#omega dazed and confused: what have i ever done that made it seem like i gave a fuck about what eggman thinks i scrap his shit for fun

[fstbmp-a]

@anonymous sent: Omega, eggman really doesn't care about you since he threw you away like a used tissue. He likes Metal Sonic Better since metal has a superior chassis! He's the better 'bot

". . . I am going to drop the bit for a minute to say I couldn't give less of a fuck about what Eggman thinks or cares about. A superior copy of an inferior being is also of little importance."

[goldandbluesmiles]

Nesting

Summary: No one ever taught Tim how to build a nest. Bruce fixes that.

Part 1, Ao3

Notes: This is actually supposed to be the fourth or fifth fic in the Keeper series but the second one to be posted so some things might be confusing.

A few things to note - Bruce saying that he's a disease is a misconception on his part, he thinks him being a Keeper and not following all the rules is the reason bad things happen to his family. -Dick was Bruce's protege but he is Bludhaven's Keeper so while him and Bruce have problems they don't have too big of a falling out because Bruce always knew Dick wasn't Gotham's. -Jason also died in this au but he died in Gotham, not in Ethiopia.

TW: Mention of child neglect

XXX

Bruce didn't notice too much about Tim at first. He was a thirteen years old male omega who had the keeper's magic inside of him. He had parents so he didn't need to be Bruce's responsibility outside of training.

And Bruce was okay with that. He had already lost one protege to the Keeper's magic and it had nearly destroyed him.

There was a reason Keepers weren't supposed to have normal packs. It was a disease.

And Bruce was the biggest disease of all.

Tim usually came to the cave in the evening after school and went home after a few hours of studying and lessons. Dick and Jason had always been eager to get to the physical training part but Tim was more than okay with reading books on books about Keepers. He was also a creative problem solver, picking things up faster then Bruce had.

Sometimes Bruce felt the urge to scoop up the little pup and tuck him close, especially when he looked at him with those hopeful eyes. But then Bruce would remember Jason and push the thought away. He hadn't been good enough with Jason, treated him like a child and son instead of protege and fellow Keeper and look where that had got him.

It was better this way.

So Tim left for home every night at 8:00, right when his housekeeper expected him. Which was why Bruce was very surprised to find him standing at the entrance of the cave around 8:30, half an hour after he had sent him home.

"Tim?"

No answer

"Tim, are you alright?"

No answer.

Something was wrong. The boy usually scrambled to answer.

Once Bruce got closer, the situation became evident. The little Omega was in pre-heat. He was young so his scent was significantly lighter but there was no mistaking the extra boost to the lemon scent. The boy was definitely going into heat.

"Timmy, Kiddo," he said softly, ignoring the part of his that told him to turn away, "Look at me,"

The little boy, who had had his back to him until now, slowly turned around. Bruce winced when he saw his expression. Dazed with a little bit of...fear? Why did the boy look afraid?

"H-hi Bruce. I-um-I was about to leave but then this feeling just hit me and I didn't want to leave anymore. I'm usually home by the time it hits me-b-but- it hit me here and-I'm so so sorry, Bruce! I'm so sorry!"

Bruce took a deep breath and knelt in front of the shaking boy. Going by his age, he probably hadn't been having heats for more than a year and since very young omegas only had a few heats a year, this was was probably his third or fourth. He was in a house that wasn't his and not to mention with an adult who had been less than welcoming.

He sighed again and put a hand on Tim's shoulder. The boy flinched at first but then relaxed a bit.

"It's okay, Tim," he said, "Do you want me to take you home?". Tim probably had a nest there. Most pups liked to 'play nest' and those that had started heat usually kept up theirs. There were some interesting stories about young pups, especially omegas, fighting their parents when they tried to wash the items used in the nest.

Bruce would take Tim home, make sure he was taken care of by whoever was watching him and then he would come back and this unsettling feeling he was getting in his chest would go away.

He wasn't expecting the way Tim's eyes filled with tears while he shook his head.

"Don't wanna be alone," he mumbled

Bruce frowned. Young omegas got emotional during their heat, some even pre-heat, but this was odd and why would Tim say that about being alone? He had sais someone watched him.

"What do you mean you're going to be alone?"

Tim sniffed and shook his head, "Shouldn't have said that. Bad,"

Bruce's chest tightened. Something was wrong, very very wrong.

He decided to try something else, "What about your nest then?"

"What nest?"

Bruce barely held himself back from gasping in shock.

Could this be-

"Is this your first heat, kiddo?"

Tim shook his head.

"And you don't have a nest?"

Tim shook his head again.

"How many heats have you had, buddy?"

"Two," said Tim with a sniffle, "Didn't realize what the first one was, they were five months apart,"

Tim had started coming here four months ago. And he didn't have a nest. Good god.

Bruce had so many more questions but they could wait because Tim was starting to shake again.

"Hey Tim," he said, "I'm gonna pick you up okay?"

"Okay." he sniffled

Bruce carefully picked him up, backpack and all. He was impossibly small and light in his arms, instantly curling up against his chest.

Goddammit, he could already feel himself getting attached. This wasn't supposed to happen.

"Oh My," said Alfred, once they got upstairs, looking at the boy who now had his eyes squeezed shut "What happened here, Master Bruce?"

"He's going in heat in the next twenty-four hours, said he didn't want to go home because he doesn't want to be alone and has never made a nest despite already having had two heats,"

An almost undetectable dark look passed over Alfred's face.

"I see," said the old butler, "You'll be taking him to your room then,"

"Yes," said Bruce, "I'm sure you already know the list of his favourite snacks,"

"Of course," said Alfred, "I'll make sure to bring them up,"

"Thanks, Alfie,"

Once Bruce got to the room, he turned on the dim lamplight and carefully deposited the boy in the middle of the bed.

"You can open your eyes now, Buddy," said Bruce

Tim opened his eyes and looked around with surprise.

"Is this your room?"

"Yes, Tim," he said

"What are we doing here?" he asked

"I'm going to teach you to build a nest," he said

"Oh," he said, eyes widening in surprise, confirming Bruce's fears. This poor little Omega had spent his last two heats without a nest and probably without his parents.

"Now," said Bruce, "There are some very important decisions that need to be considered when making a nest,"

Tim straightened and looked at him intently. Bruce couldn't help the warmth that spread thought. God, this kid was adorable.

"First one," said Bruce, "Covered top or not?"

xxx

Tim watched in surprise as Bruce attached to wooden poles to the end of the bedposts.

"Is this tall okay?" asked the older Omega, "I'll have to attach something to the headboard too so it makes a triangle shape,"

"Oh no," said Tim, "That's not necessary. I'll fit inside,"

This was bad, He was causing too much trouble. He should have just gone home. Why didn't he just go home?

"But then I won't fit," said Bruce

Tim's mouth fell open in surprise

"You're going to stay with me," he asked in a whisper

"Of course," said Bruce with a frown, "Unless you want someone else? Maybe Dick or Barbara? Because you're not old enough to do this alone,"

But I already did it alone.

He didn't say that though. Instead, he just nodded.

"Okay, You can stay,"

Bruce frowned a little and Tim wondered if he's said something wrong.

But then Bruce went back to fixing the bed and Tim relaxed. Everything was fine.

"Now," said Bruce, once he was done attaching the poles, "I'm gonna hold some things up and you're going to tell me if you want to keep them?"

"Okay," he said

Bruce went into the closet and brought out a pile of soft and furry looking things.

"First. we're going to put something at the bottom. Something comfy. Would you like wool? Cotton? Maybe a down?"

"What a down?"

The older omega frowned. Tim was just about to take back his question when Bruce picked up a bunch of things again.

"I have an idea," said Bruce, "You feel them and tell me which one will the comfiest under you,"

"Oh, okay,"

He ended up choosing a large blue blanket that seemed to have feathers inside of it.

"Good choice," said Bruce, giving Tim a bright smile. Tim loved that smile. It made his magic dance nicely in his chest.

The nest little while was spent like that, with Bruce showing Tim different things and he would choose which ones he likes best.

"How do I know which one feels the nicest," he asked at one point

"Well," said Bruce, "There are many ways to tell. You can feel it with your hands, curl up in it or..."

"Or?" asked Tim, confused as to why Bruce had stopped speaking

"Or I could do this," said Bruce and pounced. Before Tim knew it, he had been pushed into one of the blankets as Bruce tickled him mercilessly.

"Wait-what-haha-stop-stop-hahaha-BRUCE!"

"Nuh-uh," huffed Bruce, "Not stopping,"

Tim screeched as Bruce poked a particularly sensitive spot and tried to get away, twisting the splayed blankets and covers as he went.

"You're not getting away Kiddo," Bruce said with a grin, yanking him back against his chest, mercilessly tickling his tummy and making him gasp and twist.

Eventually, Tim ran out of breath and Bruce let him go. He flopped down onto the bed, a few giggles still escaping him as he caught his breath.

"So," said Bruce, "How does it look now?"

Tim looked at him in confusion. What did he mean?

Bruce just smiled and waved his hand around. Tim turned to look and his eyes widened. Them moving around had moved the bigger blankets to the edge, creating a sort of barrier, the cotton sheets were still under him covering the large blue blanker at the bottom. There were brighter lighter blankets just inside the barrier, giving it a cozy look and there were handmade quilts and a couple of knitted blankets laying closer to him.

"I like it," he said, running his hand on top of one knitted blanket, "I really really like it,"

"I'm glad, Kiddo," said Bruce, "Just have to fix it in a few places,"

Bruce went ahead and started to pull the blankets closer together, settling them in a way that made sure both of them could stretch. After he was done, he picked up one of the quilts and put it around Tim's shoulders.

"There you go," he murmured, "Now sit here and I'm going to get a sheet to cover us, okay?"

Tim nodded. Bruce moved to the edge of the bed and pulled up three sheets.

"Blue, White, or Yellow?"

"Yellow," said Tim

"Great," said Bruce, standing up, "If I attach this here and here and then..."

Carefully, the older omega constructed a cover over them using duct tape and the wooden poles he had attached to the bed.

"And for the finishing touch," said Bruce and leaned over the change the setting on the lights. The lights dimmed a bit, creating a yellow glow in the nest as they were filtered through the near-transparent sheet.

"What do you think, Tim?" said Bruce as he settled in beside him.

Tim could feel a big feeling building in his chest as tears gathered in his eyes.

Not being able to answer, he did the only thing he could think of and threw himself at Bruce's chest.

XXX

Bruce tensed as Tim slammed into him. The weight wasn't the problem but when was the last time he had held a child close? The last time-

He cut his thoughts off. No matter how bad this might turn out, he had an obligation as Tim's mentor to help him in any way possible, including emotionally. This was just a mentor taking care of his protege. Absolutely nothing to do with Pack.

Bruce could do this.

"You okay there, Timmy?"

Tim nodded and a soft sound started coming from him.

Was he-

Another soft sound.

Yup. The little omega was definitely purring. So adorable.

Slowly, Bruce could feel his apprehensions slipping away as he gave an answering purr. The little boy looked back up in surprise as if no one had answered his before.

Alphas and Betas didn't purr but they did growl and hum. Tim's parents should have been answering him with something if they had taken some time to spend with their little boy. But it was becoming increasingly obvious that they didn't have much to do with Tim.

Bruce felt a surge of hate toward the Drakes. How dare they? They had this brilliant, sweet child. Didn't they know how precious this was, this life? How fragile? How it could be taken away in a-

Tim purred louder and nuzzled his neck, probably detecting his changing mood from his scent.

Bruce gently purred in response, letting him know everything was fine. As he pulled the little boy closer, he felt their magics curl together. Bruce's own mature magic and Tim's still developing spark.

Ours Ours Ours

'Not yet," answered Bruce, having mastered speaking in his head, "He's too young to protect Gotham yet and his magic isn't as developed as you,"

No no Ours

It took him a few seconds to realize what his magic was saying. With Dick and Jason, the line had been clear. They didn't have parents. They were Keepers and so was Bruce, therefore, they were Bruce's responsibility.

It wasn't that way with Tim.

This was the magic asking him to claim Tim as his own.

Bruce pursed his lips. The Keeper's magic didn't usually have any morals or goals other than having a way to do its job, in this case, protect Gotham. It needed the Keeper to help direct it and bend it and make sure it didn't do anything to disrupt the system of that Keepers time period.

So why did it want Bruce to claim Tim? Was it reflecting Bruce's own desire back? Because despite what Dick liked to say, Bruce wasn't actually oblivious to his own feelings, he just didn't act on them.

'Why are you so insistent?'

Needs our help. We help Gotham and Gotham includes its people. We are the best equipped in this scenario.

Huh, so the magic was learning after all.

"Bruce?" asked Tim, starting to sound a little sleepy

"It's okay," said Bruce, "Go to sleep, Kiddo,"

The little omega yawned and closed his eyes, snuggling deeper into his chest.

He could do this.

[bgn846]

Worthy Chapter 6: Trapped FFXV A/B/O Promnis

<Previous Chapter 5

A faint buzzing noise drifted in and out of Noct’s dream. His brain finally latched onto what it meant and woke him up.  His phone was vibrating with an incoming call, and it was three in the morning. A quick glance indicated it was Prompto, and Noct scrambled to pick up the phone.

 “Hey! Are you alright? What happened? I’ve been trying to call you all night,” the prince admitted.

 “Um – I might have to hide in my room for the rest of my life,” Prompto admitted in a small voice.

 “What the hell happened?” he asked, concerned.

 “That lady, um – Saeva. She tried to get me.”

 “What do you mean get you?  Are you hurt?” Noct asked, sitting upright in his bed with alarm.

 “She cornered me, and she had a knife.”

 “I’m waking Ignis up, and we are coming to get you right now!”

 “I can’t leave my mum, Noct. She doesn’t think anything’s wrong.”

 “Did you tell her snaky threatened your fucking life?!” Noct yelled into the phone.  “That’s gotta mean something.”

 “Hey, calm down, buddy. I can’t tell her. She wouldn’t believe me, anyway,” Prompto lamented.  “I can hide at home for a little while, but I’ll have to eventually leave the house. I don’t know what to do!”

 “So what do we need to do to get your mother to leave?”

 “I don’t know that either!” he wailed.

 “It’s okay, we are going to figure this out.  I gotta talk to Ignis, though, and see what he can do.  We need to get you outta there, like, yesterday.”

 Noct listened as Prompto recounted his whole ordeal.  It sounded terrible, and thank the six something had distracted her when they were alone together.  It took some convincing, but Noct finally agreed to not come and get him right then and there. The omega wasn’t going to leave his mother, so Noct needed to figure that out first.   Unfortunately, he had no time if this nasty woman was after him.

 After forty minutes, Noct could barely stay awake, and Prompto kept yawning.  He made the omega promise to call him when he woke up the next morning. He needed to be sure his friend was safe.

 Sleep was fitful at best, but morning finally came, and Noct exchanged text messages with Prompto.  He was still in his room with the door locked. Good. He was safe for the day, hopefully. Now to get Ignis updated and on the case.

    --

   “Are you sure he’s up for the task, dearest? I mean he’s not exactly – bright,” Saeva pondered in a hushed tone from behind a large column.

 “I’m telling you he’s perfect. Besides, I can’t really ask Alban, now can I?” Otho frowned.  He really was desperate to make the dark-haired woman happy. She’d unexpectedly visited Otho last night, and he was still feeling the effects of their activities.  A very small part of his brain recognized his actions as a betrayal to his older brother Alban. However, this opportunity was too good to pass up.

 Saeva had begged his help in a certain matter regarding his omegan step brother Prompto.  Turns out the little stinker was trying to work his way to the top of the line. Otho rarely spoke with Prompto, but according to Saeva he was plotting something nasty.

 Apparently, Prompto’s whole painfully shy routine was a façade. Saeva recounted how the blond had cornered her at the banquet and threatened her life.  The little bastard wanted her to leave and drop the engagement.

 Saeva had stopped several times during the retelling of the incident to cry.  Otho had made sure he was nearby to provide a shoulder to cry on. The most shocking part of the story was Alban’s reaction.   His older brother had supposedly dismissed the whole thing and claimed she was drunk. Then, to add insult to injury, he’d tried to force himself on her, but Saeva had managed to get away.  It was amazing that even as a rare alpha female, she still had trouble with this sort of thing.

 This beautifully delicate woman was in fear for her life, and Otho was determined to save her.  Otho had consoled her most of the night, offering to help in any way he could. Saeva had tearfully admitted the only way she would feel truly safe was if both Prompto and Alban were gone.   Without hesitation, Otho had pledged his assistance. He had to save her. His first task was to get Prompto out of the way; the wiry blond seemed like an easy target. Alban was another matter.

 Currently, they were both hiding behind a column waiting for Amet, one of his other brothers.  Otho knew he would be a perfect match for the job he had in mind. As Saeva had so pointedly noticed, Amet wasn’t the brightest.  However, his lack of basic life skills was essential if he got caught. Amet would most likely forget all important details pertaining to his given task.

 “Wait here, dove. I’ll be right back.” Otho offered as he slipped out to speak with Amet.  Saeva nodded and stayed out of sight.

 Sauntering over, Otho greeted his brother.  “Amet, I appreciate you meeting me away from the palace.”

 “Anytime, brother. You seemed stressed over the phone.”

 “Oh, very. Some information has come to light that indicates Alban’s life may be in danger.”

 Amet blinked stupidly for a few seconds before he could answer.  “How?”

 “This will sound crazy, but it appears our step-brother may be plotting against us all.”

 “Who?” he asked with an equally dazed expression.

 Sighing through his nose, Otho worked to control his temper.   Dealing with Amet came with certain challenges. “Our step brother, the omega,” he tried again, unwilling to actually say Prompto’s name.

 “Huh, which one?”  

 Otho was working hard to not yell.  “Not our half-brothers, Amet. Our step-brother.”

 “Oh right, Cirus.  He seemed fine when I saw him yeste--.”

 “Prompto!” Otho hissed, cutting his younger brother off.  “Our fucking step-brother, you nitwit!”

 “Oh, right, that one. I get them all confused.  Do you need me to deliver a message or something?” Amet asked innocently.  

 “What do you mean that one?” Otho sputtered. “We only have the one step-brother! Astrals, never mind. I need you to hire someone to make him leave the city.”

 “Cirus?”

 “No.” Otho growled, “Prompto.”

 “Oh, yeah. Right, the omega.”

 “Yes. Now can you handle that?”

 “Yeah, for sure. I can deliver a message to Cirus, no problem.”  Amet smiled.

 “No. Not Cirus. Please forget you ever mentioned his name.”

 “Of course, brother. Now what did you want again?”

 Otho balled his fits up and took a deep breath. He tried to control his scent. The last thing he needed was to set off Amet’s alpha rage inadvertently.   “I need you to hire someone to make Prompto leave the city.”

 “Who?”

 “Preferably someone that knows how to use force.”      

 “Right, that makes sense.  You know I could do it myself. I work out.” Amet beamed as he flexed his right arm.

 “I know you do, but hire someone.  I need Prompto to be gone by the end of the week.”

