#me: brother we must leave now else we fail to see the sunrise as you desired!

[badolmen]

brother why

[softyoongiionly]

Portraits of a Tiger || 04

Legends of a great and equally terrifying warrior nicknamed the Tiger have been emerging from your fellow villagers for quite sometime. Stories of his skill, his stealth and his supposed wickedness have been passed around to the point where he is more prophecy than person. You have lived your life with a strong sense of conviction, rarely letting gossip influence your opinion. However, you would be lying if you said that his legacy didn’t intrigue you. When the Tiger and his infamous army arrive in your village to refuel, you come face to face with the man behind the myth.

And no amount of marketplace gossip would ever be enough to capture the true complexity of his nature.

Pairing: Merchant! Reader x Warrior! Yoongi

Genre: Adventure, Romance, Smut (later), Fluff, Angst

Word Count: 8k

Warnings: language, depictions of violence both verbal and physical however they are fairly mild, mentions of war and power dynamics, there will be smut in future parts so, (18+ only please).

A/N: ahhh yes romance is in the air lads. I hope you like this new part!!! I’m having so much fun writing this series for you guys :) LOVE YOUUUUU

As always, a HUGE shoutout to my beautiful friend Rachel @bulletproofbirdy​ for her assistance with this fic. I love you sm and I hope you especially like what I’ve done with the place >:)

It’s been a few days.

Nothing of substance has happened since the night you kissed Yoongi by the river other than a clear shift in your relationship with him.  

He doesn’t treat you differently in front of the patrons at the market nor does he spare more than a glance your way when you’re delivering bread.

But every night, without fail: you meet by the river.

You speak about things that seem too heavy for the daylight: war, peace, hope, loss...

He listens to your thoughts and offers many of his own but the night always ends with his lips on yours.  

His hands moving across your body as if he’s trying to learn every inch of you.

Whilst you’d happily have him against a tree or down on the mushy floor of the riverbed, Yoongi always stops things before they go to far.

He whispers promises of a night without boundaries in a place you both can call your own.

He tells you that when the time is right, he will give you everything you deserve and more.  

You agree with him despite the desire that rages in your body.

You know it’s best to wait until things are more concrete between the two of you.  

So you part ways every time and spend the rest of the night longing for one another until sleep finally offers you momentary peace.

Until the dreams begin...

Today however, you are concerned with someone else’s dreams.

Namely, your dear friend, your original confident, the smartest gal in the world: Rachel.

After your first rendezvous with Yoongi, you had rushed over to her home and spent the better half of the night gushing about the kiss.

Of course, she had been over the moon for you and the two of you had jumped around her living room like a bunch of excited schoolgirls.  

However, towards the end of the conversation, particularly when Jungkook’s name was brought up she had grown slightly somber.

Although their interaction had been brief, the chemistry was palpable and as much you had faith in your friend���s abilities, you didn’t foresee her making a move on him.  

So- you have decided to take matters into your own hands.  

With a basket full of fresh bread, you walk down the dirt path towards their camp to begin the initial phase of your plan.  

It was unlike the members to be absent from the fields surrounding their tents but, you presume it’s because training had concluded for the day.

You expected to see Namjoon out on their bench cribbling in his journal but, there is no one to be found.

There is a bit of anxiety that comes over you as thoughts creep in of the day that this area truly is abandoned.

The day Yoongi and his battalion move on.

Deep in your gut, dread begins to grow but you force yourself to take a deep breath and focus on the objective at hand.  

You tug the bell to signal your arrival expecting Seokjin’s boisterous presence to greet you but, instead you hear a bit of shuffling before a hand slips out between the cloth to tug open the entrance.

Immediately, your heart ignites in a fit within your chest at the sight before you.

Yoongi stands there, body completely rid of his normal attire, with only a pair of tight-fitting long johns adorning his figure.

His hair is out of his usual updo and pushed away from his face, long platinum tendrils cascading down his strong chest.

“Oh- hi...” You cough as the tone of your voice is audibly strained.

He smirks, his eyes lighting up as he sees you, “Good evening. Delivery?”

A jagged nod comes from you as you extend the basket towards him, “Yes. Here you go, I added some-”

Yoongi’s lips are on yours then, interrupting your sentence, one of his hands taking the basket whilst his other hand settles on your cheek.

As usual, his lips eliminate any thought in your head unrelated to him, your body going slightly limp beneath his touch.

He lingers for a moment before pulling away, his brown eyes sparkling with satisfaction.  

“This color is beautiful on you.” He murmurs nodding to your dress and pecking your lips once more, “did you make this?”

You smile, licking the taste of him off your lips, “Thank you. My mom made it for me last spring.”

He grins, “She’s very talented.” He lifts the basket, “This is a wonderful thing to wake up to, my men are going to destroy it.”

You giggle, raising your brows, “Late night?”

“Very. We were out until sunrise.” He explains, “Much of our training is nocturnal and the forests around here allowed us to teach the new recruits some important skills; we all slept a little later than I anticipated...” He chuckles sheepishly, glancing behind him before his eyes fall upon you once more, “It’s nice seeing you in the daylight.”

You giggle, “Is it? That’s a relief, I feared that maybe the moonlight and the beauty of the river was what kept you coming back every night...”

Yoongi’s lips twitch as he adjusts the basket on his arm, “I think you know very well what keeps me coming back.”

Before you can offer another flirtatious quip, a ball of fluffy black hair shoves its way through the opening of the tent.  

It’s Jungkook and he looks as though he hasn’t been awake for more than 30 seconds.

“Hyung- is the bread...” He mumbles sleepily before his eyes widen as they spot you, “Oh- I’m sorry...” He bows his head, “I didn’t mean to interrupt. Good uh...” He squints up at the sky, his lips pouted slightly, “Good evening Y/N.”

You bow your head, offering a smile, “Good evening. You didn’t interrupt at all, I was actually looking to speak with you when you have time. I know you’ve just woken up so, I can come back later...”

Jungkook’s cheeks heat up involuntarily as he steps behind Yoongi a little more, “Alone?”

Yoongi eyes you curiously, “What do you want with the boy?”

He chuckles at his younger brother who looks both intrigued and frightened all at once.

“We don't have to be alone.” You assure him, a bit of laughter leaving your lips, “It’s about my friend-”

“Rachel?” He assumes, wide-eyed, “Is she ok?”

You smirk knowingly, “She is. I was actually going to inquire whether or not you were interested in her but, I think I have my answer.”

“Ah- “ Yoongi interjects, looking at you pointedly, “You’re here to play matchmaker for my little brother?” He looks amused, his deep gaze boring into your own as he speaks again, “Don’t you have your hands full with another endeavor?”

The depth in his tone sends a bit of electricity up your spine and, you’re thankful that Jungkook doesn’t pick up on the bit of suggestion in his voice.  

He’s hung up on your reply and aching to know more.

So timidly he says, “Is she- maybe...interested in me?”

Averting your gaze away from Yoongi, you nod towards Jungkook, “I have a feeling she’s more than interested. However, she is incredibly stubborn and refuses to acknowledge the way you look at her. So naturally-” You gesture to yourself fluidly, “I decided to come here and ask you myself.”

“Naturally.” Yoongi agrees, his lips twitching, “Well, I don’t want to intrude on your plan so-”

As he tries to retreat back into the tent, you stop him with a raised hand, “Actually. I need your help after I speak with Jungkook so, don’t go far.”

Yoongi chuckles, shaking his head, “You’re aware that I oversee a battalion of 20,000 men, correct?”

With a shrug, you gesture for Jungkook to come closer before throwing an incredulous look Yoongi’s way, “Romance waits for no one...”

“Neither does war.” He retorts with a smirk.

"In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity.” You remind him, quoting a famous war strategist, “It won’t take long anyhow, plenty of time to return to your post, General.”

Jungkook, who has been zoning out for the last minute or so raises his brows at your tone, his lips parting in curiosity and glancing towards Yoongi.  

He doesn’t hear people quarrel with Yoongi often, even if they are joking so, hearing you speak so candidly to him causes him to wonder just how close the two of you have gotten.

If Yoongi is impressed by your knowledge, he doesn’t show it. But what he does do is raise his brows whilst his teeth secure themselves to his bottom lip.

“Make it quick.” He insists sharply despite the excitement dancing through his gaze.

Before you have the opportunity to respond, he disappears behind the curtain, leaving you alone with Jungkook.

“Hyung must really like you...” He observes softly, pursing his lips, “He isn’t the type to joke around with new people.”

Stifling a smirk, you shrug and gesture to the bench in front of their tent, “That’s a shame. Your hyung has quite the sense of humor. Now- I know you don’t have a lot of time, so I’ll make this quick.” You begin as the two of you sit, “Normally I’d like to approach a situation like this with a bit more class but to be frank, you won’t be in town long and after the way I saw you looking at Rachel, I don’t think you’ll mind my intervention.”

Jungkook blushes, his fingers coming up to tuck a piece of hair behind his ear, “Ke-Keep your voice down, I don’t want my hyungs to hear about this...” He pleads, “They’ll tease me relentlessly.”

You allow yourself the grin now, admiring how shy he is but you concede not wanting to embarrass him.

“Do you not want them to know you’re courting someone?”

He shakes his head, “No I just don’t want them to know until I speak with her first. I know you say she’s interested but- I'd still like to hear it from her.  My hyungs will pester me about it constantly and if she ends up rejecting me, I don’t really want to be reminded about it.”

“I understand.” You concede, “I don’t think you have anything to worry about. I’m sure I’ve never seen her behave this way around a man before. It’s unlikely she will reject you...”

“Still-” He insists, the color on his cheeks deepening, “it's possible. I never assume people’s opinions of me.”

It’s very odd, you think, here is this fine specimen before you: handsome, experienced, talented, respected and yet- he doesn’t seem to see himself that way.

Sounds a lot like someone else you know...

“That’s probably best.” You smile, warming up to him rather quickly, “You are interested in her though, aren’t you?”

He bites his bottom lip in thought before nodding, a bit of shyness in his eyes, “I am yes. Though I’m not totally sure how you figured it out based on our limited interaction. I’ve only spoken to her once- and I made a fool of myself.”

You giggle, “Yes but, you saw her for the first time in the plaza, didn’t you? She stopped you right in your tracks.”

His toffee orbs widen, “How did you-?"

A smirk comes over your mouth as you once again shrug at his question, “My job requires me to be very observant.” You reply, “People often say more with their movements than their words.”

“Hey!” He grins, showing off his perfect teeth, “I think that too! Well- that's something Yoongi-hyung taught me. I’m trying to get better at it but, I find it harder to observe people I don’t know. Strangers make me nervous...”

His sudden warmth makes you happy as you didn’t really expect him to be this bubbly but, you’re happy he’s comfortable with you given your intentions behind this conversation.  

If he’s courting your friend, he’s courting you too.

“You could have fooled me.” You retort, “I saw the way you handled the clan leader...when I came by your tent, I was anticipating on meeting someone very different.”

Jungkook chuckles, “I get that a lot. I rarely live up to people’s expectations of me- I think that’s one of my strong suits. Aside from my brute strength obviously.”  

“Yes of course, we mustn't forget about that...” You concede, laughing lightly along with him, “So back to Rachel then- you plan on courting her yes?”

He shifts on the bench, his tan fingers coming up to adjust his peasant blouse, shyness returning to his features, “I would love to. She-” He pauses, looking away from you, his eyes deepening in thought, “Aish...she really is something isn't she?”

At his question, you smirk and allow warmth to fill your chest, “Now where have I heard that before.” You muse allowed, “I could facilitate a meeting between the two of you? Although- I will likely have to tell a teensy white lie because, if I warn her that you wish to meet with her- she would probably combust on the spot. Also, I doubt she would believe me...”

He smirks fondly, nibbling on the inside of his cheek before his brows furrow, “Why wouldn’t she believe you? She must know how desirable she is right?”  

“Certainly not. She has no idea. Which is why I finally decided to take matters into my own hands.” You explain, propping your chin on the palm of your hand, “Rachel is a brilliant woman. She could easily run a small country if the opportunity was presented to her but, she has no concept of how wonderful she is.”

Jungkook pouts his lips, “I was certain she knew. How could someone that beautiful not understand their own beauty?”

You raise your brows, “Do you recognize yourself as desirable?”

He snickers, “Don’t be silly. I might be a suitable partner because of my status as a warrior but, I don’t think there is much else I have to offer. That’s what has me so worried...what if you’re wrong about her desire for me?”

With an incredulous look, you shake your head in disbelief, “The two of you amaze me. You’re so brilliant and yet- so foolish at the same time. I assure you; you have plenty to offer. The women in this village nearly faint every time you pass- quite frankly, you are incredibly handsome with an unusual amount of talent and-”

Jungkook is smirking, pleased with your response as he interrupts you, “I thought you were interested in my hyung Y/N-” He teases and snickers as you roll your eyes.

“That is neither here nor there.” You insist, “The point is, the courtship is worth pursuing because I believe it will go well. So I came here to suggest a plan...”

“What is your plan dear matchmaker?” He chuckles, folding his hands and resting them on the table.

“My plannnn is-” You draw out the word before leaning in closely and divulging your ideas.

You are elated when he agrees and feel slightly giddy at the thought of your dear friend meeting up with the potential love of her life.

Romance certainly is in the air.  

The plan is set in motion after a few more moments of talking and the conversation ends with Jungkook eagerly rushing back to his tent to prepare.

Feeling satisfied with your healthy dose of meddling, you brush your dress off and start towards the exit of the camp.  

However, the deep voice of your suitor stops you in your tracks, sending butterflies directly into your stomach.

“Leaving without a goodbye?” Yoongi calls softly, departing from his tent.

You turn with a smile on your face to see him fully dressed in his training attire: fitted black pants and a matching tunic, his sword strapped faithfully to his hip.

“I figured I caused enough havoc amongst your battalion today. Besides, I wasn’t sure if you’d be dressed and I didn’t want to disturb you.” You explain, your hands sliding down to play with the fabric of your dress.

“If havoc is putting a ridiculous smile on my brothers face than please feel free to wreak havoc anytime you wish. I have dreaded the day where I’d have to convince him to go after his potential partner and you’ve gone and lifted that responsibility from me.” He explains, stepping towards you a bit more “He says his meeting with her tomorrow evening?”

“If all goes well.” You reply, your face heating up in light of his presence, “My plans usually play out successfully.”

“I have no doubts about that.” He chuckles, his feline gaze glancing behind you momentarily before returning back to your face, “Will I be seeing you tonight?”

Pretending to toy with the idea, you narrow your eyes and place a finger on your chin, “I suppose its possible, if you aren’t too busy with your duties here...”

“My duties?” He places a hand on his chest, stepping closer to you once again, “If anyone were to be tied up with their duties, I imagine it would be you. Being a full-time apothecary is enough but, now you’ve gone and taken up matchmaking as well.” Yoongi’s eyes glint as he stares at you, “You never have to concern yourself with whether or not I’ll have time for you...”

You resist the urge to throw yourself at him, frustrated by the effect he has on you.

“Then I suppose you will see me then.”

He grins, “Good.”

For a few seconds, the two of you stew in silence before the need to kiss him becomes too much to bear and you take the steps necessary to wrap your arms behind his neck and place your lips against him.

You can hear his sharp intake of breath as you do, his hands securing themselves at the base of your back.  

The movements of the kiss escalate quickly, and you find yourself forgetting that you’re stood in the middle of a military camp, where anyone could walk out and see you both canoodling in the courtyard.

Yoongi seems to realize this too as he pulls away with heavy breath and hesitation all over his face.

“My my my...” He murmurs, shaking his head, “You really have no regard for my well-being do you?”

His light scolding causes you to giggle which in turn breaks the disapproving expression on his face.

“I’m trying to improve your well-being actually.” You insist, your fingers toying with the tendrils of hair at the back of his head, a dreamy smile on your mouth.

He raises his brows, “Oh? How do you figure that?”

Before you can reply, the rustling coming from behind Yoongi pulls you out of your conversation.

The rest of his battalion have seemingly woken up and are beginning to flock to the courtyard in preparation for their training.  

Glancing behind him, Yoongi sighs before turning back to you reluctantly, “Tonight?”

You offer him a smile and step back out of his grip, “Tonight.”

He takes your hand and brings it to his lips, placing a kiss on the back of it before heading off to his men.

Tonight now seemed a century away despite the fact that the sun was already heading off towards the horizon.  

-The next day-

Your night with Yoongi followed the similar structure that it usually does.  

Deeping meaningful conversation, playful banter, difficult questions and well, a healthy dose of unresolved lust.  

He asserts the end to your displays of affection every time, offering the same words of comfort.

You’re fine with this of course.

You’d never want him to do anything he didn’t want to do, and you’d certainly want the first time you were intimate to be special.

However, you’d be lying if you said you weren’t feeling dejected.

It’s not because Yoongi says it’s not the right time or that he doesn’t think the two of you were ready.

You respect him and his choices completely and would never attempt to coerce him beyond his initial responses but...

You are beginning to feel alone in your desire for him.  

For you, there has never been another to ignite such a powerful response within you.

You’ve never wanted anyone so badly.

It makes you feel insane and yet, here he is, so calm in his demeanor and easily able to refuse any opportunity to sate your hunger for one another.  

It’s very silly, you think, he is clearly interested in you.

He makes that very obvious.

And yet, you can’t help but feel confusion.  

He wouldn’t be in your village for much longer and soon enough you’d have to say goodbye for a length of time you’d rather not assign numerical value you to.

You wish you understood his intentions more and at the same time, you wish you were able to quell your desire for him.  

You did feel alone in that way.

Yoongi was an incredible, multi-faceted man with seemingly thousands of years’ worth of knowledge behind his eyes. He was open and yet so secretive all at once and because of that, you couldn’t understand why he behaved this way.

The two of you would intentionally rile each other up only for him to put a stop to things every time.

But it’s almost as if this was part of his plans with you all along.  

And you just couldn’t understand why.

So naturally, you end up running to the person who always keeps you grounded for advice: Rachel.

Although, after your conversation with Jungkook yesterday, you have multiple reasons for paying your friend a visit.

“He stopped things again before they went too far and-“ You sigh, looking down at her hands that secure a warm mug of tea, “I feel a little strange about it. I’m starting to feel like maybe he doesn’t desire me the way I desire him...”

Rachel is sat across from you on her sofa as she usually is, her legs tucked up on the cushion.  

She takes a sip of her tea before her brows furrow in disagreement as she shakes her head, “I sincerely doubt that. He was very, um...excited wasn’t he?”

He was, you think, and he usually is but that only adds to your confusion.

“I don’t know...” You groan, “...he says he is but- he keeps saying it’s not the right time. I’m worried I may be too lustful towards him; I’m wondering if it’s off putting.”

“He does not seem the type to play games. If he says it’s not the right time...he must have a right time in mind?” She suggests before looking at you pointedly, “And I don’t believe you are being lustful. Even if you were, what’s wrong with that”

Nothing.

Nothing is wrong with being lustful as long as you are being respectful which you can honestly say you are but, the insecurity you’re feeling is contributing to a bit of shame within you.

“I’ve never wanted anyone this way, I feel like I’m going mad. He seems so calm and collected and yet- here I am, flustered and confused. I’m used to having a handle on my emotions I guess and I wish I knew how he was able to keep himself so composed.” You ponder the end of her question, “There is nothing wrong with being lustful. I just don’t know if he feels the same if it’s so easy for him to control himself around me...”

Rachel nods along, her bright eyes listening intently before she pauses to think, “You know, you have to remember he is a ten-year veteran and the leader of the most elite military force in our country. He has so much control and discipline applied to himself in all areas, I can’t imagine he would be able to easily relinquish that control. Especially with someone he has so much affection for. I am certain it is not easy, merely well-practiced”

She has a point but then again, she usually does.  

You bite your lip, turning your attention to the fabric of the chair, picking at it, “You’re right. I suppose I’m being a little immature about this...I should just be more patient.”

It’s decided in your mind that you should move on to the other reason you came to visit her this evening: a deceitful conversation with a much happier ending.

“By the way, what are you doing this evening?”

She’s stood up now and striding over to the kitchen, rubbing your arm as she passes you, “You are not immature at all! I’m confident your general is worth the patience.” She assures you with a wink before she thinks to herself once again, “I don’t have anything in particular planned, why do you ask?”

You giggle at her wink and follow her with your eyes as she heads over to make herself another cup of tea, “I have a favor to ask you- that goes beyond our mutual agreement to keep each other sane.”

Rachel snickers and shakes her head, “I don’t know if there is much hope for our sanity but what do you need?”

You smile but it doesn’t totally reach your eyes, your mind annoyingly still occupied elsewhere, “You make a good point.” You concede before brightening your expression intentionally, “I had a customer today that inquired about the type of material the village school covers for children ages 3-5. They are considering enrolling their child this year and wanted to speak with a teacher. I was hoping you would be able to meet with them? I told them to stop by the school and speak with someone but I was hoping that someone could be you because you’re so experienced.”

Rachel brightens at the mention of a new student “Oh really? I would be happy to meet with them! At that it’s primarily playing games, reading stories and singing songs but I have a lovely little bunch of students that age already!” She cheers, clapping in front of her chest, excitedly.

Her joy is infectious, and you can’t help but grin despite your knowledge that she would certainly not be receiving a new student; you almost wish that she was though.  

“Great! Well they should be around right before sundown. I gave them your classroom number and a bit of background on you and the school.”

“Oh my goodness! That’s not far off...well I have to bring in the dried flowers for tomorrow’s art lesson anyway...oh and where did I put the new wax pencils. Did you see where I put them?” Rachel abandons her cup of tea on the counter and begins puttering around in the baskets on her kitchen table, completely distracted.  

You spot what she’s looking for and hold up set of pencils setting on the end table, “They’re right here..” You call, turning in the chair to hand them to her, “I would wear that blue dress of yours too, it’s very complimentary.” With this suggestion, you can’t help the glint in your eyes that shines through the bit of sadness still present there, “Well- thank you for your words of wisdom. I’m probably going to take a break from the river tonight, so I’ll be home if you need me for anything. I have no doubt that tonight will go wonderfully though...”

“Oh there they are!” She chirps, taking them from you before looking down at her current outfit, “I suppose I should change, I certainly look a bit of a mess...” She pauses then to look you, noticing the glimpse of sadness in your eyes. “Don’t hold yourself back from love, Y/N. Your general is certainly just as passionate about you. I would bet all the gold in the kingdom on it!”

The excitement and certainty in her tone is almost enough to pull you out of your funk but, the stubborn naysayer in your head has different plans.  

“No you don’t, you look wonderful! I just love the blue one on you.” You insist, before crossing your arms and slumping back against the chair, “I am not holding back, I’m just- trying to be reasonable I suppose. His passion is clearly controlled, and I guess I should work on controlling mine as well...” You explain matter of factly with a pout on your lips.

Rachel matches your pose as she steps around the chair to look directly at you, unconvinced, “Mmhmm. Perfectly reasonable.” She drawls sarcastically before chuckling when you attempt to kick your foot at her.  

“I am!” You assert, trying to hold back a smile, “I’m just some silly little girl fawning over the man of my dreams while he gets to CALMLY walk away like us canoodling against a tree doesn’t affect him- and I feel foolish for desiring him so much when he’s able to do so.”

Rachel lets out a cackle your display of frustration. “You are NOT a silly little girl. A silly grown woman? Maybe," She giggles, “but I am CERTAIN he wouldn’t have to address this “right time” so often if he didn’t desire you. Do what makes you feel powerful! But don’t play games with the poor Tiger’s heart needlessly...from what you have said he is a much gentler man than we’ve given him credit for. “Though,” She tilts her head, her hand coming up to fuss with her hair,  “you certainly shouldn’t seek advice from me. I spent the day with paste in my hair without realizing.”

Your pout deepens, “I would never play with his heart... I’m going insane with desire over here and he gets to be all collected like ‘when the right time comes- I promise you it will be worth the wait’ and oh look at me, I’m extremely handsome and I can just kiss passionately for minutes on end without going further...” You grumble haphazardly before you hesitate slightly, “Well I’m not sure what him being handsome has to do with it but you get my point.” A smile threatens your features even more when she mentions her hair, “Paste is all the rage darling, you are simply fashion forward. Besides- I have a feeling this uh- new student of yours will look out for you.”  

Rachel hugs herself as she laughs at your little outburst, “It has EVERYTHING to do with it! You know it does-” She accuses playfully, “I do get your point though. I’m certain you will meet again...and say what’s on your mind! You are much better at that than I am anyway.” Rachel’s face is full of hesitation then, shaking her head, “Most of my students “look out for me” by piling dandelions on my desk and leaving goopy handprints on my clothes...I hope this new student is sweet.”

A smirk plays on your lips then, dropping your other topic of conversation, “I’m sure they will be, their parents seemed nice enough...”

”Oh really?!? Do you know anything about them? Should I bring anything along? Are you sure they want to see me? Should I get going?!” She babbles excitedly, glancing towards her front door.

Her eagerness serves as your cue to head out, your stomach brewing with hunger, nerves and excitement.

You couldn’t wait to hear how tonight will go for her.

“It is almost sundown so I suppose I should get going...” You concedes with a sigh before offering her a genuine smile, patting her shoulder as you head towards the door, “Just bring your lovely self, they are very eager to meet you.”

“Okay, if you’re certain!” Rachel smiles, gathering a collection of dried flowers into a basket before heading for the door with you, “If you change your mind and go to the river after all YOU HAD BETTER TELL ME!”

“You look amazing-” You promise as you step past her through the doorway, “I have a feeling you’ll have more to tell me the next time we meet but I’ll let you know if anything changes.”

Rachel looks confused for a moment before merely shrugging it off, leaning in to press a kiss to your cheek, “Okay then, I’m off! I love you ok? Hang in there...”

You embrace her shortly unable to help the growth in your smile, “I love you too. I wanna hear about the meeting tomorrow ok?”

She agrees happily, already bounding off towards the schoolhouse, a basket of flowers in her hand.

Despite the uncertainty you may feel about your own romantic life, you are filled with joy at the thought of your dear friend starting a fairytale of her own.  

Even though she has absolutely no idea...

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

Rachel arrives at the schoolhouse just before sundown, using her master key to unlock the heavy oak door of the main entrance before heading off to her classroom.  

The windows surrounding the exterior of the schoolyard allow for the different hues of the sunset to stream in thorough the glass, providing a beautiful stroll down the hallway.

Rachel feels optimistic as she opens up the door, immediately setting the basket of flowers on a nearby desk and lighting the various lanterns around the room.  

The sun would be up for another half an hour or so but, Rachel was unsure as to how long this meeting would go so a little extra light wouldn’t hurt.

Since she doesn’t have a concrete time of arrival, she decides to busy herself with a bit of prep work and light cleaning for the next school day. She figures that if a parent were to walk in on her likes this, it might add to their overall impression of the school.  

A teacher’s work is never done.

After roughly 40 minutes or so, Rachel is beginning to worry that this parent potentially changed their mind. That is until, a light knock sounds on the outside of her door.

“Come in!” She calls brightly, standing up from behind her desk.

She has no expectations for what her visitor might look like as she honestly hadn’t even considered it since you asked her this favor. However, the man who walks in through her door most certainly is not who she would have ever expected.

Because the man who just walked in, is Jungkook.

Tall, strong, doe-eyed, shaggy haired, WARRIOR Jungkook...

The terror cub himself has now found his way inside her classroom.  

And she is both terribly confused and terribly excited all at once.

“Good evening,” She chokes out, smoothing her hands down the front of her dress, “Forgive me but- you're not the person I’m meant to meet with are you? Did you see any folks outside, looking a bit lost perhaps?”

Jungkook looks terrified but he steps inside nonetheless, one of his hands positioned awkwardly behind his back.

“Uh- Hi, I mean- Good evening mam...” He bows before her, “Um...” He shuffles forward a bit, his eyes scanning the room for a moment, “Heretheseareforyou.” Jungkook rushes out, shoving a bouquet of fresh daisies onto one of the empty desks, his eyes averting Rachel’s very confused expression, “I am the person you’re meant to meet actually...”

Rachel gasps to herself as she spots the daisies, her heart immediately picking up in her chest, “Oh! Oh goodness thank you, that’s very kind of you...” She smiles, her hands seemingly frozen in place at the front of her dress, “I’m- I’m so confused I apologize. Do you have children?”

He shakes his head, his floppy black hair following the motions. He is dressed in a pair of tan linen pants and a rather tight-fitting white peasant blouse, the golden expanse of his chest on full display, his feet tucked into a pair of leather boots. Rachel does her best to ignore how good he looks but, he makes it very difficult.

“No I don’t.” He answers, cringing slightly at the juvenile nature of this situation, “You know Y/N right?”

Rachel giggles, the sound a little higher pitched than usual, “I do yes. We’ve been friends since we were children...”

“Heh yeah, sorry I knew that but uh- so Y/N...” He begins, his hands coming up to assist in his explanation, “She paid me a visit earlier and suggested that...welll- She suggested that I pay you a visit.”

“Oh well- is everything alright? Are you in need of my assistance?” She inquires softly, her face decorated with concern.

Jungkook’s chest is filled with warmth at the sight of her unease, feeling very lucky to be the object of her concern.

“Everything’s ok I just- I wasn’t sure how to go about speaking with you.” He hesitates, feeling a bit of discomfort as he tries to find a way to explain his presence here, “I know you’re a very busy woman and I wasn’t even sure if you’d even want to speak with me which- by the way, if you’re uncomfortable with my presence, please let me know. I don’t want to be a bother...”

Rachel shakes her head instantly, her hands coming up to stop him from continuing that train of thought, “No- no not all! I mean-” She clears her throat, “You aren't a bother at all, I would love to speak with you. Although, forgive me- I'm a little confused as to what you’d like to speak about. Is it the school? Are you interested in meeting with the students?”

Jungkook grins softly and shakes his head, “No mam. I mean- I wouldn’t be opposed to meeting with them but, I am more interested in meeting with you...”

She gulps, her eyes widening a bit as she places a hand to her chest, “Me?”

