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alwaysonthemend · 6 months

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Part II: To Strange Horizons

Word Count: 3715

Warnings: Cussing / allusions to violence

A/N: Hello all! Just a heads up that this chapter is just a little bit shorter than the last one but that's just because it's setting up a lot of stuff that's going to be happening in chapter 3. Hope ya'll enjoy!

:¨·.·¨:☾☆༺ 𓆩⚔︎𓆪 ༻☆☽:¨·.·¨:

The ship is a beautiful thing – far better taken care of than any of the ships that I had seen grace the ports of Easthallow before. It's not an overly large ship, though it is most definitely large enough to be a threat to most merchant ships that sail these waters. It’s painted black and decorated with white embellishments, with “Starcatcher” emblazoned proudly on its side. I’ve never seen anything like it before, and my steps slow to a stop as we approach. Though night has descended upon us, the full moon casts just enough light for me to stand in awe of the magnificent ship.

“Beautiful, isn’t she?” Jacob asks, looking at me with a proud glint in his eye.

Slinging my pack higher on my shoulder, I nod.

“I’ve never seen a ship like it before.”

“Aye, I reckon not many come through here with such a ship. She’s a galleon.” He says glancing over his shoulder and beckoning for me to follow him.

Tearing my eyes away from the ship, I hasten my steps to catch up with him.

“She can reach up to eight knots. That’s almost 140 miles a day.”

He speaks with pride, and despite having never been acutely interested in ships, I want him to tell me more. His voice is so different as he speaks of the Starcatcher, and I wish desperately that this kinder tone would never leave him. Gone is the brooding sadness and barely contained rage, replaced instead with a fondness and pride that makes him seem so much softer than he had before.

“She's gorgeous.” I tell him, and his lips turn upwards in a barely there smile. It’s the most genuine expression I think I have received from him yet. I want more than anything to see what his real smile looks like.

“Why did you name her Starcatcher?”

No sooner had the question left my mouth, the expression dropped from his face. Like watching a mask slip into place, his face contorts into a scowl.

“I was not the one who named her.” Is all he says before turning on his heel and marching into the ship.

His shifts in mood threaten to give me whiplash as I silently follow behind him, cursing myself for asking.

–

All eyes turn to us as soon as we step onto the deck. I pull my pack tighter to myself, wishing to shrink away from their peering eyes. Some 25 men make up his crew in total, and not a single one of them carries an expression that is in any way welcoming. Some look on in confusion while some cannot seem to contain their scowl as they regard me. Each man looks to be no older than 30, though they all carry a weight to their shoulders that makes them seem older somehow.

“What the fuck, Jacob?” The curly headed man from before exclaims, rising from where he’d been leaning against the foremast and I gasp at his use of profanity. Never have I heard a man say such crude language before.

The other men mutter amongst themselves, casting looks towards myself and Jacob.

“Sit down, Joshua.” Jacob orders, and Joshua’s eyes blaze at the command. He takes a step back, but does not sit. “You, Samuel, and Daniel stay. The rest of you,” Jacob’s eyes scan the other men, “find somewhere else to be.”

“Captain, respectfully-” One man begins, but Jacob is swift to cut him off.

“Trust that I will make sure that you all are informed of what you need to be. We need a moment alone.”

The authority in his tone makes a shiver run up my spine. The rest of his crew rises and cast their eyes downwards at Jacob’s feet as they pass – each seemingly too afraid to meet his stone-cold gaze. They travel in single file to the hatch, climbing downwards into the darkness below.

As soon as the hatch door closes, Jacob grips my wrist and tugs me forward, pushing me towards a wooden crate sitting by the foremast at Joshua’s side.

“Sit.” He orders, and I do so without resistance.

“Well?” The long-haired man asks, crossing his arms over his chest and turning to Jacob.

“I found them. But they’re encoded. She’s the only one left who knows how to read them.” Jacob explains. He’s standing with his legs parted and chin high – a boastful position that oozes authority, despite being shorter than the long-haired man.

“Could she not decode them now?” The fourth man asks, breaking his silence for the first time. He’s got darker features than the other three men, with black curly hair that frames his strong jawline.

“She said-”

“It will take time to decode them.” I interrupt the Captain, sitting up straighter as each of their gazes falls onto me. “I can speak for myself, thank you.”

The long-haired man chuckles softly under his breath, earning himself a glare from Jacob. He silences himself quickly.

“It has been a long time since I practised these symbols, and each set is slightly different from the others.”

“And how exactly do we know that we can trust you, lass?” Joshua asks with a tilt of his head. He’s smiling, and the expression reminds me so suddenly of Jacob that I assume they must be related somehow.

“We don’t.” The long-haired man mutters, leaning over towards the dark haired man as he speaks.

“Samuel, enough.” Jacob cuts in. “She’s all we have. There are no Calloways left that could decode these symbols. She’s the last one.”

Samuel raises his hands in a placating manner, shrugging his shoulders.

“Just asking, brother. Just asking. If she truly is the only one, then trust her we must, I suppose.”

The Captain nods at him solemnly.

“I don’t like it.” Joshua announces, crouching down before me so that we’re eye to eye. “You know what they always say…” He starts, grinning wickedly as he extends his hand to brush my cheek with his fingertips. “Never trust a fucking Calloway.’’

I jerk my head away from his touch, fear gripping me as he stares. His smile seems genuine and yet I see no kindness behind his eyes. It’s unsettling.

“Calloway I may be,” I start, narrowing my eyes at him in what I hope is a menacing expression, “but I would appreciate you stepping away from me.” The demand is overshadowed by the shake in my voice but I do not drop his gaze. Somehow, I feel as if looking away first would be a victory for him.

“Joshua…” Jacob begins, but he only shrugs as he rises from his squatted position.

“Kitten's got claws, it seems.” He says snidely, winking at me as he straightens himself.

“Daniel?” Jacob asks, turning to the dark-haired man. “You’ve not said anything.”

Daniel only hums quietly, touching his forefinger to his chin as if in thought.

“We don’t really have much of a choice, do we?”

They are all silent for a long moment and a shiver runs through me as I realize that my fate lies solely in the hands of these strange men.

“That’s settled then.” Jacob nods, wringing his hands together as he appraises me. “Take her to my quarters. She can sleep there for now.”

With that, Jacob turns on his heel and makes his way to the bow. His long coat billows behind him as he walks and I take it that I will most likely not see him again tonight.

Samuel and Daniel both turn their gazes back towards me, but Joshua’s eyes stay trained on Jacob’s back. His expression is one of pain – the depth of which I can scarcely imagine.

“Follow me.” Daniel says, and though his tone is not necessarily amicable, there is far more kindness in his tone compared to the other three.

I rise from my place and follow him down the steep stairs and through the hatch, steadying myself on the rails as we go. Though the November air outside on the deck had been chilled, down here is of a different set: more oppressive, more solid. It has substance. Moist and enveloping, sucking me in and stealing my breath. Already, I miss the clean air of land.

“Where will the Captain sleep if I am in his quarters?” I ask Daniel, eyes trained on his broad shoulders as we walk.

“He rarely sleeps down here, lass. If he sleeps at all.”

I nod, his response only arising more questions than answers. I say no more.

–

His quarters are not what I had expected them to be – almost homey in comparison to the rest of the ship. A lit lantern sits on the desk in the corner, casting the room in a warm light. His bed is perfectly made, looking almost completely untouched save for the rumpled covers at the foot, indicating that he must have sat down there recently.

“What’s your name, lass?” Daniel asks me as I step through the threshold.

“Y/n.”

He just nods, staring at me for a long moment. His gaze is piercing, yet I do not feel uncomfortable from it.

“Thank you for agreeing to this, Y/n. Though it is not my place to tell you why translating those notes is important to him, just know that you are instrumental in retrieving something very important to him – to all of us, really.”

I do not know how to answer him. I only give him a terse smile as I place my pack on the Captain’s bed.

“I’ll take my leave now.”

“Thank you, Daniel.” I hope that he knows that I mean it.