 “Consider it done, I’ll make Cir — I mean Prompto — leave right away.”

 “Good. Be sure to use the private account if you need to pay the person you hire.”

 “Uh, how do I find this person, anyway -  the one I need to hire?” Amet questioned with a furrowed brow.

 “Go to the shitty part of town with some cash and start asking people to help you get rid of someone.  They’ll want a name and money.”

 “Huh – that easy, eh.  Great, I’ll go get some money now.  Do you want to do dinner later?” Amet asked eagerly.

 “Forgive me, brother, but I’m otherwise engaged. Perhaps another time,” Otho offered as he backed away.  Amet waved goodbye and smiled as he turned to leave the empty corridor. Phase one had been set in motion.  Otho knew Amet would draw far too much attention during his mission, and once things were said and done, he’d probably go to prison for his role.  However, that would mean there was one less person to threaten his claim to the throne.

 Saeva was still waiting for him behind the column.  “Dear heart, I must go run an errand. Will you be free for dinner?”

 “Where are you going? What if Alban sees you?”

 “I’ll be alright; this is something I must attend to privately.  Women’s matters. You understand, don’t you?” She crooned.

 “Of course, dove. I’ll be waiting.”  Otho smiled. He watched as his dark-haired beauty quietly slipped away into the shadows.  Things had been set in motion. Now he just had to sit back and wait.

    --

     Ignis had been on edge all morning.  The prince had actually called him before Ignis had left his apartment.

 That never happened.

 Ever.

 Noct had been in a panic about Lady Saeva and how she was out to get Prompto.  The advisor listened dutifully and tried to calm his charge, but Noct was truly fearful over what might happen if they didn’t intervene.

 Thankfully, Ignis had enough foresight to send Nyx back to keep tabs on Saeva and Prince Prompto.  His nervousness at the moment stemmed from not having received a check in from Nyx. The soldier had arrived in Niflheim sometime in the middle of the night. Aside from a short text indicating he’d landed, Ignis had heard nothing else.  He knew he was riding a fine line sending a glaive into another kingdom to spy, but someone’s life was in danger.

 The person who      had     managed to clog his inbox was Noct. The prince had been texting him nearly every fifteen minutes wanting an update.  Ignis almost regretted telling him that he’d sent Nyx. However, the advisor knew if he hadn’t said anything, Noct would have been a total wreck.  This was a lesser of two evils.

 Finally, at around one thirty in the afternoon, Ignis received a text that wasn’t from Noct.

Nyx Ulric 1:32pm: This shit is real… o-o  sunshine still beaming, snaky is scary af.  Got job interview to go to now.

 Ignis stared at his phone. What in Titan’s name was Nyx up to in Niflheim?  Opting to keep it simple, he replied      good luck     and pocketed his phone.  He knew they couldn’t text exact details, but Nyx definitely had a way with words - or the lack thereof, Ignis wasn’t sure.

 Taking a deep breath, he continued on in his day, clinging to the small bit of Nyx’s text that read,      sunshine still beaming    .  Prompto was safe for now.  That’s what mattered.

     --

     Nyx had been following Amet Clavus, the third in line to the Niflheim throne, for an hour.  He’d been trailing Saeva Pravus all morning after she’d left Otho Calvus quarters. Nyx was too far away to hear what had transpired between Otho and Amet during their meeting, but he was sure it was important.

 Hoping his hunch was correct; Nyx chose to follow Amet for the afternoon.   His efforts were about to pay off big time. The hulking form of the alpha strolled ahead at a leisurely pace in the most disgusting part of town Nyx had ever seen.  If it weren’t for the fact that the man was clearly a body-builder and stood damn near close to Gladio’s height, he would have been robbed ages ago.

 Finally, Nyx was able to overhear what Amet had been asking people.  He needed a hired gun to run someone out of town. Putting on his best smile, Nyx wandered up to Amet and slapped him on the arm.   “Oi, I hear you’re in the market for some hired muscle. Can’t imagine why, though. You’ve got plenty to go around.”

 Amet stared at him for a moment and then smiled back.  “I do work out quite a bit. Every day, in fact,” he announced proudly. A burst of pheromones soon followed, confirming his happiness regarding the topic.

 “That’s excellent, gotta keep those muscles in peak condition.  So, I hear you need help with something?” Nyx tried again.

 “Oh!  Yes, I need someone to leave town by the end of the week.”

  “Uh – sure, I can help out with that,” Nyx replied, suddenly realizing that Amet was a few players short of a full team.

 “Great!” Amet breathed in relief.  “I really want to get back so I can work out again, and it was taking too long to find someone.”

 “Right, well, I’m your man.” Nyx grinned as he smoothed out his black denim jacket.  Ignis had instructed him to go undercover and not wear anything that could tie him back to the crown.

 “Ok, then, if you could swing by later and let me know when you’re done, that’d be great. I have to tell my brother.”

 “I can do that, no problem.” Nyx answered slowly even though the large alpha hadn’t given him a location.  Amet made to walk away, and Nyx scooted around in front of him again. “I just need a name and a deposit.”

 “Yeah! So it’s my half – no wait!” Amet paused dramatically holding his hands out. “It’s my step-brother, Cirus! Oh no, that’s not right, either!”  The man sighed and furrowed his brow clearly deep in thought.

 “Would it help if I tired guessing?” Nyx offered dryly.

 “It’s on the tip of my brain.”

 Nyx figured a lot of things were on the tip of Amet’s brain, but they’d been ignored for so long they’d turned to dust ages ago.  The glaive was about to start throwing letters out to help when Amet sprang back to life.

 “The omega!  His name begins with a P.  That’s all I remember.”

 “Where does this omega live?” Nyx questioned further.

 “With me.”

 “Oh – like, um, in the same house?”

 “No, a different one.”

 Nyx decided to take a different direction even though he knew who Amet was talking about and where Prompto lived. “So where do you live?” he asked gleefully.

 “Under the old keep. You know, in the government compound where the royals live,” Amet whispered as if it mattered.

 “Gotcha, I know where that is.  So I just need a deposit, and I’ll be on my merry way.”

 “Perfect. I really gotta go,” agreed Amet as he dug around in his pocket and handed over a wad of cash.

 Nyx nearly busted a blood vessel when Amet gave it to him.  The glaive pocketed it as fast as he could and hoped no one would come after him for it next.  

 “Bye!” Amet cheered as he turned and left.

 Nyx literally ran back to the airfield where he’d been hiding out.  The shed Prompto had hid his clothes in proved to be a perfect base of operations. Thankfully, no one followed him, and he hid the money after wiping off his prints.   Now to find out what Saeva was up to. But before he left again, Nyx texted Ignis once more.

 Nyx Ulric 3:48pm:          Got the job but it's night shift, boss doesn’t mind if it’s dark all day long.  I might have to take my work home with me if it gets difficult.  

     --

   Prompto flinched when his phone chimed.  He’d been on edge all day wondering if Saeva would try something again.  Prompto wouldn’t put it past her to visit his house; she truly was a snake.  Grabbing his phone revealed a message from Ignis.

Ignis Scientia 3:55pm: Are you doing alright?

 The blond blinked a few times.  Ignis was checking on him, but why?  He knew the advisor was aware of his predicament, but he didn’t think he’d text him directly.

Prompto Argentum 3:58pm: I’m okay, just nervous about seeing Saeva again.

 Ignis Scientia 4:00pm      :          I would advise you to stay in your room for as long as you can.  Do you still have Nyx’s phone number?  

 He thought about the nice beta soldier that they’d stationed outside Noct’s suite in Insomnia.  He still had the number, but he’d never used it.

Prompto Argentum 4:02pm: Yeah I still have it.

 Ignis Scientia 4:03pm:          Excellent. Keep it and call or text that number if you need immediate assistance.  Is that understood?  

 Prompto stared at his phone. Did that mean that soldier was here?  Was Nyx in Niflheim? That meant he could leave, if he had an escort.  However, he remembered he still had to convince his mother to leave.    

 Prompto Argentum 4:05pm:          Ok I will.  Thanks for checking on me.  

Ignis Scientia 4:05pm: Of course, anything to help.

 Waiting a few minutes produced no more messages, and Prompto focused on taking deep breaths.  He was going to survive this. He had people who wanted to help and who wanted to be friends with him.

    --

     Checking her phone once more, Saeva looked up and smiled sweetly at Alban.  The dolt was clueless about everything. He’d already completely forgotten about her issue with Prompto.  He was prattling on about the latest model car that had been released in Altissia and showed no signs of stopping.  “Darling, I feel a headache coming on. I’m going to retire to my rooms for a nap.”

 This comment seemed to shut Alban up.  “Oh, can I come?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.  

 Working to hide her disdain, Saeva smiled again. “Oh, I would love to have you, but I fear my headache is too great.  Rain check?”

 The slightly balding alpha seemed upset, but he backed off.  “Of course. Perhaps we could do dinner together?”

 “Wasn’t this lovely lunch enough? Besides, I fear I may still be sleeping later. Tomorrow?”

 Alban agreed, and Saeva finally stood to leave the stuffy room they’d been confined to for over an hour.  She had her own meeting to attend. Smiling, she quickly left the suites and went outside the royal compound.

 Things were going well.  The groundwork had been laid linking Otho and Amet with the plot to harm Prompto.  However, she still needed to arrange his actual death. She didn’t trust either of them to accomplish the task.  Amet was a good looking lump of muscle and nothing more. Otho was blinded by her kisses and promises. He didn’t stand a chance.  Now when the lowly boy turned up dead, they would go down for his murder.

  Alban, on the other hand, was moldable; she could work with that later.

 Meeting with an assassin for hire in the late afternoon wasn’t normal, but nothing Saeva did followed the rules.  Ducking into a side street, she huddled into her fur lined coat and waited.

 “I didn’t think you’d show up,” a sultry voice nearby called out.

 “I have a tight schedule to keep, so this was my only availability,” Saeva replied.

 “Hmmm, I see.  Details please?” the voice asked as the figure came out from an overhang.

 Saeva pulled a small envelope out of her inside coat pocket and handed it over to the woman approaching.  She was wearing a long fitted trench coat and military grade boots. After pocketing the item, the light haired woman smiled ever so slightly and stared at Saeva.  She made no move to say anything else, and appeared to be studying her.

 Taking a deep breath Saeva nodded curtly.  She was done with this transaction and needed to return to the government compound.   Suddenly, the other woman shifted and was directly in front of her. Saeva was unable to fight back when the assassin roughly shoved her into the wall.

 “Something about you doesn’t sit well with me,” she offered in a hushed tone.

 Saeva went to push her away, but something sharp poked her in the side.  This fucking bitch had pulled a knife on her. “If you want the rest of your fucking money, whore, I suggest you back off,” Saeva spit.

 “Oh no, how scary --” The woman drawled coolly.  “Listen up, gold digger. If you want to stay pretty, I suggest you keep your end of the bargain.  Also, my price just went up for your brass assumption regarding my sexual habits. Now, off you go. Run back to your big, strong, stupid alphas and play with them.”

 The anger bubbling up in Saeva’s veins was causing her to shake.  How dare this woman talk to her in such a manner. “Fuck off!” she hissed.

 The woman shrugged slightly and tilted her head. “If that’s what you want.”

 Biting back a yelp, Saeva felt the woman get      even     closer, as she leaned in with her full weight.  What in Shiva’s name was happening? The knife was a steady presence in her side, so she couldn’t move away.

 Saeva then felt a pair of sharp teeth near her neck.  “Stop it. I’ll pay the extra,” she relented unhappily.  She couldn’t risk getting bitten. The other woman was an alpha and knew what she was doing.  If Saeva had gotten marked, then she couldn’t marry the king. This fucking bitch was such a hassle.  She hoped that when she found Prompto, she’d make him hurt. The blade went away, and Saeva finally pushed the woman away and walked out of the alley. 

>Next Chapter 7 

[wheredidhiseyebrowsgo]

do you know of any fics where Stiles has a secret of some sort?

That’s why his hair is so big. It’s full of secrets. - Anastasia

So Take a Long Shot by relenafanel

(1/1 I 2,650 I Teen I Sterek)

Stiles is ten when his father teaches him how to shoot. He sucks with a handgun, more likely to shoot off his own foot than the target.

The same cannot be said for his skill with a long-range rifle (but he's no one's weapon).

Eventually, Stiles knows, the secret will come out, because there are just some people he will save at all costs.

(That day comes when they're hunting a redcap through the forest and can't reach Derek in time)

A Sheep In Wolf's Clothing by dumpacc

(1/1 I 11,282 I Mature I Sterek)

"What the fuck, Stiles, what the fuck?!"

"No, no, you don't understand, Scotty, this is the best idea ever!"

"Because you think registering as a fucking alpha to college when you're actually an omega is the best idea ever? It's not even a good idea!"

Being an omega, Stiles has few chances to be accepted in the college of his dreams. Registering as an alpha seems like a good idea... until his new roommate, hot-as-the-sun alpha Derek Hale, comes in the equation.

Strike Me A Match by clotpolesonly 

(1/1 I 11,584 I General I Sterek)

Derek stared at the reporter on the campus lounge’s television screen, gleefully reporting on Ignition’s latest fight. Behind her floated a photograph of him mid-battle, zoomed in on where his bodysuit had been slashed open across his left shoulder blade. It was a little blurry, a little pixelated, but more than clear enough to get a good look at the black mark on the bare skin there.

“Oh shit,” came Erica’s delighted voice as she dropped down onto the couch beside Derek. “Let the circus begin!”

Derek’s his heart dropped; circus was right. He resisted the impulse to reach for the spot on his own shoulder blade that itched and burned. It wouldn’t do him any good. He could make all the calls, send in all the verifiably undoctored photos of identical marks, make all the noise and fuss he wanted. With the buzz and the confusion, it wouldn’t matter. No one would believe him.

True match-ups never made it through a circus like this.

--

In which Derek discovers his soulmate is a superhero too far out of his reach to ever actually be with. But it doesn't feel right to flirt back at Stiles now either, no matter how much Derek wants to. Amazing or not, he's not Derek's soulmate.

Protector of Her Pack by BetaBlue

(10/? I 14,324 I Explicit I Sterek I girl!Stiles)

There are a few things Stiles knows is true in her life:1.) She’s much stronger then everyone gives her credit for2.) She would do anything for the Hale's…even die for them3.) And last but not lest Scott McCall is the worst friend in the world

The Aftermath of Gerard's attack on the Pack the Hale Pack along with The Sheriff help Stiles understand her family's bond to the Hale's and Beacon Hill's.

The Gentleman And The Fox by bleep0bleep, Inkforwords

(1/1 I 15,707 I Explicit I Sterek)

Derek doesn't expect much from his arranged marriage. When his inattentive husband, Lord Stiles Stilinski, tells him he's free to look for a lover, he doesn't know where to start, until a dashing bandit named the Red Fox catches his eye.~The Fox winks again. “Have a good night, Derek,” he purrs in a sultry tone, and then climbs back on the horse and disappears into the night.Derek walks up the path towards the manor in a daze, and it isn’t until he’s inside when he realizes he never told the Fox his name or where he lived. 

you’ve got me on pins and needles by jadore_hale

(1/1 I 17,611 I Teen I Sterek)

“At any rate, I’m not here to steal from you. One of the biggest potentially most important moments in my life is coming up and I find myself in need of a custom tux.”

“A tuxedo?” Derek halted, then tried not to laugh as he gave the kid a good look up and down. “Biggest potentially most important moment of your life?”

Derek picked up the broom and started sweeping, shaking his head. “If you need something for your little costume party, kid, rent something from party city.”

✄✄✄✄✄

Stiles Stilinski needs THE perfect suit and Derek Hale is just the tailor to make it for him. Only Derek doesn’t exactly know that Stiles is kind of a famous movie star…

Midnight Wolf vs Abominable Snowman! by orphan_account

(2/2 I 20,409 I Teen I Sterek)

Derek almost makes the mistake of saying, It’s not fanart, but he manages to catch himself, biting his tongue. This stranger, who’s already identified himself as at least a casual fan of Midnight Wolf, doesn’t need to know that he actually is the artist and author, not just another fan.

The Vasov Heir by neil4god

(12/12 I 20,665 I Not Rated I Sterek I Rape)

It was summer vacation. He was supposed to go to bed late and sleep even later, he should not be in a car at the ass crack of dawn (12:30) on his way to who know's where. That was not part of the plan, but then he hadn't planned on introducing the pack to his sort of fiance either or introducing them to his family, but his darkest secrets are being dragged into the light and Stiles may not survive it.

The PlayLiszt by dylanssourwolf

(1/1 I 21,570 I Explicit I Sterek)

Dr. Derek Hale is one of the most qualified musicologists in the country. He’s damn proud to be one of the most sought-after specialists in the world; he’s done his fair share of travelling to colleges all over the country to to give insights on the musical structures of some of the most famous pieces of classical literature.While he can't really play any of those pieces, he does have a particular choice of pianist when it comes to listening. Mieczysław. Derek likes to think he’s in love with the guy, even though he isn’t sure if Mieczysław is a first name or a last name or even a name at all, and he's never once gotten a glimpse of the pianist’s face. It’s about the music, the money-makers, and the guy’s hands are plastered on everything.The only other pianist who may be well on his way to being as talented as Mieczysław is a student by the name of Stiles Stilinski. He's just come back to school after a semester off and is now taking an independent study with Derek, who's trying desperately not to fall for his student. There's one peculiar thing; Stiles always has his hands mostly covered by fingerless gloves, yet still, Derek swears he's seen them somewhere.

Catch Me If You Can by illusemywords

(1/1 I 32,470 I Teen I Sterek)

Before Stiles Stilinski is 20 years old, he successfully cons millions of dollars' worth of checks posing as a Pan Am pilot, doctor, and lawyer. This is the story of him, and Derek Hale, the FBI agent chasing him.

Pen Name by rootbeer

(7/7 I 51,007 I Teen I Sterek)

Anxiety (/aNGˈzī-itē/):A feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome.~~"The set was busy; people bustled about with their various jobs. No one seemed to notice, or maybe they just didn’t care, as the gangly boy looked about nervously. He was all skin and bones, a track of moles across his light skin. He carried a bag across his shoulders, a coffee cup in his left hand and a curious look on his face. There was nothing remarkable looking about him at all, and perhaps, that was the most remarkable thing."

[specialagentrin]

Day 10 – On the tenth day of Christmas, Wincestmas gave to me: a many-years-old WIP about A/B/O dynamics

Warnings: Alpha!Sam, Omega!Dean, A/B/O dynamics, Bobby being the best ever, post season 1, a lot of angst tbh, but hopefully a happy ending, although tbh I haven’t exactly finished this fic and don’t think I’ll be able to finish it by the end of the event, but I’ll continue writing it for you if you like it, idk any other warnings for now, except a bit of masturbation but now really all that descriptive

Dean wasn’t a scholar, but it didn’t mean he’d simply ignore whatever was going on in order to not learn. Sometimes he did have some very interesting classes, but most of the time they sucked – after all, he didn’t see how he’d use any of that information in the life he was going to follow. It was why when he was thirteen he realized he might not be an alpha like his father. Sure, he had the built and the strength and even the swag, but his personality traits, his attitudes, everything else seemed to point out that he’d be an omega. He couldn’t be sure, and he hoped that if anything went wrong – like him not being an alpha – that he at least would become a beta instead of an omega.

