#i’m always so happy to be able to trek back and think about the progress they have made | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

gladerwolfstarkimagines · 3 years

Text

Imagine being Azula’s friend but secretly dating Zuko behind her back

One of the first things you and Azula bonded over was your annoying brothers. Azula told you how her brother had stolen one of her best friends away from her and you related to that. Your twin brother was none other than Sokka of the water tribe, who was also very popular with women. Most of the women you knew liked him, from Yue to Toph to Suki to Ty lee! It sometimes felt like you were the second attraction in a friendship and so you and Azula quickly became close over your shared frustrations.

Then....you betrayed her.

Well, betrayal is a bit dramatic but maybe not given how upset she'd been when Mai and Zuko started dating. You knew that had been hard for Azula to process. How difficult it had been wondering if her friends really liked her or just wanted access to her brother. So when you started liking Zuko you didn’t plan on acting on it at all. Then Mai broke up with him.

Zuko was around at yours quite often, whenever he visited the water tribe he stayed in your home and when you visited the fire nation he extended the same hospitality. So throughout the years, you just naturally got closer and closer until....it happened. You started hanging out just the two of you and these occasions felt very date-like until Zuko just outright asked you out. You liked him and told yourself one date was fine, what harm could a single date do? But then as you kept seeing each other and one date soon progressed into many many more you knew your time to do the right thing and tell Azula you were dating her brother was approaching.

However the idea of doing that idea terrified you. You guessed Azula wouldn’t take it well and didn’t want to lose your friendship with her because of your relationship with Zuko. You wouldn’t break up with Zuko just to make her happy but you also didn’t want to lose Azula’s friendship, so when Katara’s birthday arose you were fairly nervous. There was going to be a large party and all of Katara’s friends were coming...which included Zuko and Azula. You hadn’t been together with everyone since you and Zuko started dating so you had no idea how it would feel. The whole time you and Zuko would have to convincingly act like you weren’t a couple and not make anyone at the party suspicious of the two of you. So when Zuko’s ship got in you fixed your eyes on Azula and tried not to stare at him any more than usual. You greeted him formally and didn’t admire him as you usually would. You fell in step with Azula and decided just to focus on her. It wasn’t hard, you were best friends and very close...however fate was not on your side. You got seated across from him at dinner which felt like some sick punishment and struggled not to get lulled into conversation with him. It didn’t help that Zuko was in a playful mood. He kept making comments about the things you’d done on your date and then sending you sly looks across the table. When you met his eye he smirked blatantly and you lightly kicked him under the table. That only made Zuko chuckled and look adorable so you sighed and decided to just keep your eyes down the whole time to survive dinner.

However, Zuko had no intention of stopping his teasing. After dinner you set about preparing the party for Katara tomorrow and having sent Sokka, Aang, Suki, Azula and Toph on their assigned jobs turned to your job of decorating. You were hanging streamers in the living room when you felt a hand curl around your waist. “Need some help there?” Zuko asked moving closer and he leaned up over you to hang it. “I could have done that myself” you smiled turning to face him and Zuko shrugged “I know you could’ve, but then I wouldn’t have been able to do this”. Zuko gently kissed your neck trailing down to your collar bone making you sigh. “Zuko...stop” you said faint heartedly and Zuko sensed that smirking "I don’t want to and you don’t want me to either, I can tell by how softly you said my name" he smiled "it’s been so long since we’ve had any time together". Your skin erupted in goosebumps and a shiver went down your spine as Zuko pressed closer against you. But you knew how badly this could end if literally anyone walked in. So swiftly you grabbed Zuko’s hands and twisted your way out of them. You held them tightly in one hand so he couldn’t try and slink around you again and used the other to make him look at you "Zuko we can’t okay, not on this trip. God knows i want to, i’ve missed you too but there’s too much that could go wrong i’m sorry". Zuko sighed but nodded his head "don’t worry i understand". Zuko’s shoulders sagged and you knew your insistance on keeping this quiet was difficult for him. "Thank you for understanding" you said hugging him quickly "i know it can’t be easy for you and I appreciate the effort you're going to for me". Zuko smiled resting his head on top of yours "it’s fine, i’d do a lot more for you if you asked but promise me it won’t always be like this....we will tell everyone soon?". You gulped but nodded pulling away "i promise, i will tell Azula...soon!". Zuko nodded “I believe you” and let his hands drop away from you. Not a moment later Sokka and Aang appeared in the room making the two of you jump. “Zuko just the man we need! We were thinking of making an ice sculpture, fancy some fire bending?”. Zuko nodded “sure” and with a last glance to you left the room.

Hours later the party preparations finished you returned to your room which you were sharing with Azula for her visit. “Sokka made me blow up balloons” she said angrily “something about fire benders being full of hot air”. You smirked at your brother’s nerve when Azula’s next sentence wiped it off your face. "Also I think Zuko’s dating someone again" Azula said softly and you paused. "Ow really?" you asked and she nodded "he’s been spending a suspicious amount of time in the southern water tribe lately. Lots of visits which he claims are diplomatic but I can’t work out what he actually does here! He doesn’t know that many people and so it got me thinking, y/n do you think your brother and mine....". "No Sokka's still with Suki" you said shaking your head. Azula sighed “and it’s obviously not Katara, she and Aang are basically married, have you seen him hanging around anyone else? He doesn’t know many people so it should be easy to spot". You paused pretending to think but were really just trying to buy yourself time. "Honestly i don’t pay much attention to him when he visits" you said cleverly covering your back "but i will from now on and let you know". "Thank you y/n" Azula smiled. You smiled back relieved Azula didn’t suspect anything and let out a large breath you’d been holding for this entire conversation. You were now more than ready for sleep and got into bed hurriedly. You laid your head on your pillow and closed your eyes utterly exhausted.

"Goodnight y/n" Azula called and you nodded. You were very sleepy and after a long yawn smiled "good night Zuko".

You realised the name you’d said seconds after it came out of your mouth.

You froze

As did azula.

"Did you just call me Zuko...". You blinked "did i? I’m sure i said Azula". Azula was quiet for 2 seconds before she shot up "it’s you!" she cried "you're the one my brother’s dating!". "No Azula that’s crazy!!! We'd just been discussing Zuko, that’s why he was on my mind!". Azula shook her head "you're lying! I can tell by the tone of your voice! You’re the new girlfriend aren’t you?". You sighed "Azula i’m sorry i was going to tell you...". "I can’t believe you" Azula yelled and suddenly the door opened. "What’s wrong?" Sokka and Zuko asked bursting in “we heard yelling” and Azula glared. "You! Couldn't just have Mai huh? Had to take another one of my friends? How about when you’re done with y/n you try things with Ty lee?". "Ow she told you...." Zuko frowned awkwardly. "No i worked it out!” Azula spat “Y/n accidentally uttered your name because she’s so lovesick" Azula cried "you both make me sick" and she strode away slamming the front door hard as she exited the house.

After Azula left you all looked at one another unsure what to do or say next. "So...you two are a thing?" Sokka asked and Zuko paused "yes...is your reaction going to be as bad as Azula’s or can i go deal with her?". Sokka shook his head "go deal with her before she burns the village down”. Zuko went to move past Sokka when your brother put a hand to his chest "but come back and see me after, me and Katara will want to talk to you about dating our sister". Zuko surprisingly looked intimidated and nodded "I'll be right back". "Zuko wait i should come too" you called "this is as much my fault as yours". Zuko nodded "let’s go" and led you outside into the cold night after Azula.

You found Azula trekking in the snow and as she wasn’t in proper shoes you gained on her quickly. “Azula!” you called and she jumped. She looked around and glared “ow look the happy couple, how nice of you to grace me with your presence”. Zuko rolled his eyes “only you’d be so attention-seeking to make this about you”. “Attention seeking? Who’s the person who can’t form his own friendships or respect boundaries? No always have to date my friends, is it some weird way for you to gain power over me? A sad way to boost your ego?”. As Zuko and Azula went to square up to each other you stepped between them. “Alright enough the both of you! Zuko please go back to the house, i’ll handle this”. “But she...”. “Zuko please” you said sharply and he nodded “fine” and with a glare left. You watched him go before turning back to Azula. You’d been about to suggest you go home given that Azula was surely freezing out here in the middle of the night but Azula broke into a rant. "Everyone leaves me for him" she cried "Mai! My uncle! Mother! Even my father...after i was smarter, a better fire bender, more loyal and younger he still gave Zuko every little chance and only crowned me after Zuko literally ran away! When will i be good enough people don’t just choose him without a second thought for me?". "Azula i didn’t choose Zuko over you! Just because i like Zuko doesn’t mean i don’t like you still". "That may be true but this changes our friendship completely, it did with Mai! People always prioritise their partners over their friends so i’ll be second best once again". "Are you kidding?" you asked "Azula now i need you more than ever! Relationships aren’t when you ditch your friends, they’re when you need them the most! Who else are you going to go to for a break or a nice getaway? Who else is going to support and love you in only the platonic way a friend can? Who else can i complain about Zuko to when he annoys me or we fight?" you asked "they’re all things you need your friends for! Desperately and that’s going to be the same for me". "But when Mai dated him...". "But i’m not Mai" you smiled softly "Azula we are good friends, i won’t sideline you because of this. You mean just as much to me now as before i started dating Zuko". Azula huffed but you could see her melting. "So...how about we go inside, get some warm milk and talk a bit more about this huh?". You offered Azula your hand and she took it but she didn’t stop there. Azula threw her arms around you and hugged you tightly. "I’m partly doing this for the cold but thank you" she said softly "nobodies ever tried to make me feel supported when they've chosen Zuko, they just tell me to deal with it but you’re the first to try and reassure me and so i know you mean it, to still be my friend". "Of course" you smiled "you're my best friend!". Azula smiled and linked her arm through yours "i like that!”.

Zuko stared in awe as you and Azula returned grinning. "How did it go is everything okay?". You nodded "your extremely cool sister is fine with it". "Yes i thought this would be a great way to have an inside scoop on you zuzu". "She’s kidding i won’t talk to her about you...a lot". Zuko blinked "okay if everything's okay then i should go speak to Sokka and Katara, they’re waiting for me in the kitchen". Azula smiled "that’s a good idea, when you come back zuzu find me, i have some threats about what will happen if you hurt my best friend". You smiled at Azula and stepped to Zuko "good luck but don’t worry Sokka’s all bite, Katara’s the one to look out for but she has a big heart, just tell her how good a time we’ve had and you’ll be fine". "Good tips, any for my sister?". You smiled "Azula is one i have not worked out yet" you grinned "but i’m sure you’ll manage, you are the firelord after all". Zuko smirked and you patted his shoulder "after your appointment with my brother and sister and then your sister....you could always come find me in your room?". Zuko smiled "is that my motivation for surviving this?". You shrugged "you can think of it as that" and stepped away from him. Zuko watched you before sighing "alright let’s get this over with” he said loudly and strode towards the kitchen.

You turned back to Azula who raised an eyebrow at Zuko’s sudden confidence and she frowned. "Do i even want to know?" Azula asked and you shook your head "no". “Ow and don’t worry if I’m not in our room tonight”. “Euch Y/n!” Azula cried and you shrugged “what? I didn’t say why”. “I know why” she sighed before she smiled “at least I can have your bigger bed”. “Be my guest” you smiled, you had a firelord to get reacquainted with.

672 notes · View notes

pennylanefics · 3 years

Text

New Life - Isaac Lahey

a/n: thanks to @fifty-shades-of-grace for the idea! i’ve had this in mind for so long but never felt the motivation to write it, but her post pushed me to do so!!

•••

“So what do we do now?” You and the pack were together at Scott’s house, hours after Allison was killed. None of you knew what to do or say. Scott was heartbroke and didn’t say much since Chris took her away.

Isaac was the same. They had just started dating and you could tell he was taking it hard. He was crying silently, tears have been streaming down his face nonstop. You wanted to comfort him and hold him, but you knew it wasn’t the right time.

You’ve liked Isaac for the longest time, ever since you first met. But he always made it clear that you were just a friend, and you dealt with it. And now definitely wasn’t the time to act on anything.

“I don’t know,” Scott whispers hoarsely. “I don’t know what to do now that she’s gone.”

“It happens, Scott. It’s something supernaturals have to deal with,” Derek tells him. You glare at the older man and scoff.

“Allison was human, Derek. She didn’t deserve to die,” Isaac defends.

“And when you’re human getting involved with the supernatural, you have to know the risk of being killed. They don’t have the strength or healing abilities that we do.”

“So that means you think it’s okay if (Y/N) dies because she’s human as well?!” Isaac shouts. Derek says nothing, glancing at you for a quick moment.

“Shit happens.”

“That still doesn’t make it okay that she died,” Scott murmurs.

The room falls silent, only sniffles and sighs being heard.

“I wanna move away from Beacon Hills,” Isaac mumbles. “I don’t think I can be here anymore and constantly be reminded of her.” You stare at him as he speaks, his eyes glued to the floor, though. He was nervous to hear everyone’s thoughts.

“If that’s what you feel like is best for you, then do it,” Scott tells him. “Don’t stay here and torture yourself.”

‘“I wouldn’t mind getting away either,” you say to yourself. Isaac looks up to you and smiles.

“Come with me,” he offers. Your eyebrows furrow and you think. The main reason you wanted to get away was because of Isaac. You didn’t want to stay here and be reminded that he’s gone because his girlfriend died.

“Oh, no. I don’t want to-“

“No, it’ll be good! We’ll be away from here but still have each other, someone who understands what the other has gone through.”

“Are you sure?” He smiles and nods.

“Yeah. We’ve always been good friends and it’ll be nice to spend time with one another without the rest of the pack. I feel like we never got a chance to grow close.” You grin a little, your heart cracking slightly as you nod.

“Uh, sure. I guess I’ll go with you.”

“Where are you planning on going?” Kira asks. Isaac thinks for a moment.

“Paris,” he announces. Your eyes widen in shock.

“Paris, France?”

“Know any other Paris’s?” You chuckle nervously.

“I guess not,” you respond. “It’s just far away.”

“That’s the point.” You don’t respond as the realization settles in.

“Okay,” you finally say. “I’ll move to Paris with you.” Issac smiles and reaches over to give you a side hug. He keeps you near him, though, needing the comfort.

After that night, you and Isaac spent your remaining days in Beacon Hills packing and planning flights and housing for when you get to France. On the day you left, the pack joined you two at the airport.

“I’ll miss you, Scott,” you whisper as he pulls you into a huge hug.

“We’ll talk soon. Just don’t forget about us.” You nod against his shoulder and pull back to give Kira a hug.

“Let me know if anything happens with you and Isaac,” she says, raising her eyebrows teasingly. You giggle and shrug it off.

“I don’t expect anything to. And I’m okay with it.” She frowns and rubs your back. You glance over at Isaac and see that he’s staring at you. Was he listening to your conversations?

You walk over to him, pushing your thoughts to the back of your mind.

“You ready to get out of here?” You ask him. He nods and picks his bags up.

“Bye everyone!” You two wave to the pack and walk inside the airport. Isaac wraps an arm around you and kisses your forehead, a gesture he’s always done, but this time, it sends butterflies to your stomach.

The trip was long and tiring. One trip from California to Atlanta, waiting in the airport for the plane to Europe, and waiting in customs once in France. But finally, around dinnertime, you were settled in the apartment in Montmartre you were renting for the time being.

“Ugh, I’m exhausted,” you flop onto the bed in one of the rooms. Isaac brings your suitcases into the room and joins you on the bed, looking out at the view of the city from the window.

“Me too. So,” he sighs, “what now?”

“We begin a new chapter of our lives without the supernatural?”

“I mean, I can only escape it so much, I still am a werewolf,” he laughs.

“That’s true, but you won’t have to deal with losing any more friends to crazy ass monsters.”

“Yeah. I can’t lose anyone else. Especially you.” You could’ve sworn you heard his voice waver a little, but you quickly forgot about it as Isaac announced he was going to pick up some dinner from a nearby restaurant.

A month and a half passes and although it’s a hard adjustment, you were starting to feel at home. The little village you lived in was quaint and quiet, and everyone was so nice. One of your neighbors offered to help teach you French, which Isaac was doing as well, since he’s been learning it for years.

Every other night, you, Isaac and your neighbor ate dinner together and she taught you questions, statements, orders, and etiquette, all the important stuff to at least get around.

“So, Isaac, have you found a special woman here yet?” Amelie asks him with a smile on her face. You raise your eyebrows at him and smirk. He chuckles nervously and looks down at his plate.

“Uh, no. I’m still trying to get over my last girlfriend’s death. I don’t think I’m ready to move on just yet.” He pushes around a piece of beef on his plate.

“You’ll find someone. There’s lots of sweet girls around here and a lot of them are very cute. I’m sure they’d love an American boyfriend.” You giggle as a blush covers his cheeks.

“I’m not sure about it just yet.” Amelie brushes it off and goes back to teaching you phrases. For the rest of the afternoon, you can’t help but notice Isaac’s distant behavior. He seems spaced out, thinking about stuff, or caught up with thoughts of Allison.

“(Y/N) and I were going to watch the sunset on the hill of the Sacré-Cœur,” Isaac says, standing up to bring his plate over to the sink. You get up and thank Amelie for the lesson today and walk out of her house.

Isaac makes a quick stop at your apartment to grab a blanket and a picnic basket before meeting back up with you and beginning the trek to the hill.

It was pretty empty for a weekend, but you figured everyone was at clubs and bars instead of having picnics and relaxing.

“Here we are,” Isaac lays the blanket down and opens the basket. He hands you a piece of chocolate cake from your favorite restaurant and grabs the other for himself. As you enjoy the dessert, the sun begins to set, creating a golden glow over the area.

“It’s so beautiful,” you murmur in awe. Isaac hadn’t taken his eyes off of you since you finished off the slice. The sunlight showered you in a stunning way, and he couldn’t help but finally come to the realization of how truly beautiful he thinks you are.

“Yeah,” he whispers, practically in a trance. You glance over at him and laugh.

“You alright, Isaac?” You place the trash back in the basket and take out a bottle of water for yourself.

“Actually, there’s something I wanted to talk about.”

“Okay,” you push him to continue. He pauses, fiddling with his hands.

“I’ve been thinking about this for a while, and being here, I’ve been able to clear my mind and focus on it. I-” He hesitates. Your eyebrows furrowed together as he struggles to explain.

“I know I said that I’m not ready for a relationship because of Allison. But I’ve made progress and I think I’m ready to move on.”

“That’s great, Isaac! I think coming here was a good idea for you. I’ve noticed you changed a lot and you seem happier, with bad days here and there of course. But I can tell you’re starting to come to terms with it.”

“I have, all thanks to you.” You smile and rub his shoulder.

“I’m happy you asked me to come along. It’s been so much fun and I honestly can’t explain how refreshing it is to not have to deal with some supernatural being every few months.” He laughs, agreeing with you.

“That’s not all.” You nod and stare at him, waiting for the next topic.

“I’ve fallen for you, more than I was expecting to. To be honest, I never even thought about it until I heard you at the airport saying bye to Kira.” You gasp and smack his shoulder playfully.

“You were listening to us!” He giggles and swats your hand away.

“I didn’t mean to! Everyone got quiet and my hearing zoned in on you.”

“How come you didn’t say anything then?” He shrugs.

“I was still dealing with Allison’s death and it confused me even more. I guess I’ve always had feelings for you deep down, but we were always good friends, and I often heard you talking to Lydia about a guy you liked, so I didn’t make any moves.”

“You dumbass, that guy was you!” His eyes widen and he lets out a long exhale.

“I’m so stupid,” he face falms himself. You grab his wrist to move his hands away and kiss his cheek.

“You’re not. I was okay with being friends. If anything, I’m glad we were because I can’t imagine my life without you. I was okay with waiting for you to figure out that I am pretty amazing.” he laughs and caresses your cheek.

“You are pretty amazing,” he whispers. His eyes dart down to your lips, then back up to your eyes. With a small nod, you give him permission to do what he wants. He slowly leans in and presses his lips to yours, your heart bursting with love. You can’t help but smile, breaking the kiss.

“Fuck, I’ve waited for this for so long,” you breathe out.

“How long?”

“Remember the day I got attacked by the kanima? It threw me against the wall of the school and you took my pain away before taking me to the hospital?” Isaac swallows hard.

“I’ll never forget that day.”

“I won’t either. It’s the day I fell in love with you.” Isaac grins and kisses you again.

“Um, I’m sorry, but I can’t say that back just yet,” he tells you, worried of your reaction.

“I didn’t expect you to. i just wanted you to know that.”

“And when the time is right, I’ll be happy to say the same.”

You two stay on the hill for another hour, just talking while you lay in his arms. Once it started getting cold and more vacant, you headed back to your apartment. After showering and putting the picnic supplies away, you settled on the couch and turned the TV on.

Isaac stayed in his room, his head spinning with what just happened. He was so happy with how things worked out, but part of him still felt guilty and connected to Allison, so he called the one person who would know what to do. Scott.

You had fallen asleep on the couch while watching a movie when Isaac came out to talk to you. He quickly sees that you’re fast asleep and grins.

“Hey,” he whispers, shaking you awake. You groan and rub your eyes.

“What time is it?” You ask. Isaac checks the clock on the wall.

“Midnight.” You turn the TV off and stretch, getting ready to head to bed, but Isaac stops you.

“Can we talk in my room for a little?” He asks. You grin and nod, following him into the room across yours. You take a seat on his bed but he crawls under the covers, motioning for you to join. You immediately understand why he wanted you in here, so you join him and scoot into his arms.

“You know you could have just said you wanted me to sleep with you tonight,” you say. He lets out a small breath and nuzzles his face into your neck.

“I didn’t want to be awkward about it. I also wasn’t sure how you felt about being this close so soon.”

“I don’t have a problem, but are you okay with it?” He pauses.

“I called Scott and talked to him for a while. I told him that even though I feel like I'm ready to move on, it’s hard letting Allison go. I feel like I’m doing something wrong, but he assured me that it’s okay to let go. He’s done it and he’s with Kira, but he still has a place in his heart for Allison.”

“It’ll be okay. Letting her go doesn’t mean you have to forget her. I don’t expect you to suddenly move on so quickly. I know you really liked her and you were together at the time of her death. That’s a difficult thing to go through.”

“I really appreciate you,” he whispers. “And I’m so happy we’re finally together.” You pull back and stroke his cheek with your finger.

“So, we are together? Like, a relationship?” You confirm. He’s slow to nod, but when he does, he breaks out into a huge smile.

“I want that, if you want that as well.” You kiss him sweetly in response.

“I’ve been wanting it ever since you saved me.”

“So the whole knight in shining armor thing does work on girls?” He teases. You giggle and curl into his chest.

“When the knight is a wolf, who I’ve had a crush on for a while before that, saving me from a freaky lizard man and taking my pain away? Yeah.”

#isaac lahey #isaac lahey imagine #isaac lahey imagines #isaac lahey x reader #daniel sharman #teen wolf #teen wolf imagines #imagines #fanfiction #fanfic

198 notes · View notes

babytaes · 3 years

Text

Don’t Leave Me

➳ 𝚜𝚞𝚖𝚖𝚊𝚛𝚢: Over the past two years, the apocalypse has been raging, food has become scarce, and security has weakened. Will you survive as a small town girl living in a small apartment with your college best friend?

❥ 𝚙𝚊𝚒𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐: hoshi x female reader

❥ 𝚐𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: zombie apocalypse au, suggestive/smut, angst, fluff,

❥ 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚍 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚝: 6k

❥ 𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜: Trigger Warning- Death and use of Gun. There are some smut scenes so if you are not comfortable please do not engage. Other than that enjoy.- BT

➳ part of the song series

↳ I used to be so happy

But without here I feel so low

I watched you as you left but I can never seem to let you go.

If you had told me that the world will end in a few days, I would have told you that you were insane and that you should stop believing in government-created conspiracy theories.

The looming fact that her life was now ended and her dream was broken would have made old me giggle and shake her head. So much for my desire to be a doctor.

You didn't grow up believing in a zombie apocalypse or the end of the world, so you weren't prepared for this. You would have preferred to go out in a more pleasant manner.

It was wonderful to have some company to keep you sane during the end of the world as we know it, despite the fact that you and Soonyoung had been imprisoned up in this miserable flat for so long.

Today was the day, the one-year anniversary of the beginning of it all. The date is June 17, 2023. You recall the event as if it were yesterday. A day that began unlike any other.

Today was just another day, with loud music booming through the closed doors as you both changed for the day. It was routine: get up, go to work, eat a meal, and return home. There wasn't a lot of variation in either of your days.

There were days when things were entertaining, but life was monotonous in general, and you both wanted something to liven things up!

“Heyyy can you please turn your music down just a smidge, I’m trying to do my eyeliner and it's making my hand shaky.” You laughed at Soonyoung's response as he shouted out to you from the other room.

“Oh, so they're not supposed to look bad,” says Soonyoung. Your basic talent has nothing to do with the music.”

