#full on laughing. last time he was shown doing that was probably as a child

[laviefantasie]

“Just A Girl” : 01

“ GOJO SATORU X PRESIDENT’S DAUGHTER READER ”

SYNOPSIS: After insisting so much, you’re finally given the opportunity to attend college away from home and feel like a normal girl. It is there that you meet Gojo Satoru, another undergraduate student, and for the first time in your life are shown what having a true connection feels like. Or at least that’s what you think…

SERIES MASTERLIST

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I never thought my life was anything but ordinary. Never did I ever think it was weird that most of my birthday parties were mostly full of adults, nor did I question why unless I was at a tea party organized by one of my mother’s friends my friends were mostly my stuff animals

It was what I had always known as a child. Even as a teenager my world were only my parents, my teacher, my nanny, and the staff that constantly followed me around.

What I never got used to? The flashes.

I roll my eyes and turn off the TV abruptly, throwing myself backwards in my king bed. Another day, another news reporter judging my image. Tale as old as time.

Grabbing the nearest pillow, I cover my face and scream.

“Miss,” a knock on the door makes me stop self- pitying, “your breakfast is served”

Inhaling, I stand up and grab my phone from my nightstand before leaving my bedroom. Outside stood Yuki Tsukumo, father’s trusting secretary that has also worked as a bridge for us whenever we are president and first daughter instead of father and daughter.

“Not ready for the day yet?”

“It’s 5:26 in the morning” I smile softly, “I’m just in time for breakfast from 5:30 to 5:50, digesting from 5:50 to 6:00, running from 6:00 to 6:30, and then showering before the real schedule begins”

“That’s my girl” smiles Yuki.

As soon as we arrive at the dining room I sit down besides my father, whose already reading through the notes sent to his iPad. My mother at his other side is reviewing her schedule for the day.

Another normal day for the Y/L/N family.

“Good morning, mom, dad”

“Morning pumpkin” smiles my father, turning off his iPad, “Ready for today?”

I nod smiling before taking a bite of the waffle in front of me. What was in schedule for today anyways?

My mom laughs softly before snapping her fingers, which makes Yuki leave my own iPad beside my plate of food. Schedule for the day already opened.

Fitting at 7:30: Alexander McQueen

Family interview at 9:00

Father’s speech at 10:00

Lunch with the vice president’s family at 12:00…

A sigh escaped my lips as I keep on reading the never ending list of things to do for the day. Most of which consisted of me smiling perfectly for pictures without moving a muscle, or speaking for the matter.

No surprise there. This had been my life the last four years and even before that, it had been all I’ve known.

The price to pay for having parents in politics.

“Do we really have to have lunch with the Zenin’s?” You groan.

Your father sighs, “They may not be the best company, but the matriarch is the best vice president I could’ve wished for. So, yes, we have to”

Your father was right and you knew that. Mrs. Zenin was probably the only good thing of that family that had only been known for corruption. She turned it all around, she even went against their sexist claims and became the matriarch.

She was someone to look up to. Her son though? Not so much. He was 100% his father, maybe only getting his mother’s looks.

“It’s the time for appearances, honey” your mother reminds you, “Reelections are soon. Once that’s over things will go back to normal”

Normal, you sigh.

Normal means new schedules to be followed to build your image. Normal means attending different events and parties according to convenience.

Normal means not normal at all.

“Miss Y/L/N” Yuki calls.

You turn to ask hear her only to see her pointing at her watch. You look at your iPad to see the time.

5:46 a.m.

You curse in your head realizing you had only four minutes to finish your still full plate of food, that if you wanted to stay on time. Which you had to.

Sighing, you clean your mouth before excusing yourself from the table.

Just four more days, you remind yourself, four more days and your new life starts. With that thought a smile graces your features and you run upstairs to start the rest of your day.

⛊ ☼ ⛉ ☼ ⛊ ☼ ⛉ ☼ ⛊

You sighed for the millionth time as you say on your bed, ordered to sit still and watch as your staff packed your belongings. One of the fantasies you had when imagining the start of your normal life was packing by yourself.

I guess that was too greedy of you.

A knock on your door snaps you out of your boredom, your father soon entering making a smile grow on your face.

“Dad!”

You run towards your father and hug him, feeling a warm envelop your chest as you feel him kiss the top of your head.

“Ready for the big day?”

“Oh, God, please don’t” you groan, “I’m starting at Magus Pugnate University tomorrow like a normal girl. Which means no grand parade!”

Your father sighs, “Do you know your mom, honey? Impossible. It’s go big or go home”

You groan out loud making your father laugh and his hold on you tighten.

“I swear I’ll scream if they play ‘Hail to the Chief’, dad” he laughs.

“Come on, let’s go” he starts guiding me to the Oval Office, “Tomorrow is a big day. Law school isn’t easy, munchkin”

“I’m ready” you assure him.

He smile, proud, “I know”

“There you are! Finally”

You both turn with guilty looks towards your mother, in her all First Lady glory, as she glares at you both.

“We don’t have all day, i thought you knew that already” she shakes her head, “Yuki start with the itinerary”

Yuki nods, smiling softly towards you before starting to list the absolutely ridiculous schedule that you had ahead of you—flying on Air Force 1, driving up to Magus Pugnate University where a parade would lead all of you to a quad for a press conference, and then, dropping you off in your university’s private dorm suite after securing it.

You were slightly annoyed as you listened. You dreamt of getting on a commercial flight and driving yourself to university where you’d settle in your dorm with a roommate as normal people do.

But you weren’t normal, and lately that was a really tough pill to swallow.

“They won't ask you about policy. They'll probably ask you about…” you zone out, “…Yaga will accompany you there to make sure everything is secured before leaving you with Sukuna, Higuruma, Nanami and Nitta with you at all times”

“W-wait, what?” You stuttered, “Not only is the Head of Security going but also the four of them? With me? And what you mean at all times? You mean the four of them?”

Your father nods, “Of course, as usual”

“Usual is me going out to events or public spaces” you continue, “I’m going to university, a private one even. A university that is very strict on who they accept. Why do I need that many security?”

“Because you’re my daughter”

That sentence is meat to make you understand. That sentence is enough for him to consider the conversation over and continue with the next subject.

The heavy weight that being the First Daughter carries is one that makes you shake under it, hoping soon you’ll crumble.

Inhale, exhale, you remind yourself.

You’re going to university. For the first time in forever you’re doing something you want. Take it a step at a time.

That night, you tiptoe all through the White House until you make it to the main kitchen. There you open the fridge and get out the Blueberry Cheesecake the Head Chef had made. With no hesitation you grab two plates, cut two pieces and serve them, before grabbing two forks.

Grabbing one of the cakes, you start eating. Moaning in delight at the flavor.

“Ugh, I lost?” You hear your father groan behind you.

“Not blaming you, mom is hard to trick”

“She’d have my head for sure if she saw us right now” he grabs his own cake and takes a bite, “totally worth it though”

“Who would’ve thought Mr. President’s weakness would be Blueberry Cheesecake?” You gasp with humor, “Have I uncovered one of the country’s top secrets?!”

You father laughs with a roll of his eyes, taking another bite off his cake.

“Excited for tomorrow?”

You nod while eating, “I really hope it all goes well”

“Why wouldn’t it?”

You play around with the piece of cheesecake you had cut, debating whether you should voice your feelings or not.

“It’s just… I’m the First Daughter, you know?” You sigh, “Loved by many, hated by many more. Hard to approach, yet never ignored. I’m anxious to see how that’ll work out at university”

“You’ll be fine”

“I know… I hope” you sigh again, “I just really want it to be fun. I want to make friend who like me for me. I want to go out, maybe drink—”

“Excuse me?!”

You laugh, “Kidding. I just want to feel like a teenager for once”

“You will, sweetheart” he kisses the top of your head lovingly, hugging you from your side, “I promise you will”

You wanted to believe he was right. You hoped he was.

⛊ ☼ ⛉ ☼ ⛊ ☼ ⛉ ☼ ⛊

“So, remember, you're just like any other American family. Whose daughter is heading off to college” you repeat again inside the limo, “Remember, today you're not just the First Lady, but you're also a mom”

Your mom frowns slightly, “I'd like to think I'm both women every day”

You sigh, “In short, you're just a proud dad. Like every other dad…watching his little girl head off to University in another state”

Your father groans, “Ugh, don’t remind me. Why did you have to choose somewhere so far away?”

“The distance did influence my decision” you accept, “But MPU is the University for law”

Your father opens his mouth to possibly fight your argument, but the limo stops and soon enough Hail to the Chief starts being played by the band.

“Show time” you mutter to yourself.

Soon enough you’re being blinded by flashes as questions are being screamed at your family.

“Mr. President, how do you feel about your only child going to school so far away?” One says.

“Well, I’m suggesting moving the nation’s capitol”

Your father’s joke makes all of them laugh, even bringing a sincere smile to your face.

“Y/N, will you miss the capital?” Another asks, “Better yet, what will you miss the least?”

Your practices polite smile is once again on.

“Uh, tough question” you laugh politely, “Not sure on what I would miss least, so I can’t answer that… but I can answer what I’ll miss the most: my friends and family. But I’m very excited to experience life as everybody else, and have the famous college experience I’ve read so much about”

Thankfully soon after that the interviews are over and your family is being guided to the place you’ll be staying.

“Nitta is at the end of the hall, Higuruma in the middle, and Sukuna and Nanami will stay at your door” Yuki explains.

It’s the third time she’s said it in the last ten minutes since you’ve arrived.

You roll your eyes and focus once again on looking over your private suite. It was stunning. Big enough for one person, already with all the furniture one may need (although that probably was Yuki’s doing since it was decorated just as you’d wish for).

“Shining Star on site” you hear Nanami murmur into his microphone yet decide to ignore it.

“Not to late to turn back” you mother reminds you softly.

“I love it” you smile, “I’m so excited! Have any of the neighbors arrived?”

“Who are the neighbors?” Your father asks.

“Ieiri Shoko across, Geto Suguru at the end, and Gojo Satoru across from him” Nanami answers, “Miss Ieri is a senior in Psychology, parents still together and strong supporters in the polls; Geto Suguru senior in Law, divorced parents who also are strong supporters, childhood friend with Gojo Satoru who is also a senior in Law. Widowed mother, well-known law firm soon-to-be heir. All of them have been born and raised here, went to the same high school together”

Your eyes widen at the amount of information given. You feel slightly uncomfortable at knowing so much from the people sharing floor with you when they don’t even know you’re here yet.

“Have they arrived yet?”

“All of them have already settled down and are currently eating at the cafeteria across the street” Nanami continues checking his phone, “E.T.A. is 15 minutes”

Okay, scratch slightly uncomfortable, this was an invasion of privacy! It’s illegal!

Well, it was information given to the president…

You shake your head, deciding to focus on anything other than the guilt swallowing you whole.

“Did you check your itinerary with Yuki?”

You frown, “why?”

“Well, there are just a few small functions…”, your mother starts, “your father and I thought you might enjoy attending”

“Uh… do I have a choice?” Your parents shake their head, “Great”

Yaga comes inside, signaling to your parents that it’s time to leave.

“Already?” You ask with a slight pout.

“As if you aren’t dying to see us get out of here” your father jokes.

“Well, the President and the First Lady, totally” you nod, “Mom and dad? Not at all”

With teary eyes your mom holds your hand, guiding you outside your building where the cars are waiting for them to escort them.

You were really doing this, you were really leaving your perfect life behind and achieving one of your dreams. You’d have a normal experience just like everybody else.

“Okay” you mom takes a deep breath, trying to stop her tears, “Remember, a full load of laundry dries faster than half a load. Always take the stairs. Don't sweat the petty things”

“Yes, mom”

“Your father will be here all week campaigning in case…” her voice breaks “If you need anything, anything, call Yuki”

You nod softly, “I will, mom. But I’ll be okay”

Your mom hugs you tightly, letting some tears fall as she kisses your head, then letting go. Next comes your father, who holds your face in his hands softly as he stares at you as if trying to engrave your face in his memories.

“I…”

You sigh, smiling at the way your father blinks faster than normally as he tries to stop his eyes from getting teary.

“Just say you’ll miss me, dad”

“I’ll miss you, munchkin” he hugs you tightly, “As soon as elections are over, we’ll have a father-daughter day. And I mean the 24 whole hours”

“In a row?” You ask laughing.

“It’s a promise. If you dare try to reject my offer I’ll just kidnap you, I can do that” you laugh at his words, “Be good and have fun, okay?

You nod and stay there as they get inside the limo. Drying the tears that had fallen from your eyes as you watch them go.

“Are you guys gonna at least talk to me?” You ask them once you start making your way back inside, “I mean, since you’ll be following 24/7”

Sukuna stays quiet, barely even reacting to your voice, while Nanamo gives you a small nod of acknowledgment with what appears to be a fond look.

“Maybe as a thank you for not choosing to major in something like premed”

You let out a laugh as you arrive to the floor of your studio, although your laugh fades as your eyes connect to the prettiest shade of blue you’d ever seen at the end of the hall. 

TAG LIST: @aishies-stuff @kouyoumarryme @mikyapixie @simbaaas-stuff @ichikanu

[airbendertendou]

NOTHING TO SEE! ♥︎ saiki kusuo

synopsis : you need to meet your tutor-of-sorts, but bring along your babysitting duties

cw : soichi , knowing junji ito lore isnt needed! , possibly ooc , mention of eating scorpions! , lowercase intended , name used instead of yn

“get down from there right now!” a clatter is heard as a bundle of nails fall to the floor. letting out a sigh, you pinch the bridge of your nose before looking up. “i don’t have time for this today, soichi. are you coming with me or not?”

pink hair is easy enough to spot as your grip on the eleven year old’s wrist tightens. soichi giggles to himself, muttering things you’re glad you don’t hear. you grit your teeth, smiling tensely at your classmate. “i’m so sorry about this.”

as always, saiki kusuo stays silent. he looks from you to the child attached to your arm and blinks. you make soichi sit beside the wall, scooting into the booth beside him as you place your bag on the floor.

you clear your throat, “last minute babysitting duties. his brother is studying for college, so i’m their last resort.” you watch soichi from the corner of your eye — he’s making faces on the window at everyone who passes by. “he listens… fairly well.”

the table goes silent as you bring your school books out. saiki glances at the child again, blinking at soichi's glare. a waitress stops by your table, flinching at every gag soichi releases — he's not a fan of sweets. you smile awkwardly again, letting out a small laugh and apologizing profousely.

"why do i go out in public with you."

as always, you tend to speak your thoughts. saiki flinches at the echo, watching as you scowl at soichi. the kid grins, mouth full of nails as he wiggles in his seat. you sigh, looking back to saiki, "i'm surprised your other friends aren't here. they usually go wherever you go."

"i managed to ditch them." saiki reads through his text book, not meeting your gaze. "for now. they'll probably show up soon."

a squeaking sound interrupts the silence. soichi is taking his pointer finger and dragging it harshly down the window. when he sees both of your eyes on him, he grins. "hehehehe—"

"soichi," you frown, but keep your voice soft, "remember your promise?"

the boy's smile falls, eyes squinting as he pouts. "behave and i'll get a treat."

"not just a treat!" you dig through your bag again, the crinkle of a wrapper hitting saiki's ears. soichi sits up straight, eyes widening and brightening. "your favorite treat."

a lollipop is in your hand, the orange color gleaming in the lights. saiki doesn't hide his disgust at the sight of it ; soichi can't hide his excitement. there's a scorpion in the candy, seemingly still twitching around the stick.

saiki takes a sip of his drink, "disgusting."

soichi hisses at the pink haired boy, “i’ll curse you! may you always find watermelon seeds in your soup!” curling against you cutely, he bats his widened eyes, looking at the lollipop before back at you. "how nice of you to bring me a treat, name!"

"an hour or two of quiet, that's all i ask."

the eleven year old agrees, seemingly purring as he lays his head on your shoulder. you let out a sigh, relaxing at his subdued state. you grin saiki's way, "it's safe to study now! so, i'm confused on this part—"

saiki is in disbelief of what he hears. the child may be calm, but his mind is running and yelling, going in circles with topics. you pop up sometimes — soichi's nicest thoughts are always about you. soichi narrows his eyes at the pink boy — there's a slew of threats and curses heading his way.

"he listens to me the most," you speak up. saiki looks to you and your gentle, caring smile. "that's why his family hired me. i just think i'm nice and he appreciates it."

that could be true. it was shown in your toughts and soichi's. your kindess and the way you listened to the boy ; the way he melted into your side and trusted you.

it made saiki kusuo feel a little warmer than usual.

——♥︎—— soichi is so so silly <3 i hope i got his character close to what it is ]: based on me watching my nephew <<3

airbendertendou © do not copy, plagiarize, repost, or translate my content on any platform. if you see my content under any other name than my own, let me know. i only have this tumblr and an ao3 account under the same name.

[emepe]

— Pairing: Eren x Reader, friends to lovers

— General info: series, 18+, modern AU, serial killer AU, smut, fluff, angst, hurt/comfort

— Summary: Fate is a tricky thing. Certain situations can’t be avoided as much as certain people’s lives can’t be kept from intertwining. With a serial killer on the loose, and unexpected relationships blooming, how will the universe intervene?

— Chapter summary: The perfect first date: food, honest conversations, and tragic news.

— Content warnings: murder, mention of child neglect, implied SA.

— Notes: Hello, everybody! Welcome to chapter 5 <3 Thank you so much to everybody who has shown support for this story, especially those who have joined the tag list. If anyone else would like to be added, lmk in the comments here or for the chapter guide, or through DMs. Happy reading!

Links: Read on AO3 | Chapter guide | Masterlist

I want to know you

“Oh my gosh.” 

Your muffled praise comes out in between chews.

Eren watches you amusedly as you swallow and wash the first bite of your taco down with agua de horchata. 

“You like it?” he grins, an endeared laugh sputtering from his lips as he watches your brows scrunch in concentration toward your meal. 

Your eyes shimmer with joy when you look up at him and nod.

For your first date, Eren decided to take you out to the food trucks stationed across town. You finally got the chance to try out the tacos Sasha and Connie raved about the night you met everybody. It was the perfect way to secure a fun time while also curing you of any leftover hangover symptoms. With the fresh air brushing through your hair and cooling your skin, and Eren as your companion, you couldn't have asked for anything better.

Eren could barely get a wink of sleep after he got back to his apartment, his excitement too much for his body to bear as he replayed everything in his head. The moment you kissed him first, when you made tea together, when he kissed you, and when you told him you liked him back. Even now, as he watches you test how much salsa you can handle in one bite, the memories keep swirling in his mind in a swoon-worthy loop.

The reality of it all still hasn't fully sunk in. He doesn't even know when you could've possibly changed your mind. It all fed into the theory that he probably didn't need to stress about it as much as he did — all he had to do was be himself. But what kind of man would he be if he just assumed you'd give into his charms no matter what? 

This moment, he thinks, is nothing but bliss.

“You're staring again,” you murmur, glancing at him through your lashes.

It's never bothered you if you're honest. Eren’s intense gaze has always been warm, always shy, and full of admiration. Even before last night, you never chose to call him out for it. It was innocent. Now that you've confessed to mutual feelings, every glance, every accidental or purposeful touch begs to be acknowledged. 

You marvel at his cute side, which makes him blush profusely and produces that boyish laugh of his each time, in place of muttered apologies or swallowed words. 

There's still an air of tension on scarce occasions when he debates which limits have been implicitly lifted after last night's intimate moment in your apartment. It's all so new, and your friendship was fairly brief. Asking if he can hold your hand, hold you by the waist, or tuck a stray lock of hair behind your ear is still a bit awkward for him.

“I can't help myself. You're just too pretty.”

It's your turn to avert your gaze shyly, your cheeks burning intensely. Of course, the compliment was more than welcome. You purposely stayed awake after he left your place to lay out the perfect attire for the occasion. A chunky beige sweater, a denim skirt, and knee-length boots were the way to go, you decided. As a special touch, a chunky silk headband adorned your head — a nod of sorts to your halo from the Halloween party.

“Your tacos are gonna get cold if you keep getting distracted,” you murmur, though a hint of a smile slips through the cracks of your stern demeanor.

“Fine. Let me stuff my mouth and shut up,” he sighs, faking a sniffle.

You laugh. 

On the other side of the park, five people watch your first date unfold before their eyes from the safety of an SUV. 

“Are you sure it's them?” Sasha asks from the backseat. Jean and Mikasa have their matching sunglasses low on the bridges of their nose as they squint at the picnic table you and Eren are sharing.

“For sure, for sure.” Jean nods. 

“No wonder neither of them replied to the groupchat,” Mikasa adds.

“We could go eat somewhere else?” Connie suggests.

Sasha instantly grumbles a fervent denial.

“I've been craving tacos since before we even got to the bar last night.”

“We could just wait them out. They're not gonna stay here forever. Eren's taking her for a drive after.” 

Jean shoots an annoyed glance at Armin through the rearview mirror.

“You knew they were coming here?” 

Armin raises both hands in surrender.

“He only mentioned it in passing when I called him last night! I didn't think we'd bump into them.”

“Maybe, we should go,” Mikasa suggests. “This feels too much like spying.”

The group watches as Eren brushes your hair out of your face when the wind picks up for a brief moment, leaving you to look up at him with a shy smile shaping your lips.

A collective aww echoes inside the car.

“So,” Eren says, smacking his lips together after a sip of water. “I have to ask you something.”

“Hm?”

“What changed your mind?”

“I already told you. You grew on me.”

From the way you avert your gaze and bring the plastic cup of water to your lips for a long sip, he can tell it's an attempt to dismiss the topic. 

He zeroes in on your face and stays that way even after your eyes meet his and read through his silent plea.

“I like how kind you are,” you finally say, voice as soft as ever, caressing his ears and pulling at his heart with every syllable.

Eren doesn't consider himself to be known for his kindness. In fact, before this very moment, it hasn't been a topic to linger in his mind. He doesn't lie awake at night thinking about how he may be perceived and what he can do to switch the narrative in his favor. But perhaps you've hit the nail on what makes Eren Jaeger so appealing beyond his looks because a genuinely kind person doesn't have to think much about being so. 

“You're… caring and strong but gentle at the same time. And you're genuinely nice to everyone, it's admirable.”

Eren's skin burns with a fever as he holds your gaze. 

“I'm actually a bit jealous,” you murmur, tearing your gaze from him to focus on your now empty plate. 

“What? Why?” 