Life didn’t quite agree with him.

When he was sixteen, he had his first heat. His father locked him in a hotel room and drove Sam to stay at a friend’s while Dean’s “problem” was resolved.

They didn’t talk about it. John just managed to get heat suppressants and found some deodorant that would be able to fake Dean’s now sweet smell.

Dean didn’t go see a doctor how he had seen in his class omegas were supposed to.

Dean didn’t ask questions or even talk about it with his dad or anyone else really.

Dean kept it his dirty secret from everybody else and he hated it.

However, doing what he did in his life, it was almost easy to forget what he was. However, when he was nineteen and Sammy had barely turned fifteen, the younger popped his knot and Dean saw how proud John was, how differently they were treated. In John’s eyes, Sam was now more capable of handling a situation and was trying to involve the younger more and more in cases, but Sam was obviously focusing on his studies. While Dean didn’t understand why he wanted to study, he did motivate and encourage Sam to study and to follow his dreams – even if they were going to end with the same destiny: following John’s steps.

It didn’t exactly happen the way he thought, though. Sam, being an alpha, couldn’t stop butting heads with John who made rules and expected them to be followed, but Sam didn’t back down. In these moments, Dean’s omega side was so obvious he more often than not left them fighting and tried to get drunk. Seeing his father and brother arguing, hearing John saying bad things to Sammy and Sammy telling him he was going to leave soon for college was too hard for Dean to bear.

He tried his best to cope, though. But it broke his heart when Sam actually left. At the same time, he could once more forget what he was.

Then his father went missing, Dean went to Sam for help, found him with a pretty omega although they were not mated yet, and he relished on the fact of having his brother back. It hurt, a couple of days later, when he dropped his brother back at his place in Stanford, but even more so when Jessica died exactly the same way as Mary.

They managed to move on as much as they could, trying to find John, and all in all it was perfect. Dean had missed Sam terribly, and looking at the man Sam had become made Dean extremely proud – mostly because he knew that most of who Sam was today was due to Dean’s care, and maybe it was his omega instinct telling him he had done a great job at raising him, but this time Dean didn’t care. If being an omega meant Sam would become this wonderful human being, Dean was okay with that.

Things were good for a while. They went into hunts together, Dean almost died once, he learnt about Sam’s visions and eventually they found dad.

Then Dean went into a coma. Things went downhill from there.

First their dad died. He died because he sold his soul to the damned yellow-eyed demon they had been hunting for years. Before dying he told Dean to look out for Sammy and that he might have to kill his own brother. So honestly? Dean felt like shit.

They decided to go to Bobby’s house so they could take care of the Impala and even rest for a while before hitting the road again.

However, a few miles before arriving to Bobby’s, Dean started feeling his skin itching and body heat rising. He tried to ignore it, mostly because in a couple of hours they’d arrive at their destination. But then he heard Sam sniffing the air and he frowned, looking at his brother and then back at the road. It didn’t last a full minute before Sam finally spoke.

“You’re smelling different.” Dean hit the breaks so violently that they almost hit the front window of the car. Dean now understood his symptoms. He was going to go into heat within the day, so he needed to get to Bobby’s fast. Dean cleared his throat and accelerated again.

“What? Of course not. What does that even mean?” How could he be so stupid? Of course he hadn’t been given any heat suppressants during his stay at the hospital – he was in a coma after all – and after that Dean completely forgot about it. He had had so many things in mind after that he hadn’t even taken any of his suppressants. He never spent more than three days without it, and now, as if his body knew he hadn’t had a heat in almost a decade, it took this opportunity to come at him – and quick, if the slight slick coming out of him was anything to go by.

“What? Dean! You’re…” Sam came closer then, and sniffed once more. “You’re smelling so good.” His voice was rough and low, a bit of his alpha side showing, and that was when Dean knew he had to put a stop in this.

“Out!” He said as he stopped the car once more. Sam snapped out of his haze and looked at Dean scandalized. Before he could speak, though, Dean demanded him to leave once more. “You can hitchhike or even walk to Bobby, I don’t care, just get out!” Then Dean was leaning onto Sam’s personal space to open the door and push Sam out. Once Sam had his duffle out of the car, Dean accelerated even more.

Dean knew it was unfair – Sam was probably confused, not understanding what was going on and maybe even dazed because of Dean’s sudden heat. But he couldn’t explain now. He couldn’t just sit through two hours with slick coming out of his hole and his very alpha and very handsome brother. The little crush he had been developing for Sam – and totally ignoring it – would even worsen if they stayed in close proximity right now.

Some minutes later, when he was trying to sort out what to do and how to control his needs until he arrived at Bobby, Dean realised that Sam had acted weird. In the life they had to follow, they met many omegas and Dean was pretty sure some ghosts and even other creatures faked a heat smell to lure their victims – although his sense of smell had been completely off due to the suppressants –, but Sam had never been affected by them. However, now, when he smelled Dean, he got closer, he almost looked like he had lost himself in his smell.

Dean’s most primitive part of his mind told him Sam desired him – maybe just as much as Dean desired his little brother – and his body reacted instinctively at that. A low moan escaped his lips and he could feel himself getting hotter and wetter by the moment. He hit the accelerator harder and tried to get to Bobby in record time.

What could not happen was for him to be on heat on the road.

Miraculously, Dean did manage to get to Bobby in less than two hours, and although he was shivering, his skin burning and his hole clenching at nothing but begging to be filled, he knocked desperately at Bobby’s door – however he didn’t need to wait much, for Bobby was soon opening the door and ushering inside, mumbling something about stupid kids and how Sam had called earlier and asked him to help. Dean didn’t listen, he couldn’t concentrate much. But he trusted Bobby – who was a beta, so he wouldn’t be affected by Dean’s smell – and let the older man guide him to a safe room.

“Stay here. You’ll find water and food in here. I don’t think you’ll need much more than that. I’ll come check on you in two days.” Dean nodded and tried to smile, but his body needed relief and he started undressing even before Bobby closed and locked the door.

At that moment, Dean remembered how much he hated what he truly was. Being an omega reduced one to an uncontrolled mess. He had two fingers inside him as soon as his pants and boxers were shoved down. He let himself lay on the bed to find other positions in which the self-pleasuring could be good enough to end this burning in his core.

But nothing seemed to work. Because heats went on for days and after years taking suppressants and not having a single heat, it came in full force and nothing seemed enough. He needed to be knotted, and in his brief conscious moments, Dean thanked Bobby for locking him inside. He did manage to drink when the heat became slightly bearable, but he couldn’t eat anything.

Two days later, Bobby came with more water and to check if the heat was anywhere near its ending, but Dean felt just as desperate as before – in fact, Bobby was smelling like Sam, like an alpha, and Dean had to try his best not to flee the room and jump his brother and beg him for his knot. What he did then was to lie down on his side and let a loud and desperate cry escape his lips. Bobby probably noticed something was wrong, because he left after it promising to come back again in two days.

Dean started to feel a little better due to his fifth day of heat. It would still hit him at full force, but the time between the heat waves were getting longer and his body started accepting food. When Bobby came, he told the older man so and asked him to come back the next day, because he was positive he’d be feeling better. He was, in fact, better the next day, but the heat wasn’t completely over yet, so they waited one more day.

When it was finally over, Dean spent almost two hours in the shower and Bobby even managed to buy enough food for a very hungry Dean. He obviously avoided Sam’s eyes, although he knew his brother was following every step he took and wasn’t going to let it go so soon – but at least in front of Bobby they wouldn’t start a fight.

They were silent as they ate, and after Bobby was done he looked at Sam, gave him a warning look and stood up.

“I need to research some things now. Clean your mess when you’re finished, boys.” And he left the two brothers alone in the kitchen. Dean knew it had to be Sam’s idea so they could talk, and if he weren’t so hungry, he’d have left as well.

“Aren’t you going to explain to me what happened, Dean?” Dean was still avoiding Sam’s eyes, but he looked very interested at his own plate, filling his mouth even more with food before replying.

“I think it was pretty obvious what happened.” He simply replied, shoving more food inside his mouth, trying to be nonchalant about it – but obviously failing.

“For you maybe. I had no idea you were an omega, Dean.” Sam’s voice was somewhat desperate, and although Dean didn’t look up, he did slow down on his eating. “When did you find out? Is the suppressant you’ve been taking a good one? I mean, is it a healthy one? Jess had told me some were terrible for an omega’s health and body… And why haven’t you ever told me about this?” Dean rolled his eyes and finally looked at Sam as if he were crazy.

“Look, Sammy, although it’s lovely you care, you should know I’m fine. I’ll go back to the suppressants later today and we can go back to me being a beta. And we don’t talk about this. Never.” And Dean was going to stand up, but Sam’s hand on his thigh stopped him. He looked annoyingly to his brother then, waiting for him to disagree – because Sam could never let anything go.

“Stop, Dean. Answer me. I can’t pretend you’re not an omega and I will talk about this. Why don’t we discuss this now and stop all the headache we’ll probably have later?” Sam did have a point, although Dean wanted to disagree. “Were you omitting this because you were ashamed? Was it dad’s fault?” Sam didn’t even have the time to dodge the punch that hit him in the jaw. He did look scandalized at Dean though, and the oldest was fuming.

“Don’t you dare talk about dad. He just died! In my place! Don’t you fucking think he’d have done anything within his power to do whatever was right for me? For us?” Sam stood up as well, hands raised so Dean wouldn’t feel pressured. “So yeah, I’ve never talked about it with anyone, not even him. And it’s going to continue this way. In our lives, we can’t just march outside being an omega. They’re easy prey, helpless and useless—“

“Of course not! You’ve proven you’re anything but all those things, Dean! Stop with the stereotype that omegas are the ones in distress who need an almighty alpha to protect them. You should know, more than anyone else, that this is not true!” Dean licked his lips then and squinted his eyes at Sam. Then he just turned around and left.

How dare Sam talk like that? What did he know, anyway? He dated an omega, but as far as Dean knew, Jess was the personification of omega, so how dare Sam say that stereotypes didn’t matter? Sam was an alpha, his father celebrated when he first popped his knot, he could scare people just from his stare. Sure, Dean could be very menacing when he tried, but if he didn’t take any suppressants, he’s sure no one would take him seriously. And in his job, he could not risk it.

But the worst part was that Sam had insinuated that dad had done something wrong. As if not talking about it was a mistake their father had made. Dean knew his father was only trying to protect him – although deep inside he had his doubts, but he’d never voice them.

Dean headed out to his baby, finally seeing his beloved car after all they had gone through and his heart actually ached when he saw her state. Wanting to stop thinking about his condition, about dad’s death, about his discussion with Sammy, Dean made it his mission to fix the Impala. He took the tool box from the shed and put it near his car. It wasn’t long before Dean was under the car, trying to see everything that would need fixing.

He had no idea how long he spent with his car, until Bobby came to him, hands in his pockets. Dean looked at him before returning to what he was doing and they remained in silence for a while, until Dean sighed and turned to the man.

“What?” He knew he shouldn’t be angry at Bobby, not when the man helped him through his heat without asking questions.

“I don’t know, son. I was expecting you to tell me.” Dean frowned and Bobby just rolled his eyes, as if Dean was being particularly dense. “Your father never told me you’re an omega. Not that it would matter, but apparently not even your brother knew.” Dean glared at Bobby and then returned to what he was doing, still listening to the man, although unwillingly. “I don’ know much ‘bout heats, but yours seemed a bit intense.” When Dean didn’t say anything, only clenched his jaw, it was Bobby’s turn to sigh. “I just wanted t’ know when was the last time you went to the doctor.”

Dean visibly tensed then, hesitating for a slight moment before continuing with the piece of the car he was working on. Bobby, noticing his silence, crossed his arms, realization sinking in.

“You’ve never been to a doctor, have ya?” Dean just looked at him and then felt his shoulders sagging forward, as he let the pieces on the table. “Dammit, Dean. Go take a shower and get dressed. We’re leaving in an hour.”

“What?” That made Dean look around to see Bobby who stopped from returning to his house when Dean spoke.

“I’m taking you to the doctor, you idjit. And I won’t take no for an answer. Now, will you go willingly or should I call Sam and ask him to control you?” Dean gritted his teeth at the implication Bobby was making. With his father dead, Sam was technically the alpha responsible for Dean, but the idea of an omega having to belong to their family or later on to their alpha was ancient and he knew Bobby honestly didn’t think that, but it still angered him.

“Don’t involve Sam into this.” He gritted out, making his way inside to take a shower so he could head out with Bobby.

When he was finally ready, Dean made his way downstairs and heard Bobby tell Sam that he was going with Dean to town to buy a few things for their car, and although Sam was trying to convince Bobby to go along, the older man would have none of it and told him to do some random research for him. Once they were in the car, Dean kept fidgeting, not really wanting to admit that he was scared as fuck, but he was. Which was irrational, clearly, since he had never had any problem that required him going to the doctors to check on his reproductive system.

“Why are you doing this?” His voice was too low, almost shy, and Bobby looked over to him at the driver’s seat, but Dean was avoiding his eyes.

“You have no idea how dangerous it is for an omega to go years without a heat? You’re lucky you didn’t have anything so far.” Dean still didn’t understand the sudden worry, because just like Bobby had said, he had never had anything. “We’re just going to see if everything’s okay with you and you’ll follow the doctor’s damn instructions or you want me to go in with you and hold your freaking hand to make sure you’ll take care of yourself?”

“Jeez, Bobby, I get it. I still think there’s no need for you to take me to a doctor, but chill. I’ll do it.” Dean still didn’t want to, but part of him was a bit curious to know, to learn more about himself. He’d probably return to the suppressants and buy a new supply of deodorants to hide his smell, but for now it would be interesting to know more of what’s going on.

-----

Oh my irene, this is so good -- so when you have time to finish it you totally should! And a WIP that you never finished but showed it to me, i, i feel honored. AND ITS YEARS OLD TOO!!!! AWESOME!!! I needed this too tonight.

[write-havoc]

The Glasswing Butterfly Part 14

Summary: Chuck has never thought of herself as anything special. Just an average beta living her life next door to a womanizing alpha named Negan. But her life, and Negan’s too, are turned upside down when Chuck suddenly presents as omega.

This is a non-zombie AU featuring A/B/O dynamics.

Fandom: The Walking Dead AU

Pairing: Negan/Original Female Character

Status: Ongoing

Contains: swearing, smut

Intended for readers 18+ of age only

Masterlist in my bio

Negan’s teeth pierce the tender skin of Chuck’s mating spot sending a wave of euphoria through her body. The world melts away as all she feels is his arms tightly around her, his knot firmly inside her, and his claim on her neck. Warmth spreads from his bite throughout her body, filling her with a feeling of contentment.

This is what she wants. This is what’s meant to be. To be Negan’s. To be his mate.

At least that’s what her omega side is thinking.

Negan’s bite holds tight to her neck as his knot remains inside her. Only when his knot diminishes does he pull away, pulling her along with him to both lay on their sides. He lightly licks at the wound he had just made on her to clean it of blood and ensure that it heals quickly.

Within minutes, both of them are asleep which gives them a temporary respite from their raging hormones. It only lasts about an hour before they’re at it again, all growls and groping hands. It’s passionate and needy on both their parts. All they are thinking about is being with each other and that’s it.

After several hours of sex and catnaps, Negan knows his mate needs to eat. Despite her protests, he leaves the bedroom to make them both some sandwiches. They barely get them down before they’re all over each other again.

By the third day, they’ve slowed down as their energies ebb with the ending of their heat/rut, but the urge to be together is just as strong. Negan nuzzles his nose into her now claimed mating spot as he pushes into her with a lazy rhythm. After the claim, the scent coming from her neck is now forever changed. Hers is still there, but now it’s mixed with his. As he smells himself on her, it has a sense of pride blooming inside him.

This is my omega he thinks. I’m gonna take fuckin’ care of her forever.

Chuck’s primitive omega side is thinking similar things. About how she’ll always support him. Bear him all the pups he could ever want. Raise strong alpha sons and beautiful omega daughters for him. Tend his home with all the things he’ll provide.

As she gets closer to her end, she puts her nose to his neck, breathing in his scent. Alphas don’t get claimed like omegas, but she can’t seem to keep her mouth away from his spot. He growls as she places an open mouthed kiss to his sensitive skin. It spurs her further and she places her teeth on the area in a light bite.

“Oh fuck,” he groans.

The sensation of her teeth on his neck is too much and he can’t hold back any longer. As he comes to his climax, Chuck goes over the edge as well.

Both of them are just about out of energy, but Negan manages to clean Chuck up of the used condom and get back into bed with her resting on his chest. They both fall asleep almost immediately and sleep through the night for the first time in three days.

The next morning, Negan awakes feeling completely drained since his hormones are back to normal. The memories of the last few days are hazy, but they sharpen in focus the second he sees the fresh claim on Chuck’s neck.

“Shit,” he mutters as his eyes go wide. “Fuck,” he says louder.

The sound wakes Chuck up. She’s just as dazed as Negan was, but when her hand goes up to her sore neck, her eyes slam open at the feel of the wound on her neck. She pushes herself up from Negan and looks at him.

“You claimed me?!”

“I didn’t fuckin’ mean to!” he yells back. Emotions are high for both of them at the moment.

Chuck jumps out of bed and runs to the bathroom to look at the new mark. “Oh my god!” she calls out upon seeing the textbook claim.

Negan gets out of bed and finds his boxers on the ground. “I didn’t fuckin’ mean to!” he says again as he pulls the boxers up his legs.

Chuck stomps back out to meet him. “You didn’t mean to?! Are you telling me your teeth accidentally , somehow , bit into my neck !” she bites back.

He throws his hands up. “I’m saying I didn’t fuckin’ intend to fucking mark you!”

She shakes her head as she puts on the pajamas she found on the floor. “Well,” she straightens up to look right at him, “you did mark me.”

“This isn’t all on me, Chuck,” he barks back. “ You fuckin’ presented to me. You bared your fuckin’ throat to me. I was in goddamn rut and you expect me ignore that shit!”

It hits Chuck all at once, the memories of the last few days. She had presented. She had bared her neck. Despite what she had thought and what she had said to Negan before her heat hit, her body had gone through the motions all on its own. It had granted permission and Negan, similarly under control of his baser instincts, had accepted.

Her eyes well up as she looks at Negan with his face twisted in anger, her own fury rapidly dissipating. “I’m sorry,” she chokes out. “You’re right. It was both of us.”

Just one look at Chuck’s expression has his emotions turning, as well. “It’s okay,” he says gently as he walks forward to wrap his arms around her. “I’m sorry.” His only thought now is to comfort her and calm her down.” I’m so fuckin’ sorry, baby girl. I did take what you said seriously, but I just... I couldn’t fuckin’ stop myself.” He starts to lightly run his hand over her hair. “If you want to reverse the claim-“ he starts quietly, but Chuck pushes him away to look him in the eye.