Fluffing out your hair and setting down your makeup brushes you trudge over to his room and rapped on his door, arms crossed and mentally preparing for his cheeky comments.

He leaned against the door frame after opening the door and staring at your stiff physique. You gulped as you examined his toned physique; there was something about his physique that drove you insane.

“Keep your eyes up here, princess.” As you smirked at his movement, he titled your chin. Your brushed past him and landed on his unmade bed, pushing him to the side. He laughed as he closed the door and resumed his preparations.

“So, Mr. Bodybuilder, what's on your plan today?” He spun around in his chair, palms on his thighs, cocking his head, chuckling at your inquiry.

“Well, I have some new dance students to coach until noon, but after that, I'm free.” Jihoon, on the other hand, had requested a meeting to work on various projects.”

As you flung a thumb up, you shook your head, taking in what he had to say and mentally organizing it in your thoughts. You let out a long yawn as you stretched your sluggish body, unwilling to face the day.

Soonyoung coughed and looked at you with an open mouth.

“Since it's just ten o'clock, I had a plan before we took on the world. “Do you think you're up for it?”

As the air in the room became tense, you sat up on the palms of your hands and crossed your legs, watching his behavior.

“You know I'm up for anything,” As you scoot back on his bed, you wink at him. As he lingered over you, Soonyoung stood up from his chair, chuckling.

He kissed your collarbone and ran his fingers over it, absorbing up all the energy you were releasing.

“After I'm done with you, you might have to fix your eyeliner.” You flung your arms around his neck and pulled him closer to you because you both knew you were going to wind up in this situation sooner or later.

“This is going to be a lot of fun.”

“Shut up and kiss me,” You retorted

As you hungrily stripped each other's clothes, you both started kissing each other, not splitting lips. His hands flew to your body to assist you in getting naked as quickly as possible. You sat up on your elbow, whimpering under his touch, undoing his belt.

Soonyoung was the sort to take his time when he was praising you, but as he pressed lips lightly on your core, you grew impatient. Thankfully, the time limit was short, so he set right to work, not wanting to waste this opportunity.

As your body jumped, he began to press kisses on your inner thighs while grabbing your breasts and rolling them.

You grumbled, “Fuck Soonyong,” as you pressed up against him, begging for more. As you peered up at him, his tongue touched your core, and he laughed.

“You're already a mess for me; look how drenched you are.”

He checked the dampness within by sticking his finger inside. You nudge him in the stomach as you hit his head, no longer whining.

“So help me, if you don't fuck me already. You're lucky I'm horny; else, I'd have taken care of myself by now.”

“Is my baby needy…?” As he thrashed two fingers in your wet folds, you whimpered as your body reacted nicely. As he pressed his digits deeper into you, your stomach began to erupt as your high drew near.

“Please, a-ah, f-faster.

“Patience, honey, I want you to cum on my dick.” As you felt empty, he pulled his fingers out, and you opened your eyes to find him yanking his underwear off and discarding it to the side.

You cry as he tempts your core before gently pressing into you and allowing you to adjust before proceeding.

Soonyoung grins as he angles himself to drive himself into you.

“Mmmhmm-ah Soonyoung, t-there!” As he repeatedly hits your g-spot, your back arches off the bed.

“Fuck, I can feel you tightening your grip on me. Darling, let me fill you up.”

“Yes, y-yes please.

As soon as he feels his climax coming on, Soonyoung fucks you faster. With a low sigh, he tightened his fingers around you. As he touched your area one time, he moaned out his name.

You gasped, desperately shouting out his name as your orgasm poured over you, forcing you to squirm as Soonyoung held you down and coated the insides of your body.

As you both fell back on the bed panting and relaxing your bodies, your name slipped from your lips. He kissed your forehead as you slowly turned over and let out a quiet groan once you had calmed yourself.

“Wow!”

“I know, speechless; it's one of my many skills.” Rolling off the bed and hurriedly picking up the stray clothing. Throwing his at him, you put on your underpants as you gathered the rest of your belongings and walked towards the door.

You turned back as you approached the door and winked at him before closing it.

He sighed, a broad grin creeping across his face.

“Oh the things I would do for her.”

---

Walking to work wasn't always so unpleasant, especially when you were accompanied by a talkative companion. It made the journey seem more annoying, enjoyable.

“Do you actually believe the government will do something like that? To their own citizens?’’

Hoshi scowled at you through his thick sunglasses as he went to take them off. He rolled his eyes and walked right up to you after opening the door in front of him.

“Unquestionably, the government is capable of anything. Nothing will be able to stop them from achieving their objective if they have one. All I'm saying is that we must exercise caution.”

“You and your irrational ideas. Stop watching Jerry Mason; he's simply fueling your fire.”

When you arrived at your location, you came to a halt, clocking in and retrieving some files that had been left over from the night before. You sat down and exhaled deeply as you entered your temporary office.

“Do you think this is even worth it?”

Soonyoung frowned and moved over to you, kneeling to get a better look at your troubled expression. He knew you'd be exhausted, and all he could do was be there for you.

It dawned on you when you were young that you wanted to be a pediatrician. It felt as if you were born to do this. You'd always adored children, seeing their faces light up when you offered them assistance or simply being there for them when they needed it. Despite the fact that you had just completed an eight-year school career, you still had three years left.

Regardless of what happened, you were going to make it.

“Hey, look at me.” As your eyes meet in the middle, he caresses your face.

“You got this; the long night of studying and grieving was for naught-" You smiled as you snickered at his remarks and allowed him to continue.

“This will be a breeze for you; the difficult portion has already been completed. All we have to do now is get through this summer together before moving on to the next level. Okay?”

As you rubbed his shoulders, he tenderly caressed your cheek and pulled you in for a forehead kiss.

“Thank you, Soo.”

As you jumped from your seat, you both heard a cough out of nowhere. As Soonyoung stood up and adjusted himself, you let out an uneasy laugh at your boss.

“I apologize if I interrupted anything, but we need to talk about the intern program with you.”

You coughed and tidied up as you walked to the door with him, shaking your head quickly. As you strolled down the corridor, trekking away to another room, you blew Soonyoung a kiss before leaving.

You noticed a man coughing on his approach towards you as you made your way to the rear room. He tripped towards you and grabbed your arm as he gathered his breath, his face showing symptoms of tiredness and worry.

“So-Sorry” He leapt to his feet and dashed out the rear entrance, out of the building and into his car.

You walked into the room, indifferent to his cries, and said, "No problem." While sitting next to the employers, you shook your head and took a long breath.

Many subjects were explored as the meeting progressed. One of the most crucial was when we would begin exercising our skills. Despite the fact that we still had schoolwork to complete, the boss had opted to get some exercise.

“It won't take long, but I want you to think about why you picked this profession. You understand why this is your calling and are free to write as much as you want about it. I'll be gracious and recommend that only one page be required. I'm excited for these papers, and it's a nice day today, so you may take the afternoon off.”

As everyone walked out of the room, loud whoops and hurrahs swept across the room, signaling that the weekend had arrived. As we were all leaving the room, you came to a halt and gazed out the building's window at a scene.

You saw a major shift in the man before you. As he smacked his head against the frame of his car, he twitched and screamed. You took a step forward, scrunching your brows and covering your mouth.

It all happened too quickly as the suddenly insane man leaped onto the nearest person and began biting them. You shuddered in terror as you hurried out of the room, falling back on your butt.

You yelled out to everyone, telling them about the man and his odd actions. Not only did you notice another woman twitching in the rear, but you also learned on the news that it was starting to happen all around.

*News* “Hello, this is NTC News, and we have just received word that unknown persons have been bitten and are biting others. Please don't stop for these people; we want everyone to get to safety as soon as possible. They are harmful to your health and can even kill you. We implore you once more to ge-”

As everyone gazed in horror, his voice was cut short. You yelled as you noticed a woman approaching the group after a man leapt on him and began biting him.”

“You guys heard him, runnnnn.”

You studied a puzzled Soonyoung as he waved to you, avoiding the crowd. You gently peered out the door, grabbing his hand and some items from your desk, and found it to be secure.

“What is going on, Y/N?”

“When we get home, I'll explain; we've been exposed here.”

As you ran down the corridor, panicked at the sight of the outside world, you took the emergency exit as you exited the back door. It was in shambles; they were swarming everywhere. Soonyoung kissed your hand and dashed through the horde, dodging stray onlookers.

It felt like you and he were in a movie, running and evading attacks and bleeding faces as they wiped out the people in front of you. You didn't know if you'd make it, but you clutched his hand as you rushed up the stairs to your apartment building.

As Soonyoung looked at you, you took your key and held it between your fingers.

“Are you ready for what we'll find when we get in here?”

Shaking your head, you hastily pecked his cheek before sprinting into the apartment complex and towards your room.

(Present Time, 2 years later )

Wasn't it supposed to be a typical day? In our town, nothing strange ever happens. Life had taken a different path and decided to run amok, and it didn't feel right to you or anybody else.

“Y/N, we have to leave; you're coming this time.”

“Yeah I’m coming” Soonyoung was strapping on his utility belt and grabbing his homemade weapon when you shot him a glare. “I know what you're thinking, and you're completely incorrect.”

He threw you the bat and also strapped you into your armor, shocked by your tone.

“We've been in this apartment for a long time, yet you still think I'm wrong. Hmm, it sounds amusing.”

Chuckling at his antics you quickly heard a voice on the other side as you both went silent. The sound of moaning and groaning never grew on you; hearing them reminded you of who they were before they transformed.

Where they are aspiring actors ready to take on the stage or innocent children on their way to school. It wasn't fair.

“This may be the most practical weapon, but it'll look pretty impressive if I can kill a zombie with it.” You giggle as you swing your bat in the air.

“I’m wondering how long I should leave you before I intervene and save your ass — again.” As he held the walkie up to his ear, Soonyoung heard a beep before tapping you.

“On the walkie, we got the all clear Y/N. It's time."

Shaking your head at him, you tightened your grip on the bat and went out the door gently, looking around to make sure no one was nearby. You and him did this on a regular basis when you were out scrounging around for anything. You know signs of life.

You and he discovered a group of survivors in your building as the outbreak was spreading for the past two years. It was a blessing to find individuals alive in this place attempting to survive; even though we only see them when we schedule weekly meetings, it's great to hear their voices every now and again.

“This is GoldenFox on level 6, and there are no zombies on this floor as far as we can detect. It is okay to proceed.”

After fully exiting the room, you placed a finger crossed kiss on the door frame. As you both made your way to the nearby stairwell, you turned around and observed his six.

To Survive a Zombie Apocalypse, Rule 21 is to Avoid Taking the Elevator. Stairs are your best friend.

Soonyoung crept over to the door, slightly cracked it open, and motioned you over after noticing no unusual activity. Shaking your head, you entered the stairwell straight behind him, pointing your bat in the direction of the vacant stairwell.

Slowly creeping up the stair the lights flickered on and off as you saw dried blood stains on the wall. You could never get over the fact that bodies were gruesomely taken as you approached the sixth floor entrance door.

When you walked out the door, you were greeted by a familiar sight.

“Hey guys, it's been a long time since we've seen one other.”

As he strolled alongside the girl, Soonyoung reached for your hand and gripped it tightly. She was escorting us to the survivors' debriefing meeting, or at least the ones who could make it.

“Hey Chae, how are you doing?” As a frightened expression washed across her face, you began to explain.

“Well, it hasn't been good; are supplies are rapidly depleting, and security is deteriorating. Tae-ho will elaborate, but things aren't looking good.”

You drew Soonyoung closer to you when you arrived at the correct door, pushed it open, and saw friendly faces.

“Ahh, here comes the couple; please take a seat; we have some business to discuss.”

You smiled and sat down next to Soonyoung, coughing softly before listening to Tae-ho's concerns.

“Because of a lack of hands and space, our inside and outside forces have been swiftly diminishing as the virus has become more prevalent in our area. We haven't been able to communicate with the military in a long time, and we're in serious trouble. Finally, I convened this meeting because we are in need of volunteers for a job tomorrow. We needed to connect our generator to the electricity grid, but it was out of juice.”

When you look around the troubled faces, you find that no one wants to look Tae-ho in the eyes, which is understandable. Isn't it normal not to endanger your life? Although, prior to all of this, you would have been ready to seize such an opportunity. Whatever it takes to help the community.

Soonyoung raises his hand after only a few seconds have passed. As he looks at you with his tiger-like gaze, you jerk to the right and broaden your eyes.

“What...no one else was willing to help.” Besides, instead of being locked up with you all day, it would be good to get out.”

As you rolled your eyes at him, you gave him a smack on the arm.

“Jerk,” you sneered, before slumping back in your chair and allowing Tae-ho to continue.

“Anyway, Soonyoung, Chan-woo, and Jong-ho have offered. Is there another volunteer who wants to join them?”

“Fine, I'll go,” you muttered under your breath, rolling your eyes and pursing your lips.

Low shouts of cheer rushed in the room as the teams were set for the trip tomorrow.

“Okay great, meetings adjourned. We go after the sun rises since the walkers get up early in the morning. So by ten o'clock, I'd like you to be packed and ready to travel. Soonyoung is the trip's leader, so pay attention to him.”

“Did you actually just call zombies ‘walkers'? God, you're having much too much fun.”

As he stood up, Tae-ho burst out laughing and ordered everyone to scram. Everyone in the room agreed and began filing out of the room, returning to their lowly abodes. You grabbed Soonyoung's hand and squeezed it strongly.

“Ow, what was that for?”

“I don't know, I guess I just wanted to annoy you.” You rolled your eyes and smirked, your arms crossed in front of his face, pouting.

“Don't be like that, you know I was joking.”

Hiding his smirk he gazed at your eyes before kissing you all over.

“Stop,” you said, flailing your arms in an attempt to free yourself from his grasp. As he sighed, you completely surrendered and let him rest on you.

“Well, at the very least, we'll be going on a mission together tomorrow.” I was wondering whether you were planning on attending. But I'm glad you are.” He looked down at your lovely state.

You wrapped your arms over his neck and placed your hands on either side of his ears, narrowing the distance between you and him.

“Mmmh”

You were both shocked when Tae-ho coughed loudly, interrupting your conversation.

“How long have you been standing there?”

He laughed as he walked out the door, waving his hand in the air and said in a girlish tone.

“Oh, I love you, no, I love you,” You both laughed as you flipped him off, then grabbed your bags and walked down the stairs to your apartment floor.

Soonyoung arrived safely at your door, opened it, and swiftly shut it while he stripped you and him of your clumsy armor.

“Is this a make-up for the earlier remark or...?” Soonyoung kissed you and dragged you closer to the bedroom, soon shutting you up with a kiss.

Despite the horrible cries of walkers reminding you of what you were now living in, the night was young. When you glanced at Soonyoung, though, all of your worries and fears vanished because he made you feel safe no matter what was going on outside.

Soonyoung wrapped his arms around your waist and said quietly, “You're more lovely than anything else in this whole big universe.”

“Not more lovely than you, my baby,” you muttered as his handsome face drew you in closer.

Soonyoung chuckled and kissed your lips before resting his brow on yours and closed his eyes.

“I love you,” he said softly.

You grinned and pulled him in for a genuine kiss, saying, "I love you more than anything."

He nipped your bottom lip, eliciting a little whimper from you before sliding his tongue inside your mouth and kissing you hungrily, exploring every inch of you.

As a sticky pool formed between your legs, you could feel his hardening cock pressing against your thigh. You drew him upon you, already undressed, as he teasingly kissed your body.

You looked up at his toned figure, appreciating his abs as you ran your fingers on his solid stomach, your mouth watering because you knew this was just for your eyes. Soonyoung lifted your chin softly as you locked eyes.

“I'm not sure whether you're up for it, but I'm in the mood.”

“When are you ever not horny?” you asked, laughing. “I'm actually fairly hit, but I don't mind helping you feel good.”

The pupil of his eyes dilated. As you opened your eyes and looked up at him, he rapidly flipped you around.

“Oooh my favorite.”

Slowly, you slid onto his throbbing member and began to move; it was almost like muscle memory for your mouth as it went to work right away.

As tears began to collect at the corners of your eyes, you felt his palm on your hand, almost like clockwork, guiding you down.

“Yes, baby...right there,” As his movement became jerky, he mewled. As you looked up at his trembling form, you chuckled.

Your name falls from his lips as his dick twitches in your mouth one last time before filling you up with his warm seed.

He drew you closer to him and kissed you for the twentieth time tonight when he cooled down.

“Ahh, I'll never get bored of that,” As he tenderly caressed your cheek, he complimented you.

“It is my area of expertise.”

As your eyelids began to drop, you both chuckled. You mumbled into his warm chest as you nestled closer to him.

“Goodnight, my love,”

“Princess, good night.” He drew the blankets over your nude bodies, blew out the melting candles, and brought you closer to him, pressing one last kiss on your forehead. Allowing sleep to take control, the sound of his heartbeat and soft breath soothed you as you drifted off.

---

Thanks to the large windows, you were both awakened by the warm sun as it crept into the room, bringing the warmth and light needed for the day.

You snuggled closer to your love and crawled on top of him, sighing, as your tired eyes adjusted to the light.

“Hmm honey, we have to get up.” He began to get out of bed as you begged him not to leave you.

“5 more minutes,” you said as you drew his arm back and began kissing him on the arm and neck. He hauled you on his back, dropping you at the bathroom and making his way to the kitchen, smirking at your game.

“Get ready; I'm going to try to come up with something other than canned corn and rice.”

With a shake of your head, you took out the ladle and water bucket and began scooping up water for your shower. You quickly became accustomed to this way of life. You did miss your warm baths and your once-weekly takeout. At the very least, you had Soonyoung to help you get through it.

Stepping into the shower, you cleansed your body while singing a song; today would be a regular day. After a fast mission, the rest of the day would be laid-back, with nothing too serious on the agenda.

“LOVE GUESS WHAT I FOUND IN THE FREEZER, SOME FROZEN KIMCHI.” You giggled as you walked out of the bathroom in a towel, seeing how thrilled he was.

“I'm surprised it's still good; the freezer went out about two weeks ago.” He carefully set the chilly container down and pretended to choke while pinching his nose.

“At the very least, we got rice.”

“You can never go wrong with some fresh steamed rice.”

Before walking back to your shared room and locking the door to get dressed, you kissed Soonyoung on the cheek.

You pulled on some old sweatpants and a worn-out shirt and checked your appearance in the table stand's cracked mirror. You came to a halt as you looked around the once-bustling room, stunned at the extent to which an outbreak can devastate a space.

After giving it one last look, you stepped out the door, sat down at the table, and took a taste of the rice with a fork. Soon after, Soonyoung returned from the cabinet and sat down, smiling.

“I found some seaweed wraps stashed away. I mean, it's not that horrible; it should still taste fine after two years.”

Taking the package from his grip and swiftly opening it, you were greeted by the salty sea aroma as you both savored every last bite.

“Dig in!”

After devouring your meal you and he got prep and dress for your trek this morning. Making your rounds around the house one more time Soonyoung grabbed your hand and exited the apartment.

“Well, the generator site is 3 miles from camp, and if we get there quickly enough, it will only last around 45 minutes. But that's just if we find another generator; it could take an hour or so.” As you looked around, you noticed your team's expressions as they tried to understand what Tae-ho was saying.

“Finally, the path you're travelling is a back road, which, while riskier than the street, provides more area to hide if walkers are noticed. I believe you can all do it; everyone will have walkie-talkies, so don't hesitate to call if anything goes wrong.”

Soonyoung grinned and shook his head as he counted his teammates and exited through the rear door. Before he left the building, Tae-ho grabbed him and handed him a pistol in case things went wrong.

“I know what's going to be out there, and I just wanted to let you know that if things go south, I won't hesitate to save you,” you said, thanking Tae-ho and pulling Soonyoung to the side. I know you're thinking the same thing, but these folks rely on you and your abilities, and I don't want to be in the way if something goes wrong."

“Don't even say that Y/N we're going to make it back safely all in one piece everyone of us,” he said as he pulled you in for a hug and lifted your face to stare at him.

“If you say so but still-”

“Shh, let's just concentrate on our mission and be ready, okay?”

As you gathered the rest of the squad for a group huddle, you rested your hands on each other and said a quick prayer before shouting, "Let's go!" Tae-ho waved goodbye to you before closing the door behind you.

There was no going back now; it was now or never.

To ensure that everyone was safe, everyone had their backs covered just in case we were ambushed. You ran following Soonyoung, heavily gasping, as he dodged in and out of the automobiles and debris strewn everywhere. As we neared a small group of walkers, he came to a complete stop and raised his hand, motioning for us to move to the left.

These walkers were not your typical zombies; they had a poor sense of sight but a keen sense of smell and hearing, allowing them to track down humans even when they were not visible. Aside from that, they were normally fast, not lightning fast, but fast enough to put anyone who wasn't lightning fast to the test.

We were wary because we didn't know what kind of zombies we'd encounter. Tae-ho insisted on dousing us in a spray that penetrated their senses and messed with them for a while. Despite the fact that it smelled terrible, it kept us secure for the most part. All we had to do was spray it on ourselves every 30 minutes to keep the aroma from wearing off.

Soonyoung pulls the group around him, whispering, “We have about 2 miles to go until we reach the first checkpoint; we can stop at the old home on the right.” We shook our heads and waited for his next call, pointing to the house ahead of us.

“I want Y/N and Chan-woo to go first, to get to the building, and to keep an eye out for us when we arrive.”

As you carefully rushed to the building, you looked at Chan-woo and pulled him up, afraid of the walkers behind you. The next two were up as they quickly walked by the walkers, signaling that you had made it safely to the house.

“All right, get whatever supplies you can find and meet in the back in ten minutes.”

Soonyoung told the group to look around, and it was common knowledge that we should look for supplies. You left your companion and walked upstairs to get some fresh clothing; yeah, you still have to appear presentable.

When you got to the top, you went through random rooms until you arrived at a room that was clearly a teenager's room, despite the fact that it was blown out with dirt and litter. Not only did it break your heart to see all of their stuff crammed into the same space, but you also knew they were on their way to becoming a walker.

It was difficult, but you had to persevere. You stumbled throughout the room, thankfully discovering batteries, a few shirts, a first aid kit, duct tape, and some pads. Needed at all times.

Nodding, you threw your belongings into your bag and descended the stairs, only to discover everyone going for the back door. You looked around and swiftly moved to the back, where you saw them waiting for you in a defensive position.

“Hopefully, we all got some excellent things, and we'll be able to go through them more thoroughly when we go back. Now that the extra generator is only three houses away, we're into walkers territory, so stay vigilant."

As the group starts out toward the last house on the street, careful of walkers in the route, you tighten your hold on your bat and look about. You and the group make it to the last house, carefully moving across the wreckage and immediately entering the house.

“Okay, we've got a few minutes before they notice we're here, so let's finish packing.” Keeping in mind that these generators were compact, they were suitable for storing in tight locations. You take the tiniest ones and place them in Chan-woo's bag before returning your gaze to the larger ones.

“How about those? Aren't they going to be more effective than the smaller ones?” Soonyoung paused for a moment, staring at the generators while walking back and forth as he pondered.

“That is correct, but we don't have enough people to bring it with us; we can get it later when we have more people, but for now, let's just go with the four we have.”

As we got to the door, everyone glanced around and said, "OK." Jong-ho stepped out the door, completely oblivious to the fact that we were in the middle of the apocalypse. We were greeted by a group of walkers.

As we all rushed at him, one of the zombies grabbed his arms, and Chan-woo kicked him off of him and whacked him with his axe. Looking above, we could see a swarm of them approaching us, and we were all terrified.

“LETS GO.”

As the walkers soon approached us, we grabbed hold of Jong-ho and pulled him with us.

We were quickly losing them, so we paused for a while to gather our breath before continuing on to the automobile portion of our adventure; we were almost there, and nothing could possibly go wrong.

Well in fact everything was just about too. When you turned back, you were confronted by the most scary of walkers, the runners. You yelled out to the group that we had to go right now.

We sped past the automobiles, grabbing everyone's attention and daring them not to turn around. Soon after, Soonyoung retreated behind the group to ensure that everyone was safe. You were almost there; the door was visible. You observed a bunch of familiar faces as the door opened.

Tae-ho kept the door open while telling you to duck, spraying bullets through the air and catching some walkers in the back.

“We're almost there,” you exclaimed as you turned around. Soonyoung was fighting the runner, gnashing his bleeding teeth. You panicked, unsure of what to do, as fear surged through your body. As you yelled, you could see the zombie rip into his skin.

You witnessed the zombie fall to the ground after hearing a shot travel through the air and hit it. You had a worried expression on your face as you gazed at Soonyoung.

“We don't have time to discuss this, Y/N.” You must leave right now.”

As tears flowed down your swollen face, you screamed at him.

“I can't leave you behind...,”

As he strained to stand, he noticed them struggling and staggering toward us. He yelled again, worried for your safety, tears streaming down his bloodshot eyes.

