#she tosses her hair and he laughs in panic

[ghost-proofbaby]

You have to keep him alive, she absently thinks. She assumes the thought is private. If anyone may hear her, she only prays it’s Gale. He’s not all bad, and you have to keep him alive.

summary: aruna nearly dies (again).

wc: 5.9k+

warnings: descriptions of drowning, descriptions of being stabbed by a log, a lot of everyone being bad at feelings (both in present and in the... past? the other timeline? not sure what to refer to it as)

a/n: how many times can aruna almost die in this fic? let's find out, ig.

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“Wyll, no!” 

Aruna should have saved her breath. She really, really should have. 

There’s no air to spare in her lungs, mouth left wide open still, as she crashes into the current below. It’s a vicious thing – the water shows no grace as it moves her center of gravity, pulling her along in the rush, so quickly she doesn’t hear the shouts of her companions. 

Another voice even joins them. An unfamiliar one, that somehow carries just as much concern as she practically drowns. 

Similar to when she’d first used her magic, Aruna doesn’t have to ponder or remember if she can swim. Her body acts accordingly; her feet kick exhaustingly, her arms try to move against the waves to slow her down. Nothing works. All she gets out of it is another mouth full of water as a sudden drop in the river yanks her under. 

This is it, she thinks through the burn of her lungs as the fresh water fills them, this is how I die. I managed to survive the poisoning only to die because I slipped. 

She wonders if Astarion would have laughed had he been there. 

It’s meant to be a soothing thought, but through her sheer panic, all she can recall is Shadowheart’s reveal. The way Astarion had been frantic when he’d returned her to camp, the way he had been so ferociously protective of her while she was in such a vulnerable state.

Her shadow had left her to her own devices, and this time, he wouldn’t be there to save her. 

I wish he was. 

Her elbow scrapes against a jagged rock as she breaks the surface of the water again, gasping for breaths before she’s taken under again. It stings – Gods, it stings – and her palm only takes a beating when she tries to grab onto the culprit. 

It’s too deep for her to reach the bottom. She can’t stop. She’s completely at the water’s will, and she’s going to drown. 

Save Astarion, no matter the cost. 

Maybe the letter had meant her blood.

Save Astarion, no matter the cost. 

Maybe now that she had allowed him to feed, had given him a group to travel with, he’d be safe. 

Save Astarion- 

A hand wraps around Aruna’s bicep suddenly, her arm being the only thing even poking out of the water, lifting her up with absolutely no gentleness. She swears, there’ll be bruises in mere hours from the rough-handling. 

She’s tossed suddenly to a nearby bank, a broken branch stabbing into her side. If she had any breath left, that certainly would’ve taken it. She yelps out regardless as her fingers dig into pebbles below, no longer being dragged violently down the river, only below her knees still in the current’s grip. 

The water around her runs a light pink as she army-crawls her way up the bank to get clear of the currents. 

“Aruna!” 

It’s Shadowheart screaming for her. Even with spotted vision, even as she’s coughing up mouthfuls of water, she can decipher that voice. Which begged the question…

“You-” a very wet Gale gasps, his hand still holding onto her bicep for dear life, “-have got to stop nearly dying.” 

“Can’t breathe,” she hardly manages wheeze out, trying to sit up and failing miserably, still feeling the stabbing pain of the branch that must be lodged between her ribs, “I- I-” 

Gale’s touch suddenly turns gentle, tossing his head about to get his hair out of his eyes as he looks her over. It’s only once he’s turned her onto her back, water rushing into her ears but no longer drowning her, that he spies the culprit. 

What in the Hells has happened? 

It’s certainly not her own voice in her head sounding detrimentally pissed off as she continues to whimper, struggling for each deep breath that gets cut short. 

“Hold still,” Gale instructs her sternly, maneuvering their bodies so that her head rests in his lap, leaning over her as his shaking hands hesitated in touching that branch. A few droplets of water run down the bridge of his nose, dripping down onto her chin, but she hardly cares. 

She can’t breathe. 

Where are you? 

Astarion’s voice in her mind does little to soothe all her panic. She’s not going to drown, but she has a giant fucking log of wood pierced into her side. 

When she doesn’t respond, she can feel irritation traveling down that tadpole bond. It’s weaker than she’s used to – not nearly as potent as it was whenever she was actually in camp with Astarion – but she can still feel every swirling emotion as he does. 

Irritation. Anger. And then… panic. 

Not her own. A sense of urgency that bleeds into the one consuming her now, mixing in a disastrous way. A kind of desperation that would make a man pull a dagger on his fellow companions, demanding help for the limp girl in his arms. The kind of anguish you don’t feel for a stranger.

“Shadowheart!” Gale yells suddenly, fingers hardly prodding the surrounding armor around the wound, only to elicit a yelp from Aruna, “I- Gods, I- I’m sorry. Shadowheart, we need healing!” 

The water is cold. Her entire body aches with shock, the wound beginning to numb once Gale moves his hands to simply cup each of her cheeks. They offer a little bit of warmth, something she’s quick to welcome, leaning into them as she continues to struggle. 

The shallow water here is turning a darker shade of pink, swirls of red focused at Aruna’s right side, exactly where the rather large stick protrudes. 

Aruna, tell me where you-

River. 

It’s all she can muster to offer him over the bond. She can hardly even flutter her eyes open, barely making out Shadowheart’s silhouette on that distant makeshift bridge. 

“If I die,” Aruna manages to croak, and she suddenly feels Gale’s hold on her cheeks press just a little bit harder, “Do me a favor and-”

“No,” Gale stresses, tearing his gaze away from where Aruna thinks Shadowheart still is, “No, you are not dying. Save your energy.” 

“If I am-”

“If you make me promise to take care of that damn dog,” Gale’s voice wavers, dark brown eyes locking with Aruna’s own amethysts, “I’ll leave Astarion to deal with him. I swear.” 

“Shut up about the dog,” Aruna nearly laughs, but the new wave of pain effectively cuts her off, “I’m more worried about Astarion.” 

Gale’s entire demeanor changes. She watches as waves of concern and confusion drag him under just as the river had done to her, “Astarion?” 

She manages to nod her head, even with his steady palms on either side still. 

“He’s not all bad, y’know,” her voice is a whisper of a murmur, hardly audible over. Her eyes flutter shut once more, fatigue making her bones heavier than even her soaked armor. She swears she hears sloshing footsteps nearby, “And… And I have to… I’ve gotta keep him…”

“Aruna,” Gale begs now, shifting beneath her. She can smell his cologne now, even through the biting wetness of the river’s bank. It’s sweeter than Astarion’s, softer, “I promise you, whatever business you have with Astarion, you can take care of once we’re back in camp. We are getting you back to camp.” 

You have to keep him alive, she absently thinks. She assumes the thought is private. If anyone may hear her, she only prays it’s Gale. He’s not all bad, and you have to keep him alive. 

She thinks for a moment that she’s said it outloud as Gale starts to call out to their other companions frantically once more, as though her words may have triggered something within the man clinging to her. She swears she can feel them dragging her body further out of the water, causing her to shiver ferociously as the lightest breeze damn near freezes her. 

I won’t be doing anything of the sort. You will – because you’re not dying. Keep him alive yourself, Aruna. 

He hadn’t said that outloud. Any voices she can hear are all muffled, but Gale’s voice comes through clear as day. 

It’s a different caress than her connection with Astarion. Whereas the presence of Astarion in her mind causes a soft purr, a gentle warmth that she’s eager to nestle into, Gale’s presence is electrifying. Sparkling, dazzling. Shivers run up and down her spine, and she can’t distinguish if they’re due to being completely out of the water now, or if they’re due to the new occupant privy to her mind and thoughts. 

Even the dancing, purple sparks that she can nearly envision behind her closed lids aren’t keeping the beckoning darkness away at the edges of her consciousness. 

Before it takes her, though, that familiar warmth is back. She decides as she hears the call of Astarion’s voice in her mind, that if he were to be allotted color, it would be a deep burgundy. A staining maroon. Something deep, something old, something warm. Bolder than even the blood she can feel still slowly seeping out of her wound. 

If you die before I get to you, I will incinerate the wizard. 

The darkness claims her. 

—

“I think you like Gale more than you let on,” Aruna teases from her seat at the particularly fancy stool Astarion had set out in front of his tent’s entrance. She wasn’t even sure where he’d procured it, the red velvetine of the cushion far nicer than anything else that litters their camp. She’d be complaining relentlessly about it, if it wasn’t for the fact that the comfortable stool had practically become hers from how often Astarion allowed her to loiter about and sit on it. 

“Is that so?” Astarion murmurs, his nose currently buried in a book as he stands, eyes flitting over the pages. Another item that she’s clueless as to how he’d obtained it – along with the other fifty tomes stacked within his tent. 

Aruna leans forward, legs crossed beneath her, hardly balancing on the cushion, “Indeed. Don’t think I didn’t notice you saving him from that kobold earlier.” 

At this point, Aruna’s convinced he’s only pretending to read, blatantly ignoring her to get a rise out of her. He hasn’t turned the pages in several minutes. Plural. 

“His magic has proven useful from time to time,” Astarion drawls, shifting his weight between his legs but still making no move to look up at Aruna, “Besides, I’m sure if I let the wizard perish, you’d have my head.” 

“Do you think me so cruel?” 

“I know you so cruel.”

He’s wearing a half-smirk, and she hates the way it lures her closer. She has half the mind to demand they all call it a night early, if only to get Astarion alone in his tent so that she could curl up within a safe distance from him, not quite touching, but still locked away in their own little bubble.

It’s not the same camp as the one they began in. They’d long since left that one behind, their journey taking them farther than any of them had ever anticipated. Earlier in the day, they’d taken to investigating the Creche – although it hadn’t lasted long when they’d stumbled into a room of kobolds, and an ill-timed firebolt on Aruna’s account had nearly burned them all to ash from all the firewine in the room. 

This camp suits him better, though, Aruna thinks. The sun shines brighter here without the cover of the forest around. A certain golden hue floods their small nook within the mountains, and the way Astarion basks in it is a sight to behold. 

His skin and hair is so light, he almost becomes the sunlight. 

“I have no idea what you could possibly mean,” she hums in a playful tone, leaning back, narrowing her gaze at him, “I am an absolute ray of sunshine, I’ll have you know.” 

“On whose account?” he scoffs, finally snapping that book shut. He doesn’t even mark the page he’d been holding up this entire time, “Yours, or that poor merchant you flambeed?” 

Some of the playfulness deflates out of her shoulders, “That merchant was not some poor soul. She was demanding we hand over a child, Astarion.” 

“I’d hardly consider a githyanki egg a child. And it could have awarded us quite the pretty amount of gold.” 

“I couldn’t give a damn about the gold. Even without Lae’zel present, I would have wanted to turn that gods-awful woman to nothing more than a pile of soot and ash.” 

He finally looks at her, taking steady steps towards her until he’s within reach of setting his book down at the table before her. There’s a mirror balanced there, one that proves useless to him, but he still keeps it around for some reason. 

He leans down until he’s eye-level with her, still just out of reach, ruby eyes glowing, “Remember that the next time we come across a trader who holds a pretty weapon that you ache to get your hands on.” 

“That was one time,” she scowls as he cracks a deceivingly sweet smile. 

“All it takes is a taste of corruption, my dearest Aruna.” 

It wasn’t her proudest moment, admittedly. But Astarion had been just as eager to comply when Aruna had pulled him aside and whispered the request to him – she’d distract the merchant, and he’d put his nimble hands to use by getting the enchanted bow that had caught Aruna’s eye. It had worked out in the end. That bow had proven more than just useful, repeatedly proving it’s worth in battle when Aruna would use it to cover Astarion from any foes he happened to not notice. 

He knows she’s recalling the moment as she shifts to suddenly stand and leave his tent. But she doesn’t even make it to her feet before he’s caging her in, a hand steadied on either side of her against that rickety table, fully invading her space now. 

No one else in camp even blinks an eye. Gale is across the camp, deep in discussion with Karlach as Wyll idles near them, clearly listening in. Lae’zel is out of sight, but the sharpening of her sword can be heard clearly. 

They’d all known that Aruna had taken to fortifying with the vampire. She hadn’t been very sneaky about it. That was more Astarion’s style – not hers. 

What they didn’t know, however, was how far it had gone beyond the exchange of bodies. Long gone were the nights of distracting sex and honeyed words of seduction; in their place now settled quiet nights of simple discussions in Astarion’s tent, whispered confessions of haunting pasts exchanged rather than bruising kisses. A bearing of scars, of souls, rather than their nude bodies. 

He’d never explicitly said it, but Aruna knew better than to utter a single word of what Astarion confided in her during those private moments. He’d trusted her – he trusts her. 

And so she let him keep up the overly flirtatious act in front of others. For as long as he allowed it, she would let them think she was doing nothing more than keeping his tent warm. He was well worth that scuffed reputation. 

“Now, just where do you think you’re going?” 

A game of cat and mouse still exists between them, and she never can tell if it’s still just for show. She can’t tell if he can hear it – the unfortunate thrumming of her heart, always racing when he’s near, even without her own volition. 

She’s toeing a dangerous line. 

Mindless sex was fine. A blooming friendship was encouraged. But whatever she had begun to feel? Somehow, she’s convinced she’d rather be known as Astarion’s plaything than ever admit the fondness brewing within her. Better for everyone to assume she only wanted Astarion for his body, for the pleasure he could bring her, than to confess the way his words were amongst the most sacred things he had offered her. Better to play the role of a doting fool vying after his alluring lips than to admit that his mind intrigued her more than a single muscle across his lean form. 

It would simply have to become her best kept secret. Both from all their companions, and especially from Astarion. 

“To speak to Gale and Karlach,” she snarks, tilting her chin up, meeting his daring gaze, “At least they have the galls to admit when they consider you a friend.” 

“Full of fire tonight, are we?” his voice drops to a whispering rasp, eyes flickering across her face. Any onlooker might assume he’s simply catching a glance at her lips in hopes of a kiss, but she knows better. Just two nights before, he’d admitted (although it had taken quite a bit of persuasion on Aruna’s part) that he was mesmerized by the freckles across the bridge of her nose. Someone of drow lineage, kissed by the sun. It was a rare sight, and one Astarion hadn’t stumbled across in all his years before. “We both know you’ll grow bored before the sun even sets. They won’t play with you like I will.” 

“Perhaps I’m not in the mood to play tonight, Astarion. Maybe I’m just looking for earnest conversation.” 

He recoils slightly, faux disgust wrinkling his nose, “Earnest conversation? Ugh, spare me. You’ve truly been spending far too much time with Gale.” 

If she were stronger, if she had just a bit more self-restraint, she would have held back her bark of laughter. But she’s not – she’s nothing more than molten putty when it comes to him, all her worst flaws exposed against her own will, and her head tilts back as she lets out a sound that nearly embarasses her to death. Something between a choked scoff and an orc-ish snort. 

The sun is so bright at his back, she doesn’t notice the glimmer of something reflected. Not from the mirror, but from herself. 

A brewing fondness bathed in the golden hour. A best kept secret that Astarion swears he’ll get a hold of, come Hells or high water. 

It’s a good look. On both of them.

—

Aruna comes back to with a start, just as Shadowheart has yanked the branch from her side. 

“Fuck!” she screams out instinctively, going to reach for the wound before Gale grabs her wrists. He manages to corral both her arms and press her back down, allowing the cleric who kneels in the mud beside her to properly look at the wound as her own hands glow with magic. 

“Welcome back to the world of the living, my friend,” Gale quips, hardly breaking a sweat as he continues to fight against Aruna’s thrashing, “Thought we lost you there for a few seconds.” 

Seconds? Aruna head pounds as though she had been out for days, not seconds. The same heaviness in her chest from when she’d been poisoned lingers now, making it exceptionally difficult for her to writhe in pain as her body was attempting to. Attempting to wriggle away from the pain, away from the thing that was technically helping her. 

“What-” she gasps out, trying to steady herself, to stop moving. Another flash of Shadowheart’s magic has her crying out again, however, body twitching to its own accord, “What do you mean seconds?” 

She grits the words out between grinding teeth, hands turning to fists as Gale refuses to relinquish his hold. She’d have to thank him later – she doesn’t know if she’d be capable of holding down one of them like this, even if it were clearly necessary, if they were grunting out in such severe pain as she was currently.

The entire right side of her body felt as though it was ablaze. Everything else had been thoroughly chilled, her teeth even attempting to chatter from the cold, but the heat that radiated from where she’d been stabbed persists. 

“You passed out,” Gale explains as though it was obvious. He’s unaware of what she’s just experienced; he’s unaware of where exactly her mind had gone for those mere seconds. “Likely from the pain and blood loss, and surely the lack of oxygenation from almost drowning wasn’t helping. You’ve got yourself into quite the situation here, it seems,” he pauses and glances down at her as another strike of Shadowheart’s magic pulses into her. This time, only her face moves, twisting up into a wince, “I am truly sorry for the discomfort. It’ll be over soon. We just have to stop the bleeding of the wound, at the very least.”

She can feel the skin of the wound twisting and reforming, from the inside out. If it weren’t from the pain of the healing, she’d probably be able to notice the way her breaths were finally coming more easily to her. 

“Right,” she manages to spit out as Shadowheart’s magic begins to wane once more, “Of course. Stop the bleeding. I can handle that.” 

“I have healing potions back at camp,” Shadowheart mumbles through her concentration. She looks positively drained when Aruna dares to peep a quick look, paling with each passing second that she uses more of her magic, “If I can just-”

“Am I still bleeding?” Aruna asks suddenly.

Shadowheart looks up, eyes wide, albeit a bit dull, “You’re… No. The bleeding has mostly stopped.” 

“Great. Then let’s go to camp.” 

