#ivan’s death leaves him feeling more confused and/or hurt

[shitgoblindingleberry]

y’all ever think about how till probably thought ivan was actually trying to kill him and he CLOSED HIS EYES like yall he WANTED ivan to kill him cause he didn’t see the point of advancing anymore and since he had his eyes closed he didnt notice that he won the round ONLY IVAN DID so till was expecting to be strangled to death only to open his eyes and find the only other person besides mizi he ever cared about DEAD

im

[fromriches-tosin]

I really love the parallels between Jean and Levi that you mentioned, about how the two of them care way too much about their comrades. Like how Levi was telling Erwin that "it wasn't worth all the lives lost just to discover the truth" while Erwin was saying it was, and then after the attack on Marley, Floch and the others were celebrating the victory but all Jean could think of was the casualities they had.

continuation of this

It's even more interesting when we take into consideration the fact that Armin and Jean were initially intended to be one character.

Their future development is pretty much summarized during this scene. Armin's continuous attempts at trying to understand Erwin's motivations, and prioritizing the mission's outcome vs. Jean's outrage at the idea of an empty death – or any death, in general, no matter the goal.

Armin follows into Erwin's footsteps and in a way takes his place in the narrative. Jean becomes close to Levi because of their shared concern for others. Levi is of course much more composed than him — able to hide his heartbreak and continue with the mission as expected — whereas Jean tends to break down and cry.

One of my favorite Levi scenes is the one from season 1 when Dieter disregards the orders and goes back for Ivan's body. When the Titans attack, and the Scouts have to leave all of their dead behind, you can expect Levi to snap. He sees Petra's body get trampled again, and you know he is extremely hurt, but... he doesn't go after Dieter. He doesn't even reprimand him. Instead, he gives him the logo from Ivan's jacket. Why? Because he understands how Dieter feels. He knows why Dieter did what he did.

This is exactly the same level of empathy Jean displays when saving Reiner – both in Shiganshina (after Reiner has just tried to kill him), and during the final battle (when Jean already knows Reiner is the one responsible for Marco's death). I often joke that Jean is Levi's favorite Scout, but I honestly do think that he is. Levi knows they are the same when it comes to valuing other people's lives. And there is nothing else Levi respects more.

Levi is not angry (irritated, maybe) when Jean initially refuses to kill the members of Kenny's Squad and almost gets killed himself. Even when Jean openly admits that he thought Levi's orders were wrong, Levi knows where Jean is coming from. That's why he later allows him to deal with Marlo and Hitch. Levi trusts Jean's judgment because it's so similar to his own.

After his near-death experience, Jean's trust in Levi becomes absolute. He receives the same confusing guidance Eren did in S1 ("I'm not telling you what's right or wrong, I have no way of knowing what is the right choice"), but he understands what Levi means. Jean listens to his heart and does what is needed to save the people he cares about.

[atlas-of-a-human-soul]

Draw your swords, pt. 7

Summary: In order to win, she might have to lose.

Warnings: angst, swearing, bit of fluff, sexual content

Part one // Part two // Part three // Part four // Part five // Part six  

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

Waking up to skies lit by the wintry sun is what Y/N expected. In the back of her mind, she remembers opening her eyes. Perhaps it’s her mind playing tricks on her, but she could swear she heard Aleksander’s voice softly speaking to her. 

Telling dreams from reality felt like an impossible task, but if it were a dream, would she really dream of him?

Death never crossed her mind. She was a soldier in an expendable army for most of her life, yet she never feared death. There was never a lingering sense of what if when they asked her if she believed in life after death, but she wondered now. Looking death in the eye had forced a realization upon her – she would die and achieve nothing. She married arguably the most powerful man in all of Ravka and she failed to utilize it. In the end, her name would be forgotten in history for her plans would all die with her.

Inhaling sharply, she wanted to open her eyes. A heaviness settles on her eyelids, making her groan. Her entire body felt dismantled, every nerve bare, inflicting pain.

“It’s alright”, a hand pressed to her forehead and Y/N frowns. Breathing heavily, she felt vulnerable, exposed.

Swallowing thickly, her eyes flutter open. With blurry vision, she looked up at the dark presence looming above her. Blinking fast, her lips part and before she can ask, cool liquid runs down her parched throat.

Taking a deep breath, her eyes closed again. She needed a moment to collect herself, to stop the world from spinning.

“It hurts”, she mumbles meekly.

“Shhh”, his voice reaches her. “I’m here”, she feels a gentle squeeze of his hand, “You’re safe.”

Resisting sleep, she opened her eyes once more. The sight of his tormented gaze leaves her nearly breathless. He’s still handsome, but it looks as if he’s aged ten years in just a few days.

“What happened?” Her voice is hoarse, still raspy from thirst and sleep.

“You’ve been in and out of consciousness for a week”, his forehead wrinkles, “We’ve just made it back.”

Despite the little voice in his head, the Darkling held onto his wife throughout the night. He kept her close to his chest, running his fingers through her hair. She was exhausted, injured so badly he could hear the strain her body was under with every breath she took.

Her eyes remained closed, her lips slightly parted and his pressed in a thin line. Absurd. It was absurd to think that someone like that – so delicate, so fragile, could have any power over him. It baffles him just how quickly he found himself attached to this woman who was unremarkable in every possible way – or so he told himself.

Truth be told, he couldn’t take his eyes off her since he first saw her. She radiates genuine beauty few possess, a confidence he’s never found in anyone in hundreds of years, and an air of mystery he couldn’t quite understand.

By the time morning light reached their tent, the Darkling just stared at her with care, studying every inch of her face as if it could be the last time he’ll ever be given a chance. He memorized the way she fit in his embrace, the rhythm of her beating heart in the dead of night and every labored breath as it threatened his sanity.

Anger was his best friend for so long, his shield against humanity, but his anger wasn’t all-consuming as it once was – it was directed to those who caused the swelling around her eyes and cuts across her cheekbones.

“General”, Ivan’s head peaked inside the tent only to swiftly disappear once he caught sight of a moment he was sure wasn’t meant for his eyes.

Rolling his eyes, the Darkling gently laid her head down. Caressing her cheek, he let a heavy sigh pass his lips. It’s been too long since he last felt so defenseless and helpless as he did now. He promised himself he’d never feel that way again and yet he found himself in the same cursed whirlwind of emotions as he was in when the fold came to be.

Biting his lower lip, he pushed it all down. If he’s distraught, his people would know. He cannot be emotional and still lead an army. He has to be strong – for Grisha and for Y/N.

“Ivan, we’ll have to find a healer soon”, Kirigan spoke in a hushed tone. Glancing at the tent, he felt a lump growing at the back of his throat. “I believe she’s developed a fever too.”

“Fedyor can try to cool her temperature”, Ivan offers, “He’ll slow her heart and keep her breathing. I’ll trade with him if necessary.”

Nodding, the general was satisfied with Ivan’s solution. For once, Ivan didn’t question why he wanted to protect her. This time, he was offered aid rather than words of discouragement.

“I’ll have to leave some of our own here”, Kirigan looks at the direction they came from. “The Fjerdans came too close and I need to know why. Why would they take my wife?”

Ivan lowers his voice, making sure he doesn’t wake up Y/N, “Perhaps it was a coincidence.”

“I don’t believe in coincidences. Not when her safety is at stake.”

Nodding, Ivan glances at Fedyor. He’d be the same if anyone touched his beloved. Suppressing a smile, Ivan finally realized it – no matter how vehemently the general denies it, his heart is no longer his.

“What are the orders? I’ll make the necessary arrangements.”

“Take back what they took, place their heads on a stake and wait. More should come soon and when they do, I want to know why they came so close to Little Palace and who ordered them to take my wife.”

Squinting, not in anger but to see him better, Y/N frowns, “A week?”

“Winter made it hard for us to move faster and you were in no shape to ride back.”

Letting out a shaky breath of air, she raised an eyebrow, “So you carried me?”

“Ivan and Fedyor kept you alive too.”

Wetting her chapped lips, she hesitated. Her fingers burned, itching to touch him, to intertwine with his.

“A healer should be here any minute now”, Aleksander informed, pulling his hand out of hers as if he could sense her inner battles and decided to help her by removing himself from it entirely.

“No”, she decided.

Standing abruptly, his jaw clenched. Despite his stern expression, his eyes hold all the sadness in the world, pleading eyes that both threaten and adore.

“No?” He repeats with disdain, “What do you mean by no?”

Holding her breath, she endures a sharp pain in her ribcage as she propped herself up on her elbows. Breathing heavily, she directed her determined gaze on him. “I’m human, am I not?”

Squinting at her, his lips part, “And?”

Struggling to prevent herself from laughing at the way he looked at her now, Y/N raised an eyebrow. “Humans aren’t allowed aid of a healer. We go to the medics.”

“You’re my wife”, he remarks almost instantaneously, slightly wishing she remained unconscious for a while longer. If she slept, the healer would have done their job and there would be no argument. There was no doubt about it, their truce was over.

“But I’m still a human. The rest of my kind don’t have the privilege of being married to you.” Her voice is stern, low and frustratingly righteous.

“You need a healer or you might not survive”, Aleksander insisted.

“Then let me die.” She stared at him, no signs of crumbling and it made him feel like he’s drowning.

Rubbing his forehead, the Darkling shut his eyes in frustration. After all the sleepless nights, his head felt like it would implode. All he had on his mind was her safety and now when he brought her home, she refused help.

“What do you want?”

Knitting her eyebrows, she glanced at his jaw as it clenched. “What?”

Her voice is higher, almost confused but he knew better than that. “I’ve known you for almost two months.” Two months too long, he thought. “I know when you’re trying to extort me.”

Covering her mouth, Y/N suppressed a laugh. Truth be told, it’s exactly what she’s doing, she just didn’t expect him to cave so quickly.

“Healers for the First army”, her lips twitch. Pursing her lips, she bites the soft flesh on the inside of her mouth to stop herself from smiling at all costs.

“No”, he spoke through gritted teeth.

Shrugging, she laid back down. “Alright then. I only regret I won’t be here to hear you explain my death to the Tsar and my father.”

Growling under his breath, he swipes his hand down his face. “One healer.”

“Two”, she argued, sitting up with a pained expression on her face.

“We can’t spare two”, the Darkling crosses his arms, his eyes darker than ever before.

Lifting her chin in defiance, she narrowed her eyes at her husband. “Two healers or no deal.”

Releasing a long, heavy breath in frustration, the Darkling felt his insides turn. “Two healers but only for those who can’t get better with a week long rest on their own.”

“Two healers for those who can’t get better in a few days of rest AND the same amount of food and water for the First army.”

Running a hand through his hair, the general’s nostrils flare. Cracking his neck to the left, to the right, he turned his death glare back on his wife. “Food and water are limited for Grisha as well.”

“I saw them eat grapes”, Y/N deadpans. “You have enough, so share. If the First army dies out, who will protect your precious Grisha?”

Folding her hands in her lap, she maintained eye contact with the general who refused to blink. He stared back at her, aghast. The woman was impossible! She made every word that passed her lips a contest of wills.

His jaw set, he moved closer to stand before her. He looked formidable with the relentless, firm pools of black ink for eyes devouring her with intensity, too hard in comparison to what she had seen in the tent. He looked like he could kill her without even putting a hand on her…something she still expected him to do.

What was stopping him? She was far behind enemy lines, no reinforcements and she saw what he can do – he could kill everyone who stood in his way.

“Fine”, he huffs. “Under one condition.”

Rolling her eyes, she nods, “What is it?”

“I want a kiss.”

Her eyes flashed to his. Ringed with golden bruises, she was still alluring – like a wildfire or a storm. No…she is wildfire, a storm. She is deadly and uncontrollable and slightly out of her wits and he’s asking her to be his ruination. It isn’t love, he tells himself, it’s obsession.

Raising her eyebrows, Y/N didn’t bother hiding her surprise. A kiss? Of all the things he could have asked, the big bad general who can summon shadows is asking for a kiss?

A part of her trusted Aleksander and that trust demanded intimacy. She wanted his hands on her – in her hair, his lips on her neck. She longed to be vulnerable and that’s what worried her. Trusting him, needing him, it’s bound to breed love and self-inflicted madness. If it were anything else, she would outright refuse him, but she has so many lives dependent on her answer.

“Tonight”, she decided. If her own sanity is the price to pay, she will do what she has to do.

Nodding, the Darkling retreated. Leaving the room, he opened the door for the healer to enter. Sparing her a quick look, he swallowed thickly as the thought of her willingly kissing him made his heart slam into the rib cage. Even his heart wanted to escape him as it too longed for her hands’ touch.

He didn’t make more than two steps outside the room when a Grisha joined him - one of his many spies.

“What do you have for me?”

The spy beckons him to the side, looking around wildly. “This could change everything.”

“What is it?” The Darkling speaks through gritted teeth, demanding an answer.

“There is talk”, the spy pauses, “Of a Sun Summoner.”

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

Healed, bathed and properly fed, Y/N had paced their room in anticipation of his arrival. She had seen the look in his eyes earlier that day – something between them has changed.

As the door opens, her breath halts inside her throat.

“I thought you were lost”, Genya admitted. “When they found your mare, I lost hope.”

Smiling, Y/N cupped her cheek. “I did too”, she sniffled.

The Darkling felt, more than saw, her presence as he entered the room. He turned slowly, his breath held. Her hair looked darker in the candlelight, its rich color gleaming against the green velvet of fresh sheets on the bed she leaned against. He could hardly speak. The nearness of her, the quiet room, the candlelight made him question the reality of what he was looking at.

“You look better”, Aleksander managed a curt smile, looking at Y/N and her attire. The sheer nightdress she wore was back, perfectly outlining her figure.

“Why did they take you?” Genya asked, unshead tears weighing heavily on her eyes. “Did they know?”

“No”, Y/N shakes her head, “But they found out.”

“How?”

“It doesn’t matter. Kirigan killed them all.” Y/N glanced at the door where she expected her husband to appear later on.

Chewing on her bottom lip, Y/N felt her heart flip. “It helped me realize something.”

Frowning, Genya waited for Y/N to explain.

“Your General does have a heart”, she states. His request for a kiss lingered in every thought her mind could concoct.

She stared at him then slowly untied the belt of her robe and it glided languidly over her smooth skin, falling to her feet.

His gaze roamed over her as if he is unable to fully comprehend her beauty. Only when he looked back at her eyes did he see she was troubled. 

“Of course he does”, Genya chuckles, “He was most worried when you were taken. He promised he’d kill them all and bathe in their blood.”

“I think I can use that.”

Knitting her eyebrows, Genya’s frown deepened. “How?”

Pressing her lips, Y/N sighed. “In order for me to win”, she paused, “He needs to believe he did.”

“Husband”, she spoke clearly. She feigned confidence, but inside she quivered.

She had barely finished the syllable when she was in his arms, being carried to their bed, his lips already fastened to hers. She felt his lips hit hers like a tornado, his admission of burning the world in her name spinning in her head. It could have been a fever dream, but she would bet her life it wasn’t.

Holding her chin in place, he rested his forehead on hers, heaving from the kiss. She couldn’t open her eyes, clinging to him for dear life, but even with eyes closed, Y/N could hear the emotions thick in his voice.

“I don’t want to do anything you’re not willing.” He whispered against his lips, all too prepared for his hands to roam her body now.

Y/N was afraid of herself as well as of him. He could sense it as he kissed her. He’d waited a long time for her to come to him and now it seems she was more than ready to give herself to him without his talk of her marital duty.

He expected anything but to find her with her arms wide open.  But even now, as he held her, he felt no great sense of triumph.

Pulling the sheet over her, he stood. “I can wait.”

The sheet accented her shoulders and the full swelling of her breasts. The candlelight deepened the shadow above the sheet. Her bare throat pulsed with life. Her face was set in a firm, serious expression that caused her eyes to darken. Her lips were hard, as if carved of marble and he ached to part them into a smile.

Turning away, he began undressing himself for bed, wondering how he could survive a night beside her if she remains as she is now.

She averts her gaze, whispering under her breath in confusion, “Wait?”

He laid beside her, barely dressed at all. She found herself achingly aware of his presence. The only light in the room was from the flames of candles she placed across the room. The light danced on her hair, played with the shadows of her delicate collarbones. At this moment, he remembered nothing of the arrangement their marriage was meant to be. He knew only that he was in bed with a desirable woman, one he never expected to claim. She seemed too headstrong to ever give into his charm, yet she bared herself before him and he couldn’t take advantage of her.

“Why don’t you want me?” She sat up, glaring at him. She let the sheet fall as his eyes met hers, bravely fixing him with her fiery gaze.

Rolling his eyes, he looks away. How can she torment him like this with no shame?

If anything, he felt like she’s attacking him. “I don’t want to hear about how a demon took you by force for the rest of my life.”

“It’s not force if I’m giving myself willingly, is it?” She raised an eyebrow, deciding on a tactic finally. Aleksander is a general, a conqueror at heart and she saw the desire in his eyes. If there was any hope of her plan to work, she had to harness his desire to convince him he won.

Licking his lips as he cracked a smile, Aleksander nodded in surprise, unable to keep his eyes from wandering lower to her breasts. “You’re full of surprises, aren’t you?” He wanted to possess her, to claim this difficult, headstrong woman for himself. His mouth came down brutally hard on hers, claiming them, nearly bruising them.

Y/N fumbled with the sheet that wrapped around her, making Aleksander chuckle into the kiss.

“Let me help you,” Aleksander purred and tore the sheet away, pulling it from under the mattress.

Wrapping his hand around Y/N’s neck, his grip was oddly weak, gentle even. She laid nude before him, his gaze fixed on her. He stared at her in wonder; her full breasts, curvy waist, round hips. Then he looked back at her face, her eyes blazing. Her lips were reddened from his kiss, and suddenly there was no power on earth that could stop him from taking her.

“You make me feel”, he pauses in anguish, “You make me feel”, he said quietly, fiercely, “And I don’t like it. I want it to stop. Now.”

He pushed her into the mattress and Y/N saw the ruthless general in his eyes and for a moment she feared it. A general isn’t gentle at all, not like Aleksander could be. She feared the pain he’d cause and the tears that would follow. She feared what he’d do to her, but then the fear she felt dissipated as he spoke against her lips.

“I’ll go slowly.” Aleksander stopped himself, remembering she’s never had a man in her bed before and once he saw the fear in her eyes extinguish the flame he already adored, he reeled himself in.

“Your hands are bloody from murder”, she paused, “But I trust them completely.” Her voice had never been smaller, her hands never as desperate as she clung to him. She wanted to trust the sudden, overwhelming warmth in his unrelentingly tender gaze, but she still awaited the pain that was yet to come. He moved on top of her, his lips attaching to her neck gently as he pressed a kiss above her pulsating carotid, knowing she’s nervous as he felt the pace of her pulse.

With one thigh, Aleksander parted hers. He kissed her again, passionate and slow, distracting her as his hand moves lower, down to the intimate parts she never allowed another only man to see, to feel. Slipping his finger between her folds, he found if applied enough pressure a desperate moan escapes her without a fail. He feels her breathing change as he begins to rub circles, her thighs trying to push against his in a need of more friction. And that’s when control escapes her and she closes her eyes completely, letting the pleasure take over.

Unable to wait any longer, Aleksander pushed the head of his hardened length between the folds, feeling her wetness pooling over as nature’s lubricant. Feeling the membrane, he stops for a moment. Looking at her carefully for any signs of distress, he wonders if she even realizes what is about to happen.

“Do you want this?” He asks again, fearing she may change her mind.

Gripping his arm, she nods. “Yes”, she replies, breathless.

Pressing himself inside, he bows his head in the crook of her neck, growling lowly in pleasure. It’s not the first virgin he had, but it’s the first one that made him want to come on the first thrust.

“Go on.” She encourages him, surprising them both. Swallowing thickly, she sinks her nails into his back, anticipating the next thrust. It would be a lie if she said she wasn’t in pain, but she knew it would get easier as he moves again and she would feel the pleasure again – and she wanted the pleasure more than the pain.

Nodding, Aleksander starts moving in and out slowly, refusing to risk her pain for a little more pleasure he’d find in speed and his untimely release. Instead, he’s using deep, slow strokes with a relentless care for the nerve bundle between her folds. Every passing second draws louder moans from her until he feels her clench around him, his own mind blackening as he feels himself nearing the edge. She’s holding him so tightly to her body, so desperately as she unravels beneath him. Picking up pace, he finally loses control, jerking his hips to meet hers in a deep thrust only to finish deep inside her, allowing them both to breathe.

Rolling off her, Aleksander decided to stay quiet, allowing her to have control of the moment. If she wants his embrace, he’d do it for her and if she wants to talk, he’d talk to her, otherwise, he’d just sleep. It’s been so long since he truly slept – since the day they went for that ride.

He placed an arm around her for comfort alone, not pressing himself closer than necessary, closing his eyes once he realizes she’s not interested in him at all after she came down from her high.

Waiting for a few minutes, Y/N pretended to sleep. After the hurricane of emotions he’d given her, Y/N didn’t know how to feel. She wanted to relax, to sleep in bliss, but a part of her ached. She ached for who she used to be. Would her father hate her for what she just did? Would her people denounce her for sleeping with the enemy?

Her eyes opened wide, finding his are still closed. Lips quivering, she felt herself crumble as tears fled her eyes. She watched his sleeping figure and sighed deeply, telling herself to stop crying. She was supposed to be in control of him, to make him want her and crave her, yet she found it was the opposite. She didn’t love him, but she did feel a connection…perhaps it’s the kindness he showed her when he rescued her or the pleasure he had given her, but something inside her changed and the heart she hardened on purpose found a soft spot for the general.