“Please, Y/N, I'm sorry, but I can't let them take you. You have to go now before it's too late.”

You shook your head and raced towards him, barely hoisting him up, sobbing into your torn up sleeves.

“I’m sorry Soonyoung, but I can’t leave you.”

You watched a couple guys rush up to you and carry you and Soonyoung to the door, which they swiftly locked, not wanting to hear the walkers' cries.

When you saw the big bite mark on Soonyoung's arm on the floor, tears flowed down your face and your throat started to close up. You cried as you fell into his lap as he patted your back.

“You can’t leave me please.”

---

It was going to be a long night, not just for you, but for everyone else as well, and if someone got bit, there were two options. Make the pain less easy or to set them free outside, we couldn’t let the infection spread inside. That's how we survived, but you didn’t know if you could do it.

He was your entire world, and you and him would go to the ends of the earth, yes, even to the apocalypse. Why him? It wasn't right.

You awoke in a cold sweat, anxiously looking around.

“Was it all a nightmare?” As you entered the living room, calling out for Soonyoung, you heard a grunt.

It wasn't a dream in the least. Reality has smacked you in the face.

Slowly approaching the couch, you noticed his sweating face; the virus was growing quickly. As you saw him twitch and groan in anguish, it hurt your eyes. You wished you could just take the pain away for a moment.

You sat crouching at his side, clutching his hand in yours as you kissed it, thanking the guard. As he turned to face you, he felt your touch, and his red eyes met yours as you sobbed as you saw his devastated state.

“Hey..hey look at me.” He gently sat up, tears in his eyes, and embraced you, kissing your forehead.

“It was bound to happen, Y/N; all we have to do now is stick together and get through this.” For the sake of both of us, you must be strong.” You clutched him tighter as you became choked up, unsure whether this was the last time.

“I guess our family has to wait.” You wailed into his chest as tears welled up in his eyes. Fearful of what was to come, he brought you closer to him and kissed your head as he cried.

It happened so quickly that neither of you realized what was going on. What he had asked you to do was unthinkable; you couldn't do it. Was it the virus or him who was speaking?

“Babe I can’t.” As tears streamed from the corner of your and his eyes, the worn-out pistol in your fingers trembled.

“Love, you have to, it's growing worse and I can feel it taking over my body,” he began shivering as he attempted to regain consciousness. "Allow me to spend my final moments with you as Soonyoung.”

As you sat back, he grabbed you and held you in his arms as you flung your arms around his neck, holding back tears.

He gave you one more glance as he crawled up to you and kissed your lips as you drew him back to you, savoring every moment.

“I believe this is it, I love you so much Soonyoung, please never forget and I'm so sorry,” you chuckled as you looked down with a tear-streaked face. You gripped his hand as you silently cursed as you drew him closer. "

You brought the gun up in front of you and pressed the trigger while closing your eyes.

*BANG*

His body slid to the ground, the warmth of life snatched from him by death's icy grasp. Blood gushed from his gaping wounds, tainting the once-pristine earth with the wry wit of someone who had been gone far too soon. His chest lay motionless, with no signs of life or his customary purity in his bosom, indicating that he was dead.

Holding the rifle to your chin as you gently close your eyes, you take another look at his body. Everything was taken from you by the world: your happiness, your source of clarity, and your life. As the bullet flew through your head, you wiped the tears from your eyes and pulled the trigger.

As you fell to the ground, you felt your body's life drain away as you saw it fade from your eyes.

“I won’t ever leave you.” You kissed his hand one more time as your whole body went limp and drifted away into the light, holding his hand closer.

And then, out of nowhere, two lights dimmed, never to be seen again in this messed-up world.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

➳ Navigate to the Maze

#seventeen #svt #seventeen soonyoung #kwon soonyoung #seventeen hoshi #seventeen fics #seventeen writers #seventeen angst #seventeen smut #seventeen suggestive #seventeen fluff #seventeen series #seventeen x reader #zombie apocolypse au #hoshi #seventeen au #seventeen masterlist #babytaes works

82 notes · View notes

ushidoux · 4 years

Text

Be My Last - Iwaizumi x Reader

Summary: You have trouble getting over a past relationship and it’s preventing you from moving forward. (~3.5k words)

Warnings: stubborn ass reader, very slight nsfw at the end

A/N: It took me a long time to write this because I have trouble with fluff and also trouble with characterizing Iwa lmfao, I might need a second watch. I hope you enjoy! Happy Thanksgiving!

Part 1|| Part 2 || Part 3 || Part 4 || Part 5

---

“Are you serious?! Are you really saying no to this face?”

Your best friend was now leaning so far across the fast food dining table that she had practically climbed on top of it, holding up her phone just inches from your face to force you to take a better look at the picture of the blind date she had arranged for you.

Your eyes crossed uncomfortably by reflex and you pulled back sharply to grab the phone from her and take a better look. On second glance, you had to admit that the guy standing next to Oikawa was quite good-looking, a couple inches shorter but with a sturdier build, sharper features and just enough scowl in his facial expression to intrigue you.

In fact, he was exactly your type.

“Just one date,” your friend insisted. “You’ve been pining over your ex for almost a year now! You don’t have to fall in love but maybe a small distraction? Plus, double dates would be so fun, come onnnnn~”

Your friend was only rarely this animated so you knew she really wanted this but the idea of even considering romance again after being dumped so harshly before was so undesirable that you stubbornly shook your head instead and took another bite of your burger.

“___, please?”

You frowned, and your friend’s pout grew deeper once she realized there was a pretty good chance you wouldn’t budge about this. After all, you’d rejected every single person that so much as looked in your direction so effectively these past few months that it had essentially become an afterthought.

She leaned back in her seat, occupying herself now with picking out a particularly long fry off of the platter you were sharing, trying to minimize her disappointment. Despite how much she hoped you would say yes, she could understand why you felt the way you did.

“I’m sorry,” you offered, sipping on your drink. She let out a defeated sigh.

“Well, I’ll try to figure out a compassionate way to let Iwa now that you’re not interested. Honestly, Oikawa will probably be more offended by it than me.”

At this last comment, her eyes twinkled softly with a mild amusement and she started to text her boyfriend. However, knowing that it would possibly be a bigger deal to reject Oikawa’s best friend right off the bat than to just endure a date once, you reconsidered.

“Fine! Stop, I don’t need Tooru yelling in my ears. I’ll go.”

She smiled. You’d fallen right into her trap.

---

Exactly 72 hours later almost to the minute, you found yourself standing before the duo of childhood friends at the entrance of a town fair, your friend by your side.

Oikawa’s partner-in-crime was, to both your surprise and chagrin, even better looking in person. Kinder too, if you discounted the glare he shot at Oikawa when he introduced him mock affectionately as ‘Iwa-chan, his very best friend in the whole wide world’. You stifled a laugh as Iwa released Oikawa from a headlock, and introduced yourself politely to him noticing the very faint pinking of the ears that accompanied the softening of his expression as he shifted his attention to you.

A small fluster you couldn’t help but find cute was evident in his voice as he shared his full name - Iwaizumi Hajime. Strike one.

Strike two was the careful distance he left between you two as you walked through the street fair, just steps behind Oikawa and your friend who trekked confidently and comfortably linked hand in hand. His questions were respectful but pointed, like he truly wanted to get to know you as much as possible, and as he listened he leaned in just so, making sure to hear you clearly over the bustle of the busy crowds.

He helped you with your safety belts as you strapped in together on small thrill rides and you could catch his furtive glances in the corner of your eyes as you laughed and screamed.

A part of you wondered if it was too quick, if it was a bad omen that he already appeared smitten with you despite having just met. However, you had missed the feeling of someone liking you genuinely and explicitly so, dating back from even before you had started having problems in your last relationship, so you appreciated it wholeheartedly.

Strike three was him immediately setting a time and a date to meet again, without the hovering presence of your best friends, which he emphasized loudly to listening ears behind you (Oikawa made his disappointment at being excluded quite apparent by groaning loudly within earshot).

“I really enjoyed spending time with you today, ___.”

It wasn’t too much, wasn’t too little and wasn’t too soon.

“So did I.” You replied with a smile more genuine than you’d had for months.

---

Date two went as smoothly as date one.

Dinner and a movie, a classic. Iwa had chosen a psychological thriller that you had been looking forward to for a couple weeks and prior to meeting you’d started to text back and forth regularly about theories, so thereafter sprang forth endless spirited debates. As the evening progressed, you noticed him yielding earlier and earlier, and you noticed that he got quieter as the night went on, preferring to sit back and watch you talk. You couldn’t tell if it was the few cocktails with dinner but soon you were distracted by eyes that rested on you easily with an accompanied smile. It was enough to make your face grow warm.

“Am I talking too much?” You asked, sheepishly. “I’m sorry, I get like this when I’m excited.”

“I love hearing you talk,” he replied with a small laugh. “No one can talk as much as Oikawa so don’t worry.”

Your smile spread from ear to ear and you could feel your bruised heart grow ever so slightly.

---

Date three, four and five had you swept off your feet and you found yourself falling between hikes, picnics and aquarium trips.

Which was why when your friend called you to gloat about how she was right about you two all along, you realized just how deep you had fallen and almost instantly, that familiar fear that you had been nursing for the past year settled back into your consciousness.

You couldn’t bear another heartbreak. The thought of Iwa’s warm smiles becoming addictive and constantly craving the feel of his hands on your skin only to then be discarded like a participation ribbon hung heavy on you.

“I.. I don’t think I can keep seeing him,” you said, in sudden realization, despite the fact that you had been gushing about your dates just minutes earlier.

You could hear a pause on the other end of the line, and then your friend asked softly, “Is it because you still miss him?”

The other him. Of course you did, you still lived in the apartment the two of you had shared right after college, having given yourself multiple excuses not to move out. You hadn’t even bothered to change the decorations you’d bought together and thus every part of this place reminded you of him.

You even watered the plants he had left behind every morning. You couldn’t tell if it was because you had grown attached to them or worse - because you thought maybe, just maybe, if he ever came back, he’d want to know that you were always nursing your love.

“I’m… not sure,” you replied.

Your friend sighed audibly into the phone.

“You’re missing out on someone great, but I’ll support you regardless.”

---

Your graduate classes ended late the next evening, and you stumbled into your apartment with mild exhaustion, kicking off your shoes and slipping off your jeans before plopping on your bed.

Iwa had said he wanted to come see you, and even though just a few days ago you had been excited at the prospect of spending time with him in your own home, your stomach fluttered with a different type of alarm when you considered the fact that if you were to tell him you were no longer interested in letting whatever was between you bloom, it would have to be now.

Would it be better to tell him over text message or on the phone or in person? You didn’t want to see the look on his face when you hurt him; you knew it would change your resolve.

If you called him on the phone, would you be able to withstand hearing the disappointment in his voice? Would he demand a reason, and would he tell you your weak one wasn’t enough?

If you sent him a simple text and then blocked his number, would you be the awful person too chickenshit to say the words to his face?

Your phone buzzed just as you were paralyzed with your choices.

I’m 20 minutes away. How was your class?

You froze.

20 minutes to make a decision. Would you have him come all this way just to drop him without a very good reason in the comfort of your own home?

You stared at your phone for five minutes longer, perseverating, only to be startled out of your trance when you saw his name flash over the front. You forgot you had read receipts on; it had never been a problem before.

“Hey, are you okay?” His voice dripped of concern. “You read but didn’t answer.”

“Y-yeah, of course! Class was good… I’ll see you in a bit.”

---

You soon wished you hadn’t let Iwa into your apartment. Now that he was here snuggled with you on the couch, close enough that you could take in his scent, all you could think of was the thought of his lips on yours.

5 dates and you hadn’t yet kissed. Maybe that was for the best, you were planning to break up with him anyway, weren’t you?

You weren’t exactly sure when you had crept so close to each other, but your head now rested gently on his shoulder and his hand had at some point snaked around your waist to pull you against him. You could feel your heart pound in your chest as you stayed close in the dark, and maybe you could feel his own heart beat, steady as his breathing despite the tension building in the air.

You had lost track of the plot of the movie on your flat screen long ago, too preoccupied with the flurry of potential ensuing scenes between you in your head.

What would stop you from going full speed ahead? The fear that you wouldn’t matter enough to him once months came to pass and he learned just how far short you fell from his perfect perception of you? Or that you would once again find yourself in darkness, wondering how many times you’d open your heart only to wish you had kept it guarded?

Or maybe it was the reality that you weren’t sure that you really wanted to move on?

Iwa was a good person, he didn’t deserve your hesitation.

He shifted ever so slightly beside you and in the backlight of the flashing scenes on the television screen, you could see his eyes settle on your lips.

“Is it okay if we-,” he started, only to be interrupted by the fact that you had already pulled him in by the shirt collar and were lost in the taste of him on your tongue. You could tell he was surprised, but Iwa leaned into your kiss, pulling you now fully onto his lap and holding you steady by the waist as the two of you made out.

Your hands crept up to his face, fingers gently trailing then cupping the curve of his jaw, and the longer you kissed, the more of him you wanted. When his hands started to tug just slightly at the edge of your shirt to warn you he was going underneath, you tensed but nodded to allow him to palm a breast and roll a nipple between two fingers.

A soft moan left you, renewed when Iwa’s lips left your mouth to kiss a spot just before your earlobe, and his other hand pressed firmly into the small of your back to secure you even closer to him, close enough that you could feel his bulge pressing through his jeans and against your body. Knowing that you could feel him, he whispered breathily into your ear:

“I won’t continue if you don’t want me to.”

Did you want him to continue?

You pulled back from him to study his face, glowing with an earnest desire for you and suddenly you felt so guilty.

“I… I think we should stop here,” you choked out, ignoring the warmth in your cheeks and the flicker of disappointment in his face, and you slowly climbed off him, embarrassed as you stood on your feet.

He didn’t ask why and replied with acceptance.

“Okay.”

---

What he didn’t accept was you finally telling him you no longer wanted to see him in a text message hastily conjured in the middle of the night after a particularly hard day.

He called immediately and you let the phone ring, biting your lip the entire six rings it took for him to give up. He didn’t leave a voice message, but sent you a short text.

I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable. Can we please talk?

You fought back the urge to cry as you turned over to go to sleep.

He called again in the morning, and when you ignored his call for a second time, the unreasonable part of you waited for a follow-up voicemail or text message which never came. Good for you. You couldn’t understand your own feelings right now and you didn’t deserve to have him sort them out for you.

At least if you acted like a bitch, he would drop you before you could change your mind.

---

“A text message? Really?”

Your friend had dropped by the following Saturday morning for brunch and while you had dreaded this conversation, you had expected it to happen and steeled yourself for the admonishment. You shrugged, avoiding looking at her in the eyes and focusing on watering the plants at your windowsill. Your friend watched you carefully, irritation bubbling within her in response to your stubborn silence.

“I wouldn’t be so insistent if I knew you didn’t like him, but you do! Everyone can see it!”

You didn’t reply, opening your blinds instead. Plants needed lots of sun in addition to water.

“___, I didn’t want to be harsh but he’s not coming back. Even if it’s not with Iwa, please… please get over him.”

You finally turned and gave her a meaningful look, tears now coming to your eyes. Your friend’s mouth fell slightly ajar and realizing just how harsh her truth had been, she got up from your kitchen table and walked over to you to envelop you in a hug as you came undone.

---

A total of three weeks passed, and you finally admitted to yourself that you missed Iwa but it was clearly too late to fix anything. Calling him up would just get you ignored (and rightfully so) and you couldn’t bear to send another text message after ghosting him. Instead you watered your ex’s plants and focused on your classes.

Your best friend had forgiven you for your cruelty even though she let you know she was still suffering from Oikawa’s wrath on your behalf, so instead you decided to distract yourself by going out with other friends and picking up new hobbies.

A girl you were getting to know from class was very excited about a new high-end gym that had opened with nice amenities including a pool and a sauna and free physical training sessions with membership so you indulged her by going as a guest on a weekend.

You had to admit that the place was beautiful, and you made a beeline for the elliptical, a tried and true contraption. She had been making a fuss about one of the instructors being attractive which you had in all honesty paid very little attention to, until she dragged you by the arm to hiss into your ear.

“There he is, don’t look too obviously.”

You turned to find yourself staring straight at Iwaizumi Hajime, physical trainer.

“Oh shit, he’s looking at you,” she whispered, but you were already making your way to the exit. “Wait, where are you going?”

Your pace had gone from a walk to almost a run.

“____!” you heard him call behind you as you scurried as fast as you could off of the premises. Embarrassing. So, so embarrassing.

His voice was starting to sound aggravated, and your run stuttered to a standstill. What were you doing? Running from someone because you told them you didn’t want to date them?

He caught up to you in the parking lot and he no longer smiled; there was a tinge of mild irritation that graced his facial expression as he looked at you.

“Please stop running from me. You don’t need to make it awkward… I... I’m not thinking about it.” He glanced away at the last statement, but you knew he was being sincere while you were being ridiculous.

“I’m sorry,” you muttered, and you thought maybe you would say more but he cut you off.

“You don’t have to be sorry. Have a good workout. If you need any help, I’m available, as are the other instructors.”

Professional and curt, he bowed before turning, and before you realized what you were doing, you found yourself tugging onto the sleeve of his shirt to hold him back. When he looked back to you again, while he didn’t give you the fierce scowl he reserved for Oikawa, his expression was still harsh as he looked down at you, waiting to see what you had to say.

What did you want to say? You already said you were sorry, there wasn’t much else to add.

Words failed you and you recoiled ever so slightly. He sighed audibly, and turned fully to face you.

“___, please don’t play with my feelings.”

You deflated as he waited just a few more moments for you to come up with the courage to say you still wanted him, and when you were unable to come up with the words, he bowed again, and returned to the building.

Moments later, you texted your friend to tell her you were sorry, but you were going home immediately.

---

It was a few minutes past 9pm and you had all but forgotten the sting of Iwa’s words as you focused on homework, listening to lo-fi music to help you concentrate. Your phone buzzed once, and you expected maybe your classmate to yell at you again for ditching her, but instead you found a message from Iwa.

I’m sorry for speaking to you that way.

Your heart thumped hard once in your chest, and you flipped your phone over to get back to work, but it was too late. Your concentration was shot for the night.

I’m ready to listen to whatever you have to say, a second message read.

What would happen if you wore your heart on your sleeve just one more time?

Iwa called you before you could call him, and this time you picked up, breathing a hesitant “Hello?” into the phone.

“___, I like you. A lot,” he paused, as those words sank into your heart. “I’m sorry, I wanted to get that out of the way.”

“I do, too,” you replied just as quickly.

Another pause. You swallowed hard and continued,

“I just don’t want to hurt you.”

His reply was fast. “You couldn’t if you tried.”

You frowned. “You don’t understand… I still think I have some unresolved feelings for someone else, and I just… I don’t want to wrong you in the long run.”

Another pause. You pressed your eyes shut, anticipating the worst, whatever it was. It felt as though you were on the line for ages, until suddenly Iwa finally spoke.

“Try me.”

“What?” Your shock was audible, and he repeated himself.

“Use me if you need to.”

You couldn’t believe what he was saying.

“But-”

“I know we’ve only been seeing each other for a short time, but I can’t explain it… I know I’m willing to risk it.” The confidence in his voice was almost shocking, and it made your heart swell.

“Hajime…”

“May I come over?”

---

The conversation ended with Iwa promising you that he’d make you forget your ex, your faces now just inches from each other, him hovering above you as you laid on your back in the comfort of your bed, eyes feasting on his exemplary physique. Starting up where you left off just three weeks prior, you held onto him for dear life as his hips rolled against you, his body pistoning into you carefully and precisely, his hands gentle and steady, and both of your hearts full.

If you were worried about using him, then don’t. Use him as much as you need to. He was giving you permission, is what he said.

Would you take advantage of him?

Now that you were in his embrace, you found it unlikely: for the very first time in a year, you knew that while you weren’t in love yet, you could feel yourself falling very, very soon.

#iwaizumi x reader #iwa x reader #iwaizumi hajime #iwaizumi hajime x reader #hajime x reader #hajime iwaizumi x reader #haikyuu x reader #mae.writing #haikyuu!#not sfw #series: be my last

429 notes · View notes

high-functioning-lokipath · 3 years

Text

Star Trek - Spock x Reader - Love Story - Words: 1,129

BIG IMPORTANT A/N:

Love Story (1970) is a VERY VERY VERY sad (but very beautiful) movie. I WOULD suggest to watch it but remember...sad...

If you haven't seen it, here's the summary just so you can understand my story:

Preppy College Guy (Oliver) falls in love with Bookish College Girl (Jenny)

She falls in love with him because, WOW! He's not as much a jerk as she thought.

Their parents don't approve, yada yada, you get that part of the story. Mildly cliche, don't care.

They get married, get jobs, get apartment, want kids, and then everything goes downhill. (I'm not gonna spoil too much...you probably will get the idea)

Jenny has this expression "Love means never having to say you're sorry."

Really sweet, moral of the story type thing.

Let's just leave it at there is no happily ever after and also that the movie score (theme song?) is amazing, anyway... enjoy the story 😄😄 And as always, this should be generally series-neutral lol Should work with AOS or TOS 👍👍🤗🤗

You grabbed a bowl of popcorn out of the replicator and sat down on the sofa in yours and Spock's quarters. Spock wouldn't be off his shift for another 2 hours and you decided to watch a sappy old Earth movie called Love Story while he was out. Your shift had been long and stressful and you felt like a good emotional movie to relax. Just as it finished loading up on the screen, the doors opened and Spock walked in.

"You're home early!" You said getting up to greet him. You gave him a quick peck on the cheek which he returned with a soft stroke of his hand to yours.

"The Captain said I looked tired and needed rest. He gave me tomorrow off as well."

"Well that's perfect! Maybe we can finally have that picnic on Observation Deck 6 we've been planning for the past few months. Let me see if it's open tomorrow."

"Yes, that would be nice," Spock said quietly. You looked at him oddly but he didn't make eye contact. "I think I will take a shower before we eat dinner. Is that alright?"

"Of course, Spock!" You replied happily. "I didn't have anything homemade today. Sorry about that," You said. "I was thinking I could make our picnic lunch myself, though. The reservation book says Observation Deck 6 is open tomorrow."

"That would be most pleasant," He said. If you didn't know any better, you'd say his voice sounded sad. But he never let that happen, did he?

"If it's ok with you, love, I'd like to start watching my movie while you're in the shower. It's," you paused, slightly embarrassed. "It's kinda sappy so I don't think you'd like it but-"

"I would not mind viewing it with you, ashayam, if it makes you happy."

"It's a really emotional movie, Spock. I'll probably cry about the ending."

"So it is a sad movie?"

"Yes, I cried last time I watched it."

"And you want to watch it again."

"Yes." One perfectly pointed eyebrow rose up in confusion.

"Then perhaps I should watch it with you in an effort to understand human emotion and behavior better." You chuckled lightly and shook your head.

"Ok, silly, we'll watch it together. Now go take your shower and let me finish making our plans for tomorrow. I'll get our dinner started in the replicators and it'll be ready by the time you come out, hm?"

"Alright," He said. Again, though, as he went to the bedroom, he looked upset.

"Is something on your mind, Spock?"

"Nothing to worry you, Y/N," He replied. You smiled but weren't convinced that he was being entirely truthful. Once he was done showering, you both grabbed your dinner and sat on the sofa together to watch Love Story.

A couple hours later the movie finished and you, of course, were sniffling slightly. As the closing credits began appearing on screen you wiped your eyes and looked up at Spock who had an oddly unreadable expression. "Sorry, I just," You sighed. "I really like that movie but it's so sad. I wish I could rewrite the ending."

"You have said that about many movies," He noted. You nodded. "And have you not attempted to 'fix' them, as you say, with your stories?"

"Yes," You nodded, cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "But this story is too beautiful. I could never write a better ending. Happier, yes. But it was so perfect. The musical score for the movie literally won an award the year it was released."

"But couldn't you rewrite the dialogue? Perhaps Oliver's father apologizes sooner and they're able to get treatment for Jenny?"

"Well, first of all, they didn't have treatments in those years, Mr. Spock," You smirked. You found it quite adorable that he was apparently trying his hand at fanfiction. Or at least coming up with headcanons. "Second, the point was that 'love means never having to say you're sorry.' Oliver's father wouldn't have understood that as well had the story not progressed as it did." That sad look passed over Spock's face again. "Spock, what's wrong? You keep getting this sad look. Guilty? Upset? Something! I don't know what it is but please tell me what's wrong," You said. He held his hands in his lap and refused to make eye contact.

"I," He started to say. "What does it mean?"

"What does what mean?" You asked, quite confused.

"Love means never having to say you're sorry."

"Oh, well," You thought about it for a minute. "I guess I would say that when two people really love and care about each other, they find that they don't have to say 'I'm sorry' about every little thing. Sometimes they may not realize they're doing something annoying or sometimes it's just that the other person, while superficially upset, isn't really mad and they can reach an understanding without words. I don't know if any of that made sense, Spock. For Pete's sake, I don't even know if most humans understand it. But it's something we do."