She doesn’t want the half-elf wasting any more precious magic on her than necessary. They’d return back to where they could rest, she’d take one healing potion from Shadowheart (and not a drop more), and she could see if a restless night’s sleep might do the trick. 

If she could just walk, it would all be fine. Surely time could heal this wound. 

“Are you sure about that, soldier?” a new voice sounds from above Aruna, and the dizzying deja vu that had incapacitated her to the point of falling returns. This time, thankfully, it doesn’t affect her nearly as detrimentally, “I just- That stab looked pretty gnarly. You might want to let the healer do her thing before-” 

“Karlach.” 

Aruna isn’t sure how she knows the tiefling’s name, but the moment her eyes land on her, it simply comes to her. The flames still idly lapping at the warrior’s skin, her uneven horns as one curls fully over her head of hair and the other has clearly been broken off. She knows this force of a woman – she’d seen this woman in that goddamn memory that had stolen away precious seconds in the here and now. 

Wyll looks painfully guilty as he stands a few feet away from her. 

“This was the woman from your visions,” Aruna attempts to cover up her recognition easily, and everyone seemingly buys it, “This… this was the devil you were chasing?” 

“The past tense there is very important, my friend,” Wyll insists, swallowing hard and glancing at Karlach again, “She’s… Well, she’s no devil.”

“Make no mistake, it was an honour to be chased down by the Blade of Frontiers, but-” Karlach excitedly begins, but Aruna only softly smiles as she cuts her off. 

“No need to explain yourself,” Aruna somehow knows more than she should. But if every other encounter was the blueprint for this one, surely they had all seen the truth. If Karlach was still standing there, unharmed, Wyll having resigned his hunt – they knew she was a friend, “I’m Aruna. Nice to meet you. Although, I wish we had met under… better circumstances.” 

“Oh,” Karlach laughs, almost nervously, as she waves a hand through the air, “Please. No better time than the here and now, yeah? Plus, you’ve effectively proved yourself to be a certified badass from the get-go, soldier.” 

Soldier. A cute nickname, but Aruna’s brows crease together regardless. 

“Soldier?” she questions aloud, slowly sitting up and ignoring the nearly unbearable pain in her side. Nearly being the key word. 

She’d deal with it. She was the one who had idiotically fallen into the river, and she’d deal with the consequences. Maybe next time she won’t run across the slippery log. 

Karlach freezes up a bit, eyes darting around to the other companions worriedly, “I, uh, yeah. I don’t know. Like I said, that branch looked gnarly. Only a soldier could take a beating like that and still insist on walking it off.” 

Aruna has to bite back a simultaneous grin and tears. There’s something comforting about Karlach, something that makes Aruna want to cling to her side. To be the shadow rather than the leader for once. 

“You learn to walk it off when you’ve been as clumsy as I’ve been,” Aruna shrugs, turning to look at a still very pale Shadowheart, “Say, Wyll, could you help Shadowheart up? We don’t need any more of us falling into this water. It’s fucking freezing.” 

Wyll’s clearly startled, looking between the two women, “Shadowheart? What about you-”

“Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.” 

They wanted a leader – they needed a leader. And Aruna had been assigned that role whether she liked it or not. As long as she held the title, the only person who would be getting injured due to her own stupidity would be herself. 

No more shrugging at the thought of them dying due to them choosing her as their leader, it seems. 

“Are you sure you can even walk?” Gale stammers, rising quickly when he notices Aruna beginning to lift herself out of the shallow water they were gathered in, “Please be careful-” 

“Stop hovering, Gale, and just help me up,” she insists, holding out a hand for him to grab. 

Shadowheart doesn’t even have the energy to argue as Wyll appears at her side, letting her lean some of her weight on him. 

Aruna’s guilt is far, far heavier than her armor now. 

“Shall we?” she mumbles, looking to the ground in shame, trying to hold most of her own weight even as Gale willingly offers his arm for her to cling onto. She only looks up to glance Karlach’s way, forcing another kind smile through all her pain, “You should join us, y’know. If you’ve got one of those worms in your head.” 

“I-” Karlach’s eyes shift to look off into the distance, back towards the path they had taken to find her, but clearly looking a bit beyond it, “I’d love to. I really would, but I’ve got some business I need to take care of. Some goons are tracking me and-”

“We can help,” Aruna offers before Karlach even asks such a thing of them. And she can imagine Astarion’s bristling, his sigh and roll of his eyes, his voice whispering of her bleeding heart, “Join us at camp, let us rest up a bit, and we can come back and send those assholes back to wherever they came from.” 

Electricity runs along the outskirts of Aruna’s mind, purple sparks coming to life as Gale grips onto her arm to steady her.

Just like that? He asks through the tadpole. You’re going to offer our help, just like that?

If it had been Astarion, the question would have been laced with judgment. 

But Aruna doesn’t find a hint of it in Gale’s voice, merely shock as he looks to her with wide eyes. She’d even dare to say that she saw admiration behind those shades of umber. 

Just like that, she confirms silently, looking patiently to Karlach for a response. She needs help. I want to help. 

Aruna has plenty wrong with her. She has a head full of holes, gaping wounds not visible to the others that haunt her every hour of every day. She has a mysterious letter in her pack, insisting that she saves one of their dear companions. She has daggers that she can hardly use, she has a worm in her head that has become the least of her worries, and she has a bleeding heart. 

She is a kind fool. And, all things considered, it’s probably the thing that is least wrong with her in this exact moment. 

She’s going to help Karlach. Just as she promised Lae’zel, just as she had promised Wyll. If there is nothing else she can do for this world, she can do that. 

Our fearless leader, indeed, Gale hums through the mental connection. In her peripherals, Aruna catches the glimpse of a soft yet proud smile. 

Your kind fool, more like it. 

Karlach is oblivious to the silent conversation, and finally secedes with a deep breath, “Ah, what the hell. Lead the way, soldier.” 

Aruna is becoming awfully fond of the nickname. 

—

They hear Astarion before they see him. 

“What in the Hells did you do to her?” 

His words are pure venom, and Aruna can feel the fear that strikes within Gale when he freezes up at her side. The chill from being soaked by the river had been seemingly only affecting Aruna, who’s teeth had chattered the entire way as they backtracked to where they’d originally found the dog. But she swears, as Astarion catches sight of them as he rises from the corpse of Scratch’s previous owner, a shiver runs up the wizard’s spine. 

“They didn’t do anything,” Aruna says. The stab wound still ached terribly, and breathing still wasn��t the easiest thing in the world, but she had no doubt she’d make it back to camp. She might end up collapsing, unable to move again until tomorrow, but she’d certainly make it back, “I was just a clumsy fool and fell into the river.” 

Aruna hadn’t realized just how much she missed Astarion during the days he’d avoided her until he’s right in front of her, eyes blazing and fangs nearly peaking out as he snarls at Gale, hands already reaching for his daggers. He may be a terrifying sight to everyone else, but not to her. His presence instantly soothes, leaving the shooting pain in her side to fade out of existence for just a moment. 

But she doesn’t have time to linger on the calming effect. 

The moment she catches sight of him unsheathing his weapons, she forces herself in front of Gale, albeit a bit wobbly. 

“Astarion,” she snaps, holding out a hand as the other instinctually clutches to her injured side. Not a smart idea, as it brings back the pain, “Put the daggers away. Now.” 

“I leave these fools to keep you alive for a few days, and suddenly, you nearly die – again,” Astarion snaps, stopping just shy of her palm, gaze shifting between herself and the cowering wizard, “I should have known bett-”

“You’re not my keeper,” she calmly reminds him, acutely aware of Shadowheart’s look that screams I told you so. The rogue is more furious than Aruna had witnessed in all their travels, nearly feral, “And I didn’t die. I survived. Gale saved me. If anything, you should be thanking him.” 

She isn’t quite sure why Astarion would be thanking Gale. Astarion wasn’t her keeper – he didn’t have some ridiculous letter telling him to keep Aruna alive, as far as she was aware. 

“Oh, my apologies,” he sneers, leveling a look to Gale, “Thank you so very much for keeping our precious leader alive, almighty wizard. What ever would we do without you doing the bare minimum?” 

Our precious leader. Through all the sarcasm dripping from Astarion’s words, those somehow feel sincere. 

But it might simply be the fact that now that he’s so close, all Aruna can feel is that lingering desperation clinging to him, all the fear sticking around like smoke in the air. His hands are twitching at his sides as they let go of the daggers, as though he might reach out for her any moment now. 

“Bare minimum?” Gale squeaks out from behind her, “I understand you feel awfully protective of Aruna, but-”

“She’s the reason any of us are even alive. She’s the only reason we’ve made it this far.”

Aruna pales, “I don’t think-”

“Is she the reason we’re all alive?” Shadowheart weakly questions, taking a step closer as she glares at Astarion, “Or is she the reason you’re alive? I’d reckon you’re only terrified of losing the one person in this group who will actually tolerate you, willingly, Astarion.” 

In an instant, Aruna loses all her patience. It’s only momentary, but she swears she sees red as her head whips towards the cleric, “Shadowheart.”

Her tone makes it clear she isn’t joking around – it’s a threat. Even through her chattering teeth, Aruna’s voice comes out strong and clear. It’s a warning for them all to tread extremely carefully with their next words. 

Some of Astarion’s anger leaves him, face softening as he chooses to only focus on Aruna. He glances over her stoic face, but eventually, his attention is grabbed to her bloodied side that she still grips. She watches as his pupils dilate and his nostrils flare immediately. 

“You’re bleeding.” 

Aruna is shocked it had taken him so long to notice. She’d assumed given his vampiric nature, he’d smell her blood instantaneously. 

“Yes,” she deadpans, pressing a little harder on the wound, wincing only a little. Her hand is already turning sticky with her ichor, “Like I said, I fell.” 

“And conveniently impaled yourself? Gods, the pain I felt, that’s-” Astarion cuts himself off, still staring in disbelief at the wound, “Let me see it.” 

“No.”

“Aruna-”

“Astarion,” she parrots back, leaving no room for discussion, “We need to just return to camp. I just need to rest. I’m fine, we’re all fine. As long as you all stop trying to bite each other’s heads off, at least.” 

With each word, her voice is becoming more breathy, increasingly aware of the depths of her wounds yet. Shadowheart may have healed her enough to guarantee she won’t drop dead, but there’s certainly still a chance for her to pass out if they don’t get a move on. 

Surprisingly, Astarion only nods at that, finally looking back up to her eyes as he takes a step forward. His hands reach out, and she can see them shaking. 

It’s probably just from the blood. It’s been days since he last fed, that Aruna is aware of, and the comedown had no doubt been more intense considering he’d just had his first taste of a thinking creature’s blood. 

“I can walk,” she insists when she realizes he’s offering to take over from Gale as her crutch.

“You can hardly stand.” 

“I can walk.” 

This latest memory returned more than just knowledge to Aruna. Something more had been returned to her – a spark of fire that hadn’t been there before now rests in her chest, a flicker of who she once was. Headstrong, stubborn, determined. She feels less like a poor wandering soul. She’s more sure, and more staunchly independent, than before. 

Slowly but surely, the puzzle that is herself is coming back to Aruna. She feels like a person now, not a mere ghost. 

A person, a leader, someone who can hold her own. The last thing she wants to do is cling desperately to anybody else, to accept any help that might portray her as weak. Because she wasn’t – she couldn’t be – if she had to lead these people. And certainly not if she kept getting into these near-death experiences. 

“Gods, you’re stubborn,” Astarion grumbles. It’s a slow switch, but she notices it then; the more Astarion spoke directly to her, the softer he grew. He didn’t offer her the same ferocity that he’d thrown at the others. Shadowheart’s earlier observations are painfully loud in her mind as she realizes it. 

His hands drop, but he’s no less stiff as he moves to the side, letting her begin to walk, to lead them all further down the path. 

She’s quick to notice the way he returns to his rightful place at her side. 

Her shadow. For better or for worse, it seems.

taglist: @emmaisgonnacry @writinginthetwilight @moonmunson @generalstephkenobi @notthisagainpls @chaoticbardlady99 @animated-unicorn

if you'd like to join the taglist, simply let me know <3

[fucklestat]

this is literally one of the hottest scenes i’ve ever watched in my life

[strawberrysturniolo]

can you pleaseeeee do a chris sturniolo x fem reader where she invites him to meet her family? maybe she has a big family and he’s a little nervous to impress them all? i hope that doesn’t that dumb <33

meeting the family // bf!chris

super soft chris

“Baby?” my boyfriend’s voice calls from our shared bed.

I’m standing in the bathroom, drying my face with a towel while he scrolls through his phone. “Yes?”

“What time are you parents getting in today?”

Chris has been overloaded with anxiety about meeting my family since we started dating months ago. I had moved to LA for college, stumbled into Chris through mutual friends, and with him knowing that I have family on the opposite coast that he has been able to get out of having the awkward first interaction with for months, he’s beginning to panic now that it’s coming up.

He has no real reason to worry though. My parents have always been pretty casual and free to let me do what I want, make my own mistakes. But Chris was never a mistake, and while he’s paranoid about them liking him, I have plenty of confidence that today will go well. 

They’re flying in from my hometown to visit me over a short break I have from school. I was flying back home so much that they decided they wanted to come to the west coast to see me for a change. 

“2, but they’re Ubering to their hotel so my sister can sleep.”

My sister, who is 4, was, in the nicest way, a complete and total freak accident. 

I was an only child my entire life, and when my sister popped out, our age gap was so evident that I would often get asked if I was a single teenage mom when I would take her to the store with me. 

Their day of traveling with her must have been hell. It’s rough enough to go from coast to coast as is, but with a whiny 4-year-old who just wants to sleep the whole time but probably can’t find comfort on the plane, I doubt it was peaceful. 

I can hear the bed creak a bit as Chris gets up and stumbles into the bathroom. His hair is a mess, curls in every direction. His eyelids are heavy, and he drops his head on my shoulder to show me just how exhausted he is. His swollen lips kiss my neck as his arms wrap around my waist. He smiles at me through the mirror, places another kiss to my cheek, then turns around to the shower, turning on the water. 

“You feeling any better about the big introduction?” I ask, earning a groan in response.

“Are you trying to make me feel more nervous?”

“I’m trying to make you feel better.” 

He peels his shirt off and tosses it to the ground. “I’m happy to be meeting them, but no, I’m still scared shitless.” 

While he showered, I talked to my mom to coordinate our plans for the rest of the day. By the time he was back to our room, our day had been decided. 

“My parents are going to Uber back to their hotel so my sister can take a nap, and then we’re going to take them to dinner,” I relay the plans back to him. 

He nods as he puts on a fresh shirt and pants. “Sounds good.”

We go about the rest of our day before heading to the hotel my family will be spending the next few days at. Chris’ hand taps the wheel nervously. I offered to hold his hand, but he insisted that he was too worked up to feel comfortable holding mine, as his hand was probably too sweaty. 

I couldn’t help but find it adorable how much he cared. I knew he really had nothing at all to be worried about. The idea of him caring so much though was so sweet, and I felt really lucky that I had been with someone who wanted to make a lasting impression. It made me think he wanted to make sure they liked him enough for him to be in my life for a long time. 

When Chris pulled into the hotel parking lot, he let out a deep breath.

“Rainbows, butterflies, unicorns,” he muttered, trying to calm himself down.

A cackle left my mouth at the sound of him.

His eyes shot open and he glared at me. “Stop laughing!”

“Chris, this is ridiculous! You’re getting yourself worked up for nothing.”

He stared at me with a blank expression like that was enough to challenge my words. 

“Babe,” I started. “My dad is as protective as any dad is, but he’s a nice man and he cares much more about me being happy than anything else. He can only protect me so much from as far as we live anyway. My mom, she’s easy going and loves everyone. And my sister is 4 and will like you as long as you acknowledge her existence. You’re fine, let’s go.”

With that, I exit the car and head for the front doors. I hear Chris’ door close behind me and his footsteps follow. I lead Chris up to my family’s room, knocking a few times so they can let us in. 

The door swings open, revealing my mom. “Honey!” 

Before I can say anything, her arms are wrapped around me, pulling me into a tight hug. “Hi, mom. How was your flight?”

She let out a sigh. “Exhausting, but we made it. Your sister couldn’t fall asleep and complained about her ears hurting, so she took a nap for a bit when we got settled here and-”

“SISSY!”

The sound of my sister’s voice was enough to make my face light up. I squatted down to her height as she ran to me with her arms out. I hooked my hands under her arms and picked her up, holding her at my hip.

“Hey girly! I heard you didn’t have too much fun on your flight, huh?”

“Uh uh,” she said, shaking her head before resting it on my shoulder. 

I could sense her eyes on Chris, who had been standing behind me. After a few seconds, she started giggling. 

I bopped her up a bit so she could look at me. “What’s so funny?”

Her cheeks blushed as she pointed to Chris, then put her head back on my shoulder. 

“Ohhhhh,” I say, nodding at her as she hides from my boyfriend. “That’s Chris. He’s very nice.”

Chris waved his hand at her, smiling big enough for my sister to giggle again. 

“Why don’t you guys come in and sit down for a bit?” my mom suggested.

Carrying my sister still, I walked inside with Chris behind me and sat down on the bed. 

“Hi sweetheart,” my dad greeted me, kissing me on the head. He stuck his hand out to Chris, who wiped his hand on his pants before shaking my dad’s hand. “Nice to meet you, Chris.”

“Yeah– Um. You too,” Chris stumbled over his words.

In an attempt to let Chris relax a little, I sat my sister on my lap and said, “Why don’t you let Chris meet Bobo?”

Her eyes lit up and she jumped out of my lap, racing to the bed to grab her stuffed monkey.

She bolted back to Chris, holding her monkey proudly in front of him. 