You shake your head, refusing to answer him.

“Nothing. Forget I said that.” 

You don't have the nerve to explain your reasoning as you feel yourself shrink to half your size. It's not something one can just say — to tell someone that you wish you'd met them sooner because maybe then you wouldn't have had to spend your formative years feeling so lonely, that you would've done anything to have been handled with such care when everything was going downhill. To get drunk off of it and maybe now you wouldn't be so closed off to any attention and yet simultaneously still so desperate to be taken care of, to allow yourself to be cradled in someone's arms. It's embarrassing to display such childlike ideas — you're responsible for yourself; you and only you.

Eren's lips press into a thin line as he observes you through pensive eyes. His features soften soon enough, as he decides to retreat from crossing any boundaries.

“Do you mind if I ask one more thing?”

He raises his hands in defense when you start fidgeting in your seat.

“It's not about what you just said, I promise.”

Warily, you nod.

“When we met at Armin's party… I really wanted to get your attention.” 

The familiar wave of heat starts washing over his cheeks. 

“I thought you were pretty — even before when I bumped into you at the bakery. Then when I saw you talking to everyone and smiling, I just… I couldn't stop looking at you. And so I tried to get you to notice me too, you know? But when you said you didn't see me that way I figured I should stop trying. I thought maybe I would get over my crush and I'd be fine with being just friends. So when you kissed me last night at the bar… I kept racking my brain for what I could've done to make you think of me differently.”

Running a hand through his hair, he sighs, the heavy exhale ending in soft shy laughter.

“I'm just curious, that's all. I swear I wasn't trying to get you to look at me anymore.”

A moment passes by in silence after his admission. He waits patiently, his gaze bouncing from your face to his hands, to nowhere at all, and back to you.

“It's a little embarrassing,” you begin.

“I want to know.”

“You remember when we both went to Armin's apartment? When he got sick?”

He hums, encouraging you to continue.

“You were moving around his kitchen, making him soup and tea. And then you sent him to his room to make him rest.” 

You bring a hand up to cover your face, much too shy to give him a full view of your meek expression as you continue speaking.

“You were so stern but gentle. I might’ve felt something that day.”

Pride swells in Eren's chest as the butterflies stir frantically in his stomach and his cheeks flare with heat. 

“Then the day we went apple-picking. When you took care of me after I got hurt?”

He nods when you glance up at him briefly to make sure he's still paying attention.

“That's the day I realized I liked you.”

His attempt at biting back a grin fails miserably and he finally gives in to the thrill produced by the new information. 

You notice this. It's endearing to watch him light up at the compliments you direct at him. It's as if your words hold an incredible power over him — the power to make him a blushing, grinning mess.

“And you're insanely hot, I can't keep lying to myself,” you bluntly state with a shrug.

The sudden laughter bubbling up his throat causes him to fall into a fit of amused coughing. Your laughter laces with his, the sound dancing around you both like music. 

“What about you?” you ask once he regains his breath.

Eren's head tilts in confusion. 

“I've never changed my mind since meeting you,” he firmly states.

The seriousness in his tone squeezes at your chest. You clear your throat, bashful. 

“I mean, the exact moment you started feeling something.”

“The night we met. When we were out on Armin's balcony,” Eren replies without missing a beat.

Your eyebrows twitch in shock.

“That soon? That was the first day we met.”

Flashes of that night come flooding into Eren's memory. The image of you looking up at him with glassy eyes as you wondered aloud if there would be anyone to mourn you — so small, so fragile. He wanted to cradle you in his arms and nurse you to sleep. Just looking at you built an incredible pressure in his chest. From that moment on, he had no doubts about his simple crush evolving into something more meaningful.

“I really couldn't stop looking at you.”

“They look good together.”

A series of hums and murmured agreements follow Mikasa's statement. 

“We can't let them know we spied on their first date,” Connie says, his eyes looking down sternly at everyone until they nod in agreement.

“Blame Armin. He knew the entire time,” Jean jokingly mutters, glancing briefly at the blond through the rearview mirror.

“Again, I didn't think we'd bump into them. Jeez, give me a break,” Armin huffs.

Mikasa suddenly gasps as she watches you and Eren get up from the picnic table and head out of the park to where Eren's car is parked.

“They're leaving, get down!”

The drive to somewhere unknown to you is reminiscent of the drive to Sunrise Orchards. The only difference is that this time, nobody occupies the backseat and it's just you, Eren, and the soft music that swirls around you. 

After Eren refused to give you any hint of your destination, you calmly accepted anything to come your way. As you and Eren engage in an inevitable game of twenty-one questions — nobody's keeping count — you keep your focus on the passing trees and speeding cars, fingers mindlessly tapping along to the beat of the songs that play on the radio that you happen to know. 

“What's something you're really nerdy about?” you ask.

He hums in thought for a moment, then laughs.

“I collect Sailor Moon figurines.”

Your eyes widen.

“Really?” 

Grinning, he nods.

“Not in a weird way,” he clarifies. “I just loved watching the show when I was growing up, and it kind of stayed with me.” He shrugs. “I like cute things.”

You giggle.

“I'm surprised, I would've thought you were into Dragon Ball Z.”

“Oh, I'm definitely a fan, too. But kid Eren wanted to marry Sailor Mars when he grew up.”

You laugh.

“Okay, your turn.”

“What do you think of aliens? Real or fake?” Eren asks.

While your questions mostly refer to basic things such as places he’s traveled to, sports he's played, how many years since he moved to the city, and how many relationships he's been in — he did a year abroad in Spain during college, played lacrosse in high school, it's been three years, and he's only ever had one girlfriend — his land on a random spectrum, from asking about your favorite snacks to your thoughts on the moon landing and if you would've turned around had you been Orpheus.

“Real,” you say without an ounce of hesitation. 

“Really?” 

He turns to look at you with surprise. 

“It's ridiculous to think there's nothing but space matter out there,” you explain matter-of-factly. “The universe is huge. We haven't even explored more than five percent of our own ocean. There's got to be tons of stuff we don't know about up there.” Your hands move around in broad gestures as your voice picks up with every word.

“Okay, relax,” he laughs. “I agree, aliens are real.” He shoots you an accomplice smile. “Maybe.”

You playfully punch his arm.

“Easy there, Rocky. I'm driving here.”

A laugh sputters from your lips.

“Your turn,” he murmurs amusedly. 

You hum as you look out the window pensively until a question pops into your head.

“Are you religious?” 

He shrugs.

“I'm not sure what to call it. My mom's catholic so I grew up going to church and all those things. I don't know if I actually believe in God, though. I'd feel like a hypocrite if I said yes knowing I haven't prayed since I was a kid.”

“What about your dad? Was he religious?” you ask, disregarding the fact your turn in the game is over.

“I think he just converted to make my mom happy. He was more of a science man.”

You nod contemplatively.

“Your turn,” you murmur.

“Hm… same question.” 

You inhale deeply, holding the air in your lungs as you briefly think your answer over. 

“I'm not,” you conclude.

He eyes you furtively.

“Why's that?”

A familiar pain wraps around your throat, as you debate whether to choke the words out or swallow them. Eren turns to you, concerned, as he pulls into a line of cars looking to be let into what seems to be a private park. You make your choice.

“I used to pray a lot when I was younger. I don't think I asked for much but everything always went unanswered.”

The amount of times Eren's been waiting for you to steer near the topic of your past is too many to count. Ever since your drunken comment at Armin's apartment, he's been wanting to know. Pure curiosity played a huge part, of course, but mostly he’s been wanting to understand you. Maybe get to know why you’re so quiet, and why you shrink into yourself when coming face to face with new people.

So now, when it feels like your words are teetering on the edge of the topic, he can't help but feel consumed by the fear that you'll close the door on him before he gets a chance to offer you an ear. 

The car behind him honks impatiently, breaking Eren out of his daze and forcing him to pull up to the now empty spot beside the entrance booth.

He pays the entry fees and pulls up the car into a gravel parking lot. 

“Give me a second,” he smiles before climbing out of his seat and rounding the car to open your door. He keeps a hand on the roof of the car to keep you from bumping your head as you step out and look around curiously.

There's barely a crowd, just a couple of families making their way onto some wooden paths lined with tall grass on both sides. The wind is a bit stronger than it was before, but nothing you can't manage.

“Where are we?”

You look at Eren quizzically. 

Typical of when he's nervous, he runs a hand through his hair.

“Come on,” he says, stuffing his hands in his pockets and leading you down the same path you saw the other families disappear into. 

The further you walk, the wooden planks that make up the path you walk on are further buried in sand. The air grows saltier and the wind grows cooler as the grass at your sides thins out and you're exposed to a private beach. 

You look up at Eren. He shrugs.

“You said you wanted to go to the beach.”

Your lips perk into a delighted smile as you take in the view. Even with the sky in all its gloomy autumn glory, your face lights up at the scene. The water calmly washes back and forth, kissing the shoreline each time as its foaming whispers tickle your ears. The tall grass behind you sways with every blow of the wind.

“I know it kind of sucks right now because of the weather but I wanted to get first dibs with you before we come back in the summer with everyone else.”

You cover a giggle with your hand as you both walk deeper into the sand. Your boots were a fortunate fashion choice. Otherwise, you'd have sand sneaking into your shoes had you worn sneakers like Eren. He doesn't seem to mind, though, as he happily walks beside you, eyeing you carefully in case you take a bad step.

The two of you sit side by side on the sand, far enough from either of the families that came before you so that any ensuing conversations are kept just between you and him. 

You close your eyes and allow the salty air to fill your lungs as the wind blows at your hair. 

Eren keeps his eyes on you the entire time, admiring every dip and curve of your side profile until you gently call his name and meet his mesmerized gaze.

“Hm?” he hums, brushing any stray hairs from your face.

“I have a confession to make,” you sheepishly murmur.

An eyebrow quirks up on Eren's face in response.

“I've been to the beach before. Just once.”

He nods along, unsure of where you're headed.

“It's not a good memory.” Your voice shrinks. “But this is nice.”

The grateful smile on your face fades just long enough for you to lean over and kiss his cheek. That same smile grows when his face reddens. 

“Do you mind if I sit a little closer?” you ask.

He shakes his head.

You inch closer to him, enough so that when you turn to look at him again, your faces are just inches apart.

“Thank you,” you whisper.

“You're welcome,” he whispers back.

You remain quiet for a moment, purely enjoying the act of looking into each other’s eyes. It'd be great practice for Eren to stop feeling so shy now that you look at him in the way he always wished you would if he weren't blushing profusely the entire time. But it gets easier with every precious second.

His eyes dart to your lips, which causes you to finally be absorbed by the same shyness as him as you lower your gaze for a second before looking back at him.

Eren has never been so captivated by another girl like this. He so desperately wants to cup your face in his hands and kiss you, but the words you've scattered on the way here keep gnawing at his brain.

“Can I ask you something?”

You nod.

“Now that we're dating,” he pauses to clear his throat. The words are brand new on his tongue, he can nearly imagine a sweet taste to them even if the ones to follow are laced with an uneasy sensation. “Is it okay if I ask you about more personal things?”

Eren has been witness to you looking small only a handful of times — or rather, two. This makes three. 

Upon your hesitation, he decides to retract the idea.

“I’m sorry. If you don’t want to, that’s fine.” 

A reassuring smile pulls at the corners of his lips.

“I can talk about aliens for hours on end.” He sighs. “I just… my offer from last time still stands… and I meant it when I said I want to learn everything about you. But I don’t want you to feel pressured to tell me about it.”

You shake your head — finally, a response.

“It’s not that,” you mutter. “I just don’t want you to feel like I’m dumping everything on you. It wouldn’t be fair.”

His eyes soften.

“I’m asking, though.”

Uncertainty clouds your eyes, leaving Eren to wonder just how bad everything must be for you to feel so scared. Just your blunt revelation on that first night felt like a low blow. It’s more than likely the weight of it all has been crushing you from the inside your entire life. 

You nip at the cracks on your lips, pulling at a sliver of skin until it peels and leaves a faint trace of blood. 

It’s hard to let someone in. You know Eren means well — offering to hear you out and willing to ease the weight that’s been suffocating you for twenty years. But the way you see it, it’s incredibly selfish to ask him to share your burdens when you’re barely strong enough to hold onto them yourself. 

If you’re a bit more honest with yourself, you’re also trying to guard him from destroying his perception of you. You know he’s liked you from the start. You wanted to keep a friendly distance — that was the plan. After all, there’s only so much one can grasp when looking at the big picture. 

Now that you’ve come to understand how you feel about him — and now that you feel you have something to lose — it’ll devastate you to have him see how truly weak and battered you are. He’ll want to comfort you — tell you that you can always seek refuge with him. You’ll accept out of greed. Little by little, you’ll get used to relying on his protection and embrace and he’ll inevitably get tired of it. Not that Eren seems like the kind of person to abandon someone he claims to care about, but sometimes even the most patient hearts get worn down.

“If there’s anything you don’t want to talk about, you can just… punch me in the face or something. I can take a hint.” Eren shrugs.

Your laughter pours into the palm of your hand. Eren watches you proudly, relieved at his success in dissipating your tension.

“Okay,” you murmur.

With an appreciative smile on his lips, he nods.

“Alright.”

He leans back, pressing his palms into the sand as he looks up at the sky in thought.

“What was the town you grew up in like?”

In Eren’s eyes, you nearly seem relieved by the question, which is exactly why he started with something fairly easy. He won’t take things too far today, just enough to strengthen the foundation of what he wants to build. The rest, you can tell him with time.

The name of a city Eren’s never heard of comes out of your mouth.

“It’s not a very big town,” you explain. “But I guess still big enough to have a bad side.”

A humorless chuckle escapes your lips.

“Um… there’s not much to say, really. I was born there, grew up there, and went to school there. It wasn’t a violent area but it was pretty… forgotten, I guess. Most of the people living there were low-income. I lived in this really small apartment with my parents. It only had one bedroom so the living room was also my room. There were many kids there but they were either too old or too young for me to play with, and you already know I don’t have any siblings, so… you know, I grew up feeling pretty lonely.” 

You sigh, offering Eren some silence as a sign that you’re done answering his first question.

“What were your parents like?”

“My mom… was really pretty,” you smile, though when you look back at him, Eren notices a hint of tears lining your lashes. “She had me when she was a senior in high school so my parents got together pretty young. After they separated, I still got to see my dad for a while until he just… forgot. I think he got a new family but I’m still not sure the man I saw a few years ago was him. If it was, then, he was doing pretty well. He was driving his kids to school.”

“Did you like school?” he asks.

“I loved it.” 

Your face lights up as you recall your moments spent in a classroom, thrilled to learn and devouring every book you could from the school’s library.

“I wanted to be a teacher when I grew up.”

A smile makes its way to Eren’s face as he pictures you surrounded by kids eager to learn.

“Yeah?”

You nod, a hint of nostalgia and childlike glee shimmering in your eyes.

“Why didn’t you?”

A heavy sigh slumps your shoulders.

“Well, for starters, I’d need a degree.” 

Brows furrowed, you chew on the inside of your cheek as you contemplate what’s lost. “I only have a GED.”

Eren feels a puncturing sensation as his heart deflates.

“You could still go back to school,” he suggests. “You’re young, you have time.”

It’s nothing you haven’t thought of before, but his words are comforting nonetheless. But you shake your head.

“No. I think the itch has passed, anyway. Besides, I’m happy now just to get by even if I never pictured myself as an office manager.”

Eren nods in understanding.

“Wait, so you didn’t go to high school?”

“I dropped out halfway through freshman year,” you explain. “Things at home weren’t going so well, so I just… had to.”

“So, you started working?”

You nod.

“Yeah. I was fifteen so I picked up as many odd jobs as I could.”

Eren looks up at you in awe.

“And you still found the time to study for your GED. That’s amazing,” he gushes.

A shy gust of air blows through your nose.

“I had some help, so I didn’t struggle too much.”

Eren tilts his head in curiosity. Maybe there was a time when your mom got better enough to help you study.

“Your mom?” he asks.

Your shoulders stiffen and you start blinking nervously. 

“Um… no.”

You look down at your lap, where you nervously pick at your cuticles in an attempt to ground yourself. Eren watches you closely.

“I um… one of my old high school teachers took me in for a while. He helped me prepare for the test.”

Eren purses his lips, confused as to why you seem so uneasy about it. Maybe you’re embarrassed by the fact that you had to search for help outside of your home, but that’s nothing to stress over. In fact, he’s relieved you had someone to lean on during such tough times.

“He sounds like a nice guy,” he murmurs.

“I guess,” you whisper so softly it barely reaches his ears.

“Have you kept in touch with him after moving here?”

A ghostly ‘no’ makes its way past your lips. 

Eren sits up straight, an uneasy feeling nudging at the pit of his stomach. He lowers his head so he can get a view of your face. Your eyes seem dead, all glassiness vanishes as you stare at a blank point.

“Hey, you okay?”

His voice draws your attention. You look back at him, eyes wide and lips parted to take in hushed shallow breaths. Eren’s eyebrows upturn in concern. Little by little, the longer you look at him, your features soften, your shoulders relax, your eyes come back to life, and your breathing steadies.  

“You wanna punch me in the face?” he offers.

“No,” you murmur back, eyes twinkling with amusement. “But can we stop for now?”

He smiles and nods.

“Give me your hand.”

“Why?” you ask, but give in to his direction anyway.

“Because,” he says as he presses your hand down against his chest, right above his heart. “I want to kiss you, and I don’t want you to freak out on me like last time.”

Though you know he’s teasing, embarrassment creeps up your neck at the memory, anyway. Still, you gently stroke his chest with your thumb, relieved to feel his heartbeat on your fingertips.

“It’s not like I’ll freak out each time,” you mumble, breath shortening as he dips his head forward to brush your nose with his.

“Just in case, then,” he whispers, his breath tickling your upper lip.

He tilts his head as he closes the gap between you. At a hair's distance, he whispers a teasing ‘deep breath’, swallowing your laughter immediately after. 

His lips gently caress yours, slowly, with calculated strokes that make you sigh into his mouth. Any lingering trace of stiff muscles and chest pain is gradually ridden by his soft affections. The hand that keeps you holding onto his heart is warm and strong, giving you a light squeeze as his heart rate picks up with the pure ecstasy that comes with kissing you. 

He pulls back, just enough to grant you room to breathe.

“You okay?” he whispers.

“Yeah.”

“You’re not feeling lightheaded or anything?”

You giggle against his lips.

“No.”

“Lucky.”

He captures your lips once more as his free hand comes up to cradle your face and hold you closer. Your skin is warm to the touch, evidence of your timidness as you allow his tongue into your mouth to tease your own. Shivers run down your spine upon a single strained moan that bubbles from Eren’s throat as your tongues push and swirl against each other. 

Despite the heated tone of Eren’s affections, you somehow feel at peace, taken care of, and safe. Your heartbeat echoes in your ears as his pounds against your fingertips in the same frantic manner. With the wind now dancing more aggressively around you as you feel yourself melt into his passionate kiss, this moment feels nothing short of poetic. It’s a mirror to the mayhem of incoherent ideas in your head — dizzying and beautiful, all at once. 

With the hand that’s comfortably nestled into his chest, you push him back lightly but remain close enough for your shallow breaths to lace in the air with his. 

“Eren,” you exhale.

“Hm?”

He pulls back to observe you better. Your lips are glossy with his saliva, reddened and swollen from his sweet assault. Your eyes twinkle as they stare into his affectionately. It’s an image worthy of committing to memory.

“Is it okay if we take things slow?” 

Your voice is low, unsure. It looks as if you’re wary of his response — not out of fear, but rather out of genuine concern.

“Slow is good,” he murmurs, relieved.

“You sure?”

“I promise.”

If anything, Eren’s grateful to follow the pace you set. There’s nothing more addicting than having his lips on yours — and he undoubtedly wants more if he can handle the repercussions on his cardiac system — but if he can ease into it instead of putting his heart at risk, then best not to race into anything.

A gust of wind blows past you, picking up grains of sand in its wake as well as raising goosebumps on your skin.

“We should go. I don’t want you to get sick,” Eren says, voice firm and decisive.

He helps you get back on your feet and starts leading you back to the parking lot.

When you’re just about to reach the wooden planks, you nearly trip over a rock buried in the sand. Eren’s arm wraps around your waist to keep you from falling. As you regain your balance, he grabs onto your hand, lacing your fingers together while he fakes nonchalance through his blushing cheeks.

“Just in case,” he mutters.

 He doesn’t let go until you reach his car.

Eren carefully pulls into a spot in the parking lot behind your apartment building. With a smile, he unbuckles his seatbelt and rounds the car to open your door.

Your hand meets his, comfortably slotting your fingers between his as if his hold has been tailored to accommodate you.

He glances at your locked hands and back at you, a small smile playing on his blushing face.

“Just in case,” you murmur.

You walk hand in hand to the main entrance and make your way to the elevator. You settle in, glancing at each other to exchange smiles.

“Do you think I’ll have any luck for a second date?”

You click your tongue, shaking your head in mock disappointment.

“Ah, you see, you just ruined it by asking.”

“Oh, shoot,” he groans, theatrically snapping his fingers. “Well, what can you do, am I right?”

With a shake of your head, you smile.

The elevator dings on the third floor and you make your way down the hall toward your apartment door. The short journey brings back memories of the previous night, or rather what occurred just some hours ago. It all seems so foreign now as if the last time Eren watched you unlock your door was ages ago — as if your new reality has been going on for more than a single day. The couple facing each other as they struggle to bid each other goodbye is completely different from the two shy people who shared a kiss at a bar. 

“Thank you for today, Eren,” you murmur as you step forward to place a hand on his chest, in your designated spot. 

Humans need to go through the motions an average of twenty-eight times to build a habit, but it’s no surprise that holding his heartbeat in your hand has turned into one much more easily with all the warm feelings it awakes inside you.

You blink up at him, hoping he’ll take the hint. The corners of your lips tug upwards when he dips forward, aiding you in closing the distance between you.

“My pleasure,” he murmurs, gazing affectionately into your eyes.

His free hand reaches your face, cradling it softly and stroking your cheek with his thumb as you lean into his touch.

“I think you’re a shoo-in for a second date, by the way.”

“You must not have many prospects in your agenda, then,” he teases, recalling your sarcasm from the night before.

“No, I do,” you reply with an air of arrogance. “But there’s only one I like,” you whisper as his nose brushes against yours.

