#i would hope they’d at least have a good plan B for her with another good job that’s less dangerous

[mayasdeluca]

Still on such a high from that episode but feeling scared about two things that may happen now…

Between Maya expressing her concerns to Ben about it feeling impossible to do the job with Carina and Liam at home and Maya telling Andy she felt guilty she wasn’t at home with them to now Maya being the one to express the fear that she will die on the job and leave Carina alone to raise Liam (as opposed to Carina voicing this fear even if she obviously has it also) I’m starting to fear that maybe they are setting it up that Maya isn’t going to be a firefighter anymore at the end of it and maybe that article wasn’t so clickbait-y after all 😩 And especially if she sees whatever happens to Ben (and Beckett maybe?) on the call next episode first hand…

And while I’m glad that Carina brought up IVF again now I can’t help but wonder if that is the difficult news that Maya helps her navigate next episode?? They’re really going to have her find out she can’t have kids aren’t they? 😭

[jmagnabo92]

A Dream Come True - Ch. 10

Ch 10 - One Last Hurrah

The ghosts celebrate one last hurrah at Woodstone and make plans for their next great adventure.

AO3 

          The next few days went by surprisingly fast as everyone hung out and talked about their plans.  The wedding lead much of the discussion as they helped Pete and Laura prepare for it.  The wedding went wonderfully with Pete being thrilled to walk his daughter down the aisle and everyone enjoyed themselves as they celebrated something good for them.

           Luckily, today was about the ghosts and their farewell to Woodstone.

           Of course, it wouldn’t be forever.  They would always be welcomed at Woodstone and naturally, some of them were staying.  Isaac, Hetty and Thor couldn’t bear to leave right away.  Thor because of his son, his fishing business would be anchored near the mansion.  Isaac because he needed more time to adjust and figure out how he could be a history teacher.  It would take more time since he doesn’t quite have the credentials, but Jay had been looking into getting him in as a guest lecturer.  Hetty because Woodstone is her home.  She had never ventured out before, and despite wanting to go to Paris, couldn’t bear to leave Sam.  She was delighted to be helpful with the B&B, instead.

           Pete would be getting himself set up in the little barn that Laura had on her property.  It was a studio apartment that they rent out to college students in Philly but had opted to give it to Pete so that he could be present without being overbearing.  He had plans to do some research into what he wanted to do for the rest of his life.  One thing he had decided on was that he wanted to focus on Laura and little Pete.  

           Alberta had taken her new identification and promptly sat down with Alicia to plan out their first steps into the music world.  They had lined up at least one show the following week, and hoped to spawn more as they planned to follow where the music leads them.  It wouldn’t be easy, but Alberta was excited to already have a gig.  

           Tomorrow, Trevor would be bringing Flower back to her brothers’ place and had opted to bring Sass home with him.  After talking to Shiki (and helping her ascend), Sass had decided that he didn’t really want to stay at the Woodstone, and even though Trevor didn’t plan to go on the road for a couple of months, he figured that Sass could stay with him at his parents’ place.  

           But for now, the party is in full swing – all of the ghosts, aside from Steph as the age difference makes more of a difference now, are in attendance.  The music changes to match each ghost with each new song, which meant groaning when Alberta’s music comes (they had all heard enough of it from her) and wincing when the more classically outdated music of Hetty or Isaac’s time comes on.  It’s such a dramatic change, but it’s fun.

           In addition to the music, Jay had gone all out with the different foods.  Despite the fact that they’ve been alive for a week and had gotten to eat the things they’d been craving, Jay had made all of their favorites.  He had also made sure to get whatever alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks anyone had shown an interest in.  

           Trevor could admit that he had originally wanted to go crazy with the drinks but had admitted that he did not want another early grave and chose to take it easy.

           “So, have you thought about any particular places for your road trip?” Jay questions as he joins Trevor with Sass and Pete, once again chatting about their plans for their new lives.  

           Sass, like Trevor, is the most lost on where to go and what to do, so planning their road trip is exactly what they need to do.

           “If you’re asking if Boston’s on the list – you know it is,” Trevor offers.  “We are friends, after all.”

           Jay elbows him.  “That’s not why I was asking.  I’m curious – much of the states have changed in recent years, there’s a lot of travel and different places to go.”

           “We don’t have much of plan except for wanting to hit all of the fifty states,” Sass says.

           “How’re you going to drive to Hawaii?” Jay questions.

           “We’re not that dumb, Jay,” Trevor teases.  “We’ll just fly, but I have heard that you can put the car on a boat, but flying makes more sense.”

           “And you’re going to drive through Canada to get to the wilderness of Alaska?”

           “We can visit Canada, too,” Trevor offers.  “The truth is we don’t really have a plan.  That’s what the next two months are for – planning.”

           “And making sure that I can drive, too,” Sass offers.  “Apparently, Jeremy said he’s going to teach me how to drive.”

           “I offered, but Jeremy says my skills are ‘rusty’ and promptly signed us both up for a driver’s ed refresher course.”

           Jay laughs.  “Probably a good idea – it has been a while.”

           “Yeah, yeah,” Trevor says, waving it away.  “Anyway, any places you think we should stop?”

           “Oh, well, there’s been a few places that I’ve always wanted to go to, mainly national parks like Zion, Glacier, Yosemite…”

           “Somehow I didn’t think of you as a nature lover,” Trevor states.

           “I love it – I love nature,” Sass states.

           “Yes, we know – hence, your hi tree.”

           “Will you stop with the hi tree,” Sass asks.  “I can’t commit to spending the next several months with you if you do not let go of the hi tree nonsense.”

           “Maybe that’s what I’m secretly trying to do,” Trevor teases, although he doesn’t mean it.  “You know – there’s going to be a lot of construction going on with the whole ‘building a restaurant in the barn’, so you could probably spare a couple of weeks – hire some teenager or someone nearby to make the breakfasts for the guests and tag along with us.”

           “I thought this was your soul-searching trip?” Jay asks.  “Doesn’t that seem like a solo trip?”

           “Sass is already coming, and it might be good for you, too.  Especially with how hard it’s been for you in the last couple of years,” Trevor states.  “I kind of feel responsible for that since it was my fight with the vase – which I won – that caused you to stay, and Sam not be able to go back to the city with her ability to see ghosts.”

           “I don’t want you to feel obligated…”

           “Well, I was …” he takes a breath.  “Also, thinking it would give us time to bond.  In case, something were to happen with Bela – now that I’m … alive again.  If and when I’m ready to date someone.”

           Before Jay can respond, Sass asks, “Would that make me the third wheel?  Because I don’t want to be that.”

           “Maybe Pete can come?” Jay asks.  “Then no one’s third wheeling it?  At least for a couple of weeks during the trip?”

           Pete grins.  “Golly gee, I think that would be a lot of fun.”

           “I’m game if you are – it could be a ghosts’ road trip,” Trevor smiles.

           “I like the sound of that, except I was never a ghost,” Jay says.

           “You’re an honorary ghost, Jay.  Always have been – just because you couldn’t hear us doesn’t mean we love you as much as you love us,” Trevor says with a grin.  

           Jay grins.  “Then, I’m in.”  

           He raises his glass and says, “Here’s to a ghosts’ road trip.”

           “Cheers!”

***

           Goodbyes were never easy, and this one was surprisingly hard.  Trevor always thought it’d be easy to leave Woodstone behind for the world he craved and had dreamed of life beyond the property.  Despite knowing they’ll be back someday, it’s not the same as it’d been last week when they left for a brighter future – knowing that it would only be a few days.

           This time it would be a lot longer.

           This time the goodbyes felt much stronger, more final.  

           Even though they would facetime and text – even though he and Jay had taught all of the ghosts – particularly, the older ones – how their phones work so that they could stay in contact, but it just wasn’t the same as seeing each other every day.  

           “You feel it too, huh?” Sass asks as he puts the bags in the trunk.  

           Trevor can see Pete and Alberta doing the same with their cars.  

           “Yeah, it just feels a bit different.”

           “After years of wanting to be without each other, suddenly…” Sass trails off.  

           “But even though it’s difficult, it’s still a dream come true – we’re getting a new lease on life and staying here when we have the world as our oyster would be...”

           “Wasting it,” Sass finishes.  “Yeah, but it’s still bittersweet.”

           “It was always going to be.”

           “Yeah.”

           Their moment of bittersweetness ends when Flower comes over to drag them back to the house for one final toast and hugs goodbye.

           Sam hands them glasses of champagne as they enter.  “In the living room.”

           Trevor, Sass and Flower join Thor, Isaac and Hetty as they wait quietly for the other two former ghosts to join them.  It only takes a minute before they are joined by the others, Sam and Jay.  

           “I know that this has been a dream come true for all of you and I want you know that no matter how nutty you drove me, I’m going to miss you,” Sam says.

           “Yeah, and you may not be my favorite invisible bastards anymore, but I am so happy I can actually see you now and – and – I am so happy that you all get this opportunity for a new lease on life even if I’m going to miss you,” Jay adds.

           There’s some light chuckling, but it seems like someone on the ghosts’ side should speak up, so Trevor clears his throat and says, “We may not have seemed the most grateful bunch – mainly because we weren’t,” he stops at the chuckling.  “But we are so grateful to you both. You made our afterlives better and we may be leaving for the next great adventure, but that doesn’t mean we won’t miss you, too.”

           He lifts his glass, “To Sam and Jay – the best livings we could’ve asked for.”

           “To Sam and Jay!”  

           They all toast and take a sip.

           “And to our ghosts,” Jay starts.  “Here’s to your next great adventure wherever that may be.”

           “Cheers!”

[bountyman]

therapardalis asked:

*Busily reloading her pistol* "You sure know how to show a girl a good time!"

bountyman answered:

         Of course the job went wrong. Of course it did. In hindsight, Josh should have known. Catching Wells asleep and alone was too good to be true. It only made sense that it’d be a trap. Josh was slipping.

         Stone chips and sand flew into the air as a shot ricocheted off the rocks where he and Thera hid. If Josh was right–and so far his track record hadn’t been great–there were only three of them out there, including Wells. Unfortunately, all of them were either backed into the mines or hidden in the slope of it. Sneaking behind them wasn’t an option and running out was risky.

         “At least one of us is having fun,” Josh grumbled, and popped up, shooting at a flash of blue.

@therapardalis​:

It would have been better if things had gone to plan. Well. Partly better. Maybe a little. Thera squeezed off a shot and hissed as it bounced off a rock and pinged away. This did get the adrenaline going, that was for sure.

“I don’t suppose you brought me something nice … like a stick of dynamite?” That would have been handy, but she was pretty sure Josh didn’t go in for lugging around unstable explosives. And so, plan B.

“Maybe we can lure these guys out …” She picked up the hat she’d dropped in the dust beside her, and used her toe to pull over a discarded bit of wood. “ I’ll show them a decoy.” The hat went on the end of the stick, just right for being lifted above the edge of the rock to look like her head, “You get ready to shoot.”

          “Dynamite,” Josh parroted under his breath, exasperated. No, it was true he didn’t carry the stuff, but after this maybe he’d start. All assuming they get out of this one alive. 

          “Careful now, Thera,” he warned. Capable of holding her own or not, he wasn’t keen on a lady putting herself in danger. This was his bounty after all, not hers; she was just along for the ride.

          Still, she knew what she was getting into when she rode with him, he reminded himself. She must. This wasn’t the first time they’d been shot at, and God bless her, she seemed to enjoy it.

          Maybe that was why they worked so well.

          Josh peeked around their cover as much as he dared. If he squinted, he thought he could just make out some movement in the mouth of the mine. Then, with a crack that made his ears ring, one of Wells’ boys shot Thera’s decoy. The hat flipped into the air and tumbled into the dust.

          Silence.

          Josh kept very still. 

          Then, gradually, he could make out grumblings from the mines. He grinned and glanced over at Thera. Good girl.

          Silent as he could, Josh shifted where he crouched, lowered gently, gently onto his belly into the dirt. One man wandered hesitantly into the sun, ready to shoot, then, when nothing happened, another crept out. 

          “Think we got ‘im,” he heard one say. 

          “No, no, there was two.”

          “Woman, though, ain’t it?”

          Something about the laughter that followed boiled Josh’s blood. He pushed up on his elbows, drug out a little farther.

          “C’mon out, little lady!” one shouted. “Won’t hurt you none! Not iff’n you behave!”

          Sweaty palms. Sun beating down on his brow. Josh lined up his shot. Just a little squeeze...

          He waited until they were out too far to easily run back before he pulled the trigger all the way. The hillside rang and one dropped immediately, dead. The second, Josh only managed to clip. One leg jerked in a spray of blood and the bandit crumpled with a scream.

          “That leaves Wills,” Josh hissed. “I hope. I’m gonna move in.”

[adeptiiii]

Day 6: Canon!Kit/Suzie

(Gōro Kobayashi/小林吾郎 is Kit's real name)

Synopsis: Kit is taken back to his parents, and is banned from seeing TOP LANE again.

Takes place during Phase 4.

Word count: 1063

It’d been weeks since Suzie seen Kit.

There she was, laying in bed at the lowest point in her life. Hex was out buying groceries to at least keep them alive, and Patch was probably crying in the kitchen again.

The last time she saw Kit, he was being dragged away by his overly strict parents. They’ve never supported his passion, no matter how successful it was. They had everything, the money, the fame, and the talent, but that still wasn’t good enough for his parents.

Kit was unbelievably talented, he could learn anything in a heartbeat and his choreography skills were amazing. But with that talent, came demanding parents. He didn’t mind learning and playing both the violin and piano, but he wanted something more. He wanted to just be free and dance his mind away.

No matter how many awards sat in his room’s cabinet, he would never be satisfied with his accomplishments. But dancing even for a minute made him feel alive.

Suzie and Kit clicked immediately the moment they met, from Suzie’s aspiration to Kit’s desire, they complimented each other perfectly. Suzie could never stop staring at him, he was so unbelievably handsome. Unlike Patch, Kit was humble about his look. He was bashful whenever Suzie praised him, and oh how she loved how his ears would lower, him looking away in embarrassment. 

Suzie and Hex were quite close, and Hex knew everything about Suzie. Especially her insecurities. Kit came to knew it after he overheard their conversation and made it his goal to compliment her everyday. Even though Hex did the same, she didn’t get as giddy and heart-warmed as compared to Kit.

Now that he was gone, no one was there to fill the void.

Suzie furrows her eyebrows, and sits upright. She was going to get him back. She knew Kit was a filial son, but he also hated being at his parents house.

She put on whatever clothes she could find, and quickly hollered to Patch that she was going out and to tell Hex if she came home early. All that came was a melancholy grumble, and clinking of beer cans.

She looks back worriedly, but she focused back on her goal. Get Kit back.

The public transportation ride felt long and arduous. How the hell was she going to convince his parents to let him go and to let him follow his dreams? Talking to them felt like talking to a wall. Except the wall would insult you…subtly.

Suzie stops by the void deck’s benches, taking out a piece of paper just incase her attempt went wrong. Surely they’d let her pass a note? Not like there was a bomb in it.

She finally arrives at Kit’s apartment, knocking the door. 

The door swings open, and Kit’s mother greets Suzie…not so politely. Suzie winces, but continues smiling.

“Is Gōro in today?” Suzie asks, politely and innocently. She definitely didn’t want to piss off already grumpy parents. Kit’s mother squints for a moment, and suddenly her husband is beside her.

“What do you want?” His father asks, the tone obviously telling Suzie to go away.

“I just want to talk to him…If that’s okay?” Suzie asks, clasping her hands. She already knows this won’t end well, but it’s worth a shot anyway.

“No. We don’t want him talking to people…like you, right now. He’s quite tired.” His mother explains, trying to cover up the obvious insult with an excuse.

Suzie, clenches her hands, trying not to break her polite facade. Okay, here goes plan B.

“Could you please just pass this note to him, then? If he’s tired he can read it later!” Suzie pleads, holding out the note with puppy eyes.

His mother sighs, she couldn’t refuse the note, otherwise she’d have to come up with another excuse. She takes the note out of Suzie’s hand, quickly slamming the door behind her. Suzie jolts at the noise, and curses under her breath. So damn rude.

Suzie just hopes they don’t throw the note in the trash, and begrudgingly starts her journey back home. Guess she couldn’t see him today, after all.

Kit’s ears perk up at a knock on his bedroom door, and he places his violin delicately onto the bed. He opens the door wide, tilting his head at the sudden attention.

“Yes, mother?” Kit responds, his face gloomy and tired from all the practice he’s been doing.

“Your friend, the one with pink eyes, came over and asked me to give you this note.” His mother explains, placing the note in his palm. She urges him to continue practicing, and she goes back to the kitchen to continue cooking.

Kit looks down at the folded paper, one eyebrow raised. Suzie? Why did she suddenly come? Maybe she wanted to meet face-to-face, but of course his parents refused.

Kit closes the door, and sits back down on his plush bed. He unfolds the note, and he can immediately tell it was her handwriting. It was incredibly cursive, almost like it was written by someone from the 60’s.

“It’s been weeks, Gōro. Don’t you wanna come back? Why’re you afraid of going against them? I mean, I’m guessing right now that you’re not happy. Probably practicing your violin for the 900th time. Everyone here misses you, but I missed you the most. I miss the mornings of you coming out your room, bed hair and all, and complimenting me. I miss us singing together in my room, at night with the stars. I miss seeing you dancing first thing in the morning, probably to some cheesy 2000’s song as if your life depended on it. I miss a lot of things.

Come back, please, Gōro? For me? 143.” Kit’s eyes start to water, and he can feels tears running down his face. But his eyes widen when he sees the last three digits written at the bottom of the page.

“143.” 

“I love you.”

He breaks out into a sob, holding the paper to his chest. He falls back onto his bed, tears running down his face. He wants to get out, he wants to go back to TOP LANE, his family. But right now, he just wants to see Suzie smile again.

He covers his face with his hands, gripping his hair and silently sobbing. “How I wish I could come back.”

[paradisetemporarilymisplaced]

So I was being a basic bitch the other day and listening to my true crime podcasts when it occurred to me just how suspicious Nile’s “death” would look to everyone not in the Guard, leading me to a train of thought that, 2200 words later, absolutely got away from me but I can’t let go so I’m inflicting it on all of you!

To set the stage, we know the movie takes place over approximately a week. Here’s what happens to Nile from the military’s point of view:

She dies is very seriously injured

She heals without a scratch

Just before she’s supposed to be shipped out to Germany, she vanishes, leaving two men concussed (and presumably reporting being knocked out by a woman with short hair wearing civilian clothes)

She goes AWOL for several days

They get word from the CIA that she is to be reported killed in action (details unclear)

So, at the beginning of this very weird week, the USMC has to tell Nile’s family of her death critical injury. What her family was told depends on how long she was dead – a Google search tells me that family will be notified in person within 8 hours of a soldier’s death, but we don’t know how long her first death lasted. For an injury, however, they’d get a phone call to notify them and the unit would arrange for them to visit as soon as the soldier is transferred out of a combat zone. Like I remember when I was in high school, a guy from my church who was a Marine was really seriously injured in a helicopter crash in Iraq and from what I could tell, his parents were told immediately and were flown out to Germany to see him, so it stands to reason that Nile’s family would have been informed relatively quickly after her throat was slashed, one way or another.

And then, she goes AWOL. Her family would be notified while the USMC tried to figure out where she went, not least because the military would want to know if she’s contacted them. (And it’s possible that her family may have been on the way to Germany to see her since we know that’s where she was supposed to go!) So for several days:

Nile’s mom and brother have no idea where she is

They know she was seriously injured and most certainly should not have been moving around on her own

They can’t get a hold of her

The military can’t tell them anything

And the next thing they know for sure is that she was “killed in action.” After being injured and vanishing into thin air. And they presumably cannot produce her body or any concrete evidence of her death. In any case, something sketchy is going on, so they’re like. SMELLS LIKE A MILITARY COVERUP.

In a surprise to probably no one, there is a well-documented legacy of mysterious US military deaths, particularly of women of color (TW for sexual assault in these links). The cases of LaVena Johnson and Vanessa Guillenin particular have made national news because of their families’ persistence in seeking justice. Likewise, Nile is a Black woman, and her mom and brother are most certainly hypercognizant of (a) state violence against Black people and (b) these high-profile cases of suspicious military deaths. So her family are seriously side-eyeing the situation, knowing that (a) the military has a serious incentive (and a documented history) of covering up things that make them look bad and (b) nothing about Nile’s disappearance and supposed death are adding up.

And Andy’s right. Nile does come from warriors. And you know who else does? Her brother.

Don’t get me wrong. Nile’s mom would absolutely not back down. She’d know something was up and want to get to the bottom of it. But based on what I know about Gen X parents (mine), they’re not the most technologically savvy. Like they can use the internet, but they didn’t grow up with it the way we young millennials and Gen Z did. So Nile’s brother takes the lead. And what do zillennials do best?

Social media.

Nile’s brother starts going hard on any site he can, trying to get the word out to see if anyone knows what happened to his sister. He starts a Reddit thread. He starts a Facebook group. He reaches out to the media and true crime bloggers and podcasters à la Sarah Turney, getting loud and being a general nuisance in hopes of getting some answers. He gets his friends and Nile’s friends involved. Maybe eventually Dizzy, Jay, and others from Nile’s unit hear about it and reach out, telling him what they saw and how weird it all was. He’s drumming up interest, and soon “Nile Freeman” becomes a household name (at least among the true crime fans).

Copley is, of course, trying his best, but at this point there is just so much that it’s impossible for him to scrub everything. Sure, he can erase new footage of Nile and the Guard, but what can he do about Reddit threads and podcast episodes that are speculating something weird has happened? Maybe he could hack the sites and shut those things down, but honestly, that’s the last thing he’d want to do, because that only adds weight to the theory that Nile’s disappearance is a military coverup. So eventually he has to tell Andy what’s going on.

Andy, obviously, does not take the news well. However, she is also completely computer illiterate, because that’s Booker’s job and he’s the only one who ever bothered to learn what the internet is in any meaningful way. (She probably calls Booker for advice, and for the record, I think Booker would have no qualms about shutting down conspiracy threads, tinhats be damned, but Copley is too concerned about the consequences. He’s ex-CIA for crying out loud, he knows how it’ll look if they scrub every mention of Nile’s name from the internet.) Maybe she confers with Joe and Nicky but, let’s be honest, they’d be equally unhelpful. So at this point, she knows they have to bring in Nile.

But the thing about Nile is that she, too, knows how to use the internet (duh). Aside from her being a young millennial/digital native, we know from the cave scene where she’s giving Booker suggestions on how to track Copley that she clearly is even more computer savvy than the average person. And for that reason she almost definitely took over the day-to-day tech stuff after Booker’s exile. So I think it would be foolish to expect her to be unaware of what’s happening. She’s not contacting her family or posting on the message boards or anything, but she knows what’s up. So Copley and the team probably sit her down to “break the news,” but we know the girl does not have a poker face (see: literally shooting herself in the foot and not being able to play it cool whatsoever) and cracks immediately, telling them she’s seen everything about her case – she’s not interacting with any of it, she certainly didn’t instigate anything, but she knows. (And she is so goddamn proud of her brother.)

At this point, I’d like to pause and consider Nile’s role in the overall narrative of this movie. She’s set up as a foil to Andy, obviously, but she’s also a foil to Booker. Booker, who, like Andy, is a serious pessimist, but who, unlike Andy, still has very fresh memories and trauma associated with being the new kid, which have destroyed him. In his mind (and Andy’s), if Nile communicates with her family, she’ll become just like him in a century or two – bitter, alone, and stuck with her grief and memories of watching her family die and knowing they died resenting her. It’s a small sample size, but this is the only experience they have to go off of.

But it doesn’t have to be like that.

There’s been a lot of discussion of TOG being a fundamentally queer movie – a group of people brought together because of something inherent about themselves that is different, that must be hidden, that causes others to hate, fear, and reject them. Booker’s backstory is the archetypal traumatic “coming out” story – his family learns who he is, hate him for it, and attempt to cast him out of their lives. He’s stuck with his trauma, his pain, his loss, and it consumes him.

But what if Nile’s family would be the opposite? What if her “coming out” to them as immortal is met with acceptance, love, celebration? What if her family is just overjoyed to have her back, and they don’t care what the circumstances are? I'm reminded of this incredible post from @shitty-old-guard-deaths a while back, where Nile’s mother hits Booker with a frying pan because “my baby let me believe she was dead for FIVE YEARS based on your bad advice???” (which may or may not have inspired this whole tangent). Nile takes the advice of someone who did the same thing she wants to do because she doesn’t want to risk her family’s rejection. She wants the good memories with her family and is afraid that showing them her true self will bring her unbearable pain, forever replacing those memories. But, with high risk comes high reward.

Anyway. Nile and the team are trying to come up with a plan for how to handle this whole thing, but she’s not really participating because she’s too afraid to hope. Until finally, quickly, so she doesn’t lose her nerve, she suggests she reach out to them, knowing that, realistically, that’s the only solution before things snowball even further out of control. The team is shocked, but realize that she has a point. They decide that Copley should actually be the first point of contact, posing as a US government official to talk with them and test the waters.

So Copley goes to Nile’s family’s house to talk with her mom and brother. They’re probably distrustful and apprehensive, but nonetheless secretly ecstatic that their work has paid off. They talk and review all of the information that they’ve collected, including testimonials from the people on Nile’s base and recent sightings (along with photos) of Nile (with the same three people) over the last few years that people have sent them but they haven’t posted publicly. At this point, Copley’s like, yeah this is about to blow up, we gotta put our cards on the table. He convinces them to come with him to some safe house/black site/whatever he can get that is technologically impenetrable (I’m picturing them in like, an interrogation room at a police station kind of deal), takes their phones, locks the doors, and brings in Nile.

What follows is the most delightful reunion scene of all time, bringing Joe, Nicky, and even Andy to tears as they watch and listen from outside the room. With Copley’s help, Nile tells her mom and brother about her immortality and what’s been going on since she died (within reason, of course), and they are thrilled. They don’t understand why (because no one does) but they don’t question it and they see it as a gift from God – she’s been resurrected, she will live, and she has a purpose. Her mother and brother are so happy to see her again and are willing to agree with pretty much anything to stay in her life as long as they can.

So. They set up some complicated agreement (they bring in the other three for support/intimidation as needed) setting the terms of their relationship. They swear Nile’s family to secrecy, maybe bringing up the lab to show how high the stakes are, and they readily agree. They come up with some cover story for Nile’s brother to share on the message boards (maybe that the government has opened an investigation but because it’s an open case he has to shut it all down? Tells people to direct their tips somewhere else? Something to that effect). There’s still speculation, of course, but without Nile’s brother at the helm providing the energy, the hype dies down as news stories are wont to do without any movement. And Nile’s family goes to work for the team. The experience has taught them that Copley can’t possibly do everything himself, especially when it comes to social media, so Nile’s brother takes the lead on the day-to-day tracking/social media while Copley and her mom focus on finding jobs and scrubbing their traces afterward.

So there you have it: Nile gets to integrate her biological family into her found family and spend the rest of their lives with them as it should be, Copley gets some badly needed help managing the reality of social media, the team finally has a positive narrative surrounding outsiders Knowing About Them AND about interacting with people from their previous life, and the audience gets the happy ending to this very lovely and very queer story to counteract the pain associated with Booker’s family.

Plus, you know, I’m a sucker for both a good government conspiracy theory and for Nile getting every good thing she deserves.

[ive-tumbled-down-a-rabbit-hole]

BBQ at the Kent's

Clark invites his friends over for a quiet BBQ at Ma's farm. It just doesn't go quite how he expected.

Masterlist

........................................................................

Clark had invited his closest friends and their underlings to a BBQ at Kent farm. So what if his closest friends, all happened to be from the Justice League. Kent Farm was a perfect location. It was out the way so if power mishaps it was unlikely to be observed by anyone passing by. It was a large space so could hold lots of people. Especially as his friends seemed to have a habit of collecting underlings like Pokémon, in particular Bruce. AND it wasn't Wayne manor which despite what Bruce says isn't always a relaxing place to be.

Ma was catching up with Alfred and Lois which was good, Alfred deserved a medal as well as the chance to relax. The teens and kids were mucking about/chilling in the house, and he could catch up with his colleague slash friends and relax.

What he may have miscalculated though was his little sister returning home to see Ma. She knew about him and his 'side job'. She had also, very early on, figured out his friends ‘side jobs’ too. Working it out was a breeze according to her, they weren’t particularly discrete in the beginning (according to her at least). She had covered for him and saved his bacon more times than he would willingly admit. Hell, she's covered for him to them and covered for them without them knowing. She’d provided so many alibis and removed evidence that they hadn’t thought about. The issue though, with his sister turning up, was more that THEY a) didn't know about her and b) didn't know that she knew and finally c) she could quite easily give them all a run for their money.

___________________________________

Walking into her family home she found a swarm of teens lounging around the living room. They were all chatting and talking over each other that they didn't notice her enter. Raising an eyebrow, she spotted Conner, who was currently wrapped around another boy with dark hair.

"Hey Mini Bale! Nice look you got going. Bet it's driving the old men mad and completely beats the plaid shirts and starched suits. Is Haybale out in the yard?"

Conner jumped, causing the others in the room to stop chatting, and looks to see his sort of aunt smirking at him across the room.

"Hey M, didn't know you were coming too? Yeah Clarks out back. Ummm….. why are you here?"

"This is my home too Mini Bale.” She deadpans him, “I was planning to surprise to see Ma as not visited in person for a while. I don’t need to tell Haybale every time I visit, he isn’t the boss of me.” Conner’s aunt pouted before gaining a glint in her eye, “What I wasn't expecting to see was Haybale having a "small gathering” here and not invite moi! But alas it is what it is."

The glint turning into a smug look with a dangerous edge as she took in the room.

"Auntie M!!!", the call distracted her from the room suddenly as Jon ran in from the kitchen and launched himself into a flying jump to hug with the women standing in the room. "Straw stack!! How are you doing sweetie? Made any new friends?"

While Jon dissolved into conversation with his Auntie, Tim took the opportunity to quickly assess the newly dubbed Em. She was well dressed, the sort you don't often see on farms and would be better placed in the city. Her clothes were expensive, the type he often could see board members wearing when relaxing. Even with Jon holding her attention she seemed to have clocked him studying her and nearly everyone else who was watching her interactions. Leaning into his boyfriend he queried.

"Em? Does she? Is she? Who???"

Conner chuckled at Tim's confusion, as well as the mystified faces of the others there.

"Tim, guys, I'd like to introduce you to Clark's sister, and my sorta aunt and Jon’s definite Auntie, Marinette. M for short. And before you ask Tim, no she isn’t like him. She *does* works with Max Kante in developing high tech material and gadgets since well she grew up with Clark and wanted to help him cope with his powers… She and Max created MiracuTech as a result. It’s her brainchild though really, M doesn’t really need Max."

"Mini Bale stop!! You’re dramatizing it. I need Max just as much as he needs me, our skill set complement each other. We couldn’t make half the stuff MiracuTech does without his input.” Marinette blushed, “Max says hi by the way and to tell you to pop by the office. He wants to test his new “creation” with you. Not that that offer will remain if you keep speaking of him like that. But it does remind me, how are you finding the glasses?"

