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lure-of-writing · 3 days

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His little Sister: I'm sorry

Summary: The mating bond between you and Azriel has been revealed and he isn't sure if any apology will ever make up for the hurt he has cause you.

Word count: 4k

Warnings: none that I know of

Authors note: Guys I just got my nails done so if there is typos it's because I'm not used to typing with daggers on my hands. But anyways that's not what we're here for. Please enjoy and let me know what you think!

Azriel was screwed. Royally screwed. Even as the spymaster of the night court he had no idea how he was going to get out of this one unscathed. First and foremost there was you. You were the mosting important thing in this giant mess that your cousin just caused and making sure you were ok was his first priority. That is once you inevitably get all of the hurt and betrayal out of your system. He could feel your emotions barrelling down the bond and it damn near made him crumple under the weight of your hurt. Next on the list of casualties was Rhysand. And by the look on the high lord's face it was a mixture of pure unfiltered anger and the need to protect his little sister. Azriel can’t blame him, you look like you could either rip him to shreds and bawl your eyes out while doing so.

Rationally Azriel knew that Rhys would never really do anything to hurt him but the other part knew that Rhysand played dirty when it came to his family and it was some sort of unwritten rule that he would go to the end of the world to make sure you were ok. If Rhysand played dirty before he was about to get filthy now. This would not be the first time he stepped toe to toe against a high lord, specifically against Rhys, but this time would without a doubt be different. This time Rhysand would pocket away all of the years of their friendship and in turn he would fight Azriel like a traitor. He, without trying, had broken your heart and betrayed your trust. To Rhysand this was the ultimate act of betrayal.

Only being one hundred years younger than your brother means all three males were also relatively young in the grand scheme of things. Rhysand held your tiny body against his. The three males had taken a break forming training in the mountains to visit you in Velaris. It wasn’t often Rhysand was allowed to leave the camps, much less often for Azriel and Cassian. But with the arrival of a new babe they had been permitted to leave. It became a tradition to visit the ever growing babe once a year. Somewhere in the chaos of training for the Blood Rite you had grown into a teenager. Cassian was sprawled out on one of the couches in the cabin and Azirel had taken his place in the chair that was unofficially deemed as his. There in a seat a little bit bigger than his own but yet still smaller than the couch Cassian claimed you were curled up against your older brother, peacefully sleeping.

Rhysand had always disliked the way things were run in the camps, oftentimes they made his blood boil but something changed in him the day you were born. Rhys knew from a young age that he would be a protector. A protector of his friends, his family, his people and his court. But he never knew that the most precious thing he would come to protect was you. He never wanted in the camps, walking amongst those who would take any opportunity to clip your wings or even kill you without a second thought. Unfortunately there was nothing he could do to stop your visit as your father deemed it necessary.

Silence was light in the room. Occasionally there was a pop or crackle from the fire, the sound of clothes shifting against the couch from Cassian and the light noise of you breathing. With a heavy sigh Rhys rubbed his face causing both males to look at their friend in confusion. “Something on your mind brother?” Cassian's deep voice filled the once quiet room. For a moment nothing was said as Rhysand just looked deep into the fire before once again sighing and rubbing his face before throwing his head back to rest on the couch. “What if I’m not capable of protecting her?” The two males looked at each other in confusion before turning their attention back on their friend. Everyone knew that the power Rhys possessed was quite frankly, insane, to put it simply. “Rhys, I think you're forgetting you are there, bud.” Once more Cassian's voice takes over the room. This time in a gentle laughter. “It’s not that I’m unaware of what I am capable of.” Rhys stops speaking as he looks down at your resting form laying against him. Gently he moves a piece of hair that had fallen in your face. “I know what I can do. What I am willing to do to keep her safe but I will not always be around to protect her and that is what I fear.”

“Being her brother is the greatest honor I have ever been given but what if I fail? What will it cost her? Just her being here possesses a threat to her life. Those males out there would not hesitate to clip her wings or flat out kill her. What happens when I am needed elsewhere and she is in trouble? Who will save her then? I know my mother is training her to fight but I never want her to be put in that position where she has to. Making sure she is safe, happy and loved is all I want for her. I never want her to experience the world we have endured.”

Neither males have a sister but they do have the love of siblings for each other and they know the lengths they would go to for the other males. They may not know what it's like to have a sibling but they do know what it's like to love you. Since the day you were born they have done nothing but love and dote on you. If you tripped and fell and scraped your knees Cassian would scoop you up and cradle you until you stopped crying. Only then would he set you somewhere where he could properly clean the cuts littering your body and then take you for a treat to make you feel better. Azriel would help you with any of the boring assignments your mother would hand out. “I don’t even know what this means!” you would groan out in frustration before dramatically letting your head fall face first into the book. Luckly Az knew you very well. Without looking up from what he was doing he placed his hand palm up in the book and waited for the impact of your head against his hand.

Finally once your head was in his hand, did he finally look up. “You may not understand it right now but eventually you will and you will be grateful your mother made you do this.” Groaning once more you left your head where it was. “Easy for you to say you're like a genius or something.” You grumble while Azriel lifts your head for you. Gently he pats the top of your head. “Maybe if you studied more you could be one too.” A mixture of a frustrated groan and sigh made its way through your lips causing Azriel to chuckle.

It was safe to say that they understood what a light you are in the world. In their world. And each male would do anything to protect it. “You know we would protect her with our lives, right?” Cassian now sat up on the couch. This conversation was important. “We have known her since the day she was born. We have watched her grow and reach each millstone just like you have Rhys. We would never let anything happen to her. If it were my life or hers, I would happily give up mine. I’m sure Az feels the same way.” And Azriel did. “You don’t have to worry about her by yourself. We can share the worry Rhys. You know you can count on us. If anything ever happens to you, we will protect her just as fiercely as you do. You know that right?” And Rhysand did in fact know that but there would always be some part of him that thinks only he will ever be able to do a good enough job at keeping you safe.

Apparently Rhysand was right. Only he would protect you. Azriel had broken his promise and now he would pay. Next on his list of people to deal with was Morrigian. At the moment she was not a priority but eventually would be. First he needed to survive the night.

If Azriel were to go back in time less than a week ago, he would have been more or less avoiding you. After his talk with Rhysand about the more interesting part of your relationship the shadowsinger thought it would be a good idea to give you some space, not wanting it to seem like he was trying to pursue something with you. Obviously that was the exact opposite of what he wanted but he was also keenly aware of your brother's disapproval of any male you chose to date. Azriel was sure he wouldn’t fare better than the others. On the other side Azriel truly had no idea how you would react to you being his mate and that terrified him.

He hadn’t seen you much since the training incident with Cassian. As much as it bothered him to not be able to check on your healing himself he had Cassian right there basically giving me second by second updates. Which he did appreciate but since Cassian knew you were his brother's mate he was being a little over the top. Which is why Azriel was not expecting to see you on the rooftop for the daily morning training session.

Az and his shadows watched from across the room as Cass ushered you back towards the house. That was until you saw him and course corrected to be right in front of him. “You’ve been avoiding me. Why?” The hurt in your voice made him feel like a terrible person but he also couldn’t give you the real answer why. Not right now and definitely not right here. “I haven’t been avoiding you.” He knew he was whispering but he also knew there were more listening ears then just yours, mainly Cassians. Azriel watched as Cassian scooped you up and walked back to where he was herding you, just moments before you veered off on your own.

As the shadowsinger and spymaster of the night court there wasn’t much, if anything, that made him nervous. The piercing stare of your gaze following his every move was definitely unsettling. But his male ego wouldn’t let him slip into that unflinching state of mind that he would usually find himself in when sparring. Now he was keenly aware of each move he was making while in front of you. His need to impress didn’t go unnoticed by his brother. Thankfully Cassian decided to have mercy on his soul and let him get in a few good punches as his repayment for when Cassian did the same to him while in front of Nesta.

The daily sparring session was over sooner and also later then he wanted it to be. One part of him wanted to continue to impress you, even if he wasn’t a hundred percent sure that you were even impressed in the first place. The other part of him just really wants to get the awaiting conversation over with. Azriel headed over the bench where his long forgotten shirt and water bottle had been previously placed. He had barely gotten in one drink of water when you appeared in front of him. “Why have you been avoiding me?” It was the same question that you had previously asked him before being dragged away by Cassian. And yet this time it made him even more nervous then the first time you had asked him. The last thing Azriel ever wanted to do was make you feel like he didn’t want to be around you. Even before the bond he wanted to be around you every chance he could get and you knew that. He needed a reason you would believe. A downfall that came with spending all of his spare time with you is that you were able to tell when he was lying better than anyone else in the inner circle. There was only one thing he could tell you that wasn’t the full truth nor a complete lie. Rhys wasn’t a fan of the relationship, or lack thereof, between the two of us and he needed to step back in respect for Rhysand.

Thankfully the mother was on his side that morning because you believed him.

Opening up his arms in a form of some peace offering he’s quickly wrapped in your arms. Even though hugging anyone who was sweaty was something that he knew drove you crazy you did it anyways and it warmed his heart. But watching you place your chin on top of his chest just about made his heart melt. He prayed that you wouldn’t be able to feel or hear just how fast his heart is beating, and it is not from the training.

Oh how Azriel wished he could go back in time to just a few days ago. Hell he would even go back to when he was avoiding you. Truthfully anything would be better than what was currently unraveling in front of him.

“How long have you known?” Azriel tore his eyes away from Morr to look at you. The look of heartbreak that painted your face was like a suckerpunch to his gut. He took a sharp breath in. You were always stunning in Azriels eyes but looking at you now was like looking like a fallen angel. As much as the poetic beauty was undeniable he also never wanted to see that look on your face again. He would do anything to make you trust him again.

“I-” Azriel didn’t realize just how dry his throat was until he tried speaking. Actually now that he was focused on his body he was pretty sure he felt like he was going to throw up. Swallowing he takes another deep breath. A quick glance to his right reveals Rhysand with a raised eyebrow and barely contained anger. “I’ve known since the war.” Azriel always imagined this moment would be very different. Just the two of you in private. And it would finally feel like a brick being lifted off of his chest.

But watching your reaction to his confession felt like the opposite. He watched as you blew out a heavy breath and grabbed the back of Morrigians chair for support. Looking at the look he watches a tear finally free itself and makes its way to the ground. Just as quickly as the first tear had fallen the rest had also followed suit. He watches as you shake your head and look at your brother for the answer of what you are supposed to do. The dining room had never been as quiet as it was in these waking moments and Azriel despised it. Even if he was the cause of it. “You’ve known for almost a year and you never told me?” The spymaster watched as you fought against the lump in your throat only for your voice to crack on the last word. “Were you ever going to tell me? Or were you just going to let me continue to dream about the love I desired. Let me think I was never going to get the love Rhys and Fey have? You’ve known for months!” Azriel sat unmoving as your betrayal turned to sadness and then anger. You had never raised your voice and yelled at him before but he knew he deserved every ounce of anger you threw at him. “You-you out of all people knew how I felt about mates and yet you held this from me. My mate! I-I-I -oh my god.” Time seemed to slow down in that moment as he watched you grab your chest in pain then collapse to the floor. He felt himself rise. Azriel wasn’t sure why, was it to move to the other side of the table and comfort you? Was it in shock? Fear for your breaking heart? He wasn’t sure. It was like slow motion as Mor swiftly twisted out of her seat and caught your limp body on the way down to the floor. Together the two females sat on the floor. Morrigian had wrapped her arms around your body and held you pressed against her chest as you sobbed.

“Azriel!” That was the commanding voice of a high lord. The force of which Rhysand said his name and allowed his power to wash over him was the only thing capable of pulling his focus off of your crumpled body. Looking back to his right he notes that Rhysand has pushed the chair he was previously sitting in far behind him. It didn’t go unnoticed how Feyre made her way to you with urgency. The primal anger and need to protect his family also didn’t go unnoticed by the shadowsinger. He was about to get his ass beat. If not altogether killed. Rhysand may have been mad at Cassian for hurting you but he did go easy on him, even if it resulted in a few nasty bruises littering his body. Azriel knew for sure this would be nothing like that time. Rhysand had a look of death in his eyes and Azriel was sure death was waiting to greet him.

“Uh oh. Yeah you guys may want to get out of here it's about to get ugly.” Cassian also stood from where he was once seated and began stretching. Noting Feyres' worry Cassian continued “Don’t worry I won’t let them hurt each other too much.” He paused, “Well I won’t let them kill each other.”

Only after everyone except Mor and Cassian had winnowed away his Rhysand lunge at Azriel.

Ever since learning that you were his mate one of his shadows followed you religiously. He never even told them to do that, it was just something they did naturally. His shadows always were ones to keep an eye on you even if you were completely safe.

That's how he found himself in front of the river house. His shadows danced around him in warning of the two females sitting in the living room still awake at this hour. Without looking at a clock Azriel would assume it was around three in the morning. Gently he pushes the hard oak door open only closing it after allowing himself inside the quiet house. Azriel knew he could make his way to your room without either one of the females knowing but he assumed it was better to get everything that could tear him apart over with while he was down.

“I feel bad for her. I know what it's like when the other person knows they're your mate and you're left in the dark. But this is something else. If Mor hadn’t said anything would he?” He could hear the voice of his concerned high lady. “Do we know if she even still has a mate? Rhysand looked like he was going to kill him.” Nestas' voice that usually dripped in sarcasm was dry as bone. Stepping into the room he made his footsteps louder than he would ever step to announce his presence. A sharp gasp was the only noise that Feyre made as she brought her hands to cover her mouth. “Oh my gods” The scraping of the chair against the wooden floor pulls his gaze from the spot on the floor he found particularly interesting to see Feyre making her way over to him. Over her shoulder he could see Nesta taking inventory of the damage Rhysand caused. “Are you ok?” He shrugs off her question but allows her gentle hands to move his head from side to side.

“How is she?” Everybody knew who he was talking about. Feyre led him to the couch ushering him to sit down as Nesta answered “As well as you can expect.” Feyre had stepped out of the room to grab a pain relieving tonic “She just fell asleep a few minutes before you got here” she pushes the vial into his hands “Drink” she insists. “I never meant for it to go like this. For it to get this far without me telling her. I just was waiting for her to feel it herself but then I just kept waiting and waiting and waiting and the next thing I knew I was sitting at that table listening to Mor tell her. I promise I never meant to hurt her. You know that right? You have to believe me.” The constant throbbing throughout his body finally forced him to drink the tonic in hopes it could even touch the pain he was feeling. “I’m sure you never meant for this to happen az. But why didn’t you just tell her. Anyone with eyes could see that she already had feelings for you.’’

“I wanted it to be her choice. I would never force her to accept the bond. All I want is for her to be happy no matter what.” A heavy sigh fell from both females before the peaceful silence filled the room. Nesta was the first to leave in hopes of getting at least an hour of sleep before she needed to be awake for training. With a gentle squeeze of his arm Feyre stands above him “I Believe you Az. But you need to understand how hurt she is currently feeling.” looking up he sees not his high lady or Rhysands mate but a concerned friend. “I know I can feel it through the bond.” Feyre smiles sadly before stopping in the hallway leading to the bedrooms. “Go be with her Az. You both need it.”

The warmth of the fire was the first thing Azriel noticed upon entering your room. Although fae ran warmer than humans you were the rare exception. Unless absorbing heat from the sun or another person you were on average at least ten degrees colder than anyone else. A small smile found its away to his face to see the fire going. His own personal relationship with fire may be nonexistent but for you he would endure it a hundred times over. The next thing he noticed was your sniffling and quiet sobs. In three large strides he was kneeing besides your bed. “Y/n” you name was like a whisper of a prayer in a silent coven meant for worship. He watched as your eyes opened to meet his and listened as a sob racked your body. “I am so sorry baby” Quickly he raised from where he was previously knelt on the floor and climbed into bed with you. The move to place your body on top of his was easy but listening to the silent cries of your heart breaking wasn’t. “I never meant to hurt you I swear.”

Eventually the tears raining upon his chest and was replaced with the gentle breathing of your sleeping form. Azriel knew he should sleep but he couldn’t help but admire every part of you just in case this was the last time he got to hold you like this. That's why he wasn’t startled when Rhysand barged into your room, startling you awake. “I told you to stay away from her. I’m going to kill you.” He promised. Azriel didn’t take his eyes off of your brother as you raised to sit in between his legs. Rhysand could do whatever he wished but Azriel wouldn’t leave without making sure you were ok first. “Rhys don’t. You may be mad at him, but Azriel is my mate.” The bond had never sung in happiness like it did basking in the warmth of your acknowledgement.

