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haikyuu-and-more-haikyuu · 1 year

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Volleyball progress update- last year.

Okay, so I planned to post this "update" in the start of the summer; but I got busy and never got the time to write it properly. Since the season is starting once again, I really wanted to get this out there before that. So here we go :D

Long post ahead!

So in the autumn, it was a completely new team...mostly. There was only a couple of us who stayed while most of the others quit. It was kind of sad, since a lot of them had been in the club for a few years; but what can you do? The new team was nice and some of them more experienced that others. Which is pretty common regarding hobby-sports clubs at universities.

I did struggle to get to know them all. I'm really shy and not that good at taking the first step. A few of them already knew each other from before- and for me that just made it harder. It's like the feeling of always saying the wrong thing even when just talking about mundane stuff. I still cheered on them and they cheered on me, but in the start it wasn't anything beyond that. The few of whom I knew from before; barely showed up and of those I had become better friend with- switched groups. Still I enjoyed myself very much. Of course, I wished I could be the one to just be able to talk with all of them with ease. I'm not like that; I need time to figure out the dynamic. What I did enjoy and what I consider myself better at (at least); is the dynamic and the team building on the court.

We clap and cheer for each other when we block, does a great dive and a powerful smash. It's funny and great to see the whole team growing in abilities that makes the whole team stronger. We are a 100% women team and our coach sometimes jokes that he wished the guys could be a little more like the women. Since guys just often teases each other and they never get applauses.

I have always liked the setter position. I have always like a challenge and when everybody else wanted to smash- I have always wanted to set. I'm also in the mindset that if I'm not giving my 100%, then whats the point of doing so. And since setter is one of the harder positions in volley- this is just be progressing in my way. I used to swim until I was 17-18, and i was a fly-swimmer (butterfly was the style I was best in) and I chose to practice and exercise in that style only because it is the hardest style to compete in. It clearly gives me a few ego points lol. As long as I'm improving and are able to set the ball for my team mates, I don't think my motivation for playing that position matter. I'm enjoying myself and so are my teammates.

Further into the year, I signed up for a tournament for different business- like teachers from different schools, different offices and for workers like that. It was a low bar and the teams were mixed. Some of them were really god, like first division...others not so much. I singed up partly because it meant more volley for me, but also because I thought it would be a great opportunity to get to know more players. It was very fun. Most of the teams were nice too and we helped each other out. I have talked about few of the matches in past updates. It was a great experience too and even my family came to watch one time and they enjoyed it. We lost that match haha! I was the team "captain" or "leader". It wasn't serious, I just had the responsibility for my teammates, the coin toss and a few others things. Like on the court I can talk and cheer and be expressive- but off; I just never know what to do with myself.

It was also very tiring in a few ways. I had a full day at university. From 8 to 16.The matches would start around 17 or 19 and warm-ups before that. The teams from my club, was also the referees, so even when my team started late; I still needed to show up or stay late. I was home around 10 or something each match day and well, it was tiring in that sense. Still worth it, but it was so weird when the tournament was over and I suddenly had the whole afternoon for myself. I will do it again tho.

The thing of being shy, is that while I want to speak to everybody in the room and I want them to see that I want to talk to them- people react by the action and impression you give them. Being closed off, also means that other view me like that and that makes it harder for them to reach out too. Its a double edge sword in a way.

After the new year, the tournament continued. A girl on my team had a big birthday party with another friend and invited us all. She had even rented a place for the whole party. I was nervous about going, since I had declined parties and outings with the team before- due to my social anxiety. It was now biting me in the butt tho haha. The vorspiel when great. We drank, played a few games and an hour or so before we needed to leave I shared with the captain and one from my team that I felt like it was hard to get to know them and get a word in. That it wasn't their fault and I didn't want to think that it was them that was the problem. But that I wished that we could get to know each other better;I was just struggling to start. They were very understanding and worried about if I felt excluded. Which I wasn't. But the leader said that she would keep that in mind and was very glad that I shared it, because she of course had noticed the distance between me and the others. The other friend that played on the tournament team with me shared the same thing, but also said that I was a great source of team spirit and that i spread positivity. A friend of her that had watched more than a few games had even pointed out to her that It looked like i always tried to cheer people up when they "messed up" or we missed a point. That I was never angry (because I'm never angry when I play). And that was nice to hear. Hear that even though I felt like i could be more to the team, that my words and my intention to be a part of a strong team; wasn't in vain.

After that it got easier. The captain started to sent me direct messages when planning smaller parties or movie nights with the team. It was easer at practice too, since I was included more in the conversations about what not. That also just did it possible for me to join in on myself since i knew where I had them.

We didn't have a lot of matches, just practice matches with the other teams in the club. I quite like playing against the mens team or mixed ones. Their faster, stronger and jump higher and its a steep learning curve for us girls.

In volleyball there a big difference between men and women. Men are stronger, taller and faster. They rely more on their bodies than technique. You see that in play. They can hit a strong smash and score a point. That isn't to say that they are bad at techniques or anything like that- but they do rely in their strength more. With women, you'll often see that their better with techniques and system (playing with set positions), because they need to use those "tools" to be able to score more points. One of the coaches pointed that out during a mixed training and even one of the guys on the A and B teams pointed that out that they also need to think more when they played again women. So both men and women learn when playing against each other.

There was one practice in particular that could have gone pretty bad. There had been a volleyball match between some of the better teams. After that there was mixed training for those who wanted to participate. I did with a few from my team and a few from the team I played with in the tournaments. One of the guys had forgotten his shoes, but it didn't stop him from playing. He was just a little bit unsteady on his feet. The guys on my team started to joke around and tried a few positions and fast tempo sets that excused us girls. we got impatient because 1) they messed it up each time and we lost points, 2) we also wanted to play.

One rally, the ball when up on our side. I was in the setter positioning and of course ran for the ball. It was in front of him, so he could hit it from the back line. He jumped and collided into me. It hurt, very much. I got his feets in my upper ribs and then his whole body on top of mine. Everybody stopped and asked if we were okay. It was very stressful and painful. I almost started to cry, but brushed dit off and stood up. My ribs hurt and so did a few other places on my body. I brushed away a few tears that had escaped and laughed and just said I wash okay. A few of the girls on my team looked like they wanted to slapp the guys for messing it up so much. It was very stressful for me because everyone was staring and asking if I was okay. I hate attention like that on me. He of course apologised against and again. It wasn't funny for him either and he hurt himself too. It was his fault, since the second ball is the setters no matter what. He just got too excited and well, mistakes happened. I'm not the one that hold anger for long. I was okay and could play...although a little more limited than before.

After the practice, a lot of the other players came over to check on me. It was heartwarming that we have such community in the club. The guy that jumped on me also came and apologised again and again. We're friends and he is a funny guy. I love setting to him because he really gets happy when he smashes it. I said that he needed to relax and that things like this happened. He fired back that things like this shouldn't happen. But what was done was done and we both were okay.

When I came home I had bruises on my upper back, on my elbows and some on my knees too. I got another apology message from him and I asked if he was fine too. Since I heard that he hurt is foot in the collision. I also worried about it and apologized for not seeing him jump so I could backtrack.

When we met up from joint practice on Sunday (as it always is) he apologised AGAIN. I then said he needed to stop and that it was in the past. I said that I didn't want him to go around and be scared that I was upset with him. I wasn't. i Wolden have been if he had really hurt me. He said that it was a good thing that he had forgotten his shoes. If had had them, then he would have ben able to jump higher and with more force. Then he would have broken my ribs and kicked me in the face. So that Wednesday he collided into me - I had a few angles watching over me to make sure I didn't get too hurt (a Norwegian saying).

After that, whenever we played on the same team, he made sure to not stand opposite of me, so we wouldn't be in that position. I said he needed to stop being scared, but happy that he took care of it. It's not like I want to get hurt. Now we play fine together and its the same where we stand in relation to each other. I just enjoy playing.

There was another intern tournament with mixed teams. it was fun and the after party was also very fun. We partied with people we never met and I had come out of my shell some.

When my birthday in may came and it was coincidentally on the same day we have practice, I brought brownies with me to end the Friday and ring the weekend in. Of course my team and the others teams that played where happy for it. I got a birthday song and we ate cake and talked until the gym closed at ten. I got a lot of great wishes and hugs from the others. The suckiest thing about being shy and anxious in social setting, is that it keeps me away from kind people like this.

The year was nearing its end. A backside of having practice in the gym that belongs to the university is that some of the sections is used for exams room when the time comes. We needed to take our volleyball to the other gym, where they play handball. The floor is sticky and its hurt to dive. But practice is important. During the exam period, we have mixed raing. It's still very fun, even though less and less people come because they have started their vacation.

I also finally started to get over hand serves right and while their kind of weak- they still manage to score a few points when I get them over. They're short, so they usually fall in between the net and the three meter mark so they can be hard to pick up when it's not expected. I hope to get better at it and more powerful too.

Looking back ot were I was a year ago, I have evolved. Although there's a lot of different things that needs improvement; i have gotten better at both smashing and setting. I'm not so good of a blocker, but I can be used in the back. I have also gotten a lot of balls in my face, some have caused nose bleeds. I got s smash from the A-team in the tournament in my face and the hitters mothers instinct kicked in and she felt very sorry for hurting me. But I always go for the ball since that means more play on all of us. Its a fun group and I'm looking forward to see who will join us this year too. I brough new knee pads, those very sort volleyball shorts and last year I laos bought new volleyball shoes. I'm all fit for fight😗

I hope to increase my vertical jump, so I can be better in blocking and all around technique. I'm gonna focus on running and light weight training the next year, just so I can improve all around health. I hope the next season will be as great as or better than this one.

It's also pretty weird, since the season is about to start; I have dreamt a lot about playing volley and my teammates. I'm so ready to start up again!!!

#not haikyuu #volleyball update #volleyball #personal #haikyuu!!#haikyuu #HQ

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acourtofthought · 2 years

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I really wish his hidden talent was playing an Instrument which is preferable the piano. Now, singer Azriel ain't bad, but I can't imagine a scenario where it isn't so cheesy. Sarah did confirm that we'll get a singing Azriel and Idk how I feel about that.

Perhaps when they are on they way to falling in love, we'll get a scene of gwyn panicking after waking up from a nightmare and Azriel, not knowing what to do (his communiation skill are DEAD) he starts to sing? But I'm not really liking that headcanon 😂 It just needs to be well written and while I don't think Sjm is the best writer to take potentiel into good use, I kind of have a good feeling about her writing singing Azriel.

Or she may not actually write it down at all. Before Acosf she literally confirmed that we'll see more if the other courts but all we got is just a bog visit, human lands, spring court visits and continent visits (only one country anyway). We didn't even get much describtion from these so her world building is clearly amazing but she doesn't explore that at all. I'm also really tired of the NC- Idc about velaris, Illyria and the CON anymore because all we ever get from them is "Grrr Illyria and CON, bad people! Dark horrible place. Oh look, the high lord and high Lady being mean for the entire night! Anyway- look at all these nice shops in velaris!". I'm so curious of how the dawn court is doing since it's more beautiful than the NC (props for Sarah to at least admit NC isn't better at everything), I'd like to see the Vanserra drama party that goes on in the autumn court and surely Eris has been doing some great things for his people behind Beron's back. Count that with the day court, since they're kinda connected. I want to hear from Kallias and Vivianne in the Winter court and how the systems work there. Same with the summer court.

But I'm afraid we might not get any of these at all. I'm afraid Sjm will use the stupid High kind card on Rhys and we'll lose all the uniqueness and any other special thing that each court has to the NC. I'm afraid that Rhys would use the spring court as a dark place like the CON, since he barely does anything for 2/3 of his court that is in desperate need of help. I also find it so stupid from Sarah to think that each high lord would just agree and bow to him. I certainly wouldn't, I'd be so pissed as a ruler of a court having to turn my court in and doing whatever some wannabe darkling ask of me. If rhys isn't even able to take care of 2/3 of his court, he sure as hell isn't able to take care of 7 whole courts and I am very sure he will turn some places dark if they aren't to his liking and the people there aren't obeying him.

Wow, didn't think I would fall away from the main topic but 🤷🏾‍♀️

Seriously, the piano thing is now fixed into my brain and I don't know that I'll ever be able to let go of that one. I never know how much of what SJM says in interviews is to be taken seriously because like you said, there are things that were previously mentioned that have never happened. I remember her talking about wanting to write a novel that dated pre ACOTAR and there haven't really been hints of that. Or, whether something that is mentioned in interviews will happen but in a much more minor way than what we imagine it. As soon as she mentioned Az and singing, the fandom was going wild with theories but maybe it will be in the most insignificant of ways (like Cassian hearing Az singing in the shower once he starts falling in love with Gwyn). Personally, I don't think Rhys will end up has High King. Not only for some of the reasons you mentioned (and I like Rhys but I think the other courts would still be too hesitant to follow him after the last few centuries and especially with the amount of power he has) but because SJM doesn't usually state something point blank and have it happen exactly how she brought it up. Which is why I don't think E/riel will happen. Feyre said "why not make them mates?" in reference to Elain and Az to which Rhys responded that a bond can be rejected. But it's not SJMS style to actually have Elucien reject their bond so E/riel happens after she said that because it would be too specific, it's too "she told us exactly what would happen!" The information regarding a rejected bond is important but I think it's going to end up important for someone else. And I think that's the same thing regarding Rhys being High King. If he becomes High King, it is too obvious because of Amren suggesting he become High King and Cassian thinking he would be a great High King. I think the take aways are the lines that the Cauldron would extend it's benevolence to another and Cassian thinking, "he could think of no other male he'd trust more. No other male who would be a fairer ruler." That seems to be the flashing sign telling us, "THERE IS ANOTHER TRUSTWORTHY CHARACTER WHO'D BE A FAIRER RULER!" It doesn't tell us exactly who it will be, just that someone else will prove to be worthy of the title. I remember SJM saying she purposely left things off the map in SF because there were areas that she wanted to remain a surprise. I'm really hoping that means the next book will give us the chance to explore other parts of their world because I feel the way you do. I think most of us have loved the NC, the IC, and Velaris but with additional books comes the risk of burnout for some readers. Where the constant visits to the Hewn City, to the Illyrian camp, to Velaris and the River House, to them celebrating the same holidays together, feels repetitive. It would be amazing if the next book gave us the opportunity to explore other Courts and other characters (that are not so IC centered) before returning back to them in future books.

#ask and replies #anon ask #acotar series

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vclubgurugram · 6 months

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V Club Swimming Pool in Gurgaon: Timings, Ticket Price

The V Club Swimming Pool in Gurgaon is THE place to be when the summer heat is just too brutal to handle. This awesome pool is a total oasis and offers the perfect escape for swimmers of all ages and skill levels to cool off and have a blast!

Let's talk timings first

During those sweltering summer months, the pool is open super early at 6 am all the way until 10 pm at night. Crazy hours, right? But it's perfect for early birds who want to start their day off with a refreshing dip or night owls who need to take a relaxing swim under the stars after a long day. If you visit in the winter instead, no worries - the hours are just slightly adjusted to 7 am-8 pm.

If you're a real swimming fanatic, you'll love that they offer monthly and yearly memberships too. The memberships hook you up with some nice discounts and extra perks. Such a great option for dedicated swimmers and fitness buffs!

This swimming pool in Gurgaon has absolutely top-notch facilities and amenities too. The main attraction is this gigantic Olympic-sized pool with super clean, filtered water that always stays crystal clear and refreshing. There's also a separate little kids' pool area so the little ones have a safe space to play freely without bothering the serious lap swimmers.

After your swim workout, you can hit up their fully-equipped gym onsite to really get those muscles pumping. Or if you prefer to just relax post-swim, grab a yummy drink and snack at their cafe. The refreshments really hit the spot.

Safety is also a huge priority here

There's a team of certified lifeguards monitoring the pool areas at all times, so you never have to worry. And they have really strict hygiene standards too - the pool water is constantly tested and treated to keep it clean and sanitary.

What is V Club?

Alright, allow me to come up with the lowdown on this V Club vicinity it has got everybody in Gurgaon talking. It's this awesome cool sports activities and recreation club that has exceptional centers.

First off, the crown jewel is their massive swimming pool complex that I changed into simply telling you about. Olympic-sized pool, separate youngsters area, on-web site health club, and cafe - it is an entire oasis for swimmers and health junkies. But the V Club is way more than just the pool.

This location is a one-stop store for all of your athletic wishes and activities. They were given tennis and badminton courts, soccer fields, basketball courts, you call it. Perfect for ballers of any sport to get their sweat on. There also are yoga and Zumba instructions for those looking for lower-impact workout routines.

On the pinnacle of all of the sports activities services, V Club low-key doubles as a social hangout spot too. They've got restaurants, bars, and lounges where members can take hold of some grub, and drinks, and just kick it with their group after an energetic day. It's an entire way of life membership sitch.

Whether you are a critical athlete or simply a person searching out a few amusing approaches to stay match, V Club appears to have the whole thing you can want or want under one roof. It's swiftly turning into the place for Gurgaon's lively and social crowd.

The V Club Swimming Pool in Gurgaon is an absolute must-visit in Gurgaon, especially when it's sweltering outside. Between the great facilities, affordable pricing, flexible hours, and safety protocols, it's legitimately the perfect place to make a splash this summer! Who's ready to dive in?

#swimming pool #Swimming Pool in Gurgaon #V Club Swimming Pool in Gurgaon

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ahopelessromantic · 3 years

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Children of Sun and Darkness (M)

Part two of A Child of Sun and Darkness

Pairing: The Darkling x Sun Summoner! female reader

Word count: 8,7k (oh boy)

Warnings: once again, spoiler of the Darkling’s name, SMUT, Aleksander being a SIMP, fluff, so much fluff, villainous behavior

A/N: I really, really got carried away with this one. Especially since I didn’t even intend to have any smut in here. But alas, the apology letters to Ben Barnes and Leigh Bardugo are sent once more and I wish you all a happy reading experience. I really do must warn you again of the Darkling as a father though, I don’t think you’re ready.

A gorgeous ray of sunshine was tickling your barely awake self. There were things to do, certainly, but your bed felt far too heavenly to be left already. The air had recently begun to smell like the promise of summer, and it paired so nicely with the flowers Aleksander always brought to your bedside table. Aleksander, you thought sleepily and slowly opened your eyes. You would have loved to curl into his lean body for a few more minutes before getting up, but it seemed like he had already so cruelly abandoned you. You were about to pout like a little baby when a soft morning wind carried the sound of laughter through your window. Aleksander must have opened it before leaving your shared chambers. Wanting to know the source of these joyous sounds, you slipped into your morning robe and stepped in front of the big window. After your marriage to the infamous Darkling, the two of you had moved your chambers to be closer to the Little Palace’s beautiful gardens. From where you stood now, your position on the second floor gave you the perfect view over them.

“There she is.” Your husband beamed with his lovely deep voice. He was looking up to you with nothing but adoration in his eyes, and you couldn’t help but smile yourself. Your daughter, barely even four, shrieked happily at your sight and sent another ray of sunshine your way. “Good morning, my love!” You called out to her. She ran up to her father, who picked her up so she could see you better. Your chest warmed at the sight of the two people you loved most in the world, the serenity in their expressions. “Good morning Mama!” She giggled back. You blew her a kiss, which she caught enthusiastically. “You should have awoken me!” You chided your husband. He smiled. “How could I, when you were sleeping so peacefully? Besides, we wanted to try if Ilona could get her sun rays all the way through to our bed. Did she manage it?” The proudest smile grew across your lips. “She did. You did amazing, honey. So amazing, that when I get down there, I’m gonna have to smooch you all over!” “NOOO!” She screamed and skipped away to the pond to look at her beloved fish. “Are you coming down for breakfast? I already had the servants set out a table.” You sighed happily and just looked at your husband for a moment. “You really do think of everything, don’t you?” The grin he sent you in response caused your knees to weaken. “Who would I be if I didn’t.” To hide your blush, you scrunched your nose and disappeared from the window to get dressed for the day. Only a short while later you had finally made it to the gardens, clad in the same colour as your husband: deep black. Upon seeing you, your daughter began to happily run towards you. Suddenly then she seemed to remember your threat of extra smooches and turned around, but it was too late. You caught up with her and gathered her into your arms, tickling and kissing her all over. She laughed loudly, only half trying to escape. “Good morning, little sunshine.” You finally properly greeted her once you were done, pressing a long kiss to the top of her head. She turned around in your arms and buried her face in your neck. “Did I do good with the sunray, mama?” You smiled and pulled her even closer. “You did so well, Ilona. I love you.” She leaned away to look at you, the brightest smile on her adorable little face. “I love you!” She responded and kissed your cheek. Saints, she was everything good and soft in the world come to life. “Can I go feed the fishies?” She asked enthusiastically. You grinned at her, forever enchanted by the little human that was so you and so Aleksander. “Of course you can. Go ask the servants, they’ll give you some food for them.” The Darkling, who had watched the interaction between you and your daughter, stepped forward with a happy smile. You were about to ask what specifically he was smiling about when he placed his lips on yours in a passionate kiss. There was barely anyone around, but the kiss’ immodesty still caused your cheeks to flush. “My sun.” He whispered, only for you to hear. “I swear you look lovelier by the day.” You sighed, still phased by the kiss, and slid your arms around his waist. “And I swear you get more charming by the day. Is it a thing of darkness, your cheek? I think I see some of it in Ilona.” He chuckled and pressed a kiss to your temple. “I think that’s all you actually.” He nodded to where she was knelt on the edge of the pond, apparently talking to its inhabitants. “I only know one other being that can be so kind and yet so fierce.” For a moment, his words rendered you speechless, but then you pinched the fabric of his kefta. “Alright, Mr Darkling, now you’re overdoing it. Where is this breakfast you’ve promised me? I’m starving.”