“I hope it’s me, otherwise this entire afternoon has been very misleading,” he grins.

In response, you press your lips against his in one swift peck which he takes the reins on converting to a proper kiss goodbye one breath later. 

Slowly, gently, warmly. Very fitting for a guy like him to kiss.

“I’ll start making date plans as soon as I get home,” he murmurs against your lips.

“Don’t be too long, please.”

He chuckles softly.

“I won’t.”

The warmth on the side of your face fades, leaving you to feel empty from the lack of his touch as his hand falls to his side.

“I’ll see you soon,” he grins, stepping away further as he waves you goodbye. 

“Bye, Eren,” you smile, watching him turn around and head to the elevator.

You perk up at a sudden reminder, and his name bounces off your tongue instinctively.

He turns around, his boyish grin still playing on his lips from your goodbyes.

“Yeah?”

“I’ll tell you everything one day. I promise.”

His eyes light up at your words while yours shimmer with hope and sincerity. 

“Take your time. I’m here for the long haul.”

Once you shut the door behind you, you bring a hand to your heart, an echo of a smile still lingering on your features as Eren’s words ring in your head.

You slip out of your boots, changing into slippers to be more comfortable.

With the press of a button on your remote, the TV blinks to life, the evening news serving as background while you fix yourself a cup of tea in your kitchen. The reporter’s words are mostly lost on you as you still struggle to ground yourself from the high of a perfect first date.

It’s not until the words woman found dead reach your ears, that you abruptly crash down to earth and rush to turn up the volume. 

With a fearful glassiness coating your eyes, you stare at the television screen as the details of a new murder are disclosed. Despite your undivided attention set on the news, you only manage to grasp a few relevant words. Slash, neck, dumpster, twenty-three, suspicion of rape. The blood drains from your face and your mind goes completely blank when it’s revealed that the victim was last seen attending a Halloween event at a bar last night — the very same bar you were at last night with your friends. 

The kettle on the stove screeches for your attention moments after the news is replaced by a less tragic one, but it takes you much longer to find the strength to stand.

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[analogwriting]

Star-Crossed

Chapter 15: Sŭrtse

Donquixote Rosinante x gn!reader

word count: 3.5k

a/n: thanks for the lore dump, pops

first|next

Oh man. You haven’t slept that good in ages. You couldn’t remember the last time you slept so soundly. Years, maybe? Since you were a child? Typically when you slept, it wasn’t ever really long enough for you to have too complex of dreams - if any at all. Usually, your past haunted your mind when you slept which is why you struggled with sleeping in the first place.

Lately, you’d only been sleeping so much because all of the emotions you were feeling were knocking you out cold. No dreams accompanied either.

But this time around, you slept well. No tossing or turning, no nightmares. You caught glimpses of dreams, but nothing to really string together to make something coherent. The feelings were all good, though.

When you slowly came to, however, you came face to face with a chest. And, completely forgetting that Corazon had shown up, you jumped, accidentally launched yourself off the bed, and crashing to the ground. You groaned, laying there flat on your back.

You saw Corazon scramble awake, looking over the bed with a face full of concern. “Y/n!” He jumped out of the bed, helping you sit up. “Are you alright? What happened?”

You only grunted in response, taking a moment. Man, your back was going to kill you later, you could already feel it. “I forgot you were here,” you mumbled. “Startled the shit outta me.”

The man frowned. “I’m sorry.”

You snorted, looking at him. “What the hell you apologizing for?” You just grinned, leaning over to kiss his cheek. “You just helped me sleep so well I had completely forgotten what was going on.” You winked, his face turning a bright shade of red as you watched his brain reboot. 

Marco burst into the room. “Aha!” He stopped, blinking. “Oh. Well. That’s not what I thought was going on. I heard a crash and thought you guys were having some wild sex or something.” He shrugged.

You felt your face set itself on fire. “Marco!” You stood up, running after him. He yelped, taking off. You ended up tackling him, quicker than he was and in moments you had him in a headlock. “Why can’t you just mind ya business, ya damn pineapple head!” 

Marco was letting out a strangled laugh, making your grip tighten slightly. “I yield! I yield!” he ground out and you let go of him, leaving him panting on the ground. “C’mon now. It was funny. You would’ve done the same thing to me.” He was sprawled out on the ground, trying to catch his breath.

You snorted, shrugging. “Yeah. That’s true. I definitely would’ve done the same thing.” You paused, looking at him. “Shithead.”

He grinned at you. “Glad to see you’re back in business. It seems like calling Corazon was a good idea,” he mused. 

You furrowed your eyebrows. “You called him?” The man in question was standing at the edge of the hallway, leaning against the wall. “He did. But only after I sent him a million texts asking how you were doing.” He frowned. It was clear he had been worried about you and neither of you had provided him any insight. You started to feel kind of bad for just���going radio silent on him.

Marco sat up, nodding. “That’s true. We were a bit preoccupied with trying to figure out what to do with the staff that suddenly lost their jobs. Sorry, Cora.” The large man shook his head, pouting slightly. “It’s fine, but an answer would’ve been nice.” 

You grinned, standing up and walking over to him. You reached up, taking his face in your hands. He looked at you with a startled expression, quickly turning red. “You’re cute when you pout,” you mused, squishing his cheeks slightly. 

“I am not pouting,” he said as he, in fact, pouted. You just laughed, kissing him softly before pulling away.

“Now, where’s Pops? I have questions for him.” You turned, looking at Marco. 

“Probably in the den doing his breathing treatments.”

You nodded, heading that way.

--

In the den, Pops was relaxing in a large chair with his feet propped up. He held an oxygen mask over his mouth, closing his eyes and taking deep breaths. It was something you had him do for about an hour two or three times a day to help with his ailments. Mostly because the man refused to wear the oxygen tubes. This was the compromise.

He popped open an eye as you walked in with the other two. “Good to see you up and around, kiddo. Even if I did think you were going to tear down my damn house in the process.” He chuckled, setting the mask to the side and turning things off. 

“They used to do that all the time, you know.” He looked at Corazon, who looked frightened that he was being addressed. “The two of them were always fighting and wrestling like that. True siblings at heart, they are.” He laughed loudly, the sound bouncing around the room.

You just rolled your eyes, shaking your head as you plopped onto the couch, pulling Corazon with you. He seemed very stiff and you looked at him. “You don’t have to be so tense. Pops won’t bite.”

“I think you forget that I’ve only ever heard terrifying rumors about him. He was dubbed the strongest man to ever live at one point,” he mumbled to you and you just laughed. “I also had the same reputation, remember?” 

“Yeah, but I didn’t know that when I met you,” he grumbled, his face warming up. A small snort came from you as you patted his thigh. “It’s fine. I’m just giving you shit.”

“It’s good to see you in good spirits, y/n,” Pops mused and you looked over to him. “I was a little worried we wouldn’t get you out of that rut. Seems like we should’ve called your little boyfriend here a lot sooner, hm?” 

Your face immediately went ablaze and you felt Corazon start having a coughing fit next to you, probably choking on air from surprise. Marco laughed and you glared at him while trying to calm down the one next to you. “Well, better late than never, I suppose,” you mused, trying to move on from the topic. “Breathe, Rosinante.” For a moment you were worried he might actually pull something from his little fit but he calmed down quickly after. 

“Don’t scare me like that,” you mumbled. “You really gotta lay off the cigarettes.” You narrowed your eyes at him. His own face was already red; from Pops’ comment or the coughing fit, you weren’t sure. “‘M sorry,” he muttered, pressing himself further into the couch like he was trying to be invisible. 

“Anyway, Pops. There’s something I’d like to ask you.” 

You looked over, seeing that the old man was watching you with a fond look on his face. You couldn’t help but feel your own face warm up. It…somewhat hurt, knowing your father would never look at you like that again. Though, now that you looked back on it, was anything ever genuine? 

“Shoot.”

“I need to know what happened between you and pa-” you cut yourself off. He didn’t deserve his title of ‘dad’ anymore. “Between you and…Anthony.” It felt foreign saying his name in such a way, but that man wasn’t the man you used to know. He was nothing more than a stranger now.

Pops was quiet for a moment. “Were you ever told of the story of how your parents met?” 

You blinked. This isn’t what you asked, but you expect nothing less of Pops. An old man tangent, might as well just go with it. “Not really. I was still too young to really ask questions like that when we lost mamma and Anthony didn’t like talking about her after that anyway.” You shrugged.

The large man nodded slowly, thinking. You wonder what he was planning at this point. “Well, as you know, I’ve known your father a long time. We grew up together, being from allied families and all along with the fact we were the same age. I knew your father better than anyone. He was…much different than he is now. Even him pretending all these years with you wasn’t even your real father.” Your eyes widened. All this time, he couldn’t even pretend to be the man he had used to be? “Then what was he really like?”

Pops thought for a moment, stroking his large mustache as he did so. “Your father was a lot more playful, silly, and overall goofy.” You couldn’t help but glance at Corazon from the corner of your eye before looking back to Pops.

“This also made him very charismatic. Your father could talk his way out of any situation and get anyone to do just about anything for him.” He folded his arms, a fond smile on his face. “Came in handy most of the time, other times it got us into trouble. At our peak, we were unstoppable. We were a force not to be reckoned with. A dynamic duo. Though, it wasn’t as if we sought those titles. We kind of minded our own business and just defended what we had. We weren’t ones to seek more turf or go out of our way to steal other people’s cargo or anything like that. We just did our thing and kicked ass when someone messed with us. It was a pretty good deal we had going.”

You started to wonder where Pops was really going with all this. He seemed all over the place. You supposed that it has been a long time, so he was probably saying what he remembered and filling in the blanks as they came to him. You just kept quiet, letting the old man reminisce. 

“He met your mom in a coffee shop. She had just moved into town, wanting to start fresh. Your dad, the absolute goofball, tripped over something in her store, almost face planting before she caught him. He said it had been love at first sight.” You blinked, glancing at Corazon who glanced back at you. That’s exactly how the two of you had met back up. Well, you had been going to a coffee shop, but all the same. You looked back to Pops.

“However, your father didn’t want to drag your mother into all of this, so he tried not to see her again. As much as he wanted her, he knew she was starting anew and didn’t want to muddy her life. So, he avoided her. Only to meet her again in a park. He was on a jog and someone’s dog had bulldozed him, tripping him and he almost fell until-”

“Mamma.” You were astonished at this point. The second time you had seen Corazon, it was in a park. 

Pops nodded. “Mhm. Your mother. Your father had been a blundering mess but thanked her and ran away essentially. Actually, quite literally. He was breathless because he ran all the way to my place.” The large man laughed, the sound filling the den that all of you sat at. You couldn’t help but think that’s also exactly what you had done. Helped bandage up Corazon before somewhat running away so that no conversation could’ve happened.

“I had tried to tell him to go and ask her out, but he was still on about not wanting to drag her into his lifestyle. He did compromise though. If he had seen her again, he’d ask her out.” He grinned. “Then it happened again. He went to a restaurant, bumping into your mother and almost dropping everything, but she had so expertly caught everything and him as well.”

Again, it was the same as you and Corazon. You couldn’t believe what you were hearing, your mind was spinning. How the hell was this possible? You looked at the man next to you who looked just as floored as you were. You reached over, closing his jaw. “Careful, you’ll get lockjaw,” you muttered before turning back to Pops.

“I know what you’re thinking. When Marco told me everything, I couldn’t believe it myself. The stories mirrored each other.” He chuckled, shaking his head. “Seems that you and your mother just had similar taste in men.” You felt your face turn red at his comment. Seems like you were more like your mother than you thought. Sure, your father always told you that you were like her but that was because you didn’t like that lifestyle, not much else. At least he didn’t say if you were like her in other ways. The last comparison to your mother he made was being ‘weak’ like she was.

“The parallels are a little uncanny,” you mumbled, running a hand through your hair.

“Anywho, he asked her out the moment that happened. He knew he couldn’t fight Fate and it was obvious that she was at work. They hit it off. I had never seen your father so over the moon and happy with someone. It wasn’t too long after that that they became engaged, then the wedding. I’m sure that was your father’s best day of his life at that point.”

You thought for a moment, thinking back to your father’s words. “But, he said that he never really loved my mother.” You turned your attention back to Pops.

The large man shook his head. “That was a blatant lie. Your father loved your mother. He loved her so much. I could tell in the way he looked at her, the way he acted. He was head over heels. I think that’s a lie he tells himself. That he never loved her and just needed an heir. After all, your father had planned on leaving the family anyway.” 

Your eyes widened. “What?” Your own father planned on leaving?

Pops nodded. “Yep. After the wedding, it was announced that your mother was pregnant with you. Again, I’d never seen him so happy. At this point, your mother still didn’t know about your father’s real work. She still believed him to be a realtor. She was convinced your father would never lie to her. Which, she was right. He didn’t lie to her, except about that.” He thought for a moment, recalling.

“He had said that he wanted to leave the family. That he didn’t want to raise a child in a lifestyle like that. He had grown up in it and it was no place for a kid. At this point, I had been pulling away from the lifestyle myself. I had started settling down and I didn’t want to raise a child in the scene either. We both agreed to leave our families.” You were astonished. You never would’ve guessed and your father had held the same views that you did at one point.

“After you were born, your father was on cloud nine. It was the happiest and most joyous he had ever been. He was more convinced to leave the family. And he was on his way out.” Pops sighed, shaking his head. “He always kept in contact, but mostly minded his business, as he always did. Life was bliss for a few years. He was mostly out of the family business, he had you and her. You and Marco used to play together actually when you were real little. Before the two of you could even remember.”

You looked at Marco, who looked just as surprised. It was clear he’d never heard of this before either. What a lore dump from Pops on this fine day.

“Then there was your mother’s passing. Your father was distraught, as you know.” He paused, thinking. “What…do you remember of your mother?”

You were tense for a moment. Talks of your mother always made you incredibly emotional. “Uh, she was kind and never raised her voice at me. She was always warm too.” You hated that you didn't have many memories of your mother. The few you did have, they were happy. But it's been so long that you weren't sure how much was real and how much was fabricated. 

“Well, that's not wrong. Your mother was one of the sweetest and warmest people I'd ever met. She was patient and kind, always caring about the well-being of others. Sometimes even above her own. She was also incredibly patient, never raising her voice or growing agitated. I don't think there was a bad bone in her body.” There was a fond smile on his face. 

You felt Corazon interlace his fingers with your own. It was at that moment you realized you were crying. Anything involving your mother was instant water works. You sniffled, wiping your tears. “Sorry,” you mumbled. 

“Don't apologize, y/n. It's okay to cry.” Corazon’s voice was soft and comforting. “Seems like you really do take after your mother, though.” You just looked at him, feeling your cheeks heat up. You had always been compared to your father. People had always told you how much you were like him because of how well you fought and how smart you were. They always said you were a mini-him, perfect to take over the family.

“After your mother passed, your father was never the same,” Pops continued, bringing your attention back to him. “All of the light in his life seemed to disappear. Shortly after that, he completely delved into the life again. He took over the family and took you with him. That’s what your father and I ended up fighting about. I tried to make him change his mind, or at least keep you from being in that lifestyle.” 

He sighed, shaking his head. “He yelled at me, telling him that I had no right in telling him how to raise his child. But, it just went against everything that he had wanted. He wanted you out of that life and your father did the exact opposite. He started spewing nonsense. Saying that this had always been his plan. You were only an heir and that he never loved your mother. That it was all an act of some kind. I don’t know if he was trying to convince me or himself.

“I tried a couple more times to talk some sense into him and the last time was when he really tried to fight me. I couldn’t fight my own brother, so I ended up yielding. And I never bothered him again. The Anthony I knew died when your mother did, who he is now…that’s not the man I knew.” 

You just stared at Pops, not knowing what to say. Your head was spinning from all this information. Your father had always been kind, but he was never a goofball like he mentioned. There was always that wall that said he never fully let you in and you knew that, but he was still very fatherly. Now, you had no idea what to think. Was anything he said or felt genuine?

“I think, in the end,” Pops began again. “Your father does care for you. Or at least at one point it did. It’s possible that he has lost himself so much that he’s cut off any ties to anyone.”

Then you realized that you don’t think you told either of them what happened at your father’s estate. “He has another child.” Pops’ eyes widened. “Said he had her just so he could raise the perfect soldier. That I was too weak just like mamma. I could tell by the way they interacted that there was no warmth there.” Your face darkened. He had tried that route with you and when it didn’t work, he used a different method to bring up your half-sister. 

You couldn’t help but feel bad for her. She must’ve grown up in a cold environment.  From the sounds of it, she never knew who her mother was. Just Anthony. Ugh, everything was so fucked up and you didn’t know what to do.

“He purposefully didn’t tell me about her because he said he didn’t want me to convince her to walk away from the business like I did.” You sighed, running a hand through your hair. You hadn’t told anyone all of this yet, mostly because everything had happened so fast and you shut down even faster.

Pops let out a long sigh. “At least he knows that you have power and influence just as he had. You have the same charismatic charm that he did. People just naturally listen to you.”

You puffed out your cheeks, thinking. What were you going to do now? Now, you knew what happened all those years ago. There was a lot of information thrown at you. A lot of information that contradicted what your own father told you, but you were more inclined to believe Pops. After all, he’s never betrayed you in such a way that destroyed your entire life.

next

[yujo-nishimura]

The Escape - Part 4

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

This is the part I wanted to write so badly - rescuing little Buggy from the sea. This is a long read! :)

Later all the three of you are standing down by the beach, a little raft is laying ashore, probably crafted by these two small human-like creatures. Buggy, brimming with enthusiasm, has packed a small bag containing provisions to sustain him during the upcoming days. His trusty knives, gleaming in the sunlight, are carefully secured within the bag. 

As you stand beside Buggy, a spectator to his departure, a mix of emotions swirl within you. Your gaze sweeps across the island, taking in its beauty and the endless expanse of the sea that stretches out before you. Last night and this morning, you experienced a profound sense of freedom in this place, not solely because of the solitude, but because of the unexpected companionship of these two outsider pirates who embraced you as one of their own. As you reflect upon the kindness shown to you by the clown pirate over the past 24 hours, a flicker of curiosity and adventure ignites within you. You recognize the allure of following in his footsteps, of embarking on a journey alongside someone who has extended their hand in friendship.

The decision weighs heavy on your mind, torn between the desire to stay and the pull to venture into the unknown.  “Buggy, may I come with you?”

His eyes widened as you say these words, he seemed to misunderstand you for a moment, stuttering “Coming with me…? Joining my crew?” You shake your head. “No, I need to be independent for a while. But I want to move on and get to the next island. And I lack the skills and power to make my own boat to get away from here..”

Buggy shows you a sly grin - “Of course you can come with me for a while. I think this can be a win-win. Until I have my body parts back anybody taller than 1,20 is welcome on board.” 

You chuckle and show him an appreciating smile. Gaimon just nods in agreement. He seems to be used to people coming and leaving his island so he feels no remorse or sadness for the two of you leaving at the same time. “I wish you both the best of luck, hopefully we will meet again someday and have some more wine!”

He hands you a little bag with food as well and you realize that after the storm and the hardships faced, you have been left with nothing but your own determination. Gratefully, you accept the offered bag, knowing that these rations will sustain you until you reach the next town, where you can stock up your supplies and acquire the necessary weapons for your continued travel.

Buggy unties the raft and jumps on it, you follow him carefully, holding on to your little bag. As you both slowly leave the shore you wave goodbye to the friendly moss-headed creature at the beach. You can't help but feel a sense of reassurance, knowing that Gaimon will be in good hands until the day you all cross paths once more.

Buggy has made the raft quite sturdy and it even has a small sail. You both do not need to row, since the wind is going into the right direction, pushing you both slowly away from the island. You feel that Buggys eyes are resting on you, he probably is pleased that he does not need to do this journey alone. You might have guessed his thoughts right because he is asking now “How well can you fight?” “I can defend myself.”, you say and you remember your martial arts education as a child and the sword lessons you had as a teenager. You are not the strongest fighter, but when push comes to shove, you always know how to defend yourself. “I am also good at running away!” you add and laugh. "Good. Until I am my full self again I depend on your help, Y/n. But I will reward you handsomely if you stay by my side.” 

“Letting me join you on this raft is reward enough. As I said, it would have taken me ages to make my own. And I just need to get to the next town. I am sure we will find your crew and your body parts before that.”

Buggy nods, seemingly pleased with your answer. He feels like a captain again, after losing his crew he at least has one subordinate now. 

As you decide to catch up on some sleep from last night and make yourself more comfortable on the little raft you suddenly realize a motion in the water, a rumbling like an earthquake. Abruptly, you jolt awake, a surge of adrenaline coursing through your veins, and your gaze fixates upon the agitated expanse of water before you.

“What is that?”, the clown pirate next to you asks, but before you can answer a huge sea king in the form of a lobster is exploding out of the water, reaching towards you two. “Buggy, hand me one of your knives!”, you shout panically, knowing you feel a bit helpless without a weapon. Buggy reaches for his coat, handing you the knife in a second, you await the lobster to come towards you and as he tries to reach for you with its crusher claw, you jump from the raft, knowing that you would need to protect this little flatboat at all cost. In a moment of confusion, the sea king hesitates, unsure of its next target. Seizing the opportunity, you unleash a punishing blow upon its hard shell from the side, asserting your presence with a display of strength. The sea king, enraged by the assault, redirects its attention towards you.

You start an underwater fight where you are definitely inferior, but with the help of the knives you still manage to make some critical hits. The lobster is big, but not strong so you are lucky this time. As you swim up to get some air, followed by the monster you manage to hit him with what you think is a final blow. A strong kick into his shelled face and another brutal attack with the knife, stabbing him between his tiny legs; and the sea king is unconscious swimming on the surface.  Emerging from the depths, you forcefully expel water from your mouth, gasping for air as you break through the surface. With a deep breath, you orient yourself, swiftly scanning the surroundings to locate Buggy and the raft nearby. 

He waves at you, seemingly pleased with your hard battle. 

“Good job, Y/n. That thing had no chance against us!” 

“You mean me..” you mumble to yourself as you swim towards Buggy. As you try to pull yourself out of the water you suddenly hear the familiar splashing noises of the lobster behind you, he wasn't unconscious as you had thought. “Buggy, watch out!” you shout, but the monster has already reached for the raft and in an attempt to rescue the boat the clown pirate jumps into the water, making the sea king follow him this time. You remember that Buggy had the powers of the devil fruit and couldn't swim, so you knew you had to be quick. 