Taglist

@kemillyfreitas @lana08 @willowpains @username199945 @tothestarsandwhateverend

@kylaisra @lilah-asteria @nickishadow139 @br0klynbby @blacktreacle22

@amysangel @mp-littlebit @mybestfriendmademe

@olive-main @mariahoedt @tele86 @marina468 @fangirlloza010 @kennedy-brooke

#acotar imagine #acotar x reader #acotar x you #azriel acotar #azriel x reader #azriel fanfic #azriel imagine #azriel shadowsinger #azriel angst #azriel one shot #rhysand x sister!reader

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hyuny-bunny · 14 hours

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what are your thoughts on skz with a dumb s/o? like genuinely ditzy and little absentminded and forgetful, but you’re still such a sweetheart. makes them wonder how dumb you’ll go on their cocks.

skz + dumb s/o

MDNI(18+): suggestive, nsfw, corruption kink, dumb kink ?, finger sucking, oral, penetration.

love this ask so much, it's not something i've thought much about before but here you go ! :3

chan: oh he dotes on you sooooo much. in the beginning he thought it was just a cute quirk but as you became more serious he realized... you really are just ditzy. he can't lie that he has to hold back on the days you can't help saying "huh?" or "hmm?" to everything but it sounds so saccharine from you. he loves the duality of it though. he can dote on you with how cute your whims are then flip you into a submissive state. even more so when he decides to pin you down in the backseat of his car putting your pretty mouth to good use. chastising you with "pretty baby so cock dumb hmm? only good for sucking me off huh?" with your response being your typical "hmm?" but your mouth stuffed with cock instead. even with your whimpers to take more of him in your mouth, he's happy to oblige holding your pretty face in his hands to use your mouth.

minho: as 1/3 of paboracha, he's never minded. intially i think he would think consider them as one off moments like asking the same question twice in a 2 second span. he might look at for a solid momemt with those cat blinking stares, processing that you're serious. he finds it cute though!! maybe quietly giggling to himself before kissing you on the forehead in passing. he likes it even more so when you're too cock dumb from him making you ride him while he coos and pets you like he does a cat. after trying to tease him all day with sex and suggestive groping. he only let you ride his thigh before caving into you enough to give you his cock after you begged him so nicely. "jagiya, use your words hm? too dumb to speak now hmm?" he'll say while thrusting up into you pretending he's not paying you any attention

changbin: loves loves loves how ditzy you are. he likes playing into the idea that he's just as much brain as he is brawn to you. especially when you're so absentminded with your surroundings in public. maybe there's someone being creepy towards you in a cafe, he's clocked them in already wrapping a protective arm around. you pick up in his protectiveness and to find your answer is being stared down with daggers by binnie. you're hero, savior! you have to reward him with the best head he'll ever had so you're happily taking him in your mouth once your home. he's got you on his cock taking him all the way down his throat while he coaxes you into fitting it all in your mouth "stupid angel always needs time to come to rescue mmh rewards me so sweetly."

hyunjin: 2/3 of paboracha coming in. he'd never think you were outright dumb, ditzy ? oblivious ? yes. he himself has no room to judge, you'd probably have him questioning himself on multiple occasions. you're probably just a little more oblivious around him, which he doesn't mind one bit. he kinda finds it cute how little though you probably give to so many things. he finds it even cuter when he's able to convince you to wear an outfit he picked out for you, one that of course will give him easy access to tease you in public. it was supposed to be cute picnic in secluded area of the park, until he had you laid out on the blanket taking his cock from behind shoving strawberry in your mouth & sucking fingers to shut you up. "shhh my love, don't want people to find us okay? can't let them see how stupid you were to let me take you like this"

han: going 3 for 3 with paboracha here. another one who dotes on your ditzy nature. i could see him with a s/o that's a little more clumsy. maybe you're always scraping a knee, bumping into sharp corners, burning yourself while cooking/baking, or just straight up walking into glass doors or poles. whatever the case may be he's there holding out his arms to soothe you, giving you kisses all over your face. he finds out how easy it is to convince you to the dumbest things. like convincing you that if you let him go down on you, his headache will go away or you're sore throat from the concert last night will feel sooooo much better if you blow him. that by swallow his cum, it'll feel & tase better then honey. "that's it's, good, suck me dry baby i promise you'll feel better. we might have to try a few loads of cum for it to work, k? just focus on taking it all though." his head thrown back while shoving you further on his cock.

felix: he likes that your so absentminded and ditzy. it make its so easy for him to impress you. especially when he has you sitting like a curious cat on his bed while you watch him build his new PC. your eyes sparking with excitement as he completes each step. or even when you watch him bake his recipes from scratch. doe eyed while you sit perched on the counter making your favorite brownies! he'd take a finger coated in the batter letting you lick off his fingers which only leads to him fucking you on the counter while he makes you choke on his batter covered fingers, "doesn't your orgasm feel so much better when you have something so sweet in your mouth mm? maybe let's watch you suck me off with the batter on my cock since you like my fingers so much?"

seungmin: mean dom seung *sigh*. he loves you to death but god you make it so easy for him to tease you. you're not a quick as he is, whether it's his snarky remarks or quick reactions to things he knows. you try to learn baseball, not actually playing but you know the basic rules. you want to try to at least understand what goes in the game. you're not the best but your attempts don't go unnoticed. even when someone hits a home-run but you're shouting goal so confidently it has him falling to his knees in laughing clutching his stomach because you genuinely meant it. he calls you the nth member of paboracha but in bed you're his dumb cock slut, taking him so good you're babbling nonsense. " what was that slut ? did you say something ? aren't you too dumb for words? " he'd condescendingly say before slamming himself into you once more.

jeongin: bark. sorry i love him so badly. he takes your ditzy nature as naiveness. whether or not that's the case, he'll treat it that way. even when you try to argue over something you know already he'll talk to you so sweetly like he's done such a good job of teaching you. maybe you're trying to learn japanese and his fluency helps you but he'll tsk you if he's in a particular mood. maybe you're out in japan gawking, 'ooh'ing and 'aww'ing at each store and you're curiosity almost gets you dragged in a male host club. so jeongin decides you need a break for a few hours so he checks you into a love hotel (unbeknownst to you) where he'd spend the next 2 hours or so talking down in your ear while he plays with you between your legs. haughtily scolding you for every single thing that's led to this moment, " i thought you knew better ? you have to listen to me jagiya, there's so many people out there that just want to use you hmm. guess i'll just have to show you." all before bending you over and smooshing your face into the pillow to abuse your hole with his cock, crying out for him to let you cum. chastising you until he's felt you learned you lesson.

#skz oneshots #skz smut #skz imagines #skz scenarios #skz hard thoughts #skz x you #stray kids fanfic #stray kids smut #hyunybunnywrites #hyunjin smut #bang chan smut #changbin smut #lee know smut #jeongin smut #jisung smut #felix smut #seungmin smut

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lilasamaaa · 1 day

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Wicked games | Max Verstappen x Leclerc!Reader

Genre | Fluff, some light angst.

Word count | 1.5K.

Warnings | Some sexual innuendos, reader playfully gaslighting Max.

Summary | You love Max, you really do. But there’s just something about your brother’s teammate… as a driver, of course.

Author's note | This piece was requested! Thanks to the lovely anon who came up with the idea, I had so much fun writing it! This is shorter than what I usually write, but I wanted to keep this one light and fun :)

"Babe? Max's voice comes from the living room. "Are you ready to go?"

This weekend, it's the iconic Monaco Grand Prix, and you're delighted not to have to take a flight and endure jet lag from the other side of the world for once. Not that you're complaining about having the privilege to travel so much, but you understand what flight attendants mean when they say that flying makes you age prematurely. Before the bustling week begins and paralyzes the entire city, you, your brother, and Max had agreed to go eat lunch at your favorite place before the boys had to attend their pre-race press conference.

"I'm almost done," you shout back, placing bobby pins in your bun, when you hear the footsteps of your boyfriend approaching until they reach the door.

"We're..." Max starts before his gaze lands on you. "Oh, no, baby. There's no way you're wearing that."

You arch an eyebrow, observing your boyfriend in the large mirror of the bathroom.

"What's wrong with my outfit?" you ask, tilting your head.

"You're not really going to wear that, are you? Not while holding my hand?" Max replies, starring at your white tennis skirt and red Ferrari polo while you let out a hearty laugh.

"I might be your girlfriend, Max Verstappen, but I'm a Ferrari fan first and foremost. You knew this when you first asked me out."

"Of course I know, baby, but there's a difference between supporting Ferrari and... walking around with their colors on the street. With me."

"Are you playing territorial right now?" you ask, putting both hands on his chest, struggling to suppress your laughter.

"If you're so set on wearing red, why don't you try something more... Discreet? Like the red dress I brought you from Miami?"

"I'm wearing the polo, Max. It'll make Charles happy. And Carlos too," you add, winking at your boyfriend before walking towards the living room.

"Huh? What's the connection with Carlos?" Max asks, following you. "Is Carlos invited to the restaurant?"

Ever since Max and you started dating, several years ago, this has been your favorite game. Never gets old. You just love mentioning the Scuderia and its drivers. It's not that he hates the team, no, after all, as Sebastian once said, everyone's a Ferrari fan. But while Max understands your attachment to the team in relation with your brothers, there's one thing he finds less understandable... Your fascination with the other driver.

"You didn't tell me Carlos was coming," Max says again, still following around while you put on your jewelry.

"I didn't think it was important," you shrug, smirking.

Let it be clear : you don't feel anything for Carlos. No attraction whatsoever. But ever since the Spaniard joined the team and became a close friend of Charles, your relationship naturally developed to the point where today, you genuinely consider Carlos as a member of your family. You've even met his own, spent holidays with them, and you've crashed at Carlos' place multiple times before. Sometimes, when you need someone to talk to and Charles and Max are too biased, too closely involved with you to provide good insight, you call Carlos. The same way the driver always comes to you when he's got girls troubles. Yes, the two of you share a beautiful, tight bond. And knowing there's no ambiguity between the two of you (Max knows it too, deep down), you love driving your boyfriend crazy by mentioning Carlos.

"What's the matter, Max?" you ask, turning around, smiling at him.

"Look, I don't say anything when you sleep on his couch, or when you spend hours on the phone with his sisters. It doesn't even bother me when you check his results, and I surely didn't say anything when you celebrated his victory in Australia while my car was giving me hell," Max continues, gesturing with his hands. "But isn't this a bit much?"

"What is?"

"You said we were going out... As a family? Like, your brother, you and me?"

"Carlos is family," you reply, playing dumb.

"You..." Max starts, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Okay, yeah. Whatever." your boyfriend says, throwing his hands in the air.

As Max and you arrive hand in hand in front of the restaurant where Charles and Carlos are waiting, you don't miss the look your brother gives you upon seeing you dressed in the red polo.

"You're fucking impossible," Charles mutters while kissing your cheek.

Once inside, as the four of you walk over to your table, you still see the opportunity to drive Max crazy by sitting across from Charles. Next to Carlos. Diagonally, your boyfriend watches you, eyebrows furrowed, a hint of annoyance in his eyes.

"Miami was so fun," you start, taking the menu.

"You and I must have a different definition of the word" Max says, rolling his eyes.

"Well, it's not so unpleasant to see someone else cross the finish line before you, for once," you reply teasingly.

"Like in Melbourne?" Max asks with an ironic smile.

"Like in Melbourne," you nod, winking at your boyfriend before turning your attention to the Spaniard. "You did so good, Carlos. I'll have you know that I was rooting for you from the start."

"Yeah," Charles interjects, rolling his eyes. "We know."

The table is engulfed in a heavy silence, and you enjoy yourself so much, your eyes sparkling mischievously.

"There's some tension in here, am I right?" Carlos asks after some time, looking at all three of you in turn.

"She's been bugging me about you all morning," Max replies, taking a sip of his coke. "She thinks it's funny."

"Why would you do that?" Carlos asks, looking at you, eyes wide. "You know he's going to push me off-track because of you, next time."

"You're better than them, that's all," you reply, eyes fixated on the menu in front of you. "They just can't admit it."

"Now, that's just nasty coming from my own sister," Charles says, laughing. "Take that back."

"Leave her to it," Max says to your brother, giving you a meaningful look. "She's decided to be bratty today. She knows it drives me crazy."

"We should all know less about each other," Carlos says before gesturing for the waiter to come over, while Charles tries to hide the red from his face with his menu.

The meal goes well, the false tensions easing over a succession of delicious dishes. But you're not done with your little game. Not yet. As the server clears your plates and refills your wine, you lean in towards Carlos.

"What dessert do you recommend? I'm in the mood for something sweet," you ask Carlos, fluttering your eyelashes innocently.

Across from you, your brother sighs, running a hand across his face, while Max stares at you in a way you know all too well. A look that tells you that once the two of you set foot back in your shared apartment, you're going to pay for your behavior. Big time. But for now, you don't care, leaning over Carlos' menu, your shoulders pressed together. The Spaniard is so innocent, so far from imagining that you're using him to lead your boyfriend exactly where you want him.

"Their crème brûlée is delicious," the driver replies mechanically, eyes still looming over the piece of paper.

"Crème brûlée it is, then," you reply, setting back in your chair. "I just love to make them crack," you finish, locking eyes with Max.

That's it. You're fucked. Max's usually clear eyes are dark with annoyance and desire. Feeling the heat in your lower belly, you lower your gaze, finding it hard to meet your boyfriend's eyes. You can't wait to get home, knowing that with the afternoon of interviews ahead of him, your boyfriend will have to suppress his desire until tonight, amplifying his frustration. After dessert, the four of you head to the cashier, where Max pays for everyone before leading you all outside.

Carlos gives you a quick hug before heading back to his car, promising to call you soon, knowing that the other two drivers will follow him in a few moments. Charles approaches you, and you throw yourself in his arms, pressing your nose against his neck.

"You've got to stop doing that," your brother mumbles playfully in your ear. "You're not the one who has to deal with his awful mood in the paddock afterward."

"He's just so easy to rile up," you say, as both of you let out a laugh.

Charles pinches your cheek before waving to Max and joining Carlos in his car. You find yourself facing Max and give him a radiant smile. Perfectly innocent.

"You're the worst," your boyfriend starts, crossing his arms against his chest.

"You just love me," you say, sticking out your tongue.

"I'm going to ruin you tonight," he concludes, pulling you towards him before kissing you passionately, his hands grazing your buttocks, barely covered by your short skirt. "Show you who's better than who."

"I can't wait," you mutter against his mouth, softly biting his lower lip before taking the keys from his car in the back pocket of his jeans.

"Can't wait," you repeat, watching your boyfriend walk away until he disappears into the backseat of Carlos' car.

#f1 #f1 2024 #f1 fanfic #f1 fic #f1 imagine #f1 x reader #formula 1 #carlos sainz #carlos sainz x reader #carlos sainz x you #charles leclerc #leclerc!reader #max verstappen #max verstappen x you #max verstappen x reader #lilasamaaa

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pomefioredove · 1 day

Note

Just read the whole "Yuu gets sold off by Crowley" stories and OMLLL THEYRE SO GOOD XDDD Any chance you could do more on it like if Niege won or if the parents heard about it and also decided to adopt Yuu and Grim?? Maybe the other staff adopting her too or more on Crewel's adoption please???

requests for the crewel ending are in high demand I see...

summary: a crewel ending type of post: short fic, mostly speculation characters: crewel ft. other staff additional info: platonic, reader is gender neutral, reader is yuu, definitely pre-book seven, parents being cringe

If Crewel were allowed to beat Crowley to death with one of his designer handbags, he would have.

...Unfortunately, with the adoption paperwork fees (...and a need for more designer handbags), he regrettably still needs this job.

And he'd like to keep an eye on you while you're still here, too.

The animosity between Crowley and the rest of the staff is unspoken, shared through passing glances and dry remarks at meetings, and though the matter is "settled", in Crowley's own words, no one seems keen on letting it go anytime soon.

The students who participated in the bidding war are subject to months worth of extra homework, harder exams, and worse studying hours from Crewel himself. To teach them a little responsibility, he says.

You, at least, are exempt from his radical new lesson plan. You have enough on your plate as it is.

After all, as soon as the legal proceedings are through and your identity as an autonomous human being in Twisted Wonderland is secured, the "fun" begins.

Your uniforms are tailored and rightly fit, you're given a proper meal plan, even Ramshackle is decorated with a few of Crewel's personal touches. A throw rug here and there, a fresh coat of paint, anything to cover up the rotting interior and turning it into something worthy of envy.

"...Given that Grim doesn't start shedding everywhere," Crewel had said. "Ugh, pets."

The rest of the staff are just as helpful, citing your recent experience with the bidding war as reason to take it easier on you for a while (or for the rest of the semester, really). Trein gives you less homework, Sam "accidentally" doesn't ring you up a few items...

It starts to feel more like the entirety of the staff has adopted you.

Not that you mind, of course. This is the closest thing you've had to family since... well, since coming here.

There's just the one thing, though.

"I don't know why you waste your time with those untrained pups. Honestly. The idea of their tacky shoes touching the rugs in here..." Crewel sighs. His eyes turn to you. "You know, I hear Vil Schoenheit has been looking for someone to take to his next shoot..."

Ashton chuffs. "Don't be ridiculous, they need someone who's strong enough to take care of them! Kingscholar is a real star once he gets motivated,"

"Please tell me I didn't just hear that," Crewel massages his temples. "And might I add, I'm their father, not you. I give the blessing. You're more like the unwelcome uncle crashing the family barbeque."

Grim nudges you with his elbow, muttering a quick yikes before darting out of the kitchen. You groan in embarrassment. "Guys..."

"I'm just thinking about what's best for them," Ashton says, puffing out his chest. "They're at an age where they're going to start thinking about dating, and we want them to make good choices."

"Guys,"

"Exactly. Schoenheit is a perfect gentleman, a master in my class, and has the style to back him up. Kingscholar can demonstrate occasional intelligence, but he's still another housecat," he shudders. "The shedding..."

A tired voice from the doorway interrupts their tense back-and-forth, much to your relief.

"Goodness, the two of you, at this again?" Trein scoffs, taking a seat at the table. "This conversation is highly inappropriate. You shouldn't be controlling the poor thing's romantic prospects, if they even have them. When the time comes, the choice will be theirs to make."

Crewel huffs, rolling his eyes and leaning against the table. Ashton kicks his feet. And neither utter another word.

"Good," Trein says, then clears his throat. "Ahem. But that's not to say that we can't offer our guidance. That Vanrouge did quite well on the last History of Magic exam..."

You groan.

#twst x reader #twisted wonderland x reader #staff parents being EMBARRASSING and CRINGE compilation #queued

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enhastolemyheart · 11 hours

Text

SATURDAY BLESSING | s.jy

pairing. boyfriend!jake x reader

genre. est. relationship, fluff

synopsis. being in a long distance relationship is hard. But, all works out in the end knowing your boyfriend Jake will come right back to you.

warning(s). kissing, jake and yn being cute, none really lmao, not proofread

word count. 0.8k

networks. @.hyfenet @k-films @kflixnet

note. hey!! it'd been a while lmao i forgot how to do this format thing 😭😭😭 but nonetheless, i had this sweet idea and hope you guys enjoy!!

banner by @cafekitsune

As you take your regular Saturday stroll through your favorite park nearby your complex, enjoying the fresh air and the calming ambiance. Birds are chirping, the are children running around, people's dogs are chasing squirrels and frisbees, there are the daily fitness people chasing their 10k steps and of course, you cannot miss the lovely elderly couples on their romantic walks.

Growing up in this area for the last thirteen years, this park has been a second home to you. You knew almost everyone here. You watched this park at its highest and lowest. You loved coming here, anytime and any day. One thing that has only enhanced your love for this place is the amount of time you spent here with your boyfriend of 2 years, Jake sim.

You both spend everyday together, but that has come to a temporary end when you both had to long distance. Jake to move to another state to take care of his sick grandmother. He stayed there longer then he'd expected but you knew and had faith that the relationship between you both would only get stronger once you reunite.

As you turn around the corner of the trail, you stop dead in your tracks tracks when a handsome man steps in front of you. Your handsome man. It's your boyfriend Jake, who you hadn't seen in eight months. Your eyes widen and your feet are stuck in place, your breath hitches and tightens. You can feel tears welling in your eyes at the sight of him.

He is so handsome, his hair has grown alot, looking like a mini mullet which looks so good on him. His eyes are just as bright as you seen him last and that adoring smile not wavering for a second. He opens his arms to you, lips in a smirk, "did you miss me, baby?"

His voice. I think my heart just skipped a beat.

That angelic voice was the final recall that he was here, he was finally here in your sight. You run up to him and he wraps his strong arms around your frame, melting in his embrace and basking in his scent. he release a sigh, almost as a sign of content and relief.

He pulls away, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear, lips in a soft smile, "I miss you so much, honey, you have no idea"

"i missed you too Jake, so much,"

And that was it, until he pulls you in for a much needed kiss, his lips in a smile causes yours to smile as well. He holds you very close to him in a gentle but firm grip, not wanting to let go. And you don't want him to, hands on the back of his neck, playing with the grown hair there.

He pulls away, looking into your eyes with full of love, "I love you yn."

you smile ad you kiss his cheek, "And I love you."

As the afternoon turns into evening and the sun slowly sets, You and Jake sit down at one of your favorite spots in the park. You are against a tree, your back warmed up with his chest, arms enveloped around you like a blanket, watching the leaves rustle in the breeze and listening to the birds chirping.

We spend an hour or two just talking, catching up on everything that's happened in the past few months. He tells me that his grandmother is doing much better now and that they hired a woman to take care when his parents cannot. I tell him about my internship at work, it was for the journaling field of a reputed magazine company. We laugh, we tease, and we just enjoy each other's company.

He kisses your temple every so often, and realization dawns upon you that you missed this. You missed this feeling of doing nothing but everything at the same time. You missed his warm hold and his silly, cute laugh, you missed him.

Jake places a kiss on the top of your head before asking you to turn to him, a smile playing on his lips.

"Remember when we first met?" he asks, his eyes twinkling with nostalgia.

You nod, a smile forming on your own lips and you lean the side your face on his shoulder.

"Of course I do," You reply, giggling slightly. "Who could forget meeting the boy of their dreams in a park on a Saturday afternoon?"

Jake laughs, and you share a look of shared understanding. Your time apart may have been long, but our bond feels stronger than ever.

"I love you baby, till death do us apart." Jake says with sincerity.

you smile only widens till your cheeks are hurting, you placed a gently, shaking hand on his cheek and your foreheads meet.

"I love you Jake, till death do us apart."

perm taglist: @jak-ey ; @snoowhore ; @hsgwrld ; @seungiesluv ; @1-800shutthefuckup ; @heeseungshim (send an ask to be added)

#enhastolemyheart #abby writes!#k films #kflixnet #enhypen scenarios #enhypen x reader #enhypen #enhypen imagines #jake sim #jake sim fanfic #jake sim x reader #sim jaeyun #jake sim fluff #jake sim imagines #jake sim scenarios #sim jaeyun x reader #sim jaeyun x you #jake sim x you

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lbcreations-blog · 2 days

Note

Husker, Charlie, and angel (seperate) with a teen reader who’s often found hanging around the hotel, not because they’re a sinner looking to rehabilitate (they’re hellborn) but just cuz they’re bored and want some entertainment. Overtime husker, Charlie and angel have become older familial figures and really close to reader. So what if reader comes to them one day and admits the real reason they’re always at the hotel is bc they’re being sexually abused at home? Sorry if you don’t feel comfortable with this, I’m honestly feeling a but uncomfortable requesting it but the comfort is much needed

If ya don’t wanna write this it’s ok just let me know pls

Auther note to requester: Of course, I'll write this, I also need comfort on this stuff, so yea. I had a bit of a writers block, and this is also not my best work, which I apologize for. Plus, I apologize for this coming out so late.

I have no idea why husks section is so short😭

All plotonic

Gn reader

The reader is shorter than Angel and Charlie and the same height as husk, btw

TW: slight descriptions of injuries and mentions of signs of struggle

Masterlist

No one should hurt someone like this

You loved hanging around at the hotel. You enjoying the chaos of the residents

You were there basically every day

You got very close to the bartender at the hotel

Husk was like an acutel father to you

He would always talk to you. Sometimes, he would show you magic tricks, and you loved it

One day, you seemed so sad

So Husk decided to wait until everyone's out of the lobby and ask what's up

Once, you had the courage to tell him he got angry at the ones who were supposed to raise you and nurture you.

But before he would do anything to the ones at your so-called 'home' he would comfort you

It might be a bit awkward, but he would do his best

He might even ask Charlie to let you stay at the hotel as an official resident

After comforting you, he would wait for the day he beats the ones who hurt you assess

Charlie was confused as to why you would hang around at the hotel for you being hellborn like her

But she let you stay thinking that even you, a hellborn, was supporting her hotel

After a while of being at the hotel, you and Charlie bonded quite nicely

She was like a super cool, bubbly, older sister to you

Compared to basically everyone in hell, you generally vibed with her, for some reason

Now, one day, you just weren't at the hotel

And then the next day

And the one after that

Now Charlie was worried, so she got the forms that tells where everybody lives and makes her way over to your adobe

Charlie walked up to your door and knocked the knocker three times.

No answer

After waiting for two minutes, she knocked three times once again.

Again no answer

She knocked with the knocker against the door one more time, but to no avail.

No answer

Charlie knew you were in your house she could sense your aroa, and your aroa felt hurt, so she knew she knew that had to do one thing and one thing only.

Go into your house without your permission.

She had to go in to make sure you were ok. So she tried to go into your house. But the door was locked. So she unlocked the door with her powers and stepped inside, and goodness, the place looks terrible. The couch was flipped in the lounge, and other signs off struggle was obvious.

Charlie walked around the house carefully in case someone else was lurking in the house. After a while, she found herself in front of a door with your name on it. This was definitely your room. She opened your door with caution, and...

There was you.

On the floor.

Sitting there with your hands covering your face.

There were bruises on your body, and you were quietly sobbing.

Charlie gasped upon the sight that was displayed in front of her. You looked up at her. You looked, so... terrified. And Charlie hated it so much. She quickly rushed to your side and softly hugged you so as not to hurt you more.

"Hey, hey," Charlie said in a soft voice. "Are you badly hurt? And do you know who hurt you?"

"I-" you sobbed softly.

"Hey. Hey, it's OK, it's OK, take your time," Charlie told you in the most comforting voice she could muster.

"The, ones I live with, did this to me" you told her in between sniffles.

Charlie was angered on this fact but stayed with you and tried to keep her calm. All she knew was that she would make sure those assholes would be dealt with, biological or not, no one hurts her younger sibling.

Angel Dust, the porn star

A tricky fella per-say

How did you become friends? It's hard to say

But for me and everyone else, you are like 12 - 14 in his version, and since you are oh so young, he doesn't talk about that stuff around you, like he might cuse but that's cause everyone does that

Anyway, now you both are pretty close, maybe you both like to dress up to together or smthn

After a while, you kinda start feeling like Angel is your older brother like yall have so much fun together

So since you veiw him as such, you felt as if you should share something you think he'll know about, even though it's supposed to be a secret

You softly knocked on Angel's bedroom door. "Hey Angel, it's me, Y/N," the door opened to show Angel. "Oh Heya kid, how'ya been?" Angel asked you. "Oh, ok, I guess... hey, uhm, I wanna talk to you in your room." You told the sinner with an uncomfortable face.

"Uh, alright com'n in kid," he said, moving out of the way off the door. You both sat down on his couch. "So what's been troubling, you kid?" Angel asked you. "Uhm, well, I'll just show you." You said as you brought your turtleneck down. Once Angel realized what he was seeing, he was shocked, angry, and just sad.

There was a hikey on your neck. "Uhm, Angel, do you know what this is?" You asked him, but instead of getting a response back.

You got a hug.

A very nice and warm one.

Sooner or later, Angel was gonna kill those basstards that hurt you.

Taglist: @fatherlesschild2 @whitewingsh @iheartpieck @i-yuki @ilovemyths2003 @im-so-tired52 @yuuandtheghost

Taglist request section

#hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel x reader #angel dust hazbin hotel #angel dust #angel dust x reader #plotonic angel dust x reader #angel dust x reader plotonic #charlie #charlie hazbin hotel #charlie x reader #plotonic charlie x reader #charlie x reader plotonic #husk #husk hazbin hotel #husk x reader #husk x reader plotonic #plotonic husk x reader #x reader

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littlemissferret · 2 days

Text

SERIES : BASTARDS IN MÜNCHEN

03 // literal pillow talk - [ series masterlist : 02 ,, 04 ]

sypnosis: you executed a genius idea to solve the sleeping arrangement issue

gn prns used (once). bm academy timeline. cw: nothing. surprisingly tame interactions. eepy kaiser. tame ness. reader still delulu.

Being trapped in a facility full of football-crazed men must be getting to you. Or could it be the unbearable summer heat that had fried your brain up during practice today?

Either way, Kaiser thinks that you’re losing it. Whatever show you’re putting on right now must not make sense to him at all. He scrunches his face up and side-eyes you hard.

“And what exactly are you planning on doing with these?” He gestures towards your form, “You’re ruining the mattresses. Not to mention, the floor is dusty. You do know that you’re dirtying what we sleep on, right?”

“You’re ruining my vibe,” you grunt, completely disregarding his question. You continue pulling Grim’s mattress onto the floor. “Get out of here if you’re not gonna help me,” you huff as you push the mattress against a few others that are already on the ground.

His face sours even further, if that’s even possible. “Help you mess up our mattresses? No thanks, you can do your dirty work yourself.” He waves at you dismissively, “Besides, what are you doing with them? Laying them all over the place.” He tries to ask again.

Giving a few pats on the duvets that you’ve pulled down along with the mattresses and pillows, you grin confidently at him and proudly gesture your arms to your organised hard work.

“With this arrangement, none of us will have to fight for the winner’s bed ever again!” You exclaim, “Now praise me for my genius. None of you could come up with a solution for such an easy case, but I did it rather effortlessly.” You place your chin between your index finger and thumb delightfully as you glance at your masterpiece.

Kaiser stares at you, wondering how you were brought up as a child. Has no one ever humbled you before? Told you that you’re really not all that?

He held his tongue, he'd rather not argue with you right now. He's too sleepy and will not risk losing a petty spitting game.

He lets out a deep, dramatic sigh as he sluggishly plops down onto his mattress that you’ve placed next to your own.

You were tolerable, to an extent. For most of the day, he could mingle well with you just fine. You proved to be extremely useful on the field too- having a rather high level of plays and vision compared to most of your peers, you always know how to get to the best position to receive or pass the ball from or to him. However, there are times when everyone needs a break from interacting with you.

“No one else other than you would’ve thought of sleeping on the floor. We’re literally given beds,” he mumbles into his pillow. “I’m too drained to care right now. Goodnight.”

“What?” You frown at his indifference, expecting him to engage with you for a little longer. “Don’t go falling asleep now! Erik hasn’t come back with the snacks yet.” You pout in frustration, finding yourself tugging on his blond strands.

He groans at the pulling of his hair, lifting his hand to swat at you. “Stop that, it’s annoying.”

“Why would Gesner bring snacks in here, anyway? There’s a no-food rule in our bedrooms.”

Right before he regrets opening his mouth again, Ness walks into the room to see the grand sight of both you and his friend- laid down next to each other while you tug on the golden wisps.

As he was about to walk over to help his friend away from your incessant hair-pulling habit, he stopped and furrows his brows to process the new placements of the mattresses.

“What’s going on? Why are we sleeping on the floor today?”

“No idea, it’s their ''genius'' idea.” Kaiser answers before you could start, sarcasm edged into ‘genius’ as he spits the word out. He can’t wait to quickly fall asleep and wake up the next morning to play football again.

“Huh? Hey, what’s this new arrangement for?” Ness turns to question you as he crawls over to the both of you, oddly accepting of the said arrangement despite his initial confusion.

“Over here, Alexis,” you pat on the mattress to your left with a flirty grin, “I specially placed yours next to mine, juuust for you.”

Ness’ smile wavers as he stares at you wiggling your eyebrows, but settles down next to you anyway.

“Are you incapable of answering questions?”

You only huff at his tone- whatever, he’ll get around soon. For the time being you’ll just have to play along with his hard-to-get attitude. He can act pissy all he wants, but look who’s lying down to sleep next to you!

You smile brightly at him.

“We’re having a sleepover!” You clap your hands together, as Kaiser winces at the loud noise near his ear.

“A sleepover?” Both boys on your either side questions in unison.

“Yep! A sleepover,” You nod your head enthusiastically. “You know, like in movies? When people sleep over at their friends’ houses.”

Kaiser scoffs, turning in his mattress to face away from both you and Ness, “Obviously I know what that means, it’s not like I never had one or anything.”

Stinky liar.

“Oh,” Ness fidgets his fingers against his duvet nervously, his smile shrinks, “I never had one before.” He admits. Poor boy's family is allergic to having fun. Sleepovers aren't science-y enough, apparently.

“Neither have I,” your smile unwavering as you wave your hand at that statement, brushing off his nerves, “which is why we’re gonna have them every day from now onwards!” You declare, wearing a proud smirk on your face.

“We’ll have to wait for Erik to come back with the snacks to start, though.”

Kaiser huffs, “Whatever. Where’s Grim, anyway?”

Your mouth forms an ‘O’ shape, as you glance up at the ceiling to recall.

“Oh, I think I told him to wait outside of the showers to invite you guys here, like, an hour ago.”

erm.. this is a lot tamer than i had planned. but i like it, some (semi) peaceful future-throuple bonding time.

- kinda made reader a touchy person . will this provide me more opportunities to piss off every single bm players ? - reader is the number #1 instigator

#- yu : writing ༊*·˚#michael kaiser #michael kaiser x reader #michael kaiser x you #alexiss ness #alexis ness x reader #blue lock #blue lock x reader #blue lock x you #bllk #bllk x reader #bllk x you

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sapphicvalentines · 22 hours

Text

☆Baby,the stars shine bright☆ pt4

pt1 , pt2 , pt3

inspired by the 'kamikaze girls',♡ always had unconditional love for lolita fashion and nothing else but when she met ellie,an auburn haired girl whos part of a gang with a dad's fashion sense ,her love for clothes begins to compete with her growing feelings for ellie

strangers to friends to lovers,love-hate friendship,ellie is into reader♡ but reader♡ shows no interest (in the beginning),opposite aesthetics,early 2000s

wlw,fluff

wc:5k

warnings: none except violence

On a rainy Friday night, when a storm was raging, you were more worried about your father than yourself, even as the whole house shook violently.

He finally came back home, soaked clothes clinging to him, and bruises marking his face.

You felt relieved that he still had all four fingers, after his gang had taken one for letting an enemy escape.

As tears streamed down his face, you quickly wiped them away as he sat before you.

It was clear to you, even then, that you would never choose the same path as your father.

"I'm not interested" you responded to ellie standing in front of you.

The way you beat up the man who stole your purse surprised Ellie, but the fact that you stood up for yourself and didn't ask her to make him pay got her even more interested. It felt like a waste not to have you in Dina's gang, but she still respected your decision; she knew she couldn't force you into criminality.

Also, who the hell would fight in a frilly dress?

Ellie understood that you had your own reasons (she thought you couldn't bear wearing anything other than Lolita dresses).

You couldnt perfectly hear the low whispers from Ellie's friends, but you guessed they wondered why Ellie was asking you to join the gang.

Ellie turned to them and introduced you, saying, "she sells really cool stuff,i got a new jacket for Himeko."

The gangsters shot you a more appreciative glance before talking with Ellie. She explained the whole thing about your stolen purse to them while you were just standing there like this 🧍‍♀️.

After a while, Ellie turned her attention back to you, telling you she has to go do what she usually does while out with her gang.

The girls' motorcycles roared once again, with Ellie sitting behind one of her friends since she had left hers at home. They respectfully said 'goodbye' and left, disappearing into the dust.

Suddenly, you felt self-conscious about the idea of Ellie finding out you had sold her fake brand clothes. If she ever told her whole gang, they would certainly not spare you any trouble and might even do worse than chopping off your fingers...

☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°

The next day, you were met with peace, but you also had mixed feelings.

You hadn't seen Ellie all day, but out of sight didn't mean out of mind.

Every time you'd do anything, it felt like you were trying to distract yourself from thinking of her.

You kept thinking about how she was willing to help you catch the thief and find your purse, how she tried to lift your spirits up no matter how tired you were, and how proud and impressed she was when you made the thief pay.

It was cloudy that day, but her smile was outshining the sun.

The 200 bucks she helped you get weren't used to buy a new purse; you looked at it and put it in your wallet. Instead of saving up, you thought about giving it to Ellie as a sign of gratitude.

After all, you would probably still be waiting for the police to find your purse if Ellie hadn't been here for you.

Ellie also gave you her phone number,

'just in case you need my help.'

You saved it in your contacts; in fact, she was the only person you've ever had in there.

As you were thinking about texting her, you were also contemplating your emotions.

Bitter, but also sweet; you've never felt lonely before meeting Ellie.

Perhaps it was because you spent such a great time with her that you finally acknowledged a hole you didn't even know was there in the first place.

A hole that was created when you made the mistake of getting attached to people who weren't worthy of your love.

You only realize it now that she's gone, that it actually felt pleasant being around her.

You closed your glittering flip phone, making a 'clap' sound as you sighed. You were comfortable being alone but uncomfortable feeling lonely.

"she's probably having fun with her friends," you thought. So instead of texting her, you tried to distance yourself.

And it started with getting rid of your thoughts about her. So you cleaned your room, baked with your grandma, had tea time, listened to classical music as you sewed a brand new headband, and tried on different outfits for the next time you go out. However, you were spending more time trying to distract yourself than actually enjoying yourself.

You fell into a restless sleep after this long, tiring day, still with the feeling you failed to make go away.

☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°

One, then two, then three rocks were thrown at your window. You were already awake, lying on your bed, but too lazy to start changing.

Or just start this day, in general.

Then another rock hit your window. The rocks were too small to break the glass, but you still wondered why this person kept persisting at getting your attention.

Although you already had your own idea of who that person was.

After slipping out of the covers, you walked towards your windows and opened them, pushing out the curtains, letting the morning sun enter your bedroom.

You weren't surprised to see her once again.

Ellie looked up at you with a faint smile and waved at you without saying a word.

You had no idea why she showed up in front of your house, but the reason was probably not as important as buying your fake luxury clothes.

After a moment of silence, you started to close the windows, making the auburn-haired girl scream to stop.

That was not so discreet of her.

"i'm just going to change, I'll be right back," you reassured her before closing the windows and putting on the curtains.

About 15 minutes passed by before you showed up in front of Ellie. You didn't wear something extravagant, unlike other days, just a simple baby pink and white dress matching with your old-school lolita bonnet.

To Ellie, you took a lot of time to dress up just to put on a simple outfit. "you know, that's kinda rude", Ellie referred to you closing the windows when you saw her.

"I was going to sleep in, but you interrupted me".You didn't only close them for changing, but mostly to annoy her. Her reactions were so funny.

"sleeping that much is bad for your health though",Ellie replied, looking at your face. You looked like you had enough beauty sleep, unlike her and her eye bags.

On the other hand, you didn't mind her eye bags; they looked cute. But the cute freckles adorning her face were adorable.

"what do you know about health? you smoke", you retorted. It was enough to make her face instantly turn as red as a tomato. She was thinking of a violent comeback but couldn't reply. "anyways, why didn't you just knock at the front door like a decent human?"

"your grandma's there"ellie pointed at your front door where your grandma was. You suddenly remembered when your grandma was trying to tear her ear off; it was hilarious now that you think about it.

"oh yeah, I forgot, she's guarding the house from people like you",you said, holding back your laugh. But Ellie wasn't pleased by the slight insult/teasing. You didn't forget when she revealed she stalked your dad though.

"hey, who gives you money? you better watch your mouth," Ellie said, half-jokingly, but you still enjoyed teasing her; it was like a guilty pleasure.

You wanted to ask her why she hadn't come to see you at all yesterday, but Ellie suddenly grabbed your arm, remembering why she came here in the first place. "come with me, I wanna show you something."

Her touch was as warm as the weather. You couldn't explain why, but it brought you a feeling of comfort, knowing that today was going to be as pleasant as a few days ago, or maybe even better.

However, you still felt reluctant.

What's with the excited look on her face?

Ellie didn't directly voice her intentions and it didn't convince you to follow her. "what is it?"

The fact that you spent a whole day with her, even if the reason was looking for your purse, was enough for Ellie to consider you as a friend.

Ellie wanted to keep it a surprise, but she also knew you wouldn't go with her if she told you what she had in mind. "do you trust me?"she asked.

She looked deep into your eyes with a faint smile, she couldnt convince you , so she tried persuasion.

"absolutely not",you replied honestly. The last time she told you to trust her was before the spicy food contest, and this girl couldn't eat spicy noodles to save her life!

The truth was that she just wanted to help. If lying about the most random things could get you to do fun things with her, she would certainly do it.

And that's exactly how she managed to get you behind her on her black bosozoku. You were gripping the sides of her motorcycle for dear life, not having any seatbelt on.

Ellie pushed the key, turning on her motorcycle, before looking at you to make sure you felt safe.

You caught her smirk before she turned her head back to look at the road; the gangster could tell you've never been on a motorcycle before.

"gimme your hands," Ellie said.

You did as Ellie said, and she placed your arms around her waist. You didn't mind being this close to her since it was for your safety, especially when she smelled so good.

You felt safer holding Ellie like this than wearing helmets and protection from head to toe.

But that quickly changed as soon as she drove off, speeding as if she owned the road.

Many drivers honked, surprised by how fast and how close Ellie was approaching them. You could swear you would have died right there if she wasn't used to doing this.

It was almost miraculous that both of you arrived safe and sound in Shibuya, but not without feeling so dizzy that you couldn't walk straight.

"c'mon, was I really that bad?" Ellie complained at your reaction. She forgot it was your first time on a motorcycle as she was driving; she was purely guided by adrenaline and kind of felt bad about it.

"are you expecting me to praise you after driving like this?" You left home without eating breakfast, and Ellie promised you'd eat once you guys arrived in Shibuya. However, you were too nauseous to put anything in your mouth. You wondered if it wasnt part of her plan

The worst part is Ellie wasn't even drunk,she was driving like this sober !

As she was driving, you forced yourself not to blink, too scared that you would see your life flash by at any moment.

"you're such a drama queen. also, I like physical touch over praises if that helps," the auburn-haired girl chuckled. She saw how nauseous you felt and decided to get you straight to the place she had in mind, skipping breakfast.

"shut up"you retorted but you didnt let this information unregistered in your head.

☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°

Entering this luxurious building felt like stepping into a hidden world. You felt excited, but it also felt wrong.

Everyone gathered around everything. Younger adults were drawn towards slot machines, whereas older people gathered around tables playing games you knew your dad had played before.

You immediately recognized you had entered a casino when you saw the elders playing roulette.

It was during this game that your dad met his ex-gang for the very first time, managing to befriend the members despite losing all his money to them.

That must be a gangster thing because Ellie was literally the one dragging you here. You had passed in front of the building multiple times but never entered it due to lack of interest.

Ellie walked towards the back of the room, holding your hand to make sure you wouldn't run away.

You felt eyes on you as Ellie continued towards a colorful door at the back of the room, its colors contrasting with the white-beige walls of the room but blending perfectly with the one she led you into.

The pink and yellow machines immediately caught your eye.

Ellie knew what she was doing.

Upbeat music played, setting the atmosphere, and unlike the other room, these games attracted both elders and younger people.

"what game is that?" You turned to Ellie, who was already taking a seat. There was no way you could refuse playing pachinko after she had won you 200 bucks last time.

"just another way for us to make money,who knows...we might even get rich by the end of the day." Ellie had played pachinko multiple times before bringing you here for the first time. Luck wasn't something she believed in, but she had learned tricks that often made her win—maybe not every time, but more than everyone in the room combined.

It was also the occasion to see you and make up for her absence yesterday since she was busy kicking ass with her friends.

But mostly, she wanted to show off after losing the spicy eating contest to you. She still hadn't recovered after this, being the bad loser she is...

"sometimes your confidence is kinda tricky," you replied, looking at her hands taking out shiny balls from her pockets.

This girl never carried a bag, so she had the most random things hidden in her pockets.

"just sometimes, not every time" Ellie took your hand, giving you a handful of pachinko balls without giving you the choice but to play with her.

It's not like you would say 'no' after making all this way here, and especially after she helped you find your precious purse.

Her finger softly grazed next to the silver bow ring adorning your middle finger.

"did you know that you can make jewelry out of pachinko balls?" Ellie asked as she pulled a lever, launching the balls in the machine. Colorful arrows of lights flickered on the Pac-Man backboard as upbeat music started to play.

"really?" You mimicked Ellie's action with your Dragon Ball Z-themed machine. You weren't particularly into shonen anime, but the other machine to Ellie's right was already taken by a young guy.

Ellie elaborated as she adjusted the pressure on the lever, launching the shiny balls in the machine, trying to get them into the winning pocket. "you can drill small holes into the balls to string them together for necklaces or bracelets. I've seen some girls adding beads and charms, it's kinda cute."

Your eyes followed the balls bouncing off pins and obstacles as you pressed the button, trying to control their trajectory. Too focused on the machine in front of you, you nodded in response to her random facts.

Ellie then closed her mouth, fully dedicating her attention to putting the small balls in the winning pocket. The balls kept launching in the machine as she applied pressure on the lever, but not a single one would hit the jackpot. She considered this as a warm-up, hoping she would quickly get the hang of it.

On the other hand, despite having absolutely no experience in playing pachinko or gambling games, you were doing perfectly, having each single ball thrown straight into the winning pocket as if you'd been playing for years.

It was not strategy nor how many times you were pressing the button that would make you win; there was simply no other explanation than luck. You never went outside without putting on your favorite silver ring, convinced that it would bring you luck. And here you were, getting more balls in the tray ready to be exchanged for money.

Ellie looked at your machine, purely intrigued. She thought she was going to impress you and not the other way around.

Not a single ball missed the winning pocket!

"hey, did you know why the pachinko ball went to school?" Ellie went back to playing but not without trying to distract you.

"I have no idea." You knew what Ellie was doing; you were starting to know her a little better. Her stupid jokes weren't something that would easily distract you; in fact, you kept accumulating new balls in your tray.

"because it wanted to be a little brighter." She was the only one laughing, but she managed to make you smile, which satisfied her.

She was convinced she could make you laugh out loud soon.

"trying to distract me won't make you win." You would occasionally glance at her, desperately trying to get at least one ball in the winning pocket, noticing how her confidence disappeared instantly from the minute she started to pull the lever.

You almost pitied her. (you kept playing anyway.)

Ellie thought there was no other explanation than a machine problem; maybe she picked a defective machine that would only make her lose.

After a few minutes, you noticed Ellie wasn't beside you anymore; the seat on your right was empty, and instead of her, you caught the envious gaze of a guy looking younger than you.

The sound of people whispering behind you, along with balls aggressively flipping at every corner of the machine, made you turn around; Ellie was behind you on another machine.

Luckily winning, she'd get new shiny balls in her tray after 30 minutes of playing, already imagining how full of cash her pockets were going to be.

However, if money could bring luck, it could also do the opposite; you were too focused on your game to notice how much attention it gathered.

"It's her, right over there with the child's clothes," the door in the back of the room opened before loudly being slammed. Two men in suits walked straight towards you.

Ellie noticed them and stood up before they could try anything.

"she's cheating, sir! I saw her with my own eyes!" It was the same guy looking at you with pure envy from earlier, now talking. You didn't even notice him leaving. You wondered how he was going to prove it.

"miss, stand up and step aside," the taller guy ordered, not even considering the younger guy lying.

"how is winning cheating? this dude is just mad that I have good luck," you defended yourself, but you could tell the taller guy didn't want to hear anything from a woman like you, even if you were telling the truth.

You desperately wanted to keep your jackpot, so you had no choice but to do as he told you, hoping this misunderstanding would quickly end.

Suddenly, you felt a hand forcefully pushing you towards the two men. The three of you fell to the floor like bowling pins, with the two men's heads bumping into each other as yours was cushioned by the tall guy's abdomen.

You didn't even want to apologize when the younger dude yelled at you for trying to kill them, claiming it was an attempt to get away with your 'cheating'

You sighed at how chaotic the situation had turned in just a split second and noticed Ellie behind you.

The two men slowly stood up, and the taller guy pushed you away before he went to check the pachinko machine.

There was no proof that you were cheating, and the look of envy on the guy's face was now mixed with jealousy.

He added another lie, determined to make you lose your jackpot. "aren't minors forbidden in this place, sir?"

His tone was so cocky; you were more trying to control yourself from punching him in the face than keep explaining yourself.

"shut the fuck up. I bet your pubic hair is still growing for the first time," Ellie walked towards him as she cracked her fingers, her patience quickly wearing thin.

The guy stepped back anxiously as he recognized the golden signature on Ellie's jacket.