“This is Bobo?” he asked, an element of excitement in his tone that was enough to make any kid think that what they had to share was golden. “Can I hold him?”

She nodded, smiling. 

“Wowwwwwww. Did you know monkey’s are my favorite? I had a lot when I was little.”

Her jaw dropped to the floor, making both my parents laugh. 

“Bobo was with me… the whole time… on the plane,” she said. She spoke like she was out of breath, like the excitement was too much for her. “I was scared of the plane and mommy said Bobo would protect me!”

“I bet he did!” Chris nodded. “He looks like he has that power.”

I couldn’t help but smile at Chris and my sister interacting, as well as how he had finally loosened up and gotten comfortable around my family. While we continued to talk, my sister climbed up on his lap, and I fucking melted at how fast he put his arms around her for support and helped her up. She put her head on his chest, and while holding Bobo, I could see just how tired she still was. 

“Uh oh,” my mom said. “Looks like she’s out again.”

All our eyes found my little sister passed out asleep on my boyfriend’s chest. He looked down to try to see for himself, but was blocked by the back of her head. 

My mom stood up with her phone. “This is too cute. Do you mind if I take a picture of you guys?”

Chris didn’t even respond. Instead he looked up at my mom with the biggest smile I’d ever seen, holding onto my sister. 

All his fears went away, and just like I thought, he was the perfect fit for this family. 

[mochinomnoms]

Thinking about how scary people find the "non-traditional" looking merfolk like the tweels and Azul only to remember the mermaids in Peter Pan were straight up trying to kill Wendy and now I'm chewing on the walls thinking about Azul or the Tweels saving Yuu from some mermaids who "were only trying to drown her <3". Just the idea of the "traditionally beautiful" mermaids actually being a lot more fucked up, despite the reputation they got from The Little Mermaid/Mermaid Princess. Or something, I'm rambling.

Imagine going to the beach with the octotrio, the twins specifically wanting to swim with you in the water. But they get distracted trying to drag a still human Azul into the water, pleading for him to turn into his merform too!

Eventually, they manage to drag a screaming Azul into the water, bubbles slowly dissipating as they take him further in. Imagine your surprise when a lovely, blonde mermaid and purple haired merman pop out almost immediately after.

They look harmless, especially compared to the twins and Azul. They look like an average reef merperson, like the Mermaid Princess. Their tails match their eyes, pink and violet, as they playfully splash you. It seems pretty harmless at first, they look pretty young after all, but then the merman starts pulling at your leg, asking you to join him in the water with a smile and lead-eye stare.

The mermaid swiped your sandals, swimming further into the water where you can't reach as she beckons you to come after her. Don't you want your shoes back? They get visibly annoyed when you don't follow into their whims, trying to hop away from the stone you're at and back to shore. That's when the mermaid starts to tug you by your bottoms, asking why you won't play with her. The merman starts to do the same, giggling at your panic-stricken face.

They're tearing the hem of your bottom as you struggle to get out of their grasp. Up until you slip on the slick rock and fall into the water. The two start to swim circles around you, now full on laughing, as they drag you further into the water by your feet.

“Relax, I just wanna see if humans really do get red when they drown, huh?”

The merman giggled as he replied to his companion, “Yeah! We only want to drown you a little bit, why so scared? Is it cause you might die? How funny!”

“Ha!” The mermaid cackled as she swam up to curl her tail around you, grabbing your face to stare you in the eyes as you started to lose consciousness.

“Yeah! Don't worry, I hear that dead humans float back up, so you'll get to go back home…soon…”

Horror fell over her pretty face as she looked behind your drowning form. The surrounding turned darker, colder, as a large black and purple tentacle slowly reached from behind you to pull you from her grasp. She and her friend both shrieked at the sight of a giant octomer curling his arms around you protectively, an inhuman hiss, followed by a growl, reverberating through Azul's chest. From behind him, two glowing teal morays giggled as Jade and Floyd both chased after the two merfolk who were now begging for mercy. After all, the twins were a good 3 feet larger than them.

Azul is cooing at you as he brings you back up to the surface, though you can hear the crunch of what sounds like ribs breaking, a shriek, and Floyd's unique cackle. You leave that knowledge behind you as you gasp for air upon breaching the surface. You're clutching at Azul like he's your lifeline, murmuring for him to not leave you. Which Azul agrees to.

The twins come back up a few minutes later, Jade digging something fleshy from his teeth while Floyd offers you a lock of purple hair, which still had a bit of scalp on it. You thanked him, but refused the hair, to which Floyd shrugged and tossed it behind him. The three of you spent the rest of your time in the shallow end of the water, three mermen curled protectively over you.

[uglyducklingofthe2000s]

Okay it’s me again and again about the angst with Lando. I’ve read “You hurt me” and as it was amazing it’s not really what I had in mind.

I thought more about reader being harassed by “fans” of Lando not in an obvious way? Like they tell her she’s not his usual type or they point out she’s not on many races (like give her a break she studies hard), make assumptions about her, point out she’s not rich and it’s awful to her but Lando doesn’t see it because it’s not so obvious.

Hope it’s not too detailed it’s mostly examples so generally harassed!insecure!Reader and oblivious!Lando in shortened version🫣

"Just Don't Be So Sensitive" - LN

Might be a bit short in terms of angst? I don't know if I do angst all that well. We're gonna get Lando getting a little defensive over his fans and thinking better of them (I'm not saying all Lando fans are the devil's children when it comes to evil, but we all know what poor Luisa went through)

A word I use in this is from my dialect (I didn't realise this wasn't a commonly used word till recently when I used it on twitter and people started screaming at me because they thought it was something bad), I could change it but sorry I'm not going to. So instead I'll translate: cushty - very good or pleasing

Themes: Heavy drinking (using alcohol as an emotional cushion), arguing

Lando warned her that things could get nasty towards her. But he seemed pretty elated over the fact that things were not at all as bad as he thought they would get.

When they first started dating, he told her in a very loving manner "that she just had to make sure "just don't be so sensitive and you'll be just fine". He wasn't making any digs at her sensitivity, he was just saying that thick skin would work in favour of any resilience she might need.

Y/n thinks he's either trying to take the piss or is selectively blind and deaf in what he hears and sees.

Y/n has a private instagram but it doesn't stop her from being tagged in posts, tagged in comments, her explore feed brings up plenty of posts all about her. Not all of them are negative. But on the flip side, not all of them are that positive either.

"What's that face about?" Lando asks walking out of the hotel bathroom, freshly showered making her look up quickly from her phone, her brows furrowed and the annoyance very obvious on her face.

"Just receiving so much love from your fans. Like I have all day." Y/n states sarcastically earning Lando's attention a bit more.

It's not really fair for her to be taking her anger out on him, but Lando seems to think everything is cushty between her and his fans.

"Why do you sound so angry?" Lando questions as she tosses her phone onto the bed.

"It doesn't matter. You don't understand and even if you do understand you're in some like I don't know, bubble of ignorance about the fact that your fans hate me."

"Since when?" Lando laughs in disbelief of how quickly this is escalating.

Resisting the urge to shut down like her instincts are trying to force her to.

"Since your fans decided I wasn't good enough for you! They tell me, Lando. They let me know. Online, in person, however they feel like telling me. Trust me, they let me know." Y/n stresses before sighing heavily as she runs her hand through her hair, tugging at it in frustration.

"My fans are not that bad, like they can be bad but come on, they've been so nice to you. So nice to you compared to how bad it could be and if that's all true, why haven't you said anything till now? Like talk to me, tell me."

"Why haven't you noticed? They say it to my face right in front of you. Today!-Today a fan stood right in front of you while you were signing things and said that you shouldn't have to pay for me to be here if I can't afford it without you."

No. She can't do this.

Tears are already escaping as she moves over to grab a jacket.

"W-Where are you going?" Lando panics, very much aware that he's not nearly as dressed enough to chase after her.

"I need some air. Just-Just let me get some air." Y/n mutters as she shoves her feet into her shoes and grabs the hotel room key though Lando is hot on her heels, trying to stop her from leaving the room.

"Can we please calm down and talk?"

"I'm trying to calm down. Can you let me?"

Lando's stubbornness almost keeps her contained but he sighs knowing better than to be that much of an asshole. So he grumbles but lets her pass and she is gone quick.

Though it takes a minute for Lando to realise that she's left her phone, presumably on purpose. He groans knowing that she would've done it on purpose so she couldn't be tracked, since he'll admit they have their locations on and when she's not by his side he does use it.

However, today it would've been a matter of safety since she's in an unfamiliar city.

He decides to try and look online, even just looking up her name on Twitter and while there's some nice things about her, mainly focusing around some cute pictures of them only earlier today.

There is actually even a video capturing the moment that Lando has no recollection of. He's not sure if the person who uploaded the video meant to capture the audio that is of a girl practically spitting on y/n who even flinches from her spot next to Lando where she'd been reaching to help pass him things to sign.

She'd been doing no wrong. And somehow he just didn't hear a word of it in the moment.

"Fuck." Lando mutters then groaning. "Fuck sake."

He's got some grovelling to do. Some real fucking grovelling.

Meanwhile, y/n is only downstairs at the bar. Thank god for being able to charge to the room or she'd be fucked for drinking away her problems.

"Are you sure you want another drink?" The bartender asks after she manages to neck another whiskey neat. It's not really her first choice of drink. But it's the only thing she can drink straight without being sick immediately following that.

"How many have I had now?" She asks managing to keep herself from slurring by some miracle.

"That was your 4th...but you've had all four in less than half an hour."

"Oh right. Ok...how much for the bottle?" Y/n asks making the bartender sigh and look at her in sympathy. "My boyfriend basically called me a liar...I was mad but I wasn't lying."

"Where is he now?"

"Probably panicking in the hotel room upstairs. I left my phone because if I keep looking at it then one bottle of whiskey will be the least of my bad decisions tonight..." Y/n sighs not referring to anything all that sinister. But if she had tried to leave the hotel and fans said something out of pocket, an assault charge might be under her name.

"Then I guess letting you have a bottle and just keeping an eye on you for the rest of the night is the nicest favour I can do for you." The bartender smiles lightly then moving back and grabbing the house whiskey. "On the room?"

"Yeah."

"He's paying?"

Y/n stomach churns at that reminder and she almost wishes she had cash on her or her phone to pay. Hell she almost even wishes she was angry and bitter enough to not care about how much money she's costing him by drinking.

"I'll send him the money." She mumbles making him pause looking at her.

"Tell you what, birthday girl. It's our gift from the hotel to you."

Y/n doesn't take any time to clock onto the fact that he's pretending it's her birthday for her benefit.

"I can pay for it."

"No. It's on the house. Enjoy. Tell me if you need more ice." He smiles making her sigh then move away to serve another customer.

She gets through just over half of the bottle across the span of the next hour, then she disappears to the bathroom and upon returning she manages to get through some more till there's about a third left.

"I'm done. I'm done. Thank you b-ut I'm done." Y/n hiccups before managing a lazy smile. "You've been very kind."

"Are you ok getting up to your room? I can call for security to give you an escort just to make sure you don't fall."

"I'm good. Honestly. I promise." Y/n insists before she stands up with a sigh. "You have a good night."

"You too...better than it's been so far."

Y/n smiles definitely showing that she is definitely going to crash hard into a pillow and pass the fuck out the moment she is in the hotel room. Hopefully she finds the right one and doesn't just end up just passing out in the corridor.

By some miracle she gets in the lift, chooses the right floor and gets herself to the right door, and while it takes a couple of attempts she manages to use the key to get in. Or at least that's what she thinks till she realises the door opened on it's own accord without touching it.

"Jesus, y/n." Lando sighs being able to smell the alcohol on her breath as he nears her. "What-"

"I'm going to bed. I don't want to talk, I want to sleep and be left alone to sleep." Y/n yawns, uncaring of her heartless approach to this whole situation right now.

The alcohol did it's job, it's numbed out her thoughts and feelings of the whole situation. So now all she needs is to sleep and just let the alcohol work it's magic to help her follow up drinking her issues away with sleeping her problems away.

Lando watches her pull off her clothes, with some real struggle, but when he tries to help she only moves away from him muttering something incoherent but it doesn't sound very happy from the tone.

Eventually she lands on the bed with a grunt, crawling under the covers and shoving her face into the pillow, practically smothering herself. Lando watches her for a few minutes and she very obviously falls asleep hard.

He does join her after placing a bucket next to the bed and climbing into the bed next to her, pulling her into a hug that is probably more for himself than for her.

-

Y/n groans waking up, the blinding hangover making her roll into the other body. She feels completely oversensitive to the touch of her boyfriend.

"Oh god." Y/n whines pushing him away in a desperate race for some relief, but a wave of nausea hits her at the sudden movement and she throws herself out the bed, tripping on the bucket wit her body smacking into the floor as she trips.

By some miracle she swallows down the wave of vomit that tried to make an escape.

"Baby?" Lando murmurs from the bed.

But she's already up and racing to the bathroom again. The bitter taste of whiskey combine with the sour taste of bile spills past her taste buds, burning her throat as she heaves. Tears from the straining blur her vision as she feels hands pull her hair back, but it hasn't save the strands from being coated in the half-disgested mixture.

He rubs her back which works more to make her stomach really force up the rest before she finally can't feel anything else trying to reappear.

"What a mess." She mutters looking in the toilet bowl that is just not a pretty sight.

"You're ok." Lando states while she rolls her eyes. She's still not happy with him, no matter how much the alcohol let her feel better. The hangover and the return of her sober emotions.

She does let Lando help her clean up, managing to wash her hair in the sink a bit and even brushes her teeth for her.

“Baby, I need to apologise. I fucked up. I should’ve listened to you, I shouldn’t have just dismissed what you were telling me because I thought that my fans had got better. Really I should’ve known you would never lie about that. I need to make it up to you so it’s fine if you’re still mad at me. You should be.”

“I am…or I would be if I didn’t feel like my stomach was trying to digest itself as punishment for deciding that drinking the better part of a bottle of whiskey to myself in less than 3 hours was a good idea.” Y/n whispers, her throat still incredibly raw.

“I saw everything-Well not all of it, but enough to make a post letting everyone know that if i hear or see anything negative then they aren’t a fan of mine and I would rather not have their support.” Lando explains while y/n smiles sadly at him.

“You didn’t have to do that.”

“I didn’t have to but I wanted to because you are the person I love. As much as i love and appreciate their support, you are more important even if they don’t like it.”

“Can we cuddle for a bit?”

“Yes, we can definitely cuddle for a bit.” Lando nods with a smile before he picks her up and carries her back to the bed. “I think I’ll call and see if we can keep the room for another day. You need the recovery time and I don’t feel like paying extra for the private jet to be washed if you’re sick on mid-flight.”

“That’s fair. I don’t think I could handle it either.” Y/n nods as she’s laid in the bed and sighs rolling onto his side breathing in his scent. “Come cuddle. Please.”

Lando knows he still has grovelling to do and he’s sure when she’s not so hungover and clingy, he’ll be held to the usual expectation of apologising more than he already has.

But for now they’re both going to enjoy it till they have to properly face everything else.

[tonyspank]

"CHEF'S HERE..."

Summary: "Chefs here..." a voice murmurs as you burst through the kitchen doors

Warnings: nothing really, chef y/n is giving gordon ramsay a bit

Words: 800+

A/N: hi everyone! been a while eh

"Chefs here..." a voice murmurs as you burst through the kitchen doors.

You cast a quick peek around. A dozen cooks and servers are preparing for the evening rush, and the air is humid and damp from the hot burners.

"Where's Evan?" You inquire, scouring the room for a sight of his familiar face among the pandemonium. The other cooks trade looks, displaying a mix of perplexity and fear.

Ava gestures at Evan, who is frozen in his trackers, as if he has just seen a ghost. His eyes widen, and he stares at you with his mouth open. You can watch the color drain from Evan's face as he cautiously approaches you, stuttering over his words.

Everyone in the room goes silent as they watch this unexpected meeting occur.

You rush over to him and take him by the elbow, forcing him to look at his plate, which had been returned due to the lobster being undercooked.

"What is this?" you question, pointing at the lobster. Evan moves his focus from you to the plate, his face shifting from panic to perplexity.

Everyone in the room is waiting for an explanation while he stammers, attempting to find the appropriate words to explain the situation.

"Uhhhh," Evan says, searching the kitchen for help.

"It's lobster, idiot," you snarl. "How long have you been here?" "Why do I have to deal with your messes all the time?"

Evan's face flushes with shame. "I... uh..."

"Don't say anything!" You cut him off with a snap.

He looks at you, perplexed.

"I break my fucking foot working my ass off in this restaurant, and the one day I need you to be on your A-game, of course you disappoint." Evan averts his gaze, his shoulders hunching.

Holding the lobster tail in front of his face, you seize it. "Apologize."

Evan's lips move in and out of uncertainty over how to reply. You snarl, "I said, apologize."

He glances at the lobster for a moment, then back at you, his expression bewildered.

"I'm... sorry?"

You turn to face the rest of the kitchen and aggressively toss the lobster in the garbage. "Someone, get me a fucking apron... now!"

You swiftly tie an apron around your waist after a server approaches you with one. Realizing that the other employees have seen your outburst, you observe them exchanging anxious glances as you make ready to return to work.

Taking a deep breath, you attempt to gather yourself and concentrate on the task at hand.

"Alright, everyone, listen up! It's time to turn this day around!" You say this, clapping your hands together.

The kitchen is silent, and the staff stands still, looking between you and Evan.

"Now," you point at the food on the stove, "someone give me a lobster; I'll prepare it myself."

No one moves.

"Well?" You demand, "We don't have all night! The dining room is packed, and we have tables that are waiting!"

At this point, the staff jumps into action, and the kitchen comes alive.

"Yes, Chef," someone mutters and hands you a plate with a lobster tail.

