#my friend told me they felt honoured to have witnessed that from me

[theelvishscribbler]

You know that thing that happens when you are driving a little car with normal headlights and a massive oversized truck or suv with eye burning LEDs is behind you and their headlights are exactly level with your rear window and also you can see the shadow of your car in front of you because their headlights are so unreasonably bright and overpower your own?

[estelofrivendell]

You’ve Got A Friend In Me (Aragorn x Female Reader)

a/n: clara actually posting a one shot??? shocker, right? anyway, i started this months ago and only finished it now. it’s not really x reader, but oh well. also, there may or may not be inspiration taken from to kill a mockingbird. i won’t elaborate and you will see it when you see it. i don’t really see this as a part three of “a change of heart” but you can if you want to. also, don’t question the toy storyesque title.

summary: you’re convicted of a crime you actually didn’t do and all the odds are against you because of your reputation. aragorn is the only one to believe you are innocent and does what he can to help you get cleared of all charges.

word count: 2,1k

warnings: none really other than mentions of murder

During your first meeting, Aragorn prayed to whatever God was up there to have you locked up for your crimes sooner or later. He never thought it would actually happen considering how lousy the whole system was. Yet the wishes he no longer held were answered, which he thought was only done to spite him. When news of the lords declaring you a fugitive, he prayed you would be guided into safety and away from the authorities before asking why they wanted you.

“Do you need to ask?” A considerably young ranger laughed. “That woman is a menace. It was about time those poor souls were brought to justice, and this is long overdue.”

Aragorn growled. “That does not answer my question.”

The young ranger laughed once more, holding up his arms. “Calm down. They say she murdered one of those great lords in cold blood. Witnesses saw her near the castle when all the mess was going on. Can you believe it?”

No, I do not. She would never do that, not anymore.

Finding you wasn’t so difficult anymore. You were a slippery little snake that it took Aragorn a while to master the task of locating you. Today felt strangely easier than it was and he wondered if that was deliberate and you had been hoping he would find you.

You sure did not expect his visit as you aimed your knife at him, the tip close enough to his chin that it made a small cut, but you lowered it the moment you realised who it really was.

“Aragorn? What brings you here?”

“I believe you know what brought me here. Did you do it?”

“Kill the lord? No, though I would love that honour. I cannot tell you I am entirely innocent in this matter.”

You didn’t change entirely, you see. You still took payments (especially when the money came from a high bidder) and you were more than happy to carry out the execution of the worst of men, and the lord was no kind man. He was someone no one wanted to be around and Aragorn didn’t need to be told that you would love to kill him, yet he felt it in him that if you were going to be arrested for any crime, this was not it.

“Well, it doesn’t matter anymore,” you said, turning away from him. “You need to get out of here. I don’t want you seen with me and I most certainly don’t want you to be involved in my problems, so do yourself a favour and save your sorry self from a conviction.”

Aragorn raised a brow. “You involve yourself in my affairs, why can I not do the same?”

You shot him a glare. “That is different, I was helping you. And if-”

“You don’t think I’m helping you? I’m telling you I believe you’re innocent, and no matter what you say to make yourself look bad, I’ll find a way to make sure you’re not tried for anything.”

“Then run away with me.” You offered your hand. “A life in the forests away from the city sounds nice. It’s what I always dreamed of as a young girl.”

If he wasn’t destined for something so big, he would not hesitate to take up your offer. Even then, he imagined a life with you and he believed it to be so cozy and perfect. He was no stranger to waking up beside you and he longed for your company that getting to do it every morning sounded like a utopia.

“I… cannot.”

“Why not? You have nothing going for you. Just the same old rangering, nearly getting yourself killed while the people you protect don’t thank you for your service. Would you prefer a life with me, where we have all the freedom we can get? We can explore the world together, unbounded by expectations and obligations.”

“I may not like what I do, but it is still my duty to protect the men of Bree.”

Hurt, you turned away from him and left. “Well, you made your choice and I have made mine. I am sorry they are incompatible, but there is no use to convince you. I wish you all the luck if there is any left.”

-

Each day, Aragorn misses you, but does not regret not following you. He would kill for you, but he would not pick you over the crown. It was the heaviest price he ever paid in his life and he is sure nothing else can compare.

Over time, his life is the same as it was before he met you. Hunt orcs, occasionally meet Gandalf, return to Rivendell, eat and sleep. Rinse and repeat.

It had been three months, shy of Midsummer when he heard about your whereabouts. Expecting neutral at worst news, he ensured to look like he was not paying attention and almost lost his train of thought when they started to go into more detail.

“Word has it that the woman thought to murder the lord had been found by authorities just last week. She put up a good fight, killing the guards and escaped the first time, but they caught her this time, not without issue though. She’s been brought back here for a trial.”

“Here? Why?” A young man asked, stupidly.

“Because this is where the murder happened,” said the man calmly. “I’m more surprised she’s getting a trial in the first place. Murderers like her deserve a lifetime sentence, plus 150 years, without the possibility of bail. In fact, the guillotine will do.”

A young woman around the same age as you spoke up. “There’s no way she’s getting a sentence lower than that. I mean, she steals a lot, and that’s not worth a death sentence in my book, and all those conspiracy murders everyone spoke of had no evidence, but this one did.”

“So, when is the trial?” The young woman asked.

“In two months time, assuming no delays.”

-

After a lot of difficult convincing on his end, side eyes he received, and suspicion that he was someone to not be trusted, Aragorn received the location of the maximum security prison and the specific cell you were held at. The guards asked him a lot of questions before letting him see you, let alone giving you privacy. 

When you saw him, you shot up and clenched your hands around the bars. A friendly face was long overdue. “It’s over, Strider. No point in making me feel better. I lost the moment they found me and there’s no turning back.”

“Don’t say that. Have some faith in yourself. I know you didn’t do it-“

“And do you have proof for that? God, I’m grateful to have you, and I’m grateful that you believe I didn’t do it, but you’re a delusional man. Go home. Find a woman to fuck, marry and have babies with. Forget about me. You’re smarter than this.”

“I know many people that can help you. I’ve been looking around and speaking to them, and they agreed to look into it. Some of them have been given permission to investigate.”

“Strider.” Only until now did you start crying, and Aragorn never saw you cry. He thought you crying was something he never thought he would see. “Stop that. You don’t have to do that.”

“What friend would I be?”

“You’re risking your own life for me.” You sobbed. “I don’t want you to jeopardise your own life to save mine. Please, stop this, go home. You have nothing to do with this.”

Suddenly, the door opened and two guards roughly grabbed Aragorn and pulled him away. “Time’s up,” one of them gruffly said to him as you mouthed “don’t resist.” He reluctantly listened. He was a lot stronger than everyone here combined and could knock them out in one hit, but if he wanted to finish his plan of ensuring you were proven innocent, beating up the guards was not the way to do it.

Once he was thrown out of the prison, he looked at the architecture and noted how miserable it was. He could tell you were losing your mind each passing minute and only hoped that you would recover as soon as you were released.

-

One of the people he paid to investigate the lord’s death had summoned him to a private place at night. 

“I think you need to hear this. Last night, we went over the body and we discovered enormous hand marks on the victim’s neck and marks on his right eye. The hand prints are too big to belong to a woman and the injuries on his eye could mean a left-handed man did it.”

Aragorn has met women with quite large hands, but the news only confirmed that you didn’t kill him, as he was aware you had small hands. You were also indeed right handed.

“With this proof in mind, it’s hard for me to believe she did it. I don’t know who did it, but I don’t believe it’s her.”

-

Aragorn snuck his way in your trial and watched from above, making sure to keep discreet. After the introduction and overview of your charges, and people fighting it out with you remaining silent, you were suddenly asked a question that piqued his interest.

“Can you read and write?”

“Yes, I can.”

Everyone present stared at each other, muttering amongst each other, shocked that a woman who was most certainly not noble and was uneducated knew how to read and write.

You were asked to write out what the judge said, word by word with both hands. The most eloquent speech with advanced words yet you had no struggle writing them down, with your right hand, confusing everyone.

The man that asked you to write remained calm the entire time, as if he was unsurprised, startling you a bit.

“You see, the woman here wrote with her right hand, with perfect handwriting, while her writing with her left hand is nearly illegible. This could only mean she is right handed. The lord was discovered with bruises on the right side of his face, which if we assume she is the murderer, would be probable if she is left-handed. But she is not.”

“Secondly, there were big handprints around the lord’s neck. The woman here has quite small hands. A woman’s strength could only do so much to try and choke a man let alone with small hands.”

The trial went on and on, but came to an end, a good one, since you were cleared of your charges. Due to the everyone’s shock and confusion, and how the evidence countered their expectations, no one cheered nor jeered at the decision. It was dead silent and everyone left without uttering a single word.

Aragorn only smiled to himself, but his smile fell when you ignored him.

-

And life in Bree went on.

Everyone spent a week talking about how they had wrong thoughts of you, while others were still convinced you didn’t do it. A couple others just didn’t care and were annoyed to even hear about you. But after a week, the chatter all died down and everyone minded their own business, unless it was something about their married neighbor beginning an affair with another woman. 

Aragorn found you at your place, cleaning your home with a lot of things packed.

“Going somewhere?”

“Finishing what I did not get to,” you said, not looking at him. “Why are you here?”

“I wanted to see if you are well.”

“I am… well, I suppose. I’m not in a shitty cell with a similar embodiment to hell anymore.”

“I don’t expect a thanks or-”

“Thank you,” you suddenly said, finally facing him. “I’m sorry for doubting you. I really did think it was over for me.”

“I don’t blame you for doubting me, but I am your friend. You helped me before and it’s about time I returned the favour.”

“I am still going away for a while. I do not think I want to come back to Bree after a short time with everything that has happened. I understand you do not want to come with me, but I will come back, I promise.”

“About that. I think I decided that I do want to travel with you. It’s that this time, we’re not running away from something terrible.”

You ran towards him to give him a hug, perhaps the biggest hug he ever had in his life, and he heard you start to cry again. This time, you were not crying out of desperation.

No, you were crying of happiness. Happiness because you get to travel around the world with your favourite person, and the only person in your life left that mattered.

[thedepthsoffandomminds]

The dragon, The Witch and the Window.

An Aemond x Reader story. - You re his wife but there was another woman. Is there more too it than just an affair?

TW: misscarriage, hinted SA

"A broken heart, my Prince. There is no other explanation. The princess is losing hope. Her wounds will heal but There is nothing I can do." The maester bowed to prince Aemond, who pushed past the wide man to get back into your room. You lay on your side on the bed, staring blankly into the space beside you. He knew he was partly responsible for this, his affair had been a catalyst for a series of events that had broken you. The woman, a maid, had been spirited away to god knows where at his request. The babe in her belly lost to the moon tea given to her. A cry outside the castle told him even Vhagar felt the loss of your dragon. A male, silver skinned and almost as large as his own, he had died one week prior.

Aemond moved to the bed, crouching in front of you.

"My wife, I need you to move, the bed needs to be cleaned. I'm sorry, you cannot lie in this." He desperately wanted you to move, so they could clean the sheets, but you would not. You wouldn't speak to him, when he tried to touch you, your arms would slide below the sheets. Defeated the prince stepped outside the door, brushing by his brother.

"Daemon wait."

"No, I can't Aegon, she hates me. I've ruined everything." Daemon sighed, his fists clenching at his sides.

"I'm sorry brother." Aegon called after him. He closed his eyes, ashamed at his hand in it all. If only he had been smarter, if he had cared for his friend a little more then none of this would have happened.

Aegon pushed back the door, his breath stopped when he saw you.

"Draw a bath for her." He told a maid before walking to you. He had to stop himself from falling apart there and then. You were the only woman he had truely respected, loved even as a friend. You had been a formiddable dragon rider, a wit beyond compare and could drink him under the table. He had not been honourable to you. Aegon took your hand in his own, "come on sweet girl. You need to bath, I'll help you."

You allowed him to move you, guide you from the bed to the large tub, quickly being filled with steaming hot water. Aegon took extra care of your bandaged wrists and the wound on your side, while he slipped the white night gown from your body. The water made little difference to your temperment, though it did sooth the aches in your bones.

Aemond had come back, his eyes stained with tears. He watched as his brother had lifted you up and placed you gently into the bath. Quietly Aegon used a cloth to wet your hair, drawing the dried blood from your white locks. He was sure the red would stain the length for a long time.

"Y/n, you need to come back to us." He whispered to her, "you are my only friend, y/n. It pains me to see you this way." Your eyes moved to his and matching tears fell from your eyes and his. Your mouth opened like you were about to talk, though nothing came out. "Let your husband help you, I know there is anger there, but y/n, you must allow him to help you. Aemond hurts. Please, will you let him?"

You nod your head once. Aemond took that as his cue and as softly as his boots would allow him, he moved to the side of the bath. Aegon slipped away. With shaking hands Aemond took up the bathing cloth and gently ran it over your skin. Gently lifting your arm he used the honey soap to rid your skin of the blood. His heart clenching at the sight of your cut wrists. when his fingers brushed yours you closed your fingers around his hand.

You still would not talk, though you no longer pulled away from his touch. Once the water had grown tepid and all traces of yours and your dragon's blood had been removed Aemond lifted you out of the water. He dressed you in a clean night dress after replacing your bandages. The maids had stripped and remade your bed without you realising it.

Aemond laid you back against the pillow and slid in beside you. He was sure you had fallen asleep, so he let himself find some slumber.

A sob woke him, in the dark room your body in the window casting a shadow over him. You stood with your toes over the edge of the stone wall. Fear burned his blood. He dove out of the bed, dragging the sheets with him and he caught you just in time. Pulling you to the ground in his arms as you'd begun to step off the window. Aemond dropped to the floor, back against the wall.

"You can't do that. Y/n you would've died." He scolded you, holding you tight against his chest. Tears racked your body and his.

"I deserve it?" You shout at him.

"No, no you don't, please." He held you tighter, until your body, exhausted, fell asleep in his arms.

Over the next days Aemond watched you like a hawk. A maid and guard were instructed to stay with you whenever he was made to leave your side. Forcing you to dresseach day, he would hold your arm in his and walk you around the gardens, the gods wood and court. Having you attend dinners with the family each day. Anything to keep you safe from yourself. Aegon took shifts with you, coaxing you to play games with him, chess had once been a favourite between you. You obliged them, did just enough to be considered alive, but you never smiled, and you never spoke.

After another visit from the maester you sat by the fire in your chambers, waiting for your husband to return. Your mother by law, Alicent sat across from you reading a book to you. When Aemond entered she quietly put down the book, kissed the side of your head and pressed a hand to her son's hand. The prince stepped to your side, kissing the back of your hand so softly. He had been so tentative to you, you could almost have forgotten what he did. When he sat across from you you could no longer hold your tongue.

"Why? Why did you do it?" You asked, Aemond knew your meaning.

"She was going to kill you. The woman is a witch, she posed as a maid to gain entry to our home. I had no control of myself. I tried to fight against it, my mind was screaming but I could not control my body. I'm sorry, y/n, when I attempted to stop it she threatened you. I did not think she would actually do anything. She made me watch when she used her magic to bring down your dragon."

"It wasn't magic that left me in a cave for a week with those men." You said. Aemond choked back his emotions.

"I was powerless, trapped in this room..."

"Our child, they..." you couldn't say it. The memory of finding you still haunted Aemond.