You gather all your strength and go after the two, underwater you can see that the sea king is trying to squish Buggy in his claws. Furious you start another knife attack, blood mixes with water and your sight is blurred, but you can see it is enough that the monster is letting go of the clown pirate to aim its attack towards you again. You give the beast another blow and kick and you ram the knife with all your might into his left eye, there it gets stuck but seems to be finally fatal - the limbs of the monster go numb and he is slowly drifting up, finally unable to go after your or Buggy. 

You can see how Buggy is slowly sinking, unable to move. You immediately go after him, seeing his face in distress, the devil fruit hindering his ability to swim. With a few quick swim moves you are close to him, you grab his whole tiny body and you press it to your chest as you quickly swim up to the water surface. 

You both come up taking a deep breath, coughing and spitting water. You are holding his face over water, giving him air to breathe. Buggy's clown makeup looks just like before as if his face has never touched water and you realize for a moment what a handful he will be until he gets his body parts back. You can see his sly grin as you still have him pressed close to your chest, his hands resting on your cleavage. “What a wonderful way to be rescued!”, he declares and you, exhausted and frustrated already with this perverted captain, take him by the neck and throw him on the raft which has been fortunately not damaged at all. Exhausted you heave yourself up on the raft, rolling on your back, gasping for air. 

“Do you need mouth-to-mouth?” Buggy asks and you cannot tell if he is joking or serious. 

“I need a break you clown. I was so worried the raft would be gone. And this was just a small sea king. Who knows what else will await us…” 

“Don't worry, Y/N. I will soon get my full body back and then I will be the one protecting you.” 

You sit up looking at him startled. There is a softness in his voice right now as he says “Thank you for rescuing me.” 

You feel a sudden warmth in your belly, a feeling of deep connection and affection for this little clown. “No worries. Ima need to protect my captain!” you mumble and smile before you lay down again, resting from this furious battle. 

Hours pass by and you are able to continue your journey without any further interruptions. The weather is perfect - sunny and a light wind, it feels like a reward for the fierce battle from earlier when you set sail. Buggy says he can feel that his body parts are nearby, you wonder how this is even possible, but you decide that he might know best. “We might reach the island where I suspect my body parts this evening. Rest a bit more, Y/n, because I do not know what dangers will await us next…” 

You nod, taking your little bag and placing it under your head to sleep a bit more. You are trying to imagine what Buggy looks like as a “normal” human being with all his body parts, being tall and maybe even taller than you. With this handsome face and his charming eyes and his sly grin and his tendency to get you into trouble… You smile over this thought, slowly drifting into an afternoon nap.

[emyluwinter]

Lilia Dream

A bunch of my thoughts and a little theory. You know, I was haunted by the fact that Idia or Sebek in their "happy dreams" had the most ordinary life, the one that suited and pleased them. (And she also gave a lot of reasons for fans of Malleyuu and some kind of "divorce" from which I still laugh. Yuu doesn't intersect so closely with these characters, what kind of divorce are you talking about. They shouldn't be in the dreams of these two guys???)

and so…..

WHY THE HELL DOES LILIA HAVE SUCH A DREAM?! This is definitely a period of wars. because we see soldiers. We see Lilia in his full general's outfit. His attitude and manner of speech. His relation to others.

Malleus does not directly control sleep, he only WATCHES them. Lillia subconscious or self-consciousness created such a dream.

And I had a few thoughts on this.

Someone mentioned that this may be a dream related to the day in which Lilia finds Silver in the cradle

For me, this is not a very suitable theory because it does not fit with the fact that Vanruge should have already been near Malleus. As a mentor or bodyguard, or an informal "guardian". So the war should have been over by now.

Because from a logical point of view, if there is an experienced and strongest fairy military general, then you will send him to the front to end the war or conflict faster than leaving him to sit with a baby.

It may be a dream in which the war finally ended or it did not exist at all. And they can tell us that an egg with a Malleus inside appeared. (Yes, for those who do not know, the Dragonia was most likely born from an egg) I will explain further why this particular detail.

This is a more appropriate development in my opinion.

Think about it, my dear, Lilia spent a lot of time in the war or conflicts between humans and faeries. We don't know how many of his relatives or friends he lost. Also how much these events affected his life in general.

His happy dream may be that all that nightmare, horror and bloodshed is simple….didn't exist. Maybe it was a brief skirmish between different people and faeries that they need to control.

Or maybe it was the last day of the war when all this horror ended. The happiest thing that can happen is to no longer experience the events that haunted Vanruzh for who knows how long.

And from the palace from the royal family came the news of the appearance of the egg. The heir of the Draconia that has not yet been born/hatched.

Because - a new life, a peaceful life and a new beginning.

A harbinger that after dark times full of conflicts, losses, battles, the time of peace and tranquility is finally coming. Which everyone craves so passionately.

Perhaps this is another reason for the "idolization" of Malleus. His birth was associated with the onset of that period that everyone was so anxiously waiting for, which means his reign will be peaceful, bright and joyful.

Lilia himself has repeatedly mentioned that he wants a bright future for the Thorn Valley.

What if in his dream Malleus' parents were still alive and Malefecia did not need to fulfill the duties of the monarch until Malleus was ready to ascend the throne? That would also be a happy note in this dream of Vanrouge. Malleus with his family/parents, whom Lilia probably knew or even grew up side by side.

Their efforts and views would settle the conflict more quickly than it was in reality. And there would have been much fewer victims than there actually were.

If we are really shown the joyful faces of the spouses of Draconia who are eager to see their child as soon as possible, we can safely go for blue duct tape to glue our broken hearts.

+to the shock of Malleus It would be a good detail for the plot!!

After all, Tsunotaro has never seen them in person. And Lilia could remember them at least a little or pieces of certain events. Perhaps we could be shown hints of Silver's family (maybe she was the royal family that waged wars with the fae)

And this would be a good parralel. Silver's loving family that is fascinated by their little newborn prince. And the elegant restrained Malleus family, which envelops the little "dragon heir" with care and transfer of experience for the throne. Maybe the conclusion of peace will also be stipulated..

Having little information, I can only assume that we can be told about Lilia dream in a completely different way, so I can only build theories about what might happen next.

[skylarksilver]

With a Grain of Salt

The whole thing was an exercise in cognitive dissonance. Life as a whole still felt surreal. Like there was no way this could be my reality.

“Hey henchman, you missed a spot.”

I opened my eyes and looked around, feeling my shoulders slump with a sigh.

Still here. Either it's not a dream, or I still haven't woken up.

The cat talking wasn't the weird part. Nor was it that he seemed to swap between running on four legs like I was used to seeing, and walking two like a tiny person. It was the literal fire that was spilling out of his ears. Pale, ghostly blue fire. He was holding a broom that was entirely too large in his paws and struggling to manipulate it.

“I'll get it. Can you grab that metal dustpan?”

Talking Grim into doing anything helpful took patience and bribery. But we had a pattern. I swept up the garbage while he held the dustpan. I picked out the plastics and non flammable materials, then Grim incinerated the rest. He did seem eager to do as I asked, the blue flames of his ears burning a little brighter at the prospect of playing with fire. With the behavior he was displaying, it was hard to tell if he was a child, or a teen equivalent and undersocialized. 

And overhead, the statues of seven unmistakable, iconic Disney villains loomed. I recognized all of them. They were my childhood. Types of their flaws, foibles and virtues had been prevalent in a number of original stories and remakes.

Thank goodness whatever isekai BS brought me here is letting me understand their language whether I hear it or read it. 

The inscriptions of each statue were evocative but vague.

“‘The Queen of Hearts’. ‘The Sea Witch’, ‘The Fairest Queen’. I wonder why none of their names are shown...”

Some names were not given in the original tales. But there were most of them who did have names.

“Huh, you're right, they don't show the names.” Grim affirmed, whiskers twitching and his ears swiveling towards the statues. “Nya, who are all these people, henchman?”

I wasn't sure what to answer here. There had been a few instances when people would swear by ‘the Great Seven’. And if these people had statues built to them in all sincerity...

Yeah, my take on all of these people probably shouldn't be mentioned.

“I'm just as in the dark as you are.”

A little white lie. Likely the first of many I would tell in this bizarre dream.

A short laugh sounded from behind and I glanced back. The student had red orange hair that just barely fell into his eyes, startling red eyes and a mischievous grin. His uniform looked very new and still had some creases from being unworn and his tie and armband were red.

Oh yeah, you're gonna be a problem.

“Wow, what kind of rock have you been living under if you don't know the Great Seven?”

I felt a flicker of annoyance and leveled a deadpan at him.

“I'm not from Twisted Wonderland, wiseguy.”

His expression shifted from taunting to genuine surprise.

“Wait, for real?”

“You get to put on your resume that you've met an alien. You're welcome.”

I picked up the dustpan full of ashes now that it was cool from Grim blasting it, and dumped it into the garbage can the Headmage had given us. A large, sturdy thing that was barely a quarter full.

The place he gave me to live may be a few stiff breezes away from collapsing on itself. But his janitorial equipment is top tier.

“Can't say that yet. I don't know your name.”

I gave the boy a sidelong look, feeling a small smirk form.

“I said it to the Dark Mirror last night. You must have been standing really far back to not have heard it.”

Or, and I had a hunch this was more likely, I just heard this guy saying he skipped out on a school ceremony that appeared to be pretty important given how some people reacted to Grim interrupting it. His grin went rigid for a split second then he recovered.

“Well. You didn't exactly shout it.”

“True.” You totally ditched last night. “I'm Yuu.” For the time being at least, I am Yuu.

I offered a hand to see what he would do. To his credit, he took it and shook it. Albeit a bit weakly. There was no respect to be found here and I steeled myself for the trouble I could almost smell coming.

“Ace Trappola from Heartslabyl. When you get a chance, you should look into the Great Seven. They're a pretty big deal around here.”

“I figured given the statues.”

I was staying neutral, still suspicious of Ace, no matter how friendly and helpful he may seem. But Grim had no such reservations and launched into questions about the statues. And the freshman complied, presenting each member of the Great Seven with the air of a natural showman.

The Queen of Hearts looked pompous and proper. The virtue of Severity was what her dorm espoused.

You can't see on here just how batspit crazy she is portrayed. Or that she was perfectly happy to behead a literal child and change laws on a whim to appease her pride. Mary Elizabeth Heart is not a monarch worth respecting to most any reasonable person.

This was assuming a major thing however: that this culture would be one that I considered reasonable. And that she was actually in the wrong.

This thought did make me listen very closely to try and figure out what the situation actually was. Were these people actually good people? Or were they villains who had won and thus the retelling of their story had changed?

The story King of Beasts made me grateful that Grim and Ace weren't paying attention to me. Because Scar's reign had not been marked by triumph, happiness or inclusivity for all. And I noted that Ace's story of his exploits in uniting his nation made no mention of his brother or nephew.

Well for him, I can see why his name wouldn't be shown. In one lore, his name literally meant ‘trash’, and in the other he got labeled ‘Scar’ for getting injured in some way in a humiliating accident.

I was still very concerned at the prospective fratricide, regicide, child endangerment, emotional blackmail, that might be swept under the rug for this tale. But Ace was moving on to Ursula's statue, her broad grin sending an unpleasant shiver down my spine as she held up a contract.

Benevolent? No. No, absolutely not.

 Treason, identity theft, abuse of power, were all crimes. But my beef with Ursela was her manipulating a naive child for her own gain, blackmailing a well intentioned father for his child's safety, and trying to sabotage the success of one of her ‘clients’. And I doubted it was the first time she had done any of the above. No, Prince Eric could turn her into takoyaki and I wouldn't feel a smidgen of guilt.

I glanced at the statue of the Noble Vizier and shivered.

Jafar's portrayed behavior towards Jasmine had first taught me was sexual harassment looked like. Add the blatant attempted murder, exploitation and enslavement of beings who couldn't refuse him? Yeah, lock him up in that ‘itty bitty living space’, throw away the key and sink that lamp into lava.

The Fairest Queen looked down from her carved visage as though we were all beneath her.

Don't look so snooty, your majesty. Your crimes include but are not limited to, several counts of attempted murder, child abuse, child exploitation, physical and emotional neglect, and resisting arrest. Though compared to the rest of your rap sheet, that last one is pretty tame.

Her name was not ever mentioned in the classic Disney portrayal. But I knew it. Queen Grimhilde was her name. She was not just ‘evil queen’. 

It would be easier to see you all as people if they didn't just talk about your role and actually told me about you.

That thought did make me speak up.

“How come none of these statues have names? They had such big accomplishments, but they're only referred to by their titles.”

That drew Ace up short who genuinely looked bemused.

“Well for some of them, their descendants are still around today. So if their names were known all over the place, then it could cause problems for them, see?”

“I guess.” Ok, explain the freaking lion having descendants that we could encounter or recognize. I'll wait.

“Hey, hey tell me about this sharp looking guy!”

It totally tracked that Grim would be excited by the guy whose head was literally on fire. Hades had some positive portrayals in the media I knew, but this iteration just felt...slimy. Like every bad stereotype of a used car salesman. And there was the whole, end of times apocalyptic scheme...and still more functional slavery and exploitation.

I understand that some creative license has to be taken, but the Titans generally didn't discriminate over which gods they killed. And since a lot of them are imprisoned in Tartarus that makes Hades their warden, not their brother or leader.

It was a point of creative conflict that I couldn't quite reconcile. And the other part of it being if he was so tired of being overworked, getting a promotion to ‘king of everything’ wasn't exactly going to help his situation.

And then the last statue. The most enigmatic of villains in one respect. And a sympathetic one in another depending on which story you knew. A single pair of horns crowned her head in a regal bearing that no tiara or royal regalia could match. She stood straight, but I couldn't help but see, or maybe imagine, was she leaning on the staff she held for support? The statue was certainly meant to be imperial and invoke the spirit of nobility that the dorm built in her honor espoused. But the thought persisted in the back of my mind, was she as strong and immovable as she appeared or was she hiding a crippling vulnerability. Stone eyes gazed over my head as the word escaped my lips.

“Maleficent...”

There was an instant shiver in the air. A palpable response that made me clamp my lips shut and vow to not speak that name aloud again. Fairies were all about names. They could be used to get someone's attention, summon supernatural beings or enthrall someone. It was a huge mistake to forget that even for a moment. Rookie mistake for someone who liked to think of themselves as genre savvy.

Thankfully, the idiot duo beside me hadn't seemed to notice my slip up. And judging by the malicious grin that was slipping out of Ace's poker face, whatever joke he'd been setting up at Grim's expense was about to play out.

~~~~~~~~~

Intellectually, I knew that the headmage had to deliver some kind of punishment to all of us. But at risk of sounding like an angsty teenager: It was so not fair that he put any of this bullshit on me.

Yeah, I'd persuaded Grim into helping me scare the ghosts away when they'd frightened us both last night. And he had been more than willing to show off for the head of the institution he desperately wanted to be part of afterwards. But keeping his cool against blatant provocation? When he had seen first hand how the cat reacted to being challenged? That was something I would take no responsibility for. Not when Grim had done exactly as I had intended for him to and acted as my defense. I didn't have the capability to stand up for myself since my not having magic was the first and likely only thing people would recall about me.

Crowley was adoptnig a slightly patronizing tone, like he was speaking to someone very slow.

“You were in no danger, Yuu. He attacked a student without-”

“Don't you dare say it was without cause. Trappola was looking to provoke that kind of response and approached us fully intending to get it. A fact that you as an educator doubtless knew would occur, given your immense experience with how your own students typically behave. In fact, given the extremely convenient timing of your arrival, I must speculate that you were in fact watching and waiting for this very thing to happen.”

I was then made privy to the bizarre sight of someone sweating through a mask. I must have struck a nerve. Even Ace’s belligerent defense of his actions was cut off by the sight of arguably the most influential person in all of Night Raven College looking like a child caught with the cookie jar lid askew and crumbs on his face. That is to say: Guilty.

“You have no way of knowing that, Yuu. Th-this is highly irregular!”

Crowley stuttered through a meager defense. I shut it down flatly.

“I come from a world without magic, headmage, not a world without teenagers.”

More subtly saying: what kind of an idiot do you think I am?

~~~~~~~~~~

The encounter still ended with the three of us being given the detention of windows to be washed. 100 of them.

“This smells like another set up.” I groused to a ghost who worked in the kitchen. “I've been given an assignment but none of the power or authority to fulfill it. It'll have to be a cold day in hell if Ace shows up for that assignment of his own accord.”

The ghost who had introduced himself as Renier, hummed, the vague impressions of mousey ears peeking out from under his chef's hat.

“That wouldn't surprise me. Night Raven Students respect power, not authority. And so long as you have no power, you'll get no respect.

“Thank you for summing that up.”

“Seconds?”

My sarcastic remark was blithely offset by the chef offering ore food with uplifted ladle and a smile. I sighed and offered up my bowl because the man had made a banging potato and leek soup. Creamy, bracing, with a sprinkle of excellent complimentary spices and a sprinkle of chopped bacon. Getting actual food in me had done wonders for my mood. I actually felt like I could get through the afternoon without committing homicide. Or whatever it was called when a beastman was brutally murdered.

“Yes please.”

Grim pawed at my leg, whiskers shiny from when he had polished off his second bowl.

“What’re you so salty for, henchman? I'll give them all a good thrashing and everyone will bow down to the Great Grim! You'll get a boost by extension.”

I patted the fiery hellcat's ears fondly, but with more of a grimace than a smile to offer him.

“Remember what I said last night? Setting things on fire isn't a good way to make a school want you as a student. And that includes other students. I hate needing to knuckle under to them when they're being jerks, but this is the only place you and I have got for now.”

Given the presence of villains from Disney stories lauded as heroes, icons and role models, even my vast knowledge of Disney was useless. Simply assuming everything was reversed seemed like a bad idea all around. Grim didn't know much more than I did about the non-monster population and the one person who had volunteered any info had been looking to yank my chain.

A warmed bowl was placed back in my hands and Renier gave me a smile. He was much more distinct from the Ghosts of Ramshackle, likely because he was still younger and more recently deceased. He actually looked more human if you ignored the little rodent ears and thin whip-like tail. Just a bit pale, slightly blue and see through. 

“Sounds like you've got a lot to worry about.”

I sighed, taking my spoon up again, though my appetite was trying to slip away.

“Yeah. This time yesterday, I didn't have to worry about becoming homeless if I tried to preserve my own dignity.” The thought came, mirthless and sardonic. “Or becoming homeless if my current roof collapses on my head.”

“It's a tight spot, no bones about that.”

Renier sounded like he was thinking about something. Porter, an older ghost who acted as the pasties, seemed to be listening in as well. His cheeks were flushed a slightly darker shade of blue, mirroring a rosy complexion in a living person. He had a comfortable, rounded look to him with wisps of curling hair tucked under a chef's cap.

The sympathetic ear was making me want to spill my guts. But I wasn't optimistic that this would improve. And this was all still the first day.

“I must sound silly to you, worrying about these things.”

“Not silly, dear. Sad.” Mr Porter said kindly, depositing a fresh cookie on a napkin in my lap. “Most people your age never need to worry about the sorts of things you've gotten dumped on you in a terribly short amount of time. And if you bottle it all in, you will go mad.”

“It's only been one day, Mr Porter.”

I ignore how meek my voice sounds. How shaky it feels. Just a hair away from cracking. Grim was eyeing the cookie on my lap, but also trying to watch for Reiner's sharp, whip crack tail which had had used to swat him away from going after my food. Which I appreciated.

Because 24 hours ago, my biggest worry was a school math test. Now I had to deal with essentially being kidnapped from my home with no money, identity or place to turn to. I was totally dependant on Crowley's whims for the time being. And I did not not trust the flamboyant bird.

I had never been so scared in my life when I woke up this morning and realized that the events in the Mirror Chamber had not been a dream.

The ghostly hand patted my shoulder gently. The care and empathy showing in Mr Porter's soft gaze making me feel even more weak and vulnerable.

“Indeed. Much more has happened to you in a single day than should ever happen to anyone.”

“It doesn't change that it's my problem to deal with now, unfair or not.”

A second cookie was placed oon top of th first and one was handed to Grim so he would leave my treat alone. Reiner looked much like his assistant. Understanding and compassionate in a way that I couldn't help but believe.

“Certainly not, Yuu. And we can't fix everything about your situation. But just know that my kitchen is always going to be open to you.”

The ghost of a rat beastman moved me to tears right then. Just a few little tears before I steeled myself to go back out and face a world that would not have much mercy for me. But here, I'd rely on the old idiom that ‘dead men tell no tales’ and grieve for a little while.

~~~~~~~~~~

Yuu washed her bowl, cajoled Grim into helping her, and left the kitchen to return to work with a word of thanks. And a comment that had made the chef pause and think.

“I like the use of white pepper instead of black. It smooths out the flavor profile and complements the butteriness of the potatoes.”

 Reiner watched her go, ghostly nails drumming silently on the counter as he gnawed the inside of his cheek. A look he had seen once before on Chef Gus, a world renowned chef who had taken a chance on a young rat beastmen. Mr Porter eyed the younger ghost, waiting.

Reiner had defied all odds to go from being a homeless gutter rat, almost literally, to advancing to a 5 Star Chef with his ghostly mentor's aid. Even now, he remained frozen in the prime of his life, the age he had achieved his goal. And doubtless Yuu's blunt, pragmatic words had impacted him more than he had been willing to show. Now with the display of her appreciation of food...

“Mr Porter, would you say there's enough prep work to validate the addition of a kitchen helper?”

Mr Porter slowed in his swift peeling of potatoes for the evening meal.

“I believe such an argument could be made, chef.”

“And would the coalition be willing to back a still living soul?"

He kept working methodically.

“You'd have to ask Alfonse, Barry and Hugh. Ramshackle's still a dorm of the school and their its only ‘students’. If it's been long enough, I think there could be some very obscure sort of rules that would allow someone in Miss Yuu's situation, as a nonentity in any governing system, to be claimed under the Nether's protection and a Spirit Guide program be instated for her-”

The chef's thin tail slapped into a counter as he puffed through the floor. If Mr Porter were a betting man, he'd wager Reiner was making his way to Ramshackle to collect additional backing from its three ghostly residents to get Yuu some sort of guardian.

One that would actually see to her care and well being.

 The Dark Mirror seemed to be obscuring her gender from registering as unusual to anyone. Either a small courtesy, or a massive insult. Crowley would absolutely behave differently if he knew he was forcing manual labor in a hostile environment on a girl. No, for some reason, the Dark Mirror called Yuu here, and was determined to not allow her to leave regardless of her own safety.

The saying ‘dead men tell no tales’ had several interpretations and roots. One being, that the grave was the keeper of many secrets. Another was that the dead didn't lie. But the true meaning of it was this: Ghosts don't gossip about their own.

Yuu was alone in the world, not a living soul to turn to save a direbeast. And she was living in Ramshackle, had been accepted by the school as a student yet was not placed in one of the living dormitories. On paper, she did not exist. Even the dead were allowed the dignity of an obituary and death certificate. But she had no existence save her presence to show anything about herself. Even if she managed to scrape by and make a living, she would be trapped by the lack of documents and identification.

If the living world would reject her, then the Nether would claim her and see to it that she got to live. Regardless of what the Dark Mirror seemed determined to inflict on her.

Mr Porter hurried to complete the prep and reorganize the standard procedures to allow for a living person to assist in them in the kitchen. Reiner had decided that Miss Yuu was going to be sponsored by the Netherworld and he would be the one to do assume responsability for her. And he had high hopes that he would do well. He certainly would have to work very hard to do worse than Crowley.

“Welcome to the house of the dead, Yuu. We'll look after you.”

A/N

This will not follow the main story blow by blow and I cannot promise regular update schedule. Hope y'all enjoyed!

[miracles-and-butterflies]

It's funny how in the Karma AU, Camilo has shown remorse to everyone but the actual victim of his and his friends' "prank" and has apologized as a way to downplay the role he had in it.

He’s not been allowed near the victim - so it’s not entirely his fault.

