#what does this mean? who knows... (me and neela) | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

xmalereader · 4 years

Text

The Mandalorian X Dark Fey! Male Reader

—

|| Masterlist ||

After S2 EP 5, I couldn’t help but come up with an idea! After finding out the child’s name and having Ashokas appearance, I couldn’t help myself but write some more Dark fey reader!! Also the inspiration comes from @fanficsforheartandsoul Please read their writing it is amazing and follow them!!

Summary: Din and reader have found the child a teacher, Ashoka, and learn a few new things about the Jedi order. But, Ashoka finds out a bit more about the readers kind and tells him her stories of when she once met a planet full of dark fey, creatures that the reader thought have gone extinct making him think that he is the last of his kind.

Warnings: Fluff, angst, the child being all cute, backstory, Ashoka learning, just more angst.

—

—

“I don’t think this is a good idea.” Said the Fey who walked next to the Mandalorian. The two were walking through the dead forest, jumping over fallen logs and going under trees in order to continue following the path that lead them to the Jedi. Back in town they have met with the Matriarch, a women that was in charge of the town and had offered them a spear of beskar in exchange to take down the Jedi. At first, y/n thought that din was going to refuse the offer, knowing that they needed the Jedi alive due to the child needing a proper teacher. But of course, Din being a Mandalorian, couldn’t refuse the offer. Which lead them to tracking down the jedi thorugh the dead forest.

“I already told you—“ Din turns to face the Fey. “I’m not going to kill her, I’m going to get her attention and make sure that she helps us with the kid. I just need to find her, that’s all.” He repeats. He’s already explained Y/n his plan, telling him that he woulnd’t do anything to hurt the Jedi and to only ask for their help and hand the kid over to them.

Y/n sighs deeply as he gives the child a glimpse, who sat inside the bag that Din had found for the kid. “I know but I can’t help but get a bad feeling about this.” He mumbles out as Din stops in his tracks and removes the kid from the bag, setting him down with a sigh. “Will be fine.” Din tells him and nods towards the kid. “Stay with him, I’m going to check out the area and see if I can find anything.” Y/n nods at the Mandalorian and adjusts his cape, using it to hide his wings from prying eyes. He’s never liked it when others took notice of his wings, they were precious to him and being a Dark fey was risky, he was the last of his kind and he couldn’t allow anyone to know who he was.

The fey can’t help but pout as he stands next to the child and reaches out to stroke one of its long ears. Keeping him distracted with a small smile. Before he could even say anything he hears the sound of sabers and beskar clashing against eachother.

The dark feys eyes widen as he sees the Jedi and Din fighting with each other, stepping in front of the child to protect him he bares his fangs at the Jedi until Din calls out her name. Causing the two to stop fighting with each other. Din Is quick to tell her that they were sent by bo-Katan and how they have searching for her.

The Jedi, known as Ahsoka, gives the couple a look before she eyes the dark fey that stood over the child. She’s quick to drop her guard and puts away her lightsabers. “I hope it’s about him.” She says as din turns around to see y/n glaring at the Jedi, he gives him a small nod as of saying that everything was okay.

Y/n’s wings slowly drop behind him as he too drops his guard and exposes the child to the Jedi. The two approach him as ahsoka smiles a little, “Hello.” She coos out to the child who returns her greeting with a squeak.

—

Y/n watches Din pace back and forth as the Mandalorian eyes the Jedi and the child from a distance. He was becoming nervous and anxious, not knowing what to expect from Ahsoka. The fey was standing by a tree, leaning back against it as he sighs. “Din, stop it.”

“I can’t help it.” Din snaps back at his partner of four years. The two have known each other for awhile now and it wasn’t strange for y/n to see Din acting this way, he knows that he’s grown attached to the kid and how much he loves him. But things change and they were tasked to bring him to a Jedi.

Y/n slowly gets irritated by Dins pacing, he knows that he’s acting like a worried father but he can’t help but get a little annoyed. “Din.” He approaches the Mandalorian and reaches out to touch his hand, finally getting Dins attention as he stops pacing.

“It’s going to be okay, whatever Ahsoka is doing she’ll tell us.” He whispers to Din, hearing the other sigh deeply as he looks away. Y/n grows upset as he gently places a hand on one side of the helmet and pulls him back to face him. Without saying a word he leans forward to press their foreheads together. A small tradition that both mandalorians and Dark fey have in common. “It’s okay.” He croaks out this time as Din relaxes under his touch and nods.

As the two pull away, they don’t notice Ahsoka approaching them with the child in her arms. She gives the two a small smile as she sets the lamp down between them and the child in a rock. She sits next to him and sighs.

Din is the first to break the silence. “Can you—Can you understand him?” He asks.

Ahsoka sits up straight and nods. “In a way,” she turns to face the child. “Grogu and I can communicate through the force, giving us the ability to speak with eachother.”

“Grogu?” Both Din and y/n say.

The sudden name call causes the child to perk up, looking over at his parents as he coos out.

Y/n noticed the kids reaction and smirks. “Grogu.” He repeats and again the child’s ears perk up and his eyes widen with joy.

Ahsoka watches the Dark fey kneel down at the child’s level and stroke his long ears as Din sits across from her. She takes this time to explain to him about Grogu; where he’s from and how the Jedi order had fallen during the clone wars. She also tells him about the previous master that was the same species as Grogu that she once knew. Once she’s done explaining the notices the child falling asleep which makes her smile a little. “I’ll train him in the morning, for now we rest.”

Din can only nod as he stands up and takes the kid with him, wrapping him up in his cloak as he heads towards a spot that was comfortable for them to sleep. As y/n rises from the ground he hears Ahsoka ask. “You’re a Dark fey.”

Y/n turns around to see her approach him. “I once met a fey, back when I was still in training.” She says. The feys eyes can only widen in relazation. “You’ve met a fey before?” He asks.

Ahsoka nods her head. “Of course, back when I still training with my masters we once crashed into their home planet. We’ve never heard about their species or where they came from, they were unknown to the rest of the worlds.” She explains. “The ones I met were Aster; the chief of his people and Neela the chiefs wife. She too was a force sensitive but their people didn’t know much about the force so they simply called her, ‘the special one’.”

Y/n is shocked by her words. Have their been Fey around this whole time? Was he not the only one? Could it be possible for him to visit this planet? He had so many questions to ask.

“What—what were they like?” He stutters out, licking his lips as he grips his cloak.

Ahsoka smiles as she nods towards the stump, offering him to sit as she continues to talk about this planet that she once knew.

“The Dark fey were very traditional people and kind. They welcomed us very quickly and taught us their traditions.” She continues on as y/n sits down to listen. “Aster, the chief, had a son who became very close to one of my masters.” She chuckles at the fond memory of her Master Obi-wan.

“Dark fey have this traditions when it comes to finding loved ones,” she says. “Theirs was a dance a very special dance—“ she glanced over at the Mandalorian who was sleeping against a tree with Grogu tucked underneath his arm. “By any chance are you and the Mandalorian together?”

Y/n’s face flushes red as he clears his throat, reaching up to run the back of his neck nervously. “We’ve been bonded together for awhile now.” He shyly looks away from her piercing blue eyes. “Why do you ask?”

Ahsoka hums. “While I was speaking to the child, he told me about you both and how much of a strong connection you have with the Mandalorian.” She adjusts her own cape. “Grogu really cares about you both, he sees you as his family. As parents.” Her eyes sadden at the realization.

Y/n is quick to notice the change of mood, sitting up straight he feels his wings twitch again. “Is that a good thing?” He suddenly grows anxious.

“In your way, yes. But in the Jedi way, it is forbidden.” She sighs out. “In order to become a Jedi you have to avoid attachments. My old Master...he could’ve easily fallen away from the order the day the Chiefs son proposed to him. My master was oblivious during that time and had no idea that the fey was proposing, I could sense his happiness of just being around your people and around him too but—“ she frowns. “He was a selfish fool who only thought about putting his order first before him.” This was the first time that she actually spoke ill about her master. She knew how much Obi-Wan cared and loved the man, she remembers the presents Obi-wan would receive from the fey and how happy he was to just have a small stone given to him. She knew he was happy and she wanted him to stay on that planet with him. But, she can only watch as her master broke the feys heart and telling him that he couldn’t have these attachments. For the first time she felt upset towards her master, upset that he wouldn’t put his own happiness first.

“But, Grogu needs your help.” Y/n whispers out.

“I know he does, but I can’t train him. I can’t lead him down a dark path.” Ahsoka’ voice grows into a small whisper. She knows how much the child means to them and separating him from his family can only upset Grogu and the fear that he holds can easily take him down a dark path, something she can’t bare to see again.

Y/n bites his lip, looking over his shoulder to see his partner and Grogu resting with each other. “Their is another way.” He turns his attention back to Ahsoka. “I can try and train him in the morning but if the child refuses to listen then your second option will be to take him to a Jedi temple. There he will decide his path.”

Y/n heaves out a deep sigh and nods. “Okay.” He says softly as Ahsoka places her hand on his shoulder and gives it a soft squeeze. “Get some rest.” She adds and stands from her spot.

Before she could find her own place to sleep she is stopped by y/n. “The Dark fey, you said their was a planet full of them—do you know where?” He asks desperate to know.

Ahsoka gives him a confused look. “I thought you were from there.”

Y/n shakes his head. “I don’t remember my parents or their names.” He was still a child when he found out that he was the only fey. “I was sold into slavery, passed down by many different masters. I was treated like any other; punished, neglected, sometimes they would tear my feathers away.”

Ahsoka gasps. “A feys wings are considered precious to them and no one is to touch them unless given permission too.” She is shocked to know about this.

“A feys wings are senstive as a child that was my punishment. I didn’t learn how to fly until I got older, but before anything else the mandalorians saved me—“ he looks towards Din and smiles. “Din and I were kids. He was my first friend, my first everything.” He blushes. “We grew up together, I didn’t take the creed due to me being a fey. I wanted to know more about my kind and see if I could find anyone that knew about us but, I never succeed.” He remembers spending his years doing research about the fey, only finding few books and holos about his kind. He remembers annoying the Armorer to let him go search around the area and see if could find just one hint of information about his own people. But in the end he found nothing and accept his fate of being the last one.

But now, now he’s found someone that has met, not just one, but a whole planet full of them and he’s desperate to know where this planet is located.

“I want to see more fey, I want to see my people.” He pleads out. “Please, anything you have can help me.” He looks into her blue eyes, giving her a pleading look.

Ahsoka Can sense his emotions; anger, sadness, joy, relief. She gives off a sad sigh, reaching under her cloak she pulls out a holo. Showing it to y/n. “Before we left I made sure to gather as much information as I could about the Dark fey. Their elders trusted me with this information and allowed me to add their coordinates if we were to ever visit again.” Her fingers graze over the holo before giving it a soft squeeze and handing it over to y/n.

“Take it and go find yourself a place that you can call home.”

Y/ns heart beats loudly as he eyes the holo in Ahsokas hand. Nervously he takes it into his own and bites his lip, holding back tears of joy. “Thank you.”

Ahsoka nods. “You’re welcome.” Smiling at the fey she nudges him towards the Mandalorian. “Best for you to rest, tomorrow we train Grogu.” Y/n sniff and clears his throat. “Right.” He agrees with her and puts away the holo into his own pocket. Turning around he heads towards Din and Grogu, quietly removing his own cape as he drapes it over the two. He sits down next to him and leans his head against Dins shoulder, his wings stretching out and wrapping themselves around his small family and smiles.

#male reader #pedro pascal #din djarin #din djarin x male reader #pedro pascal x male reader #the mandalorain #star wars x male reader #star wars #the mandalorian inccorect quotes #the mandalorian spoilers

248 notes · View notes

sustraiii · 3 years

Text

TEAM ZRCN ARC 4 - CHAPTER 8

Oh you thought there wouldn’t be a plan?

HELIA

Lunging forward, Helia performed a precise, downward strike against the blocks using her katana. As they slipped to one side, disturbed by the slash, she imagined that she had successfully dealt with a Grimm. One sure and precise cut, and the job was done.

Taking a step back, Helia wiped her brow and admired her work. Her form was getting better, and she seemed to be improving using just one katana. It had been some time since her second katana had been damaged back on Shizukana, but even now it still felt strange to no longer reach for two when jumping into battle.

"Impressive." A voice behind her commended.

“Oh, hello, Elio,” Helia smiled warmly as she turned to face the man. He was propped in the doorway to the training room watching her. “Have you been there long?”

“Only for a minute or two,” He responded. “I hope you don’t mind me watching you work.”

“Of course I don’t mind.”

Elio stepped further into the room. “You know, one day you and I ought to have a proper spar together,” He mused. “Though I confess I’d be a little scared of challenging you.”

“Scared?” Helia laughed. “Why would you be scared?”

“Because I’d think you’d kick my ass,” He confessed.

“Really?” Helia said, unable to hide her surprise. “Even with your tactical genius semblance?”

“Yes, even with my semblance.” Elio smirked, a flush of colour creeping over his cheeks. He cleared his throat with a cough. “I thought you were training with Calantha today?”

“I was supposed to be,” Helia confirmed. “The kids are still taking what happened to Parson pretty hard.”

“Can’t fault them for that,” Elio said. “What happened at Astrolabe, what they witnessed...it was rough.”

“It was rough for all of us,” Helia said, giving Elio a knowing glance. She reached out and touched him gently on the shoulder. “How are you and the rest of the Mob Ops holding up?”