"Many times, when I do something that I've calculated as the most logical course of action, you are upset."

"Well, logical isn't always obvious to us emotional type humans," you smiled. "But I understand eventually. You usually sit down and explain it to me over a cup of tea or a bowl of plomeek soup."

"But I do not apologize for upsetting you."

"Oh, I think I know what's wrong," You said, looking down at your own hands now. "Last week, the mission on Omicron Lira? You put yourself in harm's way, again, and missed our anniversary dinner." He nodded slightly. "Spock, you did apologize. You always do."

"How?"

"I just told you," You smiled, curling back up against his side on the couch. "You explain to me why you did everything, why it was logical, so that I can understand. It's your special way of apologizing to me."

"I see," Spock said thoughtfully. "So you are not upset at me?" He asked, finally looking at you.

"Not at all," You grinned.

"I'm glad." He let a small smile show and grabbed his PADD to find another movie to watch.

"That being said," You added with a smirk. "I still expect an 'I'm sorry' when you wake me up too early, throw away my food before I'm done with it, steal my blanket, steal my hat, take my chocolate," You paused suddenly. "Actually, don't apologize about the chocolate. You get the idea though."

"I believe I understand," He replied, an almost chuckle sneaking into his voice and laughter in his eyes. "In that case, I won't need to apologize for this," He said holding up two chocolate bars he had been hiding.

"Never."

Star Trek TOS/AOS Taglist

@bartv21

@another-crazy-fangirl

@startrekkingaroundasgard

Want to be added to our taglist? Let us know here by commenting on the linked post or just DM us!

MASTERLIST

#star trek tos #star trek aos #star trek #spock x reader #Spock #love story #love story movie

114 notes · View notes

astoldbygingersnaps · 2 years

Text

Harper’s 2021 Fic Wrap-Up

[sighs]

in some ways i’ve been Dreading making this post because my output this year is just

so much less than the previous year, and it’s lowkey depressing to see that reflected in words and numbers.

for all that 2020 was weird and messy and horrible, 2021 was easily a much worse year for me, and frankly one of the worst years of my life thus far. i’ve made references both on here and on twitter to why the year sucked so much ass and why i spent so much time away from social media and writing, but suffice to say a lot of factors contributed to me being The Ghost of Fanfiction past this year.

still! even though writing was hella difficult for me, i at least managed to turn a few things out this year, so let’s talk about them!

projects i worked on/completed in 2021:

lovers alone wear sunlight (shiita; 70,450 words; in progress):

on the one hand, it’s a fucking tragedy that after all the work i did last year i only produced one (1) chapter of star trek au, on the other hand, if i had to produce a single chapter of this fic in twelve months, i’m glad it was this one.

overall, i’m a lot less happy with LAWS than i was with the first two parts of star trek au, but i think that’s because this section of the story is so crucial and everything i’ve been building up to since day one so i feel like i’m kinda choking under the pressure.

THAT SAID, i AM happy about how 3.3 came out and i’m glad that (almost) all of the cats are out of the bag. the truth is i’ve been waiting to write the confession scene between shisui and itachi for AGES, and it was both freeing and terrifying to rip that bandage off because i knew after this chapter things would never be the same. after danzogate we’re never going back to the comfortable mission of the week formula filled with wacky interactions with the crew and flirty, will-they won’t-they? banter between itachi and shisui that peaked in parts one and two. and, i’m sad to say it, but in the backend of part three things are only going to get Worse, my loves. whoops!

HOWEVER, i also feel Incredibly satisfied comparing this chapter to the very first chapter of SBTTS, and seeing a) how much these characters have changed and b) how believable i feel like that journey has been. we’ve watched itachi go from an overly logical, pissy, stick-in-the mud fighting with his own nature to someone who, while conflicted, has found a way to make the two very different halves of himself far more cohesive. (whether this mindset will stick around after the events of the next few chapters of LAWS, well.. we’ll see!)

meanwhile, shisui has gone from someone who, while a genuinely good person and a good leader, has let his flaws and fears take the wheel and has made some... um... interesting! choices! as a result! and said choices have pushed that deeply buried darker side to him that we first saw in the confrontation scene with kabuto in part two closer and closer to the surface. with that in mind, maybe don’t be too surprised if our boy goes just a liiiittle off the rails post-danzonapping...

wow that was stupid long, but hey. i’ll always find a million and one words to say about my beloved star trek au. more than anything, i’m excited to get this story back on track and bring part three to its very explosive close, so stay tuned!

lazarus taxon (shiita; alternate universe; 22,315 words; in progress):

oh how i love this silly little fic. the funny thing is i originally came up with this idea for an entirely different ship and fandom YEARS ago, but i was never able to use it because said fandom went completely nuclear and was unfuckingtouchable (no, i won’t name names.) still, i loved it so much i was determined to find a way to reuse it, and considering i could find a way to turn a paper bag into a shiita au it was only inevitable we’d end up here.

more than anything, i love how fun this fic is. i love itachi as a cold, cynical businessman with a very deeply hidden heart of gold and enough daddy issues to fill a mosasaurus’ stomach and shisui as his manic pixie dream paleontologist one night stand. and, it was also a great opportunity to show off two of my biggest passions: dinosaurs and animal behavior. frankly, the levels of self-indulgent content in this fic are Unreal.

as always, it’s a delight to write a less depressed, less traumatized version of itachi and see what kind of person he could be if he was just a weird little man with a dad who’s mean to him instead of y’know. a child soldier manipulated into committing genocide. meanwhile, it’s been a blast to peel back the layers of shisui as a character, and go from presenting him as this handsome, morally righteous man of mystery who shows up in itachi’s life to challenge his beliefs and push him to be a better version of himself to seeing the person he actually is.

the last chapter of this fic is like. halfway finished, but to be honest i’m not super happy about the plot beats and the pacing, so i might end up scrapping a good chunk of it. either way, i’m excited to bring this story to its conclusion and my goal is to have it finished by the end of the year, so we shall see what happens.

take my hand, wreck my plans (shiita; canon divergence; 19,517 words; completed):

confession: in some ways, i kind of hate this fic.

don’t get me wrong: i think it’s one of the better things i’ve written technically as the character/relationship progression is solid, the dialogue is solid, and i feel like it flowed really well. but also, there’s a not nice part of me that resents the fact that of all the things i’ve written, THIS is the fic that’s blown up when there are other projects i’ve put more work into that have gotten a lot less attention. and i hate to say that because i don’t want to be ungrateful, because i truly do cherish the comments and feedback, but it’s hard not to be a little bitter seeing other works of mine that i feel are more deserving flop.

ON A MORE POSITIVE NOTE, i do love the way itachi and shisui’s relationship came through in this fic. it was a nice change of pace to take things back to canon and imagine the better future they could have had (and deserved!). and by working in a canon setting, it made the transition of a friends-with-benefits situation more believable to me because i think their friendship is genuinely one of the most compelling aspects of them as a ship.

i also really like the potential of this setting and how in the moment where this story takes place both itachi and shisui are in a transitional period. they’re both growing up in a world where neither one of them really expected to live that long and dealing with what that means for them. for itachi, that’s moving towards a goal that previously seemed impossible (i.e., becoming the hokage), and for shisui that’s realizing he needs to get his shit together and stop hiding from the things he really wants (i.e., the cagey settling down conversation he had with itachi).

also... the sex. i’ve said before i’m not a person that writes a lot of sex, but this fic definitely helped me get more comfortable working it into my writing.

i’ve gone back and forth about whether or not i’d want to add anything else to this ‘verse. while i’d certainly be interested in exploring what a hokage itachi would look like in this au and how that would affect shisui and itachi’s relationship, there’s also something deeply appealing in having a project that’s actually finished. so, i’ll never say no to a sequel, but maybe don’t hold your breath waiting for one.

pack up (don’t stray) (shiita; alternate universe; 4,967 words; in progress):

seguing into what may be my favorite thing i wrote this year! i have to say i am sad that band au hasn’t gotten a lot of attention, especially because it was born from a period where i was really creatively struggling and really excited to share something i was genuinely inspired by, but what can you do.

in a lot of ways, this fic came to life because i was experiencing a lot of super intense and negative emotions and a bunch of stresses were piling up at once and i needed a place to put all the ugliness. but! it also came, like most of my fic ideas, from a shitpost alexa and i exchanged via text message that rapidly spiraled out of control.

mostly i was feeling like i was in a rut and like i was writing a lot of the same interactions and dynamics, so i wanted to take two characters i’ve worked with a lot and use them in a very different fashion than i usually do. in some ways it was weirdly nerve-wracking to intentionally write itachi and shisui, characters i genuinely love, in a way that was so unflattering and at times deeply ugly, but it was a good challenge.

birk put it best by saying the tragedy of band au is that it’s just the story of two adults growing up and growing away from each other. the most important thing for me was that even though this was a story in itachi’s pov, i never wanted things to be one-sided or for there to be a villain, because i do feel like at the end of the day they’re both responsible for the demolition of this relationship (and, if you’ve read the previews for chapter two you’ll know that itachi is handling their breakup, um. poorly)

(if you ask alexa tho she’s Team Itachi and shisui can die in a fire in this fic)

(lowkey i’m Team Shisui but we don’t need to talk about it!)

anyway, i really deeply love this fic. i think it has some of the best writing i’ve ever produced and there are lines that to this day still kind of suckerpunch me in the heart if i think about them too hard. i won’t lie, the reception has dimmed some of my original interest in this fic, but it’s definitely still an active wip.

goals i have for 2022:

to be frank, i’m in a not cute place with a lot of things in my life and with writing in particular, so i don’t want to make a lot of huge goals and then feel crappy about not accomplishing them

that said, since the second chapter of atonement au is a scene and a half away from being finished, i think it’s a safe bet it’ll be done soon-ish.

the second chapter of band au is about 40-50% finished, so you should expect that by the end of the year.

jurassic world au is... well, we’ll get there.

to save the best for last, my love and light, star trek au. so help me god, if i don’t publish a chapter for her this year, it’s all over.

and that’s it! i wish i could feel as proud of this wrap-up as i did last year’s, but really all i can do is hope that 2022 will be a better, and kinder, year. as always, thank you to everyone who left comments and kudos and bookmarks, it really does mean the world even if i’ve been super MIA and haven’t been great about saying so.

until next time!

#my fic #this came out more than depressing than i wanted so uh. oops

11 notes · View notes

theladyofdeath · 4 years

Text

The Labyrinth {Elriel}

31 Days of Halloween: Day 1.

All installments co-written with @snelbz

Based on a prompt sent in by anonymous: “I lost my friends in a corn maze and I have no idea where I am but you found me and said you’d help me find my way out”

Happy Spooky Season, readers!

Elain hated corn mazes at night. It was bad enough to feel lost when the sun was out, but beneath a full moon, being lost had left an unsettled feeling in the pit of her stomach.

And she was lost alone.

Although she had come with her sisters and their friends, somewhere in the chaos, she’d gotten separated from the pack. At one point, she had been in the middle of a pack of strangers, but after she’d taken a wrong turn, she was completely and utterly alone.

Pulling out her phone, she saw that she had no signal, none, not a single bar. She could still hear voices around her, but she knew that the later it got, the less people would be making their way through the maze. She could do this, it was just a nice, family-fun corn maze. How bad could it be?

It turned out that it could be very bad. Elain was sure she’d heard somewhere that find your way out of a maze, you keep going right. After she’d taken her twentieth right turn, she couldn’t remember if it was the right or left wall she was supposed to hug as she made her way through the maze. So she started going left. Now, she was even more lost than she had been before.

“So hungry,” she breathed, as her stomach rumbled. She looked up at the sky to find the starlight bright, nearly blinding. She tried to make out a constellation or two, but that had always been more of Feyre’s thing.

“Feyre!” She called, for the thousandth time. “Nesta!”

“Hello?”

Elain froze, slowly searching around for the host of that voice.

That deep, soothing voice.

“Hello?” Elain echoed

She heard his heavy footsteps before he appeared, dressed in all black and beat-up combat boots. He was handsome, to say the least, and Elain was so desperate that for a split second, she thought he was just a figment of her imagination.

A fallen angel - or, perhaps, a demon - come to help her out of this hellhole….or, to end her misery right there in the middle of the high stalks of corn.

He stopped, a few feet away, then shoved his hands in his pockets as he watched her, sheepishly. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. I heard you calling, and I thought you might be lost,” he said, his voice low, quiet.

Elain just realized that her shoulders were tensed, her face probably pale. Although, it was more from hunger than fright. “Oh.”

The stranger blinked, as if it wasn’t quite the reaction he was planning on getting from her. “Right. Well, I’ll leave you-.”

“I am lost,” Elain blurted. “I’ve been lost for nearly an hour, I have no service, I’m starving, and I want a hot chocolate, so bad.”

The words rushed out of her without a thought. The stranger just watched, brows raised.

“Well,” he began, clearing his throat. “I’ve been through the maze a lot, I can help you escape. You know, if you want.”

“You willingly have put yourself through this?” Elain asked, near laughter. “More than once?”

His grin was lovely, even though he never showed his teeth. “I work here. Good friends with the family that owns the place.”

“Ah,” Elain sighed. “Well, that makes sense.”

He nodded, then nodded his head toward the way he came. “I may not figure it out right away, every time, but I can find my way out pretty quick. Starting with this way.”

Elain hesitated, but only for a second. It was ridiculously ridiculous to turn away help from someone who knew his way through such a labyrinth.

“Lead the way,” Elain breathed, and as he turned, she was following his lead.

He kept a respectable distance away, his hands remaining in his pockets. Elain found it charming. Gentlemen didn’t exist anymore, not really.

This stranger seemed to be a gentleman.

So far, anyway.

“Your name?” Elain asked, as a group of middle schoolers ran past them.

“Azriel,” he answered, amused at their squeals. “And yours?”

“Elain,” she answered, looking over at him.

So handsome.

“Nice name,” he said. Usually, Elain would think that was a ridiculous, poorly spoken compliment. But from him, it sounded genuine.

And shy.

It was charming.

“Thank you,” she whispered, as they turned left into another endless row of corn stalks. “What is it you do here, Azriel?”

He shrugged, his hands still shoved into his pockets. “A little bit of everything. Sometimes, I’m manning the ticket booth, other times driving the tractor around for the hay rides. Tonight, I’m wandering through the maze, making sure no one’s getting….”

“Lost?” Elain supplied, when his tanned cheeks turned a soft shade of pink.

“Lost,” he confirmed, laughing, quietly.

“Well, I’m grateful that’s your job or I’d be out of luck,” Elain said, smiling up at him.

He smiled back.

Elain was weak in the knees.

“Who’d you come here with?” Azriel asked, after a moment of silence.

“My sisters,” Elain said. “And their friends. Well, my little sister’s friends, Mor and Amren. My older sister, er, isn’t….Well, she doesn’t have many….friends.”

As the words left her mouth, she realized more and more that she was setting Nesta up on a not-so-pleasant platform.

“You’re Feyre’s sister?” He asked, looking over at her again. She nodded and after a second, so did he. “I can see it. In the shape of your eyes and your hair.”

Elain’s eyebrows rose. Not many people could pick up on similarities she shared with her sisters, who looked eerily alike sometimes. “How do you know Feyre?”

“Her boyfriend, Rhys? His family is the one who owns this. Mor is his cousin,” he added, explaining how he made the connection.

Elain stopped and blinked. “Feyre has a boyfriend?”

Azriel’s cheeks turned red. “If I just said something I wasn’t supposed to, Rhys is going to kill me.”

Elain chuckled. “I’m going to have to come to you, it seems, when it comes to information about my sisters.”

They turned left and went down a winding path. “Information that you’ll keep to yourself, right?”

“Of course,” she laughed. “Your secret is safe with me.”

Although she'd be questioning Feyre later, that was certain.

Secrets be damned.

“Do you go to the University?” Elain asked, crossing her arms, if only to not feel so bare before him.

“I do,” Azriel asked. “Have a few classes with Feyre. And you?”

“Graduated last year,” she confirmed. “Just got my first job, writing for a Home and Garden magazine.”

“Interesting,” Azriel said, nodding. “And do you like it?”

“Love it,” Elain said, smiling. “I get to go around to all of these famous gardens and write articles on them, it’s incredible. A photographer goes with me and everything. I love gardening.”

“Gardening,” he repeated. “Interesting.”

“You say that like it’s not so interesting,” Elain mused.

That tight-lipped grin reappeared. “No, I mean it. It’s interesting. Not a lot of people I know are into...gardening, much less writing about gardening.”

“I like to think I’m incredibly unique,” Elain said, softly.

“I’d say so,” he said, smiling at her.

Elain couldn’t stop the blush that tinted her cheeks when he did, so instead she cleared her throat and asked, “Are you studying art history, too?”

“No,” he laughed, shaking his head. “Definitely not. I’m lucky to not be asleep in the first five minutes of class. I’m studying forensic science.”

“So you like dead things?” Elain chuckled, knowing she should maybe be creeped out by that, but instead it just made this man more interesting.

She could see his exaggerated eye roll in the starlight. “Yep, you’re definitely Feyre’s sister.”

This made Elain laugh out loud. “What’s a forensic science major doing in art history classes then?”

“Electives,” he said with a shrug. “I needed three and I decided to get them out of the way with friends.”

“With Feyre?” Elain inquired.

“And Rhys,” Azriel nodded. “Our friend Cassian, too.”

“Sounds fun,” Elain said, recalling her own college experience. They were fun, electives. In fact, as much as Elain loved her job, she missed college.

Azriel only shrugged. “It’s alright.”

They walked in silence for a moment, although it wasn’t uncomfortable. In fact, every time Elain snuck a glance over at him, he was already watching her, fondly.

Intriguingly.

“I’m surprised I don’t know you.”

Elain blinked, startled by his comment as her feet padded along in the dirt. “What?”

“You’re Feyre’s sister. I spend a ton of time with Feyre. And you’re… well, I feel like I should have met you, should have crossed paths with you by now.” He shrugged, looking ahead at their path, dodging a running group of teens.

“I didn’t even know my sister had a boyfriend, much less that her boyfriend had friends,” Elain chuckled. “We’ve all been a little distant since Feyre started school again. Nesta and I work full time, and you know Feyre’s class load can be. It’s why we chose to have tonight out, together. We haven’t been able to spend a lot of time together recently.”

He nodded. “I get that. Life is crazy, juggling school, friends, family, sleep.” He shook his head and chuckled. “I’m sure it’s not going to get any easier in the real world though.”

“No, it definitely doesn’t,” she admitted. “And the responsibilities just keep coming.”

Azriel was about to say something when a large group of kids came barreling towards them. He put his arm around her and pulled her out of the way, up against the wall of the corn. A chagrined parent followed behind them, muttering apologies to anyone the herd of kids nearly trampled.

Elain realized his arm was still around her at the same time Azriel did and they jumped apart, averting their gaze from each other.

“So aside from gardening and writing for the magazine, what else do you like to do?” Azriel asked, clearing his throat and awkwardly putting his hands back into his pockets.

“Oh, well, I like to cook and bake,” she said, gazing up at the stairs again. She couldn’t tell if the sky looked any different than when they started their trek out of the maze, if they’d made any progress. “I like to find recipes on Facebook and other websites and try them, then see what I can do to improve them.”

“Yeah?” Azriel asked, looking at her with a raised eyebrow. “And what was the last thing you improved?”

Elain thought for a minute. “I found a recipe for cinnamon cheesecake on Pinterest and I turned it into cinnamon roll cheesecake.”

Azriel slowed his steps. Elain turned and looked at him. After she saw the look on his face, she chuckled, “What?”

“What do I have to do to try that?” He asked, still a couple steps behind her. “Cause that sounds amazing.”

“You want to try my cinnamon roll cheesecake?” she asked, amused as her cheeks tinted pink.

Azriel hesitated before asking. “Is it okay if I do?”

Elain’s smile was radiant. “I think that would be fine, yeah.”

“Then can I make a confession?” He asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

Elain’s smile faltered. “Okay.”

“We’ve already passed the turn that gets us to the exit,” he said, quietly. “I, uh, was enjoying your company….and oh, gods, I sound like a creep-.”

Elain was laughing - such a beautiful sound that brought him up short. “That is...oddly very sweet.”

“Would it…be okay if I got your number?” He asked and Elain could see the blush on his cheeks in the moonlight.

She smiled up at him, heartbeat going crazy in her chest. “I guess that would be alright.”

“Great,” he said, breathing a sigh of relief. “I don’t, ah— I don’t have my phone right now, it died and it’s charging back in the office.”

Elain pulled her own phone out of her pocket and unlocked it, holding it out for him. “Here.”

He took it and put his number in quickly, and when he handed it back to her, his hand brushed hers.

“So,” he said, starting to lead her in the opposite direction. “You’ll call me, then?”

“I will,” Elain promised, her cheeks still remaining that soft shade of pink. “Are you finally showing me the way out of the labyrinth?”

Azriel chuckled. “Yes, I am.”

“I can’t decide if I’m happy about that or a little let down,” Elain confessed, as they rounded the corner.

Elain could see the exit.

“You can always come back and get lost,” Azriel said, smiling softly at her. “I promise to come find you if you do.”

Elain let out a breathy laugh. “Good. I may take you up on that.”

He nodded, slowly, looking at his boots for a second before re-meeting her gaze. “It was nice to meet you, Elain.”

“And it was nice to meet you, Azriel,” she said, quietly, before slowly walking away. She saw her sisters in the distance, just outside of the entrance.

She ran into her sister’s arms, and Azriel watched her the entire way. She knew it, too, could feel his eyes on her the entire way.

And she loved it, because even though she hated getting lost in a corn maze alone, she had to admit that she enjoyed meeting her unconventional savior.

She would be calling him.

Soon.

#elriel #elain #azriel #acotar #acomaf #acowar #acosf #acofas #fanfic #oneshot #31 days of halloween #fanfiction #sjm

260 notes · View notes

pomegranates-and-blood · 3 years

Text

Kenna (Ivar’s PoV)

νοσταλγία Masterlist

Kenna: to know (a person), to feel (Old Norse)

Pairing: Ivar/Reader

Summary: This one correlates to somewhere before chapter 29, it is the scene I promised in Ảγαπάω where the reader gets...tipsy.

Word Count: 2.1k

Warnings: The usual, mentions of alcohol, a tipsy reader. This is a more light-hearted chapter than usual, hope you don’t mind!

A/N: It’s been a while since I’ve posted an Ivar PoV! Hope I haven’t lost it lol

Alternate titles to this were aptann (”an evening” in Old Norse), dýrr (”dear, valuable” in Old Norse) and I have too much fun writing Ivar’s brain shortcircuit (”the truth” in English).

Thank you for reading! I love you!

Taglist: @youbloodymadgenius @heavenly1927 @toe-vind-ek-jou @xbellaxcarolinax @pieces-by-me @angelofthorr @samsationalwilson @peachyboneless @1950schick @punkrocknpearls @ietss @itsmysticalmystery @revolution-starter @chibisgotovalhalla

To him the music is foreign, the men are, the languages exchanged are. But Ivar notices in all the chaos that isn’t Viking or Greek or Arab, but a strange blend of all of it, you seem the most at home.

Some of Hvitserk’s trusted merchants from the Mediterranean are leaving for the winter, and it was only appropriate to grant them a feast to thank their work and the time spent here.

An Abbasid man is sitting on one of the tables, his knee marking the rhythm of a song his countrymen are playing with their strange instruments. A shieldmaiden sits next to him and with an instrument that looks like two bells joined together starts trying to learn their music, earning cheers and laughs.

Ivar notices you cover your mouth with your hand, eyes shining in joy as you watch.

The man sings, and it sounds joyful and celebratory even if Ivar cannot understand a single word he speaks.

It seems you do, and it seems the Abbasid knows so, because the man gestures to the whole room with his hand, before pointing to you and singing something that makes you smile in a way only Ivar was able to before.

It irks him more than it should, even as your weight leans on his arm and you remain at his side, that that man made you so happy with but a few words.

He wants to know what those words were, he wants to know what he said.

Before he can ask you a woman in colorful clothes approaches with her dark eyes set on you and a welcoming smile on her lips. You greet her with once again words Ivar cannot understand, but the woman shakes her head.

“I’m…learning. Norse. Please.” She nods for emphasis, and Ivar watches your smile become even warmer at the woman’s words.

When the woman -finally- takes her eyes off his wife and greets him with a bow of her head, Ivar only motions for her to take a seat, which she does.

Next to you.

He doesn’t know how to feel about these people’s fascination with you.

With a hand on your chest you tell the woman your name, and she answers with the same. And in between fragments of the language Ivar doesn’t understand, you engage in conversation with her, laughing and smiling and forgetting he is sitting right there.

He resents the part of him that so easily grows frustrated when he sees someone else win easily the affection he had to fight for, but he cannot help it.