It was Conner’s turn to smirk at his friends, and they could suddenly see the family resemblance in the pair.

"They're are awesome M. Like the play back function is brilliant. I've recorded so much blackmail."

His friends paused and a shiver went down their spines recalling all the incidents that have happened since Conner got his latest sunglasses.

"Fab feedback. I'll let Max know.” Taking as glance around the room, “I'm gonna take a wild guess as say Battle Barbie, Fishtails, Greedy Gonzales and Moody & Broody are out back with Haybale and Ma, Mini Bale?"

That again caused the room to freeze, being siblings with Clark kinda made sense that she would have known his identity, but for Clark to tell her about other identities was worrying. Conner tilted his head and looked at his sorta aunt as if trying to work out what she was planning.

"Yeeeeah, what are you up to M? I'm pretty sure you promised Clark you'd not cause mischief when you met everyone."

"I deny ever making that promise. I have evidence to back up that claim too. Plus, the amount of shit Haybale has caused me cos of his moral compass and lack of impulse control makes it fair game. Though I do support his altruism.” She paused debating what she would say next, “To set the record straight what I *actually* promised was that I would *consider* not causing *too much* mischief. And I have considered it and think that I'll survive this course of action. You’re not the only one with playback ability. Thanks for the info Mini Bale. Let's catch up more later!"

With that she ruffled his hair as she walked past him out to see her dear older brother.

"You've spent too much time as a cat M!" Conner called as he tried to sort out his hair. The room erupted as she left the room. Confusion, mild panic as to whether their identities were at risk and answers were demanded from Conner and Jon. Tim whined at Conner’s comment, "Cat?! We've got to keep B away from her!"

___________________________________

Out in the yard, Clark was relaxed surround by what he supposed was the founding JL members. He'd heard his sister turn up and cause subtle chaos amongst the teens in the house slowly dreading her announcing her arrival out here. Ma would be thrilled to see her. He was too, sort of. Just not in front of everyone. Kon-El was right with her spending too much time as a cat. And Tim was right as well. He'd have to keep Bruce away from her, she'd be just his latest type.

"HAY BALE! You're holding a party for little ol' me?! How delightful of you."

Clark cringed. He still hated her nickname for him.

"Lois! Ma! You both look lovely as ever! Oh, it’s been too long since I've seen you in person."

Marinette swooped past Clark to the ladies and gave them huge hugs before quickly falling into conversation to catching up with them, thankfully ignoring Clark allowing him some time to deal with his friends.

"Why is Marinette K from MiracuTech at your farm Clark?"

Barry quickly asked, staring at his sister with stars in his eyes. Ok maybe it wasn't just Bruce Clark had to worry about.

"Yes, why is the Guardian, Lady Fortune, at your home?" queried Arthur looking at Clark with confusion and slight apprehension.

"MiracuTech… Guardian," Diana quickly put together gasping, looking at Arthur who had cottoned on to her implications as well, then back at Marinette.

"Guys! Please! Cool it, M I hope," Clark quickly glared at his sister, who was grinning manically knowing the trouble she was causing for him, "can answer your questions and Barry, M, Marinette, is my sister. Why wouldn't she come here? Though this wasn't planned visit that I was aware of."

"You have a sister."

Bruce stated, as Diana and Arthur wondered off talking in hushed tones. Clark could hear that they had figured out one of her 'other' identities but was content that they wouldn't add drama for the moment he redirected his attention back to Bruce.

Clark sighed tiredly, "yes, I have a sister, Bruce. Who likes to keep her personal life private. Which is why you guys have just found out about her and not before."

"Is she Kryptonian?"

"Bruce!! you can't ask Clark that!!" Barry exclaimed, not really surprised by his bluntness but still Alfred was about, and he was ‘Bruce’ currently so social etiquettes, and all should be observed.

"What can't Moody & Broody ask Haybale, Greedy Gonzales?" Marinette enquired, a picture of planned innocence, as she snuck up on them. She gave Clark a side hug and a ‘knowing’ sibling smile.

"M… please… stop with that nickname. Bruce was just asking if you were adopted as well."

"Fine!" She rolled her eyes, "Boy Scout it is then. Moody & Broody I'm not adopted. Ma and Pa had me as a 'Surprise! you're pregnant’ a few years after they'd adopted Boy Scout here"

Bruce frowned at the names she'd been given them. While she just gave a facade of innocence, she held a glint in her eye that destroyed the illusion along with the names she was giving everyone.

Ignoring Clark and Bruce, Marinette turned to Barry to discuss his work at S.T.A.R labs and potential collaboration with MiracuTech. Clark internally groaned as he watched his sister get animated about some sort of tech project she wanted to discuss.

Bruce observed the interaction. It was clear that she knew more than she was letting on. Though he had done research on his peers to know their weaknesses and strengths, Clark having a younger sister never came up. How he had hidden her was impressive, unless it was herself who had hidden her existence from him… That was worrying causing Bruce to deepen his frown as he watched Barry and Marinette chat.

Clark joined in frowning at the pair, but because of how was Barry flirting with his BABY sister before he started to groan as it seemed to go completely over her head. She still seemed to be oblivious to those around her liking her slightly more than friendship.

"M! Ma's told you before no business talk at home."

Laughing back at him his sister nodded "We’ll have to continue this discussion another day maybe Greedy Gonzalez, when Boy Scout isn't being all boy scout-y and acting like a golden child."

Seeing an opportunity Diana butted in and 'subtly' tried to guide Marinette to where she was sitting with Arthur. "Lady Fortune, it's an honour to meet you in person. My mother has told many a tale of our mutual friends’ legacy"

"M is fine. Lady is much too formal for my liking right Ms Prince? Our friends have told me much about your mother as well Battle Barbie. But I must say I'd be more interested to hear about your curator work at the Louvre" Allowing herself to be led away.

___________________________________

Bruce gave Clark a patented batglare, "She knows." Clark rubbed his neck before back at Bruce.

"Yes. She knows. She's my sister. It's kinda hard to hide learning how to manage superpowers from family you know. It was her and Pa that helped find solutions to manage the powers. Lead glasses… her idea."

Growling at Clarks response. "She knows ours. You told her"

Taking a deep breath, "No Bruce.” Clark sighed out, praying to the god’s his sister cared for, for the patience to deal with his paranoid friend, “I didn't. She's smart. Ridiculously and stupidly smart but that's aside. She *knows* who I am. She follows my career, like I do hers. She knows who I work with, like I know who she works with. And who my friends are. The info is all there to work it out. She's also got me out of tight spots as an alibi way too often. I'm pretty sure this is opportunistic revenge for it. Especially for all she did before Lois *knew*"

"Oh god it was her calling you at the watch tower that made you pale. Not Ma Kent!!" Barry cackled, "She's the one you're scared of!!"

"Ssshhhhh Barry! Yes! She terrifies me. Much more than little sisters should. You do realise she has covered all your butts more than you think too. Remember she is a tech genius, she works *with other* tech genius’s and we, sometimes in a rush in the early days, forgot about cameras and visuals lining up."

Barry paled at that. Bruce on the other hand looked intrigued. Of course, her problem solving, and detective skills would attract him. "How long has she known?"

"Mine, since forever and never told anyone. Yours, as she has never said anything directly, I’m going to guess since we worked together the first times. I don’t really know for how long, but it’s been since the early days. You don’t need to worry though; she understands the need for secrets and how to keep them. This,” Clark says waving his hand around, “is her way to letting you know she knows without stating it. It’s definitely her subtle form of revenge on me for having to hack large corporations and delete footage or claiming that I was with her visiting so couldn’t get caught out.”

Clark turned to Bruce all serious, “Don’t antagonise or integrate her. Please Bruce! She can and will break into the Batcomputer and cause it to run slow and force your phones and alarms to only play baby shark.”

“So, she’s the one who helped you hack LexCorp to get the evidence required for your latest article”

“That’s what you got from that?! That my genius *baby* sister sometimes, might, maybe, help gather evidence to take down corrupt businessmen and politicians?! Not the fact that you shouldn’t wind her up!!”

“Well I know your tech skills aren’t up to scratch and though there was potential for Lois, it doesn’t really fit her MO so its nice to know how you truly do it. Do you think she would tell us how she hacked into JL main computer and the bat computer? Or be willing to assist in building better protection.”

Clark stared at Bruce, and was about to respond, but before he could Diana caught his eye as she knelt before M holding her hand. Stars in Diana’s eyes while Arthur looked like he was going to faint.

He groaned. Now, Diana!

His baby sister was really trying to stress him out with all the potential shovel talks he would need to make. The shimmer in her eyes when she briefly caught him looking at her suggested that she may be more aware that she was letting on. With the headache she was causing him, he would need a drink after all this.

Thankfully, before Marinette could cause more chaos with the Atlantean and Amazonian, her phone went off resulting in her slinking off to deal with what sounded like guardian issues from his eaves dropping giving what he thought was breathing room.

“Are you ok Arthur? Do I need to talk to M?” Clark enquired to his friend, hoping his sister hadn’t caused too much trauma for his friend.

“She can hold both sides of the balance and not succumb to the pressure or temptation. A true soul and so young. You let this all happen to your younger sister?”

Ok so she had caused some trauma for the Atlantean after all. He was certain it was related to the cat as well as the bug.

“Let is a strong word, Arthur. Forced is more appropriate. M is more stubborn than Bruce at times. And at 14... yeah hormonal teenage younger sister in Paris. My hand was forced.”

Diana and Arthur choked looking at Clark in horror, “14!?!?!”

Both Bruce and Barry raised an eye at him in judgement. Like they’re ones to talk with how young they let their mentees join the field.

“It is decided. She will be traveling with me to Themyscira and to Atlantis when Arthur puts on his ‘big boy pants’. She requires extra support in this matter.”

“14? Extra support? Diana, what are you talking about? She is in her 20’s not 14. You can’t kidnap Clark’s sister, Can she?”

Barry looked perplexed by the situation. Unsure on what they are talking about. She seemed to be fine and had survived years without assistance and knowing about their identities. Going to Themyscira and Atlantis would not help with that.

Staring at Clark with an unnerving intensity, Bruce answered Barry’s questions.

“She was one of the Parisian heroes. Their leader from what Diana and Arthur are suggesting. She started her extracurricular activities before even we officially did, much younger than we were and Clark didn’t stop her.”

“Oh.... Wait?! You didn’t stop her!!”

Clark was really regretting this BBQ. It was starting to feel more like an interrogation on his big brother skills, a judgement on his mentoring capability NOT a relaxing escape with friends.

“It would explain why Clark was so insistent of a some of the support protocols now,” Bruce mused. “She didn’t let you help and forced you stay away, didn’t she? Your powers, if you got akumatised, had the potential to cause a global disaster and the magic could have hurt you out of costume.”

“If you knew this, why are you giving me grief! And Diana, you can’t kidnap M. She has a support network already.”

“I didn’t. You just confirmed it. And more support can never hurt.”

Damn bat with his detective trickery and throwing his own arguments back in his face. Groaning in response Clark looked at his friends,

“Fine. You can ask but it’s HER choice no forcing it ok.”

After some grumbled agreements they all agreed.

___________________________________

“I hate you,”

“I love you too, Hay Bale.”

Marinette grinned at her brother with a cup of tea in hand. His friends had finally departed more than one had managed to get him to convince her to exchange numbers. She’d agreed to visit Diana when back in Paris to arrange a visit to Themyscira. It scared him how quickly after the initial interrogation and worry they all accepted her. She was bound to provide them so much blackmail on him. Clark was dreading his next JL meeting.

“You did this on purpose.”

“Not really. Ma knew I was visiting her this month. The fact you were here with everyone was just a perfect opportunity which I took up.”

Clark stared at his sister. None of her nervous tells were showing so wasn’t lying to him, not that she would. She hated secrets, and she carried so many with so many implications if they were revealed. As a result, she hated liars if there was not true reason for them.

“Fine. You do realise I have so many shovel talks now to dish out?”

“What?”

“Did you not see the heart eye’s Barry was giving? Or how Diana was constantly trying to get close? And once Bruce had assessed that you weren’t a threat, kept trying to engage you in conversation about detective stuff?”

“Oh, So, errr, they aren’t like that normally to friends?” A faint blush was making its way across Marinette’s cheeks. “I like wasn’t aware. Can I blame miraculous side effects?”

Clark laughed at his baby sister, yeah as clever as she was, she remained her wonderful blissfully ignorant self on flirting which he adored.

“Nah, they aren’t normally that friendly. Didn’t think you noticed and sure let’s blame the kwami, they caused some of this drama any way. I vote for Plagg and Trixx for being at fault.”

[animeyanderelover]

Can u do yandere shikamaru and yandere temari sharing an s/o who already has a kid.

I was hoping for a request like this because the chemistry between Shikamaru and Temari is gold.

Tw: Yandere themes, unhealthy mindset, unhealthy relationship, possessiveness, obsessiveness, harsh Yandere, manipulation, stalking, mentions of divorce, negligence, abuse

Sharing a darling that already has a kid

🌪🦌Luckily both are ready to share and are already a couple because Temari is a possessive lady as a Yandere. With Shikamaru or with one of her brothers she has the least troubles sharing though so that comes to Shikamaru’s luck because Temari can be…a bit scary when she’s agitated. Shikamaru is a bit more open with the topic of sharing to say the least, though since Temari is his wife and he knows that she’s deep down a responsible and honest person who loves the s/o, he won’t have any objections at all. Both might just be glad that it turns out that they share the feelings for you and since both are perceptive and sharp observers, they notice sooner or later. Rather sooner.

🌪🦌The only real problem is that both are hyper-aware of their obsession so they kind of end up dwelling initially over that, especially considering that their darling has a child. And a specifically huge trouble would appear if the other parent and partner would still be in the picture, ensuring that s/o and child are happy. No doubts that if those two would get to know that your partner isn’t a good fit for the role of lover and parent, ignoring you and child, they would have no problems removing that toxic threat from you and the kid. And they will be harsh with the culprit, especially Temari would be all too willing to lash out on them for not being good for their family. Shikamaru, more responsible for convincing the darling into ending the toxic relationship if they were still to be clinging to it, is far more subtle yet the tension if he were to meet said person is sharper than a kunai. Ruining their reputation will be done without hesitation, showing everyone how terrible and lowly they are.

🌪🦌The moment any damaging abuse would be shown in this relationship to you and the small one it’s about over, maybe even with the price of their own life. Temari is harsh but responsible enough to judge a person’s action and Shikamaru is one of the most chill Yandere to have. But both love the darling and the child and if someone would lay a wrong hand on them, both will without a doubt tend to succumb to their darkest sides. With Temari being seen initially as the more dangerous one since she’d without a doubt grow violent in public the moment she found out and saw that jerk’s face, in such situations it’s by far Shikamaru who is the walking menace. He’s smart, calculating and differently from Temari’s rage that is like a hurricane where everyone can sense the danger from far away, he’s acting not like that.

🌪🦌Shikamaru’s wrath is far more hidden in the darkness, a cold and insanely calm one that devours the victim slowly. Temari is very intelligent as well, but Shikamaru beats everyone by far in such category and he will make a plan on how to get rid of the monster who harmed you two. Temari lets him handle all because even she would get scared from the frightening empty look in his eyes if the said scenario would be true, yet the anger is creeping inside the darkness like shadows. Making Shikamaru furious is the wit’s end because he rarely snaps and if he does, it means almost always death. It’s a deadly mistake.

🌪🦌But what if you’d be happy and have a loving partner who loves the child as well? Both would get without a doubt worked up over this, knowing that you lead a happy life. For both it’s a heavy burden to carry, seeing the person they love in the arms of another one with the child is like a sharp punch in the face, unable to look straight into such a painfully happy picture of happiness. Ashamed and disappointed in themselves, they’d try probably to bury those feelings away and not ruin the happy family. Giving in to their inner demons takes time, even with Temari snapping quicker since she has the worse temper.

🌪🦌Both might find over time reasons why they can’t quite see your lover as a fit for parent and partner. Maybe because they don’t deem them as strong enough, maybe because they don’t have a good feeling about this person in general. Blackmailing and sabotage from behind the scenes would be the main way of handling this problem. They’d both start pointing out things between you and your spouse that don’t seem to work well together, habits that annoy each other or incapacities of your lover in regards of the roles they have to fill in to make the young one and you happy. Shikamaru has the possibilities to use his shadow jutsu to manipulate them a bit as well, causing them to ridicule themself in public or Temari who ends up guaranteeing that they end up always being too late to important meetings.

🌪🦌Arguments might rose with you suddenly paying specifically much attention to the differences between you and your lover due to the thoughts planted inside of you from the couple, aspects that they’re missing as a parent and attentive partner, additionally to the troubles caused due to Shikamaru’s and Temari’s secretive doing. At the end a divorce might look like the best choice, more and more problems suddenly arising until life becomes nearly impossible with them and everyone notices that this relationship has been broken. Temari and Shikamaru will most likely be torn apart with bittersweet feelings when news arise that you have finally divorced yourself, unable to live with him together. They did want this yet seeing you and the confused kid mourning over this sudden separation hurts worse than being beaten bloodily. Without a doubt in such a scenario both would be extremely kind and nice to child and darling, unable to shake the guild of their actions off.

🌪🦌No matter the scenario, both won’t hold anything against the child. They’ll treat them like their own child and they’ll fill in quickly the gap that the biological parent and partner has left behind. They often help their darling, look after and play with the child and will insert themselves more and more into the life of the two of them. Especially for the child this might be important if they’re young, lacking a parent figure and suddenly having two. Shikamaru as the extremely chill and cool father and Temari as the more stricter yet surprisingly doting mother in certain moments. Getting close to the child only leads automatically to getting closer to the s/o as well.

🌪🦌If the former lover of yours were to be still alive and around, possibly even still wanting to meet and see the kid, both wouldn’t be too comfortable with this. Here it does depend on how the separation happened and both might agree to it if the divorce were to blame on them, understanding that the citizen still cares about the child. Now if it were to be in the case where your partner wasn’t good with their roles, both wouldn’t want them anywhere near you and their kid. You see, as soon as they have successfully gained love and approval of darling and little kid, they won’t ever give those positions up for anyone so if the ex were ever to demand the child and the s/o back, no one of those would ever let that happen.

🌪🦌Maybe even the child would kind of start shipping the darling and those two since both bond well with them and they see that their mother/father is happy with them. Temari and Shikamaru are a pair that works rather well together as well since Shikamaru can manage to calm the vivid Temari down when a situation can be dealt with in a more composed way and Temari will force her husband to do something when he’s initially too lazy to act on it. They’re most likely able to lead a normal looking relationship with their darling, with some planning even managing to lead a public relationship with the s/o and the child somehow at one point. Unlikely that they’d force you into anything. They aren’t keen of that thought in general and with a child in their life it’s all the more important to not lash out. The blonde woman will still lecture child and s/o equally harsh if they were to do something that could have been potentially dangerous, but she only means well.

[thecarnivorousmuffinmeta]

So...Misery style, how would you make Tomione work? (Or how would you do a Tomione story?)

Thanks, Anon, this might be harder than the Dramione one.

Well, again, to please my deranged captor, I'd likely follow the plot of your standard Tomione fic and hope it passes muster. "Oh yeah, Hermione's back in time and she's doing back and forth mind games with Tom and it's really intellectual." With any luck, my feet aren't smashed into oblivion.

But I think you're trying to get at what I would really do if I really had to write Tom/Hermione and I had to make it something I would read. At least, that seems to be the spirit of this ask.

So, we're going the thriller route people. A lot like Misery, actually.

Instead of Ginny, twelve-year-old Hermione picks up the diary. Like Ginny, Hermione quickly becomes besotted with Tom Riddle trapped inside. However, unlike Ginny, Hermione goes straight to the library and starts asking pesky questions.

Hermione's never heard of memories stored in objects before, the theory behind portraits and pensieves are completely different, what spells did Tom use and where did he find them? Did Tom Riddle invent an entirely new branch of magic at the age of 16 without anyone noticing? What was Tom's special service to the school?

Tom starts sweating when it becomes clear that Hermione's stumbling a bit too close to the truth (that this is not ordinary magic and highly dangerous shit) and that she's clearly going to start asking around about Tom Riddle (to Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Hagrid, who were all near Hogwarts at the same time Tom was going to school).

Tom confesses that he may have created the diary using something very... illegal. Hermione is appalled and asks if it was gasp dark magic! He admits it is but points out it's a bit late now, like it or not, he's stuck in the diary and running to Dumbledore isn't going to make that go away any time soon. And it wasn't like Tom asked to be shoved in a diary either.

Hermione's very conflicted, on the one hand, Tom's the first real intellectual friend she's ever had. Harry and Ron are nice, but they're morons and they thinks he's a nerd. Tom encourages her intellectual pursuits and confirms her concern over various what not and what have you happening in Hogwarts.

Eventually, Hermione decides that Tom in the diary can't help being a diary (though the other Tom, the real Tom, she'd have words with), and decides that she'll try to help him get a body.

Great, that's great, Tom says.

But it keeps getting worse.

Tom tries to possess Hermione, but unlike Ginny, Hermione knows that Tom is a dangerous, dark, artifact. If she's suffering negative health effects, losing her memory and ending up in the girl's lavatory, she's going to research this and decide that either a) she's suffering ill effects of using dark magic b) she just got possessed by Tom.

Either way, she tells him she can't use the diary anymore, it's affecting her health and she must research. Well, Hermione researching does Tom no fucking good, but he can't stop her.

The Chamber of Secrets, as a result, is never opened.

Instead, Hermione continues researching, and Harry and Ron... begin to get on her nerves. It's not like last year, there's no Flamel to research, no over-arching mystery, and they seem to be growing tired of her. In turn, Hermione's getting a little tired of quidditch, getting detention, etc.

She's a little tired of Hogwarts, if she's being honest with herself.

Hermione's now had a taste of having a friend who isn't there to simply use her brains. And it's very addicting. She decides not to tell Ron and Harry about Tom, they'd just get needlessly concerned (the irony of this isn't lost on her but what can you do)

In the end, she opens back up the diary, and point blank asks what Tom needs to get a body. Before Tom can tell her, Hermione lists out her own theories. Life cannot be created from nothing, golems and puppets cannot last in the long term, to get a real body... human sacrifice is on the table, isn't it?

Well shit, Tom thinks to himself. He tries to assure Hermione it isn't but ends up confessing that, well, yes, it kind of is.

They have another huge row about it, Hermione slams the diary shut, but the wheels in her brain are spinning.

Does anyone deserve to die?

Hermione, at first, adamantly tells herself the answer is no. No one deserves to be sacrificed. Tom's fate is cruel, but the original Tom made his bed and should lie in it. It's unfortunate, but that's just life. Not the diary's fault, of course, but nothing that can be helped.

But then she keeps thinking about it.

Malfoy struts through the school like a peacock, sneering every time he sees her, laughing every time Snape deducts points from her in Potions for being a 'smarmy know-it-all'. Every time he can get away with it he's shoving her in hallways, calling her a mudblood, and assuring her that she's worth less than the dirt beneath her feet.

She watches as Malfoy torments and bullies Harry, she looks at Draco's father, and she asks herself if the world would really be so much worse off if Draco Malfoy were to disappear?

Draco Malfoy's being groomed to use dark magic, he practically brags about it at every opportunity, why is his life worth more than Tom Riddle's, someone who has paid the price for dark magic?

Isn't Hermione, in a roundabout way, only giving Draco what he deserves? The fate he'd meet at some point in the not so distant future?

Draco does something phenomenally cruel and stupid to the trio, likely to Harry, and that settles it. Hermione's going to murder that motherfucker and get Tom Riddle a body.

Hermione tells Tom the plan, she's passing off the diary to Draco, she has her full blessing, her permission, and whatever help he requires from her to eat Draco Malfoy alive.

Tom is unwillingly impressed, he was a vicious gremlin as a twelve-year-old, but even he wasn't committing murder in cold blood.

Tom's not sure how he feels about murdering a Malfoy, that's bound to get noticed, but Hermione's unyielding. Draco Malfoy, or Hermione goes to Dumbledore.

So, Draco Malfoy it is.

The rest of the year is spent with Tom Riddle murdering Draco Malfoy and coming up with some excuse for his disappearance. The chamber isn't opened as Hermione reminds Tom that this would make it entirely too obvious who is behind this. Instead, Tom likely has Draco partake in increasingly erratic schemes to humiliate Harry Potter that end up endangering himself.

Near the end of school, Draco disappears into the Forbidden Forest to find acromantulas to put in Potter's bed and... never comes back.

A huge search is put on, Draco Malfoy is never found, and the acromantula infestation in the forest is now actively battled by ministry employees. Dumbledore is sacked as headmaster, Hagrid fired for having been responsible for the acromantulas in the first place, and Hogwarts is closed the following year.

Hermione is... conflicted about all of this. She certainly didn't mean to fire Hagrid (had no idea he was even remotely involved with the acromantulas) and certainly not Dumbledore. It wasn't Dumbledore's fault at all.

Tom, who is now a free man but has no idea what to do with himself, meets up with Hermione and points out that Dumbledore should have been sacked ages ago: he let kids get away with this stupidly dangerous shit and the year before actively endangered his students and lured a dark wizard into the castle. As for Hagrid, he raised a dragon illegally on school grounds, did release his pet acromantula into the wild, and more. They were terrible at their jobs.

Hermione, ever so reluctantly, agrees.

It's too bad though, Hagrid was very nice and Dumbledore's a great wizard (don't even get Tom started).

As for Tom, well, he had such dreams. Of course he planned to either meet up with his glorious self or (upon learning that Voldemort was blown up by a toddler) take the mantle of Voldemort for himself. But now that he's out, he has no idea where to start. Murder Harry Potter, certainly, but after that?

Tom only has the vaguest idea of who the original Death Eaters were, and they seem to have effectively scattered. More, how does he go about this? Sure, Tom had ideas when he was in school, but they were just ideas. He's never led a revolution before, has no idea how to impersonate an older, more knowledgeable, version of himself. He barely understands the political climate in this new, post-Voldemort, Britain.

Tom keeps hanging around Hermione because, well, inertia. He has no idea what else to do. (Hermione, while still torn over the consequences of her actions as well as the distant thought that she enabled murder, is quite delighted to have him around).

Tom tries to wheedle Harry's address out of Hermione and gets a lot more information than he bargained for. Harry lives with abusive muggle relatives, Dumbledore is apparently keeping him there, all of this sounds bizarre. Tom is officially weirded out.

Still wants to murder Harry, of course, but also wants to dig into this a little further...

And before this becomes a full on fic outline, eventually this will lead to the murder of Dumbledore, probably the murder of Ron when Ron inadvertently discovers 'the truth', Hermione telling Tom they're now an item, Tom trying to escape the relationship, only to learn there's no escaping Hermione.

Hermione becomes the next dark lord. Tom has no idea how this even happened.

[mercy-burning]

Second Nature

Part of Mercy’s 1k Celebration: A collection of Spencer Reid x Reader requests to celebrate 1,000 followers.

Pairing: Spencer Reid x fem!Reader Summary: Spencer and Reader share some realizations after one of them has been kidnapped. Category: FLUFF + ADDITIONAL SMUT ENDING (18+) Warnings: Language, brief mentions of kidnapping and injury, bruising, sex (penetrative sex, protected sex, dirty talk, lowkey hand kink—i’m not sorry) Word Count: 6.1k

Full Request: “...Congratulations on your 1k! I have  request for your celebration, if possible. Spencer/Fem Reader. Post prison Spencer, instead of him being taken by the cult, the reader is, making hi realize that she’s Love of life and they get together. Smut,preferred, if possible. Thank you.” — @dreatine 

NOTE: I had a little conversation with @ssa-m-187 about a post which discussed that trope where Person A caresses Person B’s cheek, and then Person A leans into their touch and holds their arm to keep them there for comfort.. I mentioned that I might add it into one of my requests, and this is where it ended up! 😂❤

I also decided to add an alternate/additional smut ending in case anyone wanted only the fluff. It will be clearly marked when the smut starts if you choose not to read it!

MASTERLIST | 1K MASTERLIST

***

Nothing bad ever happened to her. Spencer wished that was an exaggeration but it wasn't. In all the years he'd known Y/N, she was never kidnapped, no one she loved ever got kidnapped, and she never even got sick. Her moods were always visibly happy, no one had ever seen her with so much as a sprained ankle, and even bad hair days always seemed to escape her grasp.

So naturally, when she got taken by Ben's Believers, it came as no shock that Spencer was losing his mind.

Everyone kept telling him that they'd get her back, and that they all knew what to do, but it didn't stop the sinking feeling that weighed his heart down, far away from the surface where she was safe and waiting for him.

Guess it's safe to say, this whole situation stirred up some feelings he hadn't even known existed.

The first thing that came to his mind, aside from the initial shock of her being gone, was the first moment they met.

Y/N and Ashley Seaver had both been added to the team around the same time, and after losing Emily, the three of them had practically become inseparable. But that first meeting, the very second he laid eyes on her, it was something purely magical.

She was trying to open a jar of pickles in the break room, breathy and aggravated curses spilling from her mouth as if she were a sailor.

"Do you need any help?" Spencer asked, not intending to scare her.

But alas, she jumped, dropping the jar of pickles and causing it to shatter everywhere. "Shit!"

He offered to help clean it up, and she accepted, sighing about how everything she had was going to smell like pickles for at least a week. And once everything was picked up, she grabbed a pickle that had landed on the counter and took a bite, promptly saying, "Well, at least I got it open," with a mouth-full of pickle. "Thanks for scaring me, bud."

It was amusing to say the least.

And every time they'd gone out for food since then, Spencer made sure to order something with a pickle every time, just so he could offer it to her and hear her laugh about that day. Every time, she mirrored that moment, taking a bite and saying, "Thanks, bud."

Of course, back then he hadn't realized he did it because he liked her. He just thought it was nice to see her smile, to hear her laugh. That's what friends did, right? Made each other laugh?

That's what kept him going as they searched high and low for answers to get her back. Her laugh. It was there, replaying on a loop in his brain as if he could ever forget it.

And when he got her back, he vowed to make sure he made her laugh for the rest of time.

When they knew where to find Y/N, Spencer made it his mission to be the one who got her out of there. He wanted to be the one she saw when she was being rescued. He wanted to be the one who made sure she was finally safe again and out of harm's way.

And most importantly he wanted to tell her that he loved her. And he didn't want to spend another day without being next to her.

But first he had to get her out of there.

The second he saw her, it was like everything moved in slow motion. She was strapped to some type of mechanism that kept her hands at her sides and her head facing forward. And despite the fact that she'd never been held hostage, she looked very calm. She looked like exactly what the cult wanted her to be: a sacrifice.

It made Spencer's stomach churn. And it felt even worse when they moved in. Because everyone was getting down, and the cult leader jumped for Y/N, striking to kill.

