you’d gotten in enough trouble to prove you could. The day you told her you’d started saving to move, she started saving too. She told you that you'd have a piece of home with you down in the south, and she couldn’t bear the idea of not seeing you all the time. You thanked God every day since. You couldn’t imagine not living side by side with her either. So the two of you packed everything you owned into a little U-Haul, and drove away from the only place you’d ever known. Away from your families and friends who all waved and cheered you on as you pulled out of the driveway.
“I can’t stop laughing, oh my god y/n. I can’t breathe. Why were they waving us off like it’s the ancient times and we’re setting sail on the Titanic or something?” She was cackling in the passenger seat, resting one hand on her stomach as she fanned herself with the other.
“Camille, be nice. They just love us.” A chuckle leaving your mouth as you merge onto the highway. You slide your phone to Cam across the bench seat and tell her your passcode. “Put our playlist on. I’m not driving all day without music, you freak.” You roll the windows down and step on the gas as Journey begins to spill from the speakers.
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Day three of driving, your last day. The two of you had fought about pretty much everything, music, who was driving, what hotel or motel you’d sleep in, what was for lunch or dinner. There were good times too, though. Sightseeing, weird rest stops, having to pull over on the highway so Cam could pee because she absolutely couldn’t hold it in until the next bathroom (something you’d be sure to tease her about for the rest of your lives). None of that seemed to matter when the U-Haul was finally parked in your new driveway. A small 2 bedroom brick home stared back at you as you started unloading your things, the emerald green door waiting for your keys.
“Hey C, I think we should unpack everything and then I can go return the U-Haul. I wanna get it over with sooner rather than later.” Yelling across the lawn, she agreed. You quickly passed boxes to her, not that there were too many in the truck. Finally empty, you and Camille headed inside to start unpacking boxes. You got your room set up enough to sleep in tonight, and told Cam you were headed out to return the U-Haul. You pulled out of the driveway, your favorite song playing as you turned out of the neighborhood, that is until your phone started ringing. Oh great, it’s your mother.
“Hi momma, we just got to the house! We’re finally home.” Your mother was so excited for you to get out of Washington, even if it meant being almost across the country from her.
“Hi baby! I’m so glad you girls made it safe. I just wanted to call because I have a gift for you.” Your mom couldn’t help but let out a choked sob. “You worked so hard to get out there, you saved so much money. Your dad and I wanted to get you something special.”
“Mom, you’ve got me worried. Why’re you crying?”
“Nothing wrong, y/n. We saved up some money for you to get a new guitar. A special one for your new life, in your new town. I just transferred you the money, my love.”
“We’ve never been more proud to be your parents.” Your dad chimed in, the pride and sadness of your move evident in his voice.
Tears streamed down your face as you thanked them, and promised to send pictures when you picked out your new guitar. You wrapped up the phone call, thanking her once more, right as you pulled into the U-Haul parking lot. You paid for your rental, and called an Uber, deciding to have it take you to a small local guitar shop. Ramblr’s Music. Repairs, sales, lessons. On top of getting a new guitar, who knows. Maybe you could score a job there.
A silver Honda pulled up next to you, and confirmed they were your Uber. As you slid into the backseat, you heard the music. A major guitar solo was playing, and it was stunning . Leaning forward and squinting your eyes you could see what it was. Greta Van Fleet. You made a mental note to check them out later, and made small talk with the Uber driver until you found yourself walking up to the little music shop. You’d barely been in Nashville five hours, and your life would already never be the same.
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You’d been perusing the guitars for over an hour, but none of them felt right. You knew they were fine instruments, they just weren’t your dream guitar. They weren’t a vintage Les Paul SG. You’d wanted one for years, since you’d taken your music seriously. The shape, the sound. Something so classic and beautiful that the modern re-releases just couldn’t quite compare to. Fully knowing it was out of your budget, you decided to ask someone anyway. You found yourself walking toward the desk, a short kid maybe 17 standing there on his phone.
“Hey, I’ve been looking around and I don’t see what I was hoping to find. Do you maybe have any Les Paul SG’s? Maybe one in the back, or do you know where I could find one? I’m new in town and don’t really know where to look.” You let out a small laugh, immediately feeling out of your element.
“Actually, yeah. We’ve got one in the back that I guess has been on hold or something but it’s been weeks and the guy never came to get it. It’s in a case and everything, too. Let me go get it.” Popping his gum as he walked away, your heart was pounding. Were you actually about to buy your dream guitar? Something about Nashville was proving to be magical.
He came back, a busted black leather hard case in hand. “Here, look it over. I think it's a ‘61 but I could be wrong. Just started working here last week.” The clasps clanked as you pulled them up and off, finally lifting the lid to the case. There she was. A beautiful cherry stain on the wood, new strings and a crack down the bottom half of the guitar, only adding personality and proof the instrument was well loved prior to you. You carried the guitar over to an amp, plugging it in and sitting on the stool. You wrestled to figure out what song to play, finally deciding on one of the songs you’d put time into learning. Nothing Else Matters, your fathers favorite Metallica song. You’d spent hours learning to play it for him, and could remember the tears in his eyes when you finally showed him. A fond memory you now shared with your dream guitar. God, it played like perfection. You knew there was no way you’d walk out of this store without the cherry red beast.
You walked back to the counter and safely secured the guitar into the case after taking a photo. The new kid checked you out, enabling a purchase you probably shouldn’t have made. You ordered an Uber, and slipped into the backseat with your new baby.
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Jakes POV
Tour had been beyond exhausting. You loved playing, you loved the fans, you loved seeing the different states and countries. The only thing you loved more? Being at home, in bed with some popcorn and whiskey, watching a documentary on pirates. Especially on a fine Wednesday night such as this. Finally rolling out of bed for the first time in hours, your slippers pull you down the stairs and into the kitchen in search of food more filling than the snacks upstairs. Regrettably, you hadn’t gone grocery shopping in some time, simply surviving on what was left in your pantry before you left on tour. A groan leaves your chest as you trudge back upstairs. Slipping on your favorite blue jeans and a button up, you find your car keys and make your way to the jeep sitting in your garage. You decided that while you were out, you might as well run the rest of the errands you’d been neglecting in lieu of alone time.