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

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Part 8

[cheekygreenty]

Little Witch - Part 3

The Darkling x Reader

The next day you woke up with a full belly and a rested mind. Your body no longer ached as you took a well-deserved bath. The servants knocked on your door in the early morning, however, you refused them but not after taking the food they offered. You looked through the wardrobe, finding nothing to your liking, so you were forced to wear something you had taken with you to the little palace. It was still too simple- too plain for your taste. You managed to speak to a seamstress about some clothing, but upon her finding out you don't belong to a single Grisha order, she scurried off, afraid she was being made a fool. You sighed and settled down. you have no right to be mad, nobody knows who you are. It is as you intended it to be, and looks like Aleksander wanted it that way too. To the Grisha, your order, or lack-there-of, is a myth, a fantasy. Some even consider it as heresy, a betrayal to the order of Grisha and the Saints, a mistake and abomination.

The stigma always caused you to hold back on your potential, never fully pushing yourself to your limits. At one point, Aleksander was scared of you; of what you couldn't do yet. Every day you learned something new, but every day you lost the knowledge to do another thing. It was a vicious cycle. But one day you tried yourself, you felt euphoria. It was a feeling like none other. But with it came destruction and death. You couldn't control yourself. The cycle continued until you pushed yourself too much, power overtook your being, let you slip away for a brief moment. A moment that decided the next 98 years of your life.

You knew how to control yourself now. It took years and the touch of many others, but here you were, an Elemental. A Grisha with the power of all orders, you could do what the Etherialki could do with ease, you could manipulate metals and chemicals and could stop a heart at your will. The healing wasn't yet a skill you had yet.

You weren't born with these powers though. You have to acquire them in a certain way, 'take them' if you will. It's what gets your tale the bad rep. A touch is all it takes. A simple touch of the hand when a Grisha is practicing the small science. It doesn't hurt anybody, you always swore it didn't. But once you acquire a power, it doesn't mean you know how to control it. It gets out of hand, it's as if it has a mind of its own, like Aleksander's shadows, and that's what causes carnage. Sometimes you could still remember what it felt like to summon those glorious shadows.

With that thought, you quickly go back to real life. You were standing outside Aleksander's door. Did you have to knock? The oprichniki let you through immediately and didn't look in your eyes as you stood at the door. You let yourself in, forgoing your manners.

'Aleks-'

'Y/N'

'Oh um hi, I was just wondering if you could tell somebody to actually make me some keftas, they're all running away from m-'.

You noticed he wasn't alone. The heartrenderer from yesterday was standing at the end of the room with another one of his kind. A woman in a Squaller attire along with them.

'-Am I interrupting? I can come back later'

You said that but didn't move a muscle. Like hell you would leave a room that almost belonged to you all those years ago.

'That would be ideal' Aleksander looked at you, waiting.

'I changed my mind. I'll stay-'

'Y/N'

'-until you sort my keftas out. Saints what did I tell you about interrupting me. It's quite rude' You seen the girl's eyes widen.

'So is barging into a meeting unannounced'

'General Kirigan, please can you do something about my keftas before I run out of clothes and have to walk the halls of the Little Palace bare' You jest. You were itching to wear a kefta. It had been way too long. He flushed and his eyes flashed an emotion of... longing? You couldn't tell but you knew that did the trick.

'Ivan please escort Ms.Y/L/N to the seamstress quarters and tell them to do whatever she wants.'

Aleksander spoke calmly looking directly at you. So his name was Ivan? You could finally put a name to the face.

'No, I'd rather go with the other one' You whispered so only he could hear with side-eye. He looked at you with an amused grin.

'Nevermind, Fedyor you go' The brunette heartrenderer got up with a smile on his face. He looked kind.

'Ms.Y/L/N, follow me'

He hooked your hand onto his elbow and you contained your girlish giggle. It had been so long since you were treated with this respect. It made you giddy.

'I'll see you around, General.' You looked at him and then at your audience. Ivan looked mad, as he always did, the girl looked jealous. You wondered if she and Aleksander had a thing going on, you wouldn't be surprised. She was beautiful. Once out the door, Fedyor started speaking

'That was Zoya. Mean little thing. But an amazing soldier. I'm Fedyor if you didn't catch that. Ivan isn't all that bad when you get to know him. He's my boyfriend. I've never seen you around, are you new?'

You struggled to process the information as it came. After stuttering twice, you managed to get out a simple:

'Yes, I am new here.'

'You seem to know the General quite well, are you two friends?'

'Of sorts yes, old friends'

'It's nice to know he has friends, that man works so hard to keep us all safe I sometimes worry he has no downtime.' He sighs.

You look at him confused, was this man definitely his guard?

'I'm sure he manages on his own well enough' Some part of you still loved Aleksander, but over time you learned to recognize that the man loves working towards his plans more than anything or anyone.

Fedyor wouldn't stop talking about the Litlle Palace as you walked. Had you not known the place inside out and back to front, you would've been very impressed. Once you reached your destination. You threw ideas at the seamstresses. Fedyor stood by and looked perplexed at all the ideas and at one point, left. You requested keftas of all colors and styles, completely breaking the traditions of orders. You didn't care to explain why fearing that Aleksander didn't want people knowing of your kind just yet. You walked back to your chamber content with your day so far. You wanted to train once you got back, away from the prying eyes of other Grisha. You needed peace. You walked in and snuffed out the burning fire with a hand motion. The room was now silent, too quiet.

'Y/N'

You whipped your head around and found an angry Aleksander at your door, looking at the fireplace absent of the fire.

'We need to have a proper conversation where you tell me what in Saint's name you are doing here, back in my palace, I have entertained your little game enough.'

You kept silent much to his annoyance.

'Now.'

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

Part 4

@xceafh @fire-in-her-veinz @cleverzonkwombatsludge

[sirenprincess15]

Please Don't Leave Me Chapter 15

Title: Please Don’t Leave Me

Author: SirenPrincess

Description: What if Aleksander hadn’t answered the door when Ivan interrupted the war room kissing? What if Aleksander and Alina had a bit more time to get to know each other before Baghra told her his true identity? Alina is the only one who can comfort Aleksander through his nightmares. Will she leave once she knows who he is?

This story is based on the show version and features a soft on the inside, hard on the outside Aleksander with an emphasis on emotional hurt/comfort and angst. If you are looking for lots of hurt!Aleksander thoughts, then this story is for you. Mal exists but pretty much solely to cause Aleksander some angst. Don’t worry. It will be a Darklina ending.

Chapter 1 is a missing scene at the end of Ep 4, and Chapter 2 takes place alongside Ep 5 and then diverges from canon there.

Pairings: Aleksander Morozova/Alina Starkov, bits of Ivan/Fedyor

Rating: PG-13

Warnings: Grisha are oppressed in this universe, and I don’t shy away from showing the horrors of that. There may eventually be mentions of canon-typical torture (Fjerdan pyres), death of family members, and cruelty to Grisha children. It’s not the focus, but that backdrop is definitely there and comes up as characters discuss their past.

In this chapter: Aleksander struggles to share his secrets with Alina until he finds her upset and needing him.

Recommended listening: Lady A "Need You Now"

Chapter 15

They went on that way for a couple of days. Alina spent most of her time with the tracker. It tore Aleksander up but he permitted it for her. Most of Aleksander’s time was spent handling details of the war, receiving intelligence reports, and managing Ravka. Keeping everyone alive kept him focused.

It was the evenings he spent alone that were driving him mad. He kept thinking of Alina’s desire to be fully honest with each other and Fedyor’s words of the importance of knowing and accepting a partner wholly, even with flaws. He had always been a strategist, always played through all scenarios in his head a thousand times until he arrived at one he liked. No matter what scenario he envisioned with Alina, none of them ever turned out as he desired. He desperately longed for the kind of love and acceptance that Alina called for. There had been so many years alone where he had yearned for someone to share things with. However, every time he tried to plan the discussion of one of his secrets, it all went to hell quickly. He had even spent one evening writing it all out for her in the hopes that would help him solidify his thoughts. It hadn’t, and he’d burned it all as he realized how beyond stupid it would be to give her such information in writing.

The problem, he realized, was that he could eloquently justify every decision he had made, but no matter how he poured his heart out into explaining it all, none of that would make the truth any less horrible. Marie was dead--that knowledge would hurt Alina, and he just couldn’t stand the idea of her experiencing all that pain. Genya was his spy--without the centuries of seeing Grisha persecuted to understand what it meant if they lost this war, without seeing the king’s ineptness firsthand, seeing the battalions they had lost because of inadequate supplies and wasted funds, she would never be able to understand this decision. It was unforgivable to leave Genya in that situation. He knew it was, even if Genya had agreed to stay in it herself. That didn’t mean it wasn’t the necessary decision, too. They weren’t mutually exclusive, but Alina would never be able to grasp that. He had a way to potentially take control of her power and use it against her will--would she ever believe he didn’t intend to use it? Was that even really true? He had always hated the idea and told everyone they would not be using it, but deep down he had always known it was the back-up plan. Could he even say he didn’t intend to use it if he knew there were circumstances where he would? All the thoughts swirled in his head and threatened to take him past his breaking point. And then she would be there to help him sleep and somehow it was enough to get him through the next day.

He was stuck, and he didn’t see a way out of this pattern. He couldn’t stop thinking of ways to try to explain things to her. He needed her. His desire for her to actually accept him was overwhelming. But how could she? As he imagined trying to explain things to her, he saw things through her eyes. It was a fresh perspective, and what he saw was horrifying. It all caused him horrible guilt, and, yet, he knew he would make the same decisions again. Over the centuries, he had become numb to accepting the small pains to prevent the true horrors. Alina had reignited emotion inside him, and suddenly everything was raw again.

Aleksander looked at the clock and groaned. It would still be several hours before Alina would visit his chambers to help him sleep. He could not take another night of tearing himself apart while trying to come up with words to help Alina understand how the murder and torture of Grisha over the centuries had forced him to make harder and harder choices. He should get up and do something productive, something, anything to keep his mind active. The library might be a good idea. He thought he had most of the good sources on the Stag in his chambers, but there could still be some good books with more information on relics in general that he and David had not yet read that could at least keep his mind engaged. There was the added bonus that the library reminded him of happier times with Alina. He had never seen someone smile so broadly at books. The memory of stolen kisses between the shelves brought a smile to his face.

Decision made, Aleksander strode to the library. He froze when he saw Ivan hovering near an alcove. Ivan was supposed to be guarding Alina. Aleksander raised an eyebrow, and Ivan gestured with his chin toward the alcove. Years of working together made a silent exchange possible. Alina was in the alcove, and Ivan thought Aleksander should go in there.

“Alina,” Aleksander gasped as he took in her appearance. In her nightgown and robe, she was disheveled, hair a mess, with tears in her eyes.

She desperately tried to wipe the tears away when she saw him. “Aleksander.”

“You’re crying,” he whispered as he closed the distance between them.

“It’s nothing. I’m just tired.”

He reached out and tilted her chin until she met his eyes. “You never let me get away with that line.”

The tears started to fall again. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to his chest. To his surprise, she started sobbing. He tentatively sent his power through to her. It caressed against hers and begged for a response. This time, she let the connection flow between them. Emotions echoed back and forth with the familiar comfort of each other. She was sad, confused, scared. He was concerned. He made sure to let her feel his love for her, whether she wanted it or not.

“I missed this,” she whispered after a long while.

He blinked. Didn’t she know she was in control of that? He constantly longed for the connection with her. She was the one who decided when they were allowed to have this. “I missed you.”

She sighed and finally let go of the stress in her. In their bond, she pulled for his comfort.

“Did he hurt you?” It was a quiet question, but there was a clear threat in his tone. If the tracker had harmed her, there was nothing that would stop him from enjoying that man’s death.

“No,” she responded quickly. “It’s nothing like that.”

“Are things not going the way you want with the tracker?” He tried not to enjoy that idea. Alina was hurting. That was bad even if it would result in the tracker being out of the picture.

“You’ll be relieved to know that we’ve realized what we are to each other and it’s family. I tried to kiss him. It was awful. So awful, Aleksander.” She made a face and then gave a soft little laugh. “I do love him, but that felt so wrong, and I realized it’s because he’s like my brother.”

“That is not why you are crying, though.” He could tell. He couldn’t let himself become distracted by the jealousy he felt at the idea of the tracker’s lips on hers, even if it was awful as she said. She was comfortable with the decision that the relationship with the tracker was not romantic. He might take more joy in that, but he could not because something else was devastating her. “Whatever it is, you know you can tell me.”

“I’m afraid it will upset you.”

Because the tracker had actually hurt her? Because she was going to say something against Aleksander? Something to break his heart? “I can take it.” He kissed the top of her forehead. “If I somehow found a way to talk to you about the Fold, you can share this with me.”

She looked up at him with uncertainty in her eyes. “I can’t. You’ll hurt him or ... lock him in the dungeons.”

So this was about the tracker. He might very much like to kill, mame, or at least imprison the tracker for whatever she was about to say next, but he knew she wouldn’t tell him unless he agreed not to hurt that idiot and she could feel that he meant it. He took her hand in his so she could get a strong read of his emotions. “I promise I won’t hurt him without your permission.” That, at least, he could agree to. He’d just convince her to let him kill the tracker if that was called for.

Unable to look him in the eye as she spoke, she focused her gaze on the floor and whispered. “He wants us to run away and hide. He has a whole plan. I tried to explain how I can’t do that. I can’t hide my power. I told him how sick it used to make me. I didn’t understand what was causing it at the time, but now I do and I can’t go back to not being able to eat or sleep, to feeling so exhausted constantly. Nadia told me some stories of Grisha who tried to suppress their powers and got seriously ill. But he just keeps saying it will be fine just for a little while.”

Aleksander tried not to react to the news that the tracker was trying to escape with her, but Alina could probably feel his response. Anger was there, of course, but more than anything it triggered his protective instincts. He swallowed as he tried to push away any concerns of the tracker stealing her out of his safe space in the Little Palace. That wasn’t why Alina had told him or what she was asking for his help with. “He doesn’t accept you as you are, but it’s only because he doesn’t understand you. What we are is impossible for him to comprehend.”

She leaned against his chest so he could wrap his arms back around her. “He keeps saying things against Grisha. Not against me, he says not me, but … I don’t even think he realizes he’s doing it half the time. ‘We can’t trust her, she’s Grisha.’ ‘Those people always have tricks up their sleeves.’ Please don’t be mad at him. He isn’t trying to hurt me, but it does.”

“Prejudice against our kind is something learned at an early age. It’s so ingrained in Ravkan society, worse so in other countries, he probably does not realize that it is hate he is speaking.” He took a deep breath. “I’m not trying to defend or slander him. It’s the truth you need to hear, Alina. He is otkazat’sya. You are Grisha. They have always hated our kind. Fight as we may to be accepted, we never are.”

“I’m tired of feeling so … foreign … other.” She sighed.

“Do you feel like that here at the Little Palace? When you are with me?”

“No, and when he says things like that … I … It’s stupid. I’m so stupid.”

She knew he couldn’t stand for her to put herself down, but he was trying to get her to open up and let all her feelings out, so he didn’t correct her. “Tell me. All of it.”

“I’m a mess, Aleksander. I’m such a mess.”

“You hold me together when I am a mess. I can do the same for you.”

“When he says things that hurt me, all I want is you. I miss you. I miss our connection. I find I can’t breathe when I’m not with you. There’s just this tightness in my chest that won’t go away. I long to reach out to our bond.”

“And that’s a bad thing? Maybe when he puts you down, you subconsciously reach for the only person who has ever made you feel like you are enough and worthy of being loved. I wanted to give that to you, Alina.”

“I’m so scared, Aleksander. I’m in here crying because I need you and I’m so scared to need you!”

“You have taught me it’s okay to need you. It’s okay to need acceptance and love, Alina. I offer those.”

“How can I need you if I don’t even know if I trust you?” Her voice cracked.

Aleksander sucked in a breath at the pain those words caused. “Because of what Baghra said?”

She nodded into his chest. “And the manipulation. If I didn’t know about the letters, what else don’t I know? What else are you doing to manipulate me? At times I think I am strong enough and I can tell when you are lying to me, so that will be enough for me to be able to stay in control of things with you. Other times I’m terrified that I’m still falling for you and I will end up your slave. I realize I’m not in control of anything. I don’t feel whole unless I’m with you! When I’m with Mal, I am constantly thinking of you. I thought that if I gave myself some space, I could separate from that and sort things out, but it’s only worse. It takes all my strength not to run to your rooms because I need you.”

He wanted to reassure her that he was worthy of her trust, but he wasn’t sure that was even true. Wasn’t he just a bit earlier going through the list of all the secrets he had kept from her? He hadn’t managed to confide any of them to her or even come up with a plan of how he could. “There’s so much you don’t know,” he admitted. “It terrifies me, too. Trying to find a way to share it all with you is destroying me.” It was the full truth for once. There were horrible secrets there. He did not want to be manipulating her. He truly did want her to know all of it now, but he wanted her to understand it all too. Figuring out how to make that happen was eating him alive. He focused on those feelings and opened their bond fully so she can know the truth of that. “I need you. I fear if I use the wrong words, you will leave me, and I will not survive.”

“So … we both are driving ourselves mad with self doubt and worry and the pain of being apart. What do we even do with that?”

“If I had come up with a solution, I would not still be tearing myself apart trying to figure it out.” He sighed at the familiar ache in his chest. “Do you … Do you want to just take a break from … trying to figure everything out? My only solace in life is you. If I am your only respite, can we not just give ourselves a night to have that?” He needed a break, and she needed his comfort. They both were in so much pain from trying to survive alone.

“I’d like that,” she admitted, finally looking up into his eyes.

Aleksander reached out his hand and cupped her cheek. She leaned into his touch, and the clenching in his chest finally relaxed. She wanted his comfort. He wasn’t quite sure what a break would look like to her. Would she just want to sit and read in the library? Hold each other perhaps?

Tentatively, he leaned forward to kiss her. Her lips parted, and her body arched into him as if she could not get enough of his touch. He was shocked at the flood of desire that she released through their bond. There was no doubt that she wanted more.

As much as he longed to make mad love to her right there in the bookshelves even with Ivan only an aisle away, it didn’t feel quite right to dive straight into ripping off her clothes. Their relationship was awkward and uncertain at the moment. They needed cuddles and contact and warmth before he reminded her what it felt like to have her body worshipped. An idea occurred to him. “Do you want to take a bath together?”

She smiled. “Yes, please.”

=========

Author Notes: I wrote this chapter a dozen times and deleted them all. Every attempt at writing Aleksander come clean was ridiculously bad. So I started writing about him feeling that way, and Lady A's "Need You Now" came on my station and inspired me. Aleksander was a mess of guilt, self-doubt, and fear until Alina needed him, and then the story just clicked and was so easy to write. All of the emotions felt right once he realized she needed him. He doesn't need to be perfect for her. He needs to be what she needs, and he can be that, even with the dark past. This version felt genuine to the characters, including Alina and Mal. Alina's future with Mal was miserable. I wanted to let her realize 'hey, I don't like this' and choose something else for herself.

[amberbeach]

'TRANSPORTED THROUGH TIME'

gif belongs to me

It had been over a month since you mourned Ivan's assumed death. And every day your mind thought of him more than once. A marriage between a commoner and a Knight had been known to happen, though it was uncommon. You were a servant of the young King and Ivan was forever grateful the young King had allowed your marriage.

You were married for barely a month when he left with the Prince, only to never return, leaving you heartbroken. The Prince had told you about the monster who had attacked them and despite the many who didn't believe him, you found his story too descriptive to be born of fear. It only made you worry about Ivan more.

You were walking through the gardens to the castle to attend to your duties when you saw a creature who looked exactly as Prince Colin had described. You backed away from Fury who rushed towards you, screaming when he grabbed your arm.

"You're coming with me."

You gasped when a portal appeared, trying to break free as Fury pulled you through. You looked around the dreary ship, staring at horror at the monsters who chuckled darkly as you were thrown into a cell.

You looked around, pressing your back against the dirty wall, curling into a ball as you wept.

For two days you went without food, your white dress covered in dirt from the cell. You looked up when the cell opened and Fury entered, scurrying to the corner.

"No, no please!"

He yanked you out of the cell and you were transported to the city. You looked around in terror, afraid of the world you had been taken to. You whimpered when Fury's grip tightened on your arm, seeing a group running towards you while everyone else ran away.

You stared at the Knight in shock, tears in your eyes when you recognized him. "Ivan?" You gasped in disbelief.

"Release her now. She has naught to do with our feud." He stepped forward, glowering at Fury.

"Stingrage!"

You watched as the group was blown backward, screaming when you saw Ivan on the ground.

Fury shoved you away, holding the tip of his sword at your neck. "Don't move."

You swallowed thickly, glancing at the group, eyebrows furrowing when you saw them morph.

You gasped when Fury was blown backward, the blast sending you to the ground. Ivan raced towards you, scooping you into his arms and out of the line of fire.

You stared at the golden suit as he placed his hands on your shoulders to steady you. "Remain here."

He reluctantly ran back to fight and you looked at the battle, backing away when Fury growled at you.

You ran off, and Ivan called your name, turning his back on Stingrage who knocked him to the ground. You continued to flee, bumping into people. You stared at their appearances, shocked and confused. You fled to the park, using the trees to hide. You breathed heavily, sliding down a tree to sit down, tears falling down your cheeks.

After Stingrage and Fury had fled, Ivan searched for you, frowning when he saw you were gone.

"Who was that?" Shelby asked.