“We’ve certainly been better,” Elio admitted. “However, given the circumstances, I’d say we’re doing pretty well. Admittedly, it probably helps that we've had work to keep us distracted.”

“Just don’t let it distract you forever,” Helia advised. Elio nodded his head but said nothing else, leaving Helia to gather together her things, and slip her jacket on before she left for the Oxford’s house again. She had nearly walked through the doorway when Elio’s voice drew her back.

“Do you think Wisteria would actually follow through on what she said?”

Helia stopped and turned back on her heel to look at Elio. He had a contemplative expression on his features - one which seemed out of place for someone who was usually so carefree and relaxed. “What do you mean?” She asked.

“Do you think she would truly help us and then willingly surrender if we let her help with the Rossis?”

“Honestly I can’t say for certain. To me it always felt like you have to take what she says with a grain of salt,” Helia responded. She glanced at Elio and raised a brow, curious why he had suddenly bought her up. “Why did you want to know?”

“Just curious, I guess,” Elio responded, shrugging slightly as he did.

Elio didn’t say much else after that, so Helia bid him farewell, leaving him alone in the training room. As she walked back to the Oxford’s house, her mind kept wandering back to what Elio had asked her. She couldn't understand why he brought Wisteria up. As far as she was aware, after the recent interview ZRCN had conducted, Wren was still awaiting confirmation from General Ironwood on how to proceed. Had something changed since then?

Helia continued to think about this all the way back to the Oxford's house. She hadn't been inside long, when Sera approached her.

"Hi, Helia," The young woman greeted, giving her a small wave. Helia returned the gesture, and then looked at the woman curiously. She hadn't seen much of Sera since they had all arrived some weeks ago. Prior to Mira's capture, she had spent most of her time with her, but since then she had been spending most of her time with her fiancé.

"I've been told to bring you to the others," Sera explained when she noted Helia's curious expression.

"The others?" Helia raised a brow. "Do I have time to get changed?" She gestured to the fact she was still wearing her athletic outfit.

"I don't think it'll take long," Sera said.

Helia hesitated for a moment before agreeing to follow, letting Sera lead her to where the others were waiting. They walked through a part of the house Helia had not been to as of yet, passing by portraits of members of the Oxford family both past and present. She recognised a younger Gorman and Nerissa painted on their wedding day, a full body portrait of an imperious looking man whose eyes seemed to follow her as she walked past, more portraits of Nerissa, and finally a large painting of a woman who at first glance Helia mistook for Neela on account of their similar appearances and they fact the woman was holding a trident. It was only on second glance that she recognised the woman in the painting was clearly meant to be someone else.

Sera eventually led her to a room that was tucked away through an alcove, which she explained was Gorman's office. Helia stepped inside and was surprised to find all of ZRCN, Calantha, and Caspian awaiting within.

"Well I'll leave you to it," Sera said, doing a little bow as backed out of the room. "I hope the conversation goes well."

“Why do I feel like I’ve just walked in on some top secret meeting?” Helia asked, looking around at the assembled faces once Sera had left.

“It’s not - “ Xanthos began to speak only to pause and reconsider his words. “Actually, no you’re right, that’s exactly what this is.”

"We needed to talk to you," Cordovan explained. "It's important."

"Okay..." Helia said warily, taking a seat opposite on the sofa opposite of where ZRCN and Calantha were squashed together. Helia cast a glance at Caspian who was pacing in front of his father's desk. "Do you know what this is about?" She asked him.

"Oh, I know and I'm not happy about it," Caspian responded sharply. Helia noted that Neela seemed to be the target of his ire rather than her.

"You're just mad because you can't come," Neela snarkily.

Caspian opened his mouth to say something back to his sister, but fearing an argument would derail the conversation before it had even begun, Helia was quick to intervene. "How about you all tell me what's going on before we start arguing with each other?" She suggested.

Caspian huffed a little at this, but for what it was worth, he remained quiet whilst Zelde and Cordovan took turns explaining why it was they had asked to speak with her. Once they had finished explaining everything and answering a few follow up questions Helia had, she found herself staring at them with a dumbfounded expression.

"So let me get this straight," Helia began, "you want to break Wisteria out of her cell and the six of you - including Cala - plan on escorting her to the Rossi's base to take them down by yourselves?"

"That about sums it up, yeah," Xanthos nodded.

"And you're doing this based on what - trusting Wisteria's word?"

Cordovan looked around hesitantly, before responding. "We were hoping the odd behaviour she displayed at the Porfirio's warehouse coupled with her reaction when we interviewed her implies she truly wants to help."

"That seems like a bit of a stretch.”.

"I told you so," Caspian said.

Neela glared at him. "Not the time, Cas."

"I don't see why I can't help you too," Caspian continued. "I can handle myself in a fight, Mira's my sister -"

"You're not a huntsman, Cas," Neela warned.

"If we're being technical the only person who is a licensed huntress in this room is Helia," Caspian said, gesturing towards her. "And considering she seems reluctant to go with you, you should take me in her place, as I think you’ll need all the help you can get."

"No, no, no," Helia cut him off with a wave of the hand. "I'll go."

"Despite what my brother says, you don't actually have to come with us," Neela said. "At most we'd need you to cover for us for a few hours whilst we get Wisteria out of here."

"I'll go." Helia repeated.

"Are you certain?" Cordovan pressed. "Like Neela said -"

"I'll go," Helia said for a third time, giving Cordovan a sharp glance which quickly cut him off. "I don't approve of this plan, if you can even call it that, but I'm not letting you go by yourselves. I saw what just two of them did to my team and we were graduated and fully trained - I don't want to see the five of you fall to a similar fate or worse."

"So where does that leave me?" Caspian asked.

Neela sighed. "Cas, I appreciate you wanting to help, but I think you'd be too much of a risk if you came with us," She said. "I don't deny you're a skilled fighter and can handle yourself in combat, but you've never experienced anything like this."

Caspian still seemed a little annoyed at being told he couldn't come, but he seemed to be cooling off. "I suppose if anyone comes asking, I could cover for you…" Caspian suggested. "I don't have much to do with the military myself, but I could keep our parents off your back for a while."

"That'd be great," Neela smiled.

"When were you thinking of going through with this?" Helia questioned.

ZRCN and Calantha shared a nervous look between them.

"Tonight." Zelde answered.

"Tonight?" Helia repeated. "Are you serious?"

"You didn't tell me it would be so soon either," Caspian said with a shake of his head.

"The sooner we act the better," Zelde said. "We can't afford to wait for much longer. Callaway, Rosie, and Mira are depending on us. Highpoint is depending on us."

Helia considered Zelde's words for a long moment, before giving a determined nod. "Well, if we're doing this, we best get ready," She said. Helia slapped her hands against her thighs before rising to her feet. She still didn’t approve of this plan, but like hell would she let them do this alone. She would not have another fatal loss on her hands.

The time had come - the Rossis were going down.

#team zrcn fic #team ZRCN #helia vines #elio goldfinch #Zelde Sewick #Xanthos Ravindra #Cordovan Radcliff #Neela Oxford #sera leclair #calantha rossi #caspian oxford

10 notes · View notes

hollowknightlooktothefutre · 4 years

Text

City of Tears

This is part of an RP I did with a friend

Midnight's darkness surrounded her, the blue winged butterfly looked around at the darkness, she shuttered. Dare she call out? Would anyone hear her, could they hear her? A darkness she knew all too well, friends helped her escape it but it kept coming back.

“Neeeellllaaa....” A cold voice called out. Neela froze.

“What......? What.....?” Neela asked herself. Scarlet flames began to light around on tall torches, the area had gone from pitch black to now red flames. Neela knew this flames all too well, he dares come here? The one place she thought she would be safe.

“No......not again...” she breathed.

“Nneeeeeellllaaaa” the voice seemed to purr for her. She shuttered, she knew who that voice belonged to, her shuttering started to give into shaking as she looked around for the voice's source.

“You....you're gone....you can't be....” Neela tried to say, the voice chuckled.

“Oh dear Neela, I thought would've already learned by now....I'm NEVER gone!” Neela held herself, she tried to block out the voice.

“Hollow and Kuro beat you.....with the dream-nail..... you are gone!” Neela shouted.

“Did they now my dear, or was it just my Vessel's dreamself those two took down? He can never do anything right.” The voice sighed at the end. Neela found a chance at what bravery was in her, she looked around at the scarlet flames.

“You nearly put me in an never ending nightmare! All because you said you loved me! When that isn't love, you would never have won me by making me your prisoner!” Neela shouted.

“......Turn around, Neela.” the voice told her. She felt someone behind her, she slowly turned to see the tall crimson red figure behind her, his white mask showing his ruby red eyes, his horns longer than his own vessel's. Neela shook t the mere sight of him, the Nightmare King himself stood before her, the flames danced around the room as they seemed to close in on them.

Neela shook with fear as she tried to speak. “No....” Neela breathed as she tried to back away, but with each step back the Nightmare King took one close to her.

“Oh yes, it's me.” he said. Neela kept backing up until she felt herself back against a wall.

“None of this is.....it's not real!” Neela screamed. The Nightmare King chuckled a little, he tasted her fear, oh how he wanted much more, but he knew what to do to make SURE he obeyed her again, he let her get away once, not again.

“Oh really my dear.” the Nightmare King started to say, she noticed he hid something in his red cloak. Neela got a better look at what he had pulled out from under his cloak.

“Does that mean this isn't real as well?” he added. Neela froze, her egg, the one thing Hollow had given her, his one hope that she carried inside her was in the hands of the crimson king, it wasn't true! She felt any and all air leave her body.

“That.....it isn't....” breathed Neela, the Nightmare King held up her egg, looking at it in a loving manner yet hid his look of disgust.

“You child? Or should I say what should've been yours and my Vessel's child.” said the Nightmare King. Panicking Neela felt around her stomach, flat as it was before she started to show. “How did you?!” Neela began to ask. The Nightmare King chuckled at her panic. “Oh I have my ways.” he answered.

“I never loved Grimm, I could never love him!” Neela shouted at the Nightmare King. She took a few steps towards him, taking at what chance there was at some courage in her

“If you so much as hurt my egg I swear....!” Neela started to say.

“You'll what? I think you're in no position to bargain with me.” the Nightmare king growled as he held the egg close to him, stroking it. Neela stopped, if her bravery was pushed too far, it would cost her much more, she stood back some. Gears began to turn in the crimson master's head, he smirked

“Tell you what my dear, I'll let you 'family' be on one condition.” he told her. Neela gulped at the thought of what it would be, she didn't care, she had to save her egg, the one thing Hollow had given her the chance of hope for both of them. A mother would do anything for her child, be they inside her body or out.

“What is it....?” Neela asked as she shook. The Nightmare King smiled, he had her right where he wanted.

“Return to the Troupe. Return to your nightmares. Return to me.” the Nightmare King demanded. Go back? She was at last free from it, to return leave her friends, her beloved behind for him to never see her again, it was not going to happen again. Neela balled her hands into fits.

“Return? RETURN?!?! You want me to come back to the same nightmare my friends broke me away from?! I asked Grimm for help and he lied to me, kept me prisoner! I vowed to NEVER go back once I was free from him, free from you!” shouted Neela her wings opening with anger.

The Nightmare King said nothing at first. When did this butterfly suddenly have a spine of pale ore? His plan backfired, he felt his anger slowly building up inside him but he didn't lash out just yet, he held the egg tighter but careful not to crack the shell.

“You know, Grimm may have cared about you and what you wanted....” the Nightmare King told her.

“That maybe so, but I rarely stand for liars.” replied Neela. The Nightmare King looked at the egg he held.

“He was willing to let you go......but I'm not him, and I, the Nightmare King always get what I want, you my dear have no choice.” the Nightmare King snarled with rage. The hand that held the egg lit up in the scarlet red flame, the flames started to surround the egg. Neela's eye widen in horror and filled with tears.

“NO! DON'T! IT'S ALL I HAVE OF HIM!!” Neela screamed as she tried to get to them, but a pillar of flame shot up between them. The Nightmare King glared at her through the flames, her eyes tried to plead to him but it out was all in vain.

“Too bad.” he snarled, the flames in his hands rose and grew, then as suddenly as they appeared they died down, the egg was nothing but ashes piled in between them, the anger clear on the king's face. Neela felt tears pouring down her face. Her egg that held her baby was gone.

“Now you have nothing left.” the Nightmare King added

Neela ran her fingers through the ashes in hopes of something, but nothing, a few tears fell and mixed with the ashes, she felt her mind shatter, her soul broke like frail glass.

“......no.....no....NO THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!!! My....chance at a....” Neela suddenly felt someone grab her arm and lift her from the ground. Neela ended up facing the Nightmare King, pure anger on his face as flames grew higher.

“Your chains are still mine! You belong to me! Never!” The Nightmare King grabbed her wings with his other hand, she began to feel the heat from his hand on her wings. “Forget that!” with those words, the Nightmare King set Neela's wings aflame. She screamed from the pain.

In the waking world, she sobbed in her sleep, tears wet her face tossed and turned in her sleep as well, the talking and crying was enough to stir her mate Hollow who was next to her. Worry and fear took him over as he saw what was happening to her.

“Neela?! Neela my love, wake up!” Hollow called out to her in a small chance that his voice could reach her.

“Not my wings....my egg....! Stop this please!” Neela sobbed again. Hollow took her shoulders and started to gently shake her in a panic.

“Neela open you eyes!” Hollow called to her once again. Neela at last opened her eyes, her cheeks soaked with tears as they still ran down her face as she sat up straight from the bed, trying to catch her breath in a near panic state.