He bites his lip and Rachel swears she sees a sparkle in his eyes as he steps closer to her.

“Yes mam. I uh-” His throat bobs with his own uncomfortable swallow as he shoves his hand in the pocket of his pants, pulling out a piece of crumbled parchment, “ I have travelled many miles. I have seen the mountains, the ocean and the forest. I have seen the sun in east and the moon in the west. I have seen the royal palace and all the riches it contains. I have seen all a man would need to see in his lifetime and yet, I have never felt complete until my eyes fell upon your face.”  

Comically, Rachel’s mouth has fallen open, her face colored with shock.  

Her heart seemingly freezes in her chest as Jungkook’s nervous gaze leaves the parchment and gazes up towards her.

“I wrote this when I was 17.” He begins sheepishly, “I promised myself that I would read it for the woman who captured my heart...”

Rachel inhales shakily, a slight sting in her eyes as emotion overcomes her.

“But you just read it to me...”

He chuckles warmly, his hand tucking a bit of hair behind his ear, “I did.”

“Am I-?” She begins but Jungkook cuts her off, stepping towards her a bit more.

“I know it’s a bit much isn’t it? I’ve never been very good with subtly and with my departure looming in the background, I couldn’t help but confess to you while I still had time. You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, and your existence makes me warm. I haven’t felt warmth like this before and I- I guess I just wanted to see if I had a chance at courting you...”

Rachel finally closes her mouth for a moment only to cover it with her hand.  

She’s in complete disbelief that this is happening, but she responds nevertheless as best as she can.

“You- you have more than chance, you have a million chances I- oh wow, I feel a little faint goodness gracious...” She sighs, fanning herself as she leans against her desk, “I don’t understand...”

He rushes over to her then, a look of concern on his face, “Are you alright? Do you need some water or something?”

She shakes her head, letting out a shaky breath at the close proximity between them, immediately noticing the way he smells like amber and rosemary.

It warm, just like he is.

“I’m ok, I just-” She looks up at him, “I honestly cannot believe you feel this way about me. I’m just a schoolteacher, I probably have paste in my hair...and you’re a warrior I- I'm confused.”

Jungkook snickers, tilting his head to the side as he spots the bit of paste still clinging to the end of her hair. With gentle fingers, he reaches out and extracts the bit of dried gunk from her hair, discarding it on the desk, “You are not ‘just’ anything. You are bright and warm. Your duty lies with educating the children and I believe that to be far nobler than what I do. Please don’t sell yourself short, especially not on my account.”

Subconsciously, they seem to lean into one another, Rachel’s nerves dissipating slightly, “So then, you said you wish to court me yes? How- how do you intend we do this?”

He purses his lips, “Well,” He tilts his head to the side, “I would love to have dinner with you. I know that there aren’t many eateries in the village but-”

“I can cook for us!” She chirps happily cause his grin to broaden, “I know a spot we can eat, it’s really beautiful and it’s private for the most part.”

Jungkook is bursting with fondness, nodding eagerly at her suggestion before turning around to grab the flowers, “That sounds wonderful. Are you available tomorrow, same time?”

“Yes! I mean-” She clears her throat as the volume of her voice escapes her, “Yes, yes I’m free. I can meet you at the plaza?”

“Yes, of course. I’ll meet you anywhere you’d like...” He nods and haphazardly pushes the flowers in her direction, “Here, I picked these for you. I’ll pick more tomorrow as well- do you have a favorite? I hope daisies were alright...I’m not familiar with the flora around here.”

She smiles brightly, accepting the flowers graciously, securing them to your chest, “These are perfect! I love wildflowers, really anything that grows along the east part of the river...” She muses thoughtfully, “Daisies are some of my favorites as well. I’m sure Y/N told you that though...” She giggles but Jungkook shakes his head.

“She didn’t actually. I suppose it was just a lucky guess.” He smiles before stepping back slightly, fiddling with his hands now that they are empty, “So tomorrow then?”

With another rapid nod she responds, “Yes, tomorrow.”

“Great! Well uh-” He hesitates, glancing longingly towards her lips before extending his hand, “May I?”

With a harsh swallow and a shaky hand, she obliges, sticking her hand out towards his.

As if she were made of glass, Jungkook carefully raises her hand to his lips before placing a chaste kiss over the ridges of her knuckles, “Until tomorrow...”

“Until tomorrow.” She squeaks, covering her mouth once more.

He bows his head, offering another devastating grin before leaving the classroom.

With a hefty sigh, Rachel stares at the door in disbelief.

“It seems as though my dear friend isn’t an apothecary but a criminal mastermind...” She muses to herself, her cheeks on fire as she giggles to herself, “Huh, you think you know people.”

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

You decided shortly after your meeting with Rachel that you would in fact be going to the river because, regardless of your uncertainty: you still wanted to see Yoongi.  

“Something is troubling you...” He notes the moment he steps out from behind the trees, dressed down in a pair of black pants and a longer gray linen robe to ward of the slight chill in the air.

“What makes you say that?” You challenge with a grin, your heart fluttering as soon as you see him, “I’m just hoping my plan is playing out as I’d hoped...”

“Ah-” He lifts a finger, “I recall you saying that your plans play out relatively well. Also, you and I both know that my brother and your friend are smitten over one another so- I find it hard to believe your thinking so hard about a clear victory.”

You bite your lip, unsure of what to say next as Yoongi has so clearly seen right through you.  

“We don’t get much time together; it would be a waste to spend it discussing the internal monologue going on inside my head.” You joke, stepping towards him.

He clicks his tongue, “Now see- that is where you’re wrong. It was your internal monologue and your resulting opinions that drew me to visit you in the first place. The other talents your lips have are merely a bonus.” He smirks but his eyes hold some degree of concern, “I want to know what’s on your mind Y/N...no matter how insignificant you may find it.”

Yoongi’s sincerity draws you out of your shell, your heart picking up slightly at the thought of discussing your feelings.

“It’s silly...” You warn him causing him to chuckle.

“Good, I could use a bit of silliness after today.” He promises with a grin but his laughter dissipates as he notices even the slightest bit of distress on your face, “Your thoughts aren’t silly Y/N, at least not to me. I’d really like to hear what you’re thinking.”

Gnawing on your bottom lip, you take a deep breath and muster up the courage to be honest with him, “What are your intentions with me?”

He tilts his head, stepping closer to you after your question, face decorated with curiosity, “Which intentions are you referring to?”

You feel yourself growing nervous under his gaze but, you stay strong anyway and push through, “All of them- I suppose. It’s just that, I’m having difficulty...I’m-”

The hesitation in your features concerns Yoongi and he can’t help but quell the distance between you, taking your hands gently in his own.

“My girl- what's troubling you like this? Have I upset you?”

He’s tilting his head, trying to find your gaze as you look down at where your hands are connected.

His question causes you to look up at him, lips parted as you shake your head.

“No, no of course not.” You assure him, entwining your fingers with his, “I just- oh I promise you it’s going to sound silly...”

Yoongi chuckles incredulously, gently shaking your hands in his grip, “Y/N, darling please tell me what’s on your mind. I promise you I won’t find think it’s silly.”

Your heart sings at the pet name he gives you, taking a momentary break from it’s uneven rhythm, “I’ve just been wondering why you haven’t...well, why we haven’t- why we haven’t been intimate.”

Yoongi’s chest tightens with realization, his grip on your hands tightening ever so slightly before taking a deep breath, “There is nothing silly about that at all.” He assures you with a gentle smile, his eyes shifting from your hands to your face and back again whilst he tries to come up with a response, “It’s a perfectly normal thing to be curious about, especially considering how often we kiss. To be quite honest, my reasoning is probably what will end up sounding silly to you...”

“I don’t think it will, I just want to understand where your head is at because,” You sigh, looking into his eyes, “sometimes I feel alone in how much I desire you and I thought maybe if I got an idea where your head is at, I could understand why you always stop things before they go too far.”

At this, Yoongi raises his brows, “You think you’re alone in the desire to take me to bed?” He confirms, his voice deepening, a ghost of a smirk on his lips, “And here I thought you were clever...”

With a pout to your lips, you playfully tug your hands out of his grip causing him to chuckle before capturing them once again, “I am clever! Clever people get confused all the time, besides you just said this was a perfectly normal thing to be curious about.”

He laughs still and nods, guiding your hands up to his shoulders, “Yes I did. However, I was referring to you wondering why we haven’t gone to bed together yet, not you wondering whether or not I wanted to take you to bed. That IS silly...”

“It’s not though...” You insist, a shiver running down your spine as he slides his freed hands around your waist, “You always seem so composed. We’ll have been kissing for what feels like forever and then- you stop us. Which is ok of course but, I just don’t fully understand why.”

He hums thoughtfully with a smirk still on his lips as he pulls you closer to him, “My composure is an illusion Y/N. My job requires me to have complete control all of the time, especially in the face of an enemy...”

Scoffing, your pout deepens at the end of his sentence, “Oh so I'm your enemy now? Gee Yoongi, I’m so glad I decided to share this with you- I feel much better now.”

Yoongi laughs heartily at your sarcasm before leaning in and pressing a kiss to your forehead, “You are an enemy to my composure darling- you are just refusing to realize that.”

His kiss causes your heart to sing with satisfaction, despite the fact that you are trying very hard to focus on pouting.

“Even if that were true...I still feel silly for how much I desire you.”

He quells the playfulness between the two of you then, one of his hands coming up to cup your cheek, “You are not silly, and you are not alone. My entire world has shifted because of you. I think you’d be shocked if you knew how much you occupied my thoughts.” He assures you, placing another kiss on your forehead, “However, that isn’t the answer to your question is it? You’re wondering why we haven’t gone to bed together despite how much we desire each other.”  

“Yes.” You murmur, leaning against his hand, “If you have any insight on this general, please provide a briefing...”

He smirks fondly, brushing his thumb over your cheek, “You really have no idea how much I want you. I don’t think I could possibly explain it. Because of that, I want to wait until I can give you everything I have. Right now I- I simply can’t.” He admits, a bit of sadness now in his tone, “I want to wait until I have a proper villa, until I don’t have to worry about leaving at dawn to continue training, until I can stay underneath the sheets with you, until I can spend hours pleasing you- without the threat of war in the back of my mind. You deserve a man with no distractions, right now- I'm just not that man yet.”

His explanation makes perfect sense and you feel a bit of guilt for ever wondering how he felt about you in the first place but before you’re able to comment on his words, he speaks again.

“But please- please don’t think that means I don’t desire you.” He whispers, smiling softly whilst he places yet another kiss to your forehead. Letting his lips linger there, he sighs hopelessly, “One day, when I am finally free of my duties- I will spend days memorizing your skin with my lips...” He begins kissing his way down the bridge of your nose, puckering his lips gently as he does. He bypasses your lips however and uses his hand to tilt your head to the side, give him access to your neck, “I will memorize every bump,” He kisses your skin, “every curve,” Kiss “every line,” Kiss “every scar,” Kiss “every spot that gives you pleasure.” He inhales softly through his nose when he hears you gasp, your hands tightening on his shoulders, “Will you wait for me darling? Will you wait until I can give you my soul? My heart is already yours, I just need a little bit longer....”

You’re already nodding, certain with your response despite how much his presence is currently affecting you, “I’d wait for you forever, General Min.”

You can feel him grin against your neck, “I only need six months...” He chuckles, his laughter increasing as you playfully smack his back. “Then I’m yours forever.”

At his amendment, you smile and kiss the side of his head, “Forever sounds nice.”

Yoongi sighs, sliding his hands across your back to pull you into his embrace, “Forever it is then.”  

[marvel-ousnesss]

The one with the boiling rock (Zuko x reader)

Pairing: Prince Zuko x firebender!reader

Summary: Y/N follows Azula after she overhears the Firelord's plan to get rid of his banished son. She fails to warn Zuko and ends up in the Boiling Rock thinking he's dead. Spoiler alert, he's not.

Word count: 4k-ish

masterlist

A/N: For the sake of avoiding any signs of a love triangle, let's throw cannon away and pretend Mai and Zuko are just good friends. Love you all so so much. 💜💜💜

Servants vowed to you as you waltzed through the galleries of the palace, looking for your father, General Yuan. That morning, he had told you to join him in the training arena at sundown, once the war meeting was over. You were planning on taking no detours, but that changed once you heard loud, thundering footsteps coming from across the hall. The Firelord walked with his head held high and his hands behind his back, the princess trailed right behind him, closely listening to his every command. 

"Your brother is a failure and your uncle is a coward and a traitor," he declared. "I cannot risk having them on the loose with the avatar's capture on stake." 

"I completely agree, father, they must be dealt with." She quickened her pace. 

He turned toward his daughter and she lowered her head in an indication of respect. "I've decided to send you, Azula, to effectuate their imprisonment or, be the case, take them out.” The princess’s head rose, proud. “I only trust you to do what must be done."

You hid behind a column to remain unseen while they walked past you, using your hands to silence the gasp that threatened to spill out of your mouth. The Firelord's cruelty had surprised you the day of the Agni Kai, images of Zuko’s crying silhouette curled in a fetal position were still plastered in your mind. And, even knowing he was capable of that, you didn’t find a way to comprehend how he’d not only kill his only son but he'd use his daughter to do so. 

That evening, your head was elsewhere while training. Your flames, usually potent and vibrant, were shining a faint tone of red. Your aim too was sloppy, as evidenced when your fire whip was easily blocked by your father every time you tried to strike.

"Something's in your mind." He lost his stance and approached you, inviting you to do the same. 

"I'm just a bit distracted," you lied, looking down at your feet. 

"We can head home if you want." He offered you some water. 

You nodded.

Your family's house was not far from the palace citadel, as your father was one of the most prominent figures in the Fire Nation army. You walked in silence, not even looking at him but, once you closed the main door, you couldn't hide your concern. You sat down at his study, and, after taking a sip of your tea with a trembling hand, explained what you had heard.  

"Firelord Ozai is sending Azula after the prince and General Iroh.”

Your father's eyes widened for a moment, as he had once fought alongside the kind general, but he regained his serenity immediately. "It is a reasonable move. Getting the avatar was just a way to keep the prince at sea, but now is not the time to let a traitor and a teenager have the power to control the odds of the war."

Your jaw clenched, then you swallowed hard and, unable to speak, nodded. You understood that it was probably what needed to be done, strategically speaking, and that, even if your father personally disapproved such cruelty, he was in no position to defy the Firelord; but it was Zuko whom you were talking about, it felt more than wrong to accept his cursed fate with such ease. 

"Y/N, you have always been kind-hearted, and it hurts me to see you worry, but you need to understand that some sacrifices demand to be made for the sake of victory."

That night, you were about to send a letter to the exiled members of the royal family, but there was a  feeling of uneasiness that made your stomach ache. There had to be something else you could do… That's when it hit you.

Azula and her unit weren't leaving until the following week. So you used that time to gather supplies, dig into whatever scroll you could get your hands in and steal --no, borrow-- some of your father's maps. The day of your departure came, you got up before sunrise and headed to the base from which the princess was sailing, leaving behind a small note for your father to see.  

You waited for her to show and, once her ship lifted anchors, so did yours. You knew how to sail except you had never done it without a crew. The ship you had stolen wasn't big, it was a fishing boat domestic fleets used every once in a while, so it was relatively easy to stay in control and out of the princess' sight. 

The journey lasted but a few days before Azula's ship was pulled to the shore, but the tides were too strong and you weren't as experienced. Hoping for the best, you waited until nightfall to reach the land. You spent the night searching but had no luck, so you made camp near the docks. After you finished setting your tent, you headed toward the ship you'd been following, hoping to get a glimpse of whatever was happening on deck. Luckily, there were two soldiers conversing while standing watch. 

You climbed onto the ship and hid behind reserve boxes, listening to their exchange from within the shadows.

"I can’t believe I’m in the mission to capture the Dragon of the West," one of them practically squealed. 

"Don't get too excited, I heard he’s not the same anymore." The other one laughed gratingly.  "Besides, it's not like there's gonna be a fight or anything; the princess told them Lord Ozai wants them back at the palace. Poor fools’ gonna board voluntarily."

You stepped back, teeth gritted and fists tightened. Making them walk into a trap was a devious move, but it didn't really shock you. Azula had always been ruthless and calculating. You were about to jump off-board when you tripped and made the box tower collapse, leaving you exposed. 

“Hey!” 

The guards immediately turned your way. Instead of reacting, you found yourself frozen on the spot. It was certainly not a time to be panicking. You took a breath and, with a kick, threw a stream of fire at the man in front of you and ran toward the dock while he recovered. However,  the other guard had alerted the rest so, at the very entrance of the ship, awaited Azula, dressed in a wine-colored night-robe.  

She didn’t even look phased; if much, she was mildly annoyed that you had disrupted her sleep. 

"Long way from home, Y/N. I'm guessing you didn't just come to say hello."

You opened your mouth but no words rolled off your tongue. You raised your hands and lowered your head in surrender, to avoid further trouble.  

You were a more than capable warrior, you knew that. Nevertheless, the sole thought of facing her made your body shake; let alone while outnumbered. 

"That's what I thought," she smirked. "You're a coward, just like my idiot brother. And, just like him, you'll get a coward's treatment. Seize her."

Two soldiers grabbed your arms and roughly pressed them behind your back, restraining you with metal cuffs. 

"You know what to do."

They both bowed their heads and yanked you below deck. As you walked to the cellars, one whispered, "what do we do?" 

The other one huffed. "The cooler, dumbass."

————————

Third-person POV. 

Zuko knocked on the door three times, trying not to seem too anxious. It had already been two days since he arrived home as a hero but, as such, he had been busy with appearances and meetings. He took a step back and fixed his robes, his right foot tapping as he awaited a response. 

The door cracked open, revealing a young woman, a few years older than him. He gave her a small smile but she didn’t see it, her gaze fixated on the wooden floor as she bowed deeply. 

“My prince,” she greeted. “How can I be of service.” 

“Hello.” 

She straightened up. 

“Is Y/N home?” 

Her expression shifted, then she cleared her throat. “Not at the moment.” 

“Oh, uh, thanks.” He rubbed the back of his neck. 

At that moment, General Yuan strolled through one of the doors that connected the main area of the house with the other hallways. His eyes were framed by dark circles and his shoulders fell limp, not the way he carried himself outside. 

He faced Zuko’s and immediately stood taller. “Your highness,” he said. “There is something you need to know.” 

———————

For a moment, you eyed the two guards overlooking the yard from an upper balcony. You gave it no mind when one of them rushed downstairs but gulped when the other one fixed his attention on you, nothing good could come from that. Before he caught your eye, you lowered your head and let your shoulders fall, hoping he'd lose interest. Thinking it had worked, you retired to your cell. However, as you walked, your arm was roughly pulled. 

You tried to break free and struggled for a few seconds, trying to root your feet to the ground. The guard easily overpowered you, for you had too little strength to resist, and threw you into an empty cell.

He still had hold of your arm, but you didn’t fight him. It was better to avoid acting up, you had learned that. However, you knew they appreciated respect, so you lifted your head and asked, "What do you want?"

Even the helmet didn’t conceal his shocked façade. “Y/N?” 

He took his helmet off and tears flooded your eyes. You wrapped your arms around his middle and let out an involuntary whimper followed by an excruciating stream of sobs. At first, Zuko was a bit taken aback by your reaction, as his muscles tensed. But then he too faded into the hug and allowed himself to breathe your familiar scent. 

“I thought you were dead,” you whispered. 

“What?” 

“I- I wanted to warn you about Azula.” You take a deep breath, not ready to let go of him. “When your father sent her after you, I followed, but she caught me when I sneaked into her ship and I-.”

He grabbed your shoulders and stretched his arms so he could look at you. His face like porcelain and his mouth agape. 

“You sneaked into my sister’s ship? Alone?” Zuko let go of you and ran his hands through his hair. “Are you, Y/N, are you out of your mind? You could've ended up dead, no-" Now, he was screaming, his golden eyes blazed with worry."-you could've ended up worse than dead!"

 Your lip trembled as you shouted back, "well, surprise, so could you!" 

"You went on a suicide mission, alone!" He started pacing around the small room. "I can't believe you did something so stupid."

"At least I had to try, Zuko." This time, your voice was tight. 

"Y/N, she's. Ahh!" He stopped pacing and threw his head back with a groan. Without a thought, he stepped toward you and, once again, engulfed you in his embrace. "I’m glad you’re okay."

Zuko's head fell limp on your shoulder while he calmed down, your hand rubbed his back soothingly for a moment before he brought back the distance between you.   

"Listen, we're getting out of here."

"How?"

"Just trust me, I'll come to your cell and get you."

He flashed you a quick, closed-lip smile and walked out. You followed after a few seconds and went back to your cell. A few hours passed and you had no news from Zuko, so you headed down the stairs with the rest of the inmates. 

You were mopping the floor, keeping your work focused on a relatively small area of the room when you spotted the familiar mess of raven hair, only now he was dressed in a uniform that matched yours. He dragged his water bucket toward where you were and began mopping next to you. 

"Are you gonna tell me the whole story now?"

You didn’t know what had driven the banished crown prince to break into a high-security prison, but the response you got was far from what you expected. 

“I kind of joined the avatar.” 

“Weren't you trying to capture him so you could go back home?” 

“I’ll explain later,” he said, looking past you and directly at a guard. Zuko grabbed your hand and guided you to where he and another girl in prison uniform were standing.

They gave you a questioning look. 

“Um, guys, this is Y/N. Y/N, Sokka and Suki.” 

After an awkward wave, you took the time to look at them in detail. 

It was a girl you had seen a few times, from a group of Earth Kingdom warriors; and a brunet, blue eyed boy you had never seen but could guess came from a water tribe. They were slightly shocked but didn’t really question your presence, making you relax. 

After a brief explanation of everything that had been going on since you were captured the four of you came up with an escape plan that would’ve been perfect if it wasn’t for the undesired addition to your team, Chit Sang.

You, Suki, Chit, and another two people he introduced as his girl and best mate would wait for Sokka and Zuko to show up at the blind spot. Then, the all of you would ride the cooler to the other side of the lake. That's where you were now, sitting on a rock with Suki while Chit and his friend discussed over where to go after the escape. 

To be honest, their petty argument was beginning to annoy you, so you turned to Suki, who was using a stick to doodle on the sand. 

“So, how do you know Sokka?” 

Her cheeks reddened slightly so she turned her head sideways. 

“Sokka,” she chuckled, “We first met a few months ago, when he, Katara, and Aang went to my island. The rest of the Kyoshi warriors and I thought they were spies.” 

“Kyoshi, where have I heard…  oh, Avatar Kyoshi,” you recalled. “My father once gave me a scroll about her.” 

You were about to continue, glad you’d found something to talk about, when Chit’s complaint cut you off before either of you could say something else. 

"Took you guys long enough," he scolded Sokka and Zuko, as they slid down the cliff with the cooler. You, Chit and Suki quickly placed yourselves against the cooler to help the others and then the five of you pushed it into the water. 

You were about to go ahead with the plan, when they brought up the following day’s new arrivals. That changed everything. 

“Sokka?” You approached him, placing a hand on his shoulder. 

"Rescuing your dad is your chance to redeem your honor,” Zuko noted.

Sokka fell to his knees, deep in thought. 

He looked at the group apologetically. “We wouldn’t be here if I had cut my losses at the invasion,” he sighed. “I think it’s best if we call it quits.” 

You crossed your arms, and stood tall. “No, ” you deadpanned. “I know how it feels to fail, Sokka, specially when it’s someone you really care about.” Your eyes met a pair of golden ones. “It hurts so much not to try. I’ll help you, whatever you need.” 

Without a word, Sokka stood up, and walked closer to the lake with his head low.

Zuko rested a hand on his shoulder. “Y/N’s right, you can’t quit because you’re afraid of failure. How do you know you won't make it if you don't even try.” 

“Well, if you cookies are done, can we get a move on?” Chit glared at you while tapping his foot. 

Sokka shook his head.

“You guys go," you said. 

"Suki, you've been here long enough," Sokka pleaded, stepping closer to her. 

"I'm not leaving without you, Sokka." 

Zuko mimicked Sokka's actions, turning your way. "And I’m not leaving without you."

It was settled. 

"I hope this isn't a huge mistake," Sokka sighed. 

And it wasn’t, the plan failed and Chit and his people were brought back in. He had tried to row the boat and earned a burn, which was followed by a blaring scream. You watched from one of the outer beams of the building while waiting for the new prisoners to disembark the gondola. Your hope threatened to abandon you but, right before you voiced your thoughts to give up, Sokka's dad emerged. 

That's how you ended up in the very place you had started, your cell. You laid on the metal bench provided and closed your eyes, having decided to use the spare time to practice a little. You placed your right hand on the metal wall and outstretched your right, pointing two fingers at the opposite wall. The surface under your palm turned red-hot and that's where you started truly working. 

You exhaled deeply and began absorbing the heat you had generated. Bit by bit so it would efficiently pass through you and leave in the form of a thin trail of smoke. What you were doing required deep concentration so when the door creaked open you didn't even notice the intruder. Your eyes broke open as you retrieved your hands, the wall returning to its initial gray color. 

Sokka was standing in front of the now-closed door, he blinked a few times before finally asking, "were you fire bending metal?"

"Oh, no." You sat up and chuckled, "it's called heat controlling. I project heat into a surface, then let it pass through me and then out, via my other hand." 

"Cool." Sokka's mouth fell. "So it’s like... reversed fire bending.” 

“I guess you can put it like that.”

“Anyway," he spoke with determination, looking through the small window. "I've talked to my dad. We have a plan, be in the yard in an hour and a half. I'll go tell the others." 

“Sure,” you smile. “Thanks, Sokka.” 

The plan was simple: start a riot and use the gondola to escape. Easier said than done, even with the riot, you were still trying to figure out how to grab the warden and, on top of it, had no idea where the fire prince was. Although your uncertainty didn’t last long. Before you knew it, Zuko got his ass to the courtyard, Suki took hold of the warden, and the seven of you ran upstairs to the gondolas.

On the bridge to your awaiting vehicle, you encountered a few guards. You blocked their first attacks but when Zuko announced the warden was coming with you they gave you no more problems. 

"Everyone in," Suki ushered you. 

You let them get in before you as she held the door, then tried to run back and help Zuko, but Suki pulled you in and closed the door. 

From the gondola, you watched him pull the lever and kick it so they wouldn't stop you, your grip on the rail making your sweaty hands pale. He leaped toward you and barely managed to grab Sokka's hand. You let go of the rails and relaxed, knowing you had all made it, but the moment ended when you saw Azula. 

"Shit," you groaned.  

"Who's that?"

"My sister and her friend." 

Suki smirked. "This is a rematch I've been waiting for."

You just huffed and jumped on top of the gondola. As Azula and Ty Lee advanced toward it, you tried to take them down with fire-jabs but Ty Lee was too fast and Azula swung and easily dodged them. They landed on opposite sides, surrounding the four of you. You immediately charged toward the princess, determined not to fall without a good fight. Not this time.

Next to you, Zuko shot multiple fireballs out of his fists but neither of you had luck. Azula redirected every blow and you let out a frustrated growl.

"Even together,” she scoffed, “you’re pathetic."

Again, you tried; opting for a blazing ring to try and knock her out of balance. While you advanced on her Zuko covered you and blocked her blows, this gave Sokka a chance to get near. A blow of his sword took away her balance but she recovered quickly and threw a missile that you managed to dodge by merely a few inches, falling back against the pulley of the gondola. 

You got up once more but Azula's strikes were fast and repetitive, so you and Zuko would wear yourselves down by trying to block each one. You panted, concentrating to maintain your shield well built, but lost your stance when the gondola shook violently. Azula and Ty Lee fled the scene, as the guards were about to cut the line; the four of you jumped back inside and warned the others. But someone stopped the guards, you narrowed your eyes in order to see who and emitted a gasp when you recognized Mai's figure. 

But the situation you were in left no time to ask questions, the six of you sprinted away as soon as the gondola touched land. Zuko stopped after a few yards. 

"Zuko, come on," you urged. 

"Yeah, what are you doing?"

"My sister, she must've arrived here somehow." He ran toward a cliff and smirked when he looked down. He was right, there was a Fire Nation dirigible parked by the seashore. 

To say that you were exhausted after the journey would be an understatement. Not only had the last two days been more draining than the previous few months but you had used your bending to fuel the dirigible the whole way to the Air Temple. You didn’t complain, you were glad to be safe. Not to mention that you finally got a chance to catch up on Zuko’s unlikely adventures.

“We’re here,” Sokka peeped. 

You looked through one of the windows and almost didn’t believe what you saw. You had read multiple scrolls about the magnificent Air Temples and the people that lived in them but had never even imagined visiting one. 

You landed and the door opened. You were hesitant to step outside and Zuko took notice, so he offered you an encouraging smile and squeezed your hand. For a second you had forgotten that he was also a newcomer to the Avatar’s group so he shared part of the nerves you felt; besides, you knew that, whatever reactions you got from them, he’d stand by you. 

A small girl inquired, “did you at least get some good meat?”

“Yup, the best meat of all,” Sokka answered with a beam. “The meat of friendship and fatherhood.” 

That's when the four of you stepped forward, but you remained concealed behind Chit.

The three kids smiled when they saw Suki and Hakoda, and Chit was quick to introduce himself with a matching smile on his face. 

Your hiding place disappeared when Hakoda ran to hug who you guessed was  Sokka's sister, Katara, and the others advanced right after.

When they finished greeting their friends, the group turned its whole attention to you, still standing on the dirigible bridge.

The bald kid, Aang, as Sokka had briefed you, gave you a kind smile; Toph, the little girl, tilted her head in curiosity, and Katara just quirked a brow. 

Zuko cleared his throat, walking to your side. "Everybody, this is Y/N. Y/N, this is everybody."

"Hi, guys," you waved with a shy smile. 

Requests open!

[madpanda75]

“Penance”

For @thatesqcrush’s kink bingo--I’ve been loving everyone’s contributions to the challenge so I thought I would try my hand at it!