It was true the maid had been a witch, her blazen red hair showed her devotion to an old god of light. It had taken six men to break into the room and drag her away. A further day before her spells wore fully off the Prince. When he finally found you in the cave, Dragon cold beside you, his heart broke. Your hands were bound together, tied above you. A large wound from the fall covered your lower back and left side. Below you the remains of a baby he hadn't known was inside you lay bloody on the stones.

"I carried you back here, I was so confused. I hardly remember those weeks. I keep trying to, trying to find answers "

"I lost everything, my dragon, my baby, my husband." A sob shook your chest. Aemond dropped to his knees in front of you. His hands holding your knees.

"I'm here, I'm right here. I'm yours, you haven't lost me." He drops his head.

You look into the fire, feeling no warmth from it. There had been no heat in fire since that day. As his last act your beloved dragon, Rhegaran, had breathed his fire across you. You didn't burn, you didn't get a riders death.

Your legs pushed him away as you stood, taking a knife from the small table.

"She has your child, what am I but sullied goods? Torn apart by bandits, left to rot. If you were mine, she could not have taken you." You hold the knife to your heart, 'I want to be with my son." You say, a trickle of blood dripped from the blade tip. Aemond ran to you, ripping the knife away. It clatters on the ground behind him. His hand grips your arm.

"Listen to me, I too mourn for him. The child that would have bonded us truly together, but if you forgive me, there will be other children for us to love." His words came out of gritted teeth.

"You're hurting me." You blink up at him. He instantly releases your arm.

"Y/n please don't leave me, if you leave, I will follow you." He begged you, holding your face in his hands. Cautiously, he pressed his lips to you. They were warm, his whole body was warm, making you shiver against the relentless cold in your bones. Aemond felt you lean into him and some relief brought breath back to his lungs. "Lay beside me tonight." He asked, guiding you to the bed. You lay below the sheets, tucked under his arm, his heartbeat below your ear. His affirmations of apologies echo into the night.

Perhaps you could forgive him. Perhaps you could let your herat heel. Or were you fooling yourself?

Let me know if you want a second part to this.

[nerdy-and-dedicated]

Please Say Yes (The Proposal)

This ship leave rent free in my head but I love them too much to kick them out. I appreciate all the love you shown for my other two one shots and hope you love this one just as much. This one is a little longer cause I couldn’t figure out how to end it XD. 