“Hey hey, take it easy love.” Hollow told her as he pulled her in to a comforting embrace.

“Hol....Hollow...?” Neela asked as she tried to clam down. She felt him rubbing her back as he did his best to comfort her.

“It's just me, what's wrong?” Hollow asked her, Neela suddenly remembered her dream and looked around her.

“My wings?! Are they?!” Neela tried to hold back more tears.

“They're still there, I can feel them.” said Hollow as he lightly touched her wings, she slowed her breathing for a few moments. Neela's panic rose once more when she remembered the main part of the nightmare, tears flowed again and she looked around the room in a panic.

“Oh gods, my egg! Our baby!! Is my egg?!!?” Neela cried out, Hollow still had a gentle hold on her shoulders, he turned her face to his.

“Neela, calm down, the egg is alright.” he told her as he placed a hand over the stomach. The egg was still inside her. Neela followed his hand and felt her swollen stomach of the life she carried in her.

“Our....our egg is alright...?” breathed Neela as she felt her stomach once, she felt both the warmth from Hollow's hand and the cool touch of his pale ore prosthetic arm through her nightgown, she shook as she tried to calm down. Hollow pulled her close to him once again.

“Yes love, our child's alright.” Hollow told her

“Neela, what happened? I haven't seen you like this in so long.” he added as he nuzzled her face. Neela pulled slightly away from him, swallowing more tears and she wrapped her arms around herself. Dare she tell him? She had to, he was always there for her when these nightmares rose up.

“Another....nightmare.....He....was there.” Neela began, she shuttered as she spoke, Hollow pulled her towards him once more.

“Go on, whenever you can love.” Hollow told her in a soothing manner knowing full well who the being in her nightmare she spoke of. Neela felt herself at a breaking point as she felt the tears build up once again.

“He wanted me to come back.....he set fire to my wings...he burned my egg right in front of me! He left me with nothing!” Neela broke down sobbing again. Hollow could feel his heart sinking when he saw her like this.

“Oh Neela.” Hollow said as he pulled her towards him again, Neela threw her arms around him and sobbed onto his shoulder, tears staining the sheets as they fell.

“It's been.....months and these....nightmares are....still haunting me....I thought I would be free....but I'm not! How can I keep you and our baby safe?!” sobbed Neela. She felt Hollow rub her back in an attempt to comfort her her “Sshhhh.” Hollow whispered.

“They're just bad dreams my love, this 'Nightmare King' won't get you or our child, I'll make sure of it.” Hollow added. Neela curled up closer to him, still letting a few stray tears fall, Hollow moved his arm down to her waist to pull her closer. Neela didn't dare to let him go.

“I'm sorry....I must be such a burden to you right now...” whimpered Neela, Hollow stroked her face.

“No, you could never be a burden to me Neela. You weren't when we first met.” Hollow told her. Neela buried her face in his chest.

“These nightmares have just been so frequent.....I just don't know how much more I can take...” Neela said as she held Hollow closer. 'Maybe I could find some dream protection spells.' Hollow thought.

“Just hold out a bit longer love.” Hollow told her. Neela was about to say something to him, when she felt a sudden tinge of pain from her stomach, she let out a small whimper and held it with her free hand, Hollow felt her shutter as she whimpered and sees her holding onto her enlarged stomach.

“Neela? What's wrong?” Hollow sounded worried as he asked her.

“With all these dreams, myself not sleeping well and all this stress....it might be causing our egg some stress too....” Neela told him.

`Just calm down, it was all just a dream.` Neela thought. She felt Hollow's hand brush against her face, he gently turned her face to his and kissed her forehead.

“Neela, look at me.” Hollow told her in his kind voice. She looked up at him, her shaking was slowly fading away and her tears drying up, Hollow wiped away a stray tear from her eye. “Take a few deep breaths, can you do that for me?” he asked her. Neela nodded and remembered a breathing trick she had learned in hometown, she had used it more for meditation reasons, but it was needed now. Every breath that left her she felt herself calming down more.

“Feeling better?” Hollow asked.

“Yes, just a little cold is all.” Neela answered. Hollow took the comforter at the foot of their bed and wrapped it around her shoulders, he had always been one for modesty.

“There you go.” Hollow told her, Neela pulled the covers around her more, trying to get as much of the warmth as she could. “Thank you.” she replied, Neela felt the pain fade away and curls up to her husband once again, Hollow wrapped his arms around once again and he turned her face to him once again.

“Neela, I made a vow to you years ago that I would always keep you safe, and I intend to keep that vow, be it physical or dream. I love you my shooting star.” Hollow told her tenderly, his hand stroking her hair. How could his words soothe her so much? This is one of the many reasons that she loved him.

“But how can you deal with a force that can't been seen, let alone be touched?” Neela questioned him, knowing full well the Nightmare King could never be touched outside of dreams. Hollow chuckled.

“Did you forget that I held the heart of the Radiance inside me for gods know how long?” Hollow reminded her. Neela smiled.

“True, but I still don't want you to get hurt because of me.” Neela told him.

“I won't, besides I can handle a few bosses.” said Hollow, he flinched when he remembered the scars on his back and torso, then looking at his pale ore prosthetic arm, all for a mad man he had once known as father. Neela placed a hand on his cheek.

“That maybe so, but we all have our limits.” Neela told him as she kissed the crack that was upon his mask.

“I know. Now let's go back to sleep.” Hollow said as he let out a sigh of defeat. “Of course.” agreed Neela as they both started to lay back down in the bed, she wrapped the comforter around both of them and nuzzled up to Hollow once more and placed on hand on her stomach, looking worried.

“But if I have another one....” Neela's words were cut off when she felt Hollows lips on top of her head again.

“Then I'll wake you up again” Hollow said to her. Neela felt his arm wrap around her, she smiled at his words.

“How did I end up with you?” Neela asked him as she felt sleep catching up to her. Hollow nuzzled the top of her head to his and brushes a stray stand of hair from her face.

“I wonder the very same thing, my love.” replied Hollow. Neela smiled at his words as she felt her eyes become heaver, she then let sleep over take her with one arm around her mate, the other still at her stomach. “Goodnight, my beautiful star.” Hollow told her softly, he caught sight of a smile once again. Hollow sighed as thoughts entered his mind, he noticed the tear-stains on Neela's pillow and on her face.

`Damn it Grimm. Why can't you leave my mate alone?` Hollow thought as he watched her sleeping. He then noticed a tiny Grimmchild coming over to their bed, it was Meche, a runty Grimmchild Neela befriended when she was part of the Grimm Troupe, Meche sniffed around Neela and can smell her tears, as a means of trying to comfort her, he nuzzles her hand and looks at Hollow with worry. Hollow pats the tiny flier's head.

“Don't worry Meche, I'll make sure she's fine.” Hollow promised. Meche smiled and curled up under the comforter next to Neela and fell asleep.

“That's cute.” Hollow lightly giggled as he joined them, his arm wrapping carefully around Neela while his other found her hand that was on her womb, then Hollow let himself surrender to sleep. When the new day breaks, Hollow awakens and stretches his arms out, he notices Neela was still asleep, after last night she needed it so much. He quietly got up from the bed and started to get dressed. Hollow glances at her every now and then in case she stirred, he found a quill and some paper for a note he wrote to her and left it where she would see it. Hollow came back over to the bed and lightly kissed her head as he whispered. “I'll be back soon.” He told her. Hollow then made his way to her stomach and lightly kissed her womb as he spoke softly to his unborn child.

“Daddy will be back very, don't worry, I'm not going to leave you or your mother alone for long.” Hollow softly told the unborn hatching. Hollow closes the door softly as to not wake the others along with Neela, once he arrives at the well, he takes a deep breath and jumps down it.

Making his way through the forgotten crossroads, striking down the enemies along the way, his thoughts going to Neela and her dreams, hoping the his sister Layl and their dear friend Vera could offer some help, even if it was words. Once he made his way to Greenpath he began to look for those he came for.

At a small hidden home in Greenpath, Vera sat outside to watch her children playing. Haru a Grimmchild she and her mate Kuro adopted was playing with their baby sister Nozomi, the parents were extra careful with the infant, cruel circumstances caused the baby to be born early so the family took extra care of the tiny girl.

“Haru, be careful with your sister, okay?” Vera called out them. Layl stepped out their home with some small glasses of tea for the two of them.

“I am mom.” Haru called back as they held their baby sister careful, Nozomi giggled and snuggled in her bigger siblings arm.

“You think I'm worrying too much?” Vera sighed as she looked at Layl. Layl smiled at her.

“Just the right amount, Haru won't let their baby sister fall or get hurt, they're taking the job of elder sibling very seriously.” Layl told Vera.

“I guess you're right.” said Vera as she slowly sipped her tea, Vera sighed and looked around Greenpath.

“I really am going to miss Hallownest.” Vera added, Layl seemed sad at the news when she was told.

“Where will you go?” Layl asked.

“Kuro and I were talking, and we decided to settle in Pharloom. We'll still visit, but it'll be safer for the children.” answered Vera. A few months ago, an assassin made an attempt on Vera's life nearly killing her and Nozomi when she was still inside her mother, Hallownest wasn't safe for them anymore. Layl sat on the ground next to Vera, she understood their reasons for leaving, if the roles where switched she would be making the same choices.

“I understand, knowing Aki she'll go with you, someone needs to keep Kuro in line.” said Layl as she giggled. Aki was Vera's older cousin who, like Kuro vowed to keep her cousin safe and her children as well.

“She might, Laim said he and the twins are staying here, it's the first place they've considered home so I won't force them to go with us. Regina's fine with staying as well, she's got a girlfriend now and things between them are getting serious.” Vera told her. Layl felt her stomach sink at all these change happening, she secretly wanted things to stay as they were, but she knew it wouldn't happen, change was going to happen one way or another.

Vera, Nozomi, Haru and Nikko belong to ladyabigail24

#hollow knight #rp #oc rp

8 notes · View notes

wondereads · 4 years

Text

Personal Recommendation (12/13/20)

Deep Blue by Jennifer Donnelly Why am I recommending this book?

Guess who finally got to go to a library? This book caught my eye, and I’m glad it did. I finished it in one day and immediately started writing this review!

Plot 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Serafina is principessa of Miromara, a mermaid kingdom in the Mediterranean. On the day of her Dokimi, when she is judged to be a part of the royal bloodline and performs a songspell to prove her talent, Cerulea, the capital of Miromara, is attacked. Serafina and her friend, Neela, princess of Matali, just barely escape with their lives. They then set out to find the Iele, a group of ancient witches, following instructions from a prophetic dream they shared.

When it comes to YA, this book isn’t the most original. A princess under pressure to perform suddenly loses everything and sets out on a quest to save her kingdom. However, the setting is amazing, and the worldbuilding surrounding it is impressive to say the least. The history alone of the merfolk could keep me occupied for ages. The pacing is very well done, only revealing certain bits of information at once. I’ve finished the first book and I’m still not entirely sure on really any aspect. Where are the missing mermaids being kept? Is someone from Ondalina really behind this? Are Traho and Rafe really the masterminds behind this? What’s up with Astrid? It’s certainly enough to keep me reading.

My biggest problem with the plot is that it was a little bit formulaic, but the unique setting and worldbuilding definitely made up for that. It kept a well-used story fresh and interesting.

Characters 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

One way this book stands out from the crowd are the relationships. This book is all about familial ties and strong friendships. It’s also full of great female characters; there are only around six prominent male characters, two of which are villains, and I’m pretty sure another two are the same person.

I adore Serafina and Neela. Serafina has very real concerns even before her kingdom is invaded, and the process she goes through after when it comes to her grief is realistic and doesn’t feel rushed. She’s also a genuinely strong character. She’s pretty and talented, but she isn’t amazing at everything she does. Serafina also makes mistakes, and she then owns up to them and tries to fix them. One particular thing I appreciated was how she prioritized. It’s no secret this series will have romance, but Sera soon forgets about all of that after the invasion. Of course, she worried about her almost-fiancé, Mahdi, but she doesn’t dwell on him more than her maybe-dead mother and uncle, which I have seen happen far too many times in YA novels.

Neela is someone I would want as a friend. She’s incessantly positive and supportive, but she isn’t reduced to Serafina’s sidekick. She has her own insecurities and fears, and she also has unique talents that make her stand apart. It was nice to read about a character who stress-eats, since I also do that despite knowing it isn’t the healthiest choice. I think once the author dives deeper into Neela’s character I’ll know for sure, but I suspect she might have some severe anxiety.

Also, I must say, I don’t know who Mahdi thinks he’s fooling as Blu. I am 99.9% sure they are the same person. If they aren’t, I will be very surprised, but for now I choose to believe it. At first, I hated Madhi as I do all characters who seem to think nothing of infidelity, but I came to understand it eventually. (As you may have suspected, he was not actually cheating.) Now, I really want to see his character again.

As for the other four mermaids summoned, I haven’t learned much about them, so I don’t have much to say. I do appreciate that the cast is very diverse, in appearance, ability, and personality. An honorable mention for Thalassa and Sylvestre, my favorite minor characters. Thalassa was amazing, I respect her to the ends of the Earth. Sylvestre was very cute.

Writing Style 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

I consider pacing a part of plot and writing style, so I’ll mention it again. The pacing in the book was masterful; I wasn’t overwhelmed by new information, characters, and settings, but there certainly were no breaks. It is set in no unclear terms that Serafina and the others are on a time limit. I was able to keep up, but I was still practically falling off the edge of my seat.