Once the door closes behind him, I take a moment to observe the room closer. His desk is cluttered – scribbled notes and maps littering the surface. Gingerly, I step forward to examine them. I sort through each one slowly, feeling like a child doing something she knows she’s not supposed to. Most of the notes are nonsense to me – sea-faring talk that I do not understand the meaning of.

But it’s not those that catch my eye. Amongst the scribbles, there lies a few metered verses scrawled into the margins of the pages.

Poems.

Few of them finished and most covered in crossed out words, but poems nonetheless. As I glance over them, I cannot help but to admire the lines. The Captain has a way with words.

The thought of him sitting alone here, bent over a piece of paper and scrawling these verses makes warmth spark to light in my belly – despite the fact that they are not happy verses. Yet their sorrow carries beauty. Wistful lamentations of being lost at sea – torn apart and floating aimlessly through the frothy depths. Reading them feels like the deepest invasion of privacy and I tear my eyes away from them.

There is one painting sitting framed on his desk. A woman – with beautiful dark skin and long hair. I pick up the frame, admiring her closer. Though it is only a painting, I cannot help but stand in awe at her beauty. My mind spins with possibilities of who she might be. A lover, surely. An odd feeling takes root in my sternum at the thought, though I cannot begin to explain why. Turning the frame over, I see no markings that give any indication as to who the woman is or when the painting was done.

A knock at the door startles me, and I quickly place the frame back into its spot. I step away from the desk, once again feeling as though I am not supposed to be in here.

The door opens before I can invite the intruder in and I bristle as Joshua strides into the room, pointedly closing the door behind him. The dim light of the lantern casts shadows across his sharp jawline and his white teeth almost glow in the darkness. There is something about him… an aura that sets me on edge. He’s like the clouds that cover the sky before a heavy storm – looming menacingly on the horizon. I feel as though he might snap any moment, pulling me into the fray alongside him.

“What do you want?” I ask, cursing how meek my voice sounds.

“Sit.” He orders, his voice silky smooth as he points towards the end of the Captain’s bed.

I huff a breath as I follow his command.

“I am only going to say this one time, lass.” He mutters, stepping in close to me and leaning downwards – so close that I can feel his hot breath on my face. “Breathe a word of what I am about to say to you to anyone, and there will be Hell to pay. Do you understand?”

I purse my lips and do not give him an answer, but he seems to take my silence as answer enough.

“My brother… he’s been through much. And the thing he seeks means more to him than the very air he breathes.” His voice is low, almost a whisper as he speaks. “If for some reason he does not succeed, he will not survive it.”

I open my mouth – intent on demanding answers as to what this quest of his must be but he silences me with a piercing look.

“I will not tell you what it is that he seeks. It is not your place to know. I simply need you to understand something.”

Already, I grow tired of the riddles. But yet… I understand that I am not yet owed any explanation. They do not trust me – nor I them. Yet, here I am on their ship, abandoning everything that I know for the sake of helping a pirate who threatened my life. It sounds so absurd I almost laugh out loud.

“And what exactly do you need me to know?”

“If the reason that he does not succeed is you… understand that I will kill you. Slowly. Painfully. In all the ways that I know hurt the most. I have lost more than you could ever even dream of, and I will not lose him too.”

The aggression of his earlier tone gives way to a deep, heart wrenching desperation as he speaks, and I find myself nodding without conscious thought. There is no doubt in my mind now that he and the Captain’s relationship is close – even for siblings. I am struck with a pang of jealousy at the thought of someone loving me that fiercely and, despite the circumstance, I cannot help but admire the intense protectiveness that the man in front of me possesses.

“I understand.” I whisper, meeting his gaze with as much honesty as I can. “I want to help him. I cannot tell you why, but I know that helping him is what I am meant to do. And I know that the nature of my family name must give you reason to doubt that – but believe me when I tell you that I am not like the rest of my family. I knew few of them, and the ones I did I wish that I had not…” I trail off for a moment, feeling suddenly startled by the honesty of my own words. I had never spoken this out loud to anyone before and here I am, spilling my most personal secrets with a stranger. There is something about Joshua that seems to draw the truth from between my lips unbidden.

“So please see the truth within my words," I continue, my words coming out only just above a whisper, "when I say that I refuse to be anything like them. And I will do anything and everything in my power to help the Captain in his quest – whatever it may be.”

There is no lie as I meet Joshua’s gaze, and somehow I can see that he realises it.

Joshua nods and for the very first time, his expression is genuine as he regards me.

“I think we understand each other, then.” He says, straightening up and heading towards the door.

“I think we do.”

“Good night, Y/n.” And with that, he’s gone.

I exhale through my nose, instantly feeling more at ease at his absence. A tentative truce may have occurred between myself and Joshua but I am not fool enough to believe that he really trusts me. I certainly do not fully trust him.

As the silence of the room surrounds me, a bone-deep weariness overtakes me – the emotional turbulence of the day finally catching up to me. I eye my pack, debating on whether or not I have the energy to pull out those folded pages within and begin the painstaking task of translating them. Pressing as the matter may be, my vision is already swimming and the thought of trying to decipher the codes sounds near impossible at the moment. It would be of no real use to attempt it now.

Instead, I place my pack on the floor and pull the covers back, slipping into the beckoning warmth of the bed. Immediately, my senses are flooded with his smell – sweet whiskey, sweat, and the smell of salt all mixed together with his natural musk. I inhale deeply as I settle in, closing my eyes against the dim glow of the lantern, now only just barely still burning. It doesn’t take long for the gentle rock of the boat to lull me into sleep.

:¨·.·¨:☾☆༺ 𓆩⚔︎𓆪 ༻☆☽:¨·.·¨:

Joshua POV

Jacob has not moved by the time I ascend to the deck again. He stands at the bow, looking out into the dark waters.

Even from afar, his pain radiates from him like a black smoke, sputtering out of his very pores and coating myself and him with its inky substance, threatening to choke us both. I wish desperately that I could take it from him.

“She’s settled, I think.” I speak into the silence, coming to stand just behind him.

“Thank you.”

He makes no move to turn around as he speaks and the distance between us has never felt more cavernous. I ache to reach out and touch him… to feel the warmth of him as some sort of proof that he’s still alive and not made of cold stone.

“Do you really think those notes are the key to all of this?”

Still, he does not even look at me.

“They will at least give me some sort of inkling as to whatever it is that I will be walking into.”

“We.” I remind him, pointedly taking a step closer so that our shoulders are almost touching. His gaze remains fixed upon the water, watching how the moon’s reflection dances with the waves.

“There is no telling the danger that lies in waiting. I cannot ask you to follow me. Any of you.”

“Then it is a good thing that you do not have to ask.” I grip his shoulder, willing him silently to at least look at me as I speak. He does not, instead simply shrugging his shoulder to detach himself from my grip.

He only hums in response and I cannot stop the sigh that escapes me. This is not the first time that we have had this discussion – nor will it be the last. But I will sooner throw myself overboard than allow him to do this alone.

“Jack said that we will need to stop for provisions.”

Jacob nods.

“We will stop at Nassau, then. Make a quick stop there for rest and supplies before setting out.”

I roll my eyes, groaning at the suggestion.

“Must you always choose the most vile of places, brother mine? I can already smell the shit and piss from here.”

At last, Jacob turns to look at me and he chuckles lightly – and the sound makes my entire body thrum with warmth. I have not heard him laugh in a very long time.

“That’s our own people that you’re speaking about, Joshua.” He says with a small grin.

“And I’m sure Hornigold will be oh so pleased to see you again.”

Jacob nods.

“If he sees me. Though the hope is that he is none the wiser that we are there.”

“And if he does find out?”

“Then he will just have to get over himself.”

We are both silent for a moment and it feels, briefly, like everything is back to normal… like none of it happened. I wish I could make it so. There are so many things that I wish we all had done differently.

I shake my head. It does no good now to dwell on the past.

“Try and get some sleep tonight, Jacob. I know I’m the prettier twin anyway... but you look like shit.”