“No!” she interrupts immediately. It startles her how automatic it is. “I don’t want that.” She wipes at her eyes. “I-I knew we would be mated. I wanted it, but... I just wanted more time to prepare, I guess. But now...”

“Yeah. I wanted to wait, too.” He nods his head sadly. “I was afraid to have a mate again,” he admits hesitantly.

“You’re afraid?” She’s confused.

He nods again. “Being mated... It’s intense. The feelings are so much more than anything else,” he explains. “The way I feel about you...” he lets out a breath, “it’s already... different. I was afraid...” he trails off, unsure of how to say what he wants to.

She’s struggling to understand him. “You’re afraid... of me?”

“No,” he answers instantly. “Not you. I’m afraid...” He shakes his head. “I’m afraid you’ll feel that way about me. That you’ll fuckin’... love me like that. And that I’ll fuckin’ disappoint you and break your heart.” He looks away. “I couldn’t stand it if I fuckin’ did that to you.”

“Negan...” She lays her hand on his cheek. “I trust you.”

“You shouldn’t.”

“Have you lied to me?”

He shakes his head.

“Have you hidden anything from me?”

“No.”

“Then why shouldn’t I trust you?” She smiles up at him and he can’t help but return it.

“All I want is to protect you, baby girl.” He takes her chin in his hand and pulls her face toward his in a kiss. “Now that you’re my mate, that feeling is gonna fuckin’ multiply. It’s...” He pauses to try to put it into words. “People get shit wrong about alphas and omegas. They think the alpha is the head fuckin’ honcho in the relationship. I guess that’s probably true for abusive knotheads, but that’s not how it’s supposed to be. An alpha should live for his omega. Her life is much more important than his.” He sets his forehead on hers. “It’s a lot of responsibility and I’m scared I’ll fuck it up again,” he whispers.

She tilts her head to kiss his lips. “You won’t,” she whispers back.

“You don’t know that.”

“I do,” she replies with certainty.

He chuckles and kisses her back. “Well alright then.” He’s still afraid of making mistakes, but her faith in him means the world to him.

“We need a shower,” she comments with a laugh.

“We really do,” he replies. “After that, I’ll make us something to eat. I’m fuckin’ starving.”

“Me, too.”

The whole rest of they day, with their heat/rut taking a lot out of them, they lounge about. They practically eat themselves out of house and home to replenish their energies then cuddle on the couch in front of the tv until they go to bed again.

In the morning, Chuck invites Diane over. She figures that it’s best to tell her in person that she and Negan are now mated to each other. As Negan and Chuck wait for Diane’s arrival, they both nervously mill around the apartment.

“Is your mom gonna fuckin’ kill me?” Negan finally asks.

“I don’t think so...?” Chuck answers without a lot of confidence.

“Shit. She was just starting to fuckin’ like me.”

“She’ll understand when we tell her it was both of our decisions. I think.” She shrugs a little. “At least we can tell her that I’m not gonna be pregnant since somehow we managed to stay safe the entire time.”

“That’s something, I suppose,” he mutters. “You should probably call the doc to tell her this shit, too.”

“Yeah. I guess I should.” Chuck quickly calls Dr. Bailey and sets up an appointment for the next day to meet with her.

As she’s finishing up with that, the intercom buzzes and Negan answers it.

“It’s Diane,” comes through the speaker.

Negan presses the button to buzz her in and turns back to Chuck, who is now done on the phone.

“Here we go,” she says. There’s no way to hide the fresh claim on her neck, so the second Diane looks at her, she’ll know.

And that’s exactly what happens the moment she walks through the door.

“You claimed her?!” Diane yells as she glares at Negan.

“It’s not Negan’s fault,” Chuck tries.

“Did you two discuss it beforehand or was it just what Negan wanted?” Diane spits.

Negan wants to fight back, but he knows that will just make things worse, so he stays quiet.

“Mom!” Chuck calls out. “I’m telling you it wasn’t just Negan. It was both of us. Neither of us could control it.”

Diane still looks mad. “Did you use protection?” she huffs out.

“Yes. We did,” Chuck answers. “Don’t be mad at Negan for this.”

Diane looks over to the man, who has his head hung low. She sees that he isn’t talking back or making excuses, but she’s unsure why?  “Did you plan this?” she asks bluntly.

He shoots his head up to answer. “Absolutely not. I would never intend to hurt her like that.” He takes in a deep breath. “I know this is more on me and I take that fuckin’ responsibility-“

“No,” Chuck interrupts. “If I hadn’t given you those signals, you wouldn’t have marked me. I know it.”

Diane looks between the two and sees that Chuck isn’t lying. She seems okay with all of this, so Diane figures she should be okay with it, too. “So... This is happening now?”

Chuck and Negan both nod.

“Okay then,” Diane says almost to herself. “As long as you’re both happy, I guess everything is good. But I won’t hesitate to get Chuck away from you if you break her heart,” she directs at Negan.

“If I broke her heart, I’d let you,” is all he says.

 The next day, Chuck and Negan get ready for their appointment with Dr. Bailey. Since it’s been about three weeks since the news broke about Eldritch, the press have mostly moved onto other stories. Especially since Chuck and Negan have made it completely clear that they won’t ever sit down for an interview. That doesn’t mean that there isn’t the odd reporter still trying to make a story out of them, which Chuck and Negan are aware of.

As Negan drives them to the medical center, he notices a car making the same turns as him. “Fuck,” he growls as he checks the rear view.

“What?” Chuck asks.

His voice is gruff as he answers. “We’re being followed.”

Chuck looks back to see. “I don’t see...”

“The red Nissan.”

She looks closer and finds the car just as it turns off. “Well they’re not following us now.”

Negan just lets out a low growl. Since he’s newly mated, the urge to protect his omega is high.

His reaction as well as his general temperament have her a little worried. “Are you okay?” she asks.

“Yeah.”

“Are you sure? You seem tense.”

“I just don’t want those fuckers coming after you.”

“I don’t think anyone’s coming after me, Negan.”

“Not if I can fuckin’ help it.”

They get to Dr. Bailey’s office and are directed to one of the exam rooms. After a few minutes of waiting, she comes in carrying her laptop in one hand.

“Hello.” She shakes both of their hands and sets her computer on the small table, readying it for the information she will enter into it. “So,” she starts. “How’s your arm?”

Chuck lifts her casted left arm a little. “It’s not too bad, really. More annoying than anything else now.”

“That’s good, but that’s not why you’re here, is it. I’d like to look at the mark, if I could.” Dr. Bailey gestures to the exam table.

“Sure.” Chuck hops up on the bed and moves her strawberry blonde hair away from the left side of her neck.

Dr. Bailey looks at the bite for a moment then pulls back. “Looks great. Full claim. Nice and clean. Looks like it’s healing just fine.” She sits down in the chair in front of her laptop and starts typing.

Chuck gets off of the exam table and sits back down in the regular chair by Negan.

“So,” Dr. Bailey finishes typing and looks to the pair. “Being mated now traditionally means you will be more in tuned with each other. Since that was already the case, I’m not exactly sure what to expect of this. The feelings may be more intense or it might just be more of the same. Negan,” she looks at him, “how does it feel to you? Is it similar to your first mating experience?”

He clears his throat as he thinks it over. He normally wouldn’t talk about this kind of stuff, but trusts Dr. Bailey, so he opens up. “I guess. I mean, it does feel more...” he thinks about what he wants to say, “I guess I’m more fuckin’ anxious that I won’t be able to make her happy or keep her safe. That’s all I want.”

Chuck reaches over to grab his hand. “You don’t have to worry about that, Negan.”

“I can’t fuckin’ help it. With Lucille...” He shakes his head. “I loved her and I wanted to take care of her. But I wasn’t a good fuckin’ husband. I was unfaithful and I know I fuckin’ hurt her. It’s not that I didn’t fuckin’ care she was hurt. It’s like I just fuckin’ put it out of my mind so I could still do whatever the fuck I wanted.” He lets out a huff and hangs his head. “I was so goddamn selfish.”

Dr. Bailey, who was a friend to Lucille and knows very well how Lucille felt about Negan’s infidelities, can’t stop herself from asking what’s on her mind. “Do you think you’ll be selfish with Chuck?”

He looks over to his mate to see her expectant face. “Every fuckin’ bone in my body is fuckin’ telling me that I’d fuckin’ die for her. And if anything happened to her, I’d go fuckin’ crazy.” He lets out a breath. “I was bad after Lucille, but I’d never come back if I lost you,” he says to Chuck.

Looking in his eyes, Chuck can see how genuine he is. She’s not sure how to respond. “Negan...” She reaches her hand out to caress his cheek.

“I need to ask you, Negan,” Dr. Bailey interrupts the moment, “given what you did to protect Chuck before she was your mate, do you feel you could become violent again?”

“If someone was hurting her, ab-so-fuckin’-lutely,” he answers quickly.

“I suppose I mean, would you become violent in inappropriate situations? If, say, someone bumped into her in the street.”

He lets out a huff. “I can control myself, if that’s what you’re fuckin’ asking.”

“He got paranoid on the way here that we were being followed,” Chuck mentions.

He looks over to her. “I wasn’t fuckin’ paranoid . They were following us for a few goddamn blocks. If you don’t remember, reporters fuckin’ followed us before.”

“I remember. But even if they do follow us, they know not to approach us. No one’s even tried to talk to us for like a week.”

He lets out a little growl which has Dr. Bailey raising an eyebrow. “I’m not gonna fuckin’ kill anyone,” he reassures.

Dr. Bailey nods. “I just want you to keep your head, Negan.”

“I will, doc,” he replies with some attitude.

“Good. Now,” Dr. Bailey lets out a breath. “Now that you’re mated, the issue of pups really needs to be discussed.

Both Chuck and Negan are slightly uncomfortable with the subject. The most they’ve talked about it with each other is that they don’t want kids right at the moment. Beyond that, they haven’t discussed it.

Dr. Bailey sees the discomfort in them. “Have you talked about it?”

They both look at each other before Chuck answers. “Not really. We’ve been using protection, but...”

“We aren’t rushing,” Negan finishes the thought.

“Since Chuck can’t take suppressants, the urge to have a child will build the longer you continue to have heats and ruts without actually getting pregnant.”

Chuck didn’t know that. “Really?”

“Will it be fuckin’ dangerous for her?” Negan asks. “Will her heats get bad like before?”

“No,” Dr. Bailey answers. “But there’s a strong possibility you’ll both just be less in control. More feral.”

Chuck and Negan give each other a look.

“It’s something to think about,” Dr. Bailey adds. “Again, we’re in uncharted territory. You may be able to keep it together until you both decide you’re ready. But maybe...”

Chuck completes her sentence. “Maybe we’ll be too hormonal to care and I’ll get pregnant during my next heat.”

“It’s certainly a possibility,” Dr. Bailey comments. “Especially given how the claim went.”

After a few more minutes of discussion, Chuck and Negan bid farewell to the doctor and head home. They happen to hit rush hour congestion, so it makes the trip back longer.

“Goddamnit,” Negan groans as he brings the car to a stop. “I’m so fuckin’ sick of this city.”

“I kinda am, too. Since I’m not working, it’s like I don’t have any reason to want to be here.”

“I wanna get on looking for fuckin’ houses when we get back home.” He looks over to Chuck for a moment. He’d been wanting to move for a little while now, but now that Chuck is his mate, he wants to make an actual home for her. “And I guess I should look for a goddamn job,” he adds unenthusiastically.

“I’ve been looking around online already. I found some companies that will let me work from home full time. I sent out some resumes, so I just need to hear back.”

“Rick mentioned that there are some empty houses in his neighborhood in Alexandria up north. It’s a newer fuckin’ community I guess. Maybe we could look at those.”

Chuck smiles at the thought. “That would be nice. And it’s really not any further away from my mom than we already are.” She hesitates before asking what she wants to. “Is there a school close by?”

“Did the doc give you baby fever?” he jokes.

She chuckles. “No. I was thinking for you. Maybe... you could apply for a job there.” She smiles at him, hoping that he won’t be mad at the suggestion. The subject of him teaching again got brought up at Thanksgiving, but Negan dismissed it and hasn’t mentioned it since.

He looks over to her and lets out a sigh. “I don’t know...”

“It would make you happy.”

He shakes his head and looks away. “They might not fuckin’ let me set foot in a school again.”

“Rick would vouch for you.”

He looks back over to her. “Maybe.”

“You know he would. And I bet the people you used to work with would, too. Like that guy I met when you took me to the baseball field.”

The cars finally start to move ahead of them.

“Fuckin’ finally,” Negan mutters and pushes the car forward.

“I want you to be happy,” Chuck blurts out.

Negan glances over to her. “I am happy. Anyway, it doesn’t matter what fuckin’ job I have as long as we’re together.”

His words make her smile, but she doesn’t want to let on how much they mean to her. “That was pretty cliche,” she jokes.

“What? That was fuckin’ romantic as shit!”

She laughs. “It was, like, former-a-list-star-but-can’t-get-any-good-movies-so-they-do-a-crappy-rom-com level romantic.”

“No it fuckin’ wasn’t! It was like...” He struggles for a relevant comeback. “I don’t know shit about rom coms. What was that one with the guy and the girl and the lake and everyone fuckin’ loves it?”

She laughs at his description as she tries to think of what he’s talking about. “Uh... The Notebook?”

“Yeah! The fuckin’ Notebook. It was like that.”

“I’ve never seen it. I think they die in it or something.”

“Oh shit. Then not like that. It’s like one of those sappy happy ending ones.”

She giggles. “Let’s hope.”

When they get back to their apartment building, they start to look up available houses. They set up some appointments for houses nearby and some near Fredericksburg to be close to Diane as well as the houses in Rick’s neighborhood. Over the next few days, they start to visit them.

The first house is just outside of Charlottesville, so it’s not too far away from their apartments. It’s been recently renovated and completely modern with all new appliances and a chic paint job. After the realtor goes through her whole spiel, she leaves the couple to wander the house on their own.

“It’s cute,” Chuck comments.

“Cute?” Negan replies. “It’s fuckin’ tiny. No yard. And there’s barely enough room for any counters in the kitchen. It only has two goddamn bedrooms and the second one is as big as a fuckin’ closet.”

“So pass?”

“Definite pass.”

The next one is closer to Fredericksburg and is a huge Victorian in need of some repairs.

“This shit is gorgeous!” Negan calls out as he gestures all around him. “Look at all the hand carved wood.”

Chuck looks to what he’s talking about. It certainly was gorgeous... about fifty years ago. Now everything needs refinished. And some fresh paint wouldn’t hurt. “We’d have to put a lot more money into it. And it’s a little big for just us,” she comments.

“Room for pups!” the realtor replies, desperately trying to get rid of this property.

Both Chuck and Negan stop themselves from glaring at the young beta woman. It seems like the second people know they’re a newly mated pair, all they think about is “when are you having children?” It’s annoying for both of them.

Negan turns back to Chuck. “Maybe you’re right.”

“It would be beautiful to the right buyers,” Chuck mentions to the realtor diplomatically. “People who are good at renovating, anyway.”

After a few more days and a few more houses that didn’t quite fit for them, they travel up to Alexandria to look at the available houses in the little community that Rick lives in. They turn off the main road and drive a ways before they come to a nice sign saying “Welcome to Monroe Estates.” As they drive past the sign and further in, they see beautiful manicured lawns sitting in front of perfect suburban homes.

“This looks really nice,” Chuck mentions as she looks out the window.

They pass a row of townhouses, which Negan sneers at. “I don’t like that shit. What’s the point of living in the goddamn suburbs if you’re gonna have to share your fuckin’ walls and have a small ass yard.”

Chuck points off to the right. “Those houses have big yards.”

“That’s more like it.”

They continue on to the address the realtor sent them, pulling up to the fairly large gray sided house with a raised front porch. They get out of the car and meet the realtor at the door.

“Hello!” the cheery beta male greets then leads them inside.

“All of the houses in this area were built within the last ten years and I helped sell every single one of them,” he explains happily. “In that time, Alexandria has really blossomed into a tight knit community. But it’s still close to various shops, including grocery stores and markets and also a very good school district.”

“I actually know someone here,” Negan comments. “Rick Grimes.”

“The sheriff, right?”

“That’s the one.”

“He’s just a few houses down.”

The realtor goes over all the details of the home, three bedrooms, two and a half baths, hard wood flooring, granite counters, two car garage. The more Chuck and Negan see, the more excited they get. When the realtor steps out to allow them the chance to talk, they instantly turn to each other and speak at the same time.

“I fuckin’ love it.”

“This is the one.”

They both smile at each other.

“You really like it?” Negan asks.

“Yeah. I do. I love the whole neighborhood. And this house is perfect. As long as the price is right, I guess.”

“Don’t worry about that,” he’s quick to say

“I don’t want to start out our lives swimming in debt. I still have student loans to pay off.”

He pulls her into him by the hips. “I have savings enough to make a hefty down payment. And you’re gonna start your new job as soon as you get that fuckin’ cast off in a few days.”

She gives him a little kiss. “And you’re gonna see about getting a job at one of those schools that guy mentioned.”

He nods with a little smirk on his face. “I will. But the school year already started, so I’m not gonna get my fuckin’ hopes up.”

She shrugs a shoulder. “Maybe something will open up. You never know.”

“I’d be further ahead going into town and getting a job at that fuckin’ grocery store he mentioned.”

She giggles. “Be a bag boy?”

“I’d own that shit. Best damn bag boy ever.”

She laughs more loudly. “You’d help old ladies carry their groceries to the car?”

“Old ladies fuckin’ love me,” he comments with all of his confidence.

“Maybe you could get tips,” she jokes. “Show them some leg.”

“Shit yeah! We’d have this house paid off in no time.”

When the realtor comes back in, he finds the pair giggling in each other’s arms. “What are we thinking?” he asks. “I can show you a unit in the town houses.”

“No.” Negan lets go of Chuck to turn to the man. “We’ll take this one.”

After going over all the pertinent details, they start to get the ball rolling on the paperwork. They won’t be able to move in until after the new year in a few weeks, but that doesn’t matter to them. All either of them can think about is that they are one step closer to making a new life together.

[izanyas]

and the calm is deep where the quiet waters flow (7)

Whats it feel like to have energy

Rating: M Words: 6,400 Warnings: abuse.

[Read from prologue]

and the calm is deep where the quiet waters flow Chapter 7

Wei Wuxian woke up at home.

He woke up peacefully, bit by bit, cold winter sun bathing his face out of some uncovered window. The smell of incense filled his nose and made his eyelashes brush open. Though awareness came to him of his own body's weakness, greater than he had experienced from any previous heat, he felt very little fear. It seemed to him that he had fallen asleep less lonely; that someone must have watched over him and kept him from harm.