Your favorite playlist queued, and sunglasses pressed to your face, you pulled out of the garage and headed off to Ramblr’s. Your beloved guitar had taken far too much of a beating this last leg, and a crack appeared down the body. You had held her together for the last few shows using some electrical tape, the best thing you could get your hands on while on the road. On the way home from the airport, you dropped your guitar off to be repaired, only trusting Scott, the store owner, to repair your precious cargo. You rolled your car windows up, and hit your vape one last time before getting out and heading to the building. The second the shop doors opened, an uneasy feeling washed over you as the sounds of Scott screaming at some teenager filled your ears.
“Are you fucking stupid, or are you dumb Jeremy? No, you know what you are? Fucking fired. Get out of my shop!” Scott pushed over a small display of guitar straps and stomped off, leaving who you assumed was Jeremy in a crumpled sobbing mess on the floor. You walked over to him, and crouched down.
“Hey, Jeremy. Whatever’s going on, it’ll be okay. I’m Jake, and I’ve known Scott a real long time. I’m sure he’s just having a rough day. Let me go talk to him.”
Jeremy looked back at you in horror, and pushed himself away. “I’m so sorry sir. I’m so sorry.” He picked himself off of the floor, and bolted outside, not even bothering to collect his personal items or clock off. You weren’t sure what happened, but you knew it couldn’t be good.
You made your way to the back, where Scott’s office was and tried your best to mentally prepare yourself for whatever shit storm he was about to drop on you. You cleared your throat, and Scott’s eyes shot up to meet yours. His appearance disheveled, and tears of frustration threatened to fall down his face.
“Ah, shit. Hey kid. Come in, have a seat.” He motioned to the chair across from his desk. You shuffled over, and pulled the chair out before sinking into the plush cushion. He avoided eye contact with you, which was very unusual. You also noted him picking at his nails, something he did when stressed.
After a few minutes of silence, you decided to bite the bullet. “Give it to me straight, Scotty. What the hell is going on?”
His head dropped in shame, and he took a deep breath before shakily answering you. “Jake, that stupid new kid. He sold your guitar.”
Your blood ran cold, and suddenly all you saw was red. “Scott you’re fucking joking, right? Don’t fuck with me. Bring me my guitar.”
He shoved the paperwork towards you, all of it showing the colossal fuckup Jeremy had made. “I wish it was a joke, Jake. But the kid sold her off to some girl who came in a few hours ago. I don't even know how he screwed this up so bad.”
You ran a hand through your hair, and sighed. “Make me a copy of this. I’m gonna go find her.”
”I already tried the number Jake. She wont pick up.”
You stood from the chair and looked down at him. “Scott, just make me a damn copy.”
He left the room, and came back with the papers for you and continued to apologize profusely as you walked out of the store. The rain soaked your clothes as you walked to the car, your breath visible in the cold weather.
The paperwork told you basically nothing. Just her name, and an out of state phone number. The kid didn’t even fully fill out the sale paperwork, leaving the address and email slots bare. You got in the car, phone number in hand and hoped and prayed that she hadn’t left town. That guitar was your prized possession, the best gift you’d ever received. You’d been beyond floored when the Chicago Music Exchange let you have it, free of charge. And now, you had no idea where she was.
You took a shaky breath, and dialed the number. It didn’t even ring. You’d immediately been sent to voicemail, and the default one at that. You brought your hands to your face, and rubbed your eyes. How could Scott let this happen?
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End of first chapter <3
TAGLIST : @hollyco @literal-dead-leaf @anythingforjtk @do-it-jakey-baby @eternal-life94
#greta van fleet#jake kiszka#sam kiszka#josh kiszka#danny wagner#greta van fleet fan fiction#greta van fleet fic#jake kiszka fic#jake kiszka smut#jake kiszka x reader#jake kiszka x y/n#greta van fleet smut#jake kiszka imagine
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The Bowlhats find out...
(Based on @brokentrafficknight Rwby one piece au)
Jaune: *looking at Raven* Yeah well... what the hell are you doing here?
Raven: I've been living in that castle for quite some time... What brings you here?
Jaune: That would be because of your seven warlord pals, Hazel sent the whole crew flying!
Raven: I see, that explains things then... bowlhat was with a different crew at Vytal.
Jaune: *shocked* Hold on, did you see Ruby!? Is she alright!? What was she doing!?
Raven: She should still be alive, however... when she left the battle, she appeared to be severely traumatized
Jaune: Why's that?
Raven: Don't you know? Her sister is dead
Jaune: *Shocked*
~~~~~~
Penny: *Growling as she's looking at a picture of Yang's corpse*
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Juniper: *Shocked as she holds the newspaper* It can't be!
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Cinder: *In Vacuo in shock* And you're certain that's true?
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Mercury: *in a dress in Patch* I... can't believe it...
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Ozpin: *reading the newspaper* Oh no!
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Neptune: *Fat* No way! Really!?
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Emerald: *Also reading the paper in shock* How can this be happening...
~~~~~~
Jaune: I can't... believe it...
Raven: Fire Fist Yang died... right before bowl hats eyes
Jaune: *Angry and disappointed in himself* 'Ruby...!'
PJCMONE: 'RUBY!!!'
#rwby#rwby x one piece#rwby au#rwby ruby rose#emerald sustrai#jaune arc#neptune vasilias#mercury black#rwby juniper#penny polendina#cinder fall#raven branwen#one piece#headmaster ozpin
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Hairstyle swap
#pokemon#penny#Rebecca#penny pokemon#pennyposting#oc x canon#emerald stardust shipping#emerald adventurers#my art
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My Oc: UPDATE
Name: James Graves
Age: 18
DoB: March 8th
Looks:
(With Poncho, ignore the beard he'll grow it when he is older and pretend the other holster is on the other side of the hip)
(Without Poncho)
Weapons: 2 Schofield Revolvers: black and gold, black grip with Eagle envraved.
Lancaster Repeater: black and gold, black grip with an Eagle engraved.