My only complaint in this category is that there were some really off parts where Serafina or Neela (mostly Neela) would use slang. It felt a little weird. I’ve never really liked the made-up slang authors use for fantasy worlds, but maybe it’s because I’m not used to it.

Meaning 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

This book was mainly plot and exposition; there wasn’t any greater meaning revelation, at least not so far. However, there are some really nice messages hidden in Serafina’s devotion to her people and the six merls’ growing relationship. I’m especially interested in Serafina and Astrid’s relationship since they’re from two kingdoms with a lot of animosity between them. I’m expecting some sort of message about not judging others and accepting those different from you.

Overall 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

I’m checking out the next book in the series as I write this. The premise was a little stereotypical for a YA book, but it really took off after the first few chapters. It subverted a lot of my expectations. I appreciated the focus on friendship because it is so rarely displayed as a bond so strong. In these sorts of books, love is usually the focus, but the growing support and trust between the six mermaids is what really gets the spotlight here. I hope it continues throughout all the books. I would recommend this book to people who like mermaids, fantasy, and strong, well-developed friendships.

The Author

Jennifer Donnelly: 57 years old, American, author of A Northern Light, the Tea Rose series, and Stepsister

The Reviewer

My name is Wonderose; I try to post a review every two weeks, and I take recommendations. Check out my about me post for more!

#books #recommendations #reviews #deep blue #jennifer donnelly #the waterfire saga #fantasy #ya

6 notes · View notes

nuka-nuke · 4 years

Text

BrOTP Meme

@socksual-innuendos tagged me to share about my brotp, so I did my favorite Freeside Kings! Thank you for the tag ♡

Dizzy Deeks and Duke Lanzaro

How Did They Meet?

Depending on which of them you ask, you’d get a very different story.

But in actuality, Duke saw some scrawny 9-year-old kid with a nasty mop of hair getting the shit kicked out of him by some bigger kids and he intervened, kicked the shit out of them for picking on someone way smaller than they were, and escorted the sniveling little wimp home. Since that day, they were inseparable.

What's their one story no one can know about?

They don’t ever talk about that one time they stole some of Duke’s mom’s Daytripper and decided to try it out together. Duke has dabbled in chems since then, but nothing was quite as fucking weird as that first time. They kept it a secret then because they were teenagers and probably would’ve gotten smacked by Dizzy’s mom, but now they mostly just can’t remember what even happened. Only that they woke up the next day with a “never again” mindset.

Who bails the other out of stupid decisions/Who makes the stupid decisions?

Dizzy is almost always the one making the stupid decisions. And by stupid decision, I mean shit-talking and getting into situations he absolutely can’t get out of on his own because he is weak and helpless. Duke is always there to save him, no matter where he might be. He just has a sense for knowing when Dizzy is going to be doing something reckless, I suppose.

What was their establishing ride or die moment?

No one really knows what happened that night before Duke ended up moving into the Euler house for a few weeks to recover, after the death of his father sent him spiraling off into the deep end. They mutually won’t talk about it, but the night Dizzy pulled him back from the edge (literally, and figuratively) was the night that they both knew they would die for the other if they had to.

Where do they hang out? Why?

They mostly hang out at the School of Impersonation, because Dizzy is often banned from the Atomic Wrangler for winning too much in card games and they are both way too poor to go onto the Strip. Duke will no longer go to the Euler household unless Rey (Dizzy’s older brother) is out of town.

Which one makes the stupid jokes, and does the other entertain it or eye roll?

Duke is the king of stupid jokes and dad puns, and Dizzy usually will groan and roll his eyes. But he laughs anyway, just gotta be rude about it first.

Dizzy’s nickname actually came from one of those dad jokes, and caught on way quicker than he could have ever thought possible. That’s just the way Duke is.

What do they do when they hang out? What's their favorite thing to do?

Dizzy is pretty lazy, so he is the type who enjoys just being in the same space as those he cares about. Quietly doing their own thing, or silently playing cards is very meaningful to him, since ordinarily he has a hard time dealing with lingering silences in conversation. It makes his mind go a mile a minute into panic about what they could be thinking about him, or what he should be saying to make them like him, but of course he never has that with Duke. They can just exist in a room together, and that’s not really something he has with anyone else.

Duke is much more adventurous and outgoing, so even after all the years of living there, he enjoys prowling the streets and exploring the abandoned and derelict sides of Freeside. Dizzy tags along warily, but it is not his favorite thing to do.

What’s their go-to thing to cheer the other up?

If either of them is upset, they have this dumb thing they used to do as kids where they would just slowly inch closer and closer to the other without breaking eye contact until someone ended up laughing, and that still always works.

If Duke is angry, it is much harder to calm him down. He can seethe in rage or burst out in violence at any time if he is brought to the point of snapping, in which case someone probably deserved it. Dizzy has learned that even if he is unable to make him feel better, but he can usually coax him down into reality again by quietly talking to him about anything else.

If Dizzy is angry though, all Duke needs to do is listen to him rant on and on about whatever it is he is mad about and agree when appropriate. He can always tell when there is something Dizzy is holding back, and all he needs to do is ask before those floodgates burst.

Do their respective families know of the other? Do they think they’re a good or bad influence?

Duke’s mother Georgi is very well acquainted with the Eulers, and very well despised by at least half of them (Dizzy’s mother Neela, her sister Luisa, and by Dizzy’s abuela). But Dizzy’s family loves Duke and would rather he continue to stay with them instead of going back to live with Georgi, who Neela believes is the worst influence on either of the boys.

Georgi is usually a bit too wrapped up in her own world to have an opinion, but she would probably agree that Dizzy and the Euler/Alejos house is a better influence on Duke (and also Ani, who does in fact live with the Eulers now) than she is.

Do they try and steal dates from each other or do they act as a wingman? How successful are their efforts usually?

Dizzy tries to be a good wingman for Duke, but gets way too flustered by his own attempts, which either end up failing miserably, or just giving Duke the perfect opportunity to swoop in and charm them off their feet, in stark contrast to the awkward mess that Dizzy always is.

Duke used to offer that he would try to be a wingman for Dizzy for a long time, and did score him a few dates with local girls that were met with lack-luster enthusiasm from Dizzy, but he never really tried very hard. Somehow, he knew Dizzy wasn’t really into it and was only pretending to be— and really, he didn’t want him to be into it either— since he has harbored a deep dark suppressed love for his oblivious best friend for the past... six-ish years.

TAG SOME OF YOUR BROS: @nukaworldnerd, @ryu-no-joou, @ggh0stly-dr4ws-stuff, @its-sixxers, @radbeetle, @catastrotaffy

(reference for the pose used here)

#fallout oc #brotp meme #my ocs #kings oc #dizzy deeks #duke lanzaro #my art #when you best friend has giant mouse ears sometimes you just gotta smooch them #it's the law

19 notes · View notes

coffeebased · 4 years

Text

Hey! Wikathon na! I’ve started reading Relocations by Karen Tongson, about a third through now, but I had to take a little detour through Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir like I said I would. I’ve finished reading HtN but I’m not quite done experiencing it, so I’ll probably pick Relocations back up tomorrow.

But here’s what I read in July! What’s a segue?

1. Haikyu!! Volume 44 and 45 by Haruichi Furudate

A chance event triggered Shouyou Hinata’s love for volleyball. His club had no members, but somehow persevered and finally made it into its very first and final regular match of middle school, where it was steamrolled by Tobio Kageyama, a superstar player known as “King of the Court.”

Vowing revenge, Hinata applied to the Karasuno High School volleyball club… only to come face-to-face with his hated rival, Kageyama!

And with those two volumes, Haikyū has ended. I��m really glad that my cousin got me to catch up to the series because being a part of the sheer joy and love that’s poured out the fandom these past few months has been refreshing to my spirit. I enjoyed the way Furudate brought the series to its conclusion, by giving all the characters a future and room to grow. I hope to hear more from him in the upcoming years.

2. Looking for Group by Alexis Hall

I read Looking for Group because I was reading up on Alexis Hall in anticipation of Boyfriend Material, which I will talk about later, and saw the synopsis:

So, yeah, I play Heroes of Legend, y’know, the MMO. I’m not like obsessed or addicted or anything. It’s just a game. Anyway, there was this girl in my guild who I really liked because she was funny and nerdy and a great healer. Of course, my mates thought it was hilarious I was into someone I’d met online. And they thought it was even more hilarious when she turned out to be a boy IRL. But the joke’s on them because I still really like him.

And now that we’re together, it’s going pretty well. Except sometimes I think Kit—that’s his name, sorry I didn’t mention that—spends way too much time in HoL. I know he has friends in the guild, but he has me now, and my friends, and everyone knows people you meet online aren’t real. I mean. Not Kit. Kit’s real. Obviously.

Oh, I’m Drew, by the way. This is sort of my story. About how I messed up some stuff and figured out some stuff. And fell in love and stuff.

And I knew that I had to read it. Immediately.

I enjoyed it way too much. The characters were adorable, the conflict was done well, the geeky gamer wrapper was AMAZING and the author never dropped the ball on integrating the online game into the narrative. It was very readable and I enjoyed the atmosphere of the book immensely. I also may have spent a heady week or so thinking of playing WoW, but I avoided that temptation. Made me miss uni too, and the way my friends and I would spend countless hours with each other.

3. Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall

Wanted: One (fake) boyfriend Practically perfect in every way

Luc O’Donnell is tangentially–and reluctantly–famous. His rock star parents split when he was young, and the father he’s never met spent the next twenty years cruising in and out of rehab. Now that his dad’s making a comeback, Luc’s back in the public eye, and one compromising photo is enough to ruin everything.

To clean up his image, Luc has to find a nice, normal relationship…and Oliver Blackwood is as nice and normal as they come. He’s a barrister, an ethical vegetarian, and he’s never inspired a moment of scandal in his life. In other words: perfect boyfriend material. Unfortunately apart from being gay, single, and really, really in need of a date for a big event, Luc and Oliver have nothing in common. So they strike a deal to be publicity-friendly (fake) boyfriends until the dust has settled. Then they can go their separate ways and pretend it never happened.

But the thing about fake-dating is that it can feel a lot like real-dating. And that’s when you get used to someone. Start falling for them. Don’t ever want to let them go.

I came into this book with high expectations after Looking for Group, and my expectations were mostly met. The few issues I had were ultimately negligible, probably cultural differences or conventions of a genre that I’m not familiar with. The characters were strong, and I found the book funny. I know it sounds as though I’m damning it with faint praise, so I’ll say it plainly: it was an enjoyable read and I was totally invested in the romance. I think it’ll make a really good film as well.

4. The Subtweet by Vivek Shraya

Everyone talks about falling in love, but falling in friendship can be just as captivating. When Neela Devaki’s song is covered by internet-famous artist Rukmini, the two musicians meet and a transformative friendship begins. But as Rukmini’s star rises and Neela’s stagnates, jealousy and self-doubt creep in. With a single tweet, their friendship implodes, one career is destroyed, and the two women find themselves at the center of an internet firestorm.

Celebrated multidisciplinary artist Vivek Shraya’s second novel is a stirring examination of making art in the modern era, a love letter to brown women, an authentic glimpse into the music industry, and a nuanced exploration of the promise and peril of being seen.

If you’re a millennial and if you’ve ever had complicated friendships, this book will ring really true for most of it, I think. I kept wincing at the characters’ actions and “mistakes”, recognising them as things I or my friends have done, but there are portions of the story that I found inaccessible because Neela, the main character, just seems really opaque even when they’re the ones speaking. The music Shraya made as a companion to the book slaps and can be found here.

5. Empowered 11 by Adam Warren

Costumed crimefighter Empowered finds herself the desperate prey of a maniacal supervillain whose godlike powers have turned an entire city of suprahumans against her.

Not good! Outnumbered and under siege, aided only by a hero’s ghost, can Emp survive the relentless onslaught long enough to free her enslaved teammates and loved ones, or is this–*gulp*–The End?

From comics overlord Adam Warren comes Empowered, the acclaimed sexy superhero comedy–except when it isn’t, as in this volume’s no-nonsense, wall-to-wall brawl guaranteed to bring tears to the eye and fists to the face!

Warren’s tying up a lot of loose ends and answering a lot of questions and I’m wondering if that means Empowered‘s ending soon. I haven’t seen any info regarding this, even though the words “The End” are right there in the summary, because comic books always lean on the whole the hero could die! thing, and more often than not they never do. But Emp has come so far in the past 11 volumes, and I think that she’s ready to confront a lot of the stuff that Warren’s only hinted at in the past. Most of Empowered is about how Emp deals with failure and how she rises above it, and recently it’s become about how other people have failed her, rather than how she has failed, and how she deserves better. I’m worried about her, but at least we are another volume’s worth of evidence for the Emp/Thugboy/Ninjette OT3.

6. Sex and Vanity by Kevin Kwan

The iconic author of the bestselling phenomenon Crazy Rich Asians returns with a glittering tale of love and longing as a young woman finds herself torn between two worlds–the WASP establishment of her father’s family and George Zao, a man she is desperately trying to avoid falling in love with.