Jacob exhales a laugh, narrowing his eyes at me. At first, I think he might send a jab back at me – a playful insult to level the playing field. It’s what the old Jacob would have done. But he doesn’t. It’s only another painful reminder that the Jacob I once knew is long gone.

“I’ll try.” He says, and that’s the closest he’s come to actually admitting that he hasn’t been sleeping well – a fact which we are all aware of, yet too afraid to mention to his face. The men fear him now – a fact that pains me beyond measure. The man standing in front of me... I hardly recognize him anymore.

“My door is always unlocked.” My words slip out unbidden. It’s silly – the prospect of two grown men sharing a bed. But I won’t retract the offer. We used to do it when we were young… when one of us needed comfort or had a bad dream. Surely, after everything, no one could fault either of us for seeking out some extra comfort. Though undoubtedly, he will not take it.

“I know.” Jacob turns back around, and I can see in his posture the silent dismissal. Though my heart aches as I make my leave, I am comforted slightly in the knowledge that he had laughed – it was small, more of an exhale really, but he had laughed. As minuscule of a victory it may be, it is a victory still. A sign that the real Jacob is still in there somewhere – just hidden away from us. I can only pray that he will return to us. If this mission of his fails… I can only fear the worst.

:¨·.·¨:☾☆༺ 𓆩⚔︎𓆪 ༻☆☽:¨·.·¨:

Part III

Mirror of the Damned taglist:

@jakeyt @sacredjake @carbondancingthroughtime @literal-dead-leaf @sinarainbows @ohgodthefeeling-gvf @aflame4goinghome @writingcold @ignite-my-fire @mysticalstarcatcher @brinlygvf @mackalah @vanfleeter @chewbeka22 @starcatcherchords @char289 @amygvf13 @way-to-go-lad @jaketlove

#mirror of the damned #dee's writing #jake kiszka x reader #jake kiszka fanfiction #pirate jake kiszka #jake kiszka

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blacksails-rarepairs · 6 months

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there's a (nonexhaustive) list of ineligible ships for Rarepair Week on the ao3 collection page, but what about the eligible ones?

there are sooo many juicy rarepairs. Consider these:

Flint/Madi

Flint/Silver/Madi

Flint/Gates

Flint/Jack Rackham

Charles Vane/Blackbeard

Madi/Eme

Anne Bonny/Max/Jack Rackham

Anne Bonny/Mary Read (!)

Anne Bonny/Jack Rackham/Mary Read (!!)

Anne Bonny/Max/Jack Rackham/Mary Read (!!!)

Billy Bones/Charles Vane

Billy Bones/Silver

Silver/Miranda Barlow

Silver/Israel Hands

Silver/Muldoon

Pretty much any ot3 apart from Flint/Hamilton/Barlow is eligible as well.

Some characters can be paired with literally any other character in the show to make a rarepair! Consider:

anybody/Marion Guthrie (where my harriet walter fuckers at)

anybody/Idelle

anybody/Joji

anybody/Joshua

anybody/Featherstone

anybody/Ned Low (one for the villainfuckers among us..)

And there are so many others! Any ship with fewer than 100 works on ao3, specifying Black Sails as the fandom and excluding crossovers, is eligible.

Let us go forth and relish our rarepair wealth!

#black sails

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iliektehhaxs · 8 months

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the beach scene with Jill and Clive made me feel so many emotions because the ship has finally sailed ;v; Can we get something similar with Joshua? When would the first kiss with Joshua be? In what situation would Joshua and Reader confess their love? Aaaaaaaa I need a lot of Joshua fluff and angst QWQ

Hopefully this was sad enough? I need more experience with angst tbh so this was good practice!

It hurt Joshua to push away his loved ones, but it was a sting he was all too familiar with. Clive, Jill, Jote, all friends and family he kept at arms length to protect them, but you were different. You never left.

He tried to send you away as well, but you wouldn’t listen. Persistent, stubborn, you followed him despite the danger you knew you would face. Even if you knew it would get you killed.

In all honesty, it only made him love you even more.

He could feel it, Ultima’s pull. Days were drawing closer and closer to their confrontation, where he would fight to protect this world and all he holds dear. An impending sense of doom, a sinking feeling in his chest every time he looked to the gray skies above. He watched the clouds roll over from his bed in the hideaway, focused on the ominous spire that hovered over the lands of valisthea in some sickening imitation of the Mothercrystal.

By early morning he would journey to that wicked monument, and the fate of the world would be decided.

“Joshua?”

His thoughts are interrupted by the sound of your voice. Concerned, you walk past the entryway to where he sits on his bed.

“Can’t sleep?” You smile, but it doesn’t reach your eyes. He mirrors your own expression, not quite able to muster up a sentence.

The bed flexes with your combined weight, and any other time your company would be welcome, but it only fills him with dread. A reminder of what he stands to lose should he fail in his mission.

Your voice cuts through the silence. “I’m afraid, Joshua.”

He nods in agreement. The air is rife with apprehension, a sudden restlessness settling in his bones. “You have no reason to be. We will defeat Ultima.”

A hand reaches out to trace against his own. Tentatively, your fingers trace against his palm, holding it close as you speak. “I know you will. That’s not why I’m afraid.”

Normally so well spoken, he can’t find it in himself to reply. The fire at Phoenix Gate, the encounter at Oriflamme, and now this. Perhaps it was the curse of the Phoenix to be a martyr, to die for others.

There’s a tremble in your voice, one he wishes he could tame. “I don’t want you to go.”

It’s a naive sentiment. You both know fully well that he must but you say it anyway, desperation dripping in every word.

“I will return. I promise.” He says in mock confidence. And if his voice wavers, if his hands shake in your smaller ones, you don’t mention it.

Your shoulders shake with laughter, but it’s not like the laughter Joshua knows. No, this is forced, clipped, not the melodious sound he has grown to know and love.

You sniffle weakly, eyes glassy as you look at him. “Liar.”

That one word makes his heart shatter. Suddenly the room is all too small, reality setting in as you cry in front of him.

Neither of you can pretend any longer, and so you both fall into each other's embrace, his head pressed as far as it can into your hair. He holds you close, memorizes how you feel against him, your touch, your scent, how tightly your hands wrap around him as if you could somehow force him to stay.

Your tears feel hot against his tunic, your fingers curling into the soft material. “I love you, Joshua.”

It’s said so softly, if the room wasn’t already silent he would have missed it. Many days he imagined those words falling from your lips, imagined how his heart would beat faster and his smile would stretch, but those words fill him with an inescapable fear. They drag him down, black as pitch, leaving him trapped.

He lets out a choked sob into your soft hair. “I love you as well.”

This is not the ending he imagined, but it is the ending he is given.

When he reaches the docks, ready to leave for Ultima’s lair, he sees your face and an ugly thought tugs at his heart: “What would happen if I did stay?”

Surely Clive and Dion could fight Ultima by themselves? Perhaps they didn’t need him, perhaps his presence would be unneeded—

He banished the thought immediately. No, as much as he wants to stay, he would never risk it.

You run forward and hug him, and it’s a surprise to him and all who witness when you timidly kiss him.

Softly, your lips meld against his, a sensation that makes him forget himself. On instinct he pulls you closer, not a thought in his mind except to commit the feeling to memory.

A moment that feels like a lifetime, your lips leave his and he wishes they would return. Your eyes are full of love, and sorrow, a melting pot of emotions that he finds himself lost in.

It almost hurts to let you go, his arms falling to his sides. You seem to have the same problem, seeing as how your hands ball up until your knuckles turn white.

“Be safe.” You whisper, hesitantly leaving his embrace. He nods, giving you a weak smile.

You watch him depart in tears, and you wish upon Metia for his safe travels. He watches your shrinking silhouette until it fades into the horizon, and wishes that you do not cry for him.

As he fights, he thinks of you.

As he succumbs to his injuries, he thinks of you.

As he takes his last breath, he thinks of you.

His last wish for this world is that you do not spend the rest of your days shedding a tear for him.