You've never seen anyone get in such a state just by looking at someone's jacket, but this also explained why everyone would give Ellie a 3-meter of private space in public.

"excuse me? watch your mouth, otherwise not only her, but also you will be expelled," he wasn't even denying what Ellie had said.

The tall man looked you up and down, wondering how the guards even let you enter the casino. You and Ellie didn't even see anyone controlling people at the entrance.

Ellie's gaze shifted from the young guy's face to the tall man's, coming up with a quick lie too, even though both of you were legal. "no, seriously, she's uh... she's my mother. she's just dressed in child's clothes."

Both of the guys looked at each other before looking at you, searching for any sign of old age.

"Yeah, I brought my daughter here so we could get money and get a lawyer for divorce." Your brain worked faster than you'd think. You glanced at Ellie before looking at them, hoping to make this lie sound like truth to the stupid men.

Unfortunately, their level of stupidity was so high that they would only believe men lying, but never women, regardless of whether they'd lie or tell the truth.

Because you had tried both,but it didn't stop both you and Ellie from being expelled from the casino, thrown outside of the building like useless trash.

You brushed the dust off your dress as you stood up with Ellie. "I hate men," you complained as you looked at the front of the building.

The reason both of you got kicked out wasn't because of your age, but because Ellie violently headbutted the two men who were going to call the police on them.

You didn't blame her though; you got kicked out without your jackpot, but she did what you restrained yourself from doing.

Ellie looked at you, making sure you weren't hurt or anything. "same, they didn't have to throw us out like that", her voice dripping with annoyance as she looked back at the building.

Although you were safe, with no police to track you down and no men trying to threaten you, you still felt bad and for losing the jackpot you won.

But you stopped worrying once you recognized the shiny balls Ellie was taking out of her pockets. "no need to be grumpy now,i got these just in time" Ellie said proudly as she handed them out to you. Ellie was usually chill and carefree, but in serious situations, her brain would always work faster than she'd think. That's how she got the quick reflex to push you to the two douchebags so she could put your pachinko balls in her pocket.

There was no way you were going to get in trouble AND lose what belonged to you.

☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°☆°

Impatiently, both of you went to exchange the pachinko balls for money secretly. It wasn't your first time doing something illegal for your own interest; in fact, it was starting to become a habit.

Ellie counted up all the money while you stood next to her, ensuring there was no one watching around, but your eyes would always turn back to Ellie with a focused look on her face.

You couldn't see her beautiful freckles because the roofs of the houses were blocking the sun, casting their shadows on the ground.

The darkness reflected the mystery of Ellie's mind to you.

You wondered what her childhood was like, why she liked darker colors, how she always appeared tough and fearless. You wondered if she ever showed her vulnerable side to her gang members.

But mostly, you wondered why she kept helping you. Was there a deeper meaning behind her smile, a message conveyed through the way she looked at you, and why was she desperate to hear you laugh at her jokes?

Ellie wasn't an attention seeker, but she loved it when you would give yours to her.

The way you stood up for yourself and kicked the ass of the asshole who stole your purse that day was undeniably attractive.

Ellie was still thinking about it; she also imagined how it would be if you joined her gang. The day after that, although she hadn't seen you all day, it didn't mean that you didn't leave her mind.

You realized you hit the big jackpot when Ellie gave you the amount of money your luck was worth; those 500 bucks were easy money for you.

Ellie had a bit less money than you, but when you handed her half of what you had, she refused respectfully.

"we said we'd split up," you insisted. You still had the 200 bucks she got you doubled up in your purse. They were the first thing you grabbed before she drove you to the casino. You never had the occasion to properly thank her for helping you find your purse until now.

Ellie looked at you. She knew your intention but still refused, though she appreciated the act. "you won this because you're a good player. It's yours," her tone softer than usual.

So you softened yours too. "at least take it as a gift." You took her hand, but she closed it before you could give her anything.

You knew Ellie preferred actions over words, so why wasn't she accepting the money?

"I swear I'm going to shove it in your mouth if you keep refusing my act of gratefulness."

Ellie just laughed at how quickly your tone changed, insisting for her to take the money you offered her. She liked how fast you started to understand her.

"Wow, so kind of you, but-"Ellie replied sarcastically, but suddenly her phone rang, interrupting your moment.

Slipping the money into her pockets was far from discreet, so you decided to wait.

You weren't listening, just hearing.

You assumed the deep raspy voice talking to Ellie was Joel. He was telling her to come back home soon since the sun was going to start setting, which she agreed to. She couldn't say 'no' after he said he made pizza.

Ellie talked to Joel as she kept eye contact with you, making the call quick.

"' 'mkay, see ya," she closed her flip phone, making a 'clap' sound before fully focusing her attention back to you.

"kiddo..." you muttered. The way Ellie and Joel conversed told you a lot about their relationship. Joel had a caring yet friendly tone, while Ellie would give short and direct responses. Something felt off between these two, but what caught your attention the most was the nickname Joel would call Ellie. "he calls you kiddo, how cute."

Ellie put her phone back in her pocket, giving you an unappreciative side eye. "don't call me that."

"I was just saying that the way he calls you kiddo's cute." You noticed how embarrassed Ellie got; it showed all over her face with how fast she blushed.

Ellie sighed. She regretted not lowering the volume of her phone during her call; she knew you would tease her about it. "yeah, but he's the only one allowed to call me that."

"but I wasnt calling you kiddo."

"say that one more time and I'll kill you." Ellie shot you a glare as she playfully threatened you. You forgot this side of her for a moment. It wasn't the weed making her chill and goofy whenever she's around you; it was just the way she was with you.

You smiled playfully before leaning your face toward her,you knew perfectly how to annoy her "kiddo"

You ran as fast as you could away from her, with her chasing you.

The wind was blowing against you, making your hair fly as you ran.

Ellie was catching up to you, but before she could grab you ,you stumbled and slipped headfirst on the floor !

Too embarrassed, you stayed on the floor when you heard Ellie exploding into laughter as if she had been holding her laughter in for centuries.

"you don't even wear platforms, how the fuck did you slip like that?" Ellie walked closer to you still refusing to budge. You wanted her to feel guilty

Ellie noticed the lack of response and instantly got worried, already imagining the worst scenarios. She crouched down, gently moving your hair out of your face. "hey ♡, are you ok?" Her voice was caring and gentler compared to earlier.

If she only talks to you like this when worried, you'd stumble on the ground more often.

#Spotify #ellie fluff #ellie tlou #ellie williams #ellie x fem reader #mini series #tlou #ellie x reader #wlw

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tylersnecktattoo · 1 day

Text

Stargazing with Steve Rogers

Warnings: none. Just fluff.

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You leaned in more to Steve, watching the stars and he wrapped a protective arm around you, getting more comfortable on the grass you both are currently laying on as you enjoyed your 5th date together.

“The moon is really beautiful tonight” you murmur, watching the moonlight being the strongest it has ever been in a long time. “the stars too. I really like watching the stars”

Steve smiles down on you, “that’s why I brought you here”

You can’t help but let the butterflies flutter crazy in your stomach every time he looks at you that way. And the thing that drove you even more crazy was that he picked up that small little detail you told him during one of your dates, that you liked stargazing. And he listened and remembered. So now here you are, having the most romantic date you’ve ever had, with picnic at this little spot Steve found, watching the stars as he holds you close. It felt like a movie. And speaking of movies, this is the part where one of the partners always talk and show their significant other constellations. So that’s what you decided to do for the hell of it even though you had no idea about it

“See those stars over there? The ones that form a triangle?” You point at a random batch of stars you saw

“What about them?”

“That’s The Umbrella” you randomly said, although it sounded kind of believable?

Steve raises his brows at you, “you’re into constellations?”

You grin amusedly, kind of proud of yourself that you managed to trick him “mhm. And that one’s The Bear. See? Because of its rectangular form?” You confidently say and you guide his hand to point at another batch of random stars.

He chuckles lightly and nuzzles your hair. “You’re just full of surprises, aren’t you?”

You let out a giggle. “No I’m just full of shit. Made all that up”

He raises a quizzical brow at you which makes you explain yourself furthermore, “this all just seemed so cliche. Like, in every romantic movie there’s this couple stargazing and then some of them just randomly knows something about constellations. Thought it’d be funny to recreate that”

Steve smirks softly and slowly hovers on top of you, “and I thought I was different doing something original” he says with a faked defeated look

“You are different.” You softly say with those damn eyes that makes him fall like a teenager all over again. He is genuinely captivated by your beauty and he can’t stop. It’s like you cast a spell on him.

“And you are really beautiful” he compliments as he moves a piece of hair out of your face, getting a better look at the blush that is forming on your cheeks which makes him smile even more. You were just so goddamn cute.

“Can I add some originality to this cliche by giving my beautiful lady a kiss?” He says with a boyish grin, which makes you smile like an idiot for his gentlemanliness.

“Well, I really liked how you kissed me goodnight last time”

“Then I’ll make sure it’ll be better than that, sweetheart” he replies which makes your heart bloom at the nickname before he cups your face and press his lips against yours. And God, it was like you were made for his lips every time you kissed, lips perfectly molded against each other in a slow and tender kiss, Steve’s big hands caress your face while the other one runs through your hair

Once you both pull out for air he rests his forehead against yours and smiles. “Was that original enough?”

You mirror his smile as you jokingly pretend to think, “hmm, I’m not quite sure. I think you’ll need to kiss me again for that”

“With pleasure, my lady” and with that, your lips are connected again and he could swear his heart would jump out of his chest when he felt you smiling against the kiss and caress the back of his head. You were gonna be the death of him.

#steve rogers #steve rogers fanfiction #steve rogers one shot #steve rogers fic #chris evans #chris evans x reader #chris evans x female reader #chris evans x you #chris evans fanfiction #chris evans fic #steve rogers fluff #steve rogers drabble #chris evans drabble #steve rogers imagine #steve rogers x reader #steve rogers x you

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scrollonso · 22 hours

Text

Crazy In Love²

A Strollonso AU where Fernando succeeds the Spanish throne and makes it his goal as king to make the Prince of France his groom. (1.9k words, dark!nando, murder (duh), fluff too) [@catboysracing @mercyreg] {This took so long but first kiss race 14 is taking longer so 🔥}

last part - masterlist - next part (coming soon)

As people began to disappear into the guest rooms Fernando excused him and Lance once again, his hand settling on the small of the boys back as he showed the Prince to the room he'd be sleeping in for the night.

The shorter one was practically beaming, unable to wipe the smile off his face since his father and Fernando began discussing the terms of the marriage.

"Will my son be able to continue his studies if he was to begin living here with you?"

"Of course. I'll be sure he learns the same if not more."

"Will my son be involved in battles if Spain was to find itsself in conflict while he's ruling by your side?"

"No, I'll do everything in my power to ensure he's as far from conflict as possible."

They'd continued asking and answering questions like that for ages, Chloe and Lance drifting to the side to talk about the younger boys plans as the soon to be King Consort

Lance was excited once Fernando whisked him away, eyes glued to the man as they walked, almost tripping over his own feet because of how lost in thought he'd gotten

"Careful, mi rey" Fernando spoke, quick to pull Lance into his arms, pulling one hand away to point at the two doors closest to them, the rooms across the hall from one another "This one is yours for the night, I'll be a few steps away if you need anything."

"Can I stay in your room?" Lance asked, hands grabbing onto the Spaniards biceps as he spoke

"With me?"

"Just until I get tired, I don't want to be alone" Lance said quietly, praying the man wouldn't find it weird

"What, are you scared of the dark?" Fernando raised a brow, just teasing the Frenchman

"Mhm" He nodded, bottom lip jutting out slightly at the thought of sitting in the new dark room alone.

The King laughed under his breath, not expecting the boy to really be afraid of the dark. Without hesitating he unlocked his door and pulled Lance in, letting go of him in order to light the lantern besides the door

"It's not funny!" Lance protested, covering his face in embarrassment as he stood in the chilled room

"I know, I'm sorry, mi rey" Fernando cooed, pulling Lance closer to him again to litter his exposed skin in kisses, pleased with the giggles that came as a result.

They spent the next hours just talking and getting to know eachother. Lance had practically told Fernando everything about him and Fernando had told the boy everything he needed to know.

Just as the boy began getting tired there was a knock at the door, it wad weird and had a certain pattern to it that caused Fernando to get up instantly, planting a kiss on his grooms temple before excusing himself to deal with whatever was waiting outside for him.

Lance heard the yelling from through the door, he wasn't sure what was going on since the conversation was happening in Spanish and he was far from fluent.

All he understood were scattered cuss words and the obviously tense tone. He heard Fernando's voice above all the others, the king's sentences practically overflowing with swears as his fist slammed into the closest wall, Lance unable to hide his fear as he heard the situation escelate.

He had no idea what had happened but when the door opened and the now rugged looking King came back in a part of him was scared. Scared of what he might be capable of.

Fernando noticed.

He always noticed.

"What's wrong, darling?" He asked, reaching out to cup the Frenchmans face, reddened knuckles further contrasting their skin tones

"Did something happen?" Lance asked, eyebrows knitting together as he gazed up at the man towering over him

"Nothing important, mi rey." The man insisted, craning his neck in order to peck the boys lips, taking a seat on the mattress besides him as soon as he pulled away "Don't worry about anything, it's all under control"

Lance believed him, of course he did. What reasons did he have not to?

Not long after Fernando came in Lance had fallen asleep, head on the Spaniards shoulder as his breath steadied.

The man knew he had stuff to do and if he didn't move the boy soom he'd never get to work so he slowly lifted Lance, laying him on the mattress and covering him up. The boy slept as if he'd never faced any misfortune in his life, he hadn't. Not yet.

Fernando krept out of the room, looking back to make sure his groom was still asleep under his covers before closing and locking him in.

"Padre" A voice called, Fernando turning to see his oldest son and military commander just steps away

"Carlos, when did you return?" Fernando asked, little to no emotions in his voice as he spoke

"Just now." He confirmed, coming closer to his father so he could lower his voice "I've almost finished escorting Jesuits out of the kingdom but some have barricaded themselves in their homes. What should we do?"

"I'll handle it. Lead me to them, Carlito."

It was towards town square, one house in particular had a handfull of Jesuits in escondites throughout the large building.

Fernando wasn't stupid. He practically broke the door down, snapping the wooden plank holding it shut in two, Carlos following close behind because he knew many men were in the home but he also knew his father had a tendency of getting out of control once he started.

The king listened, lanza gripped hard in his left hand. He'd had it modified, shortened so he could use it easily even when he wasnt on horseback. It was ironic, his weapon of choice had always been a lanza but something felt different today. The name felt different. Lanza. Lance.

His fingers flexed around the wooden rod, knuckles white as he began searching the first floor, Carlos staying further back to watch. His father liked what he did and he liked doing it alone.

He could hear breathing, it was shakey, it was muffled, but it was near. He stopped walking, realizing the person was behind the bookshelf to his right. Fernando turned back to Carlos, nodding over to where he suspected the Jesuit to be hiding.

Fernando didn't want to move the shelf, figuring there was somewhere else they could run off to in the mean time so he positioned his lanza against the wood and shoved it forward, hearing the way skin tore under his blade. He knew it wasn't a serious injury because only seconds later the bastard began to pray

"St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil."

He scoffed. Ridiculous. There was no St. Michael. No Archangel. No God. No Devil. But if there was, Fernando would be the closest thing to it.

He pulled his blade out harshly, shoving the now broken wood out of his way so he could reach the man easier, seeing him clutching his shoulder as he continued

"May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly hosts, by the power of God,"

It was embarrassing, the King thought, how the man was still praying to his god after being put in this situation.

He reached out his hand to grab the frightened mans cappa. He shook under Fernando, practically falling to his knees as he began to sob. Not stopping his prayer. Fernando was going to let him finish.

"Thrust into hell Satan, and all the evil spirits, who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen."

As soon as he heard the mans voice fade he slammed him against the caved in wall behind him, lanza positioned against his larynx. Fernando knelt down, the Jesuit too afraid to move

"There is no god." He spat, watching as the mans sobs became harder before he pierced his throat, the life leaving his eyes as he was propped up with the Spaniards blade.

It took time but eventually Fernando had managed to rid Madrid of the rest of the Jesuits. Anyone else would feel some sort of emotion, regret, fear, jealousy, Fernando just felt content. Knowing the Popes biggest supporters were either dead or exiled brought a smile to his face.

