#it's one i would happily write more for someday

[kanerallels]

For my 501st follower celebration from this ask, a fic for @ladywren7! Au #73, the Time Travel Au. Rated G, with major character death implied

The first time it happened, he didn’t really understand.

One minute, he was on the bridge of the Chimaera, facing off with Thrawn. Or, rather, he was defeating Thrawn. And launching himself into the unknown with a ship full of enemies and a handful of purrgil as backup.

Generally speaking, it wasn’t Ezra’s best idea.

But it was the only one he had. It was the only way out for his home. Sometimes, you had to make the sacrifice. Like Kanan had taught him.

So he’d done it. And as hyperspace had rushed to meet them he felt this awful twist, and—

He reeled backwards, his head spinning. Every bone in his body hurt, like he’d been shoved into a small space he didn’t really fit in. Stumbling backwards a little, he caught himself on the low wall behind him and gasped for breath. Ow. What just— wait.

As he blinked the spots out of his vision, Ezra registered the familiarity of his surroundings. He wasn’t on the Chimaera any more. He was on a rooftop in Lothal.

What? Frowning, Ezra cautiously stepped forward, looking around. There was something strangely familiar about this particular rooftop, like he knew it somehow. Is this real? Or is it just a Force vision? He was too familiar with those to totally rule that possibility out. Swiping his hair out of his eyes, he started towards the roof’s edge— and then froze again.

His hair. His hair was supposed to be short. Cut close to his scalp.

So why was it long enough to brush his jawline? Like he hadn’t had a haircut in months. Like… when he’d first met the crew.

No way, Ezra thought. That’s impossible. But he remembered how he’d rescued Ahsoka, and how the hyperspace jump had felt, like he was being shoved into a too small space.

Or… a too small body?

Reaching up, he touched his cheek where the two scars from the Inquisitor’s lightsaber were. But his fingers met only smooth skin. Oh, crap. Does that mean—

Taking a step forward, he peered over the edge of the roof— and saw the ponytailed figure of Kanan Jarrus. His dead master. Looking years younger than the last time Ezra had seen him.

This was the day he’d first met him. Somehow, Ezra had wound up in the past.

He did his best to keep up after that. Followed along with events similarly to how they’d gone the first time through. But it was so much harder to just toss Kanan a snarky salute and zip out of there, instead of hurling himself into his master’s arms. His master, who he missed so much.

Still, Kanan didn’t remember him— Ezra’s prevailing theory was that only people on the Chimaera, or possibly only him and Thrawn, since they’d been most directly involved with the purrgil, could remember what happened— so he played along. Pretended like his heart didn’t leap with joy at the sight of Sabine, and Hera, and Zeb. Force, he was even glad to see Chopper.

He stuck to the timeline as long as he could.

And then, he didn’t any more. Ezra figured he was here for a reason. It was his job to figure out that reason, and help as many people as possible.

So he saved lives. He helped them evade the Grand Inquisitor, and Gall  Trayvis. He tried to save Kanan at the comm tower— but his master wouldn’t leave. Ezra reluctantly let him, knowing they’d get him back. And they did.

He managed to prevent Minister Tua from dying, and got the Rebellion important intel. He played mediator on Seelos and kept them out of the way of the two new Inquisitors. When the question of a base came up, Ezra nudged them towards the planet where Chopper picked up AP-5.

He hadn’t been sure if it was the right idea. But when they made it to Malachor, and he ran into Maul again, Ezra let him come with. But when Kanan voiced doubts, he made sure his master knew he agreed. “Just stay out of his way,” Ezra begged him. “Be careful, okay? Trust that I can keep myself out of danger.”

A confused Kanan had agreed— and somehow, made it out with his eyesight intact. Ezra breathed a sigh of relief. The months between Malachor and Kanan’s return had hurt, and he knew it would still hurt, even knowing what he did.

Things had gotten… a little confusing at that point.

Mainly because Ahsoka made it out alive.

And Ezra was pretty sure that was something he did.

So he did a little casual snooping, while Kanan and Hera reunited, and everyone else tried to figure out what was next. And it turned out that the Ahsoka who was here? This wasn’t the Ahsoka who’d been fighting with them the past few months.

This was the Ahsoka from Ezra’s timeline. And she had her memories, same as him.

She still needed a little catching up, but it was nice to have someone else who knew what was going on.

Unfortunately, there was someone else who knew what was going on. Sort of. And he showed up right on time, in all his red-eyed, blue-skinned glory. Thrawn had his memories, same as Ezra. But he seemed to be playing it safe, just to see what Ezra would do.

So Ezra kept going, kept saving people. He handled Maul, made sure Sabine found the darksaber, supported her through that. (And still teased her a little. This was the one area he was better at something than her— was he supposed to resist it?)

And when Thrawn’s fleet found Atollon, Ezra was ready. He made sure everyone escaped safely, even Commander Sato. And when the crew, plus Kallus, made it out, he let out a sigh of relief. Maybe this could be better this time.

But then. Lothal came. Hera still ran the blockade, the Rebellion still refused any real help until the last minute, and Pryce still caught Hera. 

Ezra did everything in his power to convince Kanan to stay. But his master wasn’t about to let the woman he loved be in danger and do nothing.

So, for the second time, Ezra lost his master. And despite everything, despite all his frantic working and planning, he still wound up on the bridge of a Star Destroyer. Just him, Thrawn, and the purrgil.

But then he woke up as Kanan helped him and the crate of blasters onto the Ghost. And that was when Ezra realized it.

He was stuck in a time loop. This wasn’t a second chance. This was a “get it right and you get your second chance, otherwise you’re stuck reliving this over and over again”.

So Ezra went to work.

It didn’t really go as planned. For one thing, Thrawn seemed to have put this together, too. And he had decided to hound Ezra as long and hard as he could, ruining every plan he could. But Ezra was stubborn, too. He would go through this loop as many times as he had to— a loop that he quickly became aware was growing smaller with every go round. Every time he woke up, time had passed since his previous awakening— in order to get it right.

He grew bolder. Prevented bigger things, or at least he tried to. Some things seemed to be a fifty-fifty chance, like Kanan going blind. He got rid of Inquisitors and… well, he tried to get rid of Maul. He seemed to be pretty consistent, though.

But Thrawn kept throwing bigger things at him— more Inquisitors, more troops, more everything. And Ezra was finding it hard to keep up on his own.

And then he did something that he hadn’t tried before. He brought someone else into the time loop with him.

~~~

Sabine knew what Ezra was planning. She’d seen the look in his eyes, and knew the odds just as well as he had. So she’d let him go.

And about five minutes later she’d regretted it.

And so, somehow— she still wasn’t quite sure how— she’d snuck onto the Chimaera after him. She’d made it onto the bridge just as the purrgil showed up, which she hadn’t expected. But Ezra had this really bad habit of making plans and then refusing to share them with others, so it wasn’t really her fault.

Diving under a tentacle, she pushed her way into the bridge, where Ezra had Thrawn pinned. Around them, Sabine could feel the thrumming in the air that was the Force— and something else, as the tentacles surrounding them flashed.

We’re about to jump to hyperspace.

This was his plan?

Ezra was saying something as she moved out into the open. A stormtrooper moved towards her, and Sabine shot him before he could take another step. The sound of blaster fire caught Ezra’s attention, and he looked towards her. His eyes went wide with horror. “Sabine?”

And then they made the jump and everything hurt, in a way that was Wrong. Sabine stumbled backwards, smacking into something. Her stomach churned, and she clenched her teeth, eyes squeezing shut. Don’t be sick. Don’t be.

The turmoil swirling around them seemed to still as Ezra’s voice came again, this time closer. “Oh, boy. Uh, Sabine? Are you okay?”

“Fine,” Sabine mumbled, taking a deep breath. Opening her eyes, she said, “That plan was— AHHH!”

Letting out a very undignified yelp, she leapt backwards from Ezra Bridger. But it wasn’t her Ezra. It looked more like Ezra when they’d first met him— long hair, scruffy clothes and an overall scrawny look. “What the kriff?” she demanded.

“Don’t panic,” Ezra said, holding up his hands. “It’s okay— we just went back in time a little bit.”

“We WHAT? How? Wait, what color’s my hair?”

“Orange and blue,” Ezra told her. “I think this is… right after Zeb and I stole that TIE fighter?”

Sabine rubbed at her face as she blearily took in their surroundings. They were in the Ghost kitchen— but it looked different. Some of the paintings she’d done on the wall were gone, as were some of Kanan’s newer implements. This can’t be happening.

But she took another look at the much shorter Ezra, who was gazing at her earnestly, and knew it was.

“What. Just happened,” she said, propping her hands on her hips. “Particularly how and why, too.”

Clearing his throat, Ezra said, “So, in coming on the bridge of the Chimaera— like I specifically told you not to—”

“You did no such thing. Also, since when do I listen to you?”

“Fair. Well, when you did that, you kinda got yourself… caught in a time loop with me?”

Sabine’s eyebrows shot up. “What?”

“I’ve been reliving my time with the crew repeatedly,” Ezra said matter of factly. Then he frowned. “Well, kinda. Some parts seem to kinda get skipped over. Like, I’ll go to sleep and you and Ketsu’s mission already happened when I woke up, and I was there. Some things are on autoplay, I guess. But other things aren’t, which is where I change stuff.”

Rubbing her face with one hand, Sabine said, “Okay, let me get this straight. You’ve been time looping your way through the past four years, and changing stuff?”

“Trying to,” Ezra said. The expression that flashed across his face was far, far too old for a fourteen year old to be wearing. Although Sabine supposed he wasn’t technically fourteen.

“Okay,” she said slowly. “It’s because of the purrgil, I’m guessing?”

“Yeah, but Thrawn and I seem to be the only ones who remember anything,” Ezra said with a frown. “Well, except Ahsoka.”

“Ahsoka?”

“Yeah, she… long story short, she gets her memories of the original timeline back on Malachor.”

Sabine lifted her eyebrow at him. “What’s the long story?”

“Really, really long,” Ezra said. “But I’ll tell you someday.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” Sabine told him. Starting to pace back and forth, she said, “Okay. So you’ve been changing stuff. Like what?”

“Well, for one, Ahsoka doesn’t always come back with us from Malachor,” Ezra said. “For another… we lose people. Commander Sato, some of the others. I’ve tried to save him in as many loops as possible. In— in some of them, I even kept Kanan from getting blinded.”

The catch in his voice was obvious, and Sabine felt an internal pang at the memory of how much both he and Kanan had been through during those six months. But that hadn’t been the first time he’d handled that.

“Ezra— how many times have you done this loop?”

Ezra’s gaze flicked downwards, and his voice held a note of forced casualness as he said, “Oh, like eighty-six or so.”

“EIGHTY-SIX?”

“SSSSH! The others will hear you!” Ezra hissed. “But… yeah. Not all of them were the full loop, though. Turns out that when you die, the time loop resets.”

Sabine stared at him, shock stabbing through her. “You— you’ve died?”

“A couple times, yeah. First time Thrawn did a little orbital bombardment thing. A couple times the Inquisitors got me, and Vader did once. Oh, and Maul, obviously. And the fight on Atollon, once— what?”

Sabine shook her head. “Nothing, I just— you’ve been doing all this alone?”

Shrugging, Ezra said, “No one else knew. And no one would have believed me. I couldn’t really ask for help.”

“You have it now,” Sabine told him firmly, and a smile crossed his face.

“Thanks.”

“So,” Sabine said briskly. “How do we break this time loop?”

Sighing, Ezra said, “I have a theory. The one thing that’s been the same every time has been… Kanan.”

Sabine swallowed hard, pain shooting through her chest. He’s not dead here. Which means… we can save him. “Challenge accepted,” she said with a shrug. “We have a Jedi to save.”

[fractallogic]

You know, I haven’t fully wrapped my head around how I’m going to incorporate it, but I had a great idea for this grant proposal that’s making me very excited

Because I think. finally. I will be able to justify testing arabic-speaking children. I will get to find out what kinds of errors THEY make learning my arabiclike made-up language.

And plus I’m realizing that I like portland more than eugene, and oops, the two Islamic schools and the one Arabic-medium school are all in the portland area oh no I will have to spend so much time in portland if I get this grant oh well

…plus I just really want to be able to stay in one place for three more years, and let scone live in Oregon like he’s really wanted to for YEARS.

I love arabic and I love my pastry and I love how kids do language. I am very excited about this part of the project and I just. The likelihood of it happening is vanishingly low. But it’s more likely to get this grant than getting a TT job. So.

[theostrophywife]

mattheo's mixtape.

pairing: mattheo riddle x reader.

song inspiration: lovesong by the cure.

author's note: this idea has been in my head for so long, but now it's finally out. strap in babes, we're simping for mattheo on main. something about those pretty brown eyes and angelic little curls just get me. your honor, i adore him.

The bell outside the door to the record store chimed softly as the boys ventured inside. Mattheo peered curiously at the buzzing neon sign, the slightly scuffed black and white vinyl floor, and the racks and racks of records lining the walls. Though he hadn’t been to the muggle side of Edinburgh, it didn’t look all that different from its magical counterpart.

Yet Mattheo felt like a fish out of water all the same. 

Behind him, Theo continued rambling as they perused the vast collection of records laid out before them. “What songs have you picked out? Is there a theme? We’ll need to collect all the tapes for the cassette recorder and compile them all into a single tape.” 

The slew of questions Theo threw his way was enough to make him feel overwhelmed. Mattheo was well aware that he was completely out of his depth here, but he was determined to learn. Admittedly, he was quite ignorant of the muggle world until you came into his life. The more you told him about the queer customs and traditions of the non-magical population, the more he began to crave your stories of taking the tube, eating fish and chips until you were sick, and visiting Brighton with your cousins over the summer holiday. 

There was a whole world out there that you were a part of, which made him want to be part of it as well.

“You boys alright?” asked the kind woman behind the counter. "Would you like some help?"

Mattheo shied away from the attention, but as usual, Theo turned on his charm and flashed a winning smile at the older woman. “As a matter of fact, we do,” his friend drawled. “My mate here is looking to make a mixtape for his girlfriend.” 

The woman smiled warmly. “How sweet. I remember those days. There’s nothing quite as magical as first love,” she said with a dreamy, faraway expression. “I’d be happy to help. What songs did you have in mind?” 

After turning over his list, the woman, who turned out to be the owner of the record store, helped compile the cassettes Mattheo needed in order to make the mixtape. She patiently showed them how to record each track and slowed down the instructions so Mattheo could diligently write down notes. 

As Mattheo waited for the next track to record, he watched as Theo tried and failed to flirt with the older woman. 

“I’m flattered, dear. But I’m old enough to be your mum.” Mattheo snickered, causing his best friend to glare at him. 

“Age is nothing but a number, Annette.” 

“You’re a persistent one, aren’t you? I’m sure you’ll find your match someday, Theodore. As I have in my husband, whom I’m happily married to.” She turned over to Mattheo and smiled. “He was my first love too.” 

Making small talk had never been Mattheo’s strong suit and you often teased him that engaging in polite conversation with a stranger every once in a while wouldn’t kill him. Without fail, he sarcastically responded that it genuinely might, which earned him an eye roll. A fond one, though. Followed by a lip bite as you attempted to conceal a smile. 

“How long have you been together?” Mattheo asked curiously. 

“Twenty years,” Annette answered proudly. “Though we were friends for ages before he finally mustered up the courage to ask me out.”

Theo snorted. “Sounds familiar.” 

Mattheo swatted the back of his head. “My girl and I started out as friends too. Best friends, actually.”

“Hey!” Theo whined. “I take offense to that. I’ve known you longer. Only difference is that you and Y/N snog, which I’m more than open to if you asked.” The wink he sent Mattheo's way made the other boy blanch.

“Sorry about him.” It was a sentiment he was quite familiar with when it came to Theo. The twat tended to flirt with anything that had a pulse. Come to think of it, he wouldn't put it past Theo to chat up a corpse. Merlin knows Mattheo had witnessed his friend trying out a pick up line on the Grey Lady. “So, your husband. When did you realize he was the one?” 

“There wasn’t a specific moment, per say,” Annette said thoughtfully. “It’s a culmination of our history together. Since we were friends for so long, Declan just knew me. He knew how I took my coffee and had it ready for me first thing in the morning. He knew that I hated driving in the snow and always offered to give me lift to work when it did. He knew that I had a soft spot for strays and never complained when I brought them home. Declan makes me feel safe. Like I could weather anything the world threw at me as long as he was by my side. I guess when you know, you know."  

Mattheo pondered her words. He couldn’t help but recall all the times that his life felt like a never ending shit storm, like it would swallow him whole and drown him from the weight of his troubles. Yet at the end of the day, he always knew that after the storm came the rainbow. That’s what you were for him. You colored his world so brightly that the dark seemed inconsequential compared to your light. 

“Y/N makes me feel like that too,” Mattheo declared. “She’s patient and kind. She’s the type of person that always sees the good in people. She saw it in me even when I couldn’t see it myself.” 

Behind him, Theo sniffled as he patted his shoulder. For all his jokes and sarcasm, his friend was actually a hopeless romantic deep down. “For Salazar’s sake, Mattheo. Don’t make me bawl like a baby in front of the pretty lady.” Theo wiped at the corner of his eyes rather dramatically. “If Y/N doesn’t marry you someday, then I will. I bet my legs would look amazing in a white dress.”

At that, Mattheo chuckled. He was suddenly glad that his best friend was more than willing to be dragged along in Mattheo’s endeavors to impress his girl. Salazar knew he never would've gotten this far without Theo's self-proclaimed expertise on all things muggle, thanks to his Advanced Muggle Studies class.

As they wrapped up, Mattheo thanked Annette for all her help. Theo promised to come back and winked over his shoulder as Mattheo gathered all of his supplies. The older woman smiled at him as they parted ways.

"Best of luck, Mattheo. Though I doubt you need it. Thank you for indulging an old woman. It was genuinely a pleasure to be able to help you today."

"No, thank you. Y/N is going to love it."

"Your girlfriend is a very lucky girl."

Mattheo shook his head. "I'm the lucky one. This is the least I could do to show her how much I..." he trailed off, trying to find the right words. "How much I care for her."

Care didn't seem like a strong enough word, but it was close. Mattheo wasn't sure he could fully verbalize the intensity of what he felt for you. You weren't just his girlfriend. You were his best friend, too. His confidante. His rock. You were everything to him.

“Remember what I told you. When you know, you know." She patted Mattheo's shoulder. "You talk about Y/N like I talk about my husband. It's clear that she's very special to you. Don't let go of that one."

Mattheo smiled to himself, his cheeks flushing. “I won't.” 

The midnight moon glowed above the Scottish Isles, enveloping the rocky shores of the Black Lake with a chilly breeze that made you shudder even underneath the comfort of your red and gold striped sweater. 

“Are you cold?” Mattheo asked softly, his voice echoing through the empty beach. 

Before you could respond, your boyfriend shrugged off his coat and wrapped it around your shoulders. With a shy smile, you thanked Mattheo and flushed as he took your hand in his. As you continued on your late night stroll, he cleared pebbles in your path to ensure that you didn’t trip over them on the way to the dock. 

It was the little things—the small gestures that Mattheo enacted on a daily basis that made you fall for him even more. Though the relationship was fairly new, the connection between you was undeniable. Perhaps because you started out as potions partners, which eventually blossomed into friendship and now you couldn’t even remember a time when he wasn’t part of your life. 

The two of you settled at the end of the dock and the rickety wood creaked underneath the weight, adjusting to its visitors as Mattheo cuddled you into his side. Warmth radiated off of him, heating you from the inside out with a pleasant flush. Mattheo chuckled as you shoved your cold hands underneath his sweater, curling his fingers around yours and warming you up like your own personal heater. 

“So, why did you want to come out here tonight?” you asked after a moment. 

As you peered up at him, the moonlight kissed your boyfriend’s features, illuminating the sharp edges of his jawline and cheekbones, curving down the slope of his nose and stopping right above his Cupid’s bow where his soft, plush lips curled into a shy smile as he blinked down at you. 

The flush on his cheeks was almost an exact match to the crimson scarf around your neck. He absentmindedly fidgeted with your fingers, his chocolate brown eyes flickering over your face nervously. Mattheo looked so shy and earnest, so unlike the bad boy persona that everyone else seemed to attribute to your boyfriend. 

“I made you something,” he stated. You watched as he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a cassette tape that you hadn’t noticed before. “I noticed that you listen to music while studying or walking through the halls, so I thought I’d compile a few of my favorite songs for you.” 

Your heart warmed at this beautiful boy. “You made me a mixtape?” 

Mattheo nodded, his angelic curls grazing his cheeks. “I can’t take all of the credit. Theo helped me quite a bit. I wasn’t sure how to make the tape for you, but he did since he’s taking Advanced Muggle Studies. We went into town last weekend and this lovely woman from the record shop showed us how to track and record the songs. I picked the ones that remind me of you the most.” 

You looked down at the cassette tape and smiled. The front was covered in little red hearts and spelled out in your boyfriend’s familiar scrawl was Matty’s Mixtape. As if that weren’t enough to make you swoon, underneath the tape was a small booklet with more of Mattheo’s handwriting. You smiled at his selection of songs. There was a mix of Queen, the Cure, the Clash, and of course, the Smiths. It was like having a little piece of Mattheo in your hands.

“I made you a booklet too. There’s a tracklist with reasons why I picked the songs,” Mattheo shuffled beside you, his body language conveying an uncharacteristic shyness. “I also drew a couple of things.” 

Sure enough, the booklet was filled with your boyfriend’s drawings. Your eyes filled with tears as you turned the pages. Mattheo rarely showed anyone his art. He was incredibly protective of anything he created since it showed a certain vulnerability. The fact that he was trusting you with it wasn’t something you took for granted. 

You traced over the drawings with a fond smile. There were portraits of you on one page, while the others contained memories that you were quite attached to. Your first date at the Three Broomsticks. The first time you wore his quidditch sweater to a Slytherin vs. Ravenclaw match. The day you shared a cup of hot chocolate at Madam Puddifoot’s when the two of you were just friends. They were all in here, immortalized on paper. 

Beside you, Mattheo watched anxiously as you flipped through the pages. When you got to the last one, you grinned up at him. “Matty, these are incredible.” 

“Really?” He asked, sounding a bit unsure. “You don’t think they’re cheesy?” 

“No, I love it!” You threw your arms around him and squeezed your boyfriend into a bear hug. He chuckled, burying his face in your hair and savoring the feel of you in his arms. As you pulled away to face him, Mattheo tucked a stray strand of hair behind your ear. His heart hurt just to look at you. He really couldn’t believe you were his. You smiled softly. “And I love you.” 

You said it firmly, like it was a matter-of-fact. Like you were reciting a truth as fundamental as gravity. 

“You love me?” 

“I do,” you replied with a smile. “I love you, Mattheo Riddle.”

“Are you sure?” 

“Absolutely positive.” 

“I just don’t want you to feel like you have to say it because I made you this mixtape and gave you cheesy drawings—”

He stopped mid-sentence as you grabbed his face with both hands. Mattheo softened at the fierce determination in your eyes. “Mattheo. You’re the best boyfriend I’ve ever had. Before that, you were the best friend I’ve ever had too. You treat me like a queen and I never have to worry about other girls trying to talk to you because you never even give them the time of day. You make me soup when I’m sick. You give me your jumpers when I’m cold. You bring me coffee when I’m pulling all nighters. I couldn’t ask for a better boyfriend, so yes. I love you. Not because of the mixtape or the drawings, but because you’re you.”

Mattheo was taken aback. Before you, he never thought he was capable of caring for someone so deeply. You were ingrained in him. It was like the universe had cleaved his soul in two and he’d spent an eternity searching for you. You were his other half—the better half of him that he’d been missing all along. Now that he found you, he had no intention of letting you go. 

The lovestruck expression on his face warmed your heart. His eyes—those sweet, warm brown eyes made you feel weak in the knees. Mattheo cradled your jaw and looked at you like you were the only girl in the world. 

“I love you too, Y/N.” 

You smiled as he leaned forward, bringing your lips to his in a tender kiss. He sighed in relief like he’d been waiting for this all day, fingers snaking through your hair as your body melted into his. Mattheo hummed, peppering kisses all over your face. You giggled as he pecked your cheeks, nose, jaw, and neck. 

“I love you, I love you, I love you,” he declared with every kiss. 

Burying your face into his neck, you inhaled the familiar scent of amber, cinnamon, and leather. Mattheo sighed as you scratched his scalp.

“Will you tell me about the songs while we listen to them?” you murmured against his skin. 

Mattheo nodded as his curls tickled your cheek. “Of course, sweetheart.”

He pulled out a cassette player and popped the tape in. You cuddled into his side, smiling as he presented you with one half of the headphones. The soft crooning sound of the Smiths filled your ears as Mattheo played with your hair, telling you little anecdotes about the band and how Theo almost knocked over the cassette recorder while he tried to flirt with the record shop owner. 

You chuckled as you listened, picking up the sweet lyrics that made Mattheo choose the songs in the first place. You loved each one of his picks, but the best song by far was the sound of his heartbeat thudding in your ears, syncing with your own as it beat for him and him alone.

[justporo]

Dew Drops

Author's Note: I wrote this on a whim today because I felt very emotional and was inspired by a song. I cried while writing this - quite a lot actually. I'll happily show and the translate the song later because it is quite perfect for Astarion (and Tav).

Summary: After Astarion has become free, he takes a moment to reflect and do something he'd never thought possible...

Pairing: Astarion / Tav (You) Warnings: mentions of past trauma Wordcount: 1,1k Song (the inspiration for this piece): Tau - Herbert Grönemeyer

~~~

Just before the first sun rays were creeping over the roofs of Baldur’s Gate, Astarion got out of bed. Slowly, so he wouldn’t wake you up, still blissfully in your dreams beside him.

He watched you for a moment. Sitting on the edge of the bed. Watched how your chest was slowly rising and falling. Your hands softly curled up against your chest. Your lips soft and relaxed: neither curled into a smirk nor drawn down – just silently peaceful.

Astarion almost stayed there then, lost in you. The one person that had helped him come this far. The one who had so purely believed in him – that there was more, that he was more.

He let one finger slowly wander over your cheek – so featherlight you didn’t even stir in your sleep. The smile that crept onto his lips was genuine and bright and full with warmth and love.

Then he got up, got dressed. He wrote you a small note and then quietly left the room, left the inn.

Astarion purposefully wandered through the streets while most of the city was still asleep or just starting to blink its eyes. Purposefully, he went to a place he’d come to know like the back of his own hand.

This small little garden, hidden away in some backyard’s backyards – so hard to find it might have been forgotten by everyone – everyone, but the flowers and the vampire. The vampire who’d stumbled upon it sometime during his seemingly endless years, decades, centuries even of torment.

And this small little garden had become a tiny space of refuge for Astarion. A place of at least some peace and safety where he had spent so many nights when he had been able to steal away – sometimes for only a few minutes, sometimes almost whole nights.

And he’d sat there, comforted a little by the silvery moonlight and the twining plants and flowers – even though he never got to see their blossoms.

He found the way to the small space without any problem. It almost felt like he’d been there yesterday, although so much had changed since he’d last been here. Everything, in fact.

Not only had he broken the chains of his enslavement and walked in the sunlight again, but he had also found someone. Someone who’d promised him that he would not have to be alone ever again. And who had promised to help him carry the weight of the now broken, but still heavy chains – until hopefully someday he would be able to shake the shackles off as well.

Astarion entered the garden through an archway that led to the little safe haven. It still looked like he remembered: vines and bushes everywhere, deep and luscious green filling the whole space. The plants were full of still closed blossoms. Dew drops covered leaves and blooms and gave them an elegant silvery sheen.

The vampire let his fingertips softly wander over some of the plants and closed buds. Then he sat in his usual spot, a small rock at the back of the small rectangular space – directly across from the archway he had just entered through.

And then he waited.

He watched as the first golden rays of sunlight crept over the peaks of the stone walls. Like bright fingers they wandered over the plants, caressed them with their light and warmth. Softly brushing away the silver droplets of dew.

The first sunlight fell on Astarion who had awaited its arrival with anticipation, still wondering how lucky he could have been to feel it again. He had buried the hope so long ago.

He knew it wouldn’t last. So, he would make the most of it as long as he could.

He closed his eyes, completely giving himself to the feeling of the sun warming his pale skin. His lips opened with a little gasp. His chest shuddered with a ragged breath as he felt the tears well up. A single tear flowing over and leaving a wet trail on his cheek.

After a while he opened his eyes, hoping he hadn’t been too impatient.

But as he looked up and let his ruby gaze wander over the space his chest clenched painfully at the sight: the flowers had started to open up.

Offering him their whole palette of colours and beauty – the last dew drops glistening on them. The blossoms bowing to the warming sun, happy to show their beauty to him. Deep reds, almost golden yellow, wonderful blues and oranges. And in all shapes too: starlike chalices, frilly circles, cascading spheres.

He tried to take in everything at once as he looked at it with lips parted in wonder and astonishment. Observing every single combination possible. Wanting to imprint it all on his mind forever.

And as Astarion gazed upon this view he’d never dared to hope to take in one day, emotions overwhelmed him. And it was pleasantly painful, in all his beauty and bitter sweetness.

This, all this – it hurt so much. And it was so all hard, going on.

His chest was aching with sorrow and with joy as the single tear turned into a constant flowing and his whole body started shaking and shuddering.

The pain behind his sternum was so strong it almost felt as if his heart had finally started beating again.

It felt like most every emotion he had ever felt washed over him in this very moment – fear, hurt, guilt, grief. But also love, joy, compassion, confidence. All mixing together in a way that was barely tolerable, but most certainly meant one thing: he was alive.

And Astarion wept and wailed, lifting his head towards the comforting warmth of the rising sun as he cried. He doubled over as sobs shook through him. Cried out as tears ran over his face and his nose began to drop.

It hurt so much, all this.

But the pain meant he was still here. It meant he was free again. It meant he was ready and able to grasp life with both his hands and start living again. Even though it might not always be easy.

But he wouldn't be alone.

He looked up through his tears and a smile found its way on his lips as he looked upon the blooming flowers all around. He sobbed and he laughed as he saw the beauty in it. He felt alive.

And then you stepped through the archway and even the sight of all the flowers in the first sunlight could not compare. His companion through all of this and all to come.

You looked so worried the way you rushed over to Astarion, kneeling down in front of him. Wrapping your arms around him as he kept weeping and sobbing – not caring for how loud or unpleasant it might be. He let his head sink to your shoulder in unyielding gratefulness.

And you held onto each other until his sobs and tears slowly subsided.

You looked at him, cautiously asking if he was alright.

And Astarion looked up with a bright and broad smile, through the tears still remaining in his ruby eyes:

“Yes, my love. It’s just… it’s so beautiful to be alive.”

[violettduchess]

A/N: This year, as I deal with a far more limited amount of free time, I want to focus on writing things that really spark something for me. These headcanons, which I started almost 6 months ago, recently came roaring back into my imagination and I decided to go for it.

This is imagining how these suitors would react to their small child entering their bedroom in the middle of the night.

Leon, Sariel, Jin, Keith and Gilbert

WC: 2.2 k

The child's white bedroom door, painted with a silvery moon and twinkling stars, opens slowly, a whisper in the still of the night. A small head pokes out, knuckling sleepily at eyes still heavy with the remnants of dreaming. A look left, then right.

The hall is empty.

Tiny bare feet tiptoe across plush carpeting.

One hand clutches a stuffed animal, the other reaches for the curved handle of your bedroom door and which, on a quiet exhale, opens.

Leon

He is awake the moment the door opens. A light sleeper, he never fails to hear when his daughter enters your bedroom, no matter how quietly she tries to. Even now, he pushes himself up, running a hand through his cacophony of dark hair, watching his offspring step as quietly as possible as she makes her way towards the bed. She’s so concentrated on not making noise that she doesn’t notice he’s already up and watching her until she arrives at the foot of the bed.

“Papa!” Her gasp is half surprise, half disappointment when she realizes he has, as always, heard her. Leon laughs softly, the sound still rough with sleep as he motions for her to come over to his side of the bed. 

“I was trying to be extra, extra quiet.” He offers her his hand and she takes it, climbing into the bed and then into the circle of his arms where he cuddles her close. “You were, peanut. You were very quiet but your father has very, very good ears. Especially at night.” 

Perhaps someday she’ll learn why. How good hearing and light sleeping could mean the difference between life and death in the slave pens. But not tonight. Tonight she snuggles into his embrace, clutching her brown bear with his black and red cape to her chest. 

“Shall I bring you back to your bed?” He brushes several dark locks of hair that have escaped her braid away from her plump cheek, his golden eyes warm with affection. His daughter stifles a yawn. “Can I stay here tonight, with you and Mama?” 

How can he say no? “Of course.” He shifts her, tucking her in close against his side where she curls up like a kitten, warm and content. Leon sighs, his heart fuller than he ever imagined it could be, before closing his eyes and drifting back to sleep.

Sariel

He looks up from the paperwork on his lap when the bedroom door slowly opens. One glance at the clock on his nightstand and he knows exactly who dares enter his room, unannounced, in the middle of the night.

His son, hair dark as onyx, eyes as bright as violets, peeks around the door to see his father sitting up in bed, reading by the soft light of an oil lamp. 

“I see you, little one.” The child gives up stealth and hurries into his parents’ room, climbing up the foot of the bed and crawling his way across the velvety covers up to Sariel, careful not to jostle you while you are sleeping. He settles in next to his father, peering at the sheaf of papers still in his hands. “Why are you still up, Papa? It’s so late.”

Sariel glances down at his son, his lips curved in a soft shadow of a smile. “You know what? You are correct. It is very late.” He carefully removes his glasses, placing them in a safe spot on his nightstand and then sets the missives and letters and parchments beside them. He extends his arms and his son happily accepts the silent invitation, burrowing into his father’s embrace, clutching his soft, stuffed snake with the onyx eyes close to his little chest. “We’ll go to sleep together, ok Papa?”

Sariel reaches out, extinguishing the warm light and then shifts, dipping his head to press a kiss to his son’s midnight hair. “A sound plan, son.” He closes his eyes, contentment flowing through him like the soft waves of the ocean. “A very sound plan.”

Jin

He freezes, lifting his head from your neck, his large hand going still on the sensitive skin of your hip. As involved as he may be with you, he has excellent hearing and the opening of the door is as loud in its whisper as a gust of howling wind. He feels the soft huff of air against his cheek as you reign in your galloping heart. Things were just getting good.... With a groan, a mixture of disappointment and the dying embers of desire, he sits up as you adjust your nightgown and tilts his head at the small outline in the doorway.

“Yes, Princess? What is it?”

“I heard a noise. In my wardrobe. I think there’s a monster in there.” Her voice is small, almost tentative as it floats through the darkened bedroom. Jin pushes back his covers, swinging his long legs over the side of the bed. He reaches back, squeezing your hand, a gesture that says I’ve got this, before getting up and walking toward his daughter. "Alright little lady, let's go investigate." She slips her small hand in his, clutching her stuffed baby eagle close as they make their way back to her bedroom.

Stepping inside, she pulls her hand away from his and points to the white and lavender closet. “In there, Papa.” Her garnet-colored eyes are wide as Jin clears his throat, fixing a scowl on his face as he faces the wooden doors.

“Listen up. This is Prince Jin speaking and any and all monsters hiding in this wardrobe better leave RIGHT now or else you’ll have to answer to me!”

“Yeah!”, she adds helpfully, eyes narrowing as she glares at the wardrobe, a mirror image of her father.

Jin reaches forward and flings open one door, then the other. Inside are all her dresses and coats. Her shoes all lined up neatly along the bottom. A few stockings peek out of small drawers and her wooden training sword and shield with Jin's crest lean against the side, askew. Jin searches through the clothing, stands on his toes to check the top shelves. He makes a show of it, incredibly thorough and yet serious. Then he turns around to face his daughter. “Looks like any monsters are long gone. And they won’t be coming back.”

A smile like the dawn breaks over her face and she rushes towards him. He leans down and catches her in his arms, holding her tightly against his broad chest. “Thank you, Papa. No monster would ever be stupid enough to come back now!” 

Jin carries her back to her white four-poster bed, grinning as he lays her down amongst her fluffy pillows and pulls the soft covers up to her chest. “Nope, not when they know they have to deal with me.” He glances over his shoulder at the wardrobe. “But how about tomorrow, we go to the knights training grounds and you bring your sword and shield. We can work on your swordsmanship so any monster knows to be just as afraid of you too.”

She grins, nodding eagerly. “Good idea!”

Her enthusiasm has him returning her grin and he leans down, running a large hand over the soft chestnut of her hair. “Alright then. Get some sleep so you’re ready for tomorrow.” She snuggles down into the warmth of her blankets, stifling a yawn even as she rolls over. “I love you, Papa.” He swallows for a moment at the lump of emotion that suddenly swells his throat. “I love you too. Princess. So much.”

Keith

Little feet whisper across dark green carpeting, continuing their journey to his side of the bed. “Papa,” she whispers, tugging on his covers, her stuffed deer dangling from her grip on its antlers. Keith inhales, his handsome face frowning in his sleep as her voice cuts through the fog of dreaming. But he doesn’t wake up yet. However, his daughter is nothing but insistent. She pats his upper arm, clearing her throat and speaking again, this time louder. “Papa. Wake up.”

His golden eyes open slowly and he blinks as he returns to the here and now. The sight of her, with her ashen blond hair and your intelligent eyes, has him sitting up in bed, the last misty tendrils of dreaming vanishing like fog in the sunlight.

“Yes, darling? What’s wrong? Is everything ok?” 

She glances to your empty side of the bed. “I miss Mama.” Those words send his heart spinning, leaving a trail of ache inside his chest as he nods slowly. “I do too. But you remember how she had to go back to Rhodolite. I promise, she’ll be home again soon. Just a few more days.” He reaches for her hand, his thumb running soothingly over her knuckles, marveling at the tininess of her fingers, the softness of her skin. She speaks again, her voice compressed by sadness. “I still miss her.”

He sighs as she hangs her small head, curls covering her face. Then he has an idea. Slowly he gets out of bed and leads her by the hand across the room to the heavy glass doors of the balcony off of the bedroom, his favorite place in the palace to stargaze. Keeping a secure hold of her hand, he slides open one heavy glass door and then walks with her to the large brass telescope. “Take a look in there,” he murmurs, kneeling as he adjusts the eyepiece for her. He wraps one arm around her middle, holding her close. “Can you see it?”

She leans forward slightly. “It’s blurry.” Carefully he adjusts the focuser until he hears her breath catch. “Oh it’s so pretty!” She stares through the telescope in wonder at the bright star, brilliant in its silvery-blue light. 

“That,” he says softly, almost dreamlike, “is your mother’s favorite star.” Gently he pulls her away from the telescope and points upwards. “You can see it without the telescope just there, see the three stars just in a row?” She nods emphatically. “It’s the one all the way to the right.” He pauses, resting his chin tenderly on her small shoulder. “When you miss Mama at night, like you do now, you can look up at the sky and find her favorite star. It may make you feel better.”

She turns around and wraps her arms around Keith’s neck, hugging him with all her might. “Thank you, Papa.” He hugs her close, this walking embodiment of his heart, and smiles.

Gilbert

He is already sitting up when his daughter approaches the bed, her stuffed tiger tucked under her arm. He heard the opening of the door and knew who it was immediately. No one else would ever dare to enter his bedroom in the middle of the night without fearing for their life.

“It’s past midnight, Mäuschen. Why are you wandering through the shadows?” His voice is a gentle that only you and those very close to Gilbert have ever heard. A genuine softness like the blanket of dusk as it falls over the land, the protective moon whispering as it cradles a favorite star. His daughter sighs, pushing away a stray lock of dark hair. “I’m hungry.”

He laughs quietly, his chin tilting down as he regards her. He speaks quietly, not wanting to wake you. You need rest after all, so close to the birth of your second child. He gets up, slipping on his black silk robe and then holds out his hand. She takes hold of it, wrapping her cool little fingers tightly around him and then pauses. “Wait a moment, Papa.” Turning back to the bed, she carefully places her stuffed tiger next to you where you sleep. “Watch out for Mama,” she orders sternly and doesn’t notice the bright gleam in Gilbert’s eyes as he smiles at her protective gesture. She turns, grabbing his hand and nods. “Ok Papa, fertig.” Ready.

He leads her out of the bedroom and a short walk down the hall to his office. Once inside, he walks over to his massive wooden desk, made of the finest dark walnut, and leans forward, turning on the desk lamp. He settles into his chair, into the crimson velvet cushioned seat and motions for her to join him. The Obsidian princess climbs into his lap, eyes bright as she looks at him expectantly. “Shh…this is our secret,” he murmurs, tapping his finger on the end of her nose. She grins slowly and nods. “Versprochen, Papa.” I promise. One arm holds her close as he leans down and opens a bottom drawer. Inside is a small round tin which he takes out and sets on his desk, next to the missives and parchments waiting for him come morning light.

“Go ahead,” he says encouragingly and she leans forward, carefully working the lid off with chubby fingers and then he feels her straighten up in excitement when its contents are revealed. She reaches in and pulls out a hearty oatmeal and raisin biscuit. The cookie is nearly at her lips when she pauses, thoughtfully. Shifting in his lap, she turns to face him and then holds it up. “Do you want a bite, Papa?” Her generosity has him smiling, a warmth like no other brightening his heart as he pretends to consider. “You don’t mind sharing?” She shakes her head, several loose, dark curls framing a face that is the youthful echo of yours. He leans forward and bites off a tiny corner, then leans back with a satisfied sigh. “Mama makes the best biscuits.” 

She bites into the same cookie with much less restraint and then smiles, chewing happily. “Mm hm.” She leans back against his chest and he wraps his arms around her as she continues munching. “Just this one and then it's back to bed with you, little mouse.” She nods, mouth too full to answer and focus far too lost in the pleasure of her treat to respond verbally. Gilbert sighs, turning to rest his cheek against the top of her head. He is utterly and completely at peace.

Tagging: @xbalayage @alexxavicry @queengiuliettafirstlady @rhodolitesrose @ikemen-writer @bellerose-arcana @thewitchofbooks @aria-chikage @redheadkittys @tele86 @dear-mrs-otome @curious-skybunny @rhodoliteschaos @kpop-and-otome @writingwhimsey @mxrmaid-poet @silver-dahlia @wendolrea @otomefoxystar @nightfoxqueen @myonlyjknight @portrait-ninja @ikesimpleton @ikemenlibrary @mastering-procrastinating @namine-somebodies-nobody @greatstarlightstarfish @queen-dahlia @scorchieart @nightghoul381

For Leon content: @leonscape

For Gilbert and Leon: @ozalysss

For Keith: @drewadoodle-dandy

[psychesalcove]

„ YOU'LL BE MY AMERICAN BOY

↳ JASON GRACE X READER

FLUFF HEADCANONS

a/n: JASON GRACE AS MY FIRST REQUEST??? IVE NEVER BEEN MORE HAPPY!! also, sorry if it's to short for your liking, just send me another message and i'll do more!! AND I DIDNT REALIZE BEFORE BUT THE REQUEST DIDNT SPECIFY HEADCANONS SO IF U WANT ME TO WRITE ANITHER THING JUST MESSAGE ME !

ᝰ starting off, (almost) all the pjo boys are boyfriend material, so no surprise there when jason's up on that list

ᝰ he loves to include you in anything he does—sword practice, eating food, reading one of his novels that would put most to sleep..

ᝰ but! he also gives you your space and him his own space, he knows that it's important to be your own person outside of your partner, while also being close to them

ᝰ if you two have a shared condo in New Rome, you bet that the two of you will be getting some sort of pet

ᝰ ALSO!! on the topic of New Rome, Jason will be going out every morning to get you a coffee (or whatever you like) from your fav Cafe

ᝰ he would definitely write little things on the cup before handing it to you

ᝰ hope your day is amazing, beautiful, I love you so much, etc

ᝰ he would also do this thing where he would find Demeter kids and ask them to make a bouquet for you

ᝰ...so you would end up getting fresh flowers every week that you would put on your bedside table

ᝰ when your working on your college class work in bed, Jason will come a sit with you and do his crossword puzzles (like the old man he is)

ᝰ you are a full time passenger princess when it comes to this man!! he opens the door for you, has your car playlist ready to go, you probably even have your mirror decorated somehow in his car

ᝰ he also does the thing where he puts his hand on your thigh while sitting next to you, and he just,, traces shapes like stars or hearts with his fingers

ᝰ the two of you would definitely go on museum dates, probably to art ones and on occasion historical ones

ᝰ you guys have this routine where you make dinner together every other day, it's like a time to wind down your brain after a long day

ᝰ or somedays you two go out, and if your one of those people that are nervous to order, he will do it for you ZERO hesitation

ᝰ he would also be one of those guys that's like, "uhm..this isn't what they ordered.." but he would be super nice and polite about it to the waitress

ᝰ if your into fashion that your practically dressing this man, he cannot make a fashionable outfit for the life of him

ᝰ and on that topic, if your into skin care, he will happily do it with you or even help you with your own

ᝰ if you let him, he will happily brush your hair before going to bed;it's soothing for him to do and calms him down before bed

ᝰ highly important info:he does not steal the blanket from you throughout the night

ᝰ if your not super into cuddling , he'll respectfully stick to his side of the bed, but he will probably be facing you to remind himself that your there

ᝰ but if you are a cuddeler, he is going to be all over you, holding your waist, hugging your shoulders, spooning you, you name it

ᝰ he also does not snore, just talks and mumbles in his sleep

ᝰ a lot of the time he likes to have you in his lap while he reads and your doing your own thing;he enjoys when the two pf you can be around eachother but be in your own worlds

ᝰ overall, Jason grace would be a partner I would be blessed to have but cannot have 😔

[redr0sewrites]

not possible - Viktor x reader

🥀A/n: this was originally a request but it strayed wayyy too far off course... the writing had a mind of its own and im not sorry. but i AM sorry for not posting in a while.... ive been super hyperfixated on DC sorry

🥀Cw: fluff, non-sexual nudity, bathing, exhaustion/overworking

🥀Word Count: 1.2k words

🥀Synopsis: Viktor is overworking yet again, yet upon your insistence, finally takes a break.

Viktor was well aware that the candle at his side had long since burnt out, yet he was unwilling to find a replacement. the moon was bright tonight, and, combined with the soft blue glow emitting from the hextech he was working on, Viktor could make out the tools in front of him without any assistance.

he knew that working in the dim light was not a good idea, considering how straining ones' eyes could lead to faulty vision, but he couldn't bring himself to care. the ache in his bones ran deep, and his fingers shook with each breath. of course Viktor knew he should turn in for the night, but he found himself stuck in his chair, mindlessly fiddling with his most recent hextech project.

he was so engrossed in his work, he barely noticed your approach until you were practically on top of him. familiar hands find purchase on his shoulders and he jumps, only to melt back into your touch.

"ah, it's you," Viktor murmurs, turning around to face you. "may i ask, what are you doing up so late?"

"collecting you," you murmur, pressing a kiss to the tip of his nose. "it's already two in the morning. you've been here long enough."

Viktor sighs, and allows you to press a few more kisses to his face. the bags beneath his eyes were heavy, he was stiff and sore, and above all, he was exhausted.

joining you back home was certainly enticing, and hextech could always wait until tomorrow. and yet, the troublesome, burning itch beneath his skin wouldn't dissipate. he needed to complete just one more ruin combination, just finish this one little task, and then he'd let himself rest. at least, that's what he'd been telling himself for the past three hours.

"i can tell your overworking yourself again," you whisper, and Viktor huffs indignantly.

"overworking is, eh, a strong word. i am perfectly capable-" you cut him off by cupping his face in your hands, forcing him to look at you.

"Viktor, i am in no way denying your capabilities. however, you still need sleep. so, come back with me, and you can continue working tomorrow after a full nights rest. does that work?"

Viktor heaves another weary sigh, but agrees. you silently watch as he stands and steadies himself with his cane, not wanting to appear too overbearing but still concerned about his exhaustion. you wish you could alleviate some of the stress and burden that he carries, even though he relentlessly assured you that loving him was enough.

meanwhile, Viktor wordlessly packs up for the night. he knew you were trying to mask it for his own dignity, but the concern on your face was evident in the slightest furrow of your brow and pinch of your lips. he found it hopelessly endearing how you worried over him, and only wished that you would stop for your own sake.

after all, he was doing this for you. for the chance to live happily with you someday, after saving the lives of so many others. hextech consumed so much of his time, yet Viktor intended to make it up to you tenfold when you two would grow old together.

"you ready to head home?" your voice slices through his thoughts like a knife through warm butter, and he finds himself unable to do anything but nod. you did not hesitate to take his hand as you two walk back towards your shared abode, nor did you complain when he had to pause and catch his breath after some particularly bad pain in his leg. by the time you both arrived at your home, Viktor felt even more exhausted.

"i know it's late, but do you want to take a bath before going to bed?" your question lingers in the air for a few seconds before Viktor nods, and you begin setting up. you both know the warm water would only soothe his aching joints, and provide momentary relief from the pain he suffers from.

🥀

its not long before you and Viktor are curled against eachother in your large bathtub after washing off. he presses a gentle kiss to your shoulder as he absentmindedly washed your back, and you let out a relaxed sigh. you were both night-owls, but Viktor was much more accustomed to fighting off exhaustion.

you bite down on your bottom lip as more worries begin to seep into your mind. you feel almost selfish for missing him when he works so hard, and yet you want nothing more than to take all of his stress away. Viktor is quick to notice as you slip deeper in thought, between your tense muscles and quickened breathing, he can read you like a book.

"what are you thinking about, darling?"

another weary sigh escapes you.

"its just... you've been so stressed lately, i just wish i could alleviate some of the burdens you carry.. i know what you do is important, but i still wish i could be around you more often and help you.. y'know?" you let out another sigh. "i just.. miss you sometimes. and i worry. you know i worry.." Viktor chuckles at your words before turning you around to face him, the warm water around you both sloshing gently against the edge of the bath.

"you do more than enough already. believe me, everything i do, i do for you. for us. i love you," he murmurs, and presses a kiss to your forehead, "and nothing will change that. i can't guarantee that i'll always be around... but i will try to stop staying in the lab so late." Viktor's lips crinkle into a soft smile, and you can't help but kiss him in response.

Viktor always feels as though he's floating when you kiss. your soft lips against his, the contrast of his nimble, calloused hands against your smooth skin, your scent, your taste, it was all gloriously intoxicating. you hum against his lips before slowly pulling away, lashes fluttering against his cheek from your proximity.

Viktor leans in to whisper in your ear, his lips just ghosting your temple.

"i think it's high time we went to bed, dear. the waters getting cold, and i wouldn't want my beautiful darling to be exhausted tomorrow, hm?" you sigh at his flattery, yet agree regardless. as Viktor leans against the tub to stand up, you suddenly remember something and grab his hand to get his attention.

"hm?"

"by the way, about what you said earlier.... i love you more."

"that is not possible, my dearest."

GRRR SO HAPPY THIS IS DONE LMAO- sorry i havent been super active ive been on a huge DC kick (specifically the batfam/dick grayson) and suffering from writers block BUT HERE I AM AGAIN!!!!!!!!! ANYWAYS HOPE U ENJOYEDDDD PLS FEEL FREE TO SEND IN REQUESTS (esp dc... HEHE)

[eluxcastar]

Fatui Harbingers with a child they don't own

── ୨୧：fatui harbingers & reader

୨୧﹑synopsis :: a child that doesn't seem to belong to any one of them is known to wander around headquarters, though it's not exactly clear whose it is or how it even got there. well, it's cute enough, isn't it?

୨୧﹑genre :: fluff

୨୧﹑content :: gn reader, child reader, child endangerment 💀, scaramouche is soft because baby, pantalone is trying to teach a kid stocks, pulcinella is such a grandpa

୨୧﹑words :: 2k

this was a little thought that came to mind, mostly because of the fact I was like "Capitano forced to carry around some lil baby would be cute" and I'm fuckin speed running writing this before sports tryouts I've got less than one hour 😭

nvm I didn't finish in time and it got cancelled anyway so we can work slowly now (I didn't even finish this until the next day anyway LMAO) the mild implication each of them handles the same child on different days and this kid is just experiencing all of these things is funny to me for no reason

you have a horrible habit of wandering off while waiting for your parent, somehow managing to find yourself in the stranger possible places. how you end up there, nobody who has to look for you ever really knows, but you usually end up finding at least one person who will—if nothing else—tolerate you.

the youngest of the Harbingers is the easiest to survive and get along with. Childe likes you, and knows how to keep you entertained while he somewhat awkwardly waits to see if anyone will arrive to look for you. admittedly, he likes it whenever you pop up, finding you a good little distraction, and you think his bow is cool to watch when he uses it. you think it's just the fact that he's so good with it that makes it so interesting, and he's very supportive when you tell him all of the stuff you don't get to tell anyone. it's not that Childe is constantly waiting to feed his interest nor does he always care a lot but he certainly makes it sounds like he does and it sounds very much like he's proud of you for even your minor achievements. are you hungry? he can get you food if you need and makes sure you're shockingly well taken care of and there's not a scratch on you when you leave. he even has you calling him big bro at some point though where that came from nobody is really sure.

on a very different note, Arlecchino is at first very confused by you, then quite soft. she does not coddle you, but she is never particularly aggressive towards you, initially believing that you were looking specifically for her for some reason. after all, what else would make a small child pull at her overcoat? she does begin to wonder where you came from, and was very impressive to you, though she warns you not to grab at her clothes too much. by her own words "Something might bite you" thought that really refers to whatever weapon she keeps, referring to it in a way a child would easily understand. she lets you sit with her while you wait, but warns you once more this time not to wander, sometimes letting you take her hand and guide her to pat your head and play with your hair.

admittedly, you are not what one might call the the most popular with the banker, though he gives you little trinkets and more frequently gives you mora to look at. he gifts you loose mora so much that you run off to him when there's something you want but can't afford, and of course he notices though you think you're so slick. Pantalone starts to give you more money, as long as you keep showing up, looking and learning all the things he wants to show you. he wouldn't indulge your greed so much if it didn't give him what was an opportunity. he finds fostering your curiosity is much easier than squandering it and when you want to see the many things you simply cannot afford while living on the salary of a lowly fatuu you've picked the best option for who to go to. someday you're going to need the knowledge he happily provides, and who better to learn from than the richest man in Teyvat? wait, what do you mean you barely understood a word of it?!

above all else you think La Signora is very beautiful, and really you just want to follow the pretty lady around even if she tries to pretend she doesn't notice you at first. your persistence got so annoying she was forced to turn around and try to figure out what you want, touching your face and observing your features to see if she recognises them. of course she doesn't. she has no idea who the hell you are, or where you came from or what you want. strangely there's this endearment to you, like she can't quite bring herself to get rid of you even if she's not over the moon about you insisting on holding her hand and going wherever she goes.

easily one of the most fun to bother is Sandrone, who may have been a little on the eager side to have someone who could act as a test user for at least a few of her automatons for her. if even a child could understand the instructions, surely grown adults would have no problem right? you make a great play tester, often finding several of them piled up just for you to play with. she knows you can't stop your wandering, you'll continue to come back to see her--her inadvertent bribery that she'll have cool toys to play with ready for you to seek her out. admittedly not all of your critiques make it in, mostly the ones that don't actually apply to their purpose as she has you believing they're just harmless toys with coincidental abilities. she is generally quite benevolent towards you however, always acting as if she really will accept them in a heartbeat. she always keeps you well taken care of too.

perhaps the most shocking reaction of all is Scaramouche who is…unexpectedly nice to you. for someone supposed to be bold and generally disliked, he sure is nice in letting you crawl all over him and ask your thousand questions. he fusses over you in that odd caring way, though never what you'd call particularly sweet about it. he buttons your coat for you when he doesn't want you to get cold and lets you hide under his hat from the snow. Scaramouche often sits you in his lap as he finds something to talk to you about whether it be school or home, all a ploy to keep you still perhaps, but if for some reason he doesn't enjoy your conversations-- well, you certainly don't notice. he does greatly enjoy it in fact, a little more than he cares to admit even to you.

talking at all to Pulcinella is like talking to your Grandfather as he comes to recognise you well, greeting you with a ruffle of your hair as he asks if you've gotten bigger. you haven't gotten bigger, and he's really not all that good at picking you up, but he certainly tries and you try to pretend your feet are more than an inch off the ground. perhaps manhandling simply isn't his strong suit. still you enjoy all the candy he has laying around, and the little gadgets you find around his office which haven't had a use in twenty years. a bit of interest to them doesn't exactly make them useful, and the things you really like are always the ones you can't touch like the little tin of rolled up papers secured with a rubber band and some suspicious stuff you can't discern, but he has many stories to tell of these things all to keep you distracted from the fact you got your hands on a tobacco tin and specifically cannot use it.

strangely the least opposed but most confused by you being around is Capitano, who cannot seem to simply scare you off at a glance and therefore has to wonder why you're here at all, where are your parents? you definitely don't work here. you must be cold, hungry? did you drink enough water today? he finds himself starkly confused as to why you just wander around him, can't seem to find an ounce of sense in you as you don't turn tail and run, and while he lets you sit on his lap when you get too tired he does not appreciate having to pull your hands away from his helmet all the time. maybe he should let you just to deter you after you almost get your hand bitten off. something about the way you still hug him tightly before you leave, or how you'll just dangle off your arm, even the way that you will appear in the most inconvenient situations and he'll just hook you under his arm and cart you off somewhere with him he knows is safe. of course you think this is the most fun you've ever had but on the other hand he really wishes you would show up at a time when he's not occupied.

to Columbina you are just the cutest little thing, drawn to the sound of her voice, though that is only what first leads you to find her by chance. she does not specifically take care of you so much as pamper you, playing with your hair and sitting you by her side to keep you company. you like to turn her hair and the ornaments in her hair, all which make you say she's like a pretty dove. she knows someone will come to find you, but in the meantime she is focused on settling you down to stop your wandering. she lets you cuddle up to her, lulling you to sleep with a pretty song that calms you down. you're much easier to watch that way. it keeps you from wandering, something she notices you must have a habit of considering you found her in the first place. it doesn't matter how full of energy you were when you walked in, always finding yourself curled up, head resting on her shoulder as you drift off to sleep rather quickly.

you are not exactly granted the warmest welcome by the Doctor, in fact you become terrified of Dottore the second he notices you've found your way inside and accidentally mistakes you for one of his test subjects. of course that makes you turning tail and running off seem quite suspicious, though you're also not very hard to catch. all of your squirming is expected, barely even stopping him very much at all. thankfully Dottore wasn't born yesterday, and the large stuffed animal you carry around and the clothes you wear are fairly indicative of the fact that you're probably not one of his subjects after all once he gets a better look at you. though it's hard to ease your shaking and wipe your tears when you're not eager to listen. he's not exactly the best with children either, though you do eventually come around once he figures out what to do, letting you cuddle up to him while he stroke your back to soothe you just in case you happen to be well liked by anyone he's not keen to annoy--rare chance but never impossible. you're not exactly eager to spend time loitering around there once he sets you back on your feet and watches you run off, but rare is not impossible.

how you even managed to find your way to Pierro is beyond even him, as the sudden opening of his door is usually met with a glare, though the sight of an empty space where a person would usually be prompts him to look down just to be sure. suffice it to say he's not exactly happy to have some little ankle biter running around headquarters, but he doesn't really have time to drop everything and scoop you up to march you back wherever you came from. you have to sit still and wait. Pierro should've foreseen you crawling around his feet to get under his desk and treating it like a hidey hole--being there in the first place should've indicated to some degree that you're not particularly into the idea of patience. his numerous attempts to catch you by your arm and hold you still don't work either, just resulting in you giggling and running off to some other corner where you get into something you shouldn't. he knows damn well all of his attempts are only encouraging you, and he's a glad to finally watch you give up, possibly just because you got bored-- but whatever the reason, watching you crawl back under his feet to fit between the little space in between him and his desk lets him breathe a sigh of relief and go back to working for a little white longer while you wait for him to go find whoever you belong to.

suffice it to say whoever was looking for you is sufficiently horrified by the time they find you, but that doesn't seem to be too unusual to you.

[demonslayedher]

Kotetsu is going to be so sad when he hears about Muichiro, but you know who I think will be even sadder? Kanamori.

He's undergone a recent, quiet journey surrounding Muichiro, who was not only a Pillar and therefore someone who inspires awe, but an enigmatic genius. To not only have been put in charge of his sword, but to be told to try to "understand" him, someone who gave no impression of wanting to be known or understood at all? That's double the amount of pressure.

Kanamori tried to understand Muichiro before Muichiro tried to understand himself. By that time, Tetsuido--a swordsmith whom it seems Kanamori greatly respected--had only left behind writings and specifications about Muichiro's swords. My sense is that Tetsuido only verbalized his worry for Muichiro to Muichiro that one time. Rather than writing, "please understand how hard this child pushes himself," perhaps Tetsuido only left hints to understand Muichiro through observing his sword.

And maybe through that, Kanamori looked deeper at the used swords and it dawned on him little by little. It's only natural if he started feeling concern for a youngster, however awe-inspiring of a swordsman he is.

And then comes the night Gyokko attacks. Kanamori fights to defend Haganezuka, is rescued by Muichiro, watches Muichiro be injured on his behalf, and then bears full witness to Muichiro's transformation mid-battle. What's more, he's taken aback by Muichiro thanking him for the sword.

Tetsuido probably never got thanked, and probably never saw Muichiro wield the swords he smithed. Given Kanamori's comments as he looks after Muichiro and Kotetsu and their budding friendship in the light novel, it seems Kanamori appreciated the deep concern Tetsuido had for Muichiro and was a bit emotional seeing how Muichiro was doing after such a transformation.

In a different timeline, Kanamori might had grown to be a fretting, doting father figure to Muichiro, concerned both for his physical and emotional wellbeing on top of being his trusted swordsmith who takes pride in furnishing Muichiro with Pillar-quality swords made precisely to Muichiro's liking. Maybe Muichiro would smilingly assure him not to worry so much, and tease him for being so concerned about someone so likely to die in battle any night. And making they could have had a swordsman-swordsmith relationship so open that when Muichiro comes to visit Kanamori could come flying and give him the fatherly hugs the boy must so sorely need all the time, even if Muichiro teasingly replies that he's fine. Maybe someday after Kanamori comes running through the village with tears of worry and relief in his eyes to give Muichiro a customary fatherly squeeze, Muichiro would point out how much taller he got than Kanamori.

Maybe Kanamori was happily starting to daydream about such a thing when he found out.

[howmanyholesinswisscheese]

More Sherlock & Co Headcanons

Because y'all like the first ones so much.

Mariana is one of those heathens who eats the kernels at the bottom of the popcorn bowl and enjoys it.

John and Sherlock have a rotating cast of answers to the age old client question, "So are you two...?" which only serve to confuse the asker even more. It's an incredibly enjoyable sport. Sherlock often just plays dumb, to John's enormous amusement. It's their favorite inside joke.

When he does actually eat it, Sherlock's go-to breakfast food is a boiled egg and soldiers. Fight me. I will not stand for boiled eggs and soldiers slander they are amazing and Sherlock knows it.

John keeps a collection of bloopers/funny moments he's recorded during cases in a folder on his computer. When he's feeling down, he puts in his earplugs and listens to them. He never fails to get a laugh out of it.

Speaking of language headcanons in the last post, Sherlock speaks fluent Spanish (because of course he does). Sometimes he and Mariana have innocuous conversations in Spanish just to mess with John. He finally gets what it's like to be a stranger watching them all converse in BSL.

Sherlock has a strong appreciation for the musical arts. Once, after a particularly sour case, John took Sherlock to the orchestra to lighten his mood. Sherlock didn't express much outward enjoyment, still drained from the previous week's labor, but the next day the pieces they'd heard rang out through the flat as Sherlock's touch brought them to life from memory on his violin. John found this version infinitely more beautiful than any orchestra. and he even glimpsed the ghost of a smile as Sherlock lost himself in the music.

You know how everyone has a different little doodle they do when they're bored and they've got a pen and a bit of paper around? Well, Sherlock does mandalas and circle scribbles, John does little smiley faces and zig zags, and Mariana writes peoples names in calligraphy.

@obsessed-sketches and I both agree Sherlock wears a really heavy, well-worn coat for the deep-pressure stimulation. And a scarf, because those are absolutely splendid to play/fiddle with and being all wrapped up just adds a whole nother dimension to it all.

John uses Microsoft Edge as his default browser. Mariana's exasperated protests have been completely futile in convincing him to switch and to be honest, who knows if there's any hope left for him anymore.

Speaking of browsers, Sherlock would be such a boss at the 2048 game.

Someday I'm gonna have to write a dance lesson fic, because the idea of Sherlock teaching John to dance for a case lives in my head rent free for literally every SH rendition but these two especially. Sherlock freely infodumping about the history of each song he plays as he shows John how to waltz, John filling the silence with nervous rambling, that rapport setting in and them just falling into step after a few minutes and forgetting time is even passing... I know I mostly HC them as a QPR but dear god the intimacy in that may kill me.

Mariana once introduced Sherlock to the National Day Calendar. National Cellophane Tape Day, National Life Insurance Day, National Raspberry Popover Day, and the likes are now slipped happily into conversations at 221B under Sherlock's firm belief that each one is on par with Christmas in terms of their significance in the public eye. Slay, Sherlock. National Days are awesome.

John makes the cutest sleep noises.

Yk how i said Sherlock likes rainbow sour straps. If you've ever eaten sour straps, you'll know there are two ways to eat them: whole, or by tearing the colours into strips. Clearly, as a civilised human being, Sherlock does the latter.

SHERLOCK WOULD TOTALLY WRITE AWESOME POETRY AND READ IT OUT AND JOHN AND MARIANA WOULD BE STUNNED INTO AWESTRUCK SILENCE

Mariana wears those really big hoop earrings. You know the ones.

AAAAH i should stop before this becomes a mammoth block of text. Maybe I'll make a part three.

Thank you kindly for being unwillingly subjected to my opinions coming to my TED talk.

[pigeonpeach]

Love behind the Spotlight

Aka Robin x fmab reader

SPOILERS BTW made before the most recent update!

Warnings: death, spoilers, suicidal thoughts, lil smut, reader is called girlfriend sometimes, not proofread

“Sorry I’m late! The paparazzi out there are ruthless!” You quickly pushed your back to the door and locked it just incase. You visibly relaxed upon hearing the familiar click.

“Its okay love, you’re one time actually, they have to fix the set so we have some time.” Robin said, getting up from her chair to give you a quick peck. This woman was a goddess in your eyes, how else could you explain how easily you relaxed in her company, how all the troubles of the world faded into nothing when her wings cupped your face while you kissed. A bottle of soulglad could never compare to a kiss from Robin to you. Dreamscape or not, Robin is what truly made your life magical. You could tell she was a little tense, she seemed worried.

“Is something the matter? Was someone rude?” You rolled up your sleeves but she placed her hand on your arm.

“No…its just those articles.. they say I’ve gained weight..” Robin’s smile faded.

“Gained? If anything you should! You’re quite literally light as a feather! Those journalists have their heads up their ass and gossip on the brain 24/7. You could get a actual trashcan to write a better article than most of them. They only want more attention, and you just happened to be the prettiest and most perfect punching bag for them to take it out on.” You gently petted her wings, not wanting to mess up her hair. She reminded you of your pet bird in the way her eyes would close a little whenever you tended to her like this.

“I know its just exhausting to constantly be a target. At least I have you… I hope that we can go public someday..” she looked at you with smile, that radiant curve that rewired your brain like a addiction.

“Someday, I’m going to kiss you right infront of those annoying fans who try to ask you out. And I’ll flip them off. I’ll give those journalists something to write about.” You smiled. She did as well..

“This.. this is your choice in partner?” Sunday didn’t seemed pleased. Robin seemed agitated at that.

“What do you mean by that? They’re nothing but loyal and honest to me!” She was on edge and he could sense that.

“I just simply thought you could do better. Even if you are into… well.. girls, there’s far better options for a celebrity like yourself. Not that I doubt you love them, if you’re relationship with them ever got out then it would be nothing but controversy. People would accuse you of taking advantage of them, lying to your fans, all sorts of things.” He sighed. “It’s just a disaster waiting to happen.”

“Well.. I’d rather have them by my side for that then. They make me feel more confident and assured. I feel safe in their presence. I already get unnecessarily criticized and wrapped into controversies regardless of what I do, At least this way I do so happily.” She huffed.

“I can see they’ve been a influence on you, although I can’t say its that bad.. just be careful. We’ll try to ease the public into it. Probably starting with the notion, then more public appearances, song’s mentioning the situation and then finally the announcement. How long have you two been dating?”

“A year actually.”

“YOU didn’t TELL ME!”

“I should leave soon, otherwise the media will be wondering why I’m sleeping over.” You sighed, starting to lace up your attire, your back turned to her, you knew if you just saw the top of her collarbone right now you would never be able to leave this room, but then the media would speculate. There was already rumors, you had seen it online of people joking Robin was into you even from your friendly interactions. If you didn’t leave soon then it would only add fuel to the fire. But you didn’t want to. Her bed was comfy, the sheets were silken and soft and the mattress cupped your body so lovingly, that’s not even mentioning the cuddle expert Robin is. How her gentle voice is better than the sleeping pills you have to take if you wish to get any sleep, how her soft hands hold you like otters drifting in the sea, and when you watch her wings twitch in her sleep. Her hand traced your back, like a hypnosis you had ceased movement, but Robin would never need to use the harmony on you, if she wanted something she could ask and you would comply easily.

“Please?” That’s all it took for your resolve to crumble. You could never say no to that face or that voice. You discarded your pants that hadn’t even been zipped yet, kicking them off to some corner in the dark.

“Who am I to refuse?” You smiled playfully as you rejoined her under the sheets. Her hands quickly yanked you into her embrace. She pecked your face with kisses, like a bird preening its lover, her hands smoothed the messy bedhair you now had.

“I love you.. I love you so much..” she whispered inbetween kisses. You could tell from her voice and demeanor then that you wouldn’t sleep that night.

Your hand found its way to her back, tracing the shoulder blades while she dotted your face with whatever was left of her lipstick. You would go through a whole packet of makeup wipes tomorrow but it’d be worth it. You wouldn’t leave this bed if your life depended on it. It would be nice to die in her arms afterall, you would die happy if you went out while she was eating you out. Her kisses trailed down and down until she was at your chest, without hesitation she swirled her tongue on your breasts like she knew you liked it. You gasped as you held your hand to your mouth.

“Robin? Robin?” A voice sounded from the door as you both froze. By instinct you dove under the sheets as she hurriedly put her night gown back on, meanwhile you covered yourself in her pillows and plushies to further hide your form.

“Sorry sorry.” She said as she placed one final pillow over you then opened the door. “What is it?”

“Your performance was cancelled due to a technical issue at the venue. Apparently some of the tech there broke overnight and they don’t have hopes itll be repaired in time. So you can sleep in tonight.” Sunday said.

“Oh that’s great!”

“Also has your assistant gone home? I didn’t see them take one of the guest rooms.” He asked. She paused before smiling a bit.

“Actually.. they’re spending the night..” she said quietly to him. He looked at her skeptically, but ultimately he just sighed.

“Just be quiet.” He left afterwards. You heard the door close and lock as Robin quickly pounced onto the bed, digging you out of your makeshift burial with a eager expression. “You won’t mind being quiet tonight right?”

“You’ll have to gag me.”

“Where’s Robin?” You approached Sunday confused, you had a week off work so you had been having some time to yourself, enjoying the festivities and atmosphere of the dreamscape. Sunday seemed different, usually he was more relaxed in a situation like this, where he’s simply standing around at the balcony, overlooking Peacony’s scenery like he is its god.

“She’s… a little busy at the moment. Your vacation has been extended. Enjoy your time off.” He said. You immediately didn’t buy it.

“Bull shit where the fuck is she?” You said, your heart starting to race. For once Sunday looked uncertain, panicked even. It was not pleasing or assuring to see, you felt dread building in your stomach. “What happened… why aren’t you saying anything…”

“Robin… is fine.. just enjoy your vacation. Its paid as well so you’ll have no worries.” He repeated like a broken record.

“She has a performance coming up, I’m supposed to go with her.” You said. “Are you firing me? What is going on?!”

“You are not being fired. You l.. lets take this inside..” he looked at you with a look you could only describe as guilt and sympathy. You felt only worse as you followed him into his office.

“There you are~” you felt relieved to hear her voice coming from behind. Robin smiled as always as she quickly engulfed you in a hug.

“Don’t be so silly brother~ I could always use a extra hand!” Robins arm wrapped around you confidently, something she only did in complete utter privacy. Your heart sank, this isn’t her usual demeanor. She’s playful in scenarios sure, where its just you and her, or sunday too sometimes, but she has some composure to her.

“Robin I’m so goad you’re okay.” You hugged her awkwardly, wondering if something was wrong. You could hear Sunday growing apprehensive.

“That’s enough you fool.. its one thing to play an act for appearances but to try and fool her lover?!” Sunday hissed, you immediately backed off looking at him then ‘Robin’ who now had a uncharacteristic smile on her face. Within a instant its like she was gone, now replaced by a twin tailed, scantily dressed, clothed in red lady with the most devilish smirk.

“You’re no fun, i thought we really had to sell this illusion.” She teased.

“What the fuck”. You backed up as you felt your world crumble. Sunday got s stand in… but why? What happened to Robin. He turned to you with a look of sympathy.

“Look I understand you’re confused but you can’t speak about this. The Family is trying to avoid a panic so we must keep this under wraps.. Robin is.. well..” you had always known Sunday to be the perfect guy, spokesperson, model, negotiator, whatever. His composure was pristine and his fake smile never faltered even with you. Now it did. And that devilish lady wasn’t helping.

“You’re little girlfriend is dead~” she said tauntingly. With that you felt a sense of numbness come over.

“Bu-but… people can’t die in the dreamscapes.. how..”

“That’s what we’re trying to find out. Now I ask you don’t react irrationally, I could use some help on the case and-“

“Robin is dead… she’s dead.. like.. I’ll never see her again?” You asked baffled.

“She got murdered by some weird black eyed creature~” The lady added, Sunday shot her another glare.

“Sparkle if you’re going to be so insensitive then I ask you leave, you are not helping this meeting!” He said.

“Hey, I’m not the one who can’t tell her the truth. She was your sister’s girlfriend the least you can do is tell her what happened!” She didn’t stand down one bit.

But you weren’t focused on them. They were to busy arguing to notice you were now crying. You thought about your last text to her. ‘It doesn’t feel like a vacation when you’re not here with me :(‘ she had responded with a heart, and a message assuring you that you would be reunited soon. Maybe even a joke about how she’d work you even harder since you liked your job so much. Such things that warmed your heart now froze it instead, tearing at the veins and flesh like a blender. You sunk to the floor as you failed to comprehend the world around you.

“Do you feel better now.” Sunday asked cautiously as you laid in the cushions in his office. Sparkle having been kicked out for her unhelpful comments. You had never known Sunday to be fond of you in any way. To be honest you didn’t think he was capable of of it. But you guessed he just wanted to share his pain with someone. You knew how the family was, you knew how secretive everything must be. You never took the job offer with the intention of falling for its shinning idol. In fact you initially thought of her as annoying. She was so perfect in the light with no flaws, but when you saw the person off stage and in the shadows you fell for her. You loved Robin, not the idol not the celebrity, the person. The person who’s wings would hide her face when she was shy, the person who was always so nice to you, who saw you as more than a hired help but a person. You had worked for many celebrities before, smaller and bigger and none were like her. Your love had been the slowest of burns, and you imagined it would be a eternal flame.

“I don’t… I feel like shit.” You replied. You would never feel her warmth, her presence, her love, her sudden boldness, anything Robin was now gone.

“I understand. Its why I wanted to give you more vacation time.” He explained.

“So you wouldn’t have told me?” You asked, you were too tired to yell or scream. You had always been a passionate person. You would curse out paparazzi and make rude remarks. You would play the villain so Robin didn’t have to ruin her image by standing up for herself, but now you could only be as you were. A corpse laying on the ground waiting to be engulfed by the earth.

“I wasn’t allowed to. No one is supposed to know of her death. The family.. is covering it up until more information comes out.”

“How did she die.. how can anyone die in the dreamscape?” You asked. He paused.

“She was.. murdered… as for death in the dreamscape, I’m just as puzzled as you are.” He said, but you felt he knew more. You had no more fight in you now though, he could shoot you right here and you wouldn’t budge or try to dodge.

“If death can happen in the dreamscape… could it happen to me too.” You didn’t mean to say that outloud but he heard it anyways.

“Are-are you saying that you wish to die!” He sounded shocked.

“I don’t have anything outside of work. All I have ever been is a employee for brighter stars, Robin was the only one who made life more enjoyable and lively. I haven’t. I promised to protect her till the end and I failed. The least I could do is join her in death.” You said. You didn’t bother to look at his face.

“I understand how you feel. I miss Robin too. I want nothing more than to find her murderer and drag them through the streets. I’d love nothing more than to just curse them out on live television. But i cannot.”

“I loved her Sunday. I loved her more than anything in this life, dreamscape, reality, nothing compared to her. I’d pluck the stars from the skies if she asked, I’d grovel at her feet and lay my jacket in muddy puddles if she asked. I’d do anything.. and now all I’m left with is this pain. I hate it… I hate it.” You sat up clutching your head.

“I understand. I never had any doubts that you loved her. Nor did I ever doubt your loyalty to her once. All my life I have been the protective brother, I felt like I had to be, the world was so cruel and she was so innocent. When you joined it made me worried, I did everything I could to find something against you, nothing weighed enough to prove my suspicions right. If anyone was a good fit for my sister, it was you.” He said. You sighed.

“How am I supposed to live like this then? What exactly should I live for. What use is life when no one gives you a reason to live.” You sighed.

“I don’t want to lose you too. Although we aren’t close, I don’t want to be the only one in this world who grieves for her. The loneliness I feel is so much worse without her.”

“Its hard to smile when you have nothing to smile for huh?” You added. “How do you plan on handling this, you always have a plan don’t you?”

“I do alright. I’ll make that.. creature pay…” his tone changed. You looked at him with a little surprise. You learned a lot more about your almost brother in law in this moment than you had the years you worked for his sister.

“Wouldn’t it be dangerous, if it can kill people in the dreamscape then how could you possibly.. handle it.”

“Rest assured I have my plans and theories. If you would like, I could use help enacting some.” He said. You sat uncertain. His tone was more unhinged, his hands were clutched at the table’s edge so tight you swore the wood creaked. The halo on his head shook as he attempted to steady himself. You were scared seeing him like this. He had been mad before but he never once let down that polite smile or mannered voice.

“Just get me a bottle of something and I’ll hear you out. I don’t want to feel this pain in my chest anymore.”

“That’s not an answer.” He said. You pondered for a minute. You weighed by grief, kept in the seat. But you knew you needed something to do if you wanted to live.

“I’ll help.“ you answered.

[chrisevansonly]

𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐚𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐞𝐬 (𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲’𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐥 𝐚𝐮)

ʚ harry styles x female reader (angel)

ʚ nothing like christmas time at the styles family home it makes it more special since it’s violet’s first christmas

ʚ no warnings just fluff

ʚ here we are with a little christmas harry’s angel au update, i’m working on getting better at updating my works and writing, i know im shit at it, so I PROMISE i’m working on it, shit ending idk i’m struggling 😭

🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄

It was honestly quite amazing how quickly your little Violet had grew, 6 whole months and your baby girl was babbling and practically sitting up on her own now. It was also your first Christmas as a family of three, Harry was done tour, you were off at your home in the countryside close to Harry’s mum: Life couldn’t get better.

“Okay so we’ve got dinner at mum’s in about forty minutes-you okay angel?” Harry’s voice snapped you back to reality

“Oh-yeah i’m okay lovie, just thinking about how 6 months ago we were at the hospital…and now”

The pout and shine in your eyes had Harry walking over to you to pull you in for a hug, holding you gently to him. Thankfully Violet was sound asleep upstairs, she often would panic slightly if you were ever upset, same thing with Harry.

“M’love…it’s okay to feel a bit emotional, our baby girl is growing up…”

“I know-it’s just happened so fast, I miss when she was teeny tiny”

Harry smiled pressing a kiss to your temple

“I do too, but she’s only six months, so we’ve still got a bit longer of little her hmm?”

You knew he was right, so nodding you wiped your eyes letting out a sigh, just in time to hear babbles from Violet upstairs.

“Go get our girl, and i’ll finish up our snack”

Leaning forward to kiss his lips softly you made your way up to Violet’s room, as soon as she laid her eyes on you she was smiling

“Hi petal! Did you have a good nap!”

“Ma ma!!” she squealed happily as you lifted her up, placing her on the change table to get her diaper switched before fixing her Christmas onesie.

“Should we go show daddy your pyjamas? We can all match together?”

Violet smiled clapping her hands as you scooped her back up, walking back down the hallway

“Da da!!!!” she yelled causing you to laugh, Harry appearing around the corner after hearing his daughters very loud yell for him

“Well hello to you too baby!”

Violet reached her hands out to him, Harry quick to take her while pressing a kiss to her cheek

“Wow, don’t you look so pretty in your pj’s…do mummy and I have the matching set too?”

Violet looked to you before pointing to her jammies, babbling away

“I think she’s saying yes H”

Harry laughed, she was still learning how to say words, only a few in her vocabulary at this point but that didn’t mean she couldn’t communicate in other ways.

“Well I say we go get changed and then and have some cuddles on the couch!”

Matching pyjamas was the first of many traditions for your family, something you’d remember as the holidays came and left with each passing year. Violet truly was the best gift you and Harry had ever received.

And maybe someday in the future, you’d add another little one too..

[luci-in-trenchcoats]

The Princess & The Playboy (Part 2)

Summary: The reader has agreed to go out with Dean for one date only but is pretty sure he's just a flirt looking to get in her pants. But Dean is more than he seems and may be the first person she can have a truly honest conversation with in a long time...

Masterlist

Pairing: NFL Quarterback!Dean x Pop Star!reader

Word Count: 7,600ish

Warnings: language, family trauma/angst, kidnapping, smut

A/N: I think I gave them too much trauma tbh...oh well!

_________

Eric rapped his knuckles on the doorframe of your home studio but didn’t do anything further to disturb you. You were absently plucking away on a guitar, something quiet and simple, your head spaced out as you listened to the notes over and over. You weren’t sure how it fit just yet but you liked the melody enough to jot it down in a notebook.

“That’s going to be a number one hit someday,” he said. You shrugged, setting the guitar to the side, closing your eyes. “You okay, kid?”

“The team says I’m behind on the next album. I don’t even have a single song,” you sighed. You felt him plop down on the couch beside you, your eyes peeling open, finding his stern ones looking back.

“The whole point of you ditching your first label and doing things through your team is so you’d be in control. You put out a fucking album in March. It’s September. When the hell were you supposed to be writings these songs? During the four hours of sleep a night you got while on tour the past six months?”

“Eric,” you shushed him, putting a hand on his arm. “I’m just venting. If I need you to kick someone’s ass I’ll let you know, alright?”

“Just don’t let them bully you,” he grumbled, getting to his feet. “You ready for this charity date shit?”

“I’ll happily take Dean’s ten million dollars for an hour of suffering. His fault he threw so many touchdowns last night,” you said, Eric pulling you up. “Is everything settled?”

“We rented out the restaurant. The only people inside will be the two of you, myself and his head of security. Apparently he’s famous enough he has his own protection agent, albeit he doesn’t tend to listen to them.” You saw a twinge of annoyance on his face but let it go, instead following him out and down the hall, Eric giving you a side eye. “Aren’t you going to get ready for your date?”

You slid past him and over to your front closet, shoving your feet into a pair of converse. “The man’s seen me in sweats and a hoodie. A Stones t-shirt and skinny jeans should be a step up for him.” 

You swiped your crossbody bag from the front table, Eric sighing. “Let’s get this over with.”

Thirty minutes later you were sitting at a curved booth in a nice italian restaurant. Ordinarily, you never would have rented out a whole place for just yourself. But you were pissed off at your team for trying to get you to capitalize off Dean wanting a date. He seemed like a genuine fan and you’d have a conversation with him for how much he’d donated to the charity. You’d had a long conversation with them last night, with some backup from Eric over it all.

Either they backed off or you’d find a new manager, agent, PR rep, all of it. You’d done it before when you were younger and you had no problem doing it again. 

Between you and Eric, you were pretty sure they were going to back off on the Dean front, at least for now.

You couldn’t help but stare when Dean came into view through the back of the restaurant. He was in a flannel and henley, dark jeans on his long legs. He smiled when he saw you but stopped short when Eric stepped in front of him. He said something you couldn’t hear, Dean flashing a wink that made Eric’s eye twitch. Dean kept approaching though, Eric now in a hushed argument with a woman in jeans and blazer that’d trailed in after Dean.

“Please don’t give my bodyguard an aneurysm. He already thinks you’re sketchy,” you said as Dean slid into the booth with a big grin.

“Oh he’ll warm up to me.” We both turned our heads at raised voices, Eric and Dean’s bodyguard going at it.

“Moron!” Eric shouted, your eyebrows raised. You didn’t have time to question his sudden lack of professionalism before she was shouting back he was a dickhead.

“Everything alright over there?” called Dean, Eric and the woman giving each other death glares before storming off to opposite sides of the restaurant. “Okay…well I’ve never seen Sloane act like that before.”

“Eric either. Weird.” You heard rustling and glanced at Dean, that silly smile still on his face. “You do understand I’m only here because you literally bought your way into a date.”

“True but I like giving to charity and if I get a date with the girl I’ve had a crush on since college, what’s the harm in that?” he teased. You crossed your arms, leaning back in your seat, his smile faltering. 

“Yeah see, that’s creepy. So talk about whatever it is you want to talk about and then we can go our separate ways, alright?” He was frowning now, keeping his hands under the table. There was an still beat. Not awkward but…sad almost. “Just-”

“You think I’m creepy?” he scoffed. You shrugged, Dean’s smile returning but laced with something mean. “Because I asked for a picture?”

“No-”

“Because I posted about going to a concert which fifty thousand other people did that same night?”

“That’s not-”

“Because I gave you my number? Was that my creepy offense? Because I’m surely the first man to-”

“Okay, you know what?” you said, leaning forward, narrowing your eyes at his ridiculously pretty face. “I don’t have to explain myself to you. You might be famous but you aren’t my level of famous. Everywhere in the fucking world people know who I am. Pushy men that give their number and call you their crush and basically publicly shame you into going out with them for money? Yeah, that’s fucking creepy, Winchester.”

Surprisingly, he only sat back in his seat, breathing slowly. “I’m sorry then. Just let me say one thing and then I’ll get up and leave and you never have to talk to me again.”

You unfolded your arms, offering a small nod. Dean bit his bottom lip, letting it go slowly, his chest raising and falling softly.

“You were the most beautiful girl I’d ever seen when I walked into that house party my sophomore year. It was the second weekend of the semester and I’d just played my first game as quarterback. I was the backup for our school you know. I was supposed to ride the bench but Dallas got hurt…” he trailed off as you stared at him. “Doesn’t matter. But I remember that party and I remember hearing you singing along to a guitar outside by the fire pit. You uh, you had your hair in a messy bun just like it is right now. You were wearing a Kansas hoodie that was way too big for you and you had on these nike sweatpants and obnoxious orange sneakers like you didn’t give a fuck how you looked. You had no idea how stunning you were.”

You glanced down. You remembered those sneakers. You’d only worn them a few times before your roommate accidentally lost them. 

“Your voice was beautiful. It still is but I’m a little sad you never do anything acoustic like you would back then. Still doesn’t matter,” he said, pausing a beat. “This isn’t a brag but girls threw themselves at me at that party. Every day after that game they did. But the only girl I wanted to get to know, wouldn’t say more than hi because I was a jock. And it took a long time for me to understand why but I do. Because I hate myself too.”

You flicked your gaze up and met his, green eyes boring into yours. You parted your lips but no words came, Dean nodding, a sad smile on his face.

“It wasn’t your fault. Your volleyball practice ran late. Your brother wasn’t your fault.” You bit the inside of your cheek and glanced away. “You hated sports after that. I read an interview that you thought sports were silly once. But I understand why. You don’t hate sports. You hate what they did to you and back then, every student athlete was just a guy that could hurt you or worse, he could get hurt too. I understand hating yourself. I was supposed to be there for my brother too but I stayed at school and fucked it all up. So I get why in college you wouldn’t give me the time of day when all I wanted was one date with the girl that made my heart skip.”

Fingers grazed your chin, cupping it gently as he forced your head up. 

“But I am not creepy for you still making my heart skip and wanting a date. We’re not kids anymore, Y/N. You don’t like me then fine, but give me a chance. Don’t push me out because I’m still a guy who plays sports.”

You gently pushed his hand away, Dean sighing. “Maybe you have a point about the kinds of guys I found attractive in college. The crush isn’t what’s…” You squeezed your eyes shut. “You have had a lot of girlfriends Dean and I mean a lot. You have a new girl every week. It’s clear we are two very different kinds of people. You hookup. I don’t. I’m like a conquest or some shit because you couldn’t get me in college. That’s why we’re not talking after this…whatever the hell this is, again.”

Dean cocked his head, eyes roaming over your body. “So you won’t go out with me because you think I only want to fuck you?”

“Am I wrong?” you asked. He chuckled, his face more lively.

“Sweetheart, I’ll admit, I’d enjoy doing a lot of things with you,” he grinned. “But…I’ll make you a promise. I won’t do anything with you, won’t even fucking kiss you, until you want me to.”

“You realized what you’ve described is friendship?” He shrugged.

“We can call it that if you prefer.” You were still under his careful watch, Dean leaning forward. “But know that when you do eventually fall in love with me I’m so going to rub your face in it.”

“And there’s the cocky flirt,” you said, nodding to yourself.

“Just stating facts,” he said, flashing you a wink as he tucked his hands behind his head. You rolled your eyes, Dean enjoying this far too much. “So-”

“Here’s how this works,” you said, grabbing a menu and sliding it over to him.

“Love a woman in charge,” he teased. You growled, his eyebrows shooting up. “Oh, the princess of pop has a temper. I think I like this sassy side.”

“We eat lunch and we try to be friends,” you said ignoring him. “Anything beyond that is yet to be determined. Are we clear?”

“Oh absolutely,” he grinned. You groaned, gripping your own menu tight. “You’re too fun to tease. I’m only going to keep doing it.”

“Keep it up and see how far that gets you, Winchester,” you grumbled. He stood abruptly, your eyes widening as he slid in next to you, throwing an arm over your shoulders. “What are-”

Hot breath fanned over your ear as you felt rumbling in your chest from his deep laugh. “Sweetheart, I’ll stop teasing the day you stop blushing when I do it.”

You turned your head, Dean’s merely a few inches from your own. He looked fucking cocky and sexy with that know it all smile. 

You hated that you were having more fun with his flirting than you had with a guy in a long time.

“Plus we both got that whole older sibling trauma, insane career pressure thing going on. I mean, match made in heaven right here,” he said, booping your nose. “Fuck, how are you hot and cute at the same time? No wonder the whole world loves you.”

You didn’t mean to but your eyes welled up with tears, Dean instantly pulling his arm back. You shook your head, wiping your face off with the back of your hand. “It’s not you. It’s just…that’s the second time you’ve brought up the thing we’re not…talking about. You know, our brothers. Do you…want to talk about it?”

Dean nodded. “After lunch…and somewhere private if that’s okay.”

“I can agree to that, even if our bodyguards won’t.”

“His house?” groaned Eric thirty minutes later. “His house, Y/N? You don’t know-”

“I don’t but you’ll be there and he needs to talk to someone about his brother and maybe I need a friend that’s not you that I can too. I’ve already made it clear to him that he and I are strictly friends.” Eric mumbled something but relented, the driver following after Dean’s SUV and to his home, only a short drive from your own.

Dean was waiting by the front door when you got out of the SUV, smiling as he opened it up. Eric went straight for Sloane who was nearby, the two of them bickering like cats and dogs, Dean shutting the door after them.

“Those two must have history,” he said, showing you down a front hall and through the middle of his open kitchen and living room, straight through a back door to a patio. You swore you could hear them arguing as you took a seat on an outdoor couch under an umbrella.

“I don’t think Eric’s dated since high school. Maybe they knew each other in the military or something,” you said, Dean humming.

“Could be. Sloane’s pretty much on her own too aside from the occasional hookup,” he said, sitting nearby on the couch. The air was quiet for a few moments as you took in Dean’s backyard, fairly quaint for LA standards, especially NFL quarterback standards.

“Whatever happened with you and Sam, it wasn’t your fault either.” He smiled, titling his head.

“I was supposed to go home that weekend and hangout with him. I was too damn hungover to though so I didn’t. If I’d gone home he wouldn’t have been walking home at night by himself. It wouldn’t have happened to him so it is my fault.”

You closed your eyes. “Well, I was late picking up Max and he walked home at night too so either we were both at fault or neither one of us was.”

“You were late from practice. Your coach made you late, not-”

“We were late because I got to practice late because I was making out with our fucking quarterback in the art room.” You felt him shift closer, arm around your shoulders as you forced yourself to look at him. “I didn’t hate athletes, Dean. I hated that because I was too busy kissing one, my little brother’s life was ruined. We’re old enough to know that it could have happened at any time, whether we were there or not.”

“I know,” he said quietly. You tentatively wrapped your arms around his waist, Dean smiling. “I never knew anyone else that had someone taken from them.”

“Me either. I mean I’ve met some through the charity but no one that knows…” 

“The world thinks you’re perfect because you’re good at your job and you smile for a camera.” You nodded, resting your head on his shoulder. “My friend Benny said you talked to him in english about Sammy.”

“I remember him. He was cute,” you said, Dean growling. “Someone jealous?”

“I’m the one pining after you, remember?” He laughed quietly, his long fingers brushing against your exposed arm. “He didn’t tell me until yesterday. I was on edge a lot back then. Even now Sam’s a touchy subject.”

“Doesn’t seem that way to me.” He shook his head. 

“You’re different. You know how hopeless it feels, what it’s like to have a funeral without a body, without knowing for sure.” You hummed, giving him a gentle hug.

“From our parents perspective, I understand why. We know the statistics and after so many years missing, so many experts telling them their kid is gone-”

“They needed to try to move on,” he finished. His fingers stilled on your skin, his body tense. “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to. Not without knowing for sure.”

You smiled, turning your head to meet his own worried eyes. “Me either. Guess we have that unhealthy trait in common.”

“I don’t think we’re doing too bad for ourselves all things considered.” You stood up, taking a few steps away before turning on your heels. Dean’s face was neutral as you crossed your arms. “You don’t like me, do you.”

“I think…” you trailed off, trying to word this nicely. “I think all we have in common is we went to the same college and both have little brothers that were kidnapped. I am open to being friends, Dean. I am. But I don’t think what you want to happen here-”

“You’re wrong.” You frowned as he rose from his seat, stalking over slowly, eyeing you in a way that made you feel very warm all of a sudden. He didn’t stop until he was by your side, staring you down. “I can ignore the blushing, ignore how the second we’re in private you are holding onto me like we’ve known each other more than an hour. I can even ignore how you look at me with those big eyes and pouty lips like you want to climb me like a fucking tree.”

“That is not true.” He put a finger under your chin, tilting it up as he brought his face close, warm breath fawning over your face. “I don’t like you like that.”

“Yes you do and that scares you. I fuck away my fear of intamacy and you hide from it. That’s our problem, isn’t it. You and I hide differently. Well I’m done hiding and girl, you need to be done too. Don’t you get that we are safe for each other? I get that you are going to be nervous about this and you get that I’m not a tool. We can learn together, learn something that is not easy for anyone but especially people like us that have everything so damn publicized. Most of all we can trust each other unlike the rest of the world. We won’t hurt each other and you know it. You just won’t admit it. You won’t let yourself care for someone that isn’t capable of defending themselves. Why do you think your bodyguard is your best friend? You have got to give us-”

“Good god you never shut up,” you said, reaching up and grabbing the back of his neck, pulling him into a kiss. Dean’s lips were instantly moving against yours, not taking ownership of the kiss but giving as much pressure as you were giving.

Hands cupped your cheeks, holding you steady as he smiled, teasingly dipping his tongue inside the dark cavern of your mouth. Dean pulled away much too soon, green orbs staring down, the heat in them cutting right through your core.

“I strike a nerve, sweetheart?” he teased. You scoffed, Dean tracing his thumb over your bottom lip. “Or does my armchair psychology just turn you on?”

“I was simply trying to get you to shut up.” 

“Oh. Well feel free to shut me up anytime you like.” You growled, Dean cupping your chin and pecking a softer kiss on you. You rose up on your tiptoes, Dean shushing you. “S’okay to admit you like traumatized cocky guys, princess.”

“You are insufferable,” you said, Dean smirking while you poked him in the ribs. “I never said I like you, Winchester.”

“Right,” he said, taking your hand and tugging you along after him. “Well come pretend to hate my company before I have to head to afternoon practice.”

“Insufferable.”

“Whatever you say, princess.”

Dean POV

“Hey,” I said late that night, answering my phone when I saw Y/N was calling. “You miss me already, sweetheart?”

“As if,” scoffed Y/N, quiet for a moment. “How was your practice?”

“Alright. How-”

“Just alright?” she interrupted. I raised my eyebrow, even if I was alone in my kitchen. Unlike Y/N, Sloane was the extent of my security team. Between her and myself, we had things covered. Sure, I was famous but it was different than being a pop star. I went to games that had security, a practice facility that had security, sets for commercials where they always had security. My home was in a gated community. The only reason Sloane was even on the payroll was peace of mind for my parents. She didn’t even go anywhere with me unless I asked.

“It was fine. Why?” I asked, Y/N going quiet again.

“Maybe I’m crazy but people that are in relationships generally ask how each other’s day went.” I closed my eyes, biting back a groan. “It’s already past eight. I should go.”

“Y/N-” The phone beeped, a glance down showing the call had ended. “Fuck me.”

I dialed her back, the phone picking up on the fourth ring, Y/N staying silent.

“Don’t hang up on me again.” She sighed softly, my stomach forming a knot. “Y/N…”

“I don’t think this is a good idea. We both have crazy schedules and-” 

“I told you earlier you don’t have to be scared of me. I know that’s what this is. You want to get to know me. Why else would you call? But you want an out too. Well I’m not giving it to you so suck it up cause you’re stuck with me. Understand?”

The line was quiet before I heard a bed creak, followed by a thick swallow. “I never said I’d date you, Dean.”

“Well we are so get used to it.” She mumbled something I couldn’t make out, my stomach still sour. “I will not hurt you, Y/N. That’s a promise.”

“You went out with forty two different women so far this year. Forty two. You spend every weekend fucking a new woman while I…” she trailed off, her voice still to thick for my liking. Was she crying? Fighting back tears? 

“What’s wrong, princess?” I asked gently, her voice hiccuping. “Why are you crying?”

“I’m sorry Dean but I’m clearly not mature enough for any kind of relationship with you. Please forget this happened.” She hung up again, my stomach fully twisted up. 

I was not going to let her fear stop her from living her damn life. I texted Sloane and two minutes later I was calling a different number, swallowing down my nerves.

“Dean Winchester,” said Eric, Y/N’s more than intimidating bodyguard. “Why the fuck are you calling me?”

“I need to know where Y/N lives. I want to go over and check on her.” 

“What the fuck do you mean check on her?” he snapped, a loud scrape in the background like a chair falling over.

“She’s fine! She’s fine,” I said, Eric’s loud growl making my ear hurt. “She’s upset is all and-”

“Let me guess. You made her upset?” I swallowed. 

“Not on purpose. I-” 

“What did I say to you at the restaurant? What the fuck did I say to you?” he grit out. I sighed as I went to my front door and slipped on a pair of sneakers. “I said if you hurt her, I’d fucking make your life hell. And what did you do? Sounds like you fucking hurt her. You understand why the fuck I wouldn’t tell you where she lives?”

“Eric, if you want to beat the shit out of me or bury me in the backyard or do whatever the hell you want to me, then fine. Go ahead. But she’s sitting in her house crying right now and this is something you can’t fix. So save my murder until after I can make her feel better, alright?”

“I’d rather shoot my own dick off than tell your slutty ass where she lives. I will check on her-”

I grabbed my keys off the front table and went outside, squeezing my phone tight. “Has she ever had a boyfriend?”

“Why the fuck-”

“Because you know as much as I have she hasn’t, not since Max was taken. She is scared of getting close to people and you know it. You’re the one person that’s been by her side since she got famous, aren’t you? I am asking you as someone that cares about her, as people that both care about her, please tell me. I need to at least try and help her know she’s not a lost cause.”

“Why on earth would she think that?”

“Because I have the same head as her,” I said, slipping behind the wheel of my SUV. “Be at the house too, I don’t care. But let me try, man. Please.”

The line was quiet, my heart in my throat as the seconds passed by.

“9 Hunt Lane. She’s a three minute drive from your house. Tell the guard at the gate ‘Cherry Blossom’ and they’ll let you in.”

“Thank you,” I said, starting the car.

“If you fuck with her-”

“I know. You’ll cut my balls off or some shit,” I said, opening my gate and backing out.

“Oh that’d be the nicest thing I’d do to you.” I didn’t put it past him that it was the truth. “I’ll be there in ten.”

“Don’t trust me, buddy?” I tried to joke but it came out forced. 

“I’m your fucking nightmare, not your buddy.” He hung up and I stared at the phone a moment.

“I would hate to know how you treat me if I wasn’t your favorite player,” I mumbled, taking off and in front of Y/N’s house before I knew it. I hadn’t realized we lived in the same neighborhood, just opposite sides. Her security guards at the gate were giving me a good side eye until I uttered the magic words. The next thing I knew, I was being let in the front door of the house by them, the thing closing tight after me, one of them locking it back up from the outside.

I kicked off my shoes and walked through the massive front hallway to the back of the house, looking all around but finding it dark. Until I glanced upstairs, a light coming from down the hallway. I quickly jogged upstairs, pausing halfway down the hall to a pair of double doors, one of them open.

“Y/N, it’s me Dean,” I called out so I didn’t frighten her. I could have sworn I still heard a sharp intake of air inside. “Eric gave me the secret password to get in. You’re going to have to tell me what cherry blossoms means some…”

My mouth snapped shut when I stepped into the room, Y/N wiping away at her eyes with the sleeves of an oversized hoodie. I frowned and walked in further, pulling away her hands from where she sat on the edge of the bed. 

“Oh sweetie.” My heart clenched at the site of her red, puffy eyes, at the dried tear tracks down her cheeks. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m what’s wrong!” she growled, trying to push me away but my hands around her wrist stopping her in place. “You want me? Me? I’m a fucking disaster, Winchester.”

“If you’re one then so am I.” She shook her head as I knelt in front of her, Y/N looking over my head. “Talk to me, princess.”

“At least you’ve had relationships and fucked other people.” I stared up at her, a pair of harsh eyes looking down at me. “I’m thirty two years old and as far as I’ve ever gotten was a kiss. A kiss. Because all men want is my money or fame or to fuck the virgin. To screw the pop princess and further their own careers.”

“Y/N-”

“The second I care about someone and let my guard down, they’re gonna hurt me or worse. Someone’s gonna hurt them and I can’t do jack shit,” she shot out, her chest heaving as more tears flowed. She stared me down, shrugging. “I’m too hurt to believe that you don’t want me for me, that you won’t get hurt too. You will get hurt. People want to be with me and if you were, you’re just a target. A fucking bulls eye on your back for life. Either you fuck me over or someone fucks you over. That’s all there is. That’s it. So why the fuck would I sign up for that? Why would I-”

I leaned forward and tilted my head up, catching her lips briefly. I hated the taste of salt on them, of the way I could feel her body shake as she fought back even more tears. I pulled back slowly, keeping close, her big eyes watching me with so much fear but something else too.

Desire. Longing.

“Remember earlier when we said we both had to learn and we’d do that together? Well that’s what this is, princess. So you get scared and I’ll be here to remind you to, okay?” I whispered, kissing the tip of her nose. She looked so confused, watching as I wiped off her face with my hand. “I don’t give a fuck that you’re a virgin by the way. You deserve to choose how and when you want to love someone with your body and that’s your choice alone.”

Her bottom lip wobbled as she nodded, my thumb running over it.

“Don’t be afraid of me, baby,” I murmured, tucking a piece of damp hair behind her ear. “Tell me who hurt you so much to make you think you’re unlovable.”

Her eyes shimmered, gaze casting down. “He was my responsibility. I was supposed to protect him and…” She forced her head up, face scrunching up as I held her cheeks. “I’m going to fuck that up again. Whatever man I’m with, I’m going to let him down. I’m going to let my partner down again. And I’m too weak to stop it.”

“Hey, hey,” I said softly, waiting a beat until she was looking at me, bleary eyes, runny nose and and all. “I am your partner and you will not let me down. We will protect each other. That’s how it works.”

“You don’t know what it’s like,” she whispered, voice ragged. “The attention. The death threats. The creeps. The way people write letters and offer information on Max that are full of lies. You’re famous but it’s not like this. All of that will happen to you too. I can’t protect you from it, Dean. No one can.”

I touched my forehead to hers, shushing her when she shivered. “You’re right. It’d be another crazy ass level of infamy that I don’t know. And people will hate me for it. But they hate me already for losing games, for getting a flag, for not running when they don’t know the fucking plays. People will hate us for no reason no matter what we do. So why the hell wouldn’t I want to be happy with you while that’s happening?”

She sighed, gently taking hold of my hand. “I’m not the girl with the designer clothes and hair extensions and fake eye lashes with a smile everyone thinks I am. This is what I am behind closed doors, Dean. Why would you ever want this?”

“Because I fell for the girl who looked like a hot mess around a backyard campfire, the sweet one that valued her school work and gave the boys without the good looks attention because of what was in their heads. You have a charity to try and shut down trafficking rings. You have never said a bad thing about another celebrity when we know some of them deserve it. Don’t you know how good of a soul you have, princess? Scars and all, it’s the one I want.”

I ran my finger down the curve of her cheek, her free hand going to my shoulder, gripping it gently. 

“It’s so unfair,” she said, sliding her hand up to my face. “You’re only supposed to be a handsome cocky flirt. You’re not supposed to be sweet too.”

“Sorry to disappoint,” I whispered as she tilted her head closer, her breath warm, a faint whiff of mint in the air. “I know you want me. So take me.”

Y/N’s eyes grew a sliver darker, nose jammed against my own. “You sure you want that?”

“I’m already yours.” She crashed her lips to mine, tugging on my hand. She wouldn’t let me breakaway as I rose to my feet, crawling onto the bed as she laid back. I yelped when her legs wrapped around my waist and she flipped me to the other side of the bed, her body straddling mine. She lowered her torso, dipping in a way that made my cock strain in my jeans, her face only inches from mine. “You sure you’ve never done this before?”

“I said I’ve never had sex. Never said I’d be innocent.” She said, pressing her lips to mine, a twinge of something in her face pulling her back after a second. “I’m not ready for that tonight.”

“That’s okay,” I reassured her because it completely was. She eased and brought her head down, kissing under my jaw and doing nothing to ease the twitch in my dick. 

“Your dick seems to have other plans,” she murmured. 

“Ignore him,” I said, cupping her face so she saw I was serious. “You are wildly unphased about the fact a cock is poking into the back of your thigh for someone who’s never even seen one you realize?”

“I’ve seen them, just not in person,” she said, eyes going to my lips. “And I wouldn’t say unphased is what I am…just don’t want to send the wrong impression.”

“Is it turning you on?” I asked carefully, Y/N nodding once. “Do you want me to touch you?”

“Keep it to your hands,” she said quietly, before kissing me again. I let her run things, her slow wandering fingers quickly tugging in my hair as her kiss turned rougher. She gasped when I put my hands on her waist and squeezed, earning me one of her hands fisting my shirt. She was getting into it, her breath hitching for barely a moment as I slid a hand under the waistband of her sweats, under the cotton underwear.

Her hips rolled while my fingers made their way over her smooth mound and suddenly I was touching her slit, teasingly gracing the tip of one finger through her folds.

“Oh,” she said, when I brushed her clit, her eyes meeting mine. I stared up at her, the room dead silent. A grin spread onto her face, a giggle escaping. “I didn’t mean for you to stop. Feels different from when I do it.”

“Good different or bad different?” I asked, still not moving.

“Your fingers are bigger than mine,” she said, rocking her hips forward, my finger rubbing against her. “Definitely a good different.”

I blinked a few times, shaking my head with a big smile. “Y/N Y/L/N. Are you humping my hand?”

“Yeah. And?” she asked, grinding her hips down, biting her bottom lip. 

“Definitely not innocent,” I said, moving my fingers again, Y/N’s lips parting when I slipped a finger inside her wet core, leaving my thumb to rub circles around the bundle of nerves. 

“More,” she whispered, capturing my lips, a breathy moan rising up her throat as I pushed another finger inside. I curled them and rubbed, Y/N’s body sparking like a live wire. “What the fuck…”

I ground my palm against her clit as I thrust my fingers inside her, slamming right against her g-spot. Y/N’s eyes squeezed shut as she full body shuddered, this one clearly pleasant, head shaking once.

“Go with it,” I murmured as she yanked on my hair, her body unsure of what to do with this kind of pleasure. I’d only heard it described to me but I knew there was a difference between a normal orgasm and one that came from hitting that spot deep inside, one her little fingers couldn’t quite reach.

Her jaw dropped as her eyes fluttered open, giving me a chance to lean up and kiss her as she rode out the first wave of an orgasm.

“Dean, Dean, Dean,” she panted against my lips, voice growing higher. Y/N whimpered when she went straight into a second orgasm, her hips jerking frantically, searching for more. 

Finally when her legs were quivering and she put a hand on my wrist, I stopped moving, Y/N rolling onto the bed beside me. She breathed hard with closed eyes, a thin layer of sweat on her face. I carefully started to pull my hand away, her hand squeezing my wrist hard. She forced her eyes open, no shred of worry or fear in them now.

“Do that again,” she whispered, removing her hand from my wrist and sliding it over to my stomach, down towards the obvious bulge in my pants. 

“Y/N-”

“I can trust you, right?” I nodded, Y/N working my belt open. “Then trust me too.”

“Are you sure?” I asked. She smiled, lazily nodding. 

“I’m not the only one with a problem connecting to someone. I’m just the one that cried all over themselves before you helped me. Now it’s your turn.” 

“Okay,” I whispered, Y/N stopping after unbuttoning the denim. Her eyes flickered to find mine, her hand moving up to tickle the skin of my stomach. 

“If you’re with me, you’re with me, Dean. No one else.”

“I already told you, princess. I’m yours.” She raised her chin, satisfied with that answer. But still, she didn’t move. “What’s wrong?”

“Why won’t you commit to anyone? Honest answer.” I closed my eyes, her small hand on my face making me slowly open them. “I’m not going to hurt you either.”

“Part of it is Sam. Feeling responsible, not wanting to feel that pain again. Love would…” I trailed off.

“Someone that can destroy you again.” I nodded, removing my hand from her pants, letting it rest on her hip instead. 

“I don’t want that pain,” I whispered. “And I don’t get it as bad as you but women just want to use me. Date a NFL player and they can launch their influencer careers or model or whatever. So I let them use my body instead and I used theirs and I didn’t have to worry about getting hurt. But that’s not the real reason.”

Y/N ran her fingers through my hair, looking at me with the softest eyes I’d ever seen, reminding me of Sammy for a split second.

“It’s hard to move on when you’re still hung up on the girl from college that wouldn’t give you the time of day.” She swallowed down a thick lump in her throat, watching me oh so carefully, looking for any sign of bullshit. I didn’t blame her one bit. “I told you I had a crush on you.”

“You get over crushes,” she whispered, her voice gentle.

“You do. S’really fucking weird though to get a crush on a girl who went through the same shitty life experience as you, who ended up having as massive of a career as you, all before you ever knew that shit about her. Life’s funny like that, isn’t it.”

“If Sam hadn’t gone missing-”

“I would have pursued you. But I was so goddamn broken my last two years of school, I couldn’t handle that kind of rejection. Everybody thinks Finish Line is such a happy song because of the beat but it’s fucking tragic, isn’t it? I never saw that until after he was gone. I knew only someone in pain could have written those lyrics. Neither one of us back then were ready for a relationship, not when it was so raw.”

“I know,” she whispered. “But I wish I could have been there for you back then.”

“Want to know something embarrassing? I have a playlist that’s just your songs. I listen to it before every game for luck. I would wish I’d said something to you in college because now you’re so beautiful and so famous and I’m the emotionally distant playboy you’d never go out with. I’d have to do something stupid like bribe you into a date by giving to your charity. That guy’s a fucking loser all because he never got over you…and I still don’t know if you just pity me or if you actually might like me too.” Water welled in her eyes again, my hand reaching out to catch it.

“We’re going to make a promise,” she said, holding my hand to her chest. “We don’t hate ourselves anymore. You’re not the playboy anymore. I’m not afraid of moments like this. You’re Dean and I’m Y/N and we like each other. We are two people dating and figuring it out like everyone else in the world. You are not a loser, Winchester. Promise?”

“Promise,” I said, lacing our fingers together. I chuckled, Y/N scooting closer to rest her head on my shoulder. “Look at us. I think we’re getting the hang of this having a healthy relationship thing.”

“People make it seem so hard,” she joked, wrapping her arm around my waist. “Dean.”

“Yeah?”

“I’m glad you harassed me into that date.” I smirked, Y/N growling. “Don’t let it go to your head or I won’t give you a handjob.” 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I teased, Y/N eyeing me as her hand shifted downwards. “Hey, you really don’t have-”

She covered my mouth with a finger, shushing me. “I want to. Just tell me if I can make it better for you, okay?”

“I have a feeling you’re going to do just fine with it, princess.”

One Hour Later

I jogged downstairs, leaving Y/N lax in bed, completely blissed out from another round of orgasms. Turns out she had a pretty damn healthy sex drive. I cut her off at a blowjob though. She’d had an emotional night and I wanted her to feel good, not self-conscious about going too fast. I’d told her to wash up and clean off her face while I dished up our takeout and brought it up. Neither of us had eaten dinner yet and it wasn’t hard to convince her to split a pizza and garlic bread with me. 

Downstairs I poked around her kitchen for a bit before I found some plates, napkins and a pair of water bottles. 

“Here.” I jumped at the sudden voice, spinning around to find Eric setting a pizza box and smaller container on the kitchen island. 

“Uh, thanks. How-”

“Guards at the gate have a card they use to pay for takeout with,” he said, narrowing his eyes at me. “Your hair is tousled.”

I reached up to pat it down, Eric stalking over to me, cornering me against the counter. “Listen-”

“She needs a good man, not a fuckboy.” I cocked my head at him, Eric crossing his arms.

“You don’t know me,” I said, moving past him, setting everything on top of the pizza box.

“Yes I do,” he said behind me, hairs on the back of my neck standing up. “You’re going to butter her up because you share a history, break down her walls until you get in her pants. You’re already getting in, obviously. Once you fuck her a few times, then you’ll be gone, playboy Winchester got the pop princess, like a predator that caught his prey finally. Press will fucking love it and you’ll be able to fuck literally any woman on earth you want to which is all you want, isn’t it?”

I spun around, a dark scowl on his face as I pressed my chest to his, hands clenched by my side.

“You can be an ass to me all you want. You can think what you want. I know you care about her, love her even. So put on the tough guy act all you want. But we both know you wouldn’t have told me where she lives, wouldn’t have given me the magic password if you thought I would hurt her. You know exactly the kind of man I am. I bet you fucking know better than most people in the world, don’t you?”

He had two inches on me and used it to stare me down, his jaw clenched, a vein in his forehead pulsing. “She is not the kind of girl you hookup with. It’s all or nothing with her.”

“I will give her my all. I swear.” He bumped my shoulder as he walked past me, footsteps stopping a few feet behind me.

“If you love her the way I know you do, then you better.”

“How do you know I do?” I asked but he walked away and out the front door. Whatever. He wasn’t my concern anyway. I grabbed the box and headed upstairs, ready to enjoy dinner with my girl.

________

A/N: Read Part 3 here!

[im-not-samantha-im-samanta]

{♦️♥️♣️♠️🪱Asking Husk if he'd still love you if you were a worm🪱♠️♣️♥️♦️}

___________________________________________

A few words from author: Hello there everyone, welcome to my newest imagines!

So, it's pretty much a routine for me to constantly find new fandoms to add to my writing list, so yeah, here we are again, this time with Hazbin Hotel! ^^

I apologize for not really being active, life's been bad lately and I'm stuck struggling to make it through each new day without considering death lmao.

Tho I'm in the mood for something more on the hurt/comfort side, today I present you some light-hearted and short imagines to hopefully bring some laughs, not sure if these are any good, sorry...

_

Settings: Romantic based

Genre: Fluff, light-hearted

!TRIGGER WARNING!: Some swear words, one suggestive line just for laughs, but that's probably all,

Sidenote: Gender of reader is not specified, but if the reader has more feminine feel, then it's purely accidental and I apologize,

Sidenote: These feel so bad and ooc omg end me, I hate my writing,

Sidenote: Am unsure if I'll actively write for Husk, but I just had to do this idea with him cuz it seemed so funny at first, but idk about the outcome,

_

That should be all,

Hopefully you'll enjoy,

___________________________________________

"Would I love you if you what? Say fucking what now? No wait- no, I don't wanna even- whatever- sure, for fuck's sake- sure, yes"

Already so fed up with everything and everyone,

and you pull up with this, smh,

Cue to him giving an exaggerated sigh and rubbing his face in annoyance (like in the gif above),

Doesn't appreciate your question,

like at all,

At first he wants to question how'd you even come up with something like that,

or why you feel that question is important,

But he decides against it,

he's really not in the mood for such shit,

So, deciding to just get over with it and satisfy you,

he tells you a yes,

or more like a "yeah, fucking sure, whatever, yes,"

Yes, he'd love you even as a worm, now please leave him be or talk to him about something normal,

please, for the love of Lucifer,

If you don't stop there though and question him further,

he just gives another exaggerated sigh and starts to question why he's dating you,

but he doesn't actually have the heart to make you sad,

so, he goes along with it and answers a 'yes' to any other question you might have regarding you being a worm,

Would he still give you kisses? Yes,

Would he get you a little worm house? Yes,

Would he still talk to you even if you couldn't answer? Yes,

He doesn't have the heart or the energy to respond negatively,

- "Would you still get intimate with me even as a worm?"

"Fucking what- how'd that even- whatever- yeah, sure, fucking sure, yes,"

Just goes along with it,

And when you finally get your fill and you squeal happily at his answers,

and you hug him,

he pats your head with his claws and feels like the boyfriend of the year,

Like- look how he handled the situation without upsetting you,

doesn't he deserve some recognition for that?

At one point he does consider jokingly telling you he'd feed you to the crows tho,

but when he thinks about it more,

and thinks of you actually being a worm and him feeding you to the crows,

he'd feel disturbed and upset at his own idea,

cuz no, that'd be so awful!

he would never do that to you, he couldn't,

no, that thought seriously upsets him and makes his stomach twist and turn,

he may be an asshole, but he loves you too much,

yes, even if you were a worm,

So, he'd make it work even if you were a worm,

Yeah, maybe you were actually asking some real questions,

he'd have to give it more thought and plan out how he'd accommodate to you if you did turn into a worm someday,

Better be safe than sorry,

___________________________________________

[chiefduckgarden]

The other woman

Wanda Maximoff x Williams!Reader

Natasha Romanoff x Williams!Reader

Royal AU

Angst - Cheating - Forced Marriage - If you love Natasha don't read this. (really)

Summary:

W: Young people fall in love with the wrong people sometimes.

N: You can think that you're in love when you're really just engaged.

A/N: Reader's last name is Williams, it's easier to write this way. This has been in my drafts for months lol. I saw a Tik Tok edit of the Corpse Bride and thought of this. Still not sure about how it turned out though.

- Stop being so silly Y/N, you know I will miss you just as much as you're going to miss me - Wanda said smiling, her head resting on your chest while one of your hands rubbed her back up and down.

- I know, I just wish I could stay here with you, I don't care about this stupid trip, I'd rather be here for your birthday, for that giant celebration your father is planning - you said, looking down into her eyes.

- You've been here for each and every one of my birthdays since we were 12, nothing will happen if you miss this one, even if it's "especial", I understand you have to go with your parents - she replied.

You huffed.

- I don't even know why I have to go in the first place, they have always gone by themselves, I don't know why I'm required this time - you explained - And I don't like it either, they're up to something, I can feel it.

She cupped your cheek and pecked your lips.

- You're their only daughter, their only Princess, the only heir for their kingdom, maybe they want to give you more responsibilities from now on... You're gonna be Queen someday, it's time you get prepared for it...

- I've been preparing for it my whole life - you sighed - But you're right, maybe it's time for me to take it seriously.

You stared at her and smiled.

- And maybe I can talk to them in this trip about us - you said, and her eyes sparkled with illusion at your words - I'll tell them I'm marrying you, and we'll plan the proposal for when we get back.

- Are you serious my love? Will you ask my hand in marriage? - she asked happily.

- Of course I will, I want to spend the rest of my life by your side.

She kissed you and you smiled.

- Also, I have to beat that Jarvis Prince - you said - I've heard the rumors, but if I ask you first and you accept me, there will not be any reason for us to not get married.

- Your royal highness, it's time to leave, the King asked for your presence - you heard a voice calling for you.

- On my way - you replied.

- Come back to me my love, and have fun in your trip - Wanda said, kissing you one last time.

- I'll be back in no time, and then, it'll be just us, for eternity my lady.

- For eternity Y/N... - she replied.

------------

4 months later.

The King and the Queen of Williams Kingdom are happy to announce the engagement of their heir, Princess Y/N, with the noble Princess Natasha Romanoff.

The Royal Family announced the happy news during their stay in the Romanoff Kingdom.

This makes young Romanoff the future Queen to the rightful heir to the throne of Williams House. The union of this two families represents one of the most important alliances in the last decades, the two kingdoms will surely benefit from this marriage.

It seems like love has been in the air from some time now, let's remember just a month ago the Maximoff family announced the marriage of their youngest daughter Princess Wanda and the future King Vision Jarvis, on her 18th birthday celebration.

Good luck to these new happy couples and the best of luck for all of them.

--------

- Don't act like you didn't knew about it! You fooled me! - you screamed in exasperation pacing around the room with the newsletter in your hand.

- We didn't knew Maximoff would get the girl married so early, but yes, there's no reason to lie, we knew about the wedding - your father told you.

- It was all planned, wasn't it? This trip, meeting Natasha, Wanda's birthday celebration - you mentioned harshly - You played with us like we were chess pieces, you decided our lives without asking us anything...

- There was nothing to ask, your little teenage romance with Wanda was senseless, she was promised to Jarvis even before they were born... And you, we waited for the right girl to come to your life, for the perfect Queen for you to love... And that is Natasha...

- YOU DON'T GET TO DECIDE THAT! THAT WAS MY CHOICE! - you screamed, you couldn't handle listen to him anymore.

- Well it's not! I am the King and I know what's best for you and for the kingdom! And as long as this crown is perched on my head you will obey each and every one of my orders, especially those orders that relate to the future of my legacy!

You took a step back, not believing what your father was saying.

- You're gonna marry Natasha Romanoff and get the biggest alliance in the history of our family and that's a direct order, not from your father, but from your King!

That was it. Those last words made you understand that, whatever you had left to say would be pointless. The King made a decision, and there was no turning back.

You lowered you head, and nodded.

- Yes, your Majesty.

Holding back the tears from your breaking heart you had the courage to ask for one more thing.

- Tell Natasha I'll meet her in our residence back at home, I need to travel now to talk with Wanda about this decision and finish everything in the best way possible. We're still friends, and for the sake of our friendship with the Maximoff House it would be wise to keep our alliance with them.

Your father took a few seconds to process your request but finally nodded.

- That's okay, you can go now.

Bowing down once more you left the room with tears already falling down your face.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Stopping your horse right in front of the small cabin placed in the middle of the woods your heart was pounding like crazy. When you made it inside and saw those beautiful green eyes it finally explode in love.

- Y/N! My love - she said the moment you walked in, running into your arms.

You hugged her immediately and both of you melted in a heated passion kiss after all those months separated.

- My lady... My Wanda... How you've been my love? I know life must have been hell for you just as it's been for me - you said, with your arms still around the girl.

- Oh you have no idea... They made me marry Vision the same day of my birthday, without warning. When I told my father it was you the one I loved he told me I was crazy - she started to cry - He said it was ridiculous because you were already engaged to another woman, promised to someone else. It broke my heart because I realized we had fallen in their trap my love, they made the choices for us.

- I know, I realized that too, and when I confront my father about it... - you gulped at the memory - He yelled at me like never before and command me to get marry, not as my father, but as my king.

Wanda whipped away a tear that was rolling down your cheek.

- I didn't know they were gonna announce an engagement until the day before. They gave me no choice - you said, now both of you were sitting in the edge of the bed.

- Is Natasha aware of your your displeasure? - she asked.

You shook your head.

- No, I don't think so, she was very excited when they announced the engagement... She thinks it's all genuine.

- Vision thinks as well, he thinks I want him... Even though I have refused to sleep with him...

You looked at her worried. Heartbroken. Not even you had dare to touch her in a passionate way.

- What are we going to do my love? They took everything from us, even our freedom...

She sighed.

- I don't know... I'm just sure I don't want us to end, we are soul mates Y/N, you are the love of my life... I don't care if you're married to someone else as long as I know I'm the only one for you... Because you're the only one for me...

- Wanda, in my world there's only you and then the rest of the people. I don't care about Vision or Natasha, we love each other and that is all that matters...

- But how are we going to make this work? They can get suspicious...

- We were best friends before this ridiculous circus started, and it doesn't have to change now... We just have to be careful on how we act... - you paused for a few seconds to cup her face - Although I don't think i could ever hide this love I feel for you, it's very intense...

She smiled at your words.

- Me neither, but we'll try our best... - she looked around the little comfy cabin you were in - And also, we will always have this place for us, only you and I know about it, it will keep our secret safe.

You nodded and kissed her. It became heated every second, until she was sitting on your lap and your arms were around her waist, holding her close to your body.

- Wanda... - you said in a whisper between kisses - We need to stop, or either way I will...

- Do it - she said looking straight into your eyes, her green big eyes now full of desire - Take me Y/N, make me yours, i want you to be my first...

You looked at her, the knot on your lower stomach increasing.

- Are you sure?

She didn't respond, with her lower lip trapped between her teeth she grabbed your hand and guided your palm to her breast. You squeezed it, causing her to moan.

- God... - you whispered.

With a quick flip you turned the position, now she was laid on the bed, with you on top.

- Make love to me, darling - she said.

That night, your affair got sealed with the intertwine of your bodies.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

- And this is the main room, it's spacious and comfortable for the two of us - you said to Natasha, showing your future bedroom - The right room it's for me, and the left side is yours Princess Natasha, and we have the common space room right in the middle.

Natasha nodded but frowned.

- Why do we have separate beds? I thought we were sharing the same bedroom...

You smiled shaking your head.

- Oh no, we'll have the same room but I would feel more comfortable with my own space - you said walking into your side - But feel free to redecorate the whole room, change whatever you like, even my side, just leave my closet as it is right now.

She followed you confused.

- Where are you going? - she asked - We have my parents' farewell dinner tonight, tomorrow they'll go home.

- I know, I will go play tennis with Princess Wanda and then I'll meet you at the dinner - you said, walking into your closet to change your clothes.

- Princess Wanda? Again? You went out with her last week.

- Yes, you know she's my best friend, we both play tennis every week, it's our favorite sport - you said.

Natasha nodded. She didn't understand the reason behind your distance, at first she thought it was because you didn't know her before your visit at her kingdom, but now, after spending some weeks with you and failed tries on bonding with you she was very confused.

- I'll see you later - you said, walking out from your closet and giving her a kiss on the cheek.

- Okay - she answered.

She spent the rest of the evening choosing the colors, the carpets and selecting fabrics for your new room. She was loving the result, but wishing you were there to help her out.

- Do you think Princess Y/N will like this color for her bed? - she asked her maid, showing her the color tone she had choose.

- Oh it's beautiful, she will love it - the woman answered.

Natasha smiled, really hoping you will like it.

- You've known the princess since she was a kid, right? - Romanoff asked the woman again.

- Yes, I've been working for the Royal Family since 15 years ago...

Natasha kept silent for some second before asking again.

- Do you know how close is Princess Y/N with Princess Wanda Maximoff? I know they're best friends but I'm just curious about their friendship...

- Oh they are very very close, they grew up together and used to make everything side by side... They had the same private tutors, a lot of sleepovers, they both love tennis...

Natasha nodded, not wanting to listen more, but the woman kept talking.

- Princess Y/N used to write a lot of letters for Princess Wanda, every week, and Princess Wanda wrote for her too, the letters should be somewhere in here, she keeps them very well preserved... They're very special for each other - the woman smiled at the memory.

Nat cleared her throat and left the fabrics on the bed.

- It's time for me to get ready for dinner, please take all this out of the room and bring the dress.

- Yes your royal highness - the woman said, following the instructions.

Once alone, Natasha made some deep thinking. She didn't want to create false scenarios in her head, but since she met you, you had done nothing but talk about Wanda and spend time with her.

But she didn't had the time to over think because you stepped in the room in that moment. The happiness in your face could be notice from a thousand miles away.

- Natasha? I thought you would be on your way to dinner already... - you said.

- Oh I lost track of time with the decorations and everything, my dress will be here in any minute - she answered, and you nodded - Also, I think our parents will expect to see us coming in together...

You sighed and walked into your side of the room.

- Yes, I think you're right, I'm gonna take a bath and get ready - you said.

Before you could leave she asked.

- How was tennis with Princess Wanda? I can see you're really happy.

You froze for a second but then raised your head with a small smile.

- Yes, it was really funny... It's always funny.

You started walked again but she stopped your tracks once more, making you tense immediately with her next words.

- Maybe you can teach me, I'll go with you next time.

You didn't say anything, just slightly nodded your head and walked out.

Natasha was afraid that maybe she was trying to force herself into your daily activities, she didn't want bother you in any way, or make you upset with her.

But when you meet her again in the car that night, suddenly your behavior towards her changed dramatically.

You treated her kind and lovely the whole night. For the first time she felt like she was your fiancé and not just some random stranger that came into your life.

But the fairytale broke down the moment you stepped into your house. You only said goodnight to her and leave to go to your bed.

She wondered what she could've possibly done to make you upset again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For the next weeks you kept your distance for her like before, only talking to her when it was necessary. And she was starting to get pissed.

- I just want to know what can I do to make you feel closer to me... I've been trying for weeks to connect with you but nothing ever change. Just tell me what's wrong, so we can fix it.

You've been arguing for the last twenty minutes, you told her you'd go to play tennis and she started to yell at you.

- There's nothing to fix, because nothing is wrong Natasha... I just have a hard time to open myself with new people...

- But I'm not new people, I'm your fiancé, we're gonna get married Y/N, let's start acting like a couple for once.

You sighed. Tired.

- What do you want me to do? I just don't feel comfortable yet...

- Oh but you're not even trying, everyday you find something to get yourself busy with, and your spare time goes all in tennis and Princess Wanda... When will you have time for me?

You heart stopped. How dare she to even pronounce Wanda's name.

- Wanda has nothing to do with this - you said, almost in a whisper.

- I know, I'm not blaming her for anything, I'm blaming you...

You were about to say something when the butler knocked the door.

- Excuse me ma'am, Princess Wanda Maximoff is here for the tennis practice, she's waiting for you in the main hall.

You fixed your messy clothes and answered.

- Thanks, tell her I'll be with her in a minute.

- Yes your royal highness.

The butler left, leaving you and Natasha alone again.

- I need to go - you said, without looking at her.

- I know - she contained the tears - Just leave, I also need to go, I'm having tea with your mother later.

You nodded and walked out, with her following you some steps behind.

When you made it to the first floor your bad mood changed completely at the sight of your lover.

- Wanda, it's so nice to see you! Ready for tennis? - you asked, kissing her right hand and cheeks.

- Yes, let's go! - she replied.

When two guards followed you she quickly stopped them.

- Oh we're taking the horses, no need for security, just two best friends riding and playing... The Princess and I will be fine.

- Yes, don't worry, I'll be back in a few hours - you completed.

- Of course ma'am - your guards nodded.

Natasha saw the whole interaction, her eyes burning in jealousy. She knew Wanda was your best friend, but her instincts were screaming her something was off. She decided to ask your mother that afternoon.

--------------------------

- Oh dear lord! - Wanda screamed in pure bliss, three of your fingers buried deep inside her intimacy, you leaving small kisses all along her jaw and neck.

- Go on my lady, let me see you reach euphoria once more...

- Yeah... - she panted - Take me to heaven again Y/N, just keep doing that...

Your moans were hidden by the walls of the small cabin.

- Y/N... I'm gonna...

You felt her orgasm crash on your fingers, her wetness dripping down your hands and rolling down her thighs.

- Wanda... - you panted, taking the three fingers to your mouth - Oh God... - you moaned - You're so magical...

She smiled at you, wasting no time and kissing you as deep as she could, tasting herself in your mouth.

A few moments later you were both tangled in each other's arms, resting after your love making evening.

- Oh how I wish I could wake up every day inside your arms - she said with her head resting on your chest.

- I know, I would make love to you every morning and every night... I would take care of your sleep, watch you fall asleep into my arms, giving a goodnight kiss in the forehead...

A tear rolled down her face.

- We would be happy...

You nodded.

- Yes... So happy.

She stared at you for some seconds before speaking again.

- Are you happy? - she asked.

- What do you mean? You know I'm not - you answered, confused.

- I know, but you have a wife, Princess Natasha is beautiful... Have you bonded with her already?

You denied, shaking your head.

- Not really, I spend all my time doing my duties and my spare time I spend it with you...

She smiled sheepishly.

- Has she notice your absence?

You sighed.

- Yeah, just this morning before you came we were arguing about it... She wants me to spend more time with her...

- Same with Vision - she said - He wants me to go with him in this trip he's having next month... I don't think I'll can refuse

You blink confused.

- Does that mean I will not see you? For how long?

Your heart shredded.

- Three weeks...

- Oh...

She immediately sensed your mood change.

- But I will came back to you... Like always.

- I know... I trust you, I don't trust Vision though...

- Don't worry, no matter what happens I will always be yours.

- I'll always be yours too.

- Take this time to be with Natasha, calm her down and win her trust, it's your wife after all.

You sighed and nodded.

- I'll do whatever you ask me to... - you said kissing her hand.

She fell silent for a few moments. You turned to look at her and saw in her expression what was happening. She was thinking… processing something.

- What's wrong, my love? - you asked - What's going on in that beautiful mind of yours?

She looked into your eyes, gazing at you for a moment before speaking.

- I want you to marry Natasha during my absence… I need you to seal your commitment to her while I'm not here. If I'm not present, I won't have to attend to the wedding, and I won't have to endure the pain of seeing you marry someone else… If you don't do it within those weeks, I'll be forced to attend your wedding, and I… I don't think I can bear it, Y/N… I won't be able to.

She was right. Due to your trip to the Romanoff realm, you didn't have to be present at Wanda's sudden wedding. You didn't have to go through the pain of seeing her standing at the altar with someone else. It wouldn't be fair to her to see you with Natasha.

You nodded and kissed her forehead. Both of you were crying, and you held her hand.

- I promise I will - you said - For you, Wanda. I just want you to know that even if it's Natasha to whom I vow love and eternal devotion at the altar, my words and my heart will always belong to you and only you.

That evening, you returned home with a heavy heart. But to your misfortune, the tragedies wouldn't stop that day. As soon as you passed through the grand and elegant door adorning your entrance, you saw your father's guards waiting. That only meant he was visiting, and that couldn't be good.

- Your Royal Highness - a man bowed before you - Your Majesty, King Williams is in the main study waiting for you.

You surveyed your surroundings before responding. Everything was in overwhelming silence. You looked for your butler and inquired - Is Princess Natasha at home?

- No, Your Highness, Princess Natasha is still visiting the royal palace with the queen, your mother," he responded.

You took a deep breath - I see - you cleared your throat - I will speak with my father right away. If the princess returns home, please notify me immediately. It is of the utmost importance that I speak with her.

You turned and made your way to the study. With every step you took, you could feel your heart beating stronger. You knew what was coming. As soon as you crossed that door, your father would reproach you for not paying enough attention to Natasha. You were nervous about the reprimand, but it was somewhat reassuring to know that this time you had an answer to his accusations.

- Your Majesty - you spoke, but he didn't look at you - To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit, Father? - You walked over and took a seat across from him. It was only then that you noticed his cold gaze.

- I'm afraid my visit won't bring you any pleasure, Y/N - he said - Your wife paid a visit today to your mother; they had tea together.

- I'm aware of that, Natasha mentioned it this morning - you said, trying to sound confident.

- My question here is, where were you? - he asked.

- I played tennis with Princess Wanda most of the afternoon, and we went riding for a while. I lost track of time between the game and our conversation... - you explained but your father interrupted you.

- Natasha told us where you were… She also mentioned some more interesting things about those little escapades of yours with Princess Wanda… I didn't like what I heard at all, Y/N - he said.

- Father, Wanda and I…- you began, but he interrupted.

- Wanda and you are no more, it ended the moment she got married and you became engaged - he shouted - Don't you understand? Natasha suspects you and Wanda, she has doubts about her marriage, this is very serious, Y/N. It could trigger political problems and destabilize our marriage agreements with her kingdom. As the heir to this realm, you have a responsibility to your people and to me. I cannot allow your actions to jeopardize our political stability. It's important that you maintain a strong relationship with Natasha and avoid any suspicion about your relationship with Wanda.

- There is nothing between Wanda and me, Father… we had something in the past, as you well know, but now she is married. It hasn't been easy for me, but I believe it's time to stabilize the situation. Wanda will be going on a trip with Prince Jarvis, and today we discussed my wedding. She encouraged me to get married as soon as possible to reassure Natasha about our marriage… I want to have the wedding in two weeks - you explained.

- Is that so… - he looked at you, analyzing - Well, so be it. Let's not delay any further. As soon as I return to the palace, I will inform your mother about your decision, and we will proceed with the necessary preparations. There's no turning back from this.

- You may think you've appeased me with your sudden decision to marry, but you can't deceive me, Y/N. The matters you have with Wanda… put an end to them. I am giving you the opportunity to do it on your terms. Remember that you are the heir; you must find a way to balance your personal feelings with your responsibilities as the future queen. I don't want to take drastic measures, but if you can't control this situation, I will have to intervene… and then I assure you, you will never see Wanda again - he warned.

Your father left your home, and the next morning, the entire kingdom was aware of your wedding. Natasha was in total ecstasy. As soon as you informed her of the date, she kissed you fervently and headed to the palace to begin preparations for your wedding.

No matter how hard you tried, you couldn't muster a spark of excitement. You seemed like a walking corpse. But your father's threats echoed in your mind, and you forced yourself to be the perfect fiancée for Natasha. In front of people, you looked like the ideal couple, planning the dream wedding together. But deep inside, you were dying to leave it all behind and run into Wanda's arms.

After two weeks that felt like an eternity, the day finally arrived. You were just hours away from getting married. Natasha was getting ready at the palace with her mother, while you prepared in the privacy of your home.

In that intimate moment, you allowed yourself to write a letter to Wanda, letting your heart speak and conveying all your love and devotion for her. When you finished, you placed it in the pocket of your shirt, right over your heart, and prepared to leave. You would find a way to deliver it to her later.

The moment had come. The entire kingdom was waiting. Natasha, her parents, and your parents were all there. It seemed like the most meticulously planned event of the year, with nothing missing. But to you, everything was missing because even though you were about to get married, the love of your life was not there.

The ceremony had passed quickly. You felt like your soul had left your body, but it was your turn to speak.

- Dear Natasha...

Wanda, thousands of kilometers away, knew what was happening. Her heart ached at the thought of you becoming someone else's wife today. She only found peace in remembering your words, knowing that any promise you made to Natasha today would truly be for her.

- Today, before all the witnesses from our respective kingdoms, I make this sacred commitment. I promise to be loyal and faithful in body and spirit, and always honor the alliance we have forged, an alliance that in my heart is deeper than others may understand. On sunny days and in dark nights, I will stand by your side, fulfilling the duties entrusted to us. I promise to be your unwavering support, your confidante, and your closest friend, even when our differences challenge us. Though our paths may seem divergent, in my heart, you will always be present. May our souls find solace in this commitment, and may our union, despite the hardships, shine as a beacon of hope in this realm. May the love I have for you, though I may not openly name it, guide my actions and thoughts as we fulfill our destiny. May our marriage, though not the one we would have chosen, be a source of strength and wisdom for us both. So I promise, with all the sincerity and respect you deserve.

Natasha smiled. You both kissed. Wanda cried. You cried. You touched your chest, where Wanda's letter resided, and smiled despite the tears.

When the wedding was over and you and Natasha were back home, you couldn't make love to her. You touched her, yes. She felt loved, yes. But you didn't feel anything. Your body belonged to Wanda. You didn't let Natasha touch you. As soon as it was over, you headed to the bathroom to take a shower.

Natasha, savoring the last moments of innocence, believing that you were completely hers, took your shirt in her hands to smell your perfume once more. She loved your scent. But as she brought the garment to her nose, she felt the stiffness of paper in her hands. Curiously, she took the letter from the pocket, and in a matter of seconds, everything fell apart.

There, in her hands, was the proof of your eternal love for Wanda. A letter, written a couple of hours ago, before joining your life with hers, where you professed your eternal devotion to another woman.

My Wanda:

As I write these words, my heart is filled with a love that cannot be contained or constrained by the circumstances surrounding us. In the dark hours leading up to my forced marriage, I want you to know that my love and devotion belong to you, and you alone.

Although the world has forced us down different paths, and we are destined to marry others, I want you to know that my heart will always be yours. Our love is a fire that burns deep within me, a fire that no arranged marriage can extinguish.

Every moment we share, every stolen glance, every whispered word in secret, is a treasure in my memory that I hold dear with all my being. You are the light that brightens my life, the reason I smile amidst the darkness of our situation.

Though words cannot fully express the magnitude of what I feel for you, I want you to know that I am willing to face whatever is necessary to protect our love, even if it means sacrificing some of my own happiness. I am bound by word and paper, but my body, mind, soul, and heart will always belong to you.

No matter what the future holds for us, rest assured that you will always be my love, my confidante, and my deepest longing. Our love is a secret that only we share, a bond that no one can break.

When I stand at the altar, reciting my vows to someone I did not choose, rest assured that my heart will beat for you and only you, as I promised. I will keep our love in a special and safe place in my heart, dreaming of the future that was stolen from us, where we are together without restrictions.

With all my love and devotion, always yours.

Y/N.

There, Natasha knew it. There was no turning back. She had married someone who didn't love her. You weren't hers, and you never would be.

As soon as you emerged from the bathroom, you saw Natasha holding the letter in her hands, tears streaming down her cheeks. She knew.

- Natasha...

- You lied to me.

- No, I didn't lie to you… My father forced me… they separated us, Natasha.

- All this time, I've been a fool… and you! - she pointed at you, shouting, crying inconsolably - How could you deceive me like this?

- You don't understand, you never will. It was never my intention to hurt you, Natasha…

- You've betrayed me, Y/N… you married me while all this time you were thinking about your mistress - Natasha cried.

At that moment, you lost your temper. You would never let anyone speak of Wanda in such a way.

- Don't speak of her like that. Wanda is not to blame. Don't ever say her name again… never - you asserted.

She laughed bitterly, wiping the tears from her face - It is what it is, Y/N, nothing more than your mistress…

It was then that you shouted - Don't you understand? You are the other woman in all of this… she and I were happy, she's the love of my life. Until they forced us apart. Titles don't matter, Natasha. She will always be my priority. YOU ARE THE OTHER WOMAN.

- NO! You are married to me! She is the other woman - Natasha shouted back.

You ran your hand through your hair in desperation. You sat down on the bed with your hands on your face. Natasha was crying, standing.

- I don't love you, Natasha. My father forced me to marry you. The day I saw Wanda for the last time, she asked me to have the wedding as soon as possible. I only moved forward with the plans because she requested it. You must understand that there is no one else for me but her.

Natasha looked at you, heartbroken.

- My kingdom needs yours for its resources; our union is the largest and most important due to the size of your realm. On the other hand, you need my kingdom for our reserves, as long as you are married to me, there will be stability. This marriage benefits us all, and I need us to cooperate to provide the peace our people deserve.

You explained, and she knew it was true.

- The kingdom of Wanda is small; it didn't serve much purpose to unite us. Besides, her parents had promised her hand to Prince Jarvis since she was born. We had everything against us, Natasha. We still have everything against us - you said - I'm sorry that I can't be the partner you desire, but unfortunately, the story of my life was written long before I met you. I belong to Wanda, and Wanda belongs to me. You need me, and I need you. The union is done, but you must know that I can't love you as you desire, I never will.

By this point, Natasha was just sobbing. You got up from the bed and walked to your side of the room.

- We have breakfast with our families tomorrow. We must be at the palace at nine o'clock.

You left the room, and your body felt more relaxed. You wouldn't have to pretend anymore.

Time passed, and Wanda returned from her trip. As soon as she set foot on land, she ran to find you at the cabin. She tearfully told you that Jarvis had been with her. He wanted an heir. With desperation and desire, you claimed her body for hours.

Months later, when her son was born, Natasha and you visited the couple in their palace. Wanda smiled as she showed you the little one. He was so much like Wanda that you cried with emotion. In that small moment when you held little Tommy, and Wanda sang to him beside you, you allowed yourself to dream of what could have been. The future and happiness that were denied to you. For a brief moment, you pretended that this was your little family. And you cried. You cried for everything that was taken from you.

Natasha, who watched everything from afar, finally understood. Wanda and you loved each other and would love each other forever. She could never compete with her.

She was just another piece in the chessboard that life played. She couldn't do anything else but resign herself. In the end, no one was happy. Not her. Not you. Not Wanda. Everyone was miserable because of someone else's desires. But that's how life was, and like the others, she had to accept it.

[zahmaddog]

Part 8: The Defective Clone

Warnings: Severe and Unyielding amounts of FLUFF, Romance, Kissing, Crosshair Comforts, Crosshair Opens Up, Tears, PTSD, Sexual Innuendos, etc. Whole series NSFW.

Crosshair x fem!reader | Word Count: 4642

The long conclusion. <3 I believe this story is over now, but wow, I had so much fun with this. But who knows, maybe I'll write a sequel someday if the story continues. Anyway, Crosshair is such a meaningful character to me, so I wanted to analyze what went on in the TV series from a narrative view. This is a deep dive into who he is as a character and to add more paradise to his Pabu life. I hope you enjoy. Thank you for reading. It's insane to me that there's a few of you on here that look forward to me posting. Thank you -- it really does mean a lot.

Part I | Part II | Part III 😈 | Part IV | Part V | Part VI 😈 | Part VII

He must have picked you up and taken you to his room sometime that night without you noticing. The morning sun broke through the curtains in small wavy bursts as the curtain moved with the breeze, illuminating the room with a soft glow. 

Crosshair’s chest rose and fell in a deep sleep with one arm stretched out placing his bicep softly under your neck, your head on the pillow; his other arm fell over his brow. His beard shadow highlighted the short hair on his head that was growing back everywhere but this scarred area. It was so short, but you desperately wanted to run your hand through it. You let your desires take control.

With soft fingertips, you ran your hand over his head, and down his neck to his bare chest. You lightly pulled yourself closer and continued to caress your lover, planting small kisses up his neck and jawline. He began to wake, and while you did feel bad for waking him early, you couldn’t help yourself.

His arm left his brow as he shifted onto his side and he pulled you into his chest. His lips softly pressed against your forehead, then he snuggled into the pillow at your eye level once more.

“Mornin’,” he groggily mutters. The low grit in his half-asleep voice made you feel so alive. You rested your hand on his jaw bone, once again tracing the tattoo around his eye with your thumb. The pattern comforted you. 

You whispered to him, “Is it okay if I get up?”

“No,” he happily grumbled and gave you a soft squeeze. 

You smiled. Oh, how you won this stoic creature’s heart.

“Can we get up?” you softly laughed.

Crosshair opened one of his eyes slightly, the sight of you made him smile. He shifted a little in bed and stretched one arm out above his head, but he let his arm drop into a relaxed state again over you.

“No,” he chuckled, then sighed. 

You continued your onslaught of soft kisses up his neck, face, behind his ear, his temples, you slowly swept across his face, pushing your body up with an arm on each side of his head, you slipped your leg over his hip to climb on top of him. Continuing to kiss him up his jaw, you barely brushed your bottom lip to his top lip, then paused. 

He opened his eyes to see what brought you hesitation. Three words surfaced while looking into his eyes.

“I think— I think I love you,” you whispered, afraid of how he’d react.

Crosshair sat up quickly. His eyes grew wider, shocked that you would ever reveal such sensitive information. His gaze softened as he ran his hand through your hair; studying every detail and line on your face. His fingers swept around your cheekbone and settled at your chin, where he drew your lips near to his. Softly kissing you and lightly sucking on your top lip, he pulled away.

“You think?” He flirted.

You smiled, bashfully. Of course, he’d make you say it again. You breathed in. “Crosshair, I love you,” you professed. He searched your eyes, still in some disbelief he could ever be loved.

“I love you,” he breathed out. “I’ve loved you for so long.” 

You kissed leisurely once more, savoring the moment. Breaking the kiss, he softly smiles and sits back into the bed. You sit next to him in the bed and pull yourself close. 

He rests one arm around you, then reaches across you with the other to pull his toothpicks down from the headboard. He takes one, places it in his mouth, then takes another and offers it to you. You smile and accept it. He leans back against the headboard and rests his head on yours.

Outside of his room, you heard the rest of the house begin their morning routines. Doors opened and closed; water moved through pipes; footsteps shuffled. Crosshair sighs. You look up to him.

“Omega will pound on my door any second now to go fishing,” he chuckles.

*Bang, Bang, Bang*

Like clockwork, you could hear Omega outside of Crosshair’s room.

“Crosshair, are you ready?” She called through the door. Taking the toothpick from your lips, you piped up, “Yeah, give us a minute–,” but Crosshair threw his pillow onto your face in an effort to muffle your voice. You laughed, realizing Crosshair was hiding you. You could hear Omega audibly gasp outside the door. 

“You stayed the night?” She exclaimed in disbelief. 

“Uh, no. It’s just me,” Crosshair was so bad at lying sometimes. You held the pillow to your face to muffle your laughter.

“Well, I’ll tell Wrecker to set out one more plate for breakfast. Then you and my new sister can come fishing with us,” Omega prompted.

Omega’s shadow skipped away from underneath the door gap and Crosshair fell back into the bed, taking you down with him. He smoothly slides into a gentle, but heated kiss, then pulls back quickly.

“Will you come back tonight?” He stressed.

Taking his head into your hands and pressing his forehead lightly into yours, all you could think was, Duh. But you couldn’t even be sarcastically cruel to him as you melted into his hold, but could you still tease him?

“I’ll think about it,” you smiled. “Good Maker,” he rolled out of bed and pulled on his bottoms and a fresh top while flashing his pearly teeth at you.  

Still wearing the attire you had landed in, you rummaged through his closet to replace your top with one of his. You’d officially clean up after the morning’s fishing trip concluded. Crosshair leaned against the door frame waiting for you.

“What?” You said, catching him staring at you through the neckhole while pulling on his shirt.

“You’re cute,” he winked and opened the door to disappear into the hallway. 

—

You sat down next to Hunter and an empty chair saved for Crosshair. Hunter looks up from his breakfast and side-eyes you, then quickly returns his gaze to his plate. He clears his throat.

“Did you stay — did you sleep comfortably?” He states. 

“Ye—,” you began. 

“She DID,” Omega talked over you with one hand on the table, leaning into Hunter’s space. “Or, I don’t know how she slept, but she did sleep here... Or did you sleep…?” She backtracked, shook her head a bit, and returned to her seat. Eyes widened, she looked back to you, “How did you sleep?” she interrogated.

You felt your nostrils flare in embarrassment, but did your best to keep it cool. You held back your laughter too as Omega was so funny about her ownership of her brothers.

You weren’t ready to be the intense focus of breakfast. You kept it honest and quick.

“I slept better than I have in a long time,” you replied. “I don’t think I caught more than a few hours on our trip.”

Omega turned her head a little and squinted one eye at you. What was she wanting you to say? You laughed it off and reached for a pancake from the center plate on the table. Crosshair walked into the kitchen; he must have been in the refresher as the shadow that wrapped his chin was shaven. 

Wrecker turned from the stove and slapped his back, winking and laughing in a frat boy-like nod of approval. Crosshair looked to the ground and groaned a little. You rolled your eyes too as the situation felt a little too objectifying for your taste. You played into it. 

Mirroring Wrecker, you playfully slapped Crosshair’s back as he sat down at the table and asked, “So how was last night?” 

Crosshair was rarely caught off-guard. The visual shock that blanketed his ghostly face nearly made Hunter spit his drink out. 

Crosshair couldn’t believe that you’d play into Wrecker’s joke. Hunter cleared his throat again and took a moment to swallow safely while staring off into space. 

Omega was living for the cumbersome breakfast scene. She breathed in.

“Did —- ,“ she began at Crosshair, nearly standing in her chair.

“Don’t,” Hunter grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back into her seat. She let a small laugh escape her lips, then the awkward silence ensued. 

All you could hear at the table was chewing noises and forks scraping against the plates. An analog clock ticked in the background. Batcher occasionally whined to Omega for a piece of pancake. Wrecker finished flipping the last pancake and sat down with his own enormous plate. Within the silence, Echo materialized in the kitchen. “Well, this is rare,” Echo teased, “Usually someone’s getting their head torn off mid-way through a meal.” 

“Oh well, that’s because we forgot to tell you what Crosshair and I did on your ship,” you deadpanned, slicing your fork through a pancake. 

Hunter and Crosshair spat their drink and food out simultaneously. Omega and Wrecker lost themselves in laughter. Echo, well, looked like he normally does when he’s slightly confused.

“You did what?” Echo’s eyebrows furrowed.

“Oh you know,  —,” you began. Crosshair squeezed your knee under the table. 

“Please shut up,” Crosshair mumbled to you.

“Oh, bloody hell,” Echo huffed as his shoulders dropped the tension. You could tell that as a soldier that had seen it all, he didn’t care.

You winked at Crosshair and silently laughed. You truly had a knack for that reckless banter. He just looked at you in disbelief, shook his head, and released your knee. 

“You’re worse than Wrecker,” he sighed and returned to his food. “But I still love you.”

“YOU LOVE HER?” Omega exclaimed, this time standing in her chair and leaning over the table with both hands under her. She couldn’t believe such words would ever escape Crosshair’s lips.

“Zip it,” Crosshair pointed his fork at her.

Hunter, once again, guided Omega back into her seat.

Echo looked down at Hunter, who was looking spent. You got the feeling Hunter wanted to run a very clean household for Omega’s sake. You shot him a look of silent apology and returned your attention to getting another pancake.

“It looks like you have things under control,” Echo joshed and put his hand on Hunter’s shoulder as he tried to return the conversation to a normal temperature. “I’m going to head out.” He nodded towards you, “Thanks again for the ship.” And he started towards the door, “I’ll comm you all soon,” he said with his back to the family as he opened the door. He paused and shot you and Crosshair a glance, and sighed.

“Keep an eye on him, okay?” He said to you.

“You know I will,” you assured Echo.

Then Echo looked at Omega, “And you keep an eye on them.” 

“Yes, Sir!” Omega enthused.

Echo left, and the room remained quiet. In your careless efforts to make things better, you indeed made them worse and more awkward. While Crosshair was severe and unyielding, but also so soft and sweet (to you), you were still hopelessly reckless and intense. You knew Crosshair brought out a softer side in you too. You tapped into it.

“Omega,” you began, “I’m sorry I never asked you for permission.” 

“My permission?” She was taken back by the question.

“Can I date your brother?” You inquired.

“Why — would you ask me?” Omega raised an eyebrow. You could feel Hunter’s soft smile return from across the table.

“I know I’m asking a lot to share his attention,” you shrugged. Omega smiled back at you.

“He’s a great brother,” she chirped. “I can see why you like him.”

Crosshair looked up at her from his plate and beamed back at her.

Omega tilted her head a little and narrowed her eyes at you. 

“Is there anything in this for me?” Omega tested you.

“I’ll try to be a good sister. If you’ll let me,” you affirmed. 

Omega nodded towards you. 

“I’ll try to be a good sister too,” she then returned her attention to her plate. “But if you break his heart, I’m going to break something of yours.”

Hunter’s hand flew up to his brow, causing a slapping sound, and he exhaled hard. Wrecker let out a small laugh.

“Sorry,” Wrecker apologized to you.

Hunter eyed Omega, “We’re working on not dishing out open threats, right?”

Omega shrugged and raised an eyebrow at Hunter. You just laughed and put your arm around Crosshair.

“I wonder where she gets that from,” you laugh, meeting Crosshair’s gaze.

Crosshair also sighed and put a hand to his forehead.

“Don’t lose that protective side, Omega,” you nodded in her direction and picked up your drink to toast her efforts.

Omega radiated a little at you in gratitude. With a brave little smile, she nodded in your direction.

—--

You and Wrecker loaded the boat with fish bait, rods, and more while Omega and Crosshair sat at the end of the dock with the sun to their backs. Omega would laugh, kick her feet, and Crosshair never took his eyes off of her.

“Wrecker, I’m not screwing anything up by being here, right?” you threw a question his way while staring at Crosshair listening so intently to his sister.

“You? Nah,” he grunted while moving another crate of bait inside the boat. “But I am sorry we gave you and Crosshair a hard time at breakfast this morning.” “I expected nothing less,” you laughed.

Wrecker smiled at you, “I was surprised you actually took it up a few levels. I’ve never seen either Crosshair or Hunter so flustered,” he roared with laughter. You raised your eyebrows at him comedically, and returned to watching Crosshair and Omega.

“You’re all amazing father figures to her,” you remarked, looking back to Omega.

“Eh, we do our best,” Wrecker paused his work to watch Crosshair and Omega with you. 

“I never had that,” you confessed quietly.

“But don’t be afraid that by being here that you’re taking that away from her,” Wrecker declared. “That’s not how that works.”

You nodded, as it did make sense. But he had hit what you were feeling on the head. They were all so emotionally astute. 

“Have you met Phee yet?” Wrecker sat down on the bench with his work concluded.

“Who?” you asked.

“Phee,” Wrecker smiled. “She’s Tech’s gal. Omega looks up to her like a mother.”

You sat down next to him and sighed, “Tech’s story keeps getting… worse.”

“Yeah, well,” Wrecker tried to shake off his emotions to keep the conversation light. “It isn’t going to be long before Omega looks up to you the same way she looks to Phee.”

You nodded, “I won’t let her down.” You and Wrecker watched Omega and Crosshair continue to chat, oblivious that the boat was ready.

“Hey Wrecker, thank you for being so kind,” you mentioned.

“Of course. Any friend of Crosshair’s is a friend of mine,” he nodded, then turned to Omega and Crosshair. “Hey, we could use some help here!”

Omega shot up and ran to the boat like it was a battlefield order. Crosshair took his time to stand and brush off his pants before walking over. You stood to meet him as he stepped into the boat.

Crosshair walked over to you and wrapped you in an embrace; his chin placed on top of your head. He sighed a breath of relaxation.

“So, you’re not upset with how breakfast went?” You clarified.

“No,” he softly chuckled. “That went better than I thought it would. Despite it being excruciating at the moment. I think they thought I’d…” He trailed off a little.

You raised an eyebrow, “What?” 

“That I’d keep you a secret,” Crosshair shrugged. 

“Ah,” you nodded into his chest, “We tend to keep a lot of those.”

“They’re used to me hiding things; or not talking. But it’s impossible to hide you,” he kissed the top of your head.

“Are you two love purrgils ready?” Omega yelled from stern. Wrecker laughed at her comment. She pulled hard down on the throttle and the whole boat lurched forward violently, causing you and Crosshair to nearly lose your balance.

—---

Crosshair had his arm around you as you sat next to each other at the back of the boat, jetting towards the horizon. Omega killed the engine once the island was out of sight. She ran to the rods, throwing one to Wrecker, Crosshair, and you. You were a little surprised that she had packed one for you.

Casting lines into different directions, Omega kicked back and took out a doll. She weaved the fabric together to create parts of the doll that were missing.

“Did you make that?” You asked. 

“Yeah, this one is you,” she showed you the doll closer. 

The helmet and armor were black; the belt and shoes cool and sleek; Omega’s doll was rather accurate to your bounty hunting look. 

“How’d you know I wear armor like that?” You questioned.

“Crosshair told me,” Omega informed. “Last night, he told me all about your adventure while you slept on the porch.”

Omega’s line bobbed up and down, then jerked to the side.

“Wrecker! I think it’s a big one!” She exclaimed as she dropped your doll to her seat and raced to catch the rod. 

Omega wound the rod’s line back and pulled, but she was correct, it was a huge fish. She slid forward, catching her feet on the side of the boat as the fish tried to pull her in. Wrecker jumps to catch her from falling out. Together, Wrecker and Omega work to get the fish close. Crosshair prepares the net. Once it was close enough, he swished the net through the water, capturing it. Wrecker then pulls the fish aboard. It was massive.

Omega sat down hard on the ship’s deck and caught her breath. 

“Well, that’ll keep us fed for at least two weeks,” she looked at Wrecker with a huge smile.

Wrecker shrugged, “Eh, maybe three days.”

“Three days?!” Omega exclaimed.

—----

You headed back to your ship in the evening; slightly sunburned and exhausted. Despite finishing fishing early, you had spent the day on the beach and water with the Bad Batch. That family partied hard. 

In the evening, Omega had finished her doll and added it to her “collection.” Wrecker started to make food, and you slipped out the back while Hunter and Crosshair debated whether or not Separatist tanks were better than the Republic tanks if they were piloted by the same droid.

Echo had left your ship on the beach away from the city. You enjoyed the silence and sea mist on your walk over. Opening the door, you were hit with a familiar feeling of loneliness you knew you had outgrown. It wasn’t long ago that this ship was all you had. Inspecting the cockpit and living quarters, nothing had changed in the cabin. Echo hadn’t even poured himself a drink or helped himself to food. 

You took a hot shower, found some clean clothes, and felt a little nostalgic. Illuminating the holo-archive, you reviewed old holograms of the Tarkin family; before the Empire. Eriadu was a beautiful planet; but not one you grew to be familiar with. Your only connection to it was through these holograms of your grandparents and parents. 

By the time you were born, the wealth of the family had taken your familial unit off-planet and away from the legendary Tarkin compound. Your heart sank a little when you cycled through to a photo of you as a child. The hollow feeling returned; part of you missed the Empire; or perhaps just having a family. Knowing that being yourself would never be enough still ate you up inside. 

You cycled to another photo taken about a decade ago as a young adult. Your hair, expression, and Imperial clothing haunted you.

“Is that you?” A voice appeared in the doorway to your ship. You had forgotten to seal it up. Crosshair stepped inside.

“Yeah,” you nodded. “Pretty… Different, isn’t she?”

“I wouldn’t have recognized you on the street,” Crosshair admitted. He sat down next to you looking closer at the hologram. 

You cycled to the next one. Your parents and siblings as you remembered them when you were young illuminated. The family portrait was filled with serious Imperial expressions as it was customary to not smile or show emotion as elitists. 

“So, this one is my family,” you introduced Crosshair to the hologram. “I'd like to introduce you more properly, but I can’t. So, here’s Mom, Dad, Gavin, Crix, and Lieda.”

“When was the last time you saw them?” Crosshair wondered.

“It’s been over ten years now,” you lamented. “I think they’re all still alive. I’ve been tempted to look or spy, but I don’t know what’s worse…”

“What’s worse?” Crosshair tucked your hair behind your ear with his fingers.

“If they’re dead or alive. If they’re dead, I guess I’d be more forgiving that they’d never look for me, but then they’re dead. That’s it. If they’re alive… Then I’m still dead to them,” you tried to explain. Crosshair seemed to understand. He put his arm around you and looked back to the hologram. You sighed and melted into his embrace. 

“I’ve had some contact with Crix, but he can’t lay off the spice,” you confessed. “He’s not technically a deserter, but he doesn’t follow all of the rules so strictly. But I am banned from seeing him. Banned from helping him.”

Crosshair’s eyebrows furrowed, not knowing that you still felt so much pain over your family. He tightened his grip around you and put his lips to your crown. You decided to change the subject.

“So, when will I hear the story of your hand?” You asked, sitting up a little. Crosshair looked to the side away from you to his prosthetic laying beside him. He breathed in deeply and picked up his mechanical hand to place it in yours.

“It was cut off,” Crosshair deadpanned.

You didn’t push him to say anything more. Stroking his fingertips to his palm, you just nodded. Crosshair exhaled deeply once more.

“It’s strange that I feel safe telling you things,” he admitted.

“It’s not a bad thing,” you lifted his mechanical hand and kissed it.

He smiled softly, hesitated, and began to open up.

“My time in the Empire ended with imprisonment after I attempted to avenge Mayday,” he begins slowly. 

“But they wouldn’t let me die. Even after all I had done,” he sighed. “No, they kept me for experimentation. They tried to erase my identity; condition me into a super soldier for the Empire. But it was there that I discovered who I really am.”

“And who’s that?” You asked as he trailed off.

“A defective clone.” Crosshair’s voice broke a little. He breathed in sharply. “Tech once said I was severe and unyielding in nature and that I could never change that. But the Empire stripped me of everything I thought I was. Tech was right, but… I was wrong about myself.”

His eyes grew glassy, but no tears fell. He cleared his throat and continued.

“I expected their conditioning to work on me. I waited for the day that I’d wake up and not be “me” anymore; but it never happened. Every morning, I’d wake to my regrets, the emptiness I held from missing my brothers and other clones that had disappeared, and I’d wake to my hatred for the Empire… And my severe hatred for myself.”

A tear did escape, but he wipes it quickly in hopes that you wouldn’t notice.

“Omega saved us. She was imprisoned too. After we escaped, the Empire sent the conditioned clones to collect her. They succeeded in taking her back to Tantis, so I returned with Hunter, Wrecker, and Echo to bring her home. But I couldn’t shoot the same after we escaped the first time, making the mission nearly impossible.”

He hesitated again and removed his mechanical prosthetic. 

“My hand would shake after we left Tantis. Omega had convinced me to get it checked out, but the clinical droid said it was in my head. There wasn’t anything wrong with my hand, but instead there was something wrong with me.” He shook his head and put the prosthetic back on and looked to you for permission to keep going. You listened intently. He took another breath and dove back in.

“In the effort to retrieve Omega, a conditioned clone made a point to relieve me of my trigger hand. I once thought that this hand, or the skill I had as a sniper, was part of what made me, me. But even after it was gone, I continued to exist. I still wake up without it; I still wake with my regrets and self-loathing; I’m still everything the Empire couldn’t erase: severe and unyielding to myself; the defective clone.”

Crosshair turns to face you in the booth and takes your hand in his. His gaze is soft, but focused on your intertwined hands.

“I thought you could understand me after we talked that first day,” he concluded. “My brothers, they could understand on the surface. Omega just takes me for who I am regardless of what I’ve experienced. But you, you could understand my past in a way no one else can.”

He looks up for your reaction. He meets your eyes; your heartbroken gaze. You had so many questions, but you couldn’t find your words. You just stared into the eyes of the bravest, strongest man you had ever met. 

“Crosshair,” you began. 

“Mmm?” He too had run out of words.

You wrapped him up into a tight embrace; your hand on the back of his neck and around his waist. A tear escaped your eye, as you felt so much pain for him. You wanted to hold him as if you could alleviate some of that burden, but you knew if you could it would only be temporary. Crosshair didn’t expect your embrace, but he reciprocated gently. You held him there for some time before speaking.

“You’ve traveled to a deeper level of hell than I,” you continued to hold him. You pulled back from your embrace and rested your forehead against his to search his eyes. They were filled with painful recollections. “I’m so incredibly grateful for who you are.” You pressed a kiss against his cheek. “Our circumstances or experiences with the Empire are so vastly different; but you understand me too. The loneliness; the abandonment; the mistakes; the — ‘never fitting’ the desired mold... I’ve needed you for so long.”

Crosshair’s expression shifted from a painful grimace to beaming with light. 

“You need me?” Crosshair whispered.

You teared up at his question and could only nod. You gathered him into an embrace once more as if you’d never let go. 

“I don’t deserve you,” he gathers you in his arms and presses his face into the nape of your neck. 

“Too bad,” you pull away and rest your lips on his. “You have me.”

——-

The sun began to set on Pabu; the rays of light stretching out across the ocean as the sun prepared for its slumber. Hand-in-hand, you and Crosshair returned to the Bad Batch home for what would hopefully be a late meal. 

Entering the home, the kitchen was already emptied. A dim light illuminated the walls of the backroom. The family was cuddled and laughing together around moving holograms.

“We’re watching a holofilm!” Omega announced without standing from her place. Hunter motioned to the empty end of the couch. Crosshair looks to you and motions for you to take a seat. Sitting down, you guide him close to you. He sits down and wraps his arms around you. Settling into his chest, you close your eyes and lose yourself in his breathing. You feel yourself fade into a deep sleep as Omega and the brothers laugh.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ fin ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Taglist: @heidnspeak @cloneflo99 @megmegalodondon @tentakelspektakel