#robo writes #joshua rosfield #joshua rosfield angst #this was typed so quickly because i started tearing up halfway through so if its kinda short thats why LMAO

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hvcmixtape · 1 year

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this is for the lovely cece! (@shuatm) surprise i'm sh(elle), hence the 🐚 emoji for when i was messaging you as your secret santa <3 i hope you really enjoy this fic! i really liked the mistle-foe game you played with your friends so i repurposed it in a way to fit the fic! and aside from the fic, i hope your christmas and holiday season has been lovely so far and you have great energy coming into the new year

and thank you to my friends in the @k-labels server who worked alongside me for the past days while i was getting this done! shout out to davin (@renhaissance), soul (@l-luvr), kana (@luvhyun3), freya (@angelwoozi), and zoe (@badwithten) who were all there at some point while i was writing this so thank you for playing a huge role in me finishing this fic!

pairing: high school!joshua x fem!reader; academic rival!joshua wc: ~5k genre: fluff ; some swearing, but no trigger warnings

The second you feel an icy, dripping sensation down the back of your neck, it’s over for him. You whip your head around and scrunch your nose, balling your fists to edge the urge to scream. “I’ll kill you, Joshua Hong!”

“You can’t kill me, I’m half your grade!” He yells behind his back as he starts tripping over his feet before Joshua goes into a full sprint—as much as he can run with snow on the ground.

With your scarf thrown around your neck, it coasts on the wind behind you as you start to run after Joshua, weaving through the crowd of students waiting for their rides home at the end of the school day. You yell out warnings to passersby, more so for yourself so you don’t jinx anything and fall flat on your face.

You know you’ve caught up to his figure when you grip a hand on the shoulder of his black puffer. “Gotcha!”

…And that’s not the face you were looking for when you are met with the soft face of Jeonghan, one of your classmates. “Sorry, Hannie, you weren’t the person I was looking for. But I’ll see you later!”

Your eyes squint as you see Joshua’s face beyond the scope of Jeonghan and before he can accept your apology, you’re already moving forward with fire in your eyes. The satisfying crunch of fallen snow can’t be more satisfying than the punch you’ll throw toward Joshua’s chest in a few seconds—

“Wait a minute, (Y/N)!” Joshua’s desperate voice is accompanied by his open palms protecting his chest. Your lips purse toward one side of your face as you hold yourself back from moving. Any closer and you’d be in his face. “You can’t kill me because one, our final project is still not done and I’m literally half your grade, and two, we have to get going—everyone’s waiting for us to draw the names for Secret Santa.”

With a roll of your eyes, you let out an exasperated sigh. “Fine. You’re spared,” and with a sailing fist to his bicep, “for now.”

“(Y/N), ow. That actually hurt.” Joshua pouts, but he still leads the way toward Seungcheol’s house, the location of the Secret Santa drawing and exchange for the past four years. Now that you’re all seniors, you’re sure the burning thought on everyone’s minds is where the future will take you all. But the thought of the future can’t overshadow what’s in front of you, and what’s in front of you is Joshua Hong, the guy you’ve been chasing after in each class since freshman year.

His tongue-in-cheek bickering has accompanied each assignment you’ve had, and when you get even a point lower on a test, your blood boils in your chest when his condescending voice sings, “Maybe you can do better next time, I’ll teach you if you want.”

How you ended up being in the same friend group as your academic rival was lost on you, yet your dynamic with Joshua has never changed throughout the years.

“You had to be nice to each other at least once, right? Like maybe when we first formed the friend group?” Seungkwan reasoned when he brought it up to you earlier in the semester. Everyone was there except Joshua, who had soccer practice. “Joshua’s one of the nicest people I know too!”

“To everyone except me! Believe me,” you scoff at Seungkwan’s frown. “I’ve tried to be nice to him, but sometimes he’s just so insufferable,” you argue on your lonely island of one. From the corner of your eye, you could see Mingyu and Wonwoo share a look, and you huff. “I’m being serious! Like no way someone is just their mama’s boy who always goes to church is so nice all the time.”

“Sounds like you’re projecting,” Vernon chides as one of his eyebrows lifts up. “We’ve been friends all this time, and you still can't get along with him. Have you even tried to put in any effort?”

So maybe you've put in a good 5 percent of effort to be nice before you start being catty, but it's also on Joshua to be nice to you too! Like he’s being right now as he lets you go ahead of him when you approach Seungcheol’s door.

You tiptoe in, but there’s no use when Seungcheol yells, “Finally! We’ve been waiting for too long.” He emerges from the other room and his eyes almost bug out of his head when he sees the sight ahead of him. With a low whistle, there’s a smirk on his face that you want to get rid of. “Ho, ho, ho, merry Christmas, am I right? Can’t believe I’m seeing a Christmas miracle.”

“Fuck off, Cheol.” Jabbing your thumb in the air behind you, you explain that you weren’t planning on coming in together. “But this kid wanted to throw a snowball at the back of my neck.”

“Hey, it was just so tempting considering the first snowfall was yesterday.”

“What’s so tempting is me punching you for real.”

Joshua’s face gets increasingly closer to yours, finding a way to tick you off further. “Oh? Why don’t you do it then?” You can feel his breath on you as he taunts you.

You start walking over to where you hear the rest of your friends, but Seungcheol grips your shoulder. “Uh, uh, uh. Look up.”

You and Joshua tilt your chins up to the ceiling, green leaves tied together with a red bow taunting your whole being.

“Mistletoe…” Joshua whispers as he dissects the leaves with his vision, as if it'll slowly dissipate the longer he looks at it.

“Like hell, I’ll kiss Joshua.” You shove Seungcheol lightly, pushing your way toward the living room where your friends’ faces lighten up at your appearance.

“(Y/N)!” Seungkwan exclaims happily. “Did you get stuck under the mistletoe? I heard a little bit of what you were saying at the door.”

“Yeah, (Y/N) didn't wanna kiss me, their loss,” Joshua says as he shrugs himself around you, tossing his backpack on the ground and joining Seungkwan and Vernon on the carpet.

With Seungcheol following not soon after, he yells, “Mingyu, how many times have I told you not to put your feet on the coffee table?”

Mingyu puts his feet back on the ground. As Joshua, Seungkwan, and Vernon sit around the coffee table to discuss the physics test they just took, Wonwoo and Mingyu sit on one couch, and Seungcheol makes his way to sit beside Jeonghan (who somehow made it there before you and Joshua) on the other couch.

You take the last seat near the fireplace, kicking off your shoes and curling up near the heat. You've always loved Seungcheol’s house. During the holiday season, you loved to help his mother hang stockings on the mantle and ornaments on their tree. Her highest compliment was her loving how you arranged the poinsettias on their dining table. It’s a good change of pace from what you're used to.

“Who’s ready to pick?” Seungcheol pipes up once individual conversations die down.

“I mean, it doesn’t matter because we’ll know immediately who (Y/N) has,” Joshua jokes and Vernon dabs him up for that.

You can’t help but roll your eyes and say, “Yeah, let’s just start before Joshua has anything else to say about me.”

Just like last year and the year before that, Vernon takes a beanie out of his backpack to serve as the selection bowl. Each person rips a small slip of paper from Jeonghan’s notebook and writes their name down. Again, the thoughts flood your head, wondering if next year will be anything like this when you all go down your different paths.

“Everyone put their names in the hat,” Vernon puts his arms out, and everyone reaches over to drop their paper in.

“Hey, watch it!” Seungkwan glares at Jeonghan when he feels his head jostling from a push.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to,” Jeonghan says but still laughs heartily as he settles back into the couch before Seungkwan can launch himself to get in a punch. Even though Jeonghan is older than him, Seungkwan’s hands and feet are ready for anything, especially if it’s Dino, the youngest friend in their friend group.

Mingyu leads by pinching the fabric closed and shaking it. With his eyes closed, he opens it back up and selects a slip out of the hat, slower than ever.

“Does he know that this isn’t the Triwizard Cup?” Vernon quips, and you can’t help but laugh. Everyone else starts erupting, whether it’s in chuckles or complaints, and one of Mingyu’s eyes slowly opens.