The gunshot stunned him. He stopped in his tracks, hoping and praying that she wouldn't be hurt, and for one final time before he actually moved, he replayed her laugh in his mind. He briefly held on to the image of Y/N smiling at him without a care in the world before he inevitably saw her face to face for the first time in days, most likely without said smile.

But of course, the second it was safe and he ran to her side, she looked up at him and smiled anyway.

As Emily got the final restraints off of her, Spencer took a huge sigh of relief and welcomed Y/N into his embrace.

"Hey, bud," she breathed into his neck, letting him squeeze her tightly. He could practically feel her smile burning into his skin, tattooing itself there for all the world to see, and he squeezed her tighter, thinking of how he wouldn't have it any other way.

They clung to one another the whole plane ride home, curled up into each other and falling asleep after all the stress they'd been under. And it was no surprise to anyone that they even held hands while they did.

Y/N dreamt of him the entire time.

Specifically, she was remembering the day she almost quit. It would have surprised anyone to know she'd felt that way considering she never let her bad days show. But in those particular few months, she had really missed her family—and Ashley,—the cases were getting more and more stressful, and it all seemed to really take a toll on her emotionally.

But that one fateful day, she walked into the round table room, expecting to find no one since she always showed up early, and instead she found Spencer with a large wicker basket.

"What are you doing here so early?" Y/N asked, raising an eyebrow.

He smiled shyly. "Oh, um... I know your birthday was last week, and I feel bad I missed it since I was visiting my mom, so... I wanted to celebrate with you when we had a little bit of time."

He handed her the basket, and she marveled at all its contents, ranging from a few of her favorite books in different copies she hadn't owned, an array of her favorite candies, and most exciting, a jar of pickles.

"Oh, before you break the jar, I have something else for you," he said with a small laugh, pulling something out of his jacket pocket. "I've read that these are good for helping you open jars, and I even got myself one because we all know you're way stronger than me, so if you can't open a jar of pickles, I probably couldn't either..."

She would never know this, but in that moment he was kicking himself for being so awkward, even though the two of them had been friends for years. And he'd never know, but she hadn't even recognized it as awkward. She was incredibly thankful and endeared by his thinking of her, and it was the one thing that made her realize she could never quit her job.

She loved him too much too leave.

So she didn't. That morning she'd been planning on telling everyone her plans to find another job somewhere else, maybe closer to her family, and that night she walked out of the office feeling loved and thankful for her friends, and one friend in particular.

Currently, said friend was sitting quietly in the parking lot of her apartment while she dug up the courage to ask him inside for the night. Her plans consisted of sleeping in for as long as she needed thanks to a well-deserved few days off of work, and though Spencer would most likely return earlier, she desperately hoped she could convince him to stay.

It was quiet for a while and the lights in the car had long since turned off, leaving them in darkness as well as silence. Despite that fact, it wasn't eerie in the slightest... It was comfortable.

Even more so when Y/N reached over and grabbed his hand.

And then she spoke.

"Can... Can you stay? I'm fine, I promise, I just... I could really use some company, you know?"

"Of course," he answered almost too quickly. It made her laugh, and though it was small, he felt a weight lift off his chest at the sound.

The two of them walked up to her apartment in more of that comfortable, dark silence. The only light source to be found was within the dim lights of the hallway, though they'd made the walk so many times it was like second nature.

That familiarity followed them through her doorway, Y/N taking off her jacket and instinctively handing it over with her to-go bag, where Spencer's arms were already outstretched. He took them and removed his shoes, then transported their belongings to the chair in the corner of her living room, maybe five or six steps ahead from the entryway.

Y/N took a large breath and smiled as she flipped on the lights.

Spencer noticed, turning to her with a smile of his own. "Good to be home?"

"Mhm," she responded with a nod. "But you know what would make it even better?"

The knowing smile they shared brought warmth to her chest as he made his way to the kitchen, saying, "Peppermint hot chocolate, coming right up."

As her best friend made noise in the kitchen, Y/N padded over to her couch, flipping on the table lamp next to it and sitting down with an over-exaggerated humph. Her legs curled off to the side as she leaned against the armrest, taking a deep breath and breathing in the warm comfort of home, only amplified a little while later by the aroma of soft peppermint.

She could hear Spencer humming quietly to himself in the kitchen, the sound bringing a smile to her face. He always absentmindedly hummed her favorite song when he was making them food or something to drink, or even when they were just hanging out together in comfortable silence. She wondered often if he ever sang it to himself when he was alone.

And she was going to ask, but before she got the chance, he came up behind her with two mugs of hot chocolate. She took hers gladly with a smile that perfectly matched the warmth of the mug. And while she took the first sip as he walked around the couch and took his regular spot on the cushion next to hers, that warmth spread to her chest. She sunk into the couch as her eyes fluttered closed.

Beside her she could hear Spencer laugh. "That good, huh?"

"You're an expert hot chocolate maker, don't let anyone tell you any different."

Another laugh came from him, and the sound bought warmth to other places.

They sipped their hot chocolate together, once again basked in silence that was only disrupted by the distinct ticking of Y/N's cuckoo clock, a Christmas gift from Spencer one year after she'd mentioned how much she was oddly fascinated by them. It sat on the wall across from them, next to the TV and right above a DVD rack with her favorite movies. She stared at the clock fondly as she drank her way through the hot chocolate, and Spencer did the same.

Eventually they were out, and once their mugs were placed on either side table, they found themselves turning to each other with more of that second nature pulling them together like the moon pulling the ocean. Once their knees touched it was like the ocean dragged them under, only rather than suffocating, they found themselves breathing easier, like they were finally at peace.

The clock rung out, and only after it finished echoing did Spencer initiate conversation. He examined the bruise right under her eye, and once again the gravitational pull was too much, his hand reaching out to touch it with curiosity as well as concern. "Are you feeling alright? Do you need some ice or anything?" he asked softly.

Y/N felt her heart stutter at the featherlight touch of his fingertips, and despite herself, she blushed. "No, I'm okay. Better now that I'm home. With you."

His eyes flicked up to meet hers at her words, and the softness and genuine relief he found in them made him melt.

He moved to take his hand away, but Y/N reached up and gently grabbed his wrist, bringing it back to her face pacing his palm firmly against the whole surface of her cheek. He watched lovingly as she closed her eyes and leaned into his hand further, bringing her hand to wrap around his forearm and hold him there. And in that moment, he had to wonder if she could hear the loud, intense beating of his heart as it drowned out the clock's ticking.

"I... I was so scared," Y/N whispered, keeping her eyes closed. "I mean... In the back of my mind I knew you guys would come for me, but... That was... my first time ever being in a hostage situation by myself, let alone at all, and I..." She paused, stumbling on her words before exhaling a breathy laugh. "Those people were creepy."

Spencer laughed with her, his hand still resting on her face. When she finally did open her eyes again, she looked up at him through her eyelashes, and in that moment she looked so soft and vulnerable that he couldn't help but finally tell the truth.

In a whisper so soft she almost didn't hear it, he confessed, "I was so afraid that I lost you..."

"Yeah, but... You found me," she returned with a smile as she nuzzled into his hand further. "You always do."

Something in the way she said it made him bolder, and he realized then that that's what she always did.

She strengthened him, made him more bold and determined... And she gave him something to hold onto when he was lost. When things felt impossible, Y/N always said the one thing that put him back together and made him feel whole again, whether it was a few sentences, or in this case three little words: "You always do."

Completing him was her second nature, something he wasn't even sure she was aware of.

But now that he knew, he had to tell her.

"Y/n..." Spencer traced his thumb along the underside of her bottom lip, and he could have swore he felt her sigh out. He stayed paused, reveling in the way he seemed to have an effect on her, his thumb longing to slide further and trace her entire mouth.

Nevertheless, he continued. "You are... Everything to me. And I don't tell you very often how much your friendship means to me, but I... I can't keep going forward without you knowing just how much I care about you. Really, it..." He huffed a laugh, hoping he wasn't making an utter fool of himself and that she wouldn't push him away at this confession that was dying to escape. "It's embarrassing how much I love you."

He couldn't tell if it was exhaustion taking hold of him, or the relief he felt at finally getting that off his chest, but he held his breath as he studied her eyes, which were glassy like she was on the verge of tears. Her grip around his forearm tightened and she turned, kissing the inside of his palm and keeping her lips pressed there for what felt like forever, until he started to feel his skin go numb. Realistically he knew it was only a trick on the brain, how such a simple affectionate gesture like that had the most heart-swelling and mind-numbing effects on him because of how much he loved her.

But damn it, he didn't care.

She murmured his name into his palm, and her eyes flicked up to meet his again. That's when he noticed a tear fall from her eye and down her cheek, right into the side of his thumb.

Finally, she responded, "I love you, too, Spencer. I... I wasn't sure I'd ever be able to tell you, but... After what just happened, I don't know if I could ever spend another day without loving you."

His heart absolutely burst at the seams, warmer than before, and most certainly not from the hot chocolate. That warmth only spread, turning into a raging wildfire when she let go of his hand and moved forward, practically tackling him and wrapping her arms around his neck, hugging him and pressing her face to the crook of his neck. His arms wrapped around her back, hugging her close as she straddled him and continued to nuzzle into his skin, his presence...

They held each other like that for a good minute before Y/N finally gained the courage to pull back and look into his eyes. They were just as glassy as hers, just as filled with love and comfort and home as she could ever have dreamed. Her hands slid down to rest on his shoulders for a moment before one of them cradled his face.

And then she kissed him.

She knew he loved her, he told her as much, but in case this was already going too far, Y/N kept it light and hesitant, desperately hoping it wouldn't make things weird.

But of course, there was nothing to worry about. And Spencer showed her that as his lips pressed deeper into hers, his hands on her back pushing her closer to him and seeking as much contact as possible.

She brought both of her hands to gently run through his hair, and at the sigh he let out against her mouth, Y/N tugged harder, pulling herself up so she could get into a better, more comfortable position on his lap.

They shared peppermint hot chocolate kisses until the clock rung out again, both of them pulling away with a little surprise.

"Has it really been an hour since it last went off?" Y/N mused in a whisper, taking in the swollen state of Spencer's mouth. The sight sent a course of butterflies through her stomach.

"I guess it has... It's um... It's late, maybe we should get some sleep."

"Only if you come with me," Y/N offered, running her fingers through his hair once more.

Spencer nodded with a small smile, his thumb tracing the bottom of her chin. "Of course."

They pulled themselves off the couch and, hand-in-hand, navigated their way to her bedroom. And even though they'd never actually done it before, sleeping in her bedroom together, the whole journey was so familiar it was like they'd done it a million times over.

SMUT ENDING BELOW

Y/N didn't know what time it was, only that the sun was brightly peeking through her sheer curtains, basking her bedroom in a warm glow that made it almost impossible to be comfortable under the covers. When she moved to take them off of her, she felt a hand snake around her waist, pressing firmly against her lower stomach and holding her in place.

"Are you awake?" she asked aloud to the air, softly in case Spencer was, in fact, still asleep.

"Mhm," he mumbled behind her, his breath softly fanning out across her shoulder. "Have been for about an hour."

"You could have woke me up," she said, turning around to face him. His hand lifted and then settled on her shoulder when she was in position.

"You deserved the rest," is all he offered in explanation as his hand gently brushed the hair from her shoulder. It tickled as it fell behind her, dropping off her body and across the back of her neck. Spencer trailed his fingers lightly up her neck until they reached her ear, and then he trailed them back down and over the curve of her shoulder, and then down her arm. He continued this and smiled as he took notice of the goosebumps that formed all over her skin. The thin tank top she'd changed into before bed left most of her exposed, each little freckle and hair that adorned her skin on display in the warm sunlight.

Meanwhile she smiled, heat slowly rising to her cheeks as she recalled their kisses on the couch. Needless to say, her dreams that night were rather scandalous, something she wasn't unfamiliar with, though given these new circumstances she was more than a little hot right now.

Spencer noticed, his hand halting its movement on her skin and resting itself on her waist over the blanket. "You're thinking about it, too? Last night?"

Y/N looked him in the eye and swore she saw them dilate when she responded. "Yeah. Among other things..."

"What... kind of other things?"

She would have told him, but since it was obvious they were both feeling the heat she bit her lip instead, a teasing look in her eye. "You're a smart man. You tell me."

"What if I... show you instead?" he whispered, his voice broken and obviously a little shocked that this was finally going to happen.

"Take it away, Doc."

His first kiss was sweet, reminiscent of the first one they shared on the couch, and his second was a little deeper. Y/N gave her stamp of approval by sighing, bringing a hand up to play with his hair again, and it was the trigger that shot him forward, his lips working hers with more passionate, methodical precision. Meanwhile his hand dipped under the covers and pressed firmly at her back, slipping under her shirt and bringing her closer.

She wrapped her leg over his waist, pulling herself forward to get as much contact as she could while he swiped over her bottom lip with his tongue. The small whimper she let out at his kisses made his hips buck forward involuntarily, to which Y/N clenched her leg tighter around his waist and tugged a little harder at his hair.

He tipped them over then, rolling so that he was hovering over her while their kisses only grew needier. His hand slipped under her shirt, feeling the expanse of her stomach and her sides. The low hum that came from her throat at his touches drove him half wild, so he boldened them, slowly sliding up and up until he reached her bare breasts. Her legs came out immediately and hooked themselves around the back of his thighs as she whined at his touch.

With curious kneads of her chest and even more exploratory kisses that were reciprocated with an equal hunger and passion, it didn't take long for Spencer to feel his insides churn with a desire that could possibly never be satiated. Even if Y/N was the one who kept him whole, he also knew she would be the one to completely wreck him to pieces. He'd rarely ever felt this type of desire before, especially not towards someone who took up every crack and crevice of his mind at any given moment. And now that he had it, he never wanted to let it go. She was going to utterly ruin him, and he'd never been more welcoming to that type of damnation—the type that was also his salvation.

Because she was everything all at once, devastatingly beautiful in every imaginable way.

Her hands tugged at his tee shirt, punctuating her urgency with a needy little whine into his mouth. He pulled back then, tugging off his shirt at the expense of taking his hands away from her. But from his higher position now, he took her in in all her wild glory, lips swollen and a little red, hair splayed out across the pillows, and her breathing visibly heavy. Even with the bruise under her eyes, she was the most breathtaking person he'd ever seen. She marveled up at him, willing her gaze to trail down his chest and stomach, her bottom lip tucking itself gently between her teeth as she stared at where his sweatpants hung low on his hips.

Y/N reached out and grazed her middle finger across the waistband of his pants, gently feeling the fabric and his skin at the same time. He was still, continuing to watch her explore his body the way he'd done hers, always amazed at the curious look in her eye— the one that was now swimming in a pool of lust. Her hand trailed upwards, feeling the soft planes of his torso until she couldn't reach any higher.

"Having fun?" Spencer mused with a smile as she rested both her hands on either side of his waist.

She sat up then, pressing a kiss to his neck while her hands travelled south, under the waistband of his pants. He sucked in a breath as she palmed him through his underwear, gently nipping his shoulder before she answered. "Oh, I'm having so much fun."

He was going to say something, but words escaped him as she sat up on her knees and continued tracing the outline of his dick through his underwear. He was painfully hard in an instant, a fact at which Y/N gave a low, amused laugh. Once she found the underside of his tip, she gently rubbed it through the fabric with her thumb, and the broken whine that he let out delighted her in every way. Her tongue traced his collarbone and the contours of his shoulders and neck until she reached his jawline. She licked him there too, humming as her thumb worked faster at his dick.

"Mmm, I've wanted this for so long," she told him softly, bringing her lips up to his ear. "Do you know how many times I've thought about us? Dreamed about us?"

"Not as many as me, probably," he choked out with a small laugh, audibly trying to keep it together as his stomach burned with every languid stroke of her thumb over his most sensitive point.

Y/N returned his laugh and sensually kissed his jaw before saying, "I doubt that." Then she dragged her mouth up to his lips and brought her hand out of his pants so she could thread all her fingers through his hair. Though they were kneeling, he was still taller than her, so his hard erection pressed firmly against her stomach as he brought her closer, gripping her hips and melting into her.

When his right hand slipped into her sleep shorts, she whined out and pressed herself harder against him, reveling in the way the heat from his hand practically burned into her ass. He kneaded her there as well, groaning into her mouth when she tugged on his hair and turned her head to deepen their kiss.

It was obvious that she was trying to feel some type of friction— her knees were willing her to get up higher, to feel him hard against her, but alas she wasn't able to reach. She showed her frustration by whining into his mouth and trying to pull herself up, the pressure of her arms around his neck getting stronger with every passing second.

"Spencer pulled away laughing a little, removing his hand from her shorts and bringing it to the front, dragging along the inside of her thigh. "Is there something you want from me, pretty girl?"

The nickname sent a fire through her veins that set off every smoke detector in her brain, the alarm coming out in the form of a whimper. "I want to feel you inside me," she whispered, nuzzling her nose to his and reaching down to guide his hand farther up. When his middle finger breached the fabric of her shorts, she whimpered again, willing herself closer to him. "Please, Spencer."

He hummed lowly, drawing circles into her skin. "Are you prepared? Like, do you... have condoms or anything, do we need one?"

"I have some in my top drawer if you want me to get it," she said quickly with a nod.

He laughed a little, amused at her eagerness, before pulling away from her and helping her off the bed. Once she was feet-first on the ground, she strode over to the dresser where she opened a small drawer on the top left and rummaged through it. Meanwhile Spencer followed her and came up behind her, pressing his front to her backside and making her tense. He brushed her hair aside and brought his lips to her neck, his hands resting at her waist.

She slowly rolled her hips against him, sighing out when his hands gripped her tighter. One of them slipped down into her shorts again, this time coming around front and resting over her clothed pussy. His fingers explored her like hers had explored him, teasing her in the same way that made her want to burst into flames.

"So wet already, pretty girl..." he mused, sighing and attacking her neck with more kisses. "I bet I'll be able to just slide right in..."

She outwardly moaned this time, clutching a condom in her hand and then slamming the drawer shut. "Alright then, Mr. PhD, why don't you put that theory to the test?"

He loved how eager she was, and a little impatient. Something told him that if he teased her enough, she might have just begged him for anything. But he didn't want to do that right now. No, right now he was planning on showing the love of his life just how much she meant to him. He was going to give her everything he had, and then some.

So he turned her around and kissed her, walking them backwards until his legs hit the foot of the bed. He almost went down, but before he could, he turned them around again. Y/N's body hit the bed, her legs immediately opening for him to stand between them. Rather than leaning down to kiss her again though, Spencer ran his hands tugged lightly at her shorts, to which Y/N gladly lifted her hips and allowed him to pull them off. Her underwear weren't too far behind, and then she lifted her shirt over her head, tossing it aside and leaning back on her elbows.

Seeing her fully bare like this was enough to drive him mad, but he held on, spreading her knees apart and sliding his hands along the insides of her thighs. "Y/N, you're perfect..." As he marveled at her and showered her with love and praise, he slid his hands further and further up her body until they reached her arms.

She helped him remove his pants and underwear, and once they were off, Y/N tore open the condom and handed it to him. He rolled it on and then leaned forward to kiss her on the forehead. Then her temple, then her cheek... Then he pressed the softest kiss to her lips and looked her in the eyes. "You really want to?"

She smiled at him and nodded, bringing one of his hands to her entrance and pressing his fingers to the wetness that pooled there. "You feel how bad I want it?"

He groaned and kissed her then, circling his middle finger over her clit and making her cry out against him. After a few more seconds of this, Spencer positioned them at the head of the bed and angled his hips forward, the head of his dick coming in contact with her pussy.

He slid in slowly, reveling in every pure, blissful second that went by as he gradually became completely enveloped in her. Once he was buried to the hilt, Y/N threw her head back and bit her lip, her hands reaching out to play with his hair again. He ground himself into her for a few seconds before pulling back and then starting a slow, steady rhythm.

"God, Y/N, you feel so good... So... perfect for me."

"Funny, I was just going to say the same thing about you," she breathed. Her eyes trained themselves on his, and though there was a lot of love there, she saw something else that she recognized, something hesitant. It was close to the same look he gave her last night, after she'd explained to him that she was fine after he examined her injury.

He was going easy on her. But she wanted more.

Y/N reached up to tug his hair gently, biting her lip and batting her eyes. "I'm not made of glass you know... You can fuck me harder if you want to."

Everything from the look on her face to the way she said it to the way she clenched around him as she did made him half feral. He smirked at her without thinking, a natural reaction to her challenge. "Oh, you like it a little rough, huh?"

She smirked back at him and nodded, tugging his hair harder. "Uh huh."

Though he started fucking into her harder, his pace remained slow,  accentuating each rough thrust with a huff through his nose. Y/N's mouth opened involuntarily, the power of his movements rendering her almost speechless. Eventually though, she let out one large moan as her fingers even further tightened their grip in Spencer's hair.

Taking note of her reactions, he felt pleased with himself. "You like that, don't you, pretty girl? You like it hard and deep..."

Her hands dropped from his head and rested at the sheets, gripping them instead as he worked his hips a little faster. "Y—yes, baby, I fucking love how hard you fuck me."

The words tumbled out of their mouths so easily, each syllable spoken with the right amount of lust and truth, it was like their conversation was a dance. Their bodies and their words melded together in a perfect number that brought them further towards the climax.

But, as every dance does, their needed a little flourish.

Spencer reached out and caressed her cheek again, his thumb going straight to her lips. Y/N opened her mouth and sucked it in, swirling her tongue around it and groaning at the way he bit his lip when she did so.

"Fuck, pretty girl, you're gonna ruin me if you keep that up."

She smiled at his words, which allowed him to press his thumb flat down onto her tongue. Her mouth remained open as he held it there, her pants and moans coming out clear as day. And as if that wasn't hot enough, she batted her eyelashes up at him, and he fucked her even faster, both of them starting to feel the signs of impending orgasm.

He could have kept his thumb in her mouth forever, but to aid her in pleasure, he removed it, dragging it down her chin before bringing it to her clit and rubbing in tight circles.

"Fuck, Spence, that's it," Y/N moaned, looking down between their bodies and almost losing it at the sight that beheld her. "Don't stop, don't fucking stop!"

He leaned forward to kiss her then, the new angle finally bringing her over the edge. She cried out into his mouth as it explored her own, soaking up all the sounds she made and using them to fuel his own release.

They came together, and it felt  like years of tension and anticipation and love finally culminated into one giant explosion that enveloped them whole. It felt like, for a moment, nothing else in the world existed, only Spencer, Y/N, and their palpable connection that felt very much like a home in and of itself.

Even as they came down, their breathing slowing down and their touches becoming gentler, that explosion quieted right alongside them, an echo of love and warmth lingering in its wake.

Spencer pulled out and laid beside her, reaching out and gently touching the bruise under her eye. "You okay?"

She couldn't help but laugh. "Yes. I'm more than okay... I'm perfect."

He smiled at her, pure, true comfort settling in his bones. It was a rare feeling, but he was glad that it came with her presence. "Me, too. And I... I meant what I said last night, Y/N, I... I love you. More than words could accurately describe."

Her heart swelled at his words. "I love you, too, bud. More than anything in the world."

He contemplated for a minute, a smile forming as he said his next words. "More than pickles?"

Y/N threw her head back in a boisterous laugh that made Spencer's heart beat a little faster, before playfully hitting his harm and snuggling up next to him. "Yes, definitely more than pickles."

"Good. That would have been embarrassing."

"I don't love you more than peppermint hot chocolate, though. Or that cuckoo clock."

Spencer pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Yeah, but I got you those things, so technically that means you have to love me at least as much as them..."

"Okay. That's fair, I'll give you that one."

With an over-exaggerated, "Phew," Spencer smiled and pulled her closer, the warm sunlight from the windows giving him the most clear view of their legs tangled together over her lavender-colored comforter. It was so domestic, so perfect and loving and real that he never wanted to forget it.

He was thankful that he never would.

***

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[thelightofthingshopedfor]

I think Loki admitting to weakness doesn't come easy, I doubt they'd take that moment of honesty from him now. Also, the fight in the store, it seemed he was trying to get the people off him without hurting them too much. This reinforces what he said. What do you think?

oh yeah totally agree, that's why I said it doesn't seem likely that they'd try to take it back, especially because I think a good portion of the point of episode 1 was getting everyone on roughly the same page in regard to Loki, you know, not being a cackling evil villain who only cares about power. so although I'm still concerned about later stuff undercutting that just because I don't trust Marvel all that much, I really don't think it's likely, because...in that case there wouldn't have been much point to that entire second half of episode 1 going out of its way to establish stuff like "Loki loves his family a whole lot" and "Loki has feelings, we shouldn't even need to say this but apparently we do".

whether casual viewers have actually gotten the point kind of remains to be seen, of course, and going by some reviews, some of them extremely have not, but I guess you can't be obvious enough for everybody.

and in the Roxxcart store, yeah, he wasn't the one who attacked first, and he mostly seemed to be defending himself; he certainly didn't go out of his way to hurt anyone. I also think he did sound concerned when he asked if the guy supposedly shopping for azaleas was dead, which I imagine was partly because he thought he was still talking to B-15 and probably hoped one of the "good guys" would still give a shit about random civilians. it also wasn't lost on me that his instinctive reaction when Sylvie jumped to Randy was to catch B-15 as she collapsed, and he visibly stopped himself with a wary look at Randy, probably because diving for B-15 (who was still wearing a helmet and body armor, after all) would have left both of them vulnerable. in some ways that reflexive jerk toward her says even more about his instinct toward protecting people than him checking on her after Randy moved away, because I would imagine at least some of his concern for her is out of a reasonable level of self-interest--I mean, he was alone with her, it's very likely he'll get blamed if she's hurt or dead, he might say different things to Randy if she's alive and conscious, so her basic status is pretty vital information for whatever he does next.

but the way that his first instinct was to catch her when she collapsed--that's the same Loki who spent the whole fight on Jotunheim watching everyone's backs, and it's the same Loki who equally instinctively protected Jane a second time with his own body in TDW even when it wasn't part of the plan. and then of course in Ragnarok he brought the Statesman to save Asgard, immediately joined the fight (and ordered the civilians to get onboard), and ran off to risk his own life by raising Surtur the second Thor suggested it, when he could've done literally anything else...not to mention some of the smaller stuff in Infinity War, like tackling Thor out of the Hulk's way but doing it with a twisting motion so he'd hit the floor first and avoid injuring Thor further. so yeah, I think there's plenty of additional evidence to argue that left to his own devices, Loki doesn't just not enjoy hurting people, he tends toward actively protecting others, at least if they're people he knows in one way or another.

[borkthemork]

Finally cleaned up this draft based on @/popcornbee’s art and it is now officially on AO3 as well, so I hope all of you enjoy!

---

There were numerous pathways for a sparrow to travel. Following their migration patterns, they'd travel down to warmer lands, typically somewhere protected for the nights. In doing so, they'd rest in the winter and return back all new. Refreshed for the upcoming springs and summers.

For American Tree Sparrows, these patterns were necessary to survive.

For Joe Sparrow, the true information depended. 

He liked to flit about on rapid wing beats. He preferred curdled mealworms due to previous battles hurting his digestive system. For migration, he remained stubborn on whether he liked the warmer breezes or if the Newtopian stables were of true home than anything else.

Newtopia had a history of domestic birds. Joe Sparrow was the mixed case when he grew all-natural, got captured and owned by one or more owners who called him previous names, and then found Marcy in the middle of sweltering rain. Where a mission lead to something new and surprising, bold and unorthodox, and the moment Joe saved her — chose her hand of all people — Marcy promised to keep him safe. Safe, protected, cared for.

And nothing had pulled these two away from each other. Not even the fleeting concept of gravity. Or the fact winter threatened his nests.

Anne asked about him before. On one occasion, where Marcy groomed him under Plantar barn shade, Anne looked at his big, round, puffy belly and wondered out loud where the scar above his eye fit in out of all things.

Of course, Marcy had the answer.

“Oh, you know Joe,” she sighed. “He keeps pushing his limits. You won’t believe how many scars this bad boy got during his old career. For the eye one, he actually got that scar back when he was just a fledgling, but this was during the morally ethical times where amphibians didn’t really care for mounts unless they were battle resistant.”

Her hand parsed through his plume, giggling when Joe tweeted pleasantly against her skin. “But now he’s in a morally ethical place, aren’t you, boy? Yes, you are.”

Anne snorted. She ruffled Joe’s feathers too, and the two giggled quietly when the sparrow seemed to lean into the touch. Almost as if the sparrow connected immediately to Anne.

And Anne teared up over the thought. “It’s just like mother nature intended.”

The week afterward reminded Marcy of her sparring days, but instead of swords and smoke bombs, she had worms and patience. Lots of patience as Anne attempted to feed some mesh into Joe’s beak — and ultimately got stuck when she leaned too hard into his mouth.

It was funny how all this bonding time left her blind to anything else on the schedule. Marcy could instruct Anne to direct the mealworms to Joe for hours and still find Anne’s laughter to be the highlight of her day. Maybe Joe would sit on Anne, and leave her yelling and laughing under floof-fulls of bird, and Marcy would sketch that scene than the typical mission schematics Lady Olivia instructed her to look through.

Marcy hypothesized that Joe's love for attention spurned her focus. It made sense for birds to tease if they didn’t get the proper reaction out of people. It made sense for a bird such as Joe to find affection in someone who exuded goodness from their heart. But then Marcy would remember Anne. For Anne had Joe’s affection at the palm of her hands but irritated the bird enough to prefer dipping her into a nearby pond just for the sake of playfighting. And that enough had gotten her intrigued.

Was it another phenomenon she needed to analyze? To understand fully until the cusp of discovery?

Perhaps. Not right now though.

Marcy had found a breakthrough. A breakthrough in Animal-Human Sociology. But her focus lingered elsewhere, came down to how she rested next to a bucket load of dirty feathers — snoring into her best friend’s shoulder until the moon rose high above the Amphibian mountains.

---

When Marcy stared through the sky, and the act alone reminded her so much of Kid Icarus. If she ignored the wings branching out from the corners of her eyes, and only focused on the colors then she thought of herself as flying. Flying through skies that bled yellows and reds like Aivazovsky, framed so well against the crisp horizons that Marcy could almost paint the perfectest picture in her mind.

And when wind buffered her hair, parted the clouds with her hands, she swore that the taste on her tongue was of fresh saltwater.

Navigation. Freedom. The fades from orange to blue to maroon. Marcy loved riding for a reason. She held onto Joe’s reins with the utmost quickness, spelled out her name with short dives and leaps through cumulus tufts. And in the aftermath, she wrung her coat dry of moisture.

At least, until Anne became a priority.

Anne Boonchuy. Friend of ten years. Friends since the term friends became part of the Merriam Webster. Now, the latter sounded silly, but friendship could be a frank concept at times, it was something Marcy had no clue how to navigate, and yet Anne found her and decided Marcy was worth her time.

So they were here now: One readying an avian saddle, the other petting Joe’s tufts with the heaviest affection. And aw, Joe seemed to like it, what with the amount of cooing he’d been doing for the past hour.

Not like Marcy didn’t want to get in on that action. She just needed to finish clipping on the latches — and when she did that, it would be go-time, her a-game.