Ivan looked down solemnly. "Her name is Y/N." He turned to the group. "My wife."

The ranger's eyes widened.

"I must search for her." He walked away and Tyler called for him to stop.

"We'll help you. If we split up we can cover more ground." He suggested.

Ivan nodded, teaming with Shelby as they searched for you. As Ivan moved through the streets, he realized how terrified you must have been. This world was odd to him, but he never felt fear. You, however, were not a Knight, you were soft-spoken and gentle. And now you were 800 years in the future, lost and alone.

"So...you're married?" Shelby spoke up.

Ivan looked around the street, nodding.

"How did you meet?"

"She is a servant of King Colin. I had returned from a tournament and we collided in the hallway." Ivan smiled softly recalled that day.

"Why didn't you tell us about her?"

"When you freed me, I awoke in this world that is so different from the world I knew. Every day I thought of her, and every day I wished I could be home in Zandar. Now she is here, in an unfamiliar world. She must be terrified."

He stopped walking, pausing to turn around. "What is it?" Shelby asked.

"Those trees." He murmured. "It's brilliant." He grinned.

"For what?" Shelby asked as she ran after him when he suddenly sprinted across the road into the park.

"Hiding!"

You walked through the woods, your dress was torn from your journey. You heard someone calling your name and turned to find the source, gasping when Stingrage appeared, holding you. You heard Fury snickering as he walked out of his hiding place. You struggled to break free, pleading when Fury injected you with a syringe. You fell to the ground and the two monsters fought the two rangers, fleeing when more appeared.

Ivan removed his golden suit, rushing towards you, kneeling down to shake you gently. "Y/N? Y/N!" He felt your skin burning up and looked at the rangers. "She isn't waking up."

"Let's take her to the base," Tyler suggested.

Ivan lifted you up and he followed the rangers back to the museum. He solemnly laid you down and held your hand as Kendall examined you.

"There's a small puncture wound on her neck." She told him. "Her signs are falling rapidly. Fury must have given her something."

Ivan brushed a strand of hair behind your ear, listening to the rangers.

"If we find out what it is, we can make an antidote," Riley suggested.

Ivan looked at his friends, seeing their concerned gazes. "Do what you must. As long as she is well."

He stayed by your side, glancing at you solemnly. He watched as Kendall and Riley performed tests and waited eagerly for you to wake up.

When the alarm rang and Stingrage was on the monitor, attacking Amber Beach, Ivan stood up, ready to fight. He swiftly left the base, leaving the team to follow.

When the team returned after Stingrage's defeat, Ivan immediately noticed that you were gone.

"I gave her the antidote and she ran off before I could stop her," Kendall explained, pointing to where Koda slept.

Ivan slowly approached the cave, holding a hand out to stop his team from crowding around.

"It's alright," Ivan assured, smiling softly.

You moved away and he swallowed thickly, holding back the pain he felt when he saw how afraid you were. Your eyes darted around, looking at the group behind him, at the cars passing by, and then at him.

"Look in my eyes." You met his gaze and held it. "I will never let anything happen to you. I swear it. Take my hand." You hesitantly moved forward and Ivan held a hand out to you.

You took his hand and stared at him in disbelief as you stood chest to chest. You hugged him tightly and he buried his head in your shoulder, closing his eyes.

You looked at Ivan, placing a hand on his cheek when he pulled away. He looked down at you, amazed by how little you have changed, making him wonder how long he was gone before Fury took you.

"This is impossible." You stared at him in wonder and disbelief. "I thought you were dead."

He smiled down at you, taking your hand when you placed it on his chest. "I assure you I am very much alive."

You looked at the group who lingered a few feet away, eyebrows furrowing as you looked at Ivan. "This world is strange. The clothes. The monsters...where are we?"

"800 years in the future." He said. "But don't fret, it is not as frightening as it seems." He turned to his team, "Allow me to introduce you. Tyler, Chase, Riley, Koda, and Shelby."

You looked at the group, sending them a small smile. You felt a sharp pain in your abdomen and hunched over, crying out. Ivan caught you when you knelt to the ground, lying you down.

"What's wrong?" Ivan looked at Kendall when she examined you.

"She's burning up."

You grabbed Ivan's jacket and he held your hand, leaning closer as you pulled him down. "It didn't work."

"We'll find another cure."

You groaned in pain and Ivan kept his face impassive while you squeezed his hand, masking how much it hurt. Whatever you were feeling was much worse.

"I'm glad that I saw you one more time."

"You're going to be fine." Ivan looked at Kendall. "Will she not?"

Kendall solemnly shook her head and Ivan looked down at you, inhaling sharply.

"I can't even begin to describe how much I missed you." You whispered, grimacing from the pain.

Kendall stood up, ushering the rangers out of the base. Ivan paid them no mind as he stared down at you.

"Ivan,"

"You're going to be fine."

"I...lo-"

A tear fell down his cheek when your head fell to the side, eyes closing. "No, stay with me." He shook your arm gently, lips parting in shock when he felt your hand go limp in his grasp. His head lowered solemnly as he kissed your hand before placing it on your stomach.

"I'm sorry." He shook his head, "I let you down. I should have been there to protect you. The fates have dealt us a cruel blow, indeed." He placed his hand on your cheek, "I will see you again, my love." He kissed your forehead, pulling away to fight back the cry that threatened to leave his lips.

From the moment he was free he dreamed of being home in Zandar with you. Now you were gone and he dreaded going home to the place that would remind him of you every day.

He now knew what you felt when you heard he didn't return. It was an overwhelming feeling that caused his stomach to churn. He wished you would open your eyes and smile just one more time. But Ivan knew he would never see you smile again. And it tore him apart.

[basement-writings]

Yandere allies x cold hearted s/o

~TW: mentions of torture~

America~>

Alfred wouldn’t tolerate being insulted like that for long, in the beginning he would be quick to coo at you with belittling words treating you as a child throwing a tantrum, but if you wouldn’t cut back on your remarks he would take a more serious approach.

He would quite literally start treating you like a child with restricting the little freedoms that you once had and acting like a helicopter parent. He would demand that you start treating him with respect before he gives you respect.

“You say to me that you want to be treated as an adult, but all I see from your behavior is you acting like a child. Bout’ time you put on your big boy pants y/n and start acting mature enough for me to see you as one.”

~~~

England~>

Ooooohh boy- Now Arthur could just punish you again for acting out of line but he would refrain from his usual physical punishments he would normally give you, choosing to give you what you wanted instead.

Rather be burned than to be by him? Well best give the lady what she wants, he knows you’ll be changing your mind faster than it takes him to light a match.

You would rather starve than to eat with him at the table? Well why didn’t you say so? A week in isolation with on water to keep you alive would ensure that mindset disappears!

He’ll punish you til you understand that you can’t evade him and that he is now a permanent figure in your life and you’ll have to live with that.

”I’m just giving you what your asking for, love? isnt this what you wanted?”

~~~

China~>

Yao would be greatly unimpressed by your words and would go straight to punishing you for this behavior; he won’t tolerate having a childish s/o who thinks they can make petty remarks against him.

Do be warned, he won’t be to kind to you after your display of immaturity so trying to cheat your way into a less taxing punishment would be close to zero.

He won’t be afraid to pull out some old teaching from the past dynasty’s in order to try and teach you how to behave. And China is the birthplace of water boarding so proceed with caution.

Of course he won’t go to far to the point we’re you’ll die but you’ll be on the brink of death before he decides that you’ve had enough and nurses you back to health.

“It’s a shame that there was no one to teach you how to properly act before me, don’t worry though, just try and hold your breath.”

~~~

France~>

Frances would be the one most hurt by your words out of the entire group, mostly on the fact that it would break him out of his delusions of y’all being in a happy normal relationship.

The most he would do is lock you in your room and contemplate your words to himself asking himself if this is wrong in any way, though it doesn’t matter, he’ll come to the conclusion that this is for the best and he’s doing the best for you.

Though don’t try your luck with him just because he’ll be hurt by them, he won’t be afraid after a certain point to start hurling insulting words back to you, discrimina how your family hasn’t even looked for you and that they’ve already moved on without you.

“You know what? Have you ever even took the time to think of where your family is? You were crying how they would find you but have they? Doesn’t feel so good does it y/n.”

~~~

Russia~>

Ivan would look at you as if you were insane, even going as far to ask if you were right in the head at times if you were exceptionally rude to him.

It’ll leave him confused and irritated that you would talk to him like that despite everything he’s done for you.

Ivan might seem like he’s not taking offense to your words but underneath his well kept facade, a expanding hot rage is burning on the inside of him. Each insulting word just adding fuel onto that same fire.

Should you really push him to were that fire would seep outside of him, best count your blessings that he doesn’t permanently shatter a few of your bones.