When he figures out who he has, he nods with a smile and passes the hat to Wonwoo. It keeps going on and on until it’s Joshua’s turn.

While you hope you don’t get Joshua, you do hope that he does get you. Out of all the boys, Joshua is the most thoughtful when it comes to gift-giving. Three years ago, as freshmen, you received the best gift you’ve probably ever gotten.

“This is a huge package,” you mutter to yourself, and you glare immediately at Seungcheol before he says any “that’s what she said” jokes. As you’re removing the wrapping paper, you’re wondering what you could have done in your life (and past life) to be the recipient of such a big gift.

“You’re taking so long, (Y/N),” Jeonghan complains as you try to remove the wrapping paper all in one piece. Even the wrapping paper is beautiful with metallic gold and silver lines running along it. “You’re not even going to keep it!”“You don’t know that!” You yell back.

He totally knows that you won’t.

As you speed up the process, you open the box and are met with a Studio Ghibli movie poster for your room, a stunning stationery set, and an Animal crossing figure for your favorite villager. You’re ready to move on and guess who gave you your present, but you notice one last small box in the corner of the package.

When you pick it up, the suede container is so enticing, but you want to savor the moment. You lift the top off.

“(Y/N), you’re going to catch flies,” Vernon laughs.

“What is it?” Seungkwan leans over, and when his eyes catch what’s inside, he knows why you can’t help dropping your jaw.

You unconsciously rub your neck, running your finger over the gem and the initial of your first name attached to the chain. It has always been your favorite gift, even if your rival was the one who gave it to you.

Joshua loves to act like he has everything under control, so when he pulls his slip of paper, the smile on his face never fades. There is no scrunch between his eyebrows or nose. He’s the poster boy for calm, cool, and collected.

Right after him is you and you’re determined to be just like Joshua. He passes you the hat, maintaining eye contact for probably the first time in a month before he goes back to joking with Jeonghan about your facial expressions.

You choose the slip of fate after swishing your fingers around. Before you open it, you swivel your head to check if anyone’s looking and lean back in your chair.

The folds get straightened out and your heart rate rises, by a lot, and your eyebrows pull up toward the top of your forehead, and—

There’s no way…you got Joshua?

You’ve crossed off each day on your calendar, and today is no exception. Before you leave your bedroom, you take your red pen and cross off on December 19th, the last day of school before winter break. Underneath the number, a reminder is written about the Secret Santa exchange.

There’s no need to ask you how you feel about being Joshua’s gift-giver this season, especially given the fact that you could very well be his last one too. In the conversations that you overhear (not eavesdrop), he’s told Vernon and Jeonghan that he’s in talks with an entertainment company in his mother’s homeland. He wants to make a name for himself and try it out for a year. If it works out, he’ll keep going. If it doesn’t work out, he’ll apply to UCLA or UC Irvine just like everyone else.

What an extravagant plan for a gap year, huh?

Either way, you want to make this the best Secret Santa any of your friends have ever seen.

Bless the soul of your teachers, who seem to want to work less than the students, and you breeze through the day with a full stomach from the holiday parties in each class period. At the end of the day, the school assembles in the auditorium for the annual senior superlative Christmas show.

Seungcheol sits on a throne as the star of the show, Santa Claus—as if he could have been anyone else. Mingyu and Wonwoo opted to be Santa’s security and stand behind him with black vests and shades, arms crossed as if they were monitoring the situation. Vernon hangs out on the edge of the stage with Jeonghan and Seungkwan, who are all gingerbread men. You’re sitting in the back of the stands, ruffling your wings when they call out the names of the angels. The one you want to laugh at is Joshua, whose been appointed as everyone’s favorite red-nosed reindeer.

The show goes off without a hitch, and you can’t say you were surprised when your ears perked up when you hear your name called…in conjunction with Joshua’s.

“Been working since freshman year for this very moment,” Joshua quips as he slings his arm around your shoulder to pose for the photographer. This very picture will be going into the yearbook with the description “Best School Rivals.”

“I’m clearly the better one,” you roll your eyes after the flash goes off.

“In your dreams, (Y/N),” he says behind his shoulder as you both head back to your seats.

There’s not much left in the school day when the show ends with all the seniors thanking their teachers with words and gifts, so you’re ready to exchange your halo and wings for comfier clothing to go to Seungcheol’s house for Secret Santa.

“Ah, (Y/N), don’t change until after the exchange,” Jeonghan tells you as you clean out your locker for the semester.

You’re still placing books into your bag when you ask for the reason.

“We need to take pictures! We’re only seniors once,” he cites the reason for almost every single stupid thing the boys have done to excuse their actions. “If you’re ready, then we can go to Seungcheol’s together?”

You scan up and down the locker before you grab the Christmas bag at the bottom of it. You shut it afterward and say, “Yeah, I’m ready.”

When entering Seungcheol’s house, you’re careful with where you stand and with whom. You’re certain there can’t be any mistletoe above the door frame, but you never know, so you make sure that Jeonghan walks ahead of you. There’s a breath of relief you’ve never felt before until you saw there was no green bouquet taped to the wall of the front door.

Just when you think it couldn’t get more festive, there’s more baubles and ornaments on the Christmas tree, a strip of hanging lights around the mantle, and is that even more tinsel?!

“Your mom has outdone herself, as she always does,” you muse as Seungcheol brings out bowls of snacks and sets them on the living room table.

He’s still dressed in his Santa costume, somewhat, as his jacket and thick belt rest on one of the chairs. “Do you expect anything less from her?”

You pluck a piece of popcorn from the bowl and shake your head with a chuckle. “Where’s everyone else?” You ask, your eyes peering at the backpacks surrounding the coffee table. You place yours near theirs, but the gift bag stays with you.

“Changing back into their costumes because Jeonghan told Seungkwan that he wanted to take a picture and everyone already came here changed out of them.”

Classic.

One by one, the boys come back to their usual spots, adorned in the very same costumes as they wore on stage with small modifications here and there to look less dressed up.

When Joshua comes back to sit on the floor near you, you call his name. When his head turns toward you, you can’t help but tap the end of his nose. “Your nose is still so red.”

“Really?” He scrunches his face as he pulls out his phone to view his reflection in the camera app. “Fuck, I tried using Cheol’s face soap too.” He groans and shakes his head. Glancing down at the bag you’ve placed in your lap, Joshua purses his lips. “Who’s it for?”

“Tell you as soon as you tell me, Hong.” You point your chin to the box near him. “Who’s the lucky person with your gift this year?” There’s no malice in your voice.

“Someone you know well.” He chuckles at the gears turning in your head, rendering you more confused.

Now that everyone settles into their seats, Jeonghan says you all should take a picture before the gifts are revealed, and insists further when the sounds of grumbles fill his ears.

The group shuffles into positions, and you slide down to sit next to Joshua, which may have been the wrong decision because he leans over to attempt to peer into the bag.

“What the hell, Joshua,” you mutter. “I knew someone was going to try to do that so I put way too much tissue paper in here.” You press the top shut, sticking your tongue out at Joshua before it’s time to pose for the picture.

Jeonghan takes charge of the running back and forth for the timer, something everyone is beyond used to by now.

Vernon’s the first to say something when the dust of picture-taking settles. “Are we gonna start or what?” Everyone places their gifts on the coffee table, sizing up what could be theirs.

Seungcheol and Vernon go head to head with rock paper scissors. (A game that’s actually fair since the last time they tried to settle things with an arm wrestle, Vernon yelped so loud.) Vernon wins best 2 out of 3, so he searches for the tag that’s his.

“Sweet,” Vernon talks to himself as he opens the box and finds a beanie and a chain resting on top of a hoodie. “Can I guess…” He surveys his options. “Mingyu?” The guy shakes his head. “Wonwoo?”

“Yep, I got you.” Vernon walks over to give his gift giver an appreciative hug.

Seungkwan’s turn is a blur because you know you’re up next after him. All you know is that Mingyu gave him a Starbucks giftcard and a new equipment bag for his upcoming volleyball season.