Within a couple of minutes, you're walking back out of the kitchen, your hair tied up and an apron wrapped around your waist, walking in the direction of the table that had originally ordered the lobster.

"Hi there, I'm so sorry about the delay. Can I offer you something on the house to compensate?" You ask, approaching the table, smiling apologetically, trying to mask the anger that is still coursing through you.

The brunette finally looks up, meeting your gaze. You immediately recognize those brown eyes.

"Y/N?" She asks, her eyes widening in surprise.

"Hey, Jenna." You say, letting out a small laugh. "What— what are you doing here? I thought you were in New York."

"Well, I wanted to surprise you." She laughs, shaking her head. "And what about you? I thought I told you to rest your foot."

You run a hand through your hair and mutter, "Baise-moi... (Fuck me...) Uh... it's a long story,"

With a lighthearted smile pulling at the corner of her lips, Jenna raises an eyebrow. Oh, gosh. She leans in closer and adds, "Well, I have all the time in the world to hear it."

You give your girlfriend a sidelong glance while sulking. "It's not that serious, baby. The boot helps a lot."

She sighs slightly and rolls her eyes. "You should be at home, resting."

"I'm fine." You sigh and cross your arms.

Jenna tilts her head, purses her lips, and raises her eyebrows.

"I swear, baby."

"Well, as much as I like the fact that you're here, I don't like the idea of you hurting yourself. Especially after how hard you worked."

You grin and nod slightly. "In any case, try the lobster. "Made by yours truly."

"Of course. Thank you, darling."

You nod and walk back to the kitchen, smiling at the sight of Jenna digging into the food you cooked.

"How'd it go?" Evan asks.

"It's my girlfriend," you tell him, untying the apron and setting it aside.

"What? The blonde one?"

"No, not the blonde one."

"The brunette one? Jenna Ortega?!"

You roll your eyes, grab your jacket and slip it on.

"Yeah, Evan, the brunette one," you say, pushing open the doors and making your way towards the exit.

"Oh."

[sanjisblackasswife]

𝕋𝕙����𝕪 𝕎𝕒𝕝𝕜 𝕚𝕟 𝕠𝕟 𝕐𝕠𝕦 𝔹𝕠𝕥𝕙

Bad Summary: What would OP Men do when your kids walk in on yall having sex🧍🏾‍♀️

Black Fem Reader in Mind

Ft. Law, Sanji, Zoro, Ace, Luffy

CW: TWT Links are mentioned, All OP men are daddies and married, kids walking in on yall being freaks, Luffy speaks spanish because i fucking said so, Just…sex

Law

Couldn’t be more embarrassed.

Since the day your little baby girl started walking Law tried his damn hardest NOT to have her walk in on you both even getting DRESSED

But he goofed up.

He swore up and down his daughter was sleep and since it’s been a while since you both had been intimate Law couldn’t take it anymore after seeing your supple thicker body prancing around the house in just his shirt all day

He had you on your back on the bed, his soft damped lips on your warm skin as he licked and suckled your breast like a starved man

His hand having a firm grip on your wide thigh, your moans were swallowed by his mouth.

It wasn’t long until he added onto the pleasure and was 2 knuckles deep in your pussy while still sucking your breast. “Mmm!” You whined, feeling a smirk against your skin.

Law was feeling so in his element finally being able to feel and touch you like this again.

That was until—

“Daddy! Mommy!” Your daughter comes in yawning, her pretty dark skin shinning, wearing a small silk bonnet holding a white teddy bear Law got her for her 1st birthday. She had her father’s sleepy eyes.

It was like time froze when your door creaked open and immediately Law panics and throws a cover over your entire naked body.

“WH-WHA UH! YES! Ahem…yes, Rosie?”

Law’s voice creaked. It was adorable hearing him stutter trying to find the words to excuse what your daughter could have possibly saw.

You get up, luckily his shirt was by the floor so you swiftly put it on to pick her up. “What’s wrong, girly? Another nightmare?”

She nods, you decided to go and take her back in her room, looking back at a now flustered captain, wide eye’d and surpirgly a tent under the covers

Till this day Law now keeps the doors LOCKED when you both are getting busy, and fears your 2 year old daughter will one day ask him why did mommy have bruises on her chest

Sanji(oh my fuck sanji looks so good here)

A quickie.

A simple quickie was what Sanji needed to keep going.

You knew Sanji’s libido didn’t lower since you had your daughter and honestly you believe it got worse somehow?

But he was your husband and his big pleading eyes of him asking “Just 15 minutes!” made it difficult for you to say no.

So as your 5 year old was watching cartoons in the living room, you and him decided to sneak off

“Oh f-fuck…” His breathed into your neck prodding his lubed tip between your folds. Despite this being a “quickie” the way he laid you down on the bed, hooking your legs around his hips made you think this was ganna be longer than just a few minutes.

He didn’t waste any time fucking you deep and slow with your dress hiked up over your breast for him to nibble on

“S-sanji! Yo-you! Ah! Gatta stay quiet!”

It was like yours words went from one ear and out the other, He had a tight grip on your hips so you won’t buck into him, he was whinning and panting in your ear and your could feel the headboard slap against the wall

It felt amazing yes, but it was only amount of time until—

“Daddy m’hungry…” Your beautiful baby walking in with big dark brown curly hair covering one eye and a cute little curly brow like her father.

The shriek Sanji let out was almost as girly as his daughter’s when she gets frightened.

You slap your forehead, quickly pushing his still body off of you and tossing a cover over him praying to God she didn’t see anything she may be scared with.

“Daddy? Why were you on mommy while she was in pain like tha—-“

“I WAS HELPING HER!” He yelled, awkwardly laughing laughing off his pink face and patting your head, using the sheets to covers HIS chest like a teenage girl caught. “YES! I was helping mommy because she was just in SOOO much pain!”

“More like helping yourself.” You mumble putting on your robe, you snicker at his quick glare at you. Picking her up she explains how she wants to eat and watch a movie with you both.

As Sanji scrambles to put on some clothing you giggle away distracting little Sora so your husband can cook you all dinner and watch the Little Mermaid

He had a pink face all evening, don’t worry though. You made it up to him later that night.

With the door locked.

Zoro

Zoro said it would be a bad idea to do this because your son could be back from school at any moment, but you insisted you both had time

The moment you bent over on the couch for him exposing your wet cunt to his display was the same exact moment your husband forgot about any worries he had prior.

“You! Ah! Better …fucking cum !”

Your moans were broken into giggles the rapid snaps of his hips behind you, tugging your hair as you heard the panic in his voice made your jaw slack. Fuck, it felt so good to be fucked like this again.

You both still have sex on the regular, but it’s slower, and usually done in the shower. It’s been so long since Zoro was able to just bend you over and be as loud as he wants WHEREVER HE WANTS

You both were lost in the pleasure, if anybody were in your backyard they can see right where the glass doors were and watch the slutty view in front of them of Zoro pressing your hips down further.

You both were so close ! That was until the front door opened.

You fell straight on your stomach due to zoro’s suddenly weight on top of you. He started grumbling and mumbling in a panic.

Your 7 year old son, came in with a confused look, approaching you both closer your green haired idiot of a husband hollered waving.

“GO TO YOUR ROOM!”

“What?”

“JUST GO, KEHLANI ILL BE UP IN A SECOND I….SPILLED SOMETHING.”

Your son shrugs, not really caring enough to ask anymore questions so he goes up the stairs and leaves, you thank God in that moment he had his father’s attitude.

Zoro gets up from your back, still slowly pulling out making sure you’re not hurt to put on his sweats and tee shirt and throwing you your clothes.

“I told you this was a bad idea. Thats how your ass got pregnant last time.”

“Oh yeah?” You bark back, “You remember that night well huh. You must have had flashbacks the way you was moaning—“

“I WASN’T FUCKING MOANING!”

“DAD! YOU GATTA PUT ANOTHER DOLLAR IN THE SWEAR JAR!”

You stick your tongue out at his angry flustered face seeing him go search for his wallet

Ace

The twins were out with their uncle Luffy for the weekend.

Yes, you prayed heavily that they’ll be okay with him but Ace swore he’d be around his friends to to help

So

why not fuck around the while house like sluts?

And that you did.

After making a mess of the house you and Ace decided to just have a small smoking break before having to clean up and get ready for the babies to come back

But that of course led to shotgunning, which led to a heated makeout session, which then landed to Ace whispering you to ride him as he rutted beneath you.

Thats why you’re here, legs shaking and breast bouncing in front of your husbands face while he groans and whines to prettily about how good your tight cunt feels fluttering around his dick.

“S-so! Sensitive!”

“‘M ganna—!”

“ACE! Y/NNN!!!”

it was like time froze.

Luffy burst into your room holding your babies (in a very unsafe way on his shoulders) and started to laugh

“Ace I told you i was coming but—seems like Y/N was too!”

You swore if Luffy wasn’t holding your babies you would have threw a pillow at his head; instead you cover yourself in your blankets and let ace put on some shorts and take the kids while you get ready to take a shower

You grimace at the thought of your brother in law seeing your bare back, but thankfully your babies won’t remember since they’re only 1

…and hopefully Luffy doesn’t ever speak of this moment again

Luffy

Luffy doesn’t care.

He never had shame.

You had to teach him that when he got older and you both had your son.

He was a curious boy like his daddy, but the one thing he somehow managed to be at the sheer age of 7 was to somehow be more stealth

Y’all son, AJ was very very good at appearing out of no where and sneaking up on your both. Luffy swears he ate some kind of stealth DF.

You knew this would be an issue wanting to do quickies but Luffy didn’t care. He was hard and turned on after seeing you already starting to get thicker in the breast and thighs again after finding you you are in fact pregnant again with his baby.

So you do what any good girl of his does:

Suck his dick.

He swore it would be real quick, AJ was watching Pokemon and eating meat so they had about 11 minutes.

“Just lemme use your throat, mami—“

“…fine.”

So there you were; on your knees, hands on Luffy’s thick thighs as he damn near test how good your no gag reflexes were.

You’d be a lie to say his groans and whimpers never failed to arouse you.

You were itching from some relief too so you reach down into your panties to play with your clit, as your husband was coming close to his own high, gasping a little at how wet you were until——

“What are you and mommy doing?”

In an instant you pushed Luffy back to sit on the bed and tried shielding him with your body

“Ah—uh—AJ! Go!—-go um—“

“Mami está ocupada haciendo que papá se sienta bien!!”

You didn’t know much Spanish but you knew it had to be inappropriate because Luffy only speaks that to him when he says something nasty, so you smack his head

“We’ll be right out, AJ just go—“

“Mommy are you okay? Daddy said you were making him fee—“

“Go ! AJ! Please, baby go back in the living room.”

He does as told, hesitantly, but you shut the door on him and your dim witted husband just sighs, “So…no more?”

You didn’t talk to him the whole day.

[daisyblog]

Birthday Twin

Our Story Masterlist Summary: YN and Harry welcome their baby girl into the world.

Warning: labour, delivery, child birth, gas and air

11th of April 2024

35 weeks and 5 days pregnant

The Tomlinson family had all travelled to Doncaster for a few days of celebrating YN turning thirty. 

“Your last couple of days of being twenty nine Kiddo!”. Louis gently ruffled YN’s hair as he walked by her in their grandparents kitchen. Both filling their plates with some more food from the buffet spread their Nan had made. 

“Don’t remind me!” YN groaned as she reached over and put some extra sandwiches on her plate. 

“Fookin’ ‘ell, is baby girl hungry tonight?”. Louis joked as he watched his sister continue to fill her plate that was already slightly full of food. 

YN laughed as she looked at her plate compared to Louis. “Your niece is a foodie, what can I say?”. She naturally ran her hand over her large bump. 

“Can I?” Louis gestured towards her tummy, his way of asking if he could touch. When YN nodded, Louis placed his hand over bump. “‘ello little one, are you gonna come and meet us soon?”. 

“You’re going to spoil her rotten aren’t you?”. YN couldn’t help but smile at the small interaction. She had witnessed her brother as a brother, dad and uncle already and she could tell how much love he already had for her little girl. 

“Uh obviously, I just hope she comes before tour starts again.” 

---

12th of April 2024

35 weeks 6 days pregnant 

8:30am

YN suddenly woke from small niggles in her lower stomach, something she had been experiencing for a few weeks. She tried to ignore the dull ache and go back to sleep, but after tossing and turning, she gave in and got up. 

As she entered the kitchen she noticed her grandmother sitting at the table with a cup of tea in her hand. “Morning my love, you’re awake early!”. 

YN began to make herself a cup of tea, as she sat beside Jen. “Morning Nan, yeah braxton hicks again!”. 

“You’ve been having them a lot haven’t you darling?”. Jen had a concerned look on her face as she watched her eldest granddaughter stir her tea. 

YN only shrugged her shoulders. “Apparently it’s normal at this stage, I just didn’t realise how painful they could be”. 

11:00am

As the morning went on YN noticed how the niggles only continued and become a tad more painful. But not wanting to draw attention or to cause everyone to worry, especially Harry, she suggested her and Harry take Teddy for a walk.

They were walking through the quiet field, Teddy running just a bit in front of them, when YN stopped suddenly and held her tummy as a sharp pain caught her off guard.

“What’s wrong babe? Are you alright?” Harry immediately went into panic mode, worry evident all over his face. His hand protectively wrapped around her smaller frame. 

“Yeah, just cramp that’s all”. YN noticed Harry’s worried look, his eyebrows in a tight frown and tried her best to hide how much pain she was really in. “I’m fine, it’s braxton hicks again.”. 

Although Harry wasn’t fully convinced, they continued their walk before heading back to the house. 

2:00pm 

Within a few hours, the pain had gotten worse with YN baring her weight on anyone or anything to try and ease the pain. It was when YN cried out in pain, as she grabbed onto Louis’ hand, that Harry decided to take matters into his own hands. 

“I’m phoning the hospital, this can’t just be braxton hicks!” Harry announced as he began to dial the number on his phone. 

“Harry’s right Tiny, you’re in far too much pain for this not to be real labour”. Louis agreed with Harry, taking note at how much his sister was squeezing his hand. 

After phoning the hospital and explaining everything to the midwife, Harry was told that it sounded like YN was in early labour and they needed to monitor and time how quick she was having contractions. 

At this news Daisy, Phoebe and the other men decided to take Lucky and Olive to Phoebe and Jack’s house to give YN some space before she had to go to hospital. 

“Ahhhh!” YN cried out in pain as she held onto Harry for support. “This hurts so fookin’ much!”.

Harry rubbed circles on YN’s back, trying to comfort her as much as he could. “I know baby…but you’re doing so well.”.

“You’re doing so well YN”. Lottie praised her sister from where she sat next to Louis. “All the pain is worth it in the end, trust me”.

“Lottie’s right Tiny…just think you’ll be holding your baby sooner than you thought”. Louis gave Harry a small smile, knowing how special that moment will be for them both. 

5:30pm

With her contractions lasting around a minute and only being five minutes apart, YN found herself in the hospital with gas and air being her new best friend. 

YN was lying down on the bed, the gas and air attachment in her mouth as she breathed through another contraction. Harry sat on one side of the bed telling her how proud of her he was and saying how it wouldn’t be long until their little one would be here. 

“Harry…baby…I can’t do this!”. YN’s head hit the white plump pillow behind her, as the contraction ended. “I’m so tired already.”.

“You can do it and you are doing it”. Harry brushed some of her away from her face. “You’re making me so proud!”. 

“YN, you’re doing amazing and just remember nothing worth having is easy”. Lottie encouraged her sister, having been through labour and birth herself, she what to say. 

“Listen to your birthing partners YN, you’re doing amazing”. The midwife smiled proudly at how supportive and calm they both were. “How about trying to the birthing pool?”. 

Harry helped YN into the pool and instantly YN’s once tense body was now relaxed. In between contractions she began to make jokes about how she’s glad she had shaved her legs before that day. 

When the next contraction hit, Harry was quick to kneel down beside the pool and hold onto YN’s hand as she took in the gas and air to numb the pain. “That’s it, keep breathing through the pain, you’re doing so well love”. 

8:00pm

“So how did you two meet?”. The midwife began to make conversation with the couple as another contraction ended.

YN was back sitting on the bed, the attachment still in her hand whilst her other one held Harry’s. “He was my brother’s best friend”.

“Oh how interesting!” The midwife leaned forward in her chair, eager to hear more. “How did that go? You know breaking the news to him?”.

“Not well but he came around pretty quickly”. Harry explained as YN worked her way through another sharp pain. 

“I wouldn’t have listened even if he didn’t come around”. YN allowed the gas and air to do a little bit of talking. “Couldn’t resist the charm”. 

Before anyone could respond, a gush of water surrounded YN and turned the blue sheet below a darker shade. “And that’s your water breaking!” The midwife announced before she helps YN to clean herself up. 

11:45pm

The contractions were coming thick and fast, YN was attached to the gas and air more than ever and Harry tried to hide how hard she was squeezing his hand. 

“YN I’m going to exam you, is that alright darling?”. The midwife stood at the bottom on the bed, gloves covering her fingers ready for the examination. With YN’s permission, the midwife began to see how far YN was dilated. “Oh darling, I can feel baby’s head, do you feel like you-“.

Before the midwife finished; YN let out a small groan as she bore down and began to push. Harry was overwhelmed with joy, excitement but also nervousness that any minute now their whole world was about to change. 

“Keep listening to your body YN, you’re doing amazing my darling” the midwife encouraged as she continued to watch the baby’s head begin to crown. 

“Aww I can see her head!”. Lottie’s excited voice could be heard as she took in every moment of watching her niece being born. 

YN took a rest in between contractions before she needed to push again. “I love you  “. Harry placed a peck to YN’s forehead. 