“Anne, can you push me that satchel?”

“Sure thing, Marce.” With ease, Anne somehow lugged a chair-sized bag over to where Marcy was, and they remained silent afterward as she finished the remainder of preparations.

What preparations? Well, the kind that remained out of her league.

“Sooo, where are ya’ going, exactly?” Anne asked. She had the same perturbed look to her ever since she whiffed the scents from the bag itself.

Marcy couldn’t help but rub her neck, not knowing how well to respond. “Well, I’ve been planning to scout an area somewhere high up in the Southern sect of Amphibia. I got wind that some bandits plan to use a route to jump ambassadors from here and there on the pathways, and I just wanted to make sure that doesn’t happen again, you know?"

“For sure, dude. I mean, you are the boss after all. That stuff’s gotta be pretty important if you’re getting loads of homework for it.”

“Well,” Marcy puckered her lips. She was right in some sense. Chief rangers plopped themselves into some high category up in the Newtopian ranks. It made sense. “Correct, kinda. I don’t really call it a boss position, more so a job. A very fun job, actually. You’d be surprised at how many prefer office desks to infantry, it’s nuts.”

Although, the more she thought about it, being able to stay safe in a big ole’ cube than getting skewered by bandits did sound appealing. Less probability for harm, sure. But Marcy loved the hunt way too much for her own good.

If Andrias gave her another objective, she might as well do a little dance at this point; there was always something exciting to partake in.

And with Joe, the fun always doubled with him.

At least, until she remembered that Anne had been staring at her, snapping her fingers in front of Marcy’s nose. “Marbles, you good? Another zone-out moment again?”

“Oh yeah, definitely. Thanks, I was about to get worried, the internal dialogue I had was getting way too extensive for my taste."

"Well, now that you’re out of your internal dialogue stuff, I got to ask.” Anne peered at Joe again. “Can I get on your bird?”

Marcy blinked at her. “Oh. Of course. You don’t really need to ask me if you’re curious about riding him.”

“I know, but he’s a big softie, really wanted to make sure I got your permission before anything else.” She coughed. “Plus I’m not gonna take any vehicles without permission. Tried that once. Didn’t go so hot.”

Somehow, Marcy found herself giggling. She couldn’t pinpoint why; Anne’s honesty must’ve just been that funny. “Well, if you want to jump on the SS Joe Sparrow, I’d be happy to show you around and get you a front-row ticket to some action.”

“For real?” Anne beamed, only for her expression to melt into a frown, scratching her chin at the thought. “Aren’t you on ranger duty though?”

Okay, she had a point there. “I mean, yeah, but I’ve mainly done this stuff solo. Sure I’ve got Joe to accompany me but it’ll be interesting to have a second person on board for the ride.” Without a skip in her beat. “And why wouldn’t I have you go with me? Of course, I would. You’re always the best on road trips.”

And with that, Anne’s smile grew tenfold. Oddly beautiful. Oddly hard to describe. Weirder to even have herself think those things in the first place. “Count me in, then. Let’s go, Marbles!”

Oh well. She’d think about that later.

---

Joe softened his landings in-between. And at certain points, when the mountains dipped to valleys he rocketed around and buffeted the gales just for the heck of it. He had the heart of a little kid sometimes, every moment he swooped through some current or plummet forward if he got the chance. He liked to make himself seem so grand when he cheeped. And Marcy confided in the idea that no matter how aged this sparrow would become, he’d still be the softest avian around.

Always there. Always playful. Always…eager for potential mates. He was the total package for best mount in all of Amphibia, and Marcy didn’t want it any other way.

So with Anne, Marcy became delighted when Joe kept that same kindness. It wasn’t just Marcy doing rough landings against solid ground or her zipping through the air. There were two people, two people to consider on the back of his saddle.

And Joe never disappointed her. He pivoted, swerved on command, and coaxed giggles from the girl behind her, whose arms pressed tightly to her waist until their hair puffed out from the wind.

“Keep your arms locked in, Annie B!”

Marcy’s hands whipped the reins, whooping at the top of her lungs when the dive pushed oceans of air into their faces.

The straps and belts dug into their laps when Joe pulled up, braced them in a loop-de-loop that had their eyes rolling when they finally exited out to a steady level.

And Marcy could hear the laughter behind her.

The laughter spoke of so much joy and happiness, of a symphony that Marcy had heard so many times before, and Marcy leaned into her warmth when they passed from the hallowed groves to the shimmering Newtingale creaks.

All throughout the Southern sect, all throughout the faint rattle of Marcy’s heart.

---

The ride home had been a lot darker than Marcy expected. For most of her trips in and out of the valleys, a lot of her path-finding culminated in something one could describe as an adventure. If one described her and Anne beating up an entire bandit group disguised as a clown posse to be an adventure, then yes. That was what happened.

They went head-to-head, toe-to-toe. All while decked out in white makeup and smelly rotten clown noses. This all sounded ridiculous, but out in Amphibia, one should never ever underestimate a theatre group.

For entertainment was their cruelest weapon.

Anne had been the first to ambush the bandits during the mission. With the agile reflexes of a cat, she deflected each oncoming slash with ease while Marcy took aim, calculated her crossbow trajectory until the enemies all knocked unconscious in the mud.

If one ignored the clown get-up, then what she talked about seemed like a typical day for Marcy. Always saving someone. Always doing her best. Always making sure no newts got chewed up by some toad or frog dressed up in rogue wear.

But the difference today was that she had someone to accompany her. Or how that same someone jumped onto Joe and gave that feisty bird a few scratches to his feathers, trying to wash her face in the water bucket they stored earlier today.

It all seemed domestic-like. The kind that Marcy dreamed about in fantasy stories, where the protag had a close ally to travel the world until their dying breaths.

And gosh, it was so cool that Anne became that friend.

She seemed to enjoy it too, what with the close embrace when they finally took off for the night, her chin propped on her cloaked shoulder, or the fact her exhales drifted in crisp Amphibian air.

A sign that she was enjoying everything. Everything from the swoop of Joe’s wings, the purple haze of the night, or how the moon cloaked their forms in red lighting — masking the landscape in darkness like a blanket over bedding.

Anne sighed contently. Her face nestled close to Marcy’s neck. She didn’t show that she regretted being here.

Not one bit.

“I’ve never been this high up before,” she mumbled. “The only times I did were when some creature flung me up into the middle of nowhere.”

Marcy hummed to that. Anne's fingers ghosted the triceps of Marcy's arms, left goosebumps to form and bristle in the cold, it made everything feel weird. Comfortable. Safe. “So is this less traumatizing and more exciting then?”

“Oh yeah, definitely.” Her voice rang, all charmed and sweet. “By a long shot.”

And Marcy was glad about that. Ever since she found Joe, a lot of her adventures had gotten easier to deal with. From zooming over to the Dry Swamp to the many forests hidden deep underneath solid canopies, one of the many pros of having a steed like Joe was of the view.

A view that made scouting ten times easier. The kind that entangled her in clouds, the song of avians, and the dance of the breeze. The kind that chilled her nose, left cumulus droplets on her thumbs, and when she settled down from grazing the upper layers of oxygen her body’s equilibrium warmed her up like it always intended to.

To have Anne feel that same experiences — the same elation — made the trip all the more worth it. Especially when Marcy’s skin grew warmer under non-equilibrium circumstances. All due to the cuddly contact.

Oh, Anne.

“If you want, I know a froggy pitstop nearby that sells slushies twenty-four-seven,” Marcy said softly. Joe went into a descent, already maneuvered by Marcy’s quick hands at the reins. They weren’t going to land yet. At least until Anne said so. “Wouldn’t hurt to take in the view on a full stomach.”

“That sounds amazing.” Anne pressed closer, and Marcy tried not to think about the murmur, how low it rumbled against Marcy’s ear. Gosh, she must be really relaxed by now. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m ready for some grub.”

“Well, they aren’t really grubs more like a mish-mash of every insect on the palette.”

“I try not to think about it.”

With laughter escaping them, Marcy directed Joe into the forest space below, her heart synced with the beat of sparrow wings.

[messrmoonyy]

same anon here that asked for the remus returning thing, sorry for the confusion i meant like after he gets back but they aren’t back together yet and there are those few days we’re dora is kinda cold and distant just to protect herself and remus is doing whatever he can :)

My girl Dora ain’t no doormat, no way was she letting him get away with treating her like that and just forgive him immediately. Remus did some grovelling for sure.

Pairing: Remus lupin x Nymphadora Tonks

Warnings: none

You can find all my other writing on my masterlist and remember my ask box is always open, I love any and all requests so please do send them my way!

Tonks woke up to the sound of quiet clattering, a scent of sausages and bacon and eggs. Fresh pastries and pumpkin juice. She opened one eye but the bedroom door was closed still, the other side of the bed as cold as it had been for the last month and a half. Ever since Remus had returned to her he’d been sleeping on the sofa, still trying to even come to terms with being able to look at him in the eye. Never mind sleep beside him. She had said she’d sleep on the sofa at first. It was his home after all, who was she to make him sleep on the sofa in his own home? But he’d insisted she take the bed.

She had deliberated moving to her parents. She knew that would be the eventual outcome anyway, they weren’t exactly in the position for her to just waltz into st Mungos to give birth. But the thought of staying with her mother fussing for longer than necessary wasnt all that appealing. So she had stayed put and waited for Remus. And now he was on the sofa until she finally shifted the last of her hurt.

She still loved him, of course she did. But she couldn’t shake the purely painful feeling of betrayal. He had come back so she guessed she should have been relieved. But it was the fact that he had ran in the first place. The fight had been bitter, his words stinging her like acid, biting at her, beating her down until she felt completely worthless. She’d never heard him say such things. She didn’t know he had it in him. He’d always been such a gentle soul, she’d only heard him raise his voice once or twice. But everyone has a breaking point, everyone snaps. And he had. At her.

She’d never known he could muster words so cruel. Didn’t know his usually gentle face could twist into such hatred. Didn’t know he could look at as if he could barely stand to be within ten feet of her, when he so often only looked at her with adoration.

He’d come back quite literally begging for her forgiveness, down on his knees and finding every and any word he could to try and prove how sorry he was. She had let him back because she loved him. Because she was carrying their child. But she hadn’t forgiven him. And she wasn’t about to anytime soon she guessed. No matter how hard he was trying to win her back around.

He kept leaving her gifts, there was a constant supply of fresh flowers for her every morning. She had ignored them at first, leaving them on the kitchen counter to wilt and die. He’d started placing them in a vase now. Sometimes it was breakfast- like it seemed to be that morning from the smell. Fresh pastries on the pillow when she went to bed, chocolate frogs in her sock drawer, copies of the quibbler because she liked the comic pages, the list was never ending. She couldn’t lie that she liked his grovelling, it was really the least he could do after all he’d said to her. And she felt she deserved to have him pay for what he’d done.

She sat up in bed and sighed to herself, glancing over at the small box beside the bed that held her wedding ring. She’d thrown it in his face the night he’d left her, it landing somewhere at their feet in the front garden. She’d not even been sure on where it had landed. It had appeared on her pillow a few days after Remus had come back and she wondered if he’d actually taken it with him when he ran. Or if he’d just searched for it when he returned. She’d shoved it in the box and not touched it since. She wished she could’ve gone back to the wedding day. He’d been so happy. She’d been so happy. Her mother would’ve hated the wedding, but that had made almost a little more enjoyable. It wasn’t even the slightest part traditional.

A tiny church in what felt like the coldest part of Scotland going. Some strangers they’d met a few hours before in a local pub as witnesses, no big crowds of guests. No fancy white dress. She’d worn her boots and the nicest dress she could find in her wardrobe back home. Her bouquet had been some flowers nicked from someone’s front garden, one of which she’d pinned to Remus. It wasn’t perfect in anyone else’s eyes, but it was to her. To him. They’d shared their own vows, been bound together by magic and love and hope. They’d danced all night, stayed up until the sun rose sat up on a cliff over looking the sea. And of course the stumbled walk back to their B&B over the pub, the event that had inevitably created the tiny person residing inside her now. And that was that.

But the Remus that had shouted at her, told her that they had no choice but to her rid of the abomination they had created… that didn’t feel like the Remus she had married. She didn’t recognise that man. That wasn’t her Remus. That wasn’t the man she loved, had married, had given up everything for. He was a stranger to her.

She got dressed then, not wanting to fall into the hole of longing for Remus again and put herself in a bad mood, before leaving the bedroom. Remus was stood in the kitchen and smiling at her as she opened the bedroom door. The bedroom was the only place in the house that offered her privacy, the rest being tiny and open plan. She spent most of her time in there just lately and thankfully for her, he often left her to it. The bedroom being almost out of bounds to him. He hadn’t stepped foot in there since coming back.

“ good morning Dora “ he greeted quietly and she shook her head at him, raising a hand and pointing at his face.

“ no. I told you already. You don’t get to call me that now “ he looked down at the floor for a moment and nodded. He looked like a kicked puppy but she told herself she didn’t care. He deserved to hurt like she had. He did.

“ right. I’m sorry. Tonks “ he cleared his throat awkwardly and gestured to the table “ I. I have breakfast for you. I have to nip out to the Weasleys for a while but there’s more food in the fridge for you if that isn’t to your liking “ she sniffed and turned her head away from the table. She didn’t know why but his kindness just made her mad. Like a switch flicked inside of her.

“ and you’ll return this time? Or planning another week away? “ he sighed and ran a hand through his hair “ need another chat with Harry so you? Listen to a child’s advice but not your own wife right? “

“ Dora ple- “

“ no! “ she hadn’t completely intended to shout but she had. She closed her eyes, balling her hair into fists and tried to get rid of her sudden lack of calm. She could feel angry tears burning behind her eyelids and she blamed her messed up hormones. She refused to cry in front of him again. Refused to show the hurt he was still causing her weeks after her left “ just. Just go the Weasleys. Go on “ he hesitated for a moment and gave a small nod.

He knew better than to argue with her now. Knew it would get him no where.

“ just. Please make sure you eat something. It’s not good for the b- “

“ don’t stand there and pretend you care “ she snapped “ don’t “

“ Tonks I do. I do care I have apologised I don’t know what else I- “

“ if you cared you wouldn’t have left “ there was silence then. So quiet it was almost painful. But she felt like twisting the knife, plunging it deeper and drawing out as much agony as she could. She wanted him to hurt like she had, to feel the pieces of his heart shatter inside his chest, splinter his lungs so it felt as though no air could reach him. Make him feel how she had “ I am only here because unfortunately for me. You are the father of my baby. I don’t care how much you apologise. I will never forgive you Remus Lupin. Never “

The words burnt her own throat as she spoke them, and regret seeped into her chest. But she stayed firm. Refused to cry. Refused to feel guilty. He deserved it.

She had clearly struck a nerve. His eyes swam with pain, his hands hanging limply at his side. Defeated. Hurt. She’d won that round.

“ I don’t know how many time I can apologise “ he said weakly “ I know it’ll never come close to repairing what I did but- “

“ please. Just go to the Weasleys “ she said with a sigh and turned away from him as her tears finally fell. She didn’t want him to see. She closed her eyes. gripping onto the kitchen counter so her knuckles turned white. She heard movement behind her and the front door opening.

“ please make sure you eat “ he said softly before the front door closed and she dropped down to her knees, letting her tears run freely. Her body wracked with sobs

————————-

When Remus had been on the sofa for 2 months, and Tonks was finally starting to pass the phase of just looking a little fat, to actually looking pregnant, nearing her 4th month. She had started to become a little more forgiving. She had started to sit with him at breakfast again, didn’t shut down every single conversation he tried to start with her, sat beside him when he read by the fire in the evenings. Though she always left a fair space between them.

She found she’d started to miss him greatly. Trying to deal with how much her body was changing on her own wasn’t exactly the most fun thing. Remus was still piling her with as much affection as he could, even though she still wasn’t particularly receptive to it. But she had to admire his determination.

“ Nymphadora. I was wondering if I could have a word “ she turned to face him as she toed off her boots, having only just gotten home from a trip to see her parents “ please. If you would “ she hung up her jacket and nodded, walking over to him as he gestured towards the table where a small yellow gift bag was sat.

She sat down at the small table, it had an old copy of the prophet folded up under one leg to stop it from wobbling, but it still moved slightly when she picked up the gift bag.

“ you can’t buy my forgiveness “ she stated, not looking inside the bag “ I told you that already Remus. I can’t be bought “ he gave a small nod, clasping his hands tighter.

“ yes. I know. I do. Just- please “ he nodded towards the bag and she hesitated but sighed before pulling at the ribbon and pulling out the tissue paper. She froze when her figures fell upon a soft cotton and she realised what was in the bag. She pulled it out, dropping the bag to the floor “ I wasn’t- I wasn’t sure on the size or- it’s like Hufflepuff, you see? Of course I couldn’t get an official one. It was a muggle shop and I had to be quite quick I didn’t want to risk anything. I mean I had options of course but- “

“ Remus “ she cut him off. It was a babygrow. It was a pastel green with a badger embroidered on the chest. It was the first piece of clothing their child had. She hadn’t exactly had the best of opportunities to go shopping down Diagon alley for some herself.

“ Dora “ he tried her nickname again for the first time in weeks and this time she didn’t chastise him for it “ I know I’ll never be able to take back what I said. But as I told you when I returned. I had time to think. And these past months I’ve been thinking too “ he reached out gingerly for her hand and when she didn’t pull away he gently took it in both of his “ all I ever wanted was a normal life. A normal family. And now… now I have that chance. With the woman I love and. And our child “

“ and what if he’s not… ‘ Normal ‘. If he’s different. I’d hes half werewolf. Or full. Or. In between “ she was getting a little tense with her words again and she tried her best to remain calm. She was finally getting a truthful and meaningful opinion from Remus on the matter. She should be thankful for that. Even with the betrayal still poking the back of her mind occasionally.

“ then I’ll love him all the same. He’ll be could be born with four legs and 5 arms, two heads. No magic at all. I’d still love him. Because we made him Nymphadora. You and I. And I…. I never thought I’d get that. I never believed I’d be a father. A husband. Now I have that opportunity and I see how much of a fool I was to try and throw that away “ he squeezed her hand gently, his thumb rubbing circles over her knuckles in a soothing way. She knew him well enough to know when he was lying to her. And he wasn’t now.

“ let’s deal with the possible moon situation before we worry about any extra limbs shall we? “ she said with a small smile and watched as he seemed to relax every muscle in his body, his worries that she wouldn’t accept his apologies slipping away “ I won’t forgot what you said to me. And to him “ she placed her free hand on her stomach as she spoke “ but you’re his dad. Nothing is going to change that. And the world really fucked up right now. Like. Really. And so we have to protect him. Love him more than we can even think about “ Remus nodded.

She refused to let the world ruin her baby, refused to let him be warped into a life of terror and fear. Of feeling outcast and alone like his father had. Remus stood up then and knelt down in front of her.

“ I love you Nymphadora. And I love him… or her “ she smiled slightly as he placed a gentle hand over hers that was still cradling her bump. Remus’ acceptance suddenly made it feel all the more real. In just 4 months they’d have a baby. A real one. Screaming and crying and laughing. A most innocent thing born into a world on the brink of disaster. And somehow her and Remus had to keep him safe. And kind. And loved. They weren’t exactly the most functional of couples so it was no doubt that their family wouldn’t be either. But they’d make it work. They would.

Werewolf or not.

—————————————-

It was another week after that that she finally caved. The talk had most definitely been the turning point. And she’d kissed him again that evening for the first time in months. Was actually letting him touch her again without recoiling. Though he was still on the sofa.

Though December had well and truly arrived. The cold weather setting her into an almost constant chill, the old cottage not offering much in terms insulation. And she missed having him wrapped around her. He was always warm. And didn’t complain when her cold hands found there way under his shirt in the night to warm up. She also just missed him. Just him. Her Remus. The man she’d fallen in love with. She wanted him back beside her, his slow breaths on her neck in the night, his legs tangled with hers. Even the way his facial hair scratched at her when they kissed. She just missed him.

So it was almost no surprise to her when she found herself slipping out of bed, the coldness of the stone floor seeping through her socks and chilling her already numb feet some more. She opened the bedroom door slowly to see if he was awake or not.

He was in the armchair, a book on his lap. Clearly having not planned to sleep there, he’d have a sore neck in the morning that was for certain. She grabbed the blanket from the back of the sofa and silently walked over to him. The fire was crackling in the hearth, immediately warming her up. She moved the book careful not to lose his page, before climbing into his lap in its place. She wrapped the blanket around them, bring her legs up and resting her head on his chest. One more month gone and she didn’t think she’d be able to manage that. She wasn’t the tallest or biggest of people. So her bump was still pretty small. But she loved it all the same.

Remus stirred slightly and made a small noise of confusion to wake up and find Dora on his lap. He opened his eyes fully, his eyelids heavy with sleep.

" Dora? "

" go back to sleep " she whispered and felt him give a small nod as his hand tentatively wrapped around her, like he was still unsure if he was allowed to touch her or not. She snuggled in a little closer to him as if to say it was okay and he fully wrapped around her, pulling the blanket up to her chin. It felt right to be in his arms like that again. They’d snuggled on the sofa the day before. But not as… intimate as this. It felt normal again. Like she belonged there.

" why did you- "

" I was just cold " she cut him off, ignoring the way his raspy sleep filled voice made her melt. She was trying to show that she was still just that little bit mad at him. But she couldn’t deny that she missed him. That yes she was still hurt, that she might always been. But nothing could compare to the amount that of love she had for him. Still. Even after all he’d done. No one would ever come close to the way she felt for Remus Lupin.

" right " She lifted her head for a moment to find he was already looking at her. And she couldn't help herself. Because time was precious now. And she was wasting it being angry all these months later. She slipped a hand up to cup his face before pulling him in to kiss her. He seemed a little surprised at first, his lips frozen for a moment before they opened to capture her own. But she didn't blame him because she was too. She hadn’t planned for that night to be that night she let go of the final part holding her back.

" this isn't me forgiving you " she said against his lips once they pulled apart. Half joking. Half not.

" I know " he seemed quite truthful with that. Like he understood her thinking. Maybe he did.

" good "

" good " she kissed him again and found herself shifting in his lap, slipping a leg either side of him. Because she was mad at him, she was really. But she loved him more. Missed him more. Needed him more. And soon she was unbuttoning his trousers and bunching up her sweatshirt- that was actually his- around her waist, rolling her hips against him until she was panting out his name, gripping the back of the armchair so hard she was surprised she didn’t splinter the wooden frame.

They stayed on the armchair even after Remus had cleaned them up, trying to keep the warmth of the fire in her body, trying to share Remus’ own body heat.

" Remus " she said when she was certain he was just dropping off, her head against his chest. Heading his heart beating felt like home. The familiar sound she had so often fallen asleep to. Comforting.

" I know. This isn't you forgiving me " he mumbled, hurt tinging his words.

" actually I was going to say that I love you "

" oh. Oh right... I love you too. You know I do " his arms tightened slightly around her and she let herself calm to the sound of his heart. She waited again until she felt him slackening with sleep to speak again, a slight mischief in her tone.

" oh and Remus? This isn't me forgiving you "

[codenamewitcher]

Hooked from the Start || Din Djarin x Princess!Reader

*DO NOT read if you are under the age of 18!!*

Summary: Din Djarin ran into the Princess of Ayleen while on a hunt with the mercenaries and comes to find out that he can’t seem to shake her.

Word Count: 17.1k, oops (I also may release more parts to this as I have so many headcanons I want to write for these two)

Warnings: Third person POV and is mostly in Din’s. Contains violence, language, alcohol use, killing/death, angst, mentions of drug use, vague mentions of abuse, oral sex (f receiving), unprotected p in v sex (please use protection!!), injury, and hurt/comfort.

Translations are at the bottom as the first half doesn’t really contain Mando’a.

This does not contain Season 2 spoilers!

The first time the Mandalorian met Princess Y/n L/n of Ayleen was in a back alley in Kuat City, Y/n's knife was at the neck of the Mandalorian's, Ran's, Xi'an's, and Qin's target who'd also happened to be an enemy and traitor of her father's state.

"If you know what's good for you girl, you'll let him go." Ran said, approaching the Princess with caution, knowing that if she was to kill the target, they'd only receive a quarter of the price that was on the targets head, however, Ran still approached her with his blaster raised. All four of the mercenaries were ready to kill her the moment they found a way to do so without killing the target as well.  The Mandalorian was ready to kill her yet he found her interesting because normally people cowered when met with him and the mercenaries. Instead she smiled and then laughed at them, the Mandalorian knew she was going to be a challenge, especially when he spotted the Ayleenian armor that covered her body. 

"If you knew what was good for you, you would've left the moment you saw me." The mercenaries were too caught off guard by her statement that it took them a moment to realize that her knife was sliding across the target's throat and two knives were flying at Xi'an and Ran then another two at Qin and the Mandalorian. 

By the time the four were done dodging her blades, she was gone. Xi'an had seen her scale a wall and jump over it, but by the time they got over the wall, she was already gone. They tried hunting her down all over the city that night, but there wasn't a trace of her left behind, even when they went back for the body, her blades were gone. 

The mercenaries were all fuming that night because she'd killed their bounty and easily got away from them. 

The second time the Mandalorian and the Princess ran into each other was on Arkania. The Mandalorian had just left the mercenaries and began hunting on his own and one of his new bounties was hiding out on the icy planet. He'd spotted her leaning against a building wrapped in white fur to protect herself against the harsh freezing weather and to blend in with the snow. He'd planned on killing her out of revenge but stopped when he seen the glint of metal hidden within the fur she wore and her eyes looking right at him, a smirk gracing her lips.

"Did you come here to kill me Mandalorian?" Her voice rang clear across the snowy wasteland and it caused him to momentarily freeze. He didn't know what to say to her or what exactly it was that kept him from killing her on the spot. However, when she started to approach him, his hand immediately went to the blaster at his waist.

"Relax Mandalorian, if I was going to harm or kill you, it would've already happened." 

"Why aren't you?" He still kept his hand on his blaster, but didn't pull it out, she was close enough now that he could see a glint in her eyes. "Why are you here?"

"The same reason why you haven't killed me yet, because neither of us has made a move to do so yet." She crocked her head. "And don't worry Mandalorian, I'm not here to kill anyone. Well, at least a specific person." 

It was his turn to tilt his head at her and if his helmet was off, she'd see him glaring at her.

"If you're not here to kill me, then why are you here Mandalorian?" 

"I'm here for a bounty."

The Princess hummed and continued to look at the Mandalorian's visor, if he didn't know any better, he would've thought she could see his face and eyes by how she was studying him. Nothing was said between the two for a long time, but it wasn't an awkward silence, instead the two of them found it a little enjoyable. 

"Sister!" 

The unexpected shout broke both the Mandalorian's and Princess's focus on the other as they looked at the person yelling. The Mandalorian didn't know who the man was that was yelling and walking towards them but judging by the smile that was on the Princess's face and the similar facial features the Princess and the man shared he knew that she did. 

"Brother."  The man came to stand beside his sister, a smile adorning his face as he looked at the Mandalorian, it didn't take much for the Mandalorian to notice guards standing by in the distance, their eyes watching every move the Mandalorian made. The Mandalorian knew he'd be lying through his teeth if he said he felt at ease with the guards surrounding him, but he refused to make any sudden movement, he knew that those guard were here to protect the man and woman that stood before him.

"I didn't know my sister knew a Mandalorian," The man moved to stand by her, knocking his elbow against her own, he then moved to hold his hand out to shake the Mandalorian’s hand. “I’m Prince Y/B/N of Ayleen.”

Gears started to click in place inside the Mandalorian’s head, the girl he first met in a back alley in Kuat City wasn’t just any type of Ayleenian warrior but was also a princess. It also explained the guards and expensive clothing the two standing before him wore and it also explained the girl’s cryptic answer as to way she was here – she was protection. Despite being shocked, he didn’t let it show as he reached his hand out to shake the Prince’s hand.

The Mandalorian watched as one of their guards slowly approached them, clearing his throat to grab the attention of both royals.

“The King requests for your return.”

“Of course!” The Prince rolled his eyes. “I hate that our meeting is getting cut short, but it was a pleasure meeting you Mandalorian.” The Prince tilted his head down slightly in a farewell before turning around to follow the guard.

“Until next time Mandalorian.” The Princess turned to follow her brother but stopped and turned back to the Mandalorian. “And good luck with your hunt, hopefully someone hasn’t already beat you to the punch.”

A smirk was on her lips as she turned back to walk away, a guard staying behind to watch the Princess’s back and then falling behind her once she passed.

The third time the Mandalorian and Princess ran into each other they were both after two different targets that happened to not only be working with each other, but also happened to have backup. The two found themselves taking cover from blaster fire behind a crumbling wall that was falling apart even more and quickly.

“Got any ideas on what we’re supposed to do to get out of this Mandalorian?” The Princess panted besides the Mandalorian as she grabbed a few more knives hidden within the armor she wore.

“You brought knives to a gun fight.” The Mandalorian deadpanned as he watched the Princess, she laughed.

“Yes, I did.” She glanced over at him, a smirk on her face despite being fired upon and dust flying around them from the impact. “They can be just as deadly as any blaster.” She twirled a blade across her fingers and then tapped it against his beskar, but still careful to not scratch it. “I’m still not hearing any ideas.”

He signed and looked away from her, taking in their surrounds, possibilities of taking out the enemy running through his head.

The Princess peaked her head around the wall they were cowering behind, taking in how many men and where they were as they shot at the pair. She immediately moved her head back behind the wall as a blaster shot hit where her head was moments ago.

“Not only is this wall falling apart, but they are moving in and our targets are escaping.”

“Where are they at?” The Mandalorian asked as he zeroed in on the tall end of a X-34 Landspeeder to his right, hoping some of their target’s backup was within blast range.

“Three to the right, four in the middle, and another three to the left. I also have an idea on where our targets are escaping to.”

“How close are some of them to that speeder?”

“Close enough, but I don’t think this wall would hold up.”

The Mandalorian knew what she meant, he could handle most of the fallout from the blast due to his armor, but she however couldn’t. There was already a plan forming in his head, so when she turned his back to him to peak around the wall once again, he turned to face the landspeeder and shot at its gas tank with his blaster. He knew that the single shot would hit it, so once he pulled the trigger, he was already turning around and grabbing the Princess to cover her body with his own.

The Princess was right in the sense that the wall wouldn’t hold up, however the wall didn’t completely fall and the Mandalorian took most of the damage.

“Can you get up?” The Princess asked from underneath him after the blast was over and done with.

“Yeah.” The Mandalorian planted his hands on the ground and slowly lifted himself up, dust and debris falling off his body and armor as he did so. When he was able to sit back the Princess got up herself, she immediately went to peak around what was left of the wall but jumped back when a blaster was fired at her yet again.

“There’s five of them left.” She said looking at the Mandalorian up and down, checking for injuries. “Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine.” He grunted as he pulled a rock form a crevice in his armor. “Are you?”

“No,” A smile then spread across her face. “I think we can take all five of them if you’re up to it.”