You did tell him that you are more of yourself with him than anyone else. And, he gathers, softness is what they all want from you, so it is what you give. But he wants all of you, and he knows that in all your fire and your arrogance you give him exactly that. Ivar dares believe any softness you share with him is much more than any you grant the others, because it is always accompanied by that uneven smile on your lips, that emotion written in your eyes, that particular cadence of your voice when you say his name.

It still bothers him, he won’t deny it. How easily you embrace Freydis, or how freely you laugh with Hvitserk, or how light and gentle you are as you share stories with the woman that sits next to you.

Still, he stays silent, keeping his eyes on the woman that doesn’t seem to be intimidated, who seems not even interested in acknowledging he is there.

Hvitserk takes a seat next to him and starts talking about how the preparation for Strepshire fares, and it distracts him for long enough that the night progresses, the people grow drunker and louder.

Your little gaggle of women with whom you continue to share laughs and stories grows larger too, and Ivar notices you drink much more mead than you use to as you talk and get to know them.

He is arguing with his brother about some pointless detail of the city when Hvitserk’s eyes focus behind Ivar, on you and the women, prompting him silently to turn his attention to them and you.

“Him,” One woman asks, pointing towards Ivar, “Your work.”

“No, I won’t be blamed for that.” You reply without hesitation, and Ivar rolls his eyes.

“Very funny.” He deadpans. Your smile when you turn to him is devious, and he hears Hvitserk laughing somewhere at his side.

As if in apology, or because you notice the way Ivar grits his teeth and narrows his eyes, you intertwine his fingers with yours, bring the joined hands to your lap before you return your attention to the Arab woman.

She turns almost sheepish at her mistake, and motions for her hair, explaining without words.

“Ah,” You accept, but still shake your head, “No, I’m only familiar with war braids. I could never make them look so pretty.”

Ivar turns once again to you, and tries finding your gaze but you are focused on explaining with too many hand gestures how you braided your mother’s hair.

He feels Hvitserk lean closer to him, almost shoulder to shoulder.

“Did…did she just call you pretty, brother?”

____

You call for his attention silently, in a manner you’ve taken a liking for it seems. Your chin rests on his shoulder, your breaths testing at the skin of his neck, your tantalizing lips so close if he would just turn his head...

He feels your eyes on his, out of the corner of his eye he can see the wide smile on your lips.

“What.” He asks, unsettled by the way your focus seems to be solely on his face.

“You’re so handsome,” You mutter dreamily, “I am a very lucky woman, aren’t I?”

That surely makes him pause, and Ivar clears his throat. He focuses his eyes on the horn of mead in his hand, tries thinking on what he can say to that.

A pathetic and weak part of him preens at the praise, and he almost wants to ask to hear more. The same warm rush of something runs through him at the knowledge that maybe, just maybe, you want him as much as he wants you.

When you lift your hand as if to touch his face, Ivar doesn’t think before he lifts his own hands and traps yours, stopping you. After a moment he realizes what he did and finds himself stupidly missing the touch.

But you don’t seem to think much of it, and instead put your joined hands under your chin and smile at him.

Months ago Ivar learned you don’t truly realize how much you talk, how much you share. And he learns now that you talk and share even more when you’ve had too much mead.

“When we met, across…across that battlefield, you were covered in blood,” You chuckle, breathy and light as if you weren’t speaking of war and death, “So was I, I think.”

“You bit off a piece of a man’s arm.” Is what Ivar offers as response, and he can still recall you in his mind, eyes fierce and determined, a scream of rage bubbling past parted lips, your teeth sinking into weak flesh and the blood dripping down your lips.

Almost impossible to believe that the same woman he saw drive an arrow into a man’s eye with nothing but her hands, her hands covered in blood and a snarl on her lips; is the same one that sits at his side with big eyes honest and set on his, her fingers intertwined with his own and her lips pulled into a soft and gentle smile.

“You spared my life,” You continue, after a breath questioning, “Do you think the Gods made you?” You laugh again, still light but almost daring when you turn your eyes to him, “Or were you bewitched, Ivar?”

“Alright,” Ivar grunts, releasing your hand so he can stand up and once he does offering it to you again. “That’s enough.”

When you take his hand and stand up as well, Ivar starts the trek to your room, trying to ignore the warmth you send through him still with just the touch of your hand, or the way you almost make him falter when you skip a few steps to walk right beside him and press a kiss against his arm, as high as you can reach.

“You drank a lot for someone so-…”

“Don’t say small.”

“Small. But I can’t say I am not entertained seeing you drunk.”

You giggle. Ivar stops, and turns around only to catch you looking at him with your free hand over your mouth and your eyes shining in mirth.

He doesn’t think he’s ever heard you giggle before, and it makes him smile against his own will.

Adorable wouldn’t be a word he ever thought he’d use to describe his wife, but this night surely makes a good argument for it.

Still, he leads you both to your room and watches from the door he closes behind him as you go through the motions of preparing for bed with a lightness to you that he hasn’t seen before.

You seem to remember something, because you turn to Ivar and walk to him with certain steps, your eyes set stubbornly on his.

“Oh, and I am not drunk.” You argue, smile still blinding. Ivar sighs, and when you refuse to turn around, reaches around you and starts working on the laces of your dress. He knows he’s closer to you than he usually gets to be, but you don’t step away like you usually do. And if you do notice he is close enough he almost feels your chest pressing against his, he will blame it on needing to reach around you to get the laces of the dress.

“What are you, then?” He asks, if only to humor you. And to get your slightly intimidating, even if very much wanted, attention off of him.

Your smile almost hints at sadness when you grant him a gentle caress of his cheek, your hand soft and warm. His hand freezes on your back.

It still makes him tense, makes something in his chest pull tight, when you touch him like that, when you look at him like that.

“I’m happy.” You confess, stealing the breath from his lungs. He cannot help searching your eyes, waiting for you to hide behind something, to retreat somehow, to take this from him.

But you offer a shrug, hopeless and a little scared.

Ivar stays still as your eyes flicker to his mouth, breaths stopping when your hand falls to his shoulder.

You use your hand on him to find purchase, and stand on the tips of your toes.

You press a kiss against the corner of his mouth, a barely-there touch that still makes his eyes fall shut, still makes him feel like for a moment he loses control of everything, still makes him want. And Ivar feels the wood of his crutch creak under his hand as he forces himself not to chase after your mouth, your touch.

“Goodnight, Ivar.” You whisper, your smile uneven and your eyes a little clearer.

He nods, swallowing past a suddenly dry throat, and he likes to think he repeats the sentiment back to you before you silently walk to bed and slip under the furs.

He stands there for a few moments too long, unable to take his eyes off you, warm and safe and happy -you said you were, and you don’t lie, you’d never lie to him and…Gods, you are happy with him, a part of him doesn’t still believe it- on the bed you share with him.

And he cannot help the pang of bitterness, of anger, of resentment at Fate and the Gods and it all.

Because you are there, and since the beginning you always were everything he’s ever wanted, and now you’re warm and his in the bed you share and…and it isn’t enough. It is still not what he wanted.

Because even if he isn’t seeing things, even if it is true that sometimes you’re as close to giving in as he is; he is still living on borrowed time, he is still no better suited to fight for you than that Greek fool that he saw Hvitserk kill.

Because he knows what your choice will be when the time comes, when Stithulf dies. Or…he thinks he knows.

You said you were happy. Here. With him.

It is childish and pathetic to feel hope, he knows this. But as he moves back to the main hall where the feast still goes on, he finds himself unable to ignore it, or get his heart back under his control.

____

This isn’t my best work but then again to me none of my work is my best work lol. I hope me not being sure about this chapter is just my insecurity and not it actually being off, idk.

Hope you liked it! Thank you so much for reading!

#ivar the boneless x reader #ivar x reader #ivar the boneless imagine #ivar the boneless #ivar #νοσταλγία masterlist

80 notes · View notes

ad1thi · 4 years

Note

If your still doing fic recs, could u rec any soft stevetony ones?

absolutely!! this got pretty long so ive hidden most of it under a read-more so i don’t annoy people. a couple of authors feature more than once. ive tried to avoid that as much as possible, but if an author features more than once - take that as a sign that they have rly good stuff for soft stevetony

disclaimer: don’t forget to leave kudos and comments for every author!! (a disclaimer i regrettably forgot to add to previous fic rec lists but will be adding from now on)

soda pops: @starklysteve

If anybody asks, Steve would smile and say it was very romantic. Very Tony. Because if he went into any further detail, nobody would quite believe him.

Tony, on the other hand, would laugh and say that Steve’s in love with a man in a can. So, really, it wasn’t outside the natural progression of things.

me voy pa’l pueblo: @firebrands

two times steve walks away, and one time that tony walks with him.

/ or, my very fluffy take on my bingo card prompt "farewells." steve is on vacation when he meets tony.

fill for my stony bingo prompt: farewells; also for bookworminaslump on tumblr who asked for a tourist/knowledgeable local au!

Tumblr Ficlets: @omg-just-peachy (this is 115 chapters of stevetony being soft!!)

A collection of enough tooth-rotting fluff to last a year, all in one place.

tender offerings: @omg-just-peachy

Five times Steve carried Tony to bed.

the best thing (is that it’s happening to you and me): @captainstarkreportingforduty

Or, five times the team saw Steve Rogers and Tony Stark in love.

Sweet On You: @miniblackraven

It’s the 1940’s and Tony is working as a Donut Doll for the Red Cross. His job is to go around to various military bases and offer comfort food and conversation to homesick soldiers. He’s come to expect a lot of things in this job, but he doesn’t expect to fall in love with Captain America, the hottest most awkward soldier Tony has ever met.

Bespectacled Avengers Society (Membership of One): @baffledkingcomposinghallelujah

Tony gets glasses. Glasses get a Tony. Steve loses his mind and walks into walls.

a flower crown for your love: @anthonyed

"There, there," Pepper cooed. "Tony likes flowers?" she said with a shred of doubt in her tone. But when Steve peered up, she's smiling her bright toothy smile. He squinted and she sighed, dropping her hand from his shoulder. "He does." she insisted. "Even more so than me."

if this was a movie: @omg-just-peachy

“One of our seniors is being generous with his time this year—by force of his own actions, but generous none the less—and he’d be happy to help you, I’m sure. Tony Stark? I’ll set something up for later this week. I think between the two of you you’ll be able to pull your average up enough to make it through to playoffs,” Coulson said, with that ever-hopeful lilt in his voice.

Or, Steve needs a calculus tutor, Tony is available, but how is Steve ever supposed to focus when he's been in love with Tony for ... his entire school life?

you take me higher than the rest (everybody else is second best): @firebrands

tumblr fill for adi & anthonydarling, who asked for "'Prank' war, but the kind to see who can make the other blush the most in public" from this prompt list

amore mio: @brucewaynery

Tony has had it with Steve being dumb and reckless out in the field, he has a family to think about now, Steve promises him that he'll be with him, kingdom come.

(initially based on that one headcanon about Italian Tony yelling and gesticulating at Steve but Peter thinks he's doing some weird dance and tries to copy him, but it got very fluffy very quickly)

Lost My Mind in a Coffee Shop: @betheflame

“Boyo,” Bucky muttered to his best friend. “I swear to God that if you don’t ask that man for his number soon, I will create a Grindr profile for you and you will not like it.”

Steve rolled his eyes. “I am here to finish grading, not hit on men.”

“Can you not do both?” Natasha smirked. “Nearly tenured, historical genius, feels like something you should be able to multitask.”

&&&

In which Steve is a history professor and Tony's an engineering one and Bucky owns the joint where they have their meet cute.

AU-gust Chapter 7: @iam93percentstardust

stevetony, childhood friends AU

Right Up The Road: @gottalovev

The day at the senate committee in Washington DC wasn't supposed to end with Tony and Steve transformed into animals by a baby witch. That said, the 350 miles trek back to the compound to get help promises to be quite an adventure too!

(or the adventures of Cat!Tony and Wolf!Steve - and how to readjust when you're back to human!)

i’ll take care of you: @elcorhamletlive

“Hi.”

Steve blinks. The sound of loud thunder roars outside, but he doesn’t jolt, too focused on the image in front of him to be startled by the noise.

He has no idea what to say, and he isn’t sure if the shock is because of Tony’s absolutely sodden state – his hair glued to his forehead, his clothes dripping with water, forming a small puddle in front of Steve’s door – or because he wasn’t expecting to see Tony for at least three more days.

“Hi?” he says, a little tentative, before his brain catches up to reality. In his defense, he was getting ready to sleep when Tony knocked. He looks at what Tony is holding – a wet mess that seems to have been a flower bouquet at some point. “What are you doing here?”

The Tally System: @betheflame

Everyone on the team knew about the tally system.

Whenever Steve would save Tony - whether from a monster or from his own stupidity - he’d say, “tag”. Whenever Tony do the same, he’d say, “your turn”. Thor thought it was adorable, Clint thought it was ridiculous, Bruce refused to register an opinion.

Natasha thought it was something she could work with.

what’s mine is yours: @robertdowneyjjr

5 times Tony stole Steve’s clothes, and 1 time Steve returned the favor.

For a billionaire, Tony Stark really doesn't pay for a lot of what he wears.

I like Shiny Things But I’d Marry You With Paper Rings: @betheflame

Rhodey: I just confirmed with Sam that he’s going to make sure he cooks tonight and that his entire team is briefed. I’m heading over now to strategically arrange a fuck ton of ficus trees to block them from gen pop.

Pepper: They’re not getting engaged in a prison, Jimmy.

Rhodey: Tony Stark and Steve Rogers show up to Circe on a Saturday night in May and you watch every person in that restaurant turn into someone I’d rather arrest than eat with.

****

In which Tony and Steve get engaged, but they're kind of extra about it, because they are always themselves

the road to the stars: @shell-heads

Tony is seven years old when he sees the ballet for the first time and meets his future pas de deux partner.

His father is invited to sweet-talk politicians into a new weapons deal and explain his latest idea for their program, and his mom goes to catch up with old friends she hasn't seen in years, but Tony goes because his mom had smiled down at him and told him he would love it.

His mom's never wrong.

In which boy genius Tony Stark meets girl wonder Natasha Romanoff at the ballet, and they fit their broken little pieces together to make something beautiful on the dance floor.

Steve? He's just a dumb, awful, chaotic, extremely supportive older brother that really should just shut up and admit he likes Tony a lot more than he pretends, because Natasha only has five people in the world she likes; it only makes sense her two favorites would fall in love with one another.

They always were a little slow, though.

A Second Chance To Take it Slow: @omg-just-peachy

Tony loves his adopted son, Peter, but that doesn't stop him from wishing he had someone to do this whole parenting thing with. After a failed one night stand, Tony's parent-teacher conference with Mr. Rogers comes with quite the surprise.

Wake Up!: @randomstufffromotherblogs

Tony came home from a business trip and is woken up by his husband and their three-year old.

pull me closer to love: @captainstakreportingforduty (part of a series)

“A Mother’s Day card? For... Tony?” Steve clarifies, and can’t help the smile on his face as six familiar little heads nod in response.

“But... guys, Tony’s not—“ he pauses and takes a breath, any explanation dying in his throat against the excited gleam in everyone’s eyes. “Why do you guys want to do that, hmm?"

compromises: @robertpattisons (when i looked up OP on tumblr, this is the blog i was directed to - but i sincerely apologise if ive gotten it wrong)

Steve should have expected it, he really should have.

There were regulations that came with dating Tony Stark. Things that were clear and things that they needed to work through.

Things like how Steve always got strawberry ice cream, while Tony got rocky road. Or when Steve needed to get his homework done before he was down to make out - even though Tony always got his way.

Things like that were clear

all that you are is all that i’ll ever need: @natasharxmanov

Tony Stark and Steve Rogers announced their engagement on Good Morning America through Tony Stark’s previous secretary now CEO, Pepper Potts. And over this past weekend, I got the chance to sit down with them both, to visit their home and attend their gala, all to write this article about the most powerful couple in the world.

(Or, the fic in which Tony and Steve get married.)

(i won’t ever) trade my mistakes: @brucewaynery

Toddler Peter, painting a masterpiece with his dad.

aka: a dumb amount of family fluff to help you power through the week

#adi's rec list #stevetony #superhusbands #steve rogers/tony stark #steve rogers x tony stark #steve x tony #i did this instead of my exam #so i rly hope you enjoy it anon!!#there's a healthy amount of superfamily thrown in here #so apologies if that isn't your thing #anon ask #adi answers asks

195 notes · View notes

plus-size-reader · 4 years

Text

Perfectly Content

Sam Winchester x Plus size!reader

Word Count: 1474 words

Warnings:none

Summary: Reader getting Sam and Dean out from holding and having a fluffy night with Sam after

——————————————————————————————————

Lucifer wanted an heir.

You had never thought about it before but once that simple fact clicked into place, it all made sense. Of course he wanted an heir, he had possessed the president so the only likely progression was this.

“We should have seen this coming” you sighed, staring out the window with a blank stare on your face. You were shocked, and bothered but it didn’t matter.

There were too many things going on, and your head was spinning.

Sam and Dean had been arrested for attempting to assassinate the president, Kelly Kline was pregnant with the spawn of Satan and she was on the run.

There was nothing going right, and you were the only one really on the playing field.

...It was all up to you.

So, you did the only thing that you knew to do. You pulled your pressed uniform from your closet and got all dressed up to check it out.

You had to be careful, with all the suspicion around Sam and Dean but with some divine intervention, you may just be able to pull it off.

“Hello, my name is Agent Holiday and I’m here to see the Winchester brothers” you commanded, setting your identification down on the counter without a shred of hesitance.

You didn’t care at all about anything more than getting your boys out, and you would do anything you could to figure this out. “The Winchesters are in secure custody, I can’t allow you to see them”

It wasn’t a negotiation, you knew that but something told you that these people had never dealt with someone like you before.

“We’ll see about that” you huffed, reaching out to take your identification back. You hadn’t been actually expecting to get back there, but you had gotten what you wanted.

You knew where they were.

In all the time that you had been waiting to get clearance, you had been able to take a nearly complete inventory of the layout, and you narrowed it down from there.

You were positive that you could get them out, with a hell of a lot of help. It was going to take time, but you knew that you would get them out eventually.

At the very least, it made you feel a little better to know that those boys had been through worse.

...if they could handle hell, they could handle this.

The coroner informed you via a phone call that the Winchesters had been found dead in their cells this morning.

It didn’t surprise you.

You smiled, though you had to give them the whole grief routine over the phone. You couldn’t oversell it but you couldn’t make it clear that you were happy either.

You just had to play your role, the perfect role of the stone cold FBI agent with no ulterior motives.

However, you couldn’t have been happier.

You owed Billie a hefty favor for what she did for you, but you had assured her that she would be heavily compensated for it. After all, she already owed you one, so you would get her next time.

All that mattered really was the fact that the boys were out, and as soon as you found them, you could focus on Lucifer’s mistress and the abomination growing inside her.

“I would have ditched the jumpsuits boys?” you laughed, meeting them on the edge of forest, a grin on your face. After all this time, maybe you should have said something more, but it didn’t seem necessary.

Sam and Dean were family, and it didn’t matter if there were weeks, months, or years between times you saw them. If they needed you, you would always be there.

“Come on guys, we have a baby to find” you urged, getting them both out from under the cover of the trees into the car you’d driven out here earlier.

You knew your boys well enough, and you were completely prepared.

“I have a change of clothes for you, and some snacks along with water bottles in the cooler” you informed, sliding into the passenger seat without hesitation.

You had been planning this since they had been hauled away in those big black secret service vans. Someone had to get them out, and if you didn’t, those boys would have rotted in those cells.

They knew it just as well as you did but didn’t bother to express their gratitude now. Instead, they drank and eat as much as they physically could without being sick and then slept the rest of the way back to the motel.

They were now suspects in a terrorist attack, a plan to assassinate the president but you had all made it through much worse.

Right now, all you could think about was getting them both a shower, because after that many days in a holding cell and a trek through the woods, neither of Mary Winchester’s sons was smelling all that great.

You were just glad to have them back, but you’d be much better once you could hold Sam to your chest and really get to enjoy the fact that he was home.

He was safe, and there was nothing better than that.

...Or so you thought.

You assumed that finding those two dirty hunters in the woods was going to be the highlight of your day but that wasn’t true at all.

Hotels weren’t always what they were cracked up to be but this one was pretty nice as far as cheap off-the-road places went. Besides, based on where they had just been, the boys weren’t in a position to be picky.

Really all any of you wanted was to get some rest.

These past few weeks had been beyond tiring and apparently it was nowhere near over. If Kelly Kline really did have a baby growing inside her that belonged to Lucifer, that was gonna be a problem.

After all, something like that couldn’t be allowed to stand.

So, with that to look forward to, it was only natural that you’d want to relax when given the opportunity and tonight had provided just that. Tonight had provided a chance to just be normal again and you weren’t going to waste it.

If anything, you were going to be so relaxed in the morning that you’d be jello in the morning and the idea of taking down the spawn of satan wouldn’t be all that appealing.

In any case, when Sam came out of that shower all cleaned up with his hair damp and skin clean, you couldn’t help but want to just bury your face deep into his chest and breath in his sent.

You’d been sleeping alone for so long that the idea of just getting to share space with him again was worth more than gold.

“Hey there handsome” you grinned, teasing him slightly, wiggling your eyebrows up and down. You thought it was so funny, so excellent, and perhaps he would have...

Had he not been so exhausted.

In these past few weeks, both Sam and Dean had endured large amounts of mental anguish along with physical anguish, and even you couldn’t understand it.

You had been to hell and back but you couldn’t imagine sitting in an empty room in the dark for days on end. It was enough to drive anyone crazy.

The Winchesters may have been a special case, but they were still human and they weren’t immune to that sort of treatment.

Still, Sam smiled.

It was a tired sort of smile, the sort of smile you would have expected on a day that he spent several hours on a hunt and came home in search of a warm bed to sleep in and a ton of cuddles.

You understood the sentiment, to be fair.

“You ready for bed?” he hummed, flipping the comforter back on his side of the bed to make room for himself. Sam was a big boy, but he liked snuggling so there was always enough room.

As soon as he got settled in, Sam let out a sigh. His skin was still a bit warm from the hot shower so the cool sheets felt amazing against his skin.

“I missed you” he smiled, cuddling up to your back to nuzzle his face in your neck, just letting himself be for a few seconds.

You mumbled in agreeance, realizing that in this moment, you were perfectly content. Those moments were rare in the life you lived, it was true, but this was one of them.

This was one of those moments you would look back on if you ever wanted to find peace, and you could tell Sam was feeling the same way.

...And before you knew it, the man you loved was snoring at your back, curled up completely against your frame in the motel bed.

#Sam Winchester #sam winchester imagine #sam winchester x plus size reader #sam winchester x reader #sam winchester x ps reader #spn #spn x reader #spn x ps reader #spn x plus size reader #spn imagine #supernatural #supernatural imagine #supernatural x plus size reader #supernatural x ps reader #supernatural x reader

225 notes · View notes

cno-inbminor · 4 years

Text

adsentio - the masque

a/n: it’s royalty!au once again! i would recommend reading adsentio AND bonus letters for the full context. thank you to those who were waiting patiently! did i rewatch ‘ever after: a cinderella story’ for inspiration? of course.

genre: royalty!au ft. fem!reader, angst, fluff; warnings: terribly written sword fight, somewhat unedited.

summary: You’re starting to wonder if an impostor wrote those letters instead of Prince Akaashi, but the show must go on.

wc: ~7.4k

royalty!au: adsentio (pt. 1) | bonus letters (pt 1.5) | the masque (pt. 2)

“Are you sure everything is packed?”

“Yes, mother,” you reply, voice laced with exasperation.

“Is your dress for the ceremony there as well? We absolutely cannot leave without that gown!”

“Yes, mother, it’s in there,” you reassure, pointing to a trunk that’s already in the carriage. An audible sigh of relief leaves your mother’s lips. Even though your mother’s fretting was starting to grate at your last nerves, you still felt the excitement of going back to the Fukurodani Kingdom.

After all, Prince Akaashi is waiting for you.

Akaashi’s Christmas gift had come a month and a half before the holiday it was intended for. Soon after, the two of you agreed to refrain from sending any letters during the months of frost, wanting to lessen the burden on the delivery man. He needed to be home with his family when possible, and the journey could be treacherous during those times. As warmer weather rolled around in mid-March, his familiar face had arrived at your castle steps with a small bundle of letters tied with parcel string. They were all addressed to you in a handwriting that you had grown extremely fond of.

If it were up to you, you would be adorned in your most comfortable riding attire and charge full speed ahead. You would probably be able to cut the journey time by about a third, and though it wasn’t much, it would still mean that you would see Akaashi sooner. With how forward he was in his letters, you could only bubble with enthusiasm at how different this summer could be.