“This should act as a lesson to you y/n. You put this onto yourself.”

~~~

[amiramorozova]

Dual Summoner x The Darkling pt. 31

Pairing: Dual Summoner Amira Silina and Darkling Aleksander Morozova/ General Kirigan

Word count: 2030

Someone came over saying there was a problem with the other summoners, Aleksander looked like he could care less at that moment yet he brought my hand up kissing the top of it. I knew he'd done it before but I blushed at how much chivalry he could show. More I believe I blushed due to it being in front of my family, some respect I suppose he had instead of kissing me in front of the others.

"Ivan will show you back to your room and your family to some rooms." Aleksander said 

"Does it have to be Ivan?" I asked looking past him for a second at the heartrender then at Aleksander. "Do I sense some disdain in your voice for my heartrender?" Aleksander asked. I knew I had quite a bit on Ivan, for one I was always avoiding him because of his behavior. I disliked the heartrender because he was the one who pressured me the most about the fold. I knew Nina was not family and a heartrender as I smiled. "I would prefer Nina Zenik to show us back to our rooms." I said firmly to make sure it was known that I disliked his heartrender. 

Aleksander seemed to take my tone of voice and my body language as he was needed elsewhere, he had no idea what Ivan was doing. He looked at Nina as she showed respect to him and I figured it out pretty quickly she was working for him. There were talks of a female heartrender who may or may not have been a spy but she never compromised my location. "Nina, you used to live at the little palace. Show them the best rooms to her family, her guards Marie and Naida have their own rooms and for my fiancé stays in the room meant for my sun summoner in the wing that my war room is in." Aleksander said as he looked at me seeing that I was unhappy he mentioned the sun but he let go of my hand placing it on my cheek "It was meant for the one who was the sun summoner, and I found something better than just a sun summoner. The only Dual Summoner who is a tidemaker and Sun Summoner." 

I smiled knowing he appreciated that but I knew that there was so much more than what he was saying. Once he left I relaxed as we went about our walk, Ivan was the least of my concerns when it came to what was going on. Nina led us in and my family took in our location as we walked. Nina seemed a bit confused so I said "Etheraleki are normally in the west wing of the little palace. General's war room and the other room are on the East wing, Corporaleki are behind the red door in the south wing and Materialeki are in the north wing of the little palace. Guest rooms are in the middle or mixed with the Etheraleki." I said

"You seem to know the little palace well." Grandma Catalina said as I nod, "ten years so I know the layout. The Corporaleki and Materialeki have their own color doors as Etheraleki are in blue. The other two are red or purple." I said, Nina nodded as she led the way. "With the exception of the General, he wears black and you being who you are have been allowed to wear it." Nina said 

We found my family rooms while Nadia and Marie went to their rooms. I was done with the day already and it wasn't even over. I'd gone through a fight and traveled back here in such a short time but I felt it. The stag's antlers were probably made in to a necklace for me to wear someday. We were almost to my room when we heard running and I looked to see Genya. Genya hugged me and I was surprised as she looked at me.

"The little palace hasn't been the same since you left, who has been working on you? You look awful." Genya said I laughed a bit. "My grandmother's tailor friend, she did well enough so I could enjoy the festival." I said, "ten years of being stuck inside and I finally got to see what it's like to just be normal." 

My words struck a chord with Genya and for a moment I felt guilty for leaving the way I did. She'd still been dealing with the king and the rumors she was being bedded by him, I wanted to accidentally blind the royals to help her get revenge but I couldn't. I knew with everything I needed a refresher from a tailor so Genya took me inside my room and then started her work. When I looked in the mirror I looked like myself but the one who I was before I left the little palace.

"I guess I'll have to go to the Materialeki to have a wedding dress made." I said, Geny chucked "they'll insist on a white Kefta." Genya said and I gave a slight gag on white Kefta. If I saw another Kefta that was new I was gonna throw it somewhere. "No, I want a dress. I want to feel normal, not some 2nd army big wedding and besides White is your color, not mine. I'm getting a promotion out of my marriage, I'll be encouraging other Dual Summoners to come out of hiding." 

Genya seemed to like the idea that there were going to be more Dual Summoners, I'd promised my cousin a life where he didn't have to hide. Where he could follow me if he desired and I was going to make that come true. She took me instantly to see the Materaleki and when we walked in she started to explain things.

"A white Kefta with her design?" One of them asked and Genya shook her head no. "Amira, wants a white or ombre white to black wedding dress with her design on it. She doesn't want another Kefta but she will need something to show she's not a 2nd army soldier afterwards." Genya said. I knew this was a big request and they seemed to not understand why I needed to be seen as different from the 2nd army. "Who is the groom for this wedding dress?" The Materaleki soldier asked and I smiled.

"General Kirigan, I believe he'd want a happy bride, not one who would be upset with what she wears on her wedding day." I said

They were shocked but said they would figure out something but that they would be making a new black Kefta to represent my promotion.  I didn't like the idea that there would be a new kefta but what could I really say. When I left I was walking back to my room where I saw Aleksander waiting at his war room doors. He motioned me to come with him and I ran over going quickly as we walked in. I saw it there on the table waiting for us as I walked over to the necklace and then I saw the piece with the symbol of sun summoner on it.

"What are you going to do with these?" I asked

"they're for us, someday." Aleksander said as he walked over, "Amira, I need you to make a tunnel in the fold. Nobles need to start heading back home and they wish to see the sun summoner show her powers within the fold." 

I backed up knowing that I wasn't ready for the fold, at least I thought I wasn't. I didn't want that thing on me because of what it would mean, what he could do with it. Yet I knew I needed to have it to get the rest of the stag's power. A tear fell down my cheek as I remembered that stag was a magnificent creature and he killed it without any regard to its life. I felt his hand on my shoulder as I turned and looked at him. He seemed to notice as he wiped my eyes from where I'd begun to cry.

"You were thinking of the stag." Aleksander said 

"I'm not a killer, I can't...I can't kill for power. There was another way to get the stag's power..I could have had that power already instead of you having this now." I said motioning to the necklace and the piece that looked like it would go on a hand, "I don't want to be bound by a collar. If that is your intention tell me now because this only works if we trust each other. You killed the stag, the power is yours not mine." A lie that I knew he didn't have all the power, it was partly already within me but if I couldn't prove I could build enough light for a path he'd put it on me. So quickly I put my hands together on my own and created light using my power and some of the power I'd absorbed expanding it till it covered the little palace as he walked, overseeing the light. "For now you can do it on your own but what happens when you need more power?" Aleksander asked

"I can make Grisha safe, We can make Grisha safe together but only if we have trust." I said, "I will help you get rid of our Fjerdan problem but you have to promise me no innocents are going to be harmed." Aleksander was quiet and I knew there was still the matter of what happened the night of the Winter Fete, we had been on the verge of going to the next level. I knew he'd tumbled with others before and something had gotten in the way that night. "If you won't promise me that then what happened at the Winter Fete?" I asked, knowing if he'd have never left Baghra couldn't have sent me away.

"Your stand-in was attacked, slaughtered by the conductor. A million Kruge bounty has been put on your head to bring you to Ketterdam but that same price was offered to the conductor for you to be killed." Aleksander said I was in shock hearing that one of my fellow tidemakers had been killed over me. My legs started to give in and I heard him rush towards me as I hid my face in his black kefta and started to cry. I never wanted to be the cause of someone's death, nor did I wish for anyone to be hurt because of me.

"How many were hurt that night?" I asked through tears, "The Tidemaker and one of our Inferni was stabbed in the head. I thought you were kidnapped but you clearly were not. Mr. Brekker said you wanted to get far away and another Inferni was killed that night." Aleksander said 

Three of our 2nd army are dead. I thought

I blamed myself in a way when it came to the fact only one was because of me, the others were attending the party. How could I have known that there was a bounty on me and who would have thought it was going to be this way. 

"It's getting late, stay here with me tonight." Aleksander said as I looked at him surprised, "I think you've been through enough for one day. We can discuss wedding plans tomorrow and you can see some of our new members of the 2nd army."

I wasn't in the mood to argue with him so I just nodded as he led me to the bed and I laid down remembering the feeling of these sheets when he'd brought me in that one night. I felt the other side dip and his arms wrap around me. His hold was secure like he was making sure he never let me go again. I wondered after someone was alone for four hundred years burying friends and allies over that time how much hurt he kept hidden and maybe that's why he was making sure he didn't lose me. 

Maybe that's why I get it..I understand how lonely being different is. I thought 

[thr-333]

Mismatch-Part 11

Bio Dad Bruce Wayne Month 2020

You know... just a trip to the aquarium... what could possibly go wrong?

First < Previous > Next

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“Don't you think we should wake him up?” Adrien asks, looking towards Nino’s door.

“Absolutely not,” Marion picks through his sugary cereal, “You may not understand, as a natural morning person, but waking us up is a death sentence,”

“We’re going to be late,” Adrien seems nervous stirring his cereal, Marion tries not to snort, only someone who has their life planned to the minute would think so.

“Then he’ll rush to get ready and be out the door in five minutes,” Marion bites done, trying not to cringe at the sweetness, speaking through his mouthful, “Like any non-morning person does,”

“Wouldn’t it be easier to just get up early?”

“I have no idea how to explain just how wrong you are,”

Marion pushes the bowl away, why Adrien insisted on trying it he had no idea. He goes to double check his bag. He was carrying the miracle box today. It’s compartment taking up half his satchel. Something Klakki seemed annoyed by while Plagg was happy to curl up, like any cat would.

As it got closer to time to leave Adrien keeps glancing at Nino’s door then back to Marion. Marion tries not to smile as he brainstormed names and researched birds. He had found one called Sabine's Gull, tempting but not enough to risk his Maman's life, even if the chances were slim. Adrein keeps reminding Marion of the time, down to the last seven minutes before the bus is meant to leave.

“And three, two,” Marion caught Adrien's attention, “one,”

“I”m Late!” Nino yells from his room, followed by a yelp and some crashing.

Marion chuckles, ignoring Adrien’s ‘I told you so look,’. That was quickly replaced by Marion's one as in only four minutes fifty six seconds Nino was dressed, fed and out the door. They race downstairs, reaching the ground floor to see a crowd outside the building. Marion frowns, they were blocking the way out, and he could see the bus over their heads. Most people held cameras and a few with microphones. They walk outside, trying to push their way to the bus, when Marion spots Marinette in the middle of the crowd.

“Whats going on?” He interrupts Marinette talking with someone rudely shoving a microphone in her face, which filled with relief at seeing him.

“I’ve been trying to explain to these people that-”

“Excuse me but what's your relationship to Bruce Wayne?” A... reporter? cuts Marinette off.

“Bruce Wayne?” Marion casts a confused look to Marinette, “I hardly know him,”

“So he hasn't been a very involved Father?” The reporter asks, and Marion’s does a double take.

“Wh-what?” Marion looks to Marinette who only sighs, “He’s not my Father,”

“Did he tell you to say that?” Another reporter butts in.

“Yes, people who aren’t my Papa usually do,” Marion says sarcastically, pushing the microphone away from his face.

“So he did tell you to say that?” The reporter asks, a glint in their eye that he was most familiar with Alya having when asking Chat Noir questions(when Ladybug wasn't available of course).

“Do you not recognise sarcasm?” He turns to Marinette, “Do they not know sarcasm?”

“No, they also don’t know the term, ‘He’s not my Father,” Marinette chastises, looking at the surrounding crowd like they were three year olds, “and, ‘I already have a Papa’,”

“But you were adopted,” Someone calls out, making Marion reel back and Marinette flinch. Ok. things that are not ok for strangers to talk about; that.

“First of all, it’s creepy that you know that,” Marion snaps, “Second it’s rude to bring that up to a stranger, if at all, and third that doesn't mean that of all people Bruce Wayne is our Father,”

“You heard it here first folks,” A reporter to the side announces, “Confirmation of the Wayne twins,”

“How was that confirmation! Did our english tutor skew us over!?” Marion yells, spinning to Marinette.

“Mari, let’s just go,” Marinette tries to pull him away only to be blocked by multiple reporters all talking-yelling over each other to ask invasive questions.

They were used to reporters as Ladybug and Chat Noir even MDC and MCD, but no one knew anything personal about them. Well mostly. This was not the same. They had apparently done their research as they were shouting out specific questions about their lives. Someone mentioned Chloe asking if the Wayne's were friends with the Mayor of Paris. Marion doubts that, the Wayne's charity work did not line up with the Mayor’s self-serving nature.

They try to ignore any more questions and side step the crowd, slowly making their way to the bus. To their horror the bus pulls away as they reach the curb. Watching the rear window Lila’s smug face is smirking back at their stupor. Neither even have enough sense to reach for their phones before a motorbike pulls up in front of them. The reporters scramble to get out of the way, or get run over.

“Saw the news, thought you could use some rescuing,” Jason pulls off his helmet gesturing to the bike, and the twins hop on, the press snapping pictures like crazy, “Where to?”

“Aquarium, the bus left without us,” Marinette answers, holding onto Marion as they speed away.

Marion can hear Jason mutter unsavoury curses under his breath about the class, and can’t help but agree. They see the bus and Jason speeds up, riding alongside it. No one looks over until Jason practically punches the side. The loud clang making even Marion jump. When their classmates look out to see the twins waving. Marion watches as Kagami starts yelling and the bus signals to pull over. Jason slows down to trail behind the bus as it does. The second the doors open their friends rush out, as the twins get off the bike.

“I’m so sorry,” Adrien frets, “We tried to hold them off,”

“Little miss liar decided that it would be a waste of time waiting for you,” Chloe scoffs, Marion bats her hands away trying to tame his hair himself.

“She convinced everyone you could get your own ride,” Kagami looks like she was planning to throw Lila into traffic.

“We sorta did,” Marion laughs, turning to Jason, “Thanks for that,”

“No problem, didn’t want Bruce picking you up, he’d probably drive you straight to the nearest adoption agency,” Jason pulls his helmet back on, mounting his bike, “Have fun,”

“Thank you,” Marinette calls, and they both wave goodbye.

“Marinette, Marion, please get on the bus we are already very late,” Madam Bustier reprimands, looking out the bus door.

They shuffle back onto the bus, the entire class, minus Max, looking annoyed, if not angry. They bus starts up again, tempting Marion to just walk. Instead he holds onto the bar, Marinette next to him, letting the others take back their seats. The one next to Adrien noticeably empty.

“Was that really necessary?” Alya speaks first, passive aggressive, leaning into the aggressive.

“Well, the bus left, so yeah?” Marion asks, He would be confused why they were angry when they should be upset. But he knew exactly what happened; Lila.

“Only because you stopped to chat with the reporters,” Rose says not unkindly, she has a reassuring look as if there was no ill intentions. There probably wasn't, from her, the rest of the class was hit or miss, mostly hit.

“We weren't trying-”

“It was quite inconsiderate,” Lila cuts Marinette off, “I get hounded by reporters day in, day out but I always do my best to make sure they never come near or disrupt the class,”

Marion could almost snort at that, Lila giving herself away without even knowing it. No reporter would stop trying to corner her if anything she says were really true. Lila bats her eyelashes and gets agreements from the class, Which as per usual spurs her on.

“I mean it’s one thing to spread that awful lie , but to actually call the press to sabotage our trip?” Lila fakes a sniffle at the end. Marion can’t help but suspect she had more to do with this morning than he realised.

“We didn’t do anything, and we certainly didn’t call them,” Marinette says defensively, calmly but visibly restraining her anger. And it Marinette was angry Marion was livid.

“Right and every time your with the Waynes there just happen to be cameras around?" Sabrina sneers, arms crossed Marion glowers down at her. He holds his hand out to Kagami who stands to argue, she sits down begrudgingly.

"Not to mention you've never even mentioned the Waynes before, while Lila has known them for years," Nathaniel mutters, not meeting Marion's gaze as it snaps to him.

"If you want to say something just say it," Marion addresses the whole class, opening the flood gates.

“You’re just looking for attention!” Kim stands up, slamming his hands onto the seat in front of him, startling Mylene.

“Attention?!” Marion rears back, he can feel the anger radiating from his friends behind him.

“Yeah! your jealous of Lila knowing the Waynes so your trying to ruin the trip for her!" Kim points at Marion, although he suspected he meant both of them.

"We know your just trying to distract everyone from the charity she set up in Gotham, so she doesn't get any recognition!" Mylene accuses, genuine rage and hurt behind it.

"The Mayor of Gotham even cancelled the celebration for Lila because you two are causing so much trouble," Rose cries, voice quivering.

"She was going to invite the whole class! Even you two!" Sabrina spits, yeah right.

"You're filling the news up with Tabloid lies!" Alya joins, yelling over Madame Bustiers meek protests.

“What the?!" Marion re orientates himself from the barrage, "Those are all lies! how can you not see that?"

“Don’t start this again, I thought you were over the whole liar thing?" Alya half demands, half mutters.

“We’d be ‘over it’ is she stopped lying!" Marion's eyes follow where his finger points, smug grin churning his stomach uneasily.

“Thats rich coming from you," Kim scoffs, bitter tone so unlike his usual default rage or cheer.

“ What,"  Marion turns to him, but only gets a glare back.

“You two are always lying to get out of class and school events," Ivan answers for him. Well that was true but they couldn’t admit it.

“Thats not-

“Save it we know you can’t stand to be around us," Juleka cuts off Marinette, her sour tone practically screaming compared to her normal volume. Also true but probably for different reasons then they think.

“If you spread this whole rumour as a way to get out of the trip, fine, do that, but don’t keep disrupting out trip for your five minutes of fame," Alix startles Marion by cutting in. She usually didn't speak to anyone anymore, let alone Lila.

“Five minutes of fame?- spread the rumour? Do you honestly think we wanted this?” Marinette doesn't expect an answer.

“Yes,” It came from Alya, cold and bitter. With one look at Marinette he could tell exactly what his sister was remembering.

Alya has pretty much migrated to Lila after plans being cancelled with Marinette one to many times. After which marintte tried to organise another plan but Alya told her in the nicest way possible(Still pretty crushing) that she would perfer to hang out wwiht lie la and that she and Mari had drifted apart. Mari does point out that this isn’t fair but Alya says she deserves better than a secondary plan, Mari points out that Alya had done that plenty of times. Alya agrees, apologies and lists it as another reason they should renounce their friendship. The rest of the class:

Marinette bounces up to her best friend. She finally had a weekend off, so concerts, no urgent commissions and her manager promised to keep it that way. The only thing that could interrupt this weekend was Hawkmoth himself. Marion even offered to take her earrings.

"Hey Alya are you free-"

"No," It's a single word, but spoken with such resentment and conviction it couldn't be missed,

"I didn’t-" Marinette's face scrunches, was dark Cupid on a rampage again?

"No Marinette I’m done, done with making plans, getting excited only to be cancelled or stood up, I’m done,” The aspiring reporter sounds so strangely defeated, completely unlike herself.

“Alya I’m so sorry about last week-” Marinette apologises again, gut twisting at the though she hurt her best friend this badly.

“It’s not just last week, its the one before and the one before that and every other week, I’m sick of it!” Alya spits, meeting Marinette's eyes for the first time, seeing nothing but rage and hurt.

“Alya I'm really sorry, I’ve had a lot going on and-” Marinette frets, gesturing wildly.

“I know Marinette, you’ve been busy in the bakery and with your designs and every other excuse you've given me, I deserve better,”

“Of course you do Alya, I promise I-”

“No, Marinette its fine,” Alya sounds tired, stepping away from Marinette's outstretched hand, “We’ve been drifting apart for a long time now and I’m tired of acting like nothings changed, I can’t keep putting more effort into this friendship, more time than you, I have friends who are actually there for me, like Lila,”

At that Marinette saw red. Of course it was Lila who put her up to this, whispering in her ear, turning Alya against Marinette.

“That’s not fair! Your not even giving me a chance!” Marinette snaps, her jaw tenses as Alya glares.

“I’ve given you plenty of chances,” Alya glowers.

“Why is this the first I’m hearing of it,” Marinette crosses her arms.

“I shouldn’t have to threaten to end our friendship for you to show up!” Alya shouts, taking a step forward as Marinette stumbles back.

"What did Lila say?!" There was no way Alya would say this, would do this, they were meant to stick together through thick and thin, "Is she making you do this?!"

"So help me- yes Lila talked to me!" Alya throws her hands up, "But not because she's out to get you, like your so convinced, but because she's a good friend who cares when I come crying over getting stood up by you!"

“You’ve cancelled on me plenty of times!” Marinette defends, she had her blog and Marinette was always understanding.

“I know and I’m sorry,” Alya takes a deep breath, “I don’t think either of us are being fair to each other, it’s better to just renounce our friendship before it all comes crashing down,”

“Alya please," Marinette begs, reaching out, tears pricking her eyes.

“I’m sorry Marinette but this is the right decision for me,” Alya walks away, not looking back at the tears streaming down her former friends face, “and I hope in time you’ll realise it was the right thing for you too,”

Marion remembers that day so well. Marinette coming home crying, the Akuma. Bunnix jumping into their room followed by the adult version of them, with miraculous holders he didn’t recognise. They battle with an akumatized Ladybug was tough, even with the extra help. The Akuma was cleansed and the rest of Paris had their memories wiped, leaving Marion the only one in their time who remembers. He never brought it up to Marinette and he never will.

“Well your wrong, we worked hard to get this trip and why would we want to ruin it?" Marion answers, Marinette remaining silent.

“Please we all know you stole Lila’s work," Sabrina rolls her eyes, Marion catches Chloe scowling at her.

“Wh-what!” Marinette splutters, Marion tries to keep his mouth shut.

“I’m sorry, I accidentally let slip that I wrote up the essay to get us this trip,” Lila bats her eyes, curling in on herself as if they're going to attack her for it. Marion just might.

“You don’t have to apologise for anything Lila," Alya places a comforting hand on her shoulder, "They stole the essay you worked so hard, one that you managed to write even when setting up a charity!"

“I wasn't doing to impress everyone, I just wanted everyone to get to go on this amazing trip, so when you two said you weren’t going to make a submission because it was so much work, I just had to, but at least you sent it in, I couldn't do that since I’m not class president,

“Maybe she should be," Marion doesn't care who muttered it, it doesn't matter.

“That's it,” The entire class freezes, at his tone or expression, doesn't matter, they don't matter, “Marinette worked hard day and night trying to get that submitted on time, she had to research and find all the information and evidence to what this class has done because none of you would talk to her and give all the details, you refused to help out in even the most minuscule ways, No not even! you all actively made it harder!”

“Thats not-

“Enough!” Marion hones in on Lila who falls quite for once, “You lie and scheme and take credit for whats not yours, you treat the class like a bunch of mindless sheep and you know what? I’m starting to see why,”

“Marion,” Madame Bustier reprimands, finally being heard in the following silence “That is quite enough thats no example for your friends-”

“They aren’t my friends,” Marion sends a cold look over the bus, “None of them are,”

The class goes silent. Marion wouldn’t be surprised if that came as a shock to most of them. Despite them not ever talking or spending time together. It was true that the only person who had truly cut them out was Alya, probably because Marinette kept trying even after they had long since stopped with their class. Mostly he was sure they were shocked that he was the one breaking it off, not even giving them a say. They didn’t deserve one. Not that they weren't going to try.

“Fine then! I don’t want anything to do with you anyway!”

“Yeah! You act like a complete jerk then have the gall to say that?”

“We haven't been friends for a long time anyway!”

“You’re nothing but mean to Lila and think we want to be friends?!”

“Don't go forgetting you said that when your all alone!"

He sits down and resolutely stares out the window. More insults are hurled out, Marion paying no mind to the source. Madame Busiter tries to reprimand him for saying 'such hurtful things;. Lila is sobbing and everyone is offering her pointless comfort. Marion doesn't listen but is vaguely aware of Kagami and Chloe arguing with the teacher. He lets the hushed whispers fall behind him. He feels a push against his thigh where his bag rests, knowing it’s Plagg. The small comfort doing nothing.

He notices the bus is driving faster than strictly allowed. He looks over to the bus driver and feels bad for the clearly uncomfortable man stuck right in the middle of their teenage angst.

They arrive at the aquarium. Marion doesn't even try to hide his anger. Let Lila revel in his reaction. His friends try to calm him down, or rather Adrien does, Chloe and Kagami are still glaring daggers. Luckily Marinette convinces Adrien to stop before Marion snaps at him.

He catches a group near them whispering and pointing with their phones held up. Marion sends his deadliest glare and they immediately back off, scuttling off to some other area of the aquarium.

He is left alone after that. Adrien has redirected his attention to cheering Marinette up, the two pointing out fish. Seeing them smiling together Marion feels some anger slip through his grasp. Only to be promptly returned when he accidentally looks over at Lila’s gaggle, whispering and glaring. Marion glares right back making a few of them flinch. He turns and storms off to another part of the aquarium, away from the rest of the class.

“Hey kid you alright?” A fair distance away Plagg whispers from his bag.

“No! Obviously not!” Marion whisper-shouts, not looking down.

“Want to get out of here?” Now Marion does look down at Plagg grinning.

Klakki is off to the one side of the bag, looking up but not interrupting. He and the Kwami are close but they all knew he and Plagg were two halves of a whole. So the other Kwami let him handle it.

“Can’t exactly go running around Gotham right now,” Marion comes to stand in the typical tunnel that you see in aquariums, surrounded on both sides by colourful fish and a few larger creatures like stingrays and sharks.

“We can go back to Paris,” Plagg offers, he glances down at the bag to see Klakki nod.

The Kwami usually didn’t like their miraculous being used for anything but heroics. Still he got a sure nod from Klakki. Marion takes a deep breath, looking out to the fish swimming around the tank, darting in and out of coral. He forced down his anger in the same way he would in Paris. He usually didn’t let himself stay angry that long, or Marinette would help him calm down sooner.

“It’s fine,” Marion sighs, pushing the anger, or rather, his class out of mind, “I’m fine,”

Plagg doesn't comment on his obvious lie, all too used to it. He sees Plagg dart into his pocket out the corner of his eye. Marion smiles, zipping his bag back up with a smile at Klakki who gives a curt nod. He stuff his hands into his hoodie’s pocket and feels the small Kwami inside. Marion lets a small smile settle on his face. Looking out at the fish as he is pulled along by the conveyor belt as he pets Plagg purring from his pocket.

His smile only fades when he notices the rest of the class enter the tunnel, looking from the other side of the glass. He makes no move to join them, even when his friends do a minute later. He turns to look at the other side of the tunnel, doing his best to avoid them.

This becomes the least of his problems when gunshots ring. He ducks down on the non moving part of the sidewalk. Screams can be heard  and he looks up through the tank where the class is still in view. Marinette is looking around for him and he curses himself, not being able to change into costume without her. Voices get closer and Marinette starts herding the class further down the tunnel, Marion losing sight of them behind coral. He moves to meet to her when two men each in a gas mask and carrying guns enter the tunnel.

“Where are the Wayne twins!” One yells, another shot making those near scream.

“You know, I’m starting to think Aunt Selina doesn't have this handled,” Marion mutters to Plagg, staying where he is to keep the thugs in sight.

“Forget about that, this won’t end well,” Klakki scolds, Marion watches as the thugs start walking in opposite directions.

“Tell me about, Lila’s going to have a field day,” Marion pulls his hood up, losing sight of the goon going towards the class, focusing now on the one heading his way.

“Not the point,” Klakki sighs, Marion zips up the bag realising he also has the Miracle box.

He throws the satchel on his back tightening the strap across his chest. Plagg was complaining, but Marion only ignores him watching the oncoming goon. He was pointing his gun at some people but wasn’t looking at their faces. Probably clothes then, there were probably plenty of pictures of what they were wearing today. Perfect.

Marion takes off his Jacket followed by his hoodie. He debates keeping his staff for a split second but quickly stuffs it in his satchel followed by his gloves. Turing both his hoodie and Jacket inside out to matching black, he ties the hoodie around his waist and shrugs on the jacket.

He lies down on the moving sidewalk slowly moving him towards the thug. Marion hugs his bag and covers his face. He tenses at the heavy footsteps going by as he slowly moves past. The goon doesn't even stop and he makes a mental note to thank Marinette. He feels the turn of a corner and rolls up onto the unmoving part to the side. Keeping his head below the glass, he crouches down running as fast as he can while refastening his satchel around his chest.

“Found one!” Marion hears a yell just as he reaches the entrance.

He ducks to the side just as all eyes in the room snap to where he was. Marion shrinks into the shadow of a fish tank just outside the entrance, ducking down and covering his head. If anyone actually saw him in his now all black outfit they could easily shrug it off as just missing him the first time.

Marion doesn't look up as people go past, no one noticing him in the shadows. He waits for a few cautious seconds for any more footsteps to go by before scanning the room. There's many civilians huddled around, the nearest security exit being covered by another thug in a gas mask, a trend it seems.

Alright plan time, Marinette can handle herself for a few minutes. Presumably these guys are working for Scarecrow if the gas masks are any indication. Scarecrow was probably with Marinette in the tunnel. If he clears an exit quietly here then he can get the civilians closest to the fight out of danger. It could also provide an entrance to whoever comes to save them.

There's no other thugs in the room so he moves silently, sticking to the shadows to get close to the emergency exit. Luckily the goon is distracted by an octopus in a nearby tank so Marion stays out of his line of sight. He gets up behind the goon, not breathing, and pounces. One hand unlatches the gas mask and covers his mouth and the other grabbing the hand holding the gun. He digs his fingers hard enough into his hand to make the wrist bleed and the gun is dropped. Marion catches it with one foot, balancing as much as possible with the man thrashing in his grip. He gently lowers the gun to the ground so it doesn't clatter. Letting go of his wrist, nails bloody Marion brings his arm around his neck. Squeezing for a minute until the goon passed out. Marion gently lowers him to the ground.

“Quietly,” He hisses to the room.

They do get up quietly. Parents with children covering their mouths as they exit. Marion makes sure they're all a good ways down the hall before tracking back to the tunnel. He can see them through the glass and as he predicted there was Scarecrow, in a very familiar monologue stance. A glimpse at Marinette's expression was all the confirmation he needed. He heads in the same direction as the moving walkway, knowing he’ll be in a blind spot.

“Still not answering,” Marion catches Scarecrow say, stopping as soon as he can hear them, “I think it’s time you screamed so he knows this is serious,”

“Going to show me the rest of your wardrobe?”

Marion's smirk quickly fades with the tell tale snap of a bone breaking. He sprints down the tunnel. Marinette groans. Marion rounds the corner. His sister holding her arm, bending at an unnatural angle. The rest of the class are huddled to the sides with various degrees of horror.

Marion doesn't give Scarecrow enough time to consider trying anything else before he attacks the nearest goon. They shout out and Marion blindly throws quick punches at whoever gets to close. The belt is moving along, Marion now being surrounded by his classmates. Kim cheers as he sends a particularly brutal punch into one guy's face. Marion hears the hiss of a guns release, looking up to see Scarecrow pointing a gun at the now very quiet Kim. Marion anticipates the shot, diving in the bullets path before it can reach its target.

There's a gasp from somewhere, someone. He feels a burst not of pain, but fear. It’s something he's used to Akuma doing, dragging up all his anxieties from the recesses of his mind. Marion shuts his eyes tight, visions dancing across the darkness. He takes a practiced slow breath. He had learnt long ago that letting fear take hold in battle would only lead to fantasy becoming reality.

Marion cracks open his eyes, focusing on where he was. They were still on the belt moving slowly. Everything around him was warped from a few seconds ago but he was still standing in the narrow-too narrow tunnel.

Alright then what is reality. Giant sharks jumping out at him? No, there’s glass. Swarm of purple butterflies? No this is Gotham they probably don’t have flowers. The past Akuma? Just regular people. Marinette covered in blood? She only broke her arm. His parents dead on the floor? They are in Paris. Lila with devil horns cackling? Probably reality.

He takes another calming breath, nothing but the images of Akuma mattered here. But there were dozens more than there had been people a minute ago so some were fake. He could still work with this. Marion takes a deep breath straightening up. The Hawkmoth in front of him looks surprised, he had to guess that was his stand in for Scarecrow right now.

He stumbles a step forward. The akumatized versions of his classmates jeer, most yelling things he had heard that day. The first Akuma leaps out at him, Marion decks him, the weight under his fist feels real and the Akuma goes right down. Focusing his fear on the fight part of fight of flight, he goes to punch the second Akuma with as much force. The blow goes right through the image and Marion stumbles forward. Alright so there were definitely fakes. Marion tousles with any Akuma that comes after him, sometimes landing hits on empty air. It’s typically the more difficult Akuma that are real, so Marion almost scoffs when Mr Pigeon comes at him. He doesn't even block the blow to his ribs. Big mistake, he is kicked back with a burst of pain and a sickening crack.

‘Alright so that was real’ Marion thinks to himself, back connecting with the glass behind him. He falls forward, right on his chest. Marion groans into the metal below, losing focus, letting images of Akumas flying into his ring play on loop. Marion can feel pressure at his back but is far too focused on trying to heave air back into his lungs to care. The weight lifts and Marion watches Marinette's akumatized form crash in front of him, punching what looks like Viperion. Not sure if it's a memory or not he shudders a breath as she knocks out Viperion and leans over Marion.

“Good job C, I’ve got it from here,” Marinette words come out sickeningly sinister, blood running out her eyes and mouth. A great contrast to how she gently pushes him onto his side, making it somewhat easier to breathe.

Marion watches as the twisted version of his sister attacks what looks like civilians. Part of him itches to get up to stop her. Marinette's arm hangs limply at her side. He focuses on that. an Akuma's arm wouldn’t be broken. Civilians wouldn’t have guns. Marinette dodges the bullets instead of deflecting them. Bullets wouldn’t just go through sharks with more rows of teeth than possible. Water doesn't look like blood.

Marion takes a deep breath, his chest burst with pain. It’s fine he can handle that. And with that Marion notices his body bending at an odd angle. He looks down ignoring the corpses of his family laying around him. His legs are still propped up on the unmoving part of the sidewalk. With a grunt Marion pulls them onto the moving part, still not comfortable on top of the shifting plates.

Marion hears screaming, more grounded than the shrieks that have been playing in his head so far. Looking back to Marinette she looked like herself again, yay. But now Hawkmoth was pointing a gun at their friends, oh no. Why would Hawk Moth have a gun? Oh right, fear toxin. Marinette surrenders, letting Mayura come up behind and hold her.

“You have been a pain,” Hawkmoth drawls, Marion hisses, drawing his attention, “Well, it’s not like we need both of you alive,”

The gun points at him, Marinette is shouting but it sounds under water. Marion's visions clear slightly, focusing in on the slow press of the trigger. At the last second the gun jerks to the side, the sound of glass breaking followed by a stream of water landing on Marion. He looks up to see Chloe has tackled Hawkmoth and Kagami is after Mayura.

Fighting breaks out again, he tries to refocus. He closes his eyes, he can hear the same echoing shrieks and cries for help, accusations and insults.  Cold water beats down on his side and slowly moves down his leg. He tries to take a deep breath, only to inhale water. Marion's eyes snap open to what looks like a pool of blood as he is cast into a coughing fit, his chest screaming in protest.

“Are you ok!” Kagami yells, Marion looks up to where they were only for the space to be empty. He looks back down the tunnel where they are now fighting, streams of water jetting out from the walls in all directions.

Marion keeps coughing, trolling onto his back to get away from the water. When he's done he takes short shallow breaths, chest still throbbing with pain. He looks back up and is now a fair way from the fight, about to go around the corner.

“Don’t worry I’ll be back in five minutes!” he shouts, hair dripping water in his eyes. That doesn't stop him from seeing Marinette's clearly deadpan face, that cant even be hidden by all the blood.

He lies back, looking up at the ceiling. Or rather Jaws' source of envy grinning down at him. Well at least that's better- oh nope that's his family floating dead in the water. He just sighs ignoring his chest protest, staring right back into the sharks beady black eyes. He remember the good old days where he would tease Marinette over her demented nightmare version of Adrien, who now that he though of also appeared in the water, banging on the glass shouting for help. Marion sticks his tongue out at him.

The minutes drag on Marion trying to be more fascinated than terrified with whatever his mind conjured. It was easier to calm down when the scene wasn't changing every ten seconds.

“Are you ok?” Batman is looming over him, Marion stares unimpressed at the blood dripping from his sharp teeth. A vampire? Really? His nightmares could be so uncreative.

“I’m fine,” Marion keeps his face straight at the nightmare before him, “Go ahead I’ll catch up,”

“You should stay here,” Batman reprimands, voice sounding like a growled threat, probably was.

“Don’t really have much choice,” Marion dismisses, trying not to cringe at the ‘blood’ dripping onto his face.

Marion leans back slightly to watch Batman join Robin running down the tunnel. Marion hears more gunshots seconds later. He hums to himself stubbornly ignoring his chest.

“Dude are you ok?” Nino is now leaning over him, hollowed out eyes and shadows behind him shouting about Marion's insecurities.

“Leave me demon,” Marion watches him reel back, he would probably look confused if Marion could actually read his face.

“We need to move you-”

“Do not,” Marion cuts him off, glaring down at Kim or at least a demon that looked like him trying to pick him up, “My ribs are very much broken and moving would hurt very much right now, thank you,”

“But you’re heading right for the villain!” Mylene shouts, voice sounding hollow, drowned out by echoing screams.

“Then I hope they don’t step on me, good day,” Marion focuses back on the shark which is somehow easier to deal with than his class.

“Everyone we need to go,” Lila's voice sounds normal, and that's probably the worst thing he's heard today, “Batman said-”

“We’re not just going to leave him here!” Kim shouts. Actually shouts. At Lila. Marion can’t keep the smile off his face.

“Kim, just go get an ambulance or something, right now you’re all freaking me out,” Marion says honestly, tired of sugar coating his words. Lila gives them enough sugar to get diabetes as is.

“A-are you sure?” Max asks, or a strange mix between him and Markov.

“Yes floating head I’m sure, now go,”

“... stay safe,” Nino hesitantly stands.

“Don’t really have a choice in the matter,” Marion doesn't bother watching them go.

He hears the last of their footsteps retreat and glances up at the shark. A petty part of him categories that as the second time they’ve left him today. Then again he was staring up at his personal hell so his thought process wasn’t exactly un hindered.

Marion keeps humming, noticing a knocked out thug to his side, followed by another.

“Why did you come back?” Robin snarls from above him, horns sprouting from his head.

“I didn’t by choice,” Marion says calmly as Robin throws a knife he doesn't care to keep track of, “Moving sidewalk brought me,”

“Why didn’t you get off?” Robin talks down to him like an idiot child, punching an approaching goon.

“Oh yeah, my ribs are broken,” Marion tries to shrug, lying on his back it’s hard.

“What!?” Robin thunders, the sound sending warning flares off in his paranoid state.

“Oh look at that,” Marion says, idly watching a man come up behind Robin, who apparently isn't an apparition because Robin attacks him, “Well, see ya,”

Marion is carried away, leaving the two behind.

He flinches back when Batman steps over him, attacking Scarecrow on his other side.

“What are you doing?” He growls, Marion can’t be sure if that's the fear toxin or how he usually speaks.

“Thought you could use the moral support,” Marion gives a lazy cheer as Batman punches Scarecrow. Getting a glare from Batman he had become quite accustomed to the night before. This Batman looked demented but there was the same lingering satisfaction of annoying him.

“Hey Mari,” Marinette crouches down next to him, covered in blood he can’t be sure isn’t real, but at least she's not dead in a fish tank, “How’re you holding up,”

“You’re covered in blood,” Marion blurts as she starts bleeding more.

“No I’m not, don’t worry I’m fine, just wait a second,” Marion runs over to Batman, distracting him from stopping Scarecrow from standing. Batman looks over at him before handing Marinette a needle.

“Oh sure use needles, one of the most common fears, to fix fear, what a grand idea,” Marion mutters, glaring back at Batman as Scarecrow attacks with a knife.

“Ah ha, stop complaining,” Marinette sticks the needle right in his arm without warning, Marion gasps visions fading into darkness.

“That…. was rude,” He weakly curses, feeling his conscious fade.

“You’ll forgive me,” Marinette promises sitting by his side as his eyes droop, “Get some rest, I’ll watch out for you,”

“Always do, Bug,” Marion slurs, Marinette's bright smile contrasts the darkness that follows.

[maribatshipper]

Miraculous Jiminette: String

Liam sighs as he watches everyone with his amber coloured eyes. Everyone says that you have soulmates, & there is a string on your finger connecting you to your soulmate. He didn't believe it until he turned twelve & started seeing strings on everyone's hands. No one else seemed to see them, even when he asked, everyone looked at him like he was nuts. He looks at his own naked fingers. He could see everyone's strings except his own. He's seen people with platonic soulmates, romantic soulmates, & any other soulmates there are. The romantic soulmates were attached by the ring-finger & any others were every other finger.

"& I swear we're soulmates."

Liam groans as his Italian cousin drones on about some famous celebrities. He's seen her fingers. Her soulmate is as fake as she is. What she does have that's real is a soul enemy.

"Lila, shut up! I've had enough! You are not soulmates with you may think, but there is one person in here attached one of your fingers, & it isn't a good one!" Liam glares at his cousin.

Lila goes to sob when Liam says, "You have a soul enemy. In fact, you have quite a few soul enemies. One of them is in this room."

Everyone stares at shock at Liam. He's usually a quiet guy, almost never talking to anyone, & now he's just confused everyone in the room. He holds back from grabbing at his own brown hair. Lila starts crying.

She sniffs, "Why would you say that to me, Liam? I was just trying to-"

Liam interrupts, "Get attention, again! I'm sick of it! I'm out of here!"

He storms out of the room, feeling a tug on his pointer-finger. One of his Platonics must have been in that room. Marinette follows him out.

"What was that about, Liam?" She asks.

Liam sighs & sits down on a bench. He trusts Marinette more than anyone in that room. Maybe she’ll understand... Here goes nothing.

"I can see people's strings."

Marinette's eyes widen in shock.

"Soulmate strings?" She asks.

Liam nods, "Everyone's except my own & the Miraculous heroes."

Marinette sighs, "That must be painful."

"I guess. It's painful to see people fall in love with people that are not their soulmates, & I can't tell them without feeling guilty."

Marinette asks, "Why did you yell at Lila, though?"

“Because she’s a liar.” Liam frowns.

Marinette nods, “Can’t argue with that.”

Liam sighs, "The strings are different colours, based on personality or an important trait of the soulmate. Her romantic soulmate string is dull and clear, which usually means they are either dead, or a fake, like her."

Marinette sits next to him & asks, "What about Soul enemies? What's that?"

Liam points at his middle finger, "Right here is a string attached to people who are made to be enemies. Hers is connected to you. It glows a blinding red when you are close to your most hated enemy. Yours is Lila, my cousin, & one is, oddly enough, Gabriel Agreste. Then there are dull but not dull enough strings. Those are for the people that could possibly be a kind of soulmate. Chloe's string attached to you moved from your middle to your pointer. It's dull, but there."

Marinette frowns, "What about everyone in class?"

"Alya was supposed to be Soulmates with Nino, because their strings are attached to the ring, but if something gets in the way, the bond weakens until it just snaps. Especially if one in the relationship turns abusive and toxic. Adrien's attached to Nino's, yours, & Chloe's pointer, Rose & Juleka I never get a clear look, Mylene & Ivan seem good, but I can't tell if someone's a true romantic soulmate until they become adults except some people." Liam explains.

Marinette's face becomes downcast, "So... Adrien isn't my soulmate?"

Liam shakes his head, "Only a platonic. You need to remove all those pictures in your room of him. It'll only hurt more. But... I can do something for you."

Marinette raises her eyebrow, confused.

"I can tell you what your possible soulmate will look like, & where he lives, if you'll let me. I just need to hold your string." Liam offers.

Marinette asks, "You'd do that?"

Liam nods. Marinette holds out her hand to him, giving him permission. He grabs a hold of the blue/silver string attached to her ring finger & closes his eyes. A slim young man appears in his vision, with blue eyes, dark hair, a few scars, & fair skin. One thing that seems to recur is a suit of armour, shocking Liam. The kid in Liam's vision is seen fighting strange creatures in a place in America called Arcadia. The boy then becomes a strange being of stone, then a bigger one, then a human again. Liam opens his eyes, flabbergasted.

"You have a knight in shining armour for a soulmate." He breathes.

Marinette giggles, "Yeah, right. Tell me what you really saw."

Liam locks eyes with Marinette & tells her, "Your soulmate looks like a knight. He's blue-eyed, black hair, very slim, & is in America. A town called Arcadia. I think I saw someone call him Jim."

***

Jim Lake Jr looks at his phone. Toby had died just last week during a fight with a Troll. He was mourning his best friends' death when he had passed out on his bed.

In his dreams, he's wearing the Trollhunter armour he lost after he turned back into a human. He saw Toby almost die again, only for a girl wearing ladybug themed spandex to jump in front & protect him with a yoyo. The girl wraps the yoyo around the troll & pulls tight, cutting the troll apart.

"Leave them alone!" She yells at the troll remains.

Jim asks, "Who are you?"

The bluenette smiles, "I'm Ladybug. Hero of Paris, but you'll end up knowing me as-"

Suddenly, a man in a strange butterfly costume & a woman in a peacock costume appear & attack the Ladybug girl.

"Give me your Miraculous, Ladybug!" the Butterfly man orders.

Ladybug yells, "Never, Hawk Moth! Cat Noir, Ryuko!"

Two other animal-themed people appear behind Jim.

"Coming, M'lady! Watch out for Mayura." The cat boy yells as he extends his Baton & uses it like a sword.

The other one seems to be dressed up as a dragon & attacks with an actual sword. Jim stares in shock as the three heroes help each other with attackers. Ladybug gets knocked down by Mayura, & the other two are being distracted by Hawk Moth. Mayura's about to bring her dangerous fan down onto Ladybug. Jim's eyes widen in panic as he lunges in front of Mayura & holds his sword Daylight in a defensive position against the deadly fan.

"That's enough." A new voice announces.

Suddenly, everyone except Jim disappears.

"Toby!" Jim exclaims.

A boy places his hand on Jim's shoulder to comfort him.

"I'm sorry for your loss. I'm Liam. I need to tell you something, Jim." the boy explains.

Jim asks, "What could you possibly need to tell me?"

Liam answers, "A, this is a dream. When I hold someone's soulmate string, I can contact their soulmate via dreams. B, I can see people's soulmate strings. Apparently, those heroes are your soulmates. Platonically, of course. We are in Paris."

Jim frowns, causing Liam to hesitate.

"I do know one of your soulmates. What kind I’m not saying just yet. Her name is Marinette. When you come to Paris, try not to get upset though. I'll explain it more here."

Jim wakes up, terrified. Something about that dream just seems too real. He goes to the computer & researches Paris. What he finds shocks him.

***

Jim's sitting in a library searching about the word "Miraculous". So far, there is almost nothing, until he stumbles onto the Ladyblog on the library's computer. He calls Claire.

"Claire, we need to go to Paris."

***

Liam rolls his eyes as another akuma tries to take over Paris.

"Look out!" Someone yells.

Liam looks up to see a beam coming towards him when two people crash into him. One's a girl with a white strip in her hair & one-

"You?" Liam asks.

Jim asks, "You?"

Claire asks, "You know each other?"

Both males answer, "Long story."

Liam grabs both their hands & runs.

"Where is a bloody akuma shelter when you need it?!" Liam growls.

Claire asks, "What's going on? What's an akuma?"

Liam sighs, "Another long story."

He looks at Claire's hand, a habit with his ability. He feels his ringfinger tighten & widens his eyes. He panics when he sees Ryuko.

"Ryuko! Help!" He yells.

Ryuko jumps next to the three teens. Liam grips his ringfinger as he pushes the other two towards Ryuko.

"Take these two, please! They're tourists! I'll find a shelter!" Liam orders.

Ryuko nods & grabs the two teens and rushes away to a shelter. Liam picks up his pace as he dodges the akuma.

"Liam!" a very familiar voice exclaims.

Liam trips & crashes into the ground, getting a few bruises. He looks up & prepares himself for the inevitable when a strong pair of arms wrap around him. He opens his eyes to see Ladybug saving him. He feels his pointer-finger tug as she takes him far away. His pointer flashes, & he looks down to see Marinette's name written on it. That's new.

"Thanks, Ladybug." Liam smiles.

"Be more careful! We can't lose the only guy that can see soulmates." Ladybug frowns.

Liam suddenly looks at Ladybug in shock. He's only ever told his parents and...

"Marinette..." He whispers.

"Get somewhere safe." Ladybug orders.

***

Marinette groans, "I messed up Tikki!"

Tikki rolls her eyes, "Marinette, Liam can see Soulmate strings. You & him are Platonic soulmates. It was bound to happen. So you slipped up. He won't tell anyone. He's too nice for that."

Before Marinette can respond, a knock comes from her trapdoor. Liam comes through the trapdoor.

"I brought someone, Nette." Liam smiles.

A boy with blue eyes, black hair, a blue jumper, and a scar over his right eyebrow pokes his head through the trapdoor.

"Meet your soulmate. Enjoy." Liam smirks as he leaves the room.

A/N Okay, so I'm a big crossover shipper, in case you haven't noticed. This is the Jim Lake Jr X Marinette Dupain-Cheng ship. There aren't nearly enough fanfics for this ship. Also, I apologise for killing Toby. I was gonna go with killing Claire, but I had to get them to Paris fast SOMEHOW. Should I do a second part of this? Or are you cool on the cliffhanger?

I got told to make a sequel, it’s right here people!

Part 2

[moonlightlover21]

Ethan x Ivan fluff

Ethan p.o.v.:

“This stupid bitch!” I say when Ivan stumbles, half burned to death, through the door. Without any hesitation I grab my medical utensils and make my way downstairs. “Well, well, look at you fuckface.” With a smile plastered on my face I walk towards him. As soon as his eyes meet mine, I notice something is very wrong.  Like prey he watches me, as I walk straight up to him. Grabbing his chin, I examine his burned face. Ivan whimpers but complies without any further complains. Due to the sun still shining through the glass windows I decided it would be for the better to go upstairs. “Come on whelp! Before you burn yourself to death!” Ivan doesn’t move, doesn’t look at me and hasn’t talked at all since he came in. Annoyed I take his arm and drag him after me, he follows me silently up to my room.

I close the door behind us and begin to take a closer look at his burns. He hasn’t moved an inch from the door. “Can’t you move on your own?” Finally, he looks at me, although his movement is slow and sluggish. As his eyes wander around the room, I see confusion in them. “Where…?” he begins but I cut him off. “Oh, look who’s back from the dead. Now be quiet and sit on the bed!” His steps remind me of a deer, hesitant and unsure. Finally, he sits down, a silent groan leaving his lips. “Strip!”, he looks just as surprised as I. Ivan tries to lift his shirt, but judging from the noises he makes, let’s just say, we’d still sit here till tomorrow. “How pathetic, you can’t even take your shirt of yourself.” I roll my eyes at him and lift his shirt over his head. He struggles as I peel the fabric off his burned skin. “Hold still, goddamn it! It will hurt more if you move around!” Still Ivan whimpers and squirms, until the shirt is of. When I look at him again his eyes are full of tears and instantly, I feel bad for him. He is still so young. And foolish, but still… “This can’t keep happening Ivan, one day you will go too far and I can’t help you anymore.” He averts his gaze and nods.

I sigh, and turn around to search for a cream to put on his wounds. After finally finding the one I need, I turn back to him and start to patch him up. He flinches and hisses every so often and sometimes I have to hold him still. While I tie a bandage around his throat, where the burns are the worst, he suddenly screams, grabs my arm and pulls me against him. “Fucking hell!”, he growls “watch what the fuck you are doing, that hurt!” I wasn’t prepared for his sharp tone, I always considered him to be a fucking whimp. “Well,” I say, slapping his hand away “if you would simply sit still like I told you to, it wouldn’t hurt that much.” He still glares at me but keeps his mouth shut. Finally, after a few more incidents I was able to treat all of his wounds. “Honestly, I would have never guessed that you were the one to look after me. I always considered you to be the asshole of the family.” He admits bashfully. My eyes widen and I can feel the little blood I have in my body, shoot into my face as I turn red.

I look at him and for a few seconds I am lost in his amber eyes. Then he breaks the silence as he clears his throat. “I should probably go now. Thanks again for… taking care of me.” Before he can stand up from my bed, I push him on his back. “You should definitely stay here. I don’t want anything else to happen to you. Who knows maybe you will die on the way to your room because you thought it would be a good idea to open a curtain or something.” I try to hide my concern for him with my mocking words but the smile on his face tells me he sees right through my façade.

Still smiling Ivan scoots to the side so I can sleep next to him. I turn red again. Of course. His smile vanishes as confusion overtakes his face. “Are you alright?” the little gremlin dares to ask me “I don’t think it’s healthy for a Vampire to be that colour.” I scoff “And what, pray tell, do you know about Vampires? As someone who puts us all in danger by going out in the day and nearly dying.” Ivan flinches. Fuck that was the wrong thing to say. I sigh “Let’s just go to bed.”

For the first few minutes neither one of us dares to say a thing. It’s not hard to tell that Ivan is still awake, no sign of sleep. “You know, I wasn’t trying to be rude. I’m simply concerned for your well-being, so please be careful next time.” He shifts around, his face only a few inches away from my own. “Why are you so nice all of a sudden? Not that I’m complaining or anything, it just… it’s weird.”

“Stop spouting nonsense and go to fucking sleep!” I press his head away from mine with one finger. This is getting way to sappy for me, the sun really fucked with his head. Ivan starts pouting and looks at me like a little dog. “But I’m hungry!” I facepalm internally. Why is this always happening to me? He is still staring at me with puppy dog eyes. I sigh loudly. “Alright, but don’t think this is going to be a regular thing!” I tell him and start rolling up my sleeve. His eyes gleam like he just got new shoes for Christmas as I give him my wrist. He doesn’t waste any more time and sinks his fangs  in my hand. “Ah, hey! Be more careful you are not a new-born pup anymore, you should know how to drink without hurting your food.” He just whines, not letting up from drawing the blood out of me.

Ivan gradually slows and blissfully closes his eyes. I notice how tired he is getting, now that he is full. He starts swaying and I move us carefully, till he is laying on my chest, barely suckling now. Eventually he stops completely, going limp in my arms. Soon his even breaths lull me to sleep as well.

  Guess who’s back, back again.

[auroracalisto]

ｍａｓｔｅｒｌｉｓｔ

started: 24 june 2020 last updated: 29 october 2020 see what I will write for here want to submit a request?  do it here (:

THIS MASTERLIST WILL NOT BE UPDATED AS OF 18 NOVEMBER 2020.  FIND MY NEW MASTERLIST HERE!

☼ BIRDS OF PREY ☼

roman sionis

Roman’s Girl┆first chapter of multiple┆Roman Sionis gets what he wants. And when he sets his eyes on you, a girl ten or more years his junior, he’ll get you. Lucky for him, despite your shy and flustered nature, you want him just as much as he wants you.

married life┆short┆the two were always at it—now, the reader was in the middle of it. harley doesn’t care for roman, but she wouldn’t dare hurt you. hell, she would kidnap you—and that’s how you ended up here.

hormones and clubs┆one-shot┆the reader is pregnant and begs roman for a chance to go to his club before she goes into labor.  it doesn’t exactly go how she’d like it to go.  

☼ CRIMINAL MINDS ☼

emily prentiss

i love you┆short┆based on the quote “do you still love me?”

my everything┆requested┆by @millipop18​: Hi! I love what you write! Could I request a emily prentiss x reader where she comforts the reader who’s struggling with depression? Have a nice day, much love xxx

spencer reid

not alone, never alone┆requested┆ by @amy-de-l-abc​.  The request was quite long, but the jist of it was having a suicidal reader, but one who isn’t quite able to do anything.  She and Reid start out as friends but the ending will have them getting together.  Fluff on Reid’s part, as he comforts her when she is feeling down.  Reader also feels like she can’t depend on her therapist or her family, and unfortunately, not even a suicide hotline will help (in a very negative way, which is purely for this story’s purpose).  

empty hearts┆short┆in which the reader tries to get spencer to talk to them, but he’s just not listening. 

useless goodbye┆short┆the reader dies right in front of spencer. 

moon and back┆requested┆by @petrichor-ds.  “i loved you to the moon and back, you know.” for spencer when he’s comforting his SO who has been ~going through it~ w depression ??

jack-o’-lantern┆short┆where you carve pumpkins with spencer and he tells you how carving pumpkins became a thing.

derek morgan

something extra┆one-shot┆where you’ve been married to morgan and now you’re expecting your second child (with a little extra surprise).  the team decides to throw you a baby shower.

baby kicks┆requested┆by anon.  hiii, don’t know if ur taking requests rn. but if you are, i would love if you could do an imagine with derek morgan, where the reader is in her 7 or 8th month of pregnancy. and the team is out on the field and the baby kicks and everyone gets so excited, but especially morgan because that’s literally his baby? 

☼ GOTHAM ☼

victor zsasz

forever until the end┆first chapter of multiple┆the reader is falcone’s long lost daughter whose mother fled to washington after an argument got out of hand. she was raised in an abused home where if she even mentioned her unknown father, she would be hurt. a couple of months after turning twenty-one, she’s beaten to the point she packs her things in the middle of the night and leaves. she does everything she can to get to gotham, even going as far as stealing a car. in gotham, she, fortunately, meets her father, along with a man named victor zsasz who was given the assignment of keeping the reader safe while she gets used to the city. zsasz has never dreaded a job more, but he ends up surprising even himself when he begins to like the reader.

imagines:

you being done with victor’s shit.

☼ HAIKYUU!! ☼

sugawara koshi

grey┆one-shot┆you had always wondered why the stripe of color on your wrist was grey. moving to a new school in the miyagi prefecture, you find out exactly why.

rest of my life┆short┆what sugawara would say if you ever asked him if you could spend the rest of your life with him.

tsukishima kei

it’s you┆one-shot┆after watching Avengers: Endgame, you meet your soulmate for the first time.

ukai keishin

Unanticipated┆one-shot┆the reader is an English teacher at Karasuno, who lived in the United States for much of her life. Never did she think she would meet her soulmate; at the age of twenty-four, she had yet to find them. Yet, one day, after a day of teaching, her friend Takeda asked her if she would come to the boy’s volleyball club meeting. She did. To her surprise, she remembered how much she loved volleyball and actually found her soulmate in that very gym.

aone takanobu

jackets┆short┆where aone points out that you have something on your shirt and he gives you his jacket.  

preferences 

how you meet includes hinata, kuroo, oikawa, tsukishima, sugawara, and ukai

☼ HARRY POTTER ☼

draco malfoy

sick┆one-shot┆where draco comes to join you in the common room, coughing his head off. 

☼ HETALIA ☼

russia

birthday surprise┆one-shot┆no one seemed to like Ivan.  except for you and the children where you worked.  with his birthday going unnoticed by your coworkers, you decided to call Natalia up and make it possible for them to celebrate, only asking for friendship in return. 

2p! nyo! america

pissy proposal┆one-shot┆Emily’s worried that you’re going to leave her.  You make sure she knows that she’s the only one for you.  

2p! russia

scared┆short┆our dear reader is pregnant.  and she’s really nervous about telling viktor.

america

cute neighbor┆short┆alfred ran out in just his underwear after the fire alarm went off.  you luckily had a blanket to spare.  

☼ LUCIFER ☼

lucifer morningstar

willpower┆one-shot┆lucifer really doesn’t understand your motives.  he tries to figure it out.  platonic lucifer x reader. 

necessary goodbye┆one-shot┆where the reader loves lucifer, but he’s in love with detective decker.

necessary realization┆requested┆pt. two of necessary goodbye, where the reader is engaged and she brings lucifer her wedding invitation.  after she leaves to return to her hotel room for that weekend, he comes after her. 

imagines:

lucifer preparing to show you his true face.

marcus pierce/cain

poisoned words┆one-shot┆where the reader is in love with pierce and they go undercover together.  reader is poisoned and she goes to the hospital.  after coming back, she tries to talk to pierce about how she feels.  he shoots her down.  i promise, there is a somewhat fluffy end to this.

uncanny resemblance┆requested┆you like the lieutenant.  you cannot figure him out.  it leads to a home invasion and your uncanny resemblance to a string of victims for anything to happen between the two of you.

amenadiel

lost and found┆one-shot┆the reader’s child, leo, gets lost and goes to the police department.  amenadiel and lucifer are there and leo goes straight to amenadiel.  

ella lopez

nerd basket┆requested┆being ella’s significant other is always filled with geeky questions and gifts.  for your anniversary, she has more questions than you anticipated for your early anniversary gift.  

☼ SUPERNATURAL ☼

crowley

fading┆one-shot┆The reader doesn’t know what to do with their self after Crowley dies, right in front of them.  There’s nothing that they can do except grieve.  

sam winchester

imagines

you hate when Sam says, “All Hallow’s Eve.”

☼ THE AVENGERS ☼

steve rogers

101┆first chapter of three┆steve finally meets his soulmate at the ripe age of 101.  his soulmate is 24 and good friends with peter parker. 

tony stark

shut up, stark.┆short┆tony stark is arguably the reader’s best friend, despite the constant jokes.  he would give anything to help the reader with their constant anxiety. 

stephen strange

birthday plans┆short┆It’s Stephen’s birthday.  Tony called and said he was having a cookout.  But you need to make sure Stephen and your little girl, Rosa, are ready for the event itself.

peter parker

liability┆one-shot┆somehow, the reader is in a predicament that only Spider-man can save them from.  But just a couple seconds of Peter not paying attention literally cost them their life.  

stalker┆short┆where the reader is being followed and peter comes to the rescue.  

imagines

peter loves halloween and among us, a little too much.

natasha romanov

cute┆short┆about natasha calling you cute.

loki laufeyson

a little crush┆short┆in where loki is suuuper vulnerable.  fluffy. 

imagines

loki doesn’t like midgard holidays. 

bucky barnes

cynophobia┆short┆where you’re afraid of dogs and it takes bucky to save you from one trapped in your apartment.  

☼ THE LORD OF THE RINGS ☼

samwise gamgee

conceal, don’t feel┆short┆in which samwise doesn’t return your feelings.

☼ THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY ☼

diego hargreeves

replaceable┆one-shot┆in which diego loves lila, you love diego, and you witness the death of your best friend, elliot.  

klaus hargreeves

back to the future┆short┆in which you are in love with klaus.  he returns the feelings, but unfortunately for you, he does not want you coming to 2019 with him and his siblings.  

allison hargreeves

imagines

cuddling with allison.

☼ THE VAMPIRE DIARIES ☼

series:

for the love of you┆the reader is summoned by bonnie, on accident, to the world of the mikaelsons.  as confused as she is, she comes to realize that not only has she found her soulmate, she’s found four soulmates.  PART ONE PART TWO┆more coming soon

elijah mikaelson

The Soulmate Principle┆one-shot┆Dear Prince Elijah should have just left you alone. But with the Soulmate Principle, he just couldn’t help himself. And it just so happened to cost you your life.

hugs and kisses┆requested┆Hello! Can I request an Elijah x reader one shot; just fluff with lots of kisses and cuddles? Btw, love your blog ^^ — Anon

could you be?┆one-shot┆It’s been on Elijah’s mind for some time.  Would you feel the same way?  Would you want him for the rest of your life?  

ocean’s beauty┆one-shot┆Klaus, of course, the traveller he is, decides to take everyone along with him.  You’re a human and you’re married to Elijah.  Oh, and your ship’s hit an iceberg in the middle of the Atlantic—and it’s sinking quickly. 

kiss of life┆one-shot┆polyamorous reader in a relationship with elijah, klaus, and kol has died.  however, she comes back in a revenge plot by a witch who lost her wife due to klaus.  

injury┆short┆where you are injured and elijah takes care of you.  

glitter┆short┆based off of the song glitter, by patrick droney.  the reader is dead, but not entirely gone.  elijah doesn’t know this.

choose me┆one-shot┆elijah has been a bad boyfriend, in the sense that he’s always gone and never takes into consideration how that makes you feel.   

surprise parties┆requested┆Hii! If the bingo requests are still open can you do a one shot of elijah x reader with the birthday prompt it can be like rebekah throwing a birthday party for the reader or just like elijah fluff, up to you <33 — anon

she will be loved┆requested┆Hi! Can I please request an (platonic) Elijah x 3-4 year old fem!child oneshot where when Elijah went to Mystic Falls (when he needed Elena) and when he’s walking, he hears crying and finds her alone on the streets. I’m sure his heart would absolutely break at the sight and he would do anything he can to help calm her down. He obviously wouldn’t leave her on the streets, deciding right then and there that he wants to adopt her, so he brings her home with him. Omggg he would be such a soft (and veryyy protective) dad and all of the Mikaelsons (once they were undaggered) would love her so much 🤧  (Also Elijah would absolutely lose it if the Mystic Falls gang ever brought Y/n into any of the drama) — @kpopgirlbtssvt

a welcome arrangement┆requested┆Hi! If requests are open, could I request an Elijah x Reader where the reader is a vampire and long time friend to the Mikaelson's, and Rebekah and the others try to set her up with Elijah because they know they both like each other? I love your writing!! 💕 — anon

imagines

you adopt a child with Elijah.

klaus mikaelson 

you’re safe now┆one-shot┆the reader leaves the mystic grill with the intent of going home. instead, something distracts her and she’s attacked. her soulmate is the one who saves her life. crazily enough, it’s the same guy who she was staring at just moments earlier.

pretend boyfriend┆short┆ reader is being watched by some creepy guy at the mystic grill. she asks dear klaus to pretend to be her boyfriend.

which disney princess are you?┆short┆Klaus walks in on you taking a Which Disney Princess Are You? quiz on Buzzfeed.  Color him intrigued.  

heather┆short┆in where the reader is in love with klaus, but he loves heather.

endearment┆short┆klaus is in love with you.  but he doesn’t know if you return the feelings. 

kiss of life┆one-shot┆polyamorous reader in a relationship with klaus, elijah, and kol has died.  however, she comes back in a revenge plot by a witch who lost her wife due to klaus.  

forgotten lifetimes┆one-shot┆reader has dementia and has forgotten her children on multiple occasions.  now, she’s forgetting klaus.  

writer’s block┆short┆where the reader is suffering from writer’s block and klaus comforts the reader so they don’t get upset because of it.

silent treatment┆requested┆hi, can you please write an imagine with klaus mikaelson? his gf calls him by one of her close friend’s name (that he don’t like bc he’s possessive like that) and he gives her the silent treatment — anon

one night stands, and then some┆requested┆hi! i just wanted to say that i love your blog! i have a request, for a klaus mikaelson drabble/imagine. where the reade had a one night stand with him (instead of hayley) and now she’s pregnant. whatever else you want to do with that! thank you! ❤️  — @mikaelson-emma

a bolt from the blue┆one-shot┆the reader has recently moved from colorado and finds one of her first cases on the job to be a dead doctor, invited to a ball held by the mikaelsons.  she goes, expecting to find the killer, but instead, she finds that two of the mikaelsons have fallen for her—klaus and rebekah.  

kol mikaelson

take a hint┆requested┆can you do a kol mikaelson one where Caroline is distracting Klaus and she brought the reader with her so she could distract kol? maybe it can be based on the song take a hint from victorious? i’ve listened to it and thought it would be funny and cute! thank you! — @mikaelson-emma

family game night┆one-shot┆where you play Monopoly with the Mikaelson’s and the youngest finds out he’s developed a little crush.

kiss of life┆one-shot┆polyamorous reader in a relationship with kol, klaus, and elijah has died.  however, she comes back in a revenge plot by a witch who lost her wife due to klaus.  

tell me a lie┆short┆loosely based off the quote, “my favorite lie was, ‘i love you.’”  definitely not happy.  reader was cheated on. 

forsaken hearts┆short┆kol doesn’t love you.  what’s his reason?

talks of mortality┆one-shot┆about you trying to talk kol into taking the cure, but he doesn’t want to listen to what you have to say.  

truth or dare┆one-shot┆after a game of truth or dare, you reveal to your friends and siblings that you’re dating kol mikaelson.  

times of change┆short┆an argument between kol and the reader.

imagines

kol pisses you off

rebekah mikaelson

pesky┆short┆using the sentence prompt, “can someone kill him again?”

a bolt from the blue┆one-shot┆the reader has recently moved from colorado and finds one of her first cases on the job to be a dead doctor, invited to a ball held by the mikaelsons.  she goes, expecting to find the killer, but instead, she finds that two of the mikaelsons have fallen for her—rebekah and klaus.  

imagines

rebekah reveals how she truly feels.

damon salvatore

Closure┆one-shot┆a year has passed since Damon and the reader broke up. Damon was with Angie, the reader was a depressed shell of herself. A drunken three AM phone call is exactly what it takes for the reader to get some closure.

by your side┆requested┆Can I get a fluff fic of either Elijah Mikaelson or Damon Salvatore where the reader is going through a rough time (depressive episode) and they comfort reader through it? 😔  — anon

stefan salvatore

only time will tell┆requested┆a stefan soulmate au — @123cvcz 

lovelorn hearts┆requested┆heyyy, can i request a angst fic where reader is damon’s best friend and stefan has a huge crush on her, she overhears damon teasing him about it which leads to his confession, but she’s unsure if she feels the same way and he gets his heart broken all over again? (after elena) thanks, your writing is lovely. — @xoxosinister

miscellaneous 

imagines:

hope hearing stories about you.

☼ X-MEN ☼

charles xavier

happiest year┆one-shot┆although the reader loves charles—although she makes sure he knows that she would do anything for him, he throws it all away. the reader leaves and moves on with her life.

erik lehnsherr

embarrassing moments┆requested┆BROOOOOOO i didn’t know you wrote for the x men … could i please request smth w erik?? smth with mutual pining ~~~ maybe reader is an awkward mutant who’s insecure and can’t talk to erik ……. bro the erik thirst has been REAL recently — @petrichor-ds

sparks fly┆requested┆reader is a cheerful mutant w some sort of electricity ability, and she’s bright until erik comes around.  then she’s removed, quiet, and reserved.  charles has had enough and pairs them up to do training demos tgt (electricity overlaps w magnetism a bit) and then ~romantic tension~ and then reader finally confesses to him after he’s like “why r u so nervous????” — @petrichor-ds

☼ THE 100 ☼

bellamy blake

imagines:

you’re left behind at mount weather, instead of gina.  

[orangegreet]

No Minor Miracles | Chapter 2

An Evening in Winter

The darkest evening in winter begs for just a sliver of light.

If he thought things would change for them following their late night miracle, Aleksander was sourly mistaken.

Months went by without contact.

The more angry he became about it, the more it confirmed that he was out of control.

Seeing her, being vulnerable to her, opened a floodgate. A torrent of warring emotions swirled around him so that he struggled to even name them properly before they shifted again.

Despite assertions made by Alina on prior occasions that these feelings created a more rewarding experience in life, this inability to distance himself from every nuance of emotion degraded his mental state.

Centuries of conquering every thought. Controlling every outcome. A puppeteer to countless Tsars with whole nations bent to his will—all to be undone by a slip of a woman who had barely existed for even three decades.

Alina, this one person to whom he was bound, body and soul, just happened to be so far outside of his grasp that he couldn’t name a single city she had passed through since the day she left Os Alta. For everything she knew about him, he couldn’t name a single one of her goals, objectives, accomplishments, or desires. It was humiliating.

She had promised he was one of her desires.

At least, this is what he clung to in the early days. Ruminating by the fire or letting his thoughts slip into this reassurance over another lonely meal or late in the night when he awoke without cause and stared out the window.

These were things he had never done before. Foreign and juvenile behaviors. Yet he allowed them to continue bringing him comfort. Allowed them freedom to permeate his day as he had let nothing else in several millennia.

Until the nagging doubt began to seep in.

Did she say exactly that she desired him?

It seemed burned into his brain at one time but some memories of that night which he previously savored began to disintegrate.

When they reformed, new perspectives propagated themselves like weeds in his recollections.

They drifted in to discolor formerly pleasant thoughts during an evening bath; late nights were spent hunched over a desk dissecting vaguely remembered words.

Madness stole over him at odd moments.

War council meetings were sometimes punctuated with abrupt surges of intensity which forced him to nail his hands to his sides lest he sic shadows into the throats of the King’s men.

An afternoon horse ride intended to invigorate and chase away all thought instead stamped his misgivings to the wall of his mind as decisively as hooves sunk into mud.

She had called him inevitable. Her Inevitable.

Inevitability did not exactly parallel desire.

Still, he refused to call to her. The one weakness he would not submit to again.

It was during these months following when the General discovered he’d grown a distinct bitterness toward his Heartrender as well.

It was the rancor in his own voice when he issued commands that tipped him off. Followed with a silent seething when the orders were carried out to perfection.

No accolades were awarded in the face of the exemplary service; eventually no words of gratitude expressed at all yet Ivan remained stoically indifferent.

Unfortunately this only fed the festering malice.

The Darkling persevered to tamp it down. The longer he was away from Alina, the more desperately he tried pull the armor back around himself. Only, to his increasing distress, the cracks in the facade would not be patched.

This, the General realized, was the source of his ire. Understanding came to him in the form of some sudden glaring prophecy that he could never have foretold.

With regret, he understood the advantage of having the most highly skilled Heartrender in the Second Army at his side, also meant employing a man who was privy to every betraying fault in the rhythms of the General’s chest.

His growing madness had physical tells and it would not do to have them known to anyone but himself. Every staccato, every irregularity, every tremor exposed his ever slipping control.

Ivan knew too much.

Initially, the Darkling resigned himself to killing his right hand. In his defense, he fully intended to do the deed himself—bequeathing the task to another would be dishonorable to the decades of otherwise impeccable service.

However multiple strategy sessions spent visualizing every step that would follow such a death led him back to the beginning to start again. A new tactic to try, a different scenario to explore.