He smelled something familiar. Tilled earth, damp forest grounds. The aftermath of a storm. "Uncle Jiang," he breathed with no voice at all.

There came the sound of soft steps on wooden floor, of fabric shuffling through the air. Jiang Fengmian sat by the edge of his bed and replied, "A-Xian, how do you feel?"

Wei Wuxian opened his eyes.

He was indeed home. He saw before even meeting his sect leader's eyes the old drawings he had hung from the wall when he was just a child—him and Jiang Cheng and his shijie, playing and holding hands, the three of them keeping an awkward-looking dog at bay with swords too big for their tiny hands. He smiled faintly.

"How…"

"Drink first," Jiang Fengmian said.

His hands were not hesitant when he helped Wei Wuxian sit. Wei Wuxian allowed the touch, still dazed, and took with shaking fingers the cup of hot tea that was offered to him. It soothed his throat and quieted his empty stomach. He wondered if Jiang Fengmian had waited long by his side, keeping the tea warm with bursts of spiritual energy.

"Why am I here?" he asked, setting the cup back on the cabinet by the bed.

He knew that Jiang Cheng must have found a way to free him from the cave and bring him back to the Lotus Pier. He just couldn't understand why he was here, in his bedroom, instead of waiting out the heat in the omega house. His body told him that there were still a few hours to go till he was completely free of fever.

Jiang Fengmian must have understood his meaning. "You were very ill," he answered. "I thought it best to have you recuperate here."

Wei Wuxian looked at his hands. The scrapes on his palms and fingers had scabbed and did not hurt at all, even if the burn on his chest ached distantly. "Won't Madam Yu be unhappy?" he asked at last.

Jiang Fengmian sighed. "Don't worry about this," he replied, pressing a wide hand over Wei Wuxian's shoulder. "She made an exception."

Wei Wuxian very much doubted it.

Jiang Fengmian called for food to be brought over. Wei Wuxian settled more comfortably against his pillows, fists clenching weakly in the sheets, bothered by his own lack of strength. His mind felt as muddled now as it had upon waking up. He felt that he was forgetting something—something very important.

It came back to him as a maid came into the room, her face red with disgust at Wei Wuxian's state, holding a steaming bowl of soup over a platter. White cloth marred with blood and dirt, bleeding hands strumming bowstrings into music, the scent of sandalwood over the stench of death. A soft voice singing to him.

Wei Wuxian suddenly lunged from his bed and said in a panic, "Lan Zhan!"

The maid yelped in surprise. Jiang Fengmian caught Wei Wuxian as he struggled out of the sheets, pushing him back and quickly ordering the woman to leave. "A-Xian, calm down—"

"Uncle, Lan Zhan was hurt—is he okay? Is he here?" And then, with more horror: "What about shijie's arm?"

He hissed in pain as the wound on his chest flared with movement, cutting off his air. Jiang Fengmian lowered him back onto the sheets as he struggled to breathe, saying, "They're fine. A-Li's arm is on the mend, and young master Lan was brought back to the Cloud Recesses by A-Cheng. They're both fine, A-Xian."

Wei Wuxian took in a deep inhale. His fingers clutched the fabric of his clothes over his now-bandaged wound. "He didn't even want me to help with his injuries," he muttered. Then he laughed, "He killed that monster all by himself! The Jade of Lan truly deserves his title."

"That is odd," Jiang Fengmian replied. "Lan Wangji told A-Cheng that you were the one who killed it."

"What? Of course I didn't." Seeing Jiang Fengmian's disbelief on his face, Wei Wuxian insisted, "I'm not lying. I only lured the beast into a trap, but Lan Zhan was the one who fought it for hours until it died. I barely did anything."

"It was a joint effort, then. You should not give him full credit."

Wei Wuxian waved a hand dismissively. "You weren't there, uncle. If you were, you'd think differently."

"Of course," Jiang Fengmian said placatingly. "Now eat. Your body is very weak."

The broth was mostly flavorless so as not to upset Wei Wuxian's stomach, but it was warm. It was more food than he had eaten in over a week. He had to pace himself, to force himself not to swallow all of it, while by his side Jiang Fengmian cut fruit into slices. The man's expression had grown thoughtful.

"A-Xian," he asked once Wei Wuxian had emptied the bowl. "What do you think of Lan Wangji?"

Wei Wuxian remembered suddenly in what circumstances Jiang Cheng must have found them. He pushed away from the backing of his pillows and said, "Uncle, it wasn't his fault. If I'd kept taking the tea Madam Yu gave me—"

"Tea?" Jiang Fengmian cut in, frowning.

Wei Wuxian hesitated.

He had thought that Yu Ziyuan must not have told her husband of the moonless tea. She had given it to him in something like secrecy, accepting to touch him even, just so that she could make sure no one could see what it was she was giving him before he left. He could not lie to Jiang Fengmian, however.

"Madam Yu gave me a tea for stopping heats before we left," he explained, chest tight. "I kept it with me always. But the water in that cave was poisoned, so I couldn't take it. I tried to chew on it, but it didn't work." He raised his head and added, "Lan Zhan did nothing wrong. I know the circumstances were completely improper, but if you must blame someone, please blame me. He had nowhere to go either."

Jiang Fengmian looked at him for a long moment without speaking.

"I don't believe Lan Wangji took advantage of the situation," he said at last. Wei Wuxian's shoulders relaxed all at once, the burn over his chest almost a relief in contrast. "He swore he would not tell anyone, and I believe him. But that is not what I asked."

It was Wei Wuxian's turn to be confused.

Jiang Fengmian gave a brief smile. "What do you think of him?" he asked again. "You spent almost a week in that cave with him. How is your relationship with him?"

"I don't think we have much of a relationship," Wei Wuxian replied. "He disliked me when we met in Gusu years ago. I suppose his feelings didn't change with what I put him through."

Jiang Fengmian spent another moment in silence, his fingers rubbing the length of what looked like a jade hairpin. It seemed to have broken in half. "I want you to have a good life, A-Xian," he said then. "Perhaps I could have done more for you over the years. Perhaps I made some mistakes, but I can't regret them, even knowing how much they cost you."

"Uncle," Wei Wuxian started.

A raised hand silenced him. "That mess with Jin Zixun made me realize that I might have robbed you of more than I thought in my selfishness," Jiang Fengmian said.

"No," Wei Wuxian replied. "No, you didn't. I didn't want to marry him—I don't want to marry anyone."

"But what if you change your mind?"

I won't, Wei Wuxian thought.

He had spent too many nights haunted by the thought. He had spent too many days in the Wen omega house, watching Wen Linfeng crush herself down under the expectations put upon her, watching Wen Yiqian and Wen Yueying cling desperately to childhood. He had watched Jin Zixun look through him rather than at him; he still remembered, with a frisson of fear, Wen Chao creeping close to him and saying, I wonder how sweet you smell during heat.

"A-Xian," Jiang Fengmian said, and Wei Wuxian snapped out of his thoughts. His throat was dry. "For as long as I live, I promise you will never be forced to marry."

Wei Wuxian nodded silently. His chest was too clogged with relief to allow him to speak.

"But I am your clan leader. You are my..." Jiang Fengmian hesitated, looking over his shoulder quickly. "I care about you," he said. "I care about your happiness. It could be safer for you to marry someone willing to understand you, even without love, than to risk the alternative."

"I've not met anyone like this," Wei Wuxian laughed, joyless.

"What about Lan Wangji?"

Wei Wuxian was so surprised that for a long while, he could not answer. "Lan Wangji is very rule-abiding," he said at last. "He could never stand to marry someone like me, especially… especially not now."

Speaking of Lan Wangji in such terms felt so wrong. Blood rushed to Wei Wuxian's face like it almost never did—he had never thought of anyone, and especially not Lan Wangji, in that light. No matter how beautiful and talented the Lan heir was.

Lan Wangji hated to even touch him. How could he possibly marry Wei Wuxian? They had barely spoken in that cave. Wei Wuxian had no doubt insulted him more than ever before by falling into heat in front of him, worse than when he had watched him bathe all those years ago. He would be lucky if Lan Wangji ever accepted to be in his presence again.

The thought saddened him.

"Never mind, then," Jiang Fengmian said. Wei Wuxian had almost forgotten what it was that the man had asked. He blushed more as he remembered. His hands itched for the handle of his sword or the tense string of a bow, any way to externalize the odd energy now running through him. "I did not intend to make you anxious. Forgive me."

He rose from his chair; Wei Wuxian immediately bowed as properly as he could while still sat upon the bed. Jiang Fengmian patted his shoulder once, and Wei Wuxian accepted it with guilt weighing down on him.

"I'll leave you alone now," Jiang Fengmian declared. "A-Cheng and A-Li will surely visit you as soon as your fever is gone."

"That's good," Wei Wuxian replied emptily.

He didn't dare ask why Jiang Fengmian had visited him before that.

Soon enough he was alone in the bedroom. At this stage of heat all that remained was the eponymous fever and some soreness in his back. Wei Wuxian lay still over his bed, trying his best not to toss and turn, else his chest wound burned fiercely. He touched it often, tracing the swelling under the bandages with the tip of his finger. He had yet to actually look at it.

Why bother; he knew what he would find. Seeing Qishanwen's sun branded onto his skin would only worsen his mood.

The rest of the day abated like this. Slow and uneventful. Sometimes Wei Wuxian heard noises from outside his door, no doubt servants going from one place to the next, or cries from the window of an apprentice or two training by the water. He wished he could join them. He wished he had his sword; the thought of Suibian in Wen Chao's clutch, so far away in Qishan, made him queasy.

He thought of the three Wen omega he had left there.

He thought of Lan Wangji's ashen face as he realized that Wei Wuxian was in heat.

He closed his eyes and willed his shame away.

Wei Wuxian spent one more day confined to his room before deciding that he had enough of lying around and doing nothing. He left for the training grounds despite Jiang Yanli's urging—and it was hard to look at her as well, to know that the arm she kept cradled to her chest was broken because of him—and shot with bow and arrow till his numb fingers stopped aching. He bruised his knuckles, splitting target after target, Jiang Cheng silent by his side. They spoke very little.

There were swords aplenty at the Lotus Pier. Wei Wuxian took a spare one out of storage and trained as fiercely with it as he could. It felt off, different, lacking compared to Suibian. It held no spirit. It couldn't make him fly. No need to ask Jiang Cheng what he thought of his, either; each sparring session had him looking at the sword in his hands in frustration. No doubt he wished for Sandu as much as Wei Wuxian did Suibian.

Day after day, Wei Wuxian sat at the edge of the Pier and looked into the horizon. Though sunlight was more frequent now, the weather was still cold. Jiang Yanli often sat by him in worry, but he had not the heart to tell her what it was he was waiting for.

He just couldn't chase off the apprehension that kept him awake at night.

It became obvious within a few days that Jiang Cheng was holding thoughts to himself as well. He acted as normally as possible in his sister's presence, but whenever he found himself alone with Wei Wuxian, he became morose. His words came sparsely. He sparred in silence, frowning, avoiding Wei Wuxian's eyes.

It would take heartbreak and argument to make him open up—What about me? What about sister? We trekked for days without food and water, but did father acknowledge us?

Jealousy and guilt all mixed into the ugliest of fears, the antonym of sympathy. Wei Wuxian had known for a long time how much Jiang Cheng envied him, how ashamed he was of envying him. He had always tried his best to uplift the one he considered a brother; he had always tried not to overstep his freedom in this.

He still wanted to reply to him: Do you envy this?

He still wanted to show him the lonely little shack, the tea he drank every morning, the memory of three children trapped in a silk prison. Soft clothes on his body as he was sold to a man he had never met before. Nightmares of nameless hands touching him as he tried to run away. Alpha-scent choking him, freezing him more thoroughly than snow and iced mud did—I wonder how sweet you smell during heat.

Do you envy this, Jiang Cheng?

"One day you'll be sect leader, and I'll follow you," Wei Wuxian told Jiang Cheng, one hand over his shoulder and the other clenched by his side. "Just like my father and yours. And if anyone says you're not fit to be heir, I'll beat them up!"

Jiang Cheng's smile in that moment was such a fragile thing. Wei Wuxian had glimpsed in that cave the man he would become; he saw now the child he had always been, the one who chased Wei Wuxian around and basked in his attention, the one who felt such pride at keeping dogs away, at scowling at those who stared and whispered.

"Gusulan has its Jade; well, Yunmengjiang has its hero."

Not even Jiang Cheng could afford to envy an omega. Wei Wuxian could not allow him to. No matter how he felt about it.

Jiang Cheng started speaking to him again. Jiang Yanli's worry abated. They laughed in those suspended days of peace despite the ache of what had happened and the fear of what was to come; they trained, fooled around, rested. They warmed themselves in sunlight. They waited for the other shoe to drop.

Yu Ziyuan lived in a pavilion at the far end of the Lotus Pier. It stood so close to shore that oftentimes water would spill against the walls and wash away their paint. She never ordered them to be fixed; she seemed to like the sight of red bleeding into pink and then bright, pure white. Hers was a place Wei Wuxian had always avoided as he grew. There was no way to know beforehand if she would simply ignore him or take time out of her day to insult him when their paths crossed.

He could not avoid it now.

He hesitated in front of the doors for a long time. The wooden path linking her home to the rest of the manor was empty. He knew that at this hour, she must be meditating. Although it may not be the ideal time to interrupt her, it was better to do it then, away from servants' eyes, than in full sight. At least if she grew angry, he would be the only one to know.

His arm felt very heavy when he raised it to knock on the door. He snatched it back almost immediately, almost afraid to feel wood burn at his contact, so strong was Madam Yu's dislike of him. The wood did not burn. A moment later a maid opened the doors and allowed him inside.

It was Wei Wuxian's first time entering Yu Ziyuan's quarters. The maid did not offer him a seat in the parlor where she left him, and he did not take one. He didn't think he would be able to sit still anyway. Instead he looked at the ink paintings decorating the walls and the ancestral weapons laid onto dark cushions.

One sword caught his attention more than the rest. He approached it without much thought, feeling for it the way he used to feel for Suibian—the way he failed to feel for the sword he was using now. To his surprise, the sword called back to him. Wei Wuxian blinked as he examined it. It was a rough thing, ugly compared with the fine blades and bows around it. Its wooden pommel bore neither gold nor silver, no gemstones or fine carvings.

Its sharp blade gleamed softly. A bird-like shape had been chipped where wood met metal. Wei Wuxian extended a hand forward with the vague intent to trace it with his fingers.

"What are you doing here?"

He took his hand back. Yu Ziyuan stood in the frame of a door that must lead to her chambers, the same maid as before following behind her.

Wei Wuxian bowed to her. "Madam Yu," he said, "I apologize for taking time out of your day. I have something I need to ask you."

She did not answer. When Wei Wuxian straightened up, he saw that she was looking at the sword he had almost touched.

She murmured, "Leave us," to the maid before making her way toward the wide couch at the other side of the room. Once more Wei Wuxian was left standing, but it was nothing he hadn't expected. "Speak, then," Madam Yu said, and Wei Wuxian put a hand inside his belt.

He took out of it the pouch she had given him before he left for the Nightless City. At the sight of it, Madam Yu's face grew somber.

"Don't just show this around carelessly," she snapped at him.

"So you do know what it is," Wei Wuxian replied.

"Of course I know what it is. Would I have given it to you otherwise? Foolish child."

He hid the pouch again. All the words he had come here prepared to say refused to come out of his mouth; he stared his clan leader instead, hoping without reason that she would give him anything to go on.

She said nothing, of course. Wei Wuxian had to force open his own mouth and declare, "There's no more left."

He had drunk the tea diligently since coming back, but a small bag's worth was only so much. There hadn't been much of it left after Qishan anyway.

Madam Yu huffed uncaringly. "What do you suppose I should do about it, Wei Ying?"

"You were the one who gave it to me. Can't you…" He hesitated. "Can't you give me more?"

"You're here now. Why should you have more?"

Wei Wuxian ground his teeth together.

There was no way for him to make her understand, he knew. Even if Yu Ziyuan had not lacked empathy wherever he was concerned, it would be hard to make her understand. Wei Wuxian did not think even Jiang Yanli would.

"My fevers are incapacitating," he told her, forcing himself not to look down. "I would prefer to continue avoiding them."

"You are mistaken if you think I gave this tea to you out of concern," Madam Yu replied. "The Jiang sect simply can't afford to have its only omega getting knocked up unmarried."

Nausea settled at Wei Wuxian's throat.

Madam Yu knocked twice onto the wooden arm of the couch. The maid came back with a pot of tea in hand and busied herself by pouring it for her, before getting dismissed once more.

"Why are you still here?" Madam Yu asked, bringing the tea to her lips.

Wei Wuxian licked his lips. They were dry. "Why do you think I would end up…" he couldn't finish.

She laughed coldly. "Who knows what you get up to when no one's watching?" She took a sip of tea, unflinching, her eyes piercing through Wei Wuxian with the strength of a loose arrow. "It's what your mother did, after all."

She put such disgust, such hatred into the words, that Wei Wuxian felt the hair of his arms rise. Your mother.

"You won't get more moonless tea unless circumstances call for it," Madam Yu went on. "Do you have any idea how difficult it is to obtain? How humiliating it is? You should be thanking me on your knees, boy."

"I won't," Wei Wuxian replied.

Yu Ziyuan's teacup tapped loudly against the tabletop. Liquid spilled over the rim and wetted her fingers.

"Wei Ying," she hissed, finally showing the anger he had grown used to bringing out of her.

Wei Wuxian refused to cower this time. "Why do you hate my mother so much?" he asked.

"Did Jiang Fengmian put you up to this?"

"He did not," Wei Wuxian answered hotly. "He would never, because he has too much respect for you."

Madam Yu rose to her feet. She was tall, so much taller than him, the very image of alphakind; strong and beautiful and absolutely deadly. She must have grown up praised by her family, nurtured for greatness, pushed forth toward glory.

Wei Wuxian had never known such bitter jealousy.

"You have no idea what you speak of," she seethed. "Get lost!"

"Of course I don't have any idea—how could I?" Wei Wuxian scoffed. "You've made it so I could never know. Well, I'm asking now."

"I should've killed you when you were a child," Yu Ziyuan said.

A few years ago, such words would have frozen him to the bone. If he had not experienced how cold she could be toward him, how cruelly she took to his status and existence, he would have stood breathless. Now all he felt was hollow.

Madam Yu was not done speaking. "I knew the moment I laid eyes on you that you would end up as rotten as her," she said. "Blood doesn't lie, Wei Ying, and you have in you the worst blood that this age has known."

"Did you even know her," he replied emptily.

His mother, whose memory was but a faded dream, a hint of applescent and laughter. His mother whose name was enough to make Jiang Fengmian look grieved; his mother who could make Yu Ziyuan exude such hatred.

Where was the truth?

Madam Yu laughed so loudly that she bent forward with it. "Did I know her?" she repeated at him. Wei Wuxian saw with great shock her look turn to something like despair. "Which clan do you think Cangse Sanren fled from!?"

"What?"