On her very first morning on the jewel-like island of Capri, Lucie Churchill sets eyes on George Zao and she instantly can’t stand him. She can’t stand it when he gallantly offers to trade hotel rooms with her so that she can have the view of the Tyrrhenian Sea, she can’t stand that he knows more about Curzio Malaparte than she does, and she really can’t stand it when he kisses her in the darkness of the ancient ruins of a Roman villa and they are caught by her snobbish, disapproving cousin, Charlotte. “Your mother is Chinese so it’s no surprise you’d be attracted to someone like him,” Charlotte teases. Daughter of an American-born-Chinese mother and blue-blooded New York father, Lucie has always sublimated the Asian side of herself in favor of the white side, and she adamantly denies having feelings for George. But several years later, when George unexpectedly appears in East Hampton where Lucie is weekending with her new fiancé, Lucie finds herself drawn to George again. Soon, Lucy is spinning a web of deceit that involves her family, her fiancé, the co-op board of her Fifth Avenue apartment, and ultimately herself as she tries mightily to deny George entry into her world–and her heart. Moving between summer playgrounds of privilege, peppered with decadent food and extravagant fashion, Sex and Vanity is a truly modern love story, a daring homage to A Room with a View, and a brilliantly funny comedy of manners set between two cultures.

This was the third romance novel I read in July, and that’s honestly the highest concentration of romance novel I’ve ever had in my life. I know that I’m supposed to find romance novels like super kilig and stuff, but so far I am just very anxious for romance novel protagonists all the time. I think that the whole thing about the romance novels I have read is that they’re mostly about how deeply anxious people learn how to allow themselves to be loved and that is tough! I wanted to protect Lucie all the time! I was Invested in her Welfare, and I don’t think I cared about Rachel Chu from Crazy Rich Asians half as much, even if you condensed all my attachment from the entire trilogy. Also, small spoiler, there is a hint that Sex and Vanity is in the same universe as Crazy Rich Asians, which I think is awesome.

6. Trust Exercise by Susan Choi

Pulitzer Finalist Susan Choi’s narrative-upending novel about what happens when a first love between high school students is interrupted by the attentions of a charismatic teacher

In an American suburb in the early 1980s, students at a highly competitive performing arts high school struggle and thrive in a rarified bubble, ambitiously pursuing music, movement, Shakespeare, and, particularly, their acting classes. When within this striving “Brotherhood of the Arts,” two freshmen, David and Sarah, fall headlong into love, their passion does not go unnoticed—or untoyed with—by anyone, especially not by their charismatic acting teacher, Mr. Kingsley.

The outside world of family life and economic status, of academic pressure and of their future adult lives, fails to penetrate this school’s walls—until it does, in a shocking spiral of events that catapults the action forward in time and flips the premise upside-down. What the reader believes to have happened to David and Sarah and their friends is not entirely true—though it’s not false, either. It takes until the book’s stunning coda for the final piece of the puzzle to fall into place—revealing truths that will resonate long after the final sentence.

As captivating and tender as it is surprising, Trust Exercise will incite heated conversations about fiction and truth, friendships and loyalties, and will leave readers with wiser understandings of the true capacities of adolescents and of the powers and responsibilities of adults.

This is a book I could not stop reading and I felt gross after I finished it. I think that I enjoyed it and that the narrative flips were well-done and it was engaging, but Choi writes teenage trauma in 3D, and you can smell her scumbag characters. Very good will never read again unless looking to feel bad.

Re-read:

Temeraire: His Majesty’s Dragon, Throne of Jade, Black Powder War, andEmpire of Ivory by Naomi Novik

Aerial combat brings a thrilling new dimension to the Napoleonic Wars as valiant warriors ride mighty fighting dragons, bred for size or speed. When HMS Reliant captures a French frigate and seizes the precious cargo, an unhatched dragon egg, fate sweeps Captain Will Laurence from his seafaring life into an uncertain future – and an unexpected kinship with a most extraordinary creature. Thrust into the rarified world of the Aerial Corps as master of the dragon Temeraire, he will face a crash course in the daring tactics of airborne battle. For as France’s own dragon-borne forces rally to breach British soil in Bonaparte’s boldest gambit, Laurence and Temeraire must soar into their own baptism of fire.

I started re-reading it because I wanted to introduce it to my girlfriend, and I outpaced her very quickly, and selfishly. She’s still at the beginning fourth of Throne of Jade, and I feel like I blinked and gulped down four of the books in quick succession. I had to stop myself after Empire, in a very belated effort to sync up to my gf’s progress. The series is amazing, and I don’t know if I’ll ever read one like Temeraire again. Being able to revisit it should be enough, really, because every time I do it’s as though I’m caught up in a strong and wonderful wind that fills me up with delight and awe. Novik’s starting a new series this September, and I hope it’s just as good.

That’s it for July! I’m probably going to do two books at a time for my Wikathon posts, just to keep things fresh and current, so keep a weather eye out for those posts!

July, next verse, same as the first Hey! Wikathon na! I've started reading Relocations by Karen Tongson, about a third through now, but I had to take a little detour through…

#books #books 2 #reading #reading 2

3 notes · View notes

discordzero · 5 years

Text

A Mess

"WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU DOING?!! I LEFT YOU ALL ALONE FOR 3 MINUTES AND THIS HAPPENS?!!" I went to the bathroom to wash my hands, and this happens. Hello, my name is Lelia, I'm the fabled mom friend. But my friends are chaotic as heck. You may be thinking that I'm exaggerating, but no. Let me tell you what I see.

Jason has his hands around Torren's neck. James is watching them and eating popcorn. Neela is holding a knife and is about to walk out. Lexi is holding her back from doing so. Maria and Quinten and looking at a gun. A freakin' gun. Where did they get that? I'd expect Neela to have a gun, or for Jason to own a firearm, but Maria and Quinten of all people? They cried after the local Starbucks closed. There's another one a block away. Oh my god. Now they're all staring at me, frozen in place.

First I look at Jason, he's the one who could commit murder right now. He probably would have if not for me walking in. "Jason put him down." He sticks out his tongue at me and tightens his grip. Torren's choking, he sputters out, "Alright, I yield!" Then Jason drops him. Torren gasps for breath and rubs his neck. There are bruises. What the frick.

Also, get this, they've been friends for 7 years. I can not begin to describe how confused I am and messed up this is. Then James speaks up, "If Jason didn't drop Torren-" I think he's going to say something about him stepping in, but he doesn't. "-the sexual tension would've reached a point they had sex." WHAT THE FU-

"They should just do it already", Maria says. Frick, Jason's going to kill her. Then Quinten steps in to make it worse, "Most likely in a storage closet." They high five. They don't seem to realize they'll be slaughtered. Though I can't say I'd miss them. However this gets more confusing, Jason says, "I don't care about your weird fantasies, just know I top." HOLY SH-

"No way! I'd top!" Torren isn't very convincing. Especially since Jason just tried to choke him, and almost did. Jason raises an eyebrow, "That's not what happened last time." Maria and Quinten squeal. James looks like he saw a ghost. Neela dropped the knife. I'm both intrigued and disgusted. Lexi is...fine? Neela sees how undisturbed Lexi is and yells, "ARE YOU OKAY WITH THIS?!! HE'S YOUR BOYFRIEND!" Lexi shrugs and just says, "Polygamy." Torren pipes up, "Yeah." Jason nods.

Do you understand my suffering?

Neela is still confused, "Okay, but how does Jason top? He doesn't have a thing down there." Yeah, he's transgender. Jason glares at her, "First off, we agreed to never speak about my lack of a 'you know what'. Second, there are other ways to screw someone." Neela shakes her head, "You know what, I'm sorry. Also, I don't want to know." Yeah, as you can see we don't swear. Neela is semi-comfortable talking about the frick-frack, but she will skin you alive if you swear. It's strange.

But Neela wanted to continue, "Wait, that does explain why you've been flirting with me." Lexi smiles, "I mean, is anyone here a cishet?" There is complete silence for a few moments. So I guess the crickets were gay too.

In that moment of peace, we hear footsteps. It sounds like metal-clad boots. Fudge. "It's Coach Brox." The next moment was a blur of panic. We were put desks back in place, hiding weapons, and pulling homework. I felt like the Trojans when the Greeks came out of the horse. There was nothing but panic.

Suddenly the door opens and in walks our PE teacher, Coach Brox. But the gods have smiled upon us and we managed to look like we were studying. It was just one study group. Coach Brox inspects the class and we all hold our breath. Suddenly he speaks, "This seems fine." He glares at Maria before leaving. This may need some backstory. We were having gym class and Jason was having a panic attack while trying to free Torren from the jocks that planned to murder him. But Coach Brox, being a homophobe, takes any side that isn't gay. He spent ten minutes yelling at Jason while the kid was trying not to cry. Then Maria started yelling at him for being a prick. Now he's our sworn enemy and PE is hell.

After he's gone, we all let out a sigh of relief. Then Quinten speaks up, "He didn't even notice I had Maria's homework!" We all laughed a bit until I realized something, "Or maybe he did." We all went silent. He could be telling our teachers that we copy off of Maria as we speak! Which isn't true, everyone copies off of me. Except for Jason and Lexi.

We sat for a moment contemplating our next move. Darn, my life sounds like a Tumblr post at two in the morning. Or 8.

#My writing #MY OCs #i'm so sorry

4 notes · View notes

addictedtostorytelling · 5 years

Note

Do you have any favorite lines from ER? I saw your favorite episodes gifset

hey, @amidalas-shadow!

fun question! i am a sucker for er dialogue, so i have many, many favorite lines.

i put a bunch of ‘em under the “read more.”

_____

inspirational lines

“you set the tone.”—david morgenstern, mark greene, and john carter (at various points throughout the series)

jc: “i thought i was gonna be sick. i’m sorry.”mg: “don’t ever say you’re sorry. see, there’s two kinds of doctors: there’s the kind that gets rid of their feelings, and the kind that keeps them. if you’re gonna keep your feelings, you’re gonna get sick from time to time. that’s just how it works… people come in here, and they’re sick and dying and bleeding, and they need our help. helping them is more important than how we feel.”jc: (nods)mg: “—but it’s still a pain the ass sometimes.”—john carter and mark greene, episode 01x01 “24 hours”

ch: “i just wanna be happy—and i’m so afraid i never will be.”dr: “you will. you will.”—carol hathaway and doug ross, episode 01x25 “everything old is new again”

jc: “it’s not that i dislike surgery. it’s been incredibly challenging. the training has been excellent. you are a wonderful surgeon and a fine teacher.”da: “get to the point, doctor.”jc: “i admire surgeons and surgery, but it’s not the type of medicine i want to practice. i can be a competent surgeon; i can learn the techniques, the mechanics. but i’ll never be a great surgeon. dr. anspaugh, i can be a great doctor—a doctor who spends time with his patients, who’s there for them. i’m good at it. really good. i can make a difference in people’s lives. don’t make me give that up. please don’t make me waste it.”—john carter and donald anspaugh, episode 03x22 “one more for the road”

lk: “i thought we were saving her.”jc: “no. we were giving her her only chance.”lk: “that’s not good enough.”jc: “it has to be.”lk: “no, it doesn’t.”jc: “some patients get to you more than others, i know. but when you do everything that you can—sometimes even more than you thought you could—you gotta walk away knowing you fought the good fight. you fought the good fight, lucy. tomorrow you’ll fight another one.”—lucy knight and john carter, episode 05x08 “the good fight”

ch: “i have to go find out.”lk: “find out what?”ch: “if [doug’s] still in love with me—because i’m still in love with him. i am. i’ve been in love with him since i was twenty-three years old. he’s everything to me. he’s my life. i feel complete when i’m with him, and i feel empty when we’re apart. he’s the father of my children, and he’s my soulmate.”—carol hathaway and luka kovac, episode 06x21 “such sweet sorrow”

“forget superman; i’ll take mark greene.”—abby lockhart, episode 08x20 “the letter”

“be generous—with your time, with your love, with your life… be generous, always.”—mark greene, episode 08x21 “on the beach”

gp: “what’s up, frank?”fm: “you know, i always believed that nothing ever really changed. i’m old enough that i know that there’s always gonna be trouble—war, taxes; bad guys now are pretty much the same as bad guys have always been. but that’s not how i feel today. i feel like the world’s getting worse and worse and worse, and what we’re watching is the slow, steady descent of the human race.”gp: “no. no, i don’t buy that. i think that, um, today was just a rough day for the home team.”—greg pratt and frank martin, episode 13x01 “bloodline”

“you know, nine years ago, i had—my marriage was over, my mother was in a mental institution for the seventh or tenth time—i don’t know—and i drank a lot. a lot. and i had reached this—you know what? i—one morning, i woke up in this apartment, and i had no idea how i got there, next to some guy i didn’t even remember meeting, and he was going through my stuff, looking for money so he and his buddy could get a fix. so i ran out of there, and i went downstairs, and i tried to get a cab, but i had no idea where i was, and it was five o’clock in the morning, and there were no cars on the street, so i just—i just sat down on a stoop, and i just—i waited for something to happen. and at that moment, i’m telling you, i knew—i mean, i was positive!—that happiness was something i was never going to find. i’m just trying to tell you that things can change. they can get better. even if you don’t see it, they can.”—abby lockhart, episode 13x14 “murmurs of the heart”

sad lines

“a man came in today. he sat there and watched his wife die, and he helped her to die, because she was in so much pain, and he loved her. but we didn’t have that kind of marriage, did we, al? we didn’t love, we didn’t cherish, we didn’t respect, and now you’ve killed me!”—jeanie boulet, episode 03x05 “ghosts”

“doug? i don’t want to wake up alone tomorrow.”—carol hathaway, episode 05x15 “the storm,” pt. ii