Tagging: @thor-is-trans-and-pan-he-told-me @royallydivinelesbian

~~~

Love wasn’t something Death fully understood. It made turned people stupid and always led to heartbreak. Love was uncertain, unpredictable, and cruel. The wolf often witnessed the pain and misery mortals experience when their loved ones die. He was so confused as to why they would put themselves through that. It seemed like a barbaric punishment and one they were willing to suffer through. Death never understood why until he found it himself. He never expected to find love, let alone with the cat he intended to hunt down. What turned out to be a simple job turned into a two and six-month relationship with his target. He loved Puss In Boots with all his heart. Death couldn’t imagine a life without his fearless feline; hopefully, he wouldn’t have to. The wolf wanted the rest of their lives together and beyond. He wanted to travel with their perfect little family and return to their beautiful Spanish home. Death just hoped that everything went according to plan on Puss’ birthday. Goldie and Arthur had planned the celebratory ball for the occasion, ensuring everything was just right. It had to be. Not only did the cat deserve it, but the wolf also planned to propose during the event. Even though he began extremely close to Puss’ friends and family, he was still nervous about getting their blessing. Death wanted reinsurance that he was doing the right thing and had no intentions of taking the fearless hero away from them. Mama Imelda was overjoyed when hearing the news, even more so when the wolf stated he wanted her and the orphans there. The three diablos were even more so, especially when they were officially getting a new parent out of it. Not that it mattered since they already called him Dad.

 The only issue that arose from the plan was the engagement ring. Everyone wanted to help out, and it just added stress to the whole ordeal. It wasn’t until he went with Kitty and his future mother-in-law that things seemed to calm down. It took Death four days, but he finally found the perfect ring. It had a silver wrap-around band with a wolf head on one end and the tail on the other. The eyes and the inside of the ears were rubies, making it even more perfect. Now it was just a matter of popping Puss the question. The closer it got, the more nervous Death became, and he could tell Puss suspected something. He attempted to put the beautiful feline at ease, but it didn’t work. Making it harder to keep the proposal a surprise. The wolf always kept the ring on himself, fearing the cat would find it. Then the day finally arrived, and the wolf was a wreck. Especially when waiting for the guest of honour to arrive. He felt like he was suffocating in a black regency tailcoat and downed half a bottle of champagne before Imelda confiscated it.

   “Por el amor de Dios, I won’t have you wasted before he arrives.” Imelda scolded

  “I’m just nervous…What if he says no?”

  “He won’t, Lobo. Puss loves you with all his heart.”

  “I don’t even know why most of the time.”

  Imelda hit him in the back of the head. “You listen here; there’s no room for such negativity. He will say yes, and the two will have your happy ending.”

  “You think so?”

  “I know so. He adores you and couldn’t ask for a better son-in-law.”

   Death wagged his tail happily. As an immortal, the wolf never had a mother. Sure, he had creators, but that’s precisely what they were. Death never saw them as parental figures, not that they even tried to be. They created him and just left him with no guidance or purpose. The wolf never knew the feeling of motherly love until Puss introduced him to Imelda. She was a compassionate, no-nonsense woman who welcomed him with open arms. She was the mother Death didn’t realise he needed. The wolf hugged Imelda tightly before the trumpets announced Puss’ arrival. He found himself staring in awe at his boyfriend. Puss was dressed in a pastel green poet blouse, beige dress pants and, of course, his signature boots. The cat looked so gorgeous and happy that it made the wolf nervous. Death drifted into the shadows as the party commenced, watching Puss from afar. Whenever the wolf worked up the courage, the cat was dragged away by one of the children or his friends. He was tempted to postpone the proposal when Puss climbed onto the table and kissed him.

   “Are you alright, Estimado?”

  “Yes, gato. Just didn’t want to interrupt you with your friends.”

  “As sweet as that is, I would love to spend some more time with my boyfriend.”

  Death smiled nervously at Puss. “Well, if that’s what you want...follow me birthday boy.”

   Puss smiled back as the wolf led them to the palace’s rose garden. They sat on a stone bench and looked up at the night sky. This was it; no turning back now. He knew Puss loved him and knew the chances of him saying yes were high. Still, Death’s panic increased. He hated how his anxiety was making him second-guess everything.

  “Muerte, talk to me. I’ve never seen you like this.”

   The wolf looked at his boyfriend and took his tiny paws in his large ones. He took a few deep breaths, only speaking when his anxiety managed to calm down a little.

   “Puss, mi amor. Words can’t express how much I adore you, care about you. You are my everything.”

  “Wolfie, where are you going with this? Not that I mind your public declaration.”

  “I’m getting there.” Death chuckled. “I love you and our little diablos so much. I can’t imagine my life without you, and I don’t want to. I want to be with you forever, Puss. I want to settle in a cottage and raise our kittens there.”

  Puss just stared at him. “Wait, are you…”

  Death got down on one knee and put out the ring. “Puss in Boots, will you do me the honour of becoming my husband?”

  The wolf watched as the cat broke down. Tears and eyeliner dripped down his face as a large smile formed on the feline’s face. The expression on Puss’ face was all the confirmation Death needed.

  “So, is that a yes, Gatitio?”

 “YES, MI AMOR!! A MILLION TIMES, YES!!” Puss exclaimed as he snatched the ring and put it on his finger.

  Death soon became tearful as he grabbed Puss and spun them around happily. He then pulled the cat close and smothered him in kisses. Looking deeply into Puss’ emerald eyes, Death still couldn’t believe he was engaged to the love of his life. Still couldn’t believe such a heavenly creature would want to be with someone like him.

   “This is the best gift ever Muerte. I love it so much.”

 “You mean it?”

 “Of course!! I got a beautiful ring and a even more beautiful fiance. I couldn’t ask for anything more.”

 “That’s all I want to hear. I love you Mi dulce gatito.”

 “I love you too Lobo.”

[kaxenart]

The Emperor had arrived at Paris on December 18, 1812, whilst I did not get there till February 5, 1813. The Emperor had every reason to dread the arrival in Paris of the witnesses of our disasters in Russia, for he knew that the relation of the sad details of our retreat would damp the ardour of those whom he relied on to aid him in raising fresh levies to be led against the enemy. I understood well enough the false position in which my return without leave had placed me, and I modestly kept aloof from court society, in spite of the many invitations I received, seeing no one but my father and my most intimate friends, whilst I tried to regain my health, and get my affairs into order. Still I felt that my case was an exceptional one, for I did not know another Frenchman who had in so short a time gone through such an immense number of perilous vicissitudes. When, therefore, I felt that the state of my finances would permit me to take the field once more, I wrote to the Duke of Feltre, Minister of War, in the following terms :

' Paris : February 17, 1813.

' My Lord, — The Emperor's goodness conferred on me, against my own desire, the honour of being chief of the staff to Marshal Davout, Prince of Eckmühl. I begged again and again to be replaced, and at Smolensk the Emperor gave his consent, naming General Charpentier as my successor, but he would not take up his post, and I continued to perform the duties without the pay of Chief of the Staff.

' His Majesty is not ignorant of the dangers to which I have been exposed during the last eighteen months. In Spain my horse was killed under me, having been struck by more than thirty balls, whilst I was taken prisoner stripped naked, and, without exaggeration, all but shot, all but hanged, and finally taken to England, whence I escaped miraculously from the hands of smugglers, who had intended to murder me, so that I was able to join the Russian campaign, in which I endured the torments of famine, was poisoned and frozen, and, for the second time in less than twenty months, completely ruined by the loss of all my baggage and horses.

' Finding myself without employment in the Grand Army, I left the Prince of Eckmühl at Kovno, and returned to Paris to collect the means for rejoining the army. I have achieved what I came for, and now have the honour of placing myself at the disposal of your Excellency, ready to continue to serve the Emperor and France with the same zeal as I have already done for twenty-five years. I have the honour to be, &c.'

The Duke of Feltre submitted my letter to the Emperor, but his Majesty was not in the least touched by the exceptional position in which I was placed. He merely observed, ' He owns his fault ; he shall pay for the others ; ' and when on February 19 I presented myself to pay my respects to the Duke, I was told he could not receive me. Returning home, I found the letter he had just written to me, which contained the very unexpected words : ' General, the Emperor orders you to give yourself up as a prisoner at the Abbaye.' There could be no reply to so gracious an order ! and the same day my good friend Colonel Bontemps went to see me placed under lock and key in a room where many men of much higher military rank than myself had been confined. My faithful friend even remained with me for the sixteen days my captivity lasted. Many ladies also called to see me, but I was very much mortified at the position in which I had been placed, and declined to allow any of them to stoop to enter my prison. In denying myself the pleasure of seeing them, I hoped to deprive the Emperor of some of the éclat he evidently hoped to gain by shutting me up, for if I had admitted them behind my bars, I should have been much talked of, many carriages would have driven up to the entrance to the Abbaye, and my name would have been in all the papers, which was just what I wanted to avoid.

The wikipedia article on Prison de l'Abbaye is extremely brief and I have no idea where it sits on the prison terrible-ness scale.

Though I assume it's not the worst if Colonel Bontemps hung around and many ladies can call to see him.

[allianettemie5]

Master Post

“DiMarco, Anthony!”

This was unsettling at the very least hearing his full name like that, Chilled thought slowly approaching the Hat, as all the eyes in the Great Hall were locked at him. He brushed the quiet panic away, checking out the Hat instead: the thing was remarkably old, it looked even older now he could see it from a close distance, all shabby and covered in heavy grey dust, patched up in some places and totally ragged in others. Jess would've thrown it away at once, a thought flashed in his mind as he sat on the stool and put the Hat on his head.

Chilled felt himself flinch the moment the Hat came alive on top of him. “What do we have here?.. You look like a child yet your thoughts do not belong to one!”

“It's not like I'm enjoying it,” Chilled responded, not knowing what else to say.

The Hat hummed at that. “So where should I send you?”

That confused him. “Shouldn't you decide that? You're supposed to sit on my head and read my mind, which is cool, I'm really honoured, but weird and creepy.”

The Hat huffed at him. “Not like I am enjoying it.” Chilled couldn't stop himself from a quiet chuckle. “Well, let's see then.”

Something told Chilled that the next minute or two would be very serious.

“You name yourself a coward, but I do see a grand amount of courage in you… Loyalty to your friends is one of the strongest I have seen in a long time… Hmm… Oh, and a quick mind and wit of a rare kind are your strong qualities too! And, of course, the nature of planning and going around many rules…” The Hat got lost in thoughts.

“I know, I'm so amazing!” Chilled exclaimed with a wide smile.

“Hush, you little brat! Let me think… I suppose it would not matter much to which House I will send you, but if I have to choose —

then it will be SLYTHERIN!”

[sorrows-of-young-werther-daily]

September 4

It is even so! As nature puts on her autumn tints it becomes autumn with me and around me. My leaves are sere and yellow, and the neighbouring trees are divested of their foliage. Do you remember my writing to you about a peasant boy shortly after my arrival here? I have just made inquiries about him in Walheim. They say he has been dismissed from his service, and is now avoided by every one. I met him yesterday on the road, going to a neighbouring village. I spoke to him, and he told me his story. It interested me exceedingly, as you will easily understand when I repeat it to you. But why should I trouble you? Why should I not reserve all my sorrow for myself? Why should I continue to give you occasion to pity and blame me? But no matter: this also is part of my destiny.

At first the peasant lad answered my inquiries with a sort of subdued melancholy, which seemed to me the mark of a timid disposition; but, as we grew to understand each other, he spoke with less reserve, and openly confessed his faults, and lamented his misfortune. I wish, my dear friend, I could give proper expression to his language. He told me with a sort of pleasurable recollection, that, after my departure, his passion for his mistress increased daily, until at last he neither knew what he did nor what he said, nor what was to become of him. He could neither eat nor drink nor sleep: he felt a sense of suffocation; he disobeyed all orders, and forgot all commands involuntarily; he seemed as if pursued by an evil spirit, till one day, knowing that his mistress had gone to an upper chamber, he had followed, or, rather, been drawn after her. As she proved deaf to his entreaties, he had recourse to violence. He knows not what happened; but he called God to witness that his intentions to her were honourable, and that he desired nothing more sincerely than that they should marry, and pass their lives together. When he had come to this point, he began to hesitate, as if there was something which he had not courage to utter, till at length he acknowledged with some confusion certain little confidences she had encouraged, and liberties she had allowed. He broke off two or three times in his narration, and assured me most earnestly that he had no wish to make her bad, as he termed it, for he loved her still as sincerely as ever; that the tale had never before escaped his lips, and was only now told to convince me that he was not utterly lost and abandoned. And here, my dear friend, I must commence the old song which you know I utter eternally. If I could only represent the man as he stood, and stands now before me, could I only give his true expressions, you would feel compelled to sympathise in his fate. But enough: you, who know my misfortune and my disposition, can easily comprehend the attraction which draws me toward every unfortunate being, but particularly toward him whose story I have recounted.

On perusing this letter a second time, I find I have omitted the conclusion of my tale; but it is easily supplied. She became reserved toward him, at the instigation of her brother who had long hated him, and desired his expulsion from the house, fearing that his sister's second marriage might deprive his children of the handsome fortune they expected from her; as she is childless. He was dismissed at length; and the whole affair occasioned so much scandal, that the mistress dared not take him back, even if she had wished it. She has since hired another servant, with whom, they say, her brother is equally displeased, and whom she is likely to marry; but my informant assures me that he himself is determined not to survive such a catastrophe.

This story is neither exaggerated nor embellished: indeed, I have weakened and impaired it in the narration, by the necessity of using the more refined expressions of society.

This love, then, this constancy, this passion, is no poetical fiction. It is actual, and dwells in its greatest purity amongst that class of mankind whom we term rude, uneducated. We are the educated, not the perverted. But read this story with attention, I implore you. I am tranquil to-day, for I have been employed upon this narration: you see by my writing that I am not so agitated as usual. I read and re-read this tale, Wilhelm: it is the history of your friend! My fortune has been and will be similar; and I am neither half so brave nor half so determined as the poor wretch with whom I hesitate to compare myself.

[mysweetxcape]

A little throwback of the beautiful #Izza’s wedding the other day 🤍

It was a great honour to be part of their most memorable event with my husband and my other friends, despite being heavily pregnant. Finally, after several years, they got hitched at ease with Allah’s mercy and blessing.

No amount of words could describe how elated I was to witness them being married - a sudden epiphany of beautiful memories since secondary school days, be it good and bad, gushed across my mind as I watched them walking down the aisle. I cant help, but to tear a little.

Before the actual event, i told Haiqul that i would cry - not because im sad, but im just too happy for them, exceptionally happy for my friends knowing the fact that we have been friends for more than a decade.

Honestly, i have tons of words to say to her (& them) but words stuck at the barrier of my throat when i was given the chance to say my deep heartfelt wishes to the bride and groom, as i recalled all the memories that we had spent together.

Furthermore, i felt bad that I couldn’t help much as izzati’s bridesmaid but i hope she noticed the little efforts that i tried to squeeze in for her before the event 🥹

But for real, once again, thank you for entrusting me (and haiqul) to be part of your wedding. As you embark a new journey to marriage life, i pray nothing but the best of happiness, wealth and health for you perfect duo! may He guide you both to the righteous path, bless you with endless rezeki and shower you abundance of His love and mercy in this life and the hereafter. they said, its not gonna be easy but i believe it is part and parcel of marriage life to walk towards Jannah together. im so grateful to the Almighty for rekindling our friendship and giving me the chance to be part of your journey. i may not be there during the hardest phase in life, but im proud of the woman you have grown today. my apologies for any shortcomings from my end. i pray that may we continue to witness each other’s growth till we old and grey.

At the same time, cant wait for your little junior so that Inayra got a friend to play! 🤍🥹

p/s: counting down to the birth of my beloved child, Inayra Aysha Bte Md Haiqul. Mummy and ayah are anticipating for your arrival. may He ease our affairs. See you soon sayang, in shaa Allah ❤️

[sukirichi]

— falling out of love with gojo satoru

warnings: angst, mentions of sexual content, cursing

masterlist !

when you fell in love with gojo satoru, your heart exploded like a firework.

you still remember that moment very vividly at the back of your head. it was new year’s, and you two were drunk on both liquor and the feeling of having the other by your side. it was a tough year – as the norm was for jujutsu sorcerers – but you both made it out alive.

alive couldn’t even begin to describe how you felt that day.

satoru has always been the person who stuck by your side through thick and thin like how you were the one who always went against the higher-ups when they tried to limit his capabilities. you should’ve known then, that the higher ups were just the beginning. that when once you thought their oppression for satoru’s plans were nothing but microscopical compared to the barrier his family had placed between the both of you.

they didn’t like you.

he was a gojo, the strongest jujutsu sorcerer, while you were...well, you.

you weren’t really anyone special or better than anyone. your technique was decent and had a lot more drawbacks than advantages that you had to improve your physical abilities instead to not be deemed a total useless tool.

satoru never saw you that way. to him, he admired you almost as equally as he cherished his best friend, suguru, so much so that the three of you become the best of friends in the blink of an eye. the more time you spent together, whether alone or with others, it felt like your world just hyper focused or snapped into tunnel vision, zeroing on no one else but the white-haired man whose smile was brighter than any other in the sky.