And as for a melee, a big Hunting Knife: black blade golden skulls engraved on it and bright wooden handle (that I forgot the name of)
(Bios: James lived in a ranch with his parents near where the Arcs live, but tragic happened when a group of bandits came and killed his parents for money and then burned the ranch to the ground and with a lot of negative emotions coming from James, a pack of Beowolves appeared.
The bandits left leaving him to be Grimm food, an Alpha slashed James in his right eye but thankfully didn't blind him. The pack surrounded him when suddenly the Arc couple came in time killing the grimm and saving James.
The Arcs offered James to live with them, with nowhere else to go he accepted the offer, but before he does he buried his parents and notices a letter to him from his father along with his father's hat.
His father's last wish was for his son to be a better man and he wanted to give the hat to him as a gift. He left to live with the Arcs and sworn to rebuild his ranch and go after those murderers.)
Team: JSPN (Jaspen means Treasure) conists of James as Leader, Neo as his partner, Emerald with Penny as her partner
Both Neo and Emerald were sent to spy on James but after falling in love with him they decided to betray Cinder by telling James and Ozpin all of her plans.
Likes: Riding his horse Midnight (female black horse with white dots that look like stars, white mane and tail, white crescent moon above her nose), Spinning his revolvers, cleaning his guns, target practice with his guns, spending time with his loved ones.
Dislikes: Bandits, Murderers, People touching his hat (DO NOT TOUCH HIS HAT!!!), Bullies (especially those that bullies his little brother Jaune), Atlesians that think they are better when they're really not (He disliked Weiss at first for how she treated Jaune but she has gotten better), Mecha-shift weapons (He thinks they're too complicated for a country boy like him), Cinder, Mercury, Tyrian.
Crush(es): Neopolitan (Emerald and Penny joins this list in a bit.
Harem: Neopolitan, Emerald and Penny.
Goal in Life: Rebuild his ranch, avenge his parents and start a family of his own, and to be the Best Man in Jaune and Ruby's wedding.
#rwby oc#james graves oc#oc x neopolitan#oc x emerald#oc x penny#rwby lancaster#james graves x emerald sustrai#james graves x neopolitan#james graves x penny polendina
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gold & glitter
REQUEST → @superblysubpar, A VERY MERRY MIXTAPE ❝ i’m thinking a little rich!steve harrington, a little spicy somethin, somethin and a holiday play – spicy is right, steve takes you to see the nutcracker, but you don’t even make it to the first act • 18+ | ( 3.1k – smut with a dash of fluff, rich!steve x reader )
G O L D & G L I T T E R 🎶 the nutcracker suite, tchaikovsky
“Good evening, Mister Harrington. Miss. May I take your jackets?”
“Thank you, Charles. Did you order the MacCallan Anniversary malt?”
“Of course, sir. It is available neat here from your decanter or we can dress up however you like. Miss, your jacket?”
Squeezing your eyes shut, you opened them again expecting the finery before you to disappear into thin air like a dream, but it didn’t.
“Oh ye-yeah. I mean-yes. Yes, thank you,” you stumbled over your words as the waitstaff took your coat and disappeared behind the curtain. God, you were working overtime to maintain the same level of calm and collected sophistication that seemed to come so easily to your date.
Steve Harrington. Son of John Harrington and heir to the Harrington fortune. One with a foundation built by generations of brokers and wealth managers. Carried on throughout the years to be passed down to the eldest or, in Steve’s case, the only son.
You’d been together for over a year now, but you still weren’t used to it. This lifestyle.
Going anywhere with him meant multiple planned routes in and out of your destinations. Private cars with dark tinted, bullet-proof windows. Black American Express cards, Gucci loafers, and champagne flown direct from the Garonne Valley in Bordeaux, France.
And of course, at Christmastime, a viewing of George Balanchine's The Nutcracker from a private balcony, performed by only the finest troupe at the New York City Ballet.
You’d been to the theatre, the opera, but never like this. A suite all to yourselves, up and away from prying eyes, and upon each seat rested a pair of exquisitely golden opera binoculars for your viewing pleasure. It felt otherworldly. Lush and dark, gilded and polished. Long, red, crushed velvet curtains draped heavy to the floor and on a small table thick, crystalline tumblers sat next to a matching decanter full of only the finest single malt whiskey.
Lifting a hand, you ghosted an immaculately manicured finger around the rim of one of the glasses.
“Is it up to your standards, honey?”
The low, warmth of Steve’s voice broke your trance and pulled your gaze quick to look up at him.
“What?” you wondered aloud, still surprised at how he could ask such questions, “My standards? God. It’s beautiful.”
“Good. M’glad you like it.”
A smile tugged up at the corner of his mouth as he watched you walk to lean out over the balcony and look down at the sea of seats below. You were wearing the emerald green dress he’d bought you especially for the occasion. Made of the finest silk and fitted tight against every curve and dip of your body. Your hair swept long over one shoulder, soft skin exposed through the keyhole cut into the back. You were exquisite.
And you were all his.
Tucking a hand into the pocket of his slacks he reluctantly looked away from you and took up the decanter to pour a measure of whiskey for himself. MacCallan, single malt, from 1928 and around three-hundred thousand dollars a bottle. Lifting the tumbler he inhaled deeply and let his eyes drift shut. Worth every single penny.
“Charles,” his voice notched up in volume and the man from earlier appeared through the thick, velvet curtains.
“Sir?”
“A bottle of Dom and a chilled glass,” Steve took a drink from his whiskey and let it sit on a his tongue for a moment before swallowing it down. “Oh, and my cigar case.”
“Sir, you know smoking isn’t permitted–”
Steve hummed, a low thrum in his throat, and stepped forward toward the other man.
“How much do I pay for these seats, Charles? How much does my family pay for these seats? Since the theatre opened in 1964…I’ll let you do the math,” he took another sip of whiskey and lifted a hand to smooth down the other man’s cravat, “My cigar case.”
“Yes. Of course, Mister Harrington,” the man replied quietly, eyes glued to the cheap, shiny black plastic of his dress shoes.
Steve put on a smile, the one he gave to clients when he knew he’d closed an account, and gripped the man’s shoulder, “Good man.”
And without another word Charles was off again through the curtain.
There was no denying it, Steve’s presence always held weight. Held power. No one could tell him no. Stood in boardrooms dressed to the nines. Gold heirloom cufflinks, custom tailored jackets and Tucci de Lusso oxfords included, but this version of him was different. Somehow more and you didn’t know how it was possible.
Brunette locks perfectly coiffed. Custom black Armani suit fitted tight across his chest and shoulders. Gold signet ring with his initials engraved upon it shining up from his index finger, and damn if his ass didn’t look incredible in those slacks.
You clicked your tongue at him and fixed him with a look, closing the gap between the two of you.
“Babe, he’s just trying to enforce the house rules,” smoothing a hand up his chest, you pretended to adjust his tie as an excuse to touch him.
“Honey, you and I both know who makes the rules around here,” he drawled, his tone making you weak in the knees, and he set his glass down in favor of taking hold of your waist. His hand wide and warm on the small of your back as he ran it down the curve of your ass and squeezed, pulling a gasp from your lips.
“Steve,” you chided, no heat behind it, and he dipped down to press a kiss to your neck.
“This really is your color,” he whispered in your ear and your eyes fluttered at the sound. Pressed your thighs together as he traced a finger across your exposed collarbone. Warmth blooming in your core as he followed the hem that chased along the edge of your shoulder.
“You’ve got good taste,” you whispered back, swallowing the moan that had crept up your throat and he grinned.
“I do, don’t I.”
“Sir, your cigar cas–oh!”
Charles came back through the curtain to find the two of you pressed into each other, Steve’s nose buried in the crook of your neck. Your cheeks burned at being caught.
“My sincerest apologies, sir! I should’ve–”
“S’alright,” Steve chuckled, pulling away from you to casually take the case from the other man without missing a beat. He reached into his money clip and slipped a hundred dollar bill into Charles’ hand, “Now. That will be all. If I need anything, I’ll ring you.” The finality of his words hung in the air.
“Yes, sir. Of course, sir. Excuse me,” and with that Charles disappeared again for what you were certain, after all that, would be the last time.
“Shit,” you breathed, cheeks still bright red as you bit back a laugh.
Steve was laughing too, but no where near embarrassed, and he grabbed your hand to pull you close to his chest again as the theatre lights flickered and slowly dimmed.
“Mmm, damn. Showtime,” he murmured softly into your hair.
You felt your stomach drop at the thought of having to sit so still, and so far from Steve for three hours, but then another thought came to you. One that made your cheeks flush again and you pressed your face into his lapel, breathing in the citrusy, cedar scent of his cologne.
Pulling away just enough to meet his gaze the expression you maintained was innocent, but the look in your eye wasn’t. It was dark and needy. Warm and flickering at the feeling of his hands on your waist.
“We could freshen up first,” you suggested quietly and as Steve put your words together his pupils blew wide. Pools of black edged in gold and he squeezed at the plush of your hip.
“Uh-huh,” came out strangled and it was all he could manage. Unable to focus on anything other than rucking that silk dress up around your thighs, and without hesitation he grabbed your hand and pulled you through the thick, velvet curtains.
The corridor was empty, Charles hiding wherever he’d rushed off to, and everyone else was in their seats to catch the opening act as Steve led you the short distance down the hall.
Luckily for you, the neighboring balcony’s ticket holders had filed for bankruptcy earlier in the year and now the restrooms on this wing were exclusively Steve’s. Doors crafted from thick oak and etched with breathtaking carvings of Swan Lake and Slyphide, they were heavy enough to drown out anything happening on the other side.
Thank god.
Ignoring the men’s and women’s signs, Steve chose the closest door and shouldered into it, bicep straining against the tight fabric of his shirt as he held muscled it open. It was a hurried mess, both of you tripping into the room on the train of your dress in a fit of giggles as Steve huffed a laugh and cursed under his breath.
“Baby.”
Heels clicking on the white granite tile floor, you regained your footing and finally took in all the exquisite details of the ornate room. Wide marble slabs. Bottles of lotion and perfume that cost more than your mortage. Gold fixtures shining in the low light falling from crystal chandeliers that refracted bright shards of color against the walls.
You would have appreciated the incredible beauty of it all, but Steve. You couldn’t have cared less and neither could he.
He spun you around to face him and hooked his arms behind the backs of your legs. Scooped you up off the ground and pulled a squeal from you as you held on tight around his neck to steady yourself.
Squeezing his hold on you, he freed an arm and swept it across the counter. Knocked the soap dish clattering into the sink basin and paid absolutely no attention to the lush basket of designer hand towels that fell to the floor as he lifted you with ease onto the marble surface.
“Steve,” you protested weakly and when he notched himself between your legs you felt yourself melt under him.
His hands were everywhere. Your waist, the small of your back, fingers pressing into your cheek and pushing your hair over your shoulder to drag messy, open-mouthed kisses against the skin there. It pulled a moan from your lips and at the sound he groaned into you.
“Christ, babe. I’ve wanted to get my hands on you since you climbed into the limo. Pretty as a fuckin’ picture in this thing. So damn hot. All for me, huh?”
“S’always for you,” you half-laughed, but it caught in your throat as he slipped a hand between your thighs, “God, Steve.”
“This for me too, honey?”
He gathered a handful of emerald green silk in one hand and pooled it at your waist as the cool air of the room sent a shiver up your spine. Then he caught sight of the black lace panties hugging tight against you and sucked in a breath. Bit down on his bottom lip and looked like he might cry.
“You’re gonna kill me with these. Are you kiddin’ me? Baby. Look at this,” he babbled, just standing there not touching you and you grabbed hold of his wrist and tugged him back into you.
“Talk too much,” you murmured against his ear, running a hand through the hair at the nape of his neck and dragging your nails against his skin, “It’s all yours…Mister Harrington.”
And fuck if the dress and panties weren’t enough, the sound of your voice wrapped around his name did him in.
“Damn right it is.”
He growled as you tugged on his hair, slipped his hand back between your legs and tugged the thin fabric of your panties aside. The way he had been kissing and talking at you out on the balcony had been plenty to send you pressing your thighs together, but the way he was handling you in here had you soaked.