Jonas Nightingale x Reader for the Gags square ( my first Jonas fic! Warning-- I’ve never seen “Leap of Faith so please be kind)

Double Warning: This is SUPER NSFW. There’s BDSM, ball gags, fisting, squirting, forced orgasms, and a pinch of priest kink (even though Jonas is a “reverend” not a priest)

Hold on to your butts and get your splash guards out!

Sam Nightingale sat cross-legged in front of the pulpit. A frigid blast slapped her in the face and she silently praised whoever invented air conditioning. Rather than pitching a tent and sweating her ass off in an abandoned field out in east Jesus nowhere, the local pastor had insisted that she and Jonas use his church for their revival.

With a glint in her eye, she gazed down at her lap overflowing with dollar bills. Ten. Twenties. Fifties. Even a few hundreds from the wealthier church patrons. Every dollar counted, she could hear a cash register cha-ching in her brain. Ah, the simple-minded naivety of the Midwest. It was like taking candy from a baby. “Damn, Jonas.” She shook her head in amazement. “We made bank today. Who knew Nebraskeners were so generous? I swear you wave around a Bible and the promise of redemption in front of folks and the money flows.” 

Her comments were greeted with silence. “Jonas?” She glanced up to see her brother lying on the front pew, staring up at the ceiling, lost in thought. “Hello? Earth to Jonas!” She grabbed her pack of menthols and chucked them at her brother, gaining his attention.

“Huh? Ya’ say something?” 

“Uhhh, yeah.” Sam made a show of flipping through a large wad of cash. “Here I am drowning in Benjamins and you’re out in la la land. What’s with you today?”

Jonas shrugged. “Nothing.”

“Nothing? You sure about that?” She walked over and knocked his feet off the pew, plopping down right next to him. “Cause you were distracted during the church service. I had to basically feed you your lines through the microphone. Please tell me you haven’t found your moral compass or something.”

He snorted a laugh. “Hell would freeze over before that happens.” Coming back to his senses, he spotted the sea of green nestled in his sister’s lap and whistled. “All that came from today?”

“Yep.”

“We should add an afternoon service if we stick around here. We’ll make twice as much.”

A dramatic sigh of relief below past Sam’s lips. “There’s the swindler I know and love. You had me worried there for a moment.”

“Shut the fuck up.” Jonas grabbed the cash and began counting the bills when the door opened. “The Senior Bingo is being held around the corner in the rec room,” he said over his shoulder.

“Actually I’m looking for you,” a soft sultry voice called out. A voice that made Jonas whip his head around.

“It’s you,” he whispered and shot straight up out of the pew, the dollar bills in his lap now floating to the floor like confetti. 

Sam immediately began to pick up the stray money while Jonas stood there, staring at you. You were wearing a demure, white cotton sundress that screamed virgin, but the ruby red shade of your lipstick purred vixen. His sister was right, he had been distracted and now that distraction was standing in the middle of the aisle. He could feel his pants begin to bulge at the mere sight of you biting your bottom lip.

 “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you,” you said with an apologetic smile.

“Oh don’t worry about it.” Sam stood up and patted her brother on the back, noticing the way his demeanor changed the minute you walked through the door. “This guy has been out of it all day. Although I think I’m beginning to realize why.” 

Jonas glared at his sister before turning back to you. “How can I help you?”

You fidgeted a bit, wringing the leather strap of your purse. “Actually, I was hoping we could speak in private, Reverend.” 

“I’m gonna go check on that bingo. See if they have someone to call the numbers,” Sam said after an awkward pause. She gave Jonas a sly wink before walking out the door.

“Please have a seat.” Jonas ushered you to a pew. His heart was racing and sweat was beginning to bead on his forehead. There was something about you that made him nervous. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but whatever it was, you disarmed him completely. 

He took a deep breath and tried to recover. After all he was the King of Sin. If he could con people out of money under the guise of salvation, he could certainly handle talking to a beautiful woman.

 “I’m glad you came in today,” he said.

“You are?”

Jonas nodded his head and took a seat next to you. “I noticed you during the service. I could sense that something was weighing heavily on your soul.”

You looked down for a moment, hesitant to speak before finally confessing. “There is.” 

“Don’t be bashful.” He reached out and patted your knee in reassurance, his thumb gliding across your skin. “You can trust me. I help all those who are lost and right now you look like a little lamb that has strayed from the flock.”

“I...I... struggle with the sin of lust,” you replied in a voice barely above a whisper. Your cheeks turned bright red, nearly matching the shade of lipstick you were wearing.

Jonas felt his interest peak. “Go on,” he encouraged.

“I have certain...proclivities. I’ve tried to quell these dark desires, but I need help. My need is constant.” You let out a shaky breath, your eyes fluttering shut.

Little did you know, you were an answer to Jonas’ prayers (if in fact he ever did pray). It had been ages since he had gotten laid and you were just his type. It was as if the heavens opened and a choir of angels were singing ‘Hallelujah.’ He cleared his throat. “I think I can be of service.” 

“Thank you!” Relief washed over your face before you became serious. “But I have to warn you others have tried and failed.” You leaned forward, your knees now touching his. He could smell the seductive notes of your perfume: lotus blossom and black orchid. “Do you think you are up to the challenge?” you practically purred.

Jonas licked his lips and let his eyes drink you in from head to toe. He felt smugly satisfied noticing your heaving chest, the way your nipples hardened against the fabric of your dress. “Sure, I’ll guide you on my cock,” he thought. 

But rather than make this blunt point and risk you running out of the church, disgusted. He gently cupped your face and stared into your eyes with a deep sincerity. “I can assure you, I won’t stop until we tame the fire that burns deep within you. I am relentless in my dedication to saving souls.” 

What happened next sent shockwaves down the wily con artist’s spine. Parting your lips, you took his thumb into your mouth, sucking and gliding your tongue against the digit. Jonas gasped, feeling you bite down on the meaty flesh before pulling off with a pop. 

You tucked your purse under your arm and stood up, smoothing down your dress. “Thank you, Reverend. I’ll be in touch.” You went to the door before pausing and looking over your shoulder. “By the way, I’m Y/N. It’s nice to meet you.”  With an innocent smile, you left Jonas sitting there, completely stunned. 

*****

The old secretary glanced up as soon as you walked into the church office. “The Reverend will be with you in a moment. Why don’t you take a seat.” She motioned towards a chair. 

“Thank you.” You sat down and crossed your legs, admiring your new black Louboutin heels. 

The sound of an old fire and brimstone preacher played from a radio on the secretary’s desk. “Fornication is not just a sin against another person. It is a sin against ourselves. It is self destructive and we must avoid it at all costs!”

You arched a brow at the secretary, who gave you a tight smile and turned down the volume. You couldn’t help but bite back a laugh. The irony of the sermon was not lost on you.

It had been three weeks since you met Jonas. You were in town for a few months visiting your grandmother and she insisted on dragging your butt out of bed to the sunrise Sunday service at her church. Luckily for you, instead of the regular reverend (who was as old as Methuselah), there was a handsome, charismatic guest preacher in his place. Having never been an avid church-goer before, you were quite taken with the eye candy professing salvation for all sinners from the pulpit. 

After the service, you dropped off your grandmother at her bingo game and decided to have a little fun by giving into your more baser instincts. How else were you supposed to entertain yourself in a dusty dried up old town? You knew how to play the game. With your chaste couture and coquettish ways, you caught Jonas Nightingale--hook, line, and sinker.

Just then Jonas walked into the office, freezing in his tracks the second he laid eyes on you. “Ms. Y/L/N.” He took off his aviator shades and smirked. “What a pleasant surprise.”

“I know we had a session yesterday, but I think I need more spiritual guidance.” You ran a delicate hand down the slope of your neck and gave him a shy smile.

Jonas ran his tongue across his teeth, a low growl emanating from his chest. “Of course, please step into my office.” You stood up and followed him. Before shutting the door, Jonas turned towards the secretary. “Why don’t you get out of here and take a long lunch.”

“Are you sure?” the secretary asked, leaning over the desk to try and peek into his office.

“Absolutely. It’s been a slow day. Go out. Live a little.” Jonas sighed in relief, watching as she grabbed her purse and needlepoint. She was on loan to him from the church. The woman was your typical nosy, uptight old bat with a stick up her ass, but she made great coffee and would bring in freshly baked cookies every week.

As soon as the secretary left, he stepped into his office and locked the door. “I thought you were supposed to come by tonight. Just couldn’t wait, could ya?” he teased and removed his shirt, leaving him in a black tank top. 

You bit your bottom lip, staring at his muscular arms. “I had to come here.”

“Oh you did?” 

You blushed and fidgeted with your coat. “You see, I was very, very naughty. I was thinking about you all morning and I had to touch myself. I sinned, Reverend and you told me that those who disobey God’s laws must do penance.” You made a show of unbuttoning your coat and letting it fall to the floor, revealing that you were completely naked.

Jonas stalked up to you, looking like the big bad wolf. He walked in a slow circle around you, inspecting every inch of your flesh before stopping right behind you and grabbing your hips, pulling you flush to him. His lips brushed over your pulse point and all too soon he walked away.

With the crook of his finger, he beckoned you over to the chair in front of his desk. You obliged his silent request and sat down. Sinking to his knees before you, he planted a brutal, bruising kiss on your lips, thrusting his tongue into your mouth. He pulled away and went over to his desk. “You remember the safe word?” he asked, opening a drawer.

“Bakker,” you replied. 

Jonas chuckled. When you two began these escapades, you picked “Bakker” for your safe word. The last name of the infamous Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, two TV televangelists who were found guilty of fraud in the 80s. It was your subtle way of telling Jonas that you saw right through him and didn’t believe his act for a second. As long as your grandmother didn’t give him any money, his secret was safe with you. Besides, Jonas was just as much a freak as you were and he was the best sex you ever had.

Reaching into the drawer, he pulled out several items, one of them being a blindfold. “You know, I can’t promise that I’ll be gentle,” he purred as he covered your eyes.

A smile tugged at your lips. “You should know by now that I don’t want you to be gentle. Don’t hold back.”

“Challenge accepted,” Jonas thought as he grabbed some nylon ropes. He grabbed your arms and began to tie them behind the chair.

Your pulse quickened in anticipation. “Tighter,” you demanded in a breathy moan.

He yanked the ropes taut making you gasp. “Let me be the judge of that,” he growled, biting your earlobe. He spread your legs, tying each one to the leg of the chair. Your pussy glistened as you were already wet from masturbating all morning. The scent of your arousal filled his nostrils and made his cock twitch.

Tied and blindfolded, you thought Jonas would get down to business, but he had a few more surprises up his sleeves. He took out a white ball gag with a leather strap and some honey. After squirting some honey onto the ball gag, he cupped your chin and forced your mouth open. “Don’t you dare spit this out,” he threatened, fastening the leather strap behind your head.

You felt the ball wedge between your teeth. The sweet hit of the honey coating your tongue. Jonas has done his research. He knew that the combination of the honey and the ball gag would make you drool, giving you that hint of humiliation you craved. 

He sat back on his haunches and admired his work: the knots of nylon binding you to the chair, the way your lips wrapped around the ball gag, the rise and fall of your flushed chest. You were a work of art. Michelangelo had the Sistine Chapel and Jonas had you.

He knelt down and kissed the top of your right foot before slowly dragging his tongue up your leg, nibbling on your inner thighs and then trailing down your left leg, planting a final kiss on your left foot. 

He parted your swollen pussy lips and licked your pink, quivering flesh, reveling in the way you whimpered and squirmed. When he wrapped his mouth around your clit, you jerked forward only to remember that you were restrained. He alternated between fucking you with his tongue and lapping at your clit. Being blindfolded only heightened your senses and right now it felt like Jonas was eating you out as if you were an all you can eat pancake breakfast.

You threw your head back and moaned, trying to arch your hips to give him even more access to your core. He reached his hands up and began to massage your breasts, pinching your nipples until they swelled and ached in pleasure. Your thighs began to shake and Jonas knew you were close. One final tweak of your taut nipple and your orgasm rippled through you. 

Jonas groaned and nodded his head vigorously, flicking against your nub as you rode out your ecstasy. “Jonas!” you wailed in a muffled tone, although the ball gag was preventing you from speaking much. 

He hummed in contentment and smacked his lips together, tracing your entrance with a single digit. You squeaked in surprise.“Shhh,” he cooed. “Calm down, my angel. We’ve barely begun. How many fingers do you think you can take? One?”

You shook your head no.

“Two?”

You shook your head again. Jonas arched a brow, even though you couldn’t see him. He knew what you wanted. When he got up to five. You nodded. 

“So fucking greedy.” He spread you even wider. “You think you can take it?”

You nodded once more and undulated your hips. He began to finger fuck you, starting with his index finger, thrusting into you hard and fast while pressing on your clit until you howled. The second finger, he scissored you, slowly stretching you out, stroking your walls, studying the way you whimpered and wailed. He slowly added a third digit, finding that secret spot within you that so few men ever find. 

The buildup was unbearable as your hips stuttered forward, coming once more. Even though you were soaking wet, Jonas squirted lube onto his fourth finger firmly believing in the philosophy of, “the wetter, the better.” He slowly moved in and out of you, swiping against your clit. 

With each digit he added, you came harder and harder. Tears slid down your face from underneath your blindfold. Your muscles began to spasm, your nerve endings tingled. Jonas cruelly laughed. “Look at you, creaming on my fingers like a little slut.” 

You wailed out another orgasm in response. How long had you been sitting there? Hours? Your body experienced a rollercoaster of emotions. Every time you came, you loathed it. You craved it. You wanted him to stop. No, don’t stop! Don’t ever, ever, ever stop! You wanted more and more and more and that’s exactly what Jonas gave you.

After adding even more lube, he tucked his thumb into his palm, tapering his fingers and slowly penetrating you, pushing past the knuckles until his entire hand was deep inside you. Jonas had never fisted anyone before, but you had untapped desires within him that he had no idea even existed.

He began to rock his large hand back and forth. You sobbed in pleasure. You were stretched and filled to the brim, feeling tremendous pressure. You couldn’t catch your breath. Being tied, blindfolded, and gagged, all you could do was take it. While fisting you, Jonas leaned forward and began sucking on your clit. 

Your muffled moans of “Oh fuck! Oh yes! Yes! Yes!” filled the room as he unleashed his torture on your slick, hot cunt. He crooked and wiggled his fingers, massaging your G-spot. You screamed in ecstasy. Your orgasm was earth shattering. You felt a gush of liquid and squirted all over Jonas’ face.

“That’s it, my sweet angel. Squirt for me,” he groaned, almost coming in his pants at the sensation of your sweet nectar all over his face, a puddle amassing beneath your chair.

Jonas slowly took his hand out, one finger at a time. He reached up and cupped your face, you could feel your arousal from his one hand, coating your cheek. “You’re not done yet. I want one more from you,” he commanded as he began to unbound you.

You meekly nodded your head. He gave you an open mouth kiss over your ball gag and gently lifted you up so he could sit down. You were still blindfolded. The sound of a zipper and rustling of his denim, alerted you that he had taken out his cock.

You rocked against his length, his crown rubbing against your overly sensitive clit. Moving at a snail’s pace, you sank down onto his cock. Jonas’ fingers may have been long and thick, but nothing could replace being filled by his cock. After your initial meeting, you quickly understand why the man exuded a prowess on the church stage, swinging his big dick energy at anyone with a pulse. 

Jonas let out a strangled moan and grabbed your hips, encouraging you to fuck him.

You bounced up and down on his cock. He had given you so much pleasure and now you wanted to return the favor. You contracted your muscles, squeezing around him. Drool dribbled down your chin and onto your breasts from the combination of the honey and the ball gag. He lowered his head to lap it up and suck your nipples.

Smothered by your chest, he growled and gripped your hips, thrusting up into you. Your head lolled back. You loved this, being used as a sex toy. Your whole body screamed. Take me! Devour me! I’m yours! 

The wooden chair creaked and was on the verge of breaking, but neither of you cared. “Fuck! Jesus! Jonas!” you mumbled, climaxing one final time, your vision fading to black while riding out your orgasm. Pain and pleasure melding together.

Jonas’ hips began to stutter. “Oh Y/N!” he moaned. “I’m coming! I’m coming!” He grunted like an animal, pulsing inside you, filling you with his cum. His body tensed, coming so much that it seeped out of you and pooled around the base of his cock, creating a mess. Not that either of you noticed, you were both already plastered in sticky sweat

You went limp and melted against him, snuggling into the crook of his neck, mewling like a kitten. Once Jonas caught his breath, he pulled you away to take off the gag and blindfold. Gazing up at you with the sunlight illuminating your face, that feeling of disarmament overpowered him once more. He was completely at your mercy, bared to you. There was no escaping your trance. 

This was meant to be your penance. Your punishment. But instead, it was Jonas that choked out one final word, “Amen.”

Tag List:

@glimmerglittergirl @southern-magnolia @sweetcannolicarisi​ @delia26 @obfuscateyummy @sass-and-suspenders @eclecticminded @thatesqcrush @katmstanton @amirightcounsellor @beltzboys2015-blog @letty-o @sonnysdoll @lyssa1385 @sweetsummertime99 @burningsorr0ws @gibbs274 @izzythefanfreak @babypink224221 @livxrafa @esparza-army @obsessionprofessional @ottosuricato @mgarner1227 @dreila03  @tropes-and-tales @thecraziestcrayon @goodluckfindingone @scarletsoldierrr @youreverycolor @yeah-boiiiiiiiiiii @imagine-all-the-imagines @imjustreallynosy @graniairish @ashley-chi @lolacolaempath @cocomel0613 @imagine-all-the-imagines @mysterioustrashadventures @that-girl-named-alex @scapricciatello @mrsrafaelbarba @zizzlekwum @katierpblogg @crowleysqueenofhell @caked-crusader @garturbo @rachelxwayne @sarcastically-defensive17

[incubae-fics]

Someday [AU!Raestrao]

Pairing: AU!James x Female!Reader

Warnings: Major angst, trigger warning for a dark-ish theme. 

A/N: hi im alive and this is what I have to give. I will never get into explicit details of the things AU!James endured, but what I am implying can be triggering for some. This AU gets very dark and it stems from my shitty mind I guess? When playing the game, I felt like their ‘father’ would actually be far worse and that their mothers would be their only saving grace. They simply became corrupted because of him. Especially when he took their physical forms. I feel like he’d take their forms bc they were, in his eyes, making his potential heirs weak. While he intends for james to take over, he still needed back-ups should he or any of his brothers fail. Also I want to flesh out my au. Prepare for another like this, but with sam having a weird premonitional dream of his love, and waking up to cold reality. oop

Featherlight touches of warmth glide across his bare skin. It feels as though someone is tracing soft patterns along the expanse of his chest and neck. For some odd reason, he does not panic. He simply lays still and basks in the sweet attention. He has no idea who is touching him but... he does not feel gross. He feels.. happy?

He can hear her huff out a soft laugh near his ear, her breath ever so slightly brushing on his skin. A sweet scent wafts past his nose- everything feels soft around him. His head is well cushioned and whatever sheets he can feel are smooth against him. His bleary eyes struggle to see anything. A figure hovers above him, another giggle slipping out.

“Raestrao... we can’t sleep in all day..”

The sound of his name leaving her lips sends a shudder throughout his body. It is not the usual disgusted shiver he gets when.. someone else says it, no. This shiver makes the very tips of his fingers and toes tingle. It makes his mind beg him to open his mouth and say ‘call for me again’. It makes him want in way he had never felt before. 

All his eyes can catch are what he believes is a soft and faded pink color. Like an odd sunrise he’s never seen in his realm. Off-white walls, a slight mound of soft sheets. He wishes his mouth would open- he had questions but.. he’d never felt so content. So.. loved- was this love? Was it truly?

“Raestrao...”, she calls again, voice sweeter than the finest sugars the demon realm could produce.

He can feel fingers lacing through his own- soft- small, almost. Unintentionally, he brings the hand up to where he believes his mouth is, placing a kiss to the back of it. The sweet scent from earlier returns, more potent now. Something like a warm vanilla..

Another huff of laughter, this one more delighted than the last. “Lazy bones.. get up..”

Her fingers move to his face, softly cupping his cheek, “Wake up now..”

The fingers turn cold- chilling him to his core. The pinks turn to a dark purple that he recognizes- disgust gnaws it’s way into the deepest pit of his belly- he feels like he is plummeting. Everything is falling away.

“Raestrao! Raestrao no!”, her voice is pleading- close to absolutely screaming-

Laughter soon fills his ears again. This laughter is not happy or delighted- it  is familiar. Bitter amusement.. some slight caution.

“Dreaming of me, dear? I’m so flattered.”, her voice feels so cruel to him on this morning.

What a lovely dream to have in the middle of his own personal hell. Love? For a demon? He can no longer believe in such fairy tales. He’s trapped here, with this awful woman. Her touches make him feel vile and used. He wishes he could scrape off every single last piece of his skin that her fingertips have ever touched.

“Speechless because you’ve been caught? How cute..”, she says. He doesn’t have to open her eyes to know her eyes hold irritation. He can’t look at her now.

He fears his eyes may betray him if he does. They burn in a familiar way. How many times has he shed tears this past week? His father would have his head if he knew. Or he’d force him to do a repeat of last month. Force him to... desensitize himself.

‘You cannot feel anything for anyone! Not your mother! Not your brothers! Not even me!’, he had told him, and then.. he handed him the whip.

“Raestrao, dear. I’d appreciate it if you gave me some attention. Or must I drag your father in to teach you how to-”

“No. I’m tired.”, he snaps. It’s all he can do to stop himself from breaking down in front of her. He hates that he’s sure she’d like that. All she ever wants is to force feed him or.. have control over him. He felt like some rare possession, and not in a good way.

She looked at him like he was something to be won..

Not like the tired and broken young man she made him into. Stealing him away into the night, no matter how much he said no..

“Oh my..”, she says, amusement now in her tone, “Tough today, aren’t we? Alright. I suppose you’ve earned some rest. However, in return, I do expect that same roughness for our lesson tonight, yes?”

Her vile hand slides across his chest in a way that makes him wish he’d spontaneously combust. She gives one last huff of laughter before seeing herself out. He holds his breath, listening to the door slide shut, and then waiting on her footsteps to fully fade down the hall before inhaling once more.

His breaths become shaky, chest shuddering with each raw intake of breath. He feels the weight of everything crash on him. The hazy memory of the dream crashing down onto him- it caves his chest in. It forces him to roll over and silently scream into his pillow. No one could hear him. No one could watch over him as he absolutely collapsed.

He couldn’t even see the floating orb of his mother- or what was left of her. She had been locked away for good now. 

His brothers- he had to push them away for their safety.

There was no one to talk to- there was no mystery love.. nothing-

“O-oh, hi. Uh- I’m ___. I’m ___’s best friend, I’ve heard good things about you.”

Her voice oddly strikes him as familiar, but he banishes the thought immediately. “Nice to meet you.”, he says, plainly with not even an ounce of interest. He’d come to regret it later.

It isn’t his fault though. No one ever really knows who the love of their life is as soon as they meet them. Life would be no fun if that were the case..

*****

@pinkmousey​ ilysm im sorry asdfgh

[quarantineddreamer]

a little fall of rain 

aka: it’s my fanfic and i’ll make myself cry with les mis!zutara if i want to

Day 4 @zkfanworkweek​: Angst. Hello! For those of you who know me as quarantineddreamer on AO3 a heads up that this one-shot is very different from my usual style. I experimented with present tense and I’m still not sure how successful I was with it, so I hope it doesn’t totally disappoint the wonderful artist who inspired me to write this!

In any case this amazing piece by the talented @firelord-hotman​ is worth checking out even if my writing cannot do it justice! I saw it and immediately got all the Zutara feels --along with a certain song stuck in my head... 

There’s an uprising in Ba Sing Se and she is dressed proudly in blue. 

The color is noticeable even in the shadows of night. It is a challenge, a dare, thrown boldly to the troops that have gathered and are waiting, arms at the ready, for the students behind the barricade to disperse. Or else. 

She is dressed proudly in blue and it fills Zuko with a dread so deep he can feel it in his heart like a drum, pulsing with each step he takes further into the tense silence. 

He wishes she would dress as the others he passes have, in muted browns, greys, and greens, but of course, her bravery and passion are as much a part of her as the curls that move like water across her back as she turns to speak with another rebel --and he loves every part of her. 

He has loved her since the day they met. The day she found him curled in the street, clutching his face, and without a second thought took him to a healer. She is more selfless than anyone he has ever met. More selfless than he will ever be. She is always thinking of others, always dreaming of a better world, and now here she is, ready to fight for that vision. Zuko thinks maybe, in another life --a life where the enemy’s face was not burned so intimately into his every nightmare- he could be more like her. 

Zuko has always carefully avoided conflict. He was taught that when tension fills the air it is best to mind your own business and look the other way or severe punishment will be dealt. It is a lesson he learned when he was young. It is a lesson he has carried within him ever since the day he met Katara. He has tried to teach her this lesson of self-preservation, because his worst fear is seeing her hurt, but it is not in her vocabulary. 

“Where does the barricade still need reinforcing?” 

Katara glances at her friend Toph before examining the earth wall before her. “Aang!” she calls.

A boy in orange robes comes forward. Zuko has been envious of this boy ever since they met. He is like her, courageous, decisive and he has seen how she smiles at him. The same look of admiration crosses her face now as he confidently instructs Toph on the best place to bend next. 

Coward, Zuko calls himself, as he avoids the light of the lanterns, but continues to follow them from a distance, observing. 

Katara is walking alongside Aang, he has looped her arm through his. Together they are checking on the members of their revolution, soothing nerves with just the power of a few words. Eventually they settle around a small fire with several other rebels.

You need to tell them, he thinks, but he feels so out of place here. He has been helping Katara organize her movement for years, but always discreetly. Scrounging up useful information and stealing supplies from behind the safety of a mask. He never thought he would be here, undisguised, sneaking into what will soon be a battleground. It has been years since he last stood directly in his father’s path. Yet here he is and beyond the barricade are his father’s men. It is an undeniable and terrifying truth that turns his veins to ice. 

He wonders what fresh torture his father might dream up for him if he is discovered. Banishment will not be enough. Perhaps obliteration will do. 

“Sokka, Suki, seriously, get a room! I can hear you smacking lips from here,” Zuko’s thoughts are interrupted as Toph groans at Katara’s brother and the girl who sits beside him.

“Toph, there’s no rooms around here and we don’t know what tomorrow may bring. If you don’t mind I’m going to kiss my girlfriend.”

“She has a point,” Aang coughs. 

“Oh please, I know you and my sister will be sneaking off before the night is done.” Sokka rolls his eyes, but he and Suki have separated and a playful grin is on his face. 

Zuko’s stomach twists. Katara’s head is resting on Aang’s shoulder and a slight blush has appeared on the face Zuko knows so well. His nerve is failing with each passing second, but Katara is wearing blue and time is running out. 

He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath to steady himself. In his mind he sees a day from years ago. One of his favorites. When they walked to the park together to feed the turtleducks. It had felt so easy with her, so carefree, like for the first time in his life everything might just be okay. He remembers the way her eyes crinkled when she laughed at his jokes. He recalls the warmth of her hand in his as he walked her home along rainy pavement shining like silver… but Katara was a storm, a tempest, beautiful and strong and he hadn’t been able to find the courage to tell her, afraid of what might happen if he confessed how he felt. Of the loss that might follow. The loneliness. What would he do without her?

Now the years of friendship are a sort of regret, because it was safe, yes, but it is another who is tucking a strand of her hair gently behind her ears, and he might never know what could have been, but she must know this… 

“Katara…” Zuko steps forward. 

Everyone jumps and reaches for weapons, but she is quick to assure them. “Zuko! What are you doing here?” Her eyes take in the red of the uniform he wears, but they do not narrow in suspicion as the others have. She trusts him. 

“I have to tell you something.” He pauses only briefly, watching her face for a moment before the rest of the words tumble out, “I snuck into the palace--”

“You what?!” Katara is shocked. She knows what that place means to him, the marks he still bears from his years spent behind its walls. Though she is clearly still trying to figure out what has possessed him, she lowers her voice. “Why would you do that?”

For you, for you, everything I do is for you, he wants to say. “I know what you have planned and I knew my f--.... I knew the Fire Lord would retaliate.”

Aang is regarding him with a cautious curiosity. His arm settles protectively around Katara’s shoulders and it takes everything in Zuko not to visibly cringe. “You still haven’t answered her question. What are you doing here?”

Her eyes are locked onto him. They are the moon in the darkness that has been his life, illuminating everything, making him feel seen when it would be all too easy to disappear into the abyss. They are blinding and perfect and he does not want to see the disappointment in them when he shares the intelligence he has gathered. When he pleads with her to stand down. Still… you must do this. 

“The Fire Lord does not intend to fight you fairly. He does not intend to fight you at all. He intends to kill anyone who remains behind this barricade. You need to get home. All of you…” He speaks only to her at first, but then turns his gaze to the others sitting beside her. When they do not react he tries again. “They do not intend to wait much longer. They will come before sunrise and they will not show mercy.”

“What are you saying?” Sokka asks.

“I am saying if you do not leave these streets will run red with your blood. I’m saying today is doomed, but you can still save tomorrow if you go now.”

It hurts that Katara looks away from him and turns immediately to Aang, for guidance, for comfort, for all the things Zuko wants to give her.  

“We can’t go. This city needs change. The people need us to change it.” Katara faces him again, resolve in her eyes. It makes his spirit spark, speaking to something inside of him only she can bring out. It reminds him why she is a voice for the helpless, a leader of people, a warrior. He knows that she has taken his warning into consideration, but has stubbornly decided she will not betray her values. “I will never turn my back on people that need me.”  

“Katara pl-” but Zuko does not finish his sentence. He has spotted a lone Fire Nation soldier perched at the top of the barricade and taking aim. Her target is clear. She is aiming for blue. She is aiming for Katara. 