when he told you he loved you, you couldn’t distinguish which ones were the exploding new year fireworks or the drumming of your heart. you stared up at him then, lips falling open as you released a tiny breath of air, and satoru laughed. he actually laughed.

you wanted to tease him, to punch him even though you couldn’t really ever touch him just to get over the fact he had you losing your composure with eyes glossing over. “well,” he taunted then, one shoulder lifting up lazily. “aren’t you gonna say anything? if you feel the same way, now’s the best time to tell me. we can end the year as friends and start another one as-”

satoru never got to finish his sentence. you had jumped into his arms faster than the speed of light, hands yanking down his yukata to pull him towards you, your lips slamming on his almost greedily.

he didn’t mind. he never did.

for once, it felt as if his infinity never existed. you had both spent the night tangled under the sheets, your name rasped from his lips like a prayer. the way you kneeled for him just moments later with your eyes fervently closed made him feel like he’s the one being worshipped instead, and in a way, it was. you loved him – way too much that you no longer cared how much it would hurt the day after when he never gave you a break and kept you pulled closer to him.

you loved him – way too much that you no longer cared how much it would hurt if ever the time came that you no longer felt the same.

contrary to how you fell for him, you fell out of love with your best friend quietly. your shared apartment would still be filled with his annoying mannerism of dragging his feet over the floor as he walked, always groaning and complaining that he was hungry but never really bothered to cook anything for himself.

it felt a lot like living with a child where you were his mother, but in that sense, satoru hated it whenever you worried for him.

“you’re not my mother, stop telling me what to do!”

“stop being so arrogant, satoru!” you pointed to the barely conscious child in his arms, the first year student still barely breathing because satoru had gone out of his way again and brought yuuji while he fought a special grade curse. “you may be strong, but not everyone around you is capable of handling what you can! stop dragging people into your mess and start using your goddamn brain for once!”

“you don’t know anything, so shut the hell up.”

you scoffed, hands placed on your hip while you blinked back the angry tears that threatened to fell. you worried for yuuji, you really did, but in reality, you just couldn’t handle seeing gojo pushing himself to his limits and coming back home more wounded than the night before.

“i’m just worried for you, satoru. i don’t want you getting hurt.”

“i’m the strongest,” was all he said – was what he always kept saying. “i’m not going to get hurt.”

“you may not,” you reply stiffly, “but what about me? don’t you think about me? don’t you think about how much it hurts me to see you this way?”

you told yourself you hated him. you hated how arrogant he got. it was good he was confident of his abilities and prided himself of such an honourable title, but satoru was human. he was bound to fall at some point.

eventually, you got too tired.

it was too tiring to keep waiting for him to come home unscathed. you were assigned different missions all the time. satoru would always be working overseas while you mostly helped train the kids and exorcised curses from time to time; no missions that were as dangerous as his.

in the dead of the night, when you were turned away from him in your bed that had already gotten so cold from his usual absence, satoru would slip beside you as silently as he could. the morning afterwards would always be the same: good morning, did you sleep well? he knew the answer. he knew you never slept well without him, but he’d ask just to be nice, and it wouldn’t take too long before you’re both late to work because he missed you too much from being away all the time that he wanted to feel you clamp around him one more time.

it was tiring. too tiring.

that heavy weight never left your shoulders. you cried yourself to sleep far too much that you’d lost count – until you reached a point you just felt nothing. the bed no longer felt cold – just empty. his side always remained untouched, his chair in the dining table barely used, and you’ve gotten so used of washing only your plate and utensils that you wondered if satoru had ever been there.

you wondered if it was a coping mechanism; that maybe you could just no longer handle the pain of having to worry about him every damn night and he’d never care enough to at least be a little more careful, and this was why you just stopped missing him, which was why you just started enjoying the silence in your apartment a little bit more than you should.

but if it was a coping mechanism...why did you feel a lot freer and happier in his absence? instead of it feeling like you were supposed to be distracted, you felt awakened. alive.

alive in the same way he told you he loved you while the skies painted different hues of red, blue, green, and yellow in the darkness that bore witness to your souls connecting that night – the same sky that was now patiently watching as your souls split in half and formed itself whole all over again.

contrary to how you fell for him, you fell out of love with your best friend quietly.

there was no longer someone singing made up songs in the shower. there would no longer be that sound of an annoying loud kiss down the bride of your neck or the smacking of his palm on your ass when he wanted to piss you off.

you fell out of love him so silently that when he crawled next to you that night, you didn’t even hear him. and for the first time in a long time, you slept well the moment he left before the sun stretched its wings across the horizon. when you were greeted by nothing but your own pair of slippers outside your bedroom and not even a post it note to tell you he’d already left for work, a smile tugged on your face.

you made your breakfast in peace. satoru no longer dared to come back home if he was injured because he knew you wouldn’t care enough to fix him up.

although of course you would, but nothing ever beats in your heart for him anymore when you dab the disinfectant across his cut lips. satoru would catch your wrist then to tug you to him slowly, empty eyes staring back at his sky blue ones.

“thank you. for patching me up.”

“you’re welcome,” you’d smile, climbing off his lap while closing the first aid-kit. “go get changed. i’ll cook something up for you.”

it was a silent, empty routine. satoru would thank you for fixing him up because he was never every sorry for worrying you. he’d keep being reckless again and again until he reached a point you no longer cared for him enough to say goodbye to him with a kiss and the slow, tender promise of be safe – i’ll wait for you to come home.

you still kiss him – more out of habit than anything – but you’ve changed.

i’ll see you tonight.

it was empty, silent, completely different from the fireworks he’d ignited within you when he told you he loved you. satoru wasn’t dumb, and he didn’t need his six eyes to see that you’ve grown too comfortable over the large space between you and him between the sofa, almost as if him being away was what felt home for you.

he was never a confrontational man; he hated each waking moment that lead to this, but he had to do it. he needed to do it – to set you both free.

when the commercials started playing, satoru lowered the volume down, voice low and serious as he turned to you. you easily picked up on the sudden tension in the room – the first thing you’ve felt ever since you’ve fallen out of love with him – yet nothing changed. when satoru sighed, your heart didn’t ache.

“well,” he chuckled nervously as he leant back to his side, “things have changed, don’t you think?”

“yes.” there was no point denying it. you knew it – he felt it.

“what do we do now?”

you had no answer to his question. despite the fact you no longer looked at him the same way, not once had it crossed your mind to leave your apartment. not because you wanted to hold on as much as possible to whatever memories you shared under this roof, but simply because you didn’t know where else to go.

it wasn’t like it made a difference anyway. satoru barely came home, and when he did, he made his presence as scarce as possible that you could no longer tell what difference it would make if he was here or not.

“i don’t know,” you admitted, knees hugged to your chest. “what do you want to do?”

his answer came in the form of opened doors. you leant against the doorframe, watching as nanami and even yuuji came to help satoru move his stuff out of the apartment. he found a better place somewhere in the upstate, somewhere much closer to bars and clubs – which you know he thoroughly enjoyed it prior to meeting you – and your mind immediately went back to the time you and satoru first moved in.

it proved to be a difficult task. you both wanted to move in and finish unpacking as soon as possible, but satoru was too eager to christen each part and corner of the house that you both ended up making more mess.

nights spent tucked into each other because the heater was broken and you were both too tired to sleep anywhere except the uncomfortable mattress played like a broken record in your mind. satoru’s laughter echoed when nanami complained that he should stop spending money on souvenirs so he could’ve hired professionals to help him move out instead, your head snapping up at the source of that carefree, sweet laugher that always had butterflies erupting in your stomach.

as if feeling your gaze on him, satoru’s eyes flitted to where you stood. when he smiled, you could tell each genuine apology rang behind it – all the words he never got to say staying like a broken glass that kept cutting him over and over again.

he loved you. he still loves you.

and maybe, tucked away in the deepest parts of your heart that no longer felt fond of him the same way it did before, still held a little compassion enough for this man you once wanted to spend your life with.

you weren’t unkind. you didn’t need to love someone to know when to forgive them, but just for this moment, just for him, you could pretend to for one last time.

smiling up at him with your eyes crinkled and the last bits of adoration for everything about him gleamed through your lashes just before it slipped away into nothingness. it was enough. it was enough for satoru to know he’d been forgiven, and it was enough for him to finally set you free.

the next time you saw him at school, there were no longer fireworks.

your heart was at peace.

[cipheress-to-k-pop]

Hello there! Can you write hcs for Tim with a reader who's Wally West's younger sibling please?

Tim Drake x West!Reader

You don’t have super speed like your older brother

But you know all about his double life

You honestly keep your distance from it

Sure Wally was Kid Flash (or used to be)

But you still didn't want to meet other people or what not

It was because when you were younger, Wally told you that they k-worded the people who knew too much

Being older now you knew it was a joke

But you didn't want to test it

Even though he wasn't offically a superhero anymore

He still hangs out with this friends and everything

That's how you meet Dick Grayson

You know he's a superhero or something of the sort because he's friends with Wally

But you didn't try to find out his alter ego

One day Wally gets called for an emergency back to the cave

Only problem is that your parents aren't home

And Wally isn't sure how long he'll be gone

He can't leave you alone since you're a minor

So he isn't sure what to do with you

Until Dick gives him the idea to drop you off at the Manor

Even though you don't like the idea of being dropped off at a strangers house

Dick reassures you that his little brother is there and will keep you company

You want to complain and protest

But you see that Wally is at wit's end and then agree

Him giving you the biggest hug

"Thanks baby sis."

"Just bring me back a souvenier."

"You got it."

That's how you found yourself at Wayne Manor in Gotham City

After being haphhazardly speeded all the way there

And that's how you meet Tim

"Hi, nice to meet you, I'm (Y/N)."

"I know."

"You know?"

It's only then he notices the weird look you're giving him

"Oh, I'm not a stalker or anything. Just Dick told me you'd be coming home."

"Ah."

He shows you around the house and it's clear he's not sure how long you'd be staying there either

It's kind of awkward to be honest

You two have hardly a clue about each other

Luckily Alfred is there before things get too awkward

"Miss (Y/N), your brother tells me that you're quite the master at cheese viking."

Your eyes light up

"Yeah! I have the high score back at my hometown's arcade!"

"Master Tim quite enjoys playing Cheese Viking himself."

Alfred to the rescue indeed

You two end up playing Cheese Viking the entire day

At the end of the day you kind of forgot that you didn't have to go home

You spent the entire night together until Alfred said that it was time to bed

You let Tim pretend he was going to bed even though you knew he was going for patrol

"Well, be safe!"

"Hehe, why wouldn't I be safe? I'm just going to bed!"

You're surprised he thinks you'll believe that

"Sure..."

You spend the next few days together

Just nerding out

And Tim always has something new to do every morning

Even though Alfred has to coax him into it

Tim finds himself getting a slight crush on you

He tells himself it's just a summer fling kind of thing tho

And that he'll grow out of it after you leave

Cuz lord knows this never ending mission of theirs is a lonely endevour

Damian's words not his

You get really close during the time you spent together

When Wally's mission gets over he comes to pick you up

And you're upset you have to say goodbye to Tim

But you try and focus on the fact that Wally is safe and happily go home with him

You hadn't realized you were homesick until he came back home

You were so excited and relieved that you totally forgot to give Tim your number

You only realize a few days later and you're unsure how to contact him

You briefly wonder if you should ask Wally

But you don't want him to get upset

So you just suck it up

Dick meanwhile notices how his little brother feels a little down

"What's wrong Timmy?"

"Nothing..."

Dick tries to hide his smirk

"You know I have (Y/N)'s number right?"

"Really? I mean...uh...could I have it?"

To say you were excited to see a text from Tim was an understatement

Texting him non-stop for the next couple of days

Even calling and facetiming

Until Tim asks you on your first date

And you're ecstatic

One thing to mention is that Wally has no idea you two were so close

He's painfully oblivious

Artemis finds out when you confide about how nervous you are for the date

Promises not to tell Wally

Partly because you asked her to

And partly because she likes that you felt close enough to ask her

When Tim shows up at your house, Wally thinks it’s just for a playdate

Completely ignores the possibility of him being there to pick you up for a date

Even ignores the fact that he has flowers for you

Cuz he just thinks you’re too young to be dating

Even though he started dating Artemis about the same time

When he finds out though it’s like hell boiled over

You’ve never seen Tim intimidated but he just stares at Wally in fear as he’s tapping his foot on the couch

Your big brother is fuming because he caught you two kissing in your bedroom

Artemis and Dick are there but just smirking and waiting to see what he’ll say

“This!” He gestures between you two, “Is not happening!”

Before anyone can say anything you speak

“If you can have a robin then why can’t I?”

And boom

Artemis is laughing her ass off and both Dick and Wally are blushing

“I’m not dating Dick!”

“Oh really? Then the date nights you two have are a little weird don’t you think?”

Dick likes you so he’s definitely on your side

So is Artemis

Wally eventually relents but he doesn’t like it

Not until you get into a huge fight with Tim

And you’re at home sobbing your eyes out

And Wally goes over to his house to kick his ass

Only to see that he’s in a worse state than you are

Eyes red and puffy, hair all messed up and it looked like he was crying all night

And he realizes how much Tim really cares about you

So he convicnes him to make amends with you

And basically now treats him like a member of the family

And his blessing means a lot to you

And now you have a Robin of your own

“FOR THE LAST TIME I’M NOT DATING DICK!”

“WELL ALL THE FANFICTION SAYS OTHERWISE!”

Forever Taglist:

@simonsbluee

DC Taglist:

@emmacata

@p--e--a--c--h--e--s

@sometimeseverythingsucks

@sokkas-honour

@unstable1902

@lostgirlheart

@missdisapear

@tadpole-san

[rogue-durin-16]

YOU DRIVE ME MAD

Summary: Fred's and Y/n's silly rivalry may have more to do with love than with hate; after a fatal incident, some confessions are made.

Pairing: Fred Weasley x Reader

Genre: angst-fluff

Tags:

Fred Weasley: @whiskeyn-rain @lumos-solemn

Permanent taglist: @elia-the-bibliophile @randomparanoid @karlthecat15722 @thebutchersdaughtersblog @amourtentiaa

Warnings: brief mention of violence, blood, language (this seems a lot darker than it is lmao)

A/N: idk man I just love this idiot so here it comes another oneshot. The reader's house is not specified btw. Enjoy <3

Rogue-durin-16 masterlist

Fred spotted me and walked to stand near me before asking jokingly "On your way to kill a man, Y/n?" Oh, little did he know.

"what is that?!" I exclaimed at the sight of my friend's bruised arm.

"uhm... Nothing."

"who did that to you?" I knew the answer before I even got it. My friend had gone to break up with that Cormac McLaggen the previous night; she had finally listened to us and ended that toxic relationship they had, but apparently she got a souvenir from it.

"It's fine- he didn't mean to- Y/n don't do anything stupid." Too late, I saw red.

"I don't have time for your bullshit, Weasley." I curtly replied bumping his shoulder while I walked past him, making his smile drop in confusion. I never missed the opportunity to start a playful argument with him, but, as I had said, I didn't have time for that.

With the corner of my eye, I saw him joining my friends in the task of trailing after me.

I spotted the bastard chatting with his friends in the middle of the hallway that led to the Great Hall. "Oi, McLaggen!"

"Evening, Y/l/n." That filthy grin vanished from his face when I kicked him in the balls, triggering some gasps from our peers and a grunt of pain from him.

"Listen carefully, you loathsome pig." I leaned over to be eye to eye with him. "If you dare to lay a finger on my friend again— if you even think about it— I'll become your personal nightmare." I stood upright again, his eyes full of hate and rage following my movements. "You don't deserve a bloody warning, but I'm a generous woman." Poison dripped off my tongue, my eyes throwing daggers at him as I stepped back and turned around.

My eyes met Fred's worried ones while I made my way to my friends; they surely had told him enough for the ginger to know this was no time for joking and teasing.

His gaze then flickered behind me with panic and I realized a tad too late I shouldn't have turned my back to McLaggen; at the end of the day, pride overpowered honour in a lot of Gryffindors.

I spun around, grabbing my wand from my pocket, but I wasn't fast enough; before I knew what was happening, Fred was in front of me, serving as a human shield from the jinx.

The unknown spell hit his back and propelled us in my friends' direction. I was quickly on my knees, sitting Fred up and earning a grunt in the process, which I initially thought was caused by the fall. "Are you mental?!" My friend casted an Expelliarmus at the younger Gryffindor, long forgotten due to Fred's actions.

"My back— AH!" He yelped when I tried to pull him up.

"OI!" A first year who had made his way to the first row of students frantically gestured at Fred's back. "He's bleeding!!"

"What?!" I made him lean on me to take a look at his white shirt, now stained with blood. What I thought to be a harmless jinx turned out to be fatal.

"He's not supposed to be bleeding!" Cormac shouted, as panicked as I was.

One of my friends said something about going to look for George while the others shoot off to look for Madam Pomfrey.

"I'm gonna kill him..." Fred mumbled through gritted teeth, his voice shaky and weak. He felt so fragile in my arms, and I couldn't help the tears stinging my eyes.

"Fred—" his hands, which had been gripping my forearms, lost strength as the boy's body relaxed. "For fuck's sake don't fall asleep."

"... 'm trying..."

"FREDDIE!" His twin brother rushed to us, falling on his knees by his brother's side.