The Mandalorian shook his head as he grabbed for two of his blasters, he was somewhat in a state of disbelief with the Princess because she was constantly proving him wrong in how he thought she would react to dangerous situations. When he first met her, he just believed that she was an Ayleenian warrior but that she would’ve given up the target being faced with him and the mercenaries instead she smiled, went against their orders, threw knives at them, and disappeared. Then the second time when he found out she was a princess, he still expected her to carry some of the stereotypical behaviors of a princess for future run-ins but instead of screaming at him for risking her life, she’s smiling at him.

“Ready?” She already had her blades pulled out. The Mandalorian didn’t say anything, but just nodded and that seemed to be all the Princess needed as she immediately shot up and started throwing her knives. The Mandalorian followed suit, shooting down their targets’ guards. It was a combination of the two ducting behind the wall they first took cover behind and blades and blaster fire flying across the town square they happened to be in.

Once the last guard was down, the Princess was already going around the wall and picking up and pulling out her blades and sliding them back into the many hidden spaces on her body after wiping off the blood on the blades. While she was busy doing that, the Mandalorian reloaded his blasters and pulled out the tracking fob he had on his own target. The Princess walked up to him, looking at the fob.

“That must be handy.”

The Mandalorian looked up at her. “You don’t have one?”

“Normally no, my father and I have contacts all over the galaxy. When my father assigns me a task, I make some calls, and get their location. It also helps when one of them takes an Ayleenian ship, they’re much easier to track then. Rogue senators in my father’s court are also easy to track as a lot of them take a lot and spend a lot of money.” She looks around at the damage done to the town square from their fire fight. “Sometimes I get lucky when it happens to be someone that already has a tracking fob on them and I run into a bounty hunter that is after the same person, but other than that, no.”

The Mandalorian hums, he knew very little about the interworking’s of Ayleen as the plant and its government is very secretive, but he did know that the Royal Court was very dangerous, and that each person had to fight to get to their position. So, her mentioning going after her father’s senators didn’t surprise him that much.

“I saw them head that way.” She said, pointing her thumb over her shoulder back behind her. The Mandalorian started heading in that direction, the Princess spinning on her heels and following after him. Nothing else was said between the two as they tracked their targets, the only noise being the steady beep of his tracker and the gravel and dirt crunching under their feet.

It didn’t take the Princess and Mandalorian long to find the two they were after hiding out in a bar. After another large commotion and chasing quarries into a back alley, the Mandalorian and the Princess caught the two.

When the two got to the point of going their separate ways, the Princess turned to the Mandalorian, a smile gracing her lips.

“This was fun, we should do this again.” The Mandalorian turned his head away from her, looking ahead, he couldn’t see himself intentionally seeking her out for help, but did turn his head to look back at her once she spoke again. “My name is Y/n, if you ever find yourself needing help on a bounty, come to Ayleen and mention my name. They should let you in.”

Underneath the Mandalorian’s helmet, he caught himself mouthing her name, instantly loving her name but stopped because he felt like a teenage boy with the silly little crush he started having for her.

“Take care of yourself, Mandalorian.” She then turned and walked off after her farewell.

The fourth time the two ran into each other was on Raydonia, like usual the Mandalorian was after someone but the Princess had no mission, instead sat at a bar, a drink clutched between her hands. The Mandalorian walked up and leaned his elbow on the counter, crossing his ankles while he faced the Princess.

“What are you doing here?” The Mandalorian asked her while she looked up at him. There was a look in her eyes that he hadn’t seen before, but he knew that whatever her eyes held, it wasn’t good.

“To get far, far away from my father.” She said and turned back to her drink. He knew something was off with her despite only running into her three times before this because every time she had a smile on her face even when faced with danger.

Normally the Mandalorian would turn away and continue on with his life, not bothering himself with other people’s problems. That was normally, but somehow, someway the Princess had wormed her way into forming a soft spot in the armor the Mandalorian wore around his heart. The part of him that began to care for the woman asked her why she was avoiding her father, however the other part of him that didn’t let anyone close was kicking himself for it. He still asked her way.

She let out a humorless chuckle, knocked the rest of her drink back, slammed it back on the counter, and turned to him. “I don’t want to scare you off by unloading all of my problems with my father on you.”

She then got up and headed for the door to leave the bar, the Mandalorian’s feet started moving after her without much thought or his permission. He continued to quietly follow her out of the small town until she stopped in the middle of an empty field, her arms coming up to wrap themselves around her body while she looked up at the moon that orbited Raydonia.

“You’re still here.” She stated without turning to look at him, without moving at all.

“I am.” He said, moving to stand next to her and looking up at the moon as well. He didn’t know how long they stood like that, silence surrounding them while she battled whatever inter demon she was battling.

“I don’t want your pity.” She finally spoke, breaking the silence.

“You won’t get it.”

“Good.” Out of the corner of his eye, he could see her worrying on her lower lip as she debated on whether she was going to spill what was on her mind or not. “My father killed my mother because she gave birth to me.”

The Mandalorian said nothing, didn’t do anything, because he was not expecting that and it shocked him a little bit.

“It’s royal tradition on Ayleen that if a girl is born in the direct line of succession to the throne, the child or mother has to die. My father began hating me the moment my mother gave up her life for my own and he likes to throw it in my face every now and then, especially when I come back from a mission and don’t fully deliver on what was asked of me.”

The Mandalorian didn’t know what to say to that and not show pity, but she continued on, momentarily taking the pressure of saying anything away from him.

“She made my brother promise that he would always have my back and to never blame me for her death as it was her choice not mine and he did just that.” He watched as she looked down at the ground and started kicking the toe of her boot into the dirt. “I can’t wait for the day when my brother ascends to the throne because he has already promised me that he will do away with that ridiculous tradition and give me free range on anyone that has an issue with it.”

She didn’t say anything else after that and for a while the Mandalorian didn’t offer anything until his mind started wondering to the bounty he was on this planet for.

“I’m here for a bounty that is supposed to be hard to catch,” The Mandalorian began his offer, watching out of the corner of his eye as the Princess turned to look up at him. “Wanna tag along?”

He looked down at the Princess, waiting for an answer to his offer. A small smile spread across her face and the Mandalorian found himself thanking the stars for it, he decided then that he really liked the Princess’s smile.

“I would like that.”

After that hunt, the Mandalorian knew that he wanted to see more of her besides the run ins they had. So, he gave her a commlink before he left her on Raydonia to take the bounty back to the Guild.

At first the commlink was only used when the other was going on a hunt and wondered if the other would be near to tag along, then eventually, they talked through it and to each other regularly. He liked having the extra help from her as she didn’t require a percentage of the earnings because as she put it, being a Princess allowed her to not worry about money. And an unspoken understanding of each other and a bond had formed between the two as they talked and helped the other out when nearby throughout the many years of communication.

It was because of those many years of the relationship that neither had put a title on, the Mandalorian found that he trusted her and was comfortable around her as she never passed judgement towards him for the terrible things he’s done in his past and that she was also respectful towards his culture.

It was five years after he gave her the commlink when he finally told her about his parents and how he became a Mandalorian. They were sitting in the cockpit of the Razor Crest, traveling through space at hyperlight speed with his quarry in carbonite that she helped capture. They were sharing stories about some of the ridiculous things some of their targets have done when he asked her if he could tell her something important, something that stayed between them. She’d agreed and when he told her about his parents’ death, how the Mandalorians saved him and took him in, she didn’t say anything but took his hand in her own and squeezed it. She never offered an apology for it happening, she just squeezed his hand letting him know that she was here, because she knew that with her own experience of losing a parent that apologies got old and they got old real fast. It was why she asked for him to not pity her five years before he shared this with her.

It was because of that trust as to why he was currently being escorted by Ayleenian guards through the palace to wherever it was the Princess was at, looking for her help. The little green frog eater he was currently on the run for was in his floating bassinet besides the Mandalorian, big eyes finding the castle halls they walked through fascinating. This was the first place he came to after taking the kid back, he knew he would need someone to help protect and care for the Child. The Princess was that someone and she was happy to help, she told him so. He couldn’t help but think of how the Princess would find the Child cute and think of the look on her face as she would coo at the Child. He knew she would, and it brought a smile to his face.

As they walked through the halls, he also found himself thinking of the time she’d called him through the commlink nine years ago, announcing that her father had passed away and her brother had ascended to the throne. It was because of that news they met on a nearby planet later that week, celebrating on his ship. It was that night he found that not only he trusted her, but she trusted him just as much. He knew this when she put a blindfold on over her eyes so that both of them could drink and celebrate her freedom together, because that’s what her father’s death meant for the Princess. That was also the first night they’d kissed.

Again, they’d never put a title on the relationship they had, but they never found themselves in someone’s bed that wasn’t the others either. They both knew that they were friends and lovers, but they just never felt the need for a label, they just had each other.

His thoughts were cut short as the guards opened the throne room doors and he found his Princess, her brother, and another woman chasing three screaming and giggling kids around the room. His heart swelled at the sight of Y/n, he already thought her to be the most beautiful woman in space, but seeing her in one of her court dresses, smiling, and giggling as she played with the children he’d guessed to be her nieces and nephew.

Y/n stopped chasing the children around when him and the guards walked into the room. Her eyes were sparkling with joy and if that wasn’t enough to indicate her happiness, the large grin she held on her face was.

“Aunty!” One of the girls yelled and clang to her leg, taking the attention the Mandalorian and Princess had on each other away from themselves and towards herself. The girl swayed on her feet as she looked up at her aunt, out of breath and a large toothy grin on her face.

Seeing the Princess happy with her family warmed the Mandalorian’s heart but also didn’t help in making him feel guilty for asking for her help. However, she knew he was coming, why he was coming, why he was currently on the run, and had offered to help him in finding a safe place for the child.

“Who’s that?” The little boy that stood by the other woman in the room, pointing his finger at the Mandalorian. Y/n glanced at her nephew and then back at the Mandalorian.

“That’s the Mandalorian I’ve told you stories about.” She said, still looking at the Mandalorian but with love in her eyes; his heart swelled yet again. “Mando, this is Alli.” She patted the girl’s head that clung to her leg. “That’s Jackson,” She pointed to the little boy. “Brea,” she pointed to the eldest girl. “And that’s Jessika, my brother’s wife and the mother to these three goofballs. Kids, Jessika, this is Mando.”

The kids all waved at him and Jessika smiled at him.

“Alright kids, it’s time to get ready for bed.” The King of Ayleen announced, the kids all collectively groaned.

“But daddy!” Alli whined, throwing her head back but still holding onto Y/n’s leg.

“Come, let’s give your aunt alone time with her friend.” The kids groaned and stomped while they followed their mother and father through one of the side doors of the throne room. When the door shut behind them and Y/n waved the lingering guards off, and she stepped towards the Mandalorian. Her attention was yet again fully on him but got taken away when the Child cooed and made grabby hands at the Princess.

Just like he suspected, she was immediately cooing at the Child and telling him how cute and adorable he was. And while the Mandalorian watched her interact with the goblin, he fully took in her appearance.

She wore a dress the color of a stormy sea and with every movement, the fabric shifted like waves. He didn’t know much about dresses and what to call the intricate pulls, ties, and designs of the dress but he knew that he loved it on her – that it fit her. He also knew that while he loved it on her, he would love to see her without it on and pooled at her feet.

And while they never specified what their relationship was, he knew that he wanted to call her his riduur one day and wanted to see her in this dress as they exchanged vows. And stars, after seeing her play with the kids like that, he knew he wanted to see the same thing again but with their own kids. He already knew he was in love with the Princess, but seeing her like this, he wasn’t just in love, he was hopelessly in love.

“I understand why you stole him back.” Y/n said, snapping him out of his daydream. She let the Child hold onto her hand and peered up at the Mandalorian, a soft smile gracing her lips. “I just have a few more things to pack, need to change, and then say goodbye to the kids and I’ll be ready to leave.”

“Thank you.” He said, his fingertips brushing across her cheekbone, she leaned into his touch. She captivated him, he still found it hard to not just stand and stare at her all day, he also found it harder throughout the years to keep his hands off her.

“Of course.” She took his hand in her own and kissed his gloved fingertips. After giving his hand a squeeze, she dropped it and turned her attention to the Child who was still playing with her fingers.

“Okay now little mister,” She leaned down where she was eye level with the Child. “I’ve got to get ready so we can leave. So, I will need these back.” She slowly took her hand away from the Child and then patted his head before she stepped away from him.

She tilted her head for the Mandalorian and the Child to follow after her. They walked side by side down the hall towards her room, their fingers brushing each other as they walked but never entangling, both of them enjoying being in the other’s presence.

When they reached her room, the Mandalorian noticed a bag already on her bed as she was already rushing around her room, grabbing a few more clothes of their hangers and shoving them in her bag but keeping a set out before zipping the bag up.

“Unzip me, please.” She said, turning her back so it would face the Mandalorian. It took every ounce of self-restraint in himself to not throw her on her bed and take her right then and there. It had been too long since he last fucked her and this action had him teetering at the edge. He began to wonder if she really needed his help unzipping her dress as he spotted a few similar dresses in the room in different colors and then seeing the way she bit her lip in the reflection of one of the mirrors in her room. A brief thought of the night they’d spent on Abafar, that had ended in them having sex for this first time and him telling her his name, had crossed his mind. Somehow despite these thoughts, he managed to complete the task, but he didn’t however miss the goosebumps that appeared across her back from his fingertips ghosting down her spine while he pulled the zipper down. Once his hands left her back, she peaked over her shoulder at him, a small, sweet smile on her lips but her eyes held sparkles of mischief.

She knew exactly what she was doing to him.

She stepped away from him before he could pull her body into his and grabbed the set of clothes she laid out on her bed, walking behind a privacy screen in her room afterwards. He watched as the dress she wore was draped over the screen and the other set of clothes were pulled down one by one as she changed. Then she walked out, tying a leather brace onto her arm one of the laces in between her teeth as she used her other hand to tie it. She walked up to a cabinet as she did so and stopped before it while she finished off the last knot and then she opened the cabinet up.

Part of him was in awe but wasn’t surprised to find the cabinet filled with all different types of knifes and blades. He watched as the blades slowly disappeared as she slid them into the many areas built into her armor to hold the knives. When she finished arming herself, she grabbed two bundles of leather and a pair boots in one hand, and with the other hand, she grabbed a fist full of knives.

After knocking the doors shut with her elbow, she turned around facing the Mandalorian and headed to her bed where she sat at the edge. He watched as she slipped the boots on and placed more blades on the inside of her boots.

She once told him that certain royal families within the court had their daughters train as warriors of Ayleen who specialized in fighting with knives and blades as their ancestors once did. They still learned how to fire a blaster and still carried one, but the knives and blades were their preferred method of fighting. She’d also explained to him once that their armor wasn’t just made of leather, but underneath it was Ayleenian steel, the leather was there to make it seem like they weren’t protected from blaster fire.

“What’s bound in the leather?” He asked when she slid the last blade in her boot, she looked up at him, a smirk ghosting her lips.

“More blades.” He snorted at her answer, shaking his head, of course. “Ready?” She asked after slipping the bounds of leather into a side pocket on her bag.

He walked up to her, toe to toe, and leaned his forehead up against hers. At first, he starred into her eyes, her own meeting his under the helmet even though she couldn’t see them, then he closed his eyes enjoying her presence, wanting and needed this momentary peace before they had to go on the run.

He took a deep breath, held it, and then exhaled. “Yes.”

“Okay.” She whispered and then broke the keldabe kiss to place her own on the cheek of his helmet. “I like the new armor, by the way.” She whispered before moving away. He felt his face get warm at her comment and Maker was he glad she couldn’t see his face. He reached to grab her bag, but she beat him to the punch and swung it on her shoulder. She smiled and then walked to her door, holding it open waiting for the Mandalorian and the Child to walk out. She turned the lights off, shut and locked her door before continuing to lead the them through the winding hallways.

They eventually arrived at a back entrance of the castle that lead out to the castle’s docking yard, Y/n’s brother, nieces, and nephew stood by the door waiting for them and the moment the three children seen their Aunt, they came running for her.

While the kids were bombarding their Aunt with questions of when she’d be back and how long she’d be gone, their voices raising one over the others, her brother walked up to the Mandalorian.

“I know that she is more than capable with taking care of herself,” The King paused looking into the Mandalorian’s vizor. “But please continue to watch my sister’s back like you have been for the past 17 years.”

“I will.” The Mandalorian promised, knowing that her brother worried for her even though they only met a handful of times, and he meant it as he knows he wouldn’t hesitate to sacrifice himself to save Y/n because he loved her too much not to. The King nodded and then brought his attention to his kids crowding his sister.

After the Princess said her goodbyes to her nieces, nephew, and brother, her, the Mandalorian, and the Child headed to the Razor Crest and left Ayleen.

The three had traveled for two weeks before landing on Sorgan.

“Two bowls of bone broth please.” The Mandalorian told the proprietor of the common house they were in while Y/n got the Child situated in a highchair.

“I swear you never eat.” The Princess said after getting the Child to calm down a little.

“What do you expect me to do, use a straw?” He asked, dragging his eyes away from the woman in armor that was staring the three of them down to look at the Princess.

A smile spread across her face and a giggle escaped her lips, “That would be a sight I would love to see.”

He shook his head and looked back at the woman that was starring them down seconds ago only to find the corner empty.

“Stay here with the kid.” He said getting up going out the back of the common house, trying to track down the woman.

The Princess glared at the back of his helmet and continued to do so until he was no longer in her line of sight. The proprietor laid out two bowls of broth before the Princess and Child, after thanking the woman, Y/n turned to the Child.

“He really thinks I’m going to sit here and stay put, doesn’t he?” The Child angled his head and cooed at the Princess’s words. She laughed and took him out of his highchair, placing a bowl of broth in his hands. “Come on, let’s see what kind of trouble he has gotten himself into.”

The Child followed after the Princess as she walked in the direction she seen the Mandalorian walk off to. By the time her and the Child come across the Mandalorian, they found him and the woman he was after on the ground, pointing blasters at each other.

The Princess clears her throat grabbing both of their attention, “Are y’all just going to sit there and point blasters at each other or are you going to do something?”

The Princess had a hand on her hip and the other hanging by her side and while her pose didn’t seem threatening, the Mandalorian knew that her free hand was ready to grab a knife and attack. The Mandalorian sighed and shock his head anyways at her, then looked at the woman he just got into an altercation with.

“Would you like some soup?” The Mandalorian asked the woman.

She agreed and they later found out that her name was Cara. She told them that she was an ex-shock trooper and shared stories of her days on the battlefield and how she ended up here while they sat at the table they originally sat at before they met her.

“So, how does a Mandalorian and an Ayleenian warrior end up together?” Cara asked after getting done with her story and apologizing for coming at the Mandalorian earlier.

The Princess snorted besides him as she sipped at her broth, he glanced at her, but she shrugged with a smirk gracing her lips.

“We had a common target when we first met and kept running into each other afterwards, so we started working together.” The Mandalorian sighed.

“Aw, you left out the best part!” The Princess said, setting down her bowl, Cara raised an eyebrow at the Princess wanting her to go on. “I beat him and his buddies in finding and killing their quarry before they could get to him. And then, I escaped without an issue.”

The Mandalorian knocked his elbow into the Princess’s arm and leaned back against the wall, Cara laughed at the pair.

“Well,” Cara started but finished off her soup before continuing. “Seeing as we’re all on the run, one of us is going to need to get a move on, and I was here first.” She got up to leave. “Thanks for the soup.”

“Looks like this planet is taken.” The Mandalorian said once Cara left, he got up. “Let’s grab a few things and go.”

“Fine,” The Princess huffed, drinking the last bit of her broth before helping the Mandalorian with the Child. “Sucks, I didn’t get a chance to fight her myself and see just how good she is.” The Princess teased, a smirk on her lips while the Mandalorian shook his head at her antics.

Little did the Princess know, there was also a smile on the Mandalorian’s face as they walked out of the common house.

By the time they made it back it was almost dark out. The Child sat on the Princess’s hip while the Mandalorian carried supplies up the ship.

“I need to make some repairs on the ship before we leave.” He said placing the supplies down and going to grab the toolbox. He stopped right before the Princess and the Child, looking down at the two.

“Do you need any help?” She asked while the Child reached out for him, he held out his finger for the Child to hold onto.

“I love you, cyar’ika, but you’re shit at mechanic work.” She laughed and shrugged her shoulders.

“Can’t say I didn’t offer to help.” The Mandalorian laughed, the child cooed and a warm feeling spreading through his chest. This could be his own little family and it was already beginning to feel like it.

But he shook the thought from his head as he was reminded of them being on the search to find a safe place for the Child, not to start a family. That also seemed like something him or the Princess couldn’t do with her being committed to her people and him to his own.

He took has finger away from the Child’s hand and rubbed his head. The Mandalorian settled for giving the Princess a brief keldabe kiss before walking down the ramp to do the needed repairs. The thought of a family still making its presence known in the back of his mind as he did so.

The Princess had laid a blanket in the middle of the haul’s floor, her and the Child sitting on top of it while they played with the knob the Child was currently obsessed with.

Even though she’s only known the Child for two weeks, the Princess knew that she’d die for the kid and like the Mandalorian that was outside doing repairs, the Child had managed to find a place in her heart. She knew that the whole point of this mission was to find him a safe place to live where he wouldn’t be hunted but the Princess had begun to dread the day they were to find him a home.

The Princess set back, moving her legs out from underneath herself, the thought of a home running circles in her mind as she continued to roll the knob across the blanket.

She didn’t really know what it was like to have a home. Yeah, she lived in a castle, but that place housed dark memories that even her brother’s kids couldn’t chase away.

She never felt comfortable.

The only place that had gotten close to a home and a comfortable place for the Princess was here on this ship with Din, even if the ship was always cold. She still wasn’t sure if this was necessarily a home either.

She’d always imagined that a home would be in a quiet place, where politics and military strategies weren’t being discussed in another hall, where she wasn’t consistently running whether it was at someone or from someone. But even then, the Princess still wasn’t sure what a home was as she never had it. Stars, it could be right in front of her, but she wouldn’t be able to tell it because she just didn’t know what it’s supposed to feel like.

How were they even supposed to find the Child a safe home when she didn’t know what one was and Din, himself, had once admitted to her that he wasn’t sure what a home was supposed to feel like.

Her thoughts were cut short when the ramp of the crest opened. She heard more than one voice, she couldn’t make out the words, but it put her on edge.

Y/n was quick in hiding the Child and pulling out a knife, ready to attack just in case. She watched as Din began to climb the ramp and then suddenly stop, turning around to face the direction of the two other voices she could hear.

“Where do you live?” She heard him rasp as she stepped forward to hear what the other two voices were saying but still far enough back that they couldn’t see her.

“On a farm. Weren’t you listening?” She heard one voice say.

“We’re farmers.” The other chimed in. After deeming them not a threat, Y/n slipped her knife back into its original place and stepped out where the farmers could see her. The one who’d just chimed in on the conversation, looked up at the Princess with wide eyes while his buddy and the Mandalorian continued on with the discussion.

“In the middle of nowhere?”

“Yes.”

“You have lodging?”

“Yeah, absolutely.”

The Mandalorian turned back to the Princess. “They want our help to get rid of some riders, you up for it?”

“Why not?” She shrugged her shoulders and Din nodded in return.

“Good,” He turned back to the farmers. “Come up and help.”

They scampered up the ramp to start gathering the supplies the Mandalorian told them to get. He walked up to the Princess who was now holding the Child to keep him out of the way.

“I’m going to go find Cara for help.” He said, running his knuckles along Y/n’s cheekbones, not missing the way slight shivers went through her body. “Make sure they get everything we’ll need.”

Y/n nodded, watching as he ran a finger along the Child’s ear and then left, telling the farmers that he would be back on his way out.

“So, we’re basically running off a band of raiders for lunch money?” Cara asked, leaning back in the speeder, making herself comfortable.

“They’re quartering us in the middle of nowhere.” The Mandalorian started, but careful to not be too loud and to not make much movement as the Princess’s head laid on his shoulder while she and the Child cradled in her arms slept. “Last I checked, that’s a pretty square deal for somebody in your position.” He paused looking down at the woman he was in love with. “Worst case scenario, you tune up your blaster. Best case, we’re a deterrent.”

Cara snorted as she watched the way the Mandalorian acted with Y/n’s head on his shoulder.

“I can’t imagine there’s anything living in these trees that an ex-shock trooper couldn’t handle.” He finished, looking back a Cara.

Cara hummed, “What’s going on between you two, are you married?”

The Mandalorian stilled, thinking of an answer, if he even wanted to answer the question. He was quiet long enough that Cara assumed he wasn’t going to answer her question until finally he broke the silence.

“No,” He glanced back down at the Princess and Child. “We’ve never put a name on it.”

He noticed that Y/n’s mouth was slightly open and took that as the chance to carefully move so that his arm was leaning on the edge of the speeder and around her shoulders. He’d learned over the years that when her mouth fell open in her sleep, that she was in a deep sleep, and it would take more than a few movements on his part to fully wake her up.

“We should get some sleep.” The Mandalorian stated, getting more comfortable with Y/n leaning up against him, Cara agreed.

“I know Ayleen fought to Restore the Republic, but where were you during the war?” Cara asked the Princess.

They were the only ones left sitting at the campfire the villagers put together that night, everyone had gone to bed besides them and Din left to go put the Child to sleep and eat. Y/n didn’t say anything for a while, starring at the flames, her legs spread out before her with her ankles cross, feet moving side to side while she thought of what to say.

“Most of Ayleen’s warriors fought in several battles like Scarif and Endor, but I wasn’t on the battlefield like that.” Y/n gabbed a stick, poking at the logs to keep the fire going and to give her something to do while she talked about the past. “The King had a secret guard that was assigned missions to take out traitors who double crossed the Alliance and gave information to the Empire along with assignments of discovering information.” Y/n paused again setting the stick down and taking a deep breath. “As his daughter, I was placed in his secret guard. I was the leader but each of us were sent on individual missions as they were basically assassinations and its better and easier to sneak around and kill people alone. The only missions where we were a full unit was to uncover needed information and those were few in between.”

“Wait you’re a princess?” Cara asked, eyes squinting at Y/n.

“Yeah.”

“I know Princess Leia did, but princesses normally don’t fight in wars.” Cara raised an eyebrow. Y/n didn’t take any offence as she was used to it by now as her father worked to keep the innerworkings of the Ayleen government secretive from the Galaxy.

“The princesses of Ayleen’s royal bloodline learn to fight as a woman doesn’t sit on the throne in Ayleen.” Y/n shrugged her shoulders. “And my father was a traditionalist.”

“Aren’t they usually?” Cara said, taking a slip from her flask. Y/n laughed and stood up, the day’s exhaustion finally catching up to her.

“I’m honestly surprised that my father didn’t bring back to the old fights that politicians held to gain power within the court, I know he considered it once.” Cara’s eyes widened.

“You’re kidding.” Y/n shook her head.

“Living on Ayleen has always been brutal, but my brother and I are working to better that. It still is, as my father wasn’t the only traditionalist on the planet, which is why Mando and I are not looking at Ayleen to keep the Child safe.” Cara hummed. The Princess could see that Cara had more questions to ask her, but she was tired and didn’t necessarily want to talk anymore about Ayleen’s history. “I’m going to bed, but I will see you tomorrow to scope out the raider’s base.”

“See you bright and early, princess.” Cara said in a teasing voice, raising the flask as a toast. Y/n rolled her eyes and headed to the barn that her, Din, and the Child were sharing.

She rasped her knuckles against the wooden door, waiting for Din to give the okay to come in, not wanting to walk in while his helmet was off. Once she got the okay, she pushed the door open to find Din holding the Child in his arms, laying in the cot they made with hay and blankets, the arm holding the Child was propped up on a small pile of hay. After shutting the door, Y/n grabbed a folded blanket and went to go lay down next to the Mandalorian.

“Did you eat?” Y/n whispered, trying not to wake the Child up.

“Yes.” Din whispered back, turning his head from the goblin in his arms to Y/n, watching as she unfolded the blanket and spread it out to cover their legs. “Come here.”

Y/n scooted closer to him and into his side, her head laying down on his chest plate, legs tangling with his while his arm wrapped around her shoulder, bringing her closer to him. She placed a small kiss on the beskar and then laid her cheek and a hand against it, watching the Child sleep.

“I love you.” She whispered; voice filled with sleep.

“I love you, too.” Din said back, wishing that he could kiss her, but settled for squeezing her shouldrs before they dozed off.

It was raining and it was raining hard. The Princess, Mandalorian, and ex-Shock Trooper had already spent a week preparing the village to fight the raiders who they’d discovered owned an AT-ST Raider. They’d originally planned on another training session today, but decided to stay in, because of Y/n’s concern for people getting sick from the cold rain and allotting them fewer fighters for the upcoming battle. And mainly for the fact that the Mandalorian was a “living, breathing lightening rod” as the Princess had put it during the small meeting they held with Cara and Omera earlier.

“It’s quiet here.” The Princess said, shifting to snuggle deeper into Din’s side, searching for warmth while the two of them watched the Child chase a frog that found its way into the barn. They’d made a makeshift pallet after their meeting with hay and hay bells to lean against, a blanket spread over it to keep from being poked by the hay.

“It was until you spoke.” The Mandalorian joked. Y/n elbowed his side, smiles gracing both of their lips.

“You know what I mean.” She laughed and laid her chin on his chest plate, looking up at the ‘T’ shaped vizor on his helmet, a smile lingering on her face. “He likes it here.”

Din hummed in agreement while he brushed his thumb over Y/n’s eyebrow. “I can’t imagine how peaceful it must have been here before the raiders.”

Y/n was quiet as she looked down to start running her fingers along the edge of his chest plate, a serious look over taking her facial features. “Do you think we can manage to fight them off and their AT-ST Raider? This goes beyond my expertise.”

Din froze, not really sure on what to tell her because he didn’t know himself. “I’m not sure, but think we’ve got the best plan under the current circumstances.”

She stopped tracing the beskar and laid her cheek against it, looking towards the Child. “I think you’re right in this place being peaceful before the raiders, because they are willing to put their lives on the line to regain that peace.”

“I think so too.” Din whispered, running his hand from her neck down her back, stopping at its middle and flattening it against her back. They continued to silently watch the Child chase the frog up until lightning struck in the distance and sent a loud rumble through the barn. The Child dropped the frog out of fear and came running to his two caretakers.

The Princess sat up to catch him in her arms, where she was quick in cradling the Child and quieting his small cries before they built up into something worse. Din’s heart melted at the sight, especially when she leaned back on him, situating herself between his arm and side, not once taking her eyes off the Child.

“I didn’t know you were so good with kids.” He said watching as she gave the Child her hand to hold onto, quieting him.

“Well, after being forced to watch my brother’s children when they were babies, I picked up on a few things.” She whispered before she started softly humming and rocking the Child to sleep. The Mandalorian watched her in amazement.

He’d never pictured or imagined himself starting his own family as it all it had ever been was providing for the Covert, that was until these past three weeks. Where he saw the way that Y/n had interacted with children, the smile on her face as she played with them, and the way that she’d immediately began to care for the Child like he was her own.