Nevertheless, time passes as it does, and you’re once again at the entrance of Fukurodani’s castle. As always, the king and queen stand side by side at the bottom of the steps, the prince standing politely by them. It seems that Prince Akaashi has only grown more handsome since last summer. If you had to guess, he would be more than a full head taller than you. Besides height, Akaashi’s face seems to have lost any remaining baby fat, leaving nothing but a pointed chin and a sharp jawline. Whether or not it be a result of your newfound attraction towards him, there’s no room to deny just how handsome he truly is, bordering on ethereal beauty.

His piercing blue orbs seem to sparkle in delight when you step out of the carriage. In fact, he’s quick to take place of their usual footman and hold out a hand for you to grasp, securely ensuring that you don’t lose your step. Your grip is tight, and you can only hope that he sees the joy reflected in your own eyes. With intention and purpose, he presses his lips to the back of your hand, needing no reminder from his mother this time, and never removes his gaze from yours. Your breath seems to have escaped your lungs, even more so when he straightens and takes one daring step closer to you. Both of your parents must be brimming with satisfaction at this interaction, but all of it is ignored and disregarded. Akaashi still keeps your hand in his as he slightly leans down to whisper in your ear.

“You look beautiful as always, Princess (y/n).”

Your title had always moderately annoyed you over the last 18 years, but you decide then and there that there would be no complaint if he addressed you as so for the rest of eternity. Furthermore, if it weren’t for your dignity and pride, you would kiss him right now in front of everyone. As he pulls away, you do your best to compose yourself. After all, two can play this game.

“Thank you, Your Highness. You’ve grown more handsome since I last saw you.”

“Have we returned to formalities again?”

“Please forgive my old habits, Prince Akaashi.”

“(Y/n),” he murmurs darkly, metallic blue eyes full of warning and mischief. “Need I remind you of my given name?”

You register the tightening of his grip. Don’t even dare, his eyes seem to caution, not when so much progress was made through paper and ink. But you know he will rise to a challenge for his desires when he sees one – it’s only in his nature.

“Perhaps I need a reason to address you as such,” you quip, watching his eyes flash with an emotion you are unable to pinpoint. Nevertheless, you remove your hand from his, ignoring the yearning for the warmth that he had provided. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must greet the king and queen or they’ll have my head.”

Akaashi only watches with longing as you trek away to curtsy before his parents. Could your birthday celebration come any sooner?

You’re beginning to think that someone other than Prince Akaashi wrote those letters to you, that someone else had just forged his handwriting to a tee and perfectly replicated his writing style. Since the little interaction between you two on the day of your arrival, Akaashi was acting as if this were any other summer. Very little was said to or done with you – even last summer, the two of you had often strolled through the gardens while discussing various topics. Yet now, it was five summers ago all over again: the two of you at opposite ends of the castle reading your desired books.

You only ever saw him during mealtimes or in passing – even then, he would simply nod in your direction or only speak to you when he had to. Your efforts to narrow the gap diminished significantly by the third day, and by the end of the first week, you decided to completely give up. The prince has constructed a wall between you two and you possessed no ability to strike it down.

On days you weren’t reading, out of boredom and the need to fill your mind with thoughts of anything other than Akaashi, you would help prepare for the ball and your coming-of-age celebration. A private, proper ceremony would be done in your own kingdom once you returned, but it had long been determined that the festivities would be held here. Invitations and RSVP’s had steadily increased over the months, indicating that this would be a grand occasion. All the lessons on design and party-arrangement were finally paying off in its fullest, but your mother could not ignore the lack of life in your eyes.

It’s two weeks before the ball – you’re currently sitting in your chambers, lounging in a chair on your balcony with a book in your lap. You’ve recently taken an interest in philosophy, first starting with the works of Aristotle and Plato. A faint rap of knuckles on your door breaks your focus. “Come in,” you call out loud enough for your visitor to hear. The door clicks open and shut, and you’re mildly surprised to see your mother turning the corner to search for you.

“Mother, what a surprise,” you express while standing. She pulls you in for a hug without a word, only confusing you in the process as you return the embrace. After removing herself, she guides you back inside until the two of you are sitting on the edge of your bed, still holding your hands.

“Something has been bothering you, my child. Is there something you wish to tell me?” Your mother doesn’t want to push – she knows of the letters, your developed affection for Akaashi, and the lack of interaction between the two of you this summer. It’s hard to miss the lack of your figure by his side when he’s wondering around the castle, the ever pensive, calculating look on his face never fading. It’s hard to miss the way you often pick at your food, even going as far to request smaller portions for all your meals.

But it’s even harder to ignore the worried look in the prince’s eyes that’s cast your way when you excuse yourself after every meal, leaving earlier than everyone else.

You can only sigh before your teeth begin to gently gnaw on your bottom lip. “Mother, how angry would you be if this engagement doesn’t proceed as you’ve planned?”

“To be quite honest,” she begins as a small smile forms on her face. “I wouldn’t be angry at all. Not if the cost of it was your happiness.”

“But what about the merger?”

“With all these years between our kingdoms, engagement or not, a merger of sorts would only be inevitable. We only hoped that naturally, you and the prince would be drawn towards each other. But to force the two of you together would be unfair – your father and mine, as well as his parents, main concern is the happiness of our children.”

“Do you really mean that?”

“Of course,” your mother emphasizes, a hand reaching up to cradle your cheek. “In fact, if you would like…

“We don’t have to come here next summer.”

Your eyes widen. Your mother was giving you a choice in this?

“Are you...sure?”

“I’m absolutely positive, (y/n). I will not force you and neither will your father, especially if forcing you would only make your pain greater.”

“Very well then, mother. We shall see.”

“Keep your chin up, my dear. We must keep you in your best shape for the ball, and…” she pauses, her smile turning somewhat mischievous. “Perhaps remind the prince that he should be properly courting you by now.”

“Mother!”

“Is it proper for a princess to be sparring?”

“Bokuto, you’ve known me for so many years, yet you still ask me this question every time. Do you really think my father would allow me to marry without knowing how to defend myself?”

“I can’t really say, Princess. At least, not without possibly offending the king.”

Every summer, you make it tradition to leave time for sparring. When you turned fourteen, many of the younger guards in training had been terrified of practicing with you, fearing that they’d be punished for engaging in behavior that could possibly harm the princess. But after much coaxing and convincing (as well as written promise from King Akaashi), they finally felt comfortable in sparring with you. Back at home, you had a few designated training partners from the royal guard, but it would do no good if you didn’t keep up with your skills.

You’ve won your fair share, as well as lost a few handfuls. But you were never a sore loser and only thanked your partner for their time, even asking for pointers. On a few occasions, you would duel with Akaashi, though for times when you were at an advantage, you would purposely lose. The prince needed faith and trust from his men, and many would be dimwitted enough to let a few losses to a woman diminish their view of him. Akaashi was very well aware of your generosity, as well as Bokuto, which only caused him to tease the prince relentlessly in private.

For the sixth time this summer, just one week before the masque, you had pleaded with Bokuto for his time. At this point, you prefer to not ask for anything from Akaashi, especially when you’re so obviously kept at arm’s length. Bokuto is much more agreeable and doesn’t treat you like a glass figurine, thanks to the many years of roughhousing during your childhoods. He isn’t afraid to use his full force behind the strikes of his sword and you could always guarantee a few good rounds from him. Additionally, he always offers a lot of good advice after each duel. When you incorporate his teachings into your skill set, he recognizes it immediately and howls with pride, praising himself for being such a wonderful instructor.

“Why haven’t you asked Akaashi to spar with you yet?” Bokuto asks while tightening his gloves. The training grounds are empty at this time, though to be fair, it’s still quite early in the morning. You wanted to spar comfortably without the overbearing heat of the summer afternoon sun. A sigh leaves your lips – it’s not as if he doesn’t know already.

“I believe you’re well aware of why I haven’t, Bokuto. He’s barely spoken to me in these weeks. In fact, I’m sure he has better things to do than to indulge me.”

“He still cares for you.”

“Well, he has a funny way of showing it,” you reply bitterly and draw out your sword. “Come on, no time to dawdle.”

Disobeying your words, Bokuto bides his time with some extra stretching. “I’m his closest friend, I would know.”

“Then he can tell me himself. Can we please start?”

“Very well then.”

His words have riled you up significantly, Bokuto notices. Your attacks are relentless and your senses seem sharper than ever, easily dodging and parrying with the footwork of an experienced soldier. In fact, your movement is breathtakingly graceful, almost as if you were dancing. The duel goes on for minutes until Bokuto accidentally hesitates and can only surrender when the tip of your sword is millimeters from his neck. He drops his sword and a big grin forms on his face.

You lower your weapon and step back as the both of you catch your breath. Behind you, Bokuto spots a familiar figure leaning over the edge of their balcony. They’re too far away to hear what you’re saying or what expressions you’re wearing, but that doesn’t stop Bokuto from coming up with a devious plan.

“(Y/n), don’t look behind you, but he’s watching.”

You freeze – you completely forgot that Akaashi’s room faces the direction of the training grounds. Naturally, he has his own balcony, but you didn’t think he’d be watching. Had he been observing all your other sparring rounds? And how was he awake now? He’s usually never up this early.

“I have an idea,” Bokuto continues. “But you have to play along, all right?”

“I’m not liking the sound of this…”

“You just need to follow my lead. Now, pretend you’re about to start another duel.”

With all the confusion displayed on your face, you warily adjust yourself into your preparatory stance. Bokuto steps closer to you while sheathing his sword, eyeing your position with his hands behind his back. He quickly checks to see if Akaashi is still paying attention, and after confirming so, he enters your bubble of personal space.

“If you begin to feel uncomfortable, tell me. If I’m right, it’ll only take a few minutes before he’s down here.”

“But I don’t want—”

“Shh,” Bokuto interrupts with a gloved finger on your lips. He smirks when he spots Akaashi suddenly straightening himself, his posture turning stiff and guarded. You watch as he reaches for the hand holding your sword, wrapping his own around your grip.

“What are you doing?” You hiss at him.

“Wait a few seconds…okay,” Bokuto removes himself from your personal space. You relax and put down your guard, resisting the urge to punch him in the arm.

“What ever was all that for?!”

“Look,” he replies, pointing in the direction of Akaashi’s balcony. “He’s gone. I guarantee he’ll be here in the next five minutes.”

“Bokuto—”

“Now, now, let’s have another round to pass the time.”

“But—”

You’re interrupted when Bokuto swings his sword towards you, your own blocking his instinctively. You could try to protest all you want, but he wasn’t going to let you have it. You would make sure that he regrets it. Much like the first round, you put your all into the sparring session, fury growing as Bokuto’s grin widens over time. He’s taunting you over and over, leaving you so focused that you’re completely oblivious to the third figure currently making their way towards the two of you. Once within earshot, Akaashi clears his throat and you whip towards him with horror in your eyes.

“Ah, Akaashi, excellent! So glad you could join us!” Bokuto yells, walking away from you to clap him on the shoulder. “In fact, would you mind taking over from here? I just remembered I needed to attend to something back inside the castle. Thank you, Akaashi!” And then Bokuto just…leaves.

A shroud of silence covers the two of you – your attention is directed at anything but the object of your affections, choosing to focus on the dew of the grass, the glint of the light on your sword, the light morning breeze blowing past your stray hairs, the loose threads at the waist of your pants—

“Shall we begin?” He asks, breaking the tranquility.

Akaashi is infuriating; infuriatingly handsome, infuriatingly good at stripping down your defenses, infuriatingly adept at raising your heartbeat to an alarming rate. It’s simply unfair, and it angers you.

You say nothing while taking a few steps backward, your feet adjusting yourself in the same position that Bokuto had you stand in just mere minutes ago. Akaashi observes and also readies himself, his stance very similar to yours. Only seconds pass before he’s charging towards you, and the fight begins.

The first round falls in his favor, his face showing little reaction throughout the whole clash. You demand another round, barely giving time for a break because you’re brimming with the need to have some semblance of a victory. Weeks of pent up furious confusion make themselves known in the way you fight – you no longer move with the grace seen earlier with Bokuto. Instead, traces of sloppiness are there in your footwork and Akaashi takes advantage of this, though he begins to worry. If this were a real duel, you would’ve long fallen victim to his sword.

The second round lasts much longer than the first due to your obstinate refusal to back down and give up. Your braid had long come undone and Akaashi can’t help but think about how beautiful you look, even with your hair seemingly flying wildly every time you spin to try to catch him off guard. His split focus costs him when your weapons meet in the middle, allowing you to push and twist his hand around to force him to lose his grip. The metal is flung towards the side and he’s met with the shimmer of your sword that’s dangerously close to his jugular vein. He slowly brings his hands up in surrender and you falter.

Both of your chests rapidly rise and fall, lungs desperate for oxygen. Akaashi struggles to remember the last time you had put so much effort into a duel, your desperation to win screaming itself into the air. He notices how much thinner your face has gotten, how your arm slightly trembles with exhaustion. You need to rest and eat more, Akaashi concludes with furrowed eyebrows. Your well-being is of utmost importance to him.

You feel yourself begin to quiver under Akaashi’s stare, yet long to know what could be going through his mind. Even though you’ve won this round, Akaashi still has your heart and the thought somewhat embarrasses you. You’ve always prided yourself in being level-headed, yet you just spent the last thirty to forty-five minutes taking out all your frustrations on him.

“Have you been getting enough sleep, (y/n)?”

Don’t say my name like that.

“I don’t see why it matters,” you sigh, moving away to pick up his fallen sword.

“You need to look after yourself,” Akaashi replies, following after her with a slight sense of urgency. You whip around too fast for him to react, only groaning from the impact when you practically shove his weapon to his chest. Nothing prepared you for this conversation – you aren’t ready to have it, and you’d rather not have it with swords nearby.

“I am looking after myself, your highness,” you bite through gritted teeth. Your feet carry you as fast as possible towards the entrance back into the castle, but a hand latches onto your wrist and demands your attention. You have no choice but to turn your body towards him, denying that his eyes are flashing nothing but concern and frustration.

“You’re eating less. You’re always awake at odd hours. Your corsets are too tight – they look as if they’ll squeeze the life out of you. You keep pushing yourself too hard during sparring sessions. It takes you longer than usual to finish books. You’re under the sun too much—”

“You have no right!” you accuse, attempting to wriggle your wrist from his grip. Why does he speak as if he’s been keeping a watchful eye on you when he can barely meet your own over the dinner table?

Akaashi refuses to relent, even pulling you closer to him under the shadows of the doorway. “Please (y/n), you must know how much I worry—”

“Then pray tell, why have you ignored me since I stepped foot into your castle?!” You cry out, tears of vexation beginning to form. “Why have you ignored my very existence, as if we are twelve again and trying to escape something seemingly inevitable?! How could—how could you build me up for months and months, only to tear me down without a second thought?”

Akaashi knows his reasoning is botched and full of fallacies – he’s beginning to understand the extent of how much his actions have affected you, but he can’t help but try to save some face. His cool, collected façade and wisdom had long taken a backseat towards matters concerning you, and he feels like a fool. A big, bumbling, inexplicably irrational fool in love.

“Princess—”

“I would have no qualms if you had just outright told me that you didn’t care for me,” you interrupt once more, though in a calmer tone. Your body is still shaking from the emotional downpour, tears streaking down your cheeks unattractively. You wish you could just take a horse from the stables and ride home, away from all this nonsense. “But you can’t write me those letters, the very ones that I’ve so deeply cherished this passing year, and treat me as if it were all some dream that my brain so desperately sprung together.”

“I have my deepest regrets – I’m so sorry, it’s just…with the way we greeted each other on the first day, I somehow convinced myself that you didn’t mean what you wrote—”

“Keiji,” you interrupt softly. How he wishes you were saying his name in a different context, in a tone that was full of love than disappointment. How he wishes there were no salty tears tracking down your cheeks. “You have known me for almost thirteen years. Thirteen long, playful, revealing years. Nothing ever escapes you, and you said so yourself; we are old friends. Therefore,” you pause, gulping.

“Shouldn’t you know that I would never pen those words to just anyone?”

And you disappear into the castle.

Akaashi feels that there’s nothing more appropriate than beating his head into the wall, cursing himself for being so stupid.

What have I done?

“I must say, in the most appropriate sense, you are truly, royally fucked.”

“I know, Bokuto. I know.”

Akaashi tries to make up for his mistakes in his classic fashion: silently, with small thoughtful gifts.

He has resumed leaving flowers from the garden in your chambers again: some days, you return to a peony. Other days, you return to the addition a single rose in the ardent shade of passionate love. They accumulate on your dresser, your room becoming filled with the floral scents. The lingering fragrance haunts your dreams, filled with flashes of childhood memories and anticipated encounters at the masque. You often wake up feeling as if there’s a lead weight on your chest, and even though you physically slept for eight hours, the fatigue in your eyes vehemently argue otherwise.

Akaashi becomes insistent on escorting you everywhere, always offering his arm for you to take. At first, you’re hesitant, but just a day later, it becomes second nature. Akaashi joins you again when reading – if he can, he’ll take a seat next to you. If not, he’ll be sure to be across from you, though he’s not reading most of these times. He often carries a journal with him, assistants always prepared to provide him with a writing utensil and ink, and scribbles away. Akaashi has never held back his admiration for the world’s literature, and four days before your birthday, you pause in your reading to feed the curiosity.

“What are you scribbling in there, if I may ask?”

“A…personal work of sorts.”

“Your Highness, an author? I must say, it suits you. Is it a work of fiction?”

“Not this time,” he says with the ghost of a demure, secretive smile on his face. “You could consider it a memoir.”

“If you say so.”

It had been decided some time ago that the ball would be held the night before your birthday, rather than the day of. These events were known to last well into the night, so at midnight, they would make an announcement in your honor and present you before everyone invited. With these change in plans, your original deadline for Akaashi to find you had to be moved ahead, and he was less than pleased to hear this the day before the ball, even though it was anticipated.

“Fifteen minutes is precious time, Princess,” Akaashi expresses with displeasure. “Could you permit me at least five ‘til midnight?”

“I’m afraid that won’t be possible, milord. I must have enough time to prepare myself.”

“Have I only been upgraded to being called ‘milord’?”

“How is it that your title irks you so?”

“Only when it’s coming from you, Princess. And I must say, you’re one to speak – don’t think I’m unaware of how much you greatly dislike it when you’re addressed as such. You’ve never bothered to correct me though. Why is that?”

“Perhaps…” you say, giving him a side glance full of mirth. “Perhaps you’re just an exception.”

Akaashi’s eyes widen a bit before crinkling with delight. You never cease to amaze him, reminding him at the most unexpected times that you are also invested in this growing relationship with him. He quickly looks around him before gently dragging you to the nearest empty bedroom, hoping that even though the walls have ears, they don’t have the eyes to witness this. Once the door is quietly shut behind him, Akaashi begins to take slow steps in your direction, towering over you and crowding you until your heels hit the wall. You struggle to maintain eye contact as well as keeping your breathing under control. Akaashi continues to pin you down with his piercing gaze, gradually bending down until he’s at eye level with you. Thoughts run amok in your brain as his face nears yours. Is he going to—

Your internal process ceases when he tenderly places a kiss at the corner of your lips, then moving until his breath is right by your ear. The sensation triggers a shiver down your spine, causing him to chuckle.

“To give you an idea of what I’d like my reward to be when I catch you tomorrow night, Princess,” he murmurs before moving away.

You’re blushing furiously no matter how much you fight it, barely registering when he lifts both of your hands to place a similarly gentle kiss on your touching knuckles. Part of you wants to protest when he steps towards the door and cracks it open, peeking out to see if anyone is lingering in the corridors. Akaashi keeps a hold on one of your hands, quickly leading you out and folding it into the crook of his other elbow. He fixes his gaze in front of him to bring on an air of normalcy, as if he didn’t just sneak you into a spare bedroom to do something that many would somewhat frown upon. Akaashi had yet to ask to formally court you, but he has full intentions to change that tomorrow night.

“Perhaps you’ll give me an insight on what you’ll be wearing tomorrow night?” He inquires cheekily and you send him your dirtiest glare.

“Only in your dreams, milord. Did you not read the part about making this harder on you so I could have some fun?”

“Wouldn’t it be better to have fun with each other?”

“Do you mean to tempt me?” You tease, chuckling into the back of your free hand.

“There was no guarantee that you’d refuse – am I not allowed to grasp onto any remaining hope?”

“Whatever satisfies you, milord.”

“Then let me find you tomorrow night. I don’t believe I’ll stand for any of the other suitors attempting to whisk you away with baseless words and ill intentions.”

“What would you know of their intentions?” You ask curiously, looking up towards him. His eyes darken and harden with an emotion you’re not familiar with. It’s one that is never directed towards you, almost dangerous in a way.

“More than you should know, Princess,” he replies gravely.

Before you realize it, you’re sitting in front of your vanity, sitting as prettily and patiently as you can while your handmaiden, Yachi, does her best work on your hair. You observe your current features – a faint blush had been dusted on your cheeks and a deep rouge painted on your lips. Your mask would be similar to many those of the other attendees, one more thing to pull in your favor in this game of cat and mouse.

Your heart begins to beat faster as the seconds tick by – there’s no doubt that Akaashi is already by his parents’ side, carrying a princely aura and politely greeting all the guests. The ball began at 9PM and it was already thirty minutes after. You can hear the faint sounds of the musicians playing up a lively theme, imagining that the festivities will be in full swing soon. Soon, your handmaiden is patting you on the shoulder, notifying you that she was done. In the mirror, you turn your head left and right and nod appreciatively, thanking her for her hard work. Your fingers shakily pick up your mask and Yachi ties it securely behind your head and underneath your hair.

“Do you think he’ll recognize me?” You ask nervously, fiddling your fingers in your lap. Yachi knew almost everything about the ordeal and had even come up with some good ideas to make things harder on the prince.

“If he keeps in mind that you’ll be the most beautiful maiden at the ball, then I’m sure he will,” Yachi giggles, tucking in some stray hairs.

“You’re not here to lie to me,” you whine, pouting slightly. “In all seriousness…”

“I have no doubt, milady,” Yachi says, her eyes and tone softening. “If His Highness likes you as much as he says he does, then he will certainly find you.”

You let out a deep breath before standing from your chair, the nerves beginning to course through your system. In the reflection, you gaze upon the line of flower-filled vases on your dresser, their presence somehow bringing you some serenity. Yachi is right -- with how much he boasted in letters about studying every memory he has of you, there should be a reasonable level of certainty that he would catch you by your deadline.

But now was the time to be festive. After all, the guests were here in your honor (and to have a joyous time) and you’d be rude to not partake in the activities. Some of the maids are bustling around, ensuring that drinks and food are readily available, never running low. The sound of your heels clicking along the granite echoes against the walls, yet your heartbeat seems louder and louder as you near the ballroom. The castle beholds two specific large ballrooms with double doors towards the courtyard, allowing the cool summer air in. You take a quick detour and choose to enter the ballroom from the outside, much less likely to arouse suspicion.

At least everyone seems to be enjoying themselves, you think to yourself with a smile. It’s easy to spot Bokuto in the crowd with that hair of his, just as you predicted. The band just finishes a song when you sneak in, yet starts up a familiar tune not long after. The piece calls for a large group to dance together, and wanting to join in, you make your way to the center. Luckily, one more female was needed and you are welcomed, as well as gently shoved to a tall man who seemed to be lacking a partner. It’s not hard to guess who it is, however. Even with a mask, you could recognize that crooked grin from anywhere.

As per tradition, he bows to you and you curtsy, then routinely placing your hand in his. He draws you close to him by the waist, but his grip is light and barely holds any weight on your back. Taking a quick once-over at the group, he addresses you.

“Should I be counting my lucky stars to be dancing with the princess in honor?” He teases just loud enough for you to hear.

“I would advise against it, Prince Kuroo.”

A quiet laugh leaves his chest as he gives you a spin, flawlessly bring you back to him. “You can trust me, Princess. Bokuto has already informed me of the game in place, though I suppose it was more of a warning more than anything.”

“Oh, how so?”

“If I didn’t want to face the wrath of your dear prince, I should refrain from attempting to convince you that a merger between our kingdoms would be more ideal.”

“I must say, I’m a little surprised that Bokuto isn’t trying to stir up trouble.”

“I would advise against speaking too soon – he’s already on his third glass of mead.”

“Good gods,” you mutter in disbelief. Kuroo shakes with laughter.

“For my amusement, I’d like to see Akaashi be a clumsy fool in love. You have my word that I’ll keep this interaction secret for now,” he promises, rushing his words a little bit. Soon, the two of you will need to break apart and switch partners.

“But don’t forget to have a little fun. Happy birthday, Princess,” Kuroo says sincerely in your ear, sneaking in a quick kiss to the back of your hand before letting you go. You fall into the hands of another male, one you don’t recognize, and fall into silent routine until the dance is over. When the band comes to a stop, everybody bows to each other with a wide smile on their faces and cheeks tinted red from happiness. Momentarily, you had forgotten about your nerves and Akaashi, but now that there was nothing else to focus on, the shivers of being chased creep along your body.