The walk back was nice, Carlos telling him the things he'd gotten into that day. His oldest truly was a mini-him. The other two mainly took after their mother but Carlos was the spitting image of Fernando and he couldn't wait for his boy to be king.

As they reached the palace Carlos told his father goodnight, going to see what food was left over from the ball while Fernando returned to Lance.

The Spanish king unlocked his door, eyes scanning the hall around him before he stepped in, making sure to re-lock it before finding his way back to his groom.

He was still asleep, eyelashes laying against his pale cheeks as he slept, soft smile on his face. He was beautiful, to Fernando, to everyone. The man still had his blade in his hand, his lanza, he hadn't bothered to wipe the blood off, simply stashing it in his wardrobe before finding his way to bed with the Frenchman.

It wad odd, sleeping in the same bed as someone you were just engaged to, but killing someone with your blade then laying with someone with the same name was stranger so Fernando couldn't be bothered to do anything differently.

Lance awoke hours later, registering the arms around his waist straight away, it was nice, foreign, but nice.

His hands found their way to the Spaniards, fingers lightly brushing over his rough knuckles, scabs forming over the cuts he'd made the night before. He was rugged, far more rugged than Lawrence.

Fernando was the first King, besides his father, that Lance had truly been in the presence of since he was very young, since the signing of the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle when he was only six.

He felt safe, for whatever reason, in the mans arms. He was so much larger than the boy, so much stronger, so much more powerful. Lance felt as though he could lay in Fernandos arms forever and never have to worry of anything bad happening to either of them.

"How'd you sleep, mi rey?" Fernando spoke softly, lips pressing against the nape of Lance's neck

"I slept good" Lance smiled, turning to face Fernando, checking to make sure he was as handsome as he remembered. "Did you sleep well?"

"How could I not" The king smiled back, hand leaving the princes waist to brush the hair from his face "Sleeping next to you was perfect, can not wait to do it every night."

Before Lance could respond there was a knock at the door, a man saying something in Spanish that caused Fernando to get up, petting the boys head as he left the mattress

"Let's get dressed, your father wants the wedding to happen as soon as possible."

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noxemma · 1 day

Text

Kiss and Make Up

Sam (grumpily barging into the bunker kitchen): That’s it! I can’t take it anymore!

Sam (physically picking Cas up off the seat where he’s been sulking and pushing him toward the hallway): Go apologize so you both stop moping around.

Cas (tired and sad, resisting slightly): Sam, I’ve tried. He won’t talk to me.

Sam (deadly serious as he starts dragging Cas to Dean’s door): Cas, it’s been FIVE DAYS. Five days of Dean binging Dr. Sexy 24/7. Five days of you both living in dirty pajamas, not showering, not doing dishes, tension so thick I might need to invest in SCUBA gear.

Cas: Sam, I’ve already apolo-

Sam (ready to tear out his hair): APOLOGIZE AGAIN! Apologize better. I don’t care how you do it, but please, please just kiss and make up already!

Sam opens the door and shoves Cas in. Dean sits on his bed, wrapped in a blanket, his eyes glued to the TV despite Cas’ sudden appearance.

Dean (gruffly): I know Sam put you up to this. He thinks everything will magically get better if you apologize.

Cas (slightly agonized): Dean, I really am sorr-

Dean (angrily): I don’t want to hear another word, Cas. Just, just get out!

Cas stands for a moment, at a loss and in pain at Dean’s harsh words. Then his brow lifts as he recalls Sam’s words.

Cas (whispering mostly to himself): Sam’s right. I’ve been doing this all wrong.

Dean finally turns on the bed to face Cas, evidently paying more attention to the angel than he let on. He is a little shocked to find that Cas has moved to be right next to him, leaving barely any space between them.

Dean (looking up, confused and concerned at the determined look on Cas’ face): Cas, wha-

Cas cuts him off by bending down, firmly cupping his face and drawing him in for a scorching kiss. Dean’s hands land tentatively on Cas’ hips as if he isn’t sure whether he wants to push Cas away or draw him closer. Cas finally pulls back and studies Dean, who looks stunned.

Cas (slightly breathless and oddly shy after the intensity of the kiss): Did it work? Can we make up now?

Dean (blinking and absently running his fingers across his kiss swollen lips): Whoa, um. Wait “make up?”

Cas (nervously rambling): Sam implied that my previous apologies were insufficient and that I should “kiss and make up” with you. I was under the impression that the saying was figurative but after you refused to hear my apology once again, I thought that perhaps it was meant to be literal and that’s why my previous apologies were poorly received.

As Cas speaks Dean realizes just how distressing his anger and avoidance have been to the angel.

Dean (stricken): Dammit, Cas. I forgive you. Of course, I forgive you. I was just angry. You didn’t need to- I didn’t mean to make you feel like- *sigh* I’ve been an ass. I’m sorry it took you doing something as drastic as kissing me to realize exactly how much of an ass I’ve been.

The room is silent except for Dr. Sexy still playing in the background. Cas doesn’t meet Dean’s eyes, still convinced he’s in the wrong despite Dean’s reassuring words.

Dean (teasing at first but falling flat): Also, while it would be funny to see Sam get a taste of his own medicine, you probably shouldn’t go around apologizing with kisses. Someone might get the wrong idea.

Cas (horrified gaze meeting Dean’s): I would never kiss Sam, or anyone else.

Dean: Oh …

Dean begins to blush as he slowly comes to the realization that Cas has basically just admitted that he only wants to kiss Dean.

Cas: Was it bad?

Dean (confused): Was what bad?

Cas (whispering so softly Dean nearly misses it): The kiss?

Dean (licking his lip and staring intensely at Cas): Oh, well. I was kinda surprised by it so I couldn’t really say. But, uh, but if you … if you wanted to do it again I could, um, give you some pointers.

Cas (misunderstanding Dean’s words): That’s … you don’t have to do that, Dean. In fact, it was rather selfish of me to ask. I don’t want you to feel obligat-

Dean (grabbing the bottom of Cas’ shirt and pulling him back toward him): Cas, shut up and kiss me already.

Cas obliges, settling onto Dean’s lap to kiss him deeply for several minutes. When they break apart they don’t go far, resting their foreheads against each other, breathless and panting,

Cas (half teasing and half serious): How was that? Better?

Dean (pulling Cas impossibly closer on his lap): Pretty freaking awesome … I mean, you should probably keep practicing.

Cas laughs a little as Dean presses a kiss to his forehead.

Cas (teasingly): I think I could get rather fond of this whole “kiss and make up” idea, although it’s a shame we’d have to fight in order to make up. Dean (flirtatiously): Well then, we should probably just start dating already and make the whole thing easier, boyfriends fight all the time. Cas (shocked, like he didn’t really expect Dean to suggest dating): You think we should start dating? You want to be my … boyfriend?

Dean (fidgeting a bit under Cas and not making eye contact): Um, yeah? If you want me to, but we don’t have to label it or anything if you don’t want. I’m happy being whatever you want me to be. Cas (beaming with happiness and tilting Dean’s head to catch his eye): Boyfriends sounds wonderful. And, as your new boyfriend, I suggest we both shower.

Dean (gasping dramatically): Are you suggesting I stink?

Cas (somehow both sensually and stoically): I’m not denying it, just suggesting that, since my kisses still need practice, I may be able to perform other actions to make up with you. In the shower. Together.

Dean (squirming as Cas punctuates his sentence with a kiss on his neck): Oh. Oh! That’s a great idea, Cas.

They exit Dean’s room, hand in hand, and head down the hallway.

Sam (gloating as he witnesses the hand holding): Finally! Maybe I’ll actually get some peace around here now that they’ve stopped fighting and admitted their feelings.

Muffled moans, gasps, and grunts begin to filter through the thin bathroom door. Sam (horrified and muttering to himself as he puts in earplugs): It’s better than fighting, it’s better than fighting.

#destiel #deancas #spn #fanfic #destiel fic #fanfiction #the brainrot is always rotting #supernatural #I should be working on one of my WIPs but at least I'm writing #I don't even know what they're fighting about lol #probably something dumb like Cas eating the last piece of pie or watching the next episode of their show without Dean #self indulgent writing #this was supposed to be like 300 words but now its somehow 1k

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godihatethiswebsite · 19 hours

Text

Desert Oasis

✽ Johnny "Soap" Mactavish x f!reader

(The Mummy AU)

Main Masterlist

°•. ✿ .•°.•° ✿ °•.°•. ✿ .•°.•° ✿ °•.°•. ✿ .•°

✽ Part 6 - Just a nice relaxing boat ride

So this one is a bit long guys ^^; To give you an idea, part 5 had a little over 2k words... and this one has over 9k. I swear, it was like every time I thought I was almost finished I went back in and added a little bit more.

I tried figuring out a way that I could cut it in half and not disrupt the flow of everything, but there just really wasn't a good spot for me to do it in so I'm just opting to leave it as is. It's also why this took me a couple days to finish so please forgive the wait.

Also I'm slowly but surely getting the hang of making everything aesthetically pleasing so bare with some of the changes going on with my blog!

You shuffled down the corridors of the ferry, giving polite smiles and nods to the individuals you darted past with Kyle trailing hot on your heels. On a boat that size there were only about fifty or so people in total - passengers and crew included. The trip was long enough to require a place to lay your heads down for the night, having secured as decent accommodations as you could for a vessel meant for commoners.

By the time you reached your stay rooms, you paused to find the door to your quarters already swung ajar. You didn't have time to process that entirely as your cousin brushed past you to take the lead, footsteps quiet as he dared a glance inside. His shoulders relaxed considerably as he took up watch leaning against the door frame. Whatever he found inside didn't seem worry him, but it certainly had you on alert once you heard a rustling noise coming from within.

Kyle halted you from taking your intended step further just outside the door with his hand up, eyes cutting sideways to give you a look at the huff you gave before returning to tracking whoever was rattling around inside your room. He lowered his hand and stepped to the side out of the doorway the same time John appeared from your room, flashing you an easy grin. "It's all yers, hen."

He placed a gentle hand on your arm as he maneuvered past you back into the hall, going one door down and to the left as he disappeared into what you assumed was the room the two men would be staying the night in. You gave your cousin a look of confusion as he ushered you inside, giving his own cursory glance around while you walked over to your awaiting luggage left at the foot of your bed.

The space was nothing to gawk at certainly; no finery of silken sheets or elegantly crafted mahogany furniture. It was a far cry from the abodes you'd spent your comfortable life in, but the modest quarters would be more than plenty for a single evening. You weren't highbrow enough to turn your nose down just because this wasn't the Mauretania.

"Is there a reason you just let a strange man root around my quarters, cousin?" You inquired while unlatching the trunk, beginning the process of unpacking and sorting out your belongings.

"Just precautions, dolly." He replied as he came to a stop in front of the modest sized dresser in your room, leaning back against it with his hands tucked in his pockets while he watched you flitter about putting things away in their proper places. "Didn't want you coming in here first to find an even stranger man waiting for a sweet doe-eyed thing like yourself to gobble up. Would have done it myself if MacTavish hadn't beaten me to it."

It gave you pause in the middle of the room as his words sunk in, clutching a small bag of toiletries. There wasn't anything even remotely admonishing in what he spoke, but you hadn't quite considered the possibility in your inexperience.

You were used to a certain way of living, full of servants and chaperones caring for your person. If you had need of something in a part of town deemed unsuitable for a lady such as yourself then you simply sent someone else along to run the errand for you. You'd been born fortunate enough that you hadn't had to lift a finger for anything you didn't want to. The 'real world' was a far cry different. Many a lower class woman had to be on guard for things you'd never had to imagine. It was just a small example comparatively, but the realization caught you uncomfortably unaware.

Despite that, there was a slight warmth in your chest at the thought that your newest traveling companion was chivalrous enough to look out for your well-being.

"Oh. Of course." You tried to brush it off with a small smile as you continued on your way into the attached lavatory beyond, placing the few items you brought with on the porcelain vanity. "I'll be more cautious in the future then, shall I?"

Kyle was waiting for you outside the door once you entered back into the bedroom, giving you a look akin to the kind your father used on you often when gently correcting you as a child, tone full of empathy and understanding. "Hey."

His hands landed on your shoulders, applying gentle grounding pressure that had you releasing a small sigh. "Aunt and uncle raised you to never have to worry about the kind of life the two of us," he nodded his head towards the other room where John was likely getting settled, "have experienced. This is a lot to take in for your first time out amongst the common folk. And it will take time. But there's nothing wrong with your naivety. Everyone has to start somewhere, yeah?"

He was right. Of course he was right. It was no different than the first time you picked up a book and were immediately confused by the jumble of hieroglyphics on the page. There might not have been a helpful dictionary on a shelf nearby teaching you how to navigate this new challenge (unfortunately), but you had a helpful guide in your cousin who wouldn't lead you astray.

"So don't you go worrying your pretty little head, dolly." He added with a lighthearted tone and an affectionate pinch to your chin, glad to see some of that self-consciousness ease from your expression. "You've got two strapping young lads keeping an eye out for you and helping you every step of the way. You'll be a proper adventurer before you know it."

He left you in peace after that, closing the door behind him to give you your privacy as you resumed your task of getting the room situated for your brief stay, hanging up your clothing in the provided wardrobe to keep them from wrinkling too terribly much and placing your odds and ends on the nightstand. You hummed a favored song as you busied yourself, feeling a bit more optimistic about your endeavor than you did when you'd arrived.

The plan for the first leg of the journey was to follow the river upstream until you reached the port city of Abydos, then essentially catch a caravan heading west into the desert until John said stop. The ferry ride would take the better part of two days to arrive at your destination, leaving plenty of time to kick back and sight-see until the real work begins.

You'd wandered out onto the promenade deck once you'd finished getting your room all sorted, leaning against the guard rail as a fresh breeze blew in off the bow. The ferry had left port not twenty minutes prior, but already the landscape had shifted into something only vaguely familiar.

You had not explored all of Cairo in the time you spent living there. It was nice to see the variations of Egypt's different cultures and ethnicities all converging upon the banks of the river. Arab, Muslim, and western elements weaved together along the shoreline. At the narrower points of the Nile when the ferry made way for a larger vessel, you could hear all manner of languages being spoken by merchants and fishermen on the docks; Arabic, Masri, Nobiin, Siwi, even the rare Armenian. You only speak the first two, but have heard enough of the others to at least identify the differences.

You imagined how these shores would have looked thousands of years ago at the height of the Egyptian empire - tall colorful sails as far as the eye can see anchored with the promise of freshly acquired goods, lighthouses dotting the coastline beckoning sailors home, large extravagant vessels belonging to the Pharoah's navy crucial for safeguarding these waters. The Nile has always been the lifeblood of the kingdom, the true source of power in the region with all that it provided for the people. He who controls the ports controls Egypt herself.

Much of the old architecture had been torn down centuries ago, new cities built on top of the foundations of the previous with none to bat an eye at the histories lost. You needn't look far to find an archaeologist digging at something long buried by layers of sand and dirt. Hell, if we had to stop construction every time we found relics underground of societies past then there'd be nowhere safe to build anything.

A stray fisherman's boat glides up alongside yours, an aging man with expressive lines around his eyes glancing up at the ferry floating past and spotting you leaning against the rail. He shouts something up at you in a Nobiin dialect you don't speak, but you offer him a bright smile and a wave he happily returns, steering his small craft out of your way and continuing on to wherever his destination lies.

For a moment, the peace you felt is interrupted by a tall man in a dark suit strolling along behind you, causing you to unconsciously tighten your grip on the rail until he was safely out of your periphery. You'd learnt a gentle lesson this morning that you were out in a world you didn't know the rules of. It was odd how you'd spent so much of your life being trained to enter into the machinations of society, yet here surrounded by working class people you felt more unprepared than ever. This boat was not filled with ladies giggling into their teacups and gentlemen enjoying their brandy; there was no grand dining hall or stately gatherings that called for decorum.

This was the 'wild west' as aptly demonstrated by the cowboys who'd kindly tipped their hats to you as you'd passed them by in the hall during boarding. That meant being aware of your surroundings and keeping even the pleasantest of company at arms length.

You'd abandoned your spot out on the promenade shortly after the sun hit its peak, venturing below decks when the bell was rung for mid-day meal. The ferry was small enough that you took lunch with the crew, grateful for your cousin's escorting hand on your lower back once he met back up with you, John's presence not far behind.