It was expected by the elders for the Mandalorian to have his own kids one day but he had never considered the thought of having children of his own until now and it was a foreign feeling that he wasn’t completely sure on how to process it. It made his heart speed up, melt, and grow all at once and it brought a smile on his face when he watched her interact with kids and imagined building a home with the Princess where their own children could run around and play.

“What are you thinking about?” Y/n asked softly, keeping the surroundings calm for the Child as she lightly rocked him. The question caught him off guard and he didn’t know what to say as what he was thinking about has never been discussed between them.

And the last thing he wanted to do was scare her off by telling her of his daydreams where they got married, had children, and made a home for themselves.

“About how beautiful you look and how caring you are with the Child.” He says he least risky thing he can think of without outright lying to her, he’s found over the years that he hates lying to her and tries to avoid it as much as possible. And what he told her wasn’t a lie either as he did believe she looked beautiful sitting there with the Child in her arms.

“Oh yeah?” She looked up at him, a smile gracing her lips. Maker did he love her smile.

“Yeah.” He whispered back, the smile that was already on his face growing as Y/n snuggled into him further where her head leaned on his shoulder, he wrapped him arm around her and the Child.

The Mandalorian found that despite the danger that they were facing, he found himself content, laying here with her and the Child listening to the beat of rain against the barn and the soft rolls of thunder. It was a moment of temporary peace that he was going to drink every last drop of as he rarely got to have a taste of it.

Din Djarin could have sworn his heart momentarily stopped as he caught onto what the Princess had decided to do in order to save the village. He watched in horror as she grabbed his Amban rifle, jumped over the barricades and ran out into the battlefield.

It was a mixture of horror and awe as he watched her run across the field and towards a pond, dirt and blaster fire rain down and flew around her. But the initial shock wore off quickly as it started and he began chasing after her, shooting down anyone who had their blasters pointed at him and her.

He watched as she got in the pond and shot at the AT-ST, trying to provoke its drivers to come towards her in the water while he continued to run towards her.

He could hear and feel his heartbeat in his ears and under his skin as he watched the AT-ST take the bait and step in the pond.

He wanted to dive in the pond and pull her out of the danger, but he realized that she would’ve been angry at him if he didn’t do something in aid of her hail Mary. So, he grabbed thermal detonators hidden in his armor and threw them at the chassis of the AT-ST. He quickly slid into the pond, pulled Y/n towards him against the wall of the pond, and shielded her with his body as the blast goes off.

The AT-ST fell into the pond, causing a large splash to fall on them and waves to push them further into the wall. He continued to hold onto her in fear that if he let go, she may slip under the water and not come back up.

He knew it was irrational to believe that, but he genuinely thought he was about to lose her, and he didn’t know if he could live after something like that.

Once the waves calmed, blaster fire stopped, and cheers filled the air, the Mandalorian pulled away to check for any injuries. He could barely see her eyes in the dark, but he could tell by the way she looked up at him and the unreadable expression on her face, she was reacting to this differently compared to in the past where she’d smile and laugh it off. Instead, she moved his hands away from her face and threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck, he realized she was shaking a little bit.

“Never do something like that again, please cyar’ika.” He whispered in her ear, wrapping his arms around her waist, and holding her tightly to his body.

“Okay,” She whispered back and tightening her arms around him to pull him closer. The Mandalorian realized then that between them constantly throwing themselves in harm’s way that he didn’t want to spend another moment where there wasn’t a title for their relationship, where he wasn’t married to her.

He pulled away from her, looking her in the eyes to make sure she knows he’s serious with the next words he’s about to speak.

“I want to marry you.”

He could hear his heartbeat pound in his ears once again as she stood there in the pond with him, taking in his words. Finally telling her felt like a relief and a major fuck up all at once, it felt like a hand was wrapped around his heart and like an invisible weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

But she didn’t say anything as she placed her hands on the slides of his helmet and pulled him into a keldabe kiss and he still don’t know what her answer was, it kinda scared him shitless.

“I do too.”

It was two days before they’d planned on departing from Sorgan and the day the Princess and Mandalorian planned on getting married.

Y/n currently sat in the barn her and the Mandalorian shared, some of the village girls put small white flowers in her hair, Omera directing the children on placement of flowers.

Y/n and Din had decided that while they wanted to get married while they were on Sorgan, they didn’t want a bunch of the villagers attending the wedding as neither of them felt comfortable enough to do so. In fact, it was only going to be her and the Mandalorian, they wanted the moment to be private and intimate, they didn’t feel like they could do that in front of an entire village.

However, they did agree to compromise with the villagers for them to throw a celebration afterwards.

The girls finished placing flowers in Y/n’s hair and another came up to her with a handful of flowers in her hand serving as a bouquet.

“You look like a princess.” The girl whispered, handing her the bouquet, Y/n smiled.

“Come here, let me tell you a secret.” Y/n motioned for the girl to come close so she could whisper in her ear. “I am a princess.”

The girl turned to look at Y/n with her eyes wide and jaw dropped in shock.

“But you gotta keep that a secret, pinky promise?” Y/n held out her pinky, watching as the girl nodded and wrapped her pinky around Y/n’s.

“Okay, girls! It’s time to leave Y/n alone and help set up the festivities.” Omera announced, the girls began running out of the barn, Omera following them but stopped at the call of her name.

“Thank you,” Y/n said when Omera turned to her. She bowed her head, a smile on her face.

“It’s the least we could do for you and the Mandalorian after you helped us save our village.” She smiled again. “I’ll let him know that you’re ready.”

Omera walked out, leaving Y/n to her own thoughts. She walked up to the window in the barn, leaning against it and watching the villagers prepare for whatever activities they had planned. She still wore her armor as she didn’t bring anything dressy for something like this and she didn’t want to wear one of Omera’s dresses or another villager’s as they’d already done so much for her, Din, and the Child.

“Mesh’la,” She whipped around to face the Mandalorian at the sound of his modulated voice. Her heart felt like it had stopped, and she felt like she forgot how to breathe. She didn’t know why she reacted like this as Din didn’t look any different as he did yesterday, but she still somehow forgot how to function properly as he stepped closer to her.

Little did she know, the Mandalorian was reacting the same way but was able to hide it under the beskar and his movement towards her.

She managed to meet him halfway where no one could see them from the window. Din brushed his knuckles along her cheek, taking in the beauty that stood before him.

“You look so beautiful,” He whispered as one of his fingers moved to touch the petal of one of the many flowers in her hair. “Are you ready?”

“Yes.” Y/n whispered and bit her lip, all of the sudden feeling shy under his gaze. She placed the bouquet on a wooden table they stood beside.

Din’s hand fell away from the flowers in her hair and down to hold both of her hands in his own. They’d discussed a week ago on what vows they’d say and decided on the Mandalorian marriage vows for this first time and then the Ayleenian vows for when they hold a ceremony with her family as Y/n had claimed her brother would want to see her get married. He’d also told her that night what the Mandalorian vows meant in basic and helped her get started on pronouncing the words correctly.

Both of their hearts felt like they were going to beat out of their chest as they starred at each other, hands gripping onto one another.

“Mhi solus tome.” Din began, squeezing Y/n’s hands as she began to repeat the vow.

“Mhi solus tome.”

“Mhi solus dar’tome.”

“Mhi solus dar’tome.”

“Mhi me’dinui an.”

“Mhi me’danui-” Y/n stopped, her eyes looking up, lips moving as she tried to work out the correct pronunciation, and cheeks burning as she did so. Din let out chuckle under his breath, rubbing his thumb across her hand, finding her effort adorable. “Mhi me’dinui an.”

He nodded as a questioning look filled her eyes wondering if she’d said the word correctly. “Mhi ba’juri verde.”

“Mhi ba’juri verde.” She said the last vow, sparkles filling her eyes as he brought her hands up to his helmet. Her breath caught in her throat once again as he flattened her hands out of his helmet and helped her lift it off.

The helmet nearly slipped out of her hands as she gasped and took in Din’s appearance, but he managed to keep a hold on the helmet until he sat it down on the wooden table next to her bouquet of flowers.

Her fingers explored his face, tracing the curve of his nose, the sharp edge of his jaw, and the bow of his upper lip. Then they ran through brown hair, fluffing it up from being pushed down by a helmet all day all while she looked in his brown eyes.

There was a good reason why the breath had been knocked out of her the moment she seen her husband’s, her riduur’s face for the first time and this was it.

“Y/n,” He whispered her name like a prayer on his lips as she continued to take in his features, y/e/c eyes traveling all over his face. Din took off his gloves and held her own face in his hands, seeing it for the first time without the helmet on and a blindfold covering part of her face. “Can I kiss you?”

She nodded her head; her eyes found their way back to his own and closed once he started to lean in. Even though his lips where slightly chapped, they were still soft and she could’ve easily melted then and there as he kissed her, tongue running across her lips while his hands traveled down her body to pull her close to his own.

Y/n broke away for air, gasping it down as his lips made their way down her throat, her fingers threading through his hair so that she had something to keep her steady despite the arm wrapped around her waist.

“As much as-“ Her words were cut off by a whimper that escaped her lips when he moved fabric and nipped at her collarbone. “As much as I would love for this to continue,” She continued to gasp. “We have people waiting on us.”

He nipped at her skin once more before looking up at her, his pupils were blown so wide she had a hard time finding where they ended and his brown irises started. He stood to his full height and she held his gaze while their chest bumped into each other.

“Fine,” He rasped and leaned in to brush his lips along the shell of her ear. “But I’m going to take my time with you tonight and you aren’t going to find it easy to walk afterwards.”

Shivers went down her back and goosebumps covered her skin. “Promise?”

He stepped away from her, took a deep breath, and put his helmet on. His finger curled beneath the Princess’s chin, tilting her head up while he looked down at her.

“I promise.”

The moment the barn door shut, the Mandalorian's helmet was off and he had the Princess, his riduur, pushed up against the door with his knee shoved between her legs while his lips and hands were busy exploring her body.

Omera had agreed to watch the Child so that it was just the two of them for the night and he'd be damned if wasn't going to take full advantage of that.

"Din," Y/n gasped out beneath him when he nipped at that sweet spot between her neck and shoulder. Her fingers threaded through his soft, brown curls, tugging on them in an attempt to keep herself grounded.

Din brought his lips up to her own, tasting the spotchka she'd consumed throughout the celebration on her tongue. He moaned into the kiss at the taste of the liquor while his fingers started fumbling with the knots and clips holding her armor together.

The moment he'd stripped her of her armor, he started working on taking off her clothes but was cut short when she pushed him and rotated their bodies where he was now pushed up against the barn door. She broke away from the kiss, pants escaping her lips, and pupils blown wide with lust as she looked into his brown eyes.

Time seemed to slow as the two of them drank each other in while catching their breaths, it was like the calm before a storm and it was a storm that they both were ready to run into together.

Then it was like time sped back up when Y/n started taking off his armor and every time she sat a piece down she took off, she'd press a kiss to his lips, cheek, jaw, neck, clavicle, and so on. Once all the armor on his upper body was removed, she slid her hand beneath his tunic, lifting it up as her hands travelled further up his abdomen running over the muscle and scars that where mapped across the area. When she got far enough, she lifted the shirt over his head and immediately connected her lips with his own.

Each time they kissed, Din couldn't help but think about how intoxicating her lips were. Today wasn't the first time they'd kissed each other but that first time, he knew he was hooked and every time they've kissed throughout the years he couldn't get enough. But it was something different about tonight, it felt like with every kiss, he was taking a hit of spice, but the high was so much better, and it was a high that he didn't want to come down from.

Y/n broke away from the kiss once again, gasping for the air he stole right out of her, their chest bumping into each other while they gulped down air. Din took this as his chance to grab the bottom of her shirt and lift it over head, his hands running up her body from her hips all away to her breast before lifting the shirt completely off her body. His hands sneaked around her body to unclasp her bra and then the same hands cupped her breast the moment the article of clothing fell away down to their feet. His hands stayed there long enough for his thumbs to brush over her nipples but after that, they are already sliding down her body. They stopped just below her ass and were squeezing the back of her thighs.

"Jump." he whispered, and she did as told, wrapping her legs around his waist. She threw her arms around his neck for leverage and her fingers playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. She leaned in for another kiss and capturing his lips as he started to push away from the door and headed straight for their makeshift cot.

Once he reached the cot, he slowly got down on his knees, one of his hands at her thigh moving up her back to continue holding her close as he gently laid her down, not once breaking the kiss in the process.

Once she was placed on the cot, he slid his hand out from underneath her back and placed it next to her head, bracing himself to keep from crushing her. He finally broke away from the kiss only to trail kisses down her neck and her heaving chest.

Her hands ran through his head of hair, trying to catch her breath while her riduur placed kisses down her body. It didn't take long for her breath to get caught in her throat once again when Din latched his lips around one of her nipples, his eyes looking up at her face and watching the way it morphed from pleasure. He lightly sucked on it and then blew cool air against it once he was done and gave the other nipple the same treatment.

Afterwards, he moved away from her, unhooking her legs from around his waist so he could stand up. A whimper fell from the Princess's lips at the loss of contact.

He started taking the rest of his armor off and when he started unbuckling his pants, he looked down at his riduur laid out before him taking her in. Her lips were swollen from the kisses they shared and her biting her lip, eyes glossy and twinkling with stars, pupils blown wide with lust, and chest still heaving.

In his eyes, she looked like an angel spread out before him and she was all his for the taking.

Once he got the rest of his clothing off, he kneeled back down before her, his hands taking off her boots and then sliding up over the fibric of her pants before stopping at the waistband. Her eyes didn't break contact with his for one moment in the process of his fingers popping open the button of her pants and hooking in the waistband of both her pants and underwear, slowly dragging the articles of clothing down her legs.

It was when he got her fully underdressed that he broke eye contact but only to drag his eyes up and down her body only to meet her eyes again once he leaned down to start dragging his lips up her leg.

A trail of prickles was left in his wake from his lips ghosting over her skin. One of his hands also slid up her leg only to push them further apart so he'd have better access to her. His lips reached the inside of her thigh and begun trailing kisses until they landed on the juncture of her thighs where he lightly nipped at the skin there. He only pulled away from her legs in the slightest to blow cool air across her dripping folds. A moan slipped from Y/n's lips while her hands curled into the blanket that lay below them.

"Look at you," A smirk found its way onto his lips as he watched the way her body was already so responsive to his actions, his words were laced with a teasing edge to them. "You're already soaked, and I've barely gotten started on you."

Y/n looked into his eyes over her heaving chest and couldn't tell where his pupils ended and his iris began due to how dark they were with lust.

And without waiting any longer, Din took his free hand and used it to spread open her folds, flattening his tongue to swipe through them and collecting some of her slick in the process. He pressed his tongue up against her entrance and her back started to arch while she threw her head back. He slipped his other under her leg, resting it on his shoulder while he placed that hand down on her abdominal pelvic region to keep her hips still. He kept his tongue at the same place, prodding at her entrance, the tip of his nose nudged between her folds while the fingers that were once spreading her folds moved to circle around her clit.

A gasp escaped her lips, her body seized up from the pressure his fingers put on the little bundle of nerves, and one of her hands flew down to grip onto his hair. The moan and whimpers falling from her lips was music to his ears as he continued to lap up her arousal and rub on her clit.

"Din," She gasped out, tugging at his hair. "I- I need you."

He pulled his mouth away from her mound, looking up to find her eyes rolling back into her head - she was close. "How do you need me, cyare?"

"I need you inside me." She breathed out, he smirked.

"I know you do, honey." He whispered, pulling his hand away from her clit, and started climbing his way up her body. Her hand fell away from his hair and her chest knocked into his while she gulped down air.

He gently placed a kiss at that spot on her neck that was right below her jaw and ear and then on her jaw, a hand sneaking between their bodies to grab onto his cock. He dragged its tip through her folds, collecting some of the slick between her legs.

"Din," Y/n whined beneath him, hands gripping onto his biceps. He caressed his nose along her cheekbone, quietly shushing her when his lips reach her ear.

"I know." He whispered and lined himself up at her entrance. He started sinking himself into her warmth, a groan erupting from his chest and past his lips from the tight fit while her nails dug into his skin due to the stretch.

Her legs wrapped around his waist bringing him closer to her body once he sunk all the way in. He sat up, looking down at the beginnings of the mess he was making of his riduur and gently took her hands in his and moved them away from his arms. He interlaced his fingers with hers and held her hands down on the cot, looming over her body.

He started slowly rocking his hips into hers getting the two of them used to the way he filled and stretched her before he sped up. He watched the way she bit at her lip, trying to contain the little noises she made, and the way her eyes held so much emotion in them as they looked into his.

"Din," She tightened her legs around his hips and leaned her face up to his as much as she could with her hands pinned down, she held his gaze the entire time and he didn't fail to notice the way something seemed to shift in her eyes. "I need to you to fuck me like you mean it."

Her hips rolled up into his and a growl sipped from his lips at her filthy request. He captured her lips with his own and did as she asked, pulling out far enough that all was left in was the tip and then slamming his hips back into hers.

Y/n pulled away from the kiss, moaning as her head fell back onto the cot, she no longer had the ability to hold herself up as he started his rough and bruising pace. He leaned down, nudging her head to the slide with his nose to allow him access to her neck.

"I keep my promises, you know that right Mrs. Djarin?" He whispered into her ear, but not failing to notice a crease form between her eyebrows and her lips fall open with a moan leaving them out of the corner of his eye. "I intend to follow through with fucking you so hard that it won't be easy for you to walk tomorrow."

At his words, a moan got caught in her throat and her hands squeezed his so hard her nails bit into his skin.

He placed a kiss on her neck, nipping at the spot, and then running his tongue over the mark to soothe the skin. He continued marking her skin up while he untangled his fingers with one of her hands to sneak it down between their bodies to start rubbing at her clit. He felt the rumble of the groan that passed through her throat beneath his lips.

Her hand found its way on his back where she dug her nails into his skin and racked them along his trapezius and stopping at his shoulder giving herself something else to hold onto.

"Princess," He groaned in her ear from the scratches she left on his back. He knew by the way her walls tighten around his cock and her body shook that she was getting close. He sped up the pace of both his hips pounding into her and the circles his fingers drew on her clit. "I need you to cum for me, can you do that?"

"Yes." She panted in his ear, her hand moving to cup the back of his neck, some of her fingers carding through his hair.

"Then do it." He purred, grabbing her earlobe between his teeth.

All it took was one more thrust and a little more pressure on her clit for her to come undone around him. Pants, moans, and whimpers filled his ears while he continued to ride her through her high and chase his own. The warmth that was already settled in his belly began to spread throughout his body due to the sounds she made and the way her walls fluttered around his cock. And just as she was at the end of her high, he reached his own, sinking deep within her and stilling his hips, ropes of cum coating her walls. His arm shook, barely able to hold his body up as waves of ecstasy rolled over him but the attempt to try not to crush his riduur was in vain as she pulled him down to lay against her body.

His head fell in the crook of her neck but neither of them minded as she continued to hold him, her hand rubbing up and down his back in a soothing manner and the other squeezing his hand, grounding him.

They stayed in that position up until Din pulled out and laid down on his back next to Y/n once he caught his breath. He didn't lay there for long though before he got up and started digging through his pants.

"Din?" Y/n asked softly, propping herself up on her elbows to watch him move around. "What are you looking for?" 

He didn't respond to her question but instead hummed in satisfaction once he found what he was looking for and turned to her, clutching the object in his fist. He sat down next to her on the cot, starring down at his closed fist before turning to face his wife.

"I know we didn't exchange anything to physically symbolize our marriage, but I want to give you this." He took her hand in his free one and placed the object in her hand so she could see it. "It’s a mythosaur skull and having it puts you under the protection of Mandalorians as you are now a part of my clan."

She ran a finger over the bumps and ridges of the skull, studying the necklace Din had just gifted her.

"And if there ever comes a time where I'm no longer by your side and you need help, all you have to do is present it to a Mandalorian."

Y/n dragged her gaze away from the skull and looked up at Din, her eyes glossy with unshed tears. "Thank you." 

Before he could say anything, Y/n was throwing her arms around his shoulders and hugging him. He wrapped his arms round her body and pulled her into his lap, snuggling his face in the crook of her neck.

"I love you, riduur." He whispered in her ear, one of his thumbs running back and forth on her back.

"I love you too, riduur."

The Princess hated Tatooine for a reason and it was because every time she was on this damned planet, something bad happened.

Right now was a perfect example of something going haywire on Tatooine as there was currently a blaster barrel digging into her scalp, her hands tied behind her back, her own blood dripping down her face, and a migraine forming from the concussion she received in her fight.

She was napping with the Child in Peli Motto’s docking bay because of the exhaustion the heat brought along with the constant travel when Toro Calican decided to double cross them and come after the Child. She woke up to Calican stumbling over a discarded piece of scrap metal while trying to sneak up on her, a blaster pointed at her.

Despite being woken up from her nap, she was quick to duck behind a desk, the Child in her arms whimpering as blaster fire hitting the chair she was laying in moments ago.

“You’re at a disadvantage right now, I won’t shoot you if you cooperate.” Calican advised, sand and dirt crunching beneath his shoes as he stepped closer to the desk. “I don’t want to harm the Child so let’s not fight and frighten the Child anymore than he already is.”

Y/n didn’t say anything but sat the Child down, looking into his large brown eyes while she held a finger up to her lips before grabbing a pair of knives.

“You say you won’t shoot me, but you shot at where I was moments ago.” She countered his argument, slowly moving out from under the desk while she spoke. She crouched behind the boxes and equipment that sat next to the desk, making her way around the compound to catch him off guard.

“I apologize for that, but your sudden movement startled me. I’m not a fool I know you’re just as deadly as Mando.” Y/n rolled her eyes but didn’t say anything, listening to his steps get closer to the Child.

Knowing that he was getting closer to the Child than she’d like, she knocked down a rusted barrel and quickly moved away from it. Calican let out a noise of shock and shoot in the direction of where she’d just knocked down the barrel.

The Princess moved so that she was behind him. She knew she could easily kill him, but she wanted him alive in order to find out what happened to her riduur.

Y/n lunged for him and took him down to the ground, a yelp of surprise leaving his mouth. She straddled him and sliced at his hand that held the blaster easily getting him to release the weapon. She pushed it away with her hand and then grabbed a handful of his hair, pulling his head back and resting a blade at the expanse of his throat.

“Where is the Mandalorian?” She hissed through gritted teeth, yanking at his hair again.

Calican let out a sound that was in between a hiss and a growl, but before he could say anything a voice cut through the air that was neither of theirs.

“What is going on here?” Y/n snapped her head in the direction of the voice, finding Peli standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips.

That one moment of distraction was all it took for Calican to gain the upper hand. He grabbed her hand that was at his throat and held it steady while he turned his body to throw the Princess off balance and into the floor.

As the Princess’s back slammed on the ground, her head bounced off it, causing her teeth to clash together, black spots to fill her vision, and her ears to ring, not to mention the pain that reverberated throughout her skull. She lost her grip on her blade from the impact and would’ve continued to lay there in a daze if she hadn’t seen a green blob of movement out of the corner of her eye, panic and realization started to settle in chest at the sight of the Child she was supposed to be protecting.

“Peli,” Y/n hissed, struggling with Calican who was trying to pin her down, but she kept her hold on his hair. “Get the Child and run.”

She heard Peli shuffle around the two, the Child cooing when he was picked up. Calican tried to get away from Y/n to go after the Child and mechanic, but Y/n fought through the fogginess that was trying to take over her mind and used what little leverage she had to yank his head back as they escaped.

Calican seemed to have had enough and dug his thumb into the underside of her wrist, she screamed out in pain and let go of his hair. He quickly moved away from her body and stumbled after his blaster.

Y/n was sluggish in her movements to grab a blade and throw one, but she still managed to get it to land in his shoulder, even though that wasn’t where she was aiming for.

Calican screamed in pain but still managed to grab his blaster, when he turned to face the Princess, his face was completely red, teeth bared, and eyes dark with anger and pain.

Before she could react or defend herself, his blaster slammed into the side of her face, and her world went dark.

When she regained consciousness, she was laid down on her side in dirt and had her hands tied behind her back.

“Look who is finally awake!” Calican announced, the higher pitch in his voice caused a ping of sharp pain to knock against her skull. She couldn’t keep the groan of pain from escaping her lips and her body from curling in on itself due to the wave a nausea that crashed through her body.

She didn’t even hear the crunch of sand beneath his boots when Calican walked over to her. What she did notice was the bile that began to raise up her throat when his hand wrapped around her arm and yanked her up in a sitting position.

“Should’ve killed you for that stunt you pulled back there, but I figured the price your brother would be willing to pay for the Princess of Ayleen’s safe return would make up for it.” He hissed, pulling her to feet. “I also figured holding Mando’s little plaything and pet as hostages would get under his skin as well.”

Y/n swallowed the raising bile and glared at the traitor but held onto the sliver of information Calican just gave her, giving her some relief. Din was alive.

“He’s going to kill you and if he doesn’t, so will my brother.” She hissed.

“I’ll take my chances.” He started drugging her up the ramp of the Razor Crest where she spied Peli holding the Child in her arms, a worried and scared look dominating her features. Calican turned Y/n around to face the hanger bay and then placed a hand on her shoulder, roughly pushing her down on her knees.

Y/n heard the Child whimper behind her, and it nearly broke her heart from the sound and that he was witnessing this. She felt like a failure because she wasn’t able to protect the Child properly.

“Give him to me.”  Calican snapped at Peli and took the Child in his arms. Y/n balled her fingers into fist behind her back, the sting from her nails biting into skin was welcomed as she listened to the Child’s cries.

She knew Calican disarmed her while she was unconscious as she no longer felt the comforting weight of her weapons on her body and at that realization, her hope of escaping was dimming. The fact that she had a bad concussion and was dizzy and nauseous because of it didn’t help much in plans of escaping either.

All she could do was sit and wait for Din to get here and part of her wasn’t feeling too good about it.

However, her wait wasn’t long from the faint sound of the rumbling landspeeder engine.

The barrel of Calican’s blaster was shoved into her scalp and as Din entered the compound with a blaster in his hand. Tears prickled in her eyes, but she was quick to push them back, not wanting to show another weakness.

Dispite his helmet being on, his vizor was turned towards her, Calican, and the Child. She could feel him starring at her and she looked away not having the courage to look at him in his helmet as all she felt was shame and failure for not protecting the Child.

“Took you long enough, Mando.” Calican said, his voice cutting through the silence that had settled over the compound. “Looks like I’m calling the shots now. Huh, partner?”

Calican dug his blaster further into her scalp to exaggerate his point. “Drop your blaster and raise ‘em.”

Y/n couldn’t help but watch as Din slowly put his blaster down and held his hand up.

“Cuff him.” Calican said to Peli, she did as told and began walking down the ramp towards him. “You’re a Guild traitor, Mando. And I’m willing to bet that this Child is the target you helped escape.”

Y/n’s heart sank down to the pit of her stomach as Peli cuffed his hands behind his back, hope completely draining from her body and soul. She felt sick again, this time she couldn’t tell if it was from the sight before her or the concussion.

“Fennec was right. Bringing you in won’t just make me a member of the Guild,” She could hear the smugness in his voice and dug her nails further into her palms. “It’ll make me legendary.”

The pressure from the blaster barrel was no longer there on her scalp as Calican waved it around for emphasis.

That ended up being Calican’s grave mistake as Din took that as his chance to throw a flesh change their way.

The flash blinded both Y/n and Calican, but she used that as her chance to get away from Calican. Her attempted escape wasn’t graceful by no means as the world seemed to spin, she ended up rolling down the ramp and landed face first in the sand and dirt despite that not being her goal. A groan left her lips as the sand gritted across her wounds on her cheekbone and eyebrow.

Blaster fire broke out above her, but it was short lived. She turned her head to the side finding Din still standing and relief flooding through her body. She started to find it hard to keep her eyes open and barely heard Din tell Peli to stay back and her ask where the Child is.

Y/n barely registered Din walking up to her and releasing her hands from their bindings.

“Y/n,” Din whispered, gently turn her over to lay on her back. “Hey, look at me.”

His hand cupped her cheek in an attempt to get her eyes to focus on him, which they did but lost focus again as tears welled up in her eyes.

“I’m so sorry.” His arms slid under her back and knees and picked her up to lay against his chest while he carried her up the ship.

He didn’t say anything but shush her apologizes.

“Do you have a med kit?” Peli asked the Mandalorian, carrying the Child in her arms.

“Yes.” He responded, emotion coating his words. He sat her down on a bench within the Razor Crest, leaning her against a wall and crates, the Princess kept her eyes shut the entire time in order to fight the dizziness but it didn’t aid in her fight to stay awake.

Peli continued to hold the Child, who was reaching his arms out towards the Princess, as Din grabbed the med kit and started to clean and dress the wounds on her face.

“Is that it?” Din asked her, looking for any other injuries.

“I have a concussion,” She slurred her words, pressing her head further in the cold metal of the ship. “But yes.”

She heard a sigh escaped the helmet and the rustling of stuff being moved around. Y/n opened her eyes to see what was happening only to find Peli walking towards her, the Child’s arms still stretched out towards her. A small smile found its way on her face seeing that the Child wasn’t harmed.

“Be careful with him.” Peli whispered, setting the Child down in her arms. The Child immediately tried his best attempt to hug Y/n with his tiny arms. “And get to feeling better.”

“Thank you.” Y/n told Peli, who nodded in response before turning towards the Mandalorian.

“So, I take it you didn’t get paid?” Peli asked the Mandalorian.

He sighed, motioned his helmet for Peli to follow him and they walked down the ramp. Y/n occupied herself with giving her attention to the Child and focusing on keeping a hold on him.

It didn’t take long for Din to return with the ramp closing behind him, he sat down a brown bag on the floor (it clattering as he did so) and turned to face Y/n and the Child.

“I’m going to get the ship in lightspeed, will you be okay?” He asked, she nodded in response, he seemed to hesitate for a moment and then. “Do you want me to take the Child so you can rest?”

“I think I can manage.” She whispered, peering up at his helmet. He nodded and then walked off.

When the ship started up and began leaving Tatooine, the guilt started to sit heavy in Y/n’s chest again now that things quieted down.

She sat the Child right down next to her on the bench and brought her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around her legs to keep them in place. She felt stupid, reckless, and irresponsible for thinking that she could take that nap, and everything would be fine. Instead she risked her’s, the Child’s, and Din’s life by doing so. She was here to help Din protect the Child but instead ended up causing more trouble for the man she loved, and the Child that already stole her heart.

Then there was the simple fact that she’d just married Din a week ago and she was already fucking shit up.

Tears prickled her tears and escaped down her cheeks before she could even fight them back, the thought of what her father would do to her right now rearing its ugly head into her mind.

She tried reminding herself that he was dead, and that Din was nothing like him, but she couldn’t help but remember both the physical and mental pain her father would inflict on her for failure and a careless mistake like the one she just made.