Giggling like the two lovestruck Grisha you had been years ago, you set off to the little table laden with delicious breakfast foods. It gave you a perfect view of your daughter, close enough to see her, yet far away enough to allow her the space even she as a little person was owed. You and your little family spent most mornings like this: Breaking the fast together, you and your husband watching your daughter play, talking court politics while eating. There were unrests in Ravka again, unrests the old king didn’t seem capable of dealing with. “He’s a fool, and I wished I could see him gone.” You hummed at your husband’s words, staring at your tea in deep thought. If he had only been just a fool, you thought. He wouldn’t be any danger to anyone, then, but his empty-brained attempts at displays of dominance were costing the second army precious lives every time. But he was still the king, and the two of you were still just the second army’s general and his wife. “Careful with the treason talk so early in the morning, my love. I don’t think it’s all that becoming with my sweet roll.” He smiled and took your hand from across the table. You squeezed it and sent him a meaningful glance. “Besides, you never know who might be listening. You know I couldn’t bear it if the Lantsov family were to imprison you.” Aleksander sighed, now, and wistfully looked across the Little Palace’s grounds. Some Grisha were training in the far distance, Inferni, by the looks of it. His gaze was pensive, a look you well knew by now- he was planning something. But apparently, it was too early to let you in on his schemes yet. He just pressed a kiss to your knuckles and looked at you in earnest. “I promise you, my sun. One day, we won’t have to bow to anyone. Our world will only consist of our family and Grisha, and it will be safe. I promise.” An unexpectedly reverent feeling spread across the breakfast table. You nodded solemnly. “One day.” You whispered back. That seemed to please him because his face returned to the kind smiles he usually wore around you, and he pressed another kiss to the back of your hand. “I love you.” He mouthed at you, and you mouthed it right back. Then, as it tended to happen with a toddler child, the two of you were interrupted by Ilona climbing into her father’s lap. “Papa, can I have a dagger?” Both you and Aleksander snorted out a laugh at the determination in your daughter’s voice. She really was a force of nature, your little one- quite literally. Not fully in control of her powers yet, she seemed eternally surrounded half by darkness, half by light. No one had thought it possible, but so far it seemed she had inherited both yours and your beloved’s powers. Ballads were being sung about her in taverns ever since word of her powers had left the Palace walls and witch hunters trying to get to her ever since that, too. Now, Aleksander Morozova had always been concerned with the safety of all Grisha. But more and more often these days you found him pacing in his war room at night, or watching your daughter with far more than fatherly sorrow. It was an all-consuming fear and sorrow for her safety- one you shared. There was nothing you wouldn’t do to know her safe. Once you had been driven by ambition, then by love for your husband. But now such a fierce protectiveness spurred you on that caused you to think yourself capable of far greater evils than your husband had ever committed.

“Do you think the Second Army would follow us? If we were to split from the king?” Aleksander’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, his deep brown eyes finding yours. The two of you had been dealing with some late-night paperwork, General’s duties. As the sun summoner and, in addition, the Darkling’s wife, you almost held as much power and responsibility as him these days. Your husband put down his pen and pensively sank back into his chair. “I don’t know.” He uttered finally. “I wish they would, of course. But some Grisha are as loyal to Ravka as Otkazat'sya. Some of them do wish to serve their country. And some of them do love their king.” He grimaced at that, and you had to bite back a laugh. “Ravka’s eagle is double-headed for a reason, you know.” He continued, and you turned serious once more. The sentiment of Ravka’s duality was a nice one- but one that was destined to fail, in your opinion. The Grisha already lived so separated from the country’s regular citizens that it was almost ridiculous to even count them as part of them. Most Otkazat'sya seemed to condemn Grisha for their powers, and most Grisha seemed to look down on the Otkazat'sya. They both had their good reasons, you figured. But how much contempt, how much annoyance or even hatred separated non-Grisha from Drüskelle? You inwardly shuddered at the thought of Fjerda’s Army, with their repeating rifles and their ruthlessness. Aleksander’s hand on your shoulder caused you to return to reality. “What’s on your mind, my sun?” He asked, his voice ever so soft. Sometimes, with how much love he showed you every day, you forgot about how evil he could be, how hated he was by so many. “I-“ You began, then sighed. “I’m thinking about what you said the other day, at breakfast. About not having to bow to anyone. I’ve been thinking about it a lot, actually. What would happen if we were to take one of the eagle’s heads? Leave the people and their Lantsovs to themselves and found our own sovereign nation of Grisha power. It would be of the tsar family’s interest to stay in our good natures, we could trade their foods and goods for our protection. But on our own terms. And we would be safe, in a city of our own, protected by Fabrikator walls and your Darkness. Ilona would be safe.” Your husband had that look on his face again. That look of deep contemplation. “A safe place for all Grisha. Most importantly, Ilona. That’s all I’ve ever wanted in life.” He said quietly. You stroked his cheek, ran a hand through his hair. “I know.” You hummed. For a moment, you spotted a glimpse of the man he had been when your daughter had been born. He had been so eager to do everything right. So happy, yet so frightened and worried at the same time. His first words upon seeing the little bundle that was your newborn daughter had been “She’s so small”, accompanied by tearful eyes. She had been small indeed, so very little. During the first weeks after her birth, whenever you hadn’t been holding her, he had been. There hadn’t been a nanny, a wet nurse even. The both of you had been far too afraid to let your precious daughter out of your sight. Still were. She was your everything. You felt guilty for steering your nightly conversation down such a dark path, so you took his hand and lovingly squeezed it. “I trust you, Aleksander. I trust you to do what’s right for us as Grisha, and for us as a family. And believe me when I say I will be by your side for anything you ever decide on doing.” The smallest of smiles began to tug at his lips. “Come on now.” You said softly and breathed a kiss against his jaw. “It’s late, and it’s my matrimonial duty to distract my betrothed from any worries that might plague him.” He was fully smiling now, a familiar playful glint in his eyes. He tilted his head and looked at you with one raised eyebrow. “How would you think to go about doing that?” You returned his playful smile and got up to settle yourself right into his lap. Something dark flashed across his eyes, something that told you you wouldn’t yet sleep for many more hours. “What about this?” You whispered and experimentally ground down on him. A devious smile was on your lips. For a moment, he let you have the upper hand. Leaned his head back, breathed deeply. Sometimes, you were allowed to see him like this. To have him like this. Feeling bashful, you leaned forward to place a myriad of kisses against his neck. You could almost hear his heartbeat speeding up, his breathing growing heavier. His hands wandered to your waist, then to your hips. He used his strength to press you down on him, and it was then that you were done for. Your moment had ended, it was his turn now. Aleksander looked up at you with dark eyes, his pupils were blown wide and barely noticeable in the low lighting. “I wish you could see yourself the way I see you sometimes.” His voice had dropped at least an octave deeper. “My perfect, perfect wife. My perfect sun, with a body so powerful. A body strong enough to bear life.” Feeling very vulnerable all of a sudden, you had to make an effort to bite back the tears that had risen to your eyes. Your husband truly always knew what exactly to say- even to a mother who sometimes found herself quite insecure in her new curves. “I love you.” You marvelled, kissing him softly. He smiled into the kiss and deepened it until you were both gasping for air. “Shall we retreat for the night, my sun?” You were about to respond when he lifted you up and placed you on the table the two of you had been sitting at. “Or do you want to taint this place forevermore? Curse it, so I think of being inside of you whenever I hold council here?” You innocently looked up at him through your lashes. Then, you smirked. That seemed to have been answer enough, because he was on you again in seconds, devouring every inch of skin he came across. “Do you remember our first night?” You gasped out between moans. Aleksander stopped in his tracks for a moment to look at you, lifted your chin with his fingers. He looked unravelled. Like he was merely dangling by a thread anymore. “You mean when I almost had you in the hallway, of all places?” You grinned and felt your eyes light up. “Exactly.” You whispered and leaned forward to capture his lips again. He groaned into the kiss. “Saints.” He panted. He seldomly addressed saints, if ever. It sent a wave of cocky satisfaction through you. “All this time with you, and you still find ways to catch me off guard.” Chuckling, you pulled him impossibly closer by his collar, crossing your legs behind his waist and grinding up against him. “I think it’s included in those matrimonial duties of mine.” “You’re going to have to- ah.” He took a deep breath. “-Send me a list of those.” You wanted to respond something, anything, but you didn’t get the chance to. Not while your kefta was being unclasped, not while his hands bunched up your skirts around your hips. “Do you want to go slower?” He asked, breathing heavily, his forehead leaned against yours. You closed your eyes for a moment, then smiled. You felt surrounded by your husband, by his scent, his presence, his arms. Most of all, you felt safe. A kind of safety only Aleksander had ever been able to provide for you. After a moment, you shook your head. “No.” You answered, nipping at his neck. “No.” You said again, sliding his kefta off his shoulders. “I want you. I need you. Now.” Suddenly, time seemed to speed up. You helped the Darkling unbuckle his pants, shrugged off your own coat, allowed him to rip most of your blouse open. The thoughts of witch hunters and civil unrests were still heavy on your mind, and you wanted him hard and fast, so he could take away all of your worries. Normally you weren’t as impatient as this. The two of you loved drawing things out in the bedroom, all teasing kisses and devilish grins. But today, things were different. Today you wanted to forget. Today you wanted to be overpowered by him. You didn’t even have the proper time to admire his length, for as soon as it had been exposed, it was already teasing along your folds. You sighed out shakily. “How badly do you want it?” Aleksander asked, one hand playing with your breast. “So badly, Aleksander.” He sighed at that, too. His name from your words would maybe never lose its effect. “If you were taken from me, I would kill. I would destroy entire cities to have you again. To have this again.” Your words almost felt as intimate as your wedding vows. They sent you both forward again, lips colliding in a clash of teeth. His tongue touched yours and sent a bolt of electricity down to your nether regions. “Nothing. Do you hear me? Nothing will ever take me from you.” He vowed back. With that, he entered you, and you both moaned out loudly. “Fuck!” He almost yelled. “How are you still so tight?” It was clearly a rhetorical question he didn’t want an answer for, for his hands were clasped around your neck. You allowed your head to drop back in pleasure and voluntarily clenched around him. “All for you.” You rasped out through his grip. He started fucking into you at that, the both of you losing your ability to form proper sentences once the so familiar fire started to spread between you. Somewhere, the edge of a book was pricking into your side, but it only spurred you on further. You always felt like the queen of the world like this- desired, full of pleasure, the most powerful man in the kingdom losing himself in you. You thought of how he would never be able to look at this table normally again, how he would twitch in that adorable way of his whenever people weren’t paying attention to him. Saints, you loved him. You loved him. Your heart felt warm and full, but so did you. At some point he hoisted you even further onto the table, his pace relentless now. But you didn’t care, you needed more, more, more. “Aleksander!” You gasped out when he brushed up against that place inside of you. “I love you.” You panted, tightening your legs around him. He looked at you like there was nothing else ever worth being looked at. Like you were a painting he could neither understand nor get enough of. With shaky hands he moved a few wayward strands of hair out of your face, then he cupped it in his hands tightly. “I love you.” He answered, stressing each word with a thrust of his hips. “Oh fucking saints, I love you. I’m so close.” “Let go.” You encouraged him seductively, tugging at the hair in the nape of his neck. “Give it to me, Aleksander.” His pace seemed to grow impossibly faster until it grew erratic. “My sun. My love, my goddess, I’m going to-“ With a loud moan, he came, his pulsating member spilling his seed into you. You helped him ride out his high, pulled him closer, clenched and unclenched in his rhythm. He shuddered at that; head buried in your neck. It was your moment once again. He was all yours to have. “I love you.” The two of you whispered at almost the same time and broke out into laughter. But the laughter caused you to clench again, and Aleksander winced from the hypersensitivity. “You’re just too tight, my love.” He almost teased and moved to remove himself from you. He wasn’t really in a state to tease again, yet. You pouted. “But I don’t want you to leave me. I always feel so empty afterwards.” He breathed a kiss to your cheek that could have well been a concealed laugh. Sometimes the two of you would stay connected like that for ages, neither of you willing to end this incredibly pleasurable state of warmth and satiation. But while that was easy to do on a bed, it wasn’t so much on a desk. “Besides.” You continued. “We’re going to make a mess.” Your husband looked at you, his lower lip caught between his teeth. “I like the mess.”, he said decidedly. “Leave it to the servants to be cleaned up. That’s what you wanted, isn’t it? For someone to know what cursed, unholy things their Saint does for her evil husband?” You barely even blushed at his words. Saints, he had ruined you- in the best way possible. “Now come on, my sun.” He uttered. “If I remember correctly, you still need taking care of.” You shuddered at the thought of what was to come. His fingers inside of you, his lips on your most sensitive spot. Oh, how good you had it. Smiling and holding his hand, you followed your husband back to your chambers. He stayed true to his promise there- two times. Afterwards, you sleepily held him in your arms, your fingers drawing abstract, invisible designs onto the skin of his back. Through the connection the two of you shared you could feel his peacefulness as if it was your own, a sense of pride filling you. You were the one in whose presence he could relax, let his guards down- no one else. You pressed a gentle kiss to his hair, a silent ‘I love you’. “My love?” He murmured and pressed an equally soft kiss to your shoulder. “Hm?” You hummed in response and watched your husband straighten up so he was able to look you in the eyes. He sighed, visibly struggling to find the right words. “I want more children, as many you’d be willing to have. Brothers and sisters for Ilona, so she will never be alone. More time for us to experience holding a newborn babe again. But I fear for our daughter so much, every day. I fear for any future children of ours, even. And I think we’ve lived in fear for long enough. I’ve lived in fear long enough. I thought if we just waited for the king to die, waited for him to live out his pathetic mortal life, we could seize control one day. But I’ve been patient for centuries, and I’m tired of it. I think the time for action has come.” Aleksander’s words caused you to sit up, too, your heartbeat uncontrollably speeding up. “Will you fight with me, my love?” You pensively moved a strand of his hair away from his gorgeous features, then lifted your chin. “Always.” You breathed. The smallest of smiles lit up his face. Your husband leaned up to kiss you, then pulled you into his embrace. “We’ll change the world. For us. For our family.” You squeezed his arm in response. You truly would.

The next few months were spent meticulously planning the beheading of the ravkan eagle. Your mornings were spent in softness, laughing with your daughter, cuddling with her in bed, and then that softness was exchanged for the coldness of daily council meetings. Spies were seeking out the intelligence of the opinions of Grisha on a potential Grisha state, letters were being sent, fighting styles being trained. The king and queen would pose the smallest problems for your cause- they would either cooperate with the second army’s leaving or leave their lives. Angry mobs were your bigger worry- there was a smart way to go about the splitting off of the kingdom, and you were eager to take it, with as few casualties as possible. Then there was the question of your new country’s location. You didn’t need lands the size of Ravka, but you still needed space for houses, training facilities, farmlands. Surprisingly many Grisha were open to leading a simple life of caring for crops and animals, having long tired of the so-called ‘war effort’. Your council meetings grew with each week, more and more Grisha eager to take part in the founding of a home of their own. Fresh faces kept on turning up every week- a Suli Fabrikator here, a Shu Healer there. The once so spacious halls of the Little Palace were beginning to feel cosy, filled with the hope of new alliances forming. It was getting harder by the day to keep your efforts hidden from the king, and the time to strike seemed to be nearing. Ilona seemed to be feeling it, too. Her new favourite pastime was to make friends with as many of the new Grisha as possible. You and Aleksander had both felt apprehensive about it at first, but once you deemed her safe you realized how much power of her own she truly held. She was a symbol. A symbol of you and your husband’s strength, of a new generation of Grisha. A generation that would grow up in safety, without being trained to be used in fights their entire lives. The people in the Little Palace loved her, they had taken to calling her the ‘Grisha princess’. It made you partly proud, partly uncomfortable. You didn’t want her to be an instrument in your fight for freedom, just another weapon to be used, but you couldn’t hide her away, either. She was still small, and young, but she still deserved a life in the light. Late at night, when he was feeling particularly safe and vulnerable, Aleksander sometimes told you stories from his childhood, his youth. How his mother had eternally urged him to stay hidden in the shadows. It wasn’t a way to live, he had once said. And he was right. Ilona deserved her fishpond, her Grisha friends, her chance to openly use her powers. One day, you and your husband already deep into planning your coup, you watched her play with a young Squaller boy. They were both laughing loudly, their happiness more than contagious. You found yourself smiling, heart and body warmed by the afternoon sun. This was what you were fighting for. What you were always going to fight for. Freedom. Only a few weeks later, the time had come. The king was holding a ball, and it was the perfect opportunity for a show of strength. Countless honorary representatives had been invited, the perfect audience for what you were planning to do. You, your husband, and your legion were hoping for a peaceful encounter. The second army was going to show in its full strength, crowd into the ballroom and declare its conditions. You all hoped the sense of unity you had all started to feel would make itself noticeable, pose a threat. The council meetings with your fellow Grisha had long ceased to feel like generals talking to their subordinates. You were equals in your cause, and as the objectively most powerful Grisha, you and your husband were treated with the respect of such. Almost everyone doubtlessly acknowledged you as the heads of your operation, the rulers of Little Palace. The king, of course, was going to be appalled, yes enraged even over your actions. He would spew harmless threats at first, feeling ashamed and belittled for having missed out on developments of such a grand scale right under his eyes. But his power was by far no match for yours. It had come just as you had hoped it would. The king of Ravka had begrudgingly signed your declaration of independence after hours of discussions, angry tantrums and finally quiet pleads. The Grisha would have their own eagle from now on- no shared heads. You would claim lands west of the fold, protected from each side by mountains, the true sea and the world of shadows your husband had created so long ago. The people already living there would have the choice of continuing to stay there, or move somewhere else for a compensation. Grisha from all over the world would be welcome in this sanctuary- you had space and power enough to keep them all safe. Once the coup was over and done with, you sought out a moment alone with your husband. It was a few days after, and both of you had been stuck in nonstop meetings and conversations with fellow Grisha. There was the name of your nation to be decided on, the flag, the layout of your new city. You had been so busy even, that your victory still hadn’t fully registered with you. “Are you alright?” You nervously asked Aleksander in his private office. It was nicely cool and dark there, a welcome change from the Little Palace’s crowded halls. His eyes met yours at that, a smile reflected in them. He looked the healthiest you had ever seen him, a new vigour in the way he moved. Sometimes you forgot that, while you shared the same cause, it already had been his before that for centuries. His years of pain and solitude had finally paid off. “I am not just alright, my love. I’m overcome with joy. Don’t you see it? We’ve changed the world.” You bit your lip, suddenly feeling overcome with emotion and fairly vulnerable. Carefully stepping into his embrace, you took in his scent, sought out his ever so calming touch. Just like he had done in the very early days of your relationship, he wrapped the two of you in comforting darkness. “I’m a bit scared.” You admitted quietly, choked up with tears. “It feels surreal that we’ve won.” Aleksander sighed and pulled you closer to his body. He knew what you meant- he had felt it too. This fear of everything being ripped away as soon as you’d held it in your grasp. “I know.” He murmured and pressed a kiss to your temple. “But it is done. Our declaration has been signed by the king, his ministers. The first army will allow us to leave- or be met with our collected strength. You’ve seen the halls outside, the gardens. I don’t think as many Grisha as this have ever been in one place, in all of history.” You looked up at his face, the beauty of his finely chiselled cheekbones. He was pure strength, safety. As if to remind you of your own power, you filled the room with a golden glow. You were the legendary shadow and sun summoner, the two strongest Grisha who had ever lived- nothing was going to come into your way. You got onto your tiptoes and hugged him tightly, buried your head in his neck. He reached his arms around your waist, and his so familiar certainty flooded your bloodstream. “We’ll have everything.” You murmured, half incredulously. Your husband chuckled at that and playfully squeezed you tight. “I promised that, didn’t I? I think it’s part of my matrimonial duties.” You both laughed, pulling away to look into each other’s eyes. Aleksander caressed the side of your face, nothing but devotion in his gaze. “I know that this new reality is frightening. We have more to lose than ever. But we can carry this fear together. Turn it into something beautiful, something to last for centuries. We’re not alone as long as we have each other.” At that, you leaned up to kiss him lovingly. You both sighed against the other’s lips. It had been ages since the two of you had last had the time to lose yourselves in each other’s embraces. “We’ll have all the time in the world for this, soon.” You realized suddenly, happily. The darkling smiled. “We will. We will my love.”

A few months later, your husband stormed into your chambers. He exuded a wild sort of happiness, his eyes restless. First, he pressed a kiss to Ilona's head, then he picked her up and twirled her around. She shrieked with laughter, and you lowered the book you had been reading while your daughter had played into your lap. Aleksander’s eyes met yours, untamed joy written in his features. “It is finished.” He spoked, and as if struck by lightning, you got up from your seat. Your book clattered to the floor, and the loud sound sent your heart racing. “Is it really?” You quietly asked, eyes wide and incredulous. He nodded reverently, hugging Ilona close to his chest. “The head of the Durasts received the word just this morning. The Fabrikators have finished our city, based on the drawings we’ve both seen. It’s marvellous, according to their reports.” Your hand wandered to your heart, as if to will it to go slower. You breathed heavily, taking a moment to let the realization sink in. You would be safe, on your own terms. Not the king’s. Both you and your husband had been overseeing the construction of your new city from within the Little Palace’s walls, not wanting to leave until it seemed completely safe. For months, assorted groups of Grisha soldiers, healers and most importantly, Durasts, had been crossing the fold to make your shared dream of a Grisha nation come true. The Darkling stepped closer to you, put his arms around both you and your daughter. A giggle escaped your lips. “It’s done.” You breathed; happy tears in your eyes. Aleksander returned your look with equal happiness and leaned forward to press a kiss between your eyes. Ilona giggled, sensing the happiness of her parents. “We can start the moving nothing shorter than this week if you want to. They’ll need your powers for the fold.” Sending smaller groups through the fold was alright. But for the massive move you were planning, you would accompany the myriad of coaches and carts, to keep the Grisha and their belongings safe. “The two of you will be alright here, for a while?” You poked Ilona’s side, and both her and your husband laughed. “We’ll have loads of fun. We’ll have a parade to say goodbye to all the fish, and we’ll tour the Little Palace to pick out all the paintings Ilona wants to take with her.” You grinned happily. They’d truly be alright.