In one sense, it’s almost thrilling. The thought has you questioning your own sanity, but perhaps it’s only because Akaashi is the one searching for you, finding the right time to pounce. As a result, you never stay in one place for too long, mingling into other crowds and making small talk. Very few have noticed who you were, and even Bokuto replaces his antics for a wink when he passes by you, knowing his usual behavior would give it all away.

The clock strikes eleven, each toll causing your heart to skip a beat. You grant yourself one more glance towards Akaashi.

Earlier during the dance, you had spotted him in the far corner of the ballroom staring in another direction. Now when you have the time to watch and appreciate, you can’t help but marvel at how beautiful this man is. Time boded well on him, his features and height resembling a strong, trustworthy young prince. He had the intellect and perceptive level worthy of being king, and even the atmosphere around him agreed. His head was fit to hold a crown, and any woman would fall at his feet in seconds. Tonight, he is donned in the kingdom’s colors, his own attire a regal show of ivory, ebony, and gold. The design is not overly ornate or flamboyant, yet regal enough to instantaneously remind others exactly who he is. Each hue makes him shine like a beacon of light in darkness.

Needing some fresh air, you slip out towards the courtyard and quietly make your way to the garden entrance. A couple of guards are standing watch but let you in once you untie the mask from your face. Your feet pad down a familiar path towards the rows of peonies and you’re thankful for the uninhibited rays of the full moon tonight. They’re cast in a soft glow of white and blue – you can’t help but tenderly touch petals of one half-open.

“I had an inkling that you would come here.”

The familiar tenor startles you out of your wits, your hand flying back up to your chest as you turn towards the perpetrator for your premature heart attack. None other than Prince Akaashi stands before you with his hands behind his back and a twinkle in his eyes. Then, the weight is lifted off your chest.

He had found you.

Once you catch your breath, you can only let out a suppressed laugh. There was nowhere to hide, not when your mask is grasped between the fingers of your other hand. He hadn’t even bothered to wear one, though you’ll scold him later for not participating in the festivities.

“I suppose you followed me here?”

“You could say that,” Akaashi replies with a smile, moving closer to stand right in front of you.

“It did take you over an hour and a half though.”

“(Y/n).”

“…yes, milord?”

“I noticed you the second you stepped into the ballroom.”

The statement baffles you and freezes you to the core. You find yourself unable to do anything when Akaashi grasps both of your hands in his, bringing them to his lips much like he did yesterday.

“Then why did you not come to me then?” You question after finding your voice again. Akaashi says nothing at first, only rearranging your limbs to a familiar posture for a waltz. He begins to step and lead, your own feet naturally following him as if you’ve been practicing this for a long time together. His silence makes you grow more unsure of all this.

“I wanted to observe, reconfirm my suspicions that I was already fully convinced on. In addition, I wanted you to enjoy yourself. You and our mothers have spent so many months preparing this – it’s only right that you enjoy the fruits of your labor.”

“Then you saw me dance?”

“Yes, and you were the best of them all,” he instantly compliments, always honest and straightforward to the point, sending blood to your cheeks.

“Thank you, milord,” you reply sheepishly.

“You’re welcome, Princess. Though I must say,” Akaashi’s tone turns dangerous, leaning over to whisper in your ear. He notices how your hands tighten their grips on his, perhaps trying to ground yourself. “Why did Prince Kuroo of Nekoma speak to you like this, so intimately? I thought, perhaps, this would also be left as a privilege solely for me?”

“He was doing just as you had warned before,” you chuckle, silently apologizing for pulling the wool over Kuroo’s eyes. Judging by the sharp inhale, Akaashi was less than pleased at what you were insinuating. “He may or may not have been attempting to persuade me into forming a more personal alliance with his kingdom.”

“Was he now…” Akaashi murmurs. In an effort to contain the green jealousy rising within him (and gain a little leverage), his hands slowly release yours to gently grasp your waist. For a moment, he wishes they were holding you this way in a different situation, but that doesn’t stop him from daringly ghosting his lips over the column of your neck, his breath sending goosebumps along your skin. You keep as still as possible, completely unsure of what to do. But if there’s one thing that is certain, it’s that no man could ever have an effect on you like Akaashi does.

“I have known you since you were young,” he proceeds. “And though we didn’t want anything to do with each other, we eventually grew accustomed to each other. Before I even realized it, I was watching your every move, listening to every word you said. Even when we were twelve, I found myself wanting to be near you. I wanted you to take notice of me just as I did you. When we were fifteen and you sat against me by the fireplace…there was the most wonderful sense of belonging, as if you were supposed to be right there by my side.”

Your heart might fail you at this point, aching for the man who was now lifting his head away to face you. The back of one hand lifts to caress your cheek, and your eyes catch the ardent passion in his, even in the moonlight.

“I penned those words to you with every intention of properly courting you. I wished for you to understand the lengths I would go to ensure your happiness. It was never about this merger between our kingdoms and hasn’t been for a long time. I only want you to know that should you allow me to, it would be my honor to court you and perhaps…be your husband.”

Unshed tears of joy are brimming in your eyes. Akaashi has suffered enough, you believe. A tear must have escaped because he catches it with his thumb, softly wiping it away. You can’t help but let out a breathless laugh, and Akaashi knows it’s a good sign. The smile on his face grows wider as you collect yourself to give your response.

“You do, after all, deserve a reward for finding me.”

Akaashi smirks and tilts his head forward, his lips millimeters away from yours.

“And what would that be, Princess?” He purrs.

Your heart takes a leap and you press your lips to his. Instantly, Akaashi cradles your face, refusing to separate from you. The first kiss is innocent and unmoving, allowing the both of you to revel in the sensation. A thrilling streak of adrenaline courses through your veins and sets your soul on fire as he puts more force, conveying to you his neediness and years of pent-up desire. You return it ounce for ounce until you can’t breathe anymore, pulling back to breathe in some much-needed oxygen. Akaashi doesn’t stop, sensuously kissing every available surface of your cheeks until he’s tired of waiting to kiss your lips once more. You give in and let yourself fall until the point of no return – even if Akaashi was the devil incarnate, you would gladly hand over your soul for an eternity of his love.

“As much as I want to continue this,” he states over bated breath. “We have a ball to return to.”

You sigh and nod, brushing your nose against his before allowing some distance between the two of you. Akaashi offers to tie the mask before taking hold of your hand, folding it into the crook of his elbow as he has done many times before. The two of you bide your time as much as possible, giving each other knowing glances when the courtyard is within your view again. Some of the ladies (and men) throw you nasty looks for having had private time with the prince, but none of it matters as Akaashi asks for a dance, spending the rest of the minutes until midnight with you in his arms.

After midnight strikes and being presented to the crowd, Akaashi keeps a hold on you again, ignoring the jeering and teasing gestures from Bokuto and Prince Kuroo. Kuroo, the ever honest yet playful man he is, sends you a wink behind Akaashi’s back and you bury your face into his chest. Whatever the cause may be, Akaashi continues to envelop you in his arms with a light and comfortable conversation taking place. As a natural silence passes over, he whispers into your ear, “Happy birthday, Princess.”

“Thank you, Keiji.”

Ecstasy fills his soul -- there hasn’t been anything more gratifying or more satisfying than hearing his name from your lips again. Finally, from now until death...he feels absolutely complete.

249 notes · View notes

angsty-violet · 4 years

Text

Date Night

Written for the Secret Santa Star Trek exchange @startreksecretsanta for the lovely @doodlingleluke. I hope you like it. If you have an AO3 account I can also gift it to you there, even if you aren’t a writer.

This is the archiveofourown link because it is quite long. Under the cut is the story if you want to read it here.

--------------------

B’Elanna worried over the table and frowned as she once again adjusted the tablecloth. She just could seem to get it quite right, and it was driving her crazy. Finally, she gave a huff and gave up. It could just stay crooked for all she cared. It didn’t matter anyway. It wasn’t like Seven was really going to notice.

Although B’Elanna wanted it to be perfect, she knew logically that Seven wasn’t going to notice much of anything. She had little idea of how human social interactions were supposed to commence and, therefore, didn’t make a big deal when they didn’t go to plan.

Which was actually quite relieving for B’Elanna. She had never done well with the cutesy couple-y things that seemed required of human women. Nor had she managed the throwing objects that Klingon women did. She fell somewhere in the middle, most of the time. For most things, that was perfectly fine. However, for courting? It was nearly a disaster.

That was until she had begun to date Seven. Seven was intensely easy to please as she saw value in functionality over all else. Similar to a Vulcan, a gift that would help in her work never failed to hit the mark. B’Elanna often found she was happy with just an upgrade on a tool or placing her on a shift that played to her strengths.

Which made her nervousness over this date completely ridiculous. Neither of them conformed to human social standards. Even if they did, Seven didn’t know enough to know the way dates were supposed to play out anyway. Yet, B’Elanna found herself worrying over insignificant details like the tablecloth and whether or not the food would be to Seven’s liking.

B’Elanna took a deep breath and reminded herself of what Tom had told her about a successful date. As long as both parties had a good time and were willing to do it again, it was a success. The food, the lighting, the location, or any other detail could be absolutely horrid. As long as they had a good enough time to try it again.

B’Elanna placed the last of the replicated food on the table with the items she had Neelix make for her. That was everything that needed to be done, and she still had 10 minutes to spare. Seven would likely be perfectly on time. She was for everything else, and B’Elanna didn’t see why this would be any different.

Unfortunately, this allowed her plenty of time to pace nervously and try to keep from biting her nails. It was a nasty habit she had picked up during her time in the Maquis. She often bit them when she wasn’t doing something with her hands.

After several minutes of desperate pacing and endlessly changing the music, her door chimed, and she called for Seven to come in.

Immediately B’Elanna’s breath was taken away. Seven had allowed her golden blonde hair to tumble around her shoulders and had changed into a more decorative outfit than her standard jumpsuit. She was holding a bottle of wine in her hands, and this allowed B’Elanna to recover from her stupor and make conversation.

“Ah, I see you brought wine.”

“Yes, apparently, it is considered normal for the person attending the dinner to bring along something to contribute. Neelix suggested a bottle of wine would make a good addition to your meal.”

“I’m sure it will go wonderfully. I can open it while you have a seat. Dinner’s ready, so we can dive in whenever you are ready.”

Seven nodded unsurely and sat at the table. She watched as B’Elanna opened the bottle of wine and poured them each a glass. As soon as the wine was poured, likely with nothing better to do, Seven took a sip. She hummed in satisfaction at the taste and set it back down. For a few moments, there was only awkward silence. Finally, Seven gave up trying to pretend like she knew what she was doing.

“I don’t really know what we are supposed to be doing. From my reading, we are supposed to engage in discourse that allows us to learn more about each other. However, I already know a great deal about you, and you know pretty much everything about me. I don’t know what else there is to talk about beyond those.”

“Well, I think it’s partially about spending quality time together. Sure, we know a lot about each other, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have things to talk about. It’s a little odd, but we could talk about work. We could talk about your progress in the programs you and the doctor are running. There is plenty to talk about. You just need to pick a topic you would like to discuss with me. Or alternatively, allow me to pick a topic I would like to discuss with you.”

Seven looked as though she wished she could be taking notes, and B’Elanna hid a smile. She was so sweet, and she tried so hard. B’Elanna sometimes wished that she was more sentimental. If she was, she might’ve been able to say that Seven couldn’t do anything wrong during date night to drive her away. Especially not something as minor as talking about the wrong thing.

“Alright, then, I would like to discuss this nice tasting meal you prepared for me. It is enjoyable to eat. Did you make it yourself, or did you replicate it?”

“Part of it was replicated, the meat specifically. However, the vegetables are real, and I helped Neelix prepare them for tonight. They came out quite nice with me monitoring what they were putting in them.”

“Yes, they came out quite well. I imagine that many of his dishes could stand for someone to be watching what he was putting in them. Often they are so disgusting that they hardly aren’t even edible. The fact that he gets away with it is astonishing.”

“Yeah, well, he actually is good for morale. He cheers people up. More than that, we don’t have anyone else who wants to be the cook. Even if they did want to, it’s unlikely that we could spare the capacity.”

Seven looked up from her food, intrigued. She had been dying to ask this question for weeks now. “Why are you running on a skeleton crew? I looked in the database, it says that you should have at least 4 times the crew that you have on board. It seems bizarre that they would put such a small crew on such an important ship.”

“That’s sort of a long story. You see, we originally started as two separate crews. There was the Maquis and then the Voyager. However, the Voyager technically wasn’t supposed to be out of dry dock yet. It was finished and still being staffed. However, it was the only ship available to being sent out after the rebel Maquis crew. So, they sent them out with the bare minimum needed to run the ship. They believed that they would only be out there a few weeks. However, then the caretaker pulled the Maquis and the Voyager into the Delta quadrant, and we’ve been here ever since.”

Seven sipped lightly at her wine and processed what she had been just told. “So, you are telling me that this isn’t just a crew made up of individuals? But that it is also made up of two separate crews who were essentially enemies? How is it that you were able to reach an accord?”

Seven was leaning over the table in avid interest. Despite her misgivings about this so-called ‘date,’ it was turning out to be fascinating. She was learning so much and strengthening her romantic relationship at the same time. It seemed to be very efficient, and that pleased her a very great deal.

“See, Seven, that’s the mystery of humans. We were all trapped out here, and we knew that we had to work together if we wanted to get back. It was necessary for our survival. We all took our individual skills and pooled them. Then we made a plan for getting back to the Alpha Quadrant. It doesn’t always happen like this. Sometimes our issues are too much to resolve. When it matters, we can come together to do what we have to.”

“Even though I am now human or working on it. Human behavior absolutely fascinates me. Humans can overcome impossible odds. To achieve things that seem absolutely impossible.”

“Yes, I suppose we do. Well, are you finished?”

Seven glanced down and saw that she had almost finished every single bite and felt that she was pleasantly full. She nodded and handed the plate to B’Elanna to place back in the replicator.

“What are we supposed to do now? We have discussed and eaten. What other date activities would you like to engage in?”

B’Elanna tilted her head and then smiled. “I have a wonderful idea. You’ve been working on dancing, haven’t you?”

Seven nodded slowly. “The Doctor has been instructing me.”

“Well, how about we have a dance together. You can lead because you’re taller.”

“I don’t know if my skill is up to what you have in mind.” Suddenly Seven felt intensely flustered. The thought of being pressed tightly up against B’Elanna almost seemed like too much to bear. B’Elanna seemed to almost read her thoughts and smiled.

“That’s alright. Whatever you are capable of is going to be wonderful. Computer, play Waltz Composition Torres-14. May I have this dance?”

“Seven locked eyes with her and allowed herself to be pulled to her feet. She sighed as B’Elanna guided a single hand to her lower back and clasped the other. B’Elanna slowly pressed her entire body up against Seven’s, and Seven began to feel a bit short of breath.

“So, I step back, and you step forward. Then we step to the side. Then I go forward, and you go back and then to the side again. That way, no ground is lost, and no ground is gained. Around in circles forever and ever.”

B’Elanna guided her through the steps several times. Making sure that Seven was well versed in each one. Then they tried it a few times with the music.

B’Elanna couldn’t help the small smile that broke across her face. Seven was so focused that her brow was furrowed, her eyes fastened on the ground. B’Elanna took her hand out of Seven’s and used it to smooth a hand over her cheek. She pressed it gently to her face. Seven looked into her eyes and blushed deeply.

“You’re lovely.”

B’Elanna’s words only made the blush worse. Seven looked away shyly. B’Elanna smiled and continued to guide her through the steps. For several minutes they practiced slowly to the music before B’Elanna decided that she had enough practice.

“Alright. Let’s do this for real. Computer, restart audio.”

The music restarted, and B’Elanna allowed Seven to lead. Seven continued to focus on her steps, but after a few minutes, she had the hang of it. She quit looking at her feet and started looking at B’Elanna. Again, her breath caught. Seven was absolutely blown away by the sight that her girlfriend made. She couldn’t believe that B’Elanna was with her.

“This was a good idea. I’ve decided I like having dates with you.”

“Oh, with me? Does that mean you wouldn’t like dates with other people?” B’Elanna teased gently.

“I’ve not dated anyone else. However, I believe that the experience is enjoyable because it is you. I don’t think I would like it with anyone else. I would see it as a waste of time that could be done doing something else.”

“So, what’s different with us?” B’Elanna’s voice was unsure. She didn’t know if she was going to like the answer that Seven had to say.

“We are different because it does have value. You and I are working to strengthen our relationship. We aren’t just trying to pass the time with idle chatter or social interaction. We do this so that we might have future success in our romantic endeavors. That to me, means that they have great value. I wish to make it so that our relationships will be successful.”

B’Elanna smiled at her and reached her arms around her neck. She kissed her firmly on the lips and Seven hesitated but then pressed forward. For a few minutes, they stood there kissing, before B’Elanna pulled back.

“We need to stop or otherwise I am going to jump all over you.”

“I agree. I don’t believe that I am ready for that level of intimacy yet. However, I also don’t want this date to end. I have had such a good time with you. Is there anything else that we can embark on and spend a few more minutes together?”

B’Elanna thought for a moment. She also didn’t want the night to end. None of their dates had been nearly this good and she wanted to make sure it lasted. She wanted it to be a standout memory. However, the mess hall was loud and not suitable for dates. The holodecks were likely booked completely up.

“What about the hydroponics lab? On Earth a visit to a garden or a museum is a classic date night activity. We likely can’t get into the holodeck right now, but I imagine that right now the hydroponics lab is empty. We could go look at the flowers and talk about their cultivation.”

Seven tilted her head and contemplated it. Then she nodded in agreement. Truthfully, she had no great wish to visit the hydroponics lab. However, the thought of the long walk to, the visit itself and the long walk back adding more time was very satisfying. She didn’t care what they were doing, as long as B’Elanna as doing it with her.

B’Elanna took Seven’s hand and led her out of her quarters. She made sure to grip it firmly, although she wasn’t certain that Seven would understand. Many of the things humans did for affection seemed to baffle her. She didn’t understand hugs. Although she had picked up the purpose of kissing quite quickly. Apparently the more sensual or sexual an action was, the easier it was for her to understand.

It was the things that you did to express your feelings that she didn’t quite understand. Although, who could blame her. Humans were intensely complicated and Seven had spent most of her life.

B’Elanna was right. Seven didn’t understand what the purpose of holding hands was. However, she was willing to go along with it. If it was part of the courting rituals that she had missed or even just a quirk, Seven didn’t mind indulging her. Although Seven was finding that having a point of consistent contact was lovely.

Seven reached for another topic to speak about and couldn’t find much. Thankfully B’Elanna was much more experienced in the art of social conversation.

“So, you’ve been studying Vulcan poetry with Tuvok. How is that going? Are you enjoying the lessons or finding it intellectually stimulating?”

Seven sighed as she was able to carry on a conversation about something she understood. “Yes, I am enjoying his teaching. Tuvok’s take on Vulcan poetry has a number of classical elements but he has a perspective I believe is partially from being around humans so often. He has such interesting viewpoint on some of their beliefs and some of the issues talked about in Vulcan poetry.”

“I’m glad to hear that. It’s very human to have hobbies and interests. It’s part of what makes you unique as a person. Although you won’t find many aficionados of Vulcan poetry outside of the Vulcans themselves.”

“Yes, we spoke about that. He mentioned that he believed that it would be sensible for more Star Fleet Captains to pursue it as a study. He seems to believe that because most of the Captains are human, that they would benefit from studying something very alien. He thinks it would help with their skills as diplomats if they had to try and understand a very different medium from a very different culture.”

B’Elanna thought about some of the botched First Contacts that Voyager had and found that she agreed with Tuvok. Humans, on the whole, were very human centric and tended to think in primarily human terms. Although that was fine, for most of Star Fleet, Captains were held to a higher standard. Many of them likely would do well undertaking a study of Vulcan poetry. Between having to deal with the boredom that came with it and the obscure references they didn’t understand, it would be good training.

“It would make sense that he’d have ideas for how Captains could improve themselves. He was an instructor at the academy for many years. Although he struggled when he was instructing the Maquis crewmembers, he eventually figured it out.”

“I didn’t realize that he was an instructor. Are all Vulcans as good at teaching?”

B’Elanna thought back to her Astrophysics professor and snorted in derision. “Not a chance. In fact, I’d say that on the whole, they are horrible teachers. They have little to no concept about what other people are thinking or feeling. They also have no consideration for the fact that you have other things in your life beyond whatever they are teaching you.”

“Aren’t there human teachers like that as well?”

B’Elanna stepped into the hydroponics lab and considered it. She shrugged lightly not being able to disagree. “Yeah, but you’re more likely to have someone who at the very least admits you might have other classes. Most Vulcans are awful to take classes and studies from. You’re just lucky that you got someone who is so logical that he has to consider the other parts of your life. Otherwise, he might be insufferable. Here, these are the new flowers that are supposed to increase oxygen output from here.”

Seven inspected them and nodded. She didn’t know why she was doing either, but it seemed the way to go. More than that everyone in her life had been encouraging her to rely more on her instincts than anything else.

They lingered there looking at the plants for a few minutes but there wasn’t much to do there. Before Seven had a chance to say anything B’Elanna was taking her hand and leading her out of the hydroponics lab. Seven struggled for a way to say what she was feeling but came up short. B’Elanna seemed to be reading her mind though.

“I know that you want this date to go on and on forever. I want that too. I want to make this night last as long as possible. Yeah, either of us might get killed tomorrow while on duty. However, most likely we won’t, then we will have another date. That one might not be as good but it will be another chance to spend time with each other. Then we’ll have another, and another. Before you know it, we’ll have gone on dozens of dates. Some of them will have been good, some will have sucked. But each of them will have been with each other. I think I can say goodbye to you tonight, if that means I get more chances in the future.”

Seven gazed at her and sighed lightly. For a moment B’Elanna was surprised. It was such a human gesture. She could see that Seven didn’t want to part company and it gave her great strength of will. If she died tomorrow, B’Elanna would be able to die happy. She would be satisfied knowing that even if they hadn’t made it that far into their relationship, Seven was dedicated and wanted to be with her.

“I find myself upset at the thought of us not having any future dates for any reason. However, especially if that reason is your death. However, I can concede that eventually this date must end. Even if we were to spend the entire night together, eventually we would have to return to our duties and real life. I can concede the same thing as you, though. Your willingness to do this again gives me the discipline I need to tell you goodnight.”

B’Elanna smiled gently at her and continued to lead her back to her quarters. “How about this, a single drink, one more dance and then we’ll say goodnight?”

Seven gave her the barest hint of a smile in return and nodded in agreement. B’Elanna led her back into her quarters and to the table. She poured out two glasses of wine, the last of the wine in fact, and handed one to Seven. Seven took it and sipped lightly while sitting back down at the table. She took the chance to commit every part of B’Elanna’s face to memory. She wanted to remember this moment for the rest of her life.

They sipped lightly in silence, just enjoying each other’s company. There weren’t any words that needed spoken. They had already said everything that needed to be said and they would be able to part company with their relationship stronger than before.

After both of them finished their wine, with neither lingering, B’Elanna offered her hand to Seven. Seven took it and allowed B’Elanna to draw her to her feet. B’Elanna smiled gently at her.

“Just one more dance. Then we’ll have to wait until tomorrow to see each other again. The day might go slowly, but we can take comfort int the fact that it will happen. Now, dance with me. “Computer, restart earlier audio.”

B’Elanna once again guided her through the steps of the waltz. They waltzed together in silence enjoying their company and the time that they had together. B’Elanna laid her head on Seven’s shoulder and drew here even closer. For a time, they were a single entity split into two parts. Their hearts beat in sync, their breaths were breathed in at the exact same time and their movements were smooth and graceful.

Seven allowed the sheer contentment to fall over her. Oftentimes she had heard others speak about what it was like to be in love. The way that they felt when they were in their lovers presence. The sheer joy that it was to spend company with someone they loved, the way their hearts felt like they were full to bursting and the feeling that they could spend literal hours together and it would never be too much. She had always believed that it was sentimental, overexaggerated tripe.

Now, she knew that that wasn’t true. She could spend and eternity in B’Elanna’s arms and never tire. She could waltz with her until they both perished and it would ultimately satisfy her. She had never known a feeling this deep.

In B’Elanna’s head there were similar thoughts. About all of her failed relationships. Everything that she had lost and gained over the years. How she had never believed that she would ever find someone that could love the Klingon and Human parts of her. Yet, here that someone was. Waltzing with her and not wanting to say goodnight. It was all that she had ever wanted.

For a time, they would waltz. Eventually the audio would end and they would split. After that they would say their goodnights, Seven would return to her alcove and they would spend the time away from each other. They would spend most of the next day thinking about the other. With the exception of those times where their work would temporarily draw their attention away from their thoughts. Then they would do their best to find any excuse to go and see each other.

However, that wasn’t what was happening right then. For these few moments they were with each other and there was no one else in the world. They had no concerns beyond this dance and beyond the other. They would remain locked in that waltz until the real world called for them. After it did call for them, they would part company reluctantly. However, they would always be thinking about the other.