She was so far in her head that when Din laid his hand on her shoulder, she didn’t expect it and jumped. He took his hand away from her shoulder when she looked up at him and at first, she thought it was because he was disgusted in himself for touching her to begin with. Instead, she was proven wrong when he picked the Child up, placed him in his pram and shut it. Then he took his helmet off and sat next to her, pulling her into his arms.

“What happened?” He asked quietly, the vibrations of his voice rumbling beneath her head that laid on top of his chest plate.

With tears streaming down her face and her head pounding, she told him everything from her taking a nap all away to her fight with Calican, her capture, and everything that happened before he arrived, the arm he had wrapped around her shoulders tightening even more with every detail.

“I completely understand if you are upset with me because I am with myself for letting my guard down like that. And for that, I am so sorry.” His breath hitched at her words and he was pulling away from her only to hold her face in between his hands so that her eyes would stare into his own to make sure she knew he meant every word he was about to say.

“You should not be the one apologizing, I should be. For I trusted Calican enough to help him get in the Guild and underestimating him in thinking he wasn’t going to try anything. That mistake, my mistake, alone was enough to nearly cost yours and the Child’s lives. I do not blame you for wanting and taking a nap, because that could’ve easily been me.” He paused, his thumb brushing across her uninjured cheekbone. “I love you, Y/n Djarin and I don’t think any less of you or your capabilities before and now.”

Her heart melted at his words and at hearing him attach his last name to her own. Although the action was clumsy on her part, she didn’t think twice when she leaned in and attached her lips to his own.

When the kiss broke, the two just stared at each other and held each other’s faces within their hands.

“You need rest.” Din whispered, watching the way Y/n’s eyes were fighting to stay open. She pulled away from him so he could get up. “Stay here.”

He walked over to the storage space that once upon a time used to serve as his bed and pulled their bedding out. He laid everything out on the floor, trying to make things as comfortable as possible. She’d tried to get up to help him make the bed, but he was quick in facing her, pointing at where she was once sitting, and telling her to sit back down.

At any other time, she would argue with him over it but the longer she was on her feet, the dizzier and more nauseated she became, so she did as told.

She continued to watch as he finished up the bed and then started peeling off his armor before walking over to her and helping her do the same which was more of him doing it for her and not letting her help. Once her armor was off, he started to put his arms under her knees and back before she stopped him.

“Din, I appreciate the effort, but if you pick me up, I fear I’m going to get sick and it’ll be more trouble than its worth.” He looked up at her, taking in her words before nodding and helping her stand and slowly walk to the cot instead.

He helped her lay down and then moved to turn the lights off within the Crest’s cargo haul, the only light being the dim emergency light. He got in bed right next to her afterwards and threw his arm over her waist, pulling her in close. She buried her head into his chest and underneath his chin, his arms enveloping her in warmth and the feeling of safety; the day’s activities finally caught up to her and began pulling her under into the dark world of sleep.

“I love you too, Din Djarin.”

She was out before she could hear his response or tell whether the words actually made it out of her mouth or were understandable.

Translations:

cyar'ika - sweetheart

mesh'la - beautiful

keldabe - head-butt or in other words: foreheads touching

"Mhi solus tome, mhi solus dar'tome, mhi me'dinui an, mhi ba'juri verde"  - "We are one when together, we are one when parted, we will share all, we will raise warriors."

riduur - partner, spose, husband, wife

cyare - beloved, loved, popular

Thank you for reading!!

[sunmoonandeddie]

‘cause you are, you are

pairing: lumberjack!bucky barnes x reader

word count: 8,436

summary: Bucky’s found someone out on his front lawn during a snowstorm.  Well, Alpine found her.  If only he knew what he was getting into.

warnings: Bad words!  Violence!  Mention of kidnapping!  Mention of military violence/injury!  Mention of suicidal thoughts!

a/n:  So the song I listened to that kinda really inspired this is ‘Get You the Moon’ by Kina.  Also, this was commissioned by @buckysbunny​ and I really hope you love it, babe!

“Come on, Al,” Bucky said as he led his dog up the front steps of his cabin, carrying all the grocery bags inside.  He had a cigarette between his teeth, keeping it steady as he unlocked the door and let the gorgeous samoyed inside.  “Atta girl.”

The cabin was just as he left it three hours ago when he left to go grocery shopping.  As it should.

And Alpine was already standing at her bowl, wagging her tail.  She knew what time it was.

“You hungry, baby girl?” He asked with a grin as he grabbed the beef he’d been thawing in the sink and opened it up.  “Today’s a beef day.  We both know how much you love cows, yeah?”  He put a cup of beef in her bowl, powdering in her supplements.  “The best girl deserves the best food, yeah?” He asked as he cracked two eggs on top of it, before setting it on the ground.  Bucky couldn’t help but grin at the way that Alpine sat there in front of the bowl, waiting for the go ahead as her tail wagged aggressively.  “Eat.  Good girl.”

Kicking off his boots, he started up a fire in the fireplace.  The clouds were rolling in, the sun already setting.  He’d lived on the mountain long enough to know when the first real snow of the season was setting in.  They’d already had flurries, sure, but…  The first real snow was the first one that had everyone locked inside, unable to go anywhere for weeks.  He could smell it on the air.

Thankfully he was all stocked up on wood, so they’d be warm.  He’d already moved up Alpine’s dinner time so it would still be light outside when she needed to go outside to use the bathroom.  And they had more than enough food in the fridge and in the deep freeze to last them the entire winter, if they needed.  They’d be okay.

Honestly, his biggest worry was losing Alpine in the snow.  She was a big floof of white fur.  She always came when he called, but still.  It was the principle of it.

After she went to the bathroom, the two of them curled up on the couch while he ate and they watched whatever DVD he popped in.  He’d probably binge watch the box set of nature documentaries he’d gotten.

They were… relaxing.  After spending a few tours in Afghanistan, he needed relaxing.

It had been ten years, but… some things don’t fade with time.  Some things stick like gummy bears on a car seat in July.

It was past midnight when Alpine raised her head from his lap, a low whine in the back of her throat.  By then, he’d cracked open a beer and been fully ready to fall asleep there.

“Al?  Come on, baby girl, there’s nothing out there,” he said reassuringly.  It was snowing heavily, and he’d estimate there was already about seven inches deep with no sign of stopping.

But Alpine gets off the couch and runs for the door, barking sharply.

“What the hell has gotten into you?” He asked as he watched her.  “Alpine, come.”

For the first time in the four years since he’d gotten her, she didn’t listen.

Instead, she let out another bark as she clawed at the door.

“Al,” he groaned as he forced himself up.  He left the beer on the coffee table before heading to the door.  “There’s nothing out there.  Just snow.  You’re just gonna get cold and get the floors all wet.”

But, alas, he’s a slave to the desires of his puppy.

It’s kinda pathetic, really.  Not that he cared.

He opened up the door to let her out, frigid air blasting him.  The snow crept up onto the porch, and there was so much coming down it looked almost like a curtain.  “See, Al?  Nothing.”

But she ran out into the snow, nudging at what just looked like another pile of fluffy white snow.  She let out a whine, the only parts clearly visible of her being her dark nose and eyes.

And that’s when a head appeared, and his heart stopped.  What the fuck was a woman doing out in the middle of a snow storm?

Despite the fact that he wasn’t wearing shoes and he’d just changed into a fresh pair of sweats, he ran out to where Alpine was still trying to nudge her awake.  The snow was freezing his toes as he reached down and scooped up the girl, woman, whatever, and carried her inside.

“Come on,” he called out to the samoyed, who was following quickly after him, her tail tucked between her legs.  “You’re such a smart puppy,” he cooed as he laid the girl on the couch.  “You knew she was out there and made sure I got to her.  Good puppy.”

From the color of her lips, there was no doubt in his mind that hypothermia was starting to set in.  And from what she was wearing?  Come on.  She didn’t even have shoes on.  Just two pairs of socks.

Fuck.  He’d have to strip her down.  He needed to get her warm, and the clothes she wore weren’t doing anything to help her since they were thin and soaking wet. “You better not kill me when you wake up,” he grumbled as he pulled her clothes off of her, keeping his eyes averted.  She didn’t even have underwear or a bra on.

It wasn’t that he was some kind of creep.  He just felt awkward.  He didn’t know this woman and he wasn’t some kind of life saver.

Bucky was alarmed by the amount of bruises that covered her body, though it looked as though there was a purposeful lack of them on her face.  There were also what looked like fresh scrapes along her hips.

He wrapped her in every blanket he could find after grabbing fresh clothes from the laundry room and redressing her, cocooning her before shoving the couch closer to the fire so that it may warm her easier.  But she still seemed so cold.  He moved to the kitchen, taking a few hot water bottles from the first aid cabinet and warming them up before gently dabbing one at her face, the only part of her still exposed.

Bucky knew that the only thing he could do now was wait for her to wake up.  Pressing two fingers to her neck, he let out a sigh of relief when he felt her pulse.  “You’re not out of the woods yet,” he said as he grabbed his beer and took a swig.  It was going to be a long night.

Alpine was more than happy with the addition of a new person in their home, if not still a little worried.  She climbed up onto the couch and curled up against her, sniffing at her face and giving her a lick before lying her head down beside her.

“She’ll be okay, Al,” Bucky said quietly as he reached out to give her scritches right above her tail.  He wasn’t sure if he believed it, but…  Maybe Alpine would understand and calm down a little.

My first thought when I woke up was that I was warm.  Really warm.

I hadn’t been warm in such a long time.

My eyelids were so heavy, and I had no desire to open them just yet.

What would I find when I woke up?  If I was back in His possession, in his house, I…  I would need to resort to Plan B.

Technically, Plan B had been Plan A a few times, when things had gotten… especially hard.  But He had caught me before I could succeed.

The last thing I could remember was stumbling through the snow.  I’d managed to finally get out after planning it for months.  I waited until He’d gone out for his nightly trip to the bars before pulling on my two pairs of socks and slipping out through the broken basement window.

The broken glass that I had thought would cause me to freeze to death had become my salvation.

I had been going down the mountain, following the road.  But it had started to snow.  I’m not sure how long I had been walking when I could see the path anymore, or when I saw the light.

The first light I had seen in the stifling white.  It had been coming from a window, cutting through the storm like a beacon of hope.

The wave of relief I had felt at the cabin slowly taking shape in front of my very eyes had been euphoric.  I had started to think that if I was going to die, at least I wasn’t going to die in captivity.

But I hadn’t even made it to the porch steps.

Which brought me to where I am now.  Wrapped up in what I was pretty sure was several blankets.  But I could smell… dog?  He didn’t have a dog.  No pets allowed.

He also didn’t have a crackling fireplace, from what I remember of the few times I’d been allowed upstairs.

Yeah.  Definitely no fireplace.

I made sure to stay completely still as I felt two calloused fingertips press against the pulse point in my neck.

“Well, Al, her heart rate has increased…”

So it was definitely a man.

I’d gotten really good at pretending to be asleep over the years.  Like, really, really good.  It wasn’t often that He’d been able to tell that I was awake if I didn’t want him to know.

There was a whimper, and then a rough tongue licked across my face.  The dog.  Which was (hopefully) this ‘Al.’  I didn’t want to deal with more than one man.

The man sighed and walked away.  “You gonna keep watch over her, baby girl?  I gotta go get a shower.”

Did he think the dog was going to answer him?

As soon as I heard his footsteps going up a set of stairs, I took in a deep breath before slowly letting it out.  I needed to get out of there.  Immediately.

I just had to slip out without him hearing me or the dog making a scene.

I slowly opened my eyes, even though it still felt like I had washers glued to my lashes.

And there was the fireplace.  It was so nice and warm…  I hadn’t felt this toasty in years.  The basement was always so frigid, and with the lack of blankets provided to me, I was always at least a little cold.

Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to stay for a little while…

No.  I shook my head as I forced myself to sit up.  I couldn’t stay.  I had to get out and get down the mountain to civilization.

I gasped as I felt the rough tough on my cheek again, turning to see a huge white dog that looked more like a cloud than an animal.  “Shh…”  I had to work to get my arms out of the blankets to pet it, but it was then that I realized I was not in my original clothing underneath all the swaddling.  My heart sank to my stomach as I felt a wave of panic.

Had he touched me?  Was he no better than Him?

I got most of the blankets off and frowned as I looked down at sweatpants and the long sleeved shirt I was wearing.  They were far too big for me, but they’d have to do.

I kept my steps feather light as I looked around the space I had found myself in.  It was a living room, and rather cozy.  Rustic looking.  I could see the kitchen to my left, and a silent debate with myself started over whether or not I’d have time to grab food for myself before running.  From the way my stomach growled, I knew that I’d have to.

I hadn’t eaten since yesterday, since today was not my scheduled day to eat.

The cloud dog followed me to the fridge, its tail wagging as I grabbed what I could reasonably carry.  It took everything within me to not stop and play with her.  I hadn’t seen a dog in so long, especially not one so sweet.  Its tail kept wagging even as it watched me stealing food.

I was reaching for the jar of pickles when I heard the cocking of a gun, and I turned around to see a large, burly man pointing a handgun at me.  The food in my hands dropped to the ground as I threw my hands up, my heart racing.  The jar of pickles shattered, the glass flying all over the floor.  “I-I’m sorry!  I’m sorry!” I gushed, feeling sweaty under the pressure of the barrel being pointed at me.  “I don’t know where I am.  I j-just woke up and I’m s-so hungry.”

Bucky’s heart pounded as he got out of the shower, hearing a commotion downstairs.

His instincts took over, and he didn’t have time to even think things through before pulling on a pair of briefs and grabbing his handgun from his bedside table before slipping down the stairs.

He had the gun in both hands as he peeked around the corner, seeing a girl digging through his fridge.  It was the cocking of the gun that alerted her to his presence, and she whirled around.

She was pretty, he could acknowledge that much.

It was when she was rambling that suddenly he remembered.  The girl in the snow.  But he’d been certain that she wouldn’t wake up for at least a few more hours.

His startling blue eyes stayed locked on her as he flipped the safety back on.  But he still kept it raised.  “Who are you?” He demanded, his voice gruff, deep.

She gave her name, and he frowned.  Just a first name?  No last?

“Where did you come from?”

“U-Up the mountain,” she said quietly, a few tears rolling down her pretty cheeks.  “Please, I…  I mean no h-harm.  Please.  I’ll go.  I swear.”

He shook his head, slowly lowering the gun.  It wasn’t like she was much of a threat.  She clearly had no idea what she was doing.  “Don’t be stupid.  You already almost froze to death once out in the storm.  Leaving would just mean that you wasted my efforts to save your life.”

“Thank you,” she said stiffly, still not moving from where she was.  It sounded more like a question than a statement.

She was skinny.  Scary skinny.  Of course, he’d seen that when he’d undressed her, but it was even more alarming seeing her in his clothes, seeing how they draped from her frail, bird-like shoulders.

He nodded to the mess around her.  “Stay still.  I don’t want you cutting your feet on the glass.”  Luckily she had the sense to listen as he swept up the glass and pickles, picking up everything around her before mopping.

He didn’t like being close to her, and she clearly didn’t like being close to him either.  Good.  It meant they would be less likely to step on each other’s toes.

Bucky was already very aware that she was going to have to stay until the snow let up enough for her to leave.

“I’m assuming you’re hungry?” He said as he put the mop away.  “You can have food.  I’m not going to starve you after rescuing you.”

She nodded, her stomach grumbling.  “Yes.  Hungry…”

Pointing to the fridge, he leaned back against the kitchen island.  “You can get whatever you want.”  He watched curiously as she reached into the door and grabbed the container of cottage cheese.  “Did you want some warm food?”

“This is fine.”

“You sure?”

“Mhm.”

She was weird.  But he couldn’t really judge considering the fact that he had no idea who she was or where she had come from.

Maybe she was a Russian spy or something.

No, that’s stupid, he reminded himself.  Your military days are over.  No one is looking for you anymore.

He showed her to one of the guest rooms once she finished eating the entire container of cottage cheese, eyeing her in case she vomited.  He had no idea how the hell she did that.  He liked cottage cheese as much as the next person, but still.

“Um…  There’s a shower through there.  And I can… get you some more clothes and stuff,” he said softly.  He stayed far away, out of her reach, and he noticed her doing the same.

She nodded, chewing on her lower lip as she looked around.  “Okay.  Thank you.”

“I’ll let you… get to it then,” he said awkwardly.  A frown settled across his face as he watched Alpine jump up onto the bed as the girl looked into the bathroom.  “Traitor.”

“Can you show me how the shower works?” She asked, poking her head back out.  “And…  What are the… shower rules here?”

A wave of confusion spread over him.  Shower rules?  “Uh…  Just… let me know if you’re gonna shower soon so I know not to use all the hot water?”

“That’s it?”

“Uh… yeah.”

“Oh.  Okay.”  She glanced over at Alpine, who was lying on her bed.  “Are you…  Are you showering soon?”

Bucky’s head tilted to the side, his brows furrowed.  His dark hair was still wet, and he was still in his briefs.

The girl nodded, letting out a weak laugh as her face flushed.  “Right.  Sorry.”  She pointed to the bathroom.  “The… shower?”

“Right!”  He slipped past her into the bathroom, making sure he didn’t touch her, before showing her how to work the knob and change the temperature.  “There we go…  Uh…  Have a good shower.  And I’m James… by the way…”  He let out a huff of air as he stood there with his hands on his hips.  “Right, um…”  He felt a bit awkward as he left quickly then.

I waited until after James had left to lock the bedroom door, swallowing as I shoved the desk chair under the handle.

There was a low whine, and I turned to see the cloud dog still on the bed.  I had thought it had left with him.  “Hi.  I thought you left.”  I reached out and scratched behind its ear, the fur soft under my fingers.

After taking a few minutes to just pet the puppy, I headed to the bathroom where the shower was still running, the mirror fogged up.

It had been so long since I’d had a hot shower.

After locking the bathroom door, I stripped off the clothes I’d been given and folded them nicely, laying them on the counter.  I could see the scrapes along my hips and cursed, wiping off the mirror so I could attempt to see them better.  I was covered in bruises, and the scrapes were clearly fresh.

But I had no idea what James thought of them or where he thought I got them.  Fuck.

I’d have to come up with some kind of excuse unless I was ready to tell him just where I’d come from.

Which just felt like it’d be so much work.  I wasn’t ready for that yet.

I didn’t come out of my room for the rest of the night.  It was the first time I’d ever been truly alone in years.

Even when He was gone, I was never truly alone.  Not when cameras captured every square inch of the basement.

When I crawled into bed, the cloud dog curled up against me and rested its head on my back.

I slept better than I had in years.  Even if I did end up vomiting up the cottage cheese.

Bucky was still confused by the girl three weeks later.  The snow hadn’t let up, which he was kinda upset about because she’d eaten one of the two containers of cottage cheese her first night.

He liked his cottage cheese.  And she ate it.

Which, okay.  He had been able to tell she was hungry and she clearly needed the food more than he did, but still.  She couldn’t have chosen something else?

Now they were having to ration the cottage cheese.  They had about half a cup left and they were both waiting for the other one to finish it off.

He was about ready to just tell her to take it.

He also didn’t understand how she’d stolen his dog from him.  Alpine had transferred her love and loyalty over to the strange girl within thirty seconds of meeting her, and it appeared that there would be no changing that anytime soon.  The dog was always at her side and wouldn’t even go outside to use the bathroom unless she sat on the porch, bundled in one of Bucky’s coats and wrapped in a blanket, and watched her.  Al didn’t even sleep with Bucky anymore.  She slept with the girl, her head on her back as if she was ensuring that she was still breathing.

On one hand, it was absolutely precious.

On the other, Bucky had lost his cuddle buddy.

But they gave each other a wide berth.  They never touched, which he was grateful for.  He didn’t… like touch.  And he got the implication that she didn’t either.

“You know, you living here kinda reminds me of the 2020 pandemic,” he said nonchalantly as they sat in the living room watching tv.  He was on the recliner, and she was curled up on the couch with Alpine in her lap.

Her head tilted to the side as she tore her attention from the movie playing on the tv.  “The what?”

Bucky blinked.  And then he blinked again.  “The…  The 2020 pandemic?  The pandemic three years ago?” He said slowly, his brows furrowed.  “Covid-19?  Everyone had to wear masks?  America was literally a cesspool of selfish assholes who were so stupid they believed Trump?”

“Trump…  Isn’t he that celebrity show host?  He was on Home Alone?  The Lost in New York one?” She asked.

He was going crazy.  He was sure of it.

“What?” She asked, sitting up a little straighter as she crossed her legs applesauce style, causing Alpine to whine before settling back down in her lap.  “Did I say something wrong?”

Bucky leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.  “Donald Trump became president in the 2016 election.  Then Biden won in 2020.”

Her eyes were wide, her cheeks flushed.  “Oh.”

“How did you not know?” He asked.

She shrugged, wrapping her arms around Alpine.  “I… haven’t watched the news… in a while…”

The man could understand that, but the whole ‘not watched the news’ in a bit really only worked when it came to things like… like a celebrity doing something stupid or a law being passed.  Two whole presidential elections?  That was…  That was Amish levels of ignorance.  Even if she didn’t watch tv, there were billboards and signs and merchandise like those stupid Make America Great Again hats.

As if America had ever been great.  And he had a double right to say that, since he’d been a stupid eighteen year old kid that the military had preyed on, getting him to join up and head overseas when America had no reason to be there.

He’d lost his arm because of it.

“How long has it been since you watched the news?” He questioned, his heart racing.  He had a bad feeling about it.  A really, really bad feeling that settled in his gut.

She buried her face in Alpine’s fur, her shoulders rising and falling as she huffed.

She’d put on some weight since getting there, thankfully.  He’d been making sure she got all her protein and started her on vitamins supplements he had.

“Eleven years…”

He paused, blinking slowly.  “Eleven years?  What the hell do you mean ‘eleven years?’”  He took a moment when he saw the way she flinched away from him.  He’d figured out pretty quick that she couldn’t handle any raising of the voice.  She’d shut down.  “I’m sorry.  I’m sorry.  But…  I still don’t know anything about you except your name.  Not even your last name.  I don’t know where you came from.  I still don’t know how the hell you ended up in my front lawn, half frozen to death.  I…”  He sighed.  “What happened?”

She was quiet for so long that he was sure she wasn’t going to reply.  He started to get ready to stand up, letting out a huff.

“I was thirteen,” I said quietly, my voice barely audible.  Alpine’s fur was so soft in my fingers and against my cheek.  It kept me grounded, kept me tied down to the Earth so I didn’t float away in the cloudy memories that covered the sky in my head.

Bucky was watching me closely, clearly surprised that I’d actually spoken.

My throat felt so dry.  “Um…  It was a few months after my birthday…  And I had just gotten a new phone.  It was… It was one of those sliding phones with a full keyboard?  It had a touch screen, and it was cherry red.”  I couldn’t help but let out a weak laugh as I remembered that stupid phone.  I’d been utterly obsessed with it, like any thirteen year old would be.  “I was in eighth grade and even though most people I went to school with already had an iPhone, that phone was the coolest thing ever.”

He was watching me in a way that was so intense, so focused.  I hadn’t ever had someone look at me like that.  Like he was actually listening.

“And, uh…  I used to walk to the river in the woods by my house,” I said, my voice growing soft again.  “I would go and sit and read on nice days…  I didn’t really have… friends.  I was a bit of a loner, and new.  We’d just moved there that April.”  My heart ached.  I missed that river.  I missed my parents.  More than anything.  “There was a man that I’d see sometimes at the river fishing…”

Bucky’s breath audibly hitched, and I could see his hands gripping his knees tightly.

“I was lonely,” I said, my voice cracking as I clutched onto Alpine that much tighter.  The puppy let out a whine as my eyes water.  “I didn’t have any friends yet.  I was an o-only child…  So, yeah, I’d talk t-to him.  I didn’t think it was wrong.  I f-figured if he was going to do something, he would’ve done it the f-first eighty times I s-saw him.”

“He took you, didn’t he?” He asked quietly, his voice gravelly.

Avoiding his eyes, I gave a short nod.  “Yeah.”

He stood up, his jaw set as he reached for his phone.  “We have to call the police.  If you were being held in a house on this mountain, then that means whoever took you lives close enough for you to have gotten here in a snowstorm.”

“NO!” I said as I scrambled up.  Alpine flopped to the side with a bark as she watched me scramble to knock his cell phone out of his hand.  “No cops!” I breathed out, eyes feral.

“Okay,” he said quietly, his voice soothing as he held up his hands in surrender.  “Okay.  No cops.  I won’t call the cops…”

I could see the confusion on his face, but a wave of relief washed over me as he agreed to not call the cops without asking too many questions.  I’d already shared so much.

“Do you want to watch a movie?” He asked, casually switching the subject as he sat back down.  He didn’t even grab his phone.

“Yeah.  Yeah, that sounds good,” I said as I took my seat again, swallowing thickly.  “Can we watch that one you were telling me about?” I asked as Alpine licked my face before settling in my lap once again.  “The…  The one about the Day of the Dead?”

An easy smile spread across his lips.  “Coco?  Yeah.  We can watch whatever you want.”

There was a shift in the air after she told Bucky about where she’d come from.  They still kept a generally wide berth, but… they were closer.  He was definitely in no hurry for her to leave.  Not when he could keep her safe in his cabin.

He felt a wave of protectiveness every time he thought of her.  He had someone to take care of now.  Other than Alpine and Steve when they were kids, he’d never had that.  Even Rebecca had been so independent growing up.

He liked having someone to protect, to take care of.  He liked checking in on her when he woke up in the morning and when he went to bed.

Which he’d started doing once she’d stopped locking her door at night.

Bucky liked preparing her breakfast and coffee for her in the morning, slowly helping her increase her food intake without hurting her tummy.  He liked checking in on her and making her laugh with his stupid jokes.

He liked… her.  She was easily the prettiest gal he’d seen, even if it was unassuming at first.

But he wasn’t a creep like the man who took her, whoever he was.  He wasn’t going to pressure her into being with him just because he was providing her shelter and food.

He wouldn’t use her like that.

And besides, it wasn’t as though she would want him.  She had just turned twenty-four that year, and he was forty-one.  There was a good seventeen year age gap, and it felt even wider once he’d realized that her education had effectively stopped at thirteen years old.

Of course, he’d started to remedy that.  He’d found some kind of online learning platform that he’d remembered from the pandemic.  Parents had started the free service in order to make sure that kids were still getting their education as schools shut down and they were pushed into Zoom classes in the autumn of 2020, after America failed and sent them back to school.

She was a lot smarter than she realized, and he made sure to tell her as often as possible.

They had a camaraderie that he hadn’t ever expected to find after he’d pushed Steve away.

Steve had been lucky.  He’d been good enough at drawing that he’d gotten a full ride to art school.  He didn’t have to enlist in order to have a future.

It wasn’t that Bucky was bitter about that.  Steve deserved it.  And now Bucky’s job was taking pictures of the mountains he lived on, and he got paid so much that he really only had to work a few months a year.

“You always talk about Steve,” she said softly one night as they ate dinner in the living room, as per their routine.  “Do you still talk to him?”

“Uh…  No,” he said quietly.  “Lately I’ve been thinking about reaching out, though…  I miss him.”

Her head tilted to the side as she looked at him, her spoon halfway to her mouth.  He’d made chicken tortilla soup, since that had apparently become her favorite.  “What happened?  If you don’t mind me asking…”

Bucky smiled weakly down at his own half empty bowl.  “Well…”  His spoon clinked against the side.  “It was hard after I came home… from overseas…  I’d lost my arm…  I wasn’t the same guy I was…”  He took a deep breath.  “I was angry… at everything… and I took it out on him, even when it wasn’t his fault…  And then one day I just packed up and left.  Found my way here.  I bought this place with the money I had and fixed it up…  It was a real dump.  Basically foreclosed.  But I spent an entire summer fixing it.  Had to get it done before the first snow.  And it also got me to figure out how to use my prosthetic.  It’s some… fancy experimental thing.”

There was a flicker of the lights, and then nothing.  It went completely dark.  The heater stopped, the clock on the top of the stove went off.

“Bucky?” She whimpered, the fear evident in her voice.

“Hey, it’s okay.  It’s okay.  I’m here,” he said as he used his phone flashlight to illuminate the situation a little bit.  “I’m gonna find some flashlights, okay?  You stay right there with Alpine.”

She nodded, setting her bowl to the side and wrapping her arms around the puppy.  “Okay…  H-Hurry back.”

Oh, he definitely would.  He didn’t wanna leave his bear cub alone for too long.

He found two flashlights in the basement before coming back.  “Okay, let’s get all the blankets and stuff together,” he said as he handed her one of them.  “It’s gonna get cold real quick without the heating working.”  There was no way he was gonna be able to get out to look at the generator with how heavy the snow was falling.

They piled all the blankets up on his bed before she crawled under the mountain of them, Alpine curling up next to her like always.

She watched as Bucky sat on the edge of the bed, watching the slow rise and fall of his back.  She could practically see the steam coming from his ears from how much he was overthinking.  “You can take your arm off, you know,” she said quietly, sitting up on her elbows.  “I’m…  I’m not gonna think it’s weird.”

Bucky let out a weak laugh.  “You sure, bear cub?” He asked, his voice wavering.  “I don’t want to freak you out…”

“Something that’s a part of you could never be bad,” she said quietly.

His heart stuttered inside his chest.  He didn’t know what to say in reply.  He’d never had someone say something like that.  His hand was shaking as he reached up and undid his prosthetic.  It was a whole thing he went through every night and every morning, since it was attached to his nerves.  He hissed as it finally came off, setting it in the open case on the ground as he rolled his shoulders a few times to get the tension out.

“See?” She said as she watched him, her eyes running over his back muscles and the scars that covered his shoulder.  “There’s nothing bad about you.”

Bucky slowly crawled under the blankets, staying on the other side of the bed.  He didn’t want to make her uncomfortable.

“You gonna stay over there all night?’

He blinked, and then he blinked again, his eyes staring up at the ceiling.  “I…  What?”

She was still sitting up on her elbows, her lower lip caught between her teeth.  Her eyes were flickering between the blankets and him.  “You don’t have to stay over there…  I’m not… gonna break if we cuddle, you know…”

Bucky’s heart stopped inside his chest as his mind went blank.  He suddenly wasn’t thinking anymore about how he might hurt her.  She wanted him.  Or at least… wanted him to cuddle with her.

Which he was more than happy to comply.

I scooted over a little closer to Bucky when I realized he was frozen staring at me.  He seemed to be in shock over the fact that I wanted to cuddle.

“Jamie?” I said softly, my fingers grabbing onto his arm and tugging him closer.  “Please?”

I watched as he swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he nodded.

“I mean…  You don’t have to,” I added quickly, feeling a flash of anxiety.  What if I had imagined everything?  The flirting?  The calling me bear cub?  “Not if…  Not if you don’t want to.”

Maybe my emotional growth was just as stunted as my educational growth.

But then moved closer to the center of the bed, his strong arm wrapping around my waist and pulling me close.  So close that I was lying on top of his chest.  He was so nice and warm.