Until he eventually determined there was no true gain for him in Ivan’s death.

The bitter reality of the situation was this: no one could be by his side except a Heartrender. And yet no other Heartrender had ever shown such aptitude for pain, control, precision and, ultimately, discretion.

No one could replace the man. His death could not be borne since it would bring no peace.

Any replacement to follow would be just as dialed in to the state of his or her General, but their loyalty was too great a variable to gamble.

And so he was left with one recourse.

“You asked for me, moy soverennyi?”

“Fedyor. Yes, enter.” The General stood from his desk, brushing past Ivan and coming around the War table.

“I have a new assignment for you.”

“I am glad to serve, General.”

“The Fjerdan outposts are in desperate need of strong leadership. The caliber of your performance in the Second Army is recommendation enough for me. You are being promoted to Major and sent to the front in Tsibeya at dawn.”

Fedyor’s eyes slipped past his General briefly to land on Ivan before snapping back and allowing a pleased smile in return.

“Thank you, General. I will make you proud.”

The General nodded his dismissal and waited until Feydor left the room to return to his desk.

The General sat at his desk.

Hours passed while he wrote letters to his commanders, instructions for individual missions, referenced maps and calculated coordinates. Ivan remained silently, dutifully at attention beside him. The lunch hour passed, neither man broke the silence.

For these hours, the General worked harder than he had in months at keeping his emotions in check, his blood running cool and breaths even. The sound of quill scratching on parchment, drawers opening and closing—he was determined these would be the only irregularities for these few hours.

No work was given to Ivan. He asked for no input from his Heartrender and let the hours pass essentially ignoring the man.

Ivan did not break.

Dinner came. Two meals sent up from the kitchens. The General ate without comment. His Lieutenant did not move.

“Food not to your liking, Ivan?” The attempt to keep his tone neutral was undermined by the slightest sneer.

“I am grateful for everything provided to me. All of it in service to the Second Army. To all Grisha and to you, General.”

The grip on Aleksander’s fork tightened.

“And yet you do not eat.”

“Hunger escapes me at the moment.” Ivan cleared his throat and continued, “I will take my meal with me at dismissal, it will not go to waste.”

“Very well.”

More hours passed.

Ivan stood at attention.

He did not ask when he would be relieved for the evening. He did not point out how odd it was for the General to remain confined to his desk for twelve hours straight. He did not ask for anything.

Finally, it was Fedyor who broke the stalemate.

“Pardon me, moy soverennyi.” The new Major reentered the War Room at well past midnight.

“Of course, Fedyor. Are you packed?”

“I am, sir. Thank you. I came to ask—“ Fedyor’s eyes again slipped to Ivan and then back to the General and he straightened his posture again.

“I came to ask if I might borrow Ivan. J-just for a few hours, sir. Until departure.”

The General stared at Ivan— his expression remained stubbornly neutral though he thought he saw an eyebrow twitch.

“I realize my request is impertinent and on the heels of a promotion—I do not mean to ask for too much. You are well within rights to deny—“

“Fedyor,” The General held up a hand.

He glanced at Ivan again who gave no sign of acknowledgment. It could almost be believed that he did not know Fedyor.

“Not impertinent at all, Major. Ivan, is it your wish to be dismissed for the evening?”

Fedyor looked confused as he watched his impassive partner. Confusion slipped into hurt and Fedyor took a back step toward the door.

“Moy soverennyi.” Ivan spoke loudly. Realizing his mistake, he quickly adjusted his volume.

“Yes, if it is at your leave, I wish to accompany Fedyor for the remainder of the evening.”

The surge of victory within the General was brief.

In the next moment, Ivan tore his eyes from Fedyor and stared directly at the General, “In addition, it is my wish to escort the Major to the front. At your leave, of course, General.”

This was unprecedented. Unplanned. Unpredicted. A simple extortion tactic gone awry. He only meant to twist the pressure point in his Heartrender. Prove to his Lieutenant that it was not only the General who had a weakness. Embarrass him as he felt embarrassed.

For Ivan to turn it around and instead request a leave of some three weeks—for the journey to Tsibeya is a long one—was beyond comprehension.

Somehow Ivan tipped out all his cards on the table when all the General wanted to prove was knowledge of what he was holding.

The top two officers in the Second Army stared at each other for several long moments.

“I will consider the request. Dismissed. Both of you.”

“Moy soverennyi.” They said with a bow, but he had already turned his back.

Aleksander did not get to sleep that night.

When morning came he stood outside to see the newly appointed Major off to the front.

“Hold.” He instructed the coach driver in his perch.

“Ivan. I’ve come to a decision about your request. You will escort our Major to the front and are granted two weeks of leave to do so.”

Ivan struggled to suppress his surprise.

“However I’ve detailed an itinerary for the return trip. It’s been too long since I have been to outposts in that area directly. Once in Tsibeya, you will travel the rest of the Fjerdan front and our holdings along the Fold. You are to visit for a total of 4 or 5 days at each camp and report back to me. I want to know which camps are low on resources, which have become sloppy, areas of improvement and any developments. No detail is too small. I want to names. I want recommendations.”

It was Fedyor who composed himself first. “Perhaps you should go pack quickly, Lieutenant.”

“Of course.” Ivan said, “General, thank you for the opportunity.”

The General gave him a curt nod and the two men in red disappeared.

Though his plans skewed sideways, Aleksander managed to secure what he needed. Peace. Solitude.

No one around to witness the attempt to tame what Alina set free inside of him. His wretched Sun Summoner.

His life had been nomadic for so long. Even as a General he never stayed in the same place longer than a month unless it was necessary. With Ivan as his eyes and ears on the ground, Aleksander was free to remain in the Little Palace for the winter.

He saw few people, spoke to fewer still except when required to request food or have a bath drawn, a letter sent. The Royal Family retreated to the Southern Palace for winter and took their share of the War Council with them. This suited him quite well. Communication over correspondence was easier when it came to strong-arming the tactics. Not that the King’s men bothered much to engage with the war over the winter. That was for the Second Army General and First Army commanders to sort out. The King would take the credit for the victories or redirect the blame accordingly.

Even with the solitude, sleep was difficult to come by. He felt as if he had been running great distances for months on end; his body in a constant state of awareness only to find the coal bucket empty and the engine slowing to a crawl.

More frequently he stayed confined to his quarters, conducting his work at odd hours when he felt he could concentrate. Other times he stared unseeing out the window and over the grounds. Grisha children played and trained under the tutelage of the older students and soldiers on leave. Their voices carried up from the grounds and for the first time in memory he paused to listen to their conversations. Simply for the sake of his own curiosity.

He did not interact with them and sooner or later, the malaise would set in and his mind would be lost to the present once more.

Most nights Aleksander found himself sat by the fireplace in his arm chair with a nightcap.

On this night he was kept awake reviewing the reports Ivan sent him on a daily basis. Thorough work. Exemplary work. Aleksander sighed.

One week and a half to enjoy together and then split apart for an undetermined amount of time. During a war, no less.

Ivan made no mention of his assignment, nor Fedyor’s. News from Fedyor, though slightly less formal, was no less professional.

He wondered to himself at his ability to control two such destinies as theirs, one letter from each of them in each of his hands. He considered the power he wielded over them so successfully. So easily.

A very small darkness in him purred at his own actions even as the rest of him could not stop fretting over the decision.

Was it necessary to have done this? He never would have cared before.

Fedyor was proving to be an excellent leader for an otherwise miserable post. Ivan was somehow more thorough and likely more suspicious than even the General so he could have no concerns about the strategy behind in their placements on the board of this war.

But was it necessary to remove either man from their stations in order to keep them apart? Specifically to keep them apart to spite his most loyal Lieutenant?

It was getting difficult to remember why this had all started. He never would have cared before.

“Hello Aleksander.”

He closed his eyes at the sound of her whispered greeting.

Could she have picked any other night? Any other than this one?

“Why do you haunt me when I feel at my weakest to defend myself?” He asked.

“You are always droll when we meet. First I am your demon and now I am your ghost.”

Months he sat wrecked in this very room wishing for her to call to him. Not daring touch the tether himself but simply hoping she wanted to see him.

How was she here?

He opened his eyes and looked over at her. It stole his breath to see her shy smile and he mourned again how weak he had become.

“You’re radiant.” He was flat-toned and sparse in his review but his eyes swallowed up every detail from her elegant, styled hair to the glittering gold necklace draped across her collarbone.

She arrived half undressed for the evening with only a boning corset and thin layer of skirts which would typically be hidden under a fine dress of silk. They were cream colored and plain and it was with added misery that he noted she had a soft glow about her.

A vague nudge in his brain hinted that he was curious about her evening activities but he found he did not have the energy to pester her. Not tonight.

She looked on him with concern and then came to kneel before him, resting her chin on his knee. He exhaled.

“I have never seen your feet before.” Her tone was amused and interested. Looking down at his bare feet peeking out from the large fur he pulled around himself before taking a seat by the fire.

He exhaled a quiet laugh, resigned to let her do all the talking for a change.

“Do you know what tonight is?” She asked.

Hair fell into her face and he brushed it back.

“I admit I don’t.”

His voice was gruff with disuse and she sat quietly contemplating his mood.

“Have you received bad news?”

Alina cast a curious eye on the letters from his two Heartrenders, held loose in his hand and quite close to her face.

He started and quickly folded them up.

At the movement she pulled away from him lest she catch a knee to the chin.

“Did you come here simply to investigate my affairs and then flit away again for another year?” He snapped, throwing the letters outside of his reach and consequently outside her view.

“O-Of course not—“

“Then why have you come?” He demanded.

She opened and closed her mouth, unwilling to voice the obvious.

If Alina was here, it was because he was the one who called to her. She answered.

Aleksander took a deep breath and pulled the furs tighter around himself. He thought of the letters, the pair of Heartrenders, the unbearable sadness he felt now and looked away from her in shame.

Now she was here, the thought of her discovering his ill-conceived retribution on Ivan was deeply distressing. Why tonight of all nights?

“It’s been many nights since I have seen you awake in my visits.” Her voice was so soft, so timid.

His sadness expanded under the weight of the implication. He had been calling to her in his sleep. Who knows how many times in the last few months.

She answered.

She answered and still she never called to him.

He thought about opening his mouth to speak but his jaw did not want to move. Eyes fixed on the night sky out the window.

He felt her move close again. A small hand reaching under the furs to find his.

“You need sleep.” She pulled him to his feet. When he realized she wasn’t letting go, he tightened his own grip and walked her to his bed. His fur fell away, exposing his chest and black sleep trousers.

With hesitation, he lay his head on his pillow, looking almost as if he wasn’t sure if he was using it correctly. She exhaled a soft laugh and smiled, climbing into the bed.

Alina situated herself against the headboard, maneuvering his pillow into her lap and stroked over his bare shoulder and down his back. She gathered his torso in her arms, folding herself over him possessively.

Aleksander squeezed his eyes shut, his own arms circling her thighs and pulling her to him.

She hummed her pleasure.

To be touched so freely, so thoroughly was his undoing. Part of his life-force returned to him at her touch and he held her small body tighter around him. She did not seem to mind.

“Why do you never call me to you, moya solnyshka?”

He could not see her face for which they were both glad while she thought about how to answer him.

“It would not be wise.” She said eventually.

The rejection burned. She must have felt it.

“If I brought you to me each time I wanted you, I would not let you leave.”

His insides cooled. It did not change his demeanor but she smoothed the edges with her words. She was not sure that she should have said it.

“Then it is cruel of you to stay away.”

She laughed. “Good.”

“Good? Good that you are cruel to me?”

His eyes turned to look up at her. A teasing smile alighted her face as she leaned over him.

“Yes. I sometimes think you confuse cruelty with justice. This world has been unjust to you so you deliver it your cruelty. It is good for you to feel this difference.”

He huffed and rolled his eyes. It made him look so young to her that she chuckled and pressed a kiss to his forehead.

“You think it is your role to teach me such lessons?”

“Would you listen to anyone else?”

His eyes narrowed at her. “If you asked me to listen to someone else, I would consider it.”

She blushed. Outside it was cold and dark and the world was scarred with the cruel things he had wrought. But right now his little sun was here and she was gently giddy and she relished holding him as no one had in several lifetimes.

He reached a hand up to tangle in her hair and brought her lips to his. They were soft. Her pulse thrummed under his palm and he smiled that he did not need to be a Heartrender to know her rhythm in that second.

“You say sweet things sometimes.” She stroked his brow with her pinky. “Be wary of the man who has sweet words and sour actions.” She said this to him in a wisened, deep voice, finishing with a giggle.

“Just what devilish proverb is that your casting over my bedsheets?”

She tilted her head back with mirth, “That is a Pabelism.”

“Am I supposed to understand this phrase?” She beamed down at him as her eyes danced with a private joke.

“Just a man named Pabel who taught me one or two or two million things like that when I was younger.”

He quirked his eyebrows at her, “Hmm. Sounds like the opposite of the things my mother would say. Where your Pabel warns you away from such a vagrant, Baghra would likely make the same man a job offer.”

Her cackle surprised him, “I’m sorry. It’s just…that is funnier than you know.”

The gaudy necklace chose that moment to come loose from her neck and she clutched it back to her sternum before it could fall.

“Sorry about that.” She let it drop into her hand and a moment later, it was gone. Presumably dumped next to her in whatever place her real body lay at the moment.

Aleksander remembered again that she was not truly there. It unnerved him.

Perhaps he already felt the loneliness of the Little Palace before now but with her light here, it cast bigger shadows and he grew fearful of its absence.

“Alina.” His fingertips trailed the outline where her necklace just lay, “Where were you tonight?”

“Aleks—“

“Don’t—“ He brushed his fingers over her lips and his voice was softer than it had ever been when he asked, “No specifics necessary. Just—It makes me crazy at times how little I know about your days and your nights. I want to picture them. I want to picture you as you are in real life.”

She still looked unsure.

He sat up. “You see me here, Alina.” He gestured around himself. “You know the Little Palace. You could name several members of my guard and soldiers. You’ve seen meetings in my War Room and you have watched me pay courtesy to the bloody King and Court.”

His voice cracked with the volume and he lowered it again, not wanting to frighten her. “As if that were not enough, you see me sleep. Do you know how maddening this is?”

He did look mad on this night. His long hair was wild and fell in thick sheets around his shoulders. The bags under his eyes and pallor of his skin told her that he was neither sleeping nor eating well. His chest which was bare now without the protection of his furs also seemed somewhat more lean. A clear loss of muscle mass and strength. It was easily the most vulnerable she had ever seen him.

Alina looked more conflicted than ever which he hoped meant that she at least wanted to share something with him. Her hands fidgeted with his, picking at callouses in his palm.

“I want to see you in the sunlight. And if you will not allow me that right now, I want to imagine you there.”

He was speaking soft, kissing her hair.

“This is why it is hard to see you,” she whispered. “I want to share these things with you. But we are not there yet.”

“You still are not convinced of my devotion to you? You do not trust that I will be on your side in whatever you do?”

“No. It is not that at all. You do not see it because you are here. You are running an army and behaving like a General and carrying out orders for a King on the opposite side of the Fold from me. W-We are world’s apart, Aleksander.”

She was being reticent again, saying only a fraction of what she was thinking.

Where his hand was lax in her grip, he now curled it around her fingers.

“That is why I want to begin to do things together. You could show yourself—come out of hiding and show the world that the Sun Summoner is no mere rumor. She is more than a mythical saint who delivers nameless people from certain death. You and I could show all of Ravka the power we two can harness. We can lead Grisha everywhere out of hiding and into true sanctuary.”

His brain and body were alive with energy for the first time since this horrible winter set in. The intensity of it was channeled through his eyes where he held her gaze.

“No, Sasha. We cannot. I-I cannot. Not now.”

“But why, Alina?” He gripped her arms, willing to shake the information loose from her lips but she merely stared back at him with a pained look.

“Everything is different on my side of the Fold. I cannot explain everything right now but I will someday, I promise you that. One day I will share everything with you and we will not keep anything from each other.”

“And should I decide to come to that side of the Fold of my own accord?”

It wasn’t a threat. At least she wanted to believe it was not but his demeanor shifted into that of the General beginning negotiations.

She frowned. “I would ask you to consider that your are not the only one who plans for a better future for Grisha. I have plans of my own in motion. Plans that will turn to ruin if they are disrupted by the revelation of my identity as the Sun Summoner—or by the attentions of the Shadow Summoner.”

He stared hard at her, eyes wide, willing to read her secrets through her very skull.

She continued, “You should also know on this side of the Fold, there are those you have harmed who would seek retaliation on you. I do not know that I can stop them.”

His eyes hardened as he looked at her, a haughty expression stealing him away.

“Those I have harmed? Who exactly do you mean?”

She sighed and shrugged a shoulder. “Does it matter? I do not think you notice or think of it as harm. You do things as a General in war and those actions hurt people. People who are dear to me.”

“Tell me which people are dear to you and I will see that it is stopped.”

“Do not mock me.”

“Perhaps you could draft a list? First and last names please, followed by their exact locations and their specific relationship to you.”

She glared at him, “You know, for as long as I have desired you and wanted to keep you for myself, you have made it very difficult for me to be able to do so in good conscious. It seems that you do nothing but set up more obstacles for us.”

He sighed, running a hand over her hair in supplication. “Surely you can meet me halfway on this, Alina. Tell me how to make things right for us right now and I will do everything in my power to see it through. You cannot leave me in the dark forever.”

“I do not want to leave you anywhere but you are asking me to give you all the answers to how to be good. I cannot lead you out of the dark with my light alone. You have your own light in you.” She poked at his chest. “One which you have neglected for far, far too long. I cannot unearth it for you.”

If he did not think she might disappear on principle, he would have rolled his eyes at her. Dramatically. Still he couldn’t contain every speck of annoyance from crossing his features.

She held his face in her hands, willing him to hear her. “You think I am being trite but I am not. You have a light that is your own inside yourself. You have to be willing to find it. Just as I have found my own darkness within me.”

She could tell this intrigued him. If she could provide him some measure of comfort, it would be the knowledge that she was not the Sainted Sankta, untouchable and untarnished. She was not better than, just different.

“What darkness have you found?” He was worried for her. She looked away, nervous to divulge too much.

“I have learned of some kinds of darkness. I have seen its uses and I have exerted them when I had no other option.”

“The girl I knew looked on darkness and thought it blasphemy.” He was sardonic and baiting her with a quirk of his eyebrow.

“I could not have remained the naive girl you once knew.”

“What changed?” His tone was flat but she felt his temper building under the surface.

“When we were here together all those years ago, when I found out who you were and what you had done; The Fold, the creation of an army, a dozen deaths and a dozen resurrections of yourself—I was…intrigued.”

Aleksander sat back from her, kneeling and leaned away. “‘Intrigued’, is it? Not ‘repulsed’? Not ‘horrified’? Because I believe those were words you used then—“

Alina cringed at the memory, “I remember what I said.” She cut him off before his temper could derail them.

“I am sorry. What I know now is that you are not what frightens me. I feel the suffering of our people and I have heard their stories and seen their scars every day of my life. What truly frightened me then and what frightens me now is how easily I could sink into vengeance myself, same as you.”

His mind could not process. The place in his head in which Alina lived, an Alina full of brightness and charm and grace, could not also harbor the urge to plot, to maim, to rule over otkazat’sya lives in the same way his blood thirsted for it.

He told her as much. “You do not know what it is to seek vengeance nor retribution. You're practically still a child. You could not know the depths of pain that would drive you to see a thousand otkazat’sya lives crushed beneath your boots. When they look upon your little sunbeams they will weep and bow and worship you for them as equally as they have punished me for my shadows. Do not compare your vengeance to mine. You will never have to know the terror and impotence of watching a gang of otkazat’sya rape and torture and mutilate while your hands are bound.”

She laughed at him. An empty, pitying laugh.

That stoked his ire to breaking point. He fisted a hand in her hair and pulled her to his face.

Through gritted teeth he snarled at her. “Do not mock me now, Alina. It is one thing to withhold your saint-given light from me. That is your right. But do not pretend to own a sliver of my darkness in you. I earned it. I bled for it. I watched thousands of Grisha bleed for it.”

Far from being frightened at this outburst she closed her eyes and leaned her forehead into his.

“You are starting to understand. This is what I am trying to telling you. I am not claiming to own your darkness. It is not your darkness or your shadows in me. They are my own. Born of my own experiences.”

Her eyes lifted to his. His grip on her hair had loosened. “You cannot be my teacher in darkness because I cannot allow you to get close to the darkness I harbor. It is mine to discover and understand and tame. When I am around you, you pull them out of me, Sasha. Just as my light calls out the light in you. Have you not felt it in yourself?”

He said nothing. He thought of his insanity. His madness. The rage, the desire, the unbearable sadness he was currently struggling to escape. Was this his light? He had never felt so acutely. It would be fitting that his light did little else but illuminate his pain.

“I have hope that one day we are strong enough to wield both within ourselves but right now I am afraid of dragging you down a moral path you do not wish to be on just as I am afraid you will lead me down a dark road that is not my own. Do you see now what would happen if we came together before both of us were ready? You would come to believe there was no goodness in you without me and I would blame you for the wrath that I harbor even if it is my own.

“We would hate each other in the end. I’ve already told you I cannot let that happen.” She whispered.

“Say something.” She brushed her palms over his head.

When he found it, his voice was husky.

“Leave.”

“Aleksander,” Her hands landed his shoulders.

He tried to pull away from her. She pulled him back.

He surprised her by gripping her jaw in his palm, his breath was hot on her face.

“No. Fuck your plans. Fuck your light.” He looked at her like a caged beast and his skin was emanating heat, “You denied me my own justice years ago when you would not stay with me and now you casually seek to exact the same retribution. How fucking noble of you.”

She yanked her jaw from his grip and pushed at his chest.

“Do not blame me for the flaws in your plan, you saints-forsaken fool. You are the one who hinged everything on controlling a person who you did not know and had not met. Fuck you and fuck your plan. You’re no better than the otkazat’sya who would trade me into indentured servitude.”

Shadows were pouring out of him and she knew the motion for the Cut on instinct. His eyes were wild with rage and she took a chance, snagging one of his wrists in each hand before he could release the blade. She tackled him to his back on the bed where she kept him pinned.

Both of them were panting as she perched over him.

“The Cut? Saints, Sasha. What were you going to do if that actually killed me?”

“We both know it wouldn’t have,” he growled. His wild eyes roamed her face. “Best case, it would have severed our connection and I could get some bloody peace for once. I could finally think.”

He squeezed his eyes shut. Though he could overpower her, even he was frightened of his actions and couldn’t bring himself to move.

He felt her hands loosen their grip on his wrists.

“You’re right.” Her weight shifted off of him and he opened his eyes to see her holding her knees to her chest on the bed beside him.

“It is selfish to keep coming back here when I know I am not ready.”

Aleksander watched her with wary eyes.

“We should go back to how things were before. It’s cleaner.”

He was breathing deeply, willing words to come out of his mouth but his jaw wouldn’t move anymore. The energy that she brought with her, the energy that invigorated him like nothing else had this entire winter, was evaporating with her. His personal setting sun. Everything was happening quick. It always was with them. He had no words.