"I'm sorry." McLaggen had walked to us, keeping a safe distance.

"YOU'RE DEAD MCLAGGEN!" George stood up before I could stop him. Luckily for everyone, Madam Pomfrey showed up.

"Oh Lord! Mister Weasley, quick! Help me with your brother!" The Healer commanded, and soon they were pulling Fred off my grasp and rushing to the infirmary.

I was left in the middle of the hallway with my friends showering me with worried questions and reassurance.

What the fuck had just happened?

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

During dinner, several girls and a couple of boys came to congratulate me for kicking McLaggen's balls, and it would have been a lot more satisfactory if Fred Weasley hadn't stepped in the middle.

As soon as I finished my meal, I headed to the infirmary through the now quiet halls, only to find there were too many people visiting.

Of course, George was there, along with their younger siblings and Lee Jordan, but in front of them stood Professor Flitwick, Professor McGonagall and none other than Cormac McLaggen himself.

"—already told you it wasn't for you!"

"How is that an apology, Mister McLaggen?" McGonagall scolded him, refraining herself from hitting the boy herself.

"You better fucking run, McLaggen, because the moment I can step out of this bed I swear on Godric I will—"

"Enough, Mister Weasley!" I almost pitied the poor woman. Her House was probably the most problematic. "All of you must go to your dormitories, Mister Weasley needs to rest." I stood on the entrance of the room, unsure of whether I should leave or enter, until Flitwick's eyes landed on my form. He redirected McGonagall's attention to me, and I felt the need of shying away. "Miss Y/l/n," I didn't miss the failed attempt of Fred to move; luckily, he was stopped by his sister. "I suppose you wanted to pay a visit?"

"Uhm... I did, Professor." I confessed, fidgeting with the sleeves of my robe. "I know it's late—"

"Don't take too long." She spoke, motioning everyone to follow her. "Curfew is still at 10." She reminded me in a warning tone, passing by.

As soon as they were out, I made my way to Fred, who lay on his stomach in one of the beds, the sheets only covering his legs an hips in order to avoid the clothing chaffing his damaged skin.

"You have a heart after all, huh?" He teased once I stood in front of him.

"How are you?" He frowned at my genuine question; the ginger surely expected me to make a witty comeback, but again, it didn't seem the time.

"A tad better." He gave me a reassuring half smile, deciding to drop our banter for a night. "Flitwick said he used a stinging jinx but casted it wrong." Fred huffed. "A bloody tosser."

He motioned at the chair behind me and I sat down, scooting closer to the bed. I still couldn't wrap my head around the fact that he had jumped in front of me. It had hit his back, but I knew it was meant to hit my face —what a mess that would have been—, and I couldn't help but feel a bit guilty.

"Stop that."

"Stop what?"

"It's not on you." I felt my face flaring up at the ease with which he saw through me. I wasn't the first time he did that, but it was the first time he didn't use it to tease me.

"I know, I just—" I sighed. "I don't know." Though my sight was casted down, I still felt his worried gaze on me. "I'm gonna murder him."

"I reckon George will overtake us both on that." He tried to laugh but ended up in a since instead. "Or Gin. Maybe they'll team up with Ron and we'll find a corpse in the Gryffindor common room tomorrow." This time it was me who laughed. "How's your friend?"

"She'll be alright." I informed, distracting myself with a loose string at the hem of my skirt.

"And you?" I met his eyes with a hum leaving my mouth. "How are you?"

"Been better." I confessed.

Silence.

"Can you pass me the water?" I nodded, holding the glass in front of him and putting the straw in his mouth so he could take a couple of sips. "Thanks."

"No worries."

Silence again.

"Did you eat something?"

He scrunched his nose. "Not really."

"I'll go grab something from the kitchens." I didn't get far before his long fingers wrapped around my wrist.

"I'd rather have you here keeping my company." I then sat down again, his fingers only leaving my wrist to intertwin with mines. "I'm not hungry anyway."

More silence.

"Your hand is really soft." I reckon those words involuntarily escaped his lips by the way his eyes widened. "I don't know why I said that."

"Yours is too, surprisingly."

"Surprisingly?" He quirked an eyebrow at me, and I didn't quite realise what his grin was about until I spoke again.

"I imagined they'd be more rough." Oh no. "That came out wrong— I meant—"

"That you've imagined what my hands would feel like?" He was trying to bite back a laugh at the way my face turned red.

"No!"

"You sure?"

"Positive."

"Liar."

There we went again; the white flag was out.

"Fuck you."

"Please." My cheeks turned even redder, and I wanted to think it was because of the anger. "You look really cute when you blush."

"You look really cute when you keep your mouth shut."

"Then shut me, love." He wiggled his brows at me.

"I would, but I don't wanna punch you in this state."

"You're very agressive." He pointed out, shocked that I didn't get what he was implying. "I meant with a kiss."

"Ew-" I pretended to gag. "no!"

He tugged on my hand and pulled me to my knees falling right in front of his eyes with our faces inches away. "C'mon Y/l/n, we're dragging this on now." His eyes kept falling on my mouth after I had unconsciously chewed on my lower lip.

"We're... We're not dragging on anything." I wasn't sure if I was trying to convince him or myself.

"Do you want me to start? Alright, you drive me mad." He forced his gaze to be fixed on mine. "You're annoying, rude and a pain in the arse." I huffed. "But you're also quick-witted and caring and brave." Gosh I hated how easily he made me blush. "Sometimes I want to punch you in that pretty face of yours but other times— most of the times— all I wanna do is kiss you." His thumb caressed the back of my hand. "Hell, I threw myself between you and that blonker without thinking twice!"

He raised his eyebrows, silently prompting me to say something, but I just didn't know what to say.

"Miss Y/l/n," Madam Pomfrey called, making me let go of Fred's hand an stood up. "It's almost ten o'clock! Let Mister Weasley rest." I nodded, not even looking in Fred's direction as I exited the infirmary.

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

FRED'S P. O. V.

The morning after the incident, Dean and Neville dragged in an unrecognisable McLaggen; they were probably the only ones who cared about that bloke enough to take him to Madam Pomfrey, though they did it half-heartedly.

I was discharged after three days in, right before lunch, and obviously, I was received as a hero; several people came to praise my bravery or ask how I was feeling, but I just wanted to see one person.

That night in the infirmary I was sure she felt the same way —hell, I had been sure for a couple of months— but after seeing her reaction, I didn't really know anymore.

I could always tell her it was a prank, and we would go back to our usual bickering. "Weasley!" Shit. "Fred!" She specified when the four of us turned at the call of our surname, almost jogging in my direction. "Can we talk?"

"Go ahead, darling." I prompted her without moving from my seat.

"In private?"

"Nah," I begged Godric for her not to see behind my grin the panic that produced me the mere thought of being left alone with her.

"Are you joking?" She huffed and, after taking a deep breath, she spoke. I wasn't expecting her to speak. "So you see, you're cheeky and stupid and not nearly as funny as you think." Ginny spit her pumpkin juice due to Y/n's harsh words. "but I... ugh! Okay— I want to kiss you too."

This time it was Ron who choked on his drink. "What's going on?"

"I feel like we missed an important part of this conversation." George commented.

This time it was Y/n who awaited for an answer. "This is literally the most embarrassing thing ever, so at least say something." She commanded in a rather rude tone, tapping her shoe against the floor.

I winced ever so slightly at the effort of getting up, but it was worth it when I saw her expression as I towered her; I reckon I had never seen her that sheepish before.

"That's a really mean way of saying you're attracted to me." I observed, quirking a brow at her. "Dunno why I fancy you so much."

"Well that makes the two of us." I couldn't help but chuckle at her attitude before cupping her cheeks and bring her lips to mine.

Finally.

Despite being a short, innocent kiss, was enough to make us both blush and grin like idiots.

"Awww" I rolled my eyes at my twin's mockery, knowing damn well I wouldn't hear the end of it.

"Why do I feel like I'm gonna miss you two being at each other's throat?" I couldn't care less about Ron's question as Y/n pulled me down for another kiss.

Almost bleeding to death seemed worth it in that moment.

[libraryofloveletters]

Broken

Evan Buckley x Reader 

Warnings: Fem!reader, mentions of court, shitty description of witness questioning, mentions of loss of spouse, crying, character flaws, mentions of death, cheating and pregnancy. 

Category: Angst 

Word Count: 2.3k

Author’s Note: Based on @venusrosepetal​‘s request! Also, this is definitely not going to be the most accurate court scene considering that I'm just going off what I can remember from watching Suits looool  

----

Idiot.

That’s what he is and that’s why you had to drag yourself to court on a Monday morning before 9am.

Buck decided that filing a wrongful termination lawsuit would fix all of his problems. Bobby had picked you up with a promise of coffee and he made good on that promise. Chim, Eddie and Hen would be meeting you at the courthouse. 

Court started half an hour after the 5 of you arrived, Buck sat to one side with his lawyer and you guys sat on the other side. Bobby was first on the stand, his questioning lasted the longest, seeing that Buck was suing the city, the LAFD and Bobby. Next was Chim, followed by Hen and Eddie, finally you were last. 

“Calling Ms. y/n l/n to the stand” Chim gave your hand a little squeeze as you got up and walked to the stand. The bailiff comes up to you, “Please raise your right hand,” you do as you’re told, “do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth ?” he looks at you, you nod, “I do” 

The lawyer begins to ask you a line of basic questions that he asked all your coworkers such as what was your name, where do you work, what is your relationship with the plaintiff. You go about answering the questions, you have nothing to lie about. 

“Do you believe that the plaintiff was wrongfully terminated ?” the lawyer questions you, pacing by the table. 

“No, I do not” 

“And why is that?” 

“Bu- Mr. Buckley was injured and unfit to return to work without proper healing and instruction to do so by his doctor. He was pushing himself further than he could go and he was going to hurt himself again, he lost his job simply for his own well being” 

“Do you still believe this to be true ? Although he’s all healed now ?” 

“Yes” 

The lawyer turns back and takes a seat at the table. “No further questions, your honour”, Buck’s lawyer stood up and walked around the table. 

“Ms. l/n, how do you know my client?”

“We worked together at the 118″ 

“And what is the 118?” he asked you, you resisted the urge to roll your eyes at his stupid question, “The fire station” you answered, he hums, seeming satisfied. 

“And what is your relationship with him ?” 

“We used to be coworkers” 

“Would you go as far as to say you were friends?” 

“Sure” 

The lawyer paced, before making his way over to you, his arm rested on the stand. Once again, you resisted the urge to roll your eyes. “Your statement about your opinion on his termination and his well being, was that said as a co worker or as something more ?” 

“I don't follow, what are you asking me ?” 

“Why were you so concerned about Mr. Buckley’s well being ?” he says plainly, 

“We were friends, I didn’t want him to hurt himself more than he already was.” 

“These concerns.. they weren’t based on any romantic feelings?” he looked over at you, your brows furrowed, a look of confusion washes over your face. 

“Romantic feelings ?” you question him back. 

“Well, I know your late husband, Sergeant l/n, died in a shootout, isn't that correct ?” he asks, looking back over at you as he paced the room once again. 

“Objection, her past relationships has nothing to do with this, your honour” the lawyer called out, he could see that you were uncomfortable. Your eyes flicker over to the team, they seem confused. None of them knew you were previously married. After your husband died, you moved to LA for a fresh start, to let go of the past and move on. You never told anyone about your husband, you only confided in Buck. 

How would he even think about using that against you ? 

“Overruled, answer the question Ms. l/n” 

Taking a breath, you glanced over at the lawyer, “yes, he did.” 

“How long were the two of you married if you don't mind me asking ?” 

“2 years” 

“Hm and why didn't you pursue a relationship with Mr. Buckley when you came to LA? Was it the fear of losing him like you lost your husband ?” 

The entire courtroom went silent after that question, you couldn't bring yourself to answer him. He hit a nerve, opened a box of feelings that you had pushed deep down and never thought about. You see Bobby pull at the lawyer, whispering something to him. The lawyer nods and turns to the judge, “objection, this isn't relevant at all” the judge ignored his objection and overruled it once again. 

“Ms. l/n, was it the fear of losing him like you lost your husband the reason as to why you didn't pursue a relationship with him ?” Buck’s lawyer asks you again. Looking over at Buck, his eyes fixed on yours, “I already lost him.” you say, looking back at Buck. You felt sick to say the least. Buck’s face went blank, any show of emotion that was there was now replaced with sadness. 

“That’s all, your honour” the stupid lawyer seemed pleased with himself. Buck begins whispering to him as you get off the stand, “Court will be resumed tomorrow.” the judge calls out, banging the gavel. You make your way over to the team, Eddie pulls you into a hug. You broke down the moment his arms wrapped around you, he held you close for a few moments before whispering, “c’mon, don't give him the satisfaction of seeing you like this” you nodded, wiping away the tears with your fingers. Bobby turns to you, “I’m sorry” “for what ? It’s not your fault Cap” he gives you a smile, telling the 4 of you to go ahead as he talks to the lawyer about what happens next. 

The 4 of you get on the elevator, Eddie and Hen stood behind you and Chim. Buck comes running out of the courtroom and looks around, he spots the 4 of you in the elevator. “Guys!” he comes running towards the elevator, your body goes tense. Turning away from the doors, your body is facing Hen now. You can hear Chim mumbling “come on, close faster” as he pushes the button a few times. It closes just before Buck reaches the elevator. 

Hen pulls you into a hug, “he's not even worth the time y/n. Don’t let him have those precious tears” she smiles, your head rests on her shoulder. 

--

Weeks have gone by and things were starting to get back to normal. You told the team about your husband after the day at court and they understood why you didn't talk about it. They didn't pressure you into telling what you didn't want top, they simply listened. 

Buck returned to work as of last week, he dropped the lawsuit but the tension was still high in the station. Chim and Hen spoke to him like normal, as did Bobby although he was a bit harsher towards Buck, but Buck brought that on himself. Eddie was furious with him, furious because he lost his best friend, furious because he couldn’t bring himself to forgive him and furious because Buck never once stopped to think about what this lawsuit could and did to the team. 

All was quiet in the fire station, an odd occurrence. Hen, Chim and Bobby were on a call, you were laying on the couch, reading some cookbook that Bobby left lying around. Eddie was down by the trucks, you weren't sure what he was doing but you could hear him grunting and the occasional thud. You just assumed he was fixing something or working out. 

“Hey” Buck’s voice echoed through the station, it was quiet after that. He and Eddie began talking, you sat up and listened to their conversation. It was mostly Eddie shouting and Buck answering him but it seemed like they came to terms, if not back to normal than at least friendly ones, for the sake of the team. 

The sound of your boots thudding with each step caught their attention, Buck walked halfway towards you and watched as you walked towards him. 

“Y/n..” he looked at you, you walked past as if he wasn't there. 

“Tell Bobby I'm not feeling well. I’ll be in tomorrow” you say to Eddie, he nods. 

Buck turns, watching as you walk out the station, You could feel his eyes burning into you as you left. 

--

A knock on the door, rolling over you see that it’s only 7:30 and you didn't have to be in until 9:30. “I’m coming” you shout, dragging yourself out of bed. 

Who the hell keeps banging on the door? 

“I said I'm com-” you shout once more as you open the door, “Cap ?” you yawn. “Can I come in ?” he steps inside anyways. 

“Um why are you here? Not that I mind but like I'm still in pjs and I was sleeping” you yawn again, shuffling over to the bar stool by the counter. Bobby walks around to the other side and opens the fridge, he had brought you coffee too. 

“I wanted to talk, but I brought coffee too because as you said, you were sleeping and I figured if I was going to disturb yourself, the least I could do was bring you some coffee” he smiled at you. 

“Are you looking for something ?” 

“Eggs, I'm making breakfast” 

“For who ?” 

“You, until someone else is here?” he looks over at you, you shake your head and take a sip of the coffee. 

Talk about heaven in a cup. 

“I heard Eddie and Buck are talking again” he turns on the stove, his back is facing you. “And?” “maybe you should talk to him too” 

“Bobby, I'm not going to do that.” 

“I’m not saying you need to be friends but at least, hear him out. I know what he did was wrong and he knows that too. If you don't want to do it for him, do it for the team, we can't keep walking on eggshells around you two” 

“But I'm not asking y’all to do that” 

“I know. You can't tell me that you don't feel the tension in the station. Everyone scared to mention Buck around you because they don't want to upset you and we don't mention you around him because he looks like he’s going to cry every time we say your name” 

Sighing, your hand slides down your face. You were at a crossroads. One side was forgiving Buck and moving on and the other was not forgiving him and never talking again. Bobby’s voice pulled you from your thoughts. 

“I’m telling you this not only as your captain and for the sake of the team but as your friend, because I care about you and I care about Buck. I’m tired of you two not speaking to each other, I just want us to be a family again.” 

“Fine, no promises that anything good will come of it but if it means so much to you, I'll try.” 

-- 

“Heard you wanted to talk ?” his shoes squished into the wet grass as he made his way over to you. You wanted to meet somewhere public, just to ensure that you don't strangle him with the nearly available cord. 

“I did” you looked over your shoulder, buck walked around and sat beside you on the bench. “Why did you tell him ?” looking at the man across from you, you needed to know. 

“He wanted to know about you guys, everything I could tell them, I did.” 

“Everything ? So you told them about Bobby’s wife and kids? Or that Eddie was sleeping with his ex but she died ? Or maybe that Hen cheated on her wife with her ex girlfriend that just got out of jail,” you scoffed, “did you mention that Chim’s ex didn't want him but she got married and pregnant within months of breaking up with him?” 

“I-i didn’t” 

“So why’d you tell them about him ? You know I didn't tell anyone else, you knew it was hard for me to talk about and that wasn't even relevant to the stupid case!” 

“Y/n.. I'm sorry” 

“I don't want your stupid apology Buck, that isn't going to change what already happened.”

All you saw and felt was red, there was no way you could get over what he did. You loved the 118 like your family, there was no you were going to leave either nor would you expect him to leave either. Buck’s fingers drummed against his knee, he was staring off ahead at something. 

“Bobby wants me to forgive you.” you broke the silence

“Do you want to forgive me?” he asked you, looking over in your direction. Your heart broke when you looked at Buck, he looked sad. 

“No,” leaning back against the bench, he sighs and gets up. “But I don’t want things to stay this way” you look up at him. 

“Neither do I” 