#star trek voyager #secret santa #writing #seven of nine #b'elanna torres #seven of nine/b'elanna torres #fluff #dating #dates #established relationship #developing relationship

17 notes · View notes

cicada-bones · 4 years

Text

The Warrior and the Embers

Chapter 24: Chocolate, Training, Warning, Crowns

Masterlist / Ao3 / Previous Chapter / Next Chapter

Aelin was growing increasingly irritated by being trapped in his rooms, snapping at him more readily with each passing minute. But even so, her protests were without much heat.

No matter how much it infuriated her, she understood why he wasn’t letting her roam free through the fortress, and she was in enough pain to accept his assistance. To be frank, Rowan wouldn’t be entirely surprised to find out that she secretly was enjoying the attention, beneath all of her exasperated assertions that she was able to take care of herself, thank-you-very-much.

Or maybe he just thought that because he wanted her to be.

The morning of their final day in paired confinement dawned cold and misty, as always. Rowan awoke before Aelin, and was already sitting at his worktable, looking out through the foggy window over the fortress grounds while a pot of ginger tea brewed on his desk.

He’d just started the slow process of sharpening his blades when Aelin began to stir. After a few moments of rustling blankets, she turned over and asked, “How many days has it been since Beltane, Rowan?”

“Today is the third.”

“Huh.” She sat up on the bed, her bones cracking as she stretched. “Today is my birthday. I’m nineteen.” Her voice was slow and gravelly, still filled with sleep. “Huh. Nineteen.”

Rowan turned to face her. “Happy Birthday.”

“Thanks.” A small smile.

Rowan poured a cup of tea and handed it over to her, saying, “I was waiting for you to wake up before I went and got breakfast.”

She nodded at him, already sipping at her tea, and he left.

It was later than usual, and the halls were decently empty – most demi-Fae having already started their day. He found Emrys pulling a tray of bread loaves from the oven, while Malakai stood nearby, hastily eating a bowl of steaming stew. Luca was already gone for the day, off on sentry duty.

Rowan nodded a greeting to the two males, and began collecting some food for their breakfasts. He paid more attention to what he chose this time however, passing over dishes that seemed more lackluster. He figured it might be nice for Aelin to have a better breakfast than usual.

As he was pulling a few slices of soft white bread onto the tray, alongside a bowl of fresh red summer berries, Malakai cut through his train of thought. “Prince Rowan, I was actually just about to go up to see you.”

Rowan looked up to see a shadow pass over Malakai’s face.

“Another body was found in the night, just received word this morning.” Malakai sighed, “That makes the sixth.”

Rowan’s jaw tightened.

“So far, it seems as though it’s following all of the usual patterns. Dumped near water, drained of all life, blood at the mouth and ears. But I suppose you’d like to confirm for yourself?”

Rowan just nodded, and Malakai described its exact location – to the northwest, closer to the southern hills than any other since the first body they had discovered. Rowan gathered up his tray of food, making to leave, but before he could, Malakai interrupted him.

“Did – did Head Healer Namonora speak to you about her findings?” he asked, only a small hesitation in his voice.

Rowan pursed his lips. “Yes.”

“And…what do you think of her views?”

Rowan sighed, his mouth twisting into a wry frown. “I don’t know. Did she tell you about Paynor?”

“Yes, and her suspicions that the creatures are one and the same. And…there’s all this talk of an impending invasion from Adarlan…that Wendlyn is on the verge of attack…”

Emrys spoke up from his place by the fire, “…Are the rumors true, Prince? Have you heard anything? Should we be worried?”

Rowan breathed deep and said, “I don’t know of anything that’s worth repeating. If Adarlan is moving to attack, I doubt Mistward – or any of the other demi-Fae strongholds, for that matter – will be affected without ample time to prepare beforehand. Adarlan may be readying to make its move, and if they break Wendlyn’s front lines, we must then be prepared. But it’s useless to worry beforehand.”

He turned back to face Malakai. “And as for Namonora’s speculations – while I can’t discount them, I’m not sure its worth our time to pay them much heed. There just isn’t enough evidence either way. No matter how infuriating, we must wait, until either the killings stop, the creature is apprehended and destroyed, or new evidence comes to light. There are no other options.”

The two males seemed almost taken aback by the speech, and they just nodded blankly at Rowan as he inclined his head and turned to leave, already preparing for his argument with the princess when she inevitably demanded that he take her with him to visit the body.

Rowan almost had to lock Aelin up in his rooms in order to leave without her following along after him.

Eventually she acquiesced, and teased him by saying that some time alone was enough of a birthday present that she would allow it. He just raised his eyebrows at her.

The body was exactly as Malakai said, a lifeless husk, carelessly dumped near a stream, blood at the mouth, nose, and ears. This time, Rowan burned the corpse on his own, the embers dull and lifeless compared to Aelin’s.

On his way back to the fortress, Rowan passed by the village from before, and decided to make a stop. They didn’t know anything of course, but at least they spoke to him, accepting the gold and silver that rattled in his pockets as enough of a reward for the chore of speaking to such a strange and powerful Fae.

Rowan even grabbed the box of chocolates Aelin liked from the confectionary on his way out, remembering how she had enjoyed them before.

When he handed them over to her an hour or so later, he claimed to be insulted that she considered his absence a proper birthday present. She laughed lightly, popping the chocolates into her mouth one after another, as if they were nuts, or sunflower seeds. Rowan had to hold in a shudder.

She tried to embrace him to show her thanks, but he shrugged her off, saying it was nothing. But that evening, while he was studying a message from Vaughn, she snuck up behind him and landed a soft kiss on his cheek. And he didn’t know why, but he let her.

Even so, he grimaced and snarled at the princess, rubbing at the scorching mark she had left on his face. Aelin only laughed and spun back onto the bed, content in her victory.

Rowan hid a grin.

···

The next day, Rowan led Aelin west, away from their usual trek up to the temple ruins and instead towards a convenient clearing he knew lay a mile or so away from the fortress.

Beltane had been a disaster, but still, she had mastered that part of her self-control, and was now ready to progress to the next step of her training. Rowan was almost excited. No more sitting, no more waiting. Aelin had been trained as a warrior, and now Rowan would be putting that to the test.

They stood across from each other, Aelin already sunk into a defensive position, a gleam in her eye. Rowan didn’t know how much she had already guessed about what was about to occur, but obviously she knew that she wasn’t going to be just lighting candles anymore.

“Your magic lacks shape,” Rowan said, “And because it has no shape, you have little control. As a form of attack, a fireball or wave of flame is useful, yes. But if you are engaging a skilled combatant – if you want to be able to use your power – then you have to learn to fight with it.”

Aelin groaned, but that gleam in her eye only brightened.

Rowan’s voice sharpened. “But you have one advantage that many magic-wielders do not: you already know how to fight with weapons.”

The corners of Aelin’s lips twitched. “First chocolates on my birthday, now an actual compliment?”

Rowan’s eyes narrowed. The more you talk, the more I’m going to make you pay in a moment.

Her smile widened. Apologies, master. I am yours to instruct.

Brat.

Rowan jerked his chin at her. “Your fire can take whatever form you wish – the only limit being your imagination. And considering your upbringing, should you go on the offensive – ”

“You want me to make a sword out of fire?”

“Arrows, daggers – you direct the power. Visualize it, and use it as you would a mortal weapon.”

She swallowed.

He smirked. Afraid to play with fire, Princess?

You won’t be happy if I singe your eyebrows off.

Try me. “When you trained as an assassin, what was the first thing you learned?”

“How to defend myself.”

Rowan hid a grin of satisfaction. “Good.”

···

Barely an hour had passed, and yet Aelin was acting as though she were ready to drop. Sweat coated her limbs, her breaths were ragged in her throat, and her eyes were slightly glazed.

Rowan sent another ice dagger towards her left arm, and it left a small graze of red behind before disappearing into the mossy foliage. Aelin snarled, more out of annoyance than pain.

He had thrown dagger after dagger her way, and yet she had not yet managed to conjure a shield even once. There were occasional flickers of flame, but they were always too far to the right or left, and far too insubstantial to do anything to his ice. And Rowan needed her to conjure a shield, not a wall, or a wave – a small, controlled shield. Strong enough to melt the daggers into nothing. Only then would he stop his assault.

But it didn’t seem to matter that dried blood streaked Aelin’s cheeks and arms, didn’t matter that fury was coursing through her blood. It was as it always was with Aelin – she wasn’t ever properly motivated by her own pain or anger or frustration. And her mental cage remained strong. Rowan held in a curse.

“Try harder,” he snarled.

“I am trying,” she snapped, rolling aside as he sent two gleaming ice daggers at her head.

Rowan growled. “You’re acting like you’re on the verge of a burnout.”

“Maybe I am.”

“If you believe for one moment that you’re close to a burnout after an hour of practicing – ”

“It happened that quickly on Beltane.”

“That was not the end of your power.” Rowan prepared the next blade, letting it hover in wait beside his head. “You fell into the lure of the magic and let it do what it wanted – let it consume you. Had you kept your head, you could have had those fires burning for weeks – months.”

Her face was cold. “No.”

His nostrils flared. “I knew it. You wanted your power to be insignificant – you were relieved when you thought that was all you had.”

Rowan flung the dagger towards her, then the next, and the next. All the while wondering how he could help her escape those iron bars, borne of fear and self-hatred.

In the beginning, he had thought his task would be to teach a coward to face her fears, but he couldn’t have been farther from the truth. Aelin was as far from a coward as anyone he had met. No, his task was to help this woman learn to accept her own identity. And he had absolutely no idea how to do that.

Perhaps Namonora was right, and she never would. The thought sent a wave of revulsion through him. No. He couldn’t bear it.

Rowan sent another dagger towards the princess, but this time instead of dodging, she raised her arm, eyes flaming with intensity.

But nothing appeared, and she cursed so loudly in pain and fury that the birds overhead stilled their twittering. Rowan grimaced.

“Stop hitting me! I get the point!” Aelin yelled, grasping her arm as blood welled beneath her tunic.

Rowan just hardened, and sent another dagger. And another. Aelin dodged efficiently, swooping and ducking, all while clutching her injured arm. She gritted her teeth, swearing viciously at him. Rowan sent another dagger, leaving a shallow scrape across her cheekbone.

Aelin hissed, her eyes bright.

And then something shifted. Aelin sighed, relaxing her stiff muscles and her power rallied, focusing from a haze of smoke and flame into malleable bright-white steel within her.

And when Rowan sent another dagger past her right side, it vanished with a hiss of steam. Striking right into the heart of a shield of deep red, a flame as compact as any armor.

Rowan smiled. “We’re done for today. Go eat something.”

Aelin slowly looked up from her right arm, her eyes wide with wonder and triumph. “No. Again.”

···

A few more days passed, and Aelin returned to her usual fiery, arrogant self. But Rowan didn’t kick her out of his rooms, or ask her to get that cot. He didn’t really even bother giving himself any excuses.

He woke up each morning with her scent on his tongue, and the golden wash of her hair before his eyes. And she didn’t seem to have any inclination to alter their arrangement, either. Though perhaps that was because she thought her only other option was to go back to the shithole she’d been forced to sleep in before.

Either way, the bed arrangements stood. And Rowan, against his better judgement, had no intention of changing them.

In the afternoons, he had Aelin making shields of various sizes and temperatures, some large enough to protect an entire regiment and a blazing sapphire blue, others as small as a thimble and a pale gold.

Yet even after days of practicing, her wildfire burned hot. No end in sight.

Rowan couldn’t help but wondering at the force contained within the female. Speculating about how it could be molded, and used in battle. Rowan knew power, had fought whole armies alongside his fellow blood-sworn. He was familiar with its reach, and its limitations.

But Aelin…she was an army unto herself. Or she would be.

Rowan almost understood Aelin’s fears, understood why she might limit herself. Such power was a burden. He could understand not wanting it. To be free of those obligations.

So she had become Celaena, not only out of necessity, but as an escape. From the royal trap she had been born into. Hadn’t Rowan done the very same? Become blood sworn to Maeve, to escape his own demons? To serve a new purpose?

And when he was younger, he had done all he could to make others comfortable in his presence, had gone out of his way to suppress his power. Constant social negotiation. And he had hated it, just as Aelin seemed to.

So no matter how much it frustrated him, her mental cage, Rowan understood it.

Even so, over the past few days, she had progressed quickly, almost too quickly. Her control was improving, as well as her speed and agility. She was quicker, her reactions more fluid and natural.

She could now conjure various blades and weapons, all compact and focused, and she could completely shield against his attacks over half the time. Yesterday, Aelin had even managed to hold multiple defenses fast against constant assault for nearly fifteen minutes, and she could encircle the entire clearing in her flames and hold them burning for over an hour without a break.

It was insanely quick progress, especially considering how slow it had been to start. So when he felt Aelin leave their rooms before dawn for the fourth morning in a row, Rowan followed her. Before, he had assumed that she was leaving early to help in the kitchens, but her scent lead down the stairs, through the courtyard and out over the grounds.

Rowan shifted, and flew out over the courtyard and the exterior wall of the fortress, thinking to check the nearby grounds for the princess. But he didn’t have to look any farther.

Aelin was standing on the other side of the wyrd-stone gate, fighting with herself.

Her flames had become gloriously varied, golds and reds and oranges, and with each kick of flames, each swipe of her arms, the power rushed forwards only to bounce back off the wards, forcing her to dodge and swoop and shield.

Her movements were sure, and strong. The dance of the assassin she had been.

Rowan shook his head. Her master had been a monster, but he had trained her thoroughly. Aelin seamlessly melded her training as a warrior with her new lessons in governing her power, and was turning herself into a powerful magic-user. A true heir of fire.

Rowan swooped down beside the sentries along the battlement wall, and shifted back into his Fae form. To their credit, they hardly jumped, though a tang of fear still washed over him, marking the air with copper.

Even after all these weeks, he was still feared by residents of the fortress. Rowan held in a frown of discomfort.

“How long has she been down there?”

“An hour, Prince,” one said, watching the flashing flames below.

“For how many mornings in a row?”

“This is the fourth, Prince,” the same sentry replied.

Rowan looked back down towards the princess, just as a dagger of flame flew from her hand and towards the invisible barrier, as if racing for the head of an opponent. A warrior on a battlefield.

“I’ve never seen anyone … fight like that,” the sentry said. It was a question, but Rowan didn’t bother to answer. It wasn’t their business, and he wasn’t entirely certain if his queen would be pleased with the demi-Fae learning to use their powers in such a way. Though he fully planned to tell Lorcan, if only to see whether they could use it in their training.

Aelin moved from throwing weapons to hand-to-hand combat: a punch of power, a sweeping kick of flame. She ducked and flipped and twisted, relentless, raging, and –

She swore with her usual color as the wall sent the punch of ruby flame back at her. She managed to shield, but still got knocked on her ass. Yet none of the sentries laughed.

Rowan didn’t know if it was because of his presence or because of her. He got his answer a heartbeat later, as he waited for her to shout or shriek or walk away. But the princess just slowly got to her feet, not bothering to brush off the dirt and leaves, and kept practicing.

After a few minutes, a messenger appeared bearing a letter for Rowan, and so he turned away from the fire-wielder and headed back for his rooms.

He opened it absentmindedly, still thinking of Aelin’s unexpected resourcefulness, but as he started reading all his thoughts drained away, and were replaced by a familiar, roiling irritation.

Fenrys was evidently still starving for attention, only this time, he came bearing news. Of an infuriating sort.

Rowan –

I hope everything’s alright with you, training going well, oh yes I’m doing absolutely fine thank you for asking, just loving it here trapped with my brother and a surprisingly moody Gavriel, really enjoying myself, glad to know you’re having fun with the princess – oh you’re not? You’re actually just the same old brooding bastard you’ve always been and are not in any way appreciating the many benefits of being hundreds of miles away from Doranelle, in close quarters with a beautiful young female who you happen to spend almost every waking minute with? Oh? Oh? Now I’m remembering why I don’t like you very much.

Anyways, glad that’s out of the way.

Remelle and co. are on their way to Mistward.

Yeah. You’re expected to play host. Maeve officially sent her, along with Essar and Benson (that absolute ass from that cotillion a few years ago? Remember?) to meet Vaughn and play diplomat somewhere to the southwest, but they are also going to pass through the fortress on their way and ‘check in.’ They should be arriving only barely behind this letter – they left Doranelle this morning.

Also, Remelle has made herself very…present, lately. Always about the castle, asking pointed questions. I don’t really know what to make of Maeve deciding to send her, maybe she just wants to get under your skin.

And I don’t know whether Maeve decided to inform her of your purpose at Mistward, but I doubt it. Aelin Galathynius is too charged a title to throw around with ease, and especially not in the presence of that particular lady. Remelle isn’t exactly known to keep things to herself.

But other than that, I don’t have anything concrete to report. Except for the suspicions, that I’m sure you share, about the selection of these particular individuals for this visit. My speculations, however, are somewhat worthless compared to yours. You are much more familiar with the people involved. Or at least one of them. Quite familiar.

One might even say…intimately familiar.

To be honest I just wish I could be there to see how this plays out.

Good luck, I guess –

Fenrys

Rowan took a breath through his teeth. Remelle.

She had been a mistake, a stupid one. And he had been paying for it for nearly a century now.

Rowan had never thought that he would be one to succumb to the failings of his own vanity, but oh, he had. Remelle had showered him with her relentless attention and spiky cynicism, and – he unwillingly admitted to himself – she had been a warm, attractive body in the right place at the right time.

He had ended the affair after a season or so, but she never seemed to give up. At every gathering, every opportunity, she would be at his elbows, or sending him carefully crafted looks from across the room.

Rowan usually avoided the female at all costs. And most of the time he was successful: with his position, he could avoid most social engagements, and technically, he outranked her. Which made things a bit easier. For him. For her, Rowan was sure that it just turned him into an enticing challenge, something to fill the endless time with.

And now she was on her way to Mistward, where he had no chance of avoiding her. Alongside Essar and Benson. A merry group of nobles, come to scout out the warrior among the demi-Fae.

Come to spy.

For that was what Fenrys had left unsaid. There was no other reasonable explanation. Why else would you send three noble Fae, one who could master any language or accent she heard, another who could become invisible, and a fire-wielder?

Maeve had sent them to spy, the only question was, what did she want them to discover? Was Mistward actually a diversion from their true objective, or was their visit here their actual purpose? Was Maeve getting impatient? Did she seek information about Aelin’s progress? Or was Rowan just being paranoid because of his desire to keep his relationship with the girl out of Maeve’s view?

Rowan didn’t know.

Either way, he still had to deal with them. And if the letter was correct, they should be arriving later that very day. Rowan failed to hide a groan of exasperation.

They would need rooms for the night. Mistward was full to the brim, a few demi-Fae would probably have to be kicked out for the night. And Rowan would have to prepare Emrys, the nobles would be expecting a formal meal.

Ungh. A formal dinner.

Rowan wasn’t sure how he would be able to face it. Not without it ending in bloodshed. Well, at least he might not have to face it alone. He could bring Aelin with him – whether they knew it or not, she certainly was high-ranked enough. And if he was right, and they were here to spy…then it would be all the easier to keep watch over her if she was at his side.

Rowan sighed, and turned to head towards the kitchens to speak with Emrys.

···

“What’s your favorite food?” Aelin was lounging on a boulder in a pillar of sunlight, soaking it up like a lizard or a snake. She chucked a nut in the air and caught it in her mouth.

He had decided to take it easy that afternoon, to give her a break, in order to work up to asking her to help him this evening.

Rowan frowned. “Whatever keeps me alive at the moment,” he said, forearms braced on his knees, looking out over the rippling valley below. Searching for the horses and guards that would mark the imminent arrival of the Fae royals.

She clicked her tongue. “Could you be any more of an animal?”

He slid a glance in her direction, lifting a brow and saying, You remember what my other form is, don’t you?

When she only scowled, he sighed. “There’s a street vendor in Doranelle who sells meat on a stick.”

“Meat on a stick.” Aelin fought a grin.

“And I suppose yours is some confection or useless bit of sugar.”

“Sweets aren’t useless. And yes. I’d crawl over hot coals for a piece of chocolate hazelnut cake right now.”

Rowan glared at her. “What good could that possibly be for keeping your body strong? With your magic, you’d burn through it and be hungry again within half an hour.”

She plopped herself up on her elbows. “Your priorities are obscenely out of order. Not all food is for survival and strength-building. You didn’t even try one of the chocolates from that town. I guarantee the moment you do every time I turn my back, you’ll be shoveling them down.”

Aelin seemed to be fighting a laugh, and Rowan was about to say that maybe she didn’t actually deserve an afternoon off, when she quickly asked, “Favorite color?”

Rowan only hesitated a moment before saying, “Green.”

“I’m surprised you actually know.”

Rowan narrowed his eyes at her, but the teasing glint in her eyes only brightened. “What’s yours?”

“For a while, I made myself believe it was blue. But – it’s always been red. You probably know why.”

Rowan made an afﬁrmative sound.

Aelin lay down and raised a hand above her, threading a line of ﬁre through her ﬁngers. She plaited it between her knuckles, then snaked it down her palm, until it curled around her wrist, twining and slithering along her skin.

“Good,” Rowan said. “Your control is improving.”

“Mmhmm.” She lifted her other hand, and rings of ﬂame encircled her ﬁngers. She set to work on carving the ﬂames, forging them into individual patterns. Jewelry for the princess of fire.

“Try it on me,” Rowan said. She turned her head and frowned at him. “Do it.”

Rowan felt a delicious heat waft down his neck and shoulders as flames began to appear atop his head, twirling and crackling with power. Aelin’s gaze was focused on the space just above him, a little crinkle appearing between her eyes as she focused on stream of magic.

She was making him a crown of flames, and even as she worked on refining the details, the jewelry on her fingers and wrists didn’t shift or flicker, still burning brightly despite the shift in her focus.

“Bold move,” Rowan said. “One that doesn’t have much space for error.”

“I’m surprised you’re not encasing your head in ice.”

“I trust you,” he said quietly, and she looked up sharply, meeting his gaze with questioning eyes.

“And now one for you,” he said, and Aelin’s expression shifted to one of delight as a crown of ice began to take shape in the space between them, delicate spikes rising high. Rowan lifted it between his fingers and placed it on her brow.

For a moment, they smiled at each other, the Prince of Ice and the Heir of Fire, but then Aelin’s face fell, her flames vanished, and her scent filled with grief. She stood and turned towards the ridge, her arms wrapping around herself.

For a moment, Rowan was confused. But then – understanding. He had made her a crown. A crown.

With a flicker of thought, Rowan melted the headpiece and it dissolved into mist on the mountain wind. Rowan sighed and began to approach her side. “We’re going to have visitors tonight,” he said.

“Should I be concerned?”

“I – I need your help.”

Aelin’s face brightened somewhat. “Ah. So that’s why you let me have an afternoon of peace.” He snarled, but she just lifted a brow. “Will I finally be meeting your mysterious friends?”

The words came stiffly. “No. They’re Fae nobility, passing through the area. They requested a place to stay for the night, and will arrive around sunset. Emrys is making them dinner, and I am expected to…entertain them.”

There was a heavy pause. “Oh. no. No.”

“They will not condescend to dine with the demi-Fae, and – ”

“I’m even less acceptable than a demi-Fae!”

“ – if I have to play host to them all evening, it will likely end in bloodshed.”

She blinked. “Not favorites of yours?”

“They’re typical nobility. Not trained warriors. They expect to be treated a certain way.”

“So? You’re in Maeve’s little cabal. And you’re a prince to boot. Don’t you outrank them?”

“Technically, but there are politics to consider. Especially when they’ll be reporting to Maeve.”

She groaned. “So what – I’m supposed to play hostess?”

Her face was about as miserable as his. “No. Just – help me deal with them.”

She pursed her lips, but thankfully, she seemed to be coming around. “And what am I going to get out of it?”

Rowan clenched his jaw, and he honestly considered saying that he wouldn’t kick her ass, but instead, he sighed and said, “I’ll ﬁnd you a chocolate hazelnut cake.”

“No.” Rowan raised his brows, and she threw a wicked smile at him. “You’ll just owe me. A favor that I can call in whenever I please.”

He sighed again, lifting his gaze skyward. If he lived through the next few hours, he would honestly be surprised. “Just look presentable at sundown.”

···

Masterlist / Ao3 / Previous Chapter / Next Chapter

#tog #throne of glass #rowaelin #rowan pov #the warrior and the embers

38 notes · View notes

basket-of-epiphanies · 3 years

Text

tyyyy @gusu-emilu for the tag!!! please keep these coming because i love talking about myself

My AO3 is half_right_writer

fandoms

i can’t possibly list all the fandoms i’ve ever been in, but the ones i’ve written for are cql, marvel, star wars and star trek! most of those are super old mind you, the only recent fics i have are cql and maybe a couple star wars

where you post

AO3, but sometimes i promote my fics on tumblr