“he’s still my baby, peter. i’m supposed to take care of him. i feel like somewhere, sometime, he’s going to be sad or cold or scared. who’s taking care of him? who’s being his mother?”—jackie robbins, episode 08x01 “four corners”

ec: “your brother believed me when i told him he’d get better—it didn’t matter where he was, how he felt, what the doctor said. i told him he’d get better. he died believing me.”jc: “no, he was pretending for you—that was another one of our secrets. i was supposed to not let you be sad. i was supposed to make you forget. to make you happy. he made me promise to make you happy. i’m sorry, mom.”—eleanor carter and john carter, episode 08x14 “a simple twist of fate”

“kem? they’re gonna come down and take us to our new room soon, and when they come, they’re gonna take the baby, and we’re never gonna see him again. i don’t know what the right thing is to say. i don’t know what the right thing to do is. it was an accident! it was nothing that you did wrong. it was nothing that we did wrong. it just happened. i love you, and i wanna spend the rest of my life with you, but we have to say goodbye to our son now. i have to help you to do that, and i don’t know how to do that. please help me. please.”—john carter, episode 10x21 “midnight”

funny lines

mp: “are you married?”sl: “no, i’m a doctor.”—male patient and susan lewis, episode 01x01 “24 hours”

“what can i say about mark greene that hasn’t already been said? i think everybody knows how he overcame adversity as a child of quakers, his years in exile, his political writings and limericks, his mod period with the turtlenecks, his blue period, and of course his ruthless march to power and the silencing of his rivals.”—doug ross, episode 02x03 “do one, teach one, kill one”

“you are wedges. the wedge is the most primitive tool known to man. that is you. you think you know what you’re doing. believe me: you don’t. breakfast with your senior surgical resident, dr. benton, will begin in fifteen minutes. dr. benton is an intern’s worst nightmare. he’s smarter than you, he never eats, he never sleeps, and he reads every medical journal, no matter how obscure. he is the antichrist, beelzebub, lucifer—a devourer of wedges! you will go to sleep at night wishing plague and pestilence on his unborn children, and you will wake up every morning praying for his approval. you won’t get it. welcome to hell, ladies and gentlemen.”—dr. melvoin, episode 03x01 “dr. carter, i presume”

sidebar: if any of my followers from the csi fandom are reading this, dr. melvoin is played by wallace langham, aka david hodges, so imagine the above spectacular rant being delivered in his voice. also, bonus points ‘cause he’s talking about “wedges.”

sl: “first of all, i order a manhattan, straight up, two cherries. he orders a ‘fruity yet selfless’ glass of carbernet.” mg: “what does that even mean?” sl: “i have no idea! then he talks for forty-five minutes about his ex-girlfriend, whose name also happens to be susan: how much he loved her, how much he wanted to marry her, how he wanted to father her five or six children—and, by the way, do i want children? do i want five or six children?” mg: “okay, tad could be worse.” sl: “i’m not even there yet, mark. i look over, and he has this drop of red wine hanging from his nose.” mg: “what?” sl: “you heard me! this puny, little blob, just hanging there. so of course, i cannot take my eyes off of it! is it gonna fall? is it gonna hang there all night? is his skin going to absorb it?” mg: “how did it get there?” sl: “mark!”mg: “no, really! how did you get your nose that far down into a wineglass? what, was he smelling it, or—?” sl: “mark, please!”mg: “okay, what happened?”sl: “i went to the bathroom and snuck out the window.”mg: “you’re kidding.”sl: “nope.”mg: “wow.”—susan lewis and mark greene, episode 03x02 “let the games begin”

kw: “did you even take the hippocratic oath?!”rr: “i had my fingers crossed.”—kerry weaver and robert romano, episode 07x03 “mars attacks”

sw: “don’t touch me!”nr: “try not to move. i’m a doctor. you may have broken your ankle.” sw: “if you’re a doctor, i want a second opinion.”nr: (to abby) “okay, dr. lockhart, would you care to give a second opinion?”al: (to snotty woman) “sure. your ankle may be broken—and you’re a bitch.”—snotty woman on l platform, neela rasgotra, and abby lockhart, episode 12x02 “nobody’s baby”

_____

there are probably tons of others, too.

if you ever want any of these moments—or any others from the show—giffed, lemme know, okay?

thanks for the question!

#answered #amidalas-shadow #asks: er #er #nbc er #let's talk shop

7 notes · View notes

mearcatsreturns · 5 years

Text

Hope for Dummies, ch. 5

There's not a guidebook to hope, but they could sure use one.

An end to waiting is just the beginning of...well, the rest of their lives.

Thank you for joining me on this fairly fluffy journey for Luka and Abby! I'll do the epilogue as soon as I can, but this main part of the story is done. And it has some smut, so be forewarned and/or excited.

You can also read this on ao3, all 7.5k words of it.

Valentine’s Day passes with little fanfare, and Abby buries herself in frantic, last-minute studying for her licensing exam. Neela already took hers, but graciously agrees to study with her anyway. Luka offers his assistance, but given that their attempts at studying tend to end in giggling and a lack of productivity, Neela’s the better choice. It helps that she doesn’t imagine Neela naked.

She works an early shift the day before, so she only catches Luka on his way in. He doesn’t see her yet, so she takes the opportunity to look him over while he’s not paying attention. He’d said he was buying a new suit, but she hadn’t expected...wow, she needs a glass of cold water.

Speaking of tall drinks of water, he finally sees her and brightens as he makes his way toward her.

“Hey, check you out, Mr. GQ,” she says, smiling broadly at him.

Blushing, he thanks her, then pulls her behind him into lockup. “Your test is tomorrow, yeah?”

“Yep. I’m going home now to study a little more and then go to bed at a reasonable time.” Or try to, anyway.

“You’re going to do great,” he says, reaching for her hand.

Abby lets him intertwine their fingers. “I’ll settle for passing.”

“And I hope you’re not settling for anything,” Luka replies, placing his on her other hand on her waist.

She licks her lips. “Not at all.”

His eyes follow the motion, and he hesitates for just a second before lowering his mouth to hers in a lingering, hard kiss.

When they finally pull away, breathing heavily, he says, “For luck.”

Abby just nods, whispering, “Yeah, for luck,” as she watches him duck out of lockup and start to walk away, though not before one last longing look at her.

&&&

She doesn’t know if she kicks its ass, but she does get her exam done. She just has to wait six weeks to see if she passed. It’s not like she doesn’t have plenty to do to keep her distracted from worrying about it between now and then.

Abby calls Luka a couple hours after she gets home. He answers nearly immediately, sounding breathless. “How did it go?”

She smiles. “Hello to you too.”

“You know what I mean, Abby,” he says, chuckling. “But really, how did it go?”

“I think it went okay, but my brain is mush and I don’t wanna think about it anymore unless I have to.”

“Fair enough.”

“How was your day?”

“Not too bad. There were a couple traumas, but we were able to save both of them,” Luka says.

“You didn’t get anything on your suit, I hope,” she replies, trying to keep back a giggle. God, what this man does to her.

“Hey, that was yesterday. I changed and wore my very boring normal clothes today.”

“Oh, there’s nothing boring about your usual clothes, especially when you wear those blue shirts of yours,” Abby blurts out. Her cheeks heat immediately.

He clears his throat, but his voice is still gruff and low. Jesus, that voice does things to her and should be illegal. “Oh, you like those?”

“Mmhmm.”

“Then maybe I should tell you that you can even manage to make scrubs look good, but my favorite is when you wear those lower-cut blouses,” he tells her, and her stomach clenches. Is she...tingling?

She tries to recover. “How shocking that you’d like the lower necklines I wear.”

“Mmm, it gives me ideas.”

Abby has a few ideas of her own, but first she needs a cold shower. And to remind herself that it would probably not be helpful to mention that she’s wearing his sweater and very little else.

“I...I think we should probably change the subject,” she finally says with genuine regret and frustration. Can it be graduation already?

Luka lets out a sigh. “Probably. Sorry.”

“No, I...I definitely encouraged you. In fact, I brought it up.”

She thinks he mutters something about her indeed bringing it up, and she smothers a laugh. Finally, he says, “Well, if you want to celebrate being done with your licensing, we could go out with Neela, Pratt, Carter, and Kem.”

“That sounds good. Susan and Chuck, too?”

“Yeah, I’ll invite them. Susan needs to stop giving me condoms, though.”

Abby cackles. “She does that to you too? Don’t pay her any attention, I think the pregnancy hormones are getting to her. She knows why we’re waiting.”

“Like I’ve said before, it’s worth it,” he says, and then she’s biting her lip and smiling for entirely different reasons.

She’s pretty sure she loves him.

&&&

Luka dreads the meeting ahead of them, but they have to get it over with and make their selections about matches.

It’s never one of his favorite things to do, but this year it’s just so damn awkward. Situations like these are what he was trying to avoid by pumping the brakes with Abby, but he supposes that even if they were just friends this might still be unpleasant. He just can’t be objective about her.

All the attendings gather in the lounge, Kerry included. After a short, brutal assessment of Lester, they proceed to Abby, and Luka’s stomach twists. So much is riding on this.

Kerry talks briefly about Abby’s qualifications, then opens the floor for discussion by the rest of them. She looks at him pointedly, and he squirms in his chair. Everyone is looking at him, so he finally speaks. “She has, uh, good clinical skills. Excellent ones.”

“She really does know her stuff, and patients love her,” Carter adds, though his lips are twitching.

Susan agrees. “She cares about people, and they can tell. Sometimes the only person who’s not sure about Abby is Abby, but she’s gotten a lot better lately.”

Is...did Weaver just give him a sly look or is he imagining it? He shakes his head and they move on, discussing Neela. Their opinions there are a little more split. Luka likes her, but he’s not sure the ER is the place for her, or if she even wants that.

Weaver hurries out of the lounge as soon as they’re done to head to another meeting, while the other three attendings linger.

Carter comes over and slaps his back. “Good clinical skills, huh?” He smirks before going out the door, leaving Luka with Susan.

“Yeah, do you have personal experience with her clinical skills, Dr. Kovač?” Susan grins at him and raises an eyebrow, and he can feel himself turning bright crimson.

“Well, what am I supposed to say? I...I’m biased when it comes to Abby, and it seems everyone knows it,” he says, ignoring her previous quip.

She gets serious. “Luka, we all love Abby. Not the same way you do, but all of us are biased. Carter still cares about her a lot, she’s one of Kerry’s few friends other than you, and she’s one of my best friends. We’re just teasing you, because we know your involvement makes you both better doctors and people. And you’re our friend too.”

“We...we’re not…”

“You’re not dating?” Susan snorts. “Yeah, Abby told me. For the record, while it’s very noble of you both, you’re involved whether you call it that or not. It’s not like either of you is actually single. You wouldn’t even think of dating someone else, would you?”

“No,” he says simply.

“Besides, according to Frank, you’re actually married. You’re committed to each other and don’t have sex. Ergo, married.”

Luka rolls his eyes, but he struggles to keep from smiling.

&&&

Luka nearly falls backward when Abby all but leaps into his arms, babbling excitedly. “I passed! I passed!”

Ah, her licensing exam. She’s been worried, even if she tries to hide it when they talk. As smart as she is and competent with patients, she knows standardized tests aren’t her forte.

He wraps his arms around her and leans back against the wall. “I knew you could do it.”

“Must have been that good luck kiss.”

“Or because you’re smart and work hard and know what you’re doing. But if you want to test again to see if it’s the kissing, I’m happy to try more.”

She bites her lip and her eyes brighten, and she says, “Well, we could try a celebratory kiss.”

He realizes at once he’s still holding her and that there’s an infrequently used exam room two doors away. It’s not like he has a pressing case right now; they can afford this time.

Later, he might wish he was more subtle, but for now, he doesn’t care. He just carries Abby into the room, not setting her down until he closes and locks the door behind him.

Luka licks his lips, then he doesn’t have a chance to think, to plan. Abby’s lips are on his, or his are on hers. It doesn’t matter, because all that matters is the feel of her in his arms.

It’s not long until the kiss begins to affect him (though truthfully, he’s been affected ever since she said they should kiss again) and he pulls her close enough that they’re pressed up against each other.

She’s kissing him and saying his name, and he tries to hold back a groan as she arches against him, but it’s no use.

He pulls back, and she whines in protest. Then he spins her around so that her back is toward him, and he slides a hand under the neckline of her scrub top. “Is...is this okay?”

“Just...don’t stop,” she says. Words turn into gasping when he reaches under her bra, and he can’t help but thrust into her backside.

He obeys, pressing hot, open-mouthed kisses from her jaw down the slim column of her neck.

When he trails his other hand down her side and slips it under her pants and panties, she cries out, “Luka!” before clapping a hand over her mouth.

God, she’s so wet and responsive and she’s writhing against him. Luka loses the ability to think beyond her and him and the way they feel against each other. If only they could feel more skin, but god, she’s bucking against him as he moves his hands over her and inside her and it’s too much. It’s too much. As soon as she gasps, clutching at his arms and stiffening, he thrusts against her once more before losing himself.

Once he recovers, he becomes aware that (a) he just came in his pants like a teenager and (b) Abby is still slumped against him. The latter fact seems more important, so he brushes his lips against the top of her head.

After a few more moments of heavy breathing, she finally breaks the silence, “So, uh. We did that.”

“Mmmhmm. We did. Any regrets?” He prays she says no, because he can’t regret holding her, loving her, making love to her in any way he can.

“Not a one, but we’re...kinda messy. Literally. You probably more than me.”

He sighs. “Yeah. Ah, we can clean up in here, but if you wouldn’t mind bringing me some scrubs…?”

“Of course,” she says, turning and kissing him once more. As soon as she’s cleaned up a little, she reaches up and pats his cheek. “I’ll be right back.”