~~~~~~

Julieta sighed heavily when Agustín returned with a full plate.

“She won’t eat?”

“No. Bless her, she tried.”

She sighed again.

Turning back to the food she was currently preparing for Luisa’s throat.

Luisa was hanging about the kitchen too, having opted to busy herself by starting on lunch, with the hope that she might be able to convince Mirabel to eat something.

“Her temperature’s getting worse too,” he added. “And she’s definitely not slept well. Bled through the bandages. Luisa has gotten her to sip some water, it’s not much but it’s a step in the right direction...”

“What is she doing now?” Luisa asked.

“Explaining to Isabela why Marie Antoinette was a good person. She’s still struggling to do anything though.”

“At least it’s distracting her.”

“And notice how your sister found a way of doing it without hurting herself, Luisa,” Julieta chided.

Luisa shrugged, casually. “I’m not hurt. And it was totally worth it. She laughed. She puts up with so much of my stupidity - I could wake her up in the middle of the night to sing to her and I’m pretty sure she’d clap.”

“Luisa, please, don’t wake anyone up at midnight to sing for them.”

~~~~~~

“Tío Bruno? I need a vision.”

Bruno blinked at his nephew. He looked around in confusion.

“Uh… aren’t you meant to be grounded?” He asked.

“Abuela said I should go out and burn off some energy, and Isabela is probably still fixing my room.” Camilo explained.

Unconvinced, Bruno looked around again. There was nobody in sight to help him.

What was he meant to do?

“What do you need a vision for?”

“I wanna know when this all goes away. When everything goes back to normal.”

“Normal?”

“Yeah.”

What is he meant to do?

He knows very little about parenting and discipline and he’s honestly the last person who should be left to deal with a child.

“Nobody said anything about me not getting a vision, so it’s probably still allowed.” Camilo assured. “And I’m sure you want to know too. You didn’t look like you enjoyed breakfast.”

“I don’t think anyone did, sobrino.” Bruno muttered.

“Did something happen?”

“Just your mother and Tía Julieta. They aren’t getting along because of… all this.”

He glanced around again.

“I really don’t think I should be talking to you. I don’t want either of them shouting at me, it’s bad enough when they want me to pick sides against each other.” He shook himself at the thought. “Maybe it’s best you just go back up to your room for the time being, okay?”

Camilo huffed. “Okay.”

There was a moment of hesitation.

“I am sorry,” the boy insisted. “She wasn’t meant to almost die.”

“Um… well, that’s good to hear?”

“It was only a prank. It wasn’t meant to be such a big deal.”

“…Don’t you think you should be saying all this to your cousin? Instead of me?”

Camilo scoffed a bit. “As if any of my cousins will let me apologise properly. Luisa will kill me. Isabela would interrupt me and just laugh. And Mirabel will complain about my word choice or something dumb.”

To be fair…

No. Actually, he was pretty spot on.

That is exactly how is three nieces would react to Camilo.

At the sound of footsteps, Camilo quickly tiptoed back up the stairs and into his room. Bruno likewise hurried off into his own - afraid it might be one or both of his sisters.

[violet-moonstone]

Posting the last chunk of chapter 2 of The Wings of War because I really really love it:

Stoick’s statue stood on a hill that led into one of Berk’s forests. Hiccup had specifically asked that it be built someplace quiet and peaceful. The original plan was to place it in front of the Great Hall or the Arena—somewhere grand, where it would be surrounded by the hustle and bustle of daily life and thus, viewed on a regular basis. But no—Hiccup wanted the location of his father’s statue to reflect the man himself: somewhere that exuded strength without ostentation; somewhere that paralleled the way Stoick watched over Berk; somewhere that made Hiccup feel safe and calm. If people wanted to see the statue, they would not simply pass it by on their way from one place to another—they would have to seek it out and make time to see it.

The statue stood tall, proud, and well...stoic: a granite figure with two heavy fists resting atop the handle of a battle axe. It perfectly captured the image Hiccup’s father conveyed to the world. Part of Hiccup wished the builders had also included the aspects that Hiccup knew—like that wry, knowing smile his father used to give when he was about to give advice that was both frustratingly simple and incredibly wise; the twinkle in his eye he’d get when he saw small children playing with dragons; the way his eyebrow would quirk when Hiccup or Gobber made an off-colour joke he wasn’t supposed to laugh at, but badly wanted to. In a way, Hiccup was glad the builders had gone with the stoic Stoick. If they had shown his father as he truly was, the sight of the statue would bring Hiccup to tears every time he saw it.

Hiccup and Toothless sat beside the carved relief scenes of Stoick’s life that decorated the statue’s base. Hiccup exhaled and rested his head against the cold stone. It was nothing like his father’s warm hugs, but it would have to do. His hand wandered to Toothless and stroked the scales on his back. The dragon seemed to sense his discontent and rested his head in his rider’s lap.

“Thanks, Bud,” Hiccup said quietly. After a moment of silence, words began to flow out of him on their own. “Hey, Dad. Got a second to talk?”

Toothless perked up and looked at his rider in confusion. Hiccup hadn’t talked to his father’s statue in a while.

“I know you’re probably busy in Valhalla, or...I-I dunno...I assume you’re busy. You always were when you were here. But you seemed to handle it better than I do now.”

Toothless laid his head back down on Hiccup’s lap. He made a sort of sad purring noise.

“I hope you’re not busy though,” Hiccup continued. “At least not in a bad way. I hope...I hope you’re...wrestling, or hunting, or doing whatever burly Viking thing you used to try to get me to do when I was a kid. You know, all that stuff I hated.” He laughed. “It’s the same stuff Nuffink hates too.” That drew out a sigh. “I...I wish you could have met Nuffink. You’d love him. I think he’d remind you of me, in a way.” Hiccup chewed the inside of his lip. No one but Toothless was around, but he didn’t want to cry. It would make him feel like a child. “Oh gods, and Zephyr. Oh, you’d have your hands full with her. A little pixie, that one.” He tried to laugh but stopped himself. If he breathed too hard, the dam would burst. “I...I don’t get it, Dad. I’ve been doing this for so long and I still feel...lost. Did you feel like this?” He couldn’t imagine it. “Or am I just...doing something wrong? I can hardly get through a day without wanting to run away from it all. But I can’t.” He held up his hands, fingers spread wide in the air. “Because I’m Hiccup the Dragon Trainer, Son of Stoick the Vast. Heh. I end the war between Vikings and dragons and sometimes I’m still in your shadow.” Hiccup looked and realized that he literally was in his father’s shadow. He started laughing. “Oh, you would have liked that one.” The laughs came louder now, and he knew he wouldn’t be able to stop himself. Tears streaked down his cheeks into his beard, even as he chuckled.

“Hm. I think he would like it too.”

Hiccup turned with surprise to see his mother approaching from behind some foliage. Her eyes looked concerned, but she wore a comforting smile.

“Mom?” Hiccup wiped at his tears. “H-How long have you been—?”

“Not long.” She held up her hands, “don’t worry, I wasn’t spying on you.”

“Ok...well I didn’t think you were before you said that, but now...”

Valka laughed and came to sit next to him. Her steps were light as air. Toothless snuggled up next to her and she joined Hiccup in petting him.

“Where’s Cloudjumper?”

“Oh, off somewhere,” Valka said, looking up at the trees around them with a dreamy look in her eye. “He’ll find me when he’s ready.” Somehow, despite her white hair and deeply set crow’s feet, Hiccup always felt his mother had a more youthful spirit than he did. He felt like he’d lost his somewhere between his father’s death and becoming a father himself.

“How was your day?” Hiccup asked.

“Oh, alright. I mostly spent it treating the sick Terrible Terrors.” His mother studied his face and frowned. For a moment, he thought she would comment on his appearance, but to his relief, she didn’t. “How about you?”

Hiccup shrugged. “I think the conversation you just heard sums it up pretty well.”

“Mm,” she hummed sympathetically.

“I...I keep waiting for this magical moment when everything gets easier and it just...never does.” The truth of his words made his throat tighten. His chest felt heavier.

Valka put a hand to Hiccup’s face. “Oh, my darling. You sound so much like your father.”

He held her hand closer. Perhaps if she kept it there long enough, he could better feel the comfort she wanted to give—in his heart rather than on the surface of his skin. “I don’t know. I don’t think he ever felt like this.”

Valka gave a sad smile. “I think you’re giving him too much credit. And you don’t give yourself nearly enough.”

Finally, Hiccup gave up any attempts to save face. He rested his head on his mother’s shoulder. So what if he felt like a child? He’d missed 20 years of conversations like this, and he was still making up for lost time. “He was always so...strong. And so sure of himself. At least, that’s how he seemed.”

“Aye, he was good at projecting confidence when he needed to. You do the same—although you’re better at it on dragonback than in a council chair.”

“Hm,” Hiccup agreed. “And I haven’t had to do anything of much consequence on dragonback lately.”

Valka raised her eyebrows. “Really? I heard there was quite a commotion in the market this morning.”

Hiccup groaned and put his face in his hands. “Gods, don’t remind me. No, I meant something like...like a battle or scouting out a new island. Something like that.”

“Yearning for adventure. I understand. Although...perhaps not the battles...”

Hiccup shrugged. Of course he would never admit it to most people, but there was a certain rush he got from besting an enemy in combat that he couldn’t get from anything else. He once made the mistake of telling Dagur, who became absolutely intolerable and made a big deal about Hiccup also having bloodlust. Gods, he hoped it wasn’t bloodlust. He just wanted to feel alive, to feel capable and meaningful.

“I just...think I need something new, you know? But I can’t just pick up and leave. There’s too much to do.”

“Maybe the Gathering will help. Not planning it, of course. But when it actually happens, you’ll get to see the fruits of all your labour. And you’ll get to see old friends. I think that will lift your spirits.”

“I hope so.” Hiccup had to admit, there were people in his life he sorely missed. And some of them had children who he was longing to see. Surely those reunions would make him happy.

“And you know, Hiccup,” Valka said. “While the weight of leadership rests on your shoulders, it’s not a burden you have to carry alone. You have Astrid and Fishlegs and Snotlout...” She hesitated. “And you have me...flighty as I may be at times. I...I know I should be around more often. But I—”

“You’re a free spirit,” Hiccup said. “I understand. I love that about you.”

Valka smiled briefly. “I think I gave you much of that. But you also have your father’s ability to lead. Don’t forget that. You have the best of both of us.”

Something about her words struck Hiccup somewhere deep. The tears returned.

“Hiccup? Oh, Hiccup, I didn’t mean to make you upset.”

Hiccup shook his head. “No, no.” He sniffed and wiped at his eyes. “Um. I...I think you helped, actually. Thank you.”

“Of course, my love.” Valka kissed her son’s forehead. They sat in silence before she spoke again. “So, what else do you have to do today?”

“Uhh...” Hiccup cleared his throat, trying to rid his voice of its shakiness. “Well, I still have planning for the Gathering left to do. I don’t know what Astrid’s finished so far, but I know we need to check in on the builders. Um, there are some weavers making fabric for tents and decorations. And there are some farmers who’ve requested we make an exception on how much of their harvest we collect for the feasts. I’ve gotta go talk to all of them.”

“I can come with you.”

“Are you sure? It’s not going to be very interesting.”

“I don’t mind.”

Hiccup exhaled. His chest felt a little lighter than it did before.

“We can go now, if you’d like,” Valka offered.

“Soon,” Hiccup said. “I think...I think I want a little more time with Dad. And you.”

“Alright.”

Hiccup and Valka rested by Stoick’s statue for a while longer. Hiccup found that sitting beneath Stoick’s shadow felt different. He was still in the shade, but something about the statue felt less cold and impersonal. He couldn’t help but feel that beneath the outer layers of rock, beneath the stony exterior, the real Stoick was there, deep in the statue’s centre, giving his son reassurance. Hiccup couldn’t quite figure out what he was saying, but he hoped he would understand one day.

[iwritenarrativesandstuff]

OK SO,

YOU KNOW HOW ARAHABAKI IS IN CHUUYA RIGHT? AND HOW HES UNLEASHED USING CORRUPTION, WHICH CHUUYA IS LARGELY UNCONCIOUS FOR?

OK. WHAT IF CHUUYA BREAKS FREE FROM THE VAMPIRE THING USING CORRUPTION? SINCE BAKI IS SO DESTRUCTIVE IT WOULD BE ABLE TO BREAK THROUGH BRAMS CURSE THING RIGHT????

SINCE HES TOO IMPORTANT AND A FLESHED OUT CHARACTER AND THERES SO POINT ASAGIRI WOULDNT KILL HIM RIGHT NOW. AND IN STORMBRINGER THEY TALK ABOUT CORRUPTION AS A TYPE OF “FACTORY RESET” FOR CHUUYA. WOULDNT THE VAMPIRE THING ALSO BE RESET BY PROXY? LIKE WHAT IF HE ACTIVATES CORRUPTION AS A REFLEX OR A SURVIVAL INSTINCT??

WE ALSO KNIW THAT HES A GOOD SWIMMER FROM STORMBRINGER WHERE IT STATES THAT ALBATROSS TAUGHT HIM TO SWIM.

SAME THING FOR AKUTAGAWA AS WELL. SINCE RASHOUMON CAN EAT THROUGH ABLILITIES AND WILL REFLEXIVELY PROTECT AKU AS SHOWN IN THE BEAST AU. ADDING ON TO THE FACT IS HOW RASHOUMON IS SHOWN TO BE ABKE TO ACT INDEPENDENTLY FROM HIM IN DEAD APPLE. WOULDNT IT BE ABLE TO EAT THROUGH THE VAMPIRE THING??? IS THE VAMPIRE THING ACTUALLY AN ABILITY??? Please send help :((((

Oh hi! I recognize you! (what is that pfp)

First off I read this three times over and can't stop laughing

Secondly! I will do my best to help!

I wholeheartedly believe that Chuuya is going to be a-ok. (Physically anyways. I'm unsure about emotionally but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it I guess.) And I do think he'll probably have to activate Corruption (Dazai's "it's unfortunate it had to come to this" is probably due to a mix of Chuuya being in very real danger without a cohesive backup plan and forcing his hand when ordinarily he gives him a choice). I'm unsure if Corruption would necessarily break the vampire infection though. The "reset" pertains to the command logs set by the researchers; I don't think it would necessarily reset ability effects. I could absolutely be wrong but either way, it doesn't exactly matter. The release of Arahabaki overpowers Chuuya's conscious will and it needs to be nullified by Dazai anyways, so regardless of whether Corruption actually disables the infection, it will have to go away when No Longer Human becomes active.

It will probably be a survival instinct activation, as you've said. Rimbaud's attempt at killing Chuuya and taking the raw power did not go so well, and there was also Atsushi's desperate transformation into the tiger when Shibusawa tried to kill him as a child in a last ditch effort to save his own life. And it can be activated without the command phrase "Oh grantors of dark disgrace..." (at least, in that one scene from DHC in Dead Apple). However... much as Chuuya definitely knows how to swim... the room is filling with heavy water, which may be denser and thus easier to float in, but also they will soon be unable to breathe. So. Yeah.

I'll tell you what does concern me most though. Chuuya has to activate Corruption to save himself, that seems pretty clear.

However, Chuuya already looks exhausted.

Like. He's sweating. Panting even, a little, and his brow is furrowed. He's not doing anything that should have him this exhausted, especially since he never looks all that tired after a fight unless he's been severely injured... which to me implies he's trying to fight the vampire infection - has been fighting it this whole time, probably. If that's true, then Chuuya is already under a lot of mental and physical strain. Going into Corruption in that state, when normally he goes into it with close to full alertness and energy... he really might not last as long as usual in that state. I suspect Dazai will have a very narrow window of time to nullify the ability. (Again, I don't think he'll die but still.) With Dazai also on a time limit due to the poison... idk something there I'm too tired, sorry.

As for Rashoumon: I'm with you, op, it seems a little more alive to me than many other abilities (barring perhaps Byakko). I don't quite remember when it acted independently of Akutagawa in DA outside of when it was separate from him... if you could remind me I'd greatly appreciate it! I absolutely believe Rashoumon to be a deeply protective ability, for many of the reasons you've mentioned. It also is a good reflection of Akutagawa's own soul I believe: versatile, aggressive, protective, direct, always hungry (for necessities? for recognition? either works).

However, I believe it wouldn't be able to help Akutagawa in this case since the threat is internal, not external. We have no reason at this point to assume that the infection isn't an ability (in fact, I think it has to be given the lore that Bram gave us in his last appearance). In the end, I'm still hoping that Akutagawa manages to fight off the vampire infection through sheer force of stubborn will and spite. (I have an earlier post where I suspect his promise to Atsushi might help snap him out of it; it's here if you're curious.)

I hope that helped!

[luckycatgirl]

黄瑞‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ›‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ rui huang's audition tape, version 01.

attached file: sorryitslate.mp4

there are three things in rui's world that are certain: death, taxes, and her keen ability to avoid all forms of responsibility, regardless of how small or self-inflicted.

when the email ping from sijak company comes through, rui is already on a date, oddly enough. she's in some swanky restaurant in the west side of gangnam, staring down at a modest portion of pasta alla gricia. there's a sort of tone-deaf, new age jazz song playing across the restaurant, and the lighting is so dim it's a little unbearable. her date had been gone for close to fifteen minutes at this point. and whether the clams had just disagree with him, or he was making some elaborate escape from the window of this third story building to make her foot the cost of the 2015 chateau margaux he'd ordered, she'd never know. because the moment she finds the email, headlined with the words urgent — offer may be rescinded at midnight, her mind is set somewhere else. she'd forgotten (only half-willingly) about her audition tape.

she makes it down to the vivid streets of seoul and finds a nook to tuck herself into. with the last of the dying sunlight, she pulls up her phone camera, fixes her face into a smile, and begins.

› introduce yourself.

"is this how you're supposed to start? i'm huang rui," she begins, staring at herself in the screen. "i'm from tianjin in china, but i moved to seoul a few years ago. don't ask me how i got here, though. i'm not supposed to say." the corner of her mouth is upticked into a seedy smile, and she pauses for a moment as she gathers her thoughts. "i'm a pisces, and i turned twenty-three a few months ago. i don't have a lot of hobbies, but i like ball joint dolls. i listen to a lot of music, but i prefer stuff from the eighties, so i guess i'm pretentious about that. i read a lot of books, but mostly female authors. and i like talking to people about the juicy stuff. all my friends always say i should've gone into psychology, but it's not like i'm that great at giving advice— i just like knowing, you know?"

› why do you want to be on single's inferno?

"is boredom an acceptable answer?" she adjusts her phone, trying to soften the impish look in her eyes as she bites down a laugh. "i like adrenaline and i like trying new things. everyone on this show has to be at least a bit of an attention seeker, so there's definitely that too. i want to find love, but if i can't, then i'll settle for a bit of fun and disorder. it's not like i want to give anyone a hard time, but…" her voice trails off quietly and she shrugs: a quiet admission of her intentions, that if it has to happen, it will.

› what's your love language?

"fight," she states, voice all too serious. and it's not too far off a lie— rui had regularly been told that she was too difficult by nature, obscenely contentious and impossible to sway. when she fought, it was always full-chested. part of her revelled in that kind of negative attention, and she regularly regretted not taking school more serious so she could go into law. reality television was probably a close second though, so at least she'd found her calling. "and quality time. i'm not huge on words of affirmation because i get stubborn sometimes. i like being shown something rather than told, and i'm pretty observant when it comes to that. after that, it's probably physical touch."

› what's your less-than-ideal type? relationship? date?

there's a hint of theatrics as she reads off the question, and she blanches right before she answers for dramatic effect. "anyone who takes themselves too seriously. i can deal with an ego, but i can't deal with someone who doesn't know how to cop a bit of banter and give it back. and i can't stand anyone who patronises me or treats me like a child. and for dates… maybe anyone who tries to weasel their way out of paying. i'm tired of boring, stock standard restaurants, too. i need something fun."

› what's a widely recognized toxic trait that you actually find attractive?

"i find jealousy and possessiveness attractive." a soft breeze rushes past and she shakes her head a few times, flicking loose strands of flat-iron curls off of her face. "you need them to warm things up sometimes. i think i just like anything that creates a bit of tension, and well— isn't that the epitome of jealousy?"

› do you believe that you can find love on single's inferno?

"of course. i would never sign up to something like this if i wasn't confident that i can find love." there's an edge of uncertainty to her voice. what's supposed to sound wry and haughty comes off half-baked, and before her insecurities can become the subject of possible production scrutiny, she shifts the answer somewhere she can deliver. "and if i can't find romantic love, then i'm sure the viewers will love me. or the production crew, at least, because i'll definitely give you something to film. there's a lot more i can gain from this show than just love, but so long as there's at least one person more insufferable than me, i'm sure i'll find it."

[bones-of-a-rabbit]

AFTON AU: We Can Make Our Own Happy Ending

Did anyone else read The Little Red Hen when they were younger? If you haven't you'll probably need to google it first before you read this. Full Disclaimer, this is a one shot just like the last one, I apologize for all errors. Also, there is some fluff here, I wrote the boys to be affectionate and the reader just has to deal. With that out of the way, please enjoy this little Afton AU snippet. (thanks for the blessing Bones, and for your lovely stories :3c )

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You had to admit, today had been a great day for the SuperStar Daycare. Sun had shown the kids how to make sock puppets; all googly eyes and giggles by the end of it. The daycare was going to be a mess tonight, but it was all worth it watching the kids lose their minds over scratchy socks and pipe cleaners. One of them even made one to look like Sun, with bright yellow construction paper clinging for dear life to a sock that was all but dipped in glitter glue. Sun loved it all the same, gasping at the likeness. The kids had set it on one of his sun rays and cheered at their work. "I will love him forever!" Sun had dramatically declared with a pat on the head of the puppet, still resting atop his ray. Moon had even let the children use their puppets during Story Time. Each puppet a different character telling poor Misses Hen that no, they would not be helping her with her bread. You had hung off to the side of the sea of blankets and pillows, watching Moon sit on his island in the middle. He was reading from the book in one hand, held open so the children could see the pictures if they wanted. In his other hand, a sock puppet Sun had made for him. It was stuffed round with two of the biggest googly eyes they had in the box. Fake feathers and ribbons are tucked into a bonnet, sitting askew on its head. "Now, who will help me cut this wheat?" Moon's voice had perfectly mimicked a sweet little old hen. His voice box had additional functions for story-time, adding that special flair to the stories he read. The goal was always to calm the kids for Nap Time, but that didn't mean they couldn't have fun with it. He leaned his puppet toward one of the kids, a three-eyed pink monstrosity poised on his hand. The child tried to contain a giggle, watching the googly eyes dance with a little shake from Moon. In a goofy voice, the child replied, using the puppet to talk. "I will Missus Hen!" Moon had paused and lowered his puppet slightly. "Wait, really? You would?" "No!" A roar of giggling erupts from the pile. The kids roll in their blankets, trying to hide their laughter in their pillows. Moon had hidden his smile and just shook his head. He tut's the child, voice still configured for Misses Hen. "You guys are DEFINITELY not getting any bread after this." You couldn't stifle the snort that had bubbled up from their antics, the kids a mess of laughter, and Moon trying not to encourage them any further. You had missed the tender smile on Moon's face when you turned your attention back to your own work. You had been chipper all day, a warmth in your soul more comforting than all the fresh bread the world could offer. Being in the Daycare with the boys was like being in another world. It felt so safe here, so easy. You swallow back a sudden twinge in your throat, anxiety prickling the back of your neck. You would do anything to keep it that way. * - * - *- * - * - * - * - * - * The day seemed to fly by, and before you realize it, the kids were finished with their third game of Lava Tag. You're caught off guard when Sun clapped his hands together with a sigh. "Okay my little Sun Sprites, it's time to start the Pick-Up game! Clean up, clean up!" The kids groan in unison, ringing through the whole daycare. Some dramatically flopped on the playmats, faces twisted in fake distress. Sun laughed, bright and tinny, making your stomach flutter. His laughs were always so genuine, it was hard not to be charmed by his mirth. A little one clung to the animatronic's pants, earning a little 'Tsk Tsk' from above.  