“I can't forgive you buck, but I can try to move on” 

“Things won’t be the same” his hand rests on top of yours,

“They never will be.” 

--

taglist: @venusrosepetal​ @advicefromnixxxx​ @dralexreid​ @ssa-volturi​ @keenmarvellover​

[tellerluna-stories]

ii. rex lapis

The sands of time shifted once more, and now Rex Lapis ruled over Liyue. His land overflowed with wealth, and all who passed through Liyue saw their businesses prosper. The people who now walked the paved streets of Liyue had happily never known the tragedies of war, and they lived out their lives in blissful ignorance.

Within the Golden House, Rex Lapis paced around restlessly. His horns and claws were nowhere to be seen, as Liyue had no need for such instruments of war. The simple white robes he had donned for battle had been replaced with layers of multicoloured ceremonial robes and intricate headdresses that only the finest artisans could craft.

With these robes came great honour and responsibility, a reminder that the fate of Liyue rested solely upon the shoulders of Rex Lapis. Though they were made of mere fabric, at times Rex Lapis felt that they weighed heavier than chains of pure gold.

He sighed and fiddled with his sleeves— though he was, in fact, the reason mora existed in the very first place, he had to admit he was tired of seeing the same golden shimmer that surrounded him everywhere he looked.

“My lord.”

Without even turning around, he replied, “I told you not to be so formal with me.”

“Alright, alright.” You smiled and spread your hands disarmingly. “Thousands of years, but you’re still as legalistic as ever.”

Unlike Rex Lapis, you had not chosen to change too much about yourself in the years following the Archon War, whether in appearance or personality. It somewhat brought him comfort knowing that in a world that was constantly changing too fast for him to keep up, there was still one person who could keep him anchored; no matter what era you were in, you could always quickly adjust to the practices and customs around you without forcing yourself to mold to them.

“Thousands of years, and I still need to remind you that titles are unnecessary, my friend.”

“Ah, but the question is: am I genuinely forgetting to drop them, or do I keep using them just to irk you?”

He turned around, face carefully devoid of any emotion. “My friend, do you happen to fear the wrath of the Rock?”

He watched in satisfaction as the smug look on your face quickly morphed into one of fearful respect. “As a matter of fact I do, so let’s change the topic. Your robes are simply majestic, my— I mean, Rex Lapis!”

“Do you not have one just like this?” Rex Lapis looked down at his embellished sleeves— the people of Liyue had gifted both of you with ceremonial robes, but he had yet to see you wear them. “If I recall, yours had the phoenix embroidered on the front.”

“Oh yes, I still have it with me.” You bent over and inspected the nearest pile of mora, brushing the golden coins with your fingertips. “I don’t wear it much since it restricts my movements, but maybe I will if there’s a special occasion.”

“I would like to see you wear it someday, if you choose to. You’d look absolutely stunning.”

He waited for some witty comeback, the usual jokes you’d make in response to his compliments— but you remained oddly silent, hunched over the little pile of mora like a bird guarding its nest.

“My friend...?”

Gently, he placed a hand on your shoulder, unknowingly sending an electric current running through your veins.

“Ah, yes, yes! I was just, uh—“ Hurriedly, you jumped to your feet and dusted your hands off on your clothes. “I was just trying to remember where my robe was, that’s all. I stored it away but I don’t exactly remember where— you know how it is, right?”

Yes, you had just forgotten where you had last put that phoenix robe, as though you still didn’t clean it and carefully air it out at least once a month. That robe was one of the few things you treasured dearly, as it was a gift from the people you watched over... and perhaps also because it was a gift that matched with his.

The heat rushing to your face and the quickening of your heartbeat upon hearing him say you’d look stunning— that was out of pure embarrassment, nothing more. He only meant it out of kindness, now, don’t misinterpret his words.

Clearing your throat hastily, you tried to change the subject. “Did you know that there’s a full moon tonight?”

“Is there, now?” He tilted his head to the side; a somewhat endearing habit of his, left over from when he had horns. “I have not left this place in quite some time; the people of Liyue are a little too concerned for my safety to let me venture outside often.”

“They haven’t....?”

But Rex Lapis merely smiled in reply, dismissing the matter with a wave of his hand. “It’s only natural for young people to be overprotective of the ones who take care of them. I’m sure they would do the same for you if you just let them, my friend.”

“You sounded very old when you said that, my lord.”

“Pardon?”

“I said your words shone like gold when you said that, my lord.”

He narrowed his eyes skeptically, but you only returned his gaze with a look of pure, angelic innocence. There was no way he could say anything against you, especially not with that look on your face.

“My lord,” You said, with that innocent look still plastered on your face. “Given that you haven’t gone outside in a while, what say you to accompanying one such as myself on an outing this fine evening?”

“An outing, you say?” He put a hand to his chin and pretended to contemplate the idea, silently observing as your eyes lit up with poorly-hidden anticipation. “Where would one go at this hour? It would cause quite a stir if Rex Lapis were to suddenly disappear from his position, with no reasonable explanation.”

To that you raised a finger upwards in reply, pointing to the cavernous roof of the Golden House.

“Technically, you wouldn’t be leaving.” Holding out your hand to him, you smiled and said, “Shall we watch the stars together, then?”

———

“This is incredibly reckless.”

“It’s also incredibly exciting, don’t you think?”

Barely-suppressed laughter bubbled up into your throat as you looked at the great Rex Lapis, who had awkwardly bunched up his robes around his knees. There was no way he could climb to the top of the roof without either damaging his (very costly, one-of-a-kind) robe, or getting him tangled into a mummy wrapping of fine silk.

“Your laughter does not go unnoticed, by the way.” He said, glowing amber eyes trained on the vast ascent of roof tiles before him. “Since this was your idea, how about you think of a solution to this problem?”

The cool night breeze whistled in your ears like a distant flute, and he shivered slightly; it was best to think of a solution quickly, lest Liyue be in uproar over the dignified Rex Lapis catching a mere cold.

You squinted at the rooftop, trying to analyse the best way to scale it with as little collateral damage to your superior as possible. It was certainly possible, especially with your talents as an adeptus (and also because your position did not require such cumbersome clothing), but there would have to be some rather... unusual measures taken.

“Do you trust me?”

He blinked in confusion. “What strange sort of question is—“

Before he could finish, you lifted him off the ground as though you were carrying a princess.

“Hold on tight, my lord.” You whispered, your lips only a few breaths away from his ear. “It may be a little bit unstable.”

He barely had time to wrap his arms around your neck as you leapt into the air, nimbly bounding off the golden tiles like a deer.

What exactly was this situation he was in? Moreover, what was this odd sensation swelling in his heart?

“Mind your sleeves, Rex- I mean, my lord!” You huffed. “I can’t see where I’m stepping if you decide to obscure my sight, which isn’t exactly the best choice for you right now.”

With one final jump, you landed safely on the topmost roof of the Golden House. He could only stare at you blankly as he tried to process what had just happened in the past few minutes— however, you caught onto his stare too easily.

“What, are you surprised that I was able to pull that off?” Shaking your head vigorously to remove the flyaway hair from your eyes, you frowned at him in a jesting manner. “Don’t tell me you’ve been underestimating my abilities this whole time, my lord.”

“No.” He replied immediately. “I would never.”

“That’s what I thought.” With a nod of satisfaction, you gently set him down onto the roof. “Here is the moon and stars for you, as promised.”

Rex Lapis raised his eyes to the sky that he had not seen in some time, and the heavens did not disappoint.

Overhead, the galaxy stretched out in a rich tapestry of hues, stars interwoven in between the threads like beads of precious stones. A full moon hung in the sky, a pearl of great price that took all the beauty that surrounded it and unified it into a beautiful symphony of colours.

For the first time in a while, he felt free— up here with you by his side, there were no such things as duty and responsibility. There were only the two of you in this quiet, peaceful place, with the heavens above as your only witness.

“A lovely night, don’t you think?” You grinned and put your hands on your hips, the wind toying with your hair ever so slightly. “The minute I saw this, I knew you simply couldn’t miss it; not in a thousand years.”

His gaze lingered on the picture of you bathed in a soft halo of moonlight, smiling dreamily at the stars above. “...Very lovely, indeed.”

“Oh, I almost forgot!” Jolting suddenly, you fumbled as you brought out a brass bottle and a pair of teacups from seemingly thin air. “I figured it would be cold out, so I prepared something, just in case.” You gestured for him to sit. “Have a seat while you’re waiting— can’t have the ruler of Liyue standing around waiting for me to serve him, can I?”

“Your judgement is as impeccable as ever, my friend. Whatever would I do without you?”

You rolled your eyes as you began to unscrew the cap of the bottle. “Such flattery is unnecessary. We both know that you could manage Liyue just as well if you were on your own.”

“That doesn’t mean I would want to.” He hesitated, unsure if what he would say next would make you uneasy. “You have done more for me and for Liyue than you could possibly imagine, and I... I sincerely wish for you to know that. You have just as an important role in Liyue as I do, and this place would not be what it is today without you.”

Pausing in what you were doing, you slowly raised your eyes to meet his— there was nothing but pure sincerity in his eyes and words. He truly meant what he was saying, and the way he worded it made your heart- no, no, this wasn’t the time for that.

“...Thank you, Rex Lapis. Those words mean a lot to me, especially coming from you.”

“Do my ears deceive me?” He put a hand to his mouth in mock disbelief. “Say that once more, my friend, I do not think I heard you well the first time.”

“No, I don’t think I will.” You glared at him. “It seems that your age is showing, my lord. Perhaps I should carry you back inside, if your age has really advanced so rapidly.“

“You called me Rex Lapis, for once. This is a day that this aged man shall remember for the rest of his life, and shall be inscribed into the history of Liyue as a momentous occasion—“

“The tea will grow cold long before your long-winded speech finishes, my lord. How about you drink first and talk later?”

Rex Lapis gave you an unimpressed stare. “Perhaps if you cease calling me ‘my lord’, I will think the matter over. When did you learn to brew tea, by the way?”

You returned his stare with one equally matched in unimpressed energy. “Over the years, I’ve found that the art of tea-brewing helped greatly in calming myself, and so I’ve been practicing ever since. Your cup, please— my lord.”

He rolled his eyes at your smug face and held out his cup.

A faint wisp of steam curled from the bottle as the dark liquid trickled into his teacup, along with some unknown plant matter. His thoughts must’ve shown clearly upon his face, for you burst out laughing upon seeing it. “It’s not poison, for Celestia’s sake! If I were planning to assassinate you, I would’ve done it eons ago.”

“And how is that meant to bring me any reassurance?”

“Oh, it wasn’t intended to.” You poured a cup for yourself and downed a sip of your concoction. “But no assassin would be fool enough to drink the poison intended for their target... except for me, possibly. Drink up!”

Rex Lapis still eyed the teacup in his hands suspiciously— but then again, you had never given any reason for him to doubt you, so why should he start now?

“So, is it good?”

He closed his eyes for a moment, savoring the unique flavours on his tongue. “If I could, I would drink the tea you make everyday for the rest of eternity.”

Your heart skipped a beat at his words; you choked, nearly sending the bottle of tea tumbling off of the roof. “Ah- er, well—“

“What, is that too humble of praise for it? I mean it from the bottom of my heart.”

“No, it’s just- well, it sounds like a phrase I’ve heard among the merchants of Inazuma— oh, never mind. I’m glad you like it.”

“What did you put in it to make it taste so exquisite?”

Leaning closer to him, you whispered, “Petals of peach blossom and glaze lily flowers. Along with some other choice ingredients, but what truly gives it that taste and aroma is the flowers.”

Your face was close, closer than he ever even dreamed to approach in a million years; in the pale moonlight, your eyes glittered brighter than any jewel the earth could give. Any dragon would covet such a treasure and guard it with their very life.

How had he not noticed how mesmerizing your eyes were till tonight?

“Absolutely fascinating,” He murmured, before belatedly realizing he said it aloud.

“Isn’t it?” You hummed in agreement. “It’s my special brew. I experimented on it until I could perfectly balance the flavours to my liking.” Your gaze swiveled to the elaborate water gardens sprawled in front of the Golden House. “Do you want me to plant a peach tree and some glaze lilies by the front of the gate? I could do that, if you really do enjoy my tea that much.”

A mix of relief and disappointment washed over him; you hadn’t realised he wasn’t talking about the flowers.

He mused over the idea— it didn’t seem so bad, after all, but...

“I’d like to plant them somewhere more.... permanent. Somewhere we can watch them grow together.”

“Say the word, and your wish is my command.” You beamed at him. “Just tell me when and where, and I’ll have them in full bloom for you in no time, no matter the season.”

A warm, fluttering feeling filled his chest, and Rex Lapis suddenly found it harder to breathe than before. His face felt oddly warm, while his hands were cold— was it a result of the night air? He wasn’t that old yet.

Anxious to change the topic before you cracked another joke about his age, he quickly asked, “How are the affairs of Liyue doing, my friend?”

You shrugged nonchalantly. “The trade routes are thriving splendidly. Many merchants from the other regions come to seek permission to transport goods to and from their lands, so I’ve been handling most of their affairs. Even picked up some of their languages while at it.” A mischievous smile spread across your face as you said, “Tu ne me comprends pas, non? Je t’aimerai pour toujours et à jamais, mon amour.”

“Impressive.” He hadn’t understood a word of what you had said, but he was almost dead certain that you were poking fun at him. “It is good to see that Liyue is in such capable hands. What about the—“

“—the adepti? Oh, they’re all doing quite well, I believe. They don’t really leave their abodes anymore, save for Madame Ping and young Ganyu.”

“How about—“

“Xiao? I visit him every now and then, to make sure he eats well and is doing alright. And yes, I bring him the painkillers you have specially made for him.” You paused. “He sends his greetings, and it is very obvious that that boy misses you, even if he won’t admit it himself.”

Rex Lapis breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. “You really do know what I’m going to say, even before I say it.”

“What can I say? Even before you need to ask, you can consider it already done.” A chuckle escaped your lips as you scuffed the sole of your shoe against the roof tiles. “That’s why I’m here, after all. Who better than I to carry out the word of Rex Lapis?”

“You had best watch yourself there, my friend, lest your head grows too big for your shoulders.”

“Oh, but my lord, who was the one who gave me this position?” Propping your chin on your steepled fingers, you give him a smug look. “I seem to recall a certain someone appointing me as his right-hand, after all.”

“What has been given can just as swiftly be taken away.”

“You’re no fun.” You stuck your tongue out at him and turned away, pointedly staring at the moon.

“So, what is the real reason you brought me up here?”

In an instant your head whipped back to meet his gaze, eyes wide and mouth agape. “How did you—“

The corner of his mouth quirked up in a lopsided grin, and now it was his turn to look smug. “You’re not the only one who can practically read minds, my friend. The facade you put up is better crafted than mine, but I can still see right through you.”

“Well...” You fell silent for a moment, fingers tracing along the sides of the brass bottle and etching invisible patterns into the metal with your fingernails. “I wanted to ask how you were doing.”

Rex Lapis tilted his head slightly, confusion and curiosity melding into one feeling. “How I was doing?”

“I struggle sometimes... with the memories of those who have passed on. Sometimes, in the heat of the moment I forget; I get distracted or actually feel happy, but then I suddenly think of them, and I wonder if I actually have the right to enjoy myself.”

Shifting slightly, your expression was unreadable in the pale moonlight. “But lately, their faces have become blurry, and I get scared when I can’t remember what they look like. It’s the least I can do for my comrades, since I’m the only one left.” You pursed your lips. “Do you have the same problem?”

The somber look on your face stirred up the remorse that still gnawed at his heart, even after all these centuries. You had been suffering alone because of his mistakes, and it pained Rex Lapis even more knowing that no contract he wrote could remedy the empty gap in your heart. All he could do was sit with you and be something you could anchor yourself to, just the way you had been a steadfast rock to him.

He shifted to sit closer to you, no longer caring whether his robes would be dirtied or not. “Not quite the same problem.”

“...Oh.”

“Like you, even after so many years I still cannot help but think of them. Every detail of their lives, their voices and faces— I remember it all.” Rex Lapis looked up to the stars, where perhaps the constellations of your friends lay, and laughed dryly. “Mortal men have been blessed with forgetfulness, but it seems that I have been cursed to remember.”

Tentatively, he raised a hand to gently pat you on the head, just the way his caregiver used to when he was feeling out of sorts or upset. “But worry not, my friend. If what you worry about is forgetting, then I will be the one to remember everything for you.”

“You needn’t worry about me forgetting you, by the way.” You said quietly. “Even if I forget everything else in this world, I know that I’ll always remember you, no matter what form you take.”

The strange, fluttering feeling in his chest returned, coursing through his veins and flowing through his fingertips— subconsciously he pulled his hand away, fearing that those feelings would somehow reach you.

It’s merely the chill of the night air, he told himself.

You said nothing as he pulled away, but Rex Lapis found himself wishing you would say something, anything; complain, or make a joke out of it, or perhaps even ask him to do it again— no, he couldn’t dare dream of that.

Not for your sake.

“The moon is beautiful, isn’t it?” You said suddenly, breaking the silence and the maze of thoughts his mind was trapped in.

Rex Lapis looked to the moon over Liyue Harbor, admiring the way it bathed the city in silver light. Though Liyue in the daytime was loud, filled with many colours and sounds that overwhelmed the senses, this version of Liyue was also beautiful to behold.

Perhaps... perhaps this is what she meant by living treasure, he thought to himself.

Caring for this city of people, nurturing them and building a better future for them and the future generations— that was certainly something close to his heart. It didn’t feel exactly like the living treasure he had expected, but as long as you were there to watch over Liyue with him, then perhaps... perhaps it would grow on him as time passed.

“Yes,” he agreed. “It truly is.”

But that evening, he failed to notice that you weren’t looking at the moon.

[sweetwolfcupcake]

Allurement: Plastics

Yandere Namjoon x Reader