The move was exhausting but fulfilling. You crossed the fold several times a week, accompanied by carts stacked with furniture, livestock and necessary equipment. Once an Alkemi cart almost eradicated a group of Inferni, a sign of how nervous and eager everyone was to escape into a country of their own. Your favourite part was listening in on the other Grisha’s conversations while guiding them through the fold. There was a group of young tidemakers gushing about the prospect of seeing the true sea for the first time and playing with it, two Alkemi discussing how to maximize carrot harvests with the right mixture of sun and Grisha fertilizer. You hadn’t been to the new capital yet, only seen its buildings gleaming in the far-off distance. You wanted it to be a surprise, to set foot in it for the first time with your husband and daughter.

“Enjoying the view one last time?” You asked gently and leaned against the doorframe. Aleksander turned to look at you in surprise, looking a bit lost in the empty room. The time to leave had come, and he had been quietly saying his goodbyes to the Little Palace for the past week. The two of you stood in what had once been his office, now nothing but an empty room with a pretty view. Your husband sighed, something in his expression calling out to you. You walked up to him and allowed him to put his arms around you. “Where’s Ilona?” He asked softly. You smiled. “With the other children. I think they’re playing one last epic round of hide and seek.” That answer seemed to calm him, free his thoughts for other topics. The two of you stared out of the window in silence for a while. Eventually, he sighed. His chin leaned on your shoulder, and you could feel his apprehensiveness. “I’ve wanted to leave this godforsaken place for decades. To never have to see the Grand Palace again. But despite all of that leaving is…” He trailed off, his gaze wandering into the distance. “It’s harder than I expected.” You placed your hands on his arms around you, squeezed them gently. “You’ve built this place. It’s only understandable you find it difficult to leave behind.” He scoffed, and you knew that sound. He made it whenever he was feeling something he hadn’t expected to feel. “This was the first place I’ve ever felt safe in. The first at least relatively safe place for Grisha there’s ever been.” You gulped down a ball of tears. “You should be proud of that.” You whispered. At that, he finally smiled. “You’re right. This is a first draft- a product of the past. We’re moving into the future now.” Grasping one of his hands, you held it up to your lips to press a kiss against it. “Are there any things you still want to take with you? Any last thing you still want to do?” He turned you around in his embrace and pressed your back against the wall right next to the window. A playful glint was in his eyes now, and you were overwhelmed by the sheer happiness he exuded. “I could think of a few things.” He placed a naughty kiss against the side of your neck, and you giggled. “You’re insatiable.” He straightened back up to look at you again and took an impossible step closer to you. “For you? Always.” He breathed, and the time for laughter was over.

The move to your new home took about three days. You wanted to take your time, show Ilona the parts of Ravka she had never seen. But of all things, the Shadow Fold seemed to have awoken her interest the most. While the other children and many adults, too, huddled close for protection, she skipped ahead. Her head was continuously tilted upwards in an attempt to take everything in. “I think she’s sensing your power. It feels familiar to her.” You smiled, taking your husband’s arm. His gaze was fixed to your daughter’s small figure, and his eyes glistened suspiciously. It was only then it dawned upon you- the Fold had been his biggest mistake, his very own monster- an abomination. Seeing his own daughter treat it with so much innocent fascination must have stirred hurt parts of his soul you couldn’t even begin to imagine. Your smile died down into a face of quiet adoration. You took a step back and left Aleksander to have this moment by himself. After centuries, he probably had been starving for one like it. After a few minutes, he turned around, his gaze seeking yours. There weren’t many Grisha around, most of them had moved already, so he allowed himself to keep his guards a bit lower than he usually did in the presence of other people. You sent him an encouraging smile and caught up with him to take his hand. “Do you want to catch up with her? We should probably get back to the coach if we want to make it out of the fold by noon.” He returned your smile, then took off towards your daughter in quick strides. “I’m coming to get you, Ilona!” She put up quite the fight, but in the end, she curled into her father’s arms, still giggling. She had always loved playing catch with him, even when her legs had barely carried her for more than a few steps. You didn’t miss the way Aleksander first glanced at the Fold around him, kept at bay by your powers, and then buried his face in Ilona’s hair. He was cherishing every moment of this. The next day, Nostova’s walls finally appeared on the horizon. The name you had ended up deciding on for your new country meant home, and you already felt a fierce kind of pride for it. “It’s just like the drawings.” You marvelled while finally riding through the gates. The bright Fabrikator made walls gleamed in the afternoon walls, and behind every corner, something new took your breath away. Eventually, you finally arrived at the most important building- your new home. It slightly resembled the Little Palace but looked… homier. There was enough space for administrative offices, meeting rooms, ballrooms for celebrations and a great hall to receive visitors. Emissaries from Ravka or Grisha with petitions, things of that sort. Walking through it, an eternal look of astonishment seemed to take hold of your face. It took you everything not to openly gape at the beautiful furnishings, the symbol of your nation etched into the entrance hall’s stone. An eagle, half shrouded by shadows, half dipped in light. It looked proud, grim, protective. And not like the Ravkan eagle at all. But what you liked most of it all were your new private chambers. There was space enough for at least four more toddlers, a library of your favourite books, a sitting room with a painting of you and your husband. It felt regal and comfortable at the same time. There was a private little staircase from your and Ilona��s bedrooms to the garden, something Aleksander had specifically requested. The Fabrikators had outdone themselves, and you only hoped they would feel the same pride in their work as you felt looking at it. The compensation they had received for their work would allow them more than comfortable lives in Nostova, lives they would hopefully enjoy. Your heart almost bursting with happiness, you watched Ilona and your husband take your new living quarters by storm, your little princess loudly counting down everything she approved of. With an inward sigh, you realized how spoiled she was going to be here. But whenever you talked to Aleksander about that he never seemed to quite understand the problem. ‘Let her be spoiled’, he only always said. Sometimes you forgot just how wrapped around Ilona’s little fingers he was. An odd thought struck you at the sight of your little family. This, Nostova, would be the first time in so long Grisha families would be able to stay together. Children would have their mothers and fathers again, would be allowed to train their powers with them by their side. “You look a little choked up, my love.” Your husband said teasingly, coming to a halt in front of you. His breathing was heavy from all the running around with your girl, and his hair was a mess. The darkling you had first met at the Fold years ago would claw his eyes out at the sight. You grinned at him, completely at ease with your husband seeing your emotions. “I’m just beginning to realize what all of this means. It’s incredible.” He pressed a kiss to your cheek, at which Ilona demanded he return to her so they could explore the rest of your rooms. You and your husband shared a laugh, taking a moment to revel in your happiness. “I have a surprise for you later.” He whispered into your ear, and then he was gone, back to playing with your daughter. You had to refrain from fanning your face. Your cheeks felt very hot all of a sudden.

“Where are we going?” You whisper shouted, tightly holding onto your husband’s hand. This definitely wasn’t the kind of surprise you had expected. Aleksander chuckled and just kept dragging you in the direction of Nostova Castle’s main wing. After many halls and double doors, he finally came to a halt in front of a set of gilded doors. He positioned himself between you and them, an impish smile on his face. “I know I told you you’ve already seen most of the castle, but I wanted to keep this as a surprise for you. Show it to you when it’s just us two.” You lifted your eyebrows, your excitement starting to match with his. “What is it?” He bit his lips, seemingly conflicted. “Close your eyes.” He finally commanded. You breathed out a laugh in surprise but complied. “For someone who’s centuries-old, you really do behave childishly sometimes.” Your husband chuckled. “Now, dearest wife. Don’t stab where it hurts. Besides, you have centuries ahead of you yourself.” At that, you smiled. You did. Centuries by your husband’s side, centuries to watch your children grow up in peace and find love themselves. Your husband had already led you into the room behind the golden doors. Your steps echoed loudly, a sign of its probable grandeur. The two of you stopped and you felt Aleksander step behind you. “Would you give us a little light, my sun?” Smiling, eyes still closed, you called upon enough light to dip your surroundings in a light glow. “This…” He started, then sighed. “This is the most important room in the castle. We’ll receive guests here, announce decisions… open your eyes. This is our throne room.” Your eyes snapped open, and you couldn’t help the gasp that escaped your lips. Just in front of you, on top of a few stairs, two breath-taking chairs overlooked the room. To your feet, a stunning mosaic of a sun in eclipse was let into the floor. One of the chairs was made of part gold, part glass, the glass reflecting your light beautifully and sending it through the room in tiny specks. The other one was made of the darkest wood, silver stars worked into the back- and armrests. But that wasn’t even the most beautiful aspect of them. The chairs stood a few inches apart, but where they were closest to each other they bled into the colour of the other. The golden one’s side was dipped in black, the black one’s side in gold. They were undeniably yours. Still rendered speechless, you climbed the stairs and sat down in the golden chair. It was surprisingly comfortable, and from it, you could oversee the throne room in its entirety. It was beautiful and regal enough to put Ravka’s Palace’s rooms to shame. The Darkling looked at you nervously, awaiting a reaction. You smiled at him and beckoned him to join you. “It’s beautiful.” You said happily, a smile growing across your husband’s face in return. He sat down in his place next to you, and for a moment the two of you just sat there and took in the view. This was your status now. Sovereigns of your very own nation, with thrones to call your own. You got up from your seat, enjoying the Darkling’s eyes on you. You stepped in front of him and slowly curtsied, conjuring your best demure expression. “Moi soverennyi.” You breathed out, looking at him from beneath your lashes. He chuckled, but you didn’t miss the hunger flashing in his eyes. You had decided to stick with his old title and have people address you as such, too. Nostova felt like it had outgrown the concept of Kings and Queens, but you and your husband both still undeniably held the power over the state. Feeling bold in the dark of the night, you sank into your husband’s lap. He was quick to pull you close, put his arms around you. “How improper you are, my lady.” You stifled a laugh. “I had to see if yours is comfortable, too, didn’t I?” He chuckled and littered kisses against your jaw, your cheek, your neck. “I can’t even tell you with how much joy it fills me to see you so happy here. Ilona, too.” Still smiling, you played with fingers. “I am happy.” You confirmed. “Happy we finally have made our place in the world. Made it ours. At the perfect timing, too.” You felt Aleksander start at that, and he turned you in his lap so he could look at your face. “What do you mean?” He looked confused, and a bit scared. Deciding he could stay like that for a moment, you just took him in, smoothed his hair back. He was beautiful. Powerful, dangerous, yours. “Don’t you feel it?” It wouldn’t hurt him to tease him a bit more. Just like he always did when he wanted to feel what you felt he sought out the touch of your skin on his- and shuddered. “Oh my.” He whispered and touched you again as if to make sure. “My love!” His gaze locked with yours, wide with surprise. Then, the most brilliant smile split his sometimes eternal frown. “Is it really-?” You nodded and placed a hand on your belly. “Ilona will have her first sibling soon.” With that, Aleksander started frantically talking. “I must have been so distracted by all the planning that I haven’t even noticed it, I can’t believe it! Our second child! For how long! We must make preparations at once, call a Healer-” Tears of joy in your eyes, you shut him up with a kiss on the lips. “I’ve already talked to Asa, the same healer as last time. He figures I’m about four moons along. So there’s still plenty of time for us to prepare.” Aleksander just looked at you completely starstruck for a moment. “I love you.” He finally murmured. You smiled, placing your hand on top of his on your belly. “I love you more.”

Soon after, your first son would be born. Your lovely little boy, named Kiran. Ilona was completely smitten with him, just like you and your husband. After him, four more children followed. Some were sun summoners like you, some shadow summoners like your beloved husband, some both, like Ilona. But all of them would gain legendary status throughout the centuries. They would travel the world, help settle conflicts between the neighbouring countries that rose and fell as if in the blink of an eye. Nostova, on the contrary, remained eternal. Like you and your husband. Its peace had allowed Grisha to grow stronger than ever, and your nation now counted many thousand people as its citizens. Sometimes, your children would visit you in your capital. Some of them had settled down there, too, like Ilona. She had married a heartrender, and their children came to play with you and your husband on Sundays. Your life had become gentle, and kind. You could see it in your husband’s face, too, every day. Only the boldest of kings and queens dared threaten your home, and it barely happened for any of them to follow through with their threats. Neither you nor your husband had any regular fighting or defending to do. You had been allowed to devote yourselves to ruling justly and fair, raise a healthy nation. In the mornings, you stood by your bedroom’s window and watched young Grisha train the use of their powers. In the evenings, you fell asleep side by side, still giggling about the day’s happenings just like when you had both been young and restless. Grisha from all over the world had found peace. And so had you.

#shadow and bone #shadow and bone netflix #darkling #general kirigan #darkling x reader #general kirigan x reader #ben barnes #ben barnes supremacy #ben barnes x reader #aleksander morozova #aleksander morozova x reader #sun summoner #grishaverse #leigh Bardugo #smut #villain reader

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souichioneshots · 3 years

Text

Souichi x Reader 【Gloves】

Started the date one shot collection thingy

Here is the first addition to the collection

Thought of and wrote it in an hour, so I apologize if it feels OOC or boring or whatever

I especially apologize for any misspells

But other than that, please enjoy!!

The summer heat of Fukazawa could really be killer sometimes. People would line up for hours to buy shaved ice, and the public pools would be filled to the brim with people from all over town. It was days as hot as today that Souichi wished he could just make everything freeze over. But, then again, it was thanks to days like these that Souichi could experience a different kind of fun.

A small bell chimed as you opened the large heavy-looking door, allowing Souichi to walk into the building first. As you walked up to the ticket counter, an elderly lady greeted you.

“2 for public skating, please.” You said in a voice loud enough for her to hear. “That’ll be 4,000 yen.”

Just before Souichi could take out his wallet to pay for his half, you waved your hand at him and insisted that he didn’t need to pay. “You can pay for the hot chocolate instead.” You assured him with a smile.

After receiving your tickets, the door to the area buzzed loudly, finally allowing the two of you to enter the ice skating arena.

Souichi let out a small hum as cold air engulfed him. It was like you two had stepped into a completely different part of the world.

The inside area was separated into 3 sections. The food court, the private rink, and the public rink. The food court was empty, except for a couple of kids playing on some old-styled claw-machine games set up on the side. The private rink was extremely well lit and filled with a couple of pro-looking skaters twirling and jumping around in the air. As for the public rink…

“Looks like we got here at a good time!” You said in an excited voice. Even though it was the weekend, there were barely any people. What sounded like pop music played at a moderate volume, and the lights had been dimmed quite a bit. Souichi wasn’t exactly expecting to be alone with you on the ice, but he was sure there would be way more people than there were now. A feeling of nervousness arose within him as he realized that he couldn’t use the excuse of there being too many people to explain why he wouldn’t be able to skate so smoothly.

Turning the corner, you made your way to the skate-rental area. ]

“Shoe size?” The staff member asked looking at Souichi. “２✖cm.” “And you miss?” “２✖ and a half, please.”

After receiving your skates, you made your way to the benches that were set up nearby.

Souichi kicked off his shoes and placed his feet inside the hard-plastic skates. The shoes let out a loud clicking sound as he adjusted their tightness. When you both finished, you wobble-walked to the lockers nearby and put your stuff inside. Wrapping the key-band around his wrist, Souichi made his way to the ice with you.

“Gloves?” A large man standing near the only visible entrance put his foot out and blocked you both from walking any further.

After stating that you had none, he explained that it was arena policy to wear them while skating. Pointing you to the nearest gift shop, he asked you both to buy a pair and then come back.

You let out a sigh of annoyance as you walked back to the locker area. Unlocking the locker, Souichi got some money from his locker. “We should have just sliced his leg off.” Kicking your foot in the air, you spoke. “I bet we could have done it if we kick hard enough. Hehehe.” Souichi laughed through his nose. He loved when you made dark jokes like that.

Walking into the skate gift shop, his eyes scanned the area, ignoring the dozens of sparkly outfits that hung from the ceiling. When he found the glove section, he carefully walked towards it and searched for a color and design that he might like. However, there weren’t many options for him to choose from. It was either sparkly pink, neon green, or 2000 yen professional gloves. Shifting through the different gloves, he finally found a pair of his liking all the way in the back. Carefully taking it off the rack, he slipped one glove over his hand to make sure it was the right size.

“Oh~ Those are nice.” You said, admiring the grey glove on Souichi’s hand. “But how about these? They’d really make you stand out on the ice.” You said with a smile as you held out a pair of neon green gloves for Souichi to wear. “No way. Those are disgusting.” Souichi immediately responded. “Ah…Yeah. Haha. True…Mmm...” You said, trying to make what you had previously said seem like a joke.

It wasn’t until Souichi finished paying for the cheap gloves that he realized what you had been trying to do. Walking back towards the rink, he watched you put the neon gloves on your own hands. You rubbed your thumb over them, an expression of embarrassment plastered across your face.

Before Souichi could say anything, you looked up at him with a new smile. “Ready to skate?” Souichi nodded his head as he rushed to put his own gloves on. He’ll fix this little problem later…

The man who guarded the entrance to the rink gave you both a smile as you waved your hands in the air, showing off your new gloves.

Putting his foot on the ice, Souichi immediately held onto the barrier of the rink. This was nothing like roller-skating. The ice was way too slick, and the blades under his feet wouldn’t stop sliding to the slides. Souichi bit down on the nails in his mouth as he struggled to keep his balance.

“Everything okay?” You asked as you casually glided next to him. “Yeah. Just uhh… Familiarizing myself with the rink.” He said, leaning against the barrier. “Hmm~” You hummed as you stopped and stood close next to the raven-haired boy.

Feeling nervous by the sudden change in atmosphere, Souichi pushed off and tried to skate forward. He kept one hand on the barrier as you two skated side by side. He was slow. He could tell by the way you would skate slightly further than him and then slow down to be by his side again, that he was holding you back.

He wanted to tell you to go skate freely. That he wouldn’t mind just watching you skate from afar. God knows that would have been easier for him. But, you had other plans.

Suddenly, you stopped, forcing Souichi grip onto the barrier tightly to stop as well.

Turning to look at him, you put your neon gloved hand out for him to grab. Souichi looked up at you with nervous eyes, unsure what you were planning. Taking a deep breath, he let go of the barrier and took your hand.

Souichi let out a sound of surprise as you pulled him towards you, your other hand reaching to take his free one into yours. His eyes moved from the floor, to you, to the moving surroundings as you skated backward, tugging him along the entire time. He never knew you could skate backward.

When you finally stopped, he realized where you were.

“The middle of the rink…” He whispered to himself, getting a small laugh out of you. It was much more spacious than the sidelines, and the ice beneath his skates felt somewhat different. Smoother and untouched by other blades. Although it was cool, it was also quite terrifying at the same time. The middle of the rink was known to be territory only experienced skaters and staff members could use. Yet, there you two were.

“What would you do if I just left you here?” You said with a wicked laugh. “Eh?” Souichi looked up at you with shocked eyes. You wouldn’t. “I mean, it’s not like you can chase after me. Perhaps you can crawl after me though~” You teased, letting your grip on his hand go weak. “Don’t even think about it.” Souichi said in a stern voice, tightening his grip around your hands.

You smiled at the raven-haired boy’s panicked expression. “I’m just kidding. I won’t let you go.” You extended your arms and started to skate backward again, pulling Souichi towards you. You laughed as the pale boy took actual footsteps on the ice.

“Careful!” A staff member who had been skating exclaimed as he glided right behind you. Souichi let out a small yelp as you suddenly stopped.

“You okay?” You asked, helping Souichi regain his balance. Souichi shook his head yes, looking down at his wobbly feet once before looking back at you.

His cheeks burned red as he realized how close he was to you. The grip he had on your hands tightened.

“Can…” He whispered, making you lean a bit more forward to hear him better. “Can we trade gloves?…” Your cheeks burned red at his sudden utterance. “I thought you didn’t like these gloves?” You asked with a nervous laugh. Souichi didn’t respond. He did think it was an ugly color, but it was the color you had chosen for him.

Slightly pulling him closer, you guided Souichi’s hands to hold onto your shoulders. “How about we trade one glove?” You suggested, taking the glove off your dominant hand. When you finished, you put your hands on his shoulders, allowing him to do the same. Souichi smiled as he looked down at his now mismatched gloves.

Holding tightly onto each other’s hands again, you started to skate. Souichi listened with a smile as you gave him advice on how he could skate a bit better. But ultimately, he just wanted to keep holding onto you, even if it meant making a fool of himself.

Finally making it to the other end of the rink, you slowed your pace down and guided Souichi to take ahold of the barrier.

Souichi leaned on one arm as he tried to keep his balance.

“So…Do you want to get some hot chocolate now?” You asked.

Looking down at his free hand, Souichi saw that you two had yet to let go of one another completely.

Pushing himself off the barrier once more, he quickly moved to grab your other hand. “How about we skate in the middle one more time first?”

#souichi x reader #souichi tsujii #souichi tsujii self insert #souichi tsujii x reader #fluff

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ncssian · 3 years

Text

A Favor: Part Twenty-Six

Nessian Modern AU

Masterlist

a/n: writing this chapter was so much fun but reading it was a train wreck so you’ll just have to find out yourself whether it’s actually good or not. hurt/comfort ahead

***

Most of Nesta’s days lately are spent holed up in her basement apartment, either studying for her finals or preparing for her move—which means that whenever Cassian wants to see her, she has to haul ass all the way to the cabin to make time for him.

Like now, on the morning of her birthday, as she stands in her pajamas and slippers in the middle of Cassian’s home gym. Staring at the reason behind his urgent phone call telling her to come over.

“It’s a pole,” she says dumbly.