It was hard not to feel incredibly out of place once you'd sat down at a long cafeteria table and had a chance to take stock of the company around you, surprised to see only one other woman out of the whole crowd. Even she felt wildly different from you, dressed in similar western garb to the cowboys you saw hours earlier she was accompanying. You stuck out like a sore thumb in comparison, digging into the small but filling meal provided at a speed normally frowned upon in an effort to not stick around longer than necessary. You were aware of Kyle and John engaging in conversation next to you, but you were focusing too much on the food in front of you to pay any real attention to the subject. Kyle tried including you in their talks, but they must've picked up on your iffy mood and kept the chatter amongst themselves.

You spent a decent amount of time after that in your quarters (save supper time), nose buried in a book about some recent archaeological discovery until well after light stopped streaming in through your porthole. Feeling a bit restlessness from spending so much time in one attitude, you wandered out into the hall in search of your cousin for company, frowning at his empty room and making your way back upstairs.

The atmosphere up here was far more jovial, men crowded around tables smoking cigars and trying not to spill their tumblers over a handful of cards. This felt more familiar, reminiscent of your late father's evenings in the smoking room entertaining his guests with a couple rounds of poker. You weren't allowed in except at bedtime for a kiss goodnight. But on the rare occasion, you were allowed to stay seated on his lap. His 'good luck charm', he called you.

The scent of tobacco smoke had an oddly calming effect on you as you rounded a table housing your cousin and the three Americans, your sociable side starting to shine through again.

"I hope you aren't gambling away your inheritance." Your hand came to rest on the back of Kyle's chair as you stepped up beside him, taking in the empty glass next to him and the looseness of his shoulders. Your words were meant in good fun, but you made a mental note to keep an eye on his consumption. That likely wasn't the first scotch he's had tonight.

"Why use mine when I've got yours?" Came the cheeky reply, one that garnered him a chuckle from his companions and a light smack on the shoulder from you.

"You'll be happy to know, ma'am, that he's currently taking my partner here for every piece of copper he has." A dark skinned man with glasses spoke up, giving his friend a hearty slap on the back that had the other man sputtering out his drink.

"Well in that case, I best stick around to make sure my cousin here stays sober enough to keep it that way, shouldn't I?" You slide the half empty bottle of alcohol away from your cousin with a knowing look, receiving a relaxed shrug in response.

Yeah, definitely three glasses in.

"Do you happen to play, sweetheart?" The one who's apparently losing the hardest inquires while the woman at the table deals in a new hand.

"Not something I learned in etiquette class I'm afraid." Kyle had tried to teach you at one point, but you'd done miserably every time and he'd quickly abandoned the endeavor.

"Ah, we got us a true English high-born lady here fellas. Think we're much too outclassed for someone like yourself."

"Don't worry. She's already done that job for me." Gesturing over to the woman in question with a grin, the boys break out in laughter as their female companion tips her glass at you in respect.

"Well now, can't be havin' a lady standing at attention all night." The dark skinned man gets up off his chair and turns around to the table behind him, tapping a man on his shoulder with a sharp whistle and a 'beat it' that has him scrambling away. Positioning the chair between him and Kyle, he pulls it out for you with a respectful "ma'am" as you slide into the offered seat.

"Nice to see the men in America are still being brought up properly," you teased with a coquettish smile, folding your hands on your lap as the man sat back down.

"Just because we're men of the earth don't mean our mama's didn't raise us to be gentlemen. Speaking of which, I'm afraid we've lost our manners. Name's Darnell Hutchinson. This here's Osmond Ryan," he nods to the man next to him before gesturing across the table, "and that one over there is Rozlin Helms."

"Pleasure to make your acquaintances. Now then, shall we see how you fare when you 'put your money where your mouth is'?"

You enjoyed yourself a great deal more than you originally anticipated, banter flowing between the five of you easily as the night continued on. Roz in particular was a delight as the two of you ganged up on the other three men, glad to have some female company if only for a little bit. Kyle played quite well, though he did better once you'd refilled his glass with water instead of whiskey. Oz had to tap out after a few more hands, but Hutch was giving him a run for his money.

At some point your other travelling companion made his rounds above deck, stopping by the table. He'd unbuttoned the top of his shirt since last you'd seen him, looking just as casual as the others were after hours. You caught a brief suggestion of dark hair underneath, taking a sip of water and averting your gaze back to the cards being played.

"Ah, MacTavish!" Kyle called out once he noticed the man in question. Maybe you'd need to make him hydrate a little more still. "Care to join us for a hand of poker? Could use some backup with these yanks since this one here isn't any help." He added with a playful bump to your shoulder, eliciting a small giggle from you at his antics.

"No thanks, lads. Ah only gamble wit' mah life, ne'er mah money."

"Well your buddy here seems to think ya'll are gettin' to Hamunuptra before we do. So what's say you and I make a little wager 'bout that?"

You frowned at your cousin who had the nerve to look normal at this drop of information. When had this come up? Certainly not since you'd been at the table. Was he really already that deep in his glass by the time you'd arrived that he was spilling your secrets?

John's grin turned tight lipped in response while still trying to play it cool. "Tha' right? How're ye so sure the place even exists? Fer all ye ken we're jus' a couple 'o crazies ourselves."

"Our man Klaus, that's who." Oz points over at a gruff looking man with an impressive beard. "Bit unorthodox of a man, but he's smart as a whip. Fortunately we've also got a guy who's confirmed it's existence. Been there himself in fact. So looks like you three aren't so crazy after all."

You thought you'd gotten lucky stumbling into John when you did. What are the odds there were more people running around who'd seen the lost city? Surely they were bluffing.

Thankfully, this time Kyle was smart enough to keep his mouth shut on the subject.

"So what says you?" Hutch attempts to egg him on again, "Give ya something a little more interesting than just bragging rights."

John let's a wicked grin cross his face, one I'm sure feels quite at home on him. "Awryt, lads. Since yer so eager ta part wit' yer coin ah guess ah could lighten yer pockets for ya."

"Hundred bucks?" Roz offers up with a smirk to sweeten the deal.

"Done."

You were surprised he'd agreed, but then again it's not like they knew just how evenly matched you actually were. Otherwise you don't think they'd have put the pot so big.

"Ah'll be lettin' ye get back ta yer game then. Garrick, lass." He nodded at the pair of you in turn before disappearing off to some corner of the ferry again - not like you'd seen him for anything other than meals yet today anyways. Odd considering he didn't quite seem like the type to prefer privacy over socialization. Though you suppose he'd probably spent time around your cousin in their shared space for some of it.

You stayed at the table long enough to make sure Kyle wouldn't be finding himself in even more trouble than he usually did, giving him an affectionate kiss on the cheek and a look that clearly said 'behave'. The others tipped their hats at you, friendly smiles as you said your partings for the night.

There were a handful of men arguing near the main stairwell that seemed heated enough that you didn't want to intrude, opting to go around to one of the side entrances on the promenade to reach your cabin instead. It was much quieter here away from the bustle going on near the bow, a welcome reprieve from the raucous behaviors of the men you'd just left. All you wanted now was to get out of these garments and curl up with your book before bedtime.

Just as you were reaching for the door leading inward, you caught a glimpse of someone at the far end sitting with their back to you, items laid out in front of them on a table you couldn't quite make out from this distance. The hair gave him away though, his dark brown...

Mohawk? Was that what Kyle had called it when you'd asked prior? Either way, it had gotten your attention.

He'd taken off his suit jacket, his white button up stretched across his shoulders doing nothing to hide the broad muscular planes of his back. You knew from previous experience with Kyle that the brown leather adorning him was a holster for pistols, one on each side by the looks of it. Strange to find him out here by himself rather than the privacy of his cabin. Perhaps he had been like you earlier and just wanted to catch a breath of fresh air now that the night sky brought with it a welcome reprieve from the heat. You hadn't even realized you'd been lingering quite so long, until–

"Mah front looks a might bit finer than mah back, hen."

You startled at his voice, lost in your own observances while thinking your presence had gone unnoticed. The man hadn't even turned around once! And considering how short his hair was in the back you were fairly certain you hadn't spotted any eyes there. Your face grew hot with embarrassment at getting caught staring.

"How did you know?" You ventured an ask despite the urge to suddenly hide back in the room you were initially headed towards. Mild curiosity kept you in place.

He still hadn't turned to look at you when he replied with an amused huff, "Easy, lass. Yer the only one on this boat wearin' heels."

You glanced down at the offending articles, growing even more flustered at such an obvious tell. The fact that he'd been paying enough attention to his surroundings to even pick up on it while still being fully engrossed in whatever task said a lot about the man.

"Could have lost them in a wager. With how inebriated Kyle is I'm fairly confident he'd slip a pair on."

"Ah've seen Garrick in women's clothes. Ye dunnae sound enough like a newborn foal fer tha' tae be the case."

So many more questions than answers popped in your head at that tidbit of knowledge, but you weren't sure that was a box you wanted to unpack right this minute.

Your feet took you over to John on their own volition, finding yourself standing adjacent to him while he still kept his gaze on his task. Laid out on the table was a leather carrying case unfurled with a variety of weapons and implements that were designed exclusively for the pain and suffering of others. Blades, hooks, ammo, shotgun shells; it was a veritable treasure trove of weaponry.

The man was spinning the cylinder of a revolver in his hands, eyes down the chambers inspecting for what you weren't sure. His sleeves were uncuffed and rolled up to the elbow, revealing thick forearms tanned from the sun and dusted with dark hair. You watched a vein pulse as muscle flexed and rolled under the skin, closing the cylinder and spinning it back into its spot in the holster. It took everything to draw your attention to one of the blades before his vision finally shifted upwards to look at you, picking up a small hooked object and examining it carefully.

"I'm assuming you have all this simply because it goes everywhere with you and not because you think you'll actually need it."

You were caught off guard by his response. "Ah dunnae ken wha' ah'll need, hen. But ah'll be needin' it fer somethin'."

You looked at him in cautious disbelief, not sure what any of this has to do with a simple expedition to some ruins. "I don't think a bunch of desert dwelling reptiles warrant this much protection."

He plucked the item out of your hand, placing it back in the bundle before grabbing the shotgun leaned against the rail next to him and loading the chamber.

"Seen enough ta ken there's more than lizards hidin' under those sands, lass. Trust me: ye'll be thankful fer all this once it pops it's head up ta say hello."

"I don't know what my cousin has told you about me, Mr. MacTavish, but I can assure you I'm–"

"Johnny."

You blank for a moment at the interruption, gaze drawn away from his calloused hands to eyes blue as a desert oasis. You forget for a moment what it was you were just saying, resulting in a very ditzy, unintelligible response.

"...Huh?"

"Johnny." He repeats again, still not breaking whatever hold he had on you as the corners of his mouth quirked up a bit. "Ye can call me Johnny, hen. None o' tha' mister shite."

"Oh... alright."

He went back to polishing his gun after a moment, releasing you from whatever spell he had on you in the first place that caused your temporarily lack of bodily autonomy. You floundered to regain some of your previous dignity, hyper aware of your heart fluttering in your chest.

"As I was saying, I stopped being afraid of the scary stories Kyle would tell me by the time I was twelve. The only thing I'll be finding there is proof of the city's existence and the opportunity to step somewhere untouched by man in thousands of years."

"Sure, hen. And the fact tha' there's a solid gold book of Amun Ra fabled ta be buried within has no interest tae ya whatsoever." The skepticism was heavy in his tone as he began wiping down the barrel with a thin blue rag.

You don't know why that accusation stung a little to hear, but you're tone reflected that vulnerability despite not wanting it to. "Some of us just want the chance to prove that not everything we've believed is just the ramblings of a naive school girl full of silly little dreams and nonsense."

Whatever he detects in your voice has his gaze shooting up towards yours, expression completely neutral if not for a hint of something shining behind those eyes. It's gone in a blink, replaced by the seriousness he's been trying to impart to you during this conversation.

"Ye'll find the validation yer lookin' fer, hen. Jus' hope tha's the only thing tha' finds ye."

He rolled his supplies back up in their leather container and secured it with a knot, shoving it back in his worn rucksack before pushing back his chair to stand at full height. The man towers over you, just about the same size as your cousin if not a hair shorter. There was no denying the bulk he had over Kyle's much more lithe form though. He made you feel small standing next to him, stocky frame close enough to yours you could feel the heat radiating off his chest. How this man kept taking away your ability to think cohesively you had no idea.

He looked for a moment like there was more he wanted to say until his attention was directed to something over your shoulder instead, brows furrowing in a way that had you glancing behind to see what had him distracted. Your search came up empty, turning back to look at him only to find the casualness you normally associate with the man.

"Run along now, hen. Got a big day tomorrow and ye'll be needing yer beauty sleep."

Part of you wanted to push, confused at the sudden personality change before deciding that was not a thread you wanted to pick at tonight. Giving him a small nod and stepping around back towards the entrance, you didn't bother looking back as you returned to your quarters to settle in for the night.

You busied yourself with getting undressed from your day clothes and into the much more breathable fabric of your nightgown, thankful for the fashions of the era making it easy to dress yourself without the aid of another. You weren't always a fan of the currently popular drop waist silhouette, but at least stylists were designing clothes with the modern woman in mind.

Sitting in front of the mirror at your dressing table, you took in the image of the woman who had made it this far in life.

Mother had launched you into society almost a decade ago, a prospect that had initially excited you back in your youth. You'd been full of such enthusiasm and optimism in the days following your coming out ball, but even the sands of Egypt were not far enough away to be immune from the Great War. Once Britain declared war on the Ottoman Empire and proclaimed a protectorate over the nation, the young men went off to defend distant shores - your cousin amongst them. It was a painful thing to overhear whispered conversations between your parents of family friends grieving over the loss of their sons and heirs, remembering their smiles when you'd giggled at their flirtations.

Sometimes it felt like all the boys you'd ever danced with were dead.

The country suffered the after effects for years to come, the men returning home no longer with the bright sparkle of youth but the weariness of those who wouldn't dare speak their stories. In a lot of ways it was not just the end of an era, but a new world entirely after that. Things that seemed of great importance suddenly had little meaning. Balls, etiquette, matchmaking - high society still existed and your family had still been members, but once you'd reached your twenties they accepted their daughter would not be a traditional heiress anymore and were content to let her be her own woman. It did not stop your mother entirely from suggesting suitable partners (nor did you turn down the chance to have a future full of love), but she'd been supportive of you up until her and father passed.

Strange to think where you might be right now if humans had only been kinder to one another. Which lad buried in an unmarked grave might have been your husband?

Running the boars head bristles of your hairbrush down through your ends, your attention turned back to the former soldier you had just left behind a few minutes ago. You didn't actually hate the man; there were no true ill intentions in your words towards him. Even your 'stables' grumbling from earlier this morning had been born more out of an annoyance at your cousin than anything. Sure, you would have felt better going on a journey with someone who'd been a bit more upstanding than previous circumstances suggested, but John– Johnny – was also a long time friend of Kyle's and his word held a great deal of weight with you.

And yes, you weren't quite that out of tune with your emotions enough to deny that there was something about him you found strangely appealing. You could readily acknowledge that he cut quite the attractive figure and your eyes were more than happy to drink in such a sight. There had been a small handful of times over the years where you'd initiated a short courtship with a suitor, but for all the dashing young men of good breeding in their smart tailored suits and gentlemanly auras, you'd could safely say their good looks and pleasant smiles hadn't quite tilted you off your axis the way Johnny did.

Part of you was still being stubborn about it though. This was certainly not the time to be filling your head with such frivolity towards a man you knew enough stories about to grasp he was a troublemaker. You couldn't let this distract you from the real reason you all were out here in the desert in the first place.

You set the brush down harder on the vanity than you'd originally meant to, watching it clatter off the table and come to a stop next to your foot. Letting out a small sigh of weariness, you rubbed the bridge of your nose with your fingertips before bending to retrieve the item, opting to stand instead of sitting back down now that you were finished with your nightly pampering rituals.

The reflection that met you in the mirror was not yours.

There wasn't any scream. You didn't reach out and attack the man in self defense. You froze, plain and simple. The flash of a blade at your neck made you obedient, body allowing itself to be manhandled up against the wall. A man in black robes held your gaze, strange markings tattooed across his skin and under his eyes that glared at you in warning. Your mind was too addled with shock to understand why his attire seemed so familiar.

You'd expected more of a reaction out of yourself, this being the first true taste of danger you'd ever experienced.

But fear became a tangible, living force that crept over you like some hungry beast, immobilizing and seizing every breath remaining in your lungs. Your mouth flooded with the taste of iron, the surge of adrenaline doing more harm than good as your vision went blurry and your hands shook from their spots gripping into the seams of your nightgown. Everything in your life funneled down to a moment of awareness of the sharp pinprick of the blade under your chin. How easy it would be to shove it up into your skull...