“I love you too!”. 

0:01am

After several more pushes, Harry and Lottie were in awe as the tiny little baby appeared and was placed on YN’s bear chest. The tears streamed down YN and Harry’s cheeks. 

“Hello baby girl!”. YN held her daughter tight, and kissed her head gently. Despite all the pain YN was still in, a large smile covered her face as she looked down at the small version of herself and Harry.

“Baby girl born one minute past midnight on the thirteen of April, weighting six pound exactly”. The midwife announced to the three of them. 

Harry smiled down at his wife and newborn daughter. “Happy birthday baby!”. It was in that moment that YN had realised that their little girl was born on her thirtieth birthday. 

---

13th of April 2024

6 hours old

“Thank you.” Harry spoke into the quiet and calm room as he held their newborn in his bare arms. “You’re a real life superwoman for doing all that and bringing our girl into the world!”.

“I’d do it a thousand times again because she was totally worth it”. YN watched as Harry’s hand held onto the tiny newborn fingers. “I couldn’t have done it without you or Lotts though.”.

“She’s your double”. Harry smiled as he observed the little’s one features, all resembling her mother’s. “She looks like your Mum too!”. He gave YN a sad smile. 

YN didn’t want to get too emotional at the thought that her Mum wasn’t there to meet her daughter, so she tried to remain positive. “I think me Mum sent her as a birthday gift and it’s the best gift I’ve ever had”. 

---

Instagram Reel:

Made by Lottie

The black and white video begins, the sound of Heartbeat by James Arthur playing over it. 

YN is sat on the birthing ball, her hips moving slowly, in her grandparents living room. Harry kneeling down in front of her, holding her gently and whispering how well she’s doing. Louis is sat to her side, holding onto her hand and being a support whilst he can. 

In the hospital corridor, YN has her neck tucked into Harry’s chest as they stop to allow her to breathe through a contraction. Harry places small pecks to the top of her head. 

Sitting crossed leg on the bed, YN takes in the gas and air that she’s holding up to her mouth. Her eyes are closed as she’s breathing through each contraction. 

YN is in the birthing pool, the gas and air still attached to her hand has she takes in another breath, Harry is kneeling down by her side. She holds onto his hand, he looks on with a slight frown on his face as he watches his wife work through another contraction. 

Now lying on the bed, YN cradles her new born daughter to her chest, tears running down her and Harry’s face as they meet their little baby for the first time. Grace Johannah Robyn Styles had stolen their hearts and YN couldn’t have asked for a better birthday gift. 

---

ynstyles

liked by annetwist, lottietomlinson, and 5,634,543 others

ynstyles Grace Johannah Robyn Styles🤍 View all 15,788 comments

niallhoran Aww my little bestie❤️Can’t wait to meet her xx ⌞ ynstyles Little Grace is excited to meet her Uncle Niall!!

gemmastyles I’M AN AUNTIE🥰❤️Thank you both for blessing me with the most beautiful niece xx ⌞ynstyles AUNTIE GEM🩷

annetwist My family grows and my heart is so full❤️Congratulations my darlings! Grace is a beautiful little girl and I love you all very much xxx ⌞ynstyles We love you😘🥰Thank you for being the best Grandma already❤️

lottietomlinson Our beautiful Grace!! What a magical moment watching her come into the world. Love you all ❤️ ⌞ynstyles Thank you for being there every step of the way Lotts!! I’m so glad I got to share that special moment with you. Love you lots🩷

louist91 Can’t wait for more cuddles!! Proud of you both!! Grace is amazing!!xx ⌞ynstyles Grace loved her snuggles with Uncle Lou xxx ⌞harryfan3 Uncle Louis�� ⌞louisfan7 I bet Louis is the best uncle!!!!

zayn congrats guys! So happy for you. Big love x ⌞ynstyles Thanks Z! Hope to see you soon xx ⌞1dfan6 OMG!!! WE’RE GETTING A REUNION!

louteasdale 🥹🥹🥹Congratulations babes, can’t wait for a cuddle xx

liampayne Congratulations both. Can’t wait to meet her!

the.daisytomlinson Another precious niece to love🩷 So proud of you sis xx

thephoebetomlinson Olive’s little bestie🩷🩷

marktommo1111 Beyond proud❤️Another chapter begins!xx

mrlewisburton Congratulations to both of you. Welcome to parenthood❤️

sallietommo A precious baby girl! So proud of you beautiful girl❤️❤️❤️

perrieedwards Congratulations babes🩷Welcome to motherhood xx

pillowpersonpp Wow! What a cutie🥹

daniellepeazer Beautiful name🤍Can’t wait to meet her☺️

ryan.viggars ❤️

jefezoff Congrats guys! Very happy for you both!

j_corden A huge congratulations. Can’t wait to meet the little one

jack.varley7 Congrats guys!!

brianasrealaccount Congratulations Auntie YN and Uncle Harry. I can’t wait to meet baby Grace. I love you so much, love from Freddie❤️ ⌞ynstyles We can’t wait to see you Fred! Grace can’t wait for cuddles from her big cousin. Love and miss you soooooo much😘

Tag List:

@pansexualwitchwhoneedstherapy @harrys-flower @platinumbarbie143 @frickin-bats @harrysbbyh0ney @chronicallybubbly @goldensunflowe-r  @walkingintheheartbreaksatellite @kaverichauhan @peterholland04 @panicattheuc @or-was-it-just-a-dream @hittiesontour @bunnyharold @fanfictioncafe @lilfreakjez @iamahallucinationnn @theekyliepage @indierockgirrl @buckybarnessimpp @ashleighsss @jerseygirlinca @fake-coolbeans @itsmytimetoodream @treehouse-mouse

[turtletaubwrites]

A Good Catch ~ Part 2

Thank you so much for all of your support! This was part of my 600 Followers Celebration, and I am so happy y'all voted for Shanks. I adore him 🥰

Pairings: Shanks x Fem!Reader

Word Count: 5030

Part 1 | Part 3 | Part 4 (End)

Ao3 Link

Summary: You've got a few burning questions for this charming captain, but soon you'll be answering his. Is it really safe to trust a pirate?

Rating/Warnings: Explicit Sexual Content, 18+ ONLY, MDNI, AFAB!Reader, She/Her Pronouns for Reader, Reader-Insert, Swearing, Smut, Fluff, Angst, Teasing, Flirting, Alcohol, Brief Discussion of Family Trauma, Hair Pulling, Vaginal Fingering, Penis in Vagina Sex, Unprotected Sex, (Be safe out there), Birth Control, Aftercare, Shanks is such a fucking tease

A/N: I just love this hungover pirate 😅

| masterlist | about me | rules | ao3 | ko-fi |

A key pressed into your palm. A gentle hand on your lower back. A whispered demonstration, keeping your secret. 

Shanks stared at you through the doorway, looking down the hall before grabbing your chin with his thumb, another slow smile on those lips.

“Sweet dreams.”

His eyes crinkled as all you could do was nod, watching him walk away down that lantern lit hall. 

The key still held the warmth of his skin. 

Fuck. 

The metal thumped onto wood as you tossed it on the desk, shoving the chair under the doorknob, just like he’d shown you. 

Exhaustion pulled you down, and you rolled yourself into soft blankets, grateful that your mind only had the energy for a few more conflicting thoughts before sleep took you. 

He’s done everything he can to make me feel safe.

He’s a pirate.

His crew are all so kind, it feels like they’re a family.

He’s a pirate.

He’s gorgeous, and funny, and sweet, even though he’s annoying as fuck.

But he’s a pirate. And he’ll be leaving in three days. I’ll never see him again. 

Dreams of life on the high seas left you foggy in the morning, panic running through you until you remembered where you were. 

Thank gods there’s a bathroom in here. 

The guest quarters didn’t have a shower, but the toilet, mirror, and sink were a godsend. Cringing at your hair, you got to work, managing to tame it before you climbed back into Shanks’ clothes.

They smell like him. 

Resisting the urge to sniff his shirt took more willpower than you’d like to admit. 

Quiet. 

There was hardly a sound on the entire ship as you struggled to remember the way out. 

“Mornin,” came a gruff voice on the deck, waving from his perch on the railing. The light of the sunrise made his brown skin and dark blonde dreads seem to glow. 

You would have thought he was attractive if your eyes hadn’t gone wide at the two large pistols on his hips. 

“You’re up early,” he continued, tilting his body and moving his hands away from his weapons. 

“Fisherwoman,” you choked out. 

“That’s right,” he laughed, standing to take a few slow steps toward you. “I’m Yassop. I can bring you down to the beach if you’d like, but I'm sure everyone’s still snoring like sea lions.”

“Is the captain down there?”

“Oh, he’s down there,” Yassop teased, his smirk making you clench your teeth. “Yours might be the only face that could wake him up this early.”

“And why’s that,” you growled, following him across the deck. 

“Oh no, I’m not getting into the captain’s business.”

You scowled at the chuckling marksman all the way down to the beach.

~

“Wake up.”

Shanks whined, weakly batting away the driftwood stick you were poking into his chest. You definitely weren’t getting distracted by the pull of those muscles as he stretched on his makeshift hammock. 

The camp looked just as it did last night, except that every mug, plate, and pirate was now on the ground, quiet and still besides the orchestra of snores that Yassop hadn’t exaggerated. 

“Get up.”

Shanks rubbed his hand over his face, somehow managing to look stunning even as he struggled to get his eyes open.

“Ugh, fish girl,” he yawned, keeping his hand over his eyes now, blocking out the light. “Are we under attack?”

“What? No. I need to talk to you.”

He peeked through his fingers at you, the hint of that teasing smile already showing. 

“If you wanna spend time with me, all you have to do is– ow!”

Another quick jab to those lovely pecs had Shanks rolling out of the hammock, hanging onto your shoulder as he wobbled on his feet. 

The driftwood stick fell to the ground as his pretty eyes, heavy lidded with sleep, came so close to yours. 

“Sorry,” he rasped, letting his hand trail down your arm before letting you go. “Somebody woke me up too early.”

“I guess pirates are just lazy degenerates after all,” you said flatly, holding in the shivers his touch had caused.

“Degenerates,” he laughed softly, rubbing along his brow as he took in the sight of his hungover men sprawled across the sand. “I suppose that’s fair.”

Groaning, you picked up the stick, gasping as his hand gripped yours. He trapped your fingers around the dry wood, tracing his thumb along your knuckles as he prevented you from poking him. 

“Please, fish girl, have pity on an old–” he cut himself off at your frown, “on a handsome, young, very hungover pirate.”

He chuckled as you tried to wrest yourself from his grasp, and he didn’t let you go this time. 

“I can’t think this early, love. Not without breakfast, or a shower at least.”

“Fine, let's go take a– I mean you! You take a shower! You’re all sandy…”

His laughter followed you as you stomped your way back to his stupid ship.

~

Shanks’ laughter had been replaced by more whines as he held his hand over his eyes, getting you lost in the ship on the way to the bathing room. 

Finally at the large door to that tiled room, the shaky captain spun to face you. He managed to catch himself on the door frame as he stumbled, then leaned against it as if it were on purpose.

You rolled your eyes as he pulled a scarf from his pocket, dangling it in front of your face.

“Guard the door for me?”

“What? Why?”

“Guess I’ll just go back to slee–”

“Fine,” you said through gritted teeth, grabbing the scarf as you slid to the floor. “Aren’t you too tired to be this annoying?”

“Not in the slightest.”

You could feel him crouch beside you, and saw his feet beneath the blindfold.

He traced around the scarf to check your work, rubbing his thumb along your temple before tugging the fabric further down your nose. 

“No peeking,” he purred, and you hoped he hadn’t seen your toes curling, your feet still bare without clean shoes.

“Like I’d want to.”

“Lying is bad for the soul, fish girl,” he teased, tapping the tip of your nose with a finger before heading inside. The sound of his satisfied laughter made you want to crawl out of your skin.

Sitting there, listening to the rush of water as this man showered on the other side of the door, was making you absolutely insane.

He’s a pirate. He’s here for a reason. I can’t get distracted.

“Sorry, I forgot to bring a change of clothes,” his deep voice poured through the door. “Someone interrupted my beauty sleep.”

“So?”

“So, I’m in a towel, we’ll have to stop by my quarters. You can keep the blindfold on if you like.”

“You’ll get us lost again,” you complained, pushing yourself to your feet as you pulled the scarf from your face. “Besides, your shirts show practically your whole torso anyway, so it won’t be much different.”

The door opened wide, Shanks’ smile even wider as your lips parted. 

“You really like my shirts, don’t you?”

You managed to frown at him as he grabbed his sandy clothes and shoes, holding them against his hip, just a towel around his waist. 

And that line of dark, red hair. 

“Mind closing the door for me, darlin’?”

You jolted out of your stupor, shutting the door before following him down the hall. 

Some water still dripped from his hair, slow rivulets flowing down the muscles of his upper back, some trailing even further…

“What,” you chirped, trying to remember what he’d just said. 

He clicked his tongue a few times, shaking his head to let more shining drops of water dance down his skin. 

“Waking the captain up early just to ignore him? Did all your manners fall off your boat with your missing oar?”

“Shut up,” you huffed, standing to face him in front of the door to his quarters. 

Shanks was not doing well at suppressing his self satisfied grin, and you were having trouble focusing on anything at all. 

“Will you get the door for me, love?”

“Why,” you countered, still trying to keep your eyes glued to his face.

“You really argue about everything, don’t you?”

He shook his head, then dropped his clothes and shoes to the floor. The sound of the shoes startled you, bringing your eyes down. 

Just in time to see his towel slipping, more of that dark red hair traveling down before you squeaked, turning around and clamping your eyes shut. 

Shanks brushed past, the heat of his body, the scent of his skin, so close. He paused behind you as he opened the door, and you couldn’t hide your small gasp as he breathed that deep, dangerous voice along your neck.

“Guess you should have kept the blindfold on.”

You held your breath as you tried not to shake, listening as he moved away. Soft chuckles teased you through the air as he shut the door. 

Breath came back to you, heavy, and too loud, as you turned to find his clothes and the damp towel on the ground. 

It had just happened, but the memory of him breathing on your skin with nothing on his own sent heat twisting in your core.

He’s a pirate. He’s leaving. I’ll never see him again.

Shanks came out with a smirk, the shirt he’d chosen today not tucked or buttoned at all, just the sleeve tied off at his missing arm. 

“What’s the point of wearing a shirt at all,” you huffed, taking the change of clothes he offered.

“Because you seem to enjoy it so much,” he called through the door as you changed. 

It felt like your head was about to explode with all the shit he was doing to you. It was embarrassing, and you had to focus. 

You crossed your arms when you faced him in the hallway, trying to shut down every part of your brain that wanted to fucking giggle when he looked at you.

“What are you–”

“That color looks good on you,” he hummed with a crooked smile, tugging the rolled up fabric of his shirt at your elbow. 

You stuttered, but he turned on his heel.

“W-Wait!”

“Let’s talk over breakfast.”

That stupid red hair walking away almost made you scream. 

~

The Red Hair Pirates were in various stages of wakefulness now, but many were already drinking, laughing, and singing as if the night had never ended.

Shanks moved through them with an effortless joy, clasping hands, patting backs, laughing and joking with every crew member that wasn’t still passed out. 

That dingy table. Mismatched chairs. Surprisingly good food. 

A knee that kept brushing against yours, rubbing along your thigh everytime he turned to talk to you.

He was pushing all the boundaries. And you’d let him. You pulled him in last night, and now he was playing, testing, torturing you.

But you knew he would stop if you asked. 

How can I trust someone so fast?

“You wanted to talk about something,” he asked, leaning back after his last bite. 

His wicked grin made you regret asking to speak in private. 

~

Warm sand slowly shook from your feet as you crawled over rough stone. Shanks whined a few more times after you led him away from camp, but soon he was walking beside you, with another breathtaking smile. Now and then over the gentle waves, you swore you heard him humming the notes to a song. 

“Y/N, look at this one,” he laughed, pointing to another tide pool. 

You sat on the rock beside it, the hint of a smile on your lips as he joined you. 

So close.

“So what did you wanna talk about,” he asked, voice still soft like those soothing waves. He reached out to hand you a little stone he’d picked up. 

The warm stone fell into your palm, helping you stay present as you rolled it between your fingers.

“What are you doing on my island,” you questioned, finally meeting those pretty eyes. “You said you have business here, and I need to know that you aren’t endangering my home.”

“Endanger–,” he cut himself off with a laugh, his brows furrowing as he shook his head at you. “You didn’t need to make up excuses if you wanted to spend the day with me, fish girl.”

“Shut up,” you growled, fighting not to let his annoying charms distract you this time. “You’re pirates. You said you had business on this side of the island for three days. What are you doing here?”

“I did say ‘business,’ didn’t I,” he mused, nodding to himself before looking across the beach.

“Well,” you pushed, struggling as he met your eyes, his face so relaxed, amused.

“This is it,” he gestured vaguely, his crooked smile giving you a headache.

“What do you mean? You mean your business is here, at this beach?”

“No, Y/N,” he rasped, grabbing your hand and squeezing it, the little stone pressing into your palm. “This is it.”

He nodded toward the camp, and let out a sigh.

“We’re on vacation.”

This smile of his made him look like a little kid that got caught stealing sweets. You blinked at him.

After a long pause, he took his hand from yours, bringing it to your chin to push your mouth closed.

“Don’t fucking mess with me.”

Your voice came out rough as you pushed yourself back, almost slipping into a tide pool as you stood.

“I swear I’m not messing with you,” he let out with a small groan as he stood. He moved in close before he wobbled his head back and forth. “Well, I’m not messing with you about that.”

“Fuck you,” you seethed, head going foggy with the overwhelming flood of emotions from the last day.