For the first time in Zuko’s life he feels he is doing what he was meant to. For the first time in his life fear does not rule him as he jumps between Katara and the lightning that comes shooting from the soldier’s hands. It tears through his body sharp and sudden. He is grateful she will not experience the agony he does in that moment.

Commotion erupts. Toph bends the barricade higher with the help of other earthbenders, Aang charges towards the soldier with the lightning, and Sokka and Suki scan the area for more soldiers, but it is only the one for now. Zuko’s message has reached them just in time.

Katara drops to the ground beside Zuko, but he does not quite understand why her hands, usually so sure and steady, are trembling. Why her voice wobbles as she speaks. “No, no, no… Zuko, no...” 

He smiles at her. “It’s okay, Katara.” And it is. It always is when she is with him, because she makes him feel safe --like the home he never had.  

“I’ll mend this wound, you’ll be fine, y-you’ll be.” 

She reaches for the pouch of water that is always at her side, but Zuko takes her hand away and places it against his chest, against his wound, against his heart. The heart that he wishes she knew he had given her long ago. Her tears are falling freely, they land on his face like rain and roll down, but he does not join her in sorrow. 

“Just stay with me,” he whispers. “That’s all I need.”

“I won’t desert you now,” Katara promises, voice breaking. “I’d never desert you.”

“You wouldn’t?” 

“No, of course not…” She presses her free hand to his cheek, the other hand bends water towards his chest. It begins to glow, but it provides no relief. “Zuko, you have to live. You’re going to live.”

He knows he is not. He wants to tell her with the time he has left how much she has meant to him, but he hesitates, unable to find the words. Wondering if all the courage and purpose he would ever feel in life were intended for that moment of sacrifice that has already passed. Besides, what good would it do now except to cause her more pain? 

“Remember the day we went to feed the turtleducks?” 

“Of course,” she murmurs. “You held my hand and walked me home, I thought… Well, I hoped that you were going to…” She stares at him for a moment and he watches emotions play out on her face that he never in his wildest dreams thought he would see there.

They have been there all this time he realizes, but he has not allowed himself to believe it, because he is still not sure he is good enough --that he, a banished prince, is deserving of a heroic spirit like her. 

Katara bends down and presses her lips to his and he has just enough strength left to place a hand in her hair as she does so, marveling at this dream come true, the only dream, and the last. 

It might not be worth as much now and it’s not how he wanted to say it, but he says it anyways, softly, reverently, a prayer. “I love you.”

“I love you, too…” She cradles his head in her hands, he can feel the tremors of grief running through her --it is the only thing he feels, the only thing that still hurts. “I’m so sorry…”

I’m sorry too, but all the years spent in hesitation, in fear are nothing now. All that matters is that he has finally said it --and by some miracle so has she. It’s the greatest day of his entire life. In his euphoria he does not notice the hitch in his breathing when he tries to inhale nor the stillness building where a strong heartbeat should be. 

“Zuko, stay with me,” Katara insists with a sob. 

He wants her to understand that she has made him so unbelievably happy. He wants her to feel this way too. It is all he has ever wanted. There’s very little air left in his lungs, but he fights to tell her anyways, to assure her that all is well. 

“Don’t worry...it doesn’t hurt anymore…”

[milkywinnie]

"𝐈𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧" || PRINCE ZUKO

𝟎𝟎. 𝐒𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐖𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 (2,579 Words)

"You know, I live with many regrets, but the biggest things I regret at this moment was not bringing a jacket..."

You huffed, shivering from the cool breeze that swept past in your direction. Shakily, you rubbed your hands together, and lifted them next to each other to ignite a small flame from within your palms.

'It's so cold that I have to spare my breaths.' You sighed, spreading out the map down on the wooden surface. "I need to find a village soon. My food supply is running low." Ever since you had escaped from the Fire Nation and its kingdom, times have never been harder, especially knowing that you're constantly on the run.

The water currents shifted and swayed in a variety of directions, signaling the upcoming of a dangerous storm. "Oh no...! This can't be any good." You clenched your fists, discarding of the flames rising upon your palms, and rushed to find a secure shore to rest upon.

The tides raised chaotically as you let out a muffled scream as the waves crashed against the frail boat. With haste, you tucked the letter securely into your bag, before you felt your body being submerged into the icy waters below you. 'I can't go out like this...! I have to find the Avatar!'

But the air escaping from your lungs refused your desire to call for help. Desperately, you clung onto a scrap from the broken boat. "Someone, please..." You coughed out, your consciousness slipping from your being, feeling your body become lethargic, and your mind hazy and clouded.

In the distance, figures approached you, but they were too late - you had passed out.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

When you woke up, you realized that you were in an area unfamiliar of your own. "W-Where the hell am I...?" You murmured softly, lifting yourself from upon the firm polar bear skin you were snuggling upon. All you could actually recognize was the throbbing headache that was pounding against your head.

"Hey, I think she's waking up!" A feminine voice exclaimed, causing you to rise from your dazed state. "Who's there?" You stated in a demanding tone as you scrambled from the floor to get into your fighting stance. "O-Oh, don't worry! I'm not a threat to you!"

You skeptically glanced over  at the pretty, young girl in front of you. Her long, deep brown hair that was braided into a singular braid. Her sapphire-colored eyes shined brightly - maybe out of fear or bewilderment from your actions.

Her custom tribal clothing let alone made you immediately aware of the fact she was from the Water Tribe, and knowing your directions, most likely from the southern district.

"My name is Katara, and I come in peace. My brother and I found you washed upon a glacier." She introduced herself, extending a hand out in your direction. Relaxing your posture, you shook her extended hand. "Thank you for rescuing, I'm in your gratitude." You thanked her, before pulling your hand away.

"I'm sorry, but where is my bag? I must continue my venture as quickly as possible." You wondered, looking aimlessly in multiple directions in search of you beaten and probably soaked luggage, much like your cloak.

"Oh, everything was soaked to the bone in that bag, so my tribe took the custody into warming it up." Katara explained, placing a bowl of soup down on the low tea table in front of you. "I'm sorry, but I must be on my way! I have to meet up with the Avatar!" You instantly froze at her statement.

"The Avatar?!" You yelled, rushing up to her to clutch her shoulders tightly. Katara, obviously, flinched from your sudden burst of energy, but she nodded nonetheless. "Yes... His name is Aang, and he brought us back here while we were trying to reach out to you."

You were completely stunned with the news that you had received. "T-This is amazing! I'm actually speechless!" You gasped in amazement as you giddily embraced the younger girl into a hug. "Yeah, I definitely agree!" She beamed, hugging you back. Now that you've realized that your hunt was over, you felt a little more at ease.

"Wow, Katara, real professional, and you say I couldn't snuggle up with her while trying to warm her up." A make voice whined with disbelief. "And I'm going to assume that he's the brother you speak of, right?" The both of you giggled, pulling away from the rather warm hug.

"Hey, the name's Sokka, gorgeous." "And I'm not interested, lover boy." You hummed, winking playfully at the boy in front of you. His brown hair was shaved amongst most of its perimeter, leaving him with a parting on the top of his hair, which was formed into a bun. The boy, most likely the same age as you, eyes burned in your direction, mentally plotting as to what to do next.

He wore a familiar uniform, much like Katara's, but with his own weaponry slung around him. "But now..." Sokka began, before aiming his dagger, which was constructed into the form of a boomerang, pointing directly at you.

"What are you doing within this region?" He sneered shakily, but his voice demanded answers. You chuckled at his brute approach, watching how Katara attempted to calm her elder brother down. "Me? I'm just a mere traveler who sought to travel the world..."

The lies slipped past your lips with ease as you faked a wry smile. "It was so frightening on my own, and I appreciate such kind, humble citizens like yourself saving me." Sokka and Katara exchanged glances between themselves, watching their facial expressions shift into ones that displayed guilt.

"It's no problem, miss, really." Katara comforted, patting your shoulder gently. Sokka released a stream of incoherent words muffled under his breath in defeat.

"Fine, she can stay a little while longer, but by sunrise she must go." Sokka declared, looking over at you. you could feel his distraught, suspicious demeanor still wavering from off of him, but for now, you knew that you were in the clear.

"Great! Now you can stay, and even meet the Avatar!" Katara grinned happily, pulling you along outside of the tent. You squinted from the harsh sunlight that was being emitted, and reflecting from the pale white snow. Looking further, you noticed several little children and adults in awe, watching an entity fly throughout the cool winds.

You couldn't believe it, you were in amazement to the sight you were viewing. There he was, flying his in the bright blue sky. "Amazing..." Was the only word you could muster as you watched what took sight from above. Well, it was amazing up until the point where the poor boy crashed into the watchtower.

"My watchtower!" Sokka cried out, rushing to the pile of rubbish that as left behind for him. "That was amazing!" Katara gushed before rushing to Aang's side to help him up. "Definitely, I dare say that I am impressed." You smiled, clapping your hands together. Though the Avatar was much younger than you thought, it he was intriguing.

As Sokka was digging through the broken watchtower, Aang released a powerful gust of wind, causing snow to topple down upon him. You tried to muffle your giggle by covering your hand over your mouth.

"Great. You're an airbender, Katara's a waterbender, together you can just waste time all day long." Sokka taunted, patting the snow from off from his body. 'A waterbender, huh? Duly noted.' Your [e/c] eyes glanced over at the pair of teens conversing happily about their abilities, knowing that you couldn't put your input of your firebender powers.

'People fear others from the Fire Nation, they hate them...'

Sokka noticed your discomfort, and decided to approach you. "Hey, it's okay to be uncomfortable around benders. They're overrated, anyway." Sokka blushed slightly from your little laugh, watching as you shuffled closer next to him.

The invite to converse with another was refreshing, along with Sokka's vivid personality. Despite his misogynistic conceptions, you could tell that he was genuine with his passions., and you liked that especially about him.

"Hey, I've gotta go train my men, but you're allowed to observe, if a girl like yourself is into that type of thing."

You had to scoff at Sokka's comment. "Although I'd love to show you off at your little lesson, out of gratitude, I'll watch."

Sitting on the frozen water, you watched as Sokka assembled the team together with haste. While he was getting everything together, you quickly looked around for your bag, and an escape route, if things went in the wrong direction for you.

You were astonished to see a flying bison that was sleeping on the floor across from you. Its arrow symbols that trailed up and down its body made it easy to realize that it was Aang's, but then again, only the Airbenders wielded such useful and kind creatures.

'Maybe the flying bison wouldn't mind helping me...' You pondered, also mentally noting to grab your bag as well. Hopefully, no one bothered to look through it, or else you'd be given away.

"Now men, it's important that you show no fear when you face a Firebender. In the Water Tribe, we fight to the last man standing. For without courage, how can we call ourselves men?" You quickly realized that Sokka's training has begun, and decided to pay a bit more attention to him.

Not to mention that his "men", were a group of little toddlers who clearly didn't want to be here, especially one kid, who was desperately trying to go to the restroom. "I gotta pee!" He cried out, trying to hold his bladder best that the poor boy could.

"Just let the boy go, Sokka." You intervened, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. Though Sokka was ready to protest, you asked, "Actually, who else needs to go on a potty trip?" Every other kid raises their hands, and Sokka sighs at the sight.

You send them off to the bathroom, watching as Sokka slaps his forehead in embarrassment and disgust of his mini crew mates. "It's okay, Sokka. They're just little kids, after all."

After Sokka's failed lesson, Katara approached the two of you. "Have you seen Aang? Gran Gran said he disappeared over an hour ago." Katara's voice wavered, concerned for the younger boy as she looked around for him.

"No, I haven't seen him around, but I'm sure he's fine, Katara." As if on cue, Aang exits the bathroom with a childish grin. "Wow! Everything freezes in there!" The children laughed at his statement as Sokka becomes upset from the constant interruptions.

"Ugh! Katara, get him out of here. This lesson is for warriors only." Sokka grunted, making a shooing motion towards Aang. You barely managed to suppress a laugh. "I think your lesson is gonna be cut short, Sokka." You mentioned, directing your eyes over to the children playing around the bison.

"Haha, yeah!" Aang nodded, noticing your presence. "Hey, you're the girl Appa and I saved!" He grinned, making his way over to where you and Katara stood. "Appa?" You raised a brow at the unfamiliar name.

"Yeah! Appa's my flying bison, and I'm Aang!" He introduced himself, smiling proudly. A slight smile crossed your face as you waved politely.

"Nice to meet you, Aang. My name is-"

"Stop! Stop it right now!" Sokka yelled, finally done with putting up with all the chaos going on around him. "What's wrong with you? We don't have time for fun and games with a war going on." He seethed, pointing his finger directly into Aang's chest.

"What war? What are you talking about?" Aang stopped playing around at the mention of a war. He was so stunned at the fact that the world he used to know was changing all around him in an instance, and that scared him.

Though the feeling wasn't as severe as it were have been for you, knowing that your father had left for the war, and knowing that he would never return back home was always a sad thought. Knowing this, your mother was forced into careers that wasn't a pleasant lifestyle, but was something that she could provide for you.

"You're kidding, right?" Sokka's jaw dropped in surprise, unable to  believe that Aang was unaware of the constant war that was occurring for over one-hundred years. "Something's not right here..." You murmured softly to yourself, mentally connecting the dots as to why Aang didn't know everything that had transpired.

You were about to investigate deeper with Aang, but he was gone with the wind, along with Katara following after him. "Now that there's no more distractions, care to observe in peace?" Sokka flirtatiously wiggled his eyebrows as you rolled your eyes in amusement. "Sure, after I find my bag. I have a change of clothes in there." You motioned to your beaten up satchel.

"Fine, go look through your purse, I'll start again with my men."

"Sure, ponytail, but you'll be upset when I won't see what's going on."

And you wished you were out there when a sudden strike was laid upon the once peaceful village, and the heat of the attack made it all to familiar as to the enemies that were fighting.

"The Fire Nation..." You growled in disgust, quickly changing into your other outfit that covered more of your [s/t] skin, and covered your hair. You reached through your bag, grabbing your silver-trimmed fan with thin blades that structured the weapon.

You rushed out of the tent to see a large, metal ship heading in the direction of the village, already see part of the once frozen grounds melted with ease. "Oh no, they've already started attacking." You muttered, running up to where Sokka was tightly wielding his weapon, his hand shaking out of either fear or anger.

"You told them about us being here!" Sokka yelled, jabbing his pointer finger in my direction. "Maybe you just infiltrated our home, so that they could take over!" "And why the hell would I do that when I'm on the run from them!?" You shot back, aiming your weapon into his chest.

"Well, because we don't even know a lot of information about you like your name?!" Sokka defended his case, crossing his arms in protest. "Well, I tried to tell it to Aang, but you interrupted our conversation, dumba-"

"What the heck is going on here?"

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

[NOTE]: Thank you all for reading my Zuko x Reader Story! The purpose of this story was not only to relive one of my first childhood crushes, but to allow everyone who is new to this community to experience a proper fanfic that follows the plot of the story, and still with a hint of romance with our best boy, since I am aware that there is not many! Please know that this story will be a slow burn, and will have some moments of smut, so be aware!

Any who, please make sure to like, comment, and share this story to others who may enjoy it as well! Much love, and I hope to see you all in the next chapter, lovelies!

[jarienn972]

La Sirena - Chapter Three

Captain Swan Supernatural Summer

My intent had been to post this latest chapter update for @cssns​ yesterday, but neither Tumblr nor my internet at home wanted to cooperate so Chapter Three was a little bit delayed. I decided with this chapter to jump a few days ahead so that Killian was partially recuperated and able to start exploring his new surroundings.  He’s discovered that his “angel” is a mysterious, lonely woman who has been stranded on this stretch of shore for a very long time and he wants to learn more about her.  Will he get more than he bargained for though?

I have to say thanks again to @courtorderedcake​ for her beautiful artwork featured here and to @kmomof4​ for being an amazing beta reader!

The first two chapters can be found on AO3 and FF.net or here: One  Two

Chapter Three: A Glimpse of the Unknown

By the third sunrise since arriving on this distant cove, Killian was at last feeling recuperated enough to venture beyond the protected thicket. He'd been gratefully accepting Emma's offered sustenance and had enjoyed the few, brief conversations they'd shared. The fruits she'd brought had served to nourish his weakened body, especially after a week or so subsisting on the unidentifiable gruel the pirates had shoved at him. More so, her pleasant words may have been few, but they had helped ease his troubled mind and he hoped to entice her into talking more now that he had recovered enough to carry on an intelligent discourse.

What had brought her here to such a seemingly lonely place? Was she truly alone here or were there others living nearby? He had no inkling whether she'd answer him, but with little else to do, he'd relish the challenge.

For now, he was anxious to stretch his legs and discover a bit more of the isle he'd landed upon. Using a nearby palm tree stump to aid in keeping his balance, Killian found his footing and pushed himself fully upright for the first time since he'd escaped the doomed pirate ship. He'd crawled about the clearing as needed and he'd of course been able to sit cross-legged in the sand to eat, but standing suddenly felt foreign. His legs protested the exertion, although not nearly as much as his throbbing head. He had to pause for a few seconds to allow the dizziness to pass, but he pressed forward despite the realization that he'd likely underestimated the severity of the blow he'd taken from the ship's rigging.

It was also at this moment that it dawned on him what a fright he must look. His uniform had been torn to shreds in battle, made worse during his imprisonment, and now hung in tatters on his gaunt form. The relentless waves had shredded the fabric even further but had barely touched the dark stains. His current state was completely unbecoming of an officer but he was a long way from a tailor so he'd have to make due. He was determined to do one thing to improve his outward appearance - bathe. He'd not bathed properly since he'd departed Liam's ship nor had he shaved. His chin itched of several days' growth of whiskers and he found himself idly wondering if his lovely companion might have soap or better yet - a straight razor - in her possession.

Taking each step slowly and deliberately, he followed a narrow, well-trodden path through the patch of cycads, emerging onto a pristine expanse of shoreline. The sand squishing between and beneath his toes was warm, but not uncomfortable as he trudged toward the water's edge. He'd not yet seen Emma this morning. Perhaps he'd risen before her? He was tempted to turn back towards the rocks and search for her, but he knew she'd come find him in time. Right now, he was eager to wade into the crystal clear bay that stretched out before him as far as the eye could see and allow the seawater to wash away the grime and ease the aches in his joints.

And if the fair maiden wasn't around to see him, he could shed his torn, bloodstained linen shirt and the stiff, uncomfortable wool uniform trousers. A least for a few minutes…

The scratchy trousers were the first to go, followed quickly by his shirt. He'd not even bothered undoing all of the buttons as several were already missing. By the time he reached the water, he'd left a trail of clothing behind but as long as he was still alone on the beach, his dignity remained intact.

He waded into the surf, noting that the shallows extended only a short distance from the shore before dropping into unknown depths. At least the waves were calm as they broke against his legs. He dared only to venture in waist deep, not prepared to test his swimming ability so soon lest Emma need to rescue him again. As he bent his knees to lower his torso into the cool, salty water, he watched the little fish darting around. He cupped water in his open palms and splashed it onto his face, careful to avoid the gash on his forehead as he scrubbed away layers of grime. His wound still stung enough without introducing more saltwater to it.

He wasn't normally a contemplative person but even he had to recognize how recent events had altered his perspective. For days in captivity, he'd had nothing but time to think about those he'd failed. His crew. His brother. Himself. Maybe he lacked the necessary skills to be a proper leader. He'd sailed his crew into certain death and yet, here he was - left to wallow in guilt. Liam would have fought harder. He wouldn't have allowed his crew to be taken prisoner.

And yet Liam was the one who'd given the order to scout the uncharted island. The order had come from him. He was the Captain. Liam had imparted this fate upon them with his order…

Killian squeezed his eyes shut and lowered his head, willing himself to banish those thoughts. No, Liam was a good captain. He would never knowingly endanger his crew, especially not with his younger brother leading the expedition. It had been an unfortunate series of events that Killian alone had survived to lament. Fortune had intervened and spared his life, bringing him here to another uncharted, idyllic locale. The cove and its beguiling inhabitant were both ripe with beauty and intrigue.

At some point, his senses became aware that he was no longer alone. He didn't know how long she'd been watching him but he couldn't halt the flush of embarrassment from darkening his cheeks as he splashed an abrupt about-face in the water.

"Apologies," she shouted from the shore. "I didn't intend to startle you."

"'Tis alright," he replied, stupidly arguing with himself as to whether he should cover himself.

"I followed your trail from the grove," she began, waving an arm in the direction of his discarded clothing littering the beach. "If I had known you wished to bathe, I would have recommended the spring-fed pool inside the cavern as being more preferable…"

He chuckled to himself as he gave his head a little shake. Of course, it would have been… "I'll remember that for future reference."

"I am pleased to see that you're feeling stronger today," she smiled while a breezy tradewind fluttered the hem of her tunic, giving him a glimpse of her pale but enticingly shapely legs.

"Yes," he gulped, suddenly even more aware of his current state of undress. "I am feeling much better this morning…"

"That is wonderful. I've refilled the carafe for you back at the grove and brought you some fresh fruit. Is there anything else you might need?"

"You wouldn't happen to know where a man might get some new clothing and perhaps a straight razor around these parts? Is there a town or village nearby where I might find such things? My former uniform is rather an unacceptable mess at the present."

"I'm afraid that the nearest place you'd call a village is more than a day's trek up the peninsula from here and it's certainly not a place where you'd find such goods."

"Ah, pity. We truly are quite isolated here, are we not?"

"Afraid so, but you might be surprised by what this bountiful cove can provide. I believe I may be able to locate some clothing for you and perhaps some personal implements as well. Come join me in the cavern and we can take a look?"

"Ehh…," he stammered, blushing an even deeper shade of crimson. He'd not thought of himself as a prudish person but he was far from a brash braggart who would dare reveal his nudity to an innocent maiden yet. "That sounds like a wonderful idea…"

She seemed a tad confused when he didn't exit the water but after a moment, she understood his hesitation. "Ah - I am truly sorry… I have had little need for modesty in my solitude. I'll leave you be and meet you back beneath the trees in a few minutes."

"Much appreciated," he responded as she turned toward the swaying palms, all the time hearing the ghostly echo of Liam's laughter ringing in his ears.

**********

After ensuring that the coast was clear of prying eyes, Killian padded self-consciously out of the sea. He collected the remnants of his threadbare shirt and used it to give himself a precursory drying off as he fetched his trousers. He would have preferred to burn them rather than don them yet again, but with no other option for clothing presently available, he'd have to suffer and make due. He didn't have the foggiest notion of what Emma had meant when she spoke of the provisions of this bountiful cove, but he had to trust her. He was the outsider here and even though he still knew little about her, he doubted she would have mentioned anything if she couldn't be of assistance.

He chose not to bother putting what remained of his shirt back on as he followed her footprints back into the cycad grove where he'd spent nearly every waking moment since being marooned on this shore. The canopy had provided shade and shelter to him, although he was thankful the skies had been fair. He'd spent the past decade and a half aboard various ships, his leave in port usually brief so this was an unfamiliar experience for the seasoned mariner.

Not necessarily an unpleasant one though, he thought to himself as he arrived to find Emma kneeling in the sand, splitting apart a fig. She silently offered him one half as she bit into the other. Killian accepted it with a nod, popping it into his mouth before realizing she was staring at him with her intense green eyes.

"Have I done something wrong?" he queried with a furrowed brow, concerned he had offended his host with either his actions or his partially clothed form.

"No, no…" she assured him, averting her eyes with a hint of shame. "I was just admiring your pelt…" Her face scrunched in disgust at her errant choice of words. "No, that's not the right word…" She shook her head, trying desperately to come up with the proper term as Killian looked on in confused amusement. "I was drawn to the dark hair that covers your limbs and your torso… The males of my people, they simply do not possess body hair in such patterns."

"Your people don't have body hair?" he asked, incredulously, lifting a curious eyebrow as he wondered how they'd gotten to this conversation.

"Not to the extent of yours… They are able to grow facial hair but only fine, pale hairs adorn their bodies…" Her attempt to explain what she meant only began to exacerbate her awkwardness. "A thick coat of fur is not needed for warmth in our land so I have never seen anyone with such an impressive display of hair…"

"Well, it isn't really for warmth where I come from either. I inherited it from my grandfather, I believe…," he realized he was blushing while he rambled on, suddenly wishing he had something to cover his bare chest.

"Please - do not be embarrassed. I had no intention of shaming you and I should not have been staring - it's not polite - but it has been a very long time since I've been this close to anyone."

"How long?" he caught himself asking, cringing immediately as he blurted out the insensitive question. "Forgive me, please. That wasn't proper for me to be asking."

"It's no matter. We've both made our blunders, have we not?" She mused with a shy grin, the first time he'd truly noticed her smile. It was only visible for a split-second as she abruptly changed the subject, reverting back to her stoic front. "You should come with me to the cavern now. I believe you shall find some of what you seek there."

"Inside the cave?" There was a heavy dose of disbelief in his voice. What on earth would be inside that cavern that would be of use to him?

"Please, just follow me. You will see."

He might have still been skeptical but he was also of the opinion that if a beautiful woman asked you to follow her, you followed her. He'd be damned if he wasn't going to do as requested.

The mouth of the cavern was deeply recessed into the jagged outcrop, making it virtually invisible from the bay. It was dark and uninviting but as they made their way over the ridge and passed into the void, Killian was pleasantly surprised to learn that the interior was relatively well illuminated. Streams of sunlight filtered in through cracks in the cavern's ceiling and he also recognized the acrid scent of smoke lingering in the tempered air, likely residue from the series of torches and lanterns lining the rock walls that Emma used to navigate the tunnels.

With Emma leading the way, they rounded a shadowy corner in a dim passageway that became ablaze with light as they neared. Emma was only a few steps ahead of him, but suddenly there were torches roaring to life. He'd not seen her stop to light the flames, but he shook it off as a trick of his weary head. His injury must be toying with his imagination.

The chamber they'd now entered was clearly Emma's living quarters and Killian swallowed back a swell of unease at invading her private dwelling, although she didn't appear fazed. He noted its simple furnishings as they passed, this not being her intended destination. Tucked away in an alcove, he saw only a mattress fashioned from woven raffia grasses and a series of colorful ceramic carafes like those she'd used to bring water to him. She seemed to have little need for creature comforts or material goods, so different from the women he'd encountered in various ports around the realm.

"Just a bit further," she stated, drawing his attention away from her dwelling and back to the passage. He noted the trickle of water off in the distance, likely a stream or brook formed from the spring she'd mentioned earlier. They pressed forward into another chamber that again seemed to illuminate as they drew closer. The experience was a tad disconcerting to Killian but he was determined to keep his mouth shut - at least until his jaw fell slack by the revelation of stunning wonders all around him.

The narrow corridor weaving through the rock opened into a broad, expansive subterranean room, awash in brilliance from its own natural skylight which opened directly above a sparkling pool. Faint tendrils of steam arose from the surface. This must be the spring Emma had recommended for bathing and it looked incredibly inviting.

"This is the spring you spoke of earlier?" he queried.

"One of them. This is the mineral hot spring. There is also a cool, sweet water spring around the bend. It feeds into this pool as well as one deeper into the cavern," she advised.

"This cavern… I've seen others similar on my many adventures. It's an old lava tube, is it not?"

"Very astute and yes, this entire cove was formed by an ancient lava flow."

"It is quite a lovely place and I see now many of its provisions, but I still fail to see what assistance this is to be for me…"

"It was not the cavern itself that I was referring to. This happens to be where I have stored some unusual items that originated in your world."

"My world?" he asked, confused as she lowered herself to her knees and lit a lantern conveniently sitting at her feet. When she raised the lamp, he could now make out the objects she'd been so cryptically taunting him with - four large marine chests in varying states of decay.

"Are these not from your world?" She brought the lantern closer to the nearest chest. It was covered in faded, cracked leather and decorated with ornate brass fittings and latches that were marred with heavy patina. He surmised that there was once a matching padlock that was lost to time but there was no evidence that it had been removed by force. The whole thing had seen better days, bearing extensive visible water damage. Depending on how well it had been constructed and the quality of the leather casing, it could potentially still be watertight. "I find these washed up on the shore from time to time."

"They appear to be merchant chests, used for transporting goods. We had many like these on my ship, although these appear to be much older."

"I assume they came from ships that have sunk in the treacherous waters surrounding this land."

"Around this placid bay?" he scoffed. "These waters are far too tranquil. These must have traveled here from afar…"

"Do not allow the tranquility of this cove to fool you. These waters are teeming with untold dangers. Your very survival was nothing short of miraculous!" Even in the half-light cast off by the flickering lantern, he noted the stern admonishment that spoiled her visage before she hastily turned her face away from his view. She paused with a haunting silence as she calmed herself before continuing with the prior topic. "These chests, I have searched through them, though they contain little to serve my needs, save for the bits of fabric and notions. I do believe that you will find objects that will conform to your needs so please, feel free to peruse their contents at your leisure. I am going to return to the bay so I may find some shellfish for our next meal. If you need my assistance, just shout. Voices carry well in this cavern and I have excellent hearing."

She extended her arm towards him, offering him the lantern she held. She wouldn't require it to make her way out of the cave. He took hold of the handle as she pushed herself back to stand. Emma paused momentarily as Killian crouched, flipping open the latch on the first chest to uncover the hidden treasures beneath.

"Thank you. This was not at all what I expected…" he said as he poured over goods that had survived their journey well. He glanced over his shoulder with a wide grin crossing his lips, one that instantly faded when he discovered she'd already departed.

How? He'd barely averted his attention for a minute or two… How had she vanished so rapidly and so stealthily? One more mystery to add to his growing list…

When he emerged from the cavern, he sported a billowy black silken tunic featuring tiny mother-of-pearl buttons and linen trousers that were the color of the sand. He'd needed to draw the laces quite tight to prevent them from sliding off of his slender hips, but they were exceedingly more comfortable than what was left of his woolen uniform pants. He'd fretted over not finding a razor in any of the chests although he did locate a short-bladed cutlass within a chest full of treasure, likely once the property of a long-dead pirate. It didn't sit as comfortably in his grip as his service rapier but it was a solid, capable weapon. It would certainly prove useful to split a coconut or filet a fish.