She was shaking with anger now. "I was there when she was born," she said in that same haunted voice. "I was the one who found her the first time she fled from the Yu omega house—she was so small I could lift her up with one arm. She kept laughing. She thought I was playing with her."

Wei Wuxian could not speak at all anymore. He watched with wide eyes as Yu Ziyuan covered her face with her hand; he saw her long nails dig into her temples and leave red marks in their wake.

"It was on my watch that she escaped for real," she said. "For years until she came back, I was blamed for her death. I was estranged from my own clan. Just because a stupid little omega couldn't understand the meaning of duty.

"And then she was back!" Madam Yu's voice grew louder and angrier, her face red from the strength of her memories. "She came down from that mountain acting like the world belonged to her—and of course, I was charged with putting her back on the right path." She sucked in a deep breath. "I was the one who let her escape, so I was the one who had to reign her back in! I had to follow her around, I had to watch over her every move, I had to convince her to go back to seclusion. But who could compare to Cangse Sanren? It didn't matter how ugly she was, oh no," she laughed. "She was brilliant. She was the greatest cultivator of her time. Every alpha forgot their manners around her and begged their sect leaders for the authorization to marry her, even—even—"

She needn't finish that sentence.

"That ungrateful little bitch never appreciated anything she was given," Madam Yu spat. "It's only right that she died the way she did. She took everything out of everyone, made everyone love her, and never gave anything back. The world is well rid of her."

She sat back down with trembling hands. Wei Wuxian could only watch as she rubbed her face again and made a mess out of her makeup. She seemed not to notice at all.

He felt very far from the moment. In his mind he recalled the mourning so stark on Jiang Fengmian's face whenever the man praised him, whenever he made him a promise. For so long he had wondered why such a proper man had raised him so improperly. For so long he had wondered how Yu Ziyuan could allow it, no matter how much she raged and spat, no matter how close to a beast the matter of Cangse Sanren made her look.

"Did you learn about the tea from her?" he asked softly.

The look Yu Ziyuan gave him in answer was ripe with resentment. "How else would I know?" she snapped at him.

Wei Wuxian nodded. He bowed again, though she wasn't looking at him, and made his way toward the door. His eyes once more caught the gleam of the oddly rustic sword she had added to her renowned collection.

There was only one person at the Pier who shared the same love for weapons that Madam Yu did. Wei Wuxian went to find Jiang Yanli that night.

"A sword with a bird engraved below the handle?" she asked as she prepared tea for the both of them. Her arm was almost fully healed now. "Where did you see it?"

Wei Wuxian accepted the tea with a nod of thanks. "I just heard someone talking about it and got curious," he lied.

Jiang Yanli hummed in thought. "Mother has one of those, I believe. They're very rare. She told me that only the sage in the mountains makes them and that no one but their owner can ever unsheathe them."

The teacup burned against Wei Wuxian's fingers. "Baoshan Sanren?" he asked weakly.

His shijie nodded. "Your mother probably had one too. How lucky."

Wei Wuxian remembered the day Yu Ziyuan had lost her father.

The news had come to them from the Yu sect a few days after the fact. It hadn't come with fanfare, for the man had been omega. Wei Wuxian knew through Jiang Cheng's knowledge that Yu Ziyuan was not always the Yu heir. That she had an elder alpha sister once who had died before her time—the daughter of her sect leader father and his cultivation partner. The direct heir, as opposed to her, who was born of an omega spouse.

It was sickness, he thought, that had taken her omega father away. Wei Wuxian had still been very young then; still very new to the Jiang clan. He still woke at night in a cold sweat, thinking he had heard dogs in the distance. But he remembered that messenger who had come on horseback and delivered the news to Madam Yu. He remembered how angry she had been at the servants that night. She had even scolded Yu Jinzhu.

She hadn't shed a single tear. He remembered being more terrified of her then than ever before.

Always, anger was the weapon which Yu Ziyuan held most avidly. Always she directed it toward those around her as if the smallest inconvenience was her being scorned by the gods; as if she suffered a great injustice every day that she lived.

She made everyone love her and never gave anything back.

Perhaps hatred wasn't the only reason Yu Ziyuan had kept that sword with her for so long.

The other shoe dropped.

The cry came as the day died: "The Wen clan took sixth shidi!"

It was only days after Wei Wuxian had been denied more of the tea by Yu Ziyuan. Madam Yu had been angrier than usual since then, never missing an opportunity to berate her husband and children. Earlier he and Jiang Cheng had seen Jiang Fengmian stalk away to the docks without a word while his wife screamed at him from behind, and Jiang Cheng had asked, "What happened this time?"

His voice bore such fatigue that Wei Wuxian had immediately dragged him away to hunt. He had found his smile again, then, happy to race him for the fattest birds they could find.

Now Wei Wuxian's second shidi was running at them, desperate and out of breath, tears spilling out of his eyes. He told them that a man and woman wearing the Wen sect uniform had come and beat up their youngest disciple. He said that the woman was waiting now to meet Yu Ziyuan.

Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng dropped their catches and ran toward the main house.

They found Jiang Yanli on their way; there were tear tracks on her face and blood on her fingers. They all came in to face their enemy.

"I've come here to ask for punishment on behalf of my master," Wang Lingjiao said gleefully.

She smelled, as always, like rot.

In the end there was not much that Wei Wuxian could do. He withstood for the first time in his life the burn of Zidian on his back, once, twice, as many times as it took for his skin to break apart and bleed. Through the ringing in his ears he heard the sound of Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli's pleas; through the shaking in his hands he felt the cold, hard ground, the heartbreak of a promise he had once made to himself and not managed to keep.

Yu Ziyuan's face looked wild in the early hours of night.

"Madam Yu," Wang Lingjiao laughed, delighted, "I didn't think you had it in you. You whipped an omega!"

She came closer, her footsteps so loud in the silence that they seemed to echo through Wei Wuxian's head. With one long-fingered hand, she grabbed him by the hair.

"You brought this on yourself," she murmured to him. "Don't think my master is done with you." Then, louder: "So very obedient, Madam Yu! I can see that we shan't have any problems building a supervisory office in Yunmeng."

Wei Wuxian was too dazed by that time to truly follow along what happened. He heard Wang Lingjiao's screams of terror. He saw Wen Zhuliu's glowing hand face off against Zidian. He cried out when someone grabbed him under the arms and pulled him away, making the wounds on his back burn deeply.

His nose picked up the sharp scent of Jiang Cheng, "Come, we need to build the barrier—"

"I'll take care of it," Jiang Yanli said from Wei Wuxian's other side. "You two get some help."

"Father took most of the clan with him earlier! We need to warn him!"

A sword was put into Wei Wuxian's hands. It had never felt as foreign as it did now in the face of such danger. All around them, Wen cultivators emerged, bows at the ready and swords unsheathed. Wei Wuxian tightened his grip on the borrowed sword and wished with all of his power that Suibian was here.

There was nowhere they could go. No one they could call. Wen Zhuliu killed the cultivators who brought up the shield and tried, again and again, to take away Madam Yu's core. Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng fought as close to her as they could against the endless numbers facing them. The borrowed sword's blade was slick with blood and guts, the air heavy with the smell of it, as heavy as a storm. It seemed to Wei Wuxian that Zidian was just another lightning bolt against the darkening sky.

So many dead bodies littered the ground around them now. Wei Wuxian forgot to voice the pain in his back, though it worsened when the rain started. He slid against the wet ground as he cut again and again into the bellies of his foes, watching from the corner of his eyes as Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli did the same, as Yu Ziyuan kept the Core-Melting Hand at bay.

Madam Yu slipped. Blood splattered against her open eyes and blinded her for a second. Jiang Yanli howled at the approaching Wen Zhuliu and managed to chase him off, and in the moment that followed, Yu Ziyuan had grabbed both of her children and leaped onto the nearest roof.

"Come!" she roared at Wei Wuxian.

She brought them all to the farthest of all the docks. From there the sounds of battle were faint, almost identical to the rumbling thunder overhead. Wei Wuxian's back had become numb to pain thanks to the beating rain. His heart, however, stung.

"You both need to go," Yu Ziyuan told her children, hugging them firmly.

From behind her, Wei Wuxian saw that her back was shaking.

"Mother?" Jiang Cheng asked, achingly soft.

"You leave right now, and don't come back. A-Li—"

"Mother," Jiang Cheng cut in, "we can't leave you here, let's just wait here for father, he—"

"Listen to me!" Yu Ziyuan shouted.

The sky cracked open; for a second, everything was washed to white.

Madam Yu was holding something in her hand. It wasn't until she slipped it on Jiang Yanli's finger that Wei Wuxian recognized Zidian. "You take care of your brother, A-Li," she said.

"Mother," Yanli cried.

Madam Yu rubbed her daughter's tears away. They were immediately replaced with rain. "My girl," she said, kinder than ever before. "You go now."

She snapped her fingers. Long glowing ropes shot out of the ring around Jiang Yanli's finger and trapped all three of them; Madam Yu pushed both of her children into the nearest boat and turned to face Wei Wuxian.

He was tied with Zidian's power too, but he felt no pain from it.

"Wei Ying," Madam Yu said, grabbing him by the collar. Wei Wuxian had no breath left in him at all. "You will defend my children with your life."

"Madam Yu," he tried.

She shook him harshly. "No, you listen to me," she hissed. "You protect them, understood? Don't give me any nonsense now—I'm asking you. Will you protect them?"

"I—"

He saw the fear in her eyes, the blood still clinging to her face. He saw the two people he cared the most about trapped in a boat and yelling at him, at her, to let them go. To let them fight.

"I will," he replied, heartache bringing tears to his eyes. "I promise."

She threw him into the boat as well.

"Mother!" Jiang Cheng cried. "Mother, come with us, let's all wait until father gets back!"

"So what if he doesn't come back?" Yu Ziyuan asked.

She unsheathed her sword slowly. She wasn't shaking anymore.

"Can't I survive without him?"

Their farewells to Jiang Fengmian were not any less hurried.

Wei Wuxian said nothing at all. He knew, deep inside himself, how things would turn out. He made no move to board the boat that his sect leader was on; he listened to the panicked words that the man's children cried to him and met his eyes almost levelly.

It felt almost as though Jiang Fengmian wanted Wei Wuxian to confirm the truth to him. Almost as if he were waiting for everything to be a joke, as if he were ready to believe it, as long as Wei Wuxian said so.

Don't go, Wei Wuxian wanted to say.

What right did he have to beg?

Jiang Fengmian pushed his children back into the small boat. He murmured a word, and Zidian once more snapped in place around the three of them. Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli shouted. Wei Wuxian tried to breathe.

Don't go.

He saw apology in Jiang Fengmian's eyes; he felt it in the hand that the man put over Jiang Cheng's shoulder, in the words that he said to them all—"Be good."

So did Wei Wuxian let go of his strongest protector. So did he say farewell to the man who had loved and raised him and granted him freedom. He watched Jiang Fengmian's wide back disappear toward the burning Pier without a single word. The darkness of the storm was almost enough to engulf the glow of the man's sword.

In such a weather, his scent was all but gone.

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[impandagrl]

All That's Left Behind

Part 7 of Home (Is Wherever I'm With You) series. Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 (contains smut)

Aftermath of Y/N's heat. They should probably all talk about what just happened - that would be smart. Or they could just assume they know what the other is thinking/feeling. Which one do you think they go with?

As always, thanks to my marvelous betas @justawaywardwinchestergirl and Edge_of_Clairvoyance for taking the time away from their own writing to help me get this ready to post!

Sam x (female)Reader x Dean (no wincest)

Warnings - A/B/O dynamics, Mentions of heat, angst, lack of communication, misunderstandings, 

Her eyes lazily blinked open. She felt satiated in a way she could never remember feeling before. A soft almost-snoring brought her gaze down to see Dean's head tucked next to her stomach. She could feel Sam's warm breath on the back of her neck, his stubbled chin against her shoulder. A glance at the clock on the wall showed it was almost 60 hours after she'd started her heat. The insistent throbbing in her abdomen had settled to a dull, satisfied ache.

She wanted to draw her fingers through Dean's sleep-fluffed hair, but she couldn't bear the thought of waking him, so she resisted. His breathing stuttered and he rubbed his rough cheek over her skin causing her to stifle a huff of blissful laughter. He pressed a gentle kiss to her stomach, his eyes still closed, and she could feel the stirrings as Sam started to wake up, too.

She tentatively gave in to her initial impulse and had the satisfaction of not only getting to caress his soft spikes, but seeing Dean relax and lean into her touch. Repeating the motion more confidently a second time, she left her palm resting behind his ear. Sam leaned in behind her, delicately kissing her shoulder and neck.

After a long, heavenly moment, her stomach growled, effectively breaking the spell. With a reluctance she didn't understand, all three of them stretched and sat up. Dean addressed her without quite meeting her eyes. “Why don't you take first shower? I'll scrounge us up some breakfast.”

As she let the warm water run over her she caught flashes of memory, and examining them closer led her to recalling that at some point during her heat, her cramps had become very intense and the boys had the inspiration to move her into the shower room and let the heat soothe her muscles while they continued to see to her other needs. She smiled and was glad no one was there to see her blush at the imagery.

She toweled off and slipped on a clean tee and a pair of jeans before making her way to the kitchen. The atmosphere seemed subdued. Dean's smile as he handed her a plate of scrambled eggs was forced, he still was barely looking at her, and it made her even more uneasy.

Sam looked up from his breakfast, his expression closed off, and her stomach lurched as she realized it reminded her of the time he told her he wasn't going to be bothering her again. She was filled with foreboding as he opened his mouth to address her.

“Hey, now that your heat is nearly over, you should start thinking about where you want to go. I . . . I know it's not fair, and we have no business telling you what to do, but I wouldn't recommend going back to your apartment, or anything in your old life. Of course, if that's what you decide, we aren't planning on forcing you to do anything; we’ll do what we can to get you situated and make sure you're as safe as possible. On the other hand, if there's any place you'd like to go, we'll get you there; anyone you'd be comfortable staying with, or some place you'd like to start over.”

He hesitated, “Or . . .”

Through her dazed confusion, she couldn't help but raise her hopes at what might lay behind the trailed off sentence. She leaned forward, trying to convey polite interest, instead of the desperation she was experiencing. “Or?”

“Well, we have a friend in South Dakota, an alpha, Jody Mills. She's a sheriff and she knows what we do; knows about monsters and everything. She's taken in a couple other girls that needed a place to stay, I guess it's part supernatural witness protection, part home for wayward daughters. Jody is like family, we trust her with our lives. I think it would be best if you stay with her, at least for a little while until we're sure there's nothing coming after you because of us.”

He paused and she had a moment of panic as she realized that he was waiting for her response. Her mind was still trying to catch up with the turn this morning had taken.

Something of this must have shown on her face; Dean spoke up. “You don't have to make a decision right now. You can think about it for as long as you want; ask whatever questions you have to help you decide. No hurry.”

Sam was quick to agree, “We're not kicking you out or anything. You can stay here as long as you need to.”

She nodded gratefully and forced herself to finish the eggs which had suddenly turned to tasteless rubber. Then, as hastily as she could, she excused herself. Back in the safety of the bedroom she sunk to the floor, her mind spinning.

She'd done something wrong, she'd failed them, let them down somehow, and they didn't want her anymore. No. No, that was her Omega talking: the omega who’d had this feeling drilled into her by her parents. That was not in line with how these alphas had ever treated her. They said she was good, they took care of her needs, made sure she was able to have a say in what happened to her, that she was able to keep her own free will.

Free will. Was that it? They hadn't had a say in any of this. They'd come to save her from a monster, they hadn't expected to find an omega hours away from heat. They had agreed to take care of her as she'd asked, but they hadn't volunteered to be put in this position, or indicated they were looking to mate.

They owed her nothing, they'd already given her her life back, she had no right to demand that from them. Knowing them, if they knew how lost she felt at the thought of leaving, how dependent her wolf had become on the security these two strong, nurturing alphas provided, they would feel guilty, as if they were the cause of any of this.

If they recommended she stay with this Jody as the safest course of action for her right now, she could trust they had her best interests at heart, and she could at least give it a chance. It had to be now, though, she couldn't bear to draw it out any longer than necessary. Every minute spent here was just going to make leaving hurt more.

The next day, she tried to make herself curious as they pulled into the rain slicked driveway. She clutched her bag to her, doing her best not to take the weather as a bad omen. They got out first, stepping around the car to greet the figure that had braved the downpour to meet them. Hugs were exchanged. Jody was considerably shorter than even Dean, but both of them adorably scrunched themselves smaller as she hugged them in a distinctly maternal fashion. The way they both relaxed and behaved as though the hug was a kind of homecoming, made her more comfortable about her stay here, however long it turned out to be. She may not know much about the alpha female, but Jody had to be good people that her very presence provided a comfort to these two men whose opinion she trusted completely.

Sam opened the door and she slid out. He had removed his jacket and held it over her head to shield her from most of the rain, but despite this she was still soaking by the time they'd reached the sanctuary of the house. As was Sam, Dean who was following with her other bags, and Jody. The new alpha instructed them all to get out of their wet jackets and shoes and she soon found herself on a homey couch tucked in a warm blanket with her chilly hands wrapped around a steaming mug of cocoa.

She appreciated that Jody seemed to sense how overwhelmed she was and while she treated her with a friendly and steady warmth, she was focusing most of her attention on the guys, getting them to talk about what they'd been up to, telling them stories about “Claire and Alex" who were, she believed, the two girls Jody had taken in.

They ate an early dinner together and, at different points during the few hours they were there, Sam and Dean each pulled her aside privately to make sure she was okay and not having any second thoughts about staying. She managed to be convincing and kept up the act throughout the goodbyes. They hugged her and it was all she could do to not cling to them and burst into tears, but finally they were gone.

She helped Jody with the dishes and they kept mostly an easy silence. She liked Jody already, she seemed very intuitive to her mood and needs. She had a knack for observing her without making her feel uncomfortable and seeing to her without making her feel like she was putting the alpha out.

“Thanks for your help. I'll show you to your room; you can get your bearings.”

“Yes . . . Mm-” she looked up at her, suddenly uncertain.

Jody's voice was warm, her body language casual. “You can call me ‘ma'am’, if it makes you more comfortable. Otherwise, I prefer ‘Jody’, unless I'm giving you an order. Trust me, you'll know, and if you don't, I'll let you know. ‘Alpha’ isn't necessary and, honestly, I probably wouldn't realize you meant me.”

“Yes - Jody, thank you,” she hoped her voice conveyed her gratitude for everything - opening her home to a stranger, her understanding, giving space and refraining from demanding any information from her new guest - in a way she couldn't hope to express with words right now.

Jody gave her a sympathetic smile that suggested she got at least some of it, and led her down the hall.

Her bags had been set neatly at the foot of a twin bed in a small, but clean and inviting room. Before they stepped all the way in, Jody pointed further down the hall. “My bedroom's right down there. Don't hesitate to come find me if you need anything. That's what I'm here for.”