“Can’t wait,” he manages.

Abby returns in short order, holding a pair of scrubs in his size. Her cheeks are pink, but she smiles. “I, uh, there might be at least one person who has questions about why I needed such giant scrubs, but here they are.”

“Please tell me it’s not Susan,” Luka pleads.

She kisses him, just a quick peck, but the casual affection of the gesture is almost as potent as what they just did before. “It’s not Susan.”

“I get the feeling you’re not being exactly truthful.”

“Hey, you wanted me to tell you that. Besides, Susan is better than it being Carter.”

He groans and buries his head in her shoulder, wrapping his arms around her again, not caring about the scrubs getting crumpled between them. She reaches up and cards her fingers through his hair, and he enjoys just being with her for a few more seconds.

“I should probably get dressed. But are we okay, Abby? I know we said—”

“Oh, Luka,” she says, cutting him off, “I know what we said. And we should probably try to abide by that, but I’m also not going to let us beat ourselves up for this.”

The smile tugging at his lips overtakes his face. “Good.”

&&&

Abby is napping in the on-call room when she hears the sound of a throat clearing. She opens one eye, and seeing that it’s Luka, she blinks blearily. “Hey.”

“Good morning, beautiful. Or afternoon, but yes.” He’s smiling, and he takes a seat on the edge of the bed.

“Everything okay? Do I need to get up?”

Brushing her hair out of her face, he says, “No, and I’m sorry to wake you, but I was going to get coffee before my shift, and I wanted to see if you want to come along.”

“Oh, sure. Just a sec,” she says, pushing herself up and straightening her clothes.

They walk over to the Jumbo Mart together, and Luka’s hand finds hers as they cross the street. Abby looks up at him, smiling softly at the sweet gesture.

After they get their coffee and pay, they head out walking. Abby’s done with her shift, she just knew she’d fall asleep on the train and miss her stop if she didn’t take a nap first. They don’t go far, just lean up against one of the brick buildings and sip at their coffee.

Luka breaks the silence. “So...has Kerry said anything to you about matching with County?”

“Uh, she hemmed and hawed, but basically said that if I ranked County as my first choice, I’m kind of a shoe-in. And I did.”

“Hmm, good. Given any thought to what you’ll do between graduation and starting your internship?”

Oh, Abby has several ideas, and all of them involve her and Luka being very naked together. One particular fantasy involves him bringing her breakfast in bed—completely in the nude, of course, or maybe just with an apron. It might be unrealistic, but a girl can dream.

Instead, she says, “Um, a little. Sleeping for a week, I hope.”

He laughs, but seems distracted. “Yeah. Ah, I was talking to Kerry today, and she gave me a week off right after graduation for some reason.”

“You...you didn’t request it?”

“No, but, ah, I was looking at the schedule and I wasn’t on it, so I asked her about it.”

“That’s kinda weird, even for her,” Abby says, looking up at him.

His cheeks are red. “She said—she said that she, ah, thinks it’s best I take some time off around when you might have...time.”

Oh. Ohhhhh. Abby feels her own cheeks flame brilliantly, but she can’t help teasing Luka. “So she told you to take a sex vacation, basically.”

“Only if it’s with you,” he says, chest shaking with laughter.

“Oh my god.”

“If you want her exact words, it was, ‘I don’t want to be around you and Abby right after graduation, and I don’t think any patients should be.’”

On one hand, she kind of wants to disappear or melt into the floor. On the other...a week. With Luka. “I’m not sure if I should thank her or just go die from embarrassment.”

Maybe she and Luka haven’t exactly been circumspect since finding out she passed her licensing exam. Maybe they’ve been caught making out in almost every room with a door in the ER, and maybe their “we’re not sleeping together” is wearing a little thin with everyone, themselves included.

It’s just...it’s been nice, in a weird way, not jumping into sex. They’d rushed into things physically the first time around, and that’s pretty much how it’s been since...ever. Luka said it’s the first time he’s waited and taken things slowly like this since Danijela, and Abby likes that there’s something, well—innocent isn’t the right word, but she can’t think of anything better. For once, their emotions are farther along than anything else. It’s getting harder and harder to wait though, and at this point saying they’re waiting is a little laughable.

They haven’t had sex, not really. There’s just been a lot of making out. And...more. In addition to the ER, there was that memorable time when Luka gave her a ride home after a shift they worked together and they’d ended up dry humping in his back seat like horny teenagers. That’s not even touching on what they’ve gotten away with at the hospital.

Okay, so maybe she can see why Kerry might have basically told her and Luka to take a sex vacation. It’s still embarrassing, though.

Shaking her head, she leans against him, and he shifts his coffee to his other hand to wrap his arm around her. “So I was thinking...what if after your graduation ceremony, we go away somewhere, just the two of us?”

“You want to get out of town? Travel somewhere?” she asks skeptically.

“Nowhere too far,” he adds quickly. Yeah, she can’t imagine either of them wants to spend a bunch of time driving or on a plane when...well, it’s been almost three years.

“Huh, maybe. Get away from Chicago and our responsibilities, maybe somewhere on the water?”

“Like a vacation.”

“Not like a vacation, an actual vacation.”

He kisses the top of her head. “Sounds good to me. I can find a place and book it, unless you want to choose…?”

“Nah, I trust you to find somewhere good.”

“Do you want to leave the day of your graduation, or maybe the next day?”

Abby considers their options. On one hand, leaving right after graduation sounds tiring and like...well, they’d have to wait to get to their destination. But if they don’t leave immediately, she’s not sure they’ll end up going anywhere at all. “Um, how about right after graduation?”

Luka smiles, clearly on the same page. “Perfect.”

&&&

One day. One day until graduation, and it’s driving Abby crazy to be here finishing up this psych rotation.

It’s been...freakishly good. Honestly, if she weren’t completely sold on being an ER doc, this would be fantastic. Somehow, everything with her family, with her history of alcoholism, makes this rotation engaging and very much her wheelhouse.

But she misses the ER and she misses Luka. She’s worked at County without Luka, and she can imagine being with Luka without the ER, but the two combined is just a no-go.

At this point, it’s less than twenty-four hours before they leave for their little vacation. Six days and five nights at some little cottage on the Lake Michigan coast a couple hours away, and she can’t wait. Fortunately, she doesn’t have to, not much longer, anyway.

The beach and Luka await, and her bag is packed. She even bought a new little bikini for it, though she’s hoping that clothing will be superfluous for the majority of the trip.

Abby shakes her head and heads back toward the elevator. She can daydream later, just as soon as the shift is over.

She’s almost at the elevator when someone grabs her wrist. Smiling before she even turns, she lets Luka pull her into his arms. She hooks her fingers into his belt loops and turns her face up for a kiss.

It’s just a quick peck, but it feels so good to not have to hide it anymore. Technically they should wait until tomorrow to be open about it, but Abby is very aware they’re not fooling anyone—not even themselves—at this point. She didn’t even bat an eye when Morris called Luka her boyfriend a few days ago when she’d been down on a consult...which she hadn’t realized until she’d realized Morris, Haleh, and Malik were all staring at her with raised brows.

“Ready for graduation tomorrow?” Luka asks, twining their fingers together as he pulls her aside.

Biting her lip, she nods. “Very much so. And I’m even 90% packed for leaving after.”

He smiles at her. “I need to finish that up, but I’m going home in just a couple minutes. I just wanted to say hello. And that I’m looking forward to seeing you at graduation.”

“Thank you,” she says, and then Abby can’t help it—she throws her arms around his waist. His arms slip around her, and they stand there holding each other until one of the residents from oncology clears their throat. Oh, right. They’re in the way. “Um, I’ll see you then?”

“I can’t wait,” he says, and she watches him walk away as she steps inside the elevator and the doors close.

The shift goes by quickly, and when she finally stops by Admit before heading out, and she’s surprised to find Kerry there waiting for her. Kerry’s not smiling, not that Abby can blame her with all that’s happened with losing Sandy and now trying to get back custody of their son, but she’s there with a large envelope that she hands to Abby.

Abby looks at her questioningly, and Kerry tells her to open it when she gets home. “I won’t be able to make it to your graduation tomorrow, so I wanted you to have this now. And have a good time on your trip with Luka.”

“Thanks, Kerry.”

“You’re welcome, Dr. Lockhart.”

&&&

Abby opens the envelope on the train home. In addition to a nice card and gift, it includes all the official paperwork for Abby’s residency. Abby chokes up a little; it’s so real now, even if she’s known for a while unofficially. She’s going to be a doctor of emergency medicine at County.

It hits her just before her stop. She’s done. She’s done with med school, and the only thing she’s waiting for is her diploma and the ceremony.

Luka isn’t her teacher anymore.

She hurries off the train and into her apartment, throwing the last of her things she’ll need for the trip into her suitcase. After a short pause, she grabs a few more items and tosses them into a smaller bag that she hoists over her shoulder before heading back outside her apartment. She only has to walk a block or two before she finds a cab.

As soon as she arrives at her destination, she pays her fare and heads up the elevator. She takes a deep breath, and just like she did almost a full year before, she knocks.

Luka comes to the door quickly, and when he sees her standing there with her purse and overnight bag, he licks his lips and wordlessly holds the door open for her, eyes wide.

Abby sets her bag down in the kitchen and looks around. He was clearly in the middle of doing dishes, but she can’t regret interrupting him.

“I, ah, I have some leftover Thai if you want it,” he offers.

She steps closer to him, close enough she can reach for him and toy with the hem of his tee shirt. “Um, thank you, but I’m good. I ate a sandwich before leaving work.”

He waits for her to continue, though he places a tentative hand on her hip.

“I—I realized that I’m done with med school. I mean, graduation is tomorrow, but I don’t have classes or rotations, my grades are in, I’ve got the internship. So, uh, no more teachers o—”

Luka cuts her off, placing his hands on her cheeks and kissing her breathless. Oh, thank god.

She wraps her arms around his neck and scrambles to get closer to him. He seems very on board, if the way he hoists her legs around his hips is any indication.

She’s so lost in the way his mouth, his tongue, his everything, affects her that she doesn’t register at first that he’s walked her over to the living room. Not until he bumps into the back of the couch and growls in frustration.

Abby doesn’t care, though, not even when she starts falling backwards over the end onto the cushions of the couch. She giggles, pulling Luka on top of her. The couch leans ominously for a second before he tumbles onto her, looking very put out.

She nips at his bottom lip, then soothes it with a gentle kiss. When she pulls back, Luka is sheepish. “Sorry about dropping you.”

“Does it look like I mind?”

Given that she’s underneath him, legs hitched around his hips, that telltale red flush spreading down her chest...well. He’s an idiot, but not about that. “No.”

With that settled, Abby tugs at the bottom of his shirt. He pulls it over his head and tosses it across the room. He palms her breasts through the layers of her clothes, and she whimpers in frustration. She needs to feel him.

Luka obviously understands, because he hurries to unbutton her shirt. When he sees that she’s wearing a front-clasp bra, he lets out a groan of his own before unclasping it with one hand. He pushes her bra and shirt off before lowering his mouth to her nipples, sucking and laving.

Abby moans, “Luka,” arching her hips against him and raking her nails down his back. He shudders in her arms, but helps her out when she runs her hand under the waistband of his sweatpants.

God, he’s not wearing anything under those pants, and soon he pushes them down his legs. She can feel him hard and hot against her, but there are too damn many layers, and she can’t—

Then he reaches between them and unbuttons her pants, and though she gives a whiny, breathy sigh when he pulls back, he tugs them off, managing to pull off her underwear as well.

He doesn’t waste time, just settles back between her thighs. Reaching down and finding her wet—so very wet for him—he kisses her hard, then lines himself up at her entrance and slides home.

God, he feels so good. She’s missed this so much, and now he’s inside her again. It’s been almost three years, but her body remembers his like it was yesterday.

“Fuck,” she gasps against his lips, and Luka seems to take it as a command, burying his head in her neck and thrusting into her hard and fast. When his rhythm starts to falter, he reaches between them and settles his thumb against her clit, and then it’s just a few more moments of frantic movement and pleasure before Abby tenses, cries out, and lets ecstasy take her.

Luka only lasts a few strokes more before he stills, spilling inside her with a groan.

He collapses on top of her, and Abby welcomes the weight of him against her, sweat be damned. When their breathing finally returns to normal, she laughs.

He pushes himself up on an elbow, still looking adorable and delicious and disheveled. Smiling, he asks, “What?”

“So, hello.”

“I guess we did kind of skip that part, didn’t we?”

“Mmhmm,” she says, giggling. He covers her lips with his again, this time slow and tender. He’s still inside her, and he flexes his hips against hers. He might have softened and need some time to recover before the inevitable round two, but she savors the feel of their bodies intertwined, flush up against each other.

Eventually he releases her lips with a sigh, brushing a light kiss against her forehead before finally pulling out of her and pushing himself to his feet.

Abby whimpers, but takes his proffered hand. They get up and clean themselves up a little before he reaches down and pinches her bare ass.

She yelps. “Hey!”

“I had to. You’re too cute.”

His grin is just so dopey and happy that she can’t even feign indignation. She melts against him into his embrace. “Dummy.”

“But you lo—like me anyway.”

“Very, very much. Especially right now.”

He makes a sound of assent, resting his chin on top of her head. Suddenly, he bursts into laughter, and she can’t help smiling against his chest. “What?”

“We didn’t make it to the bed. I had all these plans for us, ah, christening my bed, and instead we can barely make it to the couch.”

“I’m just glad we made it to the couch, honestly. Our knees or backs would probably hurt from the floor.”