Sun swooped down and plucked the child off of his leg, and with a swing had cradled her in one arm. The little one squealed with laughter before she tried to maintain her pout. "Now don't be that way little sunbeams! It'll be fun, and I know someone who can help!" Sun lifted his other hand from behind his back, a floppy sock puppet greeting the child with its mouth open. The child started giggling again, all sour thoughts were easily forgotten as Sun pretended to 'bite' at her with the puppet. Just like that, the kids had started using their puppets to grab and bite their things, picking up toys and backpacks with smiles all around. Sun began bouncing around the little ones, assisting socks in cramming crayons back into boxes. You hadn't realized just how distracted you were watching Sun and the kids until a hand tapped at your shoulder. You nearly jump out of your skin, whipping to your right to find no one there. You're only allowed a moment of confusion before you're pulled into a hug from your left. Moon cackled when you shot him the nastiest glare you could muster, but he was warm all the same. He could be a real jerk sneaking up on you like that. "The Check Out reports are ready, Starling. We should help Sun with clean up." Despite his words, you feel arms wrap around you and give you a little squeeze. Your cheeks burn from the embarrassment of getting caught spacing out when there was work to do. That...was probably the only reason. Probably. You start to fidget against Moon's chest plate, awkward realization replacing your annoyance. "Oh, yeah SORRY did you say you already get the closing report done? Shoot, I'm sorry, I should have-" You're starting to ramble but it's cut short when you feel a bonk on your forehead. Moon lifts his head away, and you become acutely aware that you're still being held three ways to Sunday. Moon chuckled a little. "Breathe, little Star, the parents are going to start arriving soon. No need to fuss over the paperwork." He smiles at you, sweeter than honey, and you take a deep breath. You internally choke slam the vicious words foaming in the back of your brain; the day was almost over, and you didn't want to it mess up just because you couldn't focus. You open your mouth to say something, but you're interrupted by a familiar jingle. Right on queue, the first of the parents began to enter the lobby, and Sun was skipping over to help. The Daycare exploded into shrieking and laughter, kids frantically waving art projects at their parents. While Sun and Moon got the kids organized and chatted with the parents, you're making notes on the Check Out list. Your eyes occasionally darting to the kids still waiting for their parents, lest they try to get into trouble with the boys busy. You stand off to the side the lobby door, tapping a pen absent-minded against your clipboard as you go over the end-of-day list. You're considering a note you left for yourself when someone starts talking behind you, catching your attention for only a moment. "Yeah, it's been great. Ever since Dad left his company assets to me, I've been really trying to refocus the company. Which, is exactly why we implemented those new waivers. The legal team loved the new outline I submitted, parents are basically signing their kids away at this point. They just eat this shit up! Look at all the little brats around here, and no possibility for an incident report." He snickered, checking his watch at an incoming message. Your head buzzed numb, and a sudden rush of hot anger flooded your skull. Your head tilts to the side, catching a glimpse of the thing talking behind you. It's a tall, stocky man in a dark blue suit, leaning against the door next to a familiar adult. Looks like Mrs. Lawrence was buttering up Sun again, raving about how he is so helpful, and how nice it would be to have him around the house instead of Mr. Lawrence. Sun always handled her well, acting out just like he did with the kids, making her laugh but keeping a masked distance. But this usually left Mr. Lawrence to mope at the door, never too keen on going deep in the daycare. You think he is a little scared of Sun. But today he had someone to talk to, and you didn't appreciate the company he kept. There was a pause in the conversation, Mr. Lawrence looking uncomfortable but polite. Your body was tense, eyes boring holes into your clipboard listening to them talk. You are wound up, like a predator waiting for its chance to pounce, prey never the wiser to the danger. Your hands shake, but you force yourself to pretend to scribble on your clipboard in case they noticed you. They did not. "So," Mr. Lawrence lowers his voice. "Your wife still sore about...that whole lawsuit thing?" "Oh yeah, I'm staying late at the office tonight. No way I'm going home with her still awake I'm sure I'll think of a way to kill the time, hell, I heard we just hired a pretty little tidbit for the second shift accountant position." Both men laugh and share a slimy, wistful sigh. Your scowl deepens, too deep in thought to notice the tightening grip on your pen. The ache building up in your hands goes unnoticed. Your head runs a mile a minute, taking in the conversation. You recall that one of the Health and Safety senior executives had just stepped down, giving his position to his prodigal son. And now he was here, a wretched snake that had slithered into a place he should not be. You're taken out of your darkness when a little girl runs by you, waving and calling out a squeaky 'Goodbye!' The girl runs to Mr. Lawrence, who awkwardly picks her up. She's wiggling with an abundance of energy and giddiness, ready to go home. "About time Princess. Looks like you had fun today. They sure give you guys a lot of...glitter." Mr. Lawrence silently mourns his white shirt before turning to the man in the suit. "Looks like I gotta get going. Good luck with...all of that." "Yeah, gonna head to the office, this creepshow is about to close anyway. I'll see you later." The man in the suit waved off Mr. Lawrence, leaving out of the doors. He was heading toward the back of the Plex where the main offices were, you note. His office was here. Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence wave goodbye to you, but your stare goes through them and you give no response. Your head was spinning, deep in a haze, your stomach all but boiling with a deep, seething rage. He's staying late tonight. After close. "Uh...Starling? Do you, need help with that?" Moon's concerned, pillow-soft voice cuts through the fog behind your eyes. You look around in a daze, all the kids were gone and Sun was singing to himself amongst the plushie bins. Your head was full of wasps, still excited and angry and swarming. You try to speak but nothing comes out, Moon's eyes narrowed, only for a moment. You shake your head and force words out of your throat. "The list! Right, I almost completely forgo-" You look down at the clipboard and pause. The pen that was in your hand had all but exploded, plastic shards poking into your fingers and sticky blue ink trying to stain the fabric of your gloves. The whole room seemed to tilt under your feet, when did that happen? Good thing you made these easy to clean. Moon reaches out, and gently takes the clipboard and pen remnants from your hands, turning toward the desk. You could still see the worry reflected in his eyes, but he said nothing else. He always tried to be respectful when it came to your hands. The gloves weren't perfect, literally nothing you've done has been, and mistakes like that happened from time to time. No need to stew on it, and no need to rub salt in the already bitter wounds. Sun had finished with the plushies, bounce in his step as he bounded over to you. He's humming, sun rays spinning with a whirl. He's so deep in his musings, that he doesn't read the room. He's still half singing when he does a twirl around you. "Oh, today was just SU-PER! The kids were all SO creative and Moony's little story was so fun and- and...Sunshine?" He stops mid-bounce when he realizes your fuzzy eyes and faintly blue hands. "Oh Sunshine, are you ok? Your stress levels are higher than normal, and you're shaking! What happened?" Sun cups your cheeks, hands cozy against your face. You regain your senses at his touch; the buzzing ebbing away. Sunny just had a way to make you feel so...secure. Your strained look melts into a smile, small at first. "I'm fine Sunny, sorry for scaring you. I- I just got distracted by...something. That's all." Anticipation floods in where your anxiety had been, and you can't help the nervous chuckle brewing in your guts.Oh, there was always so much work to be done. You lift your hands to meet his, eyes beaming up at Sun, watching him relax into the gesture. You force your stiff fingers around his palms, holding his hands in yours, close to your chest. Sun's rays spin again, flustered by your pulse and the sudden attention. His eyes flutter for a moment, before turning his head away, trying to hide the sheepish grin spreading across his faceplate. Moon had disposed of what was left of the pen and had returned to you, silently pulling you back into an embrace. He nuzzles your cheek, fans whirling like a content purr against your ear. They both seem to sense your contemplation, waiting patiently for you to gather your thoughts. You let out a hum, and you can hear two sets of gears click in response. "We...we have a lot of work to do tonight." You finally say, something cruel growing behind your smile. "A lot of work." "We DO? But Sunshine, I thought there was only sweeping left, did I miss something?" Sun turns his head back to fully face you, tilting his head like a puppy. His voice teetered on the edge of an embarrassed giggle, swaying his hands with yours. He hadn't let go, and you hadn't thought to pull away.   "Hmm, what is it that has our little Star so worked up?" Moon hums, and you can feel it in his chest against your back. He was running a hand through your hair, the other wrapped around your midsection. You feel slightly overwhelmed by the display, completely sandwiched between Night and Day. Such sweet devotion they shared for you. The buzzing in your mind starts to pick up again, as you try to piece together your plan. You had been working on a little...trinket, for a while, but you hadn't had a chance to try it out. This could prove to be the perfect opportunity to see it in action! But you didn't have a lot of time, the clock above the Daycare doors ticking louder than you ever remember. Vanessa's shift wouldn't start for at least another hour, and this whole thing would be a lot..cleaner without her here. "I think we should pay a visit to the office tonight." Your smile gleamed with wicked intent. "There's someone I want to have a talk with someone about breaking the rules in OUR daycare."

[bokettochild]

Violet

So y'all remember this animatic? Yeah?

I wrote a thing based off of it.

I'm not entirely sure how I fee about it, but y'all have shown how much you like my crack in the past, even if I wasn't sure about that either, so...

Here's Legend getting mistaken for a mom and pulling his brothers into a terrible impromptu acting adventure.

There are many things you do not do in Castletown.

One of those things, apparently, was taking Twilight with you, and next time he had a chance Legend was seriously considering muzzling their wolfish friend, in his shadow form or not.

He wasn’t the only one with that thought either apparently, although likely the only one who was thinking it out annoyance rather than utter and complete terror. Honestly, Twi needed to cut that protective streak of his in half, or he was going to be regretting it even more than he was going to regret this!

They’d all met thieves before, on the road, in villages, even here in Castle Town, and unfortunately Warriors’ central city was particularly full of them. The captain had explained it ages ago, something about the war displacing people and stirring up unrest with the refugees. It wasn't uncommon that someone got tired of relying on the crown for help, which, the captain had admitted sorrowfully, was rather slow in coming, despite all of Artemis’s efforts, to provide any sort of relief to the starving and displaced victims of the war. Legend had winced at that. Poor blokes, it had been similar in his own Hyrule when those trapped in the dark world emerged again, and even back in their Hylian forms, many of them had struggled to readjust to a world that had moved on in their absence.

It was little wonder than that those in the captain’s time faced the same struggle, especially after a bloody time war, but even so, it bothered him to no end that their group specifically had been the one that the idiot of a man chose to target. Honestly! They were all carrying swords for pities sakes! How did the sod even think he was going to catch a bunch of warriors unawares to steal from them?

Maybe it was because they were split.

It only made sense, after being dropped in the captain’s time, that they restock supplies. Both for practicality and to avoid suspicion, they’d divided the group into two to better run their errands, Time taking those less accustomed to bustling cities with him to gather food and potions, and Warriors leading the rest of them, those who could stand crowds at least a little bit better, to visit the blacksmith, fletcher, and tailor shops.

True to form, the captain strutted ahead with his scarf waving behind him, Wind tagging along beside him and chattering excitedly about something or other at the soldier. He and Four, however, had chosen to trail after, not for any particular reason other than both being extremely tired and maybe just a bit emotional.

In his own case, he hadn’t slept in a good sixty-three hours or so, and combining that with the stress of wandering around in an unknown place, he was a little more sensitive than usual and a bit put out as a result. Similarly, Four was fighting off his usual headache from their sudden switch, and ever since they’d pulled themselves out of the alleyway Hylia dumped them in, the shortest hero had worn his hood pulled over his eyes, mumbling softly under his breath in a way that was, unfortunately, unnerving Legend further and making him want, very much, to beg the other to stop.

That wasn’t an option of course, so he did something he hated almost as much as the saunter Warriors was using to get down the road.

He made small talk.

It helped, surprisingly, and while the four of them had run their errands, he chattered amiably with the smithy, who’d been willing to talk as long as he didn’t have to think too much on things. Legend could agree with that, and the two had spent the last half hour discussing if Four’s tunic really was red, green, blue and violet, as the smithy claimed, or red, green, blue and purple as Legend thought it was.

“It’s violet.” Four huffed, pushing the last bundle of arrows into his pack as they departed from the smithy’s shop and made their way back to the fountain at the center of town, where they'd agreed to meet with Time and the others.

“But it’s not!” He insisted, shifting the bundle of fabric in his arms and meeting the smithy’s gaze. “Violet is softer, duskier, a bit closer to grey or blue. That’s purple, plain as day!”

Warriors and Wind, for once, didn’t say anything, only exchanging grins every so often that the other two ignored.

Talking with Four was surprisingly pleasant, and ridiculously easy in comparison to talking with the others. For one thing, neither had to look too very far up or down to see the other, and as they’d found since their first dinner at the ranch, it was easy to say a lot with just a look. Subtle communication also went a long way further with the smithy than with anyone else, and it was a relief not to have to explain everything for once. Additionally, Four also liked reading, and unlike with most of their other brothers, they could actually have intelligent conversations with each other.

Not that that’s what they were doing when they’d trailed after the other two towards the fountain, but when they heard the snarl and resulting scream, the look the two heroes shared had carried as many words as a full two-hour lecture, while all at once conveying a single thought.

Oh boy, what did Twilight do this time?

What Twilight had done, he found out later, was spring a thief who had attempted to snatch the Sheikah Slate from Wild, who’d been a bit busy trying to calm his anxiety to really notice that one of the humans pressing close all around him was actually trying to steal it. That, naturally, was all well and good. The problem was the way Twilight had chosen to handle it and Legend swore there were days that Twilight forgot what form he was in; rather than pushing the thief away or grabbing ahold of them and confronting them, the gracious rancher had chosen to fling his entire body weight at the man and bite his arm.

Of course, that was only what Legend found out later, what he saw when the four of them managed to peek through the crowd, was Twilight standing there in full sight of the entire market with blood on his teeth and a man screaming in pain and terror at his feet.

Bravo, Rancher, bravo.

“Oof.” Wind winced. “That’s not good.”

“Shit.” Warriors swore, glancing around nervously and ripping his scarf off to hide in his pack.

Realization sprung on the vet like Twilight had the poor thief; Warriors was the hero here. If anyone noticed him, or any of the knightlier looking ones, they’d probably try and have them arrest Twilight. That was all well and good of course, as it would make a reasonable excuse to haul the rancher out of the way, but they’d be expected to call for help from some soldiers, and while they’d been planning on meeting with the queen while they were here, having Twilight presented to her as a feral, potentially insane, and definitely dangerous criminal was not the approach they were aiming for.

They needed a distraction, fast.

So, like the reasonable and totally mentally secure Hylian that he was, Legend shouted the first thing that came to his mind. “Violet!”

His three companions stared at him, and had he been capable, he would have stared at himself, but a desperate glance Fours way had the other drawing back, nodding slowly as Legend shouted again. “Violet? Honey?”

Warriors looked at him like he’d lost his head, gripping Wind’s shoulder firmly as if worried he’d have to pull the kid back from the apparently mad veteran.

Thank Din for teaching him acting years ago, even if it was all stage performing, but he was counting on it to get him, and Twilight, out of their respective messes, even if that meant building his higher before he could escape. At any rate, he’d caught the attention of a few people with his panicked shout. Turning to the nearest Hylian that wasn’t one of his group, he gently tapped the woman’s shoulder, letting his panic and everything in general spill over into his face and voice as the woman met his gaze with a startled look.

“Ma’am, I’m looking for-” Oh Four was going to hate this. “-My child, Violet. Have you seen a blonde Hylian child, so tall?” He lowered his hand to approximately where Four’s head would reach. “I’ve been looking everywhere!” He forced a fake sob into his voice, glancing from the woman to the surrounding crowd, and Warriors and Wind in its midst.

Wind was stifling a laugh behind his hand while Warriors stared in utter shock.

“Oh my,” The woman touched her cheek, clucking lightly and patting Legend’s hand in a consoling manner. “You poor dear! I haven’t seen a thing but just give me one moment.” The burly housewife turned, still patting Legend’s hand gently as she murmured something to the women behind her, before turning back to Legend with a sorry expression. “None of my friends have seen your little one, dear. But-” The woman turned and, with all the force and volume of a cow, hollered at the top of her lungs to the crowd as a whole. “Hello? Yes, this woman is looking for her daughter!”

Woman?!?!?!

“Her name is Violet! She’s-” The woman blinked, looking to Legend with a worried look as several other market goers turned to stare, many of them women with looks of pity and understanding that was making him wish he’d stayed silent. Fortunately, his ruse had startled them out of staring at the sight of a mauled thief as worry for a poor young mother and her lost daughter took its place. “She’s how old?”

Legend fought the protest of female pronouns, both on Four’s part and his own, but only in his head. Outwardly however, he covered his face with the hand not being smashed by the farm-wife's own. “She’s four.” Shoot him, he was saying whatever came to mind because he was panicked, alright?

A snort could be heard behind him, earning disapproving looks from the crowd that soon shifted to pity as Wind too joined the act, turning his snort into pitiful sniffling as he clung to Warriors’ hand, looking for all the world like a child who’d been to the market too long and wanted to go home, but was also panicking at the loss of their sibling. “Have you all seen my sister?” The sailor blubbered softly, actual tears spilling down his face as he pouted, expression making his act so believable that no one even questioned his height. As if to make the act more convincing, Warriors wrapped an arm around the kid’s shoulder, his own face stiffening into something that could either be gas or worry, Legend was a bit on the fence.

“What’s going on here?” Legend wished that was Time stalking towards them in full armor, but it wasn’t, it was a Hylian Soldier, staring at the crowd with a grim frown on his face as he turned to Legend, standing in its center.

Oh well, those who crack under a tough audience get tomatoes to the face; he just hoped Wars would keep playing along. “My daughter,” He sobbed into his hand, pulling the other free from the housewife to properly cover his face. “She- My baby- I can’t find her anywhere, Sir!” Later, Warriors would begrudgingly admit that the look Legend shot the soldier was enough to break any heart as the vet stepped forwards, grabbing hold of the man’s arm with all the desperation of a worried mother. “Please tell me, have you seen a little girl? She’s in her favorite dress, the colors of the goddesses, red, green and blue?” He motioned down at his own tunic, skirt, whatever one would call it. “There’s a violet corner too, I made it for her myself- oh my poor baby! I can’t seem to find her anywhere!”

The grizzled soldier quickly melted under the power of tearful violet eyes, and he too gently patted Legend’s hands as if he thought it would do any good. “I’ll have my men look for her right away, ma’am. How old would you say she is?

“She’s four.” He reaffirmed. Might as well stick to his original story.

“So tall?” The farm-wife motioned, hands lowering a bit more than Legend’s had, but the woman was trying to help, so he couldn’t really be upset with her for getting it wrong. At this point though, he was a bit worried about where Four actually was, because he’d expected the shorter hero to make an appearance sooner rather than later so the act could end.

“Right.” The man nodded, pulling himself loose as Legend brought his hands to clasp in front of his chest in an imitation of the maids he’d seen worrying about the halls when Fable went missing. “We’ll do everything in our power to find your little one, madame, you have my word.” The soldier bowed, kissing the back of the vet’s hand graciously before moving back into the crowd and snapping orders at the soldiers stationed around the market.

People buzzed by, spreading the word of ‘little Violet’s’ disappearance as Warriors and Wind pushed forwards to where Legend stood.

“Really, vet?” Warriors murmured lowly.

“I panicked.” He admitted softly, as to avoid anyone noticing as he wrung his hands. “But seriously, where is ‘’Violet’? I thought he’d have appeared before it became a big thing.”

The captain frowned, settling a hand on his shoulder carefully and standing on his toes to look over the crowd as Wind giggled at the scowling veteran. The minute he shot a look down at the sailor though, the kid had picked up his role as smoothly as if he’d never dropped it. “I’m worried, mom.” Wind blinked past fake tears, and had he not needed to remain in character, Legend would have scowled and flicked the kid’s nose for the tease.

“I am too, honey.” He sighed instead, ruffling the sailor’s curls and looking over to where the others had been. Time and the others had disappeared into the crowd again, likely trying to keep a low profile and laughing their asses off at Legend’s expense while Time and Sky scolded Twilight.

“Mama?” A small voice called out, and the crowd, and he meant the whole crowd, the whole freaking crowd of several hundred people, froze as a small face peeked out from an alleyway, the smithy’s hand coming up to rub at his shimmering purple eyes with a sniff. “Mama?”

“Violet!” All three heroes surged forwards, Legend sinking to his knees and wrapping Four in a hug, taking the opportunity when his face was hidden from the crowd to scowl. “About time you showed up.” Aloud for the crowd however, he let sobs pitch his voice hysterically. “Oh honey, you can’t run off on mama like that! I was worried sick!”

And as if to put the icing on the cake of shame, one of the men in the crowd smiled softly, patting Warriors’ back with a friendly smile. “Your wife is quite the caring mother, isn’t she? Ah, you’re a lucky man, Mr.”

Legend forced himself to not blow their cover, no matter how little they now needed it with the others safely out of sight. Breaking character meant causing drama that they didn’t need. ‘Violet’ had been found, the cute little family would depart, people would calm. But if the worried mother turned out to be a screaming teenage boy and the lost daughter to be a smithy apprentice with a height problem, people would likely riot. So instead of turning around and giving the man a piece of his mind, he pushed forwards, hefting Four in his arms (the smithy sank into him with a sigh that couldn’t have been faked) letting the smaller hero nestle against him, hood hiding the smithy’s face from view as he pulled them both up, adjusting his arms so as to not drop the other.

Man, he was glad he’d put on power bracelets today.

“She is indeed.” Warriors forced out, a strained smile on his face as he settled his hand on Legend’s waist, stiff, cold and incredibly awkward. “We’d probably better head off, dear.” If the captain smiled any harder, he’d break his teeth. “Or the inns will all be full.”

It should have ended there, it should have. Legend was so ready for it to end (although Four was warm and a calming presence as the smithy began to doze against his chest), but because fate loved to mess with him, it didn’t.

“You’re looking for a place to stay the night?” The Man-Who-Needed-To-Be-Kicked cocked a brow. “I run an inn here, just across the square. I’m sure we can find a lovely little family like yourselves a place to rest, you and our wife must be exhausted after such worry!”

Warriors, sages curse and bless him, nodded along stiffly, gently pulling him along by is waist after the Blasted-Innkeeper-Who-Would-Be-Kicked as the man chattered about family discounts and free dinner. Legend’s shoulders only lowered when a free trip to the bath house was also thrown in ‘complimentarily’.

He regretted it when someone pointed him to the ladies’ side of the bath-house (think heavens it was empty that early), and he was about ready to strangle something or someone when the others joined them inside, stuck with a regularly priced room, and the smithy and vet both were bombarded with teases as Warriors sat looking utterly and completely disgusted.

“They thought we were married....”

Legend groaned, flopping over on the other side of the bed with a grimace. “Gross, right?”

“Yeah.”

"We’re forgetting this ever happened, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Good.”

Regardless, no one ever let them forget it happened.

Legend was buying Twilight a muzzle, and he was pretty sure Wars would be willing to help.

[dourpeep]

The men of Genshin as romance types:

This just kind popped up in my head after thinking about Xiao's characterization! I might add to this in the future, but for now it's just a small list of headcanons + a short blurb :>

Contains: Lots of fluff, lightly suggestive

Features: Albedo, Venti, Kaeya, Xiao, Zhongli, Childe, and Diluc

Note: you can be soft and still top btw, this is only for how they'd be romantically

Sweet:

Albedo

Albedo is also shown canonically to do little gestures like give people the sketch he did of them to see them smile, this man might seem kinda standoffish at first, but he's not cold

From his voicelines and story, we also know that Albedo is the type of person to think pretty deeply about everything around him

His brain goes 100 miles an hour with all the possibilities and scenarios he can think of

So with his s/o, the best thing that could happen is that he'll take the time to really slow down and unwind

Being a busy, busy man in pursuit of knowledge beyond anyone's comprehension, Albedo rarely gets time off (his sketches are considered research, in a way, no?)

So once he's finally at home, there will be lots of little shows of affection

Passing behind you, perhaps a light touch on your back or shoulder to let you know he's there

On a particularly rough day, he'll sit facing you with his forehead resting on your chest and just--take your hands and put them in his hair

Not really the type to pamper, but there's no doubt of his love

Probably the type of guy to like sitting close in silence

Maybe on the nights you cook, he'll come and wrap his arms around your waist, head leaning on your shoulder as he watches you work

Quietly, you lay on the couch tangled up in his arms, the soft sound of breathing and the light warmth you feel lulling you to sleep. It seems that, even though Albedo is left half asleep from a long day of research, he still continues to trace mindless little patterns on the back of your hand with his thumb. You shift, and he hums, pulling you closer.

Venti

The man’s been through so much, honestly

He's lost his closest friend, helped a rebellion usurp a tyrant, been through a war that lasted centuries, watched as another friend he'd known since birth fall to corruption (but ultimately was saved)

Point being, he's tired and just wants to have his fun

True to his nature, he likes to tease and poke at his s/o, but nothing that can't be undone (after all, a prank isn't funny if it's permanent)

Hand holding, is a must! Venti is a very affectionate person who isn't afraid to express his feelings when it comes to his s/o

Lots of smooches too! (Please smooch him back)

Speaking of hands and smooches, he's the type to bring your hand to his lips and give each your fingertips a little kiss. They've done so much for you and allow him the joy of holding them, so it's the least he can do!

His type of love is free and sweeter than the scent of cecelias, soft as the wind that kisses your skin