“It’s (Y/N)’s turn,” Seungcheol sing-songs with a bit of a naughty grin. Your stomach drops a little bit, and then even more as you realize the very gift meant for you is the gift Joshua was holding.

Your very wish had come true.

“You really got me, Joshua?” You look to him before you pick up the gift and he nods with a smile that you usually don’t see when it comes to you. It’s in beautiful wrapping paper, just like last time. You wonder if his mom’s the one who wrapped it this time and the time three years ago because knowing that Joshua absolutely sucks at knitting does not give you the most hope.

To prevent this time around from being a repeat, you rip the paper, even though you would have loved to repurpose it in some way, shape, or form. It’s a box, similar to the one that Vernon had from Wonwoo, and you remove the top.

Your hands fly to your chest as soon as your eyes took in the sight. Pictures upon pictures pasted on top of each other, all forming to create a heart. The words on top make out the words “You’re the best, (Y/N)” and now your own heart is in your throat.

You scan the poster, recalling the memories that come with the pictures. There’s one off-guard photo that you never even knew existed from when you and Joshua actually spent time alone together and you didn’t explode somehow. It was a biting winter day just like this one and you threw freshly-fallen snow into the air, smiling as the snowflakes drifted wherever the wind took it. You’ve never seen such a natural smile and yet, here it is in this very picture.

“There’s some other things underneath the collage,” Joshua says, his voice coming out gentler than you expected.

Keychains for the people who have already committed to their colleges—Vernon’s heading to NYU, Cheol and Jeonghan are both going to Berkeley, and Wonwoo’s going to UC Irvine. (So many smart boys you’ve got in the group.) There’s one more, a keychain for Pledis Entertainment.

“It’s to remind yourself of me,” Joshua explains. “I’m not going to college yet. Or ever, depending on how this whole idol thing goes.”

“You’ll do so good, Joshua,” you whisper because that’s as loud as you can get without your tears overflowing. You continue to move on with the gift, finding a pair of the cutest frog plush slippers, an apple pie candle, and a slip promising you that he’ll make you cold cider before the season ends.

Lastly, a sealed envelope rests at the bottom of the box and Joshua implores you not to open it in front of everyone and just wait until you’re by yourself. “Just wait until you’re home.”

The other boys ooo-and-ahh, especially Seungkwan who wants to know why. “Secret feelings maybe?”

Cheol snorts and says, “Maybe a copy of his perfect grades.”

You smile at Joshua before putting everything back into the box and placing the top back. “Thank you, Joshua.”

The group continues with Mingyu, but your mind is still stuck on Joshua. This whole time, you’ve been shitting on him and he created you such a beautiful ensemble of presents. There’s not necessarily a pang of guilt, but more so a pang of “I’ve always seen Joshua as an academic rival, but why am I so committed to the bit?” and your eyebrows furrow at the thought.

You try to connect back as it’s now Wonwoo’s turn, but you can’t fully tune back in until it’s Joshua’s turn.

“How did we manage to have each other?” Joshua muses, concluding that the bag in your lap was for him.

He pulls out the tissue paper, commenting that you definitely put too much in here, but he finds the last piece and places it down.

Your heart beats faster, and you can’t tell if it’s from seeing his hands dip into the gift bag, or the way his hair parts, or the sheer anxiety that you didn’t pick the right presents especially knowing he gave you amazing ones.

Regardless, nothing beats the way his smile grows wider than when he pulls out your gifts in a line.

“Wow, this is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen,” he says about a rabbit polaroid picture holder.

“This is your favorite, isn’t it?” He asks about a book you gifted him after you reading it in class piqued his interest.

“I love this scarf!” He exclaims, the colorful fabric pulling apart as far as his wingspan will allow.

Despite only giving three things, Joshua pulls you into a hug, resting his chin on your shoulder as his hands rub up and down your arms.

When he lets go, you kind of wonder how it would have been to stay in the hug longer but your brain doesn’t stray for too long when Joshua thanks you profusely for the gifts. “These are all so thoughtful, thank you (Y/N).”

“You’re welcome, I’m glad you like them.”

If only you could see the shock on everyone else’s faces as they watched this scene unfold, but even after Jeonghan and Seungcheol unwrap their gifts, the question bearing on your mind still bothers you.

“How did everyone else manage to get someone different, but Joshua and I got each other?” You ask, pointing to the two of you. While Vernon’s clasping his chain on and Seungkwan’s pressing his new tangerine pin next to the other three he has on his backpack, Seungcheol and Jeonghan try not to make eye contact. Mingyu and Wonwoo suddenly increase in volume.

“Hey! For real,” Joshua agrees with your question. “There’s no way this happened by chance.”

Everyone stops what they’re doing and all of a sudden, it’s so easy to make eye contact because the 6 of them look toward each other for an answer to produce.

“It was his idea,” both Seungcheol and Jeonghan say at the same time. Your mouth opens and closes, trying to find the words to say, but there are none.

“I mean, okay, it may have been my idea,” Jeonghan admits, scratching the back of his ear. “We all just kind of wanted to see you guys be nice to each other for once, instead of at each other’s throats for the rest of the year.”

Vernon adds, “Yeah, you're probably going to kill each other for the top 2 rankings, but you're friends before you guys are classmates.” He grips Joshua’s shoulder. “And dude, I know you don’t really feel that way about (Y/N). You’re only rude when you’re around her.”

“We know how you truly feel about (Y/N). You li—” Seungkwan’s eyebrows wiggle and Joshua physically lungs at him, pressing his hand to his mouth. With Vernon in the middle trying to lean back so he doesn’t get weighed down by Joshua’s body, it looks like a weird family photo.

After a moment, Joshua straightens himself and takes a deep breath in and out. His composure doesn’t dismiss the fact that his face is redder than the remaining face paint on his nose.

Mingyu jumps out of his seat, pulling on Wonwoo’s arm. “Ah, I have a phone call to take! Wonwoo has to come too.”

“I didn’t hear your ringtone go off.” Wonwoo narrows his eyes, but allows himself to be dragged away into Seungcheol’s kitchen across the house.

“Cheol, I’m hungry, do you have food?” Vernon perks up, looking at his friend. “Seungkwan’s hungry too.”

“There’s chips right there?” Seungcheol raises an eyebrow, but sighs. “Fuck it, come on. Jeonghan, I know you’re hungry too.” He herds the rest of them into the kitchen, leaving the two of you alone.

You’re dumbfounded with the way you’re just left with these feelings that swirl around your head. “Did you know?”

“About this?” Joshua points to the gifts. “Not at all. But now that I think about it, I probably should have guessed.” He laughs and there’s a relieved look on his face when your stone face relaxes.

“Thank you for the gifts again.” You say to fill the space of silence. “Kinda sad you’re not staying here.”

“There’s still one more semester left. You can’t get rid of me just yet.” Joshua shifts to sit directly across from you. “Even though they arranged it to be this way, I’m glad I got to be your Secret Santa.”

You smile, looking down at your hands. “So what was Seungkwan talking about when he was talking about feelings?” You watch the pads of your fingers dance with one another as you wait for his response.

“Well, yeah, it’’s true that I don’t hate you. I don’t hate anyone, but well, I can’t tell if you hate me or not.”

Your face falls, finally feeling that pang of guilt. “I think I just got so caught up with being the best that I never really considered how you felt. I…” your voice trails off. “I don��t hate you, Joshua.” Your voice gets quieter and quieter. “It’s kind of the opposite, I think.”

“What?”

You groan, finally looking at him in the eye. “This is going to sound so stupid, but I think my feelings took the wheel and I was rude to you to mask how I felt about you.”

“What kind of feelings are we talking?” Joshua cocks his head, being careful with the moves he puts forward.

“Ugh, I don’t want to say it, but I like you?” Your statement comes out more as a question, but the confirmation is rock solid.

Joshua runs his hand through the locks of his hair as he tilts his head back to stare at the ceiling. “I’ve liked you since the moment I met you, (Y/N). Freshman year, biology class.”

“No way.” You laugh in disbelief but your tone gets more serious as you continue, “You let me speak to you like that even though you liked me?” Your palm flies to your forehead, fingers clutching your hair.