His fingers slipped in your slick as he felt just how wet you were and he smirked against your skin as he dragged his lips up to your jawline. Tutting softly he slowly circled your clit, his other hand moving to wrap gently around the column of your throat.
“Bet you want me to talk now, huh honey? You want that? Talk dirty to you?” his voice was barely above a whisper as his fingers slid down to press against your entrance.
You swallowed against the hand he had on your throat, your lips dropping open into a perfect little ‘o’ as you squirmed against the counter, impatient for him.
“Uh-huh,” you breathed and he smirked at how he had you wrapped around his finger, literally as he slid one into you.
“That’s my girl. I know what you like, don’t I? Give you everything you need. Take care of you, hm?” he babbled, kissing and sucking at the hollow behind your ear as he began to slide his finger in and out, in and out. A slow drag at first before adding a second finger and pulling a moan from your lips.
“Good care of me,” fell out mindlessly as he gently tightened the hand on your throat making your heartbeat thud in your ears.
“This isn’t enough though, is it? Not enough. Want me to fill you up, don’t you honey?” he whispered and you nodded, your throat too tight to speak, and god you wanted him to make you see stars.
He pulled his hand from between your legs to undo the button on his pants and tears pricked at the corners of your eyes at the loss of his touch.
“Shh, I got you, baby,” he coaxed, pulling down his zipper and reaching in to free his rock hard cock.
It sprang out of his pants without any encouragement and he wrapped a hand around it. Rubbed it against your slit as it practically cried in anticipation and as he slowly pushed himself into you it made you sucked in a rasp of a breath.
“Steve,” you begged and he moved his hand to grip your thigh.
“I know, baby.”
An inch more and he was into you up to the hilt. Filling you so much that you could feel the tip pressing against the spot only he could reach. Easing out he groaned as you clenched down on him before pushing back in and he set the pace there. A slow drag. In, out. In, out.
The wet sounds coming from you as he fucked you slowly were obscene. Made louder by the empty room, but you didn’t care. You wanted more.
“Harder,” you pleaded. He wanted it too and as he looked down at the sight of his cock sliding into your cunt he nearly lost it.
Letting go of your throat he grabbed onto your other thigh for purchase and pulled you to the very edge of the counter. Picked up the pace and started fucking you faster, the slap, slap, slap of his thighs against yours filling the air.
“Fuck, sweetheart. Feel so good. You like that? Huh? Want more?”
“More–shit. Yes, god. More, Steve.”
Your knuckles were white with how hard you were gripping the counter, moans falling freely from your lips now as Steve pushed you both closer and closer to climax. You could feel the coil tightening in your stomach as he squeezed into the plush of your thighs and your hand flew up to grab at the back of his neck.
“Gonna–ugh–come, baby. Come with me, baby,” he said through gritted teeth, jaw ticking when he clenched down, and as he rocked his hips back into you, you both came.
Your orgasm wrapped around you tight. White hot. Electric. Every inch of you buzzing and sparking like fireworks on the fourth of July and you cried out as his thrusts fell out of sync, jerky and messy as he came down.
A soft thud echoed against the tile as your head fell back against the mirror behind you, beads of sweat holding your hair messy across your forehead. Steve leaned into you, rested his head on your chest, and slowly your breaths evened out.
Your lips twitched with a smile, your hand lifting to cover your mouth as you held back a laugh, and Steve seemed to have the same thought as he chuckled against your dress.
“Someone heard us. For sure,” you finally said, voice crackly from breathing so hard.
“And? Who gives a shit. Maybe we just gave them a good idea,” Steve grinned, looking up at you from where he rested his chin on your belly.
You swatted at him, gasping as he pulled out of you to avoid getting hit.
Bending down, Steve grabbed a couple of the hand towels from where they’d landed on the tile and ran warm water on them. Quickly cleaned himself up and then took his time with you. Paid close attention to where he���d held onto your throat. Where his fingertips pressed into your thighs. Dabbed softly across your forehead and spent extra time on the mess between your legs.
You touched up your makeup and perfume, adjusted Steve's tie and hair, and when you both finally emerged from the bathroom the piece the orchestra was playing reached a crescendo and the theatre filled with applause.
It couldn’t be the end of the first act?
Steve walked you easy back to the balcony and held the heavy velvet curtain open for you. Your gilded opera binoculars were still sitting perfectly upon your seat where you’d left them and the bottle of chilled Dom Perignon was on ice along with a champagne flute – you hated whiskey.
You both sank into your seats as the orchestra began to play again and you recognized the piece and shot Steve a look.
“The party scene just started,” you whispered, “We’re not even out of the first part of act one.”
“Christ,” he groaned, grinning into his hands as he rubbed them across his face. Then, glancing over at you he grabbed his cigar box, “We can always make up for it next year. Right?”
Your eyes grew wide.
“Skip the Nutcracker?” you asked incredulously and he quirked a brow at you.
“Yeah. Skip it and we’ll go catch part two of the bathroom scene at mine,” he said giving you a wicked grin and you feigned shock, your own grin threatening to shatter your facade.
“Mister Harrington, what would your mother say?”
And the look he gave you then was the absolute definition of smug.
“My Stevie boy always gets what he wants.”
And damn if she wasn’t right about that.
#stranger things#stranger things fanfiction#stranger things fic#steve harrington#steve harrington fanfic#steve harrington x reader#steve harrington x you#steve harrington x fem#steve harrington stranger things#steve stranger things#steve x you#steve fanfic#steve x reader#steve x fem#steve harrington fic#steve harrington imagine#asks#requests#steve harrington smut#steve smut#rich steve harrington#old money steve harrington#averymerrymixtape
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So It Goes…
Jake “Hangman” Seresin x Reader
Chapter 1
A/N: This Barbie can’t stop thinking about Glen Powell!
TW: Not much, cursing, alcohol, suggestive content. Not quite smut, but close.
It's been a long time since you've been human. Since you've strayed from the well honed weapon you've been so meticulously trained to become. Always ready for the next order, the next mission, ready to die. It's never been more apparent than when you picked up the phone, heard that cold, stern voice on the other end.