Shanks moved in slowly with his arm outstretched as if he were trying to calm a frightened animal. Or a child.

And you acted like a child, frustrated tears burning in your eyes, hitting your fists against his chest as he got too close.

“Stop lying to me! Please don’t hurt people here, please don’t–”

“Shh, shh,” he hushed you gently, somehow managing to hold you against him with one arm, your hands shaking between your warm bodies.

“We’re not here to hurt anyone. I swear on my life, and the lives of my crew. All we wanna do is relax until we have nothing left to drink. Then we’ll buy up all the booze your village has to sell, and be on our way. Plus food and whatnot, but–”

Your ragged breaths brought that spicy scent of him into your lungs, your forehead falling against his chest as you started to calm. A bit.

“Are you telling me,” you growled against his skin, “that you took me hostage while you all go on a three day bender?”

You felt his laugh as he held you to him, resting his cheek on your head for a moment before releasing you. 

“We didn’t take you hostage. You paid for a ride.” He held up his hand as your mouth opened, itching to argue.

“Besides, fish girl,” he teased gently, “after hearing your story last light, it sounds like you could use a vacation too. When’s the last time you had any fun?”

“I have fun, asshole. Quit changing the subject.”

“Lying’s bad for the soul,” he hummed, touching the tip of your nose again. 

The energy drained from your body, and you left him to climb off the rock, falling onto your back in the sand. 

“So what do you do for fun?”

Shanks’ husky voice rolled over you. You didn’t need to open your eyes to know that he’d sat behind your head, leaning over your face as he spoke.

“I’ll have fun once I get off this shitty island.”

Finally, the pirate stayed quiet. Waiting. Until those rough fingers smoothed the hair from your face.

You didn’t stop him as he traced along your skin, letting relaxation wash over you. He moved from your temples, your cheeks, your jaw, behind your ears. Making sure to move his hand to both sides, evening out his slow caresses. 

“I don’t want to be here anymore,” you confessed, fighting the heat of tears rising in your throat. You rolled that little stone in your fingers, the motion soothing your nerves. 

“Why’s that?”

“... Because I’m ‘Fish Girl.”

Shanks paused, and you wondered if he’d stifled a laugh. 

“What do you mean,” he asked, voice like the gentle waves just a few paces away.

It all came spilling from your lips. He listened to everything, fingers still tracing your skin. 

All the pain. Your mom leaving you with grandma, never coming back. You were so young, and it didn’t feel that bad at the time. You didn’t understand.

Grandma would tell you stories, you’d sit together on her boat for hours and hours. She taught you how to fish before you were strong enough to reel anything in. 

“That sounds wonderful,” he said, his voice somehow telling you there was a smile on his face. 

“It was. But kids are mean. I didn’t know we were poor until I went to school. I didn’t know I stank all the time until they called me ‘fish girl.”

His fingers tensed on your skin, a guilty pause before he kept up his soothing touch. 

“I never relax. I’m always working because I want a better life. All those mean kids grew up with me in our shitty little village. A few have tried to connect now that we’re older, but I don’t feel like it. I’m still 'fish girl.”

Shanks started to speak, but you cut him off. 

“I know they were just kids, but they were brutal. I was a kid too, and I could never imagine hurting anyone the way they hurt me. I don’t want to be friends with those people.”

“I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

A heavy sigh left your lips, then a small gasp as his hand moved to the side of your neck, the touch of those fingers more satisfying than anything you could remember.

“Fishing used to be something I loved. But since grandma’s been gone, I can only bring in half of what we used to. It’s not enough to save anything. I wanted to sell that stupid fish so bad,” you admitted with a laugh, a deep hum coming from the listening pirate. 

“Where do you wanna go,” he asked, his fingers trailing into your hair.

“I want to go somewhere where I can love fishing again. I want to live stories like grandma did. I want to be a fisherwoman. I don’t want to be ‘fish girl’ anymore.”

The loss of his touch was heavier than you expected. 

“Come on.”

You opened your eyes to meet his, shining at you over his outstretched hand.

Tucking the stone in your pocket, you let him help you up, surprising yourself with a laugh as he shook the sand from your hair. 

“Well, I’d say you deserve a vacation. What do ya say?”

Laughing at his silly wiggling eyebrows, you nodded, giving a breathy “okay,” as he took your hand. 

He leaned over you as you walked, sending shivers across your skin as his breath touched your ear. 

“Fisherwoman is a mouthful, so I’m gonna keep calling you ‘damsel.”

“No, you won’t,” you commanded. You cursed at him as he giggled, dropping your hand to run toward the camp.

“You sound like you’re in distress, do you need help,” he yelled back.

“I’m gonna fucking kill you!”

You chased his laughing form until he slowed, grinning at you as he started to walk backwards. 

The look on his face when you launched yourself at him would be seared into your mind forever. You both grunted as he toppled onto his back, his arm hanging onto your waist as you fell together. 

The look on his face with you straddling him in the sand was even better.

Your hands had planned to slap him, but those eyes, those lips, and that look of joyful surprise did you in. 

That gentle hand fisted roughly into your hair as you crashed your lips onto his. A quiet, needy moan left your throat, and his answering growl made your eyes roll back. 

Thunderous cheers erupted from the crew, and you almost looked up at the camp until his fingers gripped your hair tighter, making your thighs clench around his waist. 

He pulled you away gently, his parted lips and near frantic eyes matching yours. 

“You sure,” he checked in, voice barely audible over the singing and shouting pirates. “Let’s get away from the crowd.”

Shanks kept looking over at you, that crooked smile following you back to the ship. He kept asking what you’d like to do, where you’d like to go.

“These clothes are sandy,” you noted, your voice low. “We should go to your room to change.”

He came in for a kiss, his deep voice rolling over you. 

“We’re sandy too. We should probably shower.”

“Okay,” you agreed, melting under his dark eyes.

He pushed your sandy hair aside when you reached the door to the bathing room, kissing and nibbling from the crook of your neck to your ear, holding your waist as your knees went weak. 

“Should we take turns guarding the door,” he rasped while your hands smoothed over the muscles around his waist and lower back. 

“No.”

Practically stumbling through the door as you tried to keep touching each other, you stood in the center of that tiled room, and tore the clothes off of each other's skin. 

There were no worries in your mind right now, just the electric touch of his hand and lips over each part of your body as it was revealed. 

You cried out as you felt the hard length of him through his pants before you'd freed him from the fabric. 

“You want me that much already, sweetheart?”

The urge to bicker was overridden as you pulled his pants from his skin, his thick cock springing up toward his stomach. 

The need to touch him overwhelmed you, and you wrapped your hands around him, loving the moan he let out at your touch. 

“Let’s shower, damsel,” he choked out as he kissed your cheek. “I need to bring you to the bed, now.”

That delicious smelling soap coated your skin, giving you an excuse to explore as you washed each other’s bodies. With as much of the sand and soap gone as possible, Shanks pushed you against the wall, his fingers traveling up your thigh.

“I thought you said you’re bringing me to the bed?”

“Just a minute,” he pleaded, teasing fingers until you nodded. 

“Still this wet after washing it all away?”

Those rough fingers rubbed along your clit, his name dropping from your lips in needy moans. 

“Mm, keep saying my name like that, beautiful,” he rasped, plunging in one finger, then two as your back arched against the cool, tile wall. 

“Shanks, please…”

“Please what? What does my damsel need?”

“Take me– fuck. Take me to bed.”

You gasped as his fingers left you, finding his mouth as he sucked the taste of you off of his skin. 

He tossed you a towel, kicking the clothes into a corner.

“Come on.”

“Wait,” you called, rushing to that pile of sandy fabric.

His crooked grin made you blush as he watched you grab that silly little stone. 

“Come on,” he whispered onto your lips after pulling you into a deep kiss.

A trail of water followed your path, practically running and gasping with laughter all the way to his quarters.

He didn’t get you lost this time.

Now he was the one calling for you to wait as your hand reached for the door.

“We don’t have to do anything, Y/N. We can still relax and have fun together. Please, tell me if you’re not comfor—“

“Take me to bed, Captain,” you demanded, walking through the door before him.

The only answer he gave was to slam it closed, then wrap himself around your back, kissing your neck until you moaned. 

“Shanks…”

“Yes, sweetheart,” he said before licking and nibbling at your earlobe.

“I don’t know,” you laughed, arching against him. “I just wanted to say your name.

The deep rumble that came through his chest had that pressure building in your core. His hand grasped yours, until you opened to give him the stone.

You stood smiling with your eyes closed until he pressed himself against your back again.

He pulled at your damp towel, then trailed that perfect hand down the front of your body, feeling everywhere he’d touched under that warm water and delicious soap.

Those fingers found you again, slipping easily in the dripping mess he’d already made of you. 

“Mm, so wet. So good for me, aren’t you, beautiful?”

All you could do was whimper as he circled your clit, until you cried out at the towel covered press of him along your ass.

“Please…”

“What darlin’? Tell me what I can do for my damsel?”

His raspy voice was too much, and you gasped as he palmed your needy pussy to hold you up as your knees went weak.

He chuckled in your ear as he kept grinding the meat of his palm against you. 

“Please, Y/N, please tell me what you need. I’ve got you.”

His whisper brought desperate tears prickling in your eyes until you could finally speak.

“Fuck me now, Shanks. Fuck right fucking now, or I’ll never forgive you.”

He grabbed you, easily moving your weight with one hand until you fell back onto the edge of the bed. 

He left you then, digging though his desk, tossing things out of drawers in a frantic search.

“I said right fucking now,” you demanded, still breathless.

“Yes, but—“

“I’m on birth control. Now hurry up before I find another pirate—“

Your sentence ended in a yelp as he pounced on you, his thick cock rubbing through your folds as he ate your moans. 

“Don’t go saying shit like that again,” he rasped as his dark eyes bore down on yours.

“You’re the one who keeps calling me damsel. If you’re not going to help me—“

A filthy moan left your lips as he guided his tip to rub circles over your clit. 

“Oh, I’ll be helping you plenty, don’t worry sweetheart,” he promised, this dark smile of his going in your list of favorites.

“What was that you said about ‘right fucking now,” he taunted, giving you no time to brace for the press of him.

He worked his way in slowly, putting your leg over his shoulder while he watched your face. 

“How’s that sweetie,” he teased, his own voice breathy and desperate now as his hips finally met yours. “Is this what my girl needed?”

“Fuck, Shanks. Fuck me please.”

“You are a very demanding woman, you know that?”

Any retort you would have had died in your throat as you screamed, his deep thrusts making your toes curl.

“So fucking gorgeous. Gods, Y/N, you take my cock so well.”

Shanks gripped your thigh against his chest, pressing it to him until he locked you into place.

“Oh right there, sweetheart? I’ll help my pretty girl right there, just say my name again.”

He hit that sweet spot inside you over and over as if it belonged to him, claiming it, taking it back. Every word from his lips felt like vibrating pleasure down your skin, and in no time at all, you were screaming his name, arching your back against those red sheets as you fell apart.

He fucked you through your orgasm, sweet praise almost impossible to understand as your mind disappeared.

“You feel so good coming on my cock, you made such a beautiful mess. You're gonna go again for me now, okay?”

He chuckled at the pathetic whine from your lips, but never stopped his rhythm. 

“Please, pretty damsel? I helped you out. Now let me watch those dainty fingers on your clit. Let me feel you milk my cock one more time before I fill you up.”

He moaned along with you as your body clenched around his. 

You couldn’t argue with that heated smile. His hungry eyes watched your fingers slide over your clit, scraping his lip between his teeth as he tightened his arm around your thigh.

“Just like that. Let me see my girl come on my cock again. Fuck... You feel so good, so fucking good for me, baby.”

“Shanks, you feel… I’m close.”

“I know, sweetheart, can you feel me too? Come for me, I’m gonna— fuuckk…”

Shanks leaned over you, shoving himself as deep as he could go. Pleasure ripped through your body as you clawed at his back, more screams filling the air.

The sensation of both of you coming at once, your body milking his as he spilled ropes of heat inside you, had your mouth slack, body limp and useless as you twitched together.

Shanks leaned his forehead against yours, staying hilted within you as he caught his breath.

You gave him a droopy smile as he lifted his head, and he laughed before covering your face in kisses while you squirmed. 

This made both your bodies twitch again, moaning as he pulled himself out of you. 

He grabbed one of the damp towels as he knelt at the foot of the bed, kissing your thighs as he gently cleaned your sensitive skin.

“Stop,” you begged weakly as his soft touches across you body kept your aftershocks going.

The mattress shifted under his weight, bouncing you lightly until he pulled you up the bed onto his chest. His arm wrapped around you, still leaving lazy circles of touch across your back and hip.

“Now what,” you whispered, fighting to keep the real world from invading your brain.

“Anything my damsel wants,” he hummed, leaving a soft kiss against your still damp hair. “Your vacation’s only just started.”

Likes and reblogs bring me much ✨dopamine✨ thank you so much!

a/n: Hi, I have once again gone INSANE over another One Piece character. I need help. Someone please lock me away.

Tag List: @shewrites02 | @nothing-but-brass | @honeyoru | @onlyseob | @constawrites | @gingernut1314 | @i-am-vita | @laurelthesimp | @therealsatorugojo | @jadeddangel

Part 3

| masterlist | about me | rules | ao3 | ko-fi |

[andrsnsgirl]

the new farmhand you father hired was truly something to look at when you would be at your desk doing possibly anything to be right there. the way she threw those hay-bales’ around and barked orders at your clumsy brother for falling in the mud trying to catch a chicken was so sexy to watch. her tight black tank, dark washed denim jeans, and her square toed boots fit her to a T. a wet spot forming in your lower area as the sun glistened off of her sweat. gosh, was she a treat. she’d be up earlier than your father, the sound of the sheep bleating and her yelling silly words at the herding dogs always waking you up. you couldn’t help but dream about her, she was a dream. you’d stay up and watch her ploughing the fields, with her arms flexing with every swing of her tool. oh you wish she could ploughing you next, it was incriminating to think that lowly of a woman you haven’t even met but just seeing her in general gets you rubbing your thighs together because without fail every friday night, your fingers are deep in your pussy, drunk on the thoughts of her on the field with her denim and boots on. you mewl at the thought of her big arms around your neck tightening with every thrust of her fingers hitting that spongy spot you so desperately loved.

the sun bore it’s heat in your room on a summer morning. the cooing of the mourning doves can be heard and you toss in your bed. your sticky and wet from the humid night, your hair is all over the place and making you hotter even more. your groan and head to the bathroom to clean yourself up before you head downstairs after you checked your clock for the time. you toss on a robe and slippers before leaving and lazily walk down the steps rubbing your eye with a pout hoping your father was downstairs, in the house for you to complain to him about the humid night and how badly you suffered. well, he was and so was she. you stopped at the bottom of the staircase in panic mode, maybe if you disappear right now she won't notice you in your robe. she sat and let out a guttural laugh and so did your father. they were talking over their break you assume with the water bottles and snacks in their hands. they go on for about a minute more before your father noticed you and fixed hisself, walked over to you and gave you your 'good morning' kiss on the cheek before heading out to do some more of his sweat inducing work. leaving you and the hunk of a farmhand in the kitchen.

making your way to the fridge you feel those blue eyes trail your every move. bending down in the fridge to see what you could possibly conjure up before lunch, the intense staring was too much and you prayed to God she would say something and he answered.

“hello there.” she grunts and clears her throat waiting for you to acknowledge her. that melodramatic draw in her voice is smooth and tangy, that southern accent present in the best way you know how. you squeak at the bass of her voice and peak your eyes over the fridge door. “h..hello.” you speak and stand up now to look her in the eye. she’s overpowering you even from across the room, you could feel her height looming over you. “i haven’t seen you around much, are you his uh.. daughter?” she scratches the back of her neck in the awkwardness of the room. “i am. are you the new farmhand? my father has said lots about you.” “ain’t that right?” she straightens her posture and is not fixed on the sink a little with her hands firm on the marble counter. “w..well not that much—y’know he can’t really say too much because you’re still his employee and all.” you shyly giggle to lift the awkward tension in the air but you’re not sure if it’s already gone or it’s just you. she chuckles “yep that sounds about right. say, i didn’t catch your name sweetheart.” the nickname is absolutely heaven to your ears. you tell her your name and she mutters under her breath that it was a pretty name for a pretty girl. she taps the counter twice and excuses herself to the outside claiming she has more chores to do and to help your clumsy brother, she throws in a little jab at the poor boy before giving you a wink and a smile leaving the door open, letting the breeze roam the house. you rush upstairs and immediately start your silent victory dance once your bedroom door is closed. you finally scored a conversation with the woman. looking out the window to see her shaking her head and fingers rubbing her temple at the sight of your brother covered in manure, you giggle in your hand and plop yourself on your bed. this was just the beginning of a loooong journey.

[genshin-scenarios]

do clothes make the person? (lyney x gn reader)

Summary: …Lyney dresses up in a skirt and leotard, while practicing for another switch-up trick with Lynette. That’s the basic premise. Enjoy!

Notes: This is still SFW but uh… Rated teens and up, just to be safe (a lot of flirting)

Throughout his career, and for the purpose of pulling off impossible feats of magic onstage, Lyney has garnered quite a range of props and outfits to suit his purposes. 

The first time you learn of him and Lynette swapping places, you’ve only seen his sister dressing up as him, and joked that perhaps you’d be whisked away by the more level-headed version of Lyney that stands before you (Lynette, still in disguise, looped her elbow with yours and said in deadpan to her brother that the two of you would be going now.)

Suffice to say she was hoping to escape from practice to go buy some desserts, and you were happy to oblige. Lyney hadn’t let either of you forget that betrayal ever since, ever one to play on dramatics just for an excuse to tug on your wrist and demand your attention. Behind those theatrics however is the relief of a brother who’s glad his very-important significant other gets along well with his very-important sister, even if it was at the expense of himself sometimes. 