“It was kinda fun. Teasing you and all that.” Joshua chuckles. “But yeah, I’ve liked you since then and I thought maybe I could say something about it before senior year ends. That’s what’s in the envelope.”

All of a sudden, scurrying footsteps tiptoe on the floor of the living room and the only thing you see is Seungcheol violently tossing something green and running away immediately after.

It lands in Joshua’s lap. It’s a green bouquet, wrapped in a red ribbon. “Mistletoe, good one, Cheol,” Joshua yells in the direction of the kitchen with no response. “Well, if we have mistletoe, we can’t disappoint.” He shrugs as he holds the end of the mistletoe above your heads.

“I guess not,” you reply with a grin before licking your bottom lip, taking one good look at him, and at last, pressing your lips to his.

(You know the saying, keep your friends close and your rivals closer? Thanks to this Christmas miracle, you finally believe it.)

please feel free to provide feedback, reblogs, or likes if you enjoyed reading this fic!

#2022svtgiftexchange #k-labels #joshua hong x reader #joshua hong svt #hong jisoo x reader #hong jisoo svt #joshua hong fluff #joshua hong fanfic #joshua svt #joshua x reader #joshua seventeen #seventeen #svt #seventeen fanfic #seventeen fluff #seventeen x reader #joshua x y/n #seventeen x y/n

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asterofthevoid · 3 months

Note

Oooh I wonder what might happen in a Pacific Rim AU for Black Sails :^D

Okay, so I'm actually working on a Pacific Rim Au! Its still in the concept doc stage, but I've got a few good scenes that I'm excited about!

5 fun facts:

1) Jack, Anne, and Charles share a Jaeger (in the beginning)

2) joshua/joji in the bg because I cant help myself

3) madi and max get to do sciency things together (newt and hermann style)

4) Silver and Flint's Jaeger is a refurbished (and renamed) version of the Jaeger that Flint once shared with Thomas

5) Mr. Scott =Pentecost becasue why tf not

It was one of the first few fics I considered an au for, and hopefully ill get it done eventually XD

#black sails #fic meme #ask meme #pacific rim au

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ourtearsofrain · 3 months

Text

Chapter 11- And Do You Intend to Stay? (Jacob's POV)

Pairings: Jake Kiszka x Reader

Genre: angst

Word Count: just under 1.2 k

Warnings: descriptions of severe wound, cleaning said wound, and cauterizing it

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Jacob’s eyes immediately land on Polaris’ body, cradled against Samuel as he sobs. Their eyes close as their body goes completely limp, sagging in his arms as he screams. “NO NO NO POLARIS PLEASE! PLEASE STAY WITH ME!” He looks up to Jacob and Daniel desperately, his eyes bloodshot and teary. “Please fucking help them, I can’t carry them on my own.”

Jacob rushes over to his brother’s side with Daniel close behind. He notices Samuel had no shirt on and shrugs his jacket off before handing it to the other man. He quickly pulls the black silk scarf from around his neck and a matching handkerchief from his pocket, holding the fabric to Polaris’ stomach as he ties the scarf tightly, pressing the handkerchief to their wound.

“Daniel.” Jacob’s voice breaks as he tries to stay calm, needing to keep his head for them to make it out alive. “You’re the strongest of us, can you carry them?”

Daniel says nothing, instantly lowering himself to the floor and taking Polaris in his arms. He stands easily, already making his way towards the door as the building shakes violently. He takes the same path Jacob and him had taken to get there, weaving through the corridors quickly as Jacob and Samuel jog behind him.

“They ran, the fighting on the ground should be finished but we need to leave as fast as we can. We have to get them to Rosanna.” Jacob explains, yelling back at Samuel as the building deteriorates around them.

They make it out of the building just before it collapses on itself, the harsh afternoon sun causing Samuel to squint at the light, tripping before Jacob steadies him and drags him towards The Ether. They reach the shore, clambering into a tender as Jacob pushes it fully into the water, taking the oars in his hands and using all his strength to get them to the ship as fast as possible. They reach its side in no time before Jacob begins speedily securing the tender to the ropes hanging from its edge.

“I can’t hold on to them and climb at the same time.” Daniel says quietly.

Jacob thinks for a moment, his mind racing as he tries to think of a solution. “Stay here with them, Samuel and I will get on deck and help pull the boat up.”

Samuel begins shaking his head. “No, I’m not leaving them.”

Daniel looks at him calmly. “I’ll keep them safe, I promise. We’ll get up faster if it’s just the two of us in the boat.”

Samuel rips his eyes from Polaris, meeting Daniel’s sincere gaze as the other man tries to reason with him. He says nothing before beginning to make his way up the ships side, Jacob close behind him as they rush to the deck. Moments later, Daniel feels the boat shift under him, slowly being drawn up into the air as he holds Polaris.

He jumps out with them in his arms the second the tender is high enough for him to reach the deck, making a beeline for Jacob’s quarters. Jacob yells up to Joshua at the helm as he follows Daniel. “Set sail for The Garden immediately!”

“One of you better get your sorry asses back out here when you’re done, I can’t do this alone!” Joshua shouts back to the group as his crew rushes to set the ship into motion. Once they arrive at the Captains’ quarters, Jacob hastily clears the large table in the center of the room, throwing the various maps and pieces of parchment to the floor as Daniel gently sets Polaris on it.

“I’ll go help Joshua.” Daniel says quickly. He makes eye contact with Jacob, his stare pained and serious. “Keep them alive.” With that, he leaves the room, leaving Samuel and Jacob scrambling to find any temporary treatment.

Samuel unties the scarf, lifting the bottom of Polaris’ shirt to survey just how bad the wound was. He gasps, tears coming to his eyes once more as he firmly presses the handkerchief against their skin, frantically looking around the room. “Do you have any alcohol?”

In any other circumstance, Jacob would have laughed. “You know me.” He makes his way to a cabinet, ripping the doors open as he finds a bottle of his strongest vodka. He uncorks it as Samuel removes the handkerchief once more. The slight wince Polaris gives as the alcohol hits their wound is the only sign that they were still alive.

“Fuck. We have to stop the bleeding. How can we stop the bleeding, Jake.”

Jacob looks at their stomach as blood continues pouring from the gash, tears trailing down his cheeks as he realizes the only solution. He walks over to the fireplace quickly, thankful that he had forgotten to put it out before leaving the room last. Picking up a fire iron, he heats the metal against the base of the fire until it is bright orange. He makes his way back to the table as Samuel begins frantically shaking his head.

“No. There must be some other way.”

“There isn’t.” Samuel sets his jaw in understanding before taking Polaris’ hand in his own. He nods solemnly to Jacob, and the other man brings the searing metal to their stomach. Polaris groans, gripping Samuel’s hand weakly as their skin sizzles. Jacob removes it after a few seconds, satisfied to see the bleeding had ceased.

He leaves the table only momentarily to replace the fire iron, heading towards his bed after to grab a pillow before making his way back to Samuel and Polaris. He places the pillow under their head gently, brushing away a few stray strands of hair as he brings his hand to their forehead. “They’re burning up. Get me a wet cloth, as cold as you can.”

Samuel nods, easily finding a cloth as he begins to look for clean water. He finds it after a few moments of searching, returning to Polaris’ side as he places the cloth on their forehead. “What else can we do, Jake?”

He looks at his younger brother, fear and desperation written across his face. “We’ve done all we can. All we can do now is pray and hope Rosanna can do more than what we’ve already tried.”

He takes a seat, taking Polaris’ hand in both of his as he brings them to his lips. Samuel takes a seat opposite his brother, taking their other hand as he slumps forward to rest his cheek on their intertwined fingers.

“Since when did you two get so close? Last time I saw you, you hated them.”

Samuel lifts his head at the question. “Since they saved my life.”

“What happened to you, Sam?”

He shakes his head, tears springing from his eyes once more as he recalls everything Polaris had done for him, how dear to his heart he now held them. “It’s too much to tell now. I- I promise I will tell you all, when Joshua and Daniel get the chance to join us.”