“Happy birthday,” he says, looking proud of himself. “Consider it an incentive to move in faster, okay?”

“It’s a pole,” she repeats. Tall and gleaming, it stands in front of the wall of mirrors away from most of the workout equipment. “You installed a pole?”

The gift itself isn’t that surprising—Cassian could afford an entire pole dancing studio if he wanted to. What surprises her is that it’s installed here, in Cassian’s personal space. The gym is to Cassian what the reading nook is to Nesta, if not even more sacred. Nesta rarely enters it, but now… he’s extending a blatant invitation into his space.

“I know you already take classes with Gwyn and Emerie,” Cassian is saying, “but you haven’t gotten to go in a while because of school and work, so I thought it would be easier for you if I brought the dance studio over here.” He scratches his head, and Nesta’s eyes drift to the silver watch on his wrist. “You never told me you used to dance. I found out from Feyre, and she sent me videos of your old ballet recitals.”

“Did she?”

Cassian nods along. “You were good. You’re still good now, which is why you should wipe that look off your face and thank me for your gift.”

Nesta is sure she looks stupefied, but she doesn’t do anything to rein it in. She has so many thoughts, and she can only think of saying, “I don’t want to practice in front of you.”

“You don’t have to,” Cassian promises. “Other than early mornings, maybe evenings, the gym will be empty for you.”

Okay. “You—” Nesta starts, “You’re really okay with this?”

Cassian’s face drops in confusion. “Okay with what?” He looks at the pole and back at Nesta. “Do you not like it?”

“Are you okay with giving me part of the gym? Where are you going to go if you want to be alone?” She chews on her lip.

Cassian laughs. “Why would I want to be alone?”

Nesta shrugs. “I need it at least once a week. I figured everyone else was the same way.” Her alone spot in the cabin is her former bedroom from the first time she lived here. Cassian knows not to enter that room, and on days when she spends time in there he simply waits until she comes out. Nesta assumed the gym was close to being something like that for Cassian.

Realization crosses Cassian’s face. “Oh, you mean like your ‘special room’?”

“Don’t say it like that,” Nesta snipes. “I told you I don’t use it for masturbating.”

He comes over and swings a heavy arm around her shoulder. “Babe, if I wanted to be alone I wouldn’t stay in the house. I’d run the trails in the woods behind the cabin.”

“Really?” Her brows furrow. She didn’t know that.

“Look, am I gonna have to return the pole or not?” Cassian says, exasperated.

Nesta stares at him closely, and upon finding no other catch to his gift, she flings her arms around his torso. “I love it,” she declares into his chest. “I love it so much.”

His body tenses in surprise at her uncharacteristic outburst, but then she feels his strong arms wrapping around her too. “In that case, have I earned myself a private show?” he teases.

“I’ll give you so many private shows,” Nesta promises. At least, once she completes her 2L and has the time to learn how to use the pole. “Emerie and Gwyn are going to be so jealous,” she hums pridefully.

Cassian chuckles deeply, and the sound rumbles through his chest where Nesta’s head rests.

They stay holding each other in silence like that for a while, mostly because it’s too early for unnecessary conversing. When Nesta finally speaks up, it’s to say, “Did you really have to call me over at eight a.m. for this, though?��

“It’s your birthday.” Cassian strokes the hair away from her neck. “Don’t even think about sleeping,” he warns. “We’re spending the whole day together. Your sisters mailed gifts, and Gwyn and Emerie are coming over at noon.”

That works for her.

***

The week after her birthday, Nesta drops her resignation letter onto Rhysand’s desk with a heavy smack.

He looks up from the envelope to her. “What’s this?”

“I’m quitting,” she announces without flourish. “Thank you for the experience. Let’s never do it again.”

“But—you got paid more than anyone else in an assistant position ever would. And you weren’t too bad at your job for a student. What went wrong?” He picks up the letter as if he can’t believe his eyes.

Nesta’s stare is a deadpan one. “Let me guess: you thought I would take your free paychecks, use my connections to move up your nepotism ladder, and end up working at Night Court comfortably for the rest of my life?”

Rhysand sits back in his chair and raises a brow at Nesta. “This is a family business,” he says smoothly. “I thought you wanted to be part of the family?”

How funny of him. “I’m good,” she answers simply.

“You came all the way here to tell me this?” Here being Velaris, which gleams through the wall of windows behind Rhysand’s desk.

“I’m not here to see you,” Nesta says, the implication being left in the air. “I’m just stopping by.” Giving a short nod, she turns on her heel to leave.

“If you ever go looking for another job,” Rhysand calls after her, “tell me if you need a recommendation. I can get you into any position at any business.”

She pauses at the door and looks over her shoulder at Rhysand. “I already have recommendations. And a job.” Her summer clerkship at the local family law firm won’t pay a third of what she made here at Night Court, but it’s good enough for now. Combined with what she’s saved up so far, she’ll get through her final year of law school without issue.

At Rhysand’s surprised face, she takes her cue to leave.

Nesta didn’t intend on going all the way to personally meet the CEO to quit, but since Cassian has been in Velaris the whole weekend for work, she thought it would be nice to surprise Cassian with a visit and cut her ties with Night Court Inc. at the same time.

Night Court’s headquarters are huge, with the skyscraper easily being one of the tallest buildings in the city. Nesta nearly gets lost trying to find her way out of Rhysand’s offices.

When she finally spots the steel doors of the elevator, they’re about to slide shut on her. “Hold the door!” she calls out, kicking into a jog. An arm pushes out at the last second to stop the doors from closing, and Nesta slides into the elevator with a sigh of relief. The doors close after her, and she turns to thank the only other person in the elevator.

The man is already looking at her in surprise—surprise which slowly turns into a shark-like smile. “Nesta?”

Nesta’s blood goes cold. He can’t be.

“Remember me?” He points at himself, still grinning. “Keith? Keith O’Connell?”

She tries to swallow but her mouth is dry. “Yeah, I remember,” she gets out.

She remembers everyone she knew from college. She especially remembers Tomas’s closest friends.

Nesta realizes Keith is saying something to her. “What floor?” he asks.

“Uh…” Where was she going again? She can’t remember. She spits out a random number and lets Keith press the button.

Nesta turns her gaze to the flashing numbers above the doors, watching them go down and down. Why are there so many damn floors?

“Didn’t think I’d see you around here,” he goes on, trying to get her to meet his eyes. “Let me guess, you’re an intern?”

Nesta keeps her eyes glued to the floor numbers. “No.”

“Ah,” he hums. “Don’t tell me you’re still chasing that lawyer dream?”

When Nesta doesn’t respond, she finds five fingers on her jaw turning her face toward Keith’s.

She jerks out of his grip, indignant rage bubbling to the surface—rage that is almost immediately suppressed by dread and fear. She’s so small right now; she can’t remember how to be big and loud.

Keith grins, taking a step closer. “What’s wrong? I just asked a question.”

Her back bumps into the wall. She barely feels it. She might as well be back in the living room of her college apartment, sitting on the arm of the couch while Tomas makes snide remarks about her to Keith O’Connell and his other friends. She’s not allowed to leave, because then she’ll be the one who can’t take a joke.

Keith frowns disappointedly at the ground, as if he found a shiny toy just to discover that it doesn’t do any tricks. Now he’s bored. “Damn,” he says. “When you’re not busy being Tom’s bitch, I guess you’re just a bitch.”

Nesta wishes she could be a bitch right now. She wishes she could fight back. “What are you doing, Keith?”

He tilts his head at her. “I’m catching up with you. You got a boyfriend?” His beady eyes slide down her form, leaving a slimy feeling in their wake.

When her lips stay pressed in a firm line, he grabs her arm and laughs. “Come on, why’re you being so weird?” He shakes her by the elbow. “I won’t tell anyone if you do have a boyfriend, promise.”

Nesta hears a ding, and the elevator doors slide open. She doesn’t know whether it’s her floor or Keith’s floor, but she doesn’t care—she’s the first to pull away from him and make an exit. “See you,” she blurts before speedwalking out of the elevator.

Why the fuck did she say “see you”? She doesn’t want to see him ever again. He doesn’t deserve to see her ever again.

Behind her, she hears Keith chuckle again. “I’ll tell Tomas you said hi,” he calls after her.

***

Cassian finds Nesta huddled under a desk.

He thought his eyes were playing tricks on him when he spotted her hurrying out of the elevator on the eighteenth floor of Night Court’s headquarters, but soon enough he realized that yes, that was Nesta’s coat and Nesta’s hair. She was supposed to be back home studying for her first two finals, but instead she was here looking like she was going to be sick.

He was about to follow her when his eyes slid to the man that had gotten off the elevator after her. He didn’t like how O’Connell was staring after Nesta.

“We’re old college friends,” O’Connell shrugged dismissively when Cassian approached him. “I was just saying hi.”

Nesta doesn’t have any friends from college.

Which leads Cassian to a dim, abandoned meeting room, one that would seem fully empty if it wasn't for the sound of strained breathing coming from under the only desk.

He approaches the desk slowly, his worn sneakers coming into Nesta’s line of sight. Pushing the rolling chair away, he crouches down to get a better look at her.

Tinny music comes out of her earbuds, loud enough to drown out any other sounds. She stares past Cassian like she can’t even see him, and the hollowed out look in her eyes terrifies him for a moment. When she blinks, tears spill over onto her cheeks.

“Nes?” Carefully, Cassian reaches out to touch one of her earbuds. After a second of hesitation, he pulls it out and lets it fall.

Nesta sniffles once, then finally turns her teary gaze to Cassian. Her eyes widen a little bit as she croaks, “How did you find me?”

“I followed you. What are you doing here, baby?”

“Um—” Her voice cracks, and she swipes away her tears with the sleeve of her coat. She clears her throat and says, “I came to surprise you.”

“And how’d you end up under here?” Cassian pulls Nesta’s hand away from her face before the scratchy wool can redden her face further. Makeup is smudged around her eyes, and he tries to soothe the sensitive skin there with his thumbs.

Nesta’s other earbud drops out of her ear while he fusses, leaving her with nothing to listen to.

Cassian is quietly, studiously tucking stray hairs back into Nesta’s bun when she confesses, “I was weak.”

“How?” Concern pinches Cassian’s brow. “By crying in front of me?”

“I was completely helpless,” she goes on, her voice numb. “And I didn’t know how not to be that way. I hated it, it’s so stupid.” She tears up again. “I’m not supposed to be that stupid.”

“Tell me what happened,” Cassian demands. He can’t pretend to be patient anymore.

Nesta presses her lips together and stares down at her shoes. Nothing Cassian can think of can prepare him for when she says, “I ran into a friend of my ex.”

So that’s who he is. A frightening calmness settles over Cassian. “O’Connell?” he asks, though he already knows.

Nesta looks up. “You know him?”

He tightens his jaw but nods. “Move over.” Ducking his head, Cassian crawls under the desk to join Nesta. He has to hunch over in half to fit, but Nesta doesn’t seem to mind.

He has to give it to her—it’s not a bad hiding spot.

“What did he say to you?” He tries to sound steady, undisturbed.

“He didn’t need to say anything,” Nesta answers. “I lost my spine with one look from him. He had me under his thumb.”

“I see.” Cassian has made peace with the fact that Tomas Mandray has long since moved away, that he’ll never be able to track the shithead down and make him suffer. What he didn’t know, however, is that Mandray left his friends behind.

“Were you hurt?” is his next question. “Did he touch you?” Cassian doesn’t know what he’ll do if Nesta says yes, but he has to ask anyway.

“I’m not hurt,” she assures him. But her hands rub over her upper arms like she can feel the ghost of a touch there.

“I see,” he repeats. He watches her for a bit longer before stating, “You’re not stupid.”

Nesta’s huff is amused. “Thank you.”

“And don’t spend too much time thinking about O’Connell,” he mutters, nudging her knee with his. “I’ll get rid of him for good.” That is a promise that Cassian is happy to keep.

Nesta looks alarmed. “Like…murder him?”

Cassian laughs. “No, not like that. But you’ll never see him again, so I hope you’ve said what you needed to say to him.”

Nesta thinks for a moment, then nods. “That sounds good. I don’t have anything to say to him.” She inhales a deep breath. “I think I feel better now.”

“You okay?”

“Yeah.”

Cassian holds out a hand to her. “You wanna get out of here?”

She takes his hand and he helps her out from under the desk.

Nesta apparently booked a hotel room in Velaris to surprise Cassian with, but they both agree on the way to the parking lot that they’ve had enough of the city. Cassian chooses to leave his truck behind for Rhys to take care of, and he offers to drive Nesta’s car while she rests.

The ride home is long and quiet.

Nesta sits in silence with her earbuds in, her head leaning against the car window and one of her hands in Cassian’s. He drives with his free hand, sneaking glances over at her every so often just to make sure she really is okay.

It enrages him that someone from Nesta’s past found their way into her place of work. What if he and O’Connell weren’t working in Velaris this weekend, and Nesta bumped into O’Connell in the middle of town instead? It could have tainted any sense of safety she has with the small city she calls home.

Cassian has no plans on telling her that O’Connell is the team leader for the Milan project, or that he rents a small place on the outskirts of their town. Because soon enough neither of those things will be true, and there’s no use in unnecessarily worrying her.

He absentmindedly rubs his thumb over the back of Nesta’s hand.

When they finally pull up to the cabin, Nesta picks her head up from the window to look around. Spotting the other black car parked in the driveway, she makes a sound of disappointment. “Az is home.”

“We can stay in the car if you like,” Cassian offers. He’s in no rush to go inside and face other people, either.

Nesta pulls her heels off, bending over to rub her stockinged feet. “Maybe just for a little while.”

Cassian unbuckles his seatbelt, gesturing for Nesta to put her feet in his lap.

She obliges, looking too tired to refuse him. Cassian runs his hands up her legs and under her skirt, finding the waistband of her sheer black tights and tugging.

“What are you doing?” She jerks under his hands, eyes wide. “The car’s too small for this.”

He narrows his gaze at her. “Chill, horndog. I’m just making you comfortable.” He pulls the tights the rest of the way down her legs and off, freeing her skin.

Nesta gives a little sigh of relief at the feeling of air on her bare skin. She rubs her hands over her thighs in wonder, drawing Cassian’s gaze.

He meets her eyes, and she slowly curls her legs off his lap, tucking them underneath herself instead.

Elated to have Nesta’s undivided attention after two hours of silence, he leans over and slips his hand around her jaw, pulling her in for a kiss.

Her inhale is soft, surprised, before she relaxes against his mouth. Cassian kisses her once, twice, hoping it’ll remind her that she’s safe at his side. That nothing can make her weak.

He’s slow to pull away, and he opens his eyes to find that Nesta’s are still closed, her lips still parted. He stifles a smile and whispers, “I think we should head inside.”

“Mm-hm,” she nods eagerly.

They exit the car, Cassian carrying Nesta’s shoes and tights in one hand and Nesta running over to him barefoot.

He leaves little pecks along her jaw and neck as they enter the cabin, taking extra time to find any moles or beauty marks. She’s about to turn in his arms to face him when they both take notice of Azriel sitting in the living room. Cardboard boxes surround him, and he’s filling them up with books.

Cassian drops Nesta’s heels and tights onto the floor, bringing Az’s attention to him.

“Hey, bro,” Cassian says warily. “What are you doing?”

“Moving out,” Az answers.

Nesta chokes on a laugh. When no one laughs with her, her face drops. “You’re serious?”

Cassian thinks the same thing.

“I’m going back to Velaris,” Az shrugs, dropping some trinkets into a box. “I’m ready to face Elain. I’m taking accountability.” He says it like it’s the simplest decision ever, like he’s talking about bringing an umbrella to a picnic.

“Are you sure about this?” Cassian asks. Just a while ago his brother was terrified at the idea of entering a ten mile radius of Velaris.

“I’m packing, aren’t I?” Az says dryly.

“You’re packing our things,” Cassian points out.

Nesta gasps when she notices. “Hey, those are my books!” She hurries over to snatch one out of Azriel’s hand.

Azriel snatches it back with a dark look. “What goes in the box, stays in the box.”

Cassian sputters in disbelief, looking around at the scene before him. “I mean—can we ask what brought this on?”

“Maybe I did some self-reflection. Or maybe I finally got sick of you and Nesta hooking up while I’m in the same room, like you were about to do now.” Az shrugs, pulling out a roll of packing tape and tearing off a strip with his teeth. “Don’t act like you’re going to miss me,” he continues as he tapes one of the boxes shut. “You two have been waiting for this day for months, and I’m finally granting your wishes.”

Cassian and Nesta share a look, and Cassian says hesitantly, “This isn’t… a breakdown or something, right?”

Azriel narrows his hazel eyes at Cassian.

“Okay, okay.” Cassian holds his hands up in defense. He pulls his hoodie over his head and off in one swift movement and goes over to the couch to help his brother pack. He still doesn’t know what brought on this sudden change of heart, but he knows Az won’t tell unless he wants to.

Nesta remains standing where she is, confounded, before dropping down next to an open box and rifling through it. “I want compensation for anything of mine you’re taking,” she demands, pulling out various paperbacks one by one.

“So like a dime for every three trash porns,” Cassian tells Az.

“I’m upcharging,” Nesta says. Her hand stops rummaging through the box, and she pulls out a framed photo instead of a book. She turns her steely eyes to Azriel. “You can’t have this one.”

It’s a candid picture of Cassian, Nesta, and Azriel on the ski lodge trip. Cassian remembers the moment it was taken with vividness, because it was one of the rare moments on that vacation where all three of them were smiling at the same time.

“Emerie took this,” Nesta continues, “and she’s my friend, so by extent it’s mine.”

Az smiles politely at her. “You’re right, you should keep it,” he says. “You’re too ugly in that photo for me to take it.”

Nesta sneers back, but gets up to reset the photo on the fireplace mantle.

A day or two later, Cassian notices that the ski lodge picture is gone, frame and all. He sighs to himself and hopes Nesta won’t notice.

***

a/n: it’s official less than five parts left!! cassian’s revenge scene is gonna be hotter than every smut scene combined

tagging: @sjm-things @thewayshedreamed @drielecarla @valkyriewarriors @superspiritfestival @aliveahaahahafuck @cupcakey00 @sayosdreams @rainbowcheetah512 @claralady @thebluemartini @nessiantho @missing-merlin @duskandstarlight @lucy617 @sleeping-and-books @everything-that-i-love @cassianscool @swankii-art-teacher @wannawriteyouabook a favor: @awesomelena555 @julemmaes @wickedqueenoffantasy @poisonous-bloom @observationanxioustheorist @gisellefigue08 @courtofjurdan @theoverlyenthusiasticwriter @wolfiixxx @cass-nes @seashade @royaltykxx @illyrianundercover @queenestarcheron @monstrousloves-explodinggalaxies @humanexile @that-golden-lyre @agentsofsheilds @mercy-is-alive @cassiansbigwingspan @laylaameer01 @verypaleninja @maastrash @bow-dawn @perseusannabeth @dead-on-the-inside666 @jlinez @hungryreadingaddict @anidealiveson @planet-faerie @shallowhighwaters @ghostlyrose2 @chosenfamily-valkyriequeens @rarephloxes @readiajin @nessiantrashh @live-the-fangirl-life @ifinallygavein @xoblivisci @sjmships @jungtaekwoonie-is-life @lysandra-tiara @lanyjoy-13 @post-it-notes33 @loosingdreams @fromthelibraryofemilyj @18moneytoad @dontgetsalmonella @champanheandluxxury @togreblog @arinbelle @ladygabrielli1997 @meridainthedisneyland @moodymelanist @pixieelea @teagoddess99

#ncssianwrites #nesta archeron #nessian #cassian #a favor #nessian fic #nessian au

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mochiable · 3 years

Text

— how you met nct dream.

anon request: hello! i don’t know if you take this type of request but i would love a scenario on how you meet nct dream ot7 if it’s possible, thank you!

warning: one swear word

wc: 1.5k

₊˚✧┆𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗞

you had been watching that cute boy on the badminton court playing with his friends ever since you had started working in the gym and you couldn't help but become more and more interested in him with each passing day. the noises he made when he hit the shuttlecock, the whimpers that came from his pink fluffy lips when he missed the expected shot and the way he frowned and puckered his mouth when his partner missed were some of your favourite things about going to work. yet you had never been able to strike up a conversation. never until this day, when his friends decided to take a break and go watch the football match, while he preferred to stay and practice a bit more.

"you're good," you complimented him once you approached him and threw him a bottle of water, which he managed to catch on the fly. "thank you," he replied flashing you a shy smile, causing his cheekbones to bulge. "where did you learn all that?" you asked sitting down on the bench at the side of the court. he turned to look at you nervously, setting the bottle down once he had taken a sip. "my father... well... he taught me, i guess," he replied, averting his gaze to anywhere on the court except your eyes. "and what do you like best about it?" you questioned him, watching the feather he was playing with bounce on the ground. "ahhh, i... i like badminton, i mean... i like it a lot, like... the... the... the rackets are really nice," he replied trying to find the right words, looking even more tender than ever and causing a smile to form on your lips. but just then his friends arrived, so you stood up and approached him. "nice to meet you, mark," you bowed your head and he copied you, failing to hide the blush on his cheeks.

₊˚✧┆𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗝𝗨𝗡

you snorted once more when the card of the hotel you were staying at wouldn't open the door. you had just taken a dip in the pool and were starting to get cold from wearing only a t-shirt over your swimsuit. you had already used every curse word the dictionary had and still the door wouldn't open. until suddenly you heard a click and it did, so you hurriedly tried to enter. however, something a little softer than the door blocked your way, making you bump into it or, rather, into someone.

“can i help you with something?” the boy smiled kindly as two others a little taller than him appeared from behind. you frowned, looking at the number painted on the door and then looking at the number written on your card. it was then that you realised your mistake, “shit! sorry, sorry. i've got the wrong room,” you apologised, trying to hide your embarrassment and nervousness. “is your room next door?” he asked leaning the side of his body against the door frame, to which you nodded, “i hope to see you again then,” he spoke, as the other two boys who hadn't moved yet tried to hide their laughter. you smiled still a little self-consciously and turned around with the intention of getting out of there. “nice outfit, by the way.”

₊˚✧┆𝗝𝗘𝗡𝗢

you were taking the dog for a walk in the park as you usually did, but this day was a bit different. you let the dog loose, trusting him completely, although you regretted it after a second when you saw how he ran away from you, starting to chase a boy riding his bike. you ran after him, calling his name and wishing you were born with more stamina, because your lungs weren’t strong enough for that. the boy slowed down when he noticed the animal running after him, who didn't think twice before jumping on top of him and knocking him off his bike, licking his face while getting petted. when you managed to get to where they were, you apologised repeatedly, getting several "don't worry" from the boy, smiling with amusement at your furry friend.

“i hope your dog doesn't attack me again,” he laughed softly, hopping on his bike and riding off, reassuring you that there would definitely be a next time.

₊˚✧┆𝗛𝗔𝗘𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗡

in the summer you worked in a flower shop, you didn't get paid much but it was enough to pay for your studies. that day, your boss sent you to the most famous dance company in your city to deliver a bouquet with yellow sunflowers, something strange you had to admit.

leaving the lift you bumped into a handsome guy who apologized for not having noticed and almost destroying those beautiful flowers. as an apology he offered to guide you to your destination and you, a bit shy, accepted shyly. you could notice the look of confusion when you pointed out where you should deliver the sunflowers and, when you entered the room, he didn't hesitate to speak.

“so the flowers are for me, you’re the one sending them?” he approached them to smell their soft, fresh scent and then looked at you with a twinkle in his eye. you shook your head slightly, watching an amused pout form on his handsome face, “how bad, i would’ve wished to receive such a gift from someone so pretty.”

₊˚✧┆𝗝𝗔𝗘𝗠𝗜𝗡

Songpa Naru Park was perhaps your favourite place to spend the afternoon when you didn't have too much to do. coming here, watching the almond blossoms swaying in the wind, listening to the swallows singing and watching families having a good time were your favourite images. you couldn't miss the photographs, you were nobody without your camera and your snapshots.

at that moment, watching the black and white ducks arguing over which part of the lake belonged to each of them, you felt a flash in your right profile, which made you startle and your camera, which was in your lap, rush to the ground. however, a big hand prevented that horrible disaster.

“forgive me,” the stranger apologised, “i didn't mean to,” he showed you his perfect white teeth as he returned the camera to your lap. “did you take a picture of me?” you asked looking in his direction, remembering that bright light. he looked at you with regret and put his hand to the back of his neck, scratching it nervously, “sorry about that too.” you gave him a tight-lipped smile and lifted your shoulders, “don't worry, it's all right,” you replied turning your gaze back to the lake, “it’s beautiful, isn't it?” you asked, watching him out of the corner of your eye. “yes, very pretty,” he replied, looking at your picture on his camera, which brought another smile to your face, a bigger one this time.

₊˚✧┆𝗖𝗛𝗘𝗡𝗟𝗘

you were definitely lost. maybe if you hadn't listened to your brother, you would now be at the restaurant where your parents were waiting for you. but obviously, he didn't want to use the gps as he had "memorised the way". and this is when he forced you to roll down the car window and ask some stranger for help.

“excuse me, could you tell me where Las Torres restaurant is?” you asked a handsome guy, wearing a loose summer brown shirt. he smiled at you and asked for your phone so he could write it down for you, which you readily agreed to. “here you go. i’ve drawn you the official route, but also a small detour that will get you there faster,” he explained, handing you back the phone through the window. after thanking him and saying goodbye, he gave you a smile with a wink, which caused a slight blush to appear on your cheeks. you soon learned the reason for this gesture. he hadn't asked for your mobile phone just to guide you, but to write down his number as well.

₊˚✧┆𝗝𝗜𝗦𝗨𝗡𝗚

you were having dinner with a friend at one of your favourite restaurants, celebrating the end of the school year and another year of your friendship. however, you weren't paying full attention to your friend, as you were busier watching the boy who hadn't stopped looking at you all night and who, when you looked back at him, looked away, blushing slightly. halfway through dinner you could notice his friend saying something in his ear, looking in your direction, and how the boy's eyes widened while he began to shake his head. but suddenly, the other boy stood up and, ignoring his friend's prayers, approached you with a mischievous smile on his face.

“good evening,” he greeted, interrupting your conversation and resting his hands on the table, “you've caught my friend's eye, but he's too shy and cowardly to come and ask for your number himself, so i’m here to make his dreams come true,” he addressed you with confidence and amusement, pointing to the sweet boy who was now covering his face with the tablecloth. you finally decided to write down your number on the napkin and your heart skipped a beat as the boy smiled shyly at you after receiving the piece of paper with your number written on it.

requests are open!

main masterlist | nct masterlist

a/n: this is my very first multiple scenario and i have to admit i’m very nervous about it. i’d really appreciate it if you could provide me with some feedback and tell what do you think of it! hope you liked it, love you<3

246 notes · View notes

justmidnightthougts · 3 years

Text

Unexpected// Kenma x reader

Pairing: Kozume Kenma x reader

Word count: 3014

Warning: fluff and angst

Summary: Kenma knew that life could be unexpected, he only wished that he was prepared for the ending...

a/n: It’s been a while since I wrote something, but this has been in my head for a while so here it is!

masterlist: here

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧

Unexpected.

That's the explanation Kenma had for everything that happened last year.

It was unexpected that he met you that one day.

It was a Monday morning; spring was coming to an end and summer was approaching. The temperatures started getting warmer and the sky clearer. School had started around two months ago, and students were already wishing for the end of the year to approach.

"Good morning class," Kenma's homeschool teacher said as she walked in, everyone went to their seats and settled down. Kenma was already seated, just as usual playing on his game console before the teacher had entered. He was tired since he decided to stay up late, as usual, a choice that he regrets every morning yet can't help making it every time. "Today," his teacher started, "we will have a new student joining us. Please treat them well." As if on cue, the door opened, showing the new student, you.

Kenma looked up and watched as you went to the front, standing in front of the class and bowing your head, speaking: "Hello, my name is Y/N L/N, nice to meet you. Please treat me well," you ended with a smile on your face. The face that Kenma had been observing since the moment you walked in, concluded you weren't nervous, but excited. "Thank you, Y/N, you can sit down next to Kenma. Kenma, please put your hand in the air, so they know who you are," the teacher said with a smile, yet a tone that wouldn't appreciate disapproval.

He sighed, raising his hand slowly in the air while he looked down at his desk. He hated being in the center of attention, so doing this was out of his comfort zone. Furthermore, he kept looking down, hearing those footsteps nearing his desk. Kenma lowered his hands, praying to God that you won't start talking to him. Glancing towards the side, he watched as you pulled your chair back and sat down, placing your bag next to your desk before taking your supplies out, staying silent the whole time. He let out a sigh of relief, realizing that he doesn't have to talk to you, at least not yet.

This will be a promising year...

It was unexpected how easily he became intrigued by you.

One month has passed since you arrived at Nekoma, and Kenma watched as you slowly made a small group of friends over the month. Not just a normal group of friends, no. Your friends consisted of those who were considered "weird" or "not worth their time" by other students of their year. What they didn't know was that -during lunch- you would fall on your side from laughing as you talked with your friends, discussing everything and anything with great excitement. He couldn't hear what you were talking about from the gym doors every time he took a break from practice, but he loved to hear you laugh.

He also noticed your subtle ways of trying to become friends. By slipping notes towards him during classes. The notes weren't the like the notes someone would usually slip through. Normally, notes like that start with a "hi" on them or some other greeting, but these notes didn't. The first note you slipped through was with the question: "is it okay with you if I write you notes?". Not what you would expect, but he did appreciate it since you gave him the chance to decline if he felt uncomfortable. He answered: "yes" to the note, and from then onwards the two of you have been slipping notes to one another. The majority of the time, your notes were related to the classes that you had together. Whether he understood it or not, or if he knew the answer to a question.

Days passed, and passing notes became a routine in his life. In the morning, he already looked forward to seeing those notes with your identical handwriting. From time to time, he would be the one starting a conversation (not that it happens a lot). Though, he always found it worth doing, since those times are the times that he got that one smile from you. That smile that set off a weird feeling in his stomach. What that feeling was, was still a question to him, but he didn't hate it one bit. On the contrary, he wished to experience more and find out what it exactly was.

Through those notes he got to know you better. He found out that you moved from a little town in Japan to Tokyo because of a private matter. He also found out that you loved watching anime and playing games. That piece of information made him happy, knowing that he could talk with someone about his favorite games and maybe play together.

It was unexpected that you came to him for help.

"Kenma!" Kuroo yelled as Kenma was hiding once again from the volleyball practice during lunch. He just wanted to play one game, just one. Kenma let out a long sigh as he got up from his hiding spot. "I'm coming," he said, making his way over to the court, sloughing over the gym floor. He really loved his best friend, he really did, but sometimes he wished for him to just disappear, so he can play his games. "You really need to stop hiding, Kenma," Kuroo looked at him, "or at least find better hiding spots." Kenma rolled his eyes and just ignored him, and looked at the other side of the net, wanting this to be over already.

Just like he wished, practice went by smoothly. The team was cleaning the gym when the doors suddenly opened, startling a few of them. Kenma looked up towards the door and was surprised to see you there, panting as if you just ran all the way here. He flinched when your eyes fell on him, and there was that smile again. His stomach did a flip at that, flipping more when you made your way towards him. "Kenma," you started, "sorry for bothering practice, but um I had a question." He nodded, waiting for your question. "Well, I had some difficulties with the subject we learned in class today, and since you seemed to understand it, I hoped that you could explain it to me. If you don't mind, of course," you asked him while gently fidgeting with your fingers.

He just stood there, looking at you. He knew you had difficulties with that subject, but he was surprised that you asked him for help. He soon realized that he had been staring at you and nodded softly. "Yeah, I can help you with that. We can go to my house after school," he said softly with his small smile. Your eyes lit up at that and you smile happily: "Thank you Kenma, you are my savior! I'll come here after your practice then!" You waved at him and then walked away, leaving him to suffer under the stares of his teammates. Cleaning will take a while longer now.

The day passed by slowly, until finally the whistle, signaling the end of practice, was heard. He helped his team with cleaning the gym, excitement running through his body at the thought of spending time with you. Walking to the changing room, he avoided Kuroo's pained gaze. "Why are you letting me walk alone Kenma!" Kuroo whined while changing his clothes. Kenma groaned softly as he changed out of his shirt. "Because I don't want you to annoy Y/N with your chemistry jokes," he said with a glare at Kuroo. Kuroo made a hurt sound at that, huffing and crossing his arm, acting hurt by his comment. The team changed quickly, exhausted from practice, and wishing to go home. They exited the room and Kenma immediately spotted you, as if you were metal and he was the magnet searching for you.

After bidding his team goodbye, he made his way over to you, who had just spotted him. "Hey, Kenma! Are you still up for helping me or not?" You asked, slightly worried that maybe he was too tired from practice and was forcing himself to do this.

He nodded. "Yes of course," he placed his hand on his neck, "You came to me for help, it'd be rude if I back down now." You nodded, a smile grazing your lips as you looked at him. He was silent for a moment, just looking at your smile before realizing that had been staring. He coughed, "let's go now, otherwise it'll be late." He started making his way to his house, you are walking next to him. There was a comfortable silence present in the walk. One that he enjoyed. If being with you also means having comfortable silences, then he wouldn't mind being with you more.

The evening went by quickly. Kenma helped you with your difficulties. You found that he was rather patient, even if you messed up many times. The evening ended with playing games together until you had to leave. He found it to be a succeeded evening.

That was the start of a new routine. Whenever one of you didn't understand a subject, you would ask the other to explain it.

It was unexpected how easy he loved you...

Months passed, and he found himself falling in love with you, though he didn't notice it immediately. He realized it one day when he was feeling rather down, but as soon as he got a message from you, he felt better. It was then he knew that he liked you. And not a little. He didn't deny it, though he was afraid. Did you feel the same, or was it one-sided interest? He decided not to dwell on it too much, telling himself to keep it a secret from you, for now at least.

It didn't stay a secret for too long. He should've known that you were as observant as him. On a Wednesday after school, when you were together at his house, studying, you decided to break the ice with an unexpected question. "Kenma, do you like me?" you asked with a serious face. He froze in his place, keeping his eyes on his notebook. He sighed and nodded, moving his eyes towards you, "yes, I like you. Love you even." He did it, he said what he felt, and he didn't know how to feel about it. Will you laugh at him, saying that he shouldn't feel that? He waited anxiously. However, it never came. You just smiled at him, beaming even. "I love you too Kenma, I have loved you for a while now. I just was a little scared to say it, I didn't want to mess up our friendship," you rubbed your neck, your smile still on your face.

He couldn't believe what you just said. You loved him too? After all this time he had been stressed, you loved him too. "You really do?" he asked, just to be sure. You nodded, "yes, I really do. So, would you be my boyfriend?" He nodded, the biggest smile he ever had on his face as you shared a hug. Nothing could make him happier.

Nothing much changed after that, except for the loving gazes you both would send each other during class. The fact that you held hands when you walked home together, or the dates you had at an arcade or your favorite café. Though it didn't matter to him what you did on a date, if he could spend his time together with you, he was happy. The silence when you worked or the excitement when you played a game, were moments he held close to his heart.

You also met the volleyball team. You got along with them very well from the start. He also loved that about you. One moment you could be quiet and just do your own thing, but you could also be very extrovert and easily have a conversation with people that you liked. He knew that he would become old with you and marry each other in the future. It may be early to think that, but he is sure that he doesn't want it any other way.

He felt invincible next to you.

And how easy he lost you...

"What..." Kenma froze in his place. The teacher looked down, "yesterday...," a deep breath," yesterday, Y/N passed away in the hospital. Apparently, she had a life-threatening illness. Her funeral is this Friday." His world stopped. He raised his hand, asking if he could be excused. The teacher nodded. It was no secret how much Kenma loved you, everyone knew that. The way his stoic expression went away when you were near him. Everyone saw that. The moment he got permission, he left the room, running to the bathroom. Locking himself in a stall, he fell on the ground, looking at his hands, tears flowing down his cheeks.

Did you know that you were going to die? If so, why didn't you tell him? You probably didn't know it, right? Yes, that must've been it. He kept repeating those words, trying to believe them. However, it didn't work. Even when he tried so hard, he couldn't believe his own words. He had seen you getting worse with each passing day. The dark circles under your eyes, how thin you were. He thought that it was because of the stress from school...he was wrong. You were slowly dying in front of his eyes, and he hadn't even known.

Still, why didn't you tell him? Then he would've spent more time with you. Maybe you didn't know how to tell him? No, that wasn't true. He knew that you had a reason. You didn't want everyone to look at you with pity in their eyes, you didn't want them to treat you differently from others. You wanted to forget that haunting truth. That thought caused him to cry even more. He hunched over and covered his mouth, sobs escaping his mouth. He stayed like that for who knows how long. There wasn't a single tear left to spill. His voice was hoarse and his eyes red.

Days, which felt like years, passed and it was your funeral. The whole school was present, together with your family members. Some were crying, others' tears had already been spilled earlier. Kenma was one of them. He promised himself not to cry. Not because he didn't want others to see him like that, but because he knew that you wouldn't want to see him crying.

He stood in front of your casket, looking at your smiling picture on top of it. He kissed the top of the casket gently, closing his eyes. How he wished to see you, not dead, but alive and well. Standing in front of him with that gentle smile and those loving eyes. He wondered...did it hurt? Dying? Were you wishing for it to be over quickly because you were in so much pain? Or was it painless? Did you accept death with open arms? Was there a smile on your face when you said your last goodbyes? He will never know, and maybe that is for the better. He knows he wouldn't be able to handle the truth.

When the funeral ended and the casket was under the ground, your parents approached him. He had met them the first time he came to your house to study. They were two kind and gentle people, who loved their child with their whole hearts. "Hello, Kenma," your mother said with a sad smile. He bowed his head as a way of greeting them, afraid that if he were to talk that he would start crying again. "Thank you for coming to their funeral, I'm sure they would've been happy," she said, and your father nodded, looking down. "Before Y/N passed away, they asked us to hand you this," he gave him a note, "we don't know what it says, but it seemed important to her." Kenma looked at the note and then back at him. "We will leave you alone now, please come by again to pay her respects sometimes," the mother smiled, and then they both left, leaving him alone in the graveyard. He opened the note, immediately recognizing your handwriting, and started reading.

"Hey, Kenma! If you are reading this, then that means my funeral has passed. It must've been shocking to receive the news about my passing. I'm sorry that I never told you about my illness. I'm sure you already know why I never told anyone. It's exactly as you think, I wanted to feel normal and healthy. My apologies again. Are you alright? Probably not, that was a stupid question, wasn't it?

"The reason I'd moved schools so late in the year, was because it was one of my last wishes. I've always wanted to attend Nekoma. Do you know what my other wish was? Finding love. And you granted that wish. I've never been happier with you. The moments we spent together have always been secured in my heart. I had high expectations for love, but you surpassed them. It was amazing. Though, I have one more wish, one that only you can grant. Are you willing to do it? I hope so. I want you to live free, don't let me hold you back. Continue living, don't forget me, but also don't stay in the past. Find love again, pass your goals, be happy. That is my very last wish, I hope you can grant it. That was everything I wanted to say. I will watch you from above. I love you so, so much. Sayonara, Kenma."

He fell to the ground, crying once again, holding the notes close to his heart. "I will try..." he cried, "I will try to grant your wish. Please keep watching over me, watch me grow. I love you! I miss you!" he closed his eyes and kept crying.

It'll be hard, but he will try to move on. If that means granting you your last wish, if that means that you can rest in peace, then he will do it.

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aomine-ryo · 4 years

Note

Your last ask was seriously funny! We need more of that. If possible, can I request different scenrios where the s/o of the gom gets asked questions by the s/o of their boyfriend's teammate(s) about their night (because reader has a looot of love marks).... this is so freaking specific, im sorry😂😂 if you cant do it it fine, if you do, then i appreciate you and your writings (i love your blog and im also a simp for Aomine)

Aren’t we all a simp for Aomine 😭💕 I really couldn’t think of anything for Midorima and Murasakibara without it being too repetitive and boring so I unfortunately left them out of this one, so I’m sorry and I hope you don’t mind too much!! xx

Scenario: Kuroko, Kise, Aomine and Akashi’s s/o being questioned about their love marks

Kuroko

It was a rather chilly Wednesday afternoon and you were watching Seirin’s practice as you usually would. While you initially came there to watch your boyfriend play, you actually also ended up becoming quite close with Kagami, Izuki and Mitobe’s significant others who also came to watch quite often.

As you watched over the practice while chatting away with your friends, you began to feel rather warm due to the gym’s heating, so you took off the scarf that you’d wrapped around your neck. Not thinking too much of it, you continued with your conversation, only to notice that your friends had their eyes fixated on your neck. “Why are you guys looking at me like that?” you questioned, trying to decipher the strange smirks and nods they shared with each other.

“Y/N, your neck...” Mitobe’s s/o trailed off, getting caught up in giggles before they could finish.

“What? Is there something on my neck?” you asked, beginning to panic as your hand immediately reached for it in the fear that there was a bug on it.

“I’m guessing you and Kuroko had some fun last night,” Kagami’s s/o giggled, causing you to freeze as you came to a realisation of what they were referring to.

You quickly wrapped the scarf around your neck again to conceal the red marks your boyfriend had left the night before. Filled with embarrassment, your averted your gaze and fixated on the boys’ practice to avoid making eye contact with your friends. Of course, they didn’t let you off the hook that easily.

“I didn’t think Kuroko was the type to leave marks, but damn he really went to town on your neck, huh Y/N?” Kagami’s s/o teased, making your face turn red with embarrassment.

“Shut up,” you grumbled, letting out a nervous chuckle.

“So, was yesterday a special night? Or does he always leave marks like those?” Mitobe’s s/o interrogated.

“It’s always the quiet ones...”

“Oh my God, stop,” you said, unable to hold back the giggles from the ridiculousness of their comments. “It was just a normal night okay?”

The two of them shared a look before hooting a long “oooooh,” making you wish you didn’t say anything at all.

“So it’s a normal thing then?” Kagami’s s/o continued, the grins on their faces growing wider and wider.

“I’m gonna pretend like I can’t hear you,” you said finally, looking everywhere but at them. You didn’t lie when you said that though. They kept teasing you, but you just sat there as though they weren’t talking to you.

Eventually, they got tired of it, but they didn’t hesitate to shoot you knowing glares when practice ended and you hurried over to Kuroko to escape them.

“Is everything okay?” Kuroko asked you, when he noticed how much of a hurry you were in to leave.

“Yeah, they just saw the marks from last night,” you informed him, making him blush at the memory of the previous night’s events. “So can we just leave before they come here and embarrass me even more?”

Not wanting to draw any attention to himself, Kuroko agreed with you after letting out a small chuckle. “Sorry about that, Y/N,” he said sincerely, not knowing how he’d respond to remarks if he were in your position.

You gave his hand a tight squeeze and flashed him a reassuring smile. “It’s alright, I’ll let it slide because last night was really fun,” you beamed, causing his face to flush red before the two of you left the gym after exchanging brisk goodbyes with the team.

Kise

It was just another practice day at Kaijo where you were casually chatting with your friends. They weren’t normally people you would hang out with, but you’d gotten quite close during these practices since they were the significant others of your boyfriend, Kise’s teammates. Whilst you considered them friends, they weren’t exactly close enough where you’d feel comfortable sharing personal details about your relationship, so you would often stick to light hearted stuff— which you quite enjoyed because they always gave you a good laugh.

“Y/N, is this the first time you’re wearing a scarf?” Moriyama’s s/o asked you, eyeing the bright blue scarf that Kise lent you this morning.

“Yeah, it is,” you nodded.

“I can tell. It’s really not your usual style— it’s not even wrapped properly,” they continued, giving you a pitiful chuckle as Kasamatsu’s s/o bobbed their head in agreement.

“Yeah, I know. I was trying something new, but I’m not sure I like it,” you sighed, fiddling with the end of it. To be honest, you didn’t even want to wear it. It was only there to cover up the bright red marks Kise left all over your neck the night before. You wanted to cover it up with makeup, but you remembered that morning that you needed to buy a new bottle of foundation because Kise accidentally knocked your old one over while playing around with you and broke it.

“Here let me wrap it properly for you,” Kasamatsu’s s/o offered, shuffling closer to you and taking your scarf off before you had time to protest.

And just like that, you were left bare-necked, with both of their eyes glued onto you in shock as your face flushed red. You immediately snatched the scarf back and wrapped it back out of embarrassment.

“Oh my God Y/N! Your neck was covered in hickeys!” Moriyama’s s/o squealed, making you want to dash out of there.

“So you and Kise got it on last night huh? Go on, give us the details!” Kasamatsu’s s/o urged excitedly as they nudged your shoulder with their elbow.

“Details? It was nothing,” you said nervously, desperately searching your head for a way to change the topic.

“Nothing? Y/N, those marks were plastered all across your neck! He barely left any spots untouched,” Moriyama’s s/o laughed.

“Well, what do you want me to say? We were just messing around,” you shrugged. “Can we please move on—“

“Hey guys,” Kise chimed in, cutting you off with a kiss on your cheek. You looked around in confusion and realised that he was on his water break and began to prepare yourself for what’s to come. “What’re you talking about?”

“Well, Y/N was just showing us those marks on their neck—“

“I wasn’t showing them to you! You saw them against my will,” you corrected as you buried your face in your hands.

“Shhh, seems like you two had fun last night,” Kasamatsu’s s/o giggled.

“Oh those! I kind of got carried away, didn’t I? Sorry, Y/N-cchi,” Kise said sweetly as he wrapped his arms around you apologetically.

“We were trying to get Y/N to spill some details but they’re too embarrassed,” Kasamatsu’s s/o said as you continued to pray that this hell of a conversation would end. You hated how charismatic Kise was sometimes, because it often ended with him slipping into conversations like this so easily and just fuelling the fire.

“Embarrassed? Y/N-cchi, you don’t need to be embarrassed. I left those marks there for a reason— you should be proud of them!” Kise sang as your friends nodded along, a smug look on both of their faces.

“Ryouta please stop,” you whined as he only hugged you tighter.

“But those marks look nice on—“

“Captain! Hasn’t this water break gone on long enough?” You called out to Kasamatsu all of a sudden.

“Oi Kise, get your ass back on the court!” Kasamatsu yelled back in reply, causing Kise to sigh.

“Why’d you do that?” Kise pouted.

“Because I like watching you practice,” you said innocently. “You’re playing a game now aren’t you? Why don’t you go score a cool dunk for me?”

Just like that, Kise immediately lit up. “I’ll score the best dunk you’ve ever seen!” He said cheerily before turning back to your friends. “Take it easy on Y/N-cchi, it’s my fault after all.”

“Yeah yeah, we’re just joking around for the fun of it. It’s not funny if it goes on for too long anyways,” Moriyama’s s/o replied reassuringly.

“Great. Thanks,” Kise grinned. Just as you thought he was going to leave, he suddenly leaned in close to your ear and whispered, “You know, those marks on your neck really do look pretty— I might just make some more later.”

And like it was nothing, Kise strutted off confidently, leaving you with a face that couldn’t be more flustered even if you tried.

Aomine

It wasn’t unusual for you to have marks all over your neck since everyone had already gotten used to it. The first few times the team and their significant others noticed them, there were a lot of questions and reactions, though they were mainly directed at Aomine so you didn’t mind all too much. Of course, you’d still try to hide them as much as you could, but makeup is expensive and to be spending so much on concealing marks that would just appear again within a week or so seemed quite redundant to you. You also tried to tell Aomine to limit the marks to places that clothes could cover, and while he’d agree beforehand, he’d often end up getting carried away and doing what he wants.

It was the day of an important preliminary match for Touou and you met up with the significant others of Wakamatsu and Imayoshi at the stands of the arena after wishing your boyfriend good luck. Upon greeting them, their eyes were immediately directed to your neck— which you expected. You tried covering the marks up with makeup but they were still quite visible. Furthermore, it was the summer so a scarf or turtleneck was not an option— you weren’t going to suffer for something this trivial.

“Y/N, did you even try to cover that up?” Wakamatsu’s s/o asked with a sigh.

“I did! I think I need to get some better foundation, honestly,” you groaned as you took a seat next to them.

“My God, that Aomine really doesn’t quit huh? Even before a big game?” Imayoshi’s s/o asked.

“Somehow he’s even more riled up before games. I really don’t know how he has the energy,” you sighed.

“Don’t act like you don’t like it,” Imayoshi’s s/o said with a smirk.

“Well, of course I like it. Just let me complain, will you?” you joked.

“Haven’t you tried telling him to take it easy with the marks?” Wakamatsu’s s/o questioned.

“I have— many times. But he never listens.”

“Yeah, I don’t think he’d ever really listen to things like that,” Imayoshi’s s/o said.

“That’s just Daiki for you,” you shrugged.

“Well, was last night fun?” Wakamatsu’s s/o asked suggestively, nudging your arm.

“Yeah it was,” you said, beginning to feel slightly flustered as your mind wandered back to moments from the night before.

“Oooh, go on, give us the details,” Imayoshi’s s/o said excitedly.

“No way. That’s only for me to know,” you said firmly. “Besides, I’m way too tired to be going into details anyway,” you added as you let out an exhausted yawn.

“My God, how long were you up till?” Wakamatsu’s s/o asked.

“I don’t even remember— I think it was 2 a.m.?” you guessed, cursing Aomine and his stamina for keeping you up so late.

“Don’t you think he’d be too tired to play today then?” Wakamatsu’s s/o asked.

“He’s an idiot, but he wouldn’t be up so late unless he knew he could handle it,” you replied.

The topic quickly died out once the game began, and all of you were so consumed with it that all of you’d completely forgotten about the marks. And of course, Touou won with a massive lead— with Aomine scoring almost half of the points. He truly was incredible, you thought.

Akashi

You were often very good at hiding marks left behind by Akashi, but there was this one morning where you were in such a rush that you had no time to cover them up. So as you headed to the gym to watch Akashi’s practice like you usually would, he seemed to notice the red spots on your neck. As a smile spread across his face, he took his jacket off and handed it to you.

“Sorry for rushing you so much; I don’t like being late. Here, wear this so you can cover those up for the most part,” he said, eyeing your neck with a look that had no traces of regret whatsoever.

You took his jacket and zipped it all the way up so that it would cover your neck. “Shouldn’t you be apologising for leaving the marks instead?”

“I wouldn’t have left them if I thought I’d have to apologise for it. They look quite pretty on your neck if I’m being honest—I’m just saving you from being interrogated,” he explained coolly as you neared the gym.

“Well, I have a feeling that it’s gonna happen whether I like it or not.”

And just as you expected, when you got to the gym and met up with Mayuzumi, Hayama and Nebuya’s s/os, you were greeted with a few strange looks. “What’s up with the jacket, Y/N?” Mayuzumi’s s/o questioned.

“Oh, Sei gave it to me because I was feeling chilly,” you lied with a shrug.

“You don’t usually zip it up all the way though. It looks weird,” Hayama’s s/o pointed out. You didn’t realise that they were this observant until then.

“Y/N’s probably hiding something under there then,” Nebuya’s s/o said jokingly, almost as if they knew exactly what was going on but tried to pass it off as something humorous.

“What could I possibly be hiding?” you played along, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible.

“I don’t know, you tell me,” Nebuya’s s/o said suggestively, still clearly joking.

“Could it possibly be hickeys?” Mayuzumi’s s/o guessed, causing the group to break out into a chorus of hoots as you genuinely questioned whether they had psychic abilities.

“What? Why would you say that?” you laughed, still determined not to give it away.

“I want to say that I did some incredible detective work, but there are still marks poking out ever so slightly from your neck that gave it away,” Mayuzumi’s s/o explained, drawing all the attention towards your neck as the other two tried to spot it.

You let out a sigh, “Alright, you got me. I didn’t have time to cover them up this morning.”

“Let us see them!” Hayama’s s/o said a little too excitedly.

“Why do you need to see them?”

“It’s the prize for our investigative abilities,” Nebuya’s s/o said.

Rolling your eyes, you reluctantly unzipped the jacket, revealing the bright red and purple marks spread across your neck and earning a gasp from all three of them.

“Akashi really doesn’t hold back, does he?” Hayama’s s/o giggled.

“Sounds about right— it’s Akashi Seijuro we’re talking about after all,” Mayuzumi’s s/o commented.

“So, did you have fun last night, Y/N?” Nebuya’s s/o grinned.

“Well, yeah,” you mumbled, beginning to feel a little embarrassed as you zipped the jacket back up.

“There are a lot of marks though. Is he really that rough?” Mayuzumi’s s/o asked, a slight hint of concern in their voice.

“Kind of? I don’t know. It feels weird talking about it. But he has his moments,” you answered, not knowing how much you should be sharing with them.

“He just seems so cool and collected that I can’t believe he did that much damage, you know?” Nebuya’s s/o explained.

“Yeah I get what you mean,” Hayama’s s/o nodded along as all of their heads turned to take a look at Akashi, who was instructing his team about something.

“Can we please move on from this topic, it’s weird,” you said quickly, not liking that they were all probably thinking about Akashi in a whole different way now.

They were somehow quite understanding of your request and the conversation quickly moved on to a different subject matter so that whatever happened between you and Akashi remained between the two of you— and you hoped that it would stay that way.

#kuroko no basket #kurokos basketball #kuroko no basket x reader #aomine daiki #kuroko tetsuya #kise ryouta #akashi seijuro #aomine daiki x reader #kise ryota x reader #akashi seijuro x reader #kuroko tetsuya x reader #knb #generation of miracles

521 notes · View notes

5lazarus · 3 years

Text

The Domestics

Alistair runs into an older elven woman on the battlements, watching the children play in the Skyhold courtyard below. They get to talking: isn't it nice that the mages get to keep their children now? Then, in the course of the conversation, Alistair figures it out. Alistair says, “I always wondered. What my life would’ve been like, if she could’ve kept me. I always kinda knew she didn’t have a choice. King’s bastards are the king’s, not whoever carried them. If she were a servant and if I’d end up in the kitchens or, better yet, the dairy. I really like cheese. But if she were a mage, I guess we never had any of that. Unless she ran away.” Read on Archive of Our Own here.

It’s snowing at Skyhold, which delays Alistair’s plans by a day. Anora cuts him loose, locking herself in the ambassador’s heated room with her furs, and he wishes he could change into less fine clothes and join the children in their snowball fight, or wander into the kitchens and see if he can sweet-talk the cook into giving him something hot and sweet to drink. He’s king, so he could ask for all the chocolate in Seheron, and doubtless the Inquisition would try to give it to him.

He walks the battlements so less people will see him and watches the battle in the courtyard below. The Inquisitor’s children seem to have made common cause with the servants’ kids against the visiting nobility; honestly it’s just a relief to see that it isn’t human against elf. Alistair, a tad self-conscious, touches his right ear. An older elf is watching them, smiling. Alistair wonders if she’s the mother of one of them below.

“Which one’s yours?” Alistair asks.

The woman says, “I’m only watching them for the Inquisitor. I’m their guard.” She’s got short black hair, threaded with silver, but her eyes are lively enough. She’s wearing green robes with a bit of Dalish-looking embroidery at the ends of her sleeves. She’s got an Orlesian accent, too. He didn’t know the Inquisition was working with elves from Orlais, didn’t Anora tell him to keep an eye out for Ambassador Briala’s livery?

“Oh.” He shouldn’t feel awkward, but he blushes anyway. He stares at the woman’s feet, toes poking out of those foot wraps, and wonders how on earth she’s not freezing. Alistair’s got a coat of heavy wool, trimmed in fur.

The woman notices he’s staring and says, matter-of-fact, “My circulatory system is different than yours. We conserve heat more efficiently than your people. Besides, I’m a mage. It’s easy to keep warm.”

That has him a bit miffed. Of course he knows elves are biologically different than humans; they can still breed, though. He’s evidence of that. He doesn’t feel the cold as intensely as the others at court, and he knows why. The servants at the palace can tell, even if he passes, for the most part. Eamon and Tegan talk all the time about how much he looks like his father, how much he looks like Cailan, but he’s seen enough portraits of them both to know how he differs.

Alistair says, again, “Oh. Cool. I’m half, you know.” It’s not that he’s discouraged from talking about it, but it’s never been something to advertise. Those with eyes to see it don’t need to be told, but right Alistair feels like he needs to justify himself, with the way she’s looking at him. Skyhold has had him wrong-footed; Leliana has been distant and he is finding it harder and harder to slip away from the King. Anora tells him that’s part of adulthood. He’s not so sure.

The woman says, “I know.”

Alistair folds his arms. “Really? Because I didn’t. What’s your name, by the way?”

The elf smiles sadly. “Fiona. I used to travel with the Grey Wardens, when I was young.”

Alistair says, “Really? The Grey Wardens don’t really let people leave. Unless, you know, you point out that yet another civil war is going to break out if they don’t let you put your ass back on the throne. What was your excuse?”

Fiona says, “I had a baby. It’s hard to keep a nursery going in the Deep Roads. The darkspawn get jealous.”

“Oh. Can’t be having that, they’re crabby enough as it is. Though I heard of a Warden who brought his cat into the Deep Roads too, scratched out the eyes of a hurlock apparently. You’re lucky, most of us can’t have kids. I can’t. Probably.” He thinks about his own natural daughter with Tabris and blushes at the lie, rubbing at the back of his head. It’s for her own good and the good of the realm he hasn’t brought her to court. It’s not an excuse, it’s a reason, and Morrigan has the spare heir anyway, if Anora can’t figure something out.

Fiona says, “I suppose it’s luck. The Circle took him away from me, and gave him back to his father.” She sounds wistful. “But under the Inquisition, the mages keep their children. It’s a different world now. There’s no going back.”

He thinks to himself, I’m not so sure—the disastrous plans for the Hinterlands, the riots in Denerim, the failure of the embassy in the Brecilian forest. He thought after the Blight, with this new alliance between elves, dwarves, and men, there would be no going back. Anora tells him it’s a struggle for the future and that reform doesn’t come in a day, perhaps not even their lifetime: sometimes they need to settle for establishing the groundwork for the next person to rule, like Maric did for them. But of course, Anora’s never had her cousin kidnapped and brutalized, or her father sold into slavery. That sort of perspective changes things.

Alistair says, “Really?” He scratches his head. “I look at things in Ferelden and wonder how things can stay so stagnant, and then you look at Orlais and how they’re eating themselves alive. And Orzammar, of course, which is basically a living fossil. People don’t like change. They’d prefer for things to stay the same, or even go back to how they were a generation ago.” He is surprised at the bitterness in his voice.

Fiona cocks her head and looks at him curiously. She says, “You’re too young to be talking like that. You must understand it comes in seasons—we flourish in spring and reap our harvest in summer, and then prepare for and suffer through the conservative reaction in winter. Sometimes it’s a harsh winter, and many do not survive. But then there is always the spring. You lived in Ferelden, you should know—from the Night Elves who freed your people from the Orlesian occupation to Clan Alerion securing the boundaries of the Hinterlands now, things have changed. You just need to…riot every so often, to make sure no one gets complacent.” She grins.

It’s nice to talk politics with someone who doesn’t know who he is, who thinks he’s just another wealthy Ferelden currying favor with the Inquisition, not a king staring down the religious cult that just carved itself a city-state at the border of his realm. Below the children are yelling. A couple of them are using magic to freeze the snowballs, and they’re having a fierce debate, interspersed with throwing said ice balls, on whether that’s fair.

Alistair says, “Then I hope you’re right. I hope the mages and the Inquisition’s made enough of a, er, spring, to shake things up. It’s good for these kids to stay with their families, I hated what the Circle did. I didn’t know my mother, growing up. Would’ve avoided a lot of angst if I’d gotten to meet her.” He thinks about Morrigan and her awful mom, and then Goldanna flashes through his mind. Ashamed, he pushes the thought away. “Or maybe it would’ve made it worse! Hard to say, I certainly don’t know!” He smiles at the woman brightly.

Fiona says, “It might have made it worse, since she was an elf. Your life would’ve looked very different, even in Ferelden.”

His heart stops. Surely she doesn’t know who he is. That could be awkward, considering what he’s been saying. Anora will be furious that he’s gone off and talked politics with another random person again. He can’t help it, he gets bored easily, and the courtiers and advisors only tell him what they think he should want to hear.

“How do you know I’m Ferelden?” Alistair asks suspiciously.

“You’re wearing the badge on your fur coat. And, of course, your accent. Unless I am mistaken?”

“No, no,” Alistair says. “But yeah. Sorry. I don’t know much about her. Don’t know if she’s still alive. Just that she was an elf. Always assumed she was a serving woman or something, if my father was anything like C-Caleb.”

Fiona says, “Sometimes it’s better not to think about it, how we came into the world. I never met my parents either.” She leans against the balustrade and shakes her head at the kids fighting in the courtyard below. They’ve devolved into outright brawling, but that weird Warden the Inquisitor keeps around her has waded into the fray, bellowing orders. “It’s good to see them playing again. They never had enough time to play.”

“When were you a Warden?” Alistair asks. “You know, my dad travelled with the Wardens too. But they didn’t make him join up—guess that’s why I’m here, ha-ha.” He wants to ask her if she ever met him, because they might have overlapped. It’s hard to tell with elves sometimes though, they age more slowly, but she looks like she’s in her late forties, a bit careworn. Then he decides he really doesn’t want the conversation to get weird, because he is a king and his father was a king, and it’s rare that someone speaks to him normally now—treats him like the lovable idiot he knows he is, not the history-breaking king.

Fiona says, “Oh, give or take thirty years or so. I try not to count the years, at my age. My people live a long time if left unmolested, but I have a knack for running into trouble.”

Alistair laughs. “Oh, me too! I don’t even mean to do it, I’ve just never learned to keep my mouth shut.” To Teagan and Anora’s chagrin, he thinks ruefully. “I was given to the Templars as a boy, before I managed to get the Wardens to take me, and Maker! The Mother despaired of me. Called me most the accidental heretic she’d ever known. Really the Wardens taking me saved my life, Maker knows what they would’ve done to me if I kept poking at them like I was.”

Fiona pauses, trying to suppress a laugh, and then says, “At least you’ve never started a war.”

Alistair laughs heartily at that. Then he realizes what she’s said. “Wait, what? You started a war?”

Fiona says, “You…you didn’t know?”

Alistair says, “Is there something I should know?”

Fiona steps away, smoothing her expression away. “Many things.” Anxiously she peers down into the courtyard, smoothing her sleeves over her hands. The two factions of Skyhold children have joined forces and are attacking Blackwall with snow, but another one of the Inquisitor’s companions has joined the fray—a cackling elvhen girl, and then Alistair sees that from the balcony of the inn there’s a mustachioed mage swatting snowballs away from his friend.

Alistair says, “You never asked me my name.”

Fiona glances at him and then turns away. “I didn’t need to. You look very much like your father. Though I suppose you must know that.”

Alistair opens his mouth and then closes it. He says, voice hoarse, “Did you ever—“ He stumbles over his words, and clears his throat. “Did you ever find out what happened to your baby? When the Circle took him away.”

Fiona hesitates. The silence between them is filled with the children laughing below, the mage grandiosely chanting what are clearly made-up words, and the old Warden dramatically pretending to be overwhelmed by the volley of snow. The elven girl is swearing revenge, right now. It looks the children are trying to steal the “body” and make a pyre out of snow.

Alistair says, “I always wondered. What my life would’ve been like, if she could’ve kept me. I always kinda knew she didn’t have a choice. King’s bastards are the king’s, not whoever carried them. If she were a servant and if I’d end up in the kitchens or, better yet, the dairy. I really like cheese. But if she were a mage, I guess we never had any of that. Unless she ran away.”

Fiona covers her face with her hands.

Alistair continues, “Then, yeah, being apostates suck. Believe me. I met a girl who lived in a swamp. But I think we could’ve made it work. Like since I pass, and I’m not magic—at least I don’t think so, but I think I’d know by now? I’m like, thirty-five. Or something. I could’ve gone to the villages and traded for food. And I would’ve known more about who I am. Than just Maric’s bastard. Who’s just a story, anyway. That’s how kings like that end up. Just stories.”

His mother is weeping now.

He says, “I have no idea how you started that war you said you did. But I think I know what I’m supposed to know.” He takes a step closer, and she doesn’t move. He says, helplessly now, “I think I have your eyes.”

Fiona leans against the balustrade, back to the courtyard below. She’s not crying now, but she’s not making any sound. Alistair is afraid to go closer. Her hands press into her face like a mask, restraining a scream. He thinks if he touches her, all that tension will explode. He gets overwhelmed like that too. Can you inherit that sort of thing? He has to wonder, does the way one expresses pain get passed down in the blood?

He waits for her to speak. A door behind them creaks open, footsteps scuffle to a stop, then retreat. The door shuts. The mage has come down into the courtyard now and is chanting what appears to be Nevarran over the pile of snow that is Blackwall’s pyre. The elven girl is leading the children in mourning—but then the mage flourishes, and the snow glows purple, then scarlet, then green as he sparks. Blackwall throws the snow off and roars. The children cheer.

Fiona breathes heavily, drawing herself out of wherever she retreated. She swipes at her face with her sleeves. She says, “Forgive me. It was better that you didn’t know. You couldn’t have become—you deserved—Maric needed—what are you going to do, I told the Divine to go fuck herself, you can’t have a mother who told the Divine—“

Alistair says, impressed, “You told the Divine to go fuck herself? I am your son, I knew it had to come from somewhere! This is your fault!” He gestures at himself, and Fiona manages a laugh.

“An exaggeration,” she says. “I merely said the Divine should fuck herself, right before we voted to dissolve the Circles and separate from the Chantry. I’d hoped to tell her that at the Conclave, which is why they sent Orsino rather than myself.” Her mouth twists into a rueful smile. “Perhaps the only time running off my mouth and losing my temper has saved my life.”

Alistair says, “Well, the Divine was kind of an ass. Somebody had to say it.” He laughs. “Oh, this is wonderful. My mother, the rebel mage.” He’s genuinely delighted, this is much cooler than anything he came up with as a boy. “This is so cool. Anora’s going to be so annoyed when I tell her. Not like she can complain, her dad betrayed the realm and got all the Wardens killed, so really on the scale of shitty in-laws, I win.” He pauses: he isn’t sure he conveyed what he wanted to by that. Fiona is just staring at him. “But seriously, I don’t know who you are. Besides, obviously, my mother.”

Fiona says, disbelief in her voice, “I’m the Grand Enchanter."

Alistair says, “Oh Maker, I should’ve recognized the belt, shouldn’t I?”

#dragon age fanfiction #dragon age fanfic #da fanfic #dragon age fic #fiona #king alistair #alistair finally gets reunited with fiona #alistair #alistair theirin #fiona & alistair #I have typed this man's name so often it ceases to look real #fluff #family fluff #family reunion #happy ending

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collecting-stories · 3 years

Text

Cardigan - Rafe Cameron

Request: heyy for the ts anthology, can u do one for cardigan with rafe? love ur writing🤍

TS Anthology Series | Outer Banks Masterlist

_ . ◦ ⭐︎:*.☾.*:⭐︎◦∙._

The summer you turned thirteen was the same summer your dad showed up again. Driving the same lemon of a car that he’d pulled out of the driveway in when you were six, he looked like he hadn’t aged. Or maybe you just didn’t remember him all that well because his face felt the same but you were different. When you missed your best friend’s birthday, a trip to the gymnastics gym on the mainland and a towering cake with fondant replicas of all her favorite things, she was rightly pissed.

Thirteen felt monumental, like the movie the two of you had snuck onto your mom’s Verizon bill, and you had both made a pact that you would be there for each other no matter what. That promise included birthdays and, more seriously, dads who showed up after seven years of radio silence because they didn’t want to “miss anything else”. But you didn’t mention your dad because hers was so great and you felt a little like you were floating on an island and no one could understand you enough to reach it. But then you missed her birthday and she swore not to speak to you and that felt more crushing than the dad thing until her brother stepped in. Always the one playing referee in when you fought, Rafe was a few years older and, in your mind, a lot smarter.

It felt pretty important that an older boy would make the time to talk to you, especially when he had to know that his sister was avoiding you at all costs. He’d just gotten his permit and, like any good brother, showed up in the car he wasn’t supposed to drive with a minor in the passenger seat, to take you around the island for the afternoon.

“My mom said she thinks we’re gonna move.” You mentioned, less casually than you would’ve hoped. The windows in the truck were rolled down and you had your legs up, feet placed precariously on the window ledge. There was a particularly nasty bruise on your knee from falling off your skateboard three days ago and a few short hairs you’d missed shaving. You were relatively new to both shaving and skateboarding so there were bound to be mistakes, you just wished they were less visible.

“Off the island?” Rafe asked, concern etched into his tone. You assumed the concern was for his sister, what would Sarah do if you moved? Who would put up with all her antics?

You shook your head, “to the cut.”

“Why?”

“She can’t afford the house on her own anymore and my dad has been lousy with child support.” You repeated back all the things she had said to you. Why she didn’t take him to court like the other kid in your grade with divorced parents was beyond you. Rose told her that it was the only way to ensure he paid what he was supposed to but she hadn’t been able to bring herself to hold him accountable.

Can’t believe you’re gonna be a pogue.” He said it like it meant something worse than you moving to the mainland.

“It’s not forever. My grandma’s house is there, we’re gonna stay with her until we can get back up on our feet.” You shrugged, “at least my dad’ll stay away then.”

But you dad wasn’t the only one who kept their distance. It felt like the distinction over your mother’s life choices held a greater impact on your friends than they had let on. A year into pogue life and Rafe seemed to disappear almost completely. It had always been an odd kind of friendship in the first place but you’d thought that it could’ve withstood a change in address.

Sarah kept in touch, unbothered by labels or mailing addresses. She’d been to your grandma’s a hundred times before you moved and she continued to go there to see you after. The two of you played in the backyard, doing tricks on the trampoline until gossiping about kids at school became more important than cartwheels. You’d lay there whispering as if someone might overhear, telling each other stories from the week that you were separated. Rafe always came to pick her up, staying in the car and honking the horn for her but never coming over to see you.

It felt a little lonely even though you technically retained most of your friends.

In tenth grade you got the role of Eponine in the teen camp production of Les Miserables that the local theatre was putting on. You were technically sharing the role with another girl your age but you couldn’t help being excited nonetheless. The boy playing Marius was in two of your classes, a senior who had lofty city dreams and a nice smile. He flirted almost constantly with you, brushing your hair back, telling you how pretty you were, inviting you out after practice. You told Sarah you were “pretty sure” you were on your way to having your first real boyfriend.

But maybe the ominous casting of Eponine over your life should’ve been hint enough that things weren’t destined to work out that way. The boy who played Marius had an actual girlfriend, home from vacationing with her family in time to watch her boyfriend on stage, and you were supposed to accept that he was just “connecting to the character” when he was with you. Either way, your On My Own struck a different chord in you and after the show was over you didn’t join the other cast members in the lobby to greet people.

“So when you get to New York...do I get to leak all those videos of you and Sarah doing your Genie in a Bottle routine?” Rafe asked, pulling a chair next to you at the makeup table. Yours was halfway off but you’d stopped scrubbing at your face to stare at yourself in the mirror. Self-pity was a powerful procrastinator.

“You’re supposed to be in the lobby.” You pointed out, ignoring his comment, “I look like a ghost raccoon that just climbed out of a dumpster.

“Now there’s an analogy.” He laughed and picked up the cotton pads you had sitting on the counter, soaking one in micellar water and turning your head to face him.

You bit your bottom lip as you tried to keep your composure. It’d been a while since you and Rafe had been alone and last time he was just your best friend’s cute older brother. Too old for you and way out of your league but you were fifteen now and seventeen didn’t feel so far away.

But Sarah was your best friend and she would be mortified if she found out that you had even entertained the idea of her brother, let alone had serious thoughts about it.

“I’m sorry,” you said as he swiped the cotton pad over your cheek.

“What for?”

“I know we’re all supposed to go out tonight for dinner but I kinda just wanna go home.” You replied.

“Sarah might’ve let it slip about-”

You groaned, “don’t even say his name.” You weren’t sure if it was embarrassment at having let yourself totally believe he liked you but hearing Rafe bring it up made you feel even worse.

“Hey, you’re so much better than that loser,” He insisted, “I’ll beat the crap outta him though, just say the word.”

It was that same year, just as school was ending, that you turned sixteen. A short stay in the cut at your grandma’s house had helped your mom get back on her feet. A new job, better than the one that let her go, afforded a moderately sized house back on Figure Eight and a birthday with all the friends that had left the two of you behind.

Sixteen felt a little more important than thirteen had, especially because, for two whole weeks, time suspended and you were technically only a year younger than Rafe. You still hadn’t told Sarah that you liked her brother, though she did seem a little suspicious when the crush on your co-star dissipated almost overnight. The boys of the past had no hold over your growing infatuation with Rafe. Maybe it was foolish but you couldn’t help thinking that maybe it wasn’t.

Especially not when he showed up at your house the same way he had when you were thirteen, though this time he had his actual license and not just a permit. He told you it was birthday drive around the island, that he was in charge of stalling you while Sarah set up a surprise party at your house.

“I don’t think you’re supposed to tell me that it’s a surprise.” You teased, sipping at the iced coffee that Rafe had brought you when he picked you up. You swished the ice around once before sipping again.

“It’s a party either way.” Rafe replied, shrugging his shoulder.

“So, we’re just driving around until she texts you?” You asked. Rafe turned into the Island Club, circling the parking lot once and then turning back around.

“I’m yours until Sarah says otherwise.” He said, the words erupting butterflies in your stomach. You could practically feel yourself heat up thinking about what those words could mean if he wasn’t just your best friend’s brother.

“Well...then do you wanna go to the beach?” You suggested, “Jaxon showed me this really cool spot on the south side that’s practically hidden.”

“Jaxon?” Rafe sounded judgmental when he said the other boy’s name, whether he meant to or not.

“Yea, we’ve been on a couple dates. You know him, he took me to prom,” you supplied, thinking of the way Rafe had sulked on the staircase while you and Sarah had gotten your pictures taken on the front lawn of Tanney Hill. The last picture in the bunch, despite his sulkiness, was of you and Rafe. You’d asked and he had obliged, coming down onto the porch to take a picture with you before everyone left for the dance.

It was your favorite picture, even more than the countless ones of you and Sarah or the few of you and Jaxon. He was just a place holder anyway, someone to take your mind off the thing you couldn’t have. Not that it was working, especially when you were driving around with Rafe at the moment.

“I remember him.” Rafe replied, “so this special part of the beach?”

“It’s so pretty.” You confirmed, “Sarah and I went there a couple weeks ago but she only ever wants to sunbathe.”

“Don’t say it like you’re surprised.” He said, pulling his car off to the side of the road when you told him to.

You were out of the car first, letting the door fall shut behind you as you headed up the wooden ramp to the beach. The drop off at the top was a little steeper here than anywhere else, the beach mostly desolate. You stopped at the top of the walkway, turning back to wait for Rafe. He was standing at the bottom of the ramp staring up at you.

“Are you coming up or what?” You called.

“Yeah,” he nodded, walking up the path to you.

“I know Sarah’s planning a big birthday for me, but I’d much rather have this...” you admitted, “just like, coming out to the beach with you...”

“Oh yeah?” He asked, grinning down at you.

“Don’t tell Sarah,” you joked, “she’ll be mad-”

“Why, cause I’m your favorite Cameron?”

Maybe it was being sixteen or maybe it was that you were feeling particularly bold, out here on the beach with just Rafe, no threat of prying eyes to interrupt you. Either way, you had been thinking about telling him for a while now and it felt like the time...even if getting rejected ran the risk of ruining your birthday.

“I know I’m just Sarah’s best friend but...I really like you Rafe.” You said, “and I know it’s like a million to one that you like me back but I just felt like I would explode if I didn’t tell you.” You waited a beat for him to say something and when he didn’t you kept talking, “Sorry, I know this is so weird-”

“It’s not weird.” Rafe cut you off, “I’m just shocked that you seriously think I only see you as Sarah’s best friend.” His tone was teasing as he brushed a piece of hair behind your ear and cupped your cheek. “You’re so much more than that.”

It was Sarah who told you, days before your eighteenth birthday. She’d seen Rafe with someone else when her family took a weekend trip out to Chapel Hill to see a game. There was a girl there, hanging all over her brother. He swore she was just a friend, told Sarah not to tell you, but Sarah wasn’t dumb and she wouldn’t help her brother cover up an indiscretion. So she told you flat out that her brother was cheating on you.

When Sarah first found out that you and Rafe were dating, she had been as mad as her thirteenth birthday. How could you go behind her back and date her brother? The anger dissipated slowly, over the course of the summer it became clear that were not going to leave her in the dust for Rafe. She wasn’t wholly supportive of the relationship but she was supportive of you and if Rafe was who you wanted to be with than she’d be happy for you.

But if she had to choose, it would always be you over Rafe.

“I didn’t want to tell you, I really thought about not saying anything but...you deserve to know.” It was the justification she used as your face fell, all the giddiness from planning your eighteenth birthday fading in the blink of an eye.

“He cheated?” And it felt like a punch to the gut. “Are you sure?”

“He said she was just a friend but...I don’t hang on my friends like that.” Sarah remarked.

You fiddled with the phone in your lap, Sarah’s comments turning over in your head. You could refute them, tell her that you’d just talked to him the night before and he told you how excited he was to see you, how much he loved you. He’d used the word love...that had to mean something right? You could call him, ask him straight away if he was actually cheating, but you suspected that he would only lie to you. And if he wasn’t cheating, if he did tell the truth, would you believe him? Sarah was your best friend and once she had planted the seeds of doubt in you, they seemed to flourish there.

You didn’t say anything else about it to Sarah that night and when Rafe called to talk, like he always did, you pretended that everything was fine. But that could only last for so long. A week before your party, on the same special part of the beach that Rafe had first kissed you, things ended. Rafe had sworn to Sarah that the girl at school was just a friend but he couldn’t lie to you, and he didn’t try to either.

“It was a mistake,” he insisted, as if it was the type of thing you could brush off.

“But you still made it.” You replied.

“I didn’t mean to.” Rafe didn’t have any good reasons for why he had cheated on, only that he had and that, since you now knew, he was apologetic. “I don’t even talk to that girl anymore. She meant nothing to me.”

“Obviously she meant more than we did.”

Rafe had been it for you for a long time. He seemed so out of your league and you had thought a million times that you would’ve done anything for him. He was the ideal for everything that you wanted and for a while, when you had it, had him, it had felt like a dream. But now you were waking up to reality and it wasn’t a sunset on the beach.

“I love you.” He said it like it was something you were neglecting to remember.

“Not enough.”

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hidden-otaku-stuff · 4 years

Text

Reunion

Reunion Word count: 2k Genre: fluff! Pairing: Terushima x reader

A/N: I just KNOW Terushima has a fluffy, soft side despite his flirtatious/fuckboy vibe and I am ALL FOR IT 🥵 (also whoops my daichi bias is showing 🥴)

You tapped your foot anxiously. Kiyoko said that she was going to go back and double-check to see whether or not the team had forgotten anything, but she’s been gone for ten minutes now and you hoped that she wasn’t in trouble. You sighed, looking at Daichi besides you. “I’m going to go check on her,” you throw over your shoulder, as you jog back into the stadium, your black track jacket blowing with the wind. You make your way back up to the second level where you had eaten your lunch only to see Kiyoko being interrogated by two volleyball players. Your eyes widened, focusing on her discomfort as you stormed over, “Hey, leave her alone! She already said she wasn’t going to give you her number, so buzz off.” You glared at both guys, as they took a step back from Kiyoko, startled by your sudden appearance.

“Oh, you guys have two beautiful managers!” Bobata gasped, turning towards you. “You’ve got some fire, can I get your number instead?” He offered, stepping closer to you. You ignored him, looking back at Kiyoko.

“Kiyoko-san, let’s go, everyone’s waiting for us.” You grasped her by the hand, leading her away. The blonde stared at the back of your track jacket, struck to silence.

Bobata turned back to him, noticing his peculiar facial expression. “Yuuji? What’s up?”

“Oh nothing, just a blast from the past,” Terushima chuckled, as they made their way back out.

You and Kiyoko make your way back to your team. “Are you okay?” You glance at her, releasing her hand.

“Yes, thank you (Y/N)-chan, they were very persistent.” You nod at her, giving her a small smile as you run into Hinata in the hallway running towards you.

“I’m so sorry, that’s my lunchbox!” Hinata yelled, bowing in apology several times.

“It’s a cute wrap.”

“That’s my sister’s,” Hinata defended quickly, shaking his head in denial as you both laugh.

“Whatever you say Hinata,” you nod at him. “Let’s head back before the rest of the team starts to worry.” You were about to leave the hall when the two trouble-makers from earlier happened to step into the hall.

“Oi, Karasuno! You defeated the 6’7” guy!” Hinata turned back looking at them. You tilted your head at him, looking closely as he looked somewhat familiar. The boys have a brief discussion about his volleyball team and the taller, blonde-haired one patted Hinata on the head before they walked away.

“Did you find anything left behind?”

“Yes, a cutely wrapped--” Kiyoko began before Hinata cut her off yelling about it. You just shook your head, laughing at them before you headed back to the school for the meeting. Sitting at the front next to Kiyoko, the sounds of heavy breathing filled the air from the exhausted players. You glanced back, seeing the other manager, Yachi, sitting in the back with Kageyama and Hinata. “Is everything okay?” You turned to face the eldest manager, grey eyes piercing yours.

A nod as a sigh left your lips. “The games today went well, but it’s only going to get harder from here on out.”

“We’ve worked too hard to be stopped,” she assured you. “They’ve grown and faced harder. I think they’ll make it.”

“I think so too.”

****

Kiyoko called your name, coming to stand beside you as you handed water bottles to the second years. You turned, raising an eyebrow at her. “Do you know their captain?” She tilted her head in the direction of Johzenji, your eyes trailing in that direction.

(E/C) eyes narrowed as you considered it, hand on your hips. “I don’t think so. Why do you ask?”

“He’s been staring at you ever since warm-ups began.”

You shrugged, turning back to look at your boys. They had begun with serving drills. “Maybe he’s thinking about yesterday? He seems like the persistent type.” A ball flew towards you, and your hands automatically reacted, grabbing it mid-air. A yellow jersey made its way towards you.

“Nice catch, (Y/N)!” You smiled at the praise from Tanaka, turning towards the opposing player.

“Is this punishment for interrupting you yesterday?” Speak of the devil, and he’ll appear. The player in question had raced up to you, smirking as he reached out for the ball.

“Not at all, just a misplaced serve. Though, you can make-up for that by giving me your number,” he winked.

“Maybe, but that depends on you.”

Eyebrows quipped up, a flicker of shock crossed his face as he composed himself, a hand propped against his hip. “On me?”

You nodded. “If I like what I see on the court, maybe I’ll consider giving you my number.” You poked your tongue out at him, as a hand rested on your shoulder. You turned to see Daichi standing there. “Well hello there Cap’n!”

“Is there any trouble here, (Y/N)-chan?”

You waved your hand, “none at all, Daichi. We were just having a...chat.” A brilliant smile left your face as you turned back to the other player. “Good luck today, you’ll need it!”

“Oh don’t worry, I plan on winning.” With another smirk, he made his way back to the other court, one hand resting behind his head while the other held the ball against his hip.

You turned back towards Daichi, “you better win today Sawamura,” you threatened teasingly.

He chuckled, holding his arms out. “What about my good luck hug?” You threw your arms around his neck, hugging him tightly as his hands settled on your waist.

“I’ll do you one better,” you whispered, pressing your lips against his cheek. You pulled away, ignoring the red tint that crossed his face and missing the widened eyes and dropped jaw of the opponent. “Now you definitely have to win!” You cheered, heading back towards the rest of the group as you wish everyone good luck. Daichi smiled at your retreating back, walking towards the rest of the third-years. You joined Yachi next to the door leading out, about to head up. Only Kiyoko was allowed to remain on the floor.

“Karasuno, fight!” Daichi yelled, rallying the boys as they cheered in unison.

“C’mon Yachi, let’s go to the stands. This seems like it’ll be an interesting game.”

****

Interesting was saying the least. Johzenji had kept Karasuno on their toes, and it made some semblance of sense as to why they’d made it so far in the last tournament. The other team seemed to be a jumbled mess kept together by how all extremely athletic they were. You couldn’t help but eye the captain as he played. The team was disorganized, but they all played so passionately you couldn’t help the smile that came onto your face. Of course, your boys were all playing extremely well too. “Damn,” you muttered under your breath as the game progressed.

“What’s wrong, (Y/N)-san?” You glanced to your side at Yachi.

“I’m not sure why, but I really feel like I’ve seen that boy before,” you replied, tapping on your chin. The whistle blew as a time-out took place.

“The scary looking one?” Her eyes widened as you both looked at the Johzenji captain. “You mean before today?”

“Well, we met yesterday here too, but yes, before this tournament.” Your eyes widened as you remembered. “Oh my god.”

“What?”

“This just got even more interesting.”

“(Y/N)-chan! You can’t come over and not play with me!” A volleyball dropped to your feet as you looked up from your book. Your best friend, Tersuhima Yuuji stood in front of you, hands on his hips as he glared at the book. “Stop reading, I wanna spend time with you,” he pouted.

“We have to do the summer reading!” You argued, smiling at him. “Otherwise we’ll get in trouble with sensei when school starts.”

“We still have a whole month to do that,” he protested, squatting down so that he was eye-level with you.

“Maybe some of us want to get our work done early so that we don’t cram it all the week before school starts,” you taunt. The male pouted, crossing his arms.

His face brightened as he realized something. “How about you take a break and just toss me a few balls? I’ll leave you alone after!” His lip quivered as he turned his puppy-eyes to you.

“Promise?” You held your hand out, pinky extended. His face split into a grin as he hooked his pinkie with yours. Tucking the bookmark in, you placed the book bag into the bag as you stood. Crossing the yard to the makeshift volleyball net, you bounced the ball off the ground for a few times before you spun it in your hands. “Only a few times,” you threatened, glaring at the boy playfully before you tossed the ball. He leapt, spiking it down and as he landed, he spun to reveal a bright grin.

Another ball tossed up. “Kids, come in for lunch!”

“Just a minute Mom!” He whirled back at you. “One more toss,” he begged and you complied.

Mrs. Terushima stood in the door, a wide smile on her face. Mr. Terushima joined her, peering over her shoulder. “Now hurry up and wash your hands.” She laughed as both of you ran into the kitchen. He shoved you out of the way as he tried to wash his hands first. “One of these days, you’ll end up together,” she teased, “and I can’t wait for you to officially join the family, (Y/N).”

“Eww, Mom we’re just friends!” Yuuji protested. Your nose wrinkled.