"Where is the key?" It was a hard voice; one spent years speaking a rougher language than the English he conversed with you in. You almost didn't even hear it over the sound of your own blood rushing in your ears.

Burning tears welled behind your eyes, a silent sob stuck in your chest. Every atom in your body screamed at you to run, but you trembled from the effort it took to remain standing and still. One wrong move and your blood would flow like the first plague of Egypt. Death was not a friend you wanted to meet yet.

You were aware of the deadly pressure digging in slightly with each movement of your jaw, imploring you to answer truthfully, but all it did was add to your growing panic as you realized with dread that you had no idea what it was he was asking of you.

The noise that came out of your mouth at first was more akin to a small ragged exhale, throat dry as parchment keeping you from speaking words until you forced yourself to swallow.

"I-I don't..." Your voice felt trapped, genuine confusion bleeding through the terror as you unconsciously shook your head. "I don't know what that is..."

"THE KEY! " His voice raised in anger, triggering a small scream of fright from your lips as your eyes closed instinctively, shrinking back away as far as you could with his hand gripping your bicep.

Oh god. You were going to die. You didn't have the answers he wanted and now you were going to die.

The door to your room broke open with a loud resounding BANG, wooden fragments splintering off from where it was kicked free of its lock. You yelped as you were dragged backwards against a firm body, your captor positioning himself behind you for leverage as Johnny crossed the threshold into your room. His eyes were trained on you, brandishing pistols in both hands as he skirted around the broken debris. What a sight you must have made; eyes bloodshot, tear tracks down your face, shaking like a leaf, clad only in a thin nightgown that went to your knees and left nothing to the imagination.

Johnny's eyes were hard, but they were there, holding you in place with a promise of 'I will get you out of here alive'. And you believed him.

"Let 'er go." It was eerie how calm he was, his voice even without a hint of waver. Standing in front of you was a soldier who'd looked death in the face and fought him bare handed, calm and steady and sure of his every move. Even when the man holding you prisoner tightened his hold on you and dug his blade into the flesh of your neck, Johnny didn't bat an eye. The only sign he gave was the brief glint at your whimper of pain.

Movement at the corner of your eye pulled your attention towards the open window to your room, a sign of the intruder's entry that you must have missed while lost in your own thoughts. But it was the person stepping into view on the other side that had made you look this time, mid arm raising the pistol at his side that he never got the chance to fire. You watched as three bullets hit his chest in quick succession; three deafening bangs from Johnny's own firearms that had you clapping your hands over your ears at the noise. You didn't even have time to process seeing a man get murdered right in front of you when another came up to take the place of his fallen companion. Johnny moved with purpose, darting to the right to avoid the gunfire while returning a barrage right back at him.

In the all the chaos, one of the two men landed a shot on the oil lamp burning on the table, shattering the glass container and spilling fire all over the floor. The fibers in the rug quickly started to catch, winding like ivy up the side of the wall to consume the curtains and continuing to spread outwards.

Some small part of you with self preservation reached out to the vanity next to you and grabbed the nearest item, hand wrapping around a vial of perfume and smashing it backwards into his face. You'd gotten lucky enough that the glass broke on impact, sending shards of it alongside burning chemicals straight into his eyeballs.

The robed man howled out a rough anguished cry, relenting his hold on you to claw at his damaged flesh as you threw yourself away from him. Johnny was immediately there to reach for you, pulling you into his side with one arm as the other kept on firing. All you wanted in that moment was to cling to him and let him protect you, but with the fires rapidly taking over every inch of the space and the robed men still coming you needed to escape and fast.

You were pushed behind him as he herded you out into the corridor, providing cover for your escape and finally needing to reload. For a brief moment as you were running down the hallway, there was a nagging thought in the back of your head that you'd forgotten something, but compared to the risk on your life it was discarded quickly in favor of paying attention to your surroundings.

Johnny took the lead, you keeping close behind as the pair of you found your way back above deck. You'd been grateful not to run into any other combatants along the way, but taking a step outside had you eating your words at the chaos unfolding in front of you.

It wasn't just your dwellings that caught fire. The entire vessel was ablaze with more than a dozen black robed men running around hurling torches through broken windows and dragging them through anything flammable. Men climbed down from the guard rails and jumped off the edges, abandoning ship down into the dark waters below. Your breath caught in your chest at the hellish landscape, too caught up in the savagery to notice as Johnny pressed you back against the wall out of view and began unloading into the men firing down on the passengers from above.

So much mayhem and bloodshed. And all for what? Some stupid key?

That's when it hit you: the metal box. It was still in your room.

"The artifact!" You all but shouted as you turned on your heel to head back the way you came, halted by an arm hooking you around the waist and tossing you into the wall with a small oof.

"I'll get ya another one!" Johnny all but growled out as he kept his attention facing the enemy, ducking around the corner to return scattered gunfire only to hide again as they took shots at the spot he just occupied, aiming through the walls to try to get to him and blasting holes in the wood. One came particularly close to his head, grumbling out a curse in what you assumed was Gaelic going by the gruffness of the words.

"If I don't bring that back with me than I'm as good as dead!"

Some would argue you didn't have your priorities in order considering the extreme amount of danger you were currently in. They'd clearly never met Dr. John Price.

You didn't have time to make any more objections before you were on the move again, dodging around overturned tables and flaming fabrics, screaming as bullets whizzed by your bodies with a holler from Johnny to just keep running. Your lungs burned from all the exertion, coughing as the wind blew smoke into your face and down your airways. Where the hell was Kyle in all this?

You get to the side of the boat, catching your breath as you stare around wide eyed for your cousin. Your thoughts are interrupted by your companion, too busy to pay him any real mind. "Ye swim, lass?"

"Very poorly." There hadn't been much occasion to growing up. You'd learned when you were young, but being in deep water as a child made you uneasy and your parents hadn't taken you often enough to really improve.

The implication of his words was completely lost on you right up until the point your legs were suddenly swung out from underneath you and you were being hoisted into his brawny arms. You never even got a chance to question it as the feeling of your stomach dropping was your only hint at being unceremoniously dumped over the bow into the Nile.

You'd shrieked on the short distance down, water invading your mouth from lack of warning as your eyes closed on instinct. The river was mildly temperate, still warm from the day's sun but not yet chilled from it disappearing over the horizon. Your body panicked for a moment as it tried to right itself underwater, unable to distinguish up from down with arms flapping wildly until you at last broke the surface, limbs struggling to keep you afloat while you sputtered out the liquid in your mouth.

Turning your gaze upwards, you saw Johnny lifting himself up over the rail, one boot perched on the side ready to vault over. You didn't have a chance to warn him, screaming as he was hauled backwards and out of sight.

"Johnny!" There was fear and desperation in your voice, worried for his safety and helpless to do anything about it.

Your head bobbed back down under the river, the crashing waves from the ship making an already hard task even worse as you popped back up with a gasp. You still couldn't see him from your vantage point, a tightness in your chest as you cast your gaze around you instead to focus on your own survival. You didn't know which way to go in your panic, seeing most of the other passengers heading for the far shore. Then there was the problem of the steady current trying to drag you further upstream. It wouldn't be impossible to others who were stronger swimmers than you, but the adrenaline was wearing off and the fatigue coming in quick.

You didn't know if you could make it.

Yelling out in frustration as you swam the other way, you begged and pleaded with your body to not give up on you just yet.

You got about halfway to the riverbank, forcing your muscles to go as far as they could and feeling the intense strain from the demand you were putting on them. If this was a lake things might have been different; you'd spent time in those back in England visiting close family friends and relatives. You'd never been taught proper form and even then you hadn't swam as far out as the others had, opting to stay nearer to the shallows where you could still enjoy a refreshing dip in safety. Water was easy when it wasn't fighting against you.

"Please, God, please..." It was hard to tell if your vision was blurry from the heavy tears in your eyes or if your body was just giving up, too tired to carry on. Your throat was choked up from crying and swallowing so much river water, doggy paddling to stay afloat as your strength began to fail. It was getting harder and harder to keep from submerging.

"Help me..." You begged out to empty air, the only sounds being the distant cacophony of the crowd on the far side of the Nile and the burning wreckage crackling and spitting as she sinks. The shoreline was still too far off for how much energy you had left.

You were alone. Completely alone.

You were going to drown.

You were exhausted; head tilted back as you let your body's natural buoyancy do the work you no longer could, breathing hard as you blinked up at the stars sparkling back at you. You tried to keep your legs kicking with what little you had left, but you were spent and struggling to keep your face above the surface. It was only a matter of time.

Drowning was an awful way to die, taking a deceitful breath of air and choking down to a watery grave. Would your cousin even find your body or would it be condemned to the service of fish food?

"...please... I'm scared..." came the whispered broken admittance, resignation seeping into your bones. It was just you and the inky darkness as the inevitability of your demise drew near, the only solace you could provide yourself was the gentle reminder that very soon you'd finally be back in the comfort of your mother's arms once more.

Your name broke through the air, stabbing you in the chest and robbing the air from your lungs. You almost stopped swimming from the shock of it, eyes blown wide as you screamed back his name in a mixture of hope and desperation: "Johnny! "

You spun wildly even though that only cost you precious energy, as you saw a figure heading towards you in the near distance. Long arms made broad strokes that carried him in your direction, prayers miraculously answered by whichever deity deigned to show you mercy.

"Johnny I can't–" you swallowed a mouthful of water as your legs gave out, sending you sinking under the surface.

The pressure from the water's current made it hard for you to pry your eyelids apart - not that it would have made very much difference considering there was not but shadows in the depths. Your hands clasped over your nose and mouth, pinching them tight in an effort to keep the air in your lungs for as long as possible. You hoped Johnny was a strong swimmer, a cramp in your legs keeping you from trying anymore.

'Hurry...' the voice inside your head whispered, lungs burning after countless moments spent floating in darkness.

You could make it. You had to make it.

Hands grabbed at you right as your lungs succumbed to the need to take a breath, mouth open in a silent gargled scream as you clawed at your throat instinctively, convulsing as your body tried to violently expel the liquid drowning you to no avail. What must've been seconds felt like torturous hours as a force pulled you upwards, agony as you sped towards the surface.

You coughed up the water in your system once you breached and hit air again, lungs wheezing from the intrusion as a sturdy arm caged you in to a well-built chest, supporting you with one as he used the rest of his strength in the other to slowly maneuver towards safety.

"Ah got ye, hen. Ah got ye. Jus' hold on tight tae me, yea? There's a good lass."

You could barely keep your eyes open as he swam you both the rest of the distance to shore, pushing you forward to reach the sand first and helping you crawl up onto dry land. You collapsed in a heap, the nightgown stuck to you like a second skin, hair long and stringy like limp seaweed. The sand was abrasive on your face from where your cheek was smushed into the ground, sprawled out on your stomach while your brain grappled with the fact that you were still somehow alive.

Johnny was half draped over your back, breathing hard from supporting the weight of both of you even as he ran his hand across your back with gentle shushing noises to help settle you and your errant tears. He brushed the hair away from your face, blinking down at you with a look of concern for your emotional and physical well-being. He looked just as waterlogged as you, though he at least had the dignity of having saved your life.

"Still wit' me, hen?"

You nodded weakly, hand shakily reaching up to rest over the one he still had near your cheek and grasping it with barely any strength. You hoped despite how wrecked you felt that he could see in your eyes how unbelievably grateful you were to him for his actions tonight. "Thank you..."

He nodded back at you, giving your hand a gentle squeeze in response before resuming the comforting gesture on your back. The pair of you stayed like that for a few minutes, you still trying to gather your bearings while Johnny scanned the landscape, taking in the other passengers still scrambling up the riverbank on the opposite side while keeping an eye out for one person in particular. Once your head was on straighter, you came to the same conclusion as he had: you were missing someone.

You pushed yourself up on shaky arms, scanning the area as the familiar pull of dread once more tugged in your chest. "Where is he? Where's Kyle?"

Your companion gave no answer, face kept intentionally neutral in a way that only made the contents of your stomach churn even more. You tried to get your legs up underneath you to make it to your feet, but a firm hand on your back kept you down to conserve your strength. "He's comin', lass. He'll be comin'."

You weren't entirely sure if he believed that.

"Kyle!" Your raspy voice rang out through the still of the night, pleading for a response. "Kyle!"

"Garrick! " Johnny joined in, throwing his own bellow into the mix that was a great deal stronger and more capable of being carried on the wind than yours.

You called out again, practically sobbing in relief when a faint answering cry came back somewhere to the left of you. Swiveling your head in the direction of the voice, you saw the familiar visage of your cousin jogging down the beach, looking no less worse for wear than the two of you were.

"You two certainly made it a good distance upstream. Been hollering for ya back there." He gestured with his thumb over his shoulder towards the way he came. You were glad for the lightheartedness of his tone as he approached, even as he looked you up and down trying to assess the condition you were in.

Johnny stood from his spot over top of you to clasp arms with him, pulling each other into a hug with a hearty slap on the back. "Fer a moment there ah thought ye might've made friends wit' a bullet."

"Went looking for you two, found a trail of dead bodies instead. Might've been one of them if not for those scrappy Americans tearing up the place like a dance hall."

He swung something he'd been carrying off his back, depositing it at Johnny's feet with a soft tap of his boot. You recognized it as the worn rucksack containing all his ammo and armaments. He must've left it on deck back where you last saw him. "You'll be happy to be seeing this I'd wager. Couldn't go back for mine on account of the whole everything was on fire situation."

Johnny barked out a laugh of delight, kneeling down to start rucking through it while Kyle sidestepped around him to kneel down next to you. Carefree expression turned worrying as he took in your trembling form, caught off guard at the way you managed to throw yourself into his arms. His embrace was a balm to your soul, hold tightening around you as if he needed this almost as much as you did. Placing a firm kiss to your temple, you felt like you could finally breathe for the first time since this night started.

"Let's not do that again, shall we?" There was a bit of forced laughter in your words in an attempt to not appear as fucked up as you felt, voice partially muffled from where your face stayed buried in his shoulder.

"I'll keep that in mind for our next adventure." He pulled back for a moment to give your face a proper inspection, searching for any sign of hidden damage. "Not hurt are you, dolly? Had me worried when I couldn't find you onboard."

You shook your head before closing your eyes, resting your weight against him again. "Johnny found me in my chambers once the fighting broke out. Saved my life more than once tonight."

From your vantage point, you missed the look Kyle gave him in response, a firm understanding passing between the two that needed no words. They both were pulled out of it by the quiet brokenness of your own.

"It's gone... all of it. Our belongings, the equipment. My clothes." Just because you were in a desert didn't mean things stayed warm after the sun went down. A light breeze wafted the air, sending goosebumps down your still dripping wet form, very aware of how thin this nightgown was as you crossed your arms over your chest in an effort to maintain some modesty.

"Ye jus' leave tha' part tae us, lass. Dunnae worry a hair on yer pretty wee head."

"Hey MacTavish! " Your conversation was interrupted by a far off unknown voice with a thick American southern accent, turning your head to peer through the darkness and locating a figure standing apart from the others where everyone was gathered on the opposite bank of the Nile. Johnny stood up from his position hunched over his pack, walking towards the water's edge at his summons.

"MacTavish! It looks to me like I've got all the horses!" It was hard to tell from this distance, but he had his arms spread wide with what you knew by his tone had to be some sort of smug shit eating grin on his face. Real mature, gloating at a time like this.

You felt an inkling better once your Scottish companion opened his mouth and belted back with a similar smirk. "Hey Graves! Looks tae me like yer on the wrong side o' the river!"

There was a pause as the words were processed. You couldn't be sure, but you swore you heard a faint curse as the man kicked the water, turning on his heel to clomp back to his fellows while barking out orders too muffled to be understood.

As Johnny rejoined the group, the three of you mentally took stock of the situation and everything that was now lost at the bottom of the Nile. At least you'd ended up on the western bank and didn't have to deal with the headache of crossing again. But you still had a long journey to go.

"So what happens now?" You spoke up from your spot still within your cousin's hold, glancing between them with such uncertainty and hoping for some reassurance. "Where do we go from here? The next port is at least twenty miles away and I can't cross the Sahara looking like this."

"We'll stay here for a bit longer while you get your strength back, maybe camp here for the night. Then we'll head south along the river where we will hopefully stumble across a caravan and get our missing supplies sorted out." Kyle's words were helpful and gave you some confidence that there was enough experience between the two of them to get you out of this debacle in one piece.

You could only trust that whatever bit of bad luck you just endured was the worst of what this expedition would bring.

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