"You've been called back to Top Gun."
The readiness with which you accept the order would scare you if it hadn't become so commonplace the second you signed on the dotted line. Married yourself to a military that couldn't care less if you live or die.
After all, there's always gonna be cocky youths from shitty homes eager to prove themselves. Be great, be something for the first time in their life.
You just actually managed to do it. Become great. Incredible, really. One of the most talented pilots in the Navy. So good, in fact, that you're neck and neck with the other best pilot in the Navy.
Jake fucking Seresin.
It's not as if you don't like him. He's horribly arrogant, and quite possibly the most insufferably conceited person you've ever met.
But, he's Jake. And as humiliating, practically degrading as it is, he worked on you. Stupidly well. The grins he'd send your way anytime you dared look at him. The lame one liners he'd try, the ones that'd make you smile even as you gave him endless amounts of shit for it.
The genuine moments, few and far between, when the facade dropped, when he was a person rather than a caricature.
A person who wanted you.
You'd convinced yourself it was just sexual later.
You'd reveled in the idea that it wasn't in the moment.
But it wouldn't work. It couldn't work. Not when your career hung in the balance. The one thing you'd ever built for yourself. The one thing you'd be risking to be with him. It'd be fraternization.
Forbidden.
And really, you couldn't pass it off as just sex, no matter how hard you tried. Not with the way he'd looked at you the first and last time you ever woke up in his bed. And so it ended.
Now you just have to hope to God he won't be there to start it up again.
……………………………………………………………………………………
The steps up to the Hard Deck are almost more familiar than your house's porch at this point. The creaky, aged wood beneath your boots, bowing under your weight after too many years of use.
As you walk in, the atmosphere is busy, but not uncomfortably so. Music floating from a jukebox, Penny at the bar ringing the bell to signal someone breaking one of her beloved rules. And of course, at the back of the bar bent over a pool table.
Jake.
The rest of your squadron is there too, but you couldn't care less. Not when like magnets clicking together, his emerald eyes flash up to meet yours, a grin appearing on his face as he stands up straight, propping his cue against the table.
Damn, he looks good. After years in the military, the whole "men in uniform" thing had become lost on you. Disenchanted. But...wow. His shirt is adorned with different service ribbons, all indicators of his numerous achievements.
You're even with him, something you're sure he'll manage to gripe about later.
"Vulture." He greets you with the call-sign he coined as he walks over, a smirk plastered on his face when he stops in front of you. You still remember how proud he'd been when he came up with that.
He was beside you at this very bar, leaning in as he explained it to Penny like a kid showing off a toy. "If she's in the sky, something's dead below." It was cool, you'd admit. Not to his face, of course.
"Hangman." You respond, trying to keep your voice even, dry, safe, despite the smile fighting its way onto your face.
He gives you an amused look, leaning against the wall beside you and staring down at you, his eyes dancing across your face like they can't pick a feature to focus on. "You know, sweetheart, you could muster up a little more enthusiasm."
You roll your eyes at the pet name, trying to come off annoyed. Yet, the smile wins over, spreading across your face as you look up at him. "Give me a reason to." You quip back, falling into a pattern with him as simple as breathing.
"We're friends, aren't we?" He asks, but he knows that's putting it simply. Overly simply. The layers to your relationship are innumerable, each different, half of them contradicting each other. Friends, co-workers, competitors... and something more. Something you're not sure there's a word for.
You're not willing to use the one that seems to fit. Four letters and dangerous.
"Is that what we're calling it?" You ask before you process that you shouldn't. It's risky to even skirt the subject. Openly discuss what you're both already painfully aware of. Because he'll see it as a green light. A gleaming sign that tells him he has a shot with you.
And that, more than anything, that's what he wants. What he's wanted since he met you.
"Bending the rules?" He asks cockily, ready to swoop in, widen the gray area that you just brought up.
"No." You answer sternly, feeling like a teacher reprimanding your rowdiest student. You walk past him, hoping he doesn't follow. Denying him gets exhausting, especially when deep you, you don't want to.
He trails after you quickly, knowing you're heading to the bar before you even make the turn.
“You know, I’m more stubborn than you are.” He says as he slides into the seat next to you, each move he makes smooth, practiced, even. “I’ll wear you down.” He adds, making you snort.
“Well, since you haven’t yet…” You trail off, knowing exactly what’s coming next. You walked into it, and a small part of you did it on purpose. For the reminder. The flashback to that perfect, drunken night.
You choose not to dwell on the morning that followed.
“Didn’t I?” He asks, lowering his voice, a smirk on his lips that makes shivers run down your spine. You sigh, rolling your eyes.
“That doesn’t count.” You answer just as quietly, stiffening up a little as he leans in even closer to hear.
He just smiles, leaning back a little, shockingly trying not to draw too much attention. “No take-backs, doll.” Every word, every response from his mouth is like he’s reading from a script. Perfectly delivered, perfectly timed.
Perfect.
It’s getting hard to remember why you won’t just give in.
“You’d never let me forget it, anyway.” You grumble back, propping your chin in your hand and making certain not to look at him, not to get caught in those green eyes like a fly in a web.
He scoffs, feigning offense as he leans against the bar top, trying to get you to look at him. And since you can only be strong so long, you give him what he wants. A dazzling smile spreads across his face when you turn to him, the tiniest glimpse of a matching one on yours. “Now why would you want to? You certainly seemed to enjoy yourself.” He’s got a horribly smug look on his face as he watches your eyes widen at the brazen volume he’s speaking at.
“Piss off.” You quip back with no real anger, looking away pointedly to hide the amused smirk on your face, the blush coating your cheeks as you recall that night.
His mouth right by your ear, hot breath fanning over your shoulder as he interlaced your hands, holding you firm as he whispered softly to you.
“That’s it, baby. Let me hear ya.”
A soft kiss to your neck, then a searing one pressed to your parted lips.
“Doing so good for me. Just like that.”