And so strong.  He wasn’t like one of those guys in Hollywood or the bodybuilders that were all dehydrated in order to look like they had a twenty pack of abs or something.  He was the real kind of strong.

It was sexy as hell.

And it had been so long since I’d had a gentle touch…  Or had someone hold me just for the sake of holding me.

I hadn’t realized just how badly I needed it until Bucky was holding me close, his lips pressing to my forehead.

“James?  If you don’t mind me asking…  How did you lose your arm?”

I could feel the rise and fall of his chest as he took in my question.

“You don’t have to tell me.”

“No, I…  I want to,” he insisted as he brought me that much closer.  His chin rested on top of my head.  “I was on break…  And these little local kids loved playing hopscotch with us.  We’d draw out the hopscotch on the ground and we would use a little rock and all that…  Then one day, there was a truck out by the road.  One of ours.  We didn’t think anything of it even though it wasn’t where it was supposed to be.  We figured that out later.”  He pressed his lips to my head.  He was trembling, even if he was trying to hide it.  “We were searching for a good rock to use… and when I got close to grab a rock under the wheel… someone set off a bomb.  Blew my arm clean off.  It was all in… all in slow motion.”  Bucky sighed, shaking his head.  “I’d rather it be me then one of those little kids though.”

I sighed, squeezing him tight.  “You’re a good man, James.”  He clearly didn’t wanna think about it anymore, so I quickly changed the subject.  “Have you ever had someone braid your hair?” I asked as I reached up, running my fingers through his long hair.

“Can’t say I have,” he said, a chuckle reverberating through his chest.  “Why?  You wanna braid my hair for me, bear cub?”

I hummed, twirling a strand of his hair around my fingers.  “Mm…  I think it’d look real pretty braided…”

“Pretty?  You calling me pretty?” He snorted.

“Mmhm.”

“Why’s that?”

“‘Cause you’re pretty.”

By the blush on his cheeks, I could tell that he hadn’t ever been called pretty again.

And I knew I’d have to start calling him pretty a lot more.

Bucky had a shy smile on his face as he squeezed me closer to him, burying his face in my hair.  “You’re prettier, bear cub.”  He kissed my forehead again, humming.  “Get some sleep.  I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.”

It was another two months before there was a break in the snow long enough for them to be able to head to town for more groceries.  Plus, they needed to stop and get her some clothing that actually fit her.

Not that Bucky didn’t mind her wearing his clothes.  He liked it a lot, actually.  His little bear cub in his sweaters and such.

But she did want some pants that fit her proper and some underwear, at least.

And she was excited, but clearly anxious.  “Come on, Alpine,” she said happily as they ran out to the truck, Bucky following quickly behind.

“You’re adorable,” he said softly as he climbed in the driver’s seat.

“Shut it,” she said, covering her face in Alpine’s white fur.

He was falling for her.  Hard.  Even after the electric came back on, they hadn’t stopped staying in the same bed.  It just felt natural.  They hadn’t done anything more than cuddle, but he wasn’t exactly in a rush.  Bucky was very happily letting her take the reins when it came to how quick they moved.

But he did wanna talk to her about being together officially at some point.

The one thing he was really worried about was the fact that she still wouldn’t let him call the police.

He just wanted to find the man who had hurt her and wring his neck with his bare hands.

Or at least have him thrown in jail.  At the very least.

The first thing they did was get her some clothes and shoes so she could change into them, even though he was pleased to note that she did keep on his sweater.

She looked really, really good in green.

Like, really good.

“We need at least two containers of cottage cheese,” she said as she grabbed them, grinning.

“Oh, yeah?” He asked, coming up to her and wrapping his arms around her waist.  He couldn’t help it.  He loved touching her.  Preferred to have at least one hand on her at all times.  “Better make that three containers, bear cub.  From what I remember, someone ate an entire container in one sitting and then promptly threw all of it up.”

“I don’t know who you’re talking about.”  Her cheeks flushed as she nuzzled into him.  “And I only have two hands, James.”

A slow smirk spread over his lips as he looked at her pretty face.  He loved getting her all flustered.  “I didn’t say you had to grab it all at once.”  As if to make a point, he reached over and grabbed a third container, moving to set it in the cart.

It was when he had turned his head away for less than thirty seconds that he heard the sound of plastic hitting the ground, and saw cottage cheese splattered across the marble tiles.

“Bear cub?” He said in confusion as he looked around.  But she’d disappeared.  His brows furrowed as his eyes met Brock Rumlow’s, who was glowering at him for some fucking reason.  His eyes flickered down to his outfit, his heart stopping inside his chest when he saw the badge.

Brock Rumlow was a police officer.

His bear cub hated cops and refused to let him call the cops.

She’d disappeared when she saw him.

Fuck.

He didn’t like the thoughts that were running in his head.

Bucky had to find her before Brock did.

He didn’t even attempt to act nonchalant as he ran through the store, leaving the cart there.  His heart was absolutely racing.

Alpine wasn’t sitting outside the front door where they’d left her.

He rushed to the parking lot, breathing out a sigh of relief when he found her and Alpine in the truck, huddled down on the floor.  “Oh, thank fuck,” he breathed out as he got in the driver’s seat.  He didn’t even buckle before he was peeling out of the parking lot.  “He’s not gonna touch you, baby.  I promise.”

She looked up at him with glassy eyes, tears staining down her soft cheeks.  “H-He…  He’s the one who…”

“I know,” he said quietly as he reached over to take her hand, intertwining their fingers and squeezing.  He was flying up the mountain as fast as he could without spinning out, heading for the cabin.  “I know that it’s him.  But he’s not going to touch you, okay?  I’m not gonna let him.  I’m gonna protect you.”  He handed her his phone out of his pocket.  “Bear cub, can you go to my contacts and call Sam?  Tell him we need him as soon as possible.”

She nodded, her hands trembling as she found the name and called.  “H-Hello?  This is Bucky’s friend and w-we need someone at Bucky’s immediately.  Please.”

When they got back to the cabin, he rushed her inside.  “Go upstairs to our bedroom, lock the door, and then go to the bathroom and lock the door,” he said.  “Take the handgun in my bedside table with you.”

“J-Jamie, I’m scared,” she whimpered, her hands shaking.

He rushed forward, his hands holding her face as he pulled her into a kiss.  “It’s all gonna be okay.  But don’t come out for anyone that isn’t me, alright?” He said softly, caressing her cheeks.  “Take Alpine with you.”

She nodded, and he let out a sigh of relief as she went.

He grabbed the gun he had hidden in the living room, quickly loading it.  He knew that Rumlow would be coming up after them, especially if he was the one who had kept his precious girl kidnapped for over a decade.

He had a lot to lose.

But so did Bucky.  He’d just gotten his girl, and he wasn’t losing her anytime soon.

Bucky Barnes would not be losing the one person that made him feel human again.

And if it came down to it, and he died protecting her, he’d be okay with that as long as she was safe.  He’d just have to bring down Brock with him.

He stiffened as he heard the car pull into the drive with a roar and then the slamming of the door.  He knew it wasn’t Sam.  It would take him longer than that to get up there considering when they’d called.

Brock didn’t even bother knocking.  He shot through the lock and threw the door open.

It was all a blur.  Bucky shot at him and managed to catch him in the thigh, but Brock just kept coming.  He was pretty sure he had a bulletproof vest on, too.

“So this is where the little brat’s been?” Brock snarled, glaring as he pointed the gun at him.  “I figured she’d died out in the snow.  Would’ve been better if she had.”

Bucky wasn’t going to dignify it with a response.  He knew Brock was just trying to rile him up to get him to fuck up.  And he couldn’t let that happen when his girl’s life was on the line.

What he did do was aim at Brock’s hand and get him to drop the gun before he rushed forward and pinned him to the ground to wait for Sam.  He shoved him to the ground, glaring at him harshly.  “You will never touch her again,” he hissed, emphasizing each word as his hand wrapped around his throat and squeezed threateningly.  “And I’d fucking kill you now, but you don’t deserve a quick death.”  He spit in his face.  “I want you to get put in prison for life, and I want to hear about how your ass is getting kicked everyday for kidnapping and raping a little girl, and holding her hostage for over a decade.  I’m gonna personally make sure you never see the light of day again.”

As soon as the door opened and Sam came in with two other officers, he lifted his hands in surrender, getting off him once he knew that Brock wouldn’t be able to get out.

Before anyone could stop to question him, he ran upstairs.  “BABY?” He called out as he knocked on the bedroom door.

It took less than thirty seconds for his girl to open the door and throw herself into his arms, Alpine barking excitedly behind her.

“Hey, Alpine,” he said with a laugh as he scooped her up, wrapping her legs around his waist as she buried her face in his neck.  “Did you protect your mama?  Yeah?”

She let out a weak laugh as she nuzzled in further.  “Are you okay?” She asked, her voice cracking as she pulled back to look at him, holding his face as she checked him for injuries.

“Bear cub, he didn’t even touch me,” he said softly, holding her close.  “He’s in cuffs now, being put in the back of a cop car to go to prison…”  He kissed her forehead.  “He can’t ever get near you again.  They’re gonna search his place and it’ll all be over.  You never have to go back there ever again.”

I jerked awake, letting out a broken scream.  Sweat dripped down my back, tears rolling down my cheeks.

Alpine let out a worried whine from where she laid on my feet, keeping them toasty.

“Hey…  Hey, I’m here,” Bucky whispered sleepily as he brought me into his chest with his one arm.  His prosthetic had been taken off earlier.  “I’ve got you, bear cub…  I’m right here…”

I crumbled into tears as I was pulled onto his lap, my nose brushing against his neck.  “J-Jamie…”

“Was it the dream again?”

I nodded, my hands grasping at him to hold him close.  “I wa-was back in that basement…  W-With Him.”

He had gotten to see the basement first hand.  The concrete walls.  The dirty mattress that rested on the ground without any sheets.  The bugs and the rats that I had shared that space with.  The broken window that Brock had covered with a trash bag.  The cameras.

He’d seen me through the whole trial.

It didn’t take long for Brock to be put on trial and found guilty.  Hell, the jury only deliberated for an hour before coming back and giving their verdict.

With all the evidence from his cabin and his own poor defense, I didn’t even have to testify, which was a relief.

The piece of shit actually thought he’d get off easy.  But he got fifty years, and considering he was already over forty, it wasn’t likely that he’d ever get to leave prison again.

There was a bit of… question about what would happen to me after.  Where I would go.

My parents came to see me at Bucky’s, and they started talking about me going home with them and how they still had my room all set up.

But I just couldn’t leave Bucky and Alpine.  Not after everything.

And as much as I knew that me being taken wasn’t their fault, I didn’t feel safe with them like I did with him.

I thought Bucky was going to cry when I said that I wanted to stay with him.  He’d rushed to reassure them that he was going to take care of me and he was already working on helping me get my GED.

They seemed to like him, which was good.

And yeah.  The nightmares still came back sometimes.  I would always be haunted, even with my therapists’ help.

“I’ve got you…  He’s never gonna touch you again.  You’re safe,” Bucky whispered as he kissed my cheek.  He pulled back, his hand cupping my face.  “I love you.  And I’ll never let anyone hurt you ever again.  And you know Alpine won’t.”

“I know,” I said softly as I rested my head against his chest as he laid us down again.  “I love you, too.”

No, the nightmares didn’t go away.  But that didn’t matter when I had Bucky.

[fortheloveofwonderland]

I wanna be yours - arctic monkeys spencer x reader

Another great song Anon, thank you!

I wanna be your vacuum cleaner

Breathing in your dust

I wanna be your Ford Cortina

I will never rust

If you like your coffee hot

Let me be your coffee pot

You call the shots, babe

I just wanna be yours

From the moment Spencer Reid laid eyes on you, he wanted nothing more than to be with you. The day you were introduced to the team by Hotch, Spencer knew you were different from any other woman he’d ever met before.

He wanted you. He needed you. But Spencer wasn’t so adept at talking to women, least of all ones as beautiful as you.

He wasn’t smooth like Morgan. He didn’t have Rossi’s charm or Hotch’s confidence.

Elle had once told him the reason he couldn’t get a date was because he’d never asked someone on a date.

That had been several years ago and he still hadn’t managed to actually ever ask someone out.

Secrets I have held in my heart

Are harder to hide than I thought

Maybe I just wanna be yours

As the months went on Spencer’s attraction towards you only grew. You were not only beautiful, you were smart and kind and interesting.

He hung off your every word that left your lips as though his life depended on it.

He wrote the book of you in his mind. He painted portraits of you across his heart. He wished he could say something, tell you how his feelings for you grew everyday.

But of course he couldn’t. He could never find the right words to tell you he thought you were the most magnificent being he’d ever met. How he hungered to be yours.

So he’d kept it bottled up. He tried to be normal around you and not give away his secret desires.

The rest of the team knew. Secrets were hard to keep from profilers.

They’d all seen the way he looked at you, the way he got tongue tied around and how he blushed when you smiled at him.

I wanna be yours

I wanna be yours

Wanna be yours

Wanna be yours

Wanna be yours

“Pretty boy’s got it bad.” Morgan smiled to himself watching Spencer fall over his words as he tried to talk to you.

“Oh the kid certainly has a crush alright.” Rossi glanced up over the case file.

“Do you think Y/N knows?” JJ added.

“I don’t think so.” Emily shook her head. “I think they are both as clueless as each other.”

“Who’s clueless?” Hotch strolled over at the end of the conversation.

“The kids.” Rossi nodded his head in you and Spencer’s direction.

“They still haven’t figured it out?” Hotch shook his head.

“I think they may need some divine intervention.” Garcia grinned mischievously.

Let me be your 'leccy meter

And I'll never run out

Let me be the portable heater

That you'll get cold without

I wanna be your setting lotion

Hold your hair in deep devotion (I'll be)

At least as deep as the Pacific Ocean

Now I wanna be yours

“Y-you uh...you look r-really...nice.” Spencer tried not to blush as he spoke into your ear to be heard over the crowds in the bar.

You tried to hide your own blush at his words.

“Oh,” you chewed your lip. “Thank you. So do you.”

“I look the same as I always do.” Spencer shrugged.

“Well,” you croaked. “Maybe you always look r-really...nice.”

“Oh god.” Morgan put his head in his hands. “Someone do something please.”

“It’s hard to watch.” JJ pulled a face.

“Yet I can’t look away.” Emily added.

“Like a car crash.” Rossi agreed.

“Where’s baby girl?” Morgan looked around not spotting the bubbly blonde.

“I think she’s putting the wheels of her master plan in motion.” JJ smirked.

Secrets I have held in my heart

Are harder to hide than I thought

Maybe I just wanna be yours

Spencer actually thought he was doing a good job of keeping his feelings for you under wraps. He had no idea the rest of the team were privy to his feelings.

He also had no idea they were formulating a plan.

His secret was about to be out.

Garcia took a deep breath across the bar, hoping this would work. It could go one of two ways really. But she just had to hope Spencer would step up. Maybe this would be the push he needed.

I wanna be yours

I wanna be yours

Wanna be yours

Wanna be yours

Wanna be yours

Wanna be yours

Wanna be yours

Wanna be yours

Wanna be yours

Wanna be yours

The man made his approach the way Garcia had instructed him to. He sidled up the bar right next to you, looking you up and down.

You didn’t even seem to notice, you were completely wrapped up in a conversation with Spencer. When the two of you got talking it was as though you were the only two people in the world.

“Excuse me?” he tapped you on the shoulder, making you jump a little. “Sorry to bother you but I noticed you across the bar and I wondered if I could buy you a drink?”

You stared at him wide eyed as though you’d just been woken up from a deep sleep.

“Uhm…” you swallowed.

“Oh god I’m so sorry.” The man laughed. “Is this your boyfriend?”

You looked at Spencer and then back at the man, shaking your head.

“N-no. He's just a coworker.”

Just a coworker.

Spencer’s heart ached at your words and he pouted his bottom lip.

“Oh great, so can I buy you a drink?”

Just a coworker. Ouch.

“Pretty boy.” Morgan came to his side and patted his shoulder. “This is your chance.”

“W-what?” He frowned at Morgan.

“We all know you’ve got a crush on her.” Morgan laughed. “Stand up for your girl.”

It could go one way or the other. Garcia’s plan for her friend to make a move on you in the hopes it would make Spencer step up to the plate could come crashing down if Spencer did nothing.

“I-I…”

“Don’t,” JJ stepped forward. “Don’t try and pretend. This is your shot Spence, go get her.” she nudged him in the arm.

Spencer swallowed and turned back to where you were talking to the man. He felt sick. He couldn’t stand the idea of you with someone who wasn’t him.

“What do you want, kid?” Rossi was now at his side.

Spencer didn’t take his off of you as he spoke again.

“Her. I want her. I want to be hers.”

“Then make it happen.”

With his friends words of encouragement in his ears he swallowed again trying to grasp at any shred of confidence he could find.

And then he stepped forward.

I wanna be your vacuum cleaner (Wanna be yours)

Breathing in your dust (Wanna be yours)

I wanna be your Ford Cortina (Wanna be yours)

I will never rust (Wanna be yours)

“Sorry to interrupt.” Spencer stepped between the two of you, his legs shaking. “But I am not just a coworker.”

You turned to face him with a slight look of confusion on your face.

You missed the man giving Garcia a wink over your head.

“What do you mean?” you chewed your lip awkwardly.

“I mean I guess I am just your coworker. But I don’t want to be. I want to b-be...I w-want…” he swallowed again. “I want to be yours.”

A blush crept to your cheeks. His words made your heart swell.

“Really?” you asked tentatively.

“Really.” he nodded.

Your face broke out into a large smile.

“I w-want to be yours too.”

“Thank god.” Garcia laughed, nudging her friend in the arm. “Your work here is done my friend.”

“Well played Garcia.” Emily gave her a smile.

“Just call me divine intervention.”

I just wanna be yours (Wanna be yours)

I just wanna be yours (Wanna be yours)

I just wanna be yours (Wanna be yours)

[dawsons-justice]

He Promised, You Trusted.

Part Two to “I Promise, You Trust”

A/N: Reader is between 14-17, so this is a Father Figure!Antonio x Reader. No romance, 100% platonic. 

TW: Nothing horribly graphic, some mild angst, but mostly just to lead up to the fluff

Masterlist

It sure was cold outside. Chicago had been cold, but Minnesota somehow was colder. Your aunt had apologized she couldn't pick you up from school but it wasn't really her fault. She had to pick up some extra shifts to keep up with the bills. You're just glad she let you stay with her. 8 months ago, you really had no idea where you would end up.

8 months ago...

Detective Dawson ran off to make some calls, leaving you to your own thoughts. You noticed the worried glances of his coworkers watching you from the unit floor. You didn’t know any of them, they were all sorta intimidating in their own way, well, except for the woman with brown hair, she looked nice. It just felt better to block them out and focus on the mug in your hands. The hot chocolate had gotten cold in the time it took you to process everything and really you haven’t truly processed anything.

Dawson came back in the room, his face muddled with several emotions. There was some stress, determination and anger but you made out the sympathy on his features most of all. Most people don't want sympathy, but you were just glad someone was caring enough to do so. Trailing behind him was another cop, older, you'd seen him before, just didn't know his name.

"You got anyone we can call?" Antonio asks. you had to wrack your brain a bit. It hadn’t occurred to you that this would be important. "I have an aunt. I haven't talked to her in years. My dad and her don't get along."

The two men exchanged a glance. And you understood now. If you didn't find a home yourself, they'd have to put you in a group home. That was not good. You had heard stories, everyone has. Group homes only provide shelter to trouble. If you ended up there who knows what would happen to you after. You hadn’t thought this through, this was a bad idea. In some sort of a desperate plea, you grab the detective’s hand as he’s about the leave with the other guy.

"Wait no no... I can't live in a home. I can't. I'd rather go home to my dad. Please no." Panic evident in your voice. His face softens, kneeling down to your height. He was just going to try to comfort you. You forced yourself to remember whatever he says can’t change the truth. He isn’t the one making the rules. You’re not naive.

"Hey, hey kiddo. Not there yet, let's give your aunt a ring and see if we can get ahold of her. You got a name?" His voice calm, if he was worried you really couldn’t tell now, unlike when he first returned. You gave her name, not knowing anything besides she lived in St. Paul. But they were cops, you figured they could track her down.

The other guy, Voight, left, you heard him call out to someone named Halstead to run your aunt's name. Antonio didn’t move, just kept holding your hand looking around as if he wasn’t. The fact we seemed unbothered by the comforting gesture put you more at ease, yet you still were struggling with this.

"B-but what if she doesn't want me?"

There was a look of disbelief in his face, as if you were made of solid gold. It was fake and you knew it, still, it was comforting. "We're gonna figure it out, ok? I'll tell her myself what a great kid you are."

"I'm sorry."

The detective didn’t have to say anything, but you knew he deflected your apology. Somehow you just knew the minute you said it what his response was going to be. He didn’t feel bothered. And on top of this it was going to work out. He would make sure it worked out.

And it did. Given the explanation of the situation, your Aunt was happy to take you in. Antonio pulled some strings and you spent one night with his colleague Kim Burgess (the woman with the brown hair) before your aunt took over custody. In less than 48 hours you were on your way to Minnesota with a bag you packed and your dad had no clue. For once you knew there was at least one person who was worth trusting in this world.

The snow crunched below your feet. It was only another mile or so to your aunt’s place. The roads were pretty clear. Much of the snow had been packed down for days, but a recent heatwave melted and refroze the roads to solid ice. The deceiving snow was only an inch or two thick on top of the slick icy layer beneath. So, when you hear tires squeal, it is not in any way surprising. You were learning to drive yourself; ice roads were something that even your aunt had trouble managing let alone teach you how to navigate. You had respect for anyone who was able to successfully manage those roads in two-wheel drive. Whipping around, there’s not a two-ton car sliding towards you as you had expected, planning to dive roll into the snow. There’s a black van with a guy in a ski mask running towards you.

Crap.

Taking advantage of the ice, you threw your backpack at him, hoping he’d lose his balance and walk onto the more slippery road. Yet things do not go to plan as he easily recovers and continues to pursue you, reaching you and wrapping his arms around your waist. You fought. You screamed, wailed, bit, flailed, kicked and every other defensive action your subconscious could think of. It didn’t work, he was just too much bigger than you. You were thrown into the back of the van.

no no no no no this can’t be happening.

You considered yourself a calm person, but that was before you were tied and gagged in the back of a van. The darkness seemed to only escalate your fears as you had a blank canvas to imagine your worst nightmares becoming reality. "Please, just let me go” you must have said it 40 times before something heavy hit your head.

Things faded in and out. Darkness and light fought a battle, but you could never really tell if you could see or not, it was all just shadows. The nausea was also coming in waves, paired with the throbbing sensation on the back of your head. You had been pistol whipped. But of course, you didn’t know that. The sheer terror of the entire situation still had you disoriented. You couldn’t feel the time pass, most people know what a minute or five minutes feels like, but you couldn’t focus. It was all too much.

 When the van doors slide open you hear the guy who grabbed you talk to whoever was driving. “I still can’t believe this guy.” His gruff voice scoffed, close by.

“Well, he had the money, who are we to judge.”

“Guy? Had someone hired them to take me? Was I about to be sold or something?”

 You’re embarrassed to say the next voice you heard brought you half a millisecond of comfort, it was misplaced. “You had to put a sack over her head?” It was your dad. How? Better question why would he ask that question though he had no emotion in his voice.

The men and your dad talk as you wrestle with this entire shock. Suddenly someone picks you up and carries you over their shoulder. You figured it was guy who grabbed you, but feeling that whoever was holding you gently lowered you to the floor, you made the new assumption it was your dad. The blindfold and gag came off in a quick motion. You were met with the hollow face of your father in some sort of abandoned room. He gave a sickening smile, one that brought no relief with it. “I brought you back sugar!”

“Dad, let me go.”

He nodded and started to undo your restraints. It couldn’t be this easy. Taking a moment, he was preoccupied with removing the duct tape glue from your arms, as if he cared, you jumped up, running across the room to open the metal door, but it was locked.

“Open the door, dad.”

“Y-you’ll just leave.” He whimpered, face looking offended.

This wasn’t your dad. The eyes were too hopeful and the demeanor was too caring. This was you dad having some sort of a mental breakdown. The pieces came together as you watched the tremors in his hands. Not knowing the man in front of you felt more terrifying than the man you ran away from. Before, you knew somewhere buried deep in his subconscious he would never seriously harm you beyond some bruises. But you stared into eyes you didn’t recognize. It was entirely possible he was going to kill you. All of that mess 8 months ago just to end up dying in Chicago and nobody knows about it.

But that’s where you were wrong.

Within a 25 mile radius…

“Detective Dawson,”

The somewhat uncaring police deputy at St. Paul started running down the situation. There wasn’t much to tell. Your backpack was found in a snowbank near some blood in the snow with you nowhere to be found. Your aunt had been adamant that the deputy at the front desk reach Antonio. And of course, the detective roped his unit into the situation. Voight made it a priority. It didn’t take a psychologist to see that Antonio cared about you, he cared about all his teen CIs. They were his secondary kids. He would find you, even if he hadn’t promised you to do so. He promised himself. When word had come in that your dad had been behind the entire situation it was not much of a shock. A man with a past of petty crime and domestic abuse with mental health concerns did seem like a high probability suspect. He had also rented out a storage container on the industrial side of town. Antonio and his team suited up. He was going to end this situation here and now.

 “CHICAGO PD OPEN THE DOOR”

In a frenzied craze, your father throws you to the floor. It would make sense for him to run, but logic wasn’t a key factor right now. His foot goes to your neck and the gun points to your head. The gun must have been on his back, you hadn’t seen it until now.

I don’t want to die.

Not like this.

Not here.

Please no.

Please.

 Bursting through the door you make out several people with weapons drawn on your dad. Light floods the dark room leaving the two of you partially blind, yet the tension still filled the air.

“LET HER GO.” It wasn’t a request. It was an order. Regardless, your neck was still being crushed. Air was slowly waning from your lungs. And then it wasn’t. In an instant you felt his foot roll out from over you, giving you a chance to scramble away.

“Y/N, Y/N, it’s ok. We’re police.”

And that was likely the only time anyone from your side of town was happy to hear that phrase. But still, you couldn’t quite comprehend it. It was a full mess of tears, screaming, wailing and shaking. You had been mere seconds from death by gun or choking, you couldn’t just suck it up. Not even you were that badass. Nonetheless, the cops weren’t getting anywhere with calming you down.

“Call an ambo.” Calls another voice, a woman. “Tonio, you ok?”

“Yeah” And under normal circumstances you would have connected the dots, but as it has already been overly reiterated, you were not stable right now. The only thing you could register was the familiar hand on top of yours gently squeezing your arm below.

“Shhh shhh, it’s ok kiddo, we got you. He’s gone.”

Hold it, you know that voice.

And what would you know, you finally grasped it. Staring down at you is Detective Dawson, once again saving your neck, literally. It was probably against some rule, but you just buried your head in his shoulder trying to block out everything outside. He let it slide, just holding you there, seemingly not in any rush to move you till the paramedics arrived. In time you realized the other officer trying to calm you down had been Burgess, but you just hadn’t recognized her. You’re in pain, but not horrendous amounts, must be the adrenaline. Regardless, Antonio calls another officer, Atwater, to carry you outside to the ambulance. Before you know it, the ambo is driving away from the scene to Chicago Med, leaving the Intelligence Unit to deal with the aftermath including Dawson.

Sitting in the ER, you wait for test results to return on your head scan. More had happened in the last 12 hours than in the last 8 months. You realized how much you liked the simplicity and (relative) safety of Minnesota, but now you’d at least carry pepper spray. You’re pulled from your thoughts as you see Dawson peak from the side of the curtains. You had not felt too lonely or afraid before given the officers stationed outside your room, but seeing him made you feel better.

“Hey kiddo, how’s the neck?” he smiles, moving into the room slowly as if he was trying not to scare you.

You smile weakly, still exhausted. “Alright, considering.” You noticed tape on the base of his neck on one side extending underneath his shirt where you couldn’t see. “What happened?”

“I might be getting a little long in the tooth for tackling suspects.” And by suspects, you knew he meant your dad. He was the one who got him off you. “Are you ok?” You ask. “All good, just had to get my shoulder checked out.”

“Ok, glad you’re ok.” And you truly were. You would feel awful if you had been the reason he had been seriously injured, especially after you were supposed to be out of his hair.

He nods, fiddling with his hands on the rail at the end of your bed. “Hey, your aunt is on her way to get you, it’s gonna be awhile, but I talked to your doctor and they said they’ll keep you till she arrives to monitor your concussion.”

You nod. “My dad?”

“We got him, he’s going away for a long time.” You notice his lack of enthusiasm in that response, obviously thinking that justice had not been fully served.

“But not forever.” Your voice soft, barely over a whisper.

He shook his head. “Long enough you’re not going to need to worry about him.”

“But you’ll come rescue me again if he tries, right?” You cocked an eyebrow, knowing it wasn’t a promise he could make, but every reassuring thing he told you made you feel better anyways.

“As much as I love the job, I don’t know if I’m going to be on the force in 40 years.”

“Yeah, you might not be able to a shoot a gun while using a walker with tennis balls on the bottom.” The two of you laugh a bit at that visualization.

As you quiet down you notice he looks a bit more serious.“But yeah, I’ll get you.”

Once again, probably against some protocol, but you just had to reach out and hug him burying your face in his leather jacket. He leans forward to pull you in. Something about it was just natural, you knew he’d protect you, you knew that now.

“Thank you so much. I’d be dead.”

“Of course,” He pets your hair, resting his chin on the top of your head.

“T-thank you for caring.” He pulls back to look you in the eyes.

“I checked your record, no priors since you left. Thank you for being worth it.” He smiles.

The two of you sit there for a minute, staring at each other, his hand still the (good) side of your head. You’d never really had a dad moment like this, but if this was the first and last dad moment you ever had, you were ok with it. It was perfect. He stands up, stretching out his back as if he’s about to leave. But instead, he pulls up a chair.

“You don’t mind if I stick around till your aunt arrives do you?”

You gently shook your head. Truth was, you were too afraid to ask him to do so, but of course, somehow, he knew what you needed. So there the two of you sat. Talking about the extremely normal things you had been involved in back in Minnesota. You swear he kept a small smile on his face the entire time. Just happy to see you moving on. It was done.

 When you turned 18, you reached out the Antonio again and asked if he would be willing to meet up for lunch, now that it was “legal” to do so. And now it has become an annual event with occasional bonus trips when you somehow wind up in the Windy City. Your lives may have grown apart in distance but something would always keep the two of you together. He’d always be there for you, and you needed that. Maybe not everyone needs a perfect father figure to survive in the world, but knowing a tough boxing detective would be by your side in one phone call gave you the freedom of safety. Your aunt is an amazing woman, but Antonio Dawson is really the one who you owe everything to.

He promised, you trusted, and it was the first decision of your life that truly mattered.

A/N: I know my presence on this account is sporadic, but I hope some people enjoy this. I’m going to dive into my drafts to work on some of the partially written responses I have for some old requests. (: