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frostandflamesfanfic · 2 years

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The Last Three Years (Sherlock x Reader) - Chapter 4

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Chapter 4: If My Heart Had a Heart

"If my heart had a heart, it wouldn't still sing. Every time that I see you, someone says your name…I wouldn't still want you, no, I'd be okay." - Cassadee Pope (If My Heart Had A Heart)

Pairing: Sherlock Holmes (BBC) x Watson!Reader (AFAB)

Word Count: 3.2k+ (long chapter to make up for the wait!)

Warnings: Again, this chapter has slight brief mention of suicidal thoughts, but nothing incredibly graphic! Also some suggestive content/implied sexual content, but nothing described.

Summary: After your emotional visit to 221B, you decide to check in on Elora and are met with more memories than you initially bargained for. How will your ex-flatmate react?

The London air sent a chill down your spine as you got into the car. When he was alive, you always hated the rain. It felt dreary and depressing. In a city that barely ever slept- much like themselves- it seemed redundant to have a consistently overcast outlook on the world. That all changed last year. Now, you find yourself enjoying the rain. It seemed the universe was reflecting your dismal mood onto everyone else. The world was weeping for your loss and it felt right.

Swish, swish. The sound of the wipers provided a steady beat for your little road trip. A turn signal added a clicking melody to the otherwise soundless drive. Occasionally, you would be surprised to discover one of your hands had travelled from the steering wheel to the rough wool trench coat in the passenger seat. It was a reminder of how you were doing the right thing. You hoped the coat would awaken something in Elora. It was time for her to come home. Even though you were both broken, you still needed each other.

For you, losing Sherlock meant losing everything. As much as you hated to admit it, you had fallen fast and hard for the cold detective. You still weren’t quite sure how it started. Actually, you did and it had been innocent enough. A quick gesture of thank you, which led the two of you to something more. It was a single touch that set your worlds aflame and there was no going back. What you had shared was special. It was always your little secret: quick glances across the room. A flit of a smile here, a wink as you passed by there. Over the years, it had become this unspoken thing between the two of you. You wouldn’t always act on their impulses. For the sake of your sanity, you couldn’t. It would create too much pressure and stress not just for the both of you, but those you held dear.

However, there were a handful of nights you would throw caution to the wind and were wrapped up in the game you oh-so-enjoyed. Kisses shared in the dark; the feeling of his hand tracing the skin of your arms and neck. It wouldn’t take much to shut out the noise of the world once you had started. Behind locked doors, you could be whatever you wanted. You did have to be careful, of course, and you were. You couldn’t risk getting caught and ruining it all. Yet, whatever it was you had was just intoxicating . He needed you as much as you needed him. It was in these moments no one else existed. Just you and him, lost in your own little universe. When you were done, the game carried on as usual. No acknowledgement; just the same routine.

How you yearned to feel his touch against your skin again. The warmth that would flood your whole being whenever he drew near. You wished you could run your fingers through his dark curls once more, tugging him closer and never letting him go. Never again would you make that mistake. As much as it killed you at times, that relationship had been enough for him. You had talked a few times about what it meant for the two of you. It typically ended up with you going downstairs in a huff or awkwardly sharing a pot of tea with the curly-haired detective. You never understood how someone could be so. . . emotionless . It was his style, though. It was what made him the great Sherlock Holmes. He didn’t love or care for others...or so you thought.

You would never have the chance to right the way you had left things again. Your relationship, if that’s what you so chose to call it, was short lived — cut short with a devastating crack against the pavement. Sometimes when you closed your eyes, all you could see was the red of his blood splattered around you. It was a sight you knew would plague you forever. It was the last time you would ever see him in the flesh. Your fingers curled tightly around the leather steering wheel as you could feel the phantom chill of his colourless skin dancing on your fingertips. No matter what you tried, he wouldn’t wake up. If only I could have just opened his eyes ...

Screeeeeeeeech. A gasp escaped your lips as a cherry-red electric vehicle skidded in front of you. If you had reacted just a second too late, it would have spelled disaster for both you and the other driver. Hospital for at least two weeks. “That wouldn’t have been so bad,” a voice said. “Maybe we could have been lucky and not make it to the ambulance.”

No! you screamed in your mind. Stop that.

Oh, how you longed for the voices to stop once more. You had done your best to lessen the amount of drugs in your system at once. For Elora, you had vowed to get better. Elora was the motivation you needed to do all this. You knew you needed to move on for both of your sakes. You needed to put the past and pain behind you, no matter how much it had affected you. You had gone through too much together to just lose each other in the end.

But it’d just be so easy. . .

No. You had to be strong. You needed to get to Elora’s flat and bring her back to Baker Street as soon as possible. Nothing was going to stop you from achieving that goal. As you exited your car and made your way toward the street entrance of the flat, you found yourself swarmed by the flashbulbs of paparazzi. Someone must have leaked their travel plans to the press, you realised. So much for secrecy. You would need to have a chat with Mycroft about it later.

“Look, it’s the Watson! No, no, not the soldier one...the other one!"

“Over here, look right over here, please!”

“How is Elora Holmes?”

“HOW DOES IT FEEL TO HAVE DATED A LIAR?”

The final question caused you to stop in your tracks. Liar. It was a word you found yourself exposed to on the daily. The press enjoyed tearing them apart in front of the world. Once Kitty had leaked her story last year, every media outlet around wanted to get their hands on the scoop of the era. What was it like living in the lower level flat? How well did they hide their plans? Was the heartache as real as you wanted them to believe?

Swivelling on your heel, you glared toward the flash photography behind you. “I would do it all again if I had to,” you hissed, eyes alight with an unfamiliar fire. “There wasn’t a moment of it that was a lie. And for you lot to come around here and harass me about my personal life is far too much. Do you not have a single shred of human decency? Do you know what it’s like to constantly be reminded of all you’ve lost, when you were helpless to prevent it in the first place?”

There was a momentary period of silence at your outburst. Not a single soul was expecting that. You had kept to yourself for a year, ignoring every question they had thrown your way. It was too much and you just couldn’t take it anymore. You had needed to snap. The world didn’t deserve to be able to tarnish their names any more than they already had. The Holmes name had come to mean so much more to you with him gone. Protecting it was the least you could do. Heaven knows you could- should- have done more. Unfortunately, your moment of peace was short-lived with the ill-timed chorus of questions accompanied by flashbulbs. They continued to chant your name, pushing amongst themselves in order to be the first to get the expected scoop.

Drawing in a sharp breath, the invisible guard found its way back up around you. You imagined the shrill sound of voices colliding fading away. Eventually they did as you slipped through the complex’s door. Once you were inside, a sense of peace washed over her. They couldn’t follow you now. At least you thought they couldn’t.

“Excuse me,” the voice of a lone reporter startled you in the entrance. You must have not seen him waiting in the lobby. He had been tucked in the corner by the landlord’s entryway desk, hidden away in plain sight. “Is she really as cracked as they say?”

“Anything you think you know about Elora Holmes, forget about it,” your bitter tone surprised you just as much as it did the reporter. You sounded tired. Not just tired, but angry. Maybe that was it; maybe you had simply had enough. “If you come into this place asking questions like that, you don’t deserve to write about her.” The coat felt rough against your fingertips, but it acted as a reminder of your mission. You shook your head, squaring your shoulders in the process, and made your way up the stairs to Elora’s new home.

The bleak sight which greeted you as you stepped over the threshold wasn’t as cheery as you’d hoped, but it was still progress. Elora and Sebastian had attempted to decorate the flat for the first time after moving in. Mahogany-coloured curtains were draped against the windows, accenting the similar colour rugs running along the laminated wood floors. You had sent over a collection of small succulents for Elora’s birthday the month before, hoping that it would give your friend something new to focus on. A small wave of hope washed over you as you noticed the mini potted plants speckled about the place- some were in the living area, while others were perched atop shelves in the kitchen. It looked as though they had been in the process of repainting some of the walls within the space, too. Swatches of colours ranging from creme to eggshell to a shade dusty grey were splayed against the living room walls.

You allowed your eyes to wander between the images in the frames lining the walkway from the front room to Elora’s room. Most were the generic natural images of waterfalls and beaches. However, there were a few recognizable photos, including a rather candid shot of you and Sherlock in the snow. Elora must have taken it when you had been solving the Woman’s case over the New Year. Some large flakes had found their way into the detective’s hair and you had reached up to brush them away. While he couldn’t understand why you felt the need to ruffle his rich chestnut brown curls, you knew there was a part of him that enjoyed it. It was a small moment of intimacy between the two of you, something you stole to fool yourself into the friend-zone for years.

“I remember that day,” a quiet voice startled you from your thoughts. “You looked so happy together. It was the first time I had seen him really smile in a while.”

As you turned around, you caught sight of your previous flatmate. Elora’s dark hair looked like a bird’s nest splayed out across her shoulders. Her arms were bright red with scratch marks, some cuts already spewing light flows of blood. Her attire wasn’t much better. It was one of Sherlock’s old dress shirts, you realised. The white shirt had small smudges of sweat and blood speckled out. One of the sleeves had been ripped at the seam and picked apart. She must have had difficulties accepting she needed to wash it, you thought to yourself. It’s difficult to blame her.

“Elora?” you asked hesitantly.

“Not so present,” came the shaky voiced reply.

“Oh, um. They’re trying to clear the press out so we can go.” When Elora refused to answer, you shifted awkwardly to take the coat from your bag. “I… have something for you.”

The response you received was far from what you could have ever expected. Your friend’s eyes were wide as they took in the midnight navy-coloured fabric. For a moment, it almost looked as though they were burning a hole through it. Was she. . .angry? No, the fire was gone now, doused out by the tears which were welling up. There was something else in her cerulean blue eyes; something new. Hurt? It could be, but Elora wasn’t one to get attached. You were pretty sure it was something else. This was a gaze you knew far too well -- a face you had seen too many times in your own reflection. Fear.

Elora was afraid.

“Hey,” you attempted to comfort her. “It’s okay.”

“It’s not,” Elora’s broken voice croaked out. The tears had started to stream down her face as she allowed you to see a whole new side of her. “It won’t ever be again.”

“Why, why would you think that?”

Don’t play daft, Watson, the voice in your head. You know exactly what the problem is here. You haven’t been able to face it yourself. If you think you can tell her it’s okay, you’re such a hypocrite. You don’t deserve to be here. You don’t deserve to live if you think that’s the case.

“He’s never coming back,” Elora’s whisper snapped you from your thoughts yet again. “No one could ever possibly replace the gaping hole he left.”

“I know.”

“Why did you stop visiting?”

“I… got busy.” Lies.

“No… No, that’s not it, I don’t believe you’d do that. Even when you were busy… you’d always make time. There was… there was something else,” Elora responded, tilting her head, her eyes glassy and blank.

“Elora…”

“Do you think we’ll be happier when we die?” Elora asked, her voice still hollow and empty. “I think we will be. I’ll get to see my brother again… I think he’ll understand why I left this world.”

No, it can’t happen like this. You’re not supposed to go first. “You can’t-”

“Why not?” Elora asked, her cold eyes piercing into your soul. “You did.”

“I don’t know-”

“Oh, I think you do. You went on that rooftop. You were going to leave me. You were going to leave me here, alone, where I will rot. You didn’t care. You were that selfish to leave me here while you come back and preach that I shouldn’t think about these things. Why is it so bad for me to think about it?! I’m the one who is going to be left alone, aren’t I?!”

You were starting to fear for your ex-flatmate’s safety now. “Elora, please,” you tried again. “You need to calm down. All I want to do is take you home.”

“WHY?” Elora’s scream echoed against the walls. “WHY DO I HAVE TO LIVE?!”

Damn it. Where was Sebastian when you really needed him?

You staggered backwards. This is all your fault, your thoughts echoed in your head. You weren’t there for her. You left her alone with her thoughts. If something happens to her...whose fault will it really be?! You shook your head to clear away the constant nagging. “Because I need you!” The plea sounded pathetic, but you had no other choice. You didn’t want to truly be alone. You couldn’t take it, not anymore.

Elora growled, stalking toward the wall with fire burning in her eyes. Every fibre of your body screamed at you to back away. You couldn’t leave your friend, though. Not now, not again. “You sure didn’t need me when you were on that rooftop,” the sharp words cut her to the core. “You never needed me,” Elora hissed as she reached for the picture frame on the wall. “You only needed him and I was just the first replacement you could find.”

You stepped back in shock. You tried to open your mouth to protest in an attempt to console her. “That’s not-”

“Isn’t it?! You were willing to jump off that rooftop for him! You were willing to leave me alone, but what you don’t realise is that I am my own destroyer. You leaving me was the worst possible thing you did, but the truth is you left me a long time ago, Watson.”

“I want to bring you back home-”

“Now,” Elora snarled. “ Now you’re bringing me back after what Mycroft told you. This is my home now. I came here to get away from the shit my brother left behind, when he uprooted my ENTIRE LIFE, and you didn’t care. You wouldn’t come back on your own. You forgot about me, go ahead and admit it.”

“I didn’t forget!” you protested. “I would never forget about you.”

“Didn’t you? Didn’t you forget about me when you chose my dead brother over me?” your friend whispered in a broken, shaking voice. “Two people already left me. Then you did, too. You came back but. . .you just want to leave me again, don’t you? Don’t you ?!” Her voice got increasingly panicked as she continued to speak.

You felt your mouth drop open, the prepared words you had fading into a muffled silence. How can I tell her? “Elora, just… breathe for a second, okay? I’m not going to leave you.”

“That’s what he said! That’s what they both said!” Elora reached for her hair and began to tug at the fraying ends. “In fact, you said that very same thing before you left. You’re no better than the other lot.”

You couldn’t help it. Your hands started to shake before you could even stop them. No, please not now, you begged . It wasn’t like you to lose it. You had gotten so good at hiding your emotions since it happened. A sudden wetness stung your cheeks. When did you start crying?

“Oh, please,” Elora sneered. “Not the waterworks, Watson. You should know better that it isn’t going to work with me. You pull the same blubbering crap each time and then leave. Just leave me in here to rot, why don’t you?”

That did it. You weren’t sure how, but you ended up falling on your knees onto the hardwood floor. A cry of anguish left your lips upon the impact, hands still clutching onto the jacket. The minute the sound was released into the air, you regretted it immediately. Everything came flooding back into mind. Your cry was the cork in the bottle; it held the pieces of emotion you didn’t want to face at bay. Without it, you were vulnerable and weak.

Pathetic, a small voice scolded you. You’re a pathetic waste and you couldn’t save him, her, or even...

“Stop,” you were shocked to hear your voice whisper. “Just stop it. MAKE IT STOP!”

Elora stared down at you dumbfounded. “Really? You’re going to commit to this act after-”

“Don’t you get it?!” The mangled speech scared you as you glared at your ex-flatmate. “I wasn’t on that rooftop because you were a replacement. I wasn’t on the rooftop because I needed your brother. I was up there because I failed.”

“What are you-”

Blurry eyes shot up to meet bloodshot blue hues in a fury. “I failed to protect someone else. The last connection I had to Sherlock.”

“If it’s about John,” Elora replied, “there’s no way he’s coming back. He made that quite clear. Just another person to leave me in the dust and vanish without a trace. Dead to the world.”

“I was pregnant.”

Hearing it out loud created an eerie silence to fall over the flat. It was the first time you had talked about it and you were surprised at how numb you felt after the confession. Elora’s mouth opened as she went to speak, but she faltered and stepped back.

"What?"

=======================

Author's Note: Well, that's another chapter done and dusted! Sorry it was posted so late. My scheduling got messed up and I just got back online for the night. How about that for a cliffhanger, huh?! If you want to do me a favor, leave a like, comment, and reblog on the chapter below and tell me what you think so far. Any ideas on what's going to happen next? ;)

This chapter isn't as intense as the previous one, but I still think it helps demonstrate the relationship between the reader and Elora. I promise later chapters will be more Sherlock-centric. I've seen so many fics where the reader is co-dependent on Sherlock, and while that's a great way to connect to your audience, I really wanted to establish the reader's character/backstory. Please bear with me! :)

Also, I'm curious what everyone's favorite Sherlock episode is here. Mine's His Last Vow! There's just something about all the different storylines converging, especially when you don't see certain aspects coming. The series had so much potential with that cliffhanger and I'm just a teeny tiny bit frustrated with how the next installment went down. But hey, at least it's Sherlock content, right?!

Until next week, my little sparks <3

SH Taglist: @ohchoices, @severuined, @southernhippie10198

#the last three years: our long game #frostandflamesfanfic #benedict cumberbatch #bbc sherlock x reader #bbc sherlock #benedict cumberbatch gifs #gender neutral reader #sherlock holmes #sherlock holmes x reader #sherlock imagine #sherlock x reader #hurts so good #a female at birth reader

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in-christalone · 2 years

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I don't really know how to pray so i usually look up how to pray online. Is it wrong to cheat on praying like that? Or are we suppose to come with our own words rather than prewritten prayers?

Haha! A cheat code for praying!

No no, not at all! You can even use the psalms and pray the psalms to God. It’s communication, you can pray whatever you desire so long as you recognize who you’re talking to and honor the respect He’s deserved of.

Also remember that even if you can’t formulate words, if you have the Holy Spirit then He will translate your unspoken words for you, because God already knows what’s going on in our hearts, even if we can’t formulate it into words!

One thing I would throw caution to the wind tho is if these prayers you’re looking up are biblically accurate, God isn’t a genie and nor should we ever treat Him as one, lots of those online formulated prayers just ask for blessing upon blessing, we need growth too, and growth usually comes by trials.

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addictedtostorytelling · 2 years

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Hello, Thank you for your response to my question on role reversals with GSR. I was curious on the gsr relationship itself, rather than the professional roles being switched. All this being equal, I was interested in how Sara would take it having Grissom being the pursuer. Would she still have reservations about sharing her history after seeing so much more of Grissom's "flaws " at work? Would her relationship perceptions change seeing the dynamic between him and other female colleagues?

hi again, anon!

thank you for the clarification!

so as talked about in the original answer, i find it really hard to imagine any kind of version of grissom who would be able to throw caution to the wind and pursue sara without hang-ups from the get-go.

i mean, maybe in a situation where he never became the night shift supervisor but sara still somehow ended up working for the lvpd anyhow—like if, say, holly gribbs hadn't died but instead had just quit so brass needed to hire a junior csi to replace her and asked grissom to help him fill the spot and ended up choosing sara based on his recommendation or something—he might be more inclined to just go for it, but, honestly, even then, baby boy still has self-esteem issues miles long and fathoms deep which have been with him throughout his entire life, so it's hard for me to picture him being 100% ready to jump into a relationship, having no reservations; i still think he'd doubt his own lovability enough that he’d be cautious, you know?

that all said, if we just ignored that this behavior would be ooc for him for the sake of the hypothetical, then, honestly, i think that had grissom actively pursued sara and sought to establish a committed romantic relationship with her starting right away when she moved to vegas, then in all likelihood they probably would have ended up getting together and just being happy pretty much immediately.

more discussion after the “keep reading,” if you’re interested.

so unless sara were also behaving in an ooc way, i think she’d likely be receptive to grissom pursuing her from the get-go.

while she is not herself without hang-ups, especially regarding talking about her past, she wanted the relationship from day #1, so if she’d gotten off the plane at mccarran and grissom was there waiting for her at the terminal with a bouquet of roses, she would’ve just gone with it.

been overjoyed, even.

she wouldn’t have played hard-to-get at all.

though she may have in the back of her mind wondered how things would go re: either telling him about her trauma or not, she never would have doubted the him part of the equation, just her own side, as all of the things that grissom views as being his “deal-breaker flaws”—the parts of himself he's so afraid that she’ll reject once she sees them in the light—are things that either a) she doesn’t actually believe to be true of him or b) she knows are true of him but readily accepts (and even in some cases finds to be attractive).

grissom can’t understand how sara could actually want to be with him when in his view he is an unattractive, socially stunted, romantically inexperienced misanthrope with a dark side. he sees himself as an old man past his prime and constantly gets down on himself, knowing that even his closest friends think of him as some sort of emotionless robot.

meanwhile, in sara’s eyes, he is an absolute stud, totally attractive on every level. his social deficits don’t matter to her because, frankly, she shares many of the same deficits herself. likewise, his romantic inexperience is not in any way off-putting to her because she is similarly inexperienced and knows that they can figure things out together. though she’ll occasionally tease him about being a misanthrope, at the end of the day, she knows he is actually a consummate humanist with a deep capacity for love. she doesn’t care about his age, and she doesn’t see him as unemotional. she also doesn’t believe he has a “dark side,” full stop.

as i talk about here,

though grissom doubts his own goodness, sara doesn’t for a second. in fact, she believes in it more than anything. she loves how compassionate, humane, and just he is; how much he cares about the people in the cases they work and his deep capacity for empathy. she adores that he is a champion of persons who are vulnerable, that he speaks for the dead, that he honors and protects women and children, that he allies with the marginalized, etc. though of course she never likes for him to feel sad, she finds herself deeply touched whenever she sees his sorrow for someone he couldn’t save or an investigation that ended badly. while he often thinks the worst of himself, she knows he is the best—that he has this deep-seated and unfailing desire in him to help others and to right wrongs; that he is compelled by his nature to try to better the society he lives in and to show kindness to the individuals he encounters. that he can’t see in himself the virtues that seem so obvious to her honestly breaks her heart, which is why she never misses the opportunity to remind him that he is so much better than he gives himself credit for. just knowing that someone like him exists helps her have faith in the world. he’s such a good man, and the fact that he is is so important to her.

perhaps ironically, the only things grissom does that really ever actually threaten to run sara off for good are the things he does in the service of keeping her at arm’s length for the sake of “self-preservation.”

like.

he believes that if she finds out how (relatively) inexperienced he is with sex and relationships, that’ll be the thing to make her second-guess her desire to be with him, when in reality she’s perfectly willing to be patient with him while he learns, and in fact the thing that’s actually much more likely to discourage her in regards to him is his tendency to play hot-and-cold with her and at times be aloof (which is of course something he does so as to keep her from “getting too close” and realizing his vulnerabilities).

that so, if when she had moved to vegas in 2000, he had actually openly pursued her (just as she had expected that he would when she decided to make the move in the first place), i don’t think she would have ever been repulsed by him in the way he feared that she would.

i mean, not to say that everything would be 100% smooth sailing for them in a scenario where they got together in episode #2 of s1—because, frankly, they both undergo a lot of crucial character development and personal growth during those first five seasons before they get together in canon, so this incarnation of them as a couple would still be very raw and roughhewn and have a lot of underlying issues to ultimately work out—but certainly sara would never find grissom to be the monster he erroneously believes himself to be.

she is always so much more charmed by and attracted to and in love with him (unconditionally!) than he ever thinks is possible, so i think she’d just be thrilled if he came in and swept her off her feet right from the start.

of course, as for the issue of whether or not she’d be ready to share the truth about her past with him right away in this scenario, i still don’t think she would be immediately to begin with.

she’d still need to work up to that point—not necessarily because she doubted him but because she didn’t trust her own lovability.

even in canon, so much of the reason why it takes her so long to be open with him is because she fears that once he learns “what she came from,” he will start to look at her differently.

on a more surface level, she worries that he might pity her, but deep down what she’s really afraid of is rejection—she is scared to death that once he knows her story, he will realize there is something fundamentally wrong with her and be repulsed.

both grissom and sara see their love story as “beauty and the beast,” but they each think of themselves as the beast and the other person as the beauty.

in canon, grissom gradually proves to sara over a period of years that she can trust him and particularly that he isn’t going to abandon her or cast her out at the first sign of trouble, until eventually she is convinced that she is safe confiding in him.

in a situation where they started dating earlier because he had actively pursued her from the start, i think she’d eventually reach that same point, but it would still be something of a process; at first, she’d conceal her past from him as much as possible for fear of scaring him off, but in time there would come a kind of breaking point where she either had to tell him the truth or risk losing him. as their relationship became increasingly intimate (not just in the sexual sense but emotionally and in terms of them sharing their lives with each other), her dodges and obfuscations and flat-out refusals to broach certain subjects would place increasing strain on the relationship until she’d ultimately have to decide whether or not she was willing to lie to him for the sake of keeping her secrets—you can only avoid your boyfriend’s questions about how come you never talk about your parents for so long before finally you have to answer somehow—or else choose to confide in him once and for all. and whereas with all of her previous relationships, i think she had always chosen in those “moments of truth” to just shut things down and bounce, with grissom, i think she’d be motivated to actually open up and tell him what had happened.

she’d eventually tell him everything.

he’s her true love, after all.

this confession probably wouldn’t come about in the same way that it does in canon or on the same timescale. it might be more piecemeal—maybe she cops to the fact that her father was abusive first and only tells grissom about the murder later—with starts and stalls involved.

but to my mind, sara would ultimately always find grissom trustworthy in the end.

he’s always going to be that one person she is comfortable enough to confide her secrets in.

as for how she might react to his relationships with female colleagues, i honestly think there’d be less friction between her and grissom in this regard in this scenario than is the case in canon.

as i talk about here,

while before they are together, grissom and sara both experience jealousy whenever the other person shows any kind of potential sexual and/or romantic interest in someone else (or even when someone else shows any kind of potential sexual and/or romantic interest in the other person), they do so largely because of how helpless they feel, given their very particular "i'm in love with this person, but i can't be with them" situation.

it's the type of deal where they're going, "i'm in love with him/her, but i can't lay any actual claim to him/her, so i just have to stand back and watch this flirtation happen, and i can't really say anything about it or intercede. maybe this interaction will go somewhere or maybe it won't, but either way, i'm uncomfortable because the outcome is completely out of my hands and annoyed because i can't take any similar action to express my interest in him/her myself."

so that's why we see grissom get upset about greg asking sara out to dinner, sara dating hank, etc. and sara bristling about grissom hanging out with jane gilbert—due to insecurity and a sense of being stuck.

they're anxious because they know that someone else could potentially "take away" their one true love from them, and they can't object in any kind of meaningful way.

but later on, they're no longer in that same kind of precarious position...

[once they’re in a committed relationship and sure of each other’s feelings, particularly after they’re married,] while they both might occasionally crack jokes about the subject—like grissom does when sara remarks on the physical appearance of a suspect in reboot episode 01x03 "under the skin"—it's never really a serious thing.

they know where they stand with each other.

they know they're committed.

they're both mature enough to realize that no one can steal your spouse if they don't want to be stolen.

in the early seasons of canon, we sometimes see sara get uptight at times when grissom interacts with the likes of jane gilbert or teri miller or heather kessler or sofia curtis, but so much of that insecurity on her part comes from her sense of helplessness when it comes to her prospects with grissom—i.e., from knowing that if he were to seriously pursue one of these other women, she could do nothing about it; she’d just have to stand back and watch as the love of her life settled down with someone else.

in a situation where her bond with grissom were already fully established and she knew he was devoted from her, i don’t think she’d feel that same kind of anxiety.

instead, much as we see in the later seasons of the show in canon (when she and grissom are married between s10-s13), she would actually probably be pretty chill about him having friendships with other women. she’d be much less likely to get her hackles up, just because she’d already know where she stood with grissom and would have developed that trust in his monogamy.

anyway, those are my thoughts.

ymmv!

thanks for the question! please feel welcome to send another any time.

#answered #anon #asks: csi #**#my meta #meta: csi #hypothetical scenario #let's talk shop #csiverse

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le-amewzing · 1 year

Text

A Tail of Shadows

Another old Johnlock drabble, also set during the 2nd GR movie.

Fic: "A Tail of Shadows" [FFN] [AO3]

Pairings/Characters: onesided?Sherlock Holmes/John Watson, James Moriarty

Rating: K+

Words: ~460

Additional info: angst, romance, 3rd person POV

Summary: Sherlock knew what he was doing before Moriarty voiced Sherlock's musings.

It was annoying, watching John walk with Mary from afar. Sherlock had been only too happy to depart from there. And of course Moriarty's henchman just happened to be by the car with the message that Sherlock and the professor meet. That was fine; Sherlock had been planning on that.

Arriving at the school and claiming an "impromptu" audience with Moriarty had been bound to happen. There was simply no way Moriarty could have denied playing with his food before taking a bite…meeting Sherlock before truly setting the game in motion. But if the events from the previous night showed any taste of what was to come, then Sherlock had to try asking for one thing, for but one handicap.

"Keep the doctor and his wife out of the game?" Moriarty repeated Sherlock's words incredulously.

It was a chance, a hope—but Sherlock never did well with hope. Logic was his friend, not luck.

And luck surely was not his friend as Moriarty finally replied with a "I think not."

Sherlock…saw red. So, Moriarty had him figured out. Indeed, Watson was Holmes' weak point, but Sherlock felt compelled to make sure Moriarty never played that card. So what could the sleuth do? Surely the professor wouldn't expect a surprise attack here and now, would he? Sherlock's mind whirred and whizzed.

Moriarty was sitting down. At least a one second delay would slow him from getting up behind the desk in his academic robes. Seventeen small items were within reach to throw at Sherlock, but Sherlock had a few projectiles close by, as well. If Moriarty threw first, Sherlock could duck, throw one of the heavier books, possibly connect with either his shoulder or head—the head would be preferable, as the stars in his eyes would have him dazed and provide Sherlock with a second attempt at crashing something into his cranium in order to distort his memory. If Sherlock threw first, Moriarty might duck and subsequently throw one of two too-sharp letter openers at his adversary, a blow which Sherlock would have a hard time dodging in the partially cluttered room. Injured, Sherlock's escape would seem highly improbable. This was, of course, all highly conjectural. Either of them had to have a good arm, see.

Instead, the sleuth and the professor ended their discussion and Sherlock left without physical harm. But the damage to his psyche had been done. If Moriarty should harm one hair on John's head, then Sherlock would throw all caution to the wind. As long as John was safe, so was Moriarty—for now.

The only question was why did Sherlock bother to care so much?

Sherlock snickered to himself. "Obviously I'd be nothing without Watson in my arms—adventures," he thought aloud, catching himself.

Yes. Quite. Indeed.

XD I just wanted to write this for two reasons: I got the feeling that Sherlock would've loved to incapacitate Moriarty in that scene where they met in the school and I wanted Sherlock to try to "reason" why his doctor had to be safe. B) Emphasis on "his doctor"! :3

Thanks for reading, and feel free to leave an anon/unsigned review via the FFN link or comment via the AO3 link at the top of the post, especially if you enjoyed this!

~mew

2023 note: Same as with "A Wisp of Shadows," returning to this 2012 fic meant v little cleaning up in prepping it to be cross-posted to AO3 and to tumblr. I actually, sad to say, forgot this had a fun bit where I wrote Sherlock analyzing a possible mode of attack, *lol* (ngl, one of my fav things in Ritchie's movies). Srsly, tho, RDJ and Law have some of the best chemistry as the detective and doctor…truly one of my favorite pairs to play the pair! :')

#sherlock holmes #johnlock #james moriarty #fanfic #mew writes too much #have a story from the last decade lol

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case-electris · 2 years

Text

|| Denial of love ||

{ Andrew, Naib and Eli in denial over loving you} [M!reader for drama]

also happy new year peeps :D take my first idv fic ever the childe fic will hopefully be finished by tomorrow

|'Naib Subedar'|

The fact he likes a guy isn't the main problem for naib, the problem is the fact he likes someone in general

Naib is still in the mindset of 'I can't like anybody cuz if they like me back and someone finds out they'll be in danger" even tho no one is out to get him due to being in the manor

After alot of contemplation he would come up with the idea of ignoring you till he no longer has feelings for you

His plan doesn't work out as intended, turns out completely ignoring someone you love is actually kind of hard to do

If you realize that he is trying to ignore you and confront him about it he'll just confess that he loves you right then and there

what else could he do? run away like a coward? hell no

So problem solved if you do group to him and ask

but if you have decided not to the guilt of ignoring you will slowy eat naib up from the inside till he gives in and goes back to normal

It would take months before he even thinks about confessing his love to you tho

|'Andrew Kreiss'|

Andrew is in complete denial and is entering the stages of greif the second he even has a thought about you being cute and or hot

Oh how dirty he feels for thinking that a man was hot due to andrew strongly believing that being queer is a sin andrew is in absolute shambles

Praying and begging for forgiveness from god when he could

When you look at him he will act normal and perfectly fine but the minute you are gone and out of earshot andrew starts freaking out and thinking that he is definitely going to hell just for looking you in the eyes

Eventually andrew will get over the fact he thought you were hot once

If you want to be in a relationship with andrew you'll have to do the first move, Andrew will just crawl into his room and start praying non-stop if he even had a thought about you in more than a platonic way ever again

But if you went up to him and told him you liked him he would most likely reply with "uh- oh- um- y-you like me? uh well please give me a bit of time to think about it" and then he would walk away

Then he would retreat into his room, collapse onto his bed and scream into his pillow

|'Eli Clark'|

Eli is a mix of both, both not caring about the gender of the person he likes but at the same time caring

For one eli still loves Gertrude and thinks it to be wrong that he has eyes for another person at the same time

On top of that now he has to question his sextuality was he really straight? or was he gay?

But there was always the 'what if' questions that taunted him 'what if Gertrude doesn't even love you anymore?' 'what if y/n does like you back?' 'what if you do like men?' so many questions so little answers

There wouldn't be many behavioral changes to eli, he knew how to not give way how he was feeling (unlike some people *cough* andrew *cough*)

Although the more Eli would talk, hang out or just be near you the more he wanted to deny all romantic feelings for you

Not as an insult but more like "The friendship we have right now is really nice and i don't want to ruin it by bringing my feelings into it, hell, i'm not even sure of my own feelings..."

Soon enough eli will just throw caution to the wind, letting himself into the mindset of "Well i know i have feelings for him and letting them well up in me only for them to be unrequited wouldn't be the best scenario so i might as well"

#identity v imagines #idv x reader #idv headcanons #identity v #identity v fic #identity v naib #naib x reader #identity v andrew kreiss #Andrew kreiss #identity v andrew #identity v mercenary #identity v grave keeper #identity v eli clark #Identity v eli #eli clark x reader #identity v seer

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icharchivist · 2 years

Note

There's something really funny and impressive about the fact Belial's been upstaged in terms of being awful for the previous age rating by a human. Then again, I guess this probably had happened already with Lobelia. Personally I think Cygames should just throw caution to the wind and put Lobelia and Ferdinand into the same event just to feed on people's morbid curiosity.

DLKFJDLKFFD RIGHT. My bet is, they accidentally made Belial a little too pathetic so he enters poor little meow meow territory. For the one described as the worst, i feel like they just realized they got away with it and tried to see what they could do worse and escalate from there.

I don’t know how Belial managed to avoid the censors for so long considering EVERYONE knew of him. He’s the most popular fucker for a reason. Or perhaps they thought his crimes were at least isolated enough to not banish the whole game in -18 land? while the more they add in the fucked up gang the more we have to accept that this is our land. (and truly any events after Belial has just been testing just how far they can go in gore and horror, Belial was the floodgate to -18 and here we are now.)

Lobelia is DEFINITELY UP THERE in the fucked up gang, but i think contrary to the other two, he's more stealthy because grinding for the Evokers is a nightmare i'm sure anyone reviewing the Apple Store can decide to ignore. (the only fact the game wasn't raised to -18 when the Lobelia skin, which involves a very explicit and long recording of a woman screaming as she's eaten by a shark, which ends up something you can hear just by accidentally clicking on Lobelia if you have him set on the homescreen, caused such a scandal when it came out. Tho it does show that Lobelia's horrors were a little more gated because it's a miracle this didn't raise the ratings back then.)

Meanwhile Ferdinand was living stealthily in Tikoh's FE for a while, but i think the fact he showed off everything of his horrors AND MORE to any casual readers in Marionette Stars could easily have been the last straw.

(or perhaps it was a combinasion of Naked!Bubs and whatever the fuck lewd thing is going on with the New Narmaya's uncap because GOD. That being said if "big boba with liquid on it that is suggestive" is the reason the rating was raised and not "explicit and long reading through a cannibal act of a man forcing a girl to eat her own father in order to brainwash her into accepting HIM as her father" i am losing faith in rating forever. "Extremely explicit cannibalistic grooming is fine but lewd art is where i draw the line" feels so american it might as well be the reason.)) (tho i dont actually think it's Naru's fault bc the timing of the announcement seems that it's something that cygames must have been aware of before Naru came out. So please to our sanity, let's blame the cannibal for everything.)

Anyway as for your last line: THEY SHOULD. it would be the worst event ever as i would be crying all the way through purely out of disgust, but it has to happen please. I also want Belial there just to go:

And after all, granblue did do an art of Ferdinand and Lobelia (and Nier) together:

If that's not a sign that they're just dying to torture us with an event with those two, i don't know what that is. (or just fanservice of the fucked up gang but shhhh let me dream. Or have nightmares i guess.)

But yeah personally i blame everything on Ferdinand, i don't even care if it's not his fault actually. I think he deserves to be blamed for everything.

#this is a ferdinand hateblog #(tho with the disclaimer that i do think he's an amazing villain and i'm thrilled to have him i just hope he dies)#(also i would 'hate' an event and 'cry' in the entertaining way i would be so thrilled)#(just to make clear i just like to suffer)#god.#ichareply #infullmoon #ichafantalks gbf

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magpie-scribbles · 3 years

Text

Ahhh I’m bit late but here is my part of the BNHarem ~*Collab*~

Title: Call Me

Pairing: F!reader X Maijima Higari (Power Loader)

Rating: E

Word Count: 5.8k

Warnings: Smut, sex work, older man younger woman

Higari sighs, his metal tipped fingers tapping on his work table 11pm, 11 pm and he still had so much to do. Normally he relished having work to do, rather being a busy bee than not, but lately the stress had been catching up to him. The academic year was in full swing, and with more villain activity than usual he was beginning to wear...A lot of his projects (pet projects) were starting to fall behind because frankly he was too stressed and found himself getting upset with himself when he made mistakes or miscalculations, which seemed to be happening a lot in his overall raised tension.

Realizing he wasn't going to make any progress aside from going in circles. He slumps, plunking down onto the stool next him, thumping his head against the metal of the workbench and just...sitting there allowing himself to cool off...or perhaps it was wallow…

Bzzzzz bzzzzzzz he feels it as much as he hears it as an incoming text reverberates through his skull. He tilts his head, just enough to glare at his cellphone on the far end of the workbench; he could ignore it, he could...but he doesn't. With a groan he sits up leaning over to swipe the phone up to see the notification.

Oh...Nemuri.

"Heeeyyyyy, how you doing???" She follows up with a few heart emoji.

To someone on the outside looking in it might seem like she’s flirting, or that they had something going on. But he and Nemuri had been good friends for so long that he doubts he could ever see her as anything but.

"Fine" He types out simply, not in the mood for banter, he hopes she's not putting together a last minute bar hop.

"Ooooo"

"That rough huh?"

"Stressed?"

The texts come in rapid succession. He sighs.

"I'm fine" He repeats; though it's nice to have someone that worries about you from time to time.

It takes her a moment to respond, he can see the little typing indicator, bounce along the bottom off his screen and then stop and then start again.

"Did you call her yet?? 👀👀👀" Her response finally comes and he groans.

He had a feeling she was going to bring this up sooner or later.

"No I haven't called her yet" He replies, grumbling to himself as he hits send harder than he needs to.

"You should, she could really help you relax 😌" He can practically hear he voice through the illuminated text on his screen, goading him.

He can feel his face heat up, he wasn't a prude...this was just...he wasn't a prude!

"Kayama" now beginning to wish he never picked up the phone.

"It's not just about sex Maijima, where's your head??😏😏😏" now she was just being cruel, he shakes his phone in his gripe blowing out a puff of air, wishing he could berate her.

"In all seriousness tho, she can help you out, it's her job, she's really nice!" She adds.

He sighs, deflating a bit, mulling over the idea for a while...he thinks he still has the card Nemuri gave him.

Reaching into the front pocket of his jeans he pulls out a crinkled card, oh, yeah he had definitely washed these pants a few times. Luckily the card had been printed on heavy sleek looking cardstock. And even with the edges slightly worn and the the paper somewhat crinkled, no expenses were obviously spared as the elegant type face remained readable even after a few trips through the wash...which was good for him because if it hadn't then he'd have to ask Nemuri for the details and that's something he would not want to live through.

He sighs, looking from the card to his phone, weighing his options...he was very stressed and Nemuri said it didn't have to be about sex...not that he didn't like that! ...Damnit…

Suckling on his teeth he slowly punches in the number printed in embossed gold.

___________

You settle down into the pillows and blankets of your freshly laundered bed, wondering if you even want to try and read the next chapter in your book that sat on your nightstand. The sheets were still warm from the dryer and damn, it was tempting to just nestle in and go straight to bed.

BBBZZZZ BBBZZZ

Your brow furrows, the sudden sound brings you out of your very important and very difficult decision. For a moment the sound eludes you as you listen for it again.

BBBZZZZ BBBZZZ

Oh fuck that was your phone, your head whips to the nightstand again; the illuminated screen blocked by the book you had just been considering as the device vibrates beneath it.

You grumble, you know it could be a client but most of them had the decency to not call this late…well most of them did.

Grabbing your phone you gaze down to the screen, cocking your head when you see a string of numbers you've never seen before, hmmm.

Reclining back into the comfort of your pillow pile you answer.

"Hello this is L/N F/N speaking." You say, all business; not one to ever come off as unprofessional even if it was a spam call.

There was a long pause; you almost repeat yourself when you hear someone clear their throat.

"Miss L/N, this is Maijima Higari....uhhh, Kayama Nemuri said I should contact you." His voice is soft baritone with a bit of gravel to it, he seems very uncertain, but you know who he is right away.

To be honest you had been quite curious about him since Nemuri had told you about her fellow hero and coworker.

You worked a lot with heroes, some high profile ones too, but you've never had a client that was also a support specialist, or as Nemuri had put it, a keen inventor. You were intrigued.

"Ah Mr. Maijima, Kayama mentioned you-" you begin.

"She did?" He interrupts and you can hear him shifting away from the phone "motherfucker" you hear the breathy hiss, and you have to keep yourself under control because you did not want your first conversation with the man you had been interested in hearing from, to be you laughing at him.

He must have realized you can hear him because there's more scrambling on the other end of the line.

"Sorry 'bout that...Nemuri...likes to talk." He sighs.

You chuckle warmly; she had mentioned he was somewhat proud and what she called "aggressively" shy.

"She definitely can be quite the gossip." You reply and you hear him groan. "Though I assure you, it's all good things Mr. Maijima."

"Somehow that doesn't put me at ease at all…" he huffs, and you can't help but let out a small laugh.

There is a pause again, and you decide to gently encourage him.

"So what can I do for you Mr. Maijima?" You ask gently.

There's shifting on the other end of the line again and then a small cough.

"I've...I've been stressed lately, like...more than usual and Kayama said that you might be able to help with that." You can tell he's a bit uncertain on how to ask for your services.

"Of course, I'd be more than happy to help, just tell me what you need and I'll set up an appointment. " You recline further into your pillows.

"Uh well...fuck I've never done this before…" he sighs.

"That's perfectly alright." You reply, waiting for him to continue.

"...I-I don't know?" He says finally and you smile, you like when they're honest; not trying to show-off.

"Of course, we can figure everything out along the way." You hum and you hear him sigh in relief.

"Alright, yeah."

"How about I put you in for this Friday at 8pm, I'll make sure that we have the whole night free to get you settled." You make a mental note to put that in your planner (not that you could forget, you were surprisingly eager to meet him.)

"Today's Wednesday." He says in reply.

"Yes?"

"So you mean in two days? The Friday in two days?" You suppress a chuckle; definitely needed to relieve some stress.

"If that's an issue I'd be happy to-"

"NO!...No it's fine, just surprised is all." His voice trails off and he clears his throat. "Sooooo so how do I do this?"

You pause for a moment considering. There are a few luxury hotels and venues you've preferred to use in the past...but...you decide to throw caution to the wind.

"Let me give you my address." You reply, a very rare option you give to only your most trusted clients; but he was good friends with Nemuri and you trusted her judgement whole heartedly.

"Oh!...are you sure you're okay with that? I understand if you don't want to do that, safety and all, I don't want you to feel uncomfortable" You smile, he was already quite the charmer even if he didn't know it yet.

"No need to worry, I wouldn't give it to you if I didn't want to."

"Okay, if you're okay with it." He replies warily and you smile to yourself.

"I'll send you a follow up text with my address and a reminder of the time; is this an okay number to send that to?"

"Oh yeah, sure."

"Perfect, well Mr. Maijima, I'll let you go and I'll send you my info."

"Yeah, sure...uh thanks for this Miss L/N." He replies.

"It's my pleasure." You reply.

He gives you a quick goodbye and then the line goes quiet; chuckling to yourself you scoot down further into your blankets and quickly add Maijima Higari to your schedule. Before opening Maijima's number and adding it to your contact list.

Nemuri definitely seems to have good taste in friends (well you're one of them.) He has certainly caught your attention...in a good way.

_______

Higari groans, while body deflating as his muscles relax somewhat...that was one of the most nerve-racking calls he'd ever made.

God he probably sounded like an idiot.

Huffing, he looks back at his phone and opens up his chat with Nemuri.

"I called her" he writes before getting up from his workbench with a groan, back popping as he stretches.

His phone buzzes a moment later.

“Maijime it’s like 11:30 at night!” Nemuri’s text reads; he pales and looks at the time on his phone.

Fuck....now he felt like an ass. He goes to respond, not even sure if he should defend himself or brush it off when another text comes in from a new number. Cocking his head he swipes it open.

“Hello Mr. Maijime, it was a pleasure speaking with you tonight, I have you all booked for Friday at 8pm and I look forward to spending time with you.” he swallows thickly, reading over the message a few more times, taking note of the little hearts on the end.

“This is her job, this is her job, she’s just being nice…” he mentally berates himself.

Reading over the message one more time he responds.

“Thank you Miss L/N.” he pauses and then adds “Sorry ‘bout calling you so late, lost track of the time.” he hits send before he can chicken out, and shoves his phone in his front pocket; out of sight out of mind

It’s only a few seconds before he hears the buzz of his phone again and he scrabbles to get it, not even sure why he put it away in the first place.

“Nothing to worry about sweetie, I’ll see you Friday.”

Higari decides he needs a very cold shower and then promptly after needs to put himself to bed...he’d deal with Nemuri tomorrow.

_______

You decide against the silk robe after some debate, donning luxurious Egyptian cotton instead. You'd rather not scare him off or look too presumptuous, after all he might be satisfied with your other talents, though Nemuri had said he could do with a good Fuck. You had of course laughed at her crassness, but you couldn't help but feel a spark of warmth in your belly, it surprised you, it had been awhile since you had, let alone for a potential client.

You needed to be professional.

Giving yourself a once over in the mirror you found your attire agreeable. Your robe was a little longer than the ones you usually wore for your clients, coming to brush against your knees. But it was your favorite, plush and warm and while a bit promiscuous it was also classic.

Your hair and makeup was in place and you gazed down to your phone

7:45pm

You hadn't received and cancelation call or text so at this point all you could do was wait.

Padding through your apartment on your way to the lounge you make a few quick mental notes.

Did you have both red and white wine as well as a few stiffer drinks just in case ready? Check.

Bottled water on ice as well and had you tea kettle ready with an assortment of teas just in case? Check and check

A few hors d'oeuvres, nothing too over the top? Check.

You come to settle on your favorite chaise as you finish your little check off; yes you believe you had everything ready…

Your intercom pings, and you quickly get to your feet and shuffle over, pressing the talk button.

"Yes?"

"Miss L/N, there is a Mr. Maijima here to see you." The doorman's voice responds.

"Yes of course please have him come up."

"Of course ma'am."

To be honest no matter how long you had done this you could never quite figure out what to do with yourself while you wanted for a client to come up to meet you. Nothing ever seemed natural or smooth... it irked you. You wondered what other consorts did, maybe you should ask a few of your colleagues next time you go out for drinks-

There's a firm knock on your door, jarring you out of your thoughts.

Giving yourself a quick once over you, smooth down your robe and slap on a warm smile before opening the door.

"Mr. Maijima, I'm so glad you came." You move out of the way, opening the door further to allow him in.

"Uh thanks, yeah me too." He lets out a nervous laugh as he shuffles inside.

He was quite charming. Nemuri had shown you pictures but pictures can never do enough justice to some people.

He was dressed in a bomber jacket, dark pull over and well worn jeans and boots. He looked comfortable, the perfect amount of dressed down; he looked like himself, not trying to put on airs like some of your clients.

"Let me take your jacket while you get your shoes." You say warmly and he gingerly shrugs out of the fabric.

"Thanks." He replies as he leans down to untie his boots.

"Nice place you have here." He replies as he looks around from his lowered position.

"Oh thank you!" You tuck a strand of your hair behind your ear as you look around your place fondly. "The main foyer is a bit much though." You add with a chuckle thinking to the decadence of the building's main entrance.

"Was pretty swanky." He replies nearly finished with his second boot.

"I assure you I'm much more down to earth." You reply and he perks up at that, you eye him curiously.

"Hehe, earth." He laughs and it takes you a moment to remember he's the Excavation hero and you let out a laugh, surprised by his humor.

"I wouldn’t have guessed you'd also be a man with a good taste in jokes." You reply and extend you hand out to him as he tucks his boots away. You have always been a fan of so-called bad jokes.

He seems to like that and puffs up with a smile, slipping his large hand into yours. Oh it was warm and rough; Nemuri did say he was good with his hands.

"How about we settle in." You say nodding your head towards the lounge.

He nods and swallows thickly, still visibly unsure, but obviously not willing to back down.

You smile at him and gently lead him out of the entryway.

As you lead him further into your apartment you had taken note that while he was untying his boots he could have very easily looked up your robe, but instead all of his attention was on you, his sharp grey eyes peeking out from a thick fringe of fiery hair. He was watching and listening to you not ogling you, it made your heart warm.

Yes, you had decided that he was certainly a catch.

You lead him into the lounge motioning for him to sit anywhere and he takes his place in one of the plush armchairs across from you chaise. You wish he would have opted for a closer seat but you want him to be comfortable first and foremost.

"Can I get you anything? Wine? Something stronger? Water, tea?" You ask.

"Uh water's fine right now, thanks." He replies and you crack open one of the water bottles and pour it into a crystal tumbler.

You hand it to him and leave the water bottle close to him on the coffee table.

"Thank you L/N." He replies and takes a sip.

"Please call me F/N." You say as you settle on your chaise, he pauses for a moment, mouth full before swallowing

"F/N…" he parrots, voice surprisingly gravelly despite the water he just drank.

You smile and nod your head.

He fiddles with the empty glass in his hands before looking up at you with genuineness; your heart flutters and you’re once again surprised by your feelings.

"Call me Higari."

_______

Higari slowly begins to relax as you talk, his posture loosening and his voice becoming less tense and formal. When he finally laughs fully at one of your jokes, you feel warmth wash over you in a pleasant wave of contentment.

Despite his obvious relaxation you can’t help but notice he shifts every so often, adjusting his back or subtly rolling his neck. Small ques that make you realize that he wasn't only mentally stressed but physically as well.

"Higari." You catch his attention as he excitedly tells you about a project he's working on. "Sorry to interrupt but is your back bothering you?" You ask softy and he blinks at you in surprise.

"Oh sorry, that noticeable?" He chuckles. "'S probably from hunching over a workbench all day." He's trying to wave it off, not make you worry.

"Would you mind if I used my quirk on you?" You ask gently, not wanting him to feel pressured.

"Uuhhh, you haven't already?" He looks a bit confused and you can't help but let out a hearty laugh.

"Of course not, I would never use my quirk without your permission." You smile and you watch as his cheeks turn ruddy with blush. "Might I ask what you thought my quirk was doing all this time?"

He leans back a bit huffing softly to himself, trying to control his embarrassment.

"Make me relax I guess?" He mutters under his breath and you smile fondly, happy that he truly was relaxed around you.

"You’re sweet, while my quirk does help people relax, I wasn't using it on you." You reply sitting up and gently patting the space next to you on the chaise. " could I show you, I'll stop if you don't feel comfortable."

He observes you for a moment, mulling over the idea or trying to pump himself up you're not exactly sure; but then he slowly gets to his feet and walks over to you.

"Never done this before…" he says softly as he looks down at you, trying hard to be open and honest.

It's one of the sweetest things you've ever had happen with a client and you gently take his hands and pull him down to sit next to you.

"That's perfectly alright, whatever you are comfortable with, whatever you want Higari." You say gently and give his hands a reassuring squeeze.

He looks down, his hands are so large in yours; turning them over in his he brushes the metal tips of his thumbs against your palms reverently, and you swoon a little bit.

"Show me you quirk."

You feel pride well in your chest.

"I would love to." You smile before adjusting a bit. "Lay down on your stomach, there should be enough room for you to lay down fully."

He complies, seemingly throwing caution to the wind, but you can see the tremble in his arms as he lowers himself to the plush cushion of the chaise.

"I'm going to sit on your thighs is that alright?" You question.

It takes him a moment to respond and when he does it's a breathy "yes" and you're glad he's facing away from you so he doesn't catch the shiver that runs up your spine at the tone of his voice.

Slowly you crawl up his body, careful to let him feel every move, to let him know your position until you are sitting comfortably on his muscled thighs, your legs tucked on either side of him. He lets out a shaky sigh as you reach out and run your hands from his shoulder blades down to the small of his back.

"My quirk works best with skin to skin contact, you are certainly welcome to leave your shirt on or remove it." You begin your typical overview of your quirk when he moves beneath you suddenly, almost setting you off balance as he reaches behind his head. Fisting the fabric at his back and rucking it up over his head, fluffing up his hair as he does before letting the article of clothing crumple to the floor.

You're too surprised to move from his sudden boldness as he settles back down, neatly crossing his arms beneath his chin.

After a few moments you manage to pull yourself together and you slowly, gently lay your hands back on his now bare shoulder blades and oh! Beneath your palms he is trembling; now you desperately wanted to sooth his frayed nerves.

"My quirk allows me to admit frequency through my skin, that I can channel into vibrations." You tell him gently as you smooth down his back again, slowly activating your quirk.

He tenses for a moment and then begins to relax into your touch.

"It can help muscle relaxation and promote blood flow." You continue as you knead a knot along his lat.

"It ah- sounds like your quirk is definitely a benefit." His voice is breathy, almost sighing as he falls further into your touch.

"I like to think so too." You say fondly, you were really starting to enjoy his company and his kindness. "You were talking about one of your inventions earlier when I interrupted, I would very much like to hear more about it." And it was the honest to God truth.

He hums in contentment and from his position on his folded arms you can see a genuine smile grace his lips.

He quickly eases back into his explanation and his ideas as you allow you quirk to sink into his skin while you massage his tense muscles. Honestly you could listen to him talk for hours, even if you didn't quite understand some of it; it was fascinating and his passion and enthusiasm was a pleasant warmth that enveloped you.

Slowly his muscles begin to ease up under your ministrations and his voice begins to get more husky and more lax. You’re not exactly sure when he stopped talking but you suddenly notice the silence and the absence of his pleasant voice.

"F/N?" You blink, gazing up from you hands, to find Higari staring lazily up at you through the fringe of his hair. His stare is hypnotizing

"Yes?" Your voice is breathier than you would have liked.

For a moment he doesn't say anything and then he shifts, starting to roll on his side and you gingerly move to sit beside him, you barely have anytime to take in his sudden change when his large hand comes up, fingers brushing against your jaw tentatively.

"Can I kiss you?" He asks softly and you definitely swoon, you hand coming up to press his touch closer.

"I would like that very much." You hum, your blood singing at the thought of his lips on yours.

Slowly he rises up and you can feel him moving against you and as he does you feel his lower half brush against your hip and the strangest combination of pride and desire fills your chest as you feel the hardness straining against his jeans.

Everything seems to still for a brief moment and then his nose brushes against yours and you suck in a shaking breath as his lips press against yours.

It's like firecrackers, zipping along you skin, you feel your toes curl and you lean into him. He groans against you and slings his arm around your shoulders pressing you to him, your chest flush with his bare one.

You sigh against him and he takes a moment to adjust, tilting his head, teeth clacking against yours as he slots himself against you.

You feel as though you are made of feathers, your whole body alight as you kiss him back feverishly. It's been awhile since you felt this and you can't get enough.

Letting out a small whine you smooth your hands down his ribs bringing them around to rest on his lower stomach; you feel the muscles jump against your fingertips and then he trembles against you letting out a wonderfully gravelly moan that reverberates in his chest.

Then he's slowly pulling you back with him, laying back down against the chaise, tugging you on top of him. He pauses moving away to catch his breath, a hand coming up to smooth over your hair. Your breath hitches as you take him in; he's beautiful… his cheeks stained with blush, his grey eyes gazing up at you half lidded and hazy, pupils blown so wide the irises are halos of near silver.

"Can we…? Is this okay?" He asks hesitantly and you have to stop yourself from squealing in delight.

"It's more than okay Higari, I would love to." And you mean every word of it.

He groans, lips parting to wet them before he cups your face in his hands and pulls you back down into a fiery kiss.

It's almost feral the way you move against each other, palming and smoothing down every inch of skin that you can. He slowly pushes your robe from your shoulders, the belt the only thing keeping it from coming free completely, and he lets out a strangled sound when he realizes you're wearing nothing underneath.

You quickly grab one of his hands and press his large palm to your breast and he quakes beneath you as he begins to knead the soft flesh. You instantly melt into him, moaning and moving against him in your excitement, his metal tipped thumb coming to press against your pebbled nipple.

He's wonderful beneath you, shedding his shyness as his lips move from yours, coming to place open mouthed kisses against your jaw and neck.

Your hands continue to roam across the wonderfully compact muscles of his torso, fingers pausing to flick at his nipples before moving to dig into his sides before sliding down to rest on his belt buckle.

You pull away and he lets out a whine as you sit up, gazing down at him, watching as his chest heaves. You wet your lips, thumbing his buckle to get his attention and his gaze darts down to where your hands rest, just above the straining tent in his jeans. Slowly his gaze drags up your body and then…

"Please…" It's breathy and needy, and you can help but let out a small moan as you nod and get to work.

You quickly divest him of both his pants, boxers and socks, leaving him wonderfully naked and needy beneath you, and oh is he a sight to see.

Taut muscles tensing against soft skin, a smattering of coppery hair on his chest that tapers down his belly to a thatch of curly short hairs framing his perfectly sized cock that now lays dribbling against his stomach.

"Oh Higari, you’re beautiful." You purr, running your hands down his chest.

"Got nothing on you…" he grunts arching into your touch, practically begging you to go lower.

"Such a charmer." You reply with your finger sliding teasingly over his weeping head.

He arches, pale column of his throat on display for you as he lets out a moan.

"Y-you're perfect." He husks and you feel your chest swell with pride.

You pull back for a moment, much to his displeasure, but that quickly changes as he realizes you're removing your robe.

You quickly take the condom out of your pocket before discarding the clothing to the floor in a heap. Laying the rubber next to your calf for easy access.

Straightening up you perch on his upper thighs and then slowly move your hips.

"Can you feel me Higari?" You hush knowing full well you’re dripping all over him. "Can you feel how wet I am?"

He lets out a needy moan and his hands come to clamp down on your hips as he rolls his hip, cock thrusting up into the cool air of your apartment.

"Please, please, F/N...please." His words are soft and airy and you absolutely live for them as you roll your hips again, hand smoothing down his aching length.

"Anything you want love." You hush him and grab the condom, he's already so far gone he doesn't even perk up at the sound of the foil tearing.

You need him to pay attention. Tapping his hip bone he slowly comes to focus on you.

"Watch me Higari." You say and you slowly roll the condom onto his straining length.

You want to absolutely pamper him as he makes small little hiccups as you smooth the rubber down him before gently grabbing his base, moving up onto your knees hovering just over him.

"Watch me Higari…" you repeat and he's enraptured as you slowly sink down onto him, bottoming out on him completely in one go.

"Ha-ah!" He arches hands pushing you impossibly closer as he thrusts up into you though there is no more room left to fill.

Oh he's perfect, filling you to the brim, stretching you deliciously as he becomes an unabashed mess beneath you.

You try to move, but his grip is bruising, abdominal muscles tensing as he tries to keep himself in control.

"Higari." You sooth and he looks up at you, lips parted and eyes holding so much adoration it nearly knocks you over.

He lets up his hold after a moment and you lean forward, placing your hands and his chest to steady yourself. You give him an affectionate stare before you rise up, keeping just the tip of him inside before swiftly curling your hips and spearing yourself on his length.

He practically howls and throws his head back, and oh you want to see more of this, want to see him come undone.

You begin a rhythmic deep pace, making sure to swallow him whole on each downward roll of your hips. Higari is already a mess beneath you, now completely out of his shell on full display. In the back of your mind you briefly think he could have been a porn star if he put his mind to it.

He pushes you out of your thoughts as he grips your hips once more and tries to aid you in your movement, you can't help bit smile.

"Relax Higari, this is about you, I'll take care of everything…" you breath and he swallows thickly.

"Wanna help." He slurs "ha! You're so good, soso good."

"Next time." You're even a bit surprised by how sure there will be a next time and Higari seems to take note of that as well as you watch his gaze unfocus and refocus.

You continue your pace, though your thighs begin to ache, it's too delicious to even think about slowing down; the way your positioned has your clit rubbing against his pubic bone with each roll of your hips.

You can tell he's getting close, the way he trembles and the way he tries to jerk up ever so often out of sync with you. His gaze catches you and for a moment you feel like your drowning. It's then you feel the pad of his thumb press against your clit; you gasp and look down to watch his metal tipped finger swirl around your delicate bundle of nerves, cock disappearing lewdly inside of you with each roll of your hips.

"Gonna, cum, wan' you to cum with me." He husks, bringing your attention back to him and suddenly you're on the cusp, the precipice.

"Oh, yes, yes...Higari." your head lolls as you allow him to help, his hips thrusting up to meet yours.

And then he's curling, body tensing as he lets out a breathless moan, mouth slack and eyes fluttering closed as he starts to cum.

That's what pushes you over the edge, his debauched display. And as you tumble over the edge, stars bursting behind your eyes, and toes curling you briefly wished you could feel him pumping you full.

It takes you a moment to come down from your brief jaunt in paradise, sagging against him, panting. You feel his grip on your hip loosen and he brings his other hand to your thigh, thumb coming to sooth over your skin.

You sit in silence as he softens inside of you and you know you should get up and tidy up a bit, but you're basking in the afterglow and you can't find it in you to care that much.

Higari lets out a pleased sigh and he looks completely and utterly satiated and relaxed; it warms your heart.

The next words that come out of your mouth surprise you.

"Stay the night." You whisper almost shyly and it quickly catches his attention.

He cocks his head observing for a moment.

"Do most of your clients stay? I don't want to intrude."

You honestly are afraid to answer because the answer is no, they don't, and you suddenly feel so raw and exposed it almost scares you.

He must pick up on your nervousness because he gently cups the side of your jaw, brushing some of your sweat damp hair away from your face.

"I'd love to." He says and you feel your heart soar as you nuzzle into his touch.

#maijima higari #maijima higari x reader #reader x maijima higari #higari maijime #higari maijima x reader #reader x higari maijima #bnha power loader #power loader x reader #reader x power loader #bnha #boku no hero academia imagines #mha #my hero academia #SPICY!!#extra spicy #bnharem collab #bnha collab

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innranrae · 3 years

Text

🐚 A Birthday Amidst the Archipelago

A/N: oneshot for my fav russian boys bday, i included the golden apple archipelago bc it was the most fun event/area I've experienced in genshin so far and I'll miss it a lot but at least it's inazuma and electro aether time, anyways hope you enjoy this and if you have suggestions/tips on writing or anything please lmk! I'm new to it all and I'm trying my best ;w; my friend proofread this tho and shes big brain so id say this one is pretty swaggy

￫ pairing(s): Zhongli/Childe, Aether/Venti (kinda platonic tbh), Venti and Dvalin vibing

￫ word count: ~ 3k

￫ cw: alcohol

￫ ao3

🏖️

Zhongli sensed a large being coming from the skies of Duyun Ruins. He did not want to believe it, but his doubts were soon confirmed.

Dvalin descended from the clouds with a heavy thud, sending the living creatures around either running or flying. Mounted on the Dragon of the East were Venti and Aether; The bard wore a pair of sunglasses and a light attire that shocked Zhongli to the core, he had thought the anemo archon could not get any more ludicrous, but it appears he was mistaken.

A slight frown grew on his face watching the scene and the geo archon couldn’t help but raise his palm to his face, sighing. On the flip side, Childe was astonished; his eyes sparkled observing Dvalin, considering what the outcome would be if they were to fight.

—

2 days earlier

“Traveler,

It has been some time since we last saw each other. I do hope your ventures are going smoothly.

I am writing to you to request assistance with an event that will take place two days from now. As you may know, Childe’s birthday is on the 20th of this month and I have been finding it hard to come up with a suitable gift. I wish to surprise him but nothing that fits my criteria comes to mind, in addition to the fact I am still adjusting to mortal life and their festivals.

If you do not mind and, of course, if you are free that day, I hope you can help me with this matter.

Zhongli”

After sending his letter to Aether, Zhongli straightened his shoulders on the stool at one of Heyu Tea House’s tables, raising a cup of steaming tea to his mouth, and waited for his guest to arrive.

“Receiving an invitation from Mr. Zhongli first sure feels nice,” a voice shouted coming from the stairs.

Zhongli glanced at the harbinger who took a seat by his side, “Childe, do you have any plans for your birthday?”

Childe widened his eyes slightly, “Birthday?” He raised his hand thoughtfully to his face. “Oh, my birthday! Hm… Is Mr. Zhongli planning on giving me some type of gift?” The harbinger smiled playfully.

“Please answer my question.”

“Nope! None at all.”

In actuality, Childe should be busy taking care of the Fatui’s business around Liyue; unfortunately for his underlings, he was going to do whatever he wanted either way. Additionally, he had a feeling Mr. Zhongli’s question was not trivial, and speculated the archon probably wanted to make plans.

“I see."

Unexpectedly, instead of proceeding on that topic, Zhongli said nothing more as he took another sip of his tea.

Despite the surprising lack of further development, he forgot about it as soon as Zhongli started to talk about a Ruin Hunter he encountered the prior day in the fields.

He knew by now what topics intrigued Childe's simple warrior mind, and that alone had Childe rambling about fighting tactics and his own experiences to Zhongli, occasionally trying to convince the archon to fight him, which he politely refused.

—

Meanwhile, at the Golden Apple Archipelago...

"I could really use a hand over here, Venti!" Aether's cry for help could barely be heard over the shrieking group of hilichurls advancing one after the other.

"But I-"

After unleashing a wind vortex from his palm, Aether glared at the bard, who was leisurely plucking the strings of his lyre on top of a rock. "Playing a battle song isn't helping!" He cut Venti off, resulting in the end of Venti's untimely concert with lots of whining.

After jumping off the rock, the bard shot an arrow that sent the group of monsters flying altogether.

The pair had a short-lived moment of relief, but soon the eerie sound of a horn was heard, indicating that more enemies were on their way. Aether groaned while Venti giggled nervously, and so, they had to return to their combat stances.

Not long after engaging, the traveler heard a short sound that made him stop his blade.

“Oh, I’ve got mail,” Aether walked a few steps from the fighting, reading the message while leaving the bard to get the monsters’ attention.

Venti's eyes widened at the sudden rush of monsters coming directly at him, though luckily, he sent them flying once again.

“Woah~ Don’t do that so suddenly, traveler, so mean!”

After reading Zhongli’s message, Aether was deep in thought, looking around as if searching for something, until his eyes met the green-colored ones of the anemo archon that reciprocated the eye contact, with a touch of wonder.

Zhongli opened the new mail he received, analyzing the few words Aether had sent.

“Meet us by Duyun Ruins at 9 in the morning, bring Childe with you.”

“Meet us? If I am not mistaken, Paimon has been staying with Xiangling, and didn’t show any signs of wanting to leave any time soon. Perhaps she can easily travel back and forth,” Zhongli thought to himself.

—

Present Day, Duyun Ruins

Jumping from the dragon’s back, Venti beamed, “Morax! Long time no see~!” Arms wide open as he threw himself towards his old friend. But before he got too close, Zhongli shielded himself, and instead of a hug, Venti’s face was compressed against the solid surface of the geo shield.

Venti staggered a step back from the impact, raising his hand to his cheek, now starting to swell, “Ow!” He pouted.

Zhongli tried to keep his cool, throwing a look at the two boys who recently arrived,waiting for an explanation.

Aether catches on the meaningful gaze and reassures, “Don’t worry, I think we avoided being noticed by anyone.”

“Yeah, Dvalin here is… Well, he tries to be discreet when flying around. After all, I was the one who taught him that~" Venti put a hand on the dragon's body while the other gave Zhongli a thumbs up.

"Saying you were the one who taught him does not reassure me one bit…" Zhongli’s veins were protruding from distress by now. "Aside from that, aren't you supposed to be more careful not to expose your identity in front of the common folk?"

The three other men stared at Zhongli in confusion, exchanging looks between themselves, "Common folk?" Venti asked. Childe was the first to realize he was probably talking about him and began laughing at the Zhongli's seemingly forgetfulness.

"Morax, you sure only remember what you want, huh. Even I know from the traveler's stories that this boy here is the eleventh harbinger of the Fatui. If that harbinger lady took my gnosis, I'm sure this kid knows my identity by now," Venti reassured while Aether slowly nodded, feeling second-hand embarrassment.

Zhongli was at a loss for words, raising his fist to his mouth, awkwardly coughing. On the other hand, the harbinger found the situation quite funny and patted Morax's back a few times while giggling.

Zhongli met Aether's eyes, "Nevertheless, what I desire to know is why that bard and his dragon are here?"

"Well, you’ll see when we get there," Aether reassured, getting back on the dragon's back along with Venti.

Childe cheerfully jumped on, extending his hand down to the geo archon who bashfully accepted, pointedly ignoring the meaningful grins the two other boys directed at him. And with little effort, Dvalin took off to the Golden Apple Archipelago.

The Snezhnayan boy's eyes gleamed with excitement from his first-ever experience that high up, sitting between behind Aether and in front of Zhongli.

Though, his laxity almost made the reddish mask on his hair fly away, luckily being rescued by the man behind him.

"Thank you!" The powerful gushes of wind made his words difficult to understand, yet enough for Zhongli to understand them.

If any normal person would travel through the clouds in the back of a dragon for the first time in their life, surely they would practice caution or be a little wary of their surroundings.

However, because Childe was Childe, an expert in adapting fast to just about anything, the journey on the skies was far from frightening.

A few minutes had passed and the boys were already close to their destination, and with his usual carefree expression, Venti looked back at the men behind him, yelling as Dvalin descended, "Hold on tight!"

With another loud thud, Dvalin settled at the northwestern part of Twinning Isle. Aether grew anxious in anticipation, waiting for Childe to see the preparations that he and Venti had come up with in such a short timeframe.

They had the inspiration from Alice's surprise for Klee, though not as crafty as she was. With the help of Tubby back in the Serenitea Pot, he managed to decorate the place nicely with newly crafted objects.

Umbrellas and chairs painted a light shade of sky blue sat next to fishing rods, Sea Ganodermas and conches decorated the sand in a path leading to a gazebo, which had seashells and starfishes hang from the wooden ceiling, surrounded by curtains.

And inside of it, one chest stored miscellaneous things, while the one next to it contained something that Venti declared extremely necessary: summer clothing he managed to acquire. In addition to the clothes he prepared, the anemo archon was also tasked with providing the food and drinks.

Visibly so as there were at least three bottles of either dandelion or osmanthus wine for every single dish on the table. Which, of course, was all paid for with the traveler's Mora.

All in all, the table was charmingly organized. A cake with a whale drawn on top of it sat in the middle of it all, while balloons were tied to the wooden table.

Upon reaching the sand, Childe was fascinated. The ocean breeze brushing against his face, the warm sunlight of the Archipelago and the salty waves gently crashing onto the tide united all the scenery together.

He’d never seen such a tropical place in his life, so unfamiliar in comparison to his frozen homeland's weather and features.

Lost in admiration for the scenery, he had already forgotten that it was his birthday, only remembering when Zhongli called out his name, directing him to look ahead where the decorated area was put, in preparation for the celebration to commence.

Venti leaned back against Dvalin's tail, already playing a melody, as the other three walked along the decorated path.

Aether fastened his steps, going ahead and getting a small box. Then, turning back to the birthday boy, he extended the gift.

"Happy birthday, Childe."

The harbinger let out a small "thank you" before opening it.

His blue eyes twinkled as he grabbed the content inside the box for closer examination. It was a bright piece of wood with a smaller version of him, Teucer and Aether drawn on it, as well as a ruin guard, or “Mr. Cyclops” as his little brother would say, stood behind them.

Without thinking, Childe embraced Aether tightly with a wide smile across his face, and at the display of the ginger’s excitement, the traveler couldn't help but feel accomplished.

After the gift was exchanged, Venti pointed out the clothes he had prepared, which made Zhongli flinch at the thought of wearing sunglasses as eccentric as his. Luckily, they were just lighter clothes, not accessories.

Childe, already excited from the exotic scenery, went on ahead to change his clothes behind a tall rock.

Zhongli and Aether walked towards the same location, at a much slower pace than the Snezhnayan boy, who was already out of sight.

“Thank you for your efforts, traveler. You managed to surprise me as well,” Zhongli finally got the chance to say.

“It was no problem at all. I’m having fun and the ‘tone-deaf bard’ was a great help, too.”

Childe emerged from behind the rock suddenly, wearing shorts and a shirt that was presumably supposed to be buttoned up. As a matter of fact, all the attires were of a similar design, the few differences being their color schemes, a few patterns, and the boy’s usual accessories.

Before any reaction, they heard monstrous noises getting closer to the shelter. A group of hilichurls nearby seemed to have been alarmed by the dragon’s arrival.

Something inside Childe’s mind clicked and he immediately turned the way of the shrieks, getting ready to fight, “Leave them to me!”

“Oh I was counting on that,” Aether affirmed as Venti nodded. Knowing very well of the harbinger’s passion for fighting, they speculated about the attack and gladly attached it to the list of events for that day.

Aether’s words were thrown at no one though, since Childe had left as soon as those four words left his lips earlier, leaving no time to receive any reaction from the others.

Bad luck for those poor hilichurls, honestly.

Childe's hydro blades moved swiftly, leaving droplets in the sand as they slashed one after the other, ending each almost instantly, leaving little space for a counterattack. He only stopped moving when there were no more of the monsters around, either because they were actually all dead or ran away from fear.

Coming back to the shelter’s path, Childe saw that they were now fishing, which made him joyfully run to join them, and noticing that he was back, Zhongli offered Childe a fishing rod and a seat next to himself.

“Oh man, this takes me back to the old days with my dad,” The ginger said while settling down on the beach chair, “Though the temperatures are the complete opposite, haha. I wonder if my family would survive the extreme change in the weather, though.”

Zhongli and Aether listened attentively while holding their rods, all the while, the anemo archon, visibly tipsy, communicated with Dvalin nearby.

“How come you managed to adapt this easily to the sudden climate change, Childe?” Zhongli asked.

“A warrior must always adapt to any situation. If I let the heat get the best of me, I'm weakened, consequently leaving myself open to enemy attacks."

"Damn, he never changes. If it isn't about his family, the answer is always related to being a fighter… Well, it is almost comforting in a way." Aether thought, mentallyrolling his eyes while taking a sip of the drink Venti had given him.

"I see," Zhongli seriously responded, "It is indeed true. Keeping one's body and mind stable is a must when facing laborious challenges."

Childe was filled with joy upon hearing the acknowledgement. It was always pleasant to hear someone who understood his point of view.

The traveler shifted his attention upon feeling a small force pulling down the

rod.

A fish had finally taken the bait, and the eyes of the two men also moved towards him when they heard the small "oh" Aether let out.

They all rejoiced at the successful catch and its size, and the traveler went straight ahead to prepare a meal for them.

—

As the day went by, they had almost checked everything on the task list; They fished for a while, Aether showed the mechanisms and puzzles that Klee's mom prepared, even landing his Harpastum so Childe could try them, he also taught them how to ride and summon the Waverider, they exchanged various anecdotes, as well as how the traveler came across the Archipelago in the first place, describing the whole Dodo King saga, and finally, filled themselves with food and drinks.

The sun rapidly fell under the horizon, merging the last colored rays of marigold into the indigo night sky. Venti had managed to convince the traveler to drink with him throughout the day and, needless to say, they were quite drunk by now, though both of them had a high tolerance and were somehow still acting civilized.

While Dvalin slept, the four men sat on the sand, listening to Venti sing around the crackling campfire.

When the bard began to sing a piece about Snezhnaya, Childe seemed to have recalled something.

He shuffled through his belongings, grabbing a bottle with a clear liquid, “This was a gift I received earlier, it’s a Snezhnayan specialty alcohol, Fire-Water!”

Aether gulped nervously at the familiar name. He had heard the stories around Mondstadt, how Master Diluc spent three days in bed after drinking a single glass of it, leading to the unsuccessful partnership with the Snezhnayan merchants.

Childe poured the liquid into separate cups and went around distributing them to the boys. Sitting back in his original spot, he continued, “As per tradition, we have to down the cup in one go!”

Venti was all in for the proposal, and despite their concern at first, Zhongli and Aether respected the birthday boy’s wish.

After raising their cups in a toast, they all drank the beverage at once.

Childe cheered, rambling about how he missed the taste of the drink. Zhongli seemed to be unaffected, calm as always, smiling and listening to the Snezhnayan boy.

However, Aether didn’t seem so well, he had expected the feeling, but because of the previous drinks he shared with the bard, it seemed to have had a stronger effect on him.

Aether wasn't the most affected by the drink, though.

That one shot was the ultimatum for Venti. His vision was blurry and he couldn’t stop laughing, which alarmed the others, but before they could take action and ask what was wrong, the archon fell into the sand, a grin on his face as he passed out.

After the realization of what just happened, Aether was the first to talk, “Um, I’ll take him to the shelter. I’m feeling a bit… dizzy too. I’ll get some sleep, haha,” He was making a great effort to sound coherent.

“Hope you enjoyed your day, Childe.”

A sincere smile was directed towards the boy sitting next to Zhongli. That expression warmed Childe’s heart. Aether had put great effort into this whole day and he could tell.

Childe was about to open his mouth to say something after the traveler turned his back to them while carrying Venti, but was stopped by the blonde, “Oh, there’s something I forgot to say. If you go west from here you will find another island with a shipwreck on top of the, um… Rock structure thing. It’s a good place to watch the stars. Anyways, hehe, good night.”

That piqued the two tall men’s interest, and after watching Aether and Venti enter the shelter, Childe looked at Zhongli, who was already standing up, as if he shared the same idea as the other.

A short cruise to the Nameless Isle later, Zhongli and Childe were already walking side by side through the tide, leaving steady footprints on the sand’s surface.

When the two stopped to both admire the place and look for a way to get to the top of the rocky mountain, Zhongli noticed a mural on the rock, which showed a shipwreck and what seemed to be a few people trying to save each other.

The archon was pondering about the meaning of it when he heard Childe’s voice from behind him.

“Mr. Zhongli, there’s a wind current over here!”

Zhongli went to the other’s location, noticing the current that led to the top of the mountain.

Without much effort, both of them got to the original destination: The shipwreck Aether mentioned.

It was indeed a tragic but beautiful place; a place where one could watch the azure starry sky, pale moon glowing brightly.

The two found a spot to sit near the ship that once sailed the seas, and watched the galaxies above them.

Childe offered another shot of the Fire-Water, which the both of them shared. Zhongli closed his eyes, deep in thought.

He had been trying to find the chance to give Childe his birthday gift, but he couldn’t find the opportunity to do so. Finally, now seemed like the perfect time.

He reopened his eyes and stared at Childe, who was watching the sky attentively, blue eyes shining unitedly with the stars.

“Childe.”

Upon hearing his name, he turned to look at the archon.

“Give me your hand,” Zhongli said, reaching his own towards the harbinger.

Childe automatically did so, and after searching for an object on the pocket of his shorts, Zhongli put the present on the other’s palm.

It was a single earring made of Noctilucous Jade and Cor Lapis, in a similar fashion as the one earring Childe normally wore.

“This reminded me of you when I saw it. If you do not wish to wear it, I understand, but I do hope you could keep it with you.”

Zhongli said that but the harbinger was already taking off his original earring, making the archon a bit embarrassed at the impulsiveness of the boy, yet very pleased.

Childe had been rambling about the, now, old earring and how he had gotten it in the first place, but after a while of no response from Zhongli, he gazed at him, being met by the image of the geo archon fast asleep.

Zhongli had a high alcohol tolerance, but with the nightfall, his drowsiness had grown to an almost unbearable level, and now, he was finally subdued by it.

Ajax couldn’t help but feel a warmth in his chest, his expression softened and he decided it was time for him to rest too.

He had never had a better birthday in his life.

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