She went on, “You're free to use any of the main areas of the house any time. The girls usually have school so I ask for quiet after 10, but there are books on the shelves in the living room, and you saw where I keep the cocoa and tea in the kitchen; make yourself at home. Tonight, the girls are out at a party; I was going to wait up for them. You're welcome to join me, or head to bed whenever you are ready.”

“Um, thank you, Jody, I think . . . I'm pretty tired from the drive, if it's okay, I might just try to sleep?”

“That's fine. Do you mind if I hug you goodnight?”

She stood still in shock, “Um, no?”

She found herself wrapped in a brief, but sincere hug. Jody let her go and patted her arm. “I hope you're able to be comfortable here. Please, will you let me know if there's any way I can help with that?”

She nodded, suddenly unable to speak around the lump in her throat. Jody gave her arm a gentle squeeze and turned back down the hall.

Sometime in the middle of the night, she woke up from a fitful sleep with tears flowing down her face. She hoped she hadn't made any noise that would alert anyone else in the house. She was really fine. She was not some weak omega who threw their heart and loyalty away to the first alpha who showed her kindness.

After wrestling with herself for awhile, she felt her way in the dark to one of her bags. Carefully ruffling through it, she found the plastic bag she'd tucked in the back. She pulled it out and opened it. She inhaled the scents of both Sam and Dean that emanated from the green tee shirt she'd rolled up and stored in the bag. She'd had no idea she was going to need it so soon and she dreaded the certain knowledge the soft cotton was eventually going to lose its potency. For now, though, she allowed the calm and comfort the smell brought to wash over her for a moment before sealing the bag back up and returning to bed, watching her tears soak into the pillow until she drifted back to sleep.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Sorry for the sad; the good news is that I accidentally wrote two chapters, so the next one should be polished and ready by this weekend, yay!

Let me know if you would like to be tagged. 

If you skipped the previous chapter, it was mostly pwp. A few noteworthy bits: There was tension between Sam and Dean, but Y/N was able to diffuse it for the most part. They fulfilled their stipulation not to leave any marks on her, with difficulty - also the green shirt.

Part 8

@luciisthebest @mannls @mogaruke @pinknerdpanda

[jbankai89]

Never Let Me Go [36/40]

A/N: See glossary at the end for a bunch of Russian/Japanese/Thai words (mostly Russian). If there's any spelling or grammar mistakes, please let me know so I can fix it—most of the Cyrillic to Roman Alphabet transliteration is done by me, and the Thai translation was done by Google Translate, so mistakes are totally possible. :P Next update will be April 12th.

Chapter Thirty-Five – Alvinia

 Less than forty-five minutes after giving birth, Yuri was roused from his half-asleep doze by Otabek, who was still bearing a warm, New Father glow about him. Alvinia was in his arms, but less sleepy and more fussy, and Yuri was immediately thrown into high alert.

“What is it?” he asked, “is Alvinia okay?”

“She's fine,” Otabek said softly, “the nurse thinks she might be hungry, so she suggested I wake you up and have you try feeding her. She offered formula, but I wanted you to decide whether or not you wanted to breastfeed before I gave her an answer.”

“No, I can do it,” Yuri said, and held out his arms to his mate. Otabek passed the baby over, her eyes squinting up at Yuri as she whimpered, and seemed to be ready to start screaming at any moment.

Feeling slightly awkward, Yuri supported his daughter with one arm while he unbuttoned the front of his hospital gown, and carefully lifted Alvinia to his nipple.

He knew his own biology well enough that he wasn't unnerved that he could produce milk, but it was still odd to see, especially considering his chest had not grown all that much, despite Yuuri's promises that he would be able to produce enough to feed his child without issue. Yuri knew that omegas very rarely grew breasts like beta women did, but he still found it hard to believe that it would be enough for his child.

Alvinia whined a little, her tiny hand unwinding from the blanket that she was swaddled in to rest against Yuri's chest, and his smile broadened as the little girl fumbled, as though she wasn't sure what to do. After a moment however, she seemed to get the hang of it and latched on gently as she began to nurse.

Yuri smiled softly as he stared at her—his tiny little miracle. He reached out to stroke her soft, chubby cheek, and she grabbed hold of Yuri's finger, her little hand curling around the digit in a surprisingly strong grip while she ate.

“God, she is so perfect,” Yuri whispered as he held her. “I can't believe we made this. I think after everything that happened...she makes it worth it.” Yuri paused, and glanced back up at Otabek. “Don't you think?”

“Yeah,” Otabek murmured as he watched them, “I mean, I dreamed about this for ages, I always wanted it, but seeing you hold her...it's more perfect than I thought it would be. She's...she's our little girl.”

“She is,” Yuri agreed as Alvinia seemed to have had enough, and Yuri pulled her back from his chest, while he gazed down into her little eyes, still partially closed like someone had just flicked on the lights for her, but he could still see the bits of blue of her irises as he lifted her up to gently rub her back until she let out a tiny, milky burp, then settled back down again.

“So...” Otabek hedged as he leant forward and offered the pair another smile while Yuri buttoned up his hospital gown. “You think you're rested enough to show her off a little? The others are dying to meet her, and I've been trying to put them off for a bit to let you rest, but I think that will be easier for you to actually get some real rest after they've gotten to meet her.”

“I think so,” Yuri said as he rocked Alvinia. “I mean, I'm still exhausted, but as long as I'm not expected to stand up, I think I'm good.”

 “No one expects you to move for another day or two, and when we go home, and you can rest as much as you like—plus, we've got about five eager nannies at home to help,” Otabek teased as he stood up and offered Yuri a gentle kiss, before he bowed forward and pecked Alvinia lightly on the top of her head. Yuri laughed at the remark, and smiled faintly at Otabek as he moved to the door and slipped outside.

“Okay, Alvinia, you ready to meet our crazy family?” he asked softly as he continued to rock her, and she blinked up at him sleepily. “Let's see...there's your Prádyed, Nikokai—he's the only normal one out of all of us—he's quiet, but he loved you even before you were born, and I know he'll love you forever and ever. Then there is your Dyédya, Viktor, he's annoying as hell, but he has a good heart, and your...um...Ojis, Yuuri and Minami—Yuuri is like the perfect mother, but don't ever tell him I said that. And Minami will probably get you into all sorts of trouble, like dye your hair purple when I'm not looking. Then the last, I suppose, is your Leung, Phichit. He's almost as nice as your Äke. He's sweet and doting, and he's hyperactive and annoying, but he just loves all the kids, and I know he'll love you too, probably because you're the cutest of the four. You'll grow up with Yuriko, Viktoria, and Antonia like sisters, or cousins, but even though none of your are actually related, it's a more perfect family than anyone I've ever known...”

Yuri trailed off his monologue just as there was a soft knock on the door, and he glanced up just in time to see his mate standing there with a line of familiar faces behind him.

“Hey,” Yuri said, his voice cracking a little with fatigue, and he nodded, inviting for them to come in.

“Hey,” Yuuri said first as they all grabbed chairs and circled him, except, he noted, Viktor, who seemed to be absent. Yuuri did not miss Yuri's look of confusion and explained, “he went home with the girls a few hours ago,” Yuuri explained with a soft smile. “Once they're awake, he'll come back over to meet the girls' new little sister. What did you name her?”

“Alvinia,” Yuri replied with a small smile, and turned to his grandfather, who was sitting quietly in one of the chairs while the others stood up and bowed over him to coo at his daughter. “Grandpa, do you want to start the first round of Pass the Baby, and meet your právnōchka?”

Nikolai beamed with joy at the offer, and Yuri carefully handed her over. A familiar look of quiet awe passed over the older man's face as he rocked her in one arm, and reached out a hand to her, and the newborn wrapped a tiny hand around his weather-worn index finger.

“Hello there, little one,” he said softly, “goodness, Yuri, she looks so much like Otabek, but she will have your eyes, I think. She is a beautiful child. I am so proud of you; you endured so much, and look what came out of it all.”

Yuri smiled weakly as he wiped his teary eyes, and Otabek wrapped an arm around him while he sat on the edge of the bed, and covertly snapped a picture with his phone of Nikolai holding Alvinia.

“Who would like to hold her next?” Nikolai asked, and chortled when both Phichit and Minami rushed at him, while Yuuri held out his arms in an almost commanding sort of way, while he flexed his hands as though to silently say, gimmie.

“I haven't held a baby in nearly ten hours,” Yuuri proclaimed as he continued to hold his arms out. “I'll go through withdrawal soon if I don't get my fix.”

“Baby Addiction,” Minami said with a mournful sigh as Nikolai chuckled and carefully passed Alvinia over to Yuuri. “Too bad they don't make a patch for that...”

“They do,” Yuuri replied distractedly as he smiled down at the infant and rocked her gently, “it's called having more babies.”

“As someone who has to live with a pack of screaming infants, I'd like to veto that treatment,” Phichit interjected, and everyone laughed.

A soft knock sounded on the door, and everyone glanced up at the same time to see a very tired-looking Viktor coming in with a stroller of three happy babies, and two drink trays of seven extra-large coffees, all labelled with their initials, and a box of doughnuts balanced on the top of the stroller's hood. Viktor was grinning at them in a slightly dazed sort of way, and he was dressed more casually than Yuri had ever seen him, in a black T-shirt and jeans, with his hair in disarray and his sunglasses perched on top of his head.

“Morning, everyone!” he called as he let himself in, and grinned as he held out the trays and pushed the stroller with his wrists, while the girls all squealed with delight and reached out for their mother. “I come bearing coffee, doughnuts, and sleep-deprived toddlers.”

“Oh, God,” Yuuri said with a laugh as he carefully passed Alvinia over to Minami, and got up to help his mate. “How long did they sleep?”

“I zonked out at about five A.M., and when I woke up Antonia had somehow gotten into Viktoria's crib. I think this is an omen.”

“Of doom?” Minami asked as he glanced up, and Yuri snorted as he watched Minami with his child.

“Of them beginning to crawl, dipshit.”

“Yuri, language!” Viktor called teasingly, “your little one is like a sponge, and she will soak all those bad words up!”

“She can say fuck, shit, and cunt every other word and she'll still be a perfect little lady,” Yuri replied as he watched Minami pass Alvinia to Phichit, and the alpha all but squealed when he scooped her up, carefully cradling her as he lifted her close to his face, and she reached up to touch his face clumsily with her little hand.

“Ohh, Antonia,” Yuuri cooed while he scooped his middle triplet up and hugged her close. “Were you being a little terror for your poor, sleepy Otets? That's my good girl!”

“Yuuri!” Viktor squawked, “how could you be so cruel? I'm running on like four hours of sleep, here!”

“I'll see your five hours and raise you a forty-five minutes, right after pushing a bowling ball through the eye of a needle,” Yuri grunted from the bed as Phichit handed Alvinia back to him, and her eyes flitted open a little, though they were still narrowed and squinted.

“Get back to us in a few months, kitten,” Viktor teased as he sauntered over and offered Yuri one of the coffees, as well as a chocolate doughnut on a napkin. Yuri shifted his grip on the baby so that she was cradled in one of his arms, and triple checked that her head was supported before he accepted the warm cup, and Viktor set the pastry down on his table, which had been pushed to one side. “Alvin, right?”

“Alvinia, asshole,” Yuri shot  back, his tone weak and halfhearted as he sipped the coffee and grimaced. “What the hell is this? It tastes like piss.”

“Decaf,” Viktor replied, raising his eyebrows a little in surprise. “It's best if you don't overdo right now, especially if you plan to breastfeed her. Hyper baby is not fun—believe me.”

“He's not exaggerating,” Yuuri added with a chuckle as he set Antonia back down and picked up the next fussiest tot. “I mean, it doesn't change their attitude much, but I did notice a difference.”

“I want real coffee,” Yuri whined as he set it down and took his baby in both arms again when she began to fuss. “I hate decaf.”

“Quite the picture of a glowing new mother, isn't he?” Viktor asked sarcastically, and Otabek snorted.

“Watch it,” Otabek warned Viktor while he rested a hand on Yuri's knee. “Yuri has really good aim with his pillows.”

“What?” Viktor blinked, and Yuri smirked a little.

“I threw a pillow at Beka once or twice during the...event.”

“Once or twice,” Otabek mocked with a snort, “I think you're missing a few hundred digits in there, dearheart.”

“Shut up, honey,” Yuri shot back sweetly, and everyone laughed.

“So,” Viktor said as he drew up a chair and made space for the huge stroller, which Yuuri rolled in as though they planned to let the triplets hold thew new baby too. “Do I get a turn with the little poop machine? She is so cute, Yuri, you must be thrilled.”

“Yeah, she is pretty adorable,” Yuri agreed with a grin, and handed his child over to the silver-haired Alpha. “And she's the spitting image of her Äke. With any luck, she'll have my impeccable vocabulary.”

“So planning for her first words to be fuck you?” Phichit teased, and Otabek snorted.

“Oh, give me a fucking break,” Yuri scoffed as he watched Viktor coo over his infant for a moment longer before he passed her back to Yuri, while Yuuri lifted Yuriko onto the end of Yuri's bed with her dummy in her mouth. Immediately, she rolled onto her belly and started to wiggle like a fish. “I don't swear that much.”

He paused, and like an instant replay, he realized what he'd just said, and another chorus of laughs surrounded him.

“No further evidence, your honour,” Phichit teased, and Yuri snorted as Viktor reached out to cage Yuriko in as she got up on all fours, and began to crawl shakily across his bedspread, and four adults swooped in at once to stop her from crawling off the edge.

“Come on, Yuriko,” Viktor cooed, as he turned her around to face Yuri, and sat her up. “Meet your baby sister.”

The eight-month-old blinked bemusedly at Yuri, her light pink dummy obscuring a good portion of the lower half of her face, while she stared up at Yuri and Alvinia with wide blue eyes.

Yuri decided to indulge Viktor, and carefully held out the newborn to Yuriko. The adults all seemed to hold their breath as they watched, and Viktor and Yuuri seemed to be dying inside from the cuteness—

Until Yuriko reached forward, and promptly stuck her finger up Alvinia's nose.

The move immediately woke up the newborn, and she promptly began to wail. Yuriko's eyes went wide with alarm at the sound, and the dummy fell from her mouth as she joined in with Alvinia's cries.

“Oh Alvinia, you poor thing!” Yuri yelped as he drew her close and began to rock her, while he glared over her tiny shoulder at Viktor, who was looking appropriately shamefaced as he rocked his own daughter in his arms. “Is your little nose okay?”

“I think she's okay,” Otabek said consolingly as he checked her over while Yuri held onto her. “She just got a scare.”

“We better keep an eye on them once you take her home,” Yuuri said seriously while he picked up Viktoria, who had begun to fuss from all the noise. “Newborns are so delicate, we don't want the girls to accidentally hurt her.”

“I think you guys are gonna need a new blanket term for your kids, given that now we have four girls,” Otabek pointed out, then glanced at Yuuri's stomach, “and possibly another on the way.”

“Can we please not discuss the whoops baby?” Yuuri asked weakly, his face flushing pink, and Yuri snorted a little at Yuuri's wording. “I am fighting total mental shutdown at the idea of five teenage girls in one house.”

“Better another girl than a boy,” Minami teased, “that kid leaves the toilet seat up once and they'll probably get murdered.”

“What happened to I want a house filled with children?” Yuri asked Yuuri mockingly as Alvinia began to settle down, and his flush seemed to deepen.

“I'm getting Viktor neutered after this one,” Yuuri replied teasingly, a small, amused smile spreading across his lips when Viktor, who had been sipping his coffee, promptly sprayed it out of his nose.

“It's not my fault that you're as fertile as a freaking bunny rabbit,” Viktor retorted as he mopped up himself and his daughter, who he had been holding. “I didn't mean it!”

“Can we please change the subject before we all learn way more details about Viktor and Yuuri's sex life than I'd like to know?” Yuri interrupted, and Minami and Phichit howled with laughter.

 ~*~

 Yuri stayed in the hospital with Alvinia for about a day and a half. Alvinia was checked over, her newborn vaccines were administered, and she was given a clean bill of health. Otabek was also gifted with the honour of giving his daughter her first bath, with the nurse showing him how to do it without getting water on her umbilical cord.

Everyone else went home, keen to finally get some rest, and visited Yuri and Alvinia in shifts while the others babysat the triplets.

Except Nikolai, who refused to leave the hospital without them.

“All right, Mr Plisetsky,” the doctor proclaimed as he brought in a wheelchair for the new mother around noon on the second day, “you're free to go. Everything looks good, and barring complications, you and Alvinia should be just fine. Now, I don't want you having sex for at least six weeks—”

“—six weeks?” Otabek interrupted with a note of alarm in his voice. Yuri did his best not to laugh at Otabek's reaction, while the doctor's expression became even more stern.

“Six. Weeks.” The doctor frowned at Otabek, who grimaced a little and bowed his head. “Congratulations again, both of you. Yuri, you've been discharged, so you four can go home.”

“Thanks, doctor.” Yuri smiled while he rocked Alvinia in his arms. The doctor nodded once, and left them alone. Yuri adjusted his grip on Alvinia as he took Otabek's hand as he began to help him manoeuvre out of the bed and towards the waiting chair.

“If it makes you feel better, I'm not sure I can wait six weeks, either—” Yuri began, but broke off abruptly with a hiss of pain as his bottom began to sear with a dull, throbbing pain ache from the slight movement from the bed to the wheelchair. “Okay, yes I can—I may never have sex again.”

“Don't worry,” Otabek said with a soft chuckle as he moved to stroke Yuri's hair, before he bowed forward and offered his mate a gentle kiss. “In a few weeks, the pain will all be gone, and you'll feel much better.”

“I hope so,” Yuri mumbled as Otabek straightened up and began to wheel Yuri towards the recovery room door. “I'm not enjoying the idea of waddling around forever like I had a cannon up my ass.”

“Well, you can rest when we get home; Phichit and the others promised to move our bed back upstairs.”

“Why am I not comforted by that, I wonder?” Yuri asked, and Otabek snorted.

“Viktor promised to be more careful this time, plus Minami is helping, and Yuuri is supervising,” Otabek said, and Yuri laughed softly.

“I can't wait to hear the story of how Viktor nearly killed himself this time...”

“Have you no faith in us?” Otabek asked as he wheeled him out into the hall, and headed for the waiting room, where Nikolai had been waiting for them to finish with the doctor.

“None whatsoever.”

“Oh, thanks,” Otabek retorted, and Yuri smirked to himself. “I'll have you know us alphas are completely capable of doing things without paying someone else to do it—hey, stop laughing!”

“Is Viktor getting concussed by an AWOL mattress your idea of completely capable?” he asked between bouts of laughter, wiping tears from his eyes as Otabek slowed his wheelchair to a stop in front of Nikolai.

“You certainly seem to be in good spirits,” his grandfather remarked as he smiled down at Yuri and Alvinia. “And how is my právnōchka doing today?”

“She's fine,” Yuri replied with a small smile as he rocked the sleeping baby in his arms. “She's been sleeping mostly, but woke up long enough to eat.”