He tucked the blade back into its scabbard as he caught sight of Emma on the horizon. He was prepared to thank her for the clothing he'd found, but there was something about the expression on her face… She looked worried, even frightened and she was running toward him.

"Emma? You look vexed, love…"

"Get back inside the cave!" she ordered. "There's a storm coming. It isn't safe here…"

Killian's brow lifted in confusion as he glanced skyward, seeing only a few sparse, puffy clouds against the azure backdrop of the heavens. There was no foul wind blowing to indicate an impending storm. Whatever was she talking about?

"What storm? There's no sign of rain clouds above…"

"Killian…," she pleaded, catching his arm as she hurried past him and tugging him back to the shelter of the cave. "Don't argue with me. Just return to the cavern, back to the pools. You can not be caught up in this…"

"In what?" he pressed for more information while trusting her judgement and retreating beneath the rocky overhang. He expected that she would remain here with him for the duration of this coming storm but once he was safely out of the elements, she released her grasp and scrambled back toward the ridge. "Emma? Where are you going? I thought you said there was a storm coming? That it wasn't safe?"

She stopped at the crest of the ridge and lowered her head. He wasn't sure what to make of her body language or the consternation etched into her face as she glanced over her shoulder.

"It isn't safe for you," she replied sternly. "but this storm - it's here for me."

[mememanufactorum]

Final Fantasy XIV Primal lyric starters

* FEEL FREE TO SHARE AS YOU PLEASE, NO CREDIT NEEDED. CHANGE PRONOUNS OR ANYTHING ELSE AS DESIRED.

-Under the Weight-

Cold are the hands that grasp at your soul

Bound to the dark, for the light I shun

Succumb to the hate that corrupts your fate

In spite of the blood that was spilt before, you whet your blades, you thirst for more

Now kneel, overdweller, your lord commands

There’s no salvation for the sons of man

The skies will tremble and the earth will quake

From the crumbling walls, no one escapes

I’ll drag you down to the seventh gate

-Thunder Rolls-

Thine advent quelleth creeping night

The wicked burn, their pyres bright

Soul without a name, heed my call

Sin doth stain the hearts of us all

Soon he too shall reap what is sown

Step into the storm, know its mercy

Let the wind and the rain crash down over thee

Soul fallen from grace, ware thee well

Judgment thou must face, thine own hell

Soul, thine end is nigh

Take my hand

All life must return to the land

Purge thy flesh of fear and be strong

Step in from the storm, praise its mercy

Let the sting of the rain never stray far from thee

Now lift thine heavy head and vanquish thine sorrow

Now turn thy gaze ahead and look to the morrow

-Oblivion-

There’s nothing left

Now close my eyes for one last time and say goodbye

The pain won’t cease

I’ll find no peace

We are taught to fear the reaper

I try and try but I can’t say no

This endless nightmare has just begun

My heart is dragging me down unto oblivion

The endless lies, I’ve cast aside

Steeled is my soul, my blood grown cold

I gain control

We all learn to fight the reaper

Can’t defeat her, so instead I’ll have to be her

My mind’s made up, my fear is gone

-Unbending Steel-

Red bloometh the rose of conviction

Red bloometh the rose of hate

Red bloometh the rose of conquest

Only blood will sate

The war, it wageth on

The storm, it rageth on

The bold ever fight on, their lives echo in song

All, like snow, they fall, petals plucked and strewn

The war still wageth on

The storm still rageth on

The bold blindly march on, their lives lost in a song

-Fiend-

What is it like when you pull back the curtain and realize every wrong is a right?

Your world is rusted like a dirty razor

You walk the path laid before you

The call of reason, you refuse to abide

Necessity is an inventive mother

You’ll find slumber when the world comes tumbling down

Retreat where lesser men lead

Flee from what you do not see

Heed the dark within your being

Waste no more time fighting your demons

Lay down your arms and let the evil inside

You let it eat until there’s nothing left at all, so you can feel that you are truly alive

Better to serve in a waking nightmare than to live in their paradise

What is gold always glitters, but it still comes with an unpayable price

You are the night at the end of the tunnel

The angels graze in the meadows of excess

-Equilibrium-

A heartbeat without harmony is moonlight without dark

The heart seeketh equilibrium

With balance will your worry part

-Locus-

Let go this destiny

You’re caught in a trance

The mortal coil we serve is taut like a spring

Our world’s a fantasy, no more than a test

No time enough tomorrow for turning back to where we began

This mortal coil we serve is naught but a spring

Your world’s a fantasy, you’ve failed the test

-Beauty’s Wicked Wiles-

In time, you shall follow

Behold as our burdens become south with the sun

Step from the dark to the light

Give into your hunger

Cast off inhibition, let passion run wild

Fuel the unquenchable fire

You needn’t hide

-Wayward Daughter-

Each petal a promise torn, shorn one by one and cast to the winds

I gave unto them my all

Wayward daughter, step into the night

Naught save the night shall know our sorrow

We give unto it our all

-Amatsu Kaze-

Is this divine torment or judgment, I know not

To the end of the world I flee to surrender to the whims of fate

He shirks not from my rage and speaks of destiny and defiance

Surrender to the wind

Surrender to the rage

-Sunrise-

Stranger to kindness until freed by love eternal, you and I

Honor binds me unto errant kin

If here I find my end, stay your tears for we shall meet again

As the light of the setting sun fades, bid farewell to me, beloved

In these fleeting moments, hold my hand as I whisper a silent prayer

Should dawn never break on this thousand thousand year night, I promise

Should I take to wing and seek you in every distant sky

One more life for us, one more chance – for this I pray, I beg, I plead

Dreams of you and me in my heart I hold forevermore

Wait for me, wait for me, my love

-eScape-

Come ride, heroes, ride

The storm heads gather

Why do weathered warriors wander their way whither wanting wonders wait?

Twixt the leaves you’ll find naught amiss – missing aughts and crossing fates

Dare the dead tread ahead on a road that was borrowed design

Through the sum of their suns do they seek tomorrow

Witness as the end shall begin what was final

-What Angel Wakes Me-

Yet with each descent do we rise again to our hearts’ content

Fly away, my friend, for a day and then we’ll begin again

Do you love me not?

Will you, when I’m gone, remember me?

Braving anything together, we learn to play our part

Catch a falling star, lock it in our hearts eternally

To these crowns we cling for we’ll all be kings tomorrow

Summer child with heavy eyes, come our angel nigh, sing in our sweet lullaby

Time wilts and fades, luster lost in the rain, bows to the blade, till the spring calls again

-Invincible-

These memories ache with the weight of fate

Ever we fight, never we fly

Ever we fall, forever we fall

Now breathe deep of the darkness beneath the flood, where all of the proud angels drink to their deeds of blood

Their lies, twisted and torn, into dreams they’ve spun

Yet ever we will stand stall, invincible

-Return to Oblivion-

My sins claim me

How long have I waited to open my wings?

The soul longs for oblivion

A slave to my fate, ever doomed to repeat this

No more goodbyes, though my heart is still aching

Now open my eyes one more time, here I come

Spring’s promise of sun is honored when winter’s weighed upon us

Clear as diamond, yet fragile as ice

My heart is racing

Falling too fast, but the fall will not break me

No more goodbyes, I am tired of waiting

-To The Edge-

All our splendor bathed black in silence, our surrender, a somber reverie

Know our places, for worth is wordless

Brother, stay this descent to madness

Come and save us

Catch us before we fall

Don’t lose hope

Like broken angels, wingless, cast from heaven’s gates, we only fly when falling far from grace

Hell can take us, heaven can wait

Quick to their ends, our candles burn until we’re free

In monochrome melodies, our tears are painted in red

Deep inside, we’re nothing more than scions and sinners

In the rain do light and darkness fade

Time circles endlessly, the hands of fate trained ahead

All things change, drawn to the flame to rise from the ashes

To begin, we first must see the end

Rock of ages, we cast the first stone

We know not what we do

Tomorrow’s come too soon

Follow blindly like lambs to slaughter, at the mercy of those who ply the sword

We’re forgotten, now and forevermore

Without a compass, wandering lost in lies and faith, only alive when fighting death’s amber embrace

Our hearts beat loud, unafraid

On hands and knees we pray to gods we’ve never seen

Come, shadow, come follow me

The final hour upon us, no more time to breathe

[poppy-pelican]

Darkness on Fire (Chapter 3)

Rating: Explicit

Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26692747/chapters/65866213#workskin

Chapter 3: Mustang and Hawkeye escort the Elrics to what they hope is a safe place.

Roy went back to bed while Hawkeye stayed awake. They were all unnerved after sending Dr. Rockbell home with a vial of blood to give to the rest of his family just in case they had been compelled, too. Hawkeye promised to keep watch so the vampires could sleep. She seemed well, full of vitality, thanks to his blood. It was more than he could say for himself. She’d taken a bit too much from him. He drank some animal blood before going back to bed, but it was unappetizing when he was craving hers so badly.

As he slept, he dreamt of being wrapped in sheets, Hawkeye’s bare skin, his fangs deep in her throat. He woke up with a gasp, his cock hard, fangs elongated. It took him a few minutes to orient himself to where he was, not in his comfortable basement apartment, but in Hohenheim’s study. Roy was grateful Hawkeye wasn’t in the room—and the temptation to have one off quickly was there, but with two impressionable boys around, he stewed in misery instead.

This assignment had gone to shit, fast. As he dressed, he realized why his dreams were plagued with images of Hawkeye. He had given her his blood, and for vampires that was as good as attaching a piece of your soul with them. He’d given his blood to his aunt, and a few others he had fed from, and he could sense them distantly. But Hawkeye was in the same house, tantalizingly close.

Downstairs Ed and Al were complaining to each other because they weren’t allowed to say goodbye to Winry or the rest of the Rockbells.

The moment Roy caught sight of Hawkeye, scrubbing her bloody shirt in the sink, his fangs descended, his whole body tuning toward her. He made sure to keep his mouth shut and went to grab more animal blood. He poured it into a glass, and Trisha swung by and offered him some wine.

“It helps it go down easier,” she said.

“Having more already?” Hawkeye asked, eyes crinkling in concern. “Did I take too much?”

“You’d been stabbed. I think you took what was necessary,” he said, giving her a reassuring smile. She would worry too much otherwise. Her guilt about his vampirism was greater than it should be, especially considering how much he enjoyed his new lifestyle. Sure, burning to a crisp in the sun was a major sacrifice, but it was manageable most of the time.

“Hmm,” was all she said in reply, going back to her shirt. “I might have to call this done for. Even if I could fix the hole, this blood is not coming out.”

Roy took a final swig of what he was going to call sheep wine and ignored the urge to offer to suck the blood out of her shirt. He admonished himself. He wasn’t even thirsty in the usual way. It could be compared to wanting a dessert, delicious but not essential.

“Let me see if I can’t find something else to try. The boys are always staining their clothes,” Trisha said, disappearing to search upstairs.

“I think I might have a quick look around in town before we leave,” Roy said to Hawkeye. “I shouldn’t be gone more than half an hour.” If possible, it would be easiest to take the Elrics to a safe house Hohenheim owned by train, although he assumed the station would be watched—Selim would expect it.

“You’re too thirsty to go burning energy like that,” Hawkeye pointed out. “You’ve only had animal blood after giving me a lot of yours. You know how you get.”

“Well, this town doesn’t exactly have a wide selection of willing humans. And Hohenheim would kill me if I asked Trisha…though it would hold me over a lot longer.” As it always did with vampire blood. He needed human blood at least once a month, preferably once a week, to keep him at full strength. When he acted as a donor it was more frequent. Vampire blood could sate his thirst for twice as long.

“You could drink from me. Just this once,” she said, holding up a finger in warning. “Since you gave me some of yours earlier. It’s only fair.”

“But you were just hurt.” His hunger told him to shut up and go for it. It was exactly what he wanted.

“And I feel twice as healthy as normal. I can spare some.” She dropped her wet shirt into the sink, drying her hands on a towel.

“I shouldn’t—”

His fangs betrayed him, descending with thirsty enthusiasm. He covered his mouth as she gave him a smug smile.

“Go ahead.” She rolled her eyes at his hesitation. “Just because I don’t want to be a regular donor doesn’t mean I can’t handle it.”

“I know.” That wasn’t why he held back. The last time he’d tasted her blood, he’d wanted to rut against her like an animal. But that was different, he reminded himself. He had better control now, more practice.

“Wrist or…neck?” she asked.

He shouldn’t. There was a reason he always drank from the wrist.

“Neck,” he said lowly, the words flying out before he could stop them. So much for control.

She pulled her hair to the side, revealing the beautiful curve of her neck. Before he could second guess himself, he cradled her head and shoulder, holding her in place. She gasped at the suddenness, and he heard the warm, wet gushing in her heart pick up speed.

He bit down, taking care to ease his fangs in gently.

She’d always smelled better than anyone else to him. He wondered if it was because her blood initiated him into this lifestyle. It was overwhelming, flavors and feelings pulsing through him rapidly. He usually hurried to drink and leave, but he slowed down his pulls to savor each flow of liquid across his tongue. Why was it so good? Would she let him do this again? God, he hoped so.

He couldn’t stop himself. The quietest moan escaped him, and suddenly it was just like the first time. He was unbearably aroused—almost senseless. He wanted to bury his cock inside her while he fed from her, something he had always thought was overkill. He grunted, biting down the tiniest bit harder.  Her breath hitched, and he wanted to grind against her, but he held himself in check, remembering the Elric brothers in the next room—and Trisha upstairs.

Caving to one last taste, he released her with a gasp, licking the wound closed out of habit. Hawkeye shivered against him and he leaned back just enough to gauge her reaction. Her amber eyes were soft, pupils blown wide, and her steady heartbeat danced just a little faster. He wanted to kiss her, but he was also a coward.

“Better than the sheep wine, that’s for sure,” he said, breaking the tension. He didn’t want to let on how turned on he was.

“Sheep wine?” She wrinkled her nose. “I don’t want to know.”

 #

 Roy sprinted to town as soon as it was dark enough and found several humans standing suspiciously still and quiet near the train station, positioned at every entrance. They were waiting.

He expected it, but Hawkeye wasn’t going to like it. This meant they would have to cut across the country on foot to the next town over.

Returning to the Elric house, Roy gave Riza the bad news. She sighed. “Well, I better go consolidate our bags—two bags will be too cumbersome if I have to be carried.” She held up an angry finger. “On your back.”

Roy laughed, his smile lingering until he took his post outside to keep watch. He settled under the tree, checking his gun and his gloves.

It wasn’t long before Ed appeared.

“Riza is not happy about this,” Ed informed him. “She told Mom it makes her feel like an invalid.”

“Well, to make it to our destination before sunrise, it’s what we have to do. She knows that,” Roy explained, watching the boy in amusement. Ed was fidgeting—tugging his braid, tucking his hands in and out of his pockets.

“Why is she still human?” Ed asked out of the blue. “She has your blood in her. Why don’t you just snap her neck and keep her forever?”

Roy choked. “What?”

“Riza,” Ed clarified, as if Roy just hadn’t known who he meant.

“Turning someone…isn’t a science. It fails almost as often as it succeeds.” And Roy had no plans to live forever. He would step into the sun when the time was right. Immortality had no appeal to him. Hawkeye’s own thoughts on immortality were…murky. She once said being a vampire was better than being dead, but he wasn’t sure she thought it was better than being alive and human. Going out into the sun.

Roy wouldn’t say vampirism was superior to humanity, but if he could choose to return to being a human, it would be a difficult choice.  Blood was divine—Hawkeye’s was especially intoxicating. Smells were stronger, but not in a bad way. It made things interesting. And with the difference in his vision and senses, the moon felt as warm as the sun had when he was human. Regular food tasted better, too. He didn’t need as much anymore, but what he did eat was a full explosion of flavors, even if it was just a simple tomato off the vine. The increased strength and speed were undoubtedly his favorite though.

Ed must have been deep in thought too because he said, “That must be why Dad says I can’t go around changing all my friends into vampires when I’m older.”

Roy held back a laugh. “Probably not the best idea, no.”

“But…I don’t want to live forever without Winry.” Ed sighed. “Don’t you feel that way about Riza? You guys are best friends, right?”

A dark something twisted in Roy’s gut.

“Yes, best friends. I’ve known her since she was about your age.” Back when her best friend was a dog, and Roy’s best friend was his alchemy studies.

Berthold Hawkeye was a brilliant man, but a mediocre father. He’d been fearful of vampires ever since his wife was killed by one, and his research in flame alchemy was born from his desire to destroy vampires. It had taken precedence over everything in his life, even raising Riza. But Berthold loved his daughter, and Roy guessed that some of his obsession in finding a weapon against vampires came from the need to keep her safe. Roy had been tossed out of the house when he’d argued making peace with vampires was for the good of all, but when his master was dying…he had asked Roy to protect her.

  #

 An underground tunnel beneath the house had been as much a surprise to Edward and Alphonse as it had to Riza and Mustang. Trisha had given a nervous smile as she uncovered a secret opening in the closet floor.

“Wow!” the boys cheered, jumping down into the dirt, bags over their shoulders. Riza was much less enthused, but grateful they could leave the house unseen from the outside.

“Hohenheim has been working on these since he turned me,” Trisha said. “About fifteen years ago.”

“This is the best trip ever!” Al said, his voice muffled inside the tunnel.

Trisha dropped down next. “Boys, don’t run ahead. There are some dead ends your father constructed on purpose. You’ll get lost on your own and wind up in Xing or someplace.”

“Al’s right. This is kind of fun,” Mustang said, grinning at Riza as he took their bag and leapt into the tunnel. Riza was last. She peered down the opening. It was a farther drop than it looked. Of course, Hohenheim built it with vampires in mind, not a petite human.

“Is there a ladder?” she asked, without hope for an affirmative.

“Just slide down on your stomach and I’ll catch you,” Mustang said.

And probably get an unflattering view of her backside, she thought sourly, but she did as instructed, aware that dropping straight to the floor would likely sprain her ankles if Mustang missed.

“Ugh,” she said, fighting the urge to kick her legs for a foothold the farther down she went.

She felt Mustang’s hands steady her, easing her descent. Then things went in a different direction as she lowered herself more. His hands ran up her legs, across her hips, until she was on the ground pressed against him, chest to chest. Oh, that was—

He released her with a nervous chuckle, practically shoving her away.

“See? Simple,” he said.

“Thank you,” she said, taking in the tunnel before them. It was pitch black. “I won’t be able to see a thing.”

Mustang snapped his fingers, illuminating the long tunnel before them. He also lit a candle Trisha was suddenly holding.

“You’ll still have to be carried,” he told her, “but any light will just blow out.”

Riza understood. Not only did she have to be carried like a child, she had to do it while blind. She couldn’t shoot in the dark.

“I can’t remember the last time I rode on someone’s back,” she groused, as the boys giggled at her predicament.

“Just hop on!” Al said encouragingly. He demonstrated by tackling his older brother, then squeezing his neck in a pretend chokehold while Ed dramatically gasped for air.

“I hate being such a burden,” Riza said, but as Mustang squatted down, she winked at the boys and ran at him, pretending to choke him just as Al had done to Ed. She grinned as they laughed—even Trisha’s worry lines fading as Mustang acted like he was going to drop her. He recognized what Riza wanted to do for the family: put them at ease.

“I’ve given you a piggyback ride before, you know,” Mustang said. “You must’ve been twelve because I was about sixteen. You sprained your ankle and couldn’t walk home from school,” he said.

“Oh! I forgot. That might have been the last time I did this.” She’d been in too much pain to have any fun with the experience back then.

“And here we are again,” he said fondly, except when he gave her thighs a friendly squeeze, it made her heart race in a very non-platonic way.

The rest of the run through the tunnel was as unpleasant as she expected. Her human body wasn’t made for being jostled at high speeds, and her teeth were clenched together to keep from biting her tongue. No matter how careful Mustang was, he could not cushion her perfectly. Worse, being totally blind meant she could only concentrate on her other senses. The smell of Mustang’s aftershave, the way his large hands adjusted his grip on her thighs whenever he took a turn or ran down a steep slope, the warmth of his back…

Forcing those thoughts from her mind, she concentrated on alternate routes to the safe house in Central Trisha wanted to go to.

They finally stopped at an exit, which was as bad as the entrance at the Elric home. This time Trisha gave Riza a boost while Mustang pulled her up. Out of the tunnel, they found themselves under a bridge that reached over a wide creek—which explained the earthy-fish smell that had appeared in the tunnel.

“I know my way around, so I’ll go check the train station. They have a midnight train we could still catch,” Trisha said.

“Mom,” Ed started to protest, but she blew her sons a kiss and vanished. Mustang didn’t have time to argue either.

“It’s probably for the best. You’ve never been here before,” Riza said. “And leaving me with the boys in the dark—” She shrugged.

“Yes, you’re right,” Mustang said. “If your mother takes longer than thirty minutes,” he addressed the boys, “I’ll go after her.”

“At least the tunnels were fun,” Al said optimistically. “I wonder why Mom and Dad didn’t tell us?”

“To keep you quiet about it. You know you can’t keep a secret,” Ed teased.

“Yes, I can!”

While the boys began listing the various secrets the other had spilled over the years, Mustang turned to Riza.

“We might have to separate,” he said. “You could go with the boys to the safe house. Travel in the daytime.”

“Only if we have to,” Riza said, but his logic was sound. She was torn between her responsibility to watch over Mustang versus the family. She could not protect them all.

 #

 When Trisha returned, she was running at full tilt, her dress flying behind her. Roy heard her arriving before the others, so he leapt to attention, nudging Hawkeye.

“Quick,” Trisha whispered urgently. “Back to the tunnel!”

The boys dropped in first, followed by Trisha, Roy made the executive decision to grab Hawkeye and leap down with her in his arms. He could tell it was a rough landing, but she only grunted.

“We need to seal the entrance with alchemy,” Roy said. Ed was quick, concentrating for a moment before clapping. With a brief glow, it was done.

“Now we run. They can probably still hear us down here,” Hawkeye said, wiggling out of Roy’s arms. He was momentarily confused as she kept her hands on him, fingers tracing across his chest and arms, before he realized she couldn’t see in the darkness and was trying to climb on his back. He helped her up, reveling in the sensation of her arms around his neck. She smelled good, and his fangs, wildly misbehaving on this assignment, were aching to sink into her veins.

They kept a brisk pace until the boys tired and needed a more human speed. Roy could feel Hawkeye’s relief as she relaxed against him.

“I could walk,” she said, and he heard the sluggishness in her voice. He wondered how much sleep she’d managed the past few days.

“Stay put,” he said. “If we need to take off, you’re already in position.”

The group remained quiet, fearing anyone following them would overhear them. Trisha led the way—only she knew where they were going.

It was almost sunrise when they neared the other safe house’s entrance, stopping far enough out that their presence wouldn’t be noticed.

“A friend lives here,” Trisha said. “Well, Van’s friend. I haven’t been able to meet him much. He doesn’t know about the boys.”

That wasn’t ideal. “Can you trust him?”

“Van believes so. And they have an agreement about the tunnels. Barry can come to our home as easily as we can go to his in an emergency. It’s been a couple of years and he’s never abused it. He’s one of only a few who have direct access.”

Roy clutched Hawkeye closer. He wasn’t sure how he felt about introducing an unknown vampire to his very human companion.

“How about Hawkeye stays back with the boys while we introduce ourselves?” Roy suggested.

“Good idea,” Trisha said.

Roy reluctantly put Hawkeye down, guiding her to sit beside the boys. He got the candle Trisha had brought along, setting it up in front of them with a snap of his fingers.

“Can we eat something?” Al asked. “I’m so hungry.”

“Just wait until I get back. I have some snacks in the bag,” Trisha said.

“And what if Dad’s friend doesn’t let us in?” Ed asked.

“Then we sleep in the tunnels. It will be like camping,” Trisha said, forcing a smile.

No one wanted to sleep in the cramped tunnels. It wasn’t even wide enough for two people to walk comfortably side by side. Not to mention the many little creatures who had made their home here.

It was with this concern in mind that Roy and Trisha hurried down the tunnel. Unlike the other exits they had passed, this one had a heavy door with an elaborate “S” carved into the wood—an old symbol for vampires to know they could find shelter there. Trisha forced open the trap door. Roy watched from below, ready to snap.

“Hello!” a grating voice cheered from above. “Trisha, my beauty, is that you?”

“You shameless flirt,” she said, flustered.

A stocky man with wild, stringy hair peered down at them.

“And who’s this guy? You cheating on my man Van?” Barry asked, his voice teasing. Then he inhaled deeply, his eyes focusing on Roy. “And you have a tasty smelling human with you. And…two others?”

Roy was impressed with Barry’s sense of smell, but very displeased with his description of Hawkeye. Even if he agreed.

“We’re in a bit of a bind,” Trisha said, letting Barry hoist her out of the tunnel. Roy pulled himself out, keeping an eye on Barry. The tunnel connected to a small, messy wine cellar. There was more wine than it could contain, and the bottles had been lined in tight rows on the floor with no semblance of order. Barry was either a lush, a hoarder, or both.

As Trisha explained the situation to Barry, the vampire just laughed and laughed as the story got more outrageous. He didn’t seem to hold it against them that Hohenheim and Trisha hadn’t mentioned their sons before, but Roy didn’t know Barry well enough to tell if he was putting on a front. Barry was also delighted to have a vampire celebrity gracing his home. The Flame Alchemist had a reputation, for better or worse. At least he knew Roy could burn him alive if he tried anything.

 #

 An hour later, Barry had put together a small but strange feast in his blacked-out dining room. The table had been covered in old newspapers, dishes, and knickknacks, but Barry had cleared it off without complaint while cooking dinner.

“I used to be a butcher, but I was never a good cook,” Barry said as the water boiled over. Trisha had stepped in to help, and together they found enough to feed everyone. Trisha acted cheerful and helpful, but she had borrowed Barry’s phone and gone through half a dozen numbers attempting to reach Hohenheim. He hadn’t answered, meaning he had no idea what had happened to his family. When Roy saw her hang up the phone the last time, she had looked defeated, her face pinched unpleasantly.

At dinner, Ed and Al were all over the sandwiches and spaghetti like it was the perfect pairing. To kids, it probably was.

Hawkeye tackled the spaghetti with perfect manners, but Roy could tell she wanted to dig in with the same gusto as the boys. Her stomach had been growling with hunger for hours. Roy and the other vampires didn’t need to eat as much, so he gave her half his sandwich when she wasn’t looking. He could admit some of it was for selfish reasons—her blood smelled better when she was well fed. She ate it without complaining of his generosity, which said something of her hunger.

“Dad said you used to kill people when you were human,” Ed said to Barry, in that forthright way he always used. “Is that true?”

Barry guffawed. “Oh, he told you that, did he?” Roy looked over at Trisha who was avoiding his gaze. “It’s very true. You might know me as Barry the Chopper.”

Roy’s eyebrows shot up. He knew well of that serial killer. “You were supposed to have been executed!”

“And I was,” Barry said, putting on a ghostly voice as the young boys listened raptly, eyes wide. “Before my execution, a strange woman came and started asking me questions. Was I related to any other vampires? Had I had vampire blood before? Had I let a vampire drink from me? On and on. After I was executed…I woke up in a lab, and they studied me like a lab rat.”

“Then the government was behind this?” Hawkeye asked, putting down her fork. Her undivided attention to her food had been diverted.

“They wanted to see if there were any conditions that made vampire transformation more favorable,” he said. “There were many others there in the labs—some prisoners, some folks taken right off the street. All vampires. And just as many corpses leftover from the failed attempts.”

“So they wanted to turn more vampires,” Roy said, the grim truths behind the former regime were endless. Just when he thought he’d heard the worst of it, something new was uncovered.

“For a vampire army,” Barry said, laughing again. “Crazy bastards.”

“How long were you there?” Hawkeye asked.

“Only a year or so. Then the uprising began. They wanted us all to fight for their side, but many went AWOL. Including me.”

“And did you start killing innocent people again?” Hawkeye asked. The conversation was beginning to sound like an interrogation.

“Nah, as a vampire, turns out my bloodlust is easier to sate now that I drink blood,” Barry gave a toothy grin. “I’ve been on my best behavior since I turned.”

Hawkeye looked skeptical but said nothing. Roy wagered she didn’t approve. He mused over the ethics of Barry’s situation. Technically, Barry had suffered the punishment of his crimes. Should they imprison him again? Capturing vampires during the uprising had been challenging, usually ending in death rather than imprisonment, but they had found the right blend of reinforced metals that had successfully held vampires. Or most. Alchemist vampires were a different breed altogether.

But Roy had a bigger question on his mind he couldn’t stop himself from asking. “Did they learn the secret to becoming a vampire?” He tried not to look at Hawkeye because he wasn’t going to change her when she was healthy and well, but if she was dying…

“No. It remains a mystery,” Barry said. “Ol’ Van delved into it, too, when he found this pretty thing,” he said, leering at Trisha.

“Gross,” Ed said under his breath.

“You and Hohenheim were together before you were a vampire?” Hawkeye asked her. Roy had heard the story from Hohenheim. He hadn’t been able to bring himself to tell Hawkeye about it. It wasn’t a story he would share in front of children, either.

Trisha nodded. “We were. I found him irresistibly charming.” She said softly, eyes misty. “We were already married when I became very ill quite suddenly…” she drifted off. She looked at her sons and was able to summon a genuine smile. “And luckily when I died, I was able to return.”

Trisha left out the worst of it. Hohenheim said she was so ill near the end, her quality of life in shreds, that she had asked for his blood one last time. The next morning while he was in town, she’d ended her suffering. Alone.

Roy hid his grimace with his glass of wine.

He reflected on Hohenheim’s original plan. After marrying Trisha, he wanted to age himself alongside her. Vampires usually manipulated their age to be younger, but growing older beside a treasured human had been done on occasion—or so Roy had heard.