Jacob nods silently, watching Polaris as he began to pray to any god that would listen that they would survive.

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

A/N: the title, of course, is taken from the lyrics to Waited All Your Life

#greta van fleet #greta van fleet fan fiction #gvf fic #jake gvf #jake kiszka x reader #pirate jake kiszka #pirates

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savventeen · 2 years

Text

~ savv's writing masterlist ~

{ fic requests are currently on pause as i work on commissions ♡ }

key:

fic [☼] drabble [☽] smau [✧] other [✩] requests/commissions [🜲] ask game fills [♖] 'things you said' prompts [✑] fem!reader* [▽] masc!reader* [△] *all fics have a gender neutral reader unless otherwise indicated

♢ choi seungcheol ♢

[☼] our ending is made for each other ✑ 🜲 ⇰ 1.1k [fluff, humor] ⇰ while at their best friend's wedding, seungcheol brings up the fact that he wants to marry reader someday. reader proceeds to have a little bit of a breakdown (the mostly good kind)

[☼] carmen cygni ⇰ 1.7k [angst, mcd] ⇰ while out searching for supplies, you get bit trying to escape a small hoard of zombies. seungcheol is forced to do the unthinkable.

[☽] you've always had cold hands ⇰ 0.1k [fluff]

[☽] kintsugi ⇰ 0.4k [emotional h/c]

[☼] purple, white, grey, and black ⇰ 2.9k [emotional h/c] ⇰ you're asexual and proud, and have been for a while. so why does seeing ace pride posts sometimes churn something within you? or, the one where reader talks about where/if their asexuality and trauma intersect.

♢ yoon jeonghan ♢

[✩] mr. perfectly fine ♖ ⇰ 0.5k [angst]

[☽] until next time ⇰ 0.3k [emotional hurt/comfort] ⇰ you've never had to say goodbye like this before. jeonghan tells you that maybe you don't have to

♢ joshua hong ♢

[☽] can you guess why they call it fall? ⇰ 0.3k [fluff] ⇰ joshua loves fall and also the reader

[☼] heart is full of fairy lights 🜲 ⇰ 1.3k [fluff] ⇰ you finally return home to your apartment after studying abroad, and your roommate joshua can't seem to let you out of his sight. some potentially maybe-more-than-strictly-platonic feelings are had.

♢ wen junhui ♢

[☽] you haunt my melody ⇰ 0.9k [angst, past mcd] ⇰ once upon a time, wen junhui played the pipe organ for a traveling circus. once upon a time, you were an acrobat. once upon a time, he lost the love of his life in a tragic accident and let his grief consume him. now, you think it's time for him to let you go.

[☽] aye aye, captain ⇰ 0.4k [humor] ⇰ being in love with the captain has its perks, except when he sails the ship into a kraken. (it kind of still feels like a perk, tbh.)

♢ kwon soonyoung ♢

[☼] places we've been torn (i'm always, always yours) 🜲 ⇰ 1k [emotional hurt/comfort] ⇰ you and soonyoung have been lying together for who-knows how long now, going back and forth asking each other about the various scars you both have. the stories have been mostly silly or stupid (or both), but it's as the night is winding down that soonyoung asks about the one scar with a story you're not sure you're ready to share.

♢ jeon wonwoo ♢

[☽] i think i'm going deeper ⇰ 0.8k ⇰ wonwoo escapes his noisy, hectic life for a vacation full of solitude and quiet. it doesn’t go exactly as expected.

[☽] take it easy (slowly carve out my heart) 🜲 ⇰ 0.8k [angst, mcd] ⇰ wonwoo's assignment: become your husband and bide his time until given the command to kill you. a simple mission, really — one that shouldn't have been hard. except, he never accounted for the fact that he might actually fall in love with you. too bad he's the perfect little soldier.

[☽] everything but words ⇰ 0.3k [fluff] ⇰ wonwoo's actions have always spoken louder than words. you finally decide to do something about it.

♢ lee jihoon ♢

[☽] untitled woozi drabble ("jihoon is exhausted") ⇰ 0.5k [fluff]

[☽] mr. sandman, bring me a dream ⇰ 0.8k [emotional hurt/comfort] ⇰ jihoon overworks himself (again) and gets secretly cuddled by reader

[☼] to build a home ⇰ 3.7k [fluff, humor] ⇰ on the train ride back to meet jihoon's parents in person for the first time, you realize you don't really know what it's like to have a childhood home — at least, not in the sense that most people seem to have. but it's okay, because you've found a home in jihoon instead.

[☽] untitled jihoon love language drabble ⇰ 0.3k [fluff]

[✩] woozi + mutual pining (the mixtapes one) ♖ ⇰ 1k [fluff, mild emotional hurt/comfort]

♢ lee seokmin ♢

[☽] untitled dk imagine ⇰ 0.3k [fluff]

[☽] the D in DK stands for Dihydrogen monoxide ⇰ 0.5k [fluff] ⇰ seokmin just wants to make sure you stay hydrated :(

[☽] untitled dk smut [mdni] ⇰ 0.8k [smut] ⇰ you’ve always fallen in love with people’s laughter first.

♢ kim mingyu ♢

[☼] what dreams must feel like ⇰ 1k [emotional hurt/comfort] ⇰ mingyu comforts you after a nightmare

[☼] break the curse, break my heart ✑ 🜲 ⇰ 5.1k [angst, hurt/comfort] ⇰ what's supposed to be a simple hex job turns into something much deadlier, and suddenly the two of you are fighting just to stay alive

[☼] this sad ending needs a chaser ⇰ 1.5k [angst] ⇰ you and mingyu broke up. mingyu's having a hard time moving on.

♢ xu minghao ♢

[☼] you glow pink in the night ▽ ⇰ 1.7k [fluff] ⇰ you and minghao are in a long-distance relationship, and minghao returns to his apartment after meeting you in person for the first time. he finds a surprise you left for him in his luggage

[✧] pretty u ✑ 🜲 ⇰ 1 post (7ss) [fluff] ⇰ seungkwan asks minghao who he thinks the prettiest person in the world is and he answers: you. but how could he say that when he's never seen what you look like?

♢ boo seungkwan ♢

[☽] a rose that blooms in winter ⇰ 0.7k [fluff] ⇰ walking home with you on a snowy winter evening, seungkwan decides to be brave.

[☽] feelin' thorny ⇰ 0.4k [humor] ⇰ florist seungkwan receives a bouquet from his rival — emotions are had

[☼] you say the stupidest (sweetest) things ✑ 🜲 ⇰ 4.5k [fluff, humor] ⇰ you say stupid shit on the best of days, so when seungkwan comes over when you're having a bad bout of insomnia, the last thing he expects to hear from you is an accidental love confession

[✩] seungkwan + marriage of convenience ♖ ⇰ 0.5k [angst, humor]

♢ hansol vernon chwe ♢

[☽] take in the view ⇰ 0.9k [fluff] ⇰ vernon takes reader on a ride on his dragon; it ends up being pretty great

[✩] vernon + bad at art (the project partners one) ♖ ⇰ 0.6k [humor]

♢ lee chan ♢

[☼] got my heart in my feet ('cause they lead me to you) ✑ 🜲 ⇰ 2.4k [emotional hurt/comfort, fluff] ⇰ reader has a bad day, and they unintentionally find themselves falling apart at their best friend chan's door in desperate need of a hug

[✧] .|X| THANKS FOR PLAYING |X|. ⇰ 34 posts [angst, horror, (kinda) mcd] ⇰ finals are finally over, and all you want is to keep yourself entertained on the lonely train ride home since your best friend crush isn't coming with you. you don't expect to find yourself becoming the main character in a horror story.

♢ ot13 ♢

[✩] breviloquent masterlist 🜲 ♖ ⇰ my series of fics that are 50 words or less

[✩] svt as bits of my unfinished poetry ⇰ 0.7k

*updated 2023.09.03*

#svt x reader #svt x you #svt x y/n #seventeen x reader #seventeen x you #seventeen x y/n #seventeen writing #masterlist #savv writes

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