“Oh, you're a lucky young man,” Nikolai said with a chortle as he turned, and they began to make their way out of the hospital. “You were a little terror as a baby. Your poor Mat` could never get you to settle down, I think you screamed nonstop for the first six months of your life.”

“Sounds like you haven't changed much,” Otabek teased, and Yuri reached up to swat him, making both his grandfather and his mate laugh.

They stopped outside the Mercedes, and to Yuri's amazement, a back-facing baby seat had been set up in the back of the car perfectly. It was perched behind the passenger seat, and Otabek proudly showed Yuri how securely the thing had been strapped in before Yuri allowed Otabek to relieve the omega of the baby and carefully strap her in, adjusting the size of the cushions carefully to keep her from being jostled while they drove.

“I'm impressed,” Yuri teased as Otabek circled the car with the wheelchair and helped Yuri into the back seat next to Alvinia. “You managed to get the car seat in without any disasters.” He glanced up and looked at Otabek, then flicked his gaze to his grandfather. He arched a brow, and looked back to his mate, who had suddenly found the stitching on the wheelchair fascinating. Yuri coughed pointedly, and Otabek's face began to flush red. When he finally glanced up, Yuri raised an eyebrow at him inquiringly, and Nikolai chuckled warmly.

“Nikolai may have helped a little...” Otabek muttered as he glanced away, “...erm, he may have fixed the disaster that I created...”

“You are hopeless,” Yuri said with a snort, and Otabek offered him a weak, apologetic smile.

 ~*~

 After Otabek helped Yuri shift from the wheelchair to the back seat next to Alvinia, he packed the wheelchair into the trunk of the car while Nikolai took the passenger seat. Otabek drove, driving comically slowly while simultaneously checking his mirrors almost obsessively. Alvinia whined and fussed, and Yuri cooed at his daughter as the car moved.

“Oh, precious, you don't like speed either, do you?” Yuri asked as he rocked her seat as best he could, and moved his other hand to lightly stroke her little chubby cheek. “You must be mine.”

“I'm barely going thirty kilometres!” Otabek complained from the front of the car, “I'm trying to go slow, all right?”

“Any slower, and we'd be going backwards,” Nikolai pointed out, and Yuri snorted when Otabek scowled, and he sped up incrementally.

Chuckling, Yuri turned his attention back to Alvinia. Her face was screwed up and tense, and she was whining and fussing, but not quite crying yet.

“Beka,” Yuri called, “I don't mean to rush you, but I have a feeling that she's a little time bomb that's going to go off any minute—so either speed up, or pull over so that I can calm her down.”

Otabek glanced into the rear view mirror, and Yuri could see a frown tugging at the corners of his mouth with a conflicted look in his eyes.

“My dear alpha,” Yuri said with mock sweetness in his voice. “If you keep going under the speed limit, we'll get pulled over. Just relax, and speed up. Alvinia's fussing, but she's not hurt; this is just new for her, and it might take a couple trips to get her used to cars. All right?”

Otabek nodded, and moved up to sixty. Yuri offered him a warm smile, and did his best to swallow his amusement. If Otabek's attitude over the last two days was any indication, Yuri could assume that as they watched their little girl grow up, Otabek would likely be a complete and total pushover.

And you, my little one, will have your Äke wrapped around your little finger, Yuri thought as he rocked the car seat, and stroked Alvinia's cheek while they turned around the corner and their house came into view.

“Welcome home, Alvinia,” Yuri murmured to his daughter, and she let out a tiny sigh as she finally began to settle.

A/N: Russian: Prádyed – Great-Grandfather,  Dyédya – Uncle,  Právnōchka – Great-Granddaughter Japanese: Oji – Uncle (Ojisan is the more formal version) Thai:  Leung - Uncle

A/N: If you like my work, please consider throwing a few bucks into my Digital Tip Jar. I am a starving artist, and I like not actually starving to death :P

NLMG Masterpost

[wwe-fluff-fic]

Kenny Omega - All Hearts Return For The Holidays.

Kenny Omega - Who’s in the Christmas spirit? xD  Reader is a retired wrestler and her and Kenny spend their first Christmas together with their newborn son. Really fluffy.

- Warnings - Fluffffff

Word Count - 1,159 words.

Requested by: Anon.

A/N - If you’d like to be tagged in any future fics, feel free to message/ask us :)

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You stretched your arms and rolled onto your side as the sharp crack of your back reverberated around your and Kenny’s shared room. The soft winter sun seeped through tiny cracks in the shutters- the light momentarily blinding your dazed irises. You lazily slumped your arm to grab your phone off the bedside table, only to realise how much time you’d actually spent under the warm sheets of your king sized bed… Then another thought crept over your mind; the sole fact that your barely one-month-old son, Brayden should have already woken you up by now with his never-ending pitiful wails. Hastily, you pulled on your pink, silk robe and scurried down the hallway to your son’s room; already in a pure state of panic - the mess of a person which instantly vanished as you stepped through the door. Warm tears seemed to well up in your eyes as your heart warmed seeing the far too familiar muscular build of you husband, rocking your newborn back and forth in his arms, in a successful attempt to comfort him. The rapid thumps echoing in your chest returned to their normal pace as you simply stood, staring at your perfect little family and only when you saw the small little reindeer hanging in the corner of Brayden’s room did you remember that it was in fact, Christmas Morning.

Your frame toppled to the side, consequently creating a small creak as you leant against the pristine white door frame. That feeling never quite goes away, the moment the love of your life looks you straight in the eyes; the exact moment butterflies take over your entire body, causing your knees to quake in complete adoration. And just hearing his voice after 2 months of him being on the road, well that was the star on top of the tree. “Merry Christmas baby.”

“Kenny, I thought you weren’t back ‘til later!?” You exclaimed, your bare feet stepping from the hard, cold wood to the plush carpet as you began walking towards your boys.

The mere sight of Kenny holding the tiny bundle of joy delicately in his arms made this Christmas all the more merrier, “Couldn’t miss this morning could I?” His raspy tone spoke above the light melody playing from the lion-themed mobile hanging above Brayden’s crib.

You wrapped both hands lovingly around Kenny’s arms, resting your forehead on his perfectly chiseled biceps. Looking down upon the ever-so-slightly blushed cheeks of your newborn along with the tight curls forming on their head, it seemed almost impossible to see this moment as anything less than perfect. Kenny was just such a natural with Brayden… ever since he was born he just seemed to have those fatherly instincts- it was just a shame Kenny had to miss a good portion of the first month doing his shows; even if he was kick-ass at doing them. It would be an understatement to say you didn’t miss Kenny like absolute crazy whilst he was away but the single fact that he was here with you on what was the most magical day of the year was more than enough for you. The tiny body of Brayden was cautiously handed to you, Kenny being 100% sure that you had hold of him before releasing his hands. 

With Brayden nuzzled closely to the crook of your neck and Kenny to your side, you made your way downstairs, eager to begin the day that holds no stress at all; something you were so used to in your previous hectic career. Reaching the living room, your mouth instantly fell agape as you saw the tree, literally bombarded with tons of wrapped presents, masses more than were there last night. “Kenny, did you actually get this many presents for us!? Are you serious!?” You shrieked seeing all the tiny boxes, tied with cutely coloured ribbon along with the huge tags with yours and your sons’ names on.

“No, question is; are you serious? Obviously, it was Santa Claus.” Kenny winked at you, simultaneously heading to the decked out tree, grasping onto two silver boxes. 

“Oh yeah, well who knew Santa had a six-pack.” You sat Brayden onto Kenny’s lap, picking up your present as you watched Kenny hand your son his. You weren’t the one to neatly fold away the wrapping paper; instead more of the ‘I’ll use my claws’ approach to be completely honest. For that reason, your gift seemed to be revealed in nothing but a matter of seconds. “Oh my god Kenny, you didn’t…” Anybody at this point would think he’d got you a ring, or some nice perfume you’d spotted on one of your recent shopping trips but no… Kenny being Kenny decided to get you an all-black onesie with the bullet club logo branded across the front.

“I did” He chuckled before turning to Brayden, playfully motioning his hands up and down as he had a gentle hold on your son’s dainty wrists. “Now let’s open yours shall we buddy, go ahead.”

It was unbearably adorable, witnessing your husband interact with the product of purely your love in this way. But jeez… the silence in the atmosphere at this moment was insanely thick. Both of you were sat staring at each other with entirely different expression etched upon your faces; his simply of delight, yours read pure confusion. “Hold up, did you really think our one-month-old son can open a present!? He can’t even control when he poops yet Kenny?”

Kenny raised an eyebrow at you and moments later turn to a quiet Brayden. “Yes, nothing’s impossible. I mean if he’s my kid, he’s sure as hell gonna be able to do it.” He spoke, ruffling the small tufts of hair sprouting from your kids head.

What was he implying right now? “Kenny, are you seriously considering Brayden not being your child- look at him, he’s literally a miniature you.” You snarled, your eyebrows closely furrowed together.

“No don’t be stupid, I just thought it was worth a shot you know? Maybe he’s like secretly superman.” Kenny began to rip open the paper covering your baby’s gift, pulling out a much smaller version of the present in which you’d just received. 

“Jeez I love you so damn much Kenny, I don’t actually think you understand.” You leant over, pecking your lips upon his ever-so-slightly stubbled cheek, placing another delicately on the crown of your son’s head. Kenny wasn’t usually the one to go over the top on celebrating anything but you were damn sure, he was going to make his baby’s first Christmas one to remember, whether that means spending an overly large amount of his hard earned money spoiling the people he loved most. Not that you would be the one to complain anyway… He made sure to make it a certainty that this day would mark the end of one of the most momentous years with a day full of happiness, nothing short.

A/N - Kenny fic’s done, Sorry if this isn’t up to scratch with my other ones, I don’t really know what happened; I just don’t feel like this is my best work at all ;/ Well I hope it was alright Anon :)

Also HAPPY WRESTLEMANIA!

Tag List - @m-a-t-91 @irish-newzealand-idian-dutch @daintymissdevitt

[stetervault]

I'm new to the steter fandom, can you rec some of your favourite or fan favourite fics?

Ugh there’s just so many, but this is a question I’m always willing to answer XD I’ll try to rec fics from a variety of writers, and if you like them, you can check to see if they’ve written others :)

Proposing To Strangers by moonstalker24

At the end of a strained relationship, crime novelist Stiles chooses to hide from the world inside a bar with far too many motorcycles outside it for comfort. Here he’ll meet the man of his dreams, eat food and propose marriage, all within the first five minutes.

Peter doesn’t know who this kid is, but he’s cute and looks like he could use a break. So he feeds him. He’s not expecting a marriage proposal, but with what comes after, he doesn’t really mind.

it’s not the color i came in by nezstorm

Stiles is a bit of an anomaly among the Omegas he knows, or everyone on the spectrum really.

For him, heats are about comfort and safety, and not at all about sex.

Baby Stilinski-Hale by Triangulum

“You’ve been avoiding me,” Peter says. Stiles just shrugs. “Are you going to tell me why, or do I have to guess?” Stiles would love to glare at him and snark back like they always do, but her nerves are just too frayed and she doesn’t have it in her. Peter seems to sense this and frowns, his face morphing into one of concern. “Stiles..?”

He takes a few steps closer, slowly as if he’s trying not to startle her and that makes her want to let out a hysterical laugh, but she keeps it in. He sets his hand on her shoulder, the other going to the side of her neck. He frowns at the way her pulse is racing, as if he needs to physically confirm what his ears are already telling him. She lets him touch her, knowing without even needing to think about it that he won’t hurt her. She does let out a bitter little laugh at that. Well, physically he won’t.

“What is it?” he asks and the genuine concern in his voice almost breaks her. He leans down and stares into her eyes, their faces so close, and she sees his nostrils flare. “You smell…different.”

Well, that’s her cue.

“I’m pregnant,” she whispers.

Or

The one where Peter gets Stiles pregnant and is a big old softie about it.

The Devil You Know by Twisted_Mind

He’s so tired, in every way it’s possible to be tired. He tried going for a walk tonight to prevent a panic attack, and ended up being rescued, dazed and bleeding, by Peter Hale. There are so many things wrong with that sentence he doesn’t even know where to start. Panic attacks. Being stuck inside his brain sucking so hard he needed to be alone and moving. The sense of relief that came with crashing into Peter. He shouldn’t be okay with this. He didn’t give Peter permission to sleep in his bed. His dad will be home soon. Peter’s more than a decade older than him. Peter can’t be trusted.

But he’s tired, and this feels so, so good.

drowning in the sea of you by Corpium

Beacon Hills was perfect for Stiles growing up, but now, with werewolves, hunters, and an anxious best friend running around, it’s turning into a place too chaotic for an empath like Stiles to handle alone. And pain killers can only go so far.

The World That Is Not Ours by Ragga

”Are you sure?” Noah asked as he stared at the plush Claudia was holding. It was a rather scary-looking thing if he had to describe it with just one word. It was some sort of a monster, he thought, and not a wolf like the tag called it. Its hair was slightly coarse, not silky smooth like children’s toys usually were, and a sort of a dark colour; not black but not brown either, just a muddy shade of dark. Its body shape was also rather interesting. It seemed almost disfigured with its back and legs twisted and its snout was long with sharp-looking teeth (which actually weren’t, sharp that is, thankfully). But even those traits weren’t the one Noah objected to. No, that honour belonged to the shining red eyes that seemed to stare into his soul.

“Stiles is going to love him.”

Eventually (I’ll Crash Into You) by ToAStranger

Derek pushes Stiles away to keep him safe.

Stiles more than just leaves.

You’ve Got Me by Inell

Stiles arrives home earlier than expected and finds someone sleeping in his bed.

Baby Boy by SushiOwl

What the heck is FetLife?

Stiles is too curious for his own good, and he can’t help himself, so he joins a website advertising to be a good place for “kinksters.” He just wants to be nosy and see what total strangers are up to. Then he meets Peter, who wants to be called Daddy.

Could Stiles be his baby boy?

Whiskey is My Kind of Lullaby by taylorpotato

Peter is a simple saloon owner on one of the outer planets between the Aaru Belt and the Olympus Galaxy. He’s done with trouble. Done with adventure. So fucking done with rustlers. That is, until a cute young outlaw named Stiles wanders into his bar. Peter has this problem where he can’t seem to resist charming narcissists (perhaps because they remind him of himself). And when said narcissists turn his life upside-down, the worst part is he’s not even that upset about it.

Take Care of Me by Mysenia

Prompt: It was so hard to choose on that list so I won’t instead I’ll go with W and the pairing Peter & Stiles. Peter to Stiles “I take care of you because you’re Pack.” Along with or in place of that one if it doesn’t work for you (still Peter to Stiles.) “I’ve failed you once I won’t do it again.”

According to plan by FeelingsDusk

The plan was very simple: go back in time, kill Kate, kill Gerard, never ever make contact with his parents, try to find a place within the Hale pack or not, but either way, live the rest of his life displaced and without the people he loves.

Of course, as it always is with him these days, nothing goes according to plan.

The Sphinx of Beacon Hills by Guede (Stetopher)

Stiles is a sphinx, and he’s winging his way to visit his buddy Scott when a storm drops him in Beacon Hills, the craziest, crankiest, coldest place ever. And somehow, he ends up with a bunch of werewolves.

Note: Bestiality warning is because the version of sphinx here is lion-shaped from waist down, and I don’t know how else to tag that.

Bite Down by EclipseWing

In which Stiles is forced to survive the zombie apocalypse with a sociopathic murdering werewolf for company.

At the End of All Things (What’s Another Sin?) by Ceris_Malfoy

The first year of her solitary existence had been all about survival.

The second year was learning how to want to survive.

And then the wolf arrives.

The Terrible Things We Do (For Love) by Rrrowr

Being a demon, he’s seen some of the pretty nasty things that humans are willing to do for love. Things that, were he still alive (and human), would make him hesitate to be in a relationship with anyone lest his partner start getting some funny ideas. That said—

“This seems a little desperate for a kid your age,” he says to Stiles.

A welcome arrow by 1001cranes

The wedding is small and grim, because Stiles is being carted off to parts unknown, married to a thirty-something year old dude who wants to marry a seventeen year old dude - totally not creepy at all.

Hold Me Down by sneksonaplane

Waking up in Peter Hale’s bed was weird. Waking up in Peter Hale’s body was even weirder. Stiles had been disoriented and confused when he’d found himself in a plush, king sized bed in an unfamiliar bedroom instead of in his own room (and seriously, why did Peter even need a king sized bed? Why would anyone need a bed that big?) It had all come back to him when he’d glimpsed the body he was inhabiting, one that was shorter but more defined than his own, and older, and kind of hot.

OR

The one where Stiles and Peter swap bodies, Peter relives his adolescence, Stiles suffers, and then suffers a little less when he discovers Peter’s fetlife profile where he’s listed as a submissive seeking a daddy.

Cast in Stone by wynnebat

To think, people would kill for this.

run away and hide with you by Green

Stiles has been taking care of himself for far too long.

Can I Tattoo a Baby? by Elpie (Horribibble)

Before he inked his first tattoo, Stiles Stilinski had filled a dozen sketchbooks.Before he knew what he wanted to do with his life, Stiles Stilinski had a kid to take care of.Before he threw in the towel completely, Stiles Stilinski met Peter Hale.

Life is made up almost exclusively of happy accidents. (And some really terrifying childhood memories.) But that’s okay.

(Really they’re all kind of morons, but the Buffy style asskicking doesn’t hurt.)

Waves that rolled you under by radishwine

AU in which Peter has the good sense to get the hell out of town after killing Laura. He drives up the Pacific coast to the old Hale cabin and stays for a while.

Beyond The Shore by SmartKIN

When Peter Hale leaves Beacon Hills and moves into his family’s lake house, all he expects to find is solitude and freedom.He definitely doesn’t expect the loud-mouthed, too-pretty-for-his-own-good merman who breaks into his house in the middle of the night, unable to curb his curiosity.

Lucky Penny (Tastes Like Copper on Your Tongue) by pibroch (littleblackdog)

When Peter woke up, he spent a good fifteen or twenty seconds earnestly wishing that whatever had hit him had the courtesy to kill him outright. Because this? This was bullshit.

AKA the time I decided to give Peter all the nice things, but made him get hit by a car first. Like you do.

Naughty Hookers (Swathed in Wool) by pprfaith

Stiles is happy with his store, his hobbies, his friends. Peter’s just trying to figure out how to raise his nieces and nephew without fucking them up too badly.

Paths cross.

Red String verse by gryvon

Peter had given up hope of ever finding his soulmate until the red string on his finger leads him to a four-year-old. He’s going to Hell. Or jail. Or both.

If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out by mia6363

Commander Stilinski looked like he fell out of a propaganda video, his armor still smoking as he pulled off his helmet and handed it off to First Officer Argent. He had a few bruises down his neck but his smile was bright.

“Glad to see you safe and sound, Mr. Hale. I’d hate for Derek to lose a member of his family.”

“I told you,” Derek snapped at his superior, “he’s not worth this, Commander.”

There you go, enjoy ^_^