If Trisha’s transformation had failed, her husband would have let the sun end his immortal life.

Roy could think of only one person whose death could drive him to do the same, but he also had made her a promise to destroy the vampires who sought to enslave humanity. Could he strive for that goal without her by his side?

“What about little missy here? How’d you get mixed up with the Flame Alchemist?” Barry asked, his eyes on the pulse in Hawkeye’s neck. Roy fought the urge to pull out his gloves.

“He used to give me piggyback rides when I was a girl,” Hawkeye said, glancing at Roy as her amber eyes twinkled.

Barry laughed uproariously. “So you’re just…old friends? Or do you hang around as a donor?”

“To be most accurate, right now he’s my boss,” she replied, casually twirling her fork on her plate. Didn’t she see where Barry was headed with this line of questioning? Roy threw back the last of his wine like a shot.

“I just need to know about the sleeping arrangements,” Barry said. “If you two want to bunk together, or if you want to share with me, or—”

“Barry! Can’t you tell Uncle Roy is about to incinerate you?” Ed chimed in, causing Al to spit out his water as he giggled. Trisha halfheartedly scolded Ed for rudeness, but she was smiling too much to be effective.

Hawkeye turned to Roy. “Really, sir?”

He held up his hands in surrender.

“Uncle Roy and Riza were sharing a room at our house,” Al said innocently, slurping up a noodle. “And I saw him drinking her blood in the kitchen.”

“I see how it is!” Barry said.

“It’s really not like that,” Hawkeye said, and Roy was pleased to see her cheeks were pink.

“So you didn’t give him your blood?” Trisha asked, sounding a lot like her younger son. Deceptive. Trisha came off sweet and motherly, but there was a feisty vampire in there, after all. Roy’s respect for her rose.

“Well, yes,” Hawkeye stumbled over her words.

“From the neck!” Ed added. “And everybody knows what that means.”

“What does it mean?” Al asked, baffled.

Trisha shushed them. “Boys, finish eating. It’s far past your bedtime.”

 #

 Living the bachelor life, Barry had only one extra bedroom. He gave his own to Trisha and the boys, offering Hawkeye and Roy the other while giving an obscene wink. He also insisted on taking over the watch, saying the five of them needed their rest. Roy was hesitant, but there was no polite way to refuse him. Besides, it was daytime, and threats could only be compelled humans. Easy enough for one vampire, and there were two more on hand plus a sharpshooter.

Roy and Hawkeye each took a look around the house, familiarizing themselves with the floor plan before returning to their assigned bedroom. Everything was a bit messy. Barry had haphazardly tidied up, shoving books and clothes onto the floor with enough room to walk to the bed. Roy was sure it was never used for guests. There was a disturbing collection of butcher knives displayed on one wall, warning anyone who wanted to sleep here that their host was a madman.

Hawkeye crawled onto the bed with the determination of a soldier, boots still on.

“You’re just going to sleep?” Roy teased, but he was oddly apprehensive seeing how small the bed was. He didn’t trust himself. Her cloying scent invited him closer, and he barely kept his fangs in check.

“I could go keep watch with Barry, if you’d like,” she said, propping her head on her hand. Roy buried the rush of unreasonable jealousy at the thought of her alone with their creepy host.

“Just wondering where that atrocious nightgown is,” he said instead.

“I had to leave it at the Elric home,” she said. “Not enough room in one bag for both our things.”

The disappointment must have shown on his face because she sat up on the bed.

“I’m on to you,” she said, wagging a finger at him.

“It’s hideous,” he insisted, even as his cheeks grew warm.

She grinned and settled back down to sleep. Roy turned off the light, deciding to take his cue from her and keep even his shoes on. Even with the light off, his vision still allowed him to see her. The room was stuffy and warm, but it meant no blankets, so he watched her curl up on her side, leaving him space behind her back.

He crept in beside her, aware of the creaking of the bed as his weight joined hers. It all felt incredibly intimate. He only shared beds with women he had sex with. He listened greedily to the swiftness of her breathing and heartbeat. Outwardly, she was stoic and still. If he were still human, he’d think her unaffected by his proximity. She was not.

Why she was reacting was a mystery he couldn’t confidently solve. Was she attracted to him? Possibly. Was it merely the novelty of sharing a bed with a man? Or because he was that man? Since learning she was still a virgin, he had been replaying the years of their friendship in a new light.

Hawkeye had been so young when she gave him the secrets to flame alchemy—only sixteen. Roy had been twenty, but his thoughts had been academic and focused. Now it made him wonder if he was the only one to have seen her lethal tattoo, and why that made him so happy.

 #

 The ambush came midday. Riza was awakened by Mustang jostling her awake.

“Get your guns, head to the Elrics’ room,” he whispered. He bolted out the door.

Familiar with this kind of wake up from her days in the militia, Riza was out the door in under a minute, heart pounding, mind focused on her destination.

Gun drawn, she heard scuffling and snarling downstairs. A snap followed by gut-wrenching screams. Riza knocked on the door where the family had been sleeping.

“Trisha? Are you all okay?” Riza asked, watching the staircase—the only way to access the upstairs. Windows, maybe, if they were desperate.

“We’re fine,” Trisha said through the door, her voice strained. “They somehow transported vampires here. I think there are at least two.”

As if summoned, an unfamiliar vampire blurred at the top of the stairs, rushing at Riza. He was heavyset, but frighteningly fast—and armed. Riza aimed her pistol for his bald head, pulling the trigger at the same time the vampire returned fire. Blood and brains sprayed across the wallpaper, and Riza dodged, tumbling into a stack of boxes. Something sharp cut across her hand, but the vampire’s bullet missed her. She repositioned herself behind the boxes, adrenaline thrumming through her as she waited a moment to see if anyone else appeared. The violent noises from below continued.

As stealthily as she could manage, she hurried down the stairs, past the corpse of the vampire, pausing at the bottom to peer around the corner. The clutter of Barry’s home looked like a tornado had swept through. The stench of burnt vampire hung in the air, and two humans writhed on the floor in agony, while two others wrestled against Mustang’s far greater strength. Riza could tell he was trying to be gentle, in case they were compelled, but Riza had no such qualms. She shot one in the leg, the other the arm. The pain overrode their ability to fight back.

“Thanks,” Mustang huffed.

“Is that all of them?” she asked, not moving from her post.

“Two more humans outside. You got the big guy?” he asked.

“Yes,” she said. “And the family is safe.”

“Good. Can you take care of the two outside? I’ll deal with these four,” he said, binding the intruders’ hands with scraps of fabric he ripped from their own shirts. The humans were all large, younger men, dressed in rough clothes—something poorer folks would wear. Riza suspected they had been compelled because of their strength. If they even had been compelled. Sometimes people pretended to be compelled to escape consequences. Mustang would find out.

Riza slipped outside into the bright sunshine, seeing Barry’s home from the outside for the first time. It was an isolated house, surrounded by trees, with a long driveway where a large truck was parked. There was no sign of the two humans except the truck’s motor rumbling. Riza bumped into a large box, and she figured it must have been used to somehow smuggle the vampires into the house—unless they had known about the tunnel, which was a possibility if Barry had betrayed them. She hadn’t seen him with Mustang.

Riza hunkered behind the box, wishing for a little more coverage to approach the truck. There was too much open space.

But her targets made it easy for her. They dropped out of the truck, guns drawn without skill, more for threatening her. Riza disabled them as she had many soldiers over the years. A bullet for each of them.

“Drop your weapons!” she yelled, approaching with caution. She didn’t want to shoot either of them again, but she would. They refused, and one of them aimed at her. She shot at his wrist, forcibly disarming him. The other took a shot at her, but his arm had already been shot. His bullet went wide.

After that, her greatest challenge was dragging two grown men across the wide expanse of yard as they cussed at her and cried out in pain. One of them took a swing at her, and her cheek was still throbbing when Ed and Al tiptoed into the yard like skittish kittens.

“Mom said we could help you,” Ed explained.

“Go for it,” she said. Or she was going to lose her temper and shoot the intruders dead.

The brothers had no sympathy for the humans, pulling them through the gravel without mercy much faster than Riza was capable. She took more satisfaction than she should have from the men’s shock as they were bested by mere boys.

Inside, Mustang was donating blood to each human, and compelling them for answers one by one, despite what looked like worrisome injuries. He was pushing himself too far again, Riza thought.

Trisha had also made an appearance and had her wrist in Barry’s mouth. He was covered in slashes. It looked like he had been thrown against a wall, based on the dent above him.

He finished feeding and groggily waved Riza over.

“Oh, missy, you have a shiner marring that gorgeous cheek of yours,” he said, his words slurring as he sat up. “I’d give you some of my blood, but as you can see, I’m fresh out.”

Riza smiled gently. “It’s nothing serious, but thank you for the offer.”

Trisha joined Mustang compelling the humans. After they had their information, they compelled the men to forget everything and go home in the truck.

“Two of them did it for money, the rest were compelled,” Mustang told Riza grimly. “I think the female vampire,” he pointed at some ashes, “was the same one who used Dr. Rockbell.”

“That’s a relief,” Riza said.

“Yes and no,” Mustang said. “How did they find us here? Do they know the tunnels and where they connect to?”

“Maybe we should avoid the tunnels for now,” Trisha said, attempting to sweep some cracked drywall from where Barry had been smashed into it.

“I think that’s best,” Mustang agreed. He ran his hands through his hair, falling into a chair in exhaustion. “We’re all tired. We have no way to contact Hohenheim safely…Let’s rest until sunset, then head out on foot.” Riza’s exhausted body approved of the idea.

“I could drive you part way,” Barry said. “I have a safe place on the way to Central. It’s not much, but you’ll be protected from the sun.”

The boys were sent up to bed while the adults sketched out a more thorough plan for nightfall and fixed up Barry’s house. It was only when Riza finally marched up the stairs to return to bed that she remembered the body of the vampire she had killed—but it was gone, only a black, smoky spot left behind.

She hoped the boys hadn’t seen it before Mustang took care of it. As if reading her mind, he caught up to her.

“Only Trisha saw him. And good riddance to that bastard,” he said, giving Riza a nudge toward the bedroom door. “He took a bite out of my arm!”

Riza looked closer at Mustang with concern. His black shirt disguised the fact he was covered in blood. Like Barry, his wounds had healed, but Mustang and Trisha had only had animal blood from Barry’s stash. Mustang was still stronger than Riza, without question, but he wouldn’t be as strong as a well-fed vampire. His thirst would be a weakness she would need to compensate for.

“You’re a mess. Why don’t you go wash up first?” she offered. He nodded and left.

Riza went to the bedroom, brushed her hair and picked out a clean change of clothes while Mustang was gone. Then she took a turn in the bathroom. Looking in Barry’s dingy mirror, she could tell she was going to have a black eye. And while washing her hand she reopened the cut on her palm. She would have to dig through her bag for some bandages.

She opened the door to the bedroom quietly, and found Mustang already lying down, hands tucked under the back of his head. The moment she shut the door, he scurried to the end of the creaky bed.

“Uh, you’re bleeding,” he said, his whole body rigid and focused on her. Like a predator. It was very unlike him. She had cut herself numerous times in front of him—and other vampires—without issue.

“Oh, yes, I scraped my hand. Nothing major,” she said. She gasped when suddenly he was only a foot away.

“Sorry,” he apologized, stumbling back to the bed. “I’m a bit thirstier than I thought.”

“I don’t want to make a habit of it, but…I can give you mine again.”

His tongue ran across his fangs. “You’re tired. And hurt.”

“You’re the one best equipped to protect that family. You need to be at your best.” She thought of the embarrassing teasing from the boys at dinner and offered her wrist, resisting the urge to crane her head to the side.

“You’re far too generous, Hawkeye,” he said. He took her hand instead, spreading her fingers apart and studying the thin slice that marred her skin. His breath fanned over her palm while she held her own breath in anticipation. He merely licked across her hand to ensure the wound would close.

She shivered at the sensation of his tongue but was startled by the burn of disappointment he wasn’t going to feed from her. Then he quickly yanked her into his lap as he settled them on the bed, his hand hot and intimate on her waist. His lips brushed the side of her neck, hesitating as he waited for permission.

And part of her thought she should stop him, offer her wrist and return to the vampire hunting partnership they had before—nothing but a professional friendship.

She arched her neck.

“Please.”

His fangs pierced her neck, groaning as he sucked on her flesh. His hand stroked down to the small of her back, resting just above the curves below.

Heat flooded through her, radiating to her core. Fighting the urge to squirm on his lap, she clutched his shirt tightly as she panted raggedly. What was it about feeding him that aroused her so much? She knew there was a relaxant in their saliva, kind of like certain spiders, but this was different. Her whole body hummed in anticipation, like his bite was just preparing her for something more carnal. Maybe she should be worried. She wasn’t.

A woozy feeling overcame her, and she reached her hand to cup his cheek.

“Roy, that’s too much,” she said.

He immediately pulled back, biting his wrist and holding it up to her. Still high from the intoxicating experience of feeding him, she bent her head to drink, the heady taste buzzing through her like strong wine. It was addictive.

Her mind lost to sensations, it was with dim awareness she realized she was rocking against something thick and hard. She stilled her hips as embarrassment coursed through her, releasing his wrist and licking her lips.

“I’m sorry,” she said. She closed her eyes, unable to look at him.

“Never be sorry for that,” he gasped. And then he rolled them so he was on top of her, her legs wrapping around him instinctually to grind against him through their clothes. She wanted more friction, more bare skin.

“You taste so good,” he murmured, nuzzling into her neck as she carded her fingers through his hair. “I want to taste you everywhere.”

Then his hands froze at her waist, body tensing.

“What is it?” she asked, mirroring his posture. The high of being in his arms was washed away with cold fear. And something that was almost regret seeped into her bones.

Then Mustang rolled off her with a string of frustrated curses, and she realized she was missing something.

“Barry is a bastard,” Mustang said, voice at regular volume. A cackle came from downstairs. Oh.

“It’s for the best. You’re always mixing food with pleasure. It was bound to happen,” she said, giving him an out. Or herself. She wasn’t sure.

“Uh, yes,” he said with palpable relief. “I’m sure your father would disapprove of you working for a vampire, let alone…” He trailed off awkwardly.

“Very true.” Her father would have never given a vampire sympathizer his alchemy, or even worked with a vampire. And he would have thrown her out for willingly sharing blood with one.

“I’m going to take a quick shower,” Mustang said, disappearing without another word.

She heard Barry laughing again and another rush of mortification hit her. If Barry had heard her with Mustang, the Elrics could have, too. With shame, Riza remembered they were on a dangerous assignment, protecting a lovely family from harm. It was not the time to fall into bed with her boss. And realistically, it should never happen, assignment or not. There was a complex, painful history between them that she was sure sex wouldn’t help whatsoever.

Maybe if there were some genuine feeling on his end, but she knew Roy Mustang. He flitted from woman to woman, and while moments ago Riza wanted to lose herself to the thrill of touching and being touched by him…She also knew she was a serious, monogamous person. It was one of the reasons she was still a virgin. And with Mustang, her heart could not afford to be careless. He was too important to her.

[writings-of-a-hufflepuff]

I Don’t Care Where I Go When I Die

Pairing: Kassandra x Brasidas

Fandom: Assassin’s Creed; Odyssey

Summary: “Do you ever wonder where you will go…” Brasidas is contemplative, head leaned back, face turned towards the ceiling of his home, the one she has invaded each night since her return to Sparta despite her mother’s questioning, despite the looks from Alexios and the furrow of Nikoloas’ brow.

Rating: T

Archiveofourown

“Do you ever wonder where you will go…” Brasidas is contemplative, head leaned back, face turned towards the ceiling of his home, the one she has invaded each night since her return to Sparta despite her mother’s questioning, despite the looks from Alexios and the furrow of Nikoloas’ brow. Despite the whispers that Brasidas is of marrying age, that he should find himself a wife, the unspoken question as to whether she would be that wife. 

Kassandra is lying next to him, chin propped up against his chest, fingers twisting patterns across tanned scarred skin and dark chest hair. It is a common occurrence for them to lie there in placid stillness after making love as the sweat cools on their skin and ask questions, sometimes philosophical, sometimes silly or ridiculous, but always taken seriously by the other. It is part of what she loves so much about him that he can speak freely to her and vice versa, whether he wishes to curse the polis he loves so much, the home that raised him, but would gladly see him die, or whether she were asking what was possibly going through the mind of half the women who bedded Zeus in his many forms. 

“Where we go when we…?” She thinks she knows, thinks she can tell which melancholy, sad road his mind has turned down, but knows she must clarify, to fully answer him as is their way. She will take every question he poses to her seriously, she will take every feeling and thought he holds and respect it, treat it carefully, because there is trust there. Trust that she will, trust that they can bare their souls to the other without ridicule, something neither is used to. She holds that trust sacred. 

“When we meet our end, when the fates decide our time is done. Will we be remembered and rewarded in Elysium, tormented in Tartarus for wicked deeds, or forgotten by the living, left to wander aimlessly through Hades?” She watches the shake of his body, the swallow in his throat, the bobbing of his Adam's apple that reveals his feelings when he speaks of Tartarus. Kassandra knows that Brasidas wonders if he is wicked, if his deeds for Sparta are truly good or if the Gods will punish him. She thinks a wicked man would not worry about being wicked, a wicked man would know his wickedness and revel in it, enjoy it, take pride in it. His fear is what keeps her belief in his goodness so solid, a good man would not regret his actions, reflect and hurt at the thought of them. A wicked man would not strive to be so good.

She thinks on his question even though she knows her answer, because he would wish her to, because it is part of her dedication to seriousness with him. He tilts his chin down, beard brushing the top of his chest as brown eyes look for her own, taking in the furrow of her brow, the contemplative twist to her lips. Her fingers continue their aimless circles on his skin, a thoughtless action. His own are trailing up and down her back, every now and again they stop and focus on a raised scar. 

“I don’t really care where I go when I die.” She finally hums, seeing the surprised flicker across his face at the prospect that she cares little for her afterlife, her eternity. It is a general rule in Hellas that no matter whether devout or questioning, people believe in the possibility of an eternity, good or bad, that death leads to something more, that you should be concerned about your afterlife. Kassandra believes. She believes in the Gods, she believes in the myths, the legends, the stories, she believes in Hades, in Elysium and Tartarus, but she has found their hold on her weakening with time. 

She doesn’t care, Kassandra once might have. She once might have agonised over her eternity, over the torment or pleasures she would be given for her works in her mortal life. Brasidas had been the spark for the change, the person that made her fear dissipate, made her desire for an eternity of reward mellow. Whether Tartarus or Elysium, Kassandra cared little for she’d found her paradise amongst the living. She’d found her happiness with the family she’d put back together and the Spartan she’d fallen in love with. 

“How can you not care, phílos?” Brasidas worries over the legacy he will leave, worries over the things he will regret doing or failing to do, the things he will miss. He worries over his potential eternal punishment, a deep part of him scared of the possibility that he was a wicked man, that his deeds for his home, for his Sparta were unjust. He finds himself sitting himself up and pulling her with him, arms wrapping around her strong back, eyes searching her honeyed ones for an answer, for it to make sense. 

“Because I have found my Elysium here, with you, emós xíphos. If I go to Tartarus then I go. If I go to Elysium then you must be there for it to compare. If I wander Hades forgotten then so be it. I care little so long as you are beside me.”

“And if I am not? If we find ourselves parted by death?”

Kassandra lifts a hand to his cheek, thumb brushing over the scar that has been there for as long as she has known him. Eyes hard, brow furrowed at the thought of being separated from him after everything they both had done, after every year apart, every near death, every struggle. “Then I shall storm through Hades, Tartarus and Elysium until I find you and not Hades, Persephone, Charon nor Cerberus shall stop me.”  

She says it with such surety, such strength, the sort he has seen from her on the battlefield time after time. It is that strength behind her words that makes him believe it. Kassandra would tell him off for thinking of her as anything but a mortal, as anything but Kassandra, but in truth she was a Goddess of her own making. A force to be reckoned with and it eases his worry knowing that the Gods would have to go through her to separate them and that if he was to suffer in the afterlife she would be beside him, sharing in her strength. 

Brasidas lifts a hand to the loose waves of her hair, battle worn fingers parting the sea of strands and twisting them around his wrist, before cupping the back of her head and pressing his forehead to hers. It is something he does often she has noticed, a kiss of a different sort that feels more intimate to her than any pressing of lips that they have ever done.

His nose brushes against hers, his breath fans across her skin and she closes her eyes at the feeling of closeness, the ache of a good sort in her chest at having him here, like this. There were many moments in their journey where she thought her friend, as he had been simply her friend back then, would be sent to Hades. There were many moments where the thought that they both had any sort of future alone or together had seemed so impossibly distant. To know they had made it, that each day they woke beside each other to a sunrise and each night they fell asleep in each other's arms, that was the greatest gift the Gods had ever given her. 

“If you are to storm Hades, then I shall be by your side when you do it, misthios…”, Her eyes flutter open to catch the peak of teeth beneath his lips as they curl upwards in that infuriatingly self assured smirk of his, to catch his own eyes staring into her soul as they had done from the moment they met. 

“There is no one i’d rather dance beside, you know that, General.” Because it was always a dance between them, from that very first in a burning warehouse. Their bodies had always been intune, insync, they fought together as if they had trained side by side from childhood, as if he and her had fought together, stolen food together, shared a phoinikis together to ward off the cold. Everything had always come so naturally with Brasidas that she sometimes forgot how unnatural it was, it wasn’t until others, her brother, her mother, her father, would point out that their intuneness was unusual and then she would think again. 

Those comments were less now. They had fought together many times, travelled together, broken fast together, laid together. To others it seemed now that they had grown insync through years of companionship, through lust and love and blood and battle, but they both knew the truth. That they had always been like this, that they had always fought together with ease, that they understood each other in a way that seemed so natural and yet so bizarre at the same time. 

“We do dance rather well together, emós phyláttȯ.” It is punctuated with a twist as his calf wraps behind her knee, arms behind her back and he wrestles her to her back, resting over her, arms either side of her head. His shoulder is weaker these days, heavy scaring reminding her of what had nearly come to pass, but they are still strong and defined as she trails her fingers over them. 

“Do you...do you think of that warehouse in Korinth as much as I?” She finds herself wandering back so often. The heat of the flames on her back, the heat in her blood from battle, and the heat in her eyes as they watched him meet her movements with ease. He had seemed everything a Spartan should be. It had made her proud. He was compassionate but strong, skilled, a better soldier than any she had ever come across. She had wanted many people in her time, briefly and without much thought, but Brasidas had been the first to capture her body and soul without effort, without a word. She had wanted him from that first dance, she had wanted to impress him, listen to him, so she listened as he asked for the Monger to die quietly, she listened to every plan, every thought that crossed his beautiful capable mind. She was lucky he was as formidable as he was, or else she might have made poor decisions thanks to the meddling of Eros, Pothos or Anteros. She wondered if every God of love and passion had sat together and agreed to meddle, to place Brasidas in her path. Perhaps they had hoped for tragedy, more human pain to feed their entertainment or perhaps they had known that she would finally be content, perhaps he had been her reward. 

His eyes burn like they did back then and she knows without a word his answer, yes more than I’d care to admit, he would say. But, he doesn’t say a word, just lifts the corner of his mouth into a smirk before lowering his lips to hers. It is still there burning beneath their skin, still there as her hands claw at his back and his beard burns her skin, that unspoken fire that they have shared since their first meeting, that connects them. It is that fire that makes her certain that she will not be separated from him after they have left this mortal coil, it is that bond that gives her the strength to know she would fight the Gods themselves to stay by his side. It is that same bond that has her almost certain the Gods put them together for a reason, that they had no intention of separating them. He was a gift to her and she hopes she is a gift to him and not a curse. 

-----------

Translations: emós xíphos - My sword emós phyláttȯ - Literally my guard, roughly my shield phílos - Beloved, Darling Phoinikis - the red cape given to boys in the agoge

[theworldwithoutmagic]

Decompression - zutara ff

Just wrote this oneshot thursday so its CONTENT HOT OFF THE PRESS. 

Im fresh off a rewatch of A:TLA and I finished Southern Raiders on wednesday with a Mighty Need to write a missing scene. I was so striken by Zutara feels that I had to bang out this one shot in a single day.

Here is 3000 words of shameless enemies-to-bedsharing-trope. Set in missing scene during Southern Raiders.

I really need feedback as iv never written zutara before and idk if I have their Voices down. concrit welcome as id like to improve before a longfic. PLEASE message or comment. 

i also need blogs to follow..

So here we gooooo

—————————————–

Katara and Zuko stop to rest and talk about what happened that day. They get a little closer than expected. Zuko wonders how he became so lucky.

Zuko looks up from Appa’s saddle at Katara, seemingly just as determined to get back quickly as she was on the way here. She is beautiful, he thinks to himself not the first time, even now leaving the scene of an almost murder. Her wrists were flicking occasionally, bending the water in the clouds around them to give them a modicum of safety from any eyes that might look to the skies. He knows she must be exhausted at this point. He saw see the circles under her eyes hours ago. Appa himself is starting to slow down and he knows this pace can’t last forever.

“Katara, we have been flying for hours and Appa needs to rest.” He didn’t mention Katara herself. He knew without asking that she would not appreciate any comments on her ability to keep going. He hoped she might stop and process some of what happened today instead of going full speed back to their training regimen. His uncle would have said so, at least. The day was a lot more intense than even he expected.

“What we need is to get back to Aang. The comet is approaching and this was a waste of time,” Katara said.

“We won’t make it back to Aang at all if Appa collapses and we land in the middle of a fire nation village. Look at him. His eyes are starting to droop.” It was true, the bison was not at full strength. Katara did not turn around but her shoulders dropped a bit. She wouldn’t want to hurt Appa.

“So, where do you have in mind we stop? This is the middle of the fire nation and you are pretty hard to miss,“ she said.

“We can make camp in one of the many caves in this region. Look how rocky it is down there. I know that is how your gang usually hides from the fire nation. I think I see a decent spot down there right now,” he pointed down to an outcropping of rock high on a hillside, protected on all 4 sides from direct view.

Katara remained silent. “If this is some kind of trick Zuko…”

He tamped down the biting response he wanted to give. “Katara, I would not have come here with you and helped you find a firenation ship and captain just to trap you in a random cave. Appa needs rest, that’s it. So do I. and you,” He said, the last bit under his breath.

“Fine.” She said, after looking him in the eyes and finding some answer she wanted. “But only until sunrise. We don’t have time for this.” She snaps the reigns and directs Appa back around towards the overhang. He is relieved she agreed.

When they land, Zuko inspects the cave. It’s not so much of a cave as it is a large overhanging rock. It’s not deep, but big enough to hide a bison in. Unfortunately, he deduces they won’t be able to have a fire tonight. The smoke and light might attract too much attention. They will have to eat from the dried stores and sleep in the dark. He knows Katara will agree with him about the fire. Katara…

He had no idea she was so strong. He keeps thinking back to the sea raven ship. He is pretty sure she bended a living person. Not supposed to be possible, but he guesses there is much he does not know about water bending.

Even now, her back is ramrod straight and she is standing in front of her bedroll a little lost looking now that they arent moving towards a goal. He promised to help her on this mission but he is the last person who knows how to help her with the aftermath. He isn’t sure what he expected from this trip.. things went very differently than he imagined. She needs to talk her brother or Aang or literally anyone other than him, he thinks. He considers that he might be a monster for even suggesting this murder mission as he leads Appa under the rocky overhang.

With the Bison in the “cave” with them, there is not a ton of room. He puts his bedroll by Katara’s where there is a little space and dry ground and pulls out the last jerky they have. Its stale and he thinks he can start to taste the beginnings of mold on his piece. They were preserved in a hurry and it’s been a little too long since the group resupplied. But its food and it’s all they have. He holds one out to Katara.

“Uh, you should eat something.” He tries, “It has been a long day. We have a lot of flying to do to get back to Aang.” Damnit, but it’s not just about the flying. He doesn’t know how to breech this subject.

“Of course we do, Zuko.” She whips around, “I am fine. I didn’t even want to stop.” She still takes the jerky and rips into it. She finally leans back against the wall of the cave, sitting on her bedroll. He watches her face and almost panics. Her eyes are shining with unshed tears and she is nowhere near sleep tonight. It races through his mind again that she faced her mother’s murderer today and is somehow still standing.

“Ok.” is all he says for a while. He has to say something else. What would uncle say? What would the Avatar say? He doesn’t know. He knows she might need more than he can give. In the end he says nothing and silently berates himself. He knows sleep will be a long time coming for both of them.

It starts to rain. He looks out of the wet, terrible cave into the storm. The rain is beautiful in a way. It runs in shining rivulets down the other pale rocks, the nearly full moon reflecting in the puddles, and he tries to imagine what it would be like to bend water instead of this horrible fire. He starts talking and hopes he’s not ruining things again.

“The rain is nice. I’ve always loved the sound. As a child I never hated the rain as much as the other fire benders in the palace. The rain restored the land. Brought life back to the burn scars in the garden from our training.” Then, as an afterthought, “The turtleducks loved it, too.” He thinks that’s what got her to speak.

“It never rained in the south pole. Always snow. I didn’t see the rain until I left with Aang. Standing in the rain for the first time and feeling the pull of each raindrop at the southern air temple is one of my favorite memories.” Katara said. She is staring into the growing tempest outside now too. “I always hoped I would get to see it. My mother used to tell me about the rain from her travels with dad.”

She is sitting against the wall very close to him. The thought crosses his mind that if he scooted over, he could reach out and touch her. He doesn’t think he should. Instead, he quietly, so quietly hes not sure she can hear it over the rain, asks, “Do you want to tell me about her?” He closes his eyes and waits for the anger.

“I would like that.” She whispers. “My mom was not a bender. Her father and both of her sisters were. She lost them all to the fire nation before I was born.” More pain and suffering at the hands of his people, he thinks to himself. “My mother was still powerful in her own way. I remember she helped our tribe remember how to create houses without water benders. There was a while we thought our tribe could not survive without benders to keep the ice at bay. How would we do anything without benders to make new ice houses? But she figured it out.”