The way his hands roamed over every inch of your body, carding through your hair, pulling your head back and giving him easy access to the sensitive skin of your neck. Then to your waist, like an anchor as a dent began to form where the bed frame was slamming against the wall. Your hips next, his hands staking their claim before his mouth, pressing kisses to each, slowly sinking lower down the length of your body, closer to-
You snap out of it as, similarly to then, his voice sounds close to your ear, his southern drawl more apparent the lower his voice goes.
“Reminiscing?” He asks, and you can practically hear the shit eating grin on his face. You look back to him, your faces impossibly close as he looks down at you, something more than pride glimmering in his eyes.
There’s no point in lying to him, he already knows he’s right. Besides, you’re sure he’s looked back on that night just as much as you have. Barracks get lonely, after all.
“This can’t happen again.” You say softly, hating how serious you have to be. Despising the way his face falls ever so slightly. A fracture in the act. A display of humanity, of proof that there’s something real, something tangible to this game you two play.
“We could make it work.“ He says, and the certainty in his voice isn’t just a byproduct of his ego. No, he really, truly believes it.
God, you wish you could too.
You sigh, the air around you suddenly feeling heavy. “No, we can’t.” Your voice is weak, like you’re begging him to prove you wrong. “We’re colleagues. That’s it.” You say with a finality you hate.
He just nods along, watching as you flag down Penny, ordering a drink. He quickly pulls a couple crumpled bills from his pocket, sliding them across the counter, his eyes locked on yours all the while.
“We’ve never just been colleagues, darlin’.” He says confidently. And he’s right.
You can’t take back what you did, and you certainly can’t change how you feel.
“Just…don’t make this harder than it has to be.” You say as you slide off the stool, knowing if you stay here longer, let his words make you dizzier than any liquor here, you’ll wake up in a bed that isn’t your own, and he’ll have won.
The nod he gives you says yes, but the look in his eyes speaks nothing but the truth.
The two of you could never be easy.
#fanfic#fanfiction#fanfic writer#fanfiction writer#jake seresin#hangman#jake seresin x reader#hangman x reader#jake seresin x you#hangman x you#self insert fanfiction#self insert fanfic#top gun maverick#top gun#smut
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Hey, can I request a drow!Tav who's actually very kind, has strong sense of justice and tries to help people out when she can with Astarion? It seems a bit tricky combination, but I really love your writing. 💛
I love elf-type races so the idea of a soft-spoken sweet drow is actually very interesting and I'm totally interested in exploring! Since you wrote she I'm assuming you wanted AFAB!Tav so I will be writing with she/her pronouns. Warning that there is a minor Non Consensual/ Dubious Consensual moment in the fic. I will be marking it with two stars ** so you are aware of when it ends and when it begins.
REQUEST: HERE BALDUR'S GATE 3 MASTERLIST: HERE
Request: Drow!Tav/Drow!Reader x Astarion - As Sweet As Can Be
WORD COUNT: 1795
Warnings: ANGST (Lots of it) Fluff, Some Smut (NonCon/DubCon), AFAB!Reader, SPOILERS!!!! Speak of Astarion's Lore (Including and not limited to S/A and lack of choices) and Act 1, Love and Support for my Angel Astarion 💖
As always, the goal is to keep the characters as close to their in-game personalities as possible.
People always tell you "it's so easy to just be nice". What a load of bullshit. They never could understand how difficult it was to go against your very nature at every turn. You were raised in the depths of the Underdark, fighting your way out to feel the rays of the sun on your amethyst-toned skin.
That may be why you sympathize with Astarion. You understood what it felt like to be in constant darkness because of your nature. Fighting tooth and nail for freedom, without being someone's puppet. When he tried biting you, you accepted him whole-heartedly. When he asked to drink from you, you accepted him whole-heartedly.
"I still cannot comprehend why you are so kind. They do not deserve your pity." He told you once, at the beginning of your adventure. You ponder his words, and your response.
"All it takes is one kind soul to change a person's future." You had responded. He also pondered your words late at night. He questions what one kind person would have done to change his life.
You told yourself you found a kindred spirit in Astarion, but he wonders if he too had found a kindred spirit in you.
You had saved Arabella from Kagha's viper. Despite many of your companions approving of your actions, you saw Astarion wasn't too pleased with time being wasted on a child.
"We're not getting the information we need. Should we not focus on the worms wriggling in our skulls?" Astarion said to you as you leave the inner sanctums of the Emerald Grove. You could see other companions shoot your spoilsport vampire some sour looks. You put a hand on his shoulder.
"The worms in our skulls are not going to disappear. We have time to focus on them."
"Exactly. They are not going to disappear. You may be content with turning into a mindflayer, but I have my good looks to keep!" He says loudly, earning more disapproving looks from your companions. You sigh.
"You may question my actions, but I will not let an innocent child die at the hands of a treacherous viper. We got our information, and we will find the Arch Druid Halsin. After all, he may have the answers we seek." This seems to appease him, slightly.
"Plus, you get to kill goblins." He grins at those words.
"Now you are speaking my language." You grin at him, patting his shoulder gently. You turn to your other companions.
"We will tread forward and save Halsin, then go to this Creche. I understand that these are much more stops than intended, however we must gain as much information as possible so we could get a full understanding of what is happening and how to prevent it from getting worse." Gale walks up to you and puts a hand on your shoulder.
"I will follow your lead, wherever it leads us." You smile at the human, nodding at everyone else.
Astarion can't help but scoff at Gale's actions.
It was late at night now, and everyone else was asleep. You notice a particularly antsy vampire pacing around quietly, deep in thought.
"Penny for your thoughts?" You ask him when you walk up to him. He jumps, shocked.
"Gods! You can't scare a vampire like that... I'll bite." He ends with a seductive lilt in his tone. He smirks at you as you blush, turning away.
"I am just... thinking." He answers your previous question, frowning. You see his defeated stance, and sigh.
"We're going for a walk." You decide, grabbing his hand and pulling him away from camp, nodding at Halsin as you pass. He lets you drag him until you're in the thicket of the forest, the light of the camp a dot in the distance.
"Why are we walking? Don't we do that enough?" Astarion complains to you, whining loudly. Once you have distance from the camp, you let go of his hand and continue walking.
"I think you need to clear your head." You tell him, humming a soft tune.