“We’re not that old, Abby.” As if to prove his point, she can feel him beginning to stir against her stomach.

“We’re not. Shit, we should probably clean up the couch.”

He looks tempted to tell her to forget about it, but then he nods and kisses her cheek. “Okay, but then do you want to go upstairs?”

“Someone is eager,” she teases, though she starts heading toward the stairs.

“Yes. It’s been three years for us, and I’ve been...well. We’ve been ready for this part for six months.”

Abby softens and smiles gently at him, taking another step. “I’ll be waiting.”

“Be there in a couple minutes, draga,” he says, watching her make her way up, adoration in his eyes.

That feeling is entirely mutual.

&&&

Luka makes his way up a little while later, carrying her overnight bag and two glasses of water. He smiles at the sight of Abby tucked in the side of the bed she’d always favored, the sheets around her waist. He’s not quite ready to go again yet, but her breasts...well, he loves her and he certainly loves her breasts.

Setting a glass on the nightstand next to her, he goes to his own side of the bed, aware of her gaze on him. He’s torn between self-consciousness and preening, though when he crawls into bed and she immediately turns to wrap an arm around his waist, he settles for contentment. (Though it’s hardly settling, the farthest thing from it, in fact.)

“So what’s the plan for tomorrow? Since now I guess ‘see you at graduation’ doesn’t make much sense.”

She laughs and rests her head against his chest, and he pulls her on top of him. “Hmm. I tried to pack everything I needed for it, but if we could still stop by my apartment afterward for my suitcase, that would be nice. If that’s okay with you.”

“It’s perfect.”

“I seem to have forgotten pajamas, though,” she says.

“I promise you won’t need them.”

“Oh, yeah?”

Luka nods. “Yep.” He takes one of her hands that’s toying with his chest hair and guides it down to his cock.

“I see,” Abby says, wrapping her hand around him and squeezing lightly.

“Exactly.” If he’s a little hoarse, ah well.

Instead of trying to talk more, he kisses her deeply. He runs his hands all over her, and it’s not too long before she’s gasping against him and taking him inside her. She rides him slowly, leaning her forehead against his as they make love. Luka comes first, but she follows just a few minutes after.

Once they’ve straightened up and have gotten back to bed—he thinks they might actually sleep a while now—he turns on his side to face her, reaching for her hand.

“Do you need a snack or anything?”

“Well, unless you want to go again right now, I’m more tired than hungry,” Abby says wryly, squeezing his hand.

“Just wanted to make sure.”

“Thanks.”

“So.”

“So?”

“Did it live up to the months of waiting?” he asks. He hopes he keeps the uncertainty from his voice. He couldn’t bear it if she’s disappointed.

He clearly doesn’t succeed, because she takes her hand from his and pokes him in the chest. “You can’t seriously need reassurance. That was...well, that was amazing. Both times.”

“I didn’t even use my mouth, and I know you like that—”

“Luka,” she cuts him off, “we have plenty of time for that. It doesn’t need to be perfect every time, either.” Abby takes a breath, then continues, “that said, this was still pretty perfect.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

Luka smiles. “I think you’re pretty perfect.”

“I’m really not and I know you know the ways I’m not, but I’m glad you think so.”

It takes everything in him not to blurt out how much he loves her, but he doesn’t want to do that post-coital. She deserves more than that. She deserves romance and appreciation and just...everything. “Hmm. Well, I like you, perfect or imperfect.”

“I feel that way too,” she says, snuggling up against him. “And, Luka?”

“Uh huh?”

“I like the bed. Very nice and comfortable.”

“Good.”

“I’m pretty fond of the bed’s occupant, too.”

He doesn’t have an answer, so instead he just kisses her.

They drift off shortly after that, and though they make love once more in the night, any of Luka’s plans for sleeping in until they need to get ready for graduation are dashed by the ringing of the phone.

He sits up, blinking blearily. It’s definitely the phone. Abby wrinkles her brow and buries her head under her pillow, and Luka rubs his eyes, glancing over at the caller ID. It’s Carter. Huh.

“Hello?” He might not sound terribly polite, but it’s six in the morning, he’s off, and Abby is finally in his bed.

“I’m sorry to be calling so early, man, but—” Carter’s voice breaks, and Luka’s testiness fades.

“What’s wrong?”

“Is Abby with you?”

He pauses, before deciding on honesty. “Yeah.”

“I—good. I don’t want to say it twice, if she’s there and can listen in.”

By then, Abby is awake. She’s still frowning, but she sits up. Luka covers the receiver and asks if she can hear. When she nods, Luka responds to Carter, “Okay, she’s awake and listening too.”

“Yesterday, Kem and I...we ended up going to the hospital, and they had to induce labor. Our baby died. Stillborn. The cord wrapped around his neck, and…”

Shit. Abby winces and gestures for the phone, so Luka hands it over. “Hey, John. Luka and I will be there in a little bit, okay?” She raises her eyebrows at Luka, wordlessly checking that he’s willing to do go.

He doesn’t hesitate. “We will.”

Carter pauses, then answers wearily, “Okay. See you guys soon.”

By unspoken agreement, they get up as soon as they hang up the phone.

“Shower?” Luka asks. It’s not how he planned to make this request, but he doesn’t want them to roll up smelling like sex when Carter’s mourning. He might be too distracted to notice, but Luka has no desire to compound his and Kem’s pain.

Abby nods and follows him. It’s quick, and though they take turns helping each other wash, it’s more intimate than sexy. Abby kisses his chest before they turn off the water and step out to dry off, and he brushes his lips across her forehead after wrapping her in a towel.

Abby’s shirt from the previous day isn’t fit to wear again, and her blouse for graduation is too formal, so she borrows one of Luka’s. He aches for Carter’s loss, but his heart is a traitor and is just so warm at the sight of Abby in his clothes.

There’s not a lot of traffic, but it’s still 7:15 but the time they get to the hospital and up to the right floor. Jack Carter offers to go get them breakfast, and Carter just nods numbly at his father.

Abby is holding his hand, and she squeezes it quickly before letting go and going to hug Carter. Carter stands still for a moment before he crumples, and Luka’s heart breaks for his friend. He goes over and puts a hand on Carter’s shoulder, patting as gently as he can. He wants to hug him too, but he’s not sure Carter wants that.

Carter makes up his mind for him when he lets go of Abby and embraces Luka. Carter is holding back from sobbing, but just barely. After a few moments of Luka holding Carter while Abby murmurs soothingly and rubs his back, they make their way to the chairs.

It takes him a few minutes, but Carter composes himself. “I really appreciate you both coming, especially when—well, sorry for interrupting. But you should go home.”

Luka exchanges a look with Abby. Sure, much as they might want to be alone, they have the rest of their lives ahead of them, and Carter needs them right now.

“Besides, I don’t want you to miss your graduation. That is today, isn’t it?” Carter asks.

“We have time, John,” Abby says, and Luka places a hand on her knee, nodding in agreement.

Jack Carter returns then, bearing coffee. “They didn’t have any bagels, but the coffee’s fresh.”

Each of them grabs a coffee, Luka carefully passing one to Abby.

“I was just saying, Dad, how much I appreciate you guys all being here, but I think that we—we’re okay.”

Luka’s heart twists with pity and compassion. He and Kem aren’t okay, and they might not be for a long time, but hopefully they can bring each other some comfort.

“And, um...I think you guys can go,” Carter says, inclining his head toward Abby and Luka.

We can hardly stay against his will, Abby seems to say, their eyes meeting in another wordless exchange.

She finally stands, and Luka pushes himself to his feet after her. “Okay. You know if you—”

“I know,” Carter says.

Abby leans down and kisses the top of Carter’s head, and Luka reaches out and clasps his hand. They walk out of the ward, and Abby’s hand finds his.

He brings it to his lips as they step into the elevator.

She takes a deep breath, then asks, “You know that I—Carter is just my friend, my trying to comfort him wasn’t—”

“Abby, I know,” he interrupts, “I wish there was something we could do, but all we can do is be a listening ear for him if he wants it.”

“Yeah, it just...well, it sucks.”

He can’t disagree. They make their way to his car hand-in-hand, and as soon as they’re inside, he has an idea. He’s been keeping her gift in the car anyway. “Since it’s probably too late to go to sleep again before we have to get ready, you want to go grab breakfast somewhere?”

She smiles at him. “Sure.”

Luka takes her to this little breakfast joint he knows, grabbing the box from under the seat and sticking it in his back pocket. He doesn’t remember until they’re there being greeted by the hostess that this was a place he brought a lot of his conquests a couple of years ago. Shit.

Magda remembers him and lights up, especially when she sees the way he’s holding Abby’s hand. “Dr. K! We thought you forgot about us.”

“Not you or the potato pancakes, Magda. How is your husband?”

“Doing good, praise god. I’ll tell him you asked. And who is this young lady?”

Abby blushes, and Luka grins at her. “This is Dr. Lockhart, my girlfriend.”

“Not a doctor yet,” she says with a wave of her hand.

He looks at his watch and snorts. “Okay, you’ll be a doctor in like four hours,” he says, then grows serious. “I hope you know that no matter whatever else is between us, I’m so proud of you and all you’ve done, Abby.”

The color in cheeks deepens, but she looks at him with her heart in her eyes. “I couldn’t have done it without you and all your encouragement.”

He ducks his own head.

Watching this exchange, Magda softens. “This is good, and I’m glad you’re here. I’ll bring the pancakes, and you come back soon, okay?”

“Okay.”

As soon as they’re seated, Abby raises an eyebrow and asks, “You used to come here a lot?”

“Ah, yeah. When...well, a couple years ago.”

Understanding dawns. “Ah. So...with other women.”

Fuck, he hopes he hasn’t made a huge mistake bringing her here. Idiot, idiot. “Um, yes. Sorry?”

Abby giggles, and he frowns at her in confusion. “Sorry, Luka, you just looked so sheepish. You’re my best friend on top of everything else, and I know what you were a couple years ago. It’s fine.”

“It doesn’t bother you?”

“Not unless there’s a reason it should, but I’m pretty sure you introducing me as your girlfriend, us planning a vacation together, and well...everything else—it’s not like what you did with other women.”

“Not at all.”

“Then we’re fine,” she says, still chuckling. “Just...you should have seen your face.”

Finally, he grins back. “Abject terror?”

“Totally.”

Their food arrives quickly and they dig in. After all, they did work up quite an appetite. When they’re done, he clears his throat and reaches behind him for the box in his pocket that’s made sitting uncomfortable.

It’s a wooden box, larger than a jeweler’s box. Her brow wrinkles in confusion when he hands it to her. “Your graduation gift. Open it.”

“Now?”

“No time like the present.”

“Ha ha, very punny.”

“You liked it,” he says, laughing.

She shakes her head in amusement, then opens the box. Cocking her head to one side, she bites her lip. Abby looks at him inquiringly as she takes the shiny golden instrument out of its box. “A...a compass?”

“I know it’s corny,” Luka explains, “but it seems we always find each other.”

Abby swallows, looking down at the compass, then turning to him and reaching to cup his cheek. “It’s beautiful.”

He shrugs. “So are you.”

Taking a deep breath, she says, “Luka, I—”

Whatever she’s about to say is cut off by their server arriving with the check. He pays and they leave after saying goodbye to Magda. On the way to the car, she tucks her hand in the crook of his elbow, and he smiles down at her. God, he can’t remember the last time he was so happy.

Then he remembers the interruption. “What were you going to say earlier? At breakfast?”

“Oh, just...I’ll tell you later,” she says, squeezing his bicep.

He has a feeling he knows what it is, and now he really can’t help smiling.

&&&

They barely get her to graduation on time, having gotten distracted while they were getting ready. Abby had mentioned that her dark green shirt reminded her of Luka’s eyes, and Luka had put on that deep blue shirt she loved on him under the suit she’d admired a few months before. And, well, if they’d had to hurry to remove the clothing and then get it back on a while later, who could blame them?

Sitting next to a heavily pregnant Susan, Luka beams as Abby walks across the stage to receive her diploma. She smiles back at him, and he whoops with joy. Susan elbows him, a soft grin on her face. “So, you two, huh?”

“Yeah,” he says, “we’re going on a little vacation right after this. A little time to ourselves before she starts her internship.”

She pats his arm. “That sounds perfect. I’m happy for both of you.”

“Thanks,” he says with a grin.

After congratulating Neela and Lester, they walk off, hand-in-hand. He helps her remove her cap and gown so she won’t pass out in the heat, tucking her regalia into the back seat of his car. After they pick up her suitcase, they get onto the freeway out of Chicago.

He glances over at her as soon as they take their exit. She looks so...happy. He knows that’s not all due to him, and honestly, he’s thrilled for her sake that she’s accomplished one of her biggest goals. Suddenly—and yet not so, the words have been bubbling inside him for three years—he can’t not tell her. “Abby?”

“Yeah?” She reaches across the console to rest her hand on his thigh.

He places his hand over her smaller one. “I just...I love you. So much.” There’s silence, then he hears a sniffle. “Is...is everything okay?”

Her laugh is watery, and she wipes her eyes. “I love you too, dummy. That’s what I was going to tell you earlier at breakfast.”

“I beat you to it.”

“You sure did,” she says, rolling her eyes. But she’s smiling radiantly, so he lifts her hand to his lips.

Then he keeps driving forward, onward to their future. “Ready, Dr. Lockhart?”

“Ready, Dr. Kovač.”

#luby #luby ff #er #er ff #luka x abby #amber writes #hope for dummies

8 notes · View notes