Zuko realized all over again what cruelties the fire nation had forced on her people. Taking away the benders of a tribe completely reliant on it for survival. It was only through sheer force of will they were still here. He lets her continue.

“My mother was the best cook in the village. Sokka thinks my cooking is good, but I learned only a little for her before she die- before she was killed.” Tears leaked from her eyes now and her voice shook. “The worst part is Sokka is right. I barely remember her now.”

“I’m sorry. I know it’s not enough, especially from me. I really hoped that by taking you to her killer I could help you. Help you get closure and a bit of payback. I see now that was a mistake and I’ve made it worse” He chokes out. The whole trip was a mistake. She would never trust him now either, being reminded of all the sins of the fire nation.

“It wasn’t a mistake. Zuko I thought that by coming here I could finally get revenge. Aang was right about that. I was not seeking justice or closure. If my mother’s killer had been that man on the ship, I think I would have killed him.” 

The man she had.. bended. He knew she was not lying right now. “Katara, whatever you did to him, he.. he deserved it.”

“No, he didn’t.” She was still trying to hold back her tears and failing. “I bended his blood Zuko. A technique I swore I would never use. I was just so angry! He had the gall to stand there on the ship meant for raiding my people and claim he didn’t know what I was talking about. Probably just coming from another murderous raid against another town. There was water everywhere, we were on a ship! But I reached inside him and took something that should never be taken. I could do that right now to you, or anyone else.”

Zuko’s eyes widened. Blood bending. He hopes that man never realizes what exactly she did to him. The fire nation would not stop until every waterbender was extinct if they knew that was possible. He is in awe of the woman beside him. “Katara, I think you are amazing.” He blurts out, before he can even explain.

She barks out a half laugh, “What? Zuko you SAW it-” 

“Yes, and that is the first time I have ever seen it. Iv chased you all over the world and seen you fight many times. All those times, you didn’t use that power. Do you know what the fire nation would be doing with that power if they had it? Marching people right into prison camps. Stopping a whole fleet of human hearts before the battle even starts.” He meets her eyes now, “But this blood bending you can do… you didn’t even hurt the man with it. If there is one place its justified to lose yourself, I’d say on your mother’s killer is one. The restraint you show in not using it against every one of your enemies, your enemies who have murdered your family for generations, is more than I have ever had. I would use any weapon at my disposal against Azula or my father if I thought it would give me an edge. You’re nothing but good and even more powerful and amazing than I thought.” He means it. and he hopes she can hear it in his voice.

She only cries more and he thinks he’s made things worse, his eyes close and his heart drops- then he feels her hand on his shoulder. “Is this ok? Zuko, I.. I don’t want to sit alone right now.” She looks exhausted in the weak light of the moon filtering through the storm as she leans into him. He almost forgets to answer.

“Yeah, this is fine, this is.. this is fine.” Zuko doesn’t know what to do. He has never been able to comfort anyone with his touch. He slides his arm around her shoulders because thats what it seems like she wants. She exhales shakily and turns further into him and his heart skips a beat. She is warm in the chilly air and clinging to him like she needs it to breath. She is almost in his lap and he has already never been this close with anyone.

“I’m not as strong as you think Zuko.” she whispers into his shoulder. “I’m so sorry for how angry I’ve been at you. I knew this whole time, ever since the South Pole, there has been good in you too. I just didn’t want to be wrong again, after the crystal caves so I lashed out. I was fighting my instincts to trust you. This journey just proves to me again that I was right from the beginning.” A pause, her tears coming harder. “I’m sorry I’m such a mess right now.”

“Il do whatever you need of me Katara.” He says quietly, instead of what he wants to say. I need this too. You are stronger than I think. Don’t ever leave this spot. He tightens his embrace and she does too.

They listen to the storm outside. Finally, Katara sobs openly against him. He rubs circles on her back and lets her cry. He doesnt press her to talk anymore. He breaths into her hair and can’t pinpoint what he has done to earn this trust, but he will do everything in his power to make sure she is never this upset again. If he has to personally kill every fire bender who has wronged her. Eventually her sobs clear and she relaxes, still not letting go of his shirt. They fall into steady silence, with only the sound of the rain outside, and he can only think of how wonderful it feels to be a comfort to another person instead of a source of pain. 

It gets steadily chillier in the cave and he eventually releases her to reach for her blankets and pull them over her shoulders. He’s not going to push her off anytime soon, he will let himself freeze to death and not sleep a wink if she needs it. When he brings his arms back around, Katara still doesn’t speak and pulls them down from their sitting position leaning against the wall. His heart is about to beat out of his chest and he knows she can probably feel it. She pulled them so he’s lying down on his bedroll and placed her head on his chest like she means to sleep this way.

Zuko is absolutely frozen. One of her knees is resting on his thigh, her arms are around his torso, and she is so soft. He wants to curl around her. He wants to express something unnamed.

“Zuko, you home?” He can hear the smile in her voice. At least she is feeling better, his racing mind supplies. “I hope this is ok too. Please.”

He stiltedly brings his arms back around her now prone form. He lets one of his long legs tangle with hers. His shirt rides up and her fingers are quick to find a bit of his skin. He doesn’t know if this is right but it feels like it is. He sighs and tries to live in this moment forever before he speaks and ruins it.

“Katara, I just don’t want you to regret any of this tomorrow and realize that I’m the enemy again. I don’t know if I can take it if you hate me again tomorrow.” He admits. He pulls her even closer anyway. Every part of their bodies touching. Gods she feels so good against him. Like she was made to be there. Why has he never done this with anyone before? “And iv never…” He tries to pick the right words. “I’ve never been this vulnerable with anyone.”

“I promise you that I won’t hate you again. I’ve wanted to trust you for so long and truthfully, I already did. I wouldn’t have come with you if I didn’t.” Katara said, “This was not easy for you either. Offering to take me across the world where we planned to murder a man from your country in cold blood. I would have never known who killed my mother without you and no one else in my entire life would have come with me for this. Aang and Sokka never understood what I needed and they still don’t. I love them both but I knew you wouldn’t judge me no matter what I chose, even if I was rude to you this whole time.” 

“I could never judge any choice you make.” He shivered and lowered his face to her hair. “I’ve admired you since I met you. Even when I sent pirates after you. I really hoped you would choose my side then. I’m glad you didn’t now.”

Katara seems embarrassed for a moment and squirms. He jerks slightly when a knee brushes an intimate part of him and he feels a slight grin from her against his shoulder. He has no idea if that was an accident but his head is spinning. She speaks, “I know fire nation royalty aren’t particularly touchy feely.” She runs a slender hand down his ribcage and he struggles not to let on how much the sensations are affecting him. “but my people are. and it has been what seems like a lifetime since anyone has just let me cry and comforted me like a human. Even when I was still at home.. our village lost so many of its softer customs to the demands of war.”

“The only people who have ever even hugged me in my entire life were my mother and my uncle, Katara.” He admits, embarrassed too. “I.. you.. this is nice.” he settles on. Nice doesn’t even begin to cover it.

Katara only hums. He feels her sigh contentedly and hopes she is done teasing him. Katara is pushed against every plane of his body and he thinks his heart might still fail from how lucky he is to have earned her trust despite everything between them. Her breaths slow until he is sure she is asleep. The rain still falls outside and he watches her and he watches the rain and just feels until finally the warmth and contentment begins to pull him toward sleep. His last thought is about how he hopes he will get the chance to do this again one day… tomorrow they have to go back to the Avatar and face their destinies.

[ashcrimson-is-writing]

Parce Mihi ~ Chapter 1

Fandom: Marvel (Pre-Marvelfilms)

Pairing: Loki x Sigyn

(Gif-creator)

Summary: It´s a tradition as old as Asgard itself: Once in a hundred years a young woman gets chosen to be a lady-in-waiting to the queen and live within her in the palace. This year Friggas choice falls on Sigyn, who volunteers to save her family. Soon enough she meets Loki, Prince of Asgard and even though he is a good actor, she slowly starts to see something different in him, than the cold and arrogant man he is to everyone else. But meanwhile, not seen by anyone, dark clouds are  gathering over the mountains of Asgard and it is only a matter of time  till the storm begins. (Angst, Fluff, Hurt)

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<<Prologue 

Chapter 1: „What is your name?“ The young woman's heart immediately beat faster, she felt pale- and redness rose in her cheeks at the same time and her hands became icy cold despite the heat of summer. She closed her eyes for the fraction of a second, wondering how exactly she should answer and took a deep breath.

This was their only chance and if she failed it, she would be sealing the dark fate of herself, her brothers and her sisters by that. An even worse fate than their lives were already. Her answers would decide between wealth and poverty, life and death. She knew that and it made her nervous, almost anxious, although she was actually not at all of the jumpy sort. Slowly she raised her head on which her long, reddish-brown hair was firmly tucked together and glanced at the woman standing in front of her, tried to appear bolder than she was at that moment and her breath hitched a little.

She had known that Queen Frigga was beautiful, she had never really seen her before of course, but everybody knew and talked about it and still, the way she had expected the Queen to look like was nothing compared to the reality. One could certainly tell that Friggas youth was long gone, but she didn´t look old either with her blonde hair held together by a gilded ribbon that matched the decorations of her robe and sparkled like the warm smile of her eyes. She rather was one of the most beautiful woman alive.

The young woman was completely speechless for a few breaths long. Perhaps she would have even forgoten to speak at all, if her brother, who stood behind her, hadn´t given her a slight stab to her back.

Although several silent seconds had already passed, the kindness and sincere interest in the Queen´s gaze had not diminished.

“My name is Sigyn” the brunette finally announced, her heart still beating loudly in her chest and only now she became really aware of what she was doing here.

After all there was a reason why she stood in front of Asgards Queen. If everything would went according to her plan, if the Norns were with her, Sigyn intended to go with Frigga to the Golden Palace and spend the rest of her life as lady-in-waiting to her. That was why she was standing there at the market place of the city among all the other young women who hoped to be chosen by their queen just like her.

It was an old tradition in Asgard, once in a hundred years one of the citizens got chosen to be a court lady and of course this was a huge honour. Many women had been taken before her to the palace and now Sigyn stood there, next to a queen she had never seen before, but whom she would perhaps soon keep company with every day and she stood there in her best dress, which looked almost shabby though, but there had been no money for an new one and she felt terribly anxious.

Frigga still smiled at her, a kindness in her features that made Sigyn feel a little more comfortable and at the same time more insecure. It almost seemed as if she wanted Sigyn to say more, but the young woman didn´t know what to say or what to do. The whole situation was a little scary to her.

Actually Sigyn didn´t want to move into the palace, because despite the temptations that awaited her there: a warm bed of her own, a full stomach, expensive fabrics and robes, Sigyn would much rather stay in the city together with her brothers and sisters, together with the people she loved. But since it was part of the agreement, part of the tradition, that the families of the ladies-in-waiting got enough money to live comfortably without hunger or cold, without fear or worry, it was not really a choice to Sigyn. Her family needed the money. Urgent. Otherwise she was sure they  wouldn´t survive the winter and as much as the loss of her home would hurt her, she had to do it for the sake of her siblings.

“Are you alone here Sigyn?” Frigga wanted to know, her voice soft and gentle and yet as determined as a queen had to sound. A mixture of rough and soft, of deep and high, a voice that probably only existed once and that you would always recognize among thousands. Sigyn ran a shiver down her cold back. “No” she answered, sounding more hesitant than she wanted to and was happy to finally have a reason to reach for her brothers hand and carefully pull him closer: “My older brother Kjell is with me, but apart from that we are alone here, yes”.

Kjell received a smile too and he nodded at the queen, bowed slightly and squeezed Sigyns fingers, because he felt her tremble. He also disliked the thought of losing his sister, of only seeing her very rarely, but he also knew that they had no other choice.

Their parents were dead and since he had injured himself in the forge two years ago it was a miracle when he got a badly paid job. None of his siblings could read or write and Sigyn was too delicate for heavy manual labour, the other siblings were too young.

They all weren´t stupid, especially Sigyn, but they had never had time for education or teaching, they always had to work hard to stay alive, so it was a difficult task for his family to earn enough money to survive and it didn´t get easier. If Sigyn were to become a court-lady, then it would be a chance for all of them to live a safe life, maybe the only chance.

“Do you have more family or is it just the two of you?”. Sigyn shook her head slightly, she hated talking about this: “We have five younger siblings, two girls and three boys and our parents are both dead. Father died in a ship accident and our mother fell ill five years ago”. Her voice had become a little watery.

She had seldom seen their father, but had loved him nonetheless, and Sigyns mother had been everything to her. She absolutely didn´t want to cry in front of all these people, swallowed the tears and suddenly gave Frigga an defiant look she couldn´t hold back.. Why did she even wanted to know that? Why did she care? So many feeling had been stirred up again in Sigyn by the question and it almost made her a little angry. She had loved her parents a lot.

“I am very sorry” Frigga said, meant it honestly and truly, and yet Sigyn remained silent, had not been prepared to be reminded of her parents again, and tried to put aside her painful memories and thoughts.

The Queen reached for her hand and held it between her own, looking at them: “You seem to have a good heart Sigyn, you are brave and polite at once and you seem to be a quick learner” her eyes wandered back up to Sigyns face and she let go of her hand, glancing behind her to one of the guards standing there, before she turned her attention back to Sigyn: “Have you really thought about this? Are your sure you want to follow me to the palace? You can still decide”.

Sigyn took a deep breath, she was not sure if it was the right thing for her, but it was the right thing for her family and so she nodded, her heart a little heavy, and didn´t dare to look at her brother.

“Then be ready to leave tomorrow. At sunrise you will be picked up at your home and you are allowed to take any items that are of value to you, and don´t pose a danger, with you. You can also bring a horse-” “We don´t have one” Sigyn interrupted quickly, almost hoping that Frigga would withdraw her decision if she became impertinent. She had to go to the palace, but she didn´t want to, this city was her home... and it was where her family was.

“Well, then you will be riding one of our horses tomorrow. At sunrise you must be ready, in the palace you then will have to swear your loyalty to me and then you will be my lady-in-waiting”. Sigyn nodded again, sounding more indecisive than she was: “I will be ready”.

“Good. We will see each other tomorrow Sigyn” with this words the Queen said her goodbye, a little sublime, but still friendly and went back to where her horse was standing.

“Thank you” the young woman whispered, unsure if Frigga had heard it, but felt like she had to say it, before she held her breath. She had done it.

Sigyn was chosen to be a court lady.

~

Her body contracted on one hand from happiness, on the other from uncertainty, her whole form shivering because of the upcoming day. To Sigyn it seemed like there was far too little time to say goodbye to her family, before she had to leave behind everything that was familiar and dear to her to live in the palace.

“Are you a princess now?” her little sister Finnja asked, arms resting on the bed while she watched Sigyn collect some items she would take with her. So far that was a small book she had never read and a leather necklace, both reminders of a time when her family was still complete.

She sighed. It was early in the evening, her other siblings were still outside, somewhere in the forest and Kjell had gone to fetch them, which left Sigyn and Finnja to be alone in their tiny house. Only one more night until Sigyn would leave them.

“No” Sigyn smiled, although she didn´t feel like smiling at all. She already began to miss Finnja, her youngest sister and that innocent, freckled face of hers: “I´ll be a lady-in-waiting to Queen Frigga and keep her company” she explained, let herself fall on the bed next to her and gave the little girl a caring look. “Too bad, I´d love a princess as sister” the younger admitted. Her brown eyes continued to stare at Sigyn and she asked: “But you will have a room of your own, right?”. When her big sister nodded her eyes began to shine, which almost brought tears to Sigyns eyes.

Currently their entire house consisted of only two small rooms and they had three beds in which all seven of them had to sleep. “When I am in the palace, you will receive money too, you may will not have your own room, but you will have a bed all for yourself, I promise. You could share a room with Lyria” Sigyn said, smiling at the enthusiasm in the girls eyes and imagined how her big brother would settle the little quarrels of his sisters Finnja and Lyria when necessary in the future.

He would have to do that without her, a thought that made her almost a little dizzy. After their mother had died, Sigyn had to take care of them all and now she was supposed to just leave them, stop watching her siblings grow bigger with every day, stop seeing her beloved ones every day.

A tear flowed over Sigyns cheek and Finnja, who was indeed small but not stupid, was silent and slid towards her sister, sat on her lap and pressed herself against her. Immediately warm hands laid on the small, emaciated body and stroked through the same brown-reddish hair all females in their family had. Sigyn closed her eyes, felt the slight embrace of the youngest and kissed her hair. Tomorrow, at sunrise, when she would be gone, a new life would begin for both of them.

Finnja would stay here with the others, but they would finally have enough money to have daily food and proper clothes and a decent house. They wouldn´t have to stave or freeze through winter nights anymore. And Sigyn would live in the Golden Palace of Asgard. Somewhere between strangers and jewels, alone, but sure that her siblings were doing well, definitely better than now.

~

Sigyn couldn't sleep.

After all her siblings had come home she had told them about the encounter with the queen, had explained what it meant for them and Lyria had burst into tears, not wanting her big sister to leave.

“I have to go Lyria, I have to” Sigyn had tried to comfort her: “Just imagine, you will never have to go to sleep hungry again and I will still be able to visit you from time to time”, but Lyria had looked up to her, the nose red from crying: “But you won´t be here every day!”. No, Sigyn had thought and had hugged Lyria to her chest to stroke her head, I won´t be here daily, probably I won´t even see you once a week, but she hadn´t said anything.

And now Sigyn laid in their bed, between Lyria and Finnja, the latter in a firm embrace while Lyria had cuddled up against her back and listened to her sisters breathing. How could Sigyn ever be able to sleep alone in a room of her own, in a bed of her own, when she was so used to the common warmth and closeness of her sisters next to her? She never slept any other way.

Tenderly she caressed Finnjas cheek and then turned over to Lyria to brush her fingers over her soft skin as well. What would these two and her brothers do without her? Sigyn was the only adult woman they had left in their lives and now she had to leave.

It was for the best, Sigyn knew that, without the money they would have to keep on starving and freezing, perhaps even starve or freeze to death in the upcoming winter and she didn´t even want to think about that just for a minute. But still Sigyn couldn't believe that she had actually been chosen by the Queen.

What had Frigga seen in her that had convinced her? What was so different about Sigyn compared to the other girls, apart from the fact that she had the most worn out dress? Maybe that was it though, compassion for the poor girl with six siblings and no parents, just mercy.

Sigyn felt uncomfortable, still anxious, so many questions in her mind. Would Frigga even like her? And the other ladies-in-waiting, what would they think about her? Sigyn closed her eyes, her nervousness could not be pushed aside and although she was infinitely tired, she couldn´t fall asleep. It was almost as if she was trying to absorb all the warmth and closeness of her sisters, to make the most of the hours she had left with her family, absorbing everything she would be missing soon.

At some point she somehow managed to fall asleep though, sleeping restlessly and full of fear of the next sunrise, which came faster than she wanted it to.

Chapter 2 >>

[higuchimon]

[fanfic]  Unholy Desires:  Chapter 5

Tailmon wasn’t sure of how long she’d spent watching the apartment and the little girl in it. She knew that she needed to go elsewhere – to track down the Eighth Child. Those were her orders and she never failed an order or a mission. At least she hadn’t in a very long time.

The scar under her glove didn’t itch anymore. But she remembered when it had, when it spent months in healing.

“A reminder to obey me, at any cost,” Vamdemon-sama told her those many years earlier. It wasn’t the only one she had. What the gloves didn’t conceal her fur did. And when the scars weren’t seared into her flesh, they were seared into her heart.

She would have to do something soon. Either start searching again or leave her – leave here – to find a place to grab a little rest. Vamdemon-sama surely wouldn’t begrudge her a short catnap – except he probably would, unless she managed to get some results to bring him before that.

Tailmon cast another glance towards where Yagami Hikari played with her beloved cat. She told herself she wasn’t envious. She knew she was lying. It didn’t matter in the long run. If this girl was the Eighth Child,, then she wouldn’t be around much longer. And if she wasn’t – she probably wouldn’t be anyway, because Vamdemon-sama would kill them all eventually.

Before she could go much farther on that train of thought, she spied something moving through the air towards the apartment. At first she wasn’t sure what it was – only that it was reasonably large. Then she refocused and her eyes widened.

The Chosen? What are they doing here like that? And – with Wizarmon?

She wanted to head back to Vamdemon but before she could move far enough, Wizarmon turned towards her. He knew she was there; he’d been by earlier that night. And now he gestured towards her.

“What do you want, Wizarmon?” Tailmon flexed her claws. “And why are you associating with the Chosen Children?” Was this treachery? Did he intend to betray Vamdemon-sama?

Wizarmon floated closer to her. “I will explain it all to you. But please, come here.” He hovered in place and she tensed even more. If he wasn’t betraying them, then what was he doing? Was he leading them into a trap, or trying to?

She didn’t expect him to start talking about their first meeting or to stir up the memories she’d long since put to rest, about how she’d sought all of her life for someone, and never known who it might be. Until she found Vamdemon – or he found her – and he began to train her into being the perfect servant he wanted.

“What does any of that matter now?” Tailmon wanted to know. “What do you know that you’re not telling me, Wizarmon?”

“That I think I know who you’ve been searching for. You don’t want to obey Vamdemon – no more than I do. I’ve followed you, not him, all this time.” Wizarmon looked from her back to the Chosen on the balcony. She followed his gaze, realizing now that one of them, the one she thought was Hikari’s big brother, lay sound asleep, his partner hovering over him.

The small blond one held an egg tightly, while his own partner, evolved to Angemon, stayed at his side. And – wasn’t one of them missing?

Her eyes drifted over to Hikari again. Deep inside, Tailmon knew that she didn’t want to hurt the girl. Just the thought of Vamdemon getting anywhere near her made the fur on Tailmon’s back spike up and she wanted to lash out in the girl’s defense.

Oh. She wanted to protect her. She wanted to keep her safe.

She wanted to be her partner.

“Wizarmon,” Tailmon all but whispered his nae. He guided her over to Hikari, setting the Digivice in her paw – where had he got that from? It didn’t matter. All of her training told her that she needed to get away, back to Vamdemon-sama, telling him what happened, that she knew who the Eighth Child was.

All of her heart told her what to do and she followed it, unable and unwilling to deny her destiny when it stood in front of her.

“Hikari?” This time she murmured the name. Hikari had stood beside her sleeping brother, worry and fear in her eyes. Now she turned towards Tailmon, and warmth blossomed within.

“Tailmon?”

Tailmon held the Digivice out, and Hikari reached for it, their movements guided by something far deeper and far stronger than themselves. As Hikari’s fingers brushed across it, it lit up brilliantly, and the Chosen stared in awe.

“You are the Eighth Child,” one of the girls said. She glanced back down at the sleeping brunet. “Taichi’s going to love this.” She shook her head then adjusted the blue hat on her head. “So now what do we do?”

“Now we need to go find the Crest and Tag. Vamdemon has them.” Wizarmon pulled the one he’d been given out. “These are only fakes, though they are capable of reacting to identify Hikari. Do not trust anyone who has one of these that isn’t me or Tailmon.”

Hikari wrapped her mams around Tailmon – perhaps she’d already done so and Tailmon just hadn’t noticed until now – and looked at Wizarmon. “Can you help my brother?”

“All that can be done for him is wait until sunrise. If that’s when he was told to awaken, he won’t wake up any sooner. Vamdemon’s powers over those he’s feasted on are great, and I doubt that his spawn would be any different. But he should be fine when he does wake up.”

Tailmon wasn’t certain if she’d heard what she thought she did. “His spawn? He did something to the Child of Courage?” She could recognize them all now that they were close enough. She hadn’t spent as much time trying to get rid of them as PicoDevimon had but she could at least identify them.

“Yes and no. He turned the Child of Friendship – Ishida Yamato – into his vampire slave. And Ishida Yamato bit him,” Wizarmon said, gesturing towards the sleeping brunet. “I’ll explain more on the way. We have to get the Crest and Tag before Vamdemon returns to his lair.”

The redheaded Child of Knowledge shifted forward. “And what are we supposed to do?”

“Don’t follow us. You need to stay safe from Vamdemon until we can retrieve the Crest and Tag.” Wizarmon turned towards Tailmon. “And one of you should keep that Digivice until we come back with that. Be careful.”

Tailmon nodded, giving Hikari another hug. “I’ll come back soon. You watch over your brother. That would keep her safe – that was what Tailmon wanted and there wasn’t any way she was going to let Hikari follow her into the depths of Vamdemon’s lair.

Wizarmon helped her into the skies; she didn’t possess the power of flight, but he formed another of those enchanted spheres around her and the two of them set out for the lair. Part of Tailmon suspected if the brunet had been awake, then he would have followed them. He seemed like that sort of person.

But now she kept her focus on all the changes that had unfolded in the span of minutes and on what was going to happen. If things worked out even slightly close to good, then before dawn came they would at least have the tools to defeat Vamdemon. He couldn’t move around in the sunlight, so once the sun rose, they could bring the Chosen here and destroy him when he wasn’t able to resist as much.

“Wizarmon,” she said quietly as they crossed over the city. “What happened to the Child of Friendship?”

“Just what I said. I heard it from PicoDevimon, so I can’t say how accurate it is, but it’s obvious that Taichi was bitten by someone. Vamdemon would have turned him, but since he’s not, it had to be someone else.” He hesitated before he kept on. “His new spawn is a Healer – and I think ” Again, hesitation. Then Wizarmon continued. “I think he’s Piemon’s offspring.”

Tailmon was already a white cat Digimon, but now she knew that she paled even more. Her paws flexed. It had been some time since she’d last seen Piemon, but she remembered him vividly from when Vamdemon had her escort him on visits to the clown monarch.

“Does he know?” Then she recalled – times when Vamdemon stared a bit too intently at some of the Chosen. Old stories that she’d heard, about how humans and Digimon could do a thing and that meant the resulting entities were some sort of odd hybrid or half-breed or crossbreed or something. “Do any of them know?”

Vamdemon had watched the oldest one, the one with the blue hair, more than the others. She'd noticed one or two things off about him as well. Very subtle, perhaps not for human eyes to see, but no Digimon looked with human eyes. Before, when she’d had no humans to compare to, she hadn’t known what off could be. Now that she’d seen so many more, it began to slowly slot into place.

“In a way I believe that he does now. Or so I was told – it appears that he now refers to himself as Anbumon. What else he knows I can’t say. We’ll need to get him out from under Vamdemon’s control before we can find out anything.” Wizarmon floated along in silence for a little longer. “And we should tell the others once we have the time. They shouldn’t find out by Vamdemon telling them. Or worse, by Piemon telling them.”

Tailmon wasn’t going to utter a word against that. But she put that in the back of her mind for the moment as they approached the lair. One of Vamdemon’s Bakemon guards floated back and forth on march, but Wizarmon took care of him quickly enough with a claim that they were the next shift. With the key handed over into their grasp and Bakemon heading off for a good morning nap, the two of them approached the door cautiously.

“He’s either keeping it in his coffin or on himself,” Wizarmon said as they headed down the slick gray stone steps. Faint echoes of their footfalls came back to them, sending chills all up through Tailmon. She’d never noticed how empty and terrifying this place was before. Maybe it had something to do with not really belonging here now. As if she ever had.

“If it’s on him, then what do we do?” Tailmon wondered. That would be the worst case scenario. Worst case tended to happen a lot around Vamdemon.

“Then we do what we can to get it off of him as soon as possible. He’s gong to know that we did this.” Wizarmon approached the door and unlocked it, the two of them entering in carefully. There rested Vamdemon’s coffin, currently empty.

I wonder if he plans on making another one for his spawn? Tailmon knew that he didn’t sleep in this when they’d been at home. The sun didn’t cast its lights on his castle there. Vamdemon chose its placing for the fact those mountains remained dark at least the bulk of the day. He’d been safe no matter what. Here he had to remain out of sight of the sun. Would his spawn be the same way?

Wizarmon dug underneath the pillow and pulled out the Tag and Crest. Just the sight of it thrilled Tailmon and she couldn’t wait to get back to Hikari with this.

“Well now, what is this?” A voice she knew far too well – Vamdemon – spoke and she took a step back, turning towards the door. There stood Vamdemon himself, tall and imposing and filling every scrap of the door.

Perhaps even more terrifying was who stood slightly in front and to the side of him. She hadn’t even heard him approaching. He didn’t look quite as he had before – his hair now streaked with the telltale marks of a corrupted Healer and the smile his lips twisted into displaying a pair of fangs as sharp as Vamdemon’s. In his eyes there wasn’t a hint of mercy or compassion.

“I think we have a pair of traitors, Vamdemon-sama,” Anbumon said, his voice as cruel as that of his sire and his progenitor. “Do let me taste them.”

To Be Continued

Notes: I have to work through the important canon things before I get to the fun non-canon things like Anbumon and Taichi making out. Or whatever they’re going to end up doing. Vamdemon sadly won’t politely poof into dust to facilitate the shippy things. Darn vampire.

[emma-nation]

Without You - Bloodbound AU (Chapter 12) *For You Sequel*

Summary: Gaius is back. While coming up with a plan to take him down, the gang must deal with some new life-changing events.

Genre: Angst/Adventure/Romance

Rating: T - Warning for violence and language

Tag List: @begging-for-kamilah, @lulu-the-cat, @ilovekamilahsayeed, @zoe6111, @kennaxval (If you want to be tagged in future chapters/fics of this pairing let me know!)

Notes:

- English is my second language, please forgive me for any mistakes.

- Hope you enjoy it, your reviews and likes are always appreciated.

- My apologies for the delay. I’m not having much time to work on my fics.

Kamilah

Kamilah stood frozen, watching as Amy’s body fell limp on the ground. Her paralyzed eyes looking straight into hers, as her blood streamed across the room, in the direction of the magical seal Lysimachus created to trap Gaius.

In contact with her blood, the seal erupted in blue flames and he was no longer able to use his powers as Maker.