"The only thing I need to clear my head of is this tadpole, darling." He says quietly, following you. You find a small clearing near a river, the treeline becoming sparser and allowing the moon's light to bathe you both. You sit near the shoreline, the water lazily moving as if it was also taking reprieve. He grumbles about his clothes getting dirty as he sits next to you.
"I understand how difficult it is for you, Astarion-"
"Nothing is difficult for me. I'm perfect." He says confidently, though you can tell it is forced.
"Must have slipped my mind." You say simply. He continues his act, boasting of his greatness.
"I am wonderfully stealthy, and beautiful." You nod, smiling at him. "I can speak my way out of anything, including Gale's dreadfully boring speeches-" You giggle at his words. He smiles at you, turning to look at you.
"The world is for the taking, darling. And I plan to take it." He says with certainty.
"Are you done your speech?" You tease him, turning to look forward and watch the stars. He gapes next to you, galled at your audacity. He splutters, unable to form a sentence in shock. You laugh loudly, the sound melodic.
"I want to speak about your troubles." He turns away from you now, no longer analyzing your profile.
"All this talk is wasted on me." He whispers, frowning. You turn to look at him again, seeing his scarlet eyes focusing on the rocks below your feet.
"Nothing is wasted on you." You answer simply. His gaze snaps to you. For the first time, you can clearly read his emotions through his eyes. There is a sadness, all encompassing.
"You think I do not understand your plight?-" You look into eachother's eyes, leaning closer. "I was once Lolth's puppet, like most Drow." You turn to look at the sky now, the moon's beams illuminating your face. If Astarion did not know better, he'd think you were a fae, magical and powerful. Beautiful.
"Lolth is a chaotic goddess, blood-thirsty and uncaring. Many of my years in the Underdark were filled with loss, anger, bloodshed... betrayal. I trusted no one. I still find it difficult to trust." You say quietly. He stays silent, allowing you to continue your story. "I began to rebel. I was punished, severely. I knew at that moment I needed to go on the surface. Those years were filled with darkness... the first moment I felt the sun's rays on my skin- I cried. A century of darkness and pain was behind me. I began to follow Eilistraee, and found my path. This anger was a weapon, and I wielded it poorly. Innocent people do not deserve that. I decided to be the good I desperately needed in the Underdark." You ended, tears in your eyes. You turn to look back at him and he was closer, only a couple inches away from you. His eyes flicker to your lips before looking back up at you. He surges forward, kissing you passionately. In shock, you stay still, though your lips move against his.
**NonCon/DubCon Content Warning**
He climbs on top of you, hand going up your night clothes. You pull away when his hand grazes your under boob.
"Astarion-" He kisses your neck, lips kissing the mark he made two nights prior, when he drank from you.
"Astarion, please." He misunderstands you once more, his hand going up to touch your breast, groping it lightly. Your hands go on his chest and push him away. He falls backwards, giving you both some very needed distance. He looks broken, his gaze void.
**NonCon/DubCon Content Warning**
"This isn't right." You tell him, biting your lip. He frowns, turning away.
"I've never had someone turn me away..." He says quietly, looking down. Your heart breaks for him.
"Is this what Cazador asked of you?" You whisper, biting the inside of your cheek. He doesn't answer, but his body language is enough.
"You do not need to put up an act for me, Astarion. You are worthy and enough as you are. I do not need you for your body." You see his eyes get misty, but the tears never fall. He doesn't answer, staying silent.
"Come here, please." You tell him, lying down and spreading your arms. His gaze leaves the ground and he looks at you, before nudging himself closer slowly. He lies next to you, still not touching you.
"May I hold your hand?" You ask him softly. You turn to look at his profile, but he does not meet your gaze. He nods. You take his cold hand in yours, linking your fingers.
"I'm sorry." He whispers. You shake your head.
"I do not want you to apologize to me." You tell him. He turns to you then.
"I... I almost..." He bites his lip, unable to finish his sentence.
"Listen to me, please-" You grip his hand tighter, thumb caressing the alabaster skin.
"You are hurting. You do not deserve this. You are surrounded by darkness. Your reaction... you were conditioned to act in such a way. Did you mean what you did?" He shakes his head, his eyebrows furrowed.
"Then I will not hold it against you." He turns over, laying on his side to look at you. You turn as well, both facing one another and on your sides.
"You're too good for me." He whispers again.
"You're much more than what Cazador has made you believe you are. You aren't just a puppet. I am proof of that." You tell him. His other hand goes up to tuck a strand of hair behind your ear.
"Let us just... lay here for awhile. Look at the stars. Enjoy the freedom we found." You right yourself, laying on your back. He mirrors you, laying on his back.
"This freedom will not last... not for me." He says after a long period of silence.
"I will make sure it will." He turns to look at you. You turn to him, gazing at his beautiful features.
"200 years of pure shit. I lost all hope in anything." He says to you. You squeeze his hand, fingers still linked.
"I will kill Cazador." You say simply. He laughs loudly, his whole body shaking at the intensity.
"You can certainly try, darling." You smile at him.
"We can do it, together. You do not have to carry your burdens on your own, Astarion." He nudges closer to you, his head leaning on your shoulder.
"I will think about it." That was enough for you. You hum in acceptance, before leaning your cheek against the crown of his head and enjoying the darkness together.
Suddenly, the world didn't feel so alone.
Exploring Astarion's lore and storyline always hurts me, and I try to use it to better fulfill what I wish for him, which is growth and happiness. The scene I wrote which was noncon/dubcon is something I particularly found important to write about because I personally feel like Astarion would use sex as a coping mechanism, and is not used to people pushing him away. Abuse is a cycle, and throughout the game we see Astarion stuck in that cycle, and later on continue it (despite him thinking otherwise).
I think many people overlook the psychological layers to a character like Astarion. To write something that I feel is close to the character, I try to explore every aspect of their past and personality, especially the dark parts. I hope I was able to do so.
#fanfic#fanfiction#baldur's gate 3#bg3#astarion x reader#tw noncon#tw dubcon#astarion#fluff#angst#angst with a happy ending#talk of trauma
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