In today’s practice however, Lynette is the one who required a double, and so you found Lyney in their room still in a leotard and skirt. He noticed you entering, and with a quick decision made in the flicker of his eyes, settled into a monotone expression. Posture relaxed, lazily glancing over at you - in this moment, Lyney truly seemed like a cat.

“If you’re looking for my brother, he already left.”

“I already saw Lynette as I was coming in.” You inform, walking over to tidy the props left on the table. You look over at Lyney from over your shoulder, trying to control the quirk of your lips at the sight of his pout. “Were you hoping to get some secrets out of me? Asking how I really feel about you?”

“I didn’t think that far, but now when you put it like that… How could I not be curious?” Lyney makes his way over to you, capturing you in a hug from behind as he rests his head on your shoulder. He starts using his body weight to tilt the both of you towards the side, dangerously close to falling.

“Lyney.”

“Yes?”

“Please stop swaying around, we’re going to—”

Without letting you finish your sentence, Lyney suddenly pulls you against him as he makes the both of you fall towards the ground. Panic surges through you as you feel your feet slipping from under you, only for Lyney to cushion your fall with his body. He’s trying his best not to laugh at the shriek you let out earlier, while you try to resist the urge to strangle him there and then.

“You— Stop laughing!” You grab his wrists; connected to the offenders that pulled you down with him seconds ago, and drag Lyney into a sitting position. “We could’ve gotten hurt!”

“I wouldn’t have let you get hurt.” Lyney gives you an affectionate smile, which would’ve been sweet had it not been for his actions just moments before. “And look, I’ve got you on my lap now. Not quite as fun as hearing you divulge everything you love about me, but a close second.”

“Try saying that without the cat ears and tail.” Keeping the annoyance in your tone, you reach up to take them off his head. It’s just a cleverly hidden headband, but you remember Lyney mentioning how it’d start to hurt if he wore it for too long. “Are these clothes not uncomfortable?”

Lyney’s eyes are shut, leaning against your touch as you ruffle his hair out of its braid. The ash-blonde strands are soft beneath your fingers. “Mmm, not exactly. It’s not like men have never worn leotards, you know. There are appropriate clothes for it.” His lashes flutter open once you retract your hands, violet gaze soft. “Not going to help me rebraid it?”

“I might mess it up.” You say. Lyney hums at the rebuff, unbuckling the belt that holds his tail. He offhandedly tosses it to the side, and just as you let your guard down, he’s quick to pick you up from below your thighs and pull you even closer to him. By instinct, your legs wrap around his waist to get some balance, but immediately after, you realize your compromising position and freeze. “...You’re an absolute sadist.”

“I just want you near,” Lyney smiles innocently, cupping your face in his hands. Despite how his words sound, he honestly just likes physical affection. The horrible blush burning on your ears is just an added bonus. “I’ll let you go after a hug.”

“Promise?”

“Mmhm.”

Watching Lyney carefully, you finally let yourself rest your head in the crook of his neck, arms looping around him. He’s quick to melt into the gesture; at times, hugs could be seen as a test of trust. It was hard for one to see the expression on the other party’s face or be aware of their surroundings when positioned like this. Is it odd for Lyney to feel comfortable despite the slight feeling of anxiety that comes with it? He never lets hugs last for too long, though - lest something actually sneak up from the shadows and he’s too late to protect you both.

By the time he’s finally in his normal clothes, Lyney’s leading you through the streets of Fontaine with your hand in his, claiming there’s a really good restaurant he discovered lately. (In truth, it’s just another excuse to intertwine your fingers.) 

You do have to admit - it is cute when he hooks your pinkies together while talking to a fan or acquaintance, swinging it between you both just subtly enough so that no one would notice. Just like how you hadn’t noticed the addition of a tiny magenta ribbon tied to a small lock of your hair. It sits comfortably at the back of your head, so Lyney doubts you’d notice unless you tried combing through it.

Not to mention, it matches his colors! Call him a hopeless romantic, but Lyney thinks the sight of you both together like this is quite endearing, if he says so himself.

[nycbaby21]

"I really hope so."

*ends in a cliffhanger, if you guys want I can write more*

prompt: "Where do we go from here?" & "You tell me."

word count: 3,038

Rapid knocking woke me up this morning around three. In the moment I can’t tell which is louder the knocking or my heartbeat. I slowly and quietly tiptoe over to the front door to look through the peephole. As I pass the closet I grab a hockey stick Mat left me “for protection.” I argued it wouldn’t protect me much, but he wouldn’t stop until I took it. I see the hockey players outside the door soaking wet. I open the door and grab him pulling him into the house. “Barzy what the hell are you doing,” I ask voice slightly raised from the panic still coursing through me. He looks down at me to answer but his eyes drift to the hockey stick in my hand.

“Thought it wasn’t going to protect you,” he tried to joke but I could tell something was bothering him. I poke him with it while he lets out a small laugh and throws it on the couch behind us. The small joy he just had is gone and his eyes fill with tears. “She left me again,” his voice cracked and the dam behind his eyes broke. Tears began to mix with the leftover raindrops on his face. “Oh Barzy,” I say throwing my arms around him. He buries his head in my neck and squeezes my waist. I run my fingers through his dark locks, occasionally smoothing out a small knot. His body shook as he cried. I just stood there holding him, only letting go when he did. 

“C’mon let’s get you out of these wet clothes,” I whisper slipping my hand into his and pulling him towards my bedroom. He sat on the edge of my bed while I searched through my closet for clothes of his I had stolen over the years. I pull out an old Islanders shirt and some sweatpants and pass them to him. “I looked everywhere for this stupid shirt. I should have known you had it,” he laughed going to the ensuite bathroom to change. “That and about six more,” I say pulling back the sheets and throwing the top blanket I had for the cold off. Mat was a space heater and very cuddly when he was upset. So if we slept with that on we would both wake up sweating.

 Mat walks out and sees you fixing up the bed and just stops and watches you. He is so grateful to have you as his best friend. There weren’t many people who would be so kind and loving towards him when he woke you up banging on the door at three in the morning. I look up and just see him staring. “Stop being weird you dork,” I laugh tossing a pillow at him. He shakes his head and walks over to the side of the bed I was standing on. “Did you want this side,” I ask confused because he always sleeps on the other side. He just wraps his arms around me and whispers “thank you” into my hair. I take in a deep breath and hum in acknowledgement rubbing my hands up and down his back. 

When the two of us finally got into bed and settled down, my brain started to drift off. I had known Mat for about four years now and we had gone through a whole lot together. Every time I thought something would break us and make us drift apart, it only ever brought us closer. I don’t really remember when the lines started to blur between friendship and more to me. But as I am laying here next to him, I can’t help wishing it could always be like this. My thoughts were interrupted by Mat,” Thanks again for everything Y/n. You’re a really good friend.” I never knew one word could make me feel so sick.

I rolled over at ten o’clock and sighed turning over to see the bed empty. Worried Mat had done something stupid, I rushed out of my room and searched the house for him. I stopped when I heard a soft voice coming from the kitchen. “Yes I am aware that I’m not at home,” I hear him say to whoever is on the end of the call. I peeked around the corner and see Mat standing against the island rubbing his face. “Of course, I came here. She is my best friend,” he raised his voice only a little assuming I was still asleep. I could hear her voice now, the ex-girlfriend who hated me. 

We didn’t start out on the right foot and there was never really any going back from that. She cornered me at a team party and told me to back off of Mat because he wanted someone beautiful like her and not me. Safe to say I didn’t care for her too much after that. I was always friendly for Mat’s sake because he was truly happy and she was really nice to everyone else. So I held my tongue and tried to coexist.

“Don’t talk about her like that. She is the only reason I am still holding it together right now. Yes, it is fair. You promised after the last time you would stop talking to him and you didn’t. So don’t make me the bad guy here for calling you out on it.” I could hear her getting louder and he cut her off,” it isn’t the same. You dated him, you slept with him, you loved him. She is nothing more than my best friend okay,” his voice raised to match hers. His words hit me like a bullet. I tried to turn around and go back to my room, not trying to hear anything else to break my heart more. I bumped into a shelf I had in the hallway with my pinky toe. 

I let out a few colorful words and dropped down to the floor. I hear footsteps and Mat is quickly down on the floor with me looking me over. He finally sees me holding my foot and gently moves my hand to try and get a better look at it. I couldn’t really see much through my blurred vision thanks to the tears. At least I can play them off as physical pain now and not emotional pain. “Shh it’s okay, I got you,” he said holding me. He repositioned us and carried me over to the couch. He left and came back with a bag of frozen vegetables. 

He carefully placed them on my foot and looked up at me. “You okay,” he whispered. I shook my head yes and gave him the best fake smile I could. Apparently I had gotten pretty good at them over the years because he nodded and rubbed my calf. He brought me some pain meds and a glass of water. “You sure you don’t need anything,” he asks looking all over my face. I shake my head no. “Okay so what are we watching,” he says getting comfortable on the couch. I sigh wishing I could get sucked into a black hole at this very moment. “I don’t know Barzy, whatever you want,” I say looking at the TV and not him.

“Okay so you’re cool if I put on game highlights,” he asks already queueing them up. “Yeah that sounds fine,” there is no emotion in my voice. “Okay, I know you aren’t fine now. You hate watching highlights with me. Tell me what’s wrong so I can fix it,” he scoots closer to me and puts his hand on my knee. I tense up under it and his face drops. “Did I do something,” he asks voice filled with fear and confusion. “No you didn’t do anything. I told you I was fine Mat,” I hugh off already tired of pretending my heart hadn’t shattered five minutes ago. I knew it wasn’t his fault, you can’t help who you are attracted to. I know I shouldn’t take it out on him, but I just couldn’t bring myself to care at that moment.

“Mat,” his voice breaks a little and he gives me a weird look,” You never call me Mat. Y/n please talk to me.” I shake my head tears falling down my face again. He tries to wrap his arms around me and I shrug him off. “I really can’t do this right now okay,” I cry standing up and trying to walk away but the pain in my toe sends shock waves throughout my body. “No, you can’t just walk away. We promised to always tell each other everything, remember? So tell me what I can do to fix it,” he says moving to stand in front of me blocking my way around him to leave. I look up at him and I can see water brimming in the bottom of his eyes. “You can’t fix it. Okay, no one can. So please drop it,” I say dropping back onto the couch.

“How do you know that? You can’t know that unless you tell me,” I can hear the aggravation in his voice. “Please don’t make me do this okay,” I whisper pleading with him. “Okay I won’t,” he says after looking at me for a minute. He walks towards the couch and squats in front of me. “But if won’t tell me I’m leaving. I’m walking through that door Y/n,” he says sternly and looking into my eyes. I stay quiet and make no move to speak. “You know what forget this,” he says standing up and walking towards the door. “You know I came here last night because you are the only person I trust enough to be this way with. I guess I thought you trusted me enough too,” these were his last words before he walked out of the door. 

The last time I saw Mat was two weeks ago after he walked out. I didn’t blame him for doing it, hell I would have done the same thing. I didn’t tell him because I didn’t want to lose him and that’s what I did anyway. I tried to call him and left him a couple text but got nothing in response. The longer I went without seeing him the harder it was. I wasn’t sleeping and was barely eating. The doorbell interrupted my thoughts and I ran to it thinking maybe it was Mat. I threw it open to see an Islanders hockey player, just not the one I had hoped for.

“Well don’t look too disappointed,” Tito said when my face dropped. “Sorry, I just thought maybe, you what nevermind,” I said walking back to the couch and letting him stand at the door deciding if he should come in or not. He sat next to me and looked around my living room. “I mean this with so much love, but sweetheart you look like shit,” his voice is as soft as the look he gives me. I try to speak but no words come out. I just start crying again and he pulls me in. “I know,” he says. Of course he does, he is Mat’s friend way before he is mine. After hearing that I shake him off and move further down the couch. “Hey no. C’mon, we are doing this okay,” he traps me in the corner of the couch and doesn’t let me go. 

“You shouldn’t be nice to me. I hurt your best friend, you should hate me,” I choke out through my sobs. “Sweetheart you are my best friend too. Just because I see him more doesn’t mean I love you any less. And I know you would never hurt anyone on purpose, Barzy most of all. So I know you had a reason,” he looks at me waiting for some kind of sign. I nod my head yes and look up at him. “Okay wanna tell me why,” he asks quietly. I shake my head no. “Okay, you don’t have to tell me. But I will tell you this, two of my favorite people in the whole world are hurting right now. And if I can help even just a little bit I want to,” Tito had always had the biggest heart.

“You can’t tell him. I mean it Tito, not a signal word,” I say before taking a deep breath. “Promise,” he nods looking at me waiting. “I’m in love with him, Tito. And I have been for a while now. And he shows up here all sad about the breakup. I always have to help him when some girl breaks his heart. He always comes to me for comfort and cuddles and I give it to him every damn time. I kept thinking one day he would see me, as more than just a friend,” I start and finally look over at him to gauge his reaction. He is calm and just reaches down and grabs my hand,” I heard him walking to her the next morning. I guess he was talking to her ex again and that’s why they broke up again. She said something about him running to me and he said it was different. She dated, slept with, and loved him and I was just a friend. That’s all I will ever be to him. I tried to run back to my room and hurt my stupid foot and I was so mean to him. He needed a friend but I don’t know if I can be that anymore.” After that whole long rant, I broke down again and sobbed. 

He held me for what felt like hours. I finally cried myself to sleep on his shoulder. He sat right there and let me. I woke up and it was dark outside, the only light coming from the TV. “Shit is that too loud. I didn’t mean to wake you up,” he says turning it down. “No, it’s fine. You didn’t wake me up,” My voice was scratchy from all the crying. He looked down at me and smiled. “I love you, sweetheart,” he whispered bumping my shoulder with his. “I love you too. Thanks for not only being his friend but mine too,” I smile leaning back into him. “Always. Plus you smell way better than him. Well, usually not right now because wow,” he jokes and I hit him in the chest. We both laugh and it was the first time in two weeks I had done that.

Tito finally left and I cleaned up the mess I had piled up for two weeks. I took a shower and actually put on clothes that didn’t have old stains on them. Throwing them into the laundry I found Mat’s clothes from that night. I picked them up and hugged them. I really did miss him. Maybe there was a chance I could still be his friend and not break my own heart in the process. I quickly fold them up and grab my keys heading to my car. I drove to his place and sat there in for a few minutes working up the nerve to go in. His room man recognized me and waved me in. “Missed seeing you around here kid. Think buddy boy has too,” he laughs ushering me to the elevator. “Why’s that,” I ask stepping in after him. “I haven’t seen the boy smile in weeks. Is he okay,” he asks me. “I don’t know, but that’s why I’m here. Checking in on him,” I smile at him when the doors open on the right floor. “Give him my best,” he smiles and the door closes leading him back downstairs.

I took a deep breath and knocked on his door. I waited and waited but I didn’t hear anything so I turned around to leave. “Y/n,” I hear his confused voice behind me. I turned around expecting to see him just as bad as I was, but he looked just like he always did great. “You left these,” I say pushing the clothes towards him. He reaches down and takes them. “That all,” he asks, I can tell he is implying that I am going to talk to him about that morning. I open my mouth to try and speak but nothing comes out. “Yeah, that’s what I thought. Goodnight Y/n,” he walks back inside the apartment and goes to close the door. “I’m in love with you,” my words rush out before thinking too much about it. 

He freezes in the doorway. His back is still turned but he quit walking. “I have been for a while and hearing you say you didn’t feel the same really hurt me, so I lashed out at you. And that wasn’t fair. But I miss you so freaking much Barzy. I know you don’t love me, which is okay really. If you can move passed it I can too,” I say walking closer to him. He slowly turns around and meets my eyes for the first time tonight.

I look past him into the apartment and something pink catches my eye. I know as soon as I see it what it means. They were back together. She was in there and I was out here looking like an absolute idiot. He follows my gaze and his head snaps back to me. “No. hey Y/n let me explain,” he starts but I shake my head. “You don’t have to explain yourself to me Mat,” I say turning away and start walking back to the elevator. I push the button when I hear his footsteps getting closer.

“Where do we go from here,” he asks as I turn getting on the elevator. “You tell me,” I say. This time he is the one with nothing to say and I am the one leaving. “I’m sorry,” he croaks out tears filling his eyes. I smile shaking my head and letting tears roll down my cheeks. “Don’t be. I’ll be okay, I promise,” I say pushing the lobby button. “What about us? Will we be okay,” he asks sounding like a scared little boy. The doors start to close and I give him one last smile,” I really hope so.”

[heavenlyhischier]

𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐰𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐞 - 𝐣𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐡𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐞𝐬 (𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞)

one two

word count: 2.7k

chapter summary: your friendship takes a leap in the right direction.

warnings: description of a panic attack, i think like three cuss words maybe, jumping off a cliff but for fun not for harm,

note: here is part three!! this was uploaded on my phone so let me know if there’s any issues.

tags: @estapa94 @cherrylipscrystal-skies

Everyone was quick to move past Jack’s brief scene, not wanting to succumb to the awkwardness that was likely to ensue if they hadn’t. Luke had thrown you one of the saddles they had on the boat so you could float around instead of wading through the water on your own. The boys started doing back flips off the boat, ignoring you as you yelled at them to be careful because you were not going to take care of them if they broke their neck. You knew you would, though, and they knew it too.

It was hard to not notice the quiet argument that was happening between Jack and Natalie as they wallowed in the water a ways away from everyone else. Whatever it was, you could tell that it had Jack on the defense as his eyes were narrowed and brows stitched together. Though Natalie looked less upset, sporting a solemn and understanding look on her face as she spoke.