Really, he wants to be able to treasure you as much as he can in the time you have together

Today was a picnic date kind of day. A basket filled with fresh, ripe sunsettias and a few dishes you both worked together to make (mostly you, after what happened with Venti's apple cake) sat on top of a sturdy blanket laid on the grass. Head laid in your lap, the wandering bard strummed idly on his lyre, adding a lovely backdrop to an already perfect day.

Romantic:

Kaeya

Of course, the suave Captain doesn't stop with honeyed words

Mysterious as he is, he takes what he does in stride

If he could spend all his life entwined with you, he'd die a happy man

Kaeya is the type of partner to romance with candlelight and nighttime strolls on the beach

A little cheesy, yes, but all the more to sweep you off your feet

Flirty, he likes to take his time with his love and while he similarly treasures his s/o, it's in the way the fairytales are written

Perhaps a little cliche at times

Nevertheless, he's the type of partner to sweep you into a dance despite there being no music and dip you low (whether you both lose balance and fall is up to gravity)

He'll show his affection physically, whether through a quick kiss when you stop by the Favonious Knight's HQ, or pulling you close when you walk through a crowd on a market day

Teasing is also a big thing, if he can make you blush, his mission is accomplished

In privacy, expect his treatment to be the same--it wouldn't do any good if he leaves his dear s/o confused about how he feels

Once again, you take his hand and he sweeps you into a lively waltz, sweeping across the living room floor. Not once do his eyes leave yours. All he ever needs is the feel of you close and the rush of his heart in his chest that bubbles into something fonder when your laugh reaches his ears.

Xiao

Not the best with words, Xiao shows his love through his actions

Little gifts, helping now and then with commissions and clearing the road, he'll do it all with no expectation of thanks (should you thank him, he'll be extremely grateful for the recognition but also perhaps unsure how to react)

He doesn't tend towards physically showing affection to his s/o, so when he does, expect them to show his utter devotion

Often, Xiao questions what it is that he did to deserve such a love, but as soon as you appear in his view, it no longer matters because as long as you believe him to be worthy, why wouldn't he be?

His love is based deeply in trust. The heart is a fragile thing and to someone who's suffered so much in his lifetime, he guards it fiercely to protect himself

When he finally does allow himself the comfort of a relationship, he'll soak it up entirely

Nights spent stargazing on the top of Wangshu Inn, pinkies intertwined, or bodies held together tightly with the sweet exchange of breath

Every touch that he offers is gentle, reverent, and serves to remind him that what he's experiencing is real

He tried, really, for the thing on the plate to turn out the way that you usually make it. It's a far cry from what he remembers, but you set it down and bring your hands to his face. The sight of your beaming smile warms him deeply and he pulls you in close for a kiss.

Zhongli

Be still, my beating heart-

Just as he's full of information from the flowers of Liyue to the deepest cracks in the soil, he loves fully and unapologetically

He's lived through many eras and seen so much that it's hard to not want to express how he feels as he feels it

Deeply appreciative of whatever his s/o does and does for him

He indulges in every word, touch, feeling, and look- He's not a greedy man, but when it comes to love? There's a deep desire to feel it all

There are many ways that Zhongli expresses that love, a few being through your daily strolls through Liyue Harbor and the daily and nightly rituals the two of you have settled down into

His favorite is probably the mornings

There's something about waking up wrapped up in your lover's arms, head resting on their chest as the sun's warm beams shine through the windows that's utterly satisfying

Zhongli indulges in these little moments, favoring them over all else

Once in a while, he'll take you back to where your first date was to reminisce, perhaps even (jokingly) mention little embarrassing things either of you did

Zhongli watches as you sip at your drink and admires the way the sun compliments your eyes. You're preoccupied by the falling leaves, it seems, mentioning how they're just as brilliant gold as his. Though the feeling he feels is far from the excitement of butterflies, it has settled into a comforting sort of warmth that hopes you feel as well.

Passionate:

Childe

This man's love is wild like his personality

Loud, fun, and never quite predictable, he loves like a whirlwind and with an enthusiasm to match no other

Lots of teasing going on here, to make you blush or to mess with you, you'll never know

But it's his unapologetic fire that drew you to him to begin with

When he's not occupied with work, he'll drag you to go sight seeing

Every experience is a new experience, no matter if it's something that seems so everyday or not

His affection is in the form of tightly held hands (he doesn't want to lose you with how quickly he weaves through the crowd), well-placed winks, and kisses to steal your breath away

He also loves in a way that's fiercely protective. His job is a dangerous one and, with the way he's open with your relationship, his affection serves to protect you

But don't forget that despite his passion, he's a man who deeply treasures those close to him and, as his s/o, you'll be showered with only the best he can give you

It was only a quick break in your day, he'd assured, but it quickly became another round of seeing Liyue through his eyes. In the span of only an hour, you've already spotted an untouched patch of glaze lilies, sampled rich Li-style cuisine and fresh Yue-style cuisine, helped a young girl fetch her kite from atop a tree, and now are working your way (or rather, Childe is working your way for you) to a little area behind the busy streets to show you a pack of dogs he'd befriended. Fondly, you smile and watch as he beckons them out of hiding.

Diluc

Diluc lives for the way that his s/o brings the best out of him and, in return, he does the same back

He exudes the air of a gentleman with the way he shows his affection, but, whether intentionally or not, in an utterly enticing way

Being busy during the day with running the tavern and the winery as well as at night as the Darknight Hero (he insists you stop calling him that as well, but you don't miss the light flush of pride each time), the time he dedicates to you is left in the early morning long before you leave for the day and the evening as he settles just before he sets off

During morning time, he's often fond of running his hands over you, feeling each dip and curve, memorizing the way your hair falls and the way your lips curve when you smile

It's a quiet sort of passion

His love is expressed in the fond murmurs against your shoulder and head, sharing those moments of deep intimacy both physical and not

In the evenings, you both settle in front of the fireplace, sharing a drink or two

There's sometimes a certain look in his eye that sets your heart aflame in the dimly lit room, and sometimes he sets off a little later that night in lieu of a few more stolen moments with you

Diluc slides into your shared bed in the early hours of the morning, a bit later than usual. The shift stirs you just enough to wake up to two arms pulling you to his chest and a deep breath with his nose buried in your hair. He's no doubt exhausted. Eyes bleary, you turn until you're facing him and loosely wrap an arm around his waist. In the moments you're still half-awake, you hear a low murmur of 'love you' and you smile against his skin.

[ignitedbynatsu]

He Makes You Feel Insecure ~ Rogue

A/N: let it be known that I finally managed to update at the deadline I set myself 🥳 I'm so sorry I was gone this past week but college was getting hella busy so I had to focus on that this past week but I'm backkk. Thanks to everyone who stuck around, I missed you all and can't wait to get to the requests ❤️

Genre: angst to fluff

Warnings: swearing, insecurities (he makes you feel too childish)

Other versions:

Gray ~ Laxus ~ Cobra/Erik ~ Bickslow ~ Gajeel ~ Natsu ~ Jellal ~ Freed ~ Sting

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

A loud crash could be heard followed by your and Sting's laughter filling the guild. You quickly fled the scene and hid behind Rogue while stifling your laughter.

You had played the oldest prank in the book on Minerva. A water bucket on a half-open door. You'll never understand how the brilliant mage fell for that one, but she did, resulting in you hiding from her wrath.

"(Y/N)! Sting!" Minerva screeched as the water dripped down her hair.

"We're sorry Minerva-san, we just couldn't pass the opportunity" you apologize on your and Sting's behalf, but it was nowhere near sincere As you both were still doing everything in your power to not burst out in laughter. It wasn't even that funny, but to you and Sting it was hilarious.

"I swear I'm dating a child" the annoyance that was latched on to the words made you immediately stop laughing. Surely he didn't mean for it to come out that harsh, right?

"I'm sorry, what was that" a soft smile still playing on your lips, but that was quickly wiped off when you met his cold gaze.

"I said that you're fucking childish, (Y/N). It was bad enough having Sting act this way, but with you encouraging him and even joining him? I feel like I'm in a fucking daycare. Grow up, will you" Sting laughter also died down as he saw his friend take his frustrations out on you. "Hey, man, that's not cool-"

"No, Sting, it's fine. I- uh- I'll see you all tomorrow" even Minerva shook her head in disappointment as she observed your slumped shoulders as you left the guild. She didn't miss the tears starting to form either.

The rest of the day everyone felt that they were walking on eggshells around Rogue, not daring to get on his bad side. They felt bad for you. Sure you could be a little annoying with all the pranks you pulled, but they all knew it was just good fun. You never meant any harm and just wanted to make the guild feel a little more like home.

That homeyness that you seemed to bring everywhere you went, was gone the next day. Your usual colourful outfits were replaced by dull grey and black clothes. They even were certain that they hadn't seen you crack a smile once that day.

"Hey, (Y/N)! I got this amazing idea for a prank and-" you interrupted Sting before he could elaborate his grand idea "thank you, Sting, but I'll have to decline."

You had never refused a prank before, nor had he ever heard you talk that formal "that's it"

You raised an eyebrow at him as he stormed off to God knows where.

You hated turning him down. After all, you had been itching all day to break this facade, but it was for the best. It'll pay off in the long run you kept telling yourself. After all, you couldn't imagine a world where you'd have to live without Rogue. So if that meant you'd have to change your personality a little bit, you wouldn't even hesitate to make that sacrifice.

Meanwhile, Sting had left to go find Rogue. He knew that his best friend was the only one who could put an end to this "is this what you wanted?"

"I have no clue what you are talking about" Rogue replied as he turned around to meet the fuming blonde.

"You seriously don't see how miserable you made (Y/N)?" He scoffed as Rogue looked around to spot you. It took him some time as he did not expect you to wear something so... Colourless. "You haven't even spoken to her today, have you?"

"I decided that I was way out of line yesterday and that I should give her some time" he explained. Did you really think you needed to change just to please him?

"How kind of you" Rogue was surprised by the sweet words coming out of Sting's mouth, but when he turned back to the said boy he was met by a harsh glare "now go fix it"

"What if I make it worse" the guilty was slowly eating him alive as he dared to steal another glance at you.

"You can't possibly make it worse than it already is" Sting dismissed his insecurities

"Fro thinks so too!" Rogue's head snapped towards the Exceed "Frosch?"

"It's three against one here" Lector also piped up as the three stared at him expectingly.

The raven-haired sighed, knowing he should do something to fix his mistakes, so he took a deep breath, gathered all his courage and headed towards his girlfriend. He never thought he'd feel this scared again to talk to you.

"(Y/N)... Can we talk?" He wanted to sound confident but when you looked at him and not even spared him a small smile, he felt like he wanted to sink back into the shadows.

"Of course, what is it you'd like to talk with me about?" Rogue cringed how smooth your tone was. No unnecessary intonation, no shouting, no expression. Everything was dull and blank.

"Why are you acting like this" your eyes went wide for a second. Were you still not living up to his expectations? Was it too little? Too much? You had no clue.

"I'm afraid I don't understand what you are talking about" you replied swiftly, covering up any traces of emotions you had just shown. "Did you not want me to stop acting like a child?"

"Yes, but-" "and is what I'm doing not exactly that what you asked me to do?" "Yeah... But-" Rogue was getting frustrated, but he knew he had no right to snap at you again.

"Then I don't see the relevance of this conversation. I'll be heading home now. I'll see you tomorrow" with that you placed a kiss on his cheeks and headed back out of the guild.

Rogue's attempts at covering up his frustration were in vain as you could read him like an open book. Afraid to get yelled at again you hastily decided to head back home. Ready to scream or punch something just to get your own frustrations out.

After the failed attempts of him making it up to you, you managed to put up your facade for a week, until one day you just didn't show up. You didn't notify Sting or Rogue in advance, which you normally do, you were just too tired to deal with anyone.

"Has (Y/N) told you she wasn't coming today?" Rogue's anxiety was through the roof. He nearly burned a whole town to the ground when he lost Frosch. Imagine what he'd do if he didn't know where you, his significant other was. "No"

"I'm going to her house" with that Rogue left in an attempt to find you. Luckily for him, you were indeed just at your house.

Your stomach dropped at the sound of someone knocking at your door. You were tired, no, exhausted even. You hated that you had to pretend that you were someone that you're not, but it was all for a good cause you kept telling yourself, and yet you couldn't muster the energy to keep up that facade.

"(Y/N)? Please tell me your home" your heart broke at the sound of his voice. The worry and desperateness were caused because of you. Once again you were not good enough.

You opened the door ever so slightly, just enough, so he could make out that it was in fact you. "Thank God you're here"

"I'm sorry for not giving a heads-up. I promise I'll be back tomorrow" you promised him as you were about to shut the door again, but he stopped you by placing his own hand against the door.

"(Y/N), please, we need to talk" you contemplated for a minute, weighing the pros and the cons "please"

You slowly opened the door further as a signal for him to come in.

The sight in front of him shattered his heart. Your eyes were red and puffy. Your figure was completely slouched and your arms were wrapped around your middle, hugging yourself, in an attempt to shield yourself away from.

"I'm sorry I probably look like a cry baby right now-" he stopped you before you could finish your excuse "hey, no, none of that"

"I want to tell you something and I need you to listen without you interrupting me, okay?" You nodded your head at his request and waited patiently as he continued. "First and foremost I'd like to apologize for my behaviour last week. I shouldn't have worked out my frustration on you and I shouldn't have attacked you like that."

You nodded your head at his apology "second, I want you to know that you should never change your personality. Especially not for me. I love you, (Y/N). And when I say that, I mean every piece of you. Your good and your bad traits. If fell in love with you for who you are, and not the person you've been portraying as the last week."

"Please go back to your old self. I'd rather have a childish person as my girlfriend than a fraud that's clearly exhausted by putting on a facade. I really am sorry for making you feel like you had to change for me" by now you were full-on crying. Maybe it was because of Rogue's kind words, maybe it was because of the exhaustion, maybe a bit of both. All you cared about now was being in his arms and feeling loved.

"It's okay" you whispered as placed your head on his chest as he planted a kiss on your head.

"It really isn't. That's why I'd like to make it up to you" you broke the hug to look up at him as a mischievous glint was sparkling in his eyes "how about we prank Sting?"

"I'd love to, but for now let's just watch a film and cuddle" you smiled at his idea as you had never pranked Sting before since you always prank others together.

"Anything for you, princess" that's how you spend the rest of your evening in each other's arms, with him reassuring you every once in a while that he loves you and that you should never change.

[shreddedparchment]

A Wife for Thor Pt.22

Obstacle

04/08/2021

Pairing: King!Thor x Reader          Word Count: 5,413

Warnings: angst, jealousy, marital problems, pregnancy, allusions to cheating (no actual infidelity), fluff, smug Loki

A/N: It took me SO long to get this chapter down. I wrote literally like a few sentence a day for a bit and then finally got some good chunks out. This has been a tough week but this chapter makes it all worth it! I hope y’all think so too. A lot of good stuff happens in this chapter, as in stuff that I really like. If you happen to reblog, thanks so much for helping me spread my work!

Please DO NOT repost my stories on any other sites or blogs.

REBLOGS are always welcome!

The shuffle around the palace as Loki escorts you through the front gate is overwhelming.

It’s safe to say that judging by your reception when you’d shown up in Heimdall’s tower located on the far side of the city, the Asgardians are happy to see you.

Armod is also happy to see you and you rush to get into your car before you can get swarmed by eager Asgardians.

Loki joins you in the back seat and lets Armod gush over his happiness at seeing you back home and healthy. And pregnant! More than anything, the people are happy to see the swell of your belly.

Many of the women are crying as you step out of the car at the palace gate, the men cheering enthusiastically.

Some of the children have found flower petals to throw into the air and it rains white, pink, and yellow blossoms.

It's the small waving hand of a little girl with ebony floor length braids that tugs too hard on your heartstrings and you give in to your impulse.

“Armod, stop the car, I’d like to greet the people,” you ask, swayed further by the eager faces of the young girl's siblings who flank her..

As much as being Queen had come unexpectedly and as much work as it's been, loving the Asgardians has never been a challenge and you've missed your people.

Their kindness has always been the best part of your day.

Armod gives Loki a quick look but stops the car just as the palace gates are opening.

He pulls over to the side, putting it in park before hurrying out to open the door for you.

“Are you sure?” Loki checks, reaching over to place his hand over yours on the seat.

“Of course. I owe them this. I’ve been gone for so long.”

“If you’d rather go in, we can find an excuse.”

“Loki,” you laugh once. “Is something wrong? Is there a reason I shouldn’t get out of the car?”

“Not at all,” he assures you. “I just don’t want you to force yourself. I know this pregnancy hasn’t exactly been easy on you.”

“I’m okay. And I’m sure they wanna see the proof that they have an heir coming. Really, Loki, I don't mind.”

Loki sighs, but gets out quickly to move around and take Armod’s place and offer you his arm.

Taking it, you pull yourself out, and after a long moment to steady yourself on your feet, you turn to face your people.

A large number of Valkyries suddenly pour from the open palace gateway and you wait as they line themselves in front of the gathering crowd. A simple border of control to keep you safe.

The people don’t seem threatened by the guard either and they continue to cheer until you raise your hand and call them to silence.

It only takes a few seconds for the noise to die, leaving only the ambient sounds of the city, wind, and the shuffling feet as more Asgardians and visiting humans gather.

“Hello,” you begin, voice a little shaky from nerves. “I’m...I-I’d like to start by first apologizing for disappearing. And then for being gone so long.”

The people watch and listen attentively, hanging on your every word. As your hands drop down to your belly to stroke it anxiously out of habit, their eyes are drawn to it and they seem to rattle with excitement again.

Looking down at your tummy, you contemplate the little one inside and the kicks he gave you earlier in the day.

He's really in there.

“It’s been a long journey to do what’s been expected of me. Difficult, actually. Giving you and Thor what we’ve all been hoping for is a privilege though. It's important that you all know that.

"However, I'm not as strong as all of you. I'm not as resilient. As soon as I knew that I was expecting the future prince or princess of New Asgard, I knew that I had to take precautions. I had to stop thinking like your Queen and just for a while, think like a mom. I told Thor that I wanted to take some time away from my duties as Queen if only to make sure that my pregnancy would take. In order to ensure the health of this baby.

“Im so very sorry if I caused any of you any worry or pain by disappearing. That was never my intention and it makes me...I can only say that I'm sorry. I hope that you all can understand why I left. The The thing is I’m happy to say that my efforts weren't wasted, clearly."

There's a rumble of gentle laughter that flows through the crowd and breaks the slightly somber mood your speech is causing. You give them a smile and they smile back.

"And while that does make me very happy, it has not been easy to carry this baby. I have been sick and weak but after some rest I'm now feeling stronger than ever. With the constant and careful care provided by Doctors Wilson and Alric, I’m finally able to resume my duties as Queen with the knowledge that this baby is strong and healthy and my body can take the strain of bringing him-or her into this world.

“I’m so happy to be back among my people, my home. You all are my family and it fills me with such joy to know that I have made you all proud.”

The people cheer, more and more gathering along the street so that it’s now clogged and impassable. Others have taken to peeking out of windows from the surrounding buildings or finding balconies and roofs to stand on to get a better look at you.

Their excitement changes to trepidation at the look on your face as you realize that now is the perfect time to address what happened yesterday.

They’re so attuned to your mood that they quiet down again and wait nervously for you to speak.

"On a more serious note, I know that many of you must have been shocked by the lies spewed onto the pages of the Watch. And I'd like to be as clear as I possibly can about my absence from the palace.

"I only left because of the concern I had for our future prince or princess. There was absolutely no other reason for my absence in our great city. While it is true that something did happen between Thor, Jane, and myself--well, I will only say that now I know that His Majesty the King of Asgard is wholly devoted to me and our family, just as he has been from the moment he accepted me as his wife.

"Not that I ever doubted it," you lie. No one needs to know how bad things are and it is true that now you know Thor is devoted to you.

So, it's not completely a lie.

"As a people," you continue. "We'll need to be vigilant about the people we choose to trust to come into our homes. We will be more cautious now, and as a woman…"

You swallow hard, thinking about the words itching on the tip of your tongue to tumble forward and make your heart clear. Maybe it's not right to say it? Maybe it isn't the queenly thing to do?

You don't care.

"As a wife and a soon-to-be mother, I will say that Doctor Jane Foster is not welcome in my home. She has proven to be unworthy of the trust we placed in her and while her expertise is an invaluable commodity that I am sad to lose, I would rather have the second best than risk the stability of my family."

To your surprise, there are a flutter of approving nods and smiles, wives and husband's looking scandalized by the confirmation that something went down but clearly it was Thor that had Jane kicked out. A few cheers come but they quiet down quickly.

"My love for His Majesty is unwavering. As is his for me. No marriage can be without it's struggles but Thor and I are as united as we have ever been. Both in love, devotion, to each other and you, our people. Together we will strive to protect this kingdom to the best of our abilities and with this child, I hope we can begin to lay down proper roots for us so that everyone on Earth will know that New Asgard is here to stay."

The crowd cheers. It's deafening and your hands are trembling so terribly even clenched into fists they shake.

"LONG LIVE THE QUEEN!" someone shouts and the others fall into the chant as it's picked up by what sounds like everyone in the crowd.

A cool hand presses against the center of your back and you lean towards him as he whispers in your ear.

"That was beautifully done, Y/N," Loki admires. "Now come along. You need your rest."

You cradle your bump and the crowd cheers louder as you wave while Loki leads you back into the car.

As it pulls away from the curb, the Valkyrie turn to follow behind you. Faces full of stern pride. Their gleaming armor shining bright in the late afternoon sun.

The large wooden and steel reinforced gates of the palace close with a thundering clatter and you lean back, heart suddenly clenching painfully. Your stomach turns and you feel like you might throw up.

You shut your eyes and open the window allowing the cooling air to help drive your nausea away.

"Y/N? You alright?" Loki checks, putting his hand on your arm.

"I'm fine," you assure him, unwilling to open your eyes.

"Are you sure? Only, you're looking a little green."

That doesn't actually happen does it? Do people look green when they're gonna throw up?

You assume he's exaggerating, but as the last bit of the swirl in your belly passes, you look at him with fearful eyes.

"I'm nervous," you admit.

"To see Thor?"

"Mm," you nod.

"He's missed you. He will probably try and hug you. Might even kiss you."

"I don't know if I can handle that, Loki."

"You'll have to. The guards around the palace are sworn to secrecy about anything that happens in here, but with the amount of information that magazine was able to get we're pretty sure there's a mole amongst our number."

You look away from him, frowning because the last thing you want is to hug and kiss Thor.

Well, that is, you really want to do those things. Which is why you shouldn't. Not until you can be around him with some kind of rational thought and control over your feelings.

You need to get a grip and come to terms with the reality of your situation before you can let yourself love hum.

You have to protect yourself.

It turns out that you have nothing to worry about.

Estrid who had come before you with your things is there to greet you. A few others of the palace staff come to see you and you're welcome back with fondness.

Because you know you have to play the part, you look for him.

"His Majesty had a sudden summons from the Lady Sif and the Warriors Three, my Queen. He apologizes for missing your arrival but he's had the small dining room filled with all of your favorites.

"When you are finished with dinner, he has asked that you wait for him in his study."

Estrid's tone tells you she's wary for you. She wants to make sure you're okay.

The disappointment you feel gives you away not only to yourself, but everyone there to see your face fall as you caress your belly.

"A blessing in disguise?" Loki suggests in your ear for just you, but the smile on his lips says he knows better.

"He'll be back before it gets too late, Your Majesty," Estrid assures you, trying to soothe your sadness. "He promised. There’s nothing more he wants than to see you."

"I know," you smile at her, then the others before you head for the dining room, your stomach grumbling in anticipation of the foods you know are waiting.