Mr Choi was a man with money. And Namjoon knew it far too well that if one had money, they held the power. And Mr Choi had both, just like his father.

"Kim Namjoon! My golden boy!" Mr Choi greeted him with his obnoxious laughter, plainly ignoring (Y/N) by his side. And as much of a disrespect that was, Namjoon was slightly relieved, the snob was probably too busy calculating in his head to notice her. And he would like to keep her away from prying eyes as long as he could.

"Mr Choi, what a pleasure to have you here." Namjoon regarded the man with the politest smile, although it was nothing more than a perfectly-veiled grimace. He quickly turned to (Y/N) "Why don't you get a drink (Y/N), I will join you shortly, there is the bar at the corner, approach me anytime you like, okay?" she looked up to him, and nodded with a nervous smile before walking away. And Namjoon could finally breathe.

"I did not know that having a date is essential for this event?" by the man's smile, Namjoon knew that it was more than a casual question.

"No, it is not essential, but I thought this to be rude to come here alone, especially when there are going to be such iconic power couples present. Besides, she is my secretary, she would learn a thing or two about business."  Mr Choi's smile widened, turned wolfish at Namjoon's words before he opened a pack of exclusive cigars in front of him.

"Would like a puff or two, heard this one's your favourite."

"Oh, you, remember?" Namjoon accepted a cigar with the comment "Is Miss Choi here?"

"Oh please, 'Miss Choi' does not fit you anymore, call her Ara. Unfortunately, she has been busy lately, business-related matters, who knows this better than you? But I have been in contact with Mr Kim." of course that greed-incarnate was in contact with Mr Kim, always so loyal to Kim Daejung.

"Of course, I understand. And I do not see Mrs Choi here?"

"She must be with one of her friend circles, you know how her paintings are to be exhibited soon, the last exhibition and auction won her millions, in dollars."

"Oh, yes, of course, our ancestral mansion has the honour to hang three of her paintings from her previous exhibitions. Father would surely engage in this one as well, can't wait to add to our collection."

"Oh, break my heart son, why? Can't you make it? Ara would be there as well, you both can enjoy a private dinner after the auction. Both of you have been so busy, barely had any dates this month. You both are going to get married soon. It's better to get to know each other."

"Of course, Ara is the most pleasant company to have. We are having our fair shares of dates and meet-ups. As much as our busy schedules allow. And she has been hinting towards your company's interest in investing in our upcoming projects. It is lovely to have such loyal partners and investors as you."                                                    Mr Choi's smile was slightly stiff, and Namjoon knew that he had gained the upper hand "It has also reached my ear, that your esteemed company has been planning to invest extensively in projects of other companies. I'm sure those investments would be in favour of both our business."

"Ah! Does that even need to be asked? Of course, everything is done in the favour of our companies. You are my daughter's future after all."

Namjoon's hand inside his pocket turned into a fist "Of course I am." the bitter taste that left his mouth, which he compensated with lighting the cigar and sucking in the toxins. But he never forgot to light Mr Choi's cigar first. Mannerism was important after all.

Mr Choi excused himself shortly after, and it was a relief for Namjoon, he could finally get back to (Y/N), his eyes desperately searched for her as he weaved through the great hall, being interrupted and greeted repeatedly by people present there, but Namjoon was still calm, not wanting to let his desperation show. At last, he did find her, away from the crowd, tucked at the corner, smiling.                                                                                                                But his relief was short-lived, as he realised that his darling was not alone. Lee Hyunwoo had found sniffing his way to her. Namjoon's blood boiled as he watched how Mr Lee leaned in and whispered something into her ear, making her burst into a fit of laughter as if she had been told the funniest joke ever known to mankind. He exhaled, letting composure wrap around his mind and tightening his grasp on his rational self. And when he was sure that he would be able to keep up his perfect persona with practised ease, only then Namjoon began to take strides towards them.

"What a surprise Mr Lee? And here I have been wondering if you somehow had missed the invitation." he greeted him with a smile, successfully intruding into their corner.

"Of course I would come, who would miss such an event. Especially when it is filled with all the magnificence of the world." Mr Lee turned to (Y/N) while he mentioned 'magnificence', adding a flirty smile that had surely charmed many, many ladies before into their knees, but of course, his darling was not one of them, she only smiled with her cheeks evidently gaining colour, but that was it.

"Surely, this party has all the magnificence of the world." he walked closer, standing beside her before his hand came to rest on her back lightly "I do not see any date with you, Mr Lee? It was such a hassle for me to find one, I had invited my lovely secretary instead." he felt her stiffening slightly at his words, but he did not remove his hand, instead, opting it to settle his hand completely on her back.

The conversation with Mr Lee flew into business talks with ease, at least he was far more tolerable than those pesky double-faced investors and business partners like Mr Choi. And yet, at that moment, Namjoon thought that he would have preferred those old hags over having to witness and tolerate Lee Hyunwoo's piqued curiosity regarding his woman.

But the moment Mr Lee walked off, leaving him alone with her, he turned to her with a sigh "I remember warning you against talking to strange men?" she looked up at him, her eyes wide and sparkling under the lighting. With the gaze so open, so innocent, it was hard not to pull her into a draining kiss then and there.

"But he approached me, I could not just ignore him, that would have been rude and put a bad impression since I work for you, Sir." her sweet naivety shone through her tender voice and unscripted words. Of course, Lee approached her, his little lamb would not defy him like that. But still, she seemed to not mind his company.

"The conversation did not seem very professional to me though. Does Mr Lee has such a good sense of humour?" she blinked, so evidently confused and oblivious, that made Namjoon want to groan. It was unfair for her to be so adorable.

She bit the insides of her lip unconsciously and he thanked the stars that she had not bitten her lip instead, he was just a breathe away from swooping down and kissing her anyway. She truly was, an oblivious temptress. And once it would be established that she belonged to him, he would make sure that men think twice before even eyeing her, approaching her would be a far-fetched dream.

"He was telling me about his college days. The stories were funny." her voice lowered as she replied,

"Sure, sure, college days are always fun. Have you eaten anything?" he desperately wanted to change the flow of conversation.

"No. I...I was nervous." he was surprised at her admission. Most of the times, her body language would give away her agitation, she would never voice it. But it was for the first time she had admitted that, an indication that she trusted him enough to admit that, and it was significant progress.

"There is no need to Da-(Y/N), I'm here, come, let's eat. Besides, I am tired of talking to plastics." her eyes widened in surprise while her lips tugged up in a suppressed laughter. Namjoon smiled down at her before guiding her towards the buffet. Her eyes danced with mirth because of him. And he would like to keep it that way.

****

Taglist(Kindly remind me later if I missed anyone)- @whatpageisthis @amoc94 @theresa-nam-nam-me @dearbambideer @casualminiaturetimemachine @njrwifey @kpopisnicee @illnevertrustmyselfagain @potterbrooke @luvaffaire @bighitfics @mochimochipie @vixenwerr @minshookie29 @sepulcry @omgsuperstarg @rkive-diary

[bakugohoex]

congrats on 1k!! may i request angst #10 with levi ackerman? <3

“goodbye my love”

pairing: levi ackerman x gender neutral reader

cw: angst, blood, kissing, death, flashbacks in italics 

word count: 1700+

a/n: i feel sad now and i have to write some nsfw next whoops hehe, but hope you guys like this and enjoy the angst i guess

playlist: please check out these songs from @marchsbakery dying in levi’s arms, here’s the spotify link as well, i had no idea she was making it but it coincided with me posting this so of course i had to add the playlist. 

summary: in which in your final moments, you relive all your memories with levi until saying your last words to your love

1k event masterlist

↞ back to attack on titan masterlist

The sound of your screams and the tears that flooded from your eyes was the last thing Levi saw when a titan had collided right into you. It had been quick, carefully thought out even, the way the horse was flung to the side and you almost looked ethereal in the sky. But it wasn’t some scene in a play where you would look magnificent, your blood curdling scream was what made everybody turn to look at you.

Turn and see a superior flung to the side, with blood seeping through your clothes. Your stomach churning at the impact, ready to be eaten. Levi saw it all, quickly slashing the neck of a titan before running to the titan, it gripped your body as your legs kicked and your mouth screamed. Tears mixed with blood dampened your skin, this was it for you. This was what everything had come down to, the titans mouth opened wide, you could almost see the other humans in its stomach. You closed your eyes ready for the tear of your legs, but it never came.

Instead the crushing of your bones, the excruciating pain you went through as the titan may have been slashed by Levi, may have begun toppling to the ground. But in its last-ditch attempt to kill you, it squeezed your body, bones crushing and moving out of place, blood trickling down your mouth. If it couldn’t have you neither could Levi.

“Y/n, you…” Levi was about to ask about your condition, but the way you were sprayed onto the palm of the titan, blood coughing from your mouth, bruises forming and pain searing through you. He knew something was wrong, you both were so close to having killed the titans, there had only been a couple left. You could survive this, get the treatment you needed, but as he ran up to you, grabbing your body he could almost feel your pain.

“L…Levi.” You coughed out more blood, he hated seeing you like this, in his arms vulnerable, he was vulnerable. What could he do, other than hold his love.

He shifted your body from the titans palm, you both in a safe area away from the others. “You’re going to be fine.” There wasn’t a question about it, you’d survive, you’d be fit and ready to go on the next expedition, he didn’t care.

“I’m d…dying.” You could barely form words, but if this was your last moments you were glad it was with your love rather than inside a Titans gullet.

Levi watched as tears fell down your numb body, he took a deep breath, he knew it was hard for him to express emotions. Express himself to you, but he looked up in the sky, suppressing any forming tears that could come out, he wanted to be strong for you. “No, yo…you won’t.”

“Tell me our story.” You were going in and out of your own mind, you didn’t want to fight over your death, you wanted to hear your story. The story of Y/n and Levi and how they were supposed to rule the world, fight titans and finally gain the peace that they deserved.

He saw how you shut your eyes just wanting to hear any story, there was no time to help you. He had to give you your last wish, explain your story if it was the last thing he did. “Okay.” He held you in his arms, kissing your forehead with warmth. “We met a couple months after you joined the scouts, you were so confident, remember…

“Is this the famous Captain Levi, I’ve heard so much about.” Levi eyes you up and down at how easily you made yourself at home with him, he raised an eyebrow as he folded his arm.

You stared at the man a smirk as you tilted your head waiting for a reply, “if you’re going to act like you don’t know who I am, then I have no business with you.” He was ready to walk away but you grabbed his arm, making him stop in his tracks. “What brat?”

“So rude, you’re the one who asked for me to join your squad.” Levi was the one to be confused as he looked at you with a puzzled look, “you asked for the girl who got first in the scouts, that’s me.”

“You?” He looked at you with no emotion.

“Don’t need to be so mean, I’m really am quite good.” You spoke highly of yourself, Levi hated those who had no actual experience to back them up.

He tapped his food in thought before replying, “we’ll see, get ready, you’ll be right next to me.”

“Gosh not even an apology.” He glared as you shrugged leaving him to tut in disgust, he’d have to sort that attitude out for sure. You had thought that joining a squad so easily and especially Levi’s squad would be an honour. But after his words it felt more like a low blow at how he didn’t recognise your talent, he looked down at you and you already had a will to prove him wrong.

“…God, you really hated me back then didn’t you.” Levi looked down at your nimble self, blood spewing down your mouth. You nodded trying to put out a laugh but could barely even lift your eyelids back up.

“Te…Tell me more.” Your words were short and breathless, he saw tears continue to trickle down, he didn’t know how long you had left, he witnessed more titans collide to the ground. Even if he had brought you back to the scouts, they couldn’t do anything until all the titans were defeated. You’d be another corpse on the long list, he’d give you these minutes, these moments to die without having a line in your name.

“You pestered me afterwards, on the expedition you showed off all those tricks and killed so many titans, but I never told, but I admired it my love, admired the way you did everything for humanity you didn’t fear death, I fell in love with you because you weren’t selfish like the others…

Levi had asked for you to come by his office after coming back from town, it had been a couple months since the expedition, and you had grown fond of the boy. He may have given you snide remarks, but the small upwards twitch of his mouth proved that he didn’t hate you as much as he let on. You knocked on the wooden door as you heard a come in, easily slipping between the cracks.

You couldn’t lie and say you hadn’t become infatuated with the man either, the way he killed titans and swung through the air always felt like your own private show. Even now here, with his watchful eyes at your movement towards his desk, he gave no emotion, but his eyes spoke differently, inviting you in almost. “What can I do for you, Captain?”

“Sit down.” He was stern with his words which you easily followed as you crossed your legs staring at him. “You’ve been working with Mike a lot lately.”

It wasn’t something you had expected, and you almost laughed at his accusations, “what about it?”

“I prefer my squad to work together rather than separately.” His sentence was filled with mystery as if he wanted to say more.

You felt confident in what you believed him to be saying, it had been Hanje who planted the idea that Levi preferred you more than he did other humans. But preferred was a stretch of the word that you had thought of, could he possibly like you, the way you liked him. “Captain, this isn’t about working together is it, are you jealous?”

“No.” He was blunt about it but refused to meet your gaze, you stood up moving closer to his seat, you leaned against his desk, eyes on his form as he looked at the papers in front. Rather than the side where your watchful eyes were.

“You don’t need to lie to me Levi, but if you really don’t, I was just about to go spend some time with Mik…” Levi grabbed your wrists stopping your words, he finally looked up at you. He moved his chair to be in front of you, his body between your legs, before grabbing your jaw.

“You leave this room and I’ll make you regret it.” Your chest felt heavy as you leant down to meet his mouth, his mouth feeling warm against your own as you both moved in sync with one another.

“…I fell in for you from that moment Y/n.” He looked back down at you, your body feeling heavy on his thighs.

You looked up at him, finally being able to open your eyes as you looked at him wanting to speak and tell him how much you loved him. “I…I…” You began coughing again, worry radiating off of Levi, “you told me…on our first date that we’d be toge…together forever.”

“We will.” Levi lied to make himself feel better, to make himself believe that this was all a dream. He had lost too many people, his mother, his friends and comrades he couldn’t, he couldn’t lose his one love. The one person he had sworn to protect, to save from this disgusting world.

“For…forever wasn’t long enough...” You whispered feeling empty inside, tears soared out as you looked through the dampness right up at Levi. He looked down and for the first time you witnessed the tears, how he tried to hide them with an emotionless face. But they were there.

He brought his head down to meet your own, forehead resting against your own, “we’ll get our happiness next time…I promise my love.”

You felt his tears fall onto your own skin, feeling your body begin to shut down, your eyes feeling heavy as Levi bent down to your lips to give you one last kiss. To give himself one last kiss, you were always going to be it for him, nobody would ever replace you.

And as he finally parted from your damp lips he heard the last words, he had never wanted to hear, never wanted to imagine coming from your lips. Your arm falling to the grass, body heavy and eyes shut as you whispered the words that brought about the end, “goodbye my love.”

Tears pricked down Levi’s face; he hadn’t expected it from himself. He thought he could stay emotionless but as he held your corpse in his arms, bringing you closer to his body, he remembered every second he had spent with you, loving you and how he was never going to get that ever again.

i’d really appreciate if you guys could leave a like, reblog or comment, thanks x

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[hajimeiwaswife]

THE WAY I LOVED YOU

Word count: 4,2K

Wanings: angst (but fluff, too)

Summary: You weren't over the love Childe provided you, even when you were engaged to Albedo years later.

A blue, pink and mauve sky garnished the surroundings of the Stormbearer Mountains. The summery breeze, warm as the light of the bright sun, comforted those who walked along the path of fallen leaves, wild flowers and the smell of mint. A beautiful landscape presented itself for sore eyes to see.

A certain Alchemist was working on his new masterpiece, relaxing under the few rays of light that came with dusk, painting the one he considered the most beautiful person to ever put a foot on Teyvat. Mixing the colours of nature, he portraited on the sketch book the view he had of his fiancée and the scenery, all of it worthy of a cheesy romance novel and a fantasy book.

"How much time do you need?" Y/N asked in a tired tone, trying not to shift her position, "I'm getting crumps on my face from smiling."

The man didn't answer at the moment, considering for a brief time her question and filling a space on the page that still needed his attention. At last, he looked at her and smiled at the image he had the honour of witnessing. The girl, dressed in a summer white and blue dress, was slightly pouting at the lack of talking from his part. Her hair danced with the wind and he thanked Barbatos for letting him see her golden locks fly around her face.

"Just a little more, my love," he answered, his attention shifting back to the drawing in front of him.

"You said that an hour ago," the girl sighed, putting a smile again on her face so she didn't disrupt her lover from painting her, "I thought you wanted to go see Sucrose before the sun came down. Oh! And also, you promised Klee you'd visit her."

He hummed, immersed in the way her features took a hardened expression when she tried to remember something that needed to be done. Brows furrowed and fore finger on her right cheek, she looked at him in search of a comment from the Alchemist.

"Albedo! Are you listening to me?"

"You're so beautiful." mumbled the man, lost in her and the blush that was forming on her visage.

Shameless and, at the same time, honest and shy. That was Albedo, the one she was engaged to. Such an honourable and good man, someone who loved her as much as the Sea loved its waves, as much as the birds loved the Wind, as much as a Dwelling loved the warmth of the fire. He gave her his everything and from the bottom of his own person, and she was grateful for it.