“Wonder what they’re arguing about,” Cole’s voice tore you away from the pair. Him and the others had formed a lopsided circle near you.

“No telling. He’s been kind of a jackass to her this whole time,” Quinn pointed out, “And it hasn’t even been a full twenty-four hours yet.”

The six of you let out airy laughs, mouths snapping shut when you noticed the pair swimming towards you. They both looked fine, so you assumed that their discussion wasn’t about anything too detrimental. You hoped it wasn’t. There was already enough tension on this trip as it is.

“Ready to go jump,” Alex asked, jerking his head towards the cliff.

A round of agreements were muttered, with only Jack and Natalie politely declining the trip. You didn’t miss the way the others passed you knowing looks, and they didn’t miss the way you briefly tensed as you recognized that it would only be the three of you down at the boat. You were absolutely not ready for that.

“Let’s go,” You rushed out, tossing the saddle back on the boat as you swam towards the bank. Were you running away? Maybe. But you think you would rather jump off a cliff than be around the two of them alone.

You heard the other boys swimming behind you, their quiet conversation slightly reaching your ears but not enough for you to fully make out what they were saying. Climbing up on the rocky beach, you stared at the path you had to take in order to get up to the top. Fear crawled across your skin as you began regretting your decision to tag along.

“You can still go back,” Quinn reminded, water dripping off his body.

“Nope. She can’t,” Trevor called out before shaking water out of his hair, “She’s contractually obligated to jump now.”

You peered around Quinn to give Trevor the middle finger, but instead you were met with the sight of Jack swimming towards the rest of you. Natalie was climbing back up on the boat, but you couldn’t tell if she was upset or not due to the distance between you.

“Trevor’s right,” You met Quinn’s surprised stare, slight panic in your eyes, “I’m going.”

“You guys go ahead, I’ll wait for Jack,” Alex waved, hands on his hips as he watched his friend approach the rest of you.

You held your arm out, signaling for one of the boys to go in front of you. Luke decided to take the lead, passing his oldest brother a brief look as he took your hand and guided you to the top of the cliff. He kept your hand in his own, and a part of you briefly wondered what it would be like if you dated Luke. However, the thought was gone as soon as it came. It was too weird to think about.

Once you had reached the top, your heart felt like it was going to explode. You hated heights, and that combined with the fear of something happening to you when you hit the water was enough to make you stop in your tracks. The world around you spun, blood pounding in your ears and hands shaking as you slowly backed away from the edge. It felt as if your chest was going to cave in on itself. Sounds of the boys calling your name echoed around you, but you couldn’t bring yourself to reach out to them.

You’re not sure how long it had been when a pair of calloused hands delicately grasped your shoulders, your dizzying gaze falling on Jack as he stood in front of you. Your name tumbled from his lips, but all you could focus on was how hard it was to breathe. It felt like someone was clutching your throat, yet you knew that the only person around was the one person who truly knew what was going on.

“Hey,” Jack’s tone was soft and careful as it echoed around you, “Look at me, okay? Try and focus on me.”

You managed a slight nod, letting out strangled breaths as you watched him. The world around him was blurry and unfocused, so you did what you could to only look at him. You could feel the presence and the stares from the other boys around you, but they were soon forgotten as Jack instructed you to count backwards from ten with him. It was a task he knew would distract you from your thoughts, and help you regain control of your breathing.

“We’re not going to let anything happen to you,” He assured, his hands coming to your own. He softly pulled your fingers away from your palm, and placed your hands on either of his cheeks. He was grounding you back to the present. “You’re safe, you know that?”

“I’m safe,” You repeated, taking note of how warm his cheeks were from the sun beating down on everyone, “I’m safe.”

The boys watched with anxious eyes as Jack brought you back, their own hearts slowing as you started to recover. They’ve never seen you have a panic attack before and it terrified them. Guilt settled in Trevor’s chest as he watched his best friend calm you down and wipe away at the tears that were streaming down your cheeks. He shouldn’t have pressured you into coming.

“I know you were trying to get away from me by coming up here,” He whispered, gaze staying on you, “But I needed to make sure you were going to be okay if you jumped. Even if you hate me because I fucked up, you’re still my best friend and I needed to know you were going to be okay.”

Letting out a small breath, you couldn’t help but lightly smile at his admission. Your heart fluttering as you registered just how close he was to you, but you harshly brought yourself back to the gut wrenching reality that he had a girl waiting for him on the boat.

“I’m sorry,” You mumbled, reluctantly dropping your hands from his face and glancing around at the others. They sent small, comforting smiles in your direction before turning away. “I’m sorry you came all the way up here for me. I should’ve just stayed down there.

“You don’t have anything to be sorry about,” Jack reiterated, “Especially when it has to do with making sure you’re okay. You still sure you want to jump down? I’ll walk back down with you. It’s okay.”

You contemplated his proposal, eyes darting between the path back down and the edge of the cliff. On one hand, you could make the safe trek back down to the bank and swim back to the boat to watch the boys jump down. On another, you could face your fear head on with the comfort of knowing that the boys would do anything in their power to keep you safe.

“I’ll jump,” You nodded, determination briefly flickering in your eyes before you weakly continued, “But will someone jump with me?”

You watched as all of their mouths dropped open to respond, but Jack was quick to offer himself up before they even had a chance. While you were still upset with him, you knew that pushing him away, especially after what had just happened, was pointless. He was your best friend and you couldn’t just give that up. You will just have to push your feelings for him aside and do your best to go back to normal.

“Who wants to go first,” Alex asked before pointing at you, “You wanna go ahead and get it out of the way?”

You vigorously shook your head, “No. I want someone down there just in case.”

Despite not knowing just how deep rooted your fear was, they had zero objections and asked no questions. They quickly began bickering with each other for a few minutes. Quinn let out an annoyed groan before he took off, his body disappearing as he fell. Your heart raced as you waited to hear his voice from down below, panic settling back in your veins the longer you went without hearing him. It was only when you heard him yelling at the others that you let out the deep breath you had been holding.

“Hey,” Jack gently squeezed your hand, “It’s still not too late to say no.”

“I know, but I want to do it. I feel like he would want me to,” You admitted, a somber look taking over as you thought about your dad.

“I feel like he would, too,” He smiled, “Ready to do this?”

After Jack told you what to expect and what to do when you hit the water, the two of you lined up per Trevor’s instruction. Nerves ran through your veins at top speed, but all you could think about was how your dad would have wanted you to live your life to the fullest and not in fear. You were going to do this for him.

With a nod to your best friend, you both took off towards the edge and threw your bodies as far away from the cliff as you could. Wind clawed through your hair and at your skin as you plummeted down, but the feeling was gone as soon as you collided with the water. You had kept your eyes closed and took a deep breath before you plunged down just like Jack told you, but a bout of terror took hold as you blindly flung your limbs around underneath the surface.

A pair of hands wrapped around your arm, yanking you up and out of the water. You immediately clung to your savior, eyes clenched shut as you struggled to let air into your lungs.

“You did it,” Jack whispered in your ear, an arm wrapping around your waist to keep you close. He hoped you couldn’t hear how hard his heart was beating as you stuck yourself to him.

His breath was warm on your neck, making your already flushed cheeks turn an even deeper red. His touch lit your skin on fire in the best way possible, but guilt immediately took over as you caught a glimpse of the boat nearby.

“I did it,” You mustered a pathetic grin, pushing yourself away from him. You missed the way he instinctively reached out to pull you back. He missed the way you gazed at him as if he was the only person in the world.

Nearly four hours later and back at the house, everyone retreated to their rooms to shower and take naps before the night began. Quinn had watched as Jack’s jaw clenched while he watched you and the youngest Hughes race upstairs to see who was going to shower first. He shook his head as he thought about just how stupid Jack was, but he chose to stay quiet and go back up to his own room.

The sound of the front door shutting woke you, eliciting an annoyed groan as you rolled over and squeezed your eyes shut, trying to force the sleep back. You mentally cursed whoever it was that had shut the door knowing that you weren’t going to be able to fall back asleep. You’ve always been a light sleeper, and once you were awake, you weren’t falling back to sleep anytime soon.

Luke’s light snores were heard from beside you, letting you know that he was still sound asleep. Not wanting to wake him up, you slipped out of the bed and carefully opened the door before heading downstairs to find something to eat. The house was quiet, save for someone walking around downstairs, and still, and that alone was enough to let you know that at least Trevor and Cole were still asleep. They caused pure chaos when they weren’t.

Rubbing at your groggy eyes, you tripped over the bottom step and stumbled forwards. You hold your hands out as a way to steady yourself before glancing around the room to see if anyone had seen you, but the living room was empty. Slight confusion settled in because you know you heard someone down here, but both the kitchen and living room held no signs of life outside of you.

“Whatever,” You grumbled to yourself, pulling the fridge door open to see if there was anything you wanted to eat.

The fridge let you down as most of its contents were alcohol and ingredients for actual meals, and you weren’t really in the mood to cook. Moving to the cabinets, you noticed slight movement on the dock from your peripheral vision. Jack sat on the edge of the wooden platform, legs hanging above the water and eyes trained on the sight in front of him. The idea of eating was long forgotten now as you slipped outside and made your way towards him.

The sound of your feet padding across the wood was far from quiet, but he didn’t make a point to turn around and see who it was. You could tell that something was bothering him, and you almost convinced yourself to turn around and leave it alone, but you couldn’t. No matter what he had put you through, you would always be there for each other. He was there for you on the cliff and you’d be there for him now.

“You okay,” You softly questioned as you settled down a few inches away from him.

“Natalie left,” He let out a dry chuckle, looking down as he picked at his fingers.

You lightly hummed, hands gripping the edge of the dock and stare focused on the ripples of the water as you thought of what to say. “What happened? Did we not make her feel welcome? I’m sorry- I should’ve been more friendly towards her since we were the only girls. I should have tr-”

“It’s not that,” He interrupted, finally letting his focus find you. Your hair was falling in your face and you sported a sleepy look that had him smiling to himself, “Everyone, especially you, made her feel included, except for me. She said it was clear that other things meant more to me, but she’s not really mad at me. She just wishes I wouldn’t have led her on, and also she hopes that I'm able to ‘get my head out of my ass and man up’.”

You furrowed your brows together and sucked your bottom lip in between your teeth, trying to piece together what she could have meant. It didn’t make sense to you, but it seemed to make some sort of sense to Jack and that was all that mattered.

“Are you upset,” You finally asked, turning to look at him.

He was already looking at you, his gaze soft as he took you in. You were looking up at him, pupils blown and lips parted as you waited for his response. His eyes darted to your lips, but the look was so swift that you’re not sure if you had imagined it or not.

“No, I don’t think I am.”

hopefully this doesn’t suck lmao. next part will be the last part

four

[drewsbuzzcut]

First Sleepover

nick moldenhauer x dallas blankenburg

a so it goes blurb

warnings: mentions panic attacks and insecurities and I think that’s all

Dallas jumps up and down, squealing before she charges at Nick. He smiles big, opening his arms for her.

“Baby, oh my god, you played so well. You looked really hot out there,” she rambles, both hands on his cheeks, making his lips pucker up.

He sets the girl down, bringing her into a tight hug.

“Thanks, June bug. I had my good luck charm in the audience,” he leans his head down, whispering against the skin of her cheek before pressing a quick kiss there.

She pulls away, her flushed cheeks gathering his attention. He brings a thumb up to rub at the scarlet flesh. Dallas’ chest heaves, her heart racing at his touch. She grabs his hand, placing it over her heart while staring into his sparkling eyes.

“You’re such a flirt,” she says.

Nick laughs that laugh that makes Dallas want to crumble. His laugh is everything to her. He leans down to press a chaste kiss on her lips, but she just chases after him as the kiss ends too quickly.

“Spend the night with me,” Nick suggests, connecting their hands.

“I don’t have extra clothes with me and I need a shower,” she pouts at him.

“Take a shower in my shower. You can wear one of my shirts or sweatpants if you want.”

Dallas stays quiet, contemplating the idea even though she desperately wants to. She may be a bit nervous because it’d be the first time they spent a night together. A part of her feels like everything within her relationship is moving at the speed of light. She only hopes her head can keep up with her heart.

“Deal,” she agrees, hoping her smile is enough to mask her underlying insecurities.

Nick looks up, secretly thanking his lucky stars before he’s guiding her to his dorm.

Dallas keeps her shower short and to the point, instead of taking up time performing a solo concert.

She feels a sense of comfort wearing one of Nick’s hockey shirts, covered in the scent of his shampoo and his body wash. It’s only when she steps out and sees him sitting up in his bed that she feels slight awkwardness take over. The girl is just now realizing that they’ll be extra close in a confined space, and she feels like she might have a panic attack. This is all so new to her, she’s never been one to be so domestic with a significant other.

His head snaps up when he hears her, smiling at her figure covered in his shirt. He pats the bed, beckoning her to join him. She takes her time in her small trek, her hands fiddling with the hem of his shirt. She takes one last deep breath before she settles next to him, under his comforter.

Nick turns out the light, getting comfortable in the silence. He reaches his hand out, finding Dallas’ and holding onto her. When he feels her tense up, he lets go and she wants to berate herself for it. They both lay there, tense and unsure about how to sleep together. The hockey player tosses and turns, each nerve ending in his body desires to hold onto her.

“Nick?” She quietly calls out, finding his hand under the covers.

“Yeah?”

“You seem uncomfortable,” she points out.

“I’m fine,” he denies it.

“You can cuddle me, you know. Sorry if I seem a bit tense, this is just new to me, but you can touch me. I promise,” she assures him.

He slowly scoots closer to her, one of his arms wrapping around her waist. It’s still not enough to put him to sleep, though.

They toss and turn together, switching from spooning to laying down, facing each other.

They each let out huffs, beginning to grow frustrated.

“Hold me however you want,” she whispers, turning to face him, her fingers combing through his hair while she lets her lips leave faint kisses on his jaw.

He leans up on his elbows, watching Dallas breathe in and out. He eventually moves to lay on top of her. Chest to chest with his body in between her legs. His head rests on her boobs. Nick’s breathing begins to even out once Dallas starts rubbing at the sore muscles in his back. She can feel his body go lax against her.

Soon, she’s falling asleep as her heart syncs its rhythm with his. When they wake up the next morning, they’re still in the same position.

a/n: Just a little idea I had, enjoy!

[jelzorz]

168.

Callum still dreams about the mirror.

Posession is not an easy thing to forget. It's been about a month since that day in the Storm Spire, but it will haunt him for the rest of his life, worsened by the knowledge Claudia is out there and looking to free Aaravos, even when the prison is here, and the Nova Blade is sheathed and upon his desk. He'd thought having it would be a comfort, but it taunts him every night: it's there, within reach, and he can end it now, smash the prison and push the blade through Aaravos' heart, be done with it once and for all—

But of course he doesn't do that, tempting as it is, because the others are right, and something so reckless might be exactly what Aaravos wants.

So Callum bears it. He tosses and turns in his sleep, dreaming of the mirror, of seeing his reflection in it, trapped in Aaravos' place while his body hurts the people he loves the most. He shuts out the voice, deep enough that he can feel it ringing in his chest and seeping into his bones, whispering terrible thoughts, terrible ideas into his mind and beckoning him to surrender and sleep and relinquish his will. He wakes in the mornings feeling more exhausted than when he went to bed, and it's getting worse, he thinks, the longer they wait.

Tonight, it's different. Callum looks at himself through Aaravos' eyes, trapped and helpless in the mirror, but tonight, Aaravos only watches and pulls Callum's lips into an oily, terrifying grin.

"Difficult, isn't it?" Aarovos asks, tilting his head towards the desk. "The answer is there. You could finish this if you wanted."

Callum's reflection pounds his fist against the glass. Stop this, he mouths. Let me go.

Aaravos laughs. "Soon," he makes Callum say. "There are so many things to do first. So many places to conquer. So much discord to sow. And this body... I think it can do a great many things for me before I ever even escape."

Let me go! the reflection snarls. I won't let you control me!

"Oh, but that's the beauty of it all," chuckles Aaravos. "You mages think you can control everything but you never realise how easy it is to control you. There are things you want, Callum. Things you'll do anything for, and people you're desperate to protect, isn't that right? What would it take, I wonder, for you to release me in Claudia's stead?"

Nothing, the reflection seethes. You have nothing I want. I'll never help you.

"Perhaps not," says Aaravos. "But you'll help her, won't you?" He pushes out a hand and turns the mirror, and there is Rayla, curled in the other bed with Stella in her arms. There is moonlight in her hair, and peace on her face, and she's so vulnerable, so easy to threaten, to hurt—

Callum's body advances, the lips tugged up in that horrible smile, the eyes glowing, the hand outstretched to tuck a lock of Rayla's hair behind the point of her ear. The gesture is gentle, so deceptively tender, but the fingers are large and too close to her throat, and Callum in the mirror panics and pounds harder against the glass.

Don't touch her! he cries, voiceless, helpless. Aaravos! Leave her out of this, it's me you want!

Aaravos laughs. It is deep and cruel, and it fills Callum's chest with dread and a fear so debilitating he can barely breathe through it. His reflection slams its fist against the glass, desperate, but even that is silent, even as its knuckles split and smear blood against the inside of mirror, and then—

The glass breaks.

Callum wakes.

There is no mirror. It was destroyed weeks ago, in the foyer of the Storm Spire. Rayla is still asleep in the other bed, her breathing slow and even, even as Callum's own breath rushes out.

"Just a dream," he mumbles, pressing the heels of his hands into his eyes. He forces himself to think of other things: tomorrow's council meeting, the Nova Blade on his desk, Rayla's smile in the moonlight. She is safe. He is safe. Everything is fine. "A dream," he says again, his breath still shaking. "It wasn't real."

He gets up to wash his face, leaving bloody handprints in the bed.