“Yeah, that’d be like dating my brother!”

Mrs. Terushima just laughed. “You say that now, but mark my words, things will change!”

Months later...

“Do you have to go?”

You sighed, leaning against the desk as you stopped packing for a second. “Yeah. My mom got a new job so we have to move.”

“I’ll miss you.” He sat up from his position on your bed, standing up.

“I’ll miss you too.” Your (e/c) eyes turned to him, squeezing them shut to control the water that threatened to flow. He took another step forward, an arm reaching out for your waist.

“Can...Can I try something?” A tongue swiped at his bottom lip as he ran a hand nervously through his hair. You turned, placing your hands on his chest as you blinked up at him. A nervous nod as you bit your bottom lip. With hesitant movements, he brought his hand to your cheek, cupping it. Eyes searched yours for any form of uncertainty as he leaned forward. Your eyes fluttered shut as his breath warmed your lips. Another second before soft lips pressed down to meet yours. “Consider my first kiss my gift goodbye,” he whispered, leaning his forehead down to touch yours. “Don’t forget about me, okay?” Soft giggles and whispers of promises filled the air as lips met each other over and over again in the fading summer light.

****

The match had ended, and Karasuno had won. Racing downstairs to meet the team with Yachi, your legs bounced eagerly as you stood outside peeking in. The Johzenji team looked disappointed, the manager in tears as they headed out. “Yuuji!” Before you knew it, your legs were already moving and you were jumping towards the boy. Legs wrapped around his waist as he hoisted you up, hugging you tightly. Hands cupped his face as you leaned down, soft lips brushing against his in a fervent kiss. “I missed you,” you breathed against him, forehead against his. Brown eyes blinked warmly at you before he pulled you into another kiss, letting the piercing run across your lips. You kiss as if it was the last time you would be seeing each other. “So I guess your parents were right about us.” You whispered against his lips, causing him to pull back and laugh loudly.

He brushed your hair out of your face. “Y’know, I always had a thing for you back then.”

“Good, otherwise this would’ve been real awkward.”

“Does that mean I can get that number now?”

#terushima yuuji #terushima x reader #terushima yuuji x reader #johnzenji #karasuno manager #karasuno #slight daichi bias #daddy daichi 🥴#haikyuu x reader #haikyuu imagines #haikyuu #terushima yuuji imagines #terushima yuuji fluff #haikyuu fluff #hidden-otaku-stuff #terushima fluff

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bella-caecilia · 3 years

Note

Could I possibly request #11 reliability?

Thank you for the prompt <3 I hope I included enough of the colour symbolism. Again, set somewhere in series 1. I hope you enjoy this Cobert fluff!

Brown – Reliability

She pulled his arm closer. Walking like this beside him was much warmer than walking alone or a few feet apart (something they had done very early on for a very short period, and Cora had hated it with all her guts) but it still wasn’t warm enough. It seemed rather impractical to only have the small area of their arms touch and spend each other warmth but this was the best they could do on a walk.

“I can’t believe Sybil will be presented at court next summer,” Cora voiced aloud what had been on her mind all day.

It was a day in October and after the sun had dried the leaves a little after yesterday’s constant drizzle Cora had waited eagerly in the doorway of the library for Robert to finish his correspondence and join her on their walk over the amber-coloured grounds. Robert was rather occupied today so that Cora had a lot of time on hand to ponder about the next season she was planning already. It was nice to have Robert now with her and to talk about what tormented her thoughts.

“But you have started the first preparations weeks ago,” Robert gave back. Their looks were directed at the path in front of them. Cora didn’t turn her head very often because, with the great proximity to her husband she had created, the expansive brim of her hat was precariously close to his neck. Their eyes took in the variety of brown and yellow nature that stretched along the horizon.

“I know,” she sighed. “But don’t you feel like she is still so young, our little girl? Presenting her at court means subsequently marrying her off to a gentleman, a Lord, faraway. This is all happening much too fast,” Cora whispered the last words into the wind, letting them being carried away. But Robert would get them nevertheless.

“Mary’s season was years ago and she still isn’t married. They will stay much longer with us than you think.” They passed by the place to usually take a short break on their walks. The bench under the large tree stayed empty today, though.

Yes, Mary wasn’t married, and Cora knew why it was so hard to find a match for her. They didn’t even speak of Edith. But Sybil, Sybil was a whole other deal.

“Don’t forget that it’s sweet Sybil we are talking about. She will charm every eligible gentleman because opposed to Mary, she is intrinsically kind and so very amiable. She is easy to love.”

“That’s because she is most like you.” Robert’s statement sounded like a corrupting compliment but his tone wasn’t any less serious than throughout their prior talk.

“Sybil has a much stronger will of her own and is much more innovative than me,” Cora commented matter-of-factly.

“Well, it’s not me either from whom she has her innovatively modern streak.” Robert stirred them down a path they didn’t take very often in the warmer months because it avoided all the flower gardens and beds. But that didn’t matter in October.

“Right, and her stubbornness is also nothing she inherited from you,” Cora gave back sarcastically. Robert didn’t respond to this but with a silent snort.

“But she is sweeter in her stubborn demeanour,” Cora added in a low tone. She watched him from the corner of her eye, gauging his reaction to her taunting comment.

“Hmm, yes, I love you too,” he grumbled in response. His elbow nudged her slightly in the side against her corseted ribs. She chuckled lightly and patted his upper arm placatingly.

They walked together silently for a while. Robert at her side like a windbreaker, not really bothered by her teasing, Cora fell back into pondering. Her throat slowly lost the memory of her chuckle as her darker thoughts about the next London season pushed to the forefront of her mind again.

“I don’t want to let her go, Robert,” she whispered.

Now it was Robert who pulled her hands closer to his arm. His bigger palms covered hers in the crook of his arm. “Sybil won’t go if it isn’t right. She always knew her way, and it will be the same now. And I also know you will support her in what is right for her,” he assured, and his voice became so velvety that Cora wanted to bury her face in the crook of his neck or against his chest. “And I will be there with you.”

“I know you will. And I will make her season the most beautiful for her.”

“Of course, you will.”

Robert’s choice of route for their walk guided them to the edge of the forest that bordered the grounds in the south. A row of nearly scarlet-coloured bushes greeted them from afar. The spectacle of autumnal colours was a real treat on their otherwise by harsh wind and cold temperatures marked walk. As they plodded down the gravely way, mostly parallel to the woods, one shade of brown was relieved by another one and yet another one. Cora tried to link her arm more tightly with Robert’s to fully enjoy the comforting palette of warm hues of the brown leaves in the radiance of his heating body. She didn’t know what comforted her more the warm brown vision in front of her or his body next to her.

“Can we make a short detour into the woods?” she asked after a moment.

“If you wish so. I don’t want to overexert you. The weather can change again in no time,” he gave back.

“It will only be a few steps inside,” Cora assured.

…

Inside the forest Robert let Cora choose the way. Outside he had guided them down the paths as he always did. They had their usual route that he variegated here and there slightly. But Cora seemed determined now to explore the grounds and so he let her take the lead. Robert couldn’t quite tell what criteria affected her choice of paths. But knowing his wife, he assumed she followed where nature looked most inviting. He tried to see the trees around with her eyes. But he mostly saw oaks, beeches, and pine trees. One or two times he had to help her across broken branches that lay on the paths. He assisted her in gathering her skirts since it proved a quite demanding task with one of her arms linked to his.

Cora halted at a minor crossroads. She stood right in a ray of the October sun and looked into the depth of the forest.

“It all looks nearly golden,” she said. With her right hand, she pointed somewhere into the trees. “Look how the bark absorbs the warm light. The sun makes the trees shine.”

“I see,” he said, still searching for the exact point she referred to. The gap in the trees, that let in the light to illuminate the tree bark and Cora, also allowed entrance to the wind. A gust came their way, and it wasn’t only dead leaves that swirled around Robert but also the scent of Cora’s hair and perfume. It was a rather nice experience he wouldn’t have expected out here in the woods.

“I want to feel the wind, Robert,” she said as she looked down the narrowing path into the woods. She had to hold onto her hat because gusts tried to grip and abstract it into the distance. Robert furrowed his brow.

“Don’t you feel it?” he asked a little confused. As she turned her face to him, he noticed her rosy cheeks and nose.

“That’s not exactly what I mean. I want to feel it for real,” Cora explained. Her gloved hands now began fiddling with her hat. Only when she pulled out a long hat pin, Robert realised her intention.

“Could please help me for a moment?” she asked.

“Uhm, sure.” Robert let her arm go to ease her task and waited for further instructions.

“If you would please assist me taking off the hat. We can try to keep my hair at least a little put together.” Robert took hold of the brim of her hat and tried his best at taking it off carefully. Cora in the meanwhile secured her coif with her fingers that pushed underneath the hat slightly and pressed the curls to her head. Robert lifted the grey accessory ever so slowly and handed it to her afterwards.

“I feel like I can breathe again,” Cora sighed relieved. Robert had to chuckle. He could never imagine the nonsensical ideas his dear wife came up with. She shook her head slightly in the wind and instantly a few strands of chocolate brown hair tumbled down. “I don’t know how I’m supposed to experience nature armoured against all its merits with these extensive attires,” she explained a little annoyed. For a brief moment, he could Cora as the young girl she once was before he got to know her, running around freely in the woods and on the beaches in the American home of her childhood. And then, after a few seconds, there was the calm and properly dressed Countess again.

“You would freeze without it,” Robert reminded her.

Cora turned around again, looking into the light forest with her hat clutched to her front. She didn’t respond to his last comment but breathed in the fresh wind. Robert came up behind her. Her curls played in the wind. Her coiffure fell apart more and more, and she looked more enticing with every second. The chocolate curls danced while she stood there unmoving. Only the rise and fall of her shoulders, padded in her thick coat, told of the deep breathes she took and of the deliberate movement of her chest.

Robert approached her until he was able to wrap his arms around her. Tentatively he first rested his palms on her shoulders but he didn’t want to oppress her interaction with the wind. His hands on her waist felt much better anyway. Her hair flew around his face and tickled his cheeks.

Cora took good care, he thought suddenly. Nothing that affected their family, their dear girls, escaped her notice. Nothing that had to be done slipped through her fingers. She secured Sybil the greatest coming out ball and the most enjoyable season, and she looked so closely that Sybil would do well when their daughter would leave their caring arms. Robert needn’t worry about any of the girls’ future. Cora was there and she took care where he could never reach. He just had to give her all the stability and comfort she needed, all the stability and comfort he could give. He pressed his cheek to the side of her head. Her hair was soft at his slightly stubbly cheek, and he probably destroyed her coif even more but the wind had already done its deed so he didn’t really give it much thought. Cora leaned back against his chest so that their breathing of the wind synchronised. She was like a hot water bottle in his arms as the wind blew around them. His back and arms began freezing but Cora was pressed to his front, and he could bury his nose in her brown tresses. Knowing she was there with him gave him all the comfort and warmth he needed right now.

#cobert fanfiction #cobert drabble #cobert #cora crawley #robert crawley #s1 #downton abbey fanfiction #downton abbey #cobert fluff

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bruhlsbees · 3 years

Text

the last night || anthony adams x fem!reader

summary: during his last night in the unit, anthony makes sure he's leaving you with one more good memory

pairing: anthony adams x fem!reader

word count: 2,395

warnings: general fluff, angst, skinny dipping, mentions of mental illness and being in a mental hospital, 18+ although no smut

a/n: i went into bottle rocket not knowing what to expect fully and i came out a full anthony adams simp so pls enjoy this fluffy piece pre-bottle rocket events - this is vvvv self-indulgent and sloppy, but it's just a piece i wanted to write and post

“So when are you leaving?” You asked casually, trying your best to not let your own feelings show - after all, you were happy for him, he was getting out.

You just wished you could go with him.

“Tomorrow. Dignan’s coming to ‘rescue’ me sometime in the afternoon,” Peeling open the wrapper of the pastry you swiped for him from the cafeteria earlier that day, he broke it in half to share with you, “I wouldn’t put it past him to show up with some elaborate scheme.”

“That’s Dignan for you.” You took the half he offered you and held it in your hands, staring at the moist breading before sighing and stuffing it in your mouth, chewing on it to try and avoid the built up feeling you had inside.

Okay, so maybe you were being a little selfish, but of all the years you had been there at the hospital, Anthony was the first you really clicked with. So it was only fair for you to be a little upset to know that he was getting out. Wasn’t it?

The two of you sat in comfortable silence while you finished off the muffin, you at the foot of his bed while he sat up top. Anthony wasn’t an idiot - nor was he new to being around you - he knew you were upset with him leaving, but how could he say it without you lashing out?

You had reminded him of Dignan in a lot of ways, which is why maybe he hit things off with you so well. You had the same passion Dignan did with your schemes, though your schemes only ever involved stealing desserts from the cafeteria and sneaking off into janitor’s closets when you two should have been outside.

He knew you’d be able to handle yourself, but he did worry though at the idea of your episodes. Without him around, would you be able to keep yourself grounded enough to not get thrown in isolation every other week?

Anthony was content with the idea of just sitting in his room the rest of the night with you, walking you back to your room once you got tired and kissing you on the cheek goodnight. Though, when he saw the tear slip down your cheek and you quickly wiped it away before he noticed, he knew he couldn’t just end the night on a somber note.

Everyone knew you two as ‘the duo’ around the unit. You were always the one leading with Anthony following behind you, occasionally pulling you back before you got into too much trouble. But tonight, he would be the one taking charge.

Standing up from his bed, Anthony extended his hand out to you, offering you his signature kind smile before motioning towards the door.

“Come on, I got an idea.” At first you were hesitant - his ideas usually meant dragging you on a walk to ‘clear your head’ or sit outside. To be quite frank, they were boring compared to the ideas you brewed in your head. Given though it was his last night, you complied.

You took his hand and smiled when he pulled you up, letting his fingers interlock with your’s before giving them a squeeze. Dragging you with him, Anthony led you both out of his room, checking to make sure there weren’t any guards around before heading down the hallway that led to the rec rooms.

Pushing through the set of doors that led into the basketball court, you turned your nose slightly, “We aren’t playing basketball, are we?” Your nose turned into a scrunch when you heard him laugh, squeezing your hand before pulling you closer to him, wrapping his arm around your shoulders.

“No, I know you can’t play to save your life. I have a better idea, just trust me.”

And you did, of course you did - it was Anthony.

After making your way through the basketball court, the two of you headed down the back hallway that led down the stairs and to the pool. When the scent of chlorine hit your nose, you turned your head up and towards him.

“I didn’t bring a suit,” You began, toying with the bracelet on your wrist. Humming as you looked around, you took a step closer to the pool, looking down at the deep end, “Plus we just ate - aren’t you supposed to wait like an hour before you go swimming?”

Shaking his head, Anthony took a few steps forward until he was behind you, wrapping his arms around your waist, “Well...I was thinking we didn’t have to wear suits, and if you’re worried about cramps, I don’t mind waiting.”

Leaning back into his arms, your hands held onto his, thinking about his idea.

“Oh...so like...we’d swim naked?” You felt him crane his neck down to kiss the top of your head, your lips pulling into a smile.

“Yeah, unless you’d rather go in your underwear. Whatever you want.” Turning you in his arms to look down at you, Anthony smiled and brought his hands up to your face, holding your cheeks before lightly pinching them between his fingers.

Giggling at his movements, you pulled away and shook your head, “No, I like this idea. Very daring for the famous ‘Austere Anthony Adams’.” You teased, making your way over to the side of the pool near the bench.

As you began to pull your clothes off, Anthony made his way towards you, unzipping his sweater to join you in the process, though his brain was still trying to wrap around the word you used to describe him.

“Austere? What does that mean?” He questioned, watching as you shimmied out of your pants, now standing in your underwear. He honestly figured you were going to go in your underwear, but he was pleasantly surprised to see you reach behind your back and unclip your bra.

“It means serious. You’re a quite serious person,” You pushed your underwear down your legs and stepped out of them, letting your clothes fall into a pile before you stood back up, “Just cause I’m a nut, doesn’t mean I don’t have a sense of vocabulary.”

Before he could make a comment about your diss on yourself, wanting to point out that he never thought that way, you were quick to make a dash for the pool, throwing yourself in and letting the room echo with the sounds of the splash.

Anthony was quick to join you, struggling to pull his boxers off from around his ankles, hopping over towards the pool before managing to finally kick them off, diving in after you.

The water was much cooler than you had expected it to be, which wasn’t a complaint at all given how hot it had been recently in Arizona. You wished that you were allowed more pool time in the summer, but figured that they kept you on the same routine for a reason.

When Anthony came up from the water, he pushed his hair back and spit out some water, treading the water until he found a spot where his feet could touch the bottom. Making your way towards him, you struggled to keep your head above water.

Letting you struggle for a bit, Anthony’s own smile pulled until he decided that you probably had enough and pulled you into his arms, letting your legs wrap around his middle. Your arms came to wrap around his neck, fingers gently running through the back of his hair that was by the base of his neck.

“I forgot how terrible of a swimmer you are.” He noted, flinching when you splashed water at him. Before you could make a comment about how you had known him for some time now, he leaned forward and pressed his lips to you.

It was always your favorite way to have him shut you up, and the same went for him. Out of all the kisses you had shared with people both in and out of the unit, Anthony was by far your favorite.

His kisses reminded you of the feeling you got when you watched your parents kiss growing up. It was gentle and made your heart ache whenever you saw them because you knew it was something you wanted. Now you finally got to have that sweet kiss, with Anthony.

When the two of you pulled away, your smile sank into a frown when you noticed his own expression shift into something sad, “You know, I don’t think of you as a nut...and I’d wish you’d stop saying that about yourself.” He whispered.

Letting your shoulders sink, you kept quiet while you listened to him, your eyes welling with tears again at the sight of him staring at you the way he did. You both knew you were crazy - hell, that’s why you were here and not out there, but he always made it a priority to make you still feel like a person.

“I’m gonna miss you, you know? But I’ll still keep in touch, write you letters and tell you all about the crazy things Dignan is wrapping me up in,” Quick to change the subject, he pushed some of your hair back and smiled tenderly, “Who knows, maybe when you get out you can join us? I know Dignan will like you. Hell, you two will probably gang up on me any chance you can.”

You liked the idea of joining them in their schemes, to be free and out in the world with Anthony - no longer feeling like a bird trapped in a cage - but despite your constant drift into a dream world you enjoyed living in, you were still a realist when you needed to be, and you knew you’d never be able to go out in the world with him.

“That sounds nice...maybe if we’re on the road we can go and see the Grand Canyon? I’ve never been there before. I hear it’s really nice.” You closed your eyes when you felt him kiss your forehead, moving once he pulled back to let your head fall into the crook of his neck.

“We can go wherever you wanna go. You, me...unfortunately probably Dignan too,” He felt you smile against his neck and his smile only grew, “But it’ll be good. Having you with us...with me.”

The two of you fell into a comfortable silence after that, him holding you while you kept your head pressed into his neck. He ignored the obvious sniffles coming from you as you cried, rubbing your back as the two of you began to mourn the time you two shared.

He would’ve been perfectly fine holding you the rest of the night, until you got tired and wanted to go back, but he was happy to feel you pull back, lightly kicking off him and falling onto your back to float in the water.

Anthony watched you for a bit, listening to you hum one of the songs that played on the radio a lot before swimming towards you, joining you in the back float.

Staring up at the ceiling, Anthony began to wonder what he’d do once he got out. He knew he’d, of course, need to find a job. Maybe his friend Bob could help him with that? He’d want to see Grace too, his little sister, and his parents.

Hell, would they even want to see him?

The rest of the night together in the pool was spent silently floating beside one another, occasionally changing positions so Anthony could hold you in his arms for the last time. When you commented on how your fingers were beginning to prune, the two of you decided that it was probably time to go.

The walk to your room was heavy - you holding onto his hand tightly, your steps much slower than usual. You knew once you said goodnight, you’d also be saying goodbye.

It didn’t come as a surprise to him when he noticed you crying now, and not bothering to hide your tears from him.

You opened your door, ready to say a short goodnight to get it over with - to let your mind pretend you’d see him tomorrow and you two would do your usual day, but Anthony stopped you before you could.

“I’m happy for you!” You rushed out, clinging onto him as he hugged you, “You deserve to be getting out, I’m just-“

“Shh…I know, I know. It’s okay,” Petting your hair, Anthony closed his eyes and tried to focus on not crying himself, wanting to stay strong for you. “Like I said, I’ll still keep in touch. Send you letters and let you know where I’m at. That way when you get out, you can come find me.”

Pulling back, you nodded and sniffled, wiping your nose before carefully untying your bracelet, taking his left hand to bring up, tying it around his wrist.

“Hey, that‘s your bracelet-”

“I know. You’re just keeping it safe for me until I get out,” You smiled when you finished tying it off before looking up at him, “When we see each other again you can give it back.”

Quietly looking at you, Anthony’s lips pulled into a thin line, gaze falling to the bracelet before his other hand came up, fingers lightly grazing over the blue and purple string.

“You’re gonna do great out there. I bet you’re going to get a real cool job and drive one of those fancy cars we see driving down the road-”

Cutting you off with a kiss, Anthony held your face close to him for the last night, taking his time with the kiss to get it all out of him before he left.

He’d miss the feeling in his stomach that he got when he kissed you. Like a bunch of moths were floating around. Your lips always felt soft to him and he wondered if all girls were like that - or if it was just you.

It was you who pulled away this time, gently pushing him back until you both were staring at each other.

This was it. This was the end.

Opening the door to your room, you began to walk in before turning to face Anthony for the last time.

“Have a goodnight.” He whispered.

You smiled weakly and nodded, “Goodbye, Anthony.”

#anthony adams #bottle rocket #luke wilson #anthony adams imagine #anthony adams x reader #anthony adams x you #minors dni #bottle rocket (1996)

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