“Your stupid whore!” He shouted angrily at Priya. “You don’t even know what you’ve just done, do you?”

“Actually I do…” Priya smirked. “It’s the end of the line for you, Old Ass.”

“You could’ve used her blood! Even a dirty blood as yours would become the purest. How does it feel, huh? To know you lost the opportunity of becoming the most powerful Vampire living in this planet? Let me guess, he hid that from you.”

Priya stared at him in silence, conflicted. Kamilah knew perfectly what Gaius was doing, he knew Priya’s weaknesses and was using them to manipulate her.

She didn’t care. Only one thing was in her mind, Amy. Her Amy. She was dead in front of her. She took a few steps and kneeled right beside her.

“Amy…” she squeezed the girl’s hand.

Her soft and warm skin was now pale and cold. There was no pulse or any signs that she still had a single bit of life in her body. The heartbeats Kamilah loved so much to hear no longer existed. Inside of Amy’s chest was only silence. A silence she was very familiar with.

At distance, Priya and Lysimachus argued. She accused him of lying and omitting information to force her to join the plan.

“Kamilah!” Lysimachus looked at her and yelled. “What are you doing? Kill him, now!”

But she couldn’t move. It was like time had stopped around her and all she could see was Amy’s corpse lying in front of her. She looked down to her hands, they were completely covered by her fiancée’s blood. Her head started hurting again, forcing her into memories that she fought hard to forget…

—– Flashback —–

Venice, Italy -  1540

Kamilah stared at the small package she had just acquired. A silver ring, engraved with a rare diamond found in a tomb in Egypt recently. A small smile formed in the corners of her mouth.

She entered a small door that lead to a wooden staircase. She followed her way to a small studio, the one she had been living in the last eight months with Elena Fontana, a young artist she was sponsoring, and also her lover.

“Elena?” She called, not hearing a response. “I’m home ”

She looked around, spotting no signs the young woman was even there. She furrowed her brows confused. Being a newly Turned Vampire, Elena was insecure of leaving the house alone. Especially with the rumors of a skilled Hunter being around, mercilessly taking lives of all supernatural creatures that dared to cross his path.

Kamilah started having a bad feeling about it. An intuition that something had happened to Elena in her absence. Sometimes her bloodlust would be out of control and she’d accidentally hurt the mortals she was feeding from, what could attract them negative attention. Kamilah placed the ring inside a drawer and locked it with a key.

“It was too soon anyways,” she thought.

“K-Kamilah,” a female voice came from the bedroom, “what are you doing home so early? I-I thought you weren’t supposed to be here until dawn.”

Elena suddenly emerged in the living room.

“The meeting ended earlier than planned. Why do you look so nervous? What have you been up to while I was out?”

“My new Vampire senses, they did magic for my art! I finished a whole set of paintings in only a few hours! I’ve never been so inspired.”

She grabbed Kamilah’s hand and took her to the bedroom, where she examined her surroundings, observing five wonderful paintings.

“Oh my god. This is…” she took one the paintings in her hands, to examine it closer, “amazing. You’re finally going to achieve the recognition you deserve.”

“All thanks to you, amore mio.”

Elena embraced her from behind, placing a soft kiss on her neck. Though the windows were covered by heavy curtains, Kamilah was bothered by the rain that started falling outside.

“What’s wrong, Kamilah?” Elena asked.

“Nothing, just… the rain outside, the grey clouds… it’s giving me a bad feeling.”

“But you were just excited! Kamilah, you should start a career as a dramatic poet, you’ve got talent.”

She ignored Elena’s attempts to lighten her mood.

“Are you hungry?” She asked. “It has been almost two days since you last fed.

"I’m afraid to lose control again,” Elena’s expression darkened.

“You’ll never learn if you don’t practice enough. Like your paintings.”

She brushed off a strand of Elena’s hair that was falling over her face and caressed her exposed cheek.

“It’s not, my art is a gift. This is a curse.”

“It depends on how you see it.”

“True, knowing I’ll spend the rest of my life with you, that’s a gift.”

Kamilah kissed her forehead and the two of them went out into the night. They only had a couple of hours before the sunrise.

When they returned, Elena was upset. Once again she failed to tame her instincts. While Kamilah drank only a small amount of blood, she almost killed a man. They went straight to bed, where they fell asleep quickly. Elena didn’t want much physical contact at the moment, she wanted to be left alone, what Kamilah respected.

She woke up hours later in a hurry. As she opened her eyes, she could barely see anything with a distorted vision and a foggy head. Her heart was also racing abnormally… She only had time to dodge an attack, a stake pointed to her chest.

A male figure escaped through the open window before she could have any reaction. Kamilah quickly closed and covered it with the heavy curtains again. The sunlight affected Elena more than herself.

“Elena?” She turned around, looking for the young artist. But all she could find, were her ashes, spread over her side of the bed.

It couldn’t be. Elena. Her sweet Elena was dead.

—– End Of Flashback —–

Kamilah’s head was spinning, making her see Amy’s blood mixed with Elena’s ashes in her hands. A wave of darkness filled her soul and suddenly all the humanity she still had left was gone. Her instincts should be fully taking control of her body and turning her into a killer machine, but instead, she felt nothing, only pure emptiness.

“I failed to protect you… like I failed to protect her…”

“Kamilah!” Lysimachus was attempting to get her attention. For some reason, she couldn’t focus on his voice, everytime she did, memories of the day he was taken by the Romans started to erupt in her mind. She struggled against them.

“… failed to protect Lyimachus.”

The darkness inside was becoming unbearable. She grabbed one of her daggers, pointing it straight to her heart.

“What are you–?” He stopped. “Your psycho son of a bitch!”

The sound of someone being tackled to the ground and being repeatedly punched, finally caught some of her attention. She turned around, noticing her brother attacked Jameson. All she had time to see was his heart being removed, as well as his body turning into ashes.

“Kamilah, he was using his hypnotic tricks to mess with your head,” Lysimachus yelled. “Wake up, sister. Resist it!”

She observed Amy’s body again, then the puddle of blood by her side. She started having a strange sensation. A image started to form inside it, calling her, sinking her into it…

—– Flashback —–

Venice, Italy -  1540

Late night in a tavern, two men were chatting, in the most secluded table.

“King Gaius Augustine, I have the honor to announce your enemies will no longer bother your majesty.”

“Wolf Of Venice, you really do justice to your name,” Gaius stroked his cheek. “Who would say you could become such a loyal servant?”

Gaius delivered him the payment.

“But, My King, this is so much more than we arranged.”

“I know. There’s one last favor I need from you,” he handed him a piece of paper with an address.

“T-This is Kamilah Sayeed and her lover’s address.”

“Yes, and your killing them both.”

“She’s rumored to be one of the oldest Vampires around, making her highly powerful and fast.”

Gaius smirked and pushed a small vial in his direction.

“It won’t be a problem, once they drink this. It’s acts like a drug in our system, making us weak and stunned. Give it to a mortal of your trust, make sure to place it at the right place in the right time, when they go out hunting for a prey.”

—– End Of Flashback —–

When Kamilah returned to reality her eyes were burning red in rage. She dropped her dagger and turned her attention to Gaius.

“You ordered my death too… and you poisoned us! This is why I failed to protect her!”

“If you’re not My Queen, you won’t be anyone else’s,” Gaius spoke.

She grabbed the ceremonial stake Lysimachus found at Wright’s office, carved with ancient inscriptions. As it made contact with Amy’s blood, a blue flame erupted from it’s sharp tip.

“I. Am. Not. Your. Queen!“ she angered and lunged in his direction. "Not anymore.”

———-

Lysimachus

“You hid that from me, Hunter?” Priya questioned him. “You didn’t told me everything this mortal’s blood could do, so I wouldn’t have another choice but joining your plan!”

“Priya, I didn’t know it until recently and… would you even consider it? Take Amy’s life to obtain power, instead of killing him?”

“It’s easy for you to say. You’re not the weakest. You’re powerful, influent… The Council always underestimated me! They treat me like I’m still a filthy whore.”

“Stop! Can’t you see he’s playing games with your mind?”

“You’re exactly like–”

They both stopped, staring at the ground where Kamilah was kneeled near Amy’s body. Her eyes were wide and paralyzed in some sort of shock state.

“Kamilah!” Lysimachus yelled. “What are you doing? Kill him, now!”

She wouldn’t listen. A single tear streamed down her cheek.

“I failed to protect you… like I failed to protect her…” she started mumbling.

“Kamilah!”

“… failed to protect Lyimachus.”

“What the…”

The more he tried to get her attention and take her out of that state, more she’d go deeper into it. In an act of desperation and trauma, she grabbed one of her daggers and pointed to her chest. Gaius started to laugh hysterically.

“My Queen, so much for nothing… for you to be come frail and vulnerable because of a mortal.”

“Kamilah, darling,” Priya shouted. “It’s not time for reminisce on our personal tragedies. Go there and kill him, before he escapes. The Kamilah I know wouldn’t do it. She’s brave, tough, short-tempered…”

“The Kamilah I know wouldn’t do it,” Lysimachus thought. He knew that. He never expected this attitude coming from his twin sister. If she was strong enough to keep fighting by herself for five years after he was taken, how did she suddenly became so fragile? Then, he looked to a dark corner of the room, noticing they were not alone. Jameson was hiding behind a wooden column, doing some movements with his hands. He was using the hypnosis the was partially inside Kamilah’s brain to control her.

“What are you–?” He stopped. “Your psycho son of a bitch!”

Without thinking twice, he tackled him to the ground and started punching them repeatedly. What finally caught some of Kamilah’s attention. Wasting no more time, he shoved his hand inside Jameson’s chest, extracting his heart.

“I’m sorry, master. I failed…” he said, before vanishing into ashes.

“Kamilah, he was using his hypnotic tricks to mess with your head,” Lysimachus yelled. “Wake up, sister. Resist it!”

She looked to Amy’s blood again. Lysimachus approached, noticing Amy’s powers were showing her something… a vision from her past… something she never imagined. Kamilah returned to reality, in all her strength and power.

“You ordered my death too… and you poisoned us! This is why I failed to protect her!” Her eyes were blood-red in anger.

“If you’re not My Queen, you won’t be anyone else’s,” Gaius spoke.

“Show him who you are,“ Lysimachus smirked and threw something to his sister. The ceremonial stake he took from Wright’s office. The one that could kill Gaius or any other ancient vampires, if used correctly. When she dripped it in Amy’s blood, blue flames started burning in the tip.

“This is badass,” Priya grinned. “Do it, Kamilah. Take down his Old Ass for good!”

“I. Am. Not. Your. Queen!” Kamilah smirked and lunged into Gaius direction. She stopped, aware she couldn’t enter the seal. “Not anymore.”

Kamilah aimed at his heart, but before she could give the final blow, Gaius grabbed her wrist.

“You’re coming with me, My Queen.”

“Let me go,” she struggled, trying to free herself, her feet was just crossing the line between the circle and the outside. Though she was strong, Gaius was even stronger, she wouldn’t be able to escape his grip.

Lysimachus looked at Priya and winked.

“What?” She asked.

“Remember what I told you… before we enter here.”

In a flash, he threw himself at Gaius, restraining him by the arms.

“Kamilah, now. Stake him!”

His sister did as ordered. The stake teared through Gaius flesh, striking him exactly in the heart. The blue flames spread, consuming his entire body so intensely that it hurt their eyes.

“No,” he yelled. “Kamilah, you’ll r…”

When Lysimachus opened his eyes again, there was nothing but Gaius’ ashes inside the magical seal with him.

“It’s over,” he said. “We defeated him.”

“Brother,” Kamilah opened her eyes too. “But… you…”

“I couldn’t let him take you.”

The seal started to close, it was a matter of seconds before it consumed him too.

“How can I un-do it?” Kamilah asked. “There got to be a way!”

“You’ll need an element to counter the magical forces. It’s useless now, sister. We don’t have time…”

“I’m not losing you again.”

“That’s okay, sister,” he extended his hands, touching her for the last time. “I’m thankful for these months we had together.”

“Shit!” Priya shouted. “Think fast… an element to counter magical forces… something witches hate… of course!”

Lysimachus and Kamilah exchanged confused glances as she approached the circle and grabbed the dagger he gifted her, opening a gash on her palm. As her blood dripped on the seal, the flames settled and started fading…

“What do they hate more then Vampire’s blood? We’re cursed creatures. Undead beings…”

“There’s actually a functioning brain  inside her head,” Kamilah teased.

Noticing he was finally safe, Lysimachus went in their direction, hugging them both at the same time.

“You know that it could’ve gone seriously wrong and killed us all,” he told Priya.

“But it worked!”

“It seems like it.”

Kamilah went back to Amy’s side, taking her in her arms and healing the cut on her neck.

“How long is it going to take, after we do the blood transfusion?”

“Only a few hours,” Lysimachus tried to assure her, but inside he wasn’t completely secure. There were no guarantees the spell had actually worked.

———-

Amy

“Is this how being dead feels like?” That was Amy’s first thought before she could actually open her eyes. She felt afraid of what was waiting for her on the other side.

Everything was dark. Distantly, all she could hear were voices. Kamilah, Lysimachus, Gaius… they were on battle. A battle that would decide the fate of both humans and Vampires. She got up and started running in their direction, but she couldn’t. It was like she was trapped on an endless world of darkness.

“Kamilah,” she called, hoping her fiancée would be able to hear, but as expected, there was no response.

After a while the voices silenced and she was completely alone. She sat down and started crying. That place gave her chills.

“There you are,” she looked up, noticing Lysimachus’ witch friend was standing in front of her.

“A-Are you dead too?” She asked, fearing the spell had gone wrong.

“Technically, no. But since we’re linked I felt you were in trouble and created a portal to find you. Get up, it’s time to return to your body.”

“How do I return?”

“Focus on yourself, on your body. You should get pulled back instantly.”

Amy closed her eyes, thinking about herself. Images of her body, lying on her bed at Kamilah’s penthouse, started to form inside her brain. She started being pulled when another force stopped her.

“I-I can’t…” she cried. “Something is not letting me!”

“Try again,” the witch told. “You’re too anxious.”

She tried, over and over again, only to fail repeatedly.

“I don’t wanna die…”

“Weird. Stay here, I’ll be right back.”

Amy sighed, displeased at the fact she was alone again. She wondered if the witch would even be able to return for her rescue. She closed her eyes, attempting to come back one more time, when she felt someone approaching.

“Amy, I’ve been waiting for you,” a female voice echoed in the darkness.

“Huh?!” She looked around, not seeing anyone.

“You need me…” the voice spoke again, “and I need you.”

A stunningly beautiful figure appeared in front of her.

“W-Who are you?”

“You’re my fate, Amy. Now come, join me. Your soul will give me the power I need to live again.”

“Keaseth.”

“This is how some groups called me, but I’ve had other names in different eras, different places… you call me as you want, my sweet Amy.”

Her voice was intoxicating, poisoning… for an instant, Amy felt she was under a spell she couldn’t escape. She felt Keaseth’s soul calling for hers, drawing hers.

“No,” she resisted. “I can’t do this.”

“You did, Amy. At the time you agreed to sacrifice yourself for a purpose, you agreed to join me.”

“Never!”

Amy tried to run, but Keaseth appeared in front of her. It was like she was everywhere in the darkness, in every corned she attempted to run to.

“Help,” she screamed. “Somebody help me!”

“They can’t hear you, Amy. It’s only you and me now, we’ll become one.”

The darkness disappeared and Amy saw herself in the temple again, the same one where Mrs. Wright attempted to sacrifice her. Keaseth was waiting for her to open the sarcophagus and enter, so they could merge.

“Dammit! I don’t wanna do this,” Amy closed her eyes, but a force keep pushing her into that direction and nothing she did was able to stop it. The First Vampire had a supernatural force like no one she had even seen before.

When she opened her eyes again, she was standing in front of her sarcophagus. Her hand moving involuntarily to open it.

“No,” she tried to resist it, “it’s a nightmare. Only another nightmare…”

“Amy! Stop!” Lysimachus’ witch friend had returned. “What are you doing?”

“I don’t wanna do this, she’s forcing me,” Amy pointed to Keaseth, who was standing next to the sarcophagus, smiling.

“Oh my god! S-She’s real!”

“I don’t care, just make her stop. Please.”

“My children,” Keaseth shook her head, “your forces are nothing compared to mine. You could never defeat me.”

“But maybe,” the witch started casting a spell, “my ancestors can. The same who trapped you inside this place before!”

She opened a portal and a white light invaded the whole room. Amy couldn��t see anything, but she could hear thousands of voices. Voices of witches of all eras and generations, with one only mission, to banish Keaseth again.

“No,” she yelled. “Amy, you need to help me. Come merge with me, you were born for this!”

“I make my own destiny,“ Amy answered.

"There will be consequences. Be ready to face them.”

Whatever she had to face, Amy didn’t care. All she wished for was to live a normal life with Kamilah, where she would be able to work, travel the world and start a family someday.

“Permission granted,” a voice coming from the portal told her. “If that’s what you wish for, you shall now return to your body.”

Amy nodded with a small smile on her face, before closing her eyes and feel she was being pulled back to her body.

———-

Kamilah

Kamilah placed the earphones and played that file one more time. She closed her eyes, paying attention on the heartbeats. Heartbeats she could no longer find in Amy’s chest.

Eight hours had passed since they finished the ritual and she was showing no signals of coming back to life. Kamilah found a note, blinking on Amy’s cell phone screen, asking her to turn on her laptop.

When she did, her pain only got more intense. Amy made a video saying goodbye, telling her to promise she’d still be happy. How she was supposed to be happy without the one person that made her feel happiness?

“Hey, sister,” Lysimachus entered the room. “You should feed. It’s been a while…”

“I’m not hungry.”

“Of course you are, the last time you…”

“You said she was going to come back,” she interrupted. “You promised me!”

“It may take a while.”

“Who are you trying to fool? Amy’s dead. She isn’t showing any improvement!”

Her brother sighed and looked at the girl, who was lying on the bed.

“I’m gonna talk to my friend, she’ll explain me what’s going on.”

Kamilah stared at him in silence, before recomposing herself. It wasn’t his fault. In truth, she almost lost him too. If wasn’t for Priya, the one person she didn’t trust at all, the seal would’ve consumed him along with Gaius. He wrapped his arms around her in a protective manner.

“What happened during the battle?” He asked. “What that monster was forcing you to see?”

“Memories from my past,” Kamilah answered. “From when you were captured, from when the Wolf Of Venice killed my lover.”

“And then? What made you return to your senses?”

“Amy’s blood. It showed Gaius closing a deal with that Hunter. He wanted me dead too, and as he knew it was impossible to kill me naturally, he poisoned us, so we’d be asleep. I didn’t feed much from a man that night, as for Elena… she almost killed him. That’s why I woke up in time to save myself. I lament I couldn’t save her too, but…”

“But?” Her brother raised his eyebrows curious.

“If she had survived, I wouldn’t have met Amy. And after this vision, I feel better about it. I have the feeling she knows why I couldn’t save her and that she’s happy for me.”

“I’m sure she is,” Lysimachus kissed her forehead. “I’ll bring Amy back, no matter what, okay? I promised her she’d marry you and I promise you the same, sister. On Saturday, you’ll be the most beautiful bride this planet has ever seen.”

“Stop,” she rolled her eyes, punching him slightly in the arm. “You’re making me blush and I hate it.”

“Of course,” he dragged her to a mirror. “With a twin like me, everyone will know where you’ve got your good looks from.”

“Oh, shut up.”

“Okay, I’ll be right back…” he started leaving the room, suddenly Kamilah remembered one small detail.

“You’re forgetting something important.”

“What is it?”

“I’m older. You’ve got the good looks from me, little brother.”

He didn’t answer, making Kamilah smile in satisfaction. Back when they were children, Lysimachus always hated to be reminded she was born first.

“Five minutes is not even a difference!” He yelled from the corridor, making her let out a small laugh before she returned to Amy’s side.

———-

Lysimachus

"Ouch!” Priya complained as they entered the car. “Ouch, ouch… it hurts!”

“What’s wrong?” Lysimachus asked.

“My skin, it’s burning! My Daylight Ring isn’t working.”

“But why? What have you done? Did you break any of the rules?”

“Of course not!”

He quickly closed the windows, preventing the sunlight from entering the car.

“That little witch better have a good explanation,” Priya grunted as they parked the car in front the small building.

Lysimachus knocked at his friend’s door, obtaining no answer. He felt a shiver going down his spine. If something happened to her, it meant Amy’s life was also threatened. Using his skills, he picked the lock and rushed inside.

She was nowhere to be found. He only wasn’t able to check one room. The one she used for magic. He couldn’t forcefully open that door, he’d be violating the witches’ rules.

Lysimachus called her name once again.

“Just a minute,” she finally answered. “We’re in trouble here.”

“We?"

He sat on the living room to wait. Priya complaining all the time about her ring. He sighed, trying to not lose his patience. How could she be so selfish in a moment like this? When Amy’s life was in danger.

"Do you think I messed it up?” She asked. “Amy, I mean. Kamilah is going to kill me.”

“Of course not, you did as I told you.”

“But then, why my ring isn’t working? It’s obvious, I killed an innocent mortal.”

“Oh my god,” what she said made sense, what scared him even more.

About half an hour later, the female witch appeared in the living room.

“Sorry, it took longer than planned…” she panted, “but we did it. Amy is back to her body.”

Lysimachus sighed in relief.

"This is why I came to you. It’s been almost nine hours and she hadn’t returned yet.”

“Keaseth was trapping her. She wanted Amy’s soul to come back to life.”

“Really?!” His eyes widened in surprise. Though he was 2064 years old, so far all he had ever listened about the First Vampire were myths and legends.

“Yes, we had a hard time to banish her.”

“Do you think she will cause us trouble in the future?”

“I’m not sure, she’s determined but, Amy’s a tough one, she’ll know how to protect herself.”

“Enough with the First Vampire bullshit,” Priya whined. “I want to know why my ring isn’t working!”

“It’s simple,” the witch answered. “You violated one of the rules.”

“I didn’t, I only killed Amy because of the ritual, and because you assured she’d live again.”

“Hmmm…” the young female paused for a second, as if she was waiting for a response from her ancestors. “Basically, you insulted the witches. You violated a sacred magical seal. With your Vampire blood, what makes it ten times worse.”

“I did it to because someone went on a suicidal mission to kill Gaius. I saved Hunter’s life, this should be taken in consideration!”

“You still can have it back,” the witch assured. “All you have to do is to beg for the witches’ forgiveness.”

Priya rolled her eyes before starting yelling “I’m sorry” at random places of the room. Lysimachus controlled himself to not laugh.

“On your knees, to show you regret what you’ve done.”

Priya angrily followed the witch’s suggestion.

“Explain your reasons.”

“I only did it to save H… I mean, Lysimachus.”

“Because?”

“Because I ca… we’re friends. And Kamilah shouldn’t lose her fiancée and brother in the same day, right?”

Lysimachus couldn’t hold it anymore, he burst into laughs.

“It’s only a temporary suspension,” his friend whispered. “I’m only testing if she can be trusted. And torturing her a little bit.”

———-

Amy

Amy coughed as the air returned to her lungs. She still felt dizzy, making it hard for her to finally open her eyes.

“What you did was absolutely stupid, Amy. You knew you were going to die! You didn’t even consider how I was going to feel about it!”

“Good morning to you too, Kamilah,” she mumbled.

When she was finally able to see the female vampire, she was sitting by her side on the bed, with a scowl on her face, fighting hard to hide a smile.

“I thought you were dead.”

“But I’m not,” Amy sat down to hug her and she retributed, with all the strenght of a 2064 years old Vampire.

“Ouch! You’re gonna kill me for real…”

“You’re never doing this again.”

“I hope not, it wasn’t a very pleasant experience.”

Kamilah buried her face on her chest to hear her heartbeats. Amy stroked her hair, noticing how desperate she looked, for thinking she had lost her. After a quiet moment together, she sighed, ready to know about the battle against Gaius and tell Kamilah what happened.

“How was the battle?” Amy asked, still caressing Kamilah’s soft hair. “Was it hard to defeat him?”

“Not really,” she told, face still buried on her chest. “But I don’t wanna talk about it.”

“Did he try anything with you?”

She didn’t answer. Amy didn’t push her. She knew when Kamilah felt comfortable enough she’d eventually tell her.

“I almost couldn’t make it, you know?” Amy changed the subject. “S-She was trapping me there. She wanted to use me to come back to life.”

“Who, Amy?” Kamilah faced her again. “Who are you talking about?”

“The First Vampire.”

Amy told her everything that happened while she was out of her body.

“They were able to contain her for a while, but something tells me she won’t be giving up.”

“We won’t let it happen,” Kamilah enlaced her fingers with hers. “And if she finds a manner… we’ll fight together.”

Amy gave her a small smile, before drawing her for a kiss.

“So, Kamilah Sayeed, there’s no escape now. We’re getting married.”

“I’m not going anywhere. Are you?”

“Not at all. Actually, I’m looking forward for that SPA day you promised me.”

“Hmmm I was thinking, we should extended our stay. Would you like go, right now?”

After reuniting with Lysimachus, Priya, Lily and Adrian, Amy said goodbye again, before entering Kamilah’s car.

“I can’t believe it,” Lily had teary eyes, “next time I see you, it’ll will be on your wedding day.”

“Yes, Lil and I’m sure you’ll be the hell of a bridesmaid!”

Next: Kamilah and Amy are getting married! Will they finally say ‘yes’? Stay Tuned!

[agreementtale]

Chapter 12: Mother

The smell of charred hair. Everything else was a blurred agonizing feeling, but the smell was precisely clear.

Long after the flames died, when their lungs couldn’t scream any louder and their limbs couldn’t move more than curling on a fetal position, the smell lingered, like it was burned in their nostrils.

“Hush hush”

They only knew they were still moving when she hugged them, their small body trembling on her fuzzy arms.

“It’s alright my child”

The fire, the pain, their screams.

“It’s just a nightmare”

The shining star illuminating their bedroom.

“You are safe here”

Her warm voice calming their small whimpers.

“Your mother is here”

They tentatively took a big gulp of air. It came free of any trace of smoke.

“Hush hush” she drew small circles on their back, warm, but not burning, familiar…

They tried to apologize for waking her again, but apparently it was too much for their throat, starting a coughing fit that left them breathless.

She was there whispering encouragements the whole time, sitting on their bed, holding them protectively on her lap, using green to heal them.

They gave up talking and breathed deeply, focusing in how her arms were fluffy and soft, then on the bright star beside their bed and how it casted a shadow on the wall, on the form of their silent brother.

“Flowey, would you hold your sibling’s hand?” only when she asked they realized they were doing grabbing motions with their hands.

“Whatever” he sounded tired, just like in every other night, but his vines held their hand firmly despite his avoiding eyes.

“See child? We are all here with you” she cooed softly.

They knew they wouldn’t be able to sleep again, but just staying like that was so appealing right now…

“You are safe here” maybe they could pretend to fall asleep… maybe they could be held just a little longer...

They were right.

She went from calmly whispering to softly singing, then just quietly petting their head.

Then, after what they supposed were a couple of hours, she carefully put them back on their bed, tucked them in, placed a kiss on their forehead and left.

They didn’t ask her to come back, or moved at all, just enjoyed laying down on their comfy bed.

“Tomorrow we leave the ruins” they stated quietly, more to themselves than to anyone else.

“You really are an idiot” still he replied, maybe they should have discussed it with him, they would do it tomorrow, now they were doing absolutely nothing until the sunrise.

Morning came, they separated the clothes they would use later and picked the cinnamon flask under the bed. It went just like yesterday, she haply teaching them how to make pie.

He on the other hand, seemed to be sulking the whole morning, when it came to the choice of which pie to pick, they saw their mother giving him a pleading look, he rolled his eyes and chose their pie to eat instead of hers, she must have thought they could use the confidence boost, they didn’t failed to deliver the expected surprise and happy reaction.

Ok, maybe they were a little happy that their family was going to eat food they made, but knowing what came next was distracting them from any genuine pleasure.

“Exploring today again?” Her voice brought them back to reality.

“Nope” she looked concerned so they quickly added “I have other plans, you can just follow your routine, I’m going to be fine” they waited until she vanished to talk to the Flower, he hadn’t directed his eyes to them for the whole morning.

“Why?” but he bit them to it “Don’t you like it here?” maybe 3 months were too much for him “ ‘She is happy’ ” said changing his voice, mimicking their tone perfectly “Isn’t that what you said you wanted?”

The guilt of abandoning her threatened to claim them, but they had to be strong, it would just be for a little while, then she would be free.

“She won’t let you pass” he continued.

“I know what I’m doing” he met their eyes, accusation written all over them “Its ok, I’ve done it before”

“No you haven’t” he murmured, going back to play with the pie crumbs.

“Watch me” They knew how to go past her, dying had been just a miscalculation.

“If you leave you will have to kill people”

“Nope”

“It’s not a choice, stupid!” a vine bashed the empty pie tray.

He was angry enough to forget their rule, they were inside the house, he couldn’t call them that, they could call mother over it, but it didn’t felt right…

“If you leave the ruins you will have to kill! Because you will have to be strong to survive!” the way he said it, it wasn’t like before “If you were stronger, like she is you could choose not to fight” it sounded more like a plea for them to stay “but you are weak and dumb! You are not strong enough! You will have to kill or you be stuck and die!”

“You are right” they said to calm him “I’m not strong enough, I’m weak and don’t think things all the way through most of the times” they looked at him in the eyes “but” they had his full attention “I promised to break the barrier without killing any monster, and that’s what I am going to do” they climbed the counter, jumping on the shelf to grab the knife “or I’ll die trying” they grabbed the boot, put her pie on their inventory and picked the rest of their things from under the bed.

Thinking about it, ‘And keep dying while trying’ would be a more accurate sentence, but it didn’t sound as cool… and now that he was being carried silently, correcting their sentence would spoil the mood.

Focus!

They had a fight to win.

______________________

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