~~~~~~~~~~

Waiting is torture. You keep trying to read your book but your attention is pulled back to the door of Thor’s study every few seconds.

You groan, dropping the book onto the desk before throwing your head back with scrunched up eyes.

How is it possible to be desperate to see someone while also dreading it?

It feels like you'll die if you don't lay eyes on Thor but also like it'll tear you to shreds if you do. There's no winning here.

You gasp as the door opens and get to your feet in the same breath.

Thor's body is rising and falling heavily with his own labored breathing. He'd been running.

To get to you? No. You can't be swayed.

"I'm here."

His declaration is soft but heavy with meaning. More than just him announcing his arrival.

"Oh, aren't you a vision," he gushes.

"Hi," you whisper, only because you can't catch your breath.

He's wearing jeans, a plain black t-shirt stretched across his bulging chest. He's even more massive than you remember. Three months away has deprived you so fully that suddenly being in his presence leaves you hungry for him.

You want him so much.

"I've missed you, desperately," he confesses. "May I greet you properly?"

You frown, so undecided.

"Or not," Thor relents. "Forgive me, I just got caught up in the moment."

Why is this so hard?

You want to feel him.

"You can greet our baby properly," you give in.

A big part of you needs to feel him and this is the only way you can give in and feel like you're still doing your best to hold strong in your resolve to get some distance.

Thor’s eye lights up and quickly finds the swell of your tummy with recognition.

"Really?"

"I will never keep you from our baby, Thor. Even if I'm not ready for things to go back to normal between us just yet."

Thor takes a half step towards you and watches you carefully for any indication that you're not comfortable with his proximity.

You sigh, head tilted to the left slightly before you hold out your hand to him, beckoning him closer.

In three long strides Thor takes your hand and stops when he's only a foot away.

"Here," you gasp.

Your heart is in overdrive. Thor’s touch is doing things to your body. There's an initial rush of butterflies in your stomach and quickly you pull Thor’s hands to the spots where your baby is kicking in response.

Thor’s body freezes. He goes rigid. He even stops breathing.

For a moment you begin to worry that maybe you've broken him, until he suddenly drops to his knees.

He swallows hard, eyes pooling as he stares at the swell of your stomach as the baby continues to kick.

“They’re really in there,” he’s so choked up about it that his voice cracks around the words.

As he speaks, the baby kicks more.

Thor laughs but then leans in to kiss your stomach over the fabric of your dress.

“We really made her,” Thor gushes.

“Her?”

He looks up at you, confused for a second before he smiles wide, “Or him. It doesn’t matter. What matters is our baby is coming.”

Your heart swells, and you’re so happy that you could float away like a hot air balloon with the warmth flooding your limbs.

This is the moment you’d dreamt of. This is the moment that had been stolen from you by Jane and her lies. This is the moment that you and Thor had both been yearning for.

He’s so caught up in it, floating through the glow of this perfect moment that he presses his lips to your tummy again two more times before he’s rising, his hand hooked behind your neck as he meets your lips as he gets to his feet.

You’re so unprepared for it, so utterly lost in this sweet exchange between him and your baby that your lips pucker on their own.

He opens his eye and yours, already open, stare into his. He looks slightly shocked to find himself kissing you but he doesn’t stop.

Instead, his expression shifts into a pained look of desire. He pulls back, his hand dropping to grip your bicep.

“I would say that I’m sorry but I have been wanting to kiss you since the moment I left you three months ago.”

You say nothing, watching him, listening. You’re searching your soul to see if this is okay with you because it feels okay. Despite the sirens blaring in your mind about the restrictions you’d set for yourself when you’d decided to come back home, your body is telling you it needs this. Your heart is painfully aching at Thor’s touch.

You’ve missed it. You’ve missed him. 

“Is this alright? I can go.”

The idea of him going now feels like the end of the world. Rationally, you know that isn’t an appropriate response to his offering to leave you be, especially when you know you asked him for space for specific reasons.

“No,” your hands grip the sides of his t-shirt tightly, holding him in place without any actual strength since compared to him, you’re as mighty as a little mouse.

You refuse to look up at him, despite the crumbling of your resolve.

“No, don’t go.”

It’s an almost involuntary shy response to your diminishing shame at losing all control after his touch. After one kiss. You should be disappointed in yourself. And part of you is. However, that part of you grows increasingly small as Thor gently takes hold of your chin and guides your gaze up until you can meet his.

“I’m sorry, cherub. I will try and be worthy of you again.”

“I know,” you admit, knowing how sorry he’s been from the moment he realized that he’d done something that hurt you badly. “I know you are.”

“Can I kiss you, cherub?”

His voice is so deep, so alluring and coaxing that you drop your gaze again, fixing it on his collarbone before slowly you nod.

His arm winds its way around your waist and he pulls you to him before dipping down and catching your lips with his again.

He pulls away after a second because the swell of your belly gets in the way, but he laughs and looks down at it.

The pleasant sound of his happiness gives you too much joy.

As you begin to smile, Thor reaches down to press one hand to the side of your stomach while he pulls you against him again and kisses you this time with more fervor.

The longer he has his lips pressed to yours, the more enthusiastic he gets until finally you’re breathless and you pull back but instead of pulling away, you wrap your arms around him and fist the back of his t-shirt,

You bury your face against his wide chest and Thor brings his hands back up to caress the sides of your face, his lips kissing the top of your head.

“I know I may not have a right to say this, but thank you for coming home. Thank you for coming back to me. I thought I’d lost you."

His arms grow a little tighter, his heart is in an absolute stampede.

You turn your head sideways so that you can listen to his heartbeat.

"This is what I'd wanted," you whimper, starting to be overcome with the emotion of being reunited with Thor and things falling into place more easily. "This is how I'd wanted us to share this moment."

Thor sighs heavily, giving you one more squeeze before he pushes you back a little so that he can look at you.

“I’m so sorry that I robbed you of that. I was a fool,” he nods, his eye intense as he stares into yours with wordless declarations piercing into you.

The memory of your speech with the people when you arrived pops into your head and now with Thor’s arms around you it all feels a little like an overreaction. The past three months feels like a distant nightmare.

Or does this feel like a dream?

“Thor,” you begin but Thor’s lips are on you again, drowning out your words.

“Oh, to hear you say my name,” he declares and kisses you again.

Your mouth opens for him and you absolutely melt against his chest as he nearly dips you in passion.

He pulls back again, “Is this real?”

He kisses you.

“You feel so good in my arms.”

He kisses you.

“Your skin is so…” but then he hums and kisses you.

He dips down and with his arms tight around your waist but also careful with the swell of your stomach, he lifts you so that you’re level with his eye.

“I love you, so much, my cherub. Thank you, thank you for coming home. Thank you.”

“I’m sorry I stayed away,” you sigh. “I need to be strong without you, Thor. I was hurt but I never stopped loving you.”

His face goes through shame, understanding, and then elation.

In a burst of subdued anger and aggression for what he put you through, you reach up and grab his shoulder. You dig your fingers in against the taut muscle then reach up to pull one of his ears.

You’re clearly not hurting him but he allows you to move his head, understanding the need to express your anger even if you’re not doing any damage.

“Never do that to me again,” you growl. “Never say that you’ll leave me. Why would you say that? Even in passing? You were so damn sure.”

“No, Y/N, I wasn’t. The moment I saw you, I knew that I could never leave you. I’m sorry. I could never even think those thoughts again.”

“You better not, or I won’t come back next time. I’ll disappear and you’ll never see me again.”

Thor takes your threat for what it is. A promise. Truth.

He shakes his head as he leans forward to press his forehead to yours, shutting his eye.

“I swear,” he begins. “On my life.”

He keeps you there, hovering over the ground with your heads together for a few minutes before he slowly lowers you to the ground. You realize it’s because he wants to stroke your belly and you take a slight step back so that he can.

He smiles, happy. It reminds you of the look your people had when you’d arrived only a hundred times as possessive and joyful.

Again, your speech intrudes on your reunion and this time, you won’t let him distract you.

“Thor,” you coax, placing your hands over his where they rest on the sides of your stomach.

“Yes, my cherub?”

He’s excessive in the affection he puts in his voice but you know that he must be floating on cloud nine after what you both went through when you made him leave you at your house.

“I-I did something and I’m not sure if it was right of me to do it,” you watch his brow wrinkle and for a split second you almost lose yourself in the beauty of his face.

Has he always been this handsome?

“When I got back I kinda made a speech? Everyone was so happy to see me and to see me carrying our heir and I wanted to apologize to them for leaving and for making them worry. I wanted to share in their excitement for the baby and with that stupid tabloid having come out yesterday-”

“Right, the article,” there’s guilt in his voice despite there being no truth to the rumors it printed.

“I wanted to put their minds at ease and I...I did confirm that something happened with Jane but not what they were thinking.”

Thor’s expression hardens just a tad and he pulls backs towards a large armchair. He grabs your hand though and pulls you along with him until he can sit and then carefully attempts to offer you his lap, unsure if you’ll sit.

You do, because you’re tired and because you’re not eager to be away from him again. Now that you’re touching him, you’re not in a hurry to change that again.

“What did you say exactly?”

Swallowing hard, you lick your lips nervously, “Um...I told them the truth. Not exactly the truth, but enough of it that they’ll understand that Jane isn’t welcome here. I said that the only reason I left is for my health and the health of the baby, which is true. I didn’t want them to worry about us because even if we didn’t reconcile, I want us to be united for them at least.

“But I don’t trust Jane, Thor. Not after what she did. Not after how she treated me when you weren’t looking, and the people need to know that I will protect them from anyone, no matter who they are to you or me.”

Thor’s face grows pained as you speak, his arm wrapping around your waist as his other hand caresses the side of your stomach. You’re starting to realize that it’s going to be hard to get his hands off it, but that doesn’t seem like a terrible problem.

“I wish you had told me that she’d been rude to you,” Thor sighs, taking his hand off of his stomach to stroke your cheek. “If I had known-”

“She wasn’t rude to me Thor, she dismissed me. I wasn’t even worth acknowledging to her and now I know it’s because she was jealous and wanted you back because what? She saw what we had together and suddenly it was good enough for her?

“I was in her way. That’s all I was. Even if in the end she couldn’t go through with it whether it was because she felt guilty for doing this to us or for lying or for having second thoughts and knowing that she doesn’t want to be Queen or a mom, she’s a bad person to me. And I have every right to protect myself, my baby, and our marriage from her. She’s not welcome here Thor. I never want to see her again. Ever.”

He’s cradling you now, holding you close because the intensity with which you're telling him that Jane is not welcome in your home is transferring to him.

“And if you’d known, you wouldn’t have done anything, Thor. You’d probably have talked to her and asked her what was going on and she would have lied to you and you would have believed her.”

He doesn’t deny it. He does look like it hurts him to know that you know though. That’s enough for you.

“I think it took her lying and doing this to us to make you see what she’s capable of.”

Thor shuts his eye, resting his head against your chest as he wraps his arms around you again.

“I’m sorry.”

“I know you are, Thor. But you weren’t the one who lied. I mean, you didn’t tell me what was happening, but you weren’t the reason that this happened. If Jane hadn’t lied-”

“But she did,” Thor says, his deep voice anguished. “And I failed to honor my vows. You are my Queen and I should have come to you the moment she told me she was pregnant.”

You both fall into silence as you reach over to stroke his bicep. His skin is so soft. Touching it gives you comfort in a way you weren’t aware you needed. The more you touch it the more you need to feel it.

A finger stroking his skin turns into two, then four, then your entire hand is running up under the sleeve of his t-shirt.

With the way his hand curls around your thigh, you know that both your bodies are responding to your touch. Both of you are heated but instead of giving into that because you aren’t ready for that yet, you lay your head on his shoulder and curl in closer to his chest.

Thor sighs heavily, wrapping you up in his arms as he cradles you close.

“Now we know better,” you whisper.

“Now I know what losing you will do to me,” Thor agrees. “I’ve missed you so much, cherub.”

You don’t respond. You’re too choked up to say anything without your voice cracking so both of you stay like that for a while.

The cocoon of Thor’s arms is toasty and from the exhaustion you’re feeling plus all of the emotions that have drained you, your eyes are heavy and difficult to keep open.

“What about you?”

Thor’s chest rumbles with a chuckle.

“We can talk more tomorrow, cherub. Sleep.”

“I’m not sleepy,” you lie.

“Very well, then. What about me?”

“You’re sleepy?” you look up at him, full of concern.

He chuckles again, “No, cherub. What were you asking?”

“Oh! I just wanted to know if you’re okay. What Jane did to you can’t have been easy. Despite what she did to us as a couple, she said she was pregnant. You’ve been wanting a baby for so long and she dangled that in front of you like the rat that she is. And then she wasn’t even pregnant?”

Thor’s arms constrict around you as he pulls you up towards him to kiss you.

It’s slow and full of emotion.

“Even after all of that, you’re still worried about me?”

“It took time,” you admit. “Once I wasn’t so angry and I thought about what Jane really did. I hate the idea that your heart broke over her lies. I can’t believe she ever loved you if she was willing to make you feel that way.”

Thor just stares at you, searching your eyes before he rubs his nose gently against your own. When he speaks, his voice is so low, so deep, an intimate whisper. It burrows into your chest and settles right there underneath your ribs and makes you breathless with missing him and desire.

“That’s why you’re my Queen, Y/N. And she is not.”

You’re not sure if it’s an Asgardian ability or if maybe it’s something specific to Thor, but he has a way of making you swoon.

“I missed you so much,” he confesses again, that whisper sinful. “Did you not miss me?”

You nod because you can’t speak. There’s a lump in your throat made of both sadness and want.

“Was your bed as frigid as mine was in your absence? Did you miss my breath on your neck as I did yours? Or the steady beat of your heart when you pressed your breast to my back as you held me while I slept?”

Fuck, he’s making this so impossible.

“I hate you so much,” you counter, but his lips stretch into a small knowing smile as you take a tight hold of the neck of his shirt and pull him up to meet your lips.

He exhales heavily into you, tasting you, relishing in every pulsating touch as both your hearts ache and yearn almost in disbelief as if both of you can’t believe that these wants, these needs are finally being met.

As he pulls back to tilt his head the other way, he takes hold of the sides of your face again, his lips grazing yours, “I love you.”

Before you can reply or yank him back into that torturous yet blissful kiss, a voice at the doorway clears their throat.

“Well, that was fast, what happened to keeping him at a distance?”

Loki’s voice pulls your gaze and you can feel your cheeks and neck burn at how easily it seems you’ve crumbled when finally face to face with Thor.

You frown at your brother-in-law, while Thor ignores his brother and leans up to press very non-chaste kisses to your neck, “I told you coming back was a bad idea.”

But Loki’s smile is blinding and with one chuckle he backs out of the room, shutting the door quietly as Thor turns you back to him so that he can get back to kissing you.