"I'm sorry" he promptly said, coughing on his palm to hide the evident embarrassment he felt, "It wasn't my intention to make you uncomfortable."

At that, she couldn't help but laugh. He was such a beautiful person, always searching her comfort and well-being before anyone else's, always taking care of her and looking for her. A pure soul, she would venture to affirm.

"Don't be silly, sweetheart," Y/N chuckled, positioning once again for him to portray her, "you know I love it when you compliment me. Now, c'mon, finish before the sun falls."

"As you wish."

One more hour of dirtying their hands in paint and observing the marvellous dusk that came upon them, they left to visit Sucrose, who was willing to tell Albedo about her advances in the research they both were working on.

"That's impressive, Sucrose," Albedo praised the girl, reading the documents and correcting those things he found could be improved.

Y/N turned off the conversation, not really interested in the depths of the Alchemy. She respected what the husband to be and her friend did for a life and she couldn't be prouder, but that didn't mean she wanted to hear the endless conversations about properties a flower could have.

After saying goodbye to the little Alchemist, they both headed to say hello to little Klee, who was mad at them for coming so late, it was already her time for bed and, as she said, 'We can't go bomb fishing!', followed by a 'Do you not love Klee?' Reassuring the little bomb crazy kid was more draining than she could imagine, but she did it for Albedo, nonetheless.

The afternoon turned into the late hours of the night, lilac sky was now dark and adorned with stars. The Alchemist had intertwined his fingers with Y/N's, sighing in content, allowing himself to relax at the warmth of her hand and the serenity reigning in Mondstadt.

"Maybe we should head home, you seem exhausted," commented Albedo after watching his fiancée yawn for the third time in ten minutes.

"That would be great, actually." Y/N yawned again, gaining a quiet chuckle from the man next to her.

No one talked again, everything already said until the moment to bid goodnight when they laid in bed. Albedo, being the reserved man he was, kept himself in his side of the bed, not too confident to spoon his girl still.

The silence was only accompanied by Albedo's soft snores. Darkness decorated the walls of the room in the AM. The sense of being trapped growing inside Y/N as she thought of the implications of her new life. She was engaged to an incredible man, who told her how beautiful she was and how much he loved her every single day; who went with her on strolls and made her laugh; who could teach her more than she could ever imagine; who appreciated her as she was.

Still, she felt nothing. At all.

She liked Albedo, that was clear. Who wouldn't like Albedo? He was the perfect man. On more than one occasion, Y/N had Amber and Barbara drooling about how lucky she was to be with someone like him. She knew she was the luckiest girl in Teyvat, most women simped over Diluc or Albedo. But, at the same time, she only felt guilt for being with him without actually loving him.

Anxiety growing on her, she decided to stand up. She walked out of the room, being careful not to disrupt Albedo's sleep, and headed to the transport point, she needed to be away from any form of human activity, she felt like shouting and hitting the first thing she could see. Breathing becoming a very tedious task as she approached the device, opting to go to Mt. Aocang. If she was going to wake someone up, she preferred an Adeptus who wouldn't ask more than any nosy human.

The wind, colder than that afternoon, calmed her to the point her lungs could take the oxygen she had been trying to get for minutes. The orange leaves obscured by the night reminded her of the hair she used to love so much. The hair of that man she had once despised, then loved, and then lost.

He, who claimed to be brave enough to enter her heart, had been the one to take it and keep it even until those days. Y/N noticed how her breathing became irregular again, she was used to it, every time she thought about the Harbinger. That repulsive, irresponsible, dishonest, cunning, intelligent and breath-taking man she couldn't forget. How had she let it come so far?

Albedo gave her everything, yet her heart yearned Childe's love. How pathetic.

"Fuck you, Childe!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, not caring for the Adepti, not caring for those who could hear her cursing the Harbinger Tartaglia at 2 a.m. a Thursday night. "You ruined me, you motherfucker!"

So many fights, so many make outs, so much love making, so many nights under the stars trying to comprehend their feelings for the other. All of that for nothing. Like the bitter cold of Snezhnaya they froze, their hearts on their sleeves, light that came from the satellite above turned off.

"You know, sometimes I feel like you don't like me that much." she remembered him saying, his characteristic smirk on his face, "It's true we had our... abrasions, but girlie, c'mon, don't be so stiff."

She could clearly see in her mind how his hands came to her waist, grabbing her in a gentle but at the same time rough grip. A shivered down her spine, in the present and in the pass, and she was sure she would feel it in the future, too.

"How am I supposed to trust you, Harbinger?" she had said, crossing her arms after pulling away from him.

"Easy, trusting me."

And she did. She felt like a fool for allowing him to be so near, to had felt love from him, for loving him.

"Are you feeling okay? You look pale, my love," Albedo commented, a hand of his on the forehead of his lover, a worried expression on his face.

"Yes, Albedo, don't worry, I didn't sleep too well last night," Y/N reassured him, smiling slightly at her fiancé.

The Alchemist hummed, nodding to himself and returning to his work. The girl had returned to their room after a couple of hours in Mt. Aocang, praying for Albedo to not had noticed her absence. Apparently, he didn't. Had he noticed he would had already asked about it, or so she thought.

"I was thinking about visiting Liyue today, there are some materials there I need for my research," Albedo said after some minutes, looking at her, "I was wondering if you'd like to come."

Y/N's heart dropped. She had to say yes, how could she say no to Albedo? He wanted to spend time with her while still working, an effort she really appreciated. But, going to Liyue? What if he was there? Strolling those streets the two of them had travelled a thousand times.

But his gaze was still on her, waiting patiently for a reply. Doubtfully, she considered all her options: not going and upsetting Albedo; going and crossing him; going and being unable to continue due to the memories. No option was good, she had to choose between her fiancé's well-being and hers. 'He's made so any sacrifices for me'.

"I would love to, love."

Merchants selling, people buying, contracts being signed. That was Liyue in all its glory. Red, green and blue being the most recurrent colour themes on the walls, roofs and gardens, a gift to anyone who wanted to visit a paradise.

Albedo was buying some materials while Y/N stood next to him, not looking at anyone's face in case Childe decided to make one of his classic appearances. She grabbed Albedo's sleeve as a way to comfort herself, reassuring one time and one time again that she didn't have that much of bad luck to cross him in such a huge city.

She turned her head to look around at last, brave to see the stores and Liyue's people. Many of them knew who she was, having helped most of them at least in one occasion, great people with beautiful and peaceful lives. She had that now, at Albedo's side. But why did she feel like it wasn't what she wanted?

The red mask in one of the stalls froze her in her place, it looked identical to Childe's. She knew it wasn't his, of course, he was too involved in the Fatui and too wealthy to pledge his mask, but it made her remember him and one of the many memories she had with him in Liyue, again.

"Girlie, don't be like that" Childe exclaimed, smiling at her with bravado, "You don't have to feign you don't want that bracelet."

"I don't want it," repeated her for the third time, growing irritated.

"I have enough money to buy it for you, darling," the Harbinger insisted, taking her left hand in one of his and kissing her knuckles.

"How charming," she murmured ironically, rolling her eyes and pulling her hand out of his grasp.

"I know," he smirked, going after her, "and I also know how much you love when I act like a gentleman."

"How would you know that if you've never acted like one?" she snorted, watching his expression turn into an offended one.

"I'm a gentleman, you just can't appreciate my efforts to woo you," he replied with a pout.

"Aw, little Childe can't take a no for an answer," Y/N continued to tease him, smiling slightly at his spoiled brat's act.

"Very well, little lady, you're not having that bracelet," he stamped and turn away from her, walking without a real direction.

"Not that I wanted it!" she shouted at the distance.

Needless to say, she found the bracelet in her purse that night with a cheesy note that claimed 'To my favourite and stubborn traveller, with love, Childe'.

She still had it in her wrist, accompanying her wherever she went, reminding her of the stupid man that gifted it to her. Golden with Snezhnaya patterns, orange jewelry decorating the surface of the material. Albedo never said anything about it, never asked, and she was grateful for it, he knew to respect her space.

Her fiancé had just finished purchasing what he needed, looking at her with a loving gaze. She felt nothing, only appreciation, and she felt awful for not returning his feelings at their best, he deserved to be loved and spoiled. However, she missed him, she missed what they had.

The grey sky announced the storm that was coming, thunder and lightning appearing to give a performance of nature power. She had fought, walked, ran and danced in rain. She had danced, kissed and loved. But nothing of it with Albedo.

"Now a step to the left" instructed Childe, grabbing her waist with his left hand and her hand with his right one, "and now turn around... That's it! Perfect! You're a natural."

"Stop lying," she laughed, following what he was saying and dancing with him in a forgotten valley in some old ruins, "I can't dance for the love of Barbatos."

"I think you're really good, almost seductive," he purred, kissing her jaw and going down her neck, "seeing you move your hips like that just" an animalistic growl came from the back of his throat.

"Okay, calm down big guy, we're not fucking here."

The sound of thunder interrupted his reply, confusing them both for a moment. Suddenly, rain poured and soaked them wet. Y/N looked for somewhere they could go to shelter from the storm, but Childe just laughed and started making her dance again.

"What the hell are you doing, pee-brain!" she exclaimed, desperate.

"Dancing with you under the rain. Isn't it romantic?" he asked, smug as always.

"Romantic until we catch a hypothermia."

He didn't budge. Swaying them both with the dark landscape behind them, leaves flying around, wind aggressive. But nothing mattered as they looked at each other; love, affection and lust hidden in their souls, wanting nothing more than to indulge to the other and become one. How can anyone love this much? How can feelings root that deep? Childe was the only answer to those questions.

With nothing but a soft caress to her cheek, he smashed his lips on hers, kissing her while the rain accentuated the wet sounds. Everything with him was wild, but so addictive she couldn't help but coming undone, indulging to everything he asked silently from her. A kiss in the rain never felt so good.

"I'll be right back, I just need to drop this at Mingxing Jewelry," Albedo said, giving her a peck before leaving.

She stood there for a few moments, wondering what she could do white she waited for her lover. The rain was nearing Liyue Harbor, Albedo had told her he needed to do a couple of things more before going to the transport point to return home. She felt like throwing up, not a single spot in the city did not remind her of the love of her life, including their ugliest moments as a couple.

"How could you!?" Y/N screamed, feeling completely devastated and deceived.

"I had to! I'm sorry, okay?"

"No! It's not okay!" his indifference was breaking her heart, looking at him with disappointment, "Again! You did it again!"

"I was ordered to!" he shouted, his voice the same tone as hers, wrath in his eyes, "I have a job and you knew about it when you decided to fuck me!"

"What the hell, Childe!" she cried, "First of all, you nearly destroy Liyue! Again! Not only once but twice!" she was tired, everything was going down in front of her and she didn't want to watch it come to ruins, "And fuck you? You mean love you?"

"Love, sex, everything's the same, isn't it?" he replied, calmer and returning to his indifferent tone.

"W-what do you mean?" the fuming storm stopped to bring an eye of the hurricane, waiting patiently to unleash the tsunami over them.

"What you heard; I don't find a difference between the two concepts."

"You're lying," she murmured, unbelieving. How could he say that when an hour ago he was looking at her with so much love? Was it all an act? No, you can't feign feelings so deep.

"You're just too fool to see it, girlie," his smirk appeared, making her shake in fear, fear of losing what she cared about, "confusing terms and assuming things without asking."

"You're lying." she repeated, more to herself than for him to hear. He sighed, as if he was done with her.

"Think what you want. Now, there are people waiting for me. Until next time, girlie."

The shattering of her heart served up as the soundtrack of his departure. The leaves that had been once so vibrant and full of colour now danced around her in muted tones, mocking her. That was it, the end of their love. The palace the resembled their union fell into pieces, she needed to let go of him. The words he said cut deeper than a knife, made her feel cold. But how could she let go if she still loved him?

"So now you're with the Alchemist," a familiar voice interrupted her thoughts, making her turn to the source of it.

There he was. Orange hair and piercing blue eyes. His smirk wasn't present in the portray he displayed of himself, walking as the noble man he said he was. Her heart raced for the first time in years, asking her for indulgence, for permission to feel.

"Yes," was the first thing she said after some minutes processing what was happening. Childe was there, in front of her, "yes, I'm with Albedo."

"I see," he commented, uninterested. She thought that was all the interaction they would have, that he would go away again and leave her live her life, but she had to know better, "even if you can't forget me, you allow yourself to be with someone else?"

"What is it to you?" Y/N felt offended, who did he think he was to reprimand her in such a dirty way? He couldn't know she wasn't over him, could he?

"It's unfair for both of you. You see, love shouldn't feel like you owe something to someone just because they love you." Childe said, his gaze falling at the bracelet for a couple of seconds before looking at the landscape, "You're fooling him and yourself."

"And what would you know about love?" the question came in a bitter tone. She was angry, how dare he talk about love when he did her so wrong? When he hurt her so much?

"Touché." Childe gave her a sincere smile that reached his eyes, it was breath-taking. Y/N felt her stomach twirl and her heart jump at the sight of such a beautiful scenario, "Glad to see you well, Y/N. See ya!"

And like that, he left the place as if he hadn't turned her world around again. She missed him, she admitted to herself that she missed him. She missed his wild nature, his odd conversations, the mystery wrapping around him. She couldn't forgive him, but she couldn't live without him, either. That's the way she loved him.

Once Albedo returned from his errands, they both went to the transport point to return to Mondstadt. The way back was silent, but not a comfortable one as they always had, there was some tension lingering in between them. She wanted to attribute it to the tension she had been carrying since her encounter with Childe, but deep down she knew there was something else.

When they entered their house, they both changed into their sleeping garments without sharing a word, waiting for the other to be the first one to break the silence. Y/N didn't have it in her to be the brave one in the situation at hand, so, finally, Albedo spoke.

"I know you're not over him," he said, calmly, but there was jealousy in his tone.

She was surprised to hear him say those words. She never mentioned Childe before, less being in a relationship with him. She wanted to feel fear, the same one she felt when her argument with Childe broke them apart, but she felt nothing at all. Why? Why couldn't she be in love with a man life him?

"What?"

"You know what I'm talking about, Y/N." Albedo sighed, sitting at the edge of their shared bed.

"B-but", she stuttered, searching for words, "H-how do you know...?"

"There were rumours... some years ago, about the 'traveller' being with one of the Eleven Fatui Harbingers. It was during your time at Liyue."

She nodded, understanding, but really not understanding anything, "Did you believe them?"

"I can't say yes, but I can't say no, either." Albedo looked at her, he didn't look angry, and that made her feel a little bit better. "I just couldn't know if it was true or not because I wasn't there."

"I see." another moment of silence followed. She took a deep breath and looked at him in the eyes, "Why do you say that I'm not over him, though?"

"There are so many signs, you aren't the subtlest person, love." he chuckled, "The bracelet has Snezhnaya patterns and you haven't taken it out in all these years. I can only assume it was a present from Tartaglia."

Y/N nodded again, impressed with how observant Albedo was and with his deduction skills. She wished for the hundredth time that day that she would have fell in love with him and not with the Harbinger.

"I'm so sorry-" she began, but was quickly interrupted by her fiancé.

"Don't." he commanded, "That's not the only thing that gave you away."

"What do you mean?"

"Your late night trips."

'He knew' she thought, searching for any clues that could tell her when he had discovered it, but there were none. 'He has known all this time.'

"Why haven't you said anything?" she asked.

"I wanted to give you space," he began, "I must admit, however, that at first I thought you were cheating on me."

"I would never-" she was interrupted again, a kind gaze on his eyes.

"I know, I know. I realized when you came home smelling like grass and mint and not with the cologne of another man."

It was silent again, Y/N tried to find anything she could say to make him feel better, but she couldn't even understand himself. Why isn't she feeling her heart shattering? She knew why, but she didn't want to indulge in that feeling.

"I'm so sorry, Albedo. I really am."

"It's okay."

"No, it's not." those words sounded identical to the ones she had directed to Childe once upon a time.

"I am aware that you don't love me the way I love you."

"Albedo-"

"But it's okay, I can love both of us enough to fill that gap."

She was at a loss of words. Had she heard it right? What did he mean? Albedo was so calm, so ethereal, looking at her fondly even when he knew she didn't feel the same. He was going to marry a woman that didn't want him the same way she wanted her. And even though he was aware of that, he was smiling.

"Why?" she wondered out loud.

"Because that's how it works, that's the way I love you, until you can return my feelings."

The leaves that danced aggressively at the other side of the window stayed still, processing the scene going on in the room of the Alchemist and the Traveller. Their colour coming back to a vibrant one, giving her hope of being able to love again, to feel something.

Her love with Childe was like the Sun and the Moon, so in love they were crazy for each other, but impossible and unworkable. But, Albedo loved her like the Sea loved its waves, like the birds loved the Wind, like a Dwelling loved the warmth of the fire, and she was going to return it. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but she would. And when she did, she would love him as much as the Leaves loved their trees, as much as the Lake loved the rain that floods it, as much as the Horizon loved dusk.

She bid goodbye to Childe that night, leaving the bracelet in the drawer in her nightstand. Adorning her hand only was the ring Albedo had gifted her.

"See you, Childe," she murmured at 2 a.m. before falling in her slumber.