“Just—“ She closed her eyes and then opened them to meet his, they glistened with unshed tears. He wished he could feel something.

He did a little. But it was far away from him. Like a pebble thrown into the depths of a cave, hitting the stone walls and bouncing on the ground before going quiet.

“Everything I do, I am doing it for our people. Yours and mine. And maybe it is vain but I hope that in the end you will truly see me as your equal. Even if you end up hating me for eternity. I think I could endure your hatred so long as I still had your respect, at least.”

His eyes did not blink. He needed to see her fade out of existence.

Even when he was alone, he didn’t move. He could not bring himself to shift his head onto the pillow. He stared the same direction he had been staring, only now that she was gone, he had a clear view of the night sky outside.

It was an oppressive kind of dark outside. This was especially notable given his room was painted in his own black shadows.

“Do you know what tonight is?” Alina had asked him that early on.

It came to him then, though he should have known sooner.

It was the longest night, the darkest night of entire year. The winter solstice.

[airi-p4]

A bite of ice cream

Lukanette short one shot fic. Some fluff, I guess. 

Warning: art included; scroll slowly

Thanks to @livrever for the beta and grammar check!

AO3 link here ________________________________________

Marinette looked how André, the ice cream man, carefully picked the flavours meant for her. She wondered if something had changed since she decided to move on from her crush on Adrien. The flavour that represented him was mint for his eyes and peach for his lips, but Marinette’s eyes could see how the old man’s attention were focused on some different flavours as he formed two balls and settled them on her ice cream cone, topping it with a single white blueberry.

“Here you are, Marinette. Blueberry flavour for your hair and cherry with chocolate chips flavour for your talented heart”

André gave her the ice cream and she straightened her hand to grab it, hesitating a little, while she used the other one to give him the money afterwards. She stared at the melting substance as she was trying to process André’s words.

“André, does this mean I’m out of love?” she asked, frowning her eyebrows in confusion. But he only smiled at her.

“That’s something only you can know. I just make ice creams”

“But…” she mumbled, unable to decipher the hidden meaning behind the flavours.

“Here, Marinette. Take this one too. Cookie Monster ice cream for your little friend. Don’t worry, this one is free” André said, winking at her while giving her a little cup with some blue colored ice cream in it.

“Thank you, André” she answered, wondering who he was referring to.

In normal circumstances, it would have been meant to Luka, since the rest of her friends were already paired and eating their ice creams together, but the adjective ‘little’ didn’t precisely match with Luka’s definition… And ‘cookie monster ice cream’... Could it be…?

Marinette looked at Tikki inside of her small bag. The kwami’s eyes were begging for some ice-cream. Then she faced up to meet André’s smiling eyes, surprised at her realisation.

“You mean…?” she started. But the old man said nothing, just widened his knowing smile.

She hid her hands and bag from her friends view to give the little cup of ice cream to Tikki, who was more than pleased with the treat. She then returned to her seat next to Luka, passing by all her friends, including Adrien and Kagami, who she couldn’t help to glance with a sad smile on her face.

Marinette was glad Luka was with her. She would hate it to be left alone around so many couples: Alya and Nino, Ivan and Mylene, Nathaniel and Marc, Kim and Ondine, Juleka and Rose, Max and Alix (although they were just close friends) and Adrien and Kagami.

Somehow, it was natural for her to be with Luka. In different circumstances, she would have been troubled to be paired with someone who had one-sided feelings for her. But the lack of pressure and the calm of Luka’s music made his company pleasant instead. His song relieved her broken heart and helped her to feel better. It was undeniable how he made her feel good.

Marinette looked slightly at the musician as he played his guitar, softly, strumming the strings one by one. She took a bite of her ice cream and closed her eyes to savour it, while her ears enjoyed the melody created by Luka’s instrument and fingers.

Two minutes later Marinette noticed how Luka’s music had stopped. She wondered what made him stop and turned her face to him, meeting his eyes. He was looking at her savouring her ice cream with a smile on his face.

“Hm? What?” she asked, flustered, with her little spoon still in her mouth.

“Nothing, I’m just looking at how you eat. You seem to be enjoying it”

“I am. André’s ice cream is the best of Paris! Why don’t you buy one too?” she smiled at him, wondering what flavours would he get.

“No need. Watching you eat so happily is enough for me” he answered, as his eyes softened at her.

Marinette blushed a little before her gaze moved further from the blue-haired boy, to Adrien and Kagami eating happily together, feeding each other with their spoons.

“But just watching doesn’t make your stomach full…” Marinette said, with a hurt look on her face. ”There’s no way this is enough” she added, confidently meeting Luka’s surprised eyes.

“I won’t starve to death because of this. It’s ok. I’m fine just watching” he answered, moving his head to the side to watch her better, wiping some of the ice cream she had on her cheek with a napkin.

Marinette switched her gaze back to Adrien and Kagami again, smiling a little, meekly. She sighed once and took a deep breath before moving her eyes back to meet the guitarist’s.

“No. You’re not being honest. There’s no way you can be happy just watching how I eat when you want to eat it yourself” she said, slightly angry.

“It’s ok, Marinette, really” he said, surprised at her roughness.

Marinette paused a little before opening her mouth again, thinking well of what she was about to say implied. She took a glance at Adrien and Kagami, and then at Luka. And she set her resolve.

“Do you want some? You can have a bite, if you want to” she said, feeling nervous and hopeful, just like the boy whom she had just launched the question to.

“Are you sure? I know you love it, won’t you regret it?”

“I won’t. Maybe I don’t have much food with me right now, but I hope I can feed you more from now on. I want you to let me know you’re hungry”. Marinette’s eyes shined in determination.

“I’ll take one bite, then��� Luka said, with the happiest voice Marinette had ever heard of him. He moved his hand over Marinette’s hand and pressed his thumb and index fingers to Marinette’s, strengthening the grip of the spoon as he filled it with ice cream and happily moved it deep into his mouth, Marinette’s fingertips slightly touching his lips. Marinette became flustered at his action and Luka returned her hand to its original position. “Thank you Marinette, it’s delicious. Refreshing and very sweet”. He said with a grin after cleaning the rest of ice cream of his lips with his tongue. Marinette couldn’t help it but to blush at the sight.

“One bite can’t be enough either. Aren’t you hungrier than that?” she asked in expectation. Luka giggled at her reaction.

“I am. But I would hate it to leave you hungry. You look so happy eating it” he said, staring at her blue eyes with a melancholic smile on his face.

Marinette bit her lip a little, trying to control her new emotions, without much success.

“It’s ok. You can take another bite”

But Luka noticed the hesitation in her voice.

“I’m not sure I’ll be able to stop eating if I have another bite. You shouldn’t underestimate my hunger…” his blue eyes had changed into a serious look, showing Marinette his real hunger for the first time. She gulped, nervously, mouth open in surprise. She was unsure of taking a step further.

“OK, sorry… “ She resigned. “I’ll make sure to properly share my ice cream with you next time so neither of us has to be left hungry” she said, hoping he would accept her offer.

Luka’s smiled turned into a smirk then. “What if I am VERY hungry next time?” he teased, making Marinette blush.

“It’s OK. I’ll feed you even if you are starving. I don’t want you to be unfull because of me…” her voice was low and filled with regret, her face looking down at her melting ice cream.

“You don’t need to go this far for me if you’re not sure of how much you’re willing to share. Or even if you are not willing to share at all. I would hate it if you remained unfull because of me… Just share as much as you’re ready to. Even just a bite is more than I would have ever expected” he smiled softly at her “Now you should eat. Your ice cream is melting” he giggled.

“What about you?” she asked, worried for his feelings.

“I’ll be fine just watching you eat. Your happiness is my happiness, Marinette” he said, as he happily humming, watched her taking one bite of ice cream and savouring it. Marinette made sure she licked the spoon clean, knowing Luka had just used it before her. Luka blushed at her suggestive gaze as she licked the spoon as it was a popsicle. He blushed harder when Marinette broke their eye contact and said “delicious” in a very low voice.

Marinette kept eating her ice cream happily, until there was only one full spoon left.

“One bite left. Are you sure you don’t want it?” she asked, slightly teasing him.

“All yours” he said, watching closely as the spoon moved to her mouth.

She was about to eat it when Luka suddenly grabbed her wrist and put the full spoon in his mouth, his face very close to Marinette, who instantly flushed red at his action. Their lips were almost touching as he licked the ice cream traces on the spoon.

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“Sorry. I changed my mind” he said, getting his back straightened again, leaving a puzzled red Marinette holding the spoon still on the air.

“That’s unfair! I was looking forward to this last bite!” She said, pouting. Luka could only laugh at her cute reaction.

“Sorry, my treat next time. Wednesday at today’s same time is OK?”

“Yes. Just make sure you are hungry, because I don’t plan to leave you unfull anymore” she said, licking her spoon once again, even when no more ice cream remained on it, while looking at the boy’s lips.

From that day on the flavours of their many shared André’s sweethearts ice creams changed to a new ones: the ones that were meant for their new blossomed love.

FIN

[diamo-chan]

AAAAANGST  (ﾉ^∇^)ﾉﾟ

(not beta-read – we die like men)

Pairing: Eloise x Ethan - what else could you expect of me (￢ε￢)

Word count: 1,8k

They were all chilling in the living room, Beliath annoying Vladimir to pass the time when he was locked in the mansion instead of relaxing in the Moondance, with Ethan, who was sulking upstairs, Aaron and Raphael were leaning against each other, reading in silent harmony, because there was no way they would leave the house when the water was coming down in buckets. No one knew where Ivan was, but most likely he locked himself in his room.  

Eloise went upstairs to the attic to get new candles, after the thunderstorm has left the mansion without electricity, and the last candle on the holder went out. No problem for the vampire boys. But Eloises senses were kind of gone at this level of darkness, so she had to follow the wall on her way to the second floor, it made her struggle even at the first set of stairs.

While she passes one door there is suddenly a shriek from within as lightning floods the hallway from the end of the corridor. At that point she notices that her hand lies on the door of the boys bathroom.  There were sounds coming from behind that door. Whimpers and whispers.

Jumpy? Crying? Apparently she found Ivan. Carefully Eloise knocked at the door to not startle him any further.

“Ivan? Are you alright?”

The answer came quick and almost unexpected: “Fuck. Off.“

Nope… not Ivan. The usual energy was drained of any bite that those words might have held under different circumstances. But that didn’t stop her from her plan. No way she would let someone cry on their own, this was not something she would be able forgive herself for. In the orphanage there was always someone who took care of those who were at the edge of breaking under the care of the strict educators and social workers. Even worse than the feeling of abandonment in the past, was the lack of love in the present. This is why everyone needed people who care about them. Even total assholes. Even Ethan.

“I will come in, Ethan.” It was a warning, not a question. And she didn’t even give him the time to get to the door and lock it, pressing herself against the old wood

“No… “ The weak sound of objection that rang through the door, it broke at the end.

She entered the boys bathroom and locked the door behind her out of reflex. It was everything she had imagined: a little bit messy, with that typical masculine smell and tons of different shampoos that could belong to no other than Beliath.

In the furthest corner, between the toilet and the bathtub, sat Ethan, on the tile floor, knees pulled all the way up to his chin. His hands were clenching and unclenching while pressed to his sides. And he looked angry that she entered without being asked in. maybe angry was not the right word. But to put it simple: he looked like shit.

Not in an insulting way, but rather his face was a grotesque mask of over-layering emotions and he was having a hard time in keeping up the one of fury while suppressing the rest. Eloise believed that there was even relieve, somewhere among those layers.

One step away from Ethan the girl sat down on the edge of the tub and leaned down so her torso was laying on her thighs. This brought them on the same eye level. Hastily he removed the streams of his tears with his shirt. Every rumble of thunder made him tense up, while his gaze locked itself on the floor somewhere in front of her feet.  The echo in the small tiled room made the sound of the rain incredibly loud, a constant rushing that overscreamed the silence and muffled his sniffles. Eloise felt the weight of the loneliness that surrounded him. It was surely different when he was in the club, surrounded by people, the bass in his bones, the alcohol in his veins. There was a terribly sober and drowning feel to this.

“You should come downstairs. Sit with the others, keep yourself in company.” Eloise suggested.

Ethan forced a laugh and his eyes were cold when they met her grey ones, there was a resignation to the pressuring fear clouding them. “And give them the satisfaction of seeing me pathetic like that.”

‘They would not care’, Eloise wanted to say, but stopped herself. He would definitely get it the wrong way. No, she didn’t know her housemates well enough to reassure him that way. And even if she did care, the others might not be the best at helping, if Ethan decided to stay here, on the cold tiles, between toilet and tub. Gloves off, hair wet, whether it was from sweat or water, didn’t matter. But his fear did!

She crouched down to his eye level and took his face into her hands to prevent him from hiding in his shell. The blue irises of his hid a storm and were surely competing with the sky outside by the way they were shooting lightnings her way, in annoyance of her intrusing way of handling him. He was an ugly crier, she took note of it, the red of his puffy eyes stood out even more in contrast to his generally pale complexion.

He bared his fangs in a desperate attempt of scaring her away. But Eloise didn’t even move an inch. With the seconds that passed a whole story was told by his face as his fury lit up even more intensely after the confusion over her neutrality passed. She could see his hands shake with the wish to slap hers away. A thought crossed his mind and once again there were tears at the brim of falling. The brilliant white of his hair has adapted a sullen and grayish tone. Denying them was futile, in the face of the situation she found him in.

Thunder shook the windows with a mite that could only come from the fact that it was right above them. Drops fell unto his knees. It was so very bright, suddenly, Eloise had to shield her tired eyes.  In the luminance of the moment, she could see the whole extend of the chaos in Ethan’s heart that was reflected on the young bony features. It snapped. He gave up. The light in his eyes dimmed. It looked as if he died over again.

She stood back up and turned to the door, shaken to the core, fleeing from the responsibility that was too much for her, when a shaking, sweaty hand clamped down around her wrist to stop her in her motion. He had leapt after her, was on his knees, one hand against the floor to keep his balance, the other holding hers to prevent her from leaving. “Wait... Stay…”

Eloise exhaled deeply. She didn’t want to leave him alone, but seeing him like this made her insides clench with the knowledge that she could not heal this. It wasn’t as easy as giving him blood and everything is back to normal. And since the hope that he will one day open up to her entirely is a tiny flame in a windy valley, any wrong word might cause him to push her away again. Maybe Raphael would know what to do, or Aaron, or Beliath as he is the closest to him.

“The others are still waiting for new candles. I can get someone… Beliath or-“

He shook his head. “They will manage. You will hurt yourself in the darkness.“

Blinking her surprise away, she came back to him, closer, so close that her knees were touching his. He was right, the others were vampires, they would not crave the light. But more importantly Ethan had asked for her company. It was almost strange with how she felt like the personification of cancer whenever he talked to her. But now… this Ethan was different.

She unclasped the hand, he was holding her with, so she could sit down next to him. There was a resistance before he let go. Was he afraid that she would run?

Instead she supported herself against the bashtub when she sank to the floor. Eloise was between the tub and the vampire, who made no movement to pull away or give her more room, the chalice ended up presses flush against him. Once she was more or less comfortably seated she felt a tingle against her hand. Then the caressing pressure of fingers interwining with hers. Her heart skipped a beat and there was surely a bright red blush covering her from the roots of her black hair down to her décolleté.

Ethan rested his head against her collarbone. The movement was slow, hesitant, to give her the chance to back out of it, to break their proximity. But she gave him more room to get comfortable and rest instead, moved her hair out of the way so he would lay on her skin. His mouth was right next to her neck, close to the marks what were slowly fading. If all of this would turn out to be a lie, would he bring her to the edge of death? Again?

Eloise’s hand reached up and let her nails comb through his hair that was indeed sweaty, but that did not matter. In a slow pace she massaged his scalp in the way that always comforted her as a child. Surprisingly enough, he let her, even pressed closer to her. A content hum escaped his involuntarily curling lips. Docile like that, he was like a child, with a small pout on his lips; his attempt, to go unnoticed, failed. His cheeks were still warm from crying; forehead feverish from the racing thoughts, that must occupy his mind. She felt the goosebumps on the arm where their fingers were interwined. How long has he been here before she found him? The wish to hug him rose up in his chest, but that would be too much for now. Don’t rush Eloise.

His breathing became even and calm. The weight of his head was a steady reminder of his vulnerability, the just how breakable this moment was. In his trust she let herself relax as well. Slumping down into a more comfortable sitting position while still supporting the white haired boy.

In her own dozy half-sleep Eloise heard footsteps come closer. Someone pulled the handle of the bathroom door, only to find it locked. Ethan’s lashes fluttered slightly but fell back shut, the hand that was holding hers tightened a bit. The young girl smiled and let her eyes rest as well.

Tomorrow she would whine to him about her sore neck. So his hands do those wonders to her already tensed muscles. Even if his sole motivation was to keep her quiet.  She would have to accept that. Just one more of the many things, she was willingly accepting, when it came to Ethan.

[sirenprincess15]

Please Don't Leave Me Chapter 2

Title: Please Don’t Leave Me

Author: SirenPrincess

Description: What if Aleksander hadn’t answered the door when Ivan interrupted the war room kissing? What if Aleksander and Alina had a bit more time to get to know each other before Baghra told her his true identity? Alina is the only one who can comfort Aleksander through his nightmares. Will she leave once she knows who he is?

This story is based on the show version and features a soft on the inside, hard on the outside Aleksander with an emphasis on emotional hurt/comfort and angst. If you are looking for lots of hurt!Aleksander thoughts, then this story is for you. Mal exists but pretty much solely to cause Aleksander some angst. Don’t worry. It will be a Darklina ending.

Chapter 2 takes place alongside Ep 5 and then diverges from canon there.

Pairings: Aleksander Morozova/Alina Starkov, bits of Ivan/Fedyor

Rating: PG-13

Warnings: Grisha are oppressed in this universe, and I don’t shy away from showing the horrors of that. There may eventually be mentions of canon-typical torture (Fjerdan pyres), death of family members, and cruelty to Grisha children. It’s not the focus, but that backdrop is definitely there and comes up as characters discuss their past.

Catch up on any previous chapters you might have missed.

Chapter 2

Seeing her in the black, his color, marking her as his, well, it was going to be his undoing. Aleksander could barely concentrate on even pretending to make small talk with the king or his court. As soon as the demonstration was over, their obligation fulfilled, he couldn’t wait to be alone with her. Or was it the power she had demonstrated that was driving him crazy? She was finally showing who she truly was, and now that she was no longer trying to hide who she really was, her strength showed straight through.

No longer caring who might notice, he grabbed her hand and led her to his war room. He’d intended to make it farther toward the bed chamber, but his body decided he’d been waiting long enough … hundreds of years, truly, for an equal. His lips found hers and the spark of electricity, power, warmth that shot through him was indescribable. He tried to go slowly, to kiss her softly as she had kissed him before. When she didn’t pull away, he could not stop himself from kissing her more and more, as if he had been starving all his life and she was finally providing the nourishment his soul needed. He lifted her hips straight up onto his strategy table. Who cared if they knocked a few army markers out of place? She was responding to him, arching up into him, and everything just felt right, as if this was always what was meant to be.

Suddenly, he stopped himself. He was losing himself too quickly, and he feared that if he went much further, he wouldn’t be able to get himself back under control. “Are you sure?” he asked.

A moment of confusion flickered across her face until he spoke, and then she smiled and nodded. That was all the encouragement he needed. Her hands were all over him. Every place her hands touched felt alive, as if her hands alone could burn away the shadows in him.

A knock came at the door. She laughed and started to pull away. “Go away!” He growled. The knock came again. “Not now!” He did not care if the king himself were on fire; nothing was tearing him away from her.

Once he sensed they were alone again, he began unbuttoning her kefta. Why did the fabrikators always add so many buttons on them? His fingers deftly removed each and every one from their loops until he had her to her undershirt. He left the kefta, though, over her arms. It would be a pity to remove the black so quickly, and she would look so amazing with the kefta and only the kefta on. He tore her shirt from her. There was no way to get it off properly with the kefta still on, and he hadn’t the patience for it anyway. He pulled back just a moment to appreciate her beauty. He could have admired her for days, but his body had other plans. He pressed himself to her and felt the power flowing between them, his body calling to the power within her, and hers responding. Her warmth washed over him, through him. It took his breath away.

“Aleksander?” He was so awash in pleasure that he almost didn’t notice except for that flicker of joy he felt in his heart at hearing her use his real name. He ran his hands over her now naked chest, but then there was this flood of anxiety from her. He glanced at her with worry.

“Aleksander, could we just stop for ...”

His heart crushed inside his chest. Of course she was scared of him. He had sliced a man in half using only shadows right over her head. She had made it quite clear how uncomfortable that had made her. There was a darkness to him, not just his power but all of him, that had always been there. He was sure if he could feel her warmth radiating through her touch, then she could feel his blackness. It was so stupid of him to think that just because she was becoming comfortable with her own power that she might accept his. Her smiles and her impromptu kisses had convinced him otherwise, but of course now that she could feel the power and darkness deep within him, she was terrified. He pulled back as he inwardly chastised himself for messing this up.

“It’s okay. I understand,” he interrupted. His voice was hoarse, but perhaps she would chalk that up to his difficulty stopping himself and not the pain he felt at her rejection.

She looked at him with confusion. “I don’t think you do …”

He had gotten so caught up in the potential of their destiny--finding her, her power, the Stag--he had forgotten that she might remain horrified at what he was. “I wouldn’t want to sleep with the monster of Ravka either,” he said, hoping to reassure her that he wasn’t mad. Maybe with time, once she saw how fragile mortals were, once she realized what it was like to see everyone die around you ... “This doesn’t change anything with our plan. Please don’t think that I expect …”

“That’s not what I meant,” she interrupted him.

Now he was the one confused. “What?”

She reached out her hand and caressed his cheek. The anxiety was gone, replaced by a feeling he could only describe as love and concern. “Aleksander, I want to. I’ve been signaling that to you all night. It’s just when we started to … I realized I’ve never …” She was nervous again.

“Are you a virgin?” he asked with surprise. Why hadn’t he considered that? Had it been so long since he had tried to woo a maiden that he had forgotten such things?

“No, not that. It’s …” She stopped herself abruptly. “Are you disappointed?”

“Not at all,” he said with certainty. He reached out and stroked her hair. “You are perfect as you are.”

She leaned into his touch. After a moment, she let her concerns tumble out. “I’ve never with a Grisha … or as a Grisha … and it’s just … is Grisha sex different? Am I supposed to do something differently? My power is so greatly affected by being near you. What will that do if we’re …? I don’t want to mess this up with you.”

He smiled. Such a small worry for him to have gotten so worked up about. Hadn’t she realized she could never disappoint him? “Ahh, that. It will be different. Because I can do this,” he said, brushing his fingers along her arm. “And your power will respond to my touch. Do you feel it like I can?”

She nodded, her breath catching as she shivered in pleasure.

He looked straight into her eyes. “And your body will do that. And I can feel it. And you can feel me responding to how you feel. Before we even bring in anything else, our powers touching alone could be enough to cause orgasm.”

She kissed him passionately, urging him to return to letting his mouth nearly devour her.

“And then, just when you think you cannot hold out a moment longer, I will carry you to my bed and make your body sing.”